Author's Note: Don't own. Basically, Wendy's house burnt down a year after the adventure in Never Land. Michael and John were never found, but Wendy was sent to an orphanage. According to this story, Never Land can only be reached on nights when the two Never Stars are at their brightest. This story takes place three months after the fire. Italic words are thoughts, and Bold Italic is pretty much talking so quietly no one else can hear.
"Why are you crying, child?" Wendy continued to stare out the window of the orphanage. "You have not cried since the day you were brought here."
Wendy slowly turned toward the Head Mistress. The woman had one hand on the orphan's shoulder, the other hand on her heart in an attempt to look concerned. Her dark grey hair was pinned in a tight bun, and her pristine black dress was completely crease-free. Wendy sighed. "I cry for the sake of crying. I know someone who calls orphans, yet he never comes." The girl turned back to the glass.
"The Lord calls to the hearts of those who need Him, and He is always there to comfort."
"I don't mean that Someone. I wish Peter were here. Peter, Tink, and Tiger Lily. I miss them." Wendy suddenly turned to the confused adult. "Where are Nibs, Toodles, Slightly, Curly, and the Twins?" she asked.
The Mistress started at the question. "Who?"
"The boys who lived with me before our house burned down," the girl explained.
"We didn't know you had any brothers besides the two who died in the fire! Oh, dear! They must have been living on the cold street these past three months! Oh, I'll alert the police straight away!" The woman moved for the door, then paused. "What do they look like, child?"
"It doesn't matter, now. It's been more than seven days, so unless they were claimed, they won't be found by any adults!" And neither were John and Michael. Why did the social worker think they died? I wish I were in Never Land with them! Wendy noticed that she was becoming a bit giddy at the thought, and forced herself to calm down. "Help me open this window, would you, Mistress? I wish to see the stars," she explained. Actually, I only want to see one particular star. Is the door to Never Land open tonight? she wondered. If it was, she could try to call to Peter!
The Head Mistress blinked at the sudden change of topic, and wrinkled her eyebrow at the "it doesn't matter now", but she opened the window for the girl. Wendy looked at the sky for a moment, then turned to the lady with a broad grin.
"Thank you," she bubbled. "Could you please bring me two other orphans between the ages of seven and nine years old? I need the help of children to call Peter." At the Mistress' inquiring squint, Wendy winked and lowered her voice. "A decent grown up will never see Peter, but the heart of a lost child is something he cannot ignore. The Lost Boys will most definitely have returned to Never Land, and I want to follow them. All children grow up…except one."
For some reason that the Head Mistress could not determine, she believed what she had been told, and felt a strange urge to see this Peter. She set off to find the street children who had been taken in recently. They were constantly picked on, but she saw the good that could come from them. They just needed to be loved and accepted.
Just as she left the room, she heard a faint whisper.
"I do believe in fairies. I do. I do." Wendy gazed longingly at the Never Star as she recited the chant that had brought Tinker Bell back to life and had given the fairies enough strength to carry the pirate ship to London. Please, please let Peter hear our call!
Two young children stepped timidly into the room, followed by the Head Mistress. Wendy gave them a friendly smile, and bent down to level with the apparent twins. They had the same curly hair, the same blue eyes, and they were holding onto each other like the end was near.
"What's your name, little one?" she softly asked the nervous little girl.
"Emily," came the short reply. Wendy patted the child before facing the skinnier, yet completely serious boy.
"David." He didn't wait for her to ask. "What do you want from us?" he asked in a defiant way.
Wendy backed up to keep all three in her vision. Focusing on the urchins, she thought, Here goes nothing.
"Would you like to go to a magical island where people fly, children never have to grow up, and mermaids swim? The Indians are friendly, and the pirates are silly. The Lost Boys live under ground, and the weather follows Peter Pan. This place is real. It is called Never Land, the home of the fairies, and the place where impossible things happen every day. Would you like to go?"
The speech got three different reactions: the Head Mistress stared in disbelief; Emily looked like she was going to start begging to go any minute; and David still looked defiant, but now he looked mad. Mad at what?
"You are lying. It can't be real. People can't fly, and pirates are blood-thirsty murderers. And there's no such thing as—," David didn't get a chance to finish. Wendy had her hand over his mouth.
"Don't say that!" she urged. "Every time someone says that, a fairy somewhere dies. And the only way to get to Never Land is to call Peter and his fairy, Tinker Bell." Wendy removed her hand, and he glared at her. "Tink can help us to fly to Never Land, but that is the only way to get there—by flight!"
"We took care of ourselves since we was little, and we learned to never trust nobody! Trusting people meant to give them an open chance to take our food. Last time we trusted a man, he made us steal for him then hurt us something fierce! We don't trust people, and we don't trust you!" David grimaced at her at he backed up.
"I won't make you go, but I want to help you. Never Land is real, and you can get there. But you have to believe you can, and you have to want to go. I want to go back there, but I need your help." Wendy took a deep breath, then continued. "Please. My brothers are already in Never Land, and I miss them. I need your help. Believe, and we can call them. We could all go. Would you like to?" She invited again.
David seemed to have a battle of emotions, before he finally answered, "I want to go to a place like that, but it can't be real. I can't believe you, and I couldn't get there even if it was real." He looked dejectedly at the floor as he backed further away.
Wendy sighed. She then turned to his sister. "Would you like to go? Can you believe?"
"Yes! Oh, yes I can! I dreamt of a place like this before, and I've always wanted to go! Please, how do I get there?!" Emily burst. When the Head Mistress sent her a disapproving look, she slowed her fidgeting. Wendy smiled.
"Repeat to the whole world that you do believe in fairies, and imagine a boy flying into the window, accompanied by a fairy. I will try to call to Peter, and I will try to call to my brothers. If David wants to go too, he can just repeat to himself that he wants a home, and he wants to have fun." Wendy seemed to explain this to Emily, but she let David hear it just in case. "Ready?" she asked. When the girl gave her the affirmative, she turned back to the heavens and began to murmur:
Peter Pan, we need you! I need you! Please! Come take us to Never Land! Please, Peter! The rest of the world seemed to fade away. Wendy was alone with herself, her memories, and her desperate plea. She closed her eyes and found herself speaking louder:
"Peter! Peter Pan! Remember me? Remember Wendy Moira Angela Darling? Remember my thimble? Please, Peter! Come take use back to Never Land!"
By now, Wendy was shouting. "Peter! We do believe in fairies! We do, we do! Peter, Tink, Michael, John, Nibs! Slightly, Toodles, Curly, Twins! Peter Pan, Michael, John! Tinker Bell! Please! I need you! Please!"
The girl was startled by Emily's sudden squeal. She opened her eyes and followed the child's gaze. Wendy echoed the high-pitched sound when she saw a dirty, blond boy standing on the window sill.
"You called, Wendy?" Peter Pan said with a mischievous grin. A tiny glowing lady flitted over his shoulder to land in Wendy's hair.
"Peter! Tinker Bell! Oh, how I've missed you! Did Michael and John come with you?" Wendy babbled.
"No, they stayed behind and kept the Lost Boys in line. But they'll be on the look out for you when we go back…" Peter's voice trailed off as he looked at the trio behind the first Lost Girl. "Um, are we taking them with us? I don't think I'll mind the boy and girl, but the grown up lady would have a hard time flying there, and she'd probably try to stop our fun…"
Wendy abruptly remembered the people who had been forgotten in the excitement. She turned to David and Emily. "Do you want to go to Never Land? The only grown ups there are pirates, fairies, and Indians," she told them.
"I want to go! If there are fairies, it sounds fun! And I've always wanted to fly!" Emily lost control of her movement, and began to wiggle and jump in place. Wendy happily nodded and faced David.
"Can you believe? Do you want to go to the island of fun? Once you go, it is hard to decide to return."
"I don't know… I had to be real careful, and I had to take care of us, so I have always been so serious about everything, but I've never been separated from my sister for more than a few minutes… Can I learn to have fun?" he asked.
"If you want to have fun, you can. My brother, John, didn't believe when he first saw Peter. He said some something along the lines of, 'You offend reason, sir'. But then he changed it to, 'I should like to offend it with you!' If you choose to have fun, you can. But if you choose to stay and grow up, if you choose to stay and find parents, it may be a long time before Peter comes back again," Wendy told the young boy. David's face hardened in decision.
"I want to go with you!" he stated in determination. Wendy nodded again. She then turned to the Head Mistress.
"It is very hard for grown ups to go to Never Land. The island is located toward the second star to the right, and then straight on 'til morning. And we need someone to cover our disappearance. Could you help us in this?" The girl inquired.
With a tight face, the lady nodded tensely and began to leave to room. Wendy gently touched the grown up's sleeve. "Tink's dust may not lift you for long, but it can help you to relax. You have always been taught that these things are impossible, but now you know differently. Look for a fairy when you hear the first laugh of a baby. Listen for the faint bells that accompany it. Listen, look, and learn. It is not too late to have fun." Wendy hung a small locket on the Head Mistress' neck. Later that night, the woman would find a tad of fairy dust inside.
Wendy strode back to Peter's side. "Do you still have my sword?" she whispered. He nodded with a silent grin.
Shiny particles trailed behind Tinker Bell, who zoomed from her perch and circled first Emily's body, then David's. When she had made two laps around each, she flew back to stand on Peter's shoulder. Her glitter gathered to make the form of two stars, and Tink chattered away as she hovered in front of the left one. Peter and Wendy laughed as they explained the power of happy thoughts.
Just before she followed her friends out the window, Wendy turned and waved to the Head Mistress, who actually managed the slightest of smiles. Her first real smile in years. The girl returned the gesture and vanished into the night.
Review, please! Would you like me to continue this, or is it fine as a oneshot?