The morning came too quickly. Peter and Wendy woke up, wrapped around each other. Wendy had had another nightmare and only calmed down when Peter held her close, smoothing the hair from her face. She leaned up to kiss his chin. "Thank you," she whispered, snuggling against him. He traced patterns with his fingers across her bare back.
"What were you dreaming about?" he asked. Wendy closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"I was falling. Like that first night, when Tinkerbell had the boys try to kill me."
Peter winced as he remembered when he found her, lying still on the ground. "Wendy, you don't have to come with me," he said against her hair.
She looked up at him. She meant what she had said. No power in Neverland would stop her from coming. Peter wanted to protect her, but who would protect him? She sat up and climbed over him straddling his lap. "Try to stop me," she said, hands on his shoulders. He grinned, and sat up to hold her close and taste her mouth. He lifted her by her hips and teased her sensitive hidden place until she was wet for him and he was stiff as a board. She slid over him. They moved together, the now familiar throb start to build.
"I… love you," he said against her lips.
"Shh," she whispered, "you'll wake… the boys…" She ground herself against him, causing both of them to groan.
"Say it back then," he said louder.
"I love you too!" She tried to hold in her cry as they shot to the stars together, pressing their mouths against the other, trying to stifle the noise. Peter fell back against his pillow, and took Wendy with him, still trying to kiss her between gasps.
"It gets better, doesn't it?" she asked, smiling against his skin. Peter only eagerly nodded his head, breathing heavily.
Noise began to quake outside the room. "What's happening in there?" came Nibs' voice. "Are you wrestling?"
"Oh dear!" cried Wendy, rolling off Peter and grabbing her dress. She sat on the floor next to the bed, and pulled it over her head.
Peter jumped up, searching for his pants.
"Yes, and if you come in before I pin her you'll be sorry!" he yelled. He found his missing clothing under the flurry of blankets, and pulled them over his ankles, almost tripping in the process.
"Were hungry!" cried Nibs. Wendy stood up and straightened her dress, her adrenalin pumping. Those boys were going to be the death of her.
She stood before the mirror running her fingers through her wildly unkempt hair, with Peter still struggling to pull his pants on. He'd grown even more she noticed, and the muscles of his thighs showed easily through his garment.
He caught her smiling at him and grinned back. "What?" he asked, trying to swivel the waist around to make them fit.
"Oh nothing," she smirked, "Only, I think you need some new pants." He looked down at them.
"Hmm, you're probably right."
She turned quickly, before the urge to kiss him again grew to past her resistance and left to help the boys get ready for their journey.
She walked out into the living room to eight eager and hungry faces.
"Good morning Wendy," said Michael, his arms lifted above his head to be picked up. Wendy stooped to oblige, but found him much heavier than the day before. She grunted, as she lifted him up to her hip, and looked at his face. My goodness, he was bigger! Her face fell. Michael reached out with his hand to touch her cheek. "What's the matter Wendy?" he asked.
"Nothing dear, nothing, but we must be on our way, and quickly." She set him down, and called for Peter. She noticed John out of the corner of her eye, wearing what looked to be the pants that the Indian Braves wore.
"What are those, John?" she asked. "Where did you get them?"
He blushed furiously, scuffing his shoe into the ground. "Well, you see Wendy, Tiger Lily thought I might… benefit from them… so she brought them for me…"
"Tiger Lily? Where is she?" Wendy looked around the room.
"What is it?" asked Peter finally joining her at the stove. Wendy turned her attention back to the boys and away from John's attire. He gratefully slipped to the wall, and sighed, relieved not to be interrogated any longer. How to tell them about Tiger Lily and himself?
"Look at them," she said to Peter, gesturing to the boys milling around.
"What about them?" he asked, wrinkling his brow.
"They're taller." Peter's hand hit his forehead. "We need to leave," he said.
"I know. Soon as we finish breakfast. How long till we reach the top Peter? Have you ever climbed it before?"
He shook his head. "Not the very top, but we've hunted around the bottom. It shouldn't take us more than a day or a day and a half. That is if we can find what were looking for. Who knows how the fairies may have hidden themselves away."
"I've been thinking about that too. Alright, well we more than the food we packed and extra supplies won't we?" Almost in answer to Wendy's question, Tiger Lily entered the hideout and came down the stairs with a few rawhide bags in her hands.
"I have come with things that we will need for our journey," she said. The boys ran at her grabbing the bags from her and rifling through them.
Wendy hugged her warmly. "Thank you," she said.
"You are most welcome," said Tiber Lily, hugging Wendy back. Her eyes rested on John and gave him a smile, just for him.
"Wait, wait, wait," cried Peter. "We? Our journey?"
"I am coming with you of course," she said. "You did not think that I would miss one of our greatest adventures. I told John last night…" she trailed off. Oops! She guessed that John hadn't said anything. He was blushing furiously in the corner, and everyone stared at her.
"John?" asked Wendy.
He sighed. He slid his arm around Tiger Lily's waist. "Tiger lily and I met last night to discuss our ascent up the mountain. She's coming with us. That's when I got the pants Wendy."
Wendy and Peter looked at each other bewildered. "Oh," said Wendy.
"And... we... we're friends now," he said.
Tiger Lily's head snapped up. Friends? After what they shared the night before?
Silence filled the room.
"We should leave," said Tiger Lily, jerking out of John's arm. She brought one of the bags to Peter, showing him the contents.
Wendy pulled John aside. "You're more than friends, aren't you?" she asked.
"Well..." he said. He said pushing his spectacles farther up on his nose. His cheeks flushed.
"What exactly did you do last night?"
"We met at the erm... Hot Springs and... maybe experienced what you and Peter did."
Wendy's eyes flew open. "And you have the audacity to call her just a friend? Oh John..." She shook her head.
"I'm still getting used to the idea," he said. "And besides, I don't want to go blathering about sex in front of Michael."
"Of course not!" said Wendy horrified. "But I suggest you find the middle ground dearest." She patted him on the shoulder and left him bewildered.
He chanced a glance at Tiger Lily. She glared at him and turned back to Peter. "Blast," he said. What a silly ass he was.
...
When Wendy was satisfied that they had everything they needed they started the long march to the base of Never Peak. It took them only two hours to reach by foot, but it went by at a creeping pace. When they reached the incline, Wendy suggested they take a rest before they continued. They sat together on the ground, munching on some of the provisions Tiger Lily had brought.
Peter glanced around disheartened. Dead foliage lay everywhere, scattered among the living. Everything felt in a freefall of demise. It was getting colder too. And yet, the closer they got to the base, the more the air seemed alive. It hummed and buzzed with magic. Wendy swore she could feel it moving around her almost in a tickle.
John felt something too, and it overshadowed any magic he might have been aware of. It was remorse. He tried to steer Tiger Lily to the back of the group as they walked, but she would walk around him, or step to the side, and hurry to talk to Wendy or Peter. She even talked to Slightly, in a quick escape from John's attempts corral her.
He put on a face of determination in spite of her cold reaction though. He would talk to her, he would tell her how he felt.
The respite was over, and the small band stood to begin their real journey. They started up the incline that led up the mountain, searching the side of the rocks as they went for crevasses or chinks. Anywhere a fairy might hide itself.
Behind them trailing slowly and silently, using the foliage to hide behind, were a handful of pirates, ready to pounce when the moment was right.