Wendy lay in the dark, listening to the muted voices of the lost boys outside Peter's room until they stopped completely. But she didn't get up until she heard the boys' light snoring. She rolled quietly out of Peter's bed and tiptoed past through the main room, up the stairs to the entrance, and slipped silently outside in the brusque night air. The chill was heavy, and she shivered cursing herself for not bringing anything for cold weather. Of course she hadn't, Peter said it was always warm in Neverland.
She wrapped her arms around herself, and made her slow trek toward the place where they had landed first: her house that the boys had made for her.
Thinking of them made her face contort with despair and her heart sink. Oh she would miss them. She hoped once she left that they would stop growing up again, and her brothers would stay here, young forever. The thought made her smile a little. Their youth and their optimism would be preserved here for all eternity. It's what they deserved.
She began to shiver violently. Maybe she should turn back. Did Peter mean what he said? Did he really want to grow up? Could it work? Her mind began to work in overtime. What if that was the answer? Peter could come with her back to London, and they could build a life together, and… No. She'd already thought this out in her head. Peter belonged here. This was his home, and she had perverted it. Her selfish reasons for wanting Peter with her did not stand up to the pledge he had made to be a little boy always and never grow up. And what would happen to Neverland if she stole Peter away? It would cease to exist and it would be her fault. There would be a shadow over their lives, and he would grow to resent her.
She reached the house, and went inside. She sank to the ground, and began to dig with her fingers until she found what she had left there. The thing she couldn't bear to leave behind. In her hand she held a small silver thimble. She clutched it to her heart, for a while remembering the moment she had given it to Peter. The ache in her chest grew and she stood up knowing this was the last time she would see Neverland.
She stood up slowly and walked outside. She closed her eyes for a moment, held her breath and jumped in the air, ready for flight to take her back home. But nothing happened.
She jumped again, and fell back to the earth with a thud. What was happening? Why couldn't she fly? She tried again and again, feeling all happiness drift away. Happiness! That was it! Her Happy Thought! Wendy closed her eyes. She must try to get past the broken heart in her chest. She started to clear her mind… her thimble. Her kiss. Hers and Peter's. She was never happier. She thought of the first time she kissed him, that perfect mix of fear, excitement and happiness. Wendy leapt into the air again… and came crashing back to earth. "BLAST!" she said.
"A happy thought won't help you my dear, you're out of fairy dust," said a voice in the darkness. Wendy jerked with fright..
"Hook," Wendy whispered. She jumped to her feet.
"Captain Hook to you, dear sweet Wendy. Might I ask what you're doing out here in the middle of nowhere?" he asked silkily, coming out of the shadows. His hook glinted in the moonlight.
"I could ask you the same question, Captain," said Wendy, voice quavering.
"I merely wanted to return something of yours," he said, coming toward her. Wendy backed up several paces. "I don't wish to startle you my dear. Here is your dagger." He held out the knife she'd dropped during their struggle. He offered it, hilt first blade pointing at himself.
"What do you want in return Hook?" she asked, wary. She could run, but she might run into the arms of one of Hook's crew waiting in the trees.
Hook threw his head back and cackled. "Well what an interesting question my dear. You see there is something I want in return." His eyes raked over her body, and Wendy shuddered and wrapped her arms around herself at the intimacy of his gaze.
"What is that?" she breathed.
"I want to know how you did it."
"Did what?"
"Changed Peter into a man. It's working to my advantage. He's so wrapped up in the feminine distractions of men, that he's forgetting himself. Losing touch with this place." Wendy felt her heart sink at Hooks confirmation of what she knew to be true. "I've been able to get quite a few things done while he's not been his usual vigilant self."
"What do you mean?" she asked, taking another step backward.
"The reason I'm here, on this god forsaken island on this god forsaken star. To find…" he trailed off frowning. A toothy smile formed on his face. "No need to trouble yourself with that my dear, I forget where I am. I'd just like to know how you were able to force Peter to grow up."
"What are you looking for?" she asked.
Hook's eyes narrowed. "Like I said, no need to trouble yourself. Your blade?" he said holding it out to her. Suddenly Hook's face contorted in a strange grimace and his eyes rolled back in his head. He dropped to the ground with a loud thud.
Wendy felt bizarre. Her head swam and her knees buckled. The sensation passed though, and her eyes came back into focus. She looked up and jumped.
Standing Hook's prostrate body was was Tiger Lily. To Wendy this wasn't much better.
"Hello Wendy-Bird," she said sheepishly. She was holding what looked like a water skin.
"Tiger Lily, what… what just happened?"
"I… I followed you." Said Tiger Lily, biting her lip. Wendy shrank back. "Only to ask forgiveness," she finished quickly.
Wendy just stared blank faced. "How can I?" she asked. "How can I trust you?"
"Well, I just defeated your enemy for you," she gestured to Hook's lifeless form on the ground. "It will only last for a few more minutes before he wakes up and so we must be gone from this place."
Wendy didn't want to go with Tiger Lily, but she didn't want to stay to witness Hook's coming to, either. She reluctantly followed Tiger Lily into the forest.
They were silent for a long time, Tiger Lily weaving through the trees noiseless over the foliage, while Wendy felt loud and awkward, snapping every branch she came in contact with.
Finally they came to a clearing and stopped in front of a steaming pond of water. The hot springs.
"Here, Wendy is where you will bathe, and I will tell you how I came upon you tonight," said Tiger lily. She sat on a large rock and gestured to the water.
Wendy was reluctant. Bathing was the most vulnerable thing she could think of doing.
"I am trying to make amends Wendy, I promise you," said Tiger Lily, as if reading her thoughts. "Step into the water and wash. No harm will come to you." She handed her a small leather pouch.
Wendy reluctantly took the sack and undid the chording. Inside was a fragrant mixture flowers and crushed husks. She looked up at the Indian Princess confused. Tiger Lily pantomimed rubbing it on her arms. "It will remove the filth," she said.
"Alright," said Wendy giving up. It sounded nice to be able to wash finally, and she was so cold and miserable, the water looked wonderful.
Tiger Lily turned around. "Undress Wendy-Bird, I will not look."
Wendy stripped out of her now tattering nightdress, soiled and almost useless, and slowly climbed into the steaming water. She opened the vial, and lavishly began to rub the mixture on her limbs, her face, her body. She felt the sticky grime wash away, and she sighed.
Tiger Lily swiveled on her perch, and removed her moccasins. She stuck her feet in the hot water and sighed. "I am sorry Wendy," she said quietly. Wendy looked at her, feeling she needed more than an apology. Tiger Lily bit her lip again. "I will tell you why I have a change of heart. Your brother said things to me tonight, things that cut deeply. I realized I acted out of jealousy, and not just concern for my beloved island."
Wendy stared at her. John?
"I thought about his words all afternoon, and so I made my way to Peter's house to express my regret, and I saw you leave the hideout. I followed you to ask forgiveness from you first, but also out of curiosity. Then I saw Hook and some Pirates in the forest. I would not fail you this time as I had when I saw you and Peter together. I ran back to some supplies that we store around the island for urgent situations, and I took this." She held the water skin out for Wendy to look at.
"It contains a smoke made from herbs on the island. It gives sleep to whoever smells it when it is released. I used it on the pirates waiting in the bushes, and then on Hook."
That explained the drowsiness Wendy felt when Hook fell over in front of her.
"Why didn't you fall over?" asked Wendy.
"We have made ourselves immune to its affects," said Tiger Lily. She sighed deeply. "Please forgive me Wendy. What I did was handled wrongly. I should have made inquiries first. I do not believe you to be full of evil and malintent. If it is because of you that this place is changing, you did not know. It gives me no right to do what I did."
Wendy felt her anger ebb away at each of Tiger Lily's words. It was healing to be able to hear herself spoken of in innocence. "I do, Tiger Lily. I forgive you."
Tiger Lily smiled and exhaled. "Thank you Wendy. I give my blessing to you and Peter. I don't know why I behaved that way with him. I was afraid to lose him, he means so much to me. But I know now the affection I have for him is like a sister to a brother. He would not accept my kiss."
Wendy's eyebrows shot up. Kiss? What kiss?
"He refused me, he spoke only of you," she explained quickly.
Wendy relaxed a little. "Tiger Lily," she said. "I was leaving tonight. What you said is true, it is my fault. I was going to leave so that the changes in Neverland would stop. That's what I was doing tonight."
Tiger Lily looked at her in surprise. "You would do that for us? Leave behind your brothers and the ones you love?"
Wendy nodded. "It's the only way."
Tiger Lily jumped to her feet. "I know I can trust you now Wendy. That is the other thing I came to tell you. My father would like to have a meeting with you and Peter and John. He wished me to tell you that he does not believe its any human's fault that these changes are occurring."
Wendy's heart leapt in her chest. Not her fault? Those were the sweetest words she'd ever heard. That meant her and Peter… Oh Peter! The things she said to him that night, stopping their kiss, all meaningless. She had hurt him for no reason.
"What are we waiting for?" exclaimed Wendy, her arms splashing in the water.
Tiger Lily pulled out a sleeveless dress made of soft brown leather from her bag. "Here Wendy, take this. Throw this to the bushes," she said. She picked up Wendy's night dress with a stick and wrinkled her nose.
Wendy climbed out of the springs. she pulled the leather dress over her head, the fabric stuck to her wet skin. She grabbed her filthy garment off the stick. "I want to keep it… for sentimental reasons."
Tiger Lily rolled her eyes and dropped her stick with a shrug. "It's yours to do with as you wish," she said.
They made their way back to the hideout, Wendy's heart happily pounding away.
A pair of miniscule eyes watched them from the bushes. The eyes blinked and turned with a noise like the sound of tiny tinkling bells.