Catherine's POV

I can feel myself gradually coming out of unconscious, and I moan softly. I haven't opened my eyes, but already know that I'm not in the forest. Its too quiet and I can't feel the ever present breeze that whispers through all the trees. Also, whatever it is I'm lying on is much more comfortable than the forest floor.

I slowly open my eyes and take in my surroundings. I'm in a small tent with bare walls and a bow and a quiver with arrows is propped up in the far corner. I try to sit up, but the effort only serves to make me dizzy so I sink back down onto the pillows with a grunt.

I sigh. I wonder how long I've been here? I know where I am because its where I used to live with Ethan, and I am somewhat relieved that I'm here instead of ... somewhere else.

I stare at the ceiling for a while, and just before I'm about to try getting out of bed again, the tent flap opens.

"Well, good morning, sunshine," Ethan says hurrying over to my side. "Decided to join the living have you?"

I roll my eyes. "Yeah. Guess so," I reply smirking.

"Hold on just one sec. Where the heck is Collin?" he asks looking around.

"Collin?"

"Yeah. The new kid. Arrived just a few days after you left. He's about yay high with loads of freckles and the reddest hair you'll ever come across. You see, we've been watching over you in shifts to make sure your fever didn't come back. It's supposed to be his shift. Where the heck is he?" he explains. "Collin!" he yells.

"Ow!" we hear a yelp from under the bed after it vibrates a bit. We look over the right side to see a small boy attempting to wriggle out from underneath the frame. He is rubbing the top of his head as he curses and glares up at Ethan.

"Don' ya know its bad luck to wake a man when 'e's sleepin'?" he grunts and I can't help but laugh.

"Wha's so funny, lass?" he snaps.

"Nothin' laddy," I answer, failing to suppress another giggle. The truth is, the fact that he calls himself a man when he's only at most four and a half feet tall actually serves to be quite comical.

His scowl deepens as he gets up off the floor. He's short with bright red curls and loads of freckles, and the way he crosses his arms over his chest does nothing to help him look intimidating. In fact, it only serves to make him look like an angry leprechaun. The thought makes me chuckle quietly as I turn my attention back to my brother.

"I don't care if you were sleeping, Collin. It's your shift which means your supposed to stay awake to watch her," Ethan says with a menacing glare on his face.

I muster up my best accent and say, "Oh come off it, Ethan. I'm fine 'n I'm sure it gets rather boring jus' watchin' a lass sleep. Does it really ma'er now that I'm awake?"

Collin grins softly from where he stands beside the bed and Ethan looks down defeatedly. "Alright, I can't win with you, Catey," he grins and softly kisses my cheek.

"Now go and let Pan know she's awake," Ethan orders.

"Yes, sir," Collin says and hurries off.

"Does he have to know?" I whisper.

"Well, he hardly left your bedside since you got here and when your fever showed up he wouldn't leave unless he was forced, so I believe he has the right to know you're awake."

I'm shocked at his words. "You're joking, right?" I ask.

He only shakes his head and I turn to look in the other direction. "What happened? After I lost consciousness," I ask.

"You never did wake up and after a while, you got really sick. You had an awful fever and you kept screaming things in your sleep. It was something about mom and another person you called the Shadow. It gave us all quite a scare. Pan was really the only one able to get you to calm down and as soon as he left, you'd start up again," he explained.

"Scared the living daylights out of everyone," someone exclaims from the tent opening. We both look up to see who it is, and find Peter standing there, looking very tired and worn.

I freeze when I see him, and want to look away but find it very hard to. Ethan is still holding my hand comfortingly as he looks up at his leader.

"I've got to go talk to Collin about sleeping on the job, so I have to go," he whispers quietly to me. I grip his hand a little tighter. "Don't worry. I'll be back in a minute," he assures me, kissing my cheek once again and rising to leave.

He says something I can't hear when he passes Pan to exit the tent and Pan nods. After Ethan is gone, Peter comes over to sit in the chair on the right side of the bed. We say nothing for a long while until he finally speaks up.

"I'm sorry for putting you through so much pain," he says quietly and I nod in acknowledgement.

"We are only human," I reply.

"Can you ever forgive me?" he asks, looking over at me imploringly.

I sigh, turning away from his gaze and after another long silence, I look back over at him. He looks entirely sincere in his apology, but doubts still cross my mind.

"Please," he whispers.

Without a word, I reach out my hand to him. He just stares at it, a longing nearly hidden in his eyes, his muscles tense with restraint. He eventually returns his gaze to mine and I give him a slight nod of consent. He then gently takes it in his own and we return to silence.

"I'll leave as soon as I can walk," I say, breaking the silence between us this time.

"What?" he asks, all his attention immediately returning to me.

"I think that it would be best for me to leave after everything that happened between us. It would only serve to make things more awkward. Besides, I didn't think you really wanted me around anyway," I explained.

"What are you talking about? Do you really think that I'd let you go so soon after getting you back?" he asks, sounding a bit alarmed by my statement.

"If that were the case, then why did you send me away?" I ask him calmly.

His grip tightens on my hand and I can tell that my question, no matter how valid, upset him a lot. "I thought that we already went through this when I apologized," he says rather icily.

"I'm sorry for upsetting you, but I really just need to know if you're going to hurt me again," I proclaim, accidentally allowing my true emotions to show. I immediately look away from him as my tears begin to form and I know that my embarrassment is apparent. I quickly try to withdraw my hand from his grasp, but he holds fast.

He then gently grasps my chin and forces me to look back at him. "I am so sorry for the pain that I caused you and believe me when I say that I suffered just about as much as you. It is because of this that I promise you that I will never intentionally hurt you again. I love you, Catherine. Please stay with me," he pleads.

I search his eyes for any sign of insincerity, but find none. Before I can fully comprehend what I'm doing, I quickly lean forward and press my lips to his. It's not heated or desparate. Just very soft, slow, and sweet and when we finally separate, I sigh with contentment.

"So is that a yes?" he whispers.

"What do you think, bonehead?" I counter and he laughs.

"Sorry. Just making sure," he says and kisses me again.

When we finally separate, I ask him, "So, how long have I been unconcious?"

"About three days," he answers quietly.

I feel my eyes widen a bit and then it suddenly hits me. "Tiger Lily! Is she alright?"

At the mention of her name, Peter stiffens. "Yes, she's fine," he replies emotionlessly.

I gaze at him intently and after seeing my look, he sighs and continues, "She's alright. We just never have been on great terms."

I nod in understanding. "She's hard to get through to. As are you," I say giving him a pointed look, causing him to chuckle.

"Yes, that I am," he agrees.

We then return to silence.

"I should probably go," he says, and gets up to leave.

"Wait!" I say and he looks back at me inquisitively. "Please don't leave yet," I whisper and he smiles softly at me.

"Don't worry, love. I'll be back before you know it," he says and leans down to kiss me gently. I return his kiss and when he pulls away, I feel an emptiness settle inside me.

"You promise?" I ask peering innocently into his deep green eyes.

He smiles. "Promise," he whispers and kisses me once more. "Now get some rest. I'll be back in time to be here when you wake up."

I smile and close my eyes as he quietly exits the tent, and soon enough, I've fallen back into a deep slumber. Just before sleep drags me under however I think to myself, Funny how love works. One moment you're wanting to leave them forever, the next you can't bear to be separated from them.

I am running through the halls of our old castle. Something is chasing after me and its getting closer and closer. I don't dare turn around to face the creature for fear of slowing down, so I push on, stumbling over the hem of my dress a bit along the way.

I feel it getting closer and closer still as I quickly dash through a doorway at the end of the hall and up a flight of stairs. At the top, I run into another room and barricade the door. I have witnessed the power of this creature before and know how it uses its silence to its advantage, sneaking up on unsuspecting victims and engulfing them into its dark death trap.

I take a deep breath and desperately search for a way out, knowing that the barricade won't keep him out for long.

I dash over to the window and wrench it open. I try to judge the distance to the ground and look around to see if I have enough material that would safely get me to the foot of the tower. I find a chest filled with sheets and desperately begin tying them together.

Just as I finish knotting the last one, I feel a physical pain unlike any other course throughout my entire body.

A screech escapes my lips as I sink to the ground.

"You stupid girl," a voice sounds from behind me.

"Mother," I state, glaring up at her.

"Did you really believe you could escape us!" she yells, smiling maliciously at me.

"At least now I can die knowing that I tried," I snap defiantly.

Another blast of pain surges through me and I cry out again. "Oh what a valiant heart. Too bad it's potential has gone to waste," she says, grinning at my apparent suffering. "Oh Pitch!" she summons in a sing-song voice.

"No. Please, Mother. Not the Shadow!" I beg at her feet.

"You should have thought of that, Cathy, before you tried to escape," she exclaims. As soon as she finishes, an inky black substance leaks through the key hole of the door I attempted to barricade and takes shape right before our eyes.

I feel my eyes widen in fear and my mother laughs from behind me. "Finish her," she commands, and disappears.

After Mother vanishes, the Shadow then silently multiplies until one merges into the next and the entire world goes dark.

"Catherine!"

"Catey!"

"Love, you have to wake up!"

Voices bombard me from all directions as I'm roughly jerked from my nightmarish dream. My eyes snap open to find everyone crowded around me. Micheal, Noah, and Collin are sitting at the foot of the bed, eyes wide in terror. Damian and Pierce stand directly behind them, faces white with fear. John stands next to Micheal, holding him close and on the opposite side of the bed, Davis and Robert are on their feet poised to run if need be. Gripping my right hand is Ethan, and his face is pale and filled with worry. I feel a pair of strong arms wrapped around the rest of my upper body and I glance up to find Peter looking down at me, his mouth in a thin line.

He then looks away and says, "She's okay, boys. Head on back to bed."

"But she's crying, Pan," Michael states and its then that I realize that tears are streaming down my cheeks. I quickly close my eyes and will the tears to stop to no avail. I finally give up and burry my face in Peter's chest.

"She'll be alright, Michael, after she's calmed down a bit," Ethan says soothingly. "The only way you can help her now is by going to bed so she can get back to sleep."

I hear the boys grudgingly consent as they exit the tent. After they are all gone, Peter captures my chin and raises my face. "Are you alright?" he asks, concerned.

"Yeah," I lie unsuccessfully because of the fresh tears giving me away and he pulls me to him again. I can't stop the flow of my tears as I grip him tightly.

"They are getting worse," I hear him whisper to Ethan.

"Maybe it would be best for her to stay with you for the time being," my brother replies just as quietly.

I want to let them know that I can hear them talking about me, but I frustratingly can't get a word out through my sobs.

"Alright, love. Let's go," Peter says as he lifts me gracefully wedding style from Ethan's bed. Ethan comes over to us and gives my forehead a soft kiss.

"Please keep her safe," he asks.

"I will," Pan replies and we leave.

We then enter another tent that I quickly recognize as his, and even though this was the location of our last fight, I strangely feel safe here. He then lies me gently onto the bed and positions himself next to me, wrapping me in his arms.

"I can't sleep, Peter," I whimper after a while and I curse myself for sounding so pathetic.

"It's alright, love. I'll be right here the whole time," he assures. "Besides, it was only a dream. Nothing can hurt you in a dream."

"But it wasn't a dream," I whisper. "It was real."

He stiffens at my reply, but is quick to assure me, "I promise that as long as I'm here, I won't let anything or anyone, real or imaginary, harm you."

He then kisses my forehead softly and I snuggle a little closer to him. "Now go to sleep. I'll be right here the whole time," he promises again and pretty soon, I'm able to fall into a deep, and thankfully dreamless, sleep.