James POV

A New Obsession

Anger. Anger was all he felt as he stormed down the street. He couldn't believe that his pirates had failed to find the boy. They'd searched everywhere they could without being completely obvious. He shook his head as he entered the Blue Plate, his favorite diner in town. Maybe a meal would lift his spirits. Sitting down at a booth near one of the large windows, he grabbed a menu and searched for something to eat. He flipped through the pages until he came to the entrée section. When he was ready to order, he sighed and set the menu down.

As he waited for a waitress to come to his table, his thoughts wandered. It was all his fault. If he'd seen the signs, he could have saved her, Alexis, the love of his life. He thought of the redheaded monstrosity who was responsible for her disappearance. That boy was to blame, but he wasn't the one who'd taken her away. No. That'd been someone else. He slammed the table in anger. If he could find the boy, all of his problems would disappear. He felt his prosthetic hand loosen and hid it under the table as a young woman approached him. He needed to be careful around here.

"Excuse me, but are you okay?" the young waitress asked. She held her notepad at the ready, but was giving him an odd look. He gave her a sneer.

"I'm fine, I was just…" he paused when he noticed her odd hair. It had a tinge of purple to it. Kids these days, he thought. Her eyes widened when she realized what he was looking at.

"Oh, that," she said quickly. "This isn't my real hair. Well, it is my real hair, but I… It was a prank." She smiled sheepishly and twirled her hair. He laughed. He knew all about pranks.

She cleared her throat. "My name's Sabrina and I will be your server this evening. What would you like to eat- I mean order. Sorry, I'm kind of new to this."

James smiled and scratched his chin. It had been a few days since he'd last shaved, but it felt good to have some stubble on his face.

"I'm James," he said. Picking up the menu, he flipped to the page where his dish was waiting. "I'd like to have the grilled cod, and a side of fries." Sabrina jotted down his order.

"Would you like anything to drink?"

"Rum, if you have it," he replied without a second thought.

After a couple of seconds of confused silence, Sabrina said, "Of course. I'll be back with your food soon." He watched as she turned and left. He sighed and looked out the window. He watched several people walk by. He noticed a music shop across the way, a couple walking hand in hand down the street, and a child skipping and eating an ice cream cone. How he wished Alexis could be there with him. He imagined what it would be like if she were here, sitting next to him. Her red hair would shine in the sunlight and her green eyes would sparkle with mischief like they always had. She'd probably make a joke about something outside and order dessert first. She'd always liked sweet things. Smiling, James sat back and thought about all the good times they'd shared.

The bell over the door of the diner rang, shaking him from his thoughts. He turned to see who'd entered. It was a young man with the same odd purple in his hair. He walked up to Sabrina, the waitress, smiling. She smiled back. James wondered if they were a couple. His speculations were brought to an end when the boy kissed her on the lips in greeting. Sabrina turned red and looked around to see if anyone had seen it. James smiled wistfully and looked back out the window. That was what he might've had.

Then he saw her. Alexis. She was walking down the street opposite the diner. Her red hair gleamed in the light from the setting sun. There was a huge smile on her face. His heartbeat quickened. How is this possible? he thought. She's dead. The girl was accompanied by a young man with the same auburn hair. He watched as she threw back her head and laughed. The boy smiled, his face reddening a bit. Something about the young man was extremely familiar. He watched as the crossed the street and entered the Blue Plate. James watched Alexis wave in greeting as she walked up to the waitress and her boyfriend. Sabrina pulled her into a hug.

James's mind was on the fritz. Alexis was gone! She couldn't possibly be here. As if she'd felt his gaze, she turned in his direction and smiled. Could it really be her? He could see in her expression that she didn't recognize him. She turned away and his heart plummeted. What was going on? James continued to watch the group, taking in each movement. The way she moved, talked, laughed… It was all the same, but there was no way that she could have lived this long. She wasn't an Everafter, but she was the same age as when she'd left. The red headed boy grabbed Alexis's hand, pulling her towards the exit. She followed willingly, smiling and waving at her friends. Jealousy overcame him as he watched the two walk back down the street, this time walking past the window. Who does this boy think he is? Alexis has always been mine. James watched as the two of them stopped abruptly when the bell to the diner rang again. They turned back as the waitress' boyfriend ran toward them holding a bag. Alexis smiled and took it. She turned away, but at that moment, James's gaze fell on the ginger haired boy and his eyes widened in recognition. He could hardly believe it.

It was Pan. Peter Pan. He would recognize that boy anywhere. There was something different about him, though. His blood boiled with anger as he looked at his hands. Maybe Pan hadn't seen him. Glancing up quickly, he saw Alexis and Pan walking away. Why was Alexis with Pan? It was Pan's fault that all of this had happened. It was his fault that she'd left Neverland. He needed to follow them. He needed to know why Alexis was with him. Taking a deep breath, James stood and made his way to the exit. He stopped dead in his tracks. Wasn't- No, it couldn't be... Pan was older. He felt a little dizzy. Why would Pan, of all people, grow up? Unless he fell in-. James didn't want to think about how Pan must feel about Alexis. With newfound determination, he started walking again, but he hadn't even made it to the door when someone stopped him again..

"James," Sabrina called after him. He turned to see her holding a tray with his food on it. Her eyes were filled with confusion.

"There's something I need to do," he said, trying, and failing, to sound apologetic. "I'll take it to go."

Once James had paid and taken his dinner, he rushed out of the Blue Plate. He looked down the street where he'd seen Alexis and Pan. Running down the street in the direction they'd gone, he didn't even notice the boy who sat outside the diner give him a weird look. He reached an intersection and looked down each way before realizing he'd lost them. James sat on a bench in frustration and began to eat his fish. His anger was replaced by sadness as he thought about Alexis and what she'd meant to him.

James watched Alexis try to climb the tree. He smiled as he admired the way her tongue would stick out when she concentrated. She reached for a handhold to boost herself up another foot or so, aiming for the papayas at the top of the tree.

"Do you need help with that?" he asked, finally leaving his hiding spot in the bushes. Alexis jumped. James laughed as she glared at him.

"Don't do that!" she snipped. "We're going to get in huge trouble if we get caught."

He rolled his eyes. "I made sure that no one was following me and you were alone, so…"

Alexis smiled and pointed to the papayas. "Tristan told me to gather some fruit."

James frowned. He walked up to the tree and silently scrambled up the trunk. He picked a few good papayas and threw them down for her to catch. As he picked more, he sighed. "Why do you let him boss you around like that?"

"Um, because he's my brother and the Captain. Are you forgetting who your worst enemy is?" James closed his eyes. He didn't want to be enemies with them. Quite the opposite. He actually wanted to be part of the crew. He dropped a couple more pieces of fruit and slid down the trunk.

"Can I see you tonight?" James asked, his eyes pleading. Alexis gave him a hesitant look. She looked over her shoulder, she sighed.

"I need to go. Tristan will send Garn and Jurl to look for me if I'm gone much longer." James gave her a yearning look. Alexis looked into his eyes and they stared at eachother for a long moment. Giving up, she walked up to him. "Meet me at the cave tonight." Alexis whispered in his ear. Before she turned to leave, she kissed him on the lips, sending an electric pulse between them. She smiled and then ran toward the beach, where her crew and brother would be waiting. James sighed as she left, wishing that nightfall would come sooner. Slowly, he began walking back to camp. As he entered with his head hung low, the lost boys crowding around him.

"Well, how'd it go?" Peter asked. James looked up sheepishly. He looked into the eyes of his friends, brothers. He needed to give them a story. He grabbed a stick from the ground and began his tale.

"I was watching her from the bushes. waiting for the right time to pounce. She was on the hunt for some scraps of food for the other pirates, scrounging rotten papayas from the ground, when I came at her." He swung his stick and the other boys leapt out of the way, laughing. "When she saw me, she screamed and grabbed her sword and blocked my deadly blow." There was cheering heard in the camp. One of the lost boys jumped up holding a stick. James lunged at him and they engaged in a "sword" fight.

"I was about to cut off her head, when she cried out in surrender." James withdrew his stick from the lost boys neck. "I won! But she ran back to the pirates. I couldn't even take her hostage." He hoped his story was believable. Some boys cheered, while others frowned. Peter, one of the older lost boys shook his head and stood up and walked over to him.

"Did you get what you came for?" he asked, his eyes narrowing. James shifted uncomfortably.

"No, I didn't. She ran off before I could get it," James confessed. Peter sighed and pointed at one of the bigger tents.

"Go on. Tell him how you failed." James' eyes widened in surprise. Some of the boys gasped. James closed his eyes before nodding and walking towards the tent, where he'd receive his punishment from the leader of the lost boys, the Trickster King. Ashamed, he stood before, Puck, the oldest of the lost boys, the creator of Neverland. James didn't know the story very well, but he knew that Puck had created this world for them, the unwanted children, the orphans: the lost boys. Puck sat upside down on his throne, in all mighty, playing his flute. When Peter and James walked in, he sat upright and looked at them questioningly. James stood there, wishing that there was a hole he could hide in. Peter gave him a slight shove forward.

"Go on. Tell him," Peter commanded. James took a deep breath and looked up at Puck.

"I failed the mission," he blurted, before he could think of a better way to put it. Puck cocked his head and James braced himself for the worst. He wasn't sure what he'd expected, but it definitely wasn't laughter. Puck's laughter filled the entire tent. James rose an eyebrow and looked back at Peter in confusion. Peter had the same expression on his face and shrugged his shoulders.

"Um, Puck?" Peter began. Puck looked up, tears in his eyes from laughing so hard.

"Did you really think that I thought you'd get it? It's impossible," he laughed

"What?" James asked, aghast.

"No one's ever been able to stand up to the pirate girl! I'm surprised you even tried to at all! She's the most fearsome pirate there is!" Puck howled in laughter. "If anything, I congratulate you for trying." Puck got up and clapped him on the back. Peter was as astounded as James was. James smiled and stood.

"Next time, I'll get her," he vowed. Puck rose and eyebrow and then nodded.

"Okay, you do that." James turned to leave.

"Wait!" Puck called after him. James stopped and turned to face the leader. Puck looked him over. "Are you growing?" James' hair stood on end. He'd hoped that no one would notice.

"I… I wanted to be older like you guys," he lied. He knew that wasn't the reason. He wanted to be as old as Alexis. Puck put his hands up in warning.

"Just remember the pact, okay?" Puck warned. "If you exceed our age, you know the punishment."

James nodded and scurried out the tent. Night came quickly after that, which made him happy. He waited until all the lost boys were asleep, then climbed down from his tree. He snuck through the forest, careful to not make any sound. He didn't want to get caught and have to explain why he was breaking the rules. Once he'd slipped into the cave, he sat down behind a boulder, waiting. Alexis came in not long after, looking behind her to make sure that no one was following her.

"Psst!" Alexis whispered looking around for him. Smiling, he stepped out from behind the rock and hugged her from behind. He felt her tense up as he whispered in her ear.

"Found you!" She turned herself around in his arms and smiled at him. They broke their embrace and she grabbed his hand and walked deeper into the cave. They spent the few hours talking and playing around in the cave. When the light from the sun began to show, they said their goodbyes and parted ways. James walked through the forest feeling jubilant. He knew that he was in love with her, but he had to keep it a secret, because if the others found out, he'd be punished, but maybe being punished was worth it… James jumped when he heard a thump from behind him.

"Where were you?" Peter said dusting off his clothes. James looked at the ground and scratched his head. He hadn't heard him before now.

"I couldn't sleep and decided to take a walk. I like the-"

"Tell me what your were doing with the girl," Peter snapped. James looked up at him in surprise. How long had Peter been following him? He chided himself for not being careful enough.

"I don't know what-"

"Stop lying to me. You've been sneaking out to see her for a while now. You need to stop seeing her."

"But I can't."

Peter halted and stared at him. "Why? Are you in love with her? With a pirate?" he pestered him with questions. James remained quiet and looked at his feet. He heard Peter sigh. "You have to stop seeing her. If you don't I'll have to go to Puck. He'll banish you."

"Maybe banishment isn't such a bad idea," James snapped. "Then I could become a pirate and be with her."

Peter grabbed his shoulders and forced him to look up at him. His eyes were full of worry. "James. He won't just banish you from being a lost boy. If Puck finds out about this, he'll banish you from Neverland. If you stop seeing her now, I won't tell him, but if you do it again, you can't expect me to keep it a secret." James let the reality of Peter's words sink in. He could be banished from Neverland. He'd be thrown on the street to fight for himself all over again. He couldn't do that.

"Can I tell her?" he asked, barely a whisper. "Can I say goodbye?" Peter filled with pain as he watched his young friend battle with his emotions. Taking a long sigh, he looked James in the eye.

"You can say goodbye, but that's it. Understood?" James looked up and nodded, tears in his eyes.

"Thank you." He was grateful for the second chance. He was glad he had a friend like Peter. He rushed at him and gave him a hug. Peter was surprised at the sudden show of affection. He didn't know what to do, so he patted the younger boy on the head.

"We'd better get back to the group, they'll be wondering where we went," Peter said. James nodded and they walked back to camp in silence.

James' thoughts were interrupted by a car alarm. He froze and looked around. It had gotten dark. It was probably a good time to head back to the others. Throwing the remains of his dinner in the trash can next to him, he walked back the way he had come. He watched the residents of Ferryport Landing closing up shop and heading home. He spotted Sabrina and the young man walking home, hand in hand. Maybe if he followed them, he could find answers to why Peter Pan was here. That information was well worth a detour. Quietly, he followed the two of them around a corner and down another street. He followed them out of town and watched as they headed towards the forest. Pretending to be waiting at a bus stop, his eyes followed them as they entered it. James counted to ten before crossing the street and following them in. Looking up through the canopy, he spotted a small figure flying into the air. Squinting his eyes, he made out the outline of a person. Could it be? No, there's no way. Shaking the idea from his brain, he made his way back to the harbor and found his motor boat.

He turned the key in the ignition and drove it out into the lake towards Bannerman Island. They'd found the ruins of a castle a while ago and had decided that there'd be no better place to settle. They always made sure that they were only there when they wouldn't be disturbed by tourists, not that many people went to see it anyway. As he steered the motor boat in the right direction, his thoughts wandered back to what had happened after his talk with Peter. If only they knew…

"We can't see each other anymore," he'd told her. Alexis's eyes were filled with pain and he couldn't bear it. He wrapped his arms around her. "I can't see you anymore. If I do, I'll be banished from Neverland. That's the punishment." Tears spilled down her cheeks as he held her. He tried to soothe her.

"It isn't fair," she said.

"I know."

Silence followed as they sat and comforted each other. They both knew this would probably be the last time they'd see each other like this and they wanted to spend as much time as possible together. She wiped her tears away and smiled at him.

"We don't have to stop doing this," she said, looking up at him. James looked at her in apprehension. Did she not hear what he said?

"Alexis, I got caught. Peter knows about us. We can't risk it."

"We just need to be more careful. We need a better hiding spot and better excuses." Her eyes begged him. He wanted to, he really did. He thought about how angry Peter would be if he found out. But Alexis was right. If they were careful, they didn't need to be caught.

He sighed. "Okay."

Alexis smiled and planted a kiss on his lips. They smiled at each other. "Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow."

"Captain! You're back!" a stout man called when James had entered the fortress. He screwed his prosthetic off and threw it at the man, who stumbled but caught it.

"Fix this. It almost came off," James snarled. The stout man, Smee, nodded and ran off down the hall. James looked around for his hook and found it hanging on a nail that was wedged between two rocks. Screwing it on, he searched for the other members of his crew. He found them in the main hall drinking mead and playing cards. When he entered, they became quiet. He walked over to his spot at the head of the table and sat down.

"How goes the search for Pan?" he shouted across the table. Some of the crew members jumped in their seats. They looked at each other with trepidation. James already knew what they were going to say, but he wanted to see them squirm. He was surprised when a hand shot in the air. It belonged to one of the newest additions to his crew. He was the youngest pirate he'd recruited, but definitely looked the part with his shaggy brown hair, blue bandana, earring, and lithe build.

"Yes?" James prompted.

The boy stood and grinned. "I've been attending the local high school and I think I've found him," he said in triumph. "There's one problem, though." The boy looked slightly worried now.

"Yes?" James snarled.

"Didn't you say he was eleven?"

"Yes, I did."

"Well, the boy I found is definitely not eleven, but his name is Peter and he fits your description." At a glare from James, the boy sat back down. He broke the rules. He did grow up, James thought to himself.

"Boy?" he called. The young pirate looked up from his food. "Point him out to me tomorrow." The boy looked surprised at the request, but quickly nodded. In that moment, a sudden burst of inspiration struck James. Pan had been with Alexis. If this boy had found the same person as he'd seen today, he must have also found Alexis too.

"Was Pan with a girl?"

"Yes," the boy answered quickly, then caught himself. "Well, actually, he normally hangs out with two girls and another guy…"

"Who are they?"

"Sabrina and Annie, Captain." James smiled when he heard Sabrina's name, his suspicions confirmed. That meant the other girl was Alexis… But why would she call herself Annie? Was it possible that she would change her name?

"Annie, what does she look like?"

"Umm… she's small, has red hair, and green eyes. She hangs out a lot with Pan, but her best friend is Sabrina."

"What about the boy?" He needed to know if this boy was who he thought he was.

"I just barely started hanging out with her, so I don't know yet. I'll try to find out tonight."

"Tonight?"

"I have plans with Annie later tonight. I figured that the best way to get close to Pan would be to get close to his friends. I'll make sure to ask her about her friends. Speaking of which, I need to get going if I'm going to pick her up on time." This caught James' attention. He wanted to talk to the boy and learn more about the girl, but before he did, he needed to make sure that she was Alexis. The boy stood up to go.

"What's your name boy?" James called. He liked to know who was helping him. The boy stood up straighter and smiled.

"Dylan. Dylan Harris."