Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time, sadly. The fun I would I have if I did though. I can dream lol
As Wendy slowly opened her eyes, the hazy form of a dimly lit room appeared before her recovering vision. Blinking slowly, Wendy tried to settle the steady rise of panic building within her gut and calmly look around the room. It strangely resembled the tree house she and Peter fashioned when they visited a year ago; however, now there were some slight altercations. The biggest one being the beautiful canopy bed and large window with white, flowing curtains that mirrored her own room back home. Wendy's entire body froze. It couldn't be true. She slowly rose from the bed she had been lying upon, and checked her appearance—she still wore the same green nightgown with matching night slippers that she had been wearing the night of stargazing, and the beautiful pearl ring rested upon her ring finger. Her eyes lingered upon the new piece of jewelry with a strange mix of admiration and disappointment. She had always believed in her future with Peter, but they would have been in London and Peter wouldn't be…the way he is now. The thought sparked tears, which Wendy allowed to flow down her face. The faint sound of a door opened, revealing a solemn Peter carrying a bouquet of assorted wildflowers—her favorite—which he must have picked from the meadow while she was under the sleeping spell.
Taking a few steps, Peter ended up on his knee in front of her, placing the flowers upon her lap. "I love you," he confessed after a long pause. His form of an apology.
More tears fell down Wendy's cheeks, but she didn't allow any sobs to escape—just rested her eyes upon the boy who watched her. "Forgive me for not returning the sentiment right now," she retorted.
Peter acknowledged her anger with a slight bow of his head and rose to his feet. He risked grabbing a strand of her hair to ring around his finger. He felt relieved when she didn't pull away, "I need you Wendy. I'm sorry." As if that was enough to justify everything.
"That will be the last time you ever apologize, I'm assuming? This island has stolen your heart after all." The bitter words left a sour taste in her mouth and weighed heavily upon her own heart.
"I have my heart back now," he responded.
Perplexed, Wendy looked into his eyes; the look held in them spoke volumes. With a sharp intake of breath, she allowed Peter to take her hand and hold it. They remained in that position for a long time—Peter regretful about the manner by which he was able to get Wendy to Neverland but pleased nonetheless at the end result, and Wendy torn by her love for Peter and her disappointment in how much he has changed.
A low, shuffling noise distracted the pair from their trance, prompting both Wendy and Peter to extend their gaze onto the entranceway where another figure stood watching them. A young boy, barely age seven, stared at Wendy in awe. Her heart lurched at the sight at the child, and reflexively stood up to step closer to him. "Hello there," she cooed softly. She turned to look at Peter briefly, directing her obvious shock and anger at the presence of such a young child on the island. Peter tore his gaze from her, his eyes skirting the ground in a strong resemblance to shame, a very foreign feeling to him until this moment.
Quietly acknowledging Peter's reaction before reverting back to a softer expression, Wendy continued to approach the confused little boy. "What is your name, sweetheart?"
The warm tone caused the little boy to take a step closer to the kind woman. "Elliot," he mumbled quickly. He shuffled his feet nervously as the pretty girl kneeled before him. "You look like my mother," he confessed softly.
The statement broke her heart, "Oh dear," she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Where is your mother now?" The question seemed misplaced considering they were in Neverland, but Wendy felt a rush of determination consume her—this boy had to be returned home.
Tiny blue eyes, tinged with despair, lingered on her own emerald ones. "She's gone." Her chest constricted at his answer.
Peter's voice filled the silence, 'The shadow brought him to the island. He must have been receptive to the boy's wish to be out of an orphanage."
Trying to compose herself for the boy's sake, Wendy listened to Peter's words with a calm demeanor, which became comforting as she spoke her next words to the little boy. "Why don't you stay by me for now, while we are in this new place? I'll take care of you." The sight of the genuine smile that appeared on the boy's face almost knocked her off balance; he was beaming with joy. "So you will be my mother? I have been so scared here, now I feel better." He finished his thought by enveloping Wendy in a hug. She picked him up from the ground, allowing him to remain in the same-cradled position in her arms.
Her eyes met Peter's. "He's going to stay with me. Us." Disregarding the correction, Wendy continued. "You need to control that reckless shadow that's been snatching for your collection of lost boys. He's too young to be here, Peter." Wendy's eyes bore into his, pleading with him to realize how wrong this was. Find the shred of humanity that she knew he had.
Peter stared off into the distance, lost in thought. He shouldn't be receptive to Wendy's comments about how he runs the island, but deep down he knew that she was right. Her presence made him consider a whole new side of himself that he shut off when he decided to stay in Neverland. "Stay in here with the boy, while I take care of some things." His tone was sharp, almost impatient.
A little surprised by how he didn't argue with her, Wendy nodded faintly and watched him approach the exit. He stopped right before the door and turned around to look at her again. He wanted to etch the image of her inside of his brain, strangely afraid that he might not see her again.
Curious at his hesitance, Wendy asked. "What's wrong?"
Peter couldn't answer the question, because his answer would be along the lines of 'you are making me strangely human again.' He settled with another bothersome thought, "You'll be here?" On the surface, his voice was terse but the vulnerability it held threatened his signature careless façade.
Sadly noting his worry, Wendy nodded gently. "Yes." She glanced at the little boy in her arms, aware of the fact that she couldn't leave this island right now even if she wanted to…for two reasons.
Once Wendy gave Peter her answer, he could finally leave the tree house that now resembled a home more than ever with Wendy, and branch off into a deep part of the chaotic jungle located in heart of the island. After a short walk of dodging the various plant life that inhabited the island, Peter arrived at the scene of a bonfire celebration. Senseless celebration and mischief were a common trait of the boys. It was an environment that Peter nurtured from his first visit to the island to his status as leader of the land. The lost boys, caught up in their chanting and dancing, barely noticed Peter's arrival, which was Peter's hope as he quietly slipped next to his main confidant Felix.
The taller boy, who had decided to linger along the sidelines of the festivities, didn't waste any time in asking his boss what his next duty shall be, "Is there anything you require to be done?"
Without tearing his gaze from the centerpiece of burning flames, Peter replied. "Tell my shadow to cut the age limit of boys he picks up." Catching Felix's look of confusion, Peter's voice rose higher as he tried to explain, "A small child yearning for its parents won't do here. I need hearts willing to forget about their past. Just do it," he commanded finally.
Felix took a moment to process Peter's request, finally breaking the silence with words that Peter had been dreading, "What are you going to do, Pan? Do you really think you can achieve your goals with the girl here? She will distract you."
Clenching his jaw, Peter snapped his gaze towards his loyal henchman. No, she won't," he growled, causing Felix to retreat backwards in defense. "I want her here," he spoke in a quiet and menacing tone.
Felix tried to choose his next words more carefully, "That may be, but she will be aware of what goes on at the island—your quest—especially if you let her roam around freely. Think about it. She will disapprove if she knows what really goes on here. How are you going to manage her and the boy while still doing whatever it takes to rule this island?"
Peter clamped his eyes shut and took a deep breath, "I will figure it out. I'll make sure she doesn't find out. Her brothers could be some sort of leverage." The thought bothered Pan, but he had to do whatever it takes.
"Why don't you figure out a way to keep her contained? Maybe the cages that we fastened for prisoners?"
Peter turned to look at his first henchman, his eyes burning with anger and fists tightening. "Are you suggesting I lock up my fiancé? Really Felix. Careful. You're not immune to my wrath."
"It's a suggestion. I don't know how else you can manage keeping the manage the magic on the island without doing something drastic. You can always let her go."
"Not an option," quipped Pan. "I'll do whatever it takes to keep her on this island with me."
Shrugging his shoulders, Felix responded. "So consider every option."
Felix's words sent a chill down Peter's spine. He couldn't actually consider locking Wendy up. Or could he? He didn't want her to think he was more of a monster than she already did, but he still had his mind set on making Neverland the most powerful land in all of the realms put together. One he had full control over. Wendy would never understand his desire; she still wanted him to accompany her back to London where they would live an incredibly mundane life with a time limit. In Neverland, there would be neither a boring life nor a time limit. Just possibilities. The gears in his mind began to turn…
Back at the tree house, Wendy and Elliot sat comfortably on top of the bed where Wendy had arranged a fort of pillows to support them, while she recited one of her favorite tales—the story of young girl who fell down a rabbit hole and into a whimsical, strange Wonderland. Wendy could relate at the moment.
As she spoke about Alice's adventures, Elliot sat quietly transfixed and reacted with gasps and hand claps at the right moments of the tale. He had never been entertained like this before, and he couldn't help but love every minute of it.
Noticing the little boy's excitement encouraged Wendy to temporarily forget about her fear at the current situation, providing her solace in the form of a distraction. She could have probably recited the tale all night, but Elliot's drooping eyes kept her from entertaining the thought. She began to speak in softer tones as she described the tea party Alice unknowingly wandered into, until Elliot had completely fallen asleep. Pausing for a moment, she brushed a piece of red, curly hair aside and watched as his eyes remained closed. Careful not to make much noise, she scooted off the bed and picked Elliot up to tuck him under the white, fluffy blankets. She placed a hand on his head, wishing she had a toy animal to give him. The thought reminded her of Michael, which became too much to bear. She shut her eyes to ward off tears, opening them again when she felt confident in her success.
She took a deep breath, deciding to wander towards the window. Her eyes found a vision of a beautiful moon and night sky full of stars. The vision astounded her—the stars seemed brighter, fuller, and more majestic. It had to be a form of magic.
The sound of steps startled her out of the moment, causing her to turn around and find Peter standing by the doorway. "Like the view?" he asked approaching her.
When she noticed him getting closer, Wendy turned around, slightly flustered by his presence. "It's beautiful," she confessed as her eyes settled on the night sky once again.
Peter settled on a spot right behind her, placing his arms on either side of the window's edge. Ignoring how quickly Wendy tensed at his actions, he too watched the sky in awe. He admired his work. "I did it for you. I know how much you like to look at the stars."
Her heart fluttered at the idea of Peter fashioning such a beautiful night sky for her; it almost made her forget why she was so angry at him for tricking her into returning to Neverland. Almost.
"Enchanting the sky isn't going to make everything better, Peter. I told you that I wouldn't come with you to Neverland, and you deliberately ignored my wishes."
Peter couldn't resist rolling his eyes at Wendy scolding him. "Are you really going to bring that up now?"
Now it was Wendy's turn to roll her eyes at Peter's immaturity. "Yes, Peter. I am going to bring it up," she retorted as she turned around to look into his eyes. "How could I not? After the conversation we had on the window sill, I thought maybe we were getting closer to a mutual understanding. I want to know what is going through your head. Understand your logic—I still don't."
He scoffed, "Logic? There's no need to analyze every word, Wendy."
"No," Wendy interrupted, "There is a need. I don't like your behavior Peter Pan. Not at all." Wendy faltered for a moment under Peter's intense gaze, but she snapped out of it. "As your fiancé and best friend, I demand your respect and attention. Why did you take me here against my will?" She couldn't help but blush at the fiancé part, but she hoped Peter didn't notice.
Peter bit his lip in frustration. "That's a bit harsh, don't you think? I didn't kidnap you."
Her eyes widened in shock; there was no way Peter could believe his own words. "Do you hear yourself?" She asked incredulously. "You threw some sort of enchanted dust into my face to make me sleep and then you proceeded to take me here. Against my will."
Unsure of how to defend himself, Peter relented. "Fine, I admit it. I'm not proud of how I got you here, but I wanted to badly for you to return here with me." His eyes suddenly found the ground interesting. "It's not the same without you."
The sight of Peter upset and vulnerable convinced Wendy to let her guard down. "I don't understand, Peter. You send a shadow to kidnap children to do your bidding on this magical island, and become defensive when I beg you to return to London. You seem to be fine here on your own. Without me. What purpose could I serve here with you?"
Peter took a deep breath before muttering, "Do you love me?"
Shocked by the question, Wendy panicked at the thought of Peter every questioning her feelings for him even though their relationship had been strained for a while. "Of course I do, Peter. I always will."
The answer provided him with a huge sense of relief. "There's one purpose." He offered softly.
Wendy sighed, resting her head against his chest and snuggling closer to him; she hasn't seen the softer side of him in too long. Peter continued his thoughts, "You and I are incredibly alike, Wendy. Your love of storytelling shows that you want adventure. Could it be so terrible to stay with me?"
Wendy whimpered at how well Peter knew her and how unwilling she has been in willing to accept it. "It's not that simple. My family—I just can't be content with leaving them. You are my family, too. The only way I wouldn't be leaving a piece of my heart behind is if you return to London with me." Tears fells down her cheeks as she silently pleaded with Peter to agree.
Blinking away a few tears of his own, Peter tilted Wendy's chin gently upward to press his lips against her own in a kiss that Wendy welcomed. He wished he could give up his freedom in Neverland to make her happy, but he just couldn't. His home was here. Perhaps Felix was right—Wendy being here could be a threat to his plans. He needed to be selfish, and Wendy brought the very opposite from within him. Having his heart back with him would definitely come with a price.
A/N: After the show's events, I'm not sure where I am going with this story. The show's twist is a little weird for me lol I'm going to try to finish this fic with my original idea of Peter in mind—as first and foremost an actual teenager—and not well…you all who watch the show know what happens. It might take a little while for an update, but I'll work on it. Thanks for reading!