Hi everyone! Sorry about the late update! This chapter took a bit of time working its way into my head! :) Anyway, on with the chapter and I hope you all enjoy! :)

Chapter Seven- Hangman's Tree.

Hangman's tree was a hideaway that only the lost boys knew about. Of course, Captain Hook and the other pirates had been there before, but the boys made sure that the pirates could never find their hideaway again. Peter asked the fairies if they could put a spell on their tree to conceal it, but the fairies did their job too well- As Curly went back to the hideaway after a night of hunting, he got lost and couldn't find the tree again. As he shouted out for help, Slightly heard him and ran outside to help. When they turned around again, Slightly got lost too. Eventually, all of the lost boys were outside of the tree shouting for help. Only when Peter returned with Tinkerbell did they realise that the tree was in front of them the whole time. After that incident, Peter decided to do something simpler. He decided to leave the hideaway where it was without any protection and if the pirates did come to attack again, they would fight. After all, what lost boy doesn't like a fight?

Wendy Darling was sick of all the fighting. She had witnessed ten fights only that morning. Thankfully for Wendy, the day had gone fast. She watched as what had seemed like the one hundredth fight that afternoon reach the climax. The boys were in a circle facing each other off with their chosen weapons, while Peter was laughing the whole time. John and Michael were wise enough to sit out and watch with Wendy as the boys, on one unspoken signal, went charging into one another.

In Wendy's opinion, the fight had started over nothing, but to the lost boys, it meant more than nothing. Nibs had accidentally stepped on Tootles' tail, which then Nibs didn't apologize because he didn't know he had done it. Tootles thought that he had done it deliberately and started whacking him around as "no one picks on the smallest lost boy and gets away with it!" As Tootles had so plainly put it. Then after that, the fight just grew and grew until all of the lost boys were in on it. Wendy sighed. She didn't know how the boys enjoyed fighting each other. She knew that by the end of the fight, they would all be laughing and everything would be back to normal. She looked over to Peter and saw that he was clutching his sides as if to keep them from bursting over with laughter. She looked at them all one last time and left the main room in the hideaway. She walked into the passage and looked up at the pond above her. The passage way was built underneath a pond. Wendy ignored the laws of gravity and waved to the fish above her. They seemed to smile at her and keep swimming on their way. Wendy shook her head. In Neverland, anything was possible. She started to think about what Peter had said this morning before she heard footsteps behind her and turned around. The twins were standing behind her.

"Hello boys." Wendy smiled.

"Hello Wendy." They both replied.

"Did your fight finish?" Wendy asked.

"Yes. But we were wondering…" The second one trailed.

"If you could tell us a story." The first one finished.

Wendy looked up through the pond. Dusk had seemed to come quickly and it was time that she should put these boys to sleep. "Do you want one?" Wendy asked.

"Yes please." The twins said at once.

"Okay, come on, let's go." Wendy smiled as she grabbed the twins' hands. Wendy liked the twins. They were quieter than the other lost boys and sticked together, even though they squabbled from time to time. She smiled as they suggested many ideas to base her story on. She listened with great interest and still smiling, they walked into the main room where the lost boys would be waiting eagerly.

Peter led Wendy into Hangman's tree. The morning had gone horribly in his opinion. Even though Wendy had reassured him on the way that it was still lovely, Peter thought she was just saying that. He thought of different ways to make it up to her. He decided that as soon as he got into the tree, he would pay all his attention to Wendy. Peter knew that girls liked attention, well, that's what he heard Mr Darling say to his wife one night on their way to an outing. Peter could never understand how Wendy's parents could go out almost every night. He shook his head and opened the door.

"Peter…" Wendy asked.

Peter turned his head around. He decided that his attention-paying would start now.

"I know you are sorry about what happened, but it is okay. At least you stood up for me this time." Wendy meekly attempted.

Peter looked at Wendy. "Wendy, It was my pleasure to help." He smiled and tried to enter the tree but Wendy held him back.

"Peter, I don't know if you can tell, but you have grown up." Wendy declared.

Peter spun on his heel. "Grown up? Wendy, I'll never grow up." He stated.

"But Peter, you have. I think it's because you have spent so much time out of Neverland with us. And you… you've grown taller…" Wendy added.

Peter thought about it. "You might be right Wendy. But I don't like it. I don't want to grow up."

"I know Peter. But it is a good thing you know, to be a bit older." Wendy replied.

"Wendy, I…" Peter trailed. He swallowed and tried again. "When you grow up, does it mean you feel things?" He asked.

"As in what Peter?" Wendy hoped.

"Well, as in, do you have a light giddy feeling? In your stomach?" Peter asked.

"Oh Peter, yes." Wendy smiled at him.

"Does it mean you…" Peter began.

"Yes Peter?" Wendy urged.

"Does it mean you feel that you're in…"

"Yes Peter, go on." Wendy smiled, bigger than before, Peter thought.

"Does it mean you feel that you're in a lot of pain and you're going to be sick?" Peter asked.

Wendy's face fell. "No Peter, it doesn't. It is meant to be a good feeling. Maybe you haven't grown up as much as I thought you have." Wendy sighed sadly.

Peter looked at Wendy. He didn't know what his feeling was. All he knew was that it happened every time he was with or looked at Wendy. If it was meant to be good, shouldn't he know what it meant? He knew that he felt good when he was being a leader, or fighting pirates. He grabbed Wendy's hand and led her into the hideaway.

Peter led her through the tunnel and underneath the pond. The fishes swam as close as they could to Wendy and Peter. They followed Peter and Wendy until the tunnel ended. Peter opened the door and heard the familiar sounds of a fight between the lost boys. As soon as Peter and Wendy entered the hideaway, Peter's plans went out the door and he flew to join in. He started whacking around every lost boy that was in this fight, and watched as more joined in. After a while of fighting, he flew to his chair and started to watch the boys. Their weapons were everywhere and their hoods were off their heads from all of the fighting. Peter started laughing. These fights couldn't get any better.

He must have been laughing at the boys for hours as his sides were splitting and his mouth hurt from smiling too much. He looked over to Wendy and her brothers and watched as Wendy got up and walked into a tunnel they had come through earlier. He decided that as soon as he stopped laughing he would go after her. He tried to calm down when the fight stopped. The lost boys had finally had enough and were laughing it off as they normally did. Peter couldn't help but to laugh again. Their laughter was contagious. Peter flew over to the boys and started talking with them, even John and Michael joined in. Peter noticed the twins leave the group and walk in the direction that Wendy had walked in. Peter realised he missed his chance to talk to Wendy again, but he shook it off. He would have plenty of time to talk to her later.

Wendy entered the hideaway again to see all of the boys sitting in their beds waiting for her. The twins escorted Wendy to Peter's chair. Wendy looked at Peter who seemed to allow her to sit there. When Wendy was seated, the twins went to their beds. They pulled up their covers and turned so they were facing Wendy. She resisted the urge to tuck them in and kiss them goodnight.

"Now, what should this story be about?" Wendy asked.

"We should have one about pirates!" Slightly cried.

"Don't you want something different?" Wendy asked.

"No, we like pirates!" Slightly insisted.

Wendy tried a different tactic. "Peter, what would you like to hear about?"

Peter sat and thought about it. "I would like one about… Pirates!" He declared.

Wendy sighed. The boys eat, breathed and fought pirates. Didn't they want something else? Didn't they want something different? Boys will be boys she thought.

"Okay, what else?" Wendy asked.

"Tell a story how we defeated Captain Hook!" Nibs cried.

"Really?" Wendy asked.

"Yup!" Curly agreed.

Wendy looked at them all in their beds. Some were in hammocks and others were in small leaf arrangements on the ground. They were made to resemble nests. She then looked at the twins who were looking at her eagerly. She wondered why they weren't suggesting their ideas they had mentioned earlier. Wendy glanced over to her brothers, Michael had a small bed on the ground like Tootles and John had a hammock. Wendy had a proper bed to herself. Peter had made it for her when they first came to Neverland. She looked at Peter on his bed with his curtain drawn back so he could see Wendy. She took a deep breath and begun her story.

"One day in Neverland…"

Wendy looked at the room and saw that every boy except for Peter was asleep. She had finished her story amidst yawnings and sighs from the boys. As soon as she had finished the boys closed their eyes and went to sleep.

"That was a good story Wendy." Peter said.

"Thank you Peter." Wendy smiled. She walked over to the lost boys and tucked them in one by one. She then made her way over to Michael and tucked him in. She then gave him a kiss and said "Goodnight my darling." She then did the same thing to John. Wendy started walking to her bed when she stopped. She had realised that she had truly begun to take the place of a mother. They had only been here for one day and she was already saying goodnight as her mother had done for them.

"Are you going to sleep now Wendy?" Peter asked.

"Yes Peter, I am." Wendy replied.

She stepped over a lost boy sleeping, and then slid into her bed.

"Goodnight Wendy." Peter said as he drew his curtain shut.

"Goodnight Peter." Wendy whispered.

Wendy heard the curtain open again. "Oh, and Wendy…?" Peter began.

"Yes Peter?"

"Could you please turn all the lamps off? Thank you Wendy. Goodnight." Peter drew the curtain closed again.

Wendy huffed. "Yes Peter."

Here is a little info on all the lost boys in case some of you are lost! :) This story is based on the cartoon movie and the lost boys are as follows:

Slightly is dressed as a fox and has blonde hair.

Tootles is dressed as a skunk and is the smallest lost boy.

Nibs is dressed as a rabbit and is the second smallest lost boy with brown hair.

Curly is dressed as a bear and is the dumb but lovable one.

The twins are dressed as raccoons.

I hope that somewhat helps in picturing the lost boys and its a bit of trivial knowledge. :)

Also, as always, read and review! It is very much appreciated! :)