Chapter One –

Completely engrossed in a thrilling novel, Wendy Darling hardly noticed the loud knocking at her door. Although she was not yet thirteen she had moved out of the nursery two days ago. She now slept down the hall from her brothers, in what was once her father's study that now had been converted into a bedroom for her as a gift for her birthday, which was now only three days away and counting.

Even though she was touched by her parents' generosity and greatly appreciated the effort they had gone to too make the change, Wendy did not want to leave the nursery. Having her own room was the final step to moving out of her childhood years and becoming an adult.

It wasn't that Wendy disliked the responsibility that came with growing up; it was that fact that she would have to leave behind the one thing that meant more to her than anything else, Peter Pan. Though she had promised that she would never forget Peter, as each day passed and her thirteenth birthday drew closer, Wendy found it harder and harder to remember anything about him, or the time they had spent together in Neverland.

Pausing from her book Wendy got up from her chair and walked over to the open window. Ignoring the knocking at her door that was now getting louder, Wendy stared out at the night sky, she found her gaze wandering to the second star to the right. Closing her eyes she forced her mind to remember that faithful night when Peter had come and whisked her away to Neverland, where the pirates and mermaids dwelt. 'No,' she though, 'I must forget it. I cannot keep living in a dreamworld.'

Wendy's thoughts were brought crashing back to earth when her seven brothers charged through her door paying absolutely no heed to what their parents had told them about Wendy needing privacy now that she was to become a woman. Personally, Wendy enjoyed the frequent interruptions brought on by her brothers. It made her feel like she was a little girl again when she played games with them and told them stories, like she had in Neverland. Not only that but it made her feel closer to Peter.

"Wendy! Wendy! You must tell us a story," said John, rushing over to her.

"Please Wendy, it's been so long since you last told us a story," added Curly, one of the lost boys and also one of her newly adopted brothers, gazing up at her. Wendy had always had a soft spot when it came to Curly, and with his sparkling eyes pleading with her own deep blue ones, Wendy caved easily.

Chuckling, she looked down at the seven eager faces waiting for her to begin. "Okay, what shall it be this time?" she questioned them, picking up Michael and walking over to a chair by the fireplace.

"What about the story of Peter Pan?" suggested Tootles, another one of her recently adopted brothers.

"Oh yes! Please tell us the one about Peter!" shouted all the boys. Wendy sighed, she told Peter's story at least once a week and the boys could now tell it just as well as she could. Well almost she thought smiling inwardly.

"I'm sorry," she said pretending to look puzzled, "I can't remember that one. How does it start again?"

"Once upon a time..." they shouted in unison.

"Oh yes, that's right. Once upon a time there was a boy called Peter Pan who decided not to grow up..."

Flying through the air above the darkened streets of London, accompanied as always by his fairy companion Tinkerbell, Peter Pan made his way through the thick clouds that shielded him from prying eyes. With ferocious winds whipping past his partially naked body, Peter pressed on. He was numb with cold and the only thing that kept him going was the knowledge of what lay at the end of his journey.

Eying the house from his perch in the clouds, Peter made sure that the Darling's dog cross nursemaid, Nana, was safely tied up outside and that Mr. and Mrs. Darling where nowhere in sight. Flying down to the house, Peter noticed that the window was not bared, nor was it locked. In fact, despite the cold weather the nursery window was wide open.

Peter flew silently to the window and was surprised by what he saw. The nursery was empty. No Wendy, no John, no Michael, no lost boys. Stranger still, Wendy's bed was missing and there were now two twin beds in its place.

"Wendy?" whispered Peter entering the nursery quietly. "Wendy are you there?" he whispered more urgently. Peter waited for a reply but none came. Stepping carefully over the toys that were left scattered across the floor, Peter made his way towards the door.

Stepping boldly into the long hallway, Peter called out for Wendy again. Still no answer. He couldn't understand it. He and Tink had just visited the house two nights ago. Of course, Wendy wouldn't know that. Peter made sure he kept out of sight when he listened in on Wendy's stories at the window. He was afraid that if Wendy did see him, she would question his motive for being there, thus leading him into another uncomfortable conversation about his feelings. Last time they had had that little chat he had been accused of being 'ungallant and deficient'.

Peter had spent many sleepless nights running over Wendy's words. He could remember them as clear as day, "Sir, you are both ungallant and deficient." He then cringed at his own pathetic response, "How am I deficient?" Pausing to remember the Wendy's next line Peter wondered if he was doing the right thing being here tonight. "You're just a boy." The words tormented him more than anything he had ever been subjected to in his life. Just a boy. He was more than 'just a boy'. He was the most amazing boy that had ever lived, not that Wendy could see it.

Feeling his anger for Wendy and her stupid feelings growing stronger, Peter marched loudly down the hall, no longer caring who heard him. He wanted to tell Wendy what he really though of her and her wretched feelings. He was halfway down the corridor when he heard a familiar voice, telling a familiar tale...

"'Come with me' said Peter looking at Wendy with a mixture of excitement and adventure. Wendy looked up at him, then out the window, then back at Peter. 'I cannot fly,' she said, starting to feel as though she had acted too rashly and was now beginning to regret her request to join him in Neverland. 'I'll teach you,' Peter whispered back, taking her hand and pulling her gently towards the open window. 'I'll teach you to ride with wind's back and away we go.'" Wendy paused for dramatic effect, even though the boys knew what exactly came next.

All the boys were completely enchanted by her story telling and none of them noticed the bedroom door creak slightly, and open. "Wendy pulled her hand away from Peter's and moved in-between the beds of her two brothers. 'Could John and Michael come too?' she asked, giving Peter a pleading look. Peter looked down at the two snoring boys and smiled a clear yes to Wendy. 'Michael! John! Wake up!' said Wendy, attempting to rouse her sleeping brothers. 'There is a boy here who is to teach us to fly!'"

"Worst mistake I ever made," said a stranger's voice. Wendy whipped her head around searching for the source of the voice. Her eyes settled on a darkened corner of the room where she could only just make out a body's small frame.

"Who are you, stranger?" she questioned, tightening her grip on Michael.

"I am Wendy Moria Angela Darling," said the outsider, their voice now sounding identical to Wendy's.

"If you are Wendy," Wendy said standing up and putting Michael down among the other boys, "then who am I?"

"You... are a codfish."

Wendy stood protectively in front of the boys who were now all cowering behind her. Then suddenly it clicked. She'd heard this conversation before.

"Tell me, Wendy," she said, unflinchingly stepping forward, "have you another name?"

"Aye," said the voice.

"Vegetable?" she asked walking slowly towards the mysterious visitor.

"No," the voice replied.

"Mineral?"

"No."

"Animal?"

"Yes."

"Man?"

"No!" yelled back the voice sounding different now.

"Boy?"

"Yes!"

"Ordinary boy?"

"NO!"

"Wonderful boy?"

"YES! Do you give up? I am..."

"Peter...? Is it really you?"