It was late and all were settled inside for Wendy's ceremony. Peter stood and spoke in front of everyone who attended the ceremony in her honor. The audience released cheerful laughter with Peter's jokes before presenting the woman of the hour.
"I would like to thank the board of trustees of the great Ormand Street Hospital for having me this evening," Peter said, after taking a sip and putting his jokes to rest. "And I beg your forgiveness because normally, I'm used to addressing shareholders. We don't know each other and I doubt that we have very much in common except for this wonderful woman, Wendy Angela Darling. Granny Wendy brought me in from the cold.
"She taught me to read and write. She even found people to be my parents and adopt me. She's loved so many children just so efforlet...effors... effortlessly," Peter still struggled slightly with speaking due to his upbringing, but he did his best, making Wendy a proud mother figure.
"That's her achievement. Many of you here were once lost children, but Granny Wendy found parents and homes for each of you and saved you. That's her miracle," Peter continued, while Cherry was struggling to keep Forte awake. "And I know, that if you could stand now, you would express much better than I have your feelings of gratitude, appreciation, and warm feelings for this wonderful woman."
Several of the people in the audience stood up to honor Wendy during Peter's words of wisdom. Though Cherry wasn't an orphan when she knew Wendy and hadn't seen her since her husband left to World War II, she stood up as well. Moira couldn't believe her eyes and cupped her mouth that so many people loved her grandmother as much as she did. Wendy was indeed touched herself.
"I guess we do have something in common," Peter smiled a little. "We're orphans."
There came a model of the hospital for Wendy and she was all a twitter to see what was happening before. Oh, what a night indeed. She nearly looked like she could cry. Peter and Moira helped Wendy up as she looked in sincere happiness. However, a big blow of wind outside made her look a little shocked and she looked as though she were having an episode of some type. Suddenly the window blew open and a lot of strange wind came over them and the power went out.
"Wendy!" Forte cried, rushing to her aid with Cherry.
"Wendy, are you okay?" Cherry asked the woman who seemed very unresponsive and looked as though she were in sheer shock.
Wendy didn't answer anyone. She looked in shock and looked a little heart stopped and overwhelmed over something. She smiled at her guests and nodded her head to assure them, even though she looked very unwell just a moment ago.
"I feel something wrong in the atmosphere..." Cherry said, raking her hand through her hair and fiddling with her glasses.
Forte squeezed her arm and held her close in case she would faint. The people clapped proudly for Wendy and didn't seem to be affected by what happened outside or what the strange sensation could be. Everyone still clapped for Wendy, but she had a nervous frown.
After a while, they all went home. Wendy was probably up too late and needed to get some rest. The driver pulled them up and Forte felt odd to be in a real car this time instead of using the horse-drawn carriage he usually rode with his family.
"Thank you, Nigel... Norman..." Peter tried to thank.
"Neville, sir." the driver told him.
"Neville?" Peter raised an eyebrow. "Is that English?"
Cherry rolled her eyes and shook her head at that question. Everyone got out of the car. Peter and Moira helped Wendy get inside while Forte kept his eye on Cherry. She was looking rather strange over something like Wendy, but no one could find out their problem. Peter and Moira congratulated Wendy, but she was in slight shock still. They came close to the front door and saw the glass on the door was shattered, which worried the adults gratefully.
"Think someone broke in?" Cherry asked, nervously.
Peter went to the door first and opened it. The door looked broken like someone possibly robbed the place! Peter tried to turn on the lights, but the power must have struck out.
"Liza? Tootles?" Moira sounded worried that the guardians that looked after the children for them wouldn't answer.
Cherry and Forte went to investigate, having perfect night vision.
"Oh, my God, the children..." Wendy whispered in horror.
"Maggie?" Peter called.
"Jack!" Moira called.
"Flick!" Cherry cried out. "Flick!?"
Cherry, Forte, Peter, and Moira ran up the stairs, following a curved cut trail in the wall to look for the kids to make sure they were alive and well. They came upstairs and instead of finding the kids, they found Liza who looked like she was having an episode too.
"The wind came up," Liza whispered in shock. "The door closed on me. The children were screaming!"
The children had to be found now. Peter rushed to the nursery of the house and pushed the doors open to find their kids. They went to the beds and found no kids in them! All the beds were empty. Moira even checked the wardrobe of the room and found no one in there. The window was wide open, but no children were found. This was a horrific day to be a parent.
"Peter? Cherry?" Wendy called.
Both adults turned their heads as their names were called and they went to see what Wendy wanted or needed from them. The doors opened slowly to see Wendy looking up in horror with what appeared to be a pirate sword in the wall with a crinkly piece of paper written in quill ink. Cherry and Peter looked at the letter.
"Dear Peter and Cherry,
Your presences are required at the request of your children.
Kindest and personal regards, Jas. Hook, Captain."
Tootles slowly came from behind the door. "Have to fly, have to fight, have to crow, have to save Maggie, have to save Jack, have to save Felicity," he murmured to them as it was their mission. "Hook is back..."
Peter tilted his head. "Who?"
"That's where I know you from!" Cherry's eyes flashed at the name, Captain Hook. "You're from Neverland!"
Peter looked at her. "Where?"
Suddenly, Wendy looked like she was going to fall in the middle of the floor and everyone rushed to her aid. They all managed to call the police and they looked at the letter.
"The lab boys can analyze this little lot," an inspector said, examining the letter carefully. "Mr. and Mrs. Banning, we've wired the phones and two of my lads will be outside at all times. Of course, it is possible that this is some kind of ridiculous prank."
"This is no joke." Cherry looked at him, coldly.
"Our children are missing," Peter stated.
The inspector tried to have them understand from his humor. "Yes, but the literary history of the family suggests that... Well... Let's hope so."
"I've forgotten how to fly..." Tootles murmured.
"Yeah, well, one does," the inspector humored him as well. "Good night then." he left to leave the family to their private business with the case of the missing children.
"I need a break..." Cherry moaned, taking out her silver lighter with an ancient skull on it and put a cigarette in her mouth. She then lit the cigarette letting puffs come out and she wheezed out a thick smoke cloud, but it didn't affect anyone around her.
Later that night, Moira went to comfort while Wendy was resting in bed with her. Peter and Cherry were with Wendy while they were a little lost over this case.
"Nothing we can do," Peter said. "The police will-"
"The police can do nothing," Wendy retorted over him.
"Oh, really? Maybe we should call the American police."
"In a crisis, we English always make a cup of tea. Moira, would you?"
"Yes, of course." the woman respected her grandmother's wishes and left them alone.
"Don't forget to warm the pot." Wendy added.
"Screw tea." Cherry murmured, taking out her trademark wine glass and pouring deathly black wine into it to drown her sorrows her way. "Peter and I will go too, Wendy."
"Peter, Cherry, you stay," Wendy insisted.
Peter looked hesitant, then went to her bed side. "Don't worry, Granny Wendy, we weren't going to leave."
Wendy looked at them, glanced at her nightstand and back at them. "Hand me my book, please."
Peter was closer, so he went to get the book. He clutched it and handed it to the woman, not acknowledging that the cover printed: Peter & Wendy.
"It's time to tell you at last," Wendy said, cracking open the book. "Cherry already knows and remembers, but you seem to have forgotten."
"Tell me what?" Peter looked from Wendy to Cherry as she sipped her inky black wine which couldn't be good for her health.
Wendy sighed and flipped through the pages. "How far back can you remember, Peter?"
Peter thought for a moment. "I remember the hospital on great Ormand Street. You worked with orphans, you taught me to read, you arranged for the adoption by my American parents."
"You were 12, nearly 13," Wendy clarified. "I mean before that."
"There's nothing before that."
"Try Peter, do try."
"There is more to that, Peter, trust me..." Cherry said, sipping more of her wine.
Peter tried to think like the girls told him to. He felt a little lost in his deep thoughts of early childhood before Wendy took him in. He still couldn't find anything in his mind to tell them. "Nothing."
Wendy gestured for him to come closer. "You know, when Cherry and I were young... No other girl held your favor the way I did. I half-expected you to alight on the church and forbid my vows on my wedding day. I wore a pink satin sash, but you didn't come."
Peter seemed a little taken back by her gestures toward him. "Grandma?"
"Yes, I was an old lady when I wrapped you in blankets," Wendy continued. "A grandmother, with my 13-year-old granddaughter asleep in the bed."
"Moira." Peter seemed to catch on now.
"And when you saw her, that was when you decided not to go back to Neverland," Wendy confirmed.
"Where?"
Cherry grunted and rolled her eyes from Peter's memory loss of the adventures he had as a child.
"To Never Neverland." Wendy explained.
Peter looked surprised at first, then he stood up from her bed. "Moira! I'm going to get Moira."
Wendy looked and sounded very disappointed in the man. "I tried to tell you so many times and I knew you'd forgotten."
"Peter, the stories are true," Cherry looked into his eyes, swishing her wine in her glass while he tried to escape. "We swear to you."
"I swear on everything I adore," Wendy added. "And now he's back to seek his revenge. The fight isn't over for Captain James Hook. He wants you and Cherry back. He knows you'll follow Maggie, Felicity, and Jack to the ends of the Earth and beyond and by heaven you must find a way. Only you two can save your children. Somehow, you must go back. You must make yourself remember."
Peter looked at Wendy and Cherry long, wondering what to do and how to do it. He still felt a little lost. "Remember what?"
Cherry looked like she was going to give up with Peter.
"Peter, don't you remember who you are?" Wendy asked, looking scared and sad. She then opened the book to find a picture of Peter when he was Peter Pan. She showed him the book page hoping that would jog his memory for sure.
Peter raised an eyebrow and came closer to it to look at the picture. He placed his glasses back on his face and took a closer look, studying the caricature. Peter looked at it and the girls carefully.
"Yes, boy..." Wendy slowly nodded. "Yes..."