D.I Ayers moved through the mostly empty grave yard with a heavy heart. She would be returning to the same plot of this hallowed ground for the second time in less than a month. Michael had been buried right next to Wendy.
Fitting, she thought as she reached the small group. Michael Nicolas Darling's funeral was less of an event than his sisters. He'd never been good friends with anyone at school, and his inability to control his temper meant most people he knew found him almost reprehensible. Only a small contingent of the police force and his immediate family members found themselves present and the tears were generally held back. His mother looked a wreck. Her brown hair was prematurely streaked with greys and her green eyes were downcast and tear filled. The two women made eye contact for a moment, silently watching the other before speaking. "
Emily." D.I Ayers breathed, stepping forward and wrapping her toned arms around the grieving mother. Emily Darling allowed herself to go slack in the arms of the Detective Inspector that had comforted her so many times before, and suddenly she felt so incredibly weak, she needed to be done with this damned grave yard… but her heart was here. Her eldest, and only, daughter, and her sweet babe lie in the ground before their time and there was nothing Emily could do stop the tears that overflowed at the thought. She was well aware Coorina had no problem with the wetness on her suit, Emily had been instructed to cry on that shoulder more times than was proper, and she certainly couldn't hold back now. Emily was overwhelmed and her body shook with the sobs that tore at her throat.
Coorina had lived and breathed this case for almost a year, not only the four months the children had been missing, and it was the truth the loss struck her as deeply as if they'd been her own children. She cried for them, she cried for Emily, and even pompous George who stood apart silently mourning for his children, she cried for John, who watched as his only brother's coffin was placed in the ground next to his only sisters, and she cried for herself, but only a little.
It's important to note the Michael Nicolas Darling had been 8 at the time of the abduction. While noting this, we must also ally ourselves with the fact that most of his memories of the occasion are tinted with the tales of Neverland spun by his honeyed tongued older sister. All except for his memory of Peter Pan. He vividly remember Peter promising to send them help, and never returning.
So when Michael awoke to the sound of Pan's voice, he could feel his blood begin to boil underneath his skin. He tried to speak, but found his mouth was tinged with the taste of blood where the pirate had beat him in the head and knocked him out, he contented himself on struggling to sit up and face the boy without words. He was met instead by the soothing touch of the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen as she began speaking to him in a rough and unfamiliar language. She turned to Pan and in a heavy accent she cried. "Boy, another boy." Her tan face was lined with worry as she led him to the bed next to Slightly. At the smell Michael began to gag. It may have been guilt as well.
Peter marched over with fire in his emerald eyes and grabbed Michael by the shirt collar "Are you a Pirate?' He demanded, fiercely.
"No!" Michael tried to wriggle free of the older boy's grasp, but his head made him feel woozy when he moved. "I Came here for Wendy!"
"Then you're a pirate! Where'd you stupid Codfish take Wendy Lady?" Peter gripped onto Michael tighter, desperation tightening his fingers.
"Oi!" Michael cried as he began to feel Peter's finger nails in his skin. "I was trying to save her from you! The Pirates stole her!"
"Save her... from me? That's ridiculous. Wendy is safe with me." But a shadow crossed over his face and Michael took the moment of hesitation to break free, but fell to the floor.
"What did you do?" The beautiful girl stomps over and places her soft hands on Peter's chest, pushing him away from the younger boy. "He is good help, now we know where she be." Tiger Lilly frowned and sank to the floor to kneel next to Michael, the very scent of her washing away the pain his head.
"He lead them to her." Peter whispered. Tiger Lilly, Michael and the Sqaw who was attending to Slightly looked over at him. He held in his hand a rough piece of ripped parchment.
"You lead the bastards who did this to Slightly to my Wendy?" "She's not you Wendy, she hasn't been your Wendy since you abandoned us in that factory."