Mr. Smee roused Jocelyn, Roger, and Evie before dawn the next morning, after reaching the end of the moonlight river. Starkey had brought his boat to a section of unoccupied beach, far from the pirate village, surely more for his own convenience than out of any concern for Jocelyn’s safety. He barely looked at her as she prepared to leave, giving only an annoyed wave of his hand by way of farewell. Jocelyn returned the sentiment with a loud yawn in his direction.

I like to think it was a bonding moment for the two of them.

After disembarking, Jocelyn gathered her friends and crew around her. “Well, men—and Evie,” she said, “yesterday was difficult. I won’t deny that. But we prevailed!” She chose not to mention that this was mostly due to coincidence and luck. It was likely no one wanted to hear that anyway. She continued her speech. “Now that we are back on the island, we can set our sights on reclaiming what has been taken from us!”

“How can we do that, Cap’n?” Dirty Bob asked. “We don’t even have a ship.”

“What if I told you we could use my father’s ship, the famed Jolly Roger?”

Most of the crew broke out into applause at the very idea. Bob did not clap, but there was a light in his eyes, an excitement Jocelyn hadn’t seen before. She decided to give everyone something more to look forward to. “And finding the Roger won’t just give us a ship,” she said. “It also contains the key to Hook’s map.”

“But Cap’n?” One-Armed Jack raised his hand, or rather, his whisk. “We don’t have the map. What good will the key do?”

“Everyone knows that aboard the Jolly Roger is the largest and deadliest cannon ever forged. We’ll use Captain Hook’s legendary Long Tom to blast that devil Krueger out of the water; then we’ll rescue Meriwether and take back my map.” Jocelyn raised her sword dramatically. “Victory and the treasure are both within our grasp! Believe it, men. We won’t let anything stand in our way.”

The crew cheered wildly. Mr. Smee was overcome with weeping.

“There is just one small detail,” Jocelyn went on, quieter than before. “We don’t exactly know where the Jolly Roger is.” Before the men’s joy could turn to dismay, she hurried to explain. “But we know who does! It’s…” Jocelyn mumbled the name.

“What’s that, Captain?” One-Armed Jack placed his whisk to his ear. “I didn’t quite catch that. Pebble Ann?”

Blind Bart leaned in close to the girl. “Even with my superior hearing, I couldn’t decipher your words. Dieter Graham?”

“No. I’m sure she said ‘partridge hen.’ We’ll need to ask a bird, right, Captain?” Nubbins asked. “Somebody grab the parrot.”

“Wrong.” Jocelyn sighed. “I said we’ll need to ask…Peter Pan.”

“That’s what we planned all along, ain’t it, Captain?” Mr. Smee asked. “Do you want me to write up a ransom letter now?”

“Ransom letter? Of course. I almost forgot I was your prisoner.” Evie spoke bravely, though disappointment was evident on her face. “I had begun to feel like a regular part of the crew.”

“Evie, you don’t have to go back to Peter,” Jocelyn said.

“I don’t? That’s wonderful news!” The older girl’s eyes sparkled.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Roger intently watching the conversation unfold. She forged on. “No. You can go home.”

“What? Why?” A frown creased the girl’s brow. “I already told you, I’m not going back. Have I done something to upset you?”

“Not exac—”

Evie never heard what Jocelyn was going to say, for she didn’t get a chance to finish. At that moment, Peter Pan and his lost boys attacked, running pell-mell out of the trees and onto the beach, their faces smeared with crudely drawn war designs in mud and berry juice, screaming, “Victory for our mother!”

Or rather, the lost boys attacked. Peter, and his irksome fairy, flew above, shouting instructions. Lost boys and pirates quickly paired up for battle. Even little Tully did his part, nearly incapacitating Blind Bart with a string of screeched curses. The poor man covered his ears and moaned.

Only Dirty Bob stood apart, arms folded across his chest and a sneer upon his face, refusing to join in. When one of the twins rushed at him, short sword drawn, Bob deflected him with a scowl. “Hook may have felt it worth his time to fight children,” he said, “but I’m more of a traditionalist.” The boy turned sadly away, clearly stung by the rejection.

With the exception of those two, the pirates and lost boys were having a marvelous time. Evie took in the scene, grinning wildly. “It’s frightfully exciting, isn’t it?” she asked Jocelyn. “So long as no one really gets hurt.”

Jocelyn raised an eyebrow. “Oh, but someone might,” she said. “You never know how things may go on the Neverland. It’s not civilized here at all. Not like at home.”

“That is for certain.” The older girl’s eyes shone with what Jocelyn hoped was dread but feared was delight. “Which side should I fight on? Am I with you, or with Peter?”

Jocelyn pictured Evie being injured or even killed. Still, she knew that Evie would never consent to sit and watch. The only way to ensure her safety was for Jocelyn to protect her. “You’re with me, but stay close. We fight together!”

Evie drew her dagger. “That sounds delightful!” she said.

The girls descended upon the battle like a pair of Valkyries, ready to determine who would live and who would die. The sheer fierceness of their combined attack might have been enough to bring the fighting to an end right then and there, if Peter hadn’t noticed Evie and dipped down to claim her (and the glory of the fight). “Hello, Mother,” he said. “Don’t be afraid. We have come to rescue you.”

“Oh, hello, Peter,” Evie replied. She smoothed down her hair and smiled brightly at him. Jocelyn nearly gagged with disgust at how quickly Evie seemed to fold up her battle lust and tuck it into a drawer.

Evie slid her dagger into her belt and went on. “That is very kind of you—”

“I know,” Peter interrupted. “Stand aside while I kill the girl pirate who stole you. When I am done, you may make a sketch of me standing over the body.”

Evie gave a small smile and shook her head. “Thank you, but that’s really not necess—”

“The only body will be yours, Pan!” Jocelyn cried. “Unless you tell me what you did with my father’s ship!”

“Never! Prepare to die for the honor of my mother!”

Evie brushed down the front of her dress. “Peter, really—”

“She’s not your mother!” Jocelyn roared. “And you can prepare to die for stealing my father’s ship! You haven’t sunk it, have you?”

“I didn’t sink that ship! I sailed it wonderfully. Besides, I didn’t take it. I’ve never even heard of it. So, you prepare to die!”

“Both of you, stop preparing to die!” Evie’s fierceness returned and grabbed their attention. Jocelyn snapped her mouth closed. Peter left his hanging open. “Peter, thank you for coming to rescue me, but I don’t need it. I’d rather stay and be a pirate with my dearest friend, Jocelyn. I’ll never leave her side.”

Now Jocelyn was the one with her mouth hanging open. Peter snapped his shut, then rearranged his face into a nonchalant look. “I wasn’t coming to rescue you anyway. How like a girl to think everything is about her. I’m here because that one”—he shrugged a shoulder in Jocelyn’s direction—“promised me a war. I’ve only come to collect, that’s all.”

“I did no such thing!”

“Beggin’ yer pardon,” Mr. Smee called out from where he and Fredo were taking a small rest before resuming an attempt to murder each other, “but, Miss Captain, I’ve been thinking. It seems to me, and Johnny agrees, that yer men and me are getting in some good exercise. Right, men?”

A chorus of ayes resounded.

“And as such,” Mr. Smee went on, “maybe we can come up with a compromising situation—something to make everyone happy.”

“I’m listening,” Jocelyn said.

“I’m not,” said Peter, placing his fingers in his ears and humming a jaunty tune.

“Well, miss, Peter Pan is always going on about wanting to have a war with us pirates, right? Only we’ve been mighty busy as of late. Perhaps’n we stay and give these miscreants the war they’ve been wanting—might even let ’em win a time or two—and in exchange, Peter Pan will tell you where to find the Roger.”

“I’m in agreement,” Jocelyn said. “Pan, if you will tell where it is, and if my crew has no objection, I’ll leave you to your war. What say you, men?”

Another robust chorus of “Aye,” except from Bob, who let out a surly “Nay!”

“Not quite unanimous, but it will do. Do we have a deal?”

“I guess so,” Peter said, removing his fingers from his ears, “but wouldn’t you rather have something else? Like maybe…” He took a step closer and lowered his voice. “A thimble?” The boy pursed his lips, closed his eyes, and leaned in.

Jocelyn took a step back. “What are you doing with your face? Stop that.”

Peter frowned and straightened up. “I was going to give you a thimble! Girls love thimbles!”

“I think you have been misinformed. I must have had a hundred thimbles before I came here. They aren’t that special.”

His eyes popped open wide. “A hundred thimbles?” Peter seemed to be having trouble fathoming such a large amount.

“I didn’t know you were interested in needlework,” Jocelyn said. “But I don’t care for it. All I want is the location of my father’s ship. Tell me, or I’m afraid there shall be no war.”

“I knew you were afraid,” Peter crowed. “But if those are your only terms, I guess I accept. We have a deal.” They spit on their hands and shook, though Jocelyn might not have been quite so agreeable had she known exactly where Peter had left the Jolly Roger.