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In the swirl of passion	By : Lywhn Category: M through R > Peter Pan > Het Views: 35043 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Peter Pan, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
Chapter 5 – Not a prank

“This damn pirate! How could he? You’re just a girl!” John was outraged, running back and forth before his silent sister and cleaned his spectacles for the third time.
Wendy rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on, John! I haven’t been harmed and what do you mean by the comment ‘you’re just a girl’? You know that I don’t like this kind of speech.”
“He is right, Wendy”, Michael broke in. “Hook had kidnapped you the second time, taking you to a place you are loathing and hold you prisoner for a whole night. He thinks of himself as a gentleman. Which gentleman would capture a mere young lady, bring her into a stinking ruin and threaten the most grisliest things to do to her?”
The girl jerked a little bit, trying to suppress the urge to defend the pirate-captain. “He hadn’t threaten me with anything”, she corrected as calm as possible. “He only confined me and let one of his pirates guarding me – his mistake!” she smirked and begged James inwardly for forgiveness for this new lie about him.
“She is the most clever girl I knew”, Peter smiled proudly and laid a hand on one of her shoulders. “She had tricked the old codfish not one, but three times!”
“He must be furious by now!” Curly giggled and one of the new Lost Boys – Piper – added laughing: “With other words: he is in his normal state!”
The most of the boys broke out into laughter.
Wendy lowered her gaze. Had it really been since the day before yesterday she had thought about James the same way? And why – what the heck? – did she still think of him as James and not as Hook? She had decided that last night would be an one-night-stand and that she would never let him near her again the way he had. Despising the fact that he was an incredible lover (and from where came this thought?) he was still a dangerous pirate, who hunted her friends and her brothers – and he would be after her without any doubt. And she knew that he was angry with her for her anew escape. If he would catch her this time, she anticipated that she would have to experience why he was so dreaded by even the other pirates. So it was ‘Hook’ again, right? Right!
“Never the less, he scared you”, Peter cut into her thought.
“Not so much”, she murmured and the eternal boy gave her a smile.
“I know that you are very brave, Wendy. We all know this. But this time you have been really afraid. I saw your tears as I found you during your run-away from the Black Castle. This has gone too far. Hook has to pay for it!”
John nodded. “I have the same opinion. He kid-napped my sister, scared her and I are convinced that he had taken pleasure out of it. He is a sadist. He has to get a damp!”
Approvingly shouts from the other boys sounded through the secret hide-out deep beneath the Neverland-Tree, where Peter had moved his belongings after Hook had found the old one at that time four years ago. The cave was bigger than the old one, gave room for all the boys and two separate chambers for Peter and Wendy. Even a kind of kitchen was in one edge and the playing area was big enough to even let them play football, if they wanted to. The two treasure chests that had Peter once stolen from the Jolly Roger – only to anger Hook, he self had no usage for them – stood in another edge. The great table and the chairs had been moved in the new hide-out as well as Peters throne. The Indians had been a really help in the whole process and that not only to carry the heavy furniture. They gave the boy shelter while his old hide-out wasn’t a secret anymore and Hook tried everything to hunt him down. For several days there had been no place at the whole island where the pirate hadn’t located him and the boy had been nearly thronged into the edge, saved one time only by his Indian friends, which had come to his rescue the very last second. Peter didn’t think often at this times anymore; his careless mind repressed unlucky things that happened. But in moments like this one he remember very well the distress the pirate-captain had brought to him.
“We could bore a hole in the Jolly Roger. Than the ship will sink!” Tootles cried, but got a clout from Nibs.
“Great idea! And then he will be at the island the whole time! No, thank you very much!”
“Or we could cut the rails of sails. He will have a whole hand and hook to do to repair them!” Jump-Jump – another new Lost Boy – grinned.
“No. He would only send his men in the masts and riggings to do it”, John thought loud. “No, it must be something that is especially for him inconvenienced. Something that will teach him never to hassle and scare Wendy again!”
The girl folded her arms before her chest, getting more nervous by any minute. “John, stop this nonsense. There will come no good out of it. Nothing had happened to me. He neither hurt me nor really threaten me – what he had could do the last night. But he didn’t. I don’t see why…”
“Why do you defend him?” Peter asked, his eyes narrowing. “Have I to remember you that he made you walk the plank? That he wanted to kill you?”
Wendy knew that she was walking on thin ice, but she couldn’t go back now. “No, you don’t have to remember me, Peter. But you and the other want to make him pay for something he didn’t do!”
Michael made a face. “He did enough to all of us to earn a painful end in the belly of the croc. Unfortunately he escaped, but what the croc hadn’t manage we could do.”
Wendy whirled around, ignored the stab pain in her heart and belly by the mere thought of James could be killed. With a stern look she fixed her little brother. “Michael Darling! This is not a game you are speaking of! It’s murder! I will never allowing that my brother turned into a killer!” Her voice was hart and angry, her eyes warned the boy not to protest.
“Heavens, Wendy, he had only made a joke!” Slightly helped the youngest of the Darling-sons.
“Why you are so queerly?” Nibs asked.
The girl sighed, feeling the eyes of the whole boy-gang upon her and shrugged her shoulders. “I am just tired. That’s all.” And that she really was. It was not only the lack of sleep the last night but the wine as well. She was not used to drink alcohol and the two glasses had a not so good effect on her now. She felt a little bit dizzy and slightly sick to the stomach. ‘Wendy Darling, you really have lost it!’ she thought to herself. ‘First you give yourself to a man – a pirate! – and then you have a hangover as well. Aunt Millicent and Father would be outraged!’
“Of course, you are tired”, Peter said with surprisingly understanding, what wasn’t the most typical thing for him. “You surely haven’t slept very much last night.”
Wendy tried everything not to blush. How right Peter was, even when his thoughts went in the wrong direction. To say the truth she and James had slept for three or four hours – if ever.
“Lay down!” Curley said. “We will be quiet and playing outside so that you can rest.”
“Do you want to have some breakfast first?” John inquired.
Wendy shook her head. “No, thank you.”
“You hadn’t eat very much yesterday and I don’t think Hook was no nice to give some foot”, Peter remarket with the slightest bit of worry.
“I have yesterday eaten enough and during my… stay at the Black Castle he ordered to give me something to drink as well as something to eat.”
Michael starred unbelievable at her. “Really? I thought him too cruel to…”
“As you said short while ago, I am almost a young lady. Hook sees that the same way, I think. And he knows how to behave in front of a lady.”
Peter chuckled. “You and a lady. I see it before me: you with a great hat, tight dress, a parasol and then strutting through the world.”
By this even Wendy had to laugh. “No, never!”
The boys twinkled to each other.
“All right, good night then.” John said and strode to the ladder that led above to the ground of the forests. The other boys followed him, mumbling greetings to her.
Peter looked one time back. “Wendy?”
She turned to him and cocked her head. “Yes?”
“I am glad that you didn’t get harmed. But Hook will pay for it. Be sure of it!”
With this he left as well and Wendy threw her arms around her. Of course Hook had earned to get a payback. Even if the night had been almost magical, but he had destroyed her future and he was still a mortal enemy to Peter, hunted him like an animal. But why did she feel so bad about it? Why was there the strange urge to warn him?

Smee watched his captain very carefully, didn’t know what he had to think about his mood. He knew this man for an eternity now, had followed him loyal and with a kind of sympathy even he couldn’t understand. Hook could be in bad moods – in very bad moods what made it dangerous to come near him – but also he could be in good moods, drinking together with him, talked and even played cards. Sometimes he seemed sad – a mourn that hadn’t anything to do with the lose of his right hand. Other times he was jovially, showed a blink of the man he had once been. But today nothing of all this fitted.
He had picked-up the captain at the Black Castle around 10 o’clock, found him waiting at the levy in the catacombs. He seemed restless at first, didn’t say very much and while Smee, Billy Jukes, Cecco and Robert Mullins rowed him back to the Jolly Roger he had been absorbed in thoughts; his eyes shining sometimes in a warm light – almost dreamingly – and then angrily. He had only ordered to make the longboats ready and that they will go ashore in the afternoon. No comments, no further words.
And now he sat in his bathtub, drank a glass tea and starred wordless to nowhere. An odd dreamily expression laid on his face, twisted suddenly to fret.
“I can’t believe it”, he mumbled. “Scooting away and let me back like a fool. And that after…” He sighed heavily and met the gaze of his boatswain.
The old Irishman bit his lips. “What is it, Cap’n? Who had angered you? Pan?”
Hook shook slowly his head. “No. Not the brat this time.” He seemed to listen into himself and shook bewildered his head. “And I am not so angry as I should be. In the moment. Maybe it changed when I get her again!” He sipped at his tea. “She’ll be sorry if she dare to fight me then!”
Smee knew instantly of whom his captain spoke. He had seen the gazes Hook had given the girl as the men took her captive two days ago; and his barley dressed state, as Pan had come to rescue her, had said enough. From somewhere he seemed to remember that Hook was a very passionate man, had women in almost every harbour in the Caribbean Sea. And Wendy Darling had grown into right the beauty. Of course she would wake his interest, had even done it, as she was a pure child. And then it was clear, why the captain had staid at the Black Castle last night and what his comments have to mean. He had catch the girl last day and Smee was sure about what happened during the last hours – including, that she had escaped him once more.
The old boatswain suppressed a smile. She had courage to fool the captain again. He had to respect that. And he simply knew that the captain felt the same; that her resolve against him was a challenge he loved.
“Where do you start to search for her, Cap’n?” he asked outright.
Hook sneered. “As yesterday. I…” He stopped and saw sharp to Smee. “What do you mean by ‘her’?”
The Irishman just grinned. “Cap’n, I maybe an old man, but I am not a complete fool. I see when a man had a good night-stand with a lass. And you, if you forgive me my directness Sir, looking exactly like this.”
For a long second Hook had to smile. There were moments, when Smee seemed to change back into the man he knew from earlier times, even if this memories were only a black swirl of irritating pictures and voices, which he couldn’t really caught.
“Besides, the scratches on your back don’t looking as you have streaked a hard branch; more like a tiger had tried to embrace you.”
Hook looked down in the water and the remaining lather and smirked. A wicked gleam sparkled in his eyes as he remembered her wildness first and then her shocked reaction as she discovered the vestiges her passion had left on him. “Aye, a hell of a wildcat, to say the truth.”
Smee started to giggle. “She must be quiet a fiercely one, seeing how careful you sit down.”
Hook glared at him. “Smee! That went too far!”
“Sorry, Sir!” The old boatswain smiled sheepishly, but his pale eyes behind the spectacles were laughing. “So you want to catch her again?” he asked.
Hook nodded. “I will! And I will take care that she could not run away again. And if I have to chain her up.” He knew exactly that this would be the most wrong way to handle this girl, but if there was no other possibility to keep her: all right. He had practically given her a choice last night and regarding her decision he was ready to resort to take drastic measures.
He wanted her beside him, even against her will. He wanted to have her any time the desire for her demanded it. He wanted to break down her resistance and to ravish her over and over again until she wouldn’t want to leave ever again. He had thought that after one night he would have her out of his systems. He had been wrong. Even after the long hours of lovemaking until they both were almost unable to move, he still longed for her. And he knew that it would take many more nights before he would have enough from her – perhaps. She was too tempting, too vivid and passionate not to wake his yearning again. The memories of her luscious lips, her taste, her soft body and her moans threaten to cloud his mind again and even if he really was a little sore his shaft had another idea than resting. Heat shoot through his being by the imagination of the girl over there on his bed, maybe bound and defenceless for once, but with flagging resisting and awakening hunger for him.
“Where you want to start for searching her?”
Smee’s question startled him, but he was grateful for the distraction. Some daydreams more and to slip back into breeches would have been very painful for him.
“We will row to the island in the afternoon. I think we starting at the east side near the cliffs of Pirate Cove and the lagoon of the mermaids. From there we will spread through whole Neverland. Pan and the others will altogether then outside to play their childish games and...” He stopped, his eyes had seen something at the margin of his view. “What the hell?” He saw a golden light flying away and cursed. “Blasted fairy! She always sneaked upon us to warn her dear Peter!” His voice was heavy with mockery.
Smee looked after the tiny creature, heading back to the island like a glistening spark. He would never admit it to Hook or his comrades, but he liked fairies. As an Irishman he had grown-up with the stories of the Little People – fairies, goblins, elves and gremlins – and to learn that they were real here, had made him almost happy. Neverland wasn’t that bad as his captain often thought, but of course the two men saw this from opposite points of view.
Hook emptied his tea and reached the glass to his adjutant. “Lay out my dark coat and breeches. We will go for hunt.”
“For a wildcat!” Smee nodded, ignored the irritated gaze of his captain and went to the wardrobe to fetch the clothes.

“THAT is your plan?” Wendy looked flabbergasted between Peter, John and the other boys back and forth. “Are you crazy?”
The early afternoon-sun sent its rays through the leaves of the jungle and some daring mosquitoes flied around them, expelled by Tinker Bell.
The eternally boy only grinned. “Tink eavesdropped Hook and Smee this morning. He wants to visit the Island in the afternoon and will be rowed to cliffs near the lagoon of the mermaids. And there we will be waiting for him. We make the longboats loose and pull them out on the sea. Hook has to possibilities then: Swimming or climbing the cliffs and walking through the whole island back to the Black Castle to have a root over his head for the night.”
“You mean, his men will swim to the boat, while he stands at the cliffs and waiting for their return.” Wendy corrected him.
“And there come we!” Michael grinned proud.
“We will take care that he WILL take a bath!” Nibs giggled.
“Even he had done it in the morning.”
“In his bathtub!” the twins grinned.
“I can imagine it: Hook with a frilled bath cap and a sponge…“ Peter laughed.
“And singing ‘Rolling home’”, added Curley.
The whole gang broke into laughter, even Wendy had to chuckle at this. And to let Hook taking an involuntary bath wasn’t really that bad and would do him no harm – only his ego, what was big enough. “And how you are going to ‘help’ him to a bath?” she asked.
Peter smiled secretly at her. “That we won’t tell exactly. We have worked the whole day on it while you were sleeping.”
Something in his voice and in the way his eyes were looking alarmed Wendy. She knew Peter well enough to see when he was up to a nasty thing. Her calmness vanished. There was more beyond the plan – and it would be no good. Careful she hided her worry, decided that to stay near the whole coming mess would be the best and gave the boys an encouraging smile. “What are we waiting for?”
Sheering the boys starting to fly, tracking her belong them. Wendy’s heart pounded in her chest tore between warning James and simply waiting what would happen.

Short time later they reached the lagoon of the mermaids and from there to the cliffs and the great caves the sea had washed out during the times. The rocks glimmering in ocher and red; some of them were smooth, other ones were rough, offering sea birds possibilities to build their homes on them. Dark or light loders stretched through the stones, showing the different layers in which the island had been risen out of the oceans at the begin of time. Some rocks had been washed out in a way they were nothing more than natural bridges in the waves. Some of the caves in the cliffs had holes in their roofs, allowed sunrays to break through and let the waves glisten. Other caves ended in wahsed ashor sand – a perfect hide-out for a rendezvous. The brawl of the waves echoed in steady rhythm from the walls. The air was salty and fresh, but still warm from the never-ending summer of this mystical land.
Peter headed to one of the greater caverns, the other boys and Wendy following him. He pointed to a natural path that reached into the water, ending abruptly. “Curley, Nibs, Piper? You will waiting outside and will watch when if they are coming or not. When you’ll see them give me a sign. John, Twins, Jump-Jump, Tootles? Take position at the path. Be ready to slice the ropes but don’t show yourself until your job has been done! The rest of you hiding around here, ready to divert the pirates. But remember!” He lifted one forefinger.
The boys nodded. “Hook has to be left to you!”
Peter grinned. “Good luck!”
The boys parted as ordered, while Peter took Wendy’s Hand. “Come on, I show you a place where you are save, but have a good view over the whole spectacle!”
With a queasy feeling she fallowed him, her nervousness built up. Something was wrong. She guessed that it was more than a joke what Peter had in mind.
The eternal boy led her to an alcove above the path and gestured to sit down and to be silent. Then he flew away, his face full of exciting joy and happy expectation.
Wendy bent forward and looked carefully beneath her. It was very dark, only some small holes in the roof of the cavern ensured for a dim light. But never the less she could see not very much. Only that the path came out of another small cavity. Several lose bigger stones laid in the way and the ground was sow with grit. Deep in the shadows she meant to see something but she couldn’t really revealing, what it might could be.
The minutes past by and Peter was nearly to lost patient, as Piper flew inside the cave. “They are coming!” he shouted.
Peters face lighted up. “How many?”
“Three longboats, full of pirates. Hook is in the first!”
“Great!” the eternal boy triumphed, lifted his panpipe to his lips and gave a signal. Instantly the boys, who had the task to deflect Hook’s men flew out of the cave, pretending to not see the buccaneers. Peter was directly behind them, talking with Slightly.
And then everything was like a perfect, well-studied theatre performance. One of the Lost Boy simulated to see the pirates just now, gave an alarm-shout and the other one grew stiff in the air – only to pretend to get panicky, flying jumbled until Peter ordered loud to flee to the caves and to seek shelter. The boys rushed back, Peter was the rearguard.

Hook looked up as he heard the voices of the Lost Boys and starred astounds at the children. Then he saw Peter and his eyes narrowed with a dangerous gleam. Even if he was primarily after Wendy in the moment, but Pan wasn’t out of question! And as he heard Peter’s order to flee to the great cavern behind himself and his friends, Hook had to smirk. He knew the cliffs and caverns very well and from this one was no escape. It had only one entrance and the holes in the ceiling were too small – even for the boys.
And if he could catch some of the Lost Boys and Pan, Wendy would come! There was no doubt that she would try everything to save them. Maybe he could blackmail her.
“Brutes! After them and quick, if you would be so kind!” he shouted, his hand grope for the pistol and closed then around the sword-handle. This time he would get this flying pest – and with luck the girl as well. Otherwise he would force her to come to him in exchange for the life of the boys – excepting Pan’s of course!

Peter grinned in victory. Hook reacted exactly as he had planned. It really was an advantage for him that he knew his enemy so well. He reached the cavern behind his friends and flew straight to the path, gestured to the other boys to pretend to break through the holes in the ceiling.
The boys gave a good show. As the pirates arrived they saw and heard the children shouting in fright and grinned to each other. Only Hook was calm and climbed at first at land, barley the boat dug at the rocky path. “Blocked the entrance! Let no-one escape!” he commanded while his eyes searched for his foe: the eternal boy.
Finally he saw him, standing at one of the rocks, looking up to his friends. He whirled around as Hook approached him, his eyes widening.
“You are in deep water, boy!” the pirate-captain growled with a voice that just for a moment Peter really daunted. But he found quick his self-confidence again, stemmed his fist in the hips and gave Hook this particular grin from which he knew it infuriate the buccaneer the most. “No. But I think you will it be very soon!”
Slowly, almost as if he would enjoy it, Hook pulled out his sword, pointing it at the small chest of the boy. “Ever so cocky and ready to make jokes, aren’t you Peter? Maybe you will learn today the difference between a joke and harsh reality – only if it will last for not more than several seconds.”
Peter yanked his knife out, lifted it in challenging. “Maybe you are the one, who will interchanged it!”
The angry shouts and curses of the pirates steered Hook’s attention to his men, spitting a wild malediction as he saw what irritated his crewmembers so much. From everywhere came Lost Boys and not only these who had been at the ceiling a moment ago. There were more – a lot more. The whole gang to be precise. And they all stormed down on the buccaneers and their longboats. The pirates, who had already left the boats, were detained to returned to their comrades, while the boys tackled the remaining men in the boats in the waters. One of the boats was already pulled out of the sea and suddenly Hook knew what the intention was.
“Watch out!” he shouted. “They want to leave us without our boats!”
He threw a glare full of hate and loathing at the wide grinning eternal boy and turned to help his men. Even he felt not the desire to spend a night in this cave.
Peter knew that with Hook’s interference the whole plan could fail. So he flew up and raced to the pirate-captain, ready to attack – even from behind.
A shrill scream clang through the cavern, warning and scared in one.
Alarmed Hook whirled around and blocked the knife with his sword only millimetres before his chest.
“Dirty little rat! Have you turned in a coward?” he snarled, his eyes narrowing.
Peter stared in defiance back. “It was you, who changed the rules. You had come to my home and try to murder me in sleep! You are the one who kidnapped a defenceless girl! You are nothing more than a ranking wimp!”
That did it. With an outrage cry the pirate-captain attacked, his sword clashed down on Peter’s knife, almost beat it out of his hand. For several moments they exchanged blows until the boy mad a flip-flop backwards, enticing his mortal enemy to fallow him.
“Captain, our boats!” Smee called. “They are all out of the sea!”
“Then fetch them, idiots!” His full attention was only on Pan; the rage laid a red haze over his vision. God, how much he hated that boy, who didn’t seemed to know anything about life and decency, seeing in the whole world a play-ground and played with other ones like they existed only for his pleasure. He was careless and free, without any duties or worries – something, Hook had never had his whole life. And the worst matter was, that the boy didn’t even realizing the liberty he had.
Peter watched alertly the movements of his foe. Of course he had to nettle him to make sure that the buccaneer would fallow him, but on the other hand Hook could be very dangerous in this state. It wouldn’t be the first time that the pirate would hurt him when he was so outraged like this. He tried to block the powerful blows of the captain and to stay out of the reach of his sharp, deadly hook but this wasn’t so easily this time. Suddenly he felt the rough wall of the cavern at his back and ducked in the last moment, holding the sword with his knife on distance with all his strength. Hook’s eyes bored into his.
“You are a fool, Pan!” the pirate-captain hissed. “She isn’t a defenceless girl. She never was!” He lifted his hook and brought it down.
Peter shifted his head in the very last second, feeling splinters of the rock squirting.
“She is a helpless little girl and you take your joy in scaring her!” he spat back.
Hook gave him an evil grin. “And you are blind as well, boy! She isn’t a ‘little girl’ anymore! She is a young woman – a woman, which could be never satisfied by a child!” He tore his hook out of the rock and hit after Peter, who wriggled himself free, his crystal blue eyes blazing by now.
“You have missed your chance!” Hook continued, striking after the boy again. “She is lost for you now!”
Peter shook his head, this time too angry to be hurt by the words of the pirate. “This time I will not fall for your malice. Everything you say is a lie – had been and will ever been!”
A cruel smile played around Hook’s lips. “Maybe you are too parochial to see the truth!”
The eternal boys started to laugh. “It’s really funny. Everything you threw me at the head fits perfectly to yourself!”
Behind them the noised of fight, fury and laughter grew up, some low splashed showed that the boys had been successful again in throwing some of the pirates in the water.
“After the boats with you and don’t dare to return without them!” Hook shouted over his shoulder, following Peter deeper in the backward part of the cavern. He would get the boy – now!
Peter flew in short distance above the ground, his laughter and teasing set Hook in even wilder rage until the boy landed graceful on one of the big stones, put his knife away and smiled at him.
The captain knew Pan too well and stopped dead in his tracks, anticipated that something was wrong. “What is it, boy? Tired?” he taunted.
Peter only grinned. “No. But I think someone is even more vivid than me in this moment – regarding how long she had slept and rested.”
By the word ‘she’ Hook was alarmed. It was clear, that his foe didn’t mean Wendy. No. ‘She’ had been a kind of name for his living nightmare, the giant crocodile that had hunted him for an eternity. But then he almost had laughed at himself. He had killed the beast and that a long time ago. He straightened his shoulders. “Don’t speak in riddles, Pan, or do you really believe that would give you the appearance of intelligence?”
Peter’s grin turned into a sneer. “What had you tell me several minutes ago? That I wouldn’t know the difference between a joke and reality? I think it’s time for you to prove that you are able to do so!”
He whistled shrill and lifted back in the air.
“Come down there, boy! Or should I tell everywhere and everyone that you have become a coward?”
“I don’t freak only to hear a noise or to sea an animal like you!” Peter snapped back, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
Hook opened his mouth to answer and then he heard a noise from which he had thought he would never hear it again. It was a tick like from a watch.
A shiver ran down Hook’s spine – a shiver of an old fear that had never really died. Cold sweat threatened to appear on his forehead. His mind rotated. This. Could. Not. Be. The croc was dead! It was only a clock, hided somewhere between the stones to scare him. Never the less it took the whole control of the captain to stay calm.
“I would have said this was a good trick, boy. But you underestimated me again. Do you think I am such a fool not to realize that it couldn’t be the beast? It is...”
A low growl echoed through the cave and something moved in the shadows. Something very long and three or four feet high. Claws scratched over the stony ground. The ticking went louder.
‘No! It is dead! This... this is a trick!’ Hook tried to repeat this sentence over and over again in his mind, but the coldness that suddenly congealed his body, was too strong. Sweat ran over his back while an invisible fist reached for his stomach and twisted it around.
“When you say it”, Peter answered sincerely. “Maybe you should just wait until she comes out and said ‘hello’!”
Hook didn’t pay attention to the boy anymore. His gaze was fixed on the darkness and then a long green-brown mouth appeared out of the shadow. Sharp teeth glimmered in the dim light and two yellow eyes looked straight to him.
The buccaneer panicked. Even if his mind called that it couldn’t be one and the same crocodile, his deep-rooted fright of the beast took control over his actions. With a scream of fear he let his sword fall, whirled around and try to flee, storming away. But some of the grits gave in and he slipped off. His tried to find his balance again, knowing that he would be lost if he felt, but it was too late. In his haste he displaces his weight and his right foot slid between two bigger rocks. Only the leather of his heavy boots prevented a flesh wound.
The pain cleared his mind for some moments and he tried to free himself, but his foot was squeezed in tightly.
Behind him he heard the growl and ticking come nearer.
Desperate he fingered for his pistol, almost let it fall and pointed it on the spot from where the croc had to come. He trembled so much by now, that he had nearly pulled the dagger too early, but as he saw the movements he shot. His pistol had two barrels but after he had fired two times nothing showed that he had killed the animal. And then the great mouth came again out of the shadows.
With a cry of terror he pulled at his foot, tried everything to free himself before the monster would get him, but it was for nothing. His foot was firm stuck between the rocks.
Above him Peter folded his arms before his chest, a grim smile on his handsome face. “This is how Wendy felt! Maybe you will remember it the next time before you decided to kid-nap her again!”
Hook looked up, his face white and sweaty, his eyes big and dark in fright. He knew that he had to expect no mercy from the boy, but a voice inside him cried for it. No! He could not be doomed to die in this way again! Please not! And this time the beast would not swallowed him whole – it would tear him apart.
Peter watched his enemy, nodded satisfied and flew to his friends, which were still fighting the remaining pirates.
“Pan!” Hook’s voice betrayed his panic and mutely begging for help.
The growl was near now and the captain turned in its direction, ignoring the stabbing pain in his foot. There was the croc – the very same beast, which had haunted him so long! It stood several metres away, staring at him, the yellow eyes cold and dead, as the whole beast should be. But it wasn’t dead. It had come for him to get him nonetheless at the end.
Icy blood streamed through Hook’s veins, his breath was caught in his throat, his heartbeat raced to a dangerous limit. For a moment he thought he would faint, but his instinct for survival didn’t let him.
The giant lizard watched him carefully and then came one step nearer.
Suddenly Hook could breathe again, his mind too strong to let his body fell into a merciful darkness. The terror overpowered him. He gave a scream full of desperation and mortal dread, his sight blurred by the rising tears. This time he would die! There was no escape anymore. He hadn’t even the chance to defence himself, his hook would be no use against the hard scales. He was completely helpless and could only watching the disaster building up. His whole form shook as he looked at the beast, which would kill him in several seconds. For a moment he could see a familiar lovely face before his inner eyes, meant to hear her soft voice and suppressed a sob. For one night she had been a light in his darkness; for one night he had felt bliss and warmth, even had the overwhelming feeling of someone caring for him. If he could only see her one last time before he would be killed...
And then he saw something that froze his blood and took his breath away in pure horror. Between him and the monster landed a slender figure in a white silky gown and didn’t seem to notice the deadly danger behind – the very same person he had longed to see only seconds ago. His heart stopped for a moment, only to pounded a moment later in a threateningly speed. No! Not her! The beast could have him but not her! She had to live! He tried to warn her, to say something but the only thing that came out of his mouth was a croak.
In the dim light he could see her angelic face, worried and angry as she started to walk to him, still didn’t recognizing the monster.
Hook found his voice again, the sheer freight for the girl broke out in a painful shout that echoed from the walls: “RUUUUUN!”

Wendy had watched the whole scene. To hear Peter and Hook quarrelling again was something familiar and scaring in one. The both truly hate each other.
With wary eyes she fallowed the fight of them, hearing their words almost clear. She thought she could feel Peter’s careless taunting and James’ bitter mockery. Then she saw Hook turning away and Peter ready to attack from behind. A scream built deep in her and for a moment she was shocked of Peter's intention, then her suddenly fright for James brook free in an alarming outcry.
She saw Hook whirling around, blocking the blow of the knife in the very last moment and Wendy felt a wave of relief.
Her gaze found the Lost Boys and the other pirates. Amazed she saw how the boys took advantage of every false step of the buccaneers, shoved them into the water, avoiding their swords and daggers. One boat was already out of the sea, the second followed.
She heard the dark, angry voice of James ordering the men to fetch the boats and looked worried down to her brother, who had built together with Nibs, Slightly, Piper, Jump-Jump, Whistler, Tootles and Curley a line of defiance, hindered the remaining pirates to get to their commander, who cursed like a dustman.
Until now everything had been like she had thought. The longboats were out on the sea and the most of the pirates tried to reach them in time, but James didn’t follow them, but fighting Peter.
‘Clever plan!’ she thought sarcastically. ‘Now he is angry beyond everything else and that was it. In the next days we have to be more wary than ever before!’
But then she heard Peter’s laughter. It didn’t sound like that of a wanton boy anymore but spiteful and full of hard satisfaction.
Hastily she tried to see something in the dark beneath her, but could only hear the both foes. They were in the rearward part of the cave. Damn it! What was going on? She felt a shiver running through her body and the anticipation of something awful. And it was not Peter, who was concerned.
Then she heard it: a scream so full of sheer fright and terror that she almost froze. And it was a male voice that she had heard. Good God, what was happening there?
Despising Peter’s warning – what had been more an order than anything else – she left her hide-out and flew nearer, her heart raced as she recognized that it must have been James, whose cry she had heard.
And then she saw them: Peter throwing some real harsh words at his enemy; Hook, his right foot squeezed tight between two rocks, laying half on his back and looked at something big in the shadows. Alarmed she soared in the air, trying to recognize what frighten James so much.
She heard a low growl, deep and dangerous, that of an animal. Her gaze found James again and coldness gripped at her heart, let her sinking more down. Never before in her whole life had she seen such terror at somebody’s face as on Hook’s now. He was trembling; the pistol in his hand shook too much to realize a good shoot, as the two missing bullets only seconds later proved. And then she recognized what lurked in the darkness – the only thing in the world what was able to scare this mighty man to his very core: The giant crocodile, what should be death for four years now.
The beast slowly went forward, the ticking seemed to boom in Wendy’s ears, its growling let her blood freezing. It had come for James to rankle him finally. In this moment she fully understood that she was close to loose him forever; that he would die a painful death between the sharp teeth of the monster. And Peter – her dear Peter! – had took care of the whole thing, had bait his foe to this cave to give him over to this cold-blooded scaled killer.
Fear turned into fury. No! This she would not let happen. Without another thought or even noting the danger she brought herself in she flew down to the lizard to distract it from the defenceless man several metres away. She would not let James die! It wasn’t a rational thought which overtook her action but a pure female instinct of protectiveness – just like a lioness would always fight for her mate.
She soared above the crocodile and was ready to shout down, as she saw something behind the lizard: Three small figures who seemed to shove the animal with long sticks. On stick was driven forward and one paw of the monster made a step. The tickling came out of the animal, that was for sure, but it didn’t breath. And the growling came from behind it, where a fourth small person sat, holding something on his mouth and made the animalistic noises.
And then it fell like scales from her eyes. The crocodile wasn’t alive. It was a dummy; a cadaver perhaps or a dissected animal like the Indians often used for their ceremonies. And James didn’t know this – couldn’t know it and was scared half to death. What had Peter said: that he would take care that Hook will be scared like she? And he had fulfilled his promise. The man was frantic with panic by now, as his terrified outcry proved.
Her fury turned into cold anger. That wasn’t a prank but a brutal kind of revenge for something that had never been.
It took her only two seconds to land behind the children. It were the twins and two of the new Lost Boys, called Weasel and Runner. She gripped the Twins on their necks and hoisted them up; the both were too surprised to protest.
“Stop it this very instant you will get the trashing of your life!” she hissed, shoving the both from her. Weasel and Runner jumped up, staring out wide eyes at her.
“But Wendy...” Runner began but the girl cut in.
“Go! All of you! Now!” It was a threatening order that no one of the boys dared to disobey. Bewildered and a little bit shocked they hasted away, along the fear stricken pirate-captain to their other friends, unnoticed by him.
Wendy took a deep breath. Damn the whole mess and damn Peter and his careless way of thinking – if you could call it ‘thinking’ at all. She gave the dummy a furious kick and took the air a moment again, landing between James and the feigned danger.
He looked at her, recognized her and stiffened dead in his movements. His pale face even went paler and a horror that shook her to her very being appeared on his features. His shrill scream ‘Run!’ send a shiver down her spine, while her anger changed in the overwhelming urge to comfort him, to tell him that everything was all right.
She ran to him, sinking on her knees beside him and stretched her hands towards him. He clung to her one arm, his finger cold as ice, his face a white mask of sheer freight.
“Run, Wendy! Quick before...” he began to stammer, his voice high and hoarse, while he tried to push her away.
The realization that he feared more for her safety now than for his own shocked her. “James, it isn’t real!” she called out, attempted to calm him down. “It is a dummy!”
He didn’t listen to her or the horror in him prevented to understand her words. Desperately he tried to shove her behind him, his voice heavy with rising sobs. “Run! Please! You have to live!”
Acting again on pure instinct Wendy wrapped her arms around him and pressed him to her, stroking through his damp hair, kissed his icy temple and cheek, wet from cold sweat and tears, that run freely by now. “It isn’t real!” she repeated softly, starting to rock him like a child. “Sh, James. We are in no danger. The croc is dead for more than four years now and surely rotted to its bones. What you are seeing over there is only a dummy, moved by some of the Lost Boys. Sh, calm down. Everything is all right!”
Her soft whispered words and her calming presence didn’t faille its effect. She could feel him trembling less, his raging breath slowed down and the almost painful grip of his hand around her upper arm lost its strength. But she didn’t stop to soothing him, her comforting voice expelled some of the freight that still rushed through his body.
Hooks mind started to work again as the feared attack of the crocodile didn’t come and the words were registered by him. Only slowly he started to recognize what they meant. No danger! She was safe! He was safe! He would not die or she! Their lives had never been at risk. The whole thing had been a feint.
His body didn’t calm down that quick. The adrenalin still pumped through his veins, the inner coldness gave not up on him so fast. The knot in his stomach started to untie and let him feel sick. The urge to throw-up was very strong but he attempted to stop it. He took several deep breaths and concentrated at the slender arms that embraced him, the smooth lips on his cheeks, the comforting sweet voice and the familiar scent of roses and her. She was here, beside him: His Wendy. She had come to him, had revelled the truth to him before he maybe had died by a heart attack resulting out of the nameless horror he had felt.
He closed his eyes and his entire form sacked down in her lap, his still shaking arms encircled her waist. He didn’t think of the whole situation, Pan or what his men would think if they saw him like this. The only thing what was important to him right now was the nearness of this warm, brave girl and that they both weren’t in danger anymore.
Wendy looked down on the man in her lap. His shed tears wetting her nightgown, his trembling lips whispering something she couldn’t understand and his arms tighten around her. Nothing of the mighty leader of these savage pirates had remained. In the moment he was more like a scared little boy than the proud man she had come to know. But it didn’t repel her. The opposite was the case. His momentarily weakness showed her that he was a human being after all, that he had weak points as every other man, woman or child in the world. A warmth that she had felt last night the first time grew in her; a warmth that let bent her down to him, burying her face in the soft mess of his black curls and let her stroke calmingly over his in black velvet clad back.
Hook felt the soothing tenderness and went very quiet. His still racing heart slowed down more and more, the coldness started to left his limbs. For several moments he only laid there, secure in these slender arms and her warmth. Then his mind started to recognize other things that still happened around him.
He heard the outraged shouts of his men, mingled with some cries of triumphant. Some of the boys started to sound alarmed and scared and then rang shoots through the caves.
Wendy was instantly worried. “My brothers!” she gasped and let her gaze roaming through the dim light.
James sat up, ignored the pain in his right foot and turned around as far as possible. Right, what the boys had done was practically screaming for revenge, but Wendy’s brother were with them and he would not let Wendy suffer should one of them get harmed.
“Stop shooting!” he bellowed with a hard, loud voice, the powerful commanding pirate returning to his being. “Stop this instant, you idiots!”
His words were be heard by everyone in the cave and the crewmembers stopped surprised and irritated. Why stopping now? They could have picked them out of the air – one by one!
“Fetch our boats, the rest will remain here. And it would be very helpful if two or three of you would move these blasted rocks away, because I still need my foot!”
Wendy looked amazed at him. Several seconds ago he had been an almost broken down man, shivering with relief and now the mighty pirate-captain was back, ordering his men with clear, demanding words which let no room for protest. Heavens, this man was really full of contrasts.
Hook looked back at Wendy, still sitting beside him. Her face was pale and her eyes were wide and worried. Then she gazed at him and a soft smile played around her full lips. “Your face”, she whispered and offered him a tip of her nightgown. “Maybe you should wipe them away before some of your men will see them.”
What the heck did she mean? What was with his face? He tasted over his cheeks and then it struck him. He had cried! For God’s sake, he had wept like a wimp. And that all because of a harsh trick Pan had played on him! This disgrace! He lifted his sleeve and cleaned his face hastily, ignoring the offer of the girl.
Wendy made a face – men! – and sought the air for Peter and the other ones. They all were at the entrance of the cave, taunting the pirates, which were cursing and threatened them with their pistols. Then she felt James’ gaze on her and saw him straight to the grim face.
“That this is calling for revenge I don’t have to mention!” he said in a low, dark tone.
Wendy took a deep breath and nodded. “I know!”
“If your brothers are wise then they will stay out of this! I will give the order to my men not to hurt them, but I can’t promise anything!” He sounded calm and warning.
The girl swallowed. “Thank you, James.”
“Cap’n!” It was Smee who reached them first. It took the old Irishmen only one look to realized what happened and in which state his captain had been – still was. “Turn around, Sir. I will take care that they don’t hurt you too much by moving these rocks.”
“I am not a wimp, Mr. Smee. Let the men do what is necessary.” He threw only a glare at Jukes, Cecco and Mullins.
Albino joined them as well and pulled Wendy to her feet. “Come 'ere, Missy! T'is time you'll not escape us – or me”, he added quietly.
Wendy looked at him, saw the beginning cupidity in the almost white eyes, which were in the cave not protected by the dark spectacles he otherwise wore. She had fought him at that time on the Jolly Roger and she remembered very well as he carried her over his shoulder from Peter’s old hide-out to the ship. And then during the long moments after Peter’s fall and her interference to safe him with her ‘thimble’ Albino had hold her very tight, pressing his face at hers in a way that was now allegeable for her. With blazing eyes she slapped him. “Unhand. Me. This. Very. Moment.”
Alarmed Hook looked up, his eyes turning into a dangerous gleaming. “Let her go, Albino. Now!”
Shocked by the sudden rage on the face of his commander Albino loosened his grip on the girl, which gave him an angry gaze. Proud she lifted her head and straighten her small shoulders, didn’t flinch a bit as several more pirates encircled her, looking both threateningly and hungrily at her.
“Let her go, Hook, or you will regret it!” Peter’s voice sounded from above. He had his knife in the hand, his handsome features dark with fury.
The captain only glared at him, his voice sounded like ice. “The only one who will regret this whole mess will be you, boy! Be sure of it! This had gone too far this time!”
The eternal boy flew nearer; his brilliant blue eyes were small slits. “Let her go, I said!”
For a long moment Hook was determined to keep her here, but if his men would fail to fetch the boats before they were too far out of sea, then they all would spend the night in this damp, uncomfortable cave and he didn’t want this for Wendy. Alas, had he turned into a softie whenever this girl was involved!
He nodded to his men. “Let her go!”
Cookson, who had built himself up before an only defensive glaring Wendy, starred flabbergasted at his commander. “But Cap'n...” he started to protest, only to be silenced by Hook.
“Do you have a problem with your hearing, Mr. Cookson? I told you to let her go!”
No one of the crew would ever dare to disobey. Especially not when Hook was in this mood.
Hesitantly the men opened the circle to let her pass.
Wendy looked a last time at James. His eyes were hard but beneath this she meant to see something else: a kind of warmth. And the promise that he would catch her again and that he would never let her go then. It alarmed and thrilled, an almost familiar shiver run down her spine. She gulped and nodded shortly to him. “Captain!” she greeted politely, gave with nothing away to his men how intimate they both had been.
“Miss Darling!” he greeted back, the coldness in his eyes changed for the slightest moment into the fire that only existed for her.
With proud bearing she stepped along the other buccaneers, ignoring their double-meaning whispers and threatening gazes. Then she was down the path and Peter was at her side. Without a word he nodded to Tinker Bell, who renewed the fairy-dust on her. Than he took her hand and pulled her along with him in the air.
Only when she was already out of the cave and on the way back to their hide-out Wendy realized that her happy thought, that had brought her to the darkening skies, had been two fortget-me-not blue eyes and a deep purring voice in her mind.

TBC...
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In the swirl of passion