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I freeze before I run into the silver blade appearing at the level of my neck.
"Next time you decide you want to play a game, make sure it isn't a stupid one," Alex said lowering the sword and stepping in front of me.
"What's wrong with tag?" I ask innocently, masking my feelings towards the lost girl. I didn't exactly like her, I don't know why exactly. I'm in the process of denying it's because she was probably in the same position as me before.
"It is the most unoriginal and idiotic games I've ever played and it gets old quickly. That being said, I live on an island with a bunch of boys that come up with plenty of stupid games. Tag is still one of my least favorites."
"Then why are you playing?" I ask tiredly my eyes darting around looking for signs of life.
"Come on, time to go to camp," she says ignoring me.
"Nope I am going to stay right here, because I'm from the US and we love our strikes; and if what you say is correct and there will be a next time. The longer the delay the better. Besides, you are not the boss of me. Sorry to sound cliche, but I do what I want."
"And in order to do that you would need to be alive. Peter may not want to kill you but I am not my brother," she said flatly putting her hands on her hips.
"Holy shit you're Peter's sister?" I ask truly stunned.
"He didn't mention me?" she asked unsurprised. "He probably didn't mention our brother either. Oh well, c'est la vie."
"You have a brother?" I ask following her curiosity defeating my stake out.
"Yep, all I'll say about him is that you know him, and he's actually younger than both Peter and I."
"That's all you're giving me?"
"Yeah, I don't like people knowing I'm here. Almost everybody back in my land thinks I'm dead and I'd like it to stay that way so please just keep your mouth shut." I rolled my eyes my thoughts splitting. Why does she want everyone to think she's dead? Offered one direction of my mind. Holy shit Alex is just Peter's sister, not some girl stuck here after he moved on.
"Why is it so important everyone thinks you're dead?" I ask after a few minutes.
"Many reasons. Mainly because people kept kidnapping me and Peter was tired of worrying and having something that could be used against him. If you're going to stay, you should know."
"If? You mean I have a choice?" I ask hope leaking into my thoughts.
"Not yet but you might." I shake my head and sigh at her comment. If's and might's, when can I get a solid answer?
"So where'd Peter go off to? Is he kidnapping any more of my family?"
"No actually I think he's releasing a long lost relative. But who knows, lately he's been a bit bipolar."
"Well that's great a lost and lonely boy with multiple personalities, because one isn't enough."
"He used to be nice."
"Didn't we all?" I ask as we walk into camp. "So who are you? Never heard Peter Pan had a sister."
"Peter abandoned my brother and I when we were younger. My other brother, let's call him Jeremy for the moment, that's not his name though, Jeremy raised me since I was five, he and my father. My mother died when I was born and Peter ran away when I was five. My father was always hard on him, he was only fifteen when he left us, and I'm glad he did. My father had decided he was old enough for a job. If he didn't find one by the time he turned sixteen he'd be sent to the front lines just so we would get a small amount of money for his guaranteed loss of life. He left two days before without a goodbye.
"Jeremy received a letter a little while after Peter ran away. He promised he'd come and get us and bring us with him once he got settled somewhere or if it ever got too bad. My father took an interest in me when I was eleven. Arranged a marriage to some rich bastard and beat me whenever our little excuse for a house wasn't spotless. He would've done worse too if he didn't die in his sleep. I only wish it was me that killed him, not alcohol, or some disease. My betrothed lost interest and broke off the engagement and I spent the next four years with Jeremy and two spinster sisters that taught me tid-bits of magic if I didn't tell anyone where or how I learned it. Then two nights after I turned fifteen I was robed and left for dead by bandits. I woke up in Peter's hideout with the little imp himself not a day older than when I saw him ten years ago. So now you know my life's story. Care to share yours?"
"I don't share but fair's fair," I said plopping down on a log. "I grew up in Syracuse New York, spent my summers on the coast pretending I knew how to both swim and surf. Four years ago, my friend drowned. My life has pretty much been crap since then. My Dad cheated on my Mom and got a divorce a few months later, he couldn't care less about me now. My mother committed suicide two years ago the day my friend who apparently is a lost boy decided I wasn't worth his time. Moved to Storybrooke a day or two later after your brother stole a pizza from me. Gave up on being sad and now I just work on trivial things like college or who knows what else. Until all the stupid fairy tales I was told as a kid became real. Don't get me wrong it's really cool but I kind of wish Disney was right about the whole, not too bright, ginger in tights Peter Pan."
"And you aren't the only one," said a recognizable voice, Eric.
"Go jump off a cliff," I fire back.
"I'd rather die," he said in his teasing voice he used whenever he wanted to cheer me up, I'm past that.
"Then go burn in hell."
"Come on Em, you can't hate me forever."
"I'll hate you till I die and if there is life after that, I may find a way to hate you even more, so watch me."
"At least let me explain."
"You can do what you want I'm not your Mom but don't think for a second I'll actually care about what you say."
"Okay well you two look like you need some time so I'll find you in a bit Emerald," Alex said hastily retreating to the other side of camp leaving me with Eric.
"Pan was going to kill my brother." I opened my mouth to make an obvious retort and he shushed me before continuing. "I can't lose more of my family. After the dark one killed your friend he sent me to befriend you and figure out who you were or he'd kill Jay."
"What? The dark one killed Shay? No she drowned it was an accident."
"Accepted or not it's the truth."
"Why'd you dye your hair black?" I asked not sure what else I wanted to ask.
"I needed a change," he shrugged.
"And now you need glasses?"
"I thought you knew I wore contacts."
"Why are you telling me this stuff?" I asked finally turning and looking up at him. "If I was only supposed to be a question."
"I think I really did fall for you."
"No. You don' get to play that card on me. That was the worst move you could've made two years ago. The worst; in retrospect it didn't even make all that much sense. So what was it? You found your answer? Needed a quick out?"
"Emerald," he pleaded.
"No," I said firmly standing up and looking up at him, he was a bit taller than Peter who was taller than me.
"Please."
"Go burn in hell," I said turning away from him and moving to the fire. I sit down on another log and dare anyone to sit next to me, none do. I look up from the flames to see Alex leaning on someone's shoulder. He in turn had his arm wrapped protectively around her though I had a feeling she could handle herself. The scene was so sweet I wanted to barf. Feeling my gaze the couple glanced up at me. I rolled my eyes and pretended to look elsewhere. It was the tall blond one with the mess blond hair and a scar running down one side of his cheek. Who would've thought the guy had a soft spot, yet again who would've thought she did. Love makes fools out of us all.
"Sickening isn't it?" Peter said plopping down next to me.
"Yes and no."
"That sounds a bit contradictory."
"Love is one big contradiction. It's our greatest strength and biggest weakness. It can move a country to war and tear it apart. It makes you a fool while giving you wisdom you can't find anywhere else."
"You talk like you know." I smile bitterly and look down at my feet before the crystal clear night sky above me.
"No I've never been in love."
"Then how do you know?"
"I don't." I say softly before turning and looking at him. "What about you?"
"As you said, love is your biggest weakness. I am not weak."
"That's what they always say. You're a bigger fool than I thought Peter Pan."
"He's not a fool, he's right, a monster can't love," Eric sneered from behind me. I spun around quickly without thinking and grabbed his head puling it down to my knee successfully breaking his nose. I hooked my foot around his ankle and then took his feet out from under him in less than thirty seconds. I took a step back from where he was holding his nose and lying down on his back awestruck with my accomplishment. I didn't regret it though. I blinked and then stalked out of the camp before a hand caught my wrist stopping me from going any farther. I turned around and glared at Peter who still had a tight grip on my wrist.
"What?"
"Would you please stop beating up my lost boys, I don't care what they call me, you bait one into a fight and they'll kill you."
"I don't care either, Eric deserved it. You deserve it too. Your lost boys need a lesson on insults. If monster is the only insult they can come up with..."
"Now you're complaining about their insults?"
"Yes the least they could do is be creative."
"I'll pass it on."
"Good now what do you want?"
"I just wanted to test something."
"Go on tell me," I said once the silence hung for too long. He raised an eyebrow at me and then did that weird snap thing that's actually hard to do.
"Do me a favor and try to run away."
"Where you dropped on the head when you were a baby?"
"Go."
"Oh you were obviously thrown at a wall, hard it looks like."
"Go Emerald."
"Not until you say please," I say sweetly.
"Please," he says after a really long silence. I smiled and walked in a random direction. Once Peter was out of sight I started running.