Chapter One:Woodland Chase

OOC: Willow belongs to me, so don't steal her, mmmkay?

Moving in and out of communicative thoughts, Willow blinked as she looked around her with a sigh escaping soft deep pink lips. Moonlight spilled to the ground in soft silver pools on the soft grassy moss at her feet. She liked the woods behind the mansion. They were quiet, natural, and provided her with the perfect place to find solace from the outside world.

Her mind wandered over several things. From life here at the mansion to perhaps one day leaving with a man she loved and maybe even finding her self starting a family. But what kind of man would ever want a woman like her? She wasn't anything special…

She wasn't tall and beautiful like Storm, she wasn't charming and mysterious like Rogue, she wasn't rebellious like Jubilee, and she most definitely wasn't as outgoing as Chance was. She was just Willow. Petite, shy; and far too willing to follow the crowd just to blend in; not wanting to be noticed.

She liked her solitude, her long walks by herself, and she liked not being noticed. Her ability to blend in was the one thing she had on her side.

With another sigh, she stopped to look at a soft white night blooming blossom. Her fingers graced over the soft white petals, which seemed more like silver silk as she looked at them.

With a shake of her head, she sighed and turned back toward the mansion. Her steps were slow but sure, and her feet met the ground with no sound.

She walked on; an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach telling her that she was lost. She had been walking for close to half an hour, but somehow she was sure she was headed the right way.

Her mind was jumbled with confusing thoughts as she kept up her trek through the trees and foliage, passing in and out of the shafts of moonlight that filtered in through the breaks in the trees overhead.

Stopping, she glanced around her quickly, her body tensing. There was something unnatural drifting to her ears on the breeze. A sound… And a smell. She turned in slow circles, her mind clearing itself as she looked for what could possible be causing the disturbance.

It moved closer. She panicked. Her heart raced, breathing became more labored.

She ran. Ran as fast as she could, her feet barely touching the grass as she moved over it. Her tight blue jean flares huffed to her body as it was, and she found herself straining against the fabric. Her deep forest green sweater kept out the chill for the most part, but the cold wind was stinging at her face.

She was blind; tears of fear clouding her line of vision. Something caught her foot and she fell, hitting the ground with a sudden thud and a cry of surprise and pain. The heel of her hand stung, and tears threatened now more than ever.

She heard nothing now but the whisper of the breeze in the trees. Laying her cheek against the rough, cold ground she closed her eyes and wept softly. She wasn't sure why she was acting like this. She shouldn't have been so afraid. No one but her lurked the woods behind the mansion, especially not at night. It had probably just been a squirrel or some small animal.

A rough hand grabbed her shirt between her shoulder blades, and a gruff grunt sounded as she was lifted up off the ground with effortless ease. She was set on her feet, which were clad in small black leather riding boots. A cry left her lips and she turned her head, as she couldn't turn her body to look up at the person who had lifted her and set her back on her feet.

The large strong hand was still holding the back of her shirt, and she found herself staring up into a face she had never seen before in her life. She would later come to find out that she would spend a long time wishing she had never seen it in the first place…