The Fairy and Her Captain - Chapter 6

Hazel opened her eyes to the distinct scent of salted fish and fresh fruit wafting into her nose. The menu choices on the Jolly Roger were something that she was still getting herself acquainted with. Granted the foods were prepared to last for long periods of time spent on the water. It did not mean that it was an easy adjustment to make from having the delicious mouthwatering berries that grew on Pixie Hollow.

She threw off the blankets and pushed herself from the bed. She made her bed before she walked out her quarters and followed her nose to the small dining hall on the ship. The whole crew was there with the exception of the captain. They were eating and chatting about loudly which wasn't unusual and it was something she was quite accustomed to by now. The fae watched as they interacted with one another.

There was a simplicity to it that Hazel grew to love. How they made the best of their situation and looked out for one another. It was reminiscent in the best way possible to her old life that she left behind in the way that all the fairies were like one big family.

In the distance, Hazel set her eyes on Mr. Smee and she recalled the little agreement they had made the previous night. She made her way over to the table he was seated at and took a plate, filling it with the fruit that no one at that table seemed to care for. "Good morning," She greeted as she took a seat next to the first mate, glancing up at the others at the table.

"Good morning!" The other crew members said in almost unison. Some had their mouths filled with the salted boiled fish and the rest were already thoroughly drunk from their slight slurring.

The fae shook her head slightly at that, but a smile sat on her lips. She placed a hand on Mr. Smee's shoulder and pulled him into a side hug. "Morning Mr. Smee."

"Good morning, Miss Hazel." The stout man replied, clearing his throat just a touch. He turned his head in her direction and he remembered something. "Oh! I have a gift for you. I was able to scrounge up a spare sheath and sword for you below deck in our armory," He reached next to him and took the sword and sheath, holding it out to the fae.

Hazel took her hand from his shoulder and looked in slight shock at the sword he held out to her. The sword was a rapier style with a large half-circle silver guard, a silver grip that had decorative thin leather swirls adorning it. "It is beautiful. Thank you Mr. Smee! You shouldn't have." She grabbed the sword from him and her eyes studied every inch of it, taking in every single detail of the magnificent piece.

A smile spread along Mr. Smee's lips at how pleased Hazel was at the sword he picked out for her.

"Good work there, Smee!" The tall brooding crew member across from Mr. Smee exclaimed, standing up to playfully hit the first mate's shoulder. "Seems like tha gurl likes it."

Mr. Smee chuckled a bit, nodding his head gently. He felt a warm blush crawl on his cheeks at the compliments from the other crew member. "It seems so."

"Say? Are ye tryin' ta court tha fae, Mr. Smee?" The man on the other side of him asked, leaning in close to Mr. Smee.

Mr. Smee nodded his head a little and adjusted his red beanie nervously. "In fact I am."

Hazel placed a hand over her mouth for a small moment, having heard the comment from the mate sitting next to Mr. Smee. She tied the leather straps to her belt, securing the sheath to her side, and admired the guard for a few more moments. She walked behind Mr. Smee, placing her hands on his shoulders and leaned in to kiss his dark bearded cheek. "It's working, " She whispered, hiding a small smirk on her lips.

If they could convince the other crew members that they were going to become an item, they wouldn't have to worry about any of them giving away the plan to the captain. Which it seemed to be working out in their favor thus far. The only thing they would have to worry about is if Killian didn't get jealous about this fake courtship and wouldn't admit his true feelings for her.

"It is wonderful, Mr. Smee." Hazel stated as she stood up straight, patting his shoulders. "Thank you so much." She moved her hands, running her fingers through her long blonde hair and moved it off to her left shoulder.

"You are very welcome." Mr. Smee said before he resumed eating the food on his plate.

Hazel smiled softly. "I'm going to see if the captain would like to have a sparring session before we set off to Neverland." She announced, feeling a tinge of excitement flowing inside her.

"Goodbye, Hazel...perhaps we can have a chat later before we arrive in Neverland?" Mr. Smee questioned, turning his head fully in Hazel's direction and giving her the slightest and smallest of nods.

"Sure thing, Mr. Smee." Hazel responded, backing up a few steps before turning on her heels to leave the dining hall. She slipped into the hall and took a deep breath, her hand laying on the small circular pommel at the end of grip. She looked around to make sure that no one was wondering the halls before she squealed silently, bending her knees for only a moment before she stood straight. She cleared her throat quietly before she walked down the remainder of the hall and up the stairs to the deck.

Once the fae reached the deck, she took the liberty of seeing if there were any stragglers. Luckily for her, there were none as she unsheathed her new sword and began to work on her footwork while swinging her sword. She went through the training fights with Killian, replaying it in her head over and over again to master what she could do better the next time they were to spar. She hoped that it would be this morning.

The fae engrossed herself in this practice with herself that she hardly noticed the door to the captain's quarters open and close. Killian caught sight of what she was doing as her back was to him, seeing her stomp on the loose floorboard and watch as it fell through. She jumped over the hole expertly.

He raised an eyebrow curiously, leaning against the door and crossing his arms in front of his chest. His lips curled into a gentle smirk, watching as she jabbed the air. Killian took a few moments to relish in seeing the scout practice as she was all on her lonesome. He clearly saw that she was replaying their sparring match in her head and improving upon her moves. Needless to say that he was a bit impressed at this and humored by it as she didn't seem to notice him.

He cleared his throat, "You are improving by the day, Hazel." He remarked. "Your form has gotten better."

Hazel jumped and turned around on her heels, facing the dark haired male. Her heart raced in her chest and she pressed her hand over her heart to calm it down. "You scared me captain. How long were you watching me for?"

An amused smirk crossed Killian's lips as he took a few steps closer to her. "Long enough to see you stomp on the loose floorboard and hop over it." He walked past her to the hole in the deck. He leaned down and picked up the floorboard, placing it back in its place until he could grab the tools required to fix it. The captain stood back up and looked the fae over, seeing the sword she had in her hand.

The heat rose to her cheeks in embarrassment over him seeing a good portion of her practicing. "You saw that?"

Killian chuckled softly and nodded his head, "Aye. I did. But if you like, we can have another match and see if you are any closer to besting me today before we set off to Neverland." He offered, raising his hand to her for a moment before returning it to his side.

"About that. I was going to find you and ask you if we could have another match after I finished practicing." Hazel admitted, her eyes darting between his eyes and the floorboards on the deck.

"I take that as a 'yes' then?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow for a moment.

She gave him a nod. "Aye, captain." She answered in a slightly teasing tone, mimicking the pirate captain. A small smile curling on the corners of her lips.

The captain narrowed his gaze on the fae for a moment, catching wind of her mimicking his turn of phrase. He took a small breath before he let it slide this once. "Let us begin." Killian took up his sword and pointed the end of it to hers, clashing against it as he had before the start of their match just yesterday.

Hazel raised her sword upwards, sliding her blade against his and matched his moves. Her eyes flicked to his, determination quickly taking over them with a fire burning in her blue irises. The confidence inside her flowed through her veins. Her belief that she could do this, that she could best him or at the very least that she could hold her own, blossomed.

Flecks of golden yellow pixie dust seeped from Hazel's hand into the leather wrapped around the grip of her sword. She stepped forward and swung her sword with a newfound confidence about her attacks. The exhilaration fueling her movements.

He took a step backwards, easily blocking the attack and noticing the confidence behind her swing. A hint of a smile graced his lips. Truly he knew that he would hate to be any actual adversary on the other end of Hazel's sword. They went back and forth with their attacks. The fae arming her attack and stepping forward with the captain blocking every attack a little less effectively each time.

Killian knew that he couldn't use the same trick as he had the first time with the floorboards. He had to figure out another way to throw her off her guard. That of which seeming to be a hard one to shake her from. He dipped down low and swept his leg underneath hers before she could realize what was transpiring.

Hazel gasped as she lost her balance and fell to the floor on her backside, her sword falling from her hand. It clanked loudly on the ground and Killian stepped on her sword, swiftly kicking it away out of her reach. Her eyes widened ever so slightly when she could feel where her sword was. Her resolve left her features for a moment before getting it back, feeling the belief in herself.

She held out her hand to her sword and swung her arm towards the captain. The sword followed her motions and quickly moved to block his next attack. She used his moment of shock to get to her feet and take up her sword, advancing the fight in the direction that she desired, backing him up to the large mast on the ship towards the front of the ship.

Her playful smile formed on her lips, realizing what she could do with her belief and some pixie dust in a fight as intense as this was one.

Killian was surprised at the new method of attack that Hazel discovered and used to her advantage so quickly in their duel. But seeing that playful smile on the fae's lips made him find his belief in himself. He couldn't allow her to best him like this. Not after one duel. He possessed more experience then she had in fighting in this style. He lunged forward and swung in the shape of an x, pivoting on his feet to turn them around so her back was to the mast. He swung strongly, confidently and put his all into his offensive attacks.

His attacks put Hazel on the defensive and before she knew it, her back was pressed to the mast.

Killian stabbed his sword into the wood just to the left of her head, his right. He stepped forward and pressed his hook next to her right, successfully pinning her in one spot. He leaned in close to peer down into her eyes, his chest rising and falling with heavy pants.

Her eyes widened ever so slightly as she looked up to meet his gaze, panting heavily with him. She could feel his breath against her lips. They were in close quarters and her cheeks warmed every so slightly. All she would have to do to kiss him would lift her head with just the slightest move. Slowly the distance between them closed ever so slightly. Their lips lightly brushed against one another.

Hazel's heartbeat pounded louder and faster. She feared that Killian would hear it. The temptation to place a hand behind his head and pull him into a passionate kiss grew almost too hard to bear.

As Killian looked down at Hazel and gazed into her blue eyes, he found himself easily losing himself in them and all the thoughts that stirred in his mind had stilled. All thoughts of his previous love left his mind for a fleeting moment and were replaced with thoughts of Hazel. He took his hand off of the grip of his sword and pressed it against the fae's neck.

The door opened up from the lower deck and every member from the crew seemed to come through it at once including Mr. Smee.

The captain cleared his throat and he pulled away from Hazel. He took his sword, pulled it from the mast and sheathed it. He turned on his feet to face the crew as they began to come onto the deck. He took a deep breath before he walked up to his post at the helm of the Jolly Roger.

Hazel closed her eyes to compose herself, resting the back of her head against the mast. Her heart slowly began to calm and that was when she opened her eyes. She hastily caught up with Mr. Smee and cut him off before he walked up the stairs to join Killian up at the helm. "...We almost kissed." She proclaimed in a hushed tone, only being loud enough for him to hear her.

Mr. Smee blinked in confusion, tipping his head to the side before his mind caught up with what he heard from the fae. "...That is great...did you admit your feelings for the captain?"

Hazel shook her head. "No. I didn't get a chance to before everyone came on deck. He pulled away before we could kiss. Let alone say anything." Her cheeks were tinted pink with her blush.

Mr. Smee held up his hands defensively. "Don't worry. We'll figure this out. Judging by his reaction. The captain is a step closer to admitting his feelings for you. Just give it time."

Hazel nodded her head slowly and ran her fingers through her hair. "Alright." She took a deep inhale in and a slow exhale out, giving him a gentle smile. She set her hand on his shoulder. "Thank you, Mr. Smee."

"You're welcome, Miss Hazel." Mr. Smee said, returning her smile with one of his own. "Now, if you don't mind, I would like to join the captain at the helm. Unless you wouldn't mind joining us."

"I'd love to join you two." Hazel stepped to the side to let the first mate walk up the stairs to the upper deck. She followed after him and stood on the side opposite of where Mr. Smee next to the captain.

Killian glanced at Hazel out of his peripheral before he called out to his crew. "Right men! We are heading to a land where we shall not grow old. A land called Neverland. There we will bide our time until I am able to exact my revenge against the crocodile. Be wary of a boy who calls himself Pan. He is more dangerous then he lets on. Are we ready men?"

The entire crew cheered their answer in unison. They were ready for anything and prepared for anything they were about to face as they were facing it together.

"Hoist the anchor and raise the sails! We are off to Neverland!" Killian called out. He turned to Mr. Smee for his pouch. "Mr. Smee, my pouch if you will." He took it from his first mate and attached it to his hip. He dug in it for a magic bean and took it out, wrapping his fingers around it.

He looked out to his ship and watched as his men hoisted the anchor and raised the sails. He thought of the land he visited back when he was in the Royal Navy with his older brother, Liam. The magic bean glowed in his hand and he threw it into the ocean.

The water parted and swirled in a giant whirlpool. Killian steered the Jolly Roger towards it, expertly maneuvering it into the eye of the whirlpool.

The pirate ship followed the current of the whirlpool until they were swallowed into it. When the ship surfaced, they were faced with a large jungle island with tall trees and plant life aplenty.

Killian steered the ship onto the shores and the crew immediately got to work on getting the ship ready to board from it onto Neverland. Once the ship came to a stand still, the captain stepped from the helm. He began leading the way off of the Jolly Roger. Mr. Smee wasn't far behind him and Hazel walked along side the first mate.

They boarded from the pirate ship along with the rest of the crew following behind them. Once off the ship, the others grouped together to walked onto the sandy shore.

Hazel shrunk into her fairy form and took to the skies to survey the new land. She saw the tall green trees and the peaks and valleys of the island. There was a large skull shaped stone structure with its own island separate from the main land. There were a few naturally formed stone archways and what looked to be a mountain with a waterfall hidden behind it. She took note of all the landmarks she saw from the sky before she flew down next to Killian.

"Want me to take the lead, captain?" She asked, turning to him and tilting her head to the side.

"No. Allow me to take the lead this once. For I know what to expect when it comes to Neverland or rather who." Killian remarked as his gaze stayed on her for a moment longer then he anticipated. As he was going to turn to his men and give them the order to follow further onto the island, a familiar voice to the captain interrupted.

"Welcome back, Lieutenant Jones...or should I say Captain Jones." There was a young lad who appeared to be of twelve with light brown hair and piercing green eyes stood at the top of the beach hill just before the forest line. He wore all green garments and held a playful, yet confident smirk on his lips. "Pleasure to see you again and I see you brought a few friends along. Well..." He turned his head to the side, gesturing towards the forest before holding out his hands. "So did I."

A small armies worth of children of all ages and sizes came out from the shadows of the forest. All had some form of weapon on them be it handmade bows and arrows, swords, spears, and daggers.

A sinister and amused chuckle left Pan's lips. "I'd like you to meet the Lost Boys and I should mention that they don't like to share the island much with adults." The boy didn't need to say another word before they raised their weapons and pointed them to the pirate crew. They pulled on the strings of the bows, holding them back until Pan gave the word. "Fire!"