What's a mother? (Belle)

[Peter Pan]

Peter had always loved to explore the different places. He flew all the way around England, went back to Neverland for a few days and just decided to go off in a new direction. This time it led him to a small town in a different place. It didn't look like England but he wasn't going to stop and ask for directions. His brown eyes scanned the area below as he glanced at the different things. Quickly he darted behind a small bakery building, watching as people walked past. His eyes caught a creature that made him rub his eyes to look again. They were huge and made a very catchy sound when they walked. They were muscular and walked on all four legs they were hairy and had long hair. Though they had weird strapping around their faces and on their backs. Peter narrowed his eyes slightly to get a better look at these creatures... They were everywhere, following the grown-ups.

"Ever seen a horse before, kid?" The voice made him loose his balance, startled by the voice that had talked to him. Peter looked up at a fairly large man sitting at a table near him. Peter didn't answer and looked back to the creatures which he called 'horse.' "What are they?" He said, looking back to the man. "Ho.. Hors...e?" He said and mouthed the word once more to get used to saying it. The man simply chuckled and nodded, finishing his doughnut. Peter looked at him once more and back to the animal before moving ab it more behind the building and taking flight again, shaking his head. People here are weird. He thought in his mind before moving a bit faster through the air and coming up to a forest.

Peter softly came down into a tree where he laid down on it, back first. He watched the blue sky and the clouds start to flutter across it. With one leg propped up and the other dangling he put his hands across his stomach, giving a small sigh and just listening to the faded sounds of the small town near him. He lightly swung his leg that was hanging off the branch as he watched the sky above him. With another content sigh he also listened to the sounds of the forest around him. He smiled when he felt the wind softly brush his face and his red hair to the side. He liked moments like this, moments where he could just relax and think about nothing.

[Belle]

What a perfect day for exploring!

The sun was burning bright against the cloudless sky; the milk blue sheet above her sung with the song of a thousand birds as they flew overhead. And a young woman, of maybe a girl, was running freely along the open field behind her home and in to the mysterious forest, a royal blue book clutched tightly in her hand.

Now perhaps it was childish to be doing such a thing. Exploring a potentially dangerous forest without protection was somethng only young children would do; their niavity and curiousity always getting the better of them. But then, maybe that characteristic of Belle would never change, regardless of how much she would age and mature. Her natural curiousity and need for adventure always proved too strong for her current provincial life.

She had never travelled too far in to the forest, not wanting to become lost and not find her way back before dark. But from what she had seen, the forest was a calm and peaceful place in the daylight. It was the perfect place for her to drift off in to a daydream and concentrate on her favourite book (that incidently Mr. Wellington, the book keeper, had kindly let her keep).

Today however, she had ventured much further in to the forest than she had anticipated for and had stopped at a half fallen down tree. Observing it for a moment, Belle took a deep breath, taking in the relaxing scents of nature. Then with a faint smile, began to climb her way up it until she reached the spot she was aiming for.

This had not been a good idea. Belle was never very good at climbing, and in a dress it was even harder. She wobbled a little as she got to a particular tricky part, and flung her arms around widely, only just saving herself by clinging on to a nearby branch. However, her book had fallen with a bump on to the floor and to worsen matters, the branch she was holding seemed to balance out the rest of the falling tree.

It soon began to break and Belle froze in her position, her heart pumping fast as she prayed for it not to crack completely. If it did, she would no doubt fall to the ground which was many feet below her now. She chanced a quick look down and immediately regretted this decision, scrunching her eyes tight and breathing hard.

"Okay Belle, you can do this. Just stay calm."

She could do this, she told herself. All she had to do was move her foot half an inch to the right and then the other one and she'd be able to reach the next branch to safety. This proved to be easier said than done however, as soon Belle moved her foot the tree began to break some more. Several minutes passed before she tried again, her panic rising more and more. What could she do?

Mustering up all her bravery, Belle concentrated hard on her destination, her eyes focused and blazing as she lept towards the next branch. This, no matter how brave, turned out to be a bad idea, as she missed her target completely, the branch slipping through her fingers as she began to fall, letting out a deafening scream.

[Peter Pan]

Peter was about to close his eyes when he heard something nearby. Sitting up quickly on the branch he looked around before standing up on the branch and fly toward the noise. He heard a small thud and knew he was close to whatever was making the noise. Hopefully it wasn't one of those creatures that the man had told him it was. Though it would be cool to sit on it's back. Quickly shaking the thought from his head he watched as the girl... Well, lady climbed up the tree. Standing on a branch as he leaned against the trunk of the tree he watched as the branch began to crack. With a laugh he kept watching her, not going toward her yet. It was interesting to see her climb the tree... Or figure out how to stop the branch from breaking.

Peter kept a close eye on her, he wanted to go under her feet and push her up onto the branch but she kept on moving so he decided against it. In the next few seconds he saw her miss the other branch, at that Peter quickly flew under her just as the main branch she was holding onto broke. He caught her, but slightly lost his balance. She wasn't as heavy as he thought a grown-up should be so he was able to recover and land safely on the ground, putting her down as well. Taking a few steps back he lightly shook his head and laughed. "Why were you going to climb the tree? Your a grown-up.. Grown-ups don't do that." He laughed once more before rubbing the back of his neck as he looked up at her.

He crossed his arms and looked up at the tree before glancing down where the branch had fallen and he saw something by it. He quickly flew over to it and took it in his hands, flipping through the pages as he sat afloat. "What is it?" He asked, putting it on his head as he looked over at her with a smile. Though the book fell off of his head behind him. He turned around and picked it up once more before landing on the ground and walking over toward her, handing the book out to her. "What's it do?" He had seen people look into them before what what was it? He never knew what they did nor has he actually seen one up close. It had pictures in it but pictures he couldn't understand all too well. He looked back up to bell and then down at her dress. He flew back up into the air, moving around her and he lightly picked at her blue bow that was in her hair, though he made sure not to mess it up or take it out. With a very light chuckle he went back to the front of her and sat down in the air, keeping level with her.

[Belle]

As Belle let out her death cry, she was cut short when something suddenly caught her round the waist and settle her lightly back on the ground. It had all happened so fast, in a matter of seconds in fact, that it took her a moment to register what or who had just saved her life.

Her arms automatically round his neck, she found herself looking in the eyes of a young boy. A boy on the brink of puberty perhaps, but a young boy all the same. He was looking back at her with a playful grin, and a cheeky glint in his eyes. What was he doing in the Forest, especially on his own and how on earth had he saved her? She had been falling, hadn't she?

Belle simply stared at him blankly for a matter of seconds as the shock set in and he set her back on her feet again, taking a few of steps back so she could finally look at him properly for the first time. He was in an all green attire; the kind of green that matched the scenery around them, along with a matching hat and a red feather in the top. There was a brown belt around his waist, along with what looked like a dagger in it's holster. His hair also had a tint of red in it and his eyes were big and bright.

He laughed at her and rubbed his neck, but the words took several seconds to reach her. "I - I was trying to find somewhere to read my book," she replied faintly. However, he hadn't seem to have heard her as all of sudden he noticed the book she had just mentioned.

If anything had shocked Belle in her life thus far, it was nothing compared to what happened next. The boy in question lifted off the ground and flew, quite literally flew toward the book and picked it up. He seemed confused as to what it was and put it on his head. Belle's jaw dropped as she gaped at the boy, hardly believing her eyes. The corners of her lips turned in to a funny sort of smile as he messed around with the book, before shaking her head and taking the book from him that he was now holding out to her.

"Thank you," she gasped, raising a hand to her cheek. "Who are you?" Was all she could manage to say, for what had happened in the space of two minutes was a bit too much for her. He didn't seem to hear her again however, as he suddenly flew in to the air once more and circled her, lightly picking up her pony tail and observing the bow in her hair. She turned her head to look at him when he zoomed off again and sat cross-legged in mid air, looking at her with mild interest as though she was about to tell him a story.

Rubbing her head, she stared up at the tree she had just fallen from and lent against a nearby trunk. Surely she had hit her head and this was some kind of dream? Was she currently unconscious?

Raising a hand to her mouth again, she breathed, "But - But this is impossible!"

[Peter Pan]

Peter looked back at her a bit confused when she just stared at him in amazement. He seemed to get that a lot now-a-days. What was so amazing, though? Sure Peter was amazing in every why but people always looked at him with the same reaction. Was it because of his clothes or what he did? Glancing at the ground he nodded, it was probably because he could fly. Peter had always been so used to Wendy, Michael and John not really caring that he could fly the he got confused but now he finally figured it out. He cocked his head to the side. "Read your book? Yuck... That sounds like a grown-up thing." He said with a slightly disgusted expression on his face.

He just chuckled when she asked who he was. "I'm Peter. Peter Pan!" He said with a slight bit of pride in his stance. "Who are you?" He asked, looking her over once more before looking at the book she now held in her hands. He couldn't help but look at her dress, it looked just like a young girl he had met not too long ago, her name was Alice. Though that was just the dress, they were both so different from each other. Peter fixed the half sword around his waist when it moved around.

He cocked his head to the side once more in confusion. "What's impossible?" He asked with a slightly confused face. Then with a laugh he stood up in mid-air and looked down. "This?" He asked and brushed his hand through the air, once, as if he was swatting something away. "Nah, It's easy!" He said with a nod and made a circle around her before sitting Indian style again. "You can do it too. Here," He said and held his hand out to her. "Don't worry. I won't drop ya. Honest." He said with a nod and a smile as he stood in mid-air.

[Belle]

Belle couldn't help but let a slight chuckle escape her lips as the boy made a face of disgust. How could anyone find reading boring?

"Oh no, it all depends on what you read," explained Belle, momentarily forgetting the strange events that had just occurred. When the question of books and reading came in to the conversation, everything else seemed to disappear for a while. Similar to when she really was reading. "Do you like stories? Ones about romance, adventure, comedy, science, mystery! There are no boundaries to reading a book. You can escape in to a world that is far from your own reality."

Her eyes beamed with enthusiasm as she spoke, the book held in her hand catching her attention. "Here," Belle said, moving closer to boy and opening the book so he could see. "This one is my favourite. It's about far off places, magic spells, a Prince in disguise!" She grinned at him before adding, "would you want to read it?"

As the boy introduced himself, Belle couldn't help but find his playful and child-like smugness infectious. "Oh, monsieur, it is a pleasure to meet you!" She replied, an amused smile forming on her face. She did a curtsy, nodding her head in his direction. He seemed to not be able to take his eyes off her dress, but she chose to ignore it. Judging from his accent he wasn't from France at all, in fact, if she was not mistaken it was a British. Perhaps they dressed differently in England?

As Peter replied to her previous confusion, Belle suddenly remembered the strange magic in front of her. How could she forget something so unique?! Her eyes widened with wonder and did not shift from his vision as he swooped around her once more. Was this really happening? It came to even more of a surprise when Peter asked her to join him.

"Me? Really?" Belle repeated, feeling a little uneasy. She had only just got her legs to stop shaking from falling out of that tree; was she ready to go in to the air again? The beauty cast her eyes down at his out-stretched hand and back up to his encouraging grin. For some reason, it was hard not to trust him. With a cautious smile and a courage Belle had not anticipated, she placed her hand in his own and began her first lesson of flying.

[Peter Pan]

Peter lightly shook his head. "Nah, I don't know how." He said with a small, innocent, shrug. Peter didn't know how to read but he did learn how to read most things. Sure it didn't matter to him much if he could or couldn't read... He had people tell the stories to him. Peter nodded and gave a smile to her when she asked what stories he liked. "I love to listen to stories, especially ones about me." With a smirk he looked at the book she was holding when she explained about it. With a smile and a laugh he began to tip back in his sitting position before leaning forward to catchhis balance. "Sounds like Neverland!!" He exclaimed, obviously happy.

With a scratch of his red hair he looked at the book before moving his eyes to her face. "Did it really happen?" He asked as he placed his chin into his hands, resting his elbows on his legs as if she was about to tell him a story. When she had given him a curtsy he smiled, stood up, taking off his hat and bowed to her. "Madam." He said, standing back up straight and placing the hat upon his head once more. When her eyes widened he laughed once more at her expression. 

When she asked if she should join him he nodded. "O'course!" Once Peter felt her hand touch his he closed his hand around hers and slightly pulled up, pulling her into the air with him. He grabbed her other hand and laughed slightly as the two kept moving up into the sky. Of course he didn't go too high just in case she wanted to get down or something. "See, it's easy." He nodded, looking at the ground. Sure he was holding onto her but she wouldn't be able to fly without him. With a small, what looked like a push off, leap he flew forward, over the busy town. Of course Peter made sure to stay out of the way so no one could see them. "So," With that he looked over at her before looking down at the creatures the man had called horses. "What do those do?" He asked, letting go of one of her hands to point to a horse.

Peter was afraid that that move would have made her nervous so he then took her other hand in his once more. He would probably be afraid if someone was holding him so many feet up above the ground and let go of one hand. Of course Peter knew that as long as he or she were hanging onto each other they'd be fine. Sure it'd be easier with Tinkerbell here but he could manage. Peter then lightly tossed her in the air to catch her on his back, that would probably be easier and even if it didn't seem so she was much lighter this way. Mount forward a bit more he looked down at the small town under the two, he still made sure no one could see them. "So you live here? Is it always this busy?" He asked, looking over his shoulder at her before looking back down at the town.

[Belle]

Belle's expression melted slightly as she looked at him; how sad it must be to be unable to read.

"Would you like me to teach you?" She asked kindly, fully expecting him to decline. Ir was understandable perhaps that not many people were as fond as reading as she was. However, it came to a pleasant surprise to find that Peter actually enjoyed hearing stories, even if he couldn't read them himself.

"Judging from what I've seen, I'm guessing there are quite a few?" She said, chuckling slightly, hinting toward the fact that he was currently sat in midair. If there weren't, surely it wouldn't be long until someone did write a story about this impossible boy.

As she explained her favourite book, Peter leaned back with laughter on to what appeared to be an invisible surface before balancing back again and exclaiming happily: "Sounds like Neverland!!"

"Neverland?" Belle repeated, confused. "What's Neverland?"

But then the boy asked if the story was true, and Belle's expression melted again and her mind fell in to a reoccurring daydream as she looked at him and then down at the book. "I like to think so," she replied quietly after a moment, feeling deep down that she was unlikely to ever have such an adventure.

She giggled as Peter suddenly returned to solid ground to take off his hat and bow to her like a true gentlemen. For someone so young and playful, he was really rather sweet. It was perhaps this, more than anything, that allowed Belle to give her trust to him so quickly.

As his hand caught hers, Belle gasped a little as she felt her feet leave the mossy floor. He gently clasp her other hand as to make her feel more secure, before floating around around in a circle, luckily not flying too high so she could get used to it. She simply gazed down at the floor, hardly believing her eyes.

"This - This is impossible!" She breathed, turning her bright eyes to him. He hadn't seemed to have noticed however, for he then
decided that she was now ready for something more exciting and swooped higher over the trees and out of the forest. Belle immediately squeezed his hands tighter as they began to fly over her village.

After a few paralyzing moments, she felt her fear expand in to exhilaration and happiness. He had truly made her dreams come true; this was more than she could ever think possible. He was almost the epitome of everything she had ever dreamed of: adventure, magic, and a world of impossible things.

As he let go of her hand momentarily to point at the horses below, Belle wobbled a little at the shock before grasping his hand again as he seemed to notice her panic.

"They're animals called 'horses' -" she began, but failed to finish as she let out another little scream; Peter had suddenly let go all together, and swung her on to his back before she was fully aware of what was happening. She immediately clung on to his shoulders, but felt a lot more secure now that he was completely supporting her. It allowed Peter to fly more smoothly too, now that both his arms were free.

"It's always the same," Belle replied, her smile faltering a little as a hint of boredom tainted her voice. "Nothing ever changes." She paused for a moment before adding, "I don't feel I really fit in there."