Annegirl, you crack me up! And Pan's kiss, your wish is my command! Hope you feel better!

...

Peter had run through the mass of pirates, chopping and hewing through them blindly, thinking only of Wendy. I have to get to Wendy.

He was sure he'd killed at least one; his sword was red with blood. How or when it happened he wasn't sure. His eyes were wild; running, running…

Wendy in her anguished thrashing had slowed Hook down some. He had to struggle to hold onto her, but he pierced her again with his hook, and she had to settle a little. Use your wits, she thought, not your distress.

Peter came bounding after them, and caught them just before they entered the long tunnel that led outside. "Hook!" he bellowed, his low voice surprising him. He had grown up. "Let Wendy go."

The pirate Captain turned on him, arms still around Wendy, hands clutching at her dress. "What will you do Peter? Risk your love to save your love; to have a little revenge?" He sneered into Wendy's cheek.

Peter paced forward, his sword drawn ready to strike. "If you let her go, I'll let you live and I'll let you go with the thing you most desire."

Hook turned Wendy's face so that his lips were close to hers. "What if my desires have grown? You can understand that, can't you Peter?" He relished the sting he knew Peter felt as he crushed his mouth to Wendy's. She struggled against the onslaught of his foul breath and unwelcome rough lips, hitting him as hard as she could.

Peter felt his heart fall. Her kiss. Hook had stolen her kiss meant only for him. "I'll kill you!" he cried.

"Unlikely," said Hook, ripping away from Wendy's mouth and pulled out the tiny scepter pointing it at Peter. "Do as I say and step away, boy."

Peter winced, ready for something. Something that he thought should have felt like his will changing, but nothing happened. He opened his eyes to Hook's confused face. "Step away!" he tried again pointing the scepter at Peter, willing him to turn around and walk. It didn't work. It didn't work!

Peter began to laugh. It didn't work!

"What's wrong with this damnable blasted thing!" cried Hook, shaking the scepter with rage. He stared at it miserably. Then clarity began to dawn on him. "The Fairy Queen," he said quietly. "It's the damn Fairy Queen!"

He raised his hook to strike Wendy, but then there was a blinding light, searing pain in his eye and red. "Aargh!" he screamed.

Tinkerbell had flown full force into Hook's face, stabbing him in the eye with her tiny dagger, over and over again.

"Damn Fairy!" he roared, flailing his arm in an attempt to catch the flying monster. Wendy wiggled out of his grasp, and ran as fast as she could into Peter's waiting arms. He held her so hard it hurt, pressing her closer and closer to him. Then he took her arms, and moved her behind him, pulling his sword again. He had unfinished business.

Hook grasped at his damaged eye with his good hand and kept the other open. Tinkerbell flew at him again, her small but sharp blade headed straight for his able eye.

"I don't believe in fairies," said Hook with a sneer pointing his remark at the charging fairy. Her flight pattern wobbled and her eyes rolled back in her head as she sank through the air to the ground. He lifted his boot to finish her off.

"No!" cried Peter, and rushed at him jumping in the air, making his sword plummet quickly toward Hook's head. The pirate caught it with his hooked hand, and pulled his own rapier, blades whistling through the air throwing sparks when they met.

Wendy ran to Tinkerbell and picked her up gently, hurrying back toward the line of trees to try to keep her safe and out from underfoot. She pulled her eyes up to watch Peter hacking away at the Pirate Captain. How could she help? How? She felt completely powerless without her dagger, and what good would it do anyway? She wasn't trained or experienced like Tiger Lily, or even John who had picked up the skill so easily from Peter. Then it hit her. The Fairies!

She put Tinkerbell down on a mossy rock next to one of the giant trees, and spoke over her. "I believe in fairies. I DO believe in fairies!" There was no way to know if this would help, but the quickest way to find out would be to get to the Fairy Queen and ask for assistance with her plan. She could do nothing for either Peter or Tinkerbell just sitting here. She turned and ran back to the Fairy Queen's throne room tree, just as John and Tiger Lily came bursting through the foliage into the clearing ringing with the sound of metal on metal.

"Peter!" cried Tiger Lily. She thrust herself forward, armed to fight the nefarious Hook alongside her friend.

John felt the blood surge to his face. Where was Wendy? What had Hook done with her?! He sprinted behind Tiger Lily, running full force at them. They hacked at him, surprised at the nimbleness of the man, catching each thrust and parry they threw at him. He began to tire though and they raised their weapons and brought them all down at the same time. All three swords and dagger clanged together, pushing against the other at an impasse in the air.

"Give up children! Even if you chase me out of this cave, I'll be back for the Queen. I'll have what I want, I'll have it and no one will be able to stop me!" He looked insane, blood seeping from his left eye and his head thrown back cackling maniacally. "You'll never stop me Peter! You're a child!"

Peter gave Tiger Lily and John a look that said stand aside. They obliged and he pulled his sword back. "I'm no child old man," said Peter. The two of them ducked as Peter's rapier sang through the air and caught Hook's sword hand with the sharp end of the blade, cutting it clean off. Hook shrieked falling to the ground. His sword and his hand flew through the air to land a good distance away in the dust.

"You'll never touch Wendy again with your unholy hand," he said, sword at Hook's throat. It's over, thought Peter. It's finally over.

Hook stared defeated at the ground, pursing his lips, holding his stump of a hand in his hook. He had grown as desperate as a man could. He looked up at Peter. "Spare an old man his life Peter," he whimpered. "Spare me, and I'll leave. You've taken everything from me. Give me my life and I'll leave."

Peter stepped back and lowered his sword, providing the moment Hook was waiting for. He leapt up, sharp point bearing down on Peter to catch him in the face; until a song drifted through the atmosphere pushing into Hook's ears. A song haunting and melodic filled with promises of beautiful things. The hook stopped in midair, Peter wincing beneath it, his sword above his head.

The pirate let his head sway back and forth. Stay? The fairies were asking. Stay and they would give me what I want? Come away with them?

Peter stared up at the entranced captain. What was this? The fairies were bewitching him! He scooted out from under his stilled hook and paced backward, letting the fairies work their magic on him. He stood with Tiger Lily and John, watching fascinated as Hook swayed smiling up at them. The fairies began to touch his eye, rubbing fairy dust in it. He blinked and continued to follow them slowly toward the trees. Several fairies picked up Hook's severed hand and flew with it behind him.

The three warriors looked at each other, breathing heavily, wondering at this strange turn of events. Peter slowly let a smile creep into his face. He turned to the others and let out a sigh of pure exhaustion and release of tension. He was not going to let anyone see him cry, so he started to laugh instead. John joined him and they held their stomachs doubling over letting it consume the empty space their dread had previously occupied.

"There is nothing funny Peter Pan!" said Tiger Lily angrily. "Hook still lives! We must go after him and finish him!"

Peter let his laughter die down and quieted. He put his hand on her shoulder. "What would that do?" he asked her seriously. "I don't want to be a man like him. Let him go. The fairies will keep him here for all eternity." He patted her, feeling weary in his bones.

"I still don't like it," she said, her eyes narrowed.

John looked at her, pulling her into his arms. "It's over my dear. We've won." She smiled at him. They'd won; together. She let herself feel the excitement the other two felt and let out a little squeal, pulling herself up on her tiptoes to wrap her arms and legs around John. She kissed him so that his spectacles were smashed between their faces.

Peter turned away at the embarrassing noises they had begun to make, when something like the color of honey caught his attention from the line of trees. Something soft, something precious to him. Wendy.

Despite feeling like he had no strength left, he took off sprinting toward her as fast as his legs could carry him.