Disclaimer: None of this is mine, not the characters, not the storyline. When it would be Meghan would be on-screen like forever and Emma and Killian would already be cano- oh, right, Adam, Eddie, you did a great job by ripping all of our hearts out with the midseason finale, thank you very much.

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Heart(break)

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"Can I have the horse?"

Emma looked from the space right before her, that was occupied by a toy knight and its white horse over to her little brother. The boy looked up at her, their equally green eyes meeting each other immediately. The eleven-year old blond princess raised one of her eyebrows at him, cocking her head to the side.

"You already have two horses, why do you want mine too, Henry?" she asked, amusement staining her voice.

"Because you have the white one!"

"And the white one is important because?" she prompted.

"Because dad rode a white horse to save mommy. I need the white horse, Emma!" he almost wailed.

His big sister let out a long sigh, running her hand through her blond curls.

"Please," he begged, his green eyes wide and bright and pleading.

"God damn, Henry," Emma growled, but she gave him the white toy horse anyway.

She was like her father when it came to her brother's pleading eyes. She was never able to deny him anything. He asked for something and she gave it to him.

Her mother always laughed at her when she witnessed such a scene between the two siblings. She would nudge her husband in the side and tell him that she truly was his daughter. He would nudge her back, once, twice, until Snow looked at him, then he would kiss her and tell her that she may be his daughter, but she was also hers. While it was quite endearing Emma thought their public displays of affection were rather annoying. She was happy for her parents; really, she was just of this age where love was annoying and kissing disgusting.

Henry took the horse from her hand with a wide smile, but their moment was disturbed by a low chuckle from the door.

Both of the Charming children's heads whipped around and soon enough two pairs of green eyes were fixed on the young man in the door frame, who slowly entered the room.

Within the years the reddish color of Pinocchio's hair had changed, his hair had become dark brown and in contrary to Emma's father Pinocchio obviously didn't know how to use a razor. Or just to some extent, since he wore only a stubble and not a full-grown beard.

"Don't let your father hear that," he grinned and Emma laughed in his face.

"And what about my mother, don't you think she would mind?"

Pinocchio shrugged, leaning forward ever so slightly.

"Well, don't tell her, but sometimes she says worse things," he told her conspiratorially.

Both, Emma and Henry burst into a fit of giggles. When Emma looked up at her friend and protector she noticed his attire for the very first time.

Besides his usual brown trousers white shirt and light brown vest he had also wrapped a dark brown cloak around his broad shoulders. He had a back which looked as if it was filled to the brim and instead of one sword he wore two.

Surprised Emma raised both of her eyebrows.

"What are you up to, funny face?" she asked, calling him by the nickname she had given him back when she was around five.

"I'll leave."

Emma's green eyes widened in shock and she jumped to her feet, making Pinocchio straighten up in front of her.

"What do you mean? You can't leave!"

He ruffled through her braided hair affectionately.

"I'm not leaving you, Emma, and I will be back."

She looked up at him, unshed tears starting to shimmer in her eyes.

"But why are you leaving in the first place then?" she asked, her voice almost breaking.

"Because I have to find my own way. I'll travel the realm, have some adventures on my own. Maybe I'll even find my true love, who knows?" he said, shooting her a wink at the last part.

As expected Princess Emma scrunched up her nose in disgust.

"So you can eat her face?" she asked and Pinocchio let out a whole-hearted laugh.

"Among other things..." he grinned.

"Other things? Do I even want to know?" she inquired and before he could even answer she already lifted her hands. "No, nope, not at all, keep it to yourself, I don't wanna know."

Her oldest friend laughed one more time before he became serious again.

"You're not mad at me for leaving, are you?" he asked.

The blond girl shook her head.

"I'm not. I just... I thought you would stay here forever."

"Nah, forever is such a long time," he said his words accompanied by a wave of his hand. "But to make our goodbye sweet I got something for you."

Emma looked at him, her green eyes filled with utter curiosity.

"What is it?"

He fumbled with the belt that held one of his swords until he finally unbuckled it, holding the sword in its sheath in his hands.

"I asked your father for his permission to give this to you. The fact that I do is enough to know his answer isn't it?" he asked.

Emma looked at him, then back at the sword, then at him again.

"You can take it, I promise it won't bite you," he promised with a smile on his lips.

"I-it's mine?" she asked in utter disbelief.

Pinocchio nodded and the young princess took it from him, unsheathing it in awe and staring at the shimmering blade with admiration in her eyes.

Her sword.

She had her own sword.

She could become a knight now.

That was so amazing!

"You're old enough, you don't need a protector now, do you?" Pinocchio asked, bumping Emma's shoulder playfully.

The princess looked up from her sword, her blond curls framing her face in the most beautiful way, her green eyes shining hopefully.

"I can take care of myself just fine," she said, swinging her sword, almost hitting Pinocchio in the face.

"Yeah, I believe you but you do have to practice your sword skills," he laughed, before he wrapped his arms around Emma's small body, pressing her against him tightly.

She immediately let go of her new sword, letting it clatter to the floor so she could wrap her arms around her oldest friend properly. She bit back her tears, shutting her eyes and kept them closed until Pinocchio pressed a light kiss to her forehead and slowly let go off her.

"I will miss you, Emma," he said with a sad smile.

"I will miss you too," she replied, putting on a brave face.

Pinocchio ruffled through her hair one last time, before he turned his back on her, walking through the door, looking back only once. His blue eyes met her green ones and he gave her a small smile.

"I will be back," he promised.

She nodded.

"I know."

Once he was gone she couldn't hold back any longer. She blinked and tears slipped out of the corners of her eyes, streamed down her face. The hot tears almost feeling cold on her flushed cheeks.

She couldn't stop crying, at least not until she felt Henry's hand on her elbow.

"Are you alright?" he asked and she wiped away her tears, lifting her chin.

"I'm fine," she said, embracing her little brother, her hand ruffling through his brown hair.

She hadn't lied, not for one second.

She could take care of herself.

At least that's what she thought.

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In silent wonder Killian flexed his hands, watching how his fingers moved. It felt so right but at the same time it felt so entirely wrong. His long lost body part had been returned to him but now that he had it back it felt so strange and familiar at the same time that he couldn't quite pinpoint what exactly he was feeling.

Relief. Surely.

Wonder. Of course.

Horror. Why on the seven seas did he feel horrified?

When Queen Clarion appeared in front of him out of thin air he remembered. For a few seconds his mind had been cleared of all thoughts, the only thing his mind revolved around his hand and the feeling of having it back. For a few moments he had forgotten all about the dark Neverland, about what would have to happen after the reattachment of his hand.

Killian Jones was three hundred years old. He should have known better.

After all, magic always comes with a price.

The real question was if people were willing to pay it. And in his case it wasn't like he had a choice, he had already used magic, knowing which price he had to pay. He had accepted it.

But right now he was really afraid of what would happen next.

"We see you have received our gift," the queen of the pixies said, her voice majestic.

Clarion was in her small pixie form, her violet dragonfly wings flapping quickly on her back, the usually green pixie dust shimmering golden around her. She wore a dress made out of pink rose petals, her long dark blond hair tied into a bun which was fastened by some sort of flower stalk. She appeared to be a beautiful woman with big brown eyes in her forties but Killian knew she was just as old as the island itself. And in a place where time stood still, who knew how old she truly was. Probably not even Clarion herself.

"Can you really consider it a gift when there is a price to pay, your majesty?" Killian replied smoothly, bowing slightly.

"Magic always-" the pixie started but Hook only rolled his eyes.

"Comes with a price, I know," he interrupted her. "And I am willing to pay it. I just assumed that we would have to come to you to get to know the details of our little mission."

"Well, pirate, things have to be handled rather quickly," the queen replied, raising one of her eyebrows in a disapproving manner.

"How quickly?" Killian replied, one eyebrow lifting.

"Tonight, if possible."

Killian threw a look over his shoulder, his gaze meeting Tinker Bell's who gave him a curt nod, signaling him to ask the question that she knew was burning on the tip of his tongue, then his eyes wandered over to Tiger Lily whose big brown doe eyes were fixed on his. She also gave him a nod, this one meaning support.

"What do we have to do?" he asked rather carefully.

Clarion brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear

"It is a rather complicated task," she started. "We want to save magic without having to sacrifice anyone. Yet we think that Peter Pan wants to achieve his goals by sacrificing someone.

"We know he has been looking for a special boy over the course of the last few centuries. A boy that will probably restore his youth so he can live another three hundred years. But we are not quite sure who the one is he wants to sacrifice.

"Us pixies think it probably was Baelfire but after his... disappearance we are not sure anymore. We only know what we have heard and we have heard that Peter Pan is looking for the heart of the truest believer. We know not who obtains this heart nor do we know how he wants to become its owner. We think he will probably use the same technique the former Queen of Hearts, your old friend Cora, used but we cannot be sure.

"His old heart is becoming useless, that is why he drains on the island's magic. That is why this place has become this.

"I remember a time almost four hundred years ago, when magic was running wild, when Neverland was vivid and filled with life and magic but barely fifty years after Peter Pan's arrival things have changed. We are more than surprised that this island and its magic have lasted this long.

"But the magic has become less and less, even we pixies have problems with creating it. Reattaching has caused three of us to faint and flying, making pixie dust. It all comes at such a great cost that we are barely willing to pay it. Honestly we do not know how much longer we are able to pay it. In order to save our folk we have to take care of Peter Pan tonight. I will not risk another fairy's death just because that boy cannot hold himself up.

"We pixies are not allowed to mingle. We are only allowed to survey everything that is happening. We are not allowed to stop things from happening nor are we allowed to make things happen. That is why you have to interfere. You have to kill Pan."

Killian's eyebrows shot up.

"With all due respect, your majesty, how are we supposed to kill that bloody demon?" he asked, his voice strained with wariness.

"Didn't you say so yourself years ago? Even demons can be killed. You only have to find their weakness."

Killian wasn't surprised that the pixie queen knew about this. Fairies and pixies always seemed to know, no matter what. He had given up on being surprised a long time ago.

"Sorry to tell you but neither one of us knows Pan's," he simply said, his right hand fumbling with his left.

He expected to touch the cool metal of his hook but instead was met with the warm flesh of his left hand. For a second he was taken by surprise before he composed himself again, remembering the reattachment of his hand.

"But we do. And you have to take her to him so she can stop him and you are able to kill him," Clarion explained calmly.

"Her?" Tinker Bell asked curiously, stepping next to Killian's side, Tiger Lily still standing right behind them.

"Wendy Darling."

"Wendy?" Tiger Lily suddenly spoke up, making all of them turn around to face her.

"Who is Wendy?" Tinker Bell asked with a frown.

"She was here years ago. The shadow brought her to Neverland but she didn't stay long. She just- She was a lovely girl, really. Around her Peter seemed so... Different. But it was only a very brief time. When she was gone everything was the same old same old. Everyone forgot about her rather quickly. Even me. But now that you've said the name I remember her," Tiger Lily explained, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"How are we supposed to find someone from another realm and bring her here?" Lady Bell asked her head tilted to the side.

"Well. You will not have to. Wendy Darling is already here. You just have to free her-"

"Free her?" Killian interrupted the fairy queen again.

"Pan is holding her captive," Clarion explained, disapproving of Killian's manners.

"And what in all the realms makes you think that he would let us free her?" he basically scoffed.

"That's where Tinker Bell's reward comes in handy."

Tinker Bell cocked her head to the side, one eyebrow raised curiously.

"I just asked for a way of the island, nothing more," the blond wingless fairy said, confusion tainting her voice.

"And still here we are, having another reward for you, something that will allow you to free the girl without having to ask for Pan's permission to do so."

"And what would that be?" Killian interrupted once again.

"If you want to keep both of your hands you'd be better off keeping your mouth shut, pirate!" Clarion finally snapped and Killian lifted his hands in mock surrender.

"If your majesty insists," he smirked and the fairy shot him another warning look.

"So?" the wingless fairy asked.

"Open your hand."

Tink did. Clarion took something out from between the petals of her dress and with a wave of her hand the object in her hand appeared on Lady Bell's palm.

"Pixie dust?" she asked in disbelief. "I can't make it work!"

"We believe you can. And Blue once told you that the key to our magic is to believe in ourselves."

Tinker Bell gulped audibly.

"How are we supposed to find Wendy?" Tiger Lily asked quickly.

"She is just down that way. I believe you will not have any problems with finding her."

And with that Clarion disappeared, leaving behind a pirate, a wingless, helpless fairy and Tiger Lily who just turned and tugged both of her friends behind her.

"Let's go find her!" the Indian almost said enthusiastically.

"Why do you sound so happy about this?" Tink asked in confusion, her eyes still glued to the vial filled with pixie dust in her hands.

"Because if this works Neverland will be the place of dreams again! Don't you understand this is our chance to change things for the better? We have to take that chance!"

Killian let out a laugh.

"Good form, Tiger," he grinned and followed the young woman down the path that would lead them to the Wendy girl.

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The market was crowded. There were people everywhere, children ran around, playing their games, hiding behind simple dresses or cloaks, women and men strolled over the market, searching for a certain stall where they would buy their groceries or clothes. Salesmen stood behind their stalls praising their goods with loud voices.

The market was near to an harbor, the haven allowing people from far and wide to come to the market, merchants from everywhere - sometimes even from different realms - sold their goods on this market.

Emma had always loved this market. It was the biggest one in her parent's kingdom; it was the most curious place in this realm with all the strange people and all the amazing stuff that was sold there.

It was colorful, almost as colorful as the festival that she and her parents had attended to back when she was eight, which was still as bright and clear in her memory as it was the day she had actually been there.

Since then almost ten years had passed. By now she was seventeen going on eighteen and she was no longer that young girl. She still craved for adventure and freedom but the difference between her eight year old self and the seventeen year old young woman was that the older Emma was able to live her dream.

She wasn't a knight.

But she was catching criminals - minor ones, Charming didn't let her close to any of the real "villains" not that there were so many of them nowadays - and she was not only catching them, she was also free to go wherever she wanted to - as long as her place of destination was within the kingdom.

She was living her dream and that was all she could wish for.

Well, maybe there were a few things.

Like, not being a princess so her parents wouldn't be king and queen and not everybody in the whole realm would know her.

Or less overprotective parents.

Parents who would let her do her own thing.

And by "own thing" she thought about pursuing criminals by herself and not with other people. Though her father let her decide who accompanied her that was the good part about hunting with one or two or sometimes even three partners. She chose who she wanted to hunt with.

When Pinocchio was around she usually asked him to come with her but since Emma had introduced him to Grace he was unavailable most of the time.

It was not like she didn't grant him to have found her, to have found the one, his true love or whatever.

She was over the "yuck-kissing -and-love-is-disgusting" stage of age since she was thirteen. With thirteen years she started to feel this... emptiness.

Most of the time it was easy to ignore but sometimes, especially when she saw her parents together or any other couple for that matter it became very prominent.

She started to crave, to yearn for love.

And yet it didn't matter how many knights or princes she met, he was never one of them.

Emma was stubborn, demanding, gorgeous and clever and yet she was a dreamer too. One of the facts most people didn't know about her. They knew her "royal" side, the side of her she showed the kingdom and the realm.

Most people didn't know the girl underneath. Just the ones closest to her - her parents, Henry, Red, the dwarves, Pinocchio, Lancelot, Alex and Grace, give or take two or three that were the people who knew who she really was.

She wasn't only a pretty girl in a dress, she was so much more.

But sadly most people didn't see her for who she was.

With a low sigh she shook her head, her blond plait swinging from the left to the right before she finally could focus on what was happening again. Lately she was a little too lost in her thoughts for her own good.

She took a deep breath, smoothing the fabric of her dark green corset with the light green lace and cords, straightening the beige shirt underneath it, before she turned her head to the side, her eyes locking with Red's on her left side.

The she-wolf who was around her mother's age - but looked ten years younger because her... abilities kept her young - nodded her head towards one of the stalls.

Emma turned her head, her gaze finding the stall Red had meant immediately. It was filled with fruits of all colors, red apples, oranges, cherries, strawberries everything anyone could ever wish for.

The merchant behind the stall was occupied by another customer that was why the chubby female merchant didn't notice him.

It was a man his back facing her, with ruffled brown hair and a blue cloak covered all over with green patterns. He "helped" himself by filling the pockets inside his cloak with all kinds of food.

Emma raised an eyebrow at Red.

This wasn't that bad, her gaze said.

Red nodded her head again and when the blond princess looked at the thief again his gloved hands were no longer stuffing his pockets with fruits, instead he filled them with the merchant's money out of her small brown purse behind the counter.

Emma let out a deep sigh, exchanging gazes with Red again.

Yup, this was their kind of thing.

She nodded before she gently pushed through the crowd, her green cloak floating behind her in soft waves, then she finally reached the stall, the man still filling his pockets.

From where she stood now she got a better look on the man. He was in his early to mid-twenties, a slight scruff covering his cheeks, more prominent on his upper lip and chin than anywhere else in his face. He had green eyes and his lips were tilted in a slight pout which gave him the look of a beaten puppy. It was unfair for a crook to look that... handsome. In a ruffian kinda way. He still stuffed the money inside his pocket, his eyes fixed on the merchant.

She sneaked up behind him, her arms crossed in front of her chest, her legs spread, so she looked tougher and less delicate and fragile than she would look in a more female pose.

Emma cleared her throat and the man jumped, spinning around to face her immediately.

His green eyes met hers and she raised an eyebrow when his pout and puppy dog eyes intensified.

"Sorry to disappoint you, buddy, but those won't get you anywhere," she said with a nod towards his face.

He sighed and pulled his hands out of his pockets.

"You sure?" he asked, pouting even more.

On the inside Emma had to suppress a giggle because it indeed looked kinda cute and if she would have been any less herself than he would probably have a chance about getting away, on the outside however she looked all the same, none of the muscles of her face twitching even ever so slightly, her eyes hard and unforgiving, nothing betraying her true feelings.

"Absolutely. So, be a good boy and give the lady back what belongs to her."

By now the merchant and basically everyone else were watching them and what was happening between the princess and the thief.

"And why should I do that now?" the man shot back less than a heartbeat later.

This time Emma raised only one of her perfect eyebrows.

"Sassy and new to this realm now, aren't we?" Emma asked back mockingly.

The man's pout turned into a smirk.

"Is it so obvious?"

Emma stepped closer to him, the sword at her side - the same sword Pinocchio had given her about six years ago - rattling ever so slightly.

"Actually yes, considering that otherwise, you wouldn't even try to refuse a princess' orders," she explained calmly.

The man's eyebrows shot up immediately.

"You are Princess Emma?" he asked baffled.

"Yeah, that's me," Emma said with a sigh. "And who the hell are you?"

The stranger chuckled.

"To what? To disobey you?" he asked mockingly, making her roll her eyes.

He really had to be new, otherwise he would've known better than to call her that demanding and arrogant because that was exactly what was laying in his tone.

"No, to think you have to steal in this realm. Maybe not everyone is rich but there certainly is no need to steal from someone. So give her back her money and her fruits."

He raised an eyebrow at her while he slowly pulled out the money and the fruits of his pockets and placed it back on its rightful place.

"And then, what will happen to me then?" he inquired.

"Well, I can't let you run, you will have to come back to the palace with me so my parents can judge over you."

"Judge over me? Sentence me to death, cutting my hand off?" the man asked.

Emma's eyes widened in both surprise and shock, before she tilted her head to the side.

"They would never do such a thing. My parents are not cruel. They are fair and good. You will probably be imprisoned for a month or something...?"

She left her sentence hanging in the air unfinished, leaving the gap for him to fill.

"Bae-Neal. My name is Neal," the man said, running his fingers through his hair in an almost sheepish kind of way.

Emma found this gesture endearing - only for a second, though, then she got a grip on herself again. A light frown made its way on her face and she wondered only for a brief moment why her detector ticked off before she chose to ignore it. She looked at Red who got the clue and threw a rope at her.

She stepped forward, holding the rope out for him to see and he reached out his hands, willing to let her bind them together.

"Do what you have to do, princess, I'm all yours..." he said, winking at her.

She rolled her eyes and bowed her head to focus on her work. But actually she was just hiding her blush.

When her hand accidentally brushed over the bare skin right above his gloves her eyes flew up to his and their gazes locked.

She didn't know why exactly she felt the need to tell him that she was his too.

.

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"Hey Ems- er, you don't mind me calling you Ems now do you, Emma, because if you do I wouldn't stop either because-"

"Gods, do you ever shut up?" Emma interrupter her prisoner's rambling.

She turned around so she and the young man stood face to face, her green eyes meeting his, a huge grin plastered across his face. The blond princess watched him her facial expression showing something between amusement and annoyance for a moment before a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"Actually I don't," Neal replied smirking and Emma rolled her eyes.

"I really hope you know how lucky you are that Red isn't here right now," she said and turned around again, pulling him with her as she started to walk again.

"You're here with me and the scary lady with the red coat isn't so I know exactly how lucky I am," he replied teasingly.

In this moment Emma was really grateful that she had turned around, otherwise he would have seen the small smile on her lips and the soft blush that covered her cheeks.

"Very charming. But charming doesn't work on me, buddy."

The man let out a deep sigh and Emma looked back at him briefly to find him with his gaze fixed on the ground, a mock pout on his lips.

"Too bad. And there I was, hoping to steal a kiss from the lips of the sweetest princess before I have to go to prison to never see the light of day again," he said playfully miserable, making Emma chuckle and blush at the same time.

"Now you are just being a baby," she said her voice seemingly cool while the smile on her face was huge.

"Maybe I was. But maybe I really do think you are the prettiest girl I have ever met and the fact that you are a princess makes you even sweeter."

Emma raised both of her eyebrows.

"Sounds like you met a lot of girls," she said seemingly unaffected.

But she was not. She cared. She actually stupidly cared rather or not he had met many other pretty girls, maybe cuter girls than her. Other girls who he flirted with.

Surprised she bit her lower lip.

Was she jealous?

How could she be, she only met him two days ago on the market and now they were traveling back to her parents' castle.

Actually Red should have accompanied them since Snow and Charming weren't exactly fond of the thought of Emma traveling alone with criminals but the she-wolf had heard a noise the night before and she had been convinced it had been a wolf howl and that the wolf who had howled had been in need.

Red had been restless for the next few hours and so Emma had told her to go and look after it. Of course her godmother had been hesitant at first but in the end she had given in and left her and Neal alone.

By now they were traveling alone together for like eight hours and with Red gone his flirty and teasing attitude had become worse.

Not that she minded.

Actually she liked the way he talked to her. He was being obvious but she appreciated his compliments and the way he looked at her.

Like she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

Not that she really believed him. She was pretty sure he tried to convince her of his innocence and maybe steal a kiss. He couldn't really like her, not after only one day and a few hours.

But her father always told her that he met her mother on a journey and he had fallen for her right away.

So maybe this was it, this whole true love thing.

But, no, that couldn't be, that was ridiculous.

Princess Emma wasn't the type of girl to fall for someone that quickly.

She had met enough princes to know what it felt like to be "wooed" and Neal was definitely trying to get somewhere with her, or rather get away with something.

But Emma wouldn't let him get away so easily.

She knew his punishment wouldn't be that horrible since Neal was new to this realm and he didn't know that there was no need to steal, even if there wasn't enough money. No one had to starve, not in this land.

So he could flirt with her as much as he wanted, it had no effect on her.

Except the blush on her cheeks and the smile on her lips.

And the flutter of her heart.

"Well, I am much older than you think and I have met girls from many different realms and most of them were really pretty. But you, Ems, are beautiful," his voice jarred her back to reality.

After taking a few calming breaths to steady her pounding heartbeat to a normal rate she slowly stopped and turned around.

Obviously Neal had been slightly oblivious because he only stopped mere inches apart from her.

Or he had stopped right there on purpose.

"Stop saying things like that," she scowled.

"Why should I stop when I'm saying nothing but the truth?" he replied, his gaze fixed on hers.

Emma's eyes roamed over his face once, twice but she couldn't find a lie in his green eyes. The princess let out a deep sigh.

"Let's- let's just not talk about this, okay?" she suggested and Neal cocked his head to the side.

"Why? Can't you just take a compliment, Ems?" he asked genuinely curious.

Emma swallowed hard, before she turned around again, her heart beating rapidly in her chest, her stomach fluttering.

"Let's just settle for the night," she replied, looking around them once.

It was already past nightfall, the sky dark and starlit, the full moon shining down on them, illuminating them with a silvery bluish light and they were still walking around in the woods but not so far away there was a clearing in front of them where they could settle for the night.

She pulled at the rope, tugging him forward until they stood in front of a huge tree and she could tie the loose end of the rope around one of the largest branches.

They settled in for the night, Emma comfortably on a blanket, Neal slumped against the tree.

"It's uncomfortable here, Ems, can't I just come-" Neal began after quite a while of silence in which Emma had almost drifted to sleep.

"Nope," she replied without opening her eyes.

Minutes of silence passed.

"It's cold, maybe you'd like to share-" Neal began again but again Emma cut him off.

"Nope."

Silence again.

"I really need to-"

"Don't even try!" she growled, rolling over to look at him.

His green eyes met hers and for a moment the princess was more than tempted to loosen his binds and let him come over to her.

But before she could do anything a noise made her jump.

She was on her feet the next second, her hand on her sword but she had been too distracted, it was too late.

Gray, stone talons clutched at her, heavy wings barely making a noise but brushing over her skin, hard teeth snapping at her.

A gargoyle.

She had thought these creatures had ceased but apparently she had been wrong.

Its stony claws scratched her skin and Emma let herself fall to the ground, trying to grasp her sword but unable to reach it.

When the gargoyle swung at her again she lifted both of her arms, covering her face to prevent it from any harm, letting out another scream.

Then there was a screech and the creature was gone.

Slowly Emma dropped her arms, blinking into the dark night.

Neal stood over her, her sword in his hands.

"How did you-?" she started and he let the sword drop to the floor, holding out a hand to help her up, waiting for her to take it.

"Like I said I'm older than I look - and far more experienced," he grinned with a wink.

"You could have freed yourself all this time?" she asked in surprise. "Why didn't you?"

"Because I enjoyed your company," he simply replied and Emma took his hand so she could get up with his help.

He pulled her up with a little bit too much force and she basically shot upwards, bumping right into his arms. Hesitant she looked up just to find his face mere inches away from hers, one of his hands on her waist, the other still holding hers, while hers was still placed on his chest, their eyes met and she could read the question in his so easily.

So she did the only thing she could think of. She raised her head and met him halfway, his lips pressing against hers softly. She kissed him back slowly.

Neal shifted his weight, his hands coming up to cup her face as hers wrapped around his neck and pulled him closer.

They stood there for quite a while, in the middle of the clearing, illuminated by the moonlight, kissing, holding onto each other.

This time Emma didn't suppress the flutter of her stomach or the pounding of her heart.

This time she embraced it and opened herself up to the possibility of this.

Maybe he was her chance at true love.

Later that night they were laying side by side, both of them facing the starlit sky.

"Do you think this thing between us is something permanent?" she asked carefully.

"I don't know about you, but I would like it to be," he replied, turning to face her, just to find her green eyes already fixed on his face.

"Me too," she replied with a warm smile on her lips.

He rolled over and she mimicked his movements only a few heartbeats later so they were lying face to face, their foreheads touching, their lips mere inches apart.

"Then it's clear to me," he said softly.

She didn't reply. Instead she tilted her head and pressed her lips against his in a soft kiss. When they broke apart she was frowning ever so slightly, a hint of amusement gleaming in her eyes.

"What?"

"Well, since you intend to stay with me I will have to introduce you to my parents when we get to the castle," she replied cheekily.

"Do you think that's a good idea?"

"If you want to be with me it's inevitable. And you have to face my parents anyway, you crook," she said lovingly.

"You won't let me get away with it?"

"You stole my heart away, that's theft, you have to be punished for that," she replied, her eyes sparkling with silent amusement.

"Well, Ems, then you have to be punished as well, because you stole mine too," he laughed and pulled her in for another kiss.

Her heart was racing and she felt like she could burst with happiness as she returned his kiss with a small smile on her face.

.

.

They moved through the jungle, Killian freeing their path with his sword. Usually he would also use his hook but now that he had his hand back the curved metal lay useless on the forest ground where they had left it behind. Tinker Bell was right behind him, her own cutlass cutting the dangling leaves and branches Killian had missed out of their way. Tiger Lily was the last one, supervising every step they took, her head moving around like a doe's as if she was watching for hunters or other predators - or in this case for some Lost Boys or even Pan himself.

But when they finally reached the cage Wendy Darling was being held captive in nothing had happened. Besides the cries of the Lost Boys only the lost ones themselves were able to hear there were no strange noises, just the usual sounds - chirping birds, buzzing insects - were to be heard.

The three of them stopped right underneath the cage and looked up at it in unison. Inside the cage, barely visible through the narrow wooden bars, was a girl. A girl with dark blond curls, her features were feminine and soft and she was asleep.

"Lass?" Killian called, his head tilted upwards.

Luckily the Darling girl wasn't sleeping soundly and she awoke with a start, her hands immediately gripping the bars tightly, her face pressed close to the cage's walls.

"Who are you?" she yelled back, her voice high pitched and tainted with mistrust and fear.

"We're here to save you!" the pirate replied and they all saw how the girl's eyebrows rose.

"You are none of Peter's... minions?" Wendy asked carefully.

"I am not and those two are neither!" the Indian interfered.

"Tiger Lily?" the girl in the cage asked incredulously.

"Ta-daaa," the black haired woman said, bowing mockingly, a wide smile plastered all over her face.

"What are you doing here?" the blond girl asked, a wide smile plastered all over her face as she met the eyes of her old friend.

"We are here to free you!" Tiger Lily smiled and the blond girl raised one of her eyebrows skeptically.

"And? I don't think you even knew I was here until now. Otherwise you would have come sooner, I hope," Wendy said, doubt tilting her voice.

"Wendy! How could you think I wouldn't-"

"I'm sorry, Tiger! I didn't- Of course you would have- God, I'm so sorry. I just- I spent so much time in this cage I don't-"

"It's alright, lass, don't worry. We will get you down, and then we can talk," Killian said and exchanged a quick glance with Tink, who gave him a nod before they walked over to the rope that held Wendy's cage in the air.

Killian gripped it and Tink cut it and together they lowered the cage with the Wendy bird to the ground, where Tiger Lily immediately tried to open it, but the wood was rigid.

"Tink, why-?" but she never got to finish her sentence.

"That's why Clarion gave this to me," the wingless fairy said and held up the vial with the fairy dust.

"What's this?" Wendy asked and Tink kneeled down in front of the cage holding up the vial.

"It's fairy dust. It will free you once we get it to work."

"And how do we get it to work?" the dark blond girl prompted.

"I've got no clue," Tink sighed, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

Suddenly there was a reassuring hand on her shoulder, a thumb running soothing circles across her covered skin. She looked up and right into Killian's blue eyes.

"You can do this, Tink," he said.

Another hand was placed on her other shoulder and when she turned her head she met Tiger Lily's brown eyed gaze.

"You have to believe in yourself," the Indian said, giving her a smile and a nod.

With a sigh Tink grasped one of the cage bars and then she felt a hand covering hers, fingers tentatively brushing over hers.

"I believe in you - and not just because otherwise I won't be able to get out of the cage, that's just a minor matter," the Wendy girl said.

Lady Bell let out a tinkling laugh and smiled at the girl.

"Well, then I have no choice but to free you, do I?" she laughed and the grip on her left shoulder tightened.

"Lady Bell, look," she heard Hook's voice and looked down at the vial in the hand that didn't grip the cage bar.

The vial in her hand was glowing with a soft green light, the pixie dust buzzing with magic. With a wide smile she popped the vial open and sprinkled the dust over the bars that disappeared in a cloud of soft golden dust.

Immediately Wendy fell forward and out of the cage, stumbling to her feet and towards Tiger Lily, who immediately took the girl in her arms.

Tiger ran her fingers through the girl's dark blond curls relentlessly, murmuring thousands of apologies in her ear, excusing over and over how she hadn't been there and how everyone has forgotten all about her.

"It's alright. You are here now, that's all that matters." Then she looked up from the older girl and to the two strangers. "I didn't quiet catch your names," she then said.

"My name is Tinker Bell and this is Captain Hook," the blond former fairy introduced them.

"Is Hook your real name?" she asked curiously.

The pirate made a mock bow in the girl's direction.

"Actually my name is Killian Jones."

"Then why are you calling yourself, Hook?"

Out of habit Killian lifted his left arm to show her his hook but not a second later he remembered he had gotten it back and shrugged.

"Got a hook for a hand once but right now it seems like a bad joke, doesn't it," he said sheepishly, scratching the back of his left ear with the hand that had been his hook only a few hours ago.

"And you are a fairy?" the girl asked, now looking at Tinker Bell.

The fairy looked down at the empty vial in her hands with a doubtful look.

"I once was, but I'm not quite sure I am again," she said tentatively.

Wendy frowned but nodded, looking towards Tiger Lily again.

"What do you need me for?" the British girl asked then. "And no lies, please."

"I suppose you've taken notice that magic is dying on this island. The fairy queen assigned us to take you and stop the one who is draining the island's magic, with your help," Killian explained calmly.

"To stop who?" she breathed.

"I think you know who," Tiger Lily said one eyebrow raised.

Wendy's eyes widened and she let out a deep breath.

"Peter," she breathed.

.

.

They had been traveling together for almost a whole week by now. Usually Emma only needed two to three days, sometimes even four but never more than five to get back home to the castle. But traveling with Neal was something else entirely.

Of course Emma would make sure that he didn't have to go to prison when they were back at the palace but she also knew that once they were back home they wouldn't be alone like that anymore. Even if they would find a place where they could spend some alone time there would always be people around them. Not necessarily her parents but Emma was quiet sure that whatever they did someone would know - in this case this someone being Red most of the time.

The dwarves would certainly give him a hard time but knowing her uncles Emma was quite sure they would accept him in the end.

Her parents would probably be overjoyed that she had found him.

And Henry? Henry would simply love him.

Neal was fun to be with, he was nice and he had so many stories to tell.

During the course of the last few days he had told that he physically was around twenty-five even though he had been born three-hundred years ago. Surely he hadn't told her everything about his past, there were too many stories to be told but she knew some stories about his time in Neverland. And if he had spent some time in Neverland he probably had met the infamous Captain Hook, the evil pirate who had become one of the good guys in order to keep her family save.

Without him, she wouldn't even had been born or worse, she would have been send to a strange land and would have had to grow up without her parents.

She couldn't imagine a life without her parents, a life in another realm.

A life without Henry.

So she simply had to ask.

"Have you-" She cleared her throat, brushing a strand of hair that had fallen out of her braid behind her ear. "Have you ever met Captain Hook?"

The loose grip he had had on the hand he was holding most of the time during their journey became tighter and when Emma shortly glanced over at him she could see how his facial expression changed. It turned from a bemused gaze into a hard grimace, his lips pressed to a thin line, his eyes dark and sparkling with something Emma couldn't exactly define. If anyone had asked her she would have said it was a mixture of anger, pain, disappointment and maybe - she really wasn't sure of that at all because she didn't understand what she saw and what could have caused it - a soft layer of loss.

"I did."

Emma's eyebrows shot up.

When she had learned something about Neal it was that he was quite chipper. He liked talking, telling stories, making quips, loved teasing her.

But his short almost brusque answer took the blond princess by surprise.

"What is it?" she asked, returning the pressure of his hand with a short squeeze of hers to encourage him to tell her whatever was on his mind.

"I don't really want to talk about him."

Emma furrowed her eyebrows but she stayed silent, waiting for him to speak up again.

A few moments of silent walking later he let out a deep sigh, running his free hand through his hair. She knew what he was up to and before he could say anything she was talking again.

"If you don't want to tell me you don't have to," she said quickly, feeling guilty that she had wanted him to talk about an obviously painful part of his life.

"Thank you. But you have to know, Hook is no respectable pirate, no matter what they say about him in this land. He is a pirate, a thief, a murderer and I hope you never have to meet him."

Again Emma was totally floored by his reaction. Until now she had known that Hook wasn't exactly the perfect hero but he surely wasn't that bad now, was he? He had saved her after all. When she told him exactly that the grip on her hand was almost painful and Neal's voice was so cold that it sent shivers down her spine.

"I know how this realm portraits him, Ems. But if he did safe you and your family or even this entire realm he didn't do it because he had a sudden change in mind and wanted to become good. He did it for selfish reasons. He is a pirate. All he cares about is himself."

"You sure about that?" she asked quietly, almost scared of his answer.

Neal stopped, his hand slipping out of hers so he could grab her at both of her shoulders, his grip tight and almost painful, his gaze hard. Emma looked up at him wide eyed, surprised and almost scared.

"Look, he stole my mother away from me, he caused her death, he betrayed me and used me so he could kill my father. There is nothing good in him, his heart is rotten, believe me, I know."

Emma swallowed hard before she nodded and placed her hands over his, loosening his tight grip on her shoulders by drawing soft circles on the back of his hands. Neal heaved a sigh, one of his hands cupping her face, his thumb tracing soft circles on her cheek.

"I am so sorry that he isn't who you thought he was," he said tenderly.

The princess smiled up at him weakly.

"It's alright. Let's just- Let's just go home, okay?"

He nodded, taking her hand in his again.

"Okay."

They continued their walk in silence. It wasn't comfortable but it also wasn't uncomfortable, it was something in between. Emma was still pretty taken aback with Neal's reaction to Captain Hook and Neal was obviously still glooming over his past.

"So you sure your parents will like me?" he said, finally breaking the silence.

Emma shrugged, her hand finding his again, their fingers entangling.

"Pretty sure, even though you will have to explain why you thought theft was appropriate in this realm."

He shot her a wide smirk.

"That shouldn't be that hard."

Emma smiled back at him softly.

"Exactly."

Another silence fell over them.

"You think they will let me sleep in your room then?" he quipped and as Emma laughed the tense atmosphere was gone in an instant.

"In your dreams, buddy," she said and Neal wiggled his eyebrows.

"Always," he smirked widely and she rolled her eyes, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.

.

.

The palace walls were made out of the kind of stone, whose color was impossible to define. At sunset they shimmered in an almost fiery dark red. At night they seemed black as the plumage of a raven. But in winter, when all the sweet green grass slept underneath a soft, white blanket of snow until the first day of spring, the walls were shining in a soft and warm light brown in the winter sun. But as the sun crawled down the walls this evening, they shimmered in a soft tone between orange, gold and dark brown.

"So this is your home?" Neal asked the grip on her hand so tight it was easy to tell just how nervous he was.

"It is. But don't worry, it will be alright. They will like you," she reassured him.

"Yeah, eventually. But what if-"

Emma tugged at his hand, pulling until he stood close in front of her.

"Stop worrying," she smiled. "It will be alright."

She pushed onto her tiptoes and pressed her lips against his briefly.

"Now come on. Let's get inside."

He nodded and followed her. Together they passed the first guards without any problems but as soon as they were inside the castle a huge hand was placed on Emma's shoulder making her jump. She spun around, hand already on the hilt of her sword but was met with the kind brown eyes of Lancelot. She let out a sign of relief.

"Lance," she smiled and the knight grinned back at her.

"Your parents were almost starting to get worried but Red assured them that you were in good hands." His eyes focused on the man standing behind Emma. "Were you?"

"I was," Emma replied smiling. "This is Neal."

The man behind her took a step forward and the knight and the thief exchanged a curt nod.

"My name is Lancelot," the knight introduced himself.

"Nice to meet you," Neal replied stiffly and Emma shot him an amused look.

"Lance, where are my parents?" she asked.

The knight looked her companion up and down one last time before he focused on the princess again.

"They are in the throne room. But they have visitors." Emma frowned at him but he just winked at her. "You know them, they won't mind. After all I think Belle will be glad to see you again."

"Belle is here?" Emma said, excitement creeping in her voice. "I haven't seen her for the last five years!"

"Then carefully and politely burst into the room, Princess," Lancelot said with another wink.

"I'm always careful and polite, I am a princess."

"And the daughter of your mother, so shall I worry?"

Emma let out a light laugh, tugging at Neal's hand.

"I will just charm my way in."

Lancelot's laughter echoed after them through the corridors on their way to the throne room.

"So who was that?" Neal asked.

"That was Lancelot. He is a knight and one of my oldest friends. Sometimes when I'm out, looking for crooks like you he accompanies me."

"For crooks like me?" he asked as they came to a halt a few feet away from the closed door to the throne room.

"Yes, crooks like you who think they have to steal in this realm," she replied winking.

"I think after all I stole only one thing of importance," he said smiling.

"Yes, my heart. So be careful with it," she smiled up at him and he leaned down to her, pressing his lips against hers.

"Always am," he replied, brushing a strand of golden hair behind her ear.

"Wait here, I will "warn" my parents of your presence so you can make a good first impression."

"I will do my best," he promised smiling.

With a quick peck to his lips Emma let the guards in front of the tall doors open them for her and with a last glance back, with a last reassuring smile she entered the throne room, the door swinging close behind her.

The figures in the large room, who were all standing by the window turned their heads in Emma's direction as she moved towards the four of them. Her parents stood side by side, just as they always did, silently supporting each other, always being next to each other just for the sake of being near each other. With a smile Emma realized that for the first time since she was thirteen she didn't feel empty when she looked at them.

Instead a wide smile broke out on her lips as she thought of the man outside, waiting to come in, waiting for her.

Snow smiled softly at her daughter, her beautiful features transforming into something even more gorgeous, making it obvious to everyone why she was the fairest of them all. David next to her was also smiling, even though he looked weary of Emma's sudden happiness.

Next to her parents stood another couple, a short man with a cane and brown hair that was stained with grey streaks and on his arm was a beautiful woman. By far not as beautiful as her mother but still very pretty, with curly brown hair and big blue eyes, wearing the same green cloak she had worn all those years ago, when Emma had first met her.

The blond princess knew both of them.

"Belle! Rumplestiltskin!" she basically yelled and stormed forward, wrapping her arms around Belle firmly.

Since she was three she knew this woman. Belle spent much time with Red and because of Red with Snow too. It was no surprise that Emma knew her well, well enough to greet her like an old friend. The Beauty returned her embrace just as firmly, greeting the young princess like the niece she never had. But even though they weren't related, even though Belle wasn't her godmother or anything they shared the bond of niece and aunt.

Emma had a big family and the only ones she was truly related to were her parents and Henry, the other family members were Red and Granny, the dwarves, Regina - and with her Cora, Robin, Roland and Robin's and Regina's daughter Reena - and somehow Belle and Rumplestiltskin - the former Dark One whose curse had been broken by his true love - had ended up being a part of her big messy family too.

Her family was tall and messy and confusing to strangers but Emma wouldn't want to have it any other way.

When she broke away from Belle and turned to Rumple to embrace him very briefly, Charming cleared his throat and Emma gave Rumple a short apologizing look, which he only returned with a soft smile. Emma turned around facing her parents who perfectly mirrored each other with their arms crossed in front of their chests and the same expression on their faces.

"Hi Mom, hi Dad," she greeted and both of them smiled at her and opened their arms so she could embrace them too.

Hugging Snow and Charming always felt like coming home, no matter if they were at the castle or anywhere else.

"And here we were, starting to worry," Charming stated, his hand buried in Emma's hair, cradling her head the way he had always done when she was little.

Emma chuckled, a wide smirk plastered all over her face as she remembered the man waiting in front of the door.

"So it's true then, you were in good company?" Snow inquired when she broke away from her daughter with a smile on her own.

"I've been in very good company," the princess smirked.

"So we've heard from Red. He is a criminal?" Charming asked skeptically.

"He was. But he is from another realm so he did not know that there is no poverty in our kingdom. He did not know that there was no need to steal. You have to believe me, Neal is a good man," she immediately defended the man she loved.

"So his name is Neal?" Snow smiled and Emma nodded, with a smile on her own.

"And if you give him a chance you will like him, I promise," the blond said immediately.

Snow and Charming laughed.

"Whoever you love deserves a chance. So, why don't you let him in?" Charming said and Emma smiled broadly.

"Okay, then I'll just-" Emma grinned, nodding her head towards the doors, already storming towards them.

Only a few feet away from the door she stopped and turned around one more time.

"Rumple? Belle?" she shouted questioningly, the two names ricocheting from the palace walls, echoing through the throne room. "You don't mind, do you?"

"No, it's fine, just go ahead, let the boy in," the former Dark One replied, his voice raised.

"Great," Emma grinned and swung the doors open. "You can come in now-" she interrupted herself, her happy voice slowly fading until she asked with a frown. "Neal?"

No answer.

"Neal? Where are you?" she called.

Her echo was the only voice coming back.

"Neal!" she shouted, concern staining her voice.

"Is everything alright, Emma?" Snow called.

Emma shot a brief look over her shoulder, meeting her parents' worried gazes.

"I-I yes, everything is- I just- I need to go outside for a moment," she stammered, running one of her hands through her hair hastily, her hands shaking with fear.

What had happened? Where was Neal?

She stepped outside, her eyes wandering from the left to the right, down the corridor they had been running down mere minutes ago.

"Guards?" she asked, turning around to face the two men guarding the doors.

Emma took in a sharp breath as she saw them, both of them on the ground, unconscious. Immediately she hurried over to them, shaking one of them awake.

The man's eyes found hers and he began to speak immediately.

"I-I am so sorry, princess, it all- it all happened so fast and he- your- he had- he- he defeated us. I'm so so sorry he just-" he stammered.

Emma's eyes were wide and filled with concern and fear.

"He what?"

At the very same moment she heard footsteps behind her and she whirled around, finding Lancelot standing barely a few feet away from her.

"Did your parents dislike Neal or why did he run off as if someone was behind him?" the knight asked with a frown and Emma stumbled to her feet.

"Ran off?" she asked breathlessly.

Lancelot's eyes widened.

"You didn't-? He just- He ran out of the palace as if a crowd of ogres was hot on his heels," he explained.

"He left?" she whispered but no one answered.

Moments ticked by, then she heard her mother's voice as if she was speaking through thick, heavy fog, calling out her name, footsteps approaching but she felt numb, distant.

She didn't notice how her knees went weak and she fell to the floor, she didn't notice the way her body was shaking with heart-wrecking sobs, she didn't notice the voices around her, her father shouting orders - "Find him! Wherever he is find him!" - she didn't notice the soft hand of her mother on her back.

What had happened?

The only thing she knew was that he had left. He was gone. He hadn't waited. She felt numb while at the same time she felt as if someone was crushing her heart.

He had gone.

He had left her.

With no reason he had left her alone.

How could he do that to her?

She loved him and she had thought he loved her too.

But obviously he had gone and he had taken something of her with him that was irreplaceable.

A part of her heart belonged to him and without her noticing he had stolen back the part of his heart that she had thought had belonged to her and took hers with him too.

She didn't know how much time passed. The only thing she knew was that as Red and Lancelot returned they hadn't found a trace of him. He wasn't there.

He was gone.

She was alone.

Alone and brokenhearted.

.

.

Peter Pan was angry.

Angrier than ever before.

His light blue eyes were icy cold, his lips formed a thin line, his eyebrows furrowed together, his hands balled into tight fists at his side.

The sight of Wendy Darling being on the loose, standing right in front of him did something funny to him. His heart was cold, he didn't feel anything. He didn't need anything. The only thing he had ever desired was his youth and his freedom. His youth which - he thought - had been ripped away from him by the birth of his son and the death of his wife and his freedom which the pink crying babe in his arms had taken away from him.

He felt like he had lost both because of his son, but because that babe had been his flesh and blood he had taken care of Rumplestiltskin in his own ways which weren't exactly the most honorable ones. That was until little Rumple had offered him "a way out" of the Enchanted Forest and they had found themselves in Neverland where Pan had taken the shadow's deal without second thought.

As cruel as it may seem he had given up on his son, regained his youth and became the ruler of Neverland.

He had left his old self behind and he had never looked back, not once.

He had been unable to feel any regret for leaving his son behind, he had never loved him anyway.

He had married the son's mother because his parents had wanted him to.

When she became pregnant he had started to run from his duties at home.

He had never wanted to have children in the first place. He had never wanted to be responsible for anything. But with his dead wife he had no choice but to take care of him - or to kill him, but he wasn't a monster.

Pan knew people talked about him, called him a bloody demon, but he wasn't a monster, he couldn't kill his own son.

So he took care of him, but as soon as he could he had gotten rid of him. That was why he was in Neverland.

To be young and to be free.

But he had never wanted to be alone.

So he had started to gather the Lost Boys around him. Boys old enough to take care of themselves, boys who followed his orders without asking. Some company, nothing more.

Peter Pan still was a free boy with no responsibilities.

He didn't care about the boys, they were his minions, mere pawns in his big game of chess.

He just needed a new heart to restore his powers then everything would be perfect again.

Except for... Except for the fact that she was free.

She was free and she was standing right in front of him.

The only person he had ever brought to Neverland who he cared about.

"Who let the Wendy bird out of her cage?" he said in a playfully mocking tone, but it barely concealed the anger in his voice.

Wendy Darling stood right in front of him, her arms crossed in front of her chest, her blue eyes shining with disapproval, her dark blond curls tussled, her eyebrows raised, her lips turned into a pout.

"Does it really matter? You look terribly pale, Peter, are you feeling alright?" she said with concern, but her facial expression was cool and the way she raised one of her perfect dark eyebrows higher showed her indifference perfectly.

"Don't act as if you would care," Peter scowled and Wendy took a step closer to him, coming so close that he could feel the body heat radiating from her.

"Yes, you've got that covered," she growled this time her tone just as cold as her expression.

He raised one of his eyebrows, leaning forward, his eyes dark.

"And did I succeed?" he hissed.

She frowned and let out a sigh, lifting one of her small, delicate hands to his face.

He had to pull himself together to stop himself from wincing when she placed her hand on his cheek, brushing her thumb over the circles under his left eye.

"No," she murmured. "You're really not looking good."

Finally Pan got a hold of himself, slapping her hand from his face and taking a step back from her.

"That's because magic is dying!" he growled. "I am weak because the island is weak."

Peter turned away from her, but not a second later he felt her hand on his shoulder.

Why did she always have to touch him?

It did funny things to him. Things he didn't want to feel. He didn't want to feel at all.

"How can this be stopped?" Wendy asked and he let out a humorless laugh und spun around to glare at her.

"I need a new heart," he said expressionless.

Wendy's blue eyes went wide and she let her hand slip from his shoulder.

"A new heart?" she breathed out and Peter nodded.

"The heart of the truest believer," he growled. "That's the heart that I need and-"

"Why don't you just take mine?" Wendy interrupted him and he turned to her, almost shocked.

"What are you talking about? This is no game, Wendy, you would die."

The dark blond let out a deep sigh and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, looking fragile and vulnerable.

"Just like my brothers did years ago," he whispered.

Peter suppressed the urge to lift her chin with his hand to look into her eyes. Instead he loosened his balled fists and let out a sigh.

"You were the one to come back here to take Baelfire with you. It was your decision to leave your brothers," he hissed and Wendy's head jerked up, unshed tears shimmering in her eyes.

"And you didn't let me go!" she yelled, her voice breaking, tears streaming down your face.

"Don't you understand? I couldn't, even if I wanted to. The shadow-" he interrupted himself before anything else slipped.

"The shadow?" Wendy inquired.

Peter sighed. Wendy had always been too smart for her own good.

"I can't tell you," he said, taking another step away from her.

"You can tell me everything, Peter, don't you understand? I've got nothing to lose. It doesn't matter if you tell me, the worst thing that could happen is that I die."

This time he took a step forward, gripping her shoulders tightly, shaking her.

"That's the point, Wendy! I can't tell you because I can't let you die!"

"Why?" she yelled back still crying.

"Because-" He hesitated one heartbeat, then two, then he took a deep breath. "Because you are the only person on this island who means something to me," he continued calmly, looking right into her eyes.

Before Wendy could answer there was a hand in Peter's hair and a knife on his throat, the blade pressing into his flesh tightly, almost drawing blood.

"Good for us, thank you, lass," a male voice growled in his ear.

He recognized Hook almost immediately and he stared at Wendy who stood in front of him with big eyes, guilt written all over her face. His eyes seemed to ask her why.

"Hook," Peter said, a wide, fake grin appearing on his face. "Are you going to kill me now?"

"Actually yes, that was the plan," the pirate growled into his ear, tilting his head back, pressing the blade further into his skin.

"Then go ahead."

"I'm about to-"

"Hook, wait!"

Both, pirate and boy looked at the girl that still stood in front of them.

"What is it, lass?" Hook asked one eyebrow lifted.

"Let me say goodbye first," she murmured and the pirate sighed, removing the blade from Pan's throat but pushing it into his back, ready to push forward the second he made one stupid move.

"Then say your last goodbyes, but he will die, you know why."

With a sigh Wendy nodded then she took a step forward and wrapped her arms around the boy who tentatively hugged her back, burying one hand in her hair, the other placed on her back.

"So this is really the end?" he whispered in her hair while she buried her face in his neck, feeling wetness against his skin. "Are you crying?"

"Of course I am."

Peter let out a humorless chuckle.

"And there I was thinking I finally made you hate me," he murmured.

"You could've tried all you wanted but I could have never hated you," she murmured back, her hands massaging his scalp.

"Why would you-"

She interrupted him by pulling back, their faces mere inches apart.

"I've always believed in you, Peter," she said before she stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against his softly.

When his wife had kissed him all those years ago he never felt like he did now. His wife had never loved him and he had never loved her but Wendy Darling made his heart skip a beat.

That was why he had to keep her away from him. She elicited the kind of feelings he had never wanted to feel, feelings he had run away from.

But right now he did the only thing he could think of. He kissed her back, softly, gently.

For the last centuries he had been cruel, a demon, the boy who never grew up, Peter Pan.

He had been young and he had been free. And in a matter of seconds it would all be over.

Pan had expected for his body, for his mind to fight for his life, but he found himself indifferent. He didn't mind, not at all.

When Wendy broke away from him, tears were still streaming down her face.

"It's alright," he told her with a smile. "I have lived to long anyway."

Wendy sniffled, then she sighed.

"Goodbye, Peter," she said with a small smile.

"Goodbye, Wendy. And when you go to the camp you might want to take a closer look at the Lost Boys. You might find something of your interest there."

With that he turned around to Hook and smiled at him.

"Now, kill me," Pan said.

The pirate's eyes flickered over the boy's shoulder, meeting Wendy's eyes.

"You might want to turn away, lass, you don't have to see that."

"I'll keep her away," another voice said and Pan's eyebrows lifted in surprise.

"The wingless fairy is here too?" the boy asked and the pirate quirked an eyebrow at him.

"It doesn't matter now, does it?"

"Be quick about it," the demon told the pirate, who just nodded.

"I will."

And then he drove the blade home, buried it deep inside the boy's chest. Peter Pan slumped forward, his body transforming, the boy becoming a man then turning into dust.

Peter Pan was gone.

Killian stared into nothing for a few seconds, before a sob jarred him back to reality. The pirate turned his head and looked at Wendy who was enveloped in Tinker Bell's arms.

"I'm sorry," Killian murmured into the slowly fading golden dust.

Everything was deadly quiet, except for Wendy's sobbing and his pounding heart. No birds, no insects. No sounds at all, as if Pan's death had stopped the time.

When light started to fall through the huge Neverwood leaves Killian looked up in the sky. Everything became illuminated, engulfed in sunlight. It was bright and beautiful and it became more and more like the place Killian had been to back when he was a lieutenant in the Royal Navy.

Everything changed.

He didn't know if the change really was for the better, but he was sure it was changing for good.

Wendy was still crying when out of nowhere Queen Clarion appeared in front of the pirate.

"We see you have fulfilled your task," she said with an appreciative nod.

"It's nothing to be proud of, your majesty," Killian replied smoothly.

"But it's your way out of here," Clarion said, revealing another vial filled with glowing blue dust.

"What is this?" he asked, stopping himself from reaching for the vial.

"Your way off this island. It is enough for two so you can take one person with you," Clarion said.

"Only one?" he asked, one eyebrow raised.

"I think Wendy and her brothers will find another way off the island, so you can take the fairy with you."

"The fairy? I thought she was wingless?"

"Well, she got her powers back when she started to believe in herself again. She just has to discover it for herself," the queen said, handing him the vial.

"How is this going to work?"

"Just like any other pixie dust, cover yourself with it, close your eyes and think of the place you want to go, when you open them again you should be wherever you want to be."

Killian nodded and glanced over at Tinker Bell and Wendy. Once everything was settled he would do as Clarion had just told him. He would take Lady Bell by her hand, sprinkle the dust over them close his eyes and take a deep breath, thinking of the Enchanted Forest and his long lost Jolly Roger.

And when he opened his eyes again he would be where he belonged.

Home.

.

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A/N: Happy new year, lovelies!

I am so so sorry for the delay, so I hope you are not too disappointed by this chapter.

It actually makes me quite unease because of Emma's and Neal's backstory and I actually wanted to make him likeable even though he breaks Emma's heart because I really do like Nealfire in the series.

I also hope you liked the Neverland part because it was much fun to write it, I just love Clarion and the way she talks!

So one positive thing about this update? It's the last one Emma and Killian spent apart so guess who's going to meet in the next one!

A big fat thank you to my amazing beta Susan94.

Hope you're in this for the long haul and wait for the next chapter.

Until then, tell me what you think?

Much love!