Never Moon

part 16

"Instead of watching the ship, however, we must now return to that desolate home from which three of our characters had taken heartless flight so long ago."

Peter Pan, "The Return Home."

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For the second time in his career as a Lost Boy, Strings watched Peter Pan's heart break right before his eyes.

The realization hit quickly--what he'd done, what had happened, and why Wendy Charlotte Denham was lying on the ground, wisps of smoke curling up from her chest, clothes burnt and ragged.

"Wendy?" Mikey asked quietly, not moving, almost like he couldn't believe it, didn't want to believe it. His face was frozen in shock, eyes wide, face pale.

"Holy fuck," Marcus breathed. "Shit. Char."

"Mikey--" Strings said, reaching out, but Mikey stepped forward towards his sister.

"Char," he said. "Hey. Come on. Get up."

Mikey turned to Peter. "This is you two playing a trick, right?"

Peter didn't move, just staring at the girl on the ground. Strings wasn't even sure he was breathing.

"Mikey," Strings tried again, and Mikey spun on his heel, pacing towards Strings and grabbing his shoulders. Strings jerked back, but Mikey didn't let go.

He was close, so close and Strings felt his breathing speed, pulse racing despite Mikey's shock, his desperation, his disbelief.

Strings had been reacting like this every time Mikey came near for a long time. It wasn't new.

"Don't tell me she's dead," Mikey said, shaking Strings a bit. "Don't tell me. She's not. I can't lose her. I just found her! I can't--I won't--she's--"

Mikey broke off with a sob and pitched forward, nearly knocking Strings off of his feet, who barely managed to hold the both of them up.

"It's not anyone's fault," Turner said, speaking suddenly. "She just--"

"Go get the knife," Peter said, breaking his silence. "It's what we came for, right? Go get it."

"Peter--" Turner said delicately, holding up his hands and stepping in front of Peter.

"No," Peter spat violently, shoving past Turner. "The knife. That's what matters."

Turner grabbed on to Peter's arm, holding tight. "The knife is not what's important. What's important is Wendy--"

"Wendy was here for one purpose," Peter said, face white and lips stiff. "And it was to save the island. To save the island we needed the knife. To get the knife, Wendy needed to die."

Marcus growled, lurching forward, but Turner threw out his other arm, stopping him.

Mikey stiffened in Strings' arms, struggling to regain footing.

"Hey, Peter," Turner said, but Peter was already marching up to where Char lay, unmoving.

"Don't talk to me," Peter said brusquely. "Leave Scott to me. Take down his pirates. That's all."

"Peter--" Turner started, but Mikey was pushing himself to his feet, eyes red.

"My sister is dead!"  He shouted at Peter, who stopped in his tracks, back turned. "She's dead. Your precious Wendy just sacrificed her life so you could settle a grudge match!"