A/N: Hey, hey! Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Chanukah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy New Year, and so on and so forth. This is my Christmas present to all my readers. Sorry I didn't dedicate the last chapter to any one. So this one I'll dedicate to two reviewers. Thank you all!

The last chapter is dedicated to embracing. Her story was really cool and then she reviewed mine and it really helped motivate me to write. Thanks!

This chapter is dedicated to Autumn-Lily-of-Neverland. Her review completely made my day! Thanks for the encouragement!

Chapter 20: The Deep Breath Before the Plunge

I glared up at Hook with absolute hatred. He was smirking maliciously from under a scarlet hat and matted curls. His hand rested on his pistol, a silent threat. Twisted ropes bound my hands and feet. A pirate forced me sown on my knees and my head down, creating a severe un-fulfillable urge to kick him where it would hurt him most.

"Comfortable, my beauty?" Hook goaded. He jerked his head to another crew member, and my gag was removed. Then he left, along with the rest of the crew. I was left alone in the brig with my thoughts.

Why is it always me that's captured? I stared around the dank hold. It was filthy, of course. A moment later, a figure stood in front of me in the shadows. It stepped into the light, and I gasped softly.

"Cub." I seethed more anger and hatred than what I held for Hook. Yes, Hook was evil, but Cub was a traitor.

"Surprised to see me Wendy? Why is that? You knew I was here. Well," he looked me up and down, "aren't you at my mercy." His lips curled into a slow sneering smile. My eyes burned with fear and anger. I attempted to look menacing. Cub laughed. "I see the fear in your eyes, Wendy lady. You can't fool me. You don't want me to separate you from your precious Peter. Just got over your last little spat, didn't you? Pity, it'll be the last time he sees your face when he comes." I rolled my eyes, people were always threatening to kill Peter, they never succeeded. "You doubt it? Of course. But no one else has ever tried to kill him who knew his every weakness." My head dropped, but my eyes widened. He was right. A former Lost Boy had never endeavored to kill Peter before.

"We are going to give you a choice. You can have everyone leave Neverland. The remainder of the Lost Boys, Indians, mermaids, and fairies, alive. Peter and you, however, must stay and be dealt with by us." I snorted. Nobody would willingly leave Peter behind. "Your other option is to hang your life on the balance of the upcoming war. We win, you are released back onto the island, alive. We lose, you die. Oh, and Peter and all the stars will be spared. So, in order to live, all the inhabitants of this island have to die." I froze, mid-protest. Cub half-smiled darkly. "You have until midnight to decide. I'll be back then." I slumped over as tears ran silently down my cheeks. My choice was lives or love. The noble option was to spare the inhabitants of the island. So why was my heart screaming to choose love?

I sat in the grime, thinking desperately. Either way, something would be lost. Everyone could live, but Peter and I left to be dealt with by the pirates. Maybe we could take on Hook by ourselves. We'd done it before. But the Lost Boys had been there too... And the Indians and fairies were perfectly capable of winning the battle. But then I'd die. If the pirates won, we'd be dealing with them forever, just Peter and me. And I'd forever hold the guilt that it had been me who let hundreds be killed. That I held my life over theirs. That I handed them over so I could live my pretty little fantasy. Hook held that chest and it could kill multitudes- fast. I sighed, resigned. Cowardice wasn't an option anymore. I was going to choose the only other.

Something rattled, and I jerked out of my thoughts. A plate of fine cooked meat and soft bread was pushed towards me by a short and stout pirate. Then a goblet of mead. I looked imploringly at the midget, but he only said,

"Compliments of Master Cub."

Humph. He was trying to influence my decision.

Too late. I'd probably be a serving wench on this tub for years. I ate the meal slowly, savoring the taste. It might be the last good thing I ate in a very long time. My hands trembled in fear of what was to come. Hours passed in silence. Another late of food came and went. And finally, he came. A rustle of wind under leaves alerted me. A whisper came through the only hole in my cell.

"Wendy, are you all right?"

"Peter! Cub wants me to either sell you and me to him, or everyone else! I'm fine," I added as an afterthought.

"What did you say to him?"

"Nothing yet."

"What if we rescued you first?"

"There's no way to except to get in through where you are now. You'd have to cut a big enough hole, though."

"How much time do we have?"

"Not much. He said I have until midnight. It must be nearly that time by now." Out on the stairs, I heard footsteps.

"Peter, he's coming. GO!"

"Fine, we'll rescue you later. And Wendy-"

"GO!"

"I love you." And then he was gone. Leaving me speechless.

Flaming phoenix's... Even if I died now, I'd die happy. Cub entered the room, bedecked in a gentleman's attire. He smiled as kindly as he could probably muster.

"Have you made your decision?" I stood up slowly and as balanced as I could with tied ankles. I looked him in the eye and smiled seductively without vomiting. Quite the accomplishment. He had to believe I'd still be here tomorrow.

"Yes."

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A short and stout sailor came trudging up to our camp on the northeast side of the island. Bows were strung all around me. Then the pirate held up his sword and pistol and laid it on the ground. His eyes were fixed on me as he walked. He announced when his toes were about ten feet from me,

"Master Cub of the Jolly Roger wishes to parley with Peter Pan at the mermaid lagoon, unarmed." A roar of outrage enveloped the camp. I held up my hand to silence them.

"Tell Cub that Master Peter will come." I turned away. The midget pulled on my arm.

"Now," he stated.

"Fine." My sword was handed to me, and I followed the dwarf quickly. We arrived on the rocks where Cub awaited. The sun was hot, and the clouds made it humid. Cub laid down his sword and pistol fifty feet from me and walked until he had come halfway. Then I put down my sword and dagger, and came the rest of the way. The dwarf had already gone back to the Jolly Roger. Cub started,

"You know I have Wendy. I gave her a choice. To spare herself and stay aboard the Jolly Roger and to spare all of the inhabitants of the island, except you. Or she could hang her life in the balance of the battle. Pirates win, she lives, you live. And if she lives, she's also released. Islanders win, she dies, you die. We have the means to kill you. And you know it. Wendy chose to save the islanders. Now, Peter Pan, if you decide to honor that decision, it will be carried out. If not, Wendy dies, and the war begins. Got it?" He glared at me threateningly. My answer was automatic,

"The choice will be honored." Cub smiled, turned around, and walked away. I sat down and waited. Before long, a pair of telltale V's appeared in the water. Above it hovered several balls of golden light. Two mermaids emerged abruptly, with Wendy sputtering in-between them. She gasped and coughed until she reached the shore. I pulled her up onto the rocks and clicked a heartfelt thanks to the mermaids. Then I took Wendy's face in my hands and kissed her wet lips passionately. My arms wrapped around her waist, and hers around my shoulders.

"You're alive. You're all right." We joined hands, and flew away back to the camp. We had a private tent, so I explained the plan of action, and what had happened. "After I left you on the ship, I waited by it near the water. I heard the orders for a meeting and flew low over the water. The fairies agreed to go to rescue you, and the mermaids, so you could go unnoticed. Now, the mermaids, you know, don't like you a whole lot. They volunteered! What was I s'posed to think? So I told them, "You bring her back safely, or our friendship is through!" But Cub'll know what happened by now, so we need to talk to everyone else about leaving."

"Peter, why can't they say and help?"

"Two reasons. One: they'll die by the stuff in the chest if they don't leave. Two: we can take Hook on by ourselves." Wendy rolled her eyes as I grinned cockily.

The leaders did not take the news very well.

"We can fight. That is why we all came here."

"You cannot fight this. Only we can. Only us." So all the fairies, Indians, and eventually even the mermaids, packed up and flew (or swam) away. Just Wendy and me were left. We sat down in our tent to plan our battle. The last battle for Neverland.

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Home is behind, the world ahead

And there are many paths to tread

Through shadow, to the edge of night

Until the stars are all alight

Mist and shadow, cloud and shade

All shall fade

All shall fade

LOTR: The Return of the King sang by Billy Boyd