I know it's been a while, but I'm still here. I've just been really busy. Vanessa's kinda been nudging me (aka poking me repeatedly) so here's her next installment. Enjoy!

Vanessa was a little scared and surprised when the rowboat lifted off the roof when Smee started rowing. The initial fear subsiding when the three pirates were fully air-borne, Vanessa looked over the side of the boat and gazed in awe at the little dolls of people in the streets of their playhouse. They just looked so tiny!

Hook turned from his place at the bow and gave her a pat on the shoulder. "No, no, dear girl, look up! Look up and around you!"

She did and her breath caught in her throat, her eyes wide and sparkling with delight. The night sky was a deep midnight blue and the stars looked like specks of glitter that had been strewn everywhere by a careless hand. Some were larger than others and shone more brightly; some even winked at the tiny boat and its passengers.

"This is your future, Vanessa!" Hook said with his arms open to the sky before him. "Let the freedom caress your being and whisper sweet things in your ears! Let the wind fill your soul with joy and pride! This is the calling of a pirate, young Vanessa!" He looked back down at the girl behind him. His face held a smile that reflected the power in his dark eyes and she was captivated by that smile—those eyes. "Freedom! Power! Glory! Is something hindering you? Knock it away and trample it beneath your feet! Are there those who oppose you? Then death to the fool that dares to stand in your way!"

He paused and silence settled in around them once more aside from the scrapings of Smee's rowing paddles. Hook broke his entrancing gaze on his new daughter and held out his only hand with a gentler, inviting smile. "Come."

Vanessa blinked at his movement and stared at the offered hand for a few moments before taking it. Hook's cold hand enveloped hers and he pulled her to her feet, leading her to the bow to stand just in front of him. His hand fell on her shoulder and he pushed her chin up with a gentle nudge from his iron hook.

"Chin up, close your eyes, and listen," he whispered in her right ear. "Listen to the freedom, the power, and the glory… Listen…they're whispering to you right now… What do they say…?"

Vanessa closed her eyes and did as he said, but it was hard to listen when she was so concentrated on him. His presence was overwhelming in her mind. Through his touch, she could feel his strength, not just of body, but of mind. His very essence teemed with power and…something she couldn't grasp. She swallowed and shakily shook her head. "I…I don't hear them…"

"Don't focus on me, child!" Hook hissed in her ear, at first forcefully, but it was gentle by the end of the sentence. "Tell me," he whispered. "Tell me what they say…"

Vanessa tried to concentrate at first, but then her mind wandered with the freedom that only a child possesses. She heard the wind whistling past her and felt its uplifting breezes blowing about her.

"Welcome…"

She smiled gleefully, her eyes still closed. "I hear them!"

"Welcome…"

In the beginning, she could hear one voice, one sound. Then, she heard multiple voices in chorus, each slightly different and distinct from each other. The breezes grew warmer as they embraced her and her nose filled with the scent of salt.

There was a tap on her shoulder. She opened her eyes and looked up at Hook who was still standing behind her. His face was that of pride as he looked down below the boat. He glanced at Vanessa and then looked down again.

Vanessa followed his gaze and her chocolate eyes danced with delight as she clung to the bow of the ship to lean over the edge. Below them was an island. It looked to be in the shape of a crescent, but it was dark and difficult to see the full shape. She could see, however, campfires spotting the land with bright orange glows. In the lagoon was a ship, lightly illuminated by lamps spread throughout it that cast beautiful red-orange hues. She felt butterflies flutter within her as they neared the ship in a slow descent.

"Welcome, child," said Captain Hook, "to Neverland."