ok so this is the part where Peter finds out his whole name! oh joy. and where someone loses a hand...
PLZ R&R!
Peter and George set up the bait for the croc and wait quietly in the bushes. They hear him coming and run through the forest to the shore.
"Hey James!"
Peter calls out to his old friend and waves excitedly to distract him from the big green creature now slithering toward the ship. George sets up a trap for the croc that way it won't go back to the creek and then runs to hide near the waters edge. Peter manages to get James' attention and to direct the pirates' fire on himself. He flies up and dodges the cannons. He heads toward the ship, keeping an eye out for the croc. He spots it about 20 feet from the ship and switches direction to avoid the pirates noticing. James glares at him from the main deck, his now long mustache curled in a sneer.
"You will die Peter, this time you will..." Peter lands in front of him and James produces a sword from inside his coat. Peter pulls out his dagger, already scratched up from previous battles.
"I don't need to fight you James; you can just go home..." James shakes his head and clashes his sword with peter's dagger.
"Not a chance Shorty. This island will be mine. And just so you know, I'm captain to you..."
He shoves with his sword, pushing Peter into a rail. Peter grunts and quickly blocks a sweep downward from James' sword. They match each other in skill and neither one manages to overcome the other after 15 minutes. They both sigh and James growls quietly.
"You are a worthy opponent Peter. Truce?" He holds out his right hand invitingly and Peter smiles.
"That's all I ever wanted James..."
Peter moves to shake his hand when he feels a sharp pain in his right arm. He looks down and finds a long slash down it. He gasps and is kicked into a pole. He shakes his head and tries to think clearly. He looks up and sees James about to make the death blow on him. James raises his sword above his head with his left hand and sweeps downward. Peter makes one last action to survive and his hand goes instinctively to his dagger in his right hand. He grabs it and slashes upward. He feels his knife cut through something soft, then hit something hard and break through it. He hears James scream and fall back. Peter blinks and manages to stand. He looks down at James and finds his severed hand lying next to him. Peter holds back a gag and frowns.
"I'm sorry James. You asked for it..." he kicks the hand and it flies into the water. He sees a flash of green as the crocodile swallows it up. He looks at his traitor friend and sighs.
"Goodbye James." he flies back to shore where he finds George and explains to him the situation. George sighs and congratulates Peter.
"I'm sure he won't be any trouble now..." Peter frowns, knowing James won't give up that easily.
James inspects a map of Neverland. He frowns and scratches his long mustache.
"Smee!" a rotund man with already whitening hair clumsily waddles up to James.
"Yes captain?" James smiles evilly, he likes being called captain.
"We have to find out where Peter is hiding. He has survived to long. And he will pay for cutting off my hand... Eventually he will pay..." Smee nods and looks uncertainly at his baptism.
"What do you suppose we do captain?" James smiles and turns to Smee.
"Go look for him of course! Smee, grab some men and go search the island... UNDERSTAND!" Smee falls back as the captain screams in his face. He gets up and salutes the captain quickly, before going back down to the main deck to alert the crew.
"Oh be nice captain! Smee didn't do anything to hurt you did he?" James growls and rubs his head as the annoyingly familiar voice greets him from above. Peter chuckles and lands in front of James, bowing mockingly and then smiling a defiant smile.
"Good morning captain, miss me yet?" James sighs and looks at the young red headed boy in front of him.
"Of course Peter, I miss you every day...every day my cannons miss you... Will you relieve me and get hit today. Then I will never have to miss you again..." Peter smiles more and shrugs.
"But that would be no fun captain. Then I would miss you too much..." James moves his hand under his coat, reaching for a gun. "Its sad captain, you keeping getting older, why?" the captain shrugs and tries to keep Peter distracted.
"Maybe if I keep growing up, my hand will grow back..." Peter frowns and then shakes his head, forcing himself to be happy again.
"That was two years ago captain, can't you let it go?" James nods slowly and smiles as his hand finds his weapon.
"Of course I can... Foolish boy"
He whips out the gun and fires directly at peter's heart. Peter gasps and back flips out of the way, landing in the water below the ship. James growls and then smiles as he realizes the croc is waiting down there. He looks over the side and finds nothing but Peter's hat, floating above empty water. He laughs; sure he's seen the end of that wretched boy.
Peter sputters and coughs on a rock. He looks around and is confused.
"W-where am I?" he coughs again and vomits up some water. He hears voices and looks around again. He frowns when he realizes they are from below him.
"Great work Mariah, you saved him!"
"Oh don't be silly Karina; you were the one who spotted him..."
"But you caught him and out swam the crocodile."
"I suppose... But let's just make sure he is alive before we celebrate."
Peter coughs more and blinks. When he looks up again, two girl faces look down at him. He recognizes them and smiles.
"Mariah, Karina! You saved me!" the mermaids giggle and blush visibly.
"We didn't want you to go, then we would have no one to make us gifts..." he chuckles and sputters again before sitting upright. He pats his soaking wet hair and frowns.
"Where is my hat?" Mariah sighs and looks out into the main water.
"I didn't see it... I will go check..."
She splashes into the water and Peter smiles. They loved him so much, and rightly so, he was worthy of their adoration. The mermaid returns quickly with his hat and he carefully rings it out.
"Well I better be off, I have to get back to George before he does something dumb. Seeya girls!"
He flies up and back to his hiding spot under hangman's tree. George paces restlessly in the main room of the hiding place. Peter walks in and George quickly confronts him.
"Peter, I have to go home." Peter's smiles fade and he looks at George confused.
"Why George, so you will grow up and forget about me?" George sighs and paces once more before answering.
"Peter, I have to grow up sometime, everyone does, that's what makes us-" Peter frowns and interrupts him.
"I don't! I will never grow up, and no one can make me! I'm in charge of me and I say I will never grow up!" George sighs again and looks sternly at Peter.
"Maybe someday you will... But regardless I wish to return to my home... I've been here too long..." Peter hangs his head and quietly calls Tink over.
"Tink... Make him fly please; we need to get him home..."
Tink nods and slowly sprinkles pixie dust onto George. Some of it falls onto Peter's shadow but he doesn't notice. George lifts slowly into the air and smiles.
"Come on Peter, cheer up... Maybe I will see you again..." Peter floats up with him but stares down at his feet.
"No George. Once you grow up, you can't come back here... Not ever again... Understand?"
George sighs and nods grimly before flying out a hole and into the Neverland sky. Peter follows slowly and then catches up with George. They reach George's window back in London within the same hour as when they left two years ago. George steps through his window and looks at his clock amazed.
"Why it is almost the same time as when we left! That's incredible!" Peter just nods and turns to leave.
"Wait, Peter..." He stops and turns back around, looking at George. George sighs and looks at him closely. "Why did you find me? Why here?"
Peter sighs and looks around outside.
"Because, this is close to where I used to live and your window was open..." George looks at him more curiously and walks up to the window.
"Where did you used to live?" Peter points to the abandoned house on the corner and George's eyes go slightly wider.
"The Pan's? That family left almost 15 years ago. I heard that they had a son and a daughter but both were kidnapped. They then had another kid but the parents died of the plague... Who knows where the boy is now. That's a cursed family I tell you... I suppose you are the first born then... One of them who were kidnapped..." Peter sighs and absorbs the information just given.
"So I really am an orphan..." George sighs and pats Peter on the shoulder.
"I'm sorry peter... But now you know at least. That must mean your full name is Peter Pan... Not a bad name..." George nods and walks back to his bed, quickly falling asleep. Peter stays on his window sill for another minute, trying to figure out in his mind exactly what he just learned. In the end he only remembers one thing: He is Peter Pan...