Somewhere In Neverland || FIRST DRAFT

The Unbirthday (7)

When Riley woke up this morning she didn't feel any older, she was now seventeen, but she didn't feel like she was, she still felt like a kid. The castle was quiet, too quiet when most of it's inhabitants were lost boys, Riley strolled down through the quiet and lonely hallways, she would have come across at least one lost boy by now, she walked through into the dining room and boy did she get the surprise of her life. "Happy birthday!" all the lost boys sprang out from underneath the giant mahogany table, laden with food and presents, the bare marble walls were strewn with streamers, she raked her eyes over the boys, of course there was Jax, her best friend here in Neverland, she had sneakily told all of the lost boys about her birthday. Riley was about to thank Jax when strong arms encircled her in a bone crushing hug.
"Happy birthday Riles!" Peter smiled at her, letting her go gently.
"I thought you didn't celebrate birthdays here in Neverland. You know, no growing up and everything" Peter beamed down at her.
"You only get one birthday here in Neverland. Your seventeenth birthday"
"why?"
"Well Riley, that's the age that you stop growing up, you become immortal, like me"

The words sunk into her head and deep into her soul, never grow up the amount of times that she had wished this when she was younger were endless, before she went to bed every night, she'd stare out her window and into the vastly dark night sky, looking for the second star to the right and wish, wish that she could stay a kid forever. "Riley. Please open your presents" one of the lost boys peered up at her, holding a messily wrapped box in his hands she smiled down at him, and gently took the present from him.

Riley held the pointy stick in her hands, the youngest lost by Benjamin was smiling up at her. "We can have sword fights together" he held up another pointy stick and smiled, Riley had never seen anything cuter in he life.
"Thank you Ben. I love it" she gently placed the stick down beside her throne. The twins walked up to her next, bickering with each other over who would give their present to Riley first, Brayden (the blonde one) stepped forward and practically shoved his present into Riley's hands. The crumply brown paper ripped away to reveal a music box, it was a little merry go round, and all of it's horses and details were hand painted. "It's beautiful Brayden" he grumbled something as he skulked away angrily, Riley looked baffled as the blonde twin stormed off, but she was brought to attention when Aiden (Brayden's twin) gave Riley his present, it was a golden key, with patterns of butterflies and flowers, a few jewels were encrusted into the gold.
"It starts the music box" Aiden smiled, he unclasped the chain and put it around Riley's neck, he quickly steeped back allowing the next lost boy to bring forward their gift.

Xander had given her a sapphire necklace, it gleamed and shimmered as the golden rays of sunlight hit it, Nolan, the eldest lost boy (besides Jax) had given Riley a pair of glass slippers that looked an awful lot like they belonged in a fairytale, but Riley brushed that thought from her mind considering that she was in a fairytale. When it was Jax's turn she stepped up to Riley and handed her a leather bound book, Riley quirked an eyebrow at Jax and she laughed. "Well I remember you saying that you had lost your favourite book on the way to Neverland?" at those words Riley slipped the book out of it's leather binding to reveal the familiar hard cover that she loved so much.
"How did you find it?" Riley traced her fingers over the the words that were indented into the cover; A Tale of Two Cities.
"I remember seeing something in the grass the day that you feel, so I went back there and I found it lying in the grass" Riley almost wanted to cry, this book was her most prized possession and she thought it was lost forever.
"Thank you, thank you so much" Jax just smiled and stepped back, allowing Peter to step forward.

As he strode towards her, in his black t-shirt and jeans, Riley was sure she was going to melt right then and there, he strode up to her with a satchel clutched tightly in his hand, he smiled that mischievous grin that had the panty dropping power that all girl's love. "Happy birthday Riles" As he reached his hand into the velvety plum satchel Riley's breath hitched and she internally slapped herself, why was she getting all hot and bothered over Peter, she shouldn't be interested in him, he'll never love her back. Xander interrupted just as Peter was about to give Riley her gift,
"Can we eat now I'm hungry" Riley laughed and looked apologetically at Peter.
"you can just give me my present after lunch" as she walked towards the table she was silently thankful for the interruption, because she wasn't sure he could last much longer alone with Peter before she practically flung herself on him and forced him to make out with her.

"So how did you guys get my presents?" Riley asked as she popped a piece of cake into her mouth, the delicious chocolate warming her tastebuds "it's not as if there's a shop right around the corner"
"We stole them" Xander said, as if stealing those riches were nothing. "From Captain Hook" the table went silent a minute and then Peter started clicking his tongue and the whole table erupted into laughter. Peter's legs were lazily rested on the table, and he was curled over laughing, clutching his stomach as his whole frame shook from laughter.
"You should've seen the look on his face-" he paused to wipe the tears from his eyes "stupid pirate's scared of a clock" he almost fell out of his chair, he was laughing so much that it was infectious, soon everyone at the table was laughing, everyone except for Brayden, who was sitting their sulking grumpily. When the laughter died down he finally spoke.
"Has anyone seen Tink?" Everyone stopped to think about that. "I haven't seen her since we moved to the castle"
"Now you think of it, I am a but worried about her" the lost boys erupted into a loud fit of noise. The noise stopped and one single voice spoke out.
"Please Peter can we go looking for Tink" Peter looked over at Riley, in all her glory, he didn't want to stop celebrating her birthday, he still hadn't even given her her presents.
"Well it is Riley's birthday" Riley looked innocently out at the boys and Peter.
"I don't mind, and I owe a lot to Tink, she did bring me here after all"
"That settles it!" Peter's voiced boomed through the dining room, reverberating off the walls "grab a partner, we're searching for Tink"

The lost boys, Riley and Peter had spent hours searching for Tink, they had wondered through the forest surrounding the castle, they even ventured out to their old tree house, but she was no where to be found. They had decided to pair up and search the forest in which they had found Riley.
"Brayden and Aiden, you pair cover the east" they each saluted their king and raced off to find Tink, "Nolan and Xander, go towards the lake" a salute from each of the boys and they were off "Jax and Ben, you can cover the opening" before the pair could turn away Peter butted in "you know where to find me" Jax quickly nodded and raced off, pulling Ben behind her.

As Riley followed Peter through the thick forest she could see golden light filtering through the leaves of the trees ahead, the sun was setting, dipping lower in the sky as they travelled, Peter stopped abruptly, turning around to face Riley. "I wanted to give you your birthday presents before we visit the fairies" Peter pulled put his satchel from his pocket and reached in, pulling out a tiny jar, attached to a chain, the jar contained a fine gold sparkly powder, that shimmered in the golden glow being cast upon them. "It's a jar of fairy dust, but it's not just any fairy dust, it's special fairy dust" Riley looked at the shimmering jar in Peter's rough hands "it will always be there for you whenever you need it" Riley practically beamed up at Peter, his golden hair glowing in the gold light.
"Oh Peter thank you... it's beautiful" Riley gently hugged Peter and quickly let go before she attached herself to him and never let go.
"Close your eyes" his gentle voice stirred the loose strands of hair framing her face, she obeyed, gently closing her eyes. Peter gently clasped the chain around Riley's neck, letting the jar nestle next to her collarbone, he trailed a few of his slender fingers across her neck, and everywhere he touched it sent little electric shocks through Riley's nerves. His hands reached down and clasped hers. "Come on, I'll give you the last one in the fairy kingdom" Peter pulled Riley towards the gold glowing light and out into the open.

When Riley opened her eyes she was shocked, the immense beauty that surrounded her, the golden light that was emitting from the tree in the centre of the clearing was surrounded by tiny fairies, dancing in the air, hovering high above their heads. "My lady" Peter mock bowed and held out his hand, Riley chuckled and placed her hand in his, he swept her up and soon they were spinning around the tree, twirling and dancing and laughing, Riley felt like she was suspended in the air, but she knew that her feet were firmly planted on the ground. "I have one more gift for you" Peter said between Riley's fits of giggles.
"Oh Peter, you've given me more than I could ever dream of" he smiled that grin of his and leant in closer.
"I ought to give you a thimble" Peter inched closer, his face merely inches away from Riley's that smirk of his gone, replaced with a gentle, grown up expression.
"Peter! Peter! Pet-oh" Jax burst through the opening, stopping in her tracks as she realised what she had just interrupted. Peter sprung away from Riley, and Riley stepped away, her face flushing as red as her hair. Jax stood there awkwardly, not quite sure what to do, Riley and Peter had almost kissed, she didn't know if she should leave, or tell them the news, just as she was about to turn around Ben came bursting through, oblivious to what had just been happening around him.
"Peter! Peter! We know where Tink is!" Peter snapped to attention and turned to Ben.
"Where is she?"
"She's working with Captain Hook!"