I Believe In

by artemis1986

A short about a girl, a boy, a man, and a place that she's always dreamed of. Rated T for some language.

Peter Pan, the Lost Boys, Hook and his Pirates all © J.M. Barrie and all appropriate parties.

I lay no claim on any of them. (quite sad, I know) But I do claim Anne and Leo since they are right out of me own noggin. Story and such are mine and I do NOT give permission for this to be re-posted or used by anyone at anytime for any reason. If you have any questions or comments (please be kind if it's criticism, I've never written a Peter Pan fic before) then feel free to leave a comment please. My muse would be pleased (Ftr, my muse is not Peter Pan… he would be much nicer I think. No mine has wild dark blonde hair, mismatched eyes, and tight pants that are far too tight… and he thankfully has nothing to do with this story verse. If he did there would be too much yumminess and then we'd all have nose bleeds instead of just me.). He is such a slave driver, and he was quite abusive in getting this story out of me… Comments make the migraines he gives me worth while.

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I Believe In…

As naturally as any child, Anne gazed out the open window with her head resting on her arm, innocent eyes gazing at the twinkling night sky through the fringe of her bangs. But a child she was not. Not anymore at least. She had just turned six-teen and she was hating it. Today was her blasted birthday, and she had to stay home and baby sit her thirteen year old brother. It wasn't that she was left with her brother, cause on the whole, he was an easy going kid. One that was a pleasure to be around. And it wasn't like she didn't love him, but bedtime for him was always trouble. He always begged, just a little longer. Completely obsessed with whatever game or show or whatever, we all know how kids are. But no, the thing that really upset her was that it was her birthday. Her parents decided today of all days to go out and party with some friends. They had told her not to wait up. There had been no cake, no cards, no anything. They hadn't forgotten, they just didn't care. No one but her brother Leo had even bothered to wish her a happy birthday. She chewed her lip as she heard in the other room her brother begin to holler about something or other. Quietly resigned to her ignored status, she walked out of her own bedroom and next door to her brother's to find out what the new crisis was.

His blond head was bent, as was his entire small form, on knees before the television. He was growling and mumbling, his fingers fiddling with the cords and wires to his game station.

"Sis, I can't get the bloody thing to work! The lights on the front flashed red real quick then the whole thing just died on me!" Turning his blue eyes on his sisters green ones, he stuck out his lower lip. He was frantic, looking at her pleadingly for help, help she could not give.

"Sorry kiddo, I heard about this the other day. A lot of the new stations are dying from a factory malfunction. It won't work again until we send it in for repairs, but at least the repairs are free." He looked upset, as though he were trying to hold onto his temper.

"Well how long do these repairs take?" Anne tucked her unruly dark brown hair behind her ear as she silently prayed the kid would not take out his anger on her.

"Well since today is Friday, and we'd have to wait till Monday to even send it in, a bit over a month." She watched the myriad of emotions flit through his eyes before one finally settled, she sighed as she hugged him. He was nearly crying.

"A month isn't that long Leo. Don't worry." He hugged her back, mumbling something against her waist.

"What?" He pulled his face from her waist and swiped his hands angrily over his eyes, not wanting her to see him crying, though it was hard not to know with the angry red splotches staining his cheeks.

"I said, how am I supposed to go to sleep now? I normally play the game for a bit to make me sleepy, without it I don't know if I'll be able to." Smiling softly she squeezed his shoulder, understanding in her eyes.

"Leo, do you remember how you used to fall asleep?" His eyes clouded as he tried to remember. Then his eyes lit up with a memory found.

"Yeah! Tell me a story sis, it's been forever since you told me one." He quickly jumped up onto his bed just as he would have at less than half his age, turning to his still smiling sister.

"Okay, and I'll make you a deal… As long as your station is gone I'll tell you stories k?" He nodded, face obviously excited.

When he'd been little, still too young for the modern excuse for a story teller… stupid idiot boxes, this had been their nightly ritual. Leo was unmanageable without his bedtime story. Sitting on the edge of his bed she began weaving a tale of one of his favorite characters, Peter Pan. Their great grandmother had been the one to first tell her the story of Peter and his Lost Boys, so it seemed almost a family tradition, one Anne embraced wholeheartedly.

"Peter Pan loved nothing more than to fly, free and undisturbed. The domain of air above Never Land his personal playground, the place he felt most at ease." Leo was listening raptly, eyes locked on hers. She stood, becoming animated as she continued.

"But he liked to fight to, just as any boy. His only challenge, only real fight, was his nemesis Captain James Hook." She hooked the fingers on her right hand as she struck an intimidating pose.

"The pirate captain was the only one within the whole of Never Land to oppose the boy, always plotting Peter's downfall. He never succeeded in his plans of course, always foiled by Pan and the Lost Boys, but he never gave up. He was convinced, if he could just find the right plan, he could rid himself of Peter, leaving all of Never Land at his mercy. But every new plan, every new idea was cast aside as having been tried, or being in bad form, or too obvious to work. You see, since no one in Never Land ages, forever being boys or men, they have had an amount of time in which to fight that to us would be inconceivable. The sheer number of times that Hook's plans had backfired or failed was staggering. As Peter flew, unhindered and unchallenged, Hook thought and plotted, trying to think of a way to end the reign of Peter Pan." The boy's eyes were already drooping, though it was clear he would take a while longer to fall into dreams. She continued her story, his eyes following every motion and every word as she leapt about the room, describing in detail the fight that ensued, the seemingly never ending battle. Soon enough though he was asleep, Pan having saved the day and Hook left to his crew once again, planning and plotting.

Anne exhaled a slow quiet breath, glancing down at the clock beside her brother's bed.

"Wow, eleven already?" She pulled the blanket up to her brother's chin, tucking him the rest of the way in before switching off the lights. At the door she paused, glancing around the room. The sensation of being watched had been niggling at the edges of her senses for a little while. A sensation that was wholly foreign to her. But it was quiet, the light shining in from the moon casting a soft blue glow in the room. Dismissing it, she went back to her own room, the cares of the day forgotten in the wake of her story.

Though she couldn't realize it, she and Leo had not the been the only one's to miss story time.

Every night for over two weeks she would tell her stories, always amazing, always with Peter being the victor, or whatever character she told the story of. Tonight though, she sighed as she sat beside her brother. Their parents were out yet again, and honestly, she had hoped to be able to have some time to herself. She smiled though as she began her story.

"Okay, what kind of story tonight munchkin?" Leo scrunched up his face in concentration, looking unsure.

"How about a Hook story? You always talk about Peter, and that he got there cause he was lost when he was little. But how did Hook get there?" Anne looked at her brother with a thoughtful look, a slow smile creeping across her lips. She'd thought of that herself. Her mind had already planned out that bit. She hummed a moment as if thinking, tapping her chin before starting.

"He hadn't always been a part of Never Land, or the stories that wee girls always tell. There was a time he wasn't the feared one, or the notorious anything. A time when he wasn't known at all. Before he was Captain James Hook, nemesis of Peter Pan. But even then Hook was fed up, tired of being the one to lose. Of being laughed at and mocked. Though older than you and I, old man he was not. You see, though he was an adult, he was only just so. At the age of twenty three he had taken over his father's ship, taken on his crew. It had been an accident at all that they had ended up in Never Land, having been pirates of the open European seas. But as all things happen, an accident in which involved a fairy, too much spirits, and a certain boy, set things in motion." Leo laughed, trying to picture a drunk Peter Pan.

"Captain Hook was by no means the fiercest pirate on the seven seas, but he was the youngest Captain, and one of the most clever. So when he happened to glance up into the sky one night as they sailed along, and spotted of all things, a boy flying, and strange glowing dust falling upon his ship… He followed. At first he had simply steered the ship in the wake of the inebriated boy, trying to figure out how it was possible, or if perhaps the ship's supply of spirits had been tainted and he was now suffering the side effects." Anne affected the balance of a man who was off balance and confused, her eyes crossed.

"But as he followed, the ship lifted off of the waves. It had been an absolute shock at first. But silently, he continued to follow, mind trying to grasp the fact that he and his ship were now airborne. Now while Peter was inebriated, he wasn't completely daft. He noticed when several hollers rose up behind him, Hook's crew having realized that through some strange magic they were flying. But he was too inebriated to think that the ship would continue to follow. He thought in fact that the sight of the flying ship and frightened crew were so funny that he played a mean little joke. He flew to the mast of the ship, and grasping the flag flying proudly, drew upon it with a piece of chalk he took from his pocket. Instead of the skull and crossbones that it had displayed, it now showed a funny looking girl with hair sticking up and flowers crossed behind her head with the word ladies written boldly beneath it.. He laughed as the Captain seemed quite upset. He flew down some and waggled his bottom at them, still laughing. Moving as swiftly as his not so swift reflexes would allow, he dodged some poorly aimed shots. But having missed him, Peter found he lost interest in the strange sight quickly. So he continued home, and the pirates followed. Here Hook was the fiercest, the most clever, and the oldest Captain, because he was the only one. Here he stayed because it was a place his true potential as a pirate could be realized." Anne glanced at Leo and shuddered a little. This was the only time she could honestly say she found her brother to be creepy. Mostly because when he found something interesting, he would stare, unblinking, for incredible lengths of time.

"It only took a few years raiding the local Indians to notice that they weren't aging. When the pirates discovered this, they were ecstatic. There are only two things that pirates truly fear. Death by age, and running out of spirits. Neither could happen with the Indians brewing their corn spirits, and the land making them ageless. The only problem was the boy they had followed. He delighted in playing pranks on them, mocking Hook, stopping them from raiding the Indians. If the crew drank themselves into a stupor, it was likely they would wake to find their shoes tied together, or their personal effects misplaced or messed with in some manner or other. Occasionally a few choice insults were carved into Hooks door. It got to a point where they were so frustrated by the pranks that they began setting traps for the boy, attempting to trap him. From here it escalated, it became the quiet war that we know between Hook and Peter. This fight has gone on so long, it's participants have probably forgotten how it started." Anne again looked at her brother, waiting to see the look of 'oh' that should have been on his face, but Leo was gazing at her, or rather past her, a look in between fear and awe coloring his expression. She glanced over her shoulder, gasping audibly at the sight that met her. Three men were standing there, the one in front dressed the most strangely. His long dark red velvet coat trimmed in gold accentuated his height making him seem imposing, which matched the imposing sword at his hip. Her mind reeled, his dark eyes and long dark hair, though not curled as she'd once pictured it, were very indicative of whom she was staring open mouthed at. Her eyes flicked back to the weapons, the ones he carried, the ones that the other two men beside him carried. They were dressed strangely as well, but most definitely as pirates. But again her eyes observed their weapons. That was what her mind was fixating on the most. These men were armed with swords and pistols, old looking pistols. Her eyes flicked back up to the man's, noting that he was gazing solely at her. She vaguely took in the fact that floating outside her brother's window was a freaking ship. Her eyes became fixated on this strange man's. She wasn't sure what his gaze meant, but it was making a molten hot shiver run up her spine, one that wasn't entirely unpleasant. His gaze felt, of all the strangest things, familiar. As though she were used to having his eyes on her.

For half a moment she wondered if perhaps she'd gone temporarily insane, but the whine of fear that her brother gave killed that idea. She placed herself squarely in front of Leo, blocking any possible access to him. Her mind was now racing, trying to catch up to what was going on. The two men beside the strange man, who strongly resembled the man from her story, had their hands hovering by the hilts of their swords. She felt panic rise in her chest.

"My dear, you and the child shall be accompanying me onto my ship. Please be calm, no harm will come to you or the boy." He brushed his fingers against her cheek, smiling a smile that promised something she didn't understand, well part of her seemed to understand it. A part of her she was sure was not meant for thinking. But she could feel the tenseness of Leo behind her, and it snapped her out of the weird trance this man seemed quite adept at putting her into. Pulling her cheek from his shockingly soft touch, she cried out to her brother behind her.

"Leo, bats now!" He sprung from behind her, gripping bats that had sat beside the bed from a game of baseball they'd played earlier in the day. The bats had been out of sight, but now the man who'd touched her, who she currently refused to believe was really Captain James Hook, leapt back as one was swung directly at him. The swing missed him, but connected with the chest of the man to his right, knocking the air out of him as well as laying him out flat on his back. Before the other could react, Leo slammed the bat he held into the other's knees, sending him crashing to the floor with a scream. It had happened so quickly that Anne and Leo left the three little time to react as she clasped her brothers hand and dashed out the bedroom door. She didn't bother with calling police, they'd never believe her. Oh yes, there's a pirate ship outside my house, flying, and three pirate's just broke in. They dashed down the stairs, three at a time, all the while praying that they wouldn't follow. But she could hear orders for their capture shouted, and she doubled their pace. Hitting the bottom floor running, they dashed back through the living room and kitchen out the side door. It lead out into the side garden, and to a door in the gate that let out onto the street. But as they ran towards it, a shadow appeared on the ground in front of them, giving them pause just as a pair of feet came into view. A boy had just landed in front of them, a finger held to his lips, signaling silence. She marveled at the strange green clothes and the reddish orange hair that stuck out beneath his green, feathered hat. He was obviously young, his features unlined and unblemished. Leo was staring as well, mouth hung open in awe and surprise.

This strange boy, he was listening, looking about. The ship hovered just around the corner of the house, and they could hear the pirates tearing through the house, searching for the occupants who'd already fled. The boy motioned her closer, his eyes shining with a mischief she somehow recognized, but that her mind was refusing to acknowledge as real. How could this be Peter Pan, and how the hell could the men ransacking her house be the pirates of her stories? It didn't make sense. Her grandmother Jane, and great grandmother Wendy, had said it was all real, but she didn't really believe them, she thought it was a game, like all the other children's stories they made up. A game in which you made up stories. With a hazy mind, she quietly followed the green clad boy, tip toeing to just through the gate. They could hear feet in the yard, just on the other side. Anne shoved her hand in her pocket, and withdrawing a key, promptly locked the gate door behind them, hoping to at least slow the pirates up some. Peter nodded and leading them through shadows that concealed them from the eyes in the crows nest of the ship, they made their way up the street, and slipped quietly into the back yard of another family. Anne and Leo let out a sigh. Peter floated up, peeking over the wall, seeing if they were being followed. They weren't, but that wasn't what Anne and Leo gaped at. The fact that the boy was genuinely floating, well actually flying before their eyes was a true confirmation of their greatest dreams. Peter glanced back at them, giving them his biggest grin. They hesitated, wondering which was the better choice, the boy or the pirates…

"You two ready to fly?" Both looked at each other before wordlessly nodding their heads.

The boy obviously.

From under his hat a little glowing ball came, a ball that immediately flew at them. But neither flinched as Peter thought they would. They just stared in open mouthed awe. They watched as the ball of light circled them again and again, a beautiful glowing dust floating down onto them and sticking like the most stubborn glitter. Almost immediately Anne floated a few inches off of the ground, surprising herself and her brother who was still clinging to her hand. Without hesitation she ducked her head below the level of the gate and gave the only other flying body a look that asked what next. He was staring at her with obvious surprise, but with a quick shake of his head, he smiled and jerked his head to the side. Indicating they should follow him. The ball of light flew over to Anne and Leo, close enough that they could see the small form of a male fairy inside. He smiled at Anne openly. He tugged at her hair, a small tinkling sound coming out. At least that was all Leo heard. To Anne it was the sweetest sounding voice, and smiling, she nodded.

"I don't mind. Thank you." The fairy curled himself into her wild dark hair, gripping a few strands as he kept himself near her ear. He'd told her that he wanted to sit near her ear so that if she lost sight of Peter he could guide her and her brother himself. Peter just stared, more than surprised now. He looked on bemused as he shot into the air. For Anne flying was pretty quickly mastered as she followed, her body arching and bowing with the effort of turning to follow Peter's winding path. But Leo seemed to be having a harder time of it. Flying beneath his struggling frame she pulled him onto her back, indicating she wanted him to just hold on. With a grateful smile he did. The path got a little trickier with her brother as a passenger, but she didn't mind much. Peter was leading them through where they wouldn't be spotted by anyone. The fairy spoke softly into her ear as they flew, telling her of what to expect when they got to Never Land.

Flying close to a cloud, Anne watched as Leo stuck out a hand, trailing it through the fluff, parting it and leaving a barely there trail. She glanced ahead to where Peter flew and could see that he was watching them with a mystifying smile. She wasn't sure, but it looked like he was smiling to hide confusion, though confusion at what she was even less sure of.

The flight was long, but enchanting every bit of the way. They'd flown so close to the stars that Anne would of sworn at times she could reach out and pluck them from the sky as one would a diamond from a velvet cushion. But she was far more enchanted with the sight of the island coming into view beyond the whitest clouds she'd ever seen. She could make out a high peak so high that it pierced the clouds, some kind of mountain, that was surrounded on all sides by what appeared to be various landscapes and seasons. Her eyes grew wide as she tried to take it all in at once, the lagoons so blue that they appeared as large expanses of sapphires. Stretches of trees, forests that enchanted her mind and made her long to have her feet on the ground that she might run between those trees. She could make out what looked like an Indian encampment, a village really, on the near side of the island. Peter's face suddenly interrupted her sight, snapping his fingers before her eyes.

"Come on slow pokes, the Lost Boys are going to be wondering where I've gone, and they're definitely going to be happy to see two new faces." He shot off without another word, Leo still clinging to Anne's back, the two trailed in his wake. Their eyes were trying to look everywhere at once, while still keeping track of the green streak somewhere ahead of them. A group of tightly grouped trees came into sight, and as they watched, Peter landed and pushed apart a couple. Landing, much less gracefully than Anne would have liked, she followed closely, Leo's hand in hers as he'd climbed down with a sigh that said, finally. Their bare feet crunched on the branches, but they hardly noticed as they followed between the parted trees, that closed behind them. Peter walked a few feet to the right and parted a second set. Again they followed. Within was a clearing, dappled here and there with sunlight.

"Sorry about this, but we've had to become a lot more careful these last few years. Hook has gotten a bit more crafty about his searching for us so we've had to resort to hideouts within hideouts within hideouts." The explanation both explained a lot and nothing. Anne let her eyes scan the deserted clearing. Though she could clearly see where there had been activity recently, there was no one there now, and she saw no hideout. Peter walked over to another small grouping of trees beside a pile of boulders. They seemed to dot the clearing in places, and these ones were nothing special that she could see. But he pushed a rock out of the way, showing them a small passageway. He turned to them and waved them over before diving in and disappearing from sight. She looked at Leo whose eyes were large with wonder. It almost looked as though he were in love with this place already. He scurried away from her and with a whoop of excitement dove into the black hole as well. She had no time to call to him. He had disappeared as well. She walked over and looked down into the dark depths, her chest constricting. She really didn't like the dark. If she was truthful, she was afraid of it. The fairy at her ear was speaking soothingly, telling her it wasn't as dark as it seemed. It was only that it was so bright out here. He flew off her shoulder and down into the darkness, lighting it for her. With a deep breath she slid her legs in and then she was sliding. Her bottom slid over what felt like smoothed rock. She caught up with and overtook the fairy as he tried to light her way down. But because of her jeans she slid faster than either had expected and now he was once again tangled in her hair, hanging on for dear life. But she was no longer afraid, he had been right. It wasn't all that dark and she'd always loved the sensation of sliding. It took all she had not to imitate her brother's whoop of excitement. As she hit the bottom she landed just beside her brother who was dusting his bottom off while laughing. She chuckled herself at the sight of the disheveled fairy now hopelessly tangled in her hair. Peter took in the sight they made and couldn't help laughing as well. Their combined laughter apparently got the attention of the occupants of this hole in the ground in a way that their loud landings hadn't and the room was suddenly filled with many boys, ranging from as big as Peter to much smaller than Leo. She stopped laughing, many weapons from daggers to arrows, minus their bows to even clubs were being pointed at her and Leo. The familiar sensation of protectiveness sent a growl up through her throat and she put herself between them and her brother, just as she did when confronted with Hook. Peter laughed.

"Put the we'pns down boys, I've brought you a new mother and a new Lost Boy." His proclamation and huge prideful grin were met with a whoop of joy that nearly deafened Anne. She was suddenly being simultaneously hugged and dragged from all sides by many pairs of hands, many faces and voices trying to gain her attention all at once. She could see that they were dragging Leo along in much the same manner. The fairy had yet to extricate himself from her tangled hair, and was holding on, praying he wouldn't be crushed in the throng of bodies. The noise was too much, the many bodies all grasping at her and yelling and shouting. Yelling names and what they liked to eat and lord only knows what else as much of it was lost in the cacophony. It was like being in the middle of a mosh pit she screamed inside her head, for that was the only way she could hear her own thoughts.

"BE QUIET!" Her yell carried over them all, and they fell silent as one, Peter included who had perhaps been louder than the boys. They were all looking at her, eyes wide with surprise. Leo let out a sigh of relief and vaulted two of the shorter boys to grip his sister's hand, pressing in close. He was no more comfortable with the touchy feely group of boys than she was. Now that she had their attention, she sighed as well. The silence an immense relief after the noise, she could even hear the fairy heaving a sigh of relief. Without addressing the boys again, she reached up and untangled her tresses from around the fairy carefully until she was holding him delicately in the palm of her hand. He collapsed backward into her palm and smiled thankfully before flying up into the air. Instantly he was yelling at the boys, even Leo could see that from the reactions they were having. Their faces and ears burned red as they looked back to Anne, shame burning bright in their faces. She heard every word he said.

"Enough, they weren't all that bad. Just loud. Very loud. But thank you for making my point for me." The fairy smiled and with a little wave and promise to be back soon with his sister, he flew up and out one of the many little holes in the ceiling that were there to let the air circulate. She looked around at the group of boys. They really were every shape, size, and color. And every last one looked somewhere between overjoyed and chastised. Letting them squirm uncomfortably under her intense gaze she finally smiled.

"Okay, just so this is clear, I am no ones mother. I've never had a child, and don't know that I've got it in me to be a mother to one." The look of shock on Peter's face was intense, and followed by quick anger. The boys were all disappointed looking, but Anne hadn't stopped smiling yet.

"However, I don't mind taking the role of older sister to a rag tag group of boys… My names Anne." They all looked at her curiously now, obviously not understanding. A little boy of maybe five, but she guessed younger, with soft curly strawberry blonde hair and the cutest brown eyes spoke up now.

"Whas'a ol'er Sisser?" Leo smiled and squeezed her hand continuing for her.

"An older sister is a girl who knows more than you and.." He was cut off by two disturbingly strange blond boys, like very pale blond, with pale blue eyes. Who had nearly no expression on their ghostly pale faces. Somehow their appearance paired with their dark collared shirts and dark school boy shorts made them even more disturbing, almost reminiscent of some creepy kids he and his sister had seen in a movie once. He shuddered as they talked, one then the other.

"But that can't be. No one…"

"Knows more than Peter…"

"Cause it's…"

"Against the rules." With a slightly bothered expression as well, Anne answered that part.

"Honestly I can't help it if I know more about some things, it's just the way girls are. That rule should probably only apply to boys." Peter looked at her curiously.

"Besides, Peter wouldn't be a little brother I think. He looks like he's about the same age. He'd be more a friend…" She left it at that, leaving Leo to his continued explanation.

"Anyway, an older sister looks out for you and tries to keep you out of trouble. Though sometimes she'll join in cause it looks like fun. Sometimes an older sister can be annoying and bossy, but it's because she wants the best for you and wants to make sure you don't make stupid mistakes. They tell on you sometimes, but only when they need to. They cover up for you when they don't. They sneak you treats when your nice to them and they hide your stuff if it annoys them too much. And best of all their always there when you need them. My older sister protected me from Hook and his pirates, she nearly clobbered him but he jumped back and let this other guy get it instead. An older sister will protect you as much as they can." Leo was smiling up at her brightly as all the boys looked on her with awe. Anne turned red. Even Peter looked impressed.

"You really stood up to Captain Hook?" This was one of the other boys. He was the largest of the Lost Boys and was probably a few years younger than Anne from the look of him, though his dark under eyes made it kind of hard to tell. She nodded.

"Yeah, well it's not like I was going to let him get me and my brother on his ship. That would have been pretty stupid of me." She said it so matter-of-factly that the boys merely nodded their agreement. Peter tilted his head to the side curiously as if he wanted to ask something, but he kept silent. The little boy was smiling at her though, and this brought her attention back to the many Lost Boys. From a quick head count she counted about ten.

"Do ol'er Sissers tell stories?" She nodded and once again the boys erupted in a quick cheer before quieting down again. However they proceeded to herd Anne and Leo into a deeper part of their home, explaining the different rooms as they passed through them. She knew she'd probably need another run through later, just to remember them all, but she didn't interrupt the boys till they came to what appeared to be one of the only doors she'd seen, as most of the other rooms only had makeshift curtains hung across.

"What's this room?" They paused and she saw their quick exchange of looks before Peter answered.

"That's my room, would you like to see it Anne?" She noticed that he'd very clearly invited her, and only her into the room, and was unsure of whether to heed the little red warning light flashing somewhere in a corner of her mind she hardly ever listened to. But the decision was made for her as one of the stranger looking boys, his purple poncho paired with pink jogging shorts and yellow rain boots making him quite strange, though not as much as the blonde twins, grabbed her brother's arm and began leading him away saying something about letting their elders speak in peace. Peter gripped her arm and nearly dragged her through the quickly opened and closed door.

"Ow Peter, let go, that hurts." He let go quickly, nearly sending her off balance. But he steadied her again, letting her grab onto his hand. He smiled bashfully, but his obvious intenseness still shown through the apology.

"Sorry, I'm just a little confused, and it makes me… excitable." She nodded, rubbing her arm lightly to relieve some of the soreness that had set in. He had a strong grip.

"S'fine. What did you need to get me alone to talk about?" He tilted his head to the side, appearing to be trying to get his words in order before unleashing them.

"You were talking to Ansel?" She just blinked.

"I don't know, which boy was he?" Peter sighed, his lack of patience beginning to show more.

"No, the fairy, his name is Ansel. And you were talking to him, I mean you understood what he said?" She looked at him, her confusion only growing, her forehead furrowing a bit with her lack of understanding.

"Well yeah, of course. He was speaking plain as day." Peter shook his head. He kept looking at her, as though trying to riddle something out.

"No, he was speaking fairy language. The same language all fairies speak. It sounds like a bunch of little tinkling bells to everyone else who hasn't been in Never Land for a long time or wasn't born here." Her eyes couldn't have been more confused, and it was becoming hard for him to concentrate on his own question as she chewed her lip, not fathoming what this meant exactly. She kept trying to think of some reason, but she was coming up blank. With a roll of her shoulders she shrugged.

"Well I heard him speak as clear as you and I are right now… Don't know why. I certainly wasn't born here, and since this is the first time I've ever been to Never Land…" He sighed and sat on the end of the only piece of furniture in the room, his bed. She stood uncomfortably, trying her best not to fidget.

"It's not just the fairy thing, you also flew right away after Ansel dusted you, almost as though you were born to fly. It's just really strange, and it worries me what with Hook trying to capture you and all. I mean I just really want to know what he wanted with you and your brother." Anne smiled now.

"Well the flying I can explain. Because I was happy and full of happy thoughts." Peter looked at her, surprise written into his features.

"But, most people don't, I mean it isn't easy for anyone aside from myself. Most people struggle to find a thought happy enough to make them fly." She had this almost face splitting grin, then she was laughing, not unlike when she'd just come out of the slide.

"Well to me it was an easy thing considering I had one happy thought floating in front of me as my other happy thought held onto my hand." He blinked for a moment, obviously more confused now than he had been.

"My brother was holding my hand, who I was glad was safe from Hook." He nodded.

"And from your sudden appearance and rescue I can deduce that you've probably been listening in as I've told stories to Leo right?" He nodded again.

"Then you know that nearly all of those stories were of you silly. You're my happy thought because nearly all of the happiest things that come out of my mind are either about you or are related to you. You my friend, are what artists call a muse." He cocked his head to the side again.

"What's a muse?" She smiled, biting her lip for a moment looking for the words.

"Someone who inspires an artist to create, and what is story telling if not an act of creation." His eyes were large in his face, his quickly reddening face. He was blushing, and Anne couldn't help but find it quite endearing, and downright adorable if she was truthful.

"I'm a muse to you?" She smiled as she took a seat beside him, her hand gently patting his hand.

"Yep. How else do you think I always came up with such awesome stories for Leo all these times. I'd just shut my eyes and think really hard about you, what you look like. What you would do if faced with different things. And there would be the story, all ready to unfold and twist and turn the way stories do." He was staring at her, lips parted slightly, actually they were opening and closing some as though he wanted to say something and couldn't get it out. As an after thought Anne added on.

"Hey maybe that's why I was able to understand, Ansel right, maybe that's why I understood him. I spend so much time thinking about Never Land and you, well I don't think anyone aside from perhaps Great gram or Grama would know more about you than me." He seemed almost as though he were in shock, and his blush was still terrible. He suddenly looked away, his eyes flickering back and forth as he thought frantically.

"Yeah, I suppose that's possible…" He looked back at her, and she realized why her affinity with the fairy and flying scared him.

"You thought I'd take the boys from you didn't you?" He looked away again, and his answer was obvious.

"Why?" She asked, trying to not let the thought that someone she already adores didn't trust her trigger hurt in her eyes, especially since she had never been very good at hiding her emotions. He didn't turn back to her, keeping his face averted, but he glanced at her out the corner of his eye.

"Because I thought maybe Never Land had chosen you to take over or to take my place because, because you took to it all so easily… like you were born for it." He let his sentence trail off, eyes back to the wall. He didn't stay that way as she suddenly and literally fell to the floor laughing.

"What's so funny? This isn't funny!" He was really getting angry now, the red in his face changing from a blush to a flush. She tried to stop, but was only partly successful and barely managed to sputter out her answer.

"I'm s-sorry ~pfft~ I, I nev-er ~heh~ thought I'd, I'd hear you, say that a girl could take your place Ha!" She went back to laughing as the anger only seemed to roll off him in waves.

"THAT'S CAUSE I DON'T THINK ONE COULD!" She jumped up to her feet, facing him down with a dour and angry expression, but her serious face broke into a sheepish grin and she sputtered and muttered just loud enough for him to hear.

"Heh, neither do I silly. You're THE Peter Pan. There isn't anyone, anywhere, girl or boy, who could take your place. You should already know that." He broke out in his own smile then, his anger dissipating like smoke, the blush creeping back again.

"You really think that?" Nodding she made her way back to the door.

"Yep. Now if that's all that you needed to talk about, can we get back to my needing to know where the bloody hell your guys' bathroom or whatever is, cause I need to use it like really soon." He chuckled and opening the door led her three doors down from his to another room that had a curtain open, it seemed to have a smallish hole in the floor that led down into a darkness she couldn't even begin to wonder at the depth of.

"This is what we use. Though some of the boys prefer to go topside and, uh, relieve themselves, in the bushes." She looked down inside before firmly putting her hands on his chest and pushing him out of the room.

"Okay then, out. I need to go and you need to go away. Go make sure the boys aren't torturing my brother or the other way around please." And with that she closed the curtain on him, a heavy blush painting her cheeks.

"If you need anything…" She cut him off, a sound of frustration in her voice.

"I'll call for you, just go please. It's hard to, well you know, with you on the other side of the blasted curtain." As he walked away to give her, her privacy, he mumbled to himself.

"At least it's better than me being on the same side of the curtain as you."

After finishing her, hem, business… she decided she had better go and find out what exactly they were all up to. It was easy enough to find them at least, with all the noise they make a body would have to be deaf to lose them that way. They were many rooms down from where Peter's was, and this room they were in was quite large. It had several bunks up and down the walls, presumably for the Lost Boys, and several makeshift tables set up. Peter was perched on the edge of one of the rocks they were using for chairs, watching Leo and another boy who appeared to be having one of the most intense staring matches she'd ever seen. The others were calling encouragement to their favorite, which meant they were calling for the boy they knew, to win. But she knew her brother. Coming to stand beside where Peter was sitting, placing her directly beside her brother, she felt him stiffen and strengthen. His gaze must have intensified because the boy across form him, who oddly enough was wearing a lace handkerchief around his head, suddenly blinked and the room exploded with the disappointment.

"Dang it Ace, now I owe Tootles a whole box of choco cakes." The boy who spoke was quite portly, and Peter whispered in her ear that his name's Curly, but the other boys usually call him Cubby or Tubby. She smiled.

"Leo I hope you told them that you're pretty much a master at staring, otherwise that wasn't fair." Said boy chuckled and nodded.

"I told 'em no one could beat me at a staring contest when he challenged me, but they didn't believe me." She sighed and shook her head as the other kid, the one the other had called Ace, hung his head as though he were deeply ashamed.

"Hey kid, buck up. The fact that you hung in that long is quite impressive. He can't be beat. Not unless you're like a snake and have no eye lids anyway." The way she held open her eyes made the kid begin laughing out right.

"He stares at a box all day and night, every day and night. I've seen him go hours without blinking. It's bloody creepy when you see him do it." They were all laughing, even Leo. She smiled, thinking, maybe this wouldn't be so bad. Couldn't be worse than home.

That night was quite nice, till she realized that the thing about them make believing eating was true. Both her and Leo sat and stared at the bowls before them, not completely understanding what exactly they were supposed to do.

"Why aren't ya eatin yer pudding?" The little boy across from Anne asked, the little boy she now knew to be named Too Small. She opened her mouth a moment before picking up the bowl and offering it to him.

"Just not very hungry I guess, you want it?" The boy took the bowl eagerly, a huge smile plastered across his face. She felt a nudge on her right and it was Peter, lightly frowning at her while smiling a bit.

"Are you okay?" She nodded.

"Yeh, just not sure I'm understanding how I'm supposed to be eating something I don't see." He chuckled softly, patting her shoulder in a comforting manner.

"Some need a little time to adjust. The way things work here… well it's different. You'll see soon enough." With another quick grin he jerked his head in the direction of her bowl.

"I think he loves you now. He loves sweets and you just gave him yours without him having to con you out of it." Smiling, Anne shrugged. He went back to eating, his hands reaching onto empty platters and grasping things she couldn't see, relishing them as he ate. She glanced to her left, where her brother appeared to be miming as the others were, but he gave her the same lost and questioning gaze that told her they were in the same boat. She shrugged, unable to understand any better than he. Excusing herself, claiming she had no appetite, she made her way up and out of the hideout, out to where the trees were. She sighed, lifting her face to the soft breeze, thankful for the fresh air.

"Are you sure you're okay?" The voice made her jump, but Peter caught her shoulder, steadying her as she touched her chest.

"You startled me…" Her face was red, and her breathing was faster, but she still managed to answer him after a moment.

"Yeah, I'm fine Peter. Just needed some fresh air is all." He nodded, retreating a bit from her, back towards the passage.

"Didn't mean to bug you, just wondering since you left the room so quickly. I'll leave you be." She didn't know why she did, even as she did it. But she reached out and placed a halting hand on his arm.

"Please don't. I wasn't.. I mean, I'm not trying to be alone. Just wanted to feel the breeze. Stay?" Her fingers had managed to wrap themselves part way around his forearm. He stared down at her fingers a moment, concentrated on their heat, her soft grasp. He looked up, a crooked and silly grin plastered across his face.

"Okay." They sat in the grass together, quiet, content to just be there. After a while Leo came out to join them as well, and sitting beside and leaning on his sister, he fell asleep. One after another, the boys streamed out and fell asleep on them and on each other till Anne and Peter were pretty much pinned to the ground. They smiled a moment before leaning on one another and themselves falling asleep.

Hook in his room alone was not having as easy a time falling asleep. He was still too angry at losing the girl and her brother. He should have anticipated her defensiveness, and especially the protectiveness over her younger brother. After all, it was this very strength in her, this caring, that had drawn him to her in the first place. It had been a long time ago that he had first seen her. As was his first sin in finding this Never Land, he had followed Pan with the help of a fairy named Ansel that really didn't seem to care who used his dust as long as it wasn't to harm another. He'd followed the boy and found him sitting at the window of a girl telling stories to a very small boy. She had been so young and innocent. He'd watched from a distance till Pan had finally left, and when the girl had left her brother's room and had gone into her own, he'd followed her to her window. He'd watched as she'd cried and told herself that it was real, that Peter and Hook and the fairies were real. That there really was a place called Never Land. Told herself that one day it would be time for her adventure just as it once had been for her grandmother and great grandmother. He'd continued going as often as he could get away after that, his burgeoning friendship with the aforementioned fairy aiding him greatly. Pan had stopped coming to the window when the boy had begun to outgrow the stories, had seemingly forgotten the children. Hook hadn't. He kept his vigil, long after Pan had ceased his visits. Hook couldn't help it. He knew that as the villain it wasn't his place to rescue the girl from her life, but he longed to. For once, he wanted to be the hero, to be the one that did the right thing. But as he watched her grow, watched her become ever more beautiful, a different desire made itself known to him. He didn't want to just rescue her, he wanted the reward that went along with it. The kiss, her love. But after she started telling the stories again, he knew his rescue would never be received as such. Her feelings would always fall towards fear with him. Peter, somehow knowing that she had begun telling his stories, dislodged the captain from his near weekly vigil. He'd taken to hiding in the tree just beyond, not wanting to be seen watching the girl. But even as he watched the boy watching her, wondering if the boy would finally do as she'd wished, he realized he wouldn't. For whatever reason, this girl wasn't going to be taken from this place, Peter wasn't going to take this one to Never Land. That's why he'd decided that the rules be damned, he'd do it himself then, even if he had to kidnap her to do it. He'd convince her he wasn't that bad later, after he had her safely ensconced in his ship in Never Land. But like an idiot, he'd forgotten to leave aside his weapons. He'd forgotten, and it had cost him the girl. He punched his bed for perhaps the hundredth time and sat up, drawing his right knee towards his chest. Bloody Peter Pan had come to the girls rescue, or that's how she saw it. He'd had everything set, much to the horror of his crew, and he'd blown it. He had a room for her, and a room for her brother. He had been sure she'd come to trust him in time, maybe his wish would come true and she'd even love him. But he told himself he should forget it all now. She feared him probably more than she had initially because now she thought he wanted to harm her, or her brother. He wasn't sure which would be worse. Sighing he ran his hand through his hair. He could still feel her skin under his fingertips where he'd touched her cheek. Oh how he'd longed to do even that much. Her eyes had been full of wonder, some disbelief, but for the first time in a long time, they'd held hope. At least they had until her brother had been frightened and she'd swung that bloody weapon at him. Of all people he should of known she would do something like that. He felt stupid, foolish, like the overconfident idiot he'd been. He looked down at the hook where his hand should have been and felt a heavy weight settle itself in his heart, a depression that he knew he was becoming alarmingly accustomed to.

"She never would've loved you anyway, you foolish old man. You're not even whole." He whispered this as he twisted the hook back and forth, watching the moonlight glint off the polished surface.

Days passed peacefully for Leo and Anne, who while having a hard time adjusting to meal time, were fitting in quite well otherwise. Peter seemed on edge fairly often, but he didn't let the boys see it, he pretended all was well. Anne saw though. She could see the way every little noise from outside made him tense as though he were awaiting an attack. And she understood. He'd foiled Hook's plan, whatever it had been, and he was waiting for the repercussion. But as the days passed, stretching into first one week, and then two, it didn't look like there would be. And Hook with no payback didn't seem very much like Hook. Thinking about this was how Ansel found her, sitting on the edge of a rock, gazing out across the water at the ship of the out of character captain. He'd noticed to. But he knew things she didn't. Things he'd sworn to never talk about. He knew the captain better than anyone, even Smee. It gave him hope that the gaze she favored the ship with was curious, not fearful, and he wondered if she'd be willing to speak with the man, if only with the hopes of cheering him from his dark reclusive mood. Settling himself on her shoulder he tugged on her hair lightly, trying to gain her attention. She hummed a soft noise indicating she knew he was there.

"Why don't you fly over and ask why he tried to take you from your home?" She turned her head and gave him a look that clearly asked if he was crazy. He worried the strand of her hair that he still held, wondering how much he could dare to reveal without seeming to have betrayed either Peter or Hook.

"Why in god's name would I do that? Do you think I'm stupid enough to put a foot on the ship of the man who tried to kidnap my brother and me?" He knew the real reason, but figured it wasn't his place to correct her assumption.

"Because how else are you going to find out? It's not like anyone else knows. Besides, he isn't all that dangerous." She raised a delicate brow skeptically.

"Uh huh, and those swords, guns, and oh don't forget those huge freaking cannons, all of those are for show right?" He sighed giving her an annoyed glance.

"If I go and get his word that he will let you come and then go, would you go then?" She blinked in surprise, and picking him up off of her shoulder, she held him before her, eye to eye so to speak.

"And how exactly would you go about getting such an oath out of someone you don't know, and why does it seem so important that you get me onto that ship?" He colored, avoiding her very direct and intense gaze.

"Well, uh, because I, I do know him. Pretty well in fact. And I uh, well… Because I think it's important you know why he was at your house." He kept his eyes averted, not wanting her to see exactly how important it was, but of course being quite an observant girl it didn't escape her notice. She tilted her head to the side and let her gaze return to the ship. It looked uncommonly quiet, and even from here she could see that the pirates were practically tiptoeing around. She looked back to Ansel and could see the sad look he graced the ship with himself.

"What's wrong with him Ansel? Normally he would have sought some kind of payback on Peter by now for messing up whatever plan, but there hasn't been anything but the barest of activity on that ship." Ansel looked at her now, his eyes full of worry.

"You can't tell him that I said so. Swear it." She nodded solemnly.

"I swear I will never say that anything you say was heard from you." He sighed and sitting in her palm, confessed what he did know.

"He hasn't left his room in over a week. The last time he did, he had all the booze locked away from the crew and was acting really erratic. Smee says that he hasn't even gotten out of his bed in three days now. Nothing he says seems to have any effect and James won't even allow me in." The way he openly used Hook's name seemed to confirm for Anne that he was telling the truth. But being the smart girl she was she paused.

"You're the one who helped him get his ship to my world aren't you?" He bit his lip and looked down, still avoiding her gaze. "Yes. But I didn't think he would be foolish enough to do what he did, at least the way he did." She made a decision quickly after that answer, her curiosity more than piqued, even knowing that it was likely to upset her place in her new home. Peter was going to be furious when he found out.

"Okay, go and let the pirates know that I will be flying over, I don't need some idiot taking a shot at me. I'll do what I can." Ansel was up on his feet hugging her wrist for all he was worth, thanking her over and over before he zoomed off towards the ship. Sighing, she waited for Ansel to return, to give her the all clear.

Her heart was hammering in her chest as she wondered once again if she'd lost her blasted mind. She was standing before a door that on the other side was a man she'd already met once, and had fled from. She took a deep breath before she knocked. The crew was somewhere behind her, watching hopefully for any sign that their captain might be satisfied with this. That he might snap out of his funk. There was a thunk on the other side, as though someone had fallen. Perhaps from a bed, she could hear someone cussing quite vehemently. A voice sounded out from within, annoyance and anger obvious.

"Damn it all Smee, I told you to leave me the bloody hell alone. I'm not coming out right now. Now go the fuck away or walk the bloody plank or something, just leave me be." His cussing didn't really faze her, but the despondence in his tone did. This was not the Hook she thought she knew. Knocking again, not wanting to have to yell through the door, she waited as once again she heard the thunk, and then more cussing. This time though she heard him shuffling across the floor, coming to chase off whatever fool was disturbing him. She sucked in a deep fortifying breath. With only one quick glance, she could see that the crew had abandoned their watchful positions and had hidden. She couldn't help but mutter cowards under her breath, even if every fiber of her wanted to do the same. When the door was yanked open with quite a lot of force she gasped involuntarily. He had answered the door bare-chested, his long dark hair cascading down around his tanned shoulders. Thankfully he had on bottoms, but they were only pajama bottoms, that were slung dangerously low on his narrow hips. She gulped as she saw his eyes cycle through many emotions. Confusion, hope, anger, fear. He finally drew back his wild emotions and fixed her with what she was sure was supposed to be an intimidating gaze, but the effect was quite different with him being shirt less and so very… she wasn't sure why, but the word yummy kept coming to mind.

"What in the hell are you doing here girl, shouldn't you be off chasing some brat who needs a bath?" The completely out of the blue question made a large part of her want to laugh, as she had done just that a bit earlier in the day, but without waiting for an invitation, she pushed past him into the room. He seemed even more surprised now, and more than a little annoyed.

"Excuse me, but what are you doing? These are my private quarters… leave." But even as he said this he'd already closed the door, unsure and confused. He'd drunk quite a lot of his own personal stash of wine in the last several hours and was wondering if this was real or a hallucination, and it wouldn't be good to have his crew see him in such a state. She turned and looked at him carefully now. He didn't have one of his dangerous looking hooks on right now, and he was completely unarmed. He seemed not so frightening, and honestly, that feeling she'd had when she'd first seen him was now attacking her again, the molten shiver turning into a molten knot in her stomach. Stepping closer, she watched him take a step back, confusion flashing again before he could blank out his face.

"Why have you locked yourself in here?" He blinked, as if just realizing she was real.

"What business is it of yours girl?" She cocked her head to the side some, a half smile making it's way to her lips.

"Because I want to know. Call me the cat curiosity will probably kill, but I couldn't help but notice that you've never let Peter's foiling your plans, whatever they may be, go unpunished. It's been over two weeks and nothing. Have you lost your nerve?" He again blinked and stepping closer, reached out, touching her face as he did in her room. She kept as still as she could. His eyes scanned her face even as she wondered at his lack of response to her goading remark.

"You're actually here…" The strange comment was, well strange. She wasn't sure what to make of it, so didn't address it. Though recognizing the sweet acrid scent on his breath made her more than willing to let some strangeness in his actions or words slide.

"Hook, you've never let Peter get away with messing up your plans before, what's different this time?" He refocused his eyes on hers, not removing his fingers from her face. They were gently stroking the edge of her jaw now.

"You. You were the difference." She was the one that looked confused now, except she didn't bother trying to hide her confusion.

"Why did you try to kidnap me and my brother? Why is this any different than the last time you kidnapped my grandmother to use against Peter?" Something seemed to darken in his eyes. He was unsure. He paused, not wanting to answer. But again, liquor screwed with the way of things.

"Because I wasn't taking you away to use against the brat. I wanted to save you from that drab and sad life myself before that self centered little punk could take the credit." The quickly spoken words almost didn't register, but she leaned into his touch, indicating she heard him. His breath hitched.

"So you weren't going to hurt us with those guns and swords?" He grimaced, letting his fingers wrap around the edge of her jaw before pushing some her dark hair out of her face.

"For a pirate, those guns and swords become a part of us without our thinking of them. We put them on without thinking as some would a pair of glasses. I forgot to take the bloody things off before coming for you, I didn't mean to frighten you or the boy. That was the last thing I wanted to do." The knot in her stomach gave a flip and twist, the heat spreading as she let her eyes close some, his fingers ghosting over her lips. She wondered if this was why her friendship with Peter seemed to be that and no more, just a friendship. She knew Peter had tried desperately to view her with the gaze one would a desired one, but no matter how he tried, he didn't want her. He knew it, and so did she. She'd thought that maybe she was just not enough, but that look on Hook's face had haunted her thoughts, made her wonder. Thinking quickly back over all the stories she'd ever told, she tried to remember what she'd felt towards this male, what she'd thought of him. She remembered feeling for him, wondering in horror as her grandmother told her of Pan cutting off his hand, why he would do something so terrible. How such a man would cope with such a loss. She shuddered a little as he caught her gaze again. He was falling into that look in her eyes. Twin pools of confused surprise and fear. He leaned in and brushed his lips first across her forehead, and then her cheeks. When she didn't pull away, he brushed his lips against the edge of her jaw, and could feel her sharp intake. She seemed to be coming back to her senses and looked up at him wonderingly.

"You were watching me weren't you?" He froze, his eyes wider with shock, even as he tried to school them back into his placid expression.

"What?" She smiled, knowing she'd finally figured out something that had been bugging the hell out of her.

"When you came into my house, something felt familiar, the way you were looking at me, just as it did now. It's like I've always been looked at that way. It could only be because you were watching me before then." His eyes were wider now, and she watched as the red spread across his sun tanned face. This gave her an excellent, in her opinion, excuse to study his strong features. He wasn't what she knew a lot of women would call handsome, or even good looking, but he was more than so in her opinion. He had a strong, but not over bearing jaw line that outlined his longer face and soft inviting lips. This all accentuated the carved look of his cheek bones, which only served to make his dark, lash fringed eyes stand out in his face. He was strikingly attractive to Anne.

"Well, I uh…" He stuttered some as he attempted to think of something to make him sound less stalker like.

"I don't mind, it seems the females in my family are quite adept at attracting peeping toms." She said this jokingly, but as his face colored a deeper shade of red, she wondered if perhaps he'd taken it as an insult. He had.

"I am not some pervert who watches little girls… like that." He said this as though this was what Pan did. She couldn't help but wonder at how true that actually was.

"I never said you were."

"But you implied it."

"Then it was without intending to."

"But you still implied it."

"For that matter, you imply that you've been watching for some time, how long?" His face colored even more, his eyes leaving hers for a moment as he answered.

"Years. Since you were very young and before the boy could walk." She kept her eyes on his. He was a bit ashamed to have done so, that was obvious. But she could see it there, in his eyes. He didn't watch for some perverted reason, he wanted to know what Peter did. The thrill of hearing storied about yourself. She smiled softly."But you watched even after I stopped telling the stories didn't you?" He nodded, still not meeting her eyes.

"Why?" He sighed and shrugged, his eyes clouding. She searched those eyes and still found nothing to disturb her, or make her think ill of his actions.

"Well I'm not a little girl now, nor have I been for some time." His eyes, if it was at all possible, seemed to have darkened , or perhaps that was just his thoughts darkening. She gulped a bit.

"Of this I am quite aware." She watched as his eyes seemed to caress over her entire figure, coming back up to regard her eyes meaningfully. She wondered just how mad she may have become. She was standing here with the man that was the 'sworn' enemy of not only her actual little brother, but the boys she'd accepted as her adopted little brothers. Not to mention Peter, who would be incredibly pissed at her for coming here in the first place so recklessly, not to mention the compromising picture the two of them made. Her standing so close, and him with not much more than a pair of night pants on. Night pants that hung sinfully low, exposing a soft trail of dark hair that slid down his flat belly and under the edge of those pants to places she could not quite picture… but secretly wanted to, very much. She colored several shades of red as the awareness of this washed over her, especially since she, for the life of her, could not command her legs to take the necessary steps backward to take her out of arms length of him. He seemed to be quite aware of this as well. His hand came up to cup her jaw, thumb tracing lazy lines across her lower lip. His eyes seemed to be studying her face, the hazy arousal in her eyes, the trust inherent in her gaze. She wasn't fleeing from him, and she'd come here of her own accord. His eyes suddenly flicked to hers with a question.

"How did you get onto my ship without my being alerted first? For that matter, who told you to come and seek me out?" The way his fingers tightened on her jaw brought the first flickers of fear to her eyes and he drew his hand back, not wanting to let his temper show so obviously. She hesitated to answer, the truth bubbling behind her lips far too quickly for her to trust her mouth. But she only hesitated a moment, long enough to get her words in order.

"The other pirates were worried for their captain, and knowing that you were upset because of something to do with me, they captured me on the shore. To bring to you. After they explained a little, telling me that you hadn't been out of your room in a week, I agreed to come and speak to you." She kept her eyes averted from his, and he could tell she wasn't telling the whole truth. But she'd told the truth in that she came here of her own accord, and he suspected a certain fairy had a hand in her sudden appearance. He was satisfied that she'd come to him out of true worry, not force.

"So I can safely say Ansel came and somehow convinced you to come to try and coax me from my room then?" Her eyes flashed to his quickly and then away, red covering her features as she let her hair fall in her face, hiding behind the dark wild tresses.

"I swore Hook. Don't make me break a promise." It was more than a satisfying answer and he tilted her face back up to his, studying her green eyes, eyes that made him feel as though he were gazing at a dark untamed forest. She was wild by nature, not unlike the boy he clashed with so often. But where Peter was mocking, she was caring, and where he was mean, she was kind. So alike, and yet so totally different that she could take his breath away. And she'd come to him out of that same caring. Out of that same kindness. Even through the left over tipsiness he felt like a cad. She'd come to him and he was taking advantage of her innocence, of the trust she was showing. He sighed and removed his fingers from her jaw.

"I won't. Not any of them if I can help it. You should go before Pan realizes where you are." She was looking at him now, surprise and confusion there, with what looked like a bit of hurt. He reminded himself of her youth again, of her innocence and how she couldn't possibly know what her presence made him ache for, yearn for.

"But, what, I mean… I can't just leave you here to hide alone in this bloody room." The confusion and hurt in her eyes were battling with what he could tell was quite a bit of anger. No one takes rejection well, especially when they don't know it's for their own good. He smiled and walked a bit away from her, though it hurt terribly to do so, until he was standing beside the door again.

"Oh but my dear you can, I am feeling… better. I won't be confining myself anymore so you can go with my assurance that I won't be." His dismissing manner really did hurt her, though she wasn't entirely sure why. Something made her think he had wanted to kiss her, but now she wasn't sure. His change in mood and demeanor making her wonder if maybe she'd done something wrong. Walking back to the door she looked up at him, the urge to say something was there, but she could think of nothing to say. He looked down at her, and she felt a sudden surge of anger take her. Without another word she turned, yanked open the door and was gone. He'd watched her take off without any fairy's aid, but found he wasn't surprised. She was a wonder in the flesh, and the need to try and riddle out the why's of her simply wasn't there, and definitely not in the wake of her angry exit. He knew he did not handle that well. He sighed to himself as he hollered for Smee, the eerily empty feeling inside growing, but the need to keep his word to her was more pressing. Not to mention not wanting the angry wild girl to come back because he'd broken his word to her… who knew what a girl in that state of mind would do.

Indeed, what would an angry girl do.

She paced among the clouds, paying little heed to the winds that whipped her hair around wildly. She didn't fully understand what had taken place in Hook's room, but something had. And it had been important. He'd wanted something from her, something she wasn't sure she would have refused, but he'd sent her away. Had taken the decision out of her hands. The more she went over it, the more confused and angry she got. She was young, but she wasn't stupid, or all that innocent. She knew what a kiss was, and that what followed one wasn't something to be had lightly… And she was certain now of his intention to kiss her, and then suddenly he'd pushed her away. He'd refused to kiss her. She fisted her hands as she tried to hold them still at her sides. But she was shaking. Shaking badly. Something in her finally broke, but instead of the fury one would have expected, the screaming and angry hollering. A sob broke free, not just one, but a string of them. Once the first was out, she couldn't stop them. She floated down to the dark woods she'd first spotted upon entering Never Land, and finding herself alone, let them take her. It took a while for her to even register the wetness falling onto her skin, and it was long after her shaking had turned to shivering.

It was raining, quite hard.

She stayed that way a good while, watching the skies open up, weeping as openly and as inexplicably as she. Her heart felt broken, and with the pain of it came the knowing. Her knowing why she cried, and why it hurt when he'd sent her away. Because without realizing it, without even wanting it, she'd fallen head over heels for the one man she couldn't have. Captain James Hook.

The boys looked high and low for Anne, the rain making them all the more desperate to find her. Rain wasn't a common occurrence in Never Land, but when there was rain, it almost never bode well. Peter was the most worried aside from Leo. The boy had told him that she'd told him she would be near the shore. She'd said she was going to gather sea shells. They'd been making alarm chimes from them and had run out. The idea that she'd been captured by Hook took hold in his mind, and try as he might he couldn't bring himself to think otherwise. With a quick order that they should continue searching in an increasing radius from the hideout, Peter flew off, his destination clear in his mind.

Starkley, first mate of Captain Hook, stood quietly beside Smee and Hook. It had been hours since the girl, Anne, had stormed off. Though he wasn't sure what all had transpired in the captains quarter's, he was at least glad that he'd come out of his room, and he'd even bathed and dressed. But he was still worried. The captain still didn't look himself, try though he did to make it seem as though all were right. When the rains started, he'd looked particularly disturbed. Captain Hook stood near the bow of his ship, staring off towards the land. Starkley stayed at attention beside him and the small old Smee, one of the few pirates who had more than minimal manners or form. It was one of the few reasons he and Smee got along. Starkley was an ex military sailor. He'd served until he'd become too fed up with his then captain's ways. He'd been pushed around and belittled too often for having good manners and good form. Mostly because he would not strike an unarmed man when he was ordered to. Captain Hook on the other hand appreciated his manners and good form, that's why he'd ended up the first mate. He could be trusted to show good form and reflect well upon his captain. But something in the way the girl had looked as she left the captain's room had bugged him, leaving him wondering, questioning his captains actions. What had he done to put such a black scowl on the girl's face. She'd seemed sweet and good natured enough when she'd come aboard. Admittedly, he hadn't quite grilled her about herself, or pushed to know why she'd want to help a pirate when it was obvious where her loyalties lie. But she didn't seem the type to storm away for something little. This thought was in the minds of both Starkley and Smee as they watched their captain go from looking sure of himself, to looking quite worried. When they spotted Pan flying over the water towards them, his eyes went from worried to near panicking, even as he reigned in his expression, they knew him well enough to know the feelings that were playing under the surface. Peter landed just before them, not nearly as graceful as he normally was because of the rough winds.

"Where is she Hook? I know you have her!" The looks that passed between the two seemed to contain a whole conversation. If one could translate it, it would have gone something like this.

"She was here, but she isn't now. I thought she was with you?"

"But I haven't seen her, I thought you'd stolen her."

"But I didn't and I have no idea where she is."

"Why was she here?"

"Uh…"

"What did you do Hook"

"…" The looks stopped just as Pan's mouth opened, his voice clear though it should have been lost in the rising winds.

"What did you do Hook?" He could feel the eyes of his crew on him as well, asking the same question the angry boy before him did. He had to ask himself the same honestly. If she was the cause of the storm, he had to admit he was the cause for her anger… But the rain spoke of more than anger. It spoke of a hurt that was as in sync with his own as the waves with the moon. He'd hurt her, and he hadn't needed to raise a hand. But how do you explain this to someone who could never fathom such a thing.

"I did not harm her. She came here earlier, seeking to speak with me. She left and I haven't seen her since." The cold manner in which he answered sounded foreign to his own ears. The rain slapped violently against his face then, almost as if chastising him. A little bobbing light came across the waters as it was tossed mercilessly. He found himself thankful it wasn't Ansel, but the fairy Tinker Bell.

"Peter, Ansel and I found her in the southern woods. But we can't get her to move. She just keeps staring at the sky. She doesn't seem to be hurt, but she's not acting right." She glanced at the guilty look that flashed across Hook's face before he could school his features back to their impassiveness. She wasn't the only one who caught the look. Peter's gaze was black then, far angrier than any of them was accustomed to seeing.

"If I find out you hurt her Hook, nothing will stop me from killing you. And I won't bother with the fucking crocodile this time." His cussing, and obvious anger made Hook flinch internally. But he managed to maintain his gaze. Peter was gone before he could think of something to say.

When Peter arrived, he was surprised to find Anne exactly as Tinker Bell had described. He'd thought maybe she'd over exaggerated in her normal way. But there she was. She was gazing up at the sky, unmoving, unheeding of the rain or Ansel who was flitting about her worriedly. She was pale, and she was shivering with the cold. But she seemed otherwise unharmed. But he was not ignorant, he knew a girl could be hurt in ways not immediately visible.

"Anne? Anne, what's wrong." Her eyes were glazed, as though she'd been this way a long while. She didn't look at him, and didn't seem to be inclined to acknowledge his presence at first. After a few seconds though she finally spoke.

"I thought when we couldn't seem to find it in ourselves to like each other that maybe we just weren't mature enough. That maybe we just weren't built that way. But you know, I realized something. It's me. The reason things never work is me." He couldn't have looked more confused. He reached out and tried to pull her into his arms. He needed to get her back to the hideout, somewhere, anywhere warm. He thought she must be hallucinatory with fever. But her skin was like ice under his touch. She pulled away from him as though it hurt.

"Please don't." She still didn't look at him, or the fairies that flittered around them like dim globes of light.

"I don't understand Anne, what's wrong?" She looked at him then, and the sensation of being gut kicked seemed quite adequate. Her eyes were red rimmed and puffy, though one could hardly make out tears in the rain. She was pale, even her usually rosy cheeks were colorless. The only color in her face was the light red that seemed to surround her glassy green eyes.

"You can't understand Peter. I didn't even understand at first. But I think I do now. There is something wrong with me. Inside, deep where I didn't notice it." Her rambling disturbed him, and he wanted nothing more than to comfort her, but he didn't know how.

"Most people never know me Peter, I mean really know me. And those that do, they can never see me with anything but a tolerant eye. Heh. Even you." She looked away for a moment, as if seeing something beyond him.

"I know you care, you needn't make yourself uncomfortable saying so. But it's not the kind of care you had for Wendy, or even Jane. I'm not so blind as to know that. You and I are too alike to be anything but friends. But I thought, I didn't mean to think about him… Never mind what I thought. It doesn't matter anyway." She seemed angry for a moment before her face faded back to that listless look of pain.

"But I'm still a girl, and I'm old enough to know what the ache in my chest is. Why it's there. And I'm smart enough to have realized that the ache won't go away. That no one will make that ache go away. That girls like me are the ones who need to learn to live with it, to bear it quietly. But I'm stubborn. Now that I know I'm not the girl who gets the happy end, I need time to adjust. Just go away and leave me alone. I need to be alone." Her dismissal of him worried him. He didn't know if was actually supposed to go away or if he was supposed to fight her out of this sulky sadness that seemed to have taken over his normally cheerful friend. She was seriously upset, and in a way he wasn't familiar with. She seemed mad that someone didn't like her in the way she wanted, but he wasn't sure if she meant him or someone else. The way she talked made him think someone else. But he couldn't think who the other could possibly be. His mind ran over the fact that just before becoming mad she'd talked to Hook, but he dismissed that as being silly. But he might have told her that trying for this person was useless. That was it, he must have put this hopelessness into her. Hook made Anne cry, made her mad. With a sudden redness suffusing his face, one that Anne noticed, she watched him zoom away and back towards the ship. Her eyes widened in fear as she jumped up and fell immediately. She'd sat curled up so long that her legs were completely numb between the cold and their lack of use. She felt Ansel at her elbow, for the first time aware of the fairies' presence. She ignored Tink for the moment and quickly addressed Ansel.

"You need to get there ahead of Peter and warn Hook, hurry." Tink gave her an angry look, as though she must have lost her mind. But Ansel gave her a speculative one.

"He rejected you?" It was said with disbelief. Anne sighed and pushed him off her shoulder.

"Yes, but that's not important. Peter must think something, who knows what that boy thinks. Just go warn Hook before they both do something foolish." With that Ansel took off at a fairy's pace, which could easily beat out Peter's any day. Anne sighed as she tried again to raise from the wet ground. The stinging sensation of being slashed caught her by surprise. She looked up to see Tink glowing bright red, obviously assuming the worst of Anne. That she'd betrayed Peter, and worst, that she'd gotten Ansel to do the same. Anne paused before opening her mouth, wondering if perhaps falling in love with the captain was treason against those she loved. If she loved the man they all swore their enemy, hadn't she already betrayed them. She felt another tear well in the corner of her eye before being swept away by the rain. It didn't matter. She needed to get up and get there quickly. The thought that one would hurt the other because of her made an ache open up in her chest that felt as though it were bleeding. Pushing herself onto her feet, though she was nearly blinded by the pain, she leapt into the air and began flying not unlike Peter, though driven by an entirely different thing. She needed to protect them from each other.

When Hook saw the second bobbing light zooming across the water, he could only assume it was Ansel. He was expecting a tongue lashing, to be physically accosted by the little male he knew had become quite attached to Anne. But he hadn't expected for the fairy to fly up yelling what he was.

"Hook arm yourself now." The sound was not one of wanting to fight him, but one of warning. He immediately motioned for Smee to get him his weapons, which for once he had not instinctively worn as he had for as long as he could remember. He wanted to ask what, and why, but they were both answered as he saw a green clad shape break the line of trees, barreling quite fast in his ship's direction. He wondered just what had been said to make the boy so reckless as to seek him out so boldly. He didn't have time to wonder long as his gun was strapped to his waist as well as his sword just moments before the boy landed not ten feet in front of him. The other pirates instantly went to surround him, but Hook waved them away. He didn't like the idea of so many against one. If he was one thing, it was a fair man. One on one, no more. Peter yelled at him, and he found himself confused.

"What did you say to her Hook? Who was it?" His brow furrowed as he tried in vain to understand the strange questions.

"What are you talking about boy?" Peter growled under his breath and took a threatening step forward. Accordingly Hook placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, ready for any move Peter might make. But he was genuinely curious. It was obviously about Anne, and though he'd told himself he couldn't ever have her, he still didn't want her hurt.

"She thinks that some-things the matter with her. She says there's an ache in her chest that won't stop. That no one will make it stop. That she has to live with it. You told her something to make her chest ache. You're the only one she's talked to today, so what did you say? Why did you tell her she doesn't get a happy ending? What did she ever do to you to make her deserve to hurt so bad that she was sitting alone crying in the rain? What did she ever do to you that you would go out of your damn way to hurt her?" Hook's look of confusion pissed Peter off more than he was, mostly because he thought he was faking it. He flew forward to attack, his blade having been pulled out and was aimed right at Hook's chest.

Hook was stunned though.

He didn't react to Pan's attack, couldn't had he wanted to. She had said her chest ached. That no one would make it go away. That she didn't get a happy ending. He knew what she was talking about, and felt damn stupid. If that blade met his chest and sliced clean through his heart, it would only make the organ match his feelings. But as he closed his eyes, readying himself for the sensation of steel slashing through flesh, it never came. A growl in front of him had his eyes opening quickly. Dark brown, very wet hair was nearly filling his field of vision. But the sight of a very surprised and upset looking Pan just beyond could be seen. She shoved him back forcefully, nearly throwing Peter so far off balance as to make him fall. She was panting with the exertion of getting here in time, from stopping Peter's attack. But Hook could only stare at her. She looked like a warrior goddess to him just then. Her hair was plastered down by the rain, but tendrils still curled wildly here and there, fighting the rain's influence. She was pale and trembling. But her muscles stood out upon her arms like tightly corded vines. She looked at him for a moment, and even though the gaze was sad, her eyes were like emeralds flashing flames.

"What the hell Anne? Get out of the way!" Peter had given up on trying to understand what was going on, and had decided that if nothing else he'd solve the problem by getting rid of Hook. Anne looked at him again, and he could see a fire jumping there. An angry and frightening fire.

"No. I'm not going to let you hurt him because of some misguided need to avenge or protect me." Her face was tight and controlled, but Peter could still see the red around her eyes from her crying and it reinforced his need to hurt Hook.

"He made you cry. He hurt you. I'm going to kill him." It was said with such anger that Anne sighed.

"Yes he made me cry. But it wasn't his fault. It's my own stupid fault." The strange statement made all the males stop. Her voice broke as she explained.

"The only one who you have reason to kill is me Peter. If anyone's done wrong it's me. I betrayed you. I betrayed the boys. I did something unforgivable, and I can't apologize for it." Peter's confusion was shared by all present, except for maybe one who was staring intently at her, though she couldn't bring herself to look at him again.

"You couldn't betray us Anne, you're my friend. You're their big sister. You said that big sisters protect and look out for their little brothers." The anger in his voice was obvious, though he still didn't understand how she'd betrayed them.

"When a big sister can. But no one is immune to their own heart Peter. I've done the stupidest possible thing. I fell for the enemy, and I got hurt. I can't even bring myself to be sorry for it. I just feel stupid. I feel so very stupid." She was unmistakably crying now. She floated to the deck of the ship, the happiness she'd pretended gone. She couldn't fool her mind into letting her feel what she didn't. Pan stood there, motionless, staring at her and then at Hook alternately. Hook didn't look away from her, not once Peter realized. From the moment she'd appeared, Hook's eyes hadn't left her. Her shoulders were shaking as sob after sob broke the silence. The storm still raged around them, but the winds had died. It was just a steady downpour of rain. Peter watched as quietly and woodenly the man made his way to her side and dropped to his knees beside her. She didn't look up, simply cried into her hands that she kept cupped around her face. Peter felt as though he should do something, attack Hook, wrap his arms around Anne, fly away and not look at this scene that made him feel weird. But his brain couldn't make up it's mind about which he should do.

Hook caressed her shoulder that seemed to be endlessly shaking, as was the rest of her. Her dark hair cascaded around her on all sides, hiding what parts of her face that she didn't cover with her hands. He watched a moment longer before speaking, trying to steady the shaking in his own voice.

"Anne, you love me?" She nodded her head, a soft sob breaking through again. She seemed to be saying something but he couldn't quite make it out. He pulled her hands away from her face carefully. She wouldn't look at him.

"I'm sorry I've caused you so much trouble. I won't bother you again." Finally making out the words she was mumbling didn't make him feel any better. He'd pushed her away thinking he was protecting her from the pain he was likely to cause her, only to cause her more pain anyway. He'd done this to her. He'd hurt Anne, the one person that he'd never wanted any hurt to come to. He'd watched for years as she'd dreamt and hoped. Waiting for someone to save her, to make the pain in her life go away. To love her. And like an idiot, he'd pushed her away without realizing it was not just him loving her, but her loving him. She'd needed his love and he'd taken it from her. She needed him and he wasn't there. He tried to pull her into his arms, but she started to pull away. He gripped her chin, much as he had in his room, forcing her eyes to his. He could see the pain and hopelessness there. He'd put that there. She thought no one could love her. He knew how she thought. Knew her better than she probably knew herself. She was gazing at him sadly, without expecting anything at all. She thought he was pitying her. He felt the stab deep down. Finally deciding on a course of action, he didn't wait for his mind to analyze what his heart said do, he just did it. He dipped his head and pressed his lips to hers. There was no force, no demand in his kiss. But he was begging. With every fiber of his being he begged her to see that he really did love her. That for her alone did his heart beat, and that it had been that way from the moment he'd seen her, before he'd even known he could feel that way. Her lips were surprised beneath his, motionless with her fear. But within moments she responded, pressing eagerly into the kiss. Responding to his love with more than an answering one. He wrapped her in his arms then, drawing her close. She didn't fight him this time, but dragged him even closer still, till it felt as though their hearts were beating the same frantic tattoo. They only separated when the need for air became great enough and even then it was begrudgingly. As they let their eyes focus on one another, her body held tightly to his, the realization of what had just happened hit them. They'd just kissed in front of his crew, and in front of Peter Pan. She looked over at Peter hesitantly, fearfully, just as Hook did his crew. They were all speechless and slack jawed. When the crew suddenly let up a cheer akin to the one the Lost Boys had that first day, Anne nearly leapt out of Hook's arms as well as her skin. But she didn't let her eyes leave Peter's. He seemed conflicted. He looked somewhere between cussing her and flying away, and it scared her. She knew this was a huge betrayal of him, that her loving a pirate was unforgivable. That she may as well have stabbed him in the back. But she didn't want to have to choose. She loved her brothers, she loved Peter as her friend. But she was deeply and undeniably in love with James Hook. And now that she knew she had a chance with him, nothing would make her give him up without a bloody fight.

He could feel her fingers tighten on his jacket, and he let his eyes follow hers. Peter was staring speechlessly at them. He couldn't help but think it ironic this would be the one time the boy would be without a thing to say. But he couldn't laugh at it just now, not with the one he loved being so fearful of his reaction.

"Do you love her Hook?" The faint thought that this was perhaps the longest he'd ever gone without the brat calling him a codfish flitted through his mind before he could answer the very seriously posed question.

"Yes I do. I have for a very long time." He could feel those finger's hold become tremulous, and looking back into those beautiful green eyes could see the hope there. She was looking at him now, waiting for him to speak.

"Then why'd you make her cry? Why did you hurt her?" The questions were fair, he knew it. Her eyes were full of the same questions, though he'd half hoped he could answer them in private.

"Because like everyone I can make a stupid mistake. I thought she couldn't love me, that her reaction was just that of someone too innocent to understand what she was getting into. I didn't want to hurt her." Though he was answering Peter, he was begging Anne with his eyes, wanting her to understand. Needing her to. She smiled, a small smile, a slightly embarrassed but deeply happy and loving smile. But it was a smile, and it was for him. A fire lit in his heart then, one he decided he'd never let die again. If he had to die for it, he always wanted to be the one that would make that smile appear. Her fingers caressed up to push his wet hair away from his face, finger combing the strands that had plastered themselves to his cheeks.

"She won't ever grow up. She'll always be the way she is now. And she'll always be one of us, not a pirate." The statement was made with nothing but truth, no anger, no resentment. But Hook thought to himself what he said next.

"I'd have it no other way. I've watched her grow up even when you didn't Pan. When you abandoned the window because she no longer told your stories, I was there. I've never stopped being there. I know her about as well as anyone ever could, maybe better than she knows herself in some ways. I've always known what side of the line she'd fall on when she came here. She's too goodhearted to be a pirate. But to be honest, she's too goodhearted to be one of your Lost Brats to. She's something completely and utterly different. SO much more. I think you called her a Big Sister. That's a pretty good description. But I think she's more a Benevolent Angel. No matter what, she can't help but be kind to those around her. Younger, older, related or not. She shows kindness and caring for everyone. When I asked how she knew that I was in a bad way before, when I asked why she came to speak to me, do you know what she told me Peter?" It was the first time Peter could remember the man addressing him by his name and he blinked and shook his head. He was incredibly surprised by what Hook was revealing about himself.

"She told me that she'd been kidnapped by my crew to cheer me up. She did this to protect them from my anger, because she thought they would get in trouble for letting her onto my ship without my permission. This is no more than a group of cutthroats, and she kindly as you please, stuck her neck in a noose for them. Without any other reason than she is the kindest person a body could ever hope to meet." Hook caressed his fingers though her hair slowly, tucking several errant strands behind her ear. The crew had fallen silent now as well, looking at her with new eyes as hers fell from Hook's, a look akin to embarrassment coloring her features. Smiling softly, Hook slid his fingers back under her chin, tilting her face back up to his. He brushed his lips across hers, soft and undemanding. Drawing back, there was that smile again.

"Peter, you may take her back to whatever new hideout you've got that is proving far too much trouble to find, but wherever she goes, she takes my heart. I left it at her window every night for a long time, and now she has it always. Whether or not she wants it. She isn't a Pirate, and she isn't a Lost Boy. She is something else. She is Anne, and as far as I'm concerned, if she'll have me, I belong to her and she to I." Anne knew the question in that statement. It made her heart beat so rapidly, and made her heart so full she thought she just might grow wings and fly away with the happiness.

"I've been yours longer than I've known you James. I couldn't belong to or with any other. That's why I cried. I knew it the moment I realized I wanted you to kiss me. When I realized why I'd come to you in the first place. Because I've always loved you. Because I always will." Peter watched the looks pass between them, the child in him recoiling with disgust and cringing… crying eww. But the rest of him that understood what was before him, and that it was well out of his hands, sighed. How was he to argue with that look in her eyes, the one that was as happy as she'd been sad mere minutes ago. Besides, Hook was right. She was too good to be either or. The normal rules did not apply. She wasn't betraying him, not in this. Following one's heart was never a betrayal. She was too young and innocent for the life of a Pirate, but she was too old for the simple carefree life of a Lost Boy. There had to be an in-between. He smiled as he realized what he could do to compromise, without compromising his hideout.

"Okay." Both Hook and Anne turned their eyes to him in surprise.

"What?" They both looked quite doubtful, and their voices sounded this simultaneously.

"I said okay. Anne isn't a betrayer because the rules don't apply to those who aren't Lost Boys or Pirates. But, because she isn't a Lost Boy, we will build her a little home, away from our hideout. Somewhat of an in-between. That way she can see you and us, without compromising the game." Hook blinked, surprised at the matter-of-factness the boy he normally so detested was displaying. It hadn't occurred to him, so he was grateful the boy was thinking with a clearer head than he. Apparently so was Anne as she leapt from Hook's arms into Peter's, surprising the boy so much she nearly knocked him down again.

"Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!" She was squeezing him hard enough to cut off his air. But still he smiled, and for once, Hook couldn't begrudge him the grin because he was grinning to.

"O-kay, need… air… can't… breathe…" She released him and turned red again. She was floating without realizing it, flitting not unlike a fairy between them. Both males noticed it, especially the fact that she hadn't interacted with any fairy for quite some time, since well before the rains had washed all the fairy dust from her.

"You're floating Anne." Peter said this with a crooked smile as it had finally occurred to him what she was. She looked down at herself surprised, and more than a little confused. She looked back at the too smart for his own good, look on Peter's face.

"But, I shouldn't be able to, should I?" Hook wrapped her fingers in his and drew her close, hugging her lightly to his body. Peter shook his head, but maintained that smile, the one that seemed to say the he knows something she doesn't.

"You're more like me than you thought Anne, because you and I are the same thing. We may have been born in that other place, but we were born FOR this one. Our souls are so heavily laced with the magic of Never Land, that we ourselves are magic. We are as much a part of Never Land as the fairies or the mermaids. If you went back to that world, with time you might become normal-ish. But you've accepted this land into your heart and so you will always carry it with you." She could feel Hook still beside her, and looked up to him to see his reaction. He was looking at her, waiting for her reaction. She smiled, caressing his face before doing something the Pirate never expected. She lifted him into the air with her, twirling him around before properly dancing him through the air. His heart was hammering against his ribs, never having been more than a few inches off the ground before, unless he was climbing something of course. But her arms wrapped around him and he didn't care how it was happening, he was happy as long as her arms were wrapped around him. Together they danced across the now calm and peaceful waters as they all looked on. Even the Lost Boys watched from the shore as Tink had fetched them. As the Pirates clapped their approval and happiness for their Captain and his beautiful mate, a collective sound arose from the shore.

"YUCK!"

---

I shall thank you all in advance for any good things you may have to say about this story.

But before it's asked I shall answer one thing.

This was always intended to be a one shot, a long one shot, but a one shot.

However, I might be persuaded to write more if I get asked enough. This is not me begging for comments or reviews (though they are both quite nice, especially when one accompanies the other) but rather me giving you the reader a chance to ask for more. SO if you want more, then you know what to do. Oh and for those of you who like to raid profiles for funny shit to paste on yours, feel free to raid mine. I tend to do that, so have accumulated a little collection. Well, thanks for reading, and I hope you got something out of reading my brain baby that I have worked ever so hard on.

Written over the space of nine days.

Started on 1-2-11 at 9:36am

Completed on 1-11-11 at 4:45am

Word count (incl. extra & ff space lines)- 19312