Hey guys! Been writing this for a while and hope you all like it!

Wind whistled through the trees catching the attention of the child that played within it. He giggled and tossed the toy that he was playing with aside in favor of the colorful falling leaves. The dry grass crunched and crinkled beneath his small feet as he ran to catch the leaves, a few getting tangled in his chocolate locks.

"Don't run off too far, Bae." His mother called after him, stepping back inside, away from the cool wind with a small bundle in her arms. The bundle gave a quiet giggle and squirmed in her mother's arms. The woman gave her a smile back before laying her in her cradle, "Annabeth, you are the calmest baby."

Annabeth, in response, stuck her tongue out at her mother, her green eyes glittering with mischief. Milah shook her head at the babe and leaned down, nuzzling her nose against her face, making Anna giggle.

A shrill cry from outside caused Milah to jump to her feet, "Bae?!" She rushed out the door to find her son on the ground, holding his arm against his chest and sobbing. The toddler looked up at his mother with tear filled brown eyes, "Momma, it h-hurts." He hiccuped, reaching out to her.

Milah gently lifted the boy and carried him inside, "What happened sweetheart?" She set him on his bed and coaxed him into showing her his arm, "I tripped and fell." He answered, his breath still hiccupping.

She examined it, noting the bruising and scrapes along it; it didn't seem broken, just a bit scratched up. Baelfire looked up at his mother with scared brown eyes, "Am I gonna be ok?" Milah smiled and got out some bandages, "I think you'll live, but please be more careful." She said, wrapping his arm and kissing his forehead.

A few hours later, Milah stoked the fire in the hearth with a heavy sigh. She looked over at her two children: Bae snuggled up against the small bundle that she had wrapped Annabeth in earlier; both snoring and deep in slumber.

Rumple had gotten home earlier and was outside, doing something, what she didn't know and didn't care. She was done trying with someone as pathetic as him; he had come home a coward from the war a few months ago, just after Annabeth was born. She could barely go out to the market without pitying looks from the villagers.

As if on cue, he stumbled in through the door, leaning on his cane heavily. She turned and her green eyes clashed with his brown ones; he gave her a hesitant smile that she returned if only barely, "How are they?" he asked, looking over at the pile of children on the small bed in the corner. Her smile turned genuine then as she turned her gaze to her children, "Sleeping, at last." She stroked Bae's hair, "Calm and quiet."

A small choked cry broke the calm silence and she sighed, gathering Annabeth in her arms before she could wake the boy. The infant whined and cried as Milah bounced her gently, shushing and cooing at her, "What is it, dear? You're ok, Anna dear."

Rumple watched as his wife coddled the babe, rocking her in her arms and gently cooing and shushing her. It took him back to a time where she was holding a young Bae in her arms, when he was a better man; not the village coward. How he wished he could go back in time and change the outcome of his mistake; ignore the witch and stay at his post.

A delicate coo broke him from his revere and he looked towards his daughter, who was looking at him over Milah's shoulder with big green eyes. She gave him a toothless smile and stuck her tongue out at her father, reaching for him with her small hands.

Milah turned and regarded him with narrowed eyes, "Can I hold her, please?" He asked, his dark eyes begging her. For a moment she tightened her grip on the baby, pressing her closer to her bosom, before softening her gaze and motioning for him to sit. He did and she passed him the bundle, "Mind her head," she warned, her voice soft.

He held her head in the crook of his arm and traced her face with a finger, watching in fascination as the babe took his finger in her fist, her grip strong. Annabeth had her mother's face, big green eyes set over high cheek bones all framed by dark brown curls; she was beautiful. He didn't ever want to lose her, and judging by her grip on his finger, she didn't want to lose him either.

OoOoO

Five years later

A small girl sat at the window, watching the sun set with glassy eyes. She rested her head against her folded arms on the sill as she waited for her father to return from work; or her mother to return from wherever she went the night before. A hand on her shoulder, made her raise her head, a few tears falling as she did.

The girl looked up at her brother, green eyes full of tears, "Bae, where's Momma?" The boy looks down at the five-year-old with his own tear-filled eyes, "I dunno, Anna, Papa went to go find her." He fiddled with the end of his tunic, his brows furrowed with worry.

Taking one last glance out the window, he pulled her away and towards the hearth, "I'm sure they'll be home soon." He sat her down at the table and put the bowl of stew in front of her and a spoon in her hand.

Annabeth looked up at him with those teary green eyes, "What if they aren't?" He ruffled her hair and sat down next to her, "They will, I promise."

A few hours later, Balefire sat in his sisters' place at the window, watching as she slept in their bed, her small face calm with sleep; the tear tracks glinted in the firelight. She had cried herself to sleep, thinking they had been abandoned by their mother. He returned to his watch, the firelight dancing in his brown eyes, "Papa, where are you?" he murmured to the wind.

He must have fallen asleep, because he awoke to his father gently shaking him awake, his face grim, "Come on, Bae, let's get you to bed, hm?" He ushered the boy away from the sill and into bed, ruffling his hair. The boy snuggled sleepily into covers, pulling his sister against him, holding her tight. Rumple watched as his son held his daughter close to him, allowing her to nuzzle against him, releasing a shuddering breath as she awoke.

Her eyes opened blearily, gazing up at her father, "Papa, you're back!" She yawned, giving him a sweet smile. Bae let her go so she could sit up and look around, her smile slowly fading, "Where's Momma?" Rumple sat at the edge of the bed and drew his daughter into his arms, "She's gone, Anna." He watched as her face crumpled and tears sprang to her eyes, "What do you mean?" Bae asked, his own face contorted in confusion, eyes full of fear.

Their father swallowed before speaking, "She was murdered…by a pirate." Anna let out a cry and buried her face in her father's chest, sobbing. Bae sat in shock but allowed his father to pull him into a hug as tears dribbled down his face, resting his cheek on the boys' head.

Rumple held his children close as they mourned the loss of their mother, his own tears threatening to fall; he would never leave them as she had.

Never.

OoOoO

A few months later, Anna woke up with a start from a nightmare, her breath came in short spurts and her heart was constricted, like there were icy fingers grasping at it, ready to crush it. She looked around, trying to calm her breath. Her brother was curled up asleep in the corner of their bed and her father was asleep in his own. Once she could breathe again, she crept out of bed, careful not to wake Bae and snuck out the back window.

She ran into the forest, stopping when she reached the clearing with her favorite willow tree. She panted but got right to climbing onto the low branch and leaned against the trunk, letting the bark dig into her cheek. Anna looked up at the waning moon and cried, she sobbed, her breath clawing at her lungs and her chest was tight and hurt.

Anna missed her mother terribly, it had been months since her father told her what happened, but she felt as if she was the only one who was still mourning the loss, "Momma, I miss you so much." She sobbed to the moon, looking to the stars for guidance and comfort.

A twig snapping behind her startled her and she whipped around, losing her balance on the branch and she fell backward. She screamed and waited for the impact that didn't come, someone caught her, "Forgive me, I didn't mean to scare you." A smooth voice said, "Are you alright?"

Anna looked up to see emerald eyes that matched her own, "I'm fine, thank you for catching me." She stammered. The boy had a round face with deep green eyes that were set over high cheek bones and a sharp nose crowned by blond curls. He gave her a sweet smile and sat her on her feet, "I'm glad you're alright, I just heard crying and came to see what was wrong."

The little girl frowned, "My momma died." Her eyes welled up again and the boy shushed her and they sat down, "Let's get your mind off it, huh?" He smiled, sharp emerald eyes met her glassy ones and she nodded, returning his smile.

He told her stories, pointed out constellations to get her mind off of her mother and make her stop crying. She laughed and asked questions, until the sun was peeking over the treetops. Anna gasped and stood quick with a giggle, "Thank you for making me feel better but, I should get home before my papa wakes up." He smiled and caught her arm before she could run off, "I don't even know your name."

She grinned, "I'm Annabeth. But you can call me Anna."

"Peter. Peter Pan." He bowed to her, causing her to giggle before she heard Bae calling for her, "I hope to see you soon, Peter." She said before hurrying back towards the cottage.

The boy watched her go with a smirk, "Oh, I'll be seeing you very soon, Anna."

I have a good chunk written already so lemme know if you guys want more!

Until next time lovelies,

~Shikamaru'sLove