Chapter One
Peter knelt next to his mother dying bed with heavy tears filling his eyes. "Mama, you said you wanted to see me." Peter said while taking his mother deathly pale hand into his.
"Yes." His mother said hoarse and weak. "Peter, I love you. I love you so much." Peter felt tears stream down his flush cheeks with sadness and anger building up in his chest.
"Don't die mama..." A little voice says from the door way. Peter turned around to see little Rumpelstiltskin with his teddy bear dangling by the arm next to him. Peter motioned for Rumple to come sit in his lap so they can be together for their mothers dying breaths. Rumple sat on Peter's lap looking in his mothers pale blue eyes.
"I will always be with you, Rumple." His mother said as she cradles the young boys cheek in her hand. Peter looked away unable to look at his mother dying.
"I love you both dearly..." Their mother puffed while she falls into her forever sleep. Peter stared at his mother's sleeping face. Tears stain his cheeks as he hugs his baby brother until their father removed them from the house and out into the snow filled fields.
Rumble sat in the snow playing with his teddy bear while Peter watched with a painful look. The snow fell into Peter's hair while he plays his pan flute. A sad melody filled with grief.
After Peter played his sad song he moves over to his brother, and watches as the sun sets over the horizon.
Three Years later...
Peter plays his pipes to an up beat song. A little boy to his right dances to his music while people gather around to watch the piper. Many people smile and nod in approval of his beautiful music. Peter smiles with amusement as he watches the boy do an irish dance wildly. Laughter rises from the crowd of people who have circled around the seventeen year old boy.
A woman and a man start to dance around with each other. A joyful spirit rise out of everyone while they dance with laughter. Even Peter starts to dance to his own music. A drummer plays along with a couple of fiddlers from the tavern play with him. The the market is filled with music as Peter plays his beautiful happy music.
Once the music stops every one up roars in cheers and claps while Peter takes a bow. People hand him money and others give him complements. "Thank you." Peter says out of breath with a wild happy smile while he collects his money. "No wonder they call you Peter Pan." Rumple says walking up to his brother with a bright smile. "How much money this time?"
"I don't know yet. I haven't counted." Peter answers picking up his hat. Peter puts his arm around his eight year old brother while they walk into the tavern to find their father gambling their money away. Peter feels heat rise in his cheeks from anger. Peter hands Rumple his hat full of money.
Peter storms over to his father unable to contain his anger. Peter yanks the cards out of his father hands. "What the hell are you doing?" Peter yells burning with anger. His father stares at his son drunkly. The tavern becomes silent as they watch the normal play.
"Give me back me cards." Malcolm says furiously while reaching sluggishly for his cards. Peter moves the cards out of his reach.
"Come on, boy, give the cards back to daddy." A tall brute of a man says deep. Peter raises his eyebrow at the man with a smirk.
"So you can cheat us out of all our money?" Peter asks hotly moving forwards to the man with swift feet. His eyes hold a dark green of trickery in them.
"No of course not." The man laughs hardly at Peter. Peter roles his eyes at the man.
"Oh so to make a fool out my father." Peter says suspiciously moving casually over to the man.
"How about this, boy, you play the game, and try to win back all the money." The man says pointing towards the seat in front of him.
"No, you'll cheat." Peter says matter-of-factly. The men up roar at Peter's honesty with the man.
"Do it Peter, we need that money." Rumple says walking towards Peter.
"No." Peter says ruff as he helps his father out of the chair. His father pushes his son away.
"Let go of me, Peter!" His father slurs as he falls onto the ground. Peter and Rumple's father became a gambler and a drunk after their mother had died.
"Now, listen here," Malcolm says cloudy to the man while pointing at him and leaning on his right hand to stable himself. "What ever your name is, you will give me back my money." The tavern up roars in mocking laughter at the entertaining drunk. The man stands up cracking his knuckles in a threatening way. Peter and Rumple exchange glances of concern at each other.
"Oh, you want to fight? Ye?" Malcolm asks stupidly with a thick irish accent slurring on every word he spoke. Every one gasps when the man punches Malcolm square in the jaw making him fall onto the ground. Peter stares at his father with a disgust look.
"Papa!" Rumple exclaims dropping the hat full of gold coins. The man picks up the money with an amuse laugh.
"You should just give up on the old man, Peter. He won't be loyal to you. After all he is a drunk." The man says in Peter's ear. "He's a coward." Peter feels his anger grow.
"Let's play a game, shall we, Alroy." Peter says with a swindlers smile. The man who punched Malcolm looks at Peter suspiciously.
"What kind of game?" He asks interested. Peter smirks at the Alroy's interest. One thing Peter learned from his father was how to be the master of all games.
"Find the lady." Peter says while pulling out a deck of cards. Peter shuffles the cards with green eyes flickering with mischief.
"If you don't pick the right card. You have to give me back all the money."
"Deal." Alroy says cracking his neck. Peter shuffles the cards around.
"Where is it?" Peter asks staring at the man with a bemused smile. Alroy points to the middle. Peter lifts the card.
"Not that one." Peter raises his eyebrow.
"Now what was the deal again?" Peter asks smug. The man stares shock at the card.
"That's impossible. What kind of magic are you pulling, Peter Pan?" Alroy asks grabbing Peter by the collar pushing him against the wall.
"Check the far right one." Peter answers with laughter. Rumple watches as the man lifts the right card. Alroy's nostrils flare with anger. Alroy storms out of the tavern with Peter's hat.
"Peter! He's taking the money!" Rumple hollers to Peter. Peter runs after Alroy.
"Give me back the money." Peter demands with fury in his voice. Rumple stands next to Peter picking up a rock. Rumple hands Peter the rock and his sling shot. Peter smiles as he takes them both. Peter shoots the rock at the middle of Alroy's back. Alroy snaps around glaring at the two boys.
"We should run, Peter." Rumple says trembling with fear wishing they never did that. Peter shakes his head no. His eyes shine with excitement.
"This is were the fun part of the game comes in." Peter says with a devious smile. Alroy charges for Peter. Peter moves to the side making Alroy charge right into men carrying rotting fish. Rumple and Peter both laugh at the smelly Alroy.
"You really got yourself in a smelly situation." Peter says with a laugh. Alroy slips trying to get up. Peter walks up to Alroy casually. "I wouldn't steal from me again, cheater." Peter threats as he picks up his hat filled with money.
Peter and Rumple walk back home with the lanterns illuminating the streets. "Wow, Peter, you always know what to do when we get in a bad situation." Rumple says starry eyed at his big brother. Peter smiles wrapping his arm around Rumple's small shoulders.
"It's part of a game. You have to learn to be the master. Always be one step ahead of the other person." Peter explains proudly with a fall wind circling them.
Peter opens the creaking wooden door to their small cabin off in the country side of the city. "What's for dinner?" Rumple asks taking off his cloak and hanging it on the cloak stand. Peter walks over to the kitchen looking to the pot that is full of carrots and beef.
"Stew." Peter answers pulling out wooden bowls and spoons. Rumple walks over to receive his bowl of food. Peter looks at his brother's dirty hands.
"Go wash up." Peter orders almost fatherly. Rumple walks outside to the well and watches his hands off.
Peter sets his brother's bowl of stew on the table before he takes off his cloak. Rumple skips into the house with a big smile.
"It's on the table." Peter says pointing over to the bowl. Rumple sits down hungrily.
"How do we afford this?" Rumple asks to Peter. Peter looks at his brother confused.
"We ain't poor, Rumple." Peter answers sitting down across from his brother.
"But why does it seem that way when father's at the tavern?" Rumple asks innocently. Peter takes in a deep breath trying to suppress his disappointments and frustrations.
"Because of what he does." Peter answers while he takes a bit of his food. The boys eat in silence.
After dinner Rumple went to bed and Peter waits for his father to return from the city.
Malcolm staggers into the door with Peter like always waiting up for him. Peter stares at his father with disappointed eyes while his father flops on to the wooden rocking chair in the living room.
"Why do you always wait up for me?" Malcolm asks his oldest son. Peter looks at his father with the truth baring deep in his eyes.
"I'm not waiting up. I'm making sure you don't abandon us." Malcolm looks at his son with sobering sympathetic eyes.
"I might be a drunk, Peter, but I wouldn't abandon you and your brother." Malcolm says half heartily. Peter looks at his father with distrust.
"It's hard to believe that." Peter says standing up to go to bed.
"Peter, I'm sorry." Malcolm says before Peter slips into the hall way. Peter turns around with his arms folded across his chest.
"For what?" Peter asks sick of hearing his father's fake apologies.
"About tonight." Malcolm answers trying to be genuine. Peter nods his head not forgiving him.
Peter wakes up to the sun kissing his cheeks. Peter looks to his right to see Rumple once again has sneaked into his bed at the middle of the night. "Must be another nightmare." Peter whispers to himself.
Peter cautiously gets out of bed trying not to wake up his brother. Peter changes into his cloths. He pulls on his worn leather boots before he walks out the door to the fields to feed the cows.
Peter whistles to the cows as he pours feed out in the field. The cows walk slowly over to Peter. Once Peter is done with chores he walks to the village to meet up with his friends.
"You don't have your shadow following you today." A boy name Mark says seeing Rumple wasn't with Peter.
"I let him sleep in today." Peter says sitting down by one of his best friends, Jack.
"I heard about your father." Jack says playing with some hay. Peter raises his eyebrow confused.
"What about my father?" Peter asks knowing they could be talking about anything.
"The fight. I heard some one got killed in it." Felix answers walking over to the mixed age group of boys.
"It wasn't my father. He came home last night." Peter says leaning on the back of a barn. A sixteen year old girl walks past the boys carrying a basket full of flowers.
"Watch the magic, boys, this how you get a girl to fall for you." Max says with a smile before he walks up next to the girl.
"May I help you carry that basket. It looks awfully heavy." Max says flirty pointing at the basket. The pretty girl looks at Max with a smile.
"I can handle it. It's just flowers." The girl answers before she starts walking again. Peter and his group of friends start to chuckle at Max.
"But Miss flowers can be heavy." Max says trying to not look foolish. The girl smiles knowing he is trying to make her fall for his charm.
"I'm sorry, but I can handle it." The girl says moving on. Max watches as the girl walks away with hurt from the rejection. Peter whistles a cat whistle making it seem like it was Max.
The girl twirls around furiously. "How rude of you." She says to Max while slapping him across the face.
"It wasn't me!" Max exclaims holding his cheek redding with embarrassment.
"Then who was it?" The girl demands starring him down. Max looks over his shoulder seeing Peter smirking while he talks to Jack and Felix pretending it wasn't him. Max doesn't answer. The girl slaps him again before she storms away.
Max walks back walking the walk of shame. "What happen, Maxy?" Peter asks with a smirk. Max glares at Peter as he slouches while he sits on a bale of hay.
"Oh, look it's Peter's shadow." Felix says pointing down the road to Rumple. Peter looks up to see Rumple looking for Peter. Peter stands to walk over to Rumple.
"Peter!" Rumple hollers waving at Peter.
"Yes?" Peter asks when he reaches Rumple.
"Can I hang out with you and your friends?" Rumple asks trying to run with the big dogs. Peter smiles at his brother.
"Of course." Peter says before getting Rumple in a head lock. Rumple lets out a joyful laugh as he tries to pry Peter away. Peter pulls Rumple along with him still in a head lock. Peter laughs with Rumple as they walk.
"Look who finally came to the party." Jack says with a smile towards Rumple. Peter lets go of Rumple. Rumple sits down next to Jack with a big smile.
"I had to do my chores before I could come." Rumple says sitting just like Peter. Peter loves being the role model in Rumple's life. Peter and Rumple have a strong big brother and little brother relationship.
Night came; Peter and his buddies walk down the streets by the docks watching as the ships come in to port. "I wanna sail one day like them out there. It's adventurous don't you think?" Max asks to all the boys while he leans back on a pole. Peter shakes his head in agreement.
"It's a great idea. You'll be able to see what you want. Not have to care about parents, or anyone controlling you. You're your own master." Peter agrees starring off into the sky looking at a very bright star to the right. Rumple looks at his brother with wonder.
"Can I come too?" Rumple asks with his child voice breaking the silence. Peter smiles with love in his eye.
"Of course. You can be my right hand man. Just me and you and open seas that would be the life." Peter answers with a big smile. Rumple's eyes stare with excitement. Peter looks around noticing how late is getting he stands up wrapping his arm around his brothers shoulder.
"We have to go before it gets too late." Peter tells his friends before him and Rumple walk back home.
Peter opens the door to find packed bags by the door. Peter stares at the bags suspiciously. Malcolm walks into the room with Peter and Rumple not expecting them to be home.
"Papa!" Rumple exclaims running to give his father a hug. Peter cringes when Rumple says his fathers name like that. Peter disdains his father, and seeing Rumple expresses love towards his father made him sick.
"Hello, my boy!" Malcolm exclaims picking his son up in his arms. Peter watches with a frown brow with his arms folded across his chest. Malcolm looks away from his oldest son's disgust look.
"Why are there bags on the ground?" Rumple asks his father when he is put back on the ground. Malcolm answers with a smile.
"I'm going on a business trip. I'll be back in a month like always." Malcolm answers trying to mask the truth. Peter feels his throat clinch with annoyance. Malcolm senses Peter's distrust towards him.
"I promise I will be back in a month." Malcolm turns towards Peter trying to assure him. Peter narrow his eyes on his father with a dubious brow. "Don't look at me like that, Peter." Malcolm orders wishing deep down his son didn't dislike him so much.
"Say goodbye to, father, Rumple." Peter orders watching his father with a close eye. Malcolm and Rumple embrace.
"It will only be a month, Rumple, then I will return home." Malcolm whispers into Rumple ear not wanting Peter to hear his false promise. Rumple shakes his head in okay with tears dripping down his cheeks.
Malcolm picks up his bags walking out of the door with Peter close behind. Peter and Malcolm walk over to the buggy filled with merchandise. Malcolm is a merchant , and once a month he would leave to sell his treasures in the cities closer north.
Peter stares at his father with an uncertainty in his chest of what his father is really doing. "You already left this month two weeks ago to sell." Malcolm looks away from his son.
"I know." Malcolm says keeping his eyes away from looking at Peter. Malcolm climbs onto the buggy to drive away. Peter looks in his father eyes forcing Malcolm to look at him.
"If you don't come home in a month. I will come and find you." Peter threats with a scowl as his eyes harden on his father. Malcolm shakes his head in understanding before he drives away.
Peter watches while his father's buggy fades away in the darkness. Peter stares aimlessly at the dark with distrusts gripping his heart making it hard for him to breathe. He knows something bad is going to happen.
Author notes: I hope y'all have enjoyed it so far!