Chapter 2: Captain Peter Pan
Captain Pan eyed the always nervous Smee, who was sputtering more than usual and wringing his cap furiously. It was supposed to have been a quick and easy job—nab his fairy back from Hook and be on their way.
“It’s her, Captain. B-but she’s not quite herself. Uh-uh, you see, C-captain—” his boatswain went on bumbling until Captain Pan wasn’t even sure they’d really taken her into custody.
As he emerged from his cabin, he laid eyes on the woman just under his own height. She was decked out entirely in black and green—from one kerchief keeping her wild, golden locks piled atop her head and another at her neck, down to her blouse, slacks, and dainty boots. Captain Pan was sure the crew had gotten his instructions wrong—it wouldn’t be the first time—and had kidnapped some strange woman wandering Neverland. But as he really focused on her, with those piercing blue eyes and that button nose, and above all, her angry, red cheeks, he could almost hear the familiar tinkling instead of the furious words coming from her mouth.
No doubt about it, this was Tinker Bell. Only, she was huge, and speaking, or rather yelling obscenities at him. Thank goodness someone had the foresight to tie her up, for she seemed quite capable of doing physical harm.
For the first time in a long time, as the Jolly Roger’s captain, Pan felt anxiety. “Bring her to my cabin, now!” he ordered, trying to sound as ornery as possible. Fear needed to be instilled in both the overgrown fairy and his crew to mask his uncontrolled feelings. As a mere fourteen-year-old boy, moments like filled him with fear of the unruly and cruel men under him. Would they suddenly ask themselves why they were following orders from a boy, when all of them were grown men?
His prisoner was quickly tied to the velvet seated chair facing his desk, and soon the Captain and fairy were alone. With a swish of his long frock coat, Pan faced her squarely, placing both fists on his hips. “Tink! How could you?” He puffed his chest out angrily at the now human-sized woman. “I just can’t believe you care more about that silly group of boys and Hook more than me.”
His jealousy oozed as he took in her appearance again. He wasn’t sure how she came to be so large, but he did know she’d given up her usual feminine attire for clothes suited for climbing and hunting—clothes for Lost Boys. He tore his eyes away from her garments, focusing back on her familiar face. “Think of all the fun we’ve had over the years, Tink!”
“Fun? Oooooh!” She held her breath and pursed her lips in rage, and he didn’t think her face could get any redder.
“Well, maybe it’ll be okay. I just won’t be able to keep you in the lantern anymore,” he laughed, trying to lighten the mood. “And you’ll eat more of my food.” His eyes lit up with furtive hope, “But because you’re so big, you should be able to make more Pixie Dust than before, right?” His voice pitched with youth and insecurity.
Wriggling to free herself, Tinker Bell strained. “I gave up all my powers when I became human, Peter. No more Pixie Dust and no more flying.”
Captain Pan stopped pacing, seriously staring at the woman who seemed much more frightening as a full-grown adult than she ever had when she was the size of a small bird. It was then he finally noticed the other major difference in her appearance. “Your wings! What have you done with your wings? Why? Why wouldn’t you want to stay a fairy?”
Panic filled him. To have wings and fly without needing Pixie Dust and happy thoughts was something he’d always envied of the fairy. But without her magic, those abilities were gone.
“Love, Peter. But you’re so mean and cruel. You wouldn’t know anything about love.”
He blanched at her familiar use of his first name again—no one called him Peter. Had she always done that whilst she spoke in tinkles and he hadn’t realized it? She was right though—about love. No one had ever loved him, not that he remembered. And after being found by the ill-witted and cruel pirates of Neverland upon his mysterious arrival, it was either succumb to their lifestyle, becoming the most cunning and cruel, so as to lead them, or to become their prisoner. Fortunately, his crafty common sense and drive for adventure had soon garnered him the position of Captain. Tinker Bell, in turn, had afforded him the love of his crew, if that’s what one could call it. All because her Pixie Dust had enabled the ship to soar through the skies to otherwise unattainable and distant places, and thusly filling the hull with loot of all kinds.
Now, if what she said was true and she couldn’t produce the much needed dust anymore, the possibility that he could lose the respect of his devious crew was very real. Mutiny would surely happen. No, he would have to keep this a secret until he could find another cause for them to keep him as Captain.
