ONE
…
Emmeline held onto the ship's rigging with all her might as it plundered into the chaotic whirl of the portal. Portal-magic was incredibly unpredictable, and she had no desire to be tossed off the deck and into limbo. Not now that she was finally on her way to the Neverland. Though she'd shut her eyes against the frigid wind, Emmeline could hear the others also struggling to stay aboard.
With a resounding pop, the pressure on her body lifted and the ship splashed into the Neverland waters. She released the ropes with a shaky sigh. They'd arrived. Her heart stuttered. After years and years of searching, the idea that she was closer than ever to her brother was a tad surreal.
Tommy.
Frustrated voices butted into her thoughts - arguing coming from the main deck. After a beat of confusion, Emmeline moved to see what the commotion was about, but before she could, Regina's startled breath snagged her attention. Emmeline spun around, and her jaw dropped.
The Neverland rose proudly amidst blankets of cool blue sea, the island covered in greenery and crowned by a sleeping volcano. The beach, a thin stretch of black sand, was surrounded by rocks and peeking corals. It wasn't what she'd been expecting. Gray skies and barren land with some ugly jagged spikes, perhaps. A scenery that would match the cruel nature of the island's leader.
Even from a distance, Emmeline felt the magic – his magic – radiating from the island like a beacon. It pulsed in the back of her head, unwelcome, invading her senses with the smell of lightning and tropical flowers. Her limbs locked, as it dawned on her that everything she saw – felt belonged to him.
Pan.
Before the Evil Queen's curse had struck, when Emmeline had still been searching the Enchanted Forest for her missing brother, Rumpelstiltskin had told her of Peter Pan and his lost boys. He'd suggested that the shadow who'd kidnapped her brother just might be the one who answered to Pan. Though his accounts of them terrified her, Emmeline had set out to find the Neverland.
And now, here she was – preparing to face the most powerful, mischievous magic-wielder of the known worlds to save her brother.
She was grossly overmatched.
"Well, mates," Hook's voice pulled her from her thoughts, "welcome to the Neverland."
Emmeline peeled herself from the railing, turning away from the island, and followed Regina down to the main deck where the others had gathered.
"Okay, we're here." Snow clapped her hands together. "What now?"
"Pull in the sails for me, love," Hook called from behind the wheel.
"Don't call me love."
"Wait, what?" Regina barked. She pointed at Snow. "Don't move. We shouldn't be slowing down. We're not close enough to the beach yet."
"Yeah, well, we're not going to the beach," Hook said matter-of-factly. And Emmeline wondered whether he could've taken that tone if he'd been close enough to see the fury pooling in Regina's eyes. "I was hoping to maintain the element of surprise," he explained. "If we sail into the island, upriver, we might have a chance of avoiding some unpleasant—" he paused to choose his next word, "company. At least for the time being. It'll take us as far as the main waterfall and then we're stuck on foot."
"Or," Regina said, hands twitching at her sides, "I could transport us straight to Pan and skip the hiking altogether."
"You can't." The murderous glare Regina unleashed on her made Emmeline wish she could pluck back her words and swallow them dry. One couldn't simply tell a distressed mother – let alone a powerful, magic-wielding mother – that she couldn't save her son. Not without losing treasured limbs.
"What," Regina bit out.
"I – I mean, surely you can feel the magic coming off the island?" She waited for confirmation, but Regina's face gave nothing. Emmeline swallowed. "It's warded against outsiders. Pan controls magic here and – and maybe using it will trigger his defenses. Let him know we're here—"
"And take away the element of surprise," Hook finished with a smug grin. Satisfied with their current course, he made for the deck and started pulling in the sails. "I like this girl," he said, covering his mouth in a mock whisper.
Regina's face turned an alarming shade of red.
"Then we'll go upriver," Charming said. "Stealth is our upper hand. Let's use it."
"You trust the pirate?" Snow frowned.
The tension sparked dangerously high, and Emmeline decided things could get worse if she didn't intervene. "Sail upriver, avoid lost boys, and plan a stealthy rescue," she said with a weak smile. "Sounds like a plan."
"Sounds like a plan," Emma echoed. She'd been absently scanning the island while the others argued, only half-interested in their conversation. She wore a look that Emmeline knew too well, one she'd seen too often in the mirror to mistake. Hope.
Emmeline's insides plunged into icy water. She wished she could talk to Emma, honestly and openly. The blonde was perhaps the only one in the entire world who understood what Emmeline had gone through – still went through. But befriending her came at a cost. Even though they'd allowed her to tag along, she wasn't a real part of their effort to save Henry. Her promise to Tommy came first. And in a way, that set her apart from them. If the chance to save her brother came, she'd do anything to grab it. Even betray them.
She just hoped it never came to that.
Sufficiently subdued, everyone walked off to deal with their own pent-up tension. Emmeline pressed up against the railing and watched the island, the relief of avoiding a real fight seeping out at the sight of the trouble that lay ahead.
"You'll find him, honey," Snow murmured, her voice so soft and sweet that Emmeline didn't even startle to find her leaning beside her.
She spared a glance at the older woman before her attention strayed back ahead. Snow gave out calming maternal vibes even when she wasn't trying. And it irked Emmeline who'd gone without the love and attention of a mother for so long. A gentle hand spooked her just as much as trembling fist nowadays.
She pulled away from Snow. "I hope I'm not too late," was all she said.
…
Emmeline wrung water out of her hair, cursing the wretched mermaids and the storm that had ruined a perfectly good ship and plan. So much for stealth.
She supposed she should be grateful the Savior lived up to her title; if not for Emma, their bones would now decorate the bottom of the bay. Rumpelstiltskin, on the other hand, had been no help. He'd bailed ship seconds before the storm hit under the pretense of being the only one capable of saving Henry and beating Pan. Emmeline was familiar with his reputation as The Dark One, and it wasn't noble or selfless. She didn't trust him one bit. He was, however, immensely powerful and probably their best shot at defeating Pan, so she was sad to see him go.
After slogging onshore, cold and wet and miserable, Emma hit them with a speech about needing their combined skills and cooperation to get Henry back. She was a natural leader, savior. But Emmeline noticed how she glossed over rescuing Tommy. As they trekked through the jungle, she realized that no matter how pure-hearted and good Emma and her parents claimed to be, they wouldn't sacrifice for her brother. They were fine with her tagging along, and they would bring her back if she managed to find Tommy in time, but that was where their generosity ended.
The idea that her skills might be called upon at any moment sent a shiver of fear down her spine. It had been ages – ages – since she'd sung. And not since…
Emmeline raised trembling fingers to the jagged strands of her hair. The magic of the island pumped around her like a steady drumbeat, drowning out her rational thoughts until only bitter fear lingered in the back of her throat.
A memory of her home tickled the back of her mind. Empty stomachs, cold winters, and her mother's strained but stern warning, "Men kill for that sort of power, Em. Don't let them know, don't let them see. Otherwise, they'll hurt you and Tommy to get it."
Though her hands and neck were clammy from the stifling jungle, Emmeline felt suddenly cold. This – this was foregoing all her mother's advice. It was gambling everything on the chance she could save her brother without giving away her secret.
But what if she couldn't?
Her chances were slim at best without the added concern for self-preservation. To save Tom, she had to be willing to sacrifice her freedom. Forever.
"Move along, lass." She felt the pirate's cool metal hook on her back.
Emmeline hadn't noticed she'd slowed her pace, the burden of her thoughts weighing her down. The heat and humidity were suffocating in this part of the forest. Beads of sweat rolled down her back and hair. Once, her locks had reached the small of her back, the weight of them fixing her to the ground. But not anymore. And never again, a cruel voice whispered in her head. She winced. Though she knew in her heart it was true, it did not make letting go any easier.
"Where are we headed anyway?" Charming said, butting in on her thoughts. "How are we even tracking Henry here?"
Good question. How come she hadn't thought of that sooner? Did they even have a plan now? She couldn't recall one being laid out, just Emma's pep talk at the beach about unity and combined forces which, no matter how inspiring, wouldn't get them to Pan.
"We're not tracking him," Hook answered. "There's no use tracking footprints and broken twigs, the lost boys are experts at concealing their movements and they've got –"
"So we've been prancing around like fools all day!" Regina halted, crossing her arms. "We have magic to do the tracking, why can't we use it? My son is in danger right now –"
"We've been over this." The pirate ran a hand down his face. "No magic."
"Bullshit."
"Regina is right." Emma placed a placating hand on Hook's chest. "We can't very well scour the entire island on foot like this, especially if we can't track them the normal way –"
Hook's gaze was soft on her, "You don't get it, love. Pan owns magic here. The more we avoid using it, the better are our chances of surviving."
"So, what? We wander around until we land jackpot?" she didn't sound convinced.
"We don't have to. We know where Henry is."
"We do?" Emmeline said, wondering how long she'd zoned out of the conversation up until now.
"He's with Pan."
Regina rolled her eyes and muttered genius under her breath.
"Then wouldn't we be better off drawing Pan's attention?" Snow asked.
"Believe me, we don't want Pan's attention." His tone left no room for argument. "The little devil has a camp concealed by magic on the island. Once we find it, we find Henry and the other boy."
"You just said we can't track anything," Emmeline frowned. "How do we find this camp?"
Emmeline had never quite understood the appeal of pirates but when Hook dashed a roguish grin at her it became clear. Her mother would have described the gleam in his eyes as spirit - something not many had. Emmeline would describe it as bravery and recklessness. And there was a certain allure in that brash danger. "Luckily for us," he answered, "I've spent centuries on Neverland, and learned a few things. Trust me." He winked and motioned for them to follow him.
"Great," Regina grumbled.
They picked up the pace behind him, but Emmeline suspected it was only for lack of a better idea.
Dusk arrived swiftly and in the span of two hours, it was entirely too dark to continue walking. They set up a fire and gathered some soft-looking leaves to lay on, Regina announced she'd be taking the first watch and disappeared into the brush leaving the rest of them to fidget idly in place. Emma sat down and stared at her hands while her parents argued softly by the trees. Hook busied himself with the fire, but Emmeline caught him sneaking glances at the Savior every now and then. She was too tired to try to place any meaning on it though.
Arms and legs aching, Emmeline folded herself into the most comfortable position she could find - which was still very uncomfortable - and shut her eyes. But though her body was tired, her mind whirred at full speed. The pulsing of the island's magic didn't help clear her head, and when sleep did come, hours later, she was completely exhausted.
…
A quaint cottage with yellow wildflowers peppering the entrance. The smell of pine trees and a fireplace. The laugh of a child and the faint lilt of a song.
All so familiar. So familiar – but just out of reach.
Why couldn't she place it?
Emmeline's feet moved of their own accord, carrying her behind the house, under the hanging laundry, around a stone fence. There a child, no older than five, played on a makeshift swing. The little girl rode the swing higher and higher, unworried and untroubled. Emmeline stopped and stared. A buzz nagged her, but she pushed it to the back of her mind adamant on placing the girl, the house, the trees.
Why?
In a fit of giggles, the little girl leaped from the swing mid-air and landed on wobbly feet. An invisible string pulled Emmeline stumbling after her and her heart lurched. As she drew closer, Emmeline noticed the girl had flowy hair, brown like wet earth. The child was fine, but before Emmeline could sigh in the girl perked up and dashed back to the cottage.
By the time Emmeline reached her, the girl was kneeling under a window with a small bluebird in her hands. The animal's wing bent at an awkward angle and it squawked in pain. It must have flown into the glass, but how the girl knew it would be here remained a mystery.
Emmeline sat next to her, grimacing. The bird wasn't going to make it. She had to convince the girl to let it go, but her round worried face gave Emmeline pause. It was too serious - too intelligent for a child. Then the girl began to sing and, just like that, the barrier in Emmeline's mind shattered. The girl had an airy, pleasant voice that filled the space with lyrics in another tongue. Somehow Emmeline understood them perfectly.
Heal. Grow. Restore.
All living things surrounding the girl - flowers, trees, insects - flushed with renewed vigor. And the girl's hair... glowed. A purplish haze enveloped it and spread down her arms to her fingers and, finally, to the little bird. Its wing popped into place and it hopped up in her hands, chirping delightedly.
Dread washed down Emmeline's lungs like poison. She scrambled on her hands and knees, desperate to get up – to get away from her. The girl, however, didn't spare her a glance. In fact, it was like she wasn't there at all. She launched the bluebird into the air where it circled her, beating its wings rhythmically and joining her in song. Emmeline's breaths came short and fast, almost choking. The beating of the wings grew louder and louder until –
She woke with a start, sucking in mouthfuls of air and pushing her hair off her face. The vegetation around her cast twisted shadows unto their camp. Emmeline scanned the darkness for the others – all sound asleep.
All except one.
Emma was missing.
A distant sound filled Emmeline's ears, a chorus of the steady beat of magic that followed her around and the sound of children crying for home. She pressed her hands to her ears and shut her eyes like it would keep them out of her head. It didn't. She had no idea how she knew they were children or what they wept for, she just did. Like she knew that the scream lodged in her throat belonged with their cries.
Emmeline was as lost as any of them.
…
Author's note- If you're new to this fic, welcome! If you're an old reader, you might be confused. Let me clear things up for you. I'd been trying to finish this story for over 3 years now (crazy, I know) and it just wasn't going anywhere. I spent a long time trying to understand why I couldn't finish it (followed by some very guilty feelings) until I realized I started this 3 YEARS AGO. My writing has grown so much since then and this story was stuck with very poor choices I'd made in the beginning. It was dragging me down. So, for the sake of seeing this through to completion, I've rewritten all the previously published chapters and I'll be uploading them one by one. There have been some plot changes, some name changes too, but the spirit of the fic remains the same!
I hope you'll join me for the ride again. And if not, thank you for all the support you've given me along the way. It has been invaluable. XOXO