The boys had moved out of hangman's tree ever since Hook had found out about it, although Peter couldn't really remember much of that time. Wendy had now found herself in parts of Neverland she has never traveled, nor knew it existed. Suddenly the boys stopped, and she nearly fell all over them.
"Wendy, do you promise to be our mother? " Peter asked suddenly, a hard look in his childish eyes. "What....?" "Do you promise to be our mother?" The boys were watching her now, with expectant hope, a few of them had breathed the word mother as if magic itself was laced within the words. "Do you Promise!?" peter yelled.
She couldn't say yes and she couldn't say no. How could a mother turn in her children? How could she just trick Peter Pan into falling into Hook's hand? And still be a mother? "WENDY!" "Yes!" she said suddenly " I promise." A few squeals of "mother" and a look of triumph on peters face made her feel the guilt comes crashing down on her. "Good." Peter grinned, and with a flick of his hand, a rope was pulled from the tree, one she had not seen behind the leaves, then suddenly a board was pulling them up and off the ground in jerking motions. Wendy almost fell off, her feet were so unstable, but she managed to catch herself. "Welcome to our hideout mother, " peter said " it was all my idea of course. Isn't it brilliant?" For once Peter was not embellishing (if this was indeed his idea). The city in the trees was vast and amazing. Tree houses and bridges aligned along the branches, decks stuck out, and sunlight swept through the leaves. Fairies dashed in and out between the wood planks, and she noticed small houses she had thought were glowing bird's nests, but not realized were Fairy apartments.
"Peter," she breathed, "It's amazing!"
"Of course it is!" Peter said giving her a sly smile, "I thought of it didn't I?"
She took a few steps onto one of the bridges, and nearly cried out in fright as the lost boys began to run across it, making it swing dangerously.
"Want to see a trick Mother?" the cried and began to swing the bridge. Wendy grabbed the siding and felt her stomach heave.
"No, no! Mother doesn't need to see a trick! No trick!" she cried, and the boy's giggled and ran off.
"Well Mother," Peter said regally, "I have provided you a map so you may find your way back here when you leave on whatever errands mother's tend to do," he handed her the large green leaf with childish writing on it, but it was legible, and she was able to figure out how she would return.
"It's a rather hard place to find," Peter said with pleasure, "All the lost boys have one. We must keep secret from the vile Hook!"
"Oh yes, quite vile."
"Do not worry fair lady!" Peter said gaily and flew a few feet and spun around, "I have come up with a most ingenious plan!"
"Really Peter," she said somewhat amused, "And what plan would that be?"
"A foolproof one," he grinned, "I've been talking to the mermaids, they seem to be upset with the pirates aboard the ship. It works well in our favor actually, someone killed their leader."
"Oh dear," Wendy gulped, and Peter took this as a sign of sadness for the dead mermaid.
"Yes! So they want revenge. And of course I would like to see old Hook perish once more," Peter cackled in a very uncharacteristic manner.
"Peter? Are you alright?"
"Of course Mother!" he said with a gleam in his eye, "The Indians want to help as well; it will be a glorious battle!"
"The Indians as well!" she said shocked.
"I have many friends," he winked, and flew up into the sky where she heard him call out to the faraway ship and make cruel comments, then come flying back down, cheers among the Lost Boys sounding off.
