A/N: I cannot apologise enough for this release being so long! There are so many annoying reasons why but the simple one is: I rewrote and procrastinated on this one a lot! I cannot thank you guys enough for your patience and believe me, it will be rewarded! As a thank you, there will be a new chapter up every day this week, from today (Tuesday) to Friday, which will sadly, put us towards the end of the story but I hope you enjoy it as it nears its end. As of yet, I have an ending but am debating whether to make it truly happy or happy but in a sad way (the former being rather AU and the latter allowing the story of Peter Pan to continue in the way the original did), so I would love to hear your opinions! After all, this story is as much yours as it is mine. Anyway, thanks to my fantastic reviewers: Claire97, CaptainHooksGirl, RevDorothyL, Tarah Draconiger and WWE'sPyroDevil36, you guys are amazing! As always, enjoy and don't hesitate to tell me what you think!

Chapter 9

The first thing Wendy Darling did upon Hook's exit was stagger back into the chair he had occupied moments before. Thoughts were spinning inside her head as every emotion, from fear to hatred to sympathy and even affection ran through her heart. For a few minutes she sat in a stupor, barely comprehending the world around her. He who had haunted her dreams since she had first seen those cold piercing, dangerous eyes, had kissed her and she had not pulled back in fear or hatred, nor refused his advance in any way. In fact, part of her had liked it, the way his rough lips had caressed hers, the stubble on his chin scratching lighting against her soft skin whilst his hand held her against him, giving her little room to escape even if she had desired to. Indeed, the experience had almost been pleasurable, or rather, had been, until Hook's revelation had torn Wendy's heart in two. It was with this thought that Wendy finally broke down, shielding her head in her arms and slumping, most un lady-like, over Hook's desk, her body shaking uncontrollably as she began to weep.

Hook sighed as he locked the cabin door, the touch of Wendy's soft lips still tingling against his own as he prepared to leave the Jolly Roger in order to explore the Black Castle. He paused at the door for a moment, looking sternly into the wood as if he could see Wendy beyond it. A small chuckle left his lips, she hadn't made a sound, which was must unusual of her, especially after such a deception. A sudden thought sprang to mind. Perhaps his plan has begun to work more speedily than he had thought it would? Indeed, he had considered the idea foolish at first, something that a strong minded woman such as Wendy Darling who would certainly not fall for, but she had, and this only served to confuse Hook, for, without him even realising it, the softness of Wendy's heart and the beauty of her character had slowly begun to make his plan fall apart at the very seams. Of course, Hook was far too proud to admit this, whether he was wary of it or not. Either way, his own feelings would be revealed, but only when he would have no other choice but to reveal them, which I can assure you dear reader, is rather soon.

It was then that Hook finally broke from his subconscious, prompted by a rather frustrated Smee, who, upon having tried to rouse the Captain's attention three times without success, had almost resorted to shouting his address into the man's ear. The older man sighed and began his request once more.

"We're here Cap'n. Orders?"

For a long moment Hook didn't reply, or in fact, move from his stance a single inch. It was only as Smee was beginning to lose his usually unwavering patience that he stuttered his response.

"Prepare the longboat Smee, and find three men on this god-forsaken ship who won't try and test my patience."

Smee nodded mutely, "and the girl?"

"Keep guard Smee. She is not to leave that cabin under any circumstances until my return. If she tried to escape, make her regret it."

"Yes Cap'n," Smee's voice softened, noting Hook's tone: something was playing on his mind.

Hook dissolved into silence once more and with that Smee scurried away from the Captain, leaving him to dwell in the recesses of his mind as he ventured into the brig in order to search for the three men, all of who's fates would be sealed by his mere decision: there was power to be had in loyalty, even aboard a pirate ship.

By pure accident, the first three men Smee encountered were worthy enough for the task and so, the order was given. As they hurried up onto the deck, Smee paused, considering Hook's earlier words. What had he done to Wendy in order for her to consider escaping? In truth, the question should have been, what hadn't he done, but alas, sometimes even the most humane pirates lose sight of what is right and wrong, particularly those living on an island controlled by a particularly stubborn ten year old.

Upon the pirate's arrival, the Black Castle was almost as Hook had left it those many moons ago. The portcullis was down and slowly rusting into nothingness by the tepid water that surrounded the castle, and the high terrace where Wendy, unbeknownst to Hook, had first laid her eyes upon Peter Pan's sworn enemy was slowly crumbling into the sea. As night settled across Neverland and the pirates stole their way into the castle via a secret entrance Hook had fashioned after Pan's last attempt to do away with him, a silence seemed to settle across the Black Sea, the soft pitching of the Jolly Roger the only thing that could be heard for miles around. Far across the waters, past the Indian camp and deep under the ground, hidden by the roots of trees as old as time itself, the soft sound found someone to hear it: to be precise, a young boy, who until that moment had been tossing to and fro in his hammock, dreaming dreams that no child should even have the misfortune to dream. However, we are detracting from the subject at hand. Hook had re-entered the Black Castle and was just beginning his search for an object he had hidden there long before Wendy and her brothers had even learnt that Neverland existed. It was long rumoured that the Captain had long ago hidden an object of immense worth in the confines of the castle, either, depending on who was telling the story, as a means to stop Peter from destroying it, or because it had been foretold that one day he would use it to return to the world he himself had abandoned. Whether the rumours were true or not, one thing was definitely to be said about the object of Hook's desire: he would risk a life to attain it.

Of course, that life didn't necessarily have to be his.

By the time Smee returned to the deck, both the Captain and the pirates had disappeared into the night air. Still curious as to why Wendy had been locked in the Captain's cabin in the first place, he slowly ambled over to the door. He paused at the cabin, contemplating unlocking the door and letting the girl roam the ship freely, after all, what harm could one girl cause?

The Captain's words slowly filtered back into his head.

"Better not," he mumbled.

Smee turned away to return to the galley but a soft whisper, barely audible above the sound of his heavy boots making their way across the deck, stopped him in his tracks.

"Smee? Is that you?"

He didn't answer immediately, not wanting to create any false pretences for the girl; he was to follow the Captain's orders and that was all.

"Aye miss, it is. I can't let you out though, Cap'n's orders," he paused, before quickly adding, "Sorry."

Silence greeted his apology, until he heard Wendy sigh, her body sliding down the door and landing on the floor with a soft thump.

"Why does he do this Smee? At least when I was younger his intentions were clear."

A pang of fatherly guilt rushed through Smee's body and he had to fight the urge to unlock the door and comfort the girl inside. Instead, they continued to talk for a while – Smee listening intently as Wendy whispered her feelings through the thick oak door. At one point, though I am unsure just how long they had been conversing when this occurred, Smee disappeared into the brig, leaving Wendy to her thoughts whilst he prepared a humble but delicious meal to appease her hunger. She ate in silence, occasionally raising her head to ensure that Smee remained in her presence. When she had finished, she stood firmly, determination lacing her eyes.

"I want to go to the Black Castle."

Smee chuckled, "I couldn't be letting y' do that miss, the Cap'n would gut me without a second's hesitation if I did that."

Wendy stayed firm.

"Smee, I cannot let this go on for much longer, I have to tell him that…"

At the point Wendy's voice petered off, partly because she simply was unable to continue with the train of thought she had been pursuing, but mostly as, at that very moment, a loud thump had echoed across the deck. Smee froze, miming for Wendy to remain where she was before beginning to creep towards the door. Watching him move, she had to stifle the urge to laugh, for Smee's movements were almost comical, his shuffling deserving some kind of Charlie Chaplin-esque musical number. He opened the door in a flurry, pouncing out onto the deck only to discover it empty. Straightening up, Smee strode out further, closely followed by a more than intrigued Wendy. For a moment, all was silent. A soft sound broke the peace: a gentle fluttering of wings beside Wendy's ear. She spun around, following the glimmer of gold, but before she could discern the boy hovering before her, her world turned black.

Before I alleviate the suspense I am aware I just formulated, I would like to go back in time by an hour or two in order to recount Captain Hook's excursion to the Black Castle. Upon entering the castle it would be accurate to state that Hook was in a less than pleasant mood. In fact, if he had the time, and crew, to spare, he would have more than likely unleashed his anger on the next unfortunate pirate to cross his gaze. As it was, he satisfied his need for terror by shooting one unfortunate pirate in the foot for the mere mistake of stumbling across the wet rocks.

Now, the Black Castle has existed within Neverland as long as Neverland itself has existed. The Indians, who offer myths and legends on each and every one of the island's inhabitants and visitors, have a number of tales concerning this fact. Some portray the Castle as an omen, only to be accessed by those who are already on their way to the deepest depths of hell, whilst others depict it as a place where Peter Pan, in choosing to stay young and innocent, was forced to lock away all his fears and grown up feelings, as well as that one piece of darkness that each human has within their soul. The latter would make considerable sense, as Peter, without quite knowing why, has always felt a lack of strength and courage when exploring the Black Castle's dark tunnels and walkways, something most unusual within his buoyant personality. No matter which of these are true, if any indeed are, the general consensus was that only those who had a wish to dice with fate visited the Black Castle, particularly as one incredibly large and hungry creature, and Hook's only real fear, resided there.

As the pirates searched through the lower tunnels of the castle, following carved signs that Hook himself had left in order to both help him find his treasure and escape the castle as quickly as possible, a certain caution kept them alert, for any number of dangers could present themselves at any time. They continued further into the castle's depths, trudging through the half flooded catacombs that even daylight had not dared to explore for many years. At one point one of pirates, the one who was currently limping due to a shot foot to be most accurate, halted suddenly in his footsteps, an unfamiliar sound reaching his ears.

"Captain?"

Hook listened for a moment or two, the wet slapping sound tickling his spine, but then carried on his journey without uttering a single word. However, the noise had confirmed his suspicions: they were close.

After another ten minutes or so, the group of, now quite worn-out, pirates, finally reached the end of the particularly damp and cramped tunnel, each breathing a sigh of relief as they turned the corner into a hidden underground alcove. Stalactites hung delicately from the ceiling, small droplets of clear blue water dripping off them at regular intervals. The ground was also raised slightly, meaning the water level had pooled decoratively around the hill in the centre of the alcove, to which a rather decrepit, but still solid, wooden bridge had been erected in order to access. Hook made his way over first, making as little noise as possible as to not arouse a certain unwanted visitor. As per his orders two of the pirates followed, both just as cautiously, whilst the third 'kept watch' at the entrance to the tunnel they had just arrived via. Hook moved swiftly, the hairs on the back of his neck standing tall. His hook was raised, prepared for any sudden threats, and each move he made was so quiet that a blind man would have not noticed his presence at all.

They clambered carefully up the grassy mound, a smile unable to hide itself from Hook's lips as his eyes fell upon the large stone slab that stood between him and his most prized possession. He crouched down, carefully manoeuvring his hook into the edge of the slab, using it as a lever to pull the piece of stone out of the ground and reveal the hidden space below. At less than ten inches in depth and size, the hole was by no means able to hold a mass of treasure and luckily for Hook, his treasure was neither massive nor numerous in quantity.

Lifting the small wooden box from the hole, the two pirates watching his every move in awe and the third craning to see so much that he was neglecting his duty, Hook lifted its latch and gently popped it open. However, the smile that had been lingering on his lips and the small feeling of excitement that had begun to form in his chest disappeared in a flash as he surveyed the contents of the box. The piece of paper inside had all but crumbled into pieces, the delicate writing on it so faded that little could be decipherable besides the phrases 'dearest James' and 'together again'. The ring itself was also irreparable, the gold band rusted and the tiny quartz stone that had once held so many magical powers had faded to dust. Time had run up: Hook's one and only chance to leave Neverland had died, and now he was to remain trapped there. All by the doing of one insolent little boy.

"Pan."

That was all he said as he rose to full height, carelessly dropping the once prized box as if it had suddenly lost all meaning, which of course it had. He turned away, anger lacing his eyes so deeply that for a moment they flashed red. Within a second he had crossed the bridge, hastily followed by two rather bemused pirates, and spared no second glance as he plunged his hook into the pirate on look out before making his way through the tunnels and passageways at such a speed and ferocity that it was more than apparent his previous wall etchings were also engraved into his mind. With every step, anger, hatred and jealously pulsed through his veins. He waded through the knee deep murky waters with force, not even pausing as the wet slapping sound they had heard earlier once again reached his ears, this time accompanied by a deep, hungry growl and a soft ticking sound. Glancing back only to ensure his entourage was still following, Hook suddenly turned left, squeezing through a narrow passageway barely big enough for one man. The growling intensified as the first pirate slipped through too, at which point Hook stopped in his footsteps, not even bothering to turnaround to speak.

"Don't let the other one through – he's bait."

The pirate complied, albeit hesitantly, turning and pushing his once-comrade back through the gap and sealing it off with small pieces of stone and debris with as much haste as he could. From the other side a scuffle could be heard, then a growl and splashing, both that of a large creature entering shallow water and of a not so large human running as fast and far away from that large creature as possible. Hook snickered – part of him wanted no more than to witness the pain he was causing, but that damn crocodile was fast, and he'd be dead before he could even raise his sword, so therefore he had to be content with listening to the fool suffer… and suffer he did, believe me.