Yours, now and forever.

Chapter 29

Bella's POV

Blood dripped from my mouth as Hook rubbed his bruised knuckles. "You should really learn to do as you're told love." I could see Darius wincing out of the corner of my eye, desperately wanting to help, but bound by his Father's authority. I scowled harshly at Hook. 

"I'll never do what you tell me Killian. EITHER OF YOU!" I screamed. His fist crunched into my jaw again, sending blood splattered across the wooden walls around me.

"I've had just about enough of you miss!" His voice boomed down at me. "Now either you start to follow orders, or you walk the bloody plank!" I let the silence sit, collecting my thoughts, anger, disgust all together.

"I'd rather swim with the sharks then take orders from the likes of you." For a moment, nothing happened. He simply burned into my skull with his cutting eyes. Then a hand shot out and grasped a great handful of my hair. I was dragged to my feet, kicking, screaming and punching anything I could. I wasn't going anywhere without a fight. Hook dragged me onto the top deck of the Jolly Rodger, throwing his hand to the floor, forcing me to my hands and knees as I collapsed onto the deck at their feet.

"Here, boys, is what happens when a pirate doesn't follow orders. How dare he call me that. How dare he call me one of them! "This is your final chance miss Isabella," he chuckled horribly as I was dragged back to my feet, my hands being retied behind my back as they held my shoulders firmly. My hair was grasped again as a great force pulled my neck back, so I was facing upwards, eye to eye with Hook, "any last words?" His face came so close to my own, I could have attacked him. I hated him. I HATED HIM! I pursed my lips tightly together, only parting them for a second as I spat, violently, into his horrible face. He winced away from me, scowling at the ground.

"So long Hook." I was pulled by his grasp on my hair over to the plank of wood that stood out from the side of the ship. I felt my body being pushed onto the now creaking balance beam beneath my feet as Hook let go of me. I had no choice, I had to go forward. It was either to the sharks, or back into swords. I took a final glance over my shoulder, a desperate moment of eye contact froze between me and Darius. He softly shook his head, obviously hopeless that he could stop this. This was it wasn't it. The final moments of my life.

I thought about so much, how I should have listened to Peter, how I should have told him, in person, how much I loved him. How much I missed the feeling of his arms around me and that stupid nervousness I got when he came walking towards me. I wished I had never taken Noah with me, the horrid memories he must have now, thanks to me. He could have stayed, and I would be the only one who would have suffered, but now Noah is left with the trauma of being snatched, watching his own sister get dragged away by cackling pirates while he had to run in the other direction.

What had I done.

"GET ON WITH IT!" Hook screamed among the shouting and jeering of pirates behind me. "Those sharks aren't getting any more full!" One step, two steps, three steps. I was right on the edge of the plank. Below me crashing waters pushed against the side of the ship, rocking it back and forth. The water was so dark and dull that the only thing I could see was the tops of silver fins circling where I was due to fall. One, two, three. No going back now Bella. I left my feet spring off the wood, falling over the edge and letting my eyes flutter closed. I begged for it to be over quickly, for those sharks to simply kill me with one swift motion and it'll all be good and done.

It felt as if I had been falling forever. I felt the bottom of my shoes heading fast to the water, then suddenly stopping. My body jolted, caught on what must have been some sort of rope. Or maybe a nail sticking out from the boat. My eyes refused to open. They were glued shut. My breath was steady and I still lay motionless in my position, ready to be dropped at any moment and experience my inevitable death. I was held closer, hugged into someone by arms that had caught me. The arms moved mine around their shoulders and shook me, attempting to wake me up. "Bella?" They whispered softly. "Bella please be alive."

Peter? My eyes let themselves slowly open.

Peter's worried face was the first thing I saw. I looked around, he had caught me! We were hovering just above the snapping sharks as they jumped up to try and bite at our feet. His one arm was scooped underneath my knees, while the other held my back. I was about to scream with thanks. Apologies. Say anything to him! But as my mouth opened to take a breath he pressed his finger up against my lips, shutting my sentence down. His eyes trailed up the where I had just jumped from, then met my gaze again. No words were exchanged, I simply nodded to say I trusted him.

He smiled that sweet and daring smile I had missed so so much, then shifted his body to be slightly horizontal, still holding my tightly close to him. He sped forward and up, behind the violently blowing sails of the Jolly Rodger. He placed me down on the beam gently and held my waist with his arm so I didn't fall. We peered out from the side of the flapping sail. The pirates below us were all crowded around the edge. Oh shit, they didn't hear the splash. They searched the waters for a drop of blood, simply to prove I was really dead and gone.

"Nothing..." we heard Hook mumble before dramatically turning to his crew. "She's gone!" A roar of cheers erupted from the cluster of pirates, as swords were thrusted into the air and shook around. My focus was broken by the sudden realisation that Peter had left my side and was sneaking around the other side of the sail. I tried to follow him, but he appeared in front of me, holding my shoulders and calmly shaking his head. No. He left me again, leaving my to hold onto the sails by only the ropes around me. He floated silently down to where the crowd of pirates were, still distracted by their celebration of blood. 

"Well well Killian." He breathed angrily. The cheers fell to silence. "It seems you have something of mine doesn't it." Sword we're drawn as he walked casually towards the huge crowd. "Alright. I'm not here for you." He said, mockingly putting his hands up by his head. "I'll just take what you scum have stolen from me and I'll be gone." His tone was so calm and yet so intimidating. Like he knew exactly how this would play out, that he would get his way.

"We didn't steal her Pan." Hook said proudly, "she came to us, seeking escape..." he paused, looking Peter up and down. "From you."

"That's not true." Peter remained as calm as he could.

"Oh but it is." Hook's smile of torturous enjoyment crawler onto his face, it sent chills all the way up my spine. "You see Pan. Just like Wendy, you couldn't love her enough. She needed someone who she could stay here for."

"You're a liar." Peter's internal rage was growing.

"Are you sure Pan?" Killian made his way through the crowd of pirates, coking face to face with Peter. "That would make two of us wouldn't it mate. You lied to her. So many times, that she couldn't bare it. She would never go back to you." They stirred in the silence. "And besides, even if she did want you back. You'll never take her." Peter regained his calm manner for just a second.

"And why would that be Hook?" he tilted his head back and crossed his arms, arrogant as always. The wood beneath my feet began to shake in the tense silence, at first only a little. Until it grew more and more aggressive, till I could barley hold on. I was jolted back and forth, clinging on for dear life. my feet slipped from the surface below them and I was left, dangling by only my upper body strength. The sail shook even more as I desperately clung on. Through the gap between my arms, I saw Hook's arm slowly rise, his finger pointed out towards me and a devious smile on his face. Peter's head snapped around to look at me, and a look of panic hit his face. his mouth dropped open and his breathing increased as his eyes dotted from the boats deck to where I was dangling.

One final jolt of the sail sent me plummeting down, landing in the arms of two pirates. One being the a tall muscular man, with tattoos all across his neck and leading up onto his shaved head. The other, a large man with a long greasy ponytail and rotting teeth. I struggled and squirmed about but they had a tight grip on me. "Let me go!" I screamed at them as they cackled in my face. "Let me go!" I was slammed into a wooden post sticking up through the ships deck, and tied to it. The ropes wrapped around me like a venomous snake, squeeing its prey tightly before devouring it. Peter was still simply frozen with panic and shock. Hook's chuckles made us both slowly look at him.