Neverland Makes You Forget

by Shippo704

An alternate story of the life of Peter Pan and his legacy. This story is primarily based on Peter Pan and Hook, with some details taken from Peter and the Starcatchers, adapted to fir the plot points of the story. Some Wayward Children references at the end of the story.

Neverland Makes You Forget

As was a fairy's duty, Tinkerbell was out searching worlds for young boys to invite back to her home, to Neverland. This period, she was tasked with surveying Earth. It was a strange land, full of large cities, sour air, and huge crowds moving to the sound of bells in the large clock tower. Perhaps this world had rules of its own, but it was not the place of a fairy to try to understand or care. She had a job to do, and she would see it done.

Of course, she had rules to follow too. She couldn't take just any boy back with her. She had to find a boy who was willing to follow a fairy and willing to forget his past life. If he was unwilling to forget, then he might try to leave before Neverland could lock his door home for good. She needed to find a boy, young enough not to be afraid of magic, yet old enough to willingly leave this Earth world behind. Maybe some would say it was cruel, but Tinkerbell thought it was only fair. Why couldn't children decide for themselves?

Many children had chosen Neverland and lived the rest of their lives happy. Typically, they were orphans or kids who had been neglected or abused. In her mind, that was all the more reason to take the children away. Neverland wasn't always kind, but it was a happy place. In Neverland, one never truly had to grow up.

What could be better than being a kid forever? Growing up means dying and dying is the end. It's not like going to sleep at all, and death is the only way out of Neverland. The fairy world exists somewhere between being asleep and awake. It's not quite a dream, but not quite real. Not in the way that these boys would think of, at least.

It wasn't quite that simple though. There was always a price to be paid to live in their dreams. Despite the cost, the boys always willingly paid it. The girls who sometimes found their way to Neverland… They're a different story. The sooner they find their way to the lagoon the better, in her opinion.

The sun was just dipping below the horizon when Tinkerbell heard the high, short cries of a baby. Normally, she would have ignored the crying, but it was dark, and she couldn't hear a mother trying to comfort the infant. Who could have left a baby alone like this? Perhaps if she was lucky, it would be a boy. If it was a boy and he was an orphan or neglected, she could watch over him. She could visit him in his dreams and wait until he was old enough to choose to fly away.

Patience was valued very highly among the fairy council. What were a few years to the immortal lives of fairies? She was due to watch over Earth for the next one hundred of its years, at the very least. Spending up to ten of those years watching a promising candidate wouldn't make a difference. It was encouraged to take the time to choose the perfect candidates.

She followed the sound of crying to the bottom of a hill, where an overturned baby carriage had dropped a baby and its toy onto the stone road. The baby had a few scratches, but nothing severe. Tinkerbell checked on the child. It was a boy. She was in luck! She jingled with excitement. Without a mother looking over him, it would be easy to convince him to come with her when the time was right.

"Peter! Where are you?!" A voice called from somewhere up the hill.

Was that the baby's name? Peter? Tinkerbell looked back down at the small boy, only to notice that he had stopped crying. The baby boy – Peter – was smiling and staring at her with obvious fascination. She peered into his thoughts and only found love. A pure and innocent love. He wanted to follow her everywhere.

A devious plan struck her in that moment. Why couldn't children decide for themselves? It would be so easy to just take him now. He loved her. His mother had foolishly let him go and he had gotten hurt. If she truly cared for him, truly wanted him, then she wouldn't have let him roll away. She would have protected him.

Not anymore. With what little magic she could perform on Earth, she righted the carriage and placed a spell on the toy. Anyone who picked it up would believe that Peter had been snatched from his cradle. Over time, the magic would leak off of the toy and cause anyone nearby to forget that he had ever existed. If his family refused to protect him, then she would be his family.

Tinkerbell would keep this boy. She would be his. They would hide in Neverland, where they could play together, love each other, and have fun forever. If she raised him as a fairy from this age, he might not even grow up! If he could stay a boy forever, live with her forever, Tinkerbell would be happy.

As far as her job assignment was concerned, Peter fit the minimum requirements. He was neglected, he was hurt, and his thoughts proved that he was willing to follow her away. She picked him up and flew away into the sky.

Second star to the right, and straight on 'til morning. Fly away until you almost fall asleep, and you'll find fairies waiting. Neverland.

Tinkerbell flew straight into the woods with Peter. She took him to her secret hideout in a hole at the base of a tree. With her magic, she shaped the alcove into a room for a boy, then formed the bark into a door. When he was old enough, he could leave and explore on his own. Until then, she would provide him with everything he needs. When the time comes, he would be able to choose between the Red Men and the Pirates.

Secretly, Tinkerbell hoped he would instead choose the fairies. Maybe it was against the rules of the council for fairies to raise a child, but Peter was special. He had known her for a few seconds, but he had chosen her. She had always wanted a boy of her own, and now she had one. Peter would be raised on fairy magic, so she could avoid giving him up. That is, for as long as he chose to stay with her.

He would choose her. Tinkerbell would ensure it.

Tinkerbell spent the night sprinkling Peter with her pixie dust and watching him absorb the magic through his skin. When it landed on his tiny hands, Peter squealed in delight! When the novelty started to wear off, he began to suck on his fingers, consuming the magic. Several years from now, whenever the fairy magic stopped him from growing older, Peter would belong to her completely.

Peter would never have to make the same choice that all the other lost boys and the few lost girls had to make. He would not need to choose between his body, his adaptability, or his brain development. He would pay with his memories, as all boys did, but he was a baby. His time on Earth would have been forgotten naturally anyways.

As he settled down to sleep in his cradle shaped from a pan, Peter glowed with fairy magic. Already, his price had been paid. He would be a child of Neverland.

---

It was when Peter was first old enough that his curiosity outweighed his need to listen to Tinkerbell that he was discovered. It could be difficult to tell time in Neverland, but it had been maybe five years since his arrival. Well, five years of development, at least.

Peter looked and acted just about how a five-year-old would. He was big enough to walk around and open doors and get into messes. He could run around and was able to pick himself up after falling, all without crying. He could make himself food by wishing it into being, and he could float a few inches off the ground and fly. Sneaking out when Tinkerbell was out at work was easy.

Normally, Tinkerbell only left when Peter was asleep. She could hardly leave her boy alone! If the other fairies knew that she had him, they might try to steal him from her or worse. She would not let anyone take her boy away. He was hers and he always would be.

One afternoon, Peter faked his nap. When Tinkerbell departed from Neverland, Peter took the opportunity to sneak out of the tree. Who could blame him? There was a whole world outside and he wanted to see it.

He had learned to imagine himself all sorts of things over the years. When he was a baby, he could imagine some food to eat. As his clothes began the feel tight, he would imagine some new clothes. When he was bored, he would imagine some toys into existence. If Tinkerbell was cheating at tag and flying out of his reach, he could manage to fly a few inches off the ground to tag her back.

On this day, Peter imagined a key to the door and floated until he was high enough to turn the lock. With just a bit of luck and imagination, he was free.

Outside was wonderful! Birds sang, bugs chirped, and fairies jingled. All around him was a world filled with green. There were so many trees and fairy lights decorating the forest that he found himself in. He thought that each tree must be a house like his. And if there were more houses, then maybe there would be more people to play with!

Peter ran over to the nearest tree with a teeny tiny house hanging from the end of a high branch. He could see a light coming from the window of the little wooden house. After living in Neverland his whole life, he knew what fairy lights looked like. Peter closed his eyes and thought about how great it would be to meet another fairy. He floated higher than he ever had before. High enough that he could knock against the fairy door with the tip of his pinky finger.

"Oh! A little boy! How unusual that you're here without a fairy. You seem a bit young to choose where you want to live. Who's the fairy who brought you to Neverland?"

"I live with Tinkerbell!" Peter exclaimed.

"Tinkerbell, hm? Well, sweety, did she tell you about Neverland and the opportunities here?"

"What's that?" Peter asked.

The fairy gave a wide, toothy smile. "There are the pirates who live by the sea. They go on adventures, fight giant crocodiles, search for buried treasure, and raid the villages on the island to get the things they need to live, day by day. It's a fun life, and your age never stops you from enjoying life like a kid. You get to grow up big and strong, but always have fun! They will be there for all your achievements and accomplishments and celebrate along with you. As proof of your loyalty, you get a big gold earring.

"Then there's the Red Men. They're a strong tribe who live off the land and always keep their family close. They hunt the Sirens who live in the lagoon to stop them from stealing their wives and daughters away. Without the wives and daughters, their families can't grow, so they spend their lives working to help each other. They have great feasts and dances around huge bonfires to celebrate life in the moment. As proof of their loyalty, they get tattoos – pictures drawn on their bodies that stay on their skin forever.

"Does one of those sound like something you want?"

Peter frowned. He thought he was going to stay with Tinkerbell and grow up to be a fairy like her.

"No? Perhaps, you feel like a little girl inside? You could still join the Red Men as an adopted daughter. If that doesn't work for you, you could become a mermaid." The fairy twirled a lock of hair between her fingers, suddenly less interested in selling the idea, "Mermaids live in the lagoon and eat the pirates who taunt them. They give up their lungs for scales and are made to stay until they are hunted. You would never grow up, stay young forever, and pass the time singing and looking at your reflection in the surface of the water."

"I'm not a girl! I'm a boy and I'm gonna be a fairy!" Peter yelled.

"Oh? Silly boy, hasn't Tinkerbell told you? Humans can't be fairies."

"What's… human?"

The fairy laughed. "I'm a fairy and you're a human. Just like this is a house and that's a tree. Fairies fly and help little boys find a family that will take care of them the way that no one took care of them before. Humans run and walk and look for a place to belong."

That made Peter smile. "But I can fly!" As he thought about being a fairy boy, he floated into the air and started spinning around, "I can fly and I belong with Tinkerbell, so I'm a fairy!"

The fairy looked stunned but took the strange occurrence with grace. "Then where are your wings, little boy?"

"I'll grow wings when I'm older! And even if they never grow, I can imagine them on my back! And if they still don't come, then that's okay 'cause I can still fly!"

"I see." The fairy commented, "How wonderful for you! I'll need to let the council know that we have our own new fairy boy in Neverland. Why don't you stay here in the trees to wait for Tinkerbell. I'm sure she'll be back soon."

"Okay! Thank you miss fairy!" Peter called as he flew up to the top of her tree. Who knew that leaves were so big and green!

When Tinkerbell returned to Neverland, she found Peter floating around the treetops of the forest. She knew that it was time to face the council and receive her punishment.

In her opinion, it could hardly be considered a punishment. Since they determined that Peter was too young to understand what Neverland would ask of him, they named Tinkerbell his guardian. She would have to follow him for as long as he chose to remain in Neverland. Until the day he was old enough to choose to be a Pirate or a Red Man, he could live in the woods as a fairy boy.

If, in the unlikely circumstance that he chose to go back to Earth, they would allow it under two conditions. First, he would lose all memory of Neverland. If he was too old, this could severely damage his brain, but they wouldn't tell him that. Second, he could not have already taken an earring or a tattoo. If he took one, the doors back to Earth would be closed to him forever. Not that they would tell him that either. Children taken to Neverland belong to Neverland forever. The earrings, tattoos, and scales made the connection permanent.

Tinkerbell got her wish. She could live with Peter for as long as he lived, so long as he never chose to leave her. It would crush her if he took on an earring or tattoo, but she still had time. If he was living with her, then she could influence him and raise him to love only her. As long as she could celebrate his accomplishments and be there for his achievements, then he would not be drawn to the Pirates. If she could make him feel loved and an important part of her life, then he wouldn't be drawn to the Red Men. She could keep him forever!

And as he grew, Tinkerbell did just that. She brought him trinkets when his teeth fell out. When he learned to fly, she would race with him through the forest and along the beaches. She taught him how to turn his shadow into a friend to chase and play. And when he turned ten, she helped him choose his fairy clothes.

To her immense joy, her boy chose to wear a loose green tunic and a green feathered cap. They matched! Forever and always, he would be hers.

Peter gave himself entirely to Tinkerbell. By the time he turned ten, the fairy magic that permeated his system had stopped him from growing completely. He would be a kid forever and was ready to live his life as a fairy.

Unknown to Peter, time travels faster in Neverland than it does on Earth. He remained ten years old for another ten years. Every day of those ten years was brilliant and fun. One day though, he gave in to a small curiosity that had been bothering him since the first day he left the tree.

"Hey Tink! I gotta question for you!" Peter called out.

The two had been racing each other to the top of the mountain to see who could catch the biggest, fluffiest cloud before somersaulting back down to land on the peak. By now, Peter was such a skilled and fast flyer that no one could beat him.

Tinkerbell jingled in response.

"When I first come outta the tree, that other fairy called me a human. I mean, I know I'm a fairy, not a human, but I had to think. I'm bigger than the other fairies. Like, a lot bigger. I don't have wings and pixie dust doesn't fall off me when I shake. So… what kinda fairy am I? Where did I come from?"

Tinkerbell wasn't one to talk much. She saved her words for when it was important. She never wanted Peter to know, but she refused to lie to him. If she lied, he might start to hate her, and if he hated her, then he might leave. He still could. He had not taken an earring or a tattoo. He was old enough to choose, so there was nothing to stop him from going.

"You came from Earth." She told him.

"But… isn't that where humans come from?" Peter asked.

"It is. One of many places, in fact. I found you on Earth, abandoned by your mother, so I took you home with me." Lies by omission weren't really lies. Just because his mother was looking for him, didn't mean that she hadn't abandoned him when she let him roll down that hill, "You were scratched and crying, and I couldn't bear to see you upset. I brought you to Neverland so you'd never had to see that awful world again." And because she wanted a boy of her own. Those humans were so ungrateful, losing things so precious like her Peter.

"So I am human…" Peter trailed off.

"No! You're my boy and my boy is a fairy!" Tinkerbell insisted.

"Okay, okay Tink. But I was a human once. Do you think I could take a look at Earth some day? It sounds like it could be quite the adventure!" Peter grinned.

Tinkerbell thought he'd make a good pirate if another fairy had brought him to Neverland instead.

She didn't want to let Peter leave. His memories wouldn't be erased unless he committed to staying on Earth. He would be allowed to visit as often as he liked until he grew up, but that would never happen. In Neverland, no one truly grows up, even if it looks like it on the outside.

Although, if she took him to his old parents' house, she might be able to convince him that the Earth was a terrible place and that those humans that could have been his family were the worst. Earth time had only advanced a couple of years since Peter came. If she was lucky, his parents had moved on and replaced him.

"Sure thing! Just remember to never say that you want to stay. If you say you want to stay, it would really hurt me and it would be almost impossible to come home again." Tinkerbell warned him.

"Yeah yeah, okay! I don't want to stay on Earth. Neverland is too amazing! Why would I ever want to live anywhere else?" Peter asked.

Tinkerbell waved for Peter to follow her and flew straight up into the sky. She flew up until the blue sky turned dark and the night sky of Earth appeared before them. It was easy to find her way to Peter's old house. It was as simple as following the sound of her pixie dust. It led them to a window where Peter's parents were showing Peter's old toy to an infant.

"This is your old house, Peter. And these are your parents. That is the toy I found next to your overturned carriage in the middle of the road." Tinkerbell told him.

Peter silently watched the small family. The parents held nothing but adoration in their eyes for their new child. A little girl. They cooed and tucked her into her cradle for the night, each of them planting a kiss on her rosy cheeks. He couldn't help but think how lucky the little girl was.

"Tink?" Peter said softly, "I think I'm ready to go home now."

Tinkerbell waved at him again and he followed. "Second star to the right and straight on 'til morning. It's a place in between your dreams and being awake. That's where you'll find Neverland. Never forget the way!"

The two flew towards that second star and eventually, the dark sky turned bright blue. It was a new morning in Neverland.

"You think my parents missed me at all?" Peter asked Tinkerbell.

"Who can say." She replied.

Peter was hurt. There was nothing left for him in that house. His parents had another kid without even thinking about the boy they left behind. Why didn't they want him? What could he have done to deserve being abandoned? He swore from that moment on to never grow up.

If his parents didn't want their kid, then he could spite them by staying a kid forever. Some day, they'd die, and he'd still be alive. They'd only exist in people's dreams, but he would always be here in between dreams and waking. He would never grow up and never die. After all, growing up means dying and losing all those happy thoughts. Peter would stay a kid and keep flying. He wasn't going to be a human. He was a fairy!

Over time, Peter forgot his parents too. Every now and then, Peter would ask Tinkerbell about Earth, and she would tell him that he could visit if he wanted to. In those moments, he could remember his parents and how it hurt to realize that they didn't care about him. They didn't even remember him.

Peter would fly back and forth, from Neverland to Earth and back. He would watch at the windows of other children whose parents loved them. There was a small ache in his heart each time he same another kid tucked into bed. When a mother or a grandmother read a child their favourite book, Peter would scoff at how stupid reading was, though he secretly wished he could learn.

But each time he returned to Neverland, Tinkerbell would be waiting for him, ready to take him on his next adventure. Soon after, he would forget what had made him sad in the first place.

It was on one of these many trips that Peter met Molly. He was watching through windows, envying the children with parents who loved them, while empathizing with the children whose parents ignored them and didn't tuck them in or turn out the light. Kids usually fell into one of those two categories, but Molly was different. When Peter met her, she was reading by candlelight until she noticed his shadow on the floor. The sneaky thing could never just stay where it was supposed to.

"Hello?" Molly called to him, "I know you're there, child of the stars. I've heard about you, watching kids and looking to steal away the lonely ones. I can assure you that I am not lonely."

Tinkerbell, who was hidden in the pocket of his tunic, shook her head and jingled. She crossed her arms and waved at Peter to stay quiet. Peter ignored her.

"I don't steal kids away!" Peter objected. "I'm Peter Pan! And I'm not a star child. I live with the fairies!"

Molly giggled, "Of course you're a star child. Fairies kidnap lonely kids and steal them to their land in the stars. I'm Molly Aster, starcatcher in training. You can try to take me, but I'll not fall for the wicked wiles of fairies!"

"Fairies aren't wicked! And Neverland is a wonderful place, almost in a dream, and anything you can imagine can be real!" Peter told her.

"Oh really?" Molly asked with heavy skepticism.

"Yes really! My guardian is even here with me! She can help you fly and then I'll take you to Neverland to see for yourself!" Peter exclaimed. It was an impulsive decision and probably reckless, but he wanted to know what playing with a human would be like. He'd never played with another kid his age before. His shadow didn't count.

Tinkerbell started glowing orange instead of her usual yellow. She was upset that Peter had revealed her so easily. She jingled and waved and made is clear that she would never help this child reach Neverland. This child was being raised by the enemies of the fairies, and on top of that, she was a girl! She couldn't tell Peter that Neverland only wanted boys, nor that humans viewed fairies as evil for a reason. That might make him want to leave.

No matter what, Tinkerbell would make sure Peter never wanted to leave.

"Aw, c'mon Tink! It's just for a little while. Besides! Neverland is the best! She'll change her mind as soon as she sees it!"

Tinkerbell was against this idea. But maybe this could be an opportunity. If she allowed Peter to bring Molly to Neverland, he'd then see how ungrateful humans are. A starcatcher could never enjoy the fairy realm, or they'd be cast out of their organisation. Molly would hate the experience and hurt Peter when she left. Then Peter would have to come back to Tinkerbell, and she could reinforce their bond. Peter was hers, and she'd never give him up.

Armed with a plan, Tinkerbell watched Peter's face as she shook some of her pixie dust over Molly.

"Think happy thoughts Molly, and we'll fly to Neverland."

Molly smiled, "Just show me the way!"

Tinkerbell switched her attention to Molly as they flew. She changed her mind about going to Neverland very quickly. Did the starcatchers put her up to this? Have her get kidnapped to gain information? If so, it was a futile effort.

"Second star to the right and straight on 'til morning! That's how you get to Neverland!" Peter called back.

Molly flew after Peter. He would speed ahead then double back, doing flips and spins in the air to show off. Tinkerbell let Peter do as he pleased. After all, the more excited he got now, the more it would hurt him later when Molly betrayed him or got herself killed or kidnapped. Neverland didn't like girls. That's why there were Sirens.

She was a pretty and prideful enough girl that maybe she'd go straight to the Sirens. She seemed the type to offer her body to the Drowned instead of living in subjugation under the rule of the Red Man chief. If she was lucky, Molly might even make it back to Earth alive. If she did, she would be forced to forget and her whole mission would have been a waste of time.

Tinkerbell smiled.

The time Peter and Molly spent in Neverland was not what Tinkerbell had expected. Not quite. The two children ran around the plains, flew around the mountain, and played tag on the beach. Peter brought Molly to visit the Sirens, to see other beautiful girls. It was easy to see that the mermaids intrigued Molly, but she kept her distance. Her starcatcher training must have covered the dangers of the fairies' temptations.

Peter also introduced her to the chief of the Red Men tribe. She was polite but kept herself aloof while talking to the men. She asked to see the women, but they were only allowed to speak during celebrations. Tinkerbell hoped that the chief would take her for his tribe, but this chief was less aggressive than his predecessor. He wanted women to choose to join him instead of just taking them for himself. A minor inconvenience, but Tinkerbell could work with that. Perhaps the pirates would take her.

To her dismay, Peter avoided the docks and the forest. Perhaps he was aware enough of the dangers in Neverland to keep Molly away from those who would hurt her. When it came to the pirates, the threat was obvious. These were boys in the bodies of men who had never learned to control themselves. The fairies, on the other hand, shouldn't have registered as a threat to Peter. After all, he was a fairy boy himself. Tinkerbell had never given him reason to be wary of fairies.

Or maybe he saw how the new humans were treated when they arrived. She was his guardian, but Tinkerbell didn't follow him everywhere anymore. He was growing up and smothering him would push him away. Trusting him to always return to her would strengthen their bond further at this point in his life.

Despite her initial reservations, Molly had fun in Neverland. She loved flying and being free of gravity. Peter was also the friend that she was never allowed to have. He was a normal boy, at least in personality. He was extraordinary.

The apparent age difference between them was small, but significant. After a few days of adventures and fun, Molly told Peter that she needed to return home. As magnificent as Neverland had been, she knew that she still had duties to her parents on Earth. If she had been more willing to forget her life, she could have easily become a Siren, or perhaps in the future, she could have joined Peter's gang of lost children.

Molly, in her twelve-year-old wisdom, gave Peter the thimble she kept in her nightgown pocket. She told him it was a kiss and a promise to see him again.

Peter, for all that he loved his new friend, accepted her choice and brought her home. She could never return to Neverland without his help. The fairies wouldn't take her, and she couldn't fly without pixie dust. Only Peter could cross between the worlds on his own.

When Peter returned Molly to her open window, he asked her what a kiss was. She took his hand and pulled him closer. Once his face was only inches from hers, she gave him a small peck on the cheek.

"A kiss is a promise. The thimble is a token to remember it."

It would be many Earth years before Peter saw Molly again.

Back in Neverland, the days passed by as normal. Peter still raced around the skies, he still taunted the Pirates and danced with the Red Men, but every once in a while, he would hide in his room and stare at the thimble. Tinkerbell was furious. How dare that girl try to tempt away her boy! She should have drowned the girl in the lagoon when she had the chance. Not that she could ever let Peter find out. Peter needed to stay happy and never want to grow up.

To Peter though, the thimble helped him see a bit more clearly. Many of the things that he had enjoyed thoughtlessly before seemed a bit more sinister. The boisterous nature of the Pirates and the easy camaraderie that they shared seemed darker and more selfish than before. The Red Men who celebrated and danced and openly shared their bounties with him seemed more secretive. Molly had pointed out that the girls and women are kept out of sight until these celebrations. What were they doing the rest of the time while the men were hunting or working? And why didn't he see them greet the men when they returned home?

The Sirens were different. They were still beautiful, but their charms weren't quite as infatuating anymore. They could still sing to him, and he would enjoy it, but he always made sure to fly just out of their reach when talking to them.

All these people belonged to Neverland and it would never let them leave. The only person who was ever allowed to leave was Peter. Him and the fairies who collected children. As he considered the promise of the thimble, he began to feel a bit lonely. Tinkerbell was amazing and his shadow was fun to play with, but after having made a friend his age, he longed for more.

When fairies brought new boys to the forest to choose their destiny, Peter would find them once they were left alone to choose. He asked them two questions.

"What do you want to get from Neverland?" and "Do you want to grow up? Ever?"

The answer to the first question was not as important as the second. Whether the boys wanted adventure, friends, food, family, shelter, or a place to belong, Peter and Tinkerbell could offer them that. If the boys never wanted to grow up, Peter would offer them a place in his secret treehouse room. With Tinkerbell's fairy magic, the room could get bigger and offer a place for any number of new boys! Peter asked if they would prefer to live with the fairies instead. If they wanted, they could stay lost in Neverland and never have to grow up. They could live with him and become one of the Lost Boys.

"I was a lost boy myself once. It's been at least thirty years, and I still haven't grown up! It's great! We can have fun every day and do whatever we want, and Neverland always takes care of us. And look! As a lost boy, I can even fly! So, what'll it be?"

His pitch was a very tempting offer. After all, what kid wouldn't want to fly?

At first, the fairy council was angry. The system they had in place had children choose a faction, then accept a token of loyalty. Once the token was accepted, the children could never leave. Not that they ever wanted to. Peter was interfering with this system, and the ire of the council focused on Tinkerbell. After all, she was the one whole stole that bay to Neverland without his explicit consent. She was the one who raised him in secret, saturating him with fairy magic. She was the one who told the boy that he too was a fairy. The boy could even fly like a fairy, despite his lack of wings. The whole situation went against the rules that had been in place for millennia.

Tinkerbell, however, withstood their rage. She took their punishments and never let Peter know about the pain and anguish she felt. She was all but outcast from the fairies. None of the others would talk to her or look at her. She had destroyed a system that they had all worked so hard to maintain. All because she was selfish and wanted a boy of her own.

Still, she endured. And over time, as the Lost Boys grew in number, the fairy council's ire slowly waned. These lost boys, despite not being bound to Neverland in the same way that the Pirates, the Red Men, or the Sirens were, didn't and couldn't leave. They were never able to fly like Peter, without pixie dust, so they could never go home. And what's more, the magic of Neverland kept them from growing up at all while they remained.

At first, the fairies had assumed that the fairy magic had kept Peter from growing older, since he had been raised on it. After a decade and several new Lost Boys joined the island, it was apparent that they were not growing either. The council assumed then that Neverland wouldn't let them grow until they had chosen a true faction to join. This was fine with the fairies. The boys would have to eventually choose a faction or die. That fit in line with their system perfectly.

If the boys could never leave, then it didn't matter that they remained factionless. If having fun with other Lost Boys helped them to forget the other worlds that they came from then it was all the better. Slowly, other fairies stopped shunning Tinkerbell entirely. She never learned why, but it was a small relief.

Still, Peter would gaze at the thimble at night. Even when the other boys forgot their worlds, whether it was Earth, the Moors, or anywhere else, Peter would remember. The thimble always reminded him of the kiss he and Molly shared.

After a decade of waiting, Peter decided to sneak out and visit Earth once again. He made sure to leave at a time when Tinkerbell would be busy watching the other Lost Boys. He flew the path back to Molly's window, remembering it more the longer he spent in the moonlight. This time, instead of sitting up reading, Molly was tucked into bed with the candle wick still smoking. She must have just turned in.

He stared at her face through the window. She looked a little older, her face a bit sharper and narrower than he remembered. She still looked like a kid, but she was growing up. This time, her window was shut and locked.

Tentatively, Peter tapped on the window. Molly, who was not yet asleep, turned her face towards the window. She smiled brightly when she saw her visitor.

"Peter! You're here!" Molly exclaimed in a whisper. She got out of bed and opened her window to let him in.

By some miracle or luck, Molly had the affinity to remember her adventures with Peter in Neverland. When Molly had returned to her window, almost no time had passed on Earth. In the morning, when she told her father of her adventures, he had hugged her and cried. He had then taken the time to explain to her about the dangers of the fairyland and the true heritage of the starcatchers. They were fairy hunters, distant descendants of the fey that had found their place on Earth. The line was often passed and strengthened matrilineally, and too many generations of men would dilute their innate magic. Molly's father and each of his brothers were the third generation of all male descendants in their line in the past millennium. When he had a daughter, he was elated. The bloodline could not be diluted much more before the innate magic was too weak to resist the temptation of the fairies. As it was, her father wasn't entirely sure that she would be immune either. He had taken a gamble by asking her to stay up and watch for the fairy boy.

Knowing that she was safe from the temptations, Molly looked forward to seeing Peter again. He had grown up with the fairies, so convincing him to leave would be next to impossible. Instead, she hoped that, by convincing him to visit, she could slowly wear away his resistance to Earth. Every moment he spent on Earth, he would start growing again. As he aged, the temptation of the fairies would grow weaker. He would always be more susceptible than most, having grown up in a Fairyland, but aging out of his childish desires might convince him to leave the Wicked world.

Molly invites Peter to spend the night with her, and he agrees. The two spend the night talking and flying, with Peter holding onto her hips and pulling her across the sky. If the ability to fly hadn't convinced her that Peter was part fairy, his confidence and strength would have. No ten-year-old boy should be able to hold a thirteen-year-old girl off the ground for an hour without a source of magic to help him.

Peter was incredible. He hadn't changed at all. He left just as the sun started to rise. If the stars disappeared, Peter wasn't sure he'd be able to find his way back to Neverland. Molly gave him another peck on the cheek and made him promise to come back and visit again.

He promised without a second thought.

Twice or thrice every Earth year, Peter would sneak off and visit Molly. He stayed the same while she grew up. Each year on Earth, Peter aged one or two days. Not enough to be noticeable yet, but one month of time is still a significant amount of childhood. At Peter's age, that was one month closer to the inevitable beginning of adolescence which could sneak up at any time.

For now, it wasn't a concern. After all, who would notice? And Peter still had a lot of time left on his clock before puberty started to resist the magic inside.

Molly's life passed by too quickly for Peter to understand. After only a few visits, Molly insisted that Peter would wait outside while she changed into outdoor clothes. Pajamas and robes were no longer acceptable to wear outside. Instead, she wore the dresses and skirts that she might wear while cleaning. At a minimum, she would wear slippers, if not shoes because running around barefoot was for wild children, not young ladies.

As she grew more, Peter had a hard time carrying her. She was no longer the size of a child, but instead an adult. As her teen years came to a close, Molly developed lean musculature, which made her heavier (but not impossible) to carry. Fairy magic greatly improved one's strength, but Peter wasn't a full fairy. He was still a ten-year-old boy.

Their nighttime excursions slowly changed to involve less flying and more talking. The nights that were once spent roaming about and skipping across rooftops became walking along cobbled streets, and eventually sipping tea at a small table indoors by candlelight. Molly explained that it would be inappropriate for a woman of her age to be walking around with a child of his age when she was not his mother nor his nanny.

Peter didn't understand, but any time spent with Molly was worth it.

One day, Molly explained that her father had suddenly died. A heart attack, the doctors said. He was still young enough, but his age did put him at a small risk. As a result, the family house became hers. She explained to Peter that she had a boyfriend, and he would need to marry her soon so that she could keep living here. Women didn't have the right to own their own house unless it was left to them in their husband's will. Women couldn't vote or hold a job, so she needed her husband to provide. As such, it would be harder to see Peter again.

Peter wasn't deterred though. "So we just need to be sneaky? I could be a spy, staying hidden until the right moment. Your boyfriend will never know I was here!"

The next time Peter visited, he watched from afar as Molly climbed into bed with another man. He didn't knock on the window that night.

His visits became more frequent than before. Most times, Peter would just watch from a distance. Molly's boyfriend was always around at night, so Peter couldn't find a good time to talk. In hindsight, he and Molly should have made a system so Peter could let her know that he was coming.

And then one night, Peter got lucky. Molly's boyfriend was working late one winter evening. It was dark enough for the stars to be out, but early enough that Molly was awake. He flew over to the yard and checked to make sure no one was watching as he flew down and stopped upright just above the snow. Anyone watching from a distance would think her was standing in the yard. Peter floated slowly towards the kitchen window and imitated walking. When he was close enough, he gave the window a few light taps.

Molly startled and looked up. She walked over to the window to let Peter in. As she moved, Peter got a good look at her. Her belly was huge.

"Peter! Come in. George will be home any moment now, but I can set you up in the nursery. I'll come and visit you later this evening, okay?" Molly greeted him with a smile.

"Molly? You got-"

"Molly put a finger to Peter's lips. "Hush hush. Don't you worry. I'll be up to talk to you after supper. We need to wait for George to settle in with his favourite robe and his whiskey. After that, I'll join you in the nursery. Now come on, quickly!"

She grabbed Peter by the wrist and pulled him upstairs to her childhood bedroom. The large window and dark curtains were familiar, but the small bed was gone. The bed was replaced with a cradle, and the books on the shelf were smaller. Peter frowned in confusion when Molly shut the door but stayed quiet. He told Molly that he could be sneaky, so he did. He floated about the room to avoid making noise with his footsteps. He examined the new cradle and gently lifting the new books.

He couldn't read, but the black writing inside looked bigger than the stuff Molly used to read. And cradles were for babies.

Was Molly going to get a baby soon?

Peter pondered what that could mean. Was she replacing him? Did she not care about him anymore? What about their promise to keep seeing each other? Babies are supposed to be a lot of work and they made adults too tired to stay awake at night. And would Molly have any cheek kisses left for him? She had a husband already and she probably kisses him good night. And when she gets the baby, she would probably kiss it too. And if she loves the baby then that's already two more people than before. The love she gave to her father probably went to her husband, but her love for the baby would probably replace her love for him.

Peter wasn't comfortable with babies in general, so he avoided them. But now, if Molly was getting a baby, he was stuck. He didn't want her to have a baby. He wanted Molly to come back to Neverland and never grow up with him. It wasn't fair.

And so, Peter stewed with his bad mood until the moon was high in the sky. Molly came back as promised. She brought Peter a cup of tea and some biscuits, as was their tradition.

"Welcome back Peter. It's been a long time." Molly smiled kindly at him. Maybe it was his excitement before, but Peter was only now noticing that Molly didn't smile at him as an equal anymore. She was an adult now, and she smiled at him like a little kid that she entertained for his benefit. Did she really still care about him?

"Are you getting a baby, Molly?" Peter asked.

"Yes. I'm having a baby, Peter. I'm pregnant. The baby is growing bigger every day inside my tummy. In a few months, the baby will be ready to see the world and come to say hello." Molly explained.

"But why would you want a baby? Babies are terrible!"

Molly gave Peter a slight frown. "Peter, babies are wonderful! What's better than creating a new life and watching it grow? It's beautiful, and it makes every day an adventure. I know you like adventures."

"Babies aren't adventures." Peter argued, "They're stupid because they can't do anything except cry. And we already have adventures. You don't need a baby to do that. We can even go on an adventure right now! C'mon Molly!"

"No Peter, I can't." Molly said. "Look at me Peter, I've grown up. My days of adventures are over, but that's okay! It just means that my child will get to have those adventures for me. It's not bad. It's just a change."

"Changes are bad, though! There are rules to follow! Like the pirates rob the Red Men, the Red Men hunt the Sirens, and the Sirens drown the pirates! And then the Lost Boys stay in the forests, adventuring forever and never growing up! Growing up means change and change means losing who you are and when you lose yourself, if you're not a Lost Boy then you die and dying means that I'll never see you again! I don't want you to go away, Molly." Tears trickled down Peter's cheeks. His face flushed bright red. Big kids like him weren't supposed to cry. He was supposed to be happy all the time! This was wrong!

Molly put a hand on Peter's shoulder. "Change isn't bad, Peter. Neither is growing up. When you grow up, you have your memories to look back on and see how well you lived. It's proof that you were alive."

"No! That's wrong!" Peter exclaimed, "Living is proof you're alive and growing up is the same as dying! I won't let you grow up! I don't want this baby here! I want us to be friends forever and ever! And if this baby is here, then you won't love me anymore!"

"Oh Peter, that's not true." Molly disagreed. Molly didn't get fired up like she might have in her youth. It was another change that Peter noticed. "Love isn't a fixed measurement. The amount of love we have is endless. I'm not replacing you at all. I'm just making more room in my heart for this unborn child."

"That's a lie!" Peter shrugged Molly's hand off his shoulder and made for the window. "If that baby comes, you won't need me anymore. You'll be just like everyone else and forget me! Well I'm not letting you forget me. I'm gonna forget you first!"

Peter unlatched the window and threw it open. He turned back to Molly for one last look.

"Peter, I'm sorry. If that's how you feel, then there's nothing I can do to help you. I will not forget about you, but it might be best if you don't visit for a while. George wouldn't understand if I tried to explain who you were. But my children might, after they're born." Molly stood up and walked to the window. Peter jumped up onto the sill, threatening to leave before she had finished speaking. "When you're ready, I hope you come back to see us, Peter. Come back and see how we've all grown."

Peter frowned and jumped backwards out the window. He floated midair for a moment before delivering his final comment to Molly. "As long as you're around, I'm never coming back."

With that, Peter flew straight up into the sky and didn't look back until he had reached Neverland.

Twelve Earth-years had passed before Peter returned to the world of his birth.

It felt like a hundred years had passed and no time at all. Peter had forgotten Molly as he said he would. He threw away her kiss and let his memories fade. It was no surprise. The children who follow fairies to Neverland all have something that they want to forget. Neverland just helps them along. Once they forget, they can be happy, following the rules laid out by the fairies, all while thinking that they're free.

Peter went to bother Tinkerbell. He knocked on her small house door with the tip of his pinky finger, but she wasn't home. He opened her small bedroom window to see if she might just be hiding, and he found the thimble. The kiss from Molly that he had discarded all that time ago. Peter picked up the thimble and put it in his pocket before flying into the sky for Earth. A distraught Tinkerbell noticed him fly away and followed closely behind. She didn't make her presence known.

Peter spent a little time, floating past different windows and looking inside. Earth had changed. Instead of candles in children's bedrooms, most had some kind of glowing ball on the ceiling or on a stand or a post that turned on and off when the parents flicked a switch. It was odd. Peter couldn't really tell how long it had been since he had last visited.

Suddenly, his shadow sped off. The pesky thing must have thought it was time for play, but it wasn't! His shadow was a great friend, but now he had the Lost Boys. He needed to find a way to stick his shadow back to his feet as soon as he could.

It was difficult to follow the shadow at night, but Peter would catch glimpses of it on house walls and under streetlights. He found himself following the familiar path back to Molly's window. This time, the window was open.

Peter's shadow flew into the open window and Peter followed. In the room were three kids. A girl and two boys. After accidentally waking up the three children, they introduced themselves as Wendy, John, and Michael Darling. That was a name that Peter wasn't familiar with. He figured that Molly must have moved on some time since he last saw her. Or perhaps she grew old and died, as all humans eventually do. He supposed he would never know.

Wendy offered to sew his shadow back to his feet, and Peter accepted. When he spotted a small glow just outside the bedroom window, Peter knew just how to pay her back for her kindness. Peter offered the three kids a trip to Neverland. He shook Tinkerbell's pixie dust over each of them and taught them the joys of flying. Before long, they were soaring past the large clock tower and high into the sky, where humans could only dream of going.

"Second star to the right and straight on 'til morning! Next stop, Neverland!" Peter crowed.

Even though that girl Wendy was coming along, Tinkerbell didn't admonish Peter for his selfish and reckless actions. After all, Neverland was about to get two boys and Wendy could be dealt with in the same way that Neverland dealt with all girls who stole a ride with a fairy. They could be subjugated by the Red Men, or they could drown and give up their air-breathing lungs in exchange for scales and eternal youth.

In the end, this would be a boon for Neverland, and it might put Tinkerbell in better standing with the council. She didn't mind spending all of her time and energy watching over Peter, and by extension the Lost Boys, but she did occasionally miss the company of other fairies. Her boy and his friends were great, but sometimes she wanted to talk to someone who understood what fairy life was like.

In her eyes, Peter was a fairy, but at the same time, she knew he would never live the same way. He wasn't technically a fairy, though he was one in all the ways that mattered to her. He would never be able to join the council, he wasn't bound to obey their internal laws, he would never be assigned a world duty, and he would never truly know what it means to feel so small and insignificant that the rest of the world overlooks you, despite your importance.

Peter was an infant the last time he might have had to feel that way, and too young to remember it, even if he had truly felt it.

Still, her boy was helping her. He was bringing two more boys to join Neverland. The last time this happened were the twins who joined the Lost Boys. And twins themselves are rare in Neverland. Too often twins won't follow a fairy because they have their sibling to keep them company and share in the loneliness. They wouldn't run away because they'd be leaving their sibling behind. And they were willing to stay in a world that ignored them because their sibling didn't. Twins were special. Two non-twin siblings, as far as Tinkerbell knew, had never come to Neverland together before. Her boy was incredible.

John and Michael took to Neverland quite well. They fit in well with the Lost Boys and seemed to enjoy the boys-only adventures that they had. While Michael showed some interest in being a pirate, he was still far too young to make that choice. He was only four years old! As long as he was having fun as a Lost Boy, then he could stay until he could choose.

On the other hand, John was showing clear assets of a Red Man. He wanted to lead and be strong. He wanted things done his way and wasn't afraid to say so. The spears, headdress, and dancing also seemed to appeal to him. His bookish appearance seemed to be a front for the brave young man that he would eventually grow into. It was uncommon for eight-year-olds to be so strong-willed and independent like he was, but that only made John excel here. When she could get him away from his sister, Tinkerbell would bring him to the chief for his tattoo.

Wendy was different. Like Molly, she enjoyed her time with the Lost Boys, for all that they took their title too seriously. Even if they excluded her, she enjoyed their company and did her best to fit in as a Lost Girl instead. She knew how to step up when necessary and help the boys settle down at bedtime. She even impressed them with her ability to read, something that Peter paid great attention to. She patched up their clothes and joined in their jokes and followed along from a distance while they were off adventuring. All the while, Peter was by her side.

Tinkerbell tried to lure Wendy into the lagoon, but Peter kept the Sirens at a distance while she admired the water and the few mermaids that were grooming themselves on the stones. When the boys danced with the Red Men, Tinkerbell tried to get Wendy alone with the chief or some of the lead hunters. Once again, Peter stayed too close to her. While he enjoyed himself playing dress-up, making music, and crowing their hunting call, he made sure to stay within two arms reach of Wendy at all times. Tinkerbell loved her boy dearly, but she found his intuition annoying sometimes.

That was all of little consequence. So long as the three siblings remained in Neverland, it didn't matter when Wendy was captured or drowned, when John agreed to a tribal tattoo, or when Michael grew up enough to choose what he wanted in his life and where he wanted to live. Time was meaningless in Neverland, so Tinkerbell could be patient.

Wendy, John, and Michael spent much more time in Neverland than Molly did. Molly stayed for a few of Neverland's days. The siblings stayed for two weeks. In that time, John and Michael fully immersed themselves in the games and adventures of Neverland. Bit by bit, their memories of their lives on Earth disappeared. It was small things first, like their address or the colour of their bedroom. Next it was bigger things, like how they lived in London, England and the names of their parents. Around that two-week mark, John noticed that he was having a hard time remembering his letters.

Every night, Wendy gave Peter a short reading lesson because, for whatever reason, it interested him. Tinkerbell allowed it. Peter would forget that nonsense as soon as Wendy was gone. John came over one night to talk to Peter about all the fun things that he'd done that day, but instead asked why Wendy was scribbling weird shapes on the floor.

Wendy, thinking that her little brother was joking, just laughed. "Come on, John. Don't be silly. You know what the alphabet is!"

John squinted at the letters and studied them for a moment. "Right. Uh… A…B…D..."

"Such a joker. You know that the third letter is C!"

"Oh, yeah. Right. A, B, C. Of course." John stated.

Wendy gave him a long look. She realized that he might not be joking after all. Instead of calling him out, she just reviewed the letters for him and Peter. Slowly, she moved her stick along the letters as she said their names. Upon reaching the end, she looked up to see proper recognition in John's eyes.

"Yes! I remember. But why are you teaching Peter something as useless as reading letters?" John asked, "The only important reading is reading maps."

"It's because he wants to learn, right Peter?" Wendy asked him.

"Yeah." Peter agreed, "I've seen books before and I know that they contain stories that you can only see in your imagination. So, I wanted to know what it was like to read them for myself. And I can't have Captain Hook be better than me at anything. If he can read, then so can I!"

"Pirates can read?" Michael asked. He had wandered over to see what was taking John so long.

"Only the most fearsome pirates can read." Peter told him, "Reading maps helps you find the treasure, but reading clues in bottled messages helps you find the maps."

Michael considered this seriously for a moment. "Where can I learn to read too?"

Wendy watched her brothers with a concerned look. "At school, of course. You're due to start next year, Michael. And John, you're already in your third year. Don't you remember?"

"Why would I remember school. I've never been there. That sounds like something that kids with parents would do." John answered.

Peter was mildly surprised. He knew that he forgot things from time to time, but he didn't realize just how much Neverland affected the Lost Boys. Did none of them remember where they came from? It didn't seem to bother them, so he quickly dismissed it. If they didn't mind, then it wasn't a problem.

Wendy had a different opinion. "That's enough messing around John, Michael. It's not funny." She spoke sharply, "Whatever game you're playing, stop it right now! We're going home."

"But this is our home, Wendy." Michael said.

"Yeah, we're Lost Boys. Neverland is our home." John told her, "This way you're acting is exactly why we're the Lost Boys. Girls act super weird about things for no reason. If you're gonna keep getting mad at us, then maybe you're the one who should go home."

"I can't go home by myself! What about Mom and Dad? What would they think if I came back and you were stuck here forever?" Wendy exclaimed.

"Lost Boys don't have Mommys and Daddys, Wendy." Michael said, "You're almost like a mommy though."

Wendy was horrified. She grabbed her brothers by their wrists and turned to Peter. "Take us home right now, Peter."

John struggled out of Wendy's grip while Micheal dropped to the ground in resistance. "We're not leaving! If you hate it here so much, then go be a girl somewhere else!"

She stormed out of the tree to cool off. Peter followed.

"I can't believe that they don't remember mom and dad! What's going on Peter? Why did they forget mom and dad?" Wendy asked him.

"I don't know." Peter said honestly, "I was a baby when Tinkerbell brought me to Neverland, so I wouldn't remember either way. I didn't know that the Lost Boys were forgetting either. They don't seem to mind though, so what's the problem? Neverland is great! We can all stay here together and have fun forever! We never have to grow up! What's better than that?"

"How can you say that?" Wendy asked, "Having a mom and dad who love you is wonderful! Cold nights, playing in the snow with dad, then coming back in to sip on hot cocoa made by mom. Mom telling you bedtime stories and wishing you sweet dreams. Dad playing catch in the yard and helping study for tests. Warm hugs and kind talks and playing cards together. Families are amazing! If growing up is a price to pay, then I'll pay it. When I grow up, I get to add my new family to my old family, and it just gets bigger from there. My kids have kids and I'll become a grandmother. If I live long enough, my grandkids will have kids and I'll get to see my great-grandchildren. And when I die, I'll have the memories of a wonderful life that I lived and loved. Who wouldn't want something like that?"

Peter was taken aback. This argument was similar to what Molly had once said to him. Maybe all kids from Earth felt this way. He wouldn't know.

"I never knew my parents. By the time I went back to see them, they had replaced me with a little girl." Peter admitted.

"That's horrible!" Wendy said. There wasn't much else she could say in response. "Could you at least ask John and Michael if they would change their minds? If they've forgotten, our parents are George and Molly Darling. I know they'll miss us. Especially mom."

"George and… Molly?" Peter asked.

"Yes. Please ask them for me? I get the feeling that they don't believe in Lost Girls like you do." Wendy said.

Peter nodded and went back to the tree. "Tink, could you watch over Wendy for me? Just for a little while. I don't want anything bad to happen to her."

Tinkerbell nodded and flew off in Wendy's direction. Peter took this moment to consider what he had just heard. What if Molly didn't move away or die? Maybe less time passed on Earth than he thought. Molly married a man named George and Wendy wasn't forgetting like the Lost Boys did. Were Wendy, John and Michael Molly's kids?

There was no way. But at the same time, Peter couldn't help but trust his gut feeling that this was the truth. Those kids were starcatchers. They couldn't stay. Peter went to confront the boys about their heritage. Maybe Michael could be spared, but John was definitely old enough to know better. And Wendy, had she betrayed him too? Starcatchers tried to "save" kids from Neverland. Molly even admitted that they sent their own children as bait. That's what she was, even if she didn't understand it completely at the time. John and Wendy needed to go, no matter how much it hurt him to admit it.

Meanwhile, Tinkerbell relished in her perfect opportunity to rid Neverland of the so-called "Lost Girl." She saw Wendy wandering around and taking cover under random trees. Satisfied that she wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon, Tinkerbell flew as quickly as she could to the pirates.

Once the pirates had captured Wendy, Tinkerbell flew back to the Lost Boys' treehouse in apparent panic. She jingled furiously about Wendy's capture, and Peter immediately flew off to save her. Despite his anger at the siblings, he couldn't let the pirates take Wendy. Captain Hook was his ultimate nemesis. He would save Wendy, then take her and her brothers home. Maybe then, she could explain what was going on.

So Peter did what he always did. He saved the girl, defeated the pirates, and went back home to celebrate as a hero. Maybe it was the heat of the moment, but when Wendy gave Peter a peck on the cheek as thanks for rescuing her, Peter blushed and forgot his anger. There were Lost Boys older than him on the island. He knew what a kiss meant now.

A small crush was beginning to form inside him.

Something about seeing their sister in danger must have scared John and Michael into remembering their old life. The pirates were no longer just bad guys from an adventure book, they were real threats. Their swords were sharp, and they weren't afraid to kill children. Peter could fly out of their reach, but the boys, they were stuck on the ground and much smaller and weaker than these grown men.

Once Wendy was safe, the boys asked if they could go home to their mom and dad. Wendy was delighted to hear it. Peter, in his lovestruck state, didn't argue. He had plans to hold the siblings hostage in Neverland and trap them in the treehouse until they admitted their guilt. Instead, he grabbed Tinkerbell and scattered pixie dust over their heads. She stayed behind while Peter flew the Darlings back to Earth.

It was sad to see two Lost Boys return to the world of their birth, but Tinkerbell couldn't be too upset. Wendy didn't belong here. She would never submit to being one of the Red Men, and she was not so vain that she would flee to the sea. She loved living too much to drown and join the Sirens, though they could live forever. No, Wendy leaving was for the best. She was a reminder that Peter was from Earth. She was a symbol that Peter could grow up if he chose to. She would prefer it if Peter stayed in Neverland and forgot, just as he should.

When Peter returned the three to their window, despite the pain it would cause, he had to ask.

"Wendy, are you a starcatcher?"

"What's that Peter? Is it a kind of hero?" Wendy asked in return. She didn't seem to be lying.

"Oh, no. They're not heroes. The opposite, actually. I just thought… You said your parents were George and Molly Darling." Peter explained, "I knew a Molly once, who grew up and married a George. Molly was a starcatcher, so I thought you might be too."

Wendy laughed, "Don't be silly, Peter. There are loads of Georges and Mollys out there."

"I guess that makes sense. The Molly I knew wasn't Molly Darling. Her name was Molly Aster. They couldn't be the same." Peter said with a shrug. That was a relief.

"Molly… Aster?" Wendy asked.

Before she could continue, a woman's voice called from downstairs.

"Kids? Are you home?" The woman sounded worried.

"Mom!" All three children exclaimed.

The Darlings ran downstairs to see their parents. Peter could hear their dad welcome them back. He had been scared for them. They were missing for a whole day and the police had no leads. Now that they had returned home, he was overjoyed.

Peter stood in the middle of the room and listened. It felt almost rude, to eavesdrop on a happy family. It also hurt, for him to imagine the things he might have had if his parents had wanted him. What did it feel like to get a hug from a dad? Did a mother's kiss really make scrapes and bruises feel better? The Darling children couldn't fly, but they had something that Peter would never truly be able to know.

They had a loving family.

His thoughts were interrupted when the nursery door creaked open. It was Molly Darling.

"Peter! It's been such a long time." Molly started.

"Molly?" Peter gasped. There was a sharp pain in his chest. Did Wendy lie to him about being a starcatcher? How dare she? If Peter never saw her again, it would hurt, he still loved her, but he resolved himself to get over it.

"Thank you, Peter, for bringing my children home." Molly said kindly. She gave Peter a soft but warm smile. "It must have been hard for you, but I'm so proud. You're become a brave and strong young man."

"You got old, Molly." Peter said, upset leaking into his voice, "Did you get so old and scared that you used your children to lure out fairies? Neverland is the only place that you get to live forever."

"No Peter, I did not." Molly said calmly, still wearing a smile, "The legacy of the starcatchers will die with me. I'm the last member of the organisation. All the rest have either died or lost their resistance by only having sons. Wendy is still able to resist, and so will her daughters, and her daughters' daughters, but I do not intend to tell them of their legacy. You and the fairies can rest easy. There will no be any more threats from Earth."

"Why would you do that though!? Why did you have to leave Neverland and grow up? Why did you leave the window open for me when your kids were there? Why did they have to come to Neverland with me, only to want to go back? What did I do wrong? Why can't I keep a family?" Peter complained. His eyes burned, but big kids don't cry. He had beaten pirates and bested fairies in flight, even if he was born human. He was Peter Pan! He was amazing and brilliant and brave and strong and he never loses! So why was he trying to stop himself from crying?

Molly moved towards Peter and opened her arms. She slowly wrapped her arms around his back and pulled his head into the gap between her neck and her shoulder. "You've done nothing wrong, Peter. I still love you, but not the same way as when we were children, having adventures and late-night talks. I grew up and changed and moved forward. You're staying still forever. Is that really an adventure?"

Hi voice was muffled by her shirt, but the words were clear. "Neverland is an adventure. Forever and always."

Slowly, Molly moved Peter out to arms length. She was still smiling, but it seemed sad. "I'm happy that you're content with the life you've chosen. But my adventure is here, watching my children grow up. And thanks to you, they get to have that chance. Especially John and Michael. I imagine it would have been easy to keep them. I bet they didn't want to leave, so I thank you."

"I still hate you, Molly. And I'm gonna go back to Neverland and forget you again."

"You said that once before Peter." Molly smiled widely, "So I don't know if I can believe you just yet. Whether or not you hate me, I will always love you, just like my own children."

"I don't get it!" Peter said, face flush with embarrassment, "What about Earth makes it so much better than Neverland? Having a family might look nice, but it doesn't last. Parents will abandon you or they'll die and either way, they're gone. In Neverland, no one has parents! We can be kids forever and never have to grow up and get boring and old and sad and stop having fun. Compared to all that, why would you and Wendy and John and Michael choose Earth?"

Molly chuckled, "You're free to stay here and find out. I know you won't accept, but my home will be open to you for as long as I live. Just as it is open to my children, I will leave a window open for you."

"I said I was going to forget you, Molly, and I mean I this time!"

"That's okay, Peter. I will still care for you, even when you're far away where I can never see you."

"And what if I come and take your kids away again? John and Michael really liked being in Neverland! Neverland hates Wendy though, so I'll have to visit her here. Would you still say you care about me then?" Peter accused.

"Yes. Even if you stole all three of my children away, I would still care for you." Molly said without hesitation. She knew that Peter would never make good on the threat, and the plan she initiated so many years ago seemed to have started to work. Peter would never return to Earth in her lifetime, but she believed in the kind-heartedness of her daughter. Some day, one of her future granddaughters or great-granddaughters might convince Peter to return. To do that, they would need to love him as she did, but without the cold will of the starcatchers hanging over their heads.

She might still need to tell Wendy of her heritage, but only the most basic details. She would not attempt to indoctrinate her own daughter, just present the facts and leave out her own involvement. Wendy was too kind to have been a starcatcher anyways, even if she were to be raised as one. Peter and the starcatchers were the final two secrets that she still kept from George. Perhaps, though, she should consider not keeping those secrets any longer.

"Well, John and Michael already chose to leave. Neverland might take them back, but it wouldn't be the same. At the end, they changed, so they might not fit anymore." Peter commented. He tried to hide a light blush behind a haughty look, "But I'm still coming to see Wendy! Nothing you do is gonna stop me!"

"I would never dream of it."

"Good then!"

Molly laughed again. "Alright, Peter. It was lovely to see you. And if I never see you again, I'm glad that I got to meet you and have adventures and share your world, for however short a time that I could." Molly walked over to the small desk in the corner and took something from the drawer. She took Peter's hand and pressed a small object into his palm as she pressed her lips into the back of his hand. "This is one of my daughter's thimbles. She always scratches W.D. on the inside with a pin. Forget me if that is your wish but keep this to remind you of her."

Peter knew the importance of the thimble. A symbol of love between two good friends. Normally, he would refuse, but Wendy had kissed his cheeks. A thimble is a kiss, so this should be okay.

"Thanks." Peter popped the thimble into his shirt pocket and hopped backward off the windowsill, "Goodbye Molly, forever this time."

"Goodnight Peter. Sweet dreams."

Peter flew up into the sky, back to Neverland. Molly watched the boy fly away and considered how she was going to tell her daughter about the family history tomorrow.

Tinkerbell was angry when she found the small thimble in Peter's pocket, but she held her temper back. If she got angry, it would just scare her boy away. For now, she would let him do as he wished. If he started to get too attached to Earth though, she might have to intervene. She would never let him go. He was hers and he would stay with her in Neverland forever.

And time moved on. Peter kept his word and never saw Molly again. He still visited Wendy about once per month. The two would talk, Peter would take Wendy flying, and she would help him learn to read. At first, it was remembering the letters she taught him. Then it was the sounds that went with the letters. Soon enough, Peter was reading words and sentences. By the time Wendy had turned 25 and met a husband of her own, Peter had finished reading his first children's novel. Once Wendy had him hooked on books, he finally understood all the hype around reading. He even tried to introduce it to Neverland.

"But Tink! Just look at this! In this book, these kids are solving mysteries while going on adventures. And how they figure it out is just incredible! Reading books is like taking a look into someone else's imagination. It's an adventure forever! We should make a book collection here!" Peter exclaimed one night.

Tinkerbell shook her head and jingled at him. There were no books in Neverland. No one could read, so there was no need. To share in someone's imagination, all you had to do was talk and tell the other person what you thought. Perhaps books were convenient on Earth, where imagination was stifled by their rules and laws and jobs, but that wasn't the case in Neverland.

Peter knew that they were unlikely to agree on this, so he let it go. He still visited Wendy, and she was happy to talk about books with him. He continued his visits when the moon was full and enjoyed the time while it lasted.

Days and weeks passed quickly on Earth, compared to Neverland, where time almost stands still. Wendy grew up and married. Surprisingly, Wendy was the last of the three to marry at the age of 28. Quite late for a woman, but she was very happy with her husband. He didn't treat her as just another housewife. Wendy had aspirations. She wanted to set up a system for children to find families when theirs weren't able to care for them. And he let her. John and Michael had moved on with their wives, forgetting that their Neverland adventures were anything but a dream, lost to childhood. Wendy was given the family home in place of a dowry. Despite everything, Molly wanted Wendy to keep her connection with Peter. Just in case she could help him find a true home some day.

Wendy hoped that she could too, but if she couldn't, Peter would at least have her organisation to come to if he ever decided to permanently return to Earth. She never told her husband about Peter or the starcatchers. She had a daughter who lived in ignorance of their heritage as well. She grew up and lived, and ever so slowly, so did Peter.

It was barely noticeable at first. One night, after putting her daughter to bed, she saw the silhouette of a flying boy in the moonlight and headed for her window. As he landed, Wendy noticed that his leggings were riding up a bit over his ankles. Peter had just kept pulling them down to make them stay, but they would just roll up again. Wendy offered to let down the hem a centimeter or so, just to help him be more comfortable.

"Yeah, that'd be great Wendy! Thanks! It's been so long since I made myself these clothes, I guess it's about time that they're starting to wear away." Peter commented.

"And how long has it been, Peter?"

"Hmmm. A few hundred years? I stopped counting after the first hundred, but it's been at least three times that long."

"And how much time have you spent on Earth in those three hundred and some-odd years?" Wendy asked.

"I spent some time watching other kids, sometimes. I don't know how many. Probably less than a hundred? And then I spent time with Molly." Peter glared at the floor, "She got maybe fifty nights? But I spent the most time with you, Wendy! One night for every full moon on Earth! And it's been so many of your years."

"It's been almost thirty years Peter. That's a lot of moons. I don't think your clothes are wearing out. I think you're growing." Wendy commented.

"What! No, I can't grow up! I wanna be a kid forever!"

"I didn't say you're growing up, Peter. Just that you're growing. You're still a kid, just like you wanted. Just a little bit older, maybe. If I had to guess, I'd say you look about eleven years old. The same age that I was when I met you."

"Oh. That's not so bad then."

"No, it's not. And if you're older and taller, that just means it's easier for the other Lost Boys to see you as the leader. Isn't that right?" Wendy smiled at him and winked.

"Yeah. Most of them do anyways, but ever since Rufio ran away from the Red Men to join the Lost Boys, some of them are looking up to him instead. Just because he's fourteen. He still listens to me though, so it's okay. I'm still the leader. And now I can tell them all that I'm eleven and not ten anymore. I bet they'll be amazed!"

"I'm sure they will, Peter."

More years passed, and Peter slowly grew. Wendy fixed his clothes when they grew too small, and he continued to bring her stories from Neverland. He was reading teen novels by eleven-and-a-half, and quickly absorbed any knowledge that Wendy wanted to give him. He learned his sums and could do basic figuring by the time he edged into being twelve.

It all came to an end one night when Wendy had to give Peter some bad news.

"I'm old, Peter. These late nights are starting to affect my health. I have children of my own, as you know. And they have children of their own too." Wendy told him.

Peter was shocked. He knew Wendy was getting older, but she was always smiling and energetic when he came to see her. Was that a lie? Was she going to die soon?

Wendy gestured for Peter to follow her. She took Peter to the old nursery and put a finger to her lips. She cracked the door open to peek inside.

"That's my granddaughter over there in the bed. Moira. She's my daughter's daughter. Their family is visiting from the Americas during Moira's winter break from school."

Peter was hardly paying attention to those details. He vaguely knew what the Americas were. Wendy showed him the Earth map and talked about how long it would take to fly all around it. Even if it was on a flat piece of paper, Wendy told him that the Earth was actually a big ball and that the two edges of the map were actually connected.

The Americas were way too far away to fly in one night. Even still, Peter almost wanted to try. Moira was beautiful.

Maybe it's because he was a boy. Maybe it had something to do with that puberty that Wendy told him about once. His throat was itchy sometimes, and his crows were more like bellows than high calls now. It was also harder than it used to be to sing the high notes in the follow-the-leader song.

Part of Peter knew that his childhood was almost over. He could feel himself growing up now. He was out of time to spend on Earth if he wanted to stay a kid. Still, maybe it was reckless and wild, but he was Peter Pan! He was the Pan who beat up pirates and flew over the seas and dove into volcanoes and played tag with the Sirens and never lost!

Peter walked over to the bed and gazed deeply into Moira's sleeping face. This feeling he had, it was similar to what he once felt for Molly, and it was stronger than his feelings for Wendy. He knew now that he loved them back then, but Moira, this was different.

If Peter's love for Molly and Wendy was like the heat of the sun on the sand, then his love for Moira was the heat from the steam that billowed out of the top of the volcano just before it erupts.

"I love her." Peter declared. Without hesitation, he sat in the chair next to her bed and help her hand. For the first time, the loneliness that had been hiding in his heart had completely disappeared. He didn't cry, because big kids don't cry, but his insides were melting with joy. This is the person who could make him feel whole.

Peter stayed with Moira after Wendy went to bed. When Wendy woke up, just as the sun was rising, she peeked back into old nursery. Peter was still there, eyes fixed on Moira's face and smiling. The whole night, he had never stopped.

Outside the window, Wendy saw a small flicker of light. She almost thought she could hear the sound of bells. She dismissed it as a trick of the light through the open window.

Just as the sky turned from pink to blue, Peter leaned over Moira and gave her the lightest possible kiss on the lips. It was just like the touch of a fairy resting on the petal of the most delicate flower. Then Peter collapsed.

Tinkerbell, watching from outside the window, glowed red with rage. How dare this human steal her boy away! Peter was hers and he always would be. It was against fairy law to take any child who did not come willingly, so she couldn't just take Peter home. His consent was dubious the first time. Since he had flown himself to Earth, it was up to him to return to Neverland on his own. That didn't mean that she couldn't encourage him to come home. She just had to wait for the right moment. After all, Peter would lose all his hundreds of years of memories in Neverland. His mind would force him to believe that it was all a dream.

Still, as long as he believed in fairies, Tinkerbell knew that she would have her chance. She just had to be patient and, when the moment arose, take it.

Wendy, upon seeing Peter collapse, brought him to the hospital. She was well known by the staff there, for bringing in children who were in various states of injury or upset. The personnel didn't bat an eye when Wendy showed up with an unconscious twelve-year-old boy. Besides the unconsciousness and odd clothing, he appeared relatively healthy.

When he woke up, Peter panicked a little. He couldn't remember how he'd gotten there. He didn't know all the people around him or what this place was or even his own name and birthday.

Upon seeing his panic, the staff let Wendy approach him. "Hello there Peter. Do you remember me?"

Peter started to shake his head, when a stray thought started wriggling in his brain. Something about this woman was familiar. What was her name? "Miss… Molly? No no, you're not Molly. You're… Wendy?"

"Very good Peter!" Wendy smiled, "Do you know where you are right now? Or what happened before you got here?"

Peter shook his head. After seeing her brothers forget Neverland, Wendy wasn't surprised by this.

"That's okay. We'll take it slow."

Peter gave a small smile in relief. This Wendy woman felt important to him. She felt safe, but he didn't know why. He told her that.

"I'm glad to hear it Peter! You're very important to me too, you know." Wendy said. Her words made Peter feels warm and loved, but something was missing.

"Miss Wendy, what's wrong with me? I can't remember anything at all." Peter asked.

"You must have hit your head when you fell. I can't tell you what happened before, but I saw you from my window, running up the street to my house. I saw you get to the door, but when I opened it, I saw you had fainted. I brought you to the hospital to do a checkup. I've been worried about you for an awful long time." Wendy said. She needed to establish a backstory that didn't involve Neverland. It needed to be believable if she was going to find Peter a home.

"What made you worried?"

"I was concerned about how your guardian was looking after you. She was always smothering you, trying to control you. You didn't understand it when I met you, but her behaviour towards you was unhealthy. It wasn't often, but I sometimes saw her watching you from a distance as you played, even when it was safe. She would always call you home before you were ready and tried to keep you away from other children your age. I didn't like it, but there was not much I could do unless you came to me and said that you'd had enough." Wendy said. She wanted to keep the story as truthful as possible, "I met you when you were ten years old. That was when I met her too, Tina I think her name was. She didn't like me and did everything she could to keep us apart. She even tried to have me kidnapped once, but it didn't work out."

Wendy took Peter's hands in her own, "I'm so glad you're here Peter. Now I can help you, and you'll have a much better life. A family who loves you and a future away from her terrors."

"That sounds good Miss Wendy." Peter yawned, "I'm tired though. Can I go to sleep?"

The nurse who was watching over them gave permission. Peter had no signs of concussion or other brain injury, just amnesia. Sleeping would be safe.

While he slept, Wendy filled in his false history. She said he was twelve and that he was born on February 5, 1953. As far as she knew, he didn't have his vaccines and had no allergies. Peter was released that afternoon after he woke up. Wendy took him to the orphanage and immediately started checking her contacts for families in America who would be willing to take him.

Her file for him was sparse, but it was quickly filled in with notes from the orphanage director. Peter started off behind in his schoolwork. Besides his reading and figures, the rest of his knowledge was below his grade level. On paper it seemed bad, but Wendy was relieved that he had at least retained those skills. She knew that Peter was a quick learner and would be caught up with the other boys in no time.

She found a family for Peter who lived in the same town as Moira. According to her daughter, Peter would be attending a different middle school, but in two years, they would be at the same high school. This was all Wendy could hope for. The Bannings seemed like a lovely couple.

Peter was adopted shortly and grew happily in America. He maintained his vivid imagination well into his teen years. He could even recall his time in Neverland to a lesser extent. Peter remembered those times as his dreamer days. That was back before he was adopted and lived his life in his dreams. He kept his belief in fairies well beyond the acceptable age, but it never bothered him.

As a teenager, Peter was a free spirit. He and Moira dated in high school and were engaged shortly after. With the hole in his heart filled by Moira, Peter forgot about Neverland completely and gave up his belief in fairies. After all, with someone as wonderful as Moira, who needed all that magic nonsense? As he grew into an adult, he made a name for himself as Peter Banning the lawyer.

He had two children, a boy and a girl. His eldest, Jack, was a very active boy. He was never amazing at sports, but he tried hard and had fun. Especially with baseball. He was always running around and making noise getting into small scuffles with his friends. On the surface, Jack was a very happy boy.

Maggie was a bit of the opposite. She enjoyed her books and dolls and fantasies more than running around. She was up for an adventure from time to time but preferred calmer activities. Wendy felt blessed to live to see her great-grandchildren grow up.

She never told her family about the legacy of the starcatchers that they carried. Moira should be resistant to the fairies' charms, but now she had to be concerned for Jack and Maggie. If she was correct, as Peter's child, Jack would be especially susceptible to the lure of Neverland. The weak fairy blood of the starcatchers plus his disposition from Peter would put him at a higher risk than the average child. Maggie was a puzzle. Wendy wasn't sure whether Peter's disposition or the active starcatcher blood inside her would win. She hoped that she would never have to find out.

Tinkerbell, unknown to all, watched as time took away bits and pieces of her Peter. He believed that the centuries they spend together were just a dream. As all dreams do, it faded in time. For a while, Peter still believed in fairies, but that belief was replaced with doubt. Time stole away his faith and his memories. But now that Peter had children, Tinkerbell had her chance.

That boy Jack was the type of kid who would fit in well in Neverland. All she had to do was convince Jack to come with her.

Unfortunately, she only saw Jack during the holidays he spent with his great-grandma Wendy. That evil witch who stole Peter away from her in the first place. She didn't know what would convince Jack to follow her. She also didn't know if he would come at all.

Tinkerbell thought back on her adventures with Peter and remembered her previous attempt to get rid of Wendy. It didn't work before because Peter had come to Wendy's rescue and saved her. This was still her boy, so she could count on him to do it again and come to save his kid. When Peter was back in Neverland, he could return to the Lost Boys or choose to join the Pirates or the Red Men. If she was especially lucky, then perhaps Jack would enjoy being a Pirate too.

During the next holidays, she informs Captain James Hook of the location of Peter Pan. Despite his appearances, Tinkerbell assures the Captain that this is, in fact, the one he's looking for. Tinkerbell allowed herself to be "captured" and helped the Captain fly his ship into the sky.

Once on Earth, the Captain betrayed her, stole both children, and locked Tinkerbell in Maggie's dollhouse. When Peter returned to find the note, he didn't believe it. When he declared to Tinkerbell that fairies weren't real and that he didn't believe in them, she collapsed in disbelief.

Peter was actually concerned for her. It was a nice feeling.

"Every time someone says they don't believe in fairies, a fairy dies." She told him. If nothing else, that would help him to believe her. Or so she thought.

Moira came home and Tinkerbell hid in the dollhouse. The two adults discussed calling the authorities, and Moira said that she has to call Wendy. Wendy has contacts in law enforcement and various other industries, so she might be able to pull some strings and get the kids home safe.

Earth was ruining her boy. He was behaving like a sad grown-up who never smiled or had any fun. Regardless, the children were in Neverland. She could take him there and he would remember his life. He would return to Neverland again and live forever and forget this stupid world and all it's boring and stifling rules.

Tinkerbell sprinkled her pixie dust onto Peter after Moira had left. Once he was in the air, she was able to lead him up into the sky.

"Remember Peter? Second star to the right and straight on 'til morning! Neverland exists in that moment just as you fall asleep, somewhere between dreaming and being awake."

Peter wasn't able to save his children from Hook. The pixie dust had worn off as they reached Neverland. Tinkerbell didn't want to believe it on Earth. She thought that it was just because he was on Earth that he couldn't remember. Now that they were back in Neverland, she thought he would remember everything. Remember how to fly. He was her fairy boy. It wasn't fair.

Peter Pan had forgotten how to fly. He had forgotten how to be brave, to have imagination, and most of all, how to have fun and be the hero of his adventures.

Tinkerbell fought for a few days to teach Peter how to fly. That's all she would need. In three days, Peter would remember how to fly, defeat Captain Hook, then return to Neverland for good. Even if he was no longer a kid on the outside, he could be a kid on the inside. She had to believe in her boy.

She loved him, after all.

Slowly, Peter relearned to use his imagination. Rufio had taken control over the Lost Boys in his place and had done a good job. He wasn't Peter though. Rufio was bound to the world and maintaining the balance between the four factions. The circle between the Sirens, Pirates, and Red Men that had been in place for millennia kept those three factions under controls. The Lost Boys were wild cards that didn't belong anywhere. They existed separately but could interact with the other factions as somewhat neutral parties. They weren't kept safe by the rest of their faction, only by their youth and the luck of reckless immaturity. Just as the Lost Boys could raid the tribunals and the ships, they could be raided in turn.

Rufio had experience as a former Red Man. He kept the Lost Boys from going too far and set up a rudimentary set of traps to protect against raids. The traps also prevented some new arrivals to Neverland from joining the Lost Boys. The balance was maintained.

Peter reintegrated himself among the Lost Boys and his superior age and size commanded their respect once he remembered how to live in Neverland. He could take as much as he could dish out, and at the end of the three days, Peter was ready to be a hero. He had forgotten about his life on Earth and Tinkerbell was able to express her love for him. He was an adult now, so she didn't need to hold herself back. Peter would rescue the kids, then stay with her forever.

If only her plan wasn't ruined by that little witch Maggie. She was never supposed to come to Neverland. It was just supposed to be the boy, Jack, but Hook had to be greedy. Jack was wearing a pirate's uniform, a captain's wig, and was about to have his ear pierced when Peter showed up, seemingly summoned by Maggie's screams.

The pirates had given Jack everything he had wanted from his dismissive father. They gave him positive attention, enjoyed his interests with him, and were willing to express themselves by breaking things and rebelling against established social rules. If they wanted sweets before bed, they did it. If they hated the sounds of the clock, they smashed it. It was simple and the Pirates knew the thrill of living life like the young, despite growing older. It was everything Jack wanted but couldn't say for himself. Jack remembered the importance of baseball, but he couldn't remember the stupid dad who never showed up.

Jack had smashed the watch he received for his birthday. It was a gift from his father and his last connection to Earth besides Maggie. When he crushed the watch with that hammer, he had crushed the memories of Earth and put them to the back of his mind. He was ready and willing to forget, so he did.

At least, until Maggie screamed. She screamed at him to remember. She shouted that Neverland was making him forget his family.

"Captain Hook is my family. I don't need anyone else." Jack told her.

The Captain laughed and called for Smee to bring the earrings and the piercing stone. If Jack wanted to be a Pirate, then the Captain was happy to oblige. He could even train up Jack to be his replacement some day.

Then Peter arrived. He fought Hook as he always had. Aiming to disarm, but never maim or hurt. Peter, despite having grown up, didn't seem to grasp the seriousness of their bouts. He was still fighting as if he was an invincible little kid. But he wasn't. Hook took the opportunity to kill the pesky second-in-command, Rufio. A single shot from his revolver was all he needed.

Maggie screamed in shock. The death blow and Maggie's scream awoke something inside Peter. Now, Peter was fighting seriously, just as Hook wanted. The fight was thrilling, until it wasn't. Hook knew that he had crossed a line somewhere. This Peter was ruthless. This Peter was fighting for the safety of his children and those he had deemed to be under his care.

Rufio's death shocked Jack too. This whole game of being a Pirate and his dream of being a star baseball player, Rufio's death brought that fun to an end. Neverland was amazing and he had truly felt like he was one of the Pirates, but he wasn't ready to die for it. He was promised that, by living in Neverland, he never had to grow up. But he didn't want to avoid growing up by dying.

Peter had Hook cornered against the alligator clock. With a bit of sabotage, the gator fell over and swallowed the infamous pirate captain. Jack freed Maggie and the two kids ran to their dad, ready to go home.

And Peter was all too happy to take them home. He was a parent, and these were his kids. Jack, who had been easily swayed and was ready to trap himself in Neverland as a Pirate forever. Maggie, who had been taken against her will and who could somehow see through the dangers over Neverland. They were dangers that Peter still didn't fully understand. As young as she was, Maggie could see just how dangerous it was to forget.

They stayed for Rufio's funeral and the handover of leadership among the Lost Boys. Satisfied that they would be fine, Peter grabbed Jack and Maggie by the waists and flew them into the sky. Tinkerbell followed them back to Earth. Jack and Maggie ran to their mom and great-grandma Wendy while Peter thanked Tinkerbell for her help. Those few days in Neverland had only been an hour on Earth.

Her plan hadn't worked. Peter didn't come back to stay, but it had almost worked. After all this time, her boy still cared about the world of his childhood. Next time, her plan wouldn't fail. "That place in between dreaming and being awake, that's where I'll be waiting for you." Tinkerbell left Peter with that message before flying out the window and leaving him be. There would always be a next time.

Maggie told her great-grandmother about their time in Neverland. Jack tried too, but his memory faded very quickly after that first night. For years after that, Maggie didn't know what made her special. Her great-grandma was getting old. When she sensed her time was coming, Wendy wrote Maggie a letter to be given after her funeral.

Maggie finally received the letter as a teenager. Wendy explained the details she knew about the starcatcher legacy. She only knew what her mother, Molly had passed down to her. Wendy knew that Molly was keeping some information secret, and that information went with her to her grave. The short version was: starcatchers were descendants of fairies who had made children with the inhabitants of earth. Boys had limited ability to resist fairies up until the third consecutive generation of men. Girls had a significant ability to resist until there were four men in their line. Wendy said that her grandfather was her third male ancestor, and that he was Maggie's as well. Her brother, Jack, was doubly susceptible to the fairies.

He was susceptible due to his starcatcher blood. He would be the fourth male in his line, so he and his children and their children would all be weak to the temptations of fairies for a few generations, until their blood was indistinguishable from human. His second susceptibility came from Peter. Wendy explained the truth of Peter's childhood to Maggie. It was wonderful, but sad.

She recounted how her brothers, John and Michael, were immediately taken with Neverland. After only an evening, they never wanted to leave the Lost Boys. Jack had chosen the Pirates in a similar amount of time.

After all this time, Wendy was still concerned about Peter. He could still use his fairy magic, flying and following his independent shadow, as long as he still believed. As long as he remembered that Neverland was real, he could go back. She was uncertain if Peter could even die of old age. He was originally human, but he had been surrounded by and fed fairy magic from infancy and for centuries after. He might be semi-immortal.

Wendy also warned Maggie of her own predisposition to the magic of Neverland. She had starcatcher blood to help protect her, but she was also Peter's daughter. Initially, Wendy was unsure about which influence would be stronger, but Maggie seemed to inherit a mix of the traits. While Wendy was able to appreciate Neverland for what it was, Maggie came back with enrapturing stories of the Lost Boys. She could see the wicked nature of the fairies, but she could also see and feel the incredible joy of a place built on dreams and imagination. That second characteristic was something that Wendy was not able to share.

So Wendy left Maggie with a final warning and a task. She warned Maggie of the dangers of fairies and asked her to look out for any relatives in her place. Neverland likes young boys, but it will occasionally take in young girls. Especially any sons and nephews she has, she should pay close attention and try to keep the fairies away. Always lock the windows at night and try to keep them from spending the nights alone with Peter.

It was a lot of information to take in. Maggie sat with it for a year before she had internalised it all.

With Wendy's passing, the old family house at 31 Kensington Park Gardens was sold. Neverland wouldn't have easy access to her family at that location anymore. It was likely that they would open a star gate in America. There were more people here than in England and the cities were very densely populated. Finding children to steal away wouldn't be hard. And her family, known to be weak to their wiles, lived here.

Maggie decided to become a teacher. She got a degree in childhood education with a minor in psychology before completing teacher's college. After graduating, she applied to many school board and private institutions, but was having a hard time landing a job. Without experience, it was difficult to get into the substitute market, but Maggie wasn't willing to leave her family for the few years it would take to get experience abroad. The fairies could come back while she was gone and steal her baby nephew away.

She was surprised when she received a call for an interview at Eleanor West's school shortly after applying. Apparently, their primary counselor had passed away and they needed someone with a background in teaching and psychology to fill her place as soon as possible. She wouldn't be expected to do most of the counselling, but she could be an ear for the children who needed it and take over teaching some subjects while the teachers with counselling licenses switched positions. It wasn't too far away either, so she could drive in each day instead of boarding. She hoped that this would allow her to propose to her boyfriend. Now that she had a stable job, getting married was an option. She just had to pass the interview.

And what a strange interview it was. It wasn't like any job interview she'd experienced before. Miss West asked about her education, experience, qualifications, and all that stuff. But then she asked a strange question.

"Miss Banning, do you believe in other worlds?" Eleanor asked.

Maggie froze for a moment. Eleanor had a bubbly personality, but Maggie could see that the old woman was sharp behind the smiles. The colourful knick-knacks around her office showed off the carefree personality hidden in the mind of the old lady.

"Whatever do you mean?" Maggie replied. She hoped that the hesitation would be brushed off.

It wasn't. "You know, the worlds children speak about. The ones in their imaginations. Worlds made of candy, underwater worlds full of mermaids and sea creatures, worlds where you could be a rat or a spider or a dinosaur. Perhaps worlds of the dead or even worlds of fairies."

At the mention of fairies, Maggie tensed.

"Fairies it is, then. I was surprised when a young person applied to my school. We have a reputation here, a school for runaway children, lost in their imaginations. Most new teachers try to avoid difficult places such as this. You intrigued me, so I invited you for an interview. Lundy was High Logic too, so perhaps you'll be just the change we need here." Eleanor explained.

"I'm sorry, Miss West. I'm afraid I don't understand. I am interested in this school because it reminds me of my great-grandmother and her ambitions. I was close with her before her passing." Maggie said. It wasn't a lie; it just wasn't the truth. She did admire great-grandma Wendy's work in finding homes for orphans.

"You can't fool an old woman so easily. Your words are the colour of truth, but they're as transparent as glass. Who was your great-grandmother, if I might ask?"

"Wendy Darling. Even after marriage, she didn't take her husband's name. She was a strong woman and ran her own organisation, even though she was female. She never let anyone stop her from doing what she could to help others." Maggie said with a sad smile.

"That she was. Some of the children she placed in the US ended up here after a time. We used to send reports to her organisation about how those children were reintegrating, but after the fourth one, she requested that we send the reports directly to her instead. I never learned exactly why, but now I have my suspicions." Eleanor explained, "I was sad to hear of her passing seven years ago. You have my condolences."

"Thank you, ma'am."

"Now why don't you tell me about your Fairyland?"

"As I said, I do not understand what you are talking about."

Eleanor tisked. "You can't fool me. This place is for travelers through the doors to other worlds, who unfortunately found their way back to the home of their birth. They will either find a way back or they will learn to reintegrate with the expectations of Earth. This is the place where they are free to be themselves and hope.

"You have been evasive when it comes to the topic of fairies and other worlds. Quite the opposite of your demeanor when speaking about your great-grandmother or your qualifications and references. I know I'm not wrong. Either you or someone close to you has links to a Fairyland. I suspect it's a family thing, as your great-grandmother requested the reports personally. I believe she had links to this Fairyland as well. Fairies are particular about who they choose, just as goblins tend to follow family lines. It is not unexpected for fairies to have a particular taste for a family quirk or some such thing.

"Now tell me, am I correct?" Eleanor gave Maggie a meaningful smile.

At Maggie's hesitance, Eleanor decided to offer some encouragement. "If you tell me the truth, then the job is yours."

Backed into a metaphorical corner, Maggie decided that she could be honest. "My great-great-grandmother, Molly Darling née Aster was the first in my family to be taken to Neverland. It is a fairy world, in that fairies watch over it and maintain the balance from afar. Rarely do they step in. Our family is the last viable line of the ancient starcatcher organisation. I've been told that the women in my ancestry have been able to fully resist the charms of fairies because we are descended from fairies who mated with humans. This only applies to females. Male ancestors dilute the fairy magic.

"I have enough male ancestors that, should I have male offspring, they would be susceptible instead of resistant. My daughters would share the same resistance that I do, however. Though, my resistance is not perfect.

"Molly was tasked with baiting a fairy boy into staying on Earth. They left her window open and had her stay up late on the full moons, just in case the boy came to look for a new victim to bring with him. But, when Molly met him, he was just a boy. He could fly and his shadow didn't stick to his feet, but he otherwise behaved like a normal boy of about ten years. According to her, he had been ten years old for decades. The fairies took care of him, and he was happy to never grow up.

"He loved her, so he kept visiting her. He watched her grow up and grew angry when she said that she could no longer see him. The boy disappeared and forgot her. One day though, he came back and met her children. That would be my great-grandmother Wendy and her brothers. He took them to Neverland too. Wendy's brothers were susceptible to the fairies, the same way that my future sons would be. They were starting to forget Earth after just one evening.

"I never heard the details, but something happened in Neverland that made them choose to come home. Great-grandma Wendy refused to speak about that incident, even by letter. The fairy boy developed a crush on my great-grandma and visited her every full moon until she was old. The fairy boy aged a little every time he visited Earth. One day, when he was about twelve, Wendy explained that she could no longer see him as they used to. She was too old and had a family of her own to take care of too. That's when he met my mother, Moira.

"That fairy boy was my father. He fell in love at first sight and stayed on Earth. His decision to stay caused him to forget everything about Neverland. It was over three hundred years worth of memories, gone as the sun rose. He grew up here in America and met my mother again in high school. Then my brother and I were born.

"In an attempt to get his rival back, my brother and I were kidnapped by the Pirates. They really wanted Jack. I was collateral. My brother was seconds away from taking a Pirate piercing, which would have bound him to Neverland forever. My dad came to rescue us, but he wasn't acting like a dad. He was acting like a kid. It was really cool, but also a bit scary. It was like he had forgotten us again. He only cared about fighting the Pirates, not about saving us. Not at first.

"Then one of the Lost Boys was killed. Actually dead. That's what made my dad wake up. That's what made my brother want to go home. Neverland was a beautiful place. It was a dream that lived and thrived on imagination. It was beautiful, and after I was rescued, we stayed one more day with the Lost Boys. It was a funeral. It was sad and terrible, but the rest of the time was wonderful. If Lost Girls were allowed, I might have wanted to stay. Jack was still afraid after seeing someone die, so he insisted that we go home.

"I suppose I could have stayed, but Neverland never really wanted me. It wanted my dad, and it wanted my brother. I could have dived into the black lagoon and drowned. I had the chance. I think I could have been happy as a Siren, but I'm glad I chose Earth instead. I can see the wonder of Neverland, but also the wicked. Great-grandma Wendy could only see the aesthetics and the wicked. That's how we differ.

"So, I need to keep my family safe. I will do my best to protect them from the fairies, and if given the chance to work at your school, I would like to help these children too. If their worlds are kind to them, perhaps letting them return is for the best, but fairies can't be trusted. They're beautiful and selfish and loving and wicked all at once. That's too much pressure to place on a child."

Maggie ended her speech and looked Eleanor right in the eyes. If there was anyone anywhere that she could share her history with, it was her, here and now.

Eleanor gave Maggie a huge smile. "You will absolutely be welcome here. When can you start?"

"Two weeks."

"Two weeks it is then!" Eleanor clapped to herself. "We don't see many children from Fairylands here. It is rare that fairies ever let their children go. Currently, we have two students. One is my nephew. He… didn't meet their strict criteria. They thought he was the perfect little girl to lead their armies but… he's not a girl and that was unacceptable. The other student prefers to keep her time a secret. We know the basics of her world, but very little beyond the Compass directions. You might have more luck speaking with her than the other teachers have, having gone to a Fairyland yourself."

"The Compass?" Maggie asked.

"Oh, that will be part of your orientation! I will ask you not to speak about this to the other teachers or counsellors. None of them have been through the Doors, so they do not know about the Doors' existence. They believe the students are experiencing mental health episodes due to various traumas or are acting out in extreme bouts of teenage rebellion. Don't be surprised if you become one of the most popular teachers quite quickly!"

Maggie began working at the school. Eleanor was right, and Maggie soon became the number one teacher to talk to about difficulties readjusting. None of the children here were bad kids. They were just lost and trying to fit back into a world that didn't quite fit them.

The exceptions were the small group know as "the questers." Those children, minus Kade, were violating the rules and going on quests, in hope of returning to their worlds. So far, they had had a higher success rate than any other children who had tried to go back.

It hurt, every time a child came to her and cried about missing the other worlds. She does her best to help them through their feelings and to find a way to make Earth work for them, but she isn't always successful. Neverland was Logic and Virtue. An unusual combination, so she could rarely completely relate to the students.

Apparently, it was common for Fairylands to be Logic and Virtue, disguising themselves as Nonsense and carrying Wicked ideals. Difficult to classify, but one only had to look at the strict definitions of the directions to place it correctly. Neverland was easy to place on the compass, right below Prism. Prism was High Logic, while Neverland was Moderate at best. Maggie hadn't spent long enough there to determine whether it would be Moderate or Low Logic, and asking her dad wasn't an option. She would let him live in ignorance as long as possible. Still, Maggie new that Neverland would come for her family again. It was only a matter of time.

Maggie married her boyfriend and they had two children. A son and a daughter. When she was older, Maggie resolved to tell her daughter about their legacy. She wished that great-grandma Wendy had told her sooner. She had questions that could never be answered. If she had known, would she have been able to protect Jack from the Pirates? If they had known to lock the nursery windows, would Captain Hook have left them alone?

She locked the bedroom windows every night.

At the school, she would warn the children of the other worlds. For all their wonder, they also had a harsh side. To her surprise, the children already knew that. Despite the dangers or horrors, the children still preferred to go back to the other worlds. Each time one found their way, Maggie cried and sent a prayer for them.

At home, Maggie did everything she could think of to protect her children from fairies. It even bothered her son sometimes that she had so many rules for no reason. What was wrong with opening the window in the summer? It helped his room stay cool at night and he liked it. Why couldn't they stay at grandpa's house when grandma was away? Grandpa was fun and nothing bad ever happened.

Maggie worried for her son, and he hated her concern.

Maggie also watched her nephew from a distance. She didn't see him very often, but when he visited, she was relieved. Not that he wasn't stolen away, but that it was unlikely the fairies would ever target him. Fairies were after children that no one would miss, or who wanted to run away. Jack was a constant in her nephew's life. He was the dad that he wished their father had been.

Peter was around more often after their stint in Neverland, but he quickly forgot the fairy world and returned to his workaholic tendencies. He wasn't a bad parent, he just wasn't there for them when they wished he would have been. Jack never missed his son's basketball games. Jack celebrated every A in school and always listened when his son wanted to talk. Whether it was feelings or bullies or just something he was interested in, Jack always made time for him. Her nephew would never run away to the fairies. They couldn't love him more than Jack did.

It was her own son that she was concerned about. She did her best to be there for him, but he called it smothering. She tried to enforce rules for safety, but he called her neurotic. When she tried to console him when he was upset, he threw a larger tantrum until she backed off. If he got an A on a test, she would make his favourite supper. Then he would look at her with contempt. He loved her so much when he was a little boy, but after his tenth birthday, he completely changed. Maggie never knew why.

One morning, after he turned twelve, Maggie went to wake him up. He didn't answer the door, so she walked in. Her son was gone, and the window was open. It was all she needed to see.

Neverland hates to lose.

Her husband was distraught. How could they not hear the kidnappers when their room was right next door? He phoned the police, and they put out an Amber alert. They made posts on social media and put up posters in the community asking for information. There were no leads. Maggie wasn't surprised. Fairies wouldn't leave evidence.

After a week, the police told them to expect the worst. Children who were missing for a week were rarely found alive, if they were found at all.

Maggie slept by the window. It was all she could do.

When a month had past, Maggie resolved to ask her dad for help. He was The Pan, the fairy boy, the child of Neverland itself. If anyone could bring her son home, it would be him.

Neverland didn't want her, but it would always want him.

Wendy left a small box for Maggie with the letter. It was taped shut and had a note attached that said DO NOT OPEN. The letter said it was the last reminder of Neverland. If her dad ever saw it, it could make him remember. If he remembered, he might leave forever.

As a teenager and a young adult, she hid the box away. Her dad was rarely around as it was, but she didn't want to think that he would abandon them completely. She would take what she could get and never let him go. Maybe it was clingy, but she didn't want to lose her dad. She loved him, even if he may not always understand how he was supposed to love his family.

Perhaps that had something to do with his own family story. Wendy either didn't know the details or didn't share. Maggie would never know.

But now it was her son's safety on the line. Her dad was her last chance.

Maggie opened the box. Inside was a single child-sized thimble. The initials W.D. were scratched on the inside.

She brought the thimble to her dad with the request.

"A kiss." He said wistfully. His happy memories caused him to float an inch off the ground.

Peter kissed Maggie on the cheek and promised her that he'd do his best to bring his grandson home.

Tinkerbell watched from afar as the old man let go of his crying daughter and floated towards the window. As it opened, she could hear him mutter the directions to himself. A mantra he'd known since his first visit to Earth.

"Second star to the right and straight on 'til morning. A place in between dreaming and being awake. That's where I'll find Neverland."

Tinkerbell smiled. Two Earth years of plotting had paid off. Her boy was coming home.