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Chapter 14

"Hello Jane." Hook said with a wicked smile as he stepped closer.

Jane pressed her back into the door, horrified, and stared with wide fearful eyes as the man she'd believed dead, had seen die walked towards her.

"You – you're dead." She faltered, no longer sure of anything but her fear.

Hook raised one eyebrow and a smirk twisted his lips as he glanced down at himself and spread his arms as if experimenting.

"There seems to be fairly infallible evidence to the contrary my dear." He said in the velvety voice that meant he was at his most dangerous.

"No! You're not real!" Jane's voice hadn't risen above a whisper but her fear and desperation for this not to be happening was clear.

He didn't reply but took another, slow step towards her.

"I'm seeing things, I know I am." She said to herself, trying to convince herself that this was the case.

"Perhaps." He was an inch away from her now and the pistol he'd pressed to her temple felt horribly real. "But then again perhaps not."

"I saw you die." She said fiercely, gaining strength in her conviction. "You gave yourself to the crocodile, I saw it."

"My dear girl, if you're so confident that I am a mere figment of your imagination," Hook began and then slammed his free hand to the door, trapping her as he whispered in her ear. "Then why are you so scared?"

Jane shook her head – it couldn't be – but then without thinking she reached out a hand and placed it on his cheek, flinching away as she felt the rough stubble peppering the harsh plane of his jaw that meant without a doubt, for illusions had no substance...that he was real.

Aghast, she ducked under his arm and ran to the window, scanning the sky with wide eyes for the dreaded pirate ship but there was nothing in sight. Hook leaned against the door with a sneer and lazily adjusted his cuffs.

"Oh no, things have changed Jane since our time." He said in an almost companionable voice, "Your Peter has my ship now." The friendliness dropped from his tone at Peter's name and Jane turned slowly to face him. Dozens of broken up, panicked thoughts flashed through her mind, the main one being: he doesn't know Peter's here. She was careful that her face should betray no emotion but secretly her heart was racing, she knew no matter what she couldn't let on that Peter was in the house.

"I can hardly call him mine anymore." She said dismissively, hoping he would drop the subject. "He's probably forgotten all about me, like you said – things have changed."

"Oh he hasn't forgotten." Hook jeered, "I see him sometimes (out of sight myself, of course) walking off on his own, all pale-faced and puffy eyed for his sweet Jane." He pressed a mocking hand to his heart as a cruel grin twisted his lips.

"Shut up." Jane seethed, suddenly furious. "Do not make fun of what you have never known."

Hook's blue eyes went cold and the grin faded from his lips. "I assume you speak of love? Well, I have known it girl and I can tell you with confidence that it's not worth the hassle." He snapped, his eyes flashing.

"Well it can't have been true." Jane retorted.

"It was the only real thing I've ever had." Hook shouted, in a flash he was right in front of her with blazing eyes and clenched fists.

Jane staggered backwards, unnerved by the sudden, frightening change but he didn't advance any closer.

In the room below Peter started awake and looked frantically around him – for a second he'd thought he'd heard...but no...it couldn't be. After a tense minute he slumped back in his chair and pressed his hand to his temple.

Upstairs the room was also silent as the two adversaries looked at each other. Jane's lips were forming the beginnings of words but no sound came out as she shrank back from his anger, he truly looked terrifying with his blazing eyes and twisted sneer. She took a faltering step backwards but in an instant his hand shot out and grabbed the neck of her dress, pulling her closer with a rough jerk. Jane gasped and tried to shove his hand away but he simply pushed her down, she hit the floor and at once scrambled away as best she could, her breathing labored and shaky. All it took was one of his boots stamped on the skirt of her dress to prevent her from moving further and before she could get away he had crouched and grabbed her chin in his hand.

"What do you know about me Jane?" He asked, his voice the bearer of a deathly calm.

"I know that you are cruel." Was her whispered reply. Hook laughed darkly,

"And what made me cruel?" He spat out the word, his eyes intent on hers.

Jane tried to free herself from his grip but he only tightened his hold on her, his eyes as steely as his inescapable clasp. "It is in your nature, you can be nothing else." She retorted finally, meeting his gaze as best she could.

This time his laugh was louder, more derisive and much more frightening to Jane but his grip never slackened.

"Ignorant girl." He said contemptuously, "In future do not talk of what you do not know."

"Well can you make me believe otherwise?" She challenged, trying to buy herself some time while she figured out what he wanted.

"I could. But I won't waste my breath." Hook snapped disdainfully and Jane flinched away from his cold tone. Slowly and deliberately he raised his hook, resting it's sharp edge lightly on her temple in a gesture that (had it not been a weapon) would have been almost tender. Jane froze as best she could, not wanting his hand to slip and harm her but he seemed distracted. In one slow movement he ran his hook through her hair and separated one ringlet, curling it round the hook and holding it up from the light.

"So like Wendy..." He muttered, not really to Jane more to himself. When his eyes snapped back to hers it was so sudden that it made Jane jump slightly, swallowing hard. "I know he's here girl." He said in a voice that was almost bored. Jane's eyes widened with horror,

"It was you at the marketplace." She said, her voice hushed. "I won't let you hurt him." She spat, disregarding any threat to her and straightening up.

Hook watched her for a moment and then gave a wry laugh, letting go of her so abruptly that she fell back onto her elbows.

"My dear, if I wanted to hurt him you would not be able to stop me. As it is however, I have no intention of harming your arrogant little beau." He said.

"Then why are you here?" Jane asked.

"Why to request your lovely presence in Neverland of course." Hook answered, watching her shrewdly still. Now it was Jane's turn to laugh.

"You honestly think I'd come back with you?"

Hook raised an eyebrow and moved to the side revealing Noodler holding a squirming Johnny in his huge arms, one hand over the little boy's mouth to stop him from screaming. All that could be seen of Johnny's face were his terrified, wide blue eyes.

"Yes." Hook said simply.

Jane had clutched her stomach, her expression pained as she looked, aghast, at her little brother.

"No you can't!" She yelled, flinging herself at Hook. Whether she meant to hit him or beg him to show mercy she didn't know but either way he had caught her in his strong arms and forced her to turn and look at Johnny before she could get as far.

"Look at him Jane, your poor little brother...I shudder to think what would happen if Noodler here moved a little step backwards...He can fly you know but...little Johnny can't." He whispered roughly, his lips very close to her ear.

Jane sobbed once, her eyes never leaving Johnny's and then she cried as Noodler went to take the fatal step.

"NO!"

Downstairs Peter started awake for the second time, a frown creasing his handsome features. He rubbed a hand over his face and slowly got up from the chair, he didn't move though, not wanting to disturb Jane if she wanted some time alone. There was no further noise so he sank back down, running a hand through his hair agitatedly – he didn't know what to do for the best.

Meanwhile Jane's cries were being muffled by Hook who held her in an iron grip, one hand over her mouth. He knew very well that Pan was there somewhere.

"Not another sound." He threatened, placing his hook at the base of her throat before slowly removing his hand.

"Now my beauty, I am no longer asking you to come to Neverland." He said huskily, "I'm telling you. If you don't...well...I doubt little Johnny here would survive the fall."

Several tears trickled down Jane's cheeks as her agonized gaze fixed on Johnny's terrified eyes. She nodded.

"I'll do whatever you want, just don't hurt him." She whispered hoarsely and Hook gave a savage grin that, had she seen it, would have made Jane's blood run cold.

"Well then, it seems we are agreed." He said silkily and before she could reply he had scooped her into his arms and launched himself out of the window along with Noodler leaving nothing behind but the fluttering curtains and the echo of a drawn out scream.

"JANE!" Peter sprang up from the chair and sprinted up the stairs, his heart pounding a mile a minute and her chilling scream clear in his head.

"Jane what's -" He burst into the room and dropped to his knees, the open window and empty room seeming to taunt him.

"No...NO DAMN IT!" He roared as he leaped to his feet and frantically scanned the clear, empty sky. Nothing.

"Jane!" He kicked the wall and sank to the floor, clasping his head in his hands. Shakily he took his hands away and wiped the tears off his face and it was then that he saw it – the handkerchief. With a shaking hand he picked it up and examined the embroidered initials, scrunching it into a ball when he saw the letters he'd feared: JH...

"Hook." He snarled, hatred coursing through him like poison.

The door burst open a second time and a disheveled looking John bounded into the room, black umbrella held aloft like a sword.

"What is it? What's all the fuss?" He demanded, crouching and looking round for intruders or other such catastrophe's, but on finding none his eyes went instead to the boy on the floor.

"Peter, what are you doing down there?" He asked with a frown. Peter didn't reply and John sighed and went to sheath his sword, forgetting that it was in fact an umbrella and creating a rip in his silk pajamas.

"Bother. Well? What's wrong? Where's Jane?" He asked, clearing his throat awkwardly.

Still without saying anything or even looking at the man Peter handed him the handkerchief and was only roused from his thoughts by a loud trumpeting noise that came, as he discovered on looking round, from John blowing his nose on the proffered handkerchief.

"Thank you. Now where did you say Jane was? And what on earth was that awful scream about?" John pressed, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"He took her." Peter growled, his fists curling into balls.

"Who?" John asked, his frown deepening with confusion but before Peter could answer his eyes caught sight of the initials and he froze.

"You don't mean to say.." He started, taking a step backwards. "that Hook was here?"

Peter nodded.

"And he's taken Jane?"

Another nod.

"To Neverland?"
"Probably." Was Peters staid reply.

"Well this is awful! This is catastrophic – the poor girl! What shall we do?" He panicked, casting around for solutions and drawing a disheartening blank. "Dash it all, it's hopeless!" Was his eventual conclusion. Just as he came to this depressing halt the door was flung open a third and final time as Wendy rushed into the room in tears.

"Where's Johnny? I can't find him – he was in the nursery!" She sobbed, but as her tearful eyes found the open window the horror on her face said that she knew the answer.

"No..." She whispered, and her eyes found Jane's empty bed. "No!" She was shaking as she pressed her hand to her cheek.

"I'm so sorry Wendy." Peter said unexpectedly. Nobody replied for every one of them was in shock and each was blaming themselves. However they were brought back to the present when peter got to his feet and with a determined air announced that he was going back to Neverland, and he'd return with Jane and Johnny or die trying.