Chapter 4

I recounted to the court all about how I had been captured by Captain Hook, adding with some urgency the part Peter had played in my misfortune. Yet even as I recounted the story, I found myself reliving certain details. Mostly, trying to figure out how I could have been so led astray. It was some time after he'd come into his cabin, while I was still being held inside the cage...

"Your friends have gone, and left you here to my mercy." The captain spoke, leaning his chin on his hands as he gazed into the cage at me. For several seconds, we just stared at each other, then he finally spoke again. "What? Have you nothing to say about this?"

You've heard it said that we fairies are so small, we can only hold one emotion at a time. And it's true. I suppose that was what happened to me at that moment, for relief that Tink had escaped took over, wiping away the fear. And in turn, the relief was replaced by a sort of indignant anger. Who did he think he was, after all, holding me hostage? I flew to the top of the cage, closest to his face, and grabbing the metal bars I shook them. Or rather, I suppose I shook myself, for the cage itself did not move. But I suppose I made my point. He snapped his head up and sat back in his chair.

"I think you are a rude, cruel and despicable man. Who do you think you are, holding me against my will!"

His brows arched as what I took for surprise filled his ice blue eyes. "Well, well. Feisty, aren't we." He chuckled, a low rumble that came from somewhere in the depths of his chest.

"Do you find this amusing, sir?" I growled.

Now you must understand, I really hate being laughed at. It is probably one of the worst feelings a fairy can have, and bristling indignation took over me. "I demand to be released at once."

A slow smile crept across his lips, brightening his features. Or maybe darkening his features. It is, to this day, a rather difficult task to find the appropriate words to describe the good, or, well, bad (see what I mean?) captain. In any case, he smiled. Slowly. With the cliche "cunning of a fox." Though his cunning may have been, there was nothing about James Hook that could be considered cliche. Even as I contemplated the meaning behind that sinister smile, the indignation flowed out of me and once again I was filled with admiration for the man. Or at least his fine good looks. I'd never seen anyone like him.

"My dear little one, you will be released. But first, you must pay for trespassing on my property."

"Trespassing? I was just–"

"Are you hungry? What do fairies eat anyway?"

"No, I'm not hungry." As if on cue, my stomach gave a loud, traitorous growl. With a small sigh, I glanced in that area of my anatomy, then drooping my shoulders and my wings along with them, I shrugged. "At least I'm not hungry for any food you might wish to give me."

"Oh, come now. You don't think I would try to harm you." He drew his lips down into a charming little pout.

In response, I placed my hands on my hips and began to tap my foot on the floor of the cage.

And once again, those lips slithered upward into a grin. Hook reached out and pulled open the gate of my jail. Fear wrapped round my little heart and held it in a vice grip as the captain's hand came toward me. "Come to me, my pretty little captive. I won't harm you."

I fled to the back of the cage, but as his fingers came closer, I flew up, grabbing the bars at the top.

"Don't fight me. I really have no desire to hurt you. But if you make me chase you round this cage like some ignorant little bird, you run the risk of being seriously damaged. I warn you. I don't give up until I achieve my goals. And right now, my goal is to get you." He relaxed his hand, palm upward, on the bottom of the cage. "Come willingly. You have my word no harm will come to you."

His word? What good was it? He was a pirate, after all. Yet, there was no use trying to get away from him. And of course, once he removed me from the cage, I might find a chance to fly away. Letting out a sigh I am sure he did not even hear, I let go of the cage and fluttered down, landing in the center of his palm.

"Good girl."

I held my breath as his fingers closed around me, and he pulled his hand out of the cage. But as upon his capture of me, his grip was gentle, careful not to squeeze me overly and do me some kind of bodily damage. He raised me up, close to his eyes, and examined me.

"You're a very pretty little fairy. What's your name?"

Now, I'm not usually such a pushover. Flattery never worked on me very easily. I had always been a rather level-headed person, even though I was a fairy. Tinkerbell, well, she ate up compliments like they were dewdrop sweets. But on this occasion, those words did something to me. Or maybe it was the silky voice, or the combination of the two. A pretty little fairy, he'd said. I had to suppress a silly little giggle that just bubbled up inside my chest.

"My name is Jinny."

"Jinny?" Hook frowned in a confused sort of way. "Not a very usual name for a fairy."

"No, I suppose not." I shrugged and offered him a small smile.

"But I like it. Jinny. It has a nice ring to it. Sort of like the sound of little bells on a horse's Christmas harness."

I cringed, wondering what he would think of my real name. He'd likely laugh. But I wasn't about to give him that opportunity.

"So, Captain. May I ask why you're holding me here?"

"Ah, yes. To the point. You may be small, but you've got perfect thinking capacity."

I could feel myself blush at yet another compliment. But certainly this one was not empty. I did pride myself in being more capable of thinking logically than most of my kin and species. And in most situations, I was justified in my belief. However, this man seemed to hypnotize me. His voice, his eyes, the soft way the words played on his lips all went together to cast a spell on me so that I couldn't think straight.

"You see," he began, "I am a pirate." He shrugged, pursing his lips in a nonchalant sort of way. "I don't apologize for what I am. In fact, I'm really rather good at what I do. My life is...perfect." Here he smiled, and I might have thought I was in the presence of a true gentleman of good heart and soul. Yet as quickly as the gracious smile erupted, it vanished and a frustrated frown creased his features. "Almost perfect." He ground his teeth and pounded his fist on the table with such force the vibrations made me topple back onto my bum. "That blasted boy!"

The captain leaped from his seat and began to pace, mumbling incoherently. At that moment, I might have escaped. He had obviously forgotten all about me, his only thought for his hatred of the boy. Peter.

I confess that, at that moment, the emotion I felt came close to hate. Not really hate, for that is such a strong word. Exasperation, oh yes. After all, it was Peter's stubborn pride that had caused me to be caught in the first place. I believe it was at this particular point in time that my spiral downward actually began. I sympathized with the pirate captain. That sympathy, and our shared desire to wring Peter's neck kept me from doing what I should have done at that moment. Instead of flying away, I fluttered over to the captain and landed on his shoulder.

He stopped his pacing instantly and turned to look at me. "Wha–"

"Oh, don't look so surprised. I'm mad at him, too." I plunked down on his shoulder and, with my knees drawn up to my chest, rested my chin in my palms.

One dark eyebrow on that handsome face arched, and the torment seeped from his features. "Well, well, well. This is an interesting turn."