Flying

Chapter 41: The Timepiece

"I appreciate your offers of assistance." Squaring his shoulders, Hook nods at each of us. "However, Peter is my brother. He's my obligation. All of you have gone out of your way to help us. I don't want you to inconvenience yourselves anymore."

"It's not an inconvenience," I interrupt him.

"I know you have your own duties to attend to." Hook stares at the ground to avoid looking at me. "You don't need to concern yourself with me anymore."

Tears start to prick the corners of my eyes. I don't know why his words are cutting me. Each syllable stabs into my soul. I don't need him to want me.

"If you don't want my help, you can just say so," I address him directly.

"Um, I'm going to go over there and look at that flower." Merlin points to a bush on the far side of the fountain. "It looks very...flowery."

"I think I'll join you." Flicker quickly trips after him, leaving Hook and I standing alone.

"Jimmy," Hook continues looking at his leather boots, "it's better if you stay in Neverland while I search for Peter. You have more than enough to occupy you here."

"Fine." I blink rapidly to force the moisture from my eyes and take a deep breath to steady my voice before I speak. "I know you blame me for losing Peter. Just so you know, that's not what I wanted. Good luck locating him. I hope you find what you're looking for since it's clearly not here."

Turning on my heel, I stride away rapidly before the tears slip down my cheeks. My lower lip trembles slightly, and I heave in a shaky breath. I should have known better than to let this man past my defenses: the walls that I carefully erected over the years, the sarcastic shield, and the armor of detachment. I can never let him know how much he affects me. How shaken he has left me. The last memory he holds of me must be dignified and composed.

Suddenly, a pair of sturdy arms wraps around me from behind. Soft strands of black hair brush against my skin as James buries his face in the curve of my neck. His steely, hardened hands grasp me as though he will never let go.

"Stormy, I know what I want. I just can't have it."

James turns his face towards me without moving his head away from my body. His facial hair has begun to grow over the last few days, and his rough cheek brushes against my neck. The warmth of his breath against my skin sends tingles down my spine.

"What happened to Peter wasn't your fault. I don't blame you for any of it." James pulls me closer, cradling me against his chest. "I have brought nothing but trouble to you. I have to let you go."

As unexpectedly as he grabbed me, James releases me and starts to walk away. My hands fly up and seize his arm before I can stop myself.

"What if I don't want to let you go?" The words tumble out of my lips unbidden. "What if this island doesn't mean everything to me anymore? What if I want the same thing that you do?"

Without moving his body, James angles his head back at me. The oceanic tempest in his eyes imprisons me. The yearning and trepidation that hurricane through my soul flash across his face.

"If only you knew what that would mean to me," he whispers. "I would give anything for that to be true."

I can feel my usual defenses begin to rise. The intensity of the connection I have with James unnerves me. I want to draw back within myself, but I know this is my last chance. Slowly, I take a deep breath and force myself to look into his eyes.

"I am starting to..."

"Jimmy?" Flicker's voice echoes across the pool. "I think this belongs to you."

A long chain dangles from her slender fingers. The timepiece swings from the end of the golden string. A beam of sunlight reflects off the metal circle. I release James's arm and raise my hand to shield my eyes from the blinding light.

"Dear one, it would probably be best to keep this away from the water's edge," Flicker admonishes me.

I roll my eyes, and one corner of James's mouth twitches upwards. As I turn to the fey, James steps in front of me, his tall frame towering over me. His hand brushes against mine.

"You know it's bad form to leave conversations unfinished, Stormy."

"I can't get rid of you, barnacle." I grin at him, savoring the taste of our old conflicts. "Guess I'll be stuck with you for a bit longer then."

As I run to Flicker, I can feel her disapproving energy. Her eyebrows are drawn together, and she shoots a distrustful glance at James, whose gaze is still fixed on me. When I reach the fey, she gives me a tightlipped smile.

"What happened over there? It took so long that I thought you two might have fallen sleep."

I shrug without responding. For some reason, I don't want to share our private moment with anyone. Flicker frowns slightly when I don't speak. She's unused to me keeping anything from her.

"I thought you didn't trust the pirate." Flicker pulls me a few steps nearer to the pool, so our backs are turned to James. "He killed your father after all. How could you ever trust a man who did that?"

"It was an accident," I reply. "He didn't mean to."

"Even so," Flicker continues, "he still kept secrets from you. How do you know that he's not doing so now? He could be in league with his brother, and this could be an elaborate ploy."

"Then why would he have let Peter fall through the portal into the unknown?" I brush off Flicker's concerns.

"It could have been an accident or maybe he betrayed Peter and is still working with his fiancé."

"Ex-fiancé," I interrupt sharply. Flicker starts to speak again, but I cut her off. "I know that you don't trust him, but I do. He's an honorable man. Even with all the darkness in his life, James is still full of light. I believe in him."

Flicker purses her lips together and gives a terse nod. She knows me well enough to see that she cannot change my mind. Wordlessly, she holds out the timepiece. The pocket watch looks dull and lifeless against the luminescent skin of her palm.

"I think something might be wrong with it," she warns me. "Look at the hands. They've stopped moving."

I reach forward and stroke the faceof the pocket watch with my finger. Suddenly, a burst of light shoots from the center of the timepiece. 

Salutations, friends!

Surprise! I've updated again. You don't have to wait months for me to post a new section! Yay! Flowers and candy for everyone! But seriously, thank you so much for the continued support and patience. I am working on editing this story so you will be seeing updates on the chapters soon. I'm also hoping to begin the sequel this summer!

Fun Fact:

While we writers like to say that love springs from the heart, it actually stems from the brain. According to Dr. Helen Fisher at Rutgers, love can be split into three categories: lust, attraction and attachment. Lust wants sexual gratification. Attraction triggers the reward center of the brain, releasing hormones that make us feel good. Attachment mediates friendships, parent-infant bonding and social cordiality. Each type of love is characterized by unique hormones like estrogen, testosterone, dopamine, seratonin, norepinephrine, oxytocin and vasopressin. Lust and attraction turn off parts of the prefrontal cortex of the brain which helps control rational behavior, critical thinking and self-awareness. So what form of romantic love are Jimmy and Hook feeling? Lust, attraction or attachment?

More updates coming soon. Until then, I remain...

Yours truly,

Commodore Caroline