Wendy was true to her word, and no incentive could get her away from the house. A boy, usually Felix, would bring her some food but she would always refuse to speak to them.
The first time Pan came back she refused to look at him, never paying attention to what he said until he slammed the door in his anger.
It took two weeks before he was calm enough to try again.
Wendy was eating less, needing less energy as she was confined to the tree house. Felix had expressed concern earlier in the day and had offered to walk with her through the woods so she could get some fresh air and move around. She had looked at him stonily until he sighed and gave up.
When Pan barged in demanding she go outside she burst into hysterical tears and hit him every time he tried to scoop her up in his arms. He soon fled the display of 'girly emotion'.
The third time he came in he found her sat in a chair looking around the room with what could only be described as a look of intense loathing.
He stood there for at least two minutes waiting for Wendy to react in any way before storming across the room to her and snatching her shoulders, shaking her to try and provoke any reaction.
"Wendy, will you snap out of it and say something to me!"
She pushed him back. "I hate you."
"Well that's a start." He smirked. His eyes flashed and Wendy couldn't respond quickly enough as he caught her up in his arms and dragged her from the house, ignoring her poorly aimed kicks. Once he pulled her off the steps he kicked off and brought them both into the air.
Instinctively Wendy suddenly clutched herself to Pan, always afraid that she would somehow fall. She flushed as she realised that was his plan as his smirk only grew.
"Hold on tight Wendy bird." He chuckled as they started to fly along. Neither said anything to the other as Pan flew them off the island and onto a smaller piece of land, just within sight of the coast. The waves crashed over the sides but they were sheltered in the middle. As their feet touched the floor, Wendy quickly wriggled out of Pan's arms and put space between them.
Pan, looking unconcerned, flopped down on the ground, his arms outstretched as he basked in the warm sunlight. The ocean breeze made a refreshing change from the humidity of the jungle, but despite the part of her longing to make the most of the change of scenery, Wendy stood firm keeping her eyes on the horizon.
"Wendy." Pan eventually cooed. "Come sit down." He patted the earth beside him.
Wendy sat where she stood.
"Well I guess this is progress."
"Why did you bring me here Pan?"
"Wow, I'm getting two whole sentences today? I must be the luckiest boy to ever live."
"Why, Pan?"
"I thought," he started, sitting up to look at her, "that we could discuss changing the terms of our arrangement."
"What, the arrangement where I stay here in exchange for the safety of my family?"
"I would never hurt your family, Wendy." Pan answered patiently.
"You've torn us apart, you think that isn't hurting anyone!"
"Wendy." He said evenly, waiting for her to calm down before continuing. Her tightened fists dropped and she sighed as she met his eye for the first time in over a month. "There, we can be civil can't we?"
"What do you want now?"
He pursed his lips. "Well, let's see. From now on I want you to resume calling me Peter..."
Wendy scoffed, cutting him off. "You've agreed to leave my family alone in exchange for me staying here, what else could you humanly have to bargain with?"
"I agreed to let Baelfire go in exchange for you, I never promised your family's safety." He swiftly corrected, smirking as Wendy gulped. "Let's continue shall we? Now, let's see, I want you to start eating regularly, go outside at least once a day and start interacting with the Boys again."
"In exchange for what?" Wendy demanded.
"Everything I've said is for your own good, it's not healthy to stay inside all of the time, not eating."
"So you want me to do this for absolutely nothing in return?"
Pan sighed. "You can go outside without anyone escorting you. The pirates are away on a job at the moment and we're currently not fighting with the tribe, so I see no reason you can't go around the island on your own."
"You said you'd only let me out alone if you thought I was sorry. I'm not sorry for leaving, Pan."
He glared at her. "Even though it led to Baelfire being taken away from you?"
"Bae was taken from me because of you, not me."
"I wouldn't have to had to take him if you had stayed here like I wanted!" Pan jumped up to his feet.
"You're like an impetuous child Pan. Don't you realise that not everyone has to do what you say? And that not everyone wants to follow you?" Wendy spat, looking up at him.
"I have given you more than anyone else on this island!"
"I never asked for you to give me anything. The only thing I ever wanted was to keep my family safe!"
"Then why did you come here?"
"Because your shadow came for me! You lied to me. You promised me that Neverland was a wonderful place, that I would be happy here, but I've never been more miserable in my life!"
"You are only miserable because you refuse to forget your family."
"I don't want to forget them!"
"You're never leaving, you're just making yourself unhappy. We can do anything here Wendy, but you just sit in that house!"
"Instead of what? Running around the island, trying to delude myself that I'm anything other than your prisoner! You might have the Boys under your control Pan, but you can't fool me with your games anymore!"
"I'm not playing games with you Wendy." Pan said darkly.
"No, you've already won this game, now you're just disappointed with the result!"
"And what is that supposed to mean?"
"I think you've enjoyed trapping me here but now you have me you're disappointed that I'm trapped."
"Maybe I like having my Wendy bird in a cage."
"Or maybe you realise that I'm not the kind of person to be locked up. Maybe you're bored now."
He stormed over to her and grabbed her shoulders, pulling her up. "Why can't you just do what I want you to do?"
"Because I'm a human being not a toy!" Wendy cried.
"Fine, what do you want Wendy?" Pan snapped back.
"To go..."
He cut her off. "Apart from going home." He looked at her seriously, tilting her head up with his hand to examine her eyes. "What do you want Wendy bird?"
"I want you to stop playing games with me."
"But games are fun."
"Not when you're playing with my life Pan. Not when you constantly tell me lies and threatening my family."
Pan exhaled sharply.
"I'll go outside. And I'll eat. And I'll talk to the Boys. But if you want me to call you Peter again I need to believe that you are sorry for how you have treated me." She pushed his hands off her shoulders and held out her arms. "Now you can take me back to the house, I think I've had plenty of fresh air for today."
Pan pulled her to him and they set off, quickly flying back to her tree house. He said nothing, and as soon as he deposited her in the clearing by the stairs he flew away.
It wasn't until Wendy had climbed the stairs and shut the door behind her that she allowed herself a triumphant smile. She had finally figured out how she could get back at Pan. By hurting the one thing he seemed to care about. Herself.
/
Hope you enjoyed this. I'm really trying to finish this story off so I can focus on my dissertation without leaving my readers waiting for an update, but the more I write the more ideas I get and the longer this thing keeps getting :D
Let me know what you think!
