Short one today. Have been sick with a stomach flu :( Hope you enjoy the chapter!
I watched her as she piled her parents two bags by the mirror, her face wincing briefly as she bent down. I knew her head was still bothering her but she was so stubborn that she'd never say it.
"Darling, let me do this...why don't you rest a moment?" I suggested easily.
"Are you handling me with kid gloves, Killian?" She asked, standing upright, annoyance in her tone.
"Wouldn't dream of it, Lass. Besides, you know how I prefer to handle you." I replied, tossing a wink her way which resulted in the rolling of her eyes.
Great, still mad at me.
"Your father hit me first, you know." I reminded her.
Bloody fantastic, Killian, use a child's excuse for pushing his brother or sister...
"Because you egged him on." She said, placing her hands on her lovely hips.
"Ah ah, I believe your father started the verbal attacks...talking about my hand." I answered quickly, sounding as childish as I felt.
"I can't believe Captain Hook is getting all bent out of shape over a 56 year old man making fun of his moniker, which isn't even on his body anymore." She chided in disbelief.
"Is there any reason for your being so cross with me?" I demanded, finally raising my voice.
"I don't know, Sweetheart...perhaps I need to lie down." She answered, narrowing her icy blue eyes at me.
"Fiance'? No daughter of mine is going to marry a lying pirate!"
"Well that's a good thing then, considering she prefers to be the one lying down, mate."
Oh yea...
"Darling..." I started, stepping towards her.
"Save it." She said, throwing her hand up in my face as if to block me from coming near, her eyes then glancing over my shoulder as her father and mother came back into the room.
"Are we ready?" Phil asked.
"Yea, We're done here." Cynthia said, her eyes locking back with mine. I tore my eyes away and looked at my boots...a safer place to gaze at the moment.
After getting our things in order, I got the mirror's magic portal to open. Once the bright purplish light filled the room, my mother and father gasped and stepped back. Both in awe and fear of its magic glow.
"It's safe, Guys. C'mon. We don't have time." I said softly, reaching for my Dad's hand. Killian following suit with my Mom and hoisting her duffel on his shoulder as well.
He got a grand total of one "brownie point" for that. One point out of however many I'd later decide he'd need to get back on my good side again.
My father, the good soldier that he was, jutted out his chin and stepped forward with me. My mother and Killian directly behind as we entered the portal...
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It felt like no time at all til we were all unceremoniously tossed onto dampened soil. I didn't even have to open my eyes to know we had made it. The sweet air alone gave it away.
Neverland.
Time had done absolutely nothing to it.
The trees were still impossibly green. The ocean incredibly blue. Flowers as fragrant as I had remembered.
"Ooooommphhhh!" My mom groaned as she and Killian fell beside my father and I.
"Should've warned them about the landing, Love." Killian grunted, getting to his knees before extending a hand and helping Mom up.
"I hope the cookies didn't smoosh." Mom mumbled as she stood. I laughed as my Dad helped me up and we dusted ourselves off.
"Where are we in relation to the Jolly Roger, Killian?" I asked the pirate, still refusing to give the man an inch.
"Allow me a moment to regain my bearings, Lass." He said as he glanced around us, studying the shore about 2 miles away from us. I waited impatiently as I watched him figure it out however he was figuring it out.
"We are precisely 2 days journey away from my ship. We need to head west." He stated evenly.
"2 days?" Dad asked.
"Should've packed more cookies, Mom." I mumbled as I hoisted my bag on my shoulder and started walking west, my parents following close as Killian watched and followed us from the side. I knew it was just to protect our flank, but I was glad for his distance right now.
The short trip to Neverland did little to sate my temper.
After nearly 3 hours of being ignored, I finally quickened my steps and got beside Cynthia...the aura around her thick and hostile.
"Can we just put this nonsense behind us, Love?" I whispered into her ear as I sidled up alongside her. She sighed and looked over at me.
"I really don't think that now is the time to talk about it, so for the sake of getting to the Roger in one piece...yes, for now. Consider it put behind us...til we get on familiar territory again." She whispered back.
"Fair enough, my beautiful, stunning lass." I whispered back, our eyes holding each others gaze.
"Now, I know you must be sorry. Don't you think you're laying it on kinda thick, pirate?" She replied quietly.
"Wouldn't you say I have no other way to lay it on than...thick, love?" I smirked, glancing down at my groin and back up again, knowing her eyes followed mine.
"Do you ever stop?" She asked, the corner of her mouth fighting a smile desperately. The struggle not lost on me, however.
"Mmmm, I can be rather insatiable, can't I, darling?" I grinned as I leaned over and planted a tender kiss on her soft cheek.
"AHEM."
Cynthia and I both turned our heads only to be met with Phil's disapproving glare.
"How 'bout you spend less time trying to plunder my sweet daughter and more time filling us in on...this place." Phil said, looking around curiously, holding his wife's hand protectively.
"Too right, sir. What do you wish to know?" I asked.
"Where exactly are we in Neverland?" Phil questioned.
"We are very close to Mermaid Lagoon which is just east of Pixie Hollow and north of my ship in Pirates Cove which is southwest of here." I replied, hoping I was specific enough for him. Phil just nodded.
"Pixie Hollow, huh? Of course we are." He scoffed.
"Dad, just listen to Killian, please. He knows this place better than all of us. Better than me." Cynthia said as she came to a halt and confronted her father. The pair seemed to stare each other down for a short while as if speaking a silent language to one another.
"Fine." He groaned reluctantly, his face softening.
"Thank you." She smiled, getting on her tip toes to kiss her father's cheek sweetly. I couldn't help but notice my lass' way with calming her father down. She definitely had him wrapped around her finger and rightfully so, she was a good daughter.
"Are there really mermaids, Killy?" Patricia finally piped up.
"Yes." I smiled at her.
"Can we see them before we go?" She asked excitedly, probably ready to bribe me with those damned cookies.
"Alas, mermaids are not exactly kind. It's best we see them from the safety of my ship, which I promise you, we will soon enough. Trust me, m'lady...mermaids are not to be trifled with." I replied with a smile.
Just as the sun began to set, casting a bright, almost ruby orange tint along the land, we stopped to set up camp. Once finally settled in our tents, which Dad and Killian had cleverly fashioned out of banana leaves, twigs and vines, we big our first night in Neverland 'adieu' and hoped for a fresh start in the morning with clearer eyes and more level tempers.
