The Dea → Peter Pan ✔

The Name

It was surreal to see the silent waves and the bright blue sky, the sun shining brightly onto the two of them, just hot enough to be comfortable but not hot enough to be boiling.

"It's as if the universe wasn't at risk of ending a few moments ago." The Dea said casually from beside him. Her outfit had changed – she was now wearing a dark blue sundress and her feet were bare. Peter was accustomed enough to not be surprised.

"It's uncanny," Peter agreed. Then he said quietly. "There are still some questions I need the answer to."

"Ask away," The Dea grinned at him. "We have forever."

Peter couldn't help but chuckle at her words. "Well, you ripped out the Hag's heart and destroyed it, but where's your own? You said it made you stronger by not having it on you."

The Dea sighed. "You remember how the Hag said that we used to go around collecting souls?"

"Yes, you said she needed her heart to do that, so that means..."

"When I found out about Wendy and how the Hag had wanted to destroy your realm, I lost the urge to build my power." The Dea explained softly. "That's why Grim was there to help me win against her. Without him, I would have lost that fight, since she had years worth of more power drawn from souls that she had collected since I had given up soul-hunting. I took out my own heart, and for a thousand years or so, I was weak, but I found out how to channel it in a way that allowed me to live as though I still had it."

"So where is it? Your heart?"

"It's here, Peter."

He frowned. "What?"

The Dea smiled. "I buried my heart underneath Neverland."

Peter stared at her. "I don't follow."

"My heart is buried under the seabed beneath this very island. I thought that since this realm was the reason that I had lost my partner in crime, I figured that I might as well give it something even more valuable, so I would have an even stronger reason to protect it." The Dea explained patiently. She giggled at Peter's stunned epxression. "You never realized that the island seemed to flourish after Wendy's death?"

"I was too busy," Peter mumbled.

The Dea smiled at him sympathetically. "I am sorry you had to find out, Peter, but I figured that the truth was more important to you."

"It is," Peter reassured her. "Thank you."

"You deserved to know." The Dea said, laying down on the sand with her eyes closed. "Anything else?"

"Why did you choose to protect my realm in the first place? Before you hid your heart here, that is," Peter added.

There was a moment of silence. Finally, she said, almost so quiet that Peter couldn't hear her, "Because of you, Peter.

"When I still had my heart, I stumbled across your world while I was looking for my next victim. I sensed that there was a powerful being inhabiting the realm, so I got excited. I investigated and then I saw you.

"You were watching your boys train. It was interesting. I wanted to know more. For the first time, I saw the beings that we hunted as more than just sources of power. I kept watching. In between hunts, I came back and observed. You interested me, Peter, to the point where all I could think about was you."

"So, what does that mean?" Peter pushed.

The Dea laughed. "You're trying to get me to say it, aren't you?"

Peter nodded, smirking. "Of course."

"Alright then, if it'll boost your ego," Then her voice took a softer tone. "I fell in love, Peter, with you."

Peter smiled from ear to ear. "I fell in love with you too."

Then he felt the Dea peck his cheek, and he smiled even wider. Without a second thought, he put his hands on the sides of her neck and turned his head to kiss her on the lips.

When he pulled away, the Dea laughed. "That was nice."

"Yes it was," Peter agreed.

She laid her head on his shoulder and Peter put an arm around her waist. There was a minute of peace between them before she continued. "Then the Hag saw that I was getting less focused as each day passed. She found out that I was watching you. She knew of your power. She wanted your soul. I told her that she couldn't."

"And she went and created Wendy," Peter sighed. "But why did she feel like she had to do it behind your back? She was bound to know that you would find out, with you watching Neverland like that."

"When we dominated worlds, Peter," The Dea murmured. "I was the more ruthless out of the two of us. I'm not proud of it, but I used to be. I took pride in knowing that I was more powerful, that I was stronger.

"I was proud, I was arrogant. I knew that the Hag wasn't as strong as I was, so I used that to my advantage. I called the shots. She did whatever I said. As long as she obeyed, we were fine. We didn't make a good pair, but we were sure as hell deadly.

"But then I guess that she finally had enough, so she went against my orders. Part of the reason that I came to see you, Peter, was because I felt that you having your heart broken was my doing. I pushed the Hag too hard, so she fought back. It was bound to happen."

"It wasn't your fault," Peter said gently. "I don't blame you for Wendy."

"But I blame myself," The Dea sighed. "I'm sensing that there's one more thing that you want to know."

"Your name – your real name."

The Dea grinned, her eyes closed. "Originally, my name was spoken in a tongue that only deities could speak, but I decided to simplify it for the other beings and adopt something the Romans called one of their most powerful goddesses."

"So what's your name?"

"It is as simple as it can get – Diana."

"Diana," Peter mused. "Not bad. I like it."

"Good," Diana chuckled. "Because even if you didn't, you'd have forever to get used to it."

The two of them watched as the waves bounced up and down on the horizon.

"You're not leaving anytime soon, right?" Peter asked, frowning.

"What makes you think I will?"

Peter shrugged. "I don't know. I'm slightly worried that you'll..." He hesitated for a little bit before contuing. "Get bored."

Diana laughed. Despite himself, Peter cracked a smile. "What?"

"I've been around since time began, Peter, I'm ready to settle down."

Peter heaved a sigh of relief. "Good, because I don't think I could take it if someone else I loved left."

"Don't you worry, sweetheart." Diana kissed him again.

"I'm not going anywhere."

With that promise made, the sun faded beneath the sea.