I won't lie, there were tears as I wrote this chapter. Just a warning :-P but I hope you don't completely hate me for it and still continue to read. I'll try to post some more this weekend! Thanks for all the reviews and keep them coming!

The rest of the boys were thrilled to see Peter and even more thrilled to hear that they were in store for an adventure. Tootles was nervous to leave his schoolwork behind but Peter assured him they would not be gone long. When they landed in front of John's house, they noticed a lady and a gentleman quickly walking down the walkway. The boys stayed tucked out of sight until they were both gone, then proceeded to knock on the door.

"Dearest, I KNOW I need to purchase a suit but…oh! Oh blimey, hello chaps! Good to see you."

"Got you trained well, does she," Michael said with a smirk. John straightened up and straightened his glasses.

"I don't know what you're talking about. We had a lovely time at the theatre tonight."

"Does she bring her brother along on all of your dates?" Slightly asked with a grin. John's face fell a little.

"It was rather uncomfortable but she insisted that she needed a chaperone. And I paid for all three of us so my money bag is considerably lighter now."

"John, for goodness sake, put your foot down and quit letting her walk all over you!"

"I say, chaps, is that Peter I spy back there?"

"Hello John," Peter said slowly. John started to wring his hand enthusiastically.

"Wonderful to see you, old boy. How are you? How is my sister?"

"We're going to see her now!" One of the twins cried (Peter still didn't know how to tell them apart) John's eyes widened.

"We're going to Neverland?"

"As soon as everyone is ready. Wendy is waiting."

"Splendid. Let me grab my coat and we can be on our way." John took a pinch of dust from the bag and gave a delighted cry when he rose into the air. Peter nodded to the boys.

"Ok everyone, you know the drill. Second to the right—"

"And straight on til morning," they all finished together in very excited voices.

Peter lead the way to Neverland and the boys kept letting out squeals of delight. Even Curly had a smile on his face now. As they crossed into the realm, they kept looking around and laughing.

"Follow me, boys," Peter lead the way to the house in the woods and hoped Wendy was still awake. It didn't make a lot of sense to bring them here at such a late hour but he wasn't about to argue with her. He saw the light on and knew she was waiting up for them.

"The kids should be in bed but Wendy is probably waiting up. Everyone ready?"

"You have to make everything a game, Peter? Let us see our sister already!" Peter opened the door and Wendy's squeal met his ears. She threw herself at the boys and they all crushed her with hugs and kisses. For a moment, Peter saw the young Lost Boys, as he had known them and remembered their rough housing and crazy antics. They had had some incredible adventures together. He truly had been heartbroken when they had left him.

"Wow Wendy, you haven't aged a day!"

"What do you expect, numbskull, this is Neverland"

"I think she's gotten more beautiful though," Nibs said, kissing her hand.

"Most definitely," Slightly agreed.

"Boys that's enough. My goodness, it's so wonderful to see you all. You're all looking splendid! Curly, WHY do I smell smoke and liquor about you? And Slightly, your hair is getting much too long. Michael, darling, look at how you've grown! Oh boys, I've missed you so."

"We've missed you too, Wendy-lady," Ben said, hugging her tightly. Wendy giggled, squeezed in the middle by her brothers. Peter hung back, surveying the scene with a slight smile on his face.

"But where are Mother and Father? I thought they might come too." Suddenly, the boys looked uncomfortably and uncertain as they glanced at one another. Peter felt like he should leave the room, as he knew this wasn't going to be good.

"Wendy…dearest, there's something you should know."

"Yes?" They were all looking at John expectantly; as the oldest, he supposed it was his responsibility to drop that horrible bomb on her.

"Wendy…Father passed away, three months ago." Wendy froze and went very pale.

"What?"

"We didn't want to write that in a letter, Wendy, we wanted to tell you in person. We're so sorry." Wendy didn't move or react. Her eyes were popping and Peter braced himself for a storm but none came.

"Dead?" she said faintly.

"I'm afraid so. Michael has moved in with Mother, to care for her." Michael nodded and took her hands.

"She's well, Wendy. She says she misses you and wishes she could have come with us. She's been handling it very well." Peter's brow raised at Michael's lie. He couldn't take it. Shaking his head, he went upstairs to the bedroom, feeling that they would be talking for awhile. He slipped out of his "normal" clothes and pulled on one of the deerskin trousers the Indians had made for him. Pausing to stare into the mirror, Peter's eyes scanned his reflection and he sighed.

"Who have I become? I don't feel like me anymore." He jumped onto the bed and reached for his panpipes. Putting them to his lips, he played the song that Tink had taught him long ago.

The door burst open and Peter nearly dropped the pipes. Wendy entered the room, her entire form shaking. Peter bit his lip and jumped to his feet.

"Sweetheart—"

"Don't touch me," she said in a shrill voice and Peter jerked his hand back. Wendy paced the room a few times and Peter watched her warily.

"Wendy, it's ok—"

"It is NOT ok! They tried to explain why they waited so long in telling me. I wasn't at his deathbed, I wasn't at his funeral, I wasn't at his burial. I wasn't there to comfort Mother afterwards. If you hadn't gone to them tonight, it might have been years before I had found out! It's your fault, Peter, it's entirely your fault!" Peter looked as if he had been slapped and he took a step back.

"How is it my—"

"You have kept me away! Kept me locked away here, as if I'm your own personal plaything! I have nothing here, Peter. Nothing. You and the children are all that I have. I have no career, no friends, no life! You kept me away from my family and my father is DEAD! I wish I hadn't come here. I wish I had stayed in London and grown up."

"So it finally comes out. You finally admit it. So what took you so long, Wendy? Why haven't you left before this?"

"Because I convinced myself I owed it to my family to stick around and work things out. But after tonight, I realize I owe you nothing. I will never see my father again and I will not let that happen with my mother. I am returning with the boys when you take them back to London. And I'll take the children with me."

"They're mine too, you know. You can't just take them."

"Oh please, don't pretend that you want them. You can't wait until I leave so you can be a little boy again. A selfish little boy."

"Fine. Take them. And you know what? Why wait? Why not fly home tonight? You obviously can't wait to get away from me." They were standing inches apart, their faces red, tears welling in their eyes, hearts pounding, and steam pouring from their ears. Wendy broke first; tears streaming down her cheeks, she turned and ran out of the room. Peter could hear her calling to the boys and he slammed the door behind her, so forcefully that several of Wendy's knickknacks fell off the dresser and crashed to the floor. There was a gentle knock at the door and Peter gripped at his curls.

"What?" he snapped.

"Dad, is everything alright? Mum just went running out of the house." Peter squeezed his eyes shut and determinedly blinked back tears.

"Go back to bed, Wyatt. Don't worry about it."

"But—"

"I said go!" Succumbing to his tears, Peter hid his head in his hands and covered his ears. He needed to go after Wendy. He needed to beg for her forgiveness, convince her to stay with him, make her see how much he needed her. He needed her love, he couldn't survive without it. But something held him back. Something kept him in that room. Very slowly, he rose and knelt in front of the trunk. With trembling fingers he opened it and lifted the amethyst into his lap.

"I want things to go back to the way they were. I want everything to be alright again. I want to stop growing...and start living again. Someone tell me what to do." Tears pouring from his eyes, he lowered his face to his lap and rocked back and forth. Tossing the stone aside, he curled up on the floor and cried himself to sleep.