Song obsession for Chpt 102: Dr. Who Medley (Amy's Theme/Amy and Rory/The Death of Amy Pond/You and Me, Amy)

Chapter 102: My Happy Thought

"Hey. You scared?"

Peter felt Wendy move her head. Her hair pressed against his bloody ear. "Of what?"

Weakly, Peter smiled. That was fair. There was a lot to be scared of.

Kicking higher into the air, Peter followed the map's green trajectory. He breathed deeply as orange, pink, and cranberry clouds kissed his upturned nose. It was ironic…more than ever, in this time of crisis, he felt calm. Clearheaded. Capable. Adult.

"Falling." Peter clarified. He glanced down. The ocean was far below. It was dark. Like an open mouth. The waves were white streaks. They looked solid, frozen in time. Peter swallowed, pulling against his chains. He tried to concentrate on flying. "Are you scared of falling?"

Wendy didn't answer. Peter felt her shift, looking over his shoulder at the ship looming below.

"Because you don't have to be scared of falling." Peter quickly said. Wendy inhaled as he hefted her more securely in his arms. "I've got you. Got you good. You weigh basically nothi…Wendy?"

Peter paused. Contradictory sensations fought his weightless body as gravity pulled against Wendy. Hovering over the map's line, Peter twisted, trying to look her in the eye. "Wendy? You…oh…uhh…"

Peter's heart almost fell out of the sky.

"Aw…Wendy…Wendy please…please don't cry."

Wendy closed her eyes. Her tears twinkled onto the Jolly Roger's sails. With hardly a whisper, she spoke. "You were right."

Peter sagged. Shaking his head, he tried to concentrate on a happy thought.

"Silly girl…" he said swaying his legs and trying to smile. Slowly they ascended. "…I...I'm always right. Never wrong. You know that. Peter Pan…the one and only…" Gently, Peter rubbed her back. "….remember?"

Wendy sniffed and Peter knew she had tried, for his sake, to laugh.

Peter tried to smile, hoping it was contagious. But as they lifted, he grew somber. Silently Peter followed the map's green coordinates. The clouds thinned. The sunset's reflection turned upside down. They were nearing outer space. The Outerworld.

Peter gazed at the approaching stars.

Then, softly, he spoke to Wendy. "…Rat Tail?"

Wendy clutched Peter. The magical needle and thread trembled in her hands. "He…how could...why would…we were suppose….forev…you…you….you were right. Jim…Jim…"

Wendy closed her eyes. The pain was unbearable. "Why?" she cried, unable to stop. "Why?"

Peter glanced. Below, amidst the savage upturned faces, he found Jim. Anger refluxed through his every instinct but Peter, for once, regretted what he had said. Listening to Wendy cry hopelessly against him, he regretted challenging her, regretted threatening her in the Underworld that Jim Hawkins was a traitor.

Peter frowned. Peter Pan…always so clever…always so smart…always so cocky… always…always right….always…the winner. Again, Peter glanced down. Well…this time…Peter looked away from Jim. He hugged Wendy closer….this time…he wished the one and only Peter Pan had been wrong.

Truthfully, Peter answered Wendy. "I…don't know." The sunset stretched below them, muddied by mountains of clouds. Peter opened his face to the indigo heavens as tiny bits of star dust speckled by. "But I don't care. Rat Tail is history. And that's okay! Because I'm going to take care of you. After we break the Wishing Star, I am going to keep you safe."

Wendy turned. Star dust clung to her hair like snowflakes. "We are not going to break the Wishing Star."

Peter was stunned. He stopped, pausing long enough for Captain Hook to fire at his feet. Cursing Hook and returning to flight, he beseeched Wendy. "What?"

Wendy turned. She was shaking, started from the gunfire, but resolved in her response. "I won't. I won't unstitch the star's thread."

Peter shook his head. He knew smiling was wrong, especially amid danger and death, but Wendy's response was incredulous. She was being…gutsy. Defiant. Rebellious.

But even more astounding, Peter realized that as he spoke, he was being…rational.

"Wendy…you…" Peter cringed. Below, the villains were cheering, blasting cannons at passing stars. "…Wendy. You have to break the Wishing Star."

"—what?" Wendy's eyes widened, reflecting desperately the starlight. "N…no. No. No, Peter we can't. We – "

"—I'm chained." Peter said, tugging the chains for emphasis. "Wendy, I can't escape. And without pixie dust, you can't fly – "

" – but we can't. My needle. My thread. I can fight them, stop them. I can take out their shadows – "

" – Facilier has your thimble. He'd attack in a second. And what about your brother? Michael? Wendy – they have his pixie dust so they have no reason to keep him alive – "

Wendy shook her head. "— Peter I can't! I can't break the Wishing Star!"

"Wendy…you have to."

"—no I don't!"

"—Yes! Yes you d – "

"—no I don't!"

"Yes yo –"

"No – "

"— YES YOU D –"

"— I CAN'T LOSE YOU!" Wendy cried, pulling away to look Peter in the eye.

BANG! A stray cannon smashed into a star. The sparking smithereens ricocheted across their path. The momentum flung Peter aside, jerking him violently against the chain. In the precarious moment, he lost Wendy's legs. Gasping, he kicked, yanking Wendy against his chest.

The pirates and villains hooted below, laughing at their little joke.

But Peter and Wendy were silent. Staring, they breathed against each other.

"If I break the Wishing Star…" Wendy whispered, eyelashes touching his. Peter lowered his eyes. Starlight shimmered against Wendy lips as she spoke. "…if I break the Wishing Star…I can't protect you. You don't have your shadow. I don't have my thimble. If the Wishing Star breaks…the shadows…"

Wendy closed her eyes. And pressing her cheek against his, she embraced Peter Pan. Peter closed his eyes. He could feel the torment pouring from Wendy's heart..

"…I won't be able to protect you. And…I…I can't live…without…"

Peter wrapped his arms around Wendy. Breathing deeply, he whispered into her hair.

"Wendy…little Wendy…" upwards they drifted, ascending through stars and space. "I remember when the shadow was inside me. But I remember your voice…think of a happy thought, you said. Right? That's the only way to survive a shadow."

Pere lifted a hand from her waist. Gently he stroked her hair. "Well…happy thoughts are also the only way to fly…and Wendy…"

Zluuuooop. Without warning, the map's green coordinates disappeared.

Peter looked. Then...

"Wendy…" he breathed, lifting his face to the brightest light in the sky, "…look."

Wendy turned. Her heart froze.

There, pulsating a million brilliant colors and crackling in anguish…

…was the Wishing Star.

Second Star to the Right. Second Star to the Wrong. Connected by a silvery thread, more delicate than a spider web. Glimmering against gorging, shapeless, shattering nightmares…groping blindly, trying to escape, screaming into space.

Time slowed.

Sound stopped.

The moment turned….

…and settled….

…resting….waiting...

..praying.

Jim didn't breath.

Peter held Wendy.

Wendy held Peter.

For a blessed, sacred, evil moment…everything….was utterly….utterly…silent.

Then…

"Wendy…"

Wendy looked at Peter. Peter looked at Wendy.

"No matter what happens….you, Wendy Darling, are my happy thought."

Peter released Wendy's hand. He lifted her into the star.

"Break it."

Wendy turned. Her heartbeat screamed in her ears. Her tears fell for Fantasia, for the sin she was about to commit.

With her magical needle and thread, she reached for the Wishing Star…

…but, before Wendy Darling touched the Wishing Star with the gift it had given her…

…the Wishing Star…

…broke.