I've been writing fanfiction on this site for quite a few years now, but not for this fandom. I'm new to the OUAT fandom so bear with me, I might get some details wrong or change them to suit my plot. This story is my own idea and I've changed some of the character relationships e.g. Peter Pan will NOT be Rumpelstiltskin's father; I found that creepy in the TV show. Henry will be Regina's biological child and Emma is much younger than in the TV show. I've made Wendy less girly and darkened her hair a bit. If any details confuse you, either tell me in a review or PM me and I will explain it as best I can. I hope you enjoy my story
I have a few chapter written out already and am in the process of writing out another so hopefully I will be posting regularly. I don't know how long this story will be, let's just see where it goes. Chapter lengths will vary, but I am for at least 2000+ words for each chapter.
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Chapter 1 - Once Upon A Time.
Standing on the deck of the Jolly Roger, Killian Jones - or better known as Hook - gazed out across the icy, dark water that rolled fiercely towards the shores of Neverland. He took a long gulp from his rum flask and let out a satisfied sound before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. The chilly wind floating in off the ocean barely touched him; he was so used to the cold.
His leather jacket flapped in the breeze, his hair becoming a disarray upon his head. The silver hook on his left hand glinted in the moonlight as he steered the ship, idly tapping it against the spools on the wheel. Hook looked straight ahead into the lonely seas, squinting as the boat surged into the thick fog that inhabited the outer shores of Neverland. He knew he was approaching dangerous grounds and had to be careful to keep an eye out for angry mermaids, rocks and whirlpools. Any disturbance on these seas could attract horrific storms that had capsized many boats. Hook did not want his precious Jolly Roger sunk to the bottom of the Never Seas.
Neverland came into view slowly, it's huge looming cliffs on one side, trees on another and long stretches of sand in the middle. Mermaid Lagoon was off to the left as Hook steered the ship straight on into the shallow waters near the sandy shores. He shuddered slightly as he saw the eerie, shadowy shapes of the merciless mermaids flitting in and out of the water and onto the rocks around their lagoon.
Leaving the wheel, he stepped down the wooden steps to the lower platform of the deck, his heavy boots thudding with each step, and grasped the handle to lower the anchor. When he was sure he was near enough shore, he turned the handle, waiting for the thunk of the anchor hitting the bottom of the shallow waters. He swooped up the side rigging, lithely grasping the ropes to lower the red and black striped sails and attach the ropes accordingly, securing them back in place. Hook leaned against the rigging, taking in the silence of the island, save for the crashing of the salty waves against the sands and the breeze that rustled his clothing and hair.
His dark, soulful eyes scanned the beach carefully, looking out for any sign of Peter Pan and his Lost Boys. He gritted his teeth as he looked down at the hook that covered the severed limb of his left hand. Peter had cut it off many years ago whilst in a duel with him. Hook knew it had been stupid to mess with Pan, but he had been young and cocky. He realised now how foolish he had been. Shaking his head, Hook grabbed his sword and placed it into his holster belt and took another quick swig of his rum before securing the flask to his belt and grasping a rope. He slid expertly down the side of the ship and onto the shore, landing with a light thud onto the soft sands.
Hook hated being back on Neverland, but he was here for a purpose; to find and rescue Henry Mills from Peter Pan. He hadn't particularly cared for the mission, but had promised Henry's mother, Regina, that he would bring him back unharmed.
"Bloody kids and their games," He grumbled with disgust at Peter's actions and Henry's stupidity of running off with him.
Peter was known for being cruel to younger children, and Henry was only twelve. Peter was eighteen; mischievous, callous and devilish. Not factors an eighteen year old should have. Hook pushed images of Peter torturing the poor boy out of his mind and set his head straight on formulating a plan on how to find and reclaim Henry. The hardest part would be finding Henry. Peter had hideaways, passages and tree-houses all over Neverland - which was no small island. You could wander all over the island for days and you may never find any of these secret annexes. Hook and known this island for years and still didn't know the whereabouts of all these hidey holes.
Hook scoured the beach, looking for any footprints, discarded clothing or in the worst case, blood that Peter had spilled from Henry. Nothing caught his eye after a good fifteen minutes searching the length of the beach.
He growled in frustration, knowing his journey had only just begun. He assumed Peter had been clever and flown Henry over the beach to avoid leaving any foot trails or evidence.
"Devious pixie," Hook sneered into the wind, unscrewing his flask and taking a much needed draught from it.
Sighing, he began walking again, gazing up at the great moon that loomed over Neverland like a huge white beacon. The sand thinned out as he got nearer the forest, more and more trees blocking his path. Hook stuck to the muddy tracks trodden into the land by the Lost Boys. He knew if he stuck to these tracks as best he could, then he would have some chance at finding out where Peter was keeping Henry.
The island was spookily silent at night, even for a place with so many trees. Even the creatures that lived here kept silent and hidden.
Hook crouched down, noticing a few footprints scuffed into the mud and frowned. He rubbed his fingers through the dirt, collecting some on his fingers and crushing it until it crumbled and fell back onto the floor. He sniffed his fingers tentatively, not noting any particular smell made by the owner of the footsteps. They were small, dainty almost. Too neat for a lost boys foot falls. They were angled as though the person had a clumsy nature and had stumbled a few times. He predicted the feet were size seven, with sturdy shoes. The footprints were too neat to be made by the lost boy's soft leather slip-ons.
Hook was stumped.
They couldn't be Henry's footsteps as his feet were bound to be a lot smaller. They couldn't be his own as he was a sizeable ten in shoe size. He scratched his head, glancing up to see more footsteps leading deeper into the forest. He straightened up and marched on through the foliage, bashing large waxy leaves out of the way and following these unfamiliar footsteps.
A clearing came into view from the path he was following and his eye caught a shadow move across it in his vision. He drew his sword with a metallic swoosh and walked forwards slowly, watching the clearing carefully as he got closer. The shadow had moved out of his line of sight. He walked faster, treading lightly so as not to be heard. He prayed to god this would be Henry he found.
Hook aimed his sword away from himself defensively, prepared for Pan to jump out at him, also armed and ready to fight.
Nothing happened.
Everything was silent. Hook swallowed and stepped into the clearing, seeing the shadow duck behind a tree.
"Fuck," He cursed quietly, remembering that Peter sent his shadow out on duty to patrol the island at night for intruders. Hook hoped he wouldn't encounter it. It was one of the few things that actually alarmed him. The shadow was gangly, quick, had sharp, claw like fingers and huge, hollow white eye sockets. It was known for draining the soul out of any intruders and taking them to Peter for inspection. Hook shivered, but regained posture and headed towards the tree where the shadow had went. With little hesitation, he reached behind the tree and grabbed whatever was there, the thing lashing out and attempting to dash away, but he held it firm and grunted with the effort.
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Emma Swann had been wandering Neverland for about twenty minutes, looking for any sign of Henry. She didn't know it, but she was on the same mission as Hook. She wanted to find Henry just as badly as he did, but their paths hadn't crossed yet. Emma thought about this well known pirate that supposedly inhabited the island and hoped she wouldn't run into him. She hadn't ever heard good things about him.
She had heard of the infamous Captain Killian "Hook" Jones, but her mother and father - Snow White and Charming - had forbade her going to Neverland. She hoped they hadn't noticed her absence yet. Emma felt bad for leaving without telling them, but they would have just tried to stop her. Emma focused her mind back onto the well known pirate that supposedly inhabited the island and hoped she wouldn't run into him. She hadn't ever heard good things about him.
She then thought about Henry and how scared he must be, and how his mother Regina must be overcome with panic. Regina was not classed as a friend in Emma's book, but Emma adored Henry and would do anything to help him. He was like a brother to her and she was not going to let Pan get away with kidnapping him.
Her anger had bubbled when Regina came to her parents house in Storybrooke, sobbing that Henry had been taken by Peter Pan himself and carted to Neverland. Emma was furious, having heard of what Pan did to children. She had packed a bag and stolen away whilst her mother comforted Regina and her father made tea in the kitchen. Neither of them noticed her sneak out the back door, gathering all the courage she had in her nineteen year old body.
She convinced her friend, Rumple to transport her to Neverland. With much hesitation, he did so. He did not normally care for others, but Emma was one of the few who understood him and his ways. She cared not that he did wrong sometimes and so in return, he was always loyal to her, and she to him. His long dark hair that fell about his face, matching his hazel eyes, the dark robes he wore and his sinister smile immediately steered everyone away, which he didn't mind. But Emma liked his appearance and honesty about the world. She could listen to him tell his tales for hours and not get bored, which was odd as she got bored of everyone after a while.
He had to admit, he liked having a friend in Emma; someone to talk to now and again. He felt like a protective Uncle to her as his son, Malcolm, had once dated her. Even after their break up, Rumple had remained loyal to her. She was the only person in the world that did not have to pay anything in return for one of his spells or pieces of advice.
"Are you sure you will be okay Emma?" Rumple had asked as he left her on the shores of Neverland.
"Yeah, I'll be fine," Emma had smiled and readjusted her backpack on her shoulders, shifting her weight form one foot to another on the sandy ground beneath them. Her long blonde hair was rustled gently by the breeze and flew into her face.
"Remember, I can't come back for you; you can only use the potion I gave you to return to Storybrooke. You only have enough for two people, so make sure you don't waste it or let Pan get his greedy hands on it," He warned firmly, but with a warmth he only reserved for Emma.
"Yeah, yeah, thanks dad," She joked, giving him a gentle shove. The potion bottle was safely tied around her neck with a thin leather string, hidden away under her shirt. The potion glowed a dusky red within the narrow bottle, sealed with a cork at the top. He smiled at her playfulness, hoping her spirit remained fiery through her journey.
"Well…be safe, Em." He bid farewell, his ageing face filled with worry lines.
"See you," She said bravely.
Admittedly, she was a little cautious of Pan and his Lost Boys but figured they were only a bunch of silly children playing silly games for attention. Rumple twirled his wooden staff between his fingers and smiled one last time before disappearing, the staff falling to the sand. Emma breathed out with a huff and set off into the forest, cursing the sand that got into her shoes immediately after only a few strides. It was getting dark, the sun already set over the Never sea. There was only a navy blue strip of light left on the horizon, the rest was darkness as the moon rose higher in the sky. Her slim frame glided easily through the foliage of the forest, her long legs making her strides longer, but no less clumsy.
She cursed as she stumbled over a few tree roots and scuffed her shoes.
"Damn, I'm unfit," She gasped, gulping in buckets of air as she climbed up a hill that seemed to go on forever.
Emma dug out her water bottle and drank greedily from it, relishing the cool feeling of the liquid sliding down her throat. She kept her eyes peeled for any sign of Henry, or Pan, or any of his Lost Boys. Nothing was there though, just the eerie silence and her heavy footfalls on the muddy earth beneath her.
She remembered Regina crying into her mother's shoulder and frowned. Regina rarely showed emotion; she was after all, the Evil queen. Emma realised Henry must mean a lot to her and wondered what it was like to be attached to a child in a motherly way.
Ugh, children. Babies, more specifically. Emma knew she would be a terrible mother. She liked long lie-ins, peace and quiet and being lazy; a baby wouldn't let you do or have any of those things.
She looked up and found the trees were getting thicker the further up the hill she went and the branches hung lower, their large, waxy green leaves batting at her legs.
"Yuck," She muttered as she flicked a few bugs off her black leggings and kept walking.
"Where the hell are you Henry?" She wondered aloud. There must be a sign of him somewhere, she thought, people don't just disappear.
But in Neverland, they could; with Peter's help. Or force, rather.
There was a break in the treeline ahead and she picked up her pace, telling herself all this walking was good for her figure and health and would be worth it if she found Henry. She ended up in a large clearing, with grass growing up to her knees in height. Some of the moonlight shone through into the clearing, making it easier to see. She had kept her hair up for the walk, but pulled the band from her hair and detached the pins holding up the loose ends, sliding them onto her t shirt for safe keeping. Bobby pins came in handy for anything.
She let her blond hair tumble around her shoulders and let out a sigh, enjoying the moonlight and cool breeze.
She walked across the clearing, carefully avoiding the poisonous mushrooms and tree stumps hidden within the grass.
Snap.
Emma whirled round, hearing the distinct sound of a twig snapping behind her from the path she had just came off from. Still, silent, fists clenched, she listened, peering intently into the pathway's entrance.
Nothing.
Just darkness and silence.
"Shit," She cursed and moved to the side of the clearing, glancing behind her warily. Running behind a tree, she clutched the bark in her fists and breathed out slowly, trying to be as quiet as possible.
If it was Pan, or one of his Lost Boys, she needed to go unnoticed. They couldn't find her, she would fail her mission if they did. They had strength in numbers, all she had was herself and what little self defense she knew. She prided herself on her ability to knee a boy in the crotch with good aim though, she hoped that would be enough. She steadied herself on the balls of her feet, ready for her attacker to strike. Emma heard nothing approaching, just the breeze on her arms as she stayed stiff against the tree.
She didn't anticipate the hand that latched onto her arm from the other side of the tree and let out a surprised grunt. She tugged harshly, trying to wrench herself free but the hand tightened, constricting around her wrist. She heard the owner of the hand grunt from the effort and scratched at the hand with her nails. Another grunt of pain came from her perpetrator, but the hand stayed tight around her wrist.
Taken off guard, Emma was hurled out from behind the tree and crashed into the chest of whoever had discovered her. She thrashed and kicked, aiming for a swift kick and run, but no such luck.
Her pursuer was silent as she struggled, but let out a dark chuckle after a few seconds.
He turned her round roughly in his arms and she was met with a set of gleaming white teeth grinning down at her.
"Well well well if it isn't Ms. Emma Swann," The man continued to smile widely. Emma stopped struggling and looked up at her captor.
Rugged jaw line, dotted with stubble; deep black orbs for eyes; hair that was tousled and out of place and a set of perfect teeth stared back at her. What alarmed her most was when she glanced down to see a silver hook digging into her hip from his left hand.
"Captain Hook," She gritted out like slime was coating her tongue. Of all the rude and ignorant, she had to run into him!
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So, that's the first chapter out of the way. Once again, if anything confuses you or you need something explained then please feel free to ask a question in a review or PM me and I will respond as soon as I can.