Chapter 25 - Methods of Persuasion

 

      It was dark when Hook opened his eyes again.  He was only mildly surprised to see that someone (most likely Smee) had draped a blanket over him and lit some candles while he’d slept.  It was much more disturbing to discover that the bosun had managed to remove his boots without waking him.  It showed just how exhausted Hook had been for Smee to have touched him without stirring him in the slightest.

      Hook felt much better now that he’d rested.  He was still a little tired, but the exhaustion that had turned his body to lead was gone.  He was hungry now, ravenous actually, but he knew it wasn’t his growling stomach that had awakened him.  He remained still, listening.  In the bed, Peter tossed restlessly, murmuring softly.  He didn’t blame her if she was having nightmares, she’d earned every bad dream she got.  He was just about to attribute her agitation to having wakened him, when he heard the hinges of his window creak as it was slowly opened.

      If that’s not a Lost Boy, I’ll eat my parrot, Hook thought.  He couldn’t see the window from his vantage, but the only creatures that could enter by his window were the ones that could fly, and only those with thumbs could unlatch it.  “Be silent,” he warned lowly, rising from his chair.  He turned to the window, not surprised to see young Nibs hovering just within the room.  “She’s asleep, and if you wake her I’ll split your gullet.”

      Nibs frowned at Hook, debating if he should ignore the man and shout to Peter.  He’d come to see her, after all, not Hook.  He turned his attention to the girl in the bed, watching her as she tossed.  “Why is she sleeping in here?  Wendy said she has her own room, but when I saw your light and peeked in the window, I saw you both asleep in here.”

      “I said be silent!” Hook hissed angrily, taking a step towards the window. 

      “No,” Peter sobbed, “Godfather… I’m sorry… no…” she curled up in the bed, crying.

      Hook went to the girl, checking to make sure she was still asleep.  He didn’t want her waking to see Nibs here, and he intended to get rid of the brat as soon as possible.  If Peter saw Nibs, she’d want to talk to the boy.  Doubtless, Nibs would provide her with comforting words and false hopes.  Hook intended to be the one she turned to for comfort, the one she confided in and depended on.  He wanted her to accept her fate and move on, and contact with her old friends would interfere with Hook’s plans for her.

      The man lightly stroked her cheek, waiting patiently for her to calm and settle back into deeper sleep.  Once she was calm and he was satisfied she wouldn’t awaken, he turned to glare at the intruder.  Nibs was now standing by the desk, and Hook noted the bag the boy was carrying.

      “Set that down on the desk and follow me,” Hook ordered, walking to his door and opening it.

      Nibs frowned as he set the bag down, but after another long look at Peter, he followed the captain outside.  He didn’t know what was wrong with his friend, but he agreed that she looked like she was sick or something, and he knew he shouldn’t wake her up no matter how much he wanted to.  Once he was outside, he made sure to keep a safe distance between Hook and himself, wisely not trusting the man.

      “Pan said you’d return,” Hook commented after he’d locked his cabin door.  “I wasn’t expecting it to be so late in the night.”

      “They brought Slightly home,” Nibs replied.  “He failed the tests and it hurt him pretty bad.  He’s supposed to be better now, but he’s still really sick.  I’ve been helping Wendy with him and the other boys, and I couldn’t get away until everyone was asleep.”  Nibs fingered the sword at his hip nervously, worry making his stomach lurch.  He was tired of worrying and being afraid, and he wished everything would go back to the way it had been before.  “What’s wrong with Peter?”

      Hook considered the boy carefully, weighing his options.  This boy and his friends were a threat to his plans for Pan, and therefore had to be eliminated.  He considered drawing his pistol and just shooting the urchin, but that was too risky.  If the gunshot woke Pan and she saw her friend lying dead on the deck, he’d lose what trust he’d instilled in her.  Besides, killing Nibs was only a short-term solution.  The other brats would be more likely to come to the ship if their new leader never returned.  Threatening Nibs was also unlikely to be effective.  Pan and the Lost Boys relished challenges, and the more dangerous a situation was the more likely they’d take it on.  If Hook threatened Nibs or the other boys in an effort to keep them away, they’d just be more likely to show up.  This situation required a more subtle approach than brute force and threats.  At least, he hoped he could settle it without using force and threats.

      “Her godparents came to see her after you left,” Hook explained.  “They made her remember things that have upset her greatly.  Oberon has proven that Peter lied to them from the beginning, and that she forced Tinker Bell to help her hide her secret.  Because of this, King Oberon has given her to me to keep.  She is my property now, and at the first opportunity we will be leaving Neverland.” 

      Nibs felt a sinking in his stomach as despair settled over him.  Peter had told him of Oberon’s deal with Hook, but she’d also expressed her hope that somehow her godfather wouldn’t have to keep his promise.  If the King had verified Peter’s dishonesty and reaffirmed his promise to Hook, then all hope was gone.  But Hook’s been nice to Peter, Nibs thought, looking for some way to help his friend, maybe he won’t take her away.

      “Set her free, Captain,” Nibs asked, stepping towards the man.  “Neverland is her home, we’re her family.  Please, don’t take her away from us!  If you care about her…”

      “I don’t, Mr. Nibs,” Hook said coldly, glaring at the boy.  It was a lie, he did care about her, but he consoled himself that his concern was no different than his concern for his ship or his treasure, or even his parrot.  I feel some small modicum of affection for the child, and she is rather like a pet.

      “Do not make the mistake of believing I care for her,” Hook continued, determined to crush the boy’s hopes.  “My revenge against Pan is still my all-consuming desire, and I will see it carried out.  Be thankful I no longer seek her death.  Taking her away from Neverland and her friends, forcing her to grow up… that is my vengeance.  Rest assured, however, that I will give her a new life and will try to make this easier on her.  I want her to forget her past and embrace her future because that is the only way she will ever be happy.  The question is, Mr. Nibs, do you care about Peter Pan?”

      “Of course I do!” Nibs replied, insulted that Hook even had to ask.  “She’s my best friend and I love her.”

      “And you’ll do anything for her?” Hook pressed, bringing up his claw to scratch his chin and remembering with a start that it was gone.  Jukes had best finish it quickly, or I’ll make myself a new one out of his jawbone.  “You’d make any sacrifice to help her, to see her happy?”

      “Yes,” Nibs affirmed, holding his head up and glaring at Hook.  “I’ll fight any pirate to free her, I’ll pay any price.  I’ll die for her if I have to!”

      “No one need die,” Hook chuckled, his mind plotting how best to manipulate the naïve young gallant.  “But I want you to listen to me and at least consider my advice.  Don’t think of me as your enemy now, because I’m not.  I am Pan’s guardian.  Queen Gloriana charged me to take good care of Peter and I’ve done my best to keep my promise to her.  I’ve made many sacrifices to keep Pan safe, but I can’t do it alone.  I need you and your friends to help.  Will you?”

      “I’ll do anything I need,” Nibs swore, “and the others will do what I say.  But I won’t promise anything until I hear your idea.”

      “A reasonable decision,” Hook said with a smile.  “You’re an admirable captain to the Lost Boys.”  Hook frowned then, his face taking on a worried expression.  “Peter can’t go home, she’s in exile and it’s strictly enforced.  You know this.”  Nibs nodded so Hook pressed on.  “She misses her old life terribly.  She was happy this morning before you arrived.  She was fitting in and getting along with my crew.  She was in such high spirits that she even danced with Mr. Jukes.”

      Nibs nodded again, remembering what he’d seen that morning.  Peter had been smiling while she danced with Billy.  He also remembered how she’d seemed to be friendly with Hook.  The man had even been nice enough to let them chat in his cabin.

      “But then you showed up,” Hook said darkly, his tone heavy with disapproval.  “You came back and reminded her of everything she’s lost.  When you left, I found her in my cabin, weeping.  You made her remember her old life, showed her what she no longer has, and then you left, reminding her that she is trapped here while you are free to come and go as you please.  You hurt her deeply, boy.”

      “I did not!” Nibs shouted angrily.  “She was happy to see me.  She misses us and she said she was glad I came to visit.  She asked me to come back!”

      Hook forced himself to smile, nodding his head in mock understanding.  “Yes, I know.  She does miss you, and she does want to see you.  But sometimes what we want isn’t always what is best for us.  When you left, she thought about her old life and everything in it that was gone.  It was a knife in her heart to watch you fly away and realize that she’d never fly again.  She thought of the home you were going to and remembered that she’d never see it again.  Put yourself in her place for a moment.  Pretend that I’ve captured you and that no one will ever come to free you.  Pretend that you’ll never fly or go home again.  Imagine how Peter feels.”

      Nibs considered Hook’s words, imagining how he’d feel if he wasn’t allowed to leave the pirate ship.  He thought of all the million things he took for granted that he’d lose.  He’d never sit by the fireplace and listen to Wendy’s stories.  He’d never pick neverberries in the morning and eat them while they were still wet with dew.  He’d never swim in the lagoon, or play shark tag, or make cloud sculptures again.  No more adventures – he’d have to grow up and never again play childish games.  He’d never wake in the middle of the night to find Slightly curled up in his arms, seeking comfort after a nightmare.  He’d never fight with the other boys again, or play with them, or even just be with them.  He’d spend his days on this ship, wondering if they were okay or if they even still remembered him.  Lost… alone…

      Nibs sat on the deck and hugged his knees, crying.  “Please, let her go, Captain, please.”  The grief and loss were overwhelming, and his heart ached for Peter as he began to fully understand her fate.

      “I can’t, my dear boy,” Hook said gently, kneeling down to Nibs’s level and resting his hand on the boy’s shoulder companionably.  “If I let her go, she’ll have no place left for her.  But you can let her go… you must.  Let her forget you.  Let her bury her old life and embrace her new one here.  She can be happy with me; you’ve seen it with your own eyes.  But she will never be happy if you persist in rubbing her loss in her face.  You have to be strong for her, you have to sacrifice your own selfishness and free her.  I know you and your friends miss her and want to visit, but you cause her nothing but pain when you do.  If you want to help her, then stay away.  Let her forget you and let her be free.”

      “We can’t just abandon her!” Nibs cried, thinking of how he’d feel in Peter’s position if his friends never came to visit.   “She wants to see us!”

      Hook sighed, covering his irritation at the boy’s stubborn loyalty.  He was going to have to alter his tactics a little.  “I didn’t want to tell you this.  Peter swore me to secrecy but it’s for the best if I tell you.”  He gripped the boy by the chin and tilted his head back, forcing Nibs to look into his eyes.  Hook was an accomplished liar, and he brought all of his skills to bear on the hapless boy. 

      “She only asked you to come back because she knows it’s what you want.  She cares about her friends and she’ll suffer any torment to make you feel better.  But she told me, after you left, that she hoped you would forget her soon.  She doesn’t want you to worry for her.  She wants you to be happy and to have fun again.  She told me that it hurts her to remember what she’s lost and that she’d rather you moved on and not come back.  That’s why I’ve been trying to convince you to stay away.  She doesn’t want you to come here anymore.  It’s what she told me.”

      Nibs stared at Hook in stark disbelief.  “She wouldn’t…” he murmured, but something about the man’s expression made him pause.  Hook seemed to be telling the truth, but Nibs knew that he shouldn’t trust the man.  Nibs knew Peter, and he knew his friend wouldn’t want to be left alone with Hook… but then again, the captain made a good point.  “I don’t believe you,” he whispered, but a part of him did.  “I want to talk to Peter.”

      “She’ll deny it,” Hook countered.  “She’ll tell you what you want to hear, and when you leave she’ll cry again.  You kill a little more of her heart whenever you come and leave, and it will make her bitter.  One day she’ll even begin to hate you a little because you have what she wants and can never have again, and that hate will grow day by day.  Eventually she’ll become like me.  Is that what you want?  Can you seriously continue to come here to taunt her, knowing how much it hurts her?  Are your truly that selfish?”

      “No,” Nibs moaned miserably.  His feelings and thoughts were a whirl of confusion, Hook’s words echoing in his heart.  He’d do anything to help Peter, he’d give up everything to make her safe and happy.  He didn’t want to abandon her, but if it was truly what she wanted….  “I want to do what’s best for Peter.”

      “Then leave my ship, and never come back.  Don’t even fly or play where she might see you.  Let her forget and let her move on.  I promise you I’ll take care of her.  She’s changed so much already, surely you’ve seen it?”  He waited for Nibs to nod before continuing.  “I don’t hate her anymore, she’s not the same Peter Pan that she used to be.  Once she’s put Neverland behind her, she’ll complete her change.  Perhaps then I’ll be able to care about her.  Perhaps I’ll even love her and become like an uncle to her.  But I can’t if you keep coming here.  Promise me that you and your friends will stay far away.”

      “I…” Nibs’s voice caught and he wasn’t sure if he’d been about to say “I promise” or “I can’t”.  The thought of abandoning Peter horrified him, but if it was really what she wanted… if it would really help her… Hook had him so confused and conflicted, and he felt like he would cry.  He could feel his heart tearing in two as his mind warred with what he should do.  “I…” he tried again, his body shaking with distress as tears streamed from his eyes.

      Hook’s patience broke then.  He’d been able to keep his temper lately when dealing with Peter, but only because he had a long term investment in the girl.  This boy was being deliberately stubborn and dense, and Hook couldn’t find enough forbearance for the brat to keep up this caring charade for long.  It was time for more direct measures, and he sincerely hoped the boy would be persuaded before he had to employ the dreaded more permanent solution.

      “I’ll make it easy for you, then,” Hook announced, his voice becoming stern.  He stood and drew his pistol from his coat pocket, cocking it with ease before placing it against the boy’s forehead.  “If I see you again, I will kill you.  There will be no elaborate traps or foolish plank-walking.  I will merely put a bullet in your head and be done with it.  If you come here in a group, I will shoot the youngest first.  If Wendy comes with you, she will be the first one to die.  It will hurt Peter terribly if I kill one of her friends and she and I will count ourselves enemies again, but I’ll make sure she understands that I had given you fair warning.” 

      Nibs stared up at him, his eyes wide with fear.  Hook knew he definitely had the boy’s full attention, and he sneered down at the frightened child.  “She’ll hate you too, then.  She’ll tell you to your face then that she never wants to see you again.  It will make her life so much harder if she has to spend it with me as her enemy, but I don’t mind.  I’ll own her just the same regardless of how she feels about me, but I’d like our relationship to be a peaceful one.  Now then, I don’t care if you stay away to protect Peter or to protect yourself, so long as you never come back.”  He pressed the barrel harder against the boy’s head, forcing Nibs back a step.  “Understood?”

      Nibs continued to stare at the gun, eyes riveted to the gloved hand that was squeezing the trigger ever so lightly.  The steel against his forehead was as cold as ice, sending tendrils of that cold into his heart and stomach.  “Yes,” he answered weakly, his mind reeling.  Hook’s smooth transition from sympathetic to threatening had thrown him off balance, and he could barely understand why there was a gun at his head.

      “Promise me that you will not return to this ship, and that you will keep the other children from coming here,” Hook ordered.

      No! Nibs thought defiantly, but he closed his eyes and pushed the denial away.  If Peter didn’t want them to come back, then he would honor her wishes.  Hook was right – if Nibs asked her, she’d never admit telling him that.  He couldn’t push the issue of speaking to her, not with a gun to his head.  Nibs wasn’t afraid of dying, and he had no problem with leading a raid against the ship… but he knew that now was not the time to be brave and stupid.  If he died tonight, Wendy or Curly would have to lead the Lost Boys, and neither was really fit for the task.  If Slightly was well, he could do the job; but Slightly was still very ill.  Nibs was needed, too many people depended on him, and he wasn’t going to let them down by throwing his life away.  But it still hurt to give in, no matter how much he rationalized it.

      “I promise not to come visit Peter, and I promise I won’t let the others come.”  Nibs’s only consolation was knowing that Wendy was as sneaky with promises as Hook, and he hoped the girl would figure out a way to get around Nibs’s vow if they needed to.

      Hook smiled and lowered the pistol, un-cocking it and putting it back in his pocket.  “I think you should leave now.”

      “I want to tell her goodbye,” Nibs objected.  He lifted off the deck, prepared to fly around to the open window if he had to.

      “You’ll wake her and get her upset again,” Hook chided.  “She’s already cried herself to sleep once today, are you so cruel that you’ll make her do it again?”

      Nibs stared at Hook, torn.  It wasn’t right to leave without saying goodbye when he knew he wasn’t coming back.  But he didn’t want to hurt Peter, she’d been hurt enough already.  Finally he gave a ragged sob and turned away.  He flew back to the island, weeping the entire way.  He needed to talk to Wendy, and perhaps Chief Panther, too.  He went straight home, and by the time he alighted beside Wendy’s chair, he was shaking with his tears and his anger – anger at himself as well as at Hook. 

      The little mother looked up from her darning, taken aback at Nibs’s distress.  “What’s wrong?” she whispered, mindful of the sleeping boys.

      Nibs sank to his knees and buried his head in her lap.  “I did something awful,” he cried softly.  When the girl began rubbing his back, trying to soothe him, he told her what Hook had said and the awful promise he’d given the man.

      Peter came awake with a start, her heart racing as she sat up in the bed, nightmares clinging to her for a few brief moments after she opened her eyes.  It had been a horrible dream, one in which she’d been strapped to a table while Captain Hook and King Oberon cut her into to pieces, debating on who received which bits of her.  She’d screamed and cried, begging them to stop, but they’d ignored her pleas as they bantered and negotiated.  It had hurt so much, and even now that she was awake something deep inside still throbbed painfully. 

      She blinked slowly, disoriented at first as she took in her strange surroundings, but little by little she remembered where she was and what had happened earlier that day.  At least, she supposed it was the same day.  Considering that after the last time her godfather had visited she’d been unconscious for a few days, she wouldn’t be surprised to discover she’d been asleep for a week. 

      Gingerly, Peter slid out of the bed and stood unsteadily, looking around the cabin.  She wondered where Hook was for a moment before deciding she really didn’t care.  The nightmare was still rather fresh, and she’d prefer to have just a little while longer before having to look at him.  Her recently recovered memories clamored for her attention, but she firmly pushed them to the back of her mind, concentrating on things immediately at hand.  It was too much at once for her to handle, and she if she allowed herself to think about them they’d overwhelm her.  She was in enough pain as it was without her memories adding more.  Just a little time, and they won’t be so bad.  I lived with them once, I can do it again… somehow.

      Her eyes fixed on the decanter of wine and she smiled with relief.  Wine was good for making hurtful things fade away, for making you feel numb both inside and out.  She wanted the awful ache inside to go away, she wanted to go to sleep and not think about anything for awhile longer.  It was only half-full, but she didn’t think she’d have to drink much to get the relief she craved.  She’d just filled a glass and lifted it to her lips when the door opened and Hook stepped in.

      The captain closed the door, surprised to see Peter was awake and even more surprised to see her on her feet.  She stared at him dully, exhaustion and despair plainly writ in her eyes.  Her expression wasn’t unexpected; in fact he was relieved to see she was no longer weeping hysterically.

      “How are you feeling, my dear?” he asked as he sat in a chair, appraising her carefully.

      “Broken,” Peter murmured, swirling her wine absently.  She couldn’t bring herself to look him in the eye, not after what he’d seen of her life.  “It hurts, in my heart.”  She didn’t need to See to know the pain was from her Gift.  The damage inside her was magical and deep, and there was nothing she could do to heal it.  “What are your intentions for me, Captain?” she asked, glancing at him and returning her attention to her wine.  She decided she needed to know what he expected out of her now, before she let her guard down by getting drunk.

      “My intentions, Kitten?” Hook asked, not understanding what she was getting at.

      “Will you expect things from me?” she asked, fascinated by the way the candlelight sparkled on the glass.  “You think you own me now, and you’re not the first one to think that.  Uncle and Liam both thought I belonged to them, and they expected me to do things for them, to give them things I didn’t want to give.  Are you going to want those things now?  Will your crew want them?”

      “Gall and brimstone, girl, NO!” Hook shouted when it sank in what Peter meant by ‘things’.  He saw her flinch, her eyes darting to meet his for an instant before resuming their intense study of the glass of wine.  “Kitten,” he said in a more gentle tone, “if I wanted those things from you, I would have taken them by now.  Have I ever given you a reason to think I wanted that?  Have any of my men?”

      “No,” Peter replied.

      “Good.  If any of those dogs do anything that you consider inappropriate, tell me and I’ll deal with them.”  Hook leaned towards her, trying to reassure her on this subject.  “You’re too young for anyone to want those things from you.  I do not tolerate rape on my ship, Peter, and I consider sex with someone of your age to be rape, even if you were to agree to it.  Any man that thinks to carry on with you will never carry on with anyone else ever again.”

      “What about when I’m grown up?” Peter pressed.  She needed to know she could be safe even here.  Peter Pan, safe on Hook’s ship… how could this have ever happened?  But she needed that security desperately right now.  “Once I’m old enough, would I be fair game then?”

      “No,” Hook repeated.  “When you’re older, you’ll be married and only your husband can expect those things from you.  If you obey me until that time, I’ll let you choose your husband yourself.”

      “If I obey and I choose not to marry, what then?”

      “Then you can do whatever you wish,” Hook swore.

      Peter let out a sigh of relief, some of the tension leaving her body.  “Thank you.”  She closed her eyes, hot tears escaping to trickle down her cheeks.  “Everything hurts so much,” she whispered.  Shaking her head, she lifted the glass to her lips again and began downing it as fast as she could.  She drank half the glass before she had to stop, her face flushed as she gasped for breath, sudden heat filling her entire body.

      “What do you think you’re doing, Kitten?” Hook asked, shocked when he saw how fast she was consuming the wine. 

      “I’m going to get royally pissed, and then I’m going to go back to sleep,” Peter said hoarsely, her eyes watery with something other than tears now.

      “Pissed?” Hook repeated, taken aback by her crude language.

      Peter giggled, smirking at him with sudden amusement that momentarily masked her despair.  “Aye, pissed.  Drunk.  Bladdered.  Sloshed.  Shit-faced.”

      “Watch your language, young lady!” Hook barked, more accustomed to hearing words like those from his crew.  “Just because you now remember that you were once a filthy guttersnipe, it does not mean you can resume your old filthy habits.  You will remember your manners, and you will remember that even while pretending to be male, you had a modicum of tact.”

      “You can bloody well bite me, Codfish,” Peter mumbled, taking another swig of her wine.

      “What did you say?” Hook hissed, his face turning scarlet with rage.

      Peter smiled sweetly and held up an empty glass.  “I said, ‘Would you care to join me for a drink, Captain?’  I’ve had a rather bad day and would like to murder it as quickly as possible.  First one to pass out wins.”

      “If you want to pass out, Kitten, I could simply knock you in the head.”

      “Would you?” Peter sighed.  “That would be lovely.”

      “Pour the damned drink, Pan.  Don’t expect me to carry your besotted carcass to bed when you’re too drunk to stand.”  Peter merely smiled again and poured the wine.

      An hour later, Hook carefully deposited the snoring girl in her bed and tucked her in.  Smee puttered about, chiding him for getting the wee lass drunk, lighting her candle and setting out a clean dress for her in the morning.  Hook merely rolled his eyes, scorning himself for his softness.  He was thankful, however, that Peter had only had time to become mildly giggly before the alcohol had overcome her and sent her to sleep.  He didn’t think he could have handled her otherwise.  Once she was settled in, he returned to his cabin and fell into his bed, blessed sleep taking him the moment his head hit the pillow.