Chapter 13
At the base of the treehouse was a large kitchen capable of serving hundreds of people.
The walls were painted a delicate yellow, some having hand drawn flowers in the corners or decorating random spots.
Vases full of exotic flowers ordained the counters, their natural floral scent mixing pleasantly with the large pot of stew Maggie swirled with a long wooden spoon.
The idea of serving a large portion of soup to every inhabitant within Neverland was something Maggie wasn’t entirely open to at first. Immediately, it reminded her of the tavern wench and the job she once had in her kitchen.
Spending hours over a cauldron, sweating in every possible place and receiving nothing worthwhile in return was pure torture for Maggie.
The only thanks she ever got was a few copper coins and a small, musky room in the inn upstairs.
Though she felt selfish for acting in such a way, Maggie couldn’t help but be afraid to take up that job once more.
But as Maggie worked in the large kitchen, surrounded by the Lost Boys and the King of Neverland, she realized that the scenarios weren’t alike at all.
The tavern wench was nothing more than a woman looking to make money.
Maggie’s well-being didn’t matter, as long as she was producing quality products that were capable of earning her a good bit of profit.
In Neverland, Maggie felt as though she was an important part in their circle of life.
Without the Everything Plant, every creature on the island was beginning to starve.
No one had the tools or knowledge to begin cooking themselves, and were too ignorant to know what fruits were poisonous and which were harmless.
Suddenly, they all rushed to line up at the kitchen bar window, desperate to get a bowl of whatever Maggie was brewing.
The line began far earlier than dinner had been planned for, but they weren’t turned away.
The Lost Boys helped rotate the loaves of bread in the ovens and watched the unbaked ones as they steadily rose.
Peter chopped and prepared the things the fairies brought from when they scoured the island for food, and Maggie brought it all together in one fell swoop.
Soon, the kitchen was full of a very enticing aroma, one that was savory but sweetened, dark and beckoning.
As the loaves baked, their yeasty scent brought more and more natives to the line, their faces eager and obviously hungry as they waited.
“I suppose this isn’t what you’re used to,” Peter said to her as they were setting up their assembly line to best effectively serve the people of Neverland.
Maggie was directly in the center, the large pot of stew resting upon a smoldering fire in front of her. She continuously stirred and tasted, adding things now and then to make sure it remained perfect for every person they served. “What do you mean?” she asked.
Peter shrugged. “No dark restaurant with just a few dozen patrons.”
The line began to move, all sorts of creatures beginning to grab their bowls and spoons and large chunks of freshly baked bread.
The looks on their faces grabbed a hold of Maggie within an instant, the relief passing over them without any sense in hiding it.
They pressed the steaming bread to their faces, inhaling deeply and for as long as they wanted.
The hunger was far more evident than Maggie had ever seen before, and it forced her heart to soften to them.
All because of her, they had the chance to eat after not having anything for so long.
Perhaps it was foolish for them to be relying on a single source, like the Everything Plant, but how could they be blamed?
It was all they knew, all they were used to.
And now that it had been ripped away, Maggie managed to find a way to heal the wound left behind.
“I’d pick this any day,” Maggie finally said, after a few people had already come through.
Peter looked over at her. “Hm?”
“I didn’t like that dark tavern,” she whispered. “Or the patrons in it.” She turned to face him, her words the most firm and confident than they had been in a while. “I’d pick this over anything, any day of the year.”
The line stretched out from the nearby town, which happened to be a ten minute walk.
No matter how far they needed to go, creatures ranging from mischievous pirates to pointy-eared elves stood in line for a bowl of stew.
Maggie leaned forward to peer down the line, her eyes widening at all the kind of people she saw.
Mermaids with lusciously long hair and wobbling legs stumbled their way to them, their skin still prickly with scales and gills.
Pirates retrieved their portions and spoke in heavy accents, their faces shrouded with thick beards and wide brimmed hats.
The elves liked the bread in particular, requesting seconds if there was enough for everyone.
They stood taller than most everyone in line, their faces long and angular and incredibly nimble.
Sharp, pointy ears was the dead giveaway that they were elves, along with their musical voices that always sounded like they were hiding something.
Beyond the mystical creatures were fairies that Maggie recognized, and some witches who were the most humanoid looking out of them all.
The Lost Boys and Peter spoke to each and every visitor like they had known them all their lives, greeting them by name and asking how things were back at home.
Maggie watched and listened closely, interested in the lives of an average Neverland native.
“You are all far too kind to do this,” an elven woman said as she gracefully collected her bowl of stew. “And to leave your home for the sake of a strange land… remarkable.”
Before Maggie could even come up with some sort of response, the elven woman continued on her way, not even offering a look back over her shoulder.
“They like you,” Peter said.
Maggie ladled another portion into a pirate’s wide-brimmed bowl. “Don’t be ridiculous,” she murmured. “There’s no way you can tell.”
“Right, right,” he muttered. “It’s not like I’m the King, or anything.”
Her laugh was short but loud, almost taking her off guard. “You know what I meant, Peter.”
“They like you,” he repeated. “I’m sure of it.”
“How can you possibly know that?”
Peter grinned. “There goes that believing thing again, Magpie.”
Flustered and annoyed, Maggie jerked away, giving a pleasant smile to a mermaid as she made her a bowl. “Haven’t you ever thought that seeing is believing, Peter?”
He frowned and gave the mermaid some bread. “No, I don’t think I have.”
Maggie wouldn’t deny that the townsfolk were as grateful as can be, but she wasn’t too quick to believe that they were all simply head over heels happy with her.
It was childish and ignorant, a mistake she made once before, and one that she wouldn’t be making again.
Everything within her wanted to sink into it, to trust what Peter said and believe that the Neverland natives wanted her to stay for her cooking as much as herself.
But there was a voice nagging in the back of her mind, one that sought to remind her that every place that once welcomed her with open arms also turned around to be the same people to maliciously cast her out.
By the time the pot was beginning to grow empty, the line dwindled down to a singular person.
With a lack of hair on the top of his head, the elder pirate turned fisherman stuck out his bowl for a ladle of stew eagerly.
The moment Maggie let the food trickle into his bowl, he stuck his spoon within it, not even waiting till she was finished.
He shoved the spoon into his mouth, ignoring how the dark brown liquid dribbled down his scruffy chin.
“By Neptune’s Grace,” the old man croaked. His one large, bloodshot eye fell on Maggie menacingly. “You make this, outsider?”
The word hung in the air over Maggie’s head like a deadly omen. Watching his twisted up face contort as he awaited an answer brought a pit of dread to her stomach. Finally, when the silence lasted too long, Maggie nodded and lowered her ladle.
A crooked smile spread across the man’s face. “You’ve got quite the talent,” he said. “And I hope you don’t plan on leaving anytime soon!”
Before Maggie could say anything, the man began to hobble away. The Lost Boys eagerly swarmed around her, looking to finish out the pot and get some dinner for themselves.
“What a crowd!” Dash exclaimed as he collected his food, already spooning large bites into his mouth. “Served the entire town, I think!”
“Definitely the entire town,” Twitch agreed. Crossing in front of Maggie, he rustled the top of her head playfully. “Good job, Magpie.”
Dusty came next, one arm wrapping around her shoulders and giving her a short hug. “It was brilliant,” he said in a small voice. “The town’s gone hungry for quite a few nights. This’ll be one they remember for some time, I think.”
“Nobody could forget something as awesome as this!” Scamp’s bowl almost crashed against the floor as he came upon Maggie’s right, slamming his side into her own and embracing her in a hug.
When he pulled back, his face was as red as some of the fruits in the stew.
“You can’t leave now, can you? Not when everyone needs you. ”
Maggie was rendered speechless. Even though he was asking a question, Scamp didn’t wait for a response.
He followed the rest of the Lost Boys to the seating area, joining them to scarf down their bowls of stew.
Their compliments rang out like sharp bells, reaching Maggie as though she was miles away.
“This stew is out of this world!”
“I haven’t tasted anything like it.”
“Somehow, you’ve done it again, Magpie!”
She was overwhelmed with gratitude and joy.
The fact that everything went so well and all of her food was enjoyed was hard to swallow.
Not one person made her feel like an outsider, or acted as though she shouldn’t have been there.
They welcomed her with open arms, and took her food graciously.
It was hard to get used to, but it was there, right before her eyes.
And the Lost Boys neverending compliments weren’t easy at all, but Maggie wanted to accept them as much as she could.
They were too kind to a stranger like her.
Breathing in deeply, Maggie turned back towards the kitchen and grasped the empty and dirtied pot.
Hoisting it off the counter, she carried it to the sink, using her knee to lift it up.
Before she could reach the water spout to begin cleaning, a warm hand coursed down her arm and stopped her halfway.
“No cleaning, remember?” Peter asked in a quiet voice. He appeared at her right, guiding her hand back down and grasping onto the pot before she dropped it onto the floor. Pushing it back into the sink, he eyed her with a raised brow. “I already made the brownies a bowl.”
She furrowed her brow. “A bowl of what? The stew?”
Peter nodded and crossed her by, grabbing a wooden bowl before tucking it into one of the darkened kitchen corners. “You wouldn’t want them to clean up food they didn’t have a chance to try, would you? Besides, they haven’t been eating too much either.”
Maggie watched him and felt her heart soften. He was an exceptionally good man, and it drove her further into the depths of her mind. She needed to leave, to separate herself from everything good that was brewing within Neverland.
“Magpie,” Peter cooed as he walked over to her. “Would you walk through town with me, before we have to deal with the Boglin?”
Without even thinking, she gave him a nod. “Of course. I’ll just need to check on my loaves first.”
Peter smirked. “Something tells me that the Lost Boys have already got that covered.”
Turning around, Maggie walked through the kitchen until she came across the four men standing over the table that was full of proofing dough.
The loaves were neatly covered and protected, bubbles beginning to form across their yeasty bodies.
The four Lost Boys leaned carefully over the table and watched the dough, as if they could see it rise if they stared hard enough.
“What are you guys doing?” Maggie asked with a laugh. “They won’t rise any faster if you watch them.”
“When did you even manage to make all of this?” Twitch asked.
Maggie shrugged. “Between it all.”
He shook his head and sighed. “It’s a lot of work.”
“I’m amazed,” Dusty blurted. “I can’t imagine doing it all.”
Flustered by their constant compliments, Maggie turned away. To feel so valued was a blessing she hadn’t been used to receiving. Now, in Neverland, there was an abundance of it, and Maggie was still having a hard time understanding that it was truly for her.
With Peter’s hand finding the small of her back, she let him guide her through the treehouse and out, following in the direction of the town.