Disclaimer:

I Aslansphoenix declare that I do not own 'Peter Pan', Neverland or anything that you find familiar. Technically some of the characters did come from my head ... but I think they belong to Neverland just as much as any canon characters.

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Author's Note:

I'll be honest; the plot-line is on vague at the moment.
Again there are a lot of stereotypes in the characterisation used, but it is purposeful.

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"All Children Grow up Except One"

Everyone Knows about Neverland,
About the home of Peter Pan.

Second to the Right, and Straight on till Morning.
To the place between dreaming and awakening.

There are rules in Neverland
Rules that must be obeyed.

Boys forget much easier than Girls.
"No Girl can resist Peter Pan,
When he uses a specific voice."
One more thing, which is True ...
In Neverland, You learn all about You.

*/*/*

Chapter Two.

That was the real reason Aunt Ruthless and her children were George's lest favourite family members. They never called George 'George', no they used the dreaded full name. The name given to George at birth, the name that never felt like it belonged with George. Just as George could not understand the 'look' that even the most tom-boyish Maria had, just as looking in the mirror always felt wrong. The reason why George couldn't fit in completely.

George never felt whole being a Georgina.

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It was a rainy weekend when learned what the 'looks' may have been about.

George (like all sensible school children) enjoyed the weekend, anytime not required to be at school was a good day. One weekend, the weather had decided to spend all its time crying ... well they were more tantrum tears, thunder and lightning included. George would have been okay with that, and was, in fact, looking forward to playing in mud and puddles outside.

As is always the case though, the parents wouldn't allow it.

So George was kept inside, and that was a downside to being an only child. Being an only child included perks such as having your own space, but it also meant that there was no other children in the house to play with on rainy days. Now George enjoyed puzzles, and was usually content to sit with a puzzle for an hour or two. But there is something about stormy days that bring out the insanity in people.

Especially in adventure-loving ten years old children. To George's credit, there was an hour and a half, where George did sit quietly and work on a puzzle. But then working on the puzzle turned into throwing projectiles and then pretending to be an explorer, and eventually into pure imaginative chaos. This meant that by Saturday night; George had successfully managed to drive the adults (servants and parents) to the brink of insanity.

Thus, when Sunday showed to be just as a depressing a day; it was agreed for George to spend the afternoon and even at Number 10; the original Darling house. George's family lived at Number 7, so it was not a far distance to travel. By chance; a group of the cousins also happened to turn up. There was no pre-planning or conspiracy involved, no matter hat the raised eye-brows of some of the adults suggested. Merely that will have similar thoughts; such as where a safe place to take restless children is.

The kids certainly didn't mind.

Granny could (and would) keep the visitors entertained with stories, and she didn't mind too much if they played Pirates, or Indians, or any other kind of action-imagination game. So, George and a handful of the younger cousins, ran around and playfully fought with each other until some of their energy had calmed. It was a rare time when it actually remained friendly. Then as evening drew near; Angela had begged for a Peter Pan story. That had gotten everyone, even the 'baby-sitting' older siblings, and parents, to sit quietly and listen with contentment.

The children were generally quiet when listening, but they were encouraged to jump in with a quote, or to reenact their favourite moments, or ask questions, or even request favourite parts of a story to be re-told.

That was another difference George always noticed between the listeners. The males generally preferred the adventures and the action stories, George was personally a fan of the Neverland Indians, but always enjoyed listening to fighting against pirates.

Yet the girls ... they seemed to ask about, what George considered to be 'odd stuff'.

The 'Thimble-Kiss' mix-up (why did that cause such giggling or sighing?), The Fairy Court (who cares what they were wearing!), or the part where; after an epic battle with the terrifying Captain Hook, Peter helped Wendy fly to safety on a kite ... That part always confused the logical side of George's brain. But for some reason, those stories were the more enjoyed ones, at least by the rest of the females.

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George was usually content to just listen to the tales. Happy to join in with the rabble rousing reenactments, but for the most part George preferred to just enjoy the story. But there were times where, occasionally a question would burst forth. Including this evening with the beating drums of the water as background noise.

"Granny Wendy ..." Up went George's hand, a few of the listeners looked surprised, but they didn't bother George, Wendy smiled her secretive, kind smile.

"I thought Peter Pan could always fly, with or without pixie dust. So why then couldn't he in that time?"

"Everyone needs fairy dust to fly, Peter just happens to need very little - far less than anyone else. This means that it can seem like 'Happy Thoughts' are all that Peter needs. But sometimes; like this incident, he didn't have even a flickering of fairy dust, and he couldn't think happy enough thoughts. During the fight Peter had been on an adrenaline rush, so afterwards his emotions dropped ... plus Peter was still injured at the time.

Reasons enough for anyone to be unable to fly."

George nodded; that made sense. Apparently it wasn't enough to quiet everyone though. Angela giggled softly "Aww he was worried you."

That was when George saw it.

Benjamin, who was sitting next to Angela, got that 'look' in his eyes. The older males usually did at some point - like a short jolt of understanding hit them. No one noticed, George only did because that was the direction George had been looking. It lasted for barely half a second before Benjamin let out an amused huff of laughter and responded with "Nah, I bet he just wanted to show off that he could get back without flying."

Angela had giggled, Granny Wendy had fondly rolled her eyes and the story had continued, but George's curiosity and confusion had been peaked.

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Once the stories for the night had been completed, and the parents were starting to take the now (slightly) relaxed children back to their homes, George looked for Benjamin. he was leaning against a wall chatting with Margaret, but grinned warmly when George came up to him to ask a question.

"Hey, Benny ..."

"Hey kiddo, what's up?"

"Why did you say that?"

"Uh ... because compared to me you are a kid, and you've never minded me calling you 'kiddo' before ...?"

"Not that. I mean during the story. What did you mean that Peter wanted to show by not flying? Doesn't Peter always want to show off? Why would getting back without flying matter? Or help him show off in anyway?"

That cleared the confusion away from their faces. Benjamin let out a laugh and Margaret gave a soft giggle; which caused a huff of impatience from George. 'How hard was it to just get an answer to a simple question?' After a moment of laughter, Benjamin shrugged and gave George an answer.

"I meant that; guys do stupid things to impress girls. Like forget to think happy thoughts that are needed to fly."

Margaret gave a sly smile "Or trying to climb up a drain pipe holding flowers?"

'Well that didn't explain anything' thought George, as Benjamin blushed then started pulling faces at Margaret who maturely stuck out her tongue before smiling smugly. George glanced between the two then asked. "Do girls do stupid things over guys?"

"Yes." "No."

Benjamin looked down at Margaret in shock. "Girls don't do stupid things to get the attention of someone they like ... do they?"

To which, Margaret gave another tinkling laugh. "Oh, Ben ... how did you ever get to be almost legally an adult with such little information. Was that why you climbed up the drain-pipe? Girls can be very stupid when it comes to someone they like. Perhaps even more so than what boys are.

Generally; boys stupidity tends to be more along the lines of doing a ridiculous challenge which may cause themselves physical harm and/or some embarrassment. They don't usually intend to be cruel, with the exception of, shall we say ..."

"Selfish bastards?"

"I was going to say gits. Anyway - most boys when they like someone, they do stupid things to impress that person; but it usually means no harm. With girls though ... the stupidity of girls tends to be more intentionally cruel. Doing things like pretending to be interested in someone else to make their actual interest jealous. Or playing up the emotional distress they feel. Or telling the lost boys their orders are to shoot an innocent."

Benjamin shook his head feeling slightly bemused. "Maggie sweetheart, I think you listen to the older ladies too much ... although it does explain a lot."

"My understanding of 'being stupid to get a love interest', is either; allowing negative emotions to take over the positive ones, or lack of proper communication. Or both."

George, whose voice had finally been found, suddenly interrupted them.

"Wait, wait, wait! You're telling me that those weird sigh-y looks are because of the Stupid War?! Ugh, I can't believe this!"

George stormed off, leaving two confused cousins. "Did you understand that?" asked Benjamin, Margaret just shrugged.

*/*/*

George's huffy mood lasted right back to being home again. Of course it was to do with The War, what else would those looks be about?

The War, to be thought of with capital letters ... not the big scary war between countries, but the one between all that heard the tale of Peter Pan. Not if Peter Pan was real; that argument was just a part of growing up, in George's opinion.

No it was The War about Peter Pan and emotions. Some people believed Peter Pan was in love with Wendy, others did not.

That in itself wouldn't have been a problem. Surprisingly most people on either side respected the other's opinion. George could have coped with that; two ways of understanding the story and the characters, both sides usually respecting the other. It was the Civil Wars within each side, that George hated.

For a group of people that were adamantly on one side of The War, they sure had a lot of different opinions.

In 'Camp-Peter-is-in-Love-with-Wendy'; some people thought Peter should have come to England and grown up with Wendy. Their biggest rivals were those that said that Wendy should have stayed in Neverland with Peter. and their 'arguments' always made George's head spin. There were two other kinds of differing opinions.

Some of the cousins claimed Peter had come back, changed his name (and what they all imagined Peter looked like) and was actually Wendy's late husband. There were a few (these few George could cope with) believed that Peter and Wendy had been in love, but could never be together; he had to stay young forever, she had to grow up. That was just the way that the story went.

'Camp-Peter-was-not-in-love-with-Wendy' had their own dysfunctional groups. Whether Peter had had feeling for Tinkerbell, or Tiger-lily, or Jane. Or if Peter had been interested in males; either one of the Lost Boys, or John or Micheal, or Hook. The last one always made George shudder, even more so than the idea of Peter being in love with George's grandfather. Then there were those that stated that Peter Pan was never in Love with anyone; they were only other group that George could cope with.

Of course Granny Wendy had been asked. Her reply (so the 'official stance') had been that she had entertained thoughts of romantic emotions towards Peter Pan, but part of the riddle of his being is that Peter Pan cannot love. That was all she would ever say on the matter. But it didn't stop The War.

George was the only cousin not involved with The War.

A few of the cousins had asked George's opinion, only for George to eventually uncharacteristically snap and yell at everyone. After that, all knew to leave George out of the discussions that happened.

George was a rather logical thinker and always took the stance that 'What is, is, and you cannot change what was.' To George; it didn't matter whether Wendy and Peter had been in love or not; Wendy had grown up and Peter had stayed in Neverland. That was the way the story went, no matter what changes or embellishments were made, that was the story.

And caring about 'what ifs' or 'alternative ways the story could have gone' was; in George's opinion, stupid and a complete waste of time.

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End of Chapter Two.

Author's Note:

Here this chapter ends.

First of all; I mean no offence to anyone with any of the Opinions stated in 'The War'. It actually was me just enjoying the variety of the Peter Pan Fandom ... And me walking the edge of the fourth wall.

I, myself am in the group that believe Peter and Wendy were in Love, but could never be together; which makes the story more heart-breakingly sweet to me.

However I also completely understand George's point. And, while AU stories can be amazing in every way; I do tend to prefer the stories that can fit into the actual story.

Thanks to 'Darkprincess326' and 'pretty in Rose red' for putting this story in their 'Favourites', hopefully the rest of this story does not disappoint.

Hopefully this story is not too horrible.

If you have read this, then thank-you.

I will update whenever I update.

Wednesday 31st January 2018.