Arthur grabbed his leather coat from behind the door and held his arm out to me, gesturing to follow Samuel out the door. We both knew there was no point in arguing it. Hook wanted to see us, and so he would.
I steadied myself against the swaying of the ship, my boots tapping on the wooden floor, and walked to the door. As Arthur closed the door behind us and let Samuel lead us to the stairs, he draped the jacket around my shoulders and helped me put my arms through the holes.
"Once we get up there, we have to act natural." He whispered, his mouth pressed against my ear inconspicuously as he settled the jacket on my back, "If he suspects any treachery, we're done for."
I fit my damp arms through the sleeves and fixed the collar, pulling my hair out and tossing the long locks over my shoulder, "I'll keep his attention on me while you free the boys."
"Remember," He warned, pausing at the bottom of the steps as Samuel ascended before us, "You have to be genuine about this. There's no room for make-believe any more."
I adjusted the sword at my hip in a more ready position, the long coat swishing around my ankles, "Funny how that's the one thing that got me into this mess in the first place. My siblings make-believing."
"Hey, if they never make believed, you wouldn't have met me." Arthur grinned, his usual cockiness somewhat diminished.
I crinkled my nose and put my hands on his chest, chuckling, "And what a shame that would have been."
Arthur tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, our chests pressed together, when a shout from up above caught my attention.
I peered up the steps at the grey light that poured into the hull and wobbled away from Arthur, gripping the rope handles. I knew that once I crossed the threshold into open air, the plan would be in motion. Either we captured Hook and figured out a way to save Peter, or we died trying. There was no turning back, no hesitation. He had my siblings. He had me. If we didn't win this battle now it would never end. Hook would turn Neverland into chaos and no child would ever be safe here again. It had to end, once and for all.
"Don't be scared." Arthur said, catching my eye.
I looked up the stairs again, at my impending performance, and clenched my teeth, "Believe me. I'm not."
I put one foot in front of the other and kept my hand securely on my sword as I climbed the stairs. Before very long I made it to the top, Arthur right behind me, and I had to blink to adjust to the brightness. It wasn't bright in the sense that it was sunny, in fact it was snowing more heavily than it had been before, but the grey of the sky was nearly blinding.
The moment I took a breath of the cold air, it sharpened my senses. I could see the heavy snowflakes collecting on the deck as they poured from the sky. I could feel the bitter spray of the ocean as it collided with the sides of the ship. I could hear the silenced murmur of the pirates standing around me, their eyes curious and full of anger.
I stopped a few steps away from the stairs, finally out on the open deck, and looked around. Arthur stood next to me, standing so that our shoulders brushed, and I felt my fingers itch to grab the sword at my hip when I spotted the main mast in the center of the deck.
All of the Lost Boys were tied up around it, their backs pressed together and bodies secured so tightly that they couldn't move a muscle. Ropes were around their mouths, preventing them from speaking, but their eyes were wide and frightened when they landed on me. They squirmed against their restraints and shouted into their gags. The sound was muffled, but they shouted all the same.
Nibs and Tootles kicked their feet up in an attempt to wiggle out of the bond. Curly and the Twins screamed into their gags and sneered at the pirates. I could see Slightly working on loosening his arms, but judging on how tightly they were bound, I doubted he could break free. Beside him, John and Michael also wormed against the ropes, desperately trying to get free. Lastly I saw Wendy. She was standing boldly, tied up with the boys, but her head was held high and her face showed no signs of fear. Unlike the boys, she did not try to free herself. She seemed stone-faced. Except for the moment I caught her eye, where there was a panicked second of realization that we were all aboard the ship.
There was no one left to save us.
"Gentleman, gentlemen!" A voice that was both familiar and unfamiliar called, gathering the attention of every pirate around me, "Make way for the young lady, won't you?"
The crowd of burly men in front of me parted in two, leaving a clear pathway to the person who had given the instruction. When he strolled toward us, the sight of him chilled me more than the snow.
"So this is the lass that my son is so infatuated with. My my, Arthur, I can see why you like her."
Peter confidently sauntered down the pathway towards me, a measure in his step, except the person approaching me was not Peter.
Instead of his usual garb of green leaves and tattered fabric, he wore something quit similar to Arthur. A black shirt neatly tucked into white breeches, a shiny pair of boots that clicked uncomfortably loud, a velvet red coat that dragged on the deck, and to top it off, a matching red hat complete with a ridiculously large feather. His shirt had glistening, silver cuffs at the wrist that shimmered as he reached up to tilt his hat out of his face. From far away, he looked different enough, but up close I was able to see the thing that startled me the most.
His eyes were pitch black, with the slightest hint of red right at the center. And as he stopped a foot in front of me, those menacing black eyes swept over me appraisingly.
"Strong stance, serious demeanor, ferocity in her eyes." Hook rubbed his chin and smirked approvingly, "She's quite like you in those respects, son."
I subconsciously pulled the leather jacket tighter around myself, uncomfortable with his wandering gaze, and he laughed.
"Oh, my dear, I meant it only in the best of ways. It takes a resilient lass to put up with my boy. Perhaps you'll finally be the one to do it."
"If you'll allow me," Arthur calmly gestured, even though I could see his eyes seething with rage, "This is my Fath-"
"Captain James Hook." Hook interrupted, taking off his hat and crossing it over his chest as he bowed, "At your service."
I cleared my throat and snapped into the moment, quickly dipping into a courtesy, "A pleasure, sir."
"Not at all, my dear." He finished, returning the hat to his head, "The pleasure is all mine. You must be Ophelia Darling."
Hook held out his hand and I cautiously put mine in it, keeping a straight face as he brought my hand up to his lips and kissed my knuckles.
My gaze flickered over to Wendy and the bewildered expression on her face. She looked between Hook and I and shook her head, trying to warn me.
"What a beauty you are." Hook smiled, cold as ice, "But to see you dressed in these drab clothes pains me, my dear. I'm sure I have a more fitting dress in my cabin. One that will suit you so much better. Samuel, go fetch it for me."
"Uh, no." I stopped him, Samuel freezing, "Thank you, Captain, but I prefer what I already have on. A dress isn't suiting for the lifestyle I wish to pursue, you see."
Hook's eyebrow raised questioningly, "And what lifestyle would that be?"
I quickly glanced at Arthur, standing beside his Father, and tried to seem more assertive, "Piracy, sir."
The boys stirred again and shouted into their gags. I flinched at their objections but hid it with a shiver, brushing snowflakes from my shoulders.
Hook jutted out his lip, almost impressed, but still skeptical. "How can you possibly know what you want? You're not yet a woman, though I can see you're well on your way to becoming one."
I held my chin higher and looked at him steadily. "You insult me, sir. Can a girl not know what she wants before she is fully grown? Does that stop her from being capable of making grownup decisions?"
I shook my head and crossed my arms, "If you ask me, sir, being young gives me an advantage. I can observe the people who already lived their lives and learn from their mistakes. Where you had faults and problems, I will have nothing but smooth sailing because I know exactly what it is that I have to do to get what I want."
Hook leaned on his heels, stroking his chin, "And what would that be? The thing that you want?"
"Freedom." I simply stated, "From everything that burdens me. From all who doubt me. Is that not what a pirate is? What they stand for? For freedom? I wish to lead a life filled with the high seas. I wish to pillage and plunder and take what I want, when I want. I wish to be free."
I could feel the stares of the other pirates on the deck. I knew that they didn't believe me. They had seen me on this ship before, prancing around with Arthur. They knew that piracy was not what I wanted. But it didn't matter. I only had to convince one person that this was what I wanted, and by the look on his face, I was succeeding.
Hook grinned, his pearly white teeth baring, and threw his arm around Arthur's back. If Hook was truly the size of a man, this would have seemed like a regular action. But since he was in Peter's child sized body, it looked strange. He only reached up to Arthur's shoulder, and had to look up at him to speak.
"My boy, I do believe you have found yourself the perfect companion. I couldn't be prouder of you."
The fake affection was nauseating. Hook had never been a true father to Arthur and seeing him acting this way seemed far fetched, even for a man who supposedly wanted to reconnect.
Arthur smiled back, pretending to be bashful, and respectfully wiggled out of Hook's grasp. He stood beside me and placed his arm around my back, leaning me into him. "Not only that, but she's a fierce sword fighter too. Isn't that right, blondie?"
I pushed passed the awkwardness of the change in subject and tried to follow along, "Oh, yes. Arthur has been teaching me ever since I admitted to him that I wanted to join his crew."
"My crew, you mean." Hook corrected, his eyes alight with a cold happiness.
"Yes." I cleared my throat again, putting an arm around Arthur, "Your crew, of course. I'm sure you do a much better job at it then your son."
Hook shook his head, laughing as if I was a silly child, "Dear one, I have been captaining for longer than you've been alive. I'm the best there could ever be."
I forced a smile and dipped my head down, "I don't doubt that, sir."
Arthur rubbed my arm boldly and I looked up at him, drawing from his calmness.
"Blondie." He leaned closer to me and brushed a finger over my lips, "Are you cold? Your lips are blue."
"No I'm al-"
A quick widening of his eyes alerted me that I needed to agree with what he was saying for whatever reason.
"I mean... yes." I glanced over at Hook and feigned cold by chattering my teeth and burying my hands under my arms, "I'm nearly frozen solid."
"Well, you're not quite dry yet from your swim over here." Arthur added, "That was a very foolish thing. You're wet as a dog!"
I gave a helpless shrug, "I thought you had left me behind. I didn't want to miss out on meeting your Father, of course."
When I looked at Hook, I could see that he was studying us both with narrow eyes, but his face lit up as soon as I mentioned his name. "How considerate of you, my dear. That you would risk your life JUST to follow my son here to meet me. You must be numb."
"She is." Arthur concluded, rubbing my arm again to create friction, "Perhaps you could take her to the helm, where you have the fire going, Father. Where she would be warmer."
"Oh, yes." He shifted backwards and extended his arm down the pathway he came, "Of course. Right this way."
I moved out of Arthur's arms but felt him stay in place. I pulled on his arm to follow but he took a step backwards.
"I'm going to stay here." He said, gesturing down the stairs, "I'm rather chilled myself. I should go grab a warmer coat from down below, if that's alright?"
Hook nodded, his brows knitting in concern as he dramatically placed a hand over his heart, "Certainly, my son. We wouldn't want you to catch your death simply because of the weather. Us Hook men are stronger than that."
Hook held out his arm for me, closer to my height than to Arthur's. I looked at it warily, feeling like the moment I took it I would be trapped in the crocodile's jaws.
"There's no need to be frightened, little one." He widened his smile and tipped his head, "We're family now."
Heedfully, I took the remaining two steps forward and latched my arm through his. He pulled me close to him, tucking my arm beneath his, and guided us assuredly down the aisle made of silent pirates. Before we walked away, I turned my head back to Arthur.
I was confident in our plan, but still nervous about its execution. Or, should I say, nervous about something going wrong.
Arthur gave me the subtlest of nods, his lightening blue eyes locking on mine, and I was flooded with the strength to go on. Even as Hook began bringing up my siblings.
"So, as I'm sure you have seen, your siblings are also aboard my ship. Although, in a more uncomfortable scenario than you. I do hope that doesn't bother you."
We passed Wendy and the boys, and although my heart beat wildly in my chest and screamed at me to help them, I remained calm and did my best to flourish the lie.
"Oh," I replied, "Not at all."
He tilted his head at me, watching for a sign of malcontent, "I just told you that I have your family tied up as prisoners on board my ship and you're not the slightest bit worried about them? A young girl like you can't be that cold hearted already."
"If you recall, sir, the first time you encountered my siblings they were here without me. They abandoned me. I have resented them for it ever since. That's why I came to Neverland, you see. To exact my revenge."
Hook walked me up another set of stairs to the helm where a fire was burning brightly on top of a barrel. He guided me beside it and put my hands above it.
"I suppose I'm doing you a favor then. By capturing them." He added, crossing his ankles as he leaned against the railing."
"Certainly." I agreed, "I have been failing for some time now, but you've managed to do it rather quickly. I only wish I had done it myself so that I could choose their punishment."
Hook watched me as I rubbed my hands together above the fire, stroking his chin again in thought. "You know my dear, I do believe it is only fair that you choose how they die, not me. It is, after all, both of our revenges in action. You with your siblings, and me with Pan."
"And might I say what a brilliant idea it was to do things the way you did? Using Peter as the very tool to capture all his friends was genius. It's like killing two birds with one stone."
He considered my compliment and uncrossed his ankles, "It was easy, really. Peter is a foolish boy who lets his curiosity take the better of him. I knew he would find the compass and from there I would have everything I wanted. His life, his companions, his power."
I nodded my head, adding enthusiasm into my voice, "Peter is foolish."
"You think so?" He questioned.
"Of course. Only a child would prance around every day believing that life is perfect. Peter stole my siblings from me and thought nothing of it. He didn't consider how it would effect my family, how it would effect me. An adult knows better. They know how to plan and scheme, where Peter, a child, only knows how to take."
Hook narrowed his eyes, "If Peter is a child, and foolish as you agree, then what does that make you? You're certainly not an adult yet. So, what are you?"
His question struck me in an odd way. It was something I had not prepared myself to answer.
Was I still a child? Did I want to spend my time having adventures and exploring?
Or was I an adult?
Did I want to grow up?
I had to stop and collect my thoughts. I rubbed my palms together again and looked up at him, honestly speaking, "I don't know. Sometimes I feel like I'm somewhere in between. A part of me clings to my childhood. The time when life was easy, and things were happier. But, another part of me is ready to grow up. To see what else the world has to offer."
Hook crossed his arms over his chest and studied me, "What an interesting dilemma you're in, my dear."
I took a deep breath, looking out at the frothy sea, "That's why I think piracy would be a good option for me at this point. I need to experience more. I need to make my own decisions."
He nodded, "It certainly does have its bonuses, but there are many sacrifices a pirate must make. Family, being one of them."
My fingers warm enough, I stuffed them into the pockets of the leather coat, and watched as Hook leaned over the railing and looked down at the deck below. "I'm not sure if Arthur told you, but he and I had some problems in the past."
I cautiously walked up beside him and looked over the railing, "He mentioned a thing or two about it."
"I abandoned him." Hook blurted, "I had to. That's the sacrifices that strong leaders have to make, my dear. They must deal with the consequences of being successful. For me, that meant leaving Arthur behind. That's what it took for me to be a leader."
On the deck, in the crowd of pirates hustling around, I saw Arthur emerge from the hull. He had a larger, brown coat over his clothes, and I saw a sly determination on his face. He maneuvered his way through the pirates, his direction set on the tied up Lost Boys. My heartbeat picked up when I saw him unsheathe a dagger from his belt.
"I can tell that one day you will be a strong leader as well." Hook said, drawing me back to our conversation, "I see it in your eyes. A ferocity for control of things that you feel need to be controlled. A hunger for power. For the ability to command and be listened to seriously, not mistaken for a naive child."
I turned my head to him, leaning my hip against the banister as snow accumulated on it. Hook rested his bejeweled fingers on the cold wood and looked me up and down again.
"People look over you because all they see is a little girl. They don't see the future. They don't see what I see."
I shifted my feet, a burning sensation of nerves building in my stomach, "And what do you see?"
Hook smiled proudly, using his arms to exaggerate his point, "A leader. A commander. You're strong, Ophelia Darling. You don't let anything stand it your way. If you want something, you take it, but you're smart about it. You plan ahead, like an adult, and think of the consequences, but you still have the creative cunningness of a child. You have the capability for wonderful things, I know it."
I cast my eyes down at the floorboards and dug the toe of my boot into the snow. Hearing these things from him were strange. It was like he was complimenting me. He sounded proud, hopeful. But it rubbed me the wrong way, and I wasn't quite sure how to respond.
"The only thing you have left to do is make the sacrifice that all leaders must make. You must leave your family behind."
"Kill them, you mean. My sister and my brothers."
Hook knitted his eyebrows together skeptically, "That is what you wanted, is it not?"
I nodded, looking on the deck at my frightened brothers and unnerved sister, "It is. They deserve it for treating me so poorly. If this is the sacrifice I must make then I will do it."
"Good." He praised, putting a hand on my arm gently and getting me to higher my head, "Have you decided how you want to do it?"
I quickly glanced down at the deck again, my eyes scanning for Arthur, but I couldn't spot him in the mass of men. Only my indifferent sister tied up to the mast stood out to me. The thought of bringing harm upon them sickened me, but I had to come up with an answer. If Hook saw any sign of contemplation he would sniff out our rouse.
A wave slapped the side of the ship, making a noise that sounded reminiscent of a beast snapping its jaws shut, and an idea came to me.
"I think... I think they should be feed to the alligators."
Hook's eyebrow went up and he smirked, nodding approvingly, "That is a terrible fate, my dear, for any soul. Are you quite sure in your decision?"
Although I fought against it, I stared down at the deck again. I was doing my best to keep up this distraction but if Arthur didn't free them soon, Hook would carry out my plan and all would be lost.
"I'm sure." I finally said, taking another breath, "It's what they deserve."
Hook's hand stroked his bare chin, most likely imagining that it had hair as his face once did, and stared at me, judging the extent of truth in my words. I remained secure in my statement even though my mind was telling me that I needed to look on deck again.
After a moment of sizing me up, Hook inhaled through his nose and clapped his hands together.
"Arthur." He said loudly enough to be heard even above the roar of the waves.
My head snapped down and the pirates parted to reveal Arthur, dangerously close to the tied up Lost Boys.
He swallowed hard and looked up at us, "Yes, Father?"
"Come up here, won't you?"
Arthur straightened his coat and walked across the deck, climbing the stairs slowly and calculatingly. Our eyes locked as he reached the top, and an unspoken dread passed between us.
"Do you need something from me, Father?"
Hook walked from behind me and stood so that he faced both Arthur and I. He put his hands on his hips and nodded at me with his chin, "Your lady here says she has decided we should feed our prisoners to the crocodiles. Smart idea, don't you think?"
Arthur's face paled slightly but he cleared his throat again and put on a smile, "Brilliant idea, blondie."
"I agree." Hook interjected, pacing between us, "Although, it does strike me as rather odd that you would chose such a severe punishment for a crime so minimal. All they did was leave you behind. It's not as if they planned to murder you, or to murder someone you care about. But here you are, so willing to betray them."
I backed into the banister and moved my hands behind my coat, feeling the small dagger tucked away there. Hook continued.
"In the short time that I've known you, Ophelia Darling, you've told me many things. But out of those many things, only one is true."
My blood froze as he stopped in front of me, a devious smirk on his lips.
"You say you want to be a pirate, yet your words tell me otherwise. You say you have no problem betraying your family, yet your eyes never wander far from where they are. But the most interesting thing of all," He leaned closer and spoke in a whisper, the tip of his hat brushing against my head, "Is that you and my son have some sort of secret, and you're keeping it from me."
Hook backed away again and grinned, looking between Arthur and I. "I know how to spot a lovers glance from a mile away. And although I can see a love between you, that is not what these glances have been. They are something else. Something darker."
The snow caught in my eyelashes but I was too frozen with fear to push them away. All I could do was look nervously over at Arthur, whose jaw was set in a hard line as he stared indignantly at his father.
"What you say might be true. You might honestly want to become a pirate, Ophelia Darling, and you might honestly have forgiven me, my son. But I have not gotten this far in life without being cautious. And so cautious I will be now."
Hook leaned carelessly against the wheel, crossing his ankles, and tipped his red hat back.
"Oh, Fae-boy!" He called, "It's time to come out and play."