Sorry I didn't post a chapter on Friday I was pretty busy. I also don't know when I'll be posting chapter 11 because I have a lot of work and I mean a lot: 10 million projects and orals, not to mention exams... Wait, I forgot homework (how could I ?)... Thank you so much teachers, can't wait for Christmas exams! (me smiling sarcastically). The usual: Don't own Once. Do own Livia.

Chapter 10: Questions

"What do you think?" Tink asked me.

"I really like it, thanks. I was getting tired of my old clothes." I turned to the left to admire the back of my new outfit. It was really nice. Tink had changed my dark blue yoga pants into tight comfortable leggings. I had replaced my black T-shirt by an oversized beige blouse. I had rolled the sleeves and Tink had given me a belt that really pulled off the look.

"I'm starting to think you still have magic," I teased, "because those slippers were hopeless."

Indeed, she had done an amazing job turning my slippers into boots. I laughed a little; this was so different from the clothes that I used to wear. No designer high heels or skater skirts or colourful necklaces. But I loved it. It made me look like an adventurer or a cute pirate. I felt braver and it seemed appropriate for the situation. I tied my auburn hair into a side braid and smiled at my reflexion, satisfied with the overall look.

In the evening, we made a camp fire -but we definitely did not dance- and sat around it, on logs.

"For sure, the man is Rumpl-The Dark One." Tinker Bell said, referring to vision I had had a few days ago. "But I just can't figure out who that woman is."

"Yeah, I guess it doesn't really help to know that she wore a blue dress and a black cape." I added.

"There's one thing though; you said something about light magic, right?"

"The crocodile man said 'It's too bad your light magic isn't powerful enough for this'. What does he mean by that?"

"I don't know, it could mean anything really. People went -or go- to him for so many reasons."

"There's this one thing I really can't stop thinking about." I looked up at Tink, the dancing flames of the fire illuminating her face. On the outside, she seemed calm, serine, but by the look in her eyes I knew something was worrying her. She nodded for me to continue. "Do you think they were talking about me? The first born, I mean?"

"It could be, but honestly, I have no idea." She stared at the crackling fire. "You know what else I can't figure out? Pan. Why hasn't he come to 'pay us a visit' yet? It's not really like him to let people leave his group."

"Maybe he just doesn't care enough to give a s***." I said.

"I don't think so Livia. I could tell by your conversation the other day that you intrigue him. He pretends you don't puzzle him, but I'm pretty sure he's trying to get answers of his own. I'm telling you, there's something off with his behaviour."

"This leaves us with more questions than answers." I sighed.

That night, I couldn't sleep. I kept thinking about the vision and about what Tink had said about Pan. After a while, I decided that a walk was just what I needed to take my mind off things. As I got up, the floor of the tree house cracked. Tink, lying on her mattress, turned to her side. I waited a couple of minutes to make sure she was still asleep, as I doubted she would let me go out on my own this late. Then, I walked to the door making as less noise as possible. The door whined. Shut up, I thought. I got out and closed the door quietly behind me.

At first, I didn't really know where I was going. I was following imaginary paths; turning right behind the giant rock, then left before the weird tree, following the swamp... Then I realized that I wasn't just wandering in the forest. I was going to the beach, more specifically the spot where I slept on my first night in Neverland.

There were no traces of me ever being there. Nothing. It was as if I had never even been there. Everything was so calm, peaceful, unlike the night I arrived to this magical land, the night that everything changed, the night my life had turned upside down. I sat down and let the music of the ocean rock me like a child listening to his mother singing a lullaby. The shining stars surrounded the full moon. It was both the same and a different night sky as the one I used to admire from the window of my bedroom. Home... My heart tightened in my chest and I felt a nought in my throat form.

"What am I doing here?" I wondered out loud.

"Talking to yourself now, Luv?"

I knew that voice all too well. I didn't need to turn around and look at the person standing behind me to know who it belonged to. Caught in this pretty embarrassing moment, I had two options: denial or indifference. Since denying the fact that I was talking to myself was obviously not going to fool Pan, indifference was my only option.

"I was just wondering what the heck I'm doing here."

"I'll spare you some time." He said. Had he found out the reason behind my presence here? "Sometimes my shadow just likes to bring idiots here. Don't worry, it's very common."

"Excuse me?!" I got up to face him. "There is an idiot here, but it's definitely not me."

"I love it when you are mad, Luv." He smirked.

Luv? What the hell? I'd been M.I.A for a few days and now I was his Luv? Wished that worked with other guys...

"You're such an asshole." Yeah, my comebacks were lame.

"Already insulting me?" He faked an innocent smile. "I haven't seen you in days. No greetings?"

"You knew where I was all along, you could have come to say 'hi'. But no, you were too busy dealing with your oversized ego."

"That's the thing Livia, I was too busy watching you make a fool of yourself."

"Are you sure you weren't facing a mirror?" I retorted. He didn't expect that. Good.

"Wardrobe change? I like it." He looked at me from head to toes. I felt the red of my burning checks rise, I was lucky it was dark and he couldn't see me blush. I hadn't realized that my outfit did kind of show off what I had. I rejected the urge I felt to cover myself up. If I wanted to win this, whatever this was, I had to fake indifference and confidence.

"What were you really up to, Pan?"

"Same old. You know where to find me when you get tired of the wannabe fairy, Luv." With that he took off.

"Wait!" I said. He stopped but didn't turn around. "You forgot your bull crap." He vanished. I walked back to the tree house with a satisfied grin on my face.

Hope you like it! Isn't Pan just The perfect jerk? Yeah... but I still enjoyed writing this chapter and I have to admit I kind of missed those Livia and Pan moments... What about you?

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See you! 3