-.-.-.-

Don't fret, precious I'm here

I won't let the Boogeyman come

Pay no mind what other voices say
They don't care about you, like I do, like I do
Safe from pain and truth, and choice, and other poison devils

Just stay with me

.

—Pet (Count Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums)

by The Perfect Circle.

-.-.-.-

As Wendy woke from a long deep sleep, she knew something was amiss as soon as her eyelashes made their first flutter open.

This was not her own lady's room, her bed, or her ceilings. She pushed herself up in what appeared to be a large neatly-crafted nest of feathers, animal skins, and jungle leaves. But that's not what worried her most. What really grabbed her main attention was the bars. Long thin gold-plated bars curved around and high above her, coming together into a fancy knot at the top.

"Oh my."

She was in a cage! It was a person-sized birdcage.

And the reddish wooden walls beyond the bars were familiar as well, but not in a pleasant way.

She was somehow back in Neverland, trapped inside of the Jolly Roger, the ship she hadn't seen in person since a full year ago. And she was currently all alone, still wearing nothing but her new white-laced nightgown her mother bought her, with her curls undone and hanging loosely over her shoulders.

Judging by the classy quality of the bedchamber, Wendy assumed this had to be the late Captain Hook's quarters. She rescanned the walls, musing softly to herself, "...If Hook was eaten by Tick Tock, then who on earth would ever want to bring me here—?"

Though right then, her ponderings were answered by the mock-crow of a rooster flooding her ears and a very recognizable boy came gliding into view, landing inches from the bars. "Hullo, Wendy Bird!" he greeted. "I'm glad to see you're awake."

"Peter!" she gasped in relief, thrashing the quilt aside and took a few wide steps forward to lean against the bars. She pressed her mouth delicately between the gap. "Are we truly back in Neverland?"

"We're above it."

Wendy turned to the window, finally noticing that the horizon lacked the watery line of the sea...in fact, there was no horizon. Just clouds. "The Jolly Roger is anchored in the sky?"

"Hmhm." He hummed proudly, shifting into his trademark stance; feet spread out, his fists going to his hips. "Faerie dust can work wonders, remember?"

Wendy reeled her thoughts back in from the excitement of seeing him again, breathed in deeply, and gave him a second glance over. He was dressed head to toe in scarlet—not forest green—a captain's hat rested on the crown of his head in place of his old feathered boy-cap. Besides that, there was a particular glint in his spirited green eyes she'd never noticed before. (Not to mention, he wasn't trying to pry open the cage to recuse her.)

"Peter...," she cautiously said in return, "you've changed."

"I've only changed where I make my camp, silly. I'm still that cocky and clever boy who always wants to have fun!"

Wendy felt her chest grow heavier with confusion and so many more questions arose in her mind, that she didn't even quite know where to begin. "Where's Tink?"

"Banished," claimed Peter. "For good this time. She was always just a little tiny troublemaker, wasn't she?"

"And the Lost Boys?"

"They're all gone, too. Drowned in the sea, actually. They complained about moving on the ship with Hook's crew most of the time once I named myself Captain. Pretty soon, they were ruining all the fun I thought we were having! So I gave each of them each a chance to fly off the plank one day, but sadly, they didn't have any happy thoughts then. That was a pity."

Wendy stared at him for a moment or two. She heard no genuine regret in his voice as he told her these things. The Peter Pan she had known honestly could be a bully to the Lost Boys, bossing them around, demanding special treatment from them, but deep down she sensed Peter had never meant any real fatal harm. That was just how boys acted some days, even with their good friends.

Although now Peter's usual carefree energy made her hesitant, because he seemed satisfied to be by himself.

What happened to the boy?

She wet her lips quickly. "What about...the rest of pirates, Peter?"

"I fed them to Tick Tock as well. It was funny how he was still hungry after eating all of Hook...well, Smee is still alive, if that really counts for anything. He came crawling back here, pouting like a hound dog without an owner to follow. He's now my private chef on deck. Besides him, there's only a few of us left in Neverland overall these days. I promoted Tiger Lily to be my First Mate. She controls the new Hunting Parties through the jungle below when I'm up here. Any other Tribal-man of hers who defies me is thrown onto Marooner's Rock. Some of them still don't play by the rules of my games."

"Peter, but why are you doing all this?! Why are you doing this to me?" Wendy motioned eagerly to her confinements.

"Because...I don't want you to go away again, Wendy Bird. No more growing up for you, I think." He waved his finger at her briefly. "It's been different since you left, I swear it on my sword and dagger. I kept seeing you in my dreams on and on and again, and then every day after I woke up, I had this big, big, dark and cold hole inside of me. It me angrier and madder and madder..." His tone ranged swiftly from pure frustration back to a youthful, innocent frenzy. "...and I knew you'd be the one to fix it and make it better! So, first I made you this lovely nest, then in the quiet of the night, Smee and I sailed through the stars to fetch you."

Despite his evident joy, Wendy could only suppress a whimper now. A dark and cold hole, indeed. That's what she felt swelling up inside her too.

Shrugging, he added, "Besides, even a boy can know how to cage a pretty bird like yourself. You can sing for me every night, and we can go out and fly all day...just the two of us here from now on! No more mothers or fathers, no more going home. It's wonderful, isn't it?"

Oh, Peter!

Wendy's sense of fear expended and a helpless dry sob escaped her. Her family wouldn't ever know... It all seemed somewhat twisted now.

Peter faltered for a moment, as if shocked by the sound. He blinked, then floated up closer to her cage with soothing features, nearly nose to nose with her.

Using all the charm he knew he could muster, he made this dire promise to her:

"Aw, don't worry, Wendy Bird. No grownup can hurt you now. I'll keep you safe and protected, and won't let you go without a fight. I'll never, never, ever let anyone find you again."

And he never did.

Obviously I was in the mood to do something a little different this time around. 'Cause every now and then, I do "enjoy" reading other Dark!Disney fics I find...besides we all know the older original fairytales are a bit twisted anyways :P

I haven't decided if I'm going to add on to this one or not.

But I am thinking about writing other separate oneshots like this, for each of my leading favorite Disney movies.