----
"Get up, you lazy girl!" Josie shook the lumpy sheets, slapping the bottom of the person under the blankets, "Wake up! It's your wedding day!"
Wendy shot out of her bed, looking extremely disheveled. She looked at the maid and said quickly, "Right...I'll get dressed myself this morning Josie, you can start breakfast without me."
Josie looked at her fully clothed mistress and raised an suspicious eyebrow, "Alright. Mrs. Millicent is right outside wanting to talk to you." Wendy nodded, "Send her in...I guess." She looked back at the bed at moment. Aunt Millicent walked in as Josie left, Wendy got out of her bed and stood up straight as a guard.
The graying woman laid out some clothes for her, "We'll be leaving soon...Wendy, I ask you to reconsider this, you are young and filled with silly ideas on love -"
Wendy held up a hand, "I have made my decision. We may be young and silly, but we will support each other like responsible adults and work for our respect and money. It's enough, now, I have to dress. Please see yourself out." She led Millicent out and shut the door, letting out a deep breath.
Peter threw the bedspread off and revealed his claded self from beneath the bed, Wendy breathed, "That was a close one."
He asked inquisitively, "What do you think she would have said if she'd found me?"
She smiled, "I know what she would have been thinking."
He rubbed his bottom, "Jeez...Josie sure slaps hard."
Wendy burst out laughing and tripped over her own feet alight on Peter. They both landed on the floor and were snorting in hilarity.
The bedroom door opened, Millicent, Josie, and Mrs. Darling were watching them with surprised expressions. That just caused them to laugh harder. Millicent muttered, "These children are mad."
Mother Darling touched her shoulder, "Stop being so stiff, best they get it out of their systems now." Peter and Wendy wiped the tears of amusement out of their eyes; getting up off the carpet. He left to let Wendy get on with their day, after dressing, she stepped downstairs Her brothers were in a frenzy. Running up and down the stairs, shouting at the top of their lungs, and banging silverware. Wendy smoothly helped settle them down and saw that her parents were on their nerve's edge. She went through her day just as she planned it with everything just so as she preferred it.
Around came the late afternoon, everyone rode to the cathedral for the cermony. Donna in a beige dress spotted Fred across the way. She waved him over, "Fred, have you by any chance, seen Wendy?" He shook his head, "No, I haven't. Have you seen Peter?"
Wendy's stomach was in knots.
She had snuck out of the girls dressing room and ran outside. There was a small lovely garden area just in the back, she ran her fingers across the flowers and sat on a bench.
Was she making the right choice?
Wendy found her answer as she touched Peter's 'kiss' round her neck. Its familiar smooth texture brought back those happy memories but she did not move from the bench. Someone had made their presence known. Peter looked at her then the acorn, "You still have it." Wendy looked at his wrist, "As you have mine." They grinned. Wendy shook her head, "What are we doing?"
He took her hand, "We're about to get married, that's what. Come away."
They ran back inside and got dressed as evening fell, ignoring the confused looks from their best friends. Peter awaited down the aisle, nodding at the Boys and Mr. Darling. He looked around the church, bright flowers hung everywhere, moonlight spread. Peter sniffed the air and found that the scent of jasmine was wafting from the front. He turned towards it. Wendy, dressed in French white silk, emerged from behind white rose bushes. Her face was hidden slightly behind a veil and her hair was piled up atop her head in a common bun.
She made her way to him and clutched his hand, stumbling a moment. Wendy blushed under her veil, "I'm never going to get use to these heels."
Peter resisted laughing and they walked over to the minister. They exchanged vows to each other; Wendy spoke first. She said aloud, "I, Wendy Moira Angela Darling, promise to you, Peter Pan, to be a eternally faithful wife. I will be forever loyal and will express my love. To be conscious of your needs, to be understanding of your ways, and to be caring of your kind heart. This I swear."
A moment passed, he took in a breath and said clearly, "I, Peter Pan, promise to you, Wendy Moira Angela Darling, to be a eternally forgiving husband. I will always cherish your love towards me, I will always try to be supportive to you, and I will forever and ever care for you."
Peter added coyly, "Because your my Wendy," she blushed as a ripple of laughter rose. "This I swear." They exchanged rings and finally, gave a small kiss to 'seal the deal.'
Applause rose over and they walked out, much later, the guests sat at the reception, eagerly awaiting for the first dance to be started. A voice said over the speakers near the dance floor, "And now, the first dance!" Everyone clapped and weighty silence fell over, the bride and groom were not there.
In the middle of the room was a note, saying that Mr. and Mrs. Pan, were safely arriving at Kensington Gardens at ten pm.
The stars shone brightly above in a square in the center of the scenic gardens. Two figures dressed in shining white robes made their way through, the man led the woman up stone steps.
Peter whispered, "Close your eyes Wendy."
She raised her eyebrows and he urged, "Go on. Go on now." Wendy obeyed and felt him guide her somewhere, his breath murmured in her ear, "Open them." She did and was breathless at the sight of tiny lights floating around them, "O, are they -? Are they -?"
Peter answered, "No, they are not fairies. They're fireflies, they're just as magical." Wendy blinked, "Naturally."
He held out his hand for her to take and she minded him, Peter spun her around, her loose long curls swaying. He grinned, "Do you hear it?" Wendy questioned, "Hear what Peter?" He replied softly, "Our song."
She pursed her mouth perplexed and listened, indeed, somewhere, twinkling of notes filled the air. They swayed to the nearly invisible music and Wendy laid her head upon Peter's shoulder, taking everything in.
This wonderful night, the fact she was married to her true love, and that they would happily ever after; just like in the stories. Only, this was really real.
As the skies grew darker, they arrived at their new home in a different quieter part of England.
Peter carried Wendy inside and into a drawing room, she chuckled as he slickly set her down upon the bed-seat. He sat down and Peter said quietly, "Wendy?" She looked at him and he smiled, "I have a surprise for you." Confused, Wendy watched as Peter pulled out a heavy leather book, the title read: The Grand Adventures Of Never Neverland, By Wendy and Peter Pan.
She gasped, he continued, "It still needs to be finished." Wendy pulled him close and spoke up, "I love it Peter! Thank you!" She placed it aside and kissed his face. He kissed her back.Wendy glanced at Peter whogrinning thoughtfully.
As if reading each other's minds, they kissed and Peter took off his jacket as Wendy slipped off her shoes and stockings. The telephone on the stand by them rang boisterously. Wendy sighed annoyed, wriggling out from under him and answered the phone on tenterhooks, "Ello?"
It was a female voice, but the line was filled with static, "Wendy. . .get.. .ou. . . .By-"
Wendy asked, pressing the earpiece closer, "Susan? I cannot hear you, the line is-!"
Even though it was hard to hear her, Wendy detected fear in her voice, "Please. . .poli. ... .coming he's. . ..comin. . . ..GO!"
The link went dead.
Peter saw the cold trepidation in Wendy's knowledgeable blue eyes and asked troubled, "Who was it?" Wendyanswered vaguely, setting the phone back into it's cradle, "Susan. The line was cut, I think she was trying to warn me of something."
A rattling came from the front, their heads jerked towards the direction of the sound. They ran to the front door which swung open.
A staggering Byron Buron entered unwelcomed. He was dirty with mud and liquor, his eyes muddled with tears and bloodshot with red.
Byron moaned, his arms wide open to her,"Wendy. Wendy, why did you leave me?"
She stepped forward cantankerously, "How did you get this address?"
He reached into his pocket and drew out a black gun, sobbing, "Why? Why? WHY?"
Peter slowly pulled Wendy back and placed a hand on her stomach protectively, she knew of what he was thinking and squeezed his hand hearteningly.
Wendy said calmly, "Byron, listen to me. Put the gun down and we'll talk about this. We'll get you a ride back-"
The slightly drunken man mumbled, "No talk. He took you away...from me. I want you back!" Byron pointed the gun at them and Peter drew out a sword from the rack on the wall unemotionally, willing to die to defend his lady.
Wendy pleaded, getting caught in the midst, "No! Peter, don't!"
At some point, the trigger was pulled as the gun went off. Everyone stiffened, one in shock, one in horror, and the other in numbed pain. Wendy looked at her fingertips, they were a similiar dark red. It seeped into her robe. Words ran through her head as she dropped her hands to her sides and slide sideways with a thud onto the floor.
"The lights are a Mother's eyes, left behind to guard her children". . . "They'll sweetly drown you if you get too close" . . . "They weren't as easy to sway as his were" . . . "Fairies don't live very long" . . .. "If you love Peter Pan as much as I think you do, then I know you'll stop at nothing to tell him" . . . .
Police sirens roared in the distance and the sobering up Byron Buron took off, he was arrested several days later for attempted homicide.
Peter dropped to his knees and pulled his wife's form close. He saw the damage done to her, tears stung his eyes. Wendy brushed them away faintly and a smirk appeared on her face, "Peter."
He croaked, "You'll be ok Wendy. You'll..." Peter's body shook with weeping and she cooed, "Shh, my love. Do not cry for I am not dead. I shall die one day, not here, and not when our love is at its peak." He planted a firm kiss on her head and cradled her body as she fell unconscious. Again, she would not die of this injury.
But, let us fast forward into the future.
Where things have changed greatly.
----