Peter's POV
We had started our search over and hour ago, but there was still no sign of the girl. I am beginning to get irritated. I mean, how is it possible for a girl, who has never been to Neverland before, to simply vanish? And on top of everything else, managed to take out one of my finest men in the process? It just didn't make sense.
I take a deep breath. Once again my rage has caused my thoughts to get all jumbled together and cloud my judgement. If I want to find her, I need to keep my cool. I decide to go clear my head and take to the air. Flying always seems to help me focus and besides, I might be able to find her better with an aerial view. I get high up enough to surpass even the highest tree tops and begin my search. I see the occasional lost boy, obviously one of the newer ones sense they have absolutely no idea how to stay hidden.
Its then that I allow my thoughts to wander. It's really quite odd. When I went to fetch her, I knew that her powers were great. I practically felt them emanating from her when I touched her. And I had seen her picture previously in a drawing. But when I saw her face to face, I got the strangest feeling that I knew her. I felt a connection with her that I haven't felt with anyone else ever before. It was almost as if we had been friends once. Maybe even more than friends.
As soon as the idea came, I repulsively tried to push it away. To actually love someone would be like showing weakness. And Pan doesn't have weaknesses. But even as I thought this, I couldn't shake the look of her brilliant blue eyes from my mind, and the determination that they contained within.
I'm roughly jerked from my thoughts at the sharp sound of a whistle. It rings loud and true through the night air and I immediately recognize its origin. Its from one of the lost boys' whistles.
Upon initiation, each lost boy is issued a small wooden whistle. This whistle is used to alert the other boys of impending danger or if they have successfully found whatever it was they were sent to retrive. Two short whistles means that the target has been found. One long whistle means that the individual is in danger. The latter is the one that can be heard.
All the boys can be heard yelling below. Some of the older members have taken off in the direction of where the noise originated while the newer initiates look around in confusion. Some of the older ones stop and give directions to the younger ones and soon enough, we are all headed in the sound's direction. I can see that some of the boys who had arrived first are congregated around a small form lying unconsciously on the ground. They're all whispering softly to one another, but as soon as I land, all conversation ceases. I step forward and examine the boy lying limply in the grass. If I remember correctly, this one's name is Noah. He's one of the newer recruits so I'm not positive that's his name.
"Is he dead?" Curly, one of the bolder boys, asks.
"No, he's still breathing," I reply. That's when I notice the large bump beginning to swell on the top of the boy's head. The lump looks very similar to the one found on Davis's head only hours earlier. It was her. She was here.
Even though I'm extremely upset that she has escaped again, I can't suppress the grin that spreads across my face. This girl is definitely a force to be reckoned with.
"Well, what do we do know, sir?" Curly asks, stepping forward.
"All of you, get back to camp. And take him with you." I order, gesturing to the unconscious boy. "Curly! You come with me."
"Yes, sir!" he replies, grinnig.
After I'm sure the other boys are sufficiently out of earshot, I turn to Curly and explain my suspicions about what happened to the boy. He nods and listens patiently to my theory, and when I'm finished asks, "So what's the plan, sir?"
"You see these tracks here?" I ask gesturing to the one's that lead towards the bay. He nods. "None of our shoes make those kinds of tracks. Which means that these were made by the girl in her hurry to get away. And since they're headed towards bay..." I trail off.
"That means she's headed in the direction of Hook's ship," he finishes looking at me for affermation.
I can't help but grin. This is why Curly is one of my favorite lost boys. Not only is he good in a fight, but he is also incredibly intelligent. He picks up in things much quicker than the others and is a fantastic strategist when given the chance. Even now, I can see a plan forming in his head.
"Let's follow her tracks to see if we can catch her," he suggests, and I whole-heartedly agreed.
It takes us roughly twenty minutes to reach the beach due to many dead ends and round-about routes. This girl has gone to a lot of trouble to make sure we have a hard time finding her. When we finally reach the sand we scan the shore line for her. We're too late. Even from here, I can see her small form scrambling up the side of the ship and onto the deck.
"So what's the plan, sir?" Curly whispers next to me.
"I want to know what you think," I tell him.
He looks at me and a smile spreads across his freckled face. He begins to explain his plan to me and I'll have to admit, for a spur of the moment kind of thing, it was utterly brilliant. I would distract the pirates which shouldn't be too difficult considering the good captain and I are sworn enemies. Curly would then silently climb up onto the deck, snatch the girl, and use some of the pixie dust in my pouch to return to the beach. I would then meet them by the tree where we found the unconscious boy not a half hour ago.
I set off to perform my part of the task. I can't help but smile as I think about what I'm about to do and before I know it, I've reached the Jolly Roger. I fly silently to the top of the mast to get a good view of the events unfolding below me on deck.
Hook is sneering at the girl who stands confidently before him as he asks, "So Catherine, you'd like to trade the locket that you stole from me in exchange for protection from Pan, is that correct?"
"Yes, sir, it is," she replies calmly.
"Well my dear, that hardly seems fair considering that the locket is mine to begin with." He smirks, knowing he's got her there.
Surprisingly though, she remains calm as she strides to the side of the boat. "I had figured you would say that," she replies. "Which is why I brought him along." She gestures towards something in the water beside the boat, and I look, along with everyone else, at what she is referring to. Swimming merrily along beside the boat is the crocodile, more commonly know as the Tick-Tock Croc because of the noise he has made ever since he swallowed Hook's clock a couple of years back.
I look back at Hook and see that his complexion has turned deathly pale. "You see, James, the croc and I are old friends, and I'm pretty sure that if I allowed him to, he would love come up here and get another taste of you," the girl threatens innocently.
I become confused. How is it that she knows Hook's given name? How does Hook know her's? And how on Earth would she know the crocodile and the effect it has on Hook unless she'd been here before? It just didn't make sense.
I can now see that Curly has made it to the opposite side of the boat from where the croc is and I know that these questions will have to wait until later.
"Hook!" I yell to grab his attention. "I believe that you have something of mine." I land on the deck roughly three feet from him. I can see the girl inching towards where Curly is hidden towards the back end of the boat.
"Oh? And what, pray tell would that be?" Hook asks after regaining his composure.
"Not a what, but a whom. She's a young girl of about seventeen with long, dark hair and bright blue eyes. And I believe she is standing right over there." I say gesturing to her. She immediately stops moving and looks me straight in the eyes.
"By all means, take the little wench. She is of no use to me. This is one gem that I'm more than happy to release. Especially to the likes of you," he replies.
"Well then, I'll gladly take her off your hands," I say ostentatiously bowing to him. I look at the girl and shout, "Curly! You can take her now!"
He pops out from behind a bunch of barrels, rope in hand. He whirls her around to face him and automatically freezes.
"Katey?" he asks, recognition registering on his face.
Confusion can be seen lining her face, and after a moment of studying his, her eyes grow wide.
"Ethan?" she asks him, bewildered.
And that's when I realize that I'm seriously missing something here.
Hey guys! Just want to start off by saying thank you for all of your support! And I'd love to hear your feedback! You know, like what you think about events in the story and the like. I am also completely open to constructive criticism. I know that if I want to get better as a writer, there are going to be some things I'll need to fix. Thanks again for all the support, and I'll try ot have the next chapter up sotime in the near future! :D