24.

Smee was on deck when Hook came up, Wendy still in his arms, asleep now.

"If this hadn't worked in my favor, you can rest assured you would be in great pain at the moment Mr Smee."

"Aye Captain…"

Wendy awoke as Hook set her on his bed, concern written in his every facial expression. He began wrapping her wounds silently, and she didn't dare say anything until he was done.

"Don't worry so much James," Wendy sighed.

Hook ignored her and began pacing back and forth in the room as Wendy watched, every few seconds he would come back and fuss over her like an old aunt.

"Stop James," she smiled shakily, "Sit down."

"How do you feel?"

"Fine, just fine," she went to sit up but collapsed back in her bed, giving a hiss of pain.

"What hurts?" he said alarmed.

"All of it!" she snapped, and then sighed, "I'm sorry; I didn't mean it like that."

"Yes you did, and I don't blame you," he exhaled deeply and sat at the end of the bed, "You're in pain."

"Not all that much, a few scratches, that's all."

He was silent and while she waited Wendy played with the locket around her neck, not noticing she was until Hook began to watch her.

"Sorry," she muttered.

"I'm going back," he said suddenly, "That's it."

"What do you mean that's it?"

"I can't let things like this keep happening to you," he said angrily and stood up, "I'm going to kill him."

"James don't!" she cried sitting up and flinched in the pain, but kept talking, "They want to kill you. You can't go back on a revenge mission, that's suicide!"

His steel blue eye took hold of her golden ones, "I can't let them get away with this."

"Fine," she said starting to get up, and he went over to put her back, "No! I'm going home. If that's what it takes, ill go home. Your men are fighting, and you're planning to die, I'm not staying here any longer."

Hook froze, "What?"

"I'm going back to London," she said as strongly as she could.

"No," Hook shook his head forcefully, "I won't allow that. There's no reason for it."

"There is a reason for it! It's on the island right now."

"You aren't leaving," he snapped.

"You could die."

"I never die," he laughed an unpleasant laugh, "You should realize this by now."

"What if you do? What if you get hurt, am I supposed to sit by and watch, realizing it's my fault."

"That's exactly what I do when I see you," Hook said softly, "But I don't wan't you to leave."

"I don't want to leave, but I shouldn't be here."

"You should be with me," he said roughly, "You're my wife."

He looked at her face, bruised, stitched up, and worry flooded her eyes. He sighed, the hardness leaving his eyes. He leaned over her and kissed her cheek, "I'll be right back."

She took his face in her hands and looked at him determinedly, "I can't be here right now."

His eyes set on fire once again, "You'll be where I say. I haven't let you go before, so why should I now? You're my wife, that does not mean you can leave when you please," he walked to his cabin door his boots thumping against the wood; "It means that you stay here with me."

He slammed the door, and she hurt the faint click, that she knew from her earlier days aboard the Jolly Roger.

A little while later Smee unlocked the door, "Well you know by now of the Captain's temper. He's selfish with you is all. Possessive."

"He's selfish with everything," she huffed.

"It's just the way of a pirate."

They were silent as Smee checked her bandages.

"Are you really Peter's grandfather?"

Smee stopped, and his head turned slowly to her, "No."

"Are you lying to me?" she whispered.

He sighed, "I am not related to the boy. I was… a long time ago, or at least I think it was, I worked for a detective agency you see, just with the files. I stumbled upon Peter's file, a missing baby. It concerned me but there were much worse cases you know, and I kept on sorting, but his name, Peter Pan, that stayed with me. One night I was on the docks…um…"

"Drinking?" Wendy asked.

"Well yes. I can't say I approve of what Hook has been teaching a lady such as you, but that's none of my business. I heard Peter's name spoken by one of the crew members here. They were a rough looking bunch then, but now I think them harmless. I joined up, determined I could save the boy and became… well more than I was at my desk job. Unfortunately that failed."

"Why would you tell Peter you were his grandfather?"

"He doesn't trust adults," Smee said, and Wendy felt her face heat up, he had a reason not to, "But everyone likes grandparents."

"Does Hook know?"

"Aye," Smee nodded sorrowfully, "In a way he does. I do have a soft spot for the boy though, but I would not have let him go if I felt it wasn't important."

Wendy lay there shocked.

"I hope my story was as good as yours Miss Wendy."

"Smee," she interrupted, "Was the Captain here when you arrived?"

"Blimey no, Hook has been here for a long time, but not as long as I have Miss Wendy. No he came in revenge."

"Revenge?"

"His nephew you see, came to Neverland with Peter. I heard his sister died from worry, but she was sick already, that I know. When he son went with Peter, it didn't make her any better. His Nephew's gone now, but Hook's hatred for Peter has stayed, and it's consumed him."

"I never knew…"

"Well in the early days he spoke of it while he was drunk," Smee said shrugging, "I doubt he remembers now."

"But you do?"

Smee nodded solemnly, "Aye Wendy, I do."

He turned to leave, "Wait Mr Smee."

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

"I haven't done anything child," he smiled, and left, locking the door behind him.

888

Hook staggered to his boat, holding his side, but refusing to cry out in pain.

"Good show men," he said weakly, "Drinks tonight."

His crew was battered and bloody, holding each other up, and a few had enough strength to cheer, but mainly they just wanted in the boats.

"Let's go…" Hook struggled, and then happily sat down in the boat, groaning.

Everyone was lethargic, happy that the battle was over. Hook however felt uncomfortable, not just from his side, but the way they won the battle. The Indians had looked into the sky, and as if they were all connected as one, fled. Tiger Lily was in his charge now, sitting next to him and trying to help him, but he shook her away.

"The other men need help more than I," he growled, "It's a shame your tribe left you."

She sighed, but said nothing, and took his advice. Tiger Lily had betrayed her tribe, her family, and the reason Hook was in pain now was because he had stopped her own tribe member from impaling her. She couldn't go back now.

She began to help the other men on the boat, although they were mainly just dirty and tired, and went back to Hook as quickly as she could, "Why did you help me?"

"I was returning a favor," he said as he winced from her touch.

"You did not need to."

"Yes," he sighed, "And I'll have another one to return as well, sadly."

"I was helping love. Not you."

"I was helping my pride then," he shrugged.

She looked up in the sky, regretful, and then gasped. Hook noticed they were nowhere near as nice as Wendy's, but then again they were just gasps…for some people.

"What?"

"Fairies…"

Hook looked into the sky and saw stars, but leaning up, he saw moving glowing lights, the faint sound of bells before it was out ear shot. They landed on his ship.

"Move faster," he whispered and then louder, his face in rage, "I said faster!"

888

Wendy woke up when she felt her hair being tugged violently. Peter stood next to her bed, grinning.

"Peter? What are you doing here?"

"You're a heavy sleeper," Peter said, and then answered her question, "I'm taking you back to London."

"Peter I'm in no condition too go anywhere," Wendy said, and then gasped as bright lights filled the room.

"Oh those are some fairies who are gonna help you leave," Peter said dismissively.

"I don't want to leave," Wendy said getting out of the bed, her pain shooting through her but she ignored it as well as she could, "If I leave then Hook will take me."

"No he won't," Peter laughed, "You said you wanted to and he wouldn't do it! So now it's time for me to take you."

"Peter-"

"You're still hurt! Don't worry, they know how to fix that."

"No I'm fine, don't!"

The fairies began to circle her, and she felt ice cold mist hit her and the bandages fell to the floor, wrapping her themselves. Her eyes remained closed then they stopped and Peter lifted her eyelid.

"Feel better?"

She nodded slowly, "You shouldn't have done that."

"I didn't, they did."

The fairies made urgent bell noises, and Peter nodded.

"We need to go now…and well," he took some fairie dust and held it up, "You need to, well, swallow this."

"Peter no, I'm not going and I'm not ingesting fairie dust!"

"Wendy I saved you!" he cried, "You have to trust me. Like I trusted you."

Wendy felt the guilt flood her, and she sighed, her eyes downcast. Reaching out she let the dust hit her fingers, and with a deep breath, threw it in her mouth ans swallowed.

Unlike the cold dust she had felt on her skin, this was warm, and she felt it throughout her veins, and then finally landing in her stomach, where it increased the heat.

"Peter what was that?"

"For the baby," he said and grabbed her hand and pulled her with him. The dust had made her dizzy and weak, and she allowed herself to be dragged on board. Smee was knocked out on the deck, a small trickle of blood on his forhead.

"Smee!" she stammered, and fell next to him.

"He's fine," Peter said hurriedly, "Come on!"

"Peter no," she said pulling, but she was weaker now, and was easily flown into the air.

888

"Wendy!" her mother's voice broke through the drunken barrier from the fairie dust, and she gasped in fright.

"Mother?"

"George! George she's back!"

Mrs Darling began crying and Mr Darling came running, their daughter slumped on the floor, blinking rapidly. Then it dawned on her where she was and she began to weep.

"Where were you? Wendy where were you?"

"Charles was so worried about you!"

"Charles?"

"Your fiancé." They prompted.

Wendy's heart stopped cold, "Mother, father, I have something to tell you."