A bearskin cover serving as a doorway to one of three bedrooms of a small, yet homey hideout is pushed aside. A woman who has the appearance of a sixteen year old walks in, quietly striding over to the bedside of a little boy who is still sleeping. The woman smiles at the sight, the boy being none other than her biological son. She reaches down with one hand and places it on her son's shoulder, gently shaking him.

"Junior, wake up," The woman says in a whisper so as not to wake her other adoptive sons who shared the same room.

The one boy she is trying to wake yawns and turns over on his side with his back facing her, continuing to sleep. The woman sighs, stroking the red hair he got from his father. She's silent for a moment, sadness coming over her already heavy heart. She knew this day would come, when her baby would have to leave Neverland so he could grow up to have the appearance of a teenager like his father. Yet she also knew that he would be safe and sound with an old friend of hers in which she had run into while searching for a temporary home for her son. That made her feel more comfortable with this, but it was still hard to let go.

"Come on, now, Junior. We don't have all day and we can't be late."

Her son shakes his head no.

"I don't wanna go, mommy."

"I know you don't, but it'll be an adventure. You get to stay in a castle, too. Don't you think it'll be fun?"

The boy opens his eyes. They're the same brown ones his mother is used to seeing whenever she earned the gaze of her husband. In fact, the boy's a spitting image of his father, down to the last detail.

"I guess…" He says and sits up, cooperating with his mother as she changes his clothes.

After placing one of his father's old hats on his head, she takes him into her arms and carries him out of the room.

A man whose appearance was younger than his actual age waits in the common room of the hideout, a bag full of his son's things resting beside his favorite chair. His usual playful smile is gone, a sign that he doesn't like the idea of his son having to go to the mainland in order to "grow up" a bit so he could fulfill his destined role.

"I hate this." He states simply. "Why does this stupid world have to be so cruel, Jane?"

"I don't know, Peter," Jane replies, blowing a couple of stray strands of her light brown hair out of her face. It had gotten longer since she first came to Neverland as a twelve-year-old to fulfill her destiny as the next Wendy years ago. Yet, unlike her mother, she had told Peter that she wanted to return and be the mother of the Lost Boys once she was a few years older after the story played out. Thus resulting in her and Peter falling in love with each other, getting married … and the next Peter Pan.

"Still don't know how you and the fairies talked me into letting Junior go and live with beauty and beast so he can grow up a bit. I mean it's not like he absolutely has to take my place," Peter says while picking the bag up and putting the strap over his shoulder.

Jane was silent. Peter did have a valid point. After all, he was the original Peter Pan since, as everyone knew, no one in Neverland grew up and thus meant that no one could die of old age. Even with Captain Hook always wanting to try to exact revenge on him, Peter had always managed to escape his clutches.

However, needed or not, their son, Peter Pan Junior, was to take his father's place in the near future and in order to do that, he was going to have to live somewhere other than Neverland for some time.

"Come on. Let's get this over with…" Peter sighed, going over to the entrance of the hideout.

Sunlight poured in through the windows of the castle dining room, where Belle and her husband Adam were overseeing the servants as they set the table for the meal they were to have with their Neverland guests. After all, it had to be a bit of a journey even though their main travel method was flight, and they understood that Peter and Jane probably were feeling guilty for having to leave their son with them. That they would feel the same way if they to do the same and leave their extremely timid daughter to fairy tales she wasn't familiar with.

One of the maids came in just as Adam and Belle were about to move on to check on the preparations for the room in which Peter Pan Junior was to live in. She announced to her superiors the arrival of their guests, and the two quickly went to go meet them in the foyer.

"Now, Junior, don't mess with the banisters," Jane's voice said the closer they got.

"A handful isn't he?" came Lumiere's.

"A bit. He's usually well-behaved for his age. He only gets like he is now whenever he's curious or excited…"

Jane's voice trailed off when Adam and Belle finally entered the foyer.

"Hey, Belle," She greeted her old friend.

"Hey, Jane." Belle smiled, looking up at the little boy flying around the foyer, seeming to explore every nook and cranny of it. "So that would be Junior?"

"That's him," Jane replied. She pointed her thumb at the one standing at her side. "So that means I don't have to introduce Peter Pan himself, right?"

"Now that's harsh, Jane." Peter chuckled a little, though his smile quickly fell.

Jane giggled and waved Junior over.

"Junior, this is Belle and Adam. They're the ones who'll be taking care of you," She said while gesturing to the two.

"But you said it was beauty and beast who would be doing that," Junior told her. He had his head cocked to the side to show his confusion.

Both of his parents as well as Adam, Belle, and Lumiere laughed.

"They are beauty and beast, kiddo," Peter clarified, rubbing his son's head.

"And thanks again for taking care of him." Jane added gratefully.

"Sure thing, Jane. Now what do you say we give you a tour of the castle?" Belle suggested.

Junior floated along behind his parents as they walked down a hallway that had many suits of armor standing at the ready, as if always prepared to come to life when the spell transforming a prince into a beast was placed upon them again.

"Was wondering where the knights were," His father said with a playful chuckle.

"Actually, those are just empty suits of armor. We don't have many knights anyway since no antagonists of other stories dare to come around here anymore," Adam explained.

"How's that?"

Silence. Adam and Belle looked at each other before one of them spoke.

"We don't like to talk about it," Belle answered, her voice quivering if at least a bit. Adam put an arm around her shoulders in an effort to comfort her.

Jane nodded, understanding that whatever happened had must have been too horrible to even think about for them. She elbowed Peter in the gut when she saw that he was going to say something, shaking her head no, silently telling him that it was not a good idea.

The dark, serious mood was lifted when an elderly lady came down the hall.

"Ah, Mrs. Potts!" Adam said, causing the woman to stop. He waved her over, to which she did obediently. He then turned to face the castle guests. "Peter, Jane. This is the castle nanny, Mrs. Potts. Mrs. Potts, this is Peter Pan, his wife Jane, and their son Junior."

"Nice to meet you, dears." Mrs. Potts smiled upon being introduced.

Peter and Jane nodded, Jane acting with more manner than her husband. Junior simply floated closer to Mrs. Potts.

"You're old," He said in fascination.

"Junior! You don't say things like that!" Jane scolded him. "So sorry, Mrs. Potts. He's just never met any elderly people before. Junior, say you're sorry."

"I sorry." Junior apologized while hanging his head.

"It's alright, child. You didn't know any better," Mrs. Potts said sweetly and understandingly. She then looked at Adam, excusing herself, saying that she had to go and check on the tea he had asked her to brew.

Continuing on their way around the castle after the brief meeting, Adam and Belle led the way, passing by a hallway leading to the entrance of the castle library, as Belle pointed out.

Junior, who hadn't been paying much attention due to becoming bored with the tour, was lingering a little ways behind when he came upon the library entrance. He was just going to pass by when he heard a voice coming through the small crack in the doors. And it sounded like someone was telling a story.

Curious, he flew over to the door, peeking in through the crack. When he didn't see anyone, he carefully pushed open the door a little wider. Poking his head in, his eyes widened when he saw several woodland creatures in the room. This prompted Junior to float inside to have a closer look. Weren't all these creatures supposed to be outside instead of inside? Upon getting in closer, he finally saw the owner of the voice he was hearing sitting on the couch the animals had gathered around.

It was a girl. A girl that had dark brown hair tied back with a blue ribbon like Belle's was, and had on a light blue dress with white stockings and black dress shoes. In her pale hands was a book…

Junior's heart beat faster. Whoever this girl was, she was pretty and could read!

The one wolf cub that was sitting the closest to the girl suddenly lifted its head. It growled, causing the girl to stop reading – especially when it got up on its paws and looked in Junior's direction. A gasp came from the girl as she shot to her feet upon noticing Junior, dropping the book she held while running to hide behind the nearest window curtain.

"Wait!" Junior exclaimed, coming closer, yet flinched back when the wolf growled dangerously while the other not-so-scared animals made it to where he couldn't get to the girl even if he tried. "I sorry if I scare you. I just overhear you reading and-"

Several of the birds that had been perched on the back of the couch came at him, cutting him off from his sentence. They chirped something at him, seeming as though ready to attack him if he dared come any closer to the girl.

"Pease come out. I not gonna hurt you," Junior said, looking at where the girl was hiding.

Silence. Junior hung his head.

"I sorry."

He turned around in midair. While his back was turned, the girl peeked out from behind the curtain. Brown eyes stared at Junior as he made his way toward the doors.

"Who are you?" She asked timidly, clutching the curtain tightly when Junior turned back around to her, as if she hadn't of expected him to hear her.

"I Peter Pan Junior."

The girl gasped again, though this time it wasn't out of fear. A little amount of red came to her cheeks as she hid behind the curtain a little more.

"P-Peter Pan Junior? As in THE Peter Pan?" She questioned, her voice becoming a bit more audible.

"Yeah. He my dad." Junior smiled. "Who're you?"

The girl looked down at the floor. She clutched the curtain tighter as the red on her cheeks darkened.

"I-I-I'm Isabella."

"Isabella. That pretty." Junior complimented honestly. He dared to float closer, and the animals made slight movements, ready to protect Isabella, yet they stood their ground. If anything, they would give this boy a chance since he was the only one their human friend they had ever heard her willingly speak to.

Isabella shyly hid behind the curtain the closer he got, yet still made it to where she could see him. Junior placed his feet on the floor just a few steps away, holding out a hand to her. Isabella glanced at it and back at his smiling face.

"I not gonna hurt you." Junior repeated. "I rater hear story."

Shock was written on Isabella's face once he said that, but then it fell as she looked at his hand again. Slowly, she began to step out from behind the curtain, much to the animals' delight.

"Go on, Isabella. Take his hand…" One of the rabbits encouraged, hopping up and trying to push her toward Junior.

Isabella's gaze shifted to the rabbit momentarily.

"Go on, girl! You need a friend of your own kind!"

The rabbit's comment earned nods from the other animals. Isabella saw and gulped a bit. Yet for some reason, she found she liked Junior even though they had only just met. It was as if some force were pulling her towards him…

Her hand fell into Junior's before she even realized it. Junior's smile widened. Isabella smiled a bit as well.

"And here's where Junior will be staying," Adam announced when they came upon the room that had been prepared for their "temporary" house guest.

"You hear that, Junior? Your own-" Jane began before cutting herself off upon finding that her son wasn't floating behind her. "Junior?"

Peter looked into the hall. No sign of Junior. Instead a boy that looked around thirteen came running down the hall.

"Adam! Belle! Come quick! You have to see this!" He called out, making his superiors emerge from the room.

"See what, Chip?" Belle asked the boy, staring at him in concern when he stopped right before her and Adam.

"I-It's Isabella…" Chip breathed.

Adam and Belle got horrified looks on their faces.

"What happened?!" They questioned simultaneously.

"Something out of the ordinary, that's what." Chip replied while turning on his heel. "Come on, follow me."

Chip lead the way back to the library, stepping aside and pointing in the open door way. Once seeing what had caused Chip to come looking for them in such a hurry, Adam and Belle heaved gasps of surprise as well as sighs of relief.

"Who's the girl?" Peter asked once he saw his son sitting next to a girl who was reading a book aloud to both Junior and a bunch of animals.

"That would be our daughter, Isabella," Belle answered.

"Our extremely shy daughter." Adam added.

"Who can read. How old is she?" Peter raised a brow, though an impressed smile came to his face.

"She's five. Belle taught her how and before we knew it, she was reading on her own by the age of one." Adam smirked at Belle, then at Chip. "Of course, Chip over there had some involvement."

Chip chuckled and waved. Peter and Jane gave a slight laugh as they looked back in the room. Adam glanced at Belle, who nodded.

"You now see the reason why no villains dare come around here," He said, earning confused looks from Junior's parents. With a sigh, he continued, "It's the result of what happens if someone makes her mad."

Jane pointed at Isabella, shocked.

"But she seems so sweet and innocent."

"She normally is …. Until the incident that happened last year," Belle said with a shutter.

"What happened?" Peter asked.

Adam grimaced. Belle wrapped her arms around herself. Chip gulped, his shoulders raising up to signal his tension.

"The Evil Queen paid us a visit."

The sound of swords clashing with each other and the roar of a battle echo loudly through the closed doors of the secret room located in a passageway only known to those who lived at the castle. Isabella shrinks back in a corner, tears streaming down her face as her grandfather Maurice grips her tighter. Belle gulps, knowing that the enemy had somehow found the secret passageway. She glances at Mrs. Potts, who is doing her best to keep calm for the sake of the children.

A harsh bang causes the doors to crash to the floor. A cold breeze alerts the room's occupants of an evil presence as the dust clears away.

In came the Evil Queen.

"Well, well. Look at who all we have here," She says as she pauses and looks around the room before her gaze falls upon Belle, who stands her ground even under her stare.

"Leave now," Belle orders, earning a cackle from the Evil Queen.

"You think you can tell me what to do, Beauty?" She asks, stepping closer to Belle. "You think you can look me in the eye and expect me to stop like you did the Beast?" She raises a hand, and in a split second, Belle is on the floor, a red mark appearing on her cheek.

"MOMMA!" Isabella screams, running over to her mother's side.

The Evil Queen cackled again, glancing behind her. One of her soldiers tosses a wounded Adam inside the room, his limp body landing near Belle as she slowly arose from off the floor.

"You see? No one can stop me." She tells them.

Isabella looked at her mother, seeing the Queen's hand print on her cheek, then looked at her wounded father as he tried to pick himself up. Her heart began to pound against her chest as soldiers began to advance in the room. Her breathing hitched as her hands became fists. She didn't like seeing everyone close to her being hurt. She didn't like how the Evil Queen simply marched onto the castle premises and was making her family suffer…

"Get. Out." She demanded under her breath.

The Evil Queen looked at her.

"What'd you just say to me, little miss?"

Isabella lifted her bowed head, looking the Queen dead in the eye.

"Get. OUT!" She growled in a shrill voice, animal ears and tail emerging as her teeth became fangs and nails sharpened into claws.

She then came at the Queen. One of the soldiers blocked her path, about to stab her with his sword when she grabbed his wrist, stopping him.

"What the hex?!" He asked, trying to free his wrist from Isabella's grip. Yet no matter how hard he tried, Isabella did not let go. Instead, she growled at him just before she gave a hard tug on his arm. The result was the horrible sound of a bone snapping out of place and the soldier's arm landing on the floor in a bloody heap.

The Evil Queen was clearly shocked, especially when she saw Isabella grab her guard's head when he fell to his knees and do as she had done with his arm … only this time it was his head that came detached. She took a couple of steps back when Isabella turned her sights on her.

"Kill her!" She commanded the rest of her soldiers.

Peter and Jane stared at Adam, eyes wide and mouths agape. Chip was now clutching Belle, as pale as could be; having seen the horrors of the day everyone found out that Isabella harbored a dark and sadistic side to her.

"So she … she killed all of the soldiers … singlehandedly?" Jane asked.

Adam and Belle nodded.

"She became herself shortly after the danger passed, but was haunted by the memory of what she'd done for so long afterward," Belle said.

"But how is it possible that her appearance became beast-like?" Peter glanced at Isabella as if expecting to see what he'd just been informed of.

"We wondered that ourselves until the Enchantress showed up one night." Adam replied. "She informed us that there was another part of the spell she placed on me. That she made it to where I would carry and pass on a 'beastly' gene to my offspring that would show up if the child ever got mad, seeing as to how I always was before I met Belle."

"Why would she do such a thing?" Jane queried.

"She said that the child was to help in the change that was to befall the Land of Ever After. That she'd be part of a group lead by an 'evil queen who is not evil', and that she could learn to use her dark side to help in the cause as well as save Ever After from an era of dark times."

Peter busted out laughing.

"Oh, come on. Like that's going to happen!" He said, earning a hard punch on the arm. "Ouch! Jane!"

"You deserved that," Jane huffed.

Meanwhile, inside the library, Isabella stopped reading upon hearing Peter laughing. She, Junior, and the animals all turned their heads toward the doors in which Junior had left wide open to see both their parents there.

"Daddy!" Junior whined, seeing that it was his father that was the cause of Isabella to stop reading the story.

"What? Is everyone turning against me now?!" Peter asked to no one in particular.

Adam and Belle laughed a bit, walking in the library with Chip and Junior's parents following. Isabella shrank back in her seat, yet didn't run and hide behind the curtain as she had done earlier. Instead, she chose to put the book she held over her head.

"Come on now, Isabella. Don't be shy. After all, one of your favorite heroes is here." Chip told her while prying the book away from Isabella, who instead threw her arms around Junior and hid her face in the crook of his neck.

Junior smiled.

"It okay, Isabella." He assured her.

Isabella peeked at Junior's parents as they came closer. Slowly, as if by a miracle, she sat up straight instead of hiding again like she was always prone to do around strangers.

"Hey there," Peter greeted.

Isabella gave a small, shy wave along with a tiny smile.

"You are too adorable." Jane giggled, prompting a blush to form on Isabella's cheeks.

"Thank you." She replied timidly.

Jane's smile brightened. Junior snatched the book back from Chip and gave it to Isabella.

"More, pease." He said.

"Yeah. Continue reading, Isabella." Peter smiled, sitting cross-legged in midair.

"Peter, we-" Jane began before Belle came over with a chair for her.

"There's no more left of the castle to show you and lunch won't be ready for another hour. We might as well stay," She said while going over and sitting down next to her husband on another couch nearby. "Now, go on, Isabella."

Isabella was still for a moment, visibly scared. Yet, a smile slowly came to her face. She giggled a little and opened the book back up and continued on from where she had left off.

Points I would like to make:

(1) Yes, the Jane in the story IS the one from Disney's Return To Neverland. Don't ask. I like Jane a LOT more than Wendy.

(2) BEFORE y'all go and say why is this an EAH fanfic and not a crossover, let me remind you of the alluded character of RAVEN QUEEN and the Rebel cause in Adam's explanation of why the Enchantress did what she did. That and the characters do state that the LAND OF EVER AFTER a few times.

(3) Prince Adam, Belle, and any of the other Disney characters mentioned/stated throughout the story belong to, who else?, the wonderful Disney corporation.

(4) This is another story in my Royal by Birth, Rebel by Choice fanfic series with a beginning story of the same name.