Remy's Pov:

"What's it like? Where you live?," Curly asked me as we finally left the secret passageway (with me being blindfolded yet again) .

"It's very…entertaining," I replied as he undid the folds at the back of my head. The cloth dropped and I opened my eyes to see very familiar trees with bright green leaves. I had to focus on my actions because I didn't want to start whooping and yelling that I was back. I couldn't let my feelings get in the way this time, I knew that. But it felt so amazing to be back. I could hear the sounds of the animals all around us, the orchestra as I had once called it. The bushes rustled gently and the sound was so calming. It was like they were all welcoming me back.

"What d'you mean, entertaining?"

"Well," I said, as we started walking on the dirt path in front, "Some of the neighbours have incredible personalities, incredible not meaning good in most cases."

He grinned. "Like who?"

I grinned back. "Well, there's the very inglorious Peggy Kehoe, who lives directly across the street from me. She has the most extensive vocabulary of swears I've ever heard. The Gardaí are up in her house all day every day, and her and her son have had the most mega-famous shouting matches ever! The woman's mouth is like a machine gun! I remember once when me and Mart –"

I cut off. I couldn't say it. Curly quickly caught on.

"It's ok," he said simply.

I cleared my throat. "Yeah, I know."

It still hurt. Just as I predicted, Martina's passing didn't rest with me. Sure the family is much more united than it was, but now it was just us three there always seemed to be an empty space in the car, at the dinner table and just at home in general.

Curly nudged me, interrupting my thoughts.

"You still haven't told me why I'm here with you! Or why you're here in the first place!"

I sighed. "Yeah, I suppose I better now."

So I started into the long scenario right from the beginning about how Peter found me at the aquarium and how he stood me up in the square. He listened intently. I decided to leave out the part about the man in the car – I was still trying to get my own head around that little incident. I involved every other little piece of information though, right up to the part where I woke up this morning after my dream.

"So you have to find the Sword of Anmil and break the links between you and us to stop us growing?," he asked after I finished.

"Yeah, but I don't know how we're going to do it. Break the links I mean. I think Raybha knows but I think she wants us to figure it out ourselves."

He frowned. "What does Peter think about all of this?"

"We haven't talked about it," I said simply. "We're both separately trying to find it, I guess. It makes things easier."

He nodded, so I didn't need to explain.

"I haven't seen him since last night," I continued. "So he's probably out looking."

We kept walking, and I was peering around looking for the slightest sign of disturbed earth or nooks and crannies.

"Where do you think it is?," he asked, breaking the silence.

"I don't know. There's a million and one places it could be hidden and I have, at the very most, a two – week deadline, so I'm not stopping the search till dark."

He nodded. "I'll stay with you."

I looked at him. "Really, you don't have to. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to come off in that way. I meant that I'll be staying out till dark, but you need your rest. I know what I'm doing."

"Why'd ya make me go with you today then?," he asked curiously.

I smiled. "I wanted a little catch – up! I haven't seen you in forever!"

You didn't just want a little catch – up. You're getting attached again.

A shiver ran down my spine. I'm not getting attached, I thought fiercely. I'm NOT.

Oh, but you are. You're doing it all over again.

Go away! I thought. I forced the voice to the very back of my mind, willing it to disappear.

You can't make me disappear. I'm a part of you.

"You aren't, " I muttered.

"I'm not what?"

I jumped, returning back to Earth. "Oh. Nothing." I looked up ahead and realised the trees were starting to thin out a lot. I frowned. This didn't seem right.

Curly noticed my reaction. "Everything grows now," he said. "Remember? We had to cut down most of the trees because they died so fast. They were falling down and so weren't safe enough to keep."

I quickened my pace and so did Curly. The wood was becoming thinner and thinner until finally we stepped out of the trees and into a huge meadow with only small clusters of trees and hardly any bush at all. There was a small niggling feeling at the back of my mind, but I couldn't pinpoint what it was. Have I been here before? I could have been the last time. But I only recognized it because of the coolness of the air, and the stillness of the trees and bush. It felt odd. Even so, my heart drooped a little. I had clearly underestimated the amount of land that had to be searched.

"So what does the Heroine of Neverland suggest we do now?"

Just as I was about to retort something out of the very corner of my eye caught my attention. Just at the edge of where the woods started again was a wriggling human, pushing forward on their stomach, looking like they were trying to keep as quiet as they could. I turned to Curly but he was already looking.

"I think that's Peter," he said, squinting. "I can't be sure."

"No, that is him," I said, squinting also. "I could recognize that brown coat a mile away. I think he's seen something."

"D'you think it could be the sword?"

My heart rose again and my eyes widened. "Oh, yes! Come on, let's find out what's going on. Just be quiet when we get to him. Whatever he's hiding from, being to do with the sword or not, I'm sure he has good reason."

So we both instantly set off in a sprint across the meadow. My heart was pumping adrenaline around my body, and I didn't need to think about breathing. This could be it. This could be my ticket home. I could make up any old thing about coming back home from "Spain" so early...

We quickly neared closer and closer till we were eventually moving very swiftly. I crouched down on the grass about ten metres behind Peter, and signalled Curly to do the same.

"Peter," I whispered.

He turned slowly and silently, not at all surprised. I guessed he might have heard us coming towards him.

"Be very, very quiet," he whispered back. "You need to come see this."

I breathed out, the suspense completely taking over me. I slowly released my crouching position and lay my legs and stomach on the ground, supporting my front with my arms. The yoga position of the cobra as I remembered it (my ma once had a yoga phase).
Curly copied me. I shrugged my body up to Peter's right, while Curly took the left. I noticed a familiar glint of silver in Peter's hand and recognized it to be his knife. Before I could say anything I heard a voice, an undoubtedly whiny voice.

"We've been looking everywhere since yesterday," it complained. "It's a miracle we even found each other again! And you're saying we have to go again?"

"Yeah, but when we do find her we can go back home! The sooner the better!," another voice retorted.

The voices were both male. There was something about them….something about this place…

"Yeah!," said yet another voice, also male. It appeared to be agreeing with the previous one. "We can't be far behind, seeing as we've found the five trees! Just like Alex said!"

I knew that name. I knew someone with that name. I knew the new voice. And suddenly, it clicked with me what was bothering me so much about this particular area. It was the very place that Peter and me had ended up when we returned to Neverland. The camp was a short walk away, about ten minutes. So that meant Curly and me and been walking around in a circle all morning. Great.

"Look, it'll be fine," said another familiar voice, clearly trying to sound reassuring. "We'll find her Sean, don't worry. No matter what it takes, we'll find her."

Oh my sweet God.

I could feel Peter staring at me.

"We don't have to hide anymore," I whispered through clenched teeth.