Captain's Captive

Tales of Pan

Wendy sighed wearily as she glanced around the cavern at the gathering of young lads who had settled around the fire to enjoy their makeshift dinner. It was nothing fancy, but she was proud of it; cooked fish that Jax had brought back from his excursion with the older boys, berries rummaged from the forest during her walk with the youngest ones, and a few cooked vegetables courtesy of Pan himself, though he was clearly not a fan.

"A story." Peter's demanding voice cut through the silence of the meal as he settled next to her and crossed his legs. A wooden pan flute appeared in his hand and he blew out a familiar tune, capturing the attention of the boys immediately. A myriad of eyes snapped in their direction, and Wendy felt her heart sink at their obedience.

"Alright..." She began hesitantly, smoothing the dust and wrinkles from her gown as her blue eyes glanced around at the eager faces watching her. "What sort of story would you like to hear?" She questioned, but Pan was the one to answer.

"Tell them the time I cut off Hook's hand and fed it to the crocodile." He retorted with an amused grin, clearly proud of the feat.

"Very well...Of all the evil, vile pirates to ever cross the seven seas, none were as ruthless or cruel as the dastardly Captain Hook..." She began, smiling despite herself as she watched their young faces light up with interest, a few shuffling forward to hear her better.

Even Jax, who was certainly not her biggest fan, had meandered closer to the fire and was leaning lazily against one of the wooden walls of the camp as he listened to her spin her tale.

"One night a great storm blew in off the coast of Neverland, and with it came the bloody sails of the Jolly Roger, Hook's fearsome ship. The mermaids were the first to notice, and as fear gripped their pure hearts they raced for the safety of Neverland Grotto, crying out to the only one who could help..."

"Me, of course." Peter interjected, his chest swelling with pride as he made a show of leaping to his feet and drawing his dagger.

"Y-yes, quite right. Now, where was I?" Wendy started again, fighting the urge to roll her eyes at the not-so-galliant hero who had so rudely interrupted her. She didn't miss the amused grin on Jax's face as his eyes met hers, clearly noting her irritation.

"Quick as a lightning bolt, I flew off to see for myself this no good pirate." Peter reminded her, jabbing his dagger into the air at his invisible enemy.

Wendy sighed, allowing Peter to finish the story as she pulled one of the young boys into her lap, his ragged little bear clutched tight to his chest as he listened on in awe. Pan was more than at ease boasting of his adventures, and it wasn't long before she felt her eyelids growing heavy.

By the time Peter had finished telling of his sword fight with Hook and his triumphant victory, the majority of his audience had drifted off to sleep. Wendy shifted the sleeping boy in her lap as Jax and the older boys made their way through the crowd, gently lifting the youngsters and returning them to their own beds.

"You did well. They trust you. Which means they trust me." Pan's voice called to her as he made his way to the farthest reach of the cavern, a makeshift hammock tied between two stalactites signifying his own bed. The gentle sound of his flute called through the darkness and Wendy found herself growing to hate the sound of it.

Running her fingers through her blonde curls, she let out a frustrated sigh as Jax appeared next to her. "The fire's almost out...I'm going to get more wood." Wendy mumbled, and rolled her eyes when he stepped to her side to follow. "Honestly, it's an island. Where could I possibly go?" Her temper flared, taking her frustration out on him as he shrugged nonchalantly.

"Orders are orders."  Jax extended his hand in front of him, signaling for her to lead the way and chuckling to himself as she huffed and stormed ahead.

The night was warm and a gentle breeze drifted through the canopy of vibrant green trees, carrying the sweet scent of exotic blooms from somewhere deep in the forest. The tranquility of her surroundings did not seem to settle Wendy's mood however, and she trudged on in silence, anger and irritation echoing in every stomp of her dainty feet.

"We've gone far enough." Jax said at last, gripping her arm to stop her advancement.

Wendy had been lost in thought and didn't welcome the rude interuption. "What's the matter? Afraid of the dark" She chided with annoyance, snatching her arm from his grip as she rolled her blue eyes.

"Shut up..." it was more of a command than a comeback, but Wendy didn't seem to notice or care.

"Such a gentleman. No wonder they call you the Lost Boys, because your manners have been lost entirely. Of all the-" She began but her sentence cut off as a loud thud echoed from behind her. She whirled to find Jax sprawled on the forest floor, clearly unconscious, and two burly men standing over him. One carried a large branch which she assumed to be his weapon, and the other carried a coil of sturdy rope.

Gasping, Wendy began to step backwards as they advanced slowly towards her, fear filling her chest and suffocating any scream she might have tried to conjure. Before the young blonde could make sense of the situation her retreat was abruptly stopped by a sturdy object at her back. A hand snaked around to firmly cover her mouth as a cold metallic point pressed firmly against her throat.

"Scream...and it will be the last sound you ever make, love." A husky voice met her ear. He pulled her firmly against him and turned his attention to the two ruffians in front of her. "Tie the lad. By the time he reaches Pan we will be far to sea." His tone carried command with ease, and it took little for Wendy to piece together who her new captor was; it could be none other than the notorious Captain Hook.