She walked over to him and gently touched his shoulder. He did not flinch or push her away but he didn't react at all either.
"Peter, talk to me. What do you know?"
"Many years ago, after I had first gotten to Neverland, I became rather lonely. So I started making trips to the mortal world and searching for friends. There are these…special pan-pipes that only certain people can hear. People who are feeling lost or unloved. I played those pipes and boys came to me. We had these wild parties, where we danced and sang around the fire. I invited them back to Neverland with me and they became known as the Lost Boys. No one can really resist the sound of the pipes. You're sort of…put in a trance, if you will. Years ago, the pipes were stolen from me. By a pirate that I knew a long time ago. He lost his hand in an unfortunate accident when I was defending myself and he has been seeking revenge on me ever since. He's the one who the Indians have allied themselves with. We weren't supposed to escape, Wendy. But when you screamed, it woke me up. I was worried about you and I was able to come out of it. I got us out of there as quickly as I could. The pirates weren't expecting that. They expected to capture us with the others, while their guards were down. Now it's my fault that they've been captured," he finished, hanging his head and looking miserable. Wendy's hands went to his shoulders.
"Peter, it is NOT your fault. You were under the spell too. And you saved us both. If you had stayed, there would be no one to save them."
"The Indians must really want to get rid of me if they are seeking his help. I don't know about this anymore, Wendy. I'm worried." She stroked his face gently and he pulled her into his lap, his hands going to her waist. But he withdrew one of his hands and his eyes widened to see his fingers covered in blood.
"I'm such a cad," he muttered. "I completely forgot that you were injured. Take off the dress and we'll change your bandage."
"Peter, I'm fine, really—"
"Wendy. Take off the dress." She gulped at his tone and did as she was told. He hurried into the boys' room and grabbed all the supplies. Wendy was shielding herself with her hands and he froze at the sight of all the bruises all over her body. She glanced up at him, biting her lip.
"I don't know where they came from, Peter. Honest."
"I do," he said curtly but he said no more as he set to work. As he unwound the bandage, he saw the wound had opened up again and was bleeding profusely. He grimaced and looked up at her.
"Wendy…I think we need to stitch this closed. You're losing too much blood." She was indeed very pale and felt very weak, but her eyes were wide and full of fear. He stood and caressed her cheek.
"I'll take care of you, my pretty girl," he whispered and kissing her softly. She nodded and he rummaged through the bowl of materials and pulled out a shining needle. After cleaning the wound and sterilizing the needle with fire, he gently turned her around and had her bend over slightly, so that she was gripping the table.
"Scream out if you need. Curse me as much as you want, just don't move, right love?" She nodded and was already gripping the table with white knuckles. Peter took a deep breath and squeezed the skin together, pushing the needle in and wincing when he heard her cry out. He went as fast as he could but paid close attention to what he was doing. He was grateful to Tiger Lily for showing him how to do this, even if they were no longer speaking. He kept his eyes on his work but whispered encouraging words to her, remarking on how wonderful she was doing. She hadn't screamed and cursed and he once again marveled at her courage. He bit the end of the thread and tied a quick knot. When he was finished, he wrapped a clean bandage around her and pulled her into his arms.
"You are stronger than any brave I've seen," he said against her lips. She smiled and kissed him back.
"Thank you for taking care of me." He fetched her a new dress and helped her into it, tying the laces at the back. She turned back to him, her brow furrowed.
"What did the spell make us do last night? I know it has something to do with my injury and these bruises." Peter sighed and turned away. He hadn't wanted to believe that his lost boys had been with Wendy but the evidence was all over her body. Not that he could be angry this time. He knew he was guilty too. He remembered being with Victoria again and the scream coming from Wendy at what Nibs had done to her. He turned back, his eyes on the floor.
"The best word I can use for it would be an orgy. Everyone fucked everyone. We had no control, no limitations. I know you were with Curly at some point. I recognize his handiwork on your breasts." She gasped and her hands flew to her chest.
"So we…I was…and they…"
"We had no control, Wendy. None whatsoever. And the bad thing is, they probably won't even remember what happened. You probably won't either. We're lucky that I snapped out of it but that's why you're covered in bruises and why your wound opened up again...and why you're so sore." She went pale and snatched her hands away from his, moving back to the table.
"I feel like I'm going to be ill." He knelt in front of her and took her hands again.
"Listen to me. Look at me. None of it is your fault. Don't start blaming yourself for anything. And don't start blaming anyone else. We all lost control. We were all with other people. It will never happen again but it did happen. So forget about it and move on. We have to find out where Hook has taken the boys and girls."
"Hook?" she asked, looking up.
"After I cut off his hand, he had a hook fashioned out of steel that was forced into his arm. It's what his crew started calling him after he started to slice throats with it."
"He sounds charming."
"He's more monster than man," Peter replied, his face darkening. "But he calls me a demon and a flying devil so who really knows who's more evil out of the both of us?"
"You don't slice peoples' throats with a steel hook," she reminded him.
"True but I'm not without sin either. I've done some pretty fucked up shit in my many years on earth."
"That's not the Peter I know," she said gently, wrapping her arms around his neck. "A flying devil would not have saved my life or taken such good care of me. A demon wouldn't look out for his lost boys as well as you do. You don't have an evil bone in your body, Peter." He smiled as he held her close.
"I don't know if that's completely true but I like to hear that you think I'm good. I want you to stay here while I fly over to the pirates' side of the island."
"Why do you insist on leaving me behind every time?"
"Because every time I take you with me, I nearly lose you. I won't take you near that devil. I can't begin to imagine all of the horrible things he will do to you when he finds out how much you mean to me. You're staying here. I promise, I'll be back as soon as I can."
"But Peter-"
"No buts. I won't cave this time, Wendy. Stay inside and keep the door locked. Do not open it for ANYONE. I'll be back as soon as I can." He pulled her in for a kiss that was not gentle or soft but passionate and rushed. She wound her fingers through his hair and he moaned against her lips. He broke the kiss abruptly and cupped her chin.
"Be safe, Wendy." He gave her another quick kiss before he opened the door and took off into the air. Wendy closed the door securely and locked it, leaning against it and sighing. Glancing around the room, she tried to conquer that feeling of loneliness and uselessness. She hated this already. Sitting around, waiting for Peter to return.
"I know I can help," she scowled at the empty room. Sighing, she moved the curtain of his bedroom aside and fell onto his bed, burying her face into his pillow and inhaling his scent. She hated being away from him. As she lay on the furs, she thought about how quickly her life had changed in a matter of days. One might say she was kidnapped but she had gone with him willingly when he offered such freedom. And she had fallen so deeply in love with him that she couldn't bear to think about ever leaving him. Even if her life was always in danger. Perhaps when Peter won the war, things would be different on the island. The people could see her as a princess and would respect her. She hoped. Curling onto her side and holding his pillow close to her, she fell into a fitful sleep.
Peter briefly wished he had called Tink to come with him but he forced himself to keep going. His only intention was to approach the ship and see if he could find his lost boys. He would return to Wendy and together, they would come up with a plan. He was surprised when he realized how much his life had changed in such a short time. He had never imagined himself feeling this way but he was incredibly grateful that he did. He had never imagined only wanting one person but he decided on the night that he met her, that Wendy was more than enough for him.
Realizing that he was hovering right next to the ship, he paused and angled his body downward so he could peer into the different cabin windows. He darted from window to window, peeking in and finding no one. He never saw a single pirate either, which he thought was strange. Deciding perhaps this was not the correct ship and that the mermaids had been mistaken, he flew upwards and cast the deck of the ship one last look before he headed back to shore. As he was turning, however, he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder and with a cry, he reached back and grabbed it. He stared down at his hand, which was both red and black. His brow furrowed as further pain reached him and he felt himself plummet toward the sea. He pulled himself back up and shook himself. If he could make it to shore, he'd be able to call for Tink's help. He took off as fast as he could toward land and mentally called to his fairy. But his vision and his thoughts became hazy and he struggled to maintain a grasp on reality.
"No," he told himself firmly. "You can make it. Wendy's waiting for you…Wendy…" and with her name on his lips, his eyes closed and he fell into the sea.
"Wake up, boy," a man spat and kicked Slightly in the side. The boy doubled up in pain and groaned, startling the other boys awake. As their eyes drifted open, another boy was flung into the cell and went crashing into them.
"Holy shit! Twins!" Twins couldn't open one of his eyes and his face was black and blue with bruises. He lay on the floor, groaning and Slightly saw bloody lashes on his shoulders.
"What the hell did you do to him," he demanded. The pirate grabbed Slightly's shirt and jerked him forward. Slightly's nose wrinkled as the man's breath came over him.
"If you don't want your little whores to suffer wif you, you had better be quiet." Slightly swallowed and glanced over at the girls, who were huddled together in the next cell, pale and silent. So far, the pirates had left them alone and had only taunted them with their words but he had no doubts that they would soon start hurting the girls as well . He fell silent and the pirate released him. Nibs and Curly helped Twins lean up, all the while glaring at the pirate.
"Did you see him," Curly whispered and Twins shook his head.
"He still hasn't shown himself, the coward. Think he's waiting for Peter to arrive."
"Peter's not stupid, he won't come here." Twins glanced over at Nibs and tried to raise his brow but it hurt too much.
"He and Wendy escaped. You know Peter feels responsible. He'll come looking for us, mark my words."
"Think he knows who has us?" Curly nodded.
"As you said, Peter's not stupid. He'll have it figured out. I don't think he'll bring Wendy here though."
"No, he wouldn't bring her near him. I can't BELIEVE we were tricked by those damn pipes! How many times have we heard them in our lives?" Curly shook his head.
"None of us have ever been able to resist that sound. I'd rather not think about what we did last night."
"Oh I have a pretty good idea," Nibs said miserably, glancing over at the girls and his eyes taking in the bruises all over their necks and chests. They had all awoken to find themselves naked and exhausted and confined in this filthy cell. The girls had been given various dresses to cover up with but the boys had to make do with blankets and rags. Slightly shivered as a chilled wind blew through the window and wrapped around them all. Twins jumped as he felt something cold on his cheek.
"Is that…?"
"Snow," Nibs muttered, staring out the window. "It's snowing."
"I thought you said it never snows in Neverland," Victoria whispered through the bars.
"Only when Peter is hurt or…" he couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence. Twins shook his head.
"He's not dead. We'd know if he was. He's got to be with Wendy somewhere, planning a rescue attempt." So the boys sat in their cell in silence, wondering where Peter was now and when he would be making his triumphant arrival.
There was a knock at the door and a curt "Enter" followed. The Indian Chief hid his daughter behind him as they entered the cabin. He made sure Tiger Lily stayed out of sight. He still loathed pirates. He couldn't believe it had come to this. But Crying Wolf has insisted that this pirate was the only one who could get rid of Pan's woman and return Neverland to how it once had been.
The pirate was sitting at his desk, studying papers. He looked up when the two savages entered his cabin, his steel hook scraping across his chin. He saw them both freeze at the glint of the steel and he smiled. He stood and gave a little bow, wanting to keep things as cordial as could be. After all, they had the same goal. Sort of. Hook had to admit his reasons for agreeing to help were quite personal. He not only wanted to get rid of Pan; he wanted to break him completely, hear his screams of agony, before he finally killed him. Hook and Pan had a bit of a history, a bit more than Peter had told Wendy. But neither of them remembered (or rather, they chose to forget) and each had his own reasons for hating the other. He walked around his desk, sweeping his black coat around him and crossing his arms.
"And what can I do for you, Chief?"
"We saw the prisoners you brought in. Two were missing. You still have not found them?"
"I have all those little devils in my grasp. Pan's whore, however, has not arrived. And since you are here, you can make sure Pan does not die." The Chief frowned.
"You have captured him?"
"My men shot him out of the sky with a poison arrow. It only grazed him but the poison is flowing through his body and I'm afraid I don't have any antidotes just sitting in my pocket. We delivered him from the sea but he is fading fast. I don't want the brat to die just yet, Chief. Save him."
"Take us to him." Hook grabbed a set of bronze keys off his desk and lead the Chief and his daughter down a long hallway. At the very end of the hall, he opened a door and closed it tightly behind them. Tiger Lily kept her eyes averted from the grisly skeletons that decorated the room. It was obvious Hook had many victims and none of them had survived his torture. At the very back of the room hung a small cage with someone curled up inside. Peter was extremely cramped, as there was not a lot of room and his face was pressed against the bars as he slept. The Chief saw he was pale and sweating; he shivered as if he was freezing however his skin was hot to the touch. The Chief reached into the cage and touched Peter's arm, which caused him to moan in pain.
"The poison is quick," the Chief said grimly. "Open the cage. Daughter, your vial." Tiger Lily put a hand over her necklace, a vial of a few drops of juice from the petals of the Healing Rose of Talor. It had been given to her by her mother before she died and Tiger Lily never took it off.
"Why should we save him, Father," she said very quietly, her eyes on the dying boy. The Chief gave her a stern look.
"We must save him. Daughter, now." She reluctantly handed it over and the Chief poured one drop over the infected shoulder. Immediately the poison retracted and disappeared and the skin healed itself. Peter's eyes opened and he leaned up, groaning.
"What's going on? Where the hell am I?" Hook slammed the door of the cage closed again and Peter grabbed the bars. His eyes traveled over Tiger Lily, her father, and finally his greatest enemy.
"What the fuck did you do to me?"
"My men shot you out of the air with their poison. Unfortunately, the Chief just healed you." Peter's eyes shot back to the Chief and Tiger Lily.
"Why," he said suspiciously.
"Our war is not with you, Peter Pan," the Chief said solemnly. "We never meant for you to be harmed."
"Just his bitch," Tiger Lily growled. Peter gripped the bars harder, his eyes narrowed.
"You leave Wendy the hell out of this! Your war is with me, it always has been. She's nothing to do with this."
"On the contrary, Pan, she has everything to do with this," Hook drawled and Peter's eyes darted back to him. Hook was examining his hook with interest.
"The Chief has been telling me how…special this girl is to you. How she's changed you, really. Could it be that Pan has finally fallen in love with someone other than himself?" Peter merely glared at the pirate.
"Yes," Tiger Lily said bitterly. "He loves her. He killed a Lost Boy for her." Hook's brow raised.
"Isn't that sort of…illegal?"
"There are no laws in Neverland, Hook, as you should remember."
"True but your boys still follow you after you killed one of your own? Over some girl?"
"She's not some girl," Peter spat. Hook gave him an evil smirk.
"Ah, I see. She's the girl. Now that makes things even better." Hook turned away from the cage and straightened his jacket. "Chief, I suggest you and your daughter return to your village."
"And I have your word the Prince will not be harmed?"
"Now why should I promise that? Crying Wolf wants to get rid of him. What better way to get rid of him than allow me to do it?" The Chief's eyes widened and even Tiger Lily looked pale.
"This is not what we agreed on. We want to get rid of the woman. Pan was not to be harmed."
"I never made any agreements with you, Chief. Only with Crying Wolf. And we agreed on something different. So, once again, you return home and I will inform Crying Wolf when the deed is done." Peter looked from Hook to the Chief and back to Hook again. The Chief looked deeply distressed.
"We are not to harm the Prince, pirate. It will upset the balance of the island."
"Crying Wolf intends to dethrone him, Chief. A new prince will sit on the throne."
"Who? You?" Hook's smile widened and Peter couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"You're mad if you think Neverland will agree to that!"
"Neverland has no say in it, boy," Hook spat. "And once you're dead, who's going to disagree?"
"They wouldn't let a pirate OR my murderer stay on the throne! You're a fucking moron. All of you are!"
"And yet we walk free while you are in a cage." Peter fumed silently, his eyes glinting with rage. Hook turned to the Chief and nodded.
"Have your braves collected the girl yet?"
"No. We do not know where he has hidden her," he said hesitantly. Hook glanced back at Peter and smiled.
"She can't be far. Search his hideout. Bring the girl to me. Unharmed."
"I thought she was to die," Tiger Lily said quietly.
"Oh she shall but I think we shall have some fun with her before Pan hears her dying screams." Peter was gripping the bars with white knuckles and he watched the three of them turn to exit the room.
"Chief, please, don't do this! She's done nothing wrong!"
"Her crime is loving Peter Pan," Tiger Lily said bitterly. Peter stared at her and for the first time saw something more in her eyes. It was hurt, betrayal. Not mere hatred and bitterness.
"I'm sorry Tiger Lily," he said faintly. "I really am. But I love her. I love her more than I ever thought possible." Tiger Lily opened her mouth to say something but closed it again. Hook let out a dark chuckle.
"It's dangerous on this island, to be the lover of Peter Pan. So she shall discover." He beckoned for the Indians to follow him and they turned to go.
"Hook!" Peter's voice echoed in the empty cell. They all stopped but did not turn back.
"If you harm a single hair on her head, I will be your living nightmare." Hook turned back to him, his hook raised in the air.
"You have haunted me for years, Pan. You are my nightmare. But this shall be your hell. And there will be no escape for you." With that, he slammed the door shut behind him, leaving Peter in the darkness with nothing but his rage and worry.
Wanted to take a quick moment to thank all of you amazing readers! As I said before, this is unlike anything I have ever written and I have to admit, I'm having a lot of fun with it! Plz don't forget to review, I love seeing followers but reviews are awesome as well ;)