Chapter 8 was really short so I decided to combine it with Chapter 7. Two for the price of one. Yippee!

I want to give a small warning on this chapter. There is nothing truly disturbing but it is kind of dark. Still well within the rating of this story. Please R&R I really do appreciate any and all feedback.

Disclaimer: I am not JM Barrie hence I do not own any of the Peter Pan story or its characters

Hook watched Peter fall to the ground. Lying in a slump at his feet Peter looked so helpless. Hook resisted the urge to gut him right then and there. Peter must suffer, and Hook would be sure that he did.

One of Hooks men hauled Peter's limp body up and over his shoulder, as they trudged off through the forest back to the beach. The fairies had been kind enough to bring the Jolly Roger back in one piece. Hook scowled thinking of the week long search they had undertaken to find her, blasted fairies having placed her on the other side of the island.

Over the next couple weeks Hook relished in having the infamous Peter Pan locked in his brig. He kept him alive and only very rarely resorted to physically injuring the boy. Usually he'd just sit down there and talk to Pan about Wendy. Hook knew he had found the boys Achilles that day on the ship. Even the thought of Wendy growing up without Peter had wounded the boy so badly, that Hook had almost defeated him. So Hook would sit there. Talk about how long it had been since Peter had last seen Wendy. That she must be growing tall. He'd muse on whether or not Wendy had given her thimble to another yet. The more the boy squirmed the more Hook would talk. This went on for almost a year. Peter's incarceration had also brought cold weather to Neverland. On days when Hook was particularly ruthless there would be storms. Hook found it fascinating and found himself trying to provoke different responses to get different weather.

Tink would routinely sneak in and try to loosen Peter bonds to no avail. She felt so helpless. She tried to get the Indians to help, and they made many attempts over the year to free Peter, but never succeeded.

One morning Hook awoke to a cold fresh ocean breeze and the sun streaming through the stained glass windows of the Jolly Roger. He felt particularly well rested and quite pleased with himself. Last night Hook had started on things that would happen to Wendy's body as she grew up. Giving Peter a detailed account of how his Wendy was changing. Hook had hoped this would scare the boy beyond reason and at least last night it certainly seemed to. He headed to the brig ready to begin again. He saw Peter curled on the dingy floor his blond hair almost black with dirt and grime. His wrists so badly bruised they had bled in spots, his ankles just as bad. Hook smiled, thoroughly pleased to see the anguish in the boys eyes when he looked up at his captor. Seeing as Hook was not done having fun he had the boy hauled to his feet so he could be rinsed off. It was only then that Hook noticed Peter staring at him. It was not the fact that the boys blue green eyes flashed with such anger and hatred, but that they were not hardly looking up at him anymore. Had the boy that refused to grow finally done so? Hook examined Peter having his thugs turn him around. The boy looked older as well. How he hadn't noticed this before he didn't know. This presented new opportunities to torment the boy. Without a word Hook left Peter in his cell. He planned on having a full length mirror brought in, forcing the boy to recognize the changes in himself. On his way out he barked at Smee. "Tend to the brats wounds. I don't want him dying just yet."

Smee entered the hold and carefully removed the shackles from Peter's ankles, cleaning the wounds where the iron had rubbed. Peter neither spoke or looked at Smee. The boy looked utterly defeated.

The next morning was the worst Peter could recall. Hook had his dressing mirror brought down and sat in one of his dining chairs next to it. Two pirates hauled Peter up holding his head by his hair so he could see himself.

"Well look at this," Hook sneered. "You have grown so tall. No more the little boy." Hook said drawing out the word boy. He went to stand next to Peter so he could see both their reflections in the mirror.

"Yes. Exactly as I thought, almost as tall as me. Soon you shall even need to shave your face I'd bet." Hook laughed as he went back to his chair. He went on torturing Peter with his words till he was ready to take his tea. He left Peter in a heap thoroughly reveling in the boys anguish. That afternoon Hook noticed it felt much warmer than it had since the boy had been caught. In fact it felt like the weather was back to normal. "How odd," Hook wondered aloud while puffing on his cigars.

Tink flew to the Indian village as fast as her tiny wings would carry her. They had drawn up another plan that, with the help of the mermaids, they thought could work. They planned to strike just before dawn the next day. Now Mermaids are dark creatures. They can be very helpful, but are also quite dangerous. Trusting them with distracting the pirates was a risky plan, but they had run out of options. All their previous plans had been all out attacks and many braves had been lost. This time they were hoping that stealth would be more effective.

It was still quite dark when the mermaids surrounded the ship. They started to softly sing a strange song. It was so quiet that the pirates barely realized they were actually hearing it. They certainly felt it though. They walked as if asleep toward the bow of the Jolly Roger away from the hold and brig access. Once they reached the upper deck they all just laid down as if to take a nap. No worries that they could be gutted for such an offence. Tink watched in amazement from high above the ship. It looked like this would work. Slowly, Tiger Lily and her three best braves snuck aboard. One stayed up on the deck and the rest went down to the hold. Peter laid on his back stretched out trying to sleep on the little bit of dried grass that was placed in his cell. When they reached Peter Tiger Lily gasped. Not only was it obvious he had been tortured but he had grown so tall. His leaves barely fit him any longer. Quickly the braves worked on getting the door open. Luckily the hinges were such that they were able to pop the pins out and push the door in. Peter awoke with a start and jumped to his feet. He looked like a frightened animal and had opened his mouth to yell. Tiger Lily put her knife away and started toward him with her hands out in front of her. "Shhh Peter, it is Tiger Lily. We come to rescue you."

Peter held his hands out showing the shackles he had been living in. The biggest of the braves stepped forward and pulled a small tool out of his pack. Tink had explained Peter's conditions to the Indians so they brought tools usually used to make weapons to hopefully help with the rescue. The brave worked on the shackles with not much luck for what seemed like forever. Suddenly the third brave came down and quickly spoke to Lily. Peter barely understood their native language anymore. Something about mermaids leaving?

Lily cursed under her breath. She knew those fish would betray them. She didn't know how long the effects of the songs would last, but probably not long enough. The brave had one of the shackles off, but was having trouble with the other. She spoke quickly to the other two. They climbed to the deck and readied themselves for battle. Out of the four pirates three had already started to stir. When they realized they were all laying on the bow they jumped up. Seeing the two Indians they yelled as they headed toward the hold. Lily heard the war whoop from the braves on deck and told the third to join them. She worked feverishly to free Peter. The other pirates would awake soon and she was sure Hook would not be far behind. The shadows of bodies being flung around the deck blocked the moonlight coming through the hatch making it even harder for Lily to see what she was doing. Finally she closed her eyes and moved the tool just so and….click. The latch freed. They headed for the deck. The battle was in full swing now. The other Pirates had joined along with the remaining braves that had been waiting in canoes below. Peter saw Hook coming toward him from his cabin and tried to fly. He didn't move. He tried again thinking of as many happy things as he could. It was if he was stuck to the deck.

Hook laughed. "What's the matter my boy. No happy thoughts left?"

Just as Hook swung his sword at Peter Lily pulled him out of the way, Hooks blade lodged in the main mast. Lily shoved Peter toward the rope ladder and forced him down. He was in no condition to fight so she needed to get him out of there. They reached the canoes and started to paddle away. Hook and his men tried to get the cannons loaded and aimed but were not quick enough. With the strength of the braves and the current at their backs they had rounded the bend before the first shot was fired.

Lily looked to congratulate Peter on being free finally and found he had passed out. She had to get him back to the village quickly. There Peter was tended to like one of their own. His wounds were treated and he was fed ground herbs and medicines to bring back his strength. Slowly Peter's wounds healed and he was as strong as ever. He was still unable to fly and seemed different to Tink and Lily. When asked if he thought going back to the tree house would help Peter refused. No one fully understood why but he didn't seem to ever want to go back there, so he just stayed with the Indians. Tink and Lily tried to help him regain his ability but months passed and it became clear that his happiness was just gone and without that was he even still the Pan.


So Peter had escaped again. Smee didn't see the big deal. This was the way of it. Hook would catch Peter almost defeat him and then he would get away. What Smee didn't realize was that every time Hook was unable to finish off the brat a piece of his soul died. Hook could no longer remember when or how he got to Neverland, but he knew it was more than a century ago and he was ready to leave that cursed rock once and for all. Sometimes he wished Peter would finally succeed in killing him. Although when it came down to it Hook just couldn't let go. Hence, the giant dead croc rotting on the beach. He wished the mermaids would drag the infernal thing off already the ticking was really starting to get on his nerves.

Hook was of course furious that his crew had failed him again and more than one pirate paid the ultimate price for their failure.

Hook also knew better then to go off half cocked after the boy. That always ended badly for him, usually in some terribly embarrassing way. No, Hook thought it better to retreat and plan. With his powers of flight gone he knew there was no way Peter could bring his precious Wendy to save him now. He knew Peter had changed, and Hook would bide his time and devise a plan that even the great Peter Pan couldn't thwart. Hook instructed his crew to maintain the Jolly Roger and keep her ready for battle and then withdrew to his cabin.

So Peter has grown some. Think Jeremy Sumpter somewhere between Clubhouse and The Sasquatch Gang (If you haven't seen it I highly recommend it. Very funny. (: Well I'm a total nerd so I thought it was funny.)