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Home Sweet Home

Chapter Four

Rosie heard the flute whistle in her dream and the next thing she knew a bright light was shinning down in her face.

"She's dead." Came a hushed whisper.

"No she's not, look!" Came another whisper. "She's breathing." Rosie knew that moment what was going on and couldn't help the smile that was crossing her face.

"See! She's smiling!" came a third whisper echoed by another. Then Rosie began to laugh. Her laugh bubbled up and her eyes fluttered opened as Rosie looked up. All the Lost Boys were crowded around her looking down with Peter floating above just visible atop of the ring of heads. The light came from a flashlight Slightly was holding up. It seemed Tinkerbell was still hiding.

"I think I over slept." Rosie giggled. The Lost Boys all smiled and Peter laughed moving away.

"Alright, come on men!" he called waving a sweeping hand towards one of the exits. The Lost Boys all began to file out of the hideout giving Rosie room to sit up. She did and yawned stretching. Peter poked Rosie in the stomach making her yelp and frown. "Come on." He said and flew out of the exit as well. Rosie sighed softly. Today she was leaving but on the bright side she was finding a new home. Stepping out of bed, Rosie fixed her nightdress and, walking to where she thought one of the hideout exits was, she tried to squeeze through. It was too small. Backing out, Rosie brought her finger to her chin and looked around. Spotting what looked like a small door, she tried that. It was a bit snug but, backing out backwards, Rosie managed to exit. She straightened and brushed the dirt off her nightgown taking one last step back.

"Oh!" she exclaimed spinning. She had run right into Peter who was standing beside her with his hands on his hips smiling. Behind him, the Lost Boys stood in their line.

"Alright, come on now!" Peter said and swept an arm up. Rosie looked around.

"Where is Tinkerbell?" she asked. At that moment a little gold light appeared by Peter's side. "Oh, hello Tinkerbell." She smiled. The pixie didn't respond.

"Now, we need to get all the way to London." Peter said and began to pace with his hands behind his back.

"London?" Rosie repeated.

"Of course." Peter said nodding and turning to Rosie. "What's the matter?" he asked seeing her face.

"Oh nothing." She said quickly putting her hands behind her back and lacing them together. Peter frowned.

"You told a lie." He said simply. Rosie copied his frown then bowed her head.

"Alright, I'm sorry Peter. I was just surprised because London is so high!" she exclaimed worriedly taking a step forward and moving her hands above her head to indicate the emphasis she was adding. Peter laughed.

"Well, I guess we ca go a little bit later." He said.

"Oh no Peter, I –" Rosie began quickly but Peter ignored her.

"So instead, we'll play a game now." He said turning to the Lost Boys. They all looked to him expectantly. "Hide and Seek!" Peter announced. "Rosie's it! Count to ten then find us!" he called and disappeared into the forest.

"Peter wait, I –" Rosie called but before she could finish her sentence Peter and the Lost Boys had gone and left Rosie with her arm in the air alone. "Oh alright." She said and lowered it. Was Peter trying to delay her departure? Closing her eyes, Rosie began to count silently. 1, 2, 3, 4, she paused giving them a moment 5, 6, 7, 8, then Rosie switched to vocals. "9, 10! Ready or not here I come!" she called and opened her eyes spinning. There was nobody I sight. Obviously, she thought laughing lightly at herself. Rosie took a deep breath and began to walk through the trees in her search.

"This would be much easier if I could fly." She said to herself stepping over a large root and pushing a fern out of the way. Scooting forward, Rosie spotted a small movement from the corner of her eye. Turning, she saw a tail disappear behind a rather large rock. Grinning, Rosie snuck over and peered over the edge. "Oh?" she exclaimed. Behind the rock, peering up at her was a monkey. Rosie giggled and the monkey climbed up the tree behind him disappearing into the branches.

Rosie stepped back and looked around again drawing her finger to her mouth. "Hm…" she mused. Continuing on her way through the forest, Rosie emerged from the trees a little way ahead. She was back on the beach where she had been just the day before after the encounter with Hook. Shaking her head, Rosie turned away and went back through the trees. The next time she emerged from them, she was once again facing water. Except this time, it was a lagoon. With mermaids, Rosie noticed somewhat reluctantly. She had turned around and was about to huff away when Peter's flute sounded in her ears. Turning slowly, Rosie spotted Peter sitting on the middle of the rock.

"Peter!" she exclaimed angrily. Having spun around the rest of the way and slammed her arms down by her sides, Rosie now huffed angrily to herself but in the direction of the rock. Peter looked up and spotted Rosie on the shore. He laughed and flew up.

"You found me." He said. Rosie crossed her arms.

"I did." She replied sourly. Peter was puzzled by her reaction. He flew over, much to the protest of the mermaids, and landed behind Rosie.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "Do you want to see the mermaids?"

"No!" Rosie exclaimed spinning. "Those horrid creatures." She muttered in annoyance glancing at them.

"Aw come on, you just got of on the wrong foot is all." Peter said floating now.

"Yeah, my foot!" Rosie replied thoroughly vexed now remembering how the mermaids had tried to grab her by the foot. Peter on the other hand, laughed. "My clip is still in the water there!" Rosie added resentfully.

"I'll get it." Peter offered. "Come on." Then, before Rosie could protest any further, Peter had picked her up.

"Oh Peter, put me down!" she exclaimed angrily. He then placed her atop of the main rock again in the lagoon.

"Her again?" the blonde mermaid exclaimed.

"I still have a bruise on my head where she kicked me!" the black haired one cried.

"How could you? I didn't manage to kick you the way I should have." Rosie replied bitterly. "Besides, even if I had it's not like you could feel it anyways you little fish clone!"

"Oh Peter! Take her away!" the red haired one with a ponytail called.

"Please Peter! I won't stand her a minute longer!" the blonde called and splashed into the water.

"Neither will I!" called the red head and splashed after the other. Soon the lagoon had cleared of all mermaids. Rosie crossed her arms and exclaimed indignantly.

"Well!" she hissed. "It's not like I ever wanted to come here in the first place." She said to herself and Peter laughed.

"Well at least we can find your clip now." He said.

"What do you mean by we?" Rosie asked crossly. "I'm not stepping foot in their disgusting water." She said huffily and turned her nose in the air. "They can keep it for all I care."

Peter laughed again.

"Well, I'm going to find to other Lost Boys now." Rosie announced and began to clamber up onto another nearby rock. She slipped and Peter quickly hoisted her on top setting Rosie gently down on the flat space. "Not being able to fly is a serious disadvantage in Neverland." She sighed and looked down into the shimmering waters below. Mermaid Lagoon was very beautiful despite the comments Rosie had made earlier. Looking at her pretty reflection four feet down, Rosie twirled one of her big curls and kicked her feet back and forth lazily. Peter watched with an amused smile and floated down to sit beside her.

"You could always stay with us." He offered hopefully. Rosie shook her head.

"Oh no Peter. It would be lovely but I could never. I'd really love to have a family of my own some day. With a mother and a father to care for me and love me." She said. Peter opened his mouth to say something but Rosie put a gentle finger against his lips in hushing. "I know you and the Lost Boys are my family. You will always be part of my family; my first family." She said and moved her finger. "But I'd really like to grow up as a normal girl."

Peter wrinkled his nose but then nodded in understanding even though he didn't understand it at all.

"If that's what you want." He said.

Suddenly there came a splash from below and three mermaids began throwing water up at Rosie. Peter flew back out of range laughing as Rosie scrambled to her feet trying to block the water. "Stop! Stop it! Please!" she exclaimed scrambling backwards. The splashing stopped after a moment then something flew up out of the air and bonked Rosie softly on the head.

"Ouch!" she exclaimed as the thing hit her and landed in Rosie's palm. It was her hair clip from the day before. The mermaid then disappeared below and the lagoon was still once again. "Oh!" Rosie exclaimed as angrily as ever. "They are more fish than human!" she accused and heard an angry bubble from below. Nodding in satisfaction, Rosie turned and stalked down the slanted rock towards the shore. Peter followed still laughing in amusement and Rosie spun on him wagging her finger. "Why do you never say anything to them!" she demanded. Peter stopped and his smile faded.

"I –" he started.

"They are just playing is it?" Rosie asked. "Well, if they adore you so much and love to play, why don't you just stay with them!" Peter blinked in confusion.

"Rosie I just –" he tried again.

"You just what Peter? Just what?"

"I just –"

"That's what I thought!"

Peter frowned and covered Rosie's mouth. "I was just going to say, sorry." He said and floated back releasing her. Rosie blinked at the easy surrender then smiled.

"Alright, I forgive you." She nodded and Peter beamed. "But in the future, don't let them get away with whatever they want!" she added. Peter didn't respond but rather floated innocently by Rosie's right ear.

"So, have you found anyone else?" he asked. Rosie shook her head. "Well, let's have a look then shall we?" he said and continued following. Rosie nodded her agreement and stepped into the forest. She looked around and decided to go left.

She and Peter traveled some time in silence which surprised Rosie seeing as Peter liked to talk, but she guessed he didn't want to reveal the hiding places of the other boys. Soon the trees around them began to change and instead of light elm trees, they became rich dark green pines. Rosie soon stopped in a clearing and looked around. She and Peter had entered a deeper part of the forest in which she had never before traveled. The light was much less bright around here because it couldn't get through the dense foliage of the branches in the pines above. The trees were tightly packed and you couldn't see a single fox length in front of your own nose. There were more shadows and the whole aura in this area seemed much more mysterious than the rest of Neverland including Hook's ship. Rosie became alarmed.

"P-Peter? Where are we?" she asked looking ahead into the shadows. Peter landed lightly next to Rosie and looked around.

"Looks like we've entered Indian Territory." Peter said.

"I-Indian Territory?" Rosie echoed nervously looking around. Peter had just nodded when a rustling sound came from the bushes ahead. Peter leapt in front of Rosie and pulled out his dagger protectively. "What was that?" Rosie whispered. Peter hushed her. The ferns ahead rustled again and Rosie grabbed Peter's arm to squeeze. Again the ferns rustled. Rustle. Rustle. Rustle. Then, out stepped a beaver. It looked around the clearing and hurried back into the shadows as Rosie let out a sigh of relief. Peter straightened from his defensive position and put the little dagger away.

"Let's get out of here, Rosie. I doubt the Lost Boys would hide here unless they were Indian hunting." Peter said. Rosie nodded. "I think I know where they are anyways." He said and scooped Rosie up into his arms before flying out of the dense forest.

Peter flew Rosie away from the Indian Territory and back to where the trees were light and thin again. They passed mermaid lagoon and the place where Rosie had met the chipmunk at the base of Neverpeak Mountain; they passed Neverland's main beach shore and flew out over the water though at a distance from Hook's ship. They also soon passed it as well without the slightest disturbance from either Hook or his crew. Peter kept flying and Rosie looked around to see where he might be taking her. She spotted a huge rock up ahead that could have been a small isle standing out at sea. It was a peculiar rock, not because of its cavernous inside though that is quite interesting, but because of its shape. The caved rock they were now approaching was in the shape of a skull. As Rosie expected, Peter flew right inside and placed her on the ground just in the center of the cave. Looking around, Rosie began to explore the rocky cave dwelling and spotted Tinkerbell's shimmering light reflecting off of a rock to the left. Heading towards it, Rosie spotted the twins hidden under an overhang jutting out from the rock wall trying to hide in the shadows. She soon spotted Slightly and Nibs as well, each one hiding in the eyes of the skull and Cubby was pressed against a back wall with his eyes closed and his hands covering them. Rosie laughed as she called out to each of them in turn. Then she had only Tootles left to find.

"You'll never find him." Slightly said swinging down from the eye to land beside Rosie and the others.

"Yeah, he's hidden really well." Nibs added bouncing over to where Rosie, the twins, Cubby, Tinkerbell, Peter and now Slightly all stood.

"Oh yes I will!" Rosie replied wagging her finger playfully at them. She moved away from the group to explore deeper into the cave. She couldn't go very far because the tide was rising and soon the cave floor would be flooded. Then, in a flash of black and white, Rosie cried out. "A-ha!" she exclaimed and pointed. Everyone looked to where she was pointing and there, on a high ledge in the cave wall, sat Tootles. The little skunk clapped his hands silently and leapt down as Rosie held her arms out to him. Catching the little skunk, Rosie twirled and walked back to the others. They all clapped and cheered.

"Let's here it for Rosie!" Peter called rising up into the air. The Lost Boys all howled in approval and Rosie blushed setting Tootles down on the ground. Peter did his yowling wolf call and beamed down at his friends. "Now, let's get back to the main land!" he called and flew out to the front of the cave with Tinkerbell following. Rosie and the Lost Boys all followed on foot and soon all nine of them stood on the ledge outside.

"Tink?" Peter said and the pixie saluted. She flew around each of the Lost Boys but ignored Rosie and then took off toward the main land as the Lost Boys followed. Peter frowned again and scooped up Rosie before heading to the main land Neverland. They landed on the beach and Rosie hopped down from Peter's arms daintily and landing lightly in the sand. The sun was beginning to set and brilliant orange lights shone over the island and surrounding waters tinting everything an orangey pinkish red.