Oh my goodness I fail at life! Sorry for taking so long and thank you to everybody who reviewed! Hope you enjoy this (very late) chapter and please, please tell me what you think! :)

Chapter 21

Crashes echoed around the treehouse as Hook flung what little furniture there was left right and center. He hadn't been so furious in years, and what was more – this time it was at himself.

Hook – Captain James Hook – was angry with himself.

"DAMN HER," he roared, kicking the wall and sending a shower of bark falling to the floor.

"Damn who, Cap'n?"

One of the pirates (a distinctly idiotic specimen) had returned.

Hook bellowed much like a bull as he turned round, bearing down on the unfortunate man.

"YOU IDIOT! YOU STUPID OAF! GET OUT!"

"But – but Cap'n -" the buffoon faltered, stumbling back from his Captain's anger.

Hook growled, his upper lip curling as he took in the man in front of him, waited a second, and then shot him right in his gaping mouth.

Calm again, he watched as the pirate fell heavily to the floor, his face still gormless even in death.

Almost as heavily, Hook sat down. He was suddenly exhausted, though that had made him feel better.

For a second there he'd been worried that he'd lost the ability to kill altogether. Turns out it was just a one-off.

He sighed, rubbing his forehead. Just his luck that the exception had to be her.

. . .

Said exception was still running. Jane had no idea where she was or where she was going; it was enough that it was away from the scene of her almost-death.

Her face was wet with tears but she had stopped crying a while back.

At last, unable to run any longer, she stopped and collapsed against a tree. She was shaking from physical and mental exhaustion, her face pale as she pressed it against the bark, breathing in it's musky smell.

That smell always reminded her of Peter.

She gasped.

Peter!

And Johnny!

"Oh God..."

Her anguished whisper was the only sound for miles, it seemed, as she staggered away from the tree and pressed a hand to her mouth.

"No," she choked out, tears springing to her eyes once more. "Please no..."

Another moment of deadly silence and she sobbed aloud before running once more.

She couldn't call for them; it might draw more pirates...but God, if they were hurt...

The whole damned forest rung with hollow silence...even the bird call had stilled, the leaves had ceased their endless rustle.

It was if everything was waiting. Waiting for his crow to burst through the undergrowth. Waiting for his form to appear in the sky, arms outstretched and feet upturned in a triumphant starfish. Waiting for him to swoop. Waiting for his arms to enfold her. Waiting for their lips to meet.

But silence...nothing but silence.

Her bare feet thudded painfully against the ground and she stumbled over roots and ducked low branches as if her life depended on it.

She wished she was running to save herself. It would have been so much easier.

The thing was, it was the lives of others that depended on her. And those others were two that she cared about so deeply that it hurt.

Crack

A twig snapped to her left and she stopped, gasping for breath.

Then that same throbbing silence.

"Who's there?"

Her voice sounded weak and tremulous as it broke the still air. She wished for a brave, strong voice that would shake the trees.

Had Hook come back for her? She had thought it was too good to be true that he had let her go...so abruptly...as if he was actually ashamed.

Snick

This time the sound was behind her. She turned sharply, heart hammering against her chest.

Whoever it was...they were closing in.

Jane fumbled for her knife before remembering that Hook had taken it. She was completely unarmed.

"Fantastic..." she muttered, backing away.

Then, all at once the leaves in front of her parted and someone emerged from the undergrowth. It wasn't until Jane had leaped back in panic that she saw it was a girl.

She looked to be about the same age as her, Jane thought as the two sized each other up. She was very pretty with beautiful dark skin and ebony hair tied back in two glossy plaits, a colorful feather for decoration. Her lips were full and her cheekbones were high and there was a proud tilt to her chin, a glint in her dark brown eyes that made Jane think she knew exactly who this was...

"Tiger Lily?" she said.

The Indian princess held out one hand and beckoned. "Come."

Her commanding air made Jane do as bidden instantly though she kept a wary distance as they walked.

"Where?" she asked, keeping her voice low.

"Camp," the girl replied. "See brother."

Jane gasped, her stomach turning over as she took this in, hardly daring to believe it.

"Johnny?" she breathed.

Tiger Lily nodded. "And Peter. They seek safety with us."

A wide, relieved smile came over Jane's features like a rising sun and she pressed one hand to her heart.

"Thank God," she murmured. "Thank God they're safe."

Tiger Lily gave her a strange look at her relief but Jane did not notice, such was her happiness.

You see, Jane had forgotten what Peter had said all those days ago in London. Neverland was no longer a safe place. The fairies, the Indians, the mermaids, the pirates, even the forest itself was poisoned and...in a word...dangerous.

Tiger Lily had said they had come seeking safety; she did not say that safety had been granted.

Blissfully unaware of this Jane followed her deeper into the forest, telling herself that the other girls silence was not menacing – she was a princess after all. It was to be expected that she maintain some distance.

She told herself not to be silly.

And still they walked, never getting any slower or any faster. Tiger Lily's knife swung by her side and Jane couldn't help but notice how tightly she gripped it and how deliberate her footsteps were, how she never looked anywhere but in front of her.

Something was not right.

Then, from not too far away, she began to hear drums and within seconds they had arrived at the Indian Camp.

Jane was too busy thinking about seeing Johnny and Peter again to see Tiger Lily gesture to someone hidden in the shadowy trees. She was too preoccupied to hear the near-silent footsteps of the Indian man that emerged behind her. She put up no fight as he stepped closer and only realized the threat when she felt herself grabbed and held tight.

"What -" she tried to say but his hand clamped over her mouth and he dragged her into camp. He was so big that her feet didn't even touch the ground and her struggles seemed to go unnoticed but she didn't give up.

Panic and confusion took root in her mind and fought with her exhaustion.

And as for Tiger Lily, she continued to walk with her gaze trained in front of her. No emotion crossed her face and her grip on her knife didn't slacken.

Only then did it really hit Jane...the gravity of the situation. Hook was right; Neverland was not safe and things had changed. She hadn't realized just how much.

The Pirates had always been evil so their cruelty had not shocked her in the slightest, but the Indians were meant to be peaceful! In the Neverland she knew they would never harm a friend of Peter's and yet here was this lout carrying her like a lamb to the slaughter.

And then her eyes fell upon them. Johnny and Peter, each tied to a totem pole in the middle of the camp.

Peter looked furious and was straining at the ropes, his eyes occasionally flashing that disturbing shade of red. But Johnny...it was her little brother that broke Jane's heart. He looked scared out of his mind and so small. The ropes seemed to swallow him.

Then his wide, scared eyes locked with hers and he cried out.

"Jane!"

Peter turned his head and rage flashed through his eyes once more as he saw how she was being treated. A growl came from deep in his chest and he continued to struggle violently. Jane noticed that he was tied standing up whilst Johnny was sat down.

She tried to call back to them but the Indian holding her grunted something and increased the pressure of his hand, effectively stopping all sound.

Tiger Lily walked past, not sparing any of them a glance as she took her seat beside her father. The Red Chief was equally as impassive, staring down with disdain at the captives. His fierce gaze stilled Jane entirely and she stopped struggling, her breathing labored and her eyes flashing.

At a nod, her captor removed his hand from her mouth and shoved her roughly to the floor.

Peter called out as if it had been him who had struck the dusty ground, ignoring the pain he was in as he thrashed against the ropes.

As for Jane, she found herself sprawled at the Red Chief's feet. She coughed, getting shakily to her feet, but the man who had caught her pushed hard on her shoulders and forced her to her knees.

The enormous chief rose to his feet and scowled down at her. He glared for a few seconds and then kicked out, striking her hard in the stomach. Jane was knocked over by the force of the blow and curled up, gasping for air to the accompaniment of Peter's enraged shouts and the whooping of the assembled Indians.

A tear chased another down her cheek and she squeezed her eyes shut, reeling from the pain.

Before she could recover the Red Chief grabbed the sleeve of her dress and used it to pull her roughly upright. She stumbled and he shouted something in his native tongue, gesturing to her. The whole tribe broke into what sounded like jeers and shouts and Jane tried to push him away but he ripped her dress, throwing it to the ground and leaving her in her thin chemise.

She cried out but he only laughed and pushed her aside into a group of waiting Indians who grabbed and held her.

The chief was about to walk away but he doubled back and repeated the phrase that he had shouted and then, for clarification, in English.

"English whore," he said, staring her contemptuously in the eyes before spitting and walking away.

Jane had never felt more ashamed or more exposed than she did at that moment. She sobbed, tearing at the hands that grabbed at her, pawing all over her as if they had a right to her body.

"Stop!" she shouted, trying to get free, but one of the Indians knotted his hand in her long hair and pulled her back, wrenching cruelly.

Peter had gone silent, but his rage could be seen in his face and it was truly frightening to behold. His eyes burned holes in every man that touched her, his fists clenching and unclenching even though they were bound inescapably to his side.

"Let her go!" Johnny cried in a tremulous but brave voice.

Unfortunately, none of the Indians paid him any heed.

And Tiger Lily watched as if bored. This sort of thing happened all the time now.

Jane's chemise was thin and such a pale white that her shape could be seen through it and she was horribly aware of that, as well as of the way it gathered at her breasts. She kicked out and shouted until she was hoarse but still they manhandled her, leaving their scent and earth stains all over her.

She was held from every angle and there was no hope of escape. Eventually she stopped struggling.

"Please don't," she tried one last time but the man who gripped her hair yanked her back into his arms, his chin resting on her neck as he ran his hands down her body.

The other men holding her began to disperse, most gathering in a circle around the Red Chief, who was gesturing fiercely with his huge hands.

Peter found his voice and let out a massive yell, looking like he wanted to rip the man to shreds.

"DON'T TOUCH HER," he roared. "IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIFE DON'T TOUCH HER!"

The man looked at him in his rage and horror and grinned, pushing Jane to the ground.

"NO!" Peter shouted, tearing at the ropes in his anger. "STAY AWAY FROM HER!"

Jane tried to get up and run but she couldn't move. Fear and pain pinned her in place and all she could do was shrink back in fear.

It was only as he came extremely close that she was able to gather herself and try to run but he stamped on the hem of her chemise, leaned down and grabbed her hard by the arm.

He was still grinning though his red eyes held a sinister glint.

"Don't – do this," Jane managed to gasp but he deliberately and roughly pinned her arms above her head with one hand.

She could feel his weight bearing down on her, seeming to press her into the ground, and all she could see was Peter's anguish and Johnny's horror.

"Please," she begged, tears stinging in her eyes.

Something sparked in his scarlet eyes and she realized that it was lust. He really intended to do this and nobody was going to stop him.

In one ferocious movement he grabbed her hip with his free hand and pulled her closer to him but before he could do anything there was a click and, beneath his tan, he paled.

Jane took in several rushed, gasping breaths as he let her go and got to his feet, backing away.

Jane shakily raised herself to kneeling and turned, shock piercing through her as she saw Hook standing with his pistol pointed directly at the man.

"I don't deal in damaged goods," the pirate said in a low, threatening voice.

The circle of Indians had gone quiet and the Red Chief stood, crossing over to the pirate captain in a matter of strides.

"We kept our end of the bargain," he said, jerking his head towards Johnny and Peter and then pointing at Jane. "That is enough."

Hook stepped forward, his finger still resting on the trigger. "I will decide what is enough," he said slowly.

He lowered his gun and the cornered Indian wasted no time in bolting, running into the forest as Hook turned his weapon on Jane.

"You untie them," he ordered.

Jane was trembling and ghostly pale, in no fit state to even walk the two or three paces let alone untie them. Hook of course knew this but he pursued it, narrowing his eyes at her.

"Now, girl," he spat.

Seeing his finger pressing lightly on the trigger Jane made herself move but as soon as she reached Johnny she crumpled to the floor in a faint, her face drained of all color.

Johnny burst into tears and Hook sighed, putting his gun back in his belt and jerking his head towards her unconscious form.

"See?" he said in a bored voice. "Damaged goods."

"You pay us now," the Chief demanded, holding out his hand.

"I don't think so," Hook responded, still in the same bored tone. "She's of next to no use to me now...I was going to keep her as a servant, not nurse her back to health."

The chief looked furious. His teeth gnashed together and he raised a hand to gesture to his men, but before he could do anything Hook nodded and the rest of the pirates emerged from the forest, pointing loaded pistols at the Indians.

The Red Chief growled but knew he was overpowered and nodded, stepping back with a scowl. The other Indians dropped their weapons and Hook smiled.

"See? We can get along just fine."

Peter was looking at Jane and only at Jane. He didn't even notice the pirate that came to cut him loose.

Please get up, Jane. Please be okay. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't help you – but please get up. Please, please be okay.

He repeated this mantra to himself even while the ropes holding him were cut. He immediately tried to go to her but the pirate grabbed his collar and 2 more came to detain him. All he could do was look at her.

One more pirate cut Johnny loose and dragged the sobbing boy away and Hook, Hook himself stepped forward to pick up Jane.

Silence fell on both sides. None could believe it.

"Don't put your hands on her," Peter hissed. "Don't you dare."

But it was no good. He was already being dragged away by the pirates, away from Jane. He couldn't even see her anymore.

All he knew was that she was in Hook's arms. And that thought alone was enough to make him lose control.