Catching her just she fell, Pan picked her up and walked away.

Sky. That was the first thing she saw. The beautiful cloudless sky of Neverland. Pulling off the warm blanket, she was looked around, finding herself in a tree. Or what looked like the inside of a tree.

Rubbing her eyes, she looked around. It looked like a house; cupboards, hangers, rooks, plates as if someone was living here. "You're awake." said Pan, walking into the room, tossing her a bundle of clothes.

"Wha-"

"Get cleaned up and change. We have to go soon."

"Go where?" Artemis asked, jumping up, shaking slightly.

"You'll see."

"This better not be some sort of freaky plot to drown me." Artemis said, staring at the boat, Pan rolled his eyes. "If I were to kill you I would have done it by now." He said, jumping in.

The boat rocked, creaking under the sudden weight. Artemis leaned forwards glancing between the uneasy water and creaky-looks-like-its-going-to-break boat.

"Hmm." She mumbled, watching Pan pull out the oars, before looking expectantly at her. "Artie,"

"Yes." She said, her eyes still fixated on the dangerous rocking boat. "You know you need to get on the boat." Artemis bit her lower lip. "Yeah, I know that."

Pan stared at her, as she fidgeted, not making a move to get on. "Artemis, get on the boat." Artemis sighed, running her fingers through her loose wavy hair. "If I die, I will raise for the dead to kill you for this." She threaten, jumping in, Pan snorted.

"I would enjoy seeing that."

Pan rowed them to an oddly shaped island, she shuddered even from the boat the island gave off a dark vibe. "What is this place?" Artemis asked, staring up at the island her fingers tracing against the chipped wood. "Skull Rock."

"Pretty name." Artemis said, dryly. Pan raised his eyebrows, as they entered the island, docking the boat. "Stay close, wouldn't want you getting lost." Pan drawled, walking into the cave.

The cave was old, but had a strange beauty to it. Rocks curved in the odd ways seeming silly at first, but if you paused and really looked it made a pictures, statues, shafts, shelves, shells tucked away in shelves, bottles filled with strange things that glowed a variety of colours.

That for some reason she had the greatest urge to touch.

"Come on, Artie we don't have all day." Pan called, from above, making Artemis roll her eyes as she jogged up the steps. Leading the way, Pan lit a few torches one by one. While the sunlight was still streaming in the cave, so dark and cold still need a few torches to be lit.

Leading her to a large open room, Artemis eyes widened when she spotted, a large glowing hourglass. "Its beautiful," she mumbled, walking towards it. "The hourglass, not the skulls." She added, Pan watching her glaring at the hourglass from behind her. "What is it?"

"My lifeline." Pan said after a long silence. "When it runs out, I die."

"What?" Artemis said, stepping back form it. "Why?"

Pan gazed up at the hourglass. "A long time ago, when Neverland was just a place you visit in your dreams. I came here, with my brother to escape my life in the Enchanted Forest. Skull Rock is the magic that keeps us young, timeless. The Sand Clock was created by the Shadow to represent the time we have, with this youth. When it runs out, I'll die and this everything will became what is was. A dream."

"That's awful." She whispered, her eyes locked into the trickling sand, it seemed to have spent up with the tow of them just standing there.

"There is a way to stop it," Pan said, staring at Artemis whose eyes were still locked onto the hourglass filled with horror. "How?"

"With the Heart of the Truest Believer." Pan whispered into her ear, making her freeze. "I know you have it, Artemis. Give it to me."

Artemis shook her head. "I can't," she said, copying the same hushed tone, her heart racing. "Why not?"

Artemis looked into his dark green pools. "I know, what you are, I know what you were looking for. If I give this to you, you'll know, you'll finally know." she spat, breaking free from him staring him down.

"You'll hurt an innocent child just to get what you want." She hissed, edging closer to him. "And I'm not going to let that happen. So you better rip my heart out, or stab me or drown me or whatever the hell you like to do when people displease you. Cause I'm sure as hell not giving it to you."

"Do you really not trust me?"
"Yes."

"Let me remind you, who's keeping you alive." Pan growled, Artemis smirked. "Let me remind you, who has what you want."

Pan let out a breath, for a split second, she actually though he was going to kill her before, looking up. "Don't get cocky, Artie. Bad things can happen to people here."

"Is that a threat?"
Pan smirked, shaking his head. "A warning." He said, walking away, disappearing down the steps. Artemis let out a sigh, shutting her eyes. "Come along Artie, unless you would like me to leave you behind." He called.

"He's a lunatic," she mumbled to herself, taking a deep breath, before following him down the steps.

Smoothing down the green tunic, Artemis ran her fingers though her hair, attempting to pull out the remaining knots, before starting to plait it. "Here," Pan said, appearing in front of her holding out a hairbrush. "It'll make it easier."

Artemis glanced at the hairbrush, before continuing what she was doing. "I'm not giving it to you." Pan sighed, folding his arms. "Believe it or not, that not the only thing on my mind."

Artemis scoffed, walking off.

"Artemis," Pan said, jogging behind her; jumping around like a puppy. "Artemis, Artie."
"What? What do you want?" she snapped, turning around. "You seem angry." Pan said.

Artemis blinked. "I seem angry? I seem angry! What the hell is wrong with you! Yeah! I'm angry. I'm furious! First you what to murder a child, you me to give you the face of the person you want to murder, then you threaten me. And you have the audacity to say 'I seem angry.' What the hell, Peter! Seriously, What. The. Hell?"

"You called me Peter." Pan said, smiling. Artemis stared at him wide-eyed. "You, just. Augh!" she cried, storming off.

Peter sighed, tucking the hairbrush into his belt. "Woman….Artemis! Artemis, wait!"

"Artemis! Just listen!" Pan said, appearing in front of her grabbing her shoulders. "Artemis, I have given your…concerns thought and-"

"Realised I will not help you kill an innocent child."
"Well-"
"Realised what a crazy person you are?
"Art-
"Finally realised that those boots are not doing anything for you?"
"What? My boots-No, Artemis. How about we make a deal." He suggested.

"A deal?" she said slowly, Pan nodded, discreetly letting go of her shoulders. Looking him up and down, Artemis paused, biting her lower lip. "Okay…how would we do that?"

"First, we should discuss the parameters of our deal to be mutually beneficial." Pan explained. "We can disuses the main concerns and built it up from there."

Artemis nodded, resting her hands on her hips. "Okay, I don't want to you to kill this child and take his heart."
"I want Neverland and to stay alive and for my Lost Boys to stay alive, and to do that I require the child's heart."

Artemis rocked on the ball of her feet. "Do you really have to take his heart, maybe getting the Heart of the Truest Believer just means you have to win his heart? Maybe it's out of context."

Pan chuckled, shaking his head lightly. "Oh, Artie you really know nothing of magic." Artemis hopeful smile dropped. "Alright, how would we work around this? Could you give him another heart, to replace the old one? That could work, right?"

Pan paused, gazing up at the sky, folding his arms, returning his gaze back to her. "Maybe, I never thought of that." Artemis nodded. "Okay, so we're in agreement." she smiled. 'Home, I can go home.'

Pan smirked. "Not yet." he said, pacing around her. "You see I still want my end of things to be; benefit for me." He said, Artemis freezing when she spotted that look, that wicked evil look on his face.

"I will keep the boy alive, make sure I can do anything in my power to make sure he has a good life. In summery everything you mention and decided fulfilled. But you, my dear darling Artie will have to stay here. On Neverland. Forever."

Artemis stared at him, wide-eyed, swallowing hard the small scroll of paper safely hidden suddenly seeming small and insignificant. Pan's smirk seemed to grow, as he walked to her, so close she could feel the power radiating off him. Holding out his hand, his eyes not leaving her.

"Do we have a deal?"
Glancing down at the hand, knowing this decision would change her life, though not quite knowing how much.

"Yes."

Till next time…