AN: Hi lovelies! Guess who's back? This chapter took forever and a day to write but I actually love the last scene. I won't be updating this week as I'm going to a summer camp but I'll try to update as soon as I get back! As always, review to tell me what you think!

Thanks to Cheshire's Ace for favoriting, zamzym for favoriting/following, to sacco and Kagome Echizen Fan for following. Also special thanks to Amelia-bella1, Guest, Blaze, and Alice for reviewing! To Blaze, thank you for all the kind praise and I'm glad you're happy (also you're amazing and I'm so sorry for the in update response I have no other way to contact you)

PLEASE READ: I have a while before the scheduled end of this story and not nearly enough ideas, so I was wondering if there is anything you would like to read, I'm open to suggestions. Just PM me or leave it in a review! Happy reading!

~Luna

Chapter 18: Hammocks

The search continued for two months. Not as many were sent out that first week, but enough to where we were barely getting enough food to eat. I could see our faces growing thinner, our bodies rebelling against the lack nutrition and degrading our muscles. Even Felix was abnormally thin and he didn't have any extra pounds to spare.

Peter was affected as well. More and more dangerousthings would appear on Neverland each passing day. Boys were dropping like flies and the shadow was sent out to different realms nearly every day to bring more. We had to send the ones from Wonderland back, as most of them were adamant that they weren't Lost, they had just "Taken a wrong turn, thank you very much. Now if you will kindly point me to Queast or Snugg I will be on my way, bless you." They wouldn't have lasted long anyways.

After the end of the second month, Peter called an end to the search. We were tired, emaciated, and running on nothing but sheer willpower. We had become animalistic, the slightest hint of discontent being blown into anger. Suspicious of everyone and everything. Peter hadn't gotten much sleep, the only times he did were when I sat on top of him and refused to move until he fell asleep.

After the manhunt a sense of normalcy fell back onto the island. I don't understand why we spent so much time looking for Baelfire, but I'm glad it was over. The kid could die on the island or escape to die by pirates, I couldn't bring myself to care. He had caused my boys enough pain. He had just accelerated Peter's descent into darkness and I couldn't forgive that.

Peter had grown darker since the search started and was steadily getting worse. Our "games" were harsher, arrows being laced with Dreamshade and pranks involving mutilation of other boys. At that point in time, nearly half of the boys were missing at least two fingers, and there were about ten that had lost three. Neverland was never going back to what it once was. We were all too- dare I say it- grown up for the kind of childish magic that had once been the heart of the island.

•••

It was the first time I had used actual magic. Not flying, not Neverland's special kind where anyone could imagine anything, just pure magic.

I wish I could say that it was a fabulous occasion and everyone cheered. Truth is, it was just Peter and I hunting (Since we had gotten together, any hunting parties with us had to be four or more people) and we were fighting. I'm certain all of Neverland and parts of the Enchanted Forest could hear us. I don't remember why we started fighting, but it did end up with him standing over me.

"Get away," he snarled.

This cued an eye roll from me. "Or what? You'll exile me? You'll torture me? We both know that you could never do anything like that."

I ducked underneath him to turn around, walking away. "You need me, thing is, I don't need you."

I could never figure out if I believed what I had just said. The truth, like all things, was distorted on Neverland. If you were around a particular lie enough, you would begin to see it as truth. If you believe in that truth or lie, then it becomes a part of you, something regarded as fact.

"And you actually believe that?" He laughed. "You believe that I need you? I already have everything, you're just icing on the cake."

I whirled around and marched right back to him, dagger against his throat. "Take it back."

"Make me."

I didn't notice that my dagger was glowing with heat. I saw something change in his expression. It was softer and less guarded. No doubt the return of the Peter I once knew. His actual smile brought me out of my rage to realize I was holding a burning item that was trying to sear my palms off. Squawking, I dropped the dagger. Peter picked it up, turning it over in his hands as if it wasn't like molten flame.

"I'm impressed," he said. "No really, I expected magic but not to this degree. Bad form on my part."

I stood in shock, trying to decide whether to have him teach me more or to kill him. "That was all...?"

"All to get you to use magic?" He smirked. "Yes, emotional magic is the easiest at first."

"And those things you said..." I trailed off once again.

"False," he actually looked confused for once, an emotion I'm not used to seeing on him and one he's probably not used to feeling. "I don't need you, per say, but I do think I might love you."

What? I blinked and then I blinked twice more. What the hell? He didn't love me... We're still children and children are heartless creatures...

"Nibs it's not as if I proposed," he came closer. "You can't possibly think too hard on-"

"No!" I shouted, a ring of red colored light shooting out from my chest. It blew Peter back against a tree.

I didn't know what else to do, I ran as far as I could. I only stopped at camp, ignoring Felix's raised eyebrow and Rufio's blunt question about what happened. Up the treehouse I went and I did not even think straight until I was lying in Peter's hammock. I stroked the threadbare sides. I always ended up climbing in with him at night, mostly when I was unawares. He'd sigh, make room, and then close his arms around me. At that moment, I tried to pull the sides closer around me.

He couldn't love me. There was so much darkness all around us, no one could love another in this environment. Everything was against loving, instead keeping your mind occupied on where you stood in the food chain. Although, we were true loves. The time I had used the pixie dust seemed a forever ago, but pixie dust never lies. Could true love change over time? Could one of the pair become absolutely heartless, or could it just die? I knew I loved him. I just didn't know if he believed that he loved me or was just trying to name an unfamiliar emotion.

After what felt like years, Peter strode into the house. I immediately turned towards the wall. The scrape of the stool being dragged and then a low sigh from Peter told me that he was right next to the hammock.

"This is my bed," he joked. "You're acting like a child."

He sighed. "I do love you. It's not an I think or a might anymore. Just accept it and move on with your life."

I turned around to face him. "Do you believe that? Don't lie to me, or I will string you up on Hangman's Tree."

"I do," he leaned down closer to my face, our lips almost touching. "I'd like to see you try."

"It wouldn't be too hard," I manage to say.

I scoot over in the hammock and he joins me, once again resuming our nightly position. He pressed a kiss to my forehead before I begin to worry again.

"You promise you believe it?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

He linked his pinkie with mine before lacing our fingers together. "Of course."