"Polly..."

A lazy hand stroked up and down the spine of the girl that was just starting to stir. Pan bit his lip as she pushed her arms out in front of her and arched her back like a cat. A quiet moan left her mouth as she stretched her back; a sleepy smile stretched on the Omega's face as she turned onto her side to look at her Alpha. His eyes glistened with the mischief that caused her caterpillar to roll around with glee. He was already dressed and ready for the day; in fact, he must have been up a while as she could already hear the Lost Boys laughing and shouting to each other. Pan carefully moved away the tangle red locks that fell in front of her eyes and studied her face as she began to wake up. After a few moments she got up onto her knees, ran a hand through her hair and looked at him curiously.

"Good morning." Pan took a moment to observe her in one of his undershirts; she looked stunning. Her hair was in disarray and her pale skin complimented the dark green material perfectly. He would have taken her right then and there if she did not have such an important task to get on with today.

"You have slept for a lot longer than usual. You aren't getting ill, are you?" Pan didn't sound too concerned but she was used to his way of speaking. Sometimes he could play the caring Alpha, but mostly he kept his emotions close to his chest.

"I think I was comfortable. I am not sick." She certainly didn't feel unwell. However, the caterpillar in her chest had slowly driven her to sleep the night before and she had pleasant dreams involving herself and Pan. Perhaps she had slept for such a length of time due to her happiness that she had been feeling?

"Good because I need you healthy today."

"Why?"

"It is time for your task, Polly. It is time for you to prove that you deserve a place on the island."

"W-what if I fail?" Would he send her away? He couldn't possibly do that! Although he would deny it, he needed her just as much as she needed him.

"I'm sure that I will think of a suitable punishment." His brow rose as a smirk appeared on his face causing his Omega to blush and avoid his gaze. "I think you will be successful. It is not too hard."

"What would you have me do?"

"I would have you get ready and meet me outside in five minutes." He spent a few more seconds staring at the redhead on his bed. She looked incredibly alluring with her eyes so wide and a shy smile on her face. He would have to surprise her more often. Pan left quietly and made his way down to the boys that were dishing up breakfast. She needed sustenance to ensure she would complete her task in a timely fashion.

Polly stretched once more and stumbled out of bed. She quickly slipped on her brown trousers, matching vest and green over shirt; a smile came to her face as she laced up her boots. These were the first items of clothing that Pan had gifted her. She may as well use them for good luck!

"Polly!" Pan's voice echoed from outside. Her eyes clenched shut as she roughly dragged her hairbrush through her tangled mane. Her hair was quite thick and being surrounded by trees and bushes that seemed to like attaching themselves to her was really annoying. After pulling a twig that had twisted around a strand of hair she let out a huff. Sometimes she wished that she had no hair; this was definitely one of the most time-consuming parts of her day.

Polly exited the treehouse and carefully climbed down the ladder. The boys had disbanded and Pan waited for her alongside Felix on a log. She had thought that being around Felix would have been uncomfortable after what had happened between them, but she had felt nothing other than a sense of peace around him. Perhaps they both were just hoping to forget it all.

"Here." Pan handed her a bowl of lumpy porridge as she settled across from them. "Now, I suppose you want to know what your task is…" Of course she did! Polly nodded with a mouth full of oats. "When we leave you a green light will appear above the trees; your task is to trace the origins of the light and find your gift."

"A gift?"

"Yes. I will not elaborate but you will understand if you manage to find it."

"Will I have a time limit?"

"Sundown. You will have 12 hours to find the light, retrieve your gift and return here. I will find you should you fail, but I have faith that you will succeed. I have not done anything unfair and you will only need to use your logic to track the light."

"When do I begin?" Polly placed her bowl in front of her feet; her hands were trembling with anticipation.


Polly found herself staring at the tree that she had somehow managed to find three times in the last ten minutes. The small diamond that she had carved into the bark taunted her as she let out a huff of frustration.

She knew that she was doing this all wrong.

She'd started off with merely looking forward at the green light that appeared from the sky, but that is how she found herself in this predicament. She could stumble through as many bushes and climb up as many hills as she wanted, but she doubted that she would ever reach her goal using this technique.

Her determination and innate need to be successful was her downfall.

She needed to think more like Pan would. The forest could be awfully confusing if you overlooked it. No, she needed to think more logically.

So, this stubborn tree that appeared to enjoy standing in her path would be her first step to winning this challenge. Polly stretched in place for a few moments before grabbing one of the branches that was reachable. She wedged her foot in one of the ridges of the tree and pulled herself up. Her arms complained from this action but she bit past the pain and began to make her way up to the tenth branch. "Phew!" Polly wiped the sweat from her brow and settled against the thick trunk. "Okay... don't think about how high up this... you can't give up now, Polly-Anna!" After her little pep talk a new sense of confidence filled her and she looked ahead to where the green light was.

It seemed brighter now; almost as though Pan was rewarding her for her efforts by making the glow more visible. In fact, if she squinted and looked closely, small tendrils of green appeared to stretch outwards as though offering a guide for her once she gets close enough.

The green beacon seemed to be a little nearer to the shoreline than she thought. As she had been trekking through the vast array of trees the light had seemed straight ahead, and through her not thinking of this being incorrect and walking in circles, she made no effort to change her direction. Now she could see that it was slightly to the right and closer to the water... or maybe even at the water! No, Pan wouldn't send her too close to the mermaids, right? Polly shook that thought from her head and rolled her eyes at the idea of having to climb back down to the leaf covered floor below. Well, no time like the present!

After spending a further half an hour climbing to the floor Polly was cringing from the burning sensation that filled her legs and arms. So, with a limp and the feeling that her arms were going to fall off, the Omega made her way in a South-East direction. The light never seemed to get any closer, but its glow looked to have gotten a little brighter as she carried on her way.

A flash of black trailed after Polly silently; the Shadow observed the girl and noticed how she was trying her best to please the island's leader even with the fresh scratches that caused small droplets of blood to run down her arms and legs. She was a fighter. The Shadow was pleasantly surprised to see how well of an actor Pan had become. He had been harsh at first but the tough love had been replaced by a false love that had obviously done wonders for Polly as an Omega. Her inner-strength was vital in keeping her bond with Pan alive and his recent kindness was ensuring that she remained strong. Her bond with Pan needed to persist like this until the heart of the truest believer was found. As far as the Shadow could tell, the child baring this gift had not yet been born, so the Alpha-Omega link had been a blessing to the power that remained in Neverland. It watched her for a few minutes longer as she batted a few branches out of the way and did her best to jump over some stubborn bushes that blocked her path before turning around to leave. She would do well. Her drive would help her to win this little game.

Polly stopped for a few moments and looked to the light. She needed to carry on heading South-East. There was a part of the island where the sea made a small river to a set of caves. A deep pool of water collated inside one of them from the stream, from what she had been told. Was that where she needed to be? The mermaids used to be housed within there until the Boys had a particularly successful game of fishing and drove them out. She supposed it would make sense for Pan to want her to work even harder to capture her prize towards the end. Polly was a strong swimmer so the thought of going underwater did not intimidate her. With a new sense of purpose, the Omega ignored the burning of her limbs and the blood that had dried on them and carved another diamond into the tree beside her. For all she knew the marks would merely disappear once she left the area, but it gave her some hope that if she managed to walk in a circle - which had already proved easily done due to the sheer amount of trees and greenery that was around her - then she would notice the diamond and correct herself.

The sound of the waves crashing against each other got louder as she came closer to the beach. The scent of sea salt filled her nostrils and small particles of sand had managed to somehow find its way on the leafy ground beneath her feet. She was close. She could see the beginnings of the cave and was proud to see a green glow emanating from out of the mouth. Ah, she had done it! Polly felt like giving herself a congratulatory pat on the back for finding her prize. She was sure that the Boys would have had very little faith in her so she could not wait to see the look on their faces once she returned with whatever it was she was currently seeking.

The small river of sea water flowed directly into the cave, with a path only a few feet wide going around the edges of it, and she could hear small splashes as it met the larger body of water within. The cave itself was as she had expected; grey, cold and uninviting. However, the green glow filled the inside chamber and she saw multiple strange looking plants and flowers growing within. They appeared from cracks that had formed in the walls and ceiling. She knew better than to touch them. Just because they looked nice, didn't mean that they wouldn't cause her some kind of illness or death. The plants had leaves that were dark in colour and stems that were a purple shade. The flowers seemed to have four cream petals that had a reddish stain towards the edges. A sickly, sweet smell came from them which made Polly feel a little queasy. This was a sign that she should leave them be so she carefully followed the rocky path and moved closer to the water pool.

As she had expected, a glimmer of concentrated light appeared from the bottom of the pool. Due to the clearness of the water she could work out that it was a good 20 feet deep. She had never swum so far underwater before but she was willing to try. She wanted to make herself and her Alpha proud after all! Polly sat down near the edge and slipped off her boots, socks, over shirt and trousers. She wanted to be as light as possible so that she could move her body freely. The water was cool, but not cold enough to give her a fright as she slipped into the pool. She trod water for a few moments and got herself used to the feeling. She hadn't been swimming since she had arrived here and her opportunities to swim back at home had been few and far between. Polly had found it quite difficult to sneak out to the nearby rivers and lakes under Rumple's watchful eye. Once she felt like she could swim without a pain burning in her arms and legs she dipped below the surface and practiced holding her breath. Polly had always been compared to a mermaid by Baelfire; on the rare occasions that they had snuck away and gone swimming he had always been amazed by how well she could move under the water and how long she could hold her breath. Polly looked down at the item she needed to reach and was happy to see that there were plenty of grooves and plants growing around the sides of the rocky water pool. She could use them to help her get to the bottom so that she could save her energy for the swim back up.

After making a firm decision on how she would achieve her task she broke through the surface and took multiple deep breaths in preparation. Just because she thought she could do this and the memory of Baelfire cheering her on to swim deeper was running through her mind, didn't mean that she wasn't intimidated by this task. Would Pan allow her to die? No, so she was almost certain that he would somehow be watching her or have some kind of spell in place so that she would not drown. However, the thought of the potential pain she may have to go through sent a shiver of doubt down her back. Polly had never feared dying, but it was the potential for pain that scared her. She felt that she had become stronger in the last few weeks or however long it had been, but she was still a young girl on the inside.

No! Polly shook her head and clenched her hands into fists to stop them from shaking.

She would do this.

She had to do this.

She was going to do this.

After mentally scolding herself she brought herself closer to patch of green vines and leaves that started at the cave wall, over the edge of the water pool and down to the bottom where her prize was. She pulled on them hard and was pleased to see that they did not budge. Polly would use these like a ladder to get down to the pool floor. She took in a big breath of air before submerging herself; she worked diligently and let out small bubbles of oxygen every few feet. The vines held fast and she found it easy to propel herself by grabbing on to them and then pushing herself downwards. Once her feet touched the bottom she looked to her prize and saw a simple wooden chest. Small wisps of green light travelled around it signalling that this was hers to take. She grabbed it by the handles on the sides, bent her knees and pushed up. Her stature was short but she made up for that by manoeuvring her body like she had seen the mermaids do. It was surprisingly easy to copy the aquatic humanoids' actions and it was faster than she had thought. The box was a small weight and so did not delay her too much in swimming to the surface. A slight burn began in her lungs as she lost the last of her air supply but she could see that she was near to the top. Polly swallowed down the panic that threatened to rise up within her and remained determined in reaching the surface. She felt free as she glided through the water in a style that seemed natural to her; in fact, from an outsider's point of view she could have been mistaken for one of the mermaids. Polly let out a breath of relief as she finally reached the top. She roughly threw the box onto the stone edge and gripped the green vines as exhaustion overtook her. She panted and wiped her hair back from her face.

"I did it…" Polly whispered to herself and gave a tired smile of satisfaction. Her feet tangled themselves in the vines and she used the leverage to push herself up and out of the pool. She rung out the water from her hair and shrugged on her over shirt. It was uncomfortable due to her being soaked but she wanted to make it back to camp as soon as possible. She slipped into the remainder of her clothes and sat cross-legged in front of the box. The green light had faded away which left the chest looking fairly boring in her opinion. She unlatched the lock at the front and placed her hands either side of the lid. Excitement filled her as she carefully opened the chest.

It was beautiful.

"I love it."

Inside of the box was a beautifully crafted bow. She could tell that it had been created especially for her as it looked feminine with the flowers and soft swirls carved into the wooden back. She truly was one of them now. Perhaps not the same in their arrogant and predatory ways, but she had been accepted at least. Pan was giving her the chance to be a part of their family and join in with them.

Could she do everything that would be asked of her? Probably not.

However, she would try. She would try if only to keep Pan being the kind Alpha that he had become recently.


The sky was getting dim by the time Polly felt like she could make her trek back to the camp. She had stayed staring at the bow for a while before resting her head to regain her strength. Somehow she managed to fall asleep across the uneven rock and had woken suddenly a few moments ago. Her hair was now dry and tangled and her clothes were crumpled and damp against her form. She needed to get back quickly before Pan sent out a search party thinking that she had failed. Polly set off with her bow in one hand and made her way back through the forest. She stayed close to the shoreline and attempted to follow her earlier path, although she had not doubt that she would miraculously manage to stumble across the camp should she think hard enough of its whereabouts.

It was a quiet whisper that caught her attention. Her body froze as she did not recognise the voices that appeared to get louder. She walked backwards as the cracking of twigs underfoot became closer to her and the voices were clearer. Men? There were men on the island? She shook her head as panic took over. What if they could smell her? What if Pan wasn't the only Alpha on the island? Would she be able to get away in time? Polly barely had time to prepare herself when she turned around straight into a strong chest. She tripped over her own feet in an effort to gain some distance between herself and the stranger, the bow dropped from her hands as she braced herself for the sudden fall; the man looked down at her in amusement and folded his arms over his black shirt.

"Hello, love." He noticed that the girl appeared to be frozen in fear and so knelt down in an effort to appear smaller. Had Pan done something to make her so frightened? "Alright, you can stay there. I'm just going to settle myself here." He held up his hands to show he wouldn't harm her and slumped against a nearby tree. Polly took it upon herself to grab her bow and stand once again. She oddly felt better now that she was taller than him.

"W-who are you?" Polly finally found her voice and questioned him shakily.

"I go by the name Hook. Captain Hook."

"A pirate?" Oh, Polly really wished that she could scream for her Alpha. Pirates were bad men that hurt people and stole from them. Rumple had always warned her about staying away from pirates.

"I'm not going to hurt you, lass. How did you come to be on the island?"

"I-I am here for Pan."

"Pan? I didn't know he took on girls now."

"He is my Alpha." Now this did surprise the Captain. Pan was an Alpha? The little demon had claimed this girl? "Why are you here?" Polly noticed that the other men had slowly surrounded them and she quickly turned in a circle to observe them all.

"This is my crew; they won't hurt you." Hook spoke softly as she noticed her fear towards them. However, he wasn't sure it was because Pan had hurt her. Perhaps she was just fearful of all men since she was an Omega. "Leave the girl alone, lads. Carry on with what you were doing." The crew grumbled but left anyway. There wasn't much to do on the island until they were given orders, they all knew that. "What's your name, lass?"

"Polly-Anna."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Polly." He remembered his manners and bowed his head. Polly flushed at his show of respect but quickly scolded herself within her mind. "You wouldn't happen to know where Pan is, Polly?"

"He will be at the camp, but I can't take you. He will find you if he wants to speak with you." Aye, Hook knew that he would have to wait on the flying demon and not go search for him. Hook was about to ask her another question when a small breeze blew in his direction. What was that sweet smell? Polly immediately stumbled backwards as she recognised the look in his eyes; Pan would look at her in the same way. "Is that you?" He blindly put a hand on her shoulder which sent a strange ache through the bite mark on her throat that she had long since forgotten about. It was almost like it was signalling that no one else should be touching her.

"You're an Alpha too." Polly whispered before darting her eyes to the right. "I need to leave!" Polly had run off into the forest before Hook could even blink away the haze that had taken over his vision.

Well, that was just brilliant(!)


'I'm never gonna be the same
I threw it all away
I don't want to be here fading
Just let go! Let go! Just let go!
I don't wanna be afraid
Let go! (I don't wanna run away!)
Just let go! Let go! Let go!'

-Let Go by RED-


AN: Hello!

A new chapter that took a while to get uploaded just because I wanted to make her trek through the forest and claiming of her prize detailed but not boring and it was a bit harder than I expected. However, I hope you like what I have written as it's quite a long chapter! I have said that Christmas is my aim to finish this story but I'm thinking perhaps January is more likely as I have a new update plan for my current fics! I definitely don't see this story carrying on into February so fingers crossed that my inspiration stays strong. ^.^

The old Alpha!Pan will be making a return in the next chapter. His nice attitude was never going to last very long and I think since we are about 3 chapters and an epilogue away from ending this story it will be the perfect way to bring back the cruel version of Pan that I know some of you love! Hook is going to be very instrumental in this happening, thus her claim mark suggesting that she should get away before he touches her again.

Anyways, please leave a review if you are interested in the next chapter. We are going to travel a bit in the next part and Polly will need all of the help she can get!

Thank you MakeMeProud, SmallLittleCagedBird and HermioneandMarcus for reviewing the previous chapter!

Have a nice day,

Mikki xx