Morning enclosed Neverland like a song, slowly rousing all living things in the land. The Indians came out of their tepees, ready for the morning hunt. Pirates stumbled out of their hammocks and onto their ship's decks, waiting for their captain's orders. Among these ships was the most legendary vessel Neverland had ever seen: The Jolly Roger.
"Smee," yelled Hook, captain of that very vessel. "Bring me my tea!"
"Y-yes, Captain!" came the answer from below decks.
Captain James Hook pushed himself off his luxurious bed, and stretched out his stiff body. Neverland had a particularly cold night last night, with Pan being absent. "Pan…" whispered the captain, "Will today be the day? Will I finally capture you?"
Hook walked across his room and opened the large, wooden box lying on his desk. His many hooks sparkled and shined in the new morning sun, and Hook reached in, picking out his favorite, most trustworthy single hook.
"Smee! Where's that tea!"
"Right, here, Cap'n!" The jumpy pirate walked into the room with a tray, of which a large teakettle sat upon accompanied with a lone china teacup.
"Set the tray down over there," Hook ordered, pointing to the table in the center of his room, "and help me put on my hook!"
"Yes, Captain."
After Captain Hook's hook (haha, Hook's hook…cough anyway…) was safely attached to the end of his arm, he, with Smee's assistance, dressed in his best Captain clothes.
"Why the glamour, Cap'n?" Smee asked as he straightened Hook's hat.
James reached out and lightly caressed Smee with the cold metal of his hook, "Smee, Smee…I should be able to tell you anything, am I right?" Smee nodded vigorously, and Hook continued, "For you are my most loyal, most faithful servant, am I right?"
"Yes, of course, Captain!"
"Yes…" Hook suddenly and rather violently shoved Smee into the wooden wall of his room, "But, what about that fateful day three years ago, Smee? What about that? As everything was going down hill for me, you," he slammed his hook into the wall right by Smee's ear, "left me, Smee! Jumped right off the ship after the Wendy's brother snitched the very golden possessions you, yourself snitched first from me!"
"C-c-c-Cap'n…it's been three years," Smee said with a hopeful smile, "I have apologized countless times. Can't we just…put all that behind us?"
Captain Hook straightened and smiled, "Yes, just put it all behind us," he said a teasing look on his face, "Just, I don't know…pretend it never happened?"
Smee sighed with relief and nodded enthusiastically once more.
Hooks smile turned into a look of rage, and he viciously turned his desk over, causing papers and maps to go flying. "You betrayed me Smee! And yet," he calmed down and stared at a map, "You did come back to me…" he picked up the map of Neverland's forest, and turned his back to Smee, "Pick up this mess," he said with the wave of his hand, "Something's different in Never-Neverland today!" He dropped the map, and began to walk out of the large wooden doors, then stopped at the doorframe, "The Wendy is back!"
Peter, Wendy, and the boys landed on Neverland's seashores just as the sun was coming up. The former Lost Boys immediately took off, to rummage around the forests they still knew so well. John and Michael looked at Wendy, who gave them a curt nod as permission, and they were off, following Slightly into the depths of the woods.
"Wendy," Peter began now that the two were alone, "I want to show you something! I have a birthday gift for you."
"Oh, Peter," Wendy felt as if she were going to cry from happiness, "How did you know that yesterday was my birthday?"
The boy shrugged, "Easy. The Mermaids told me right before I came to fetch you." He offered Wendy his hand and she took it with a smile.
They walked together through the woods in silence for a long time. Years!…or maybe it was only minutes. To Wendy it felt like forever, and she found herself thinking that, if she had a choice, she wouldn't mind at all spending forever holding hands with Peter. As for Peter, though, he was becoming bored and wished they could fly. But of course, they couldn't, for it was still dark (as the sun was just now coming up) and they had no Tinker Bell to guide them with her light.
As a matter of fact, he had quite forgotten Tink. Peter searched the crevices of his mind for and recollection of what happened to his fairy. "Wendy?"
The girl looked at him with a wistful expression. Peter gave her an odd look at her appearance, shook his head, and said, "Wendy, what happened to Tinker Bell?"
"Tinker Bell? Oh…I don't know…the last time I saw her was at the Nursery. You don't think we could have forgotten her, do you?"
Peter looked worried, but never one to admit his mistakes he replied, "Me? Forget? Never."
But Peter had forgotten his little fairy, and in the Darling Nursery, miles away, Tinker Bell was in the same drawer she had gotten herself locked up in so long ago when the Wendy Adventures had first began, hiding from the sobbing figures of Mrs. and Mr. Darling. What happened was this: As the children were beginning to fly into the air, Tinker Bell had found herself entranced by a large dollhouse. What a lovely home it would make for her! She began exploring all the rooms, and kicking the dolls out the windows, when she heard the most bothersome glass-shattering scream.
"Wendy, Please!" Cried out the voice. Tink turned around and looked out the window to see the form of the mother Darling.
Then Tinker Bell heard her charge, Peter, laugh out, "We can't both have them, Lady!"
"Ooo," Tink jingled in her fairy language. "Time for me to go away!"
She flew out of the window of the dollhouse, but as she was zooming by the door Mr. Darling ran in, looking crazed.
"What's going on!" He boomed.
His wife turned around and collapsed into his arms, "That Peter Pan! He has taken them again, George! Taken all of them!"
"Damn him!" George bellowed, and pushed by his wife to get to the open window just as Tink was flying by. Mr. Darling saw Tinker Bell's light, and, assuming she was a rather large Lightning Bug, swatted her away. Tink was hit directly in the head and staggered away, to rest inside an open drawer where she would not be spotted.
Back in Neverland, Wendy Moira Angela Darling and Peter Pan were still pondering over the possible whereabouts of Tink when Peter suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. Wendy looked at him quizzically, and seemed to be about to say something but Peter roughly placed his dirty hand over her mouth, stopping her from so much as making a noise. He leaned in on his tiptoes and whispered to her, "Hush! Danger…"
He moved his hand swiftly from Wendy's mouth onto his dagger, and pulled in soundlessly out of its sheath, which was attached to his leaf-belt. The weaponless Wendy's heart began to pound, and she looked about the dark woods in fear. Who was there? Would she be killed?
Then she heard it. A small Crack! in the distance, as if someone had stepped on a twig. Peter motioned for Wendy to step behind her, and guarded her protectively.
Crack!…Snap!…and then, the both heard very distinct and heavy breathing.
Wendy felt faint at the suspense of it all, but Petter looked quickly back at her and whispered, "Don't fear Wendy Lady, it's my life for yours."
Wendy blushed, but luckily it was dark in the forest and Peter did not notice. He faced forward again and growled into the night, "Show your face!"
A small, scared, and childlike voice cried out, "Peter?"
Peter blinked and lowered his dagger, sensing that the person of whom the voice belonged to was not an enemy. Wendy attempted to step in front of him and rush to the owner of the voice, but Peter put a protective arm in front of her. "Peter!" She cried out urgently, "It's Tock!"
Peter looked at her amazed, "The twins' voices are exactly the same…how do you know it's not Cub?"
Wendy smiled, "It's all part of being a mother."
Peter let her go, and Wendy set off blindly into the woods, looking for her little brother. "Tock," she whispered, "It's quite all right. It's me!"
Finally she collided with a small body hunched near a tree. "Tock!"
The small boy wrapped his arms around Wendy, "I was lost, mother! And I've lost the others! Even Cub!"
Wendy was mildly surprised, as you never see one of the twins without the other. "It's all right, Tock. We'll find them."
Tock held Wendy's hand, and the walked back to Peter. "Peter, we have to find the other boys," she said in a very motherly voice.
Peter glared, "But your birthday present!"
"Oh, Peter, that will just have to wait! The Lost Boys need us now!"
"My troops…yes, we will find them. I could never let the lads down," Peter turned abruptly. "And I know where they are!"
"Where?" Tock cried out.
Peter faced them once more, and even in the darkness Wendy and Tock could see Peter's bright grin. "They have won our Home Under the Ground back!"