Author's Note: Sadly, I do not own Peter Pan or Wendy or Hook or any of the original characters. This is based on both the book and the movie and a dream I had. XD If you like the story I will update. If no one reviews or I get bad ones then I'll leave it alone. Please r+r, it's my first PP fanfic.

Chapter 1: Unwanted Proposal

"I'm sorry, father, I can't do it." Wendy Darling smoothed her light brown curly hair and looked down. She began petting Li Chen, a content male Siamese cat sleeping in her lap, and avoided looking at her father. Wendy loved Li; she had rescued him and another kitten from the gutter just as easily as she had rescued several lost boys. She had a knack for it.

"Yes you can, Wendy, and you will. You are nearly seventeen, not a child! It's high time for you to be thinking about marriage. I have come to an arrangement with Charles Taylor's father and you will attend the engagement party he's throwing for the two of you and you will like it." Mr. Darling paced in front of his daughter, seated in the open window of the nursery, a place he thought she no longer belonged.

"An arranged marriage is not so bad, sweetheart," her mother added softly. "Your father and I had one."

Which is one of the reasons why I do not want one, Wendy thought, and then chided herself for her unkindness. But it was true. She had always been a dutiful daughter but she did not want an arranged marriage.

"I'm terribly sorry, father, and I do appreciate your kind intent, but I—"

"Am a willful child! One that I will…will…" Mr. Darling paused, thinking of the worst punishment possible. "Disown if you don't listen to reason."

"I thought you said I am no longer a child," Wendy said quietly.

"Ooh," Mr. Darling looked as though he could spit. Or strangle her. Or spit on her as he strangled her. Her mother stood behind him, acquiescing to his wishes though Wendy could see the sadness in her eyes. Wendy was not going to end up exactly like her mother—even though she loved her dearly—because she didn't want to be a perfect house-wife. At one time she had thought she had, but she had been fooling herself in order to live up to the expectations she was held to.

"Dear, the carriage is awaiting us, is now the time to argue?" Mrs. Darling spoke quietly, demurely, and her husband looked at her and nodded tightly at her point.

"You will go to the engagement party and that is the final word. Now, your mother and I must be going to dinner at Lord Chunnel's; I trust you can take care of the boys while we are gone. The dog's tied outside, so she should warn you of any intruders. I hope that your attitude will have improved when we return."

He stormed out of the room, nearly tripping on Wendy's second rescued cat, Nira, a female Calico. Mrs. Darling embraced her daughter. "He means well, sweetheart. Know that we love you, always."

She kissed her mother and then her parents were gone and Wendy was embarrassed at the large amount of relief she felt. She didn't want to fight with them but her desire not to be forced into marriage was even greater. How could she want to be engaged? She had only met Charles Taylor once and he had been a boorish, rude, nasty boy that she had no desire to see again. And besides, if she did marry, Peter would never again come to her window. Peter…

She hadn't seen him for many months now and she honestly wasn't sure he was going to come back. They had quarreled, last time, and he had left in a fit of temper. Wendy couldn't imagine how she had ever thought she could leave Peter behind like one does with a favorite childhood toy. He was her best friend. After they had argued at his last visit, he'd yelled,"Who wants to visit a stupid girl anyway? A stupid girl who doesn't even admit that she wants to grow up," as he flew away.

"But I don't want to grow up, Li," Wendy whispered to her Siamese cat. He rubbed against her sympathetically, purring. He rather enjoyed being a young cat, himself. Nira, the Calico, jumped up next to them and meowed. Wendy stroked both of her pets as she thought of the situation. She sat there in the window seat and thought of Peter and her impending engagement and she cried; cried for everything she'd lost, everything she would lose, and because didn't have any pixie dust. Both cats rubbed against her and purred. She was crying so hard she didn't notice Nana barking outside or the sudden gust of wind.

"Wendy-lady? What's wrong?"

Wendy looked up, heart in her throat, and threw herself at Peter Pan, tears streaking her cheeks. Both Li Chen and Nira retreated to a safe distance to observe this young human that flew like a bird.

Peter patted Wendy's shoulder awkwardly and she pulled away, looking at him closely with her bright blue eyes. He was older. Not such a young boy anymore. Probably near her age. He had filled out, become more muscular—though he was still a bit lanky and kept his freckled, boyish charm—and he was quite attractive with those hazel eyes of his… Stop it, Wendy Moira Angela Darling, she ordered herself.

"Peter?" Wendy wiped away her tears. "Oh, Peter, you've grown."

The youth blushed and looked down at his feet. "Yeah."

"But…but?"

"I did a lotta thinking about what you said, before. How we'd grow apart since you aged and I didn't. And…an' I thought we could…" He searched for the word she had often used with him and the other boys. "Con-premise."

"Compromise, silly," she corrected, smiling.

"Yeah, that. So I kept coming to London secretly and stayed longer and longer and eventually time caught up with me and I was about your age. Y'know, nearly grown up but not quite."

Wendy blushed. "Peter, you did that for me?" She was touched. And worried. "Tell me you're not too old to go to Never Never land?"

"No, I'm not that old. And you aren't neither, not yet," he added slyly. "Besides, I did it cuz of the pirates, too."

"The pirates?"

"Yes," he said, glad for a change of topic. "Hook's not the only codfish with a boat anymore. There's another load of pirates that's showed up and they're even worse than his lot! Tons of the boys have been hurt and I figured if I had a bit more muscle it'd help."

"Where did they come from?"

Peter shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno. Maybe some of Hook's crew rebelled. I would, if I worked for him."

"I am so glad to see you, Peter. I thought—I thought all those foolish things I said made you so angry that you would never come back. I thought you would forget me."

Peter saw her wet eyes. "Aw, Wendy, I'll always come to your window. And I'll never forget you…even if you can be a stupid girl."

She grinned. "We're a good pair—a stupid girl and a silly boy."

His promise to come to her always made her feel funny inside, warm and happy but tight and worried, too. What if she was forced away from this window?

"What is it?" Silly boy or not, Peter had noticed Wendy's worried look. "What's wrong? You were cryin' before and now you're upset. You don't seem that happy to see me."

His feelings were hurt, she could tell. "Oh, Peter, I'm upset because I'm so happy to see you."

Peter blinked; the few extra years he had gained by staying in the real world more frequently had not made him understand girls any better.

"What I mean is that I'm afraid, I'm so afraid that I won't be able to see you for much longer."

"Why?"

Wendy sat back down in the window seat. Li Chen leapt up next to her while Nira rubbed Peter's legs. "My father's making me marry someone." Peter merely looked at her. "You know, growing up and promising to be with that person forever and—and having children with them for real, not pretend—and always doing what they say and never being improper." At Peter's disgusted—and jealous?—face, she added, "I don't want to. I don't want to be a—a nice tame wife like mother."

"So don't."

"I don't have much of a choice." She scratched Li's dark ears. "Father said that if I didn't marry he would disown me. I don't know what to do."

"I do." Peter swallowed and cleared his throat when she looked at him with those pretty eyes of hers. "Come to Never land with me, Wendy-bird. Come back with me and you'll never, ever, ever be forced to marry. And you wouldn't have to grow all the way up and we could have our adventures together again..." He paused, embarrassed. "It wouldn't be too much of a bother to have you around all the time."

Wendy felt like she couldn't breathe. Peter had proposed exactly what she wanted; a life of magic with him. She'd gone back to London and tried to be a normal girl for the sake of her parents and for John and Michael. But her parents wanted her out of the house soon, anyway, and the boys were older and would understand. She realized he was waiting for an answer by the impatient way he looked at her and crossed his arms. Outside, Nana began barking fiercely. Wendy opened her mouth to tell Peter Pan that yes, yes of course she'd go with him, she wanted nothing but to be with him, when she screamed.