Neverland
Three Months Later…
"Captain!"
Hook opened his eyes and rolled over on his bed and looked out the small window of his private quarters, taking note of the complete blackness of the sky. Dawn wasn't for a couple of hours.
"What, Smee?!" he bellowed at the door.
"Baelfire's gone."
"Bleedin' Christ." The captain kicked off his bed covers and lit the lantern on his desk. He slid on his trousers and barked, "McKinley was supposed to be keeping watch! Alert the crew! We leave for the island in five minutes!"
His crew wasn't pleased about being stirred awake at such an ungodly hour to go search for the Roger's youngest mate who had only brought trouble the moment he arrived on board. Yet, none of them dared voice their displeasure concerning Baelfire unless they wanted to be tossed off the ship.
"Wipe those bloody sneers off your ugly mugs! A crew member has gone missing!" Hook and the majority of his crew armed themselves and made way to the island, using their spare rowboat since Baelfire took the other. They camouflaged it with branches when making coast and headed into the trees, the men splitting up into groups to seek out the island's freshwater springs. The boy would be loitering close to one of them.
He and his group searched for hours, avoiding the dark forest. Baelfire knew not to go in there. Soon, Hook and Starkey were standing at the bottom of a small cliff. At the top, thickets of Dreamshade populated and covered the majority of the pathway leading to the nearest fresh water cove.
"Keep watch," Hook said. "I doubt Bealfire's up there, but I've got to be sure."
Hook hiked up the side of the small cliff and found the familiar, overgrown Dreamshade bush he and his brother came across so many years ago. He got as close as he dared to the wretched plant and listened for any inorganic sounds coming from the cove. Indeed, after hearing a splash, he covered himself as best as he could, clearing a narrow pathway to the other side with his sword. Once he was out of the clear, an arrow whizzed past him, grazing his ear.
"Shite!" He touched the bloodied, stinging wound and lifted his sword, praying there wasn't any Dreamshade piss on it.
"Move and the next one goes between your eyes!"
Hook lowered his sword, more out of alarm rather than fear of being killed. Across the spring stood a girl, certainly not older than eighteen, dressed in peculiar but ragged and sopped clothing. Her feet were bare and her pale blonde hair was fashioned into a tight braid down her back.
The girl blinked at him and hesitantly lowered her weapon. "You're not a Lost Boy."
"Aye," he replied. The shock of her presence faded away, being replaced by bewilderment. What in the ruddy hell had that demon child done? Bringing a girl to the island, again?
Her bow took aim once more. "You're canoodling with Pan, aren't you?!"
"I haven't the faintest as to what that means, but I assure you I'm not." He frowned. "You're a Lost Girl?"
Something volatile and inhuman overwhelmed her features. "I'm not a part of Pan's brigade. He's a monster!"
Hook made a show of lowering his sword to the ground. "That he is. So how long have you been here?"
Her eyes darted around the surrounding canyon before meeting his. "Ninety-four days."
Ninety-four days was not a long time in comparison to three hundred years, but for a rogue recruit of Pan's, it was a bleedin' lifetime. She was a survivor, this one, but the majority of lost children were.
"What's your name, lass?" he asked.
"Emma," she said.
"Emma, why don't you put down your bow? We can have a talk."
"You think I'm stupid? I know who you are, Captain Hook. Pan's a goddamn nightmare, so I can only imagine what you're like."
"If you are an enemy of Pan, then I can assure you I am not yours. And, please, call me Captain Jones."
"I hardly think that's necessary."
Hook's lips twitched. A spitfire, this one was. "Captain Hook is so impersonal, sweetheart. Makes me seem unapproachable, but call me what you may, Miss Emma. I merely have a question for you, and then I ask to be free from your lovely clutches. I'm looking for a lad. Perhaps you've seen him."
The girl stared bemusedly at him.
"He's not a Lost Boy," he added.
"If he's here, then he's lost," the girl said darkly. "If he's a pirate, I haven't seen him. I don't make it a habit of going where others will."
He pointed behind himself. "The Dreamshade bushes."
"It keeps them away sometimes."
"Aye." Hook eyed the spring and pondered if he should ask the lass if she'd drank from it.
A toucan glided low into the cove and rested on Emma's shoulder. She lowered her bow and stilled while the bird croaked close to her ear. She nodded and said, "Okay," and the bird flew away.
"There is a group of Lost Boys migrating towards the north spring. Since we're here, they're hunting something else."
Hook stared at her a long while. As enchanted as the island was, he'd never seen anyone in Neverland communicate with the animals, with the exception of mermaids. He wondered what realm she came from. The boys who belonged to Pan the longest came from Misthaven while his newer ones derived from the Land Without Magic.
"The boy you're looking for is probably there. You should hurry. It's a long way." She shouldered her bow and quiver and walked around the spring, keeping a careful eye on him all the while. "Don't follow me."
The thought crossed Hook's mind. If he were on a simple supply run, he'd keep her from getting too far and press this Emma girl for more information. If she was living on the island and enemies to Pan, maybe she knew the direct location of his camp. Hook would love to ambush Pan and his merry band of little bastards.
When Hook made it to the north spring, his crew were washing their minor injuries they must've gotten from the Lost Boys. Baelfire was away from them, perched on a large rock and a coconut in his hands, staring at it like it held the answers to the universe. There was a bloodied cut on his cheek and a slash on his trousers. The lad didn't say a word on the journey back to the ship, and Hook's thoughts kept drifting back to that girl. Emma. The island was no place for a young lady. Tinker Bell got by because Pan didn't see her as a threat. Tiger Lily, well, the girl never left the reservation after what Pan did to her those many years ago. Emma, unfortunately, was indeed a threat. If Hook could see that, Pan surely had which begged the question as to why the demon hadn't eliminated her.
On the Jolly Roger, Hook escorted Baelfire to the captain's quarters much to the boy's dismay, but it was for his own safety. The crew wasn't too happy with him for more than just the lad's troublesome streak. The lot saw the boy as a little thorn who got in the way of their freedom.
Many years had gone by since Bae wanted to leave the ship after discovering the truth about his mother's infidelity and father's crime. Things had simmered down considerably, but it remained to be seen that Baelfire hardly respected his captain and the fellow crewmen. He always broke rules and back-talked to his superiors, as well. Hook wondered if Bae was just begging to be fed to the mermaids.
Shoving the boy into the captain's quarters, Hook smirked inwardly. Maybe Bae was feeling desperate for some female companionship and did want to go for a swim. God knew how many of his crew nearly jumped into the waters just for a kiss, even if it meant death. Two centuries was a long time for a pirate without a lass warming his bed.
Again, his thoughts drifted back to Emma. She was young. Too young in comparison to the women he usually bedded before coming to Neverland. Milah had been quite older than himself. Yet, the Emma girl was a beauty underneath all that hostility and had the potential to develop into a stunning woman, something this godforsaken place would never grant her. Neverland would forever keep her from womanhood. Evading the Lost Boys and hunting for food would increase her strength, but her lithe, adolescent figure would remain.
Hook massaged the bridge of his nose. Emma was a child, and he may be a pirate but he was once a gentlemen. He had no business thinking about the girl's body.
"Sometimes I need space," Bae grumbled, clutching the coconut to his middle and tearing Hook out of is self-lecture. "Being on the ship all the time, it's suffocating. You don't have to scout the entire island with the crew to come search for me."
"Pan isn't interested in you anymore," Hook reminded gravely. "When he sends his boys after you, they're not coming to collect. They're coming to kill."
Baelfire bit his lip like he was hesitating to say something. "A month ago, I snuck onto the island when everyone was sleeping. Let me speak, please! I went to get more of that fish Smee likes at the east spring. Felix cornered me. He didn't hurt me or try to drag me to Pan's camp. He said Pan's use for us is growing smaller." The boy set down the coconut on Hook's desk. Again, he looked like he was struggling to say something. "We need to find a way out of Neverland. Soon."
"Bae."
"I've been doing more than just collecting provisions for the ship and crew on the island. I've been talking to Tinker Bell."
Hook's frown deepened.
"She's not as loyal to Pan as you think."
"Which doesn't mean she's loyal to us." Hook was torn between tossing the boy out of his quarters and telling him for the thousandth time they were never leaving Neverland. "I doubt she can even help. She's as stuck as we are."
"She's more familiar with him."
"Go to bed, Bae. We'll discuss your punishment at dawn when you're scrubbing the kitchen in the morning." Hook grabbed the back of the boy's neck and pushed him towards the door. Baelfire scrambled away from his touch and snatched the coconut off the desk before darting out of the cabin.
For the next week, Hook prohibited his crew from leaving the ship and kept them busy by having them cater to any and every flaw of the Jolly Roger. As he patrolled the decks, his eyes often wandered to the island. Emma kept crossing his mind more than he cared to admit and started concerning himself for her safety, questioning if he should allow her sanctuary on his ship or would she'd be just as hunted. Some of his men had varying degree of gentlemanly values but the majority were complete pirates. The island may be no place for a girl, but his ship certainly wasn't either. Indeed, Hook could prohibit his crew from touching her or even speaking to her, but these were desperate men. They may shirk their loyalty and disobey him if it meant having a sweet taste of lass once more before being run through with a sword.
"You seem distracted, captain," Smee said while the crew took to scrubbing the sails.
"Aye," he admitted, frowning. He was peering through his telescope, thinking he may catch a glimpse of Emma on the island. Hook failed to see her or any of the Lost Boys out and about on the southern part of the island for the past week. He lowered his telescoped and glanced at his men while lowering his voice to a whisper. "Keep this between us. Aye, mate?"
"Of course, captain."
"There's a girl on the island."
Smee's eyes widened. "Pan hasn't brought a girl here since Wendy."
"Her name's Emma, and she's not infatuated with the island's magic or Pan. I ran into her while searching for Bae last week."
"A Lost Girl? You think Pan's trying something new?"
"I think," Hook scratched at his scruff, "Pan's planning something. The girl's not his lackey, but she was alive after ninety days when I met her. That makes me suspicious."
"He probably doesn't see her as a threat. She's a girl up against a pack of armed lads."
"This one is not like the Darling girl, Smee. She's different. Also," he dropped his voice even lower, "Bae told me he ran into Felix a month ago. Felix belayed a message. Apparently, we're overstaying our welcome."
Smee furrowed his brow, concerned. "Captain?"
"We may need to prepare for a final standoff, Mr. Smee."
Emma sat on Marooner's Rock, knees up and elbows resting. Beside her, a small fire roasted her latest catch. A few feet in front of her, the water rippled and a woman's head surfaced. Emma smiled and waved, scooting closer to the water. "Hi, Ariel."
Ariel smiled back and pulled herself up to sit on the nearest boulder. She opened her satchel and pulled out three pearls, one of them white and two of them purplish-blue. Emma opened her palm, grinning. "Thank you." She slid the jewels into her front pocket and sighed when catching the mermaids disapproving stare at her breakfast. "A girl's gotta eat, and a McDonald's won't open until next year."
A flock of blue jays flew by and Ariel pointed at them.
"I don't eat the birds." Emma whistled and one of the birds broke rank and swooped down towards her, perching on her awaiting finger. The bird chirped and fluttered its wings, and Emma broke off a small piece of cooked fish and made an offering. The fowl took a bite and flew away, and Emma sighed. "There's a boy heading in this direction. Think I can handle him?"
Ariel bowed her head, wordlessly telling Emma to be careful.
Emma shoveled some fish into her mouth and slurped at her coconut before tearing down her fire pit and kicking sand over it. She pulled an arrow from her quiver and lined it with her bow, pulling back and aiming, waiting for a Lost Boy to emerge from the shrubbery. Not a minute later a boy about fourteen dressed in black trousers, a white tunic, and boots stepped out behind a tree yielding a cutlass.
"You're not a Lost Boy," he said.
"I take it neither are you," Emma replied.
The boy blinked at her like he was trying to assess if she was real. He tightened his grip on the cutlass and asked, "Who are you?"
"Emma."
"Are you one of Pan's? Is he recruiting girls now?"
"No."
"Then why are you here?" he asked forcefully.
"Because he won't let me leave." Emma scowled at him. "If I lower my bow, are you going to attack me, pirate?"
"Only if you give me reason to."
He wasn't lying, and she slowly lowered her bow and he did the same with his cutlass. "What's your name?"
"Baelfire."
"That's a really weird name."
Baelfire frowned, eyeing her clothing. "Where did Pan's Shadow bring you from? Was it…London?"
"Boston."
"Is that close to London?"
"There's an ocean between them so no."
"But you're from there. The realm with no magic." Baelfire took a step towards her, and Emma could sense a hint of excitement radiating off him.
"It must sound appealing to you if you've been here for so long."
"I can hardly remember a time magic wasn't in my life. You must miss this place called Boston."
Emma shrugged. She didn't miss it, but she'd gladly go back. "Lost Boys aren't trying to kill me all the time, I guess."
Baelfire looked troubled and asked, "How long have you been in Neverland?"
"A little over three months, I think."
"Pan must have a reason for keeping you alive."
"I'm being hunted," Emma said.
"Or are you simply being chased in the name of all good fun?" Baelfire chanced another step towards her. "Pan controls this island. All of it. You're alive because he wants you to be."
"Whatever you say. I have to go." She shouldered her bow and rolled on the balls of her feet, looking up at the sun. She was running late, so she broke out into a run and shot past him into the trees.
"Wait! I can help you!" he called after her, breaking out into a sprint to try and catch up.
"Unless you can get me ice cream, I don't want your help!"
Emma took a sharp left and Baelfire followed after, stopping abruptly when seeing her climb a vertical cobbled wall of rock without taking a rest. When she reached the top, she took off running again, and Baelfire could no longer see her from where he stood. He walked to the base of the wall and peered up, amazed she reached the top so fast.
"Bae!"
"Over here," he muttered and begrudgingly turned around to face his captain.
"I ordered you not wander from the crew. What in God's name are you doing at Mermaid's Lagoon? Trying to get yourself killed before I get to you, is that it?"
"There was a girl." He pointed to the top of the wall.
Hook jerked his head up, hoping to catch a glimpse of sun-pinked skin and blonde hair but only saw the ledge of the wall and some undisturbed bushes.
"What was she doing?"
Baelfire eyes widened. "You've seen her before?"
"Aye."
The boy gestured to trail leading towards Marooner's Rock. "I heard her by the water. I thought it was a mermaid."
Hook tore his gaze from the rock wall to glare at the lad. "So you went to go see?"
Baelfire scratched behind his ear and looked away, blushing. "It wasn't, so it doesn't matter."
The man grabbed the boy by the arm, grip tight. "Out of all that time you spent on my ship, I don't think you've ever been properly acquainted with the brigs, lad."
Baelfire yanked his arm away with a grunt. "You've never asked me once why I keep running away."
The boy wasn't running away. He was sneaking off, and Hook knew he intended to always come back. Intentions, unfortunately, were not enough to survive the island, thus, why Hook searched for him every time.
"I know why you distance yourself, Bae."
Baelfire rolled his eyes dramatically, catching his superior off guard. "You think you do. Come on. We don't want to keep the brigs waiting now, do we?"
Hook opened his mouth to give the boy a good tongue-lashing but held back when hearing a twig snap. Both he and Bae drew their swords and faced the direction the sound came from. Felix and Benjamin emerged from behind two wide, neighboring tree trunks.
"Captain. Baelfire," Felix acknowledged. "You can lower your swords. Our fight's not with you. We're looking for a girl. We tracked her to this spot."
"There's a girl on the island?" Baelfire asked, playing dumb, but from the smirk on Felix's face, he wasn't convinced.
"When you see her again, Baelfire, tell her she can't run in circles forever. We will find her."
"I've no doubt you will find her, Felix. Aside from Pan, you know the island better than anyone," Hook said.
Felix bared his teeth in a horrifying grin. "Pan gives his apologies for not giving you the message in person. You see, he's quite occupied as of late. You and your ship have encroached on his home long enough, and he's planning of ways to extract you."
"By all means, if the demon would let us leave," Hook said, making a sweeping gesture with his arm.
"Pan refuses to help those who won't help themselves, captain." He lowered his chin in farewell. "Baelfire. Captain."
The two Lost Boys shuffled off the trail and back into the forest.
Baelfire sheathed his cutlass and said, "They won't kill her."
"They're probably waiting for her to tire herself out, Bae. It's all a game to them." Hook was reconsidering the idea of allowing Emma passage on his ship. Eventually, she would exhaust herself, and Pan would leap to the opportunity. When the opponent had no fight left, the game was no longer fun.
"Maybe," he whispered, looking back at the top of the ledge of the rock wall. "Let's go."
