Darling Ellie

Chapter 11

Elaine

Peter left early the next morning. I had heard him getting ready to leave and seen him off before returning to bed for a while. He had left me with a new bow and equipment for ink painting. Paper, brushes, a tablecloth and a multitude of ink pots. I had told him many things yesterday, but I had also kept many things to myself. I yearned to tell him everything but at the same time felt that I owed it to myself to stay quiet. I heard a light knocking on the door some hours later, I trudged out of my room to see who it was,

"Hey, you missed breakfast, just coming to see if you were alright." D said quickly when I opened the door.

I smiled, looking around before pulling him inside. I pulled his lips to mine kissing him deeply not giving him a second to register what was happening. I pulled away to let us both breath for a moment.

"So, Pan's gone?" Daniel asked slowly. I grinned.

"He's gone on business." Daniel stroked a hand down my cheek before kissing me again.

This time he turned us so my back was pressed against the wall by the door turning the lock so no one could walk in on us. I smiled around our kiss. He ran his hand down my side and pulled away for a moment.

"Where's your room?" He whispered.

I smiled our foreheads pressed against each other. I held Daniel by the hand leading him into my little room, he walked in, and I shut the door leaning against it.

"A beautiful prison he's built for you isn't it."

"It may be a prison but when the guards away..."

"The inmates will play." I bit my lip and Daniel closed the gap between us.

"You don't know how mad I was that Pan kept you from me the other night."

"I could see it on your face."

"Would you have enjoyed my company more?" Daniel asked teasingly, placing his hands on my hips.

"I definitely would have." I wasn't really sure but hid the uncertainness in my voice.

D smiled, once again crashing his lips against mine. His strong hands stayed on my hips while I wrapped my arms around his neck. He began to trail his kisses down my face to my neck as he did, I began to play with his hair. He found the spot on my neck which Pan had used the other night to 'punish' me. My breath caught in my throat as he began to kiss my neck. Soft sounds reverberated through my chest, and I could feel D smile against my neck. I gave in to the feelings coursing through me,

"Daniel." I moaned.

My knees growing weak feelings of anticipation and excitement coursing through me. Daniel lifted my legs and wrapped them around his waist. He walked us over to my bed placing me down, never once breaking our kiss. I was happy, but at the same time a pang of guilt ripped through my chest. What about Peter? I thought to myself, He doesn't matter get him out of your head. But he did matter.

"D wait." I said pulling away, my hands braced against his chest.

"What, what's wrong?"

"Just I don't want to go too far yet, I want to spend time with you first." He cracked a small smiled and agreed.

Daniel suggested a game of cards, "There's a pack in my desk." He delt, and we played, and we talked.

"So, I know about your family, but I want to know about you." Daniel requested.

"Well, I'm sixteen years old and I live in Richmond, that's an area in London. Aunt Wendy and Uncle Christopher's house over looks Richmond Park. I attend Lord and Lady Tattersall Academy, a mixed school for girls and boys but only as a day student."

"A day student?"

"Yes, I don't live at the school like some students do because it's close enough to home." I was so open with Daniel, telling him things I refused to tell Pan. It felt wrong but I knew Daniel wouldn't use the information against me, I couldn't say the same for Pan.

"What about your friends?"

"My best friends are Lucia, Elsie, Kate, Sophie and Maera we all live close by. Lucia, Elsie and Sophie live on my street while Kate and Maera live at the school during term time."

Daniel nodded, he paused before asking his next question, "Where did you learn to fight?"

I sighed, I knew this question was coming.

"When I moved in with Wendy, she was the one who told me stories of Pan. I believed in him so wholeheartedly, and well, my father had abandoned me, all I wanted was to have fun...to have an adventure. I would have been thirteen when I called to him. I opened my window and called for him to take me to Neverland. Wendy came in before I could say the words which would really summon Shadow. She told me the truth about Peter Pan and about Neverland. After that she enrolled me in all kinds of classes, and I joined clubs. Wendy enrolled me in fencing and archery, she taught me broadsword, dagger throwing and hand to hand herself. She was very skilled from her time here. I joined horse riding, swimming, archery and orienteering at the academy. I wanted to be ready, just in case. I guess it didn't really matter in the end." I looked at anything but Daniel's face after telling him the last part.

I was disappointed that I had not tried harder, had not fought harder.

"What do you mean it didn't matter? You evaded us for almost two weeks. No lost boy has ever lasted that long. You fought off a group of seekers. You killed two of our best."

"I told you I never killed anyone." I snapped.

"It's just...the seekers...they showed us the bodies."

"Those boys closed in on me, I was practically defenceless. I lost my bow. They didn't look like they had any intension of leaving me unscathed, no intention of leaving me alive. That's when he appeared. The Shadow I mean. Shadow slit one of their throats and stabbed the other in the back. He carried me to a tree and hid me before disappearing like smoke. I've never killed anybody. I would never dream of killing anybody." Daniel looked confused and almost suspicious,

"How'd you get a bow."

"I Imagined it was there and it just was, the magic of Neverland or whatever. Those boys scared me, and it vanished. D please you have to believe me...I didn't kill them." Daniels face softened.

"I believe you, I don't think you could ever be so cold. Besides Cal and Den were some of our best it would be difficult to get the upper hand." I threw my hand of cards down hugging him tight, but after processing what he said for a moment, something didn't sit right about the way he said it would be hard to get the upper hand, as if I couldn't even if I tired.

"We should probably go." Daniel whispered.

"Already?" The thoughts faded like morning mist.

"I'd say it would be about lunch time and maybe after that we can head to the training field."

I smiled, "Sounds good to me."