She lay quietly beneath her tiger-striped quilt, asleep. Wisps of dark, pixie-cut hair stuck up in places. In her sleep, she had a shy yet happy smile. She had been dreaming about Neverland.

                "Come with me." He reached out his hand, through her open window, sheer tiger-striped curtains blowing in the wind. She took his hand, and they flew off into the night sky.

That was as far as the dream got, tonight, for the sharp ring of her cell-phone woke her.

"Hello?" she croaked.

"Em? I didn't wake you up did I? It's only 12:30." Shari chirped into the receiver.

"No, no, that's ok."

"You weren't online, so I was wondering if everything was ok?"

"Yea, Shari, I'm fine. Just a little tired after the party last night." She yawned and brushed her hand through her short dark hair.

"Oh… Alright then, I'll talk to you tomorrow." Shari sounded mildly disappointed that there was no problem to gossip about.

"Later." Emily clicked her phone off and stared out her window.

"Second the to the right and straight on till morning." She sighed sadly. She was the only 14 year old she knew with hopes about a place that lots of people thought was just a fairy-tale. She hadn't told anyone about her dreams, not even Shari. Part of her wanted to forget them and grow up, but part of her just clung on with all its might to the carefree life and stuffed animals most people push away far too soon.

You couldn't have called Emily Taylor naïve, and that was quite clear. She herself was innocent, for the most part. She was very picky around boys who liked her and such. But she knew people who drunk too much, and smoked pot and slept around. And as some of you might not understand, these were very normal things for 14 year olds to deal with. But Emily was not in the least bit normal. Her room, besides a jungle motif, was full of dolls, and stuffed animals, and pictures of puppies and cartoon characters. Yes, she had posters of bands and pictures of her friends and makeup, but no one could help noticing large stuffed puppies and kittens and the occasional pink rabbit lining the shelves.

Emily had a distinct face, with large, round, dark eyes, and small thin lips. Her nose was no button, but was not as large as it could have been, looking at her father. She was short and thin, with tiny hands most of her guy-friends could bend a knuckle around, and they all had a fun time lifting her up and occasionally playing catch. You can't say that Emily minded she liked the funny looks she got when she was perched on the shoulder of a friend some 10 inches taller than she was. Life was interesting, but she couldn't help wanting more than she had. She wanted to leave, and go to the magical place of her dreams. She felt its lure; she felt it call to her in the nighttime sky, taunting her, until it was almost too much to bear.

And so it was that a fourteen-year-old Emily cried herself to sleep, with one arm hanging out the window and her head on her other arm, resting on the ledge. It was this unusual position that drew an odd fourteen-year-old boy to this window, in a small street in London. He was not ordinary, in fact anything but ordinary, and he flew up to examine the arm he saw.

He peeked in the window cautiously; looking at the unruly dark-capped head that rested on the arm he saw. It was a girl; not older than he was who had fallen asleep like that. And even though he was not an ordinary one, he was a teenage boy just the same, and couldn't help staying for a while to gaze at the strange girl. She was awkwardly pretty, and had a certain lure to him. He sighed softly and flew in her window, to gently slide her back in and cover her up, as to avoid catching cold. He smiled and gently before flying back out of the room, which, to his amazement, had light-purple walls. He left the window open, though, incase he decided to come back later.

*~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~*~~~~~~*~~~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~~~*~~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~*

She tugged a book off the shelf and curled off on the library floor. She lightly ran her hands over the cover, and then opened it up to the first page. She was hardly done with chapter three when a Library worker came upon her isle, and saw the girl, sitting on the floor with her back against a shelf, looking very involved in the book. He cleared his throat noticeably, and she looked up. "We have benches over there… just so you don't have to sit on the floor…" He seemed as though he was talking to a retarded person. She just smiled and said she was fine, thanks. She finished shortly after.

She stood up to shove the book back on the shelf when she thought she heard someone down the isle from her. She peeked around a bit, but decided that no one was there, and went back into the isle to put the book back. She heard no one after then, but she felt eyes on her back as she pushed the book back on the shelf and scanned for another.

She finished at the library and bought an ice cream, strawberry, and stepped outside to eat it at the nearby park. She was settled under an apple tree with a book she had picked out for only a little while, when a boy from her gym class walked over too her. "Emily! Long time no see, girl, how's it goin'?" The tall blonde asked her.

"Hey Tommy! It's been great!" She shoved the book back in her bag and forced a light smile. Tommy was really cute, but all he wanted from girls was a heavy smooch-session… just more names for the list.

"Whadda ya say we go hit the fort?" He winked and put her arm around her. The fort was an abandoned tree house in the park that parents wouldn't let their kids go to. It was used among the teen population as quite the happening make-out spot.

"I dunno … I really have to be getting home soon- my mom's expecting me for dinner…" She broke out of his arm.

"Aww, come on. It'll be fun!" He put his arms around her waist.

"I don't think I c-" She was stifled by a kiss. She hesitated, but kissed him back for a second, and then she came back to earth, and tried to push him, but being much smaller than he was, had a hard time.

"OW!" He backed up and rubbed his head. "Something hit me!" As soon as that was said, apples came flying out of the tree at him- a dozen or more of them. He covered his head. Emily ran, but whispered a thank you to whatever was in that tree.

She got home just in time for dinner. "Hey honey!" her mom called from the kitchen, waved, and then she went back to setting the table.

Dinner involved her parents talking about the latest idiots at work, her sister picking out certain undesirables from her meal and picking at it, and Emily eating fast and finishing first. Tonight was especially typical, and then Emily, feeling much too tired from the days… events… turned in.

"Emily! Come with me! We'll go to Neverland and you can stay with us! Emily… Emily…"

She opened her eyes… someone was calling her name, all right. She looked around the room, and then behind her… at the window. Her eyes widened. Then she sighed for a moment, and thought it must be a dream.

"Em the … Emily…?" his face was about an inch from hers. "Can I come in?"

"Sure." She was not at all excited- she would eventually wake up. "I suppose I'm dreaming again." She sighed, and plopped down against her feather bed.

"No your not! I'm Peter Pan! I thought you must have seen me when- Today… when I…" he looked embarrassed and rubbed the back of his head, nervously. Emily noticed… she had that habit.

"When…" She whispered. She narrowed her eyes and looked at him, really looked at him. The beautiful honey eyes, red hair… it was everything she dreamed he's be.  She reached out and touched his face with her small hand, resting it against his jaw-line. He widened his eyes, surprised, but said nothing. "The apples today… you stopped Tommy didn't you?"

"Of course… who'd you think?" He smiled proudly.

Tinker Bell snorted and crossed her arms- she was sitting on a ledge that held up long, drapey curtains, turning red and angry around the edges.

"Wow… I never thought- well I had hoped- but… you! Here, now… with me." She slid her hand off his face and smiled.

"Well why shouldn't I be?" He shrugged slightly.

"I just… I've been dreaming about you all my life… and here you are! And I'm not just dreaming!" She looked as though she would cry.

"Well… how'd you like to come back with me?" He hovered, Indian-style, over the bed, but low enough to be face-to-face.

"I wouldn't love anything more." She looked into his soft, brown eyes, and smiled.

Tinker Bell snapped into her full-fledged angry mode, and crept up behind Emily and kicked her in the back of her head. Emily rubbed it, nonchalantly, but glared at the beautiful pixie. She just tossed her bun and examined her nails. Peter grabbed her, and sprinkled dust all over Emily, who started floating towards the ceiling. She grabbed Peter's hand. He turned the other way, to blush, and he squeezed her hand. She was taken aback, but she smiled at him. He just looked at her… 'Like I'm crazy…' Emily thought. She held on tight to his hand- not because she hadn't flown before but because this time he wasn't dream- and she was not about to let him get away.

Disclaimer: Nope. Sorry. I own the Taylor family and nothing more. So don't sue me! Yet, being that this is fan fiction and not author fiction, I don't know WHY you would.