Swan Song

Chapter 6

"What's going on?" I demand, walking over to the crew, who are standing in a circle around something, staring at it. I push through the men, and they step back to reveal a small, very wet boy with a mop of dark brown hair and dark, sincere eyes.

"Ah! A stowaway! And just who might you be?" I ask him.

"I didn't stow away - I just escaped from Peter Pan's shadow an he dropped me here. My name is Baelfire."

"Well we could always use another deck hand. Come - tell me more about yourself." I say, signalling to the crew to get back to work and putting an arm around Baelfire, lead him to my cabin.

****

"So, Baelfire. Tell me your story. How did you end up on my ship?" I ask our guest.

"I was staying with a family called the Darlings - Wendy, the oldest child, took me in after my father abandoned me. Then one night Pan's shadow came to take away Wendy's brothers, but I couldn't just stand and let it split up their family, so I sacrificed myself for them." I place a hand on his shoulder.

"That was very brave of you mate." I say. Baelfire smiles at me. "Who is your father?" I ask him.

"My father is the Dark One, and-"

"What did you say?" I gasp.

"My father is the Dark One. He's called Rumpelstiltskin." I grimace and look down at my shiny silver hook - which I have thanks to Rumpelstiltskin - this boy's father. My whole being is telling me to throw this boy overboard - to have nothing to do with the Crocodile's son. I am currently just sailing to get my revenge on him - but how could I tell Baelfire that?

"Okay... How did he abandon you?"

"Well the Blue Fairy gave me a magic bean, which I used to create a portal to this world - a land without magic. My father promised me that if I found a way for him to get rid of his magic, he would do whatever it was. But when I opened the portal, he was too cowardly to come with me. He couldn't get me out of the portal in time, and I was brought here. Alone."

"Once a coward, always a coward." I mutter.

"Do you know him?" I debate whether to tell the boy the truth or not about my past with Rumpelstiltskin. I decide not to tell him. I don't want to ruin any chances of making friends with this young boy at the very start.

"No, I've never met him." I lie.

****

"Bae! Come help me steer!" I call to Baelfire. We have been on the ship together for a few months now, and I've become surprisingly close to him. He's like a son to me, and he loves learning about how to sail the ship, sword fight and act like a pirate.

"Coming, Captain!" He calls to me.

"Okay Bae. Do you remember which direction we're going today?"

"Umm... I don't remember, sorry."

"That's alright, mate. Here maybe this will help you." I engrave a small diagram of a compass in the wood beside the wheel. Baelfire smiles up at me.

"Thanks, Captain."

"Bae, you can call me Killian." I say. He laughs.

"Thanks, Killian, then."

****

"Killian?" I hear a voice ask me.

"Yes, Bae?"

"Where are we actually going?" I have been dreading this question for a long time, but I think he trusts me enough to know the truth.

"Actually Baelfire, I have something to tell you. I do know your father. He and I had a bit of... history. He is the reason I have this." I say, pointing to my hook with my good hand. "I'm going to get my revenge on him." Bae's eyes well up with tears and he looks broken.

"How could you?! You lied to me! I trusted you!"

"Bae don't be angry. I'm sorry but I must have my revenge. Your father is a monster!"

"He is not a monster. He loved me!"

"He abandoned you, Bae! How is that loving someone?!" Just then, Pan's shadow swooped down and tried to grab Bae. Perfect timing, as always, I think to myself. I tried to pry the shadow off him, but he clung to the boy with iron grip.

"Bae! I'm sorry!" I say. "Please don't go."

"I don't want to stay with you anymore." He says sulkily, and gives himself up to the shadow. I watch as he soars away into the sky.

*flashback over*

"Bae." I say, breathlessly.

"So you do remember him." Pan says to me. I narrow my eyes at him.

"Of course I do." I snap. "He's Milah's son."