A/N: I must apologize greatly for the delay! IM VERY SORRY! I will try not to let that happen again. Any how, I know you will LOVE the next chapter, and I'm getting awesome idea's for the chapters following! So without further todo, I give you, chapter 3!

I would like to give a thanks to Aria Elessar, your reviews/emails have encouraging! And it meant a lot to me when you dedicated that chapter to me, especially b/c Stars of Time is my favorite story! This chapter is for you!

Chapter 3: Secrets Revealed

"It wasn't a dream, Autumn." He said, anxiously almost apprehensive, pressed for air.

She looked at him, her eyes wide. "What do you mean?"

He breathed harder now, "You know," he paused tensely. "…when you saw me last night."

She stared at him in disbelief.

"You think I'm a freak now, don't you?" he said, worriedly.

"No," she said carefully, placing a hand on his arm reassuringly… lovingly…

He fidgeted, restless and fretful where he stood, in the hall, with all those people, under her gaze. "Look, can I talk to you tonight?"

Autumn nodded anxiously.

"Alright, come over around 6." He fidgeted for a second, not knowing what to do… "I'll see you later then, bye."

For the rest of the day at school, that was all Autumn could think about. She could barely focus… especially in history class because he was there, now it was impossible. By the time school was out, it was riveting inside her… "Could it be? How was this possible?" No. she stormed herself. He must have been referring to something else… but what? She sighed… hoping, praying… No way! Her wits were telling her it wasn't possible. Her mind and heart fought each other internally all the way home; contradicting, coinciding, mixing… it was dreadful.

She had a terrible time trying to keep her mind occupied and to stop herself from fidgeting during dinner. Finally, the clock chimed 6pm. Autumn froze, almost frightened to find out the truth… but desperately needing to. Her blank mind, which she had worked so hard to control, now tumbled with many thoughts, as she stiffly made her way down stairs and out the back door. Peter was standing across the yard waiting for her. Autumn wasn't sure how she should react, think, feel… she was so confused, everything she'd ever hoped and prayed for, everything she'd ever dreamed of, the story she fell in love with now stood right there in front of her. The story that was supposed to be a fairytale, impossible in reality, something she was told only existed in her imagination, it was all coming to life before her… she took a deep breath and slowly walked towards Peter.

"You look frightened…" he said, like he was scared of her being scared, afraid she'd never accept him.

Autumn opened her mouth to voice her feelings, but she suddenly found that she could not breathe. Peter took a step closer to her.

"Please… Don't, don't be afraid…"

Autumn shook her head. "I'm… I'm" she stuttered. "I'm not." She took a step closer to him. Anxiety came over her. "Please tell me…" Autumn said, desperation seeping through her voice.

Peter looked at her, gently, tenderly, desperate for her to believe him, for someone to listen, to share his secret with. He took a deep breath.

"Last night, I saw you… I know you saw me…. Fly." He paused. "I haven't been entirely honest with you… My last name isn't Turner… I know this sounds ridiculous, far fetched and entirely impossible… but…" Peter took a deep breath and sighed… praying silently that she would accept him… "But my last name is… Pan." He bit his lip cringing, holding his breath waiting for her response.

Silence was painful as he waited for her reply… Shock overcame her… her mind drew the most horribly empty blank of nothingness she'd ever known to be possible. Then suddenly exploded into a million different directions, pushing and pulling… "Did he just say his name is Pan? As in… Peter Pan, the boy who never grew up?" She thought to herself… "This is impossible." Well, he had to have grown at some point in time; otherwise he wouldn't be a teenage boy standing there face to face with her. How many years it took him to decide to grow up was the question, and the even bigger question, the more important one, was why.

"Why?" was all that Autumn could think of to say, the only formable thing she could utter.

"Why what?" Peter asked, now slightly confused at her train of thought, wondering if that meant she had accepted him.

"Why did you decide to grow up?"

Peter thought for a moment, wondering if he should ask her now if she had actually accepted him, or wait for further proof… but as for the question at hand… "Well, that's a little more… complicated." He paused to look at her. Her expression dropped, as if disappointed, like maybe now she would choose not to believe him. He couldn't let that happen. "Please, don't be offended. Don't think I'm hiding something. I just, I can't explain that to you until I'm sure you believe me."

Autumn thought about this for a moment. "Fair enough. What can you tell me?"

Ready to make her believe he knew just what to say; "I was lonely, after Wendy. Bad things happened… which I will fill you in all about later." Peter became desperately eager to share his world with her, to tell her everything. There was a pause, as his impatience fervor began to boil over inside him. He became restless under her gaze, "Autumn, I want to show you something…" Peter said.

Autumn's imagination flared as she remembered her dreams, she became widely anxious to hear his next words, not even knowing if she ought to believe them, but desperate to find out. "What Peter?"

"Have you ever thought of a place where all your dreams could come true!" Peter asked fervently, silently urging and pleading, just praying she'd accept him.

Autumn looked at Peter in almost disbelief… was this really happening? Her impulses took over; her heart grabbing at what he was about to say, trying not to seem too eager, but not disarming. "Peter, what are you trying to say?"
"Let me show you… tonight." Peter said.

Autumn couldn't believe her ears… was he trying to tell her that Neverland did exist? Other than in her imagination? "Show me what?" She inquired with the most intense curiosity.

"Do you believe? Do you want to see the place you've dreamed of?" Peter spoke tenderly, praying she'd accept his offer.

Autumn did not know if she should, but her heart, with every inch of its being screamed at her to go. She wanted so much to believe it was true… now there was only one way to find out… "Yes."

"Then come with me. …I'll come to you window… after midnight." Peter said, his smile as radiant as ever. Inside he was rejoicing with an intense exhilaration and passion beyond compare to any other worldly thing. He would show her his world, she would accept him, and everything would be made right.

That night, Autumn was far too wound up to even try to settle down. As she lie in her bed, she looked up at the ceiling, thinking about everything Peter had said. Time passed so slowly. She couldn't lay still either; the blood flowing through her veins pulsed with anticipation. Intense energy surged through her as she willed the clock to move faster, but through her efforts, time only seemed to go slower. She had almost coxed herself into sleep when there was a tapping on her window. Autumn nearly jumped of her skin. The time was now. Her heart pounded in her chest, her breathing accelerated and shallow, her adrenaline drew her to an unbearably helpless desire for him to show everything she'd ever wished for. Her yearning grew stronger as she got out of bed, her nightgown reaching the floor. She cautiously made her way to the window, praying he wouldn't disappoint her. Peter was hovering outside her window waiting for her. She opened it, inviting him in her room. He floated in, with a beaming hopeful grin and landed silently on the floor.

Peter looked at her, cocking his head to one side, smiling. "I like the nightgown… cute…" he said with a nod.

"Should I change it?" Autumn wondered aloud, looking at him, seeing that he had on normal clothes.

"If you like," he said, grinning at her charmingly.

She smiled shyly and turned around, walking over to her changing wardrobe and hiding behind it. "How old are you, Peter?"

"17… or 150, if you like," Peter replied, quite frankly.

Autumn peeked her head out from behind the curtain with eye brows raised in disbelief… When he nodded in reassurance, she retreated back behind the curtain, letting the thought settle for a bit then continuing; "How long did it take you to decide to grow up?"

There was a moment of brief silence, as Peter thought about this… "Well, I had already been a child for 67 years when I met Wendy. So… about 83 years. I had the appearance of only a 10 year old, so I aged 7 years to be where I am at 150 years of age in total."

"So, what year would that place your birth?" Autumn asked.

"1856."

"Wow…" Autumn said, almost as though she were surprised as she stepped out from behind the curtain, fully dressed now.

Peter grinned his mischievous charming smile as he took pleasure in the sight of her. His eyes locked with her as he saw interest and imagination in her eyes, pleading for him to open them to a new world. A sparkle glistened in her eye…

"Come away, Autumn. Come with me where you'll never, never have to worry about grown up things again…"

"Never, is an awfully long time…"

He smiled that charming smile that would melt any girl's heart.

He held out his hand, Autumn took it. And he led her out her bedroom window… in flight. The cool night air wisped through her hair as she flew gracefully over the town… her mind didn't understand how she was flying, but her heart told her it was real… and it was magical. As they reached the horizon, he looked at her and smiled. When she smiled back, he looked into her eyes…

"Hold on tight!"

"What?" Autumn asked, she was confused, for his command came so abruptly.

"And whatever happens…" he said grinning, yelling over the growing wind, as she noticed they were steadily picking up speed… "Don't let gooo!"

They shot through the barrier between this world and the next and exploded into a sea of stars and planets… she looked down to see her reflection… water was beneath them. They flew past the numerous plants and stars and into the world on the other side…

As the night began to fade, they could clearly see the land ahead of them. The view was breath-taking. Autumn gasped in awe…

"Neverland," she said, a smile in her marveling tone.