Pan's Tiger

Chapter 9: Training

Hey,
Thanks for reading!
As always, I value what everyone comments on my stories, and it has been requested that I write about Lily and Malcolm's story. I think this is a good next move for my story so I will do this in a couple of chapters, probably next week, so please keep reading and bear with me because I just have to finalise some ideas on this.
Please vote and comment.
Enjoy,
Annabelle_the_reader
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My eyes fluttered open, glowering in the sudden intense light streaming down onto my face. I blinked twice, adjusting my eye sight from the darkness that had engulfed my wildest dreams.

I woke up alone, shivering slightly with the feeling of emptiness for the first time since I married Malcolm, because since then I had woken next to his arm around me, sailors sleeping drunkenly in hammocks beside me or Peter Pan. I hadn't been in Neverland long, but it felt like weeks ago I was taken here by the Lost Boys . A lot has happened since then. I lay there motionless, listening to the faint ticktock of the clock on the wall. I suppose it's like the clock on the wall that rings in my ears: time is all around us, echoing in my mind.

Eventually, Peter's voice speaking to Felix echoed throughout the camp and entered the room, hovering over me like a plague. 'Why do you insist on calling her that? She's just a prisoner, Pan. She may be your wife, but she's an invader and our hostage. She doesn't deserve such a lovely name.'

'Why call her Tiger Lily?' Peter scoffed in reply. 'Tiger Lily is like a tiger and a Lily. She is beautiful, like a Lily. But, like a Lily, if you get too close she can hurt you. She is also weak and easily crushed; she fills the world with beauty and when I first saw Tiger Lily when I was a child, I felt like flowers started growing in the darkest part of my mind. Tiger Lily is also like a tiger: patient and short tempered; kind and rebellious; petty but noble; affectionate but fearsome; a free spirit but seriously territorial. Tiger Lily is like a Tiger Lily.'

'Pan, you haven't seen her in two years, how can you trust her? You have changed so much and so has she, you have to ensure that if she finds out she won't try to help-'

Felix was cut off sharply by Peter, much to my disappointment as I was wondering who they were discussing. 'Felix, you don't understand. You could never understand what it's like to care about someone this much. I trust her with my life, Felix. I really think I'm still in love with her.' My heart skipped a beat as I listened to Peter's reply to Felix. Since Malcolm became Peter Pan, any words of love he had proclaimed had seemed empty and fake, like he was saying them in the hopefulness that I'd say it back and thus win the game.

Peter Pan loved me... legitimately. Could I love him back or not? Could I learn to forgive him for what he did to Rumple and the natives or not? Could I see the likeness between the man I loved and Peter Pan or not? My mind bounced around these questions, but found no answers.

'But when she finds out about Wendy or the other one, she'd go crazy, Pan.' Felix reasoned and I pondered his words for a moment, trying to figure out who this "Wendy" was. Did Peter love her too? Did Peter bring her here or was she an intruder? And who was "the other one"?

'She wouldn't hate me; I think she'd help me once she understood. We just have to find the right time, when she will reason with us. Wendy is an intruder and I think that Tiger Lily will hate me for imprisoning her, like I know she will if she ever found out about the other one. I have to get her to trust me, Felix, then I will tell her everything.' Peter explained, as if my entire existence had caused so many problems, he was trying to convince himself of his own argument, let alone Felix.

'Have you forgotten what the real reason for making Tiger Lily stay in Neverland was? The Shadow says he will only tell Tiger Lily. I need to find out everything when she knows, and that can only happen when I tell her everything, including Wendy.' Peter continued. 'She has to realise that she's special to me first, so she can trust me. She has to know that I really love her. All of this is for the greater good.... Wendy... That boy...'