Chasing Neverland

Peter hadn't listened to the Lost Boys. He hadn't listened to the mermaids or even his faithful side-kick Tinkerbell. They had all warned him; they all told him that flying to places where the non-believers lived was a mistake; he was told time and time again that all he could possibly influence was trouble for himself.

Peter didn't listen; how could he?

There was something about the young girl with the curly brunette hair and the bright blue eyes. He couldn't quite explain it, but when he slid through her unlatched window and watched her doze in the shadows of her room, he felt happier than he had in a long time. He felt content, and his heart raced in this exciting way that he'd only had the pleasure of experiencing in life-or-death situations.

Tinkerbell would scold him and beg him not to visit her, beg him not to risk their way of life for the sight of one silly girl. Peter didn't like the way she disregarded his feelings, so he never even took her words into consideration. He liked watching her peaceful face in the dim light and listening to her soft, even breaths. It made him feel giddy, like a kid again.

He was slowly growing up; leaving Neverland did that to him, and he hated it.

If he could only convince this Wendy to run away with him, to never return. He would be able to stay in his home and never age a day past nineteen. Peter didn't have high hopes, though.

Like all the Wendys before, in time, she would miss her “beloved family” and disappear.

The thought of the girls who he had accepted reluctantly and then lost made him sad, and often times, Peter would find himself crying silently while watching his new Wendy toss and turn, muttering things in a soft voice while she slept. This was another reason Tinkerbell didn't want Peter returning to the non-believers' world. It made Peter upset, which didn't sit right with her.

On the night in question, Tinkerbell had begged Peter not to go. A few of the Lost Boys had cried to him, reminding him that if he aged too far from traveling back and forth, he wouldn't be able to find his way back into Neverland. This, of course, frightened Peter, but he figured it was worth the risk.

Reluctantly, Tinkerbell had come with him, her glow dimming in the low-hanging clouds. Peter told her to stay close, which she responded with an annoyed chime. His arms flat at his sides, Peter wove through the clouds, tasting rain on his breath. Tinkerbell zipped along at his side, struggling to keep sight of his green get-up.

When they flew over the familiar roof of Willow's house, Peter slowed his pace, and held his arms tight around his torso as he lowered down beside her window, careful to remain masked by shadows. He shivered.

“Is it always so cold here?” he muttered to himself.

He nudged the unlatched window open just wide enough for his slim body to slide in. Tinkerbell followed, quick to hide behind a dark object. Peter shut the window softly and tucked himself into a familiar corner, prepared to watch his Wendy slumber until early dawn.

Peter went rigid. He felt a tickle in the back of his throat work up to his nose. Try as he might, he couldn't hold back the sneeze. Almost immediately after the sneeze left his throat, Willow jumped awake. She looked frightened, but she didn't call out. He watched her move over to the window in her thin night gown. He watched the way the milky skin of her thighs were exposed when she opened the bay windows and pulled herself up into the windowsill.

Peter stepped forward from his hiding place, wanting to call out to her. Tinkerbell flew up into his face, shaking her finger and chiming scoldings. Reluctantly, Peter lowered his outstretched arm and watched as his Wendy pulled herself onto the roof as she'd done a few times when he'd been there to observe her sleep. He felt nervous, though, so when he saw her slip and crawl up to the flatter part of the roof, Peter flew out of the open windows and remained below her line of vision.

A breeze ruffled his auburn hair, but he didn't notice the cold for there was hot adrenaline pumping through his veins at the sight of his Wendy curled in a terrified position. When she stood up and screamed, Peter flew lower to the ground, for fear that she had spotted him hovering in mid air.

When she began to cry, Tinkerbell flew out of the window and stayed at his side, warning him not to get too close, despite the feeling of desire to hold her in his heart. Peter watched as she suddenly stopped sobbing and wiped the tears silently flowing down her cheeks. He watched her move gracefully over to the edge of the flat roof and lift her arms at her sides.

Curious, he drifted closer. He watched her lift herself on tip toes and wondered for a moment if she were going to fly. When she began to fall rapidly, though, he remembered she couldn't fly. In a flash, Peter flew into action and caught her in his arms. The weight of her body threw him off balance, and he almost dropped her, and he thought she was dead, because he shook her and her eyes didn't flutter open.

Tinkerbell assured him that she was simply unconscious, and mischievous as ever, Peter decided that would be his prime opportunity to steal his Wendy away to Neverland.

The first hour of the flight was filled completely with Tinkerbell scolding him, telling him outright to return her back to her bed, and that he was making a mistake. Peter ignored her, enjoying the warmth of her breasts pressed against the thin fabric of his shirt and the softness of her legs against his forearm. After he stopped responding to her, Tinkerbell fell silent and followed her companion back to their far-away home.