The day dawned bright and clear. Peter was still sleeping. 'I'll surprise him with breakfast,' Wendy thought to herself. She wrote him a quick note, grabbed a basket, and left the tree in search of edible berries and fruit. She smiled and hummed to herself as she traversed the trails, watching the birds flit from branch to branch.
She soon came across a plum tree. 'Perfect,' she thought to herself. She had gathered enough for breakfast and a snack, and was about to head home when she noticed someone approach the tree from the other side of the woods.
"Oh! Hello," Wendy said when the stranger's wary gaze touched hers.
"Good morning," the stranger replied, reaching up to take off his hat and sweeping into a deep bow. "I do hope I'm not running you off," he said in a friendly voice.
"Not at all, I had already gathered my fruit and was already about to leave."
She halted in turning when she heard the stranger's voice. "I'm Nick, by the way. Nicholas Fielding."
"Wendy. Wendy Darling," she replied, but then couldn't help but add, "I haven't seen you here before."
"I travel a lot. I'm not here frequently. But I've traveled the length of this island and feel like I would have met and remembered you. Do you live here?" The stranger, 'Nick,' she reminded herself, asked.
"I haven't been here in a long time. I'm just here for a visit. Where have you traveled," she queried, intrigued.
"All over the world – well, Earth's world, and beyond. There are other places like Neverland, you know."
"What? There are?" she asked, startled and entranced. "How? I mean, how to you travel there? Do you fly?"
Nick laughed, "No, I'm no Peter Pan. I have a ship."
"A ship? How do you –"
"Don't ask me the mechanics of it, I just know that I inherited it, and that it traverses realms."
"Fascinating," Wendy said. Just then a deer sprung into the clearing, startling her and scattering her train of though. "Oh! I just realized how long I've been gone. It was so nice to meet you, Nick."
"Likewise," he said, picking up her hand and placing a kiss upon it. "Rarely do I find someone as entrancing and distracting as you, Wendy."
She laughed. "I must admit, I would love to hear more about your travels."
"Then hear them you shall," Nick promised.
"I really must go. It was a pleasure meeting you."
"The pleasure was all mine," he replied as Wendy disappeared into the forest. 'Hmm,' Nick thought, fingering the brim of his hat. 'Who was she?' He intended to find out.