Wendy awoke to stroking fingers and intense eyes staring into hers. She smiled, but Peter did not smile back.

"Peter?" she questioned.

"Wendy lets go back to London."

Wendy jumped. "Go back?" She sat up, her mind spinning. "Take me back? Take me back and leave? Did I do something wrong?" She panicked and her stomach dropped.

"No, no!" Peter sat up next to her his hands on her arms. "Let's go back, together."

"Why?" She felt confused, foggy. But part of her thrilled inside. She had resigned to stay in Neverland forever with Peter having adventures, loving each other into eternity. But part of her missed her parents so desperately and the ache wouldn't go away. She wished her mother had been close when she began to have all of her strange feelings about Peter. She wished for her steadfast confidant. And she wished for the strong arms of her father to reassure her that everything was going to be alright.

She'd never said anything about it to Peter, afraid he would suggest she return home without him. Now here he was offering to go with her.

"To visit? Oh, that would be wonderful! I've missed my parents more than you can imagine. Thank you Peter!"

He sighed "You misunderstand me Wendy." He stood, pacing to the wall to lean on it with his arm. "I mean let's go there, you and I and start a life. Start living."

Wendy stood, her heart thumping. The boy who refused to grow up was now asking for that very thing. "Why?" she asked.

Peter sighed and turned. "A lot of reasons. Some I'll tell you, some I'll keep. But I can't stay here any longer pretending I had nothing to do with Tinkerbell's death. I can't go anywhere without thinking of her, some adventure we had together. And then there's you." He walked over to her, taking her hands in his. "You deserve a life. You deserve to have children and live out a normal existence. I can't give you that here. I want to experience growing up. We'll stay here forever, existing and I want to live," he said. "…with you."

"Oh Peter." Wendy stroked his face with her thumb. She sighed. She wanted to, and she could refuse him nothing. "Alright. Let's do it, let's go back." He grinned with an open happy mouth and kissed her. She thought about how only days ago, with that same smile he would have spun her around. Now he kissed her with a man's grip on her waist, and ferocity in his lips. He lifted her a little on her tiptoes though to angle her head better. He set her back on the ground and was about to go in for another kiss, when Wendy stopped him.

"What about the boys?" she asked, placing a finger on his lips. He paused.

"They'll come with us of course! They'll be our children!" he stated pleased with himself. Grown up, but still Peter Pan.

"We can't force them to go," she said stroking his chest. "What if they want to stay?" Her heart broke at the thought.

"We'll deal with that when we come to it. But my mind is made up. Is yours?" he questioned, searching her face for doubt.

"Yes," she said. "It's the right thing for us."

He pulled her closer, his chin resting on her head.

They stood there just enjoying the touch of each others bodies and the sound of each other's breaths.

"Wendy," he said pulling away. "You deserve so much. There's something I have to do. Come with me."

"What is it?" she asked.

Peter ran out trying to get the bearings of where he was, and saw a grouping of birch trees, golden and green with the sun filtering through, hazy and shimmering. He smiled and drew her into the trees holding onto her hands. He stared down into her eyes with such adoration she had to look away. He brought her face back to his with his finger.

"Wendy," he began in a soft voice. "You are the sun and the moon to me." Wendy blushed. "If you were not here, my life would be meaningless. You've taught me how to love and be loved. You make me want to be a better leader. You've saved me." She smiled up into his eyes. "I love you, and I want to be with you forever."

He knelt down slowly and Wendy took a sharp intake of breath. Where did he learn to do this? On his knees, he held tightly to her hands.

"Wendy Darling, will you marry me?"