While writing this I started to get some extreme muscle pains so the ending may feel rather rushed, but I really just wanted to get another chapter out. This poor story seems to never be proofread. Poor thing. XD As I mentioned before, this story is almost to a close. I have no idea how I'll spin it though. I've got ideas, but I can't decide which one. I guess it depends on the music I listen to. X'D

Come up to meet you, tell you I'm sorry
You don't know how lovely you are
I had to find you, tell you I need you
Tell you I'll set you apart

Tell me your secrets and ask me your questions
Oh let's go back to the start
Running in circles, coming in tails
Heads on a science apart

Hook continued to make his way through the dark forest, feeling the sweat of his back act as glue against his tunic, pressing it firmly into his skin. He sighed, slugging off his jacket and folding it over an arm. The air flowed softly through his tunic freely now, but not enough to cool him down. His blood raced through his veins, as if some life or death situation was slowly getting closer and closer. His palms were exceptionally sweaty and his fingers shook slightly. What was he doing? How could he do this? It felt like some kind of twisted betrayal. Though the one being betrayed wasn't Emma, it was himself. He'd fought since he got here, or had he? Or had his mind been made up the very second he arrived? The moment he saw Pan again, all the confliction, the anger, the desire… It had all swelled like a crescendo of a grand symphony. He couldn't hide from all the noise his soul made when it cried out for what it truly wanted.

He felt weak in the knees as he continued to slog through the jungle, listening to the insects buzz and the owls hoot. He paused, crashing down atop his knees, his hands bracing himself as he fell onto all fours, panting from the excessive heat and the exasperation he finally felt. He was surprised though, instead of being bogged down with misery he felt lighter. He wasn't lying to himself. He wasn't trying to kid anyone. He loved Peter Pan; he would always love Peter Pan, even after Peter had tried to rip Hook's heart from his chest to selfishly secure his own immortality.

He rose up, his weight now fully on his knees as he began to laugh, feeling the last remaining weight resting atop his shoulders fly away. He rolled his neck, standing up and brushing himself off, and grabbing his coat. He didn't know if he'd bought Emma enough time to retrieve Henry, part of him now knew that he hoped for nothing less of a full disappointment for the Savior. If Emma got Henry, Peter would die, and that was something that Hook just couldn't withstand at this point. For years now, he'd been sandstone flush against the beating waves of the ocean, whittling away to nothing with each crushing wave. He was worn down to the bare brittle bits and losing Pan would only cause him to be weathered down into nothing.

Flinging his coat over his shoulder, he walked with a purpose now, moving briskly through the jungle toward the compound he still knew all too well. He could see the glow of the fires; he could hear the occasional laugher of the Lost Boys.

He stepped out from the brush, revealing himself to them all. Many pairs of eyes came to rest on Hook's physique. Though it was Felix who spoke, "It's good to see where your loyalties truly lie, Pirate."

Hook smirked, tossing his leather trench coat onto a rock and loosened the drawstrings on his v-neck tunic. "Well… I had to be convincing to them, didn't I?"

Felix smirked, pulling his hood down to expose his full face and that mess of blonde hair. Hook was intimidated at first by Felix. He had always thought that the two of them were lovers originally, or that Peter had been cheating on him with Felix all along, but now, he wasn't so sure. Peter had never spoke much about his relationships with anyone, but he'd always been open about how he felt for Hook, even if it was in strange or roundabout ways. Peter had always been loyal. It was a shame Hook couldn't see it before, but perhaps that was for the best, because now their reunion would only be that much stronger.

"Where's Peter?" Hook asked as he looked about the faces of the Lost Boys.

"He took Henry to go save magic," a younger one responded. Hook didn't recognize him. He must have come to the island after the pirate had departed.

"Where?" Hook asked, his gaze fixing on Felix.

"Skull Rock," Felix answered flatly.

Hook didn't wait for anyone else to speak. He left his trench coat and began running down the paths he assumed would have faded from his mind, but they hadn't. Each rock and vine was exactly where it was when he was here with Peter, running through the trees playing tag with the Natives. Every curve in the trail was greeted with knowledgeable feet as they swiftly turned courses and balanced with ease. It was like Hook had never left. Elation surged through his body, pouring ecstasy into his lungs, allowing him to never get tired as he ran at full speed. It'd be different this time. They'd be more honest this time…

He'd tell Peter how much he truly loved him this time…

When Skull Rock came into view, Hook slowed down to a brisk jog. He kept to the shadows, making sure no one was there, but unfortunately, Emma, Regina and Neal were all there, waiting around for something. Cursing under his breath, the pirate slunk further into the brush trying to decide on some kind of game plan. He could just simply walk up to them, it wasn't as if they knew he'd committed mutiny against Emma. He knew full well that there was only one way into Skull Rock, and that was exactly where they were blocking. Making up his mind, Hook moved away from the jungle and down the path to the beach where he willed a boat into existence. It was strange, how he was the only adult to be able to bring whatever he wanted right before him. Hook had always thought it was Peter who created everything for him, but now he was rather sure it couldn't have always been him. It was almost like Neverland was supporting his decisions to always stay with Peter. After all, there were no kings in Neverland- just Peter Pan.

"Hook? What're you doing?" Emma asked as Hook's row boat was in ear shot of her.

"I wanted to see how far you got!" he answered truthfully. "Where's Henry?"

"Pan has him. He's got this spell up. No one can go in with a shadow," Emma said as she helped Hook out of his boat. "Rumple's up there with him."

"He removed his shadow," Regina mentioned. "We now just have to block out the shadows and we're good."

"And then we can all go up there?" Hook asked raising his brows in hope.

"That's the plan," Regina said as she turned to look up at the moon. "I… I need help."

"With..magic?" Emma asked uncertain. Hook was amused by this spectacle. Peter had never lost anything in his life, not even Hook despite their horror of a first relationship, but here the pirate was again, ready to rekindle lost love in hopes that a new, stronger bond would form for them.

He watched as both Regina and Emma performed a spell to blot out the moon. The moment he watched his shadow vanish, he bolted up the stairs, running toward Peter, praying that everything was alright for him.

When he reached the top, he saw Peter with Henry. Henry was holding out his heart, seemingly conflicted in what he was about to do, and Peter couldn't hide his eager eyes and his twitching fingers from Hook. He was anxious, though so was Hook. The sooner this was all over, the sooner he could be truly reunited with Peter.

"Killian?" Peter seemed momentarily caught off guard at the sight of the pirate.

Before they had any more time, Emma Neal and Regina came to meet them all. Instead of engaging in the ongoing battle of wits and coercion, Hook chose to watch everyone. Peter had been surprised that Hook had shown up, that was entirely evident in the way his eyes had rounded out and his eye brows had raised to gently brush against the tips of his bangs. He seemed nervous in the way he moved around Henry, trying to lead the boy to the slaughter despite his parents trying to give him kind words of truth without being to abrupt about it all. Before Hook had any time to truly register the words anyone was saying, a green light exploded from Henry and Pan knocking him back along with the rest of the group.

"Come find me!" Peter said to Hook as he rose into the air and flew out one of the eye sockets of Skull Rock's face.

Hook watched as his once companions fled over to Henry, shaking him and calling out his name. "It's no use!" Hook called out. "Pan never fails."

Emma turned to face the pirate. Her eyes were alight with such intense determination that they were practically glowing. "We will save him!"

Hook stood up, brushing off his pants, tsking with his tongue. "Don't you get it? Pan's immortal now."

"Emma, your sword!" Regina called out from where she was perched over Henry's body.

They all looked at the small bit of blood. "You hurt him."

Hook took a few steps back, momentarily worried.

"If we can hurt him, we can kill him," Regina said through a sick smile.

Hook took this as his best moment to depart from everyone here. "You all get Henry somewhere safe. I'm going to find out what I can with the Lost Boys," Hook lied as he turned on his ankle toward the boats below. Panic surged into his veins, weighing down his limbs and racing his heart. He couldn't let them kill Peter, not after they had both come so far. He was openly admitting to himself now. He loved Peter. He didn't care about what happened in the past. There had been some truly terrible moments, but there had also been magical ones, full of laughter, soft touches and stolen kisses; Or tangled toes, cold noses brushing against each other and warm arms in the middle of the night. Hook wouldn't lose that again. This time… He was prepared to die if it meant saving Peter. Henry had to stay dead.

Jumping out of the boat and onto the shore, Hook took off at a blank run once more, only this time, his legs burned after awhile and his lungs began to sputter from exhaustion. He slowed down in pace, panting as he tried to keep moving despite how much his muscles groaned in protest.

"Getting old are we?"

Hook looked to see Peter leaning against a thick tree trunk, that gorgeous smirk painted against his features. "They cut you."

Peter looked down at the cut, shrugging it off. "It won't mater soon."

"Don't misjudge the ferocity of two mothers," Hook said as he took Peter's arm into his hands, looking at the cut.

Peter pulled away, trying to hide his injured limb behind his body. "I'll be fine, Killian."

There it was again… Peter always showed such ferocity in affection in the smallest of ways, ways that made a man like Killian Jones feel that there was so much love it was practically overflowing, but this, this was always that reminder that Peter was so much more complicated than he seemed. Cold, distant and reserved… Those were the traits Peter was best known for and those were the traits he showed so much more often than what Killian would have liked. "Do you want us to be together?" Hook asked bluntly.

Peter furrowed his brow. "What? Are you seriously going to try to have this conversation right now? I have to go to my Thinking Tree."

"Don't make me regret this," Hook threatened.

Peter took Hook's hands into his own, pulling them against his newly added heart. Hook felt the hastened beating of the muscle inside the boy's body. "I promise you, Killian. We'll truly have forever together, you just have to trust me."

"I do trust you."

They shared a quick chasten kiss before Peter turned quickly, grabbing at one of Hook's hands and pulled him along the darkened paths of Neverland. "Quick, we have to hide!"