Chapter 1

Let me make this straight from the beginning; I don't know who my parents are, well sort of. I had an adopted father, but he was killed. But that is not important right now. I am here to tell you about my time with Peter Pan. Yes, I know the great Peter Pan; of course I do, because I live in Never Land. Maybe I should start over again.

I met Peter last year and it was quite by accident. You see I was walking through the forest collecting fruit and such for lunch when an arrow flew just past my ear. I looked up and saw a small skunk tail in a tree from the direction the arrow had come from. I quietly sat down the fruit and pulled out my bow, which I always have with me.

After fitting a string and the mysterious arrow, I fired and the arrow stuck in the tree just about the skunks head. It jumped and I laughed, but not for long. I soon found myself surrounded by small boys who were all dressed in animal skins. Every boy had a bow and a quiver of arrows, along with a dagger strapped to their side.

Part of my bangs fell forward into my eyes, which were tucked up under a hat, along with the rest of my long jet-black hair. I kept my eyes on as many as I could at the same time. Suddenly the skunk-boy jumped forward, his hands were fast as he grabbed for his dagger and rushed for an opening on my right side. I quickly sidestepped and the boy ran into the tree behind me. The boy yelled and all of them jumped for me.

I was caught in a whirlwind of daggers, knives and shouts as every boy tried to get a hold of me. My soft worn tan boots kept my footholds like a trusty friend as I twisted and turned to face each of my attackers. All of the sudden I felt a sharp pain in my ear. On of the boys had grabbed hold of my earring and pulled. I put my hand to it and felt the blood on my fingers.

Now I am slightly ashamed of this, my temper got the best of me. I whirled around to stab the boy, but I found someone had grabbed a hold of my hand. I flipped my hand over and the boy landed on his back. I stood over the boy; this one was in a rabbit skin. He looked at me with large eyes that had so much fear in it that you would have had to be blind not to see it.

"Y-You can't kill m-me. It's m-mean." The boy stuttered badly as I held the dagger over his neck. The others just watched their friend babble for his life. I smirked.

"All is fair in love and war," I raised my dagger, but paused for a moment. I felt another pair of eyes watching me. I looked up and saw another boy in the trees. He was different; he wore green, not skins. I looked closer and saw that he wasn't actually in the trees; he was flying, floating above them. I smiled, I knew the boy; he looked just like Father had said.

While I was distracted, the rabbit boy got up and tried to sneak away. Unfortunately he knocked my hat off while leaving. A mass of thick wavy black hair tumbled out and over my face. I sighed and tried to blow my bangs out of my eyes.

"Wait, stop!" I heard a voice shout. It was him, the boy in green. I watched through my bangs as he floated down and landed in front of me.

"Hello Peter," my voice was even and cool.

"It's a girl! How do you know me?"

I smiled, I wasn't about to give myself away and ruin everything I had trained for. I looked up, and looked at him slightly and ducked my head again.

"Everyone knows of the great Peter Pan and his Lost Boys." I could tell he was pleased, it was all I could do to keep myself from cracking up laughing right then. I felt him bend down next to my ear.

"Do you know any stories? The last girl that was here knew lots of stories and told them to us."

"Perhaps, but why would I tell you? The boys who attacked me and their leader?" I looked up at him with large eyes and got up gracefully. Peter laughed and flew into the air as he did.

"My boys attacked you? When I came in, you were standing over Nibs about to kill him." His eyes were laughing.

"Well, a girl's got to protect herself." I brushed my bangs out of my eyes again. "Besides, I was merely protecting myself after I was brutally attacked."

"Is this true? Who attacked first?"

The skunk boy came forward, looking slightly ashamed of himself. "I did Peter. I am sorry, I didn't know who it was." He stuttered slightly. Peter had a cold look in his eyes as he gripped an arrow that had fallen. The skunk boy pulled the neck of his shirt down.

"I understand Peter, strike true." It took me a moment before I realized what Peter Pan was going to do. Then I was horrified.

"Stop!" I exclaimed as Peter raised the arrow, all the boys looked at me. "I mean there was no harm done, other than me losing my lunch and someone pulling on my earring. Besides, you kept me on my toes, I haven't been able to get as much exercise as I liked." I patted one that looked to be only 5 years old. "I thank you, and now I'll be on my way."

I picked up my hat, dropped weapons and the fruit I could salvage and started off again.

"Wait!" I knew at once it was Peter. I turned slowly and looked at him straight in the eye. "Would you like to stay with us? I mean, life was pretty good with Wendy here, but she left. Would you like to be our new mother?"

I pondered for a moment, trying to find the best way to answer.

"I shall come home with you, but you cannot call me mother," the boys cheered, "but if I don't like it I will leave and there is nothing you can do about it."

The boys nodded in agreement and crowded around me.

I have never felt like a mother hen until then. I hope to never do so again.