Title: Slightly Lost
Rating: PG
Characters are not mine. I am just borrowing.
Written for Jilly-chan.

"It really is up to you, mate," Hook says to the boy standing on the docks. "I could capture you, sure, but I have this feeling about you."

The boy looks at his feet. He is tall and lank. The tallest of the Lost Boys which is fun, but also a terrifying sign. He can feel it in his bones and down to his core. He's growing up. Lost Boys do not grow up. Lost Boys stay boys, or they are killed by Peter for breaking the only real rule in Neverland. There is only one other option, and Hook and his ship are not always around. So, the boy takes a breath and steps closer to the ship.

"What's your name, lad," Hook asks noting the boy's hesitation reassert itself. He's almost to the gangplank, almost to the deck of the ship.

"Slightly." He replies and finds a way to step forward again. "I am Slightly."

Hook grins, almost chuckles. Slightly, what names Pan gives them.

Slightly takes another breath and then stops dead in his tracks hearing the crow before Hook can even think of running and grabbing the boy. Forcing the child on the ship so that he could save him, or that's what Hook told himself. It wasn't quite the glamorous life being a pirate, but there was more chance there than with-

"Going somewhere, Slightly?"

The boy turned and looked at Peter Pan who was perched on a rock near the edge of the dock. Now he felt a million miles away from Hook's ship. He was caught in the middle. Hook said something which made Peter laugh loudly. Slightly tried to remember why it had come to this.

It was because he was growing up.

There was a sudden squeak in his voice and Peter had said, "Don't do that. You can't change like that." And then he laughed like he was joking when he said he'd rip open Slightly's chest from bottom to top.

Slightly could only grin nervously in reply.

Peter said, "Oh, Slightly, don't you know I could never hurt you. You aren't growing up. You'll be young forever. Like me."

And then Pan beamed and crowed, and it was time for a new game, and stories, and hunting.

"That's your favorite, Slightly," Peter said with a grin, "So it is my favorite too."

Slightly looked up into the sky and then felt pulled back to reality by Peter's voice.

"Slightly, you don't really want to go?"

"I-" Slightly began, but shook his head when he felt that change in his voice begin to creep through.

"So, stay," Peter said jovially. "Stay with me." Eyes narrowed, voice hard and petulant. Demanding, almost on the verge of a tantrum, a wild rage.

Hook, who was still waiting, and had been speaking in terms of reality, because he knew what would happen now, even if Slightly did go back. He knew and was helpless to stop it. Hook looked over at Peter and said, "Shall we make a deal, Pan?"

"A deal?" He jumped down from his spot and moved along in a festive gait, throwing an arm around Slightly's shoulders. "I don't think you have anything I want."

Hook grunted and then said, "Come on, Pan. I shall give you something."

"For Slightly?"

"For Slightly."

Peter's eyes narrowed. "No." He squeezed Slightly to him. "He's mine. You can have another."

Slightly shut his eyes and looked over at Hook. He nodded his head and said, "I'm a Lost Boy. I'll go with Peter. I'll stay young, and live here forever."

"No," Hook said. "Don't do it, boy."

Peter smiled. "Too late."

The two boys stepped back into the folds of the jungle, leaving Hook to grip the edge of the ship with his good hand.

"Cast off!," he shouted. "Set sail! Now!"

Hook looked around at the Lost Boys surrounding them. Their weapons sharp and ready. Pan stood on a rock, ever in command.

"Where's Slightly?"

Peter shook his head and chuckled. "Who?"

Hook nodded, ready to fight once more.

End.