Chapter Nineteen – Peter's Imprisonment, Part 3
"Are you crazy?!" Flameburst screeched as Blue Falls yanked her out of the house and darted out into the cool air of London. "We can't just leave him in there!"
"I thought you said it was time to give up on finding Peter Pan," her brother smirked.
"It's not funny, Falls!" she snapped, fighting him as they neared Kensington. "We can't leave him!"
"We're not," he shook his head. "By the way, how on earth did you get captured in the first place by that dark fairy?"
The girl's face turned a fiery red color, her golden eyes darting away in embarrassment. "I, um…I wanted to try that chili, remember? So I snuck in and tasted it. I was looking around for some bread to dip in there when that thing caught me and used some sort of magic to keep me frozen in his pocket until he showed me off to Peter."
"You pig," he sighed. She stuck her tongue out at him, but he ignored the gesture. "We need to find Tink."
"What're you going to do?" she asked, stunned by his urgency.
"What do you think?"
As they darted through the trees, moonlight pouring over them, they felt an odd, cold sensation pass through the park. Fear filling them, they hid behind the closet tree, peeking around to see what was going on. Flameburst parted her lips to gasp only to have Blue Falls quickly cover her gaping mouth. Crossing the sky was a dark column of smoke that seemed to slither its way through the clouds, eerie and silent, dangerous and solitary. With his eyes, Blue Falls followed the column's movement, catching a glint of white at the head of the thick smoke.
"It's him," the fairy whispered, trembling at the sight of the monster, the realization sinking in. "That creature that almost sucked the life out of you, Flame."
"But where's he going?" she asked, shoving her brother's hand from her mouth. She, too, began to follow the column with her eyes, catching sight of the second star to the right blinking in the night sky.
At once, the two fairies looked at one another, the message clear. He was headed for Neverland!
"Hurry! We have to find Tinker Bell!" exclaimed Blue Falls, leading the way back to the Fairy Pond deep within Kensington Gardens. The two of them did not stop, weaving between the couples and throngs of fairies that flitted and danced around the water.
"TINK! TINKER BELL!" they called out, searching frantically for the little tinker fairy. Out of the corner of his eye, Blue Falls caught sight of a little redheaded pixie, hammering away at some bit of metal she'd found. Diving down, he landed in a tumble before her, startling her from her work.
"Blue Falls?! What on earth-?!" Tinker Bell started, setting her work aside.
"Tink, listen to us!" Blue Falls gasped, his sister coming up from behind. "We've found Peter, but he's in great danger! All of Neverland is!"
Her eyes widened at this but she quickly shook her head. "Silly asses," she said wistfully, tears filling her eyes. "Don't play games with me now-"
"But we're not!" Flameburst insisted. "Please, come with us! We can show you where he's being kept!"
"Please, Tinker Bell," the boy fairy pleaded, taking her trembling hand in his. "Please, believe us…he needs you."
Inhaling deeply, biting her bottom lip, she put on a brave face and nodded her consent, her wings fluttering as she flew off the ground. On the way back to Shade's home, they explained all that had happened and how they had found Peter. Each time they even mentioned his name, her heart and stomach twisted as one in agony and hope.
"So that monster mistook you for me?" she asked Flameburst, horrified at the notion of the creature sucking the life out of her.
"Yes, and if it weren't for Peter, I'd be done for," she shook her head, shuddering at the memory. "It was awful."
"This is it!" Blue Falls cried, pointing at the stone house across the cemetery where Tink had left Peter.
Fury and relief filled her at once. "He was here the whole time…?!"
"Must've used some sort of blocking spell. I can sense it now," Blue Falls explained. "It's meant for us to pass by and ignore it. It won't kill us, but it won't be pleasant to pass through."
Together, the trio linked arms and held their breaths, heading for a window pane. Studying the framework, she pulled out her little hammer and began to smack at the corners. When she was satisfied, she motioned for the others to sprinkle their dust on the wood. As one, the trio tackled the wooden frame, flying back and watching it tumble down, one of the glass panes breaking in half as it hit the dirt.
"Hurry! Who knows how long he'll be out?" Flameburst whispered, leading the way inside. Looking about, the younger female pursed her lips in contemplation. "Which way was it again…?"
"Just use your nose," Blue Falls sighed. "There's only one boy in the world who smells like magic, childhood, and fairies."
Following his advice, Tinker Bell took in a deep breath. She held for a moment, very still and silent, then exhaled slowly. Her eyes opened, glittering with hopeful tears. Flitting off faster than a mosquito, she led the others to a bolted door behind a curtain. Once more, Flameburst sprinkled her dust upon the lock and activated it, watching it glow with the heat she'd helped produce. Tinker Bell set to work, clanking the mold until it was fashioned into a twisted ball on the wood. Blue Falls, meanwhile, picked at the doorknob lock, grinning when he heard it click open. Giving the girls a thumb's-up, they twisted the knob together and opened the door. Inside was an empty room, with only a lonely window displaying the cemetery. An old, leather-bound book sat under a glass display, the symbols on the cover instantly earning their interest.
"We need to get that out of here…who knows what he could do with that?" Tinker Bell told them, and they nodded their agreement. "But where's Peter?"
"Tink?!"
The fairy froze, her heart leaping into her throat when she heard the voice. It was older, lower, a littler harsher, but it was still filled with wonder and delight. Slowly turning around, her eyes fell upon the fourth wall. There was a door with a control panel to the side, and on the right of the door was a glass panel serving as a window. There, pressing his palms and forehead against the glass was a boy, a young man really, with his brown hair pulled back into a short ponytail (he'd lost all his curls), his freckles gone, his body longer, leaner, stronger…but the eyes were still the same. They lit up when they saw her, filling with tears of joy, his little pearls shining as he flashed her a relieved smile.
"Tink…I knew you'd find me," he whispered, tears streaking his face, his body lifting off the ground from the immense happiness he felt.
"P-Pe…Peter?" she gasped, her heart bursting at the seams. "OH, PETER!" Darting forth, she collided with the glass, smacking it with all her might. "Stupid, stupid window!" she howled in frustration, her face twisted in anger.
"Hold on," Blue Falls said softly, placing his hand upon her shoulder. "We've got to open the door…it's the only way."
"He's right," Peter nodded. "That's my only way in or out."
"What about the book?" Flamedust asked, pointing to the antique. "Can't we used that?"
"No luck," her brother shook his head. "It's got the same device up front, see?" He pointed it out, much to the others' dismay. "We'll have to figure this out on our own." The three of them flew to the control, Tinker Bell immediately interested.
"Wow, this is much more advanced than anything I've ever seen!" she gasped, tugging as the battery's opening. Once she'd removed it, she began to peer inside, fascinated.
"That's Tink for you," Peter laughed, shaking his head. "My little tinker fairy."
She felt her heart and pride soar at the mention of those words, encouraged now even more than ever to free her boy. Growling, she wriggled her way into the control box, managing to squeeze her hips in so that she was completely surrounded by wires, switches, and chips. "Whoa," she breathed.
"Be careful!" Blue Falls pleaded.
They waited in anxiety, all chewing their lips and wringing their hands, waiting for something to happen…
"BEEEEEEEEP!"
The sharp, shrill cry of the control made Flameburst yelp, hiding behind her brother. As Tinker Bell began to wriggle her way back out, the door opened.
Peter gawked at the opening, unable to believe he would finally be able to grasp his freedom…Hovering a few inches off the ground, he cautiously approached the door, placing one foot on the other side of the wall. When nothing happened, he came out completely, a grin growing on his face. Throwing back his head, he cried, "COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!"
"SHH!" Flameburst and Blue Falls scolded him, but Tinker Bell laughed and tackled his cheek.
"Tink!" Peter cried, hugging the fairy to his face. "Tink, I knew you wouldn't give up on me."
"Oh, Peter, I'm sorry…" she wept, clinging to him for dear life. "I never should have left you completely alone."
"I hate to break the reunion guys, but we're not safe here, remember?" Blue Falls piped up.
"EEK!" Flameburst shrieked, pointing wildly at something. "A cat!"
"Oh no," the boy fairy grimaced, seeing the same Persian cat slink in, licking his chops at them, a glint in his eyes.
Leaning forward, Peter began to bark like a dog, causing the feline to yowl and hiss, running off in the opposite direction.
"C'mon," he said to the fairies. "Let's get out of here."
"But the book-!" Tinker Bell pointed.
Rolling his eyes, Peter darted out of the room. Clanking and banging could be heard as the fairies waited until he came back with a broad-blade kitchen knife. Stabbing the corner of the glass display, Peter waited for the glass to settled before haphazardly taking the book out of its hold. "Now can we go?"
In Kensington Gardens, one of the biggest fairy celebrations was being held. Peter Pan had returned to them! Sitting amongst the fairies in his jeans, Peter felt more at home than he ever had been these past four years. Sitting back against the leaves and dirt, he missed his blankets and pillow, but the smell of the earth, the laughter of the fairies, and the moonlight shining down on him was worth more than all the beds in the world.
"Peter, what'll we do with the book?" Tinker Bell asked as she snuggled in his hair. She'd cut some bangs for him, not very well of course, but Peter liked it all the same. His hair stuck out every which way in the front while he kept the ponytail. He didn't mind that it looked a bit silly – he rather thought that "mullets" were interesting.
"We could burn it, but it's not dark magic in that book. It's originally fairy property," Peter said, closing his eyes. "Blue Falls, you keep an eye on it, ok?"
"Really?" the fairy asked, honored with the position. He blushed when Tink smiled at him, hiding behind Peter's head.
"Peter," Tinker Bell started again, this time more solemn. "We've got a report from some of the fairies back in Neverland. That Shade person is trying to take over."
Frowning, Peter began to sit up. "Not my island, he doesn't!" he snarled, gnashing his teeth.
"Listen to me, Peter," Tink said soothingly into his ear. "You can't go just yet. You need to rest, find yourself…become Pan again. Maybe you could find some Lost Boys to help you battle in the future…?"
"What 'lost boys'?" Peter sighed. "There haven't been Lost Boys in ages…"
Looking up to the moon, he enjoyed the feel of a playful breeze curling around him, hearing an owl hoot off in the distance, two shrill cries from down the street…
His brows furrowed, he listened closely. The two cries blended at times, sounding like one person at times. "Someone's in trouble," Peter stated, hopping to his feet. Adjusting his leafy vest over his chest (a welcoming gift from the garden fairies), he snatched a rather hefty branch and flew off, Tinker Bell and Blue Falls hot on his trail.
"Peter, be careful!" she cried, but all he could hear were the shouts of fear and panic, the cries of children…
Traveling down the darkened park pathway, he squinted in the lamplight, catching sight of two children running hand in hand from a looming figure. Anger filled him once more as he saw the man grab the children by the scruff of their shirts and throw them to the ground.
"Y'li'l runts think y'can steal MY food?!" snarled the grown-up. "I'll show you-! UGH!"
With a flurry of movements that any skilled fencer would envy, Peter struck the man down, brandishing the branch in his hand like a sword.
"Wh-who…are you?" he gasped before he passed out.
"I'm youth, I'm joy," Peter smirked. "I'm Peter Pan!" The man fell limp. Peter gave a mighty crow, knowing that this idjit would wake up in the morning feeling sore and stupid. Ignoring Tinker Bell's scolding, he looked down to see the two children who had been trying to escape the man.
"Twins," Peter stated, blinking at them in awe. He used to have twins in his band once, he thought. They stared back at him in awe, the little redheads with freckles covering their faces. "Hello," he said with a smile, kneeling down before them. "Who're you?"
They exchanged glances, shrugged, then looked back to him, saying simultaneously, "Timmy and Tommy."
Peter chuckled. "All right…what'd you do to get him to chase you like that?"
Once more, they exchanged glances, this time twiddling their fingers.
"…we're orphans," said Timmy.
"We stole his sandwich," Tommy added.
"And knocked over his drink on his lap," they finished together.
A playful grin was on Peter's lips as he listened. The Twins couldn't help but grin back, stopping for a moment when they saw the glittering, flying being before them. "Fairies?" they asked, eyes wide in delight.
Peter glanced back to Tinker Bell, who smiled and motioned her head to the boys, knowing full well what he was thinking. Offering his hands to them, Peter asked, "How would you like to become Lost Boys and live in Neverland?"
NEVER-NEVERLAND
Present Day; Never-Neverland; Lost Boys' Hideout
No one said a word as Peter concluded his tale with this encounter with the Twins. Many of the boys still had tears in their eyes. The Twins shyly looked to Peter, who offered a reassuring smile.
"…so…Mr. Fuller, our English teacher…is your dad?!" Violet asked, stunned by the entire story.
"AND he's this Shade character?!" Jon added, equally baffled.
"I know it sounds crazy," Peter frowned. "But it's the truth."
"Don't worry, Pan, we're with you no matter what!" Lump declared, earning the other boys' consent as they shouted and nodded their agreement.
Ruff punched Peter's shoulder, a playful smile on his lips. "You saved us all from our own lives, so we're sticking with you, Pete…just don't go all emo and mushy on us, ok?"
"You're the one who's getting mushy on me!" Peter smirked, placing Ruff in a headlock.
"HEY! Watch the hair!" Ruff shouted, squirming as Peter kept him contained.
Tink sighed, placing a kiss on Peter's forehead. "You may have gained four years, but you haven't changed." She smiled and added in a whisper, "Thank goodness."
Wendy pursed her lips, remembering all the times Fuller had given her strange, intimidating looks, warnings about Peter. "…Peter?"
Her voice immediately won his attention. "Huh?" he asked, releasing his friend and looking back at her.
"Since…um…Mr. Fuller," she stammered, unsure of what to call the man. "Since he saw us together, he's been giving me odd looks and telling me to keep away from you…what does that mean?"
"It means he wants me back and he's jealous you're in the picture," Peter explained, heaving a sigh. Scratching the back of his neck, he said, "Remember how he was always angry because all I cared about was your great-grandmother? He sees that it's happening all over again…" When he saw that Wendy, Violet, and her brothers looked confused, he bit his lip, his face going red. "…I care about you, Wendy. A lot. And having the Lost Boys, Neverland…and now you…I have people to live for…people I care about…and people who, I hope, care about me."
"I care about Peter!" Mouse squeaked, earning Skipper's hand over his mouth. "SHHH!" the one-armed boy hissed. "You're ruining the lovey-dovey stuff!"
"Shade doesn't want me to have anything so that I'll go back to him. He sees you as a threat, so he's trying to make you scared of me to keep us apart." His eyes slowly caught with hers, and he noticed the beautiful rose color her cheeks had. She gripped the acorn button around her neck tentatively. Squeezing his eyes shut, he painfully drew out the words: "…if you don't feel sure about all this…if you want me to stop seeing you…then just say so."
The den was in an uproar.
"But, Peter, you can't!"
"She's our mother now!"
"We can protect her from Shade!"
"Don't go, Wendy! Please!"
"HUSH!" Peter shouted over the din, the boys immediately becoming silent. Looking over each and every boy with sternness as so to avoid Wendy's face, he informed them, "You know I won't hold anybody against their will here. If Wendy feels safer with me out of her life, then that's how it has to b-"
He stopped, his breath hitched in his throat as he felt a pair of arms weave their way under his arms and around his chest. His eyes widened in disbelief as he felt Wendy press her chest to his back, her face tucked behind his left shoulder.
"…I'd feel much safer if you stayed in my life, Peter Pan," she whispered, tightening her hold on him.
Mikey waddled forward, taking one of Peter's arms and tugging them. "Please, Peter, don't go away. I wanna see you all the time!"
Jon said nothing but nodded his agreement, a smile working its way onto his face. Violet winked at him from her corner, her hand gripping Ruff's (much to his delight and embarrassment).
His heart pounded faster and harder than it ever had before. Gripping Wendy's hands with his free hand, he loosened one of her arms and brought her hand to his lips, brushing his mouth against her knuckles. He could feel her shiver against him, causing a smile to flicker on his face.
Looking up across the fire, he noticed how some of the Lost Boys smiled sweetly at this, others smirking. "How about we quit this mushy backstory stuff and tough decisions? Who's up for a treasure hunt?"
"YAY!" the boys cried, scattering to the exits. Mikey immediately followed, with Nana in tow, Jon following close behind. Tinker Bell rolled her eyes but smiled, changing back into her fairy size and darting off.
"Shall we?" Violet asked, letting Ruff led her out.
Alone once more, Wendy and Peter separated, blushing at one another.
"…you didn't have to say that-" Peter started awkwardly.
"I meant it," she cut him off, her blush becoming brighter.
He blinked at her, filled with the strangest, most wonderful feeling he'd ever felt. "Promise?"
Smiling, she crossed her finger over her heart and held up her hand. "Promise." Leaning forward, she shyly hesitated before moving her lips to his face. In that time of hesitation, Peter shifted, his head turning slightly.
The kiss was completely accidental. It was only for the briefest moment, their eyes growing wide, they pulled apart immediately.
"Sorry!" she gasped, her face as red as a tomato now. "I'm so sorry-!"
"I'm not," he said, blinking his eyes, still stunned, but in awe as well, a warm tingling feeling filling him up. "What do you call that?"
"Huh? Oh, um, well…it's a…a…a…thimble?" she offered weakly, ready to curl up and die until she noticed how he floated off the floor.
"Funny," he said with a distant smile. "I feel like I remember something like that…" Shaking off his stupor, he smiled down at her. "Should I give you one?" When he saw how she looked away, her cheeks red, he chuckled and shook his head. "Sorry, sorry! That was stupid." Offering her his hand, he grinned and said, "C'mon, let's have an adventure before you go home."
A shy smile worked its way to her lips as she gripped his fingers and let him carry her off into the island.