Chapter 19

Love and Violation: Part I

Warning: The end of this chapter receives a Mature rating

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Overhead, the sun was slowly descending behind the cliffs of Neverland, turning the sky into a brilliant masterpiece of colors. On the furthest outreach of the Indian encampment, Peter was slowly making his way back after a training session with Swift Eagle, and although slightly sore, he was beginning to feel that his strength was steadily increasing. Rubbing a sore spot on his neck, he noticed two small boys running in his direction, arguing about something he couldn't hear. Peter smiled to himself as he watched them approach. There was a sense of normalcy the flowed through him while he was with the boys. But no matter how nostalgic he was becoming in these past two weeks, he would never forget what happened in order for them all to get to this point.

"No! I told you! It's just not possible!" Peter heard Slightly say with annoyance as the two boys came to meet him, stopping him in his tracks.

"Of course it is! Right, Peter? Tell him that it's possible." Nibs turned a diligent and hopeful expression in his directions.

"What are the two of you talking about?"

"Nibs thinks that if you head straight out across the sea that you would eventually hit the other side of Neverland. But I told him that it's not." Slightly crossed his arms and put on an authoritative attitude for extra emphasis to his conclusion.

"Of course it is!"

"Is not."

"Is too!"

"Not."

"Is too! Peter! Tell him that it's possible." Peter couldn't help but chuckle and smile at the boys.

"I guess that it something that we will just have to find out for ourselves now, isn't it?" The humor of the situation seemed to disappear as Peter watched the boys' expressions change.

"That's something you always said we would do…all of us together." With their eyes off to the distance or on the ground, Peter realized that he hit a sore spot; one that he had once pointed out to Leah. He exhaled slowly the breath he hadn't realized that he was holding and placed a hand on top of each of their heads.

"I know, I'm sorry. But the three of us can still find out." He added a gentle smile, but when Slightly looked up at him, the expression on his face caused Peter's smile to falter.

"No promises." Peter's stomach lurched uncomfortably; for the first time, he felt like he was the younger one of the two. He removed his hand from their heads and studied Slightly, who had fixated a stern gaze upon him.

"What do you mean?" Peter asked hesitantly.

"All we ever do is make plans, make promises. But we never get there. If we don't make a promise," Slightly dropped his eyes to his feet, faintly returning to his childlike demeanor. "Then, if it doesn't happen, we won't be disappointed." Next to him, Nibs shuffled his feet uneasily and wiped his nose with the back of his hand, all the while looking at the ground.

Peter dropped to his knees and pulled the boys close into him.

"The last thing I ever want to do is disappoint you." He watched their faces closely, looking for some sign of understanding. Slightly sniffled and the pulled away, a big grin plastered on his face.

"Alright then, it's a deal, no promises until all of this is over." Peter didn't know what he had said or done to cause such a sudden shift in Slightly, but he was glad that it happened. Next to him, Nibs nodded and stuck out his hand. Grasping the boy's small hand, Peter shook it firmly.

"Deal." Peter said, releasing Nibs hand to shake Slightly's.

"No promises?" Slightly asked, still gripping Peter's hand.

"No promises." Then as quick as a flash, Slightly and Nibs turned away from Peter and started running towards the center of the encampment. But before they were completely out of earshot, Nibs yelled over his shoulder.

"I like your bracelet Peter!" Nibs laughter was quickly cut off as Slightly tripped him, Nibs quickly scrambled to his feet and another chase argument between the two began. Peter could help but smile to himself and finger the bracelet that Slightly had given him. Nibs had told him that he had given a similar one to Leah so that the two of them would know that the boys were always with them.

Without realizing it, the thought of Leah had once again found its way back into his mind. The smile faded from his face, the contentment of the moment before gone. With a sigh, he continued on his path to see Tiger Lily.

When he entered the teepee, Tiger Lily was sitting on the ground with her personal guard, Fighting Bear, talking in hushed whispers. Upon the sight of Peter, Lily smiled up at him, quickly ended her conversation and ushered Fighting Bear out, who upon leaving, clapped Peter on the shoulder.

Lily continued to smile at him and motioned for him to take the seat next to her that Fighting Bear has occupied moments ago. Effortlessly he sat, crossing his legs like her and waited.

"Are you alright?" She had asked him that question everyday since he arrived, but what ever his answer was, it never seemed to appease her. Peter sighed.

"I'm getting by, day by day." There was pause, silence hung heavily in the air.

"Look Peter, I know this is hard for you, but you have to understand-"

"I do Lily, I understand that to be separated is the only way to keep her safe. But everyday, I get this feeling that it was the wrong decision, because all I want to do is be next to her, protect her." Lily opened her mouth to say something, but Peter cut her off. "I know that I may not be able to, I know that if something were to happen and we were together it might end terribly. But just being there with her would be enough, just to hold her until the end came." The words were spilling out of his mouth, and he was unsure as to where they had come from. But as the emotions that had built up began to settle, he knew they were the words that he had wanted to say, had been meaning to say for a long time now.

Lily stared at Peter awestruck. That's all she could do. This Peter was different from the one who had arrived at the encampment two weeks ago. He seemed stronger, more sure of himself, and possibly ready to face what was in the not so distant future. She continued to study him, her hands fidgeting with her clothes. The answer to his change lay hidden in his words, and it gripped her heart more fiercely than she thought it would.

"You know how long I have waited to hear that from you?" Confused, Peter could only stare. "Not the words exactly, but the feelings behind them." For the first time, Peter saw weakness in Lily's eyes.

"Lily, I don't…"

"I had always hoped that when you spoke that way, you would be talking about me." Lily took a deep breath and watched as Peter continued to stare at her, confused, although she could tell that he knew there was significance to what she was saying.

"What are you trying to say?"

"You love her." All thought process in Peter's head stopped; he sat stock still and dumbstruck across from Lily. "With Wendy, it was just a simple infatuation, one made by children. But with Leah, Peter, isn't it just something far more?"

All at once, thousands of thoughts came rushing into his head. Memories of moments that they had shared together flashed pictures in head. The more thoughts, the more memories that flooded in, the warmer he felt his face grow. Was it true? Did he really love Leah?

Tiger Lily watched his face, and although she felt like she was beginning to lose the person that she held most dear, she couldn't help but have a smile grow on her face.

"I'm right aren't I?" Peter's mouth flapped, trying to grasp at words.

"I…"

"Princess Tiger Lily!" Peter was cut off by a shout that sounded like it came from the edge of the encampment. The voice continued to call her until it sound as if it was right outside the teepee. Without warning, a frantic looking Indian guard came bursting into the teepee, blood running down the side of his face from deep gash on his forehead. Nothing was said between the two, but the instant change in Lily's expression and demeanor hinted to Peter that something serious had happened. Lily was standing in a blink of an eye, talking rapidly in her native tongue as she pulled the guard outside to continue without being over heard by Peter.

Knots began to fill Peter's stomach; he stood staring at the teepee flap, waiting for Tiger Lily to return. Something serious was wrong, a lump began to form in his throat and instinct was telling him that he should have followed the two. He was about to make a step towards the flap when Tiger Lily reentered, her expression grim. The lump in his throat began to grow larger; anxiety began to fill him as he waited for the words he already knew.

Tiger Lily looked Peter straight in the eye, and unable to conceal the fear in her voice she said, "It's Leah."

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Cold.

Wherever she was, she was cold. Leah felt like her entire body was tingling, yet at the same time she felt heavy, as if she were made out of lead. Slowly she opened her eyes. Everything around her was blurred, but she could tell that she wasn't anywhere familiar. The cool air that breezed past her and the heady smell of dirt the filled her nose, told her that she was outside somewhere in the depths of the Neverland forest. As her vision began to focus she could make out the shapes of trees that surrounded her and by their angle, realized that she was lying in her back.

Where was she? What happened?

She struggled to remember, to put the pieces together. But the pounding in her head was so intense that all she wanted to do was to go back to sleep.

"Oi! You awake now are ya?" The voice was rough and came from above her.

She knew that voice…why did she know that voice?

Suddenly everything came rushing back to her. She remembered the pirates, how they tried to capture her, and then the sweet smell of something as it was pressed over her face. Her eyes flying open, she could make out the form of two pirates; one standing over her by her feet and another kneeling beside her head. Without thinking she tried to move to get away from them, but to her horror, her body didn't respond.

What was going on?

Again she tried to move, but nothing happened. Although the pirates had bound her hands together and placed them over her head, it made no difference, she was immobilized. Panic was being to fill her, all she could do was stare, terrified at the pirate by her feet, who had now kneeled down and place his hands on her bare ankles. A scream bubbled in her throat, but found, as another wave of panic swept over her, that a gag had also been placed over her mouth. She was trapped, and there was nothing she could do about it.

"A wonderful thing tha' stuff is, now isn't it? Knock you out right away. Makes it so you can't move for hours." The pirate said, laughter in his words. "But ya' know, even if you can't move, you can still feel everythin'." His words were emphasized with the movement of his hands up her legs, bringing the hem of her dress along with them.

Inside her head Leah screamed at her body to move. Anything. She had to get away or else…. But when she could get no response, tears began to form in her eyes. This was it wasn't it? He was going to…

Slowly as he slid her dress higher, he began to push her legs apart. He paused only to lean over her and press his scarred and dirty face into her neck.

"C'mon love, scream for me."

And as he placed a bruising kiss to the exposed skin on her chest, she heeded his request, and screamed as loud as she could into the gag.

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7 February 2008