Chapter Twenty-Four – We're on Each Other's Team
Nana whined as she looked over the edge of the ship.
"Don't worry, girl, it'll be over soon," Jon consoled her. Lifting his head, he smiled as he imagined a certain Indian princess. His smile dimmed however, as he realized that she was a princess…and him? Jon Darling? He was a nerdy bookworm who dreamed of adventures but did his homework everyday. "I'm so boring…she couldn't see me as anything more than maybe a friend…"
"Whacha thinking, Jon?" asked Mikey, tugging at his brother's jeans.
Fixing his glasses, he smiled down at his little brother. "Nothing, Mikey. I just can't wait to get over there."
"You and me both," Peter muttered as he joined the group. "Hook's making me sick with all his gentlemanly charms and stuff."
"I think you're doomed, buddy," Violet snickered at Ben. "Likes like Ms. Seaworth caught Hook's attention."
"Sure, but he's not the real Hook…is he?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
No one answered, looking away with knowing glances, making Ben wonder.
Up at the helm, Hook steered the ship. It felt good to be out and about on his fine vessel. The ship had been hidden off to the back of the island, close to the lagoon the mermaids' currently resided in. What made him exuberant, however, was the fact there was a woman (a gorgeous, smart, and delightful woman, mind you!) on his arm, asking him all sorts of questions.
"If you're really Captain Hook, and he's really Peter Pan," she asked, cocking her head at him. "How did you get here? Why are you two so cordial with one another?"
"A long and complicated story, I assure you," he sighed. "You most likely would never believe me." She raised an eyebrow; her eyes didn't judge him, though they were filled with silent curiosity. He gave a chuckle at her expression, and said, "All I shall say for the moment is that we have a great enemy, worse than anything Neverland has ever seen…we've agreed to an alliance for the time being. Those on the island came from the true Neverland and boarded my ship. With the fairies' assistance, we flew the Jolly Roger here and have made our residence here." With a shrug, he kept his eyes on the water. "Believe me, I can hardly comprehend it myself some days, but it's the truth…I swear it on my mother's grave, or I'm not James Hook."
She cracked a smile at him, taking in what he'd just told her. "…say that it is true…who is this enemy? And if Peter's really Pan, how come he doesn't fly?"
Hook gave a wicked chuckle, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Oh, he'll fly…"
"Cap'n!" Smee rushed out, his face red as he huffed and puffed. "He's here!"
Hook began to ask who he was talking about when a dark smoky pillar appeared overhead. His eyes narrowed as he realized who Smee had been talking about. "Shade," he hissed.
"What?" Christine asked, her asked widening upon seeing the oddity in the sky. "My God!"
"Stay close to me," Hook said, and thought it was most inappropriate that his heart beat so quickly at a time like this when she latched onto him. "GET READY, YOU SCURVY DOGS!" he shouted to his men. "IT'S A FIGHT HE WANTS, IT'S A FIGHT HE'LL GET!"
At the prow of the ship, Peter grinned cruelly at the sky as the pillar transformed into the shape of Shade, the dark entity which Peter had come to know and hate. "Tink," he whispered. "Get the others."
The little green ball of light snuck out of his jacket, over the side of the ship, and darted off as fast as her wings could carry her to the island.
Ben's eyes grew huge at the sight of the monster. "What…is that?!" he pointed as Nana growled.
Mikey's eyes began huge with fear, his little body shaking. "W-Wendy…?"
"It's him, isn't it?" Wendy whispered, gathering her brother in her arms.
Mandy paled at the sight. "…that's what was inside me? That's what Mr. Fuller is?"
"Wait, Mr. Fuller is that thing?!" gasped Fred while Ben's jaw dropped.
"Never mind that!" Violet shouted, grabbing a set of swords from a hectic pirate. Handing a weapon to the others (except Mikey), she glared at the monster.
"Peter," Wendy called out. "What do we do?"
Looking back, Peter grinned at them, sticking his hand into the pouch on his belt. Flying above them, he tossed a generous handful of fairy dust upon them. "Think a happy thought and don't let it go!" he ordered them. "Don't let Shade take control of the ship – just until we get help! Those that aren't up to fighting, stay here on deck and help as best as you can!" Shooting into the air, his blade at he ready, he gave a mighty cry as Shade snarled at him.
Wendy grabbed Mikey, flew over to the helm, and handed her brother to the wide-eyed teacher. "Please watch him!" she said before flying off to join the others.
"What…?!" Christine repeated, stunned. Mikey blinked and smiled, waving his little hand at her. "Hi!" he exclaimed.
"Cap'n, what do we do?!" one pirate yelped.
"We're dead meat!" another wailed.
"DOOOOOOMED!" another cried.
"QUIET!" Christine snapped, earning their attention at once. "Gentlemen," she spoke firmly but calmly. "Those children are working efficiently as a team. I think you can do the same if you clear your heads and listen to what your captain has to say, don't you? Listen to him and we'll make it out of this alive."
The men gawked at her, befuddled and taken off guard. The woman was right…straightening and looking to Hook, they waited for Smee to speak for them.
"Cap'n? What's the plan?" Smee asked, winking at Christine and giving her a thumb's-up.
Hook had his eyes on the women, stunned and amazed at her display of control. It was no wonder she could contain the men and scold them for their behavior – she was a high school teacher, after all! With Christine's reassuring smile filling his view, he looked to the sky and noted how Shade veered each time the children swooped around and pricked at him with their weapons. "Man Long Tom and aim for the beast!" he shouted, grinning all the while. "We'll give him a taste of what the Jolly Roger has to offer!"
The men gave a rowdy cheer, setting off to work immediately, some going below to prepare the other cannons just in case. At the prow, Nana began barking. Squinting, Hook noticed an army of fairies headed straight for them, all human sized with determined looks on their elfin faces. At the head was Tinker Bell with Blue Falls, the book of spells tucked into a satchel.
"We're ready, Cap'n!" one pirate called out, another holding a torch, ready to light the fuse.
"Aim steady, now!" Hook ordered. Looking to the sky, he shouted, "PAN!"
Peter turned at once, seeing what was going on below. With a nod to the pirate, he whistled for the other children. "Fly for cover! Scatter!" he ordered, all of them moving away from the creature.
"My God, to think that's my co-worker," Christine whispered, having heard Mandy earlier. Clutching Mikey to her chest, her covered his eyes as he covered his ears. "Don't look, Mikey…"
"FIRE!" Hook commanded.
Long Tom boomed to life, the cannonball flying through the air and striking Shade square in the chest. The monster reeled back, roaring more in anger than in pain. "Get ready, men!" he shouted, about to give the order once more when he noticed the glowing white glint in Shade's eyes as he sent a ball of black magic towards them. "Christine!" he cried, shoving her aside as it came closer. He glared at the projectile. He wasn't afraid…but somebody shoved him to the floor just in time, causing the black ball to whiz overhead, shooting through the wood of the railing behind them before sinking in the water.
"Geez, Hook, why'd you always have to be so dramatic?" Peter's voice grunted from behind. Turning his head, he saw the teen push himself off of his frame before helping the pirate up. "You ok?" he asked Christine and Mikey, to which they both nodded, dumbstruck.
"You just…" Hook began.
"Looks like they've got it under control," Peter breathed, sitting on the deck comfortably.
Confused, Hook looked up and saw the fairies surrounding Shade, sending their own unique blasts of magic at him. As he howled in pain, trapped, Blue Falls cast a spell on him in the ancient fairy tongue, and with a sharp movement of his arm, pointing at the docks back on the mainland, he watched as Shade roared and shot off, heaving back the way he came. There was a blast and a burst of white light, and then, all was still.
"What…did he do?" Christine whispered.
"Put a cleansing spell, I think," Peter said, getting up to his feet before offering Hook his hand. "It weakens him. C'mere, Mikey." He took the eager littler boy from the woman and helped her up as well before waving to the fairies. "Nice work, everyone!" he crowed. They were alight with pride and cheer, glad to have been able to help and get a stab at Shade.
"Peter!" Wendy called, the others swooping down with her to the ship. "Are you ok? And Mikey! My baby brother…"
"I'm ok, Wendy," Mikey smiled, accepting his sister's embrace. "Peter and Hook saved us."
"Ben!" Christine gasped, tackling the boy at once. "Thank God you're ok! You shouldn't have gone off like that! You don't know anything about fighting, or what that thing was!"
"He's one of my teachers apparently," Ben struggled to say in his aunt's embrace. He didn't squirm this time, though. Rather, he returned the gesture just as tightly. "…I'm glad you're ok," he said softly, his eyes tearing up. The memory of losing his father was still fresh in his mind. He hadn't expected he would feel so strongly for his aunt…
"Thank you," Ben said suddenly to Hook, who gave him an odd look. "You save my aunt."
"And my brother," Wendy smiled. "Yes, thank you."
He sniffed, adjusting his cravat. "Yes, well, no thanks to you, pan, if you'd let me die I could've at least looked a little more heroic…"
"Thank you, James," Christine smiled, going to him and pressing her lips to his cheek. "You're incredible."
His eyes went huge as he stared at her, his heart frozen. He could hear Peter snickering close by but his eyes were locked on the woman before him. His face fell as he thought he must do the gentlemanly thing. "It's not safe here, my dear. We ought to return you home-"
"And get left with all these questions and go back to a dull life?" she smirked playfully. "I'd adverse to change…and I like a little adventure. Not to mention, I hate being left in the dark."
Blinking in surprise, a smile working his way onto his face, he glanced at Peter, giving him a wink and that famous boyish grin of his.
"I think we can fly the rest of the way there," Peter suggested. "Shall we?"
The fairies above giggled overhead, each one grabbing a child and taking off. One of the smaller fairies sat on Nana's back, riding the pooch through the air with the help of her own fairy dust.
Ben pointed to his eyes, then at Captain Hook. "I'm keeping an eye on you. Take care of my aunt, mister!" Allowing another fairy to grab him, he waved to his aunt, beaming from ear to ear. For the first time since he's father had passed away, he was having fun…he might actually be happy here, with all these crazy people and terrifying adventures that had yet to come.
"Ben! Behave yourself!" Christine called after him, her maternal side showing after all the composure she had displayed. "And don't go anywhere that isn't safe! And always stay with someone! Ben? BEN! Are you listening to me?!" She gave a frustrated growl as he laughed and waved at her. "Honestly…what am I going to do with him?"
Peter offered his hand to Wendy, his eyes twinkling as she accepting. Waving, he called to Hook as they took off. "Later, Cap'n Codfish!" He crowed and flew off, Wendy giggling at his side.
Hook frowned at the boy, only to reluctantly smile. The blasted child had saved him again, whether he likes it or not. There had to be some way to settle this score…
"Cap'n, shall we take the Jolly Roger down to his place?" Smee asked, offering Hook his hat.
"Do you live on the island?" Christine asked, fascinated.
"I'm afraid the parts where we reside are…unpleasant…perhaps it's best we steer clear of the Harbor," Hook said, making a face. "I don't think it'll suit your tastes…"
"I can defend myself, James," she said firmly, once more resolute in her posture and decision. With a bright smile and a wink, she added, "Besides, I know I'm safe so long as I'm with you."
Hook almost wanted to burst out laughing. Oh, the cruel irony of it all! Her safe with the deadliest pirate of the seven seas?! Still, he couldn't help that warm and sickly feeling inside of him and the swell of pride that flared when he heard those words. "W-Well," he cleared his throat. "Since I see you're not going to change your mind…?" She shook her head, smirking. He returned the smirk, standing tall at the wheel. "Get a move on, you barnacle-brains! To the Harbor!"
The men gave another cheer, getting to work immediately. Smee bowed to his captain and lady friend before skipping off down the steps back to the poop deck. An enormous smile lit up his face. Perhaps things were looking up for them after all…