“You can’t be serious, boy,” Captain Hook asked as he polished his curved claw with the handkerchief he had pulled casually out of his coat sleeve.

“I swear to you, sir. I saw it with my own eyes.” came the response from the dark scrawny cabin boy as he stood at full attention in Hook’s cabin.

“No, Elijah, you must be mistaken.  Mr. Jukes leave the ship.  In the middle of the night - and with Miss Wendy?”  With a low chuckle,  he finished.  “I find that very hard to believe.”

“But it’s true sir.  I swear to you.  I did see him leave, and he went with Miss Wendy.  They were right here on deck.” -Elijah pointed in the direction he meant just outside the cabin doors- “They were kissing, and then said something about going somewhere, and as soon as possible.  I can only imagine where; and the way they were all over each other; I don’t even want to think about what they were going to be doing-”

“Enough!” the captain ordered as he pounded his fist on his desk.  He was instantly irritated that his new cabin boy would make insinuations about the only man on his ship he felt he had been able to mold into a proper gentleman pirate.

“You dare to accuse Billy Jukes of leaving the Jolly Roger with the mother of Peter Pan and the lost boys?  Then go further to insinuate that he did this for a carnal need and fulfillment?  Boy, you have no idea who or what you’re talking about.”

“Let me illuminate for you, young Elijah,” Hook began as he leaned back in his chair once more and went back to polishing his hook.

  “Billy Jukes is one of the finest men and pirates I’ve ever known.  And that’s because I’ve been able to mold him into what I want for a Jolly Roger crewman.  Yes, he had his meager beginnings much like you do now.  And he wasn’t much to consider right away; very clumsy and weak, save for his cunning genius and his uncanny ability to aim Long Tom with deadly accuracy.  But with time and the proper “education” he has grown to become a cutthroat of refined worthiness; in his own rugged way.  And a brigand of notable honor and respect; not to mention he’s loyal to me and my ship. Dare I say, he has flourished under my tutelage.  So for you to make such accusations are by all means preposterous.”

“But Cap’n, sir-” Elijah tried to interject.

“Let me finish,’ the captain said in a menacing tone.  The pathetic little Roma bowed his head into submission and the captain went on.

“Further more, I have made sure he has learned to value and respect the fairer of our sex.  I do not approve of the sickening diplays of manhood the rest of my crew insist on partaking in; and yes, I was sadly disappointed to find out how Mr. Jukes spent his sixteenth birthday - a gift from his shipmates I must regrettably say - but I know he has learned a valuable lesson from the experience, and that is women must be looked at not as mere objects of desire, but rather looked at as though they were fine pieces of jewelry. A treasure to be appreciated and admired.  Not a dirty cloth to be soiled and discarded.  I know Jukes has learned this lesson, and he’s learned it well because I have been the one to teach it to him.  So for you to say he....flew away with Miss Wendy, and to imply....he took liberties with her is highly unlikely. Even if the opportunity presented itself, Mr. Jukes would not allow himself to fall into such a deplorable behavior.

  “Miss Wendy is the mother of Peter Pan and the lost boys - despicable curs they may all be - and Billy Jukes knows to treat her as such, and with the proper respect befitting a mother.  Besides, mother or not, she’s the love of Peter Pan’s life and why would Mr. Jukes want to have anything to do with that.”

Elijah stood looking at the captain, knowing he had just lost his biggest opportunity to get the older Roma in trouble, but he was going to make one more plea.  He didn’t want to see Billy get off the hook so easily   “Please Cap’n, sir.  I swear to you-”

But Hook cut him off for the final time as he got up from his desk and stomped towards the cabin boy.  Towering over the scrawny lad,  Hook warned him.  “You have never made me upset with you, boy, in the past few months you’ve been with us.  I would advise you not to begin now.  So take this foolish nonsense you have bundled up in your head and leave.  Otherwise, you’ll have your first experience with my cat.”

“Yes, sir,” Elijah answered.  Then he turned around and left the cabin.

“Dilo,” he muttered under his breath calling the captain a fool as he closed the door behind him.

“Dinili Gadje.  He doesn’t believe me.  I’ll make sure he does.”  Elijah was glaring in the direction of the older Roma who was still working on repairing the damage done to Long Tom, and a sinister smile curled up into the corners of his mouth.  “Time to have some fun,” he hissed out in his Romani language.

  As he walked towards the gunner he couldn’t help but grit his teeth as he ran his hand through the short mess of black that covered his head.  His hair had been long once, like Jukes’, and it had been his pride.  But when he came on board the Jolly Roger, Captain Hook insisted “the boy be scrubbed down and deloused.” to avoid having a flea trap on board.   So he found himself at the hands of Jukes who carefully cleaned him up.  Then the older Roma did what Elijah considered to be the unforgivable; he cut his hair - shaved it off.  It was captain’s orders, but the young boy fumed at this.  Even if it was just hair, it was his hair.  And he valued it the same way Jukes valued Long Tom.  This simple action set into motion Elijah’s hatred for his fellow Roma.

He continued to casually swagger towards Billy who knew he was coming over, but chose to ignore him.

“I know what you did last night,” Elijah condescended to Billy.  Surprisingly, he didn’t want the rest of the crew to know what they were talking about so he spoke to Billy in their language.

Taken aback by these words a bit; and that they were spoken to him in Romani - a warning sign for the gunner - Billy slowly turned to Elijah.  “What?” he asked, speaking the language back.

“I know what you did last night....and with who.  I know you left the ship.  I saw you.”  Still speaking in the Romani tongue, Billy knew this conversation would continue as such.  And with the words just spoken to him, he knew it was best.

This surprised Billy and he felt a panic run up his back as the blood rushed into his brain.  But the gunner knew better than to let this show on his face.  Steely-eyed, he looked squarely at the cabin boy he had come to despise.  “You saw me do what?” “I saw you with Miss Wendy - kissing her. Then the two of you left the ship.”

  Panic raced through Jukes’ entire body now and he felt his heart suddenly pounding in his throat.  The little brat saw me! rang bold in his head, but he still wasn’t going to let the boy who had become a thorn in his side see that he was worried about this.  Still keeping a straight face, Jukes merely blinked at Elijah.  But then something in the boy’s face told Billy his little secret had remained just that a secret, and giving the boy a cat’s grin he asked with a hiss of his own, “So....you saw me?  Did you go tell the captain like a good little cabin boy?”

Elijah didn’t say anything, but anger and hatred smoldered in his eyes.

Realizing that having indeed told, and the captain didn’t believe him,  Billy continued on, still in Romani, in a more sarcastic patronizing tone.  “And did he believe you?....NO!  And will he believe you?....No!  So, go ahead Elijah, tell the captain all you want about what it is you think I did last night.  Because it doesn’t matter.  Captain Hook will never believe you.”  Especially about something like this, thank God, he told himself.

“Besides you have no idea what you’re talking about.  I didn’t go anywhere.  I was here on the ship the entire night.”

“Liar!” Elijah spat loudly at him through clenched teeth.

This made Mullins,  Mason and Starkey - who were working on the rigging -  take notice of the two boys.

“Blast it all, they’re speaking in that damned gypsy talk of theirs again,” Starkey groaned, looking at the two with contempt.

“Romani,” Mullins flatly stated.

“What?” Starkey asked looking at his shipmate funny.

“It’s Romani; what Billy and Elijah are speakin’.  It’s their language.”  Mullins explained while watching the two dark-skinned lads.  He could tell something was up.  He could read the hidden expression behind Billy’s hard stare and he knew the puny cabin boy had somehow upset his young shipmate again.

“Oh, I don’t care what it is.  I just wish they wouldn’t speak it here,” the gentleman pirate griped.

“An’ why not?” Mullins was right in Starkey’s face now.  “Yous gotta problem wid the boys speakin’ their own righ’ful tongue?”

Clearing his throat, Starkey answered.  “As a matter of fact I do.  We’re on a pirate ship, not in some infernal caravan.”

“Well, I happen to like it,” Mason interjected, seeing Mullins eyes glow with anger as he reached for his cutlass.  “It isn’t everyday one gits ta hear another language, ‘specially one as interesting as the one those two speak.  The fact that they can even speak somethin’ other than the King’s English is a bit more than I can say fer any o’ us.”

“Yes, that may be true, Mason,” Starkey replied.  “But I would rather they not speak it around me.  I find it highly irritating.”

“Then don’ listen to ‘em,” Mullins growled.  “Whatever it is yous has against Billy and Elijah talking in Romani yous had better drop it an’ now.  That fact that we found the scrawny pip-squeak, an’ that he’s the same as Billy - even if theys don’ get along so well - at least gives em’ someone to talk too.  And I’m not gonna stand ‘ere an’ listen’ ta yous moan about it.   Understand?!”  Mullins then went back to working on the rigging.

“Well, I am entitled to my opinion,” Starkey said in true English snobbery.

“Aye, jus’ not around me,” Mullins glared.

“You’re calling me a liar?” Jukes asked, still in Romani.

“Yes, because I know you are.”  Elijah glared with eyes as black as coals that were filled with a fire full of anger and hatred.  He had tried not to hate his fellow Roma when he first came on board, after all they were vitsa; familia - part of the same clan, and they were surrounded by gadjes; non-Romas.  But when he saw how Billy had no understanding for the ways of their people, and the lack of morals and customs that all Romas followed, he quickly felt contempt towards his new shipmate.

Unfortunately the younger Roma didn’t understand that what ever livelihood Billy once had of their people was washed away with the tide once he found himself on board the Walrus at the young age of seven.  Growing up amongst non-Romas, Billy found he had no choice but to assimilate to the gadje’s way of life, and over time all the morals and values he knew and he had been taught to live by all but vanished, except for the language.  This he never forgot.  But the fact that that was the only thing Billy had left angered Elijah to the point of hatred.  And this hatred was what fueled the young cabin boy to pester Billy Jukes like a plague.  And right now, he was bound and determined to get the gunner in trouble for something he knew was true.

“Oh, I am?  Really?” Billy smirked.  He knew he had the upper hand with the situation; for the most part.  The captain didn’t believe Elijah’s words; although Billy was horrified to know he had been caught, but only because the wretched brat was spying on him.  But he gloated in this thin victory as he mocked at the pathetic brat.  “Elijah, you don’t know anything.  Nothing at all.  And you certainly don’t know enough to know I was right here on the ship last night.  Asleep in my bunk.”

“At one point yes.  But I saw you get up, come up here and meet Miss Wendy.  I saw you kissing.  You exchanged words, then flew away.”

This kind of detail made the gunner’s blood run cold and he was glad now more than ever that they were speaking in Romani, but he hid this by laughing at the younger Roma.  “Oh, you have quite the imagination there, Elijah.  The lengths you’ll go to get me into trouble.  You are so pathetic.”

“Not as pathetic as you, Billy Jukes,” Elijah menaced.  “I’ll get the Cap’n to believe me.  And when I do I’m sure he’ll probably give you a back scratching that would put what Captain Flint did to you to shame.”

Upon hearing these words, fire raged up in Billy and he instantly lost all control.  Without a moments hesitation he hit the cabin boy hard across the face, knocking him down to the deck.  “How dare you!” He yelled towering over him.  It had been many years since that horrible moment on the Walrus.  But the memory still rang clear in Billy’s mind; and on his back.  The raised scars were a constant reminder of that horrific event, and nightmares still plagued him after all this time.

  Wanting to cause severe bodily harm to the younger Roma, Billy raged.  “Don’t you EVER say anything like that to me again!  Do you understand?!  NEVER!  You have no idea what I went through at the hands of Flint; what that was like.  So don’t you EVER bring that up to me again.  Or I swear I’ll kill you!”

All Elijah did was lie on the deck and smirk evilly up at Billy.

  Having heard the raised voice and seeing the after effect of Billy striking the boy, his three shipmates stopped what they were doing and hurried over to the two boys.

“What the devil happened here?” Mason asked.  He looked at Elijah who just rubbed his jaw and got up.

“Bi-lach Chavo,” he said to Billy, calling him a no good Roma, as he casually walked away.

Glaring after him, Billy called, “You’re the one who’s bi-lach.  San Beng.”

“Billy, what happened ‘tween th’ two o’ you?  What did he say that made ya hit ‘em?”  Mullins asked.

Breathing hard and trembling all over, Billy lied and told them, “He was giving me a hard time about Long Tom and what happened to it.”  Then he paused, trying to regain his composure before he finished.  “Then he made some remarks about what happened to me at the-”  -Billy faltered- “-at the hands of Flint.”

All three gasped and looked in the direction the cabin boy had gone - though now he was nowhere to be seen.

“Why that no good lil’ scug,” Mullins growled.  “Someone needs to teach ‘em a lesson on respect.”

“Quite right, Robert, old boy.  Even I know better than to ever say anything bad about what happened to our  young Jukes here; much less bring it up.”  This comment from Starkey surprised the three pirates and he hotly defended himself.  “What!?  Billy, you and I may not see eye to eye on a lot of things, especially that annoying language you and and that scrawny brat speak.  But I would never go so far as to disrespect you about a time in your life that was the most dreadful of all experiences.”

  “Thank you, Starkey,” Billy replied, anger still in his voice.

“Still, the boy needs to know he can’t go around sayin’ things like that,” Mason added in.  “We gotta teach him a lesson, and we gotta make sure it’s a hard one.  After all he is nothing but a puny cabin boy-”

Mullins then interrupted as his anger still raged on as well.  “An’ we need ta remind ‘im of that.  He nothing; a nobody on this ship, and he has to learn where ‘is place is, and that’s at the bottom of the chain.  Preferably the chain tied to the anchor and cast down into Davy Jones as far as  I’m concerned.

He’ll learn all right what it is to be a cabin boy.”

“No!” Billy interjected, forcing the others to stare at him.

“Whaddya mean “No”, Billy?”  Mason asked.

Knowing he could never explain the real reason why he didn’t want his shipmates to get involved, Jukes gave them the secondary one.  “This is between Elijah and me.  Roma te' Roma.”

Starkey rolled his eyes while Mason elbowed him.  Mullins looked oddly at Billy and asked, “What ya mean Roma te' Roma?  Yous don’ want us helpin’ ya?”

“No, Mullins, you can’t.  This is the Romany code of honor.  Elijah insulted me, it’s now up to me to exact myself.  But I have to do this by myself.  If you help me I’ll appear more mahrime’ than I already do to the pathetic little blighter, and I don’t want that.”

  “Mahrime’?  What?  Oh, Billy do speak English,” Starkey interrupted.  This time it was Mullins who elbowed him in the back.

“Tainted.  I’ll appear tainted,” Billy explained.  “Oh, nevermind.  You don’t understand,” he added.

  “I’m older than him.  He has to learn to respect me and the only way he’ll do this is by me teaching him the lesson myself.”  Hearing these words come out of his own mouth made Jukes seethe inside.  He still didn’t understand how a lowly little eleven year old cabin boy had gotten the better of him over and over.  “And he’ll learn it all right.  I’ll make damned sure of that.  So please, let me do this in my own.  Okay?”

All exchanging glances, Mullins, Mason and Starkey agreed, although Mullins was not happy about it.  But Billy let out a sigh of relief.  He secret about he and Wendy was safe; for now.
 
 

**********
 

Four more days passed. Four more days of the usual routine; Peter Pan and the lost boys show up and frazzle Hook a bit then leave.  Hook would spout off one of his usual tangents and go ashore with his crew to try and find him.  Jukes made a point of going on every land visit with the hopes of breaking away and possibly seeing Wendy, but he was never fortunate enough to do that.

  Each day Billy longed to see Wendy and to hold her.  To smell her fragrant skin, and feel the soft curves of her body.  He wanted more than anything to look into her green eyes and kiss her.  But he didn’t know when his chance to do all that would come again, especially with the scrawny brat watching every move he made. No matter what he did or where he went on the ship, Elijah was there; scrutinizing everything he did.  The only place Billy felt safe and comfortable in was his forge.  He had put a lock on the door from the inside which enabled him to spent many “quiet” hours hammering away on his inventions as well as getting out any frustrations he might of had, which were many.

By the morning of his fourth day of surveillance, Billy was so fed up with his unwelcome shadow that he unleashed his anger full force in his forge.  As a result he splashed some of the molten metal on his chest.  The pain was enough that he almost passed out as he felt the red hot fire sear his skin.  But the pain that followed was even worse as he had to peel it off .  Knowing he had to get it taken care of as soon as possible before an infection set in, he appealed to the captain to let him go ashore to find the necessary plants to make an ointment to put on the burn.  Reluctantly, Hook agreed.  But only after seeing the severity of the wound.  Then he told the gunner to make it quick.

As Billy prepared the long boat, Elijah slinked up to him and snarled at him - in Romani once more.  “How clever of you Billy Jukes.  You dump hot molten metal on your chest just so you can go ashore to meet Miss Wendy.  Oh, the extremes you’ll go to just to get her under your weight for a short time.”

Although the prospect and hope of seeing Wendy was prevalent in his mind - and the chance to finally go ashore alone and not have to worry about his other shipmates excited him, he was not about to let the pathetic Roma know this.  He simply glared at the dark boy and remarked back in Romani as well, “ You have some nerve.  Do you really think I’d go do something like this on purpose?”

“I think you’ll do anything to go see Miss Wendy. It’s been a long time....and I’m sure you just can’t stand it.”

“I don’t have time for this!” Jukes barked at Elijah.  “I have to go get this taken care of before it gets worse.  Now if you’ll excuse me, cully.”  With this Jukes lowered the long boat and made his way to shore.

Once on land he was torn between what to do;  treat his burn, or see if he could find Wendy.  Ultimately the pain of the wound won out in the end and he made his way in land.

First I’ll treat this wound, then I‘ll try and find Wendy, he said to himself.  “I just hope she’s out somewhere.”

Making his way through the island he found the two main ingredients that he needed; chamomile petals and aloe vera leaves.  “Now for the cattails,” he smiled knowing exactly where to look for these.  Quickly he made his way to the pond; his heart pounding in his chest.  “Please let her be there.”

But unfortunately she was not.  Letting out a sigh as his heart dropped,  Billy decided he might as well get the cattails, get the ointment made and on his chest and figure out from there what he was going to do.

Once he had all the ingredients he sat on the bank of the pond and went about preparing his concoction.  The oil from the aloe vera leaves were mixed together with crushed chamomile petals which were then mixed with the stringy fibers from the interior of the cattail thus making a sticky gooey paste-like bandage.

Billy has put it on a large fern and was about to begin putting the mixture on when he suddenly felt two hands cover his eyes and a familiar female voice whisper in his ear.  “Guess who?”

“Wendy!” he exclaimed as his heart fluttered.  Turning around he pulled her to him and into a passionate kiss.

Wendy’s response was just what he needed to make his problems go away.  But then she brushed her hand across his vest and against the burn which made Billy pull away from her in pain.

“What’s wrong?  What did I do?” she panicked.

“Oh no, it’s not you,” the gunner replied.  “You didn’t do anything.  It’s this,”  He then pulled open his vest to reveal the burn.

“What happened?” she asked in a horrified voice as her first reaction was to reach out and touch it.  But when Billy winced away at the approach of her hand she put it down.  Seeing the ointment he had made, she deduced it was for the burn.  “Here, let me put this on for you,” she offered as she picked up the fern.

So while Wendy gingerly applied the ointment, Billy explained what had happened that morning down in the forge and how he burned himself because of the way the Roma brat was following him.  “He’s been nothing but trouble for me ever since he came on board.  And I have no idea why he hates me so much.  He’s a’ Beng, I swear.”

“He does sound like the devil,” Wendy remarked, picking up on one of the few words she had learned from him.  “You poor thing.  What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know,” the gunner sighed as he watched Wendy put the fern down.  “But that’s not all.

“He knows, Wendy.  He knows about us.”

“What?!” her hands flew to her face in fear.  “What do you mean he knows about us?!  How?!”

Taking her hands he looked at her.  “He was spying on me the night you came to the ship.  He saw and heard everything.”

“Everything?”

Nodding his head he answered, “Everything.”

“Oh, Billy, what are we going to do?”  Wendy panicked.  “What if he tells Captain Hook?”

“He already has.”

“What?!  No!  Billy, this can't be. We’ll both be dead for sure.  What are we going to do?”

  Wendy worked herself up into a frantic panic and Billy took her into his arms to comfort her and calm her down.

“It’s all right,” he said calmly.  "The Cap’n didn’t believe him.”

“He didn’t?”  Panic was still in her voice, but it had suddenly dropped upon hearing these words.

“No,” Jukes lightly laughed.  “It appears all my years of service to him, and the fact that he takes great pride in having been able to mold me into what he considers to be the proper Jolly Roger crewman has finally paid off.  The fact that the Cap’n doesn’t believe Elijah tells me that he’s certain I’m this upstanding young cutthroat who would never look improperly upon a woman.

“And he’s right, I wouldn’t.  I only see them as the fine jewels I know them to be.”

This last remark made Wendy blush as Billy was looking right at her when he said it.

Looking at him from the tops of her eyes, she shyly asked.  “So now what do we do?”

Smiling a devil’s smile, Jukes took her in his arms and whispered.  “We just be more careful.”

“Oh,” was all Wendy was able to get out before Billy had her lips locked in a kiss.  Lying back on the grass that would be their bed, they quickly discarded whatever clothes were between them and happily found each other.
 

**********
 

Afterwards Billy and Wendy waded into the pond, enjoying the cool sensation of the water against their skin.  Embracing each other once more in a kiss, this somehow turned into a water fight as the two of them splashed around like two small children  Falling into each others arms as the water engulfed them, Jukes noticed his make-shift bandage was coming off.  So he got out of the water, found what was left of the ointment and sat his naked body down on the bank of the pond.  He watched Wendy swim about as he applied more of the gooey mixture to his chest.

Her hair had grown considerably longer during her time in Neverland, and like the curves of her body, Billy noticed this as well.  She no longer wore the crown of flowers Jukes had grown accustomed to seeing.  She now wore rose blossoms and other Neverland flowers braided into her hair, and this look Billy liked better than the crown she once wore.

Finishing tending to his burn, the gunner looked up to see Wendy come out of the water.  The way the drops glistened against her skin made his heart pound wildly as it pulsed through every inch of his being.

“Wait.  Just stand there,” he said, staring glassy-eyed at her.  “Just let me look at you.  Let me see how beautiful you are.”

Blushing again, Wendy stayed where she was as she felt Jukes’ eyes travel all over her body; exploring every curve and detail, the way his hands had done already.

Getting up, he went to her and took her hands in his.  “You are so beautiful,” he said to her.  “Everything about you; your hair, your eyes, your skin, all your curves. Everything.  I don’t know how Peter could look at you and not see all this.  He has to be the blindest boy I know in all of Neverland.”

“Peter’s too busy being impressed with himself to ever notice anything about me,” Wendy replied.  “He’s always been like that. I was just hoping he would have grown out of it at some point.  But he hasn’t....and I don’t think he ever will.”

  Wendy suddenly sounded a little downhearted and Billy asked her what was wrong.  Letting go of his hands, she walked past him and sat herself down on the pond bank.  “I think....No, I know Peter’s suspicious.  I know he knows something’s going on with me, I just want to make sure he doesn’t find out.”

Jukes was at her side now, giving her a look of concern, and she went on.  “He’s been telling me I’m acting funny around him....and I know he’s right.”

Looking Billy straight in the eyes, she began pleading her case to him.  “I try not to, but I can’t help it.  Everything is so different now....but he won’t understand.  He won’t understand how I feel - and about him, and what I want and need.  And he especially won’t understand this.   But what can I do?  You make me feel a way Peter never has, and when I look at him, or when I’m around him - it’s not the same anymore....And that’s what he’s noticing.”

“I’m sorry Wendy,” he said as he took her hand.

“Why?” she laughed.  “You haven’t done anything wrong.”

“I know.  I’m just sorry that Peter can’t see you for what you are now.  For what you’ve become.  The way I have.”

“Well, that’s Peter Pan.  The most self-centered, self-serving, conceited boy in Neverland.  And I don’t see that changing any time soon, especially after all this time.”

Suddenly getting that devilish grin again, Billy stated, “Well, what’s his loss then, is my gain.”  He then pulled her into his arms and down on top of him.

“Billy!  What’s this?  Again?” she asked in a playful voice.

Biting his lip he knodded his head at her, then wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into another kiss before leading her down that forbidden path once more.
 

**********
 

“Are you sure she went this way Twins?”  Peter asked as he and his two inventors flew through Neverland looking for Wendy.

“Yes, Peter-” one Twin began.

“We’re positive,” the other finished.

“But all the clothes baskets are at home.  Why would she go to the pond without them?  Besides, it’s not even wash day.”

“I don’t know, Peter.  We just know that-”

“We saw her go this way.”

“Well, when we find her I’m going to ask her what in the world is going on?”  Peter exclaimed.  “I want to know why she’s been acting so strange lately.

“Something tells me there’s something going on with her, and I intend to find out what it is.”
 

**********
 

By this time Billy and Wendy were lying on the grass in each others arms reveling in the experience when they both heard familiar voices growing louder from the distance.

“That’s Peter, and the Twins!” Wendy exclaimed.  “Quick, we have to hide.  No wait.  YOU have to hide.  Or maybe we both should.  Oh, I don’t know what to do.  I can’t let him see us here like this.”

“Wendy calm down, it’ll be okay,” Billy assured her.  “Just get a hold of yourself, all right.”

Seeing the smile on his face, Wendy took a deep breath and internally scolded herself for getting so frantic.  “All right.  This is what we’ll do.  You take these-” she handed Billy his clothes- “and go hide somewhere.  I’ll get in the pond.  That way Peter won’t know any better.  And he’ll feel bad for disturbing me.  Now go on.”  She then shooed the gunner away as though he were one of her boys.

“Yes, Mother,” he chided.

“Billy!” she quipped as he scooted away and out of sight.  The last thing she saw was his smile as he went and hid amongst a large gathering of bushes.

Quickly Wendy slipped into the pond and swam around waiting for Peter and the Twins to show up.

“There you are!” Peter bellowed, as he alighted the ground. “I’ve been looking all over for you.”

The Twins landed too, but kept their eyes diverted from Wendy.  After all she was swimming in the pond, and from the obvious pile of clothes on the bank, she was in there naked.  This made the Twins feel awkward knowing their mother was swimming before them without any clothes on.

“Well you found me.  Now do you mind!  I’m taking a bath.”  Wendy said in her best irritated voice.

“Taking a bath?  But it isn’t even bath night.”  Peter complained.

“That doesn’t matter.  I suddenly felt the urge to take a bath and I did.  Now do you mind, Peter.  I would like some privacy.”

“Wendy, what’s wrong with you?  Why are you being so grouchy?”  Peter himself was irritated now because of the hostility he was getting from Wendy.

“I’m not grouchy,” Wendy practically yelled.  “I just don’t like you interrupting my bath.  That’s all.

“Peter, what would have happened if you showed up here and I wasn’t in the water.  I would be ten times more upset, not to mention embarrassed.  So I would like to be able to bathe alone; and with some privacy.  Please?”

“Come on, Peter, let’s leave-” the first twin said.

“Wendy alone like she asked,” the second one finished.

“All right,” Peter groaned.  “But I want to talk to you as soon as you get back home.”  With this Peter Pan and the Can-Do Twins flew off.

Waiting a few moments to make sure it was safe, Wendy emerged from the pond while Billy came out from the bushes.  Both smiling at each other, they began laughing as they came together in an embrace.

“I had better get back or the Cap’n’s going to think I jumped ship,” Billy stated.

“And you heard Peter.  He wants to talk to me when I get home.

“When will I see you again?”

Billy gave her a wry smile and told her, “Tomorrow.  I’ll just tell the Cap’n I have to keep coming ashore to treat my burn, and I’m sure with the proper talk and persuasion he’ll let me.”

“You think so?” Wendy questioned.

“I’ll try.  Just show here tomorrow like you did today, and hopefully I’ll make it.”

“All right.”

Then they kissed each other goodbye.
 

**********
 

Just as he had hoped, Jukes convinced Hook to let him go ashore for five more days to treat his wound.

“But the ointment has to be made fresh everyday, otherwise it won’t work and this blasted burn will get infected or something.”

Seeing this to be true, the captain allowed Billy to go, but not before throwing in an observed insult his direction.  “Sometimes Billy Jukes, your inability to handle your own devices, especially when it come to the forge, the one area I had always thought you to be most adept at, perplexes me.  Yet you seem to excel still at being rather clumsy and awkward.”

These words didn’t matter to Billy though. Nor did the biting remarks and dark glares that came from Elijah each morning before he set out.  Billy had the upper hand with the cabin boy and he made sure the younger Roma knew it.

All that mattered on those mornings when he got up was the upcoming interlude with Wendy.  She looked forward to them as much as he did, and each day they delighted in seeing each other and enjoying the rapture they felt together.

But back on the Jolly Roger a certain young cabin boy was boiling over with anger and hatred.  Watching Billy row to shore that final morning the gunner was given leave, Elijah cursed Billy under his breath as he said,  “You think you’re so clever.  You think you have it all figured out.....That the Captain will never believe me?  He’s a dinili gadgo.  I’ll find a way to make him believe.  Just you wait, Billy Jukes.  I’ll find away.....And when I do, you’ll pay dearly.”
 
 

The use of the spelling *Romani* pertains to the language.  The use of the spelling *Romany* pertains to the people, their nations, and culture as a whole.

Romani words/pronunciations/translation
Dilo - (DEE-lo) - “fool”
Dinili - (De-NEEL-ee) - “stupid”
Gadje - (GAH-zhe) - “non-Roma/gypsy”
Vitsa - (VEET-sah) - “clan”  can also be used to mean family in some cases
Bi-lach - (be-LACH) - “no good”
Chavo - (CHA-vo)- “gypsy boy”
San  - (Sahn) - “you”
Beng - (baihn(g)) - “devil”
Roma te’ Roma - Roma to Roma
Mahrime’ - (MAH-ree-may) - “unclean, tainted, dirty”
Gadjo - (GAH-zho) - “male non-Roma/gypsy”