"Please," Pan pleaded and the fairy wavered under the wretched look he was directing at her. John and Michael stared at the small woman, at the wings fluttering in agitation, and shared a look. They had left Wendy in the care of the spinsters, along with the tall boy they had knocked unconscious and followed Peter to Kensington on horseback. During this time fairies still lived in London but most were going onto other lands. The magic was fading and only glimmers of it remained but soon that too would be gone.

"Peter…" the fairy sighed sadly, cocking her head and Pan took her hand. The trees around them wavered, concealing an entrance to the fairy court beyond. The brothers stood some distance away, keeping watch.

"You've always been there for me, watched over me my whole life; even when it got you in trouble and I'm sorry for that," he said and Michael felt a horrible jittery feeling in his stomach because Pan meant it. Whoever he was he was not the cruel, loveless being he knew. However they were all there to commit murder and the boy was steadfast and showed no mercy, so maybe this Pan was not so different.

"If she finds out…" the fairy shook her head, mouth thinning. Pan leaned forward and pinned her eyes with his own. The fairy was older, by appearance, but Pan's eyes belonged to someone far more experienced. Whoever this fairy was she was innocent.

"She's won't, I promise you. Please, all I ask for is some pixie dust and I will shadow your step no longer. Someone will die if you don't help me Tink."

"It's Green," she muttered distractedly, her gaze becoming resolute. "You want to save someone? Who?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you…and I prefer Tink, you're not your rank," his mouth twitched and his eyes gleamed with affection and Tink's mouth parted in wonder. "Just believe me when I say I would do anything to save her."

"You love this person, don't you?" she asked with a small, pleased smile, like a proud older sister but Pan ignored the question and gripped her arm.

"Please, there isn't time," he stressed as fairies passed behind Tink and her awed expression quickly shifted into something shrewd. She motioned for him to follow and Pan entered through the grove, beckoning for Michael and John to follow. They passed under an arch of stone and entered into a different world. Outside it was dark and chilly but here splashes of watery light coloured the walls and through arched windows stars sparkled. Wherever they were it was high up and as the brothers watched fairies flew in through windows, all dressed in different colours and carrying wands.

"Wait here," Tink said and stepped lightly out of a window and spread her wings. She was gone in seconds. Pan pulled a hood over his head and stared out of the window into the night like a hawk. John shifted, watching the fairies that pass with a hungry expression. Finally he turned and whispered in a tense voice.

"What are we waiting for? We could take any heart here."

"No, I won't hurt anyone here but one," Pan said, not looking at them. Michael scrutinised him and felt a strange swelling feeling that consisted of loathing and curiosity. John carried a gun and it would be so easy to just draw it out and shoot the boy then and there. He knew his brother must be itching to do it. Everything that had happened would be undone, the awful thread of their lives burned to nothing, but he knew that such an act would have disastrous consequences. Every life that Pan has touched would be changed beyond all reason and some futures may never happen.

He will curse himself for Wendy, he may even die as a result…but what if all this has happened before? What if we are setting his life on a path we're trying to avoid? Is that worth Wendy's life?

Michael was shaken from his thoughts as the fairy alighted on the windowsill and as she stepped down a sack of pixie dust was passed from her to Peter. She gave him one small nod and walked away but as she reached the archway that lead to London she froze. Michael stiffened as all around the fairies walking past or flying grew perfectly still. Not one moved or breathed.

"This is very foolish Peter," a soft, honeyed voice said all around them, as if coming from the very walls. Peter was on alert immediately and he threw his hood back and revealed a terrible grin. He looked like he wanted to rip someone to pieces with his teeth.

"Show yourself! Or are you craven?" he barked and Michael could see he was shaking. Whether from fear or excitement he could not say. A tittering laugh echoed around them, like the sound of sweet bells ringing and suddenly a small woman was standing before them. She was dressed as if for court, in fine silks and lace and her dark hair was curled and pined with pearls and diamonds. She was beautiful and dressed entirely in blue. Her dragonfly wings fluttered with her soft laughter and her expression was nothing but kindness. Michael detested her immediately and John tensed next to him.

"Why would I fear anything in my own court? Oh Peter what are you doing here? You know that you're banished," she said with the utmost pity but there was something artificial about her compassion and Michael was reminded of someone but he could not say who.

"Banished," Pan spat the word out contemptuously. "I never wanted to set foot here again but I've come to demand what's mine."

"I don't answer to demands little one," she said sweetly and Peter was practically shivering with loathing. He took a step forward but Michael gripped the edge of his red cloak. He doesn't know what made him do it, it was involuntary like seeing someone stepping towards a ledge you react without thinking. The woman before them was honeyed poison, she was deadly.

"Neverland is mine!"

"Once it was but you left! You chose to leave and forsake the fate of many and your own destiny! I told you what would happen if you ever left," her voice was stern now, like a mother telling off a small child. "You threw away your life all for a childish need."

"Because I was a child! You tricked me into a lonely prison and expected me to be content!"

"That was the way you viewed it, the way you created it Peter. That fault is not with me. It pained me that you went back to that woman who gave birth to you rather than your true family," she countered and touched her fingers to her chest and smiled tenderly. "My little betwixt-between."

"Don't call me that!" he yelled, teeth bared. "You're a liar and you have everyone fooled but not me. I was just a tool to you, a thing to use because without me magic would fade away and you needed it. You need me to go back."

"To be used, as you put it, as a tool?" she smirked lightly.

"Never," he snarled, like an animal. "The land is mine, the magic is mine and so is the water. I know it's the power you want, I've always known it."

"But you've realised that power is yours?" she asked gently, that half smirk still on her face. She began circling him and Peter turned like she had a gravitational pull on him.

"Every last drop. I am the island and the island is me. I'm the Truest Believer and nothing you say or do will change that," he said confidently and narrowed his eyes at her.

"Well…" she said with a wince and stared at Peter with a look of sympathy, as if she was about to break a death to him. "You were the Truest Believer."

"What?" he asked, suddenly very still, his eyes wide. Blue smiled.

"You didn't think you were the only one, did you? That you in all the worlds were so special? So unique?" she started to laugh again, hand to her mouth like she had heard something embarrassing. She lowered her hand and cocked her head at Peter with a look of pity. "Oh you did."

"What are you talking about!?" he shouted and there was a definite note of panic in his voice now.

"There is another, though he is not born yet but I can wait. I'm sorry Peter but you're too old for Neverland now and the universe knows it. Another boy will be born and he will be your replacement."

At the word replacment something in Pan seemed to visibly snap, Michael could see it in the sudden blank look on his face, the awful haunted eyes and the way he started to shake in rage. He drew his lips back over his teeth in a snarl and lifted a hand.

"No one replaces me!" he growled and slammed her back against a wall with a pulse of energy that made the Darling brothers gasp. Michael could only expect that Blue never anticipated being attacked or that Peter still had magic. She underestimated him and it was then that Pan went in for the attack. He plunged his hand into her chest as she gasped and ripped her heart out before her eyes. The organ was shining brightly, sending pulsing red bursts of light, but it started to fade as he squeezed his fingers until the heart became glassy and dull. He bent down as she slowly slid down the wall, watching her die with a deep look of satisfaction and only turned away when the heart was silver ashes in his fist.

"No!"

A woman screamed and they all turned to see Wendy running through the arch with Felix at her heel. She stared at the silvery ashes in Peter's hand, the dead fairy at his feet and her face went deathly pale. Her brothers ran to her in concern.

"What are you doing here?"

"The sisters told me what you planned! Oh god Peter what have you done!?"

"I just saved your life," he said and poured the ashes into the sack containing the pixie dust. He shook the dust and came towards her with a smile. He was shaking with bloodlust and victory but his eyes were glowing with adoration.

"How did you get here?" John asked as Felix moved to Pan's side.

"Felix has portal beans and the sisters enchanted this," she said and draw out a necklace from under her dress. In the light a thimble swung and it was pulsing faintly with magic. "It's enchanted to find you," Wendy explained, looking at Peter and tears appeared in her eyes. "I got here too late."

"Too late? I beat her! I won!"

"But at what price?!" she shouted and gripped at his shirt desperately. "You don't know what you've done, you don't see what the repercussions are but I do."

"I don't care. I'm still alive aren't I? The curse doesn't affect me," he shrugged but Wendy was biting back tears. Peter frowned angrily. "What? I thought you'd be pleased."

"Pleased? Taking a fairy heart comes with a curse! You're cursed because of me Peter! All this time, all the hell I've been through and it all comes down to me! I should never have met you, I should never have come here," she said and tears ran down her guilt stricken face. Peter stared at her in bewilderment.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I don't feel cursed," he said and then grew silent as Wendy lifted a hand to his face, stroking a thumb along his cheek.

"Show me your heart," she whispered and after a moments confused hesitation he offered his heart to her. To Michael it was it was like the heart was spun from sunlight, made from fire and blood red throbbing light, but in the centre was a bloom of blackness, like mould, and as he watched the corruption spread slowly.

Pan stared at his heart, his mouth parted, as spots of darkness spoiled it. For a moment his face flashed with many emotions; he appeared crushed, disbelieving, scared, furious, resentful and finally resolved. He put his now ruined organ back and gripped Wendy's face roughly between his hands. He looked cold.

"I told your brothers I would do this and willingly accept the consequences. I still mean it."

"But you can't mean that. Peter you won't be able to love because of me, you'll - "

"I love you now. God help me I don't understand how or why but I always will," he stared at her fiercely as tears ran down her face. He was about to lower his lips to hers when he froze, his eyes suddenly darting around the hallway. The scene was just as it had been, Blue dead and the fairies frozen in time. His hands slipped from Wendy's face and he turned to stare down at Blue's body, eyes narrowed in calculation.

"What is it?" Wendy asked, concerned.

"If I took her heart, if I killed her, why is everyone still stuck in time?"

Michael stared at the frozen fairies around him and then at Blue and felt a shiver of uncertainty go through him. It turned into full blown fear when the dead fairy on the floor started to smile. Everyone gasped and pulled back as she opened her eyes and sat up slowly, everyone but Pan. The fairy ruler got to her feet, leaning on the wall for support but she was very much alive.

"I wondered how long it would take you to realise. You were always my favourite pupil, so bright," she said, pleased and Peter's shoulders hunched. His face was contorted into a strange smile, as if he was amused at her deception. It was a mad rictus.

"That wasn't your heart."

"No, it wasn't. When you live as long as I have you take certain measures to protect yourself. You're young but you'll learn in time…" she waved her wand and the fairies gathered began moving again, paying none of them any notice. It was like they were invisible. Even Tink left without a backwards glance.

"But it was a fairy heart?" Felix asked suddenly and Blue's eyes flicked to him and then away, as if he was not important.

"Yes, so she will be cured but at a price: his love," she stared at Peter with something close to sadness. "You will be cursed Peter, as she said, and the price is your heart. However because of your unique heritage it will not kill you as it would an ordinary person. Your heart will blacken over time and your love will twist and corrupt into something terrible…all because of this girl," she motioned at Wendy, who was shaking and very pale. "True Love is a powerful thing, isn't it?" she mused softly, eyes narrowing in thought and then turned her attention to Peter again. "Because of this act, this crime committed for her, you no longer have the Heart of the Truest Believer," Blue sighed and lifted a hand towards his face but Pan jerked back, eyes flashing with hate.

"This is what you wanted! You wanted me cursed!"

"I know you don't believe me but it breaks my heart that this has happened. I had such high hopes for you Peter. I didn't want you to end up like this, as I wouldn't for any of my children," she said and Peter grabbed her and slammed her against the wall again.

"I'm going to find your heart, in whatever dark box you've hidden it, but I won't destroy it. I'll torture it until you beg me to stop and only then will I kill you," he whispered and icy rage flashed in Blue's eyes. Her lip curled and around them the air began to stir and crackle with energy. They watched as the fairies around them suddenly froze again and started to dim, their ethereal light fading.

She's sucking their magic away! She's going to kill us!

The thought flashed through Michael's head before Felix suddenly sprang into action. He pulled Peter and Wendy to him and lifted a hand. A bean glittered between his fingers as Blue channelled the magic around her, about to unleash a devastating attack. Felix threw the bean to the ground and a portal opened at their feet.

"WHERE?" Michael shouted.

"NEVERLAND!" Peter roared, grabbing Wendy's hand, and they all fell into the whirling vortex.

a.n:

Sorry I wasn't able to post yesterday! However I plan to update as much as I can over this week, instead of you waiting for the weekend :)

Oh people were asking about a follow up! Yes I will be writing something after this, as this was always conceived as a trilogy. So after this is finished I'll be writing about Henry coming to the island, the s3 Neverland storyline basically, but from Wendy's POV.