Neverland - Completed

Chapter 16

•Rose•

It was a miracle when I noticed Peter was missing. It was much easier to slip away when his prying eyes weren't watching. Although I was worried about what kind of trouble the boys could get into without either Peter or I around, I snuck behind the hanging tree and searched the ground for where the blue stone was nestled. It was a wonder how I'd managed to remember where Micheal and I had planned to meet. That we even had planned this meeting.

Last full moon Peter had a party just like the one tonight, Nana however, had been the one to lead me off into the bushes where Micheal was waiting. However I'd known it was too dangerous out in the open so instead, I'd brought him to the cavern beneath the tree. The one where Wendy's diary hid. I hadn't thought about that diary in a long time. What lay inside it scared me.

I climbed through the small tunnel, surprised when I saw that Micheal was already there, Nana by his side. He sat beside the wooden chest, tracing the carved W with his finger.

Every detail of his face came into focus, every detail I'd forgotten. The way his hair stuck up in every direction, the crease between his brows. His lips were pressed in a thin line, I longed to see he's smile that I couldn't quite picture in my mind.

"Micheal." I breathed, warmth flooding my chest. He jumped to his feet and I ran into his arms. How had I forgotten this feeling?

Micheal no longer wore his green vest, instead was dressed in mostly black. The only thing he had left from his days as a Lost Boy was the pink bandana around his neck.

"Rose, I wasn't sure if you'd remember." He pulled me closer and I could smell the faint sent of the sea on him.

"I almost didn't." I murmured, pulling back so that I could see his face again, "I could barely remember the colour of your eyes."

"The closer you get to Peter Pan the more you're going to forget. You have to be careful." At the sound of his name, a shiver ran down my spine. There was a pull in my heart to go back up to the surface and find out where Peter had snuck off to. "We need to get rid of him, every day we wait is another day he could figure out what we're planning."

"Micheal," I started, heart racing at the thought of my confession, "I- I don't know if this is such a good idea. I don't think Peter's-"

"The pirates have told me things," Micheal frowned, hurt, "I didn't want to believe it at first either, but we need to take action. Before anyone else gets hurt."

"How do you even know you can trust the pirates!" I exclaimed, surprised with my outburst. However it was true, what did we really know about the pirates? Other than they hated Peter. Maybe we'd got it wrong, maybe Peter wasn't the bad guy.

"Rose, I've started to remember things. Out at sea, away from this island, away from him, I started to remember." His voice broke, and I suddenly realized something I hadn't before. I wasn't the only one who'd changed.

"What do you mean?" I was scared. A part of me didn't want to know what he remembered. I wasn't sure if I wanted things to change just yet.

"I remember her." Micheal kneeled back down by the wooden chest, placing the palm of his hand on the W. "Wendy. She was my sister, and he killed her."

I didn't know what to say. The world was spinning, my knees were shaking. We'd speculated that Peter had done things, that he was dangerous, that he might kill us. But this made it real. This wasn't our fears creating illusions, it wasn't a story we'd made up in our heads. Peter wasn't a damaged boy that I could fix. He was broken beyond repair.

My gut twisted when I realized I wanted to cover it up. I wanted to pretend it wasn't real.

"You know, she sounded just like you." There were tears brimming in Micheals eyes, and I noticed my cheeks were wet as well. "But she wanted to go home. So he killed her. He's killed so many. So many boys. And we just, forgot. I forgot about my sister. About my parents. About my brother."

"Your brother?" I croaked, there was an uncomfortable lump in my throat. I wanted to scream, to run away. To go home. I didn't know where home was.

"Yes. I had a brother too." Had. That awful word.

I sunk to the ground beside Micheal, both of us buried beneath our thoughts. Although I knew I should feel guilty that I was growing close to a killer, that wasn't what made my heart hurt. For some reason, the realization that I was just a replacement made my hands shake. I sound just like she did. I sounded just like Wendy, Micheals sister, the girl Peter wished I was.

"I know it's confusing, I just wish I could take you out to sea. It would clear your mind." Micheal's hand covered mine as he spoke, "You understand why we have to get rid of him right? Can't you remember why you told me to leave in the first place? He's dangerous."

"He's never tried to hurt me." My throat stung, that was a lie. Although everyday it happened less, there was moments when Peter scared me. Where deep down I knew something was wrong with him.

"Do you love him?" The question was so sudden, so unexpected, it almost sent me running.

"Love is a strong word." I almost choked on my words. No, I did not love Peter Pan. There was, however, a part of me that was starting to see another side to the boy.

"I did once. He was the closest thing to family that I could remember. Peter Pan was my big brother." Micheal slammed his fist into the ground, anguish replaced by rage. "I thought we'd take him down before I lost you too."

"For one," I snapped, suddenly angry myself, "I was the one to was weary of Peter, I was the one who told you to run. And two, you haven't lost me."

"But I am losing you." He groaned, tugging at his hair, "I know what it's like to be around him for such a long time. You don't realize how much it changes you until you have time away. Time to remember who you were and who you're meant to be."

I knew things had changed since Micheal left. But I didn't realize I had changed so significantly. So much that he thought he'd lost me. Change was supposed to be a good thing, it meant you were growing. But I didn't think growing was such a good thing in Neverland. It seemed to end with death.

"I know what I need to do, even if my heart is telling me something else. I still know what's real" I inched closer to Micheal, close enough I could feel the frustrated heat radiating off of him.

"Then what is real Rose? Prove to me you still know what's real."

"This." I acted without thinking, grabbing the back of his head and pulling it to mine.

I didn't think I'd ever kissed someone, but it felt like we'd done this before.

There'd been those moments with Peter though, full of tension and longing, yet there was always something in the way. There was nothing in the way now. Micheal and I were completely alone beneath the roots of the hanging tree.

Although the kiss hadn't lasted longer than a second, our lips hovered inches apart for much longer. I felt like I was floating, veins filled with pixy dust. His breath was hot and ragged against my mouth, fuelling my racing heart.

"Was that real enough for you?" I whispered, my lips brushing against his as I spoke.

"Next full moon, I'll be here. Don't forget about me." Micheal pulled my face against his one last time. His fingers tracing the sides of my face, like he feared he'd be the one to forget me.

Then he was gone before I even opened my eyes.