Thank you everyone for patiently waiting for the next chapter, I just spent a week and a bit in Queensland for a holiday and didn't have a chance to write. So I can keep you updated on how this story is going and how close to completion a chapter is, I have put up a post thing on my profile every time I feel you guys should know something, (or I'm bored... :) ) so I hope this helps! :D Also, just before you start reading another awesome chapter (in my opinion... hehe) thank you everyone who has been reviewing, I really, really appreciate them! Now, thankyou for listening to my blabbing, and on with the story! :D
Chapter Nine- The Capture of Tigerlily (part one)
Wendy opened her bleary eyes and rubbed them. She glanced around the Hideaway and saw that everyone was still asleep. She lay on her bed and wondered how long she would have to wait until Peter woke up. Wendy sighed and decided to study the hideaway while she was waiting. Her eyes looked over the branches curled into the roof and the yellowed leaves that grew there. She looked at the packed-in walls that held the cave up and the hammocks that hung from them. Underneath them, the darling children's suitcases were lined up neatly, packed up and ready for another day.
It was hard to believe for Wendy that she was sleeping underground, let alone under a tree. But that's the way Peter did it, and Wendy was certain that wherever Peter went, she would go too. She closed her eyes and thought about Peter. The way his red hair seemed to fall perfectly and his know-it-all smile. She opened her eyes and could see it perfectly. Wendy saw his smile grin bigger until she realised he was standing over her, just inches from her face. Wendy screamed and moved as fast as she could away from Peter.
"Wendy! It's just me!" Peter cried.
"Yes Peter, you just startled me..." Wendy replied after catching her breath.
"Why did you scream?" Peter asked in confusion. He looked around and saw some lost boys stirring.
"Peter, why were you that close?" Wendy breathed.
"I was checking to see if you were awake." Peter simply replied. He smiled, "But you are now."
"Yes Peter. I am now." Wendy huffed. She moved her blankets down and climbed out of her bed. "Peter, why are you awake so early?" Wendy asked. Even though it was early, she was grateful that she had someone to talk to.
"We are going to find breakfast Wendy!" Peter exclaimed.
With Peter's exclamation, the lost boys started to finally wake up, one by one.
"Peter, what's happening?" Tootles asked. He shifted his blankets down and rubbed his eyes.
"Nothing men! Wendy and I were just about to find breakfast." Peter replied.
"Find breakfast?" Wendy stammered. The boys ignored her.
"Could we come to?" Nibs yawned.
"Well, why not men? Let's go!" Peter cried.
Wendy watched as all the lost boys clambered out of their beds followed by Michael and John. They sat up and rubbed their eyes and jumped out of their beds.
"Are we going to get breakfast Wendy?" Michael asked as he clutched his teddy bear.
"No Michael, we are going to find breakfast." Wendy corrected.
Michael gave Wendy a look of misbelief. He then turned and saw the lost boys nodding their encouragement. By now, all of the lost boys were awake and had their weapons over their shoulders or slung over their arms. Michael was surprised how quickly they managed it.
He looked down to see his Teddy Bear being clutched tightly. He thought over the decision to hunt for breakfast before nodding. Peter smiled and whistled all the boys and Wendy to attention. He stood up straight at the entrance of the hideaway and waited for the boys to follow. Tootles rushed to stand behind him, signalling the start of a line. Soon, all the boys were rushing to be at the front. Slightly followed, then Nibs came crashing next to him. Curly looked at the twins and started a fight as to who would be next. As the three boys rolled around with their weapons, the other lost boys had to bite their lips and hold steady as to not join in the fight. Whoever joined lost their place in the line. Wendy, John and Michael watched the boys squabble 'for a place in a stupid line' Wendy told the boys. Soon, all the boys had given into the temptation of fighting. They all had moved to the centre of the room with smiles on their faces. Wendy huffed. She had seen enough of their fighting for one day.
"If you boys do not get into a line this instant, there will be no story tonight." Wendy growled, along with her stomach. She moved her hand as if to somehow conceal the noise from within, as she was beginning to feel very hungry.
John and Michael looked at each other and stood behind Wendy. The lost boys looked for Peter's advice, but he had already grasped Wendy's hand and looked at the lost boys.
Starkey and Briggs followed Smee from the shoreline after rowing out from the Jolly Rodger. The three pirates looked at each other, then, as if on an unspoken signal, split apart from the crew and walked into the forest. The night before, they had taunted the other Pirates during a game of poker that they were on a special mission for the Captain himself.
"He 'aint want you two!" A pirate shouted out.
"Yeah, the Capt'n knows what he's doin'." Another one teased as he threw his cards on top of the barrel in disgust.
The pirates had set their game up upon a keg. Every time a pirate won a round, they would lie on the floor with their mouth under the tap, and help themselves to a couple of mouthfuls of rum.
"Just shut yer traps!" Briggs had called out.
"Yeah, the Capt'n does know what he's doing actu'lly, 'nd that's why he's got us." Starkey smugly replied as he put down a full house.
The other Pirates looked at each other. "Who else?" They asked.
"Only one more…" Starkey lead on.
"Yeah, only one more Pirate…" Briggs added as he leaned on the barrel.
The Pirates leaned forward. There was nothing more they enjoyed than a bit of gossip around the deck. They all looked at each other, trying to figure out who else will go in the Captains favour. Starkey and Briggs leaned in to meet the Pirates halfway across the barrel and looked around, making the other Pirates wait in anticipation.
"Guess." Starkey finally said.
The Pirates all breathed out, looking amongst themselves.
"It aint me is it?" Charles Turely asked.
"Nup." Briggs replied.
"Just tell us then!" Bill Jukes replied.
Starkey and Briggs looked at the other pirates. "There might be…"
Smee opened the cabin door and interrupted what the two pirates were about to say. Starkey and Briggs glared at Smee with hatred in their eyes as this surely meant the end to their tale. They were right.
"Are you ready for the mission tomorrow men?" Smee asked, looking straight at the two pirates that were now turning red.
Starkey and Briggs just glared at Smee with all their might as the other Pirates started laughing.
"So much for a successful mission!" Turely laughed.
"Oh the Capt'n sure knows what he's doing alright!" Jukes mocked as he put down a royal flush before moving to the ground.
Starkey and Briggs looked at each other and decided to leave the gambling room. They would show the other Pirates one day what they could do…
Starkey snapped out of his day dream. He had meant then what he still meant now, he would show those other pirates that he was good for something, even when they had a person like Smee around.
"Now are we all ready?" Smee asked.
"Yes Capt'n." Starkey replied not quite sure how Smee had gotten the position of Captain on this particular trip.
"Now, when the Captain and his men attack from the front, we come around into the chief Indians tent from behind and then we snag her!" Smee cried with glee.
"Smee? Is that you?" Captain Hook called from the shore.
Smee looked around. "Ahh, yes Captain." He timidly replied.
"Then be quiet! I can hear you from the shore line!" Captain Hook shouted in response.
"Our cover has probably been blown now because of you…" Briggs muttered to 'both' of the Captains.
Smee seemed a bit shaken up, but quickly pulled himself back together again. "Right, let's go men." He meekly smiled.
"Peter, do you know where we are going?" Wendy asked.
"I'm not quite sure Wendy, but all I know is that we're bound to find food somewhere." Peter smiled.
"But, Peter, you said that a very long time ago…" Wendy trailed.
"Are you saying that I'm lost, Wendy?" Peter challenged.
"No I'm not Peter, but, we have been looking for a while now and I'm pretty sure that we are all very hungry." Wendy reasoned. Not long ago the boys looked as if they would pass out from hunger. They were clutching their stomachs and growling in pain. They had been searching the forest for fruit and had yet to find something.
"I know Wendy, we'll keep looking for a little while longer, and the first boy to find something to eat can…uh, can choose the story to be told tonight!" Peter declared.
"But Peter, the boys will not be bribed into…" Wendy trailed as she heard a cry rise up from the boys. She turned around and saw the boys holding their weapons high, suddenly overcoming their pains of hunger.
Wendy sighed and watched them run off in different directions. She decided to let them all go until she realised that her brothers were running away from her, out of her line of sight. She picked up her skirts and ran towards her brothers. She was glad that she had brought a change of clothes with her. It was better running around in her day clothes than in her nightgown. That was rather embarrassing the first time she had come here.
"Michael, John! Slow down please!" She called.
The boys kept running, oblivious to what Wendy was saying. Wendy stopped to catch her breath and then hitched up her skirts even higher, to her knees, and kept running. "Michael, John, please!" She cried again.
This time they heard her. They spun around and waited for her to catch up. "Where do you think you two are going?" She asked the boys.
"This way…" John pointed.
"Do you know where 'that way' leads to?" Wendy asked.
Michael shook his head. "Do you know Teddy?" He asked his Teddy Bear, who just looked at him in reply.
John looked at Wendy. She knew what this look meant. John and Wendy had been trying to get Michael to let go of his Teddy Bear. He had insisted on taking it to school for his first day, and it was all their mother could do to stop their father from throwing it away. Since then, the eldest siblings had decided to try and help Michael with his bear.
"Michael, why didn't you leave your Teddy at the hideaway?" Wendy asked sweetly.
"He had to come with me…" Michael replied.
"But Michael, remember what mother…"
"Wendy! Michael! I know where we are!" John exclaimed, interrupting the beginning of Wendy's lecture.
Wendy huffed. "And where in Neverland do you think we are?" She snapped back. This morning was beginning to get too long for Wendy.
"We're on the outside of the Indian camp!" John shouted with glee.
"The Indians…?" Wendy trailed.
"Men! Food has been found!" The children heard Peter cry.
"Peter! What are you doing?" Wendy shouted to the sky.
"The Indians are bound to have food! Well done John!" Peter cried again as he flew into sight. He waved his arms frantically and then floated down gently to the darling children.
"Peter, we can't just walk into the Indian tribe and ask for food." Wendy argued. The first time she had been in the Indian camp was the last time she wanted to be in the Indian camp.
"Yes we can, they like us!" Peter exclaimed.
"Tigerlily likes you." Wendy thought jealously.
"Come on Wendy, they all liked you when you came to visit. They like seeing new people, and as you can tell, we don't have many visitors." Peter persuaded.
"Well, Peter…" Wendy started, but trailed as soon as he grabbed her hand. Did he know that he could quieten her with just one touch? She stammered before finally nodding.
The lost boys, as if on cue, came running in screaming with delight. Michael and John smiled. Wendy, smiled, but only at Peter and Peter started leading everyone in the direction of the Indian camp grounds.
No one seemed to notice a pair of scheming eyes under a red hat watching them walk away.
Well everyone, as always r&r. I'd really like to know if you like where this story is heading, if you have any suggestions, or just plain like it :) Until the next chapter! :)