Chapter 3: Second Star to the Right. And Straight on Till Morning

The Doctor sighed, cheek in hand. "What a story teller you are. What a story…."

Wendy rubbed her eyes. "You believe me?"

"Off course. Too extraordinary to be untrue. Hahhhh." The Doctor rocked, gazing dreamily at the ceiling. "Don't know why but I especially like that crocodile chap."

Wendy smiled sadly. "Then you don't think it was a dream? Just…just a story?"

"Just a story…?"

The Doctor grinned, humored by a few stories of his own. "Stories. Strange fish, them. All stories are lovely as pearls. Oh, magnified and polished with time of course, but all starting from a gritty, grainy sand of truth."

Wendy sighed at the windowless walls. "Unless it's a fairytale. Unless I'm…" she choked. "…not right. And Neverland…is just pretend."

The Doctor turned the screwdriver over his hands.

"Neverland." he said. "A place that never ages…interesting."

A doubtful silence.

Then The Doctor jumped, vaulting off the bed like a jack-in-the-box. "Right! Come on!"

"Come on?" Wendy turned. The mattress bounced as The Doctor spun around the corners, rubbing his hands. "Come on where – oh!"

"Hooky pirates!" The Doctor pulled Wendy from the bed. In two steps he danced her across the room. "Wild natives, spunky pixies, flying redheads, time conscious crocodiles, and rambunctious lost boys with comical adventures! That's something I can't miss and you Wendy Moria Angela Darling – "

The Doctor flipped his screwdriver. He caught it like a baton and pointed at Wendy, "— are going to navigate us there!"

"To Neverland?"

"The very same! To Neverland!"

Wendy's smile could not contain her happiness. Breathless, she let The Doctor swing her across the room until a terrible thought entered her mind.

"Oh dear! But wait!"

Wendy skid. The Doctor paused, still scintillating with excitement.

"Yes?"

Wendy pointed at the door. "What about – "

"Oi! Lassy! Little kooky! What's all that racket! Oo's in there w' you?"

The Doctor jumped. Tripping over his feet, he seized Wendy and brandished his screwdriver at the door.

The door banged. Outside, the attendant shouted obscenities and rattled the knob.

"Playin' games, little lassy!" Laughing, the attendant shoved a key into the lock. "Well then let's play! Are ye stripped yet little crazy? Or do I have to get nasty?"

Wendy squeezed The Doctor's waist coat. "Oh no! Oh no, oh no! Doctor!"

"There, there no need to panic! Panic's not productive! Ummmmm…." The Doctor twirled his screwdriver. The key popped from the lock.

"Ha ha!" The Doctor laughed. Suddenly, he skipped back as the attendant howled.

"Oh dear." Flustered, The Doctor searched the room as the attendant threw his body against the door. "Oh dear he seems like a rough sorta fella. All right! Plan B – what to do when the belligerent bully breaks in – Wendy Moria!"

Wendy jumped. The Doctor pointed at her. "—any ideas?"

Wendy gawked. Suddenly the door hinges jolted. "Oh!" Wendy covered her cheeks.

"Me neither!" The Doctor declared. Frantically he searched his pockets.

"Right, how to fight, how to fight! Screwdriver? No can only open doors, not lethal to people. Bowtie? No, not wasting it!" The Doctor lifted his hands. "Fists? Ha, hilarious! Done that once, had to wait until the next regeneration for fingers to unfuse –"

"Doctor!" Wendy cried as screws popped from the lock. "Doctor! Please!"

"Right! Right! Right! Umm!" The Doctor spun in half circles. He whizzed, pointing alternatingly between the door, Wendy, and…

The Doctor stopped. He brought both index fingers together, pointing at the bed.

"…pillow."

He looked at Wendy. Then, he grinned.

"Yes! Oh baby, YES! Here we go!"

"Wha – " Wendy reeled as The Doctor pulled. "—what?"

"Stand right here!" said The Doctor, shoving Wendy at the door and stuffing a pillow into her hands. "And get ready Wendy Moria Angela Darling for the wallop of your life! READY! GET SET!"

The door jerked ajar. As the attendant stuck through his arm, Wendy squeaked. Supporting her from behind, The Doctor crouched out of sight. "And had better not miss, that's a good girl! All right! GO!"

The attendant burst inside. Heart leaping into her throat, Wendy hurled the pillow as hard as her little arm could.

"Ha ha!" The Doctor bounded up and zigzagged in front of Wendy. "Ha ha you mangy loaf of – uh oh."

The attendant caught the pillow, easily as nabbing fly. He lowered it. "You blimey little –"

The attendant stopped. He goggled at the man beaming before him.

"Hello." Nervously, The Doctor reached behind for Wendy. "I'm The Doctor. Wendy?"

Wendy squeezed his hand. Smile still plastered to his face, The Doctor leaned back, speaking from the corner of his mouth. "Wendy. Little hop, skip, and a jump?"

Wendy looked at the attendant, still baffled. Then, pushed by The Doctor, she darted out the door.

"Wait – oi!" The attendant turned. "Oi! You there! Stop! Guards! Guards! She's tryin' to es – "

The Doctor slipped by. "Tra la!"

The attendant yowled. In seconds, he sounded the alarm.

Wendy felt the sirens in her chest. Blood pounding in her ears, she ran down the hallway and to the front door. It was the one her parents had closed before leaving her here. Wendy seized the knob. She wrenched.

"No! No! It's locked!"

"No worries!" The Doctor slammed behind her. Fiddling with his screwdriver, he attacked the lock. "No worries Wendy Moria Angela Darling, I'm a professional, we'll be out in not time! So long as they don't call the dogs – "

"RUFF! RUFF! RUFF!"

The Doctor looked up. "Oh dear. Well that changes things."

"What?" Wendy cried. She suddenly gasped as huge, vicious dogs charged around the corner, teeth reflecting in the moonlight.

The lock clicked. Kicking the door, The Doctor grabbed Wendy's hand. "Just going to have to run a bit faster, come on! Spit spot!"

Wendy swallowed cold, damp air as The Doctor pulled her into the darkness. Every way they ran, blindly scavenging the enormous grounds.

"Blimey!" The Doctor panted, holding Wendy's hand. Dogs howled all around them. "I always forget where I park – "

"—Doctor!"

Wendy screamed as a dog sprinted out of the darkness and snapped at her skirt.

"Ahhh!" The Doctor stumbled, pushing Wendy back. For a moment he floundered, batting his hands and hopping in circles. Then, suddenly inspired, The Doctor reached into his pocket. He threw a jammy dodger.

"Rrrrrrrrrun!" he hollered as the dog chased the cookie. "Run Wendy Moria Angela Darling and pray we find my TARDIS!"

Wendy panted. Her heart raced. "Can't you use your wand?"

The Doctor wheezed. Both his hearts raced. "What?"

"Your wand!" Wendy repeated as the barking grew louder. "Your metal wand! With the green light!"

The Doctor stopped so fast Wendy rammed into him.

"Oh!" The Doctor yelled, lifting his screwdriver into the air. "Clever! If I press this button – "

Blink. Blink.

The Doctor turned. Surprised and delighted, he smiled as the TARDIS flashed like car headlights. "Now why didn't I think of that?"

"Doctor!"

The attendant emerged before the TARDIS, hunched like an angry bull. Behind, the dogs advanced.

"Run!" The Doctor grabbed Wendy before she could think. Barreling ahead full steam, The Doctor threw Wendy at the TARDIS and flung himself onto the attendant.

"Open the door!" The Doctor yelled as Wendy hit the blue police box. Gagging as the attendant strangled his bow tie, The Doctor stuck a second jammy dodger down the attendant's pants. "Get inside! Oh! Watch the bow tie mate!"

"AH!"
The dogs attacked. Sniffing the jammy doger, they leapt for the attendant – rather his pants.

The Doctor ran. Sprinting inside the TARDIS, he did not reappear until the police box started to make a noise like a wheezing dragon.

"Here!" Head sticking out, The Doctor tossed a book. It flapped uselessly as the attendant fought the dogs burrowing for the cookie in his pants. "Medical Ethics! Chapter eleven! It's the one about child abuse and advocacy of minor's rights! Have at it you goon! It's a killer!"

And with that, the TARDIS disappeared leaving one unhappy attendant amidst a pack of very happy guard dogs.

"Well. Now then." The Doctor turned. Kneeling, he inspected Wendy. "No broken bones. All fingers, toeses, noses still attached. Little smudge of dirt – little bit of this..." he licked his thumb, "...to fix a little bit of that. Rip in the hem, nothing too risqué. And one last touch…"

Carefully, The Doctor straightened the bow in Wendy's hair. Just as carefully, he straightened his own.

"You okay?"

Wendy nodded. Then, very slowly, she turned in a circle, TARDIS lights glimmering over her face.

"Doctor. Oh Doctor…it's…it's…"

The Doctor smiled, rocking expectantly on his heels. "Go on…"

Wendy practically sparkled. "It's bigger on the inside!"

The Doctor threw his laughter into the ceiling. "I just want to dunk you in my tea! NOW!" He spun upright. "Where shall we go?

"Go?"

"I have a TARDIS." The Doctor led Wendy to the controls. "We can go wherever and whenever…" he took her hand. "…you want!"

Wendy gazed, hardly daring to believe. "Where…wherever?"

"Yup!" The Doctor said, flipping gadgets to prove his point.

Wendy smiled, watching The Doctor dance.

"This is a dream…another dream…"

The Doctor stopped. Slowly, he lowered before Wendy. As stars twinkled overhead, he looked the little girl directly in the eye.

"The TARDIS can travel through time and space…not imagination. So,…close your eyes….make a wish…and think…" Gently, The Doctor placed his hands. Covering Wendy's eyes, he whispered. "…of a happy thought."

Wendy smiled. Holding The Doctor's hands, she thought of one boy. Then, she wished with all her heart.

"I wish…I wish I could return to Neverland."

Silence. Then…

"Done!"

Lights blinked and sounds twittered, spewing every imaginable color across the brilliant room. The Doctor moved like a magician, ending with a flourish to open the TARDIS door.

"Which way…" The Doctor said, offering Wendy a galaxy of stars. Stellar breezes and solar flares lit the exhilaration in his eyes. "Which way, Wendy Moria Angela Darling?"

Wendy grinned. Joining The Doctor, she held his hand and pointed without hesitation to a tiny star.

Because as she had promised Peter Pan, Wendy never forgot how to find the way.

"Second star to the right. And straight on till morning."