Chapter 61: V for Virgin

"Miss Darling."

Wendy jerked awake. Master Cogsworth was staring at her. Irritably, he tapped his desk. Embarrassed to be caught dozing, Wendy smoothed back her ponytail as Master Cogsworth gestured to the Headmaster's Office.

"Headmaster will see you now young lady."

"Thank you."

Wendy rose. Fingering her backpack straps, she passed Masters Donald and Goofy. They were arguing how to start the coffee maker. Squeezing by, she opened the Headmaster's office door.

"…and you can come see it any time, Belle."

Wendy paused. Headmaster Mickey was placing a glass lid over Belle's enchanted rose. Belle looked dubious, but nodded dutifully as the headmaster released the delicate lid.

"I don't mind at all." Belle said, adjusting books under her arm. "…if you think it will help, Headmaster."

"I do." Headmaster Mickey said, eyeing Wendy at the door. Belle turned as he waved Wendy inside. Congenially, the headmaster escorted Belle to the door. "I can't tell ya exactly why, but you can bet the rose will help."

Belle nodded, despite Headmaster Mickey's allusiveness. Glancing once more at her enchanted rose, she departed. "Thank you Headmaster."

"Have a wonderful day, Belle. And thank you, again. Ah…Wendy." Headmaster Mickey shut the door. "Have a seat."

"The shadow?" Wendy guessed, seating herself across the headmaster's desk. Her sewing basket was placed in clear view, right beside Belle's enchanted rose.

Suddenly, Wendy noticed that the rose was wilting. Three petals had already fallen from the sepal.

"What is the rose for?" she asked with uncharacteristic inquisitiveness.

Headmaster Mickey paused. His hand hovered over the sewing basket. His eyes flickered over the enchanted rose.

"Maintenance." he finally said.

Wendy rubbed her backpack strap. "I'm sorry." she said as Headmaster Mickey brought the sewing basket around his desk. "I didn't mean to pry."

"Not at all." Headmaster Mickey said, handing Wendy the sewing basket. He stood in front of the rose, blocking it from view. "It was a good simple question, with a simple answer. No harm. No foul. But now…"

Headmaster Mickey lowered his nose. Wendy shifted. The headmaster seemed to be scrutinizing her over a pair of invisible glasses.

Guiltily, Wendy fingered the sewing basket. "I'm…I'm sorry that I didn't come back yesterday." She looked down so the headmaster wouldn't see her blush. "I couldn't find Peter."

"We can have you try sewing Mr. Pan's shadow at any time." Headmaster Mickey tilted his head, trying to force eye contact. "I just wanted to ask how you are doing?"

Wendy squeezed the basket. She started to turn red, embarrassed by yesterday's pool incident. "I'm fine." she said innocently as possibly. "Perfectly….How…are you?"

Headmaster Mickey raised an eyebrow. "You're sure?"

"Yes."

"Nothing you want to tell me?"

Wendy's foot started to tap. Peter's shadow started to tap simultaneously against the sewing basket. "No. Everything is fine…Headmaster."

"Hmmmm." Headmaster Mickey cocked his folded arms. After a moment of silent debate, he leaned off the desk. "Wendy – "

"Mickey! Mickey! Oh – "

Bursting with excitement, Mistress Minnie peeked her head through the office door. Seven different shades of purple glitter were stuffed into her pockets. "Oops! Sorry Headmaster! Miss Darling! I'll come back later – "

"No, no." Headmaster Mickey smiled. Nodding at Wendy, he unfolded his arms. "We just finished up, Mistress Minnie. Perfect timing. What's up? Ball stuff?"

"It's the glitter!" Mistress Minnie trounced into the room as Wendy rose to leave. Quietly, she nodded as Mistress Minnie attacked the headmaster with ball preparation tragedies. "I have seventeen different shades and not one is close to the blue violet color swatch I showed you before! And the band! We booked two bands: O'Malley's Alley Cats and The Muses! And the ball is tonight! TONIGHT! And I think we should…"

Wendy gently shut the headmasters door. Hugging the sewing basket safely, she sifted through the early morning crowd and students mingling before class. With all that had happened, she'd forgotten the ball was tonight. Worriedly, she wondered where John would get a suit. She wondered if he would even ask for her help.

Heading towards Dr. Doppler's classroom, Wendy sighed. Maybe she'd try to sit by John during Astronomy. Even if he refused to talk, she'd be comforted by his presence.

Furthermore…Wendy inhaled a great, big breath…sitting next to John would give her an excuse to avoid Jim.

"Ow. Watch it – look where you're…going…"

Wendy looked up.

Peter.

"Pe…I…I…"

Peter stared. He hovered over the drinking fountain. The water was still running. Emotionless, Peter's black eyes drenched Wendy in thrill, panic, and discomfiture all at once.

Frozen, Wendy stared back. Then, face turning bright pink, she swung her backpack around, over the sewing basket.

"Theseareyours."

Peter's eyes flickered. Amused, he fought a smile. "What?"

Wendy took a breath. Her beating heart was hard enough to knock her out cold. "These—" Wendy said, rummaging through her bag.

Carefully not looking up, she produced Peter's gym clothes. Washed and dried. Neatly folded. Crisply stacked.

She held them out to Peter.

"Theses are yours." she repeated, arm trembling. She stared at the ground, wishing Peter would just take the laundry.

"Thank you. I…um…" Wendy's nerves were on fire. She could feel Peter looking at her. "They're clean. And folded. And clean. Well, we didn't have softener. And I didn't know whether or not to machine or air dry because the tags weren't there and – "

"Hey. Hey. Pan the man!"

"Well, well, well! What have we here!"

Wendy looked up as Gaston snatched the laundry. Kay, LeFou, and Facilier followed. Each one's hand was bandaged.

"Missed a killer party last night, Pan." Facilier said as Gaston inspected the laundry. Suspiciously, Facilier peered at Peter. "Not often you refuse an invitation. Everyone was there - plenty of ladies to keep us entertained. Even Megara...with a little persuasion."

Peter raised an eyebrow. "Meg, huh? Yeah, Flynn, Aladdin and I heard you yapping her up with Kay the other night. Nice. Bet Herc loved that."

Facilier rubbed his mustache. "Well...let's just say when I have a killer party...it's a killer party. So, Pan..."

Facilier glared through Peter's grin. "...why didn't you show?"

Peter looked pointedly at Facilier's hand. "Must've been a killer party." he said nonchalantly. "All got the same injury looks like."

Facilier twitched. His shadow curled a lip. "Crazy times."

Peter eyed the shadow. "Good thing I missed, huh?"

"Kay was there." Facilier said accusingly. "And you two live in the same place. He could've gotten you out past curfew. Easy. Sooo…."

Flllllllllllick. Peter flinched as Facilier shuffled his cards.

"So Pan….why do I get the feeling you're…avoiding us? Or…" Facilier held up a card. Three of spades. "Hiding something?"

Involuntarily, Peter clenched his fists. Suddenly, Gaston started to laugh.

"Oh. My. God. Pan – " Dramatically, Gaston sniffed Peter's gym clothes. Then, grabbing Wendy, he pressed his nose into her hair.

"Tell me why –" Gaston guffawed, throwing Peter's clothes at LeFou and twisting Wendy's pony tail. "—why you're gym socks smell like girl?! Is she doing your laundry?"

Peter's eyes whizzed between Wendy and Facilier's bandaged hand.

Then, wearing the smuggest smile in the universe, Peter sauntered to Wendy.

"Yeah." Peter said, wrapping his arm around Wendy. Suddenly, his thumb stuck under her jeans. "Only after she sleeps over."

Wendy's heart stopped.

"What?" she exclaimed, overwhelmed by the cheering boys. Twisting, she grabbed Peter's wrist. Still smiling, Peter jerked and squeezed her closer.

"So THAT"S where you were last night!?" Gaston whooped, nudging LeFou.

"Come on!" Kay grinned pounding Peter's fist. "Enough to miss the party?"

"Well, ya know." Peter grinned, holding Wendy against him and looking meaningfully at Facilier. "Had to miss it. Important night."

"Really?" Facilier said. His shadow hissed.

"Yeah." Peter returned, lifting his hand and worming it under Wendy's hoodie. "You know. Same old – same old. She takes my shadow…I take her…virginity."

Wendy's heart exploded. "What!?"

"Pan!" boomed the boys, slapping high fives and exchanging rounds of crude gestures. Even Facilier looked impressed. "Oh Pan the man!"

Wendy was beside herself. How. Dare. He. Furiously, she ripped from Peter. Then, turning, she threw a punch.

"Whoa!"

Gaston, LeFour, and Kay laughed as Peter dodged. Catching Wendy's fist, he twisted her arm and pressed her against the wall.

"Calm down!" Peter grunted softly into her ear. "Hey! calm– "

"Get your hands off of me!"

"Feisty!"

"Caliente!"

"Pan's on top!"

"Show us some sweet loving!"

"Trust me!" Peter whispered, as Wendy struggled. Releasing one hand, he slid it up her spine and under her bra. "Just gonna pretend to undo your —"

"Get off!"

Wendy wrenched an arm free.

Without thinking, without caring, she unlatched the sewing basket.

Peter's shadow screamed out. In seconds, it mowed through the boys, screeching like a bat out of Hell.

Snapping from the wall, Wendy jammed on her thimble. She sliced an arm as Facilier's shadow attacked. The thimble cut a silver scar through the shadow's chest.

When she lowered her arm, Peter's shadow had pooled into her hand. The black mass churned up and down her arm like a vortex, taut as an arrow and ready to explode.

"Don't ever…" Wendy breathed, standing over the cowering boys. "…touch me again."

Her blue eyes gouged into Peter's. "Ever."

Peter didn't move. Then, slowly, he smiled. "Thanks for the warning. Wendy."

sultal's note: hi all! I havn't check for any more postings/PMs/reviews so forgive me if I don't address any new comments.

Okay, here is the answer to 'Guest's' question. She or he asked an awesome question about Peter's shadow being ripped out and his lack of personality change. AWESOME question, first of all. Thank you for posting it.

So, I tried to explain this in Chapter 49: Shadows 101. In that chapter, Dr. Doppler states:

"People do not change if they loose their own shadow. People change when other shadows infect their mind, bodies, and souls. Shadows represent our unconscious egos – the evil with which we may not identify in ourselves, but know is there. Lurking deep, down inside every single one of us. Waiting to be set free and waiting to hurt the second – the second! – we loose control."

So, you are totally right. Shadows are the evil part. BUT they are the unconscious evil. The evil that is primordial, inherent. Sorry if this is grim, but I am basing shadows off the psychological theory that "all mankind is naturally evil." So, our inner, deepest instincts and motivations are to be evil - to protect ourselves before others. But, that does not mean that we are evil all the time.

For instance, I have the personality of being good and bad. For instance, I am pretty energetic (good) but also an emotional time bomb (bad). However, these don't have anything to do with my "inherent evil." Everyday, I go through the streets with my personality. The evil inside us is like the little devil on your shoulder, trying to influence the aspects of my personality to do evil deeds.

So, the shadow is part of that little devil. The demons inside us, telling us to be evil. That is why they make people see the worst of themselves and unearth nightmares when they attack.

Does that make sense? Sorry if it does not - it made sense in my head. Let me know and thanks again for asking!