"How does 'e know where the devil 'e's goin'?"

"He's mad, he is. We've combed this part of the island a hundred times before—"

"This isn't right. We should just go back to the ship and sail with the mornin' sun. I don't like what's happenin' 'ere."

"Black magic, it is, you mark me words…"

"Black magic ain't the half of it! It's the bleedin' devil's work, this is! What's leadin' 'im if it ain't evil spirits? His bloody eyes are closed!"

"Shhh!" Smee finally hissed at the terrified pirates behind him. "If he hears you all jabberin' like that he'll run you all through."

"Well what do you think 'bout all this, Mr. Smee? We're following our mutated Captain through jungle terrain while he leads with his ever-lovin' eyes closed. You reckon we're in a good situation, do you?" Mr. Starkey demanded.

The other pirates circled around him, faces all set and demanding an answer to that impossible question.

Smee gulped and tried to smile. "Just another day on Captain Hook's crew, yeah?" He laughed weakly, the slowly sighed as he realized the other men didn't find his joke at all amusing.

"That ain't Hook." Starkey pointed out. "That's some nutter called Blackblood, and I never signed any allegiance to him."

The crew quietly grumbled their agreement to that statement, and Smee held up his pudgy, and rather clammy hand for silence.

"Listen, something's happened to the Cap'n, that's true as day," Smee looked around him at the crew members, pleading with them to just go along with it. "But maybe, just maybe, it's what he needs to finally kill the boy. And you all know that it's when Pan is dead, and only then, that we can finally leave this forsaken island and put to sea again. That, to me, is worth following a bit of black magic into the forest." Smee nodded to the men, straightened his handkerchief on his head, and marched after the Captain again.

Captain Hook's crew looked around and each other, and one by one, they shrugged, sighed, and followed Mr. Smee into the jungle, now part of Captain Blackblood's crew.

Teaken peeled my fingers off of his arm for the eleventh time. "I've got to go with them, Mary. Just lie down and relax. We'll be back before you know it."

"'Lie down and relax'?!" I quoted him incredulously and latched onto him again. "Teaken, something is horribly wrong with me right now!"

Teaken sighed and reached for my fingers again. "There's nothing wrong with you. You know what's happening. It's what was supposed to happen and-"

"Whatever, Teaken. Go on. Go ahead and play your little war games. I'll just stay here and grow this alien thing in my body." I sunk down onto the bed, holding my nauseous (and bigger, I swear) stomach.

Teaken shook his head and gave me a thin smile. "You'll be fine, Mary. You're stronger than you think."

With that he turned towards the window to go, then stopped and plucked up my right hand and gently kissed it. My mouth opened in surprise, but he just spun back around and leapt out of the window.

I stared at the window for a moment, and then dropped my eyes to my hand. I blinked, and turned it around. It was completely healed. There wasn't even a scar where Hook's hook had torn through it.

In a daze of wonder, I stepped towards the window and sat at its edge, looking out over the peaceful jungle lit in dancing dapple of light by the triple Neverland moons. I laid my newly healed right hand over my belly, and sighed.

"Maybe this island does know what it needs," I mused to myself. "And if it can take care of me, then it will take care of him. Them," I shook my head and corrected. "All of them."

I tipped my head back and rested it against the side of the window, let my eyes slip closed, and listened to the calming sounds that played during twilight in Neverland. Then I added my own soundtrack by leaning over the side of the window to vomit.

I heard the wind rustle through the Tree's leaves and create an annoyed tsking sound, as it bunched up its vines and swept the mess off and onto the forest floor.

"Sorry," I whispered, wiping my mouth and leaning back against the window side again. "Stronger than I think," I groaned, remembering Teaken's earlier words. "Let's hope so." I said, looking down at my midsection.

God, if there ever was a time that every girl in existence needs their mother, this was definitely it. My eyes heated up as tears threatened to come forward but I quickly squeezed them shut, forcing them back where they came from. A few refused to go quietly and escaped down my cheeks and out my nose (lovely), but I managed to keep most of them at bay. I was giving this strength scenario a chance. If Teaken believed I was capable of strength after all the shit he'd seen me go through, then I owed it to him to try.

But God, the memory of my mom stirred up something terrible inside of me. It felt like a reverse whirlpool in my brain that was sucking memories up from where I'd buried them and spewing them to the forefront of my mind. Images of home flashed before my dark eyes: New York, Michael, Paul, even Aunt Heidi for Christ's sake. I was suddenly stung with the overwhelming need to see them, if not talk to them. I knew that Heidi would take one look at me and just know, you know? Then the accusations and the name calling would start; a recipe for disaster if I've ever heard one. And I'm pretty sure I am one.

But Michael. Poor, alone, defenseless Michael. I suddenly wondered how long I'd been gone to them. Did time pass the same way on Earth as it did here, in Neverland? If so, the police were probably already involved, at the very least. A vacuum suddenly opened in my chest and sucked my heart down to my knees. God, Michael had always been afraid of this. Every night that I'd gone out he'd made me promise that I'd come back. He'd been terrified that I'd leave him…just like mom had. He'd begged me not to leave when I'd finally had enough from Heidi and was on the verge of doing something undoubtedly stupid, like packing a bag and heading for Paul's.

I've threatened it plenty of times, I thought, feeling like a heartless bitch. They're probably looking for me as a runaway, and Michael feels like I've abandoned him to Heidi on purpose…

I stood up quickly, fighting back the nausea that swept over me. I picked up my bag and tugged out the jeans and top I'd washed down at the cove. I stripped off the outfit Teaken had had made for me and pulled on my own clothes. Securing my hair back into a high ponytail, I slipped into my shoes and headed out of my room.

"All right, if I were a stash of pixie dust, where would I be?" I said to myself as I walked down the stairs and into the common room. I almost tripped over the broken fruit bowl that lay on the floor in front of the stairs. I gave a weak smile as I remembered heaving it at Teaken's head, but stepped carefully over it, only to slip on a rotten cantanana peel. I ended up flat on my back, sighing and rolling my eyes. Honestly, only I could manage to find the one slightly dangerous material in the entire room.

I stopped scolding myself as something under the table caught my eye. I rolled over and pulled myself further under the table, peering up. A small brown pouch was stuck to the underside of the table between the supports. I reached up and pulled it down.

"Oh, nasty!" The pouch seemed to have been stuck underneath the table with some kind of sticky wad of gum-like substance. Ugh, only boys. Being careful to avoid the sticky mass of grossness on the back to the pouch, I opened the ties and tipped the contents of the pouch into my hand. Three pixie dust pills spilled out into my palm.

"Wow," I smiled. "That was easier than I expected. Score one for my clumsiness." After all, I'd never have found it had I not slipped on that peel. I kept two pills in my hand and put the third back, and slapped the sticky pouch back under the table where I'd found it. I stood, pocketed one pill, and clenched the other in my fist. I hopped out the nearest window and grabbed a vine. Giving it a friendly pat, I wrapped my arms around it and held on with my empty hand.

"Top level, please." But the vine did not move. The Tree seemed to groan in protest. I pulled on the vine a little sharply. "Hello? Top floor? You know, flowers and sunsets and all that?"

The Tree did not enjoy my humor or rough treatment. It pulled its vine away from me roughly and I nearly teetered over the edge of the limb I stood on.

I gasped, windmilling my arms to regain my balance. "Hey! What's your problem? Pregnant, here, ok? Could we be a little more careful? And I need to go to the top!" I said, reaching for another vine.

The Tree hissed and pulled all its vines back out of my reach and braided them together in clumps. It eerily reminded me of my Aunt Heidi when she stubbornly crossed her arms over her chest and glared at me.

"What is this about? I'm sorry I yanked on your vine, ok? It was a little harsh, I guess. Can I go now?" I crossed my own arms and tapped my foot.

The Tree's vines only bunched up harder, and all the leaves gave a violent shake. Ok…this Tree was acting like it didn't want me to go…but how could it know what I'd planned? I hadn't spoken my entire plan out loud…had I? Oh, who am I kidding, I probably had. I had been known to, well, rant. And frankly, I shouldn't have been surprised that the Tree knew everything; we were living inside of it, after all.

I dropped my arms and clenched my fists. "Fine. I'll just fly from here, then!"

I opened my mouth and brought the pixie dust pill up to my lips, but I nearly dropped it as I was suddenly incased on all sides by a solid wall of vines. I threw my hands up in frustration.

"Oh for crying out loud!" I spat. "I don't know what you're so upset about! I'll just be gone for a little while, not even a whole day! I'm just going to see if my brother is ok. Then I'll come back."

The vines seemed to pull back a bit, and I realized what the problem was. "I will come back," I repeated. "I know I have a job to do, and I've already promised to do it. You don't have to worry."

The Tree seemed to hesitate, but then it gave a large sigh and released me from its vine vault. One vine remained in front of me, and I smiled as it drew nearer to me and touched my face lightly. "Of course you're forgiven," I said, hanging on as it wound around my legs and began to lift me up into its canopy. A flower blossomed on the vine above where my hand rested as it deposited me on its uppermost branch. I plucked it and patted the vine. "Thank you for caring about me. I will be back. I promise."

I looked out over Neverland, seeing the beautiful shore line, the lush rainforest, and my heart gave a startled leap. The dark spot of destruction had nearly tripled in size since Teaken had last shown it to me. I winced and looked at the sky. Earth had to be up there somewhere, right? And it was only a short visit…

I froze. Hold the phone, I had overlooked the gargantuan issue of not knowing how the hell to get home. The flight to Neverland had been an exhausting trip of never ending sky and clouds. There was no way I could find my way back home alone.

Discouraged, I turned back towards the Tree. I knelt and spoke into its canopy. "I don't know my way home, is there any chance that you do?"

The Tree made a noise suspiciously like a snort.

I sat back, mildly offended. "Well, you know everything else, so I thought it was worth a try." I stood back up and turned once again towards the open sky. "Great. Either I fly blindly and possibly get sucked into a wormhole which spits me out into the universe and leaves me to die in the vacuum of space, or I'm stuck here." I put my hands on my hips. "Neither is actually a very happy ending."

I was suddenly tapped on the shoulder by a vine which curled over my shoulder and rested there. I sighed and pushed it back over my arm. I didn't really want its comfort right now.

The vine tapped again, insistent. I finally turned and looked at it impatiently. Another bud was building on it, ready to burst open at any moment into another no doubt beautiful blossom.

"You know, contrary to your apparent beliefs, not every problem can be solved by flowers, but thanks for the-" I stopped and stared. The bud had opened, but inside it was not a plethora of colorful petals, but a confused and irate Tinkerbell. I stared at her in confusion, not understanding why the Tree would bring her to me. The truth hit me as I watched her tiny body rail at the Tree in anger.

Tinkerbell hated me. Tinkerbell wanted me gone. Tinkerbell was the only one on this island who would be happy to show me the way home.

"Tink!" I cried out, grinning as she stopped her tirade and the Tree and turned to give me the pieces of her mind that she hadn't already thrown at the Tree. "Tink, stop, stop!" I said, waving my hands as she darted at my face, her bells getting louder and faster. "TINK!" I finally shouted, grabbing her in my hand and holding her still. Her eyes narrowed at me and she struggled to get free. "Listen to me!" I implored. She folded her arms and looked away, clearly in a snit.

"I'm going home, Tink." That got her attention, her head swiveled towards me, and her tiny mouth dropped open. "I want to go home, but I don't know the way. Do you think you could help me?"

Her eyes widened, then slowly narrowed as a grin spread across her face. She nodded eagerly and struggled again to be free. I released her and stood. I turned and hugged the Tree's vine.

"You're a genius!" I squealed. "Thank you!"

I released the Tree and again stepped to the edge of the branch. I popped the pixie dust pill into my mouth and closed my eyes as it fizzled and dissolved onto my tongue.

Happy thoughts, Mary, I coached myself. My brother's face floated before my closed eyes, and I remembered every good day with him. Holding him when he was born, dish soap fights with mom laughing at us in the background as we cleaned up after dinner, falling asleep in his room after promising that the monster in his closet wouldn't dare come back while I was there…

I opened my eyes and smiled. The Tree was hundreds of feet below me, but I wasn't afraid. My memories of Michael had only hardened my resolve to see him. Spotting Tinkerbell's bright light in the sky ahead of me, I flew effortlessly forward, and followed her all the way home.

Grinz and Nibs crouched low on a branch and peered down through the leaves of the tree as the pirates passed through the forest below them. Grinz turned and flashed two hands and a thumb at Nibs after all the pirates had passed. Nibs gave a sharp nod and cupped his hands around his mouth, whistling a complex pattern of chirps and screeches that blended almost perfectly into Neverland's forest sounds.

Nearly a quarter mile east sat Slightly and the Twins, in the upper boughs of a whispering willow. Slightly cupped his hands and whispered to the branches of the tree. A sudden breeze came up and tossed the branches of the trees beside the willow, and it spread even further east, finally touching the leaves of a high Sequoia tree that grew three quarters of a mile away from the tree that Slightly and the Twins rested in. A furry flying squirrel poked its head out above the canopy and blinked as the breeze caressed its whiskers. It twitched its nose and scampered down out of the canopy and jumped to the shoulder of a boy sitting near the heart of the tree.

Peter leaned over as the squirrel clicked and squeaked something in his ear. He nodded and patted the furry animal on its head. The squirrel leapt to the nearest open branch and disappeared.

Teaken looked at his commander expectantly.

"Eleven," Peter said, his eyes narrowed and his mouth pulled into a contemplative frown.

Teaken lowered his eyebrows, confused at his leader's bad mood. "Eleven's nothing. What's the problem?"

"No Hook." Peter said, sitting back on his heels.

"What?" Teaken sat up, his eyebrows raised in surprise. "Hook's not with them?"

"Not according to Nibs. Says he hasn't been sighted yet. But if Hook was anywhere near his men when they passed below Nibs and Grinz, the alert would have been sounded by now."

"And you're sure they're headed here?" Teaken asked. "To this clearing?"

Peter just nodded and kept his penetrating eyes focused on the clearing below them.

"Would he have taken a different route?" Teaken tried.

Peter snorted. "Not a chance. Hook's a coward. He'd never risk facing me without being surrounded by his security blanket."

"For once we are in absolute agreement, boy." A voice called out.

Teaken jumped so badly he nearly fell out of the tree, but Peter only deepened his frown of confusion. He stared down at the clearing, sensing something Teaken couldn't see.

"Who are you?" Teaken demanded. His only answer was a mocking laugh that seemed to echo from every direction.

Peter crouched lower, leaning towards the clearing. "I can feel him, but…it's wrong."

"Sir?" Teaken asked, confused.

"It's all wrong. It's him and it isn't. I have to know." Peter shook his head and swung down off of the branch, flying lightly down, but staying in the branches for some cover.

"It's Hook? But Nibs didn't signal-" Teaken started to descend behind Peter, pulling a dagger from his belt and holding it at the ready, but Peter signaled him to be quiet, and to stay put.

He turned around quickly as weight pushed the branch he was crouched on lower. His dagger was raised, but Nibs blocked it with his metal arm guards and rolled his eyes at him.

"Easy there, Teak, no need to be so afr-" he stopped as Teaken cut him off with a signal for silence. He frowned. "What's up?" he whispered. "The 'rats won't be here for another ten minutes, we tracked them-"

"Shh!" Teaken demanded. He pointed below, and held up a curved forefinger.

"Hook?" Nibs' eyes widened in surprise. "That's impossible!" he hissed. "We would have seen him pass!"

Teaken shrugged and looked back at Peter. He was still crouched on a lower branch, listening and peering around intently.

The branch shuddered again as Grinz joined them. There was a rush of bark and brush from above them as Slightly and the Twins arrived.

Nibs signaled them to be quiet, and then made the signal for them to report anything they'd seen. All reported nothing out of the ordinary. Nibs then pointed below like Teaken had earlier, and curved his forefinger on his right hand.

"WHAT?!" Slightly bellowed. The Twins each slapped a hand over his mouth and Grinz rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Won't you come down to play, Peter?" The voice invited in a near purr. "I know play is your favorite thing. I think you'll find the game more engaging than ever."

The Lost Boys all watched their leader as he narrowed his eyes and dropped down another branch. He was confused and off balance, but determined not to show it.

"What have you done to yourself, Codfish? Gone and lost your hook, have you?" Peter taunted. "Sorry to say I didn't bring it along, I hope you have a spare or the game will be over before it's begun." Peter taunted.

"Oh, I've something much better. And it's all thanks to you."

Peter sneered and dropped out of the tree. Teaken shook his head, exasperated at his leader's tendency to rush head first into dangerous situations, and signaled to the others to follow. The Boys dropped slowly, branch by branch, and each deposited themselves on the ground beside the massive trunk of the tree.

"Where are you, you cowardly pirate?" Peter called. "Here I am. Come out. It takes two to play."

"Indeed? Then I believe we've too many players."

Slightly suddenly cried out in surprise, and Peter whipped around and looked to the side of the huge Sequoia tree. Teaken, Grinz and the Twins turned at the same time, and were horrified to see a dark haired young man, dressed in a ship Captain's best, holding a sword to Slightly's throat.

Peter rounded the tree and stood with his Boys. Grinz cried out and drew his curved blades, but Peter grabbed his wrist and held him back, sensing something wrong and terrible.

Teaken looked quickly from Slightly, to Grinz, to Peter. Pan's eyes were wide and unbelieving, and a tremor ran through his body.

"You're not right," Peter said quietly, staring at the pirate who held Slightly.

"I said earlier that I agreed with you, Pan. Hook was a coward. But I think you'll find that I am not." And with no more flourish and ceremony than that, the pirate drew his blade swiftly across Slightly's throat and opened his veins.

A.N.

24 after final betaing.

Thanks, Em!!