“Oh now.  Well, ---- and begorrah,”  Mr. Smee exclaimed as he watched Captain Hook come up in the long boat while Jukes came up in the other.  “It looks like th’ Cap’n an’ Elijah - oo, even Billy Jukes here have come back with some o’ those scalawags.  Why it’s even the mother to Peter Pan his’self.  G’day to ye, Miss Wendy.”  Smee then bowed to Wendy as the boat she sat in came to it’s resting place.

Seeing her tear-stained face, and hearing her soft sobs, Mr. Smee replied further as he took her out of the boat.  “Now, now, Miss Wendy, I no ye’s don’ like comin’ to the ship, but that’s no reason t’ cry over it.”

Billy just glared as he stepped out of his long boat. Smee, you idiot, he said to himself.  Then he sighed. If only that were the problem.

“Where do ye want us puttin’ them Cap’n Hook sir?  Down in the brig?” Smee asked.

“No, Smee.  Keep them up here.  I’m quite certain Master Peter Pan will be about soon enough, and I want them available to watch the drama once it begins,” Hook replied, as he rubbed his hook in a maligned fashion.

“Oo-oo, drama sir.  Does ye mean Peter Pan is comin’ here to watch some theatrical performance with us?”

“No Smee, you clabber dungeon lummox!” Hook roared as he brought his hand to his head and rolled his eyes.  “What I mean is Peter Pan will have quite the adventure when he comes to save John and Wendy here.  It’ll be quite the adventure he’ll never forget.”  He then looked at Billy out of the corner of his eye, as he walked slowly across deck.  Billy saw the captain’s look and just shuddered.

Focusing his attention to his prisoners, the captain ordered,  “Keep them above deck.  Place them by the mast.  That will suffice.”

He then turned back to Billy once more who was watching the whole thing with a distraught look on his face.  “Mr. Jukes,  I want you in my quarters now.  I do believe we have something to discuss.”

All eyes fell on Billy, as he shipmates - minus one: Elijah - wondered what he had done to be called into Hook’s cabin.  The concern showed on their faces, and Jukes knew they were all staring at him.  But he didn’t care.  He also didn’t care if they saw the way he looked at Wendy as he walked towards Hook’s cabin.

His eyes were locked with hers as he approached, and he never parted from this stare.  Even as he past by the mast, he turned about keeping his eyes in touch with Wendy’s.  He saw and felt the pain she was enduring, wishing there was some way he could help her and make everything all right.  His eyes spoke this to her and she knew what he was feeling and what he was telling her.  Finally he had to break himself away as he approached the cabin and went in; Hook closing the door behind him.

The rest of the crew noticed this and wondered with amazement what had just happened.

“Did you all see that?” Starkey asked, looking in the direction of the captain’s quarters.

“Aye, of course we saw that,” Mason remarked.  “But what was it?”

“I don’t rightly know, Mason, old chap.  But whatever it was, it was rather peculiar.”

“Aye, that it be,” Mullins added as he looked at Wendy.  “If I didn’ know better I would think the boy’d been b’witched or somethin’.”

“Oh, Mullins please.” Starkey rolled his eyes and shook his head.  “Billy Jukes, bewitched....And by Wendy?  Oh come now, don’t be absurd.”

“Well then s’plain the look he was ‘xchangin’ wid her?”

Mullins and Starkey then began bickering about this.

Upset with hearing them talk about his sister, but even more upset with her and what he had just found out, John finally spoke to Wendy after being silent to her ever since they had been captured.

“Wendy....How could you do this?  What were you thinking?....Billy Jukes is our enemy; a pirate.  Ugh, the whole idea makes me sick to my stomach.”  John tried looking at her, but couldn’t.  He suddenly felt like the girl standing next to him wasn’t his sister, because the Wendy he knew - or least he thought he knew would never had even considered Billy in any other way than her enemy.

“I don’t understand.  I don’t understand you.  What happened?  I feel like I don’t even know you anymore; like you’re not my sister.  My sister would never do a thing like that....Who are you?”

These cruel words just made Wendy cry even more, and John instantly felt bad for what he has said.  “I’m sorry,” he apologized as he looked at her finally.  “I just don’t understand-”

“An’ I don’ understand why yous is talkin’ yer trap off when ya should be quiet.  Or would ye rather I ventilate ya?” Mullins threatened as he held his cutlass up to John’s face.  With this, John fell silent.
 
 
 

**********
 

Billy stood by the doors of Hook’s cabin as he watched the captain go to his desk and sit down.  Hook then took out his cigarette holder, placed a freshly wrapped tobacco pipe in it and lit it.  Taking a long drag, he held the smoke in for what seemed to be quite a long time, and then slowly let it out in a long single puff.  He had closed his eyes while doing this; trying to gather his thoughts and figure out just what he was going to say to the man he had looked at as a prodigy.

“Come, sit down Mr. Jukes,” the captain finally said.

Slowly, Billy approached the large chair placed on the other side of the desk.  Gingerly sitting down in it, he visually measured it’s distance from the desk, and swallowed hard as he realized the captain would have no problem reaching over and snagging him with the horrible weapon at the end of his arm if the urge came about.  His eyes darted about waiting for the inquisition to begin.

Taking another puff, Hook looked at the gunner and asked, “Would you care to elaborate for me, Mr. Jukes, exactly what it is I found today.”

Billy searched his head for what to say but wasn’t able to find the right words.  Figuring he was stalling,  the captain said, this time rather impatiently, “WELL, Mr. Jukes.  You do have an explanation, I presume?”

“Y-yes, sir,” Billy finally stammered out.

“Well, I’m waiting!”

Taking a deep breath, Billy began to explain to the captain how, what and why this whole situation with Wendy began; purposely leaving out the part about how he had originally attacked her intending to force her to his will.  He knew the captain would flog him, if not worse if he knew about that, and the captain - he was sure - was angry enough with him already.  Also, Billy was now ashamed of himself for doing something like that, especially now that he knew Wendy the way that he did.

  Rather he told the captain how he had come across Wendy at the pond washing clothes.  Because he was still upset about what had happened that morning with Long Tom, he decided he was going to take his chances and talk to her.  Frightened at first to see him, Wendy relaxed when she found out he meant her no harm, and she gave him a listening ear.  He told the captain further how all he wanted to do was talk to her, but as they sat there something happened.  He didn’t quite know what or even how, but suddenly he and Wendy were seeing each other in a different way.

“So....you mean to tell me this....dangerous liaison all began by complete and utter accident?”  Hook was now leaning over his desk, looking at Billy with almost total disbelief on his face.

“Um....Y-yes, sir, I guess it did,”  Jukes stammered.  “But I didn’t mean for this to happen.  I swear, Cap’n, I didn’t.  I had no idea....that things would end up like this.   That I’d....I’d see Wendy like this.”

This last comment piqued Hook’s curiosity, and he asked as he gave Jukes a quizzical look, “That you’d see Wendy like what?  How?”

“Well....”  Jukes was at a loss for words once again, and as he looked at the captain now.  After a long pause, he managed to stumble out, “Well, it’s just that....Wendy, she....she’s not.... I didn’t.”

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Billy just shook his head and looked the captain straight in the face.  “I’m sorry, Cap’n,  I can’t explain it....I don’t know what or how I can say it....I’m sorry, sir.”

“You’re sorry, Mr. Jukes?”  The way Hook said this told Billy the captain wasn’t satisfied with he response, and he knew it would just be a matter of moments before the captain’s anger would be placed upon him.

“You’re sorry that you cannot explain exactly what it is about Miss Wendy that has you so enamored with her that you would risk you life - and quite possibly hers as well?

“Well, then are you also sorry for the humiliation and embarrassment you have brought upon me as I steadfastly defended you to that Romany ruffian, Elijah again and again?  All the while you were partaking in the frivolity he stubbornly insisted on; and you went about doing it RIGHT UNDER MY NOSE!  AND FOR THE DURATION OF FOUR MONTHS!  FOUR MONTHS OF YOUR CARRYING ON IN A SHAMELESS EXHIBITION!-”

Hook was on his feet now and towering over his desk, as well as Billy.  He had slammed his hook into the rich mahogany finish, making Jukes jump as he was sure he’d be feeling the sting of the captain’s hook next.

But, instead the captain sat back down again and rubbed his temples as though he was trying to alleviate any pain that may have crawled in and situated itself behind his eyes.  Finally bringing his hand down to rest on his hook, the captain looked at the gunner.

“Tell me Billy Jukes, where did it go wrong?  Where?  At precisely what moment did all my years of education fail you?  Was it when your shipmates indulged you on your sixteenth birthday and paid for you to spent the night with a whore? - That was not how I had hoped you would have spent your first experience with a woman - Or was it any of the other times afterwards? Something must have happened for you to let all that I instilled in you be thrown to the side just for the need to satisfy your carnal desires. At what point did your tutelage go awry?  Can you tell me Mr. Jukes?  Please I would really like to know.”

Billy just sat there, stunned by these words.  If he didn’t know better, it sounded almost like the captain was blaming himself for what happened.  “Nothing went wrong, Cap’n, I swear.  I still believe in everything you taught me.  Everything about how to treat a woman; lady, whore or otherwise. I haven’t forgotten that.”

“Then explain to me what the deuce you’ve been doing with Miss Wendy?  If your moral views are still intact the way you say they are, then why have you seemingly discarded them....the past four months?”

“I....I don’t know, sir,” was all Billy could say.

“You don’t know?”  Hook let out a deep sigh as he shook his head.  “Oh, Billy, you have no idea how disappointed I am in you right now.  And how completely humiliated I am by your actions.  I thought you were a better man than this.”

“You know I am sir,”  Billy said in earnest even though the words Hook spoke stung him horribly.

“I thought I did, Billy,”  Hook flatly remarked.

Swallowing hard, Billy looked at Hook and made a remark; a rather stupid one at that, and one that he would later regret.  “Well, it can’t be all that bad, Cap’n.  You don’t seem to be as upset as I thought you would be.  I was prepared to come in here and get my back scratched, or worse, but you’ve done nothing like that sir.”

“Aye, t’is true, I haven’t shown any real anger towards you, Jukes. But that doesn’t mean it’s not here.”

  Hook then leaned forward in a menacing fashion and gave Billy an even more menacing look.  “I just haven’t shown it.  But I assure you, Mr. Jukes, I am indeed angry with you.  In fact, I’m furious.  I’m furious that not only have you been consorting with the enemy all this time  But it is the MOTHER of the enemy.  And the way in which you’ve been carrying about with her, Billy. Adding insult to injury.”

  Hook took a deep breath and steadied himself as he could feel his anger beginning to rise in him and he didn’t want that to happen; not just yet.

  “All this combined makes my blood boil and enrages me to no end.  In fact, I’m enraged enough now that I could take my hook and cleave you stem to stern, door and hinge and I wouldn’t feel any better for it.

  “But there are two things that are keeping me from hoisting you up and hanging you from the yardarm - three actually.  The first being I’m doing a remarkable job keeping myself in check and keeping my temper from flaring.  The second, as well as the third are because I am just so surprised and disappointed that they has overcome my countenance and I can’t think of any other way to be.  But that doesn’t mean you won’t eventually see my anger.  Because you will.  In fact I still have to decide precisely what I’m going to do with you, and I can assure you then not only will you see my anger, you’ll feel it as well.”

Hook then leaned back in his chair and gave Jukes a smug grin as he watched the gunner. “I do have one more question, Billy Jukes.”

Billy looked at him with worry written all over his face.  “Y-yes, Cap’n?”

“Has she been worth it?”

Billy gave him a puzzled look, and the captain let out a grating sigh as he restated his question.  “The past four months, and all the sneaking around you’ve been doing just to enjoy yourself with Miss Wendy.  Has she been worth the trouble?”

Without thinking about it, Jukes smiled and said, “Yes sir, she has.  Every moment of it.”

Noticing this remarked change in the gunner, the captain called upon a thought and then said.  “Then let me ask you one more thing.  Do you love her?”

Billy’s eyes became wide as he heard these words come from his captain’s mouth.  “Love her?” he practically choked out.

Responding in an irritated voice, Hook said, “Yes, you nit-wit.  Do you love her?  I heard her make her declaration of love to you.  What is it you feel for her?  Anything?  Nothing!?”  -this he growled out hoping Billy wasn’t just using Wendy to satisfy his own selfish needs- “Do you love her, Billy Jukes?”

“I....I don’t know,”  Jukes replied.

“You don’t know?”  Hook was taken aback by this answer.  “Surely, Billy Jukes, you must feel something for her in order for you to carry on with her the way you have....To carry on with the enemy.”

Now the captain had decided to let some of his anger show as he turned on Billy.

  Slamming his hook into the top of the desk once more, he roared, “The enemy, Mr. Jukes!  The enemy!  Out of all the women you could have chosen to fulfill your carnal desires,  you had to choose Wendy Darling; the mother of my enemy - Peter Pan.  But she is more than just his mother.  She’s the love of his life - and he’s still the wretched boy who has plagued me night and day ever since we arrived in this cursed place.  Therefore that makes her my enemy as well.  And you-”

  Hook leaned over his desk and snagged Jukes by his bandanna pulling him out of the chair and across the desk.  Billy gasped and swallowed hard once more.  He knew this was coming and now the gunner found himself looking into Hook’s smoldering eyes.

“You, Billy Jukes, are sleeping with the enemy!  I should hang you for such a traitorous and treacherous act.”

Though cringing in fear, Billy spoke to the captain in a bold voice.  “Do what you must Cap’n Hook, sir.  Whatever it is you decide to do to me, I’ll accept.  I know I’ve wronged you Cap’n - that I’ve let you down and humiliated you - so I’ll take whatever punishment you see fit....even if it means hanging me from the yardarm.”

Hook let go of Billy who fell back into the chair as the captain sat down again in his.  Resting his hook on his lower lip, Hook replied, “I don’t know just yet what I’m going to do with you, Mr. Jukes.  I’m still to surprised and disappointed by your....betrayal.  But don’t think for a moment this indiscretion will go unpunished.  You will most definitely be paying some sort of penalty for your treason.”

“I understand sir,” the gunner said softly as he nodded his head and looked at the floor.

“As for Miss Wendy.  Well, I can only imagine the reaction of her beloved Peter Pan when he discovers how his precious Wendy betrayed him; and with a pirate as well - his enemy.

Billy looked at Hook as his eyes grew wide with the realization of what the captain intended to do set in.  Hook noticed this and gave Jukes a maniacal grin.  “What’s the matter Billy Jukes?  Are you afraid of what Peter will say once he finds out the truth?”

Jukes continued to just stare, not quite sure what to say.  Hook then went on.

"By the way, you never did answer my question, Mr. Jukes.  So tell me, do you love her?  Do you love Miss Wendy Darling?”

Jukes thought about this, but only for a moment because at that moment a crow rang out across the deck and through Hook’s cabin.
 
 

**********
 

Peter, Nibs, Slightly and Michael all hovered just off of starboard when Hook, followed by Jukes emerged from his cabin.

“Where is that reprehensible cur?”  the captain bellowed as he looked about for Pan.

Billy looked at Wendy who’s face was now contorted with a combination of fear and pain, and tears still fell from her eyes.  She hadn’t stopped crying since John came upon them, and Billy knew she would cry even harder tears now that Peter was present.  He wanted so badly to go to her and comfort her; he couldn’t stand seeing her in pain, but he knew he’d only be asking for additional trouble so he stayed where he was as his heart was torn to pieces.

Then he started thinking about the question Hook had asked him.  “Do you love her?”

Those words hung clearly in his head, and as he looked at Wendy he took notice of the pain he was feeling as well, and began to wonder if there was any truth regarding the inquiry.

“Well, Peter Pan,” Hook growled at the flying boy and his companions as he shook his hook up in Peter’s direction.

“Captain Codfish,” Peter replied in a haughty voice.  “You are so predictable.  Not a day goes by where you don’t capture at least one of my lost boys.  But today is a bit different for you.  You’ve actually captured Wendy as well.  That’s something you haven’t done in a very long time.”

“You’re correct.  It’s not.  But then I haven’t seen her out and about much either.  “Twas rather....bizarre to see her by the pond today.”

These words made both Billy’s and Wendy’s hearts jump up into their throats as they - of course - knew exactly what the captain was pertaining to.  Dreading what was to come, both prepared themselves for what they were certain would be an inevitable backlash.

“What’s so bizarre about that?  She was probably washing clothes,” Peter replied.

“Um, Peter, today isn’t wash day,” Nibs informed Peter, as he was now looking at Wendy in a most peculiar way.  Is she crying? he asked himself.  Yes, she is, he realized.  Why?  What happened?

“Peter, I think something’s wrong with Wendy,” the second-in-command quickly stated.

“Why?  What?” was all Peter asked.

“She’s crying,” Nibs replied with a touch of indignance in his voice.

Looking down and scrutinizing the situation, Peter realized Nibs was right.  Quickly, but carefully, he flew to take a closer look.

  “Wendy?” he asked as he approached her.  “Wendy are you all right?  What’s wrong?”  He reached out to touch her face and have her look at him, but she pulled away, bowing her head even lower than it was so that her hair covered her entire face.

Instantly angry, Peter turned on Hook and barked at him.  “Why is she crying?  What did you do to her?”  Peter then darted towards Hook, his dagger drawn and threatened.  “If you’ve harmed her in any way, I swear I’ll-”

Peter’s words were cut off by Hook’s laughter, as the captain gave him as smug grin.  “Come now, Master Pan.  You know me to be a better man than that.   I would never harm a hair on your beloved Wendy’s head.  ‘Twould be very improper form to apply such a heinous act on such a fair....maiden.”

This last word, Hook almost chuckled out as he glanced over at Billy who felt the blood drain from his face, at that moment he wanted nothing more than to have this torture done and over with.  But Billy knew it was just at the beginning.

“Why don’t you inquire further with Miss Wendy as to what it is exactly that is plaguing the dear maid.”

Once more Billy wished for this torture to be over as the captain referred to Wendy in a way he all too well understood.  Quickly glancing around him, Billy was relieved to realize no one caught on to the play of words.  But then how would they? he said to himself.  But then his eyes met John’s.  John knew as well what game Hook was playing and anger burned in his eyes as he glared at the gunner.  Billy saw this and he felt his heart sink once more.

Going to her once more, Peter softly asked  “Wendy what is it?  What happened?”

But Wendy couldn’t look at him.  She was too upset with what she knew would eventually come out.

“Wendy, please, what’s wrong?  Why won’t you look at me?  Wendy....Why are you crying?”

All she could do was keep her head down as the stream of tears fell from her eyes.  How can I possibly tell you.  You’ll never understand.  she told herself.  And everytime Peter tried to touch her, she would pull away, as though in fear.

“Why won’t you tell me what’s wrong?” Peter pleaded.  Although now he was beginning to get a little worried, as well as upset, because Wendy wouldn’t answer him.  And the way she responded to his simple touch confused him.  “Wendy, please, talk to me.”

Finally Wendy decided to look at Peter, although she had no idea what she would say.  When she did she saw Captain Hook towering behind Peter, his sword raised and poised, ready to slice into the distracted back of his intended victim.

Wendy gasped in horror as she yelled out, “Peter, look out!”

Quickly Peter spun around, and dodged into the air, coming just inches from Hook’s blade.  Giving the captain an indignant look and well as a sly chuckle, he scolded the pirate.  “Captain Codfish.  Cutting it a little too close that time.”

Tsking his finger at him, Peter went on.  “You’re not fighting fair.  In fact you’re being rather uncouth right now.  Whatever happened to you being a gentleman.  But then I’m not surprised by your actions.  Your claim of good form has always been a questionable one in my book.”

This rebuke made the captain seethe with anger and he decided now was the time to let the cat out of the bag, however he would do it slowly to insure the most painful of circumstances; especially to those directly involved.

“My claim to good form?  Dare I laugh at such a remark.  For if anyone is to be questioned about good form, Peter Pan, it is Miss Wendy there before you.”

Confusion covering his face, Peter scratched his head and asked, “What are you talking about?”

“Why don’t you ask her?” came the devilish reply.

Looking at Wendy, who quickly looked at him than away again; with a myriad of expressions on her face that he couldn’t read, Peter turned back to Hook and said crossly,  “I did that.  But she won’t tell me.  Hell, she won’t even look at me.”

“Well.  Perhaps then....you should ask....Billy Jukes here.  I’m quite certain he can tell you what’s ailing the poor girl.”

All eyes fell to the gunner, as a wave of red swept over him.  He immediately felt like a trapped animal, and his body began to tremble from it all.  Quickly, he glanced around; looking at his shipmates - seeing the confusion on their faces.  All accept Elijah, who was grinning as big as a Cheshire cat.  Then to Peter and the lost boys.  Both Slightly and Mullins shared the same expression, and Billy knew there was no way of getting around hurting the two people who mattered the most to him; next to Wendy of course.

Before he could say anything, Peter was in Billy’s face, dagger poised once more.

  “What’s going on here?” Peter demanded.  “What’s Hook talking about?”

Then a darker idea came into his mind.  “What have you done to her?  If I find out it’s you who’s hurt her in any way, I swear you’ll pay.”

“No, Peter, I would never-”

But then Jukes’ words were cut off as John, who had been quiet since Peter’s arrival, finally had had enough and boiled over.  Pouring his anger out he yelled at Billy.

“Yes, you would!  And you already have!  You damned bastard!”

These words stunned everyone, and Peter looked at Wendy’s brother, inquiring, “John, what are you talking about?”

Not caring anymore who he hurt, John blurted out.  “Peter, if you really must know.  Billy Jukes there has been sneaking around with Wendy; right behind our backs.  And they’ve been doing it for a long time.”

“Sneaking around?  What do you mean, ‘sneaking around’?”  Peter asked John as he turned to him; a look of perplexity on his face.

Rolling his eyes at his John went on.  “Come on, Peter.  You’re sixteen years old, you can’t be that dense.

"But if I must spell it out.  Billy and Wendy have been sneaking off to be together.  To have....rendezvous’.  And they’ve been doing this behind our backs for the past four months!”

Surprised disgust covered the faces now of everyone who stared at Billy, and he swallowed hard and took in a deep breath as his eyes scanned about to everyone on and around the ship.  The obvious intelligible ones of his shipmates looked at him with sickened bewilderment, and the lost boys, who had now come to land on the deck, stared at him with wide eyes.  Only Slightly eyes narrowed as the realization of what his best friend and mother had been doing set in.  And Elijah had an ear to ear smirk on his face as he watched the beginning of Billy’s and Wendy’s undoing with cruel satisfaction.

But Peter still didn’t quite understand what John was talking about.  “What do you mean by ‘rendezvous’ John?”

“UGH!  Peter!”  John yelled.  “I can’t believe this.  Do I have to draw a picture for you as well?  Wendy and Billy have been getting together for the purpose of - God, I don’t know if I can even say this without getting sick.”  John then paused, took a deep breath himself and blurted out the words he didn’t want to say.  Words that made him sick to his stomach.  “Wendy and Billy have been getting together for the purpose of carnal pleasures.  Their own carnal pleasures.”

Upon hearing these words, Billy felt the blood drain from his face once more as he closed his eyes and prayed that he could just somehow melt into the deck.  He suddenly felt as small as an ant as he could feel the full intensity of everyone’s eyes on him.  Oh, I wish I would just die, right here, right now, he said to himself.

Wendy was no better.  When she heard John utter the words she was dreading, her blood ran cold and she felt like crumbling into million of tiny pieces.  Her life drained from her body and she became dizzy from the fear of what Peter would do or say next.

“Carnal pleas-?”  the words hung on Peter’s tongue for a moment before the reality of it all finally set in with him.  “No.”

Shaking his head and looking wide-eyed with disbelief at Wendy, then over to Jukes, he looked back to Wendy again and quickly asked.  “No. Tell me, Wendy, it’s not true.  It’s not true, isn’t it?”

Wendy didn’t reply; she couldn’t.  Her sobs now were racking her body and she began to tremble as she leaned up against the mast.

  “Wendy?  Please tell me it’s not true?” Peter pleaded, as his voice cracked.

“It’s true, Peter,”  John barked, distracting everyone.  “You want to know how I know....I caught them - by the pond!”

Peter dropped to the deck and stood there, staring around at nothing.  He looked as though he had just had his heart torn out; and he began to feel the same way as well.

“Wendy, no,” he started, but then anger set in.  “How could you?  How could you do this to me?”  His breathing became heavy and uneven as his eyes darted about.  He then looked at Jukes.

  As quick as a shot, he flew over to the pirate and punched him in the mouth, sending him reeling backwards onto the deck.  Billy just lied there sprawled out thinking to himself, Jeez, knocked down twice in one day.  This is not going well.

Peter hung in the air above Billy, glaring down at him with his fist still clenched.  He was gritting his teeth through closed lips and breathing hard through his nose.  Billy was waiting for Peter to punch him again, or pull out his dagger, but all Peter did was back away from the downed gunner and go back to face Wendy.

“How could you do this to me?!”  he screamed as he got right up to Wendy.  “What were you thinking?!  Billy Jukes?!  A pirate?!  Wendy, he’s our sworn enemy!  All the pirates are!  So what the hell were you doing with him?!....Dammit, Wendy, answer me!”

But Wendy couldn’t.  All she could do was cry.

Like with the snap of his fingers, Peter calmed down as he alighted the deck and looked at Wendy once more.  This time with pain in his eyes.  “Wendy why?  I thought you loved me?”

Finally able to find the words, Wendy choked out, “I-I do....but-”

“But what?  What is it?  Why would you do this to me?  You know I love you.”

Anger and bitterness suddenly sprang up in Wendy as she glared at Peter now and spat at him.  “You don’t love me.  You don’t even know the meaning of the word.  The only person you love is yourself.  Don’t you dare stand there and tell me you love me.  Because if you did-”

  Wendy stopped then as she was overcome by tears once more.

“You know I love you.  How can you say I don’t?”

“Because you never see me for what I am.  For what I’ve become.”  Wendy choked these words out through her tears as she continued to glare at Peter.   “You still see me as the little girl you brought here so many years ago.  The little girl you brought back to be your mother.  The little girl who, as we grew, you told her you loved her.  Well, I’m not that little girl anymore, Peter, and I haven’t been for a long time.  But you don’t see that.  In fact, I don’t know what you see.  All I know is that you don’t see me for what I am now.”

Peter looked her up and down, considering her words, and - finally - for the first time, saw the young woman she had become.  His eyes grew wide as he understood what she meant, but then they narrowed as he glared over at Billy who had gotten himself up off the deck.

“Oh, and I suppose Billy does?” Peter snarled, his eyes never leaving the gunner.  Billy felt himself shrink from the glare he was getting.

“Yes!” Wendy yelled, as her anger now got the better of her.  “He sees me in a way you never have, and probably never will.  He sees what I am and what I’ve become.  That’s more than I can say for you.

“And he’s good to me.  He makes me feel a way I never have before.  A way you’ve never made me feel!  And that’s something you’ve never understood either; how I feel.  You have no idea how I really feel, Peter.  You have no idea-”

“Enough!” Peter yelled.  “I don’t want to hear anymore!”  He then turned to Billy once more.  He slowly began to hover towards him when he was interrupted by Hook’s laughter.

“You knew all about this didn’t you?”  Peter cried out, glaring at his nemesis.

  “No more than you did, Peter Pan.” Hook replied, smugly as he examined his hook.  “I was just enlightened to the situation myself but a short while ago.  I cannot tell you though what a dreadful sight it was to actually catch these two together.”

“You saw them?” Peter yelped.

“Yes, I did.  John as well.  He was rather upset too I might add.  Not that I blame him.  I can only imagine what it must have been like to find one’s only sister in the arms of the enemy.”  Hook then gave Peter a condescending look.

Peter’s anger raged now as he looked at Wendy in total disgust.  “I can’t believe you would do this to me!  What were you thinking?  You know I love you....and I thought you loved me.

“Wendy, because you have betrayed me like this, there is only one thing left for me to do.  I hereby banish you from Neverland, now and forever.”

“No!” Michael cried, speaking out for the first time since arriving at the ship.  “Peter you can’t do that!” he yelled as he ran to Peter, followed by the protests of Nibs and Slightly.

Grabbing hold of his arm, Michael pleaded.  “Please, Peter, don’t do this.  Wendy’s sorry.  I know she is.”

Turning to his sister, Michael begged her.  “You’re sorry, aren’t you Wendy?”

But Wendy was too shocked by Peter’s declaration that she couldn’t say a word.

“I’m sorry, Michael,” came from Peter instead as he looked down at the youngest lost boy.  “But Wendy’s banished forever.  I won’t have a traitor living among us.  Especially one who betrayed us like....this.”

“No!  No!  No!”  Michael screamed, as tears began to fall from his eyes.  “I hate you Peter Pan!  I hate you!”  Then Michael - not able to take it anymore - left the ship and headed back to the underground house.

Peter then turned to look at Nibs and Slightly, both of whom now stood dumbfounded, uncertain what to do as they watched the spectacle go on before them.  But before Peter could say anything to them, John spoke up.

“Peter do you really have to banish her?”  he asked.  Though sickly upset with what he knew, the thought of Wendy being banished made his heart ache for her, and he didn’t want to see his sister be forced to leave Neverland.  After all, where would she go.

“Yes, John, I do.  You know that.”  Sparks flew from Peter’s eyes as he turned to look at him.

  Upon seeing this look, John knew it was hopeless to try and reason with Peter, so John put his head down knowing he had to accept the fate that had fallen upon his sister.

But Peter went on with his decree.  “Because she’s betrayed us in the worst possible way; consorting with the enemy, I have no choice but to banish her.”

Wendy finally found her voice once more and now started to plead with Peter not to banish her.  “Please, Peter, please.  Don’t do this to me.  Do whatever you like, but please don’t banish me.  I’m sorry.  I’m so sorry.”

Tears began to flow once more as the fear of not having a home terrified Wendy.  What would she do?  Where would she go?

  She continued to plead with Peter, but he just gave her a cold hard stare.  In an instant whatever it was he felt for her seemed to vanish.  Whether he had forced this to happen or not, he now found himself looking at a girl he no longer knew.  But then forgetting about everything was his way of dealing with the pain that had haunted him all of his life.

“I don’t know who you are anymore,” Peter commented flatly.

These words tore at Wendy as she saw the blank stare of his eyes, and at that moment she knew her pleas were pointless.  Hopelessly she looked around the ship until her eyes caught Billy’s.  She could see the same pain in his and she wondered what was going to happen to the two of them now.

Then Peter said words that sent a chill down both Wendy’s and Billy’s spines.  “I no longer know her.  She’s a stranger to me.  A stranger to the lost boys.

“She’s yours Captain Hook.  Do with her as you please.”

“Peter, you’re slightly mad,” Slightly began, even though he was furious at Billy and Wendy himself.  How could Billy do this to me?  Slightly asked himself over and over.  He’s supposed to be my best friend.  How could he do this behind my back and act like everything was okay, to my face....And with my mother?!

"You can't do this. Not to Wendy-"

"Peter, please, don't," Nibs pleaded, almost in a yell.

But the look Peter gave them both made them shut up immediately as they then exchanged perplexed looks of wonder and concern. They both felt what Peter was doing was wrong. But what could they do to convince him otherwise. He had made his decision, and they knew better than to challenge it, unless they wanted to end up banished as well.

Billy’s eyes grew into a panic as he watched an evil grin curl up on the captain’s mouth.  Hook then looked right at him, making the gunner’s heart race.  “Oh no,” he mumbled underneath his breath.

“Do with her as I please?”  Hook purred out.  He then looked to Peter once more.

“You’re actually banishing her?”  he inquired, rather intrigued by this turn of events.

Nodding his head, Peter responded.  “Yes.  I don’t know her anymore, so she’s yours.  Do whatever you want with her.  I don’t care.”

“Peter, NO!” Wendy yelled out to him.  But he refused to even look at her.

Hook stood there, lightly scratching his chin with his hook.  “Well, we’ve never had a scullery maid before.  I could put her to work scrubbing decks and washing dishes.”

“No, Cap’n,”  Mullins broke in.  “Yous know havin’ a female on board ain’t nothin’ but bad luck.”  He then looked at Wendy.  “‘Specially this one.  She’s b’witched the boy.  Has ‘im doin’ things no pirate in his right mind would do.  Ye can’t allow her on board, Cap’n.  You can’t.”

“Yet what you, Mason and Starkey do at the tavern with the whores is acceptable?

“I’m fully aware, Mr. Mullins, your stand regarding women on board the Jolly Roger,”

But then the captain strided over to Billy and yanked him off his feet with his hook.  “And if I do allow Wendy on board, what’s to keep this miscreant from continuing on with his carnal duties, and this time he wouldn’t be keeping it hidden under my nose.”

Hook let his anger come out once more then as he hit Billy hard in the face leaving a mark, “You’ve humiliated me enough Billy Jukes.  I won’t have you doing so any further.  Just as I won’t have one of my crewmen tarnishing my name and reputation, and all for the want of a woman.  You have shamed and embarrassed me enough, Jukes.  I should kill you for your treason.  And what’s to say I won’t.  You’ve given me every reason to have you keelhauled and then hanged from the yardarm.”

Hook then slammed the gunner down hard to the deck and drew his sword.  “C-Cap’n, no please-” Billy began, but Hook just cut him off.

“Oh, don’t worry, Mr. Jukes, I have no intention of using this on you....yet.  I have someone else in mind.  Someone you find quite dear, to be precise.  Someone who has done nothing but cause who was once my finest crewman to act in a most unspeakable, reprehensible, deplorable manner.”

Slowly, methodically then, Hook looked at Wendy and gave her a maniacal grin.  Though he had no intentions to use his sword on her, Hook's plan was to see how badly he could scare her and what lengths Billy would go to protect her.

Wendy screamed out in fear as Billy realized she was who the captain was talking about.  Hook began walking towards her when rage swelled up inside Billy.

“NO!” he bellowed as he charged towards Wendy, deliberately knocking himself into the captain who lost his balance and almost fell over.

Billy reached Wendy and quickly drew his cutlass and sliced off her ropes.  Pulling her to him, he held her in a protective stance and challenged Captain Hook.

“You’re not going to harm Wendy.  I won’t let you.  If you even try and do ANYTHING to her, I swear somehow I’ll make you pay.”

Hook merely laughed at these words as he looked at his gunner square in the eyes.