Chapter Five—Straight On Till Morning
"I like this movie, Aunt Cordy."
"I do, too, but you know…"
"They told it wrong?"
"Yes, they did. The true story of Peter Pan starts long before he ever met Wendy."
"How does it start?"
Cordelia turned off the television and picked up her niece, setting her back down in her lap. Alonna snuggled into her.
"Well, many years ago, there was a little boy who didn't listen to his mommy and daddy. When he found out all their dreams for him when he grew up, he ran away and met a witch, who cast a spell on him that he would never get old. He ran off to Never-Never Land to play all the time. But there was a bad person in Never-Never Land, an evil person."
"Captain Hook?"
"Sorta. The funny thing was, he looked exactly like Peter Pan, and he would lie to all of Peter's friends, pretending to be him and trying to hurt them. Peter, with the help of a very pretty warrior, banished the evil man, but they didn't kill him. They knew that he might come back some day. Plus, Peter wasn't ready to grow up yet. So, he ran away again, even though he liked the pretty warrior very much. He spent a few more years playing with his friends and making all of Never-Never Land safe. It was then that he met Wendy. She helped him protect and take care of his boys in Never-Never Land, and she and Peter became very good friends. She was mean and sarcastic to him, but he thought she was as beautiful and wonderful as an angel."
"Don't you mean a fairy? Like Tinkerbell?"
"Well, it was more like an angel. One day, Wendy found out that there was a bad army coming to Never-Never Land. She and Peter and their boys went to fight it, along with the pretty Warrior and her friends. The war was long and scary. The Warrior died and so did the Warrior's brave Knight, and Wendy cried very much when that happened, because she cared about both of them very much. The others were hurt a little, but they were okay. It wasn't until the battle ended that they realized Peter was missing. One of the boys was afraid that the evil man had returned and had stolen Peter Pan away, but Wendy hoped and prayed that he would come back safe and sound, and maybe ready to finally grow old."
"Did he? Did he come home again? Did he want her to be his mother again, and take care of him, or was she too old and sad to go and play with him?"
"I don't know, honey. I don't know how the story really ends. But Wendy is still waiting for her Peter. She loves him very much and she wants him to grow old with her and love her as much as she loves him."
"Oh, I hope so, Aunt Cordy! When will we know how the story ends?"
"I wish I knew, darling. We have to want it really badly and pray really strongly and hope and wait. Close your eyes, dear, and wish that Peter Pan will come back to his Wendy."
Alonna squeezed her eyes tightly shut. "Should I clap, like they do in the movie?"
"Yes, dear. Clap if you believe in Angels."
Cordelia tucked the girl into her bed and sighed. She closed the door part way, and left the hall light on. She returned to the living room, sat down, and picked up a book to read while she waited for Fred and Gunn to come home. It was only then that she realized the front door was open.
Cordelia gasped at the dark figure standing in the frame. The man smiled at her and walked into the house.
"Hey, 'Wendy.' Do you believe?"
"A-Angel?"