Tinker, Pirate, Princess, Pan - Chapter Five
Chapter Five
While Gwen and the others were being captured, Jack was having a nightmare about taking medicine, and being trapped in an office.
As he muttered in his sleep about not taking medicine, Captain Hook reached down through the knots of the tree and tried to gut him with his hook.
But he could not reach him. Pulling his arm back in frustration he looked around and saw the petal that Gwen had left filled with water. Pulling a bottle topped with a pewter skull from his pocket, he poured a few drops into the water, before slipping back into the shadows.
“Never hurts to have a backup plan,” Hook smirked to himself once he reached the forest once more. For you see, lest he should be taken alive, Hook always carried upon his person a dreadful poison...distilled when he was weeping from the red of his eye. It was a mixture of malice, jealousy and disappointment, it was instantly fatal and without antidote.
Pulling the bottle of poison back out to admire the glittering red poison that was to be Pan’s doom, he whistled a jaunty tune as he strolled back to his ship.
Jack, hearing the sound of Hook’s whistling echoing through the trees, startled awake.
“Gwen,” he asked, hoping that maybe she and the boys had stayed. “Gwen are you there?”
But Jack was alone.
Ianto, who was flying past as fast as his wings could carry him, saw Hook slip the poison back into his pocket and his eyes went wide in horror. With a burst of speed he streamed into Hangman’s Tree and frantically tried to stop Jack from swallowing Gwen’s medicine.
“Ianto? What are you doing?” Jack asked as he pushed him aside.
Ianto frantically tried to tell him not to drink it but he was so out of breath Jack just rolled his eyes and lifted the petal once more.
Growling in frustration, Ianto flew in front of his mouth and swallowed the water, his only thought to stop him before Hook’s evil plot prevailed.
“You drank my medicine!” complained Jack, as Ianto started to cough, flying in a lopsided arch around the room.
“Ianto?” Jack asked in fear as the Tinker crashed onto the table and staggered to a nearby shell as he fought to stay conscious.
“Ianto?” he asked again as he slipped down in front of the shell and curled up against it. “Why is your light going out?”
“Hook,” Ianto whispered, as his eyes grew heavy.
Jack reached down to pick him up and pulled his hand back as if burned. “Why are you so cold?” he asked.
“Too late,” Ianto whispered again. “Medicine…poisoned.”
“Stay warm,” Jack pleaded, bringing a candle closer to him. “It’s all my fault,” he said tears swimming in his eyes as Ianto’s light started to flicker. “Please forgive me,” he begged.
Ianto smiled at him softly before closing his eyes as his light went dark.
Hoping for a miracle, Jack took his dearest friend up to the forest floor and set him gently unto a nearby bed of moss.
“Please come back,” he begged. “Please, Ianto. Please don't leave me.”
As a tear fell from his eye onto the still form of his Tinker, Jack threw back his head and screamed out his name to the heavens.
~~~~~~~
On the Jolly Roger, Captain Hook and his crew were busy preparing the plank for Gwen and the Lost Boys who had thus far refused to join his crew.
“There's still room for a storyteller,” he tried to convince Gwen. “All that excitement on the high seas, the adventures, the gold...”
“I'd rather die,” Gwen spat back at him.
“Shame,” he said with a shrug. “The plank it is then.”
“Cap’n!” called Smee as thunder boomed overhead. “Look at the sky,” he said as dark clouds rolled overhead and snow began to fall. “And look at the water,” he added as the seas began to churn and smash against the ship. “Pan must be dead,” Smee concluded seeing no other explanation.
“No! No! Impossible!” called the Lost Boys. No one had ever defeated Jack, and no one could, they were almost sure of it.
“Ship's company!” called out Hook. “Hats off! A moment's silence for our fallen enemy, Jack the Pan.”
There was a moment of silence as the crew and the Lost Boys stood there stunned. Had Jack really been defeated?
When the moment had passed, Hook and the others replaced their hats, and got back to work.
“We sail at dawn!” Hook ordered as the sails were furled and the crew cheered and positioned Gwen in front of the plank.
“Girlies always go first,” one of the crewmen snickered as Gwen tried not to cry.
~~~~~~~~
Jack dried his tears and tried to think. Faeries died if you said you didn’t believe in them. Maybe just maybe, if he said it enough times and called out to all the children of the world to say it with him, he could save Ianto.
And so he began to whisper.
“I do believe in faeries.
I do. I do.
I do believe in faeries.
I do. I do.”
Seeing the faintest shimmer flash over Ianto’s wings he tried harder and threw his head back, shouting it to the heavens for all he was worth.
“I do believe in fairies.
I do. I do.”
On the Jolly Roger, Gwen and the others heard him and started to say it as well.
“I do believe in faeries,” they chanted. “I do. I do.”
“Stow that gab,” yelled back one of the pirates, “Or I'll run you through! Believe in faeries! I do! I do!"
Across the Earth children everywhere joined in the chant, “I do believe in faeries! I do! I do!”
Even adults like the Darlings and Aunt Yvonne joined in as Jack cupped Ianto in his hands and continued the chant desperately hoping to see the shimmer once more.
“I do believe in faeries. I-“ Jack stopped as Ianto’s light flickered and his eyes blinked open.
“Oh Ianto!” Jack exclaimed, holding the tiny faerie against his cheek. “You’re alive!”
Ianto smiled and nuzzled Jack’s cheek before launching himself up into the air and flying about in joy.
“Can you ever forgive me?” Jack asked when he landed. “You’re the best friend I have. My only true friend. I would be lost without you.”
“And don’t you forget it,” Ianto replied, crossing his arms. “Now, what are we going to do about Hook?”
“It’s him or me this time,” Jack answered as they made their way back down into Hangman’s Tree to get his sword.
“Yes, yes. You’ll have a swordfight and rescue your Gwen,” Ianto said trying to bite back the jealousy that tried to rear its head at her name. “But what then?”
“She’s not my Gwen,” Jack answered him wrinkling his nose. “She never really was, I just-“ Jack sighed.
“Just what?” Ianto asked, as he perched himself atop the wooden crocodile he and Jack had whittled together.
“I just wish she were more like you is all,” Jack finished not meeting the Tinker’s eyes.
“Oh,” Ianto said quietly trying not to blush. Maybe he had misjudged Jack’s feelings towards Gwen. “That is…I mean,” he tried to say before clearing his throat to regain his composure. “What I mean to say is thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Jack replied gruffly.
“We still need a plan,” Ianto said changing the subject. “And I think I have the perfect one,” he added patting the wooden toy with a mischievous grin.
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