A.N. I just thought I should reiterate the rating on this, things get a bit gruesome from here. And also, as always, the language is a bit harsh. So take the rating seriously.

I landed lightly on the balcony outside of mine and Michael's room. This balcony had so often been a means to escape, and I marveled at how much easier it was to maneuver with the pixie dust. I peered into the room, and after I was sure that I hadn't seen any sign of life, I slowly opened the door and tip toed into the room.

As I looked around, I was filled with the odd sense of being a stranger in someone else's home. It seemed all wrong. The walls were all smooth and painted, not the gnarly, knotted insides of the Neverland Tree that I had grown used to. It had been only days, but this didn't feel like home anymore.

I crept towards the door to the hallway, and I gritted my teeth and pulled it open as slowly as I could manage. I stuck my face in the crack, only big enough to allow one eye, but I could see out into the living room.

My heart kicked up as I saw Michael. He was sleeping on the couch, covered in an old quilt that Aunt Heidi had made for me. It was made out of fabric swatches that were covered in my crayon drawings from grade school. It was one of the things I really treasured, since a lot of the drawings had been of me and my mom, when she was still alive. And after she had died, I'd taken to drawing her as a beautiful angel in all of my pictures. Heidi hadn't thrown away a single one, apparently, and I'd cried when she'd presented me with the quilt on my 13th birthday.

I choked up again when I saw my brother wrapped in it that night.

I listened hard, and all I could hear was my brother's soft snores, and the television that was turned on very low. I opened the door further, and slipped out into the hallway. I peered into Aunt Heidi's room, and it was empty. Sliding along the wall, I made my way nearer to the living room. I could see from where I was that the lights were off in the kitchen, so she wasn't there. I carefully peeked around the corner to see the rest of the living room, and found it empty. I stood up straight from the wall, and slowly walked over to where Michael lay on the couch. He looked tired, even in sleep. His eyes looked red and puffy as if he'd been crying, and his breathing hitched every now and again as if he'd fallen asleep while still upset.

The thought tore at my heart. I softly ran my finger down his cheek and brushed the hair from his brow. I missed the little twerp. And I'd hurt him badly. I bit down hard on my bottom lip to quiet the sob that had bubbled up in my throat. I covered my face with a shaking hand for a moment, just to gather control. I wiped my face and took a deep breath, kneeling down at Michael's side. I leaned down and laid my hand on his hair and gently combed through it with my fingers as I whispered to him.

"I'm so sorry about all of this, Mike. But you have to know that I didn't leave you. Not on purpose. It turns out I have some big things to do from some pretty amazing people. You'd think I was crazy if I told you who. Then again, maybe you'd believe me. You always did have the better imagination." I stopped again to gather control over my tears, and remembered something Teaken had said to me. "We need that imagination of yours. I need it to work overtime for me, ok? So keep dreaming, Mike. Dream big wonderful dreams for me, ok? And don't worry about me. I'm fine. I'll be fine."

I leaned over to kiss his cheek, and before my lips could touch his face, he sighed and whispered my name.

"Mary…where…?" he mumbled.

"Oh, God," I covered my face with both hands and sat back on my heels, overcome. I didn't anticipate this being so damn hard. I thought I'd see him, tell him I was fine and be on my way. But God, this hurt.

It was then I realized that after this was all over, I couldn't come back home again. I had no idea how long it would all take, and if I could even leave once I'd done what I'd promised to do. I mean, I would have a child by then. My future was ridiculously unclear. The only clear thing was that I couldn't keep doing this to him. I had to help him to heal, to move on. To help him-

Then I got a brilliant idea.

But the brilliant idea was immediately put on the back burner as the front door opened and Aunt Heidi's voice came through the entry way.

"I appreciate your keeping us up to date, officer, but if it isn't too much trouble, please only phone calls unless it's good news…or…or the worst. I'm afraid all these visits aren't good for my nephew. He gets his hopes up so high whenever he sees you come to the door, I'm not sure he could hold up if his heart gets crushed again." Aunt Heidi's voice became rough and thick towards the end, and I felt worse.

"Absolutely, m'am. I'm sorry if we've upset him. Please let us know if anything changes. Runaways tend to come back to try and visit loved ones, she may try to contact her brother, or to try and take more of her belongings. Just make sure you keep an eye on her possessions. Clothing, toiletries, food in the house and such." The officer said as he placed his hat back on his head.

"The room is untouched. Michael won't even sleep in there anymore. He sleeps on the couch when he sleeps at all." Aunt Heidi sighed.

"All right. The doorman has my card, and has promised to call if he sees her. I've got a few leads left to question from that club that she frequented, so there's still lots of hope. I'll be in touch. Good evening." The officer tipped his hat and walked out of my view. I gasped and jumped up, making it down the hallway and into my room before Heidi closed the door. I kept the door cracked though, and peered out with one eye as Heidi turned and sighed, leaning against the door. She looked as if she'd aged twenty years since I left. I winced. She covered her face and I saw her shoulders shake in a few quick sobs, but she quickly pulled herself together as Michael started to wake from the couch. I could see his legs kicking from under the quilt, and hear him as his mutters turned to spoken words and finally shouts as he came out of whatever dream he had been in.

"Mary! Wait! Don't….you can't…MARY!" He sat straight up and Aunt Heidi was at his side shushing him immediately.

"It's all right, Michael, darling. Just a dream, just a dream." She said as she wiped his hair out of his face and fixed the quilt back around his legs.

"No, no Mary was here! She was here, I heard her!" Michael threw off the quilt and ran towards the room we shared. I quickly ducked out off the French doors and over the balcony. I heard Michael enter the room and yell excitedly.

"See?! The door is open! It's how she would get out and sneak back in! She's here I told you she's here!" The joy in his voice pulled at my heart like a broken nail pulls at the torn skin beneath it.

"Mary? Mary! Come out! Where are you?" Michael's voice rang out in the room and over the city as he ran out onto the balcony. "Mary? You can come out! I heard you."

I heard a second set of footsteps join Michael out on the balcony. "It was probably just the wind, darling. I'm sorry, but I don't think your sister is here."

"But, but I heard her," Michael said, but his voice sounded like he doubted himself.

"You were having a dream about her, dear. That's what you heard. I'm sorry, darling, she hasn't come back. Not tonight. Perhaps tomorrow night. Now let's get you back to sleep, all right? It's a school night, after all."

The balcony doors closed, but not before I heard Michael mutter a heartbreaking truth.

"She has to come back. She promised she wouldn't leave me alone."

I sighed and floated down from under the balcony, where I'd been hiding. I couldn't stand myself right now. I had to get away from there immediately, and there was only one place I could think to go.

"Mary! Holy God the cops have been all over me about you!" Paul's voice rang out in joy as I was gathered into a tight hug against his chest. Too tight.

"Paul," I choked. "Need…oxygen…to live…"

"Sorry, babe!" Paul released the hug, but kept his hands on my arms. "God, Mar, I've been fucking scared. I mean you have that heinous run in with the Toy Man at the club, and the next night you disappear! I thought they'd find your body in the Hudson for fuck's sake."

I winced at that, hugged Paul back, and let him wrap his arms around me again, although thankfully he did it gently that time. "I'm sorry I worried you. But can I come in? Or do I have to live in the hallway as punishment?"

"Shit, sorry. Come in! God the place is a shit hole, but come in. Here, let me move some of this…" Paul commenced with tossing stacks of magazines, books, cds, dvds, and laundry off of the couch and on the floor behind it. He piled a bunch of empty cans and bottles into an empty pizza box and tossed it into a hall closet that he had to quickly kick shut with his foot. As disgusting as all this was, I couldn't help but grin at him. I'd missed my friend.

"C'mere. Sit, have a seat. Are you thirsty? Hungry? I mean, how are you?" he asked as he wiped his hands on his back pockets and stared at me.

"I'm starving, actually, and I'm fine, Paul. Really. Relax." I smiled as I gingerly picked my way over to the couch and sat. There was a mild crunching sound and I tried not to wince.

Paul laughed at me. "Well, it's a bachelor pad, what can I say? That's what you get for coming over unannounced. Listen, I'll see what I can get us to eat, do you want to, I don't know, clean up or something? Do whatever girls do?"

Wait. This world had showers.

"God, I'd love a shower," I admitted vehemently.

Paul grinned. "Cool, well, I'll get you all set up in there then, and I'll run out and get us some Chinese while you're in the tub, yeah?"

"Sounds amazing. Thank you Paul, for this." I said, and squeezed his arm gratefully.

"Oh, don't think you're getting this for free. I want the whole story. You'll spill over dinner." He winked and handed me a (thankfully) clean towel. "Go shower, I'll be right back." He grinned and kissed my cheek as he grabbed his keys and headed for the door.

Paul laughed as I used to chop sticks to shovel the rice into my mouth. I'd already devoured three egg rolls, an order of crab Rangoon, a dinner portion of orange chicken and both fortune cookies.

"All right, well, clue number one: There obviously wasn't any food where you were."

I could feel my face redden as I put down the take out box and tried to swallow the mass of food in my mouth. I brushed my wet hair out of my face as I chewed, and pulled down on the button flannel shirt I was wearing. Paul had taken my clothes while was in the shower and tossed them in his washer. I was fine with that, the baggier the clothes, the better. Whilst in the shower, I had almost shrieked out loud at the now obvious bump in my belly. There was no mistaking that shape, and I didn't want to field those questions just yet.

Paul put his chopsticks down when he saw my mood change, and sat up straighter. "So? Is this a 'once upon a time' kind of thing, or should I just start with the questions?"

I sighed and wiped my mouth with a napkin. I took a sip of the soda in front of me, then looked up at Paul. "I'm not sure how much I should tell you, if any of it."

Paul looked aghast. "Mary!"

"No, Paul, it's not that I don't trust you, of course I trust you! I came to you, didn't I? It's just, the less you know, the less trouble you can get in with the cops when they ask, right?"

Paul's eyes widened. "Is it that bad, Mar?"

I smiled a little and shook my head. "I'm certain it's nothing like you're thinking. I haven't broken any laws." I hesitated, and grinned. "Well, I haven't broken any new laws, anyway, that I hadn't before."

"Is this to do with the Toy Man?" Paul asked shrewdly.

I opened my mouth, ready to talk, but I knew it would be useless. He'd think I was crazy. Hell I'd think I was crazy if I didn't know any better.

"He's not what you think. I mean, that night, at the club, wasn't what it seemed like. He wasn't trying to hurt me, or take advantage of me. He just wanted to talk to me, he needed something from me."

"Yeah, I'll just bet he did," Paul growled.

I snorted. He didn't know how close he'd come to the target. "No, see, that's what I mean. It's not what you think. He and his….friends…needed my help, so he asked if I would go with him, no questions asked, and help. So I did." I shrugged.

"So you did." Paul stared at me, his arms crossed. "So you went to help them and dropped off the face of the planet for a week. Where did they need your help, the fourth dimension?"

I must have paled a little, because Paul leaned forwards, agitated. "Mary, be serious. What's wrong? Whatever it is, you can tell me. I want to help you. I'll do whatever you need. But you have to talk to me."

"Paul, it's nothing I can't handle. Everything is fine. There's just something I have to do, and when it's done, everything…" I paused and unconsciously placed my hand over my new bump. I took a deep breath and plunged on. "Everything can go back to normal."

Unconsciously done or not, Paul was an observant guy, and he saw the truth in my body language.

"Oh, my God."

I looked up, and didn't think to move my hand from where it rested protectively against my stomach. "What?"

Paul blinked, and I watched his eyes travel down to my hand, and back up to my face. I immediately realized what I had been doing, and had snatched my hand away and put it up to my face, pulling on my damp hair.

"That's it, isn't it? That's why you ran away." Paul sat back and covered his mouth with his hand.

"Paul, listen to me, I-"

"Who's is it? It can't have been Toy Man. It would be too soon to know. Unless you'd met him before, I guess." Paul wiped a hand down his face once, and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. He looked up at me again, more in control. "So? Who's the daddy?"

I felt like a daughter talking to a disappointed father. I couldn't meet his eyes, and my own were once again fighting tears. I abandoned all semblance of secrecy and wrapped my arms around my stomach. I pulled my legs up as well and buried my face in my knees.

"Hey, hey, hey. Mar, I didn't mean anything. C'mere, silly girl." Paul wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his lap, rocking me as I lost my battle with my emotions. I cried on his shoulder for nearly two hours. The tears would seem to abate, and then a random thought would pop into my head and set me off again fresh. Paul was infinitely patient through it all as he rubbed my back and gently combed his fingers through my hair.

I must have fallen asleep because I woke up with a hell of a headache and a horrible taste of old Chinese food in my mouth. I blinked open my eyes and realized that I was in Paul's bed. I could hear him snoring from the living room; he must have crashed on the couch. I sat straight up and looked at the clock. It was three twenty four a.m. I had no idea what time it had been when I had left Neverland, but I knew it was beyond time to go back. The Tree would be pissed if I stayed longer than I'd promised to, and I wanted to be there when Teaken got back from the fight. My heart jumped a bit at that as I tip-toed through Paul's living room and into the laundry room, looking for my clothes. I opened the dryer and pulled out my top, shaking it out. Little flecks of sparkles came off of it, and I frowned. What had Paul washed that was so covered in sparkles? My jeans were covered too, and I shook them out as well, annoyed.

Then I froze and my heart dropped to the floor. I cried out a little and stuffed my hand into the pocket of my jeans. The pocket where I'd put the other pill of pixie dust. The pill I needed in order to get back. Nothing. It was gone. I quickly tried to shake the remains on my body; nothing. I even tried licking my jeans and my shirt to please please get anything, just enough to get me half way there, I'd swim the rest of the way just please!

Nothing. Gone. I was stuck. I couldn't go back.

"Oh, God, Teaken," I gasped and slid down the wall of the laundry room to the floor. He'd think that I had run. He'd think that I had abandoned him, the Boys, Neverland. He'd think that I had lied. He'd think that I didn't care. The thought broke me. "No, please, please." I cried into my clean, warm jeans, and I stayed there until Paul woke and found me, and carried me back to his bed, where I eventually fell asleep again after crying myself into unconsciousness.

Slightly's lifeless body hit the ground at the same time as Peter's knees. The Twins had cried out in unison and Grinz had screamed his friend's name as Slightly's eyes had gone from wide and fearful, to glassy and lifeless. Teaken's heart was in his throat and his body was numb. This wasn't how the game went; pirates died, not Lost Boys.

Peter hadn't made a sound, his eyes were wide and fixed on Slightly's still form. Blackblood took a step back and kicked Slightly's body away from where it had been resting against the pirate's legs. His bright red eyes focused only on Pan as the boy followed the movement of his dead friend's face towards the ground. Blackblood tipped his head to the side, studying Pan's reaction. The boy seemed terribly confused and blank. Interesting.

Grinz was the first to pull out of his stupor. He let out a bloodcurdling roar and drew both his curved blades from their sheathes.

"YOU'LL DIE!" He shrieked. "I'LL RIP YOUR FUCKING HEART OUT!"

Teaken watched as Blackblood's face turned from Peter towards Grinz. "My heart?" he scoffed. "Whatever gave you the idea that I was in possession of such a useless organ?"

Teaken's heart gave a mighty thump as he saw that the pirate's eyes were still glowing red. His body immediately came back under his control and he stepped forward and grabbed Grinz from behind as the boy tried to fight past him to get at the pirate. Teaken ducked and dodged the deadly blades of Grinz's curved swords as the boy fought to free himself.

"LET ME GO!" Grinz roared. "YOU'LL DIE, HOOK! YOU'RE DEAD!"

"Hook isdead, you pitiful child." Blackblood spat. "Though not in a way that your paltry mind can encompass, Hook has indeed met his end," Blackblood sneered and viciously kicked Slightly's limp body. "The same end as this disgusting rubbish."

Grinz bared his teeth and growled like an enraged animal, fighting harder against Teaken. "Fucking LET ME GO!"

Teaken swore as one of the curved blades swung behind him, nearly removing an ear. The Twins snapped out of their stupor together, each going for one of Grinz's arms, pinning them to his side. Grinz just shrieked louder, and used his free legs to kick at them wildly. He threw his head back hard and slammed his skull into Teaken's, causing Teaken to cry out and release his hold. The Twins were ready for him, though, and in perfect unison they each twisted the arm that they were holding, and Grinz cried out and dropped his blades. The Twins brought Grinz's arms up behind him at a hard angle and forced him to the ground. He went, breathing hard and sobbing Slightly's name.

Teaken rubbed his head and blinked rapidly to clear his streaming eyes, and looked for Pan. This was chaos, absolute and terrifying. They needed their leader.

Blackblood was watching Pan as well, and the boy had slumped forward, his head and arms hung over his lap. His hands were open, palms up, limp. He looked the picture of subservience, and that pleased Blackblood immensely.

"If you're searching for absolution, boy, you won't find it." Blackblood said softly, almost kindly. "Not on this island. This island is a prison, a purgatory. No solace is to be found here." The pirate stepped closer, leaning down towards Peter, his voice calming and grossly hypnotic. "I can help you find your peace, Pan," Blackblood hissed seductively. "I can end this confusion, this pain you feel. I shall be merciful to you, even when you have been nothing but torturous to me."

Peter's body seemed to relax further, his shoulders rolled forward and he sat back on his heels.

"That's right," Blackblood soothed. "The end is near. You can feel it, can't you? Your island is at its end, Pan. You, too, are nearly finished. End the desperate struggle to survive, boy. It isn't worth the anguish you suffer to save it. Besides, your presence in this existence has ceased to matter. You, your island, and your boys are superfluous to the worlders. They have no need of you anymore. No one has need for you."

Teaken's body and senses were pulled tighter than an overextended bow string. This new threat Blackblood was immensely dangerous, Teaken could sense that. But something darker was happening to his leader. He watched as Pan seemed to tighten his body one muscle at a time. It was like watching a venomous snake coil its body in preparation for a deadly strike.

"Let me free you from this tedium," Blackblood continued, circling Pan now, his movements bringing him ever nearer to the boy. "Let us both be free, for this existence pains us both, boy, we are comrades in that." Blackblood stood close enough to place his hand on Pan's shoulder. His right hand, that shouldn't have existed.

Teaken felt the danger growing, and now with it came a swallowing darkness. His eyes immediately moved to Blackblood, knowing there was a new and devastating darkness in him. He was horrified then to realize that the darkness flowing from Blackblood was being permeated by the heavy waves that were growing out of Pan. The grass was dying where Peter touched the ground, and the very air around him shimmered with a sick sheen of ruination. Teaken took an unsteady step backwards and watched helplessly as the destructive blackness seeped from Peter's body like a heat wave. If Peter's bunching muscles were a threat of attack, then this lethal power that vibrated through him was the rattle on the end of the angry snake's tail; an imminent and final warning. The serpent had been beset once, but he was coiling for his retaliatory strike.