Eventually, they all sat in the hideout at a long table eating. The boys all shouted over each other and Emily silently watched with a small smile as she ate, nobody took notice of Wendy’s strange behavior.
“John.” Wendy called out to their brother.
“I wasn’t doing anything!” John laughed with the Lost Boys.
“John!” Wendy said louder with more force.
John turned to Wendy with a raised brow, “Yes?”
“What is your father’s name?”
“My father’s name? Peter.” The Lost Boys cheered before Wendy spoke again, this time to Micheal.
“Micheal, who is your mother?”
“Well, he got the easy one.” Tootles mumbled to John.
“Emily is my mother, Wendy.” answered Micheal.
Emily smiled and tilted her head wondering what Wendy was trying to do.
“And isn’t she just first-class?” Slightly spoke up.
The boys all agreed, causing Emily to send them a smile before Peter came in howling. “There’s a new pirate aboard the Jolly Roger. The mermaids say she is called Red-Handed Jill.”
Emily had heard that name somewhere before but could place where. She tuned out the boys for the most part as they cheered at the new adventure and ran to grab their weapons. Emily absentmindedly moved to do the same when she heard Peter’s next words.
“Fearsome? She’s just a storyteller.” Emily turned around with a glare as she crossed her arms.
“Just a storyteller?” Wendy repeated in disbelief before getting to her feet as she slammed her hand on the table. “Red-Handed Jill may be a brave swordsman.”
The boys all laughed and anger began to bubble in Emily’s stomach.
“A girl like her?”
“Brave or not, I shall run her through!” Peter declared. The boys cheered and Wendy stomped away, leaving Emily to glare harshly at the boys.
“I’m a storyteller.” Emily reminded them, “And I’m just as good with a sword as any of you!”
Peter moved to speak when Wendy reappeared holding a sword and a sneer on her face. “Then ready yourself, Peter Pan, for I am Red-Handed Jill.”
“Wendy?” Emily turned to her sister, the sting of betrayal coursing through her.
Emily moved away from her twin and stood with the Lost Boys, a frown evident on her face.
“‘Tis true, Emily. Your sister has been invited to piracy.”
Peter stepped forward with a stoic stare and Wendy stood straight as she listened to the words of her siblings and Lost Boys. “But, Wendy, Hook is a fiend.”
“And a bounder.”
“On the contrary, I find Captain Hook to be a man of feeling.” Emily’s frown melted into a glare as her sister used what happened between Peter and herself – Emily – against them.
Peter let out a shout as he raised his sword and brought it down onto Wendy’s, the fight was short as Peter knocked the sword out of her hands and placed his sword at her throat.
“Mother, they’re fighting again.”
“Sir, you are both ungallant and deficient.” Wendy told the wild haired boy.
“How am I deficient?”
Wendy shook her head, “You’re just a boy.”
Peter slowly lowered his sword as her words began to sink in. Micheal frowned as he asked, “Are you really to be a pirate, Wendy?”
“No.” Emily smiled, “We are going home.”
Emily’s smile dropped, she didn’t want to go home. The boys all gasped and began to murmur to one another.
“Leave Neverland?” John questioned.
Peter didn’t move as Wendy stepped around him and crouched in front of Micheal.
“We must.” She insisted, “We have forgotten our parents. We must leave at once before we, in turn, are forgotten.”
“I’ve forgotten my parents.” John said slowly, as he began to remember, “We must leave.”
Emily frowned as she too began to remember their parents. She didn’t want to be forgotten.
They all turned to Peter as the Lost Boys still shouted over each, Peter stared at them for a moment before speaking, “If you wish it.”
“‘If you wish it’?!” Slightly echoed outraged.
“If you wish it!” Peter shouted as he threw down his sword and flew out of the hideout. Emily frowned as she watched him leave, she didn’t want to leave but she missed her parents.
Emily sat off to the side as she stared at nothing in particular while the boys all surrounded Wendy. They sat on the floor talking in low voices when Peter finally came back with his hands on his hips, like usual.
“I have arranged a fairy guide to lead you back.” He announced.
“Peter,” Wendy began as she stood and made her way to him, “we’ve been talking. What if you came back with us?”
Emily watched as the Lost Boys scramble to their feet behind Wendy. Peter would never leave Neverland, Emily was certain of that.
“Can we go, Peter?” A Lost Boy asks.
“Please, Peter, can we go?”
“If you wish it.” Peter said as he stared at Emily.
“Get your things.” Wendy told the boys, causing them to cheer and run off.
Emily looked away and swallowed thickly, she could see the hurt in Peter’s eyes as the Lost Boys gathered their things. She didn’t listen to Wendy and Peter as they spoke, only when Wendy had gone to gather her things did she turn back.
Peter stood staring at Emily with an unreadable expression before he turned away and Emily moved to grab a few of her things.
As Wendy and the boys began to file out of the hideout, Emily stayed behind as she filled a flower’s head with ‘medicine’. Peter sat playing his pipes on his bed ignoring her.
“Don’t forget your medicine.” Emily said, quietly.
Peter simply turned onto his stomach and continued to play his pan flute. Emily’s lips pressed into a thin line before she turned on her heel and made her way out of the hideout.
Emily stepped out of the tree and looked up at the sound of muffled cries, Wendy and the boys were tied and gagged a few feet ahead of her. Emily gasps at the sight of pirates surrounding them and quickly turns to warn Peter but a pirate with boils on his face jumps in her path.
“Surprise.” He taunted before he quickly ties and gags her too.
Hook steps out and stands in front of Emily as she turns to face him. Emily scowled at the man as he said, “A new era begins. Take them away.”
Emily struggled against the pirate’s hold as he lifted her and carried her, along with the others, back to the ship. She couldn’t let Hook hurt Peter but the pirate’s grip was too strong, she couldn’t break free.
Soon enough, Emily and the others were on the boat and a storm began to roll in. The pirates cheered as they brought out the plank, Emily and Wendy stood tied to a post glaring at Captain Hook.
Hook leaned forward and said, “There’s still room for a storyteller.”
“I’d rather die.” Wendy snapped.
Hook turned his gaze to Emily who sneered and spat in his face. Hook didn’t flinch as he wiped away the saliva that now coated his face and raised his hook, Emily’s eye twitched but she did nothing else. He lowered it and light traced her cheekbone with it, he didn’t press hard enough to draw blood but Emily was sure he wanted to.
“Shame.” sneered Hook.
“Cap’n, Cap’n. Look at the sky.” Smee said, thunder rumbled loudly, “And look at the water.”
Hook ran forward as the water began to rage and lightning flashed across the sky, a shout from Peter could be heard from all across Neverland.
“Pan must be dead.” suggest Smee.
“No! No! Impossible!” The Lost Boys all began to shout and a tear ran down Emily’s face.
Snow began to fall and Hook turned to his crew, “Ship’s company, hats off! A moment’s silence for our fallen enemy, Peter Pan. We sail at dawn!”
The pirates all cheered as the children began to shout. Smee and another pirate move to stand next to the twins.
“Girlies always go first.” The pirate says.
Emily gasps at the lightning before saying, “I do believe in fairies.”
“You what?” A crew member asks.
“I do believe in fairies.” Wendy chimed in.
“I do believe in fairies!” Emily shouted.
The boys began to chant, “I do believe in fairies! I do! I do!”
The pirates stepped back from the chanting children before one bravely ran forward with a shout. “Stow that gab, or I’ll run you through! ‘Believe in fairies! I do! I do!’”
“I do believe in fairies! I do! I do!” They continued to chant, the pirates began to join them when Hook suddenly stormed out of his quarters.
The storm began to calm and the sun began to shine through the once dark clouds. As they continued to chant, Hook suddenly shouts.
“He’s alive!” Hook shoves his way to Emily and Wendy, “Why is he? What is he? I’ll have one last story before you die. The story of Peter Pan.” Wendy wheezed as Hook suddenly wrapped his hand around her throat, “Once upon a time –”
“Once upon a time –” Wendy repeated.
“Brutes, Red-Handed Jill is gonna tell us a story.” Smee announced to the ship.
The pirates all cheered as they gathered around and sat to hear her story.
“There was a boy named Peter Pan who decided not to grow up.” Hook stabbed his hook next to Wendy’s head, startling the twins.
“Skip the prologue.” Hook growled.
“So he flew away to Neverland where the pirates are.” Emily cut in, everyone’s eyes snapped to her before a pirate raised his hand.
“Was one of them named Noodler?”
“Yes.” Wendy quickly said.
“Captain, did you hear? I am in a story.”
The boys screamed as Hook shot Noodler and killed him, his body now laying at their feet.
“What fun he must have had.” Hook says, ignoring the screams behind him.
“Yes.” Wendy agreed, “But he was rather lonely.”
“Lonely?” Hook thought for a moment before glancing at the other twin, “He needed an Emily.”
“I need an Emily.” A pirate said before Hook shot him causing the boys to scream once again.
“Why an Emily?” questions Hook.
“He liked our stories.” Emily told him.
“And her songs.” Wendy added.
“What stories? What songs?”
“Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty." Wendy listed.
“Love Stories?” The pirates groaned.
“Star Sweeper, Remember Me, You Are My Sunshine.” John listed a few of Emily’s lullabies.
“Adventures in which good triumphs over evil.” Emily said, staring at the one handed pirate. The boys cheered behind him.
“They all end in a kiss.” Emily’s mouth was slightly agape as she tried to find the words, Hook searched her face before he realized. “He does feel. He feels about you.”
Hook sliced the rope as he took a hold of Emily and another pirate grabbed Wendy. Hook grabbed a fistful of Emily’s hair and pressed his hook to her throat as he turned her to face her brothers and the Lost Boys. “She told him stories and sang him songs. He taught her to fly. How?”
“You just think happy thoughts. They lift you into the air.” Emily told him through clenched teeth.
“Alas, I have no happy thoughts.”
“That brings you down.”
Hook tightened his hold on her hair, “How else?”
“No!”
“Leave her alone!”
“It’s fairy dust! You need fairy dust!” Micheal shouted.
“Micheal!” The boys yelled.
Hook looked down at Emily, “What of Pan? Will unhappy thoughts bring him down?”
“He has no unhappy thoughts.”
“How if his Emily walks the plank!”
“Plank! Plank! Plank!” The pirates chanted as Hook pushed her to the plank after tying a blindfold around her eyes.
Emily felt the end of the plank with her heels as she slowly turned to the loud cheers of the pirates and the shouts of the other children.
“You know, I really am sorry about this.” Emily heard Hook say over the noise. Ticking suddenly grew loud as they heard the crocodile, all gasping as they realized the beast was near. “The irony. It comes for Hook and gets a story.”
Hook stomped down on the plank causing Emily to let out a frightened scream as she began to lose her balance. Hook stomped on it twice more before Emily fell, screaming on her way down.