DarkoBender – Wow, you have no idea how totally ecstatic I am that you have read my story. I love your stories and as you can tell, am following both of them closely. I am so happy that you like mine. Thank you! And don't feel bad about not having seen it before. A lot of people didn't. Then Cal thankfully told some people.

Cal – no, no writer's block – yet. 8-) Oh dear, what if Tink was there? Lol, but I think that she just sort of hears her name or feels whenever she is being called and then comes. Have fun reading!

meowbooks – Wow! THAT is a WOUNDERFUL summery. Wow. Thank you for sharing that with me. I'm blown away at good (amazing!) summery. 8-)

Onto the story…

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When Jack and Anamaria came back out onto the beach, Will was the first one rushing out to greet them. He still didn't know what had happened or why he had been unable to stop thinking about Captain Hook but he was certain that it was not good.

Captain Jack Sparrow's voice rose about the normal bustle around the burnt out pit of last night's fire, calling everyone to attention.

"I want you all to listen up." Jack called and Will didn't have any more opportunity to go to his side. "We are not the only ones here on this island. There is another man here. We can't be sure yet if he has a crew with him or not but many of you might recognize him. He will look like Barbossa. The same one that I killed at Isle de Muierta. Be very careful of him, he may act like the Barbossa we know but he might not. I suggest that you all stick to groups and don't go wondering out alone."

After the Captain finished talking, the crew was shocked into utter silence for a few moments and then they all started talking. The topic of conversation surprised and somewhat confused Jack. Oddly, they were all talking about how glad they were that Barbossa was back so that they could now kill him again and with their own hands for what he did to their Captain. Captain Jack Sparrow blinked at them in confusion. He had never seen such a loyal crew in his life.

Leaving his loyal crew on the beach, grumbling about his orders that would prevent them from taking revenge on the traitor, Jack headed back to the big tree. Where he really wanted to go was back to the Black Pearl, to feel her rocking with the waves under his feet, wind playing in his hair as he rested his eyes far onto the horizon. Since he couldn't go there, going back to the Mother Tree seemed like the best option.

Jack had stayed awake the entire night before and even though talking to Ana had been wonderful and he was glad that he had finally told everyone the truth, his body needed to sleep and if he wanted piece and quiet, then that would be the only place to get it.

"Jack?" A soft, hesitant voice stopped Jack Sparrow in the middle of climbing. He stopped and turned to face the blacksmith that had followed him here.

Will had seen Jack leave the beach and head somewhere with purposeful though swaying steps and had decided to follow him. Nothing had felt quiet like it fit, since he had learned that Jack Sparrow was Peter Pan. He had known that his father had been Jack's friend perhaps his only friend before he was killed and he considered himself something like an extension of his father. He genuinely liked and admired Jack but sometimes, ever since he had found out who his father had been to the Captain, it felt like the only reason that the pirate had taken any interest in the blacksmith was because of who his father was.

But now… now he had his own merit and in his own eyes, it wasn't a good one. Jack hadn't acted any different towards him since coming to the island but Will felt as though his world had been turned upside down.

"Is that… is that the tree?" Will asked quietly, unsure of where to start. Yes, this was Jack Sparrow, the most feared pirate in the Caribbean but this was also Peter Pan, the best friend that Will had thought was gone forever.

Captain Jack Sparrow nodded. He had been going to take a nap, secretly terrified of his upcoming talk with Will Turner, trying without conscious thought to avoid him for as long as possible. Fortunately, that didn't work.

"Come on." He motioned to Will, telling the other to follow after him. Inside, Will stood spellbound at the entrance for a few long moments. It looked exactly like he remembered it. Jack crossed the room and sat cross legged on the big bed that Peter Pan had slept in, facing Will who then stepped inside and sat down in another bed.

Then there was silence. Frustrated, Will screamed at himself to say something, anything. After all they had to start somewhere. But he couldn't seem to figure out where that somewhere was. He had no idea what to say.

"I'm sorry." He finally offered lamely, hoping that that would lead somewhere, even Jack yelling at him, anything but the awful silence.

Jack blinked at Will's simple statement and suddenly it all came rushing back. The pain, the anger, the betrayal. The way he felt watching the lost boys walk happily off of the island and never look back.

"Why did you leave?" He whispered, hoping that his voice didn't sound as hurt as he felt, hoping desperately that the island wouldn't pick up on his less then happy feelings.

He had thought that he was over it, that with Anamaria's admission he got over the pain and moved on but Will was someone else. His leaving had hurt because he had been his only real friend.

Ironic really that the only real friends he had had for such a long time were from the same family, father and son.

Will didn't know why he had left. He remembered getting caught up in the moment, sharing he laughter and the happiness and seeing Peter's determination to remain behind. He remembered looking at Peter and not really knowing if he was recognized, if his friend knew who he was. He remembered thinking of home and remembering his father and his mother and wanting to visit them.

"I was stupid." He confessed. "I wasn't thinking. I got caught up in the moment. You were like our leader by then. A leader that we could leave. I didn't know if you even recognized me most of the time."

"It was the magic. It was supposed to keep me happy and it didn't work." Jack was nodding sadly when he suddenly sat up, completely awake, mind working feverishly. "Why would the magic misfire in that particular way Will?" He asked his friend. "Half of the time I couldn't remember any normal day to day things but any slight grievance that happened, the feelings seemed too strong. If the magic wasn't working couldn't the island have just stopped trying?"

"You think that it did that on purpose?" Will asked. What Jack was talking about seemed like utter nonsense but it felt right and true in a way that nothing so evil should. Jack nodded then shook his head.

"I hope not." He sighed. "Or we have so many more and bigger problems then just Barbossa on our trail."

"Jack," Will said softly, back to the topic at hand. "I'm sorry I left you alone here. I… I'm sorry." There was nothing else to say.

"I forgive you." Jack whispered back. It would have been futile to pretend that Will leaving hadn't hurt him, that he hadn't felt betrayed but there was no reason to hold such a grudge against his best friend.

While he had still thought that his time in Neverland had been a dream, it made no sense to feel betrayed by something that wasn't real. And when he had finally realized that it was Will… They had been just children then. Ten, eleven, twelve years old. Whatever did they know? For all he knew, he might have done the same. Things were confusing at that age. If anyone was to blame, Jack could safely blame the Island.

What was done was done, and Jack Sparrow found that all he had really wanted was to hear the explanations from the mouths of his friends, make his peace with all of them and forget that it had ever happened. All he had ever truly wanted was his childhood friends back in his life.

With a smile, Jack stretched and lay back on the bed, closing his eyes in anticipation of a delicious nap.

"G'night mate." He murmured happily, motioning vaguely to another bed for Will to stretch out on, without waiting to see if Will had indeed followed his suggestion, before falling back in the soft embrace of sleep.

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