The deck swayed beneath her feet and Autumn tried to compensate. She didn't have her sea legs just yet, so balancing this platter in her hands was proving to be more difficult than she thought. Once she was out of the darkness and up the stairs, the main deck spread out around her. It was rife with action in the middle of the day. The crewmen each at their charge, be it sails, rope or even scrubbing the deck.

Directly ahead was a magnificent cabin with thick dark windows and a large wooden door. On either side were staircases that lead up onto a higher level and then the same was behind and above those onto yet another higher deck. Her eyes drifted up toward the sails, that shone in the mid-day sun. She looked around in silence. The ship seemed to be amongst an endless stretch of aquamarine water. It was some of the most vividly blue tropical water she had ever seen. No land of any kind around them. This was the first time she had ever been so far from solid soil.

She was stunned.

Mr. Smee cleared his throat. Autumn was snapped back into reality and quickly followed him to the cabin door.

Leaning against the banister of the staircase to the right was a most interesting looking fellow. He had a powdered wig that was almost as tall as the higher deck and his face was plaster white with red lips, pink cheeks and a black beauty spot above his lip. He was dressed in ruffles, lace and a gold threaded jacket with twin tails. He smelt of sweet orange and lavander.

"Good choice Senhorita, I always loved that piece." He had spoken.

Oh crap. Did he notice her starring at him? Autumn was surprised to say the least, she didn't expect Don Pedro to be a fop. It was such a loud appearance around the other grungy looking pirates.

"Thank you!" She replied and bent her knees in what she hoped was a curtsey.

"You are however going to have to work on that." He replied like an aristocratic snob and sauntered his ways up the stairs.

The door in front of her was carved in the same way the back of the ship had been. It was covered in swirls, leaves and roses. In the middle of the door, below the thick dark windows was a golden plaque carved with swirled writing reading; Captain Jas. Hook.

Smee opened the door for her and gestured inside. Beyond the door was a large room lit by candles and oil lanterns. Sun streamed in the large windows at the end of the room and lit everything in a soft light. At the centre was a long banquet table covered in all kinds of maps, papers and instruments. Around it were red velvet chairs made of dark mahogany, each oiled to a mirror shine. A harpsichord lay at the left side of the room next to a huge velvet covered four posted bed. A chest covered in rubies and silver was beside it. Along every wall were displayed weapons and paintings. Chandeliers and golden guilded candle holders were numerous around the room. Almost every peice of furniture was guilded in gold leaf or covered in a material fit for a king. Although the room was adorned in wealth, it was messy. Every surface in the room had something haphazardly thrown onto it. Autumn could count at least eight empty bottles as her eyes scanned the room and at the very end of the room, beyond the banquet table was a mahogany desk. It was littered with bottles, papers and all kinds of other knick knacks.

"Mr. Smee, my food isn't going to serve itself." A smooth voice called from the highbacked chair turned to look out of the window. Autumn could barely see the man behind the chair, but she did see his hands... or more correctly, single hand. He was unscrewing a large golden hook. It reflected candle light off of its shiney surface. His whole hand placed it behind himself on the desk and lifted a silver blade that shone as if it were a mirror. This dagger was replaced into where the hook had come from. "Mr. Smee?"

The aforementioned man was in the room in a seccond and started to clean away the papers and pens from one space at the end of the banquet table, leaving just a fork on the right side. Autumn followed and placed the silver platter down onto this newly cleared space.

"That is much bette..." Hook had finally turned arround from his vantage view of the sea. Peircing blue eyes locked with pearly ones. "Mr. Smee, what is the meaning of this?" His voice was level and controled but still held a threatening aura.

The real Captain James Hook was like all she had read about and more. His pitch black hair was curled in messy ringlets that stretched from the top of his head to his mid chest. His height was astounding for someone of Spanish and British descent, which added to his looming aspect. He seemed to hold himself stiff with his shoulders back like an aristocrat taught from a young age. Captain Hook wore a long royal blue jacket with silver buttons, the clothing was tailored to fit his frame perfectly. His moustashe and goatee were immaculately shaven and with a slight twitching of his lip, yet his face was unreadable.

The eye contact never broke as he continued to speak. "Mr. Smee, come a little closer, will you? I need you to look at something for me."

The older man approached slowly, nervously. "Yes Cap'n?" He asked with a squeak as his feet brought him halfway toward the looming man.

"I dont know what is more threatening, Mr. Smee. The hook..." He closed the gap and lifted poor old smee by his lapels. "or the cutlery?" The steak knife for a hand was firmly pressed against Smee's cheek. Autumn could swear she saw a trail of red pool at the edge of the blade.

"I... I... I..."

"You, you, you what? Answer the god forsaken question!" He spoke like a snake with venom at its forked tongue.

"The knife!... Sir!" Smee answered urgently with fear in his grey eyes.

"You think so...?" Hook removed the knife and looked at it longingly. "Perhaps I should add a blade to the collection." He lowered Mr. Smee back onto his feet. "Now tell me, Mr. Smee, who brought a woman aboard our humble ship? Didn't you know it is bad luck to have a woman out in the open seas."

Hook made his way toward his dinner layed out. He lounged into the large chair, lifted the silver cloche from his steak and used it to waft the steam toward his olfactory senses. He began slicing through the rare meat to revel its juicy red centre and placed one peice in his mouth.

"Well you see Capt'n, t'was me. I saw her caught up in Pirates Cove n' didn' think she belonged."

The ice blue eyes were back on Autumn, looking her up and down. "So, you thought it best to smuggle a stowaway on this ship? All of this under my nose. Now I wonder how you managed it... The kitches, I suppose. And, you've waited until we are far from the dock to introduce this woman to me." He looked directly into her eyes, unblinking. "What shall I do with her... We are much too far from Pirates Cove to turn back now. Perhaps we shall maroon her on the next island over, what a shame it only has one coconut tree. She will starve before the week is up. Or, better yet, shall we tie her to the end of an oar and dunk her till she drowns. Shall she be lynched and hung from the bowsprit like a trophy alongside the figurehead. Maybe she shall be tied to the mast for the enjoyment of the crew. No, that will not do. Shall she walk the plank, be fired from a cannon or perhaps the worst of all, a slow and painful keelhauling?" He seemed to savor the last word as if it were the steak on his plate.

Autumn was fearful and so was Mr. Smee. She didn't think she had come so far, skirted the edge of death more than once, only to be killed by some sociopathic man with a hook... or knife, for a hand.

Silence lingered in the room. The only sounds were the scraping of metal against metal as Hook continued to enjoy his meal.

He chewed and then swallowed. "Well as it seems Mr. Smee does not have an answer. Perhaps you can tell me what you would be doing amongst our crew, Girl?!"

The silence lingered.

"Well... Get on with it Woman!" He yelled.

"My name isn't 'Woman'!" She snapped back. "My name is Autumn Falls, so if you are going to talk to me, use it."

Autumn was furious and she didn't care if he knew it. If he was going to kill her anyway, then he may as well give her the decency of calling her by her name.

A laugh filled the room. It however wasn't a happy laugh. It was slow and measured, almost sarcastic. Her interest was peaked. What had made this despicable man laugh?

"It is ironic that you would find yourself in Neverland, Miss Autumn Falls, for nothing changes here. Even the seasons remain static. We are to forever enjoy the warmths of summer. It is a contradiction to be named after the season of change when it is so close but shall never arrive."

This was something she didn't know about Neverland and she wanted to ask more. But, held her mouth. Smee had said she should not talk to him unless he asks her a question and he seemed to be off of the topic of killing her. She wanted to keep it that way.

And so, Hook continued speaking after another bite of the juicy steak. "Now, I have not seen a woman such as yourself before. I assume you are a new arrival to Neverland. Would you happen to have arrived by... flying?"

Her eyebrows creased. How would this man know how she had fallen from the sky? She simply answered; "Yes."

"Surley you are much too old for Pan to have taken an interest... hmm?" His hand stroked the moustashe and curled it in his finger.

"I wasn't flown in by Peter Pan, if that's what you think."

"So you do know Peter!" He accused.

"I know 'of' Peter, but I havn't met him." She rebutted.

"What a shame... You may have saved yourself a watery death if you had."

"What do you mean?"

"The last woman we had aboard, unlike yourself, did know the boy. He was very fond of her. We used her as bait. But, seeing as though you are of no use. I shall have you killed." Hook explained with a grevious grin.

Autumn was shocked. Was this all this man cared for? To use people for his own means and then throw them away once they couldn't offer him anything. She was fed up with this. If he were to kill her, than she wouldn't stop her mouth from running amuck.

"You are the most horrible person i've met! You try to blanket it with niceties and manners but deep down you are as monstrous as the crocodile that hunts you!" She snarled at him like an animal in a cage. She could see through his charm and wit. "Fuck you and fuck this ship!" She stormed toward the door.

"Out with you! Out I say!" He howled after her, but she was already gone. Hook was left with countless questions in his mind. How had she known about the crocodile?

He looked back at Smee who was silent and wide eyed.

"What shall I do with her...?" He asked with a devilish smile and a twinkle in his eye.