Disclaimer: Still do not own any of J.M.Barrie's characters from his work Peter Pan.

For several minutes all that Wendy was aware of was her rage. She couldn't see the four walls around her, couldn't see the modest furnishings or the care that had obviously been taken to make her feel at home.

It was her hands she noticed first…they were clenched into fists. She opened them up in horror and saw eight tiny red crescents blooming on her palms.

"I feel like I'm losing my mind…."

She turned towards the door .Her eyes burned as the tears began to spill from them. She thought of the home Peter had shared with the lost boys .In the evenings it had looked like a rabbit's warren with them all curled up asleep. And when Peter had had cried out in the darkness-plagued by those demons he battled only in sleep…

"Who could he possibly have to comfort him now…"

With a twinge of guilt, Wendy stole a peek out the front window. Peter was gone. That is what she wanted, wasn't it?

Peter was very angry, and like any child-even one in his unique situation-he was having a tantrum. He swung his sword at helpless branches and birds. It only made him angrier when the birds just flew away…he wanted them to fall, bloody and dead to the ground. Then he spied something much better as he neared one of the lagoons.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" he snarled loudly to the young mermaid bathing serenely in the water.

Startled, she turned quickly. Seeing Peter, however, relief washed over her features.

"Oh Peter, you scared me!" her warm face smiled brightly at him.

"You don't belong here." Peter replied, aiming his sword at her.

"What are you talking about, silly?" she said coyly

"You stupid fish think you can stink up all the best swimming holes. Go back to where you belong or I'll have to make you pay for being here." He said very coldly

The mermaid's smile faded some as she considered the tone of his voice.

" Fine, you spoilsport!" she flipped up to make her dive. She slapped her tail down harder than necessary as she dove. Peter couldn't react fast enough, and was doused in a great splash of water.

Wiping his face, Peter sat down on the rocks jutting out along the edge of the shoreline.

" Stupid girl…" he muttered.

Days passed and Wendy avoided seeing any other human being effectively. She managed to explore areas of the island she'd never seen before. Each morning she set out early to explore. It was such a beautiful place. It smelled wonderful, too. Every day Wendy made sure she gathered flowers. She made some into lush floral crowns that she could enjoy all day long, wherever she went. The sweetest smelling ones she saved to bring home to her little house. It was their scent that soothed her as she drifted off to sleep every night.

Despite not having made contact with any of the other inhabitants of Neverland, her presence had not gone unnoticed. Almost all the other island dwellers knew of her return. Several had spent time observing her on her daily excursions.

Tiger Lily, recently happily made a wife to a chieftain's son, had watched her as she gathered fruit early in the mornings. Once, Wendy had been the source of great jealousy in her. Now she only evoked curiosity and perhaps even pity from her. Tiger Lily wondered what had driven Wendy away from her home and family .Her first thought had been that it could only have been a strong desire to be with Peter Pan. As the days passed she changed her mind though, as it seemed Wendy had no strong pull to be by Peter's side. She had heard from others, however, that the great Pan was told to be in a very foul mood ever since her arrival. What had he hoped her role would be here?

Tinker bell had also spent a great deal of time scrutinizing the returnee. She had been the only one to know of Peter's growing obsession. Now, in the short amount of time since her return, Miss Darling had managed to make Peter an awful companion for Tinker Bell, herself. His treatment of his longtime fairy bordered on cruelty at times. Tink could hardly stand to be in his company at all. It gave her plenty of time to follow her movements in Neverland…and Wendy seemed to be having a grand time…

She watched her carry out mundane tasks such as pick fruit, gather flowers, and sweep dust out of home. She'd seen her climb rocky hills just to sit and stare at the horizon for hours. She'd also been present while Wendy performed more intimate human functions. She'd watched her bathe. She'd watched her find a mossy, shady spot to nap in. On one such occasion, Tinker Bell used the opportunity to make more detailed study of the girl.

She had sat down close to the girl and listened to her breathing-half wanting to make it stop forever. She noted the length of Wendy's eyelashes as they rested on her rosy cheeks.

"How can you be so serene when you are the cause of such chaos?"

"What are you doing here?" She whispered quietly, so as not to wake the young woman.

"A girl so close to womanhood doesn't belong here. You are a beautiful dangerous thing." She thought as she studied the curves that hadn't been there when Wendy had last been brought to Neverland.

"You are tormenting my Peter Pan and-" she began to flutter away

" I hate you." She said loudly enough to frighten a few butterflies, but really nothing much else. She turned back to see if Wendy stirred.

"And what effect will you have on Hook? "She thought as she darted away.

And Captain James Hook was alive, and well, and also fully aware of Wendy's return. Had Pan snatched a fair maiden from hearth and home merely for his own pleasure? Hmm....very intriguing, a wicked Pan abducting a female to ravage her…but rather unlikely. It was without doubt, however, that the said female was here. But why?

Hook had seen the unfamiliar light on the hilltop first. He recalled it being the location of the small house built years before. Assuming Pan was using it, as he had been known to do from time to time, Hook dismissed it. Early the next morning, he had to correct himself as he saw someone sitting on one of the rocky coastline beaches. Calling to one of his crew, he requested the spyglass. There sat a young woman with unmistakable features. Thus realizing who she was, he had returned the glass and asked to have preparations made for him to go ashore alone.

His observation of her became almost a daily habit. At first, he told himself it was important to know what went on over on the mainland with Pan. Fact gathering expeditions, he told himself. So he noted too, the ways she had grown. She now had long and delicately shaped legs. She wore some sort of smock like white garment that stopped at her calves and with no stockings to hide them.

"She doesn't wear the long skirts of a woman, but she is no longer a child."

Her arms were likewise exposed.

" Bare arms and legs? She is tossing away with convention, is she not? Morals cannot have changed that much since I left that world. I do believe she is actually wearing some sort of combination of her undergarments…." He was truly baffled.

Hook found himself mesmerized by those arms and their graceful movements as she tucked loose hair behind her ear. Her hair was always down. It was very long; the masses of curls reaching far down her back. It still had the same golden honey color.

"And why am I taking note of her hair?"

But he knew that particular fascination had begun when he had watched her drying it in the sun one afternoon. Combing it through with her fingers, watching those fingers disappear, and re-appear as they worked out the tangles in the wet curls. Seeing how those curls had begun to gleam as they dried.

He knew he watched her far more than he 'needed' to- if he had ever really needed to at all. As far as strategically tracking Pan's daily movements-he hadn't in a very long time. Now, though, he had become re- aware of them; he had seen Peter watching Wendy also.

He couldn't help but think again of old plans for his revenge on Pan. When he had first caught glimpse of Peter watching Wendy it had struck him what an opportunity this could be. She could be so valuable if Peter cared for her as much as James thought he might. It really wouldn't matter what Wendy's feelings for Peter were…

"But Captain James Hook no longer spends his time plotting schemes for revenge." He reminded himself at the time.

He had spent so much time since his 'death' re-thinking his life. He would always be thankful he was so quick with a sword, finally finishing that damned croc for good.

Being dead had given him a second chance at life. The day he got that chance was the day he realized there were things he wanted out of life that only he could give himself. It was a almost an epiphany…going over the side of his own ship, facing the great gaping jaws of that insufferable beast… knowing that he had let himself blame the youth for bringing him to his own worst dark self. He had seen his life then for what it was. Known that he had run away from his life before and that Peter Pan was only the demon he inflicted on himself.

Subsequently, Peter had no longer sought him, or anyone under him, to spar with. The pirates still sailed, and they still feared their Captain, but Pan was no longer their constant battle. The crew didn't question any of this. Their daily lives hadn't really changed all that much with the absence of Peter Pan. Their Captain was still a man who demanded hard work from every man aboard his ship. The sight of that cold steel hook still could spread fear through the crew. The men had few clues to the enigma that was James Hook.

But now, even the crew of the Jolly Roger had heard rumors of Peter Pan's 'guest'…and they were aware in the change of routine for their Captain too. They began to wait anxiously for –something to happen.

They hadn't needed to wait long.

A/N: Thank you for the reviews.I hope this chapter answers some questions for those who had them.I'll try and update asap.