When she returned to the terrace, James was still slumped onto the
banister, looking defeated. 'I suppose you have some questions, then?"
"You knew he was here," Wendy accused. "That's why we left the floor so quickly."
"Yes," was all he said, without even raising his eyes to look at her.
"Then you are his son," Wendy stated.
"Yes," he said again, sighing.
"Are you here to kill me?" Wendy asked.
James looked up, startled, "Kill you? Why would I kill you?"
Wendy shrugged, "I was there when Hook died. I'm as guilty as Peter."
James shook his head, "No one is as guilty as he. My revenge is on him alone."
"Then why are you here?" Wendy asked.
"I sought to take his queen," James replied, tiredly.
"His queen?"
"Queen, wife, mother, whatever you will call it," James replied. "That's what he always intended you to be."
"But he is just a boy," Wendy contested.
James looked at her, "Until you started growing up. Now all of Neverland ages."
Wendy scoffed, "That's not why. Peter couldn't control that."
"The sun calls summer when Peter returns, and winter falls when he leaves. What makes it so difficult for you to accept that he controls other aspects?"
"Does he know?" Wendy asked.
"He could never accept that he would want to age for any reason," James reminded her.
"What is Neverland?" Wendy asked.
"There are kingdoms there, though undeclared, that live symbiotically," James explained. "Peter 'rules' the nature aspects and forest region, along with the tribal people who guard traditions and medicinal magical lore. The fairies lord the skies and spirits of the land, and the mermaids are guardians of water and mystery. The pirates were the representatives of the other side of human nature, their evils you could say, to bring balance to the table.
"Traditionally each kingdom has a ruler and his consort, or in some cases, her consort. Now that my father has been killed, it will be my responsibility to gather back the pirates and reestablish the counterweight. As well as to find a partner of my own, which I hoped you might be." James sighed and looked away, "But I suppose you will want to go with him, for he also needs a lady. This, too, he has taken from me."
"I am neither his consort, nor yours," Wendy replied scathingly. "And I am not some item to be claimed at will."
"Of course, Wendy," James said, a small glint of hope entering his eyes. "I didn't mean to imply such."
"I am so tired of all the lies and deception, that I fear I shall scream the next time such is uncovered," she continued. "Keep that in my mind as you answer my next question. Do you have my brothers?"
James blushed, "Uh, yes. I am afraid that I do."
Wendy laughed cruelly, "All that time when you were helping my family, me, you must have been laughing at us."
James shook his had rapidly, "It was never like that. I needed some way to get your attention and trust, I am terribly sorry for my methods."
"Aren't we all," Wendy replied, quite tired after her tirade. "You will return them now, won't you?"
"I'm not sure they will come," James replied.
"Not come?" Wendy repeated, confused.
"You see, they are training the start of my new crew in Neverland," James elaborated.
"My brothers are pirates?" Wendy asked.
"Yes," James replied.
"But, how do you get to Neverland?" Wendy asked.
"I usually fly, but there are other ways. The tribes frequently use paths through the forest and canoes to get there, paddling through the sky," James informed her.
"You can fly?" Wendy asked.
"Of course," James replied, proudly.
"But how?"
"Uncle Smee told me how," James enlightened.
"Smee?" Wendy querired.
James nodded, "Right before he headed back to civilization. He renounced piracy, but he wouldn't tell me why."
Wendy nodded, knowing his reasons, but asked instead, "But the fairy dust?"
James scowled, "Whatever he may say, Peter is not the only one with a fairy."
"Is your fairy here?" Wendy asked.
"He's back at the house," James replied.
"House?"
"My mother left me her house when she died," James explained.
"Oh dear, I am sorry," Wendy mentally scolded herself for bringing it up.
"Just another thing Peter took from me," James shrugged.
"You knew he was here," Wendy accused. "That's why we left the floor so quickly."
"Yes," was all he said, without even raising his eyes to look at her.
"Then you are his son," Wendy stated.
"Yes," he said again, sighing.
"Are you here to kill me?" Wendy asked.
James looked up, startled, "Kill you? Why would I kill you?"
Wendy shrugged, "I was there when Hook died. I'm as guilty as Peter."
James shook his head, "No one is as guilty as he. My revenge is on him alone."
"Then why are you here?" Wendy asked.
"I sought to take his queen," James replied, tiredly.
"His queen?"
"Queen, wife, mother, whatever you will call it," James replied. "That's what he always intended you to be."
"But he is just a boy," Wendy contested.
James looked at her, "Until you started growing up. Now all of Neverland ages."
Wendy scoffed, "That's not why. Peter couldn't control that."
"The sun calls summer when Peter returns, and winter falls when he leaves. What makes it so difficult for you to accept that he controls other aspects?"
"Does he know?" Wendy asked.
"He could never accept that he would want to age for any reason," James reminded her.
"What is Neverland?" Wendy asked.
"There are kingdoms there, though undeclared, that live symbiotically," James explained. "Peter 'rules' the nature aspects and forest region, along with the tribal people who guard traditions and medicinal magical lore. The fairies lord the skies and spirits of the land, and the mermaids are guardians of water and mystery. The pirates were the representatives of the other side of human nature, their evils you could say, to bring balance to the table.
"Traditionally each kingdom has a ruler and his consort, or in some cases, her consort. Now that my father has been killed, it will be my responsibility to gather back the pirates and reestablish the counterweight. As well as to find a partner of my own, which I hoped you might be." James sighed and looked away, "But I suppose you will want to go with him, for he also needs a lady. This, too, he has taken from me."
"I am neither his consort, nor yours," Wendy replied scathingly. "And I am not some item to be claimed at will."
"Of course, Wendy," James said, a small glint of hope entering his eyes. "I didn't mean to imply such."
"I am so tired of all the lies and deception, that I fear I shall scream the next time such is uncovered," she continued. "Keep that in my mind as you answer my next question. Do you have my brothers?"
James blushed, "Uh, yes. I am afraid that I do."
Wendy laughed cruelly, "All that time when you were helping my family, me, you must have been laughing at us."
James shook his had rapidly, "It was never like that. I needed some way to get your attention and trust, I am terribly sorry for my methods."
"Aren't we all," Wendy replied, quite tired after her tirade. "You will return them now, won't you?"
"I'm not sure they will come," James replied.
"Not come?" Wendy repeated, confused.
"You see, they are training the start of my new crew in Neverland," James elaborated.
"My brothers are pirates?" Wendy asked.
"Yes," James replied.
"But, how do you get to Neverland?" Wendy asked.
"I usually fly, but there are other ways. The tribes frequently use paths through the forest and canoes to get there, paddling through the sky," James informed her.
"You can fly?" Wendy asked.
"Of course," James replied, proudly.
"But how?"
"Uncle Smee told me how," James enlightened.
"Smee?" Wendy querired.
James nodded, "Right before he headed back to civilization. He renounced piracy, but he wouldn't tell me why."
Wendy nodded, knowing his reasons, but asked instead, "But the fairy dust?"
James scowled, "Whatever he may say, Peter is not the only one with a fairy."
"Is your fairy here?" Wendy asked.
"He's back at the house," James replied.
"House?"
"My mother left me her house when she died," James explained.
"Oh dear, I am sorry," Wendy mentally scolded herself for bringing it up.
"Just another thing Peter took from me," James shrugged.