Not Dead Yet (Part 51)
*Hello again!*
Pairing: Reader x Peter Pan
Just when Tigerlily was believing that Neverland may actually may not be so bad reality had to come knocking at her door. More accurately it pulled her off her path and motioned for her to be silent with a knife pressed to her throat. Why was this the preferred method of getting someoneâs attention in this realm?
âEvening, Pan,â she regarded the dangerously thin and sickeningly pale boy threatening her, âGlad to see your stint with your mother hasnât changed you too terribly.â
âYou knew.â he growled. âAll this time you knew about her. Why didnât you say anything?â
âI knew you didnât care about your parents and I thought she was barred easily enough from this realm that she shouldnât have been a problem. If I had mentioned that I knew who your mother was, would you have wanted to know?â
âWhen itâs one of the powerful forces in the realms, yes!â he pressed the flat of his dagger harder against her throat.
âThis isnât about your mother. Not entirely.â She had been watching over this boy for years she could tell when something was bothering him. He still had his quirks even after so long. âShe told you something or said something. Something happened over there that you canât forget. What?â
He regarded her for a moment before easing the blade away and sheathing it once more. He paced on the trail trying how best to convey what was weighing on his mind. âPan, you were my godchild but perhaps something like this is easier to talk to with someone you have more trust in. Y/N just went back to camp if youâreââ
âNo.â Pan snapped. His fists clenched and unclenched and with it the wind picked up. âShe canât know about this.â
âYou worked with the Black Fairy for years. Did you know who Y/N was before she came to Neverland?â
âYes. Did you ever see her or did the fairy mention her before you met her back in Tortuga?â
âOf course not. What use would she have had for your Lost Girl before she became so?â
âThatâs what I thought but what she saidâŠY/N canât beâŠâ he leaned back against a tree rubbing at his temples.
âWhat did she tell you about Y/N? Is she in some kind of danger?â
âJust swear to me that you nor that woman knew anything about Y/N before she came to Neverland.â
âOn my life I have no idea about the Black Fairy knowing anything about your Lost Girl while I worked for her.â Tigerlily promised.
Pan nodded and without another word left back in the direction of the camp.
âFiona, what have you done to your son?â she muttered to herself and wandered back to her cave.
~~~
The next morning after Peterâs return was hectic. With so many new children on the island from the Black Fairyâs mines we were beside ourselves over what to do with them. They all seemed like good kids but so did Isaac and Rufio when they first got here. It was impossible to tell if the fairy had any sway over them still. In the end Peter decided to send them all away. It was too much new blood all at once and it came from an unreliable source. Many of the children begged to stay, one little boy named Jamahl more than the others. Still Peter was firm in his decision.
Since I was the one that had come up with the idea to liberate the children from the mines it was now my job to drop them off in another realm to live. I visited quite a few realms that day dropping a number of kids off at different lands and realms. Through it all the little boy Jamahl refused to go. We had stopped in Agrabah at the site of what looked to be the ruins of some war from years ago.
âListen kid,â I turned to him, âI cannot take you back to Neverland. Peter said that all you kids from the mines needed to leave. So if you could just run along and make yourself a life in one of these realms it would be much appreciated.â
âBut I want to be a Lost Boy! I want to have adventures on Neverland with Just Pan.â he whined.
âYou can have adventures here.â I gestured to the wide sand dunes of the desert. âAgrabah is a great place for adventure.â
âThis is Agrabah?â Jamahl looked around with new awe, âJust Pan told us about a giant scorpion he fought while visiting here.â
âSee. Fun, adventure, deadly creatures around every corner. Can I go now?â
âI donât know.â Jamahl looked back at the city on the horizon.
I sighed and reached for a discarded shield among the many broken and fallen weapons scattered around. âYou ever try sledding?â
âYeah.â I set the shield down on the top of a sand dune and motioned for him to sit. âI used to do this years ago before I came to Neverland. Of course that was with snow and not sand but itâs still the same.â
âWhat do you do.â he asked as he made himself comfortable in the shield.
âYou sled.â I gave the back of the shield a small kick and he started sliding down the dune gaining speed as he did. I heard him give a loud cheer from where he stopped at the bottom. I got a shield of my own and took off after him.
âThat was so much fun!â he cheered as we skidded to a halt.
âTold ya.â I ruffled his hair, âJust because it isnât Neverland doesnât mean itâs not fun. You wouldnât have liked Neverland all that much either. Especially when Peter gets mad. Agrabah and all the adventures youâre sure to go on here will be much better.â
He cocked his head to the side staring at me for an uncomfortably long amount of time. âOkay kid, youâre creeping me out. What do you want?â
âIf itâs so bad, why are you going back?â
âWell itâs not terrible and it is my home. All my friends and family are there. Ben, Nick, Devin, Felix, and the rest of my brothers.â
âHim too. Heâs my best friend. I canât just leave him.â
âA best friend? Whatâs the difference between a friend and a best friend?â
âWell, a friend is someone you can have fun with and trust. A best friend is that and so much more. A best friend can tell when youâre upset without having to say a word. A best friend is someone you would kill for or die for because youâre so close.â
âWell, you kissed Just Pan but not the others. Do best friends do that too?â
âNot exactly. Peter is my best friend but heâs also something a little more too.â
âYou like him, donât you.â The kid teased.
I gave the kid a kick to the rump. âYou young sir have officially used up all your time talking with me. I have to get going.â I withdrew a bean from my pouch, âIf I drop this are you going to try and follow or are you actually going to stay?â
Jamahl looked back at the city and down at the shield he was struggling to hold in his stumpy fingers. He stared back up at me and nodded. âI think Iâm gonna stay.â
âGood.â I dropped the bean, âHave a nice life.â
I was swept through the portal and landed back in Neverland. The sun was still high in the sky. Training must be finishing up.
Maybe I could finally stay in one place for a while. No more surprise fairy mothers or portals or pirates or whatever big annoying danger looming on the horizon. Right now I wanted to focus on having a somewhat peaceful rest of my day.
Stretched out on the sand a few feet away was Tigerlily. I walked up and sat down next to her. âWell hello, back already I see.â she smirked.
âShould have been back sooner. Most of the kids went without a fuss except for one. Every time I made a portal to leave he kept jumping in at the last second. Had to go to three different realms before I was able to shake him in Agrabah. Nice enough kid, in another time he would have made a decent Lost Boy.â I stretched out next to her. âWhat about here? The boys kill Isaac yet?â
âNot that Iâm aware. Then again if I go anywhere near your camp Pan will string me up in those cages.â
âTrue.â I felt a familiar chill drift across my skin. âSpeak of the devilâŠâ I turned over and there was Peter stalking towards me.
âI suppose thatâs my cue to go.â Tigerlily mumbled something else under her breath.
She got up and gave Peter a stern look before leaving. What was that about? If it bothered Peter he didnât show it.
âHey there, chief,â I got up, âI thought you werenât going to be using unnecessary magic until you had restored your energy. Three weeks starving in the Black fairyâs lair left you worse for wear and we both know it.â
âI do feel better though.â
âOh really? Well enough to say, play the Piper and try to find the Truest Believer tonight?â
âAbout that, the Piper is now dead when it comes to finding the Truest Believer.â
âWhy?â One of the things I know he loves is leaving the island to find recruits and play the Piper. âWhat reason could you have to give that up?â
âMy shadow is more than capable of finding believers and bringing them to the island. Besides, our latest recruit via the pipes yielded Isaac. Need I say more?â
âSpeaking of which, why isnât he dead?â I asked.
âHeâs leverage in case that damned fairy comes around again. He has insider knowledge thatâs more recent then Tigerlilyâs. He could be of some use.â
âHe tried to kill me. I mean so has Felix a handful of times but that was all in good fun. Youâve killed boys for less.â
âHow about as your leader you shouldnât be questioning me so much?â
I rolled my eyes and looped my arms around his neck. âI can question you all I want. I earned that right.â
âBy being brave and bloodthirsty?â he grinned pulling me closer.
âNo, by sleeping with you.â I mirrored his smirk.
âYou shouldnât sell yourself so short. But now that youâve brought it up,â He kissed me hotly. His tongue caressing mine.
âWait a second, wait a second,â I pulled back. Peter gave a low whine and instead went to nuzzling my neck. âWhy exactly did you come out to find me?â
âIâll tell you after.â he murmured claiming my lips again.
âPeter Pan, you tell me what is going on.â I demanded between kisses.
âCome on, Iâm feeling better enough for this. Donât take this away from me.â he pulled me down until we collapsed on the sand.
âY/N,â he mimicked mockingly. âFine. I came looking for you when I felt your presence on the island again to give you this.â He held up a leather cuff like the ones he wore but embedded into it was what looked to be like a small glowing amber.
âSeeing as how weâve had such bad luck with necklaces I thought this might be a safer option in terms of jewelry.â he slid the cuff over my wrist.
âI wouldnât necessarily call it jewelry but this is a very pretty stone.â I ran my fingers over it, âThank you.â
âDonât mention itâŠâ he pulled me between his legs so I was relaxing against his chest looking over the sea. He pressed a kiss to the back of my neck.
Maybe another time I would have asked why his libido seemed to have died within seconds but I wanted to soak in the peaceful moment. Why couldnât we live like this? No lives on the line or regular death. While I know I would get bored if life didnât have any of the adventures Iâm used to a part of me wants to stay in this one moment. Peter and I laying on a beach on a warm sunny day with no one else in sight and no worries.
We might have stayed out there all afternoon if it wasnât for the fact that we got hungry and I was still not letting Peter use his magic unless it was completely necessary. So reluctantly we left our picturesque moment and went back to camp where the boys were shooting arrows into the sky in a game of bravery. It seemed incredibly stupid and a waste of arrows so naturally I had to go be a part of it.
âHas the princess come to play with the common folk?â Felix teased when he saw me saunter up to the ring of boys.
âShe has and sheâs ready to prove youâre all cowards.â I leaned on Devin, âThat being said I am going to use you as a human shield if I think the arrow is going to hit me.â
âIâm honored,â Devin shrugged me off. âEnough chatting! Nick, shoot the arrow.â
Nick cocked his bow up to the sky and let loose an arrow that disappeared in the sun. Now it was just a case of who would stay in the ring the longest. Some of the newer boys bailed out after they couldnât see the arrow anymore, then some of the others until I saw it coming back down and jumped back. I didnât get hit but it did land where I was standing a moment earlier. The only one left in the ring was Felix who was looking down on the rest of us with superiority.
âAnother loss to add to your collection.â Felix picked up the arrow, âNo sense breaking tradition, eh?â
âOne of these days I am going to make you choke on your arrogance.â I spat, âOne day, Felix!â
âYep, just not todayâŠor tomorrow or any day in the likely and near future. Maybe give it another decade.â He tossed the arrow to me.
I gave the arrow back to Nick and he launched it into the sky again. We kept on with our little game for a few rounds before the arrow drove into Devinâs foot. He was spewing profanities while Ben pulled it out again. The rest of us couldnât help we were laughing too hard.
Soon evening fell and the boys started making the bonfire for the night. I noticed Peterâs shadow flying overhead in a mad dash away from the light. Off on another night to find a new boy to bring to the island. It certainly wasnât as friendly looking as a group of raucous boys but it was a lot safer for us than the Pied Piper gambit was.
âYou look like youâre thinking really hard about something.â Ben strode over to me, âCan practically see the smoke coming out your ears.â
âHar har, youâre so hilarious.â I elbowed him, âHowâs Devin doing?â
âHeâll live.â Ben shrugged.
âOh no, what a shame.â
âI can hear you!â Devin shouted from his log.
âShut up target foot!â I shouted back. âYouâre not a part of this conversation.â
âBeen a trying couple of days. How you holding up?â Ben asked.
âY/N, weâve been friends for years. Youâre my sister. Also, you almost died not long ago.â
âLike that isnât a common day occurrence.â
âReally, Iâm fine. Just looking forward to some peace around here for once.â
âIf you ever do need to talk though,â
âI know youâll be there for me.â I wrapped an arm around him in a sort of half-hug. âIâm gonna take a walk, care to join me?â
âSure,â Ben and I left and ended up strolling one of the beaches.
âSo, Panâs using the shadow again?â Ben noted when I told him Peter wouldnât be leaving the island to personally collect boys anymore.
âYeah, if all goes well we should get a new boy tonight.â I nodded.
âLetâs just hope this new boy is the one heâs searching for.â
âThat would be nice.â I stared up at the sky and saw the stars blinking in the sky. Two shined bright than the others. Second star to the right.
I thought back to that night on the boat when Peter explained the other pathway to Neverland. How he used to fly everywhere like the wind was a stallion. Iâm going to have to take him up on that offer for a flight around Neverland one of these days when his strength is back.
âLooks like the shadowâs brought us a new recruit.â Ben pointed through the darkness of the sky. It was hard to see at first. Inky blackness carrying a dot of pure white I almost mistook them for a shooting star.
âSo it has,â I watched as the shadow got closer and closer until suddenly the boy they had with them dropped like a rock from the sky. âOh well thatâs unfortunate.â the body hit the water and I winced. That had to have hurt. The shadow kept flying seemingly unaware their companion had taken an unexpected dip.
I kicked off my boots and shrugged off my cloak. âWhat are you doing?â Ben asked.
âIf that turns out to be the boy we need and he drowns out there before we can get his heart then Peter is going to kill me.â I rushed into the icy water. âIâll be right back.â
I swam out to where I saw the body fall and dove down into the ice cold water until I felt my hand brush something. I latched onto what felt like a hand and started swimming back for the surface. âSon of a bitch this water is freezing.â I muttered as I tried my best to swim back to shore with the dead weight of another person weighing me down.
It took forever but I finally got back to shore. My limbs were shaking from the cold and I stripped out of my drenched clothes and beckoning Ben for his dry and warm shirt. I quickly slipped it on and looked down at who I had saved. Any hope of it being the boy we were looking for was immediately destroyed when I saw that it wasnât even a boy. The shadow had brought a girl.
âItâs a girl Ben, you know what those look like.â I leaned close and realized she wasnât breathing, âPerfect, sheâs not breathing. Ben, start doing those chest pressing things.â
âOn it,â he started the compressions, âWhen I say now, pinch her nose and give two breaths into her mouthâŠnow!â
I pinched her nose and gave two quick puffs into her mouth.
After a few more compressions and a second breath she moved and started coughing up water. âThere you go, let it out,â Ben turned her to her side as she retched.
âUghâŠwhat happened?â she peered at us with wide brown eyes. Her long dirty blonde hair was plastered against her head.
I moved a wet lock away from her face and wrapped my cloak around her. âYou had a dreadful fall my dear. Not to worry, youâre safe now.â
Her eyes focused on me and I was struck with how pretty she was. She looked like a porcelain doll. âAm IâŠam I in Neverland?â
âYes. Come on,â I helped her to her feet, âLetâs get you warmed up. Ben, go on ahead and find some fresh clothes for her. I doubt she wants to stay in these cold things.â
âThank you,â She whispered. Ben looked between the two of us before turning and taking off into the jungle.
âI donât know what happened. I was flying with that shadow and suddenly it just let go of me.â
âWell it is Peterâs shadow, I would only figure it was as big of an ass as its owner.â We started walking into the jungle and I had to keep her steady as she stumbled over the roots and rocks.
âSo little lady, Iâm guessing you have a name?â I turned to her.
âYes, how rude,â she became flustered as if forgetting to immediately introduce herself after nearly drowning was the epitome of bad grace, âIâm Wendy. Wendy Darling.â
âWendy Darling,â A fitting name for a pretty little face, âWell Darling, let me officially welcome you to Neverland. Iâm Y/N.â