Author's Note: Ok, so this is the final chapter in this short story. I think that this will be a good set up for the storyline seen in the sequel to this, (which will definitely be much longer than this, don't worry). Currently, I'm planning on calling it "And Straight on Till Morning," which will help with the implication that these two stories are related. Anyway, if you're interested please stay tuned for that story, which will most likely come out soon! Enjoy!
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Wendy paced nervously in front of her window. Tonight, was not going to be an easy night for her, but she couldn't even bring herself to think about the effect it would have on Peter. She just hoped he would be able take the entirety with grace, (but we both know very well that isn't one of Peter's strengths).
"Something wrong Wendy?"
Wendy almost jumped back, startled. She took a deep breath to calm her pounding heart. "You scared me."
Peter gave her his usual boyish grin, which usually charmed her, but unfortunately not tonight. "Peter, I need to talk to you about something important." His facial expression immediately turned serious, as he began to sense that something wasn't right.
"What's the matter Wendy?" He asked, an edge of concern in his voice. Wendy looked at him, her eyes betraying a deep burden of sadness within her. Peter didn't say anything, feeling his own heartbeat quicken.
"Peter, I can't do this anymore," Wendy said quietly. Her eyes were clamped shut, and her voice wavered slightly. Peter just floated in the air in shock. His entire body began to numb as he suddenly fell onto the ground. Wendy immediately looked at her door in alarm, almost certain that her parents would wake up. They didn't.
"Wendy, what do you mean?" Peter asked, afraid that his suspicions were correct.
"Peter, I can't…I can't see you anymore." Wendy stated firmly. "I-I'm expected to grow up, and…" her voice faded. She wasn't certain she could go on. "Peter, I just turned 17 today. I will be expected to go out into the world soon and marry. I'm pretty certain that my parents aren't looking to have me marry a red-haired boy dressed in a green suit who lives in a land where nobody grows up!" Wendy almost shouted, but she contained her voice to a low whisper.
Peter looked completely shocked at this sudden turn in Wendy. She looked into his eyes, her own vision beginning to blur. She looked back down. "Peter, I've always loved you. We both know that very well, but I just…I just can't keep doing this to myself. I know that I won't be able to stay with you. If circumstances were different, maybe we could have been together, but…" Wendy began choking on her tears. "There isn't a future for us, and I can't remain a little girl forever. At some point, I will have to grow up." The painful words were stuck in her mouth. "And I'm afraid that I have to do that now."
The tears slid down her cheeks quietly, and she fearfully looked up, only to have her tears fall harder. Peter Pan looked at her with the most heartbreaking expression she had ever seen, even more heartbreaking than Nana's when she had been leashed in the backyard those many years ago; the night of their adventures in Neverland.
Peter took a step back. He could scarcely breath. To Wendy's shock, she suddenly saw Peter's appearance begin to…change. Suddenly, he no longer looked like a 14 to 15 year old boy, but a teenage boy of about 17.
Peter saw the look on Wendy's face, and darted in front of her mirror. He stumbled back in horror, unable to comprehend what was happening. He began taking rapid breaths, and he glanced at Wendy, almost beginning to cry. "Peter, I-I…" Wendy fell to her knees and began sobbing. Without giving her a second glance, Peter got a running start and rocketed out of her window, making a beeline for Neverland.
Through her blurred vision and loud sobs, Wendy ran to the window and looked on at his figure helplessly, as it began to grow smaller and smaller, until he disappeared entirely.
When he disappeared, she buried her face in her hands on her windowsill, sobbing. Her heart throbbed in the most painful way. She could never know how deeply she had wounded him, but it must have been extremely deep, since he began to grow up.
After crying for about 30 minutes, she finally picked her head up and looked up into the night sky. Through all of the tears, she could only think of one way to sooth her pain. "The-e sec-cond s-star to th-e right, shines in the n-night for you." Her tears began to steadily diminish as she sang the song in a very slow, melancholy tone. "To te-ell you all the dreams you plan, really can come true."
As Wendy continued singing, she could see all of the moments she spent with Peter. She could see the one time when she had fallen off one of the ridges in Neverland, and Peter swooped in to save her. Or when he gave her a 'thimble' for her 16th birthday. And the many times they shared passionate thimbles in Neverland.
"The second star to the right, shines with a light that's rare. And if it's Neverland you need, its light will lead you there," Wendy finished. She wiped the last of her tears away. Wendy couldn't be sure that Peter would ever get over her betrayal, or his love for her, but she was somehow certain that someone, someday, would be there to help heal the wounds she had created. While this thought didn't comfort her completely, it gave her momentary peace.
At that, Wendy took a deep breath, and reached out to close the window for the last time. She reached over to lock it shut, but her hand hesitated for a moment. She took a deep breath, and locked her window shut, for her to never open it again.
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Epilogue
"Mom, I would like you to meet your granddaughter, Margaret," an emotional Jane said proudly. Wendy carefully stood over the figure of her granddaughter, and fawned over the features of the beautiful baby.
"She's beautiful, Jane." Wendy complimented. The baby stared at Wendy curiously through piercing blue eyes.
Jane smiled. "You know, she kind of reminds me of you, Mom. She has that look of curiosity that you always maintain." Wendy laughed at her daughter's comment.
"Dear, that's quite absurd, how could she—" Wendy was immediately cut off by a quick gurgle from the newborn. Jane giggled.
"She must be disagreeing with you mother." Margaret's eyes sparkled at the two women, catching Wendy by surprise.
Wendy didn't know why, but somehow the sparkle in her eyes looked like two stars shining in the sky. Almost as if…
End Note: Thank you for reading this story! It gives me such pleasure to publish these ideas for the world to read! Hopefully it isn't that horrendous to read! Anyway, if you are interested stay tuned for "And Straight on Till Morning," (yes, I know it's kind of awkward to say "and" at the front of it, but saying just "Straight on Till Morning" seemed a little awkward as well, so…)!
