Wendy lay in her bed - now in her own room; her father insisted she need one of her own - covers pulled up to her chin, head resting on soft pillows.
It had been two weeks since the Lost Boys had left - they found that they didn't much care for all the rules and schooling, so they went back to be with Peter.
That also meant that it had been seven weeks since Wendy had come back, and Peter had left her. Seven weeks and three days.
Sighing into the darkness of her room, she rolled onto her other side. Every night now, she was up for hours, pining for Peter. When she finally fell alseep, she dreamed about him. Every moment they spent together for those few days played over and over again in her young mind.
It was beginning to drive her mad.
She wanted it to stop - one way or another.
Her brothers and parents were sleeping safe and sound in their beds as she crawled out from under her blankets, walked across the carpeted floor to the window. She slid it up, leaned her head out to see the view.
Cool spring air rushed in and she shuddered slightly in the sudden cold.
Wendy looked all around the silent London streets before casting her gaze towards the stars.
"I do believe in fairies," she whispered, but unsure why, and tears filled her bright eyes, threatening to spill down her cheeks. "I do believe in fairies."
She waited a moment before repeating it.
Then a fourth time.
Finally, she stopped talking to the air. "Oh, Peter," she sighed sadly.
A noise cought her attention - it sounded like feet scuffling on the roof.
Hopefully, she craned her neck and looked all around tryinf to see if maybe, just maybe-
"Silly girl," she scolded herself, pulling her head back inside the window.
"I do believe in fairies," a tear fell down Wendy's cheek, but she made no move to wipe it away, just stood there with the breeze fluttering the curtains around the open window. "I do believe in fairies!"
Wendy suddenly recalled Peter standing there, right after she said she was going, and all he said was, "As you wish."
"I wish - I wish to see you again!" she cried out the window.
And then he was there. He let himself tumble off the roof into her room.
Now tears started to fall and Peter wiped them away. "I'm here, just as you wished," he whispered.
"Why didn't you come sooner?" Wendy was so glad that she couldn't be upset with him, and her arms found their way around his bare neck.
Peter stiffened a little but didn't pull away form her embrace. Instead, he touched a hand comfortingly to her hair. "I just had to be sure you still believed... And that you hadn't forgotten me."
"Forgotten you, Peter Pan? Never!" She'd stopped crying by now, and nearly smiled. "How could I not believe anymore?" She moved to sit on the floor, pulled him with her.
They sat cross-legged across from each other, and Wendy held Peter's hands in her own, fidgeting.
There was a silence in which they were moved reminded of - for some reason - dancing in the woods with the fairies around them, and then of the mermaids, and then of the first time Wendy had seen the Lost Boys, and they built that house for her.
"the Lost Boys miss you," Peter broke the silence, and they looked at each other.
"I miss them, too," Wendy smile half-heartedly, then they both glanced at their hands again.
"Do you... want to come and stay with me?" Peter asked, breaking another, shorter, silence.
She looked up at him, right into his beautiful eyes. "Oh, Peter..."
"You can have some time to think about it," he offered, standing up.
She let him pull her to her feet. "How long?"
Peter smiled. "Forever."
Wendy returned the smile. "I'm so sorry, Peter..."
His happy expression faded and hsi face went blank. "I know, I know."
Reluctantly, he let go of her hands. "I'll still come back and visit you."
She held back her tears this time as she watched him walk to the window. "Can't you stay just a little while?"
Peter glanced out into the midnight sky. "I guess I could."
Wendy smiled happily, held out her hand.
"But you, lady, need sleep, and I know you do," Peter led her to her bed, tucked her under the covers.
"Peter?" Wendy asked, looking up at him from where she lay.
In understanding, Peter lay on top of the blankets, and they wound their arms around each other.
"Good night, Peter," she whispered to him.
"Good night, Wendy Darling," he whispered back, leaning over and giving her the sweetest, gentlest kiss.
*
When Wendy awoke in the morning, the window was closed and there was no sign of Peter. His visit seemed like a dream, as there was no sign of him.
Or rather, there was almost no sign, as he'd left a few trinkets around the room for her to discover.
Among the few items were a thimble, his knife, and a tiny wooden alligator carving.
Ever since that night, Wendy's lips have been smiling, and she has slept peacefully.
It had been two weeks since the Lost Boys had left - they found that they didn't much care for all the rules and schooling, so they went back to be with Peter.
That also meant that it had been seven weeks since Wendy had come back, and Peter had left her. Seven weeks and three days.
Sighing into the darkness of her room, she rolled onto her other side. Every night now, she was up for hours, pining for Peter. When she finally fell alseep, she dreamed about him. Every moment they spent together for those few days played over and over again in her young mind.
It was beginning to drive her mad.
She wanted it to stop - one way or another.
Her brothers and parents were sleeping safe and sound in their beds as she crawled out from under her blankets, walked across the carpeted floor to the window. She slid it up, leaned her head out to see the view.
Cool spring air rushed in and she shuddered slightly in the sudden cold.
Wendy looked all around the silent London streets before casting her gaze towards the stars.
"I do believe in fairies," she whispered, but unsure why, and tears filled her bright eyes, threatening to spill down her cheeks. "I do believe in fairies."
She waited a moment before repeating it.
Then a fourth time.
Finally, she stopped talking to the air. "Oh, Peter," she sighed sadly.
A noise cought her attention - it sounded like feet scuffling on the roof.
Hopefully, she craned her neck and looked all around tryinf to see if maybe, just maybe-
"Silly girl," she scolded herself, pulling her head back inside the window.
"I do believe in fairies," a tear fell down Wendy's cheek, but she made no move to wipe it away, just stood there with the breeze fluttering the curtains around the open window. "I do believe in fairies!"
Wendy suddenly recalled Peter standing there, right after she said she was going, and all he said was, "As you wish."
"I wish - I wish to see you again!" she cried out the window.
And then he was there. He let himself tumble off the roof into her room.
Now tears started to fall and Peter wiped them away. "I'm here, just as you wished," he whispered.
"Why didn't you come sooner?" Wendy was so glad that she couldn't be upset with him, and her arms found their way around his bare neck.
Peter stiffened a little but didn't pull away form her embrace. Instead, he touched a hand comfortingly to her hair. "I just had to be sure you still believed... And that you hadn't forgotten me."
"Forgotten you, Peter Pan? Never!" She'd stopped crying by now, and nearly smiled. "How could I not believe anymore?" She moved to sit on the floor, pulled him with her.
They sat cross-legged across from each other, and Wendy held Peter's hands in her own, fidgeting.
There was a silence in which they were moved reminded of - for some reason - dancing in the woods with the fairies around them, and then of the mermaids, and then of the first time Wendy had seen the Lost Boys, and they built that house for her.
"the Lost Boys miss you," Peter broke the silence, and they looked at each other.
"I miss them, too," Wendy smile half-heartedly, then they both glanced at their hands again.
"Do you... want to come and stay with me?" Peter asked, breaking another, shorter, silence.
She looked up at him, right into his beautiful eyes. "Oh, Peter..."
"You can have some time to think about it," he offered, standing up.
She let him pull her to her feet. "How long?"
Peter smiled. "Forever."
Wendy returned the smile. "I'm so sorry, Peter..."
His happy expression faded and hsi face went blank. "I know, I know."
Reluctantly, he let go of her hands. "I'll still come back and visit you."
She held back her tears this time as she watched him walk to the window. "Can't you stay just a little while?"
Peter glanced out into the midnight sky. "I guess I could."
Wendy smiled happily, held out her hand.
"But you, lady, need sleep, and I know you do," Peter led her to her bed, tucked her under the covers.
"Peter?" Wendy asked, looking up at him from where she lay.
In understanding, Peter lay on top of the blankets, and they wound their arms around each other.
"Good night, Peter," she whispered to him.
"Good night, Wendy Darling," he whispered back, leaning over and giving her the sweetest, gentlest kiss.
*
When Wendy awoke in the morning, the window was closed and there was no sign of Peter. His visit seemed like a dream, as there was no sign of him.
Or rather, there was almost no sign, as he'd left a few trinkets around the room for her to discover.
Among the few items were a thimble, his knife, and a tiny wooden alligator carving.
Ever since that night, Wendy's lips have been smiling, and she has slept peacefully.