Help a Friend in Need

Summary: Washed ashore Neverland lacking the amulet and having a fever, Sofia's not actually sure who her rescuer is. Luckily in Jake's pirate code, he helps everyone. Even washed ashore strangers.

Chapter One

"Mateys, give him or her some room."

Jake was firm with his crew but gentle as he looked over the stranger who had washed ashore.

For now he or she was asleep, groaning as the pirate looked over them.

It was definitely a girl. A princess but the dress was soaked with seawater.

"What's your name?" Jake asked gently, hearing her stir.

"S-Sofia," the stranger whimpered.

"She looks red," Izzy muttered, seeing that Jake had motioned for her and Cubby to look. "Jake, do you think she was sick before coming here?"

"Hmm... maybe so.. I dunno though, I'm not really a doctor. This is your kind of thing Iz." Jake shrugged, "I think we should take her inside to get a better look."

Izzy nodded as she and Jake lifted Sofia up.

Jake knew he couldn't just leave Sofia on the shore. It wasn't in the pirate's code.

Well their pirate code at least. The took her inside and laid her on the table in their "medical" room. Izzy turned her attention to Jake. "Well what should I grab?"

"A wet rag and some spare clothes!" Jake beckoned, touching Sofia's forehead. "She's burning up!"

Sofia stirred, looking at what she thought in her state were blobs.

All she could remember was being thrown overboard after her amulet was taken by someone she thought had been a dear friend to her.

"Who..? Huh?" She muttered, slowly bringing her hands to her forehead and slowly over to her side, the wet rag sliding down onto the floor.

"Hey!" One of the blobs said, picking up the rag gently holding it to her forehead. "You need this!"

Her vision started to come to as Sofia stared.

A boy no more than her age picked up the wet rag off the floor and placed it in her forehead again.

She still felt awful. And she thought having a cold the same day Cedric snatched the amulet from her was bad enough.

Her amulet!

She patted around her chest and once she realized it wasn't there, she gripped her shirt in a panic. The memories then flooded back to her. She was taken, her amulet snatched away, and she had hit the ground with a thud. Lights out. Now she... Where was she? She hoped it wasn't another pirate ship.

Jake saw her panic and gently took her hand.

"I don't know what you've been through today," he said. "But you're in good hands Sofia."

Sofia felt tears in her eyes. Her family. Cedric had her amulet now. He could do whatever he wanted to them.

The girl quickly sat up. She needed to leave. Now. What would happen to her family now with Cedric at the reins? A forceful hand pushed her back onto the table.

"Izzy!" Jake chirped. "You don't need to be so hard!"

"Do you want her better or not Jake?" Izzy asked. She noticed Sofia's fear stricken eyes and gave a gentle smile. "How'd you get here?"

"I don't know," Sofia confessed. "All I remember is trying to get away from someone who I thought was my friend but he knocked me out cold and then I wake up here."

Jake knitted his eyebrows. "Strange. Do you remember what he looks like? A pirate perhaps? Maybe he lives here!"

"No. He wasn't a pirate. He was a sorcerer. In a purple robe. I called him Mr. Cedric."

"Was he on a boat with you? Or a pirate ship?"

"No. He lives in a tower in one of the wings of the castle," Sofia answered.

"Castle?" Jake asked. "Oh we don't have many castles here. There aren't many royals around Neverland."

"No there's not," Cubby spoke, having been quiet for Sofia's sake.

"Yeah we do!" Izzy nudged him. "We just don't have many here but I doubt Sofia's one is here. The ones here are either new or in ruins."

Sofia nodded. Enchancia wasn't in Neverland. Cedric had knocked her out back in Enchancia.

She had no idea where he'd gotten a pirate ship from but remembered Cedric's brown eyes give her a cold glare.

"So now what do I do?" Sofia sheepishly asked.

"Well until you're better, you'll have to stay here," Jake explained. He noticed tears in her eyes. "I know you're worried about everyone you love but they'll be okay."

"How do you know?"

"What do you think happens to someone when they've done something much worse than stealing?"

"They get killed." Izzy answered for her.

Jake facepalmed. "Nicer answers Izzy!"

"Well what do you expect Jake? This Cedric took her from home, stole from her, and knocked her out. What do you expect her parents to do when they find out?"

"She's got a point," Sofia admitted with a sneeze.

Jake grumbled something under his breath before sighing. "Fine I guess you're right. But they could just have thrown him in jail right?"

Izzy nodded. "Sure if she was a peasant."

"But she's not. Her tiara is a clue that she's a princess," Cubby smiled. "Maybe two of us should leave and one of us stay with her."

"But who'll be willing to do it?" Sofía asked.

"I'll stay," Jake offered. "It's only fair."

"Wait where are you going?"

"To look for clues maybe or get supplies for lunch later," Cubby shrugged, walking out of the room.

Izzy trailed behind but before exiting, she gave Jake a soft glare.

"No fair..." She grumbled quietly. "You get all the cuties."

Sofia had to giggle, missing the blush on Izzy's cheeks as she left.

"How long do you think I'll be here?" She asked Jake once Izzy and Cubby we're gone. "Amber's going to worry. Just not as much as my mom."

"I'm not sure. You see, Neverland's time is pretty wonky. It's just kinda stops here," Jake told her.

"It does?"

"It's unfortunate to you I know."

"Wait could it possibly be a year in enchancia already?!" Sofía trembled.

"No. No! I doubt it. You did just get here today. Right?" Jake asked.

"Yes."

"Then time shouldn't have changed too much there. I'm pretty sure they're going to remember you!"

Jake gave her a reassuring smile. Sofia took with it a grimace, sitting up to move her legs.

"What's wrong?" Jake asked.

"I feel a little pain," Sofia admitted. "But I don't know where."

"Did this Cedric give it to you?"

"Give? I don't even know WHAT he gave!"

Jake could see the frustration on her face. He had no idea how long she'd been away from home but knew she couldn't go back just yet.

Her fever hadn't broken yet as he wiped away some sweat from her face.

"Thank you," Sofia blushed.

Jake returned a soft smile, his cheeks turning a soft pink, "No problem."

"You wouldn't let me leave with a fever would you?"

"No. Not with you coughing and sneezing. It's not in my pirate code."

Sofia snickered. "Why don't you follow the code? A normal pirate would leave me to deteriorate."

Jake shrugged. "It's what an evil pirate would do. A good pirate would take care of you as long as you need."

Sofia gave him a soft smile which then turned into a frown. "You… You wouldn't betray me. Would you?"

Jake shook his head as a few tears went down Sofia's cheeks.

Clearly Cedric's betrayal had been a shock to the princess who feared it would happen again.

"H-Hey! Yay hey no way! I don't like to go against my word! I swear to you Sofia." He took her hand in his. "I won't betray you! Pirate's honor!"

"Then you have my princess honor," Sofia sniffed.

Jake smiled as he heard the hideout's door open and footsteps heading up to where they were. He gave her a soft smile. "You hungry?"

Sofia nodded. "I hadn't eaten since breakfast."

"Well then you'll enjoy lunch. If you can keep it down."

"I can. It's only a fever. But it's just my first one away from home."

"Relax!" Jake chuckled, "We aren't going to eat ya! We mostly cook. We like fruits, coconuts, and other island things."

"Okay," Sofia smiled. "At least it'll be healthy."

" Yeah. Meat doesn't really come around that often. But Cubby can whip up anything! Trust me, it's really good" Jake exclaimed, little sparkles twinkled in his eyes.

Sofia nodded at his words, taking a deep breath.

It would only be for a week (she hoped) then she could go back to Enchancia.

"Hey you two come down to the kitchen and tell Cubby whatcha want to eat?" Izzy poked her head into the infirmary.

"It wouldn't be polite to keep him waiting," Sofia smiled.

"Ladies first," Jake smiled, holding the door for her.

"Thank you."

"What are you trying to do Jake? Get us all sick?" Izzy grumbled.

Jake raised an eyebrow as a mischievous smirk formed on his face. "Oh excuse me, miss let me." He leaped himself onto Izzy 'coughing' as he did. "I'm gonna get you sick!"

Izzy had a smile a little. Jake could be funny when he had to be.

Yet Sofia or the cutie she thought of her as, wouldn't leave her head.

"What's wrong with a sick cutie huh?" Sofia asked quietly, her face now heating up for a different reason.

"N-Nothing," Izzy stuttered. "It's just..."

"I know. I know. I'm sick."

Izzy sent a glare to Jake who sent her a devious smirk. Izzy grumbled something to Jake, punching him in the arm and rushed up ahead.

Jake let out a laugh as Sofia rushed up to him in worry. "Jake! Are you ok!?"

"I'm fine," Jake assured.

"This is how they usually act," Cubby muttered.

"Usually act?" Sofia muttered. "Are you guys siblings?"

Silence filled the room as all wide eyes were on her. Sofia was beginning to freak out a little bit, by how in sync they were. She assumed they were siblings. if not then cousins.

But how could they be either?

"Crackers!" Skully chuckled, breaking the silence." What are they teaching you royals? These three possibly couldn't be siblings!"

Sofia gasped at the sight of the parrot. How was he talking? She didn't have the amulet.

"A-Are you talking?!" She asked.

"What's wrong?" He chuckled, flapping his wings, "Never seen a talking parrot before?"

Sofia nodded softly but she couldn't explain the amulet to the bird.

She coughed a little, trying to keep a smile on her face.

Unfortunately the crew (Jake and Izzy) caught her nod. Before they spoke, Cubby spoke up instead. "Sofia what do you want?"

"Fruit please. Whatever kind you have," Sofia smiled.

"Okay fruit to get you better faster. Got it."

She sheepishly made her way to the table and sat down as the two oldest eyes tapered off of her.

She let out a sigh of relief she didn't even know she had.

It felt calming to say the least. The calmest she'd felt all day.

To think her history books usually called pirates rough and rowdy. But these guy weren't that at all! She wondered what her parents would think of the trio.

Her parents!

Her dad would've gotten Cedric by now and sent him off to the dungeon for execution.

Right?

Surely they already questioned him on her disappearance and somehow someone caught his lie and got him sent away and her amulet was safe and secure with her dad.

Or with her mom. Sofia hoped she hadn't feared she was dead.

She hoped that there wasn't a tombstone of her when she got back either.

Sofia shook the thought out of her head, tapping the table quietly.

...

Amber had never seen her father that angry before.

With the bellowing of Cedric's name still ringing in her ears since that afternoon, she gently petted Clover behind the ears.

"You miss Sofia too huh?" Amber asked rabbit didn't respond, only twitching its nose. Amber giggled quietly. "I'll take it as a 'yes'. It's ok to express your feelings Clover. I think."

She herself had been upset upon seeing Cedric with her little sister's amulet.

What could Cedric possibly want with it now? The amulet has been their possessions for a while even before Sofia got here. Why didn't he take it then?

Why did he had to take Sofia away and knocked her out to get it?

Especially while she was suffering from a cold?

Could she be…? No! She didn't wanna believe it.

But she washed out to sea right? On a ship or raft? Could she be in another kingdom or still at sea?

Amber wished she knew, petting a now sleeping Clover before getting up and walked to Sofia's room.

It was still the way she had left it.

She made her way over to the window seat and looked out it. The moon was high and stars twinkling bright but not that bright.

She sighed she wished there was something she could do. Maybe go and find her herself.

"No. Mom's already upset," Amber muttered. "But Sofia's all alone somewhere with a fever."

She began to ponder real hard on this. Should she go? Maybe if she can swipe back the amulet, it might tell her where Sofia was.

Amber loved her sister dearly.

She made a fist. Cedric was in the dungeon awaiting trial and still had the amulet in his grasp.

Why her father did take it already is beyond her but now it was her turn.

She was going to take the amulet no matter what it took.