HEELLLOO!
First off: I still don't own OUaT!
This installment will be my favorite.. I can tell, only because of the characters in the show are the same but different in a bit of a darker way. Fighting for a common goal.
Avery will become darker, because she knows Pan, and she knows Pan knows her.. that terrifies her, the have a past, that boy that knows so much, has Henry.
Neverland is a place where Imagination runs wild, Magic is at its strongest, and the past comes back to haunt you.
Avery will struggle, and you'll see war Avery, nice Avery, and true to "Gold" form Avery!
BBUUTT.. Here we go!
Enjoy!
The ship bolted through the sea of light and color at a pace that pushed Avery against the rigging of the ropes, she held on tightly. The entire ship lurched, becoming air borne, then came crashing onto the sea, splashing water up along the sides.
"Well.. Going through a magic bean portal is now off my list." Avery said.
"Yes, now Averianna Rose get off the rigging." Her father said, and he was once again ignored.
"Is that it?" Emma said, directing towards the mist covered island in their horizon.
"Aye.. Neverland." Hook said from the helm. Avery held onto the rigging, back to the other passengers on board. Her eyes were locked onto the island, Avery had been everywhere, and being as old as she was, her childhood hardly ever haunted her like most people. But Neverland changes everything, Neverland haunts her, and she was standing at the island's threshold. In the background she could hear the other's talking.
"Why are we slowing down?" Regina said to Hook. "In case you didn't know, my son's life is in danger."
"Oh.. I know." Hook said. "The plan is to said to the far side of the island, link up with the widest part of the river. Sail through and take Pan by surprise." Avery scoffed to herself. Peter.. surprised. Avery was more likely to become a fairy than Hook would surprising Pan with that plan. She listened back when her name was heard.
"Greg Mendell said something funny to me. He said I am a villain.. and that villains don't get happy endings. Do you believe that?"
"I hope not.. then we've wasted our lives."
"Well.. Avery seems to be getting her happy ending with the cricket, so I don't think our lives were wasted, if she can have a happy ending."
"I don't think Avery is a villain." Hook responded. Then she heard Snow talking with Emma.
"Listen, Emma.. Everything that has happened.. Neal and Henry.. Its not your fault."
"I know.." Emma said quietly. "Its yours." Avery resisted turning around. "All of this happened because I listened to you." Avery had to agree. "You say good always wins? Well it doesn't. Okay? I didn't grow up in a fairy tale world, and my experiences were different. The only person who seems to understand me, and only person who believed in me was Avery." Avery drifted from the conversation until she heard Emma yelling. " How can you two be so infuriatingly optimistic?! Since you two have gotten your memories your lives have sucked! And Now I've lost Henry and Neal and countless other people! Now I am stuck in Neverland with Hook and Rumpelstiltskin and a magic-less Avery." Avery looked at her wrist and sigh, then she felt something. This was Neverland, and she smiled.
"We will find Henry." Snow said.
"No.. You won't." came her father's voice.
"Yes. what a great use of our time.. a wardrobe change." Hook said, Avery turned around to see her father, a mixture of Mr. Gold in the Dark One's clothing.
"I do hope you brought my Jewels then Papa." Avery rolled her eyes. He gave her a look, asking if she was still upset about him being obsessed over Lacy and for Neal, she didn't have to answer the question.
"I'm going to go and get Henry." her father said.
"We agreed we would get him together." Regina said.
"Actually we made no such agreement." her father replied, he's right, they didn't.
"Why are you doing this?" Emma asked.
"Because I want to succeed."
"What makes you think I'd fail?" Emma spat at him.
"How could you not? you don't believe. In your parents, in magic, or even yourself." Gold said.
"I fought a dragon, I think I believe."
"In only what's been shown to you." He said. "When have you ever taken a real leap of faith? Where there was absolutely no proof. I've known you a long time Ms. Swann, and despite everything you've been through, you're still that bailsbonds person.. looking for evidence. Dearie, that's not going to work here in Neverland."
"I'll do whatever it takes." Emma said, getting in a fighting stance.
"Well.. now you just need someone to tell you what that is.. This is no place for hand holding." he leaned towards her. "Neverland is a place where imagination runs wild. Sadly dearie, yours doesn't." he spun his cane, and he was gone before it hit the deck.
"He's right Emma.." Avery started, receiving a strong glare from Emma. "This place is different from any place you know. Its more unbelievable than the enchanted forest, and its definitely stranger than the world you know." she hopped down onto the actual deck. "Its alright, you'll learn. And you have me. And Neverland isn't just where imagination runs wild, but it is the birthplace of magic. Where it originates," Avery held her wrist with the bracelet up, and slowly made a fist. It started to glow and became red hot. "where it is strongest." the bracelet melted and dropped from her wrist with a thud. "We'll be fine." Emma looked at her, nodded in a nice for the situation. Hook came up to her.
"That was your mothers."
"That you let Greg and Tamara change into a magic blocking device.. do you know what goes into doing something like that?" he shook his head. "they take it about and gut it." she smiled.
"So..." Hook quickly changed the subject. "you have been quiet, obviously from spending sometime in Neverland." he was looking for a story, a story that Avery was not ready to tell anyone, let alone him.
"Would it shock you if Daddy and I had house here.. you know, for holiday." Avery spouted sarcastically.
"Listen.. Avery.. I knew your brother for a while and-"
"Probably longer than I did." Avery said. "And that hurts. Are you finished?"
"Yes.." he looked down. "One last thing," he handed her a key. "to the cabinet in my cabin." he pointed in the direction. "liquor." he walked away, and Avery took up the offer and went into the captains cabin. She found the cabinet and opened it, definitely a lot of liquor, she popped a cork and began to drink. She sat on a chair and looked around. Both her mother and her brother both spend so much time on this ship, maybe in this room, than she had spent with both of them her whole life. But she can't think about that now. She down a bottle and opened another one. Avery took the picture of Henry from her pocket and stared at it.
"I will get you back Henry. everything will be alright." she promised the little bundle in the picture, and she kissed it. She tipped the bottle back, and the whole ship shifted with a deafening thud. "Damnit." she muttered, brushing the liquor off her. She made her way on deck magically.
"What is it? A shark? A Whale?" Emma was screaming.
"You have your parent's optimism Emma.. We have Mermaids." Avery said.
"Have you been drinking?: Regina said, as Avery walked passed her.
"It makes me a better fighter."Avery said back.
"No it doesn't, it just makes you more willing to use your magic, dark magic." Snow said. Avery put a finger to her lips to shush her.
"Mermaids?" Emma said.
"Yes and they are not very docile creatures." Hook said.
"You think?" Charming said. Avery shrugged,
"I like mermaids." Snow gave her a strange look.
"Well I will not be capsized by a bunch of fish!" Charming said, loading a cannon with a caring, rope and chain. He fired, and he netted a mermaid, Emma and Mary Margaret struggled to pull it up.
"Enough of this." Regina said looking at Avery, who shrugged, they both took a side of the ship and shot fire, scaring the mermaids away. "There.. all gone."
"Not all of them." Mary Margaret struggled, and Regina magicked the mermaid on deck. She began gasping and flopping, the mermaid looked and Avery and recognized her, Avery could just tell.
"Get that thing off my ship!" Hook screamed.
"No.. Now we have a hostage." Regina said. The mermaid kept staring at Avery, and mouthed 'Averianna'.
"I actually agree with Hook." Charming said, the mermaid mouthed Avery's name again.
"Get it off!" Avery said, looking at Regina.
"That thing just tried to kill us." Charming said.
"And maybe we should find out why." Regina said.
"Because there is a ship in her waters, and because they like men. They will strip a man to the bone." Chraming looked a little appalled. "Hang on to your hope Charming, mermaids will take everything else." Avery added.
"So you want to torture her?" Snow said.
"If it helps." Regina said. Then at that moment, the mermaid took a shell and blew a horn noise.
"What the hell was that?!"
"A warning, free me or die." the mermaid said.
"Who did you call?" Charming asked taking the shell.
"Who cares?! Let her go!" Avery said.
"Maybe if we let her go, she'll be on our side?" Snow said.
"You can never trust a mermaids alliance." Hook said.
"Charming.. I am agreeing with the pirate! Let her go!" Avery said.
"Why so she get her friends to kill us again." Regina said.
"I won't kill you." the mermaid spoke, "You'll kill yourselves. Right Averianna?" she said it. Everyone looked at Avery.
"Stop the storm!" Charming said, he grabbed a sword, "Or die!"
"That's it Charming, filet the bitch!" Regina said.
"CHARMING! Don't kill her!" Avery said. "let her go!" the storm grew worse, and the ship thrusted one way.
"NOW MAY I RESUME KILLING HER?" Regina yelled over the storm.
"NO!" Charming and Snow said.
"Too late!" Regina said, waved her hand and the mermaid turned to wood, the rain came down harder.
"Why would you do that?!" Snow screamed.
"Hook!" Avery said, as a wall of water came towards them, the lightbulb went off in her head. They were causing the storm. She turned back to see both Regina and Snow; Charming and Hook were actively fighting. Emma was struggling at the helm. "Emma!" she went to help. "The storm wasn't the mermaid's doing. Its us!" they looked at each other. "Well them."
"You're right.." Emma screamed. "WE'RE CAUSING THE STORM!" no one was listening to her. Emma jumped on the rigging. "Listen to me!" she was ignored. Avery went over "Love you Swann, but sorry." and pushed Emma overboard.
"EMMA!" Charming and Snow screamed.
"What were you thinking?!" Charming said.
"How COULD you?" Snow screamed at her.
"OH! You all are done fighting and paying attention?!" Avery said. "Do something about it!"
Charming took his jacket off and tied a rope around him, then jumped in. Within minutes he had Emma and they were pulling them both up. Emma was laid soaking wet on the deck, Avery ran her hand over Emma, and she was alright.
"Thank you Avery.. You got the storm to stop." Emma said.
"Yeah. Of course. You're alright." Avery said.
"You two planned this?" Snow said.
"We had to get you four idiots to pay attention somehow, before you killed. I don't want to die in Neverland." Avery said. "Even for you Snow. This is not a place to die."
"We need to make port, the ship is heavily damaged." Hook said, getting close to land, dropping anchor and lowing the boat. Hook went to row and Avery looked at Hook,
"I got it." Avery said, and waved her hand.
"Thanks love." Hook said. They made landfall in seconds, but right before landing on the sand and rowed the rest of the way.
"I don't know why we aren't going with the original plan? I can repair the ship with my magic." Regina said.
"No. I think we have had enough of magic for today Regina. On this island, just magic isn't enough. Pan knows everything about every grain of sand or soil on this island." Avery said, taking Hook's hook, as he helped her out of the boat.
"Listen.. Gold was right. if we keep acting like this, we won't succeed. There is something we can all contribute if we just work together, take that leap of faith." Emma said, Avery nodded, proud of Emma. "There is a power we all have, a Prince and Princess, an Evil Queen, a Sorceress, and a Pirate, we can all be useful."
"And what's your power savior?" Regina asked smugly.
"I am a mother, who has lost her son." Emma responded defiantly.
"Very good Emma. I am proud." Avery said to her, putting an arm around her. Hook caught up with her.
"I've never thought you were one for fear, what are you afraid of?" he asked.
"I spent a lot of time here Hook, but this is the first time I have set foot on the soil." Avery said, keeping it vague.
"And the mermaid?" he said.
"That mermaid, I don't know." Avery said, walking with the group and looked down, she saw five sets of foot prints, Avery was invisible to Pan.. For now.
This chapter.. SOO hard to write. I had actually had another version of this chapter just about finished, then I read some interviews from the creators and Neverland, and I figured.. normal Nice Avery won't do it. I need to strip her to her roots, a little like she was in installment 1.. but more raw.
She blames her father for her brother's death, that hurts her, she wants Henry back, she is actually HIDING from Pan, and now she's stuck on an island of people who pretty much all hate each other.
But the holiday home comment was pretty funny!
Spoiler Alert for upcoming chapters: Pan and Avery's relationship is pretty amazing! You'll see it when Pan finds out she's there a little! Also, Avery will change with Henry a little, everyone always seems to forget that Avery had Henry first, and believe me, she will remind them in Neverland!
Thank you all for reading! OHH And don't be afriad to PM me with Flashback requests! Not that I am out, but because sometimes I forget if I uncovered something in Avery's past or not. :)