ONE MORE CHAPTER AFTER THIS TO GET DONE BEFORE TOMORROW! OH IT'S ONNNNNNNN DUDES!
Chapter 7: The Cleverest
"I will never understand you for as long as I live! Never!"
Tinkerbell rubbed her eyes. She blinked. Someone was being loud. And she was trying to sleep! Exasperated, Tinkerbell flumped back onto her feather bed. Rolling over she nuzzled into a feather pillow.
No luck. The shouting grew louder. Irritated beyond all reason, Tinkerbell hit her feather pillow and marched out of bed. Those Lost Boys! She thought they were camping in some godforsaken part of the jungle or another! Brandishing a spare rose stem, Tinkerbell poked her head out of the nook. Well, she was going to give whoever had interrupted her beauty sleep a piece of her mind!
It was Peter! Tinkerbell quickly hid the thorny stem behind her back. Interestedly, she peered as Peter raged into Hangman's Tree.
Peter's ears were red to the pointed tips. He was yelling without pause, occasionally spinning around to wag a finger at the person dragging behind him. Tinkerbell looked. It was Wendy.
The pixie perked. Happily, she turned around and snuggled back into her nook. If Peter was mad at Wendy, then Tinkerbell would certainly be able to sleep! Furthermore, she would probably have sweet dreams. Tinkerbell fluffed her feather pillow. She closed her eyes. Soon she was cheerfully snoring.
"Never!" Peter continued throwing aside the bearskin blanket and bunching it by the fireplace like a large, furry pillow. Furiously, he seized a handful of kindling and threw it into the fire. Face red as embers, Peter blew. Flames leapt.
Peter hopped up, swabbing spit from his mouth. He glared at Wendy. "Never in all my life! Where does it hurt?"
Wendy opened her mouth. "I – "
"—I save you once!" Peter stomped by Wendy. Enraged he stomped back, holding a fat pot. Water sloshed over the wide rim as he slammed it over the fire. "And you don't say a word! Not one word about how brave and clever I am! Come here!"
Without waiting, Peter grabbed Wendy. Watching the red stain along her ribs, he picked Wendy off her feet and leaned her against the bunched bearskin. "Sit down! Stay still! Is that blood under your jaw? Is it?"
Wendy barely lifted a hand. "I – "
"—But instead of being happy and safe—" Peter growled, holding Wendy's head and mopping blood from her neck. "—you go and save the pirate! Alone! For days! And nights! Alone! Without me! Is that better? Answer me!"
"—it's—"
"On top of that – ouch!" Peter flicked his finger from the simmering pot. Sucking his thumb, he snatched a long cloth and dipped it into the boiling water.
"On top of that – " Peter said fingering the bloody slit in Wendy's nightgown. "You let yourself get ill and unhappy and make everyone miserable with worry! Stop that I'm looking at the wound!"
Angrily he caught Wendy's hand and flexed it over her head. Looping a finger under the bloody fabric, he gave a sharp tug, ripping along the seam.
Wendy's mouth dropped. "You – "
"I said stop that and be quiet while you're at it!" Mumbling something about stubborn girls, Peter pressed both hands on the wound. Hunching, he gave closer inspection. It wasn't fatally deep, but deep enough.
"Unbelievable!" Peter popped up, borrowing one of Wendy's words. Livid, he flapped the cloth from the boiling water. "Unbelievable! Look! Look at that! Do you see that?"
Wendy was still appalled that Peter had ripped her dress. "—I—"
"Do you know how hard it will be for you to breath?! Now we can't have foot races anymore! If you hadn't saved that codfish pirate—" Peter ranted, wringing the steaming cloth. "If you had just let him die in the sun or get eaten by a crocodile this wouldn't have happened! Hold still, this is going to hurt!"
Peter pressed the hot cloth against the open wound. He was gentle. Extremely gentle. Still, Wendy cowered in pain.
"Hold my arm." Peter ordered, letting the cloth soak. "Squeeze tight as you can – it won't hurt me! Wendy!" Peter barked. "Hold my arm!"
Wendy obeyed. Peter watched her face contort before returning to the cloth.
"Saving a pirate." he muttered darkly, removing the cloth and checking the wound. It was clean, but the cut was dark red. "Saving a pirate. Girls. No not even girls. This girl! You girl!"
Peter twisted the cloth. Pink water dripped from the center. Dabbing the cloth into the pot, Peter replaced it at Wendy's side. "And then – you ask me to save the pirate. Again! Twice! After he hurts you! Again! Twice! You and your – " Peter's face twitched as if he couldn't find the right word. " – feelings!"
Disdainfully, Peter ran his tongue over his teeth. "Feelings! Bleck! Mercy! Mercy? What is that?" Peter raised his voice to a falsetto. "Let the pirate go! Don't kill him! Let the pirate go home!"
Drawing back the cloth, Peter brushed three fingers over the wound. Wendy's pale skin was bruised. Blood was congealing like tar over her blue nightgown. Angrily, Peter wrapped the cloth around Wendy's middle like a brace.
"And the worst part is – " Peter raged, scooping Wendy up. "Is that I did it! I let the pirate go!"
Wrathful in his cowardice, Peter shouldered the bearskin door upon entering his room. Ears ringing, he laid Wendy on the hammock. In one motion he double checked the bandages, tucked a blanket to her chin, and proceeded to comb his fingers through her snarled hair.
"I just stood there and let the pirate go! No – I told him to go! No stabbing! No fighting! No bravery! Just me, that pitiful pirate, and Wendy on her knees – begging me – and I tell Billy Jukes to go back to the Jolly Roger!"
Removing the last curl from Wendy's eyes, Peter let the last of his laments fume to the sky. Eyes crackling with black lighting, he crouched over the hammock and glared at Wendy.
"Well Wendy– what do you have to say about that?"
Wendy's eyes flickered. Then, she surprised Peter for the second time.
Pushing painfully upright, she threw her arms around Peter's neck and hugged him with all her might.
"Peter Pan." Wendy whispered. "Peter Pan, I think you are the cleverest boy in the whole world!"
Then, her smile smushed against Peter's shoulder, Wendy lay back down and closed her eyes. "Sweet dreams, Peter."
Peter blinked. Clueless and confused, he gawked at Wendy. The spot where her whisper touched his cheek was burning red hot.
"Sweet dreams." Peter murmured. A stunned hand on his cheek, Peter flew to his wooden throne. "Wendy."
