Chapter two

That evening, Peter went to the Lagoon to bathe. As he sat in the sun to dry, he did some patchwork on his leaf outfit. Then he gathered flowers in the meadow. He hoped they were going to survive the trip.

When the sun had set below the horizon and the stars began to come out, Peter readied himself for his journey. Just as he was about to take off, Tinkerbell came flying over.

"Peter, wait!" she yelled.

"What is it, Tink?" Peter asked.

"I wanted to wish you luck."

"Thank you."

"You will be back, won't you?"

"Of course I will."

"Just remember, Wendy doesn't sleep in the nursery anymore."

"Oh? How do you know that?"

Tink put her hand over her mouth. Peter eyed her suspiciously.

"What have you been up to, you pesky pixie?"

Tink giggled and flew away. Peter was certain that she had gone to visit Wendy earlier that day, but the reason why was a complete mystery to him. Still, the information she passed to him would be useful.

Peter shook his head to clear his thoughts and took off for London. He tried to keep his mind focused on the route he was taking. It was difficult because every sight brought up a memory. He could feel butterflies in his stomach and a tightening in his chest. They got worse as he got closer to his destination.

When he finally reached the Darling house, he snuck a peek through the nursery window. The boys were all nestled in their beds in a peaceful sleep. Peter smiled to himself. After they had decided to stay in London with the Darlings, Peter had had a hard time adjusting to his new life without them. He resented it for a little while, but he eventually learned to accept their decision.

Peter chose not to wake the boys. A visit with them would have to wait for another day. He went to another window and when he looked in, he froze. There she was, sitting at a desk, writing by candlelight. The girl he had not seen in nearly five years. The girl who appeared in his dreams almost every night.

"Wendy," Peter breathed.

Just then, Wendy looked up from her writing. She smiled when she saw Peter and hurried over to open the window.

"Hello, Peter," she said.

Peter smiled back at her. "Hello, Wendy."

"Come in, please."

"Thank you."

But as Peter entered, he smacked his head on the top of the window.

"Oh, my," Wendy said. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine," Peter said, a little annoyed.

He ducked his head down and came into the room. When he landed, Wendy took a moment to look him over. This made Peter a little nervous.

"Why do you look at me like that?" he asked.

"You've grown," Wendy replied.

"I guess I have, but I'm still the same Peter."

Wendy smiled. "Good. I wouldn't want you any other way."

"You've grown, too."

Wendy blushed. "What do you have there?"

Peter looked at the bouquet in his hand. Surprisingly, the flowers had survived the trip.

"I brought these for you," he said and he offered the bouquet to her.

"They're beautiful," Wendy said. She took the flowers and held them to her face, inhaling the scent. "They smell like Neverland."

Peter smiled. Wendy set the bouquet in the water glass on her nightstand. Then she sat on her bed and motioned Peter to join her. He came and sat down beside her.

"It's been quite some time," Wendy said.

"Yes, it has," Peter replied. "How are you?"

"Good."

"They boys?"

"They're well. They're adjusting nicely."

"And your parents?"
Wendy sighed. "There's been a lot put upon me now that I'm older. Tonight, for instance, they're at a party, socializing with other mothers and fathers, trying to find me a suitable boy for me to marry."

Peter flinched at the word. "You're not of the age yet…are you?"
"It's a few months off yet."

He swallowed hard. "Have you met any of these boys?"

"Yes, but they are all so serious. They bore me to tears."

Peter chuckled. "Looking for a little adventure, are you?"
Wendy smiled. "Yes, I suppose that I am."

Then they were both quiet for a moment.

"Peter," Wendy said. "Why did you come here tonight?"
"Oh," Peter said. "It's a little bit embarrassing." He looked away, focusing on a spot on the floor.

"Tell me, please."

"Well, at night…when I'm asleep…I dream about you."

"Really?" Peter nodded. "What happens in these dreams?"

"You're very far away. I fly as fast as I can, but I can't reach you. And then…" Peter stopped and looked up at her.

"And then?" she prodded.

"I wake up. My body's covered in sweat. I can't catch my breath."

Wendy moved closer to him. "I think, you've dreamt of me because you've missed me."

"I have missed you. So much."

"I'm sorry you've been unhappy."

Peter stood. "I'm not unhappy."

Wendy looked at him, confused. "Isn't that why you've been dreaming of me?"

"No, of course not! It's…other feelings."

Wendy stood in front of him. "What other feelings?"

Peter was quiet for a moment as he tried to identify his feelings.

"There are many," he said. "When I'm dreaming of you…I'm happy when I see you. I'm desperate to reach you; I'm confused that I can't. I wake up and I'm terrified. When I realize that it was all just a dream, I'm lonely because…because you're not there anymore."

Wendy smiled at him. "Peter, may I give you a kiss?" Peter held out his hand. "No, I mean a real kiss."

Peter withdrew his hand. He took a step towards Wendy. He leaned in, his eyes sliding closed. Wendy leaned in close, her eyes also closing. Their lips touched and Peter felt a tingling all over his body. A moment later, there was a commotion downstairs. Wendy pulled away.

"My parents are home," she said.

"I'll come back tomorrow," Peter said and he headed for the window.

"Peter, wait." He stopped. "One more question."

"I'm listening."

Wendy took a deep breath. "Do you love me?"

Peter turned to face her. "I'm not exactly sure what love is, but I'm sure that you will find the answer in what I've told you tonight."

With that, he took off for Neverland.