Peter Pan The Killer

Chapter 43: Peter Pan's Parting

Gwen's eyes were out of focus. She took a sharp intake of breath as her body hissed with pain. She did not need to look to know she got shot in the thigh; her entire leg felt ablaze. The wind from the speed of their motion stung her skin. Peter moved faster than ever, carrying her in his arms. At last, he stopped as he landed in another secluded alley.

James and his men would catch up to her in no time; she was sure of it. He should not have stopped, he should have kept going. But alas, he did. Then she caught the horror in his eyes.

Blood stained her jeans, and the gushing did not stop. Gwen's mind grew hazy at the sight and she had the urge to throw up.

"This is all my fault," Peter muttered.

Gwen clenched her teeth as she tried to refute him, but the pain seared her skin. "No, it's not. We have to go, Peter. James will catch up-"

The expression in his eyes made her pause mid sentence. It was a look of pain. Resignation. Loss. As if he had made the biggest mistake of his life. It was clear on his face; he knew it was his fault. He was misfortune waiting to happen.

"No, Wendy. Not you. I can't hurt you," he muttered under his breath, like a chant.

"You're not hurting me. James hurt me." Gwen hissed in pain as her leg throbbed.

Peter pulled out a handkerchief and bound it around her leg, applying pressure to the wound. Gwen bit down on her lips, hard to prevent from screaming.

"James would not have hurt you. If I had given you to him," he replied in sudden realisation, as he tightened the knot.

Gwen's body felt weak, and she dropped into Peter's arms. He wrapped himself around her, holding her as if she were a fragile flower. The clouds rumbled above them, it was about to pour. The gloomy cold air filled Gwen's gut with sudden fear. She stared into his eyes and her heart clenched. He looked like he made a choice. A choice Gwen was sure she did not like.

"I promised you. I promised that you'll be fine. No matter what," he said, his eyes steeled with resolve.

"No... Peter. We can make it out of this. We just have to keep running. Reach your place, think of a plan-"

"With me, you're not safe. You'll never be," he said. His voice was low, sad, and hurt the both of them deep inside.

Gwen felt tears sting her eyes. The hurt in her heart hearing those words far outweighed the pain from the bullet wedged in her flesh. She knew what he needed to do; she knew it was the best option they had, but the pain of separating was too much to bear.

"We can't stay together, Wendy," he whispered, lifting her chin to face him. She saw his eyes turn glassy through her blurry tear-filled vision.

"No... I lost Anna, Pauline, and now you? I can't, Peter." She did not want to let go of another person.

It was not him that brought misfortune; it was her. She could not protect even one of them. The guilt weighed down like bricks; she felt out of breath. Droplets of rain had fallen from the sky. It stung her wound. Tears mixed with the raindrops, the sky crying with her.

Peter caressed her cheek brought her close and pressed his wet lips against hers. They tasted like rain and tears. A depressing bittersweet feeling. The gentleness of his lips enfolding hers made her cry even harder. His lips were warm this time. The coldness had left. But would leaving him frost them once again? She slung both her arms around his neck pulled him closer, ignoring the pain in her leg. She never wanted the moment to end. Their parting kiss hurt her unimaginably.

At last he pulled away, his lips still only a breath away. His eyes were shut, but when he opened them, she saw a mirror of her eyes from months ago. The determination, the guilt.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

They heard the thumping of wet boots coming from the furthest end of the alley. They were coming. Gwen's heart plummeted even more.

Peter gave her a sad smile, "Even in the stories, Peter Pan had to leave Wendy behind."

He pulled away from their embrace and rested her against the wall. Gwen's energy was fading. She could not protest his actions. She wanted to scream sense into him, force him to take her with him. But she saw the look in his eyes. The very stubbornness that she could not convince otherwise.

The sound of wet shoes slapping against the pavement grew closer. Peter glanced at her one last time, placed a kiss on her forehead and said, "Goodbye, Wendy."

He was gone too fast, as if the rain had swallowed him into mist. He knew the longer he stayed the more she would have tried to stop him. Gwen's conciousness began slipping. The ache in her heart a dull throb lulling her body into a painful darkness.

Peter. Her mind cried one last time before she blacked out.

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The white, sparse hospital greeted Gwen the moment her eyes flickered open. It was a bright summer morning, sunlight glaring from the windows. It confused her at first. Then her eyes landed on her bandaged thigh. As if by instinct, her eyes moved to the window. Its curtains still, the morning light her only visitor. Then the pain settled in as the memories before she fainted resurfaced.

No tears rolled down her cheeks; they stayed in her eyes, as adamant as herself. Pushing herself up to sitting, she refused to lay there in hopelessness.

Peter was gone.

But Gwen reminded herself, wallowing in grief was not her. She was a fighter. She was stronger and determined. Gwen clenched her fists, almost wanting to rip the bandages off her leg and rush out of the ward. Giving up was never in her dictionary.

James was still out there hunting Peter down. Gregory Skul kidnapped Pauline. Justice had to be proven.

Peter had to be saved.

She glanced out the window and spoke to it, as if he were there.

"This is not over. Peter, I promise we'll reunite."

Her words were carried by the sun, to hopefully reach the ears of the boy on the run.

>THE END OF PART 1<