Chapter 11.

"That was some mighty mature words from you, Margaret." I cringed when I saw Nicholas approach me. "I wonder if the Margaret from last year would have said the same thing if you had this conversation then."

"Can you say hello to your father?" I asked Wilhelma in an attempt to ignore Nicholas. "You look just like him, you know. The same blonde hair and blue eyes. Why, you never would guess you were related to my sister at all, except that you have the same small ears and small eyes. Quite the opposite of dear Ol' Aunt Margaret Anita."

"Why do you desire Wilhelma Georgiana to call you by your full name?" Nicholas asked, apparently amused at the idea. "You give us nothing but trouble, as if mentioning the likes of Margaret Anita is the most iniquitous thing that might be done in this world."

"Your somniferous talk tires me," I yawned. "But I suppose that, as garish as my name is, I should come to accept it eventually. Might as well start it now."

"I am glad you have dropped your thoughts of numinous fantasies rather than the pragmatic life that you should have." Nicholas smiled and bent to pick up his daughter. "You will be a perfect Aunt for Wilhelma Georgiana."

"Might you have picked a name that might not unman the poor dear?"

"Her name is quite an ostentatious name, and I am sure that anyone shall acquiesce with that statement."

"I preferred when you were placated," I remarked in a blasé fashion. "You've turned into a regular ignominy, Nicholas. You are nothing like the boy I knew you to be."

"What do you know of who I am, Margaret?" Nicholas replied. "I might have changed, but you cannot expect me to be some five-year-old for the rest of my life, now can you? I have a child now. I must support a family and protect them. Can a five-year-old do that? It is a wonderful thing to be so blithe and live in some chimerical world where there is no monotony and need to be filled with rancor, but that is not how it is."

"No need to be fractious," I picked a flower and began picking the petals off one-by-one. "I believe you."

"Then why not act like you do?"

"Because… Nicholas." I slowly stood up to look at him eye-to-eye. "I am the kind of person who rather enjoys not becoming so full of vitriol that I forget the joys of my day. You have enough issues to deal with to choke on, and yet if you gave yourself the opportunity to climb a tree or take a moment to let out a good laugh, perhaps your problems might not seem so burdening after all."

"You know nothing of my problems, Margaret Anita Maurice. Nor do you wish to know of them. It would do you some good to grow up and experience some of the things adults experience. Maybe then you would understand. For right now, you know nothing."

"I used to love you too, you know, Nicholas." I turned to the forest. "But you weren't the only person I've ever loved. I've allowed love to pass me by twice. Both times because there was someone I loved more that I was willing to sacrifice everything for. I could not bear to see my sister hurt, nor could I imagine a life without her and mother. Love is a glorious gift, Nicholas. It is the greatest gift you can give someone or receive, but it can also be the worst. Do not tell me I know nothing of the adult world, for I've had my mouthful of it, and already I yearn for death to claim me, for I am sick of it."

"This isn't about us anymore, is it?" Nicholas questioned.

"I cannot find Neverland, Nick." my voice broke as I ran into his arms, crying beside a silent Wilhelma.

"Peter!" I gasped as he covered my mouth, grabbed my hand, and dragged me into the abandoned hall. "Hook is down here… he said… he sent his crew…"

"Hook is in his cabin sleeping," Peter said, pulling me into a room where a window was open. "By the time he gets to his senses, he will never know what happened."

"But… I heard…"

"All ye heard, my bonnie lass, is te talk o' a hollow-headed cap'n." Peter grinned triumphantly as he helped me up a table to the open window. "Now, I don't know if you can swim, but there's not much time, so just jump and I'll join you in a second."

"Why don't we just…"

"I would, but…" Peter turned to Hairball, who stood in the middle of the room scratching his head and staring at the ceiling, stuck in his own bemusement. "…I can't fly."

"Oh Peter…" I trailed off just as he pushed me out the window. "The nerve of you!"

"You would have been mourning over me for hours, if I didn't." Peter teased when he joined me. "I couldn't afford us getting caught."

"Hair…" I stopped just as he came jumping into the water with a loud splash.

"Shore is mighty far away," Hairball observed, shaking his hair that had fallen over his eyes. "I am a good swimmer, Peter, but I don't think I could swim that far."

"That is where we come in…"

Surrounding us now were six mermaids, all jeweled in diamonds of dew and raindrops. Their eyes, the exact color of the sea, stared at us with a sparkle that reminded me of the stars. Their hair was long and tangled with shells and pearls. I gasped when two seized my wrists with their rubbery hands.

"We wouldn't hurt you," one reassured.

"Yes, we are nice to all of Peter's friends."

"Besides, Peter said that you were special."

"Oh, we were not supposed to say that," the other whispered, as we turned around to see if Peter had heard. They let out a sigh of relief to see Peter fully oblivious as he conversed with his two companions. "If Peter had heard…"

"If he had heard," the first one turned to me, reminding me much of the young girls who I saw constantly looking around to see if those they were gossiping on could possibly be listening. "You would be seeing quite a bashful Peter indeed."

"What a thought!" the other giggled. "I have not seen so much as a blush come over the boy."

"That is, until we questioned him about you." the other winked. "It might be safe to say the dear is in love."

"Peter does not love me…"

"Suit yourself," she said. "But I cannot think of anyone else he might go across the ocean to save from the grasp of Hook."

"He did that for Wendy but, of course, then he was able to fly."

"How convenient for him, although I find your story far more romantic than that of Wendy's."

"Besides, that girl was rejoicing over Peter's love even before he declared it."

"Such vanity."

"The self-aggrandizing ways of her!"

"And for her to say we would try to kill her."

"Why would we need to drown her?"

"She was doing a pretty fine job of doing that on her own."

"Couldn't even take a bit of fun when we threw her in."

"She needed a bit of wakening up. That opened her eyes from how they goggled at Peter."

"Even if it was for a minute."

The mermaids giggled and turned around at Peter to see him staring straight at me. I bit my lip and looked away, pretending that the intensity I had seen present was only him wanting to be on land once more.

"Yes… the dear is in love. No doubt about it." they bothconfirmed.