7/5/04

Title: The Forever Dance
Author: Weezer42(aka formerly Squeezynz)
Chapter: One - If Wishes Were Horses.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Rating: PG13 (shameless fluff).....set initially a few months after the movie, but moving on to a couple of years after fairly quickly. Wendy accepts that she has to grow up, but she craves one last adventure, and Peter is more than happy to oblige. ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"And with a kiss, the Princess opened her eyes and beheld the Prince for the first time. With a glad cry, she leapt from the bed and threw herself on his chest. At that very moment the door was flung wide and the ogre, King Holrick swept into the room, brandishing his axe and roaring. In one move the Prince pushed the Princess behind him and faced the enraged ogre. They fought a pitched battle back and forth across the room, the Prince hard pressed to keep the mad King at bay, until eventually he managed to get in a lunge that cleaved the ogre Kings wicked heart in two."

Wendy's audience gave the appropriate oohing and ahing noises as their story teller swept her arm in a wide arc before pretending to plunge her invisible blade into the hapless villains vitals.

"With the ogre dead, the Prince pulled the Princess to her feet and ran out of the castle, to where his trusty friend waited with the horses. As they thundered away, the castle started to collapse behind them, returning to the dust it had been before."

Wendy paused, her lips pulled into a smile as she stared back at her enraptured audience of small, and some not so small boys.

"After battling their way once more through the forest of Doom and the swamps of Slime, the Prince and his Princess arrived back at his kingdom......where they married and lived happily ever after."

The nursery erupted into a mass of young bodies clapping and shouting as Wendy rose and took a small bow. One figure rose and started towards the window.

"Are you going so soon Peter?" Wendy called, her hand starting to lift before she stifled the gesture, unsure still of his reaction. The boy thus address paused and turned back to her.

"That was the end of the story, wasn't it?"

"Well......yes.....but I thought...." Wendy felt the heat of a blush stain her cheeks, ducking her head to hide it from Peter's all too knowing gaze.

"Then I have to leave......you know the rules,"

Around them the former Lost Boys and Wendy's brothers surged and ebbed like a tide as they scrabbled to get into night-shirts and slippers before leaving the nursery to cram into the small bathroom, leaving Wendy and Peter alone.

"I know that the rules were made up by you......but I don't understand why?"

Peter stepped closer, his lips twisting in a half smile, his eyes dancing.

"And I don't understand why you always ask the same question. I came back, didn't I? I didn't forget you, did I?" Peter came within a foots-length of where Wendy was standing, his grubby feet coming into her field of vision, limited by her downcast eyes.

"No, you didn't forget......I just wish.......I just wish you'd stay and keep me company after the boys go to bed. Now I'm not in the nursery anymore, it gets lonely...and I thought......maybe."

Peter folded his arms over his chest, his mocking smile still in place.

"Okay."

Wendy's eyes flicked up to meet Peter's, hers wide with surprise.

"Peter?"

"I'll keep you company.....for a little while. I'll wait for you in your room, otherwise the boys will see me still here and expect another story." Grinning, Peter lifted off the ground and twisted in the air, swooping out of the window and out of sight.

Smiling to herself, Wendy gathered up the scattered toys and straightened a couple of the beds crammed together in the large room. With eight boys now in the nursery, there wasn't room for Wendy even if she wanted to stay, which she didn't. Despite the loneliness of her room, she also revelled in the quiet, able to shut the door on her rowdy family for a few brief moments. As she moved to close the window, the door opened and her brothers, natural and foster, piled into the room like a rollicking bundle of over-excited puppies.

"Has Peter gone?"-"Give us another story?"-"Do we have to go to bed?"

Before Wendy could voice her answers to the age old questions, her mother appeared looking as lovely and calm as only she could, marshalling the many small boys into their respective beds, stilling their active bodies and quelling their shrill voices of protest, allowing Wendy to slip out the door and along to her own room.

With her hand on the door knob she paused, her shoulders relaxing as she let go the slight tension that storytelling always left her with. Faintly, she could hear the sound of pipes trilling a simple melody, both familiar and hauntingly strange as she pushed the door open.

Peter was sitting crosslegged on her bed, the pipes to his mouth as his fingers danced over the holes in the flute. Wendy closed the door behind her carefully, not wanting to break the thread of the music. She stood there as the melody washed over her until it started to fade, Peter lowering the pan-flute and looking over to where Wendy stood.

"That was lovely Peter.....does it have a name?"

Peter looked slightly nonplussed for a moment, his forehead clearing when memory supplied the name of the tune.

"It's called the song of the Tooralee bird."

Wendy approached the bed and sat on the side, smiling sweetly.

"I don't think I've ever seen a Tooralee bird."

"You won't have.....they're very rare and secretive. I've only ever seen one myself, and that was only for a few seconds as it flew over my head. They are said to be the drabbest birds on the island, but they have the most beautiful song."

"Maybe you'll take me on a hunt for the Tooralee bird, next time you take me to Neverland?"

Wendy held her breath, waiting for Peter's answer.

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

It had been several months after their epic adventures in the land of Pirates and Indians, on the island of Neverland when Peter finally flew back to the nursery window. When Wendy had returned, together with her brothers and the Lost Boys, she had been certain that it would be the last she'd see of the magical boy, Peter Pan. It had saddened her and made her heart ache to think of not seeing him ever again, so it was all the more joyous when three months later, as she was telling the eager crowd in the nursery one of her stories, she spotted the shadow at the window. Despite her heart leaping in her chest Wendy ignored the shadow, continuing with her story, willing herself not to glance too often at the window in case it scared him off. When she finished, she saw the shadow fly away and she almost leapt to her feet in her agitation. Sure enough, when she reached the window Peter was gone and she sighed heavily. Ignoring the bustle of the boys around her, Wendy walked to her room only to find the shadow at the window of her new bedroom, knocking his fingers against the glass to gain entry.

Wendy had flung the window open and Peter had swooped inside, dropping to the floor and placing his fists on his hips, a smirk firmly plastered on his laughing lips. She had been so excited she'd almost run forward to hug him, but a small movement, as if anticipating her, made her check, her hands dropping to her side.

"You didn't forget.........you came back!"

"Of course.....didn't I say I would?"

"You did Peter." Wendy smiled as Peter dropped his hands and started to look around her small room, his eyes skimming over the bed and furniture. "Did you enjoy the story?" She asked.

"I've heard it before," he shrugged nonchalantly, shooting her a quick smile before lifting the lid on her jewellery box, as nosy as ever. The tinkle of music filled the air as the box started to play. Dipping his grubby fingers inside, he pulled out the length of chain holding the battered acorn with a hole at its heart. Holding it up, he smirked to himself, swinging it back and forth. "You kept this....it'll go rotten soon."

A little piqued at his dismissal of her story, Wendy reached past him and took the chain with its precious momento.

"It will keep for a long time....acorns do, you know. They live in the ground for ages before sprouting into oak trees. The trees themselves can live for hundreds of years."

Peter moved away, already distracted. Wendy lifted the chain and fastened it around her neck, the nut cool against her throat. Peter was looking at the various volumes on the small bookshelf above the dresser. Lifting one down he started to flip through it, stopping to look at the pictures, his finger tracing the outlines before moving on to the next. Wendy sat down on the edge of her bed, watching him, her eyes skimming over his form, noting his more than usual amount of dirt coating his bare shoulders and back, his hair even more tussled than usual. She knew that Neverland time passed differently than the real world and she wondered if he was looking after himself properly, all her girlish instincts wanting to mother him, but knowing he would quite possibly be very rude if she tried to.

"What are all these books about Wendy?"

"Oh....lots of things, about history and geography and literature."

"Why do you have them all here?"

"Because I like to read them....and they'll help me when I start writing myself."

Peter replaced the book on the shelf and turned to face her, walking the few steps to the bed and sitting down beside her, twisting himself so that he faced her. For a long minute they stared at each other, Peter's eyes skimming her features as if reminding himself of something he'd forgotten, his hand lifting as if on its own volition to softly touch her slightly parted lips. Wendy sat completely still, her heart thumping in her chest as she let him explore her face, his intense regard leaving her breathless. At last his eyes stopped their exploration and fixed on her mouth.

"Wendy?"

"Y-e-e-s Peter?"

"I would like to give you....a thimble."

"As you wish," Wendy squeaked, blinking.

Slowly, Peter brought his face to hers, Wendy's eyes sliding shut as she felt his faint breath brush against her skin. Gently he pressed his lips to hers, warm and firm, imparting a chaste kiss before pulling back. Their lips clung for a second, Wendy's eyes opening so that she found herself almost cross-eyed, drowning in Peter's blue-green depths. Her lips remained parted, her breath puffing out in short spurts as her heart hammered unevenly in her breast.

Peter snaked his tongue out, tasting his own lips as if licking off juice.

"You taste sweet." He whispered.

"Do I?" Wendy whispered back, her mouth suddenly dry as Peter moved forward again, his own eyes shutting as she felt him kiss her again. This time he pressed harder and Wendy put her hands up to clutch at his shoulders as she felt herself falling backwards.

Wendy suddenly felt something like a spark of lightening pass between them, the shock making her gasp and pull away, her eyes flying open to meet Peter's startled gaze, both of them panting quickly.

"What was that?"

"I don't know!"

Feeling a little frightened, Wendy took her hands off Peter's shoulders and scooted further along the bed, putting some distance between them. Flustered, she put her trembling hand up to smooth her hair behind her ear, not daring to look at the boy still sitting beside her.

Peter had his hand up, his fingers touching his lips, as if expecting to find some injury or evidence of the spark that so startled them.

"I don't think you'd better do that again." Wendy whispered, fear making her voice sharper than she meant it to. Peter's head snapped up, his brows coming together in a frown as he stared at her.

"It wasn't my fault!"

Wendy bit her lip, wanting to yell back that it wasn't her fault either, but she suddenly became aware of how thin the walls were and that her family were only on the other side of the wall.

"Maybe you'd better go.......I should really be getting to bed, I have school tomorrow."

"Fine....I'll go," Peter said shortly, his face still pulled into a scowl.

Suddenly fearful, Wendy jumped up and caught at his arm, flinching when he pulled it out of her grasp as if burnt by her touch. He waited impatiently, his lips pulled into a thin line as he stared at her.

"Don't be angry Peter," she saw his face instantly soften, his mouth curving into a smile.

"I'm not angry with you Wendy."

"Will you come back again.....to hear more stories?"

"If you wish it."

"Oh I do Peter....and I promise to tell a few that have your adventures in them as well."

"Good......I like them best of all."

Once more in accord, they grinned at each other, the seconds stretching out before Peter reluctantly turned to leave.

As he prepared to leave, Wendy felt a lump in her throat, her conflicting emotions leaving her vulnerable and needy. Peter also seemed hesitant to leave, shaking himself inwardly to free himself from the overwhelming urge to stay.

"I'll look out for you Peter.....and my window will never be locked."

Giving her a wide smile, Peter launched himself out of her window, almost instantly turning to float in the air, looking back in as Wendy leant on the sill, her face upturned to his, her eyes moist.

"Goodbye Wendy,"

"Goodbye Peter,"

Lifting his hand in a small wave, Peter stiffened his resolve and turned away, streaking towards the sky, leaving the girl in the window far behind.

Wendy watched until he disappeared in a streak of starlight, her eyes straining but not seeing him anymore. Shivering slightly in the cool night air, she turned away and walked back to her bed her thoughts all about Peter.

That had set the pattern for the next two years, Wendy telling the stories, sometimes with Peter as the hero, sometimes not, his shadow at the window becoming his presence in the nursery, sitting beside the other boys, his face eagerly turned up to watch her as she wove her tales, as enthusiastic as her brothers and foster brothers when the stories ended, clapping and whooping and re-enacting the battle scenes until the boys and Wendy had to go to bed. Her parents accepted Peter's presence, realising that he, like all children, craved attention and company, his presence no longer a threat to their children, a set of rules drawn up between Peter and Mister Darling as to a code of conduct to keep everyone happy.

Wendy had thought that Peter would not want any rules to stop him doing precisely what he wanted, but to her surprise he eagerly joined in the creation of the rules, arguing the fine points with her father, creating a charter that both were happy with.

The rules were simple and few. Peter could visit the children whenever he wanted, as long as he didn't disrupt their schooling and homework times. Peter promised not to bring any dangerous weapons on his visits, no pistols, swords or cannon. Peter wouldn't take any of the children to Neverland without the express approval of either Mister or Mrs Darling, and finally, that Peter would return to Neverland between visits, never staying longer than the children's bedtimes.

The last had been Peter's rule, and Wendy didn't understand why he'd made that unless it was to keep himself distant from her and avoid any possibility of that spark from leaping into life and burning them again.

Now Wendy was approaching her fifteenth birthday, her face and figure taking on its adult shape. In a few short weeks she would be leaving her childhood behind her completely and entering the world of adults and adult concerns. It was the reason she had asked Peter to break his rule and stay behind to keep her company. She wanted one last adventure before she had to put it all behind her and consider her future. A future that she knew would not include Peter Pan.

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

"Do you want me to take you to Neverland?" Peter asked, snapping Wendy from her thoughts.

"Yes Peter I do."

"Why now?......you've never asked me before, despite me offering to."

"Because in a few weeks I won't be able to ask you to. I won't be able to go with you....ever."

Looking alarmed, Peter peered at her, trying to see what was wrong with her. "Are you sick? Why wouldn't you be able to come in a few weeks?"

Wendy hung her head, her bottom lip trembling slightly.

"Because when I am fifteen I will be leaving this house and going to live with my Aunt Millicent, and once that happens I can never return, I will be an adult."

"No Wendy......you can't......I won't let you!" Peter's vehemence surprised them both, Wendy rounding her mouth into an oh of surprise as Peter jumped to his feet, his dagger drawn as if to slay the dragon of adulthood from taking Wendy.

Looking at him, Wendy felt a warmth curl through her body, her heart jumping erratically as he continued to look fierce, his fingers clenched tightly around the hilt of his knife.

Peter's stance started to relax as he acknowledged the futility of his actions, Wendy rising to stand in front of him, her eyes pleading for his understanding.

"That's why I wanted one last adventure.....before I had to say goodbye to you forever."

A stone seemed to have lodged in Peter's chest, his breathing becoming ragged as he contemplated his life without the visits to the Darling nursery to hear, see and enjoy Wendy and her stories. Without realising it he had reached for her hand, clasping it strongly in his, tugging her towards the window. Wendy only put up a token resistance until the cold of the air outside bit through her thin nightdress, snapping her back to reality.

"Come away with me Wendy, come to Neverland.......don't grow up yet...." Peter pleaded, reaching for her hand again, drawing her forward, his eyes holding hers.

Blinking, Wendy found herself almost nose to nose with Peter, her body quivering as his warmth seeped into her bones.

"I can't go in my nightdress....." She protested faintly. Peter only cast a cursory glance at her clothes as if for the first time.

"Then wear something else.....but hurry." He grinned at her as she pulled away again, her eyes still glued to his.

Breaking the contact, Wendy mentally reviewed her wardrobe, trying to fit her clothes into the world that was Neverland. Giving up, the task simply impossible, she looked down at herself, noting the sensible cotton neck-to-knee creation that graced her curves. It had elbow length sleeves and looked very similar to several dressed in her cupboard. The major difference between them and her nightdress was the application of a whale-bone corset that pulled her burgeoning curves into the required shape during the day, giving her dresses their required outline and her body a refined form of torture. As she stood undecided, Peter came up behind her, his mouth coming to rest next to her ear. "I like what you're wearing," he whispered, making her jump, a shiver chasing its way down her back. "Neverland is warm, the sun always shines.....you don't need anything else."

"I'd forgotten......it is warm, isn't it."

"Warm....sunny....what more do you need."

"And we won't be gone for long...." Wendy finished, blushing as Peter took her hand once again, his fingers wrapping around hers, tugging her around and leading her to the window. All thought of rules and her family seemed to have flown from her mind, her eyes once more captured and held by the boy in front of her, his hand pulling her to the window, her feet carrying her towards another adventure.

As they stepped onto the tiny ledge outside her window, Wendy felt Peter's arm snake around her waist, pulling her into his side.

"Second to the right and straight on 'til morning....are you ready Wendy?"

"I'm ready Peter."

Putting her arm around his back, Wendy sucked in a big breath as she felt Peter's muscles tense in preparation of lifting off. Together they flew slowly from the window, Wendy feeling a small tremor of fear ripple down her limbs before a squeeze of reassurance from Peter dispelled all her fears and she started to enjoy once more the experience of flying unfettered above the earth. They passed over the chimney stacks and rooftops, rising quickly above the clouds, the half moon painting them in silver as Peter drew them ever higher, Bloomsbury and London left far below.

Ahead gleamed a bright star, its neighbour only slightly less bright as they picked up speed.

"Hold tight Wendy.....don't let go!"

As with her first trip to Neverland, the sky became streaks of starlight and the air roared past her ears, then just as suddenly they exploded through the portal to Neverland and were floating calmly above a star studded sea, the dark bulk of the island in front of them.

The sun rose majestically behind the tallest peak, bathing the island in radiant gold, gilding the trees and rocks as Peter drew Wendy closer, the clouds becoming like a cotton candy forest, tinted with the colours of dawn. Peter chose a particularly dense looking cloud to set down on, putting Wendy down carefully, her feet sinking a little way into the cloud.

"Its just as beautiful as I remember Peter.....except I don't expect to see the Jolly Roger this time."

"Oh its still here.....the pirates that survived use it to fish off, but it's mostly a wreck these days."

Peter lay down on the cloud on his belly, Wendy joining him as he flipped his telescope out to its full length, putting it to his eye and scanning the land below. He spotted some mermaids sporting in the surf but moved on by, not wanting to repeat Wendy's last experience with the slippery creatures. Further along the coast he saw an Indian fishing party, the braves casting their nets off the rocks, flashes of silver from their catch.

"Peter.....what's that?"

Peter looked over at Wendy, seeing her pointing to something far out on the horizon. Shifting slightly, he lifted the telescope once more and tried to fix it upon the dark shape. It took a few seconds but he finally brought the object into view.

"What is it Peter...what do you see??"

"Ur....its a ship, it's not flying a flag. There's something on the sails, but I can't make it out."

"A ship? How did it get here?"

Peter snapped the telescope shut, tucking it back into his belt before turning to Wendy, shrugging. "The same way the Jolly Roger did, I suppose. It's on a direct course for Neverland, so I guess we'll find out soon enough what its purpose is."

"Aren't you worried?"

"What's the point....it'll arrive in its own good time."

"I suppose so," Wendy agreed, peering at the dark shape so far away.

"Come on....I want to show you all the things we missed the last time you were here." Peter cajoled, rising to his knees and pulling Wendy up beside him.

His teasing smile brought an answering one to her lips, her eyes sparkling as he pulled them both to their feet.

"What sort of things Peter?"

"Well.......there's the volcano, Old Smoky. It's quiet today, but sometimes it erupts and the lava pours down the side like a river."

"Oh dear....isn't that dangerous...I mean, lava is unbelievably hot, and the fumes..."

Peter gave her an exasperated look, cocking an eyebrow at her which made her blush at her own feeble worries.

"This is Neverland, Wendy.....nothing here will really hurt you, not even the volcano, I won't let it."

"You really are the most egotistical boy I have ever met!" Wendy laughed as Peter once more circled her waist and pulled them into the air, flying amongst the clouds and veering off towards the tallest peak of the mountain range. As they flew he pointed out other hidden treasure like the waterfall cliffs, the crystal canyon and the crocodiles cave. He explained that the beast had never returned after swallowing Hook and it was conjectured that the beast may have died from indigestion, but as no corpse was ever found, no-one could say for sure.

As they flew lower, Wendy cast a last glance over her shoulder at the blue sea, the black speck of the unknown ship coming ever closer to Neverland.

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Chapter: Two - The Moonshadow

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Despite it being early morning in Neverland, Wendy had left London just before the time she'd usually be going to bed, so she was having a hard time suppressing a yawn, her eyes gritty with lack of sleep. Peter had brought her to a glade surrounded by trees that sang. She's hardly known what to say when Peter had told her about them, her immediate reaction to scoff at such nonsense, but Neverland was not London, and if Peter said the trees could sing, who was she to try and explain to the contrary. So now they stood in a small grove of trees, the trunks soaring smooth and unbroken towards the sky, only a tuft of broad leaves sprouting from their tops. This was unusual enough, but the leaves were mottles in yellow and green, giving them a peculiar appearance which set them apart from the surrounding, more normal jungle vegetation.

"How do they sing Peter?"

"Watch and listen."

As Wendy stood patiently in the glade, Peter approached one of the trunks, his hand reaching out to stroke the smooth bark, at first tentatively, then more firmly, like one would stroke a cat or dog. Wendy saw the tree shudder slightly then it began to sway, Peter keeping up the smooth strokes of his hand, the trunk swaying more, brushing against its neighbour which also started to sway. A little alarmed, Wendy watched as each tree in the circle brushed its neighbour and set it in motion, the leaves at their top swaying wildly. When all the trees were in motion a noise started up, like a high pitched flute, the notes rising and falling, the sound being echoed in the same order as the swaying so that the sound rolled over itself, the pitch changing according to the size of the tree. Peter had stopped stroking the bark, coming back to stand beside Wendy who listened opened mouth as the trees sang their strange melody, the tune reaching a crescendo when all the trees reached a certain pitch, the first starting to slow down, the others following until the tune wavered out of hearing, the last tree to stop moving ending on a sorrowful note that haunted the listener.

Peter stood with his arms crossed over his chest, a smug smile on his face as Wendy listened raptly to the last note of the tree song fading away to nothing.

"Oh Peter.....that was....amazing!"

"You can change the tune by rubbing the tree a different way, so far I've never played the same tune twice."

"You'll have to show me how you do that." Wendy asked, before a yawn overtook her and she had to put her hand up to cover her mouth. "Oh dear....I really am so tired. I'm sorry Peter, but I need to get some sleep."

"I forgot that it was night time in your world....come on, I'll take you to my new secret hideout."

"Oh....what happened to the tree?"

Peter shrugged, scuffing his toe in the dirt. "I don't know.....it just seemed so......" he shrugged again, "....after you all left, I decided to built a hideout somewhere else."

"I see....well, where is it?"

"You'll love it....come on!"

Tugging on her hand, Peter led her out of the grove of singing trees and along a faint rabbit track, pushing his way through dense brush before entering another clearing. There were several very large trees, all seemingly festooned with giant birds nest that hung like huge baskets from the thick branches. As Peter approached the biggest, Wendy could see that the nests all had doorways, the larger ones almost as big as her bedroom in Bloomsbury, compete with holes in the sides like windows. Peter pulled on a hanging vine and a ladder dropped down the side of the tree, at the same time he pulled on an apparently dead branch and a doorway appeared in the wide trunk.

"Inside or outside?" Peter asked expectantly.

"Oh.....er....inside please."

Pulling open the bark door, Peter waved her in after tugging on the vine and retracting the ladder out of sight. Squeezing into the trunk, Wendy looked about her in the dim light. As Peter shut the door, they were plunged into darkness until her eyes grew accustomed to the gloom and she saw steps cut into the wood of the tree.

"Climb up....its not too difficult, I'll be behind you to make sure you don't fall."

Carefully, feeling each step with her toes, Wendy climbed the gently sloping staircase. The first flight was relatively short, bringing her to a ledge inside the tree. Peter climbed up beside her and showed her where the next flight of steps were, his hand on her back guiding her up the shallow steps until they reached a second landing. This had a door leading off it as well as further steps to take you higher up the tree. Reaching past her, Peter pushed the door open, light flooding into the narrow stairway, blinding Wendy momentarily. As she stepped through the door she found herself inside one of the tightly woven tree-nest, the floor quite level but slightly springy to walk on. The wide doorway several paces away looked over the jungle, the opening leading onto a thick branch wide enough to walk along. Benches had been woven into the walls and Wendy sat on one, feeling the fibres give like a mattress as she sat down.

"Did you make all this Peter?"

"Actually, the walls are the old nests of a bird called the Stitch, it makes these to court the female in. They don't use them to nest in, just to attract a mate."

"Goodness, how big are these birds?" Wendy asked, looking up at the roof of the bower and imagining a giant of a bird. Peter lifted his hand, indicating that the bird stood as high as his shoulder.

"They have really long legs, neck and long beaks, which they use to weave the fibres into place. Funnily enough, they lay their eggs on the ground in an ordinary looking nest, but for courting, they build these." Peter waved at the nests hanging like strange ornaments on the branches.

"Don't they use them again?"

"Nope.....just the once, then they're left to hang on the tree and be used by anyone who want to."

"And this is where you live now?"

"Most of the time.....I brought some of the furniture from the underground hideout here, it's in one of the other big one."

Wendy unsuccessful stifled another yawn. "Where do you sleep?"

"Come on...the sooner you rest, the sooner we can explore again."

Peter led her along the broad branch to another hut-like nest, this one even bigger than the last. Inside was a wooden platform, the centre filled with a large mattress apparently stuffed with dry grass, from the stalks sticking out. On top of that was spread a motley collection of blankets and cloths, the whole covered by multicoloured furs heaped at the head to form a pillow. To Wendy it looked heavenly, her feet carrying her over to it with relief. She reached down and pushed against the covers, the mattress yielding readily. Kneeling on it, she sank immediately down, surprise making her overbalance and she tumbled into the centre of the bed, her skirts up around her knees. Peter laughed loudly as Wendy struggled to right herself, the mattress seemingly moving beneath her, confounding her best efforts to maintain some sort of dignity.

Giving up the unequal struggle, she lay on her back panting, the bed settling around her, feeling unbelievably soft and comfortable.

As she lay with her eyes closed, she heard Peter moving around the room, his feet scuffing the matting of the floor. Suddenly the mattress dipped under his weight and Wendy's eyes flew open to find Peter laying beside her, his head propped on his elbow watching her.

"Peter, what are you doing?"

"Going to sleep too."

"But......er......but...." Wendy tried to think of a reason why he couldn't sleep in his own bed.

"If you're going to sleep, I might as well do the same. Then we'll both be fresh to explore Neverland together."

Completely entranced by his winning smile and mischievous eyes, Wendy could only smile back at him before turning onto her side, her back to him, sleep already tugging at her eyelids.

"Goodnight Peter...." Wendy slurred, already half asleep.

Looking over his shoulder at the bright sunlight outside the hut, Peter only shook his head and grinned. He waited for her breathing to even out and indicate that she was asleep before he settled down himself. As he shifted onto his side, his back now to her, he felt the mattress move as Wendy turned over in her sleep. He lay tense and unmoving as she huffed in her sleep, turning herself completely onto her other side so that she almost spooned up behind him.

Carefully, he rolled over so that he was facing her, only a few inches separating them. Wendy was sound asleep, her eyes moving under their lids, their owner already dreaming. Peter reached out a tentative finger and lifted a strand of hair from across her face, tucking it back over her shoulder. He gazed at her sleeping face, taking note of the changes that had taken place in the two years since he'd first met her, her face no longer hidden in childish lines but showing the promise of the woman to come. Peter wondered if Wendy had even noticed the changes in Peter's face and form. They had been subtle and not seemingly obvious, but Peter had gained several inches and his body was lengthening and broadening, his muscles gaining in size and strength, his face losing its childish softness and looking leaner than before. He could only suppose that because they had been seeing each other on such a regular basis, that the changes had been overlooked . He had certainly noticed the more enticing changes in Wendy. Apart from her face, her body had also undergone some interesting growth spurts, her figure rounding out and rearranging its contours so that Peter had an almost overwhelming urge to touch her and see for himself what was happening under all those unbearably sensible clothes. But, apart from that disastrous kiss when he'd first returned, he'd kept his distance, fear of frightening her away and finding himself shut out completely, keeping his curiosity and feelings firmly strangled. Even now he could feel the spark of energy that had passed between them when he'd kissed her, the jerk of his muscles as the powerful jolt flooded his limbs. Wendy had felt it too, he knew, it was the reason she'd told him not to do it again, and he had done as she'd asked, but it had been hard. Her first thimble, on the deck of the Jolly Roger, had awoken something in him. It had kick-started his heart and suffused him with desires that he was hard put to understand most of the time, the overwhelming one being to get as close to the girl at his side as possible. Until this morning, that hadn't been an option, now she was sleeping in his bed, her body relaxed and soft, her tantalising curves only a breath away.

Unable to resist, Peter reached out and touched her, his fingers tracing the outline of her face, the line of her cheek down to her rounded chin. Finding the silk of her skin unbearable soft, he continued to explore, tracing a line down her neck, brushing back the hair so that he could cup his hand over her shoulder, running the palm of his hand down her arm. Spreading his fingers, he compared his own with hers, seeing how much broader his hands were, his fingers long and square while hers were slender and tapering, soft and white in comparison with his sunbrowned calluses.

Wendy slumbered on as Peter continued his feather-light exploration of her, his head cushioned on his bent elbow, his other arm extended to lightly run his hand over her sleeping form. From the tips of her fingers which lay along her hip, he trailed his fingers down her thigh, feeling the heat of her leg beneath the lawn nightdress. At the limit of his reach, he started to draw his hand back towards himself, brushing across the bunched material around her waist, skimming the backs of his fingers over the rounded mounds on her chest back up to the base of her throat where her pulse beat a steady rhythm of life.

Peter felt an excitement bubble up inside him, his skin flushing with heat as he leant forward to inhale the warm fragrance rising from Wendy's hair where it lay on the pillow. It was so new to his experience that he found himself burying his nose in the fragrant strands, breathing in deeply, the tingle inside him getting stronger.

Wendy stirred and he froze, fear of discovery making his eyes widen and his body tremble as she settled on her back, her head turned away from him, her hand laying by her side, loose and relaxed, almost touching him. As she slept on, unaware, Peter relaxed, his suspended breath puffing out as he smiled at his own foolishness. The tension inside him started to ease and he felt the tug of sleep as Wendy's even breathing washed over him, soothing the knot inside and pulling his eyes closed. In a last act of daring, he leant over and placed a kiss against her lips, the merest brush of his against hers, before he lay down again and closed his eyes.

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"We're comin' up on the cove, Cap'n."

"Any sign of the Jolly Roger?"

"Not so far, but it's a big island, she could be holed up in any of a hundred bay's!"

"Not quite, Mister Surry, but I get your drift. We'll circumnavigate the island, won't hurt to update the charts. Make a note of water sources and any signs of habitation. I'll be in my cabin if anything of note is sighted."

"Aye, aye Cap'n."

Leaving the first mate in charge, Captain Moon descended to the lower deck and entered the Captain's cabin, passing several crew members who saluted smartly before returning to their work. With a negligent hand, the plumed hat was pulled off and tossed onto the chart table, spinning slightly before coming to rest, the feathers nodding.

"Where are you hiding James, ya devil!"

It had been a hard voyage, the ship weathering several storms, her timbers taking a pounding as they struggled to reach the rendezvous. When the Jolly Roger made no appearance it was decided to search her out, the Moonshadow needing repairs as well as much needed shore leave for the crew. In the past there had been no need to seek out Hook's berth, the two Captains well aware that the ocean was big enough to allow them both to ply their craft without conflicting too often. But the arranged rendezvous was sacrosanct. Only death would prevent the two ships meeting, hence the Moonshadow's quest to find her running mate. The Moonshadow's Captain, Lilliana Moon, had been James Hook's second-in-command aboard the Jolly Roger before they'd captured the Moonshadow on a raid many years before. Liliana had been made Captain of the conquered vessel, her crew made up of the survivors of the Moonshadow and some of the Jolly Roger's crew. None were upset to have Lilliana as their Captain. Under Hook's tutelage, her career as a pirate was only surpassed by his own, her ferocity in a battle matched by none. If it was also rumoured that she was the Captains bedmate as well, then no-one was brave enough to voice it in either's presence, Lilliana's rage a sight to behold once raised. As time had progressed the two vessels had plundered around world, eventually parting to seek their separate fortunes, agreeing to meet once a year to swap rum and tall tales unless fate took away one or the other in death. When it became clear that the Jolly Roger was not going to arrive, Lilliana reviewed her options. Deciding that she couldn't leave the story of James Hook unfinished, she set the prow of her ship westward, pulling out the dusty map that showed the vague location of Hook's safe harbour, thus the Moonshadow set sail.

Now the island lay before them, the tall peaks dusted with snow, the valleys choked with jungle, all apparently uninhabited. When James had first told of the place, Lilliana had scoffed at his tales, believing them to be fantasies of a lonely man, his anecdotes about fairies and flying boys mere figments to soften a harsh existence. Now she wondered if James Hook hadn't been telling the truth. Looking out of her cabin window she drew deeply on her cheroot, the smoke curling out of her nostrils and through her teeth as she stared out at the green cloaked slopes that led down to white sandy beaches and mysterious lagoons, almost believing that such wondrous beasts as mermaids could indeed exist within such pristine wilderness.

Above her head the ship's crew worked diligently to pilot the ship around the shores of Neverland, their curious gaze often drawn to the cliffs and rocks that broke the surface of the azure sea, the sounds of the jungle reaching out to them with the allure of the unknown.

A knock at her door made her turn from the window, her eyes narrowing at the intrusion. Leaning against the sill, she called out.

"Enter!"

At her command the door opened and her cabin boy entered carrying a tray with a bottle and glass on a tray, the youth holding it deftly with one hand while the other closed the door behind him.

"You know me too well, Paolo," Lilliana chuckled, stubbing the half smoked cheroot out in a glass bowl, the embers sending up a narrow spiral of smoke as the Captain swept past and glided up to the young man who was busy pouring a measure of golden liquid into the cut glass goblet. Snatching up the glass, she downed it in one gulp, smacking her lips as the youth raised a disapproving eyebrow at such cavalier treatment of a fine wine.

"Don't scold, I promise to drink the next one more sedately," she replied to his silent rebuke, waiting as he refilled the glass. Over the edge of the glass her ice blue eyes swept over the handsome boy waiting for her orders, her appraisal sweeping over his angular face with its green eyes and straight brows set above a narrow nose and full lips above a firm chin with the first traces of adolescent facial hair roughening the smooth cheeks. All this was framed by blond hair that rioted over the boys head in a mass of honey coloured curls. With his impossibly long, dark lashes the boy could easily have passed for a pretty girl, but his body refuted this, his shoulders broad and used to a hard days toil with well muscled arms and a lean torso, all painted a rich brown by exposure to the sun and sea.

After drinking her fill of both the wine and the boy, Lilliana set her glass on the tray before taking it from the young mans hands, his eyes following her every movement, a light burning in their depths.

"Go lock the door....I don't wish to be disturbed."

Careful not to allow the faintest trace of a smirk to lift his lips, Paolo padded to the door and threw the bolt. When he turned he found himself pressed up against the door by his Captain, her mouth finding and devouring his as her hard fingers started to strip the clothes from his body with impatient tugs.

Passion flared between them, their coming together a tangle of mouths and limbs, clothes flying in all direction.

Half an hour later they lay in the Captains bed, exhausted and sated, Lilliana stretching luxuriously while Paolo lay on his side, his head propped on his elbow, just watching her writhe like a cat. During all that time Paolo had not uttered a word, his actions speaking for him as he made love to his Captain. He lifted a lock of her midnight coloured hair, raising it to his nose and inhaling her scent before dropping it and bending over her to kiss her.

"It's a shame you will never be able to speak, my beautiful boy, but that hasn't proved a barrier for you, so far, has it?"

Paolo shook his head, smiling at her as she fixed her blue eyes on him, her finger coming up to trace his lips.

"If we do find the Jolly Roger, we'll have to find somewhere for you to hide...I don't think James would quite understand about you, and I certainly don't want him venting his spite on this beautiful body."

A shout from above drew her attention away, her legs swinging over the side of the bed, switching from languid lover to ships Captain in the blink of an eye. Snatching up her clothes, she dressed in her breeches and shirt, pulling on the long leather jacket that laced at the front before shoving her feet into her knee-high bucket boots. Before leaving her cabin, Captain Moon pulled her long black hair behind her head and secured it with a scarlet ribbon, the only concession to her femininity in her otherwise male apparel. Without a backward glance, she swept from the room, snagging her sword belt before closing the door behind her.

Paolo rose from the bed, remaking it before donning his own clothes, his expression neutral as he proceeded to tidy up the Captains Cabin.

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Chapter: Three - First Contact

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TinkerBell flitted above the trees, her glow dipping and diving among the branches as she approached the edge of the forest. She was glad that Peter was back, she was not glad that he wasn't alone. Since the Darling children had returned to their world, taking along the last of the Lost Boys, Neverland had been a quiet, and relatively uneventful place. The pirates had settled into a peaceful routine, occasionally carousing with their former protagonist, the Indians, who also traded goods with the small group of ex-buccaneers. For the most part, the pirates stayed on the shore, near the remains of the Jolly Roger, the hulk firmly settled on the sandy bottom of one of the many lagoons along the coastline. It was within an easy walk of the Indian village and the two disparate groups managed to exist peaceably side-by-side in the years since Hooks watery demise. The fairies had kept largely to themselves, their woods once more their own, with only the occasional party of humans tramping through the overgrown trails to disturb the peace. Of Peter, TinkerBell was the only one to see him inbetween his frequent trips back and forth from London, her fits of bad temper at his flitting about falling on deaf ears as Peter continued, to Tinkerbells way of thinking, to moon after the dratted Wendy girl. Tink had also noticed that Peter wasn't entirely the same, either in face or form but she wasn't unduly concerned, having lived around boys most of her fairy life and seen them at nearly all stages from babies to young men, Peter's growth spurt was nothing unusual to her way of thinking. What she wasn't happy about was that Peter had brought the Wendy creature back to Neverland. Tink only hoped it was a temporary and short lived visit - very short lived, if Tink had anything to say about it.

Darting out from the shelter of the trees, TinkerBell pulled up short, her wing-beats holding her suspended in the air as she stared at the ship anchored in the bay. It seemed to exude menace, its black painted sides relieved only by a blood red water line, its sails also black, a large white crescent moon painted on the mainsail, the curved image skewered with a stiletto blade. Tink could see crew moving about the decks and up in the rigging, the shouts of the bosun extolling them to greater efforts as they reefed the sails and clambered about the spars on the ratlines. Down against the hull, Tink spotted a couple of dark heads as Mermaids investigated the newcomer to Neverland's shores. A man pouring a slop bucket over the side shouted and pointed at the figures in the water, but before anyone could join him by the rail, the Mermaids had dived out of sight, only waves left to mark their presence. Tink giggled to herself as the crewman tried to explain what he'd seen. From the reactions of the other men, it was clear they didn't believe him, but another figure approached the man at the rail and seemed to be questioning him closely. Tink couldn't see the persons face, but they were tall and thin and the men appeared deferential as the person issued orders. Shrugging, Tink turned to leave the scene, eager to find Peter and tell him about the new arrivals. With a last glimpse over her shoulder, Tink flew back among the trees and disappeared from sight.

On the rail of the Moonshadow, Captain Moon lowered the long telescope she'd held to her eye, hardly daring to believe what she'd just seen. First the crewman had reported seeing what he thought were two mermaids in the water, then a bright ball of light had been spotted at the edge of the forest, apparently floating freely then flying away to be swallowed up by the trees.

"What have you brought us to, James?" Lilliana mused to herself, lowering the telescope and staring at the lush jungle that bordered the crystal lagoon that was to be their berth for the night.

"She's all squared away Cap'n." Mister Surry reported.

"Good.....get the boats lowered, I want to go ashore."

"Aye, Aye sir," Surry turned his back and bellowed at the crew on the deck. "Look alive lads, Cap'n is going ashore, get the boats over the side!"

Ignoring the bustle of men around her, Lilliana stared thoughtfully over the bay, the blue sky with its cargo of cottonwool clouds reflected in the glassy waters below her. She could see shoals of fish darting under the ship, promising good eating and plenty of catches for the Moonshadow's hungry fishing nets. Raucous bird calls from the jungle also indicated a thriving wildlife, enough to supplement the diet of the crew, long starved of fresh meat. Along the bay a waterfall could be seen tumbling down a cliff face, a small rainbow rising from the mist at the base. It was almost idyllic.

Well aware that paradise often hid perils behind its lush greenery and tropical plenty, Captain Moon armed herself to the teeth, her crew as well, so that the jolly boats resembled more of a boarding party than an exploratory jaunt. Lilliana stood in the prow of the lead boat, her booted foot on the rail as her men labored to row the boats as quickly as possible to shore, minimising the possibility of attack by ambush, if an enemy existed. Once they broached the low surf, the Captain leapt out of the boat and waded the few strides needed to get her onto the sand, her men behind her. Once on dry land they spread out in a well rehearsed formation, the Captain at the centre, her men searching the jungle for any sign of an enemy.

Only the drone of insects and the puff of a warm wind greeted them, their keen eyes finding no hidden menace along the tranquil shoreline.

"All clear, Cap'n!"

"Deploy the men, Mister Trent.....and signal the ship."

Content that for the moment they were the only people on the beach, Lilliana relaxed - fractionally. Pulling off her plumed hat, she turned her face up to the warm sun, relishing its heat after the stormy seas and icy chill of only a few days before. A touch on her arm drew her attention. Paolo was standing just behind her, as heavily armed as any of the other men, his teeth bared in a grin as he pointed to something in the jungle. Turning her head, she saw what had caught his interest. A heavily laden banana palm was leaning at an angle from the edge of the forest, its yellow burden almost touching the ground as it groaned under the weight of the ripe fruit.

Receiving a nod from his Captain, Paolo bounded over to the palm and pulled his machete from his belt, slashing the stalk and freeing the massive bundle of banana's. Heaving it onto his shoulders, he carried it back to Lilliana and reverently laid it at her feet. Breaking one off, he lifted it up and presented it to her like it was a gold trophy and she the Conqueror. Only the laughing glint in his eye belied the impression, Captain Moon taking the fruit and grinning back at him before peeling the skin and breaking the fruit in two, handing Paolo one half as he rose to his feet.

"Hmmmmmmmm fresh fruit......a treat Paolo."

Having given the Captain the first of the fruit, Paolo lifted the bunch and carried it to where the other crewmen waited, the men eagerly taking the prize and sharing it between them.

Lilliana brushed her hands together to free them of their sweet stickiness, Paolo coming up to stand beside her as she continued her perusal of the beach and the jungle beyond.

"What do you think.....should we camp here, on the beach...or broach the forest and find somewhere in there?" She pointed towards the dense foliage. Paolo shrugged, lifting his hands, his lips curved in a crooked half smile. Lilliana grimaced wryly, regarding the handsome youth with regret.

"As a cabin boy, you are without peer, but as a counsellor.....you leave a lot to be desired!"

Unfazed, Paolo pointed out the driftwood piled up beyond the high tide line, pantomiming the building of a fire. Then he pointed to the jungle and made motions like insects coming down and biting him on the arm. Lilliana laughed.

"You're probably right, the beach it is then. We can explore the rest tomorrow."

Turning her back on the trees, Captain Moon gave her orders to the crew. With Paolo at her back, she walked down the beach towards the waterfall, leaving her crew to set up the camp on the beach.

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Tink fizzed her way through the forest, finding the clearing with the Stitch bird trees, a quick search of the nearest needed before finding the one with Peter inside. To her disgust he was asleep, curled up with the horrid Wendy girl, the two of them wrapped up together in a tangle of arms and legs, one hardly divisible from the other. Swearing volubly, Tink flew down and buzzed around Peter's head, her tinkling shouts barely discernible above the insects droning in the afternoon sun. Finally she resorted to tugging at the sun bleached curls, Peter reaching up to bat her away after a particularly hard tug.

She chittered at him again, glad when his eyes peeled open and he blinked up at her, grinning sleepily.

"Whatchawant?" He slurred, his eyes closing again, his body snuggling further into the bed and the arms of the girls beside him. Tink stamped her foot in exasperation.

As if just realising where he was and who he was with, Peter opened his eyes again, this time blinking hard to clear them, his body tensing in alarm as he came to the realisation that he was holding Wendy firmly entwined within his arms and legs, hers threaded through his just like vines grown together. Afraid that if Wendy awoke to find him so close, she's want to go home, Peter tried to extricate himself, but found the more he tried to wrest himself out of the tight embrace, the more Wendy snuggled into him, her arms holding him to her. Confounded, Peter gave up, revelling in the feel of her pliant, softly curved body against his.

Tink gave a snort of disgust, darting down this time to grab a handful of Wendy's hair and pulling with spiteful force.

"Tink NO!"

Peter's cry came too late, the fairy darting out of his reach as Wendy awoke with a jerk, her body tensing as she found herself in an intimate embrace with Peter Pan.

Lifting her head, she came nose to nose with an anxious looking Peter, his eyes dark with apprehension. Tink was hovering directly above her head, looking down with glee as Wendy frowned up at the fairy.

"I see Tink is a welcoming as ever."

"Er.......yeah.......um......Wendy?"

"Hmmmmmmm."

"I just woke up too.......I didn't......we didn't...." Peter tailed off, blushing bright crimson when Wendy turned her eyes back to his.

Blinking, Wendy smiled shyly, before gently untangling herself from Peter and clambering out of the bed, taking her time smoothing down her rumpled nightdress before turning to glance at Peter over her shoulder.

"I know we didn't....but it was a nice way to wake up."

Dumbfounded, Peter could only gape at her while he scrambled to get out of the disordered bunk, his blush fading only slightly.

Tink decided that she had had enough of being ignored. Flying down, she nipped Peter on the ear to get his attention, then started to tell him about the strange ship in the bay. Rubbing his ear, Peter listened, occasionally firing questions at the fairy and listening intently to her replies before turning to fill Wendy in on the details.

"Do you want to go and see this ship?" Wendy asked, not at all eager to re-acquaint herself with a ship load of sailors, pirates or otherwise.

"We don't have to meet them.....just spy on the ship," said Peter, a glint in his eye as excitement at the prospect of new blood to torment fired his nerves, his body already tense with expectation. Feeling his tension, Wendy swallowed her misgivings and followed him out of the Stitch bird house, Tink buzzing around their heads. Before they left, Peter took Wendy to the stream that ran not far from the tree, where they ate a belated breakfast of fresh fruit and cool water. Once refreshed, Peter took hold of Wendy's hand and lifted them into the air, Tink flying just ahead, leading the way.

As the trees started to thin, Peter took them up into the canopy, finding a densely foliaged tree with a wide branch where they could set down without being seen from below or beyond. They overlooked a white sandy beach, the tide now well down, exposing the scattering of rocks and coral and leaving behind pools that sparkled like opals in the sun. Further along the beach they saw a group of sailors pitching tents above the high-water mark, other gathering together timber to fuel a fire started downwind of the encampment. Out on the bay the black ship wallowed in the slight swell, her sails now tight against the spars, her anchor chain taught against the outgoing current.

Peter, Wendy and Tink all sat in the fork of the tree, high above the beach. Peter took out his telescope and pointed it towards the ship, raking it from stem to stern before passing it to Wendy who gave it a similar inspection. Tink amused herself with a spiders web, twanging the silken threads to entice the spider out before it realised there was no prey and went back into its hide-e-hole when Tink repeated the game all over again.

"She's not as big as the Jolly Roger, or as heavily armoured." Wendy observed, counting the gun ports.

"Then it won't take so long to dispatch the crew this time, or its Captain," hissed Peter, a grin lighting up his face as he contemplated the fun he'd have with the new arrivals.

Wendy passed the telescope back to him with a grimace at his apparent delight in the prospect of renewed hostilities with an enemy.

Peter leaned forward to train the telescope on the people working on the beach, his gaze roaming over the men, seeing them working diligently to raise the tents and organise the camp for the night. After a few moments that got boring so he swivelled and caught sight of two figures walking back along the beach. As he focused the lens he gave an involuntary gasp, jerking the scope from his eyes, his body tense.

"What is it Peter? What's wrong?"

Tink had given up tormenting the spider and hovered around Peter's head, chittering to him as he remained silent, not answering Wendy's questions.

Raising the glass once more, he focused on the pair on the beach, his brows pulling together in a frown as he watched them saunter back towards the camp. The taller of the pair looked disturbingly like his former enemy, James Hook, but it was only a superficial likeness with the person having long wavy black hair and a broadbrim, plumed hat. Despite the masculine clothes and many armaments secured around her body, Peter easily deduced that it was a woman, her shape and walk unmistakably feminine. She appeared confident and assured as she strode along the sand, but it was when she threw back her head to laugh at something her companion did that afforded Peter the first look at her face. Again he was forced to suck in his breath suddenly before regaining his concentration to take another look at the woman. From a distance it was hard to see many details, but he was sure that she was no youngster, her face carrying too many lines for a youth, but despite that, or maybe because of them she was still beautiful, her face animated and alive, her brows and eyelashes as dark as her hair, her wide mouth a bright slash of scarlet as she laughed again at something. As the pair approached the camp, a man came towards her and Peter saw her stance change from one of relaxed enjoyment to rigid command, her hand coming to rest on the cutlass at her side. The man that approached her was asking her something and she carelessly waved her hand to indicate acceptance before passing him by, her companion-bodyguard by her side.

So this was the Captain on the ship. A woman.

A chair had been set up in the shade of a palm and the woman sat down in it, as if royalty sitting on a throne, while her crew worked around her. Her servant obtained a drink for her and a bowl of food, not eating himself while she ate her fill, oblivious of the men around her.

Wendy had remained quiet during his long observation of the people on the beach, her instincts screaming that something wasn't right but not sure enough to question Peter too closely. When he finally dropped the telescope from his eye, Wendy took it from him and scanned the beach herself.

"It that the Captain, sitting in the chair?" She asked at last, but received only a grunt in reply. "He look's.....strange," she finally offered, only to have Peter snort and snatch the telescope back.

"He's a she!"

"What?"

"Under that hat is a woman. She must be something fierce to have all those men under her rule."

Surprised at Peter's sneering tone, Wendy bridled. "And what if the Captain is a woman? I suppose women can't be pirates and captains the same as men?"

"Don't be silly....."Peter started to retort before remembering that Wendy herself had once nurtured an inclination to become a pirate when she was only a girl, Hook offering her the position of storyteller on his ship, her name to be Red-handed Jill. Now, seeing Wendy's set face, he felt anger well up inside.

"Woman or not, she's Captain to that rabble....which makes her the enemy."

"Oh you're impossible.....you don't know what they're here for, it could be just to resupply the ship and sail away again. They could be quite peaceful."

"You didn't look to closely then....look again. Everyone of those supposedly peaceful men are clothed in a small armories worth of guns, knives and swords. Not exactly a peaceful way to approach an apparently deserted island."

"Well of course they're going to be cautious, who wouldn't be....there could be cannibals....or savages....lurking in the jungle."

"Or Indians, or pirates or Lost Boys....." Peter continued, still scowling down at the beach.

Exasperated, Wendy huffed to herself. "Then what are you going to do?"

"Watch them....see what they do. See if they are as peaceable as you think they are." Settling himself once more, Peter raised the telescope and spied on the people below. Wendy sat with her back to the trunk, her arms folded over her chest as she fumed.

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After an hour, Wendy and Tink were heartily bored, the sun starting to set over the horizon, the beach below now lit with a blazing fire, the ship moored in the bay twinkling with lights as the onboard crew prepared for another night on ship.

Wendy was feeling cramped and uncomfortable. As the sky above her blazed with the colours of sunset, she sighed heavily, drawing Peter's attention away from the camp below.

Seeing her drooping mouth, Peter smiled wryly, collapsing the telescope down and turning towards her.

"Not exactly how I planned to spend your first day in Neverland." He offered in way of apology, his eyes begging her forgiveness.

Too bored to be civil, Wendy sniffed and turned her head away, her chin lifting.

Seeing that his cajoling wasn't working, Peter bit his bottom lip before leaning over, invading her personal space as he always did.

"I'll make it up to you Wendy.....how about I take you to see the opening of the Moon Lily?"

Only slightly mollified, Wendy turned to regard the urchin boy, her lips twitching as she responded to his irrepressible grin.

"Moon Lily?"

"We'll have to hurry....it only opens for a short time, just after sunset. Come with me Wendy....the perfume is delicious."

Biting her lip, Wendy relaxed her stiff shoulders, unable to resist Peter when he used all his wheedling charm. Nodding, she barely had time to get to her feet before Peter grabbed her hand and hauled her off the branch, Wendy almost shrieking as they plummeted out of the tree before leveling off and streaking through the forest. Tink had been taking a nap and was almost left behind, her ball of light darting after the other two, her bell-like voice admonishing Peter for his rude departure without waking her.

They flew through the darkening trees as the sky above them performed its evening change of costume, the clouds painted in every shade of pink and orange, the suns last gift before leaving the sky. At length they arrived in a small glade, the ground covered with raised mounds of moss that looked like huge green boulders. Peter threaded his way through the soft mossy rocks, Wendy close behind. As they reached near the edge of the roughly circular glade Wendy saw a large clump of some plant, its long leaves silvery in colour, at its centre a thick stalk with the withered remains of a flower hanging off it. Disappointed, Wendy made no comment, sure that it was dead.

To her surprise, Peter didn't appear at all put off by the plants appearance, pulling her down to a low mound, the moss soft and dry like a firm cushion as she sat down beside him.

"Watch......it won't be long now," Peter told her, his voice laced with excitement.

Wendy stared at the strange stalk, convinced it was quite dead. The light around them was fading when she saw the first hint that the withered leaves were very much alive. Before her incredulous gaze, the petals started to grow, expanding and filling, the wrinkles and pleats flattening out and falling away from the centre. Peter was grinning now, darting looks from Wendy's face and open mouth, to the plant slowly unfolding before them. Minutes passed and more of the plant came alive, the first petals now flat and shiny, spread around the base of the flower, the inner folds just starting to unwind, revealing the stamen. Where before the dead-looking leaves had been grey and lifeless, they were now a bright yellow, the older leaves darker than the new so that the colour graduated towards the center, the stigma uncoiling to reveal itself in all its bright red glory.

"Oh Peter.....it's beautiful," breathed Wendy, her hands clasped in front of her as a waft of heady perfume washed over them. Just as suddenly she heard a buzz and a huge dragonfly hovered over the plant, its wide wings and long body whipping around the head of the plant, the one was soon joined by others that all clustered to sample the sweet nectar beading on the head of the stigma.

Peter rose to his feet, pulling Wendy up beside him. "We have to go now, there'll be more insects coming, it stays open for an hour or so, but by then it'll be black with them."

Wendy cast a last glance back at the glorious flower, now surrounded by a flock of dragonflies, the glade redolent with its scent. Peter led her out of through the mossy hummocks and along a faint path under the trees.

"Where are we going now?" Wendy asked, staring up to see the last of the sunset fade from the sky above.

"I want to go and see the pirates."

"But we just left them?"

"Not those......Hook's pirates, or what's left of them. Smee might know who that woman was."

"Smee's still alive?"

"Yes, he and some of the surviving pirates had a camp on the shore near the Indian village."

Tink, who'd seen the Moon Lily open more times than she cared to remember, darted about their heads, tinkling away to Peter who largely ignored her. The forest was alive with the sound of birds settling for the night, a slight breeze rustling the branches as the first stars peeped through the clouds. When they reached a low hill, Peter took her hand and they flew to the top, setting down in the long grass to look over the land beyond. Sloping down the other side, the hill lead to a small bay, the outline of half-a-dozen misshapen huts visible in the evening twilight. Several lights could be seen bobbing between the huts and also inside them. Wendy could also see a small row-boat moving towards the beach, a light on a pole dangling from the stern.

"Peter?"

"Hmmmmm?"

"Hook's pirates....they don't......um.....they won't try to kill us, will they?"

"Nah....once Hook was gone, they gave up wanting to wreak havoc, they just wanted to fish and drink. They even scuttled the Jolly Roger so they wouldn't have to sail her anymore."

"Did you give it back to them?"

"No.....but what use do I have for a ship...." Peter shrugged, "I left it in a bay and they found it.....sailed it here and let it sink."

Wendy could see the sharp spear of the masts still pointing to the sky, although now canted to the side with the ship settled in the sand, a dark hulk in the middle of the bay.

"Come on......if we're lucky, Mister Smee will have some of his fish stew made," Peter laughed as Wendy pulled a face. "You wait, he makes the best fish stew on this island."

Unconvinced, Wendy let Peter pull her to her feet. Slowly they flew down the hill towards the shore, Peter putting them down some distance away, his caution raising fears in Wendy that the pirates weren't as safe as Peter said. They were approaching one of the shacks, a light beaming out of an uncovered window, smoke rising from the small chimney as they crept around the side.

Stealthily, so as not to alarm Wendy, Peter pulled his knife from his belt, hiding it against his leg, but at the ready. On reaching the front, Peter looked about before reaching up to rap on the plank door.

"Who-o-o is it?" A voice quavered from inside.

"It is I.....Peter Pan, come to pay a pirate a visit!"

A second later the door creaked open and Smee's wizened face with the ever present pinz-nez peered out into the dusk.

"What are you bothering me at this time of night for boy?"

"I brought you a visitor Smee," Peter announced, drawing Wendy forward.

Not at all sure of her reception, Wendy bobbed a nervous curtsy, regarding Hook's first mate warily.

"Well I never.....Red Handed Jill....what a pleasure.....do come in miss...." Smee stood back from the door, waving Wendy inside. With Peter close behind her, Wendy stepped across the threshold and into the tiny front room. A fire burned merrily in the tiny grate under a blackened pot, the smell of fish strong in the confined space.

"I was just cookin' some stew.......would you fancy a bowl?" Smee asked, waving his guests to the few rickety chairs cluttering the space. Peter immediately said yes, and Wendy, out of politeness, asked for only a little. Smee bustled around, filling small wooden bowls from the pot and handing them to his guests before taking one for himself and settling in a cushioned armchair beside the fire.

They ate for a few moments before Smee fixed his rheumy eyes back on Wendy and gave her a quick appraisal.

"You've grown some, Miss Wendy.....you were not more than a child the last time we met,"

"I'm nearly fifteen," Wendy told him, taking another small spoonful of the fish stew, her tastebuds approving its savoury flavour. "This is delicious Mister Smee,"

"I was cook to the Captain for more years than I care to remember, so I acquired a certain amount of culinary skill, you might say."

"How do you find life on shore?" Wendy asked, noting from the corner of her eye that Peter was now holding his bowl up to his face, licking the dregs of gravy out.

"Ah well.....a sailor misses the sea, but an old sailor takes comfort in a warm house and a dry bed, so I makes the best of it and try not to pine for the open ocean."

Putting his bowl down, peter wiped his mouth before leaning forward to put his questions to the old pirate.

"There's a new ship anchored down the coast,"

"A new ship? What's her flag?"

"No flag......it has black sails with a crescent moon on them. The Captain is a woman."

Smee stared at Peter, his food forgotten.

"Oh my gawd!"

"Smee?"

"The Moonshadow.....she's here....ohh!" To their dismay, Smee lurched to his feet, dropping his bowl before hurrying to the door and flinging it open. "JENKS!" He bellowed before turning back to his startled visitors.

"You'd best be going Peter Pan and take your young lady with ya, you don't want to be here when Captain Moon and her crew arrive, as surely they will."

"Captain Moon?"

Smee grimaced and winced, as if even hearing the feared name was enough to conjure the Captain into the room with them.

"If you thought James Hook was enough to give you nightmares, Captain Moon is the nightmare. Don't attempt to approach her or her crew, they will gut you before you can open your mouth....pay heed, don't go near them!" Smee almost shouted the last, pushing Wendy towards the door in his haste to get them gone.

"I'm not afraid of this Captain Moon.....she's only a woman!" Peter scoffed, taking up his familiar stance with his fists on his hips. Smee only shook his head.

"Don't be a fool boy.....you have something to live for.....don't let her looks deceive you.....Captain Moon is truly to be feared...heed my words...for the sake of Miss Wendy......don't go near that ship!"

Perplexed and thoroughly alarmed, Wendy turned to leave, Peter behind her still not convinced. Outside Smee's house they almost bumped into the other pirates who were starting to gather outside. They eyed the two youngsters with wariness, one or two managing to lift a smile and doff a hat as Wendy passed them, but for the most part they were ignored.

Hurrying away, Peter cast a glance over his shoulder, seeing Smee talking to the huddle of men, his glasses reflecting the light from a lantern as he fought to buckle an ancient cutlass around his ample middle.

After a short walk Peter took hold of Wendy's hand and they flew up into the sky, skimming over the treetops. Above them the stars shone down serenely, the moon just starting to peep over the far horizon, bathing the sea in its cold glow.

"Where are we going now Peter?" Wendy asked, her voice quavering as she tried to take in Smee's warning about the newcomers.

"Somewhere safe.....I need to think,"

Flashing her a grin, Peter speeded up, Tink's ball of light hard pressed to follow as they flew over Neverland's sleeping forests.

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Chapter: Four - Spoiling for a Fight

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The view was breathtaking. Perched as they were on the side of mountain, they had a panoramic view over a wide sweep of the island. Wendy also noted that the vantage point gave them a clear view of the bay where the new ship, The Moonshadow, wallowed at berth.

Behind them the moon had risen in all her cold beauty, shining down on Neverland and turning the world black and white. At first Wendy had been intrigued to see Peter's world from such a high look-out, Peter pointing out familiar landmarks, all cloaked in shadows and looking nothing like they did in the daylight. TinkerBell had flown away after a little while, her temper not improved when Peter pulled Wendy down to sit on a rock ledge next to him, their sides touching. They watched as the bright ball of light sped off into the night, disappearing at length back into the forest.

"I'm sorry I've upset TinkerBell,"

Peter turned to look at her, shrugging. "Don't worry about it...Tink is just.....Tink. Remember when you asked me what I thought of as jealousy? That's Tink....I sometimes feel that she thinks I'm her property or something," Peter chuffed to himself, "I can't imagine not having her around."

"Won't she always be around?" Wendy asked, puzzled by his wording.

"Of course....I just...I wonder sometimes what it would be like.....to leave Neverland." Peter felt his face heat up, glad that the moonlight bleached out all colour.

The seconds ticked by, Wendy quite stunned that Peter would even consider such a thing. There had been times when she had wished that Peter would make the decision to stay with her in London, leave Neverland and grow up with her. But she was not so selfish as to wish him to give up his special world, having seen it again. She understood that Peter and his world were one and the same, the magical island as much a part of him as the air they breathed.

"Don't ever leave Neverland Peter....." Wendy finally whispered, her throat tight with emotion. "You belong here....where its clean, where the sky isn't filled with soot and fog. Where growing up is something that only happens to trees, not children."

She drew in a shaky breath, "I wish sometimes.....I could stay with you."

Finding it all too much, Wendy jumped to her feet and walked a pace away, her head bent.

Peter also rose, his hands suddenly clammy. Why don't you Wendy....why don't you stay......live with me here....don't go back to London....stay here......forever."

"What of my family Peter? My mother and father, my brothers, the lost boys?" Wendy shook her head, "I can no more leave them, than you can leave all this," she swept her arm in an arc.

"So you'd rather go back, grow up...grow old,"

"Everyone does Peter......it's the way of things."

"Not here Wendy.........here we can be as we are...no grownups, no rules...."

"But even here Peter.....things change. Hook may be gone, but now you have Captain Moon. I saw it in your eyes. If I wasn't here you'd be down there now, taunting them, fighting them.......it's what you live for."

"But you are here......and I want you to stay," Peter had stepped closer, the heat of his body reaching out and enveloping her.

Feeling torn, Wendy covered her face with her hands, blotting out the moonlight and Peter. "I can't....I have to grow up....I don't want to...but it's out of my hands."

Taking the last step to bring him right in front of her, Peter slowly reached up and took her hands away from her face. Instantly, Wendy turned her face away.

"Look at me Wendy......please. I know you've grown, I've noticed....but I don't think you have. I've grown too....I think....I think during all my visit to you, I've been growing a little each time....look at me."

Wendy lifted her eyes to his.

"I've noticed Peter......I just didn't want to believe it....I thought if I didn't mention it.....you wouldn't notice. I thought it might be my fault.......that I somehow made you grow up, when you didn't want to."

"I didn't.......then......but now........we could..." Peter swallowed, "we could grow up here......together."

For a second Wendy stared at him, blinking to stop her tears from blinding her.

"You would....grow up....with me?"

"Why not.....as it's happening anyway.....why not have it happen here.....in Neverland. You said yourself......London is dirty, cold.....here we'd have everything we'd need."

"And we'd grow up.....together....you'd become.....a-a man?"

"I've always hated the thought of being a man.....but that was before you, Wendy. I don't want to be......deficient or just a boy."

"Oh Peter.....you're not deficient, never deficient....I was just so angry..." Peter stopped her with his hand against her lips.

"I was deficient Wendy.......but now.....now I think that being a man wouldn't be so bad.......if you were to stay with me?"

Overcome by his confession, Wendy felt something tear inside her, a sob escaping her lips before she clamped them together. Troubled and unsure, she swung on her heel and turned her back on him, her hands covering her face again as she sought to compose herself.

Stung by her apparent rejection, Peter let his hands drop to his sides, a stone lodging in his chest as he took her silence for a no.

Backing away, Peter stared at the ground, his eyes burning.

"I made a mistake......I thought......but I see, I was wrong." Before Wendy could react, Peter twisted and leapt into the air, his body streaking away from the mountain, instantly invisible against the stars.

Shocked, Wendy stared up into the sky, her face as white as the moon.

"What have I done.....Peter......oh no......PETER!"

Hopelessly overwhelmed with the feelings churning inside her, Wendy sank to the ground and gave in to the sobs shaking her body.

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Lilliana looked up at the sky and saw something steak across the moon. She blinked, not quite believing what she'd seen.

"Did you see that Paolo?"

The youth stretched out on the sand beside her grunted, his head tilting to look in the direction she pointed.

"No I don't suppose you did.......maybe I'm seeing things."

From the arched eyebrow, Lilliana easily read his question.

"I don't know.....it looked like...." she chuckled to herself, "it looked like someone flying across the moon."

Paolo's teeth gleamed whitely in the moonlight, his blond hair silver as Captain Moon leant across the small gap and ruffled it, as if he was a puppy.

As she pulled away, Paolo gripped her hand at the wrist, bringing it slowly back so that the palm rested again his lips. Feeling a shiver of desire spark down her spine, she submitted to his intimate caress, before pulling her hand free, her lips curving into a smile at his boldness.

"Not tonight, I want to keep my wits about me...and you are too distracting for your own good."

Pouting, Paolo flopped back onto the still warm sand, his arm coming up to cover his eyes. Relaxing back on her pallet, Lilliana stared once more up into the night sky, her expression thoughtful.

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Peter flew to the other side of Neverland, as far from the girl he'd left on the mountain, as far from the source of anguish as he could get. Setting down on the pinnacle of a rocky outcrop, its base washed by waves, Peter stood looking out to the horizon. His body seemed to vibrate with tension, his heart beating wildly as he narrowed his eyes, trying to see beyond the limits of his world as if to wrest the secrets out into the open.

He felt hurt and confused, he'd been so sure that Wendy would welcome his invitation to stay with him, her signals, seemingly clear. Now it seemed he'd read her all wrong, she didn't want to stay, in fact couldn't wait to leave him again. Anger welled up in him, the sea below starting to rise as he felt an unbearable pressure build up, begging for release. Unable to keep the frustration inside, he put his head back and yelled at the sky, his arms outstretched as he screamed at the heavens, the waves below the rocks rising higher and higher, the spray reaching up to him. In an explosion of movement, he rose into the sky, swirling light surrounding him, greenish in the moonlight, his body infused with energy that demanded an outlet.

Jackknifing, he flew back across the island, his hand pulling his sword from his belt, the moon glinting off the wicked blade. Flexing it in his hand he dived towards the bay where the Moonshadow floated, his face pulled into a grimace of anticipation.

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Wendy lifted her head, having heard something far away.

"Peter?" She stared out over the island, seeing a swirling ribbon of light in the sky above the far end of Neverland. Not knowing what to make of it, she started to look for a way down the mountain.

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As he swooped over the sleeping ship, Peter silently surveyed the decks and rigging, his eyes counting the number on watch as he circled the Moonshadow, his eyes sparking with excitement. In a graceful move, he came to rest on the very top of the mainmast, his gaze flicking briefly to the mountain range, a jolt reminding him that he'd left Wendy stranded there. Ignoring his conscience, Peter stepped off the mast and dropped down to the deck below. He landed silently on his feet, a gently as a thistledown. Looking around he noted the man on the quarterdeck, dozing over his musket. Another man leaned against the foremast, his chin on his chest. Peter grinned to himself, sure that the men wouldn't have been so lax if their Captain had been aboard. Darting into the air again, Peter flew to the first spar, swinging his sword and slicing through the ropes and ratlines, the sail instantly sagging, falling open as he continued to cut the halyards. The men on deck were now awake and shouting, unable to make out Peter against the dark sails and night sky. With the sail now hanging against the mast, Peter slashed his sword at the insignia, shredding the crescent moon and knife design to rags. One of the men must of spotted him because the report of the musket reached him seconds before a lead ball zinged past his head. Spinning in the air, Peter laughed, anticipation of a battle firing his blood. Swooping down, he came at the man trying to reload his gun, Peter kicking him and sending him sprawling before flying up to disappear into the rigging again. By now the ships company were alerted, crewmen spilling onto the deck with lanterns and torches, swinging around and trying to see their enemy. The man on the quarterdeck was screaming at them and pointing up into the rigging. Peter slashed at another rope and the spar started to slither downwards, the men below scattering as it landed on the deck in a tangle of ropes.

Peter laughed again, swooping around the mast, making sure the men below had a clear view of him, before he landed on an upper spar and swept his sword in a wide arc, the moonlight catching the blade with bright flashes.

The men below gaped for a few seconds before a yell brought their weapons to bear on the youth poised above them. Peter had barely seconds to move as the muskets fired together, the flash bright and the report loud as lead balls splintered the spar and mast where he'd been standing only moments before.

The blood singing in his veins, Peter swooped down low over the men, his sword whistling over their heads making them duck.

Laughing, Peter flew away, the volley of musket fire loud behind him, the balls burying themselves in the foremast and rigging, just missing Peter as he ducked behind the figurehead and sped off, skimming the waves.

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Wendy was negotiating the narrow path down the hillside when she heard the shots, her eyes flying to the ship, seeing the bright flashes of gun fire and knowing, with a cold dread, that Peter was down there, causing the chaos.

Going as fast as she dared in the uncertain light, Wendy hurried down the steep slope, her breath hitching in her chest as she prayed that Peter would survive his first encounter with the Moonshadow.

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Captain Moon was on her feet and running to the boats, seconds after the first shot was fired. Her men weren't far behind her, their senses all on alert as their Captain shouted for them to get the boats launched and back to the ship. They were rowing strongly when the shooting stopped and there was only the sound of confused shouting coming from the Moonshadow. Within minutes they were scabbling over the gunwales into a scene of devastation.

"What the hell's going on here.......where's the captain of the watch?"

A man ran up, his gun still in his hand.

"We were attacked......the rigging was cut and the spar dropped to the deck...."

"Hell and damnation.....where is they.....that did this to my ship?"

The man, finding himself hardpressed, looked to the other night watch to help him.

"We didn't see....that is.......we only saw one...." His attention on his crewmates, the man didn't see the fist that felled him to the deck.

"Someone tell me what the hell just happened here?" Stepping over the body, Captain Moon stalked towards the men standing nonplussed amongst the ropes.

"You!" Lilliana pointed to another man. "What did you see?"

Eyeing her furious face, the man gulped before answering.

"A boy....Cap'n......a damn flying boy!" The man cringed, sure that he'd get a blow as well. It never came.

"So its true.....I didn't think it was!" Captain Moon stood for a minute, her hand resting on her hip, her other hand against her chin. "A flying boy.....you were telling the truth James...and I didn't believe you."

Recalling herself, Lilliana shouted for the men to clear up the mess before signalling for her senior officers to follow her to the cabin. She also indicated for Paolo to follow, the other men jumping to her command as she left the deck.

Once in the cabin, Lilliana cast her pistols onto the table and rounded on her lieutenants.

"It would seem, gentlemen, that we have an enemy on this island. If what I have been told about him is true, and I have no reason to doubt the source of my information, this enemy is resourceful and creative."

"Who is he?"

Lilliana felt a grimace curve her mouth as she remembered the stories James had told her about the youth that tormented him.

"His name is Peter Pan.....and before you ask....yes, he can fly!"

The two men across the table immediately scoffed at her statement, thinking it a joke. After a second they saw her expression and their own became serious.

"A boy?....what nonsense is this.....and how can he fly?"

"I don't know......but I do know the man that sailed these waters before us had a long history with this infernal child....he caused no end of trouble and upset for James Hook and his crew."

"But a boy?"

"Yes Mister Trent, a boy.....but a very special boy.....and one I don't intend to allow to upset my ship or my crew." Lilliana said, a gleam in her chill blue eyes as she smiled wryly. "Where Hook failed to vanquish this sprite, I plan to destroy him....but first, I intend to find out all I can.....so my orders are not to kill this brat if he is captured.....I want to interrogate him first.....he will know what has happened to the Jolly Roger and its Captain. Do I make myself quite clear?"

"Yes Cap'n!" Both men answered smartly, keeping their expressions neutral and their thoughts to themselves.

Waving the men out, Lilliana sat down in her chair, her fingers steepled as she contemplated how she was going to capture a flying boy. Paolo had slipped out with the men but quickly returned, a familiar bottle in his possession. He filled a glass for her and placed it by her elbow.

Downing the heady wine, Lilliana rose to her feet.

"We won't be getting much sleep this night boy, so make yourself useful and return to the beach with one of the men. We'll need that rope we left there and any other supplies we'll need to get this ship back into shape."

Nodding, Paolo left the room after sketching a small bow to his Captain.

Above her head the sounds of hammering broke into her thoughts, reminding her of the damage done to her ship. Growling, she quickly changed into some suitable work clothes and stormed out of the cabin to oversee the repairs.

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Peter was on the beach that, until a while ago, had been covered in sleeping men. Now there were only discarded boxes and the still burning fire to mark their hasty departure. His blood still up, Peter stalked about the campsite, kicking over supplies, picking up bits and pieces only to discard them or throw them on the fire, his grin wide as he smirked at the sound of hammering coming from the ship across the bay. He approached the chair and pallet where the Lady Captain had obviously been sleeping when her ship had been attacked. Using his sword, he hooked up the plumed hat and tossed it into the air. As it fell he speared it, lifting his blade so he could pull it off and place it on his own head before strutting about the sand.

A splash alerted him that a boat was approaching the shore, two men inside rowing strongly, their backs to the beach. Baring his teeth, Peter flew up the beach to the treeline and stood in the shadows as the boat crunched onto the sand, one of the men jumping out and pulling the boat further up the beach. The second man jumped out as well but Peter could see that he was considerably younger, his blond hair catching the firelight, his lean body tall and broad shouldered, but slender with youth. As Peter watched the two men started to load supplies back into the boat, unaware of the watcher among the shadows.

As the two men continued to load, Peter rose into the air and hovered over the beach. In one hand he held a stone as big as a small coconut. Taking careful aim he hurled the rock at the older sailor, the man dropping to the sand with a groan. Spinning on his heel, Paolo stared at the man on the ground, his mind a blank as he froze. He heard a sound behind him and turned.

Peter stood rimmed by the firelight, his hands on his hips, legs braced apart, his mouth stretched into a broad grin.

"I didn't give you permission to use my beach!"

Glaring at the boy, Paolo took a step back, his eyes darting around, searching for more enemies. Peter stared back, noting that the youth was about his own height, his hair several shades lighter and curlier than Peter's but with the same dark brows and lashes.

"There's no-one else here......just you, pirate.....and me!"

Paolo stopped his search of the shadowy beach and fixed his eyes on the boy in front of him. He also noted the similarities between them, his eyes narrowing as he noted the sword and dagger on Peter's belt. Paolo had left most of his weaponry on the ship, only bringing his machete and dagger with him for the sortie back to the shore.

In a fluid motion he drew the wickedly sharp machete and swung it at Peter's head. In a quick move Peter unsheathed his sword and blocked the swing, the blades clashing noisily. Pulling back the two circled each other, finding their footing in the loose sand, eyes fixed on each other.

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Immersed in the need to get the ship back into a good working order, Lilliana didn't pay much heed to the shore, satisfied that her orders would be carried out without delay. It was one of the men working on the ravaged ropes up on the mast that alerted her that all was not well on the beach.

"Captain.....look yonder.....the beach!"

Turning sharply, Lilliana strode to the railing and stared across the water.

"Bring me my glass!"

Squinting she could make out the fire and the boat drawn up on the sand, but little else. A crewman ran onto the deck and handed her the long telescope. A sharp fear curled into her belly as she lifted the glass and placed it to her eye. The scene on the beach suddenly swung into sharp focus. A body lay close to the boat and she jerked back from the glass, thinking it was Paolo. Looking again she saw it was the other crewman and she released a breath she'd not realised she'd been holding. Panning along towards the fire she caught the edge of something moving. Fixing her gaze, she saw two figures, the same height as each other, moving back and forth, light catching the glint of a blade as they parried and thrust.

"Get a boat in the water.....quickly, they're under attack!"

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They were evenly matched, both honed in their skill, both determined to win the match. Peter had tried several times to taunt his opponent into speech but the boy refused to be drawn, his only sounds being the grunt and huff of the fight as they tested for each others weakness, finding none but trying anyway. Sweat was starting to trickle down Peter's back, his muscles flowing effortlessly as he parried and slashed, his opponent as strong as himself as they circled and counter feinted, both sporting nicks from close calls with the blades.

Out of the corner of his eye, Peter noted the two boats pulling strongly for the beach, giving him only a few seconds to either defeat his opponent or escape. In a brash move, he staggered, appearing to weaken. Paolo, not thinking clearly, dashed forward to give the killing blow, only to find his blade spun out of his hand and a blow landed from the hilt of Peter's sword against his jaw, dropping him senseless to the sand.

The whistle of a musket ball close to his head made Peter duck, crouching down to make himself a smaller target. The boats were close but he was loathe to leave. In a split second he made the decision. Sheathing his sword, he heaved Paolo over his shoulder as the boats crunched onto the sand, their cargo of enraged sailors spilling onto the beach. Despite the added weight Peter leapt into the sky with his burden, the beach left far behind as he angled above the trees and disappeared into the night. The men on the beach stared after him, dumbfounded and a little fearful.

"So who's going to tell Captain Moon what just happened?" Asked a voice in the darkness.

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Chapter: Five - Opposites attract

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The Moonshadow set sail the next morning, her rigging replaced or repaired, her crew subdued in the face of their Captains wrath. Lilliana had railed at the men who failed to bring back Paolo. Her rage enough to make the strongest heart fail as she lashed out in her fury, four men now in the infirmary with broken bones and missing teeth. As the black ship rounded the headland they spied the collection of shacks huddles against the shoreline, spirals of smoke testifying that the hovels were inhabited. The Moonshadow stayed outside the harbour, the rotting hulk of the old ship an indication of the shallow draught of the bay. Once more Captain Moon and her men set out in the boats, armed to the teeth, this time expecting trouble and prepared to meet it with force.

On reaching the beach the men poured out of the boats and quickly dispersed among the huts, kicking in flimsy doors and taking little care with the belongings inside. All returned to where Lilliana stood on the rickety dock with the same report, the village was deserted.

From the smoke still rising from the fires, it was supposed that the inhabitants had fled at the first sight of the Moonshadow, which suggested to the Captain that they had been forewarned of her presence. Striding to the first house, she flung open the door and inspected the contents. What she saw confirmed her suspicions.

"Look's like some of Hook's crew are hiding out here.....that wreck out there must be the Jolly Roger, what's left of her goddammit!"

"What about her Captain?" Asked Trent, picking up a brass tankard that had rolled out of the door. On the side of the drinking vessel were initials. Trent held it out to Lilliana who stared then tossed the tankard away.

"James must be dead.....he would never have allowed this rabble to use his personal effects......something drastic must have happened."

"A mutiny?" Suggested Trent, his gaze, like all the men, sweeping the bay and the village, ever vigilant for the return of either the former pirates or the flying boy.

"More likely that brat we saw last night.....he has alot to answer for Mister Trent....I want him alive for when he does!"

A shout alerted them and they saw two of her crew dragging an old man between them, his body held up by the men's grip under his armpits, his feet scraping through the dust. Captain Moon stepped to the centre of the narrow street, her booted feet apart, her head high as the crew deposited the man at her feet.

"We checked him for weapons, he only had this." The crewman handed over a small paring knife, the ivory handle inscribed with James Hook's initials, just like the tankard. The man in the dust raised his head, looking up at the men surrounding him, his eyes finally coming to rest on the woman in front of him.

"Captain Moon....." he breathed in awe, his eye widening before he ducked his head once more.

"I don't know you......you're not one of the Jolly Roger's crew."

"I was ma'am, a recent addition you might say."

"Where's Captain Hook?"

"Dead ma'am.....deader than dead.....inside a crocodile."

"You've just earned yourself a reprieve.......you can tell me what happened."

Signalling to her men, Lilliana lead the way back to the boats, the man held firmly between two of the crew as they rowed back to the Moonshadow.

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Peter sat on his heels, staring at the young man at his feet.

He'd carried him back to the Stitch Bird trees, placing the youth in one of the rooms, then bound him securely. As his blood lust ebbed he remember Wendy, his heart thumping as he recalled the reason he'd rushed pell-mell to the Moonshadow in the first place. Leaving hurriedly, Peter raced to the mountain, finding Wendy gone from where he'd left her. He flew down the narrow track, seeing her footprints occasionally in the dust. When he got to the bottom he lost her tracks and had to search before finding them again. Dawn was breaking when he found her, curled up against the base of a tree, her face wan in the faint light, her hands and feet scratched and dirty from her long climb down.

"Wendy.....wake up.....we have to go home." Peter shook her gently, his face creased with concern and apprehension.

Wendy's eyelids fluttered and she sighed, her hand coming up to rub at her gritty eyes before registering that Peter was squatting directly in front of her.

"Oh Peter.....I'm sorry......." She launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck before he had time to do more than gasp, both of them falling backwards onto the leafy ground. Still unsure, Peter held her while she hugged him fiercely before lifting her head to stare into his bemused features.

"I was so worried....I saw the flashes of guns on the Moonshadow, I thought you'd be hurt....." She pushed herself upright, her hands touching his arm where a long scratch ran from his shoulder to his elbow. "You are hurt....oh it's all my fault.....if I hadn't turned my back on you.......if I'd only said something sooner...."

"Wendy.......it's only a scratch.......I'm fine....."

"No you're not.......you left before I could answer you......why did you leave me there?"

"I thought......I thought you said no." Peter whispered, in an agony of apprehension.

"You didn't wait for my answer......"

"What is your answer.....?"

Unbelievable, a blush crept up Wendy's face, her eyes lowering as she drew in a deep breath.

"My answer is......yes."

"Yes?" He asked a trifle confused, not sure which question she was answering.

"Yes Peter.....I'll stay with you....here...in Neverland."

Hardly believing his ears, Peter's mouth dropped open in astonishment.

"What about your family....your brothers......everything?"

"I decided that I would have had to move away soon anyway...either to my Aunts or to a finishing school...or worse, that I would be expected to enter society and find a-a-a......"

"Husband?"

Wendy blushed again, her fingers wringing together as she nodded. Peter remained silent for so long Wendy glanced up, seeing his face sporting the biggest grin she'd ever seen. In a flash Peter was on his feet, pulling her to hers and dancing around as the sun cleared the horizon, flooding the woods with bright light. Peter's laugh rang out and Wendy found her heart lifting as she joined him, their hands clasped together as their feet left the ground and Peter drew them both up to whirl madly around in a spiralling dance until they cleared the treetops and hung suspended in the morning sunshine

"You really truly want to stay here with me?"

"Really truly.....forever."

Drawing her towards him, Peter, still smiling impossibly smugly, wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her so that she was now at his eye level, his own sparkling with a combination of fairy dust and pure happiness.

"Wendy?"

"Yes Peter..."

"I want to give you something....." His eyes sparked mischievously, causing Wendy's heart to give a little leap as she remembered their first meeting in the nursery.

"Yes Peter?"

Leaning forward, Peter pressed his lips to hers, his eyes sliding shut as he kissed her. Wendy felt something melt inside her, her own eyes fluttering closed as she parted her lips, welcoming his embrace. For a long minutes they hung suspended in time and space, their lips moving over each other, Peter tilting his head to give him greater access to her softness. As he moved, Wendy felt the tip of his tongue sweep across her bottom lip, making her gasp a little from the sensation, her mouth widening as he pressed his advantage, his mouth sealing hers as the kiss took on a life of its own.

Several flushed minutes later, they broke apart reluctantly, their eyes opening to find each other with a similar feeling of wonder reflected in their eyes.

So caught up in the moment, Peter had forgotten about the boy back at the Stitch Bird tree. As they smiled foolishly at each other, he leaned forward and kissed Wendy again, this one not so intense as they giggled at their less than accomplished attempts. Peter made a game of kissing the corner of her mouth, Wendy wriggling to stop him succeeding but finding herself kissed every where else instead. It was a silly, but very satisfying game.

Tink arrival put an end to the game, but also served to remind Peter that he had something important to show Wendy. As he listened to Tink scold against the impropriety of humans floating about in the morning doing nothing more important that playing silly nonsense, he suddenly remembered his captive. Batting Tink away, he started to pull Wendy back towards the forest.

"Where are we going Peter?"

"I have something to show you......from last night!"

"What?"

"It's a surprise......come on."

Too drunk of his kisses to worry what he could have possibly found during the night, Wendy smiled happily as Peter tucked her into his side, his arm tight around her waist, and flew off with her back to the jungle.

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".....and then the ship glowed all over and lifted off the water, flying it was, damn fairy dust dripping off ev'ryfing."

"And the crocodile?"

The man shuffled his feet, his tongue snaking out to wet his dry lips. "We never saw it or Hook again....not these two years since."

Lilliana sat back in her chair, her leg hooked over the arm, her eyes narrowed as they swept the man from head to toe before waving him away.

"Take him to the brig...I'll decide what to do with him later."

Ignoring the prisoner's protests, she waited for him to be dragged out before turning to her the two men who'd been listening to the whole sorry tale.

"Is he telling the truth?" Asked Trent, his arms folded over his chest as he waited for his Captain to speak.

Lilliana looked up from her introspection and smiled grimly.

"I fear that it is all the truth.....James Hook is no more, and its all because of this..." she screwed up her face and spat out the name as if it tasted foul. "Peter Pan!....I want his head, but before that I want to see him suffer......not just for damage last night, but for the death of my brother.......James deserved a better end."

Both men exchanged a glance, their Captain finally laying to rest the rumours about her relationship with her notoriously mentor.

"Gentlemen.....we are going on a hunt. Find out from that man what he knows about Pan's movement, his haunts, his whereabouts.....once we know all there is to know, we will take this battle directly to the enemy!"

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They landed in the glade with the sun starting to gild the hanging baskets, Peter tugging Wendy towards one of the other trees, lifting her up to fly into the wide doorway, dropping her hand before the bound youth on the floor could see them. While Wendy stood at the entrance, Peter checked the boy's restraints, noting the darkening bruise on his jawline from the hilt of his sword.

"Peter, who is he?"

"He from that ship..the Moonshadow."

"Why did you bring him here?" Wendy moved into the room, keeping her distance from the body on the floor. She tried to hide her shock at finding that the surprise was actually a prisoner. She was still humming from the moments shared with Peter above the trees, but the sight of the trussed, unconscious captive was rapidly dispelling her buoyant mood. Peter rose from the floor and took a step back, but before he could move further away the boy pulled his legs up and lashed out, kicking Peter on the knees, sending him crashing against the wall and almost out of the door.

Snarling, Peter pulled the knife from his belt and leapt to his feet, advancing on the fully conscious youth, his eyes blazing.

"Peter......NO!" Wendy rushed forward, putting herself between Peter and his captive. Behind her, unseen by Wendy, but seen by Peter, Paolo's eyes opened wide in shock, staring at Wendy's back as if he'd seen a ghost. With an inarticulate cry, Paolo started to push himself backwards, his bound hands and feet making it almost impossible for him to do much more than wriggle his way across the woven matting of the floor. His anger draining away, Peter watched as the boy struggled to get as far away as possible, Paolo's neck straining as he twisted and turned. Wendy's saw that Peter was no longer in a rage, his expression more surprised than angry. Turning to see what he was looking at, Wendy faced the boy on the floor, only to be greeted with another, louder cry from the captive and another attempt to get away.

Now that Wendy had a chance to see the boy properly she had difficulty stifling a cry herself.

"Peter.....are you sure this boy was from the Moonshadow?"

Snorting, Peter glanced at Wendy, annoyed to see her fixed interest in the boy from the ship.

"Yes.......I have the injuries to prove it."

"Haven't you noticed Peter.....his face.....he could be...."

"Could be what?"

"He could be you...or your brother.....it's amazing."

"What? He doesn't look anything like me......" Folding his arms across his chest, Peter peered at the boy over Wendy's shoulder, noting that the captive was now staring at him, blue and green clashing with the same fiery antagonism.

Wendy knelt down on the floor, her hand extended as if trying to calm a wild animal.

"What's your name?"

Paolo only stared at her, shaking his head. Perplexed, Wendy tried again.

"My names Wendy.....Wendy Moira Angela Darling.....please tell me yours?"

Again the boy just shook his head, his blond curls bobbing as he moved his head. Peter snorted again, drawing the boys' gaze back to him. Exasperated, Wendy rounded on Peter, surprising him.

"What are you planning to do with him?"

Keeping his face blank, Peter shrugged.

"We can't keep him tied up like this.....he's not an animal." Wendy argued.

"If he gave his word not to try to escape, I'd free him right away."

Wendy turned to smile at Paolo, but again the boy only shook his head, his eyes flicking away from hers to stare at the floor.

"Peter......did he speak at all when you captured him?"

"No."

"Well....doesn't that strike you as strange.....didn't he cry out or say anything?"

"Nope."

Wendy pursed her lips, an idea coming to her.

Turning to face the boy, Wendy smiled encouragingly. "Are you able to talk...can you speak."

Slowly the boy shook his head, his eyes never leaving Wendy's.

Wendy smiled and clapped her hands, pleased to have solved the mystery. Peter just scowled, twirling his knife in his hand, drawing the prisoners attention back to him.

"Peter.....can't we free him.....he doesn't look any older than you or me....maybe he was their prisoner too."

She turned back to ask the boy but he was already nodding his head, anticipating her question. As she sat there, another idea came to her. Leaning forward impulsively she touched him lightly on the chest, Paolo flinching back from the slight contact as if burned. Taken aback, Wendy sat back on her heels, her hand clenched in her lap. "I only wanted to ask you if you can read and write."

Behind her back, Peter relaxed, her previous gesture raising the hackles on his neck, his knife coming up, the protective gesture noted by the boy on the floor.

Paolo turned his attention back to the girl, nodding his head in answer to her question.

"Peter....he can write......he can talk to us by writing his answers down."

"So now you want something for him to write with, and on?"

"Is there anything here we can use?"

"If I leave you alone with him, you're not going to try and untie him?"

"No Peter.....I won't do that...." Wendy rolled her eyes at him, receiving a smirk in reply. Getting to his feet Peter left the wicker room, Wendy settling herself more comfortably, while Paolo watched her with his intensely green eyes.

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Paolo was sitting crosslegged on the matted floor, several skins and cores of a variety of fruit scattered over the floor. Reaching for a wooden mug he downed its contents, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth before replacing it on the floor.

Wendy was sitting with her back against the wall of the hut, a sheet of paper in her hand, carefully reading the lines of broken English scrawled over the surface.

Paolo could read, and write, just not very well. Peter sat beside Wendy, listening as she read out deciphered passages to him, her forehead creased as she tried to understand what their former prisoner had written.

"I think he says here that he was captured during a raid on a Spanish fishing boat.....but that could be another word...." She glanced up at Paolo, asking him to clarify. The boy leant over, his finger pointing to the word Wendy couldn't read before sitting back and writing again on the sheet in front of him. He drew a picture this time, not a word, Wendy craning her neck to see the drawing.

"That looks like a union jack.....do you mean an English fishing boat, not a Spanish one." She saw Paolo nod his head.

"Oh....so was the boat fishing near England?"

Paolo shook his head.

"Never mind, it's not important.....he goes on to say he was only a child when he was taken aboard the Moonshadow. As a cabin boy?"

Again Paolo nodded his head. Wendy sent him a smile and the young man grinned toothily back at her.

"What happened to your parents?"

Paolo pantomimed his throat being cut and Wendy shuddered in horror.

"How old were you when you were taken?"

Paolo held up all the fingers of one hand, then four more on the other.

"And do you know how old you are now?"

This time he held up both hands, fingers spread, then lowered them, then raised both hands with one hand spread and the other with only one finger raised.

"You're sixteen? I'll be fifteen on my next birthday."

Paolo pointed to Peter and raised his eyebrows.

Wendy glanced at Peter, receiving a shrug in reply. "We don't know how old Peter is."

Paolo pointed at Peter, then back at himself, then repeated the gesture, ending with a pantomime of his hands on either side of his face before pointing to Peter's face as well.

"Yes I had noticed.....you are both very much alike." Wendy bit her lip, not sure whether she should ask the next question. Drawing in a breath, she faced Paolo again.

"Paolo......have you always been mute?"

To her surprise the boy shook his head, vigorously. Grabbing the paper, he arduously scratched with the pencil, handing it to Wendy when he finished.

Peter looked over her shoulder as she read the scrawl.

"Only since you were taken aboard the Moonshadow."

Wendy then had a horrible thought and she blanched. Seeing her expression, Paolo seemed to read her mind and suddenly opened his mouth, sticking out a very healthy, pink tongue for her inspection, waggling it around before tucking it back behind his white teeth.

Wendy felt a wave of relief flow over her, her hand resting on her thumping heart as she laughed at his antics. It was uncanny how he reminded Wendy of the Peter, even to his mannerisms and gestures. Peter had also laughed at Paolo's expressions, his own still a little wary as he'd never had a boy his own age in Neverland before, and the novelty was taking its time to sink in.

Since they'd started to communicate and freed the boy, he'd shown no burning desire to escape, accepting the fruit and water without any sign of hostility towards his captors. Seemingly happy to talk with Peter and Wendy without any attempt at violence or in a hurry to return to the Moonshadow.

Peter had largely let Wendy ask the questions, but now he had one of his own.

"What do you do aboard the Moonshadow?"

For a moment, a shadow passed over Paolo's face before he reached for the piece of paper and started to write. He paused at one point, glancing up at Wendy before bending his head and continuing to write. When he handed it over, his expression was almost hostile, as if expecting a bad reaction to his explanation.

Wendy read through what he'd written, her head jerking up to look at him, his eyes sliding away from hers as if embarrassed.

"What does it say?" Peter asked, noting Wendy's sudden stillness.

Wendy glanced down at the paper again, as if not believing what she'd read. Clearing her throat, she relayed to Peter what Paolo had written.

"He says that during the daytime he is the captains bodyguard and servant......" Wendy stopped. Paolo looked up briefly, before resuming his contemplation of the floor.

"Is that all?" Peter asked, nudging Wendy with his elbow.

"No.......he also says that at night he is the captains..er..the captains.......bedmate."

"Bedmate?"

At Peter's slightly confused expression, Paolo lifted his hands, on one hand he closed his thumb and first finger to form an oh. On the other hand he used his first finger to poke through the hole in a crude representation of the sex act. As Peter and Wendy were complete novices in the arts of love, the gesture was largely lost on them. Frustrated at their lack of understanding, Paolo suddenly moved from sitting down to crouching on his haunches. He grabbed Wendy's hand and before she could voice a protest, placed it between his legs, directly against his genitals, jerking her forward as he did so, making it easy for him to plant his lips on hers and kiss her.

The kiss lasted only a second or two, but she stayed frozen, her eyes wide while her hand remained clamped against his body, her fingers registering the hardness beneath the clothing before she was wrenched back and Peter roared past her, taking Paolo down in a flying tackle.

The two boys wrestled on the floor, a flurry of arms and legs as they tried to pummel each other, rolling from one side to the other, evenly matched in strength and cunning.

Wendy could only watch helplessly as Peter and Paolo continued to rain blows down on each other, their grunts and the thump of fist against flesh making her want to scream at them to stop. Seeing a nearly full bucket of water in the corner, she dashed past the flailing arms and legs and snatched it up. Getting as close as she dared, she flung the contents over the boys, the results immediate as they spluttered apart, water dripping from their heads and down their flushed faces.

"STOP IT!.....both of you......for heavens sake!" Wendy cried, flinging the bucket down, her body trembling in reaction to the violence. Both boys scrabbled away from each other, each sporting a new injury from the tussle. Peter's bottom lip was bleeding, the trickle snaking down his chin to drip onto his chest. Paolo had a bruise above his eye to match the one on his jaw, his eye starting to swell even as she watched. Snatching up a couple of rags, Wendy soaked them in what remained of the water before flinging the wet clothes at the two youths, hitting them on the face and neck respectively. They both grabbed at the rags, looking up at Wendy with something like surprise on their faces.

Furious, Wendy stood with her hands on her hips, the picture of outrage. Still trembling, she pointed a finger at Peter. "He was only trying to explain what he meant by bedmate, there was no reason to try and kill him...." She ignored Peter's attempt to remonstrate, her finger now pointing directly at Paolo, who had the good sense not to allow his true feelings to show on his face when Wendy fixed her fiery blue eyes on him. "And you.....don't do that again. I mean, don't kiss me again. I don't care what you're trying to explain."

Peter and Paolo exchanged a conspiratory glance, both of them trying hard to stem the urge to grin insanely at Wendy as she stood over them, her face flushed and her eyes sparkling. Infuriated by the smiles she could see about to break out on their silly faces, Wendy turned on her heel and stalked out, her head held high.

Paolo barely held it together long enough for her to leave before curling up, his shoulders shaking, tears brimming his eyes as he tried unsuccessfully to suppress his mirth. Peter was having a similar problem, his hand coming up to dab at the cut on his lip, but it shook too badly from the giggles rising into his throat and he had to lay down, clutching his sides as he shook with silent laughter. It was a natural release of tension after the fight, but Wendy found little comfort in that thought, her sensibilities quite offended by the muffled snorts and giggles coming from the Stitch bird room she'd just left.

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Chapter: Six - Enemies and Friends

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Smee puffed and mopped his brow, his striped hanky already damp with use. He and the rest of the former pirates had watched as poor George was dragged in front of the Captain of the Moonshadow, their hats coming off as a last farewell to a fallen comrade. After that Smee led them through the forest towards the Indian encampment, their chatter subdued under the dark trees. Each of them carried a small bundle of belongings, all they could carry while the Moonshadow remained anchored in their bay. On reaching the camp they parleyed with the Chief for lodgings and food, the Indian's listening with interest to all the news about the Moonshadow and its formidable Captain.

TinkerBell had been playing with the children in the camp, and saw the pirates arrive. Curious she listened to the talk in the Chief's tent before flying off to find Peter and tell him what she'd heard.

She arrived at the Stitch Bird trees but found them empty, her foot 6+kicking at a discarded melon seed as she tried to think where he'd be. Giving up, she just decided to visit all the places he usually went and hope that he was at one of them.

At the third place, she found him, along with Wendy and a boy Tink hadn't seen before.

All three were in and around the Cascade, it's many levels of different shaped pools leading down to one big pool at the bottom. Wendy was sitting high and dry on a rounded boulder, finger combing her long hair in the sun to let it dry, her dress only slightly damp after an impromptu dunking earlier on. Peter and Paolo were taking turns diving from the third pool, their wet bodies flashing through the air to disappear into the clear green ripples below. Wendy kept her back firmly turned towards the frolics because neither boy was bothering to wear clothes while they clambered, dived and swam. As they climbed back up to the ledge to take their next dive they constantly called to Wendy to watch, Paolo making a whistling noise, sometimes warbling like a bird, sometimes making a tune to tease her with, other times just shouting and yelling to attract her attention. Peter was more direct, shouting for her to watch him, his yells as he dived shattering the tranquillity of the pools. Through all the noise Wendy kept her back rigid, ignoring the taunts and whistles, using her imagination to supply the details as the occasional yelp of a missed dive or lost footing alerted her to some mishap. Tink had no such scruples, she darted over the heads of the two boys, flitting from one to the other, screaming with laughter when they slipped and fell, clapping her hands when one or the other executed a perfect dive.

Eventually even their energy ran out and they lay on the rocks beside the pool basking in the sun, still without a stitch on, their brown bodies rapidly drying in the warmth.

Wendy chose to leave them, still miffed at Peter for dropping her into the deep pool without warning, his laughter greeting her when she surface, coughing water and absolutely furious. As she wandered among the sweetly scented bushes, she started to pick some of the blooms, her arms quickly filling with the heady blossoms, a smile curving her mouth as she meandered from bush to bush.

Paolo was sitting with his knees drawn up, his arms wrapped around them, staring across the water to the small waterfall dropping from the bottom-most pool of the cascade. Peter was lying on his back, his hands behind his head, enjoying the feel of the sun on his body. Paolo turned his head and regarded the boy who looked so much like him. As his gaze wandered over Peter's torso he reached out a finger and traced the scar that ran from the base of Peter's throat down his breastbone. Peter felt the slight touch and opened his eyes, lifting his head to see what Paolo was pointing at. Seeing the white line he scowled, remembering the day Hook scored the line across his skin.

"Hook did that....he thought he had me, and he did, dead to rights. He was about to gut me when the crocodile arrived and drew his attention. While he gaped like a codfish at the beast, I flew away."

Seeing another scar, this time on Peter's forehead, Paolo pointed again.

Peter reached up and felt the slight ridge near his hairline.

"Hook did that too.....again, he had me at his mercy. He started talking about Wendy leaving and I lost my happy thoughts, sank to the deck like a stone. Then he shoved me up against the mast and nearly strangled me."

Paolo pantomimed a crocodile snapping its jaws.

"No, the crocodile didn't save me that time.....Hook had thrown me to the deck and raised his arm to slash me open." Peter smiled, remembering the look of desolation on Wendy's face just before she headbutted the pirate holding her and grabbed Hook's arm. He thought it was the bravest thing he'd ever seen. "Then Wendy stopped him, getting herself thrown down on the deck beside me. Hook wanted her to say a last goodbye before he killed me." Peter smiled broadly, remembering what came after. Paolo grinned as well, nudging Peter to continue. "Well Wendy.....er......Wendy saved me, the pirates were defeated and Hook was swallowed by the crocodile."

At Peter's rushed finale Paolo raised his eyebrows in surprise. Peter saw the gesture and flushed hotly. Seeing that, Paolo mock punched Peter on the arm, indicating for him to tell him what really happened.

Taking a deep breath, Peter grinned smugly. "Wendy kissed me.....and I turned pink....blew all the pirates off the boat with some sort of shock wave...all caused by that kiss...."

Paolo grinned even wider, pantomiming a beating heart with his two hand thumping against his chest. Peter only laughed, scrambling to his feet as Paolo also jumped up and ran for the water. In a flash both boys were slicing through the water like otters, splashing each other until the grove rang with their shouts.

Wendy had wandered far enough not to hear the renewal of mock-hostilities, her arms now full of heady blooms that wreathed her in sweet perfume. Humming to herself she walked down a faint track through the trees, the sun warm on her back.

"What a delightfully bucolic sight.......gathering posies for your lover, are we?"

Wendy looked up in shock, the flowers falling unheeded from her arms as she gaped at the woman blocking her path. While she stared, frozen in place, the bushes around her disgorged a collection of fearsome looking men, all of them brandishing long knives and cutlasses, nearly all with a brace of pistols in their belts. The woman, clearly the Captain Moon that Smee had warned them about, and that Peter had described to her, swaggered towards Wendy, her narrowed eyes raking the girl from the top of her glossy head t