CHAPTER SEVEN: CAPTAIN JAMES HOOK, AT YOUR SERVICE
The next few days passed with a higher level of calmness and ease in the underground house. True to his word, Peter took Moira out early the next morning to let her explore and helped her get more acquainted with the terrain. He flew most of the time, while she preferred to walk, not quite getting her 'air legs' as she called it. She'd always imagined flying would be easy and natural, and while years of his skin and clothes being coated in pixie dust gave Peter constant air time, Moira found that Tink would have to sprinkle her a few more times before flying would become natural. She could still do it but whenever she tried it took so much effort just to leave the ground. It took strength to fly, just as running did.
Peter had to forcibly shake Tink over Moira to make sure she had enough dust, but after seeing what looked like a promise of revenge in the fairy's eye Moira thought it best if she didn't make Tink try and help her for a while. The fairy had been waiting to get her in trouble again ever since Peter and she returned after her escape to Dead Man's Cave without punishment.
But today everyone had almost forgotten she'd been kept under lock and key, and now they were all together having fun and playing that day. They had all decided to do something together, something Moira hadn't seen yet and was quite excited, because with so many boys they tended to break-off into their own separate groups or games. Every one of them had a best friend (or two or three) so no one went without.
But today everyone agreed to hang out by Slightly Gulch, so named because Slightly was the first to actually try and name it. Peter had always known it was there, claiming that nothing happened in Neverland without him knowing, but said Slightly had been so proud when he 'discovered' it that Peter didn't have the heart to disappoint him.
The gulch fed into the ocean when the water was high enough, and after a rain storm the boys enjoyed going to the gulch to ride out the flash floods along the smooth stone. There was hardly a cloud in the sky that day, and when they arrived Moira's breathe was almost lost upon her as she saw the gulch.
It reminded her so much of movies she'd seen based in the old west. The entire gulch was lined with orange rock that had been so smoothed out by erosion she couldn't foresee any terrible injuries from the falls the boys would surely take. The air was dryer and though it was hot out, the sweat disappeared from their skin as soon as it condensed.
While Peter simply flew from the top cliffs of the gulch and landed on the sunbathing rocks below, the rest of the boys smoothly climbed down the rocks or sliding down cracks and lines in the canyon walls.
The boys were already wading into the water and stringing up their fishing poles by the time Moira, Jacob and Angie made it down. They had taken turns carrying Angie and passing her back and forth when one of them would progress further down. While Angie was enjoying herself, Moira and Jacob kept grunting at each other, "Do you have her? I said, DO YOU HAVE HER?"
Finally, Jacob was low enough where he just dropped Angie the last four feet before joining her. He ran off to join the others for a swim, while Angie waited for Moira to get down. Moira took off their shoes and took Angie's hand to lead them into the water, but Angie refused to go in any further when they approached the darker water.
Angie pulled backward and shook her head, "I can't see the bottom, what if there's something down there?"
Moira rolled her eyes, "There's nothing down there."
"But why is it so black right there?" Angie squeaked.
"Because that's where the rock ends," she indicated the submerged rock they were standing on, "You just can't see the rocks on the bottom, now come on." But Angie crossed her arms and refused to move. "Look, there's nothing dangerous here. I'll prove it to you."
Moira walked to the edge of the rock, the water now up to her waist. She bent slightly to put more of her upper torso in the water. The water directly in front of her was dark, she couldn't see a thing, but it calmed her to know that the water was clear and not murky. Guessing it was eight feet deep at least, she turned back to look at Angie, "See sissy, there's nothing there," she stretched her hand out to pat over and glide through the dark water. "Very safe, so why don't you just stop being a scaredy cat and come—"
Moira only just closed her mouth in time to avoid swallowing water as something tugged hard on her wrist and pulled her under the deep water. She flailed under the water for a moment, not sure how far she had been pulled under. Oh God, what had pulled her under? She began kicking frantically, trying to get away from whatever was in the water with her. The grip on her wrist loosened and suddenly she felt hands wrap around her waist and pull her upward.
Her head broke the surface and she took a quick, deep breathe. Opening her eyes she saw Angie was completely out of the water and cowering on the dry rock, her mouth opening and closing like a gaping fish.
Moira was about to swim to her when something broke the surface next to her and she saw Peter grinning like an idiot. The jerk had pulled her under! She immediately splashed him right in his face, effectively wiping the smile off it. Of course he returned the splash, resulting in a splash fight between the two until both were laughing through their dripping faces. They both swam back onto the shallow rock, Moira hoping to coax Angie back into the water.
"No!" Angie darted over some rocks when Peter rushed at her, "I don't want to play with you anymore!" She disappeared over the other side where Moira saw some of the smalls were playing earlier; she'd be fine with them.
While Moira wrote off Angie's reaction as normal, she realized she had to explain to Peter that Angie wasn't truly hurt by what had happened. Still, he had to understand that he couldn't be too rough on the little girl. "She'll get over it and be in the water as soon as she sees all of us having fun."
Peter shrugged, coming back into the water until it was up to his elbows, trailing his arms over the surface. "As long as she's not too mad. It was all in good fun."
"Still, I wouldn't try that on her if I were you. She'd just cry afterward and then she'd really be mad at you for a while; she's just too small for that type of play." Moira said.
"You're not mad, are you?" Peter asked wearily.
"Course not," Moira lazily doggy paddled over to him. "I'm a lady first and foremost. We don't get mad, we get even."
He narrowly missed the stream of water she spat at him before she laughed and quickly swam toward where most of the other boys were playing. For the next couple of hours the children did nothing but play and swim. By high noon everyone was cooling off in the water, fishing poles either reeled in or wedged between rocks to keep the lines in the water. A large log had floated by and had been commandeered by the children to be a makeshift boat. When they tired of that they had competitions to see who could stay standing up the longest on it.
Moira, along with Angie, Sprout and Nibs had all decided to sit on it and try to wiggle each other off. But a cannon ball from Thud Butt was what knocked them all off when the wave he created crashed into them. Moira had just pulled herself back into a sitting position on the log when she felt it propel forward. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Peter had braced both hands against the opposite end of the log and was using his flying to push the log through the water like he was a propeller.
She laughed as he picked up speed, the front of the log lifting slightly and forcing Moira to slide backward. When she was confident enough she sat up on her knees and lifted her arms up for balance, enjoying the ride.
While Peter and Moira surfed, some of the other boys had begun scaling the rocks along the gulch. Whenever they found a spot deemed safe enough, they would jump off and into the water. Dives, belly flops, flips and cannonballs were shown off, and every time they scaled higher the tricks became more daring. Jacob had been enjoying himself until he saw that the boys still aimed to climb higher.
The last jump they'd done had been at least 15 feet down, and Jacob found his tummy turning horribly just before he'd hit the water. He didn't enjoy the sensation of falling, and after getting sick from several fair rides he'd steered clear of them. But his heart sank as the boys joyfully climbed higher to the next ledge.
Don't Ask saw him hesitate, "What's up Jacob, too much for you?" He challenged.
Jacob's eyes narrowed, "No!"
Don't Ask smirked, "Then come on."
Reluctantly, Jacob began climbing after the line of boys. When they made it to the next ledge he observed the twins, Don't Ask, Thud Butt, Tin Tin, Book, Zipper and Crash peering over the edge. When Jacob saw how high they were he gulped, it looked like a 35 foot drop at least but to him it may as well have been a thousand.
He found himself unconsciously backing away from the edge, only to make contact with Tin Tin and Don't Ask. Those two were hardly ever out of each other's company, matching one another in appetite for danger and adventure. Don't Ask was very much like Curly in terms of being talkative, but where Curly spoke to make others laugh in good faith Don't Ask didn't appear to have a mute button of any kind. He was very outspoken and didn't care what anyone thought of it, which gave him an air of arrogance. Tin Tin was harder to read, seemingly always on guard. He hadn't warmed up to Jacob at all and he had a feeling he didn't like him very much.
Tin Tin raised an eyebrow at Jacob, "You gonna jump?" Jacob didn't answer, "You scared or something?"
Jacob stood stiff straight, his arms clenched at his sides, "It's uh, really high up."
Tin Tin scoffed and brushed past Jacob, who swore he heard the lost boy mutter, "Scared."
Tin Tin walked to the very edge and without any hesitation leapt into the air and away from the rock. All the boys were quiet as they watched him plummet toward the water feet first, only the sound of his splash breaking it. His fist broke the surface before the rest of his upper body, and he pumped it into the air in triumph as the boys cheered from above. Soon other boys jumped, some in pairs and others by themselves, but Jacob stayed back.
"Whoa, this is high up!" A female voice suddenly spoke. Jacob looked up to see Peter depositing Moira next to him, having flown them both up after seeing the boys jumping from their log.
A flash of a boy suddenly ran past them, "Watch this, Moira!" Peter jumped off the rock and immediately went into a tucked position. He rolled at least four times before uncurling himself and finishing with a perfect dive into the water. Moira clapped when he emerged, "That was amazing!"
Jacob grumbled to himself and looked down, leaning against the cliff behind him. He felt like a coward, not wanting to jump while everyone else was making it look so easy. Peter flew back up, the water dripping from him still, a subtle reminder to Jacob that he had yet to take the plunge. But it was Moira he addressed instead, "You want to try?"
His sister could do this, Jacob thought. She was always the one jumping off the swings on the playground, or pretending to hang out the highest window. Jacob felt his chest get heavy when he realized Peter had not so much as looked at him this entire time. 'Even he knows I can't do this, why would he waste his time?' He thought.
"Actually, I think I'll sit this one out," said Moira. "Jacob knows how I am with falls, so he's going to keep me company for a bit."
Peter didn't see Jacob's look of surprise, instead asking, "You sure? It's really fun."
"Maybe later," she shrugged. She heard the boys calling from below, they'd found the log again and wanted Peter to push them like he had Moira. "Go ahead and play with them, I'm going to hang out with Jacob a bit and maybe he can talk me off a lower cliff."
"Suit yourself," he said, and once again made an extravagant exit of the cliff.
Brother and sister were left alone, and Jacob realized this was the first time he and Moira had had any privacy together since arriving in Neverland. Growing up with sisters he'd been denied certain male companionship that allowed him to always rough house, be loud or share certain things if he'd had brothers. Sure he had some guy friends in London but outside of school he couldn't always find them to play a game of football or just talk about guy things. He thought his dad was the one who always took him fishing in the summer, or maybe it was his uncle Tootles, but either way it was great to suddenly have all these new brothers to play with. But it also made him feel guilty that he hadn't done anything when Moira wasn't allowed to leave the underground house for those few days after the pirates chased her and Angie. Where had he been that he couldn't even have protected her?
But she had taken care of herself, and now was saving him from embarrassment of all things. "Why'd you do that?"
She pretended to be aloof, "Do what?"
"Say you hated falls? We both know that's not true."
"Do you want me to jump and leave you here?" When he didn't answer she sighed, "You're welcome."
Normally he would have taken that the wrong way, but he saw she wasn't being arrogant about it. Moira was without a doubt the only girl he was ever afraid of. He always remembered the ugly bruise she'd given him when, after he'd caught up to her in height and felt more arrogant about it, he told her to her face that she would never be as good at stuff because she was a girl. She had just stared at him for a moment before punching him in the shoulder very hard, to the point where she almost drew tears, and walked off saying, "Compliments of a girl who can't do stuff!"
But right now she was trying to look the weaker one to make him feel better, and he was touched. "Thanks," he mumbled.
After a few minutes of just leaning against the cliffs with only the sounds of the boys playing below, Moira asked. "Do you think you'll ever jump off a cliff this high?"
Jacob snorted, "Not likely."
"Well not with everyone watching of course," Moira pointed out.
Eyeing his sister, Jacob asked, "What are you getting at?"
"Maybe," Moira began, "you should try and practice jumping where the boys won't see you at first. I know I hate it when people are watching and waiting to see if I mess up doing things," she thought back to how she hated people watching her draw.
Though she could tell he was trying to act indifferent, she saw that he was genuinely considering what she was saying. She decided to give him a little push. "Come on, let walk a bit further ahead and find a more comfortable edge to jump off."
"But what about Peter?" He asked.
"He'll hardly miss us," she said. "We'll probably be back before he even knows we're gone. And I'll tell everyone what a tall cliff you jumped off of, how does that sound?"
He looked down at the ground considering, before nodding and giving her a smile, "Okay. But let's go now before I chicken out."
Slightly Gulch seemed to be shaped very much like a serpentine, so the siblings did not have to climb or walk far before they essentially rounded a corner and were out of sight from the others.
Moira knew that all Jacob needed was to get used to jumping from the taller cliffs, away from the boys who would probably laugh at him if he kept hesitating. But this way, he could take as much time as he wanted, and she would be sure to witness it so he had someone to back him up if he couldn't do it again.
"Are you sure you want to try this one?" Moira asked. They had found a cliff edge that was a height twin to the one they just left. "We could try smaller and work our way—"
"No," Jacob shook his head stubbornly. "I want to go big or none at all."
She gave him an uneasy look, "Okay."
She watched him approach the edge and slowly look down. Big mistake. She saw the breathe catch in his throat and he backed away from the drop timidly. Jacob was not afraid of heights, just death by falling. After all, they somehow flew all the way here without him freaking out. He moved slowly back to the edge, this time with his eyes closed. Toeing his way to the edge she saw him mutter something under his breath before crouching, ready to jump. Moira stilled, waiting for him to take the leap, but instead he scrambled backward at the last minute.
Turning his back from the edge, Jacob's shoulders hunch he began breathing heavily. "Why can't I do this?" He wailed, looking on the verge of tears.
Moira was at a loss, she tried to come up with something encouraging. "It's not a big deal if you don't want to jump."
"Yes it is," he hissed. "Everyone outside the little kids can do it without chickening out. Even you can do it!" He referred to a camping trip they had taken with their uncle Sam the previous summer. Moira was the only one who went cliff jumping at a small pond with their uncle, Jacob preferring to swim at the base and cheer them on. "I just wanted to be able to do this one thing, but I can't even do that."
Moira had no idea what he was talking about. He had done nothing but tag along with the boys on various outings since they got here, and she hadn't thought she'd heard him or the other boys complain about his lack of skill.
"What are you talking about?" She asked.
Letting out a sigh, Jacob sat down crossed legged on the rock and waited until Moira joined him. "I'm not as good as the other boys: I'm not as fast, or strong, and I just feel so helpless sometimes." Her brother looked so small to her now, suddenly make himself look frailer then she liked. "You should see them Moira, just how easy they make everything look. They can all hunt and run through a forest without having to check where they're going. They follow tracks I can't see and play games I don't know rules to. Sometimes I hear them laugh at me when I do something wrong." His voice getting higher and growing strained; Moira could see he was fighting tears as he lowered his head into the palm of his hands.
Not wanting to see her brother cry, she wrapped and arm around his now shaking shoulders and pulled him close. Now she felt horrible. She had been so focused on making sure that Angie was safe and worrying about how the boys would treat her that she didn't even fathom how Jacob was fairing. It was true that her brother wasn't exactly the one who was picked first for teams, and that he was a tad more sensitive when it came to how he took in situations. She used to just think he was boring, but when he found his voice in music he had this change come about him. He had this influx of life rush into him whenever he plucked his guitar, and she'd seen him sit against the base of the record player while it played, his eyes closed and his head leaning back, lost in his own little world as the music washed over him.
But here he was out of his element.
"I'm sorry," Moira whispered to him. "I thought you were having a good time. I've been so focused on Angie that I didn't notice anything."
"It's okay. I didn't know you weren't allowed to leave the house; if I did I would have helped you," he murmured, raising his head to meet her gaze. "Why didn't you ask me to? Why did you get the others?"
"Because I didn't want you to get in trouble with Peter. If boys who'd been here forever helped me get out, I thought that would help him see he shouldn't have done it."
He seemed to accept that explanation and she was glad to see he'd calmed down a bit from before. They sat there for a while, neither of them speaking and instead took in the view before them. Beating down on them from above, the sun lit up the water so beautifully that they almost had to shield their eyes from the light as it reflected off the surface. Moira felt as sense of peace overcome her and she realized this was the first time she'd really been alone to clear her thoughts outside of the house. Jacob wasn't demanding anything of her or calling her attention to something he'd done or was asking when dinner would be ready. Just a brother and sister taking in the sights.
She wanted to help him get in better with the boys, and she figured the first step was getting him to jump off the cliff and into the water. She needed to help him figure out a way to ease his fear of falling, so when he went to take the plunge he wouldn't hold back. After all, if he could fly all the way here from London then he should be able to—
Flying! That was it; she knew how she could get him to jump. If he could find the inner power to fly, then she was sure the same could be used to help him do this.
"I have an idea that could help," she interrupted the silence rather brashly, causing Jacob to jump. "When we were learning to fly we needed to think of a happy thought, didn't we? So why not just use your happy thought to jump?"
She could tell he was skeptical, but he looked down at the ground in thought, "I'm not sure."
But she would not let him give up. Quickly standing up she grabbed his arm and made him rise with her. He looked at her questioningly as she put an arm over his shoulder lazily, trying to make what they were about to do casual and relaxing.
"Woke up this mornin' feelin' fine," she began to sing the lyrics of his favorite song, his happy thought. "There's somethin' special on my mind." When he didn't join in she gave him a hard look and the next lyrics came out tersely. "Last night I met a new girl in the neighborhood, whoa yeah."
Sighing in defeat, his notes came out rather flat as they joined together, "Somethin' tells me I'm into something good."
Moira narrowed her eyes at him, frowning. "Don't act like you don't sing this in the shower." She chided.
"Ugh, fine!" He huffed.
"And relax," she took her arm off him. "You're way too tense."
His jaw dropped open slightly, "I'm about to jump off a 50 foot cliff, that doesn't exactly ease me down."
She would have kept arguing with him but they had other matters to attend to. She began singing the next verse, Jacob reluctantly joining her as she went on. Every few words they took another step to get closer to the edge, Moira trying to keep the song uplifting and unassuming. She figured if she didn't build up to the moment then Jacob's nerves wouldn't get the better of him.
"I walked her home and she held me hand,"Jacob felt Moira take his hand, and he unconsciously squeezed it. "I knew it couldn't be just a one-night stand. So I asked to see her next week and she told me I could." They were now two feet away from the drop, but she urged them both forward and had to admire that Jacob didn't try and resist this time, they took a final step and she saw him close his eyes as he raised his leg where he knew there was no solid ground. "Something tells me I'm into something good."
Together they pushed forward and off the cliff.
Jacob couldn't remember if they let go of their hands just after the jumped or just before they hit the water, but the wind rushing past their ears seemed to go on forever. He watched the water rise up to meet them, and upon feeling his own weight pulling him down faster he closed his eyes and felt his stomach flip upward.
He pressed his feet together just before he hit the water, it almost winding him as he struggled not to gasp for breathe. The silence and darkness surrounded him, refusing to open his eyes in case when he did he would find himself back on top of the cliff, Moira still trying to get him to jump.
He kicked his feet and pushed his arms to find his way to the surface. He must have been deeper than he thought, because his lungs almost burst when he finally broke and gasped for air. Next to him he heard a similar sound and knew Moira had also resurfaced. He whipped his hair out of his face and turned to look at her.
But she was looking up, and when he followed her gaze he saw she was looking at the cliff they'd just jumped. That he had just jumped. He had actually done it! It had appeared so impossibly high from the top, but now he couldn't understand why he had been so afraid.
"You did it!" Moira laughed.
He suddenly whooped, his voice carrying off the cliff walls. Moira then found herself trying not to drown as Jacob wrapped his arms around her and their weight dragged the both of them down. They emerged sputtering water through their laughter. "I knew you could do it!"
Jacob couldn't help but grin; feeling like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders and that he could jump from a thousand feet if he wanted. Honestly, what had he been so afraid of?
It took him a moment to notice Moira suddenly looking behind him, her body stiffening as she tried to keep afloat. Her eyes widened as she tried and failed to hold back a gasp.
Jacob looked over his shoulder, only to see two sets of eyes staring at him as well. In a small alcove at the base of the cliff, not twenty feet away from them, were two pirates in dingy. One Moira recognized as Billy Jukes, whose eyes narrowed on her as she was sure he remembered the day she escaped him and Smee. The other pirate was unknown to her. While menacing in nature, both wore looks of surprise on their faces. Apparently neither had expected two children to suddenly drop in on them from the sky, but they would certainly use it to their advantage.
This is why as soon as the children attempted to swim away the pirates took action. They quickly grasped the oars and rowed closer to the children in the water. Moira tried to propel herself through the water, which in her panic she half swallowed and began to choke on pathetically while still trying to swim away. She didn't dare try to look behind her but the thump of oars hitting the floor of the boat caused a sudden urge of panic to shoot through her.
Rough hands reached over the side and dragged them out of the water. Jukes had wrenched Moira out by the collar of her dress, which she now thanked any higher power that convinced her to swim in it instead of just her undershirt, while Jacob's upper arms were grabbed by the other pirate.
Jukes wrapped an arm around her waist, effectively trapping her arms at her sides while he reached for something alongside the floor, "Catch the rope, Starkey." He threw it to his crewmate just as Moira began struggling. He wrenched her arms behind her back and quickly went about tying them. She looked up to see Jacob attempting to kick at Starkey, who had him by the upper arm while holding the rope in his other hand.
"Settle down now," Starkey ordered, shaking Jacob's arm to try and jostle him but the boy was having none of it. "Leave my sister alone!" He shouted, trying to reach Moira.
Jacob stopped struggling suddenly when he felt cold steal against his throat, and Starkey's voice whispering menacingly in his ear, "Behave yourself or you and your sister get tied to the anchor and tossed over the side, cully."
Reluctantly Jacob stopped his struggling, letting out a huff when Starkey felt his muscles slacken in defeat. He let Starkey tie his hands without a fight and was made so sit in the middle of the dingy. Moira was shoved down unceremoniously next to him by Jukes, who was less inclined to worry over his captives comfort.
"Is this the girl you saw that day, Jukes?" Starkey asked, resting his blade over his shoulder. When Jukes only growled, Starkey couldn't help but chuckle. "I'll take that as a yes. We have our orders, you know what to do."
Starkey observed the brother and sister on the floor of the dingy. The girl had landed hard on her side and he watched as she struggled to sit up, the boy letting her lean against him as she slowly pushed herself up. When she did, she looked around and saw that they were rowing toward the mouth of the gulch where it fed into the ocean and away from Peter and the boys.
If she called out now, really tried to cry, maybe Peter would hear her and get there in time before they got too far away. Or maybe she would enrage the pirates so much that they would kill her and Jacob on the spot. And what orders was Starkey talking about?
As they rounded the next bend, Jukes, who was behind the children and rowing, couldn't help but giggle to himself. "Could you imagine when we set out to go catch us some fish today that we would wind up bagging ourselves a mother and a lost boy? Couldn't imagine anything better to surprise the captain with."
Starkey laughed in return, himself sitting down and facing the children who were trying to shrink away from him, but they were hopelessly trapped between the two pirates. "Practically jumped into our boat," he agreed. "What's wrong little pigeons; did you run out of fairy dust?" He sneered.
Jacob spared Starkey a glare before he turned his head and buried it in Moira's shoulder. He was such a coward, he thought. If only he could have just jumped the cliff with the rest of the boys instead of wandering off so no one would see him squirm. And now he shamefully tried to hide his face using his sister, the one who stuck by him and didn't have to try and help him get over it. Now they were trapped
Moira finally found the courage to speak, "Where are you taking us?"
"That's for the captain to know and you to find out," Jukes said, grinning evilly. She felt Jacob curl harder into her shoulder.
This was bad, very bad. Moira had no idea where they were being taken and who knew how long it would take before Peter realized they were gone. The boat was only taking them farther down the gulch before finally they came to the mouth, opening into the ocean. They rowed further out into the open water, but didn't seem to be heading in any certain direction just yet; they just seemed to be getting as far out from the land as they could.
The breath caught in her throat quickly when she looked to their right. It startled Jacob enough to look up and see the Jolly Roger was just on the horizon. Oh no, were they taking them to the ship? Neither could hold back the scream that tore from them when the sound of a gunshot pierced the air. Starkey had stood up and produced a pistol from his belt, and fired a single shot into the sky. He was sending a signal to the ship.
But why? Wouldn't he just take them straight to the ship and into Hook's waiting arms? Moira and Jacob exchanged puzzled looks. Behind them, Jukes had taken out his spyglass and was watching the ship. A few minutes passed and he suddenly shot up and dragged Moira to stand up, "Come on girly, let them get a clear look at you."
Her feet were not touching the floor, and for a moment she feared Jukes would throw her over the side to drown. Instead he just held her out in front of him. But upon looking at the ship, really squinting to make out the closer details, she saw what looked like a man peering over the rail of the ship. Several more joined him and Moira began feeling like a toy at show and tell. After a minute she saw one of deckhands wave some sort of flag at them.
Only then did Jukes put her back down. Suddenly she was the one seeking out Jacob for comfort, the thought of suddenly seeing more pirates filling her with fear of what they planned for them. But when Jukes began rowing he didn't head towards the ship, in fact going the exact opposite direction. They were keeping close to the island shore but it was not their intended destination just yet.
What was going on?
'Where are those guys?' Peter thought to himself.
He admitted he wasn't concerned at first when he saw Moira and Jacob weren't at the top of the cliff where he'd left them. He'd hoped one of them would jump down and join them in the water where he and the other boys were water skiing with him as the pulley. When he figured they'd had time to be boring together he thought he should give them a reminder that they should be down having fun.
But they weren't there.
"Moira," he called, looking around. "Jacob?" No answer came. He wondered if they were playing hide and seek, but dismissed that since that was no fun with only two people on the rocky terrain. That also meant there weren't that many places to hide.
He flew away from the heart of the gulch, exploring the serpentine. He called out a name ever few minutes, trying to find his friends. He was actually starting to worry now. Where had they gone? Horrible images of them falling on a shallow rock, or drowning filled his head and he soon found himself searching between every crack and under every rock, hoping he wouldn't come across a body.
He quickly calmed himself. After all, this was Moira he was talking about. She wouldn't be the type to do anything that would get her or Jacob hurt, especially after her run in with the pirates. The gulch was filled with alcoves and caves; maybe they just got caught up exploring—
He stopped mid-air when the sound of a gunshot shattered the silence.
'Well, that can't be good.'
They were being taken to Marooners' Rock.
Moira should have been glad that they weren't going to the ship, the proverbial lion's den so to speak. But why take them all the way there? The ship was in their eyesight when the pirates had signaled each other, but instead they'd rowed out of their way along the shore until they could no longer see the Jolly Roger. When she recognized that they were not far from Mermaid Lagoon she knew exactly where they were going.
Speaking to one another had not been smiled upon. When Jacob whispered to her, asking what she thought was going on, Jukes had clipped him on the back of his head just as Moira tried to answer. After that they'd just pressed their shoulders together and tried to keep as far away from the pirates as possible.
Though it was still the afternoon, a sudden chillness had come over the lagoon and Moira found herself shivering but not just from the cold. She remembered the stories Gram had told them, one of the more dangerous and formidable ones taking place right there on that very rock. She'd seen it once from the shore, not having swum in the lagoon yet because of apprehension towards the mermaids, and she thought it looked fun to sunbathe or jump off of. It seemed to slope into two layers, and she had enjoyed imaging herself cradling into the bottom layer while Peter stood on top and told her a tale of adventure.
But in the shadow of the mist that had suddenly started to overtake the lagoon, she saw the rock for its true purpose and namesake. It now looked twisted and deformed, unlike any other rock that rose from the ocean; it would disappear completely when the tide came in but emerged like a sea monster when the tide was out. Honestly, what had she been thinking going on daydreaming about spending a lazy afternoon on that rock?
People came here to die.
They came to a stop just on the edge, Jukes getting out first to secure the dingy using fishing net that had been left forgotten on the floor; he had used all the spare rope in tying up the children. Starkey stood up before them and held his hand up coaxingly, "Come on, ladies first."
Moira shook her head and tried to make herself as small as possible, whimpering out, "No!" She was not getting on that rock.
He roughly grabbed her and she was flung over his shoulder, Jukes taking care of moving Jacob. "Hey!" She yelled, wriggling to get free. Starkey was not moved at all and actually had the gall to chide her, "You had your chance to come quietly, getting yourself out in a dignified manner. But no, you little rapscallions always have to make things harder on yourselves."
He had just set her down on the rock when Jukes climbed out the boat with Jacob. He laughed, "Why you complaining? Can't remember the last time I held a lass over my shoulder." He made Jacob sit down next to Moira, who now eyed him with a new kind of curiosity. To her Jukes was still a bloodthirsty pirate, but upon looking at him now she saw he was younger than what little of the crew she had already seen. She pegged him in his late teens at least.
For next several minutes no one said anything. Jukes and Starkey were looking out into the water, searching for something. Not that anything could be seen with the sudden fog that had overtaken the lagoon and encased them. The sunlight had also dimmed tremendously, hidden behind dark clouds that now crowded the sky. Not even the shore was visible to them; they could have been in the middle of the ocean and Moira would not have known the way the fog had cut them off.
Then a small ball of light became visible through the haze. For the first time Moira had hoped she was seeing Tinkerbelle, who while didn't take kindly to her would surely not let Jacob be left to harm and get help. But as it got closer she saw that it was in fact a lantern connected to the bow of a longboat. Two figures resided in it; the one in the front was the only one standing up. Even without ever seeing him before, the children recognized the silhouette of Captain James Hook. From the corners of their nightmares he was always in view, tall and menacing with his piercing eyes that never left you. Even with his face cast in shadow the children swore they could feel those eyes peering at them.
Gentleman Starkey, living up to his name, helped his captain out of the longboat by grasping the arm offered to him and the children were horrified to see that it was the one sporting his hook. A thanks was hinted to the pirate but never spoken aloud, words they were sure would never pass their captain's lips. It was rumored that the only one he would thank is Peter Pan for cutting for his off hand and giving him the use of his fine hook, just before he would use it to rip the boy open and pull out his still beating heart.
"Don't do anything to make him angry," Moira quickly whispered to Jacob. With the pirate's attention solely on their captain Moira thought it was good a time as any to speak without being caught. Peter had told her that if she were ever in the position where she was captured by Hook that she should not try and push his buttons. While she was more likely to be kept alive as bait or to get information, there was always a chance she could be killed before being able to escape. And with Jacob here she didn't want there to be any chance he would be killed because she mouthed off. She quickly added, "And don't tell him anything important."
Smee followed Hook out of the boat, carrying the lantern with him and setting it on the edge of the rock. Hook turned his head and finally focused on nothing but the two bound children before him.
He had seen the girl through the spyglass from the Jolly Roger, held up by Jukes on full display for his benefit and so Smee could properly identify her as the girl he saw that day picking apples. 'At last we meet, my dear,' he thought as he approached her and her brother. Originally he thought the whelp to just be another lost boy; a notch to add to his belt of incorrigible street rats he'd see at the end of his sword. But when he saw the two of them together, those exchanged looks of concern only seen amongst kin, he knew they were siblings.
They also had their mother's eyes.
Smee had told him everything he had overheard the two girls saying that day by the apple trees. At the mention of their mother being the first lost girl, his suspicions were confirmed that Pan had once again decided to pick a girl from the now infamous Darling family line. While not shocked at Pan's taste in mothers, he was taken aback that Jane had allowed her children to come here. Certainly after their last encounter here when she was a child had purged her of ever wanting to return, knowing the dangers he was willing to unleash.
Unless, he smiled at the thought, she didn't know they had come. I will be all but happy to educate them on why no little children love me.
He couldn't help but smile as he approached them and saw them trying to resist moving away despite their bonds. He knelt down in front of them, putting on an air of normalcy that the children saw right through, and removed his hat. "Good afternoon."
'It was,' Moira thought bitterly.
Hook saw on her face what her lips wouldn't say and found himself smiling. Would he expect anything different from someone raised by Jane of all people? While she kept an air of shaky confidence, the boy kept his head down but his eyes up at the captain.
"And what are your names, children?" He asked. His voice was very low, almost husky but clear as a bell. He had a proper way about him that made the children comfortable and uneasy at the same time.
Hook expected the silent treatment, for them to simply wait until forced to reveal anything about themselves or the others. But he was taken aback when the girl suddenly let out, "None of your business."
He raised his eyebrows before letting out a chuckle, one that let Moira know she'd probably made a mistake speaking. "Everything that happens in Neverland is my business, my dear Moira."
Moira's head shot up and her eyes widened as she stared at him, "How did you—"
"My ears are everywhere child, you'd be surprised what they can pick up," Hook suppressed laughing when Moira shot a glare at Smee, who merely waved back at her smugly. Hook turned his gaze towards the boy, "Though regretfully I do not know your name young lad. I'd shake hands but I can see your both a bit tied up at the moment. So pray tell, what's your name?"
Jacob's eyes darted between Moira and Hook, his mind debating the consequences of what both of them wanted. Finally he mumbled, "I'm not supposed to talk to strangers."
This time Hook chuckled, but it was laced with a menacing undertone that he didn't bother trying to hide. "Dear boy, I am many things but a stranger to your family I am not." In a flash Hook's good hand had shot out like an eel and grabbed the back of Jacob's head, grasping his hair in such a way that forced the boy to look straight up at the captain. Moira could only watch as Jacob held back a whimper when Hook turned his wrist ever so slightly to increase the pressure as he spoke.
"I am the reason children like you lie awake at night, too scared to close their eyes out of fear that I will appear from the shadows and kill them in their beds for their parents to find," Jacob was desperately trying to turn his head away from Hook, closing his eyes in an attempt to block out his horrifying words. He felt something cold touch his cheek and didn't have to open his eyes to know it was the sharp end of his hook; he stopped moving his head immediately. "And the joy that very thought fills me with cannot compete with the fate I may have in store for your friend Peter Pan when he decides to grace us with his presence."
"Peter doesn't know where we are!" Moira's voice almost broke. Seeing Jacob almost on the verge of tears was getting too much for her, she needed to distract Hook so he would leave him alone. Lying through her teeth she said, "Actually we were on our way back home. Peter and us had a fight and we decided to leave; he won't come for us."
Hook regarded Moira for a moment, scrutinizing every inch of her. Moira tried to keep her eyes steady and her breathing even as to not give him reason to doubt her. She let out a breathe of relief when Hook released his grip on Jacob, who looked like he wanted nothing more than to bury his head his in Moira's neck again. The only reason he refrained was because to go near his sister was to be back in Hook's sight again.
"Leaving were you?" Hook asked calmly, to which Moira quickly nodded. He then asked very slowly, "Are you sure that's the story you want to stick with, my dear?"
She paused just a little too long for his liking, not that he didn't know right away that she was lying. However, he preferred to let her dig her own grave before tossing her into it. He turned over his shoulder and calmly asked, "Where were they found?"
"In the gulch, Captain," Jukes replied. "Dropped from the sky and right in front of our fishing boat."
Hook looked amused, "Ran out of pixie dust after your little lover's spat did you?" He sneered at the children before turning back to the crew members, "Did they look in any hurry to leave, gentlemen?"
From the mocking way he spoke, Moira knew he didn't believe her story. Her hope began sinking into her stomach as the pirates said that she and Jacob were laughing after they emerged from the water, conveying they had been having a very decent time before being caught.
"I see," Hook had finished listening to the two crew members before looking back at Moira. "My dear, tell me, do I appear a fool to you?"
"I—um—no?" Moira stuttered trying to think of an answer that wouldn't anger him.
"Think hard on that," Hook's tone curled, "Because I am beginning to think that you see me as a very stupid man in order for me to believe that story, and do you know why?"
Moira couldn't hold back the scream that escaped her when his hook snagged her at the back of her neck, pulling her forward and out of her sitting position. His actual hand gripped her jaw brutally so she couldn't turn away as he growled, "Make no mistake today. I am many, MANY things, but a fool I am not. I know you would never leave without your little sister, so save me the trouble of having to hurt you and cooperate," he flung her back down so hard that she landed on her side.
Moira tried to roll and get up, but found the wind almost knocked out of her when Hook's boot pinned her chest down to the rock and his sword at her throat. Hook addressed Jacob, who was almost near tears, "Now, what's your name boy?"
"JACOB!" He answered without hesitation.
The corner of Hook's mouth turned into a smirk, "There, now that wasn't so hard was it? Answer my questions and I won't run you and your charming sister through today." He mocked. "Now, what were you doing at the gulch?" When he saw Jacob hesitate he snuck the tip of his sword just under Moira's chin, causing her to gasp.
"We were cliff jumping," Jacob said, defeated.
"By yourselves?" Hook prompted.
Moira saw Jacob wrestle with the guilt of giving into Hook, of betraying their friends. But she couldn't find it in her heart to be angry with him when a sword was at her throat. Jacob let a sad sigh escape him before answering, "The others were nearby."
"Meaning our young Master Pan is nearby as well," Hook concluded.
Moira thought Hook too proud and mean for her liking, and wanted to make sure he knew. If she was going to die he would not find her making it easy. She practically snarled, "Peter's too smart for that, he will see right through your plan."
Hook stared at her for a moment before putting pressure on the tip of the sword, causing her chin to jut out and glare directly at the captain.
"Our friend Peter is many things, my dear," Hook calmly and pointedly said. "He may be smart, but he is also loyal and I plan on using that to my advantage." Hook then barked orders to his men, demanding that they bring the anchor from the dingy up to the rock before turning his attention back to the girl. "And while loyalty is something I admire, time is not on Peter's side right now so he will have less time to prepare a strategy."
When his boot left her chest and his sword left her neck, Moira only had a moment of relief before Starkey dragged her into a sitting position and deposited her back next to Jacob. Upon being made to sit back to back, Starkey produced a small anchor and placed it upright between them. He and Jukes then went about tying their already bound hands to the stem of the anchor. Moira was so occupied trying to wrestle her hands away from Jukes that she almost missed Hook's question, "I assume you both know the history behind Marooner's Rock?"
She paused for a moment, looking back at the fog entrenched water for the first time since Hook stepped foot on the rock. She prayed it was her imagination but she could not deny that the water had risen slightly.
Seeing the look of horrifying realization on the children's faces, Hook smiled and added, "Then you know time is not on your side either."
Jukes had managed to get Moira's hands tied to the anchor just as Starkey finished with a now equally hostile Jacob. Moira didn't know if it was the increasing likelihood of drowning or just the skin crawling touch of the pirate that drove her to do what she did, but she found that she had had enough of these men gaining the upper hand. She did not even know she'd lifted her foot and kicked Jukes behind the knees until his body suddenly collapsed next to her.
Seeing the whole thing, Jacob let a small laugh escape him. Moira also cracked a smile, feeling a sense of accomplishment at finally taking a pirate off guard, but that smile soon disappeared as Jukes gained his bearings and rose. "You little bitch!" He snarled and raised his hand to backhand her.
Moira closed her eyes and tensed, preparing for the blow, but it never came. Instead she felt a rush of wind and heard the sound of a splash. Opening her eyes she saw Jukes disappear head-first into the water, like he had just decided to dive over the side.
Looking at the settling ripples in the water, Moira was about ready to ask out loud what had happened when a shadow quickly darted over the surface of the water before disappearing, a shadow she knew all too well.
"Peter!" She whispered to herself, relieved.
"Pan!" She heard Hook snarl.
The sound of metal sliding against metal was the only sound that penetrated the air after that; Hook, Smee and Starkey had drawn out their swords and were at the ready. Their eyes were upward, searching the foggy sky for a hint of the flying boy.
No one made a sound as they waited for Peter to appear again. Moira had never been more relieved a terrified to see Peter, keeping his promise to always keep her safe from the pirates. But what if he didn't escape Hook's revenge this time? Moira could never forgive herself knowing Peter could die because of her.
Heads shot toward the direction of the island when a loud crow pierced the air. Was Peter giving off a signal? Were the others here to help? The possibilities ran through Moira's mind as she wondered how Peter planned on rescuing them.
She almost jumped out of her skin a minute later when she felt something brush against her bound hands. She whipped her head back only to come face to face with Peter, who was signaling her to be quiet. Crouching as far as he could behind the edge of the rock, he continued trying to manually untie Moira and Jacob's hands.
The siblings tried to bodily block Peter from the view of the pirates should they turn around, sensing that Peter had moved from the direction of the shore. A brilliant distraction on Peter's part, the boy only wished that he could use his knife to cut through the layers of rope but he knew from experience the sawing would be overheard. He could get one of them free in time before the pirates noticed but he was not willing to risk leaving the other behind.
Moira tried not to flinch as Peter's hands caused the ropes to unconsciously tighten and bite into her wrists. She heard him whisper the faintest apology, but could also his patience thinning as he struggled to undo the rope.
"PAN!"
The siblings flinched, thinking they had been caught. They didn't need to see to know that Peter had ducked down further behind the rock. But Hook was only facing sideways to them, peering out into the fog and searching in vain for Peter. He had yelled for the boy, willing him to appear and give him the fight to the finish the captain had been craving since the day Peter had cut off his hand.
A fight Peter would gladly give him, once he got his friends to safety.
But he could do nothing as Hook took several steps along the surface of the rock, squinting to see any shadow or outline that could be Peter, not knowing he was less than ten feet away. If he were willing to risk his friend's impalement he would laugh right now at the irony.
Barely avoiding Hook's eyes as the pirate quickly jerked his head in the children's direction, Peter ducked as he heard Hook approach Moira and Jacob. The pirate paused steps in front of them, holding them in place with a cold stare that caused a shiver to creep up their spines. Moira did not like the look in his eyes that began to dance with a plot.
"Call for him," Hook commanded softly but firmly.
"W-what?" Moira sputter, taken aback.
Raising his hooked hand, he gestured it toward her face closer after every word until it very nearly made contact with her cheek. "Call. For. Peter. Now."
She raised her eyebrows at the captain, questioning the seriousness of the situation in a way only a child who knew a secret would. As far as she knew Peter was directly behind her and Jacob, huddling underneath the edge of the rock. If anything she had hoped that Hook would stay a reasonable distance away from them so Peter could work the ropes free. What was she supposed to do?
Figuring that it would be better to cooperate, Moira started weakly calling out Peter's name. She hoped that would make Hook move away or at least focus his attention elsewhere until they were free.
But Hook did not look away from her; in fact he hadn't so much as blinked to break the eye contact he held her captive with. He studied her and saw that something about her manner put him off. She and the boy were more relaxed, more confident than they had any right to be considering their situation. Something had happened to give them hope that they would escape this rock alive. He would remedy that.
He saw Jukes slowly recover from the water, having been pushed far enough out that the fog had encased him and the pirate had only now found his way back to Marooner's Rock. Knowing that his youngest crew member would enjoy what he planned next, Hook was waiting for Jukes to get closer.
He planned on pulling his hook back as if to plunge straight into the girl's heart, hoping to tear from her the fearful cry that would draw Pan out of his hiding place in the fog. Whether or not he would actually hurt the girl at this moment he was still contemplating; wouldn't want Pan to miss all the fun would he?
But when Jukes froze, his eyes fixating on something in front of him that Hook could not see, everything changed. Hook wondered what the idiot was looking at, the children being the only objects that could hold such interest since they were quite literally in the middle of Jukes and the captain. Before he could ask what the bloody hell he was staring at, Jukes pulled a dagger and charged forward. Instead of aiming upward at Moira in last-ditch effort of revenge like Hook thought he would, he aimed for the base of the rock.
With a yell, Jukes disappeared from view when he dove for something obstructed from view by the rock edge. Just as he dove down, something (or someone) else dove upward and out of the way of Jukes and his knife.
Peter had not expected Jukes to recover that quickly when he kicked him off the rock just as he was about to strike Moira for that very well-placed kick she gave him. He was hoping Jukes would hit his head on a rock or at least get lost in the fog long enough for him to free the others, but this sent the entire plan into chaos.
He barely escaped being stabbed in the ribs when he hastily shot forward to get away. In his panic he actually collided with Moira and Jacob and their pet anchor that held them in place, sending all three of them forward and sprawled out on the hard surface of the rock. He barely had time to look up before he felt something grab his hair and pull him up.
Wincing as Hook's fingers dug painfully into his scalp, his head was pulled back until he met Hook's forget-me-not eyes that suddenly lit up with a ferociousness few children had seen and lived to tell about. Peter suddenly found himself pitched forward, Hook shoving him with such force that he almost felt his elbow crack when he brought it forward to break his fall on the rock.
Jumping to his feet quickly, he pushed forward just in time to miss being pierced by the blade of a sword. Peter stood up and spun round to face Hook, his dagger now in his hand and at the ready. Hook may have been coldhearted but he wanted Peter to face him when he died. Hook had been disappointed when Peter allowed himself to be taken by surprise by Jukes, causing him to stumble and act most sloppy.
But Peter found his bearings quickly and wasted no time in orchestrating the first move. The pause lasted only a few seconds before Peter launched forward, his dagger aimed straight at Hook's chest. The captain deflected the blow and advanced, causing Peter to step back to counter another jab from Hook. Soon he was being forced further and further to the edge of the rock. Normally this would deter any foe into trying and push forward and take the advantage back, but Peter had used this trick before.
When Peter's foot hit nothing but air he simply kept 'walking' as if there was still steady ground. With their blades still locked together, Hook was unaware what Peter had done until he took another step forward and stumbled when his foot met nothing. Taking advantage, Peter quickly ducked under Hook's arm and elbowed him in the back, making sure Hook toppled over the side.
He relied on the sound of splash to confirm Hook was temporarily distracted, as he quickly needed to get the other pirates out of the way. His crewman had learned that whenever Hook was locked in battle with the boy that they were not to interfere unless otherwise instructed. But Peter knew that once Hook was momentarily not an issue that they would attack.
Predicable Smee almost ignored Peter all together in order to see if he could retrieve his captain. But Starkey and Jukes were an entirely different matter.
Moira was craning her head to try and see what was going on. She and Jacob had been completely blindsided when Peter suddenly flew into them to avoid Jukes. The momentum completely knocking them over, Peter yelped as he tried not to land on them too hard. Moira had opened her eyes for a moment to see Peter looking down at her worryingly before he was bodily lifted off of them by Hook.
She had tried to sit up but the now overturned anchor kept her and Jacob grounded. She was on her side and facing away from the fight, with only the sound of scuffling feet and the occasional grunt to keep her company. Until she could get free she was completely useless as this anchor was on dry land. Twisting her hands experimentally, she tried to loosen the ropes that bound her hands behind her.
She heard the commotion behind her and suddenly remembered Jacob, "What's happening, Jacob?" She whispered frantically.
Unlike her, he was facing the fight head on. She heard him gasp and asked again what was going on. "He and Hook are fighting—I don't—wait, what is Peter—" a splash, "oh wow, that was quite brilliant actually." Jacob kept his tone low, but he in no way hid that he was impressed.
Groaning, Moira closed her eyes and let the side of her head rest against the rock, "You are so bad it this," she mumbled.
Knowing he only had a few precious moments before Hook regained his bearings and got back on the rock, Peter turned to face the remaining pirates. He prepared for a fight when Smee rushed forward, but instead of aiming for the boy he pocketed his sword and looked as if he was preparing to dive the off the rock and into the water. Only pausing to strip off his vest before discarding it, Smee dove into the water yelling his captain's name.
With the bo'sun retrieving his captain, Peter turned his attention to Jukes and Starkey who held their swords at the ready. Peter only had seconds to calculate his next move before it would be taken out of his hands. He decided that Starkey needed to be taken out first as a priority because he was more of a planner and experienced fighter. Jukes was a hot head but that could be his downfall and made him less of a threat when compared to Starkey.
He lunged forward at Starkey, and as the pirate prepared to thrust his sword forward, Peter flipped over the man's shoulders. Taking advantage over Starkey's shock, Peter landed behind him and viscously rammed his shoulder in-between Starkey's shoulder blades.
Just as he fell forward onto his hands and knees, Peter was attacked by Jukes. The clang of his dagger blocking Jukes sword was heard twice before Peter managed to back Jukes up. Not stopping once in his movements, Peter managed to back Jukes up just as Starkey was raising himself onto his feet. He pushed Jukes right into Starkey and both men flew off the rock and into the now choppy water.
Running on an adrenaline high, Peter hardly noticed the rain drops hitting his face. He didn't know when it had started raining, but it quickly snapped him back to reality and made him turn back in the direction of Moira and Jacob. They were still tied down to the anchor, Jacob facing him and Moira tied on the opposite, having given up a long time ago trying to watch the fight.
As he approached he saw Jacob nudge Moira's leg with his and whisper, "Peter's coming to untie us."
Peter took out his knife and resumed cutting through the rope, leaning over he said, "The boys are on their way. They should be at the shore of the lagoon any moment now," Jacob grunted as the rope snapped and his hands were freed first. "Can the two of you fly?"
Moira felt Peter's arms wrap around her waist and help her up. Her arms had hardly any feeling left in them after being restrained for so long, so much she could hardly push the wet hair out of her face. "Give me a moment, I think I can."
However, Peter found himself frowning. Moira looked so exhausted and he knew she wouldn't last very long in the air in this state. Plus, the rain just added more weight and resistance to the non-seasoned flyer. "Here, I can carry you to the shore.
She shook her head, "What about Jacob?"
Peter knew the boy was in worse shape. Even on a good day he could hardly keep up in the air; he definitely took after Jane in that department.
But Jacob was not having it, "I'm the reason we're here in the first place. Moira, you go with Peter. I'll wait here for him to come back."
"But what if the pirates come back?!"
He shrugged, "I can swim."
Moira shook her head again, "No! I won't leave you here now."
"Um, guys?"
"What, Peter?" Moira asked, her voice teetering on hysterical.
"You know the pirates left their dingy here right?" He indicated to the small boat currently hitting itself against the side of Marooner's Rock. "Plenty of room for all of us, let's just hop in and row to shore."
Moira was silent for an awkward moment, staring at the dingy as if it were a relative she now only just realized had been sitting with her at the dinner table the entire night. "Oh. I literally did not remember how we got here for a moment," she walked past Peter, "Good idea."
With a shrug of the shoulder and a cock of his head he replied, "One of my best."
They hopped into the dingy one by one, Peter having one foot in the boat and the other on the rock as he tried to untie the small boat. Moira pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around herself, trying to warm up. "Would the boys have attacked if they needed to?"
Peter had given up manually trying to untie the dingy, which had been done with fishing net since the extra rope was used on the children, and had taken out his knife and begun cutting before answering, "I usually send out a signal if they should jump in. No use in me always having all the fun."
"Yeah, fun," Jacob snorted. "This was more fun than a barrel of—WATCH OUT!"
Everyone fell in some form or another when the dingy suddenly tilted sharply to one side. Moira fell back against the side of the boat, and when she opened her eyes to look at Jacob who was opposite her, he was grasping onto his side of the boat which was currently tilted upward so he wouldn't fall on Moira. Peter had stumbled slightly, the foot that was on the bow had slipped completely into the boat, he grasped the sides trying not to fall.
Movement to her left made Moira see another reason why Jacob was desperately trying not to fall on her side of the boat. A hook was mere inches to her left, climbing over the side, and the roar above her head made her shoot forward and try to get to Jacob's side. Thankfully, Hook seemed more distracted with seeing Peter so close to notice her.
Instead, Hook grabbed Peter by his collar and pulled him completely off balance, and out of the boat. Hook joined him in the water, and the sudden loss of weight on one side of the boat caused the shift in balance to be completely out of sync. With all the weight suddenly on Moira and Jacob's side, they found themselves suddenly falling as the boat tried to equal itself out. The force of them hitting the water caused Moira to fall back and tip over the side, head over heels.
Peter didn't know when he realized he couldn't breathe exactly. It was either when Hook grasped his neck with his one good hand and squeezed, or when the pirate forced his head under the water. Peter couldn't see much under the murky water, except for his bubbles of air that escaped desperately from his mouth. He clawed at the hand at his neck, his dagger lost somewhere in the water after he'd dropped it from shock.
Suddenly he was thrust upward and out of the water. He took the biggest breathe he could but coughed through most of it. When he opened his eyes he saw Hook's now blood red ones glaring straight down at him. "How does it feel, boy? To feel every breathe you try to take slowly kill you?"
Before he could respond he was back under the water. Peter tried kicking his legs out, but the water resistance gave him less of an edge and when it made contact with any part of Hook's body it may as well have been a kitten nipping at his heels. He reached upward and his hand barely broke the surface before he was brought back up again.
His moves were sluggish now, but he still fought. He felt Hook's grip loosen for a moment before his grip went from around his throat to into his hair. This wasn't a much better position but Peter felt he had a better chance of escape if the grip was only on his hair. As oxygen returned to his lungs and the blood stopped boiling in his ears, another sound hit him. Someone was screaming, Moira was screaming, yelling to let him go, please let him go, you're killing him, please.
He was able to get to catch a glance of Moira, only her underarms and upward was showing out of the water, as she repeatedly pushed at Hook. Growing frustrated with her he shoved her away yelling as if she were a customer waiting in line at the market, "If you wished to be drowned like a kitten you merely need to wait your turn. I'll be right with you."
With that he turned back to Peter and snarled, "How long I have waited for this moment, Pan. To feel the life leave your body and knowing that it be done by my hand. But don't worry; the drowning won't kill you outright. That would be too gentle," he began lowering Peter back under, leaving only his face visible. "Before I see the light leave your eyes, I'll use my hook to disembowel you right here in the water. And in the last few moments that you have life I can take pleasure in the fact that you can do nothing but try and block out the screams of that little girl while she waits her turn to join you."
Peter quickly used whatever strength he had left to fight back, trying to somehow keep Hook busy enough so Moira could get away. He only prayed that she was getting back to Jacob and the boat, or even swimming back to shore. He took one last gulp of air as Hook forced him completely under, not once closing his eyes so not to give Hook the satisfaction of knowing for once he was truly not sure that he would make it out of this one. That this could be his final battle with Hook and he would not be the winner. That this was how the great game would end.
Suddenly Hook's grasp slackened considerably and Peter didn't waste a second to get away from him and break the surface. He did gasping but ready to fight if Hook was still capable. Instead he saw Hook slumping over until his body lay belly down on top of the water, floating there. Above him stood Moira, her arms raised over one shoulder and grasping one of the oars from the dingy.
She stood stock still for a moment, and then Peter saw she was shaking, staring down at the prone form of Hook in the water. He made his way over to her and carefully took the oar from her when she began muttering, her eyes unfocused.
"I—I thought he was g-going to kill you. I just w-wanted him to stop," tears slipped down her cheeks, though she didn't sob or cry out. "I didn't m-mean to kill him, I'm so sorry—"
Now she did begin crying, curling her hands into her chest. Peter wrapped an arm around her and began steering her back toward the dingy. Peter comforted her the only way she could, telling her that Hook was not dead but merely stunned. It was the truth, since Peter saw several bubbles escape to the surface presently from Hook's submerged face. Though she was still hysterical, he noticed she relaxed somewhat when she realized that no, she did not in fact murder someone, even though that someone probably deserved much worse.
She had barely relaxed when suddenly Smee launched out of the fog, wielding Johnny Corkscrew at them. Peter held Moira behind him, both of them crouching as far as they could in the water while Peter held up the oar as their only protection.
"Your captain is injured Mr. Smee," Peter indicated to the body in the water, "he still lives, but unless you act now he will drown. So the choice is yours: either lose him and take the revenge that belongs solely to him, or save him now so he may fight another day. Make the choice."
Smee regarded them for a moment and Moira was sure that Smee may just disregard the captain and take revenge on them himself. If that were the case they would be dead before they could reach the boat, where Jacob gripped the edge so hard his knuckles had turned white. With control that must have agonizing to have, Smee holstered his sword and backed toward Hook's body which was still producing air bubbles.
"Mark me words, flying devils," he swore as he held a finger in the air as he declared, "You had better walk this island looking over your shoulders, especially you wench!" Moira actually flinched when Smee looked in her direction, "Your days are numbered." And with that he devoted his attention squarely to retrieving his captain back to the land of the living.
Peter wasted no time in getting Moira back into the boat before climbing in himself with him and Jacob taking care of paddling back to shore as quickly as they could. The fog had begun clearing up and the rain had stopped, leaving only the sound of nature and paddles hitting the water to be heard.
Moira had remained silent the entire time in the dingy, which initially worried Peter, but saw her perk up when she sighted land and with that one or two little lost boys. Peter had hated himself when he realized that Moira and her brother had been taken by the pirates and nearly drowned because of their connection to him. He thought about keeping underground again but remembered that he promised her he would never do anything like that again. She was no prisoner; she was the mother his boys needed after such a long period without one. He hoped that what happened today wouldn't press her to leave right away, for though he would never admit it he knew that when she was around the boys seemed happier. She was the final piece to a puzzle they didn't know they were missing until now, a person besides him that the boys strived to please. She made them want to be better because her approval meant everything to him.
The bottom of the dingy scraped sand as they hit the beach, and Peter bent down to help Moira out first. S few of the boys were already gathered at the dingy, wanting to know all the exciting details of what happened. For once it was Peter and Jacob regaling the adventure, because Moira had only one comment on the entire day in general.
"If Smee didn't like me before, I've got a feeling he absolutely loathes me now."
This chapter is dedicated to Bob Hoskins and Dustin Hoffman. The former Capt. Hook and Barrie theatre patron celebrated his 75th birthday on the same day that it was announced our twice-over Smee would retire from acting after being diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. Both men have appeared in at least two Peter Pan inspired movies (in 3 separate decades) and I just wanted to take a moment to give my appreciation for their great portrayals.
And…..
SO SORRY, my laptop is used and very old (I've had it ever since my first year of college which was like almost 4 years ago) and it just decided to break. But my brother was kind enough (thanks to a what I suspect is a major guilt trip) to let me use his laptop and thankfully we were able to transfer all my information. So I was delayed in my writing because I did not have access to my story and my files.
Also (insert whiney voice here) fight scenes are hard!
Fun fact: If you actually look up the names of the credited lost boys in the movie "Hook", you'll find them here in the story (No Nap, Don't Ask, Thud Butt, Latchboy, Too Small). A few of them (like Rufio) are not here yet but don't worry, they will be soon.
Please check out the new links on my profile to newer pictures I've created of these wonderful characters, and the pics I've put on my brand new tumblr account (Neverland123). Also, just saying that I've been imagining Peter as Charlie Rowe's portrayal because I love Charlie Rowe and he just simply IS Peter Pan to me, plus his complexion resembles Robin Williams' portrayal more than other actors who've donned the green tights. But I've been keeping certain physical details to a minimum so you readers can imagine the characters however you wish. It's been a trick I've used ever since I was a kid to imagine the people in the books I was reading to resemble people I either knew or celebrities. I once imagined an entire Goosebumps book was made up of Pokémon characters.
I'm currently working on the pirates, and I've got a great cast of actors I love picturing playing them. Hook is hard because I want him to be menacing and a gentleman at the same time. I love Dustin Hoffman but I'm just not picturing him in this fic.