Really wish I owned OUaT, but alas, I do not.

GiraffePanda2 - yeah, that was a typo that I didn't catch while editing *hides* Thank you so much for your kind words - a simple fanfic doesn't deserve such high opinions. Here, I made Andrew bake you a cookie.
InterceptionSunset - Eeek thank you! ^.^ this story began as an antithesis to the unsubstantiated 'love at first sight' trope, actually - but that doesn't mean that Sarah can't struggle with a little (okay, a lot of) physical attraction ;)
Hope Diamond & MidnightAlley - Thank you! Ben sends you his love :)

The plot advances! Hope you lovelies like this chapter :)

I was two weeks into my misadventure with Pan and I hadn't gotten killed or terribly maimed yet. I thought I deserved an award. Life on Neverland with Pan had shifted into a kind of rhythm – I'd get up and go to breakfast, then help out the boys with their arrows. Pan would try to seduce me sometime between lunch and dinner and at the end of the day all of the Lost Ones sat around the campfire exchanging jokes, threats, and stories. I actually had to commend Pan on his pseudo-parenting; in all the history of the Lost Boys there wasn't even a single suicide (though I suspected that this had to do with other circumstances such as Pan's intolerance for weakness). And surviving with him, well… That was a feat in and of itself. I felt like baking all of the Lost Boys a cake.

If only a cake could help us with our WT problem. I blinked. 'Our'? Their. Their WT problem. I'm not a part of this.

The hostility between the Lost Boys and the WT had escalated in the previous two days. There had been one more attempt at a border breach and another boy returned from patrol with several bruises. I was told that the Lost Boys had seen worse but the camp was still abuzz with speculation of how far the WT was willing to take this conflict. As such my biweekly trips to the lake were, for the time being, postponed.

"Where the hell am I supposed to wash then? Remember how you literally shoved me away because I 'smelled bad' that first time?"

Pan looked like he wanted to roll his eyes. "You can go to the beach if you really want to."

I blanched. "And walk three miles?"

He shrugged. "It's your choice. But you won't be going to the lake any longer."

"But Felix said there isn't even any point for the WT to cross the border there!"

"They seem rather desperate this time."

I groaned. "Great."

"Can't have you dying without my permission," Pan said simply, studying his nails.

"Without your permission?"

This guy's crazy never failed to surprise me.

"Of course," he bared his teeth in a smile, eyes glinting dangerously. "Who do you take me for? I always take care of what is mine."

"Yours?" I sputtered, offended. "I'm not yours!"

Pan grinned at me easily but the vicious flame behind his eyes remained lit. "Of course you are. You're here, aren't you?"

Maybe my future grossness will stop him from hitting on me for a while. My hormones need a rest.

"If that's what helps you sleep at night," I muttered and moved to walk past him.

"I can think of other, more… pleasing things to help me sleep at night."

My face burned. I walked right into that one, didn't I?

"Keep trying, Pan. Maybe one day you'll get there."

"And I have all the time in the world to make you surrender," he called after me.

I strode away from him and dove behind a tree as soon as his back was turned. This was so not working. I didn't know how long I could last with Pan waiting around almost every corner. The chase kept him interested, but then what? His determination to get me in his bed made me rethink my original hypothesis of his tiring of me. If he was putting this much effort in then maybe my life might not be so short after he succeeded, after all.

And he will succeed, I thought. The only way he wouldn't is if I got off of this island by some miracle. Too bad 'PIE' has been completely eliminated from the equation by my stupid hormones.

A familiar drawl made me jump. "Resorted to such juvenile tactics as hiding?"

"Oh shut up. I don't see Pan coming on to you." I peered around the tree. Pan was still where I left him, talking to some Lost Boy with blood on his face that was holding a crossbow.

"He knows you hide from him, you know. He finds it funny."

"Well he would, wouldn't he?" I frowned for a moment. My only plans for escape revolved around the WT but I didn't even know if they had the means to help me. "Who else on this island has access to magic? Besides Pan, I mean."

Felix eyed me. "Why?"

"I want to know which people I shouldn't piss off."

"For you? Everybody."

"I'm serious, Sun- Felix."

"Some of the natives know." He cast me a meaningful glance. "But you don't need to know who as it would be incredibly dangerous and stupid for you to go see them."

That settled it, then. I would sit tight for the time being and as soon as an opportunity presented itself, be it in the form of a WT prisoner or not, I would get in contact with the tribe and hopefully score myself a ticket home. Assuming I would even survive long enough for an exploitable situation such as that, my insane plan would include a lot of sneaking around - sneaking around on an island that I still didn't know.

I've gotta fix that.

"Better run," Felix said in the closest tone to amusement that I'd ever heard him use. "Looks like Pan's coming."

I whirled around to confirm that Pan was, in fact, approaching. "Nice seein' ya, Felix," I said quickly and darted to a somewhat isolated cluster of tents in the jungle.

I peered over the top of one and observed the situation. Felix said something and cast a glance in my direction. Pan laughed. I narrowed my eyes. That little shit told him I was hiding!

Your betrayal stings deep, Sunshine. And here I was thinking that Pan was just omniscient.

I strained my ears to hear what they were saying but only caught snippets of conversation. Pan said something about the tribe and nodded in my direction.

I ducked down behind the tent. "Shit!"

"What the hell?" a disgruntled voice from the inside of the tent barked.

I squeaked and fell backwards.

Andrew poked his head out of the tent and glared. "Of course it's you."

"Shh!" I hissed at him.

"Oh, want me to be quiet, do you?" he asked in a much too loud voice.

"Andrew! Shut up!" I gestured wildly to the main camp. "Pan!"

He rolled his eyes irately and dragged himself back into his tent with a grumble of "as if you could hide from him." There was a beat of silence before he muttered, "Some people are trying to sleep here you know."

In the middle of the day?

"Sorry," I muttered, mostly out of habit.

I sat cross-legged on the ground and rubbed my face tiredly. People like Andrew got to take naps, but me? Oh no, I was stuck running away from everything my body wanted.

There's nothing I hate more than this question but- why me?

I picked at the fourteen knots on the cord wrapped around my left wrist. The skin there stung slightly but my old cut was mostly healed by now. I pursed my lips together.

Two weeks. I've been missing for two weeks.

I ran a hand through my hair in frustration and leaned forward to peer around the tent only to stare at… shoes? I froze in embarrassed horror and looked up slowly at the smirking face of Pan. He waved as if to say, 'hello.' My face turned red. He took several steps back and waited for me to stand up and follow him. I briefly entertained the idea of staying on the ground like a petulant child just to spite him.

Why is he so fucking cheerful? 'Hey Pan, murdered more people lately?'

I really didn't want to know.

"Couldn't stay away from me for even fifteen minutes?" I asked him after we were no longer in earshot of Andrew.

"Don't leave the main camp," Pan said without preamble.

"What?" I asked in surprise. "First the lake is off-limits and now so is everything else?"

Even the Whale? I love the Whale!

He rolled his eyes in aloof frustration. "Don't make me lock you in."

"Yes, because tents work so well to prevent escape."

"Oh, not your tent," he said, his voice light again. "I live in a much sturdier space."

I paled. "You're threatening to lock me in your bedroom?"

"Well I'd rather tie you to my bed, but we can't have everything. Keeping you in my general chambers will have to do." He grinned predatorily. "No need to sound so averse to the idea. I might think you don't really want me."

How the hell was this guy so hell-bent on keeping me alive and yet treating me like some animal? Anything that ever happened to me here only occurred because it made me more appealing to him personally.

"Oh, I'm pretty averse."

"Didn't anyone tell you lying is unladylike?"

I bristled. Did he really just -? "Oh you do not get to pull some old-fashioned sexist card on me!"

"So you admit to lying, then."

"That's not what – no!" How did he make me want to slap him and shove him against a tree at the same time? This wasn't fair.

He laughed condescendingly. "It's so funny watching you try to resist me."

It'll be funnier watching me punch your face in.

"Still working though, isn't it?" I glared at him and waved my hands theatrically. "Look, not touching you!"

Pan raised an eyebrow and ran his tongue over his teeth. He stepped closer, voice low again. "But don't you want to be?"

Oh come on. He does this every five minutes, I swear to god.

"The only pan I want to be touching is a frying pan, and that's so I can hit you with it."

His genuine bark of laughter startled me. "I'll believe that when I see it," he chuckled. "Remember," he called over his shoulder, voice returning to its usual cold tone. "No leaving, or you'll have to answer to me."

I was bowled over with the realization of my stupidity as I watched his retreating back. If I'd threatened him like that ten days ago I would probably be tied to a tree right now. That or he'd sick Andrew on me.

Jesus, Pan sees me as so utterly harmless that he'll let me make empty threats at him.

Though he probably didn't see me as 'harmless' so much as he thought me weak. That was more his style.

I grinned at my finished work in triumph. "Hey, this actually looks like an arrow!"

The dark-haired boy grudgingly admitted that it did. I suspected his name was Mark.

"You could actually kill someone with that," Ben added encouragingly.

"Can you maybe not remind me about that?" I asked him. I'd been itching to find a new job ever since a Lost Boy came back hurt yesterday and Pan had announced that problems with the WT were escalating.

"Come on, Potter," he laughed. "You're keeping us safe!"

"That isn't making me feel any be- hang on, what did you just call me?"

The other three boys exchanged curious glances.

"Am I not allowed to use your last name?" Ben asked, still grinning.

No. It makes me feel too much like the Chosen One. Plus it isn't my real last name anyway.

"Your last name is Potter?" asked Mark. "Seriously?"

I threw up my hands in frustration. "Why does no one believe me?"

Oh yeah, probably because I'm lying.

"Mark, Adrian, I believe it's your turn to patrol tonight," Pan's authoritative voice sounded from behind me.

"Holy-!" I jumped and whirled around to face him. "Do you have to always do that?" I was still bitter about him sneaking up on me behind Andrew's tent.

Pan raised an eyebrow in amusement before casting a glance at Mark and whichever one of the boys was Adrian. My brain simply couldn't process any more names.

The two of them said their 'yes Pan's and ran off.

"I hope I didn't interrupt anything," Pan said lightly to the rest of us.

"Nah," Ben waved it off. "Just talkin' about last names."

Pan's eyebrows rose. "Last names, huh? Care to share?"

Yeah, you go first 'Pan'.

"Mine's Matthews."

"I don't remember," the other boy offered.

Pan turned expectantly to me.

Oh hell.

I tried to maintain eye contact and keep my expression empty as he waited. "Potter."

He didn't say anything and I pulled at the cord around my wrist. If he knew I was lying… Pan's gaze dropped to my hand and I froze, adopting the most innocent expression I could manage.

"Potter?"

His face changed as soon as I stuttered out the affirmative.

Pan eyed me coldly. "Well isn't that interesting. You're lying to me again. It's amusing when you're denying your attraction but now…"

I felt myself go pale. Ben, bless him, took one look between us and grabbed the third boy's arm to pull him away.

"No I'm not," I said, raising my chin and meeting his gaze.

His eyes gleamed like a predator's as he circled me, stopping inches away from my body. I felt his breath on my face. "I don't like liars."

His hand wrapped around my forearm in a firm grip to keep me in place and I squeaked, remembering what happened to Eddie.

"Now why don't you tell me the truth?" He hissed. "And it should be interesting, seeing as how you're going to such lengths to hide it from me."

When I made no move to speak, his eyes hardened and he tilted his head.

"Now, now… Must you lie about your last name too?" he murmured, reaching for his belt. My eyes flickered toward the knife he kept there. "Don't make me convince you." His lip curled in a snarl and my eyes fell to the ground.

Maybe I can find some shred of pride down there.

"It's…" I exhaled, squeezing my eyes shut. I almost didn't want to open them again. "It's 'Peters'. My name is Sarah Peters."

Pan looked at me, a deranged flame of pleasure dancing in his eyes. He ran his tongue along his teeth and grinned widely. "Is it now?"

"Fuck off," I muttered and tried to pull away from him.

Before I knew what was happening he grabbed my waist and shoved me against the nearest tree. My head hit the wood with a thump and I groaned, resisting the urge to bring my hand up.

Motherfuck.

Pan pressed his free hand onto the tree above my shoulder and leaned down close to my face. I ignored my terror and stared defiantly at the tip of his nose.

"You," he said in a deadly quiet tone that made me flinch, "are mine." He grabbed my chin in his hand and forced me to look at him. The warm green of his irises seemed out of place on his chilling expression. "You'd do well to remember that. Don't disobey me in the future."

Pan pushed himself away from the tree and disappeared into the jungle, leaving me standing there frozen and very much afraid.

I really didn't want to explain to Ben why I kept flinching whenever Pan raised a hand. How had I even managed to lull myself into thinking that he had no reason to hurt me? He may have liked the chase but at this point I had a terrible feeling that it was making him more angry than interested. I fidgeted with my knife.

He's more forward than ever and I'm too scared to let him touch me. Back to fucking square one. Oh god, I have to get over this.

I almost couldn't believe what I was thinking. Get over a display of violence like that? This wasn't E- this wasn't someone else. This was me. I jerked as Ben grabbed my hand.

"Might wanna stop that before you hurt yourself again."

I looked down at my hands. The knife was pressing dangerously far into the skin of my palm. I hadn't even noticed it was doing that.

"Just take it." I shoved it at Ben and stood up.

I needed to focus. I just – I just needed to go calm down and focus again. I could do this. I could get out of here.

As long as I play the part of a perfect little servant to Pan.

I hated the idea of swallowing my comments and letting him walk all over me but I didn't know what else to do except act like a scared little girl to placate him. What I hated even more was that it wasn't far from the truth. I ran a hand through my hair roughly as I walked briskly towards the maple on the cliff. That spot had become a kind of security blanket over the past weeks. I leaned against the trunk and exhaled a shaky breath. I was losing it. I had to go somewhere, anywhere, and yet I couldn't leave camp. I needed to get out. I needed to feel like myself again.

I looked up at the sunlight shining through the leafy canopy of the maple. The branches rose toward the sky like a ladder, promising to lift me high into the sky. I grasped the lowest branch with a newfound determination and pulled myself into the tree. The climb to the top was longer than I expected but it was nothing compared to the freedom I felt as I looked out over the leaves and out at the glistening ocean. The wind rushed around me and swept away the stifling fear I'd felt ever since Pan lashed out at me.

A pair of bluebirds chased each other though the treetops and I watched them with an odd sense of longing. Couldn't Pan just be normal? What was wrong with sweet talk or maybe flowers? That would work a lot better for him instead of – no. I had to stop thinking about that. One of the bluebirds landed on a branch and the second followed, hopping closer to it almost nervously. The first tilted its head at it before taking off again. The lone bird chirped quietly.

"Sorry buddy," I said to the bluebird. "Life doesn't always work out the way you want it to."

It stared at me for several seconds before taking off and following its partner.

What I wouldn't give to be a bird right now.

Their lives were probably so much easier. Sure, there was day-to-day survival and predators, but I had those too. At least bluebirds didn't have to play any mind games.

"Sarah!"

I looked down to see Ben waving at me from the ground. Was I really that high up?

"Dinner!" he yelled.

"Yeah!" I hollered down at him. "Give me a minute!"

I cast one last look at the pastel sky before ducking beneath the leaves and climbing down to earth.

Stuffing my fear of Peter Pan into a metaphorical garbage can took slightly less effort than last time. I wasn't sure if I should be worried or relieved. He didn't approach me at all the day after he threatened me but as soon as the sun rose the following morning he and his condescending smirk were back. Forcing myself to focus on his face or his hair to take my mind off of his words wasn't as easy as I thought but by the third time I felt like I was getting the hang of it. At least he didn't try to touch me again. However my job would have been much easier if that bastard just stopped bringing up my last name.

It was always 'Peters this' and 'Peters that' and 'you need to accept that you're mine from birth, Sarah.' I felt like I was about to lose it again, but this time out of anger. I'd lasted several days in this dynamic but I wasn't sure how much more I could take. Pan was fraying my nerves like never before and yet I had to act more complacent than ever. The knots on my cord felt like spikes against my wrist every time he spoke to me. My hormones hadn't ceased toying with my brain but this time my logic had memories to fight with. Whenever he approached I was torn between wanting him to touch me and being afraid that he would inflict pain. The worry had faded some since that first day but every time he raised a hand in my direction I was still wary. Part of me suspected that he didn't bother to touch me not because he cared that I was scared of him but because I had gone several days without bathing. I couldn't tell anymore but I figured that I smelled pretty damn bad.

By the time lunch rolled around I wished I'd never gotten out of bed that morning. The situation with the WT was even worse than anyone anticipated (I blamed Pan). This was precisely the reason that I thought out dear leader lost his mind when he ordered Felix to march me to the lake.

"Um, isn't there the small problem of, you know, homicidal natives?"

"They won't be stationed where you're going."

Stationed? What are they, soldiers? Oh god, I hope not.

I wanted to ask him if I was supposed to take his word for it but stopped myself in case his anger flared up again. Pan caught my near-slip and smirked at me in satisfaction.

Felix watched him with a serious expression. "Are you sure you should be doing this, Peter?"

"What," he laughed. "Making sure my Lost Girl actually looks like herself? Tired of her already, are you?"

"You know that's not what I meant," Felix said tersely.

"I know where they are. They won't know we're coming and we'll crush this before it gets out of hand."

Oh, shit. They really were going to fight. My head whipped around and I frantically searched for a familiar face in the crowd of armed Lost Boys.

Ben.

He was my only friend in this place and no way was he getting hurt. I wouldn't be able to survive here without him. I spotted him off to the side hefting a lethal-looking crossbow. That cheerful, fifteen-year old boy was going to fight. I felt sick.

Pan interrupted my thoughts. "Remember, Felix –"

He nodded. "Peter Pan never fails."

I stared between the two of them in bewilderment.

Really? "Peter Pan never fails"? You can't be serious!

"Something wrong?" Pan quirked an eyebrow at me.

You're sending these children into a fight on blind faith in your own ego?!

I clenched my fists. "No."

His mouth stretched into a devilish smile and he tugged on a lock of my hair. "Good girl. It's so nice when you don't question me."

Yeah, this magical thing called my last name is binding me to you in a sublime union of celestial love.

Pan glanced back at Felix. "Don't take any new routes. I need you to stay out of the way as much as possible. Can't have my second in command dying on me, can I?"

"Of course, Peter."

It never ceased to amaze me how the silent and intelligent Felix could defer to Pan so easily.

"Should I go get my cloak, then?" I asked in defeat.

Sunshine nodded in the direction of my tent and I darted off.

Oh god, Ben.

The two of them were still exchanging words by the time I came back but Pan left almost immediately after he saw me.

"I don't like this, Felix," I told him.

"Peter Pan never fails," he replied.

I desperately hoped that Ben would return safe and tried not to think about how the arrows I made would embed themselves in living human beings. We watched as the Lost Boys disappeared into the jungle, the air between us heavy with the expectation of worse things to come.

[distant sounds of author's evil cackling]

Any of you feel like yelling at me/ sharing your opinions in the review box?