A/N: 3 month time jump, just so you know. I changed the story a bit, so there's no Cora. In this story, Hook did go through in killing her, by Regina's orders. I thought by adding another villain was going to further complicate the story...as if it wasn't already complicated. Tell me when you get confused at certain parts. I've been known to make things difficult to understand. Okay, enjoy.
Chapter 13 'Hook'
Bulb after bulb, the lights were killed off. The warm, jolly mood died and the chill of the night enveloped the people. No need to panic, some would say. But in the town of Storybrooke the simplest of explanations never suffice. It was supposed to be a night of merriment, the first celebration as a mended community. It was to celebrate the efforts of the police force lead by substitute Sheriff and resident Prince, David Nolan. Ruby had planned a party on the docks as a way to thank them.
But of course something was bound to happen.
Tigerlily sensed it. Magic. The partygoers were on alert like they were before the new reign of law enforcement. Heads turned to all directions, searching for who was responsible. The protection the police provided over the 3 month period vanished in so little time. Then out in the distance the sound of churning water rippled through the bay. Tigerlily unhooked her gun from her hip, safety on. She kept the gun aimed towards the water about a mile or two away.
It was foolish for her to think her life was starting to change.
It had been 3 months since she and Grace moved in with Jefferson. It had been quite awkward at first, Tigerlily felt she was intruding on the unit that was the Hatters. But soon, they fell into step with each other, creating a normal routine that was comfortable for all three of them. She had been particularly surprised on how well Jefferson was taking this. She figured he couldn't bear to see Grace unhappy and was willing to make this work. Over time, they formed this tight bond.
Now that Tigerlily told them her entire story, a weight seemed to disappear from her shoulders. She was free to look forward and move on from the dark aspects of the past. She had offered her services to David to help out in the office and was made the new deputy. With this new job, Tigerlily worked on bettering the town and herself. And through her job she was able to make more friends within the community mostly with the disaster circuit, the first people on the scene when something bad happens.
She had made time for Grace, Henry, and the Zimmers. Though it centered around Grace and Henry for most of their get-togethers. They weren't necessarily branded as a couple yet, not with Jefferson keeping a close eye on his daughter. Besides, with Henry's plate piling up with family drama, adding a new relationship could just overwhelm them both.
And for the Light, Tigerlily reserved a special spot on her hectic schedule to go to the clearing and practice. A few weeks back she had made progress, but it wasn't enough to gloat to Rumplestiltskin. She had a long way to go before she could wield the Light for its purpose.
There was a magnificent green glow accompanied by a whirlpool. A wooden pike bobbed out from the water and then a large shape jumped from the water. It touched back down, creating a wave to hit the side of the docks. The impact caused a couple people to toppling into the bay. Without the lights, identifying this thing was nearly futile. But one thing was for sure, it was coming this way.
"Okay, everybody back to the streets now!" David ordered. Tigerlily helped escorting people out up the stairs to higher ground, nearly tripping on fallen cups and streamers. Jefferson tried to usher Grace and Henry to the flow of people heading into town, but the duo stuck to the deputy's side. She gave the Hatter an apologetic glance, knowing that their curiosities were attracted to anything that screamed 'danger'. She had to stay away from the action to protect them though. She shut the gate leading to the docks and stood behind the second tier railing with the Hatters and Henry behind her.
"David, what have we got?" She bellowed at the Sheriff down below. David was on the edge of the dock platform, straining to see what was coming towards them.
"I-I hear voices!" was the uncertain reply.
"And you said I was mad,"
"Sh, Papa. I hear them too," Grace said. Faint cries came from the shadow. Higher pitched, like screams. Tigerlily was itching to know what this was. A whale? Giant squid?
"Jefferson, fix the lights. Grace, help him," The father-daughter duo went off in search of the power supply. A dumpster of old and forgotten fishing tools lay near the gate. Henry shuffled through them and found a harpoon. The boy was clever so she left him to fix it up so they could use it. It was typically used on a ship but since they were on a dock, so they had to improvise.
"Leroy taught me how to use one," Henry said. Out of the stupid and dangerous things Leroy had taught him, this was conveniently useful, "And how to fix one." He mounted the contraption on the railing after tying off the rope. He leveled it to his eyes, too gung-ho for Tigerlily's liking. Henry was well rounded when it came to learning their ways of the Enchanted Forest. The Savior's son had been learning swordplay from David, horseriding lessons from Regina, magic history from the fairies, and archery from Tigerlily. And as his teacher, she was always on the edge when Henry notches a bow. His accuracy was left to be desired.
"Leave this to me, Butterfingers," Jefferson returned and grabbed the harpoon from Henry with a careful touch. Grace pulled Henry back as her father took up aim. Tigerlily remained stationed beside him with her gun pointing at the unknown.
"The lights?" she inquired.
"Leroy was working on them when we got there," As if the mere mention of them, the lamplight as well as the lanterns whirred to life. It was then they beheld what was coming. "Is that- is that a ship?" The bow came into view, the peak of the masts proudly waving a black flag, the symbol of piracy, "A pirate ship?" he said, believing he was suffering a relapse of his madness.
Tigerlily's gun lowered, "No. It can't be," Her body shivered in dread. Please be Jack Sparrow, she prayed. Blackbeard? Red-Handed Jill? She even hoped to see Davy Jones. But as the ship got closer, the navy blue strip of wood running along the side of the vessel that beheld the name 'The Jolly Roger' was visible.
For gods sake, she was moving on! But it looked like her past wasn't done with her yet as well as a certain pirate.
While Henry and Grace breathed in awe, the princess kept prompting Jefferson to fire, "Pull the trigger! Do it now!"
"We don't know if they're a threat yet!" An explosion sounded and a cannonball was released. It struck a series of fishing boats near them, destroying the vessels and setting them ablaze.
"Okay. Threat,"
"Wait. Don't shoot yet. Look!" What? Henry pointed to the figurehead of the Jolly Roger, or what they thought was the figurehead. To their horror it was their beloved teacher Mary Margaret strapped to the bow of the ship. Her fair skin was bruised and dirt-ridden and her dress was torn in places. But in her bondage she still had the strength to call out to her husband on the docks, "CHARMING!"
"Snow," David smiled at the sight of his love, but then changed into rescue mode. After 3 months of being separated from his wife, he didn't expect their reunion to be like this. He was going to murder whoever put his wife there.
And there they all heard it. A voice, silvery and low, "Land ho, I say lass!" it said.
Tigerlily fired blindly at the Roger after the first syllable out of instinct.
"Hook," she said emotionless though his name was poison on her lips. She launched another round of blind shots before she ran out of bullets. His dark, leather attire was aiding him in camouflaging with the night, but she focused on the sounds of words clashing to roughly pinpoint his location on the ship.
"You're not getting off of this boat, Hook!" A familiar voice echoed. It was Emma. Tigerlily squinted and - by gods, she was dueling Captain Hook! Tigerlily feared for her safety seeing as though she was contending a man who had centuries of swordplay experience, but the Savior was faring well.
"For the last time Swan, it is a ship!" he shot back, adding a thrust of his sword her way.
The Jolly Roger came to a full stop before David. The prince was the closest one to the ship and could have boarded the ship to defeat Hook easily. But he went for the bow and was trying to cut his wife down.
"Dammit, David," she gritted her teeth. That family of his came before everything. She understood but, in order to protect her family, Hook needed to die. They heard her story and knew the type of man Hook was. He would exploit the love for her family for his own benefit because as far she knew the pirate had two vendettas. One for his crocodile...and one for her.
In a desperate attempt to stop Hook, she came up with a plan with information only a few others knew, "Jefferson. I know it's hard to be accurate with this contraption, so here's what you need to do. Aim for Hook. If you miss, then at least get the base of the main mast there. There's a fault running along it. The old pirate too lazy to patch it up."
The gears turned in Jefferson's head. If he missed Hook, then he would pierce through the mast and can bring it down with one pull. It would fall on the pirate, crushing him flat. He aimed for the main mast and immediately found a problem. Emma and Hook were dueling right in front of it. In order for this plan to work, it required accuracy and timing.
"Mom, move!"
Emma stopped fighting upon her son's voice. She turned to find him in the inky black night and, Hook seized the chance by swinging his hook at her. She collected her wits in time and ducked. The hook ended up digging into the mast, below the fault line. Then Jefferson pressed the button and out the metal harpoon head went. It impaled the mast near to where the sails were tied. After ensuring it was secure, he gave the rope to Henry, Grace, and Tigerlily and, together they hauled. Hook saw what was to become of him and tried to free his hook from the mast, but it was in too deep.
The mast tipped, and gravity took its toll. It dropped down to the right, landing on the deck and crushing it including Hook.
The night was silent and unmoving. Everyone was frozen in place until Emma emerged from the helm safely and gave the all clear. Mary Margaret, David, the Hatters, Henry, and Tigerlily came aboard the Jolly Roger.
"Henry!" The boy rushed over to his birth mother and enveloped her in a tight embrace, "I never thought we'd get back. How long were we gone?"
"3 months."
"3 months?" Mary Margaret sputtered in disbelief. Time ran differently in other realms. To her and Emma, they were gone for a few weeks, a month tops.
Emma's eyes wandered over to Tigerlily. Her deputy badge gleaming in the moonlight, "And it seems like alot has happened." she remarked, though Tigerlily couldn't tell if she was okay with this arrangement or not. Emma was too exhausted to think about anything, "I think we'll pick this up tomorrow. Right now, I just want to go to bed."
"May I join you, lass?" A muffled comment came from underneath the wreckage. Heads turned to the site of wreckage.
"No way," Emma and Tigerlily shared a look before bounding for the lower deck, leaving the others behind. From old memory, she navigated the lower skeleton of the ship and sought the cargo hold. They came across it and, after busting down the door, were met by an inscrutable sight.
The pirate had survived. Telling by how his sword was sticking up from the floor, Hook must have broken through the deck floor with it, ensuring his escape. Now he dangled by his metal appendage from the fallen mast, his legs swinging aimlessly. He brought his head and pulled a facetious smile at the two females, "Missed me, princess?"
502 years ago...
One day, Peter didn't show up which worried Tigerlily and surprised the villagers, who had looked forward to the young boy's visits as well. After completing her duties for the day, she asked the Chief if she could search for Peter. The Chief sensed what was off in his daughter's voice when he spoke. The words tumbled out clearly. She must have given this much thought and that worried the Chief.
"Yes, you may,"
She scurried off, already picking up a trail. As she crossed the wild, searching for this puzzling boy, she thought about how much has changed since their first met.
First of all, she stopped aging. She woke up one morning and knew her bones stopped growing. And true to Peter's promise, something seemed to always happen now that he was around. They have completed many escapades. If they were to chronicle them all, the volumes would fill an entire library, but neither of them knew how to write So far they had saved Pixie Hollow three times, battled a temperamental swamp monster, and discovered a new species of beetles (which spewed acid after eating).
They made quite the team even when some of their personal traits tend to clash. Peter was impulsive while Tigerlily was methodical. Sometimes they argued over battle plans and once nearly killed each other over who should retrieve the golden apples from the Perilous Pit. They were also very competitive, always set on outdoing the other on their excursions.
Tigerlily tried to find out more about her traveling companion over the years. His origins, his ability of flight, his family- without this, it was as if they were still acquaintances. The only thing she could dig up from their time spent is his fear of water. Yes, Peter Pan could not swim. She had coaxed him into taking a dip in the river, only to receive a meek refusal followed by fleeing into the jungle canopy.
After hours of traversing the island, Tigerlily found herself near the beach. It was nearing sunset so it was safe for her to snoop around the area without getting caught by the dreaming children. She was about to step foot onto the sand when she spotted two boys frolicking before the water. She slid behind a tree before they could spot her.
The children who dreamt of Neverland lingered around the beach would disappear around this time. She didn't need to wait long to continue her search for Peter. Though it turned out, she didn't need to wait at all. Layered onto the squealing laughter of the two boys was a deeper laugh Tigerlily recognized to be Peter's. Peering from behind the tree she saw Peter playing with the boys, chasing after them with a stick sword.
It was forbidden to talk to the children, much less play with them. Tigerlily knew he had done this prior to their first encounter and since then had tried to tell him not to return to the beach during daylight.
"Peter!" the smaller of the two boys cried as he was splashed by the others on the water. All three partook in a game of tag along the shore, "Blimey, that's c-cold!" he sputtered.
"Oh, don't be such a ninny Killian," the other boy said before coming up from behind, tagging him, "You're it!" Tigerlily noted they resemble much of each other and assumed they were brothers. Both shared the same brunette locks and blue eyes that widen with each wonder Neverland exposed. These boys must have a strong belief, refusing the pull of reality to stay in Neverland until sunset.
"Try wading out here sometime, Liam! It is sure to turn your feet blue," Killian replied stiffly.
"Blue feet?" Peter said astonishingly, before throwing his head back in laughter, "Good idea! I shall turn everybody's feet blue. The animals of Neverland should all have blue feet!" He sounded so childish and so carefree. He never talked that way in front of her.
"You can't do that," The boy called Liam said.
"Yes he can!" Killian argued. By this time, they retreated away from the water and closer to the trees, "We know you're magic Peter. That Neverland is yours. All of its magic is yours."
"Right you are, my young friend. But with magic at my disposal, I still can't do certain things,"
"Like what?"
Peter opened his mouth to delve more on the subject when he met Tigerlily's gaze. The brothers turned to see what he was looking at but the young princess stooped low enough to be missed, "Was that an animal?" Liam asked.
"Quite the majestic one at that, lads," Peter remarked, causing Tigerlily to frown in her hiding place.
"A lion? A bear?"
"No, it was definitely the Neverbird,"
Peter shook his head, "Better. You see this animal," he paused thoughtfully, "has the ferocity that puts those animals to shame. It could run, fight, and most importantly...can outthink us men. The strong yet the nimble. The wild yet beautiful. And you see this animal everyday without knowing it."
"The wondrous species, known as the lovely female," He winked. The brothers burst in a fit of giggles while shaking their heads disbelievingly, "It's true. They are notorious creatures and could bring men to their knees with their wit and beauty." Against her wishes, Tigerlily flushed at his words.
"If she's a girl, then why won't she come here?" Liam was obviously the more logical one of the two brothers and required a bit more proof that a girl was indeed there.
"She lives here on the Neverland with me. She's very...precarious when it comes to trusting visitors,"
"How does one live here?"
Peter better not say a word, Tigerlily thought to herself angrily. She was about to march towards them and interfere when something happened. The brothers' forms began to fade, the colors on their clothes blanching and rippling. The sun was sinking in the horizon. Their time was up.
"Oh no, Killian. We are waking up,"
"I can see that, brother," Killian snapped, particularly upset. He stepped in front of Peter, his blue eyes pleading to him, "Can you make us stay, Peter? Please?"
Peter was at lost for words, subconsciously digging through his pockets for a solution. If he knew of a way, he would keep them on Neverland, "I don't know how. Magic can only go so far," he said sadly.
Killian slipped on a brave face, but the thought of leaving bothered him greatly. He wanted to look tough in front of his brother so he straightened up and shook Peter's hand, "Well, until next time then. Goodbye Peter," Liam gave a wave and was the first to disappear. Then Killian.
"Bye boys," he whispered, staring after the mound of sand his friends had been standing on. A forlorn expression plastered on his face, "Am I in trouble?" he asked Tigerlily. She emerged from her hiding place and crept behind him.
Tigerlily didn't know what to say. She wanted to yank him by the hair all the way to Pixie Hollow for disobeying her. But after seeing him getting heartbroken after Liam and Killian left, she chose to spare him a lecture, "No. You must return to Tinkerbell."
"Why do you go to the beach?" she asked.
"Let's just say, I'm looking for somebody,"
"And that boy, Killian...he said you have magic,"
"He did?" He scrunched his nose, Well, I mustn't have-"
She interrupted him, "Not only can you fly, but you have magic. You're proving to be more of a threat than an ally,"
Peter's eyes glowed dangerously. He got so close to her that their noses were nearly touching, "Let's make something very clear, princess-"
"I told you my name,"
"You call me 'boy' most of the time anyway," He sighed in frustration, "See, that's the problem. You and I don't trust each other. Believe me, I get it. A boy shows up and steals all the glory. Stop searching for reasons to dislike me because telling from our first meeting, my very presence provokes you,"
"But your magic?" she tried asking again.
"I have a special connection to the island's magic, that's all. Did a few tricks for the boys, entertained them. Nothing big if that's your main concern," Telling by the way he was brushing it off, it was like there was more to this than he let on. Peter unwinded, now sad again.
"You care for them," She noticed. She didn't know he had a soft spot for younger children.
"Yes, I do. But I'm afraid they're not coming back," he stared off into the sunset, cursing it for taking away his friends, "You see, that was their last day of boyhood. I could sense it,"
"You didn't tell them this,"
"I can't bear to see their faces if I did. Here's a thing you need to keep in mind when talking to children, the truth will scare them. Now if you excuse me," He pushed by her and went ahead into the jungle, leaving Tigerlily to think about what he said.
At times she didn't understand what Peter says. He had his moments when he seemed older than he actually was and that made Tigerlily think about him more. She looked back at the beach where the boys had played and wondered what happens out there in other realms. What terrors wait in adulthood? Why was growing up a bad thing? Whatever it was, she wished the two brothers luck on their journey through life.
Blue met onyx as the two old adversaries engaged in a staredown. They had taken Hook back to the station for further questioning. Tigerlily volunteered to grill the pirate for information about the last 3 months though David wanted to have a few stern words with the pirate. As a precaution, David and Jefferson cuffed Hook's wrists to the chair, his crude namesake tucked away in the evidence locker. He couldn't harm her even if he tried. David was hesitant to let her go into the interrogation room due to her given history with the pirate, but this was her chance to rid the remnants of her past.
She had entered the interrogation room slowly, an uneasiness taking hold of her movements. Hook's eyes broached her in an attempt to pick at her mind, to see who she had become after all these years. To see what became of the person he burned.
"Law enforcement, eh?" his tongue darted to lick his cracked lips, "Did they ask for references?" A cover, his favorite tool of misdirection. Like her, the captain had a tumultuous past with enough tragedy to make a man go mad. He would put on that smirk and joking manner just to direct away the attention to his eyes. Eyes were the windows to one's soul and Tigerlily made sure to refrain from looking any more into those crystal hues. For them it brought only bad memories.
She sat on the edge of the table, "They've never seen a resume quite like mine, I can assure you that captain,"
"Aye. You still call me captain,"
She dismissed that, "Let's not talk about that. I'm here to talk about what happened."
The small talk ended then and there. Hook was cooperative in telling his side of the story with no delays. It turned out he encountered Emma and Mary Margaret on a giant's beanstalk for a compass that was to lead them back to Storybrooke.
"Same location. Figured we can all escape to my ship," he had said.
She didn't buy the chivalry, "You don't give free rides. There's a catch."
Hook raise an eyebrow, "Don't you think for a second that maybe, just maybe, I've had an ounce of sympathy for them?" An encouraging kick to the shin spurred the truth, "Okay, they got to the compass first. Swan was reluctant to let it go. Has she always been so guarded?"
"And what about using Mary Margaret as a figurehead?"
"We had a disagreement. Mother-daughter declared mutiny on me though I kept assuring them that we were nearing Lake Nostos. We needed to restore a bean I snagged from the giant,"
"That explained why they agreed to come with you. They kept the compass while you had the bean,"
"Look, I already told the prince what I know on the way to this rancid prison," quipped Hook, "So, spare me the formalities. The prince and his family are no longer watching us through that magic one-way mirror,"
"And do what?"
"It's no secret," He leaned forward, "There's a question burning in you, something you yearn to know about my past actions"
He was right. Now that he was here, she might as well clear up a few holes in her past, "You helped me once. A long time ago. And I want to know why,"
"Why I helped you escape Neverland?"
30 years ago…
The rain pounded against the Roger's skin, causing the sea to turn on the crew. Hook stood solemn at the gangplank, waiting for Smee and Mullins to return from the jungle. The Jolly Roger was to seek shelter at Skull Rock before the storm reached its peak. He threw his head back to study the clouds. He knew this was Peter's doing. The island had pledged its heart and soul to the young boy and in turn it felt what he felt, longed for the things he longed for. Neverland was an extension of him, and it was grieving.
The storm raged for weeks since the wedding, Tigerlily's wedding. That was the day Neverland changed into a far more scary place than what he remembered as a child. The clustering tribes were at war, the fairies, like their magic, had perished , and the mermaids suddenly became more bloodthirsty. There were more than enough reasons why they needed to stay off the island. They left the ship only when necessary. Hook forbade any unauthorized trips to the island, in fear his crew too would be a part of the change.
He gazed at the beach on which they were docked on and remembered what it was like when he was a boy. Him, Liam, and Peter- the Three Musketeers. His childhood in the Enchanted Forest wasn't so grand. His best childhood memories centered around Neverland. He had a secret longing for the ways things used to be. But Peter, the one he used to look up to, betrayed him.
He saw his reliable first mate, Smee, staggering on the beach, carrying a lifeless Tigerlily in his arms. Behind him was Mullins and he too carried someone, a young boy that went by Baelfire. Hook gave orders his to his men to prepare the sails while he tended to the four. Smee fell forward on the deck and laid down the girl in front of his captain while Baelfire remained on Mullins's shoulder.
"Their condition?" he inquired.
"Angels would have gotten to 'em if we hadn't, Cap'n," Smee said, clutching his scarlet hat tightly.
"Good," Hook said. He bent down to see for himself. He swept a wet strands away from the Tigerlily's battered face and was astounded by the damage. The elements had overpowered her over the days she spent alone in the jungle. She couldn't take her back to her people and Peter was simply not an option. Then he looked at Baelfire and noticed he was just as injured. "Take them below decks. Get them dried up and dress their wounds."
Two of his crew members carried Tigerlily away, leaving Smee to freely question his captain, "What happened to the 300 year old grudge? Why are you helping her? And that boy?"
"The princess is our ticket out of Neverland. I'm willing to put up with the squaw if it means passage. And for the boy, he's going to help me with my revenge on Rumplestiltskin,"
"Like I promised ," Bright eyes slinked into Hook's line of sight. Ombra was on the ship and appeared in a more human shape. He retained his faded black mass but took more of a silhouette. He was getting stronger.
"So Shadow, when do we set sail?"
"In a fortnight. Just make sure to take her far away,"
"Will do," A fortnight was minuscule compared to the centuries they spent in Neverland. It was music to his ears. Hook turned to go to his quarters when he added as an afterthought, "So, your master? How is he?"
"Are you concerned?"
"Merely curious. That's all,"
"Pan is not harmed, but he is more pliable to my orders than before. He won't bother you unless you betray me and break our deal,"
Hook nodded stoically, getting the message. Then Ombra flew off into Neverland, probably to Dark Hollow. Hook pivoted and ran up the stairs leading to the helm. The ship was being attacked from above and below, both with the elements of water.
"Batten down the hatches, get those sails up. In two weeks men, we are going to leave this wretched place!"
Shouts exploded on the deck, the crew fired up from these words. They prepared the Roger and roughed the storm until they reached Skull Rock. Later that night, Hook slept well in his quarters knowing that it would be one of the few more nights he would spend in Neverland's waters.
"The Shadow's orders. I didn't do it out of sympathy," He laughed as if that could never happen, that his swashbuckling heart couldn't hold an ounce of love in it. He went to explain what else he knew, "He came to me and said that he can get a portal, only if you're onboard,"
Tigerlily placed her arms on either side of the table, holding the ledge tight, "Why?"
"You were a threat. He had a plan and you're in his way,"
"Plan for what?"
"I don't know. But he wanted you out of Neverland and was willing to do what it takes to get rid of you,"
"If he wanted to get rid of me then he should have killed me," She had many enemies and it was a miracle for her to be alive today. But why didn't Ombra finish her when he had the chance?
Just finished watching 'Quiet Minds'. I don't believe that Neal died. Even though I'm all out for Captain Swan, I never disliked Neal. It was so sad when he died that it doesn't matter who you ship, we lost one of the most important characters in OUAT. I mean, the curse was created for HIM. To find HIM. It's so heartbreaking.
We'll miss you Nealfire.
*~PanNeverFails~**~Firethief Love~*