Pan Never Fails

Lovlier Things To Follow

Kate was gone, and Y/N was speechless. She stared after her friend, watching as she, the horse and the man got smaller and smaller. Soon, they were nothing more than a small gray patch her eye tricked into the shadow of a rock. This war had officially taken everyone from her, and the worst part was, she was so used to it by now that she couldn't feel anything.
    She stood there, perfectly still until, no longer in control of her own body, she began walking. She didn't feel the stone under foot, or the tears still streaming down her face.
She was dead to the world, completely numb.
She sat on the edge of the boardwalk for hours, not noticing the fish she and Kate used to count, or the clouds they would have watched together. She didn't even notice the beautiful golden sunset that Kate surely would have raved about for days. Instead, she stared down at her own hands. Kate was gone and it was like she had taken all the beauty and magic in the world along with her.
She thought back to the last thing Kate had said. She remembered her look of total resolve when she had told Y/N to run. That had been Kate's only concern, that Y/N wouldn't get herself dragged to the front lines too. If that was really what Kate wanted, Y/N would do it.
She would run.
Y/N's attention was pulled away from her hands as a cheer rose up behind her. "To the magic bean!"
She turned to see a pirate and his crew cheering and pounding their fists at the sky, like they could be toasting with mugs of beer. From the look and smell of the crew she guessed they had recently done just that. She stood and watched as they approached.
"To Neverland!" The man in the middle shouted, this time raising a hook to the sky.
Y/N winced slightly at the resounding shouts and applause from the men. Had that man said Neverland? She was distracted, and he was obviously drunk. It could have been the beer talking. But still, she couldn't help but wonder: what if?
The crew gathered around the ship, watching the captain climb aboard. He turned rather dramatically back to his men, his leather overcoat flaring around him. "I hope you have all enjoyed the last night of your arbitrary lives," he called down to his eager audience, "for tomorrow, we embark on the adventure of a lifetime! Tomorrow our new lives begin!"
Y/N edged closer to the ship, listening to the pirate's speech and the crew's roaring applause. Her curiosity had been piqued, she just had to know for sure. She stood behind them now as they whooped and hollered. Once the throng had quieted to an excited hum she nudged her way to the front and called tentatively, "Pardon me sir, but did you say you were going to Neverland?"
The man looked down at the small girl standing below him. "Aye, that I did little lady." He swung himself over the rail and jumped down landing in front of her. "Captain Killian Jones, at your service," he said with a flourish, "but you can call me Hook if you'd like, everyone does."
"Creative," she joked, not really sure how he would react.
Hook chuckled and she felt her shoulders relax.
"Sir?" She started again, a bit bolder this time. "Might you have room for one more passenger aboard your ship?"
"Aye, we have the room. Though you should never expect anything free from a pirate. Bad form you know."
"Oh no! Of course not. I'd be willing to pay you." He gave her a skeptical once over. Clearly he didn't believe she could pay for anything.
    Y/N took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She reached into her pocket and her fingers closed around the small pouch of coins. She dumped the contents into her hand quickly, before she could change her mind. "Will this be enough?"
Lust glinted behind the pirate's eyes as they latched onto the coins. His hand slowly began drifting towards the money, almost as if he were in a trance.
Y/N quickly closed her fist and pulled it to her chest, "Sir?"
Hook blinked hard and shook his head. "Aye, yes, that would be plenty."
"Right then, when do we leave?"
"Tomorrow morning. Be here at dawn."
"Great. And you can expect the money once I'm safely aboard your ship."
"Smart lass. We'll see you in the morning."
Y/N smiled widely, relieved. "Thank you sir."
The captain gave a small salute as the girl spun on her heels and ran off, towards home. He stood to watch her go.
"I like her!" One of the men stated, his words still slightly slurred from alcohol.
A small smile split across Hook's face. "Aye, me too."