Bella1117, thank you for the wonderful review! It really made my day. I also want to thank Invisible Bullet, Christopher Scott, StJimmy's army, Danny37boy, and the mysterious but ever wonderful Guests who leave such beautiful reviews so often and make my heart sparkle with glee and thanks!
I know my music choices are a little on the emo side, but that's just what the story seems to call for so often. Except those couple Broadway songs...well enjoy this next chapter guys, and leave me some beautiful reviews! Can we hit 70? I think we can.
Song: Monsoon
Artist: Tokio Hotel
As Peter stood before the Titania's throne on the third day, his heart was beating erratically in his chest. It seemed intent on ripping a hole in his ribcage with its excited pace. He hadn't managed to find the last of the jewels the day before and he was panicking. Titania at least had to let Wendy go in return for what he did find. That's what he was hoping.
"I see that you have failed me, Pan," the Queen said, both her gaze and voice dripping with ice. "Unless you have the jewels hidden somewhere on your person?"
"No, Titania, I do not have them."
"Then you have failed," she purred. Titania gestured with her staff and Kelsey stepped forward into the small clearing, having been hidden just out of sight. Peter took a step back, his hand at his dagger hilt when he saw what she was wearing. Decked in a white, flowing gown with her hair curled and pulled atop her head, holding a bouquet of wild lilies and roses, Kelsey was ready for a wedding. Titania smiled to herself at Peter's reaction and turned to her other side, gesturing again. Wendy was led out of the roots of the tree, her wrists tied behind her back and her face emotionless. When she saw Peter she waggled her shoulder at him in mimicry of a wave. Peter waved nervously back.
"Because you have only brought me half the treasure I will only request that you hold up half of the deal. I officially declare the wedding off," Titania smiled, her eyes shooting poison in Peter's direction. "But Wendy hereby belongs to Captain Hook."
"She doesn't belong to anyone!" Peter shouted.
"You promised that I could marry him!" Kelsey protested. All at once, everyone began bickering and shouting at each other. Peter was continuously getting louder and Kelsey started crying. Through all of the din, no one noticed Hook calmly approaching his forgotten prize. His blue eyes glinted happily in the sunlight and his twisted smile looked even more frightening now that Wendy knew her fate. She knew that the fairy magic bound her to him by law and there was nothing she could do. Her eyes clouded with tears that she hastily blinked away.
In one further attempt for help, she cried out loudly, frantically. "Peter! Peter help!"
But Peter wasn't listening to her; he was too busy arguing with the Queen and fending off an enraged Kelsey. Hook untied Wendy's arms before wrenching them in front of her and tying her wrists again there, leaving some extra rope to lead her with. "Come along, Wendy, you're mine now. Peter obviously has other things to do."
And without another word, Wendy hung her head and followed the Captain through the woods, led by the short expanse of rope connected to her bound hands. There was nothing she could about it now. She was Hook's.
It wasn't until Hook and Wendy had reached the boat on the shore and began rowing for the Jolly Roger that Peter realized what had happened back in the fairy court. "Where did she go?" he demanded, his voice low and gravelly. Kelsey had long since run off in a shower of tears, ignored by the heartless fairy queen.
"Kelsey? I believe she ran into the forest," Titania replied.
"No, Wendy. Where did Wendy go?" Peter asked. He narrowed his green eyes and flicked his hair out of his face. He was menacing, once more returned to his full leaf-clad glory.
"Hook has already collected her. They should be nearing the Jolly Roger by now. Perhaps your darling Wendy is already getting a tour of her new home," Titania surmised. Peter growled and dove at the queen, only to be restrained by strong magic. "Do not threaten me, Pan, you will regret it."
"You've taken my Wendy from me, it will be you who regrets their decision," Peter snapped. The sky suddenly filled with clouds and the crackling of thunder could be heard in the distance. "There will be no peace in Neverland until she is returned to me."
"Is this the vow of Pan?" Titania asked.
"It is my solemn vow. And I will not rest until I have her back."
"Then you will never sleep, boy, for fairy magic ties her to the Captain now. Nothing can take her away from him or she will die," Titania jeered. Peter's stomach churned and his blood ran cold. Wendy could die? Even in his confusion, Peter's rage continued to speak.
"I will break the spell. I will have her back. I promised to protect her."
"Well you have failed. Once again, Peter Pan, you have failed. Your pride and arrogance have been your downfall and now amount of foolish human feelings can fix what you've done. I hope this has taught you a valuable lesson, for neither of you shall grow or age and you can spend eternity watching your love tend to another. Now remove yourself from my court immediately," the Queen ordered. Peter flew straight up, lightning flashing brightly and silhouetting him against the darkened sky as he let out a loud, long, determined crow.
"Looks like rain!" Mr. Smee announced to the Captain. Hook peered out of his cabin window and saw the choppy waves and the cloudy gray of the evening sky. "Maybe even a storm."
"Aye, looks like the worst storm Neverland may ever see is brewing," Hook agreed. The two men sat at a low table, consulting over some maps while Wendy sat in the corner on a small cot, glaring at the world and trying to ignore the sobs aching at the bottom of her throat, having been denied vocalization by the girl. She wanted to be strong in front of her enemy. No matter what the cost.
"The boy must not be happy," Smee mused. Hook laughed, looking over at the forlorn girl in the corner.
"Of course not, I have his Wendy," Hook smirked.
"You don't own me, you can't have me," Wendy muttered from the corner, drawing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her still-tied arms around them.
"Of course not, but you're practically an indentured servant," Hook explained. "And you can't leave the ship or the fairy magic will kill you."
"W-What?" Wendy asked, her eyes snapping up to look at Hook. She knew that she was bound to him by law, but she didn't know that there was an unexplained death penalty on her head.
"The deal Peter and I made with Titania...it's bound by fairy law. If you try to leave this ship without my permission you will die. There's no way for him to pick you up off the deck and run away with you to the island, my dear. You will waste away in a matter of hours without my consent. I'm the only one who can free you," Hook explained, his tone malicious, "And I won't be doing it anytime soon."
Wendy finally allowed herself to cry. She burst into tears with the realization that Peter couldn't save her from this one. He couldn't come swooping in like every other time and taunt Hook and fly away with her. She was stuck on the Jolly Roger with the crew and the detestable Captain. She was either stuck, or dead. And to rub it in, Hook wandered over and sliced through the rope holding her wrists together, allowing her total freedom of movement once again. But Wendy couldn't do anything but cry and pray that Peter would find a way to break the spell.
In the Home Underground, Peter was curled into a ball on his bed. He hadn't moved for hours and the Lost Boys were afraid to ask him what had happened and why Wendy hadn't returned with him. Tootles finally plucked up the courage and gingerly approached their unmoving leader, "Peter, what happened?"
"Go away."
"You need to tell us what's wrong," Nibs intoned. Peter sat up, his eyes red and his face blotched with silent tears. The Lost Boys nearly all stood shocked. Peter never cried.
"I lost Wendy."
"What?" the Twins asked.
"I lost her. I could only find half of the treasure and Titania didn't make me marry Kelsey, but she gave Wendy to Hook to be his...his whatever," Peter ranted. "And it's all my fault that I was proud and arrogant and stupid and now Wendy has to pay for it and it isn't fair!"
"Rescue her," Slightly suggested. "You've done it every time before."
"But this is different, Slightly," Peter explained. "Now she's his according to the fairy law and I can't just take her away or she'll die. The law will literally kill her before I could rescue her. We need to find a way to save her, though, you're right. There has to be some way to break the spell."
"Well the only spells I know about are the ones in the stories that Wendy used to tell us," Nibs stated. The boys nodded and huddled together, debating different ways that spells could be broken and arguing the pros and cons of each one. Peter only listened from his perch on the edge of the bed. This would be difficult. But he'd made the vow of Pan and he would have his true love back.
The vow of Pan is unbreakable. Stronger even than the fairies and their silly magical laws. The vow of Pan had been taken only once before when Peter decided, "Hook or me this time." Hook had sliced his way out of the foolish crocodile, but Peter's vow had been abated by then.
Nothing could stop him. Nothing could break the vow. Nothing could make him less determined to find his Wendy and hold her in his arms once again, making sure she was safe and happy. Because he could nearly guarantee that right now, she was terrified and feeling very sad and alone.