Never Moon

part 15

"Peter began to consider how he could turn the catastrophe to his own use."

Peter Pan, "Hook or Me This Time."

-----

Peter took Char first.

Of course, Turner thought to himself, never missing a thing. It was always about Wendy Charlotte.

He had shouted upon seeing her, a single, gleeful word escaping his lips--her name. Then he was crushing her to his chest and she was yelling at him, and then they were flying away.

Senna came in after Peter, stumbling to a halt at the edge of the glass pit, a torch in her hand. Turner landed next to her.

Mikey stood up, and Turner noted the way he carefully avoided eye contact with Strings.

"Well, at least the rest of us weren't forgotten," Marcus grumbled. "Bloody hell, those two act like they haven't seen each other in years. What was it, a few hours?"

"It was four days," Turner said, and Marcus' mouth dropped open.

"Four days, huh," Mikey said. "Has Scott done much?"

Turner felt something tighten in his stomach. Guilt, most likely, even though the logical part of him knew the burning of the hideout was not his fault. Seeing Peter Pan break down like that would make anyone guilty, because Peter Pan didn't break down.

"Besides burn down our home? No," Turner said, and despite his best efforts to hide the bitterness in his tone, Strings frowned.

"Mate, it wasn't your--"

"I know that," Turner said, and faced Senna. "Get them out of here. I'm going to keep watch. I thought I heard the Neverbeast."

Senna, who knew this was a lie, let him go. Turner was not one to easily let go of blame, and there was a lot being placed on him right now--from trapping Peter Pan's youth in the cave, to the plan to get the knife, to the burning of the hideout, and the kidnapping of his best and only friends.

As he flew out, Turner found himself wishing that he wasn't such a pessimist.

He also wished that he had another plan. The one that Peter's youth had given him put them all in a terrible spot--not to mention, the consequences could be deadly. Especially for Char.

The last thing he wanted to do was cause another heartbreak for Peter. First Margaret, then his home, each dealing its own kind of damage. Taking Char--Peter's Wendy--from him would be the final blow.

Turner wouldn't--couldn't--be the one to deliver it.

But it might as well be their last hope to save the island from Scott.

Running a frustrated hand through his hair, Turner settled on a bare branch and waited for Peter Pan to return to save the rest of their friends.

****

Turner wasn't himself.

That was the first thing Strings noticed when they all gathered in a cave, a makeshift shelter since the hideout had been burned.

He supposed it was only years of knowing the guy that keyed him into Turner's facial expressions. Turner was about as easy to read as a rock.

With Mikey ignoring him--something that set Strings' heart aching in an unfamiliar way--and Peter and Wendy wrapped up in whatever the hell they did, Strings was left to figure out why Turner hadn't said anything since they left the empty lagoon.