Chapter 3 Crooked Love
"I'll never be able to do it," Regina sighed in frustration as she tried for the tenth time to create a fireball in her hand.
"Not with that attitude Dearie," Rumpelstiltskin agreed. The two were practicing magic in his castle that day, under Rumpelstiltskin's request. "I think I've got something to help you focus on that anger simmering underneath it all." He added as he left the room, telling her to stay put and not to touch anything.
The longer Rumpelstiltskin was gone, the harder it was for Regina to remain standing in the middle of the room. Moving towards one of the book shelves, she began running her hand along the spines. When she hit an old, thick volume it caused the shelf to rumble before sliding to the side to reveal a passageway. Hesitating for a moment, Regina began walking down the dark, short hallway till she came to a small room. The only thing in the room was a small bed with a petite, blonde girl sleeping on it.
"This isn't staying put Dearie," Rumpelstiltskin announced from behind Regina, making her jump. Regina didn't notice the giddy smile, and so she didn't figure out he had planned for her to find the girl.
"Who is she?" Regina inquired as she stepped closer to the girl.
"I forget." Rumpelstiltskin admitted in indifference as he looked at the girl.
"You don't remember?" Regina asked incredulously, turning to look back at her mentor. How could he forget about a girl he had trapped inside his bookcase?
"She was part of a deal. Someone couldn't pay his debts so he bartered her. I think." At his words Regina felt her heart burn with anger at both Rumpelstiltskin for taking the girl and at the man who would barter away his daughter. It was disgusting. The poor girl, left with no choice but to go with Rumpelstiltskin, to become a prisoner. It wasn't fair.
"What have you done with her? How long has she been trapped back here?" Regina demanded angrily.
"She was the test subject to a new curse, it puts the subject into a state of deep sleep preserving their life and their youth. It's proven quite successful seeing as she's been like this for several decades." Regina's anger grew at his cavalier tone. As if the girl's life meant nothing to him. She was just a child who had the misfortune of being born to a father who only cared about himself. Regina could sympathize, having a mother who had been the same way.
"I want you to release her from the curse," Regina demanded, turning to find Rumpelstiltskin smiling victoriously at her. "What are you smiling at?"
"Look at your hands Dearie," He murmured, nodding at the flames that were captured in the palms of her hands. "You just needed the proper motivation: anger."
A smile grew on Regina's face as she looked at the evidence of her success. She had done it. Glancing back at the girl she let the flames die from her hands. She still wanted to help her. No one deserved to be kept prisoner for forever.
"Now about the girl." Regina started only to have Rumpelstiltskin interrupt, pulling a bottle out of his pocket and claiming she had earned it. Regina took the bottle from him, removing the cork and pouring the liquid into the girl's mouth. For a moment nothing happened, then the girl inhaled a deep breath before coughing. Once the coughing died down she sat up, turning her attention to Regina. The color was returning to her cheeks, and now that her eyes were opened Regina noticed they were an innocent, bright blue. They were also terrified.
"Who are you? Where am I?" The girl asked as her eyes darted around the room frantically, landing on Rumpelstiltskin. She drew back at seeing him, remembering he was the one who had made her sleep, made her have endless nightmares.
"My name is Regina. I'm the queen. Who are you?" Regina asked softly in an attempt to calm the girl down.
"Jane. My name's Jane." The girl answered, offering her hand to Regina who took it in surprise and shook it. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to take you to my home. If you want. You could be a princess." Jane studied Regina carefully, trying to read her personality.
"Why do you want me to come with you?" Jane asked after deliberation. She was apprehensive of this strange woman who wanted Jane to go with her.
"Because you remind me of someone. Someone who was betrayed by her parents as well." Regina's voice was kept quiet and soothing. She didn't want to frighten the girl. "You remind me of me." Jane considered her words, focusing on the proposed queen's eyes. Eyes always told the truth about a person's soul. She had to admit, there was something dark about Regina, but in her eyes and her smile, Jane still saw light. So, in the end, she decided to trust her.
"Do I have to be a princess?" The girl's question made Regina laugh, shaking her head and claiming she could just be Jane if she wanted.
...AABA…
Peter went towards Henry after catching the arrow Henry had shot at him. For that, Jane was grateful. She wasn't ready to talk with him, to deal with his smugness. Instead she went to sit by the fire, hoping to clear her mind. She wasn't alone for long as a shadow fell over her before Felix took a seat beside her.
"You're an idiot," Jane announced after a moment of silence. "You could've been hurt. You could've died."
"Like you care," Felix murmured under his breath as he tossed the twig from his mouth into the fire.
"You're my brother Felix, of course I care." A smile formed on Felix's lips when she referred to him as her brother. He had thought she would have denounced him as family after what he did. It was nice to hear she still cared about him. That he still had family in her.
"Couldn't be too sure. Would have thought you'd have been relieved the arrow wasn't pointed at your precious new brother." Jane glanced at Felix, realizing for the first time that he was jealous of Henry. He thought that Henry had replaced him.
"Felix, you will always be my brother. We went through too much for me to just stop caring about you. Even now that I have Henry." There she was, being the saint she had always been. Putting others above herself. Caring more for others than herself.
"You were always the good one Jane, even after everything that's happened. You always forgive." Jane was taken by surprise by that, never considering herself the 'good' one and Felix the 'bad' one. He had always saved her from their father, had protected her. Even that last night, when he took the blow from their father instead of letting him attack Jane; when Felix received the permanent scar on his cheek.
"There's nothing to forgive Felix. You asked me to come with you. I was the one to decline. You left, but in all honesty, it wasn't completely your fault that you left me behind." It was a truth Jane had always had trouble admitting. Felix had begged her to come with him. Just because he didn't stay after Jane refused didn't mean he was to blame for what happened after he left. It was Jane's decision to stay.
"Still, you need to know I never forgot about you, neither did Peter. He looked for you, Peter and his shadow. They went back for you, but it was too late." Felix turned to look at Jane instead of the fire, it was the first time during the conversation that he looked at her. The sincerity in his eyes made Jane want to believe him. It was just hard for her to accept that Peter had actually tried to find her. That he had been telling the truth.
"I never forgot about you either. Well except during the curse. When I didn't remember anything." Jane responded with a sad smile.
Peter, upon concluding his conversation with Henry, went straight to the fire where Felix and Jane sat. He caught the tail end of the conversation about the curse, before interrupting. Felix immediately rose from his seat when he noticed Peter. As he passed by, Peter gave him instructions to meet with the new arrival the Shadow was bringing back. Nodding once, Felix moved passed him into the jungle. Once he left, Peter took the empty seat beside Jane.
"I see you and Felix are getting along." Peter commented, the first one to speak between them.
"Are you here to apologize Peter?" Jane asked, ignoring Peter's comment. She wanted to know if Peter felt any remorse for what he put her through. For making her think Henry was going to be a living target for a poisonous arrow, then making her think Felix was, only to have Peter end up being the stupid target.
"Lost boys never apologize." Peter answered automatically, making Jane roll her eyes. "You know no one was in any real harm. I could have healed the worst of the damage."
"Magic can't fix everything Peter." Jane murmured, thinking about the emotional scars that had been left on her. Magic couldn't fix those, not even when it took away her memories. "The danger was still there, it still frightened me. Watching my two brothers' face off with a poison arrow in the mix was terrifying."
"Why did you scream out when Henry shot the arrow at me, Jane? It could have meant your freedom if it had hit me." Peter inquired, his eyebrow raised in both a question and a challenge; a challenge for her to answer truthfully.
"You already know why Peter," Jane muttered, a blush spreading across her cheeks. True, Peter did already know, but that wasn't the point of asking though. The point was to have her admit it aloud, admit it to herself and to him. "Contrary to the evidence of why I shouldn't, I still care for you Peter. A part of me still sees you as the boy I first fell in love with."
"I'm still that boy Jane. I haven't changed that much. So what's really holding you back?" Peter requested, his face just inches from Jane's. It threw off Jane's concentration for a moment before she could focus on what he had said.
"I have other people who care about me now: Henry, Ruby, Regina, Will. I didn't have that before. I'm not as lost as I used to be Peter." Her mention of the pirate had Peter's anger flaring. He hated to admit that he was actually jealous, but he was having a hard time denying it. The only consolation he had was the fact she had admitted to still caring about him, had admitted to loving him once.
"We'll see about that." Peter murmured before standing. Waiting until he was several feet away, Peter turned back to add a tidbit that would hopefully plant a seed of doubt in her mind. To help her to realize that he was the only one who had always cared for her, besides Felix. "If they care about you so much, why aren't they here? Why aren't they trying to get you back?"
…AABA…
Finally a plan was executed with a somewhat successful result as the rescue party had found Tinkerbell. Although the fairy no longer had wings or magic, she could still help them. She knew where Pan's camp was, she could get them in. The only problem was, she wasn't about to help them until they had an exit strategy. And the group currently did not have one of those.
"I got this from the people that brought Henry here. I got it off the girl's body. Spent half the night cleaning the blood off of it. And the other guy, well there wasn't enough left of him to get anything useful." The fairy lectured as she held up the black watch. "This is what he does to the people he employs. What do you think he's going to do to you?"
"I'm more worried about what he'll do to Jane and Henry." Will countered gruffly. The more time they spent talking the longer Jane and Henry were in the hands of a murderous boy.
"He obviously wants Henry for something so he'll be keeping him alive. As for the girl, there has only ever been one other girl on this island. Pan will either have Jane in a cage if he deems her useful or she's already dead." Tinkerbell answered without a trace of sympathy. It was the truth, she knew how Pan operated. If he couldn't use someone, then they were killed.
"Jane is not dead!" Will cried out in anger, but his gut twisted with worry. What if the fairy was speaking the truth, what if Pan had killed Jane because she was extra baggage he didn't need. "She can't be dead."
"Either way, I'm not helping until you find a way off this island. When you figure that out, you know where I live." Tinkerbell announced before heading back into the Jungle. Will didn't care as much as David and Mary Margaret that she was leaving. If all Tinkerbell was going to be was pessimistic, then Will didn't think she would be a huge asset to the team. They needed believers, not someone who didn't believe.
…AABA…
"Don't you think these cuffs are a little too tight?" Will asked the soldiers dragging him along the streets. He couldn't believe he had gotten caught for stealing on land. As a pirate he always thought he'd get apprehended for his crimes at sea. Instead stealing from a wagon of food headed for the castle was the crime he was being brought in for. It wasn't even a good crime, he had done loads worse and the law just had to catch him doing the most mediocre raid ever.
"Shut your mouth boy," One of the guards muttered, pulling harshly on his arm as they continued leading him toward the palace. Will's heart sank when he caught a glimpse of the castle. He had heard rumors of the Queen who ruled these parts, evil to the core she killed even the most common of criminals for their crimes. Hell, she killed innocent people just for not answering her questions about the missing princess.
The castle was ornately decorated, completely overdone in Will's opinion. Granted he only got to see the entrance hall before being dragged into the throne room, Will felt safe in assuming the rest of the place was just as ornate. The Queen was waiting for him on her throne, her black hair pulled into a sharp, high ponytail that accentuated the glare she wore. When he was twenty feet from the throne Will was forced to kneel as the Queen approached him.
"My guards informed me they caught you stealing from one of the royal wagons." She spoke to him, her voice laced with hostility.
"My congratulations, on employing semi-competent guards." Will answered with a slight nod of his head. His arrogance only angered the Queen more.
"They said you resisted arrest." The queen added louder, which only resulted in Will's smirk growing.
"Aye. That I did." With a snarl on her face the queen stuck her hand in Will's chest, ripping out his heart and holding it in front of his face. Will winced in pain as she squeezed it slightly. This bitch was crazy.
"Not so smug now, are you Pirate?" She gritted out with a devilish smile. "Let's make one thing perfectly clear: I do not tolerate being talked back to." She was about to finish the boy off when she heard her name being called. Without hesitating she forcefully returned Will's heart to his chest before turning towards the girl who had entered the throne room.
"My dear, what are you doing here? I thought I told you the throne room is off limits?" Will noticed the change in the Queens voice, how it was softer, and kinder when she talked to the girl who had interrupted. The girl mustn't know the truth about the Queen's evil. Which must mean the girl didn't get out much.
"I came to inquire if I could go for a ride. Perhaps go to the village for some new books." The soft voice that had momentarily saved him echoed in the room, sounding as if it were getting closer. "What's going on here?" The girl inquired, stepping up beside the Queen. For the first time, Will could see her. She was young, no older than sixteen, and had long blonde hair that didn't match the queen's dark features. Beautiful, but completely sheltered. The question begged of who she was. Her dress hinted at royalty, but she was obviously of no blood relation to the Queen.
"I'm just dealing with a common thief, nothing for you to be worried about," The queen brushed off the girl's question. "And I don't think it's the best idea for you to go to the village. If you need more books I will send one of the guards to fetch them for you." The girl didn't seem to have paid much attention to the Queens second statement, her attention focused on Will: the rough grip and tight cuffs restraining him.
"What is your name?" She addressed Will, her blue eyes wide and curious. "What did you do?"
"His name is irrelevant, he is a common criminal. He stole food from one of the royal carts and he will be punished accordingly." The Queen interrupted before Will could answer, her tone betraying some of her impatience. When the girl inquired what his punishment would be Will turned his eyes to the Queen in curiosity. Would she admit to the girl that she was going to kill him? It would seem that she wanted to hide that side of her from the girl. "Death" the queen murmured after a moment, surprising Will by telling the girl the truth.
"You would have him put to death for something as small as stealing food?" The girl's voice was colored with shock, as was her face. In all honesty Will was surprised. He was no one to the girl, why would she care if he died?
"He stole from us," the Queen bit out in defense. Clearly trying to make the girl see her side. "The punishment for which is death."
"Why not let him work off his debt here?" The girl suggested carefully, her eyes still on him. "Please. I will take full responsibility for him and his actions." She added, turning to the Queen with those wide innocent eyes. When the Queen finally agreed, Will had to hand it to the girl. She sure did know how to manipulate the system. She would be a good Pirate, if she didn't have that air of innocence about her.
The Queen left after his indefinite sentence to working his debt off in the castle. At the girl's request, the guards removed the shackles from his wrists. He rubbed them gently, trying to smooth out the harsh indents they had made on his wrists. It surprised him, the utmost trust the girl showed him not to run.
"Why did you stop her from killing me?" He asked the girl curiously, aware that the guards still lingered close by. They didn't trust him as the girl did.
"No one deserves to die for something as simple as being hungry," The girl replied softly, her pink lips rising in a small smile.
"Well, I'm much obliged for your kindness, your highness," Will bowed his head, only faintly hinting at sarcasm as he addressed the young girl who he couldn't picture ever needing or wanting for anything.
"No highness," The girl corrected him, making his eyebrows raise in question. "It's always been Jane. Just Jane."
"Thank you, Jane." He responded with a smile. He was still confused as to who she was, and how she ended up in the palace without being royalty. There was a complete innocence and goodness about her that drew his interest, and he couldn't help but think he wouldn't mind being forced to work in the palace for a little while. Not with Jane there.
...AABA…
Jane remained by the fire after Peter left, trying hard not to dwell on what he had said. Rumpelstiltskin was here for Henry and her, she had witnessed him telling her that. Yet, he had yet to come for them. No one had come for them yet. She couldn't even tell how long they had been on the island. It was hard to keep track of time in a place where time didn't move. Harder yet was finding the resolve to keep her guard up around Peter.
When the boys began dancing wildly around the fire Jane moved to a rock on the outskirts of the party. In that moment, without Henry, or Regina, or Will with her, with memories flooding her, Jane didn't feel loved. In that moment she felt as lost as she had all those years ago in the Enchanted Forest. When Peter had first found her. Ironically enough, that's when she heard it. The faint tune she had first followed all those years ago drifting over the boy's chanting. Glancing across the fire she saw Peter with Henry, the music stopped abruptly as a look of confusion passed over Peter's face. That's when Jane realized Henry couldn't hear the music. He wasn't a lost boy. Not yet. It gave her hope.
The sound of someone crashing through the brush and entering the clearing drew Jane's attention to Felix. She hadn't realized he had left the camp. He seemed upset about something, he had the same look on his face as he had whenever their father had raised a hand to Jane. Peter seemed just as unhappy when he approached Felix, though Jane couldn't hear their conversation from her seat. Now that Henry was alone, Jane crossed the clearing to sit beside him.
"Hey kiddo, how are you holding up?" Jane asked, announcing her presence. Henry simply shrugged in response as he stared at his shoes.
"Could you hear the music?" Henry asked all of a sudden, glancing up at her with curious eyes. "Pan said that it's enchanted and only certain children can hear it. I couldn't hear the music."
"Yes," Jane answered honestly, her gaze moving form Henry to Peter who was still standing with Felix. However, as if he could hear her and could feel her gaze on him, his eyes moved to meet hers as he wore his ever present smirk. "I've always been able to hear it."
"How come you can hear it?" This time Henry sounded slightly accusing, as though she was betraying him by hearing the music.
"I suppose, because I'm still a little lost. My past is complicated Henry, and I'm still struggling to come to terms with it." Years of feeling unloved and unwanted didn't just disappear overnight. Even when she had come to stay with Regina, there was a part of her that never felt as though she fit into that life. That she was just a guest passing through. She didn't even feel completely at home with Will. Especially not after all the drama that came to light when the curse was lifted.
Peter watched Jane and Henry as they talked from across the fire. Though Henry's back was to him, Jane was facing towards him. All he could think about as he watched her was that she still heard his music. It's what had him remaining calm even as Baelfire was free and plotting with the Dark One against him. If Jane could still hear his music, it meant she was still lost, that she hadn't fully moved on from him.
So intent on observing Jane and Henry, Peter hadn't noticed the presence of others until the gust of a sleeping spell swept over the camp. He watched in momentary alarm as Jane and Henry—along with the other lost boys—fell limp to the ground. It didn't take him more than a second to realize that Bae and the Dark One had found him.
"We have a guest," Peter called out, as though the sleeping boys around him could hear him. "No doubt someone who knows how much I like guessing games." Rising to his feet Peter turned towards the tree line that had sat to his left. "Who could it be? I guess…the Dark One." With a rise of his hand the fire burned brightly, lighting up the face of Rumpelstiltskin. "Come to save Henry have you laddie? How exciting. The Dark One ready to sacrifice his life for his family. Speaking of family, you can come out now Baelfire."
"Name's Neal now," Neal corrected as he stepped out from the tree he had been hiding. He had a crossbow aimed at Peter, eye steady with the arrow to ensure accuracy.
"New name, but same old tricks. It's heartwarming to see father and son working together. Especially after you abandoned him Rumpel. This is a real family reunion." Peter's voice was calm, as though he wasn't having a conversation with two men who had come to kill him. It had Rumpelstiltskin demanding what Neal was waiting for, to which Neal replied that he had it covered. With that Neal let the arrow fly, aimed right at Peter's heart. As he had before, Peter caught the arrow before it hit him: inches away from skin.
"Clever, but we've been through this before Baelfire. Have you remembered nothing?" Peter's voice darkened as if he was truly disappointed in Baelfire for his lapse in memory.
"I remember plenty. That's why I didn't coat the tip," Peter's smirk fell at those words as he brought his hand up for inspection. Halfway up the squid ink that covered his palm started working, immobilizing him. He hadn't expected it, to be outsmarted. It was a rare occurrence. He was impressed.
"Grab Henry, I'll get Jane." Rumpelstiltskin murmured to Neal, making Peter's eyes fly to him, glaring at his back as he gently picked up Jane. Seeing her in Rumpel's arms had his blood boiling, especially with the reminder of her story, where Peter discovered it was the Dark One's fault he couldn't find Jane all those years.
"Are you sure you're really saving her or Henry Bae?" Peter called out before the two could leave the camp.
"What could be worse than leaving them here with you?" Neal retorted, turning to face the boy. Memories of his time in Neverland fueled his belief that taking Henry and Jane away from Peter was for the best.
"Why don't you ask your father? Sometimes the people we should fear are the ones closest to us." Peter answered cryptically, his dark gaze burning into the Dark One. His words caused Neal to hesitate momentarily.
"What is he talking about?" Neal demanded of his father, his eyes still trained on Peter.
"Don't listen to him," Rumpel murmured back, though his eyes looked frightened, scared that Peter would reveal his secret. Even though his intentions were true now.
"You mean you haven't told him?" Peter feigned surprise at that, knowing full well that Rumpel would never tell his son about the prophecy, or about Jane. Rumpel wouldn't want his son to see him in even more of a negative light. Not after everything he had done to Bae that had already darkened the boy's opinion of his father.
"Told me what?" This time Neal posed his question to Peter, knowing he wasn't going to get an answer out of his father.
"Told you about how he used Jane as a lab rat oh so many years ago. Do you really think she'd want to go with the man who inflicted torture on her?"
"Is that true papa? Did you test your magic on Jane?" Rumpel didn't answer verbally, but the truth showed in his eyes. It sent a wave of disgust through Neal. How could his father have tested such dark magic on a sweet little girl?
"And then there's the prophecy." Peter added after he let the first statement sink in. Of course, the second statement intrigued Neal even more as he inquired about the prophecy Peter spoke of. "The prophecy that says you've been tricked. Your father isn't here to rescue your son, he's here to murder him."
Father and son left after that, taking Henry and Jane with them. The seed of doubt had been planted, and it would only be a matter of time before the duo would break apart. That's what Peter was counting on. He would still get Jane and Henry back if perchance Bae and the Dark One stayed in alliance, it would just take more effort.
A/N Yay for chapter 3! I'm really enjoying writing this story. hope you all are enjoying reading it just as much. Let me know what ya think! Reviews make me smile as well as give me inspiration for future plot twists :)
Rach
xoxo
