Saving Peter

Chapter 7: Hook

I'm startled from looking at charts in my cabin by a loud and insistent knocking on the door. Sighing I roll up my charts and put them away then make my way to the door. "Yes, hello. I'm still here." I say while opening the door, expecting it to be one of my crew members. My brother or the quartermaster maybe. However when the door is open enough for me to see who is on the other side I am surprised to see not just Tink, but Tiger Lily as well. 

"Princess, to what so I owe this unexpected pleasure?" I get the words out in a mildly sarcastic tone, putting on a fake but polite smile. The fair Princess and I do not exactly get along. 

Tiger Lily rolls her eyes. "There's no need to pretend with pleasantries, pirate." She pushes her way into my cabin, without being invited. Which is an insult and quite rude. But what did I expect from the hardened princess who thinks the realm bends to her every whim. I mean, just because she's the chief's daughter and there's a prophecy about her doesn't mean she can push all of us around. She may be a princess, but she's not mine. 

"I'm sorry. I must have missed the part where I gave you permission to board my ship and enter my cabin." I turn to her, hardening my stare and crossing my arms. 

"Enough." Tink pushes me into the cabin and shuts the door behind us. "Tiger Lily is right, we don't have time of your petty human squabbles right now. We're here to talk business." 

"Business?" 

Tiger Lily nods seriously. "Yes. Those children that came here the other night. The ones that don't belong." 

"The Darlings. Yeah, I know them. What about them?" I stroll over to my desk and sit in my chair, propping my feet up on top. trying to clearly show that his is my territory and I am in charge. 

Tiger Lily isn't swayed by  y show of authority and sits in the chair across from her. Her stiff and straight posture looking uncomfortable, but I know it's so she's able to move at the first sign of a threat. 

"Enough with the power plays you two." Tink drawls in a bored tone. She plops easily into the seat next to Tiger Lily. "Wendy is the problem here, not each other." 

"I take it she did something else?" 

Tiger Lily narrows her eyes at my words. "Something else? What has she done so far?" 

I raise a brow. "You didn't see it? I'm pretty sure she's the one who sent her youngest brother here. She set this whole thing up. Hurting her little brother, just to get here. Then she manipulated Peter into breaking rules and deals. She knows just how to manipulate him, and probably her other bother, into doing what she wants." 

Tiger Lily's eyes harden at my words. "Is that what this is about, pirate? You worry about Pan? Need I remind you, he is not yours, not your concern." 

I take my feet off my desk with a loud thump. I harden my stare and straighten my back, looking her in the eyes. "You came here to talk to me. To ask me for help or for information. I don't really care. But if you want my help, then you better keep your high and tightly notions about us, your destiny, and my feelings out of this. I don't know if compartmentalization is a part of your culture, but it's a part of mine. I can keep my feelings out of this, I'd appreciate it if you did the same, princess."

Tink sighs. This catches my attention. That's an awfully human thing to do. I widen my eyes and turn to her in mild shock. Once she notices me looking at her she tilts her head and fixes me with a look. It's hard to tell because her face hardly changes from the blank mask she usually wears, but it seems like she is fixing me with a stern look. "Are you both quite finished? I'm tired of your constant bickering." 

I hold my hands up in defense, relenting. "Okay, I get it. The fairy has spoken." I crack a crooked smile when I see my words pull a reaction from her. Her eyes shine with annoyance and her shoulders tense as she bristles at my mild, yet affective insult. 

"I'm not a fairy. I'm Fae." 

I nod, my smile still on my lips, and lean back in my chair again. "I'm sorry, my mistake." 

"Can we get back to the matter at hand?" Tiger Lily cuts into the playful bantering. 

"Right. Well, I've shared my information. What did she do to you?" 

"Pan tried to talk hi sway into my territory, with the Darlings." The princess states bluntly, not even nothing to grant me the courtesy of looking at me. 

"That's it? you came here because Peter wanted to visit your land and you said no and he didn't like it?" A laugh falls from my lips before I can stop it. "I'm sorry princess, but that's not an emergency." 

Tiger Lily's eyes flash. "My tribe protects the secrets of Neverland. And they were trying to gain entry to our land even after being denied entry. She tried to convince me her intentions here were true, but I know she was lying." 

I nod in thought. Despite out differences, I trust her judgement. Like me, she can read others like a book. And her instincts about what or who is and isn't a threat have never been wrong before. I'm just not sure what she expects me to do about it. I suppose I can swallow my pride and ask. 

"Okay. So what's the plan?" 

Tiger Lily looks at me now. "My tribe and I will protect our territory. We will do our best to keep an eye on her if it is convenient for us." 

"And I will continue to keep watch on her actions and report anything suspicious to you." Tink explains plainly. 

I look between the two o them with a dumbfounded look. "That's it? your plan is to just sit and watch and wait?" I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't this. 

Tiger Lily gives me a distasteful look. "There is nothing else to do. We cannot act until we know what her plan is. What her true intentions are." 

I hold my hands up in surrender. "Alright. Since you seem to think you're in charge, I'll let you make this call. For now." I smirk when Tiger Lily practically growls at my words. I knew it would get to her. But what can I say? I don't like it when stuck up princesses try to tell me what to do. 

Tink gets up from her seat. "Right, if we're finished here?" 

"Wait for me outside Fae." Tiger Lily says to her without looking to her. Tink doesn't respond, or even glance in our direction. Instead she exits my cabin and closes the door behind her. 

I smirk easily and look at the princess. "Something you want to say, Princess?" 

"Don't question my authority." 

I sit back in my seat and lazily roll my neck out. "You might be a princess, but you're not my princess. This is my ship and I'm the captain. Here, I'm in charge." 

Her stony eyes roam over me for a solid minute as she thinks of how to respond. I can practically see the cogs turning in her head. "That might be true pirate. But that's all you'll ever be, a pirate. Remember the prophecy. You are not a part of it. But I am, and he is. So forget your fantasies." 

I try not to show just how much her words get to me. I know all about the prophecy of her people. I know how they interpreted. I just don't agree. I stay silent as she gets up from her seat and turns for the door. "Are you sure?" 

Slowly she turns back towards me. "Sure about what?" 

"That it's about him. Everything about that prophecy is specific. Except the name of the boy. So are you really sure it's him?" 

"There's no one else." 

I smile. "We'll see." She narrows her eyes at me. "You're dismissed, princess." She tilts her head at me, clearly not understanding. "That means I want you off my ship." She nods and walks out the door. I sigh heavily and sink further into my seat. Anytime I'm forced to spend with that child soon to be chieftess I'm drained afterwards. Why does she have to be such a pain? We're both leaders, can't she respect that?