Tinker, Pirate, Princess, Pan - Chapter Six

[moonfirefic]

 

Chapter Six

Captain Hook seethed in anger as he watched the sun stream down through the clouds and the seas grew calm, knowing his plan had failed. “He's alive!” he screamed in rage as he smashed his hook against the railing and the chanting stopped.

“Why is he? What is he?” he ranted as he strode across the deck to Gwen. “I'll have one last story before you die,” he ordered as his hand clasped around her throat. “The story of Jack the Pan. Once upon a time...” he prodded.

“Once upon a time...” Gwen started as he released her

“Brutes, Red-Handed Jill is gonna tell us a story!” Smee called out and the other pirates crowded around with a cheer.

“There was a boy named Jack... who decided not to grow up,” Gwen continued.

“Skip the prologue,” interrupted Hook.

“So he flew away to the Neverland where the pirates are,” said Gwen

“Was one of them pirates called Noodler?” a pirate with his hands on backwards asked.

Gwen nodded.

“Captain, did you hear? I am in a story!” Noodler said happily before Hook shot him.

“What fun, he must have had,” mocked Hook gesturing for Gwen to continue.

“Yes,” she answered. “But he was rather lonely”

“Lonely?” Hook replied looking thoughtful. “He needed a Gwen, I take it?” he asked causing Gwen to smirk. “Of course he did.”

“I need a Gwen,” one of the pirates piped up and Hook promptly shot him as well.

“Very exciting,” commented Smee as the Lost Boys screamed. “Two dead already!”

“Why a Gwen?” Hook pondered.

“He liked my stories,” said Gwen defiantly.

“What stories?” Hook demanded.

“Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty…” Gwen explained.

“Love stories?” asked Hook.

“Adventures in which good triumphs over evil,” she clarified.

“They all end in a kiss,” he observed and Gwen fell silent. “A kiss…,” he said to himself as he tried to work out why Pan had liked the stories. “So he does feel. He feels about you. But he didn’t kiss you, I wonder why?”

Gwen frowned. “He’s just waiting for the right moment,” she said, clearly believing it.

“Oh my dear you are naïve,” he answered cutting her from the mast to and hauling her across the deck.

“So you told him stories and he taught you to fly. How?” he asked placing his hook against her neck as he held her arms behind her back.

“You just think happy thoughts. They lift you into the air,” she replied with a gulp.

“Alas, I have no happy thoughts,” answered Hook with a sneer.

“That brings you down,” Gwen snarked back at him.

“How else?” he asked, wanting to know all Pan’s secrets.

“Don’t tell him!” yelled out Rhys.

“It's faerie dust. You need faerie dust!” cried Andy not willing to see his sister hurt.

“Andy!” the rest of the boys wailed.

“What of Pan?” asked Hook with a smile. “Will unhappy thoughts bring him down?”

“He has no unhappy thoughts,” replied Gwen smugly. “You can’t beat him.”

“I wonder if he’ll have unhappy thoughts when his Gwen walks the plank?” Hook replied as the rest of the pirates cheered and started to call out ‘Plank! Plank! Plank!’ Hook handed her to Smee who quickly blindfolded Gwen and pushed her out onto the thin piece of wood.

“You know, I really am terribly sorry about this,” Hook said with a sniff. “The irony. It comes for Hook...and gets a story,” he added as he heard a soft ticking in the distance.

The boys cried out in dismay as Hook stomped on the plank and Gwen fell off towards the water, while the rest of the pirates laughed.

“Did you hear her hit the water?” Smee whispered a few moments later. “Because I didn't.”

“The beast has swallowed her whole,” Hook answered with a grin as the two men shared a chuckle.

“Starboard side!” called out one of the pirates as the ticking continued. “It looks for more, Captain!”

“Then let's give it more,” Hook answered. “To the plank!” he said, grabbing Andy and cutting him loose from the others to take Gwen’s place.

The ticking grew louder and Hook saw a shadow pass over the sails.

“Into the rigging with you!” he ordered. “Hunt it down! Move, you scabs!”

Hook hurried to his quarters to grab an extra set of pistols and raced to the stern of the ship where the crocodile seemed to be headed.

Once his back was turned, Jack flew down with Gwen in his arms and winked at the Lost Boys.

Sensing something was amiss, Hook turned around and made his way back down to the main deck.

One of the crewmen fell off the rigging distracting Hook, and Gwen made a run for it below deck to find weapons while Jack slid behind the Lost Boys to set them free.

One of the crewmen, the rude pimply one who had stolen Andy’s teddy and strapped it to his chest, found himself confronted by the immense shadow of the crocodile as it came closer.

“It's here, Captain! Devil! Demon! Accursed beast!” he cried out as it slipped from behind the sail and he saw it for what it really was.

“Hello ugly,” quipped Ianto as he threw the wooden toy crocodile with a pocket watch tied to it at his head, knocking the pirate from the rigging into the water with ease.

The splash was loud enough to draw Hook’s attention, and when he turned back, he found his captives gone, and Pan in their place.

“So, Pan. This is all your doing,” said Hook with malice.

“Aye, Hook. It's all my doing,” replied Jack with a smile.

“Proud and insolent youth, prepare to meet thy doom!” he answered.

“Have at thee!” said Jack as he started to attack.

Hooks crew lowered themselves from the rigging to surround them and Hook growled at them to stay back.

“Leave him! He's mine!” he ordered.

“Now!” called Jack as the Lost Boys and Gwen burst from their hiding place to join the fray.

Mr. Smee, always one for finding a way out of a tough situation, was making his way to one of the rowboats, his arms full of treasures he had stolen from the ship’s hold.

But he made one fatal mistake. In choosing to add the teddy bear of one Andrew Darling to his loot, he drew the boy’s attention, and soon found his way barred.

“Here you are,” he said as he slipped pearl and diamond necklaces over the tip of Andy’s sword and handed the boy his teddy. “I never wanted to be a pirate anyway,” he added as the small boy edged him towards the plank. “I'm gonna spend the rest of my life doing good works,” he finished before jumping into the sea.

While Jack got caught up fighting the other pirates, Hook managed to grab Ianto and sprinkle himself with faerie dust.

“It's Hook! He flies!” he said with glee as he flew up to chase Jack. “And he likes it!“

“You want to fly? Then let's fly,” answered Jack with a laugh as he barrel rolled across the rigging and out of his reach with Hook flying right behind him. “Not bad... for an old man,” he said with a grin as he stopped to clash swords with the pirate once more.

“I know what you are!” Hook taunted.

“I am the best there ever was!” Jack retorted forcing Hook back.

“You're a tragedy,” Hook countered as he regained his place in the sky.

“Me? Tragic?” Jack scoffed.

“She was leaving you,” he said with a sneer. “Your Gwen was leaving you and so were the Lost Boys. Why should they stay? What have you to offer? You are incomplete. They’d rather grow up than stay with you.”

“Stop it!” Jack yelled. “She’s just a girl, and there will be other children.”

“Just a girl, is she?” he chuckled. “Then why has the sky gone dark? Do you truly think I do not know how you feel, she told me herself.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” Jack answered.

“But what if you could never see her or the others once they went home?” Hook pushed. “What if the window was shut?”

“I'll open it!” Jack yelled back as they crossed swords again, though much to Hook’s delight they were losing altitude.

“I'm afraid the window's barred,” answered Hook shaking his head.

“Then l’ll call out her name,” Jack reasoned.

“She can't hear you or see you,” Hook continued.

“No!” said Jack shaking his head as he sunk lower.

“She and the others have forgotten all about you,” Hook finished with a sneer.

“Stop! Please! Stop it!” begged Jack near tears.

“You die alone...and unloved,” finished Hook as he threw Jack down onto the deck. “Unloved. Just like me,” he added as he eyes turned red and he prepared to strike him down.

“No!” Gwen cried out and Ianto rushed forward to stop Hook  before being grabbed by one of the pirates and clenched in their fist.

Gwen threw herself down beside where Jack lay defeated and turned towards him.

“Silence, all,” Hook ordered, “for Gwen’s farewell.”

“Jack, I'm sorry, I must grow up. But... this is yours,” she said as she leaned forward.

Hook grabbed her hand and pulled it back, suspicious of what she was up to.

“'Tis just a thimble,” she said innocently.

“How like a girl!” Hook mocked. “By all means, my beauty. Give Pan your precious thimble,” he said, throwing her back down onto the deck.

“This belongs to you...and always will,” she whispered before leaning down to kiss him.

What happened next isn’t in most of the storybooks. For you see while Gwen was certain that Jack was the one who was destined to be the holder of her hidden kiss, she was mistaken. For at that very moment, the pirate holding onto Ianto yelped in surprise as the faerie in his hand grew red hot. Wincing in pain, he threw the Tinker down towards Pan, causing Ianto to smack into Gwen, knocking her aside as he landed in her place. As Pan turned to look at his Tinker, his eyes widened in surprise as the tiny faerie seemed to explode in a burst of light, leaving a boy with curly dark hair, pointed ears, shimmering wings, and a familiar pair of ocean blue eyes lying in his place.

“Ianto?” Jack asked in wonder.

The boy nodded, and smiled at him shyly.

Jack grinned back at him and pulled the boy closer. Suddenly overcome with joy at being able to hold his friend properly for the first time in his life, he impulsively clasped the back of his head and drew him in for a kiss.

But it wasn’t just any kiss as the rest of those gathered soon became aware.  As the kiss went on it became quickly apparent that even calling it a hidden kiss might not be adequate.

Ianto drew back and smiled, as Jack’s skin began to shimmer and the sky filled with a swirl of light, the likes of which Neverland had never seen. Ianto winked at him and flew over to the Lost Boys to watch what happened next.

“Brace yourselves, lads,” said Rhys as he grabbed some of the others to hunker down on the deck.

“'Tis a powerful thi-ing,” nodded Owen thinking of Toshiko.

“Pan,” Hook said in disbelief, “you’re glowing!”

Jack grinned and shot into the air crowing in happiness as he flew. When he came back down, Captain Hook was trying to follow him, ranting about how he had won, and how unfair it all was.

“But I won!” Hook snarled at Pan as they fought once more.

“You... are old,” retorted Jack as he easily blocked Hook’s attacks.

“Old,” repeated the Lost Boys.

“And alone!” Jack continued forcing Hook to retreat.

“Old. And alone!” Repeated the Lost Boys

“No! I won! I won!” Hook still protested as he started to drift downward.

“Done for,” finished Ianto, as Jack slashed towards him.

“Happy thoughts. Think Happy thoughts,” Hook chastised himself as he noticed a familiar figure in the waters below. “Ripping! Killing! Killing! Choking! Lawyers! Dentists!”

“Old! Alone! Done for!” chanted Ianto.

“Old! Alone! Done for!” joined in Gwen.

“Old! Alone! Done for!” added the Lost Boys.

“Pus! Uh, children's blood. Puppies' blood,” Hook tried again as he continued to fall from the sky.

“Old! Alone! Done for! Old! Alone! Done for!” all of the children chanted together.

“Disease! Scabs! Kittens dashed on spikes! No!” Hook pleaded as he heard the Great Grey Crocodile snap his jaws below.

“Old! Alone! Done for!” the chant continued.

“White death! Black death! Any death! A nice cup of tea!” Hook cried out in desperation until at least he admitted defeat.

“Old. Alone. Done for,” he said sadly as he crossed his arms, closed his eyes and met his fate in the belly of the crocodile.

“Brimstone and gall! Silence, you dogs! Or I'll cast anchor in you,” called out a voice, causing Gwen and the others to turn away from the railing in fear, before smiling at Jack  who was wearing Hook’s hat while Ianto stood behind the wheel, ready to make sail.

“We won! We won!” the boys cheered as the few remaining pirates jumped ship.

“Ready to cast off?” Jack called out.

“Aye. Aye, Captain!” called back the boys.

Gwen, still put out that Jack had chosen the faerie boy over her, swept her eyes over the two of them and noticed how their fingers entwined on instinct as they passed each other. Suddenly it all made sense; Jack could never have loved her, his heart already belonged to Neverland and Ianto.

The two boys turned to face her and she smiled in spite of herself.

Shaking her head she nodded to Ianto and turned towards Jack. “Oh, the cleverness of you,” she said fondly.

Jack smiled and looked at Ianto who floated up a bit and with a grin let out a wolf-whistle, calling the faeries of Neverland to their aid. Ianto bowed to them as they arrived and soon they were busy coating the Jolly Roger in faerie dust, enchanting the vessel so that it could make the voyage back to London. Once they were done, the great ship rose into the air, sailing past starbursts and moonbeams until it reached the clouded skies of London, sailing past Big Ben and Kensington Gardens as it made its way to the Darling’s nursery.

When Gwen and her brothers stepped through the nursery window, they found Mrs. Darling sleeping in her rocking chair, still waiting for their return and Nana fast asleep at her feet.

They both looked so peaceful, the children decided to climb into bed and break their return to her gently.

Mrs. Darling however had seen them so often in her dreams, that when she saw them in their beds, she thought that it was simply the dream hanging around her still.

“Oh, Nana,” she said in despair as she left the nursery. “I dreamt my little ones had come back. I dreamed they were asleep...in their beds. But they will never come back,” she whispered holding her head in her hands in despair.

Nana barked and Mrs. Darling decided she would check one more time, in case it hadn’t been a dream; and to her surprise, when she returned Gwen, Owen, and Andy were all waiting for her.

“Hello, Mother,” said Gwen demurely.

“It really is us,” Owen reassured her.

“We're back,” Andy added as he rushed forward to hug her.

“Oh my dear ones!” Mrs. Darling said with tears in her eyes as she pulled Gwen and Owen to join her.

“George, come quickly!” she called, knowing he would want to see them as well.

“I'm coming! What is it?” Mr. Darling asked as he scrambled into the room and skidded to a stop in front of the window.

“We're back, Father,” said Owen. “Did you miss us?”

Mr. Darling stared at the children in disbelief before straightening his waist coat and trying to regain his composure. “You're back,” he finally said stepping towards them. “Good. Excellent. Well done,” he said holding out a hand for Owen to shake. But as the boy grasped it, he pulled him close and hugged him instead.

“Oh, my angel,” he said fighting back tears. “Of course I missed you.“

“All right, boys, follow me,” came Aunt Yvonne’s voice from down the hall. “Get your hands off that wallpaper. Now, come on in,” she added shooing them into the nursery.

“Mary, it’s the silliest thing,” she started. “These young gentlemen say that...” she stopped in mid-sentence as she noticed that the children had returned. “You're back,” she said rushing forward to hug them.

Seeing an opportunity, Gwen hugged her quickly and moved to stand beside the Lost Boys.

“Mother, Father, I would like to introduce the Lost Boys,” she said.

“Hello,” the boys chorused as Gwen whispered for them to remove their hats.

“May I keep them?” she asked giving them her most imploring look.

“Well, I-I...I mean, the expense,” Mr. Darling stuttered.

“Think of the neighbours,” added Aunt Yvonne.

Mr. Darling was so happy to have his children home again, that he decided that a few more would just have to be sorted out as he would not risk anything standing in the way of his family’s happiness ever again. Making a decision, he stood up straight and looked at the boys.

“Dash the neighbours! And dash the expense!” he said causing Aunt Yvonne’s mouth to drop open in disbelief. “Welcome to the family, boys.”

“Thank you, thank you!” said the Lost Boys as they ran over to hug him, knocking him to the ground.

“Will this help the expense, Father?” Andy asked dumping out the bag of loot he had taken from Mr. Smee.

Mr. Darling’s eyes went wide at the sight of so much treasure. “Anyone for a pony ride?” he finally responded overcome.

“I'm Mickey,” the boy introduced himself to Mrs. Darling.

“Mickey, darling,” she responded.

“I’m Eugene,” introduced another.

“Eugene, darling,” she greeted him as well.

“And what's your name?” she asked a quiet boy with dark brown hair.

“Tommy. I plan the battles,” he answered shyly.

“Would you like a mother, Tommy?” she asked him.

“Yes, please,” he replied as she pulled him close.

But there was one boy who stood at the door to the nursery all alone watching the others, especially Gwen with a wistful, yet sad look on his face.

Yvonne noticed him and asked him what was wrong.

“I couldn’t find the house,” he answered with a sigh. “And now everyone has a mother, except me.”

Ianto and Jack, watching from the shadows outside the window shared a look and Ianto blew a kiss from his hand until it hit Aunt Yvonne in the cheek. He smirked in satisfaction as she blinked and turned to the lone boy and looked at him in wonder.

“Is your name Rhys?” she asked, seeming to hold her breath as she waited for his answer.

“Yes,” he said warily.

“Then I am your mother,” she whispered.

Rhys’ eyes went wide in surprise. “How do you know?” he asked curiously.

“I feel it in my bones,” she answered with a smile.

“Mother!” Rhys said leaning in to hug her as Yvonne sighed in contentment.

“George! Mary!” she called out when she released him to join the others. “I have a son!”

There could not have been a lovelier sight, but there was none to see it...except a pair of strange boys who watched from outside the window. For Pan had countless joys that other children can never know, but he was looking at the one joy...from which he must be forever barred.

“To live would be an awfully big adventure,” Jack said as he watched them.

Ianto braced himself, knowing he would never be truly happy until he knew how Jack really felt.

“Do you want to stay with them?” he asked, trying to still the nervous fluttering of his wings.

Jack turned away from the window and smiled. “Nah. I think I’ve found an adventure that seems even more exciting,” he said with a grin as he clasped his Tinker’s hand and pulled him off his branch into the sky. “Let’s go home.”

“Jack!” Gwen called out from the window as they started to leave.

“You won't forget me, will you?” she asked, taking one last opportunity to see if he would at least remember her, even if he wouldn’t stay.

“Me? Forget?” he scoffed. “Never.”

“Will you come back?” she asked, looking to Ianto this time, somehow knowing the answer hinged on him.

“We’ll come to hear stories, as long as the Darlings tell them,” Ianto replied knowing the compromise would make Jack happy.

“As long as they are about me!” Jack added with a face-splitting grin.

Gwen lifted her hand in farewell and the others gathered around to watch as the two boys sped off into the star-filled sky. Soon the second start to the right flashed, and they were gone.

Gwen had hoped she would see them again, but it was not to be.

But as long as there are children to hear them, the Darlings will keep their promise and tell stories of Pan and his Tinker, and they will tell it to their children...and so it will go on.

For all children grow up...except one.

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