Bulletproof season 1

Episode 5: All Is Well

  Neverland, Present Day, 

  3:00 am Plane Standard Time 

         Peter had an odd way of looking at things. He always did ever since he was young. It was one of the thoughts on his mind as he focused on the sketch on his desk. He couldn't sleep so he decided to work on his latest project, one of the many on his one hundred-year-old wooden desk. Maleficent tried to get him to replace the desk, stating it was too old but Peter always refused. 

"Why waste money on a perfectly good desk?", he always asked merrily only for her to respond dryly, "You could always steal one."

        Maleficent always did have a point, he thought with a pang. The desk had grown old and was a bit damaged. He went to one of his friends to help repair it and even he couldn't fix it. Perhaps he could ask Maleficent to get him another one. After all, his birthday was in March so it made sense. His girlfriend loved celebrating his birthday, or unbirthdays as the Neverlandians always referred to them.  He never liked celebrating his birthday but at least he got new presents out of it. And it certainly didn't hurt that she'd spend a little more time in his bed during it, much to Peter's delight. 

      The treehouse was always quiet as it had been for several centuries. Peter looked up from the desk and at the framed maps and drawings pinned to the wall. His neatly made bed was next to his desk in the one-bedroom home. He heard a knock at the door, shaking him out of his daze. The boy shook his head. At this hour? Were the boys drinking again and waited to invite him?

     "Come in", he yelled. The door slowly opened and after several seconds, in walked in Maleficent. Peter cursed himself for being surprised. You've been with her for nearly 732 years, his brain chided. Why be surprised?

    Being a gentleman, he stood up from the desk to greet her only to notice things that were somewhat amiss. She was dressed in her nightgown and wore her dark auburn hair down as she usually did when she slept but was holding her cane. It wasn't the emerald cane that served as her Talisman, he recalled, but the black glossy wooden cane she had bought back in the 1930s. 

      Guilt flooded Peter immediately especially as he recalled their fight earlier that day. She climbed up on a bad day, he realized with a pang. "I've come to say sorry", she began softly as though embarrassed, looking down as she said it. "You were just being concerned and I was being completely rude-". 

    "No", he cut in immediately. "I'm sorry. I should have been more considerate. I know you are typically stressed about Flume especially when she visits and I should have never kept the Wonderland thing from you again. And most of all, I'm sorry for mentioning Wendy. That was awful, especially since we agreed never to mention it."

     Maleficent finally met his eyes and he noticed her green orbs were a bit surrounded by red, appearing almost bloodshot . "It's okay", she replied before giving a mix of a sob and a laugh. "We've had worse fights, remember?"

    Peter gave a bitter laugh in response before returning to the desk, wordlessly gesturing her to follow him which she did. She leaned against the chair Peter was sitting in, as though it were a life raft. "So", she began with a smile on her face, "New art project?"

    Peter smiled back. "Yep, some billionaire has decided to create a new chateau in Vienna."

    "Hmmm", Peter could detect a bit of sass and happiness in her voice as she said it though. "I always did like Vienna, especially in the 1800s. It was Katya's favorite place, you know." 

    Peter sighed playfully. "I know. Those were very fun days. Part of me wishes we could travel again. I miss Europe. I haven't been since Charles and Diana were married. I wonder what happened to that man."