6th November 2007

Title: The Care and Feeding of Flying Boys

Author: Squeezynz

Chapter: Five – Friends, Foes and moral fiber

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Peter's mind was only half on what was being discussed about the council. His Lost Boys were in good voice, Crate proposing suitably gruesome plans for ambush while Stretch described singularly bloodthirsty ways of dispatching the pirates minus their entrails or other body parts. The Chief looked on with a detached disdain while his braves argued over the probable actions of Hook and his crew and which direction they'd come from. While the rumpus carried on around him, Peter sat beside Talagumpa and thought about Wendy.

His life had been turned upside down by her arrival not once, but three times to Neverland. The first time had been short and unsatisfying, Wendy accepting his hand to bring her to his world, but once there she had been reserved and nervous, shy of him and unwilling to take a risk. Despite that inauspicious beginning, he'd returned to bring her a second time, this visit a little longer, allowing him to show her more of his world and the people in it. But again, she had been reserved and wary, taking an instant dislike to the Indian Princess for no reason that Peter could fathom. But despite the difficult start to their relationship, or maybe because of it, he'd gone back a third time, determined to pursue this one girl above all others. If asked, Peter would have been hard pressed to explain why he'd chosen Wendy, his reasons still not clear to himself, let alone anyone else. That he was attracted to her physically was without dispute, his body wanting to leap out of its skin whenever she was near, the overwhelming urge to touch, caress, kiss and get closer driving him mad without really understanding why that was. He could no more explain the reason his heart almost leapt out of his chest, hammering like a drum every time he touched his lips to hers, or why the feel of her in his arms filled an empty place that had been steadily growing larger with each passing year. All he would have been able to explain was that this girl, this creature from another world far removed from the magic of Neverland, was what he needed, what he craved. Her touch aroused him in ways he never knew existed, his skin tingling wherever she touched, his body leaping to attention from so innocent an engagement as holding her hand or seeing her smile. Seeing her blush when he teased her made him want to tease her again and again, the delicate rose in her cheeks making heat bloom everywhere on his body, his toes curling when the scent of her hair reached out and wrapped him in invisible coils. If he could have done so, he would have wanted to fuse the two of them together, becoming one body, one mind, one heart, never to be parted or separated, entwined seamlessly. It was a far cry from his usual carefree existence, to want someone so badly he could almost taste the need making his blood race through his veins. Even the threat of Hook and his machinations weren't enough to stop his mind wondering where she was, when she would be back within his sight again, how soon before he could have her alone somewhere, his thoughts beyond that point too heated to contemplate. It was as if he had a fever, if such a thing were possible, as if he'd become infected by this girl, her very presence enough to send his blood singing and his hands reaching for her.

Without realizing, his musings had left him staring off into space, a lopsided grin twisting his lips as his thoughts consumed him. Seeing the lovesick look on Peter's face, the Chief lifted up the knobbly stick he used to bang on the ground for attention and poked the younger man with it. Peter jerked out of his reverie and blinked at the Chief, his hand lifting to rub at the spot where the stick had dug in.

"Ow."

"If fighting Hook is so unimportant, why did you call this meeting?"

"Huh?"

"We are discussing war plans, and you are off," the Chief made waving motions with his hand, "somewhere other than here."

"Sorry Chief...er...I was thinking?"

"Thinking about her, I'm guessing." Seeing Peter's face turn pink, Talagumpa chuckled to himself. "Leave us Peter, you're no good to us in this state. Take the girl somewhere and purge this love-sickness. When you are ready to talk about Hook and what we are to do, we will be here."

"But..." Peter looked around the circle, the braves and Lost Boy's oblivious to him and the Chief, the animated plans and outrageous suggestions being bandied back and forth washing over Peter like a wave. "I guess you're right chief. I'll go look for her and see how she's getting on with Lily." He grinned wickedly at the Talagumpa, "you suggest a purge?"

"Take her somewhere far away. If Hook comes here, we'll do what we always do. He won't be any trouble."

Peter rubbed his chin and thought for a moment. Snapping his fingers he jumped to his feet. "I know just the place. Thanks Chief, I'll be back..."

"When you're back , as the Pan. When the warrior is ready to fight and the fool is satisfied."

"Right." Peter cocked an eyebrow at the grinning Indian Chief, the man's dark eyes twinkling up at him. Around the circle, the Lost boy's and braves had stopped their animated discussions and were staring at Peter.

"Peter? Where are you going?" Harry asked, the others suddenly silent as they waited for his answer.

"Oh...well...um...carry on men. I trust you to come up with something to foil the codfish and his cohorts. I have...um...something to do."

"But..." Crate started to argue, but Peter didn't stay to listen, waving his hand briefly before turning his back on the war council and walking away. All eyes swiveled to fix on the Talagumpa, the Chief lifting his broad shoulders in a shrug, before thumping the ground with his stick.

"We have talked enough. For the time being we must accept that the Pan is not going to be a part of these plans. Tell me what you have decided."

The Lost boy's exchanged glances between each other, Crate's narrowed eyes following Peter's departure before turning back to face the chief. "This is what I think we should do..."

Peter sauntered through the Indian village, whistling merrily, that small task almost defeated by the grin that threatened to break out on his face every few seconds. Up ahead he noticed two Indian girls walking arm in arm, both dressed in fine deerskin but one with hair the color of jet, the other with hair that glinted gold in the sun. His heart jerked in his chest when he recognized Wendy as one of the girls, her face alive with laughter at something Tiger Lily was telling her.

"Wendy?"

The two girls stopped when Peter hailed them, their smiles turning secretive as they approached.

"Oh Peter, Lily took me to the most wonderful glade with this simply darling lake, with warm water and soap berry plants..."

"Wendy?" Peter interrupted her enthusiastic discourse, his eyes drinking in her curves beneath the softly draped Indian dress.

"Yes Peter?" Wendy looked back at him, her eyes a shining blue as she gave him her full attention. Tiger Lily looked on with some amusement, seeing Peter gazing back at her friend with such obvious absorption, her presence not wanted or acknowledged. She cleared her throat and Peter's gaze finally flickered over her for a brief instant before returning to it's former direction.

"Oh, hi Lily...the war council is still going if you want to take part."

"Thank you Peter...but I was going to show Wendy how to use a bow, if you remember."

Now she had his attention, a frown creasing his forehead as he turned towards her. "You were?"

"Yes. You asked me to?"

"It'll have to wait...I need...er...I have to take Wendy to see something."

"But Peter...I was looking forward to..." Wendy found herself suddenly free of Tiger Lily and being bundled along, back the way she'd come. "Peter please, at least let me say goodbye to the Princess!"

"No time...gotta go now..." Peter muttered, his hand firmly about hers, as unyielding as steel. Wendy looked back at her new friend and shrugged helplessly, waving as Peter bore her on towards the edge of the tepee's.

"Goodbye Wendy...I'll see you when you get back," the Princess called after them, grinning at both her friends, recognizing the signs, determination on Peter's to have Wendy to himself, and a growing acceptance by Wendy to be had.

Peter was almost running now, Wendy towed in his wake until the inevitable happened and she stumbled, Peter barely pausing to swing her up in his arm and jump into the air all in the same move. Wendy gasped, wrapping her arms about his neck as the ground fell away and Peter carried her off.

"Good heavens Peter, if I didn't know better I'd think you just kidnapped me!"

"I did."

"You did? But what about Hook, the pirates...don't you think they're going to attack the Indian village?"

"Maybe...but the Chief has that all in hand and anyway, the braves outnumber the pirates plus the Lost boy's are there to help out."

"Well, yes. But I thought you wanted me to learn how to use a bow? As you could see, the Princess and I are good friends now."

"I did see, and I'm happy. I told you she was alright."

"You did...and she was." Wendy lay her head on his shoulder, not bothering to pay much attention to where they were going. "Did you...I mean, was there ever a time you thought...that is..." Wendy felt her cheeks heat up as she tried to voice the question begging for an answer. Peter glanced down at her and saw the small frown furrowing her brow.

"You want to know if I ever kissed Lily?"

Wendy's cheeks flared bright red and she wouldn't look at him. "She is very beautiful, and I think she might have thought that you and she..."

"I did get an Indian kiss from Lily after I rescued her from Hook's clutches. He'd taken her prisoner and tied her to a rock to drown."

"Oh Peter, how horrible!"

"He only did it to get me there to rescue her. It worked, and as plans went it was a good one."

"You admired his plan?"

"Hook is a cunning old codfish, but he can never win against me."

"You're very sure of yourself."

"Of course," he gave her a smug smile, dark lights twinkling in his eyes before he turned his attention back to his flying.

"I see. And for rescuing the Princess you got a kiss?"

"An Indian kiss." Peter lowered his head to hers and rubbed his nose against hers, nuzzling her cheeks but not kissing her in the conventional way, lip to lip. "That's an Indian kiss."

"Oh. So you've never kissed a girl on the lips before you met me?"

"I didn't say that. Only that I hadn't kissed Lily that way." Peter laughed at Wendy's outraged expression, choosing that moment to swoop down towards the ground in such a way to make his passenger clutch her arms more tightly about his neck and squeal in fright. As a ploy to take Wendy's mind off him and the Princess, it worked to a point, Wendy deciding to drop the discussion about Peter and his conquests and instead look about her and where he was taking her.

"Oh my..." Wendy whispered faintly, barely feeling her feet touch the ground as she gazed about her. Peter hadn't flown for every long, so she assumed they weren't very far from the Indian village. What she hadn't taken in to account was his speed, their trip in fact taking them round to the other side of the towering volcanic peak that dominated the islands topography. Here there was no evidence of habitation, the jungle as thick and impenetrable as virgin forest, the air filled with the fluting calls of multitudes of birds, whole flocks rising up from the canopy to wheel and flutter in colorful living clouds before settling again. The trees were very straight and tall, like columns of smooth bark, their lofty tops filtering the sunlight so that it fells misty and green to the ground below. Shafts of sunlight broke through and made bright patches on the leaf litter, making the shadows that much darker and mysterious. They had landed in a small clearing, its edges ringed with stones of different heights and shapes, the grass underfoot fringing the rocks and bases of the trees like fine strands of hair. As Wendy stepped forward she could see faint rings laid out on the ground, her first impression that they were formed by white stones, but a closer inspection telling her that they were small mushrooms just broaching the green sward, creating numerous small rings of fungi among the grass.

"This is a very special place," Peter told her, "'tis full of magic...fairy magic."

"You can feel it. These must be fairy rings, and those standing stones, like the ones I've read about."

"You have these in your world?" Peter's eyebrows had risen in surprise, his hands gravitating to his hips as he waited for her answer.

"Oh yes...well...the fairy rings were explained in a journal I read. Apparently the fungus spores spread out in ever widening circles each time they produce mushrooms." She reached down to pick one, the white ball feeling soft and silky between her fingers. "I wonder if you can eat these."

"Ur...Wendy? Please don't pick any more of those...the fairies are rather particular about their special place."

"Oh, sorry." She bent down and replaced the mushroom where it sat, now canted on one side. She walked over to one of the large upright stones, her fingers grazing over the surface, surprised to feel faint indentations under her fingertips, a carved pattern appearing faintly on the rough face of the rock. "There's something carved onto this rock."

"They hold the ancient fairy magic at their heart," Peter explained, coming to stand beside her, his own hand reaching out to touch the grey rock face. "Every full moon the fairies gather here to dance and feast and hold their fairy councils. It's quite a spectacle."

"How wonderful. The moon was nearly full last night, will they be coming tonight?"

"Maybe," Peter smiled secretively. "But we'll have to wait until dark to find out. In the meantime, I wanted to show you something else."

"Neverland is truly full of the most wonderful things Peter. I'd imagine you'll never, ever want to leave here."

"Of course not. Why would I ever consider such a thing?"

"Oh, no reason." Wendy fiddled with the beading on her dress. "I'll have so much to tell my brothers when I go home again, and mother and father will never believe half of what I'll tell them about Neverland."

Peter gaped at her disbelievingly. "What are you talking about? You're not going home, you know that. You're here for ever and ever!"

"Oh no Peter...I couldn't do that. Why my poor parents might think me dead and grieve quite unnecessarily, and what about my poor brothers, they will cry and think me gone forever. I can't do that to my family."

"But...but..." Peter stammered, his face turning quite pink. "You can't leave me...I won't allow it."

"Won't allow it?" Wendy turned slowly to face him, her own color high. "Won't allow it!"

"I'm the King, you're my Queen...Neverland accepts you, the Indian's, even the princess accept all this. Why do you not?"

"Because it isn't right. This is all a lovely dream Peter, but just a dream. A very detailed and exciting dream, I'll grant you that, but I can't stay here...I don't belong amongst fairies and pirates and mermaids. I have a family, a place in my world, a future to consider. I'm not a child to run away from all that."

"But you'd run away from me?" His hurt, bewildered expression tore at her heart, but she remained firm, imagining her mother's face, her family's heartbreak if she never returned.

She reached out a hand to him, "I can always come and visit?" Her hand touched empty air, Peter having jerked back from her, his face contorted with frustration.

"Visit? To do that you'd have to have gone and come back from here. You can't leave, I won't let you."

"Peter," Wendy spoke in a voice she recognized as Miss Finchin's at her most prim, "are you suggesting to hold me prisoner here? For I tell you now, it won't do!"

Peter was struggling to contain his temper, his thwarted desire making him stalk back and forth across the green grass, his brows drawn down over his eyes. Wendy stood and watched, her chin held high and her hands clasped in front of her, trying desperately not to shake and show how fearful she was. She could see that Peter was working up to a towering rage, his shoulders and arms bunched with hard muscle as he clenched and unclenched his fists. Swallowing hard, she held to her resolve and lifted her head another notch. Peter abruptly stopped his pacing and turned to face her, his expression clearing like the sun coming out from behind a cloud.

"This is a test, isn't it? Something you and Lily cooked up to tease me." He crossed his arms and looked smug at having figured out why she was being so contrary. Wendy wanted to stamp her foot and slap the silly grin off his face.

"Of all the silly things to say, of course it's not a test. It's the truth Peter. I can no more abandon my family than you can abandon Neverland forever. It's not the right thing to do, and I won't do it."

Waving his hand as if to dismiss her words unsaid, Peter continued to regard her with his infuriatingly smug smile, unfolding his arms before swaggering over to her, circling around where she stood.

"It won't work...I don't believe you. You can't lie to me Wendy...I know."

"Know what?" She could feel heat rising in her face as her own temper started to take over, her fingers clenching into fist to box his ears if he would only come close enough.

Peter continued to circle around her, his eyes dancing, waving his hand towards her features. "You can't lie to me with those eyes, or that mouth. Want me to prove it?"

Wendy's temper boiled over and she took a swing at him, Peter dancing back out of reach and laughing, the sound further enraging her. "You touch me Peter Pan and I'll...I'll...box your ears!"

As if to test her, Peter spread his arms wide and bent forward, tilting his head to bring his chin within her reach, an impudent eyebrow rising to taunt her. With a hiss of fury, Wendy lunged, her small fist swiping through the air and missing completely, her wrist caught in a vice like grip, her swing catching her off balance. Peter used his grip to his advantage, Wendy literally falling into his arms as he twisted her arm behind her back to hold her in place, bringing them chest to chest. She struggled,but couldn't twist free of his grip, her bare feet making no impression on his shins, her free hand quickly caught and held behind her back with the other. Glaring up at him, Wendy could only purse her lips as his came down to claim their prize, her mouth clamped shut against his persuasive enticement. Peter maintained his sweet assault a few seconds before pulling away, Wendy's eyes shooting sparks into his as she fumed silently, her mouth shut to him. Keeping her hands behind her back within his clasp, Peter used his free hand to roam over her face, ignoring her head toss and furious glare. Tracing her cheek, he had to pull his hand away when she tried to bite him, her lips pulled back, baring her small, white teeth.

Wendy was keeping up her ferocious stance with some difficulty. Peter held her effortlessly plastered against his body, her chest mashed against his, his legs braced to keep his feet as her own tried to find purchase. His very nearness was undermining all her defenses, his heat through her dress melting her resistance as she struggled to get away. Her attempt to bite him had been a reflex born of fear that if he tried to kiss her again she'd not be able to stop herself kissing him back. His presence was enough to make her knees go weak and her head spin, the puff of his breath against her cheek sending shivers up and down her spine, the tug and pull of her dress as he shifted his balance against her body making her gasp in shock as tingles prickled her skin. Without realizing it, she was relaxing into his hold on her, her body accepting even as her mind continued to rebel, his quick grin of triumph unacknowledged as her eyes slid shut and her lips welcomed his.

He released his grip on her hands, his mind crowing as he accepted her capitulation, his arms wrapping around her and pressing her closer, in truth wanting to meld the two of them together, all anger and enmity washed away in the flood of feeling coursing through him everywhere they touched. Her arms no longer confined, she quickly wrapped them around his neck, her response to his kiss all the more intense having only seconds before wanted to hate him, but now could only melt against him and give herself up to his eagerly plundering mouth.

Somehow they ended up laying on the soft grass, lips and tongues still enthusiastically exploring new territory, legs entwined and arms wrapped about the other. Peter's large hand was roaming over the soft surface of her dress, dipping into the hollow of her waist and over her hip, tracing the contour of her thigh then back up again, smoothing over the deerskin as if leaning her shape and texture. Her own were not exactly still, taking their own journey over his shoulders and arms, kneading the muscles bunched under the sun warmed skin, her fingers threading through his hair and scalp, tracing the shape of his ears and nape, all the while yearning for something more. When his hand closed over her breast she realized just what more could entail. With great reluctance she wrenched herself away from him, her mouth open as she gasped for air, still bound within his arms, but her mind a little clearer once free of his drugging kisses.

"Peter...Peter stop..."

Peter didn't hear her, his mouth occupied with mapping her neck while his hand marveled at the hard pebble against his palm as he brushed it repeatedly over her breast. Wendy groaned and flung her head back, well aware, even if her lover was not, of where this was all leading.

"Peter, we have to stop...now." Shoving hard against his shoulder, Wendy managed to get his attention, Peter lifting his head to blink at her, his hand not stopping it's wicked fondling even as he focused on her wide eyes and flushed face.

"What did you say?" He grinned at her and leant forward to capture her mouth again. Wendy twisted her face way and thumped her fist against his arm.

"No Peter...we can't do this. We have to stop!"

"Why? I'm liking this," he nuzzled her cheek with his nose, "You're liking this," he squeezed her soft breast through the dress, "why do you want to stop?"

"Be-because..." Wendy found it hard to concentrate, Peter lapping at the skin under her jawline, his hand tracing circles around her breast, circling closer to the peak even as his leg nudged between hers, his bodies response to their lovemaking hard against her thigh. "Because..." she swallowed and fought for control over her wayward body. "I'm a lady, and ladies don't do this with gentlemen until they are married." She sighed deeply as Peter's hands and mouth stilled against her. "I can't do this with you...I'm...I'm a virgin. On-only my husband is allow-allowed to go this far..." Peter was like a block of stone against her, cold and hard. Slowly he lifted his head and stared at her with his fathomless eyes, their sparkle gone.

"I am the king and you are my queen. That makes this right."

"No Peter, it doesn't. Kings and queens are just make believe, and I can't let this go that far. I'm sorry, but I can't."

Peter tried to lean forward and kiss her again but Wendy turned her head to thwart him, her body shaking as she fought for control. The enormity of what she'd been so close to doing had been like a douse of cold water, every moral fiber screaming out that it was wrong, her heart wailing that it was right and her head fighting its own battle against her frustrated desire. Something in her stillness communicated this to Peter, his grip on her loosening. Slowly he pulled away from her, sitting up so that his back was to her. Wendy sat up as well, pushing her hair back off her face and tugging at her dress in an attempt to calm herself.

"Is there someone...back there? Do you already have a husband?"

"No...no I don't have a husband."

"But you won't let me be your husband?"

"You can't be Peter...this isn't the real world...this is Neverland where fairies and pirates live, where dreams are made real and you live an enchanted life. It isn't real...not like my world."

"I don't understand. You're not making any sense!"

Silence fell over them, Wendy drawing her legs up and turning away from him. All around them the forest fluttered and breathed, birds wheeling over head, filling the air with their peeping cries, ignoring the silent pair below in the glade.

"I think I should go home now."

Getting to his feet, Peter held out his hand to her, his face averted. Wendy took his hand, her eyes lowered. The sun was directly overhead, it's heat seeping in to her frozen limbs as they slowly rose into the air, Peter leading rather than holding her, his eyes never once meeting hers as he flew her back towards the Indian village. A thin plume of smoke rose from the forest, indicating where the pirates had tried to fire the huge tree, their efforts useless and already being repaired by the tree itself. The village came into view and Peter set them down just outside the first of the buffalo hide tents. Wendy was biting her bottom lip to stop the tears from breaking through, her vision blurry as she faced the tepees. Peter had distanced himself and stood off to the side, his hands hanging by his side.

"I'll arrange for a fairy guide to take you back. Goodbye Wendy."

Choked by her misery, Wendy couldn't raise her head, her fingers twisting together as she tried to speak past the lump in her throat. Unable to bear the silence a second longer, she lifted her eyes only to find Peter gone, the forest silent around her. Overhead the sun was blotted out by clouds massing above the trees, a chill wind brushing past her and making her skirt flap around her legs.

"What have I done?"

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