Captain's Quarters (Sequel to The Piper Boy)

Chapter 3

Life was great on board a ship. Amily had no choice but to bond with fellow crew members and they started to become as much of a family to her as the Lost Boys used to be. Most days she sat and scrubbed decks as Jed whittled. It was his job in fact, to scrub decks but Amily was happy to take it over for him as long as he kept talking. Jed told the most wonderful stories.

Other days she spent in the dark galley below decks, enveloped in Byron's brown eyes. She found hersef struggling to speak if she got too lost in them. Mostly they'd laugh together and she'd splash water at him while he dried dishes. Amily had never been happier with the life she had now.

But Byron had one flaw. He seemed to make their conversations cross uncomfortable areas that Amily never wanted to speak about.

"But really, why did you come to Neverland in the first place? I haven't met Pan myself but I've heard he's no charmer!" Byron laughed casually and continued drying a plate.

Amily's shoulders drop and she sighed. Would anyone ever understand what she went through?

"I bet he just kept you around for some... well... company" The young pirate wiggled his eyebrows and Amily just felt sick.

"You don't understand" she mumbled.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Byron began a Jed-like impression, "Speak up luv, I can't hear ya!" Amily tried not laugh and cursed him for having that affect on her.

"Never mind. Sorry" Amily shrugged it off. She didn't want to put a dent in Byron's lovable, fun nature. It was too precious.

"So, what do you say to a little fun eh?"

Oh God, why did he have to say that?

"What did you have in mind?" asked Amily slowly.

Byron just chucked cheekily and left the room to search through the storage cupboard just beyond.  She had to wait for a few minutes before her companion came back carrying two cutlasses. 

"You fought before?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Yes I have. But..." Amily stopped not knowing what to say. She had fought before but without training. Pan had just assumed she had natural talent.

"I bet you haven't had training from a pirate before" he smirked and positioned himself, ready for her first move.

Amily knew she'd have to move first so quickly she evaluated which way was best to mske an impression. She decided to go for the chest, knowing that Byron could block it easily if he wanted to to. She was right, he did. Byron flicked her blade aside quickly that she almost lost grip of the cutlass. Amily gripped it tightly to prepare for Byron's next move.

He was sneaky about his tactics. Byron only came at her when and where she least expected it. But she fought steadily and was surprising herself at how much her skills rose when she was desperate. Amily was almost enjoying herself.

"You'll never win!" Byron was smiling crazily as Amily lashed out in fierce but organized slashes, each one he blocked with ease.

Amily was sweating and her heart was beating like an alarm going off but she knew that with just one more carefully thought-out move she could beat him. And then finally that cheeky smile would fade, even thought deep down she wished it wouldn't. Suddenly she stopped to look at Byron innocently.

"Of course not, kind sir, I am only just a little girl who doesn't know anything about fighting someone as skilled as yourself" she gave a cute, small smile and Byron chuckled.

"Oh, with a face like that I could probably almost believe you" he advanced toward Amily and the trap was set in every way that she wanted it to be. Byron reached out a hand to shake on a truce, as he walked forward. Just a few more steps...

Amily lunged, her sword orientated horizontally across his throat. Together the fell to the floor but Amily had the upper hand. All the anger against boys taking what they wanted from her without question had bubbled to the surface. Charlie's face swam before her eyes and she pushed the sword harder against Byron's neck. Even though it wasn't his fault, Amily's anger had blinded her.

Byron had dropped his sword and beneath her his arms were raised in surrender. Amily was aware that she was straddling his hips as she pinned him to the ground but this time it wasn't a move for attraction. Amily wanted Byron to know that she was powerful and no one could mess with her. Or at least, no one would ever again. She peered down at him with a look full of anger and burning hatred, not for him but for everyone who had pushed her down and broken her.

"Never again will someone break me. I will not be used" Amily said the words aloud now and savoured them. They felt good to say.

"I believe you" Byron looked sympathetic but there was something else... was he afraid of her?

"Well, well. What do we have 'ere?" said a voice from the dimly-lit doorway.

Captain Hook's first mate, Smee, stood there looking down a them with amused curiosity. Even Byron had stopped smiling when he realized what had just happened. What could this look like to Smee? Amily jumped off of the boy beneath her and stood up straight. Though he really was a dull character, Smee deserved nearly as much respect as Hook did. Byron got up to go back to washing dishes.

"Nothing of your concern, Smee. What is it?" said Amily firmly.

"The Cap'n wants you. Says it's important" Amily was already out the door before Smee had finished talking. Anything to get away from this embarrassing disaster.

Amily climbed the stairs in silence and strained her ears to hear Byron getting Smee a fresh glass of rum. Always the kiss-up she thought to herself.

On decks there was lack of the usual chaos. Many pirates went about their daily business, climbing rigging and whatnot, but there was some strange lull in the air.

Captain Hook stood with his fist clenched and hook guiding the helm absentmindedly. As Amily approached he took out his telescope with his right hand and opened it with his hook. She was impressed. Slowly Hook handed it to her and went back to steering the ship yet at first Amily didn't look through monocular. She eyed the worried look on the pirates face, the corners of his eyes were crinkled. Amily felt concerned herself. 

"Hook, what's happening?" Amily stood beside the captain at the helm now. His hands held it with white knuckles. The pirate said nothing. He just stared out into the open water, expressionless, his mouth a tight line. Neverland loomed in front of them like a giant sea creature. Amily looked through the telescope now, confused. At first all she could see was the white sand of the beach. And then she saw it. A message drawn into the sand. Beside it, lay Charlie's lifeless body. The words read: 'Peter Pan never fails' "It seems Pan is going to pay us a little visit" said Hook beside her.