A/N: Hey everyone! This is the new chapter. I'm thickening the plot in this one. Hope that it's to your liking! ;) Please let me know what you think about the length of this chapter.

Chapter 9: Intent.

It had taken Mr. Darling nearly a week to calm down to a degree that he allowed Wendy to go back to school. Mrs. Darling had written a note addressing the head mistress of the school, saying that her daughter had fallen ill after attending a party and that she could not attend school until she was completely healthy again. Of course rumors were still flying about, only regarding her illness and not about her virginity. Mr. Darling had underestimated his wife dearly. She had smothered a crisis before it could even begin!

Even so, George didn't want 'the proper slime ball' anywhere near his daughter. In his opinion the boy should be hanged for his improper behavior towards Wendy. She had no intention to see Christian again. After what he had tried to do, she didn't feel the need to give him the time of day anymore. She would not give him any chance to approach her alone, so she planned to walk home with one of her brothers each day. When she got out of school earlier, she would wait for them and vice versa.

So today she was waiting for Michael in front of his school. Wendy fully realized that there was a risk that she would run into Christian, since he and Michael went the same school. If that happened however, she would not give him the time of day. He had knowingly tried to destroy her reputation and that of her family. Now, Wendy did not pretend to like aunt Millicent all too much but in this situation she was ever so right. What would the neighbors think?

The teenager sighed and hoisted her book bag a bit further up. It had near slipped from her shoulder and if it were to fall onto the damp ground it would be ruined. Wendy turned around as she heard footsteps heading her way. The bell had not ringed yet, so it had to be either one of the staff or a student cutting class. It could not be Michael nor one of her other brothers, they would never allow themselves getting caught wandering the school halls during class. So she watched in amazement as the boy walked down the steps, so self-assured of himself. Judging by his uniform he was a student, but the lack of a book bag begged to differ.

Wendy fully realized that it was impolite to stare but the boy's attitude had sparked her curiosity. She looked at his polished shoed and ironed clothes. The boy was well looked after, why wasn't he in his classroom? The answer came as the brunette averted her eyes to the boy's face and her heart seemed to skip a beat. "Peter?"

Her eyes had fallen on a familiar face and unruly hair. The words had left her mouth before Wendy had even realized that she was thinking them. The boy froze and his green eyes fell on her. For a moment it looked like he was going to repeat his performance from the costumed party. He seemed rooted to the spot, unable to move. After a moment or so however, he took a step forward and folded his left arm behind his back. The right was folded in front of his body and Peter slowly bowed for her, just like he had done all those years ago. He kept his eyes locked with hers and a sly smile appeared on his face. Before Wendy could stop herself she bowed back, not blinking once. Peter might take the opportunity to disappear out of her life again.

"Hello Wendy." His words broke the enchantment and Wendy blinked. Peter was really standing in front of her, dressed like any other boy was ought to be dressed while attending school. Tinkerbell had been right. Peter Pan had indeed left Neverland, even though Wendy had not seen him in years. A million thoughts were running through her head, yet the girl only managed to voice one. "Why are you here?"

Peter only stared at her. It looked like he did not have a clue what to say to her but it was far more likely that he just could not be bothered to answer. The two teenagers were standing face to face and the only audible sound was that of the birds. Wendy didn't know how long they were standing there but at long last she sighed and started to turn away from Peter. It was not like it was very likely that he was going to say anything. As she turned however, Peter's voice reached her ears and she froze in her tracks. She could see his mischievous grin from the corner of her eyes as he said: "Didn't I say I would visit? This is me visiting."

Wendy didn't turn to face Peter again but her shoulders suddenly felt tense. Her face became void of any emotion and she didn't even take the effort to look at the boy she had known so well a long time ago. Yet she could not stop the words that were flying over her lips. Cold, hard words, filled with intent to hurt the teenager. "And for just how long have you been visiting Peter? I never knew you found school so exiting that you would grow up for it."

Wendy saw Peter shift his weight as he looked up at the building. It didn't take him very long and it wasn't long before his green eyes were on her form again. "Don't talk to me like you actually have something to say about who I am. Don't accuse me, you have no right whatsoever."

Wendy still didn't look at Peter, while he couldn't seem to direct his gaze at anything else. She could not remain quiet however and asked the question that was burning on her lips from the moment that she had set her eyes on him. "You grew up Peter. Why did you grow up?"

"You left Neverland. You grew up. Why did you grow up?" Peter asked stubbornly.

"I never stopped growing up Peter."

"Yes you did. You did. When you came to Neverland you promised to never grow up Wendy and you did. I took you to my world. I brought you to Neverland with only one condition. You could not grow up." There was a small silence and then Peter added bitterly: "And you did."

"I found myself in some kind of Wonderland Peter, but it was just that. A fantastical world filled with childish fantasies that I was rapidly outgrowing. I knew that it was not possible to stay a child forever." Wendy said calmly as she turned to face Peter again. He was looking at her with a look in his eyes that she had not seen there before. He did not say a word however, which made her continue. "It wasn't like you cared enough about me that you felt compelled to ask me to stay with you. To ask me to believe. I needed to voice my feelings and you merely stepped back to let me go."

Her voice had gotten a bit harder as she spoke, yet Peter was still looking at her with that odd glint in his eyes. For a moment it wasn't that difficult for Wendy to pretend that the boy in front of her did not know what to say. In the past Peter had never been at loss for words and deep down Wendy knew that he wasn't looking for the right words to say to her. Her childhood friend was trying to fight back his emotions. Because feelings were something that Peter Pan had never been good with. Emotions should've been easy to dismiss. He could not be bothered by them. At least, that was what he liked to pretend.

"I did not let you leave like that," Peter said at long last. It sounded like he had to force the words out. Wendy could feel anger bubbling up within her but she tried to remain calm. Shouting at Peter would not do the situation any good. The boy had an infamous temper and Wendy did not want to be the one to rile him up. Her words would upset him anyway but perhaps when she didn't shout at him, maybe they would get a better reaction. So she stated, relatively calm: "Yes you did."

Peter's eyes narrowed dangerously and his hands slowly curled into fists. Yet he only hissed: "No I did not!"
"Yes you did! You never came to visit Peter! Not once!" Wendy said, pointing an accusing finger at the teenager. Peter swatted her hand away, shouting: "I did not! I came to your house every evening! Every evening Wendy! And you had your window closed on me! Day after day! Week after week! You had the window closed so that I could not visit!"

"We do have a front door Peter! You should try to use it from time to time, like normal people do!" Wendy yelled back before she could stop herself. She started to turn away from the boy but he grabbed her arm, forcing her to look at him. Anger had always been one of the few emotions that Peter had been able to cope with. Somewhere during the discussion they had started shouting at each other and be now they were standing nose to nose. Wendy vaguely realized that Peter was much taller than she was but didn't have the time to process the thought. Peter bent over her, his shadow falling over het like a dark blanket of anger and angst. "Now that would be a conversation I would just love to have with your father! Good evening Mr. Darling, my name is Peter Pan. I am the person who abducted your children but since I've kindly returned them I would really like to visit Wendy. I realized that it's rather late but I'm really fond of her stories. Please let me go into her room, I do promise to leave before the sun comes up." Peter snorted. "I'm sure that he would take to me like a fish takes to water."

The boy let go of her arm and just looked at her with triumph glistening in his eyes. He was sure that he had won this argument. Wendy was deeply insulted by his words though. Peter had just totally unwittingly insinuated that Mr. Darling wouldn't mind if his daughter would turn into some kind of slut. Furthermore he had suggested that Wendy wouldn't mind letting men she hardly knew into her bedroom. So Wendy did the only thing she could do. She slapped Peter in the face, hard. His face snapped to the side and a red mark rapidly started to appear on his left cheek. In truth Wendy was shocked by her own behavior, she had never slapped someone like that in her entire life! Peter had always known how to annoy her beyond certain boundaries, yet this was the first time that she had used her hand to defend her honor and that of her family.

"Don't you ever do that again," Peter said threatening as he slowly turned his head back to look at Wendy. The look in his eyes told her that he wasn't a little boy anymore and for the first time since she had seen him again Wendy believe him. This wasn't the boy who had taught her how to ride the wind's back. Nor was he the boy who had taught her how to use a sword. No, that he was not. This was a young man with the face of someone she thought she knew, but he was nothing like him…

Wendy could feel tears burning behind her eyes and took two steps back. The school bell rang loudly as she did so and Peter merely looked at her. Wendy blinked, making the tears stream down her face. She didn't say a word however as the sound of the bell died down and voices of relieved students started to fill the hallways. Wendy slowly shook her head, never taking her eyes off Peter and as she saw Michael heading her way, she whispered: "I don't know who you are anymore. You are a stranger I never hope to see again."

After that she wiped away her tears, grabbed Michael's hand and started to drag him away from the school. She had waited long enough and she had said enough to. Right now it felt as though her entire world was slowly crumbling down and she did not want to stand still to watch it fall. No, that she would not.