Peter:It Only Takes A Wish... (The UnFairytales Saga, Book 2)

Chapter 10 - Peter

The meal that Angie had made was amazing. I had no idea she knew how to cook. And, spending quality time with her, learning about her personality, made me fall even more in love with her.  

We were in the middle of doing the dishes - I was rinsing, and she was putting them in the dishwasher - when there was a knock on the front door. Angie's eyebrows furrowed as she wiped her hands on a towel.  

"Were you expecting someone?" I asked as she past by. 

She shook her head. "No, I wasn't. That's the problem."  

I heard her open the door. 

"Is Peter here?" A familiar voice asked. I dried my hands as quickly as I could and rushed to the living room.  

"How do you know Peter?" Angie asked as I walked around the corner. 

"Tink," I cried, hugging her as I pulled her into the house. "What are you doing here?"  

"Josephine told me where you were." 

I felt Angie's questioning glance on me. "Josephine is a friend I made when I first entered the Realm. She's from the mermaid lagoon." 

I explained quickly, hoping it would suffice. I did, and her expression instantly softened. I turned back to Tink. Her eyes held a million questions, but I silently told her to save them for later. Thankfully, she did. 

"Please, come in. Would you like anything to drink?" Angie finally asked, her hospitality kicking in. 

Tink turned her mega-watt smile from me to the auburn-haired girl next to us. "Thank you. And, no, I'm fine. I'm Tink, by the way." 

"Nice to meet you, I'm Angie."  

The introductions were short and quick. Not because of rudeness, but because of the anxiety-filled tension that was now in every inch of space in the room. 

Angie led the way to the living room, and I waited until we were all seated to voice my question.  

"So, Tink, why are you here? I thought the Hollow was busy preparing for the Summer solstice." 

"We are," she explained. "But, there is something much more important that needs both of our attention." 

I leaned forward, resting my arms on my knees. "What is it?" 

She took a deep breath. "The Boys are in trouble." 

"What kind of trouble this time?" I relaxed back into the couch, thinking they were up to their usual tricks. 

"They were kidnapped." 

"What?" I jumped off the couch. "By who?" 

"There is a band of pirates that has recently crossed into Neverlands waters. They have kept a low profile until recently. It's like they want everyone to know that they're here." 

"Do you know what their ship looks like?" 

As she began to describe the ship that now held the Lost Boys, I watched as Angie's expression changed from confusion to pure terror. Her face went from its usual rosy completion to an unhealthy grey pallor. Her blue eyes dimmed as tears started silently falling down her cheeks. Her hands gripped the armrests of her chair until her knuckles were white. 

Bewildered by her reaction, I knelt in front of her and gingerly tried to pry her fingers from their death grip. "Angie, what's the matter?" 

For a minute, all she could do was shake her head. When she did finally speak, her voice was low and full of remorse. "This is all my fault." 

"What's your fault?" Tink asked, kneeling beside me and taking one of Angie's hands between her own.  

"I shouldn't have told them that story." She choked on her tears as her eyes met mine. "I'm so sorry, Peter, so sorry. I didn't know this would happen." 

"It's not your fault," I tried to comfort her before turning back to Tink. "How did this happen?" 

"Josephine said when they went by the Lagoon, they were going on about a pendant and becoming invincible." 

Angie started to cry harder. I hugged her too my chest, resting my cheek in her hair. "Do you know whose lead this expedition?" 

Tink shook her head. "No, but I have an idea." 

I sighed, ruffled some of the curls underneath my head. "Pipsqueak, I'm guessing. That boy just couldn't wait." 

"And knowing him, he persuaded Books to take him." 

I nodded. "And, if Books goes, the others are sure to follow." 

"I'm so sorry, Peter." Angie apologized again, her words muffled between my shirt and her sobs. 

"It's alright, we'll find them." I kissed the top of her head as she continued to cry. 

When she finally fell asleep, I gently laid her on the long couch and covered her with an afghan from the basket underneath the coffee table. 

I found Tink in the kitchen. She was sitting at the table with a steaming mug in front of her. Multiple maps were spread open across the surface of the table, including ones for the entire Realm, Neverland, and the Mermaid Lagoon. She was scribbling away on a yellow memo pad in her lap. 

She looked up when I sat down across from her. "Do you have a plan?" 

I nodded. "Here's what we're going to do."