Chapter Twenty-Six – Mermaids and Memories

The girls giggled and whispered as they changed into their bathing suits; meanwhile, Gip gurgled happily as he tried to eat his own foot.

"This is great," Violet grinned, adjusting her top before she pulled her hair up into a ponytail. "I haven't gone swimming in ages!"

"I just hope we all fit in the pool," Mandy noted, remembering how many people there were.

"I'm sure we could take turns," Wendy suggested, feeling a little self-conscious about her body. She left her hair down, wishing it would cover more of her.

"Don't worry, we'll fit," Tiger Lily winked at them. "Trust me."

"Where did Conch come from? I mean, how'd she end up in the pool?" Violet asked, laughing as she watched Gip spurt saliva and bubbles all over himself.

"There's an opening off to the bottom that leads to the lagoon," Tinker Bell explained. "She comes and goes through there."

"Won't there be other mermaids?" Wendy asked, remembering how Peter and the boys were constantly talking about how dangerous they could be.

"Peter's here, so they won't bother us," Tiger Lily responded, setting their clothing back into the tree where she had retrieved the bathing suits.

"Hey, I'm important to your health and safety, too!" Tinker Bell huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Without me, the mermaids might come up anyways – I'm the pissy fairy they don't want to haggle with!"

The girls were in fits of laughter, especially at how red Tink's face became from frustration. She gave a haughty sniff and turned her back to them.

Still giggling, Wendy couldn't help but notice two vertical marks on the fairy's back. They were thin, glimmering in the moonlight. At this, she realized that something was missing. "Tink, what happened to your wings?" she asked, suddenly extremely curious.

The question took the fairy off guard, making her look over her shoulder at the girl. "You didn't know? They're absorbed into our bodies and when we go back to our original size, the come out."

"But then, won't they get wet?" Wendy prodded on.

"On, not like this," Tink grinned, motioning to her back. "When we're ourselves – y'know, tiny? – then we've got to watch out. But this is a real treat for us because if we're caught in the rain or want to go swimming, we can do that!"

"That's great," Violet agreed.

"So, can we like go now?" Mandy asked, jerking her head to the pool past the trees.

Gathering Gip, Wendy held him in her arms as Tiger Lily led the way out. The boys were already in the water, splashing one another and diving to see how long they could hold their breaths. By the waterfall, surrounded by the water lilies, Conch listened and smiled as Ben talked to her about what the outside world was like. He had removed his glasses and Wendy noticed how handsome and happy he looked. Nana slept on a ledge, covering her ears with her paws. She smiled as she watched Mandy tackle Fred in the water and Ruff pull Violet in with a playful smirk. Tiger Lily cannon-balled into the center with precision, making Jon, Mikey, Mouse, and Skipper the casualties of a huge, splashing wave.

"Blue Falls!" Tink squealed, her eyes lighting up upon seeing the male fairy. He, too, was stripped down to a pair of shorts, his wing-lines shimmering gold on his pale back.

His head lifted when he heard her voice, a smile growing on his lips. "Hi, Tink. My shift's over and I thought I'd visit. Oh, hi Wendy!" he waved politely to the girl. Returning his attention to Tinker Bell, he motioned to the full pool. "Want to swim?"

Giving a devilish smile, she hopped over to him and dragged him in with her, playfully shoving the Twins away as they tried to attack them from underwater.

"You coming?"

Wendy turned and gasped at Peter's sudden closeness. He was dripping wet, his bangs plastered to his forehead, water dripping from the tips and down his chin. He was staring intently into her eyes as she gawked at him, feeling inferior to his natural, charming self.

"Oh, um…what about Gip?" she asked, the baby wriggling in her grasp, struggling to reach out to Peter.

The boy took the baby into his arms, wincing as Gip gripped his wet ponytail and tugged experimentally on it. "I can watch him while you go in," he offered.

"I couldn't do that," she shook her head, a smile on her lips. "But we could sit on the ledge and dip out feet in while we watch him."

He grinned at her suggested, taking her hand and leading her off. Sitting on the mossy rocks, Wendy slipped her feet into the water, dangling her legs over the side. "Ooh! It is warm!" she gasped, laughing as she swirled the water with her toes. Looking to Peter, who sat cross-legged next to her with Gip cooing on his lap, she smiled. "He really likes you…how did you find him?"

"I was gathering new recruits to be Lost Boys and I was in America at time…" he started.

"Wait…if you were back in England, how did you end up in the States?" Wendy asked, frowning in confusion. "Did you fly?"

"Nah, that would've taken up too much time, and I was in a hurry to stop Shade," Peter told her. Nodding at Tinker Bell and Blue Falls, he said, "The fairies have something called 'fairy rings'."

"Oh, yes! I've heard of those," she nodded excitedly.

Peter smiled at the way her eyes lit up. "Well, they offered to let me use those. Sometimes you can step into a fairy ring, go through their land, and if you go to the wrong exit, you'll find yourself in another place. There'll all over the world, you see. So I decided to give it a shot. Of course, Tink and Falls had to come along otherwise I'd probably be lost for good and just explore forever."

Gip grabbed a handful of moss and began to stuff it in his mouth, but Peter gently tugged it out of the baby's grasp. "Trust me, that's yucky," he chuckled as the baby whined. He was soon distracted with a flower growing nearby and began to tear it apart.

"Anyway, I'd already had a bunch of the boys with me by then. When I found out we were in America again-"

"Again?" she interrupted.

"Oh, yeah," he nodded. "It was the first place I ended up in. Ruff was the second person I found, after the Twins back in London. I found a lot of the boys here in America, actually, and England, too. But I also ended up in Germany, Africa, and Japan." Wendy nodded with interest and he continued, "We were back in America, and it was raining. We were trying to find a place to stay when we heard a woman scream." Patting the baby's head as one would to a puppy, Peter smiled when Gip reached up and grabbed his fingers. "She was being followed by some guy and we jumped in. Gave him a good beating and he ran off like the coward he was. She was scared stiff, but then I offered to get her something to eat."

He paused looking over to the girl. "Sorry, I'm going off in details-"

"No, please, keep going," she urged him, smiling as Gip crawled to her. "What happened next?"

"We went to a diner, I think that's what it's call," Peter mused. "That's when we saw she had a bundle in her hands. When I peeked inside, there were these two bright blue eyes staring at me." He chuckled when Gip tangled his tiny fingers into Wendy's locks, gurgling in amusement. "The lady explained that she'd had Gip a few months ago but she was hiding him from her boyfriend. He'd kept telling her to get rid of him." His eyes darkened at the idea. "He threatened to kill Gip even when he was still inside of her…she left him but he kept trying to find out where she was. Once Gip was born, he started following them. She was too afraid and ashamed to go back to her family so she was always traveling."

"Then that man you and the boys chased away…?" Wendy began, her eyes wide with horror.

"That was her boyfriend," he nodded. "She didn't know what else to do with Gip…that's when I offered to take him. She didn't trust me at first, of course, but when I promised to watch him with the boys helping me, and Tink, too, she finally agreed. I told her where we were going, it would be safe and happy for Gip. When she started crying, I began to wonder if we should leave him with her after all…but she kissed Gip, said thank you, and then she…thimbled me." Peter turned red, his face twisted with annoyance as he recalled what had happened. "It was only on the cheek, but I don't want anyone thimbling me!...well, only one person."

"Oh?" Wendy asked, her own cheeks becoming red. She found it adorable that he called kissing "thimbling," but when he'd said he only wanted one person "thimbling" him, it made her heart stop. "…may I ask who?"

His eyes had been on the water, pretending to watch the boys play a prank on Mandy, but they slowly drifted up to her face, uncertainty glimmering in his eyes. "…well…see if you can figure it out, I'll tell you 'yes' or 'no'."

Wendy shook her head, a wry smile on her lips. She should've known Peter would resort to games before admitting defeat. "Let's see…is it someone I know?" she asked innocently, moving her acorn button necklace away from Gip's greedy hands.

"Very well," he nodded, a slight smile on his lips.

"Does she live in England?"

"She used to."

Her stomach was in a knot. "Does she live here? In Lakeside Landing?"

"Yes."

"Does she have siblings?"

"Two brothers."

Wendy had known who he was thinking of, but the guessing game was killing her with suspense. She was fairly sure Peter would never admit to loving anyone, so this was about as close to finding out his true feelings for her than anything else before. "…she's…got a dog?"

"Her name's Nana," Peter said, his face inching towards hers.

Wendy's breath hitched as she waited for him to approach her. They were so close she could taste him. "And…her name is…"

"Wendy," he murmured, their eyes shutting, their lips barely grazing.

A humongous splash of water slapped them, making them jump out of their skin. Gip screamed in delight, clapping his hands. Wendy gasped in surprise, her heart speeding. Peter sputtered, his head whipping around to face the pool.

Lump, Skipper, Len, and Partly all pointed at one another, all of them biting their lips to stop laughing. "Oops?" Skipper offered.

"I'll give you an 'oops'!" Peter snarled, leaping off the ledge and plunging into the pool. The boys scrambled, screaming and laughing as Peter chased them.

Giving a sigh, Wendy rolled her eyes and smiled, shaking her head. She felt warm inside, though – Peter Pan admitted that he wanted kisses only from her and tried to kiss her himself. Snuggling with Gip, she watched Peter as he tackled Len from behind, giving him a noogie. The Japanese boy cried out for help, laughing all the while, admitting defeat. But Peter was relentless, and he grinned cockily, crowing loudly.

"Sorry your moment was ruined," Violet chuckled as she and Ruff came to Wendy's side, getting out of the water for a moment.

"It's ok," Wendy giggled, letting Violet take the baby for a moment. "I suppose it wasn't meant to be."

"Heh," Ruff snorted. "Please. You're all he can think about." He grinned as Wendy blushed. "He really likes you, Wendy – he just has a hard time saying it. He used to be the kid who didn't want to admit to anything he thought was wrong, like falling in love. That's why he lost the other Wendy – he wouldn't admit to feelings. He didn't eve know he had them, to be honest."

"You seem to know a lot about him," Wendy noted, sliding into the water. She gave a little shiver of delight, letting the warm waters engulf her.

"Yeah, well, we became pretty close after he found me," the boy admitted, moving his wet, limp Mohawk out of his face.

"How did he find you?" Wendy asked.

"That's an interesting story…I mentioned some of the details to you, Vi…I don't suppose you'd be bored if I told you the whole story?"

The girls shook their heads, their eyes on his face.

Leaning back in the water, he looked up to the starry sky. "It happened so long ago, but it feels like yesterday sometimes…"

Ruff hated it.

He hated his life, his father, his sister, and most of all, himself. Being trapped on this reservation didn't make anything better. After his mother died from an ailment no one seemed to know or understand, his father took to drinking, just like all the other males in the reservation camp. His sister had already started seeing some boys whenever her parent's hadn't been constantly on top of her to be careful. Now that their mother was gone, their father consumed with grief and alcohol, she was free to do as she pleased.

Ruff hung out with his friends most of the time, usually getting into trouble. They were notorious for vandalizing and sneaking out of the reservation to go to fast food joints or hide in the fields. They were a motley crew, most coming from broken homes or simply wishing to be rebellious. For Ruff, there was nothing else.

One night, a very fateful night, Ruff was with his gang of miscreants when they saw two little boys playing in the street.

"Outta the way, babies!" one of the boys laughed, shoving them aside.

"Hey!" the older of the two frowned. "Knock it off! You're not all that special!"

"Ooooh!" the boys in the gang said, mocking the child and feigning hurt.

"Oh, yeah?" the bully snickered. "How about I show you who's boss here?" Grabbing the child by his arm, he raised his fist, only to be stopped by Ruff. "What's with you, bro?!" he snapped.

"You two, scram," Ruff ordered, watching the children run. Glaring at his friends, he shoved the boy away and stalked off. He may have been one to pick on grown men and tease his gang members, but he would not condone beating on children. He'd gotten enough of that himself back at home…

Entering the house, he planned to grab a jacket and leave, except he got his father's fist. It flew out of nowhere, the impact causing him to crumble to the floor.

"Where's my liquor?!" the old man demanded, grabbing Ruff by his collar.

"I don't know!" he protested, struggling to free himself from the elder's grasp. "Honest! I haven't been here since yesterday-!" A blow to the jaw cut him off, blood spilling from his lip.

"Shuddup! I know yer lying…you 'n yer good-for-nothing sister!" hissed his father. "WHERE'S MY BOOZE?!" The punches kept coming, and Ruff was frozen stiff. He bit back his cries, knowing it would only make his father angrier. Besides, no one could help him. Even if they could, they wouldn't. It wasn't until he saw his father raise an empty bottle over his head that his eyes widened in fear.

"You son of a-!" the man bellowed when a figure flew in through the door…literally flew in. He was faster than the wind as he grabbed the man and yanked him away, the bottle slipping from the grown-up's grasp and crashing to the floor. "Wha-?" the man asked only to be silenced by a blow to the face, the stranger's knee hitting him in his groin. Toppling over in pain, the rescuer threw him aside and began to walk away when Ruff's father snatched his ankle and yanked him. The hero slipped, hitting the floor. He hissed as his hand fell on the broken glass, blood dripping.

Ruff's father gave a painful smirk, only to have his eyes widen and close when someone smacked the back of his neck. There were two others, children really. They ran to the rescuer's side, along with two balls of glowing light.

"I'm ok," he reassured them, getting up and wiping his hand on his pants. Heading over to Ruff, he offered him his bloodied hand and smiled. "Hey. Let's get outta here."

Ruff gawked though his one black eye. His hero was a boy, just like him – about sixteen or seventeen perhaps, with wild brown hair and twinkling green eyes that seemed to belong to a child. He wore a strange top made of leaves – LEAVES, as in the green stuff you find on trees – and his jeans soiled with his own blood. He was barefoot, and behind him were a set of twins with fiery red hair and freckles decorating their faces. The two orbs of light darted to and fro, chiming at the strange boy to hurry.

Ruff was entranced, but he was unsure. He'd just beaten his father – who was to say this strange boy wouldn't beat him up next? There was something in his eyes and smile, though, something that was calling to him, something that he related to…

Gingerly, he gripped his hero's hand and let the stranger drag him out of the house.

He couldn't remember much after that, it all became a blur. When he came to, he awoke to find himself in one of the fast food restaurant's he snuck out to, the strange boy and twins seated with him at a table, the two glowing orbs hiding in the boy's hair.

"He's awake!" the Twins pointed, their faces stained with ketchup and mustard.

The boy looked at him and moved a burger in his direction. "Here," he said. "Eat up."

His stomach growled suddenly, and Ruff grabbed the sandwich and swallowed it down like it was nothing. Greedy, he went to grab a handful of fries placed before him, choking on the food.

"Take it easy," the stranger told him, placing a soda in his hands. "Didn't know you were that hungry…"

He felt his face go red at this comment. Ruff felt humiliated as he reluctantly took the beverage and gulped it down, breathing in relief. His eyes lifted and saw the Twins watching him. The two boys glanced at one another, whispered in each other's ears, and shoved the remainer of their fries at him. They beamed as they did so. "Eat up!" they mimicked their leader.

Ruff gave a weak smile, taking only one of the fried potatoes. "Thanks," he nodded. Glancing at the other boy, he noticed his hand was still stained with blood, even if it was dried by now. "Listen…I don't know who you are, but…thanks."

The boy nodded, grinning. "What's your name?"

"…they call me Ruff," he stated, sipping at his drink.

"I'm Peter," said the boy. "Those are Timmy and Tommy."

"We're twins!" they said synchronized, nodding together.

"I didn't notice," Ruff chuckled. Glancing back at Peter's hair, he saw two tiny faces peering through his wild brown locks. "What're they?" he asked, squinting.

"Fairies," Peter answered brightly. "The girl is Tinker Bell and the boy is Blue Falls."

"…Tinker Bell?" Ruff raised an eyebrow at him. "…what, are you like Peter Pan?"

"Not like, I AM Peter Pan." He said it so simply that he was stunned. He wondered if this kid was high off something or was just really into theater…especially with that vest of real leaves.

"Right…what's Peter Pan doing in a place like this?" he asked, skeptical.

"Looking for Lost Boys. I need a new team." He grinned at Ruff. "You'd be great. Wanna join?"

Pursing in lips in disbelief, he asked, "What's the catch?"

"You do as I say and leave Hook and Shade to me," Peter ordered, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Ha!" Ruff snickered. "Listen, thanks for helping me with my old man, but this is way too nutty for me." Getting up from his seat, he walked out of the building, shaking his head. Raising his eyes, he gasped and took a step back.

That Peter boy wasfloating directly in front of him! Not only that, but the Twins were somersaulting behind him in their own little game, the two fairies frowning at him from Peter's shoulders.

"Come with me, Ruff," Peter said, offering his hand once more. "I need a strong, loyal crew to face an enemy worse than Hook. After that, we can live in Neverland and have all the fun in the world! Think of all the adventures and freedom! Think of the possibilities!"

Ruff wanted to run, wanted to close his eyes and realize it was all in his imagination…but instead he whispered, "How do you fly?"

Peter grinned, motioning for the fairies to go to him. They did so, coating the Native American in their magical dust. "Think a happy thought," Peter instructed him. "Wriggle your shoulders a bit and let go!"

Ruff did as he was told, thinking it was absolutely ridiculous, until he shot off into the air at the thought of his mother. He cried, starting to fall again until the Twins grabbed his arms, laughing. Peter took both his hands and led him off, the strange group touching the sky and poking the stars.

Ruff smiled, closing his eyes as the wind rushed through him. It was exhilarating…!

The image of his sister appeared in his mind, and instantly, he began to fly lower and lower.

"What is it?" Peter asked, one eyebrow arched in concern.

"…I can't just ditch my sister," he muttered. "My dad may be a jerk and I don't care about him anymore, but my sister…" True, she was a prostitute and barely talked to him, but she was all the family he had. "I have to see her," he said at last.

"Aw, but Ruff-!" the Twins began to whine, silenced by Peter raising his hand.

"No, boys. We'll do as he says," he scolded them. Ruff was in awe at this, but kept it to himself for the time being.

Peter led the way back, flying over the walls of the reservation. Scanning together in the dark, Peter asked, "Where's your sister?"

Ruff grimaced when he caught sight of a house of a questionable woman, men walking in and out. "My money's there," he grunted, landing with the boys behind the building. "Listen, you guys wait here and-"
"Who's there?!" a girl's voice called out, causing Peter and the Twins to vanish into the shadows.

Ruff recognized her instantly. Too much make-up, too revealing clothes, too few rules, and too many men had made her who she was. She appeared to be five years older than she really was, and she squinted at Ruff through the porch light. "Reggie? Is that you?"

He grimaced at the mention of his real name, biting back a smart remark. "Hi, sis. I was just-"

"Look, get lost, will ya?" she frowned, waving him away like he was a bug. "I'm busy-"

"You're always busy!" he snapped. "Dad tried to kill me today-!"

"I warned you to get out of there," she rolled her eyes. He was stunned. She didn't even care, did she?" "Now get moving or-"

"Hey, babe, is he giving you problems?" a man suddenly appeared at the doorway, wrapping a possessive arm around her waist.

"Not now, Jimmy," she winced, struggling to shove him off of her.

"Don't get like that," he warned her, gawking when she slapped him. "Why you-!"

"Leave her alone!" Ruff snarled, delivering a blow to his nose.

The man crumpled to the side, glaring wickedly. "You want to start that, huh?"

Ruff's eyes became wide as he pulled a gun from his side and pointed it to his sister's head. Guns weren't allowed on the reservation – how did he get his hands on this one?! Then again, Ruff and his friends had always managed to sneak out of the reservation and some managed to get drugs. Raising his hands in defeat, he was ready to beg him when he noted the two fairies flying over the man's head. Up on the awning, Peter sat in wait, looking to Ruff for a signal. Understanding, Ruff couldn't help the impish grin on his face as he gave a slow nod.

The fairies flew down and each poked an eye. The man yowled in pain as Peter leapt down from his perch and placed the man in a headlock. The Twins snatched the pistol and handed it to Ruff while his sister moved away, her eyes huge at what was happening.

"H-Help!" the man gasped, his own eyes bulging as Peter held back his arms and kept his neck stuck in his other arm.

"If you ever come near my sister again," Ruff growled, getting in the man's face. "You won't get off so easy." Nodding at Peter, he watched as Peter released him. "You want this?" Ruff asked, holding out the gun. "Too bad." With a swift motion, he disposed of the bullets and tossed the ammunition over his shoulder and into the dumpster behind him. He smirked. "Now get lost."

The man snarled, pulling a knife out of his pocket. "Not so fast, kid."

"Oh, perfect! My specialty!" Peter laughed cruelly, pulling out his own knife and crouching in a battle stance. "C'mon! Show me whatcha got!"

Wary of the strange boy, he lunged, missing Peter's head by an inch. Ducking, Peter darted his arm out and sliced the man's belt, his pants going slack. The Twins could be heard giggling nearby as the bully grunted and fumed. "Get back here you little-!" His words were cut off with a cry of pain when Peter spun and kicked his jaw, sending him sprawling on the ground. The knife flew in the air and Peter caught it with an expert's hand. Standing over the man, Peter pointed both knives at him. "Don't. Move." He spoke those words in a whisper before moving his knife in such a fast motion that no one knew what was happening until he was finished. With a flourish of his hand, he nodded satisfactorily at his word and smiled, sliding both weapons into his pocket.

The man gave a wail as he realized the boy had engraved a 'P' onto his chest, his shirt torn in shreds. The blood seeped through and the pain was fresh.

"Wanna fight again?" Peter asked with a mischievous grin. He curled his fingers towards him, as if saying, "Come on and get me." Instead, the man stumbled to his feet, crying in pain and fear, taking off into the dark. Ruff watched, amazed, as Peter dusted himself off and tossed Ruff one of the knives. "Never know when you'll need it," he shrugged.

Ruff grinned but the smile vanished when he remembered why he was here. Turning, he saw his sister cowering before him. "Sis-"

"Keep away!" she whispered, curling away from him on the porch. "Don't hurt me, Reggie! I didn't do anything wrong!"

His eyes dimmed sadly as he stared at her. "…you didn't do anything." Turning away from her, he said, "Goodbye, Lela. Good luck." Raising his eyes, he looked to Peter, still standing before him, with the Twins floating above with the fairies. Offering his hand to Peter, he bowed his head and said, "…will you still have me?"

He was rewarded with the feel of coarse fingers and dried blood as Peter gripped his hand and began to fly. A childlike grin was on his face as he said, "Welcome aboard, Ruff."

"Ruff…" Violet whispered, her hand on his shoulder. She was back in the water with him, Wendy had taken Gip back to the ledge as they listened to his tale.

"If Pan hadn't come and taken me outta there…" he shook his head. "I don't know what would've happened. That's why I decided I'd stick with him and be by his side no matter what."

"That's why you're the best Lost Boy ever."

Wendy, Violet, and Ruff froze as they realized Peter had swum over and overheard the story. He punched Ruff's shoulder playfully and flew out of the water, shaking off the excess fluids like a dog would.

"Hey!" Wendy laughed, covering her face.

"Wendy," Peter said suddenly, his face aglow. "Wanna go down to the rides? We could go on the Ferris wheel!"

"That sounds lovely, but my brothers…" she stopped, seeing how Jon, Lily, and the boys splashed about. Mikey and Mouse laughed and rode on Blue Falls's shoulders, the fairy precariously balancing them on his arms. Nana had leapt into the pool by now and dog-paddled throughout the area, licking whomever she came into contact with.

"We can watch them," Violet offered, taking Gip back. With a grin and a wink, she said, "You go on. We'll meet back at the carousal when we're ready to leave. Sound good?"

"No later than eight thirty," Wendy said with a smile. "Mikey needs his rest."

"Sounds good," the gothic girl agreed.

"I'll just need to dry off," Wendy said, getting up.

"Try those palm leaves," Ruff suggested, pointing to the odd plant. "They're just as good as towels."

"I'll give you a minute," Peter grinned, taking off in the opposite direction to dry off and get dressed as well.

Blush filled her cheeks as she ran off and retrieved her clothes. She couldn't help but feel giddy – she and Peter would be alone…truly alone.