Second Star to the Right. ( A Peter Pan retelling)

"This is yours. And it always will be yours."

The pirate grabbed the girl roughly. She looked at the bruised, beaten and broken boy, staring up with dead eyes.

"What are you giving him girl?!" The pirate howled.

"It is a thimble. That is all."

"Women. . . Fine. Give him your thimble."

A fairy buzzed sadly overhead, watching the brave girl. She leaned down, placed her hand on the boy's cheek and kissed him.

It had been many years since Wendy had her adventures with Peter and the Lost Boys. But Peter had always kept watch. He watched his Wendy grow old, and have children and watched them have children. When it got too painful, he stopped coming.

'Til one night, he couldn't stop himself.

It was snowing in England, like it had been when he first visited. But he didn't feel the cold as he flew above the roof tops. There was one window he knew would be opened.

When he spotted it he flew down quickly and into the room. Laying in Wendy's bed, was Wendy! But younger. Like she had been when he first met her. When he first. . . Let her give him a thimble.

He hovered over the bed, watching the girl sleep and when she stirred, he jumped into the shadows. The Wendy in bed looked around.

"Who's there?" She called.

"It's me Wendy. Peter." He said coming out of the shadows.

"How did you get in here?" She asked, looking a tad scared.

"I flew. Duh." He was still only a child, as she was now.

"Flew? That's insane." She said.

"But Wendy. We used to fly together all the time."

"Why do you keep calling me Wendy?"

"That's your name, isn't it? That's what you told me it was."

"Wendy was my great grandmother. My name is Charlotte. Wendy. . . Is dead."

"That's insane. I mean, you're right there aren't you?" But he knew she was telling the truth. She had that same honest look Wendy did.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know. . . Wait. . . You're Peter Pan! From the stories!" The girl who was not Wendy, jumped out of bed and ran up to him.

"Stories? Did Wendy tell you about me?" He asked, a smirk coming over his face.

"Yes. She did. She told us about everything."

"Even about the thimble?" Peter asked, serious again.

"I-I don't remember that. . ." Not Wendy looked down.

"Well, Not Wendy. Let me give you a thimble."

With that, Peter leaned in and kissed Not Wendy, like Wendy had done to him so long ago. When he was done, Not Wendy stared at him.

"My name is Charlotte. Not Not Wendy."

"Lottie." Peter said simply.

"Lottie?" She asked.

"It's what I'm going to call you when I visit. And when I visit, I will give you more thimbles. Because I like thimbles." He was such a boy.

"Every child has to grow up. Except one."

"Me." Peter smiled. "Can you tell stories?" He asked, excited once more.

"I can." Lottie answered.

"Come with me to Neverland? Please? Just for tonight?"

That was seven years ago and Charlotte still remembered it like it was yesterday. She never forgot Peter, but she had not seen him since.

After she came back, a lot of things started going wrong. Charlotte's mother got an illness and died. Then, her and her father moved to the U.S. Charlotte kept the hope alive that maybe, one day, Peter would take her to back to Neverland, where she would be happy again.

But he never came. And she stopped believing he would. There were few times here and there, when she thought she heard Tinkerbelle or saw her in the lightening bug around her house. But, they vanished in the blink of an eye.

In England, Peter had come back to find the house empty. He was heart broken, thought his Lottie had forgotten him. And he felt lonely. When he went back to Neverland, nothing brought him happiness. Not staying forever a child, not treasure, and Hook was dead. Finally, he made a decision.

"Tink, I'm going to find my Wendy. My Lottie. I need to find her. I don't want to grow up, but I don't want to be alone. Will you come with me?"

Tink agreed in her silent, but animated way. And off they went, to find Peter's Lottie and to grow up. Peter went to the human world, and he grew. He was the same age as Charlotte now. And he was getting close to finding her.

And that's where this story begins.

Growing up.