Peter's Lily (Sequel to Pan's Tiger)

Chapter 42: Figures from the past

Hey,
Thanks for reading. Sorry about the wait. I've had mock examinations, but I think it makes up for it as its a bit longer than usual and I promise I'll update again soon!
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Enjoy,
Annabelle_the_reader
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The tranquil mountains were swaddled in a veil of white mist. It was eerily silent in Neverland and the reason was obvious. Spikes of thin light impaled the snow in a bristling, moving line. All across my line of sight, the tips of the mountain range stuck up like a row of thorns, piercing into the sky. The mist drifted and ghosted, glided and dangled. Then it clung to and enrobed everything it could. The mist made the colour of treetops leak into the sky. The rising sun in the East was a deep red- the kind of colour that foreshadows only danger.

'I knew I'd find you here...' Came a brief voice behind me, with a small smile.

'Lucky guess,' I muttered mockingly.

I laughed. It had been several weeks of Neverland time since I last saw him and Baelfire had aged so much and even changed his name to Neal, but he was still Baelfire to me. I hastily wiped the tears from my eyes and turned around.

'Hey, Bae.' I smiled and he dropped down besides me on the tree stump. He looked peaceful, like his son's life wasn't in danger and he had time to spend time with me, even though I would live forever in Neverland and, assuming I survived, he could visit me whenever he wanted to.

'I prefer "Grandson".' He teased and I rolled my eyes, laughing nervously.

'You know?' I asked surprised, my eyes widening at Baelfire's words. I couldn't believe how he could have found out. I doubted it was from Pan, but I always imagined Rumple to be of the secretive type.

'Rumple told me everything,' He said dismissively, but I quickly deduced that what he meant by "everything" was in fact "very little". At least he knew now what neither of us were aware of when he was a Lost Boy, but it did seem strange now to think that my grandson had been my best friend and now he was actually older than me.

I could understand how strange the prospect of seeing me again was to him. Although it had only been weeks to me, he had aged a lot and yet I was exactly the same. It was like Baelfire had grown up and left me behind.

'What're you reading?' Baelfire asked as I picked up the book I had been looking at (but was too distracted to read) and inspecting it. I was secretly pleased that I hadn't been sketching, or he would have seen the pictures that I would let nobody see.

'Wuthering Heights.' I replied, dusting my body down and tucking my book away.

'Again? Must get boring.' Neal raised an eyebrow, remembering the endless hours of reading I used to spend when he was a Lost Boy. He snatched the book and peered down at it in confusion, flicking through the pages of the novel. He scoffed and demanded, 'How can you read this? There's no pictures!'

I rolled my eyes dramatically, looked upwards and said, 'Well, some people use their imagination.'

It was Neal's turn to theatrically roll his eyes as he handed the book back to me. He bit his lip, turning around ready to go and then stopped himself, because it was rare that we would see each other alone and be able to talk in private. 'I think it's good that you read. The world is empowered when a girl reads.'

I always admired the part of Baelfire that had respected well educated girls like myself. He had never once tried to stop me from becoming a Lost Girl, even when many of the Lost Boys were opposed to having a girl in their ranks.

I asked, 'How so?'

'Well, when a girl reads she starts to think and she gets ideas.' Baelfire began excitedly 'Good things happen, Tiger Lily, when a girl starts to read,' he responded kindly, his head dipping so that his eyes met mine.