Chapter 2
Ships Sailing Through Clouds

AToT

Patrick had been agreeable, wealthy and polite with many prospects for his future. Apparently, these were the only attributes Wendy needed for a husband and comfy home life, all she had to look forward in life now was an artificial wedding that cost a penny too much and the routinely career that consisted of mothering a house full of children. No adventure for Wendy Darling anymore, no Peter Pan and pirate ships, that was all over. One of those memories that could have been mistaken for a dream within a dream she had a long time ago.

"Oh dear me," she breathed to herself despairingly. She had been so worried about meeting wondrous Mister Foster that she'd conjured up bumping into Captain Hook. It had seemed so real though, he had looked as he always had; no added wrinkles or scars. She'd always found James Hook quite the enigma, his obsessive quest to rid of Peter Pan had proved fruitless countless times but he never gave in, he was stubborn and determined. Wendy had perceived him as strangely endearing, that rugged appearance and diabolical grin, it promised misdeed and mischief, like there was a child locked up inside of him somewhere, wanting desperately to play freely once again. Wasn't that always the case with citizens from the Neverland?

"Oh Peter, what are you doing now?" Wendy muttered to herself as she got ready for bed. I wonder if he ever misses me... She had her own room now. It was rather plain, not like when she housed with her brothers, toys and costumes always scattered about everywhere and Wendy was constantly discovering various feathers and jewels in duvet covers where they'd fallen off dresses and breeches. Everything in this room was delicately floral and perfectly feminine, neat and unassuming. Exactly right for a young lady like herself. Sometimes Wendy did wish she could be the mannerly daughter her father wished her to be, just to make him proud, she would stop daydreaming and concentrate on the smaller, more important things in life like family and church.

Wendy would always be wild and strive to free but she still wanted to love. She wanted to choose who she loved but she'd been instructed she would learn to love Patrick and his somewhat smarmy attitude. He wasn't a bad man; he just wasn't a brave man, no sense of fun only coolness. He wasn't Captain Hook or Peter Pan... but Peter was too young for her now, wasn't he? Peter who never grew up whereasshe had. Peter who was stuck in an eternal time-catch, unaging and unknowing and the clock was slowly ticking away for Wendy, aging her, entrapping her. Time was such a tricky, fickle thing, honestly she didn't want anything to do with it.

Wendy let her wavy hair unravel from the chignon; it was longer now reaching the small of her back. She didn't want to cut it; it was a small innocence to have, not like the bobbed haircut of flirtatious ladies or the pampered curls of older women. Bored, Wendy planted her bare feet onto the fur throw on the floor, her toes curling in the downy material and she glided over to the balcony window on the west side of her bedroom, her ivory nightgown dragging across the ground. With all the eloquence her mother had instilled within, Wendy lowered herself on to the cushioned window seat and gazed longingly outside.

The glass was cool against her fingertips, her lukewarm breath condensing into clouds of mist against the clear surface, smiling to herself she outlined a love heart in the vapour but it quickly vanished. The sky was still leaden outside, the colour of blue-black and soft, large-scale gatherings of clouds; grey and lumpy as they were suspended in the air. It had been such a dismal day; she couldn't see a single glitter of a star, however, in the distance was the mocking smile of the moon. It said: I'm free out here, and you're imprisoned inside.

"Wendy, time to get your head down," her mother said melodically, vibrant, amber light enshrouding her from her position in the doorway.

"Yes," Wendy sighed, resting her forehead against the window and not really looking at anything.

"I brought you a cup of hot chocolate; it'll help you get to sleep. The nights are getting cold," her mother intoned, bringing her knitted shawl closer to her body as if to ward off a shiver. Wendy didn't feel that cold really just ever so slightly empty.

"Yes, of course, thank you."

"Goodnight." Wendy regarded her mother as she moved out of the room. That was how Wendy was supposed to be, modest and graceful, softly-spoken and endlessly kind. Yet, there was something so withdrawn about her mother, her politeness perhaps a little false, her smiles perhaps a little melancholy, she was a beautiful caged bird and no one could hear her song, the time had gone for her to spread her wings and show her true colours. Wendy didn't want to be like that, ever, at all.

The mug of hot cocoa smelled fairly inviting, sweet wisps of steam rising from the porcelain. Wendy was about to get into bed when something caught her eye, outside there was a movement in the clouds, the gradual parting of white-grey woolliness, breaking apart as if being sliced by a pirate's sword. Wendy gasped when she saw the impossible enormity of a ship, floating in the sky with the occasional twinkle of fairy magic swirling around it. The skull and cross-bone flag fluttering, she couldn't see if anyone was aboard the boat because it was hazy and silhouetted but she could guess who.

He had been real, he was here. Wendy hurriedly opened the wind, a frigid draught cutting against the rosy skin of her cheeks. Why was he here?

For her?

She smiled gleefully at the sight, the magical spectacle of the pirate ship sailing across the skies of London, it was enchanting and most of all it was true – it hadn't all been a far-off dream to help soothe her boredom, Peter Pan and Captain Hook wasn't just a part of her imagination and Wendy knew in that moment she wanted to go back to Neverland.

Out of nowhere, a note drifted in through her open window. Curling at the edges and yellowed with what appeared to be age, it had the scent of fresh ink and something else... something individual to one person she'd met before.

Are you ready for another adventure Wendy?
Captain James Hook

"Definitely," Wendy accepted whimsically unaware of the consequences in her confirmation.

AToT

Sorry this update has taken months, I can't promise I won't do it again though. Enjoy. Thank you for the reviews, alerts and favourites!

ST