*Insert lame excuse here*
*Insert heart-felt apology here*
*Insert now-let's-get-on-with-this-chapter here*
Chapter 34: Baelfire
Mya P.O.V
Baelfire. That was his name.
The boy told us his story, and how he got to Neverland through Pan's shadow.
"A shadow, huh?" My father mentally nudging me: see? He hasn't changed.
"Who knows how many shadows are out there?" I suggested. "It could be another one." Completely fooling myself.
Was this the boy Peter wanted? But he wasn't even supposed to be alive yet...
My father shook his head at me. "He's playing you, Mya." Then he turned to Baelfire. "You were saying?"
"That's it, really." The boy replied. "I fought until the shadow dropped me in the sea. And then I found myself here."
I eyed him. There was more to this story. "What about your family? Why would the shadow want you?" I questioned him.
All I wanted to know was if he was the boy. But if he was, wouldn't my father have mentioned it?
"I told you. I was protecting the Darlings. They are my family now." He explained.
"But they weren't always." I insisted.
Baelfire gulped. He clearly didn't enjoy the topic of his real family.
"Never mind." My father exclaimed, relieving the tension that had begun to form among us. "You must be hungry."
"Starving." I replied, realizing just how much.
"I was talking to the boy, Mya." My father informed me.
"Oh." But I was hungry too...
We were sitting at a round wooden table in the captain's cabin. My father rarely ate here though. He preferred to dine with the crew. Unless it was a special occasion.
"Smee!" He called out and the man wearing the red beanie popped out seconds later. "Bring something to eat for the boy-" I kicked his ankle from under the table. "And for Mya." He glared at me, I replied with a sweet smile.
After the meal, which was delicious by the way, I stood up to leave and return to my cabin but was stopped by my father's voice.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"To my room...?" I thought that was obvious.
My father sighed, somehow relieved. I figured he must have thought I was going to see Pan. As if I'd actually tell him if I were.
"Alright." He consented. "Just be careful."
"Yeah… I'll make sure not to slip on deck and die." I said sourly. This concern he had developed for me was getting a slightly annoying. In fact, it was barely bearable before. It had now reached the level of makes-me-want-to-purposely-slip-on-deck-and-die annoying.
As I reached the door I heard my the sound of my father's heavy footsteps coming from behind me. "Don't you think for a moment that this boy's arrival has nothing to do with him." He whispered, making sure Baelfire wouldn't hear.
I glanced at the boy over my father's shoulder. He was intensely focused on cutting a slice of meat. Too focused. No slice of meat required that much effort.
I suspected he was trying to eavesdrop. But there was no way he could hear us from that far.
I was going to defend Peter, but knew that would only make things worse, and my chances of freedom slimmer. I simply nodded.
"All Pan is capable of is lying." My father continued. "Don't let him manipulate you into trusting him."
I scowled. "I'm not that gullible."
"I really hope so, Mya." His eyes studied me, searching for signs of weakness. I wasn't going to show any.
I wasn't weak. I had a mind of my own. And it was not going to be manipulated by anyone. Not by Peter, and not by my father.
I was going to head to my cabin. But I didn't feel like sleeping. I didn't know what time it was, (how could you possibly know in Neverland?) but I knew it had been a long night. And yet, I couldn't bring myself to enter my room.
I wanted answers. And there was only one person who could give them to me.
Unfortunately getting answers from that one person would mean going behind my father's back.
Immersed in my thoughts, I walked onto the deck, and hardly heard the floorboards creaking behind me.
I froze. Unintentionally praying that it would be Peter.
But that's not who I saw when I turned around.
Baelfire.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." Yeah… definitely not what Peter would have said.
I shrugged it off. "It's fine. I just wasn't expecting anyone to be here so late."
"I couldn't sleep." He admitted, looking down.
Seeing him like this made it hard not to feel sorry for him. He was still in his nightgown; it's white material almost matching his skin. And small, dark circles had formed under his eyes. It was clear that he missed his family, the Darlings, not the real one, and that he did not desire to be here at all.
And here I thought every boy Peter's shadow brought was a Lost Boy.
Well, this boy certainly was not.
"Are you okay?" He glanced up at me. Yeah… Stupid question. "I mean, of course your not, but…" I trailed off, struggling with my words. "Okay, I don't really know what to say, and I won't pretend to know what you're feeling, but if you want to talk about it, I'm here."
…Let's just say psychiatry isn't in my expertise. Neither is dealing with sad children.
"Thank you." He gave a small smile. "I guess I'm just home sick." He shrugged.
"You really didn't want to come here, did you?" I commented, quite obviously.
He shook his head no. "I was happy with the Darlings. But I couldn't let the Shadow take any of them instead."
Why would Peter want anyone from that family? It just didn't make sense.
"Do you have any idea why the Shadow came in the first place?" I inquired, stepping closer to him.
His eyebrows furrowed as he concentrated to remember. "Well, it came the night before as well."
"And what happened then?"
"Wendy, one of the Darlings, went with it." He glanced at his feet. "I tried to stop her. But it was no use."
A girl? There's no way Peter would want a girl. …I think.
"So she's here now?" I tried to ignore the itching sensation of jealousy at the thought of Peter with another girl.
"No, she came back in the morning." He explained. "Because the Shadow didn't want her." I resisted the urge to grin at that statement.
"Why not?" I asked, playing dumb.
"She said it wanted a boy, and not her. And it was coming for one of her brothers instead." He narrated. "So we prepared for it's arrival that night, making sure the Shadow would take none of us." He paused, shrugging. "But as you can see, things didn't work out."
I nodded comprehensively. "I'm sorry." But I could do better than apologize. "I promise you I'll do everything I can to reunite you with your family." I didn't need to specify which family for him to understand.
"I'd really appreciate that." He smiled, a little brighter than before.
I nodded in response. "You should go get some sleep now. Or you're family will take it out on me when you return with those circles under your eyes." I grinned, attempting at a joke to cheer him up. It worked.
Baelfire laughed and headed towards the guest cabin. I mentally patted myself on the back. I wasn't so bad with sad kids after all.
isn't young Baelfire such a bae? ...get it? GET IT? *waits for standing ovation*
..
YEAH I'M AN AWFUL HUMAN BEING.
I AM AWARE.
BUT WILL YOU PLEEEEEASEEEE FORGIVE ME? *hands out cookies* *you better like cookies*
So, thank you so much for everyone who followed & favorited this story :) It means so much to me.
& if you want chapters up more frequently, please ban my teachers from giving me so much homework because seriously. The amount I have isn't humane.
Y'ALL EXCITED FOR OUAT SEASON 4 CAUSE I AM OMFG FCKHESDFHFLNWBAFJNQWEBJFSDBEWIçFBES YAY!