Hey everybody,

first of all, the response to the last chapter made my heart stop...I was sooooo happy, so thank you!

And here is the next chapter! Hope you like it!

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Once upon a Time, just the ideas in my head that I incorporated in this story!

Chapter 16

'You did break the rules, and that calls for a punishment.' A

mischievous grin crept its way onto his face.

My muscles grew tense, stiffening as I felt the color draining from my face.

Peter moved to my ear, his hands still holding my wrists, to whisper, 'Don't worry, you're an exception.'

'I would be willing to make an exception. Just for you. But you would still be breaking the rules..'

The dream of falling in Neverland and meeting Peter for the first time reminded me that breaking the rules was Peter's thing.

I calmed down as soon as I felt his teeth gently nibble my earlobe before his lips brushed my jaw line, moving to peck my lips.

'I'll see you in the morning.'

And just like that, he vanished into thin air, teasing me once again. Leaving me wanting and longing for more.

But I had a feeling, deep down, more would be coming soon.

'Should we wake her?' The cracking voice of one of the Lost Boys made me chuckle.

Little did they know I didn't get any shuteye after Peter left.

'I'm up.' I flung the blanket to the side and jumped out of bed enthusiastically. Today was going to be a good day.

It seemed as though the whole camp was cramped up in the little tree house. My heart sank when I didn't see the tallest of the Lost Boys with his messy ash-blond hair.

'We wanted to thank you for yesterday. For being there for us. We brought you breakfast.' The youngest Boy, his name Tootles, handed me a basket full of colorful fruit.

I took a bite from a heavy oval-shaped fruit with skin a mix of red and orange, surprising myself when the yellow flesh inside almost melted in my mouth, the juices running down my chin.

'What is this?' I asked, taking another bite from the heavenly fruit.

'It's a mango. They grow plentiful nearby.'

There was still so much to explore, see and learn.

'We were to visit the Indian's camp today, want to join us?' Tootles grabbed my free hand and pulled me through the crowd towards the entrance, as if I had no other choice then to tag along.

'Will Felix come, too?' I didn't know if I'd done something to scare him off yesterday, but the presence of all the others had me wondering if maybe Felix was avoiding me.

'He's already there.' My heart swelled up at hearing Peter's voice, my eyes darting to find him.

The look of hurt and jealously in his eyes that I had asked for Felix and not him, didn't go unnoticed.

'Then let's go.' I took his hand, perhaps in an effort to make up for it, and followed the Lost Boys.

We entered a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in grass and dried up clay, where teepees surrounded a huge fire.

The men were working in a field close to the camp, while the women hung up clothes to dry or made food. I searched the area for Felix, and saw him sitting on the ground while some children were attaching feathers and beads to his hair.

When they caught sight of us approaching, they dropped everything and ran towards us.

'Finally! We've been waiting long enough.' One of the older ones sighed impatiently.

'And you've brought a guest.' A beautiful girl with long black hair shot me a glare, jealousy laced in her voice as she laid eyes on mine and Peter's entwined hands.

'Now, now, it's only been two days. This time we'll play 'hide and catch' and we will most definitely win, won't we, Boys?' Peter announced, making everybody cheer.

'This is Aura, and if she gets harmed by any of you, well, it won't end pretty for you. The perimeter is the whole island, and the game ends at sunset. You-' he motioned to the Indians 'will be searching. Pair up, play fair and good luck.'

'You won't be playing with us?' I couldn't hide the disappointment in my voice.

'No, I have some important business to finish with the chief. But I'll be back for tonight.' Peter trailed his fingertips along my neck and firmly pressed his lips on mine, making me forget everything for a second.

'I think Felix is waiting.' And Peter was gone.

'Want to team up?' I asked, noticing his coldness vanishing at the disappearance of Peter.

Felix nodded. 'I know a good hiding spot. Follow me.' He took my hand and lead me away from the field, all the way through the jungle and into a hidden natural cave I didn't seem to notice was there.

'Nobody does. They won't find us here.' Again, it was like he was reading my mind and answering unsaid questions in my head.

'Why are you so nice to me?' I challenged him, really curious as to why that was, if he normally was so cold and unfeeling, but loosened up whenever we were with each other.

'I can't explain it, but since you came, everything is changing. You're affecting Neverland, it's full of life, the Boys are not crying anymore and Pan...well, he's been nicer to everyone. Normally, when you're here, you start to forget about your life before Neverland, but when we went hunting, I started to remember things. Memories.'

That would explain why my memories were cut off and I didn't have as many flashbacks of my mother as normal. I was truly becoming a Lost One, never looking back.

'And for some reason, I have this urge to protect you and be there for you. Maybe it's the way my heart is expressing its gratitude for making me whole again.'

My heart was healing the hurt. Saving what was lost. Bringing back what once belonged to someone.

'What do you remember, Felix?' I sat down next to him, leaning against the cold wall.

'My father. He was wearing a blue cloak and he had a long white beard and glasses. Thank goodness I don't age, or I would end up looking like that.' I couldn't help but laugh with him at his joke.

'He told me to take good care of my sister, to never let her out of sight. Kept mentioning she was important and as long as she loved me, everything would be fine.' He closed his eyes, and I saw a tear slip past his confusion.

He had a family. Someone that loved him. But he was a Lost One, he wasn't loved anymore. And seeing him open up in front of me, someone he had met a few days ago, and trust me with his memories made me feel special. I wanted him to feel special, too.

I hugged him, telling him he could find happiness here amongst his brothers. It took a while before he wrapped his strong around me, and we stayed in this embrace, somehow familiar and comforting, until the game ended.

Seated around the fire of our camp, we ate a stew with the meat of an animal the Lost Boys had hunted down yesterday and shared stories of adventures. Like back when Tootles had accidentally found pixie dust lying around, and being the curious boy he was, sniffed it and started flying around the island.

Or how they fought against a crocodile with monstrous teeth and defeated it.

'How about a bedtime story?' I asked the boys who already looked tired.

Quickly getting a book from the tree house, I returned and started reading aloud.

'Once upon a time, there was a brother and sister who were lost in the woods, looking for their father...'

'...and they all lived happily ever after,' I finished, closing the book and smiled to myself when I saw how peaceful the Boys looked asleep. No crying, just soft whimpers.

Jumping when I felt strong hands on my shoulders, Peter slumped next to me.

'Now, where were we up to?' He draped his arm on my shoulder, pulling me closer to him.

Reviews are always appreciated!

Happy New Years Eve!

Love you all,

aureaborealis