Chapter Three: Shelter

When Wendy arrived on the Darling's doorstep her bruises were aching, sweat was dripping down her forehead and she was panting like a shaggy dog on a hot day. She had run 10 blocks to reach this house. She had been eager to get away from her crazy parents and find shelter with the people she gladly calls family.

After Wendy had finally regained her breath and wept the sweat and tears off her face, she picked up her duffle bag and walked over to the front door. She took a shaky breath before knocking on the large oak door. Everything was silent for a moment before she heard the heavy sounds of footsteps running up and down stairs and hushed voices wondering who was at the door.

After a while the sound of heels came walking towards the door. The door swung open and beautiful lady with a grin that could light up that whole town appeared behind it. She wore a gorgeous, flowing mullet dress that had silver beads along the v-neck line. It was a beautiful shade of violet that really complimented the young ladies pale skin. Her light brown hair was pulled up into a neat bun with little curly bits hanging from the sides of her head near her ears. Her green eyes shone with happiness at the sight of Wendy.

"Ah, Wendy. I'm so glad you came. I tried to call your mobile but you didn't pick up and I was about to call your home phone but-" Mrs. Darling's honey sweet voice stopped abrupt as soon as she saw Wendy's eyes were puffy and red from crying and the red mark that was bruising on the side of her face. Her brown eyes widened and were full of sorrow and her perfect forehead creased with small lines. Mrs. Darling gathered Wendy into her arms, "Oh Wendy. George get me some ice, or frozen peas or something."

Wendy just shook her head and bit her lip as to not start crying again. Mrs. Darling pulled her arm around Wendy and guided her into the living room and sat her gently down on the lounge. At that moment Mr. Darling walked into the room carrying a bag of frozen peas, sadness and anger already in his eyes, knowing what had happened. Mrs. Darling took the frozen peas from her husband's hand with a small thank you and knelt down in front of her and tilted Wendy's head up gently to look into her blue eyes, holding the frozen peas lightly on the girls cheek.

"Wendy, tell me what happened this time." Said Mrs. Darling in a gentle but fierce voice.

Wendy began to tell Mrs. Darling about the day's events, stopping every so often to take a deep breath to keep herself from crying again. When Wendy got up to telling Mrs. Ford about what happened earlier with her parents it took all that she could do to keep herself from crying.

"Can I please stay with you?" Pleaded Wendy as she finished off recounting the day.

"Of course you can dear." Mrs. Darling said gently as she pulled Wendy into a tight embrace. The two women stayed like that for a few minutes before Mr. Darling came back in. Mr. Darling is a tall man with short black hair and round blue eyes. The freckles around his nose showed more than normal freckles because his skin was so pale. Tonight he wore blue jeans and a light blue long-sleeved flannelette shirt with a white t-shirt underneath. His black converses blended in with the blue of his jeans.

Mr. Darling's hazel eyes glittered sadly in the light of the living room. He came over to Mrs. Darling and whispered something in her ear before going into the kitchen and grabbing his keys and wallet.

Mrs. Darling rubbed Wendy's back before easing out of the hug to get up.

"Wendy dear, we have to go out now. It's our friends' engagement party and I have to go. I'm one of the bridesmaids. Are you all right to look after the boys tonight?" Asked Mrs. Darling, her voice still layered with a bit of concern.

"Of course Mary, go have fun. I'll be alright." Wendy said, although her voice did not sound to convincing. Mrs. Darling look liked she wanted to push the issue further but knew how stubborn Wendy could be so did not push the issue any further but just smiled and squeezed Wendy's arm gently before walking out to meet her husband at the front door. He gave her silver purse before calling the boys downstairs and telling them to behave.

After Mr and Mrs Darling left, Wendy quickly hurried to the bathroom and out make up on the bruising mark that her father had left her before she took the boys back upstairs to have their bath. They both wined until Wendy said she wouldn't tell them the rest of the story she had been telling them unless they had a bath. John ran off to his parent's bathroom to take his bath while his brother dawdled over to the main bathroom. Michael hated baths almost as much as he hated Brussels sprouts. He only started walking faster to the bathroom because he heard a low growl behind him. Nanna. He turned around to see his brown Labrador Retriever come running towards him. Nanna was the smartest dog the three kids ever knew. She was almost like a... well nanny, to the kids whenever Wendy couldn't make it.

Nanna went charging after Michael, causing him to run straight into the bathroom and straight into the bathroom and making him jump into the already filled bath.

"Nanna," Michael groaned, "that's cheating."

Nanna just made a barking sound that sounded like a laugh.

After the boys had finished up in their baths, they went into their nursery and played pirates with umbrellas for swords. While the boys were playing Wendy went into Mr and Mrs Darlings bathroom to re-apply some of the makeup and change into a pair of slacks and a loose jumper before returning to play pirates with the boys.

Nearly an hour later Wendy stopped playing pirates with the two boys and sat down to catch her breath, saying that they had wounded her so bad that she could barely move. The boys just giggled and begged her to get up so they could continue playing pirates. Wendy hushed them by saying she would tell them the end of her story about the beautiful lady who worked as a slave for many years before a fairy came and gave her a chance to go to the princes' ball.

Now most people know this as Cinderella and the glass slipper and it is. But Wendy made a few changes to keep the boys entertained. She made it that Cinderella was a pirates slave and that in the end she had to fight the pirates with the prince to gain her freedom. This was the part that they were up to. The three children acted out this last bit for good measure while Wendy was still telling the story.

The three children laughed as they played until Wendy told them to go downstairs for dinner and they obeyed all of a sudden realising how hungry they really were.

As the boys ran downstairs Wendy heard Nanna give a low growl towards the window. Wendy walked over to the large window, opened it and leaned out over the ledge to see what the dog was growling out. She looked down, left, right and strangely up. When Wendy was sure the dog was imagining things she shrugged and turned away from the window, leaving it wide open.

"Come on Nanna, you silly girl." Wendy said to the dog with a laugh. She was the happiest she had been all day and she wasn't letting anything ruin that.

Nanna trailed after Wendy, certain she had heard something and walked out of the door before Wendy who was waiting for Nanna to leave. With one last look at the door she turned away and walked down the stairs after the boys.

Little did she know there was a strange boy at the window sill.


I really hope you all are enjoying the story and I hope any of my previous readers are liking some of the twists and added bits.
Please reviewif you have any ideas about anything. It is much appreciated

Dawn xoxox