The kiss had happened so fast that Wendy really had not had time to react. Or, at least, that is what she told herself later, when she was lying awake in her narrow bunk. Her lips still tingled, and the taste of him lingered in her senses.
When she finally did fall asleep, it was only to be followed by the kiss, which replayed itself a hundred times over in her dreams. As a result she awoke tired, and yet strangely content for someone who had just signed away her freedom.
It was only the next morning, as she was dressing in the new suit of clothes Smee had brought, that she remembered the Captains strange words.
" More than one definition of death."
What could that mean? Only then did she begin to feel rather nervous about his expectations of her. . .and she might have came to a better and full understanding, or at least an idea of his intentions. . .if there had not come a knock on the door.
" Yes?" she called.
" The Captain demands your presence on deck." called a voice she did not recognize.
Wendy took a look at herself in the mirror, and a smile crept across her lips. She looked awful! The clothes she had been given were loose, and worn. . .the spare outfit of a pirate. It did not fully conceal her femininity. . .yet the Captain had no doubt thought it would bring less trouble and notice from the crew than her dress.
She wondered briefly to whom the clothes had previously belonged, but concluded that whoever he might have been, he was probably well past the need for a spare outfit. Probably someone who had displeased Captain Hook, somehow.
With that dreadful thought in mind. . .Wendy stepped outside, where a bucktooth pirate was waiting to escort her.
" Follow me!" he growled.
The Captain was standing, near the railing, glowering out over the sea. He heard her step, and turned to face her.
'' Ah. . .now are you ready to begin your adventure as a pirate. . .Wendy?" he smirked. " Let me see if I can think of some means of employment for you."
The pirate who had escorted her choked down a snicker, and Hook turned to face him with a frown.
" What is your name?" he demanded.
" Pikes, sir." the bucktooth pirate answered quickly.
Hook looked as though he were toying with the idea of killing Pikes. . .but changed his mind at the last moment.
" Go away." Hook waved the man away with an exasperated sigh.
" You see, it just isn't easy to find suitable hands these days.'' he said. " Not a brain between the lot of them, I'm afraid." He turned back to face her.
" But you are clever, aren't you?" he asked of her.
" I am not sure. I. . .I was never good at my lessons. . ." She had started to say that a clever person would not have gotten herself into such an awkward predicament in the first place, but decided against it.
" Lessons!" Hook scoffed. " And really, what good were lessons to anybody? I have had lessons too, you know, but they don't keep you alive out here at sea!" he waved out across the water.
Wendy looked out to where he pointed. With a start she realized that the ship had sailed during the night. It was unfamiliar land she was looking upon now. She threw back her head and looked up at the sails. They were beautiful. . .the ship was beautiful.
She felt a thrill of excitement pass through her. It was the promise of an adventure. . .the allure of the unknown.
" Where are we going?" she asked, a tinge of exitement in her voice.
'' To the other side of the island." he stated, as if it should be obvious.
'' I didn't know that the island had another side. . ." she said, frowning.She couldn't remember any mention of it.
Hook took her hand, startling her.
" Everything has more than one side. . ." he said in a strange tone.
He frowned down at her hand, as if just noticing it.
" Soft. Too soft to swab decks perhaps, or to peel potatoes. A truly beautiful hand needs a gentle and productive task to accommodate it." he said, as though to himself.
Wendy shivered slightly, her eyes riveted to the sight of his large hand stroking her smaller one in such a silken manner. But it was when she happened to steal a glance upwards that she caught his eye, and instantly felt a hot blush color her face. He had been watching her expressions as he toyed with her hand.
She tried then to pull her hand away, but he had anticipated such a reflexive movement and tightened his grip.
With a supremely arrogant smile, he brought her hand briefly to his lips.
After he had released it he said:
" Now for your task. . .how well do you handle a needle?"
Wendy snipped the thread, and flung the shirt angrily onto a pile of already mended laundry. The un-mended pile seemed to be growing larger as she sewed instead of diminishing. Her back was aching, her fingers were sore, and she had been stuffed into the cabin while the fresh air and adventure crept by outside. How much clothing could a Captain possibly require? He was certainly vain. And how did he manage to rip so many garments?
She remembered the hook then, and nodded. He probably ripped them with that awful thing. But if she might have felt sympathy for such an encumbrance any other time. . .she was in no humor to feel any at the moment.
She snatched another shirt from the pile on her left and threaded the needle again, now needing to turn towards the window to catch the fading light.
This time when someone knocked on the door, it made her jump, and she pierced her finger quite painfully.
" Who is it?" she demanded rather rudely, pressing the finger into a handkerchief.
" Mr. Smee." a meek voice called. " The Captain sent me. . ." he added by way of apology.
She opened the door, and smiled.
" Yes?"
" This is for you and the Captain says, you are to join him for dinner. " he handed her a parcel, and turned to leave, colliding right into a waiting Captain Hook, who shook his head, his moustache twitching in what could have been anger or amusement. His emotions were difficult to distinguish from each other.
" Actually, what I said was that your presence was requested at my dinner table. You have approximately. . .one half hour, to appear. I despise having to wait." he turned to leave, " One half hour, my beauty, or I will come in there and retrieve you. ..despite your feminine modesties." Hook said over his shoulder.
Wendy scowled after him, tempted to ignore his summons and remain in her room. However she doubted that he was teasing. He would come in after her, and she would would have to have the whole crew see her being dragged. . .or worse, carried, to the Captain's table. Besides, she really was hungry. The thought of food had her ripping into the parcel, not bothering with untying the string.
A simply beautiful royal-blue dress, spilled out into her hands. It was soft velvet, with white eyelet trim. She gave a soft sigh of delight as she began undressing hurriedly.
Once she had struggled into it, and straightened her hair, she stepped back and looked at her reflection. What had looked like the reflection of a dirty pirate boy, earlier, was now transformed into a fairly striking, though not beautiful young woman. It occurred to her that the dress seemed oddly familiar,as if she might have dreamt of it once. . .or told about it in one of her stories.
With a laugh at her own foolishness, and a quick twirl about to appraise herself from all angles. . .she exited the cabin.
Dinner had been a short affair. Wendy had eaten almost ravenously, and the Captain had watched her in amused disbelief. When she had noticed him, she had had the good grace to look ashamed, but only slowed her eating minimally.
Once she had begun to eat, she remembered that her last meal, had been at her home. . .but she couldn't remember how long ago that was. She pondered it a moment, but the memory was very vague. Surely it must have been days ago.
Or perhaps, not.
She shook her head. It was too hard to think about it, at the moment. She had sated her appetite. . .and now felt comfortably sleepy.
To keep herself awake, she tried to talk. Idle chatter had always been one of her faults.
" How far away is the other side of the island?" she asked.
" Oh, it is as far away as it pleases. Time and distance are not really important here." he yawned, and stood, dramatically giving a mild stretch, before beginning to pace the room. He made her nervous pacing behind her, and she toyed with her napkin.
" What is on the other side?'' she wondered aloud.
" Whatever I please." he murmured in her ear.
She stiffened.
" What are you doing?" she demanded, feeling his breath hot on her neck, and his hand on her arm.
" Again, whatever I please. . ." he said.
She leapt to her feet, swiftly enough to escape him, and before he could catch her hand she had slapped him. Not hard, just a token attempt to protect her own dignity. He stared at her a second in shock. No one had ever dared to slap him!
" I say again, sir, that I am a lady, and won't stand for such treatment!" she said, holding her head high, and expecting the worst.
He narrowed his eyes, and began approaching her. She stumbled backwards, reaching for the door. Unfortunately, she had missed it by a few feet, and only came in contact with the wall, leaving her trapped. He put an arm on either side of her body, to ensnare her, and glared menacingly down into her eyes.
He could still read no fear in them though, and that both annoyed him and intrigued him.
" Damn you , girl! If you ever dare to strike me again, I'll. . .I'll. . .'' he stammered. He began blinking suddenly when he realized that he was at a loss for a suitably ominous threat.
She looked at him expectantly, one brow raised just slightly, as though challenging him.
" I'll do the worse possible thing I could ever do to you! " he said, finally.
Wendy paled then, and felt her knees tremble. A slight fear began to creep into the pit of her stomach. Yet still, she refused to yield.
" And what would that be?" she said in an almost whisper.
His face contorted into an ugly, smug, leer, as he brought his mouth very close to her ear. She felt his moustache tickling the sensitive skin.
" I would make you fall in love with me. . ." he said, in a low voice, as if even he couldn't bear to hear himself say the word ' love ' ."
She slid down the wall a bit then, her knees turned suddenly liquid. He caught her easily and pulled her back to her feet.
" You. . .you. . .couldn't!" she tried to cry, but it came out softly. . .too softly to be convincing.
" Couldn't I? ' he asked, his lips now touching her ear.
Weakly she tried pushing him from her. . .but he was too big, and too determined.
" Nooo." she said, trying not to look into the piercing ice blue of his eyes.
She knew that if she did, she would be entranced, and she wasn't sure she could fight against that sort of magic.
" Why shouldn't I try?" he mumbled against her neck, now. Somehow, her head tilted to the side, even as she tried to push him away.
" I'll slap you again. . ." she warned.
He laughed then, and the vibration made her very heart seem to jump.
" And again, and again, I'll wager. But to no avail. . .it would only serve to inflame my. . .temper. . .more." he murmured, trailing his lips lightly upwards.
And now his mouth was so very close to hers. . .closer.
One of her hands continued to fight against his presence. ..pressed flat against his chest, while her other hand had clamped tightly in the velvet fabric of his sleeve, and seemed almost to be pulling him towards her.
At last he pressed his lips fully over hers, this time, softer, and more seductively than the night before.
He felt her begin to yield, her lips softened. . .almost parted.
And then. . .
A tremendous uproar erupted outside the cabin. Yelling, roaring, cursing;...followed by two pistol shots. . . and then a great clamor.
Hook dropped his hold of her, suddenly and she fell to the floor. Her eyes still wide in glazed disbelief, watching him as he strode, cursing, to the desk and seized his pistol. He glanced over at her before opening the door.
" Stay here. And for god's sake, stay down!" he hissed.