Chapter Ten – Strange Alliances

"The End," Wendy said, a smile gracing her face as she tucked her brothers into bed. Jon snored and tossed onto his side, mumbling in his sleep. Mikey's eyes fluttered close at last as she pecked his forehead. Nana gave a contented yawn, curling by the foot of Mikey's bed before closing her eyes and snoring.

"Nice one, Wendy," Violet giggled, turning out the lights before joining Wendy and Peter in Wendy's room. "They're so cute."

Peter grinned, floating comfortably in the air, cross-legged. "Thanks for the story and dinner, Wendy." He consciously patted his coat pocket, reassuring himself that Tinker Bell was fast asleep in her little compartment.

"You're welcome, but technically, you did help with dinner," she smiled. Sitting on her bed, she cocked her head at him. "Peter…isn't it dangerous for you to be on the island?"

"Ha!" Peter laugh, shaking his head. "It's much more dangerous for me to be away from the island than on it."

Violet raised a brow at this, glancing over at Wendy. "And…you're ok with that?"

"'Course! That's what makes it an adventure!" he replied, looking over his shoulder towards the window. "Huh, I guess I ought to be going…I've gotta take care of stuff back on Never-Neverland." Floating away, he was startled when Wendy grabbed his injured hand.

"Oh!" she said, releasing him just as quickly as she had grabbed him. "I'm sorry! Did I hurt you?"

"What, this?" he chuckled. "It's just a scratch."

"But you caught a blade with that hand!" Wendy protested, shuddering at the memory of the gleaming sword headed for her, only to be caught in Peter's flesh. He shrugged it off, however, and gave her a wink. "Peter," she started again. "There's still so much I don't understand…and I'm not stupid – I know you're hiding something. There are secrets that you won't say in front of the boys…"

"Yes," he nodded, landing before her. "There are many things, Wendy. There's so much I want to tell you…but not now." He shook his head. "You have to trust me. You'll learn soon."

Violet looked away for a moment, biting her lip as so not to make her smile obvious. It was hilarious how these two could have a moment at the most unconventional of times.

"Peter," Wendy started, grasping his hand again. "…promise me you'll be careful…and the boys, too."

His lips stretched, his pearls showing, his eyes shining with a childlike glee to them. "We will be." Taking her hand, he placed his lips upon her knuckles, stunning her. With a bow and a wink, he flew to the window, opened it, and shot off into the night. Running after him, Wendy paused at the window, squinting to see his shape against the sky, but found nothing.

"Man, that guy is nothing but trouble," Violet laughed, coming to Wendy's side. Smiling, she patted her friend's shoulder comfortingly. "Don't worry. We'll see them again. I'm sure of it. And they'll be fine – you'll see!"

Nodding absentmindedly, Wendy's eyes continued to search for the boy hopelessly. "I do hope so…"

~NEVER-NEVERLAND~

The wind curled around his body, struggling to stick to him like his shadow, but rolled off at once, allowing another gust to try and cling to his lithe frame. Peter felt his heart race as fast as his body as he zoomed back to his temporary home, the grin on his face seemingly permanent. For the first time in years since she had left…he was beginning to feel complete.

Passing over the neon green letters, he headed a little further down past the amusements and Broken Road…he had a pirate he needed to speak with. Deep into Broken Road, just before the forests overtook the rest of the perimeter in that area, the pirates had claimed a nook of their own, refusing to be tied only to the docks, locked outside of the island. The Harbor was what they called their place, filled with booze, broken ship parts, and animals. Sometimes it was difficult to tell the animals from the pirates, which made it all the more amusing to the Lost Boys. Swooping down over the makeshift tents, shanties, and huts the pirates had so desperately tried to build, he landed soundlessly upon the roof of the only decent building in that area. Crouching, he remained in the shadows and dim torchlight, waiting for a pair of drunkards to pass. Sneakily, he crawled over the little house's walls, peeking into the window upside-down.

Two pirates were inside, one sitting behind a grand desk; the other stood fidgeting on the other side. "What was all that racket about earlier, Smee?" the sitting pirate asked, twirling his moustache in his good hand, his hook tapping the desk nonchalantly.

"I…I've heard from some of the men, Cap'n, that it was…Shade." Smee had whispered the final word so softly that Peter could just scarcely make it out. Even if he hadn't heard it, he would've known from Hook's reaction.

The hook rose and slammed into the wood of the desk, the dangerous tip buried deep within the withered oak. The man's eyes turned blood red as he stood, his frame shaking. "Shade?!" he hissed, spitting the name out as though it were the foulest word in the dictionary. "That accursed monster's back at last, is he? I do hope Pan gave him a scar or two for me."

"Don't worry – I did."

Smee yelped at the sound of the boy's voice, hopping into the air in fear, his arms raised to protect himself. Hook, however, immediately cooled down, his eyes becoming the usual forget-me-not hue as he turned his head to face the open window where the Eternal Youth floated, now inside the establishment. Peter smiled coyly, his arms crossed over his chest, his head tilted just so.

"Pan. How pleasant of you to drop by," Hook purred, waving his hand towards himself, urging him to come closer. "Come, come. Smee, you idjit, bring him a chair."

"Thanks, but if it's all the same, I'll float," Peter grinned at the bosun, flying closer to Hook's desk before sitting criss-cross mid-air. "Looks like you've already gotten the news about our old friend." His eyes went to the hook, still lodged into the wood. "You took the news well, all things considered."

With a violent twist of his arm, the curved iron appendage popped out of the desk, but not without scratching the surface, splinters flying into the air. "All things considered," the pirate growled, inspecting his hook. Biting the inside of his cheek, he puckered a frowned on his lips before grumbling, "I owe you an apology about earlier tonight…I explicitly told my men they weren't to kill anyone of you…"

"Well, as you can see, I'm still breathing," Peter laughed, catching Hook mutter under his breath, "Unfortunately." "Come, come, Captain. I'm not here to fight – I'm here to warn and prepare you." Standing upright and landing on the ground, his emerald eyes became dark, serious. "Now that Shade's found us, he'll probably be around more often, trying to find ways to catch one of us off the island or sneak onto the island. Make sure your pirates are aware and ready to fight. Who knows? Shade might attempt coming here in human form…"

"Aye," Hook nodded, his eyes narrowing at the thought of the enemy. "I'll plunge my hook in him if he gets near the place…" His words drifted off as his eyes wandered to Peter's hand, wrapped in blood-stained gauze. "…how bad is that?"

"Huh?" Peter asked, raising an eyebrow at the man.

"Your hand, boy," he snapped. "You nearly lost it this evening."

"Oh, this?" Peter snorted, raising his hand and wiggling his fingers. "It's still in one piece if that's what you're so worried about. Sorry to disappoint, but I won't be losing either hand to you or your men ever."

"Hmph," the pirate sniffed, looking away arrogantly. His mind was suddenly filled with the vision of frightened blue eyes, a familiar face taking over. "…and the girl?"

"Wendy? She's fine. Got her home," Peter shrugged, keeping a wary eye on the man. "Try anything like that again and I'll cut off the other hand."

Spinning around, venom in his voice, he hissed, "Don't threaten me, boy. I meant her no harm and I will not take orders from you."

"Don't tell me what to do, old man," Peter snarled, elevating several inches off the ground, his fists curled in anger. "I'll do whatever it takes to protect Wendy and the others."

Hook raised a brow at this, huffing. "Even those brats she brought along?"

"Of course, they're her brothers!" Peter gnashed his teeth.

"I meant the bimbo female and those rascals that hung about her," Hook rolled his eyes.

"Oh. Them." Peter immediately leaned back into the air, forgetting the argument. "Violet, the dark girl, she's all right. I hope the other three keep out from now on, though. Can't stand them."

"There's one thing we can agree on," Hook nodded, grimacing at the memory of the blond girl spouting "like" for minutes on end.

"Aside from that fact that we both want Shade gone forever," Peter added, blowing at a strand of hair between his eyes.

Hook chuckled at this. "Indeed."

Smee remained silent in his corner, watching the two interact with interest and wonder. Ever since Peter had gained the few years from being trapped in this "real" world, his behavior was constantly changing. There were times when he acted like the angry teenager his body showed him to be, and there were times when he acted wiser beyond his bodily form, like a father to the boys…and then, most of the time, he acted like his childlike self – a little boy who just wanted to have fun and refused to grow up or listen to grown-ups. There were times, like now, when Hook and Peter would meet to discuss the matter of Shade and were quite cordial (for the most part, anyways.) He marveled at the boy, and even though the captain never said anything, he knew that Hook also respected Peter. Shade was the being everyone hated and was the sole reason for their migration to this strange world, the reason for their awkward alliance.

"I'll be off then," Peter said at last, rising to the window. "'Til next time, Cap'n! Bosun!" With a salute and cocky grin, he dashed out through the window. Hook sauntered to the opening, scanning the sky, though he knew Peter was long gone.

"Relay his orders to the men, Smee," Hook ordered his minion. "And they best listen…it's their own hides on the line."