When Wendy returns home from hospital she no longer has her baby. The damage done was irreversible, and he was too fragile. He didn't survive the accident, and was delivered stillborn.
Peter was nowhere to be found. He disappeared that night, along with Tinkerbell. It's been days since that fateful night. Nibs was the last of the boys to have seen him.
"I spoke to him after you left. He told me what he told you, that he didn't know what'd happened."
That was all they knew of Peter. Wendy hoped he'd return, that he only needed time to process what'd happened.
Time passed. Then, some more time passed, until eventually, it'd been weeks.
Wendy cries every morning when she wakes up, she cries when she has a moment alone, and she cries herself to sleep. She's stopped eating. She's barely able to sleep anymore. Instead she keeps herself occupied as much as possible, reading and sewing and talking. She avoids the time of day where she lies there in her bed, no more distractions left and she's alone with her thoughts.
What if something had happened to Peter? She wonders, but then she remembers Nibs had actually seen Peter leave. He flew out of the nursery window, simply saying,"I've gotta go." He doesn't give time for Nibs to ask why. He's just gone.
The same questions haunt her every moment of every day: Why hasn't Peter returned? Why, when he knows that I'm going through this alone? Does he not want me anymore?
She thinks about the accident while she does her sewing, tears fall down her face in a familiar stream. She's surprised they haven't created a rut yet.
Things go on like this for weeks, Wendy had become numb. After a while she began eating again, but her spirit was never the same. Sometimes during the night Michael will hear her sobbing, and he'll hold her as she repeats, "I just was my baby back, I would do anything to have my baby." This breaks his heart. So dearly did he want to be an uncle to Wendy and Peter's child. He cannot meet her sad blue eyes, and he wishes he may once more see her wide sincere smile.
"That mangy wanker, if I ever see him again I'll kill him for what he's done," Michael growls at Peter's name.
"Stop," is all Wendy can say in defense of her love despite how it hurts her. Peter hadn't harmed their baby, everyone knows that now, but he's gone away and nobody knows why.
At least not until Tinkerbell can be heard at the window, Wendy having fallen back asleep in Michael's arms. He remained awake, staring at the fire. Tinkerbell carries with her a letter, nearly as big as her person as she is so small. She could hardly carry it any longer, and falls over in an exhausted heap once Michael takes it from her.
It reads: I'm so so sorry for what I did to you. I'm heartbroken at what's happened, you must know. You're the most beautiful person I've ever met, and I know I'm making a mistake, but I haven't a choice. In your world I feel trapped, suffocated, and you and I both know in our hearts that you do not belong in mine either. You would feel the same. You see, there's something inside of me that's broken. I cannot give you what you need. I'm sorry Wendy, but I cannot be with you.
He turns over the letter, looking for anything else, but there's nothing. He's even more angry than he was before. He decides to wait until Wendy's woken up to show her the letter.
The next morning when she reads it, she begins to cry, and she doesn't stop for hours. She sobs and sobs, unable to cease despite changing her actions. She bathes for some time, tears dripping down her fragile and still recovering body into the water. She reads some of her favorite novel, but her tears only dampen the paper and she must put away the book so as to spare its pages. Nearly eight hours have passed, and she has not slowed her crying. She cannot. Thinking over what he's said something occurs to her. Something inside me is broken. I cannot give you what you need.
Hook had once said to her, "Oh no, he cannot love. It's part of the riddle of his being." How foolish had she been to believe his being would change for her. His body may change, and the things he wants, but who he is; well, not to be a man.
Her stomach has twisted into knots and she heaves but nothing comes as she won't eat. Her head throbs from the pain. Her sobbing as racked her body so that she is numb, and left perpetually trembling. She'll let no one near her and locks herself in her room, staring hopelessly at the window, waiting. She's sent Tinkerbell back with a note.
The hours pass and soon it's nightfall. Wendy cannot hope to sleep. She lies in her bed staring at the window, cheeks wet and eyelids hooded from exhaustion. She's nauseous and her head is pounding. The intensity of her cries has taken a toll on her body, already weak from what she's been through.
"Please stay," she whispers to herself, to the window. "Don't leave me, Peter..."
Time and time passes, but the night gets older and she does not sleep. The sandman does not take mercy on her this night, and instead she lies awake, breathing jagged and sobs coming and going every few minutes. She feels as though she is so weak she should pass out, but she does not. The pain does not lessen.
She wants nothing more than to speak to Peter, to see him, because nothing she can say in a letter will convince him. He's made up his mind.
Wendy knows if she could only see him, she could make him see that they were meant to be together whatever the consequences. But she is too weak to fly, and Peter will not come to her.
She wishes death take her.
There's a knock at the window.