Of Gambling, Hooks and Growing Up:

Chapter 03: His Name Is Peter Pan


-x-


Summary:

Wendy's mom once told her that gambling was very unlady-like. But, she never really did take interests in dices or cards. That was until, she met that boy, Peter Pan. 2003Movieverse && AUverse. PxW

Theme:

A modern Peter Pan story set in modern New York City (although I'm not too familiar with New York so, I'm sorry if I made any mistakes on how things work in the place. I've only been there once and I don't even live in America).

Inspiration:

Highly inspired by the 2003 movie adaption of Peter Pan, Bounty Hunter, an awesome fic called 'Just A Pinch Of Pixie Dust' && a summer vacation that involved playing cards with my friends. Also, my one motivation to write this fic is my extreme obsession of Wendy + Peter's love affair :")

A/N:

Ever since I saw that 2003 movie adaption of Peter Pan for the first time since I was a kid, I fell madly, deeply in love with everything about it! The only flaw was, the ending :/ I mean, I know it stayed true (mostly) to the original plot && words of dear J.M. Barrie, but I still can't help but be a little bit disappointed that Peter && Wendy didn't get the happily-ever-after they deserve :/ A great author once said that 'Even Peter Pan && Wendy occasionally deserve their happy ending.'

Disclaimer:

J.M. Barrie is the genius behind Peter Pan. All belongs to him && always will.


Dedicated to Jeremy Sumpter && Rachel Hurd-Wood for giving Peter && Wendy the perfect chemistry.


I woke this morning with a terrible headache. I sat up from where I slept at and scanned around the room. Well this is strange. I'm back in my room. Unless...

It was all a dream. Last night's events, could it all have been just a dream? But that's not possible. That old man Smee was in it and I could swear I have never seen him in my whole entire life! I once read somewhere that you only dream things and people you know and have seen. Peter, or Boy, yes I've seen him before. As well as the train and Tongits, but Smee?

I shook my head as I stood up. I looked down to see I was still wearing my school uniform. Now that I think of it, I don't remember going home or lying in my bed. What is going?

"Wendy!" Michael came in, screaming my name. "You need to get ready!"

"Ready for what?" I asked, tilting my head a bit in confusion.

"School! Na'duh!" He said jumping into his bed and rolling over to his wardrobe.

School? School? School! I almost completely forgot about that! Oh shoot!

I hurriedly went into the bathroom to brush my teeth and take off yesterday's uniform. I then wrapped a towel around myself and started to wash my face and everything else. I've only got a few minutes before my train leaves and I have no time to properly take a shower so I just cleaned up as best as I could.

Once I was out of the bathroom, I went into my room, not bothering to warn John or Michael about me being naked in it, and started to put on undergarments and my white polo-shirt, buttoning it up to the second button. I grabbed my tights and put them on quickly. I put on my black, thigh-length skirt with pleats and then I put on my red blazer. I ran out of the door, not before grabbing my bag, and ran as fast as I could to the substation.

Once I made it, I looked around to see my train just about to stop. I sighed in relief as I got on, sitting at my usual seat. When I looked up, I was surprise to see that there was no Boy around. I looked from my left to right, only to be greeted by strangers that I have no idea if they were regular passengers on this train or not. I leaned back and sighed.

What an unusual start of the day it is.


It's almost 6pm and I just got out of school, extremely happy that I was able to finish me and Sophia's project. I smiled as I started to walk out of the gate.

"Yoh, Wendy!" I heard Sophia shout as I turned around to see her running up to me. "Long day, wasn't it?"

"Sure was." I said, smiling as I enjoyed the sweet smell of outside the park we had to get through to get to the train station.

"Do you think we'll pass?" She asked me as she enjoyed nature along with me.

"Oh, definitely." I grinned thinking back to the project we had recently completed and how successful it turned out to be.

"Karla Jane and Phylia's gonna be pissed when they find out that we finished it." Sophia chuckled as I laughed softly with her.

"Hey Soph," I said as I suddenly stopped at my tracks, Sophia stopping along with me.

"Yes Wends?" She asked as she looked at me oddly.

"Do you know a guy called, Peter Pan?" I asked as I turned my gaze down to the ground.

"Hmm, never heard of him." Sophia shrugged as she continued walking. "But my dad's always complaining about a Peter boy who always goes up to the bar he works at. I'm not sure if that's your Peter though. There's like hundreds of Peter in this place."

"Yeah, you're right. I mean hundreds of Peter in this place. And that doesn't even include Spiderman." I said chuckling softly as Sophia joined me. "I should stop thinking 'bout it now."


I looked at the mirror and winked at myself, extremely pleased at my reflection. I puffed the collar of my white shirt before turning around to sneakily leave the room.

"Peter's gonna kill you." I heard an all too familiar voice behind me as I walked out of the room.

"He'll never know." I shrugged as I started to walk away.

"The twins will tell him." The voice said again. I rolled my eyes at the persistence.

"I'll just make deal with them then." I shrugged again.

"Then I'll tell him." He said again. I finally turned around to come face-to-face with Nibs. The annoying brat.

"How 'bout I make you a deal?" I offered.

"I'm not nine." He snorted.

"Well then go ahead and tell him. As if you haven't already told on me before anyway." I snapped as I turned around. "You're always out to get me, you know that?"

"I'm just following orders." He shouted over to me.

"You're not Tootles. You don't need to be all goody-two-shoes." I said, looking back at him.

"I'm just saying." He rolled his eyes as he started to head towards the twin's bedroom.

I turned my head around and started to go down to our living room when the door opened, revealing a very tired-looking Peter.

"You're home." I said nonchalantly as I started to head towards the door.

"I know." He shrugged, laying down the couch. "Did anyone go up to my room.?"

"No." I lied.

"Good." He said, getting up. He walked up the stairs as I watched his retreating back. Something must've happened. "Oh and Slightly!"

I looked up and answered, "Yes Peter?"

His head popped out of the wall between the staircase and living room. "If anyone did come in to my room, I would know." He grinned as I nodded and turned around to go out the door, swallowing hard. I know I'm dead when he finds out I took something.


I got on the 8pm train this time, scared of what happened last night, or in my dream, happening again. I sat at my usual spot and took out my phone. The train was awfully empty, except for a boy with dark brown hair sitting right across me, looking out the window with a distant look in his eye. Afraid I might have to go through this same painful silence for the next hour of my life, I decided to make small talk.

"So, I'm Wendy." I said suddenly and awkwardly, startling the boy.

"Why, hello?" He questioned me, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry it's just, I'm a little bit bored." I explained.

"Oh! Well I'm always happy to help a lady when in need!" I giggled as he cockily grinned at me. "I'm Slightly!"

"Well, that's a strange name." I said as I moved over beside him and cocked my head a little to the left.

"Well, all the people I'm living with have strange names." He grinned sheepishly as he scratched his head. I found that extremely cute.

"So, where are you heading to?" I asked as I shifted slightly in my seat.

"Well, I'll probably never see you again so, what the heck! I'll tell you!" I raised an eyebrow at him as I nodded, urging him to continue. "I'm off to do some gambling."

"At this age and time?" I gasped. "You shouldn't be!" I scolded.

"But I am." He shrugged, leaning back. "And it's not like you can stop me. You're not my mother."

"Well, what would she say if she found out?" I asked him as I tried my best to look threatening.

"I don't know." He murmured. "I don't know who my mother is."

I gasped silently and bowed immediately as soon as he said it. "I'm sorry."

"Nah. I don't mind!" He grinned at me. "I live with the most amazing guys ever anyway! And I have a friend who's like the best big brother ever!"

"That's good to know." I smiled at him. "So, what kind of gambling are you going for?"

"Nothing much. It's no casino where I'm going to but, it'd be great to win a few bucks over there." He shrugged.

"Sounds fascinating." I said as I looked out the window.

"Not really." He had said. "I gamble with old teenagers who always seem to want to beat me up every time I win. They think I'm cheating or something."

"How dreadful." I said.

"Oh, I live for it!" He grinned as I smiled back.

A few minutes passed as I awkwardly looked around the train for any sign of other people. Nothing. Well, no surprise there. It's not like this train ever had many passengers anyway.

"You speak like some old Victorian English girl or something." He suddenly said and I felt like saying déjà vu but suppressed it.

"Do I now?" I said in a playful voice.

"Yeah." He nodded. "I used to speak like that too but then when I moved here, I kinda stopped."

"Ohhh! You're from London too?" I exclaimed.

"Yeah! So are the people I live with!" He grinned once again.

"That's great!" I smiled.

His phone rang, playing the song 'Tonight' by FMStatic. He excused himself and went off to speak to whoever called him.

I sat there, hearing a few bits of their conversation. There were some cursing and groaning involved but, there was also a happy tone in Slightly's voice. I wonder who he's talking to?


"Yes Nibs." I rolled my eyes as I sighed deeply, trying to be careful not to let him hear it. "I'll go get him, I swear!"

You better hurry before he does any serious damage to himself!

"I know, I know." I sighed, this time not even bothering to hide it. "And here I thought I could finally get back the money I lost last time."

Would you focus! And please, bring Peter back!

"I will, I will!" With one last assurance, I ended the call.

"Who was that?" Wendy asked me as I put my phone back in my pocket and turned back to my seat and sat back down.

"My friend Nibs." I shrugged casually.

"Oh. What did he want?" She pried and I internal wished she didn't. I hate being interrogated.

"He just told me that one of our friends went out to get drunk and I have to go get him myself." I said, trying to sound as casual as I could. Truth be told, I'm very worried for Peter right now. I knew there was something wrong!

"Why'd you sound so happy then?" She tilted her head a little, making me blush a bit. Damn, this girl's cute!

"Oh, it's just, it's Nibs always getting the credit for helping him so, I'm just a little bit happy I've got the chance to show him up." I grinned, making sure to see her face of any signs of blushing.

None.

Well that's disappointing.

"Ohhh. Who's your friend?" She asked.

"Peter." I said simply and her eyes grew wide.

"Peter..." She looked at me questioningly and I looked at her in confusion. "Pan?"

"Yeah, him!" I said, a little bit surprised that she knew. "How'd you know him?"

"Well, I-" Before I even let her speak I pointed at her as an idea came over me.

"You're not another one of his girlfriends are you?" I asked suspiciously.

"Oh, God no!" She screamed. I sighed in relief but then, another idea hit me!

"Are you the girl that went on and played cards with Smee and won?" I asked and she gasped. That's right, I got my answer now.

"So it wasn't just a dream." She muttered. "Where is he?"

"At the bar. I'm going over to get him before he starts stirring up another fight." I said, sitting back down. All the excitement of guessing is gone now.

"Take me with you!" She said as I suddenly looked up to see her determined eyes.

"No way. If you get hurt there, Peter will definitely kill me." I shook my head.

"But I need to speak to him." She pleaded.

"Sorry lady, no-can-do." I continued to shake my head. "Talk to him some other time. Besides, he's probably too drunk now that talking to him would be useless. I'll probably need to knock him unconscious just to get him home."

"But-" She started before I cut her off again.

"He'll be too drunk he might even hurt you." I threatened.

"I don't care. I want an explanation!" She screamed as she grabbed my collar.

"Stubborn girl." I shook my head and tutted. "No wonder he likes you so much." I whispered to myself.

"What?" Her head snapped up.

"I said..." Oh shit what am I gonna do? Damn, I can't believe I'm gonna do this. "I said if you'd like it that much then fine. I'll let you come."

"Good." She nodded in approval, letting my collar go as she sat back down to her seat in satisfaction.

"Just remember this, a drunk Peter isn't what you'd like to see." I grinned threateningly at her.

"Then, I'll just have to bear with." She said, returning the same grin.

And now I know why he's so smitten with her.


IMPORTANT!

Sorry for the super late update! Just been so busy since school started :| && I was beginning to lose hope on the Peter Pan fandom since I barely see anymore PxW fics but, I just love the couple so much I can't give up on it && I hope you guys too still continue to support them too! This couple is just amazing. && not just Peter&Wendy. Jeremy&Rachel too :) That's all I have to say :')