Except One

Regan hissed violently, retracting her arm as blood began to appear in a thin trickle from a gash “Ouch Peter!”.

Her sword dropped onto the ground with a clang and Peter sighed, frustrated and ran his hand through his blonde curls “No ouch Regan, if you can’t get the basics, you’re not fighting. I will get every faerie in Neverland to hold you down if I have to!”

Regan stared at Peter, shocked, knowing the stern, much too grown up face was not joking about. He was serious about this and for good reason. She knew that if she could not fight properly tonight, she could die. But she wanted to fight, for the first time in her life, she had something worth fighting for and she wasn’t letting any evil taint it, especially not pirates.

“Okay Peter, please be patient. I’m not Wendy, I had no brothers to practice these games with,” No, no brothers for Regan, all her useless mother had ever given her was Farrell, and he played ‘games’ with her…she shivered, a pain shooting through her body at the memories she wished to forget. For a moment, she almost crumpled to the ground, remembering the nights of abuse, the way his hands left bruises…sometimes she could still feel him on top of her, forcing her…

A whine escaped her throat, and Felin who had been at her shoulder, fizzed anxiously into her ear, sensing her discomfort. She shrugged the feelings away, nothing was going to ruin her time in Neverland, especially not him. The memories however, instilled into Regan, the reason why she was fighting, the reason why these pirates were not allowed to stay. They would bring the evil Regan had experienced her whole life into Neverland. She remembered the small child that had sat on her lap in the Indian camp the day before, his happy innocent smile. Yes, no evil would penetrate his life, Regan would make sure of it.

Peter was watching her, knowing a silent battle was raging inside Regan’s head. He smiled as she straightened, a new determination lighting up her eyes. He side stepped as she attacked him, but she turned and parried his strike with a lightning speed that impressed him.

They had six hours left, they had been practising for hours but only now was Regan really getting the hang of a sword. But as she fought Peter, he knew that six hours would be enough if she kept this fury inside of her raging. That fury would give her skill, and save her life.

Later that evening, as dusk settled, Regan and Peter sat on their bed in their Never home. They were silent, not knowing what to say. What if they did die tonight? What would they say to each other now, that they loved each other? That seemed far too grown up, but this could be the only chance.

Regan turned to Peter at the same time he turned to her, they smiled at each other and cautiously Regan placed her hand over Peters. Their dirty palms intertwined and Regan stared at them, she could feel a sweet blush lighting up her cheeks and then felt a finger pushing her chin up.

Peter placed his palm over Regan’s cheek, and not knowing what else to say placed a small, tender kiss to her lips. The kiss said it all, there was nothing more that could be said or done.

Peter grinned and jumped up, bringing Regan along with him “Come, the faeries have something for you!”

Regan squealed “For me! What is it Peter, please, surprises are no fun!”

Peter winked and soared into the sky, flying quickly to the largest Elm Tree in the middle of the forest, the fairy meeting place. Tinkerbell was there, with Felin holding her miniscule hand. They were dressed for battle, tiny swords at their hips but knowing fairy tempers, it would be their fists that would be their choice of weapon.

More faeries were gathered around and Regan recognised most of them as her friends she made the daisy chains for. She had danced, sang and flown with them all, giving them great joy and now they had something in return for her.

A small group flew towards her, holding a garment between them and placing it into Regan’s hands. She gasped as she looked at it, tears coming into her eyes at the very special gift the faeries had given her. It was a tunic to replace her nightdress, the same style as Peters, woven by tiny hands from the soft precious leaves of the sacred Elm Tree.

It was a sign to everybody that they were inviting her to stay. Nobody had ever received anything like this before, it had only ever been peter. Regan had truly become part of Neverland.

“Oh, how can I thank you all…”, she whispered, not knowing what else to say, what sort of thanks could be equal to such a gift.

Felin kissed her cheek and hugged her nose, and the rest of the fairies did the same, the message was clear, one word ‘stay’.

~

The moon was high in the sky, and snores were echoing around the shore from the large Pirate ship. There one night watchman on the eye but even his skilful eyes couldn’t see the disguised Indian men in the vegetation by the beach. They were painted a dark green, fearsome warrior symbols of strength, power, and hope painted white over their bodies. Their eyes were dark black, lusting for the deaths of the men who threatened their people, had kidnapped their most beautiful female. To offend the Indians, who are wise and thoughtful, the living embodiment of Mother Nature herself is not smart. But the Pirates did not think with their heads but with greed and gluttony.

Regan was above in the clouds with Peter. They were holding hands, awaiting the signal of the Warrior Chief of the Tribe. Regan’s breathing was shallow, she was scared but it was only human to be in this situation. Peter squeezed her small hand affectionately and a small bout of strength flew through her. She could do this.

The signal came, and with only a small flutter of wind Peter and Regan landed on the deck of the ship, utterly alone, escaping the eye of the watchman who heard them landing on the hard tarred wood. He gave a shout as he spied the two lone children, one with an impish grin, the other small with tangled golden hair. They didn’t seem like a threat.

He rang the bell, signalling for the Captain and scaled down the mast. He jumped in front of the children, barring them entrance to the ship quarters. Neither child moved, well they seemed more adolescent then child, but stared at him with amused eyes. They were dressed as if they came from the very leaves of the trees themselves, and they held a wild unbound joy about them. The pirate began to remember nostalgic memories of his own youth, and his eyes became unfocused and his mouth shifted into a small smile.

A door slammed open, as the Captain emerged from inside the ship, many of his crew following, pulling on boots and coats with snarls on their faces. Many of them stopped in surprise at the sight of the children, some laughed that this was apparently the danger.

But William Hook was not amused, he knew who the boy was and though he recognised the girl for the mermaid in the water, he could not quite believe his eyes for mermaids could not be human. And the girl quite clearly had two legs.

His scarlet tailcoat was bright in the light dim lanterns around the ship, his eyes were bright and murderous. He clenched one fist around his sheathed sword, handing smoothly by his waist. Regan’s hand itched to grasp her own, but not now.

Then William smiled and Regan saw the man that as a mermaid, had shaken her very being in sexual arousal. His chin had stubble, not yet shaven, giving him a raw masculine appearance, his legs were shapely and long in his breeches. He was a red blooded male, the worst of them all, a pirate, born to make a woman sigh at his feet. Regan quivered with a strange want but then she remembered the cruelty behind those beautiful brown eyes, the sword he was clutching. This was Hook, not William. The son of James, bred to be cruel, malicious and unmerciful.

Peter stood straight and proud, still grinning, hands on hips. Regan stood sullenly by him, staring at the pirates.

William licked his lips “And what do we owe the honour of Peter Pan’s visit?”,

The pirates around him gasped, suddenly seeing Peter as a small threat. They rose their weapons but Peter only smiled in that boyish way of his “We come to ask you honourable Hook, to leave Neverland and never come back”,

The pirates roared with laughter and Hook’s mouth twitched in a smile “Ah Peter, we cannae do that, we are having far too much fun ‘ere. And what say you lass? For surely you cannot be Regan, my scaled fishy friend?”,

Regan blinked, once again becoming weak by his gaze but she stood firm “Aye, it is Regan but no longer am I the creature you knew me as. And I am not your friend William. You better do as we ask, or it shall be you that will find yourself prey to the ‘fishy friends’ of the deep. They’re waiting.”

As if on cue, a strange growling could be heard from the waters. Peter had informed the mermaids of the fight and for now they were obliging. But mermaids were fickle creatures and they could no more fight against you than with you.

Some of the pirates shivered, and looked around nervously. Peter’s smile became dangerous “I repeat, leave now, and never return and you will be spared your lives”,

William laughed “Never Peter Pan, don’t you know how long I’ve been wanting to kill you? You killed my father, blemished the good name of Hook, mocked him throughout his life. I, William, born from a brief companionship between a barmaid and a lonely pirate, who grew up without a father, never knowing who I was derived from. And then I found him, but too late for before I really got to know the man who sired me, he was taken, killed by a mere boy!”, he spat at Peter’s feet but Peter did not move “And so for years, I have tracked the most fearsome of men, to come here, to kill you and throw your head and hand to the bloody crocodile and then we will see who will crow…”,

Peter sighed, bored “So be it, William Hook”, and then he threw his head back and crowed. Answering roars echoed from the trees and the Indians emerged and they ran towards the ship. The pirates yelled and met the Indians head on in a fierce battle.

Peter flew straight into battle, but Regan dodged through the bodies of the fighting men and ran into and down to the ships quarters. She followed her nose, finally finding the kitchen where she found a girl, not yet twenty, huddled in the corner of the small room. Her cheeks were stained with tears, and her hands were bound. She looked wide eyed at Regan, recognising her as one of the ageless children. Regan quickly cut through the ropes and urged the girl up onto her feet,

“Quick, you must hurry!”,

She opened one of the port holes that was thankfully above the water and helped the girl clamber out. She fell with a splash into the water but Regan did not fear for the Indian girl would be a strong swimmer, and sure enough, with powerful strokes she began to swim to shore, home and her mother.

Regan gasped as a hand shot down onto her shoulder, a man’s hand. She recognised the familiar weight and texture and not even turning around, she shot through the window, kicking her leg behind to throw William off. She hovered above the surface, looking at William’s handsome face which stared at her thoughtfully, recovering from the blow. She should have flown away but she stayed as he began to speak,

“Why do you stay here Regan? Do tell me, for I am most curious…don’t you see you have nothing here? What can he offer you that other men cannot, freedom? Happiness? Youth? You can have all those things without him. If you were a pirate, on this ship, you would be free and I know you would be happy. Nothing awaits you here, except youth. But who ever says youth is most important, only those that are young. Speak to the old, the wisdom they gain through age and experience? Through the trials and tribulations of marriage and raising a family. Don’t you want children Regan? To raise your own child with love you never experience by your parents? For that is why you are here, you were abandoned, misused no doubt…he offers you nothing Regan, nothing…can’t you see? He can give you none of those things that I can, he only ever wants to be a little boy. And little boys care only for themselves…”,

Regan stared at him, transfixed by his words, her body lowering in the air as her happy thought began to fade as she realised the truth in William’s words.