Summary: She's the daughter of Regina Mills. The adopted daughter of Rumpelstiltskin. She loves Peter Pan and she needs to save him from this dark path he is on. But what she must realize is that some battles must be lost before they can truly be won and the road to destiny can be as twisted as the path to redemption.
Rating: M for language, future sexual content and dark themes.
Right then, this is my first story in a long time. I'll make sure to put trigger warnings at the beginning of chapters containing the more darker themes, which aren't major components but I don't want someone reading something that might be triggering. Also, I'll try and complete this story but if I do end up getting annoyed with it (Which will undoubtedly happen) I solemnly swear not to delete it in a fit of rage (Unless people hate it and want me to). Other than that, please feel free to review and tell me what you think, constructive criticism is ALWAYS appreciated.
Chapter 1
"We are made wise, not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility of our future."
~George Bernard Shaw
She doesn't tremble. She doesn't even flinch.
A dangerous smirk plays over the young mans lips as he quirks an eyebrow, gazing at her in a strange sort of curiosity.
After all, girls aren't normally welcome here.
What exactly was the shadow thinking?
She isn't even all that interesting looking. Sort of plain really, and she's tiny, barely even reaching his chest and scrawny and generally unimpressive and non-threatening but she does tilt her chin up to glare at him without fear and an air of defiance, born from years of obviously living on the streets.
The cold eyes that mirror his own are challenging. Daring him to cast his verdict of her future.
And there it is, the reason why the Shadow saw fit to grace the island's presence with that of a girl.
She's daring him.
Which in itself is no small feat.
Impressive.
Time will tell if she can live up to it though, or if it is merely a momentary bravado.
He stops in front of her and the other children whimper and cower into each other, probably hoping that he will take her and send them on their way.
Foolish boys.
"What would you have us do with her?" His right hand man questions from behind him, he cocks his head. Her eyes are wide and pretty and a violent shade of blue; she has strange lips. Strange because they are slightly asymmetrical, strange because they are full and where they should have been soft, they are cracked and set in a hard line.
She's afraid; he can practically feel it pouring off of her. But she refuses to show it and in doing so, she is refusing him his power. The other captured children refuse to look at him, hoping he'd pass them by, not wanting to anger him or draw his attention, but this one, not the youngest or the oldest, and certainly not the prettiest girl he's ever seen, meets his gaze with a quiet kind of defiance.
"What's your name, girl?" He asks finally, ignoring the way his boys shift behind him.
There is a moment of total quiet before she answers
"Lillian." Her voice isn't at all what he expected. It's sharp, a little raspy, and toneless, and it sounds completely wrong coming out of that mouth "Why am I here?"
He sighs, "Well, unfortunately, I am not sure. I hate not knowing anything. But my shadow left before I could get any answers." Her gaze is locked squarely onto his, her dark brows pulled down over those blue eyes in a look that is more measuring than it is confused.
He is perfectly content to let her stare into him. He has been an abyss for far too long now and he has every intention of looking back.
"She's a feisty one." Felix again. Her blue eyes flash past him with surprising speed "She fought us all the way here."
She says nothing. But her eyes burn.
He bends down so that their eyes are on the same level and he studies her. She's coiled tighter than a spring, her hands clenched at her side, pupils dilated and there is a vein in her neck pulsing.
She's a caged animal. Ready to fight for her survival should the need arise.
He's curious about something, "You've heard of me?" She nods sharply, of course she has. All children have. Pied Piper. Peter Pan, "Then, if you were to try and fight us, what would you hope to achieve? Where would you hope to go? If you've heard of me, then you know about the power I hold over this place, surely you know that success is impossible?"
"Sometimes," She says, her voice isn't loud but it carries and he knows her words are echoing in the ears of the other newcomers "It's about more than just success."
Stubborn.
Rebel.
She might prove to be a nuisance in the end.
An annoying little bug that can easily be squashes should she prove to outlive her usefulness.
Abruptly, he turns his back on her and strides towards their camp
"Bring them."
X.X.X X.X.X X.X.X
They had to bind her wrists before dragging her along to the camp as the other boys, who had been brought along with her, trudge silently to their awaiting fate.
She glares at one of them, a tall and thin boy with dirty blond hair and cruel green eyes. He gives her a grin that would look more at home on a rat and tightened his hold on his weapon.
"If you think you can keep me here..."Right now, she isn't feeling brave, but then again, there are many forms of fear, and the fear pulsing through her veins currently feels a lot like insanity
He leans over and exhales in her face, his breath reeks of garlic and onions and she winces, jerking away from him "Best get all that spunk out now, little girl. Ain't gonna have it for much longer."
She spits in his face before she realizes exactly what she's doing and even after her brain registers what a stupid idea that had been, she can't bring herself to regret it. His face spasms in anger and he draws a hand back before punching her in the cheek, sending her to the ground.
Her head connects with the ground at their camp site.
Her head spins and she tastes blood in her mouth, but none of her teeth feel loose and she doubts that it would do anything more than bruise.
It hurt, yes. But it wasn't a very good punch to be honest.
Slowly, she rises to her feet, unsteady from her spinning head, and gives the boy a smirk "Stick to your little sticks and bows, boy, because you punch like a five year old."
His face contorts again and he tries to tackle her to the ground, but she jumps away from him and brings her foot around to kick his feet out from under him.
He goes down sprawling.
Some of the boy around them snigger.
Which only serves to anger him more.
Climbing to his feet, he glares at her while knocking an arrow before raising his bow at her. She raises an eyebrow, feeling strangely unafraid, after all, the worst that this boy can do is kill her. And she's been through much worse back on the streets and now, being here on Neverland, with Peter Pan as her captor, death might not be such a bad thing
"Real brave."
"If you release that arrow, it will be the last thing that you do." Peter's voice makes her body clench. It comes from behind her and it is emotionless and intellectual and the verbal equivalent of a wolf stalking prey.
"She attacked me."
Peter comes to stand beside her and her skin crawls.
"Truly? An unarmed girl a foot shorter than yourself. Must have been quite the fight." He sounds amused and she forces herself to keep her gaze on the boy
His face flushes and he gives her a last glare, that she meets with a particular vehemence of her own.
He leaves, cursing under his breath and Peter looks down at her. She meets his gaze as solidly as she can
"You are one of us now, little one. Better get used to it very soon."
"One of you?" It's hard to read his face in the flickering of the fire, but something behind his eyes tightens as he gives her a deadly smirk.
"Yes. Welcome to Neverland, my little Tiger Lily."
X.X.X X.X.X X.X.X
Calleigh used to think of herself as a wise person. Especially for a sixteen year old. She does well in school, she has an amazing job caring for possibly the best kid she's ever met. She has a had who cares for her and who gives her everything that she may need.
Then Emma Swan came to town and everything changed. Even though she likes the woman, she can't help but resent her for changing everything that once was normal and comforting and throwing it into complete disarray.
Because suddenly, she has memories that are flooding through her head constantly, giving her a blinding, pounding migraine and she doesn't feel so wise anymore.
The instant her body makes contact with hard ground, she tucks and rolls onto her knees and despite pain flaring up everywhere, she feels relief wash over her.
That awful journey finally seems over.
She did not miss traveling by portal at all.
Coughing, Calleigh slowly pushes herself to her feet, wincing as she does. Nothing feels broken, which is good, albeit she does feel like a few bruises will be forming within the next few hours.
She's going to be in a serious amount of pain for the next few days.
Brilliant.
Now where's... "Henry!" The kid that's turned out to be her adoptive brother, is laying a few feet away from her and she hurries over to him. Helping him dust off his coat, at the same time checking for injuries, she can't help but glare at the bitch that helped bring them here.
Wherever here is.
Something about this place though...
Tamara's so busy checking out their surroundings that she doesn't seem to be paying attention to her two captives.
Great, maybe this will go in their favor in the end.
Her eyes meet Henry's and slowly, she motions over her shoulder and he nods. They have an understanding.
Glancing once more at Tamara, before, with one finally nod, she lets go of him completely, allowing him the chance to try and make a break for it.
She'd deal with Tamara and Greg by whatever means necessary. She is, after all, no stranger to killing.
Speaking of Greg, where is..."Slow down there, pal." The man in question says, grabbing Henry by his coat and she closes her eyes with a frustrated sigh "You got nowhere to go."
Gritting her teeth angrily, Calleigh roughly shoves Greg away from him "Don't you dare lay another hand on him." Her hands clench into tight fists by her side as she positions herself in front of Henry
Greg huffs, looking her up and down, clearly unimpressed.
Sliding his coat and backpack to the ground, he turns to Tamara, who exclaims happily "We made it! Mission accomplished!"
She really, really wants to wipe that stupid smirk from her face. Before she has a chance though, Henry steps forward, brave kid that he is "Are you sure about that? 'Cause my mom's coming for us." His bravado earns him glares from both adults "Both of them."
Calleigh nods and apparently one of them is her mom too, so, you know. Madam Mayor has two kids that need saving now.
Wonder if she knows that?
Greg slowly walks towards him, Calleigh growls lowly, warning him to keep away "You're going to have a look around, kid." He says, coming to a stop while motioning to the area around them, "Do you see any clock towers anywhere? You're a long way from Storybrook."
Henry shakes his head "It doesn't matter! My family's been to the Enchanted Forest before and they can get here again." He sounds extremely sure of himself
A loud cry sounds up and everyone's head snaps in the direction of the sound.
There is nothing to see.
Calleigh swallows hard "We're not in the Enchanted Forest, kid." Tamara says, voice thick with smugness "This is Neverland."
Of course! It hits Calleigh like a kick to the stomach. She can't believe she hadn't realized it the moment they landed here.
Now that she's actually paying attention though, she can feel the familiarity of the island wrap around her. Almost like a warm blanket welcoming her home.
She's been gone for so long, she's almost forgotten what it feels like to be here.
But... "Why are you trying to destroy Neverland?" More importantly, where's Peter?
"It's the motherlode of magic." So they're hatred of magic has driven them to want to destroy the Island that she had come to think of as home before she was so violently plucked away from it. Why do they need Henry though? And there is no possible way that Peter would allow this to happen... Unless...
No... No... he can't be dead... Neverland wouldn't still be here if he was dead...
She needs answers and she's not going to get them from these to idiots. But she can't just leave Henry on his own with them and there is no way she'd be able to take them on directly without her weapons.
Dammit all.
She's going to have to wait for the perfect moment to strike
Henry's voice makes her snap back into reality "An office in a jungle? Uh, who works here?" He asks curiously, Greg shoots him a glare
Office? What the hell are they talking about?
"Who we work for." He slides his backpack back on his shoulders "It's none of your concern, kids. Just know that they take care of us." He hisses, getting dangerously close to Henry.
Calleigh just wants to get both of them as far away from Henry as possible. But that's not going to happen soon.
"Do they? Can they tell you how to get back home if you destroy magic?" Henry asks defiantly
Greg shrugs "We don't ask questions. We just believe in our cause."
Calleigh scoffs "You two are bigger idiots than I originally thought." Her annoyance has long ago since snapped into full out anger, she moves to grab Henry's hand, but gets intercepted by Greg, who roughly grabs hold of her shoulders, squeezing down hard enough to make her winch
Oh, Peter's not going to take kindly to him doing that.
"Who are you anyway? Why would they want us to bring you along?" Were they actually stupid enough to not realize who they kidnapped? Really?
"She's my sister! C-Calleigh!"
"Sister huh?" And queen of this island. But she's not letting them know that anytime soon, "And what makes you so special?"
"Who knows?" She's saved from having to continue talking to him by Tamara, who doesn't sound happy at all.
Greg lets go of her shoulders to head over to his partner.
"What the hell is this? A toy?!" She asks, angrily. Henry and Calleigh both turn to see Greg holding some communicator.
A very non-functional communicator.
Calleigh smirks.
"It's a good thing you guys don't ask any questions." Henry states
Greg growls "Let's go." He makes a move to push Henry, but gets stopped halfway by Calleigh grabbing his arm. He glares back at her but she simply returns it full force. Daring him to try that again. It's one thing hurting her. It's another hurting her brother. He rips his arm out of her grasp, and simply turns to Henry "Walk."
X.X.X X.X.X X.X.X
Half an hour later, of constant walking to where she's pretty sure the two adults don't exactly know, Greg finally decides to come to a halt to try to make a signal out of smoke and formulate a plan.
Tamara, in the past thirty minutes, has done nothing but complain "What if it's not enough?" she asks, crossing her arms "What if the broken communicator wasn't an accident?" Her voice is angry, but definitely also worried
Calleigh scoffs "Both valid questions. Which would have been better discussed before you two decided to believe in your cause and kidnap the two of us. Hey, tell you what, while you're busy with you dilemma, mind if I go pee?"
Greg motions to a bush not too far away from them "And don't even think of running away. We still have your brother after all and it's not like you'd get far."
You'd be surprised. But instead of answering him, she snaps to attention sarcastically, just to get a rise out of him. Turning on her heel, she heads for the bush.
She didn't really need the bathroom. She just needs some way to get a message to either the Lost Boys or to Peter himself. She's been on this island so long, she's surprised he hasn't felt her presence yet.
What to do...
Her train of thought is interrupted by a hand snapping over her mouth before she's pulled back against a hard chest, "Don't scream, little girl." A voice hisses in her ear and for a second, it feels like her heartbeat stops
She'd know that voice anywhere.
Bringing her elbow back as hard as she can muster, she jumps just out of reach as her attacker doubles over in pain "Felix! You're alive."
'Felix' the boy still hunkered over in pain, holds up his hand to keep his companions from attacking her "Lily?" He gasps before finally righting himself
Before she can stop herself, she flings herself towards him, wrapping her best friend up in the tightest hug that she can manage as he stumbles back a few paces "I missed you!"
"We missed you too, Tiger Lily."
"Wait, this is Tiger Lily?" One of the boys whispers out harshly, one she doesn't know "I kind of expected more."
She quirks an eyebrow at that and Felix sniggers "Peter won't be happy to hear you say that. So keep it to yourself."
The boy shrinks back and she turns her attention back to the blond "Felix, what the hell is going on? Where's Peter? What's this about a home office? Who the hell is trying to destroy Neverland?"
"A lot has changed since you were taken, Lily. Peter, he..."
"Where the hell are you, C-Calleigh?! You better not have tried to run off!" Tamara.
Calleigh rolls her eyes as Felix smirks, motioning for her to keep quiet and to follow them.
She can see Greg's eyes widen as they slowly make their way out of the bushes and she doesn't even bother to hide the self satisfied smirk that forms on her face "Who... who the hell are you?" His voice, so brave early, is now shaken and trembling
Felix stretches out his arms "We're home office."
Wait what?
He smirks "Welcome to Neverland."
Tamara snorts "The home office? They're just a bunch of teenagers." Greg looks really confused, his eyes landing first on her, then on Felix
"Not teenagers." Henry states "They're the Lost Boys." He continues, eyes furrowed in confusion "Why do the Lost Boys want to destroy magic?"
"Who says we want to destroy it?" Felix questions
Calleigh isn't too sure what exactly is going on here. But what she does know, is those two idiots have been tricked.
Greg steps forward, wanting to try and reason with Felix, who ignores him to instead, stare intently at Henry "Now, the boy. Hand him over."
Calleigh swallows hard, she doesn't like where this is going. She has a sinking feeling that Henry is caught up in the middle of a serious problem.
Tamara steps in front of Henry "Not until you tell us the plan. For magic. For getting us home." Her tone is determined
Felix smiles, glancing at the ground "You're not going home." His tone is sinister and Calleigh feels herself inching away from him, trying to get closer to Henry should all hell break loose.
Greg gulps "Then you're not getting the boy." Foolish man, thinking he can take on The Lost Boys on their home turf.
She's made that mistake in the past.
Felix laughs "Of course we are."
Calleigh has just enough time to dive towards Henry before her worst fear comes to pass.