I'm sorry it's been awhile guys, my mother flew into town to surprise me for my birthday this week! So I haven't had much time to write! Will write some more next week when she leaves but enjoy til then! :)
Love and pixie dust! XOXO
When they landed, their baby sister had woken up and was starting to cry loudly. Wyatt looked uncertain and Addy held out her arms.
"Give her here, I'll try to calm her." Wyatt passed the baby on and Addy started rocking her gently. The princess's cries subsided slightly but people still stared at the royal family. Wyatt's eyes searched for Tacumwah's tent and they fell on the Indian Chief hurrying toward them.
"Uncle John!"
"Children, thank heavens you're safe. Your parents are right through there but King Peter asks that you stay out here for the time being." Pain was etched in his young face and Wyatt knew his mother's life was ebbing.
"And this is my new little niece is it? An announcement was just made that a princess has been born."
"Addy's clearly the maternal one," Farrah said, crossing her arms. "She got her to calm down."
"Barely," Addy muttered softly, glancing down at her baby sister. "I think she's hungry."
"So how are we going to feed her," Farrah said anxiously. "Mum's not exactly in the best state to do it."
"I'll find one of the women who has a baby herself, for the time being," John said slowly. "If Wendy's condition does not improve immediately, we will figure out what else to do." The three of them noted the tone of John's voice, and the unspoken words. If Wendy does not live, but of course he would never speak those words. For his part, John had seen how pale Wendy was when Peter had brought her. He knew childbirth was a risk but he also knew Peter would do whatever it took to keep her alive. He cleared his throat and excused himself to see the women, who were busy sewing in the corner. He found a young mother they called Sparrow, who had just given birth a few weeks ago. He pulled her into a corner and quietly explained the situation and she immediately agreed to feed the young princess. John returned to the siblings and introduced Sparrow, who kept her face lowered out of respect.
"Sparrow, you need not bow. We will not harm you, nor do we call for the customs of Neverland," Wyatt said uncomfortably. He was like his father in this respect; both Pans felt awkward any time a royal celebration called for any kind of respectful customs. Which was funny because the Peter Pan that everyone thinks they know, the boy who wished to never grow up, demanded respect and authority.
"I can take the child, Princess Adette," Sparrow said softly, holding out her hands. Addy bit her lip and deposited the baby into the woman's arms. Sparrow stroked the princess's head for a moment, before turning away and retreating to a tent so she could feed in private. John's eyes met his nephew's and he nodded.
"I'll stay outside the tent and bring her straight back to you." Wyatt nodded in thanks and John moved over to the tent. Lily and Fly entered the Village sometime later and Lily immediately moved to the tent to speak to her husband in hushed tones. John's face was masked with worry as he listened.
"You think we can check on Mum," Farrah asked meekly.
"Dad asked that we stay out here. I'm sure he'll let us know…you know, when we can go in." Addy's lip trembled and silent tears streamed down her cheeks.
"I'm scared, Wyatt." He held out his arms and held his sister close.
"I know. I am too. Just have faith." Farrah joined the embrace and everyone left the royal siblings alone for the time being.
Peter's eyes were wide and bloodshot, his knuckles white, his skin drained of all color. He had been awake for nearly three days, refusing to leave Wendy's side. Tacumwah had given her herbs and potions, had spread healing salve all over and had chanted above her. She had called on the spirits to heal the Queen, had wrapped her completely in healing linens, and still Wendy would not wake. The bleeding had finally stopped, and her condition had not worsened but it had not improved either. Peter held his wife's hand tightly to his cheek, willing her to stay with him, to return to him and to never leave him again. He knew his children were outside asking to speak to him, and he knew he had a new child he needed to attend to but he couldn't bring himself to leave Wendy.
On the fourth day, Tacumwah entered her tent and stood above the Queen with her hands on her hips.
"King Peter. Your children need you."
"So does my wife," he mumbled.
"Your wife would frown to see you like this. You need to eat, you need to sleep. You need to leave this tent. It has been four long days."
"So what are you saying," he spat, finally looking up at the woman. "I just give up on her? Leave her? What if she wakes up for two seconds and I am not here?"
"She will not wake," Tacumwah said gently. "She has not woken and she will not wake, without a miracle." Peter jumped up, dropping Wendy's hand. He did not miss how it hung limply by her side but he ignored it.
"Our very love is a miracle in itself! She has healed me time and time again and damn it, I will heal her now! Get out of here. Get out now!" Tacumwah sighed and retreated from the tent as Peter fell to his knees and wept into Wendy's chest. Tacumwah pulled the flap closed, pretending not to hear the King's sobs.
Tootles nearly spat out his drink as he saw the bright light zooming toward him.
"Why SilverBell! What a pleasant-"
"I'm afraid I do not have a great amount of time, dear one," the fairy cut him off, and the boy noted how miserable she looked. "I come at the request of the royal family."
"Has something happened," Nibs asked as he descended the stairs. "Did something happen to Peter? Or Wendy? Has she given birth?"
"She has. A healthy princess was delivered last week."
"Last week? Why didn't anyone come to us sooner," Curly cried, clearly distressed. SilverBell lowered her head.
"My apologies, my Lost Boys. Neverland has been on lock down on the order of King Peter. And fairies cannot fly beyond the stars any longer, so the mermaids and the fairies had to work together to discover a way for me to leave." The boys could hear her stiff tone and understood that the mermaids and the fairies had never gotten along too well.
"Alright, why did Peter have the island on lock down? You said the new princess was healthy."
Nibs watched the fairy and his eyes widened.
"It's Wendy, isn't it," he said quietly and SilverBell's wings drooped. Michael, who had been visiting with the boys, looked from SilverBell to Nibs and back to the fairy.
"What's wrong with my sister? What?"
"King Peter requests your presence on the island. All of you."
"We're not going anywhere until you tell us what has happened to Wendy," Curly said in a high-pitched voice.
"The King said you would react this way. She has not awoken since she gave birth. The Medicine Woman of the village has done all she can but the Queen will not wake. We fear the very worst." Michael fell to his knees, his hands covering his mouth. Nibs stood in shock, staring wide-eyed at the fairy. Curly knelt to help his brother into a chair and he patted his shoulders awkwardly.
"First Dad, then Mum. Now our sister," Michael sniffled.
"I urge you to hurry, Lost Boys. King Peter asks that you all come to Neverland at once."
"Ben and Frank are away on holiday," Curly said, his throat tightening. "I don't know how to get in contact with them."
"We will just have to go without them," Nibs said firmly. SilverBell nodded and flew around the boys, coating them in fairy dust.
"The mermaid is waiting for you all at the docks. I shall see you in Neverland."
Reyna assisted the Lost Boys in swimming to the surface then with some more mermaid magic, they were completely dry again. She gave the boys a sad smile and with a flip of her fin, she was gone.
"Come on. We need to get to the Indian Village."
When they arrived, John was the first to greet them. He did not try to hide how pale he was, nor the tears that threatened to spill down his face. He clutched at his brothers and Michael sobbed into his big brother's chest. They saw their nieces and nephew sitting around a fire, their faces devoid of all expression.
"Where is she," Nibs asked John quietly.
"In the tent. Peter has refused to come out. Tacumwah has tried everything. Peter doesn't know what else to try."
"We have used every bit of Pahana's flowers," Curly asked hopefully. John shook his head.
"They are gone, every last petal. Reyna even tried an ancient mermaid potion. Nothing has worked. But Peter refuses to leave her side. Tacumwah has told him she will not wake and he does not listen. That's why I had you all brought here."
"YOU had us brought here?" The boys looked surprised and the Chief shrugged.
"SilverBell agreed to keep my secret. And I apologize for deceiving you but I am in need of your help. We all are. You boys knew Peter the longest. You were with him long before we came along. Perhaps you can bring him out of this. Convince him to snap out of it. His children ask to speak to him, and he hasn't even seen his new daughter since she was born."
"I'm not sure what we can do," Nibs said uneasily. "We all know how much Wendy means to him. If he loses her…"
"I know," John said gently. "But we have to try. And continue to hope for a miracle." With a deep sigh, the boys nodded and John lead them to Tacumwah's tent.
Nibs pulled the flap aside and his eyes widened when they fell upon his King. Peter was, if possible, even more pale than Wendy. His face was lined with worry and anguish, the usual spark in his eyes was completely gone, and there were deep purple bags above his sunken in cheeks. Wendy did not look much better. Her lustrous curls were dull and faded. There was no color to her cheeks, only pallor, and her lips were dry and cracked. Michael nearly fell to the floor again but his brothers kept him upright.
"Peter?" The King did not even react to his brothers' arrival. He held Wendy's limp hand to his own pale cheek.
"Peter, mate, we've, err, we've come to…be here for you. For all of you."
"There will be no funeral," Peter snapped, his voice cracking. Nibs's eyes widened.
"No, no we never said there would be. But Peter…you must leave this tent. Get some rest. Eat something. You look…you don't look so well."
"If you are going to tell me the same useless things that Tacumwah and Tiger Lily have been telling me," Peter snarled as he turned his head slightly, "then you needn't stay. Unless you can come up with some miraculous way to save her, I suggest you remove yourselves from my sight." The boys were speechless. Peter had very rarely ever spoken to them like this and it was hundreds of years ago. Wendy had truly softened his heart. Nibs, however, took a step forward and reached out to touch Peter's shoulder, but then thought better of it.
"Peter," his voice was soft and low, "we love you both dearly. And I know how dedicated you are to her. Let us search for a cure. But in the mean time, I implore you to care for yourself. It will not do for the King AND the Queen to be out of sorts. Your daughters have cooked some stew, and you need your strength. We're here now. We WILL find a way to save her." Nibs finally brought his hand to Peter's shoulder and the King did not flinch. He glanced over his shoulder and his face softened.
"You will come to me, straightaway, if anything changes."
"Of course. Straightaway." Peter rose to shaky knees and kissed Wendy's hand before he rested it on her stomach. He turned and faced his brothers, his lip trembling.
"We have to save her."
"We will," Nibs said determinedly. Peter nodded and looked like he was on the verge of collapsing as he made his way to the flap. Curly held it open and Peter exited, presumably to get something to eat.
"Alright. Do you know of a way to save her," Tootles asked anxiously.
"I'll have to think."
"Too right you will! You just promised the King of Neverland you would save his Queen. What will he do if we fail?"
"We can't fail. She's not just the Queen of Neverland, she's our sister. So this is what we are going to do." The boys all gathered in to listen intently to Nibs's plan.
