Once Upon a Time Damsel in Distress?

**A/N: This is a very old fic that I found lying around and I wondered why on earth I never finished it or published it. Anyway I'm publishing it now. A scene in which Hook and Tink meet for the first time. Not that I didn't like the original way they met, I just imagined there could've been hundreds of ways for them to have met and I wanted to write one of them for myself.**

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"My purpose is renewed."

"Why can't your purpose be back at the ship where it's safe?" Smee asked while looking around the dark and menacing forest as though something might come out and attack him at any moment.

"Ssh!" Hook hissed. He heard voices.

"Oh my dear Tinkerbell, you really shouldn't have stolen from me. You know there are consequences."

Hook saw a girl, a small woman not any taller than Pan, trapped against a tree. She looked scared. He squinted his eyes to get a better look at her. In all his time on the island he'd never seen her before. In fact he had never seen any girl on the island before. Pan had always insisted there weren't any. He crept closer and saw that one of her eyes was swollen and her lip was split. She was breathing hard.

"What would _you_ find a fitting punishment for stealing my entire supply of dreamshade hm?"

When the girl, instead of responding, made a move to escape, Pan pushed her firmly back against the tree. "Answer me Tink, unless of course, you're looking for a good way to die. How about I drown in you in the very poison you seem to covet so much?"

Hook was debating with himself. Should he help her out? Why should he? She was nothing to him, he didn't even know her. And if Pan had a grudge against her, there was probably a good reason. Wasn't there? Even if there wasn't, why should he risk his life for this girl? Standing against Pan was unwise to say the least. One does not wish to find oneself on the boy's bad side.

Then he heard a noise that snapped him out of his inner debate. A sound that instinctively made his limbs move. The girl, who, upon closer inspection, roughly resembled a fairy, was on the ground but a second before he revealed his presence.

"Pan," he simply stated to draw his attention.

"Captain," Pan exclaimed, both surprised and annoyed that the pirate would choose this moment of all moments to interrupt.

"What's going on here mate?" he inquired, trying to act casual.

"I suggest you move along pirate. This doesn't concern you," he said as he turned his attention back to Tinkerbell, who had stood back up and was staring at Hook with wide eyes. She seemed shocked to see him, but he couldn't quite figure out whether it was because adults were a rarity on the island or because someone had just stepped right in the middle of her argument with Pan.

"Well damsels in distress always concern me," he replied with his most charming faux smile.

Pan couldn't believe that he was still there. He turned his head back towards Hook and gave him an incredulous look. "Tinkerbell here, is hardly a damsel..." Meanwhile the 'damsel' in question made good use of the distraction this man provided and quickly dashed away, but Pan caught her by the wrist without even looking at her. "Are you Tink?" he asked in a mocking tone, now turning his gaze back to her.

She was still breathing heavily, but her expression had changed from fear to anger. Her eyes darted to Hook, wondering if he was going to help her.

"I think you should let her go mate."

At this Pan raised his eyebrows, "And I think you should turn around and go back to your ship while you still can." His grip on Tink's wrist inadvertently tightened. Hook saw her wince and he drew his sword. A mixture of amusement and anger clouded Pan's already dark features.

"This," Pan started, pulling Tinkerbell towards him and positioning her in front of him, "fairy, thought it wise to steal from me. She needs to learn the consequences of her actions." Hook considered his options. Perhaps he should let this one go. He looked at the small blonde and then decided. He couldn't let it slide.

Pan, who didn't think the pirate would be so stupid as to defy him, was completely caught off guard when Hook sliced the arm with which he was holding Tink. The blood dripped onto the ground and for a mere moment he stared at it, baffled, but not in the least relinquishing his grip on her.

"Look at that, the pirate here wants you all to himself," he whispered to Tink derisively. An agitated look crossed her face and she started struggling in his grasp. With his wounded arm now slightly weakened, it was difficult to keep her steady in his grasp. He let go and Hook seized the opportunity to strike.

Swiftly he raised his sword, ready to draw more blood, when out of the corner of his eye he saw Tinkerbell holding in her hands what looked to be a very heavy tree branch, pouring all her frustrations into a guttural war cry. Pan had only time to look over his shoulder before he was swatted to the side as though he were a fly. With a striking blow to the ribs, the cracking of bones was unmistakable. He landed on his back, immediately deprived of all the air in his lungs.

"You better get out of here," Tink advised, disposing of her weapon and taking off into the depths of the forest.

Hook on the other hand, seemed rooted to the spot and only when his first mate cleared his throat did he acknowledge his presence. "Captain, don't you think we should run for it?" he asked nervously with one eye on Pan's slowly recovering form. "Return to the ship, Smee," he nodded in agreement, but as he watched the man scurry off towards shore he changed his mind and followed the trail of the fairy instead. If she truly was a fairy, then she could be the key to finding a way off the island.

In the distance he caught a glimpse of her blond locks. She flitted around the trees with ease, but eventually she slowed her pace. Hook did not stop running until he was right behind her. He grabbed a hold of Tinkerbell's wrist, turning her around to face him. He could feel her resist and who could blame her, but right now he wanted his answers. Who was this fairy? How did she get here? Why had Pan allowed her to live on his island all this time? And most importantly, did she still have magic?

Tinkerbell had had about enough of being jerked around and so with a violent tug she wrenched her arm free.

"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded to know, her peculiar accent intriguing him even more. She sure was feisty. "Just looking for some answers, love."

"Look for them elsewhere," she retorted, while rubbing her wrist where Hook had accidentally pressed down on the bruises left by Pan. When she made a move to leave again, he stopped her by stepping directly in her path.

"Get out of my way."

"Why don't you make me, _fairy_," he challenged.

She narrowed her eyes, this guy was quickly getting on her last nerve. "Why would I tell you anything?"

"Because darling..." he lowered his voice, invading her space even further, "I believe I just saved your life." Tink refused to give an inch despite his threatening stance. She'd been the object of Pan's intimidation tactics more often than she could count, so if this pirate thought he could make her back down, he was sorely mistaken. "What are you talking about? I saved me!" The indignance in her tone was evident.

"Aye, but you wouldn't have had the chance to, if it weren't for me interfering in your little private affair with Pan."

"I was handling it," was her weak defence.

"Oh were you now?" he ran his thumb roughly over her split lip gathering some of the blood that had run down the corner of her mouth. "Didn't look like it to me."

Tinkerbell stared down at the ground, annoyed that in truth, he was right. She shuddered to think of what might have happened if the pirate hadn't interrupted. He placed his hook under her chin and raised her head to look at him. "Well?" he inquired expectantly.

A heavy sigh of defeat gave him his answer. "Alright, follow me."


End file.

Once Upon a Time