Forever Young

Chapter Four

Hook's aimless drift through his new life left him feeling like a ship without a rudder.

Nights at the bar were his new routine, even when he wasn't working. He got to know some of the regulars, thinking that they'd make a decent crew with some discipline and toughness. But as it were, they were a bunch of rowdy drunks with nothing better to do on a Tuesday night than get sloshed with their friends or acquaintances, new and old. It was pointless, a way of coasting through life to avoid the pain of living it.

Hook was by no means an advocate of sobriety but there were limits, even for a rum-soaked pirate.

His dreams had returned, which did make him feel better. He had been starting to worry about his mental state, sleeping dreamlessly every night. However, once he was back to having nighttime visions like a normal person, he was somehow not comforted.

Hook's dreamscape had come to resemble Neverland. Night after night, he found himself back on the tumbling waters of the sea that surrounded the island. Murderous mermaids and psychopathic pixies were backdrop characters as he swordfought Peter Pan across the deck of his ship or ran through the Dark Forest with Lost Boys nipping at his heels.

Every morning, he awoke with his heart racing, but it wasn't from fear.

It was excitement.

The thought began to tickle at his subconscious that he missed his life of adventure and pursuit. That running from Pan, rescuing Lost Boys from his clutches, and caring for his crew had given him a purpose.

A purpose that was sadly lacking in his new life.

The day he realized this, Beth came strolling back into the Crow's Nest, casual as could be, as if she hadn't spent an evening of passion with him and then floated right out of his life like a ghost.

She slid on to the same barstool she'd occupied the first time she'd come in. This time, however, she ordered a hard lemonade and gave Hook a roguish smile.

"Hey, sailor," she said, mischief in her voice. "Been a minute."

"It's been more than a minute, love," replied Hook, his voice playful as he slid her drink to her. Of all the things in his new life, she was the only one that really intrigued him.

Beth ran her teeth over her bottom lip. "I'd say I was sorry but I'd be lying." She leaned forward, running her thumb over the mouth of her bottle. "I like you, Captain, and I didn't want to get bored of you yet."

"Are you the type that bores easily?"

"Painfully easily." In one motion, Beth drained her drink then grinned at Hook. "Let's have an adventure."

***

It was three in the morning and Captain Hook was giving a piggyback ride to a woman through Central Park.

Beth laughed, one arm wrapped around his neck, kicking her heels into his thighs to make him go faster. Suddenly, she tugged at his ponytail and he jerked to a halt, which unbalanced them and sent them tumbling onto the grass.

They rolled together, smiling and kissing, completely oblivious to the few others in the park. Hook was confident that he was equal to any that should try to harm them and the stares of strangers didn't concern him. Let them look. Let every person in all of this new realm see how his heart swelled when he was with this strange, unruly woman.

"You're crazy, you know that, right?" Beth was saying between breaths.

"I'm crazy? You're the one that came to my bar asking a pirate for an adventure," said Hook. He pushed her white-blonde hair off of her forehead and rolled, pulling her on top of him.