The nightlights had stopped being lit, for they were to guard the children a parent has left behind, and the Darling children weren't quite children anymore. They had grown out of the nightlights and the tucking in of the blankets. Their mother now only wishes them a goodnight before putting herself to bed as well.
Michael, the youngest, was now at the age of twelve. He had grown out of his teddy bear, but not enough to throw it out. It still sits at his bedside table as a reminder of their once incredible journey to another world. One of which, he could only think possible as a very vivid dream. He is still a lively boy but now allows to be given his baths.
John, now age fourteen, has grown in height so much so he is almost his father's height. He has good grades and pays attention in his schooling. He tends to be too busy for the act of the still childish antics of his siblings because he himself had realized that growing up is a part of living and as much as you try to escape it, it catches up to you.
Wendy, the eldest, now eighteen. Six years have gone by since she had made her presence known in Neverland and then returned. A couple years prior, when she had been removed from the nursery and had then to be made a woman, she had subconsciously refused. She wouldn't listen to her Aunt when she gave her lessons, though notes were taken to be put in to use when she did decide to leave her childhood behind.
Now that she was of legal age, she would never return home and when she did, she would be intoxicated. Mrs. Darling would worry herself sick all night as Mr. Darling busied himself with his work to ignore the problem that arrised leaving his wife alone with the mess. Michael had started to lock himself in his room with his brother, ignoring the fighting that would arise when the topic of Wendy would come up between his parents. John had became repeatedly annoyed whenever his sister would return home because she was the reason their home life became so complicated.
All in all, six years since they returned home, things have gone to hell. Aging changes people and sometimes, they lose all sense of their childhood. Acting childish isn't the same as having youthful mind. Creativity is much different than acting in such a way to make one seem small.
As for the famous Peter Pan, Michael barely remembers him. He clings to the memories of him and neverland with the Teddy Bear laying on his bedside table. It felt so much like a dream now that he tends to believe it was. John doesn't remember at all and Michael knows better than to bring it up to him. Wendy remembers everything from the adventures to the tears on the boys face when she first met him and sewed his shadow back on.
It seems as though, much like when they were in Neverland and forgot about the real world, the longer they stayed in the real world the more they forgot about the magical place they once ventured. As for Wendy remembering everything and her siblings not, it might be because of something Peter once explained to her. Girls were much too smart to fall out of their prams and become lost. Therefore she was never lost and she never could forget about one nor the other.
But if she was never lost why did she feel so lost after she returned back to the Nursery. She loved being with her family again but nothing ever felt right about it. She brought home everyone who wanted to be home but she never really questioned if she ever wanted to truly return, and maybe that's why she became what she is now. A lost person looking to be found and understood, but no one ever took the time to.
John turned her down every time she wanted to bring up their adventures and it hurt her that he did not remember. Even the memory of Tiger Lily was absent from his mind. Michael would listen to her with awed eyes like he remembered but it was almost a dream. His memories weaning like his childhood. She was practically alone with these memories of an adventure she may as well have made up.
She was stuck in a loop and to get rid of the feeling of being lost she drowned it in alcohol and the lips of other boys. Staying out all night and tripping on her own feet.
Now the actions she was portraying didn't only hurt her and her family but an unexpected admirer that has been checking up on her over the years. He would come to visit in the night and watch her sleep but then she changed rooms and he had to figure out a new window to look into. Then she started to go out with other guys which, drove him insane. And now, he would hide himself in a tree and just watch as she would stumble into the park at night, laughing loudly to herself. She would find a bench and sit down. She would bring her legs up to her chest and sob. They were practically silent but he saw the way her body heaved as she cried.
Now, the boy was too caught up with watching Wendy grow up that he had forgotten he could do the same while visiting and he was practically never in Neverland anymore, at least that's what it felt like. Time is different in the two worlds.
When he would return back to Neverland and visit the new Lost Boys, he would gradually start to see them get shorter compared to him. He was changing but he didn't care quite as much as he thought he would because his mind was too preoccupied with her.
He awaited the usual spot she would arrive at during the night. He waited for her to stumble into the park and he would wait for her to sit down by herself but he did know he needed to do something because he couldn't just sit on the sidelines anymore. It was hurting him.