(Thanks guys for all your reveiws, I will say that James Hook appears in some point in this story - sorry I didnt update for so long, Ive been out of town. Chapters will be longer from now on.)

Chapter Two: We meet Again

He watched her fall to the ground sobbing at the base of the tree in which he sat. Her usually neat hair was windswept and tears stained her usually rosy cheeks. Her full skirt had been torn and the blouse she was wearing was wrinkled.

"Wendy" the words formed softly, his solemn blue eyes staring at her shaking form.

Peter sat in the same tree every night, waiting and searching for lost boys amongst the roses, it was still, peaceful…and the last place he had expected to see Wendy.

She had sat up now, staring out at the water as the moonlight shone from above making the drying tears on her face shine brightly. He felt his heart jump slightly and closed his eyes trying to make it go away. Seeing her was still as painful as it had been all those years ago when he first attempted a visit. He had tried so hard not to grow up, but she was always in his thoughts - gradually he had begun to spend more and more time away from Neverland, staring into her window at night and wondering if she had forgotten all about him.

Too many times he had watched as other boys kissed her goodnight…how he had…

"Peter?"

He jumped, or flew… hitting his head on the branch above him hard, reaching up he rubbed it gently, half hiding in the leaves.

"Peter?" there it was again, her quiet voice, no longer held the childlike singsong, it was different…everything about her was different.

"Great now I'm hallucinating…" there was a small sigh that escaped her lips and Peter couldn't fight it any longer. She was in pain.

"Wendy…" he said softly. She didn't seem to hear him, continuing to stare at the water "Wendy" he said louder as he flew down slowly from his position in the tree to float above her shoulder.

Wendy spun around quickly, too quickly - sending the floating boy into a spin himself. Seeing he was caught off guard she reached her hand out to steady him, her eyes widening as they stared into the eyes she had all but forgotten.

He jerked away quickly, backing up several paces as he landed firmly on the ground. Her eyes were the same…

"Peter!" Wendy's voice was filled with awe "Peter I cant believe your…but Peter you've…" her voice broke slightly "…I thought that…."

Peter watched her eyes drift over him and turned from her "Why are you crying?" he asked, speaking to her for the first time.

"I was…My father wants me to marry" she said finally finding the words to speak.

Peter felt the words sink in and then turned to face her "Come away with me" he said, a smile forming over his boyish features.

"Come away with me Wendy and you will never have to worry about that again…"

Wendy let her eyes wander over Peter's features "But Peter I…" she paused and looked down at her feet, letting her eyes wander up her body "I don't belong in Neverland anymore…I've"

"I've grown up"

"-You remembered me" Peter cut her off. "Everyone else forgot about me but…"

He turned around slowly to face her "You remembered me"

Wendy met his gaze, everything about him was innocent, he still had the sparkle in his eyes of a playful child who thought everything was black and white. If only it could be that easy.

"Peter I cant go away with you" she said firmly, though her heart was screaming for him to take her away and shut out the world "I have responsibilities, I have school…I have.."

"…a fiancé" he said pointedly, a gleam in his eyes "Wendy…you don't belong here"

"No Peter…you don't belong here" Wendy said, an angry look in her clear eyes.

"You cant just come back to me after all these years Peter, you just cant…do you know how many nights I waited for you to come to my window? To tell me that you'd changed your mind? That you wanted to be with me for always? That you would give up this idea of being a child forever and"

"and what Wendy?" Peter questioned, his own voice raising "Grow up?" he stepped closer to her, surprised to find he was still taller "I told you that I wouldn't grow up…I told you years ago when YOU left ME…You couldn't make me grow up then and you cant make me grow up now" he pushed past her and lifted into the air.

"Peter - you just don't understand, your just a little boy" Wendy looked at him pleadingly.

"Why did you come here Wendy?" Peter asked from his position in the sky "…you said once that my biggest pretend was never wanting to grow up - I think your biggest pretend is being grown up"

Wendy looked at her feet, angry words filling her mind, unwilling to see the truth in his words… "Peter Pan I don't know who you-"

She looked up at the place where seconds before he had been.

Peter was gone.

--

Wendy stood on the pavement, staring up at the house she had called her home for so long, trying to will herself to ring the doorbell. Talking with Peter had...confused her and maddened her and ...hurt her more then she had ever imagined. She noticed the light on in the lounge and walked over to peek carefully into the window. There was her father, wide awake as her sleeping mother lay on his lap. He looked more worried then she had ever seen him and she knew that she had to do the right thing.

Perhaps the part that had confused her the most was Peter's appearance, yes he still held a youthful face but he didnt look a day under 16. He had become a man in every aspect except his head - how had he grown? Was it time spent away from Neverland? Where had he been? Had he watched her?? How had he known what she was to look like, as to have resognised her in the gardens? There were so many questions she needed answered but instead she had pushed him away, they had faught and he had just dissapeared...

"Like a child when he gets sick of his mother and father fighting - he hides" she whispered softly to herself.

She looked back at the window and her parents curled up together, Mr Darling's eyes wide open, he chose that moment to glance across the window and see his daughter's eyes staring back at him.

Wendy watched his gaze soften and noted the deep sigh of releif he was taking as he shook his wife awake.

Pushing away her thoughts of Peter she walked up to the front stoop and waited for the door to swing open.

It did and her father swept her into his arms "Dont you ever do that again" he said softly into her straight brown hair.

He stepped away holding her at arms length for a moment "Wendy I love you...and I only want whats best for you"

Wendy nodded, her eyes studying his as she tried to give him a smile of any sort, it just wouldnt work and she pulled him in for another hug so that he wouldnt see the tears pouring down her cheeks "I know father..." taking a deep breath she leaned into his shoulder closing her eyes "I know"

--

Pan watched the scene from a rooftop nearby, scowling at the image of Wendy and her father.

Did this mean Wendy would marry? He couldnt let that happen...it would be - she would forget about him like the others. If she married then there would be no doubt, Wendy wouldnt just look different or look grown up...if she married Wendy would BE grown up.

"I cant let that happen"

He spun around to glare at Tinkerbell "What did you say?"

She made a rather innocent looking expression before crumbling.

"Feelings?" he scoffed "Tink, I just want it to be the way it was, with us fighting and flying and...having fun"

Peter shook his head "Feelings are for grown ups"

The fairy shook her head and a pointed expression crossed her face.

"The Thimble?" Peter swallowed slightly, he had tried to forget the moment Wendy's lips touched his, but it was impossible for the kiss she should not have given him had haunted his sleep every night since.

"That was a long time ago Tinkerbell..."

And for the second time that evening Peter left without another word.