A/N: So here it is, the final chapter. As always, I would love to hear feedback, even if you are reading this long after its published. I won't leave you in suspense any longer. Enjoy!

Chapter 18

In that instant, and at the mere mention of the fast approaching beast, all fighting aboard the Jolly Roger ground to a halt. Swords clanged to the deck and arrows fell flat as each and every person, regardless of their side in the great battle, turned in fear towards the scream.

Smee was the first to break the silence.

"Abandon ship!"

At his word, the pirates, as cowardly as ever, sprung towards the opposite side of the ship, diving over the rails in the hope that the crocodile would not catch up to them before they had reached the safety of the shore. The Indians were the next to depart, knowing full well that now the crocodile had entered the fray, Hook was sure to meet his end. Only the Lost Boys remained, each one now feeling a mix of excitement and anticipation as they looked to their leader, who had the pirate Captain held at knifepoint against the mast, a wild grin splashed across the features. Wendy looked on, glancing back momentarily to catch Smee make his exit and dive into the murky waters below.

"Your time is up Hook, any last words?"

James grimaced, his hook wedged into the mast at such an angle that if he had even attempted to remove it, the resulting injury would have put him in far greater pain that he was currently experiencing. Instead of answering, the Captain merely locked eyes with his attacker, ready to face whatever cruel fate the boy had planned for him.

Peter raised his arm to strike.

"James!" Wendy cried, lurching forward to protect him without even realising how she had gotten past the crowd of hungry looking boys and their increasingly malevolent leader. As she shielded James from Peter, forcing a stalemate between them, a large set of otherwise unseen jaws began to rise from the ocean, their owner hungry and impatient, counting down the seconds to its next meal.

Tick, tock, tick, tock.

"Wendy, go." Hook ordered, his voice firm although inside, the heart he had long ago let go black and cold, was tearing at the seams.

"No," came the reply. Wendy turned to Peter. "Make me walk the plank; feed me to the crocodile."

The new Lost Boys cheered at Wendy's words, urging Peter to abide by them but in a far embellished manner. In one swift movement, they had been banished from the ship, Peter's dagger ensuring none would turn back until they had returned to the underground home. Wendy's voice softened as she watched them leave.

"Aren't you mad at me too, Peter? I grew up, didn't I? I came back here and made you remember, and then, I fell in love; with your greatest enemy."

The silence that followed Wendy's words was so thick one would have needed a very strong blade to cut through it. Eventually Michael, who, along with the rest of the now grownup Lost Boys, had been watching the exchange intently, choked out a mostly coherent sentence.

"She really loves him?"

Wendy nodded in affirmation. "Yes Michael, I do."

The silence fell once more, not a soul doubting the honesty of Wendy's words.

"Wendy," James whispered, shattering the peace. "Come here."

Wendy obeyed, her hands automatically reached out to prise James' hook from the mast.

"No." The Captain interjected. Wendy haltered.

"What is it?"

For the first time, well, ever, James suddenly found himself without a voice. Wendy was a clever girl, and had grown into an equally smart and talented woman. He had always been curious about the girl who had run away to Neverland, and had often wondered why she'd chosen to leave the island rather than stay in the one place where all her fantasies appeared to have come true. Of course, now he knew that it wasn't possible for Wendy to stay, neither as a child or an adult. She had helped him realise that; she had helped him discover the dark truth to Neverland's existence, and now it was his job to let her return to London before she succumbed to the same fate he had.

"Wendy," James eventually managed to croak, catching the woman's confused gaze as she peered up at him. The look on his face was enough to bring a lump to Wendy's throat: she knew.

"No, James."

"I'm sorry."

A tear rolled down Wendy's cheek but, before it could drop to the ground, James had raised his free hand and wiped it away, his rough fingers gently stroking Wendy's soft skin.

"I wish things could be different, my dear, but fate is a cruel Mistress."

"Why can't I stay."

"You are too strong for Neverland, Wendy. She is only a memory, an imagination, and you… you are so much more. You must leave now, Wendy."

"James, I…"

"Wendy, you must make the decision to leave. In here," James' hand pressed against Wendy's ribcage, feeling the frightened beat of her heart, "or you won't be able to return."

"But…"

"I know, but think of your brothers; think of your future; think of the life you will live. Lucy sacrificed herself for me, and I will not let you do the same. You have retaught me how to love, Wendy, and I shall forever be indebted to you because of that."

A dull creaking sound accompanied the end of James' speech, and as he pulled Wendy close, lifting her chin and softly pressing his lips against hers, the Jolly Roger let out a groan, the weight of the water that had been flooding the full now pushing the ship down into the depths of the sea. But neither Wendy nor James seemed to notice, now locked in an embrace that signalled both the wondrous start and tragic end of their love. Above them, the darkness had almost completely engulfed the sky, its progress considerably slowing as Wendy, once more, chose which path she would take.

As the embrace broke, the spell under which Wendy and James had been entranced suddenly dispelled, almost knocking Wendy off her feet as the Jolly Roger pitched violently. Holding her close, a smirk washed across James' face as he looked to the oncoming chaos, before turning back one last time to bid goodbye to the woman before him.

"Farewell, my love."

Wendy smiled. "Perhaps, kind Sir, we will meet again?"

James grinned, his voice playfully darkening.

"Of course, my dear. Pirate's honour. Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

Wendy gently pulled away from James' grip, letting his outstretched fingers glide across her cheek as she stepped away from him, her eyes only leaving James' as she turned to clamber into the longboat.

"Wendy."

The voice made her jump, Wendy having almost forgotten Peter was even present.

"Yes?" she breathed coldly.

Peter slowly moved towards her, his hand clutching something small to his chest.

"I should like to apologise."

Wendy blinked, her bemused gaze flickering between the smirking Captain and the small fairy that had been so taken aback by Peter's words, she had fallen right off his shoulder. Eventually, Wendy smirked. After all, the boy in front of her was nothing more than a child. To him, everything was a game, consequences had little understanding, and that was something to pity, not detest.

"If you wish it."

Peter looked up, the apologetic look he had been perfecting quickly replaced with a grin.

"This is yours."

Carefully holding out his hand, Peter unfurled his fingers, revealing the object he had been keeping such a tight grip upon. Wendy looked down, gasping softly as she realised the item before her was none other than the Kiss Peter had gifted her on the night they had first met.

"Without this, I would have never remembered," Peter whispered, his eyes glancing over to Nibs' ever encouraging gaze.

Taking the slightly grubby but ever beautiful object from Peter's hand, Wendy smiled.

"Thank you Peter."

The boy did not respond, simply smiling as Tinker Bell flew between them, hovering delicately in front of Wendy. Now, Tinker Bell was not all bad. Sometimes she was all good. But fairies are so small, they only have room for one feeling at a time. Of course, until now, Tink had shown no reason to be anything other than jealous towards the girl who had long ago diverted Peter's attentions from her. However, time had passed; she had been the one to deliver the old Lost Boys to Peter, scared that Wendy's return would once again distract him. Unbeknownst to her, however, Peter had forgotten, and instead his frustration and pain in rediscovering his past had depressed Neverland so greatly that Tinker Bell's worry for him had simply pushed away any remaining feelings of jealously towards Wendy. Now the time had come for Tink to prove just how good she could be.

The fairy jingled excitedly, gesturing back towards Hook and then to the necklace. Wendy frowned.

"Tink?"

"She thinks if you give it to me I'll remember you when I return."

Everyone glanced to James, confusion etched into their faces. He smirked, "Yes? I've seen Pan translating the little dust ball's mimes enough to know what she's implying."

Tink blew a raspberry in the Captain's direction, not that the meaning behind that particular gesture needed explaining.

"Then let us hope she's right," Wendy whispered, moving back towards James and curling his fingers around the object.

"Goodbye, Wendy."

Wendy smiled sadly. "Goodbye."

As the longboat drifted away from the ship, its inhabitants watching the once glorious vessel sink further and further into the waters below, the group of almost grownups and their Indian guide continued to survey the devastating scene before them. Hook had freed himself and, despite their momentary truce, was now valiantly sparring with Peter, whereas the crocodile was as still as ever, waiting quietly for his dinner to slide, literally as the ship was now at such an angle, into his mouth.

A cheer echoed through the sky, but Wendy held still and did not gasp at Peter's jubilation, despite its meaning being as clear as day. In the distance, she could just about make out the two people from which she must always be separated, one of them clinging desperately to the rigging as the ship lurched from side to side, and the other circling the first like a hawk, simply waiting for him to succumb to his fate.

"Wendy," John whispered, passing his sister the telescope he had been using to view the action. "I think you should see this."

Focusing the object as quickly as she could, Wendy found herself viewing Hook as if she were as close to him as Peter. As before he was clinging desperately to the rigging, supported only by his metal appendage in what appeared to be an extremely uncomfortable manner.

"Look in his hand," John whispered once more.

Wendy refocused, this time shifting her gaze to James' other hand. Upon first glance there appeared to be nothing of note to view however, as a ray of moonlight forced its way over the top of the darkness, she suddenly spotted something small and shiny wrapped tightly around James' wrist.

It was the Kiss.

She watched closely as he brought the object to his lips, his eyes closing as he thought of the woman who had given it to him. Wendy sighed and as if by magic James had open his eyes and was staring directly at her. She blinked, adamant she was hallucinating in some form but James' gaze held, even as the Jolly Roger pitched once more, the mast only narrowly missing Peter as he dived out of its way.

By now, the ship was sinking fast. Clearly the mermaids had continued their assault on the full long after Wendy's escape, for, as the ship pitched, Wendy could make out a number of large holes decorating its lower half, each one spitting out sea water any time it was lifted clear of the tumultuous waves below.

Suddenly a loud cracked sound filled the air: the mast had snapped, pulling both the rigging and Hook so that they were hovering ever so precariously over the edge of the ship.

The crocodile's moment had come.

In one swift movement the creature had lurched out of the water, missing James by mere inches. The soon-to-be-dinner looked up once more, eyeing the spot where Wendy and her brothers were watching. His grip loosened as he brought Wendy's Kiss to his chest, holding the object close to his heart, just where he wanted Wendy to remain. The girl had taught him something very important in her short time here; that hope was almost as powerful as magic itself. He would remember her, not because of the Kiss, nor as a myth. He would always remember the woman who had brought him back to life; the woman who had reminded him what love and happiness felt like. That was something that even the power of Neverland would not take away from him. Not again.

Across the ocean, Wendy watched in silence as James' clutched onto the Kiss, his eyes not leaving hers for a second. She knew what was about to happen, they all did, but whereas the last time they had all seen the crocodile had been a moment of triumph, this was anything but.

There was a pause, during which the two lovers caught each other's gaze as far as the waters between them allowed, and then, all of a sudden, he had gone.

Wendy lurched forward automatically, only avoiding falling into the cold water as two of the boys hastily pulled her back. No words were spoken as Wendy collapsed into John's awaiting arms, they had all seen Hook fall, and although they didn't fully understand how the two had become so close, it was clear to all that the sacrifices each had made were only a small measure of their bond. As the almost grownups continued to survey the scene, the Jolly Roger finally gave its last breath before sinking speedily into the sea, the figurehead that adorned its bow disappearing last, as if somehow attempting to remain above the water for as long as possible.

"It's time." Tiger Lily whispered, her soft voice seemingly emanating around the others. The waters around them had considerably quietened and the darkness above them had almost completely engulfed the sky. The princess was right: if they stayed much longer, it would be too late.

"Wendy?" Tiger Lily questioned, her hands resting upon the other girl's sobbing shoulders. "You must believe."

Wendy looked up, tears still clouding her vision. Glancing between her brothers, the mist that Neverland had covered her in began to dissipate. Before her, she realised, where her family: Curley, and his imagination; Tootles, and his enthusiasm; Nibs, and his mysteriousness; the Twins, and their cheekiness; Michael, and his innocence; and John and his unwavering determination. Then there was herself; Wendy and her hope, the one thing that all her brothers and the bravest of Indian princesses were looking towards her for now. She couldn't be without them, and neither could they, her.

Wendy smiled softly, "I think it's time we went home. Mother and Father will be missing us most terribly."

A brief cheer arose from the boat before both it and its occupants disappeared in a flash of light. The noise was so abrupt and fleeting, that if it weren't for one boy, peering ever so curiously over the cloud he was hiding behind, it may have gone unnoticed completely.

Peter rose, looking up at the darkness as it cracked and began to fall from the sky in large droplets of black rain. Holding out his hand, he caught one of them, watching in bewilderment as it melted into dust before his very eyes. Peter yawned, suddenly drowsy, and sat back down, glancing at the spot where Wendy and her brothers had disappeared.

"To live would be an awfully great adventure."

And with that, the boy who never grew up closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, destined to never again remember the one girl who had the power to change his future. As he did so, the island sighed, the breeze pushing away all remnants of Peter's most recent adventure, the hiss that echoed across the land and sea sounding almost perfectly like that which had set forth the events of the past few days.

Wendy, darling.