My apologies for those who are reading for the delay. This chapter was difficult for some reason.

***Warning, we get a little PG-13 toward the end. The next chapter will be jumping into the R – NC17 territory. You have been warned. :)

Clouds passed lazily through the sky. Somewhere in the distance a bird of prey screeched. Wendy lost track of time as she lay on her back puzzling through what felt like a lifetime of knowledge that now returned to her. Sometimes she cried and sometimes she laughed but most of the time she just quietly reflected. But what she found most strange was the overwhelming sense of right. It felt as if she had discovered the rest of her, as though she found something before she had even realized it had been missing. This is how Peter found her after 2 hours. He had finally become worried enough to break the taboo of two people entering the clearing together. When he saw her supine on the grass he raced to her, and falling into the grass gathered her into his arms.

Panicked he asked "Wendy what's wrong, what happened?"

Silence stretched before him as he studied her peaceful expression.

"You once wore a hat with a red feather," she replied in an entranced voice, "I found it, the feather, just before I was brought back. It was tucked in the eves outside of the nursery."

Peter was frozen, staring at her with unblinking eyes.

"I must have dropped it, when he came." She mused looking back toward the sky. After a long moment her eyes narrowed and focused back on him. "But not you Peter, you do not drop things. You left that feather in my window, why?"

He swallowed deeply trying his best to find speech again. "I wanted to leave a part of me behind. I didn't want us to be totally parted, even if it was only a token. I never thought you would find it."

"Yes, I understand now. You know why I had to return now? You understand what you were asking me to forget."

"Yes." He whispered.

"Then we are even. We have each of us broken the others heart."

The words raced through him like fire. She remembered, she understood what he had taken from her in his carelessness. So consumed he was in self-pity he barely heard her next words.

"I forgive you."

His gasp was muffled by her kiss. It was soft and tender and full of words neither of them could communicate. It spoke of innocence and misunderstandings, time and second chances. By the time their lips parted they were both smiling.

"They are both alive." Wendy said.

"What?"

"John and Michael, they are alive."

"How can that be? I thought you said you had been informed of John's end."

"They were mistaken it seems. Whatever the reason for the error I have nothing left to mourn. I felt it Peter, the water, it told me things. Things I didn't even know how to ask. Everything will be fine with them, there is nothing left to fear. I can stay here, though I will miss them, without regret."

With a shout of delight Peter jumped to his feet and swung Wendy around in circles.

"Come we must tell the others." She said moving to lift her off her feet.

She held a hand to his chest halting him. "My brothers are alive when I thought them dead. I will never need another happy thought." Wendy smiled as her feet slowly rose off the ground.

The celebration that was born from Wendy's returned memory was one of which the island had never seen. They had moved the party to the Mermaid Cove so that all could join in the merriment. Lost boys, mermaids, natives and fairies all gathered as the festivities lasted so long into the night the horizon began to lighten before the last guest bid farewell. Wendy was escorted back to the tree by her new family, the 6 brothers she had finally found again and the man that in her heart she knew she loved. While happy, she found herself harboring trepidations. She did not know how to reconcile her heart with her head. She knew she was meant for Peter and her heart told her to love him freely, but the logic in her demanded caution as they rekindled the spark that had been born all those years ago. Tonight she would not fret over such things. Tonight she would just be content that she was home. And with a grin she slept away the morning.

Time began to pass quickly for Wendy. She grew back into Neverland and the lost boys as a vine does to a tree. Her wrists healed under the care of the Twins and soon only thin pink scars remained as a reminder of her first day in Neverland.

Lazy afternoons were spent with Nerida sunning themselves on the warm sand. Great Big Little Panther and Summer Wind officiated a ceremony that adopted her into their tribe. Half of Wendy's tears that night had been for gratitude the other was learning that Tiger Lily had left her father vowing never to return when she had heard of his plans. She had not been seen since despite sending the tribe's most skilled trackers after her.

"Her pride has caused this, not you my daughter." The Chief soothed when Wendy expressed her dismay at being the cause of such a rift.

But it was with Tinkerbelle that Wendy found the most wonder in Neverland. Under a promise to never discuss the knowledge she would share, the fairy showed her secrets of the island that not even Peter knew. She discovered that Neverland itself was born of the dreams of children. From the unrepressed imagination that flowed from their unconscious minds into the heavens when finally it exploded to take a corporeal form. The fairies, who were born of those same children's laughter and the mermaids who were created from tears of happiness found their home among those realized fantasies. The island, while fueled by the children still on earth, no longer required dreams to remain in existence. In times of distress the island called to those who would sustain it. Thus the humans and beasts who occupied this place came to be. Peter was special. At one point the island called to earth for a child who would become its protector and caretaker. Peter answered that call, though he would never be aware that he had. It was because of Peter's loss of Wendy the direct link back to earth had been severed. The pool was the islands way to compensate for that loss.

"But why did time here begin to move when I left? And what can we do to stop it now?" Wendy asked.

"Silly child," Tinkerbelle smirked "It was the only way Peter could stay close to you was to age along with you. And since time does not exist here in any real way he had to take the time from somewhere. Which is why some aged and others became young. But now that you are back, time will be still again. He has more power than he realizes, but it is something he needs to discover himself."

"Why did you not share this with the others, surely it would have saved many a great deal of distress." She accused.

Tinkerbelle lay her tiny hand on Wendy's.

"We would never intentionally cause harm. The island didn't want them to know, therefore we were not allowed to tell."

"Then how is it that you are allowed to tell me?"

Tink shrugged "Neverland likes you." Was her simple reply.

It was later while Wendy was sitting in the high branches of the Nevertree thinking on this that she found herself gazing out toward the direction of the Jolly Roger. Hook. She had not forgotten his letter, nor his actions in bringing her here. The Captain and his crew were part of Neverland yet seemed to be separated by something. It was the one dark spot that plagued her days besides the native princess. She wanted to speak to him, to James. With a decade between the child who knew him as a villain and the woman she was now she wondered; who was this man who would risk so much to bring her back? A thousand times she began her flight toward the ship and a thousand times she stopped herself. It was no secret that Hook and Peter were enemies, no matter how much the rivalry had cooled. She knew that any visit to the Captain would hurt Peter deeply. But she wanted answers from him and she didn't know how to get them.

Thinking of Peter now she felt the blood raise to her cheeks. They had also grown back together. Over the past few weeks she could feel a tempest brewing between them. Something so raw and powerful that it frightened and thrilled her. Yet she found herself resisting his more direct advances. She was no fool, she knew what happened in the late hours between those who were in love. She knew the mechanics and what to anticipate. She was not afraid of the pain. She was afraid of the power of what she was sure would be unleashed between them. The moment she gave herself to him completely she knew there would be no turning back. There would never be another she would love more. While this was surely inevitable she was not quite ready to lose that small remaining part of her innocence.

She picked at a loose thread on her rose colored dress before dropping her hands in her lap. Inevitability has a way of happening, she thought to herself. Worrying over it will do no good. She laid her back against the bark of the tree and closed her eyes. There she dozed quietly until she was roused to the warm pressure of Peter's lips upon hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and parted her mouth to greet his tongue with her own.

He ended their interlude with a quick peck on the nose. "Let's have an adventure." He said holding out his hand. Wendy smiled and took it without hesitation.

The dying sun seemed to linger on the horizon unwilling to let such a perfect day end. They had spent the entire afternoon racing through the woods with the Lost Boys and a few particularly fast jaguars. One of the younger females even allowed Wendy the honor of petting her downy black ears before returning to the jungle. The evening was spent in the Lost Boys room listening to a story that Nibs was writing for the Piccaninny about their spirit guides. As the tale wove on many of them settled into their beds which were carved into the thick branches of the tree that jutted out from this section of the trunk. When she had asked Slightly about his inspiration she told her about the first time he had seen bunk beds in the pool and decided they had a cozy feel to them. She watched content as they all settled down for the evening. It was comforting to have them after having to leave her brothers behind.

John was healing well and Michael continued to be frustrated with the mounds of paperwork that was his efforts to the war. Her absence had thankfully gone mostly unnoticed. Her fellow school teachers at first had been concerned but were thankfully believing that she had run off with someone. She had to laugh when she heard the gossip, they were in a way correct though she doubted their imaginations could have dreamed the reality. Her students, few as they were, had been distributed to other classes and were doing well. She worried sometimes what would happen when John and Michael returned and found her gone, but she tried not to dwell on that.

Her eyelids had begun to droop and she bid all goodnight. As always Peter came with her to escort her to her door. They flew slowly, hand in hand to her branch. Peter's home in the tree was just above hers and though she had not yet been brave enough to visit it with him it was a luxury to know all of the men she cared so much for were just above and below her. They reached her door but before she opened the secret knot she turned to him for her goodnight kiss. It started as they usually did, but something changed.

Peter's hand moved up Wendy's spine forming gooseflesh in its wake. His palm rested at the base of her skull and tilted her head back to deepen their kiss. His other arm turned to steel and banded her to him. Lust swam through Wendy like a drug and dug her fingers into his shoulders. Fever spread through them both as he slammed them into the trunk of the tree. Heat spread through her body from her core. She felt his need press against her abdomen. More, please more were her thoughts.

He needed her as he needed to breathe. He had wanted her this way the moment he understood what it was to want. He hitched her leg over his hip in a frenzied movement. He could feel himself pressed against her center. Only a few thin layers of fabric lay between him and his goal. This was right, this was his home. He had imagined this moment for what felt like an eternity and though he had desired to make their first time as one last and linger, he could not say that he now regretted the speed. He slid his fingers down the side of her neck to tenderly cup the soft flesh that was Wendy's breast. Exquisite. He broke his assault on her mouth to trail kisses down her throat.

It was in this moment when cool evening air struck her lungs that Wendy's head cleared just enough to realize what was happening. She wasn't ready, was she? She didn't know, wait, this was all happening too fast.

"Peter, wait." She said in a voice that was not her own.

Freezing as an animal does when it realizes it has become prey he stopped. Emotions surged through his mind, he let out a shaky breath and deliberately released her while stepping back.

The moment he had let her go she could only feel regret. What had she just done?

"Peter, wait, I…" She began desperate to take back her momentary doubt.

"I'm sorry Wendy, please I would never force, myself, I mean… I, I'm sorry."

"No, please you misunderstood, I just was afraid, for a moment. Would you come inside?" She implored.

"If you were afraid then no I should not come in. Wendy I love you, it is alright. We have forever, we need not rush for my sake."

His smile was genuine but the tension in his eyes was unmistakable. If she could have she would have snatched her words of hesitation out of the air and she would still be in his arms.

"I'm sorry." She whispered letting her eyes sink to her feet. "I love you too."

He caught her chin and brought her mouth to his for a chaste kiss.

"There is no need for you to apologize. Goodnight." With these words he floated off the branch and set off away from the tree into the surrounding forest.

Her legs were weak and she could hear her heart thundering in her ears. The heat that had crawled through their interlude had morphed into an unbearable ache. What was she doing? Her fingers crept up her too warm body to toy with the thimble that rested against her chest. Why do I keep stopping what I want, she asked herself? She stood very still waiting for her pulse to slow, it was fruitless. Enough. With determination she had not known she possessed she threw her door back open. Enough of this now, it is time to give in to what we both need. Closing the door behind her she sped off into the night hoping she knew where he would have gone.