Your reviews and kind words are overwhelming, thank you SO SO much! So who recognized that dream scene from "Neverland Needs You"? ;-) lol I had the biggest grin on my face as I wrote Peter's line of "I've had this dream before." ;-)

Anyway, thank you again, keep 'em coming, and have a magical week!

Wendy awoke with feelings of doubt and uncertainty. She tossed the blankets aside and settled at her dresser, tossing her golden curls back and quickly wrapping a blue ribbon around them. She slipped her satin gown down her slender frame and gasped loudly, her eyes locking on her reflection. For there, right above her left breast, was a large purple mark. Her fingers raked across it, as she continued to stare at it in the mirror.

"It can't be," she said in the barest of whispers. She tried to rack her brain and remember if she and Henry had done anything…inappropriate on their date last night. No, he had been as boring as ever. He had muttered in a dull tone how nice the night was, had nearly fallen asleep at the theatre, had walked her home and had politely kissed her hand. No chemistry between them, no sparks of any kind. She had been quite glad to say goodnight only to find her mother waiting to present her with a very special wedding gown, passed down from generation to generation. And then…what else had happened? A strange boy had broken into her bedroom and had collapsed…and then she had that dream, that same dream that she had had nearly every night for eight years. Yet this time, something was different. Peter was different. More urgent, more alive. And he had said it was all real. That this, this mark would prove that it was real. She swallowed as her fingers raked across it again. She could still feel Peter's lips moving across her skin, causing her to writhe in his grasp. But in her dream, he had been a young man and the boy she saw last night…well, that was the Peter she remembered. A boy who never wanted to grow up. She heard a knock at the door and she quickly covered herself with her robe again.

"Come in," she said softly. Her mother peered in and smiled.

"Good morning my dearest. Aunt Millicent and I would like to take you shopping today."

"For what, Mother?"

"Why, every bride needs new dresses to wear! Charlotte even wants to come." Wendy couldn't help but groan.

"I don't really feel up to it, Mother—"

"Darling, she will be your sister very soon. You need to spend some time with her, get to know her."

"She's as dull as her brother is!" Mrs. Darling looked surprised.

"So what do you expect in a husband, my dear?"

"I don't know! Someone full of life! Of fun and adventure. An extraordinary—"

"You're still waiting for one last adventure with Peter Pan," Mrs. Darling said firmly. "And it's not going to happen. You will marry Henry next weekend and you will be very happy."

"What if all of this is just one big dream and in real life, I'm happily married to Peter Pan and living in Neverland?" Mrs. Darling looked alarmed.

"Darling, are you sure you're not ill?" Wendy brushed her hand away impatiently.

"I'm fine," she scowled. She moved away from the dresser and faced the window, her arms crossed over her chest. Mrs. Darling watched her daughter sadly. Of course she wanted Wendy to be happy but she knew that waiting around for a boy who would never grow up would only end in heartache. That was why she had been ecstatic when her husband had announced that Henry VonBrewer had asked him for Wendy's hand; she knew Wendy had no feelings for the lad and truthfully, she thought the boy terribly dull but he was wealthy and could provide a good life for her daughter. She rose to her feet and folded her hands.

"Wendy, you cannot live in a world of fantasy. It is time to grow up." Wendy gasped; she never thought she would hear those words from her mother. From her father, yes, even her brothers but never her mother. She whirled around to find her mother exiting the room. Wendy paced the room several times before she settled back down at the vanity and started powdering her face. She stared at Peter's mark a few more minutes before furiously covering it with powder until it had disappeared.

Peter had insisted on visiting Wendy as soon as he woke up and Tink insisted on going with him. So the pair left Neverland and soared toward London. Tink was worried that it was daylight and they might be seen but Peter ignored her warnings, his only thoughts on Wendy. He vividly remembered the dream he had had and knew it was real. He also knew she would remember. He flew straight to her window and saw that it had been left open. He peered in and saw her sitting at her desk. He soared through the window and landed right behind her. He peered over her shoulder and saw her holding something in her hands. It was the acorn he had given her, his kiss, that she had always worn around her neck. His heart swelled and he smiled.

"I thought you no longer believed in me." She jumped up and whirled around to find that handsome boy from her dreams standing there, smug as always.

"I don't." Peter felt a sharp pain in his heart and winced.

"Wendy…please don't say that. It almost killed me last night."

"Then why have you returned?"

"I told you I'd be back. Do you remember anything from last night?"

"You mean you barging into my room unannounced and—"

"No," he cut her off. "After that."

"I don't know what you mean," she said in a higher pitch than normal, which told him she definitely knew what he meant.

"Really," he said patiently, unmoving. "And did you find a mark somewhere on your skin this morning?" Wendy gaped at him; he knew. It had to be real. He was real. But she shook her head.

"What sort of mark? You're mad."

"Hardly. I can check for you if you like." Wendy's hands flew to cover her chest and she took a step back.

"Don't you touch me." But Peter's smile widened.

"Huh. I never said I marked you there." Wendy gasped and her eyes met his. His cocky smile made him even more handsome.

"You're a brute."

"But you love me," he said quietly. Her hands flew to her side as her face grew red.

"What do you want, Peter Pan?" Peter closed his eyes and smiled.

"That was all I needed. For you to say my name."

"I could say I don't believe in—" but he flew to her side and clapped his hand over her mouth. Her eyes widened and he leaned closer, shaking his head.

"I said you almost killed me last night. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"How," came her muffled reply. Peter smiled sadly.

"The one who means the most to me in the world can tear me apart with her words. The boys not believing in me is painful. For you not to believe is death itself." He slowly removed his hand from her mouth and his gaze held hers. She cocked her head curiously as she studied him.

"You're different." He nodded.

"It's a long story."

"You'll need to give me some version of it if you expect me to believe any of this is real."

"This isn't real enough to you?" He leaned down and crushed his lips against hers. She gasped into the kiss and jerked away.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Returning the kiss you gave me eight years ago," he said with a smile. She shook her head and backed up a bit more.

"We can't do this, Peter. I'm a grown woman. And you're…you're the same as you ever were."

"Alright, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I just…can't stop myself from kissing you. Whenever you're near me, I need to kiss you. This is some sort of…alternate reality, Wendy. In real life, we're married." Wendy's eyes widened even more and she mouthed wordlessly.

"Are you ill?" she finally spoke. He shook his head, taking a step toward her.

"It's the truth, I swear it. I made a wish…a foolish mistake and it changed my life. Now I wake up in Neverland for Tink to tell me I haven't seen you in eight years. I come here to see you in your grandmother Gwendolyn's wedding dress and know I might be too late. But I'm begging you to believe me, this isn't how things are supposed to be. I grew up for you. I'm your husband, the father of your children."

"Peter…I think you should leave," she said in a shaky voice. "My aunt and mother will be here any minute and—"

"Fine. I'll go. But I'm not giving up. I won't let you go without a fight." He took the acorn from her hand and draped it around her neck. She glanced down where it rested against her heart and looked up, her eyes going to a spot on his bare chest. He glanced down and saw her staring at the thimble.

"Is that-?"

"I've never taken it off." She reached out and held it in her hand, gasping at the burn underneath.

"But what happened?" He shivered as her fingers brushed against his skin.

"I don't know exactly. Tiger Lily said it was burning into my skin last night."

"I don't understand—"

"I don't understand any of this, Wendy. But as I said, I'm not giving up." He took her hand and kissed it and frowned at the ring on her finger. It was a simple silver band, nothing like the beautiful ring he had bought for her. It was much too plain, too ordinary for Wendy. He shook his head.

"This guy doesn't know how extraordinary you are. When is the wedding?"

"Saturday," she said quietly. Peter nodded.

"Six days to win your love. I'd say that's a challenge unlike anything I've ever accepted." He quickly gave her a peck on the cheek then flew out the window. Wendy ran over just in time to see a shape disappearing into the clouds. She held her hand up in front of her face, staring at her ring then continued to stare out the window.

"Wendy!" She started as she heard her mother yelling for her to come down and knew she had to go with her and Aunt Millicent. Casting the sky one last look, she finished dressing and hurried downstairs.