all this has happened before

[lost_boy]

We were running. Running from Peter. Running toward the pirates.

It hadn't been difficult to convince the others this was our best option, not after all Peter had done. They knew now, they had seen what he was like, they'd been viewed under the cold, dismissive gaze of Peter Pan and understood he thought nothing of them. Of us. Because I may have been his favourite once, but it was clear I was too grown up, too close to being a man to be loved by him any longer.

I knew that had upset me once, but now, surrounded by my friends, running toward other friends, I didn't feel that same sense of loss that I had before. As with Charlie and Sal and Nod, I was choosing these good people, people I loved, and I was turning my back on Peter.

We crossed the Island, skirting the plans with the Many-Eyed, taking the path up into the mountains, toward Bear Cave, and then beyond. I paused at the cave, remembering Harry and his death here, but only for a moment. I had learned long ago how to mourn my friends while on the move and today was no different. My other friends needed me now, they needed me to lead them to safety away from Peter.

Leading the way down the mountain path, past the Marking Rock, I could see the camp and the cove in the distance, the shipped docked where it usually was when the pirates weren't away, raiding whatever places they were able to find. And I could see people. Pirates, yes, but familiar faces, too, and I picked up my pace, hurrying the others toward them.

[Coming together post! Gathering, as usual, Jamie and everyone who was with him at the tree is going to come to the pirate camp/the Jolly Roger, so feel free to have threads that take place on the ship or on the shore at the camp. Also feel free to employ fairies if you like, they'll be spying for Peter, who'll be coming soon enough. In a few days I'll post a second top level for Jamie and Peter's big final fight where Jamie will be losing his right hand.]

Comments

[eddie_spaghetti]

"I know, and we have to stop the bleeding," Eddie said, first covering the wound and then wrapping the sleeve tight around the stump. "This is going to hurt," he said with an apologetic wince, then he tight the sleeve off and yanked the knot as hard as he could, which was way harder than he might've been able to when he was just a kid.

Still just a kid, despite whatever the hell his body had decided to do to him. He was just a kid, and he was too young to watch the two people he loved most in the world die. They were all too young.

His hands were slick with blood as he lifted a palm to Jamie's cheek. He felt a gag work its way into the back of his throat but he swallowed it down, another rough sob escaping instead.

"You're going to be okay. We're going to wake up, and everything's going to be okay."

[lost_boy]

I managed to bite back the scream that wanted to build, though only just, and a pained, gurgling wheeze escaped me instead. Everything inside of me tensed and a muscle in my jaw twitched as I inhaled through my teeth, a sharp hiss to try and dispel some of the pain.

"We'll wake up," I echoed as a violent shiver rippled through my body. "We'll wake up and this won't have happened." But I wasn't sure I believed that. It seemed fated to happen, something that was meant to be, as if the Island owed me this injury.

I was cold and I shivered again, then curled close to Eddie, grasping for him with my other hand. "You stabbed Peter," I said and then, shockingly, I laughed. It was a very grown up laugh, a little hard and a little broken. "You stabbed Peter for me."

[eddie_spaghetti]

"Shit, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Eddie rushed in a panic, his red-stained palms gripping Jamie's shirt and dragging him until his shoulders and head rested in Eddie's lap. "I'm sorry," he whispered, touching Jamie's cheek, smearing a bit of rust on his graying skin.

"Uh, duh, what the hell else was I supposed to do?" He said, trying for a smile, but it looked more like a wince. "Did you see his face? What a dick."

[lost_boy]

I could only shake my head. I didn't know how to explain what it meant to me, the same way I hadn't been able to explain to Beverly or Stan what it meant to me when they had attacked Peter back at the tree. To Eponine what it meant when Peter tried to drag me off and she had grabbed on and refused to let go.

I wasn't alone. I had known it in Darrow, Eddie had shown me over and over again, but Darrow and the Island were different places. I expected, should I ever return here, that I would be alone again and they had proven me wrong. It meant everything to me.

"What a dick," I whispered, looking up at Eddie. I lifted my right arm, even though it hurt to do so. "I should keep it elevated. To stop the bleeding. There's a doctor on the ship. Or Magnus. We should try to find one of them."

[eddie_spaghetti]

"Okay, right. Yeah, you should do that," Eddie nodded, lifting a hand to what was left of Jamie's forearm to help support the weight of it.

"Shit. Shit, fuck. Right, yeah. We should get back to the boat. Can you walk?"

Eddie really, really hoped so, though with all the adrenaline pumping through him, he probably could've carried Jamie the whole way without missing a step.

[lost_boy]

I considered it, then nodded and, with Eddie's support, I climbed to my feet. My legs were shaking and I felt lightheaded and dizzy, but I kept my feet under me. With Eddie's help.

"Thank you," I said. I wasn't going to die, I knew we would wake up back in Darrow, back home like we were supposed to be, and even if we weren't, I knew I was strong enough to survive this. So I wasn't going to die, but just in case, I needed the last things I said to Eddie to be good things. Kind things.

"I love you," I added. "You're the best person I know."

[eddie_spaghetti]

"Uh, yeah, awesome. You know this is starting to sound like last words, right? I swear to God, Jamie, if you're like, preparing to die on me right now, I'm going to kill you," Eddie rambled, shocked by how much more of Jamie's weight he could shoulder, his arm secure around the other boy's waist.

"You're going to be fine. We're going to be fine."

[lost_boy]

"I'm not going to die," I mumbled, even though I didn't feel entirely sure of that. It was just that I wanted him to know these things. Just in case. Maybe that was stupid, but I felt a little better having said it.

"It's just a hand," I said, starting to ramble without even realizing it was happening. "Right? It's only a hand. Plenty of people live with less than that. I'll be fine without a hand."

I paused, then almost laughed. It was so foolish, but the words just came out, "I'll have to learn how to use a fork with my left hand."