Myst: We are back once again and we like to thank you for all the support so far. It was an honor for us to make the dream come true.

Freak: But we feel nervous and starting to get the We-afraid-we-might-mess-this-up-rash. *Itches arm briefly.*

Myst: But, we have started the beginning of the tenth chapter.

Freak: But it's like a sentence. *Scratches neck.*

Myst: We'll try to get this going quick to that as soon as possible.

Freak: But we are going back to school on Monday and well, you know how much that slows things. *Bends down to scratch leg.*

Myst: Move on to the disclaimer. We don't own anything of Disney or the story itself. That right is Ravenfollower13. On with the chapter.


Chapter 2

"Hopeful Thoughts"

Peter awoke as the first cracks of sunlight filled the caverns of the tree. He stretched, yawning awake. He pushed aside the blanket, feeling well rested and ready to go. Peter marched cheerfully toward the leaf that covered his pixie's home, standing in front of it.

He spoke softly, so as to wake Tinker Bell with ease. "Morning, Tink!" he began, pushing aside the leaf. "Did you have a good—"

If Peter had been holding glass, it would have shattered. His entire smile dropped as he saw that there was no small female fairy inside of her den, and Peter began to panic. It wasn't like Tink to disappear in the middle of the night. She was small and could easily get in trouble—which she had—in the dark.

"Lost Boys! Get up right now!" Peter shouted. There was a moment of chaos as the boys each hit their head, not used to such an unfriendly wakeup call, though they should be. But eventually they managed to scramble into a straight line before their leader, each in a saluting form. "Has anyone seen Tink?"

Each dropped their hand. Tootles' looked as if he was about to cry, his lower lip trembling in fear.

"Haven't seen her," Slightly answered first.

The twins spoke next, in unison as always. "Why, Peter? Is she missing?"

Peter nodded, pacing the floor in a serious manner. "We've got to find her. Everyone spread out and search Never Land. She's gotta be here somewhere!"

The distress was evident in his voice, and the Lost Boys became slightly fearful as they followed their leader out of their home. Peter was flying hurriedly and they struggled to keep up. As soon as they surfaced, Peter turned to them, hovering a few feet in the air.

"Meet back here in an hour, Lost Boys. If anyone finds anything, just give a shout. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" They all shouted together, in determined voices. They then separated, each calling different forms of Tinker Bell's name and Tootles with a sign of the pixie under his arm, showing it to any creature in sight that shook its head before leaving.

Tinker Bell watched with small satisfaction as Melody giggled with joy, spinning in the air with her hands out to her sides. She kept up with Tinker Bell easily, never straying anymore than a foot from the pixie. They finally reached the star and Tink pointed. At the sound of Tink's bells, Melody looked.

"Yes? What is it?"

Tinker Bell grinned at her before shooting ahead, right into the star.

Melody became alarmed. "Hey, wait!" She sped up, trying to match her pace, but Tinker Bell stayed ahead. It was then that Melody saw them approach the star. She stiffened, unsure of what would happen next until the star exploded into colors, sayings and unfamiliar voices, each jumbled together in a strange vortex-like way.

"I'm her daughter, Jane."

"Curse you, boy!"

"Don't believe in fairies!"

"One of us!"

"I never agreed to this!"

"Tinker Bell!"

"You'll never win! Not long as there's faith, trust, and pixie dust!"

Melody was in awe, staring at each kaleidoscope-like image came with a new voice, but finally the light became overwhelming and Tinker Bell's smiling face disappeared until it faded. Melody was simply hovering in the air when her arms lowered and she opened her eyes to the sight in front of her. She gasped.

"Never Land…" she breathed, eyes wide. "It's…beautiful!"

Tinker Bell clapped her hands happily, spinning around and throwing her arms up, showering them both in her pixie dust. Melody laughed, shaking it off her head. Tink gestured for Melody to follow her and began heading towards the island covered in rainbows and seemed to have its own illuminating sparkle, since it was now morning, but she was sure it looked just as lovely at night. It was a perfect fantasy world.

"So, where is this Peter Pan boy you've been talking about?" Melody asked.

Tinker Bell continued to gesture for Melody to follow and eventually the half-mermaid just had to shut her mouth and keep flying. It never got tiring, like swimming did sometimes. She could get used to it. Tinker Bell was rapidly approaching a tree, strangely shaped, and with leaves covering random patches on it. Melody didn't understand until Tink pushed a leaf aside, flying down the hole. Melody copied her movements, more hesitant as she stared down at the dark tunnel. Being brave, she closed her eyes and slid.

The air rushed around her and before she knew it, she hit the floor, sprawling awkwardly. She groaned, shaking her head as she sat up. Melody looked around, flicking a piece of hair out of her face.

"Always the graceful one," she muttered sarcastically as she got to her feet and dusted herself off. She was about to call out to the fairy when she remembered she didn't know her name. "Uh, pixie! Where'd you go?"

Tinker Bell's bells answered her calls and Melody, barefooted, followed. She peeked around the corner and saw the pixie, hovering with her arms crossed, looking irritated and confused as she looked at an empty bed and hammocks hanging around. Melody stood next to her, trying to find what she was searching for.

"Nobody's here," she said, eventually. Tinker Bell gave her a 'no duh' look and Melody smiled sheepishly. "Sorry." Melody sat on the large, fur-covered bed and looked expectantly at Tink for instructions. "So, what do we do now?"

Tinker Bell thought for a moment, sitting in the air before she began gesturing to herself, then out the door and then at Melody.

Melody took a moment to process it before asking. "You want me to…stay here…while you look for Peter and…whoever else is supposed to be here in the tree house?" Tinker Bell nodded, surprised. Melody grinned proudly. "Hey, I'm getting pretty good at this."

Tinker Bell rolled her eyes teasingly, before waving and flying out, giving Melody a stern look to ensure she stayed put. After another moment, Tink left, and Melody was all alone, for the most part, and she was bored. That wasn't a good combination for a teenager.

"Let's see." She began crawling around on the abnormally large bed. She leaned against the pillows when she felt something hard and uncomfortable underneath one of them. "Ow! What the—" Melody lifted the pillow to find a wooden panpipe underneath it. Giving it a strange look, she picked it up in her hands delicately, turning it around to examine it further. "Huh, wonder how you play this thing?"

Eventually, giving up, she placed it back under the pillow. She pushed away from the pillows, lying down and staring up at the ceiling. Feeling unusually tired, Melody's eyes began to drift shut, making her fall into a nice, tranquil sleep, and her cloak served as a blanket for her small frame. And for the first time in a long time, she smiled in her sleep.

Peter was beginning to feel worried. Two hours of searching, it now being fully morning, and no one had seen Tink. It unnerved all of the Lost Boys as well.

Where had Tinker Bell gone?

"Well, we might as well rest for a while," Peter told them, begrudgingly. As much as he wanted to continue the search, it was clear the Lost Boys needed to take a breather. Though he'd like nothing more than to fly off in search of her, and he could. TheLost Boys would protest his leaving without them and he might as well plan his flight while they took a nap. "And who knows? Maybe Tink came home while we were out."

At the same time, they slid down their shoots, each giving an excited shout or "whoo!" They landed upright, all except for Cubby, who fell flat on his stomach before sliding.

"All right, boys, get some—" Peter began but stopped. The Lost Boys' jaws were practically on the floor as they stared at something behind him, toward their beds. Peter felt hopeful. Was it Tinker Bell they were staring at? He turned quickly. "Tink, where have you—"

He froze. There was a shape on his bed, curled up under some dark blue sheet or something, fast asleep. He couldn't see any of it, for the dark blue cloth was covering it completely. It moved, slightly, under his gaze, as if it could feel it.

Peter's eyes narrowed and he made a 'shush' motion to the boys, who all nodded in a fearful huddle. Peter pulled out his dagger,turned and slowly creeped up on the thing in his bed. As he leaned over it, it once again moved slightly. He pinched the cloth between his fingers, dagger at the ready, and whipped it off.

"A-ha!" He shouted, grinning triumphantly. His face dropped once more.

A girl was curled up, still fast asleep, on his bed. Man, was she a heavy sleeper, he thought. Peter put his dagger away, feeling she was no threat but wondering why she was here. Impatient and unwilling to let this stranger sleep anymore, he cupped his hands.

"Wake up!" he shouted.

Immediately the girl shot up, sitting upright and looking around wildly until she saw his face. She stared, unmoving.

Peter leaned forward, oblivious as ever to the term "personal space," in which the strange yet pretty girl leaned back. He peered closely at her before asking, "Who are you?"

She opened her mouth, swallowing until she managed out, "I…I—"

"I've never seen you around Never Land before, which means you're an outsider. How'd you get here?"

Melody thought a moment. "Uh, a fairy." She made a size motion with her hands. "About this big brought me here. I don't know her name, but she's looking for you somewhere in the—"

"Tinker Bell!"

"Tree house," Melody finished, after Peter had finished hollering. "Oh, this isn't good, is it?" she asked, speaking to the closest Lost Boy, which was the mute Tootles. He quickly shook his head, telling her it wasn't good. "That's great. Just great…"

Tinker Bell flew around the corner, alarmed. As soon as she saw Peter, she looked nervous, and simply stayed where she was.

"Tink," he said, in a warning tone. "Come here and explain yourself."

Melody watched as the guilty looking fairy flew in front of Peter, head down and her hands in her lap. Peter crossed his arms, tapping his foot. He was clearly not happy. "Well? We're waiting."

Tinker Bell began explaining, which was not understandable to anyone but Peter. Slowly his face began to soften and in the end, the pixie grew silent, awaiting his judgment.

"Aww, Tink," he began. "You didn't have to do that. I would've gotten over it—" Tinker Bell glared. "All right, well, maybe it wouldn't have been easy, but I'm Peter Pan! I can overcome any obstacle," he insisted. Tinker Bell rolled her eyes and flew over to the girl, who was still a stranger to him, and gestured to her face. "No, I haven't." He looked directly at her. "What's your name again?"

"Melody," she replied, having composed herself. "I'm Melody."

Peter gaped, looking at Tinker Bell who was smiling smugly. "You brought Melody?" Tinker Bell nodded, proud of her accomplishment.

Melody looked from the two of them and back. "Am I missing something?" She looked at Peter. "Have we met before?"

Peter blushed awkwardly. "The mermaids…sort of…told me about your mother and you and, um, about how brave you were and stuff. With the sea witches and all. It was pretty cool."

It was Melody's turn to blush. "Thanks," she paused. "So…what exactly am I doing here, anyway? I mean, Tinker Bell?" Tink nodded. "Didn't really explain much. Well, not that she didn't try, but I couldn't really understand her."

Peter opened his mouth, but the boys jumped in before he could. "You're here to be our new mother!" the twins said, jumping up and down as they rushed to her. Both were on either side of her, one of Melody's hands in both of theirs.

"Mother?" Melody asked, clearly alarmed. "You mean, like, I'm in charge of you guys?"

They all nodded in unison.

Tinker Bell, meanwhile, turned her head, expecting to see a joy filled Peter. Melody was too enthralled by the statement to pay attention to what the two were doing, trying to calm the boys down, but instead of seeing a happy Peter, he was one brimming with uncertainty and old betrayal. Tink immediately zoomed in front of him, sympathy all across her face.

*She's not the Darling girls, Peter.* She reminded him, gently.

Peter looked ashamed of this new concept of wearing his heart on his sleeve. Most times, if something was bothering him, he could hide it.

But not from Tinker Bell.

"I know, Tink, it's just…I feel…lost," he muttered, looking back to where Melody was, smiling slightly at the enthusiasm of the boys but clearly a tad uncomfortable.

*Melody is every bit as lost as you are. Help her find a place in Never Land!* Tink shoved him toward Melody, who was speaking again.

"If I'm the mom, then who's the dad?" she joked, laughing nervously.

Peter stood strongly, smiling with pride. "That would be me. Lost Boys, off Mother! You're making her uncomfortable."

Realizing this, they quickly scrambled away and into a straight line. Melody laughed at their practiced posture, her hand trying to cover her giggle. "I guess you've got to teach me how to do that."

Peter glanced at her, surprised by the humor. Wendy had been almost completely a mother, and Jane had been the opposite. Neither were very funny—although Jane was sarcastic. He'd been unsure if girls even had a sense of humor.

"What're you staring at?" she asked, staring back.

Peter stepped back. He hadn't realized he'd been staring as he thought. "I wasn't staring," he said, calmly, though he was silently panicking on the inside. "I was thinking."

"Mmm," Melody nodded, standing and looked around. "So, kids." She turned to the boys, who relaxed from their positions at her words. "What do you want to do for fun?"

The Lost Boys immediately pointed to Peter, without taking their eyes off of Melody.

"Well, first, Peter has to give you a tour!" Slightly shouted.

The others nodded vigorously.

Melody turned on her heel to look to Peter. "Oh, is that right?"

Peter nodded, feeling more like himself. "Yes it is, ma'am." He took off his hat, bowing low before standing up straight. "And it would be my honor to show you around Never Land."

Melody giggled once more, giving a small curtsy. "Why thank you, sir."

Peter gripped Melody's hand, pulling her towards the door. Neither thought anything of it, though Tink smirked and crossed her arms approvingly, watching as they left.

"We'll be back later, Boys!" Peter called over his shoulder. "Tink, would you mind watching them while we're gone?"

She shook her head. As the two hurried outside, multiple calls of "Bye, Mom!" and "Bye, Dad!" were heard behind them. Melody felt an odd pang for them in her heart before Peter looked at her, grinning.

"Climb on my back," he ordered, cheerfully. Peter squatted slightly, to make it easier for her. Melody gave him a strange look, seeming to have difficulty swallowing. "What?"

"Uh." She appeared to have gotten over it, shaking her head. "Nothing."

"Well, come on then!"

Melody smiled at his enthusiasm before climbing on his back, placing her arms around his neck.

"Off we go!"

To Melody's surprise, Peter shot off, quicker than she and Tinker Bell had gone and then some. It was a shock she hadn't fallen off in her surprise and gripped just a tad tighter. Peter somehow noticed and laughed, much to her embarrassment.

"Better hold on tight, cause this is nothing!" he called to her, arms spread to his sides. "So, Melody, where do you wanna go first?"

Melody giggled. "I don't know the island, how am I supposed to know?"

"Well." Peter rose into the air, pointing to each landmark. "There's the Indian Camp, Pixie Hollow, Mermaid Lagoon—"

"Mermaid Lagoon?" Melody interrupted. "There are mermaids here?"

"Sure, there are! They're the ones that told me about you. Wanna meet them?"

"Of course I would!" Melody nodded, practically radiating with happiness. "I'd love to see Mermaid Lagoon."

"All right, then, to the Lagoon it is!"

Peter soared downwards, toward the water with rocks. Melody could already see the figures, sitting and talking amongst themselves all around the secluded area. As they approached, each girl looked up and immediately began pampering herself, calling Peter's name. Melody's eyebrow rose at this but she said nothing. She thought she heard Peter sigh, but didn't have time to question it before they landed on top of the tallest boulder in the water.

"Hello, Peter," the blond mermaid said adoringly.

"Hey, ladies, I've brought a guest with me."

Melody noticed Peter was in front of her, as if hiding her. She peaked over his shoulder, just barely, but immediately all eyes were on her. Peter stepped aside.

"This is—"

"Your Majesty!" the brunette squeaked, eyes wide.

More mermaids seemed to be there that day and the normally unattended seemed to regret coming. Each bowed in unison, their faces angled towards the floor.

"We weren't aware you'd be coming, Miss Melody," one said. Peter and Melody shared a look, thinking along the same lines.

Miss?

"Uh, just call me Melody," she said, trying to forget her not-so-easily-forgotten past. "And I wasn't expecting to come here myself."

"But, of course, your mother and her father know, correct?"

"I'd assume so," Melody smiled, to make it sound like a joke. Truthfully she was wondering whether her parents were already out looking for her again, and if her grandfather, the Sea King, was already involved. If she was lucky, they would accept her decision to leave and not try to find her. The mermaid looked embarrassed to have asked the question, her face looking at the floor. Melody stepped down from the rock, leaning towards her. "But my family appreciates your concern."

The girl clearly looked happy with Melody's kindness. Peter, behind her, was surprised. Normally the mermaids didn't seem like the girls he brought with him, but they looked absolutely terrified of Melody, if nothing else. Respectful almost. Peter smirked at this show of leadership, for some reason.

"Well, you are obviously welcome here anytime, Your—Melody." Another corrected herself, quickly.

"Thanks," Melody said cheerfully.

"Would you like to join us for a swim?"

"I just don't understand," Ariel said sadly, staring at the letter on her lap. "I knew she was unhappy, but I never thought—"

Eric hugged her, also distraught over their daughter's second disappearance. Jane was wandering the room, touching every drawing she'd made for her sister and every gift she'd given Melody. Needless to say, she wasn't quite sure just what was happening but she did understand that Melody wasn't here right now.

"Mother," she began, turning to her parents. "Where's Melody?"

Ariel opened her arms for her youngest, who gracefully jumped onto her lap. Ariel stroked her hair. "Your sister has…gone away, sweetheart."

"When will she be back?" Jane asked, touching her mother's face. "Mommy, why are you crying?"

"Because, sweetie." Ariel wiped away the tear, holding her child's hand to her face. "She's not coming back."

Jane gasped.


Myst: As you can see, it's pretty much all the same with grammar correction. Remember to review guys.

Freak: And for those who are wondering how we escape from Mozenrath, we used the RTD. *Scratches arm.*

Myst: That stands for Remote Teleportation Device. Freak, would stop itching.

Freak: I can't! I have a serious school's-tomorrow-rash on my case.

Myst: Well, I got to take Freak to a doctor. See ya!