18.
The boys had moved out of Hangman's tree ever since Hook had found out about it, although Peter could not really remember much of that time. Wendy now found herself in parts of Neverland she had never traveled, nor knew existed. Suddenly the boys stopped, and she nearly fell over all of them.
"Wendy do you promise to be our mother?" Peter asked suddenly, a hard look in his childish eyes.
Wendy's chest constricted, "What…?"
"Do you promise to be our mother?"
The boys were watching her now, with expectant hope, a few had breathed the word mother as if the magic itself was laced within the words.
"Do you promise!?" Peter yelled to the island.
She couldn't say no. she couldn't say yes. How could a mother turn in her children? How could she just trick Peter Pan into falling into Hook's hand, and still be a mother?
"Wendy!"
"Yes!" she said suddenly, "I promise."
A few squeals of "Mother!" and a look of triumph on Peter's face made her feel the guilt crash into her.
"Good," Peter grinned, and with a flick of his hand, a rope was pulled from a tree, one she had not seen behind the leaves, and suddenly a board was pulling them up from the ground in jerking motions. Wendy almost fell off, her feet were so unstable, but managed to catch herself.
"Welcome to our hideout Mother," Peter said proudly, "It was all my idea. Isn't it brilliant?"
For once Peter was not embellishing (if this was indeed his idea). The city in the trees was vast and amazing. Tree houses and bridges aligned along the branches, decks stuck out, and sunlight swept through the leaves. Fairies dashed in and out between the wood planks, and she noticed small houses she had thought were glowing bird's nests, but not realized were Fairie apartments.
"Peter," she breathed, "It's amazing!"
"Of course it is!" Peter said giving her a sly smile, "I thought of it didn't I?"
She took a few steps onto one of the bridges, and nearly cried out in fright as the lost boys began to run across it, making it swing dangerously.
"Want to see a trick Mother?" the cried and began to swing the bridge. Wendy grabbed the siding and felt her stomach heave.
"No, no! Mother doesn't need to see a trick! No trick!" she cried, and the boy's giggled and ran off.
"Well Mother," Peter said regally, "I have provided you a map so you may find your way back here when you leave on whatever errands mother's tend to do," he handed her the large green leaf with childish writing on it, but it was legible, and she was able to figure out how she would return.
"It's a rather hard place to find," Peter said with pleasure, "All the lost boys have one. We must keep secret from the vile Hook!"
"Oh yes, quite vile."
"Do not worry fair lady!" Peter said gaily and flew a few feet and spun around, "I have come up with a most ingenious plan!"
"Really Peter," she said somewhat amused, "And what plan would that be?"
"A foolproof one," he grinned, "I've been talking to the mermaids, they seem to be upset with the pirates aboard the ship. It works well in our favor actually, someone killed their leader."
"Oh dear," Wendy gulped, and Peter took this as a sign of sadness for the dead mermaid.
"Yes! So they want revenge. And of course I would like to see old Hook perish once more," Peter cackled in a very uncharacteristic manner.
"Peter? Are you alright?"
"Of course Mother!" he said with a gleam in his eye, "The Indians want to help as well; it will be a glorious battle!"
"The Indians as well!" she said shocked.
"I have many friends," he winked, and flew up into the sky where she heard him call out to the faraway ship and make cruel comments, then come flying back down, cheers among the Lost Boys sounding off.
"What does this plan require?" Wendy asked hesitantly.
"Oh I don't know," Peter scoffed, "We just all show up on the fool moon and see how it goes. We'll win."
Wendy nodded, but her face was paralyzed, "Yes of course."
"Mother tell us a story!" one of the boys yelled, and agreements went all around. Wendy sat down on the floorboards with the other boys and began to weave her tail about a boy by the name of Pan.
888
Hook looked into the sky and saw the moon hanging carefully, halfway through the waxing stage. The waterfall he stood by gave off the diamond light, and he thought back to when he had found Wendy standing here triumphant about her treasure.
He was interrupted by the shuffling of leaves and then a stumbling figure fall out of the forest.
"James?" she said shocked, "I thought you said I would meet one of your crew."
Hook smiled at her unkempt state, twigs had made a home in her hair, and leaves clung to her wonderful Pirate attire.
"I thought you wouldn't mind it if I showed up instead," he said in a deep voice, and then in a few steps reached Wendy and clasped his mouth with hers.
It was only a few moments before Wendy parted the kiss, "That's the real reason you're here," she eyed him.
"I'm here to see you," he grinned, "If you would rather not kiss me than I'll accept that," he said though his tone implied he would not.
"Fine then," she huffed, and then said, "Do you want to know what's going on or not?"
"It's why I'm here," he laughed.
She showed him the map, and pointing to the moon recounted what Peter had told her about the mermaids.
"And I'm not sure I can sneak out at night anymore, their way to the hideout is very…unconventional, and loud. I'm sure they'll wake up when I return."
Hook nodded, "I see. Well then, I shall find you from now on," he muttered as he scrawled the map down, "I might have to kidnap a lost boy for this map so that you may have a cover story."
She gasped, "You wouldn't!"
"Of course I would," he shrugged, "I won't keep him, ghastly boys they are. I'll take the map and set him free, so he may go on his merry way to tell Pan what had happened."
Wendy felt uncomfortable in his whole plot and wondered if her own part in it would end quickly.
"Do you really need me to bring Peter to you now that you have the map?" she asked.
He looked at her for a moment, "Scared?"
"No!" she snapped.
"Good," he answered, and then his hand rest upon her side where the white scar now took its residence, "There is no reason to be. He won't be harmed."
He reached over to kiss her forehead but she dodged it and gave him a look he couldn't read.
"What about the Indians and the mermaids?"
"They'll have to be hurt," he shrugged, debating if he should try to kiss her again, "Or killed. You know that."
She nodded, somewhat sadly, "It doesn't bother you though? Their attack I mean."
"Do not worry yourself, my beauty, it will all be solved. I know exactly what I am doing; I have been a Captain for a very long time."
She gazed back in the direction of the hideout, painful guilt upon her face. Hook noticed this, and for a moment he became angry. But realizing this would not help his plan, he gave shallow breaths so he could calm down, but he didn't have to. Wendy's eye's met his and immediately he softened, to his horror and content.
"Wendy," he sighed, "I know this must hurt you, they have no doubt nuzzled up to you as small children. Shouldn't the boys be allowed to go home to parents that love them? Shouldn't they grow up as they should, without Pan taking away the life they could have had?"
She hesitated a moment before nodding.
"I will not harm any of them; I will only take them home and away from me."
She nodded again, not looking at him and began to turn away to leave.
"I know," she muttered, "I know."
"Wendy!" Hook called, and she turned around.
"Thank you," he said with effort, and suddenly he saw his Wendy's gleam back to life.
"What did you say?" she asked smiling.
He coughed awkwardly, "I said, um, thank you."
"A sincere thank you from Captain James Hook," she said smirking, "Well if this isn't one thing to put into my stories I don't know what is."
"Don't be dramatic," he said rubbing his hook.
"I do believe you love the dramatics," she said bowing deeply exaggerating her movements, and he shook his head at her childlike antics.
"You've spent too much time with lost boys already."
She gave a shaky laugh and to his utter shock, grabbed his steel hand and kissed it.
"I should go back," she said turning around. Hook's eyes still on his blade, he grabbed Wendy's arm and kissed her quickly.
"You know how I loath it when you leave me," he said, only half joking.
"You know it's not healthy to be needy," she smiled, kissing him back.
"Is that what you think I am? Needy?"
"No," she shook her head, "You just like me."
With a large grin she almost skipped off. Hook, who had once again been taken aback by the young vixen, could only watch her go. Like her? Of course he liked her, but she needn't say it! He liked her more than he himself cared to admit.
He gave one final longing look towards the direction she walked, and turned around, heading back to his ship.
So sorry for the wait, it's been a busy time for me with finals and grades, I did have this story done but I needed to do some editing, but even with my edits the story could always use more in my opinion. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, it may be a little while more before there is another because I'm going on a road trip, so who knows when I'll be in internet range! For those of you on summer break (like me!!!) I hope you are much to busy to pay attention to my late updates!