It took a few more protests from Slightly and several combined assaults on the blanket before the full impact of the Lost Boy's condition could be seen. When finally persuaded to come out, he stood almost as tall as Will, with a shock of greasy dark brown hair. Unlike the other Lost Boys, he wore what looked like hand-me-down sailor's clothes. There were a few straggly whiskers on his chin, and more than a few pimples on his forehead. A normal adolescent boy, as far as Will could tell. Judging by the other's reactions, though, Slightly's current appearance was far from normal.


The twins gaped up at him. "He's grown a foot since this morning," they said, awed.


"Have not," muttered Slightly sullenly. "Four inches, is more like." Sheepishly, he indicated his sailor attire. "Sorry, Peter, I just kinda outgrew the furs. Nibs is wearin' my old ones. See, he's grown a lot too," the boy added, looking as though he hoped to draw attention away from himself.


The tactic didn't work. "Slightly, you're almost full grown !" said Peter with great disapproval. He sighed and shook his head. "You know the rules; when a Lost Boy starts to grow up, he has to leave the Neverland." Slightly looked horrified. "I'm sorry, Slightly, but that's the way it has to be," said the younger boy, sadly but firmly.


This was too much for Slightly and he burst into tears. "F-f-fine for you to say !" he sobbed, "You didn't grow eight inches in one day. You don't have spots, and gross h-h-hair growing everywhere, and you don't have your stupid voice cracking every time you try to speak." At these last words the boy's voice squeaked horribly and he groaned in frustration.


"My life is ruined !" he shouted and stomped angrily towards the railing. The tree house shook with each step. Will wondered if his assessment of the platform's safety had been a bit premature.


Elizabeth had heard enough. "Stop it !" she shouted at Peter Pan. She ran to Slightly's side. "There, there, calm down, you'll be all right," she soothed. Slightly took one look at the woman and stopped in his tracks, stunned. He blushed and quickly looked away.


"Listen, all of you. Peter Pan brought us here to help and that is what we are going to do. Obviously your growth problem and Tinkerbell's kidnapping are linked somehow." She gave Pan a stern look. "No one is going to leave. Everyone calm down and let us come up with a plan." The urchin looked surprised to have his authority questioned, but did not protest.


"Time for a council of war," announced the strange young boy. The Lost Boys, including a subdued Slightly, took seats on the floor. Pan brought over a dilapidated rocking chair and motioned grandly for Elizabeth to be seated in it. Will considered standing, but frankly his legs were tired. His muscles were unused to flying. Reluctantly, he joined the scruffy gang of boys on the floor.


"Well," said Elizabeth, "Let's see what we know..." Will grinned. His wife had always been resourceful. "Tinkerbell is missing-"


"Kidnapped by Hook and his gang of pirates !" cried Curley, eagerly.


"Shut up, Curley, let 'Lizbeth plan," said Peter.


"Sorry, Lady," mumbled Curley, blushing yet again.


"Right, then, kidnapped. Thank you, Curley," said Elizabeth, pointedly. Curley blushed even harder and grinned stupidly. "And the pirates are now able to fly, presumably because they now have access to, what did you call it, Peter ? Pixie dust ?"


"Yes, pixie dust," he replied. "Well, no, actually. Its not just the dust. You need a happy thought. The pirates have captured Tink before, but they've never been able to fly. They can't have a happy thought."


"Can't they think about gold, or making innocent people walk the plank, or something ?" asked Will skeptically.


"No, that's no good," said Peter. "Those are greedy and cruel thoughts. They might make a pirate happy, but they won't make him fly. It has to be a purely happy thought. You proved it yourself; you couldn't fly until you'd had a genuine happy thought." The obnoxious boy leered at Will.


Will remembered looking at Elizabeth's legs as she flew around the blacksmith shop. He got the hint. Lustful thoughts didn't work. The happy thought had to be pure.


"So the pirates have gotten some other method of flying, or at least of making the required happy thought," stated Elizabeth. "Hmm, whatever they've done, that might also explain the Lost Boy's rapid growth." She frowned. "Now, Noodles, he was a Lost Boy too, right ?"


"Not noodles, Toodles !" corrected the twins in chorus, giggling hysterically.


Elizabeth smiled at them. "Right, Toodles it is. Did any of you notice him growing older too, before he disappeared ?"


"Yeah, he was -"


"Worse than Slightly-"


"He had the biggest pimple you ever saw, smack dab in the middle of his forehead-"


"Yeah, it was gross !" The boys all yelled at one time, interrupting one another. Peter had to stand up and shout for order.


"I think," said Elizabeth decisively, "That we need to find out exactly what those pirates are up to. There must be clues. Under cover of darkness, we will sneak on board their ship, and find them."


Will stifled a yawn. He had been awake for more than twenty-four hours straight, he realized. "Good, well, if we are going to wait for cover of darkness, then I am going to get some sleep," he announced. "Are all of those hammocks taken ?"


"Right, then, boys, we'll lay low until sunset," agreed Peter. "Lady 'Lizbeth, you can clean the tree house and cook us some supper."


"What ?" Elizabeth's temper flared. "I will do no such thing ! I'm not your mother." Will stifled a laugh. Pan and his gang looked dumbfounded.


"But, but the Wendy Lady cleaned and cooked and mended clothes and everything," Peter blurted, looking hurt.


"And told us stories," chimed the twins, plaintively.


Elizabeth looked as though she might give in; the boys looked so pitiful. Will decided to intervene. "Look here, Pan, I thought you ran a decent outfit," he challenged. "Instead I find a ramshackle dump, sloppy troops, and low morale. I had really expected to see better discipline." He shook his head in mock disappointment.


Peter looked embarrassed. For once the brat was at a loss for words. He was falling for it. Will pressed his advantage. "This place smells worse than the smelliest pirate in the smelliest dive in Tortuga !" He gave Pan and the Lost Boys his best pirate glare. "And I should know," he added.


The little speech had the desired effect. Pan stopped whining and began to order the Lost Boys about, organizing a clean up effort. The boys perked up. They were used to being bossed by Peter Pan, and having work to do took their minds off their problems. Will smiled to himself, gave Elizabeth a quick kiss, and collapsed in the nearest hammock.