25.

It had been three weeks when Wendy found out she was expecting a child. Throughout these weeks she had sworn up and down that she was married, she couldn't marry Charles, James would be back he had to be!

"He's not here," John said sadly, "Wendy, there is no such person."

"But you met him when we were children!"

"Wendy!" John snapped, "We aren't children anymore. Whoever you were with it wasn't Captain Hook, and you need to stop."

Michael however nodded, "He's a pirate Wendy, and he's not coming back."

When she found out she knew her time was up. She reluctantly agreed to marry Charles within the week, trying to give Hook one last chance.

But her doubt was over bearing among hope.

The night before her wedding she felt as if she were about to rip apart, and Mrs Darling noticed.

"Wendy do you want me to talk to you about what happens on a wedding night?"

"I already know mother," she snapped, "Could you just leave me alone? I don't want this wedding, just leave me alone!"

She stalked off to her room, feeling childish, but stubborn. Her father tried to stop her, but she pushed past him muttering, "Just let me be."

She closed her door and rested her head against it, her eyes heavy, feeling nauseous. She couldn't do it, she couldn't do it. But she had to, the baby. The baby the fairies had mentioned, but she had ignored. Fairies apparently could know ahead of time.

"Wendy."

Ice slapped her, and she spun around, her eyes wide.

"James!" she flew at him, flinging her arms around his neck, kissing his cheeks. Then forcefully she pulled away and slapped him, "Where the bloody hell have you been?"

His eyes were blank when he answered, "How about, how could you marry someone else?"

She straightened her shoulders, "I didn't have a choice."

"You left with Pan and now you plan to marry someone else, and you say you don't have a choice?" his voice raised and she hushed him.

"I'm not explaining myself to you."

"You are my wife," he said, it was quickly becoming a type of catch phrase for him, "I could walk out right now and show them who you really are."

"You think I haven't told them? Well I tried, but you never showed up, nobody believed me."

"Why would you agree to a bigamous marriage then? Why?"

It was as if the answer finally showed up, her face turned pale and her eyes glossy, then she raced to the closest thing she could reach, which was a vase, and threw up. Morning sickness happens whenever it pleases she thought bitterly.

She groaned and in a strangled voice said, "Excuse me a moment."

She went into the washroom and Hook heard water splash, and waited as patiently as he could manage.

She returned looking embarrassed, "Sorry."

"Are you ill?"

"That doesn't matter right now," she sighed, "Just speed this up. Go back to Neverland where you belong."

"It's where you belong as well Wendy."

"No," she shook her head, her arms crossed over her chest, "Not anymore."

"Why are you doing this?" Hook said trying to contain his anger, "I had to get fairie dust, I had to let my men rest, I couldn't do everything Wendy, I went as fast as time allowed!"

"That's not the point!" she cried and then gave a nervous glance at the door.

"Then what is? Tell me! I don't deserve this."

She gave a shaky sigh, and closed her eyes, "I'm… going to have a baby."

Hook ran his hand through his hair and exhaled.

"I couldn't… my family didn't believe…"

"Fine," he snapped, and then pulled her against his chest, "We can handle this. I'll take you back, and it'll be fine, I'm here now."

"I can't go back. I don't age there, how can I possibly have a baby?"

"We can take the chance…"

"I'm not going to stay pregnant for the rest of my life!"

He groaned, "Nine months… nine months… that's one and a half years for me…"

"Just go James," she shook her head, pulling away, "Please, I really do understand that you have to leave, but I won't act like a fool and wait for you to actually say the words. Just leave me be."

His face contorted with anger, his eyes turning a faint red, "So that's it then? You think you can just send me away?"

"I'm trying to make this easier!"

"I'm not leaving," he snapped, "Don't tell me what I'm going to do."

She took another step back and searched his face, "You can't be serious."

"Very serious," he nodded, and the red eased away from his eyes, his shoulders relaxing, "In fact I think I'll come through the front door now to alert your parents of my presence."

He turned around and Wendy grabbed his arm, "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I will stay here. With you."

"But… you'll age."

"While you carry my child I will take my share of the responsibility, and when it is born we will figure something out."

"A responsibility?" she asked incredulous.

He sighed, taking her chin in his hand, "I love you Wendy, and nothing will change that. I am here for you, for the child. I'm here for us."

He kissed her quickly and then waved his hand at the ship wish floated above them. As if it understood it sailed away in the sky, heading for the water near the ports. To Wendy's horror he jumped the two stories and landed with a loud thump. Straightening his jacket he walked towards the front door.

The knock alerted the family immediately.

"Who could that be at this hour?" Mrs. Darling said aloud as her husband grumbled towards the door.

"Can I help you?" he asked irritably.

John and Michael walked up, and Michael gasped audibly at the pirate. John's head swerved towards the stairs where Wendy stood, her gaze on Hook.

"I'm James Stroud, I'm here for my wife Wendy," Hook bowed slightly, and then looked in Wendy's direction.

Mr Darling spun around, his face beet red, "Do you know this man?" he sputtered.

"I tried to tell you," Wendy said simply, "You didn't listen."

"You mean to tell me," Mr Darling tried again, "That this… this… man! Is your husband?"

She nodded, "Yes."

Mrs Darling walked up, her eyebrows knitted together, "Wendy we had no idea…"

"I told you," Wendy said icily.

"I thought you were just telling one of your stories," Mrs Darling tried again.

"Do you mind if I step inside?" Hook said in his honeyed voice.

"Yes I do!" Mr Darling said immune, "I don't care what you have fooled my daughter into, she is not married to you! She marries someone else in the morning!"

Hook took his steal hand out from behind his back and felt the tip with his finger. Mr Darling looked on with horror.

"Do you mind," Hook repeated, "If I step inside?"

Mr Darling took a step back, still frightened, and Hook entered. His eyes stayed on Wendy the moment his foot touched the threshold.

"When did this happen?" Mrs Darling said weakly.

"How long was I gone?" Wendy asked, forgetting it would seem odd if she didn't know.

"Four months," John said hastily, trying to cover for her.

"We met three months ago," Hook replied briskly, not missing a beat.

"I'm confused," Mrs Darling said, "I really don't understand."

"You don't need to," Wendy said, "This is how it is."

"I will not accept it! Did anyone think about how I would feel about this? Did you even ask my permission?" Mr Darling shouted at Hook, who finally broke his eyes away from Wendy and looked at Mr Darling in such a calm matter that Wendy wouldn't have believed it was him.

"Father," Wendy tried to keep the snap out of voice, "there's nothing you can do."

"Oh yes there is! Get out of my house! Out!"

Hook raised one eye brow and then glanced and Wendy.

"Mother," Wendy said taking a deep breath and walking down the stairs, took her mothers hands, so much older than hers, "I love him, more than anything. And I'm expecting a baby."

The fight in Mr Darling stopped immediately, he took a few steps backwards and leaned against the wall, "Fine."

John and Michael looked outraged, but Wendy ignored them, looking only at Hook, whose small smile meant the world to her.

"You must stay here tonight!" Mrs Darling proclaimed, "George, you will fix everything in the morning. Wendy you and your husband may stay in the nursery."

When alone in the nursery Hook snorted, "Separate beds?"

"Of course," Wendy said smirking, "My mother must keep things in order you see. Did I tell you that you handled everything remarkably well tonight?"

"It took very little effort actually," he smiled, talking her in his arms, "I just imagined myself in your father position and thanked God that he wasn't me. If this happened to my daughter, baby or not, the man would be dead."

Wendy shook her head, "Sometime's you're impossible."

He kissed her, and then smiled against her lips, "Do you think we'll be able to fit into one bed?"

"We'll never know unless we try."

Wendy fell asleep quickly, exhausted by the events, and Hook marveled at the figure pressed against him, so close as to make sure both of them could stay on the twin sized bed. She was possibly the best bedmate he had ever had (and he hated to admit the number, at one point he had been proud, but now he could never admit the true number to Wendy). He wasn't saying that because he was biased either, she truly was, always had been. She could always find a comfortable spot in bed rather quickly, most of the time he would find it for her by making sure she was pressed up against him as close as possible. When the spot was found, she barely even moved, she was that heavy a sleeper. Wake her up though and she would come up in almost a shock.

These thoughts lulled him into sleep, which was much more fitful than Wendy's. she woke up, eyes wide and gasping, to Hook, who was thrashing around, muttering, "No, no!" his breathing labored.

"James," she nudged him, "Wake up!"

The darkness had enveloped him, and he sat straight up, his arm reaching across Wendy in what seemed to be a shielding motion.

"What?" he asked, breathlessly drowsy, and then seeing Wendy relaxed, taking his chin in his hand and kissing her quickly, "Thank God," then let her go.

"You were having a nightmare," she said holding his arm and resting her chin on his shoulder.

He was silent, thinking about the images that had just floated through his head.

"Go back to sleep," he said softly, gently pushing her back.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he insisted, "Please go back to sleep."

"James-"

"Not now Wendy," he snapped.

She looked taken aback, and then frowned, then opened the blanket to go to one of the spare beds.

"Don't," he said pulling her back with his one hand, "Just stay with me."

She nodded and pulled him back down, holding him against her.

"You're too small for this," he said in a low voice and in a swift move switched to holding her.

"Just once, I would like to take care of you," she sighed.

"You do more than you know," he whispered.

"Where were you?" she asked, "What happened after I left?"

"Tomorrow," he sighed, "We'll discuss everything tomorrow. Tonight I just want it to be us, together."

She flipped over and kissed his nose, "Just us."

He smiled, taking her chin in his hand again, "Just us," he repeated and kissed her.

Sooo sorry for the wait!

my laptop is on the fritz so i had to put what i have on a flash drive and upload somewhere else. it might take awhile for more chapters, please be patient, i am trying