Chapter 13

Renewed Hope – Part One

---

Neither Peter nor Leah spoke about the night down in the hideout, and both acted like it never happened. Since that night, two weeks have passed, and gradually Peter's wounds completely healed, leaving only thin scars drawn across his entire torso to remind him of what Hook had put him through.

It was mid-afternoon, and the sun continually found holes in the clouds that seemed to always hover in the sky, bathing Neverland in light only once in awhile. Peter stood in the center of the river, building up strength by walking against the flow of rushing water, while Leah sat on a rock secretly overlooking him, peeling fruit that Peter had shown her that grew in the trees nearby. He slowly took one step at time, forcing his way through the current, pushing himself mentally and physically to take another step. Pleased with himself that he gotten ten paces farther then the day before, he began to inch his way back to the bank ignoring the burning of the muscles in his legs that pleaded with him to rest. Once on the sandy bank he sat down and finally let himself rest.

Gathering up all the fruit into a basket, Leah made her way down the rock and over to where Peter sat, his legs stretched out in front of him and face tilted up towards the sky. He turned his head towards her as she approached and gave her a look that she concluded was his recent attempts at a smile. It wasn't as much of a smile as it was a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, but she was content in the fact that he was trying. Basket set between them, Leah settled herself next to Peter and offered him one of the pieces of fruit, which he eagerly took and bit into hungrily. The corners of her mouth twitched as she watched him wipe off some of the juice that dribbled down his chin with the back of his hand. Lately, she had seen more of the old Peter peek his way out, and it was through simple actions like the wiping off of juice, that gave her hope.

As she bit into a piece of fruit, which tasted like a cross between a strawberry and a peach, she let her mind wander. Over the past weeks that they had been together, they had barely said anything to one another, and she realized it was on no fault of his. She had thought that she was giving him space to let everything that happened sink in, but it had been almost a month now, and if she still thought that, then she wasn't giving him enough credit. She snuck a look at him out of the corner of her eye as he reached for another piece of fruit. No, it was all her. She was afraid to get close to him; afraid of what the secret she harbored inside of her would do to him is she revealed it. So deep in her thoughts, she hadn't realized she'd finished her piece of fruit until she almost bit into her finger.

Next to her Peter stood up and wiped his hand on his pants and dusted off some of the sand that stuck to him.

"Thanks for the food." He said, giving her his attempt at a smile. Then he began making his way back into the river.

"You're going back out?" She knew the answer, but still she had to ask.

"The only way I'm going to get stronger is if I keep working." He made his way into the center of the river and began to work again.

Leah wrapped her arms around her legs and pulled her knees to her chest, and sat on the edge of the river watching him. She watched as he struggled with each step he took, pain glazed in his eyes that he was ignoring. She knew that in his mind, with each step, he was one step closer to getting his revenge on Hook. Deep in her heart she knew that Hook wanted Peter to enact revenge upon him, but Leah would never tell Peter that.

Suddenly her heart stopped as she watch him wobbled then slip under the water into the current. She stood and waited anxiously as the seconds ticked by, he wouldn't want her to help him, but how long was too long to wait? Then she saw his head resurface, he gasped in air as he struggled to regain his footing. He was trying to make his way back onto the bank but his legs kept giving way and he was again swallowed by water. Ignoring what he would want, Leah waded into the water until it was waist high and stretched out her arm and wrapped her hand around his wrist. Digging her feet into the sand beneath her she pulled, until his other hand was able to grab her wrist and he could pull him self into a standing position next to her. For a moment they rested, his hand still wrapped around her wrist.

"Are you okay?" She asked, taking in deep breaths to try and calm her heart. Without warning he violently pulled his hand away and his eyes turned livid. Pushing past her he made his way back onto the bank. "Peter-"

"Next time, don't help me." He stated, his voice sounded angry, but she believed that it wasn't meant to be towards her. She waded through the water and back onto the bank, stopping a few paces away from him, his back turned to her.

"But-"

"How am I going to get stronger if you're always helping me?" He whipped around to face her, her clothes dripping wet and arms wrapped around her as she shivered in the air that suddenly grew cold as the sky began to grow dark. Leah looked hurt, but she also looked angry. She just saved him from drowning, again, because he was too much of a fool to realize that he wasn't ready to push himself that hard yet. He had no right to be angry with her. Feeling ashamed of himself, Peter turned away from her and walked into the darkness of the trees.

---

"Smee."

"Yes Capn'?" Two ice blue eyes peered over the rim of a brandy cup at the portly man who sat opposite of the mahogany desk.

"You are a wicked man." The Captain took a sip of his drink, savoring the warmth that spread over him as the liquid curled down his throat.

"Capn'?" The man asked, confused. The ice blue eyes stared up at him again.

"But I would not have it any other way." The Captain smirked as the portly man across the mahogany desk refilled the Captain's cup of the amber liquor.

"Yes Capn'."

---

Peter didn't return that night.

Leah had spent the rest of the day mulling over in her head what he had said to her. With every thought, she would bounce back and forth from being understanding of what he said, to being hurt, then being angry. She had done so much for him without a seconds hesitation and without expecting anything in return. She could have left him to hang in Captain Hook's dungeon until the end of his days. But she didn't. She had helped him, and now he was mad at her for it.

Sitting up in the bed, she blinked the sleep from her eyes. She inhaled deeply the cool morning air that found its way through the holes in the small tree house, and then exhaled it on a sigh. Sleep had been welcome the night before, but she wasn't granted any. The entire night her restless mind was plagued with thoughts about everything that had happened since she had arrived in Neverland, the final thought that invaded her before she succumbed to sleep was, where had Peter gone?

Slowly she sat up, tossed the covers aside, and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. The small room seemed far more empty then usual that morning. Normally when she woke up, Peter was there beside her. It was odd how she had become so accustomed to his presence in such a short amount of time. Now when he wasn't around, things just didn't feel right. Leah stretched her arms above her head and slowly stood. She was about to take a step when a noise from below caught her attention. Perking her ears she focused her attention on the sound and realized that it was filtering up through the tunnel that led to the hideout below.

Unsure of what was going on below her, she cautiously made her way down the ladder, keeping herself ready to quickly make her way back up the tunnel if necessary. When she reached the bottom, she stood in awe as the entire hideout flickered with candlelight, hanging from the ceiling, resting on the table and in the tree roots. Peter wasn't anywhere in sight, but then the same thumping noise she heard above, came from beyond the fur doorway that led to Peter's bedroom. Carefully she made her was across the dirt floor and pulled the fur open a fraction of an inch, and peered inside.

The room, which had been in complete disarray the last time she was down there, was now put back together; the bed was right side up, and all Peter's possessions were placed back into their proper shelves and tree roots spread throughout the room. Peter's back was to her when she entered; he was leaning forward on a wall, his arm above him. She took light steps across the room as to not scare him, and was about to place her hand on his shoulder when he tensed up and slammed his fist into the tree and cursed. Taking a deep breath, Leah gently laid her had on his shoulder, causing him only to turn his head slightly in surprise, but immediately returning to stare fixatedly at the roots.

"Peter?" She asked softly.

"I should…I should have been able to save them." He balled his fist tighter above his head. "But I didn't. I didn't do anything. I was weak and just sat back and watched them die!" Peter slammed his fist against the wall again, making Leah wince. He sighed and his shoulders hunched. "And now, I've lost everything."

Gripping his shoulder firmly, Leah turned him around to face her, but even then he wouldn't look her straight in the eye. Frustrated, she framed his face with her hands and forced him to look at her. His green eyes were misted over with unshed tears as he searched her face for the answer to some unknown question. Her heart pounding in her chest, and contracting painfully in sympathy, she made a reluctant decision. Her hands falling from his face, she looked him straight in the eyes.

"You're wrong." She said. He stared at her in confusion. "I…" Taking his hand in hers, she began to pull him to follow her. "Come with me, there is something that you need to see."

Together they walked out of the hideout, through the forest towards the Indian encampment.

Yeah…we really don't know what to say here anymore…it's been a few months and it's a shock to actually see us put up a chapter but, yes but, there is a good part! This chapter is part one of two, and the second part will be out by Sunday. Two updates in one week you say? Yes that's right. So if you are renting homes in hell, you might want to check them, cause they might be frozen now. AND….we have almost completely, in detail, outlined the rest of the story, and right now, its at twenty-one chapters! Please review!

-Star and Glade

3/21/06