All credit goes to J.M. Barrie, who told it first.

It may be noted that my version of Peter and Wendy's tale is not directly based on the disney cartoon or live action version, though many things are similar.

I hope you enjoy.

Chapter One

Wendy Darling stood quietly in the gilded hallway, her hands fiddling with the necklace at her throat nervously. The half-dozen girls around her giggled, patting their elegant curls and pretty dresses into place, their nervous manner mirroring her own. A crystal chandelier glittering with candles and hanging directly above them cast a warm, golden hue across the lush burgundy carpet, the glass breaking the light into miniature shards that danced every time the crystals swayed. By chance, the violins suddenly struck up their tune, and vibrations hummed through the mahogany paneled walls, sending the light specks skittering every which way.

Fear had seized Wendy's slender frame, and she stiffened, fixing her eyes on the heavy closed doors before her. Behind them lay a soft red carpet that stretched to the center of a resplendent, circular ballroom filled with hundreds, perhaps thousands of people.

She chided herself internally. She was overreacting. There were most likely only a hundred, perhaps little over fifty. Swiftly closing her eyes, she pictured Celeste, the heroine in the story she'd told herself while doing needlework the week before. Celeste would have been quite at ease at the moment, delighted at the attention that was about to be cast her away. She would have stood tall, thrown back her shoulders, smiled prettily and-

Wendy flicked her eyes open with a sigh. It was impossible. Father would be so disappointed.

She moved her eyes back to the formidable wooden doors, her father's impending let-down sending a new wave of courage her way. She was determined to last it out when a sudden rustling of petticoats alerted her to a presence beside her. She turned, and met the blue eyes of Violet Shaw, the daughter of her father's bank associate. Violet's fair hair had been done up in an ornate, exquisitely grown-up fashion, and Wendy felt suddenly small, and childlike in comparison.

"Do you suppose they're ready yet?" Violet whispered with barely contained excitement.

"I don't know." Wendy whispered back, half-wishing they'd forget about her and let the others go alone. It was not to be, however, for at that very moment the announcer had been given the signal, and the servants hurried to open the heavy doors.

Lady Catherine, wife of the wealthy Lord Melbourne who was graciously hosting the entire affair, fluttered toward them to give rushed, last minute-advice.

"Alright dears, it's almost time now. Remember the steps I taught you! Four steps in, pause, wait for the names, curtsy. Move to the end. Elbows in, hands folded, mince steps."

"What if we forget something?" Evelyn Knight demanded anxiously, wringing her hands in a helpless, frightened manner that jingled the beads on her bracelet. She was a small girl with large emotions that often overtook her, giving the impression she was about to collapse in a faint more often than not.

"You won't." Retorted Elaine Audley suddenly, a look of pure annoyance on her face. She was Lord Melbourne's niece, as she reminded everyone repeatedly should the chance arise, and had already watched three of her four sisters presented. She did not look as if she was about to let Evelyn's fretting ruin her own special day. And a special day it was, not just for Elaine but every girl anxiously waiting with her. Today was the day that all young ladies of sixteen years were to be presented into London's elite society. It would mean the beginning of womanhood, a new and different social circle, and the commencement of courting. Marriage of course, would occur eventually.

"Girls, girls," Lady Catherine chided. "It's just nerves. Breathe deeply before you enter, and look straight ahead. Your families will be quite proud either way, I'm sure. A slight stumble won't disgrace you in their eyes." She chuckled.

Elaine gave a self-righteous sniff, as if to declare the idea of not entering the room elegantly ridiculous, and took a step forward, preparing herself. Her parents had specifically asked she enter first, much to the indignation of other parents, who were sure their own well-bred daughters deserved the honor. It was not a matter of class however, but connections. It was at Lord Melbourne's estate that the event was being held, and she was, much to everyone else's dismay, Lord Melbourne's favorite niece.

Lady Catherine interrupted the tense atmosphere with a shocking and unexpectedly girlish squeal, giving Evelyn's small frame a gentle push forward.

"It's time! Alright dears, hold your heads high now. Backs straight remember, a lady doesn't slouch."

The doors had been opened a crack, and a slit of light peeped through. At a sudden surge in the violin music they were thrown open, and the startled girls were met with a sea of curious faces. After a seconds uncertainty, Elaine took a confident four steps into the room and waited.

There was a pause, and then: "Miss Elaine Audley, daughter of Lady Margaret and Lord Phillip Audley." The speaker's deep voice resonated in the room as Elaine dipped a graceful curtsy, her long dress brushing the floor. There were smiles and polite clapping as she swept to the end of the carpet.

Elaine's entrance a success, the other girls stepped forward eagerly. Violet went next, flashing a dazzling smile at a cluster of young men to her right, momentarily stunning all of them. The noise of clapping grew as she proceeded down the aisle, her family being well-liked by everyone. Evelyn sailed into the room right after, and no one would have guessed her previous apprehension.

Wendy, now standing on the edge of where the red carpet began, was staring out at the faces around her with something close to panic. Her eyes, dark against her pale skin, had widened. She heard the pause after Evelyn's finale, took a hesitant step forward and froze.

A hundred something heads had swiveled toward her, and she found she could not move. The seconds ticked by, the music continuing cheerfully as the smiles around her faltered and turned to confusion.

Wendy's courage was on the verge of collapse when a curly brown head suddenly popped out of a nearby crowd. Michael Darling flashed his sister an impatient little grin, and beckoned her excitedly with one small hand. "Come on, Wendy!"

It was enough to break the spell, and Wendy flushed, throughly embarrassed but utterly thankful for little brothers. She surged forward, waited for her name, and dipped a quick curtsy before rushing toward the end of the carpet in as lady-like a way as she could currently manage.

The rest of the debutante's followed swiftly and without mishap. They were standing together, shoulder to shoulder in a neat line as they'd been instructed to by Lady Catherine, when the music changed to a spirited waltz. The young men drifted forward, and the girls exchanged blushing smiles.

All proper and necessary introductions had been made beforehand, and each moved toward their assigned partner. Wendy's heart thumped unsteadily as Jack Taylor came towards her, reminding herself there was only another hour and a half to endure before she was free.

He reached her and bowed as was expected, before offering his hand.

"Ms. Darling?" He smiled, asking for a dance. He was almost an exact replica of his father, with an abundance of the famous, curly dark Taylor hair.

Wendy tried hard to keep her composure. Goodness, she was terrible with boys!

"Yes, of course." She managed to reply stiffly without looking at him. She blushed as he placed a hand on her waist, and tried desperately to distract herself from the awkward ordeal.

Celeste.

What about Celeste? She thought frantically. She'd been imagining the part where the heroine had escaped her captors and was about to flee while needle working last week. Micheal had demanded she tell the rest that evening, and she'd barely had a moment to plan the next phase of the story. Well, here was her chance.

Oblivious to Jack twining their hands together as he pulled her onto the dance floor, Wendy pictured the scene in her mind and focused. It worked. She was so far gone in her fantasy world, she jumped when he nudged her shoulder gently.

"Wendy," He teased, amused."Aren't you going to speak to me?"

Her surroundings and current uncomfortable situation all came rushing back, and she blinked like someone entering a bright room from the dark. Forcing herself to look up, she met his dark eyes with a bewildered expression.

"Haven't I ?"

"We've been dancing for five minutes in silence." He informed her, not unkindly. Her face had held a dreamy, detached expression only moments before. He wondered, not for the first time, what on earth it was that young ladies thought about.

Wendy bent her head apologetically, discreetly trying to place some distance between their swaying bodies. He didn't notice, and she edged further back.

She caught a glimpse of Evelyn swishing past them in the arms of Richard Manswell, looking radiant.

The debutante's were no longer the only ones on the dance floor, and almost everyone had now joined in. The couple dancing before them moved to the side, and Wendy was suddenly given a direct view of a red-faced John Darling extending a hand toward Lucy Knight, Evelyn's younger sister. A frightened look flashed across the young girls face, and she backed away going pink.

Wendy stifled a laugh. She would tease him for that one, just as he'd teased her over Peter.

Peter.

A curious flash of feeling flared up inside her at the thought of him. It had been such a long time. Every day that passed made her anxious not to forget, to remember every word, every look, every moment they'd spent in Neverland. It seemed almost dreamlike now, as she recalled waking up to see him, fumbling around her room, trying to find that naughty shadow.

She smiled, almost grinning at the thought, unaware of Jack's curious gaze now fixed on her face.

He'd come back twice after that first time, just like he'd promised. It had been several months later, sometime in late August. They'd been ecstatic to see him of course, and they'd had another grand adventure. The third time had been near Christmas. After, just before he left, he'd promised her again. Promised he'd return.

The smile slipped from her face as she stared over Jack's shoulder unseeingly, unaware his expression had changed to concern.

She'd waited for him. Every night. Micheal and John too, ever eager for another chance to fly. Summer had turned to fall, fall to winter, winter to spring. And so four years had passed, slowly and then faster and faster until here she was, sixteen years old and desperate to convince herself she hadn't dreamed it all. He was real. He had to be.

Her body tensed suddenly, as she focused all her energy into believing this, terrified of losing her faith in him. Jack cast her another worried glance, and shook her gently.

"Wendy, are you alright? You look-" He paused. The following word had been heartbroken, but it seemed to him to be to personal an inquiry. Perhaps there was another lad she fancied who'd turned her down. His grip on her hand tightened unintentionally at the thought of this, and his eyes swept the ballroom in a hawk-like manner, as if he could detect the boy guilty of hurting her with simply a look.

"Oh, I'm fine thank-you." Wendy replied quickly, slightly taken aback at the expression that had come into his eyes.

The music ended, and he brought them to a stop with a flourish. He bowed again, and Wendy felt a faint tug of guilt for ignoring him. It wasn't like her to do that intentionally. It was only having to dance with him, or any boy really, that made her shy.

She curtsied politely, and thanked him. The minute she was free to go, she hurried across the crowded dance floor toward the exit. It was difficult, for Lady Catherine caught her eye and beckoned her over, and then Mrs. Alder offered compliments over her dress, and a dozen other socialites flocked towards her, offering advice and consoling over her somewhat disastrous entrance, claiming it hadn't been all bad.

"In fact," Mrs. Knight added, chuckling, "I believe the boys found it quite endearing, Jack Taylor especially." She sent Wendy a knowing smile.

Wendy blushed furiously. She did not want to know what the boys thought. She wanted to get out of the room immediately, before her parents or anyone else could find her. She gave Mrs. Knight a quick, polite smile and excused herself, claiming a headache. They clucked their tongues reprovingly, blaming it on the excitement of the day (naturally overwhelming on a delicate constitution such as her own) and granted her leave.

Wendy walked toward the big doors at an acceptable speed, maintaining her posture as she felt Lady Catherine's eyes follow her. The minute she'd passed the threshold, she broke into a run, a jolt of independence surging through her veins. It was something she rarely did, abandoning all responsibility like this. She was sure however, that this one time, her parents wouldn't mind.

She'd come to the end of the great hallway, and paused, deciding to use the staircase to the upper floor balcony. It was almost big enough to be termed a veranda, and wrapped around the east side of the house giving a splendid view of the gardens below. Wendy pushed open the double doors, and walked out into the cool night air, the sky already glittering with stars. The balcony was accentuated with elegantly carved wooden balustrades, and she leaned against them now as her gaze traveled across the shadowy garden below her.

She could see into the ballroom from here, through a large bay window set in the protruding side of the wall to her right. The window cast a large, yellow patch of light on the bushes and trees below it, lending an enchanted, almost magical presence to the garden with the shadows it threw on the surrounding foliage.

Letting her chin rest in her hands, Wendy turned her face up toward the sky, marveling at it's beauty.

She had a dreamy, almost embarrassing love of skies, especially at night. It was impossible not to, not after that first time.

Second star to the right, and straight on till morning!

His voice came from nowhere, echoing in her head like yesterday. Instinctively, she studied the stars, trying to find it. There was a pause, like time standing still, and she was certain the bright one, the one just above her head, had winked.

Then, before her eyes, a burst of light illuminated the heavens. It shone briefly, then gentled to a glow, streaking across the inky blackness before her. Her breath caught, and she made a wish. Quickly, eagerly, before it was too late.

She watched it continue to fall, fading as it went, transfixed. Something in her chest tingled, and she shivered suddenly. The doors flew open behind her, and Mr. Darling entered the balcony.

"My goodness, Wendy! At last. We've been looking the place over for you. My dear, you will catch your death of a cold out here."

"Yes, Father." She replied obediently. She let him put his arm around her and pull her into house, but not before she'd cast a last glance over her shoulder.

This time, she was positive the star had winked.

Twice.

All comments welcome.