Greetings! Linx. Nice to meet you!

In all honesty, I don't know where this is going. This first chapter was just sitting in my documents folder half finished. I was eventually going to post it on my other account but got writing it last night instead of sleeping - bad idea! I'm most likely going to crash after work today. Anyway, I would be delighted if you would give it a chance at the very least.

Enjoy the story, mi amigos!

Sounds Like An Adventure

It had been years since she had thought about it. Really thought about it. Of course she had spared a fleeting moment to reminisce on her childhood adventures here and there over the years, but not like this. The now young woman stirred from a fitful sleep full of colourful and vivid dreams of the past. Of pirates and mermaids, of Neverland and lost boys, of him.

She woke with a gasp bolting upright in her bed and almost throwing the blanket off of the mattress with the force of her actions. Her eyes searched the room frantically as she struggled to catch her breath. While she took in the dull surroundings and brown coloured walls of her bedroom, she wrestled with her subconscious that it was all in the past where it should stay. Wendy closed her eyes and brought a hand to her sweat-soaked forehead. She inhaled deeply, held the breath for a moment before exhaling, feeling more than the weight of reality pulling her down.

There was a time when she would have woken with a sad nostalgic smile but the older she got the more she wanted to forget. She couldn't let go of the childhood years that were her best and had yet to be trumped thus far… and would probably never be.

'Ah, you're young Wendy. You are yet to have any adventures, darling.' The young woman wondered if her Aunt would still say the same thing if she knew what the Darling children had gotten up to all those years ago when they were eight, twelve and fourteen. She would most likely think they were all stories anyway and repeat the age-old comments about growing up and becoming a proper lady.

A proper lady.

It just seemed to be everything she was not. Her Aunt seemed to be teaching her how to become a mindless robot who cared for a house and agreed to anything anyone elderly or of the opposite sex said. She was teaching her mannerisms and posture and social etiquette. Though lately she had begun trying to incorporate caring for children into her lessons. At this Wendy would slip away the first chance she got.

Wendy wasn't interested in becoming some boring housewife much less a miserable mother. The only mother she would be was the lost boys' mother.

The young lady slipped out of bed and shuffled toward the window wanting to feel the cool night air on her skin. She lifted the window pane with some force and then sat on the ledge almost leaning out. Cool night air filled the room raising the bumps on her arms as it passed her. She closed her eyes again thinking back about how the boys had been on the night they returned.

She was a proud mother and an even prouder sister. They had done so well getting newly accustomed to being part of the family and normal - as much as they could be - English children.

They had a new family, homes, went to school and they were all so very happy. So then why wasn't she? If the Lost Boys - who had grown so accustomed to adventures being an everyday occurrence - could be happy living this normal life…then why couldn't she?

"Maybe I'm sick," she muttered to herself finally opening her eyes and looking up to find that second star to the right without difficulty. She smirked as it twinkled, "You're mocking me."

What if you could go back?

Her hands snapped to the window frame to steady herself as this new question suddenly struck her. She frowned at the snow down below and outside her window reminding her of the night they first left. The only thing missing would be Nana tied to her garden doghouse; she missed that wonderful nursing pup.

"What if I could...go back?" she repeated aloud and looked up at the star as if it had been the one to ask her, "Then I would go back," she gripped the window frame as she leaned further out, "Can I come back? Am I too old now? Please...if you can hear me…please take me back."

"If you come back you may not be able to return again," Wendy's eyes snapped to her left where the warning voice had quietly travelled from. There two feet from her face, she found a tiny figure hovering with long shimmering wings beating too fast for her eyes to keep up. Her blue orbs widened at the faerie… and her fingers' hold slipped.

The woman fell from the third story window and as she fell she wished for Neverland.

Wendy's eyes snapped open yet again with what felt like only moments later. She was met with a brilliant blue sky that seemed to be impossibly dotted with stars even though it appeared day time. She moved to rise but as she brought her hands to her side to help lift herself she felt something else that stunned her. Sand. She grabbed a fistful and let the grains slip through her fingers. She turned her face to the side and realised she was on some kind of beach.

One way a blue ocean that stretched on for miles or endlessly, who could tell from here? And behind her there was a thick forest rich with green and an abundance of all kinds of trees and plants - even some that never normally grew together. Ghostly snowdrops huddled together with fiery hibiscus. Palm trees swaying in the breeze rustling the thick branches of its neighbouring evergreen.

Wendy held her breath and rolled on to her front staring at the island of the shore she had found herself.

"Am I…?" she trailed off.

"Dead?" the same voice from before. Wendy turned to find the faerie again. She wasn't looking at Wendy but also the island.

"Well no," Wendy muttered lifting herself up to a sitting position beside the faerie, "I was going to say 'am I back?'" The young woman suddenly thought back to the fall from the window and turned to the little creature, "Am I dead?"

The faerie regarded her a moment contemplating her wording before confirming none too bluntly, "No. But as I said before you may not return to the Homeland."

"Oh," Wendy said dully. But a moment later her heart-swelled knowing that this was Neverland! Of course!

There was a brief moment as the two creatures sat on the golden sandy beach staring into the green; amazement on one face and boredom on the other.

Wendy smiled at the fae lady but the little creature with the short choppy opal hair did not see as she was too busy glaring into the trees with her dark eyes narrowed and her pale luminescent arms crossed.

"Um, thank you," Wendy finally said.

"Don't thank me," the fae muttered rolling her eyes, "I was sent to you. Even so, it's not happy with the job I have done so far."

"Huh? I'm sorry I don't follow," the young Darling woman pointed out tilting her head in confusion.

The little thing huffed and finally turned her abyss eyes to the human woman, "Doesn't matter, you got what you ultimately wanted, right? To return to Neverland. Well welcome back Miss Darling. If you need anything while you live here, my name is Asteria. You understand my words because I am your personal guide assigned by the winds and birthed by Pixie Hollow, okay?"

"Err, I guess," Wendy replied uncertainly. Asteria had literally hurled those small details at her as if she couldn't care less and that it was of an inconvenience to her. The tiny white head turned back to the trees, "Please don't take this the wrong way - I mean this in no offence - but you're not… as bright? Not… as bubbly as other faeries."

"Offence taken though you're not wrong," Asteria shrugged, "Though in the same breath I would argue that not all faerie's are bright and bubbly as you suggest. I thought you had met Tinkerbell?"

The blonde could not help but sniggered at the snide comment and it actually made the corners of Asteria's lips lift. She was capable of smiling and of humour, that was at least good to know. Wendy nodded, "Okay, I apologise."

Once more Asteria shrugged before her wins began to beat and she lifted off of the ground, "Where do you plan on staying?"

"Oh, um," the smile fell as her eyes strayed back to the forest. She bit her lip in contemplation and crossed her arms over her chest.

The fae lady's eyes narrowed, "You have no idea, do you? Well that's just wonderful!"

"Well, in my defense, I never thought I would have the chance to come back here so I never put much thought into it!" the young woman threw her hands in the air haphazardly, "It just seemed like a childhood fantasy that would never come true!"

The faerie groaned audibly and began listing off suggestions, "You're only options are; the tribesmen - which they will want to know where you came from and how. Mermaid Lagoon - which even on the shores you're not safe if you fall asleep. Trust me, I've watched those beasts drag grown screaming men into the waters from the treeline even though they lack feet." Wendy shuddered at the thought, "You could maybe join the pirates - but that would banish you from most social circles. One of those being the Prince of Neverland."

"Peter?" Wendy asked memories rushing back and bubbling to the forefront of her mind. She chuckled softly, "He's a prince now, is he?"

"He's always been the Prince," Asteria rolled her eyes, "However most have their own titles for him. Among the fae, he is the Prince of Neverland… You could always see if he would allow you back into the camp."

"Hangman's tree," Wendy quietly remembered.

Asteria shook her head, "No, not anymore. Allegedly a girl once gave away the location to the pirates so it had to be changed," the way Asteria cocked her head and eyed the woman told Wendy that the faerie knew that she were the 'girl' in question. She continued when Wendy averted her eyes across the oceans, "As I said you could try with the Prince, however he is not so keen on… elders."

Wendy's face shot back to the small lady, "You say that as if I'm old."

"I say that because you are old-er!" Asteria snapped back, "He brought you here as a child because he prefers to live as and with children! You are older now. An adult. He won't be as accepting of you now. Even if you are Wendy."

"He wouldn't cast me out, would he?" the young woman asked all of a sudden concerned.

Another shrug, "You did leave when he asked you to stay."

"I missed my parents," she muttered.

"And what will you do when you start to miss them this time?" Asteria asked coldly.

The women stared at each other for a long moment. Meaning and understanding exchanged between their expressions until finally Wendy sighed and nodded.

She grit her teeth. No, this is what she wanted! This was fine. Yes! She would miss them dearly, but she needed this life! This adventure! She needed to be here.

She pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind and looked the faerie head on, "So any other options? In case, I'm… you know, rejected… or banished."

"Well, there's the forest," Asteria turned to look at the greenery again and gestured widely with one arm before adding, "But you will run in to everyone eventually in doing so. Everyone roams the forest. Looking for each other. Looking for food. Playing. You'll either run into them or them into you."

"You know what? Sounds like an adventure!" Wendy smiled at the faerie and the smaller lady finally smiled back again.

I'm uploading the second chapter tonight also. Like I said, been writing all night instead of sleeping - I am not a role model!

I would love to hear your thoughts, on the story thus far as I can only improve upon what I am told.

Thank you for taking time out of your day to read my ramblings. Have a wonderful rest of the week.

It's Wednesday my dudes! Aaah!

Linx