A/N What can I say? I'm obsessed with OUAT and even more obsessed with Peter Pan. I've been reading all the Peter/OC stories I could get my hands on and I decided to give one of my own a shot. I was actually listening to the Catching Fire soundtrack when I came up with this idea, so that's what's up with the title and summary :D This story is pretty AU, but there are some canon things. Peter is NOT Rumple's father in this, however he does have a connection to Rumple but what that is won't be revealed until much later in the story. Anyway, here's chapter one. Be warned, you don't get a lot of info about my char, just some basics. I'm revealing her story slowly. ENJOY!

(4/15/14 – UPDATE): Hey guys! I've gotten an INCREDIBLE Beta for this story, Quasar-Hunter! YAY! She has been totally awesome in helping me go over the stuff I have already and cleaning up – making it better for all of you! So, yes, this chapter has been fixed a bit. I hope you all enjoy the changes (the story is the same, it just flows much better)!

(8/30/14 – UPDATE): Wow guys, I am so sry it's taken this long. Unfortunately, my previous Beta dropped off the side of the earth So that's why there has been a hold on this story. THANKFULLY, I was able to find another Beta, who is AWESOME, and who's willing to take this story on! So everyone say thanks to Vena Grey! This chapter has been reBetaed.

Disclaimer: I only own my OCs

"We were never welcome here.

We were never welcome here at all.

No."

Who We Are - Imagine Dragons

Staring at the second hand on the clock, Alilyn Elwood slammed the cover of her history textbook closed, relieved that school for the day was finally over. She ran a hand through her short brown hair, dislodging her bangs from behind her ears; she allowed them to settle over her eyes, masking the weariness that otherwise came over them. Her teacher, Mr. Mathis, babbled on about their homework for the day, but Alilyn ignored him. She didn't do homework on weekends. That was what weeknights were for.

She shifted in her seat, scanning the classroom. All twenty-three students, fifteen girls and eight boys, made up the entire senior class.

Welcome to small-town America.

Storybrooke High was nothing more than a small concrete building with barely enough room to hold its hundred and three students. They didn't even have to change classrooms; all of their subjects were taught in one room. All that changed throughout the day were the four teachers who went back and forth, teaching their chosen subjects.

The bell finally rang, singling the end of the day.

"Have a good weekend, everyone!" Mr. Mathis called as the students started gathering up their things and filing out of the room.

Alilyn grabbed her textbook and notebook, tucking them under her arm as she stood up. She lingered next to her desk until her best friend, Celia, walked over to her. They left the classroom together, joining other teens in the tiny hallway.

Alilyn and Celia pushed their way to their lockers, easily sidestepping the numerous girls and few boys in their way.

One of the things that made Storybrooke High unique was that at least two thirds of the students were girls. Having that many girls in the school made boys rare and valuable commodities; not one of the teen boys were single. The female overflow was mostly thanks to Storybrooke's Girl's Home, which boasted of housing forty-six orphaned girls from ages thirteen to eighteen.

Alilyn and Celia, in fact, both lived at the Girl's Home, thanks to both of their parents deciding to abandon them at infancy. They hated living there. They hated that they were nothing more than wards of the state, duties to be cared for. The only thing that made it a tiny bit tolerable was how close all the girls were.

They looked out for each other. They were each other's family.

Alilyn opened her locker and pulled out her backpack, stuffing her textbooks in its place. She slung her backpack across her shoulders and slammed the door. The sound of metal hitting metal was satisfying.

I won't have to bother with my locker for two whole days. Freedom is glorious.

"I can't believe we have an essay to write over the weekend. What kind of craziness is that?" Celia said, walking with Alilyn out into the chilly Maine air. "I cannot wait till I graduate. Then I'm out of this hellhole of a town."

"It's not fair that you're already eighteen," Alilyn complained. "You get to leave right after graduation. I'm stuck here well into summer vacation."

"Senior year is never fair," Celia said, shrugging.

Alilyn sighed. "Man, it feels like we've been seniors forever."

"Maybe we have," Celia laughed. "Maybe our lives are stuck on some sick cycle and we keep repeating senior year over and over without knowing it."

Alilyn shuddered and nudged Celia with her shoulder.

"Don't even go there. That's a torture reserved for hell."

"Maybe we're in hell," Celia grinned, "Maybe we were really bad in our past lives and now we're dead, without even knowing it, doomed to repeat the worst years of our lives for all eternity!"

Alilyn rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Lia."

Celia stopped talking, but the grin never left her face. As the two girls walked down Main Street, side by side, their differences were highlighted by their close proximity.

Alilyn's dark features and pale skin gave her a more whitewashed, ordinary appearance. Celia, however, was vibrant with her honey-blond curls, bright green eyes, and tanned skin. She stood out like a rose among daisies, the very definition of alive.

Alilyn was rather plain; she knew that; nothing about her demanded attention or admiration. She was 5'2 and petite, making herself seem smaller with the hoodies and skinny jeans she preferred to wear. But she liked being small and plain. It was easier to fit in this way, easier for people to overlook and underestimate her. She was the perfect wallflower.

Celia, on the other hand, was at least four inches taller, built like a supermodel with a curvy body and sultry facial features. She played her body up with her clothing choices, tight leather jackets and lots of leggings. Alilyn knew most girls would be jealous to have such a gorgeous best friend, but she wasn't. Celia's beauty was perfect. Most people tended to focus on her and leave Alilyn alone. That was exactly what the younger girl preferred. Alilyn hated attention, and Celia was the perfect to person to take it.

Despite the differences in their physical appearances, and even in their personalities, they were the best of friends. Their differences were what bound them together, leveling out their strengths and weaknesses. They relied on each other, making each other stronger. They had been abandoned by their parents, but they had found something better: each other.

As the two girls reached the edge of town, they stopped at the fork in the road. To the right, the road sloped upwards to where the Girl's Home was nestled into the hillside. The left side sloped downward towards the marina. Alilyn handed her backpack to Celia, who took it without comment.

"See you later," Celia said, shouldering the backpack.

"All right," Alilyn nodded to Celia then turned and walked to the left, her hands deep in her hoodie pocket.

Celia watched her walk away before turning right and heading to the Home.

Alilyn continued on the road until it ended and the rocky beach began. She hopped from boulder to boulder, her Converse sometimes slipping on the wet stone surface. But she never lost her footing as she jumped down onto the beach, walking all the way to the water's edge. She stood just out of reach of the waves, staring across to where the gray sea met the equally gray sky.

Something about standing on the beach, staring at the place where the sky met the sea, gave her peace. For as long as she could remember, there had been a hole inside of her, a deep hole of restlessness that was unable to be filled no matter what she did. The only thing that seemed to tame it was standing on the beach. Alilyn didn't know why or what it meant, but she made the pilgrimage to the beach every day. She would stare out into the ocean, the wind whipping her hair back and forth, and wish she could find something to ease the ache.

At that point, she was pretty sure that the only thing that would fill it was leaving Storybrooke. Escaping the mundane existence of her life and going out into the real world. She was sure that if she could go to New York, or Chicago, or Los Angeles - or any big city for that matter - and actually live, her hole would just shrivel up and disappear.

That's why staring at the water helped. That was the edge of her world, and by looking out, she could see the real world, where life was just waiting for her.

Alilyn took a deep breath, allowing her eyes to slide shut. The salt in the air and the cold made her throat burn, but she ignored it. This little pain was nothing compared to the relief the beach offered her: relief from the nagging restlessness.

She wasn't sure how long she stood there. She always lost track of time when she was at the beach. When she opened her eyes again, everything looked the same, so she guessed she hadn't spaced out for very long. She sighed, turning and making her way back to the road, heading back to the Girl's Home. She was almost to the road when she saw it.

Alilyn had no earthly idea what it was; it looked like a rainbow, curved like one, too. Based on looks alone, she almost thought it was a rainbow that had fallen on its side. The only thing that ruined that idea was that it was moving, quickly. Toward her.

Alilyn backed up a few steps, unsure if she wanted this thing to touch her.

In the end, she didn't have much choice. It plowed through her like she wasn't there, knocking her to the ground before continuing on and out of her sight. Alilyn pushed herself off of the rocks, her movements slow and her head spinning.

What was that all about?

And then, without any warning, her mind exploded.

A thousand different images and memories grabbed her, carrying her off into a whirlwind of thoughts and feelings. She gasped, her mind connecting dots she hadn't known existed. Her life in Storybrooke, her restlessness, her obsession with the beach - it all suddenly made perfect sense.

Just like that, she knew who she was. She remembered her real life - her true identity. She remembered the good things, and she remembered the bad things. She remembered the years in Storybrooke, but the fake backstory was nothing more than a whisper among her real memories.

Alilyn laughed, running her hands through her hair. She couldn't stop the flood of happiness at getting her life back - at finally knowing who she was.

As soon as she realized that, she also realized she should be burning with anger. She should march to Regina and ring the older woman's neck.

And the anger did simmer below, but she decided not to let it bother her. Yes, Regina had taken her away from her home and erased her memories, even though Alilyn wasn't even supposed to be part of the curse, but Alilyn had bigger things to worry about. She needed to round up her friends and get them and herself home.

She stood up, brushed off her pants, and walked up the road to the Girl's Home. As she went, she took the time to sort through her memories, placing them back in their original spots; there were some missing, and without them some events made no sense, but she didn't worry about it. It would all probably come back in time.

As she reached the top of the small hill, the road flattened out and she could see the three-story brick mansion that stood out against the trees. A group of girls stood in front of it, talking loudly and excitedly. Celia stood to the side, watching over them like a guardian. The crunch of the gravel beneath her feet alerted the girls of Alilyn's approach. They all turned, falling silent as they watched her walk towards them.

She didn't say anything for a while, returning their stares. Then she grinned. The group rushed her. She was hugged from all possible angles and she did her best to return them. The girls laughed and yelled, shoving each other around as Alilyn detangled herself from them and walked over to Celia, who had her arms crossed and an amused look on her face.

"I was right," she said.

Alilyn frowned. "About what?"

"About the curse. We really were stuck repeating senior year over and over."

Alilyn laughed and the two girls embraced. Even though they had been together the whole time they were in Storybrooke, they hadn't been together for real in years. Now they had their memories and could remember the time they had first met as well as all the things that had happened since then. Best friends was too casual a name – they were her sisters.

"So, what's the plan?" Celia asked, pulling away.

Alilyn smirked. "We're going home, of course. I'm not spending another moment in this town."

"You wouldn't have another reason for being so anxious to go home, would you?" Celia's eyes twinkled.

Alilyn raised her eyebrows at Celia's knowing look.

"Just as much of a reason as you have, Cam," Alilyn responded, using Celia's pre-curse name.

"Touché," Celia laughed, at first, then sombered. "But how are we going to get there? If you haven't noticed, we're a bit low on magic."

Alilyn snorted. "Yeah, I noticed."

She turned and stared at the other girls, her mind spinning as she tried to come up with a plan to get all of her girls home without magic. An idea popped into her mind and she considered it, weighting the pros and cons.

"I've got an idea," Alilyn said slowly. "But there's a chance it won't work."

"It's not like we've got a lot of options." Celia shrugged. "What's the idea?"

Alilyn shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

"I'm going to try and call him," she said.

Celia frowned. "But he can only transport one person at a time. That would take ages to get us all home."

"Exactly." Alilyn nodded. "Which is why he's only going to take me. Once I get home, I'll be able to bring all you back myself."

Celia raised an eyebrow. "Beans?"

"I have a couple hidden away. I'll have him bring them to you, then you all can join me." Alilyn smiled slyly.

Celia shrugged. "It's worth a shot. Do you think he'll come?"

Alilyn stared off into the distance.

"He's never been very reliable, but he does need me." She was quiet for a little while then turned back to look at Celia. "We'll call him at midnight, from the top of the clock tower."

Celia nodded. "Sounds good."

Alilyn smiled and stared at the group of girls.

"Time to go home."

So? What did you guys think? Do you know who Alilyn is? She's actually a fairytale char, but one that isn't part of OUAT, surprisingly. REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS! Guesses are welcome, questions will be answered, and praises will be accepted! ;)

~Sunshine