Ch.28: Tallahassee
Hook and Katherine stood not far from the bean stalk.
“Well, the compass awaits,” he said. “Shall we?”
He began walking towards it, ready for the climb.
She followed.
“Let me ask you something. If magic beans make portals, why not go get one and go home?”
“Because there aren’t any more beans. The giants grew all the beans, but instead of using them for good, they used them to plunder all the lands. Jack fought a terrible war, defeating all but one of the evil giants. The beans were destroyed by the giants so if they died, if they couldn’t have the magic, then no one could. Very bad form,” he informed her.
“So evil giants made magical portal beans. If the giants are dead, why doesn’t anyone go up and grow some more?”
“Because one giant survived. The most evil and terrible of them all. We have to get past him to get the magic compass. The treasure remains, and amongst it is the compass. It will guide us to your land. Cora has the means to open a portal with the wardrobe ashes, but she can’t find your land without the compass. We get it, steal the ashes from her, and we’re on our way,” he replied.
“There’s got to be a catch in there somewhere. What’s the catch?”
“I failed to mention that the giants enchanted the bean stalk to repel intruders, but I’ve got a couple of these.” He held up his arm to show her something black enchanted around his wrist. “Cora was to accompany me, but since you’re far safer company, let’s get to it.”
She stood in front of him.
“Let’s just get this over with,” she said.
“Put your hand right there,” he instructed.
She put her hand on his shoulder, so he could put the extra one around her wrist.
“That’s a good girl. This will allow you to climb, but there are other dangers.”
She put her hand down, once it was around her wrist.
“Don’t think I’m taking my eyes off you for a second.”
“I would despair if you did,” he replied.
“Let’s go,” she said.
They began to climb.
After a while, he began to talk, as they climbed.
“First bean stalk? You never forget your first.” She didn’t say anything, so he added, “You know, most men would put your silence as off putting, but I love a challenge.”
“I’m concentrating,” she simply said.
“No, you’re afraid. Afraid to talk; to reveal yourself; to trust me. Things will be a lot smoother if you do.”
“Why should I? Besides, trust is putting it mildly when it comes to you.”
“Ah, the pirate thing. But I don’t need you to share. You’re something of an open book,” he replied.
“Am I?” she inquired, wondering how he’d know things about her, when she hadn’t really shared anything about herself. They didn’t even know each other very well or at all.
“Quite. You’re the most motivated. You have someone to get home to. You don’t want to abandon that someone the way you were abandoned.”
“Was I?” she inquired.
“Like I said. An open book.”
“How did you know that?” she wanted to know.
“I’ve spent many years in Neverland. Home of the Lost Boys. They all share the same look in their eyes. The look you get when you’re left alone. Love’s been all too rare in your life, hasn’t it? You’ve rarely been in love.”
“You’re wrong about that one. I loved someone once and then someone else, and I’ll always love them both, but only one of them I believe may or may not come back for me. It’s complicated. Family always comes first for him before love. He puts his duty to his family before his love that he has for me still. After all, 500 years of love doesn’t just go away,” she replied.
They got to the top.
“This is where the final battle was,” he told her.
She looked around at the aftermath and he noticed a cut on her hand.
“You’re hurt. There’s a cut on your hand.”
She turned and looked at him, and they stood in front of each other.
“It’s fine.”
“No, it’s not,” he said.
“Now you’re going to be a gentleman?” she inquired.
“I’m always a gentleman. Let me see your hand.”
She figured that he wasn’t going to give up, so she let him see her hand and he opened a bottle and poured some of it onto the cut. She normally wasn’t one to show her pain, but she exclaimed in pain, when he did that, since it stung.
“What the hell is that?”
“It’s rum,” he informed her. “Terrible waste of it.”
She watched him, as he tied a strip of cloth around her hand, onto the cut.
“Here’s the plan. Wait for the giant to fall asleep. When he does, we sneak past him into his cave, where the treasures are.”
“Then?”
“Then we run like hell,” he replied.
“I don’t have time to wait for a giant to fall asleep. I’ve got a better plan.”
“And what’s that?”
“Magic, of course. I’ll magically put him to sleep. Then we find the compass and get out of here.” She saw his tattoo. “Who’s Mila on your tattoo?”
“Someone from long ago,” he simply stated.
“Where is she?”
“She’s gone,” he informed her.
“Gold. Rumpelstiltskin. He took more than your hand from you, didn’t he? That’s why you want to kill him.”
“You’re quite perceptive, aren’t you?”
After putting him magically to sleep, Hook made the comment of, “I don’t mean to upset you, Katherine, but I think we make quite a team.”
She gave him a look and said, “Let’s go steal the compass.”
Once in the room full of treasure, they saw a skeleton with s sword, after Hook was pondering out loud of how much treasure they could carry in addition to the compass.
“That is Jack,” Hook commented.
He began to step back, not noticing a wire, but she saw it.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” she warned.
They ended up with hands around each other, very close.
“About bloody time,” he said with a smile.
She stepped back.
“It’s a trip wire.” She looked around to see a cage. “And that is the security system.”
“I suppose that’s an excuse for grabbing me, but next time don’t stand in ceremony.”
“Let’s find the compass, so I can go home,” she said. “After you.”
He stepped over the wire and she did likewise.
She came over, when he asked her to give him a boost, so he could get to higher ground to having a look.
“So I can’t see what you’re pocketing? No way. You give me a boost,” she said stubbornly.
“Try something new, darling. It’s called trust.”
“We do it sideways fast. Who knows how long until he wakes up.”
Suddenly, there was shaking of the ground and they realized that he was awake.
When he came into the room, rocks from the ceiling began to fall and Hook got trapped underneath them.
After using magic to make him go to sleep again, she found the compass and then got to Hook.
“You’re bloody brilliant,” he said, once she’d helped him out from under the rocks. “May I see it?”
She showed the compass to him.
“It’s more beautiful than I imagined,” he commented.
He held out a hand and she took it. Then they got to their feet and headed out, the compass in her pocket.
ns 15.158.61.5da2
