Never Grow Up

Realization and Pan (Ch.1)

Once upon a time, there was a happy family, the Darling family. This family was made up of five: Mr. and Mrs. Darling and their three beautiful children filled to the brim with imagination and joy. Their names were Wendy, John, and Micheal Darling. They were the perfect family, if a little unconventional but happy nonetheless. Mr. Darling was an accountant and Mrs.Darling's reputation held her as the most beautiful woman in all of England.

They had a secret, a black stain on their otherwise perfect life. That secret was not a thing but a person; Alexandra Darling twin sister to the eldest child Wendy Darling. Mr. and Mrs. Darling hid her in hopes that their shame could never be brought to light. Hard as they tried their secret was discovered unbeknownst to them when one day Wendy went about exploring the basement and found her lookalike Alex, and in no time they became as close as sisters should be. Though naive and innocent Wendy was no fool and demanded the truth and in fear of losing the only person she had did Alex tell her the truth.

She had been locked away in the basement for 12 years with only her mind to keep her busy. Hope was not yet lost for she knew she would be free soon and so enters the first lost boy into the story. 

Time Skip-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Peter was getting very frustrated and as an eternal boy, it happened quite often. The reason for tonight was of a different matter altogether than the usual finicky reasons. He had been searching everywhere for his shadow for you see it had been refusing to stick. He was lost and wild and free so he often lost quite a lot of things. Suddenly as if lightning itself had struck him did he remember where his shadow was, it had taken some thinking, not something he often did, to tell the truth. "Tink!" he called.

In what some may have assumed caution did the small fairy lean forward. It seemed she was speaking for only bells could be heard. The reason for her caution might have been that  Peter had been in a bad mood lately." I know where I left my shadow, it must've got stuck in the storyteller's house after that dreadful beast chased me out" he became sidetracked thinking of the animal. "We shall go back to retrieve my shadow and ask about what happens to the maiden with the glass slippers" he commanded. Tinkerbell silently nodded, not at all pleased.

In London----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wendy was visiting her most beloved sister Alex. "Would you like to sneak upstairs tonight Alex, you always enjoy storytime" Wendy asked eyes wide. "Yes, I would very much like too, maybe I'll tell you more stories to tell the boys" grinned Alex.

It was odd and perhaps a bit strange the aptitude in which Alex spoke having been isolated her entire life. The only real moments of bliss had been those with her sister and though they did not know it her little brothers. Alex had taught everything she knew about stories to Wendy or almost everything, isolation allowed her to take the stories she knew to be true and make them grander.

Visions of worlds she knew not to be of this world plagued her every waking moment until she stopped trying to deny them did they stop and retreat to her dreams. She knew Wendy would break Peter Pan's heart, it was foretold. She only told Wendy very few details about Peter Pan. Those details were limited to his immortality and his home and the creatures that resided there such as; pirates, mermaids, natives, fairies and lost boys.

That same day her dreams had reminded her that today was the day that Peter Pan would whisk the Darling children away to Neverland. And so she accepted though she would have anyway if only to escape the loneliness.

Wendy came later that day when it seemed her aunt had dozed off, everything was lining up into place. As quietly as they could did Wendy and Alex enter the nursery. Alex hid in Wendy's closet as she always had for only Wendy knew about Alex. Her parents didn't know Wendy knew about Alex's existence and for that these meetings were possible. Meeting her little brothers would be too hard, to love them more only to lose them.

Alex noticed Wendy was upset and realized this is what Wendy believed was her last day in the nursery. "Did they tell you that you must grow up?" asked Alex suddenly." Y- yes, how did you know" she asked looking like a kicked puppy for all intents and purposes. "They did that to me, though told is a bit kind." she told her sister looking intently at the ground. "Remember not to look at the closet too much, the boys will be out of the bathroom soon" she reminded her softly.

"Whatever you say, dear sister, today we finish Cinderella" Wendy smiled wide. Alex sat in the closet and was so very pleased to hear her sister and brothers enjoying themselves among the storytelling. After cinderella, they began to run amuck imagining Neverland and all the things they could be. Hours later when three of the four Darlings slept soundly did Peter Pan arrive. As always the window was open. Nana had been put outside by their father and so the boy was not chased out. Peter, the child that he was failed to retrieve his shadow without causing a ruckus and so it was no surprise that Wendy had awoken.

Alex had been in the closet the night Peter lost his shadow. She told Wendy to store the shadow and that she would have to sew it back on when he came back. Wendy heard a boy crying after gathering her wits and saw Peter. "Why are you crying?" she asked gentle so not to spool the boy. "I am not, I just can't get my shadow in place." "Oh, let me help you, you have to sew it back on for it to stay" spoke a very giddy Wendy.

Wendy then proceeded to sew Peter's shadow back on which was painful for one and uncomfortable for the other. Not one for patience, Peter asked about how Cinderella had ended. Wendy told him it ended with a happy ending, with a kiss. As any girl with a crush Wendy dared to ask if she could give Peter a kiss. It became very apparent that Peter didn't know what a kiss was.

Flustered by his ignorance Wendy changed tactics and asked Peter if she could give him a..... thimble. Wendy leaned in lips puckered pulling Peter to her unconsciously and just as their lips were to meet did Tink come flying out fueled by rage pulling Wendy away from Peter by the hair.

Peter was seconds from leaving when Wendy asked why he couldn't stay a bit longer, Alex let out a sigh of relief from her hiding place. And just as she remembered did Peter asked Wendy if she wanted to go to Neverland to be the mother of his lost boys. Wendy agreed only if she could take John and Micheal could go, as a good sister would. Clever girl remembered not to mention me, else she risk altering everything.

Peter agreed desperate to bring her with him but the moment Wendy turned he frowned. Alex had to stifle a laugh at his reaction. No one noticed the hand that reached from the closet and grabbed Tinkerbell too sprinkle fairy-dust over herself. Fairies could only feel one emotion at a time and Tinkerbell's jealousy burned bright enough to not notice anything but her thoughts. Alex followed them at a distance, ducking behind and into clouds when one of them got too close. She was close enough to hear Peter talk of Neverland's location in the stars.

It was one of the two brightest stars in the sky, star to the right and straight on 'till morning. As they passed a barrier and floated into Neverland's atmosphere did the children at the forefront encounter another surprise.