Angie groaned and opened her eyes to find herself pressed tightly against a green-clothed chest by a pair of strong tanned arms. The events of the night before flashed through her mind and she smiled. He loved her. He really, really loved her.
She tried to sit up but the arms tightened further and she looked up to find Peter's brilliant green eyes staring down at her worriedly. She smiled and tried again to sit up, this time he let her. The two sat in silence for a moment before they both spoke simultaneously. "About yesterday-" The two teens broke off immediately and Angie giggled.
"About yesterday, Ange." Peter said, smiling slightly. "I'm sorry."
Angie blinked at him in surprise. "What for? You didn't do anything wrong."
"Yes I did. I acted like a child even after you apologized. I should've tried harder to understand how you felt. I shouldn't have behaved so badly about everything."
Angie leaned forward and kissed him gently. "No. I hurt you really badly. It wasn't your fault, anyone else would've acted the same way."
"But-" Angie held a hand to his lips, silencing him effectively.
"Shh. It's okay, Peter."
"No. I have to make this up to you. Just tell me what you want. Anything!"
Angie's eyelids lowered and a small crooked smile lit her face. "Anything I want? Anything at all?"
Peter gulped and nodded. "Y- Yeah. Anything."
The red-haired girl leaned forward. "Then here is what I want." She whispered seductively. "I want you… to do a back flip between those two clouds."
Peter eyed her in a confused manner. "What?"
"You said anything. Now hop to it lover-boy!" Peter stood as Angie rolled onto her back, giggling like a madwoman.
Later, Peter and Angie flew into the tree house. Literally. The two were laughing at something Peter had said and he looked down into her eyes without stopping. Seconds later, Angie looked up and screamed as the two red heads were hurled into a low hanging tree branch.
"Ouch…" Angie groaned, rubbing her head as she sat up and leaned against the tree trunk. Catching sight of Peter, she called out to him. "You okay?" She asked. He didn't respond and she called again. "Peter? Peter, are you alright?" No response.
The flustered girl scampered over to his limp form with a cry. "Peter? Peter, answer me!" Nothing. Angie felt tears burning at her eyes as she laid a hand on his chest. "Peter, please. Answer me."
The boy opened his eyes and slowly fixed them to her face. "Worried about me are you?" Angie glared as he grinned up at her. "Well, can't say as I blame you." He said happily. "I am pretty damn hot."
"Peter!" She screamed indignantly as he reached up and slid a hand across her bottom.
"Angel!" He cried in the same tone.
"Ah! Great freakin' moons! You're such a- a-"
"A what?" He asked as the girl scrambled to her feet.
"A boy!" She retorted.
"Well, I sure hope so." Peter feigned surprise, reaching down to grab himself. "It certainly feels that way."
Angie spun on her heel and stormed off towards the entrance to the tree house muttering about 'perverted pigs'.
"How long have we been here?"
Angie turned to look at the seven-year-old boy behind her. "What?"
"I asked you long we've been here." He repeated.
"Oh. I'm not sure." The boys rolled his eyes and asked how long she thought they'd been there. "A few months, maybe more."
"How many is 'a few'?"
"I'd say it's been close to three. Why does it matter so much, Charlie?"
The boy sighed quietly before plopping into the tall grass. "I miss Daddy. I wanna go home and see my friends."
Angie sighed and moved to kneel beside her brother. "I know, rugrat. I miss him too. I've been looking through my book to see if I could find a spell to take us back, but no such luck."
"Why can't we just have Peter and the lost boys fly us back home?" He practically begged. "Why can't we get Tinkerbelle to sprinkle us with fairy dust?"
"Charlie, it's not that simple. We'd get back to Earth, yeah but… How would we get home? We don't know how far we'd have to go before we wound up home. I mean, sure we know the geological coordinates and stuff but… What if we ended up flying into Japan? How would we get home from there without any money or adults?"
Charlie sighed again and lay down in the grass, his head on Angie's lap. She raised one hand to idly stroke his hair as he spoke. "I guess that makes sense. But I just wanna go home so bad! I miss everyone so much, you know, Gigi?"
"Yeah, baby. I know." 'Do I EVER know…'
Charlie squirmed a bit before relaxing again. The two listened to the sounds of Rayne and Breeze teaching the lost boys to play Red Rover, Red Rover while Crystal sat with the fussy four year olds and Peter watched from his perch in an old maple tree. Angie watched a pair of butterflies dance around each other nearby as a single bee went to work on the brightly colored wild flowers.
It reminded her vaguely of her mother's old home in Texas. She'd grown up in a little town near Dallas and the McNealson's would take their children to the countryside every summer to get away from the noise and pollution that came with city life.
"Angie?" Charlie whispered staring up at his sister.
"Hmm?" Angie looked down into her brother's big, deep blue eyes. All three McNealson kids had that trait. It came from their mother. Wide eyes deeper than the chasms of the Grand Canyon in Colorado. It was one of the few things they'd gotten from her. That and their flaming red hair. "What is it, baby?"
"Could you sing me a lullaby?"
Angie blinked rapidly in surprise. It had been a long time since Charlie had wanted a lullaby, even longer since he'd wanted one from her. Not since their parents had nearly gotten a divorce when he was five. "Sure, sweetheart. Which one?" She whispered, her heart beating rapidly. 'Please don't ask for THAT one.' She silently begged.
"Ours." He answered. Angie's heart skipped a bit, and not in the pleasant way. "Please, Gigi?" His big eyes filled with homesick tears when she didn't answer. "I know how you feel about it, but please? Just this once?"
Slowly, ever so slowly, Angie nodded. "Sure. Just- just give me a minute okay?"
Charlie nodded back. "Okay. Thanks, Gigi."
Angie smiled gently at him. "No problem. I think- I think I need it, too, baby."
Angie turned her face up to the late afternoon sun and closed her eyes. She spent a few moments in silence before her lips parted to allow the old family song to pass through.
Peace falls over vale and hill
Silence fades the light
Moon and stars watch over
Little ones by night
The boy in Angie's lap stirred and snuggled close followed soon by another, lighter, weight. The red-haired angel just kept on singing her song as the two weights stilled.
Dawn will bring the day bright
Larks will sing for thee
Streams of slumber flow now
Round this babe and meAngie brought the song to a close and looked down to find Charlie and Cass lay huddled together in her lap, eyes closed against slightly wet cheeks. Angie raised a hand to her own face and discovered that her cheeks were wet as well. The song was short and sweet but it held a strange impact over all three of the McNealson children.
A hand on her shoulder brought Angie from her reverie and she looked up to find Peter at her side and everyone else sitting in a wide-eyed semi circle around her. "You okay?" Peter whispered.
Angie nodded and leaned against him. "I'm a lot better than I have been." She answered with a tiny laugh. "I really needed that."
Peter smiled and pulled her into his arms. "Let's get you three back to the tree house. You're all dead on your feet."
Angie smiled and quickly agreed as Slightly and Nibs lifted her brother and sister into their arms.
That lullaby is from the Redwall book series by Brian Jacques. I don't remember which book and the lullaby doesn't have a title so far as I know.