I don't own anything it all belongs to the amazing J M Barrie, without whom Peter and Neverland would not exist. Please R&R – Much love Erika-Jayne

Chapter Ten

Peter could not believe what he was hearing, he felt sick to his boots.

"I LEFT Neverland? What for? To grow old and die!" He placed his head in his hands; his hair was slightly longer now and fell silently over his fingers.

"Peter?" Samantha's voice was calm and caring. "You left Neverland over twenty years ago; we have been married for fifteen of those years."

"But this can't be real" Peter mumbled into his hands. He felt her warm, soft hand on his and slowly he raised his face. As he looked into her eyes and felt something that he never felt before and his mind searched for the right word.

"Peter. I have always loved. . ." That was it Peter's mind shouted. Love. Then the voice deep inside him said 'You have always thought so highly of yourself to even be able to consider feeling that way for anyone else.'

"Samantha" His voice was quite "I'm sorry I don't know what came over me." He smiled and stood. "I love you" For Peter those three little words for the first time felt right. He took Samantha's hand

"Shall we say goodnight to the children?" As they left the small room Peter suddenly realized where he was, it was the Darlings home he knew that within the large nursery would be three beds with his daughter and two sons waiting for him. Samantha opened the door and as Peter predicted there was his children.

"Right then" Peter said as he walked into the centre of the room and placed his hands on his waist. "Rose, Oliver, Mathew which story would you like?" Each child started to jump on the spot and shouted out for their favourite and after a few moments it was decided that the story of Peter Pan cutting off Hooks hand was the winner. Peter sat on the edge of Oliver's bed and started the story. As he told the story there were so many emotions coursing through his body that he was finding it hard to identify them all. The feeling that was most overwhelming was the feeling of being home.

Back in Neverland in the Indian Encampment

Samantha was starting to panic now. Peter had been out cold for at least fifteen minutes, she paced up and down beside his still body. She could not stand still; her heart was being overtime and she could not think of anything that she could do to help Peter return to her.

"What are we going to do?" She said staring into Lean Wolfe's dark brown eyes. "A world without Peter Pan is no world at all." Lean Wolfe turned his attention back to Peter and started mumbling in a language that Samantha could not understand. Peter stirred and Samantha dropped to her knees beside him, she took his cold hand in hers. "Come on Peter. Wake up please. I don't know what I will do without you. Or the world, there are million of children who believe and depend on you, so snap out of it." Peter stirred again.

"I know darling, I know" Peter said, his eyes flickered open slightly then closed "I love you Samantha." Peter's eyes flew opened. Samantha dropped Peter's hand and stuttered incoherently as she pushed herself away from him. "Samantha what's the matter?" Peter's voice was full of concern. Samantha could not form any words as she was still shocked, she rose to her feet turned and just ran in to the under growth. Peter turned to Lean Wolfe and asked "What did I do?" and in that moment he felt his heart sank.