A/N: Thank you for the reviews. This one has been difficult but I love it so much! In answer to your questions, the characters are inspired by both the 2003 Movie and the Book. As much as I like the Disney, this is a dark story, and the characters in this new state are certainly not appropriate for children! Finally in response to Goblinesque, I'm doing both. This is my tribute to a wonderful and inspiring story, and my novel is a tribute to the themes of my childhood. If it ever gets published, I'll be sure to mention it on my profile... Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 4

As Wendy had slowly been starting to discover, the Neverland she had encountered at the naïve age of thirteen was entirely different to the one she was trapped in now. Everything she could recall of her and Peter's adventures had involved magic and beauty, where happy endings were ten to the dozen and justice was always served. However, as her second morning on board The Jolly Roger approached, Wendy realised that she had seen nothing of Neverland's beauty but instead had been thrown into a world of darkness and evil that was becoming increasingly difficult to escape from. Hook's final words, before he had pushed her backwards into the bed post and subsequently knocked her unconscious, still seared through Wendy's mind, and as she lay in the darkness of the brig engulfed in her thoughts, once again locked in that dark, damp cell, the true danger of Wendy's circumstances dawned upon her.

Initially the realisation sparked her curiosity. Wendy loved adventure almost as much as Peter, and the idea of her escaping in some heroic manner and defeating Captain Hook once more enveloped her in a strength of mind that only children are capable of. However, the determination didn't last long as soon her mind wandered to the danger of her being grown up and no longer naïve. She knew the dangers of the world, and stories of pirates and masked men had taken on a whole new meaning in Wendy's mind since her last visit. Although not one to admit it, she had developed into a beautiful young woman and often caught the eye of many back home in London. Of course, London men would never be so forward in their approach of women, not like pirates, who did horrible things to women that even the thought of was enough to break Wendy's heart. She had indeed noticed the hunger in each pirate's eyes as they had first gazed over her, but in some mysterious way, she knew she was safe for now, because each and every rogue feared Hook greater than their own lust, and so, in some perverse manner, she was under his protection. But what is protection when your protector is also your kidnapper? Tears rushed to her eyes as Wendy contemplated a life where each day her future was placed in another's hands, because she knew for certain that he would not let her leave, even if she aided him in Peter's capture. There was something more to Hook's reason for bringing Wendy to Neverland, she was just unable to figure out what it was.

A sudden break in the ship's gentle swaying brought Wendy back to the present with a crash, literally, as she was launched into the side of the brig as the ship pitched sideways. Picking herself up off the floor, she stumbled towards the cell door, clutching onto it as the ship once again pitched in the opposite direction. A shout echoed above her, followed rapidly by another and another, until the noise descended into a cacophony of bellows and calls. Her heart pumping at a rate she had until the moment deemed impossible, an idea sprung to Wendy's mind and she quickly began to look around for something that may help her escape before the ship itself determined her fate by dragging her to the bottom of the ocean. Falling to her knees as another shout echoed above her, followed by the deafening boom of what Wendy presumed to be a canon, a glint of metal caught her eye. Digging under the barrel it was trapped beneath, Wendy, with some difficultly, pulled the shard of metal towards her and scurried towards the cell door. Not being a thief or locksmith, Wendy had no experience of picking locks, however, to her deepest relief, it was only a minute or two before the door swung open, a loud screech escaping from it as the hinges complained of their sudden awakening. Thankfully, the noise had no danger of being heard by the men up on deck, as the canon once again sent off a boom that caused Wendy to cover her mouth in fear of screaming out loud.

At as much of a run that she could muster with the ship still pitching roughly from side to side, Wendy made her way over to the stairway leading to the deck. Her plan was risky but simple: using the commotion of the pirates as a cover to go unnoticed, she would slip up out onto the deck and jump overboard before anyone could realise or attempt to stop her. She would have to be quick in her actions, but Wendy was ready.

Fate, however, didn't agree with her plan and just as she was about to ascend the stairway, a single comprehendible shout raised itself above all the others.

"Get her!"

Knowing at once that the voice was referring to her and without a moment's hesitation slyly slipping into the darkness, Wendy was given little time to hide as the doors to the brig flung open, crashing against their frames like thunder in a stormy sky. A pirate, one she had neither read of nor encountered upon her previous visit, stood at the entrance the brig, lingering only for a second before deftly clambering inside and passing Wendy's hiding place to look into the now empty cell.

It was now or never.

With a burst of energy, Wendy vaulted up the stairs before her, barely hearing the pirate shout as he was alerted to her presence and began to chase after her. Tripping only once on her nightgown, she reached the deck in no time at all and didn't even pause to glance around before hurtling towards the ship's railing at a speed she had never moved before. Anticipating a sense of déjà vu as she clambered onto the railing, Wendy prepared herself to jump into the freezing waters below. However, before she could bring herself to do so, a flash of golden light caught her eye, banishing every thought of escape from her mind.

Turning her head speedily but carefully, as to not interrupt her delicate balance, Wendy surveyed the frenzied action before her. Pirates were fighting boys, some of which, with a gasp, she recognised, and others whom she had never encountered before. The pirates were also heavily outnumbering the boys which, arising the motherly instinct within her, made Wendy realise that now was no time for her to be thinking of herself. A clash of blades met her ears and this time, spinning around in a manner that meant she had to cling onto the rigging for dear life in fear of falling backwards, her gaze settled upon a boy she had not seen in four years, but whom still looked identical to the one she had wished goodbye to all that time ago. However, even at a distance, she could see that something had changed within Peter. He was laughing as he lunged at Hook, jeering and taunting the enemy with cruel remarks, but something was different. His movements, every lurch and stab of his blade, were sharper and executed with greater purpose than Wendy had ever noticed before, as if Peter wanted to play, but really sought to kill.

Brushing the thought quickly from her mind, as Peter was only a child and not capable of such dark desires, Wendy lowered herself onto the deck, ducking and diving out of pirates' ways as they fought around her, seemingly oblivious of her existence. Scrambling up onto the bridge, where Hook and Peter were otherwise engaged, a sudden force clasped strongly at Wendy's ankle and began to pull her away from her destination. With a scream she fell down the staircase, her hands stopping her head from hitting each step as she tumbled down it, collapsing at the bottom in such a manner that knocked all the air from her lungs. The man, or rather pirate, that had caused her to fall, lurched over Wendy, preparing to lift her, but she had other ideas. Kicking her leg upwards, the pirate doubled over in pain as her foot connected with his delicate area, giving her a moment to grasp her aching head before once again making her way onto the bridge.

As she approached the fighting couple, Wendy stopped to study them for a moment. Neither looked more content, Hook determined that this time the glory would be his, and Peter simply enjoying the thrill of the adventure. The flash of gold that had alerted Wendy to Peter's presence suddenly flew past her, stopped and then retraced its flight path. Wendy smiled warmly as Tinker Bell studied her, her mouth dropping into a gape before forming a scowl. The smile slowly drifted from Wendy's lips as Tink, making no effort to hide her anger, cursed at her and darted towards Peter, diverting his attention as she furiously whispered into his ear.

Pinning Hook to the ship's wheel at such a speed that even the Captain himself could not avoid, Peter rose gracefully into the air, cawing loudly to his followers, who, at his direction, landed one final blow upon their opponents before vaulting into the waiting sea and disappearing from view. Her feet taking over, Wendy chased after Peter, stopping only as the ship's rail prevented her from falling into the cold water below, however her efforts were in vain as her movement went unnoticed and Peter circled the ship, preparing to return home.

"Peter!"

In one last moment of desperation, Wendy called out, memories coursing through her; a thirteen year old girl standing alone in the woods, watching as a young boy angrily flies off, that same girl glancing over the sleeping boy's form, wishing with all her heart that he would see sense and grow up. But as we all know and as Wendy harshly learned, Peter Pan will never grow up.

Something similar must have occurred within Peter Pan's mind upon hearing Wendy's call for, as before, he halted in his movements. The voice echoed around him as he connected it with the one that had called to him a few night's previous, but still its owner remained a mystery. Tink, instantly jealous at the thought of Peter and Wendy rekindling their friendship, attempted to distract Peter as she had done previously however, this time, she was not so successful in her exploits. Why, you ask? Because what troubles a grown-up will never trouble a child… unless that child, who knows his created world inside out and back to front, encounters something new within it, something which both intrigues and repels him at the same time.

And that is how Peter came to turn around, and cast his gaze upon Wendy for the first time in many moons.

The interaction was greeted by a deathly silence. Of course, the silence had fallen directly after Wendy had shouted, but only now did it make itself apparent to all those that bore witness of the events that occurred that day.

It made itself even more apparent as Peter lowered himself onto the deck, much to Tinker Bell's protests, and proceeded to approach Wendy, observing her as if she were a foreign object which, to him, was exactly what she was. Wendy could do nothing but watch as Peter circled her. He didn't remember her, that was more than apparent, however her recognised something about her, and it was that that gave Wendy hope.

"Peter?"

With a leap backwards, his sword was drawn and pointed at Wendy's throat. She jumped at the movement, catching Peter's confused gaze with her worried one.

"How do you know my name?"

"It's me: Wendy, Wendy Darling!"

His face contorted into a frown as he tried unsuccessfully to recall the name. "Who?"

Wendy didn't answer; she couldn't. Despite being aware, and having been told, that Peter could not remember her, hearing it directly from him sent a bolt of pain through her that was so sharp that for a moment she was unable to breathe.

"Why are you crying?"

Feeling a tear creep down her face, unaware that she had been crying until that moment, Wendy hastily brushed it away. The sentence Peter had uttered brought another memory back to her, the memory of their first encounter: the night when her adventures had begun.

"Do you not remember me, Peter? You came to my window, to the nursery. You taught me to fly and you brought me here, to Neverland. Do you not remember?"

His confused turned into a scowl and he took a step away from her, tucking his dagger back into his belt.

"I would never bring a grown-up to Neverland. Never!"

Before Wendy could point out that she had, in fact, been a child when Peter had taken her to Neverland, Hook interrupted, approaching Wendy's grief stricken side.

"She's telling the truth, Pan. You brought her to Neverland when she was a child," He turned towards Wendy with a swish of his brocade coat and took her chin in his hand, caressing her cheeks and wiping away the tears that were now cascading from her eyes. A smirk flittered onto his lips, "And to thank you, what did she do? She betrayed you Pan. She returned home because she would rather grow up than stay with you."

"No!"

Regaining some strength, Wendy pulled away from Hook with such force that she almost fell straight back into another pirate. Approaching Peter, who disgustedly moved away from her, Wendy sighed. "It is not true Peter, I had to go home. I had to grow up, I had no choice."

By this time, Peter, having both encountered someone new and been told that he himself, brought her to Neverland in the first place, was thoroughly confused. True, he recognised this 'Wendy' in some manner, but he certainly could not recall ever acquainting himself with her, and the thought of bringing someone other than a Lost Boy, especially a girl, to Neverland was preposterous. Flicking his gaze between Hook and Wendy, Peter settled it upon the former.

"Do not lie to me Hook. You are old and I will never believe you!"

Hook's moustache twitched but no comment was uttered, and so Peter turned to Wendy.

"Grown-ups are not welcome here. If you remain I will banish you, and if you are a pirate, I will run you through."

With a leap, Peter was hovering a metre from the ship, still glaring intensely at Wendy, who could not quite believe what she had just heard.

"And if Hook is speaking the truth and you did betray me… I am glad to have forgotten you. I will never grow up, and nobody can make me, not even a Wendy."

Before she could utter a word of disagreement he was gone. She shouted after him once more but this time he did not turn back or even flinch at his name. Collapsing on the deck, tears streamed down Wendy's face as Hook pulled her to her feet and carried her to his cabin. Behind them the sky darkened, flashes of lighting bolting through the sky swiftly followed by deep growls of thunder. As the pirates returned to their duties, Smee cast his glaze upwards, knowing the reason for the sudden shift in weather. Pan was troubled and now, so was Neverland.