Title: Spirited Away

Author: Squeezynz

Chapter: Seven - Hunting High and Low

Rating: PG13+ - a bit of heavy petting somewhere ahead.

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After a quick bath in the hot spring and a leisurely breakfast, Wendy was more than prepared for the trek ahead of them. Peter had found another pack for her to use and she made sure they both had a change of clothes and other necessities while Peter packed the food, both carrying a bladder of water. The weather remained fine, any hint of rain falling during the dark hours, never during the day, which amused Wendy having come from a country where rain was a climatic hazard whatever the time of day. Peter also packed, in his own bag, the locket and ring, leaving the scroll behind because Wendy said it wouldn't take too many more openings to crumble altogether.

Packed and prepared they departed the tree house late in the morning, a chorus of chattering birds following them into the forest, sunlight slanting like fingers through the branches.

Peter had been unusually taciturn all the morning, his expression set. Wendy had felt similarly tongue tied but decided not to press him to tell her what was the matter, she could guess at it anyway.

As Peter led her along a winding track, her thoughts turned to the document that had caused all the trouble. She was no legal expert, having never seen or read someone's will before, but it was clear that Peter was the son and heir to a considerable property somewhere in her world. It was also clear that he had been put under the wardship of James Hook sometime in the past. How they had both ended up in Neverland, arch enemies, was something she hoped they would find the answers to. Breathing deeply she looked around, marveling anew at how beautiful Neverland was in the mornings, the vegetation lush and verdant, the animal life abundant and colourful, the weather equitable and almost predictable.

"Are you tired?" Peter's voice broke in to her preoccupation and she quickly smiled at his look of concern.

"Not a bit...have we much further to go?"

They had been climbing steadily for the last hour, the forest starting to thin as they climbed over a ridge, Peter having explained that the abandoned village was quite a bit further around the coast and it was easier to cut across the island than go along the coast.

"Over this ridge, then across the river, through the swamp and past the plain."

"Gracious...it sounds like we're going around the world with so many different regions."

"Well...none of them are that big...we could have gone round the cliffs but that way is quite difficult in places."

"hmmmm so you said. So Peter...what sort of animals are we likely to see?"

"Oh lots...of course there's the goats who live on the plain and along a stretch of the coast...did you know goats eat seaweed?"

"No I didn't...but I suppose it's a plant like any other."

"Now that we're out of the forest we don't have to worry about the wolves any more..."

"Wolves!" Remembering the healing bite on her shoulder, Wendy absently scratched it through her shirt. "You mean they've been with us all this time?"

"I don't think so...I killed one of their pack, they won't want to risk attacking me knowing I can kill them...wolves are quite clever like that."

"You almost sound proud of them?"

"Do I? Not really...I respect them."

Wendy shivered, glad to have left the creatures far behind. "Are there other dangerous animals here?"

"Oh I imagine there are..." He saw a look of alarm cross Wendy's expressive face. "But I haven't seen any...not recently."

"Well that's a relief...oh, but what about the crocodile? You said you heard ticking, so it must have come near you at some time."

"I've seen tracks...he must be big because he certainly cuts a swathe when he moves about, but I haven't actually seen him...only heard him."

"Was it anywhere near where we're going?"

Seeing her face pale Peter hurried to reassure her. "No...no, not even close...I was on the other side of the mountain when I heard the noise you say is a clock inside the beast...so there's nothing to fear here."

"Oh good...I was worried..." Wendy broke off when the screech of a monkey filled the air, the cry taken up by others in its troop until the trees rang with their alarm cries.

"Now what's got them all upset?" Peter stared up at the trees, seeing the monkeys swarming in the canopy, heading away from where they were standing. As the noise of the apes died away both Wendy and Peter strained to hear what could have alarmed the creatures. Faintly, carried on a breeze that seemed to be strengthening came the unmistakable hollow sound of a ticking clock.

At once Wendy and Peter turned to stare at each other, almost at the same moment a loud crash sounded from further down the hill, galvanizing Peter into action. Grabbing Wendy's hand he yanked her around and started running, veering off at right angles and starting down the flank of the ridge heading for the denser tree line. Wendy had no time to voice her fear, her attention all on keeping her footing and sucking air into her lungs as they continued at a pell-mell pace down the hill. A roaring sound suddenly erupted behind them and Wendy almost screamed, Peter's hand pulling her onwards over the ground, a vibration warning them that something huge was directly behind them.

Peter was heading towards a dense grove of forest, his eyes assessing the height and climb ability of the trees even as he leapt over a fallen log. A yank on his arm alerted him to Wendy's fall as she lost her footing and tripped over the log. Scooping her up with one hand about her waist, Peter hauled her upright and once more picked up the pace. Behind them birds were screaming in alarm, flocks rising up from the bushes and trees as the huge predator barged through, intent on the prey fleeing before it.

Peter and Wendy reached the base of a huge oak, its trunk quite the broadest that Wendy had ever seen. Giving her no time to catch her breath Peter boosted her into the lower branches, scrambling up behind her and pushing her ever upwards. With as much speed as she could muster, Wendy climbed and climbed, scraping her hands on the rough bark, her feet scrabbling for purchase as Peter urged her on. She didn't dare look behind her as the sound of their pursuer came closer, the tree trembling with the weight of its tread on the ground.

Sobbing in fear Wendy followed Peter up the tree until they were near the apex of the canopy, the ground lost to view, screened by the dense branches. All around them rose the chorus of alarm, the monkeys adding their screeches to the cries of the birds as they flew in agitation around their nests, the monkeys already leaping to the next tree and safety.

"Hold onto the branch and don't let go!" Peter shouted above the racket, pulling Wendy's arms forward to hug one of the branches before following suit. It was only just in time as the tree suddenly shook violently as something rammed it. This time Wendy did scream, her face pressed to the bark as her teeth rattled with another shake of the tree, the beast below thwarted of its prey, determined to shake it loose from its safe perch.

Three more times the preternaturally large reptile thrashed against the sturdy oak, its tail sending shudders to the tips of its branches, the crocodiles mouth opening to emit a roar that sent the hair on her neck to stand straight up.

"Make it go away!" Wendy sobbed, her eyes squeezed tight shut as the tree seemed to shudder, the creature below determined to shake them loose.

Opening her eyes she saw that the branch Peter had been clinging to was empty, a shaft of pure terror making her gasp before she screamed again, the tree swaying from another attack.

"PETER!"

Leaning over she tried to see down the tree, thinking that Peter must have fallen, her wide eyes trying to see past the enveloping greenery to the ground below. Seeing nothing, she tried to release her fingers from the branch but her body refused to comply, her muscles frozen in place. Sobbing, she called again but still heard nothing but the roaring below and the cry of the birds above. Abruptly the sound below stopped, the tree shivering to a halt from the last blow, Wendy still feeling the tremors in her limbs despite the tree being perfectly still.

"Oh please, please let him be safe...please, please..."

After several long minutes where neither the tree moved or any sound came from below Wendy managed to release her death grip on the branch, her muscles screaming for her to move, her breath leaving her lips in harsh gasps. Willing herself to climb she started down the tree, her breathing sounding unnaturally loud in the silence, even the birds alarm calls no longer sounding, the monkeys long gone. Inch by terrifying inch she backed down the tree, desperately trying to see the ground from her high perch. Every few feet she would pause and call for Peter, hearing nothing in reply before she started her descent again. Panic started to choke her as the branches started to thin, her first view of the ground, still many feet below, enough to make her freeze again. The huge crocodile lay still, almost wrapped around the trunk of the oak, its massive tail drawn back as if to land another mighty blow on the bark, splinters of wood already showing where the beast had whipped the tree in the pursuit of its prey. Now the creature lay quiet, the body supine as if asleep, only the faint sound of ticking coming from inside armor clad body. Even as she listened the ticking seemed to slow down, as if the spring inside the clock was finally coming to the end of its life, the ticking becoming erratic until it stopped altogether, the silence almost as nerve-wracking as the sound had been before. Looking down the length of the creature, she noted that the sides were not moving, that it didn't appear to be breathing. Taking heart, she climbed a little lower, the leaves parting to give her a clear view of the trampled ground around the tree.

As her gaze traveled to the beasts' head she felt her heart leap into her throat. Buried up to its hilt in the beasts' skull was Peter's knife, the handle the only thing visible, a trickle of fluid oozing around the wound. Further along the snout Wendy could see something gleaming and almost fainted at the sight of the metal hook buried in the creatures eye socket. The crocodiles other eye was still open but appeared glazed over, the orb black and blind to life.

With the beast laid out below there was almost nowhere for her to get down without stepping on the creatures scaly skin. Restraining the urge to give in to a fit of hysterics, Wendy gingerly climbed down the last few feet, her bare toes recoiling from the touch of reptilian skin as she dropped onto the crocodiles back, rapidly scrambling to the earth and prepared to take flight if it stirred.

Frozen on the spot she waited for any sign that the creature was still alive, her breaths coming short and sharp as she fought to keep the fear at bay. Finally she convinced herself that it was truly dead and her focus instantly turned to Peter.

"Peter...where are you?"

Calling she circled the tree, keeping as far from the dead crocodile as possible. Crushed under the end of its tail she found his pack and goatskin, the bladder burst and the pack flattened, oozing juice from the fruit within. Swallowing hard Wendy searched further, calling all the time but hearing nothing in return.

Widening her search she approached a thicket, the branches broken and flattened, her eyes suddenly seeing something white in its heart. Pushing the branches aside she suddenly saw him, his head thrown back, his limbs lax as he hung suspended in the branches of the bush, blood staining the shirt in many places.

"Oh God...no please don't let him be dead..."

Shucking her own pack, Wendy scrambled through the thicket to reach Peter's side, her fingers reaching out to touch his face to assure herself he still lived. Finding his skin warm to the touch she let out a gasping sob, hooking her hands under his shoulders and dragging him out of the bush to lay on the mossy ground. Peter's eyes were tight shut, his lips parted as he breathed shallowly, Wendy's hand over his heart confirming a strong beat which went a long way to calming her fears.

"Peter...Peter what did you do? You foolish, brave, silly boy...oh please wake up...please..."

Cradling his head in her lap, she used the corner of her shirt to wipe the blood from his cheek and corner of his mouth, the lip split and his chin cut. None of his other wounds appeared to be still bleeding so she left them alone and prayed for him to wake up. She shuddered to think of the huge beast mere feet away from them, her panic rising at the thought that it might still come back to life, Wendy quite unable to lift Peter to safety if it did.

"Please, please wake up...we have to get away from here..."

As if hearing her pleas Peter let out a moan, his muscles tensing seconds before his lashes fluttered and he shot upright, eyes wide as he stared around him. Gasping, his head turning violently from left to right, he tried to rise only to collapse back again after giving a hoarse cry, his eyes rolling up in his head before he hit the ground, Wendy doing her best to cushion his fall with her arms and body.

Finding him once more insensible, she tried to wake him by tapping his cheek and calling his name. Getting no response she lay him back on the ground before scrabbling to her feet to collect her pack and water skin.

Dampening a cloth she wiped it over his face, begging him to come back to her even as she worked, the cool liquid reviving him so that his eyes opened and he stared up into her worried face, blinking slowly.

"W-W-endy?"

"I'm here...oh Peter..what happened...I thought you were dead..."

Swallowing on a dry throat he tried to speak but could only croak. Tipping up the skin Wendy trickled some water into his mouth before recapping it. Peter tried again.

"The crocodile...dead?"

"Yes you brave fool...it's quite dead, with your knife in its brain and Hook's hook in its eye."

"It worked then...I was right."

"Right? What were you right about...why didn't you stay up the tree with me...why did you leave me ? I was sure you'd been killed."

"It wanted...the hook...so I gave it to it..."

"The hook?"

"Because of its former owner...I guess." Staring up at her he suddenly grinned. "Hey Wendy...I flew..."

Shocked, she stared down at him, not sure she heard him right."You what?"

Lifting his arms he made a motion like something zooming through the air. "I flew...it tossed me off it's back and I flew through the air...just like you said...only the landing was a little rough."

Unable to help herself Wendy laughed at his self-satisfied smirk.

"Oh you foolish boy...that wasn't flying...that was falling with style."

Wendy giggled again and Peter joined her, a rumbling chuckle rising until it jolted a bruise and he stopped abruptly, gasping in pain. Wendy was instantly contrite, asking him where it hurt and chiding him when he said, "everywhere!"

Helping him to his feet, Wendy offered her shoulder to support him, the pair of them making their slow way back to the carcass for Peter to inspect.

"It came after the hook, don't you see..." Peter explained, pointing to the gold appendage still lodged in the reptiles eye socket. Wendy shuddered, avoiding looking at the gory sight, her attention all on keeping him upright.

"We have to get away from here Peter...there'll be scavengers coming soon to investigate and we need to find cover for the night."

"Not before I get my knife...and that hook...and a souvenir!"

Ignoring her protests, Peter did just that, pulling the hook from its bloody wound before climbing on the creatures head and tugging his knife out, the blade pulling out with a sickeningly wet sound. Wendy felt faintly nauseous and busied herself with getting her pack back on before going to the tail to see what could be salvaged from Peter's.

After cleaning the blades on leaves and moss, Peter tucked them both into his belt before joining her. "Reckon this will make a fearsome trophy, don't you think?"

Wendy looked up to find a bloody tooth held in front of her face. In disgust she batted his hand away and turned her back before she gagged.
Slightly offended by her lack of enthusiasm, Peter tucked the large tooth into his belt beside the hook, determined to fashion it into a necklace at the first opportunity.

By dint of much heaving and tugging they managed to free Peter's pack and water skin from under the crocodiles heavy tail, the fruit inside the pack emptied out as it was all squashed and useless for eating.

Suddenly a howling sound rose in the distance and Peter's head shot up, suddenly alert.

"We have to go now...they're on their way."

"Who?" Wendy asked as Peter grabbed her hand and started to hustle her away from the cadaver.

"The wolves...this will make a great feast for the predators of Neverland...it is time we left them to it."

Shuddering in disgust, Wendy followed Peter away from the huge oak that had sheltered them, the body of the giant crocodile curled around the trunk, now just a meal for the hungry beasts of the forest.

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They managed to cover quite a distance before the sun forced them to call a halt, Peter limping as they dumped their packs in the lee of an earthen bank, the roots of a long dead tree forming a natural cave to shelter them. Wendy gathered firewood while Peter created a fireplace, the dry tinder catching easily as he struck the flint, sparks setting the grass alight and flaring quickly into a roaring flame. With the fire burning steadily, they emptied their supplies. As they'd walked they'd collected anything edible they could find along the trail, the resulting meal made up of nuts, berries and other assorted fruits along with some mushrooms which Wendy thought looked a little suspect, but Peter assured her were fine to eat. Some of the meal they ate raw, but the nuts they roasted in the embers and the mushrooms were cooked on the ends of sticks. They had passed a clear stream not far from their present camp and Wendy went there to refill the empty skin, leaving Peter to oversee their meal. Despite his bravado she was well aware that he was in a deal of pain, what little she'd seen pointing to a fine collection of bruises as well as cuts and scrapes.

When she returned to the fire their meal was ready, Peter passing her a flat rock to use for a plate, the nuts already cracked and ready to eat, the mushrooms black and juicy.

They ate in silence, wrapped up in their thoughts, too tired to go over the days events. With the meal eaten, Wendy gathered fern fronds to make a soft bed at the back of the root-formed cave, a breeze keeping the smoke from invading the shallow shelter. Peter tried to help her but she waved him back, aware that his injuries were making him stiff as he struggled to rise.

"Just rest...I'll be back in a tick."

Armed with bundles of fragrant green leaves she plumped them into a makeshift bed then helped Peter to lay down, his face drawn with tiredness and discomfort. Almost at once his eyes closed and he drifted into sleep, Wendy left to bank the fire and collect what remained of their meal and wrap it for the next day. After taking care of her ablutions, she stowed the packs inside the shelter before laying down herself, facing the fire and watching it burn down. Peter snored softly behind her, his arm coming up to drape over her waist in what was becoming a familiar sleeping position, his nose buried against the back of her neck. Warm and comfortable, Wendy felt her eyes droop shut and gave herself up to sleep, Peter a warm weight against her back.

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Wendy was dreaming, her body twitching in sleep as she wandered the realm of unreality, recent events creating a chaotic mix of bizarre imagery.

In her dream she was walking along a beach, her clothes drifting around her like a cloud, the gossamer thin layers swirling around her like seaweed, ebbing and flowing as she walked. She looked out to sea and thought she saw something in the water. shading her eyes she saw someone struggling, their arm raised to signal for help. She tried to call but nothing came out of her mouth. Frustrated, she ran to the water's edge and tried to enter the sea but found an invisible barrier stopping her. As she stood horrified, she saw that the person in the water was Peter, his face barely keeping above the surface, his eyes imploring her to help him. Beating her fists against the invisible barrier she tried to shout to him, but nothing came out and she watched him struggle, helpless to aid him. Eventually he sank below the water and didn't reappear. Wendy became panicked, scratching at the barrier between them, her hands sore from banging against it with her fists. Suddenly the barrier disappeared and she almost fell on her face, just catching herself in time. Running forward she found the water frozen solid, the waves caught in mid-break. Despite the cold she jumped over the low waves and ran to where she'd last seen Peter. Looking down at the frozen sea she could see his body below, his face upturned to the surface, his mouth open as if still calling to her. In despair she knelt on the sea and beat her fists against the solid surface, making as little impression on that as she had on the other barrier. Tears started to flow as she sobbed in grief, one tear dripping down to land on the hard surface. Instantly it melted, pitching her into the water, the cold making her gasp. Hands seemed to tangle in her skirts and she fought them, her lungs bursting as she strove to reach the air but the hands kept pulling her further underwater until she released the breath she was holding and water rushed in to fill her lungs. As she gulped, she found herself staring through the water at Peter, his hair grown back and floating round his head like a corona, his eyes a green as emeralds, his lips blue and pulled back in a grimace. Suddenly he spoke and she started, hearing his voice for the first time.

"You were supposed to rescue me...save me...help me...but you didn't and I died..."

"I tried to reach you..." Wendy attempted to explain, reaching out for him but he floated out of reach.

"You didn't come in time...and I died...died..died...died..."

With a violent jerk and a gasping sob Wendy woke up, her body trembling in reaction to the nightmare, her hands covering her face as she cried inconsolably.

Peter had been roused by her cry and now pulled her over to wrap her in his arm, rocking her as she continued to sob noisily against his shoulder. The fire was only a few glowing embers in the pre-dawn light, the sun not yet risen. A few birds twittered in the gloom, barely awake themselves as Peter continued to rock her, his hands stroking soothing patterns on her back as she shuddered and wept, his shirt becoming soaked with her tears.

As she showed no signs of stopping, Peter tried a different tack, his hands coming up to push the hair from her face, his lips brushing against her forehead as he murmured soothing words against her heated skin. Her eyes tight shut, Wendy didn't stop him as he kissed her temples then her wet lashes, the tears salty on his lips as he lapped and kissed them from her eyes and cheeks. Her lips were still trembling with the force of her crying when he closed his lips over hers, sucking the tender flesh and drawing them in one at a time between his own, stilling their trembling and stealing her breath until he felt her start to kiss him back, her arms stealing up to wrap around his shoulders, her eyes now lightly closed as she surrendered to the comfort of his embrace. Clasping her closer Peter deepened the kiss, his tongue begging entrance and being welcomed, her own stroking and teasing him until he felt fire start to burn in his limbs, his nerve endings sparking and firing with life as he pressed her softness ever closer, her curves fitting against him like she was part of him.

Wendy wanted to absorb him into her skin, to meld her heart with his so they would never be separate, but one body, one mind, one heart forever. Peter hands were stroking her down her back and sides, his thumbs brushing ever closer to her aching breasts that were crushed against the hard wall of his chest. Pulling back a little she allowed his wandering hands to follow their natural progress and gravitate to the front of her shirt, cupping her breasts, his thumbs brushing over the hard points of her nipples bringing an unbearable sweetness to the kiss that seemed to want to never end.

Frustrated in his quest to touch her, Peter burrowed under the edge of her shirt, his fingers dancing up her ribs to find the warmth of her breasts, the nipples hard against his palm as he fondled the firm flesh, a moan from Wendy spurring him on to lift the shirt higher, Peter rolling them over to free her other breast for his exploration. The kiss had become messy with each trying to devour the other, lips and tongues tangling in a dance destined for only one conclusion. Releasing her mouth, Peter nibbled and kissed his way down her neck, Wendy arching against him, his fingers still stroking her breasts, his mouth descending further until his hot lips closed around one hard nipple, a shard of sensations instantly melting Wendy's insides until she whimpered and tossed her head. Peter continued to plunder her chest, alternating his attention from one taut peak to the other, his hands never still as his mouth suckled and kissed, his fingers finally heading to the waistband of her breeches in a quest for what lay below.

Finally coming to her senses Wendy grasped his wrist, wrapping her fingers around his hand to stop him, her skin flushing with a hot blush as she opened her eyes and found herself exposed to both the morning sun and Peter's gaze. Oblivious to his partner's change of heart, Peter continued to wrap his tongue around her nipple, his hands leaving the front of her trousers to reach around and squeeze the globes of her bottom instead.

At this Wendy squeaked and pushed him away, he tried to follow but found his lips barred from her flesh by her cotton shirt, her legs scrabbling to push her away from his side as he reached for her.

"Wendy? Where are you going?"

"I-I-I...er...I have to go take care of...er...something."

Not bothering to explain further, Wendy marched purposefully around the fire and disappeared into the trees, her shaking hands busily tucking her shirt back in to her trousers.

Belatedly realizing that his attempt to comfort her might have gone a little further than planned, Peter thumped the dirt with his fist, consumed with a mixture of frustrated ardor and guilt. Throwing himself onto his back he groaned out loud, the pain from his scrapes and bruises finally dragging his attention away from his taut body and thumping heart. He ached all over, from his head to his toes and everywhere in-between, the in-between having nothing to do with his battle of the day before and everything to do with how close he'd just been to Wendy.

Groaning again he covered his eyes with his arm and tried to will his body to soften and relax. After several long minutes of thinking about anything cold and everything horrible to tame his wayward body he finally regained some control, his heart beating at its normal rate, his skin no longer twitching with awareness. Satisfied that he was not about to embarrass himself, Peter dropped his arms and rolled onto his side. Wendy was sitting by the fire feeding bits of twigs to the embers watching the baby flames lick at the dry wood before flaring into life, putting larger and larger branches into the flames as the fire rekindled. Her concentration was all on the fire, her eyes smudged with tiredness as she stared at the sparks rising into the morning air.

Levering himself upright Peter held one arm around his middle to mitigate the sharp pain that lanced down his side making him wince. Carefully he got onto one knee, his breath hissing between his teeth. Gathering himself for the next effort he almost jumped out of his skin when Wendy's hand closed around his arm, her other snaking about his back to support him. With her help he was able to rise, his limbs protesting every movement as he limped over to the fire and sat down again. Still not speaking Wendy unpacked the meal from the night before and handed him a share, sitting across from him and eating her own food without looking at him.

"Er...Wendy?"

Lifting her head she met his eyes, her lips pressed tightly together.

"I was...um...only trying to...comfort you?"

"I know Peter...it just went..."

"Too far...I know...I'm sorry."

Wendy looked down again, fiddling with the core of an apple she was half-heartedly consuming. Heaving a sigh she raised her face once more and fixed him with a look.

"I just don't feel..." Wendy started, Peter feeling his heart start to slow down, dreading what she was about to say. "I just feel...I'm not ready for all this...for all these feelings. I mean, the kissing is nice and I like sleeping with you...but I..." She floundered, her hands waving in the air.

"But?"

"We're not married!" She finally blurted out, turning quite pink before dropping her eyes back to the fire.

Peter's eyebrows climbed to his hairline before dropping to frown in perplexity. "What's that got to do with anything?"

"I asked my Mother once what the words trollop and whore meant." Wendy smiled wryly to herself. "I think I shocked her badly. You see I heard one of the coal men describe a girl with those names and I wanted to know what they meant. After I explained Mother told me that they were the names used for women who slept with men without being married to them, sometimes receiving money or goods in exchange for their...er...favors."

Peter was still having difficulty understand what she was trying to explain, his brow still furrowed.

"I'm not a trollop Peter...neither am I a whore. I won't...do that with you, not now...not ever."

"Not even if we get married?"

"W-wh-at?"

"Well if you were to marry me...you wouldn't be a trollop or a whore...you'd be..."

"Your wife."

"Er...yeah...my wife. That would make me your husband, wouldn't it?"

"Well...yes."

"Then we could sleep together and kiss and...do that other stuff as well."

"Um...I suppose so."

Peter's brow finally cleared and he sent her a wide grin. "That's easy then...we'll get married."

"But Peter...we can't!"

"Why not?"

"Well...there's no church here on Neverland...no priest."

"Do you have to have those to be married?"

Wendy felt herself foundering. "Well not always...there is a registry wedding by special license. You don't need a church or a priest for that but you do need a justice of the peace to make it legal."

"But what if the people that want to get married aren't anywhere near a place with a church, priest or a whatchamacallit available?"

"I-I-I don't know."

"There must be a way for people to get married if there's no-one around who can do it."

"I had heard that Captain's on ships can marry people."

"Well that's no help...the only one on this island is dead!"

Bristling as his derisive tone, Wendy frowned across the fire at him.

"Well who said I wanted to marry you anyway?"

"Don't you want to marry me?" Peter asked, staring at her disbelieving.

"I haven't said I would and I haven't said that I wouldn't...the only thing I have said is I won't...do that...with you because we aren't married."

Peter stared at her for a second, unable to decipher her last statement, completely confused by the conversation as a whole. Shaking his head he absently poked a stick at the fire, sending sparks into the air.

"Well if you don't want to do...that, and you don't want to marry me so we can...do that...what's the point of you being here?"

Recognizing the pout for what it was, Wendy rolled her eyes and clambered to her feet. "Oh really, you boys are all the same...if you can't have what you want...you sulk!"

"I'm not sulking!"

"Oh yes you are...I know a sulk when I see one, and you are unequivocally sulking."

"So what...you're just a stupid...trollop!"

Outraged, Wendy could only gape at him before turning on her heel and march, shoulders stiff with affront, out of the clearing and out of his sight. Wishing the words back Peter dropped his head in his hands and sighed gustily, wincing when the move caused one of his bruises to remind him of its presence in no uncertain terms.

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TBC...