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Sitting himself on the ground, Peter tensed up. His body was preparing itself to be bombarded by invisible knives that would penetrate through his fragile spirit. Blades of betrayal, unworthiness, and mediocrity threatened his state of mind, but the only way he could become stronger was to face the ugly truth.

"Jim is a naval officer," Wendy began. "He is from the planet Montressor. He decided to come to Earth to join the Royal Navy."

Peter could already feel himself growing bored as he fidgeted with Wendy's engagement ring on his own finger. He didn't care about Jim's fancy titles, because it would only make him seem more wonderful than he already was.

"He actually goes by Captain James Hawkins, but I like to call him Jim - "

"Jim is enough!" Peter cut her off. "How did you meet him?" He only wanted to know why Jim reminded her of Peter.

"Well, I fell from the window. That window." An image of what was once her nursery materialized, and she pointed to the same window that they flew out of when they went to Neverland.

"The window was open, and I was looking outside. I had your kiss in my hand." She held out the acorn that Peter had given to her when they exchanged gifts. It was the kiss that saved her, when Tink had ordered the Lost Boys to shoot down Wendy. Peter couldn't believe she still had it!

"Suddenly, there was a large gust of wind. I was startled, and it caused me to drop the kiss. Silly me, thought for a moment I could fly and get it, and that's how I fell... but then he caught me. Oh, how I could have died if he didn't see me!"

Peter lit up with confusion at this. How did he do such a heroic thing like that, when he couldn't fly? It didn't seem believable at all.

"He flew, Peter! On his marvelous solar surfer!" Outside Wendy's window, they could hear the sound of flames bursting, like a cannon. Peter leapt up and gazed outside. There was Jim, treading through the night sky on his surer. Wendy joined him at his side, leaning against the window pane. "Oh, Peter? Isn't it beautiful? I had never seen anything like it here. Jim is so clever; he had invented it when he was on Montressor!"

But Peter was not impressed by this. He couldn't help but snort to express his dismissal. Sure, Jim could say he flies, but a solar surfer or whatever wasn't as cool as flying solo.

"As he lifted me back up to my window, I suddenly remembered the joy of flying. I had long forgotten how to fly, and I so desperately wished to learn again. But Jim, he helped me find my wings again." The Jim they saw flying in the sky was then joined by Wendy, hugging his body tightly, and he drove the surfer.

But this still didn't make sense to Peter. Unimpressed, he crossed his arms. "So that's it? Just some guy who saves your life, and you're in love with him?"

Wendy giggled. "Oh Peter, that's only the beginning." She reached out and ruffled his hair. He wasn't very fond of the patting - it made him feel like a pet.

"Our first meeting was what created the spark of our friendship." The image of Jim and Wendy flying on his surfer disappeared, and instead, they could see a replay of the couple walking down the streets of London, hand in hand, projected against the night sky. "As I got to know him more, I realized he reminded me so much about you." Wendy turned to face Peter, her eyes twinkling. "I'll always remember you as the first object of my affection."

To this, Peter grew more interested, which prompted him to sit up straight.

"As you saw, Jim loves to fly," Wendy began. "It used to be a form of escape for him."

"Escape from what?"

"Everything that upset him. Everything that wore him down. His father left his mother one day when he was very young, and for many years he couldn't confront those feelings. So he flew, because that distanced himself from his trauma. He flew beautifully, didn't he?"

Peter's curiosity spiked, as he started to gradually see how the two boys were similar in Wendy's eyes. "Is that what I do? Am I trying to run away from something?" Is this really how Wendy saw him?

"You do, Peter. You're constantly running away from adulthood." Wendy placed a hand gently on his shoulder. "As long as you can fly, you can't be weighed down by the burdens of being an adult," Wendy answered.

Peter could not deny that Wendy was right. When he first learned how to fly, he always needed Tink's pixie dust to get him off the ground, and he always had to think happy thoughts. Over time, he didn't need her dust anymore. He just did it, and that's because he could distance himself far enough from all his troubles. It's been so long since he thought about what troubled him, that he couldn't even remember what it was.

"Well, if there is one thing that's different, he can't fly for real," Peter felt a need to point out. "If he was always running away from his problems, shouldn't he be able to fly without his solar... whatever it is?"

"Well, he had to ground himself, Peter," Wendy said. "He had to grow up, like all children must do. And he was so excited to."

Peter wanted to gag with disgust at this. Grow up? Excited about it? Who would ever say that! "Well that's definitely not like me at all! I never want to grow up! No wonder he can't fly on his own - he let himself grow up!"

Wendy noticed the wretchedness of his face and giggled. "You're right Peter, that's what makes you two so different. But that's also what I've grown to love about him."

Peter knitted his brows. Who could love someone for being so eager to grow up? It didn't make sense to him! He snorted so much air he caused his bangs to flutter. "Well he sounds pretty boring to me, Wendy. Anyone who wants to grow up is boring to me!"

"That's not what I meant, Peter," Wendy began. "It's more so, I fell in love with how he charted his own course. You see, Jim was so heartbroken from his father abandoning him, he needed to do whatever he could to fill his weakened heart with thrills and adventure. It got him into all sorts of trouble, he didn't want to picture his future." She began to twirl a necklace she hung around her neck, which Peter assumed was something Jim had gifted to her.

"I could see myself in Jim, too. I too didn't want to picture my future, being bred only to be someone's wife. And so I sought escape in you, and your stories." Wendy glanced up at Peter with shimmer in her bright blue eyes. Even though her voice, and the shape of her body had changed, her eyes stayed exactly the same. To Peter, he could still see the window into her spirit.

"I must admit, I grew very attracted to his air of rebellion. I always idolized myself as someone very rebellious, and his courage to do that... I suppose you could say it inspired me to realize my worth." Another memory from Wendy and Jim's past emerged. Wendy was wearing a white gown with a veil hanging from her head, and Jim was well dressed as the naval officer Wendy boasted him to be. "Mother and Father did not approve of the match," Wendy said. "But I insisted on marrying him when he proposed. I didn't want to lose something so wonderful I had found."

In the memory, Wendy and Jim joined together in their first kiss as husband and wife. Peter felt a twinge of jealousy pierce his heart as he watched this. He didn't want to have to see that.

"You know, Jim read an awful lot about pirates. Fantasized about them, even. One time he said, if a pirate had ever offered him a position in his ranks, he would have run away to commit piracy. A very boyish answer, wouldn't you say?"

Peter shrugged at this. "Uh sure, I suppose. I mean, if pirates would just let me do what I want, I wouldn't mind them so much! But why would he say no right now?"

"Well, Jim had to earn the realization that he wanted to do more than piracy. He went looking for some treasure, to help rebuild his mother's inn that was destroyed, but along the way he realized he did not care for the value or becoming rich. Once he knew how the preciousness of life was worth more than money, he was able to abandon the treasure, before it was too late."

Peter felt a click in his brain. He didn't know how he arrived at this, but he could wager a good guess. "So then... that's what you did? You came with me to Neverland because you didn't want to grow up. And then you started to forget your parents. And Hook, the mermaids. That's why you left Neverland? That's why you left me?"

Wendy had to pause before she nodded. "That's exactly right, Peter," she said. "I came to Neverland, fantasizing for this eternal life, with you in it." Her lips drooped to a frown as she stared down, turning away from Peter. "But Neverland is so dangerous. And I thought, why put myself in such danger and mayhem? Had I stayed, I may have turned into someone as coldhearted as the mermaids."

Hearing Wendy speak of Neverland as this horrible hell made his stomach churn. He never thought of it as such, but he understood that not everyone could see the fun in his games. Wendy was an adult now, and she probably saw all his antics as childish games.

"At the same time, Peter," Wendy continued. "I ended up finding I had exactly what I needed already. And that was my family. I couldn't bear the thought of forgetting them forever. I missed them terribly. That's how I knew, I had to leave before it was too late."

Peter nodded after Wendy finished. It was all starting to make sense to him now. Their worlds forever divided by separate devotion and morals, they would have never made a natural couple. Perhaps, Peter had known this before taking Wendy back to London, but he wouldn't have wanted to admit it at that time. "I think I understand now, Wendy. It is both your understanding for how precious it is for us to live. Going forward."

"That's right, Peter." Wendy turned back to Peter, reaching out and stroking his cheek. "I grew to love Jim for his spirit, but I grew to love him more because I saw him as someone I wanted to take on the rest of my life with, to be my life partner." She took her hand away and looked down. "I knew that's something you didn't want, and that's also why I had to leave you. But, I never ever forgot you, Peter. I hoped I'd find someone like you again, and my dream came true. I found that person in Jim."

Peter broke into a crooked smile. His eyes slowly began to fill with tears again. This time, they helped to expel all the sorrow he kept deep within his heart. His heart began to feel lighter, knowing that Wendy still loved him for his spirit. "I understand now, Wendy," he said tearfully. He held out his palm to Wendy, the diamond ring placed on top. "I'm sorry I couldn't give you what you want, but I hope you and Jim live happily ever after."

Wendy took the ring, and slid the band back onto her wedding finger. "You don't need to apologize, Peter. I understand perfectly why you couldn't. And if you could, you wouldn't truly be Peter Pan. You couldn't be the boy who taught me how important it is to always keep that child-like spirit." She took out another white handkerchief, and gently wiped away Peter's tears. "You're not a tragedy, Peter." She winked at him. "You're an epic."

The tears began to flow faster as Peter's smile grew a little wider. "Thanks, Wendy," he said tearfully. "Do people cry when they feel happy? Because, I feel a lot lighter now, freer." He took the handkerchief from her and blew into it. "Knowing that appreciate me, and never stopped believing in me after all these years. I was always afraid of being forgotten, unloved, but you didn't."

Wendy extended her arms out, inviting Peter into a hug. He immediately went in and embraced her tightly, burying his teary face into her now broader shoulder.

"I want to tell you something else, Peter." She let go of him once more. "It took a certain pirate to see in Jim a potential. A potential to do wonderful things. He's always been clever, brave, and kind-hearted, but all he needed was someone else to believe in him before he had the courage to see it. And once he did muster the courage to believe in himself, Jim was able to move forward. He didn't need to run away anymore. It was then he could truly start living, and find what he could do. And that's how he became the naval officer he is today."

Peter raised his brow at this, despite maintaining his smile of freedom. "Why're you telling me this, Wendy?" Peter asked.

She brought her face closer to his, her nose tickling against his. "Because I want to remind you, Peter, even if all the children in the world stopped believing you, there's always going to be one person who will. I'll always be here if you need me." She took both his hands into hers and gave them a tight squeeze. "And yes, I do believe in fairies."

The second she said those magic words, Peter involuntarily lifted up into the air. He gazed down at his feet that no longer stood on the surface. Tearfully, he laughed, and began to fly across the room with no direction in sight. "I can fly again! I can fly!"

And Wendy joined him in the laughter. She too began to show her own tears.

The rest of Wendy's window materialized, and the door opened itself on its own. From where he stood, Peter could see the second star to the right, beaming. It was inviting him to return. Facing Wendy once more, he took off his hat. "Madam," he said with a smile, bowing to her.

And Wendy returned the gesture with a curtsy.

Gripping tight onto his hat, Peter murmured those words again. "Goodbye, Wendy." He placed his hat back on his head, before floating to Wendy to plant a thimble on her cheek.

The image began to de-materialize as Peter made his exit from Wendy's dreams. Before him once more, Wendy was still sleeping heavily. He gave her hand one last squeeze, before turning on his heel for the window. He jet-setted from the Darling home for what would not be the final time, again. Until next time, Wendy.

Soaring as the free, untroubled bird he was, Peter also realized something that made his heart feel even lighter, allowing him to soar higher. He was never incomplete. Everything he needed, he already had. He just had to see it was right there all this time.

The excruciating pain of his broken heart wouldn't subside as Peter rested his hard head into his rough hands. He wanted so desperately to run away, no, fly away from this nightmare, because that was all he knew he how to cope with these uncomfortable feelings. But the burden was too heavy to lift him off the ground, forcing him to nurture the misery as it grew.

There really was nothing he could do, but to face the nightmare. But how could he? What good would it do? He already lost - lost his Wendy. And there was no way he could get her back. She had outgrown him.

After using his arm to wipe away the stream of tears flowing down his cheeks, he summoned the will to get up from his seat on the chimney. Carefully, he descended to Wendy's window, which was now dark, which meant Wendy was asleep. He gently pushed the window, and to his astonishment, it wasn't barred. He applied more force to the window, enough that he could just slip right in.

Gently, his feet landed on the ground, albeit clumsily. He didn't want to wake Wendy and the man who shared the bed with her. Startling them would only worsen the distress that was getting stronger within him. Lightly, he tip-toed to their bed. The couple was already in a deep sleep as indicated by their heavy breathing.

Wendy slept on the side closest to the window. The light from the moon diffracted through the window and shined on her face with perfect alignment. Beholding her beauty in the moonlight only made Peter's heart beat faster, causing him to pause and take a snapshot of this image.

He then knelt down so he could stare at her at eye level. The peaceful look on her face as she slept warmed Peter's heart. She truly became more beautiful with time. He ventured a hand to stroke her forehead, but stopped himself, knowing he might wake her.

The only way he could confront his heartbreak was to speak to Wendy. But how could he do that without waking her?

Suddenly, he remembered the last conversation they had, all those years ago.

"You'll come visit me, will you?" Wendy had asked, as Peter was about to depart on the Jolly Roger back to Neverland.

"Of course, Wendy!"

"Shall I leave the window open for you?" she had proposed.

"Sure, Wendy. I'll let you know when I'm coming. Just look out for me... in your dreams."

That's it! He had the ability to talk to Wendy through her dreams.

Gently grabbing her hand that hung over her bed, Peter shut his eyes tightly, and struggled to focus all his energy onto Wendy. His powers were getting weaker, just as his flight was hindered. His heart felt heavier, for it was preparing to protect itself from what he was about to learn.

Peter could only see pitch white, until he stared down at his body. He was the only one in this pitch white room. Or was it really a room?

"Wendy, it's me," he called.

The image of an adult Wendy materialized in front of him, looking confused, until she met eyes with Peter. They gradually grew wider as her mouth dropped. "Peter, is that you?"

Peter gave a weak nod. "Mm-hmm."

"Where am I?" She too had noticed they were in a pitch-white wonderland. They were the only two things to materialize in this dream so far.

"I've entered your dreams, Wendy. I want to talk to you."

Wendy gave a lighthearted gasp. "Oh, Peter! It's been so long. I thought you had forgotten all about me." She walked closer to him with her arms held out, preparing to give Peter a hug. To Peter's dismay, she was now much taller than him.

Peter joined her in an embrace, rather weakly. He still couldn't fully process the fact that Wendy was now this grown woman, and he could barely remember how she was as a child. He sorely wished he could remember her face as a child, as the image brought him back to a less confusing time.

"How long has it been, Wendy, since you came with me to Neverland?"

Wendy broke from the embrace and stared down into Peter's face. "6 years," she answered. "I'm 20 now."

It didn't feel like 6 years to Peter, but then, he never kept track of time. 6 years felt like never to him - an awfully long time.

"Do you remember Neverland, Wendy?" he asked.

"Of course, Peter! How could I forget?" Wendy smiled gleefully down at him. "I could never forget one of the greatest adventures I've ever had!"

Peter wasn't sure how to respond to that. He didn't want to admit that he had forgotten her, and if it had not been for the strange dream with Hook, he wouldn't be here today.

"Why did it take you so long to come see me?" Wendy asked.

Peter shrugged his shoulders and said, "I... I dunno. You know, I never really kept track of time. I guess I just wanted to come once I started to miss ya!"

Wendy's smile initially dropped to a frown at this, but then it seemed she forced herself to smile again. "I understand, Peter. You have the boys to take care of. I know you must be awfully busy. But, I'm very pleased, in fact, flattered, to see you thought of me and wanted to visit! For old time's sake, yes?"

Peter was able to break into a small smile at this. "Uh yeah, sure! I wanted to see how you're doing and stuff." He scratched his head as it hung low. He still wasn't sure how to evoke his true burdens, which was why he was making up things to keep the conversation flowing.

He gave her body another stare down, before deciding to dismiss it. He shouldn't have done this. He didn't want to look at her anymore. "You changed," he said coolly, while turning his entire body away from her.

"Not really," Wendy insisted, before proceeding to turn his chin to face her. "Not ever." She offered him a warm, motherly smile. "I'm still the same."

"Well then..." Peter's tone started to elevate. "Why are you with that man? I saw him in your bed!" he shouted. "Who is he?"

Wendy heaved a deep sigh and cast her gaze downward, before slowly looking back at Peter. "He's my husband."

There was a hint of cheer in her voice as she said "husband". It made Peter's stomach churn with jealous.

"Your... husband? You mean... you're married to him?"

Wendy held out her finger closest to her pinky on her left hand. "You see this ring?" A diamond glistened in the light. "It's an engagement ring. Jim gave it to me the day he proposed to me."

Peter inched closer to get a better look at her ring. The glistening was so strong, he had to rub his eyes to appreciate its beauty. It was truly more remarkable than the treasure he and Hook squabbled over. This thought instantly made Peter more jealous. So this Jim guy was able to find treasure much more valuable than what he could find?! "Where's this diamond from, Wendy?" Peter asked.

Wendy's smile lit up. "Treasure Planet.  Isn’t it lovely? It's one of the Loot of the Thousand Worlds. Jim got it from there, and he carved out one of the diamonds to make it into a ring for me."

Peter snorted at this idea. What an incredibly cheesy idea to buy a girl a diamond. Then, without asking, he yanked the ring off of her finger. He had no good reason for doing it - he just wanted to. Perhaps, he just wanted to get under her skin. "Why'd you marry him, Wendy?"

Wendy, astonished by what he had done, lunged forward to take the ring back. "Peter, give me my ring back!" she roared. She tried to pin down Peter's shoulder but he immediately turned around, cupping the ring in between his palms.

"Answer me, Wendy!" he demanded.

"You wouldn't understand!" Wendy shouted back crossing her arms together.. "And since when did you ever care about whom I choose to marry? You think you could just show up after 6 years, and ask me why I've decided to marry?" She placed her hands firmly on her hips. "If you give me the ring back and sit down like a good boy, I'll tell you." She held out her palm.

But Peter wouldn't have it. Just because she was older than him now, didn't mean she could command him. And Peter did the only thing he knew what to do, and that was to get threaten her. "If you don't tell me... I'll feed this ring to the crocodile!"

Wendy gasped. "You wouldn't dare!"

"Oh, I would!" Peter cackled.

She sighed again, stepping away. Her voice lowered. "Because I love him, Peter. Dearly. And he loves me. I couldn't stop myself from growing up, and finding the one whose love I don't deserve."

Peter scoffed. What a stupid answer. He demanded to know more. "But what about me? I thought you loved me when you gave me the thimble. You said it would belong to me - always!" he cried. "Is Jim more worthy of your thimble than I am?"

To Peter's dismay, Wendy refused to relent. "You're far too tragic to understand!"

"Tragic?!" The anger in Peter's face softened, and he nearly dropped her precious ring. Those were the same words Hook said. "Why do you say I'm tragic?"

Frustrated, Wendy shook her head. "Because you're stuck, Peter! You're stuck in your own world, fighting this war with yourself, refusing to grow up."

Peter sneered at this. "Fighting a war? How can it be a war if I'm winning?!"

Wendy huffed. "All children grow up, Peter. And so I did. I want to love, have children, do more than play pretend! You wouldn't understand, because none of it becomes clear until you've grown up!"

Her words ate Peter inside. How dare she try to undermine all that he stood for, by calling him tragic? How dare she say he couldn't understand! Well, he could, if he wanted to, but he didn't! "Well, you're the real tragedy! Because one day, you'll have to die, and I get to live on forever."

Wendy supported her forehead with her pretty hand, groaning. "You are afraid, Peter. You're afraid to go forward, that's why you're a tragedy. So why torture me, asking me to explain?"

"You don't need to explain anything!" Peter shouted, giving up all his effort to get Wendy to tell him what he was dying to know. "There's nothing marvelous about that Jim guy. I bet you he can't fly, or take you on fun adventures, or give you what I was able to give you. None of it!"

Peter tried with all his might to hold them back, but the tears began to stream down the immortal boy's face. He turned away his face again, embarrassed that Wendy would see him at his weakest. But to his dismay, Wendy immediately knelt before him and cupped his face in her hands. She then locked him in an embrace, the way a mother embraces her child.

"I can't fly anymore, Wendy," Peter choked between his tears. "After seeing you give the thimble to Jim, I can't bring myself to."

Wendy broke away from the embrace to pat Peter on the head. She then dug into her pocket and took out a white handkerchief. "I'm... I'm sorry I said those things, Peter. I was so angry," she apologized. "But I want to help you, Peter. I want to help you fly again." She took the handkerchief and started to wipe away the tears.

"You don't know how!" Peter put up a fight by pushing away her gentle hands. "You're a traitor, Wendy! You lied to me when you said the thimble would always belong to me. You just said that because you wanted me to defeat Hook, so I could take you back to London! You didn't mean a word of it!"

But Wendy did what Peter did not expect her to do. She leaned forward and planted a thimble on his forehead. He felt his face grow warm as her soft lips pressed against his rough skin. Slowly, he could feel the burning rage in him begin to subside.

"Peter, because of you, I was able to find my love for Jim."

"Wh - what do you mean?" Peter sniffled. Didn't she just call him tragic? How could she love someone so tragic when her words were so hurtful?

"His spirit, Peter, reminded me so much of yours. When we met, and began to see each other often, I kept thinking of you. It was like falling in love with you again."

"But... how is Jim like me? He can't fly, and he can't go to Neverland like me!" A part of Peter still refused to listen, but the other part was also very eager to know how he had any role in this.

Finally, Wendy broke into another smile, and even let out a soft giggle. "Oh Peter, that's not what I meant."

A wave of nostalgia overwhelmed Peter as he descended from the dark clouds. London hadn't changed at all. He had honestly forgotten how it looked since he had last visited, but the familiarity returned to him very quickly. The bridges, the streets, the roads filled with vehicles. It was like re-awakening a sleeping memory. He paused by stopping on the minute hand of Big Ben, to take in the beauty of the city in the nightlights.

Why didn't he visit more often?

He quickly shook off the question. No. If he came too often, he might change his mind about staying in Neverland forever. The longer he stayed or the more often he visited, he would get all these weird ideas in his head, conflicting ideas that challenged his morality. No. It had to be done sparingly. Besides, if he came too often, he would grow bored over the beauty of this enormous city!

So taken with the beauty, absentminded Peter realized he almost forgot about why he was here. Oh shoot! Wendy! I've gotta see her! He immediately darted from his spot on Big Ben for Wendy's house on the corner of Bloomsbury Street. Peter didn't need to know its exact coordinates. He just knew where she was. He couldn't explain why or how it worked, but he had developed a sharp skill that allowed him to sense where his true believers were. The best way to describe it would be like a dog searching for food by its scent.

He didn't actively think about looking for the house. His body just knew how to fly. It left him room to think about Tink's words before he left. Why was Tink so insistent on me not seeing Wendy? And why couldn't she just tell me what she saw? She's hiding something, that fairy! And no one can keep things from Pan! The stubborn boy decided to dismiss her warning and continued to invest his excitement toward reuniting with his long lost friend.

He realized, he was making an awfully long journey just to hear Wendy tell stories about him. At least, that was his justification for coming here. But was there something more? Did he want to speak to Wendy? He wasn't sure what he would even say. He couldn't remember some of the things they've talked about that he would bring up. How would he go about doing that? Hey Wendy, great storytelling! Hey Wendy, missed me?

Wendy, I need you.

Wait.

NO!

He didn't need Wendy. Pan needs no one!

But he could not deny that words Hook spoke in his dream aroused in him a deep despair that he stubbornly fought. Wendy leaving him? No, why would it bother him?! He let her leave!

Someone in his place? Husband? No way, Wendy wasn't pretty enough to find a husband! And no one was better looking or more marvelous than Pan!

There it was! The corner house! Wendy's house! His eyes traveled the brightest speck - the window he knew all to well! That means Wendy is awake! He accelerated his flight toward that window, his breathing rate increased with his elevating excitement. Wendy, it's been too long! He stuck his nose to the window glass and narrowed his line of sight to the details of the room.

His excited breathing stopped. Something was not right. What was he seeing?

A young woman with soft curves, wearing a loose, revealing, blue camisole, with her long, messy hair let down, was sitting arched back on a bed, breathing heavily.

And there was a man... well, perhaps not a man like Hook, but somewhere between the age of Peter and Hook, with his mouth on the woman's neck. His mouth moved from her neck slowly to her lips, and Peter knew exactly what he was doing.

A thimble.

When Peter was at his lowest point, nearly about to be finished by Hook, he had experienced something he had never felt before. And yet, suddenly he was reminded about how wonderful, invigorating, and powerful it felt. The chills from his spine rising, he could recall the exact sensation he felt when Wendy gently placed her lips on his.

I remember now. That's what Wendy had given me.

Wendy had risked her life to save him from nearly getting killed. She had muttered the words "This belongs to you, and always will." How could he have forgotten, after all this time? Wendy had given him one of the greatest gifts of all, and he took it for granted.

The woman let out a deep swoon as the man's hands, originally placed on her shoulders, began to travel down to her waist. As she turned her head, her face was cleanly revealed.

Wendy?!

Peter immediately stopped himself from calling her by cupping his mouth shut. Now that he had fully registered what he was seeing, he couldn't believe this was happening. His worst nightmare had come true. This new, older, beautiful Wendy, was embracing another man, and giving him her thimble.

There is another in your place. He is called husband.

"Stop, stop it! Go away!" Peter growled under his breath. Tension began to rise in his insides as he gathered all his energy to expel the memory of Hook's words from the dream.

With the anger ignited, Peter could no longer behold this beautiful Wendy with pleasure. His memory of her thimble was now shattered by the strong contempt for this strange man, and by his gullibility. Everything he knew and believed about thimbles, none of it was true. He was lied to! He was fooled!

This man had brown, curtain-like hair and a rat-tail. He had a sharp jaw-line. On his left ear, he wore a single gold earring. While locked in a thimble with Wendy, he removed his shirt to reveal a chiseled body. Peter wasn't sure how he knew this, but somehow he knew that this man was handsome, more handsome than he.

For the first time in forever, Peter felt unworthy, even disgusted with himself. He never thought he would feel jealous over another man more marvelous than he, but acknowledging his jealousy made him feel sick. Pan could not be vulnerable. He would not allow it. Pan would be disappointed with himself.

Without wondering why he wanted to, Peter lifted up his shirt to looked at his torso. He pressed on his ribs, but felt nothing but bone, to his dismay. Dropping his shirt, he then pressed his cheek bones and stroked his chin. Nothing about him was chiseled at all. He still had the body and face of a boy.

What happened next, made Peter gasp. His beautiful Wendy slid her camisole off. She and the man went underneath the covers of the bed and tightly embraced one another. Aghast, Peter immediately turned away. He knew that if he continued to stare, he might vomit, or let the fire of anger burn beyond extinction, and cause him to do, or say, the despicable.

That was his Wendy. His Wendy! Giving a thimble, a thimble that would always belong to him, to another man, a man older and more handsome than he! How dare she? She had made a promise, and she destroyed it!

He would not have it.

He never thought he would wish ill things on Wendy, whom he had permitted to leave Neverland to grow up. He had wished her happiness, however, not at the expense of his. For the first time, he knew what it felt like to have his heart cut in half. Betrayed, even. He wasn't used to these emotions, and his inability to understand them only made him more frustrated. He could not deny it anymore. He wanted Wendy for himself. No one could have her!

No longer wanting to continue watching Wendy and this strange man embrace, Peter made his exit by elevating to the roof. For the first time, he struggled to summon the will to fly. He couldn't gather those happy thoughts he relied so much on to defy the gravity of tragedy that weighed him down. He sat on the roof and heaved a deep sigh. He knew if he tried to fly back to Neverland now, he wouldn't make it. He'd fall.

He needed to be alone with his thoughts. He didn't even know what he had just saw, and yet, why was he so angry by that?

Someone in your place.

Husband.

Incomplete.

Unloved.

Tragic.

Hunting for the Lost Boys was always a game for bragging rights. They had developed a point system where small animals - squirrels, fish, and rabbits - were worth small points, and large animals - bears, tigers, and lions - were worth more. Once the sun set, the boys returned to the tree and laid down their spoils. Tootles threw down some bugs, which didn't count for anything because they didn't like to eat them. The Twins threw down three squirrels, rather disappointed with their small success. Nibs threw down a skunk, which smelled so bad that the rest of his brothers ruled that he had to dispose of it immediately. Cubby threw down a half eaten fish, which caused the boys to groan because he hadn't saved any for the rest of his brothers! And last, but certainly not least, Slightly proudly threw down a large deer, which was enough for the boys to last a few days before the next hunt.

But for the first time, and to the Lost Boys' surprise, Peter came home with nothing. Absolutely nothing. "You okay, Peter?" Cubby asked, his mouth half full with the raw fish he had devoured.

"Yeah, Pete! I beat ya! Haha!" Slightly laughed mockingly.

But Peter didn't answer. He couldn't focus. His mind was stuck on Wendy, and he didn't know why. He couldn't understand why, after nearly forgetting about her, she was all he could think of? It wasn't like Peter to be dwell on the past.

The idea that bothered him the most was he couldn't understand why did he care? Why was Wendy all of a sudden so important to him? She left, he had let her go as she pleased. He wasn't the least bit bothered by her decision. Even if it did bother him, he would have forgotten all about it very quickly!

"Eat the deer without me, boys. I'm not hungry," Peter ordered, before heaving a deep sigh as he retired to his private quarters and slumped on his hammock. Staring upward, he wondered if it was worth his precious time to confront these thoughts. The hammock worked like a yo-yo. Every time it swung left, he thought I should go see her. But when it swung right, he thought Nah, too much work. Peter never enjoyed visiting the Mainland. It aroused in him a deep confusion - a mixture of guilt for having left behind his real family and a curiosity to know what would happen if he left everything he knew and loved... for something more?

But then he remembered, he loved to listen to Wendy tell stories about him - his heroism, bravery, chilvary, solely for the purpose of feeding his large ego. I know what I need! I need to hear Wendy's stories about how marvelous I am! And then all my problems will disappear! It's genius!

He leapt off his hammock, grabbed his hat, and prepared his departure stance, until he heard a chime. "Where are you going, Peter?"

"To the Mainland, Tink!" Peter exclaimed. "We haven't been since the last time we dropped Wendy off!" Relaxing his stance, he walked over to Tink's private quarters. "You wanna come?"

Tink knitted her brows. "What for?"

"To see Wendy, and listen to her stories! About me!" He giggled. "Don't you want to hear her talk about how great I am?"

Tink scoffed at the idea, an act she always resorted to when she chose to be dismissive about something. "Why would you want to see Wendy again? To get another thimble?" Tink asked with mockery in her voice.

"A thimble? What?" Peter raised his brow at Tink. Was she making stuff up for her own amusement?

Tink's mouth dropped and eyes widened. "The thimble, Peter! Remember when you were fighting Hook, and Wendy had to give you the thimble in order to defeat him?"

"Uh, it seems familiar." Peter stroked his chin. He had to really dig deep into his memories to remember anything remotely related to a thimble, but it was all fuzzy. "Well, if you say I got a thimble, then I did." Peter shrugged his shoulders, acknowledging that Tink's memory served much better than his. "But that's not what I'm going for. I just want to listen to her tell stories about me!"

Tink rolled her eyes at Peter's inability to recall such a momentous occasion. "Well, since you nearly forgot about her, then she's probably forgotten about you!" She shut the leaf door of her quarters.

"Aww, cut the 'tude, Tink!" Peter whined. He slid open the leaf door to meet Tinkerbell at eye level, but she turned her back toward him. "How could she forget about me? No one forgets Pan!"

Tink turned her head to face Peter, wearing disappointment on her tiny, pretty face. "Peter, I don't think it's a good idea."

"What!?" Peter wrinkled his face with despondency. "Why you gotta kill my excitement? I really want to see her!" he continued to whine.

"Peter, listen..." Tink stood up and flew to meet Peter an inch away from his nose. "I have a feeling she won't be telling stories about you to anyone."

Peter, taken aback by this, couldn't understand where Tink was coming from. "That doesn't make sense, Tink! She's always telling stories about me. And... if I remember correctly, she promised she would!"

But Tink shook her head. "You don't get it, Peter. I've seen her each time I've had to go to the Mainland with the Pixie Hollow fairies. Trust me when I say this, Peter, I don't think she'll remember you."

Peter could not stand for this. Tink was seeing Wendy behind his back? How could she! She knew how much Wendy meant to him! This was a serious crime - worthy of banishment! "What - why didn't you ever tell me?" he asked, vexed.

"Because, Peter..." Tink began. She was looking down at her tiny feet. "I think you'd be sad to hear what I saw."

Peter crossed her arms. "Sad? How could I be sad? It's Wendy! I'd be the happiest boy ever to see her again!" he said nonchalantly. "You don't really know me, Tink, do ya?"

Tink lit up, but she placed her hands on her hips and stomped on the ground. "Fine! Go then, but I'm not coming!" She waved her hands to shoo him away. "I just wanted to protect you from getting hurt, but you won't listen! Well, don't come crying to me once you see her for yourself!" She turned on her heel and returned to her private quarters and shutting the leaf on Peter's face.

"Oh yeah? Well good riddance!" Peter yelled. He didn't need Tink. He didn't need anyone to take care of him. He could do anything alone because he was Pan. And this Pan was going to do the best thing he could ever do for himself.

Fighting with Hook was Peter's favorite past-time. If he ever forgot to fly, his happy little thought would be jabbing his knife toward Hook. Or, if it were a happy memory, it would be the day Peter cut off his hand. He let out a gay laugh as Hook failed to slit his throat with his flimsy sword. "Missed me! Old man!" Peter teased as he flew up and peered down at Hook before proceeding to give him a raspberry.

"Why, an old man, you say?" an offended Hook shouted in disbelief. "You're a tragedy, Pan!"

Peter scoffed. "Hah! How can I be tragic? Being a boy forever is the most fun thing ever!" He continued to laugh whilst not forgetting he was engaging in combat with Hook. In addition to inflicting pain on Hook, Peter enjoyed arguing with him and seeing the codfish eat his words.

Hook scoffed back, imitating the boyish scoff Peter gave. "Don't you see, boy? She was leaving you!"

Unaffected, Peter asked. "Leaving me? Who?" he asked nonchalantly. He twirled upside down lazily, still engaging his dominant hand in battle. "No one leaves Pan! I'm the bestest friend to those in need!"

"Wendy, you stupid boy! Wendy is leaving you!" Hook sneered.

"Wait, what?" Peter's combat arm paused. Wendy? He gazed up to see Wendy with the boys at the crow nest, cheering happily as a means of positive encouragement to keep Peter in the game. Peter didn't care about the boys. Only Wendy stood out to him. Her contagious smile, her cherry lips...

Hook raised his hook hand in an effort to strike the boy's head, but Peter snapped back to reality and turned in time to avoid the blow. He elevated about ten feet above Hook so he could not reach him. "You're wrong, Hook! Wendy just wants to see her parents, and then she'll come back!" Who would want to leave Neverland? No one!

Hook didn't hold back his laughter. Peter's disbelief was amusement to him, in what was supposed to be a battle to the death between two men.

"Why should she stay?" Hook asked, as if he knew the answer to that question. "What have you to offer? You are incomplete. Unloved!"

Incomplete? How dare he! I'll show him who is incomplete - at fighting! "Liar!" Peter dove down and jabbed his knife toward Hook's nose, but Hook dodged it and returned the gesture with a successful blow to Peter's shoulder. "Ow!" the boy yelped and rubbed his shoulder with his free hand. He looked at his fingers and saw blood. Darting another hateful look toward Hook, Peter shouted, "I can offer her fun, and adventure, and - !"

His sword crossed with Peter's knife, Hook used the weight of his body to force Peter against the edge of the ship. "Ah, let us peek into the future..." Hook used his free hand to stroke his mustache. "I... I see someone. A man! In your place. He is called... husband. Do you know what husband is, Peter?"

Peter's uncomfortable expression didn't change, but the grip on his knife loosened, causing the knife to slide against the blade of Hook's sword.

This was his moment.

Husband...

Hyaaaaaaa!

The tip of the hook dug into the boy's skull. The pain caused him to scream and toss his body around. The next thing he knew, he was on the ground, at the feet of six small feet.

"Peter, are you okay?" A little boy's voice called out.

Peter opened his eyes. His army of six men were all peering down at him. "Boys! Where's Hook?!" Peter jolted up from where he laid, his hand on the handle of his knife, close to unsheathing it.

"Peter, Hook isn't here." Slightly said, looking at Peter with a raised brow, as if to say 'you're crazy'.

"You were dreaming, Pete!" Cubby pointed out. "Don't hurt us! We heard ya talking in your sleep, that's why we came to check on ya."

Peter scratched his head. He then looked at his shoulder where he had felt pain. There was no blood. So it really was a dream! But it felt so... real! "You're right, boys. What did I say?"

All six boys looked at one another, and then shrugged their shoulders. "I dunno..." they all said in unison like shaking their heads.

"Huh, wish I could say I remembered it. The last thing that happened was Hook hit me in the head with his hook, and it went dark! Eh, oh well." Peter shrugged off the thought of trying to decipher the dream. Why did dreams matter anyway? He was Peter Pan, and he wasn't gonna let some bad dream take the place of happy, joyous thoughts of adventure.

But then he was hit by a realization he almost neglected. "Oh yeah, Wendy was there, too." For some reason, Peter felt a need to mention this to the boys.

"Wendy? What's a Wendy?" The twins asked in unison.

Peter's face turned into utter disbelief. Were they playing with him? "Wendy! You don't remember?" he asked with a hint of jest in his tone. "Wendy! I brought her here... and I made her.. a... a mother, I think."

"Yer crazy, Pete," said Slightly in a dismissive tone. "Go back to bed."

But Pan wasn't going to listen to one of his subjects. No, he was the leader, and he was going to tell the boys what to do. They were going to do his bidding. "No, men! We're going hunting!" Peter declared. "Where's the sun now, boys?"

"Just about to set," answered Nibs, who was peaking out through one of the holes of Hangman's tree.

"Fantastic, why not do a bit of hunting before it gets dark? Best catch will get the honor of finding the next treasure with me!" Peter suggested. He couldn't help but grin that this was the most marvelous idea. It was perfect to get him out of this weird mood the dream placed him in. Or better, the perfect distraction, an escape, from what was really bothering him within.

The boys jumped and hollered with joy, then darted for their weapons stash. Peter laughed gayly as all six boys slid down the exit slides. When he joined them, the group of seven separated, and the hunting game began.