Peter Pan

A Young Boy No More

Disclaimer: I am SIR JAMES MATTEW BARRIE… or was it EIRRAB WETTAM SEMAJ RIS? Let me go and get my ID… oh wait… it says something else… Rae…Kitty…13…?

Author's Notes: Yay! Chapter Nine!!! Wow! This story is coming along great, but it still has so far to go! Poor Peter and poor Jessica! Why does love have to be such a hard game to play? One always so unsure of the other's feelings…

Thank yous: Narnia Forever, Firefarire93, Sasukeandrockleelvr, Luna32, Crazyloverofboys, and Samalamadingdong. Thank you all ever so much! You're the best of the best!

Random Fun Fact: Has anyone cared to notice how all of our problems start with MEN… menstrual cramps… mental break downs … menopause … must I go on? –Someone's away message. (Fits in perfectly with this chapter!!!)

Chapter Nine- I don't NEED a man

I don't NEED Peter either. I decided as our last ride ended.

"That was fun. This is the best dream I've ever had." Tonya said.

"If this is a dream," Peter started. "How do you know this is a dream?"

"Hmm, good question." Tonya answered. "It's just that I've had plenty of dreams like this before."

My eyes bulged. "You have?"

"Yeah. Although I pictured Peter to look a lot better all of the times before." Tonya said.

"Hey!" Peter said.

"Oh get over yourself." Tonya muttered.

"Tonya, this isn't a dream." I said.

"This coming from the girl who almost killed her stepmother to be in real life?" Tonya asked. "When you said we were all crazy I didn't think you were as insane as you truly are."

I was taken off guard. Why the hell was she being so mean? What did I do? "What the hell are you talking about?" I demanded.

"You get away with everything, or at least you have until now. You are so spoiled Jessica." She answered.

"What the hell?" I demanded once again.

"Don't you get it?" Tonya shouted, finally frustrated with me. "People always come into your life when you need them. My mother treated you like a princess because you felt you needed to be spoiled. Your dad is marrying Miss Daisy because you need a mother."

Not her too! Curse it all she was using that damned word…

"I DON'T NEED A MOTHER!" I shouted back. "I HAD ONE! AND JUST BECAUSE SHE'S GONE DOESN'T MEAN I NEED ANOTHER!"

"Oh-GROW-up!" Tonya demanded. "Don't you get it? You father is marrying Miss Daisy because he thinks you need a role model. A lady to teach you to grow-up properly so you can find yourself a man-"

"I DON'T NEED A MOTHER! I DON'T NEED A ROLE MODEL, FOR I AM not GOING TO GROW UP LIKE MISS DAISY!" frustrated tears began to stream down my face. I thought Tonya was my friend…

"I DON'T NEED A MAN OR ANYONE ELSE!" I said. "I can get what ever I need for myself and I don't need anyone to give it to me. I shall never grow-up."

"Not even to grow-up like your mother?" Tonya demanded.

"I WILL NOT GROW UP!" I shouted.

"So you'll be staying here in Never Land with me?" Peter asked. The whole time Tonya and I had been arguing he had been shying away. But when I had said I wasn't going to grow up he seemed quite pleased.

"Even Peter came because you needed him. Face it, Jessica. Peter knew you were on the verge of growing up and he came to rescue you. Isn't that sweet? You'll be able to prove to Miss Daisy that you're capable of filling at least SOME of your needs by yourself!"

"I DO NOT NEED A MAN!"

"Oh, but don't you see, Jessica? Peter is but a mere boy, whom not even two hours ago you needed quite dearly."

"What is wrong with you? I thought you were my best friend! I thought you understood why I can't grow up at my house with Miss Daisy there! Why I don't… I don't NEED anything! I DO NOT NEED ANY OF YOU!"

I turned and ran into the woods behind me. Thanks to my tears I was stumbling blindly through the dense jungle around me. I could hear them start to call after me, but I kept running. I didn't need anyone. I would show them.

Looking over my shoulder I didn't notice the large branch at my feet. As I hit the ground on a roll I heard a faint tinkle behind me. Sitting up I tried to find out where the noise was coming from.

Looking up there was a shimmering white light in front of me. Looking around, Tink was the only thing I recognized around here. It was still dark and I was more lost and confused, not to mention lonely and scared than ever.

Suddenly movement of the little light caught my eye.

Tink was pointing to herself. As if trying to tell me something… maybe she was miming?

"…I…" I tried guessing at what she was trying to say.

She nodded encouragement with a delighted twinkle. Then she pointed to her noise.

"I… nose… I know…"

Again she nodded. Then she began to finger spell…

"I know…h…o…w… (She points to me)… you…f...e...e...l…"

"How do you know how I feel?" I demanded.

Tink flinched and twinkled softly. Yet when I tried to turn away from her she wouldn't let me. She gives a lot of emotional twinkles, some soft and sad others harsh and angry and suddenly I remember the story of how Tink became jealous of Wendy.

"You lost a good friend in the Never Land, too, huh?"

Again she gave a twinkle I somehow knew was her way of agreeing.

"I'm sorry, Tink. I shouldn't have snapped."

In my crazed state, she was the only one I had ever apologized to.

Again she made a twinkling noise.

Somehow I was able to understand her. "You want to know what's wrong?"

She nodded.

"Well, starting six years ago, I lost my mom. She, she went on a business trip to America and she never came back. Ever since then my dad' s been trying to find himself another wife. He had two or three different girlfriends a month. All they want is his money. I've always been able to get rid of the one's he's serious about.

"But this time I can't get rid of her. She's got me pitted against my dad so bad that he disowned me. That bitch told me day in and day out what she thought I needed. Now, every time I hear that word I go crazy and I can't help it. I hate it. Only I know what I need and god-damn-it, I'm gonna prove it."

Tink gave me an apologetic twinkle.

"You don't have to feel sorry for me. I got myself in this mess… somehow. I never should have dragged Tonya into this. I'll just stay here in the Never Land."

"I know the Never Land is going to die, Tink. But I have no place else to go. I have nothing left. This is the only place for me. What do you mean I sound like Peter?"

She shook her head back and forth. "Oh, I don't sound like Peter, he's coming."

She nodded yes. She asked an odd question.

"What? No. There's nothing wrong with Peter. Then why do I keep running? Because, Tink. I'm afraid. What if I love someone again and he or she leaves me, like my mother, like Tonya. What if I love someone and they simply disown me like my father. It's better to be lonely than lonely and rejected."

"Jessica? Is that you? It's a good thing I found you! The animals around here get nervous easily." Peter said stepping out from behind some bushes. "Oh! Tink, you're here too. I'm glad you found her."

Tinker Bell replied in short angry twinkles that made me smile. She was defending my independence.

"That's funny, Tink says that-" Peter started.

"I know what she said." I remarked. "I don't need a translator."

"Really?" He looked dumb struck. Then suddenly his look changed to a smug grin. "Then what did she say?"

"She said I don't need other people to do things for me because I'm capable of doing them myself."

I guess most people couldn't understand Tink. Peter looked really angry. "How did you bond with Tinker Bell so quick? Only Lost Boys can do that! Tink is she going to be our Lost Girl?"

"No!" I answered with Tinker Bell. "Tink and I are friends!"

"What?" Peter demanded. "Go get your own fairy friend! You can't have mine! I won't let you steal Tink from me!"

"Don't worry! I will find my own fairy." I said turning to leave. Turning back I added quickly, "By the way, I don't believe in stealing. There's this little concept I just love, it's called SHARING."

"Tinker Bell you stay here." Peter sounded like he was going to cry. "You stay here, Tink. You're my fairy, yes, MY fairy."

I continued to walk away from the clearing like I could no longer hear Peter.

"What?" he demanded of Tinker Bell. "You never got a long so well with Wendy. And Wendy gave me a kiss and shared with me her hidden thimble!"

I whirled around and began shouting again. "You moron! A thimble is a metal object that one wears on her thumb when sowing so as to not jab herself with the needle."

"Then what is a kiss?" In my rage I managed to come within inches of Peter's face.

His eyes were a brilliant green, glowing from Tink's light. His hair was curly and blond-ish brown, falling in all the right places, just calling for my fingers to run themselves through it again and again. His breath was minty-fresh, he must have been chewing on mint leaves while looking for me. And his lips…

It would be so much easier to explain to him what a kiss was by showing him rather than trying to explain it all in words. Besides he was already so close. All I had to do was lean in…

I placed one hand on his cheek softly and watched as his eyes followed my slow movements. As my left hand found itself intertwined in his unruly locks his eyes closed and I moved in closer. His face was relaxed and innocent, yet excited and unsure all at once.

Somewhere in the distance, as my lips just barely, spine-tingling-ly brushed against his, I heard Tinker Bell.

The spell he had cast upon me with a simple, innocent question was now broken by a just as simple twinkle.

I pulled my left hand out of his hair. Swiftly pulling my right hand back I smacked Peter in the face. My anger, embarrassment and pain written on my face in a deep blush as I shouted, "I DON'T NEED A MAN!"

I turned and ran, confused, scared and in more pain than ever.

Author's Notes: Dun, dun, dun!!! Now I leave it with a real cliffhanger! Gasp! I wrote my chapter, now it's your turn to submit a review! NOW, please? lol. I'll take anything; I want to know what you think. Make predictions; tell me what you like, what you dislike, what I could improve on, what I need to improve on, lol. Please?