Long wait? Hope its worth it!

Chapter 2
"Adopted"

Hidden within shadowed waters, eyes flickered up towards the reef, the only entrainment she had. Nothing had saved her. Nothing wanted to even acknowledge her presence. Even when alive, her mother had favorited her sister.

And now she was frozen solid, watching a ship pass by over head. Oddly enough, though, she could hear a shouting voice. She was surprised. Not much noise got past the oceans exterior. Why was this man so loud?

"Blasted imbeciles!" It was saying. "I give them the simple task of stealing the girl, and they come back with nothing but bruises!"

There was the sound of gunfire. Her long frozen form would have flinched had it been freed. She saw a splash, on the other side of the ship, and a limp form fell overboard. She would've laughed if she could've to watch the dead body float away, farther down then even her into a much more chilled part of the sea. Then to her horror as her eyes flicked back up, and an anchor raced towards her. She let out a croaked scream as the anchor hit the ice.

Above the water, crewman struggled to move the anchor.

"I said raise the bloody thing, not drop it further!" Captain Hook screamed. "Hoist it now!"

"It's stuck, Cap'n!" His crewman complained with a heave. "We don't-!"

"It's giving!" Another shouted, "Heave, men, heave!"

Cries of 'put your back into it' were called out as all of the pirates gave their all, lifting the anchor by force. Smee waddled over, as well as Captain Hook, to the railing of the ship to see what had caused the trouble. His eyes widened.

"Its a monster!" Smee squealed, quivering away and falling onto his backside.

"No," Hook peered closer, intrigued, disturbed, and amazed all at the same time. "It's a woman."

Her ice was caught on the edge of the anchor. Hook ordered some of his men to haul it on board, not quite sure of his attentions. His curiosity was getting the better of him. They did, their muscles straining until she sat right-side up in the middle of the deck, being stared at by all. Her eyes flicked between all of them.

A curious thing she was. Green skin, almost an olive color now that her skin had been long deprived of sun and warmth. Her hair was now all white, the gray streaks disappearing. Her body was thinner, the black, once shining tentacles now dull and a tad crusty. She was mortified and thankful all at the same time.

"What are you staring at?" Hook shouted, after he'd come to his senses. "Chip away the ice, you fools! Free her now!"

Scrambling over one another the crew raced around, grabbing anything they could to try and crack the ice. The sun seemed to be on their side, as it was a particularly warm day. And soon, most of her head and torso had been freed. After a much longer time, the half-woman-half-octopus was completely ridden of ice.

She gasped, relieved. "Oh thank you," she cried. "Thank you! And this is from the blackest part of my heart! And I don't just say thank you to everyone."

Hook smiled his most deceiving of smiles, taking her hand. "It's a pleasure Miss . . . ?"

"Call me Morgana, dear," She replied, returning the deceptive expression. "And who is my rescuer?"

"Captain James Hook at your service my dear." He replied, releasing her hand. With a grand move, he gestured toward his ship. "You are welcome aboard my ship."

"And where is it docked?" She asked, her long and haggard nails touching her face as she sat down, still weak. "The last place I recall being was definitely not so . . ." Morgana looked towards the island and her false smile fell. "Childish."

Hook approached from behind her with a hated glare at the island, with its beauty. "A perfect description, madame. Childish is fully fit to describe the blasted boy that runs wild. Not to mention his little girlfriend."

"What fun," She replied, sarcastically. "I despise children and teenagers. Sounds like you've got your hands full. Any chance I could be of assistance?"

"That boy Peter Pan did this to me," he held up his hooked hand. "Cut it right off and fed it to a crocodile! He is not to be taken lightly. His life will only be taken by me. His girlfriend, though, you can have." He snorted, "Little Melody hasn't been around long, but she's-."

"Melody!" Morgana shrieked, startling the crew, Smee, and the Captain. "The little brat is about this high, a bony little thing with black hair?"

"Yes," Captain Hook stared at her. "You know of Melody?"

"She's the reason I was frozen in that stupid piece of ice for who knows how long!" She shouted, fury racing through her. "I was so close to getting what I wanted and she snatches that trident from me like it's nothing and hands it back over to her grandfather! Why I, I-!" She let out another scream, unable to comprehend her anger into words.

Unlike his men, Hook was now intrigued. "Well then," he put on his most devilish smile. "It seems we have something in common, then. Smee!" He shouted and the startled little pudgy man ran forward, shaking.

"Y-Yes Captain," He stuttered, his hat clenched in his fingers.

He grinned. "Summon the children. Start setting off cannons into the forest or something, I don't care. It's time little Melody got a healthy dose of fear from an old friend."

"I don't know how to repay you, Captain," Morgana said, an expression of anticipation on her face. She hadn't felt like this in a long time. If only Undertow was here . . . ah well. No need to morn. "To see fear in that wretched little girl again is just an eternity of favors!"

"I'm sure we can figure out something," Hook replied. "Until then, my dear, may I get you anything while we hide you until Melody comes? We can't have anyone finding out about you and squawking to Pan about it."

"Of course," Morgana agreed, moving to sit on the railing. "But all I need James is a little ocean water out of the ice. Don't worry though, I'm not going anywhere."

And then she dove in, reveling at the longed for feeling of ocean water on her skin. Immediately she felt herself rehydrating and becoming the once beautiful (in her opinion) creature she was.

And on the bright side of being frozen, she'd lost those pounds that had been bothering her.

The Lost Boys cried out at the sound of the cannons nearby. They were, of course, playing in the Lagoon under the watchful eyes of their 'parents', who were sitting nearby and also had jumped to their feet. Melody, standing knee-deep in water, shot a look at Peter, who nodded. He shot into the air.

"Come on, boys!" He shouted, in anticipation of an adventure. "If a fight is what Hook wants, a fight is what he'll get!"

Melody and the Lost Boys cheered, waving goodbye to the nervous mermaids and soaring into the sky. They went in on cloud cover, watching in curiosity as the pirates tried desperately to get attention.

"What do you think they're up to?" Peter asked Tink, who shrugged.

Melody's eyes narrowed, "I don't know about this, Peter. I've got a bad feeling about this."

"Don't tell me you're scared?" Peter teased back.

She snorted. "You know very well I'd never run from a fight, but still. I feel . . . nervous."

"Girls think too much," he retorted. Melody scoffed at his attitude. "Come on, nothing is gonna happen to us! I'm Peter Pan, I'll protect our mother no matter what. You know that."

Melody sighed, but smiled up at him. "Alright Peter, I trust you. Let's go, then!"

"Me first!" He reminded her, "Now off we go, and quiet!"

They kept to the clouds until they ran out of room, and then Peter dove forward. Melody watched with amusement, trying to ignore that foreboding feeling in her chest that was pressing her down and almost making her unable to fly. But at the flustered expression of the pirates, she laughed along with the Lost Boys beside her.

"Go," she ushered, as Peter flew around a cannonball. Then she darted in front of them. "This way!"

They followed behind her.

"I've got a little surprise for you, Pan!" Hook growled, happily. Melody felt that pang in her chest again but refused to let it consume her.

Peter laughed, "And I've got one for you too! Come out!"

They shot from their hiding places all around the ship, specifically placing themselves to confuse the pirates all the more. That was the best part of the game. To scare them and run, leaving them all the more irritated. They got the best result, and Melody watched from next above. It wasn't often Peter let her fight. She wasn't done training yet, and even though she was every bit as good as Peter if she tried hard enough, he didn't like the idea of her getting hurt. Tinkerbelle sat next to her, also feeling a bit unsure about this little battle.

Why had the pirates wanted them here so badly?

"Actually Pan, the surprise isn't for you." Captain Hook suddenly barked, grinning at Melody, whose brow rose. Tinkerbelle stood, staring at Hook with surprise. "It's for you're little girlfriend."

Peter immediately stopped battling with a pirate, who lost his footing and fell overboard, to dart in front of Melody. He placed his arms out to his sides protectively, glaring at Hook. "What do you want with Melody, Hook?"

"Oh, I don't want anything." He replied, feigning innocence. "She does!"

"She?" Melody shouted, moving to Peter's side and refusing to be protected. "She who?"

Wicked laughter filled the air. Hook never took his eyes off all of the children's expressions, drinking in the fearful expressions. The Lost Boys flew to their parents, shaking with terror. Peter kept his eyes alert, but also couldn't be excluded from the apprehension. Melody seemed confused, as if she was trying to remember something.

The sky began to darken and the sea turned a murky green. Even some of the pirates seemed uneasy, but when Hook began to laugh, they followed his lead. The laughter became more and more evil by the second, chilling the Lost Boys to the bone. Melody continued to rack through her brain at the familiar touch this all had. A ship and murky water . . . laughter . . . where had this-?

Water shot up from the sea, reaching just above the ship's rails. Hook waited with anticipation, watching Melody's expression and not looking anywhere else. He even was ignoring Peter's for the time being. She still seemed confused. The memory was on the brink of her thoughts but she couldn't quite get to it.

Then her eyes flashed wide open and she darted backwards, "No, that's impossible!"

"Nothing is impossible, dear!" The voice cackled, apparently from inside the water.

Peter's eyes darted to Melody, ignoring the danger. "Melody?"

She didn't reply, her eyes fixated on the water that was melting away.

The laughter stopped echoing and in the murky green, a much more unpleasant sight appeared. She touched her chest with long, red nails and sat on the water like it was a chair. "I'm sorry I was away so long Melody, but you know how things are. Being frozen in ice can be a burden on visiting hours!" The last two words were a growl. The sea-witch's eyes darted elsewhere. "Ah, you must be Peter. I have to say Melody, you have been busy in my absence. Running away from home again? Do you have a problem staying put for long, or did being a mermaid make you realize you can have other destinies besides staying home with mummy and daddy?"

"Don't talk to her like that!" Peter snapped at her, coming between the two once again. "Who are you?"

She smiled at him, her hands coming together, "Why, you haven't heard of me? I'm Morgana. It's a pleasure to meet Melody's little knight in shining armor."

Peter's eyes widened before snorting in disgust at Morgana. "You're that old good for nothing sea witch? I thought King Triton got rid of you." Then he grinned. "Ha! You're as ugly as the stories say, isn't she boys?"

The Lost Boys howled with laughter, agreeing. Melody didn't say a word, her body ridged. Peter placed his arm around her and realized she had just barely been in the air. As soon as he touched her he was supporting her weight. It wasn't much of a burden, of course, as he was strong and she was light, but still. At least now he knew why Melody was so scared.

"You little brat!" She shouted, pointing a withered finger at him. "How dare you call me ugly!"

Peter placed Melody in his arms, grinning down at Morgana with fake apology. "Beg your pardon, ma'am." He bowed a little before straightening and giving his best rebellious smirk. "But I was taught to never tell a lie!"

She gritted her teeth, "I'll show you just how sorry you should be! Ha!" Her tentacle shot out, wrapping itself around Tootles, the nearest of the Lost Boys.

Everyone shouted in unison, "Tootles!"

He struggled lightly, but there was just nothing he could do. He gave his fear to Melody and Peter, then the people he considered his brothers. Tootles started to quiver.

"Now how real is your apology," Morgana hissed, with arrogance. Her tentacle lifted Tootles, so she was petting him. He shivered in revoltion and closed his eyes, trying to block out the touch of her nails lightly raking over his head. "Coming to get your little adopted son, Melody? Or am I keeping him as my new Undertow?"

Fury filled Melody and she felt the ability of flight race back in her. She darted down and snatched a sword from one of the pirate's waistbands, ignoring the cry of irritation from said pirate. "Put him down, Morgana!"

Morgana threw Tootles at the Lost Boys, bowling them over. They cried out as pirates began attacking them again, and they found themselves thrown into battle once more. Peter tore his gaze away from them to see Melody had somehow gotten up on the railing and was pointing the sword at Morgana with narrowed eyes.

She pushed it forward. "Stay back!"

Morgana howled with laughter. "Haven't we been here before?"

Melody's eyes widened at the memory. Then she glared, with a smirk. "Do you still have the holes in your tentacles to prove it?"

"Insolent brat!" She reached forward only to have her hand sliced at by Melody. "You think you've got the will to kill me, little girl? Just try to!"

"Don't think I won't!" Melody darted forward, sword at the ready.

Then Peter was forced to look away as he saw the flash of a hook near his neck and ducked out of the way just in time. Captain Hook regained his balance with a fierce and mocking expression, his mouth twisted into a sneer. "And now it's just you and me, Pan! You can't help your little girlfriend, and she can't help you!"

Peter turned his knife on the captain. "You've gone too far this time, Hook!"

Hook snorted, holding his sword at the ready. "Prove it, boy."

The sword fighting began.

Meanwhile, Melody had made a nasty gash in Morgana's arm. It stung, and the skin was torn, but there wasn't any blood somehow. Melody wondered how that was possible but she didn't have much time to ponder, as Morgana's tentacle shot out at her chest to grab hold of her. She jumped up, able to hover in the air for a few moments before bringing the flat of the sword down on Morgana's head. The sea witch cried out, losing her footing as she clutched where it hurt, and stumbled away.

"Peter!" Melody shouted. "Lost Boys, retreat!"

Peter was reluctant to do so. He never ran from a fight. But upon seeing Melody's face, he sucked up his pride after a hesitant pause and motioned for the Lost Boys to take off. The pirates were kicked aside and Melody threw the sword at Morgana's hair before darting off into the sky with some assistance from Peter. He had carried her (with a reason besides he could) in flight in a while. Doing so disturbed both him and the Lost Boys, even though it was just a precaution. Tinkerbelle was beside them all as they flew off, making sure everyone was present and accounted for.

They didn't land until they were in Hangman's Tree, and waited in silence for ten minutes. Finally, Peter deemed it safe to speak. The Lost Boy's didn't hesitate to burst into tears, clinging to Melody. She ushered them into their beds and motioned Peter forward.

"How dark is it outside?" She asked.

Peter thought it a strange question. "I don't know. Why?"

Her brow furrowed before she simply shook her head. Peter was having a hard time following her train of thought and very much doubted, for once, that it was just a girl thing. He watched her comfort and coax the boys to sleep, with Tinkerbelle's help. Peter noticed that Tink was also shooting Melody a few concerned and strange looks, like she also didn't know what was running through Melody's head. Finally, Tinkerbelle seemed to have enough of coaxing and began gently sprinkling pixie dust over there heads. Just enough to knock them out.

Melody sighed in relief and sat down on her bed, lowering her head to her lap and clutching her arms. Peter was alarmed. Her posture just seemed so abnormal. To make it worse, she began shaking. Tinkerbelle's eyes widened and she flew over, touching Melody's arm and trying to get her to stop. Melody just shook her head and kept crying. The fairy looked up at Peter helplessly.

Snapping out of his shock, Peter flew over and landed in front of Melody, kneeling. "Mel?"

She just kept crying.

Deciding that he wasn't going to get anywhere with words, Peter went back to his feet and dug under the pillow. Melody didn't even register what he was doing, she just kept holding herself and crying. Tinkerbelle's small hands wiped at the tears, but it didn't do much.

Then a sweet, melodic and familiar tune filled the room. The Lost Boys stirred gently in their sleep, making small, happy noises. Melody's body stopped shaking and she sniffled, looking up in curiosity with tear-stained eyes at Peter.

He was casually sitting on the bed, his flute in his hand as he played, looking at her expectantly. The song was that in her locket. It was a song the Lost Boys loved. They'd begged Melody over and over again to sing or even hum it along with the tune of her locket. Peter had apparently even learned it to play, which was news to her.

Eventually he put it down, giving her a curious gaze. "Better?"

She laughed, sniffling and wiping the remaining tears from her eyes. "Yeah, thanks. I don't really know what happened."

"Anytime, although, I hope you don't do that again," Peter admitted, patting the spot next to him. Melody smiled and moved over to sit next to him on the bed. She leaned against his chest and he casually slung his arm around her. "Are you . . . okay?"

Melody nodded. "Yeah, now. I just . . . didn't expect to see Morgana again. Ever. Let alone with her trying to hurt you, me, or the Lost Boys. I don't know what she wants, Peter. Or how she even survived! She was frozen in ice."

"As opposed to being frozen in what?" Peter teased back, kissing her forehead. "Relax, Mel. There's never a bad guy in Neverland Peter Pan, the Lost Boys, and our new mother haven't been able to beat."

"That's because the only bad guys in Neverland are the pirates," Melody retorted. "And they're idiots. Even if Hook has his moments."

"Rare moments," He reminded her. "And even then, we're obviously both still alive."

"I just know her Peter," Melody murmured, snuggling into his chest and willing away the memories of her past. The closer she got to Peter the more her problems drifted away and she smiled in content. "But let's think about it later, okay?"

"Whatever you say," Peter replied lazily, tipping his hat down over his eyes and folding his free arm behind his head. Tinkerbelle smiled at the sight before floating back to her leaf, pushing it aside, and reentering to have her own sleep.

Soon everyone in the hideout was fast asleep.

I know Loretta, Mason, and Jane weren't in this chapter but it's okay! The next chapter will probably have all of dem peoples in it but I can't say for sure, as my stories often take minds of their own. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.

I was looking up Evanescence Mashups all while writing it. XD