Chapter 6
Peter had listened to her story. All the things she was telling, they were laughable, and yet, they sounded so true. Sometimes, when she spoke about things, he would see flashes, but before he could really get them, they were gone.
"You disappeared and we never saw you again. My brothers remember you now only very little and the lost boys are not much better off," Wendy ended.
"And you?" Peter asked.
"I waited. I know I promised not to become a lady, but it happened. It made me scared, but I still hoped," Wendy said shyly.
Peter said nothing, he was thinking.
"How about you? What has happened to you in these three years?" Wendy asked curiously.
Peter told her all he knew, including his memory loss every year.
"Wendy? There are you. Come, we're going home." Wendy's aunt arose from the shadows. Wendy stood up. Peter was surprised, was she just going? But their talk wasn't over yet; he still had so many questions.
"I'm sorry Mr. Shove. I must go." Wendy curtsied and turned around. Peter stood up too.
"Miss Darling, wait. Can we meet again, soon?" He looked at her. "Very soon."
Wendy looked at her aunt, begging with her eyes. Her aunt answered for her.
"Do you mean you want to court her?"
Peter took one look at Wendy. "Yes" he said at once. Wendy's face lit up and Peter could feel the sun inside him shine.
"Can we see each other tomorrow?" Peter asked.
"See me at one o'clock at the marketplace," Wendy replied and she and her aunt left. He could just hear Wendy's aunt talk to Wendy about being uncivilised, because she had been so long alone with a boy. Peter hummed. Maybe tomorrow he would know the solution.
The next day Peter waited for Wendy to come. He was half an hour too early. The night had been weird. At first he couldn't sleep at all, the story Wendy had told circled through his head. Tinkerbell had been his fairy; he had looked at the painting. It did explain a lot, he had thought. What impressed him the most was that he was able to fly and that he had lived in another world. How?, he wondered, how could he fly? And why has everything gone away? He knew he had been found one day after he had left Wendy. That wasn't just coincidence, he was sure of it. His problem had something to do with Wendy. He just didn't know what and it kind of scared him. Wendy, just thinking about her, lit up his heart, but also she had the solution and he needed to know it. After hours he finally had made it to sleep, but his dreams had been filled with blurred pictures. Once he thought he saw a small fairy flying around, but she had slipped away. When he woke up, all he saw was the painting and suddenly he had known how his real fairy had looked like.
Now he was waiting for Wendy to come.
"Peter!" He heard at once. He twisted and saw Wendy walking quickly to him.
"You're early" she said, her eyes bright.
"So are you" Peter answered slyly.
Wendy laughed. "Where are we going?" he asked.
"Let's go to the park. It's beautiful there."
"Alright, you lead the way." He took her hand. Wendy looked at him, while they walked.
"You know, perhaps the park will help you."
"How come?"
"When you ran away as a child, you ended up in Kensington Garden. It was there that you met Tinkerbell and went to Neverland."
They walked on. "You know," Peter began, "I remember how Tinkerbell looked like. When I woke up, I recollected it again."
"That's great" Wendy exclaimed. "It's means that your memory is getting back." She smiled, but Peter looked behind her mask.
"You're not happy." he stated simply. Wendy's smile faltered for a moment, but she hid it quickly.
"Why wouldn't I? It's fantastic news." She said.
Peter shrugged, he would find out anyway. In the mean time they had arrived in Kensington Garden.
"Well, this is it." Wendy whirled with her arms wide. Peter looked around. It was a nice garden, but that was about it.
"What do you think? Do you feel anything?" Wendy stare was penetrating.
Wendy looked hard at Peter. Maybe this was it. This was where it had begun for Peter, maybe it would start here again. She could sense Peter was uncomfortably with her stare, but she needed him so think. Suddenly he turned and looked at something.
"Can we go to that tree there? He asked, pointing at the greatest tree in the park.
"Sure" Wendy nodded and they went there. How closer they came to the tree, how quicker Peter moved. A few meters before the tree Peter stopped. Wendy decided to back down a bit and stood twenty feet behind him.
"Hello" she heard Peter say. Wendy didn't see anything, as did Peter. He turned to her and said:
"Here is something about this tree. But it's scared, I think."
"Maybe you're not yet ready." Wendy suggested.
"No, I know I am. I can feel it." Peter said and his eyes shone with determination.
"Tinkerbell, where are you. Please, I need you." Peter whispered to the tree. Then Wendy saw a small light and she gasped. Peter didn't hear here, for he was focused on the light.
"Hello Tinkerbell, did you miss me?" He asked and he smirked. At that moment Wendy saw for the first time Peter Pan again.
Clearly Peter en Tinkerbell were speaking rapidly with each other and she was forgotten. Wendy smiled sadly, it was as she had predicted. Peter didn't need Wendy, he would leave her soon. She walked away and sat down on a bench. She was really happy for Peter, she was. She just hoped she could be more selfish and keep him with her. She could feel the tears burning in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She sat there for some time, when she heard her name.
"Wendy!" Peter was running to her.
"I've great news. I was speaking with Tink and all the sudden I remember everything. Wendy, I remember! I remember Hook and the lost boys, just everything. Isn't it great?" The words were rolling so fast out of his mouth, that he struggled with them.
"Yes, Peter. It's fantastic." Wendy said and hugged him. Peter clung to her and slowly she felt him calm down from his euphoria.
"Why did you go?" he asked.
"I wanted to give you some time alone with Tinkerbell. I couldn't help you anymore, she needed to do her job."
Peter released itself a bit from their embrace and lifted her face with one hand, so she had no way but to look at him.
"You can always help." He said seriously. Wendy could feel the tears prickle again and looked away, but Peter turned her head back.
"What is it?" He asked. If Wendy hadn't felt so sad right now, she would have laughed. Peter was standing there so caring and just lovely, it looked like one of her best dreams.
"It's just ... You'll go back to Neverland now, wont you?" Wendy asked in a small voice. She heard Peter sign and then he closed their embrace again. Wendy could feel his heart beat as she snuggled against him. Peter rested his chin lightly on her head when he spoke again.
"Neverland is my home. You know, it's always winter when I'm not there."
"You'll forget me." Wendy stated. She understood it now. Three years she had hoped that Peter would come back, because he loved her. He never came, because he had amnesia. The truth was, however, that their love, or in any case, her love wasn't enough for him to remember her. Neverland made you forget things quickly, and so he would also forget her.
"No, I won't. I swear I won't. But I'm not leaving yet."
"You're not?" Wendy asked surprised.
"No, because I still can't fly. I need to fly to Neverland, you know." And he laughed quietly about his small joke. Even Wendy giggled. She released herself.
"Do you have any idea how to fix this problem?" She asked him.
"Well, Tink said you could help, but otherwise I have no idea." Peter said uncertainly.
"I'll help." Wendy stated.
