Author's Note:It's BAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKK! Sorry I got rid of it... You get the idea. Love you guys and I haven't written anything for this one in ages, so bear with me. Love ya!

Chapter One

I don't believe in magic. I don't believe in pirates, Indians, ticking crocodiles, fairies, or boys who can fly. I don't believe in any of it, because my mother told me not to.

But that all changed the summer I turned thirteen.

My father is a playwright. A rather famous one, if it comes to that. He writes very spectacular plays, the audience loves them, and he gets paid extra for the play.

We live in a rather lovely house with two serving maids, Sarah and Emma, along with my father's Newfoundland, Porthos. I loved Porthos…he took care of me as a child and he still watches out for me to this day.

My name is Wendy Barrie, and I am the only child of James and Marian Barrie.

I guess you could say I loved my life. I had a home, I had a mother and a father, I was wealthy, I had the greatest dog in all of London, and I just turned thirteen.

But, there's just one tiny problem. Mother told me that I had to experience falling in love at least once the summer I turn thirteen.

Well, tonight was the opening night of Father's new play, Little Mary, and I was to go backstage with him and watch from there.

You see, I loved my father more than anything…it's just…I didn't know how to believe. I wanted to believe…just once.

I wanted to see what my father saw…that was all I truly wanted. And my father agreed.

He was to teach me how to believe and find me someone that I can possibly fall in love with as my thirteenth birthday present.

Since tonight was a special occasion, I was dressed in my favorite sky blue skirt and white shirt. For most of my life, I have dressed much like the young women who…well, they aren't as wealthy as my family. I liked their style much better than the ones that my mother tried to force me into wearing. Mother despised it…I could tell.

"Father? Why are you bouncing on your heels like that?" I was watching my father bounce upon his heels, which was something he usually didn't do as much he was doing now before a play…then again, I have never seen him backstage.

And it was rather annoying, come to think of it.

"Wendy, you must keep quiet. The audience can still hear you back here, and if you are too loud, they may become distracted and not see the start of the play. And I am a bit nervous about this play…I don't know how it will go over with the audience."

"Oh…why do you think that, Father?"

As I said this, a young usher walked past my father and turned to him, muttering something that my father did not understand right away.

"Excuse me?" Father turned to the young man.

"Wonderful audience tonight, Mr. Barrie, sir."

"They hate it." I didn't notice, but within the last few minutes of watching Father bounce on his heels and speaking to him about his nervousness, the play had begun.

"What?"

"It's like a dentist's office out there. Why?"

As the two of them bantered back and forth, I carefully tiptoed over to the soft red curtains and, after rubbing my face into them, peeked out. He spoke truth. People were yawning, one old gentleman was sound asleep, and others chatted amongst themselves.

I began to listen to my father's conversation with the usher as I watched the audience.

"It's bull's pizzle, Mr. Barrie."

I turned to face the two men, addressing my father directly. "Father…is the play that horrible?"

"Well…no one enjoys it!"

The usher left in a real fluster. I felt terribly for him. If I was in that kind of situation and I was critiquing one of Father's plays, I would leave in a worse fluster than he did! I hated confrontations…they scared me to death.

"Father…shall we leave?" I smoothed out a few wrinkles in my dress as I spoke, something that was out of habit…Mother always told me my dress was wrinkly…but I just think she didn't like it.

"No…let's just wait this out. Perhaps the audience will like Act Two," Father walked over to the curtains and peered out for a few moments, and I could tell he was in his make-believe world once more. After a few moments, he turned back to me and whispered, "And stop acting like your mother, Wendy. You are with me…no more of this lady-like attitude, do you understand me?"

"Yes, Father." It's all I've ever known for my entire thirteen years of living! How could he make me change in a split second?

In truth, it turned out that he would be able to change me…in more ways than I ever thought possible.

A/N: So…how was it? Total crap, or totally awesome? I tried to keep the word choice faithful to the movie, but if I wasn't perfect, don't shoot me, please? And if you liked it…please leave a review! I love reviews…