Okay, this is my first Peter Pan story. I just read Peter Pan in Scarlet so I got back into the series. It's a PeterxJane story, because Jane really doesn't get enough love and I wondered how she would feel knowing she was second to her mom. Anyway, hope you enjoy!
Jane wasn't as fantastical as her mother.
From since she was able to talk and walk, Jane had a more sensible approach to life. If she wanted something, she would work hard to get it, as stubborn and determined as she was. Then, when her daddy had to leave for the war, she was left in charge, which pained her to see her daddy leave, but she knew she could handle it. She was the oldest and she could be responsible.
She admired her mother's spirit though.
The one that told magical stories, almost all of them including a magical place called "Neverland" with pirates, mermaids, Indians, but most importantly, Peter Pan and the Lost Boys.
When she was younger, she was swept away by them, playing out the stories with her little brother, Danny. But as the war got harder, Jane grew colder to the fantasies of childhood. Soon, she was just like a little adult, making schedules, listening for the news reports.
Then, that all changed when she was literally stolen away from her bedroom from the seemingly fictional Captain Hook and his crew. Captain Hook had wanted to get to Peter Pan, and to do that, he had to get Wendy. Who was really her mother.
Of course, it was always her loving, silly mother they wanted. Not the sensible Jane.
But, through the time there, with all the adventures, Jane embraced being a kid, having fun and getting dirty. She even became the First Lost Girl, which was quite an accomplishment. Because she had that one thing that her mother didn't.
Now, she was home, staring out at the starry night sky, leaning against the windowsill. Yes, this used to be her mother's room when she was a young girl, and she had no doubt that Jane was just copying her actions.
She loved her mother, she truly did, but she felt so much less than her mother. Her mother had been "Mother" to all the lost boys, they had all loved her first, and who could blame them? Her mother, Wendy, was a dazzling spark of light that brought happiness wherever she went. It just seemed like Jane was her shadow, blessed to have her looks, but had so much of a different personality that was a lot more like her father's.
A shadow crossed over her face and Jane looked up, she had had her face in her arms, just to see a dark figure fly over her and into the bedroom behind her. Jane turned around to face Peter Pan, the boy who was the main hero of all her mother's stories and Jane's own personal adventures. She smiled, though it didn't quite reach to her eyes.
"Hello Peter." She said softly, still sitting by the window. Peter just grinned and walked over to her, sitting right by her. "Hi Jane, what have you been up to?"
Jane shrugged, of course she had nothing interesting to tell. She couldn't weave amazing stories like Wendy. "Oh, not too much. It's been rather boring actually. I bet you've had loads more fun than me." She said simply. It had to be true.
Peter laughed, though it was still quietly, he knew the others were sleeping. "You got that right! Me and the boys were playing hide and seek and Cubby got stuck in a tree! Then, we were diving off waterfalls and scared the mermaids, one even threw a seashell at the twins, but they dodged her easily. But, it would be even more fun if you were around. How about it, Jane?"
As Jane listened to his little story, her smile still stayed on, but it was more of a sad smile now. Even though she was listening, she was wondering if they really wanted her around. I mean, sure, they liked her just fine, but was she just a replacement for her mother? I mean, they had even called her their "Mother"! Maybe the only reason they bothered with her was because she looked like Wendy, and Wendy wasn't a child anymore.
Peter snapped a finger in front of her face, which snapped Jane out it. "Oh! I'm sorry, what was that?" Peter frowned slightly, which was a rare enough thing. "What's the matter, Jane? You seem kind of...sad."
Jane shook her head rapidly. "Oh no, I'm not! I was just...daydreaming, really. It's nothing." She tried to shrug it off, but Peter, even with his fun-loving personality, could be serious and saw right through her.
His hands reached up to her shoulders and gripped hard, but not too hard to hurt it. "You know as well as I do that you have to have good thoughts to fly. We can't go anywhere if you're upset, so what's the problem?"
Jane looked down to her hands, discarding her charade of being happy. She kept her head there, still be stubborn about it until Peter released one of her shoulders, gently tipped her head up by her chin, and looked straight into her eyes, tender chocolate meeting troubled cerulean. That look made her defenses drop. "I'm not as good as Wendy."
She watched as his eyebrows furrowed together in confusion, before understanding a few moments later. He hesitated then, unsure of what to do, before letting go off her. She closed her eyes tightly. Of course, she shouldn't have said anything. They both knew it was true, and now he would probably leave for her little breakdown. She bit on her bottom lip, trying to hold in the crushing emotions when she felt two warm arms wrap around her trembling body. She opened her eyes widely and saw it was Peter. Peter Pan. The childish boy who just wanted to play games and adventures, and to have fun. Peter Pan, who was now trying to comfort her?
Jane instinctively lifted her arms to hug him back, her face nestling between his neck and shoulder, as two lone tears slid out of her eyes, which just made her tighten her grip.
They stayed like that for a while, Jane lost track of time, but she felt so much better when she pulled back, figuring she shouldn't push her luck by dragging it out even longer. Peter had a calm expression, sort of quiet, as he watched her closely. Jane rubbed the tears off her face, trying to compose herself, she had a hard time looking at him. Even though he had just comforted her, she felt kind of embarrassed.
"Um...thank you, Peter." She said, looking away at the night again. She felt his hand wrap around hers and she looked back, surprised.
Peter looked like he was struggling to say something and she just waited patiently for him to say it. "Jane...you have to know. Wendy, your mother...well, she was fun and everything...but you're...special." Jane tilted her head a little. "Special?" She asked, trying to figure out what he meant by special. It could be either a good or bad thing, so she didn't quite understand.
He ran his other hand through his auburn hair, exhaling loudly. "Special like...when Wendy, John, and Michael came back here, I was okay with it, I mean, me and the boys would miss them, but it was okay. But with you...I can't stand it when you're not around. Nothing seems to be as fun as it used to."
Jane's eyes widened. Did she hear that correctly? She had no idea she had made such an impact, and one bigger than her mother's? Wow.
"Do you really mean that?" She asked, amazed.
Peter nodded enthusatiscally. "Of course I do! I love having you around, Jane! That's why I end up coming here so often, I...well, I miss you."
Jane still couldn't believe it. This was the boy who wouldn't grow up, who just wanted to be a child forever. And here he was, actually admitting his feelings? It seemed that, at least mentally, Peter had grown up a little bit. A big grin appeared on her face and she practically tackled him in another hug. "I like being with you too!" She whispered happily. They both laughed.
No, she wasn't as good as Wendy. She was Jane and Jane wasn't her mother. And she didn't really mind that much anymore.
You know, I'm kind of proud of myself. I used to have a story up on Fanfiction but I deleted it because it didn't work out. And for the past couple of months, I've had writer's block, so now, that I actually have something, even if it is just a short story, I'm super happy! Yay! :)
-IDKayla