A/N: Hello everyone. So, here's the next chapter. The end is nigh for this story. Admittedly, I will be glad once I complete it, since I have always wished to give a proper conclusion to this story and move onto other unfinished projects. Lately, it seems like more people have discovered this story. I thank you to all who are favoriting and following the story. It has provided me with quite a bit of encouragement following the reviews of that one troll which more confused me than anything else.
Anyway, here's chapter 26.
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"…that's the plan," Slightly said, pointing at the crude map spread across the table. The hideout was empty, with the exception of Slightly and Peter. Everyone else was doing the final preparations necessary for the attack tomorrow, although the isolation was also orchestrated to ensure that Slightly and Peter could spend some time alone as Peter fretted over the details of the plan.
Peter held a hand to stroke his chin while he absorbed the battle plans in front of him. Despite how distracted he was, Peter was putting in a sincere effort to ensure he truly understood what was before him. He needed to, for Margaret's sake. Peter gave a tentative nod of approval. "This seems like the best we can do."
"It's a solid plan, really. Besides, we have the fairies and the mermaids helping us. It's too bad we couldn't have the Indians here to help too."
"Let's keep sight of what we do have to work with and not what we don't," Peter muttered. Slightly pursed his lips and nodded.
"Aye aye," Slightly replied, giving a salute and rolling up the map. "I'll go tell the rest of the Lost Boys. We'll probably need to get to sleeping early if we want to be ready for tomorrow."
Peter chuckled grimly. Slightly frowned.
"Peter, you need to sleep. Margaret would want you—"
"Slightly, Margaret isn't here right now. That's the problem," Peter said, chuckling more despite the pain in his chest.
Slightly sighed, giving a long, scrutinizing look to Peter before striding out of the hideout and into the jungle. At the same time, Tootles trotted into the hideout, rosy faced from what was likely a long trek. Peter gave a nod of acknowledgement to the young boy before sitting in one of the chairs distractedly. Tootles walked up to Peter and gave him a pat on the shoulder, looking into the distance wistfully.
"We're rescuing her tomorrow," Peter stated quietly. Tootles nodded.
"I heard you and Slightly talking."
"Mm. I guess I should've known."
Tootles wrestled with his hands. "Do you think you should tell her? So she can be prepared?"
Peter sighed. "It seems that everyone else besides myself agreed that we shouldn't tell her. For how…how bad of a state she's in right now, who knows if she would accidentally let something slip," Peter replied monotonously. He gritted his teeth as he spoke.
"Margaret wouldn't let the pirates know," Tootles said quietly.
"I know."
"The pirates haven't found us yet. She's lasted this long," Tootles continued. "Do you think they didn't want you to tell her cause they didn't want you to see her?"
"What?" Peter asked, his face hardened. After a moment, he forced himself to soften before taking a deep breath.
"After Tink came back last time…I just wonder if they would rather you not see her, in case she's been hurt bad again." Tootles looked down at his feet while rubbing his hands nervously.
Peter forced himself to breathe evenly. "I…hadn't thought about why. But you're probably right," Peter stated stiffly. "If that's the case, I don't like it one bit."
"I think they are doing it for Margaret's sake."
"Margaret's sake?"
Tootles nodded his head. "She wouldn't want you worried about her." He paused. "Margaret's worried you won't be alive by the end of this."
"Does she really have so little faith in me—"
"Have you proved any of us wrong?" Tootles cut off. Peter fell silent and turned away. "Besides, you can't very well rescue her if you're distracted. We'll all need to be focused tomorrow."
Peter thought for a moment. "I just hope she'll still be alive by then."
!
Margaret looked around Captain Hook's quarters with shallow, shaky breaths. Her eyes darted around, as if trying to catch sight of an enemy that wasn't quite within her peripheral vision. Margaret's hands trembled, despite her clutching the chair she was sat in with an iron grip. Each creak, each little sound made Margaret whimper with the anticipation and anxiety rising within her.
What would they do this time? What was in store for her if she again refused Hook's demands? Margaret had no intention of giving up the Lost Boys or Peter. However, Margaret was in no way trained to handle torture. She was just a schoolgirl, trying to survive torture should be the last thing on her mind! So should worrying about giving up confidential information, for that matter.
It was slowly becoming a matter of when, not if, Margaret would give up the Lost Boys and Peter to the pirates. She desperately wished to not do so. Oh, Margaret hated the idea of doing such a terrible thing. Betrayal did not sit well with her at all, nor would she be able to live with herself if she did betray them all. But there was only so much Margaret could bear, and she was very close to her limit.
The door creaked open slowly. Margaret felt her entire body freeze, with every attempt at movement failing completely. Margaret's eyes remained locked on the floor as she stared at the shadow of Hook grow smaller upon his approach. Without any energy to try to mask the raw fear that she was hostage to, Margaret attempted to keep her gaze lowered as to not stare at Hook with such an expression.
Hook placed a hand on Margaret's shoulder, most likely wearing a smug grin at the response the girl was giving him. He lightly brushed his fingers along Margaret's jaw before raising her chin so that her eyes were forced to look into his. Margaret watched his face spread in satisfaction as her wide eyes reluctantly looked into his.
"I hope that you have found your living conditions adequate. We've run into an unfortunate shortage of food and have had to ration to ensure that we all don't starve to death," Hook explained away casually. Hook pulled out an apple and started biting into it in front of Margaret. Margaret felt her starved stomach lurch at seeing the food.
Margaret wished to speak. Oh how desperately she wished to give Hook a piece of her mind. However…
"I see that you have chosen to remain silent. Would that have anything to do with our last visit?" A long minute of silence passed. "Hm?"
Margaret remained silent as she clamped her eyes shut to try to hold back the tears. Hook could very well punish her again for being silent. There's no reason the outcome would be different from last time. He could do any number of things to her. Hook was circling around her now.
"I'm disappointed, Ms. Darling. I had hoped that, with you being an intelligent individual, we would be able to have some good conversations during your stay here. I think you misunderstand my intentions in keeping you here."
Oh I am most certainly not, Margaret thought to herself.
"You see my dear, I am trying to bring order to the chaotic forces of this land. Neverland has the potential to become a paradise for all kinds of people. To become a haven for the lost and for those who wish for a life that cannot be forged back in your home world. That cannot be accomplished when Peter Pan is around," Hook sighed dramatically. He slipped a hand around Margaret's neck, causing her breathing to turn even shallower and more frantic. Hook's fingers paused as they half-curled around the curve of her neck before he slipped them away.
"Margaret, Margaret, Margaret. You have not forgotten your times at Grim Preparatory, have you? A school that you have worked so hard to be in and one that you pride yourself so much on…you really haven't forgotten, have you? You, who always credited the school with making you the best version of yourself, for transforming the world into a better place. Think about how you've fought to return to that place. A place you consider home. Think about how much you fought for order in my classroom, when all I brought was chaos," Hook said, leaning in to speak in Margaret's ear. Instinctively, Margaret leaned away, but was held close to the captain by his hook. "Neverland is the embodiment of chaos, Margaret. That very same chaos you wished to snuff out. You are such an orderly person, Margaret. Neverland is the antithesis of who you are. Of what you stand for. Do you think that by letting Pan to exist, you are somehow making the world a better place? I can assure you, you are in fact doing the opposite. By letting Peter live, you are compromising the order you have fought so hard for."
Margaret managed an even expression, enough to where Hook seemed to think for a moment before continuing. "Do you really think that you and Pan would be happy together? You, the Queen of Order, and Pan, the King of Chaos? Do you think that Pan really likes you?"
Despite herself, Margaret could not hold back the stunned expression that slapped across her face. Hook grinned. "I had even been convinced that you Wendy reincarnated. I should have known that you were her granddaughter. But you look so much like Wendy…You know, Peter and Wendy loved each other dearly. Dearly, I tell you. They were almost inseparable. And then Wendy had to go and break Peter's heart. It was a tragedy, truly. Peter had actually grown up a bit, which takes a very high amount of pain for him to do. He…he wasn't quite the same. Almost made it easier for me to find him, he was so grieved," Hook paused, basking in the silent tears flowing down Margaret's cheeks.
"Peter hasn't gotten over Wendy. He never will. And considering just how unlikeable you were when you first arrived, how could he like you? Really, the only explanation is that he wishes you were Wendy," Hook stated casually. He leaned in once again. "He doesn't like you. Not one bit. If he did, he would've rescued you long ago. He would have risked his life, hm?"
"It's not true!" Margaret shouted, bursting into an uncontrollable fit of crying. She desperately tried to quiet herself, to claw at her stupid trap to not sob, but she couldn't. Margaret had lost every ounce of control over her emotions and the pained sounds coming from her mouth.
Everything Hook was saying was a lie. Margaret knew that. She had no doubts about Peter loving her for who she was. However, the vicious thoughts started clawing at the back of Margaret's head. The thoughts wondering why Peter hadn't rescued her yet, why she hadn't seen Peter in so long. The questions of why no one had done anything yet, it seemed to her. She was so alone and in pain-
"It truly is a vicious truth my dear," Hook said, feigning a comforting presence. He pulled out his handkerchief and handed it to Margaret. Margaret didn't have the dignity to refuse.
"My dear, I could make all this pain go away. Take every bit of worry away from your plate. All you have to do is," Hook said, kneeling in front of Margaret and taking hold of her hands, "tell me where Peter's hideout is. Just point your little finger on that map over there, and freedom is assured. Just that one little thing Margaret, and I'll return you home to your grandmother without any more involvement from us."
Margaret's eyes glanced at the map. And for one singular fraction of a moment, Margaret's brain considered the prospect. Just in that one instant. And immediately, Margaret felt a volcanic eruption of anger bubble to the surface. Jumping up from the chair, Margaret stomped to the map, gathered it up and her hands and crinkled it up before throwing it onto the ground.
"You might as well kill me because I WILL NEVER TELL YOU WHERE THE HIDEOUT IS!" Margaret shouted at Hook. She managed to allow her fear to dissolve for the moment as she basked in her boldness.
Hook stood up nonchalantly, looking at Margaret with an almost bored expression before smiling again. "I'm rather surprised, Ms. Darling, to see that you have managed to keep your spirits up so. That must mean that your current conditions have been rather luxurious, hm?" Hook prompted with a tilt of his head. Margaret felt her defiant sneer fade quickly into a pale, shaking expression of terror. "Slackey, Runt, take her away to the large room."
Margaret's eyes snapped wide open. "No, no, no, no," she started muttering under her breath as the two pirates walked up to her and started dragging her away. Margaret began thrashing with every bit of her strength, screaming bloody murder as they did so. "NononoNONONONONONONO! DON'T TAKE ME THERE! PLEASE—" A hand was placed over Margaret's mouth, keeping her raw, guttural screams, at a muffled volume. Margaret fell silent as she resigned herself to the horror she was about to endure.
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