So... I realize... It's been a very very very long time since i updated this... I'm super sorry, but it been a really tough year but I finally found joy in writing again. Again, super sorry about taking forever. like several months forever.

'James, Terry,' Alec shouted over his shoulder to the two boys, 'Pick up the pace! I want to get to the camp before night fall.'

'Why don't we switch?' James complained looking at the Emma who was glaring back at him, then looked back at Alec, 'My arms hurt.'

'Yea, come on, why can't you guys switch with us?' Terry whined.

Alec sighed and looked at the shorter lost boy at his side, 'Come on Christian, let's help out these weaklings.'

The short boy reluctantly sighed but did as Alec requested and they replaced James and Terry.

The Lost Boys sighed of relief as they were freed from the weight, and started with a quick pace leaving Alec, Christian and Emma behind several paces.

'I hate you, I hate you so much,' Emma growled, her stare burning into the side of Alec's head.

He was holding the end closest to Emma's head so he was able to whisper lowly and not worry about Christian eavesdropping.

'Emma, calm down,' Alec whispered, his voice low, hoping that it didn't carry to Christian's ears.

'Calm down?' Emma said, matching his volume, 'You just turned me over like I was just some sack of potatoes!'

'At least we got away from the Indians,' Alec reminded her.

'We were doing fine before they showed up,' Emma hissed, she was more than thoroughly upset that he didn't put up a fight with the boys.

As if he was reading her mind he replied, 'They would have over powered me, I was weaponless and they had swords and bows.'

Emma rolled her eyes turned away, 'I would have fought.'

Alec payed no mind to her and continued walking, turning over all the facts in his head. He told Hook he would keep her safe but how was he going to do that at the Lost Boys camp? He knew the boys were unpredictable and Pan never said what he wanted with Emma. He knew he was going to have to distract the boys so Emma can make a run for it, but how was he going to do that without Pan knowing what he was up to. Alec had a lot to do in so little time.

'Where are we going?' Emma said breaking the silence of the three, the two boys ahead, however, were laughing and occasionally would break into fist fights that usually ended with two hits before they started laughing again.

'The Lost Boys Camp' Alec replied in monotone. Emma nodded, too tired to say anything, her wrists and ankles were hurting and she could feel them burning from the rope.

'Are we almost there?' Emma groaned.

Alec looked up to the the sky and saw that it had already darkened as the sun had disappeared.

'Almost.'

They continued walking and the sky got impossibly darker, and the camp seemed impossibly farther away. Alec felt that they were just going in circles but he had to trust that Terry and James knew where they were going.

Alec glanced back at Emma to see her bored, which he couldn't blame: Being carried upside down is necessarily the best way to spend your entire day.

He sighed but turned as the yelling from the camp became audible. They were probably not farther than forty paces away, but that forty started to feel like 1000 because his arms started to burn from carrying Emma half the day.

Alec closed his eyes and walked, letting the cheering get louder as they got closer. Emma however was snapped out of her bored trance and strained her neck to see what was happening. She saw boys of all ages between 6 and 17 running around, fighting each other, laughing. Total anarchy, she thought. Some were huddled in groups by fires that spotted the entire camp site, each group doing their own thing, some were laughing or cooking while others fought with rough wooden swords. They were like cliques.

As soon as their little grouped entered the camp though, all activities stopped and the boys stared at her. It unnerved her to gain so much attention so fast, she felt too vulnerable. She would have felt better if she was standing, but she was hanging upside down, with no way to defend herself.

'Go get Pan,' Alec said to one of the boys near him and the boy took off while all the other boys started to close in around her, all with wondering eyes. The air was electric with chatter but she couldn't make out any conversations.

'Get me down,' Emma barked to Alec, not liking the way some of the older boys were looking at her.

'When Pan says so,' Alec said, halting in his position- waiting.

'I don't give a damn what-'

Her attention was drawn to the circle around her as a boy started walking towards her and all the other boys were parting a way from him. She figured he must have been Peter Pan. He was tall, very thin — lanky — and he had sandy brown hair paired with green eyes. Not bad looking, but not her type, Emma thought.

'She's our guest! Untie her, let her down,' The boy said and soon enough, Emma was standing up right, rubbing her wrists, which she knew were going to be bruised in the morning.

'I'm sorry for the hostile welcoming,' They boy said with a hint of embarrassment in his tone, giving Emma a small bow, to which Emma just nodded as she studied the boy.

'My name is Peter Pan,' The boy said as he straightened and waved a hand over the boys, 'And these are my Lost Boys.'

'I can see that,' Emma said looking around showing little interest.

Peter looked at the boys and gave them a nod and like cockroaches, they dispersed back to their original places. Alec stayed close by.

'You know, I've been looking for you for quite some time,' Peter said stepping to Emma, to which she took a step back. After all of the days events, she wasn't sure she could trust anyone on this island. Save one person.

Peter chuckled but continued talking, 'You're a very special person, Emma. A very important one at that.'

Emma rolled her eyes, that's what the everyone said to her when she switched homes, they wanted her to feel accepted, that she wasn't just another kid in the system.

'Yea, and why is that?' Emma asked skeptically.

Peter was quiet for a moment but his smile never faded, 'You have something that we don't have.'

Emma raised an eyebrow, 'Don't you mean that I lack something that you guys have?'

Peter chuckled once more, looking down but then back up at her, 'No, you have magic in you. Magic that can help us.'

Emma scoffed and turned around looking at the jungle behind her. She couldn't believe what this guy was saying, first she finally believes she's not dreaming (she'll never admit it to Hook though), and now this clown thinks she has powers.

She scoffs once more before turning back around to him, 'Yea, buddy, I think you have the wrong girl. I don't have any powers. And if I did, why would I help you? Your boys just dragged me here for hours and my wrists are in pain.'

'Because you need us just as much as we need you,' Peter said, his voice almost thoughtful. Almost.

Emma was curious now. What was it that this guy had that she needed? She was already getting her escape from the island from Hook… Hook!? Was he okay? The thought made her panic internally, she felt horrible for not thinking about him since they had separated but now… Now she was worried as all get out. She wanted to ask Peter what had happened to him, but something in the back of her mind told her it was a bad idea.

She maintained a bored look on her face nonetheless, 'What do you have that I need?'

Peter smirked and raised an eyebrow, 'Why, the only thing you've craved and looked for, your entire life-

A family.'

Emma's breath caught in her throat, and she made an audible gulp as her lips pursed. Did she just hear what she thought she heard?

'You can be apart of our family. A family that has each others back,' Pan continued, but this time he was walking around her.

'We won't ever abandon you,' He said lowly.

It sounded too good to be true. And Emma knew that if it sounded too good to be true, then it often was and this moment was not exempt, but it was just oh-so tempting. Just what she needed to hear.

Peter saw the wheels turning in Emma's mind and it brought a devilish smile to his lips, 'So are you going to stay with us? Stay with your new family?'

Emma looked at him, studying his face, and she knew he wasn't telling the entire truth, but she couldn't help but want to believe him. But she couldn't. She wouldn't. But from how Hook described him, he didn't seem like a guy who was okay with being denied. So she was going to take the safer route.

'I don't really have a choice now do I?' Emma said to him matter-of-factly.

Peter smirked, 'I guess not.' He looked around and saw that some of the boys had taken to sleep on the ground while others slept in hammocks.

'Get some rest, and in the morning, maybe you'll think about everything differently.' Peter said, walking way towards a tree then disappearing into the darkness of the jungle.

Emma sighed, then looked around and saw that a majority of the boys were fast asleep, it was well past midnight anyway and they probably woke early to get things done.

She shrugged and decided to go to the far corner of the camp and sit at a fire that was unoccupied. After arranging a few things she was able to sit comfortably against a log in front of the warm little fire.

Too much had happened in so little time. First she met Captain Hook, then she found out this wasn't just a dream and now Peter Pan wanted her to join his band of lost boys. God, no one was going to believe her back at home.

But…

Did she even want to go back home? What did she even have to go home to?

At least here if she really joined Peter and his gang, she would have a family. A family who needed her.

'Don't.'

She jumped and turned her head to see Alec standing behind the log to her right. Little did she know that he had listened to her entire conversation with Peter and knew about everything.

'What do you want?' She mumbled as she turned back to the fire as he slid down next to her.

'He's just using you,' Alec said looking at her, even though she looked straight at the fire.

'Of course, everyone uses me for something,' Emma said, exasperated that this jerk had the balls to talk to her.

'I didn't use you for anything,' Alec said, tilting his head to her. He could see how distant she was, not as distant as others that he'd seen, but she was close. He knew that even though she was nonchalant about it, she was actually really broken inside and he knew why. Because being an orphan can do that to people. Being unwanted hurt you to the core.

Emma looked at him but quickly turned away, obviously unnerved by the comment.

'He's just giving you empty promises, he's going to kill you when he no longer needs you,' Alec continued softly. He really enjoyed seeing how the fire made her seem to glow, but it was not the time to fawn over her.

'You really are something,' she said turning to him, 'First you back stab me and then you expect me to believe you?'

Alec sighed, 'I didn't lie to you Emma. If they knew what I was actually doing, they would have killed me, and you could kiss Hook and his escape plan good bye.'

'I'm Hook's informant before anything, and in order to keep feeding him information, I had to take suspicious off me,' Alec finished, feeling like an extraneous amount of weight had been taken off him.

Emma was quiet for a moment, and turned back to the fire. She wasn't sure what to believe anymore. But she felt that she needed to believe him. Felt that it was imperative to her survival, after all, that was what she was good at. Looking out for herself and being alone. Surviving alone.

'Fine, whatever,' Emma said, trying to make her understanding seem like nothing.

A small smile slipped on Alec's face, 'I knew you'd come around.'

'I'm not coming around, I'm just giving you a chance,' Emma said quickly.

Alec chuckled and looked back at the fire, 'Just don't fall for Pan.'

Emma turned to him and a sly smile slipped onto her face, 'Never trust a lost boy. Remember?'