Changing Toward Love
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Notes of the Authoress Anthy: Ahh! Over 350 reviews! I love you aaall sooo much! *huuuggle* Feedback makes my day, really, it does. Thank you so much to everyone who makes that extra effort to review. You're wonderful and kind and loved! And because of you, I don't post only once every two months or something! ^_^
Disclaimer: No, I don't own the book or the movie(s), but whoever does should be so proud (James M. Barrie, I mean you)! Please, don't sue me. ;_; I am just a poor romantic!
Review Questions Answered! No questions. *sniff*
And now the story!
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The boys did play, though Peter was unable to stay with any one pretend very long- his mind was muddled and disoriented, his thoughts jumbled and confused. What had he said or done to upset Wendy so much?
"Ah hah!," yelped Slightly. "I hath pierced thy spleen, formidable Lockjawed John! Oh ho! Now die!"
"Ugggh," cried Nibs, holding the wooden sword under his shirt. "Blllaarrggghhh and I die. Oh farewell, good world! Parting is such sweet sorrow!"
He fell over dramatically, and just as Peter was about to clap along with the twins, the booming sound of a loud knocking resonated through the parlor. Immediately, the door of Mr. Darling's quiet office banged open, and out he came, walking briskly to get the door. He frowned when he glanced in the parlor, seeing it strewn with playthings.
He turned back to the door, however, much too busy to care. He opened it widely, and standing there was Caleb, his hair slicked back and wearing a fine gray suit with a navy silk tie. In his arms was a bundle of red roses.
Peter scowled deeply as Caleb bowed to Mr. Darling and entered, grinning widely.
"How are you, Mr. Darling?," he nearly purred, shaking his hand. "I trust everything is going well for you?"
"Oh, yes, quite well," said Mr. Darling, shooting daggers in the boys' direction. "I would offer to seat you in the parlor while you wait, but oh, Wendy should be down soon enough. Surely she heard you knocking."
"Oh, I don't mind waiting at all," said Caleb graciously. He reached into his suit, pulling out a thin white envelope. "In fact, it's rather convenient that Wendy isn't here "
He handed the envelope to Mr. Darling, who, looking slightly flustered, slid it into his own suit.
"That letter outlines the terms of our arrangement," Caleb said in a low voice. "I'm sure you'll find everything to be just as we discussed."
"Oh," said Mr. Darling, looking about himself to make sure that his wife was nowhere near. "Oh, of course. Surely just as we discussed."
"Wonderful," said Caleb cheerily, and with that, he turned from Mr. Darling and toward the parlor, where all the boys were standing, staring at him warily. Peter was standing as well, heading up the back of the group with black fire in his eyes.
"Boooys," he sang, walking up to Nibs and ruffling his already messy hair roughly. Nibs scowled, squirming out from under Caleb's hand.
"Hello," Nibs said resentfully. "Caaaleb." He sang his name in the same mocking tone that Caleb had sang "boys".
"Erm, hello," the other boys mumbled in low voices, all of them longing desperately to kick Caleb in the shin, except of course for Peter, who wanted to do so much more.
"It looks like you're having fun," Caleb said, looking around at the messy room with distaste. He locked his eyes on Peter, to whom he sent a dark, disapproving glare- after all, what kind of men played with children?
"Oh, loads," said Slightly darkly. "Care to play pirates?"
"You can be Captain Hook," said Curly, raising his sword with a smirk.
"He dies in the end, you know," said Peter, still scowling deeply. Caleb frowned, and was just about to retort Peter's words when there was a soft "ahem" at the parlor doorway.
Standing there in a lavender satin gown that pooled at her ankles and caught the lights of the parlor in brilliant streaks was Wendy, her hair pulled up in delicate auburn curls and her frowning lips shiny with pink-red gloss. Caleb turned around, still holding the red roses, as his scowl faded.
He smiled brilliantly at her.
"Wendy, dearest," he purred, placing the roses into her white gloved arms. "You look beautiful."
"Thank you," she said softly, taking the roses without expression. She looked up, then, just briefly, at Peter.
Peter swallowed, holding back his incredible urge to run forward, to throw her roses out the window and hold her, gently, like glass. To comfort her and cure the wet gleam he saw in her eyes.
"You do look beautiful," he found himself saying, though he could not smile. "Gorgeous, like a fairy queen."
Wendy, though the sadness in her eyes did not change, smiled warmly at this, clutching the roses to her chest in an unconscious embrace that was not meant for the flowers.
Caleb saw this, saw everything with great annoyance. He scowled, glaring darkly at Peter as he grabbed Wendy's arm.
"Let's go then, dear," he said smoothly, still glaring at Peter. Finally, he turned away, pulling Wendy toward the door. She frowned, but obediently allowed herself to be pulled along, not able to look back even once more at Peter.
"Good-bye, boys," she called hurriedly from the door, and then a loud click- and she was gone.
Peter stood still, staring out at the air in front of him that still glittered warm with her presence.
"I hope he steps in horse poo on the way there," mumbled Nibs angrily. "And then uses it to fix his bloody hair."
The boys nodded in loyal agreement, wanting nothing more than this.
Peter sighed, walking toward the parlor doorway he needed so much more than anger. The ache within him craved deeply, longed for so, so much more than he could give himself. A frown cursed his lips; Wendy was gone now, out on her date with Caleb. He had promised himself that he would leave at this point. It was time to go home.
As if in a trance, he walked slowly out of the parlor and to the stairs, not feeling the eyes of the boys on his back as he quietly went. He walked, nearly gliding, up the tall polished staircase, and awakened only when he had reached the closed door of Wendy's bedroom.
He opened it with a soft click, stepping inside. Everything was as it had been- clean, laced, and in its proper place. He sighed at he entered, closing the door and reaching down to untie and remove John's old shoes and black socks, discarding them next to the wardrobe. Wendy would find them there.
He walked to the window, its panes glowing in the dimming twilight. With a gentle snap, he unlocked and opened it; wind rushed in, running wildly through his hair. He breathed in the fresh scent, breathed in the coldness as he stepped up, barefoot, onto the window ledge.
He looked down into the street and caught sight of them, walking on the sidewalk near the street's end. Wendy's soft lavender dress was but a blur from the window, flickering as the light of the setting sun caught in its satin folds. Caleb still held her arm tightly, pulling her along, as he walked much faster than did she. The roses, apparently, had been abandoned on the sidetable near the stairs. He had not looked to see them when he had walked up.
He stared at them as they walked, finally stopping under a streetlight to wait for a buggy as night fell. And then, it happened- slowly, the distant Caleb spun Wendy around, her dress still twirling about her as quickly, he leaned forward and caught her lips, her empty eyes still open.
It was sadly too far for Peter to be able to see her devoid reaction, and, with a deep clenching of his heart that sent a ripple of pain through his chest, he knew it was time. There was no turning back now.
He stepped one foot out into the cold open air, and then, quickly, another, jumping effortlessly toward the sky.
He had no happy thoughts.
He didn't yell or shout as he fell, merely opened his eyes in shock as the wind rushed past him vertically, his body still and frozen around him. He simply looked up- and there, twinkling as if in good-bye, was his star.
Wendy felt a suddenly twinge as Caleb kissed her, a little stab of worry and alarm in her breast that spread in a second to an icy chill throughout her entire body. Without thinking at all, she pulled from him, tugging her arm free as she turned back toward the house.
She was just in time to see Peter step out of the window, hover shakily for a second, and then, as if it had all been intended, begin his plummet to the cement below.
Wendy screamed his name, running toward the house with waves of lavender around her legs and shimmering wings at her back. Caleb stood watching, shocked and somewhat appalled, as she ran from him, crying out Peter's name as tears fell from her eyes.
"Peter!," Wendy screamed. "Peter, fly! Fly Peter!"
Peter heard her, turned his head slightly toward her voice- but it was too late. His heart was as heavy as lead, and he had no thoughts of happiness or joy. Only love. Bitter, unrequited love.
"Wendy," he whispered, sighing as he closed his eyes and allowed himself to fall through the air, seconds away from meeting the cold stone ground below.
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End Chapter Eleven - Part Two
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Ending Notes: The rest of Chapter Eleven ... uhm ... hmm, well, yes. Even I am not sure what will happen now. I, ahh, I don't know what else to say, other than thank you! You're all really great and supportive ... you motivate me to write ... really.
Beta readers: If I can, I'll ship out Chapter Twelve to some of you ... uhm ... thank you so much! It's wonderful to have people I can ask for help, truly.
I hope you return to read Chapter Twelve. ^_^ Thanks so much, loves!
