Saving Peter

Chapter 16: Wendy

I stand on the beach and watch the mermaids drive the pirate ship into deeper water. A grin of satisfaction covers my face as I watch the crew struggle to control their ship. I hear the conch sound and the sea turns against them and the skies open up with a torrential downpour that empties on them. 

"Ah, everything is coming together," I whisper to myself. My satisfaction fills me up and I turn from the scene, confident that the mermaids will accomplish the task I set before them. 

No longer needing to watch the battle happening I make my way back to the camp, a little spring in my step. But I have to stop at the scene that greets me when I step from the trees to the camp. 

Tink is standing in front of Peter and telling him what I've been up to all day. How did she even know what I have been doing? Did she follow me? That's a little creepy. And rude. And that's coming from me. How did I not notice her if she did follow me, though? I now that she practically melts into the trees around her, but I have been able to tell when she was there. At least so far. I take a deep breath to calm my mind. Okay, maybe this isn't a complete loss. I might be able to salvage this. Maybe I can convince him that she's lying. I take a deep breath and square my shoulders, time to find out if I can talk my way out of this. 

I walk up to the two of them, doing my best to seen oblivious and innocent but also prepared to defend myself. But I don't get the chance though. Peter turns to me suddenly without even seeing I was approaching. "Is it true?" 

I falter in my steps, caught off guard at the suddenness and bluntness of his demand. "Is what true?" I ask innocently. I make a show of looking between the two of them, acting as confused as I can.  

"Tink just told me you talked the mermaids into attacking Hook and the Jolly Roger. Is it true?" I'm slightly stunned by his hard and accusatory tone. He's never shown anything other than childlike wonder and joy before. This is a completely new side to him. Still, he should still the same naive boy underneath, right? And I can definitely still manipulate him. 

I shake my head, eyes wide with innocence and hurt. "Of course not. She must be lying. Maybe she's jealous of our connection." I attempt to take another small step closer to him. He steps away from my advance. I put on a look of hurt. 

His expression turns as hard as his tone. "She can't lie, she's a Fae. And there is nothing to be jealous of, even if she could get jealous." It feels like my heart stills for a moment from the shock of this revelation. 

I blink stunned at his sharp response and obvious rejection. Why didn't I realize Tink being a Fae meant she couldn't lie or didn't feel emotions like us? It seems so obvious now. Could I really have been so blind? So oblivious? So stupid? I'm usually more careful than this. Now what? This folly on my part could prove to be disastrous. I stumble over my words as I try to reply. Unfortunately he isn't buying it. 

"What did you do?! She's my friend! They all are!" He pushes past me. Trying to make a mad dash to the beach I assume. I can't allow that. I need him. And I can't have him getting hurt or killed in some petty little disagreement between the mermaids and the pirates. 

I grab his arm as he passes me, stopping him in his steps even if it's only momentarily. "Where are you going?" I demand, even if I already know the answer. At the very least I can stall him an extra minute or two. 

"To help my friend!" He yanks his arm from my grip but I'm not going to give up that easily. I march after him. My mind racing to think of something to say that will get his attention.

"Don't go! She's clearly capable. She doesn't need your help. This is the perfect way for her to prove she's as good as she claims." I try desperately to reason with him. Trying every convincing technique I can think of. 

He doesn't buy it. He whirls around to face me and I see the anger in his eyes instantly. "I'm going to help my friend. If you're so set on causing trouble, you should leave." 

"What? I thought you liked trouble?" I'm suddenly confused. Peter ignores me and runs through the woods in the direction of the beach. Tink steps up beside me. I may be imagining this but I swear I can see disapproval in her solid color eyes. "You don't know him at all." 

I give her a confused look. She seems to understand. "He loves fun, not trouble. Trouble is dangerous. Trouble leads to problems. Fun is controlled horseplay where no one gets hurt." What? That is nothing like any definition I have ever heard before. And it doesn't really sound like him at all. At least not according to the stories. 

I squint at her. "What are you talking about?" This clarification seems like something that should have been brought up earlier. It certainly would have made things easier if I have known it beforehand. 

Tink doesn't answer my question. But she does reply. "It might be best if you listened to him, and left. If you're determined to continue breaking rules and causing conflict you are not welcome here. So go home." Of course I'm not surprised she wants me gone. She has made it abundantly clear she doesn't want me here. Even before I arrived. 

I'm fuming. "Fine, I'll leave. But I'm not going to go home. If you want trouble, then I'll give it to you." I turn to storm away. I'm going to finish my mission, and none of them are going to stop me. How would I even get home anyway? I needed their help to get here. I don't see how I could leave without either of them. Not that I'm going to. Because I came here for a reason, and I'm going to accomplish this mission. 

"Be careful. This road you are going down will not end the way you hope," Tink calls after me. It is almost resembling a warning from a wise mentor. But I would never view her as such a thing. She is no mentor, she is a thorn in my side. 

But her warning would imply that she knows what I am up to. And I have made sure to be careful up to this point. No, she can only have suspicions. She doesn't have as much she thinks she does. She can't. There's no way. 

I ignore her and continue on my way. I'm not sure where I'm going, not really. But I have my goal and my determination. Nothing is going to stop me. I will have my immortality.