Mara Turner cocked her head and stared confusedly at Peter Pan. "Lost? Me?" She huffed and let out a soft chuckle, "I think I can find my way home, thanks"

He narrowed his eyes to the left as he softly chuckled before looking at her again. "You don't really have a home" He said, "you never had one, did you?"

Mara was puzzled and a bit irritated by him acting as if he knew her already. "What are you, mind reader?"

"I just can recognize someone who is flawed and had lost their way even when they don't notice"

Mara didn't say anything, she felt a little startled. "You think I'm flawed?" She raised her brows.

"I believe," he dropped his arms to his sides and pushed himself off the railing. "You're an orphan, I believe" he slightly take steps toward her side. "You're...unwanted--" he went around her.

Mara didn't looked at him, she kept her eyes lowered at the wooden floor as she listened to him while he was walking slowly around her.

"Unloved..." He said quietly, she can feel him leaning closely toward her ear which made her skin crawl. "...you don't have anyone, don't you?...no family and there are times you yearn for one. No friends, but that one friend you have, Hook isn't it? The one who is considering of trading you for a little bean. What kind of friend does that?"

Mara felt denigrated all of sudden. Feeling belittled made her lose words to say and fall into speechlessness. Mara admitted that the boy was mostly right but she gave up hope of having a family long time ago. "You think you can give me all of that?" she shifted her head and glanced left at Peter.

"I believe I can" his lips curled into a smirk.

"And what makes you think that I want it?" she asked sternly.

He stared at her as his smile and eyes lowered. He didn't say anything for a moment. "Every lost children like you want it. I'm sure there's little part of you that still does"

Mara sighed and glanced away, "It's maybe what I want" she turned to him again, "but it isn't what I need. I don't need things I desire because I'm fine without them and I have lived without them okay"

Pan looked away, turned and walked to the railing. His expressionless look changed into a smirk when he turned around at her. "You're not easily deceived"

Mara tilted her head as she lowered her brows. "So you were only trying to deceive me into staying this treacherous place?"

"I'm just saying" He replied, he leaned his back against the railing and crossed his arms, "but what I said about this place is entirely true"

"I believe you" Mara folded her arms against her chest, "I do find this place quite fascinating and exquisite, but I don't believe that it is a place for me"

Pan didn't respond right away as his disparaging smile remained. "Alright then" he said, dropping his arms to his sides and pushed himself off the railing. "I'm gonna let you go"

Mara was baffled as she looked at him. "You mean--"

"Let you leave? Yes" he slowly taken steps toward her, "...but only you" he said quietly.

Her jaw almost dropped as she felt shocked. She can only leave, only her. "What of the others?"

"They all stay of course" he walked to her side, "makes the trade fair enough"

And what happens to them? She wanted to ask but she may already knew the answer to that question. Her eyes didn't follow him as he went around her.

"You get the bean, and you can go wherever you want" his voice remained quiet and he stood behind her. "Go on continue these adventures you enjoy for the rest of your life. It is actually your choice, not the pirate's." She could feel him leaning closely over her shoulder toward her ear. "But choose quickly" she felt his warm breath against her earlobe which sent an immense chills down to her spine but remained stiffened.

Mara was bewildered, she wanted say something, ask something but when she whirled around at him, he was already gone. Disappeared, no one was there as if he was never there.

The boy was willing to let her leave, only her while others will stay here or she can stay while the Pirates can leave. She leaves, they stay and die. She stays, they leave and she'll never grow old and she can never leave.

Mara felt suddenly deceived by a boy. Perhaps he is no boy after all, he's a demon...or a devil.

When the sun rose, everyone were up by then and were waiting for their captain's choice. But it wasn't his choice to decide, it was Mara who had to decide.

Arguments continued within the Captain's cabin. Killian was there with few of the sailors, it was obvious to Mara that the sailors were trying to persuade their captain to give her up. For those long hours since her encounter with Peter Pan, she had thought of her choice.

She decides to leave, the pirates will die and it would be entirely her fault. How could she live with that? She can go wherever she likes, wherever she wanted with the Magic Bean, but these people will suffer. That would be cruel, and selfish of her.

Does Killian feel the same of her? She wondered.

She needed to speak with him, so she approached to the cabin. Time was running out and she has to decide soon. She knocked the door as the arguments instantly stopped.

"This conversation is over!" Hook was heard. "Now get back to your posts!"

The door was harshly opened by one of the pirates, the one with messy beard, sternly look and brown haired pirate came out first and glared at the girl but walked away. The rest of few did the same. Mara felt shame for some reason, all of this maybe entirely her fault, maybe she should've stayed in the ship so the boy would've never known of her existence. Or she should've just stayed in the pub and ignored Killian in the first place.

"Come on in, Mara" Hook said as he held the door open for her.

She went inside, she had been in the cabin multiple times to clean every nook and cranny of it. She took a seat by the table, Killian joined her after giving her an empty cup and poured his rum into it. It had been the first time he had offered her his rum to drink.

"I'm not fond to it's taste" Mara wanted to refuse.

"Oh shut it and just bloody take a drink" Hook said peevishly, "you need it, trust me"

Perhaps he was right, it wouldn't be so bad to numb her mind a bit. The rum burned her mouth and throat and she could barely taste the flavour of grape, her face contorted in disgust after swallowing. "How could you used to this stuff?"

"I just do"

"Right" She took another gulp anyways. It was quiet for a moment while the low noises of chats from the pirates outside can be heard. "They want you to sell me out"

"Of course, they do" He replied, "they're a bunch of insolent and indecent bastards, that's why"

Mara half smiled at that, "So you think you're decent?"

"I do have a shred of decency, why do you think I offered you a plate back in the pub and a job?" He took a drink of his rum.

"So what are you thinking?" She asked as she was curious.

"I think there's another way to pay the bean" he leaned back against his chair and put his feet up on the table.

"And what's that?"

"I have no bloody idea" He shrugged.

There was silence again for a little moment, Mara was thinking of Pan and what he had said this early morning. She was afraid of the choice and admitting her decision but maybe it was for the best. "He came to me this early morning, you know"

Hook raised his brows, cocked his head as he looked at her. "Did he?" He seemed less interested, "what did he say?"

"Explained what happens if I stay or leave" She took another drink of her cup and was half empty then. "He believes that I'm one of them, the Lost Boys and he can give me what I want. Either whatever I decide, he'll give me what I want, depends on my decision"

"What are you talking about?" His elbow rested on the chair's arms and his head rested on his hand. Keep his head up and focused on her.

"He said it isn't you who gets to decide on what to do with me" She stated, "It is I who has to decide"

His eyes widened but not too wide as his brows lifted. "And have you decided yet?"

She took a gulp this time which burned more and tasted more awful that she nearly gagged. She swallowed before she went on, "Well, if I stay, I'll never grow old and may never leave this place but I'll get what I used to desire... But if I leave, only I can leave while you and the rest stay and who knows what happens to all of you. I leave, Pan gives me the bean and I can go wherever I want"

The Captain didn't looked so astonished nor aghast but rather curious. "Whatever you decide, I could careless" he replied.

Mara furrowed her brows, stunned and surprised and tempted. He wouldn't mind, but what about the others? Mara could not believe herself that a part of her actually cared about what happens to these careless Pirates and worried over if something awful happens to them.

Mara sighed, taking her last gulp to empty the cup, swallowed before responding and looked at her friend, "I'm gonna stay"

***