A/N-Here we are starting just 2 years after Peter's departure from Wendy to Neverland. She held out for the first year, and half of the second, waiting for him, but after the 6th month it was simply too much for her. Wendy accepted Jaimes Houke's offer to a date, and they had proclaimed themselves a couple shortly thereafter. Though the trip to Neverland had completely evaporated from Michael and John's minds, it still lay fresh in Wendy's, and every night she would lie awake, thinking of the boy that changed her life for ever, and when she finally fell asleep, she would dream of him, as well….
Chapter 1 That Look
"Wendy…" A voice was calling to her from the black, and even in her slumber, Wendy stirred. She knew that voice.
"Wendy…" She heard the voice again, calling her from the back of her mind. "Psst…Wendy..." A slight depression formed betwixt her eyebrows, and the 15 year old girl's eyelids fluttered. This wasn't Peter's voice anymore. Her suspicions were confirmed when she heard a clatter from the direction of her window-pebbles being thrown at the glass. Her eyelids flew open.
"Jaimes…" She called out into the snowy depths below her upon opening the window. "What are you doing here so late?!" Shaking her blond hair softly, Wendy drew her nightgown closer around her, blinking her eyes dazedly to gaze upon the face of her boyfriend.
"I came to get you!" He whispered back up to her, shaking his own black mane to rid it of the tiny snowflakes embedding themselves in his scalp. Wendy sighed. He never gave up.
"Fine…" she whispered, turning her back to the windowsill and pulling a pair of black, clunky boots over her feet. Glancing up, she looked around the nursery, now her own bedroom, and sighed. She missed sharing a bedroom with her brothers. Now that she had a room to herself, there were no more late night stories, no more of the fantastical adventures of Peter Pan that they used to love. And now that Michael was entering 4th grade, and John 8th, they each gave more attention to other things-Michael his schoolwork, and John the girls in his class. Striding over to the door of her bedroom in the graceful manner to which she was accustomed, Wendy quickly snatched her cream-coloured winter coat from the hook and then jumped out of the window into Jaimes' arms.
"Oof," He grunted, then placed her down onto the snow-covered ground, pecking at her cheek with a little kiss and wrapping his arm around her waist. "Shall we?" He asked in that suave voice of his, leading her down the light-lit street to the nearby city park. Wendy let out a soft sigh upon seeing the tiny lights decorating the trees around them.
"Did I not tell you you would love it?" Jaimes said, turning his face towards hers to note her reaction. Wendy's eyes, a beautiful light blue, were shimmering with what he thought was joy, but it was really tears.
"Oh…" She murmured, taking it all in. Jaimes smiled.
"May I have this dance?" He asked her, but the slip of a girl barely noticed when he took her hand and led her to the center of the clearing she stood in, for she pressed against him with her eyes closed.
The faeries danced around the couple as the spun slowly around in a circle, then slowly rose into the air. The girl was held in the boy's arms as the music the faeries played flowed into their ears and ran through their souls. Wendy looked into the eyes of the boy she had fallen for, and he returned the stare, though his was innocent. Wendy smiled. "Peter…" She whispered, clutching the "kiss" he had given her for dear life. Peter frowned, confused.
"Wendy?" He said. "Who's Peter?" Wendy was brought back to life by the sound of Jaimes' hurt voice. Startled, she gazed up at him through a haze of memories.
"Wendy…" He whispered, recoiling from her slightly. "You have that look in your eyes again…" Wendy shook her head, but the memories wouldn't leave her be.
"Wendy…" Jaimes had drawn her closer now, but this time the feel of him only disgusted her. "I…love you…" Wendy drew back from him sharply at this remark, stumbling backward into the snow, tripping over her nightgown clumsily.
"What..?" Jaimes asked, reaching for her, but she only drew away further, a disturbed look in her eyes. She was lost in Neverland, and this wasn't Peter.
"You aren't Peter!" She stated, and then frowned. "Where's Peter?!" Jaimes frowned.
"Look, Wendy, I don't know who this Peter is, but I think you're just too tired-"
He was cut off by Wendy's hysteric shriek.
"Where is Peter?!" She cried, dashing off into the darkness of the street. "I want to go home…I want to know where Peter is!" As she ran through the slush and ice, she stopped suddenly, blinking back tears. She had returned to reality, traveling back from Neverland. Her lips, numbed by the cold, barely moved as she mumbled the single word:
"Peter…" and her cheek, rosy red from the chill bite of the wind, barely felt the water dribble down it as a single, salty tear fell from her despairing eye. And as she stumbled on through the salt-streaked road, behind her a twinkle followed, a shadow wrapped within it-the shadow of a boy.
Wendy saw Peter. Through her tear-stained haze, she saw Peter, and with a numb hand, she reached out to him. He was calling her...
"Wendy..." He called, and she reached out. "Wendy…" He called again, and the hint of a smile lifted her lips.
"I'm here, I'm here..." she cried out, laughing at the game they must be playing.
"Wendy, it's time for school..."
Blinking, Wendy awoke with a sharp intake of breath, seeing only the face of her mother, rather than the face of Peter Pan. "Oh…" she said.
"Chop chop, now..." Mrs. Darling urged gently. "You're already on the verge of being late!" Smiling politely, Wendy watched her mother's retreating back lazily, then, sighing, roused herself to go to school.
"Wendy Darling!" Came the sharp reprimand from her teacher, and Wendy flinched.
"Yes, Miss Wilson?" She asked sweetly, eyes downcast. You are LATE!" Came the sharp reply, and Wendy cringed.
"I will be expecting you AFTER SCHOOL, Miss Darling!" The teacher said to her sternly, then shooed her to her seat. Wendy was now attending a public school that both girls and boys attended together, and both genders could be heard tittering as she shuffled to her seat shame-facedly.
"Now, as I was saying, we have a new student today, class." The pompous Miss Wilson stated primly, pursing her lips together tightly. The door creaked open slightly, and she smiled maliciously.
"And here he is! Now then, class, I would like you to say hello to…" The class was all staring intently at the figure standing boldly in the doorway, grinning from ear to ear. No one's eyes were more intently gazing on him then Wendy's, however. She clutched compulsively at the necklace, her blue eyes wide with shock. Her whispered words cut the teacher off as she murmured
"Peter..."
The boy in the doorway smiled smugly.
"Hello, Wendy."