By the time I made it back to the small rowboat, I was exhausted. I'd had little to no sleep in the past twenty-four hours, but I wouldn't stop to take even the smallest break. From the position of the moon in the sky, I could tell it was nearly daybreak. My heart pounded painfully in my chest at the sight of the Jolly Roger still bobbing out in the harbor. What if I'd messed things up beyond repair? What if Hook wasn't able to forgive me? I'd lied to him and left him in the middle of the night, what reason did he have to want to help me?

I blinked back the tears and sent up a quick prayer. My fears were trying to take over again. I was scared beyond belief. What was I supposed to say when I saw him? What could I say? My only hope was that the right words would come to me once the time came.

It took an hour, but eventually I made it back to the ship and pulled up alongside it. The pirates must have seen me coming, because a few of them stood at the railing, leaning over to get a better view. Smee appeared among them, and as soon as my boat brushed the side, he sent down a wooden ladder. Once I'd climbed to the top, Smee helped me over the railing and gave orders for the pirates to hoist the boat up and secure it back to the side of the ship.

"Does Hook know I'm here?" My eyes darted all around the deck to see if he was among the crowd that had gathered. There was no sign of him, and I couldn't tell whether he was avoiding me or if he just didn't know I'd returned yet.

"No, would you like for me to inform him?" Smee asked, nodding towards his cabin.

I shook my head. "No…this is something I have to do myself."

While all I wanted was to let Smee be the messenger, this had to come from me. Hook deserved that much, at least. I started to head over to the door, but a hand gently grabbed my arm before I could take a step. "Miss…why did you leave?"

I'd been dreading this question, but knew I would have to answer it sooner or later. Slowly turning to face him, I saw his earnest gaze staring back at me. "I…I was scared. I still am."

A change passed over his expression, and in that instant I knew he understood everything I was trying to say in those two short sentences. "With all due respect, Miss, he was too."

My heart gave a painful squeeze, but I ignored it. I knew I'd be hurting Hook by leaving, and I hated to do it, but it was for the best. With a nod, I pulled my arm away and walked over to the door. As I grew near, my heart sped up and I felt an overwhelming fear spread over my body, trying to freeze me in place. Why was this so hard for me? I knew Hook wouldn't hurt me—I knew that, so what was so terrifying?

When I reached the door, my hand paused on the handle, and I had to take a deep breath to steel myself. I slowly pushed the door open, trying to keep as quiet as possible, as if that would somehow make things easier. The door soundlessly swung open a few inches—enough for me to peek in.

What I saw made me freeze.

There, right at the foot of his bed, knelt Hook. His hands were clasped on top of the sheets, his eyes were closed, and his face downcast. Was he…was he praying? I could still hear his words from just a week ago echoing in my mind—"God abandoned me a long time ago."

Something told me I shouldn't be intruding on such a private moment, since Hook obviously wasn't aware of my presence, but just as I was about to leave he spoke aloud, stopping me once again.

"It's been a long time since I've prayed—over two hundred years. I'm not even sure if I'm doing this right, but I…I can't do this anymore. I can't see myself going on without her, and I'm so angry over her leaving—at You, at Wendy…even at myself…and yet I can't stop loving her. I know I'm probably the last person in the world who deserves a woman like her, and that I'm lucky I even got the chance to spend what time I did with her. So…I guess what I'm asking is…if Wendy is gone—if she's truly gone—then help me move on. I lost everything when Maria left me, and if I have to lose everything I love once again, then…I'm asking You to help me through it. She always trusted in You, even when I didn't, and I've seen how brave and strong she was."

My heart was lodged painfully in my throat, and I stumbled away from the door—unable to listen anymore. Tears burned my eyes, and I could hardly see where I was going. I bumped into the railing and gripped the wooden bar, steadying myself. Of all the scenarios I imagined…this hadn't even crossed my mind.

I lowered my head and felt the tears slip down my cheeks. His words had broken something in me, and I wasn't sure what to think anymore. I felt like I was just now realizing the depth of the pain I'd put the both of us through. I'd called out and questioned God at my lowest point…Hook had called out and asked for help at his. I couldn't tell myself I'd stumbled upon this by accident. Everything happened for a reason…I'd seen this intimate moment for a reason.

I raised a hand to my cheeks and wiped away the tears, turning my face up towards the sky. "I can't…I just can't…"

"Miss?"

I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Smee's worried gaze on me. "I can't do it, Smee."

"Can't do what, Miss?" he asked, and it was like the flood gates opened. Tears streamed down my cheeks and I couldn't stop them. "Sh, it's all right, Miss. Come on, let's go to below deck and you can tell me all about it."

Arms wrapped around my shaking form and led me away, but hardly anything registered beyond that. All I knew was that a pair of numb feet stepped one in front of the other, carrying me down a flight of stairs. A moment later I was being coaxed onto a swinging hammock. Something white fluttered in front of me, and my vision cleared enough to see that it was a handkerchief. Once I'd wiped my eyes, I turned my blurry gaze to Smee sitting next to me.

"What's wrong, Miss?"

For just a second I hesitated—unsure how to explain everything I'd been through so far, when it hardly even made sense to me—but then I opened my mouth and the words came pouring out. I told Smee what had happened—told him every single fear, doubt, and pain. I told him about everything that had happened after I'd left the ship last night, and everything I had come to realize since then. When I was finished, he was silent for a few moments. All I could hear was the creaking of wooden beams and the faint splash of water lapping against the ship.

After what seemed like an eternity, Smee finally spoke. "Which scares you more, Miss? The idea of loving him or the idea of living without him?"

The numbness nestled in the center of my chest grew at the mere idea, and my heart gave a painful squeeze at the thought of going on without Hook. I hadn't given much thought to living my life without him there—only the thought of getting away and the fear of trusting him with my heart. But now it was at the forefront of my mind.

How could I live the rest of my life feeling as miserable as I'd felt over the past day? With time I knew the raw pain would slow to a dull throb, but I knew the ache and longing for him would always be there like my shadow, following me everywhere I went. Hook already had a hold on my heart, even if he didn't realize it, and I wasn't getting it back anytime soon. The fear of loving Hook still resided there in the pit of my stomach, but even more present was the fear of living a life without him there.

"Thank you, Smee." I raised a hand and wiped away the tears staining my cheeks, then stood and walked up to the top deck. The cool sea breeze calmed me and I took a few deep breaths to steady myself before walking over to the door leading into Hook's cabin. I was still scared, but I knew that I had to do this, because the only other option was facing something I feared even more.

As soon as I pushed the door open, Hook, who had been standing with his back facing me, spun around. "Smee, I thought I told you not to—" Irritation at being interrupted was written plainly across his face, but shock soon overtook it when he realized it was me. A pained look mixed with the shock. "Wendy?" A thousand different emotions flashed through his eyes—worry, anger, pain. "You're…back?"

A lump grew in my throat, and I felt my vision become blurry once again. Everything I had planned to say was suddenly lost at the back of my throat, and all that made it out was, "I'm sorry, Hook. I'm so sorry."

I lurched forward, unable to bear just standing there. Hook seemed to meet me halfway and suddenly I was in his embrace once again. His arms wrapped around me and held me tight. As I nestled deeper into his arms, breathing in his familiar scent, the fear suddenly disappeared—replaced only by a comfort I hadn't felt before. His hand clutched at my hair, running his fingers through the strands, while my arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him as close as I could.

We stood there for what felt like eternity, but finally he pulled away, reaching up a hand to my face to brush away the tears streaming down my cheeks. "Why did you leave, Wendy?"

"I was so scared of letting myself love you and trusting you with my heart, but I realized the only thing that scares me more than doing that is the thought of losing you…so for you, I want to be brave."

A smile spread across his face, and then his thumb slipped under my chin, tilting my head up. I smiled as his face drew closer, and I met him halfway—joining our lips. The kiss was the opposite of the demanding, heated kiss only a day ago. It was slow and sweet, but still made the rest of the world fade away from around us.

This time there was no regret when I pulled away, and no fear at the well of emotions that sprung up inside me, only a fluttering in my chest and a grin I couldn't hold back. He leaned his forehead against mine, hand dropping to the small of my back to pull me close. "Will you stay?"

Those words pulled at my heart and reminded me of my original goal in coming here—to ask Hook to take me back home. I still wanted to go back—knew I needed to. The only difference was that I wanted Hook by my side this time. "Yes, I want to stay with you…but I…"

"What?"

I hesitated, wondering if this was the right time to bring this up. "I have to go back home." The smile on his face dimmed, and I could see the suspicion in his eyes, so I quickly added, "Come with me. I still want to be with you."

He was silent for a moment, mulling over my words. "Go back to England after all these years? It's been too long, I couldn't." His gaze hardened, and his eyes got a faraway look in them. "Not while that blasted boy still lives."

"We can have a future there. We can't have that here," I said, bringing my hand up to his cheek. His eyes drifted back to me and softened as he held my gaze, then he drew in a deep breath and let it out.

"I'll think about it, for your sake…"

"Thank you." My grin widened as I pulled him in for another kiss.

"Tell me more about your new England." I could feel the deep rumble of his voice against my cheek. "I suppose if I do choose to return I would need to know everything that has changed."

We were both sitting on the bed, Hook sitting propped up against the headboard, while I sat curled up against his chest, my head resting under his chin. His arms were curled protectively around me, and we had been sitting here for the past two hours, with him unwilling to let me go.

I felt a triumphant smile cross my lips, my spirits rising. "So many years have passed, I'm not sure I can remember all my history lessons," I said, lifting my head to grin at him. "You have a lot of catching up to do."

"Then prepare me for it," he challenged, leaning in closer. There was mischievous glint in his eyes, and it made my heart beat faster as his blue gaze bored into mine.

"Well, you already know about electric lights," I began, turning my gaze to the windows allowing sunlight to filter in. If I had to stare into those light blue eyes I'd never remember my history lessons.

He snorted. "Hardly. You mentioned them once."

"The current king is King George V." My eyes flickered up briefly to see his face had drawn closer to mine. "There are so many new inventions, like automobiles. They are like carriages, except there are no horses to pull it. It has an engine that makes it run, though I haven't any idea of how the engine works." He reached a hand up and ran his fingers through my hair "There are also airplanes, which are similar to automobiles, but they can fly in the air like birds."

"Fascinating." he said, wrapping a single strand of hair around one finger and giving it a light tug. It was clear he was barely listening to me—if he even was listening at all.

"Medicine has made such an advancement. We now have vaccines to protect against smallpox and other diseases. But my favorite invention so far is the nickelodeon. It's a moving picture and they show all kinds of stories." When I looked back up at him, he was mere inches away, and I could feel each exhale ghost against my cheek. My breath came quicker and I rushed to explain more inventions. "Mail travels much faster, now that we have telegraphs. It sends a signal sent over a wire, and can spread messages instantly instead of having to deliver a message by foot. We can even send a message directly from London to New York instantly!"

"Is that so?" he asked, but his hand had wandered from my hair down to my shoulder, and was now slipping under the fabric of my sleeve, running over the bare skin of my shoulder. He wasn't listening, of that I was sure.

"You're not even listening to me!" I accused, trying to look stern.

He gave me a grin, his eyes snapping up to meet mine. "Yes, I am."

"What was I just telling you about?"

"You said something about a war."

"I did not! Though there were several important wars that happened—" My sentence was cut short when Hook leaning down to press his lips against my forehead before trailing them down to my cheeks, then the corner of my lips. The scratch of his beard against my skin sent a shiver down my spine and I was sure he noticed. "Hook, it's really hard to talk when you're doing things like this."

"That's the point, Darling. There are much interesting things to do than talk."

"Why, Captain, are you trying to seduce me?" I tried to sound scandalized, but the smile on my face made it obvious that I clearly wasn't. It was hard to be shocked when the only thing on my mind was my desire to kiss him.

"Of course not, Darling, you are a lady. I would never think of it." At this he leaned over and placed a chaste kiss on my lips, lingering only a second or two before pulling away. "I'll have you know I'm still a gentleman. I have every intention of marrying you."

At this I felt the smile slip from my face, remembering that I still had a fiancé waiting for me back in England. A man I was betrothed to marry—though I hadn't wanted to. How would it look if I turned up back in England? I couldn't claim that I was kidnapped, because them Hook would be arrested, but then the only other option would be to say that I ran away. I would obviously have to break my engagement with Edward, and considering we'd made it up to the day before the wedding, my reputation would be ruined. I would be labeled a flake. And then when I broke off my engagement to Edward and got engaged to Hook, the rumor mill wouldn't take long to connect the dots. Gossip would spread that I'd run off with Hook and had a scandalous affair—my family name would be ruined. I would never be accepted in any sort of good society again.

This wouldn't just affect me, though. It would ruin John and Michael's chances of finding and marrying a well-bred young lady. My parents would be shunned and gossiped about. They would be labeled bad parents because in society's eyes, my actions would reflect the way they had raised me.

I could feel tears building behind my eyes. My family's good name would be dragged through the mud, all because of me. The worst part is that none of it would be true. No matter how much I longed to see my family, maybe it would be better if I didn't subject them to the humiliation and shame that would follow me if I returned. Maybe it would be better if we stayed in Neverland together.

I felt a finger under my chin and lifted my eyes to see Hook gazing down at me with concern. "What's wrong?"

"I…I'm still engaged…" I said, raising my left hand to show him the ring that still rested on my finger. His eyes shifted and narrowed at the piece of jewelry. "Maybe it would be better if—"

There was a loud clatter outside, with shouts rising. The loudest of them caught my attention. "Where is Wendy? I know you kidnapped her!"

"Peter!" I exclaimed, swinging my legs over the side of the bed and standing.

"That blasted brat always has to ruin everything," Hook mumbled, rolling out of bed and marching over to the room. He threw it open and I was right behind him, trying to catch up with him.

Peter stood in the middle of the deck, standing firm with the Lost Boys, who were surrounding by a band of pirates. At the sight of Captain Hook, the crew cleared a path straight towards Peter.

"Release her now and I'll think about not feeding the crocodile your other hand!" he said, the image of confidence.

I could see the instant effect of his words on Hook, but my hand shot out and caught hold of his arm before he could react. "No, don't. It's not worth it."

His hand clenched into a fist—knuckles white—but he stood where he was. "Your precious Wendy chose to come here. She wants to stay with me."

Peter's nose crinkled in disgust. "Liar! Why would Wendy want to stay with you? You're just an old codfish!"

I could tell Hook's patience was wearing very thin, and that this wouldn't end well if things continued. Taking a step forward, I put myself in front of Hook. "Peter, it's true. I love Hook. Please, don't fight. I can't stand it when you two fight."

Peter stumbled back as if I'd struck him, disbelief written across his face. "No—Wendy…" He was silent for a few moments, but then his jaw tightened and his eyes shifted to Hook and narrowed. "You—you've done something to her!"

"Face it, boy. She'll never be yours."

"Wendy would never want someone like you!"

This broke the already thin balance and Hook pushed past me, sword drawn. Peter met him with a clash of metal against metal. They both had fire in their eyes as they circled around each other, meeting each other strike for strike, swords clashing.

"Stop it!" I cried, but they ignored me.

"Wendy's not your precious little girl anymore. She's all grown up and she loves me," Hook spat at Peter, goading him. "Why would she want a little boy like you?"

"Stop it!" I yelled again, but they continued to ignore my pleas.

I could Peter grow angrier and more upset as Hook continued to goad him. His footwork became sloppy and he was barely able to parry Hook's blows—and that was what led him to distraction. Suddenly Peter's sword was flying across the deck and Hook kicked him flat on his back. As he sat up, Hook's sword pressed lightly against his neck, preventing him from moving any further. Panic set in Peter's eyes when he saw that he was trapped.

The Lost Boys tried to jump in and defend their leader, but the pirates had anticipated their move and quickly jumped in to grab their arms, pinning them behind their back and preventing them from interfering. Unable to stand on the sidelines any longer, I rushed forward and pulled Peter back before Hook could thrust the sword, placing myself in front of him and holding the tip of the sword to my throat.

"If you want to kill Peter, you'll have to kill me first." Determination laced my voice as I stared at Hook's horrified gaze.

"Wendy—" he began, sounding like he was trying to reason with me, but I wasn't about to have any of it.

"No, Hook. Please, this needs to stop. I know what he did to you, but this has to end. What do you think will happen if you kill Peter? Do you think it will make you feel better?"

"I know it will," Hook countered.

I tightened my jaw. "And then what? What will have changed? Will you get your hand back? Will it bring her back?" A look of hurt flashed across his face at the mention of Maria, and I hated having to bring her up to use against him, but I needed him to realize that killing Peter wouldn't change anything. "Things will still be the same as before. Sure, you may feel a small bit of satisfaction, but how long will that last? There's only one lasting change this will bring…"

"And what is that?" he asked.

I took a deep breath. My next words would really hurt Hook, and I hated having to do it, but I knew I must. I couldn't let Hook continue down this path of vengeance any longer. "If you kill Peter…you'll lose me forever." At this Hook's face fell, and I quickly went on, "But we can have a future together. We can be happy, but you have to stop trying to kill Peter. He's my friend. Forgive him just like you forgave me, and like I forgave you."

I looked up at Hook, my eyes and face pleading him to do the right thing. He stared at me for a long moment, debating with himself. I knew I was asking him to do something very difficult. He'd spent centuries chasing after Peter in an attempted to get revenge, and in the span of mere seconds, I was asking him to forgive him. In Hook's clear blue eyes, I could see a war raging—a war between his love for me, and his centuries-long lust for revenge.

"Please. I believe in you."

It seemed like ages passed before he finally, he let out a sigh and lowered his sword, letting it fall to the ground in front of him. His gaze narrowed at Pan and I could see the dangerous glint in his eyes as he glared at him. This wasn't a kind of anger that could go away overnight—but I would be here right by his side as he gradually learned to let go of it.

I jumped up and threw my arms around him, holding him close. "I knew you would do the right thing," I whispered in his ear. His arms wrapped around me, his hand tangling in his hair as he drew in a deep breath and then let it out. I could feel his body shaking and knew I had to remove him from the situation as soon as possible. "Come on, let's get back to the cabin."

Even though Hook had chosen not to kill Peter when he had the chance, I knew Peter would continue to goad him if he stayed here, and Hook's newfound resolve was something I would rather not test right now.

I pulled away and put a hand on Hook's arm, guiding him back to his room. I turned around to face Peter—to tell him that I still cared about him, but that I had made my decision to stay with Hook—but the words died on my lips.

Peter held his discarded dagger in one hand and was rushing towards us with it raised in the air—ready to strike. Peter had an anger in his eyes that I had never seen before as he aimed for Hook's turned back. I didn't have time to warn Hook or even push him out of the way, so I reacted the only way I knew how—I threw myself in the path of the oncoming blade as it sliced down.

Peter's eyes widened in fear when I jumped in front of Hook, but it was too late the stop the blade as it sunk hilt-deep into my chest.

At first I didn't feel much—it only felt like I had been punched, but then a few seconds later a sudden rush of pain came over me like I had been struck by lightning. Dark spots dotted my vision and all I knew was white hot pain. My legs gave out, and I was only vaguely aware of the arms that caught me. Shock flooded my system and everything seemed to be passing by in slow motion.

I felt like I couldn't move, so my eyes stayed glued on Peter, who looked like he was about to break down and cry. A horrified look was etched across his face, and he was pale as a ghost. All that anger from before was completely gone.

"Wendy…I…I'm…" Peter's voice came out strained, like he was on the verge of tears.

I could hear Hook let out a string of curses. "Smee, get the medical supplies! Hurry! You bloody rotten brat! I'm going to kill you for this!"

"Captain, we don't have the supplies to treat a wound like this," I heard Smee's voice respond softly. "We need to get her to a hospital in London to have any chance of saving her."

"What are you waiting for, then? Set sail for London!" Hook picked me up and held me close. At the sudden shift in my position the blade began to burn like fire.

"Hoo…Hook—the knife!" I gasped out, trying to lift my numbed hands to the dagger inside me. I could barely breath, much less talk. Why hadn't they taken it out?!

"I know it hurts," he said as he pulled me hands away, his eyes brimmed with tears. "But if we take it out you'll bleed out. Right now it's stopping most of the blood."

I could feel the ship lift up into the sky, and as it took flight Hook's eyes stayed glued onto mine, holding me close. It felt like a hot rock was burning through my skin with every rock of the ship. "You need to stay awake, Wendy. You can't die, I won't allow it."

But even as he said it, my vision began to blur, and darkness bit at the edges of my vision. "Hook…I…" my voice came out as a whisper. Was I going to die? I had been stabbed in the chest, surely my chances weren't that good for survival.

"Hook, I…" I love you too, I had wanted to say. If this was really the end, I wanted him to know at least that much, but before I could say it, darkness swept over me like the tide and the only thing I knew was nothingness.

I have a few things to say. First of all: No, I am not dead, nor have I abandoned this story. I could never abandon this story, ever.

Second: I'm really, really sorry this took so long! Two years is an insane amount of time to have to wait for an update, especially when it was just getting to the good part. I know you all probably want to kill me for ending this chapter with Wendy getting stabbed, but this is actually a really important part of the story. This one event will set the ending in motion. There should be just a few more chapters left, and I'll try to get them out as soon as I can.

Please forgive any errors or typos. I don't have a beta anymore, but I do go over the chapter as best as I can and try to fix them before publishing it.

I want to give a really big thanks for everyone who has stuck with this story-you guy's have the patience of a saint! I really appreciate the people who left reviews and even private messaged me and gave me that little extra push I needed to break my writer's block and push past my worry over returning to writing after such a long hiatus. You guys are the best! Let me know what you think!