Peter Pan and Me

Chapter 43: LOVE IN THE AIR

"HELP!"
"HELP!"
"HELP!"

Peter was torn. Which way should he fly? Lucius was being held by three
Vikings, all with swords drawn and held at the poor boy's chest, throat,
and stomach. It was Tyler who was in the most immediate threat. Captain
Acun was dead, slain by a young Indian brave's arrow and the new Viking
leader was Graham, Scen's father. And Scen's father was none too pleased
that Scen was in love with another male, namely Tyler!


Previous to our arrival back in the always exciting Neverland, the fairy
boy pulled the falcon's tail to get it away from the tall tree that fairy
Queen Mab was hiding in. As it was, the hollow she was in was small and
had a hole in it. The falcon couldn't get its beak in there but it was
chipping away at it piece by piece, slowly getting closer and closer to
Mab, at least when the fairy boy found it. He pulled the tail, the falcon
turned and the fairy boy was in just as much danger as Queen Mab. He
could only do one thing to escape: the naked little imp, who, it just
occurred to me, looked not unlike Macaulay Culkin with bright white wings
of feathers, could only fly straight into the hole and cower within, side
by side with Queen Mab. Mab, was upset at the time, "Now you are trapped
as well as I. When that overgrown chicken dinner gets the wood perimeter
of the hole chippered away, he will surely eat us!" The fairy boy could
only shrug. Mab couldn't be too mad. She had called and as mischievous as
the fairy boy was, he came to her aide. Not that he did any good. I
rushed to the hole and yelled a war whoop.

Needless to say, this falcon was mean. He was not about to be scared by
my yell. I was a bit taken back by this so I swooped close to the ground,
the falcon ignoring me now and turning back to biting the wood off the
tree. I gathered up a few large sticks, flew up at the tree, threw one
stick at the falcon's back and it shrieked and turned at me. It flew
right at me and I raised the sticks in my hand at it to swing at it like
a bat.


Tyler's two wrists were held as he was lifted off the ground by Scen's
father, the brute, burly, bearded Graham, "You! The object of my son's
desire! You shall die...NOW!"

Scen was held in Graham's left hand while Tyler was held up in the right
hand. "Let me take these boys off your hands!" Peter flew overhead and
swung his sword at Graham's head.

Graham ducked but swung Tyler up at Peter. "Hey help me!" Lucius
yelled. "ME!"

"Ahhh, shut up!" Peter waved, "I'll get to you in a minute!"

Putting his sword in his leaves, Peter flew head first but now rounded
his body at the last moment and came up at Graham's chest and swirled
around again, hands first, palms open so that the bottom of each hand
would slap hard onto Graham's chest, armor and all, this toppled the man.
He and the boys yelled. Peter moved between the fallen boys, Scen naked
and on the grass on his back and Tyler on his belly. And between them and
Graham.

Peter stance for a fight and got his body down low, so low ---and he was
so much smaller than Tyler and Scen, that to fight the brute giant Graham
seemed ludicrous. Tyler and Scen almost laughed. Almost. But instead of
taking out his sword to attack Peter, Graham did something unexpected. He
attacked Tyler! Running and yelling a war cry, the great big leader ran
at Tyler, sword pointed straight at Tyler's stomach. Tyler flinched and
blinked and then kept his eyes closed.

"Are you kidding me?" Peter DIDN'T take out his sword and flew right
at the Viking's out held sword but at the last second, before the sword
could meet his nose, he dodged to one side and as he did, Graham came
past, heading right at Tyler.

"NOOOOOO!" Scen yelled and threw his naked body over Tyler's back, back
to Tyler's back, naked front to his father.

Peter did not just dodge past but as he flew, he took his arms,
crisscrossed them sideways and hooked..haha HOOKed...Graham's sword arm
in between, kept his friction going at Graham so that his two
crisscrossed fists smacked into both shoulder and chin and then flew,
feet up and over Graham's head so that Graham's arm almost snapped off.
Graham yelled and turned, waving his sword as Peter broke free and
pretended to start to land, right in front of Graham, who rushed
again..this time at Peter. Peter sidestepped, flew a bit upward so that
he could take Graham's right arm with his right hand. Peter grabbed just
under the wrist and bent at a pressure point, making Graham drop the
sword. Peter was slightly behind Graham again and he used his other hand
to smack the cheek of Graham but then grabbed the helmet and pulled it
backward, bending Graham's body back. Peter then let go and the friction
made Graham fall backward. "KILL THE ROMAN CHILD!"

Lucius yelled, "I am not a child! How dare you!!!!"

Peter darted at the trio around Lucius and undid his sword again and took
out a knife and tossed it into one of the Vikings' necks. That one went
down. "THREE'S A CROWD! OR IS IT THREE'S COMPANY? I FORGET!" The
remaining two jabbed at Lucius but found their jabs were hitting metal:
Peter's lightning fast sword, knocking the swords away from Lucius. Peter
put his sword to his nose vertically, "I give thee thy lives if you quit
now." He floated nearby and then landed and met their attack at him, he
having pushed and pulled Lucius to the ground from behind.

"HOW DARE YOU....!!!" Lucius yelled.

Really. Why didn't Peter just kill this kid? He was annoying. The kid,
not Peter. Well both of them actually. I mean...this kid was responsible
for Oliver's death. It was on his order that those arrows that
killed...oh well, that's Peter, always switching sides, sometimes in the
middle of a battle. Not true really. He only did that because of Hook's
hat and then because of Seth and the devil. Peter, my mind realizing now,
hates to see an underdog outnumbered and defeated."

One small cocky Roman boy against a bunch of Vikings...that wouldn't do.
No, no. Peter would then face the group one to fifty if he had to. And he
did. The Vikings would not give up so Peter had to knock their swords
down. He turned to Lucius, "Well, don't just sit there, you stupid Roman.
Run!"

"BUT I DON'T KNOW MY WAY HOME!"

"I'll catch up with you later!" The two Vikings regained their swords
so Peter cut their necks and put an end to their lives. "DIE!" Peter
saw now that Scen and Tyler hadn't moved either. "Sigh. Do I have to do
it all? You two, run!"

Graham had a spear that one of his men dropped, "Too late!" He aimed it
at the boys. Peter was on foot and stared at him. Amazed.

"That's not fair play!"

"Play? Do you think I play boy?" Graham looked, "Now, son, get out of
the way. For if you do not...."

"Father, I love him! Man to man!"

"Man?" Graham laughed, "You are not a man. Nor a boy. But I shall make a
man out of you yet! You shall move or I will..."

Scen got up and turned to give Tyler his hand, "Let's go. He won't do
it."

In the time this talk happened, Peter was crawling on the ground like a
snake. Unnoticed. The Vikings around had been beaten badly and wounded or
killed. Peter crawled on his belly. "Snake attack," he almost said out
loud and of course that would have given him away. So he kept quite
quiet. Thank goodness. Peter quiet. It was a marvelous thing. Graham
aimed the spear so Peter leaped up from the ground at the last moment,
his foot kicking upward at an angle, hitting Graham between the legs and
at the same time, Peter reached up and stretched himself, supernaturally
it seemed. His hands grabbed up the spear and bringing it down, bumped it
on Graham's noggin. Graham was stupefied. Peter let go of the spear and
somersaulted around to kick it into two pieces and then landed and ran at
the two boys. Both were now up. Peter grabbed them both by their hands
and split them apart, "No one's gonna catch these here boys and make a
man outta them!"

Graham roared, "I shall kill you!"

"Ahh, I'm bored of you, see ya later!" Peter turned and still holding
the hands of the boys, took off. Amazed, Tyler and Scen saw the ground
leave their feet and soon Peter was pulling them into the air. The
rush!!!! The swooshing of air and the sound of wind. They marveled at
the wonderful feeling of it. The dark night started to glow around them
and fairies gave more light to them. "Where is that brat?"

"Who are you looking for?" Tyler asked. Peter didn't answer.


I was having no luck scaring the falcon off, nor was it scaring me off.
I stood my ground and swung at it over and over. It kept trying to peck
at my eyes but couldn't get near and then attacked my hands and arms. It
never made contact though, as if it didn't really want to bloody me.

Then Jennie touched my mind. From some dank cell aboard the Viking ship
(geeze, why didn't Je'ne tell me about this? I guess he...he just
didn't...I didn't give him enough time. Jennie gave me a quick idea and
touched it directly to my brain. I stared at the falcon. I concentrated
quickly. "You are a wonderfully brave creature!"

The falcon stopped short and looked at me, flapping its wings. I smiled.
"Why would they train you to do that? I can give you the food you seek
and it will taste better than the old fat Queen and a skinny naked fairy
boy."

The falcon came to me and looked at me, its head tilted in a strange way.
It landed on my arm, claws easily touching down on my bare flesh, not
making even a mark of pressure. At least that I saw. It was elegant.

Mab and the fairy boy peeked out the rounded hole in the tree. I called
to them, "It's okay, you can come out now."

The Queen flapped her wings and came to me, "You saved me!" The fairy
boy made some noises and the Queen turned to him and nodded and then back
to me to say, "Saved us."

"Thank you, your majesty," I said, "But I must get back to..."

"BUT I AM NOT FAT!"

"Of course not, why would you think you were?"

"I can hear mind talk sometimes, you know."

"You can?" I said in my best UH OH face, similar to Elizabeth Montgomery
in BEWITCHED. "Like when?"

"Like now."

"Oh." I smiled, "Well, I...I didn't mean anything by it..."

"I am just alittle big boned..."

I huffed out a laugh, "You and Peter...."

No laughs.

I apologized, "I'm sorry, your majesty. I really am. I didn't mean
anything by it."

"Oh that's okay, go and find your children, since it is I who failed to
protect them and also go and find your Peter."

"My peter? Why it's right down...oh, yeah." I flew off, followed by the
fairy boy and with the falcon leaving my arm and flapping along with us.


Tyler kept on nagging Peter, "Peter! Peter Pan, will you tell me, who!???
Who are you looking for? That brat? You aren't seriously going to help
him are you??? Peter, will you say something???"

Scen said, "Shhh," and with his free hand, dangling his body down from
peter's grasp, next to Tyler, kissed Tyler. In the air, they were being
pulled by Peter who had each one's hand and the whole of Neverland Island
was beneath them soon enough. They kissed. Scen's nakedness wet down
Tyler's knees as his robe opened and his underneaths were nude too.
Tyler tried to talk in splitting mouths but Scen put a finger to
Tyler's lips, "Don't spoil the moment. This is..." He removed his
finger and bumped into Tyler's mouth. He tongue kissed Tyler again and
Tyler responded. Tyler put his free hand down Scen's smooth boyish
stomach.

Then Peter called out, "There he is!" And they were soon having stomach
flip flops as Peter sailed downward, dragging them down too. He put them
down in some bushes, none too gently. They landed on their rumps.

"YOU! WILL YOU TAKE ME HOME OR NOT?"

"Shut up Lucius," Peter smacked him hard.

"OW!"

"I will. Take you home. For only I do not want you to remain here with
us."

"But Peter, my father, on his ship, he has Valkeryie's imprisoned."

"First things first. First I bring this one home. I don't want him here."

"Indeed," Lucius snapped, rubbing his cheek where Peter smacked. "Do not
smack me again!"

"He just saved your life, you ungrateful little conceited boy," Tyler
regained himself and his balance and came over to Lucius and shook him by
the shoulders, "Don't you see that."

"Yes, he did," Lucius said, "And after I...." Lucius suddenly seemed to
lose all his fire. He looked at Peter, "Why after what I did?"

"Why? What did you do?" Peter asked, his eyebrows up, innocently.

"Don't you remember?" Lucius asked.

By this time, I landed next to them, "There you all are. Got away?"

"Oh sure," Peter said and held me close and kissed my mouth, "MMMMM."


Lucius rolled his eyes. "Well, let's get started."

"Nice new friend," Peter regarded the falcon.

"He says his name is, well, that Graham guy..."

"Graham cracker!" Peter laughed at his own joke. Tyler and Scen laughed
too. And this was Scen's father Peter was making fun of.

"Graham named him Waldren but he doesn't like that name."

Peter shrugged, "Give him a new one."

"I think I'll let him come up with one. Might I say to you, nice new
friend of yours. You ARE helping him, right?"

"But of course."

"Peter? Why are you helping him? After what he's done?"

"It will get him out of here, for one thing." Peter looked, "No more
causing my Lost Boys to die."

"I...I'm sorry," Lucius said. "I really am. I truly am sorry." He
seemed to shed some real tears.

Suddenly it occurred to me that he just looked like a lonely sad little
boy who made too many mistakes and had no friends. Perhaps this was the
true reason Peter was helping him. Before, when Lucius ruled, he was so
much like an adult, petty, greedy, violent...well, that goes for us too.
But now he was just a little lost kid. A lost boy. Oh dear, I hoped that
idea doesn't hit Peter. I DON'T want Lucius as a lost boy.

We all watched, fascinated that this brat could be crying real tears of
sorrow for causing Oliver's death. It seemed like he cried all night but
he didn't. But it was a long time. Then, after the sobs subside and all
we heard were the crickets, Lucius perked up, "I promise you if you get
me home, I will change. My people will work for the betterment....if you
can just get me back to my right time and place..."

"It may require time travel," Peter said.

"Oh no you don't," I said and stood between Peter and Lucius, "You're
not doing that stupid unholy ritual again....not for him or nobody and
especially not him, and I'm not going to let you."

"Oh big man," Peter laughed, taking me as a joke but also heeding me. He
stuck his chest out, "You gonna stop me?"

"Damn right!" I said, puffing my own chest out and it was slightly more
muscled than his was now.

Peter laughed, "I like it! I love you!" Peter put his hands on my
nipples and I wasn't ready for that. He rubbed and then pushed. "I
believe Tyler's friend Legolas can help me get Lucius back home. Will you
call him for me?"

"I...I will." Tyler did and thus Legolas's vortex opened up again and
Peter was able to fly into it with Lucius and take him home. Legolas only
appeared to open and close it again. Then to bring Peter back. He wasn't
going to talk to us, only Tyler. He was shy by nature and was not about
to converse with me or Peter. He only had this bond with Tyler. One that
Tyler felt proud of.

"Geeze. Everything's so damned complicated," I said, the falcon landing
on my arm again and looking at me. We waited a long time for Peter.
"Tyler, you have a kingdom to run, maybe you should go to it."

"I...oh no, I forgot, my brothers are coming and I must be there. I hope
to get to my castle city before day break."

Scen smiled, "I'll go with you."

"Of course...I guess..." Tyler seemed hesitant. I noticed this but Scen
did not. I studied Tyler's face. He dabbled into gayness and into
homosexuality. He liked....no, wait, he LOVED it. He seemed to love Scen
and I could tell, that Scen seemingly admiring my own body, loved Tyler
in full force. "Gosh, could you put some clothes on first?"

"Oh, I'll get some for him," I said and flew up again, "I'll be right
back."

I returned to the home under the ground where Je'ne, Rollin, and Rico
greeted me. "Get me some of the spare clothes."

"Oh no," Rollin complained, "You're not gonna make me wear some more
clothes are you?"

"Stop belly aching and no, they are not for you. They are for a very nice
young Viking boy, no go and get them." I nodded and Rollin went to get
some clothing that I had been saving for someone who wanted to wear
clothing. Scen didn't seem to mind his nakedness but Tyler didn't seem to
want to stand for it...at least not in front of his constituents. Or his
brothers. Something nagged at my mind. The way Tyler was acting. Would he
embrace Scen? Further? He certainly stood at attention where it counted,
down there, you know.

Rico frowned, the pouty one, "Vikings? EWL! Why you helping them?"

"He's a good one.He's given up his life on the ship, I think to live with
Tyler, if Tyler will have him." I was puzzled by what Tyler would do.
And worried. Would he leave Scen out to fend for himself? Was he too
embarrassed by his new gay love? I frowned now.

As Rollin handed me a fine pair of Lycra shorts, blue with yellow lining,
Je'ne said, "Vikings! Chase, you still don't know?"

"Know what?" I started to get edgy, as if something was wrong.
Something that was dawning on me even before Je'ne told me. "What? Where
are the others? On some great adventure I hope?"

"No you don't hope that. They are," Rico said.

"The Vikings have them on their ship!" Je'ne puffed.

I sighed. I lost my breath. "Oh God!" I said, "All go today! Are they
hurt?"

"Nothing major," Je'ne said as I faced him, "What can I do?"

"We can do something," I said, "I want you to..." I gave him the
clothes, "Bring these to Scen and Tyler at the east of the burned out
tree."

"I know where that is," Je'ne said.

"Good, I know you do," I added, "Wait there for Peter to come back and
tell him what you just told me."

"Okay but what're you gonna do?"

"Me? I'm going to that ship." I flew out of the hole, trusting them to
get to the boys and Peter. My heart sunk, thinking of Jennie, Bo, and
Landen on some dirty, grimy, macho Viking craft. The others just might be
able to handle themselves but those three?

I flew to the edge of the shore and saw the Viking ship. It was mean
looking at night. The chirping of the insects was hardly cover but I
slowly made my way into the water, hoping the horrid denizens of the deep
were not out tonight and I swam under it. I swim like a fish now,
probably could make the Olympics if I wanted to back home. I do many
things now that I never did back home. I swam to the side of the ship and
it was not like a pirate ship. It was less higher up. I heard voices. I
held onto a rope that seemed to be the anchor. On the craft's bow, there
were three figures and one body. Strang had laid the dead Acun down on a
wooden plank. "If she does not raise him now, it will be too late and we
shall have to give him the rites."

What the hell were they talking about? Last rites? That couldn't
be...couldn't be right. Vikings didn't do that, did they? I suddenly
berated myself silently for not studying up on Vikings but what need was
there for that in my former life? Was someone already dead? Well, their
captain, the cunt guy. I mean that Acun dude that Peter was making fun
of. Or rather Peter was making fun of his name. Raise him from the dead?

"I can only do it outside under the stars of the heavens."

Gosh. That sounded female. A human female. It seemed an eternity since I
heard a human female. I liked the way they sounded, even though I was
gay. It really couldn't have been that long ago that I heard Seth's
girlfriend, Juana speak. Not that she said much. She was hardly in the
mode to. I mean she having just been raised from the dead by me and Peter
and Seth. It was strange hearing a female voice, from a human
woman...wait a second. I had no idea if this female was human or not.

The Valkeryie woman, horns on her helmet, feathery tunic covering her top
and bottom, legs bare, bent over the former captain. She began to chant.
The sky seemed to lighten up. I looked up from my perch at the side of
the ship. Not human. I had my hopes dashed. I missed...my mother. My
family. I did communicate with them but...if Peter knew I was thinking
like this, what would he do? You would think I'd know by now. Still his
love was enough...but it was times like this, when he had his hands full,
that I longed for...I don't know, something old, something of the old
life...but I was so miserable...

"And I need the iron chain on my ankle off." The Viking men looked at
her. They didn't move to take the chain off. She shrugged, "With it on,
I cannot perform any magic. It means I am subservient..."

"You are," Graham laughed, "To me."

"Have it as you may, or you will, if it is on, my magic will not lift up
your dead one."

"Very well. Undo her leg, you." Graham signaled a guard on watch, "One
move and put your sword through her heart..."

"Yes sir." The guard took his sword out.

The Valkeryie curled her lip and looked daggers at Graham.

Graham took Strang aside, "I've got to make it look like I've tried."

"Yes, the crew will want to know that. They loved Acun as a captain and
would sorely not love thee if..."

"Please I've heard enough of men loving men for today. Or boys rather."

"Your son will see his way."

"Not that way, I hope. I hate men who love men."

Strang blinked, not saying any more. "We must have the funeral..."

"If we do, we shall dispose of the boys at that time."

"But you told the messenger...three days?"

"They all have to die anyway. Even he. The messenger...I sent our best
archer..."

"Bayah?"

"Aye, Bayah. He follows the blond one. When he reaches the leader...well,
any leader that has trained boys to fight like those lost boys did...he
has to be eliminated. Conquered and put out of my misery. I want Bayah to
kill the messenger, their leader first and the others. He's the best
archer, he never misses."

Strang looked concerned about this but nodded his consent that Bayan is
the best. And that Graham's plan had some merit, "And the lost boys will
die on the funeral fire? To send a message to the tribes?"

"Yes."

"Watch her!" Strang yelled to the Viking guarding the Valkeryie. There
were four of them up there. The guard had been quiet.

The female had bent over the body but in coming up, she moved ever so
quickly...under the guard's chin so that her horned helmet caught him
there and bloodied his soft skin there. The woman shot up into the air.
I looked up and saw her rocket up from the craft and into the night sky,
the littering of stars back dropped behind her. And as she flew her
clothes changed to armour. And then she was gone in a flash. I sighed. I
had to figure out what to do about the others. How to rescue them?

As the sun came up, Sole felt like he was walking for days. He jutted an
arm out to hold onto a nearby thick tree. He knew the way back to the
underground home and Wendy's tree house--which was not always a tree
house but was for the moment. He just didn't want anyone trailing him. He
was sure someone was following him. A Viking. What he didn't know was how
close he was to the archer and the archer pulled his bow far back, his
manly ribs sticking out....he aimed at Sole's back....


The play Peter Pan and its characters are trademarks of and copyright
J.M.Barrie.