Chapter 8: Hammocks

Peter looked at her. Wendy couldn't quite read his facial expression, but he seemed, well, dazed. Then he opened his mouth. "Did you sing that?"

Wendy nodded shyly. "Yes, I did." She didn't dare say more.

Peter softened. "That was beautiful."

"They were frightened," Wendy whispered.

Peter frowned. "I figured."

Wendy peered behind him. "And the parlour?"

Peter put his hands on his hips. He seemed troubled. "We'll have to rebuild it."

Wendy looked over to the closed curtain. "Peter, I don't think they can. Of course they'll do it for us, but Peter, we can't put such trouble on them. They're just children…"

"Well, Wendy," Peter chuckled. "We're just children. And I'm Peter Pan! I've killed pirates-"

Wendy winced.

"I've done a million things normal kids only dream of doing!" Peter cut his normally very long speech short. "And you as well! Wendy you've flown, become a mother to Lost Boys, resisted pirates… Wendy." Peter grabbed her hands and spun her around.

"Peter!" Wendy giggled. "The boys!"

"We're not normal children!" Peter bounced up and down.

"Peter!" Wendy felt her curls bouncing on her back. "Oh Peter!"

Peter had his frenzied excitement free. "Wendy! We're amazing!" he stopped. "Aren't we?"

Wendy smiled. "Of course we are Peter."

"So let's forget about the parlor!" Peter stuck his tongue at the mess. "And tonight Wendy let's just have fun! Be kids! What about…" Peter's eyes twinkled. "We be normal kids!"

Wendy paused. "Normal children?"

"Yeah." Peter took Wendy's hand and they lay down on some pillows on the floor. "Like you, Micheal, and John used to be before you met me!"

"Hmm." Wendy thought. "Well Peter, normal children go to bed at this time."

"And the mother and father?"

Wendy blushed. "They go to bed as well."

"Huh." Peter's eyebrows rose. "Well that's boring."

Wendy grinned. "I suppose it is."

Peter frowned. "Well I won't have it that way!"

Wendy couldn't believe it. "Peter but it's bedtime!"

Peter laughed. "Ha! Alright Wendy. But we're not normal children, remember?"

Wendy realized he was serious. "Peter we've had such a long day…" she tried to be rational.

Peter stopped. He looked at her. His eyebrows were cocked and his face was uncharacteristically serious. Wendy had learned that Peter was very expressive. And Wendy liked that. She liked to see that side of Peter. It reassured her in some way. But sometimes it could scare her half to death.

"Peter?"

Peter grinned. "Wendy." he stepped forward. Wendy recognized his mood immediately. He was being playful. "Wendy. Don't you understand? I wouldn't let anything happen to ya. So why don't ya trust me?"

Wendy was surprised. "Trust you? Oh Peter of course I trust you it's just that-"

"It's just what?"

Wendy lowered her eyes. "Well Peter, I'm tired aren't you?"

Peter's expression changed immediately. "You're tired?"

Wendy felt shy. "Yes, Peter. Why with the party and then all this, Peter I don't suppose anyone couldn't be tired. Don't you agree? But why are you not tired? Peter I'm sure you're tired as well? Oh Peter you must be. And-"

"Wendy." Peter had walked over to a coach with bearskin and he patted his seat next to him. "Let's go to sleep so you don't have to keep talking about how much you want to go to sleep."

Wendy blushed. Then she blushed some more. The first time was by his comment. The second one was his innocent expressions.

Peter flew over to his room. Ripping away the bearskin hung up, used as a sort of door, he flew in. Wendy smiled. Calling out to Peter she said, "Goodnight Peter."

"Whoa! Hold it, Wendy." Peter flew back out. "Where do ya think you're going?" A cocky smile played on his lips.

Very literally Wendy responded. "Why, Peter. To bed of course."

"You don't have a bed. At least…" Peter scratched his head. "Not in Neverland."

Wendy nodded. "Yes Peter, that's quite true…"

"You should have a bed."

Wendy looked up. Peter's face seemed to be wrestling with what seemed to be a cross between guilt and trying to be clever.

Wendy smiled. "Peter, you musn't-"

"Where will ya sleep?"

Wendy laughed softly. "Where I always do, Peter. The canapé."

The canapé wasn't a very real canapé. It was really a bunch of fabric Wendy had bundled up while attempting to make the parlor more practical, at least the Lost Boy kind of practical.

Peter's eyes flickered to it. He did not seem pleased. "Nah. Wendy."

Wendy wasn't incredibly proud of her canape either.

"Wendy, I can build you a bed."

Wendy was about to laugh when she remembered it was Neverland. Things could be very literal.

"Peter." Wendy said slowly. "It's far too late to build me a bed."

"Then you can sleep with me."

Wendy's cheeks burned. 'Peter that's not proper."

"It's Neverland…"

"I suppose, but Peter, my mother and father wouldn't approve…"

"Puh. Grownups."

Wendy was irked. "Grownups know a lot of things children don't. And young ladies do not sleep with young men…"

Peter shot up. "What did you say?"

"Boys.." Wendy corrected. "Boys, not men. I'm sure."

Peter laughed. "Well, alright. But ya gotta let me make ya a hammock…"

"Peter…"

"It'll be quick! All I gotta do is to get a piece of fabric and hang it up." Peter flew to Wendy's fabric cabinet and pulled out a long piece. He then went inside his room and hung it next to his hammock, jumping on it to check its steadiness.

Wendy peeked at his progress, seeing it was done (and acting much bolder than she felt), and walked into Peter's private quarters.

Nobody was allowed in them. Not the Boys, or Tink, or Wendy herself (well Peter had never told her she couldn't Wendy had just assumed it). Peter's quarters were his place, where his thoughts and emotions were open to reading.

And Wendy saw exactly that.

It was all Peter. Collections from his adventures lay in an organized chaos, one known only to Peter. And Peter himself stood by the hammocks with a satisfied smirk.

"Ready, Wendy?'' Then with a swoop Peter picked her up and plopped her onto the hammock. Wendy, already dressed for bed, wobbled a bit not being used to being on a hammock, but then readjusted. Wendy noticed the hammock touched Peter's forming one big hammock

Peter Pan.

Wendy opened her mouth to scold him about rules and properness and whatnot, but stopped when he cozied next to her. Wendy melted. She had no idea why it was improper to sleep with boys, she and Peter had fallen asleep with each other before.

So why was Wendy being so… worrisome this time?

Dear reader, Wendy did not know. But we can probably conclude it was that she was growing up and thus she had a different view on things that needn't be questioned.

And after a few heavy opens and closes, Wendy closed her eyes and she as well drifted away to her dreamland.

Peter did not.

He felt Wendy's chest rising and lifting, as she breathed. He felt her small body against his, her head leaning on his shoulder.

Wendy.

She was back.

Back. Back to him.

And Peter for the first time in weeks was content.