The Flight

-Alice-

Something clattered noisily and there was a gasp. The hand around her throat slackened and Alice sucked in sweet air. Blinking her eyes back into focus, Alice saw a small boy dressed in short striped pyjamas and greasy hair sticking up in all directions standing in the opening of the side door, mouth agape. Alice braced herself for a lot of pain and with all her strength rammed her leg between the pirates leg. His meaty hand fell from her neck as he crumpled to his knees. Alice looked around her frantically and her eyes landed on a long brass spyglass propped against the wall next to her.

The doors were visibly shaking now as several men were throwing themselves against it, trying to gain entry. Alice closed her hand around the smaller end of the spy glass and swung it with all her might at his head. It stuck true and the pirate went flying onto the floor. He didn't move. Alice let out a desperate breath and dropped the spyglass. She turned to the boy. He was quaking in his plastic shower sandals, her little blade trembled in the air, clutched in white knuckles.

"S-Stay back, witch!" He squeaked.

He reminded her of Gil when she found him below that tree. Small, shaking and scared. An idea popped into her head, she smirked.

"I'm no witch, but if I were, that's no way to speak to one."

She tried to stand tall and make her voice sound wise and authoritative like Nanny or Estelle's. The boy's mouth opened and shut like a fish.

"That little thing won't do you any good. I can't be harmed by a mortal blade."

"Wh-wha-what are you-u?"

Alice walked closer to the boy, when she stepped into the lamp light his eyes widened at the blade sticking out from her abdomen. His eyes flickered from the handle to her shadowed face and the still mound of a pirate behind her.

"A spirit!"

She breathed and raised her bloody hands towards him. The boy's eyes rolled upwards and he collapsed. A loud crack rang through the room. The doors had begun to splinter.

Alice limped up the boy on the floor and scooped up her knife from his limp grip. She turned to the lush curtains and cut a section free with her blade. With a flick she sheathed her knife and wrapped the fabric tight around her middle. Back in the cabin boys room, she threw open the window. Cold night air rushed in, cool against her face, she lifted herself into the opening and crawled out. She was so numb with fear and adrenaline she didn't feel anything the whole climb. That is until she landed on the dock. She had to bite her tongue to keep from screaming. Daggers of hot pain seared up her leg and side. She doubled over, breathing hand.

Far up the dock, a swarm of lanterns rushed up the gangplank, a smaller group was already fanning out across the docks. Alice limped behind the stack of boxes. A lone lantern hovered in the air by the fence in front of her. Her breath caught in her throat, she was cut off. She might be able to sneak past him but in her current state she didn't stand a chance at escaping if she were caught. With a sharp breath she slipped off the edge of the dock. This time she was ready for the landing and centered her weight on her good leg. Ice cold water soaked her pants legs as she sloshed through the knee deep water. She can hear them shouting now and the ring of a tinny alarm bell sounds. Her leg and arms burned with pain and her vision was growing blurry. She didn't dare look back.

The cold helped with the pain but not her head. It was pounding like never before. She was so tired. Her whole body was numb, from the cold or injury she didn't know. In the early morning light she sees a small cave in the rock face. One of the many that covered this side of the island. Teeth chattering she stumbled up the rock shore and into the small shelter and collapsed against one of the walls. Her head hurts so much her eyes hurt. She is so cold and so tired. A small rest and then she'd go home. She closed her eyes, the smell of salt and sea filled her lungs. She is back in her own cave, snuggled up to Nanny, reading one of her favourite books. She was home. Warmth flooded her. A sign of hypothermia and blood loss, no doubt. She had to get up and move now or she would die here. But she was just so tired. She had made her piece like this once before. This wasn't the worst place to go. Great view, for one.

As the sun rose, Alice pressed her hands onto the blood soaked cloth and watched the sky change colours in the dawn. She was suddenly filled with a surge of pride. She had done it. Pulled off another miracle. If she was right, Hook had lost his advantage and her friends might just have a chance.

The roar of the waves echoed down the hollow cave, a constant rhythm for the melody of the distant seabirds. She closed her eyes and became a bird soaring under clear skies. She looked down over a grown up Gil, standing proud on the bow of his ship. Alice gilded above basking in the wind and sun. Gil laughed and waved from below and she turned on the wind and flew, headed towards that familiar horizon.

Alice woke suddenly and was surprised to find she was not dead. Sunlight warmed her face and the rock beneath her. She lay for a moment, confused, relieved, scared, she began to take inventory. The knife was still jutting from her side, but the wound looked to be only constrained to the edges of the blade itself. Her leg felt fine and her ribs were without ache. The cut on her leg had vanished completely, save for the slice in her jeans. The only proof she had that she didn't imagine it. She breathed a sigh of relief and winced as the movement jostled the blade and fresh blood seeped from the wound. Not out of the clear yet. It was well into the mid day. Judging from the warm glow of the sun that lit the familiar heavy clouds of the island's unique climate.

Alice grimaced and got to her feet. She wobbled and leaned against the rock wall until her vision came back into focus. Alice put pressure around the wound and made her way out of the cave, back into the water and down the shore line until she reached her and Uma's bay. The little switch back trail was easy enough to climb in her precarious state. She had never treated a knife wound herself, but she had read about them. She knew to keep the knife where it was until she was good and ready. It was blocking most of the blood loss and was the only thing keeping her from passing out and dying in the middle of the woods. When she got back she would have to light the fire and find something to cauterize the wound with. Then if she didn't pass out too early or for too long she would have to clean and dress the wound. Simple, right? Alice staggered through the woods, dripping in sweat and breathing hard from the long walk. She limped to her rope. She was losing strength fast. She gripped the rope and with slow painful movements, lowered herself down to the edge and inched across it. She entered the cave and almost passed out. By habit, she slipped off her boots and hung her belt on its hook before limping to her bed. She needed the fire but she also really needed to close her eyes for just a second.

The sound of a voice woke her. She felt weak and her head foggy and sluggish.

"Alice?" That was her. She tried to answer but no sound came from her open mouth.

"Alice!"

She wanted to scream and yell that she was here. Her voice croaked.

"Alice! Where are you?" She manages to whisper out.

"Gil? Is that you?"

She choked a sob, she was a little louder now.

"Gil, I'm dying."

-Harry-

After the race, Harry stood next to Uma in the centre of the pirate docks on a rickety stage. He looked over the assembled crowd, his crew made up a large group at one side of the stage. Gil beamed with pride at him from the front. His father; the infamous Captain Hook, stood in the front row a few paces away, a collection of confused and scared looking crew huddled behind him. An old man Harry didn't recognize leaned heavily on a cane next to the Captain. His wrinkled face was hideously bruised and his eyes bloodshot and swollen.

The Captain's face was obscured by his ridiculously large red and gold hat for most of the brief award ceremony. The first glance Harry got of his father's face sent chills down his spine. His fathers face was pulled in a dark look of such pure hatred and anger that Harry was struck by a strong instinct to run. Hook ducks his head once more and Harry is pulled away by Uma as they proceed to their prize.

Harry tried to distract himself from the feeling of dread growing in the pit of his gut by throwing himself into taking charge of their new ship. Uma seemed to be in a similar productive state of mind and had Harry lead the crew in prepping the vessel for sail. Harry thought it was a training exercise until Uma called for the anchor to be raised and the ropes pulled from the docks. He wove his way through the bustling crew up to the raised forecastle where Uma stood at the large window in front of the large steering wheel and tough looking pirate dutifully awaiting instruction. Harry shot the plain girl a wink and slid up to Uma's side.

"What are you doing?"

"Sailing out of here, what's it look like."

"And what's our heading, dear Captain?"

"North. There's a bay not to far from here. Should make a nice port."Harry looked at her, stunned. She sighed.

"Would you rather pay those ridiculous docking fees to the harbour master."

Harry glared at the horizon. Uma slapped a hand at his chest.

"Don't brood. We got work to do."

Work they did indeed. She was right about the hidden cove, it's tall cliffs sheltered the Lost Revenge perfectly. They dropped anchor and Uma surveyed the small rocky beach with her hands on her hips.

"Let's call it pirate cove."

"Brilliant."

-Alice-

Alice breathed in the familiar damp air of her cave with relief. The fire had grown cold long ago, the cave was dark and cold but she felt warm and blissfully alive. Her side radiated heat and stung painfully but she was alive. Gil's sleeping form lay sprawled out beside her. She could make out the silhouette of his hulking chest rising and falling. He was not the little helpless boy in the woods anymore. Gil had grown as strong in body as he had in spirit. He radiated heat even asleep that between him and her burned abdomen, she had pushed off the blanket in her sleep.

They had stayed up for hours talking. Alice told him everything she could about Nanny and her adventures. She left out the ring of course, Estelle made her promise. Uma, too. She trusted Gil but she had given her word. She almost told him about Hook and her father but the image of a boy in a red jacket flashed in her mind and she stopped herself. If she told him, she would have to tell him about the ring and it would all unravel. If he knew he might tell Harry, who might tell Hook.

It was safer for them both if she kept that bit to herself. As for her fathers true identity, she knew from her conversations with Gil how important ancestry was on the isle. Having him see her as a liar's daughter. No thanks.

Gil swore his secrecy and told her all about the race and the award ceremony. Hearing about Hook's anger and the crew's confusion made her swell with pride. She was proud of him. He was well on the way to achieving his dream.

Gil stirred beside her and she winced as his movement shook the small mattress and jostled her wound. She must have groaned because Gil sat up concerned.

"Are you okay?"

He asked, peering down at her in the dark.

"I'm okay, great actually."

Gil sat back against the wall.

"It must be getting late, you should head back. There must be a lot going on. New ship and all."

"Will you be alright?"

"Yeah, this is nothing I can't handle."

"Can I... Can I come back?"

"I would like that."

He pulled on his boots and tugged his jacket on over his leather vest. He bid her goodbye and walked out of the cave.

Alice waited in the silence until she heard his footsteps crossing the clearing above her.

"Gil."

She called.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"Anytime." He laughed. A sweet sound that played in her head like a melody long after his footsteps disappeared into the woods beyond.