~present~

In the weeks that followed Wendy kept to herself and at first she had been relieved. Peter was leaving her in peace, she did not feel him dogging her steps or anyone else's for that matter. And that started to prove a problem. She did not want to admit that he was right but as the weeks lengthened and no one – not even Tink – spoke to her she started to become dreadfully lonely. She had tried to see the solitude as something productive: she had found a journal, an unlikely gift from Peter and wrote everything she could remember about her life in it. She wrote about her mother and father, how he had been the lucky suitor that won her mother's hand. She transcribed her earliest memory – picking a flower – to her least favourite lesson – mathematics - at Miss Fulsome's kindergarten school. At first her handwriting had been neat and readable but as the days passed she tried in vain to remember things that should be easy – the colour of mother's eyes – her handwriting became reduced to desperate scribbles.

She was forgetting. Sometimes in the jungle she could hear scraps of Peter's music and under a strange influence she would walk towards it as if in a dream before snapping out of the enchantment. This happened more then she would like to admit and she knew that if she stayed any longer there would come a time where she would drift straight into his camp and dance around the fire like the other lost children.

Lonely and scared of losing her grip on what was real Wendy picked the day of her escape and thought of nothing else.

The clouds above were low, dark and heavy and stretched to the horizon where a line of pale light shone. An unnatural greenish light illuminated everything, giving the already otherworldly place an added degree of strangeness. It would be a terrible storm, the likes of which she had never experienced and it made her want to escape even more. Walking to the shore she stared at the smooth placid water, not a lick of air ruffled the surface and the humidity was unbearable, making her hair curl and bead with sweat. If this was to be her last view of the Neverland sea then it was fitting. She had wanted to say goodbye to Tinkerbell but the fairy was not at home. Wendy hoped that she was safe and that Peter had not punished her.

As a low, distant rumble sounded Wendy adjusted the leather satchel she had found over her shoulder carefully. It contained something precious and if she got caught in the rain than her efforts would be for nothing. Hook had told her to be smart and so she would be, to the best of her ability. She knew that Peter was aware of everything on the island, that he was connected to it. He knew when someone sneezed or said a bad word against him, nothing escaped his notice. He would know when someone was plotting against him and so she could not pretend that her movements were going unnoticed. In fact she counted on it. She would use his power against him, as reckless as that was.

As Wendy moved towards the shoreline she saw something dark break the surface of the water, sending ripples out from the figure who was waving to her. Frowning she walked over the rocks to the edge of the lagoon as the mermaid swam up. For someone, who she believed had once tried to eat her, the mermaid was proving to be one of her only allies.

"Is there a haven you can go to?" Wendy asked and the mermaid looked up.

"What are winds and rain to us in the deep?" she said simply and Wendy nodded. The life of mermaids was strange and mysterious and she knew not a tenth of what went on. But she did know some and while mermaids saw humans as something to mock and play with they hated Peter. Mermaids can swim between realms but the ones native to Neverland were trapped. He used them like a king would use spikes in a moat around his castle.

"I'm trying to get home, to stop him if I can," she said quietly and the mermaid sunk a little lower in the water. She put a hand over her mouth but Wendy shrugged.

"It does not matter if he knows, I do not care. I just wish I could help you, help everyone trapped."

"Then take this, it will help," she lifted a shell out of the water, hand cupped over the opening and handed it carefully to Wendy. The white shell was filled with a dark liquid and it sloshed over her fingers, staining them.

"Ink...?"

"It will stop him from moving, freeze his magic blood but it won't free us from his net. The only way that can happen is if he and his shadow are brought together like drops of water. That is what the elders say."

Wendy stared at her thoughtfully. She had never seen Peter and his shadow together and the latter had only ever visited her at night. It's aversion to light was something obvious in hindsight. She shifted her bag again.

"I'll try, I promise."

"Good luck Wendy. You hold the fate of many in your hands."

"I know. Goodbye Tiger Lily and thank you!" She stood as the mermaid swam away and then hurried back into the jungle as the wind began to pick up and lightening flickered.

The Dark Hollow was situated at the very heart of the island and the heart of Neverland was dark and twisted. Coming to the edge of the hollow Wendy stopped, eyes darting to every shadow but Peter was nowhere to be seen. He would have to come for her, if he knew what she intended.

Unless he's so sure that I'm going to fail that he doesn't even see the worth of coming? The thought circled her mind, sapping her resolve. She gripped the bag strap in her hands before pulling it over her head and carefully setting the bag at her feet. On a knee she lifted the shell out, careful not to spill any when someone chuckled behind her.

"You're playing such a funny little game," Peter said happily and she spun around on her knees. He was grinning, rocking on his heels. "I wanted to see how far you would get and I have to say I'm impressed. I never would have thought sweet innocent Wendy would dare venture into this part of the island."

"Well, as you love games so much can you guess what I'm going to do next?" she asked, rising to her feet with the shell clutched in her hands. He smirked and lifted a hand and with a snap of his fingers the shell disappeared. Wendy gasped.

"That mermaid is a nuisance," he said severely but his eyes gleamed giddily. At Wendy's now uncertain expression he pouted. "Don't be glum, it was a brave attempt but I think you should give up now and save some face."

Wendy looked down and stared at her inky fingers. "I just want to go home," she said in a small voice. Her shoulders slumped and Peter came forward and put a hand on her arm.

"I know...but you won't find your way home in there, only a fate worse than death," he said seriously.

Her head shot up. "As if you care. You're a liar, I think everything you've ever told me is a lie. You said that magic is dying but where? Neverland is no different compared to the last time I was here," she said hotly but then realised that wasn't quite true. It was darker and gloomier, the sky reflecting the true nature of the island but Wendy brushed the thought aside. "People get hurt but this all seems a game to you," she gritted out and he frowned, suddenly annoyed.

"A game?! Do you think this is a game?" he snarled and than did something that Wendy could not comprehend at first. He reached into his shirt and pulled out something. Her first thought was that he had pulled a lump of coal out of a vest pocket but then she heard it beating. He had pulled out his own heart.

"Oh my god..." she breathed, shaking and reached towards it but than drew her hand back. The heart was diseased looking and filled not with blood but a swirling blackness. It was horrible yet oddly pitiful.

"I'm dying," he whispered and she looked up at him in horror. "That's why I need magic. This place is not enough any more."

"Why – why?"

"Because people don't believe. In all the worlds belief in magic is dying and unfortunately that directly affects me," he explained and returned his dying heart back. "There, I've literally bared my heart to you and it's not a pretty sight is it? I might not feel like others can but I could have just let you walk in there and never come back. Still think I don't care?"

Wendy gazed at him, not knowing what to believe. Was it true? Was he dying or was it a trick to get her to feel sorry for him? How could someone with such a black heart care for anything?

She shook her head. "No, I don't believe you, it's a trick. If you did care you'd let me go home. Why won't you let me Peter?!" she cried, exasperated.

"Because you're mine!" he shouted and immediately looked like he wished he hadn't. Wendy blinked, lost for words. They stared at each other in a tense, prickly silence until Wendy looked down, unable to stare at his tormented eyes any longer.

Peter suddenly grinned, as if he had not just told her his greatest secret, and pointed down. "I know what's in that bag."

Wendy shrugged, still looking down. "Its just a teacup."

"A teacup with a candle in it. Do you take me for a fool?" He reached down to the bag when Wendy sprung into action. She bent down with him and quickly placed her hands on his face, which made him look up sharply. In that split second where he was taken by surprise Wendy pressed her lips against his and his eyes widened in shock. In the year that she had been at school, in her dreams and daydreams, she had imagined doing this again but for very different reasons. As he sprung back up to his feet she held on, forcing her mouth against his and he stiffened against her.

She pulled back, hands still cupping his face and stared into his eyes. Those eyes that she had so often seen filled with glee or cruelty were now stuck wide with surprise and it was almost satisfying enough to make her crow. She stepped back from his frozen body, plucked the pan pipes off his belt and with an innocent smile she stuck out her tongue. It was black with ink.

"It tastes disgusting but it was worth it to see this. Now, if you'll excuse me," she said tartly and opened up her bag, withdrew the cup and saucer from inside and replaced them with the pipes. Then she slung the bag back over her shoulder. Very carefully she lifted the saucer and glanced at the candle inside the cup. The flame fluttered and she quickly lowered the cover and turned to the entrance of the Hollow. She was lit up with success but the sight of the twisted, blasted trees made her stomach tighten in fear. It was a forbidden place, a place that everyone said was haunted by the damned and she had to go in on the hope that her way home grew inside. She looked at Peter. He could not move or speak but his eyes said enough: he was furious.

"I know you're angry but if what you said is true then I hope this will help you too, if it works," she inhaled and placing the teacup in it's saucer she walked into the Dark Hollow.

Around the Hollow the air was still but inside an unexplainable wind blew against her, threatening to blow out her candle. She kept her eyes fixed on the tiny flame and believed with all her might that it would carry on burning. And despite the vicious wind it did. A strange red light lit her way through the gloom while above her dark figures swooped but when she looked they were gone.

"Just shadows..." she said and a strange giggle burst from her lips. Don't go mad. When I get home I'll be as mad as a hatter but not until then!

Heart pounding she hurried through the trees while darkness increased at her back and she forced herself to look ahead. She felt certain that if she did look back she would be consumed. She came to a slope which lead to a deep hollow and it it's centre was one small bean stalk. Around it beans glittered, more then she had hoped to see.

"Yes!"

She made her way down, teacup shaking in her hands when something suddenly grabbed her and she was flung back. With a scream she hit the floor and her teacup flew out her hands but all thought of it disappeared when she looked up. A teeming cloud of shadows were above her, their eyes gleaming red and she knew that she had failed. As a shadow detached itself and shot down she squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the end but nothing happened. Opening her eyes a crack she saw that a shadow was inches from her and her heart lurched. But it was not attacking her, it was protecting her.

"Run," Peter's shadow said and then again louder when she did not move. Wendy got onto her knees, shaking with fear but froze, looking at the floor. There was a bean an arms length away. Wendy flung herself forward, scrabbling for it while the shadows above wavered angrily like tree tops in a storm. She grabbed it, along with the upside down teacup, before she was suddenly lifted into the air and carried away. The shadow was flying her away at top speed, dodging trees and old ruins and Wendy looked down. The teacup was pressed against her chest and with the most fervent and intense wish she turned it up. The flame was almost out but the sight of it produced a surge of relief so great that it seemed to feed it. Now burning bright the shadow struggled away from the light but Wendy held on and to her amazement Peter's shadow was sucked into the flame.

Wendy plummeted to the ground, cutting her knees and skinning her palms, but she was up and running without a concern for the pain. She burst out of the hollow and into a terrible storm. Rain was pouring down, drenching her in seconds and the wind physically tried to push her back. But with relief she saw that Peter was still there. Before he had glared at her with rage but now she had never seen him look so scared.

"I've done it!" she cried but then froze.

In the distance she could hear a great commotion and it was coming closer. The war cry of the Lost Boys echoed through the trees, when it was not drowned out by thunder that now boomed over head. Wendy, covering the the shaking teacup with her hand, came forward and stopped before Peter. He begged her with his eyes, unable to move as Wendy quickly removed her hand and pushed the teacup against his chest, forcing his shadow back.

Peter's eyes almost bugged out of his head as the part of him that he had been separated from for so long finally reattached itself to it's owner. Wendy dropped the cup as Peter's eyes drifted closed and she placed her hand over his chest, scared that the ordeal had killed him but his heart beat against her palm. The Lost Boys were very close now, screaming murder and she shivered because she knew that they were no longer the boys she had come to know but something else. With no time to lose she threw the bean to the ground where a portal appeared under their feet and she and Peter fell through it.

The Lost Boys came to a skidding stop at the edge of the Hollow, shaking their spears and yelling but they were too late. Their leader was gone.

Jumping into the portal Wendy had only thought of home and nothing else. There was no Peter, there was no Neverland or bloodthirsty boys but London and tea, cobbles and fog, the king and Kensington Gardens. If she had thought of her family she probably would have appeared in Bloomsbury Square but the royal gardens was the thought that brought her home and so she unfortunately appeared directly in the centre of the Serpentine.

The shock of suddenly being under water almost made her gasp in the murky water, instead it had the opposite effect and great bubbles of air escaped her. Icy cold light was above and she swam towards it, kicking hard as her lungs burned before she reached the surface. Wings beat around her freezing face and geese honked and it was the most beautiful sound Wendy had ever heard.

"I say, is that a woman in there?"

"Goodness!"

"It's a bit cold to go swimming, isn't it mummy?"

Wendy turned and saw that a group of bystanders were looking at her with the utmost shock. She swam towards them, beaming like a mad woman as the men came forward, hands outstretched before someone gasped and pointed.

"A body!"

Wendy turned and saw with horror that Peter was floating face down in the water.

a.n:

Dundunduh!