AN: I start school again tomorrow. This is unacceptable. :( [Did you know that fanfic doesn't like less than or greater than signs? That was originally an angry smiley face] Please, review and make me feel better. I'm interested in what you think.

Chapter 4

Olivia woke up sprawled on her back in a world of white. She lay there for a moment, watching her breath turn into white clouds that spiraled away into the wind, but then she remembered: Wendy, John, Michael. She needed to find them. She sat up and felt the last few pins part ways with her hair and fall down. It was only a matter of time, really. Her hair and her hairpins had never really gotten along. She pulled the rest out and began to carefully braid it into a plait, since she had no mirror to repair her hairdo again.

"Where have we got to?" a male voice asked, and Olivia nearly jumped before remembering who was with her. Xander, what a funny nickname for a boy.

"I don't know," she truthfully said. She was busy staring at the strange ground, looking like floating icebergs, and the strange, thick, white trees. "I hear shouting," she said suddenly, listening intently. It sounded like children. "Maybe it's them!" she exclaimed.

"Let's find out," he said, pulling a cap out of his pocket and putting it on his head. Olivia took a moment to look at him. He seemed older with the hat on.

As they scrambled across the disjointed ice, she became aware that on the steeper sections, where a jump or a climb was required, he would always offer her his hand to help her up (or perhaps both hands, to catch her). She would take it with silent, unspoken thanks as they crossed the land towards what now seemed a bit greener piece of earth.

It was like he was offering …something; it went deeper than a helping hand. It was a hand to hold, to clasp …she was reading too much into this. Olivia was putting all of Wendy's fanciful story language into a gesture that was merely what it was –help.

But even if that was all it was and nothing more, she was still grateful.

They reached the green in silence, and now the air was warm, spring like, and the shouts of children were quite close. "Wendy?" Olivia called, hoisting her skirts up to run towards the sound. "John? Michael! Where are you?" Xander ran beside her, long legs actually becoming graceful as he ate up the ground.

"Wendy!" Olivia called again.

"Olive?"

Olivia almost couldn't believe her eyes when she saw Wendy swoop down out of the sky like a bird and land in front of her. Almost. "Olive, you've come! How wonderful! John, Michael, Peter, come see Olive!"

Then she was lost in a multitude of glad cries as her brothers and sister swarmed her with hugs.

"But how did you get here?" John asked, ever the practical one of the three younger Darlings. "And who's he?"

"I found the map you drew," Olivia told him, brushing his hair off of his forehead. She detected the remnants of face paint there. "And so I followed it. This is Xander; he keeps the orb for Peter."

"Where is Peter?" Wendy asked, planting her fists onto her hips. "PETER!" she yelled.

A cock's crow began and grew louder as the figure of a flying boy came into view over the trees. He alighted to the ground as Wendy cried, "Peter, Peter! Come and meet my sister Olivia!"

The boy with brown hair and clothes sewn together with silver thread looked at her for a few seconds –sizing her up, Olivia thought; he must be a wise boy –and then he smiled and flew to shake her hand.

"Peter?" Xander asked, incredulous beside her. "Is that you?"

His smile became sadder. "In Neverland, people don't age. But lookit you, Xander!" he laughed. "Is the orb still safe?"
"Yes," he said.

"Good."

Wendy took Olivia's hands. "Why did you come, Olive?" she asked, a little perplexed. "Do you want to have some adventures? Oh, we've had some marvelous ones!"

"That's wonderful, Wendy," Olivia said, smiling. "But I've come to take you home."

"Home?" Michael said. "I don't want to go home!"

"But Michael, it's been weeks!" Olivia said. "Mother and Father are worried sick! I have to leave to go back to school in a few days. If I hadn't come, they'd have never known what had happened to you!"

The children stood and thought about this big, somber thought that seemed to take up all the space in the air around them.

"Well then, we must go back," Wendy said bravely. "I should have thought… only it doesn't feel so long here. It only seems like a few days we've been away." She turned to Peter. "Mightn't we go back home, Peter? I shan't want Mother to worry anymore."

The boy looked sad at the prospect of his new friends having to leave, but nodded. "Course you can. You'll have to wait 'til first light of morning, though."

"Why?" Olivia asked curiously.

"The pirates want to find the return orb, but I've hidden it," Peter said confidently. "They'd do anything to get it, so I only come and go at its secret place during the very early morning, when there's a thick fog. They can't see me then!" He grinned triumphantly, and the very candor of his face and the sheer happiness he exuded seemed to light up the group of children and almost-adults.

Olivia laughed along with him. "Oh, the cleverness of you," she said.

"Since we've got so much time," Wendy began, "can I show Olivia around?"

"Course," Peter said. "Watch out for the pirates, though. Xander, have you got any stories from London?"

"Well now, let me see," he said, turning a cheeky grin onto Olivia. "Just the other day I rescued a lady from a band of ruffians."

"The boys'll love to hear it," Peter said.

"Where to?" Xander asked.

Wendy was tugging at Olivia's hand. "Come on, Olive, I want to show you the Mermaids." Olivia let herself be tugged away, sparing a parting glance for the boys still talking on the hill. Xander caught her eye and nodded, and Olivia wondered what the feeling in her chest meant.