"Not for Little Girls' Eyes" (part 2 of 'My Brave Wendy')
by Isabelle
Disclaimers: The rights to the film and book "Peter Pan/Peter Pan and Wendy" do not belong to me, this is just done for entertainment. Chapter Disclaimers:
Rating: PG-15 (for adult themes and mild sexual references)
Feedback: isabelle@komodo-skin.com
Archiving: It's a requirement that I have that you ask me before posting any of my written work. Thank you.
Summary: This is a work of fiction based on the 2003 film "Peter Pan", it is centered, like the film around Peter & Wendy's relationship, just so you know. Basically the whole "never saw each other again" is out the window and for the purposes of the fiction they did.
Setting: This happens 1 year after Peter last saw Wendy, she's now been sent to a boarding school in Switzerland with her parent's new found fortune, but it's nothing like the place they thought it to be, as WWI is in it's starting stages there's fear all around and she's left without adult supervision along with some of her boarding school girls to find a way home and hoping that a certain first love will find her.
Spoilers: The film, it'll spoil you if you have not seen the film!!
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"I miss Wendy, mother!" Michael cried as Mrs. Darling tucked the thick blanket around his small frame.
"I know, my angel and I'm sure she misses us too," she placed a kiss on his forehead. He sat next to him looking into her pockets and pulling out an envelope. "Would you like to read her latest letter once more?"
Michael sighed and shook his head. "Why so? It says nothing new!"
Mrs. Darling smiled at him softly and patted Teddy down. "I'm sure we'll be receiving news from her at any moment."
He nodded, in agreement then went pensive. "Mother, why are people so angry?"
She looked at him questioningly. "Which people?"
"The people in the streets, my teacher says a war will soon start!"
Mrs. Darling jumped, taken by surprise at his revelation, she'd have to speak to George about in the morning.
"The world is not always good, Michael. Sometimes, it's so bad sometimes than we have no choice but to go to war," she explained, patiently.
"Are we going to die?" he asked, his eyes wide and frightened. "What happens to Wendy if we die?"
"Good heavens, Michael!" she gasped. "Not on of us is going to die... not for a very long time."
Michael held his teddy closer to him. "Promise?"
She smiled and kissed him once more. "I promise."
When she stood she tucked in the rest of her boys and made for the door, leaving Nana in charge of the children. She didn't see the shadow lurking into the window.
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Wendy did not get to do her extra homework, her hand still ached too much to hold a pencil for more than a second at the time, but she didn't cry. Her tears had gone dry.
It was early in the morning when she woke, the rest of the girls enjoyed sleeping in a few minutes more before they got up and got ready for their subjects.
The angry red welts which had formed in her hand had now turned into a deep and angry purple bruise, one which she knew she'd have for days if not weeks; her skin had been becoming more and more sensitive lately... like mother's.
At the thought of her mother she held her breath. She wanted so often to be so like her, elegant and wise, gentle and kind... so many things that Wendy knew she was not. She had a long road before she'd get there and telling the other horrid girls about anything that had happened in Never Land was an awful idea as the ache in her hand reminded her.
She was in the lavatory when Anna and her girls came in, all bustling around her like she was a Queen Bee.
Wendy's anger re-flourished but decided to make a run for the exit before she were accused of anymore lies.
"Going somewhere, Wendy?" asked Anna.
The girls stepped into her line of flight, and Wendy sighed internally but placed a brave face as she stared at them, head on. If Peter could be brave against Captain Hook then she could be braver against Anna Pavlovia.
"The girls and I were talking and we decided we wanted to hear more your... make-belief stories about Peter. He sounds..." she smirked. "... interesting."
Wendy cocked her head to the side and placed her hands on her waist. "Talking about anything with you, Anna is dangerous to one's health."
Rosalind let out a small giggle before she controlled herself and glared at Wendy along with the rest of the other girls.
"Do you know what will happen if I open my mouth against you, Wendy?" Anna said slowly and dangerously. "You would be expelled... gone. All my father has to do is send a letter and you're back to Cheapstreet with your own kind."
"And what kind is that, Anna? Honest, good people?" Wendy snapped, her anger flaring.
"No, poor and desperate people whose role in life is to try to touch the hems of our dresses." Anna smiled, crossing her arms before her. "Even if you graduate from here, Wendy, no gentleman would want to marry you, you'd be lucky if you can snatch my butler."
The other girls laughed, laugher that was cut off when loud explosions were hear, shaking the school. They could hear girls screaming and then something Wendy thought never to hear again... gun shots.
"Hide!" she cried, running out to the main room.
Girls, teachers and what appeared to be soldiers were running wildly around the large mansion, screaming, some falling on the floor painting the floor red with blood.
Wendy screamed as a body came tumbling down the stairs but her mouth was grabbed and she was pulled backwards into a closet door.
"Shh, Wendy!" she was let go and she promptly turned to look at who is was. It was Joanna. She sighed in relief.
"What's happening?" Wendy whispered, her voice shaken by terror.
"Someone of importance was visiting with Miss. Longvein, the principal, and then all of the sudden soldiers came in asking for the man who was here and shooting, it's all I know!" Joanna said hurriedly, surprising Wendy since she had not heard the girl say more than five words since she'd first seen her.
"We need to get out, find help!" Wendy said, urgently.
"I know of a place we can hide until they leave," Joanna told her, jumping as a loud bag was heard outside.
Wendy nodded. "Run!" she cried, Joanna opened the door and both girls ran through the screams, the blood and the horrible sound of death around them.
Joanna took them through the main dormitory where Wendy had come from and towards the back, were the small stairs that led to the dark attic were hidden.
"Wendy!"
Wendy stopped and turned. Anna, Helen and Rosalind were crying, Helen with her arms filled with an apparently dead Rachael. Wendy gasped. "Come, we're hiding," she told them, unable to let the girl's body distract her.
Anna and Rosalind followed her without question, Helen stared at Rachael's body. "We can't leave her!"
"She's already gone, Helen!" Wendy cried.
Helen let the body drop from her hands, her own uniform drenched in blood and hurried towards Wendy.
"C'mon!" Joanna told them as the girls ran up the steep and dark stairs.
"They'll find us!" Anna whispered, harshly.
"They wont! I know were to hide!" Joanna told her, leading the group up.
"They're going to search everywhere, I know they are!" Rosalind cried, her whole body trembling.
"Just go!" Snapped Wendy, pushing the girls up until they came to what looked like a locked door.
Joanna turned from the door to face the wall on the left side of it. She placed her hands on the cement and began pressing at it.
"What is this?" Anna demanded.
"It's a secret--" something snapped inside the wall. "....there! It's a secret passage, used by the late Lords when their manors were being attached by the savages."
Before them the wall that once seemed flat and perfect created a small opening small enough so that the girls could fit if they squatted down.
"Get in!" Joanna cried, pushing Anna in.
The proud girl looked at the opening with question but was left with no choice than to squat down and enter the passage. Rosalind whimpered the entire time as she herself made her way in as did Helen.
"No you, Wendy," Joanna told her.
Wendy nodded and squeezed herself into the small opening, feeling Joanna close behind her she crawled down what seemed like a black tube.
"How much further?" Wendy whispered to Joanna.
"A few more steps," she girl whispered back.
And then she fell... only a foot down, she rolled on the ground and came to halt. She sat up and stared at the room. It was pitch black and she couldn't see not even the hands before her.
"Joanna?" she asked.
"Wendy!" It was Rosalind. "I can't see anything!"
"Me neither, be quiet!" Wendy snapped at her.
"Where's Joanna?" Wendy asked, staying where she was at, afraid if she moved she'd fall again.
"She probably left us here to die!" Anna cried in the dark. Wendy could sense the deep fear in her voice, the same that must be running through hers.
"She wouldn't--"
There was suddenly light as a match was lit. Wendy turned to see Joanna standing, lighting a candle.
"I wouldn't," Joanna answered for herself, turning to the girls once the candle was on.
"What is this place?" asked Wendy, as she inspected the small room she realized it looked very much like a nice small study. With a leather couch on the corner, some small coffee tables and many book lying around.
"A shelter, apparently." Joanna said, going across the room to light another candle.
"It's unreal!" Rosalind cried, staring in awe at the room.
"I found it the day you made me go up the attic stairs for your enjoyment," Joanna told Anna who seemed still shaken but turning red.
"It's a good thing I did, then."
The silence was shattered when more gunshots were heard. Helen screamed but Wendy promptly placed her hand over her mouth.
"This is not happening," Anna said quietly.
"I'm afraid it is," Wendy said after a while. Anna turned to her.
"I'll contact my father, he'll know what to do! And when he comes, all these men will die for their barbarism!" Anna cried, tears running down her usually perfect cheeks.
"We're at war, Anna. Your father can do nothing but pray you've been spared," Joanna told her, calmly.
"They're going to find us!" Helen cried, her body shaking like a leaf.
"They wont, I told you!" Joanna snapped. "I sealed the doorway, unless you know where it is you wont come... and no one has come here in the past four years that I've known of it. No one will come now."
"I wish I knew what was happening... I wish Peter was here," she added in a whisper.
"Would you stop?" Anna snapped. "Can't you see it's no time for lies?"
Wendy stared at her blankly. "I told you already, it's not lies. If Peter heard of what's happened to me... he'd come. He'd be here so fast the soldiers wouldn't know what happened to them!"
"If Peter were real, which I doubt he obviously hasn't come yet and wont!" Anna told her harshly. "He can't care as much as he's told you."
Wendy's insides were turned to mush as her words hit her. She would not cry in front of this girl... she would not cry for Peter ever.
"Leave her alone, you brat," Joanna snapped. "So many dead and all she can do is call her a liar!" She walked to the small bookshelf in the room and pulled a few books out.
"Come, from here you can see Miss. Longvein's office!" Joanna whispered to them. "But you have to be quiet, they'll hear us otherwise!"
"You've been spying on Miss. Longvein!" Rosalind cried, indignant.
Joanna glared at her. "Do you want to see or not?"
"We do!" Wendy answered and followed Joanna with the rest of the girls close behind her.
Carefully turned a small knob and then pulled, a small compartment opened and it revealed two small holes. The door to Miss. Longvein's office was open and inside was an older man, Miss. Longvein and what looked to be several soldiers armed with rifles, guns and swords.
"It's General Roshvack!" Anna whispered, signaling to the old man.
"Shh!" Joanna glared at her.
One young soldier came into the room and walked to the one soldier who was sitting comfortable on top of the desk.
"All dead?" the man asked the young soldier.
"Yes, General Dosmasky; all the children and the staff are dead." the soldier replied, bowing slightly.
"Good," the Dosmasky said and turned to the other General that Anna had recognized.
"You fools! A war is about to break and you're attacking a school!" General Roshvack cried.
Dosmasky pulled out a small gun, checking the ammunition.
"You're the old fool. The war has already begun!" with that he aimed the gun at Roshvack's head and shot him.
The girls all jumped and Helen started to cry, rocking back and forth.
Next Miss. Longvein was grabbed and brought to the General, tears were running down her face but she was staring at him with defiance. Miss. Longvein was not and older woman, she was in her early 30's having inherited the elite school from her father, her blonde hair was always in a bun and even thought she was not a beautiful woman, her features were handsome.
"Amelia, dear... it's tragic that we shall have to part this way," he touched her chin, inspecting her. "I would leave you a bank note for the damage but seeing as you wont live to see it re-built I don't see the point. Do you?"
"If you're not burnt alive you'll be burnt in hell, General." she answered him back and Wendy was reminded of herself when Captain Hook gave her the option of death. Death could be an adventure, she had decided long ago.
The General laughed and placed his gun on the desk.
"My boys have been on the road for a long time..." he smirked at her, his eyes roaming to her chest in a way that made Wendy's stomach queasy. "... be a dear and... relieve them, eh?"
He threw her to the other four soldiers who were laughing and he walked out of the room, a pleasant stride in his step. Behind him Miss. Longvein screamed and struggled, the soldiers slammed her on top of her desk and started pulling at her skirts, her legs were kicking and she was sobbing now, begging them to stop.
Joanna quickly closed the seeing eyes and placed the books back with shaking hands. Once it was closed she turned to look at Wendy. "We can't be found", she said, more calmly than what she felt.
Wendy wanted nothing more than to puke of the horror, her brain was swaying and her legs felt like Jell-O. Even if she ran away to Neverland once more she could never be a child again. Ever.
Helen and Rosalind were sobbing, holding on to each other. Wendy turned to Anna who was barely standing like her. "We wait 'till they leave then we grab the warmest clothes we can muster, the supplies we'd need and we'll go. On foot. Apparently there's no police left... we can trust no one but ourselves."
"On foot?" Anna asked, making no attempt to hide her tears. "To where? The alps?"
Wendy stared at her. "If we must."
"You're mad!" Anna cried. "We'll be found... they'll kill us!" She turned towards the seeing hole. "Or worse."
Wendy remained impassive. "I'm taking my own chances... I'm going home. You stay and do what you want with your own life."
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London fog, he realized, stuck on to your bare skin. Perhaps, he thought, it's the reason the people of London whore so much clothes. The great clock was singing when he arrived at the Darling window, that memorable nursery window were this entire mess had started.
He peered inside, noting instantly that the window wasn't as large as he remembered... the house wasn't as large as he remembered. It was no longer towering and monstrous... it was relative to his size.
The thought and realization burned through his stomach and the need to find Wendy overtook him. He quickly peered inside, seeing the beds filled with sleeping bodies and no parents around or dog that barked for no reason, and swiftly let himself inside.
Tinkerbell was quick to jump from bed to bed, sending muffling sounds of waking children about the room.
"Tink!" Peter hissed snatching her, annoyed that he couldn't first find Wendy before having to deal with all the lost boys. "We're here to find Wendy, not wake the household!"
She looked at him innocently though a devil's tail was slowly growing from behind her. Peter gave her a stern look before letting her go once more.
A light was turned and Peter quickly pulled out his dagger, floating in the air.
"It's Peter!" A young boy with bright red hair and a freckled face was smiling brightly at him.
The other bodies started waking from their beds, boys rubbing their eyes and others groaning in protest.
"Michael, what is going on?"
"John, it's Peter. Peter Pan!" Michael cried, leaving his bed and walking to Peter who was looking at him curiously. "You've come back, Peter!"
"I have," Peter said carefully. "Where's Wendy? And who are you?"
"I'm Michael, Peter. Don't you remember?"
"I'm John... and these are the ones who used to be lost boys!" he pointed to the group assembling around him.
Peter looked thoughtful.
"Being in Neverland makes you forget," explained Toddles.
"Peter, you've... changed!" John cried, studying him.
"You're growing up, Peter!" another boy cried.
This made Peter leap into the air and away from their touches. "Where's Wendy? She'll know how to fix it!" he cried, his heart pounding in this chest.
Michael stepped forward and looked up at Peter. "She's gone, Peter."
These words brought the growing boy down, sadness evident in his face. "Gone? Gone where?"
"Mother and Father thought it best if Wendy went to Boarding School... in Switzerland." explained John.
"Boarding School? Switzerland?" Peter cried. Wendy was supposed to be in the nursery, waiting for him to come back, waiting for him to take her back to Neverland and have many more adventures. "I'll find her! I'll bring her back!"
"No, Peter... you can't!" Toddles told him. "She's grown up, Peter... you've been gone for over a year and she agreed that it was time to ... grow up."
"No!" shouted Peter, his face red with anger. "She wont grow up! I wont let her. I'll take her from this Boarding School and off to Neverland!"
"But you're growing up, Peter!" Michael reminded him, his eyes innocent.
"I'm not! Once I find Wendy I'll stop growing up, I'll be a boy once more!" He cried.
They were all startled when the nursery door was opened and in stepped a lovely lady in a long burgundy robe.
"Boys!" she cried. "Why are you awake at this hour?"
"Sorry, mother... but look," John pointed at Peter who was still distraught over the news from Wendy.
Mrs. Darling gasped, starring at the scantly-clad youth. "Who is this?"
"It's Peter Pan, mother. He's come back for Wendy to take her to Neverland so she'll never grow up!" Michael cried, very proud of himself.
Peter glared at him letting a grown up in on his plan.
Mrs. Darling gasped and stared in horror at Peter. "You will not take her!"
"Where is she?" Peter demanded. "I must find her!"
"She's in Switzer--"
"Michael!" his mother chastised. She turned to Peter. "Young man, explain yourself."
"I'm not a man, I'm, a boy," he pushed his dagger into it's holding place, glaring at Mrs. Darling.
"Taking a young girl from her parents and off to another place seems like a very adult-thing to do," she told him calmly.
"Honestly mother, Peter means no harm!" John told her, stepping closer.
Mrs. Darling considered Peter, clasping her robe tighter against her. "Wendy is not here."
"I know," he stared at her. "Where can I find her?"
"Peter, dear... shouldn't we talk about this... preferably in the morning?" She told, more calmly.
Peter back up from her approaching figure. "No, I need to find her now."
"She's days from here, darling," she told him, walking Michael to his bed.
Peter followed her. "I fly, you know, I'll be there in a few minutes."
Mrs. Darling sighed. "I'm sure you can, but you wouldn't be able to find your way."
He looked defiantly at her. "I'll find Wendy, I can feel her."
Mrs. Darling gasped, and took hold of her robe once more. "Feel her?"
"Yes, I can sense her, she's my Wendy," he told, plainly.
Mrs. Darling straightened up and smiled at him. "I'm sure you think so, darling... but Wendy is at school and we don't expect her back until Winter."
"At what time is winter?" he asked.
"Time?" she asked, baffled.
"Yes, time," he told her, annoyed.
"Well... it's in 3 months at least. Three months until she gets her Winter break."
Peter considered this. "How long is three months?"
She sighed and sat on Michael's bed. "It's a very long time, dear. Why don't you come back then, I'm sure she'll be delighted to see you."
Peter shook his head. "No, I need Wendy now. Any more time and I will continue to grow! Look!" he lifted his arm and pointed at his hairy armpit. "Hair!"
Mrs. Darling chocked and adverted her eyes. "Yes, hair." she agreed. "All growing boys get hair, Peter. That is life."
Peter looked at her in horror. "But I don't want to grow up! I want to stay a boy and have fun! I need Wendy, she'll know what to do!"
"Peter, honestly, Wendy cannot stop you from growing up," Mrs. Darling tried to tell him. "And growing up... it doesn't mean you stop having fun, dear."
Tears filled his eyes as he looked wildly around the room. "Please, just let me find her."
Mrs. Darling looked at him for a while then nodded. "Only if you promise not to take her to Never... to Neverland." Peter took a moment to consider this. Then nodded. "And... and you don't give her false hopes."
"What is false hopes?" he asked, clearly confused.
Mrs. Darling smiled at the near man yet a boy very much. "I think you'll understand when you're older."
Peter blanched.
"Sorry," she apologized. "Now, let's see... how can I tell you where she is?"
Her thoughts were jarred as the door of the nursery was once again slammed opened and Mr. Darling ran in.
"Mary!" he cried. "Look!" he trust a newspaper at her. "Jonathan brought me by the paper minutes ago, he said I'd need to read it."
"School for girls attacked, hundreds dead," Mrs. Darling read. "Oh George! This is Wendy's school!"
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TBC.....
A/N: I know many of you are waiting for Peter and Wendy to finally see each other, but I should tell you that this is a story were they are trying to get to each other and probably wont be re-united for sometime. Just letting you all know. Thank you so much for the feedback, I really appreciate it!