Peter turned around again. It was the fourth time in the last hour. After they had eaten and he had figured she had her strength back, he had gathered Henry and Felix. They had set off just after dawn, Henry keeping pace with Peter. Felix had been asked to come because he was going to carry Dahlia. She had put up a fuss but in the end she rode on Felix's back.
It was amazing how much nothing could lead to something. The arguments that had gone on between the two had been monumental. Sometimes it brought about fights. Those fights had always been fun to watch. As she had gotten stronger, Dahlia had gotten better at predicting Felix's moves. It helped that she was limber enough to move out of his way when he swung his club. That had been the real reason she had taken him down enough times to piss him off.
It had been after Henry had arrived that their relationship had started off worse then progressed. Felix had attacked her and they all thought that she would shy away from or hate him. It actually had been a surprise when she started seeking him out at the campfire at night. It had only been a few days since Henry had arrived but it seemed like a lifetime. Even after Peter had started forcing them together, he hadn't realized how strong things were becoming.
When he had come back into camp after Dahlia's wolf had come for him, he had been shocked to see Felix taking care of her. It shocked him more when he saw his second smiling and touching her gently. Felix hadn't done that ever. Peter had never gotten seriously injured. The magic of Neverland always healed him so he never really needed a nursemaid. So to see this meant his second was discovering things about himself he never knew.
As they had gone through the jungle, Felix had been relegated to carrying Dahlia when she was tired of walking. They had walked behind Peter and Henry most of the journey and mostly in silence. When they had stopped so Henry could pull a rock from his shoe, they had argued. Peter had watched as Felix manhandled Dahlia onto his back. He locked his arms under her legs and started walking again. Dahlia had started yapping into his ear about how much of a brute he was. She even caught him in the jaw with one of her fists. In the end she had settled down and rested against her chin against his head.
Dahlia's laughter rang out in the forest. Peter looked back to find Felix sprawled out on the ground. Dahlia was on top of him, trying her best to get off his back. Her laughter was making it harder for her to do so. She finally sat back in the grass so he could roll to his feet. He extended his hands. When he jerked her up, she did a move and landed on his back again. She winced a little as she jarred her arm. Felix nodded at him and they continued on.
When they got to Skull Rock, Dahlia slid off Felix's back. Felix rolled his shoulders then sat down beside her. He broke a piece of fruit and handed it to her. Peter envied the sudden ease in which they talked. Dahlia hadn't talked much to him since she had found out he was keeping Wendy. He wasn't certain he could figure out what she was planning. She was becoming too much like him.
"Loras, quit lurking about. I've known you were there for some time," he said.
The wolf snarled at him as he padded from the thick underbrush. Well, at least someone hadn't lost his touch. The wolf was angry at him for upsetting his master. He was still slightly shocked that she had brought a whole pack into his camp when she was sick. That had only been a few hours ago. He wasn't certain if the rest of them were out there somewhere.
"It seems your pet has angered Pan," Felix said as Loras sat on his feet.
Dahlia ran her fingers through Loras's thick white fur. She grabbed his face then raked her teeth across his nose. "Stop being a butt." His tongued lolled out of his mouth. "Cheeky."
Peter walked over and knelt in front of them. Loras looked at him sideways then growled. "Are you feeling all right?"
"I'm fine," she replied.
He frowned. Being short with him wasn't going to make the trip any easier. He sucked on his teeth to make give him time to think things through. Felix watched him with a knowing smile. Sometimes he just wanted to hit his right hand. He stood up suddenly.
"We'll set up camp here on the shore. We have to wait until midnight. That's when the magic is strongest."
"The witching hour," Dahlia and Henry muttered at the same time. They looked at each other and smiled.
Felix frowned. "The witching hour? What is that?"
"It's what we call midnight back home. It's when the moon is at its highest. It's said that any type of magic can be harnessed during the witching hour," Dahlia explained. "That's the reason you wanted him to do it tonight. There's a full moon back home. You're planning on using the magic of Neverland to take you to our world."
Peter was downright stunned that she had figured it out. She stood. "Where are you going?" She got about five paces away from him before she stumbled. "Dahlia, you're too weak. You can't go off by yourself."
"Watch me!"
"You're too stubborn sometimes!"
"And you're a rotten bastard who doesn't know when to stop!"
"I'll go get her," Felix said and he jumped up to follow after her.
Peter turned around to find Henry watching him. He didn't say much but whatever he was thinking was in his eyes. He wondered what had been said between them in the hours before they had set out. All Henry knew was that the two of them had spent plenty of time together. He had never really seen them fight. Now that the stakes were higher tensions were higher as well.
Felix returned shaking his head. How he had lost Dahlia wasn't really a surprise. She had become incredibly accustomed to going out on her own without thinking about what she was doing. Fear that she would fall into Dreamshade again overtook him.
"She knows what it looks like now," Felix said. "She won't be that stupid again. Mind the boy."
(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)
Dahlia walked slowly through the forest. Finding a hidden camp was like trying to find a green needle in a sea full of blue. It was almost impossible because the colors were so similar. Finding an empty camp Neverland was like trying to find an inhabited cave among thousands. The Lost Boys had many sentry camps located throughout the island. They always moved camps depending on where Pan put them.
Touching Loras's head, she ordered the wolf to howl. She waited for the answering howls to figure out which one was closest. That would be where they were camping. Loras went ahead of her as he followed the scent of the other wolf. Slipping easily into her wolf blood, she used her heightened senses to follow the path herself. It led her right into their camp.
There were two extra ones with them now, the older man she saw with Neal and another dark haired woman. They all stood around the fire arguing about something, probably the way they were going to get Henry back. She watched them, Henry's family. They had come all this way to save him. She began to wonder what it would be like to have someone come searching for her. She had decided a long time ago that her roommate had quit after a week or two. Henry was really lucky.
She walked into the camp, hands in the air. She realized she was walking into the lion's den but it was to help Henry. She felt the swell of magic as the woman and the man summoned their dark powers. Her eyes had to be bright gold as the wolf magic swam in her bloodstream.
"Wait! Regina, wait!" Emma ran over and stopped the new dark haired woman from advancing. She could have told her it wouldn't have mattered. There was a whole pack of wolves out there waiting for a fight.
"Who is she?" Regina asked.
"Her name is Dahlia. She's been living with Pan. She's been protecting Henry."
"Girls aren't supposed to be in Neverland," the older man said.
Dahlia sighed but Neal spoke up first. "It's a long story. How is Henry?"
"He was fine when I left him."
"Left him?" Regina demanded. "Left him? Where did you leave him?"
"He's with Peter at Skull Rock," Dahlia replied.
"You left him with Peter Pan?" Neal's father growled.
Hook jumped in front of her. "Stop it. She's been poisoned by Dreamshade."
She lifted her sleeve to show the faded black veins. "I was poisoned by Dreamshade. The wolf magic healed me. It still doesn't ease your pain that I left him but Peter won't hurt him. He needs him too badly to hurt him. I honestly didn't know you were his family when Neal and he took him from the camp. If I had I wouldn't have tracked you. I wasn't in the camp when the sleeping spell was cast so it didn't affect me."
"Did you track us back to this camp?" Mary Margaret asked.
She nodded. "Yeah, I did. It was harder this time because of the poisoning and I couldn't let them figure out where I was going. They know I've met you but they don't know what's been said between us."
"Pan's got to know that you've been searching for us, love. He wouldn't just let you walk away," Hook said.
Dahlia laughed. "I left them at Skull Rock because Peter is going to use Henry to open a portal between Neverland and my world. He's going to flood my world with Neverland magic. I don't know what he wants after that."
"Neverland magic is so potent that it will stop the aging of anyone Pan wishes," Neal said. "He can also make anyone Lost Boys. It will be one big massive party."
"Except the girls," Emma said. She turned to look at Dahlia. "You said your wolf magic was too strong so you couldn't hear his pipe. Would that be true for everyone?"
Neal shook his head. "The pipe only works on boys who feel unloved or unwanted. Girls are said to be too clever."
"Then how did she get here?" Regina asked.
Dahlia didn't get a chance to answer as a wolf howled. Loras howled in response. "I have to go back. Felix will be out looking for me soon. Neal, have you been to the other side of the island?"
He nodded. "Yeah, why?"
"Peter is holding Wendy Darling in a cage on the other side. I have a feeling it's much like the one you were in a day or so ago."
"Pan has Wendy?" Emma asked.
Dahlia nodded. "Yes, he's been holding her for a century. She told Henry that she was sick. He's going to help Peter to save her. When he does, well, you know the rest."
"Are you still going to protect Henry?" David asked.
"Yeah. I'm going to protect Henry with my last breath. Please. Just get Wendy out of here. I'm afraid to think about what's going to happen to her." Another wolf howled. "I have to go."
She didn't care how bad it hurt when she took to the trees. She sent Loras back by a different route. If they were caught together, Felix would simply track one of their trails. He couldn't track tree paths so it would be easier. About halfway back, she dropped to the path, too weak to continue in the trees. Her knees buckled and she sat down hard. She knew this feeling and it didn't sit well.
She didn't know how long she had been sitting there when Felix showed up. He sighed as he scooped her up. Sleep threatened to overtake her but she fought it off. She had to make sure Henry was all right. Felix was gentle as he walked back through the woods. He was surefooted so he didn't bump her arm too much.
"You knew you were too weak to go through the trees," he said, "yet you did. Where did you go?'
"Wandering is what I do when he makes me mad," she replied.
"Who did you talk to?"
"The wolves. They are my constant companions if you haven't noticed."
He didn't pressure her anymore which was a good thing. When they walked back to camp, he set her down beside the fire and threw a cloak over her. Henry shifted up against her, his head dropping to her shoulder. She hurt all over. Maybe they had been right. Maybe she should have stayed back at the camp.
"Dahlia." She turned at Peter's voice. He was sitting under a tent with a bedroll out. "Come here."
She looked down at Henry. He smiled up at her and nodded. She draped the cloak around his shoulders and went to the boy. He drew her down to sit beside him, tucking her under his shoulder. He pulled the cloak he had around the both of them and rested his cheek against her head.
"Tomorrow you will be back in your world," he said.
"What do you want with my world?" she asked.
"You said you wanted to go back. This is how I'm sending you back."
She sat back and looked at him. "You would be that selfless? Even when you have another girl caged on the island? What are you going to do? Use her next?"
"What…" His mouth opened in surprise and has eyes took on a wicked gleam. "Are… are you jealous?"
"Why should I be jealous of a girl who looks like a constant sixteen year old?"
"I'm a constant nineteen year old." He laughed when she tucked herself back against him. "You want to protect Henry while he's doing this. I understand. I want to protect him too."
"You want to use him. What's so important about this?"
"He's the savior of magic. I've told you this already."
"I know but any other information you're not exactly forthcoming."
"You'll know when you're meant to. Now rest. I'll wake you when it's time."
Dahlia hated the way he always played things down. One of these days he was going to get what was coming to him. She felt his fingers playing in her hair, enticing her to sleep. That was more potent than magic.