Wendy was on the verge of taking off her destroyed nightgown and slipping into the lagoon to bathe when she heard jingling. Sighing, she knew Tink had returned to tell her how Peter had taken the news. But as she looked up, she saw Peter following the fairy, his eyes scanning the ground beneath them. Wendy gasped and her hands flew to her face.

"Tinkerbell," she growled. Looking around frantically, she quickly pressed herself against one of the cave walls and attempted to hide in the shadows. Peter dropped to the ground and called out for Wendy. He looked around anxiouslyand ran his fingers through his curls.

"Where is she Tink?"

This is where I left her. She's probably hiding.

"WHY? Why would she be hiding from me?" Tink didn't answer and Peter threw up his hands in irritation.

"Wendy, please. Tink won't tell me what's going on so I am begging you, come out and tell me yourself. Please." Tink looked around while Peter stood on the edge of the beach, his hands covering his eyes.

"Wendy…I care about you. So much. You have to know that. I'd die if something happened to you. Please. Just tell me why you're hiding from me. I'll leave you alone, if that's what you truly want. But let me see your face, one more time." Silence greeted him and he lowered his hands and looked around. Tink hovered next to him, a saddened look on her lovely face. Struck by an idea, Peter grabbed his dagger and held his arm out in front of him.

Peter! Would you stop that?

"No. If you both care about me as much as you say you do, you won't let me do this. Wendy," he raised his voice and held the dagger over his already bleeding wrist. "This is how I made Tink bring me to you. I've already cut myself once. I'll do it again if I need to. I'll slice my wrist open and watch all the blood run out. If that's what it will take to get you to face me and tell me what is going on." He waited for a moment before he lowered the dagger so that it grazed his skin. Wendy watched in horror, her hand clapped over her mouth. Peter started to slice the skin and Wendy couldn't take it anymore.

"Peter, you shouldn't have come here! Just…please. Go back without me."

"You and I both know that will never happen," Peter said loudly, slicing his wrist. He winced, as the cut was deeper than he had intended. Groaning a little, he dropped the dagger and held his wrist to his chest. Wendy longed to run into his arms but she held herself back.

"Stop it, Peter, please. Stop doing this to yourself. I can't…I don't want you to see me. Can't you be content to know that I'm alive?"

"No. Because I know something is wrong. And I'm not leaving here until you tell me what it is. I should probably find something to wrap this in," he lowered his voice to talk to Tink and she crossed her arms and glared at him.

Quit it you idiot. You're going to kill yourself.

"I'd hope Wendy wouldn't let me hurt myself anymore," he raised his voice again and Wendy squeezed her eyes shut. "Unless she just wants to watch me do it again. You want to see what I almost did when Tink told me you were dead, Wendy?" He bent and picked up the dagger, bringing it to his throat. Wendy gasped as the blade touched his skin and she shook her head.

"You can't!"

"I can. And I would have. Don't be mad at Tink for bringing me here. She didn't want to see me die. I hope you don't either."

"Oh Peter, of course I don't. That's why I'm staying away. So that you stay safe! You mean so much to me, I would die if anything happened to you." Peter lowered the blade and turned toward the caves. His eyes scanned the walls and the shadows and finally he caught a glimpse of the purple nightgown she wore. Wendy watched him realize where she was and she shrank back into the shadows even further. Peter cautiously approached, as if she was a wild animal backed into a corner. He held out his shaking hands.

"Let me see you. And then I'll go. You have no idea how worried I have been. How destroyed I felt when Tink told me that lie. You mean…so much to me, Wendy. How could you possibly think I could just walk away?"

"Because I've become the enemy," she said softly. Now that he was close, he noticed a change in her voice. It was…deeper. More soothing. More mature. He touched her hand and she didn't shrink away. Swallowing, he could feel his heart racing in fear and panic. He tugged her out of the shadows and as the sunlight cast its rays over her titled face, he gasped and stumbled backwards. He was looking into the face of a woman, an adult woman, not his Wendy. Those were not Wendy's eyes, those were not her lips, that was not her face. That certainly was not the body of a girl. She stood there, her face titled toward the ground, her eyes closed, silent tears streaming down her cheeks. Tink landed on Peter's shoulder and patted his cheek.

It's not her fault, Peter. The pirates did this to her. She's still the same Wendy. The same girl you feel so strongly for.

"It's not…her," he said weakly. His words made Wendy squeeze her eyes shut, stifling a sob. Tink gently tugged one of his curls and jingled in his ear.

It IS her. We tried to tell you, we tried to spare you this pain. You insisted on seeing her. Now don't you DARE hurt her.

Peter stared at the woman before him and hesitantly approached her. A shaking hand cupped her chin and forced her to look at him. She was a little bit taller than he was now. Her eyes met his and Peter searched them for any trace of his Wendy. Through the tears, he found her. They still held the same warmth and compassion that he had fallen for. His filled with tears as he realized she was still in there. In the body of this…grown up.

"Wendy," he said softly. He pulled her into his arms and held her close. She sobbed against his chest and he stroked her hair lovingly, squeezing his eyes shut. She pulled away and ripped a piece of material from her gown. Taking his wrist into her gentle hands, she wrapped his bleeding wrist with the material from her nightgown and let her hands fall to her side. Peter never tore his gaze from her eyes.

"Don't you ever do that again," she said quietly. He nodded and his eyes went to a gash on her neck, very close to her collarbone. He gently ran a finger down the wound and she winced.

"The pirates did this to you?"

"Mister Smee is now their Captain. He wants revenge. But you can't go near them, Peter. You have to forget about me and—"

"Would you STOP saying that? I won't forget about you. I didn't ask you to stay in Neverland because you do laundry or cook or make me clothes. I asked you to stay with me because… you are the only person I have ever felt anything for. My heart races when I'm around you, I can't stand being away from you. I wanted to die when I thought you were dead. I can't live without you, Wendy. I won't." Fresh tears welled in her ears and she wanted to kiss him but she held herself back.

"But Peter, I'm a grown up now. How can we—"

"We'll find a cure. That cut on your neck must be how it happened. The pirates used some sort of cursed blade. We'll find something to change you back." Wendy nodded miserably but she knew it would not be that easy. Tink watched the scene with her hand over her mouth. She remembered what Smee had said about there being no cure. But she sincerely hoped he was wrong. Perhaps the fairies would know a way to help her. Peter stepped away and ran his fingers through his curls.

"Let's get back to the Indian Village. Tiger Lily has been pretty worried too."

"Peter…what happened to your hideout?" The last time she had seen it, it was surrounded by flames. She hoped someone had been able to stop the fire in time. But Peter's saddened look told her the truth.

"It was cinders when I returned. It doesn't matter though. It was just a house. All I cared about was getting you back." He reached out to touch her then stopped, his hand hovering awkwardly for a moment before he lowered it and sighed. Wendy seemed to become aware of her lack of clothing and crossed her arms over her chest, doing her best to cover herself. Peter turned from her and cleared his throat.

"We'd, um…we'd better be getting back."

It was a sad, silent line that trudged back to the Indian Village. Tink flew close to Wendy, who kept her head down and couldn't stop the tears from flowing. Peter wanted to comfort her but he didn't know how; he couldn't bring himself to touch her. A part of him screamed that she was still his Wendy but another part told him she was a grown up. And he despised grown ups. In fact, he had a strict rule about never allowing grown ups in Neverland. Wendy was technically breaking his rule at the moment. Tink knew it too but it had not been Wendy's choice and therefore she should not be punished. Still, Peter wondered what would happen to them if they couldn't find a cure. He had said he would never grow up for anyone. If Wendy was stuck a grown up, he would have to let her go. He would have to return her to London. And what would her family say? Three weeks in Neverland and she looked like she had aged several years?! Peter knew the magic of Neverland must be protected. He was charged with keeping the peace on the island and he would be the one to decide Wendy's fate. He knew he would have to face that decision soon but he was not ready to say anything to her. Let them look for a cure. He would find some way to help her, to bring back his Wendy.