Chapter 10: Darkest Ambition

Bet you all thought I had given up on this fic huh? No I have not I am just a terrible person... Lol kidding! But I really am sorry for the wait guys. These last few months have been C.R.A.Z.Y in terms of travel, work, and my other story and well just about everything else. I will be honest that I haven't dedicated as MUCH time to this story as it does not have as large of a following as my other story but I know this is no excuse to leave it for so long and for that I am truly sorry. I will do my absolute best to get another two chapters after this one up before Christmas (not an easy task when I have another story to write as well. Why I have two stories up? Only God knows).

Pan and Claire

In the furthest reaches of his mind, there was a part of Pan that very much wanted Claire to run as far away from him as she could. Not so he could chase her as he had wanted to so many times before but because he feared what would happen to her feisty spirit if she continued to remain in Neverland. The selfish part of him would never allow her to leave but the more he looked at her, the more he wished that the good part of him was stronger than it was. But Pan was too far gone to do anything truly noble like letting her go; he had made sure of that hundreds of years ago when the Shadow had taken his heart. But still, there were emotions that Pan was beginning to feel of late; emotions that he had thought were dead long ago.

Right now for instance, Claire was ignoring him and he would have been lying if he said that the gesture didn't thrill him on some level. He was pleased that he was able to get under her skin so easily and his satisfaction only deepened every time she threw him a spiteful glare over her shoulder. Whether she was aware of it or not, Pan was beginning to be able to manipulate the way she felt towards him and very soon, he was going to turn that hatred she felt for him into something far more intimate. He knew she was still mad at him for forcing her compliance to return to camp but he also knew that she was determined to stick by her word. And if she wanted to fulfill her promise, she was going to have to be a lot more willing to abide by his rules than she was last time.

He watched her forceful stride through the trees with mixed admiration and amusement. Even now, she was determined to put on the facade of the strong woman rather than the lost little angel that she really was. They were nearing the camp again and Pan felt Claire hesitate as the raucous laughter of the Lost Boys reached her ears. "Don't worry," he told her smoothly as she glanced up at him in annoyance. "You'll get your own room this time."

"Aren't you just a gentleman?" she snapped sarcastically and Pan bit back a smile as he forced his face to remain serious.

"I still get to see you whenever I wish," he warned her. "But I don't want this to be like last time. If you need your space, I'll grant it."

Claire regarded him suspiciously as she glanced back towards the camp. "And how long will this chivalry of yours last?"

Pan grinned sadistically. "Not forever." He remembered something then and he reached into his pocket, noticing the way Claire tensed at his abrupt movement. She watched as he pulled out her bag and her eyes widened as she realized with dismay that she had again forgotten the precious contents of her old life. Her hands moved with a will of their own, grasping the purse as she pulled it from Pan's grip. He relinquished the bag easily, tilting his head at the way she hugged the purse to her chest.

Sentimental objects had never held much value to Pan, especially since he had very few of them, so he found it intriguing that Claire was so attached to hers. "Why is that bag so important to you?" he asked curiously as she opened the purse and pulled out a small, flat rectangular object. When she didn't respond, he gestured to the object in her hands. "What is that anyway?"

She bit her lip for a moment as she pressed something on its surface and the object lit up in her hands. Pan stared at it in surprise, floating closer as he examined the peculiar treasure. "It's called a phone," she responded as Pan eyed it warily.

"Is it magic?" he asked, watching as the light disappeared once again.

Claire snorted. "No."

"Then what does it do?" Pan asked in confusion.

"It's a communication device," she explained. "People from my world use it to call each other across long distances."

Pan suddenly felt his temper flare and he snatched the phone from her hands. "Hey!" Claire demanded angrily. "What are you doing?"

"You aren't going anywhere," he growled. "We have a deal. And you're not going to use this-" He held up the phone in his hand for emphasis. "-to call for help!"

Claire let out a cry of outrage. "That's mine!" she said heatedly, making a grab for the phone but he held it out of reach. "Besides it doesn't work here anyway!"

Pan faltered for a moment. "What do you mean?"

"There's no reception here," she snapped, shoving her hair back as the strands fell in front of her eyes. "I can't call anyone because it only works in my world."

Pan felt his shoulders relax slightly and he floated back toward the ground. His feet found purchase on the soft earth and he stepped toward Claire. "How do I know you're telling the truth?" he asked cautiously. Pan was still wary of Claire's unusual talent for lying to him. He had met very few people in his lifetime that could lie successfully, let alone fool him. While most of the time he could catch her out, Claire still managed to elude him from time to time.

Claire's eyes flashed defiantly. "Because I would've used it by now if I could," she said and Pan recognized the logic in her statement. Reluctantly he gave the phone back to her and she stepped away from him angrily. "So what good is it then?" he asked, feeling oddly guilty under her accusatory glare.

"It has photos in it," she said with a shrug as Pan raised his eyebrows in puzzlement.

"Pictures," she amended, recognizing the need for further explanation. "Pictures of the people I care about."

"How can you fit pictures in that tiny thing?" he questioned, genuinely interested.

"Maybe if you quit being such a jerk, I'll show you one day," she shot at him.

Pan opened his mouth to offer an angry retort but paused as she abruptly pulled off the back of the phone. It looked like she had broken it but seconds later, she fitted the piece back into place and Pan heard a small click. "I don't understand," she said uneasily before Pan could ask her what she was doing. "The battery should've died weeks ago."

Pan nearly rolled his eyes at her scarce knowledge of Neverland. "Nothing dies here," he said.

Claire looked at him again, pausing as she clicked at the phone. "What?"

Pan shrugged. "Well I don't know what a battery is but I can tell you that nothing dies in Neverland. Ever."

Claire looked at the phone in her hands again, her eyes reflecting her curiosity. "This place is weird," she decided, slipping the phone back into her purse.

She deposited the bag gently on the ground as she let out a weary sigh. "I wish I would stop forgetting things like this," she mumbled in disappointment. "How long before this place makes me forget about my world entirely?"

Pan felt uncomfortable by her admission and a strange thought occurred to him as he abruptly stretched out a hand toward her head. She reacted immediately, bringing her arm up with the intention to deflect him but he quickly restrained her wrist as his fingers wound their way into her hair. "What are you doing?" she cried angrily. "Let me go!"

"Stop it!" he chastised as she fought to break his hold. "Just hold still for a moment!"

Reluctantly, Claire ceased her struggles and Pan immediately concentrated on the task at hand. Claire's breathing became erratic and she briefly resumed struggling when she noticed the unnatural light now shining in his palm. The magic filtered from his fingertips through to her hair, causing it to glow with soft, golden hues. Pan could feel the warmth of the magic flow through him, settling against Claire's head as though it belonged there. The glow gradually faded and he abruptly released her so that she could pull away from him.

"What the hell did you do?" she demanded as her hands shot to her hair so that she could comb her fingers through the strands, searching for damage. "What was that?"

"Easy." He held his hands up to show that he was done and that no harm had come to her. "It's just a preservation spell."

Claire's eyes shone with panic. "A spell?"

"To protect your memories," he assured her. "Neverland feeds on the memories of your old life, draining away at them until there is nothing left. Sometimes sentimental objects can remind us of what we have lost but eventually, we forget those too." He brushed his fingers lightly against her cheek again before she could pull away. "Now you won't."

She stared at him for a beat or two. "Thank you," she said softly.

Pan shrugged off her gratitude, holding out his hand to her. "We're almost at camp. Come on."

"Is that what you did?" she asked before she could stop herself. "Did you do a spell on yourself so that you wouldn't forget too?"

Pan tensed and he pulled his hand back, stepping around her and leading the way back towards the camp. "This way, Angel."

Claire held her ground as he walked away from her. "Is that what you did?" she insisted as she called after him.

"There's nothing from my old life that I need reminding of," he snapped back over his shoulder. "I'm Peter Pan!"

"But you weren't always," she said quietly to herself as she grudgingly followed him into the camp of the Lost Boys.

Claire

Finding herself in the den of the wolves was becoming a persistent problem for Claire as she glared around at the devilish Lost Boys. Many of the younger ones stared at her with evident curiosity whereas the older ones observed her with more than just innocent interest. Felix was among them and Claire felt her skin crawl under his fierce glare. She did note with some satisfaction that his nose still appeared to be bent at an odd angle.

"I thought we were going to play a game, Pan!" one of the boys suddenly whined, kicking the dirt in agitation.

Pan smiled at his band of misfits as he grasped Claire's arm. She tried not to pull away in disgust when he held her hand up, as though triumphantly parading her surrender.

"Oh, we are boys!" Pan reassured them all, grinning as he stared around the camp. "But I couldn't very well start the games without all the players now could I? Claire here has volunteered to help us with our little endeavor!"

The boys all started cheering as Claire felt her body shudder in anxiety. "Not more games!" she complained, but the boys ignored her as they continued to shout and whoop in excitement. She flinched when Pan's jaw suddenly tensed and he pulled her close.

"You knew what to expect when you came back with me," he hissed into her ear so that the others wouldn't hear him. "Don't make things difficult for yourself now." She gave a reluctant nod as his hand came up to cradle the back of her neck. "Besides, I think you may find you like this game more than the others. There might be something in it for you."

Despite herself, Claire felt her curiosity pique. "Such as?"

Pan grinned. "A prize."

She tried to keep the annoyance out of her voice as Pan deliberately dodged a direct answer. She pushed his arm away from her shoulders, noting the way his eyes flashed briefly in disappointment as she stepped back. "What sort of prize?" she asked.

He winked at her. "Well, that's what you have to find out."

Claire rolled her eyes. "What's the game?"

"A treasure hunt," Pan responded happily as he was met with another chorus of approval.

"I've hidden clues to the treasure all over the island. Oh, and one more thing," he said, his eyes gleaming mischievously. "Felix and the Shadow will be protecting the prize by any means necessary." He leaned closer, his next words intended only for Claire. "I have a feeling that you'll be the first one that Felix seeks out. You seem to have done quite a number on his nose."

"You must be joking," Claire snapped, shoving away from him. "How in the hell am I supposed to hide from Felix and that floating nightmare you call a shadow?"

"Don't worry, Angel," Pan said with a wink. "I'm on your team this time. I wouldn't let them hurt you."

Claire glanced at him, startled. "You're on my team?"

"Yep!" Pan cupped his hands to his mouth as an imitation megaphone. "First one to find the treasure gets to keep it!"

The boys all lifted their arms as they cheered yet again before taking off in different directions as fast as they could, some of them pairing up as they disappeared into the underbrush.

"If you're the one who hid the prize, it's hardly a fair game," she grumbled.

"That's why I'm on your team, Angel," he grinned. "And I always play fair."

Claire scoffed as she glanced around the empty clearing. "Yeah right."

Pan watched as she took a few steps towards the trees before turning back to glance at him expectantly. "Well?" she prompted. "Where is this prize?"

"Oh, I'm not going to just tell you where it is," he responded with a twinkle in his eye. "I'm just here to make sure the others play fairly against you. They can get a little competitive."

Claire scowled. "Well, I don't need you to babysit me."

"Wouldn't dream of it," he laughed. He watched as Claire contemplated the first place to look. She started off in the same direction the Lost Boys had gone before changing her mind and striding off the opposite way. She paused yet again when she couldn't decide on where to begin and Pan sniggered at her uncertainty.

"I suppose I might be able to offer you some clues," he said as he pretended to think about it, enjoying the way she glared at him. "This being your first treasure hunt and all."

Claire crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "We call it a scavenger hunt where I come from, but it's basically the same thing."

"Oh, I doubt that," Pan said with a wicked smirk. His feet left the ground again as he floated towards her. "Ever played against someone like me? Or the boys? The prizes are far more valuable than a childhood scavenger hunt and the perils are far more deadly."

"Are you trying to scare me?" she asked angrily.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Pan repeated as he struggled to keep a straight face.

Claire stared at him for a moment, frowning as she processed his words. "You said that before," she said in puzzlement, watching as Pan's grin widened.

"Did I?" Pan's eyes gleamed mischievously as Claire slowly stepped towards the jungle again.

"That's your first clue isn't it?" she said with realization. "Dream... Dream. That's it! The first clue is in the Dreamshade isn't it?"

Pan smiled at her intuitiveness, following her as she took off towards the Dreamshade thorns that had imprisoned Wendy. She wasn't exactly sure how she knew that the first clue would be hidden in this particular patch of Dreamshade, since the deadly vine grew all over, but she had a feeling that Pan wouldn't choose to hide the clues in just any place. It had to be a place of significance and, since Wendy had been a prisoner in the cave for years, its entrance was now overrun with Dreamshade.

She could feel Pan following closely behind her as she ran through the trees, taking care not to throw too many branches aside in case she attracted the attention of Felix or the Shadow. She slowed as she reached the cave and she cursed quietly when she realised that she wasn't the first to reach it. She hid behind some thick bushes, peering through the branches as she felt Pan step up behind her, equally as quiet. From her vantage point, Claire could make out a group of three boys, all of them younger than her and all staring nervously toward the cave entrance. None of them were willing to get too close to the poisonous plant that guarded the cave depths.

"Are you sure this is the place?" A boy with wild curly brown hair gazed beyond the twisting vines at the dark cave entrance before taking a step back. "It looks kind of dangerous."

"That's because it's poisonous, moron!" A darker haired boy stood in front of the other two, slightly taller and obviously a lot cockier. "Besides, you heard what Pan said yesterday." Claire listened closely as the boy recited a riddle. "I guard the door of Neverland and keep the dreams at bay, but brush my limbs or touch my skin and you'll be here to stay."

The other two boys did not appear convinced but the dark haired boy seemed quick to assume the position of leader. "The Dreamshade," he explained with a smug smile. "Pan's riddle refers to the first clue which must be hidden in the cave behind the thorns!"

"But isn't that the Nightmare Cave?" the boy with curls asked with a tremble in his lip. "There are monsters in there!"

"Only when you're asleep," the darker haired boy snapped. "Quit being such a baby! We'll be in and out before you even have time to wet your pants. Finn, you with me?" The leader turned to the remaining boy who had yet to utter a word. He shifted uncomfortably, twisting at his muddy tunic, but he did not seem to want to question the boy in charge.

"How are we gonna get past the thorns?" he finally asked, ignoring the curly-haired boy as he stared at him in horror.

The leader's answering smirk was so similar to Pan's that Claire was tempted to wipe the smile right off his face. Pan must have been thinking along the same lines because he chuckled quietly behind her. She tried to ignore him as she concentrated on the Lost Boys instead, watching as the leader pulled out a small vial from where it had laid suspended against his neck.

"Pixie dust," he explained. "Pan let me have this for almost winning the last game! We'll just sprinkle a bit on the thorns and the vines should leave the entrance unguarded."

Claire turned to Pan as the leader then moved towards the vines, gently tipping the contents of the vial across the Dreamshade.

"You left Wendy imprisoned within a cave that can cause nightmares?" she hissed at him accusingly.

Pan did not even have the decency to be ashamed. "It was the easiest place to hide her," he explained as though his reasoning was perfectly justifiable. "Besides," he continued. "It only causes nightmares to those who are afraid."

"Well of course she would have been afraid!" Claire responded furiously. "You left her alone in the dark!"

Pan raised an eyebrow at her. "And you think that staying with me would have been preferable to her?"

Claire's lips pursed angrily. "You're a real creep, you know that?"

Pan chuckled darkly. "You're the one implying I should keep a young girl in my bedroom."

"I said nothing about your bedroom!" Claire retorted.

"Hmmm," Pan mused, his eyes shining in delight. "Not jealous are you Angel?"

Claire's cheeks turned pink at the thought but she immediately pushed away the ridiculous notion. "The only thing I'm jealous of is the fact that Wendy got a cave instead of having to stay with you! I wish you'd given me the same choice!"

She could see that her comment had the intended effect because Pan's smile faltered for a moment. She should have felt victorious but Claire felt oddly guilty as she recognised the hurt reflected in his eyes. It was gone within a moment but Claire had already seen it and she bit her lip in regret.

"How am I supposed to find the prize now?" she muttered finally, breaking the awkward silence that lapsed between them. "They beat us to the clue." And it was true. In the time that Claire had spent arguing with Pan, the Lost Boys had already moved aside the Dreamshade with the pixie dust and ventured into the cave.

She watched as Pan's jaw clenched in agitation. "Well since you don't seem to value my help anyway," he said in a dangerous voice. "Perhaps I should let you figure this out on your own."

His feet rose off the ground and Claire panicked, knowing that he would fly away within moments. "Wait!" she cried desperately. "I'm sorry, okay? I shouldn't have said that."

"Is that really the best you can do?" Pan growled as he floated even further away.

Claire took a deep breath, fighting against her impatience. "I'm sorry," she said again, forcing her voice to remain calm and hoping she sounded sincere. "Really, Pan. That wasn't fair of me."

Pan stopped floating away from her but he made no move to come closer. "You can still do better than that."

"Come on!" she groaned, raking her hands through her hair in frustration. "What do you want from me? You and I both know that I'm not here by choice! I hate it here!" Her eyes flashed in fury when she caught his mocking gaze. "And I hate you," she spat, no longer caring if she hurt his feelings.

Suddenly Pan was right in front of her and Claire bit back a yelp of surprise as his hands came up to seize her upper arms. He clenched them tightly and Claire felt her feet beginning to leave the ground as her entire body was supported only by the strength of Pan's grip. Her legs dangled uselessly in the air and she resisted the urge to throw her weight back towards the forest floor. She stared directly into his eyes, wincing at the fury she saw reflected there.

"Funny thing about hate, Angel," Pan snarled at her. "The lines between love and hate are rather blurred." His grip tightened even further if that was possible as he hovered with her suspended in his arms. Claire sucked in a hiss of indignation, refusing to be the first to look away as he glared at her.

He leaned even closer then, baring his teeth in agitation. "You really want to know what the prize is?" he whispered darkly. "It's a mirror that allows you to see into other worlds. Surely someone like you can see the value in that, seeing as you want to get home so badly."

Claire felt her stomach plummet and she gasped as Pan pulled her tighter against his chest, crushing any chance of escape. "So if you want my help to see your precious family again, then you had better start playing my rules! I'm through being nice!"

Before Claire could react Pan was crushing his lips against hers, pushing so hard that her neck was forced into an unnatural position. She moaned against the unwanted intrusion and fought to turn her head away but Pan quickly manoeuvred them towards a tree. He pushed her against the bark, one hand moving behind her back to keep her in place whilst the other wound its way into her hair. His lips were demanding and forceful, intending to punish her as she whimpered in the back of her throat. He growled when he didn't feel her immediate compliance, instead moving his lips to the column of her throat and sucking on it harshly. Claire gasped again and he quickly returned to her lips, using the opportunity to push his tongue inside her mouth. As his tongue brushed against hers Claire's stomach clenched in a way that had nothing to do with anger or pain. Her eyes squeezed shut in humiliation as she recognised the faint stirrings of desire.

"Look at me." Pan's sharp tone cut through her shame and she hesitantly opened her eyes. "Kiss me," he demanded as he sucked in a breath. "And I'll let you go." He smirked against her lips when Claire made a muffled sound of protest. "Choose carefully, Angel. I can help you or I can punish you. Your choice."

Claire could feel the magnetic pull of his words and she wondered if he was using some sort of magical influence or mind control. Her belly convulsed with a desperate and feverish need even as her mind screamed at her that this was wrong and that her feelings were as despicable as the man before her. The words hung in the air between them as Pan continued to attack and plunder her mouth. Your choice.

She would tell herself later that it didn't mean anything; that she did it only for the sake of winning the prize and seeing her family again. But her heart knew the truth. Her hands came up to grasp Pan's shirt but instead of pushing him away, she held him closer. Her fingers did not claw across his skin as she'd intended but instead pushed beneath the lapels of his shirt and skimmed across the smooth planes of his chest. As if they had a mind of their own, her lips moved against his now without hesitation as she submitted to his demands. She moaned into the kiss as Pan tilted her head back, his hand moving from her hair to span against her throat instead. Her breasts pushed against the thin material of her dress and Pan's palm slid down further, his thumb flicking across the crest of her nipple. It was the feeling of his fingers against her chest that startled Claire back to realisation and she wrenched herself away from him. She clung to the tree against her back for support, breathing heavily as Pan regarded her with a wicked smile.

"Oh come on, Angel," he murmured, staring at her through a lustful haze. "We were just getting to the good part."

"Put me down," Claire said through clenched teeth. "Now."

To her great surprise, instead of arguing with her Pan grudgingly carried her back toward the ground and set her on her own two feet. She quickly steadied herself against the tree as she fought to keep her legs from buckling beneath her. "You got what you wanted," she whispered, furious that her voice sounded as weak as she felt. "Are you happy?"

Pan's triumphant expression refused to falter. "This wasn't about what I wanted," Pan told her as he casually leaned against the same tree that Claire was clutching for support. "I just showed you what you were really feeling."

Claire expression remained defiant but Pan just winked at her as he sidled past. "And judging from that kiss, I'd say you want my help after all. So," he said gesturing towards the Cave of Nightmares, "shall we?"