He was terrified though he would never admit it to them. How could he tell someone else something so private, so innate about himself? The clouds in the sky briefly covered the moon and then uncovered it again. A tentative wind blew though the leaves then died down, the weather behaving as though unsure of what it was supposed to be doing.

Jack perched himself on top of a rock by the edge if the waterfall and closed his eyes, trying to get a better sense of equilibrium. Suddenly, without warning, he could feel the magic of the island enter his mind spreading out within.

With a gasp, his eyes flew open. He knew that the magic was trying to do. He remembered it. It was trying to erase, to block off his memories. The same way it had done or rather tried to do when he was a child in order to keep him happy and content. Only whatever the magic had done, hadn't worked properly, ever. Where it had been intended only to make him forget all the bad things in his day, little insults and disappointment so that nothing could mar the happiness and continuing existence of Neverland, it had made him forget everything, important things at random times. It hadn't worked at all when he had truly needed that forgetfulness.

"Haven't you learned anything?" He asked wryly into his own mind, firmly pushing the magic away. "I need my mind. Thank you." He hadn't fought it as a child because it had taken him by surprise and he had been unable to remember why it was even bad. But he was older, smarter and more capable now. Nothing would close off his own mind to his own self unless he wished it to be so, let alone on his own domain.

The others had already gathered by the time he claimed his easy won victory and with his voice soft in the darkness, he began his tale.

"There was an island once." Gibbs was the storyteller amongst them but this was Jack's story to tell. "It was the only one left that contained and protected magic, which the world had long forgotten. But magic exists on belief. For this island to exist, and keep on existing, someone had to believe. One child per generation, linked to this island, seeing it, believing it completely so that it could survive. This generation's child was a boy who called himself Peter Pan. Gibbs, Elizabeth, you heard the story that Ana and Will told. The dreams that they had. You were right Anamaria, this is Neverland. And we are here for exactly that reason, because Peter Pan had to come back to see the island and to believe in it once again. And I know this because I was, I am Peter Pan."

Silence greeted his declaration.

"Oh Jack." Elizabeth whispered.

"Always knew that there was something special about that lad." Gibbs commented to Elizabeth who nodded empathetically. The other two parties in their circle did not look as thrilled. In fact they looked more shocked then anything else.

"We should leave them by 'emselves lass. They got to talk." Gibbs pulled Elizabeth to her feet with a rare insight. She looked back at the three for a moment and then disappeared into the trees behinds the quartermaster.

Once they were alone, Anamaria turned to Jack.

"How long have you known this?" She asked quietly.

"Since we came ashore." Captain Jack Sparrow confessed.

"Yet…"

"I couldn't tell you!" He burst out. "The opportune moment." None noticed but above them in the dark, clouds began gathering reacting to their bond mate's distress. "Tink said something and this island is not too happy to have her secrets told." Jack didn't want them to feel betrayed and he wanted them to understand but he wasn't sure if he knew how.

Ana nodded slowly though her Captain could hardly see hat in the dark. She knew how hard it was for Jack to open up to anyone and even though she was a little hurt that he had practically brushed off her concerns and revelations that morning, she could understand and sympathize with his reason.

Suddenly Anamaria almost cried out with sudden understanding. Captain Jack Sparrow was Peter Pan. She remembered him as the cocky child that she had fallen hopelessly in love with. Peter had brought her to a wonderful place, gave her an escape out of her problems no matter how temporary and like the impressionable young girl that she was, she had fallen in love with her rescuer. Ana had not always had a home as a child but when she did, she had always made sure that the window was open for Peter, regardless of the weather outside.

"Peter." She whispered. "Jack." They met halfway, arms around each other, learning and relearning everything they had ever known about the other. "I believe you. I believe you." She said again and this time it was a promise for the future that they both heard in her words. A promise for forever.

oooooooooooooooooooo

Neither noticed as Will Turner slowly stood and just as quietly left the clearing. He had way too much to think about before he could about anything objectively.

Peter and Jack. Jack and Peter. The same person. He remembered thinking about Peter just half a day before. It suddenly seemed so much longer. Of coarse Jack and Peter Pan were the same person. It was the only way that it could be. Thinking back on it, he wondered why it was that Jack had never reminded him of Peter. Probably it was because he met Jack so much after knowing Peter, he had all but forgotten about Neverland.

Abruptly, he remembered Peter's crestfallen, pained expression as he had delivered them all to their new homes in London. He had turned around for a second and had seen the flying ship start to horrifyingly fall to the ground before Peter plastered a smile onto his face, placed his hand on the railing of the ship and it had evened out and sailed straight on foreword.

Will had turned back to find their group gone and had gotten lost trying to find his own way.

Maybe that was why he had never made that connection before. Besides the fact that he had been convinced that it had all been a dream, the last impression he had had of Peter Pan had been the pain and betrayal on the other boy's features and that deep sense of guilt that he had felt at betraying his best friend. Because despite the fact that Peter Pan was the leader and they often viewed him only as such, Will had considered him a best friend.

Slightly had been one of the first to find himself in Neverland that first time and now after being here for a while, memories that he hadn't an inkling of before were coming back to him. He could remember how Peter and him had sat on a cliff overlooking the ocean, just the two of them, talking about anything and everything in the universe, acting like people so much older then their age or just sitting in comfortable silence.

Things had changed after the other lost boys had made it onto the island and Peter's memory problems became more pronounced. He could no longer have long meaningful conversations as much as young boys could or even sit still for long periods of time. They still found themselves on their cliff occasionally but it wasn't the same.

Only when they had left, Peter's eyes had been clear and sober like they hadn't been for a long while. There was no way that Slightly could have convinced himself into thinking that Peter didn't understand or care about their departure.

In the sky, the sun curiously peeked out from behind a hill, asking for permission to rise.

Ooooooooooooooooooooo

Cal – 2 chapters! Happy? I thought of you while writing them. lol. Have fun reading!