Peter stared through the window at the man and boy inside the house. He hated that man, that man had killed his friend Jenny. He had Jason by the arm, yelling at the boy. Peter fingered his dagger, trying to decide what to do.

“I saw you talking to someone, boy!” the man yelled, shaking his son. “Who was it? What did you talk about?”

“It was Peter!” Jason repeated again. “We were just talking.”

“Ain’t no families round here with a boy named Peter,” the man snarled. “Why were you with him in the cemetery?”

“I was visiting Jenny,” Jason answered, “Peter didn’t know Jenny was dead, he’s been gone for a long time. I told him…”

“What did you tell him?” Jason’s father asked coldly.

“I – I told him Bella did it,” Jason stammered.

“You little liar!” the man screamed. “You told on me didn’t you? You filthy little tattle-tale!”

Jason screamed as his father began hitting him, and curled up like he’d learned to, to protect his stomach and face.

Outside, Peter began pounding on the window, trying to make the man stop. Neither man nor boy within paid any heed, so Peter flew around the house, desperately trying to find a window to get in at. At the kitchen window he saw a woman running out of the room, and he yelled for her, trying to get her to go up and help.

The hitting stopped when the woman spoke. “Charles, you son of a bitch,” Jason’s mother said coldly. Charles turned around to see the woman standing there, a large kitchen knife in her grip.

“Woman, go back to the kitchen. This boy’s gotta learn his lesson.”

“I’ve lost one baby to your lessons, you bastard,” she yelled, “I won’t let you hurt my other one any more!”

Peter watched, stunned into stillness at what happened in that house. He watched as the man tried to take the knife from the woman, and saw her fight him. He saw the man overpower her and take the knife away. Jason tried to help his mother, but once Charles had the knife, neither woman nor child stood a chance. When it was done and silence reigned in the house, Peter drifted to the ground and cried, his heart aching at the horror.

“Peter,” he heard Tink call. He uncovered his eyes and looked at the small girl.

“Jason’s dead,” he sobbed, “I let him die.”

“No,” Tink said quickly, “but you have to hurry! You can still help. That evil man is taking them away, and Jason’s still alive! I saw him moving, but he’s really really hurt.”

Peter stood quickly and looked around. “Where?”

“He put them in sacks and put the sacks in a wagon. We have to catch up, if we can get Jason to Neverland quickly we can help him!”

Tink had watched while Peter wept, knowing that someone should bear witness, and knowing that it was best if Peter didn’t see any more of this. When the man had put the sacks in the wagon, Tink had seen the smaller one move and heard a soft cry from within. Peter had been difficult to rouse, and the wagon was already gone. Together, she and Peter flew down the road, trying to catch up.

The bridge crossing the river wasn’t far, and the man had been galloping the horse to get there quickly. They saw that one sack was already gone, and watched in fear as he tossed the smaller one in, too.

“NO!” Peter screamed, and his fear turned to pure anger. “You’ll pay for hurting my friend!” he swore, and dove for the man, dagger at the ready. Charles had just enough time to see the boy flying towards him, just enough time to wonder if it was an angel or a demon before Peter was upon him. Peter drove the dagger into the man’s throat as he barreled past him, barely slowing on his way to the surface of the river. He dove into the water where he’d marked the sack had sank, disappearing beneath the surface.

Tinker Bell hovered above the bridge, waiting anxiously. She spared a glance for the man lying in the road, enough of a glance to assure herself that he was dead. She regretted that Peter had killed him, but she didn’t regret the man’s death. He was a monster and deserved nothing less. Her concern was for how it would affect her Peter. Peter, please hurry! She urged. A moment later, the boy broke the surface and flew to her, barely able to carry the heavy sack.

Peter carried his burden to the shore, and they opened it enough to see that the boy was still alive. Working quickly, Tinker Bell cast a spell to make Jason sleep deeply, to help preserve his life longer.

“You have to fly, Peter, fly for all you can. I’ll help us go faster, but when we get there, you’ll be more tired than you have been in your entire life. Leave him in the sack, but leave the top open. We don’t have time to do anything else for him,” she’d instructed, and Peter had obeyed her without question.

“And we did get back home really fast,” Peter said softly, still staring at the flame. “I went to the Indians, they were my friends and had helped me before when I was hurt. Chief Two Bears took care of Jason, and I went to sleep for two whole days. I woke up and Jason was still alive, so I was happy. He wasn’t, though. He wouldn’t speak much, and he cried a lot. Two Bears said his mind was hurt, it was too much for a child to live through. So Tink and the Chief made him forget, and he woke up and was all new and happy. They made me forget too, ‘cause I kept having nightmares. My nightmares sometime come to life in Neverland, so they made me forget. Jason became Slightly, ‘cause the tag on the sack said ‘Slightly Soiled’… it was a laundry sack I think. We were best friends forever after that.”

Peter finished his tale and sat still, staring at the flame. Hook also sat, lost in thought. It’s worse than I thought. Jason’s father was a monster… worse than my own father was to me. And when I flogged him, I reminded him of his father. “Thank you Peter,” he said at last. When Peter didn’t respond, he noticed the boy was still staring blankly at the flame. “Peter?”

“Yes?” Peter answered without moving.

Hook frowned and leaned forward. Is he in a trance of some sort? “Wake up.”

Peter blinked and looked up at the man. “Captain Hook? What are you doing here?”

“You don’t remember?” Hook asked in surprise.

“No,” Peter looked around in confusion. “I just woke up.”

Hook decided he’d had enough for one night. I wonder if Peter and Slightly are the only ones with fractured minds, or if all the children are like this. “I came to see if Slightly was doing better, and to see if you were going to live. And I came to give you this back.” He pulled the dagger out and held it before Peter. “How badly do you want it?”

Peter looked frightened at first, but then he smirked at the man. “Give it back and I won’t cut off your other hand.”

Hook smiled, “Glad to see you’re feeling better.” He buried the blade in the ground beside the boy, then lightly slapped Peter on the stomach, making the boy yelp. “Come see me when you’re well, and I’ll give you a few more holes.”

Peter kept his hands over his wound protectively and tried not to cry. He held his composure long enough for Hook to leave, but as soon as the man was out of sight, he relaxed and let the tears flow. After a little while the pain subsided to the normal ache and Peter went back to sleep.

End Chapter 16