Chapter 5
Maggie could hardly recognize herself.
In the room given to her by the Lost Boys, within their gigantic treehouse, a full-sized mirror rested against the tall wooden walls.
Ornate gold lacing decorated the edges of the mirror, almost making her feel as though she was a Princess within an elaborate castle.
But those weren’t at all the things she was looking at.
When she and Peter arrived back at the treehouse, their kiss still lingering on her lips like a secret, the Lost Boys were right at the front door waiting.
Each held a sneaky grin on his face, something hidden behind the mischievous twinkle in their eyes.
Peter was quick to stand alongside them, suddenly holding the same tricky expression.
They rushed her upstairs to her bedroom, telling her that there wasn’t much time but she needed to get “prettied up” as soon as possible.
The moment they uttered the words, Maggie felt her age-old insecurities quickly rise to the surface, but she tried to push them down.
Neverland was a beautiful place for many reasons, magic being at the forefront of them, but that wasn’t entirely why Maggie felt so at home on the mysterious island.
There was an unspoken idea that anything was possible there, as though all unheard dreams could be made a reality, no matter how hidden they are.
She couldn’t help but wonder if the answer to everything that had once haunted her lay within the island, just out of reach.
Everything she believed herself unworthy of was being handed to her with no questions asked.
A stunning green dress was already laid out for her when she arrived in her bedroom.
For a few minutes she could only stare, her eyes clinging to the places that would hug her curved waist, that would reveal her round stomach, that would expose her arms, that would accentuate her figure.
Back home, she would never dare to wear such a thing.
It was not meant for someone like her, not at all!
But the longer she stared, the more tempted she became.
Touching the dress felt like a sin, and putting it on seemed like an insult to all the women who might wear it better.
Perhaps it was only the dark insecurities Maggie had harboured for so long taking their moment to rise to the surface, but there was something that felt as right as rain telling her that it was wrong.
Maggie snatched the dress off the bed and went to change behind the partition.
There was something devilish about it, something that felt like she was breaking the rules, as she removed her comfortable clothes and donned something far grander.
Ever since she first arrived in Neverland, the Lost Boys and Peter took to providing her with clothes she would’ve never worn in the human lands.
They were mainly dresses, all meant for being out in the sun.
They were brightly colored, not afraid to show off skin, not afraid to cling to the figure it was made for.
Sure she had grown used to them, and found them to even be far better than what she once preferred, but the green dress? The gown?
Maggie stepped out from behind the partition, the ends of the dress trailing behind her slightly.
She slipped on a pair of matching shoes on her way back to the mirror, the short heels clicking rhythmically against the floor.
She sauntered forward, careful not to meet her reflection at first. She simply tested herself, only eyeing her legs before trailing up to her waist. She lingered there, swallowing the figure she had been given, before meeting herself in the eye.
And, for a moment, she didn’t recognize herself.
But then, the longer she stared, the easier it was for Maggie to realize the truth.
She had never quite looked in the mirror and seen herself before.
What she saw was what the human world made her out to be: someone who ran, someone who hid, someone who was afraid.
In Neverland, as she peered into her own chestnut eyes, Maggie felt as though she was finally seeing herself for the first time in her entire life.
Pretty or beautiful were never words she used to describe herself.
The Lost Boys and Peter had the uncanny ability of making her feel as though she had always been that, always a diamond in the rough, always a Princess amongst a sea of paupers.
And now, as Maggie looked into the mirror, she was finally beginning to see the same thing.
Was it possible that, after all this time, Maggie had been beautiful all along?
The emerald green dress clung to her curves in the best way possible.
The bodice was shaped like a heart around her chest, the straps delicately snug around her shoulders.
The corset hugged her stomach before falling into a few layers of satin skirts, the fabric luxurious against her skin.
And below, matching green heels sat on her feet with a few pieces of jewelry adorning her neck and wrists.
Maggie grasped at her long brown hair, no longer thinking that it was a simple boring mop of hair, and twisted it up into a bun.
A few curls draped along her face pleasantly, and Maggie smiled at herself.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
A slurry of fists against the door almost made Maggie jump in the air. Gathering her skirts, she strolled across the room and pulled the bedroom door open. For a moment, she could only hold her breath, afraid of the expressions she might find on the other side.
But there was only happiness.
The Lost Boys all dressed in similar attire: three piece suits with their long hair pulled back with a bit of gel.
They grinned as they looked over her dress, nodding as though it was what they had imagined all along.
And though Maggie was delighted at their pleased response, there was only one set of eyes she was looking for in particular.
Peter dressed differently than the rest of them.
His dress pants were a steely grey, with the dress coat already gone.
A puffy white button down, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, charmingly showed off his muscular frame.
A few popped bottoms revealed wispy blonde hairs growing along the center of his chest.
“Maggie Hart,” Peter murmured, his eyes shamelessly touching every inch of her. “You are a woman after my entire soul, aren’t you?”
Fiery heat burnt across Maggie’s face. She was at a loss for words, but that seemed to be just what the boys wanted.
“We’ve got a big surprise for you, Magpie,” Twitch said, his eyes twinkling playfully. “But you’ll need to have your eyes covered to get there.”
“Covered?” Maggie repeated. “But with all the stairs, how could I –”
“Do you trust me?” Peter stood in front of her, the other’s disappearing effortlessly.
“Yes,” she blurted without a second to think.
The King of Neverland grinned and proceeded to cover her eyes with his hands.
Maggie walked through the treehouse with bated breath as the Lost Boys and their King led the way.
Her hands were held by some of the boys while Peter walked directly behind her, his warm hands delicately hovering over her eyes.
They moved through the house for what felt like hours, her anticipation growing with every step they took.
The further they went, the more smells and sounds she began to hear.
Perhaps the other Lost Boys were running ahead, perhaps they had brought some food she had leftover from the restaurant.
All the thoughts ran amok in her head until the moment they stopped, and Peter’s soft voice whispered in her ear.
“Are you ready?”
Maggie nodded breathlessly.
And his hands fell away like a velvet curtain.
The dining room sat in front of her. The long wooden table was covered with an earthy green cloth, the color matching the vegetation that trickled in from the outside.
A golden chandelier lurked overhead, small red flames roasting at each candle.
Delicate flowers filled every vase possible and further decorated the table.
Ornate plates that had matching cutlery and glasses filled each spot.
One head of the table had Peter’s name written on a small white card, and the opposite head had Maggie’s.
The breath caught in the back of her throat.
Platters with roasted meats and sauteed vegetables and colorful salads sat at the center of the table.
A sweet smelling desert stood as the showstopper, with a plethora of fruits to decorate the top of it.
Maggie’s shaking hand reached for her lips, covering her mouth as the emotion began to gather in the corner of her eyes.
The Lost Boys were around her at once, with Peter hovering close to her side.
“Do you not like it?” he asked.
Maggie huffed and swiped the stray tear that tried to fall. “No,” she whispered with a shake of her head. “I love it. I love every bit of it.”
Dash, his long hair beginning to pop out of the gel, eagerly gestured to the table. “We followed everything you’ve shown us, Magpie!”
“And some townspeople even dropped by to ask if you were cooking,” Scamp added. “Though I don’t think it’ll be anywhere near as good as your food.”
But Maggie didn’t care if it wasn’t as good.
They went through so much effort, and it was all for her.
To know that they had listened to the things she told them and put them to real use was the greatest compliment she had ever received in all of her life.
She remained silent as Peter led her to her seat, entirely mystified when he even pulled the chair out and pushed it back in once she sat.
Overwhelmed by their generosity, Maggie simply held her face as they piled her plate high with food.
They went on to serve themselves afterwards, taking their respective seats with eager glances in Maggie’s direction. Once they were comfortable, she took the first bite, letting her eyes close to savour every ingredient, every flavor, every ounce of love they had poured into it.
By the time she opened her eyes, her heart was full and her stomach was grumbling for more. “It’s wonderful,” Maggie told them. “Absolutely wonderful.”
The boys quickly dug into their food. For a few minutes, there were only sounds of munching and noises of pleasure. The Lost Boys and Peter savored their own hard work for a few minutes, their smiles as broad as Maggie’s.
Once they started to converse again, Maggie leaned back in her seat and looked them over.
Never before had she felt so loved, so honored, so valued within a household.
Even when she found odd places to work, filling the patron’s bellies with good food, the most she got in return were a few coins.
Though money was good, money wasn’t what mattered most to her.
She wanted to know her food made a difference, that her talent meant something to the people she cared about.
And as she overlooked them all, Maggie realized that she might’ve already found what she spent her entire life looking for.
“You know,” Dash said with a mouthful of food, “I heard that Vespera is encouraging the fairies to start cooking, too. The whole island’s raging about your techniques.”
Maggie’s eyes widened. “That’s wonderful!”
Twitch reached across the table to flick something at his fellow Lost Boy. “Dash only knows that because his pretty new girlfriend told him.”
The blonde’s face grew a shade of cherry. “At least I don’t have to worry about my girlfriend trying to steal all my treasure!”
“Whoa,” Scamp raised his fork. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Dash pointed like a child across the table. “Twitch’s got a pirate girl!”
Laughter ensued across the table, until the usually timid Dusty leaned back in his seat with an inquisitive look in his bright blue eyes. “That’s quite the gamble you’re playing, Twitch.”
“She’s a good girl,” Twitch murmured with a shrug. “Just cause she’s a pirate –”
“It’s dangerous,” he interjected softly.
Quiet passed over the table until Peter leaned forward, already grinning. “Only thing dangerous is how Twitch has got a girl capable of beating him in a fist fight!”
The tension dissipated immediately. Maggie eyed Peter from across the table with a small smile.
Without him, she had no idea as to how the Lost Boys would survive.
It was obvious they loved each other as family, but without a buffer to settle the moments like that, where would they be, if not torn apart?
A small meow came from the dining room doors.
Golden and long-haired, Sunny strolled toward the table with his bushy tail raised high above him.
Scamp rose from his chair to pull out another one, gently patting the seat while getting the cat’s attention.
Much to Maggie’s surprise, Sunny listened to the boy’s call and bounded onto the chair instantly.
Scamp was already ready with a bowl of food for the cat, as though it was something they did all the time.
Maggie softened at the interaction, her heart full of a happiness she had never known before.
“How is the investigation of the moon coral going?” Dusty asked after a few moments.
Maggie blinked a few times as she came back to reality. “I collected a piece that had this odd substance on it,” she explained, reminded of how they needed a plan forward. “Though I’m not entirely sure where to go from there. Human botany only gets you so far in Neverland.”
Peter leaned forward, his chin resting on his hands thoughtfully. “There might be a witch who can help us,” he murmured. “She’s knowledgeable enough, I think. We can try to see her tomorrow, if you wish.”
“Great!” Maggie eagerly finished the last few bites of food on her plate, ignoring the feeling of Peter’s eyes remaining focused on her from across the table.
“I suppose sooner rather than later is for the best,” Peter continued, his gaze heavy. “I know how badly you’re wanting to get…to get home.”
A chill passed over the table. None of the Lost Boys met her gaze, their attention focused on their emptying plates.
Only Peter watched, his expression unreadable.
No words came out of her mouth in response.
What was there for her to say? They all went out of their way to give her a beautiful evening, one that she never thought herself deserving of.
In the next breath, she is reminded of the truth behind it all, that she had been brought against her will, and that there was a life waiting for her back in the human lands.
Maggie met Peter’s gaze.
But what kind of life will that even be?