23.

Hook felt his whole world pause for a moment.

Wendy's eyes were closed, but he could see the bruising around them, her lip split open, her cheek bleeding. For that long pause he could only think that his last glimpse of his wife would always be of her beautiful face beaten, because he had brought her to this. The one thing that had ever brought him true happiness was about to die, and suddenly as he realized this, it all sped up.

Her head rushed forward, her hair flying around, a small cry escaped her lips, she felt the fear bubble up inside her, her thoughts stopped, and she braced herself.

Then the rope pulled hard and she flew backwards, hitting her head on the ground. Hook's feet were pounding on the ground, and the chief's voice rose above the deafening silence.

"Tiger Lily!" the rest was unrecognizable.

"Wendy," Hook pulled her into his lap, holding her tightly, ignoring the Indians, "Oh Jesus, I'm so sorry, so sorry," he kissed her hair and cut her ropes with his hook, "Wendy, can you hear me?"

"I'm not deaf," she coughed, "Why are you sorry?"

"Wendy," he said lowly, "I want you to run, run as fast as you can, get out of here."

"No," she shook her head, "I won't leave you."

"I was foolish coming alone," he muttered, "You need to go and find the other men; it does us no good for both of us to die here."

"I'd rather die with you then to leave you alone."

"No Wendy," he hissed, "I would rather live with you than die trapped. Get the others, run and don't stop no matter what. Understand me? Run."

She kissed his quickly, "I love you."

"Run!"

She got up clumsily, and ran as fast as she could, the tribe too distracted to move quickly. Some raised their bows and spears but Hook was able to stop them, the chief's yell echoing. Some started to run after her, but Wendy was too deep in the trees now. Her breath echoed in her chest, her feet moving faster than she thought possible. She saw a dark figure and ran towards it, the pirate garb recognizable. She ran, not stopping until she knocked into them, making sure they were there.

"Wendy?"

"Charlie," she sobbed, "We have to go back, get the others, James is trapped with the Indians!"

Charlie stared at her in his arms as she spoke, feeling better than he had ever felt.

"We could leave…" he whispered.

"Damn you!" she cried, and pulled away, "Go to hell!"

She continued to run until she found a small group of pirates, and repeated her news. Immediately the men began to assemble, fierce faces, angry tempers, and weapons ready. The lost boys were forgotten, and so was Wendy, leaning against a tree, her chest heaving, her mind still uneasy.

"Wendy…" Charlie came behind her.

"I'm not speaking to you."

"Wendy, you're hurt, I'll take you back to the ship-"

"No!" she screamed, and pushed off the tree, "That's my husband! Do you understand me? I can't leave him to die, I won't ever to that."

She started to run back when he grabbed her arm, "Take my sword."

He shoved the staff into her hand and shrugged, "I'll meet you there later I guess."

"Thank you," she whispered and ran back.

888

Hook cursed the Indians around him, all but Tiger Lily who has inexplicably saved Wendy. He was ready to collapse when he saw the braids swing, and the rope pull back, her brown eyes set in determination.

Now he was tied up against a totem poll, the fire growing, and the chanting getting louder, his hook and the leather straps lying in front of him.

Tiger Lily was next to him, tied in the same ropes she had helped make with the rest of the women.

"Why?" he asked in a harsh tone.

"You love her, she love you," Tiger Lily said softly, "She not need to die. Just leave."

"I don't want her to leave," Hook replied angrily, "She's mine."

"You are Neverland's," she replied, "She chose to leave here before, she belong to her home."

"So because she chose to leave once means she can't stay again?"

"She resisted the magic," Tiger Lily sighed, "She's dangerous."

Hook smiled, "I know. It's wonderful."

Tiger Lily gave a small smile, "Tragic."

Hook growled, "Can't you stay out of this? What does Wendy have to do with any of you?"

"Our food," she sighed, "Not enough. Our women not fertile, the children cry. Not safe. The fairies."

"What about them?"

"Not all brainless," she smiled when a large male cry rose from the trees.

"She got to them!" Hook grinned, and pulled on the ropes.

The pirates burst from the trees, guns and swords flailing, laughs being bartered, Indians running to their weapons in a rage.

Crew members cut the ropes; he grabbed his hook and began to strap it back on, Tiger Lily helping him, not saying a word. He looked around swiftly, he didn't find Wendy and for that he was grateful. For once she used common sense and stayed away from a fight.

The sun was raised higher, heating up the fight below, fairies circled the cries of battle, and the mermaids were screaming.

Wendy tripped along the roots, the branches cutting her arms and face. Neverland was going to maim her horribly she thought.

When she entered the fight, breathless, she realized it wasn't like the fight on the Jolly Roger, there were new fighting techniques, less flair in the movements and more desperation and anger.

A spear came at her and she ducked, twisting around and cutting someone across the chest, his eyes in pain, he continued on. She was outmatched, her pain throbbing, but her pride was more than any of this. She would not loose.

With that thought the Indian man died at her hand.

She hated this; she hated the killing and the dying. The fighting, now that was something, but the end point of it all was death, she was a murderer, never in her life did she think she would be a murderer. But then never in her life did she think about falling in love with Captain Hook, she was here because of him. She would kill every man here for him if his life depended on it.

She was wound up in her thoughts and fighting, she didn't see the chief hulk over her. Hook, however, did.

He was laughing, this was the battle he was used to, his version of 'carefree' and fun. He didn't register the deaths, just the challenge of defeat. This was his world, this is where he belonged.

Then as he turned, he saw Wendy. His world changed then, she was his world, with her here the battle was no longer fun, it was dangerous.

"No," he shook his head and started running, but he was repeatedly stopped by a new opponent. Then the chief stalked over, his claws above Wendy.

"Don't," he shook his head pleading, "Don't do it."

Wendy brushed her hair out of her face and turned around. The chief glared down at her, and in a giant movement grabbed her and slung her over his wide shoulder.

"No!" Hook yelled, and fought fiercely, trying to get to Wendy, "Wendy!"

She was yanking her sword out of the chief's palm, but he merely threw it to the floor, not caring at all. He went to the edge of the camp, the edge of the cliff they sat upon, and raised her above his head.

"Stop!" she cried twisting in the air, "Put me down!"

Tiger Lily came and called something in their language, pulling on his arms. He shrugged her off, a crazed look in his eyes, the girl had to go.

"Wendy! Wendy!" Hook cried in desperation, finally passing the spears and arrows, he ran, his legs and arms moving furiously, not Wendy, not her, I can't handle anymore near deaths from her. He couldn't handle her death at all.

Then the chief threw her over.

The mermaids hissed in pleasure, the dying splash sounded, the small scream had died, and Hook's knees fell to the ground, his face broken, his chest clenching, his mind spinning. Not Wendy, not her. He crawled the few remaining steps, oh how close he had been to saving her! Blood had come up in small doses to the water; the mermaids were circling like sharks, the dark water hiding anything to be seen.

"No," he moaned, "No, no, no, no!"

"I'm sorry!" Tiger Lily cried the chief starting to walk away.

"You!" Hook cried, spinning around to the chief, "You did this!"

The anger blinded him, red flooded his senses, over flowing cold tension built up inside of him. The chief had killed her. He had killed her. Never before in his life had Hook felt such fury, the rage burning a hole inside of him, his heart stopping. He started on the chief, his hook swinging dangerously.

Before the chief could answer, a swish of air passed by him, a small boy flying down the cliff. A small splash as he dove into the water, and then a heart stopping moment of nothing. Hook blinked, and then his head becoming lighter with increased fear, ran back to the ledge just as Peter Pan flew out of the water with a limp Wendy in his arms. Hook followed them with his eyes as Peter went back into the trees, a signature crow, before disappearing. Hook's breath returned to him, and he began to run.

888

Wendy spurted out water, coughing loudly for a good few minutes. Peter grinned at his handiwork, he was able to free her lungs of the water, save her from mermaids, and fly her deeper in the island.

"Hello Wendy! Boy, you look awful."

"Peter?" she said astonished, still choking. She checked herself, and only realized the pain in her left leg when she saw the deep gash from her thigh to her lower leg. Her left shoulder was also cut open, and her chest had scratches that she vaguely remembered had come from the mermaids fingers. Her side was bleeding too; her scar from Peter would have a companion. The back of her right hand also had a thin cut up to her elbow, and she only thought of how Hook kissed her palm, not the back of her hand, which was now mauled.

"Yup!" he gave a bigger smile, and it annoyed her slightly, even through the pain.

"But why?"

"Smee told me how you thought you were helping me," Peter gave a patronizing laugh, "But Wendy, I wont grow up. I'm apart of Neverland now, I came here as a baby, this is my home. You're silly adult ideas got in the way."

"Smee…" Wendy closed her eyes from the pain.

"Uh huh, he saw the fire and knew there was something really bad going on since you weren't back. I didn't want to come get you, but he said it was life and death and you are my mother, and he is my grandfather."

The pain cleared for a moment as Wendy's shock sunk in.

"Your grandfather…"

"Yes, he came all the way from London to find me."

"But there was no hint of this anywhere… he works for Hook!"

"But Hook hasn't caught me has he," Peter winked, "Only injured me a bit."

"Why would you tell me this Peter? You know…"

A dark look swept over Peter's face, "You can't tell. I saved you. You cant tell."

"But Peter… Smee, he's so close to him! He cant be. No where in the stories does it say Smee is secretly related to Peter Pan!"

"Well then I just gave you a new story!" Peter flew into the air, cocked his ear to the side and grinned, "That should be your husband."

"Peter wait!"

Peter flew into the air laughing, his voice disappearing just as Hook came into the scene.

Hook appeared from the greenery, his eyes wild. The moment he saw Wendy laying on the ground he dove for her, stumbling and then falling to his knees besides her. He shakily examined her wounds, and traced a thin line on her cheek that curved around her jaw line, then another from her hair line.

"I thought you died," he said hoarsely.

"Makes two of us," she tried smiling, but the pain stopped her, along with the thought Smee and Peter.

"The boy…"

"He forgave me," she sighed, wanting to sleep.

"Are you comfortable?"

"James," she sighed, "I almost died, and you're worried about if I'm comfortable."

He kissed her, tasting the blood, but she put her hand on his arm when it grew deeper.

"It hurts," she said weakly, turning her head away in embarrassment.

"Don't be ashamed," he muttered, "Besides, I meant are you comfortable so I can pick you up."

"But the other men-"

"Can handle themselves," Hook said curtly, "They've done worse alone."

"Can't you help them?" she said shirking away from him as he tried to pick her up.

"First I'll help you," he growled and lifted her in his arms.

She gasped in pain, and he realized she might have shirked away from him in fear of more pain.

"Shh," he crooned as she whimpered, "It's ok. I'm going to make sure of it; I'll take care of you."

"I can walk," she said through clenched teeth, "Let me walk."

"Dammit Wendy I don't have time for your foolish games! Just let me do this."

Wendy's cheeks flushed, and she felt foolish, like a child. She really could walk. She knew she could, if he would just let her try. She bit her lip to stop the pain, or the tears, she wasn't sure which, and felt rather than hear Hook sigh.

"I didn't mean to snap at you."

She didn't respond and he sighed even louder.

"I've seen you in so much pain today," he said quietly, "I didn't want to see you in anymore."

"I'm not weak," she said through gritted teeth, "I'm not!"

"You're the strongest person I know," he added as they walked.

"I always end up with you carrying me."

"I like you in my arms," he kissed her hair.

"It hurts," she mumbled, "Keep getting hurt…"

"I know love," he said gently as he set her down in a small boat, "I know, oh I know, I know."

"So sorry," she said sleepily, "Sorry, sorry, sorry."

"No," he started rowing, his eyes full of remorse, "I'm sorry."

Haha, sorry I had to do some little editing, like what was happening just didn't feel right! Luckily I started with these chapters early, I could have had you all finished with the story now if I wasn't so picky. Ok so the Smee thing…theres more to it then that in a way, and you get to know a bit more about Hook as well, so next chapter (which I have to completely tear down, more so than this) will be full of things.