The Fairy and Her Captain - Chapter 11

Hazel stepped onto the sandy beach, her eyes settled on the ocean waves. A somber smile sat on her lips as her gaze drifted to the Jolly Roger. Every nerve in her body pulled her towards the ship and it killed her to know that she couldn’t leave with her captain and his crew. That she couldn’t take refuge in her crow’s nest.

A lump formed in her throat and tears welled in her eyes. She quickly used her finger to wipe the tears away, hearing the familiar footsteps of Killian come from behind her. She cleared her throat before turning to him as he walked to her and stood beside her.

“All the supplies are aboard the ship and stowed away. Everyone is on the ship with the exception of you, Captain.” Hazel reported. She turned back to the ship, watching as the crew went to their stations and settled into them again after so long.

Killian looked down at the fae and took her hand in his, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb. He met her gaze. “This is truly…the hardest decision I have had to make…to leave Neverland while you are still bound to it. But I promise you that I will return the moment I have a way to break your bonds to this devil island… First–”

“First you need to retrieve the Dark One dagger and kill your crocodile.” Hazel interrupted with a small nod, her eyes drifted to their hands. She looked up after a moment, giving him a small affirming smile.

Killian sighed softly, “Aye…” He shifted his weight slightly and glanced at his ship. “I–” He caught the lump in his throat and swallowed it down. “…After all these centuries together… I had hoped to find a solution to cut your ties in the midst of everything so that you could leave with me on the Jolly Roger…”

The fae shook her head. “I’ll be fine, Captain. After all, I have had the best one-handed teacher anyone could ask for.” She started with a small chuckle. “Remember all the times I saved your life from Pan? I think I’ve got this.”

The captain closed his eyes and chuckled softly, nodding his head. He opened his eyes and met her gaze. “I need you to know…how proud of you I am. I have seen you go from a fairy straight off of Pixie Hollow, innocent of the ways of the world, to a tremendous pirate who can hold her own against the odds…no matter what those odds may be.”

Hazel felt the lump in her throat and the tears returned to her eyes. “…Thank you, Captain…that means a lot to me.” She sniffled through a few tears that fell down her cheeks. When she went to wipe them, Killian’s hand left hers and pulled her hand away.

He tipped her chin up a little and wiped her left cheek with his finger before placing a hand on her cheek, using his thumb to wipe her right cheek. His blue eyes softened when he searched her eyes. “Please don’t cry, love. This isn’t the end.”

Hazel sniffled and nodded her head, tears welling in her eyes again. “…I know.” She mouthed, a weak smile forming on her lips.

Killian felt his heart strain at the sight of the weak smile. After these hundreds of years with one another, battling the odds and fighting against Pan and his band of Lost Boys…against this island. Leaving without the fae among his crew was truly one of the hardest trials he had to face in a very long time.

Hazel opened her mouth to say something, something that she wished she had said thousands of times over while on Neverland. Regardless of the ruse Mr. Smee and her tried to pull to make the captain a jealous mess, ultimately having the ruse fail completely in the survival on the island. She didn’t want to regret anything not being said before he left with the others aboard the Jolly Roger. “I–”

Her voice seemed to leave her in that moment and she closed her mouth, glancing at the ship. She urged her mind to come out and say it. Her heart ached to tell him how she felt about him after all these years. How it had grown from the admiration she held over the way he captained after he rescued her from Black Beard to the love she now felt as strongly as her fighting ability that matched Killian’s.

He glanced down at his pouch and moved his hand from her cheek to rummage through it. He dug out a ring with a purple jewel at the center and a silver band on a necklace chain. He held it up for her to see, letting the ring hang at her eye level. “I want you to have this…this ring once belonged to my brother and he gave it to me. Now, I’m giving it to you.” He carefully put the necklace around her neck, using his finger to trail down the chain to the ring. “This,” He ran his thumb along the purple jewel. “This will ensure your safe return back to the Jolly Roger… and back to me.”

Hazel’s gaze drifted to the ring around her neck. “You shouldn’t have…” She tilted her head to meet his gaze.

“I know…” Killian uttered softly with a small smile on his lips. He let go of the ring and watched it fall gently. “It suits you.”

The fae’s eyes blurred slightly as tears welled in her eyes. She licked her bottom lip and closed her eyes as she bit her lip. She took a slow breath, letting the wave pass before she chose to open her eyes. “Thank you…Killian.” She reached into her pouch and took out her silver dagger, holding it out to him. “…I want you to have something too, Captain…”

Killian shook his head. “I can’t take your dagger…”

Hazel tipped her head gently to the side and grabbed his hand, staring into his eyes. “You gave me something of yours…let me give you something of mine to remember me by.” She let his hand go and carefully placed her dagger in his palm, using her other hand to close his fingers around the handle. She held onto his hand with both of hers.

“I could never forget you, love…” He said softly as he stared back into her eyes, letting a wave of blissful silence fall between them.

The silence was broken by Mr. Smee calling out from the ship. “Ready when you are captain!”

Hazel let his hand go, her hands dropping to her sides. She turned to the Jolly Roger and waved to everyone.

Killian carefully stowed away the dagger in his pouch. As he looked out to his ship, he let out a heavy sigh. “…Mr. Smee and the others are waiting for me. I should go…” He turned towards the Jolly Roger.

Hazel nodded her head gently. “Safe travels, my Captain.” She said, fighting back tears as she watched him walk closer to the ship. She kept her eyes on his back until he was halfway down the beach. She clenched her fists gently and mustered up her courage for one last thing before he boarded the Jolly Roger. “Captain! Wait!”

She took off towards the male, disregarding that any moment she could potentially be risking the poison becoming active with the springs magic having left her body long ago.

He halted in his steps and turned his head to look at her.

Hazel quickly came up to him and ran in front of him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a tight embrace.

Killian froze for a moment as he registered the hug. He carefully wrapped his arms around her, returning the embrace happily.

“Thank you for everything…Captain…” She whispered into his ear before burying her head in his neck.

He tightened his hug and slowly nodded his head. After a few moments, he pulled away from the hug slowly and took her hand. “Your station will remain open for your return…you are a survivor, same as I. Remember that…”

“Aye, captain. Good luck…and safe travels Killian.”

He nodded his head briefly before he walked a few steps backwards, allowing their hands to be held outstretched until they could no longer keep their hold. He turned his back to her and closed his eyes for a moment before he boarded the Jolly Roger.

He raced to the helm and took the wheel with his hook, digging into his pouch to take the last magic bean in his possession. He barked his orders for them to leave.

Hazel placed a hand over the ring around her neck, wrapping her fingers around it. She watched as the ship sailed from the shores of Neverland into the ocean. She held back her tears as best she could, but a few escaped to roll down her cheeks. She wiped her cheeks with her hand, using her finger to dry her eyes as she sniffled.

Killian’s eyes shifted to Neverland one last time before he looked out into the vast depths of the ocean. Every part of him wanted to go back to her. He wanted to take her with them, but he knew she would surely perish if she left the island.

The fae’s feet instinctively walked her to the waters edge. Her eyes locked on the Jolly Roger, watching every agonizing move it made away from her and Neverland.

Killian clutched onto the magic bean, thinking of the place he wished to go…thinking of the Enchanted Forest. He opened his hand to see the white bean blowing in his hand. He threw the bean into the ocean and the magic created a portal in the form of a whirlpool. He steered the ship into the eye of the whirlpool and came through the other side in the oceans of the Enchanted Forest.

Hazel blinked away the tears that formed in her eyes once more, watching as the ship, the crew, and the captain she learned to love sail from this realm into the next. When it was gone, she closed her eyes and uttered a few words with a sad smile. “…I love you… Killian Jones…my captain…”