A'hoy shipmates,
Another chapter for you! You're all cluey people, so I'm sure you can figure out the italics are the past, but I thought I might mention it anyway :)
Hope you guys are still liking this little tale. Feel free to come chat to me about it on Tumblr (wonder24), or anything Captain Swan related for that matter!
Enjoy.
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Together
Part Three
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Hook runs through the forests, escaping the vines and branches that try to consume him as he moves. He has to get to the camp as soon as possible; he needs to see Peter Pan. Letting Baelfire go was a mistake, he had known that the second his ship was void of the young boy, Milah's young boy.
His heart pounds in his chest, his lungs burning with the need to stop and catch his breath. But stopping can't be an option right now. He has to find the shadowy Pan and bargain for Bae. He wants his chance at a family back. Despite the pain and the heartache and the boy's obvious hate for him, he wants to make it right, he wants Bae in his life.
He breaks into a clearing, halting as the Lost Boys immediately look upon him, "Pirate. What business do you have here?"
Hook's chest heaves as his exertion catches up with him and he can't seem to form the words he needs. One of the older of the boys steps forward, knocking his long cane against the backs of Killian's knees, sending him to the ground, "Why are you here?" he questions again, his bone thin form looming over the crouched pirate.
"I-I need Pan."
A bark of laughter comes from the Lost Boys, "You think you have a right?"
"Please. He has my boy."
The end of the cane touches under his chin and pushes up, raising Hook's head, forcing him to look the Lost Boy in the eye, "You refused knowledge of this boy only days ago, Hook," he sneers.
"I lied."
"Pan does not take kindly to liars," he removes the cane, letting the pirate's head fall once more.
"Please."
But the boys do not speak again. A muted gasp runs through the group and Hook raises his head again, watching as the shadowy figure floats through the air above the bowed heads of the Lost Boys. A shocking whisper comes from his form, though he has no lips to speak from. It's like a hiss and a shout all at once and Hook cringes away from the sound, "Baelfire is mine now. He is my property, my boy. You will leave this place, pirate. You will run."
His body can't move under the weight of the shadow's words. His family has been stolen from him again, but it's not that which is crippling him. It is the knowledge that if he were to fight tonight he would be killed and leaving Baelfire fatherless again is not an option he wishes to entertain. So he remains crouched until the threat of Pan, having said his piece, is out of his presence.
The Lost Boys begin to move toward him, doing right by their master, chasing him from this clearing and back into the depths of the dark forest. He breaks down as he reaches a place where he knows he will be safe from the clutches of Pan and his crew. His eyes shoot upwards, trying to scan the sky to guide him back to his ship. He has failed, but he will not let this be the end.
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His feet crunch against the broken branches on the ground and he knows there has been a struggle here. Leaving Emma at Pixie Hollow had been difficult, but he knows she is so much better off there than she is here. Just seeing the devastation around Pan's camp is enough to tip off that there had been fights here, bloody fights.
A hand reaches out to grab his boot as he treads slowly further into the clearing and he looks down to see a familiar face begging him with her eyes to help her.
"Tamara?"
She wheezes in response and he notices her shirt is covered in blood.
Too much blood.
His eyes harden as he looks upon this woman. She had beat him and manipulated him and stolen Emma's son. But in this moment she is a dying woman looking to not die alone.
He crouches down, reaching out to grasp her hand as her breathing becomes more laboured and her eyes more fearful. He bows his head and asks, "Do you know where Henry is?"
Her eyes slip shut at the effort it takes to answer, but with a bare whisper, she replies, "Pan."
He wishes with everything he is that she had not replied in that manner, because if Peter Pan has the boy, there is only one way to get him back.
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His sword slices through the air doing nothing to deter the shadow, but everything to keep the Lost Boys at bay. It has become his ritual, his routine. As often as he can he approaches Pan's camp and fights for Bae's life, he fights to get the boy back. That ever present shadow hisses his harsh words though, never allowing the boy to go free.
"He is mine."
"I think not," Hook emphasizes, cutting the sword through the air again.
The shadow presses towards him, "Surrender yourself and you can be with him here."
But the thought is not one which appeals to him. He wants Bae back, not to become some crony for the dark shadow. They are pirates, they will walk free, "Never."
"Then perhaps you care not about him as you think you do."
"You know nothing of our bond."
"I know that when the boys cry for their homes at night he calls for his papa. I know that you are not him."
Killian's footing falters momentarily as that news settles over him, but he soon raises his sword again, "That's not true."
The shadow whisks past him and circles back around, trapping the pirate in his place, "Hook, allow me to take your shadow. It will take away your burdens, it will give you peace."
The hiss is more of a whisper now, softer, somehow more friendly. He leans toward it, captivated by the feeling it is giving him, "No," he answers, though his voice doesn't carry that conviction it had mere moments ago.
"Come now, Captain. Let's rid you of your pain."
But no sooner has he said it, a pain like no other rips through him as he feels his shadow being taken from him. He slams his body to the ground, rolling out from under the grips of Pan, trying to find the most effective way to put some distance between him and the camp, "Not today, Pan," he says, this time with force.
The shadow hisses once more, but retreats, "Your shadow will be mine, pirate."
And he knows that one day that could very well be true.
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In the stifling humidity he has had no need for a coat, but he pulls a square handkerchief from his pocket to drape across Tamara's face, a sign of respect for a woman he hates. He stands and walks towards the camp, knowing that Pan will find him.
Sure enough, the shadow is with him in mere moments, sending chills through him.
"Long time, pirate."
Hook spins to face Pan, "Haven't needed to bother since Bae escaped you." It's probably not his smartest choice, teasing the shadow, but the satisfaction is rife and with the pain coming his way he knows he's going to need that.
Pan swoops at him, the cool shadow not doing much to keep the heat at bay, "Why are you here?"
"I am surrendering."
The glowing eyes of the shadow narrow, "But your Baelfire is long gone. What do you want?"
He takes a deep breath, "Henry."
"No." The word is out before Hook has even finished saying his name.
"Come now, Pan. You've wanted me for centuries. I shall only give you this one chance."
The shadow circles upwards for a moment in contemplation, before coming to rest in front of Hook, "I'm listening."
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Emma has never been more grateful to see a pirate and a young boy running toward her in her life. She stands up from the tree stump she had been resting against and steps into her son's hug as he crashes into her. "Oh Henry," she sighs into his hair, "I'm so happy to see you."
She stands suddenly, looking at the pirate, "And you. You found him." Her arm reaches out to encompass him as well and the three of them stand there in a silent hug for a long moment, "Thank you," she breathes.
As Henry begins to pull away, Emma feels compelled to check him over to make sure he really is okay, but even as she does so, a couple of the fairies from the hollow come over to take the young boy's hands and lead him to the mossy ground where they can allow their pixie magic to heal him completely. She watches them carefully as they lead Henry not 50 paces away, making sure that he remains in her sight.
"Thank you," she says again, turning to face Hook after a moment, "I don't know how you did it, but thank you."
The pirate reaches out to grasp her hand in his, "I would do anything for you, lass."
And she knows it to be true. She squeezes his hand and leans into his side as she watches the fairies glimmer and glow in the light of the setting sun, dancing across the air above her son's head, they drop colours from their tiny hands, spells and magic that is making Henry smile.
She feels cool metal on her cheek and gasps at the contact, turning her head as he so wishes. She sees tears in his eyes, but doesn't question them. It's been emotional for all of them and she knows that Peter Pan is not someone to be messed with, "Hook," she whispers.
And then his lips are on hers, gently brushing and lingering. They pull back from each other just for a moment, getting their bearings, seeking out each other's reaction. She can feel his breath on her lips though and her eyes flutter shut before she really has a say in it, his lips touching hers again not seconds later.
She presses herself into him, not thinking about the fact they're out in the open and her son can very clearly see them, she just wants this stress free moment with Killian Jones, the man who keeps coming back for her, who keeps saving her family. His hand brushes against her jaw, tilting her head slightly as he deepens the kiss, his tongue yearning to taste her, to lock onto her and never let her go.
But he knows that can't be the case. So he's allowing himself this moment of selfishness, this taste of wonder before he knows he has to let her go. His deal has been struck and he will never leave this place.
He breaks away, but holds her close, his forehead resting against hers, "We must locate the others, the island safe for us no longer."
She takes a deep breath, knowing that getting home needs to be her priority right now, but wanting nothing more than to keep doing whatever this is with the pirate, "How will we get home?"
They're without a bean, without a portal and in a place that absolutely terrifies her. His thumb strokes her cheek and he leans in to kiss her forehead, "You leave that to me, princess."
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