So I am still working on the title but a one shot of Everlark in a Peter Pan universe sounded pretty interesting. I posted the shorter version on my tumblr page. I thought I would share the longer version with all of you.
All mistakes are mine but the characters all belong to the wonderful writers who created them.
Enjoy & Review.
January 1914
Katniss flew to the house of Peeta Mellark and landed on the ledge of the window to the nursery balcony. She leaned forward to listen to him speak, at his former bedroom. Her short spiky hair, created a rooster like shadow on the wall. She turned to her friend Jo the fairy. Johanna was no bigger than a dandelion and glowed brighter than the sun. She was tough as nails but had a heart bigger than two suns.
Jo sounded like a tiny little bell to the untried ear. Presently she was jingling away, as she zipped around to face Katniss. Jo was complaining because three years after their adventure Katniss still came here to Peeta's window.
"Not now Jo, I want to listen." Katniss said in a hushed voice
"Can't we go some where else? England and Ireland are really close. I am tired of coming to this window in Scotland."
Katniss stuck her tongue out a Jo.
Jo shook her fist at Katniss and snarled her lips as she heard his voice. There in the room was that flat leaver Peeta. Jo had never seen Katniss take a shining to a human boy like this one. She did not understand what Katniss' fascination was with this boy, even after three years.
"Shhhh Jo."
"Shhhh Jo" Jo mimicked. Three years ago this boy captured Katniss' attention when she was snooping out of boredom. Katniss came to his window out of sheer curiosity because she could hear him speaking through his open window. For months Katniss would come to hear him say stories to the imaginary things he drew on paper. Then one night on the eve of his thirteenth birthday something changed. His brother who was in the military died. Peeta was to grow up and leave behind childish things. His room would be given away. It was then he uttered he did not want to grow up.
Although Jo protested Katniss brought him to Never Land, with the intention to make him a Lost Boy. Jo had never seen Katniss happier, than during that short time. They indeed had a grand adventure and bonded. But afterwards, Peeta decided to go back. Katniss never faced someone, who would rather return than to stay in Never Land.
Jo knew they argued. She just did not know about what.
When Peeta returned to his home in Scotland, Katniss refused to speak to him. She angrily left. That night, Jo heard Katniss cry. It was then Katniss began to visit his window.
Over the past three years Peeta grew and Jo noticed, so did Katniss. Jo noted Katniss growth happened after each time she visited the boy's window. Katniss was now taller and her elfin features softened. Katniss looked more like a fifteen year old human girl, then the mythical creature she was. Jo rolled her eyes and pushed her spiky black hair out of her face as she looked at Katniss gawk at a human boy.
Katniss watched the way Peeta's blue eyes lit up as he spun a story. He was stocky now; he lost all of his boyish looks and had a mop of curly blond hair on his head. Katniss found this interesting, as appealing as the words he was speaking. Katniss recalled how soft his hair was.
Her memory took her back to that cave where she found him sitting alone, looking at the water. Peeta looked serious after their grand adventure. She floated next to him intending make him smile.
"Hey do you want to come with us, we are going to celebrate our victory over Old Snow."
Peeta looked at Katniss. "I want to go back."
"That is what I said. Come on lets go to the club house. You can tell us a story." Katniss floated down next to him. She reached out and brushed his blond hair away from his face because it impeded her view of his eyes. It was then she saw it, the overwhelming sadness. "No."
"Wait Katniss" Peeta jumped up and grabbed her hand before she flew away.
"You are a Lost Boy now. You cannot leave." Katniss angrily spat.
"I have to go home."
"Why can't you stay here?" Katniss felt as if he was rejecting her.
"Katniss I can not stay here."
Katniss felt something more than anger or happiness. It was a foreign feeling. Something she had long buried but was resurfacing. "Why?"
"Why don't you come with me?" Peeta countered back, but not angrily. It was more of a plea. His heart knew something Katniss would never understand. His crush was not simply a design of childish imaginings. Peeta felt the first stirrings of love.
"I don't want to grow up." Katniss answered heatedly, not understanding how Peeta wanted to go back to his life. There were people back in Scotland who demanded that he do something that was against his will.
"Well, I want to grow up." Sadly Peeta knew this was the moment where his childhood ended.
"Why? Why would you want to leave all of this fun for there?" Katniss questioned.
"Because I saw the way you care for the lost boys. I realized I have my brother's infant coming. My brother is dead, and I have to help care for her."
Katniss floated down to where he was.
Peeta withdrew the thimble from his pocket. He kissed it then gave it her, then said "A kiss for you."
Numbly Katniss took the kiss. He was sacrificing himself for another. Katniss had never seen such nobility before. She took the thimble and kissed it in the same spot he did. At the act something within her blossomed but it made her scared.
She flew away and went to her rock. Selfishly she wanted to keep Peeta here. But then she knew he would resent her. That was a thought she could not live with, the idea of Peeta hating her. She swallowed as tears clouded her vision. He wanted to grow up to leave here, to leave her. Katniss wanted to throw something to make her feel better.
Instead she angrily stood up, found him and brought him back. She did not even say goodbye. After a while, her curiosity won over her stubbornness and she went to his window. It was the middle of the night and she saw him walking around the room with a small bundle in his hands. He was speaking, speaking about her, to the small bundle in his arms. Again something within her flourished, as she realized Peeta held a baby. She was able to forgive him for leaving her. After that it became important for her to see him, to hear his voice, to watch him interact with Primrose his niece.
Katniss heard Jo snicker something. She uttered "Jo, be quiet."
"Why are we here again? Shouldn't we be looking for things to antagonize Captain Snow?" Johanna said. But Katniss did not hear Jo her attention was focused in on what was going on with Peeta and Prim.
Katniss was keenly watching Peeta. Her silver eyes noted the way his muscles filled his loose shirt. Her eyes took in how rapt Primrose was, as Peeta spoke. An ache from deep within her body surfaced in her heart. Once in her heart, other parts of her became tingly and flushed. The timber of this voice made her breath harshly.
"All was lost. The boys were tied up ready to be executed. The pirates had the gold in their midst. But the most peculiar thing occurred. There were no waves and the wind did not blow. All sailors whether they be good men or evil ones, knew this was an omen."
"What happened next, Peeta?" Four year old Prim sat at the edge of her bed.
Prim was the reason he wanted to grow up. His brother had passed away while in the Infantry. Prim's mother went into a deep depression and could not care for the five month old baby. To this day, she sat in a room being cared for by a woman his family hired. At sixteen Peeta was glad to have a hand in raising his precious niece.
Primrose was the sweetest child. He had no regret in his decision to come back. He only wished Katniss came back with him. Smiling brightly he hunched down and swayed back and forth, mimicking the sway of the ocean.
Primrose's eyes widened as she watched her Uncle.
"Well Pirm, if you must know. It became eerily quiet. The pirates although they wanted the gold thought it was cursed by the boys. They looked at the boys with evil intent thinking if they got rid of the boys the curse would be lifted. One of them snickered out loud 'let us get rid of these accursed boys.' At that wicked suggestion the pirates unanimously agreed shouting..." Peeta raised his fists in the air and sounded like a pirate as he shouted. "Death to the Lost Boys!"
Prim bunched up the sheets to her chin. Her uncle's voice sounded as if nefarious and scary things were about to happen.
"With the ship dead in the water, Snow could not move and make his escape with gold." Peeta quirked one eyebrow the got close to Prim's face. "Snow walked to where the lost boys were tied up. He could smell his favorite scent. FEAR" Peeta whispered.
"Oh dear" Prim said in a whispered voice as she swallowed.
Outside Jo had enough, she wanted to leave.
"BORING" Jo screamed as she flew in the front of Katniss face.
"Jo I am trying to listen." Katniss unhappily spat, having been interrupted.
"Let's get out of here." Jo sat on the ledge "I am so bored."
"I want to finish hearing his story." Katniss said paying attention.
"His crew scrambled as they fought the lost boys. One by one, Katniss helped throw Snow's crew into the sea until Snow was surrounded by lost boys. It was then it happened."
Katniss leaned in toward the window to hear what Peeta would say. Because of Jo she had missed how the lost boys became freed.
"Katniss flew into the air and crowed as she ripped through the sails of the ship. Snow cursed her from the stern of his ship." Peeta dramatically ran around the room and Primrose's laughter trickled out from the inside.
"You're getting to close" Johanna warned the moment she saw Katniss hop into the balcony.
Katniss batted Jo with a wave of her hand. She wanted to listen to what happened next.
Jo was about to tug at Katniss green sleeve when she heard her name. Jo paused to hear what this human would say.
"Jo her trusty fairy had sprinkled fairy dust on Snow's ship. When it began to lift out of the water Snow was thrown from the ship. Jo laughed heartily and the lost boys could hear her jingling uncontrollably as she pointed to where Snow would land. Snow landed in the cold murky waters where Coin the Crocodile waited for him. He screamed at the sight of the snarling beast."
Prim began to laugh.
Jo shook her head in agreement at the boy's words. She would have laughed, at the sight of Snow landing in the clutches of that old Crocodile.
Prim then asked "Peeta is Katniss real?"
"Of course she is. I once went on a grand adventure with her. She even wanted me to become one or her lost boys. At that time I did not want to grow up and she showed me how wonderful it could be to stay a child forever."
Now that the story was over Jo became disgusted she walked away before lifting her self into the air. "We need to go."
"Not yet." Katniss said.
Jo left Katniss alone.
"Why didn't you stay with her?" Prim asked.
Peeta got a haunted look on his face. "I decided to grow up."
Prim put her little hand on top of Peeta's hand. She was glad her Uncle decided to grow up. Primrose wanted to be like her uncle who was funny and nice. Though there was sadness within her Uncle Peeta that Prim had the distinct feeling it was due to Katniss. "Doesn't she want to grow up?"
Peeta looked out toward the window. "No. Katniss wanted to continue to have grand adventures with the lost boys." Peeta smiled at Prim who was nearly four, but already understood complicated things. "Now it is time to go to bed. I have work tomorrow at Mag's Bakery."
Prim lay down as her Uncle Peeta tucked under the covers. She questioned "Do you think she is happy?"
"Yes" Peeta said as he stood and turned off the lights. In the back of his mind, he knew one day she was going to come back to him and find that he was old man. Then it would be too late for himPeeta walked to the window that was once his. He stood looking out not knowing Katniss was plastered up against the wall just to his right. Peeta closed the windows to the balcony and shut the shades. Katniss heard the muffled goodnight before the door to the nursery was shut. She flew down to the window that was just below the nursery.
This was Peeta's new room. He always slept with his window open so she came here to simply observe him. She found this room to be drab. There were no brightly colored walls, no toys just a bed, a wardrobe tucked into a corner with a desk and a chair pushed up against the wall. She watched him sit heavily on the bed. He took his sketch pad that was on his bed and opened it.
Katniss knew it was drawing he made of her. She snooped into his room one day when her curiosity had gotten the better of her. Katniss had even visited the bakery dressed a boy. She swiped a cheese bun from the counter. Then made her escape by flying to the rooftop where she greedily ate his handcrafted delicacy.
He spoke into the emptiness. "Are you happy, Katniss?"
His words were so sad that they struck Katniss to her core.
Peeta sighed heavily setting the picture on his bed. He stood and began to remove his shirt.
Katniss' mouth went dry as watched him remove his shirt and under shirt. Katniss was never interested in the masculine form until this moment. His chest was beautifully sculpted. All those hours of tossing hundred pound bags of ingredients, for the bakery he worked at, over his shoulders, paid off. Katniss licked her lips. When his hands went to his belt buckle, Katniss became red.
Nervously, she quickly flew away to the roof of the house.
Katniss sat on the ledge of the roof trying to calm her self down. Nothing like this had ever happened to her. Katniss was changing and it scared her. Two weeks ago she awoke up to find her sheets were bloodied. It was terrifying, not understanding what was happening to her body. She stole away to this world without anyone knowing and overheard whispered conversations between the adult women and the changes girls went through.
It was called a period a sign her body was preparing itself f to have children one day. This made Katniss panic. For the first time in her life and had to hide something from everyone. She was glad it disappeared after about a week.
Since then Katniss acknowledged she had begun to act unlike herself. The need to see Peeta increased with every turn. Last week she could not sleep and unbeknownst to Jo or the boys she came to his window in middle of the night.
He slept so soundlessly. His hair flopped over his eye. She sat on a corner of his bed only intending to look at him, but fell asleep. When she awoke it the morning she was wrapped up in his arms. She took the moment to bask in the feeling of being with him. As far back as she could remember Katniss had always been alone. Jo found her abandoned and helped raised her. Katniss grew up to a certain point and stopped.
For hundreds of years she existed with out a care in the world. But meeting this boy changed her life. The bond was unbreakable. She sniffed him. He smelled of bread and dill and of all things that were wonderful. When he uttered her name in his sleep, Katniss panicked and levitated them both until he fell on to the bed. As she zoomed out through his window she heard him crash on to the floor. Katniss scolded herself afterwards, and promised herself she would never do that again. But she could not help herself tonight. She needed Peeta. She closed her gray eyes. She could hear Jo approaching.
Jo flew to where Katniss sat. "Are you done acting silly?"
Katniss put her arms around her legs as she propped her chin on her knees. Her thoughts turned to Peeta. Katniss very much enjoyed staring at his blue eyes. She loved listening to him. He could weave a story like no one else. Katniss felt different whenever she was around him. From within her pocket she pulled out the thimble he gave her. It was a Kiss.
Jo twisted her lips at the sight of the thimble. "Oh no, not that thing again."
"What does it feel like Jo?"
Jo heard it in Katniss voice. That uncertainty combined with loneliness. Katniss was making a decision. "It is not an easy life for humans Katniss. Don't even think about it. Grown ups don't laugh a lot."
Katniss was more than curios. Her heart was longing for something she did not understand and was utterly frightened of. She needed information.
Suddenly Katniss took off.
Jo followed behind her as they flew toward Never Land. She was glad to put distance between Katniss and this human boy. Jo was determined to talk some sense into Katniss and her best bet was when they arrived at their home.