7.

The next few weeks were a blur for Wendy. She was learning the trade of piracy quickly, and to Hooks surprise adeptly. She had also warmed up to him slightly, which he couldn't say aggravated him. He rather liked the girl, but he'd known that for awhile, he couldn't see how anyone could dislike his Wendy.

Wendy was changing, not just inside, but outside as well. Her brown hair had turned sun bleached, her skin a golden brown, and freckles had sprouted over her nose. Her eyes also had changed, though she didn't know. Hook noticed it all, her eyes had not only become happy and determined, but the brown had turned into a golden hue. This was her element, he thought, he had brought her where she belonged and that thought comforted him greatly.

Though kissing her would have comforted him a lot more.

Wendy was breathing hard as Hook's sword came down to meet hers. The clang echoed across the ship, but the crew members hardly looked up any more. The good fun was watching the two interact with each other. It was obvious to all that the attraction between them was mutual, except of course to Wendy, and Hook could only guess. Some of the crew members laughed, while others cursed their captain, but dared not act upon their thoughts.

"Is that all you have for me, Miss Darling?" Hook said giving her an evil grin and thrusting the sword towards her.

"Is that all?" she nearly cried out, "Of course not Hook, I merely will not allow you to receive all that I have," she surprised him with her words and was able to back him into a corner, the swords clanged together and she was inches from his face and whispered, "In more ways than one."

Hook gave a triumphant laugh and pushed her sword away with his metal hand, "Is that so Miss Darling?"

"Cheater!" she said with mock outrage and the swords met. They held them in the air, both swords holding each other. Hook raised one eyebrow and Wendy gave an amused grin, "Amazing."

"What?" he asked.

She moved her sword quickly and knocked his to the floor, "That I can cheat too."

She laughed, and Hook sprung over quickly, his hook crushing against her sword. He pushed until she was against the rail of the ship, her back edging off.

His single eye brow rose again, making her grin reappear. She reached out her hand and pressed one finger to it, "How strange."

"Strange?" he said, not at all flattered.

"Yes," she said softly, "Very strange."

They stared at each other briefly before they were interrupted.

"Captain," Smee said urgently, "We have a small problem. Really insignificant, actually, but you might want to pry yourself away from the girl and attend to it."

Hook spun around, his face set to command.

"Starkey!" he barked and seconds later his first mate was besides him, "Take Miss Darling to my cabin while I sort things out with Smee."

"Aye Aye sir!"

Starkey took hold of Wendy's arm and drug her down t the cabin.

"No need to pull me," she said angrily as they approached the door.

He threw her in the room, following her in what she assumed was intimidating. He pressed her up against a wall and smiled dangerously, his teeth yellowed against his lips.

"Listen," she said sighing, "I understand that you haven't seen a woman in a long time, but really, what do you think your Captain will do when he finds out?"

Starkey shrugged, "I haven't thought that far ahead," his lips made their way towards hers but she pressed a hand to his face and gave an exasperated groan.

"Well, maybe you should. He is Captain Hook after all, I have not told stories of his kindness."

"But you've experienced it," Starkey said pushing her hand aside, "why else would you be living on this here ship at the moment and not dead in the water?"

"I doubt being kidnapped was his way of showing kindness," she rolled her eyes, pushing his hand away from her hip, "Could you concentrate on what I'm saying for one moment?"

He pressed his hand to her throat harshly and she gagged. Her eyes held no fear though, she felt he wouldn't go through with anything. Unfortunately he pulled out a knife and cut the front of her dress. Her eyes suddenly lost the bored look and became enraged. Her knee swept up and landed in his groin, a move Hook had told her to just trust him and use. He bent over and groaned, his grip loosened. She released herself, and holding together her dress, kicked his head.

"You are such scum!" she shouted, "What in God's name were you thinking even trying such a thing?"

"You seem very much like a prude for Hook's whore," he rasped.

Wendy's face drained of all color, but her eyes became tiny slits, her mouth set in an almost invisible line, "His WHAT?!" she cried out and began to pelt Starkey with everything in her reach, "How DARE you, how DARE you say such a thing!" her words became unrecognizable, higher pitched than anything Starkey had heard from a human voice, "I am NOT HIS WHORE!"

The cabin door burst open, and a loud booming voice echoed amongst the whole ship.

"What is going on?"

Wendy paid no mind to Hook's 'Captain Voice' and jumped onto Starkey and began pounding her fists into him, repeatedly hitting him with a blunt object.

"TAKE IT BACK!"

"Get the damn wench off of me!" Starkey cried trying to disentangle himself from her, and before Hook could reach them, was able to kick her off, sending her five feet across the floor.

Hook made no hesitation and within a few steps he had Starkey's neck in his hands, his hook thrust ender his rib cage.

"What did you do?" he snarled.

Starkey's eyes widened in the realization that he had indeed not given one thought to this moment. Red had dyed the captain's eyes; his face was contorted in pure hatred.

"Captain I-I didn't mean-"

But Hook just thrust his weapon into Starkey's stomach, and then pulled him out the door, "Smee! Take the bastard, see to it he'll standing on the plank when I return!"

With Starkey gone, Hook rushed over to Wendy's side, who was now holding her dress together with one hand, and holding her head with the other.

"Are you alright?" he asked bending down to her.

"Yes," she said with a slightly raspy voice, "I'm sorry."

He looked at her in outrage, "Sorry? For what?"

"I lost," she sighed, "You taught me better than that."

Hook ran his hand through her hair and shook his head, almost laughing, "Wendy Darling, you did wonderful. From what I saw it seemed you had things under control."

She shook her head slightly, Hooks hand hesitating before pet her again.

"I'm so stupid."

"No Miss Darling," he said shaking his head, "I told him to take you, I gave him the chance."

She finally shrugged, "Well it's over now," she gave a weak smile, "What are you going to do to him?"

He helped her stand up and then continued to pet her hair, "So soft," he muttered, and she looked sideways at his hand, confused, "Your hair," he clarified, "It really is."

She gave him a strange look and then cautiously raised her own hand. She felt the curls before she had even rested her hand. It was the strangest texture she had ever felt. A mix of the softest and most delicate curls, his hair was thick, and then mixed in was a coarse feeling, as if his hair was trying to trap her.

"I like yours better," she said giving him a small smile, "Now answer my question."

He shook his head, and then very carefully took hold of her hair in a stronger grip and moved her head closer to his, pulling it up towards his face very gently. She glared at him a moment and then with much harder force than he had, pulled violently on his hair, making him bend down so his lips could meet hers. He smiled, giving off a "ow", but pressed her closer to him.

"I want you to know," she said between kisses, "I'm not the type of girl who would usually do this."

"You've done it before," he growled softly in her ear, and then kissed it.

"Once," she said kissing his jaw, "With you."

"All the better," he grinned. He reclaimed her mouth and bit softly on her lip, making her gasped. God, he loved when she gasped. He removed the hand holding up the front of her dress and replaced it with his own, he needed her, more than anything in the world, he needed her.

"No!" she cried suddenly and pushed him away, "Your first mate just called me your whore five minutes ago. I can't do this. I wont, not ever again. Not with those words haunting me."

Hook stared angrily after her as she walked away, her arms covering her chest, "I'm sorry," she said, "Honestly I am."

He spun on his heel towards the door. At the threshold he turned his red eyed gaze upon her, "Not as sorry as Starkey is about to be."

"Don't!" she cried as he slammed the door and she heard the fatal click of the lock.

There was a long while before Wendy heard the splash in the water. It was more of a thunk, he had hit the side of the ship before the water. He was too weak to even walk down the plank. She let a sob escape her lips before covering her mouth.

Hook didn't come back to his cabin for a few hours, and when he did he was covered in the stench of whiskey, two more bottles in his hand. Wendy has stayed up waiting, the candle light very dim in the room, shadows playing against each other.

"Proud of yourself?" she asked icily, taking the bottles out of his hand roughly, "Killed a man and drank yourself away. All in a day's work then?"

He grumbled something about her not being his mother and reached for one of the bottles clumsily.

"Oh no you don't," she said pulling it away, "Sit down on the bed," she commanded and when he refused she was able to push him there.

"You don't like me very much do you?" he asked, swirling his words.

"Not at the moment no," she sighed trying to figure out what to do with him.

"Maybe you do like me," he said in a drunkenly thoughtful voice, "You don't want to though, what's wrong with me Miss Darling, too violent for you?"

She gave an exasperated sigh. Taking off his boots first, Hook began to run his hand through her hair.

"Never had a problem with Pan's violence," he growled, "He feeds me to the crocodile and you don't bat an eye lash. I kill the man trying to molest you and its all hell."

"I didn't want you dead," she whispered, doubting he would hear, but even when he was drunk, Hook could hear what no one thought he could.

"You didn't seem to want to help me either," he said, the petting becoming more violent tugs at her hair.

"Stop," she said pushing his hand away.

"Sorry," he said but then began to stroke her head again, gently.

"It was a long time ago Captain," she said sadly, "People change."

"Pan doesn't change. He's still a most vile boy," Hook said with disgust, "He flew over head today. That's why you were in here, keep away from the little monster, but you seem to find the most trouble in safety."

Her eyes widened at his words, "Peter was here?"

"Flying over," Hook said waving his steel around carelessly and then flopping down onto the bed.

"Get up, you can't go to bed like that."

"To hell I can't!"

"Get up, I'm trying to help you."

"No you can help me!"

His outburst left the room quiet, his bloodshot eyes gazing up at the ceiling, and Wendy's own becoming softer.

"Please," her voice wavered, "let me help you."

There was a pause and slowly he sat up, "I can help myself."

She began to unbutton his shirt adding in a motherly tone, "I'm sure you can Captain."

She tried to avert her eyes from his chest and focus more in his sleeves, and for the most part it worked. Had Hook been in fighting form he would have seen when she failed, but he was too busy staring at his hand the was once again petting the hair on her head.

"Don't you get tired of that?" she asked, but not meanly.

"Of what?"

She put her hand on his and gazed up at him, "You'll make my hair dirty."

He nodded slowly and stopped betting her, but kept his hand on her head.

When she saw the leather contraption on his arm she immediately moved to take it off.

"No!" he said almost in a groan, "Get Smee."

"You locked the door, I can take this off much quicker without Smee."

His gave became steady, almost cruel, "Fine. I gave you fair warning."

She began to undue the straps, "Is all this really necessary?"

"If I had my hand it wouldn't be," he muttered trying to lay back down, but Wendy was able to put a hand behind his back and lift him up with effort.

"Could you cooperate?"

"You don't."

"Well its not like you make it easy!" she snapped and then sighed, he was drunk, he wouldn't remember, "Sorry."

The hook came off and Wendy stifled any sound that threatened to come out of her mouth.

It really wasn't that bad, she thought, just a stub. The arm itself was strong, still useful. The hand itself was long gone, but Wendy could almost see it attached to him. He was just a man, she thought, the hook is a part of him, but so was the hand. They're one in the same now.

"Hideous," he grumbled, and dragged himself under the covers.

"No," she sighed, "It's really not."

She fixed the blankets around him and blew out the candle.

"Goodnight Miss Darling," he muttered.

"Goodnight Captain," she said, but he was asleep before he could hear it.