A/N: I'm so sorry that I did not get this up sooner! Thanks for everyone who reviewed!

Disclaimer: I only own Bella and the new characters in the story.

5 months later…

"Peter?" I called his name to the blackness of the underground home. I had woken up because I had heard a noise and I couldn't fall back asleep.

"Are you alright?" his calming voice came from above me and I smiled. I would never get used to him.

"I just couldn't sleep. I heard something and it woke me up."

I felt him lay down next to me in my bed of fur and I snuggled up closer to him.

"You don't need to be afraid Bella. I will protect you." His deep voice washed over me.

"I know Peter."

We laid like that for awhile and our breathing became even. Eventually Peter fell asleep but I still couldn't. I listened to his heartbeat and I felt safe. I let my mind wander to the past five months I had been here. Neverland had washed away the wounds and hurts of the past and present. Its magical presence had struck a deep chord within me. It was cleansing.

Peter and I had grown very close. I couldn't imagine my life without him. It would kill me if he left. I still couldn't believe he had kept his promise of going slow. I knew at sometimes I may not have wanted it but I was grateful when I really thought about it. I was still haunted at night in my dreams of Hook. We had not seen him since that black moment in my time at Neverland. He hadn't even bothered the lost boys. Peter was tense but I was just glad I hadn't seen him.

Peter had taken me to see the mermaids but they always tried to get Peter to throw me in to them and I didn't really like that. I did feel glad when Peter would be watching me like I was the only girl in the world and the mermaids would snarl in jealousy. To think they were jealous of me!

We had also seen the Aborigines. The ones from the story had long ago passed away and the new ones kept mostly to themselves, only Peter could trade with them and talk with them, nobody else. He had brought me into the camp once and it had looked abandoned. I had asked them if they were loyal to him and he had assured me they were. They just didn't want their camp overrun with others. The Lost Boys now had never had the pleasure of playing games with them so they didn't know they were missing out. Peter didn't mind that they kept to themselves as long as he knew he could trust them to not betray him and he did so I told myself to trust them too. But still I did not like how they kept to themselves.

My favorite place to be besides the clouds was in the fairy ring. In the very center was the grand tree they all lived in but all around it was fairy rings and there were trees that circled around the clearing as well. The place was buzzing with the voices and I would talk to them for hours. They would tell me stories of days gone past. I found it fascinating. Tinkerbell was my closest friend and we had many adventures together.

Peter and I also played with the lost boys at times. Sometimes I would actually wrestle with them which Peter found to be highly amusing. Otherwise I would go on scavenger hunts or play house and pretend with them. It was great fun to be a child again.

But my most favorite times were when I was spending time with Peter alone. He would take me all around the island and we would bask in each other's company. I was sure that I knew more about him than anyone else and vice versa. We loved each other and I wished more than anything to never have to change our routine. I could live like this forever. I wanted nothing to change.

I finally felt the grasp of sleep and I let myself be consumed by it with the beating of Peter's heart loud in my ears.

………………………………………………………………………

I woke up to the sunlight on my face. I stretched out my limbs and opened my eyes to Peter's blue green eyes on mine.

"Good Morning love." He placed a stray hair behind my ear. "Did you sleep well?"

"I did after you came in here." I murmured as I snuggled up to him. He wrapped his arms around me and I sighed. This was perfect. I must have dozed off again because when I opened my eyes again Peter was gone. I didn't move. I was comfortable in my bed of furs.

"Bella! Time to fly!" I heard Tinkerbell's voice in my ear.

"No. I'm comfortable right here Tink." I snuggled in to my bed more. Mmm. Lovely bed.

"Bella!" Tink's shrill voice was right in my ear. She tugged on my hair and I smiled. She would never let me lay in bed all day.

"Okay, Okay I'm up."

I stood up and walked over to the hole where we had water flowing in and took a drink and washed my face. I decided that I was going to take a bath in the pond we had by the tree. It was a beautiful spot, it was secluded by trees and a little brook was running into it. I was excited.

"Tink, will you watch out for me? I want to take a bath in the pond."

She rolled her eyes at me but nodded. I grabbed a bar of soap and a towel and the comb, Peter had gotten them from the aborigines. I flew out of the tree and welcomed the warmth of the sun. I flew to the pond and dropped my items on the grassy bank. I took off my leaves and stepped into the cool water. It was brisk but I soon got used to the waters temperature. I floated for a while and then I washed myself and my hair. It was heavenly. After I laid on the grass to let the sun dry me. I ran the comb through my hair. It had gotten longer and it definitely was the magic in Neverland that made it look good without me doing anything to it. I had never liked my hair when I was on Earth but here in Neverland my long black curls looked luxurious and wonderful. I could have been a hair model back on Earth but I would never go back. When the sun had dried me to the core I finally put the leaves back on and put the towel and soap back inside.

"Come on Bella! You took forever. Let's play." Tink yelled at me.

"Oh Tink leave me alone. I needed a day of rest!" I laughed.

She just flew into the sky and I followed her. I wondered where Peter had gone to but I didn't think twice about it. It wasn't an unusual occurrence for Peter to be playing with the lost boys while I went off on my own adventures. Tinkerbell led me to top of the mountain in Neverland. It was a breathtaking sight.

"Oh Tink, this is beautiful."

She laughed her musical laugh. "I wanted to show this to you hours ago!"

She flew off and I followed. We explored the caves and found dozen of gems. It looked exactly like the right sort of place to build a mine.

"Tink haven't you explored this island a thousand times?"

"Yes but the island changes! It's a new adventure every day."

"Well then how can you ever find anything?" I asked her.

"Because silly girl. The island doesn't completely change but it always has a new adventure."

I didn't understand but I shrugged it off knowing that the island did whatever it wanted. Peter and I had talked about the island needing me. I hadn't understood and Peter told me that the island did whatever it wanted. When the island wanted to explain why or how it needed me it would but for now it was enough that I was here. I asked him once how he had known and he had said something about the pool of eternity. I asked him where it was and he told me that it was something he would show me some time but so far he hadn't shown me.

"Tink can't we go to the pool of eternity?" I asked with hope in my voice.

She stopped flying and hovered in the air. "We can't go there. Only Peter is allowed."

"Why?"

"Because the island—"

"Does whatever it wants." I finished her sentence. I was mad. Why did the island need me if it was never going to tell me why? I was curious. I tried to rein in my thoughts. I shouldn't be mad, without the island needing me then I would have never have even been here. I took a deep breath.

"I should find Peter."

"But we haven't finished exploring!" Tink whined.

I smiled at her. "I haven't seen him at all except in the morning! Please let me find him Tink."

She rolled her eyes at me with her hands on her hips. Her classic pose. I was always doing something that she didn't want me to do, ruining 'her' fun to be with Peter.

I knew that she really loved that Peter finally had someone. She had told me once that the jealousy she had felt when he first fell in love with Wendy was gone. She had grown up a bit too and realized that the love between Peter and her no one could come between but it just wasn't the love he needed to be complete.

"Oh fine. Have fun!"

I blew a kiss at her and flew off into the air looking for him. Where could he be? I looked at the Mermaid Lagoon. I went back to the tree. I went to where the Lost Boys hideout was and still no Peter Pan. It was sunset and I knew he would come looking for me soon. I grabbed some fruit from a tree and sat atop a cloud. Like always he knew he could find me up here.

This day had gone by fast but I missed him. And then I heard the familiar whoosh of air.

"You were looking for me love?"

I turned around to face him and he was wearing that adorable grin. He opened his arms to me and I collapsed into him.

"I missed you Peter." I said against him.

"It's only been but hours since you saw me last." He chuckled.

"It has been to long though."

He gripped me tighter and whispered against my hair. "It has been too long for me too."

And then a scream filled the air.

We both shot up in the sky wondering what it was.

"Stay here!" He yelled at me and then shot into the night where the scream had come from.

I knew better than to disobey him ever since that horrible black time Peter had not let me partake in the more dangerous adventures. We both knew that Hook ,if he found me, would not let me slip away so easily again.

I stayed up on the cloud until I heard more screams. What if something was happening to all the lost boys? What if Peter was captured and he couldn't come back for me? What should I do? I had never entertained the thought that Peter might be captured. He was too cocky for that but what if he had been captured and I waited too long? I decided to wait just a bit longer but when I heard another round of screams I acted. I had to find Peter and the lost boys. I had to be smart. I couldn't let myself be captured especially if Peter was really alright.

I flew in the direction that I saw Peter fly and I scanned the island for any sign of life that I could. I saw a ball of light flying towards me and I sighed in relief. A fairy! I hoped it was Tinkerbell and to my great relief it was.

"Bella! Everyone has been captured but I can't find Peter. I don't know what to do."

Tears threatened to come to my eyes. But I wouldn't let them spill over. I knew that conflict was going to arise at some point and now it was. I needed to be brave. Brave enough to help my loved ones. I thought of each of the lost boys and the need to protect them all outshone the fear. I would help them and I would find Peter.

I flew into the jungle and I saw a light in the distance. What was it? As I got nearer I realized it was a fire. I went as fast and as noiselessly as possible. I reached the edge of the clearing where the fire was and I saw the lost boys tied together, pirates surrounding them but no Peter just as Tink had said.

And then I realized I didn't see Hook either. My stomach sank into my feet as a new fear arose in me. Was he here or on his ship?

And then a hand closed over my mouth.

Sorry that I left a cliffy and that this was kind of a boring chapter but I felt that Bella needed a long time to rest and heal after what happened. Remember I need 5 reviews!