"So tell me, Rapunzel," Pan said offering her a hand to climb over a fallen tree, "how did you live by yourself?"
She pulled her skirt up and took his hand before climbing over. "There was a pot of stew," she answered, smoothing her skirt before following after him, hearing Felix behind her.
"It never went bad?" Pan asked teasingly, though his eyes were searching and curious.
She looked up at the hill they'd reached and saw the rocks she'd have to climb, wondering how she would in a dress. The answer came suddenly when Felix wrapped his hands around her waist lifted her over the rocks, as though she weighed no more than a child, making her feel very small. "No, there was only ever enough for me to eat. More appeared when I was hungry."
"Hmm," Pan hummed, helping her as they climbed higher, seeing her tower had been enchanted specifically to keep her living; though he didn't think she knew, there was much she didn't know. "How did you learn to talk?"
He turned to look at her when she didn't answer, seeing she'd stopped walking and was now staring at the ground with her brows furrowed. "I don't know," she answered finally, finding no memory earlier than when she already knew how.
Pan walked back to where she stood, stopping when he was in front of her looking at Felix behind her to see his disbelieving face. "You don't remember?" Pan asked, trying to catch her if she was lying.
But she shook her head. "I remember learning how to talk, and read, but I don't," she stopped shrugging helplessly, a blank spot where a person should have been.
That was when he understood. "Your memories were taken," he said quietly, watching her eyes widen in surprise. He smirked before turning and continuing on, leaving the girl and Felix to follow after. He heard Rapunzel's small gasp when they reached the top of the hill, seeing her eyes were wide as she stared at the millions of stars above her, and he smiled pleased.
"Where are you going?" Felix asked, tearing his eyes away from her pretty face when Pan moved to go back down the hill.
Pan looked to him with a cocked brow. "Stay with her," he told him, "show her around."
Felix gave a derisive laugh. "What?" he asked, not wanting to play babysitter.
Pan turned and walked up to him, grabbing his arms and shaking him once. "Look at her," he said quietly, "she's so," they both turned to see her now sitting as she stared at the sky above her, "new." Felix looked back to Pan, seeing he had a plan in mind. "We can make her into whoever we want."
Felix looked at Pan unsure; she'd only been there a day and already most of the boys were taken by her kindness and sweet smile, she was different, she was new; and she'd be easily ruined.
"Keep her happy," Pan said clapping him on the shoulder before leaving him with the girl. He turned to her, seeing her pale skin illuminated by the moonlight, her bright eyes sparkling as she stared at the stars. He sat against a tree, tracing the curve of her neck, down over the swell of her chest and the length of her legs curled beneath her - she'd only been there a day.
"Pan hadn't planned on him falling in love with me." She stood leaning against a side of the ship, staring at the island she knew so well. Emma had demanded answers from her, she was angry because Gold had left them telling her she'd fail in saving Henry and she was afraid. And Cami was standing there so quietly staring hard at a place she'd kept a secret from them all. Now Emma knew how she'd gotten to Neverland, and what she was to the boys.
"How long were you there?" Emma asked, nearly glaring at her without realizing it. But Cami only shrugged, she had no idea; but it only made Emma more infuriatedly anxious and she went below deck to cool off.
Hook moved to Rapunzel, placing a hand on her shoulder and squeezing gently; offering her as much comfort as he could when they both knew the welcome they'd receive. He looked up to see Regina's untrusting eyes as she stood near Rapunzel, and he removed his hand before following Emma below deck.
Regina watched Cami's face as she stared at the island. "You sure you want to go back?" she asked making Cami turn to her. "You don't seem all that happy about it," she said in answer to Cami's questioning gaze.
Cami opened her mouth to respond but found nothing to say, she didn't want to go back - at least not yet, and she wasn't sure if they even wanted her there anymore. "That had always been the plan," is what she ended up saying, staring down into the water trying to push Felix's face out of her mind.
"You had planned to leave," Regina said realizing of course she hadn't meant to stay; feeling something weighing heavy on her heart at the thought that she might not come home with them.
She shrugged. "I was alone, I wasn't happy, Felix was here, there was no reason for me not to come back," she said, dreading even more when the ship would land ashore. "But then you found me," she said softly, turning to her briefly before looking back to the water. And even then, after Regina had found her cared for her and given her a new home with the Huntsman who'd cared for her even more, she hadn't really been happy. "I missed him," she said, fighting the swell of tears that built behind her eyes. "Everyday. Even during the curse I'd been," she stopped wiping her cheeks, "yearning for him. And he probably hasn't," she said turning to Regina hopelessly. "He probably doesn't even care."
Regina was left not knowing what to say, if there was anything that could be said for her; this didn't sound like young love, this wasn't a teenager's fears - it was that of a woman who had loved a man for many years and was now afraid of returning to him. "Oh Rapunzel," she sighed running a hand over her hair soothingly.
Cami looked at her, seeing the sadness reflected in Regina's eyes. "Why didn't you tell me your mother was dead?" she asked, shocking Regina speechless.
She was saved by the ship lurching nearly taking them both off their feet. "What the hell are you two doing?" she demanded making her way to the helm when she saw the Charmings at the wheel.
"Trying to keep it steady," Mary Margaret called back.
"Prepare for attack," Hook said stepping onto the deck and grabbing Rapunzel. "Get below deck and hold onto something," he ordered before walking to the others.
Cami knew what was coming, knew there wasn't much they could actually do if Peter had given orders for the mermaids to attack - and both she and Hook knew it would be best to keep her being there a secret until they made it to land, what when there was a very real possibility the mermaids would recognize her and take her before sinking the ship. And so she listened, huddling in a corner below deck and trying to keep herself steady. The ship lurched and dipped as the mermaids assaulted it and the cabin around her shook and creaked as the wind picked up and blew relentlessly. And then suddenly everything stilled.
"Stay down there," Hook called, knowing the mermaids liked Pan - they'd know Rapunzel if they saw her, and Pan had given them specific orders to keep a look out for her; though that had been thirty years ago. Either way, Cami staid crouched down in a small cubby hoping no one did anything stupid. She knew the moment she heard the bellowing of the conch shell that someone had done something stupid, something like catching a mermaid and not taking her shell. Though she didn't have much time to think on it before the storm rushed in, rattling the ship in its entirety, jostling her roughly against the wood; she'd have bruises on her shoulders from slamming into the wall, but that seemed so trivial at the realization they'd die - she could hear the water gurgling on the lower part of the ship beneath her. Though when the ship was torn apart the mermaids would be watching, they'd see blonde hair and take her, whether or not she was still alive. She couldn't imagine the look on Felix's face when he was met with the site of her lifeless body. He'd hate himself for driving her away, it'd destroy him.
She was brought back to reality by the cold water seeping into her pants, a wave having fallen over them and water now sloshed around her. In that moment she wanted to be back in Neverland, wanted to be safe and warm in Felix's arms, wished she'd never met Baelfire. She wanted to go back to before him, back to when Felix loved her, even back to when he was only starting to.
She had managed to convince Peter to let her go to the hill to see the sunrise every morning, tasking Felix with accompaning her as he always did. Everywhere she went Felix always went with her, told to keep her happy and give her anything she wanted; and in turn she sang every night before sleep, easing the boys who missed their homes into slumber. She had a pretty voice, a small quaint thing that was caught between singing and whispering; Felix hated to admit it, but he liked listening to her. He even liked taking her to see the sunrise, or to see the stars, or even to run because she'd never been able to before. He liked her smile, and even more her laugh; hell, he liked her. And she'd been with them less than a year. But she was so different, being a girl, she was kind and gentle - she needed protecting. And he couldn't find a reason why he felt the need to protect her.
"So are we seeing the mermaids today?" she asked as they walked, Peter having told her about them a few days before.
Felix wrapped an arm around her middle and lifted her over a log, feeling her pressed against his chest before he let her go. He enjoyed that too, the feel of her. He shook himself before following after. "I think he said tomorrow," he answered, knowing Pan had gone to talk to them once again about Rapunzel and that she was not to be hurt in any way. Felix had been informed he was to be close at her side in case any of the mermaids tried to pull her under - though that would prove to be for nothing for the mermaids liked her as well, Rapunzel had fawned over how magnificant their tails were and how beautiful their jewellery. And if there was anything to be said about mermaids, they were vain. And they had absolutely adored Rapunzel.
"Careful," he nearly yelled, grabbing her and pulling her to him; which left them face to face without even an inch between them. The air froze in his lungs at the sight of her bright blue eyes staring up at him, of her mouth so close to his own. He cleared his throat and unwound his arms from around her. "Dreamshade," he said pointing to the small plant that grew along the ground. He looked to her to see a small smile painted on her mouth, a sight that made his stomach drop and heat flood to his cheeks. "We'll miss the sunrise," he said turning away from her, trying to harden himself. But it was too late, he was already taken with her; and he smiled when she asked if he thought the sunrise was beautiful, though his eyes had been on her face.
The ship rocked gently as the storm suddenly dissipitated, and Cami uncovered her head and looked around her at the things that had tumbled over. They were alright, someone had stopped the storm. But she didn't get up immediately, she sat in the small corner realizing that she truly did want to go back to Neverland; she was just afraid they wouldn't want her. It wasn't an easy thing to understand, it completely floored her just how scared she was of seeing Felix again, of seeing him and him not loving her.
"Cami," Regina called, opened the door and climbing down the stairs.
She quickly wiped beneath her eyes and stood. "Is is okay for me to come out now?" she asked, pretending that she hadn't just been crying; pretending well enough that Regina believed her, too relieved to take note of her pale face and red eyes before she gathered her in her arms. "I'm so glad you're okay," Regina said, unaware that her touch had sprung tears back into Cami's eyes who in turn clung to her.
"Good to see you're alright, little flower," Hook said when David took her hand and hoisted her onto the deck, offering Regina his hand though she brushed it aside rudely.
She offered Hook a small smile but he saw through it, she was just as afraid of returning as he was; only they'd forgive her much more quickly than they would him. Something he thought she knew, because unlike him she didn't hesitate before getting into the boat with the others. She did however, hesitate in taking his hand when they reached the shore; her eyes were looking at the bank, at the trees, the sky. She knew this place, she knew it better than she knew even herself. And the moment she took Hook's hand and stepped onto the shore she'd decided her fate. She had come home.
Thank you all so much for reviewing, they really do make my day. Her reunion with Felix will be next chapter, and I'm so excited for it! But first things first, I have taken out parts of scenes from the show that Cami would be in but not really have much of a role besides being there; and I decided not to do them, like the scene where Rumple leaves or Emma's awesome speech at the end because they don't really add much to my story besides length. So I hope that it doesn't bother anyone that I leave some things out. And I really hope everyone is still enjoying the story. Thanks for reading guys.
