A/N: Hey Team! Since so many of you were PanElla shippers, this is my present to you because I just got accepted into university and I feel like celebrating.
So in other words, it's the Alternate Ending that was suggested by many of you.
This picks up on the Jolly Roger, only rather than Wendy finding Nevi's map, it was Ella who found it. Pan left on his own, and a few days later, after Hook tore out her heart and told her she was a fairy, she went in search of Pan and they travelled together.
Technically, it's an AU to an AU (#becausewhatiscanon). Ella never admitted she loved Hook.
It's just a one-shot and after this I am most definitely leaving Ella and Pan alone. That's not to say there won't be any Panfiction in the future though. =D
I had major feels writing this. And whilst throughout A Soldier's Curse, I was a major CaptainHart shipper (obviously), things could have gone a very different way if there was shiz like this happening.
Contains smut, swearing and just, loads of PanElla.
So, let me know what you think, because I did write this more for you guys than for me. =]
Much love!
YouSaid
Edit to my A/N: Since someone gave me the pleasure of anonymously reviewing that my character was a mary sue without leaving a reason, I'm going to assume they didn't read the 89 000 word fanfic that this is an alternate ending to. This fic is not meant to stand alone, there are references to things that happened in A Soldier's Curse and of course, the character development of these characters. So thanks for checking this out if you're new! Just head on over to my profile and read a Soldier's Curse if you want a little more info on the characters. =D xx
We Were Happy in the End
"Is she even legally allowed to work here?"
Ella was eyeing the barmaid eyeing Pan with the barest spark of jealousy igniting in the back of her mind. It was a low blow, the girl did look about eighteen, but still, she had to say something to ease the growing tension in her stomach.
"She's eighteen next month," Peter answered, glancing up at the girl. Ella turned away, not wanting him to see the burning in her cheeks. So they'd talked then.
"You know her?"
But Peter didn't respond as the girl in question came around to pick up their empty mugs. She made a show of leaning over and showing Pan her generous cleavage that Ella narrowed her eyes at before hearing Peter say, "Thank you," politely.
"Well, if you need anything else…" She left the invitation open, and walked away with a sashay of her hips. Ella rolled her eyes, her hands clenching beneath the table in frustration.
"Ella?"
"Hmm?" She tried to shake away her frustration as she turned to Pan with a wide smile. He gave her a curious expression before continuing, "You ready to head off?"
"Really?" His eyes widened as sarcasm fled from her mouth. "You sure you don't need anything else?"
Peter seemed a little lost and innocent as he gazed at her in confusion, "Sorry?"
Ella jolted her head towards the young barmaid almost angrily as Pan said in astonishment, "Oh, is that what she was offering."
Ella almost smacked herself in the face. "I know you've got a heart, but did you suddenly lose all your old traits?"
"Isn't that a good thing?" he asked, confused once again. Ella simply rolled her eyes and stood up, ready to leave. Until she realised that they were about to go and lie down in the forest when there were perfectly good beds upstairs. And she had a bounty from Hook that she'd yet to spend.
"Let's stay here tonight."
After suggesting separate rooms, the innkeeper had informed them that only one was available, and too eager for a bed, Ella had agreed despite Pan's reluctance.
"I'll take the floor," he said adamantly. And knowing there was no possible way to argue with him, she let him take a pillow and blanket and make up a bed upon the floor.
"Goodnight Peter," she said before blowing out the candle.
"Goodnight Ella," he replied from the darkness.
It was early the next morning when Ella heard his whimpering moans from beside her bed. Crawling over to his side she slid out of the bed and stirred him awake by shaking him lightly. Wordlessly, she tugged his arm upwards, pulling him towards the bed. Hazy from sleep, he didn't fight, but shook the hair from his eyes and climbed onto the mattress. There was about a metre separating the two of them when they finally settled into the bed, but Ella was almost wide awake, the space feeling too eerily familiar.
"This feels too much like it used to, Pan." At her words, she felt him throw off the covers and in response Ella turned over quickly with wide eyes saying earnestly, "No, no, no! I didn't mean it like that." Her purple eyes were wide and honest as she grabbed hold of his arm. "Just…the distance."
"You want me…closer?"
She didn't answer him, but merely shuffled in closer to him, his body heat warming her the minute she was against him. Hesitantly, he pulled his arms around her as she clutched at his waist. When she finally nuzzled into his chest, breathing in his scent, she let out a contented sigh and Peter closed his eyes; the two of them drifting into a dreamless sleep.
When Ella awoke the next morning, there was ruffled sheets, but no Pan.
Taking a quick glance around the room, she found it empty, but a knock came at her door and Ella stood up to open it for him. He greeted her with a wide smile and a tray filled with food and even a small vase with a flower.
"The innkeeper's idea," Pan said as he saw the blush line her cheeks. Ella smirked in response as he walked into the room, muttering, "Sure," under her breath.
They ate breakfast in a companionable silence. As they headed out that morning, Ella paid the lady with Hook's gold and they headed back off on their trek into the mountains. Every so often, Pan would look down at the map to check they were on the right track, but soon the hills required too much effort for idle chit chat and the two of them fell back into silence.
The sun was already beginning its descent by the time they were nestled in the hills and decided to stop to eat.
"You really want the Neverfall Stone, don't you Pan," Ella said, as she drank from her waterskin, throwing him an apple. "This is an insane trek."
"It's either going to save Neverland or kill me," he shrugged. "I have to do something to try."
"But that whole, pure of heart thing, doesn't that…"
"That's a guideline for er, 'safe use'," Pan answered as he took a bite out of the apple. Ella's brow furrowed as the words sank in.
"So, wait, you're going to use the Neverfall Stone, but you know you're going to die in the process?" Her face dropped. He would sacrifice himself for the sake of Neverland.
Pan merely shrugged and they fell back into silence, a quietness more strained than before.
They continued walking after that, and it wasn't until the sun fell beyond the horizon that they found a clearing to sleep in. Ella was glad because her limbs were painfully sore. She almost collapsed when Pan laid out their blankets on the grass and started work on the fire. But the moment she did, she was up again as muscle cramps made their way up her leg.
She hobbled around as Pan protested, urging her to sit down, but she was defiant, leaning up against a tree as she attempted to stretch it out. When the pain only got worse, she found herself sitting on her blanket in defeat, doing all she could to will the pain away.
Pan came and knelt at her feet then, his hands offered to her, glowing with magic. And not caring about her pride by that point, she nodded fervently, the pain intensifying as he placed his hands on her calf and gently started to rub.
The magic sent a warm glow though her and she felt herself immediately relaxing into his hands. Every so often, a jolt of pain fled up her nerves, but soon they were gone, and Pan's magic was fading.
And he was looking up at her, breathing heavily. She didn't realise the noises that she'd been making. And Peter had been trying incredibly hard not to listen to them, but she didn't exactly restrain herself.
It was only a few moments later when she realised that he was situated between her legs, and a lot closer to her body than he had been in a while.
But he stood up, and reluctantly, she followed, testing out the new life in her leg with a pleased sigh. A flying mango came at her from across the clearing which she caught easily. She was peeling it and eating it when she realised Pan didn't have anything in his hand.
"Have we…" Surely they hadn't run out of food yet. It had only been a few days!
"Not hungry," he answered indifferently before his eyes squinted and he walked over to her. Pulling a large piece of tree bark off her back, he smiled and threw it away, seeing an embarrassed smile light her face as he did so.
As she neared the last of the mango, she offered it to him, but he shook his head, merely smiling when he saw the juice dripping down her chin that had escaped her notice and wiped it away with his thumb. His eyes followed his movements, and Ella didn't miss the way his skin lingered on the edge of her lip.
Entranced, his eyes didn't move. And delicately, he leaned forward and brushed his lips ever so lightly over hers. Ella responded almost immediately, the tension from the past day finally able to be released upon Pan's lips. The rest of the mango was left upon the ground, falling from Ella's hand thoughtlessly and she kissed him back with abandon. Finally, when she came up for air, she spoke.
"Pan," Ella murmured, against his lips. "I don't…"
He pulled away immediately, eyeing her curiously, breathing heavily but still guarded. He couldn't do that; of course he wouldn't. She wouldn't want it.
"God, I'm sorry E, I-"
But she had already pulled him back, crashing her lips down upon his eagerly and needily. It was chaotic, a mess of tongues and teeth that fought each other. But Pan let her win easily. This was on her terms.
"I don't want you to stop," she murmured, pulling away to breathe and finishing her sentence as she brushed aside the hair on his forehead. She knew it. She'd tried to distract herself with Hook, but it hadn't worked. All the time, she'd still needed Peter. "I don't want you to stop caring for me."
"It hurts Ella," he admitted. "It hurts knowing what I've done to you, but still loving you the way that I do."
"It's what makes us human," she answered, bringing her fingers down his face as she stared into his eyes gently. "The pain makes us human."
"I don't want to cause you any more," he replied softly, his green eyes seeking out her violet windows with such brutal honesty, that all she could do was kiss him gently once more.
"Then help me heal," she muttered.
His hands gently found her waist as though he was still hesitant to touch her, but Ella had other ideas, threading her hands around the back of his neck and grasping at his hair, she brought them infinitely close and claimed his lips passionately.
They had never been this. Never the slow, passionate lovers. It was always a frenzy of limbs and fucking that never gave them…this.
Love.
She wouldn't say it out loud, but it was in every touch, in every caress, in every kiss she laid upon his bare skin as she undid his buttons slowly. He didn't say a word, didn't let out any sounds that she was affecting him. He was reluctant.
Glancing up at him, Ella saw the frustration in his eyes. There was part of him that wanted her so deeply it was like he was on fire, but in reality he knew he couldn't have her. She was so far above him it was like he was dirt and she belonged amongst the heavens.
"What do I have to say to make you believe me?"
"You can't say anything," Peter answered honestly, and so she kissed him again, her hands undoing the remaining buttons before the shirt fell lightly to the ground. Running her hands up and down his chest, she took in the familiar planes of light muscles, her fingertips dancing across his newly healed skin. She stopped over his heart, massaging the flesh before placing her lips over it and dotting kisses over the area.
"Ella?"
His voice broke as he said her name and she looked up at him, at his shocked face and gave him a small smile – a hopeful smile.
And that small smile was all it took for him to pull her up into his arms and kiss her with everything left unspoken.
Ella was pulling at the clasps of her corset, taking it off quickly before she untucked her shirt and felt Peter's hand stroking the skin at her hip lightly.
"Is this okay?" he murmured, and Ella felt tingles when he asked her so genuinely. Taking his hand, she brought it further up her shirt until he was cupping her breast. He squeezed her flesh gently, his breathing heavy. It was like they were virgins all over again.
That is, until she moaned when his fingers brushed over her nipple and hardened beneath his touch. It was then that she saw the lust in his eyes. They weren't dark like they used to be, but he definitely desired her and she could feel it through their pants.
She took him by the hand before sitting down on the edge of his blanket. He hesitated only momentarily before sitting across from her. Ella climbed into his lap and pushed him down to the ground. Sensing his discomfort, she pulled his jacket from his bag and scrunched it into some semblance of a pillow and placed it under his head.
Kissing her way down his chest, she went as far as she could go while her hands worked at the ties of his pants. But before she could fully loosen them, Peter was pulling her up, stopping her.
With an expertise she thought he'd forgotten, she was suddenly on her back, her head cradled by the makeshift pillow as he gazed down at her. With tender kisses, he toyed with the hem of her shirt, and Ella lifted her arms, waiting for him to pull it off her. He did so slowly, revealing her body an inch at a time.
She watched his eyes as he drank in the sight of her. He stared at her as though she was some sort of higher being, and Ella felt a blush creeping its way across her skin. Pan leant down, following the heat of her blush with his lips and tongue, tracing the contours of her body like she was an artwork being recreated beneath him. He bathed her with kisses and playful tugs at her flesh being oh so careful not to mark her. This was nothing like it used to be; he was making sure of it.
He unlaced her boots delicately before sliding each one off her legs. Before going any further he looked back up at Ella with a question in his eyes. She cocked an eyebrow at him before sliding her own hands down to her pant ties. He seemed to get the idea, and stilled her hands, taking the job into his own.
As he slid the material down her legs, his lips followed in pursuit, leaving a burning trail down her skin. When he finally began to pull her panties down, Ella gazed down at him in need, her eyes as dark as his.
He planted a soft kiss upon her mound before flicking his tongue between her slit and feeling just how wet she was for him. As her hands threaded though his hair, she simply muttered, "Please," and Peter dove back into her folds with a renewed vigour. Whilst his tongue darted in and out, his fingers sought her out, thrusting as he rubbed against her inner walls, her gratuitous moans stirring something deep within her. He would like to think that this was all he needed, to watch her come undone before him. And he knew he would be a sated man when he did.
But despite the way she was leaning into his fingers and mouth, Ella still said, in a groan soaked in desperation, "I need you."
And as he pulled away, she reached desperately for the ties of his pants, needing him inside her right there and then. But folding his hands over hers, he removed the pants slowly, kicking off his boots and pushing the material to where the pile of their clothing was heaped.
Peter gazed down at her lovingly as he poised himself at her entrance. She slid her hand down between them and guided him inside, a long moan of relief letting loose as she felt herself filled by him. Completely sheathed inside of her, he looked down at her face, lost in pleasure and waited for her to open her eyes. When she did, she said with the utmost conviction –
"Make love to me, Peter."
As he slid in and out of her slowly, she moved with him. It was a slow burning fire that hid darker times – blanketing them in warmth. Their bodies knew each other, and the moans that were leaving each other only proved that fact.
As they moved against each other, feeling every inch and every burning sensation, Pan was murmuring into Ella's skin indistinctly. So caught up in feeling him, it took a moment for her to actually realise what he was saying.
"I'm sorry," he was whispering as he slid in and out of her, kissing across every inch of skin that he could find. "I'm so sorry Ella. I'm sorry –"
Ella brought his head back to her face, seeing the tears threatening to spill from his eyes and caressed his cheeks lovingly.
"I know."
She brought his lips down to hers as he made love to her, showing him, as much as she could, that she knew. She knew he was sorry. She knew he was scared.
And when they came together it was as though it was inevitable that it would always come down to this. Ella and Peter in the middle of some forest in Shayan, curled up in each other's warmth as they tried to say all they knew they couldn't.
Basking in the afterglow, Ella knew that she had to make him realise that this wasn't just a one-time thing. She had gone with him…chosen him over Killian. Because she knew that Peter's heart would only beat for her.
"If I forgive you," Ella murmured, running her fingers over the contours of his face. He leaned into her palm and breathed in the smell of her. "If I do, will you forgive yourself?"
Peter locked eyes with her, widened in surprise. It was a measure of the time they'd spent together that she could piece together everything and know exactly what was plaguing his mind. He loved her – he knew that, and she knew that.
But he wouldn't let himself fully believe it, because he knew she could never forgive him.
So he didn't answer, and Ella sat up, climbing over him until she was straddling his waist. Tucking a strand of her dark hair behind her ear, she leant down and kissed his forehead, ever so simply before pulling back and muttering earnestly, with no regret or hidden tension – no lie in her eyes –
"I forgive you."
xxx
When the sun came out the next morning, it illuminated a tangle of limbs in the field. Ella's legs were entwined with Peter's, her naked body slumped over his as she used his body as a bed. The warm light caused her to stir and the movement woke both of them up. Ella smiled when she realised where she was, rubbing her nose into Peter's skin affectionately and placing a soft kiss on his chest she muttered, "Morning."
"I'm dreaming, aren't I?" Peter's voice sounded almost defeated. Ella's eyebrow creased as she looked up at him, crawling up his body until she could place a light kiss on his lips.
"Are you?" Ella smirked, staring into his eyes as she began to rub her body against his, kissing him deeply. She felt him hardening against her inner thigh, and slipped down onto him slowly. It was slow and lazy in the early morning, the way that she moved over him in long and languid strokes, feeling every inch of him within her as she traced her tongue over Peter's lips.
Their high came upon them slowly, and burnt through them like an inferno before dwindling to smallest flame.
"You awake now?" Ella breathed into his neck.
"Mhmm," Pan answered, seemingly unable to speak as he wrapped his arms around Ella and rolled her beside him so that he could stare easily into her face. "You're beautiful E."
A small smile pulled at the side of her lips as she stretched out finally, her limbs feeling thoroughly used. Pan murmured, "I think we need to find that river we walked past yesterday."
"I'd love to find the river." Ella's smile turned into a smirk as she sat up, her naked body shining in the sunlight. She leant down once more and whispered into his ear, "Don't take too long," before scampering off lightly.
Peter sat up after a few more seconds and tried to make sense of what had just happened. He hadn't thought himself capable of it, of treating her the way she deserved to be treated. He hadn't thought himself capable of her forgiveness.
"I forgive you."
The words pierced through him like a knife laced with ice that spread so painfully yet wonderfully through his body. He didn't know it was possible for anyone to forgive him, least of all her. And yet…
Suddenly, he felt free.
And just as he was about to go running down to meet her at the river, and relish in the way he could hold her and feel her without hatred or loathing and even with the barest foundations of love, he suddenly found himself face to face with someone else.
A mirror image of himself.
It wasn't of his doing – how could it be? Why would he ever create a vision of something so feral and disgusting – an aberration of human nature? This was not his doing.
The image of himself spoke with venom, with disdain…with everything Peter's heart had rid him of.
"Did you enjoy fucking her again?"
"Shut up," Peter responded taking a step back from the mirage and trying to get around it. But it stood straight and sure, walking after him easily.
"Because it sure felt like it. Bet you loved it didn't you? When she rode you this morning. You should know she was thinking of me. Of all those times that I made her scream while you were too busy being stuck in the back corner of my brain. It was me that she gave pleasure, and it was me who took her time and time again while you hid."
"I said shut up!"
"Ah, but you hear me all the time, Peter," the darker image of Pan was smirking, "Last night when she was kissing you, you heard me. You wanted to let me take over; you wanted to let me take her and do with her what I wanted. To make her my whore once again. "
"No, I didn't." But his voice lacked conviction.
"And there returns the scared little boy who could never let anyone in. Tell me of your heart, Peter Pan. Does it hurt? Knowing that I'm still every bit a part of you as your newfound heart. Knowing that I'm the better you –no inhibitions. No stupid rules."
But it was those words that returned Peter to his senses.
"I can't let go of it," he murmured, looking at the ground as he felt the warmth of his heart beating in his chest. "But I can let go of you."
For a moment, the image of Pan's brow furrowed but then it laughed, making Peter even more adamant to defy it.
"I don't her want her for myself," he continued strongly. "I want her safe. And I want her happy. If she wanted Killian, and he would have made her happy, I would have left it at that. But she chose to come with me. And Ella chose it because I'm not you. Not anymore."
"You can say that all you want, but-"
"I would kill myself before I let you use her again," Peter answered decisively, resolution forming in his mind. "And I will."
Pan's image smirked, "But I know you better than that Peter. After all, we've been each other's sole companions for 300 years. I know you won't make that sacrifice."
"Then you don't know me," Pan spat at the image before it disappeared into nothing and Pan walked away. On his way down to the river, he tried to clear his head. He truly wasn't going to let that part of him ever hurt Ella. Never again.
She smiled when he hit the water's edge, teasing, "I thought I told you not to take too long."
"I just had to check that we were on route; so that we'd have time."
"Time for what?" Ella asked.
Peter scooped her wet body into his arms and spun her around, water flicking everywhere. Placing a tender kiss upon her lips, Ella wrapped her arms around his neck and brought herself closer to him. She liked it this way – skin on skin – with nothing between them.
"Time for this."
xxx
Dirt was moving at an intense pace as Pan hovered his hand towards the clearing, magic swirling about in the air. Cherry blossoms were flying everywhere but he was adamant that he was going to get the Neverfall Stone. He was going to save Neverland as much as it pained him to leave behind Ella.
She was standing right behind him, using his body as a shield from the debris that was flying through the air. It was only moments later when the magic stopped. And sitting in the bottom of the hole was a glowing diamond-like stone.
Peter held Ella back as he went forward to see the stone. Reaching forward, he touched it lightly, really not expecting what happened next.
The ground began to shake uncontrollably as Pan grabbed onto the stone, only it was no longer a stone. It was merely a glowing green mass, growing bigger with each moment. Within seconds it had grown to the size of half the clearing, and Pan was running towards Ella with all he had, only the portal was faster. As he felt it tugging on his heels, he grabbed onto the nearest thing to try and ground himself.
"Ella!" Pan was yelling as he grasped onto the tree branch, desperately trying not to be hauled into the portal. "Get to the others! Tell them it was a trap! Someone...someone else has the Neverfall Stone! Someone…"
Peter's grip began to slip. The last thing he heard before he fell was Ella's urgent shriek as she called out his name. Then there was the rushing sound of a world changing and suddenly, his knees hit hard wood with a harsh impact.
"Welcome home, love."
And Pan looked up in shock. He knew that voice. And when he saw the shimmering translucence of the figure, it seemed so incredulous…after fifty years…how could she still be alive? And yet, everything finally made sense.
Like a child, Pan's voice cracked as he gazed up at the girl from where he kneeled upon the harsh wooden floor. But he didn't know what to say. What could he say? This girl, his first love, who stared at him with a harsh loathing, surrounding by deathly magic, destroying Neverland...
"Nevi?"
xxx
When Ella returned to Shayan, painfully aware that Pan could have been blasted into atoms, it was with the resolve to find him and save him – if he was still alive.
But someone else had the Neverfall Stone. And she could think of only one person who that might be.
Trapped in that bag she'd given to Hook containing dreamshade, was the crown she had taken from Dead Man's Cave. The crown of the Spirit of Neverland. The Neverfall Stone.
And so, it was two days later when, tired and completely worn out, Ella came crashing through Tink's door and dragged her and Tom back to the Jolly Roger. Ella was reluctant to go and knock on Hook's door, but Wendy saved her the trouble, knocking politely on his cabin door and peeking in, requesting that he come outside.
He said something harshly, but moments later, he was outside, his hair dishevelled as he pulled on his vest with his one hand. When he saw who was standing on his deck he sighed, "Am I the transport for a bloody rescue mission then?"
Wendy really did talk fast.
"Please Killian," Ella stepped forward and watched his eyes widen as she did. It was only moments before she was directly in front of him. And she knew it was stupid to even consider it, but she used his feelings for her because she knew it was the only way they were going to get to Neverland. "If you won't do it for Neverland, do it for me."
"You left me, Hart."
"And I'm sorry –"
"No you're not," Killian cut her off, giving her a strained smile. "Don't try and lie to me, love. No sweet nothings or promises…I'll do this for you. As a friend."
She grasped his hand in her own and gave it a tight squeeze as she smiled up at him earnestly, "I'd like that."
xxx
When the ship arrived in Neverland's waters with a tidal wave that almost soaked them all, Tink came over and squeezed Ella's hand muttering a quick, "Thank you," in her ear.
"What for?" Ella inquired curiously.
"For willing us along," Tink said with wide eyes. "I told you before you left to go find him…we're fairies."
"Yes," Ella frowned, "I got that."
"We have leftover magic. Our hearts are, I don't know, pure? They still carry magic and if we believe something completely, or desperately need it with all our heart, we can have an effect on what outcomes may be."
"That'll be useful if you and I ever play poker, Hart." Hook came down the stairs grinning widely at them, but both Ella's and Tink's faces dropped suddenly, nothing to do with Hook's comment. They had both sensed the darkness that crept through Neverland. At a distance, as they sailed towards it, they could see the flourishing flowers and trees – the renewal of Neverland that had occurred in their absence.
Shrouded in an unmistakeable grey shadow.
"Bad shit went down here," Tinkerbell frowned, running to the forecastle to get a better look. Ella, Tom, Hook and Wendy followed her to get a better look. "See the camp?"
Hook brought out his spy glass to take a better look before passing it round wordlessly. The lost boys were fatigued, lying and sitting around almost doing nothing. Except Felix, who was pacing worriedly across the ground. Ella frowned when she saw him. He almost seemed like he was freaking out in his own way. She hadn't seen that look on his face in, oh, nine years?
He was concerned.
"Pan's definitely here," Ella confirmed. "Felix is on edge."
And as they crept closer and closer to the island, that was when they heard it. The screams.
Ella's hand wormed its way into Tink's fearfully clutching at it because it was all she could do not to call out for him. Tink looked at Ella a little curiously. She didn't realise the two of them had grown that close. Ella was trying to bite down on her lip to avoid saying anything but Tink merely squeezed her hand back comfortingly before turning to Hook.
"We need to arm everyone," Tink said to him. He nodded; even he had heard Pan's screams. Leaving to speak to his new crew, Tom, Tinkerbell, Ella and Wendy were left on the bow, staring out at the land as they tried to prepare themselves.
"Shit."
Ella and Tinkerbell turned to Wendy in shock as the girl clapped her hand over her mouth. But pulling it away quickly, she murmured, "Nevara."
"The spirit of Neverland?"
"It can't be…"Wendy hesitated. "But it has too. I had a nightmare the other night."
"Was she ethereal? Like a spirit?"
Hook was back, staring at Wendy in shock. It appeared that shared dreams had returned.
"She was tearing out Ella's heart," Hook said, staring at Wendy.
"She was tearing out your heart," Wendy answered looking up at Killian fearfully as he pulled her in for a fatherly hug.
"She was tearing out Peter's heart," Ella breathed, remembering the dull dreams that had shaded the edges of her sleep.
The three of them looked at each other with a shared look of fearful horror.
"Well," Tink said, clapping Hook and Ella on the shoulders. "Let's try and not die, guys."
"We're lowering the anchor, Captain!" Smee yelled out and Hook nodded in response, still not wanting to leave the group.
It was time to face the Spirit of Neverland.
xxx
"What the hell has she done to you?"
Pan looked up to see a beautiful face looking down at him anxiously. He groaned and looked down again, tired of all Nevi's games. It had been her who sent her magic to torture him with himself. And she'd done so again and again. He was that close to just begging her to kill him. "At least use your own face when you're torturing me, Nevara."
"I'm not Nevara, Pan," Ella said in annoyance, reaching for him. "Let's go." But she was stopped short by the barrier that surrounded him. Eyeing the girl warily, Pan pointed to the closest of the small boxes. Ella was quick to shatter it into a thousand pieces with the hilt of her sword and Pan breathed a sigh of relief. She began to haul him up by his arm but he hissed in pain.
"Just give me a moment, E," he murmured before searching out his magic and trying to heal himself. The magical power was barely there anymore. He'd used to draw it from Neverland, but he supposed, Neverland had a different master now.
"She'll be back any second," Ella hissed as his hand glowed softly, the cuts healing way too slowly for anyone's comfort. Eventually, Peter just left it and tried to follow Ella out of the treehouse as best as he could. They were halfway towards the beach when they felt it.
"Ella-" Peter tried to warn her, but the damage was done, and the next second, they were up on Dead Man's Peak overlooking the entire island.
"My my," Nevi sighed. "I can't leave you alone for a second, Peter."
"Let her go, Nevi," Pan ordered, but beneath his bravado, he knew that Ella was just as trapped as he was. And his face fell.
"I don't think so Pan. I think I'll leave the two of you up here while I go and finish your friends. Then I'll be back to kill you. All of you."
xxx
"Ella says that he's changed, Felix," Wendy murmured, leaning down to his height. "If you help us save him, he will be there for you more than Nevara ever could."
"How can you know that?"
"Because Nevara's spent 50 years trying to get revenge on Pan." Wendy tried to remember what she had felt in the dream. "And what's Pan done?"
Felix looked up at her, grey eyes clouded by sadness that lit up with hope when the young girl said the next words.
"Peter Pan has spent three hundred years side by side with you; a friend, a brother, a leader. Who would you trust more?"
And Felix stood up, following the rest of the group through the jungle whilst Nevi lingered on above.
xxx
"I wonder what happens to Neverland if I die?"
"Don't even think like that Peter," Ella warned, grasping at his hand tightly. "You aren't on your own."
"FINALLY!" Tinkerbell all but slumped onto the rock after the climb. Spotting Ella and Pan, she practically fainted in relief.
"They're here!" she called downwards, "You can all stop acting like a bunch of lunatics now." But just as Hook, Felix and Wendy were gaining their feet, Nevara appeared.
"I just realised something Peter. You completely misread the signs." Nevi was laughing at him and only him. "It was never one person who would save Neverland when they got their hands on the Neverfall stone."
"But, a heart that is pure, of love –"
Nevi cut Pan off by crooking her finger from side to side. "Now now, Peter," the woman said in a demeaning manner, "it never read like that."
She took a step forward with each finger she put up. "One pure of heart."
Another step forward and she began to smile as she looked at the group. "One who believes."
Stopping in front of Peter Pan, she looked him dead in the eyes and said with a smirk, "And one who loves."
Her words were like a knife stabbing over and over again into Pan's heart. He'd been reading it wrong all these years. To renew Neverland wouldn't take just one person – it wouldn't just take the sacrifice of his life – it would take three.
And Nevi was going to kill them all to make sure that didn't happen.
xxx
Tinkerbell was broken and bleeding, her bronze blood soaking the bare rock as Wendy crawled up against the sharp rocks behind her, Nevi advancing terrifyingly. Hook jumped protectively in front of Wendy, but Nevi pushed him aside as though he were nothing.
Lying bruised and scraped upon the ground, Ella crawled her own damaged body over to him. She had a plan forming in her mind. And it was crazy, but if they were all going to die, it was worth a shot.
"Do you believe in me Killian?" she whispered to him, hoping beyond hope that he did. Maybe…maybe they could pull this off.
"I do," he replied before a blistering pain shot through his arms and he held back a cry of pain. "Of course I do, Ella."
Nevi used her magic to drag Ella back by the hair, sliding her across the rocky ground, but Hook, in that moment, wasn't thinking of his own pain, only of his friend's.
It was that and only that which enabled him to crawl to his feet in agony, and begin to limp over to where Ella was being sliced open by Nevi's flora. He lay over her, covering her body with his own and Ella saw what he was doing, the understanding of her plan that had wordlessly been transmitted between the two of them taking place as Nevi attacked them.
Ella rolled out from underneath him and crawled over to Pan, trying to shake him awake long enough to ask him. Her heart was thumping in her chest, and it wasn't just because of the heat of the battle. Eventually he blinked open an eye.
"I'm not…dead?" he croaked.
"Do you love me?"
"Do I what?"
"Love me?"
Pan blinked a few times before nodding, completely speechless. Ella would dwell on that later, but at that moment, she had all that she needed.
Before Nevi could turn on her, Killian already out cold, Ella reached for her bag, pulling out, not the dreamshade, but the other precious object that Nevara had charged her to keep safe. That crown that she had stolen from Dead Man's Cave.
"This means something to you, doesn't it Nevi? This is the Neverfall Stone."
She spirit snarled, her face distorting in anger as she leapt towards Ella. Ella sidestepped her easily before she saw Killian stirring once again. But Nevi used her moment's distraction to reach her transparent hand through Ella's chest and grasp hold of her heart before tearing her hand away as though burned.
"You," she hissed. And that was all the confirmation that Ella needed about her heart before she took the crown tightly in her hands.
"You know the one thing you never do, Nevi?" Ella looked up at her knowingly. "Leave your demise in the hands of a fairy."
Without waiting to see her reaction, Ella had the metal twisting in her hands until she could press it between her small but strong hands, willing the metal to mould into the Neverfall Stone. She felt like there should be litres of blood flowing from her hands with the amount of exertion she was putting into it. But eventually, when Ella thought her hands could take no more, she let go.
And in the palm of her hand sat a three centimetre stone of pure gold, glowing with an aura of regeneration magic.
Felix leapt on Nevi at that point, his dagger flying with his jump to land in her back. She swayed a little as her eyes and mouth widened in shock. "You can't-" she began before falling to her knees, blood dripping from her body. "I'm not human–"
"But you were once," Felix murmured in her ear, not quite angry, but not comforting. "And all humans have a heart."
Ella eyed Nevi dangerously as she pulled Killian's right hand and Peter's left, to sit on her own.
Killian – the little hopeless boy who had learned to believe in her.
Peter – who, without meaning to, had somehow fallen in love with her.
And Ella – so pure of heart that the dying spirit of Neverland couldn't even touch it.
In unison, they eyed Nevi defiantly as she tried to heal herself from the wound Felix had inflicted. But she was dying and they all knew it. Then and there, Pan muttered with finality in his voice.
"Game over, Nevi."
Then the world exploded in a shower of golden light, and as the three of them collapsed, their eyesight fading to white, Neverland's magic, darkened and broken…
Began to heal.
xxx
When Ella woke up, she was lying on clean white sheets in a large bed. For a moment, her heart skipped a beat. She knew this bed.
Eyes darting around furtively, her heartbeat quickened as the immediate thought came into her mind that the last few weeks had merely been a dream. She climbed out from under the sheets and trod across the floor barefoot, searching for a glimpse of anyone. But when she stopped, that was when she heard it.
Waterfalls running, birds chirping, young boys laughing.
And that was when she felt the essence of Neverland seeping through her skin and into her very being. She felt, in that moment, as though she could soar.
"Ella?"
The sound of Peter's voice from the doorway jolted her out of her dream-like state into an equally as pleasant state of euphoria. She practically ran across the room before jumping on him, her lips meeting his in a passionate kiss as her arms held onto him tightly.
When she broke away, she muttered to him, "Never go searching for the Neverfall Stone again, capisce?"
"Okay," he smiled, pulling her back in for another kiss, his arms encircling her warmly.
"Attention lovebirds! You're disgustingly sweet and sappy and the lost boys have a surprise for Ella! So move it!"
Felix's voice came over them like a megaphone as he called up the ladder. There was a smile even in his voice and Ella couldn't help the chuckle that came from her mouth as she heard the happiness of everyone around her.
"Did we do this, Peter?" she asked, touching her nose to his.
"Yeah, E," he answered, as he took her hand and they reappeared in the camp. "We did."
Flowers were strung across the campsite and the sunset worked in tandem with the fire to cast a warm glow over the boys celebrations. Each of them came over and hugged her, some of them leaping on her, but Felix stayed back, happy, yes, but still a little hesitant.
When the party was in full swing, with copious amounts of food, music and dancing, Ella pulled Felix aside, the first words she said to him:
"Thank you."
"For what?" he frowned.
"I know it couldn't have been easy," Ella continued softly, thinking of Nevi, "You loved her."
"People change," Felix sighed. "She never loved me. At least I've got you guys, right?"
Ella didn't stop herself from throwing her arms around Felix's waist in a hug. She was seeing him again. The real Felix. The boy who'd stopped her from committing suicide. The boy who'd cared for her when Pan hadn't. The boy who she'd almost killed with a single dagger.
"I'm sorry," Ella said as she pulled away, looking up at the tall boy's stunned face. "I'm sorry I threw that dagger."
And then Felix was laughing. And it was honestly the most lit up she'd ever seen his face. "That's what you're apologising for? Good Lord, Ella. You have nothing to be sorry for. Ever." But as he trailed off into silence, it was with a slight grimace that he continued, "I'm sorry for, not stepping in all those years ago."
"I drove you away with that dagger," Ella reminded him. "Besides. At least we have him, the real him, now," she continued looking over at where Peter had his pan flute pressed against his lips and couldn't help the smile that graced his lips.
And when the party faded away as the lost boys all went to sleep, Ella and Pan retreated to their treehouse. For it was their treehouse now and Ella would never return to her cave.
As she pulled off the clothes that were dirty and old, she saw the simple nightdress than Pan had laid out for her. But with a smirk, she moved it to his desk and slid beneath the sheets without any clothes on. Peter didn't realise it until he slid underneath the sheets and moved to pull her into his arms.
"Ella, are you naked?"
"Hmm?" she feigned ignorance as she felt him stirring against her behind. "Don't know what you mean."
"Ella," he groaned huskily as she turned over in his arms and placed a light kiss on his lips. With a thoughtful sigh, she asked him, "Time's moving again, isn't it Pan?"
He nodded, glancing at Ella as if worried that might make her want to run. "That doesn't bother you?"
"I want you, Peter," Ella said with a smile, but there was something else hidden behind her gaze. "But if time's moving again…I…erm…"
His brow furrowed.
"Well, you know what sex normally leads to…"
He still remained lost in that confused state and Ella groaned with a roll of her eyes.
"God, three hundred years and you don't know how babies are made."
Pan's eyes widened in realisation of what she was talking about before he sheepishly untucked his arm from her. "I'm sorry E. I guess I haven't had to worry about that for a very long time."
As they laid side by side, a slightly sterile silence between them, Pan said suddenly, "Would you ever want it?"
"What, sex?" Ella turned her head him and pulled the covers down in explanation. Watching him gulp, she smirked. But he managed to bring his eyes back to her face and calm himself barely as he said the next two words.
"A family."
Ella was stunned. Whatever she'd expected from Pan, it wasn't the hopefulness she saw behind his eyes. Yes, she knew that he loved her, and she knew, although neither had actually said it, that she loved him too. But…neither of them were quite ready for that yet…were they?
"Someday," she said with a hopeful smile, tracing her hand down his face.
"But until then, you don't want to have sex," Pan clarified as turmoil raged behind her eyes. They had already crossed that barrier back in Shayan and Ella jumped for a moment when she thought about the possibility of Peter's child growing inside her.
Only it wasn't a jump of fear, or confusion, or anything remotely unpleasant.
It was excitement.
And it was that which made her turn over and throw all caution to the wind. Settling nose to nose, she cupped his face and murmured to him with their heads upon the same pillow, "I love you."
And she meant every word she said.
Peter took her face in his hands, bringing their lips together delicately, pouring everything he hadn't said into the kiss before he broke away, the both of them breathless, saying, "And I love you."
"We wouldn't be here if you didn't," Ella laughed, flicking her hair from her face before rolling over on top of him and kissing him once again, pressing her tongue into his mouth as she searched it, battling him for a dominance that he easily won.
"E," Peter groaned, "this isn't exactly what you wanted."
She rubbed herself upon him once more before leaning down and saying, "Maybe someday is sooner than you think."
"Ella," he moaned as she latched her lips onto the skin of his neck, sucking and pulling. "If you don't stop…"
"Let's make a baby, Peter," she whispered, breathing lightly upon the shell of her ear.
And Peter Pan didn't take any convincing after that.
xxx
"Ella!" The woman who looked to be in her mid twenties ran into the waiting arms of the pirate who had just called out her name. "It's so good to see you. How have you been? How are the boys?"
"Oh you know me," she continued turning around as Hook placed his arm around her shoulder and hers around his waist. "I've been having fun redecorating the nursery because, of course, Pan once again assumed the wrong gender, and I followed through accordingly. I really don't think baby Killian is going to love growing up in a pink room."
Hook stopped in his tracks, looking over at her incredulously. "You named him Killian?"
"Well who else was I going to name him after?" Ella laughed, nudging his side to get him moving again.
"I just…wow."
"So, what's been going on in the life of Killian Jones?" Ella smirked. "Are women falling at your feet once more?"
"I swear you've ruined me Ella," he said giving an overly dramatic sigh before giving her a twinkling gleam, "But there may be a lovely princess who happens to run down to the docks every so often."
"Ooh, look at you Killian Jones," she said, with a smirk. "Snagged yourself a princess."
"Not quite yet," he responded, "But you know me. I will."
"Ah, you never change, pirate," she smiled as they entered the campsite. A couple of the lost boys came up and gave manly hugs to Killian. They'd all grown older in the last seven years, many having left for other lands until only the younger ones remained. And even they were considering leaving soon.
But it was Felix who Ella zoned in on. He had a young girl upon his back as she bossed him around like she was a princess. And Ella supposed, to everyone present, she kind of was. Her long sandy brown hair flew out behind her as she held out her arms like she was a bird.
"Mummy!" she cried out when she saw her, wiggling out of Felix's hold and dropping to the ground. Ella had to use all her strength to pull her daughter into her arms. At six years old, she was already a little too big to sit comfortably on her hip.
"Hi Uncle Killy!" she said with a beaming smile. She was the only one who could call him that and get away with it. He tucked her under the chin lightly with a happy grin.
"Hey little Jia," he said. "How's your brother?"
"He sleeps and cries a lot."
Killian laughed but Ella merely rolled her eyes. The crying was the bane of her existence.
"Speak of the devil," Ella grinned, seeing Pan appear in the campsite, a gurgling bundle of joy leaning against his chest.
"I swear it's not me," Pan said, holding up the hand that wasn't holding their baby in surrender.
"So this is my namesake?" Killian raised his eyebrows at Pan. There was less enmity there than there used to be, but they still weren't best buds. No, no, that position was reserved for Ella.
Peter offered him to the man without a second thought, and Killian smiled gratefully, taking a look at the baby's bright purple eyes, so similar to Ella's, and he felt his heart melt
"Your children are bewitching me," Killian groaned as his namesake reached up and grabbed onto his finger.
"They have that effect," Ella grinned, palming Jia off to Pan with a small kiss on his cheek. "Are you going to stay for lunch? The boys went hunting this morning."
"I'd love to," Killian answered, following them through the campsite to where the large and unconventional family all sat around the fire.
It had taken time, but…
"Thank you, Killian," Ella said, dropping her head on his shoulder.
"You've been thanking me for seven years, Ella," he said with a grin, "I think we've established that you're grateful."
"Still," she said with a happy sigh, grasping onto Peter's hand on her other side and squeezing it tightly. She had him now. Peter Pan, in all his beautiful loving kindness – she had him because of Killian.
Ella had her family; cursed no more.
And well, they were happy.