His brother? Mara felt like she couldn't breathe, his brother? Peter told me Bishop was his friend. She wondered why Peter Pan lied about it and why he never told her Bishop is his brother. They both have the same hair and eye colours and they share the same smile.

Blackbeard was looking at her, leaning back against his chair, his right arm rested on the wooden table and the other on the chair's arm. His brows knitted together as he looked at Mara's expression, "I wonder why he'd lie to you if you were that special to him"

Mara's eyes fell closed as she lowered her head down. She wasn't sure about that. She doesn't even know if Peter does have something for her like feelings.

"Perhaps you are not special to him at all" Blackbeard cooed, "If you were, there wouldn't be secrets kept from you. Do you really think he loves you?... poor girl, the boy is no capable of loving anyone because he doesn't have a heart"

He's taunting her, she knew. But there may be a part of her where she knew Peter Pan was never capable of loving, though it still ached Mara to know that. How can she love a person who can't love back? Mara glanced up and looked at Blackbeard then murmured, "Maybe I knew that" Mara could be already dead now that she's in Blackbeard's hands, now that he knows of her purpose. He can prevent her from saving Peter Pan. "Yes, I knew Peter lies and there were secrets he kept from me and everyone else. I wonder why. I wonder why he never tells anyone about you, about you being his brother... maybe he prefers that he never had a brother."

The man craned his neck, giving her the look of dismay. He let out a long sigh as he glanced away momentarily as rest his chin on his palm. "You know, back when I was a boy, as you know I was Bishop back then. Peter and I, he was actually the oldest, two years older than me, taller than me—" he shifted his glance over his shoulder at James, the boy was still hanging, looking concerned, the man's gaze went back onto Mara. This man was once the youngest brother. "He took care of me, like every big brother who takes care of his little brother. He was a dreamer, a believer, the person I always looked up to and rely on... I was sick, dying, a disease growing inside me that was killing me slowly. Peter was trying to find a way to save me. One day, we were on a shipwreck and this place, Neverland, found us. The Natives found us hanging on one of wrecks from the ship, they were fishing until they found us. I see this beautiful young girl and her brothers, she pulled us out and took us to the land. They clothed us, fed us, put a roof on our heads and took care of us"

The young girl he mentioned could be Tiger Lily. It was strange to hear Peter Pan's past from this man. Peter wasn't much of a sharing person.

"It was difficult to live with those people, to not understand each others' words, it took time, of course. Peter and I noticed that I wasn't sick anymore, it took a while for us to learn what this place could do. Time stands still here in Neverland. No one grows old here, and that means the illness I had was halted. Not healed" There was a slight disappointment in his tone. "Lily and I had something once, she talked about how we should live out here and that this was our forever. But I wanted more for us both, I wanted more new adventures, see the world, and show her new places out there... but she didn't want to leave. She never wanted to leave. If she did, she'd grow old and die. Then I realized that she won't give me what I want... so she and I couldn't be anymore. She warned me if I ever leave, the illness will come back to kill me, that was true, yes... but I can't live out here forever, neither I want to die"

See the world, more adventures, the person that you love can't give you what you want. Mara found this all familiar. No... no... she is nothing like him.

"Peter and Lily were growing close, they shared their concern about me because of how I wanted to leave. It was long before I found out that there was something out here that could save me. Something that they both kept from me and I was told over and over that the only way I could be saved is if I stay here... but I found out they both lied to me"

Mara could not look at the man for a long time. Her gaze fall back on the floor, at Blackbeard, at James. To look at James, she worries about him more than her own life.

"Years and years of being in Neverland and living amount the Natives, it's long enough to understand their language. I heard them talking, about the Heart of Neverland—" Blackbeard plunge his fist into his chest, making Mara flinch as she watched him digging in his chest where the heart should be, his teeth gritted as he let out a soft grunt and there was this awful squelching sound that his chest makes. He pulled out something, something yellow, golden with hint of red, glowing. The Heart. Strangely to admit that it was beautiful. He raises it up to his face as he looked at it, "how it is so different, that it is the reason why Neverland is still, why it's still alive and the magic... I went looking for this for a while, and there was only one place that I never looked; the Skull Rock. And that's where I found this, so I think; why not it shouldn't work on a person? But of course before I could take it, I had to plan a way out of this place"

Blackbeard inserts the Heart back into his chest. That's the Heart they've been all waiting for, they get it back, then Neverland comes back to life. Mara wondered how he did it, how he outsmarted the Natives and Peter Pan.

"It wasn't easy, and it took time." Blackbeard went on. "I summoned a fairy... Tinker Bell. Some fairies are quite easy to trick. I got a Magic Bean from her. Enchanted on the entire tribe to put them all to sleep. All of them except Peter and Lily, a little paralyzation did the trick. I told them that they betrayed me for lying to me, my own brother chose this land over me. He wanted to stay, he hid the secret of the Heart from me even when he knew it can save me"

Mara began to realize that everything was starting to make sense. But it still doesn't mean that Blackbeard was right, he didn't have the right to steal something that doesn't belong to him, to steal something so precious to the land and to the Natives. "It still doesn't gives you the right to take it from this place"

"What would you have done then, Mara Turner?" He leaned forward, craned his neck as he looked directly at Mara. "Imagine that you know you are dying, your own blood having to decide to hide something that is a key to your life and them choosing Neverland over your own life. Tell me, what would you have done?"

Mara said nothing, she didn't any words for it. Could she have done the same? Maybe she would but... "I just know I wouldn't be that selfish. I know if it's my time to die, then let it come to me..." she kept her eyes on the man this time and stared those familiar eyes. "I think you were just being a coward"

Blackbeard breathed out sharply as he leaned back against the chair, looking rather disappointed. "To be afraid of death at the child age, it's normal, yes. Was I coward who was afraid to die? Yes. Not everyone is like you, girl, a lot of people in the world are afraid of death. I was certain that I wasn't ready to die, so I did what I had to do. And do you know what Peter is afraid of?" He leaned forward again and looked at Mara. "He's afraid of growing up, why do you think he's still here? Why do you think he has no desire of ever leaving this place? You really think he's going to run off and leave this place and grow old out there and have children on his own? No, no, no" Blackbeard formed a little smile. "This place is far too precious to him"

"Here you are—" Mara said, her eyes laid on Blackbeard's eyes, he sounded as if he hates Neverland, "you're here kill everyone including Peter and take this place for yourself"

Blackbeard's brows furrowed in confusion, slightly turned his head, "Is that what you think I came here for?" He leaned back against the chair again. His gaze shifted towards James who looked still concerned. "You two really think I came here to save Neverland and kill my own brother?"

Now Mara was confused and so was James.

"Peter never told you what I offered him, has he?" Blackbeard questioned them both.

Both children remained perplexed.

"I offered him that if he wants and everyone else to live, I'd show mercy... unless Peter agrees that I save him"

Something knitted in Mara's stomach, there was a harsh feeling in her chest. A shock poured on her as she slightly gaped.

"Of course he wouldn't tell you, why wouldn't he?" Blackbeard let out a soft chuckle. He then flashed a smirk, "Yes, I'm not here to save Neverland, I'm here to save Peter... and then I'm going to burn Neverland"

***

Yikes, what do you guys think about that?

I guess this whole chapter is merely about giving hints of Blackbeard and Peter's past. I hope this all makes sense? But I feel like I'm missing some points that I forgot about

Those who faved and read my sneak peek next Peter Pan book; Young Gods, I've decided to cancel that and instead write a new one and somehow unique panfic? It's called "Moondust" and no, it's not a sequel to this book *L, it'll follow the show's plot and also a heads up: it's a male OC x Peter Pan because why not? *L it's published and I'm hoping to write the first chapter very soon :)

But anyway...stay weird everyone and stay cool in this hot summer. Really hot summer and be sure to drink lots of water :)

Oh I also wanted to show you guys why I chose that actor to play Blackbeard, it's because of this video which is one of my favourite Peter Pan videos so enjoy :)

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

supposedly this video is about Peter Pan where in AU where he is stuck in some other place after his death, in this place he's stuck in, he's growing old (played by Harry Treadaway) and trying to figure out to back on youth (I think)