She paused in her nearly incomprehensible chattering to look back at the three children whom Peter had yet to clothe in his usual fur attire.
“I am bringing my grown Lost Ones a mother,” Tink chimed, slow enough this time that Jack understood her. “Do you think she will do?”
Wondering at the strange turn of events, Jack chewed on his bottom lip for a second. “I suppose she will. But won’t Peter miss her?”
“No.” Tink crossed her arms and her lips turned down in a pout. “He won’t.”
Jack hadn’t noticed the pirates had circled him until one of them grabbed Tink and put her in a small cup and slapped on the lid. “Aye, that’ll hold her!” Page said gleefully, giving Jack a quick slap on his shoulder, forgetting that only moments before he had been afraid of him.
“What are you doing?” Jack snatched the cup away and opened it to find a livid pixie sprawled on the bottom.
“Hey! Give that back! She’ll fly away!” Page grabbed for the cup, but Jack, being much taller than the short pirate, held it out of his reach. “How else are we going to get away?”
The pieces of the puzzle clicked and Jack knew now why all of them had some sort of container. They had come to hunt for a pixie to take them home. Apparently, the plan that had been hashed out the night before was still in effect. “If you ask her nicely, I’m sure she’ll come with us,” Jack said as Tink flew out of the cup and went directly to Page to poke at his eyes. Once she was finished with her vengeance, he added, “You’ll come, won’t you, Tink?”
She put her nose up in the air, as if she’d been planning on coming with them all along, then flew over to Jack’s shoulder and sat down. Tiny puffs of gold dust came from her feet as she swung her legs back and forth.
“Excuse me.”
Several of the pirates whirled around, reaching for their pistols. They’d forgotten the girl standing behind them. She walked toward them, holding the hand of each boy. The older one looked to be the same age as Beetles and Patch. A pair of spectacles slid down his long nose and he kept pushing them up only to have them slide down again.
The younger boy clung to his sister’s hand. He couldn’t have been any older than six, Jack realized, the same age he had been when he arrived at Neverland. The boy sniffled, looking as if at any second he might burst into tears. Jack felt a twinge of sympathy and caught himself wanting to go over and pat the boy’s hair as Tink had done for him when he had cried, but then the girl whispered something to the little one and he hushed and put on a brave face as they came closer.
Clearly the oldest and bravest of the three, the girl continued to pull her siblings onward. Though her nightgown was ragged and covered in dirt, but she stood tall and led the boys over to the pirates with a sense of purpose. She stopped in front of Smee, who, from the looks of things, she supposed to be the leader of the group.
“My name is Wendy Darling and these are my brothers, John and Michael. We would like to go home, if you please,” she said in a firm tone. “Our mother will be missing us dreadfully by now. We’ve been gone long enough.”
Smee only looked at the girl and shrugged, as if children regularly asked him to take them back to their parents. “As the cap’n of the Jolig Roger, I suppose we can arrange something or other. Will yer mother pay for passage once we’ve arrived…?” he stopped, then pushed his spectacles a little further up on his nose again. “Where precisely is home?”
“London, of course,” the girl replied easily, as if everyone came from there.
Several of the Neverlings did, Jack realized, including himself. No doubt London was Peter Pan’s favorite place to find more members of his troupe.
“Of course,” Smee muttered thoughtfully, stroking his beard. “I daresay the price for such passage would cost a good bit for ye and the two lads there. All the way from Neverland to London. Are ye certain your mother will pay it?”
Jack rolled his eyes. Tink giggled. Jack caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye as she rocked back and forth, her bell tones filling his ears. Where he was finding this crazy, the pixie was finding this charade humorous.
“Yes, I am certain my mother and father will pay whatever price you decide,” the girl said firmly with a stomp of her foot, as if she’d had enough of his questions.
“Well, let’s be off then,” Smee announced, taking the lead, as if he were indeed in charge of the men on the shore. “Can’t be wastin’ all day just standin’ here now can we.” He marched back to the longboat, crawled in, and positioned himself at the end, obviously waiting for those beneath him to do the hard work of pushing the boat back into the water—with him in it. Then, he pointed to the seat in front of him, indicating his new wards should join him.
More than a few of the pirates were muttering, but they went along with his farce and shoved the boat into the sea, with its proud captain sitting as straight as an arrow in the helm and the three bedraggled children by him. The others hopped in, taking care not to let the water touch them any longer than necessary, and started back toward the ship.
Jack deliberately sat on the opposite end and began rowing. Things weren’t adding up and he needed to know what exactly Tink had told the girl to make her come with her to the shore. Regardless of what the pixie said, he was sure Pan would soon arrive. Who knew what would happen then? There was also the small problem of not knowing exactly what else had been happening on the Roger in his absence. Somehow he doubted Smee had actually taken the position of captain—though one could never be too sure.
“Why are you bringing us a mother?” he whispered, fully knowing the pixie could hear him easily.
“Because you need one.”
“Did you tell her that was why you were bringing her to us?” he nodded pointedly at the girl’s back.
Silence for a second, then, “No, but she wanted to go anyway. You heard her.”
“Tink, we don’t need a mother,” Jack whispered. “We all need to go home.”
“Neverland is home,” she replied airily.
He shook his head. “Not to us, Tink. We belong in the other world. Neverland isn’t our home. It belongs to you and Peter. We need you to take us back, Tink. Please. We don’t belong here.”
The pixie huffed, obviously not happy with him, and flew off his shoulder toward the ship. Her leaving did not go unnoticed.
“Now what will we do?” Page complained. “Ye should have let me keep her in me cup.”
“Be quiet,” Jack muttered. “Keep rowing.”
“But the pixie—“
The boat lurched to one side and Jack got a great look at a green leathery back as the crocodile swam just under the surface. When the beast’s nub of a tail passed by, the boat rocked again as Tic-Tock disappeared beneath it.
Two more hits on both ends of the boat. Jack knew that the croc could easily capsize them if he wished, but for some reason he seemed happy to smack the boat around as if it wasn’t anything more than a toy.
A few of the pirates had laid down their oars and were aiming their pistols at the water in hopes of getting a clear shot. He saw the girl flinch as the croc’s long snout came out of the water, close enough that she could have reached out and touched it.
Pistols fired and the smell of gunpowder filled the air. Tic-Tock, having decided that he was no longer in the mood to play, hit the boat with enough force that everyone smashed into one another, though luckily no one fell in the water this time. Once they rose back up, the pirates immediately went to reloading their guns.
“No, keep rowing!” Jack ordered, completely forgetting that Smee was the supposed captain. “If he sinks us, we’re doomed. We have to get the Roger.”
It only took a split second for them to realize he was right and grab up their oars, rowing with such fervor that the boat tilted even more from their uneven, hurried strokes.
A moment later, the boat bumped against the side of the ship and ropes were thrown down to them.
Beckett’s head popped over the railin
g. “Back already, aye? Did yon green beastie have ye scared?” he joked. His gaze grew curious as he spotted the children, but then it locked onto Jack, and his eyes widened. “Jack! Lad, I thought for sure ye were gone to Davy Jones’ locker.”
The crocodile smacked against the boat again, none too gently. Grabbing one of the lines, Jack grinned up at him. “Still here and still alive, Beckett. Though I’m thinking things might change if we stay down here much longer.”
“Aye, lad.” Beckett’s smile widened. “We’ll get ye up top and safe. ’Tis a good thing ye be back. I know Boggs will be glad to see ye. A few things be changed now, though. I’ll fill ye in in a bit.”
Once the lines were secured, the boat was pulled up from the sea. Jack heard another loud thwack! as the crocodile hit the ship, apparently none too happy that his smaller toy had been taken away. What hands on the ship that weren’t busy with pulling on the ropes began shooting pistols and loading cannons to fire at the beast as he circled the Roger.
The crow that announced Peter Pan’s arrival shocked the pirates and several of their shots went wild. One dropped to the deck with a scream, his arm spurting blood.
“Cease fire! Cease fire!” An order came from the upper deck. Jack spotted the familiar crimson coat of Captain Hook. With a look that was murderous, the boy flew to the captain, pulling his knife from his belt.
“We shall finish what we started, Hook. You won’t take my Neverlings again,” Jack heard him say. The boy’s teeth were bared, his blade poised, ready to fight as he landed on the deck. He gave a mock bow. “And as you insist on good form, I shall not fly this time either.”
Hook reached for the blade at his side, but struggled for a moment before finally pulling his rapier free. Peter’s ferocious look vanished and he cocked his head to one side, at the unexpected delay—
As it was no secret that revenge was the pirate captain’s sole reason for staying in Neverland, everyone expected him to swiftly free his weapon. Jack found himself mimicking Peter’s gesture. The captain’s hat was pulled low over his eyes so that he couldn’t get a look at the expression on his face, but his hand shook just the tiniest bit as he held the long thin blade up in front of him. “Let’s finish this then,” Jack heard him say.
It all seemed odd, Jack decided as he hurriedly jumped onto the deck. Whatever strangeness Peter had picked up on left and the dark look returned to Peter’s face at the captain’s words. He struck out with his knife and Hook blocked it, somewhat clumsily.
Maybe he took a drink of Boggs’ never-right, Jack thought. That would explain his sluggish reflexes. Hook took a step back, then parried with a move of his own, which Peter easily blocked.
Jack heard a light click and looked over to see Artemis Stewart beside him, his pistol poised, taking careful aim. “No!” Jack hissed, reaching out to push the pistol toward the deck. “You might hit the captain. This is their fight. Keep it fair, aye?”
“It no’ be lookin’ fair,” Stewart muttered as he put his gun away.
He was right. While Peter’s movements were quick and sure, Hook’s seemed uncertain as he swung his rapier at the boy.
He’s swinging it as one would a cutlass. Jack watched the wide, hacking motions with confusion. Something is definitely not right.
With a sudden fury, Hook yelled and rushed at Peter. It caught the boy off-guard and let the captain pin him against the railing. Surprised at this turn of events, Peter clamped his knife between his teeth and used the nearby web of ropes to climb up to the yardarm.
Nonplussed, the captain followed him easily, scaling up the lines as fast as a fox. Jack felt his mouth drop open as the fight continued along the narrow piece of wood and the sounds of metal striking metal filled the air. In all the time he had been a pirate, he had never seen Hook go up the rigging—for anything.
A small streak of golden light above the captain’s head caught Jack’s attention. There, just above the two, hovered Tink, flitting one direction and then the other, distressed by the actions of the two people in Neverland she cared about most deeply.
They fought back and forth along the beam, each of them wobbling. Between the sounds of metal striking were the quick intakes of breath from everyone below as the fight held the audience captive. Jack expected Peter to fly at any second, as such was his way of doing things, but the boy stayed on the yardarm and fought fairly, even when Hook advanced on him.
As he moved forward, the captain’s foot caught awkwardly on a loop of rope and he flailed forward, smashing into Peter. The two spilled into the air, toppling toward the sea. Hook held onto Peter tightly, as if he planned on taking the boy with him into the cursed water, even though the only reason they hadn’t landed there yet was Peter’s ability to fly.
Peter struggled to get free from his grip, but was steadily losing the battle of keeping them both in the air. They dropped a great distance, and just when it seemed they both would be lost to the Never Sea, Jack saw the boy sink his knife into the captain’s chest. Hook turned Peter loose and an instant later, struck the water. A dark shape slid toward the spot where he disappeared as the crocodile darted from his hiding place under the ship.
Jack gripped the railing, watching as the crocodile finished the job Peter Pan had begun. The water turned red. Hook was dead.
Peter landed on the deck near Jack, oblivious to everyone there, his gaze locked on the sea where Tink fluttered over a single shred of crimson fabric, filling the air with heartbroken chimes. Without thinking, Jack reached out, snagged Stewart’s pistol from his belt, and clubbed Peter on the back of the head.
The boy dropped like a rock to the wooden floorboards of the deck.
BOGGS’ EYES WERE as wide as saucers as Jack pushed open the door to the map room. But his weren’t the only ones widening—Jack felt as if his own were getting ready to pop out of his head as he stared at Hook sitting calmly at his table.
“Lad! I thought for sure ye were dead!” Boggs exclaimed, jumping up to swallow him in an enormous hug.
“N-no…” Jack managed in a breathless hiss. “S-still here.”
Boggs backed up enough to look at him, but still kept his hands firmly on his arms as if he was afraid that Jack might suddenly disappear.
“I’m all right,” Jack gave him a smile, then pointed toward the captain. “But I just watched him be killed by Peter, then eaten by the croc.”
At the sound of Peter Pan’s name, Hook’s eyes narrowed and he tilted his head, very much interested in the conversation.
Boggs shook his head. “It were Smithy. Once we had the captain here tied up, we thought it might be best to have someone who looked like him on the deck…just in case Pan were to come by. Didn’t want him to think we were sitting ducks without our captain, aye? We picked Smithy, since he was the right build and had the same type hair.”
Poor Smithy. Jack realized the last time he had seen the man was when they had brought his memory back with the name of his son.
“Aye, at least he be with Colin now, rest his soul.” Beckett’s voice startled Jack and he jumped, twisting around to catch the man grin at him wryly. “A bit jumpy, aren’t we, lad? Ye’d think it was you tied to the mast of this ship instead of Peter Pan.”
“Ye’ve got him?!” Boggs asked.
“Oh, aye,” Beckett replied as he grinned at Jack. “The lad here knocked him out cold. I just came down to ask what the plan be now. His wee pixie is perched on his shoulder, looking fierce at anyone who dares to come close to ’im.” He shrugged. “Don’t see no reason why we shouldn’t be able to go home. It be your call though, as you be the captain.” He looked pointedly at Boggs.
Hook hadn’t said anything, and somehow Jack doubted he would.
“We picked up a girl and two little boys that want passage back to London,” Jack told Boggs. “And I have one more that wishes to come, but she isn’t here yet. She’ll be here by nightfall.”
“Sounds good,” Boggs said, a twinkle in his eye. “A ‘she’, eh?”
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br /> “Yeah,” Jack grinned. “I’ll tell you more about her once we’re on our way. Right now, I think I’ll need to convince Tink to help us if this is going to work.”
Beckett grunted. “Best get to it, lad. With the scowling she’s been doing, it might take ye a while.”
HE FOUND THE pixie exactly where Beckett had said, dutifully guarding Peter as the boy slumped over the ropes holding him to the mast. His hair was disheveled and there was a dark sticky patch where Jack had hit him.
When Jack approached, she flew from Peter’s shoulder to directly in front of Jack’s nose, shaking her finger at him and blasting him with chimes so loud and fast that it was no secret she was telling him in no uncertain terms how unhappy she was with him.
“I’m sorry, I had to,” he apologized. “You saw what he did to the captain.”
He didn’t know if she knew about Smithy being in Hook’s clothes, but he knew he had to try to explain. More than once the crew had referred to Tink as “the captain’s pixie.” From the way her face fell, she didn’t know that Hook was alive and well in the belly of the ship. Fat tears rolled down her cheeks.
“We need to go home—back to our world,” he told her gently. “We can’t stay here anymore. You saw what happened.”
She looked uncertain for a moment and just hovered there, as if she was thinking everything over.
“Besides, think of it this way. If we’re gone, then Peter won’t have anyone chasing him. He’ll be safe here with you and the Neverlings,” he added.
Provided that he doesn’t bring someone else to Neverland who ends up hating him.
“But you’ll take the mother girl back too?” she asked, sounding hopeful as she calmed enough to be understood.
“Yes,” Jack promised. “You have my word. They are safe below the deck. If you take us back, I’ll make sure they’ll get home.”
The Untold Stories of Neverland: The Complete Box Set Page 46