“Damn him!” Billy Jukes grumbled as he cut a path through the thick foliage, heading no where in particular.  He was too upset to think about anything other than what had happened about an hour ago on the Jolly Roger.

“I’m seventeen and he still treats me like a blasted cabin boy.  That’s what Elijah’s for now.  Elijah, damned brat.”

  He was referring to the scrawny eleven year old that they had found a few months ago on one of the nearby islands.  Like he had been, Elijah was a castaway so Billy had a soft spot for the boy the same way Mullins had had one for him when he first came on board.  Elijah was also a Roma like Billy so the gunner felt he had a kindred spirit in the boy.  But the younger Rom proved to be nothing but a brat and was jealous of the former cabin boy and his recognition as the ship’s gunner and inventor.  So he delighted in getting Billy in trouble whenever he could.

  Today was no different.  Billy had just finished increasing the firing range on Long Tom as well as giving it a fine tuning and cleaning.  Satisfied, he walked away from the cannon only to hear a loud crash, followed by a series of ear-shattering bangs.  Turning around, his eyes grew wide as he yelled, “NO! Elijah, No!”  He ran back to Long Tom as the little scug wailed on the cannon with a long piece of pipe he had taken out of the forge.

“‘Chavaia!” Billy yelled trying to get his hands on the pipe.  “You’ve been in my forge again, you no good chavo!”

Elijah just smiled as Jukes; an evil grin on his face, fully aware of what he was doing.  Taking one more swing, the cabin boy deliberately slowed it down so Billy could grab hold of the pipe and wrench it out of his hands.  Doing just as Elijah had planned, Billy grabbed the pipe from him and started screaming at the boy.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing, you mokadi jook!”

A glint of mocking conceit in his eyes, Elijah quickly changed his countenance as he heard Hook come up from behind Billy.  “Gall and brimstone!  What has happened here?”

Looking at Long Tom, Jukes felt his heart drop as he noticed the dents and dings and slash marks all over his pride and joy.  Then a darker more sinister realization set in as he looked down at the pipe in his hands and knew exactly who would be blamed for it.

“Mr. Jukes, Elijah!  One of you care to explain to me exactly what has happened here.”

Although Hook was looking directly at Billy, observing the pipe in his hands, Elijah spoke out.  “I tried to stop him, sir.  Honest, I did.  But he was going crazy.  Didlo.  About what, I don’t exactly know.  He just kept yelling something about Long Tom being worthless and a piece of junk.  And he kept hitting it with that pipe.”

Looking at the boy with disbelief, Billy exclaimed, “Why you little liar! I oughta-”

Elijah backed away feigning fear as Billy raised his hand, but Hook stepped in turning on his gunner.  “Mr. Jukes, is what Elijah says true?  Did you do this to Long Tom?”

“N-no, Cap’n.  I wouldn’t, sir.  You know that.”

“Then explain to me that piece of pipe in your hands and the deplorable condition that Long Tom is in.”  Hook said these words as he flashed his claw in Jukes’ face.

Though older now, Billy still feared Hook’s anger, but he was not going to take the blame for the little brat’s actions.  “It was Elijah, Cap’n.  He did this to long Tom, not me.  I had just finished cleaning it up when I heard him-”

“Elijah?” Hook bellowed.  “You’re trying to tell me it was Elijah who did this?”

Seeing the look on the captain’s face and knowing he wasn’t going to be believed, Billy swallowed hard. “Um....Yes sir.”

Hook snagged the gunner by his bandanna and pulled him up till he was standing on his tip-toes.  Still holding the pipe, the captain pointed this out.  “Yet, you’re the one with the pipe in his hands.  Did you manage to grab hold of the metal monster while young Elijah here was swinging it?”

Billy began to stammer some more, but Hook cut him off.  “I think not, Mr. Jukes.  I understand you get frustrated when you inventions don’t go as planned, but for you to take it out on an inanimate object, then turn around and blame it on a hapless cabin boy to keep from getting a back scratching or worse.  I expected so much better from you.”

Dropping the gunner now, Billy looked at the captain with total disbelief, but could say nothing.

“Because of your blasphemous gall, you, Mr. Jukes, will do all of Elijah’s chores as well as any that you may have.  And I want them done thoroughly and immediately!”  Hook then turned on his heel and walked towards his cabin.

“Dinili,”  Elijah said to Jukes, calling him stupid in their language.

“Nash Avri!” Jukes yelled at him.  Not able to believe how a pathetic eleven year old could get the better of him.  “All you are is prikaza!”

Laughing, Elijah just strolled away.
 
 

**********
 

“He’ll pay for this.  I don’t know how yet, but he’ll pay.  And you Hook, I don’t care if you notice I’ve jumped ship.  Hang me from the yardarm for all I care. I don’t give a damn anymore.”  By this time he had stopped slicing through the undergrowth as it had lessened considerably.  Walking a steady pace now, Jukes froze as he heard familiar voices.

“Are you sure you’ll be all right here all by yourself, Wendy,” Tootles asked her as he picked up one of the baskets of laundry sitting by the pond.

“Yes, Tootles, I’ll be fine.  Just take back that basket and I’ll be home with this one in a little bit.”  Wendy replied, busily washing Peter’s cloak.

“All right,” Tootles sighed.  Then he lifted off the ground and flew towards the underground house.

  Billy had been watching from behind a tall bush and once Tootles was gone he moved to approach Wendy.  But something about the way Wendy looked made him suddenly stop and look at her closer.  Though she had her back to him, he noticed the curve of her waist and the slender hips as she got up to rinse off Peter’s cloak.  Wading into the water, she emerged a few moments later, soaked and clothes clinging to her.  Jukes’ eyes widened and his mouth was agape.

  Having been in Neverland several years, Wendy had still managed to grow a little into womanhood.  And this was what Jukes noticed.  Her pink dress had become too short for her; falling just above her knee as she had grown a few more inches, and she had filled out in other areas making the clothes fit tighter on her in certain areas.  Adding to this the fact that her clothes were wet and clinging, Billy couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Quietly a burning sensation had begun to grow from the pit of his stomach and he felt a heat spread down below his waist.  This was a familiar feeling to him as he had felt this a few times before, but never like this.  The other times were when he had spent a night with one of the whores at the taverns on one of the local islands.  He remembered how Mullins and Mason had paid for one as a present for his sixteenth birthday.

  “You may be goin’ in there a boy, but yous be comin’ out a man,” Mullins had told him as he slapped him on the back and pushed him into the arms of the waiting whore.

  Yes, he found it quite fun, not to mention eye-opening, but he didn’t see the need to pay for a night everytime he went ashore with his shipmates.  There were two other times after that and both because one of his shipmates offered to pay for it.  But he never found complete pleasure with these women.  And now he knew why; he didn’t feel the heat pounding in him quite like he did at that moment. He realized that these other women were just a means to satisfy a primal urge, but as he looked at Wendy, he knew this was something more; something different.  This was a need to satisfy his own urge on his own terms.  A desire soon spread out through his body accompanied by an urgency he had not quite felt before.

  No! he said to himself. This is Wendy!  Mother to Peter Pan and the lost boys.  Mother to Slightly!  I can’t do this!

But the longer he watched her - clad in her shorter clingy attire that accentuated every curve - the more the idea appealed to him.

No, I’ll just go talk to her....No, that won’t work, we’re sworn enemies.  She’ll fly away.  “What do I do,” he asked himself.

  But his body seemed to have an idea all its own as the next thing he knew he had come out from behind the bush and was standing looking at Wendy.

“Mr. Jukes,” Wendy exclaimed, startled to see the gunner standing before her.

“Hello, Miss Wendy,” he said, never looking her once in the face.

“Hello.  What are you doing here?”  Suddenly looking around she panicked, “Who else is with you?  Where are they?”

Snapping out of his daze, he assured her, “Don’t worry, Miss Wendy, I’m alone.  Quite alone.”

“You are?”

Billy nodded at her, as his eyes traveled over her body.

“Mr. Jukes, are you all right?” she asked with concern.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

  He continued to stare at Wendy making her take a look at herself.  She noticed the shortness of her dress and the tightness of the top, as well as the way it clung to her.  Suddenly self-conscious of her appearance and the fact that Billy Jukes was looking at her in a most unfamiliar way, she took Peter’s cloak and held it up in front of her.  Her eyes flitting about she suddenly caught sight of something on Billy that made her blush then look away.

Wondering what she was looking at, Billy did a quick inspection of himself and noticed what she had seen. Quickly he turned around to fix the problem, but when he turned back Wendy was gone.

“Dammit!” he grumbled, as he searched the sky for her.  But she was gone.  Then he noticed the small basket of washed clothes still sitting by the pond.  Smiling to himself he knew she’d have to come back for it.  He decided he’d wait for her.  Hopefully she’d be back soon, and by herself.  But what if she sends someone else?  That was a chance he’d have to take.  So he settled down behind a tall bush; different from the one he came out from behind of and waited.
 

**********
 

A few hours had passed and Billy was ready to give up hope of Wendy returning. This was stupid of me to even think about doing this anyway.

“Maybe I should just go back to the ship,” he mumbled with disappointment.  And face Hook?  “No, I don’t think so.  But I’ll have to go back eventually.”  Letting out a sigh he decided, “Might as well.  Get this done and over with.  Damn that Elijah.”

He was about to head back when he saw Wendy alight the ground.  “Yes!” he said quickly as he ducked back behind the bush and watched her carefully approach the pond.  The heat he had felt hours earlier returned in full force and now he couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to feel her soft skin.

“I can’t believe I’m even thinking of doing this!  What’s wrong with me?  This is Wendy.  I can’t do this to her.”  But as Jukes watched her, he couldn’t deny the urge that was racing through him.

Looking around her, but seeing no sign of her earlier visitor, Wendy gathered the rest of the clothes and put them in the basket.

Jukes had decided that while she was distracted he would come out again.  But then another thought went through his mind.  What would Captain Hook say?  During all his years of service to the man, Hook had literally engraved in Jukes’s mind the proper treatment of a woman; lady, whore or otherwise.  Some were treated with greater respect and courtesy than others; as would be Wendy, but nonetheless all were to be treated like a precious gift placed on a pedestal and worshipped.  This too gave reason to why he never fully enjoyed a night spent with a tavern whore.  He felt as though he was disrespecting the wench somehow. Hook never approved of his men partaking in these adult games either, and Billy remembered the look on the captain’s face when he had found out how Jukes had spent his sixteenth birthday.  One of sheer disappointment.  So, if the captain were to ever find out he had such a wicked thought now - oh would he be even more disappointed.

So as he watched Wendy, his conscience fought with the raging heat that was consuming him.  “Oh, I have to,” he decided.  “Sorry Cap’n....Sorry Wendy.  But it’s a chance I have to take.”

He came out from behind the bush and slowly, silently went up to Wendy.  He put a firm hand on her shoulder, making her jump and spin around.  “Mr. Jukes-” she began, that was all she was able to say as Billy pulled her to him and into a liplock.

Startled by this action, Wendy struggled to break free of Billy’s grasp.  But this only made him hold her tighter.  Able to get loose from his kiss at least, she looked at him with total surprise as well as a little bit of fear.  “What are you doing?” she implored.  “Mr. Jukes, please, you’re hurting me.”

Hearing these words, Billy felt bad for what he had just done and let go of her.  She began to move away, but just as quick, he changed his mind.  “No, I have to,” and reached for her pulling her into his hold once more.

  This time she was able to get away from him and she hotly exclaimed, “What do you think you’re doing.  Stop this.”  Though her voice was filled with anger, she was beginning to become frightened inside.  All the years she had been in contact with Billy Jukes, she had known him to be the more gentler out of Hook’s men.  Everytime she had been captured, he treated her with the utmost respect.  But what she saw of him now concerned her.  This wasn’t the Billy Jukes she had come to know.  This wasn’t him at all, and it scared her.

The gunner moved towards her causing her to back away.  Instinctively, she knew to fly, but she found herself entranced by the fire burning in his dark eyes.  Finding herself at the edge of the pond, she finally decided to take to the air.  But it was too late.  Billy had jumped and grabbed her pulling her down to the ground.  Together they struggled as one tried to get away and the other tried to restrain.

  Though Jukes was a little more than a foot taller than Wendy he was amazed at the strength she displayed as they rolled about on the grass.

  “Mr. Jukes, stop it!  Let me go!” she repeated several times.

  A few times she almost got away, but Billy was able to hang on to her and and keep her from leaving.  But the struggle that ensued made Jukes upset with himself.  Here he was a pirate; a cutthroat.  Well known for his precision with Long Tom, and the inventions he created, but he couldn’t pin down a simple girl.  He knew it was because he was still so scrawny and lanky himself.  Yes, he had filled out some in the past few years.  He had even gotten a few tattoos on his back and arms, but that didn’t help much.  Strength wise, he was no better than that pathetic cabin boy who made his life a living nightmare.

After a while Wendy began to tire and Billy was able to get the upper hand. Letting out a scream, this was muffled by Billy’s hand covering her mouth.

“Please, Miss Wendy, don’t scream,” he asked as he pinned her down, pressing the weight of his body against her.  Then he moved his hand from her mouth, holding down the one loose hand and planted another kiss on her.

Wendy squealed under the kiss and squirmed trying to get out from under him, but she found herself unable to go anywhere.  Billy continued to kiss her, but when she refused to respond, he stopped the kiss and looked down at her.

Catching her breath, Wendy admonished.  “Mr. Jukes, exactly what do you  think you’re doing?”  Though her heart was racing with uncertainty and fear, she wasn’t about to let him see that.  Rather she would display her calm rational side and be able to get herself out of this situation.  “What’s wrong with you?  Why are you acting like this?  This isn’t the Billy Jukes I’ve come to know.”

“I know, Miss Wendy....and I’m sorry.  I have no intention of hurting you-”

“Then let me go and we’ll forget any of this happened,” Wendy interjected.

“I....I can’t-”

“What do you mean you can’t?  Of course you can.  Now please, let me up.”

Shaking his head at her, he went on.  “I can’t.  I know you don’t understand-I don’t even understand myself, to be honest.  But I can’t.  This is something I just have to do.”

Hearing these words scared Wendy even more and she dreaded what Billy’s intentions were.  Not wanting to face the reality of it, Wendy let down her front and began to cry.

“Mr. Jukes please, if you’re anything like the pirate; the gentleman I know you are, please let me go.”  Tears rolled down from the corners of her eyes and Wendy turned her head so Jukes wouldn’t look at her.

“Oh my God, what have I done?” Billy questioned as he saw the tears fall from Wendy’s eyes.  “Wendy, Miss Wendy, I’m so sorry.”

  Quickly he got off of her and scrambled to a few feet away.  Sitting down, he bowed his head and buried his face in his hands.  Wendy lied on the grass so overcome by her emotions that she couldn’t get up.

  A few moments passed and Billy looked at Wendy who was still lying on the grass crying.  Feeling horrible for the way he scared her he knew he had to somehow makes amends.  Slowly he crawled to her side, not wanting to scare her anymore than he already had.  But when Wendy saw him approaching she quickly turned on her side and into a fetal position.

Feeling his heart drop, Jukes sat down beside her and asked in a timid voice.  “Are you all right, Miss Wendy?”

Something about the inflection in Billy’s voice told Wendy he felt awful inside, and she slowly turned over to face him.  His head was bowed and his raven hair was covering his face, so Wendy couldn’t see the expression on it.  “Mr. Jukes-” she began.

Billy looked at her and let out a wavering sigh.  “I’m so sorry, Miss Wendy....I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Sitting up, and wiping her eyes, Wendy inquired, “What was that Mr. Jukes?  That’s not like you.  Like I said, that’s not the Billy Jukes I’ve come to know over the years.  You’ve never treated me that way.  What was that?”

Trying to find a reason, Billy began stammering out excuses, “I don’t know....I don’t understand.....It’s just that, well I was so mad about this morning....and I left the ship....and I was so angry.  Then I saw you, and saw how beautiful you looked and - I don’t know, the way I felt, I can’t explain it.  I just know that when I saw you and the clothes, and how they clung to you.  It was unlike anything I’d ever seen before.  I saw you in a whole new light....and you were so beautiful standing here and I just knew I had to-”  He then looked at Wendy.  “I’m sorry.”

Knowing she had already forgiven him, Wendy had a smirk curled up in the corners of her mouth and she looked back at Billy’s dark eyes and asked, “You really think I’m beautiful?”

Surprised by this question Jukes nodded his head, “Yes, I do, very beautiful.”

Blushing, Wendy bowed her head and said “Thank you.”

“Doesn’t Peter tell you that?”

Wendy looked at him and let out a small contemptible laugh.  “No, he doesn’t.  Peter doesn’t see things like that.”

“Well, he should.  He’s missing out.  Seeing you this way is like seeing you for the first time.  It’s like seeing you in a whole new light.  And if Peter can’t see that then he’s blind.  You’re very beautiful, Miss Wendy.”

Overcome by a sudden sensation that rippled through her entire body and woke up a heat she had never felt before, she moved towards the gunner; heart fluttering a bit and kissed him on the check.  “Thank you Mr. Jukes, that was very nice of you.”

“Please, no need for formalities.  Just call me Billy,” Jukes smiled at her.

“All right.  Then you just call me Wendy.”  she smiled back.

“Agreed.”

“Again, thank you, Billy, for the compliment.”  Wendy then leaned in and kissed his cheek once more as the heat traveled through her body now and she could feel a heavy pulsing cascading throughout her.

The two now sat with their faces just inches from each other, and they searched each others eyes trying to see what the other was thinking.  Having her this close again woke up Billy’s body for yet a third time, and neither one knew who initiated it first but they found themselves lock in a kiss.

Releasing each other lips, they looked at each other in surprise, but then smiled at what just happened.  Folding into each others arms, they fell back onto the grass, embraced in another kiss.  A few moments went by when they looked at each other again.

“What are we doing?” Wendy asked, barely above a whisper.  “We’re supposed to be enemies.”

“I’m not sure,” Billy replied.  “Do you want me to stop?” he then asked with a touch of panic in his voice.

“No, not anymore.”  She then wrapped her fingers into his long mane and pulled his lips to hers.

  Now it was Wendy’s turn to try and figure out what was racing through her.  This was a feeling she had never known before; not even with Peter.  Yes, she would get a warm feeling whenever he was around. And it would intensify whenever they were able to spend time alone.  But it never led to anything.  She had never felt anything quite like this before.  It surprised her and scared her at the same time, as well as make her marvel in it, wanting to understand what it was and why she was feeling it.  And why it took someone like Billy Jukes to wake it up in her.

Suddenly an urgency raced through the two of them and they both felt a new burst of heat go ripping through their bodies.  Looking at each other, they pressed their bodies together, becoming entangled in one another.  Locking into a kiss once more, their hands worked to remove each others clothing as quickly as they could.  Simultaneously, then they gave in to the passion that was consuming them.

Never before had Wendy felt this way, and she reveled in the joy that raced through her body.  Looking Billy in his eyes she felt herself soar as the two of them became as one.

Afterwards they lied in each others arms reveling at what had just happened.  As well as surprised that it had.  It was everything Billy had thought it would be, if not more, and he told himself there was no way he’d ever be able to spend a night with one of the tavern whores again.  It didn’t matter how much Mullins or Mason or Starkey offered to pay, he was through with all that.

Thinking about what had happened, Wendy quietly asked “I had no idea it would be like this.  Did you?“

Billy nodded his head and said "Yes.  But I live on a pirate ship.  I know these things.” Though afraid she’d be mad to hear the truth, Jukes reluctantly added,  “Besides, you’re not the first one.  There have been others before you.”

“Oh,” was all Wendy could say.

“You’re not mad are you?"

“No, actually I don’t mind.  This way at least one of us knew what we were doing.”

Jukes just smiled as he held Wendy in his arms.

Then a thought went through his head.  What if this is it? he asked himself.  No, it can’t be.  Wendy’s not like that.

But before he could say anything Wendy spoke up.  “Billy....”

“Yes?”

“....Does this mean anything to you?....Or was it all just for fun?”

Jukes couldn’t help but smile.  She was thinking the same thing.  “Yes, it means something to me.  It means a lot.”

“Good, I was hoping you’d say that.”
 

**********
 

Three days had past since their encounter at the pond.  Night had fallen and after sending all her boys to bed Wendy snuck out of the underground house and headed towards the Jolly Roger.  She flew as fast as she could eager to get to the ship.

Billy was standing on deck waiting for Wendy.  Finally, she showed up.  As soon as she alighted the deck the two of them embraced each other in a passionate kiss.

“I missed you,” Wendy said.

“I missed you too,” Billy  replied.  “Well, shall we go.”

“Yes, as soon as possible.”  With another quick kiss the two of them wrapped their arms around each other and effortlessly lifted off the ship, heading for their special spot; the washing pond.

But as they left, a pair of dark eyes watched from the shadows and an evil smirk curled up on an uninvited face.  Elijah quietly walked out of the shadows of the cargo barrels and looked in the direction the gunner and the mother to Peter Pan and the lost boys went.  “The Captain will be interested when he hears about this.”  Chuckling low he remarked as he walked towards the steps leading below deck, “Dilo.”
 

END
 
 

Romani words/pronunciations/translations.

‘Chavaia-(Cha-VIE-ah)-“Stop”
Chavo-(CHA-vo)-“Gypsy Boy”
Mokadi Jook - “Dirty Dog”
Didlo-(DEED-loh)-“Crazy”
Dinili-(Dee-NEEL-ee)-“Stupid”
Nash Avri-(Nosh Ah-VREE)-“Go Away”
Prikaza-(Pree-KOZ-ah)-“Bad Luck”
Dilo-(DEE-lo)-“Fool”