Jake POV

Leaving Izzy's room, I entered another to find Peter Pan, Cubby, and Skully waiting. The weight of my guilt for lying to her was still very visible and I think they could see it. However, that was only one of the reasons they were all staring at me. Peter shot me an annoyed look as if he had already decided I was up to no good in that room. Cubby looked curious, and Skully just observed with his usual skeptical expression.

"What took you so long?" Peter grumbled, crossing his arms.

"Just had to uh…..clear some things up with Izzy." I replied. The redhead raised an eyebrow, a knowing glare playing on his face.

"Clear things up, huh? Did you two finally kiss or something? Ready to start acting like grown-ups?" I blushed but then tried to hide it by rolling my eyes.

"No, Peter. It's not like that." I told him. Peter's annoyance shifted to confusion.

"Then what is the big secret!?" he demanded to know

"Yeah, what happened in there?" Cubby chimed in.

"Nothing important Cubster." I assured.

"Oh really?" Peter piped in, his legs folded in a criss-cross applesauce as he levitated. "If it's nothing important then why do you look like you're about to wet yourself?" I remained silent and only glared at him for a good long minute, making sure he knew just how fed up I was with him.

"I didn't want you to think I'm growing up too fast." I replied, blankly.

"Hilarious," Peter said, not amused one bit. "Now what is the matter with you?"

"What's the matter with me!?" I repeated, pointing to myself and then at the door that blocked us off from Izzy. "There's a girl in there who can't see, walk or remember anything. I think you should be asking her that question."

"Jake just let the cat out of the bag already! What did you say to her?" I swallowed hard and then blankly stared at the ground, using one of my hands to fiddle with the tails of my red bandana.

"It's not what I said. It's what I didn't say." I mumbled.

"Well then what…didn't you say?" Cubby asked. I lifted my head.

"Why does it matter? I didn't say it." Peter slapped his forehead.

"This is stupid," the timeless boy pouted. "Now what is it!?" I sighed, trying to find the right words.

"I….I didn't exactly….tell her the truth…." I said, as slow as possible.

"What truth?"

"Oh I don't know Peter, maybe the truth that involves her going nuts and burning down the island and me almost killing her." Peter's nosiness turned into disbelief that soon turned to frustration.

"You idiot!" the boy in green exclaimed. "Why the heck not!"

"I was afraid, okay!? I was afraid of hurting her more than I already have!" I shot back, equally irritated. "She's already been through enough because of me. I'm amazed she'd even speak to me."

"Well I'm sure she won't after you've lied to her." I crossed my arms and glared.

"Well Peter, if you're so sure of yourself, would you like to explain everything to her?" I questioned. The ginger put his hands on his hips.

"Now you know I can't do that–"

"Join the club buddy." I interrupted him.

Peter, Cubby, and Skully exchanged mixed glances. Peter's irritation morphed into a mix of frustration and concern.

"Jake…" he started with uncharacteristic gentleness. "We can't keep something like this from her. Neverland is her home as much as it is yours or Cubby's. It was hers before it was yours."

"I know, I know. But seeing her like that, vulnerable and struggling, I couldn't bring myself to add more pain." I admitted, my frustration with Peter now overshadowed by guilt.

"You're not supposed to keep secrets from a matey, matey." Skully squawked.

"Well that rule didn't seem to apply to Cubby when he refused to tell me what happened here. Or how about when Peter and Izzy kept that little secret about Morgan from all of us? Huh?" No response. Just all of them looking at the ground in silence. "Look…..I get it, Skully. I messed up," I said, rubbing my temples. "But there's more to it than just keeping secrets. Izzy deserves to know, but I need to find the right time and way to tell her without breaking her even more."

Peter sighed, realizing the gravity of the situation

"Jake…we'll figure this out, but we can't keep hiding things. Izzy deserves the truth."

"And that is what she will get," I snapped, leaving the room. "In twenty years…"

June 1

Cuppy POV

Day by day, week by week, Izzy's memory came back and she started to recall more and more of our old adventures. She would talk about all the places in Neverland we had explored as well as every game we played and the hundreds of times Hook had stolen her belongings. But her memory wasn't the only thing that was slowly getting better. We also helped her relearn how to walk. Usually Jake or I would have to carry her around in our arms (which was a tad bit embarrassing for her). But now she could stand and limp on her own-with of course a splint strapped to her leg. It may not be much but it certainly beat being bedridden for another month. And besides, she'd be walking normally in no time. Her eyesight also improved-well at least inside the darkness of the hideout. We didn't know if she was ready to take on the brightness of the outside world, a place she had not stepped foot in for so long.

Now, ironically, Jake had been avoiding Izzy as much as he could. To me, that was quite ridiculous after his never ending begging and pleading for us to rescue her. He still had not told Izzy the truth and he felt terrible about it. But I knew that somehow, sooner or later, she would find out.

We had made great progress with cleaning up the island and refurbishing it. The shrubs, bushes and palm trees had started to all grow back after we cleared the dead charcoal plants. As for the hideout, we had ridden it of all burnt wood and furniture and started to rebuild back in February. Now the summer was about to begin and we had fully completed the job. The only problem was that….we had no furniture aside from the cot we built for Izzy to sleep in and the whole place was empty. But we could always worry about that later. What mattered most was that everything was resolved. Well almost everything.

June 17

Skully POV

Jake, Peter, and Cubby were in a heated exchange about Jake needing to tell Izzy the truth. The air was thick with tension, echoing the weight of the undisclosed information hanging over them like a dark cloud.

"Tell! Her! The truth!" Peter demanded as he stomped his foot with each word. Jake, who was leaning his back against the wall, arms folded, simply sighed in response.

"Y'know…if I had a gold doubloon for the amount of times I've heard you ask me that in the past month, I'd be swimming in 'em." he said.

"Jake, you can't keep hiding this from her! She deserves to know the truth." Peter insisted, his frustration evident in the furrow of his brow.

"Yeah, matey, secrets have a way of coming back to haunt you." Cubby added, crossing his arms with a stern expression.

"Evidently so do deceased pirate girls" Jake quipped. I perched on top of a nearby plant, observing the commotion with my usual skeptical gaze. The mere mention of Morgan sent shivers down my feathers. Our leader sighed and slumped down, his head hung so the tips of his black hair partially covered his eyes. "Oh I guess you're right." he admitted, the pain in his voice nice and clear.

"Matey," the blue eyed blonde boy started. "You drove me mad until I agreed to help, you dealt with having to work with Peter, you traveled all the way to the island of the bells, you battled a real life psychotic witch! A witch who burned down our home, terrorized Neverland and threatened to end us all! And you did it all just to get a matey back. Now don't lose her again just because of a stupid ol' lie."

"Jake…" we heard a voice, a feminine voice that did not belong to any of us squeak. We all turned our heads to see Izzy had limped her way out of bed and over to eavesdrop on our conversation. There were tears swelling up in her eyes and some were falling down her cheeks. She still wore the oversized white blouse that she had tied up in a couple of places to get it to fit her. It never looked as iconic as her rosey pink shirt of purple tights. There was a wooden rod still tied to her shin and she couldn't fully support herself on it and therefore leaned on the wall a little. But what caught me the most was that even after hearing the truth, she looked the furthest thing from angry. "You…you did all that for me?" she asked. Before the boy with the red bandana could answer, Izzy tried to wobble closer to us, only to end up tripping. Cubby caught her before she hit the ground and he helped her sit down on a nearby stool. Izzy looked up at Jake despite her vision only being at 50%. "You went through all that…just for me?" she asked again in disbelief, pointing at herself. Jake looked at the ground, knowing that Izzy didn't exactly realize that "all that" was of her doing.

"Well…of course we did Iz. You're far more than a matey to me—er us." the green eyed teen explained.

"Yeah," I agreed, playfully perching on top of her head. "We'd never make it anywhere without you." Izzy giggled.

"Thanks you guys," she said, blushing heavily. Her smile quickly faded away not long after. "But…who…who was this horrible witch that did this to you all?" Peter, Cubby and I all looked over at Jake, who sighed and hung his head.

"You Iz." he blurted out. Izzy looked like she had been struck by lightning.

"Me!?" she exclaimed, bewildered.

"Yes."

"I….I-I-I don't understand!" Peter decided to step in, much to Jake's relief.

"Izzy…," he started, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Do you remember the night I fought with Morgan?" Yet another thing added to Izzy's long list of statements that made her gasp.

"Peter! We're not supposed to te—."

"They already know." the redhead cut her off.

"What are you talking about?"

Peter sighed and then began.

"Seven years ago, Neverland started to fade away. And so, I chose Jake to complee the forever quest to save it. He was successful. And Izzy, the reason I didn't choose you was because…." his voice drowned out in silence.

"Because?"

"I was too afraid you were gonna follow in Morgan's footsteps!" the green boy finally let out and it looked like it pained him to do so. Izzy only stared at him. An expression bore on her face that made her look understanding yet insulted at the same time. "You remember what she did, Izzy. You remember the consequences. I didn't wanna lose you either after an idea like that might have been planted in your head."

"Oh but you'd be ok with Jake trying to take over?" she asked, looking bitter and slightly offended.

"I didn't think he'd do such a thing, he's not like Morgan. He never knew her. He never even heard of her Especially after you and I kept her demise a secret for so long." Peter explained.

"Alright but that doesn't explain why my leg is broken or who did this to all of us." Izzy bewailed.

"Izzy...after I completed the forever quest and Neverland was saved, Peter offered me the chance to leave Neverland and go explore the lands beyond the Neverseas and…I said yes. I knew it was wrong but I also knew you guys may have felt guilty if I didn't go. And from what I hear, after you, Cubby and Skully went back to Pirate Island, you caught Captain Hook trying to break open our treasure chest…"

"And then what happened?" Izzy asked. Jake looked like a needle would stick into him if he continued to speak, but on he pressed.

"You gave yourself up as slaves to him as long as he promised to keep away from the island. And from what Cubby has told me, he put you through heck's fire. And I….I don't wanna tell you what he did exactly." Izzy hung her head.

"I don't think I wanna know," she said, but then lifted her head to look at Peter. "But how does Morgan play into all of this? Or me?"

"Iz, a few days after I left and after you and Cubby moved onto the Jolly Roger, Morgan's spirit returned to Neverland. And it was such a threat that it killed off some of its magic and made us begin to age. That's why we are how old we are now. But now that she's gone I don't think we'll have to worry about growing up anymore," the raven haired teen swallowed hard and then continued. "Well, six years later, you and Cubby finally escaped the Jolly Roger, and came back home ... .only to discover that our treasure chest had been stolen..for real this time," he paused, waiting for a teary reaction from her but strangely enough..one never came. Izzy only remained silent and waited for him to continue. "Aaaand then after that, you and Cubby went to take Bucky sailing one day and you lost him in a hurricane. He's gone for good Iz," We waited for her to bawl her eyes out, but still…nothing. "And then..I don't know how but sometime between all of that..Morgan's spirit came into your head and your head only. It started to follow you everywhere you went and I guess it would do everything in its power to make you feel so broken and so unloved that one night, you ended up letting it in and…and it took over you. It made you evil. A monster. It even made you burn down pirate island. Everyone else in Neverland mistook this as an act of insanity and they had you exiled to the Island of the Bells. But then Peter and I eventually did come back and reunited with Cubby. And then we used a special flower called the 'Forever Flower' to cure you! But…you didn't exactly wanna cooperate at first. And.. you and I may have gotten into a little fight and let's just say that's how you got all those injuries."

Izzy still remained as quiet as a mouse as she took everything in. If there was a window in her forehead you could watch the wheels go 'round in her head as she contemplated all that had been said to her. We didn't know if this would change her perspective of Jake or Peter but we sure hoped it didn't. And after about five minutes she finally spoke.

"After hearing that I'm glad I don't remember any of it." she said.

"A-are you just furious at me? Are you mad?" Jake asked. "Can you ever forgive me!?" he pleaded desperately, putting his hands on her shoulders.

"Of course I'm mad," she said despite being very composed as she said that. "But Jake…I should be asking you if you can forgive me!" she exclaimed. And then, the longly awaited tears arrived. Izzy began to sob heavily as she let herself fall forward onto the blue vested teen, who just tightly hugged her as he shed a few tears himself. His tears however, were tears of joy and relief. It warmed my little birdy heart. The lass hid her face in Jake's shirt and sobbed "I'm so sorry" over and over again.

"I'm sorry too Iz," our leader said as he gently patted her back. "But it doesn't matter now, it's all in the past," he assured before sitting her reached into a pocket in his midnight blue vest. My little eyes widened as I noticed him pulling out a familiar pouch – Izzy's pouch of pixie dust that she had lost a long time ago. "I think this belongs to you." Jake said softly, his voice a mixture of remorse and hope. He gently placed the pouch around Izzy's neck, the tiny, glimmering specks of dust catching the dim light. Izzy's hand instinctively went to touch the pouch, her eyes widening in disbelief.

"My pixie dust…..where did you…how did you…..," she uttered, her voice trembling with a blend of surprise and joy. Her fingers gently caressed the pouch, and as reality sank in, tears streamed down her cheeks. Overcome with emotion, she leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his neck in a tight embrace. The room echoed with the sound of her tears, a mixture of joy, relief, and the weight of the past lifting off her shoulders. "T-t-thank y-you." we heard her quiver. Even from my perch on a nearby plant, I could sense the relief in the air. Jake, though visibly moved, managed a tender smile as he returned Izzy's hug. And then, in a sweet, spontaneous gesture, Izzy pulled back, her tear-streaked face breaking into a radiant smile. She leaned in and placed a light, grateful kiss on Jake's cheek, making him blush red. It was a gesture that spoke volumes, a silent acknowledgment of forgiveness, and understanding.

"Ah it was nothin' Iz," the teen said as he stood up. "C'mon you guys, we're gonna go outside." he said. Izzy's face immediately lit up. Rightfully so, she had been bedridden for so long and hadn't stepped outside in months. She was about to dash outside, forgetting that she could only walk so fast. She fell once again, but Jake and Cubby caught her, each putting one of her arms over their shoulders and carrying her out. (Both lads towered over her and her feet could barely touch the ground). Peter and I flew behind and outside of the hideout.

After the emotional rollercoaster in the hideout, we finally made our way outside into the warm summer air of the golden hour. The turquoise waters sparkled under the radiant setting sun, casting a shimmering glow across the sandy beach. The palm trees did not rustle for there was no breeze. Just the soothing sound of the waves lapping on the sand. As we stepped onto the beach, Jake and Cubby continued supporting Izzy, ensuring she didn't stumble in her eagerness to be outside after months of being inside. The sun began its descent, painting the sky with hues of orange, pink, and purple. It was a breathtaking sight that truly showed the beauty of our magical secret world of Neverland.

I perched on Jake's shoulder, my small feathers ruffled by the gentle breeze. The atmosphere was charged with a mix of relief, joy, and the lingering weight of the past slowly lifting from our shoulders. Izzy, despite her recent revelations, wore a smile as she took in the beauty of the sunset.

"I'd never thought I'd see this beach again." she remarked, her voice carrying a blend of gratitude and nostalgia. Jake and Cubby exchanged a glance, sharing in Izzy's sentiment. Peter and I hovered nearby, absorbing the serene atmosphere.

"Good to be home huh Izzy?" the blonde boy asked. The pirate girl nodded in response, not taking her eyes off the view. Then, breaking the tranquil moment, Peter Pan spoke up.

"Speaking of homes, I reckon it's time for me to head back to my own," he said. A hush fell over us as we turned to look at Peter, the golden sunlight casting a warm glow on his familiar green attire.

This moment began to remind me of the day Peter had come to visit us all those years ago. The four of us might have tried a little too hard to impress him but it didn't matter when we had to help him get his shadow back. And when that day ended, the time came for both him and the sun to leave, and we knew that both would return. A real bittersweet moment that day was. But now that we were reliving it so many years later, I think we are all relieved that our adventure was finally over because oh, what an adventure that was.

"Well mateys," Peter addressed, as he shot up a few feet into the air. "This is surely an adventure that I will never forget! But every story has its own chapter, and it's time for me to turn the page,"

With those words, Peter Pan spread his arms as if they were wings, the vibrant hues of the sunset casting a warm glow on him. "And remember if you need me, I'm just a rooster crow away!" He took flight, soaring into the sky, just a silhouette against the bright canvas.

"Take care, Peter!" Jake called out, his voice filled with a mix of gratitude and a pinch of sadness to see him go. The rest of us joined in, bidding farewell to our fearless leader.

"COCK-A-DOODLE-DO!" we heard Peter let out one last time before he had fully disappeared into the horizon on his way back to his own island of Neverland. We stood in silence, watching the last rays of sunlight disappear beyond the waves. The realization sunk in that this chapter of our adventure was closing, but I can't think of a better way for it to do so. Izzy was back. Jake was back. I was even back from Skybird Island. We were all back home on our beloved Pirate Island. And right here is where we were going to stay.

To Be Continued...One Last Time

AN: Ohhh, this seems like a perfect ending to the story. What could the next chapter possible be about? :)