Neverland was created by two people. Two minds bound by their desire for love and acceptance. The wish for a home that was granted to them in a magical way. It was how things had always been.

Processing the knowledge that there was now a third child on the island took a lot longer than one might expect. Peter was excited about what Henry's arrival meant, but I couldn't share in his enthusiasm.

We were two halves of a whole, Peter and I. We had both been abandoned at the orphanage from a young age. We grew up together, did everything together. Some nights Peter would sneak into my bed and we'd hide under the sheets with a flashlight and read one of the books we'd stolen from the library. Whatever it had been, it was always the two of us.

The sun overhead was bright and golden. The waves crashed against the sand as Peter and I walked along the beach a few days later. His hand was clasped in my own, something I'd subconsciously taken to doing as if afraid he would let go.

A little further down, Henry - the boy Peter had brought to Neverland - ran down the beach with shouts of childlike joy as he chased seagulls and ran through the shallows of the water. Peter had called to him sternly when he'd strayed too far at one point.

"He's quite wonderful," Peter commented at one point as we walked. His eyes were on Henry as he said, "You just need to give this a chance, James."

"And what exactly is this, Peter? What is your plan?"

"Neverland is our kingdom, and Henry is the first to fall under that reign. Doesn't that excite you?"

"You know we're not real kings, right?"

Peter laughed, throwing his hands out. "Real, imaginary, it's all the same, James. There are no rules here. We are free to do as we please."

"And how does that involve Henry?"

"Because Henry is going to help us build what you and I started."

I stopped in my tracks. "Build? What are you talking about?"

"Neverland is magic, you know that. I've been learning to weild that magic for months. I haven't harnessed it yet, but the fairies have been teaching me and soon, this place will be big enough for so many more. Think about how many more children could live here, James!"

I would've tripped had I been moving when Peter said that. Horrified, I stared at him. "You want to bring more children here? Peter, that's insane!"

Peter frowned. "I don't understand. This is what we wanted."

"We wanted an escape not a fairy tale!"

"It's all the same, James. We can only achieve what we dare to dream."

"And what if I say no?"

That got Peter's attention and he turned to me completely. "What did you say?"

My confidence waned under his piercing gaze. "What if this isn't what I want?"

"You pledged your heart to me, James." Peter said, uncharacteristically dark. "Or have you forgotten such a promise already?"

I couldn't believe we were doing this again. We'd just reconciled the night before and already we were fighting. It wasn't like Peter and I.

"I have not forgotten," I said carefully. "But I do question your thinking."

My statement seemed to satisfy Peter because he smiled softly, brilliantly golden. "I have a plan for us, James. That plan involves Henry."

"To do what exactly?"

"Harness the power of Neverland."

"Which will allow you to what?" I demanded.

"Oh James, don't you see?" Peter was skipping lightly in his step as we walked again. "We can make this a place for every child in the world! A place with no adults and no parents to tell us what to do! We will be safe from them."

I hummed. "You know that we will grow up, right?"

"That's just it," Peter's eyes twinkled. "Maybe we won't."

A look of disbelief. "What are you talking about?"

"The fairies," Peter said. "Tinkerbell. They have been teaching me things about the island. Things we never even knew existed."

"Such as?"

"The island runs on dream power, yes? Children's belief and imagination is what fuels Neverland's magic. So, we must be children to do it."

"The clock doesn't just stop ticking on our lives."

"No, but it slows down greatly to the point aging becomes unnoticeable."

My heart was pounding in my chest as my head swam. The idea of Peter learning to harness a power he didn't fully understand whilst physically slowing his timeline made me dizzy. I didn't know what to think.

"Peter." I swayed on my feet. "That's impossible."

"This is Neverland, James." My friend grinned. "Anything is possible if you just believe."

"I can't believe you ever trusted him," Ambrosio said from across the room.

I scowled at him from where I sat on the window ledge, rubbing a gold coin between my index finger and thumb. "He wasn't always bad."

"The tales and stories," Ambrosio shook his head, "it's hard to believe he was ever good."

Before I could respond to that, a voice cut in from outside with a, "Captain!"

Tossing the coin aside I strode towards the door, pulling my coat on as I went.

Bursting out of my quarters with Ambrosio not far behind, I was greeted with a, "Captain on the deck!" before Nox was in front of me.

The younger crew member was red faced and panting. "Captain!" he gasped, "the south coast! There's...been a spotting...a-"

"What is it?"

"They're...um-"

"Spit it out!"

Nox gulped, wide-eyed. "Mermaids, sir."