Prologue:
Neverland was not the same. The days grew longer, the nights colder. Snow covered
most of the valleys that Peter had so often gone to seek refuge. He didn't know how
many years has passed since he last seen Wendy. The boys came back to him in due time, but Wendy waws not with them. All he remembered was flying into the
nursery many years later to find a woman over Wendy's bed pulling blankets up over her
legs, humming a sweet tune as she did so. He had stepped onto the floor trying not to
make a sound, but the woman's head shot up. She turned slowly to look at him and he
recognized the unforgettable blue eyes and the hidden thimble on her lip. He watched as
she slowly stepped toward the soft glow of the nightlight. As she came into view he saw a
tear fall down her cheek. "Hello Peter." She whimpered. He recognized the soft, silk
voice. It was older he knew, but so barely had changed. " You finally remembered."
He hesitatingly took a step back, she reached her hand to him "no, Peter it is me. I'm
your Wendy-Lady"
" No my Wendy, she's short, and she has longer hair. She's a girl" He told her defiantly.
She laughed but without humor.
"I am a woman now Peter."
"You grew up? But they- That's John and Michael!"
She took another step towards the light, "No Peter they have grown up, they have
children of their own now. As do I" She gestured solemnly to the two small figures
sleeping in the beds. "Her names Mary, and that's Mark. Named after my husbands
father" she abruptly stopped suddenly. He stared at her,
"Husband?"
"Yes Peter. I'm married now; to a man that loves me very much. His names Edward."
He stared at her, a horrible feeling swelling in his chest, his throat tightened and he felt
the air flow stop. He sat on the floor.
"But, NO!" He yelled. She stepped towards him reaching out to him. He hissed at her,
and scooted back. Tears slid down her cheeks.
"Please Peter do not yell, you might wake them"
"YOU'RE LIEING! YOU ARE NOT MY WENDY-LADY!" She stepped towards him
yet again, but he didn't back away. He let her hug him. She pressed her cheek to his head
like Wendy had done so many times. " You are her. I know, but I don't want it to be true.
You're my Wendy-lady…" He mumbled into her arm. She stroked his back and nodded
her head.
" You promised you wouldn't grow up"
" I can not stop time, it happens without fault. I thought so many times that if I could just
fly I could go back to you. But you see I have forgotten how. Peter I need you to stop, I
cannot go back with you. Ever."
He stared at her. " But,-" Wendy cut him off.
"No Peter, I am married and have children. I am a woman now. An adult," she
stammered. He let his head fall.
"Peter do not be sad." He got up off the floor, and stepped towards the girls bed.
" This is she?" Wendy nodded. He reminded him of a younger version of Wendy, but her
hair was jet black. He knew Wendy had grown, she could not come back to Neverland
with him. He turned to see her standing, she was almost a foot taller then he but he raised
his head to meet her eyes, the same blue eyes he had so many times stared into those eyes
and his heart skipped. Now instead his stomach hurt. The sparkle in her eyes had faltered,
there was, he knew, some child in her. But he knew the stories of Peter Pan had long
since attempted to leave her heart. " This is goodbye?" He asked quietly. He looked at the
window, Tinkerbell had stopped the bells and was watching them, he knew she was sad
for him. Even though she hated Wendy. Wendy looked at the floor, and then to her
children. " No Peter, your stories will always be cherished. I will not forget you."
"Promise?" He asked her, she nodded her head thoughtfully. She kissed the top of his
head. He stepped towards her daughter as Wendy watched curiously as he placed a
beautiful sewn bag next to Mary's head. Wendy looked at him curiously. He smiled
mischievously. " Fairy Dust, maybe one day you can teach them." She nodded with a
small, sad smile on her face. He looked around the nursery, then back to the high arched
window with a beautiful view of the largest clock he had ever seen. He stepped onto the
window sill and into the air, he turned back to the window to see Wendy standing there
with the small girl holding her hand and the boy nestled lightly in her arms. The girl
smiled widely and waved, Peter smiled a boyish grin. He looked again but only saw a young
Wendy standing at the window waving goodbye with tears streaming down her face. He
knew that was a memory and he only looked at a adult Wendy and her two children.
"Remember to tell them storys!" She looked at him and raised an eyebrow "About Me!"
He laughed playfully and with tinkerbell by his side he did a summersault in the air and
heard the boy clap and the girl sigh with awe as he turned and waved goodbye. Before
soaring high into the air out of sight.
Things had changed so much since that goodbye. The boys were still with them, and had
not aged. He still remembered Wendy, but now he truly looked at her as a motherly
figure. He knew he still loved her in a different way, but he never felt that rarely
anymore. But something new was in Neverland. He felt it. And he knew that Hook had
too. He stared into the clear field with the boys behind him bows ready to fire at any
given moment when Peter called it. But there was something oddly fixating about these
people he saw in the middle of the now clear forest. The trees were cut down to nubs.
And the green grassed was loitered with the forest's debris. Adults. They wore orange
vests, and big helmets. But one men in particular stood out. He wore a gray jacket and
fancy shoes. And had dark curly brown hair and his arrogant smirk made Peter want to
hit him in the jaw just to stop it. He watched as these large things moved into the clearing
and moved all the branches into piles. He felt the ground shudder beneath him. He turned
and saw tinkerbell fuming with rage.
If they keep going they will hit the fairies home. Peter that will kill us all. Our source is there. That's how we live, tinkerbell whispered in his ear.