Chapter One: Second to the Right
Wendy Moira Angela Darling stared at her reflection in the dusty mirror of the nursery. It was the evening of her sixteenth birthday, and her family were all downstairs, decorating the parlor for her celebration. Her reflection haunted her, causing tears to whell up in her eyes. She looked so different…It had been three years since she had set foot in Neverland. When Peter came back for her (and he would come back, she assured herself) would he recognize her? She scarcely recognized herself in the beautiful, silky white dress her mother bought for her. Her blonde hair was tied up into a bun, and she was wearing her Aunt's pearl necklace and matching earrings. Her mother had convinced her to lightly line her eyes with kohl, calling it "beautiful and tasteful", but in Wendy's opinion, it just made her look more like a Pirate.
Peter would shake his head in disgust at her attire.
"Wendy…you're lovely."
Wendy hastily wiped her tears away and smiled at fifteen-year-old Nibs. The former Lost Boy who Planned the Battles, Nibs was now officially her brother, adopted by her parents last year along with Curly, the twins (Cub and Tock) and Toodles. Slightly, adopted by her aunt, was now her cousin. But of course, they were never separated from the Boy in Charge when Peter was Gone, for Aunt Millicent had moved into the house with them and had allowed Slightly to stay in the nursery with all the rest of the children.
"Thank you, Nibs. Are they ready for me to come down, yet?"
"Yes, close your eyes!"
Nibs stepped behind her and covered Wendy's eyes with one hand, and placed the other hand on the small of her back to guide her downstairs. When they arrived at the parlor he removed his hands as their mother, father, aunt, brothers, and cousin hollered, "Happy Birthday, Wendy!"
Hours later, after all the hugs, presents, and birthday candles, Wendy and the boys sat in a circle on the floor of the nursery. "Mother," said a ten-year-old Cub, still using the pet name that all the Lost Boys (including her original brothers, John and Michael) still used for her, "do you miss Peter?"
The boys all gazed at her expectantly, curious as to what her answer might be. Wendy frowned and stared at the large candle Michael had placed in the center of their circle in order to brighten up the dark nursery, "I miss Neverland."
As soon as Wendy mentioned Neverland, the nursery exploded with talk of Pirates, hunting, Indians, and adventures. Wendy sighed, wishing the subject had never been brought up.
"What in the Lord's name is all that ruckus!"
The children did there best to hide their laughter, but as Mr. Darling pounded up the steps giggles could clearly be heard from the nursery.
"I better see nine children in nine beds when I get up there!"
Wendy, her brothers, and Slightly all climbed into their separate beds, which lined the four walls of the nursery. Curly, quickly realizing their fatal mistake, jumped back out of bed, blew out the candle, and thankfully made it back into bed before his father opened the door of their room. Wendy closed her eyes tightly as she listened to Mr. Darling slowly pace around, observing each of the nine beds. "Very well, then," he murmured as he left, closing the door of the nursery.
After the click of the door, a small voice belonging to Michael called out, "Wendy, will you tuck me in?"
"Yes, me as well!" said Slightly.
Michael's idea quickly spread, and ten minutes later Wendy was tucking in the last boy. "Good night, Toodles." She added with a kiss on the cheek.
Wendy laid back down and patiently waited for the sound of deep breathing coming from her brothers and the former Lost Boys. After about half an hour she was sure she heard at least one solid snore from each boy. She then quietly slid out of bed and walked to the window, her bare feet softly slapping the hardwood floor with each step. She was still in her party attire, and meant to change…right after she did some remembering. After unlatching the window, she opened it with no great difficulty.
"Second to the right…"The sixteen year old gazed at the North Star, and then shifted her eyes East. One star, two stars…there! She fixed her eyes on that star, "Peter…" she whispered. "Peter, you haven't forgotten…have you?" She stepped out onto the tiny balcony and leaned over the railing, never allowing her eyes to leave the second star to the right.
"Have you forgotten the Lost Boys…" The freezing night air griped her tightly, causing small pinpricks of cold to stab all over her body. Her white dress did little to keep her warm, but Wendy could hardly feel the chill. "…Have you forgotten me?"
Suddenly a burst of light flashed over her. It seemed as if a star had just burst, and Wendy knew that someone must have just traveled from one world to this one. Wendy looked up excitedly and felt dust…"Fairy dust," she said aloud, completely coat her body.
"Tinker Bell?" She hollered, after emitting a good sneeze. Her eyes followed the small light of the fairy as it flew around her, and burst into the nursery.
As the dust settled on the ground, Wendy cautiously looked up, "Peter!"
And there he was, the Pan himself. His same emerald eyes, same innocent smile. "Me? Forget? Never. Tis I," he announced with mock seriousness, "I have come to fetch you, Lady." He floated down, giving Wendy the time to take a step back, and landed on the balcony. "I have come to take you back to-"
He stopped abruptly, and his smile faded. In the background, Wendy could hear Tink flying and screaming with joy, waking up the Lost Boys and her brothers. "Wendy, you've grown…you shouldn't have," he then looked past her to the boys, who were presently jumping up and down and attempting to snatch the fairy, "None of you should have."
"Peter…it's been three years," she let a small smile reveal itself, "We couldn't help it."
"No…Lads! C'mere!"
Her cousin and her brothers followed Wendy's example, and stood in a horizontal line beside her. Peter looked as if he would cry, "I want ages! All of you!"
Slightly, always being the bravest, spoke up first, his brown eyes revealing his pain, "Peter…I'm thirteen."
The prince of the Neverlands looked aghast, but Slightly began pleading with him, "But…but! That's the same age as you are, Peter! I can still come back!"
Wendy gasped in unison with the Michael, "Slightly!" She gripped his arm, trying to hold him back, but it was no use. Slightly took three steps to align himself with Peter, then turned to face his family, making a clear statement as to whose side he had chosen.
Curly took a step forward, "Twelve," he announced, and joined Peter.
Wendy's eyes filled with tears, and her eyeliner began to smudge. With her makeup in this state, she looked more like a pirate than ever.
Toodles shifted his feet nervously, "Fourteen," he said, and reluctantly followed Curly.
Nibs kissed Wendy's hand, then looked a Peter, "I'm fifteen years old Peter…am I welcome in Never-Never Land?"
Peter's hurt eyes shown brightly, "I couldn't do without the Lost Boy who Plans the Battles." Nibs walked over and stood next to Toodles.
"I am fifteen, also Peter," Said John.
"John, no, you can't!" Wendy cried out.
"C'mon Wendy, it'll be fun. We won't forget our parents."
"We are ten, Peter," said the twins, and Michael, in harmony.
"No!" Wendy cried, and wrapped her arms possessively around her youngest, most precious brothers. The reality of the going-ons hit her hard, and she scolded herself for being so foolish as to wish for Peter's return.
Peter took a step forward. The last time they had seen each other, Wendy was about half an inch shorter than he. But now, with Wendy being three years older, she estimated she was about 5 foot 4…making her one solid inch taller than The Boy who Never Grows Up.
"Wendy…the Mermaids, they can fix you. They can un-age you!"
The other boys cheered at Peter's comment, but Wendy, along with Cub, Tock, and Michael, stayed quiet. Wendy looked to John, "We'll forget, John. Despite what you say, if we stay too long, we'll forget this life. We'll forget how to return. John Allen Darling! We'll forget our parents, just like we almost did last time! Remember why it was so important to come home? Remember!"
From Wendy's clutches, Michael called out, "That's right, John! We forgot our parents! And Nana!"
John began to look worried, but before he could say anything, Peter spoke up, "I promise you that I won't keep you long. A week, two at the most, and a fairy guide will bring you back."
That seemed to satisfy John, and, unfortunately, her youngest brothers. The twins and Michael wiggled out of their sister's grasp, "C'mon Wendy, we'll be all right."
Wendy stamped her foot in defiance, "I will not go!"
Cub looked up at her, "But Mother…we need you! Who will take care of us and tell us stories in Neverland?"
Wendy felt her heart melt, and glanced over at Peter, who was proudly wearing a self-satisfied smirk. "Do you so vow, Peter Pan," Wendy said formally, while taking a step towards her family, "That no matter what, you will return us here, to the Nursery, within two weeks?"
Peter bowed deeply, straightened, and said with a smile, "I do so vow."
Tinker Bell, who had been watching the scene from her rather uncomfortable place on top of a bookshelf, suddenly flew over all the children, covering them in more Fairy Dust. All the children (all except Wendy, who looked rather moody indeed) began hollering their own personal Happy Thoughts. Wendy watched, amazed, as her family began floating up into the air, lightly hitting their heads on the painted dome ceiling of the room.
Peter grinned at the sight of the boys, then looked over at Wendy. "Girl," he whispered, "What's your Happy Thought?"
"As of this moment, boy, I have no Happy Thoughts," she said with a glare.
Peter hovered about an inch off the ground, so that he was level with Wendy, and then bent forward to whisper in her ear.
"Our Hidden Kiss."
Wendy was then, quite unexpectedly, lingering off the ground with Peter, whose eyebrows jumped with his all-knowing smirk.
"Oh, Peter," Wendy whispered with a smile, "I've missed you so. Look!"
She flew over to her dresser and searched the top drawer. After a moment she revealed a string with an acorn hanging from it, the telltale circular hole flashing.
"My kiss!"
"Yes," Wendy said with a blush, "Your kissed saved me that first day."
"I know!" Peter said cockily. "I still have yours, too," and with that he pulled a gleaming thimble out of his bottom pocket. Wendy tied Peter's acorn kiss around her neck. "But enough of this tender talk," Peter put the thimble into his pocket, "Lads!"
The Darling boys all landed on the floor, eager to hear Peter's orders. Peter grounded also, then paced back and forth in front of them, similar, Wendy thought, to a military leader.
"Not much has changed in our Neverland. The pirates are still on the look-out for me!" He said, rather proudly. "As you know, Hook was eaten!" Cheers erupted from the boys, and Wendy herself couldn't help but let loose a wide grin, "But! The Croc…he seemed to have had a bit of indigestion…And Hook is back!"
The children gasped, but secretly, every one of them was delighted. For this meant another important adventure.
"He has captured Tiger Lily," at Peter's words, John turned bright red and looked quite angered, but Peter seemed to not have noticed and continued, "And they have taken over our Home Under the Ground!"
"No!" The twins cried in unison.
"Yes!" Said Peter, doing his best to hide his smile. He, of course, missed his old home, but he also knew that getting it back would be a very fun escapade.
"Now," Peter continued, "Are we going to allow some stinking, dirty, rotten pirates take our home?"
"Absoluty not!" Wendy said in a stern voice, causing a greatly surprising the younger children.
Peter ran out onto the miniature balcony, then turned to the Darlings. "Then, come with me. Come away to Neverland."
The Lost Boys looked at each other then ran after Peter, who was now up in the sky, far above London. The boys took off, and were flying high with him. Michael grabbed Wendy's left hand, and John grabbed her right, and together the three of the walked slowly out onto the landing.
"Indians," Michel whispered, then joined the Lost Boys in the air.
"Pirates," said John, who quickly levitated away.
Wendy looked up at Peter, who was staring expectantly down at her with the boys, and said, "Our Hidden Kiss."
Her heart leapt and her fingers tingled as she leisurely soared into the air after Peter.
Flying, it was a feeling that could not be duplicated. Wendy had forgotten how wonderful it felt. And as the sensation of flying overtook her mind, she already began forgetting what it was like without the talent of flight. Peter's nimble magic was already weaving a tight spell around his captives, and it is his charms that would lead the Darlings to their doom.
"Wendy," Peter said, "Grab hold of my ankle. We don't have much time until morning, so we have to go quick. Pass it on!"
The girl grabbed hold onto Peter's filthy ankle with a look of slight disgust, then yelled down at the boys to follow suit. But, as the last boy, Toodles, grabbed hold of Slightly's ankle, a glass-shattering scream was heard ten feet below them, coming from the open Nursery window.
"Oh no," whispered Wendy. She turned her head to the left and peered down at her mother, who was staring up at them with tears running down her cheeks. "Mother!"
"Wendy," cried out Mrs. Darling, "Please!"
Peter laughed, "We can't both have them, Lady!"
And with a splash of light, color, and screams of joy, all ten children were flying through space and time. Led by Peter Pan, they were headed straight for the second star to the right to meet their fate.