Part of the Team - A Syfy's Neverland Fanfiction

I read I watched I conquered

After a long talk with Jimmy about my dreams and him assuring me nothing would ever break this little functional family, he decided it would be a good idea to get me to start writing and reading whilst he taught his classes.

"Here, use this. You're the first I've ever taught, so I hope I'm not terrible. Read this," he said, pointing at a page.

"It is a truth ya- univer- u-niversa- universally ack-kn-kn-"

"Acknowledged," Jimmy encouraged.

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a si- sin-gle man in puh-po-pose-es,"

"Posession," he motioned.

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good for-t-fortune must be in w-want of a w-wi-wife."

"Good!" he smiled, "You're doing very good."

"What book is this Jimmy?" I inquired, flipping it over and looking at the cover.

"Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen. I think you'll like this one. How did you do so well?"

"I think I've always read over your shoulder when I was younger."

He smiled, "I have a class in ten minutes, care to watch?"

I nodded. Watch? I was never asked to watch!

"Alright!" I beamed, "Is this your advanced class Jimmy?"

"Indeed it is, Cat. You'll get to see the best of my pupils today."

I followed him up the stairs, making sure to tuck in my hair under my cap. Jimmy always told me that in case any one of his students saw me looking like a girl, we'd always say I was his child so the men didn't get the wrong ideas. Luckily, in all five of my years here, this had never happened.

Once onto the practice floor, I went to sit on bench in the corner out of the way. About sixteen men were stretching around on the floor, some practicing their thrusts and parries, others engaging in small minor duels. It was completely enthralling!

"Listen up please, I want each of you to do the following: en garde," he began and the men partnered up and readied themselves.

"Prez," he said and each of the men raised their weapons, "Allez!"

The men began their duels, Jimmy shouting directions at them from time to time such as:

"Stevens, parry-riposte! Parry-risposte! Come now, you're going to lose control if you can't defend yourself."

"Touch then parry Jacobs, stay alert!"

"Disengage, Smith, he'll not see it coming."

It was all fascinating to me! Though I could never be a fencing master myself because I was a woman, I had always had the ambition and perseverance to want to learn.

"Alright, Arrêz, thank you. Class two nights from the next." Jimmy said stopping the duels and commanding his pupils ears.

One of the men looked at me in the corner with a confused glance as he was exiting the academy.

"Ah, yes," Jimmy said, "this is Robert. He cleans this place after you all leave, I thought I'd ask him to sit in and watch today." I nodded over in his direction.

"Righto." The man nodded, and left the building with the rest.

"Come, Cat," Jimmy told me after everyone had left and the doors were shut. He picked up. A sword and handed it to me. I smiled as I felt the texture of the handle in my hand.