AN: I said if update yesterday... Yeah sorry lovelies. I have no other excuse except that I am Walking Dead trash and was playing all night. But more plot-ish chapters so yeah! We see the many sides of Nibs in this chapter: Exestential crisis Nibs, super spy Nibs, sticking their nose where it shouldn't be Nibs. You get the gist. And Amelia-bella1, I hope this chapter answers your question about how Bae gets to Neverland.

Thanks to laced-with-dynamite for following, and to Alice for reviewing! Happy reading!

~Luna

Ch 12: Eavesdropping

Peter and I stayed in the Enchanted Forest a lot longer than we had planned, but it was all in the sake of gaining more Lost Boys. On the next few recruitment nights, we found Devin, Alex, Marty, Nick, and countless others. Alex and Marty were adorable to say the least, even though they were both sixteen and looked like they could beat me up. They probably couldn't, but that was beside the point. Nick was only twelve and our youngest Lost Boy. He reminded me of Tootles, not only in looks but also in mannerisms and I couldn't help but have a twinge of regret every time I looked at him. Tootles was always my favorite. And Devin was... interesting. He had a mean streak that would keep him alive on Neverland, but I knew it would also get him in trouble with Peter.

Around the seventh day I was lighting the fire, the boys we had already gotten had gone back with the shadow. Seeing the familiar black streak, I followed it into the forest. Although it was nearly sunset, any form of sunlight could hurt it and make it weaker. It stopped at a rare trail, meeting up with Peter. I hid behind a tree, listening in.

"I need him, I don't care how you get him to the island, just do it," Peter ordered.

"Since your little Wendy fiasco, I cannot guarantee that any of her brothers will want to come to Neverland," the shadow looked quite exasperated for someone without facial features.

"Lie and say I need one of them in her place. It's what you're good at, aren't you?" Peter spat. "Just remember that I created you."

"Are you threatening me?" The shadow let out a low laugh. "I gave you and your special little Lost Boy immortality. Without that heart, both of you and the island will die. The hourglass is running out."

"I told you I'd find a way and I did. Now go get him so he save us," Peter said.

The shadow sent a hand into Peter's chest, no doubt grabbing at his heart. "I wonder, how many more deaths will it take until your heart is completely black? A hundred more? Or just knowing that you were powerless to save your Lost Boy?" The shadow drew his hand back out and flew away, leaving Peter to fall to his knees.

I sunk down into a sitting position, hands clutched around my own heart. Peter's was black? That couldn't be possible, we hadn't even been really that bad. We spread lies about our killings, we hunted animals, not people. Unless those people we said we killed actually had been killed by Peter. He often did like to go to off by himself, but I thought it was to his Thinking Tree, not to go kill someone.

Were we really dying? I wondered how many years we had left. Twenty? Ten? Three? I didn't want to die, I didn't want to even age another day. I looked at my hands which hadn't aged in forty years. Calloused and sunburnt, they were still small with long fingers, like a child's. Sighing, I stood back up to continue setting up the bonfire area. Secretly I hoped that if we had more boys that believed in us, we'd be able to stop the dying process.

• • •

I admit, it was nice to be back home. Felix and Rufio had moved camp to a glade farther inland, in case Hook ever decided to go back on our deal and attack us. Highly unlikely, but still anything was a possibility. On an island where time stood still, saying something was impossible is basically asking to be killed by the most unimaginable creature.

I had arrived at camp a little later than the others, stopping at Tinkerbell's to bring her some clothes that weren't homemade. But it was night, even though we had seen the sunrise on the journey across the Never Sea. Peter must be in a foul mood, not doubt it had to do with his conversation with the shadow.

I was teaching Nick how to string a bow when I saw Peter walk off into the forest, alone. I gave a half assed excuse, before following my best friend. I was getting better at sneaking around. I wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing, but it was certainly useful.

"You dropped him?" I heard Peter hiss angrily.

"He had fire," the shadow didn't sound defensive, it was just stating a fact.

I could hear Peter sighing. "You had one job. To bring him to the island unharmed and you drop him in the ocean!"

"He was never in harm's way," at that response I snickered. The Kracken, piranhas, and mermaids were just a few of the Never Sea's deadly inhabitants. "He's with the pirates."

Something hit the tree I was hiding behind with a thunk. My best guess was that Peter threw something. "Send word to Hook, we'll be taking that newly acquired cargo," he said before stalking off in my direction.

I emerged from my hiding place, intending to conduct a full scale invasion. But when Peter noticed me, he made no mention of my eavesdropping. Either he didn't know (highly unlikely) or has more important things to worry about.

"Get Felix and Rufio and go set up the boat," he ordered, not even bothering to look at me as we walked back to camp.

"Why? Don't you think the new boys need training?" I asked.

Peter stopped and stared at me, a smirk growing on his face. "I can train them. You're needed to pick up a delivery."