Chapter Six –

Wendy was alone when she awoke from her deep slumber and was startled by what she saw. It wasn't long ago that she had left the home under the ground, but she had not expected to be looking around Peter Pan's infamous lair so soon. Sitting up, she tried to get her thoughts in order when it all came crashing back to her: the boys, the story, Peter, the disagreement of her return, and of course, her 'kidnapping'.

Looking around what had once been a place full of happiness and joy, Wendy was shocked by the chaotic mess that lay at her feet. Nothing had been clean or tidied since she'd left. All the lost boys' belongings were strewn across the grimy floor, the beds were grubby and unmade, and the large oak table was covered with a foul smelling substance that appeared to be the remains of the last supper Wendy and the boys had eaten in Neverland.

Though she spotted many things that disgusted her, Wendy could not see Peter anywhere. The last thing she remembered was Peter flying her high above the streets of London. She had been absolutely exhausted during the flight back and had concluded that the most likely scenario was that she had fallen asleep mid-flight and Peter and left her at his home and gone off somewhere. 'Most likely persuading some poor, naive child from their bed with promises of mermaids, pirates and Indians,' thought Wendy bitterly.

She loved Peter dearly, but the thought had just recently occurred to Wendy that she might not have been the first girl he had taken to Neverland, and she was sure that she would not be the last. Peter had a certain boyish charm that many girls found incredibly appealing, and when he smiled he became irresistible. Wendy felt it would only a matter of time before he forget about her and found another to replace her.

"Oh this is silly," Wendy scolded herself. "You're obsessing over a boy who kidnapped you and showed a blatant disregard for your feelings. Have some dignity girl! It's not healthy."

Viewing her surroundings, Wendy tried to decide on the best way to escape from the large tree. She knew there were many secret entrances, though Peter had probably locked most of them before he left. If Peter had wanted to her stay here then it was very unlikely she would be leaving without his approval.

After ten minutes of trying desperately to get out of her wooden prison, Wendy resigned to the fact that she was locked in until Peter returned and set her free. Sighing, she looked around for something to sit on that wasn't covered in muck. Eying the repulsive matter that had enveloped almost everything, Wendy decided that the safest thing to do would be to return to Peter's bed, as it appeared to be the only thing that the filth had not yet taken over.

Lying back on the soft animal skins, Wendy's thoughts returned to her family. Last time she had gone to Neverland her parents had been traumatized and missed her terribly. Wendy had promised herself that she would never put them through that kind of agony again and that meant no more Neverland, no more flying and most of all, no more Peter Pan. But here she was, she had flown back to Neverland in the arms of Peter Pan, thus breaking all the rules she had laid down for herself; and although Peter had taken her without her consent, it had indeed been her will to return to Neverland. She was the one who gazed up at the stars every night, praying for him to come back for her. She had undeniably willed for this situation to manifest.

Slightly Darling awoke with a start at the sound of several loud thudding noises that appeared to have been made by a series small rock striking his bedroom window. Looking over at the large grandfather clock in the corner of the room that was barely visible in the faint nightlight, he saw it was almost twelve o'clock. 'What the devil could that be?' thought Slightly, rather annoyed to have been woken from his dreamy state of mind. Clambering out of bed, he walked over to the oversized window where the clatter seemed to be coming from. Opening the window as quietly as possible, Slightly peered out into the darkness of the night and received a rather forceful blowto the head from another large stone that had been hurled at his window.

"Watch it!" Slightly yelled down at the offending rock-thrower who was cloaked in darkness. No reply came, but Slightly could make out the sound of muffled voices whispering below him.

"You idiot!" came a boy's voice through the blackness.

"What? It wasn't my fault!" argued a second boy.

"You weren't supposed to hit him!"

"I didn't hit him! His head got in the way of my rock."

"Don't make excuses, your aim is terrible!"

"He's right you know," a third boy chimed in. "When we get back remind me to give you a crash course in the are of rock throwing."

"I'd like to see either of you two do better."

"Oh please, I could do it with my eyes closed."

"All of you shut up! Do you want to wake the entire neighbourhood?" hissed another voice with obvious authority over the rest.

"Hello?" called Slightly into the night. "Who's there?"

"Slightly? Oh good we found the right window. I knew we'd get it eventually." Called back the boy who had thrown the rock. "It's us, John, Michael, Curley and Nibbs. We need your help with something..."

Sitting in the moonlight on the bank of his favourite river in Neverland, Peter let his feet dangle aimlessly in the cool water and became completely lost in thought. Thoughts of Wendy, the lost boys, and all the other children who had come and gone over the years he had lived in Neverland. Wendy, John and Michael were not the first children he had brought back with him to Neverland, and the group of lost boys that had gone back with them to the real world were not Peter's first army of boys either.

Over the years he had collected and given up hundreds of children, each of them eventually returning to their families in the real world. Every so often, Peter would go to their homes and watch through windows as others grew up, started families, and finally, they would wither away and die. While he on the other hand, would remain a boy forever.

The loss of followers was nothing new to him. After his first group of boys had left him, Peter had come to understand that not everyone wanted to stay a child forever, even if he couldn't quiet fathom it himself. Neverland was filled with everything a boy could ever want, pirates, mermaids, Indians, fairies, sword fights, flying, but every boy Peter had ever brought back had now left.

He'd always brought boys back with him to Neverland, never girls. Peter didn't believe that girls 'have what it takes' to survive in Neverland. That, of course, was until he met Wendy and everything changed. Wendy stirred something inside him that he had never felt before and could not explain. It was a delicious tease to stand next to her, his fingertips itching with desire to feel the smooth texture of her skin running beneath them. Merely being in her presence made him feel happier, something that was very rare for him these days.

Having been depressed for so long, Peter had almost forgotten what happiness felt like. The only happy thought he could use to fly anymore was: at least Wendy's happy, but even that was starting to wear thin. Giving up the one thing that means more to you than anything else in the entire world is never an easy thing to do.

'You could have gone back with her,' said a small voice in his head.

'But what about what Tink told you?' queried another voice. 'You couldn't have gone with Wendy. Without you there is not Neverland'

"This is stupid," said Peter angrily. "I'm having an argument with my self over a girl! She should have been begging me to bring her back, not the other way round. Right, Tink?... Tink?"

Peter looked around for his fairy friend, but she was nowhere to be seen. In fact, now that he thought about it, he hadn't seen Tink since they had returned to Neverland; and that had been over an hour ago. He had been so preoccupied with Wendy that he had completely forgotten about Tink.

'No wonder she doesn't like Wendy,' thought Peter irritably. 'I'm forever ignoring her whenever Wendy's around.'

"Speaking of," he said getting up. "I think it's time for me to go back and explain everything to her, the truth this time. Then I'll find Tink," he added with some after thought.

A/N: Hey all, thanx for reviewing and everything. I'm back at school now so I won't have as much time to write but I promise I'll update whenever I can. And yes I do realise that Peter's gone slightly Schizophrenic this chapter and he was slightly perverted in the last chapter with the whole watching Wendy while she slept but I promise, it's all relevant for later. Anyway, I've got to go but and if you have any suggestions for me then you can always e-mail me

Toodles kids