Red-Handed Jill (A Peter Pan Fanfiction)

Chapter 8~ Into Welcoming Arms

They passed it down the line until it got to me. I held the pipe in my hands and I examined it for a brief moment before I put it into my mouth. It was made out of fine, strong wood and was very beautiful with intricate carvings and colorful paintings similar to the ones on the tipis spiraling up its long neck.

I had seen some of the pirates smoke before so I knew what to do. I sucked some of the smoke into my mouth and I blew out into the air. It tasted strong and smoky and I didn't care for it at all. I didn't make a ring like the others, instead it made more of a ball with somewhat of an opening in the middle but it didn't make much difference. I passed it to Peter who blew a perfect smoke ring that found it's way into the center of the others.

Show off, I thought to myself.

"You are now part of our tribe," said the Chief, "You shall now be called, Red-Handed Jill and Eagle Flies Peter! May we always hear your call!"

"May we always hear your call!" the others echoed.

The Chief's wife and daughters painted our faces and tied feathers in our hair. We were each presented with a furry, mountain lion-skin blanket and I was also given a deer-skin dress that I wore over my corset and leggings. We celebrated our new companionship by feasting on wild fruits and berries and dancing around the fire. The beat of the drum was intoxicating as we jumped in the air and beat our feet on the ground. Peter stayed by my side the entire time.

When the celebration was finally done and the Chief and his family retired, I was still wide awake and alert. There was no way that I would have been able to sleep after all of the dancing and celebrating that had gone on.

I sighed and decided to go for a walk in the forest. There was a river nearby and I found a place with still water where I washed the paint off of my face. When I was done, I looked into the water. I saw someone staring back at me that I didn't recognize. She was stronger than I was, her dark hair was tied back in a braid, there was a bruise on her cheek from a fight that she had gotten into. It took me a second to realize that it was me.

Had I really changed that much?

"Who am I?" I whispered.

I thought about Vinn and I felt an unwarranted ache of nostalgia begin to fester and nestle itself into the cavity that had become my chest. Vinny had left a hole inside of me that I couldn't seem to fill, no matter how hard I tried. I missed his hugs, his pranks, his smiles, his laugh, his bad jokes, his twinkling blue eyes... I wished more than anything to have him back.

Before I knew it, hot tears were spilling out over my cheeks. A cold breeze ruffled through my hair and froze the water that ran down my face, sending goosebumps down my back. I pulled my legs up to my chest and rested my forehead on my knees.

I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I didn't hear anyone come up behind me.

"Jill? Why are you crying?"

I jumped in surprise.

There was Peter, floating about a foot off the ground with a worried expression on his face.

No wonder I didn't hear him, I thought to myself grouchily, he flew.

"I'm not crying!" I snapped, trying to wipe the tears away from my eyes and dry off my face. I hated crying in front of people. It was absolutely embarrassing.

"Then why were there tears going down your face!?"

"It was the cold!"

Peter draped a blanket over my shoulders.

"Now will you tell me why you were crying?"

"I wasn't!"

He looked at me with an unbelieving look that instantly made me feel guilty. He had always been kind to me and he took care of me when I was hurt. He deserved to know the truth.

"It's a long story so get comfortable."

He stretched himself out on the ground and patted on a spot next to him. I sighed and snuggled up close to him. Peter put his arm around my shoulders. I got a shiver from the sudden warmth and at the shock of how close he was.

I took a really deep breath and I began telling him my story. I started with what I remembered from my past, my Papa telling me stories at night and my Mama tucking me in, and then the cannon fire and hiding in a chest while I was being taken aboard the Jolly Roger. The rest just poured itself out. I told him about growing up, little by little as we went back and forth from Neverland to Earth, watching as Hook destroyed ships and pillaged small towns, about telling stories to the crew, about how I learned how to fight and about Vinn and how much I missed him. I told him everything up until the part where I was taken on bath day.

"Up until that day, I had always thought that you were the bad guy," I explained, "Hook told me that you were a cruel savage and the lost boys were your evil cretinous minions. I was so scared when you guys took me and when I woke up in your arms, my first thought was to attack. I didn't know what else to do. Then I met you and I got to know all the boys. Everything that I thought about you was wrong. As time went on, I fell in love with my life in the hideout, I fell in love with the lost boys..."

I looked into his golden brown eyes, "I fell in love with..."

"With?"

Come on! Spit it out! I screamed at myself, but the words didn't come.

Suddenly a deafening roar split through the silence and we saw smoke begin to rise up into the air.

Peter jumped up and grabbed my hand, pulling me into the sky. My chance was gone and there was no telling whether we'd ever get time alone like that ever again. I wanted to kick myself.

We flew over the treetops and we saw the Indian Camp. The tipis were ablaze and women were running and screaming. I could see men running and pillaging and killing people as they went. I saw faces among them that I knew on both sides and I suddenly felt the urge to vomit.

"Pirates!" he yelled.

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Hello All!

Cliff-hanger! Mwahahaha!!

I hope you all enjoy this chapter just as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Thanks so much for reading and don't forget to vote and comment if you liked it!!

Your fellow reader and writer,

Laura :D

P.S. Dedicated to Midnight_Lilly for letting me use her in my story! Thanks a bunch!!