Chapter V
Rose had watched the sunrise that morning. She leant against the barrier, doing her best to ignore Smee's intense snoring nearby. A light wind started, caressing her cheeks with a warm feel to it. She closed her eyes and smiled, her curls following the wind. As the sun rose, and before it reached above the horizon, she entered her cabin to bathe. He would be waking, soon. What was she going to tell Peter to convince him she was on his side? Rose thought as she drew a sponge around her naked skin. She couldn't sleep the night before, the nightmare that had been plaguing her mind for the past month had returned, changing from a simple kiss to that of a rather erotic nature. But still, she never saw her lover's face, and still saw Peter killing him with a triumphant expression. She sighed and finished bathing, drying herself off. As Rose dressed in a baggy white shirt, with tight brown pants and boots, along with a red sash hanging off her hip; she proceeded to unsheathe her sword and polish it tenderly with the rag nearby. She then buckled her weapons belt on, and tied her long hair back in a single pony tail and a red bandanna that was given to her by Jack Sparrow as a welcoming present. Hook was mortally horrified by that and offered to slash the material to bits, or his brother, whichever got in the way. She stared at her figure in the mirror and smiled softly, as the door to her cabin opened.
And she wasn't surprised to see Hook venturing down the staircase, just as she tucked the medallion in her shirt, her bosom caressing its cool metal.
"Remember what we talked about last night. Stay with Pan for a few days, and lure Wendy to us. He will soon be tempted to rescue her. And I thought of something else last night when I left".
"What's that?" Asked Rose, noticing how close they were standing to each other.
"Play a damsel. If you and Wendy are both captured then well…" He smiled, rather sickly.
Rose tilted her head to the side. "Then you shall release me and I will return to your side upon Pan's arrival. And then… I shall kill Wendy".
Hook simply nodded, sensing Rose's lust for blood will soon be satisfied. They shared a longing compassionate look toward each other, then Rose left her cabin, only to become Evelyn Townsend once more to fulfil her mission.
As soon as she touched deck and eyed the Cabin boy in the corner, doing his usual job of scrubbing the floors, Evelyn closed her eyes. She applied the fairy dust found in her back pocket of her previous pants, her happy thought filled her, and soon she was floating above the ground. Evelyn departed the Jolly Roger by skimming the top of the water with joy and laughter, before shooting high into the sky and into the forest below.
And on board that deck, stood Captain Hook, his eyes watching Rose until she could no longer be seen.
As Evelyn soared triumphantly over the trees, she soon came across the tree house that now belonged to Peter which was situated at the very tree-top. The underground home was only home for the Lost Boys, during intense storms. Hook could never find it. She felt her sword bashing gently against her thigh as the air currents pushed her faster, a gentle voice in her mind telling her to go forth.
Until she came across a familiar pair of blue eyes.
"Wendy!" Evelyn declared, spotting her cousin hovering in mid air.
"Evelyn?!" Replied the baffled teen, her eyes blinking in the midst of confusion and relief. "You're alive!"
"Of course I am! What did you think I was? Dead?"
"Slain by Hook more like it". Wendy said, embracing her cousin as they slowly descended toward Peter's tree house. "Peter! Peter! She's back!"
"What? Who? Evelyn!" Declared Peter as he shot out of the main entrance, giving Evelyn the embrace of a lifetime. "Where have you been?"
Evelyn displayed a cheeky smile. "Are the lost boys in? I have a wonderful story to tell you all".
"Lost boys! Lost boys! Evelyn's back! And she's going to tell us a story!" Peter returned to the hut, Wendy and Evelyn on his tail.
The Tree House itself was something she had almost forgotten. Made entirely from wood and leaves, it contained one large room in which the Lost Boys and Peter slept, followed by a slightly smaller room where Wendy belonged. But Evelyn slept in the hammock near Wendy's window, swaying softly in the breeze. She now sat in Peter's chair, a large grin forming upon her face as she felt her childhood being relived.
"I did return to London". She said. "I had to. It was my duty to inform my fellow colleagues that I was still alive". Evelyn continued. And then she brandished her sword, a sword of fine silver craft with a golden hilt that seemed to perfectly fit her small hand. "Upon my return, the Prime Minister himself gave me this".
"Wow". Said the Lost Boys in unison, as the sunlight on cue caused the edge of the brilliant weapon to glint.
"They gave me fresh clothes to wear, and I realised that I still had some pixie dust left in my back pocket from when Tinker Bell covered me last". Evelyn hovered a few feet still in a sitting position. "I remembered how to fly, and then I came back".
"What else happened?" Asked Toodles.
Evelyn noticed the slightly confused expression on Wendy's face, but she gave her cousin a reassuring look that eased her mind. "War was declared over".
Everyone clapped and cheered.
"Oh it's great to have you back. Now that you're back, we can go and slaughter Pirates!" Peter said with grand desire.
Evelyn was the only one who was silenced as everyone once again, cheered, even Wendy.
"Evelyn?" Came Wendy's gentle voice. "What's wrong?"
"I've seen enough bloodshed to last two lifetimes. And I do not desire to witness any more. You may do what you like, but I will not be a part of this mutiny". Evelyn tilted her head. She wished for his touch, longed for his touch. Upon seeing the look on Peter's surprise face, something hit Evelyn in a way she never imagined.
"But Hook! He's got a new Pirate! We can't let him get any more Pirates on board! We have to kill him!" Peter said as he rose, his voice dripping with excitement and hatred.
Evelyn met Peter's gaze as she descended to the floor and walked toward him. "You may do what you like. But I will not be a part of it".
"But Evelyn… I thought you wanted to meet Hook…" Said Peter softly, as if teasing her. Oh gods, she so wanted to shout in his face that she had met Hook. That she was his Quartermaster. Now she knew why Hook hated the little brat so much.
"The barrier, Peter. No one can get through it. I only landed on an empty deck, still wondering why I was kept alive. That was when I returned to London". Evelyn glanced at Peter as she spoke, her eyes narrowing and she continued. "We wait a week before we attack". Said Evelyn, startling everyone. "It will be unexpected. Hook himself wouldn't know what hit him. Peter can lure him into Skull Rock in which the battle will take place". Evelyn ignored the interrogating glare Tinker Bell was giving her as she paced around Peter like a vulture, declaring orders. "And when they do arrive, we will jump out from behind the rocks".
No one spoke. No one was sure exactly what was going on in Evelyn's mind, only she. Not even Wendy could tell, for Evelyn wore her poker-face, her feelings and thoughts kept only to herself. And him.
"Evelyn…" Said Peter, finally breaking the silence as everyone let out their held breath. "You've been thinking about this a lot. Haven't you?"
She simply smiled. "Yes, Peter. I have". Fingers caressed the hilt of her sword. "So. Shall we go to Skull Rock and prepare our traps?"
Instantly, the Lost Boys leapt to their feet and began to gather ropes that lay around the Tree House, Peter gave Evelyn a cheeky grin and called the Lost Boys into a group as he explained what sort of traps they should use.
"Wendy", Evelyn said, gently taking her cousin's arm.
"Yes?" She replied.
"Stay close to me. Okay?" Evelyn began. "I'll look after you".
"All right". Wendy said with a brief smile as she hugged her cousin. "You've changed a lot. And I know you won't let us down".
Evelyn found it very hard to hide her grin as she returned Wendy's embrace, knowing inside, she was about to perform something Hook had never done. Successfully capture Peter Pan.
James Hook could feel her plans. Full of cunning and deceit, it almost made him wish he could give her a thousand rewards upon her successful return. He sat in his cabin, behind his varnished oak desk, smoking a pipe. And then there were other thoughts she was displaying to him. Surely she must of known he was seeing these. Thoughts of a constant nightmare that ended up in the death of the one she loved. The one she so cherished, and it almost, almost caused some emotion in his frozen heart. Pan killed him. He angrily slammed his fist on his desk, almost feeling Rose's constant pain. Pain over the loss of her son, and the recurring dreams of the one she loved. Hook rose and proceeded to walk to the window where he could clearly see the forest. She was in there somewhere. And it was quite plain to him, that she considered their relationship to be more than crew worthy. Perhaps more of an intimate level. He recalled when he had slept with Rose's mother. There was no emotion in that scene. Nothing. The pair never loved each other, it was just an explosion of lust. But Rose was different. Did he love her? He wasn't sure. But he knew one thing. As he tilted his head to the side and a smile spread across his face, it occurred to Captain James Hook that he was no longer alone.
Evelyn swung a circle of ropes around her shoulder and lifted into the air, as everyone made their way to Skull Rock to perform the simplest of traps. She had to meet with Hook and warn him, she had to tell him face to face.
"Are you all right?" Asked Peter as Evelyn threw down the ropes with a pained expression.
"Fine". She replied, meeting his eyes. "Where's Wendy?"
"She's with Nibbs, preparing a trap near where the Pirates attempted to drown Michael, John and Princess Tiger Lilly". He gestured over Evelyn's right shoulder.
"Oh". She smiled softly. "Mind if you help me with this knot?"
"Sure. Hang man knot I presume?"
"Indeed".
When the knot was secure, Evelyn threw the rope up to the top of the main shaft of rock, its back concealing the rope from outsiders. No one would know it was there, upon tripping over it.
It took probably the entire day for the traps to be set, and Pan decided to call it a day. Everyone returned to the Tree House, Evelyn taking care to know where it was, in order to relay the information to Hook for future references in case Pan escaped this capture.
As Evelyn returned and the others ate, she rose to make a brief announcement. "I'm just going for a walk… I should be back before dawn".
"A walk? Why?" Wendy asked.
"To clear my head. I just can't seem to forget some events that happened during the war, you know. It pains me to sleep at night". And with a nod in Peter's direction, Evelyn departed the Tree House, little did she know she had Tinker Bell following as she landed on the deck of the Jolly Roger.