'Tiger Lily!' Peter bellowed as he strode into camp, his dagger fastened tightly on his belt, Felix and Slightly following him close behind. The natives either froze in their places or stood from their seated position, moving aside as Peter sauntered into the heart of their camp, trying to find the chief's daughter. Peter kept his chin in the air and his gaze hard, he still had to keep up the feared leader persona, he couldn't let them know he was afraid. Peter was not afraid of them of course, they were placid people mostly, he was afraid of Anya's whereabouts. He hoped she had got scared during the pirates' attack and ran off to find the company of Tiger Lily. But that theory of his had its doubts, Anya wasn't feeble like that, she could hold her own. When Peter checked pirate ports this morning the large abandoned ship that sat at the end of the pier had vanished, making him fear the worst; she was with them. He had sent out a few lost boys to find Cas, or rather Cas's body, if Cas had not come back from fighting there was a good chance the pirates had killed him. Peter couldn't care less if Cas was found alive or dead, he just had to know where Anya was.

Tiger Lily emerged out of one of the tents, her face stern and her beautiful, brown eyes narrowed. Peter had to restrain himself from walking straight over to her and demanding she help him find Anya. Tiger Lily approached him with her bow and arrow flung across her shoulder.

'Have you gone mad?' Tiger Lily growled. 'You know full well that coming into camp with weapons is seen as a threat.' Peter ignored her scolding and scoffed, keeping up his arrogant demeanor.

'Is she here?' Peter demanded and Tiger Lily shook her head, confused.

'Who?' Peter clenched his jaw and rolled his eyes at her naïvety, frustrated with his friend.

'Anya!' He hissed and Tiger Lily rolled her eyes at him, her shoulders dropping as she exhaled wearily.

'What have you done to her now?' She said accusingly and Peter barked a cold, bitter laugh. Before Peter could growl back a response the Chief emerged from out of the forest, a dead stag slumped over his shoulder, his armed men following close behind. He glanced at Peter, then to Peter's dagger, then to Peter's lost boys' weapons. The Chief marched up to Peter, shouting in their language (which Peter had never bothered to learn fluently), he gestured to Peter and his lost boys' weapons but Tiger Lily pressed a hand against her father's chest to ease his anxieties. She spoke to him softly, keeping his gaze held with her rational eyes, his shoulders relaxed after some discussion and hers did too. The Chief shook his head; he pointed straight at Peter as he muttered something to Tiger Lily, she nodded before he walked away to his tent, dumping the stag in front of a few others for them to skin and prepare.

'I told him I would deal with you, but you have to leave your weapons here and come into my tent.' Tiger Lily spoke firmly, pointing her finger at him. Peter gave her one curt nod, placing his dagger at her feet before he turned to Felix and Slightly.

'Stay here.' He growled and gestured to their weapons with a glare. Felix reluctantly put the club down and Slightly dropped the crossbow at his feet, watching their leader disappear into Tiger Lily's tent. Tiger Lily frowned as Peter paced the tent slowly, like a panther hunting in a humid, heavy rain forest, she observed him carefully from a distance.

'They are not here, you need not put up that wall,' Tiger Lily sighed, talking about his lost boys, Peter's head snapped in her direction as she exposed him, 'you are my friend, let your guard down, and tell me what happened.' Peter exhaled, frustrated that he knew his friend was right and that she could see right through him. 'Did you hurt her?' Peter's anger boiled up inside his chest, foaming on the tip of his tongue as he resisted the urge to slap the princess across her face with her ridiculous charge.

'Of course I fucking didn't!' Peter shouted, fed up of her accusations, his chest rising up and down rapidly as he glared at her. 'I would never…' Peter's words faded as he realised this was a lie, he had.

'I know you have a temper, I know you have done in the past, I just wanted to be sure.' Tiger Lily stared at Peter's face which was slowly turning softer. 'Peter what's troubling you?' She went to tenderly touch him on the shoulder, but before her fingers reached the fabric of his top he began pacing again, not wanting anyone's pity.

'Nothing troubles me.' Peter said indifferently as he stopped his patrolling and stood in front of her. 'There was a pirate attack, and when they cleared she was gone. I just wanted to come and check if she was here.'

'She's not here.' Tiger Lily confirmed; Peter knew deep down she wouldn't be here, he knew where she was, he just didn't want to admit it. 'What are you going to do now?' It was time for Peter to move onto his next step, his real intention for being in their camp.

'I require one of your fishing boats, the pirates' ship is no longer in port and we need a way there.' Peter stated rather than asked, and Tiger Lily raised an eyebrow.

'You know they have her there for bait.'

'That's why I'm not going. I will be sending Felix and a few of my new boys out to get her.' Peter declared but Tiger Lily frowned, shaking her head slowly. 'Why are you looking at me like that?' Peter said quietly and narrowed his eyes.

'She'll be scared, Peter, and probably injured. She will want you to be there, not your henchmen.' A twang of guilt hit Peter as Tiger Lily's words sunk in. 'I know what happened to you before was awful and that's why you do not want to go but-' But he just couldn't, he couldn't risk falling for another trap, this girl meant something to him. His feelings for her were dangerous to him and could be easily manipulated.

'I can't risk another betrayal, Tiger Lily,' Peter exhaled as he cut off her words, 'Anya will understand.' Peter said, mostly to himself for reassurance. Tiger Lily was about to argue further but he interrupted. 'Just have a boat ready yes?' Peter said sternly before exiting the tent, collecting his dagger and heading back to camp with his comrades to collect some fighters to go with Felix on the boat.

'Peter! Ow! You're hurting! And do be careful of my glasses!' John exclaimed as Peter had begun a play fight with the older Darling brother. Michael Darling laughed at the side lines along with the other lost boys as Peter had John pinned face down in the dirt, his knees on either side of John's rather plump frame. Peter had started this fight because John had questioned Peter's intelligence. Peter smirked to himself as he drove John's face deeper into the mud. 'Peter!' John muffled out before more dirt entered his mouth.

'Who's the smartest?' Peter laughed, pulling John's head up to answer. He spluttered out some soil before replying.

'You!' John exclaimed, earning cheers from the other lost boys.

'Who's the strongest?' Peter continued and John again replied that it was Peter. 'Who's the leader?' John declared that it was Peter and everyone shouted with approval. Peter stood up from John, John scrambled to his feet and brushed the dirt off of his night shirt and face, spitting out clumps of dirt. The lost boys and Michael cheered as Peter stood triumphantly, Peter laughed and turned his head to look at Wendy for her support. But Peter was not met with the coy smile on her face she would usually have given to him before running over to be by his side. Instead she sat at the edge of camp on a thick log; her face stone cold and her blue eyes narrowed in a soft glare. She had become accustomed to adorning this look on her face recently, she was only ever at camp for short intervals before wandering the island again. Peter flashed her a cocky smile, she rolled her eyes and swivelled herself round on the log so her back was to him. As the lost boys started playing again and John sulked, Peter crept over to Wendy. He came up behind her and snugly wrapped his arms around her curved waist, he brushed her mousy brown hair away from her neck and planted a delicate kiss on her favourite spot. He continued a trail of kisses up to her ear lobe, inhaling her sweet scent before she shrugged him off.

'Peter, get off.' She sighed tiredly, her eyebrows knitted together tediously. Peter unravelled his arms from her and frowned with a curious smile as he moved to sit next to her on the log.

'What's up Bird?' He said, using his nickname for her. Wendy did not look at him and refused to acknowledge his existence. 'Wendy…' He sang with his cocky grin, which would normally have her blushing, he went to plant another kiss on her neck but she sharply pulled away and grimaced.

'You're such a cad.' She uttered and Peter gave a small, bitter laugh as he retreated back.

'Jesus Christ what's wrong with you?' He asked coldly and she turned to look at him with a scowl. 'You've been really distant recently, you're hardly here, and when you are you look miserable. Why? Don't you like the lost boys?' Wendy barked out a cold laugh and shook her head.

'Of course you are far too arrogant to realise.' She scoffed and Peter frowned at her. 'It's not the lost boys I don't like, it's you!'

'Me?' Peter smriked, confused, when she didn't reply or offer an explanation his confusion turned into frustration. Peter scoffed as he stared at her distant expression. 'You seemed to like me a lot the other week when you were sleeping with me up in the treehouse.' Wendy stood abruptly, her crumpled nightgown falling delicately around her as she hugged her arms to her body, she glowered at Peter.

'Grow up.' She spat spitefully and she began to wander through the trees.

'I think you've forgotten that I can't!' Peter called out after her; and won't, he thought to himself, curling his fists into balls and grinding his teeth as he festered in his own anger on the log.

Peter jolted awake from his bed, he must have fallen asleep waiting for Felix to return with Anya. Peter rubbed his head, trying to pry Wendy out of his thoughts. Peter didn't have nightmares, only memories, his memories were his nightmares.

Peter had sent Felix and a few of the new fighters out on the boat to go and retrieve Anya, all that Peter could do was pace his tent and wait. Peter had gotten bored with pacing and had sunk onto his bed, hypnotised by the soft pelts and succumbing to sleep. He cursed himself for sleeping whilst Anya was in danger. Hiding his nerves had been difficult whilst everyone at camp had been watching him search for her. He didn't want anyone to know how much he cared about her, how much she meant to him, what losing her would mean. Peter felt sick every time he thought of her on the ship, at the mercy of those men, he would get his revenge on them once she was safely back in his arms. The silence in his tent was cut through by a sharp voice.

'Pan!' Felix. Peter rushed to his tent's flap and pulled it back, ready to catch her when she came in, not worried about what Felix or the other boys would think. Peter wouldn't care, Anya would be back with him and that was all tht mattered. Felix and the fighters trod into Peter's tent gingerly… empty handed. Peter clenched his teeth and stared at Felix gravely.

'Where is she?'

'On the ship.' Felix replied quietly and Peter's anger began to bubble inside of him.

'Alive?' Peter gulped, he felt bile rising in his throat as the seconds it took Felix to reply felt like hours.

'Yes… but-' Felix bit his lip and blinked heavily as he tried to explain but Peter's rage boiled over like frothing lava.

'So why is she not here?!' Peter bellowed, livid at their failed mission. 'One fucking job Felix! Get. Her. Off. The. Ship.' Peter quipped slowly and Felix looked down to his feet. 'Was that so hard? You have dealt wih these pirates more times than anyone else other than me!' He growled violently. 'I swear to god, I'm so close to striking another scar across the other side of your face.' Peter threatened dangerously as he glared at Felix's now frightened face staring back at him. Before Felix could utter his explanation Peter turned to the four other boys he had chosen to go with Felix. 'And you four were supposedly the best trained new fighters! You were meant to prove yourselves to me! You can say goodbye to your weapons, as of tomorrow you are Gatherers! Hell, I should have sent fucking Gatherers! At least they know how to retrieve what I ask them to.' Peter hadn't felt anger like this in a long time, he panted as he looked at all of their dumb, sorry faces. 'Well? Give me your excuses then. I'm dying to hear why Anya was so unretrievable.'

'The Captain-' One of the boys began to say but Peter cut him off with a sharp laugh.

'The Captain? Oh what an obstacle!' Peter pouted mockingly at the boy, cupping his hands together. Felix gulped, swallowing his fear of another cut, he stepped forward and spoke firmly to Peter.

'The Captain of the ship is Cas, Pan.' Felix uttered and Peter froze, unable to make any smart remark back. Cas? Caspian? Impossible. It couldn't be, he was a pain in the ass but he was loyal, a good member of Peter's followers. 'He's been playing us all for fools the whole time he has been here.' Peter opened his mouth but no words came out, Felix nodded once, understanding Peter's silence. 'Cas knows our strategies inside out, he is smart, you trained him yourself Pan. That's why we could not get to Anomaly.' For the first time ever Peter was numb with anger, he could not move or speak, he was rendered speechless. Cas knew better than anyone how valuable Anya was to Peter. 'He instructed I give you this.' Felix held out an envelope sealed with a red wax crest. Peter snatched the letter from Felix's dirty hands, he tore the seal open and pulled out the small note of paper inside.

Dearest Peter,

If, and only if, you come to my ship unarmed and without any of your crew I will hand Anya back over to you. No strings attached. The ship will be afloat near port, please come asap and remember my conditions. They are of utmost importance to her safety.

She misses you dearly…

Captain Caspian Mordecai

Hey Everyone! So this chapter is a lil different! I wanted everyone to see a bit more of Peter and open up his character a bit more ;) Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I did try and get this chapter out as fast as I could and completed to the highest quality I could! Took a bit longer than expected but I hope it was worth the wait!? I have quite a few essays due but I wanted to give you guys another chapter because you're all so lovely and have been so patient and wonderful! Thanks for reading and pls drop by a review, I love reading your reactions! Love you all! xoxox