The goal of the Indian obstacle was simple: Retrieve the Headdress...oh, and don't die.

Pan and the others gave Jean a look as though her last sentiment might have easily gone unspoken.

Jean stood with her back against the tree and the other boys crouched around her looking through the long grass at the Indian Tribe.

"There are so many," whined Tock, rubbing his face; he was still attempting to wake up before the raucous fight began.

As promised, Jean had let them sleep, but as soon as Dawn had come, they were packing up and moving out. Tock yawned, and Slightly muttered something pessimistic. Meanwhile, Devin, who always seemed the least unenthusiastic about these treacherous games, seemed the most optimistic. He looked at Jean.

"What's at the end of the game?"

"What do you mean?" Jean questioned.

"Like what do we get when we win?" asked Devin curiously. He gestured to the camp with his eyes, saying, "The bridge, the Indians...the pay off must be grand, right?"

Jean smirked, saying, "Always looking for motivation. I like that. Well, son, the price of playing the game does have a grand pay off at the end."

"We beg of you to tell us," muttered Nibs. "Not even the largest chocolate cake is worth this amount of trouble."

"Oh, ye of little faith," Jean breathed, shaking her head.

"Is it something practical at least?" Tin asked, adjusting his tall frame to fit behind the tree Jean was leaning on so the Indians wouldn't see him.

"At this point, would it even ruin the game by telling us?" implored Slightly. "Half of us are gonna die anyway."

"If you really want to know, the prize for winning this game is a turn with me." Jean answered.

"What?" the boys asked, surprised.

"WHAT?" Pan demanded, looking at Jean.

Jean smiled at them, and most importantly looked at Pan, who was ready to rip something in half.

Jean flipped her hair saying, "Well, Peter. You asked the boys a long time ago what they would be willing to do in order to have a turn with me. This will prove it."

Pan stood to his feet, ready to fight something.

"That was a joke, Jean." Pan said, suddenly annoyed.

"Not when you tossed the idea up like a bribe," Jean returned coolly, crossing her arms to add the emphasis. "Not as funny when someone else 'jokes' about it, is it?"

Pan seethed. Jean had acted like she had been over that comment made long ago. This was Pan's forever reminder that Jean could hold a grudge for a few months...maybe longer.

"I will not allow this," Pan told Jean, approaching her angrily. "That is insane."

"Why are you getting all touchy?" Jean remarked sheepishly.

The boys were still in shock, although Tock looked suddenly happier about playing the game now. Felix, who had claimed his love for Jean (and made it known to everyone although not as willingly as Tock) looked indifferent; he and Pan had come to an understanding a long time ago.

Pan was pissed off.

Jean poked Pan in the chest saying, "If anyone would have agreed with the idea, I figured you would have."

"Why in the hell would I EVER agree to that?" Pan snapped.

"Because 'Peter Pan never fails' is what you always say," Jean returned just as vehemently. "You sounded pretty confident about winning this game in the beginning. What would it have mattered what the price was if you 'never fail', hm? Now, your confidence of winning games seems a little lacking."

Pan glared at her.

"You-You.." He was so angry, he was stammering.

Jean was a bit impressed. She hadn't expected Pan to react so passionately.

"Can I weigh in on this?" asked Tock.

Pan violently pushed his palm out in Tock's direction and the boy was pulled up into the sky by Pan's magic and smacked down back to the earth.

Right in the middle of the Indian Tribe.

"Holy shit!" Slightly exclaimed.

And the entire tribe, who had been warned prior to the game about the possible theft of their precious headdress, swarmed with spears, bow and arrows, and rage. They howled into the clear skies.

To protect their comrade, the Lost Boys forgot all about the possible prize at the end of the game, and rushed to save Tock who was crying the moment he saw the Indians charge.

Pan turned unhappily towards Jean, ignoring the scared screams from Tock. Jean turned to him as well.

"You want to talk to ME about not playing fair!" Pan growled. "But here you are, offering yourself to everyone on Neverland just to prove a point?"

"It appears so," snarled Jean. "The new boys that come onto this island look at me every day like I'm a toy, Peter; the ones like Jock and Edge can make this island sometimes unbearable. I try to diffuse it. But you taunt them, like I'm the winning prize at the end; You gamble and I sometimes end up paying that price. Look how motivated these boys have become" (Jean pointed at the Lost Boys in the war before them) "When they finally see just what is made available to them. Now you can really see what they would do if the prize was me."

Pan snapped, "I would never gamble you away, and even if I did, nothing would ever happen to you. I'd make sure of that!"

In the background, there was shouting and clashing of spears and sticks. Jean and Pan were at it though, so the background noise was only slightly heard.

"Would you now?" Jean shot back. "You can really be overconfident about your abilities, Peter."

"I have been able to protect you this long," Pan reminded harshly.

Jean shot back: "well, maybe one day you don't get to me in time. Maybe something happens and I get really hurt by a boy you thought you could trust. What happens then, huh? What the fuck would you do?"

"Where the hell is this even coming from?" Pan exclaimed, staring at her.

"YOU is where all of this is coming from!" Jean bellowed, glaring at him. "You tell the boys and me that 'Peter Pan Never Fails', like it's your fucking motto."

Pan stepped forward. She did too.

"You want to gamble me away hypothetically, or pretend that there is no one on the island that would cross us. You don't think much about it, but I do." Jean told him icily. "Maybe something DOES happen to me, Peter. Maybe one day you DO fail. What would you do?"

Pan didn't have an answer immediately, so Jean screamed, "WHAT WOULD YOU DO!"

"I don't know!" Pan shouted back angrily. "I don't know what I would do!"

Jean stared at him. Not because he had no clear answer. Not because he was giving her the angriest look she had ever seen. Jean glanced down and saw that he had her wrists in a vice-like grip, as though the thought of losing her was just close enough that he felt the need to hold her so tightly so it wouldn't happen.

Pan looked upset. That much was clear. His eyes, brilliant green, were smoldered as though the anger in them was the only thing keeping him in check. And his lips were pursed as though to keep a million things from spilling out from between them; and he was breathing heavily.

Jean glanced up at the sky to see that their violent argument had turned the skies from a soft, sunny day to a cloudy one. The clouds had turned from their puffy blue to an angry dark gray.

Pan noticed how hard he was holding her wrist, and he dropped them as though he had been burned. Jean's wrists were red from where he'd held them so tightly.

Her hard expression softened when she saw how upset he really was.

"You tell all of us you will never fail," Jean said quietly. "But one day, you may. That might mean you losing me. Or me losing you."

A moment of silence passed.

Seeing the change of weather, Pan and Jean noticed that the war between the Indians and Lost Boys had momentarily paused, considering their voices had carried; the thunder above and change in winds had caught all of their attention. Now that the debate had seemingly died down, the fight continued. One of the boys shouted "CHAARRRRRGE!" This might have been Devin from the sound of it.

Pan sighed deeply, saying, "All this from a comment?"

Smartly, Jean returned, "You may have thought nothing about it but it hurt me."

Pan frowned.

"I didn't know." Pan admitted.

Jean rolled her eyes, shaking her head as if she seemed unconvinced.

"How can I know if you don't tell me?" Pan returned curiously.

Jean shrugged, saying, "One of the few fatal flaws in female logic, I suppose."

Pan placed his hand along her jaw, his thumb stroking her cheek. She placed her palm over the back of his hand, loving the contact.

"From now on," said Pan softly, "if I say something that bothers you, Jean, you need to let me know. There are days when I can read your mind easily, but you're still as unpredictable as sin."

Jean nodded.

"GUYS!"

Jean and Pan turned their heads to see all of the Lost Boys being cornered against a rock wall, completely disarmed, and a band of Indians slowly approaching them with menacing looks.

"BIT Of HELP?!" called Nibs.

"We shall die with HONORRRR!" Slightly shouted.

"NOOOO! I Don't want TO dIE!" screamed TOck. "I'm too young to die!"

"COWAarrRRRRDS!" screeched Devin, who held up his hands ready to fight.

"OHGODWE'reDEAD!" cried out the Twins.

"TELLMYMOMILOVEHER!" Toodles whined.

"Your mom doesn't even live here!" Cricket shouted.

Pan took out his dagger. Jean did as well.

When they came barreling through the crowd of Indians, the latter separated and the Lost Boys watched, stunned, as Jean and Pan fought back-to-back.

Felix, who always enjoyed watching Jean spar, smiled happily when she snatched one of the spears from the Indians, throwing it behind her, and she threatened the sorry lad with a nick to his throat. The Indian knew better, and took off running.

When Jean was cornered by three Indians, including a rather murderous-looking Tiger Lily, Pan poofed by her side, disarming two of the Indians, and the latter boys took off. Jean smiled as Pan left her to deal with the Indian Princess.

In Tiger Lily's native tongue, Jean challenged her to step up and be the real leader she was meant to be. Tiger Lily spat back in her own tongue that it would only be a matter of seconds before Jean was on her back, begging for mercy.

Tock muttered to Felix, "That's more like it."

Felix punched him in the gut for being so disrespectful.

Pan took on two Indians at a time, parrying for a while until he became bored. He was taken by surprise when one burly fellow caught his attack, and then, with a dagger of his own, the Indian took a swing and sliced Pan's side. Seeing this, Jean was enraged.

"AAHHHHHHHHH!" Jean took off after the Indian.

The Indian who had caught Pan off guard was instantly on his feet, fleeing from Pan's infuriated girlfriend.

It was quite comical, but ultimately terrifying, seeing Jean's eyes lit up like an angry brush fire as she sprinted after the Indian who had assaulted her love. Pan, who touched his side gingerly, was clearly amused by the Native's impressive attack. The other Lost Boys clamored forward to make sure their bold Leader was still on the up-and-up. He waved them away, telling them to keep on fighting the good fight.

Meanwhile, Pan went in the same direction Jean had taken off, looking for her. He found her along the shore, still chasing a tired-looking Indian, whose only motivation to keep running was to save his own skin. Jean still appeared murderous. Her lips were snarling, and her eyes were wide and bright.

Pan, himself, found her appearance intimidating, He almost felt sorry for the Indian who was nearly crying as he ran for his life.

Then he watched the Indian run into the shore, choosing a fate with the mermaids over the inevitable slaughter. The Mermaids took him in, and drowned him. Jean seemed unaware of the fact as she went after him. Pan stopped for a second, waiting for Jean to break through the surface empty-handed (or with a dead mermaid), but she didn't come up. After a couple of minutes, Pan felt that familiar surge of panic and cursed under his breath.

He didn't care to take off his clothes. He dove in fully dressed, and found Jean in the ocean, fighting with five mermaids. The Indian was beside her, his eyes open, glazed over; his face dead, but frozen in fear.

Pan saw the five mermaids grabbing Jean's legs and arms each; the fifth was choking her. Armed with his dagger, Pan swam forward and he fought them off, taking a swipe at the one who was personally trying to end Jean's life. The mermaid realized who she was up against and then with a mighty kick of her fin, the mermaid was gone.

Pan saw Jean's face. Her eyes were closed, her mouth was as well. She looked gone, but Pan knew she was a tough survivor. With a flicker of hope still inside, Pan took her in one arm, and swam up to the surface. When he broke through the tide, he shook her.

"Jean." Pan called out to her, although he had to stammer it out a bit for he was a bit choking himself.

She didn't even stir. Instead, she just shook like a rag doll. Unable to answer, or speak, or move.

"Damn it." Pan hissed.

He pushed them both onto a rock, getting up first so he could pull Jean onto her back.

De Ja Vu...except, a spell wasn't keeping her from him. The possibility of her no longer being able to come back to him made Pan feel small, and alone.

"Jean!" Pan called out.

He held out his hands in front of him, wringing them as he tried to figure out what the hell to do. Then he seemed to find his mind, and placed his mouth over Jean's, holding her nose and blowing. When her chest rose, Pan did the same process.

"Please, baby, wake up for me." Pan begged.

He shook her a little, hoping she might slap him for doing that. But she didn't even flinch. He moved onto her other side (although he doubted it might have made a difference).

"Wake up, babe." Pan pleaded. "Come on!"

He held her nose again, and blew into her mouth. Her chest rose. Still no reaction. Pan placed his hands over each other and pushed against her chest (he hoped he was hitting the right spot).

'What if one day, you DO fail.'

Jean's words came back to him from earlier, and Pan shook his head, trying to physically alleviate the heaviness of her words, how greatly they pained his chest and made his stomach queasy.

"Please..." Pan muttered.

Jean was dying.

Or dead.

He could feel it.

'What would you DO!'

Jean's words were becoming a tantalizingly angry chant, and Pan was becoming more and more desperate to wake her up.

He felt himself slowly starting to fall apart.

And as the echo of the question resounded in his mind, Pan shouted angrily, "I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!"

He took her in his arms, the dead weight making him feel even more lost than ever.

What else could he do?!

"Come back to me, Jean. Please...I can't live here without you..." Pan begged quietly. "I need you."

Hot tears began to fall down his cheek, and he angrily brushed them away.

He laid Jean's body back down and he tried to figure out what to do.

True Love.

Wasn't that the purest magic of all? Rare, yes, but they never had tested it before...and Pan knew he and Jean were meant to be together with their contact through dreams and never having really known the other was Malcolm and Evanna...but were they REALLY True Love?

True Love's Kiss could heal any ill, any curse...

What about death?

What if she was really dead though.

What if.

What. If.

What if what if what if what if what if

Pan suddenly threw whatever he was thinking to the sky and he kissed Jean slowly, softly, being more gentle than he'd ever been before.

But nothing happened.

A leap of faith...

Then, quite suddenly, Jean's body shook violently and Pan was taken aback, scared even. Jean coughed up a great deal of water, and spit it out, lying on her side. She was convulsing at first then she seemed to relax, or at least her body did.

Jean gagged a little longer, then rubbed her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Fucking mermaids." Jean coughed.

She gave a small squeak of surprise when she felt a pair of arms tightly wrap around her. Jean blinked to see Pan in front of her, and realized he was the one holding her against him. A bit taken aback, but just equally happy, Jean wrapped her arms (or at least, what she could since he had entrapped them under his own). When he withdrew, Jean saw him between the stages of complete happiness and yet the last of desperation and sadness. Overall, he appeared quite relieved.

"Peter, are you okay?"

Pan said quietly, "I thought I had lost you."

"Oh..." Jean glanced around them, then turned to see the ocean where she remembered going after the Indian..then the fight with the mermaids.

She looked back at him.

"You saved me?" she asked.

"That, I did." Pan returned.

"You thought I was dead?"

Pan nodded. "For a moment, I think you were."

"That's...fascinating," Jean muttered, looking back at the ocean curiously. She touched her head and muttered, "That does explain why I feel like crap."

Pan chuckled, smiling at her.

Jean glanced at him, then noticed the gash on his right side, just above his hip.

"Are *you* okay though?" Jean asked, her hand moving to his side.

Pan said softly, "Don't worry about that."

"You know. You tell me that but then my instant reaction is to do so." Jean returned lightly.

Pan hugged her again, and Jean chuckled.

Overall, the fact one of their own had been killed in the process, the Indian Tribe were furious. But Pan and the Chief spoke in low, dulcet tones, and Pan explained to the Chief what had happened to Jean. After a moment of debate, the Chief conceded that while the death of their own was never to be overlooked, the deceased had been overbearing anyway, and that this time, it could be swept under the metaphorical rug. Pan agreed, and the headdress was returned to the Indian Princess.

The Lost Boys and other Indian attended party looked completely lost.

Pan and Jean didn't tell them that Jean had died for a few minutes and thanks to True Love's kiss, she had been restored. While True Love's kiss might not have brought back Jean, the two lovers suspected that wherever Jean had been, she had felt it in someway and had come back to Pan.

"Even beyond the grave," Jean said softly, "I can still find my way back to you."

Pan walked with his left arm around Jean's waist, favoring his right side for the moment; the Indian had taken a good shot at him while alive.

The game was retired early, to the relief of the Lost Boys. They didn't care what the prize was as long as they lived to see another day in Neverland.

They were returning from the camp, Jean and Pan leading from the rear. Although, the front was headed by Felix, who also knew the way back, so the boys in between followed both.

"I do have answer for you," Pan said lightly.

"About what?"

"You asked me," said Pan casually, "What i would do if I ever lost you. And I said I didn't know."

"What, now you do?" asked Jean, lightly laughing.

"Yes." Pan answered seriously. "I do."

Jean looked at him.

"I would find a way to bring you back," Pan said. "You and I are meant to be together forever. Not just here, in Neverland. But in general. I'd find a way to bring you back to me."

Jean chuckled saying, "I'd do the same."

They were quiet as they strolled a while longer.

"What if something happened to me?" Pan asked curiously. "What would *you* do?"

"I'd spend the rest of my life trying to find a way back to you," said Jean. "If needed, I would murder countless people. I'd rip out their hearts, probably run them through with my dagger. Watch them slowly bleed out." Sweetly, she added: "I'd kill for you."

Pan chuckled, "I love it when you talk like that."

Jean beamed saying, "Well, it's true." she shrugged. "Wherever we end up, be it Neverland or the Underworld or somewhere else, you will always be my King."

Pan smirked, saying, "Well, in the Underworld, you may have to call me Master."

"So be it." Jean said in her most seductive of tones. "*Master*."

Pan shuddered.

"I like the sound of that." Pan drawled.

Jean giggled when he grabbed her ass, and she pecked him on the neck.

"Slow down, Felix! We're losing Mum and Dad!" Kibbles complained.

"She's not our mother and Pan isn't our Dad!" snapped Slightly.

"Maybe not YOURS!" Kibbled sassed back.

The boys 'ooooed' and Devin laughed, "Your sass levels are really high, Kibbles."

Pan and Jean smirked, knowing Kibbles was starting to pick up a great deal of Jean's habits and personality.