Chapter Twenty-Eight – Tragedy and Comedy
Wendy could hear a great wail rise into the air, a sound that chilled her blood and made Nana howl in fear and anxiety. Violet was still coughing, panting as she let Wendy drag her along. Mikey covered his ears as Jon kept his eyes ahead, running with his sister.
"Hurry, get inside!" she ordered them, tossing Jon the keys to the house.
"But…your dad-" Violet protested.
"He's out again," Wendy told her.
"He's always out!" Mikey corrected her as they barreled into the dark, empty house.
Jon slammed the door, and locked it, giving a great breath of relief. "Thank goodness…" Turning on the lights in the living room, they set Violet on the couch. Wendy ran off and got a glass of water for the girl while Nana and the boys stayed with her.
"Are you ok?" Mikey asked, his big eyes on her face.
Glancing at the child, tears in her eyes, she put on her best smile and hugged him. "I'm fine…really…I'm…" She trembled, warm tears streaking her face. "Oh, God…Aunt Kelly…she's-!" She broke into sobs, covering her face. "She's gone! And I almost died!...this is all my fault!"
"Violet…" Jon reached for her shoulder but hesitated, uncertain about how to comfort others.
Entering the room, Wendy took a seat next to the weeping girl. "Here," she said quietly, offering the glass. "Drink." She kept an arm around her friend as Violet greedily drained the glass clean. Taking the item from her trembling hands, she embraced her. "It's not your fault…none of this is. Shade's getting out of control and lashing out at people…who knows what he could do next?" Wendy said the last question in a whisper, fearing for her brothers.
Nana whined, licking Violet's hands. She rubbed her head against the girl's leg, struggling to calm and comfort.
"I just…I wish Ruff were here," Violet sniffled, hanging on to her friend.
A knock on the door made them all jump out of their seats, yelping in surprise and fear.
"Wendy! Wendy, are you inside?!"
A sigh of relief escaped her as she got up and ran to the front door, unlocking it and cautiously opening it. Peter, Hook, and Tinker Bell stood on the other side, all looking solemn. Tinker Bell rested on Peter's shoulder, looking exhausted.
"Peter!" she exclaimed, embracing him at once. "Thank goodness you're all right!"
"'Course I am," Peter jested, returning the embrace. "Is Violet still with you?"
"Yes," she nodded. "Come in." She ushered the trio inside, locking the door once more.
"Peter!" Mikey cried, running to the boy. Peter gathered him in his arms and accepted the child's hug. "I'm glad you're ok! I knew you'd be ok!"
"What happened?" Jon asked, cautiously walking over to Hook.
"The little sprite cast a spell on our blades," Hook frowned, looking down at his sword, now back to its original state. "Some sort of powerful magic…the creature lunged for us and we attacked with the swords. I suppose it was so strong that it weakened that monster and he vanished from the house."
"Then he's dead?" Mikey asked, hopeful.
"Nope," Peter shook his head. "I doubt it. I know he's still out there…but until then, we'll have to make sure you're all safe from another attack."
"How?" Jon asked, scratching his head.
Looking to his fairy, Peter gently took her in his hand. "Tink, we need a spell for them, to keep them protected, like a force field or something so Shade can't touch them. Do you know anything on that?"
She tinkled something back to him, stretching and wincing. The previous spell had taken much of her energy, and without Blue Falls of the book of spells to help, she would be drained and go unconscious. She chimed an idea into his ear and pointed to the children.
"Tink says casting spells on her own is tiring," Peter explained. "She wants me to do it…wait, I'm not a fairy! I can't cast spells!"
"You could be a fairy, you bilge rat," Hook grumbled, taking a seat on one of the couches. He graciously accepted a drink from Wendy, feeling rather comfortable in this setting, albeit out of place.
"You did grow up with fairies," Jon reminded him.
Tinker Bell continued to chime, Peter nodding at her instructions. "Ok…I'll try." He placed Mikey on the floor and patted his head before listening for orders. Closing his eyes, he listened to Tinker Bell's instructions, sitting criss-cross in the air. Softly, he began to chant in a language none of them knew or recognized. Raising his hands, aimed them over the children as they watched on in awe. The chant became louder, and louder, until when Peter's eyes opened, they glowed a bright green color. Even Hook was shocked to see this happening, sinking into his seat. Standing in the air, Peter gave a final shout before his eyes dimmed back to their normal color and he shook off a daze that seemed to have overtaken him. Tinker Bell patted his cheek proudly, kissing him on the nose.
"I don't feel any different," Violet said, looking over herself.
"Are you sure you cast a spell?" Mikey asked, cocking his head at the Eternal Youth.
"'Course I did!" Peter grinned. He began to flip backwards, saying, "If he comes close to you, he won't be able to touch- Whoa!" He stumbled in the air, shaking his head. Placing his hand on his forehead, he tried to shake off the feeling of disorientation. "What…? Wow, Tink, you're right. That does take a lot of you."
"Peter, are you all right?" Wendy asked, concerned at his behavior.
"Just a little dizzy," he laughed shakily until he suddenly veered off to the side.
"Both feet on the ground, boy," Hook ordered, standing up and using his hook to snatch Peter and tug him to the floor of the room. "No flying until you're yourself again."
"I'm fine!" Peter snapped, squeezing his eyes shut and grabbing onto Hook's arm for support.
"Yes, and I'm a crocodile's uncle," Hook rolled his eyes.
"Lunch, actually," Peter corrected him with a weak smile.
"Peter, are you sure you're all right?" Wendy asked, allowing him to lean on her as well.
"I'm perfect! Just as soon as I can see straight, I'll fly us all back!" he declared, his frame still tilting from one side to another. Tinker Bell was beginning to worry, flitting around his head as she regained her strength. "I'm ok, Tink, don't fuss so much," he waved her off.
"Peter?" Violet asked suddenly, earning their attention. "My aunt…she's really…?" When Peter nodded solemnly, she looked away, staring at the floor in thought.
"I'm sorry, Vi," Peter said softly. "I should've thought of something like this-"
"No, it's not your fault," she shook her head, giving him a reassuring smile. "I just…have a request."
"Anything," Peter agreed at once. "Just name it."
Standing up, she went to him and pleaded, "Let me go back with you to Never-Neverland."
Wendy faced Violet, stunned by her request. She couldn't just leave…! But then again, their father wouldn't be took keen on adopting or caring for anyone else right now…and if she was taken off by a social worker, they may never see her again…at least if she was on the island with Peter, Tink, and Ruff…she would be safe…and happy.
"You're sure?" Peter asked, seeming to think the same thoughts as Wendy. "There'll be people looking for you-"
"Wendy and the boys know where to find me," she insisted. "I'd rather be there than anywhere else." Looking to her friend, she became teary-eyed again. "I'm miss you, Wendy…but I won't be too far off."
Wendy smiled sadly and nodded. "I know…and we'll come and see you and the boys as often as we can." Leaving Peter's side for a moment, she went to her friend, wrapping her arms around her tightly. It felt as though a part of her was leaving for good, and she was afraid she might not see her again…
"Don't worry," Peter said to the girls with a smile. "She'll be ok there."
Together, Wendy and Hook helped Peter walk out of the house, finally letting him stand on his own two feet. "See? I'm fine!" he snapped at Hook. The pirate rolled his eyes at the boy. "We'll have to fly back. Can you manage, Vi?"
Closing her eyes, the girl thought of Ruff, her feet lifting off the ground. "I got it," she said with a smile.
"That's lovely, but what about me?" Hook grumbled. His eyes grew wide as Peter locked his arms around his chest and with a sprinkle of fairy dust began to lift the man off the ground. "PAAAAAN!" he bellowed, earning a hard smack to the back of his knee from Peter.
"Shut up! You want to wake up the whole neighborhood?!" Peter hissed. "It's bad enough Shade made such a ruckus. Calm down already." Looking back to the Darlings, he winked and said, "We'll be back to see you soon!" With Violet waving goodbye at them and Hook flailing his arms and legs in a panic, Tinker Bell blew them a goodbye kiss and with Peter led them away.
Holding Mikey in her arms, with Jon and Nana on either side of her, Wendy waved with a sad smile. "Please be careful," she whispered, turning and ushering her brothers back inside.
~NEVER-NEVERLAND~
The town was abuzz with news and gossip the next day. Police still hadn't been able to find Violet Shields or the culprit that killed her aunt. Things seemed abnormal and everyone was suspicious. At school, people bombarded Wendy with questions to which she innocently responded that she had no idea.
"OMG, are you sure you're ok?" Mandy asked, her eyes huge after Wendy explained at lunch what had happened on Thursday night. It was the start of a new week, but the sleepy little town was engulfed in the tragic, horrific events. Reporters had flocked from all over to cover the story, though no one knew what exactly the story was.
"I'm fine," Wendy responded. "I just hope Violet's all right."
"I'm sure she is," Ben shrugged. "At least she's with Peter and Ruff, right?"
"Right," Wendy smiled, hiding her concern.
"Either way, I can't believe this happened," Fred said, sitting down beside his new girlfriend. "If we had stayed with you, maybe we could've helped."
"I don't think there's anything anyone could have done," she shook her head. "From what I could tell, he had already sucked Kelly's soul out by the time we got there. If she hadn't screamed…" She bit her lip, squeezing her eyes shut. "I don't even want to think about."
"Then don't."
Her eyes snapped open at the sound of the woman's voice. "Ms. Seaworth-!" she exclaimed, seeing her teacher approach their table.
"I'm sorry we weren't there for support," she frowned, apologizing to the raven-haired girl. "I'm sure she was terrified and scared."
"She handled it fairly well, actually," Wendy said, giving a small smile.
"Either way, I'm glad you all turned out ok," Christine said, placing her hand on Wendy's shoulder.
"Speaking of 'ok,' you haven't heard from that pirate, have you?" Fred smirked.
"I don't like your tone of voice with me, young man," she sniffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Don't get cocky with me."
"Yes, darling," a seductive voice purred in her ear. "Don't let him get the better of you."
"EEP!" she squeaked, jumping out of her skin, goose bumps forming on her arms. Spinning around, she felt her eyes widen at the sight of James Hook dressed in a pristine button-down shirt and black blazer, dressy dark slacks and shining shoes covering his lower half. His ink black curls had been pulled back into a ponytail and his hook was nowhere to be found.
"James?!" she gasped, her hand over her heart. She stared at him, aghast…then smacked his arm.
"OW!" he yelped.
"Don't you dare scare me like that again!" she scolded him.
He frowned, grumbling, until he felt her lips brush against his mouth. His eyes widened at this and he looked to see her grinning at him. "It's nice to see you…and you look very nice in normal clothes." He straightened at this, smirking. "I see you've got a school pass," she noted, seeing the sticker nametag on his chest.
"Yes, I believe in decorum and following the regulations of a public building," he smiled, taking her hand and kissing it. His smile turned into a frown and he growled, "Unlike some people!"
"You know I'd rather break the rules, not follow them," Peter's voice retorted with a merry laugh.
Turning her body, Wendy felt her face light up at the sight of Peter, dressed once more in jeans and a green jacket, looking very much like one of the students there at Kingsdale High.
"HI, PETEY!" Mandy squealed, waving madly as though he couldn't see her.
Grimacing, he waved back, traveling around the table with a saddlebag at hand. "Yeah…hi." He ruffled Ben's hair with a grin before coming to Wendy's side, making a flower appear out of thin air. "For you, Wendy lady," he smiled.
Her fingers curled around the stem, touching his fingers. A shock passed through them as they looked at one another, Wendy blushing, Peter grinning. "Thank you," she said, sniffing the blooming plant. "It's beautiful, and it smells even better."
"Not as pretty as you," Peter said slyly, making her blush darken. Sticking his hand into the bag, he pulled out a necklace consisting of a white conch shell on a thin rope cord. "This is from Conch," Peter explained, handing it to Ben with a smile. "She hopes you'll think of her when you wear it."
Ben took the necklace and stroked the shell, smiling as he remembered the mermaid's bright, sea-hued eyes and heartbreaking smile. "Tell her thanks for me…"
"Wait, who's Conch?" Christine asked, raising a suspicious eyebrow and placing her hands on her hips. "You never mentioned anything when we got home…Benjamin William Seaworth, what are you hiding?"
"Nothing!" he scowled. "I made a friend at the mermaid lagoon is all…"
"A friend? At mermaid lagoon?" Christine asked, catching on fast.
"Oh, bug off, Aunt Chris!" he frowned. "You don't see or hear me picking on you about your deadly pirate boyfriend!"
"Hey! He's not deadly!" Christine frowned. "And you're to call me Ms. Seaworth in school!"
Peter bit back a laugh as Hook blushed and coughed to cover his embarrassment. "Oh, these are for you two," he added, handing Mandy and Fred their gifts.
"OMG! So cute!" Mandy laughed, seeing a set of long earrings made of tiny curling vines and flowers. "Thanks!"
"Wow," Fred said, gaping at the Indian pouch with expert embroidery on the leather hide. He grinned at Peter as he said, "Thanks, Pete." Peter grinned back, saluting the boy in return. "Oh! And one more thing," Peter said, snapping his fingers as he remembered the final gift. Digging into the bag, he pulled out a tiny box and carelessly tossed it to Hook. "It's all yours."
Hook caught it effortlessly without even a glance. Using his thumb, he flicked the top open and offered it to Christine. "A little present for you, Milady," he said, bowing his head like a gentleman.
"Oh!" she gasped, seeing a shining ruby inside the box. Mounted on a gold band, the ring glistened in the cafeteria lights. "Oh, James…it's gorgeous…! I couldn't-!"
"It's not an engagement ring, and I certainly don't expect anything in return," Hook said, helping her remove the bauble from the box. Slipping it onto her finger, he said gently, "All I ask is to see you every so often…so you won't forget about me."
"Oh, James!" she laughed, tearing up at his words. Kissing his lips lightly, she smiled as she moved a stray strand of hair from his eyes. "I could never forget you…and I won't anytime soon…especially if we went on a little outing this weekend…"
He raised an eyebrow at her, amusement and mischief twinkling in his eyes.
Peter made a gagging face towards the students, causing them to snicker and giggle. "Oh, Wendy, Vi wants you to know she's ok," he said, whispering in her ear.
Facing him, her face showed relief. "Thank you, Peter…would you let her know we miss her and we'll try to stop by this weekend again?"
"'Course," Peter answered, beginning to pull back when Wendy grabbed his collar and held him in place long enough to peck a kiss on his nose. She blushed at doing so, and he grinned from ear to ear.
"Hey, Peter, have you seen that Shade guy anywhere?" Ben asked, breaking the moment. "Fuller was out today – we had a substitute."
Turning to the boy, Peter frowned and shook his head. "Haven't seen him since that night…maybe he's hiding."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Mandy asked, sipping her drink. "He's gone, right?"
"For now," Peter corrected her. "He's been weakened enough that he can't even keep up his appearance for school." Stroking his chin, a thought began to formulate in his mind.
"Peter," Wendy said, grabbing his hand. Her eyes shone with worry as she pleaded, "Please be careful with him."
"Hey, don't worry," Peter said, taking her hand and kissing it. "I can handle him."
"Still, you ought to listen to her," Fred interrupted. "And if you ever need help off the island, call on us."
"Yeah…I mean, I can't do much, but if you need me, I'm here," Ben nodded in agreement.
Looking at the two boys, Peter leaned on the lunch table with his arms and asked, "Have you guys ever considered becoming Lost Boys?"
Ben's eyes lit up, a smile growing on his face. "Really?! I'm in!"
"But your aunt-?" Wendy began.
Ben stopped her with an irked look, jerking his head to the right. Turning, the students saw Hook and their teacher strolling together to get a bite to eat, both laughing and holding hands. "When you guys return to Neverland, she's going with him," he predicted. "Being a pirate sounds like fun, but I think I'd rather be a Lost Boy."
Peter laughed, pushing his hair away from his face. "Great," he declared, offering his hand to the boy. Ben gripped and shook it, sealing their agreement. Looking to Fred, Peter raised an eyebrow expectantly. "Well? What do you say?"
Fred gawked at him, realizing what he was asking. With a sad smile, he shook his head. "Sorry, Pete…but I've got everything I've ever wanted. I have a family, I play football, I've got an awesome girlfriend…" Mandy blushed at the final comment, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I just can't go, not now. There's a possibility that scouts could come to a game and I might have a shot at a scholarship." Stretching out his arm, he gave Peter an apologetic look. "Sorry, man…but I'm gonna have to say no."
Peter nodded, disappointment showing in his eyes as he shook the boy's hand. "That's too bad…you would've made a great Lost Boy…but I wish you luck, Fred." Somehow, he knew it wouldn't have worked if Fred was a Lost Boy – he was already too grown up. But he had come to tolerate and even like the boy after the incidents that happened. "Well, I better get going and collect ol' Codfish," Peter said freely, slinging the saddlebag back onto his shoulder.
"Oh, Petey!" Mandy gasped, something clicking in the back of her mind. "You're coming to the Masquerade next week, right?!"
"Don't call me 'Petey'," he scowled. His brows furrowed together, perplexed, as he asked, "What masquerade?"
"We're having a homecoming party after the big game next week," Fred explained. "The theme is 'masquerade.' It's like an early Halloween party…you do know what Halloween is, right?"
"Don't insult me, of course I know," Peter scoffed.
"Can you come?" Ben asked, cocking his head at him as he waited for a response.
Peter glanced down at Wendy, seeing the same hopeful questioning in her eyes. With a mischievous grin, he said, "I'll be there." With a flourished bow, he left, going after the pirate.
Meanwhile, Hook and Christine were chattering about the same topic.
"It's a dress-up event, really, but the kids love it," she explained.
"And what are you dressing up as?" he asked, amused.
"To be honest, I wasn't planning on dressing up," she laughed, tossing her hair over her shoulder. Stroking her chin, she winked and said, "Maybe I'll dress as a pirate or wench."
"I'll bet he'll drool for the wench costume," Peter laughed from behind, struggling to stay on the ground or else he would fly, off clutching his stomach from laughter.
Hook whipped around, his eyes turning red. "Boy-!" he growled, reaching for Pan.
Christine stood between them, giving them both stern looks. "Listen you two, unless you want school security seeing you two behaving like this and dragging you off, I suggest you act like you're civil towards one another before you attract any more attention."
"Who says we're not civil?" Peter chuckled, sticking his tongue out at Hook when Christine's back was towards him.
Christine began to speak once more when she felt her cell phone vibrate in her jean pocket. "Hold on," she said, pulling the contraption out. Seeing who it was, she placed it to her ear and began to talk. "Hello? Jamie? How did everything…?" She stopped, her eyes widening, her hand going to her mouth as her jaw dropped. "Oh…oh no. Jamie, I'm so sorry!...yes, of course I'll stop by after school…ok…oh Jamie, I'm sorry…don't worry…maybe next time…Yes. Ok. Bye." Hanging up, she wiped away a stray tear before facing a perplexed pirate and boy. "That was a friend of mine. His name is Jamie Berri."
"A friend?" Hook asked, suddenly concerned that it was a male she was speaking with.
"He's married to my best friend, Margaret," she said. He nodded, his jealousy vanishing. "They've been trying to have a baby for years, but…"
"What happened?" Peter asked, crossing his arms over his chest, raising an eyebrow in interest.
"They came back from a check up," she explained, sobering at last. "They just found out that the baby died, maybe a day ago."
Peter immediately paled, his eyes huge in horror. "Wait…it was inside her still?"
She nodded, pinching the bridge of her nose. "This is the third time it's happened…even with the medicine they're giving her." Heaving a sigh, she shook her head. "They live just next door to me and Ben. They're great folks…Margaret's also a teacher, though she works with the little ones. Jamie is a business manager, but what he really loves to do is write. He can't afford to do that, though, with all this going on. Not only have they just lost their baby, Jamie's company is going through hard times." Gripping her hand over the ring Hook had given to her, she wrung her hands and bit her lip in anxiety. "He's afraid they'll make him leave his job soon…"
Peter and Hook listened to the woman, both glancing at one another in pity for the family. Suddenly, Hook noted how Peter's brows began to knit together, his lips pressed together in thought. When his eyes lit up, Hook frowned, realizing that the boy was formulating a plan.
"Let them know we're really sorry for them," Peter said out of the blue. Christine nodded, startled by him. "Well, we better go," Peter said politely, bowing to Christine. "We'll see you again soon, Miss."
"Yes, Christine," Hook added, kissing her hand in farewell. "I'll see you Friday night."
She cheered up at that, giggling as he winked at her. "Ok, see you then. Stay out of trouble, you two."
"Us? Get into trouble?" Peter laughed, waving as he walked away.
Hook followed close behind, glaring at the boy's head. "You are impossible."
"And you're a spoil sport," Peter chirped.
"I know that look on your face, Pan," Hook said, lowering his voice. "You're planning something."
"I always have a plan. What are you talking about?" he asked innocently.
Hook sighed, smacking his forehead. "Listen boy," he said unexpectedly as they left the school. Placing his one hand on Peter's shoulder, he said, "Now that Shade is weak, we should be planning an attack to fight back together. Don't go off and try to be a hero on your own."
"I do just fine on my own," Peter chuckled, his eyes growing wide when Hook grabbed him and forced the boy to look him in the eye.
"I'm serious, Peter," he frowned, their eyes locked for a moment. "Don't go looking for unnecessary trouble without help." His eyes were filled with sternness and something else Peter couldn't quite put his finger on. It couldn't have been concern, for Hook was never concerned about Pan (except in finding new ways to capture and kill him), so he shook off the idea.
"Don't worry," Peter said calmly. "I won't. I've got something else in mind, actually."
Giving the boy an odd look, the pirate captain asked, "Which is…?"
"That's for me to know," Peter grinned, pulling away from the man. "And you to find out…maybe."