The day after Christmas, Wendy convinced Peter to go with her to the library so she could get started on her vacation homework. When they got there, Mr. and Mrs. Gold were reorganizing one of the book shelves.
"Hi Wendy. What can I do for you?" Belle asked stepping down off the latter.
"Hi. Do you mind if we use the back table for homework?" Wendy asked.
"Of course not. Just keep it down okay?"
"Got it," Wendy said waving and leading Peter to her favorite table by the window.
"You know the whole idea of a vacation is not doing any work," he pointed out as they sat down.
Wendy laughed. "You didn't have to come you know," she pointed out.
"You make it sound like its easy to say no to you," he replied kissing her.
"Oh no you don't. I have work to-" he kissed her again, cutting her off.
"You're going to get us kicked out," Wendy whispered.
"All she said was keep it down. No better way to stay quiet than this," he whispered back.
The the two were soon interrupted by a book being slammed down on the table. Wendy looked up to see Grace looking less than pleased.
"Can we help you?" Peter asked sounding uninterested.
"Peter," Wendy chastised then turned back to her friend. "Hi Grace. How are you?"
"Oh I'm fine. You know as fine as I can be after my best friend suddenly disappears," Grace said pointedly.
"Look, I'm sorry I haven't told you what's been going on. But I was grounded," Wendy tried to explain.
"I know. Your Mom told my Mom. That doesn't mean you couldn't have told me at school. If you even still go to school that is."
Wendy sighed. "Grace, please just let me explain."
"I'm listening."
"Could you give us a minute?" Wendy asked turning to Peter.
He looked conflicted for a moment. Then, "I'll meet you at Granny's in ten?"
"Okay," Wendy answered nodding. He kissed her and then walked off as if Grace weren't standing there at all.
"Your Mom also told my Mom you'd come to your senses. Clearly that isn't true," Grace said sitting down.
"My parents overreacted, we had a fight, they grounded me, we worked it out," Wendy replied shrugging.
"Whatever happens in your family, you know I'm on your side, but this.. I don't know Wendy."
"What do you mean 'this?'" Wendy asked.
"Disappearing, skipping school, hanging around Pan. Wait- what is he, like your boyfriend now?" Grace asked.
"No, Grace. I just enjoy making out with random guys in the back of libraries now. Didn't I tell you?" Wendy replied sarcastically.
"Wendy I'm saying this as your friend. You don't know what you're getting yourself into," Grace said after a minute.
"Getting myself into? You don't even know him!"
"That's the point! Neither do you!"
"I do, actually. There's a lot more to Peter than meets the eye. And even if there weren't, you don't get to tell me who I can or cannot date!"
Wendy was growing more and more irritated by the second. Of all people, she'd expected Grace to understand. And she didn't, not even a little bit. The thought made Wendy feel more like a lost girl than anything else that had happened.
"You can't fix him, Wendy," Grace said after a minute.
"I- What?" Wendy asked taken aback.
"I know you. You think he's just troubled, misunderstood. That a few kind words and a trusting heart will magically heal the most distrusted person in town. But they won't. You can't fix him."
"Maybe I can't 'fix' him because he's not broken. Ever think of that?"
Grace opened her mouth to say something else, but Wendy wasn't having it. She packed up her things and left without so much as a goodbye.
By the team she got to Granny's, Wendy was fuming. How dare Grace think she knew what was going on inside of her head! She didn't know her, not really. And she wasn't trying to fix Peter! What a ridiculous accusation. She was with him because she loved him, faults and all. And for Grace to insinuate anything else, well that was just wrong. She sat down next to Peter, still not any closer to calming down.
"You alright Darling? You looked troubled," he pointed out.
"I'm fine. Just upset I didn't get more work done is all," she lied.
"You'll have plenty of time to finish," he said kissing her temple, "And I know when you're lying."
"Fine, fine. I just... I thought of all people Grace would understand. And she doesn't."
"Does anyone?"
Wendy sighed. "No, not really."
"It's us against the world, Darling," he said and somehow the thought both saddened and comforted her. She nodded and kissed him.
"I should be getting home soon. I don't want to push my newfound freedom," Wendy said taking a bite off her food.
"You worry too much Darling. When do you ever just live?" Peter asked looking over at her.
"Whenever I'm with you," she muttered blushing.
"As much as I like that answer, it's not completely true. You're worried about something now."
"I wish we could just be for a little while. No parents or school. No living in constant fear someone's going to tell we've been spending all this time together. I don't know," Wendy said shaking her head.
"We could you know. We'd have to leave though."
"And stay where- our tree house? No they'd find us too soon. If we were really going to run away we'd have to leave Storybrooke."
"And go where?" Peter asked.
"I don't know. Somewhere they wouldn't think to look for us," Wendy answered thoughtfully.
"Somewhere far away then?"
"Yeah, a place where we would go unnoticed. A city maybe?"
"Ah, but how would we live?"
"How have you been living all this time?"
"In their haste to get out of town, my parents left a lot behind," Peter explained.
"Hm. I guess we'd have to rent out a place. Which probably means getting jobs," Wendy pointed out.
"Or we could live off all my parents buried treasure."
"Yes, but how we could we even get to the city, not to mention taking all that stuff with us."
"We could try hitch hiking," Peter suggested.
Wendy laughed. "Could you imagine ever actually doing this?"
"Believe it or not, yes."
"Really?"
"Why not? I've survived here by myself. It'd just be a matter of getting there."
"A city is different from a small town where everyone knows everyone."
"True, but we could figure it out."
Wendy smiled. She could see the wheels turning in his head, trying to figure out every obstacle they could encounter. To him, it would be nothing but a great adventure. To her, it was nothing but a dream.
"Come on," she said getting up, "A dream this big should be hatched in the privacy of your own home."
"What happens when it becomes a plan?" he asked standing too.
"I guess we'll have to see."
