Wendy Darling clutched her coat around her tightly and hurried down the street, hoping to make it home before the storm started. The wind was howling fiercely and the trees around her creaked as they blew in the wind. She frowned as the lights around her flickered and she gasped as the rain suddenly poured down and she was drenched within minutes.

"Wonderful," she muttered to herself, shaking her long hair out of her eyes. She quickly hid under one of the abandoned buildings and hoped the rain would pass quickly. She looked down and saw her shopping bags were soaking wet.

"Oh no!" She quickly looked inside to see if her items were ruined. It was the Twins' birthdays tomorrow and she had gone out to get some things for the surprise party. Nibs and Curly had tried to accompany her but she convinced them she would be fine and that she would return shortly. Her brothers were very protective of her—after all, they had once called her 'Mother' long ago. Only in pretend of course but the Lost Boys, for that is what they were once called, had grown to love Wendy as their sister over the years. It had been exactly five years since that fateful night Peter Pan had appeared in Wendy's bedroom and had taken her and her brothers to Neverland, where they had met the Lost Boys, battled pirates, and had defeated the most dreadful pirate of all. But Wendy had known from the moment she had taken Peter's hand that she couldn't stay with him; Peter Pan always wanted to be a little boy and he would never grow up. So he had brought Wendy and her brothers back to London and the Lost Boys had asked to stay as well. So Peter returned to Neverland with his fairy as his only company. Heartbroken and alone, he promised them he would be back to hear stories but he never returned to that window. Wendy was convinced he had forgotten them all. For Peter Pan has so many adventures, he couldn't possibly remember them all. Still, Wendy had hoped Peter would always remember her.

Wendy shook herself, bringing her back to the present where she was wet and cold and the rain seemed to be getting worse.

"Oh bother, there is no way I can make it home in this. I'll catch my death. Of course if I just stand here talking to myself in the freezing rain, I'll still catch my death." Wendy pondered her choices and did not hear someone approaching her but she did feel a shadow cross over her. She gasped and whirled around but something hit her and everything went black.

Peter Pan soared over the Never Sea, looking frantic. Two of the Lost Boys, Binky and Ace, had gone missing and the others were frantic with worry. But Peter had calmed them and assured them they would be fine. He would find them and bring them home safely. The Lost Boys looked up to Peter and sometimes called him 'Father', which he had to admit he sort of liked. Until he thought of the last time he had been called Father. He and Wendy had been Mother and Father to the previous Lost Boys. Wendy. Peter winced as he felt a pain in his heart just at the name. He had forbidden anyone to speak the name and he would literally knock Tink to the ground if she mentioned the name. Wendy had come to Neverland years ago and Peter had fallen in love for the first time (of course he would never admit this. Peter Pan didn't love! It just wasn't heard of). But then she had left and had taken his Lost Boys with her. He had returned to Neverland alone, save for Tink, and had moped around for the longest time. Worse than that, Peter had noticed himself starting to grow. Actually Tink had noticed. One morning Peter had gotten out of bed and had hit his head on the ceiling. Tink gasped and zoomed around his head.

Peter! You're big!

"What? I am not!" He had flown to the mirror and his eyes widened in horror as he saw his reflection. He had grown at least two inches and his shoulders were much more broad, his chest more defined. Peter looked down at himself in horror then back at his friend.

"Tink! What's happening to me?"

The Queen of the Fairies will know what to do!

And Tink and Peter had flown to the Fairy Glade where the Queen told Peter that Wendy's thimble that had saved his life on the Jolly Roger had made Peter start to feel things that only a man could feel. So he had started to grow. Peter was furious. Why would Wendy do this to him?! She could take her stupid thimble or hidden kiss or whatever it was back! So he decided he would not visit her again. As much as he missed her and the boys, he decided it was best to stay away. The Queen of the Fairies had pursed her lips and fluttered her wings.

"Love is one thing you cannot escape, Peter. You feel it in your heart. You feel it for her."

"Never! I don't love her. The very word offends me!" The Queen shook her head sadly as Peter had taken off and she sighed deeply.

Now Peter had spent the years trying to forget Wendy and what she had done to him. Try as he might, he just could not get her out of his mind. The years passed and he eventually found new Lost Boys to replace the old ones and he sometimes forgot the names of the originals and couldn't remember what Wendy's brothers' names were but he always remembered her name.

Peter found himself flying low close to the waves and he shook himself and rose higher.

"Forget her. I don't need her. She left and that's all there is to it!" He said to himself with a scowl. Something beside him jingled and he glanced to his side.

"Go back to the hideout, Tink. I'll find Binky and Ace and bring them home, don't worry." More jingles. "I will not! The pirates are slow and old, they'll never catch me. You worry too much." And with a swoop, Peter flew a circle around the fairy and out of her sight. Tink illuminated red and she fumed.

You foolish boy! Tink turned around and flew back toward the hideout.

Peter glanced down and saw the Jolly Roger anchored off the side of the island. Of course it hardly moved since its captain was long since deceased. Peter had beaten Captain Hook and he had fallen into the jaws of the crocodile. He still remembered that night, where Hook almost had him. But Wendy had saved him with her hidden kiss. Peter scowled again.

"Stop thinking about her!" There was a noise above him and he started, flying up and disappearing behind a rock. Glancing down, he saw the pirates hanging a cage near the mast. Two boys were gripping the bars with white knuckles and were crying.

"Ace! Binky!" Peter soared down and hid in the rigging, waiting for the pirates to leave so he could rescue the boys. He dropped down lower, his eyes searching for the keys. The boys were pleading for the pirates to let them go but their pleas fell on deaf ears. The crew cleared away and Peter saw that the deck was empty. He landed in front of the cage and smiled in at the boys.

"Peter!"
"You came for us-"

"Sh. I'll have you out of here in two seconds."

"Peter, you have to go! It's a trap! For you!" Peter froze.

"What do you mean?"

"It's him, he's back! And he wants you! Get out of here, now!"

"Who's back?"

"We just heard them talking about the Captain. And the Captain has brought someone to Neverland, someone who can defeat you." Peter scoffed.

"No one can defeat me! Who is this Captain? And who has been brought back to Neverland?"

"A girl." Peter's very blood froze. He didn't have time to ponder the mystery; a large net fell from the rigging and directly on top of him. The boys cried out as Peter was caught in the netting and he thrashed around angrily. Grabbing his dagger, he attempted to saw through the rope but a sword slashed across his hand, making him cry out and dropping the dagger. He looked up furiously to see who had captured him and his eyes widened in horror.

"It can't be," he whispered. The man who held the sword grinned and leaned in close, his face inches from Peter's. He reached out and grabbed Peter's vines with a sharpened steel hook. Peter struggled to get away from the man.

"Well, well, well. Peter Pan. Surprised to see me?"
"Not really. I've heard codfish can live for a long time," Peter said with more courage than he felt. The Captain's eyes narrowed.

"Bind and gag him," he announced to the crew before turning away, "I'll deal with him when I return."

Wendy was starting to come to and she blinked several times before she struggled to raise herself up. There was a bump forming on her head and she moaned.

"Where am I?" Her eyes darted around, taking in her surroundings. She was in a ship's cabin of some sort. As her vision cleared and she started to grasp reality again, the horror started to sink in. She had been here before, years ago. She knew exactly whose cabin this was. But he was dead. Eaten by the crocodile, she had seen it with her own eyes. She stood on shaky feet and made her way to the window. The waters were clear and blue, more beautiful than anything she had seen in her world. She knew where she was. And her heart started to race.

"This isn't happening. This can't be happening!"

"Oh but it is happening, my dear," said a soft voice from behind her. That voice she knew so well filled her with cold and dread. A hand softly pushed her curls back and she winced.

"Wendy Darling. What a beauty you have become. The years have treated you well."

"They haven't been kind to you. I suppose that's what happens to codfish after they've been in the belly of a crocodile!" She snapped, speaking with more courage than she felt. Hook merely smiled at her.

"You haven't changed. Still have that fiery spirit that captured Pan's attention. But look at you. Peter's Wendy, a woman." Wendy merely glared at the Captain as he circled her.

"Would you care for a drink? Some wine perhaps?"

"What do you want, Hook?"

"My, my. What a temper. No time for pleasantries, Miss Darling?"

"I have no time for pleasantries when you snatch me from my home. Why have you brought me here?"

"You've been away from Neverland for five years, Wendy. The island has changed. Pan has changed."

"What do you mean changed?"
"Your kiss made him start to grow." Wendy's eyes widened.

"What?"

"It's because of you that Pan has become weak and worthless. And he hates you for it. Why do you think he has never come to see you at your window? He loathes you for what you did."

"But I…I didn't know…" Wendy looked at the floor sadly. Could what Hook said be true? Had Peter really grown? Because of her? Is that why he had never visited? Her heart beat rapidly against her chest.

"You still haven't explained why you've brought me here. Does Peter know I'm here?"

"No, he doesn't. But you're here to save him again."

"Save him? From what?"

"Well, my beauty, I have a proposition for you. I have your dear Peter in my grasp and I would love nothing more than to slice my hook across his throat. But, if you do something for me, I will let him live and allow him to go." Wendy's eyes narrowed.

"What?" Hook held out a tiny vial and shook it slightly under her nose.

"Drink this."

"What is it?"

"A potion. It will make you fall asleep, nothing more."

"And why would you want me to sleep?" Hook brought his face closer to hers.

"Perhaps I can tell that you are in need of a nap." Wendy swallowed in fear.

"You're up to something."

"I? James Hook, up to something? Nay, my dear lady, I assure you I speak true. Drink and I'll let Pan live."

"I don't believe you. Peter's not even here! You're lying to me." Hook gently tsked and lead her to the window across the room. She had a clear view of the deck and saw a cage holding two small boys. Beside the cage, a bound figure was being held tightly by several pirates. Wendy knew that proud stance and that sandy blonde hair very well. One of the pirates kicked Peter in the stomach and another grabbed his hair and yanked his head back, making his eyes water. Wendy stared on in horror as Hook stood behind her, smiling cruelly. Wendy turned away, tears welling in her eyes.

"I drink this. And you let Peter go?"

"That's what I said, my beauty." Without another word, Wendy grabbed the bottle and drained it, immediately becoming very sleepy and her eyes growing heavy. She stumbled around the cabin for a moment, groaning. Hook watched her with red eyes.

"It's a marvel, my beauty. That you would give your life for Pan when he cares nothing for you. He will never love you as you love him. He would have forgotten all about you if he didn't hate you so much for making him grow." Wendy faintly shook her head and fell to the floor, her body shaking violently.

"P…Peter," she said in the barest of whispers before her hand hit the floor with a thud. Hook stared down at the motionless girl, then turned to Mr. Smee who was nervously waiting in the corner.

"You know what to do."

Peter struggled against his captors, not letting them see his pain. He winced as he felt his bruised ribs where they had kicked him and he doubled up slightly until one of the pirates would grab his hair and yank back. Ace and Binky were yelling at the pirates to leave him alone but it made the pirates torment Peter even more. Finally they got the hint and fell silent. Hook appeared out of the cabin and approached Peter slowly.

"So sorry to leave you, Pan, I had business to attend to."

"Oh your crew has been treating me great while you were gone," Peter said nastily before he suffered another kick in the ribs.

"Really Peter, I didn't recognize you for a moment. You're so grown up now." Peter's eyes flashed.

"I am not grown up!"
"Still a proud and insolent youth…not as young as you once were, I believe. I suppose we have dear Wendy to thank for that?"

"Don't mention her name!" Hook's smile widened.

"Ah, still angry with her then lad? You never went back to visit her did you?"

"She is dead to me. That's all there is to it." Hook nodded to his men who held Peter and to Peter's surprise, they released him.

"Dead to you…my my my. So what are you doing here? You heard I had Wendy on this ship and you came." Peter's eyes widened and he started forward for just a moment before he shook his head.

"I've come for the Lost Boys. You can keep her, I have no use for her." Hook raised his brow.

"Such bitterness, Pan. You really are a selfish little boy. She saved your life, you know."

"She did this to me. She made me grow," Peter did his best to keep the tears out of his eyes. Hook shook his head.

"Well, you say she is dead to you…I'd say she is dead to everyone else as well." Peter frowned and Hook's eyes lingered on his for a moment before he turned away and gestured at something. Peter's eyes followed Hook's and they widened in horror. His jaw dropped and he felt his knees might give out. Mr. Smee and another pirate stood by, holding a limp figure in his arms. The girl appeared completely lifeless, her hands dangling helplessly and her face completely devoid of expression. Peter wished with all his heart that she would open those beautiful eyes he missed so much and look at him. The pirate set her down in front of him and Peter looked up at Hook in horror.

"What have you done to her?"

"And what does it matter to you? You said she was dead to you. That you hated her for what she did." Peter turned back to Wendy, dropping to his knees while tears welled up in his eyes.

"Wendy," he whispered, stroking her pale cheek.

"What bothers you more, Pan? That her kiss made you start to feel things and grow? Or that she left you to grow up?" Hook stood behind Peter, his hook raised in the air.

"You know she came to Neverland looking for you? My men took her prisoner and we held her on the Jolly Roger for several days, just to see if we could break her spirit. I told her you weren't coming to rescue her this time. I told her that you hated her and you never wanted to see her again. Do you want to know what her last words were, Peter?"

"Stop it," Peter managed to choke out, his hand grasping Wendy's limp one.

"It was your name. She cried out for you, pleaded for you to save her, and she died with your name on her lips." Peter's shoulders shook with sobs as he shook his head, refusing to believe that she was gone. His hand lingered on her cheek and he buried his face in her chest.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered.

"So, Pan. You feel for her after all." Peter clenched his teeth, his hands curling into fists. He didn't need a weapon, he felt like he could kill Hook with his bare hands. He jumped to his feet, rage all over his face. He lunged toward Hook but Peter was defenseless against the weapons of a pirate. Hook's sword plunged into Peter's side and Peter let out a cry, falling to his knees and grasping his wound. Hook smiled maliciously.

"Prepare to meet thy doom, Pan." In a surge of anger and strength, Peter pushed Hook back and looked at the cage containing the boys.'
"I'll be back for you!" The boys nodded, sadly understanding and watched as Peter scooped Wendy into his arms and took off into the air. Hook was yelling at the pirates to shoot him down but Peter was long gone.

He landed on a rocky ledge far away from where the Jolly Roger floated off shore and he gently set Wendy onto the grass. Tears fell from his eyes and splashed onto her face.

"Forgive me, Wendy. I'm so sorry. If I had known…if I had known you were here…and in trouble…oh Wendy, please forgive me." He lowered his head and sobbed into her dress, paying no attention to the blood pouring from his side. Sniffling, he raised his head to look at her and he realized she was still the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. His hand hovered over her face and his fingers gently traced her lips, as they had done when he had first laid eyes on her.

"A thimble," he whispered. "No…a kiss. A hidden kiss." He touched the corner of her mouth, where her hidden kiss had once been, until she had given it to him. He leaned down and hovered over her, his hands gripping her face and his lips inches from hers.

"You gave me your hidden kiss…now I give it to you." And he touched his lips to hers, very gently, wanting to pour his life into her.

Wendy's eyes very slowly fluttered open and she let out a tiny moan. Peter's eyes widened and a shocked smile crossed over his face.

"Wendy?"

"Peter? What's happened?" And then she was being crushed against his strong chest, his arms encircling her and holding her close.

"I thought I'd lost you," he whispered into her hair. Wendy closed her eyes at the feeling of being in his arms again but she still didn't understand. She had agreed to take the potion to save him. So why was she awake?

"Peter, I don't understand." But Peter pressed his lips against hers again and kissed her passionately. Wendy's head was spinning as she kissed him back, never wanting to kiss anyone else. Her hands reached up and roamed all over his body until she felt something very wet on his side and he broke away with a pained moan.

"Peter what's wrong?" Peter slowly glanced down and he and Wendy both noticed the massive amount of blood coating his skin.

"Peter!" Wendy rose up and gently lowered him down on the grass as he started to shake a little and the pain suddenly hit him. His hand covered his wound while his other lingered on Wendy's cheek.

"Wendy," he said softly.

"Peter…you can't…there must be a way-" but Peter shook his head and tears streamed down Wendy's cheeks. "Peter, please…Hook can't win. He never wins." Peter smiled weakly.

"I think this time he has, Wendy." Wendy felt her heart breaking as she watched the life seep from him quickly.

"Wendy," he said weakly, his eyes closing softly while he spoke, "I… lied… to you…I have… always… loved…" his hand on her cheek suddenly went limp and crashed to the ground by his side. Wendy's hands clapped to her mouth as she shook her head.

"No! No, please. Peter, please don't leave me!" She grabbed onto his vines that made their way up his strapping chest and she shook him vigorously.

"Peter…please," she sobbed, lying her head on his chest and allowing her tears to flow. "Come back to me. Please."

She didn't know how long she lay there over his body. It might have been a few minutes, it might have been a few days. But her tears continued to flow as she grabbed onto his still hands, wrapping her arms around him and holding him close. She didn't want to move from that spot and when she saw a bright light approaching, she very reluctantly raised her head. A fairy she hadn't seen in years hovered over them, looking down at Peter in horror.

"Tinkerbell?" Wendy asked softly. Tink immediately flew right over Peter's heart and looked pointedly at Wendy. She started to jingle and Wendy shook her head.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand you." Tink threw up her hands. The Wendy-lady had always infuriated her. Tink thought for a moment then flew over Peter again, landing in his messy curls and gently touching his lips. Then she looked up at Wendy and touched her own lips. Wendy frowned.

"His lips? Or mine?" Tink jingled, growing more frustrated by the minute.

"I can't understand you, Tinkerbell," Wendy said hotly, getting frustrated herself.

"You must forgive Tinkerbell. She loves Peter dearly and just wants to save him," said a voice from above Wendy. She looked up quickly and had to shield her eyes at the intense brightness coming from the fairy that hovered over her.

"Who are you?" Wendy asked weakly.

"My name is Elani and I am the Queen of the Fairies. It has been a long time since I last saw you, Wendy Darling. You have grown into a beautiful young woman."

"We've…we've met before?"

"When you and Peter danced in the Fairy Glade," the Queen reminded her. Wendy remembered that night very clearly and she gasped.

"We watched the King and Queen dance! That was you!"

"Indeed my child. And I have felt your very heartbreak. You needn't be so distraught, Wendy. You are the only one who can save Peter Pan. You've done it before, you can do it again." Wendy wiped at her face and straightened up.

"How? He's…" she couldn't bring herself to say the words but she raised her chin slightly before she continued, "when I saved him last time, he wasn't mortally wounded. And I didn't even know that I was saving him. I wanted to show him that I cared for him."

"You feel much more than care for Peter, do you not Wendy?"

"I don't understand, You Majesty. I don't understand any of this."

"Then ask," she said simply. Wendy took a deep breath.

"I don't understand why my kiss made Peter grow. I don't understand why Hook kidnapped me and made me drink that potion…he said it would make me fall asleep. So why was Peter able to wake me up? And why couldn't I save him with my kiss as before? And lastly, why me?"

Elani's wings fluttered and she crossed her hands gently, fixing Wendy with a look of patience and understanding.

"I will do my best to answer each of your questions, my dear child. What you must understand is that Peter started to grow because of what he felt for you. Before you came to Neverland, Peter Pan never felt anything that resembled love or appreciation for another being. When he brought you and your brothers to Neverland, all of that changed. He fell in love with you and when you kissed him, you gave him your heart. Although Peter is still a child in many ways, he understood that you were telling him that you loved him and that made him start to feel things he had never felt before. He felt love. He felt love for you and that made him start to grow up just a little. But it didn't stop there. He yearned for you for years and he just kept on growing because of what he was feeling. I told him long ago he could never escape love but Peter is a hotheaded boy and will not listen to reason. So he tried to forget about you. And failed, of course."

"So it's true then. He despises me for making him grow."

"He does not despise you, Wendy, I thought that kiss you shared was enough proof of that. He was heartbroken when you left and he did not understand the things he was feeling. Remember that Peter Pan has been a child for hundreds of years. Now I will not lie to you…you are not the first girl he has brought to Neverland. But you are the first that has made him feel this way. So he looked for someone to blame and naturally, he chose the one who meant the most to him. It's easier to deny love when you blame everything on that person that you love. But the moment he saw you asleep, when he thought you were dead, he realized that he did love you with all his heart and at that moment he would have traded places with you. To say that Peter is selfish is a bit of an understatement. He protects the Lost Boys of course but he very seldom puts anyone else first. He has always loved you, Wendy. And nearly losing you made him admit that."

"But how-?"

"Did Peter wake you up from the potion? Well that was definitely a mistake on Hook's part. You see, Hook has been back for quite awhile and seeking revenge on Peter, of course. He had heard that Peter had grown and he knew the reason behind it. Captain Hook is an intelligent man and he knew that Peter had a weakness. So he devised a plan and kidnapped you. The potion you drank would make you seem dead—and that is how Peter saw you for a few moments. But there is one to revive the sleeper…a kiss of true love. Hook did not think Peter would ever admit to being in love with you so he dismissed the possibility of you waking up. His intention was to destroy Peter's heart with your faked death and then murder him. He never imagined that Peter would wake you up with true love's kiss."

"If true love's kiss can save everyone, why is Peter dead? Why couldn't I save him?"

"Do you love him, Wendy? Truly love him?" Wendy started to answer but she bit her lip. Did she love him? She didn't know. She hadn't seen him in 5 years, though he had never left her mind. And she had thought she once loved him but she was just a child then. She didn't answer the fairy and fixed her gaze on Peter's pale face. She drank all of him in, still noting that he was the most handsome being she had ever seen. His messy blonde curls hung low in his face, his sun-kissed flesh clad in leaves and vines, looking like royalty of Neverland. Wendy remembered the way his eyes twinkled, especially when he would give her that smug grin. The way he had taken her by the waist and spun her through the air. The way his lips had crushed hers only moments ago, passion flowing between them both. Wendy looked back up at Elani, tears filling her eyes but a sad smile crossing her face. Elani nodded.

"Only you have the power to save him, Wendy. You have always had that power." Wendy closed her eyes and prayed to the heavens above that it would work. Her heart thumping against her chest, she leaned down and nuzzled his cheek gently.

"This belongs to no one else Peter. I have never stopped loving you." Holding her hand against his cheek, as she had done years ago, she lowered her head and gently kissed his lips. She stayed there for a moment, hoping, praying, some miracle would bring him back to her. But Wendy was from the mortal world and was full of doubts. She lingered there for a moment more, wishing for his lips to move against hers. And then, she felt arms wrap around her and bring her lower down on top of him. Wendy broke away with a gasp and with wide eyes, stared into the brilliant blue eyes she loved so much. Peter's face broke into a broad grin.

"I love you too," he whispered before he pulled her back in and continued to kiss her like there was no tomorrow. Elani and Tink hovered over the lovers, both grinning broadly. Peter pulled Wendy away to look at her and he tucked a curl behind her ear.

"Don't leave me again, Wendy."

"This is the only place I want to be, Peter. In your arms, forever." And Peter wrapped his arms around her again and lay claim to her mouth, marking her as his and no one else's. And in that sweet moment of kisses and confessed love, Wendy knew she was home.

END.