The days went on as they usually would and Wendy often forgot about the visit from Peter but when she did remember, she couldn't forget for hours and she went to sleep crying. A week after Peter's visit, Slightly or Simon visited home. He was only seventeen years old but already had a job as a manager of a factory.
"He was here!" Slightly exclaimed when Wendy told him as they sat cross legged on her bed playing snap.
"Yes, after six years he finally bothered to show up." He grinned and they kept laying down cards, it was the longest round so far that they had played.
"He's Peter Pan, he doesn't listen to anything to anyone, let alone time. Did he look.." Wendy's adoptive brother made a moment with his hands that made Wendy laugh.
"Did he look different? Yes. Quite. Taller, a lot taller than me and stronger and he seemed more affectionate than last I saw him and he's less cocky and more aware." She saw him sigh. "I know your happy here, at least I hope you are. But I also know that you wanted Peter to stay young so you could remember being a lost boy."
"Your right of course sister. I love our mother and father like they were at my birth , but I now know that Peter Pan is not to be trusted. He does remind me of the good days in Neverland, but also about all the terrible things that happened. He hurt you Wendy, and I hated him for it. We all did. But Wendy I must ask you something and you must answer truthfully." Wendy nodded.
"Did he ask you to come with him?" She was quiet for a minute and they both held their cards still.
"Yes and I said no. But told him to come back again to hear my final answer." Slightly sighed again and lay down his cards.
"And what is your final answer?" Wendy swallowed and scratched her head.
"I don't want to leave because of university and my family and my life but, I want to be with him I can't lie. I've wanted to be with him for years now and now given the chance I can't figure what I will do. I care for him deeply even if I haven't really known him, and I have so much joy with him. When he flew though my window I was angry, very angry but there was an overwhelming happiness that I couldn't ignore. I am ashamed." A tear escaped her eye.
"Don't be ashamed sister. You can't help your feeling what you feel in here." He struck his chest on the wrong side to where his heart should be but Wendy took the sentiment. Slightly wiped the tear from Wendy's cheek. "Don't cry. It's your choice and I knwo you'll make the right one. SNAP!" He yelled and Wendy laughed.
Now it was one week before Wendy had to go to university and she didn't even want to go anymore, she loved English but she couldn't bare a life where Peter Pan was a distant memory. Or one where the possibility of Neverland was further away than before.
She wished his promises were real, and they weren't as empty as they were, he couldn't guarantee anything, even her safety and Wendy didn't feel like dying. But maybe something had happened to him, they would tell her wouldn't they? Tinker Bell would come back and tell her. She would... or maybe she still hates me and has a fondness of Peter he doesn't reflect?
This caused Wendy too cry -with thought of Peters death- she saw his dead eyes and the moment when he fell to the ground and when he's buried. The lost boys have been enslaved by Hook, Tiger Lily is no where to be seen and Peter can't save them... and neither can she. All their scalps are on the Jollyroger. Their headless bodies all thrown into a hole. The pirates rule the island now and they've enslaved the tribes. It's all fire and death and destruction and, oh God where's Peter's grave, she couldn't find his grave. Then she saw his body on the front of he ship, she screamed out to him but his mangled body could do no more.
"Wendy, Wendy." She could hear in her dream, someone was calling her, shaking her.
Sitting up she screamed and took a minute to realise she was in the nursery and John was shaking her. Wendy began to cry and John just hugged her as he sat need to her on her bed.
"Oh Peter. Come back! Come back!" She wailed. If Wendy had not been crying and looked up, she may have seen the shadow and the ball of light at her window. But Wendy wouldn't have looked up even as the ball of light flew in. The light was Tinker Bell and she tapped John on the face.
Pointing to the shadow at the window then to Wendy, John understood and nodded. He slowly pushed Wendy down onto her pillows and pulled the covers over her as she fried softly now. As he sat on his own bed, the shadow appeared in the room, Peter. He had heard Wendy crying and not wanted to come in but Tink kept pinching him and throwing pixie dust into his eyes till he listened.
He approached Wendy's sniffing and stood silently first. Till Tink rolled her eyes and kicked him in the back of the neck, Peter made a sound of protest and Wendy opened her eyes to Peter arguing with Tinker Bell, she made no sound, just stared up at him. When Peter looked back at her, Wendy's blue eyes were shimmering and he couldn't help but smile.
She stood up and still had too look up at him, slowly she reached forward and hugged him round the middle starting to cry again. Peter was surprised at first as all boys are in this situation, but he put one hand on Wendy's back and leant his chin on her head.
"Wendy I-"
"I was beginning to think you had left me again." She whispered, interrupting him.
"Will you come with me? I so want you too. So we can have adventures again and you can meet the new lost boys and be their mother and we can have stories again. You never tell stories anymore." Peter thought back to the first time he had heard Wendy make up a story and he smiled.
"Slightly was here and I spoke to him about it. I told him that I wanted too but I was ashamed that I wanted to leave all this behind, he told me I shouldn't feel ashamed. But also that now he is grown he doesn't trust you and regrets a lot of what he did in Neverland. He was a child after all." Peter tensed at the mention of one of the lost boys. Especially as he spoke so badly of him to Wendy.
"Do you think you'd have regrets?" He asked and she laughed lightly.
"I have regrets everyday, but so don't think so because if I leave today, I don't think I'll ever come back and then I won't have time to think over what I've done." Peter held her at arms length and looked into her eyes for an answer but there was none, she was a closed book, a blank space, a white sheet.
"Then tell me you'll come." He pleaded. Peter needed an answer to know if she still cared. Wendy looked over Peter's shoulder to her sleeping baby brother and John who smiled encouragingly.
"I will." Peter flew up to the top of the room and circled the room doing flips and twists and turns till he finally hovered on his stomach in front of Wendy. He was smiling broadly and so was Wendy, she was finally happy. Running over to her dresser she got out her only pair of trousers, they were like Peter's, tight fitting and brown. She took out one of her night gowns and ripped it from where it would be at her waist. Before getting her underwear she pushed the bedroom door open and looked left and right before going into the bathroom.
Changing into her clothes she looked more like a boy than ever before but knew that a dress was a terrible idea to wear to Neverland, especially with her anatomical maturity. Stepping out of the bathroom she tied the strings at the top of her shirt and walked back into the nursery. For once in his life, Peter Pan was lost for words. You will not find this happening much and we should all take that into account.
He said nothing, just stared as Wendy put on some boots and walked toward him. She found it quite funny and had a little laugh to herself. Wendy walked over to John and there were tears in her eyes.
"Goodbye John." She clutched him close and he did in return. He didn't want to let go of his big sister of whom he had supported and helped through years of turmoil and disappointment. John knew it was not his decision on whether she left or not but Peter had been the devils advocate in the nursery for years. Now John didn't want to forget that. He also knew that if he said anything he would cry out and he didn't want that to happen so he stayed silent have looked at his feet.
Walking over to her youngest brother she kissed his sleeping face and smiled down at him. Michael was a funny child, he still played dress up and wanted stories and parts of youth and innocent when he was in the nursery. But when he was out of it, he would be miserable and stern most of the time. Walking back to Peter he sprinkled some pixie dust over her and she squeezed her eyes shut thinking happy thoughts to lift her into the air.
When her head hit the ceiling the smiled with eyes closed, opening them she was nose to nose with Peter and she blushed flying down to cill. Standing on it she looked cautiously out at London, the mist around them and the moonlight looked magical.
"Its still so beautiful, I had rather forgotten to look outside at night. Have you ever been here during the day?" Peter flew over to stand next to her .
"No, I can be seen flying at that time, and that never ends well." He took Wendy's hand and she looked back at her brothers John was smiling at her even if he looked very sad and Michael was peacefully sleeping.
"Tell mother I'm sorry but, I couldn't pick anything else. She'll understand, tell Michael and the lost boys I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye and tell father that you can have all my inheritance spread between you and all I would have got. Goodbye John, I love you."
"Love you too Wendy. I'll see you soon." She smiled then turned back to London and jumped out with Peter. As they soared up into the sky with Tink close to them, Wendy twirled around and seemed a lot more graceful than the last time she flew. Peter laughed and twirled around with her, his shadow just as happy.
They had hardly spoken the whole journey, it was mostly pushing and shoving. Approaching Neverland, they leant on cloud and Wendy marveled at the sights she had been trying to remember for years. It was so colourful and vibrant, it made Wendy want to sing and dance and jump up and down.
"Do you want to meet the new lost boys?" Peter asked as Tink settled on Wendy's shoulder. She looked down to the island below her and nodded. He grabbed her hand and zoomed down to the forest where they crash landed into a grassy part of the forest and ended up rolling around before they came to a stop with Peter on top of Wendy.
Tink had retreated to a bush as to not interrupt them, she may be a jealous soul sometimes but she had some compassion. Wendy stared up at Peter and he put a hand on her face, brushing away a leaf. They seemed to be getting closer and close and Wendy got close to him by propping herself up on her elbows.
When the two were nose to nose their heads turned and whether Peter knew what this was- whether it was a thimble or a kiss- he wanted it to happen. He knew that.
"Peter is this our mother!" A voice yelled and Wendy threw Peter off her and sat up. There was some angry ringing of bells as Tinker belle tried to get rid of the voice.
"Tink stop it!" The voice yelled.
"Tinker Bell, it's okay. Frizz. Go get the other lost boys." Peter instructed the voice that ran away yelling.
Peter put out a hand for Wendy to take but she didn't, she just stood up and wrapped an arm around herself. Walking over to the tree she ran a finger over the bark. It felt different here, and so did everything else. Then there was a massive noise of running and shrieking as about ten boys burst from the undergrowth mid play fight.
"Boys!" Peter yelled over the racket, they all turned and shut up. "This is your new mother. Her name is Wendy and you'll treat her like a lady should be treated. She can tell you stories and look after us." All the boys looked so hopeful Wendy didn't have the heart to tell them that she hadn't made up a story for years now.
"Does the Wendy Lady like us." A small shrill voice asked.
"Ask her yourself Flint." The little boy named Flint looked at Wendy questionably.
"I think I do and I shall be happy to be your mother. For all of you." The lost boys smiled and Peter's lips turned up at the ends.
"Come on, we shall show you camp." One of the boys announced as he raced off.
Picset: post/138739186695/read-chapter-two-of-my-peter-pan-wendy
