Caged • Robbie Kay/Peter Pan •

Chapter Thirty

My hand slowly grazed over the cover, feeling it's roughness with my finger tips before carefully opening the first page. "This belongs to someone."

"Belonged to someone." Chase corrected. "Read the last page."

I turned to the last page, noticing just how dirty and fragile the parchment was, but with Chase's lantern, I could make out the words scratched into the paper.

Day 798

Peter has agreed to let me leave Neverland with my brothers and the other boys have expressed interest in leaving with us!

Oh, how I long for the comfort of home!

I can't help but notice the light disappear from Peter's green eyes when I speak of home and of leaving, but on late nights when we speak, I feel us growing closer. He trusts me. I might even say that he loves me, but perhaps I'm only being foolish and girly as the other boys call me.

All he must do is send us away and Neverland will be faraway from us. We'll finally leave here!

I will miss Peter but I asked him to let me keep my memories of him close to me so that I may always remember him deeply when I am far into my years.

I have noticed that Peter is the only one who does not age. For as long as I've been here, nothing has changed except for the lost boys. They grow taller and older, but not Peter. Peter will always stay a boy, so he says.

I must pack my things and make sure I haven't forgotten anything. We leave tonight.

Wendy Darling xoxo

I looked to Chase, realizing that there was no secret formula or portal that would take me back home, but only earning Peter's trust.

"Meadow, I've seen and heard many things in these woods after I disappeared. Peter feels something for you. Use that." Chase explained.

My heart skipped a beat. "Use him?"

"You like him don't you?" he questioned.

I nodded slowly, unsure as to why Chase was so eager to help me.

"Then you aren't using him. Get closer to him, let him see your feelings and when he trusts you, tell him that you just cannot bare to be here any longer. If he truly feels for you as strongly as he expresses, he will do what's best for you." Chase's words are deep and unsettling, but there is truth behind what he says. The fact that Peter had never even mentioned Wendy, was proof enough that he had moved on.

"What do you get out of this?" I asked Chase.

He hesitated before answering. "Let me go with you."

The sky was pale with the early morning and I held my breath for a moment, unsure of how to respond.

"Think about it." Chase patted my shoulder and stood up, realizing too that the sun was rising. "Come to me when you've made a decision." he said, walking off.

"How will I find you?" I questioned, standing as well.

"My cave is not much farther than the lagoon. You'll find it." Chase stated, then turned around and began to walk back into the woods.

"Oh, and Meadow, thanks for the flowers." he said with a grin. I chuckled, remembering the flowers I had placed at Chase's memorial when I believed he was dead, the night Peter had first kissed me.

Chase disappeared into the darkness of the woods before I turned on my heel and walked back to camp, still unsure of what to do.

I also thought about James and the 'punishment' that he had been promised by Peter, though I wondered if that had been disregarded. Of course, I hadn't expected Peter to change and I accepted that he would never be perfect; nor would I or anyone else.

If I stayed with him, perhaps things would change. Maybe the light that I had seen in him few times, would remain and Neverland would be pleasant. Peter and the island were very much more connected than I had thought and I was nervous for what would come.

The decision was a gamble either way, and either way, life would never be the same.

•••

James dug deep into the earth, slaving away in the sun and plowing the vast rectangle of the clearing.

Peter had not forgotten about James and his selection for punishment was something that James was hardly familiar with; manual labor.

James sweated, stopping and ridding of his shirt, breathing heavily. His eyes cried out for help as they peered up at me.

"I don't remember telling you you could stop!" Peter spat at him,unaffected by the heat of the day. This was the Peter that made my stomach churn. It was hard to believe that this was the same boy who had saved me from nearly drowning and expressed feeling as beautifully as he did.

I approached them, standing next to Peter. "Please, Peter. He's worked hard enough for you. This is work for animals." I stated, resting my hand on him.

He turned around fiercely. "He behaves as one!" he fumed, causing me to jump and I stepped away from him, my heart slowing back to its original pace.

Peter was enraged; eyes of those of a beast and his jaw tensed and suddenly I realized that James was being punished for more than simply trying to leave.

Upon noticing my expression, guilt struck his face and he reserved himself, running his fingers through his hair. "He's getting exactly what he deserves." he said monotonously, turning away from me once more.

I stepped over to James, taking his shirt from his hands and walking briskly to the well, soaking it in the frigid water and filling the wooden ladle that rested on the edge of the well and returning to them at once.

I handed James the ladle and used his wet shirt to clean the dirt from his face. "Thank you." he muttered before taking the cloth and putting it around his neck to cool him off.

I ignored Peter's annoyed expression and passed him as if he had never even been there. "Meadow, I didn't-" he reached for my arm, pulling it to him.

"I have showed you compassion yet you show none to him. You aren't any better than he is." I told him, pulling away and walking to where everyone gathered for breakfast.

And yet another reason was added to why I should stay; he would remain merciless, but in the same way, it was another reason to leave..

•••

A/N

Thanks for reading!

You guys are amazing!!! I love all of your comments and how involved you get in this story.

I realized that Meadow and Peter don't have a ship name so ill list a few

Petow (pee-tow)
Meter (I personally hate this one)
Panow (pan-oh)
Peadow (sounds like pedo um)
Meader Pan (med-er-pan lol these are bad)

Or come up with your own decision!

Thanks boobies

Love love love