Cherry and Peter vs Hook

chapter 2

The elderly woman of the house started to slowly come down the stairs into view. Cherry felt she was very, very familiar now and Wendy seemed to have easily recognized her as well. She had known Peter because Peter was an orphan as a child and Wendy raised him and took care of him until a couple came to adopt him.

"Wendy, it has been too long..." Forte's voice cracked at the elder woman carefully come down to see them.

"Yes, it has, Charles, very, very long." Wendy nearly cracked a smile at him. "And you and Moira married with your own children."

Moira smirked at her grandmother. "I told you, Gran, I'd get him here by hook or by crook." she joked, lightly.

"Wendy, you look so familiar to me... Do I know your mother?" Cherry asked, wondering.

"Yes, Cherry, I believe you do." Wendy replied, then came to the final step as Peter approached her.

"I'm sorry it's been so long between visits," Peter sounded nervous around the old woman. "I've-"

"It's been 10 years between visits," Wendy clarified. "But, oh... Never mind," she put her hand behind his back to comfort with him in family embrace. "Come and give me a skwudge." she smiled at him, then went to her granddaughter.

"She recognizes me..." Cherry whispered.

"When I was young, I was orphaned and she raised me like her own with a bunch of other boys like Tootles," Peter explained to her. "I feel like I've known her forever. Did you work here with her when this was a home for boys?"

Cherry shook her head. "I haven't been to London in a long time..."

"Cherry, don't you remember World War II when you came to visit?" Wendy explained to her. "Your daughter and my daughter Jane bonded, even if Jane was a bit of a sour puss."

"That must be it," Cherry smirked a little, then looked at Peter. "Then, where do I know you from?"

"I don't know... Where do I know you from?" Peter wondered.

Wendy came to meet her great-grandchildren as they talked. Forte was hoping Cherry wasn't going to have an affair. Their last family trip together was in Halloween Town and she spent an awful lot of time with that Jack Skellington character. Granted, it was a misunderstanding, but he was jumping to the same conclusions now than he did back for Felicity's first Halloween and trick or treating expedition.

"You know what, great-grandma?" Maggie asked Wendy once she came to meet her. "I played you at school."

"And don't you just look the part?" Wendy smiled, then turned to the older boy. "Oh, can this giant be Jack? How much you've grown in a year."

"I'm supposed to tell you about congratulations for opening the orphan hospital and how great the dedication is and... Yeah..." Jack said, once he came to the woman with a friendly smile toward her.

Wendy nodded, giving him a warm smile. "Thank you so very much. Felicity, it's nice to see you... Again..." Wendy looked a little surprised to see Felicity was still eight and a half years old.

"Merci, Madame Wendy," Felicity said with a proper smile. "It is very lovely of you to let me in your home. It has been a long time between our family than Peter and his wife with their family, has it not?"

"Yes, the last time I saw you, you met my children, Jane and Daniel," Wendy recollected. Even though she was an old woman, she could remember that like it were yesterday. Once the children were by their respective parents, Wendy turned to them. "Now, there is one rule I insist be obeyed while you are in my house. No growing up."