Chapter 14

A/N: Sorry about the wait guys! I had two crazy exams really close together last week and I have been barely sleeping trying to study for them. Your responses for the last chapter were amazing! I cannot believe how supportive and encouraging you guys are – it really makes this story so much easier to write. Thank you to Metope, Grace de Gold, CoccinelleMenthol, Chelseadaggz, Hatjkva, PrincessMiss, freedomqueen, Anny Rodrigues, t3ars0fglass, reina108, onlywithlove, bloodymary2, Morgauza, Caro, katie, EvilQueen225, fifitrixiebelle, Natali Rempel Drews, darlingsweetiedarling, OhMyGubex, Guest, Keyhlan and addictedtolove92. I cannot believe this story has nearly a hundred reviews! You guys are epic!

The next chapter is already half written so hopefully the next update won't take so long :).

"After all this time," Peter whispered, staring reverently down at the blade in his hands. Henry stared up at him from the safety of Snow's arms, not feeling very safe at all. If Rumpletsiltskin, the all powerful Dark One, could be slain, then what hope was there for the rest of them? "You have no idea how long I have been waiting for this. How long I have planned for this," Peter continued, blue eyes meeting hazel as he stared down at Henry. "Thank you."

My fault, Henry thought, his stomach twisting violently. His gaze dropped to the still figure of his grandfather lying on the ground between them. This was his fault. Gold had died for him, because of him.

"What of the other one?" a Lost Boy asked him, stepping closer to Peter. "The other magic user?"

"Don't you understand?" Peter's voice was loud as a whip, and carried across the still evening air. Henry felt Snow flinch, her grip around him tightening. "I am the most powerful being there is now," Peter continued, his voice calmer. "I am the immortal Dark One. With this," he held up the dagger. "We will have entire worlds bowing at our feet. Neverland is but a speck on the map. There are so many other worlds to claim!"

"The beans are ready to be harvested whenever you wish to leave," the boy responded with a feral grin, bowing his head slightly.

"Not yet, not yet," Peter whispered. "We must be prepared first. And you're right; I cannot leave any loose ends behind."

He turned his head, staring into the darkness of the surrounding gardens. A moment later a shadow detached itself from the night. For a moment it was only a shadow, a flicker of the dark, and then it seemed to shift and blink, and suddenly it had a form and shape, and two burning coals of blue light for eyes. It hovered at the edge of light and darkness, staring across at its master.

"You've felt her magic before," Peter said. "Find her. And if you cannot bring me back her corpse, bring her back here so that I can kill her myself."

"No!" Henry screamed, thrashing in Snow's grasp.

Peter turned towards Henry again, blue eyes shining with interest. With a single graceful bound he leapt over the stone steps that separated them, floating over Rumplestiltskin's body and coming to rest on the ground before Henry.

"Leave him alone," Snow threatened, her voice trembling slightly.

Ignoring her, Peter reached forwards, cupping Henry's face in his hand. "Who is she to you Henry?" Peter whispered, bending slightly so that he could search his gaze. "Is she your mother?"

Tears flooded Henry's eyes and he averted his eyes, saying nothing.

Peter smiled. "This will make things easier then," he murmured. He straightened, his gaze hardening. "Lost Boy's don't have mothers, Henry. You'll learn that soon enough. Take them away," he ordered, turning around and walking back up the stone steps towards his fortress. Two of the Lost Boys moved forwards.

"Come with us," one of them said jadedly, motioning towards the fort. "You can join your friends in the tower."

Snow gave him a nudge to get him moving and he fell into step beside them, his gaze dropping to his feet as he walked.

He tried to disappear, he tried to slink back into the recesses of his mind and leave the world around him behind. But his mind was filled with memories he didn't want to relive. Memories of Storybrooke, of happier times, of Mr Gold, alive and well… of his mother. No, he shook his head. He didn't want to think about his mother. He didn't want to think about what was going to happen to her.

And if you cannot bring me back her corpse, bring her back here so that I can kill her myself, Peter Pan's voice echoed in his mind. And she would. She would come for him. No matter how many times he had pushed her away, no matter how many times he had hurt her, she had never stopped trying. She had never given up on him. She would die for him. Just like his grandfather had.

My fault. It's my fault.

"Through there," one of the boys at his side muttered, pushing open a wooden door. He felt a light pressure against his shoulder as Snow gently guided him through. There was a hollow thud as it closed behind them.

"Henry!" Emma was in front of him suddenly, her hands reaching for him.

"Emma!" Snow let go of Henry as she reached for her daughter, and for a moment Henry was caught between them as they embraced. He pulled away roughly, flinching as Emma reached out to catch him.

"Kid…"

He made it to the nearest wall and slumped down against it, sliding down until his legs hit the ground.

"Emma," he heard Snow murmur and then her voice dropped and he could hear no more. He didn't need to hear anything to know what was being said. He closed his eyes again.

"No, no…" Emma's voice whispered. "That's not possible!"

"The Dark One is dead?" Killian's voice followed, louder. His statement was answered by two hissing noises as Emma and Snow tried to shush him. Henry didn't understand why. Whispering about Rumplestiltskin being dead was no different to saying it aloud. Either way he was still gone.

"Henry?" Emma's voice was closer now. He felt her hands cover his as she knelt before him. "Kid, can you look at me?"

He kept his eyes stubbornly closed. He didn't want to see her. He didn't want to see anyone. He wanted to disappear but it simply wasn't working.

"Henry?" she squeezed his hands. He jerked them out of her grip, turning his head to the side. The stone was cold as he rested his cheek against it. He felt Emma pull away.

"No, no I can't," he heard her whisper, standing once again next to Snow. "I don't know what to do. I don't know how to help him…"

"You're his mother Emma," Snow's voice returned quietly.

"Not right now. I… I can't do this stuff. I'm not the mother he needs right now."

She sounded lost and hurt, and if Henry hadn't been trying to cope with too much of his own pain, he might have opened his eyes and tried to reassure her. But she was right. He wanted his other mother. The one who had been soothing his pain since before he could remember. The one who would know instinctively that he didn't need words right now, he just needed someone to hold him and tell him that this wasn't his fault.

Even though it was.

But he couldn't want Regina. He couldn't want her there because if she came for him, she would die. And he wouldn't be able to survive that.

"Henry?" It was Hook's voice in front of him now, and a moment later he felt a hand take his shoulder and shake him firmly. "Henry look at me."

"Hook, leave him alone!" Emma snapped.

"If neither of you are going to help him then I will," the pirate responded coolly. "Listen to me lad. I know that you're upset. Your grandfather may not have mattered to me, but he was important to you. But this was not your fault."

Henry's eyes opened at the words, his head slowly turning to meet Killian's blue gaze.

"This was not your fault," the pirate repeated. "There was nothing you could have done. But right now, there is something you can do. And if you don't help us, the rest of us could very well die."

"Hook!" Emma snarled his name, taking a step closer to them. "Stop that! Don't put that kind of pressure on him!"

"How?" Henry whispered, ignoring her. "How can I help you guys?"

Killian smiled, nodding his head slightly in approval. "You see that window over there?" he asked, gesturing to the arched opening in the stone wall. Henry glanced across at it, staring out at the patch of dark sky he could see from his position on the ground.

"What about it?" he mumbled.

"Well, I think you could fit through there quite easily don't you?"

Henry's face scrunched in confusion. Why would he want to jump through the window? They were in the tower, too high to jump… his eyes widened suddenly, realisation striking him.

"I can fly," he whispered, turning his head back to Killian. The pirate nodded his head, grinning.

"You can fly."

…

The sound of muted whimpers roused him from his own fitful sleep. David opened his eyes, staring up at the shadow filled roof of Nakoma's tree house. For a moment he held himself still, blinking in confusion as he tried to gather his senses, listening to the distant sounds of the Screamers filling the night air, punctuated by the closer, whimpering sounds of fear a little to his left.

Regina.

A familiar wave of protectiveness rose up within him as he sat up suddenly, looking over to where the brunette was curled up on a fur pelt a small distance away.

Safe, he thought, breathing out a soft sigh. It was only a nightmare. Her features were contorted with fear, her fingers curled into tight fists against her chest. She made another little cry of fear and David found himself moving towards her instinctively. He settled down beside her, his hand sliding up her arm in a gentle caress.

"Regina?" he whispered, careful fingers moving to brush a lock of dark hair away from her face. She stirred at the touch, taking a shuddery breath as her eyes flew open. "Shh, it's just me," he murmured, waiting while panic faded to recognition and she slowly relaxed.

"Sorry," she breathed out, shaking her head slightly as she pulled herself out of the grips of her dream. "Did I wake you?"

"Doesn't matter," he replied gently. "Are you okay?"

Her head dropped back down to the grey fur pelt beneath her and she nodded slightly. "It was only a nightmare," she whispered, her eyes now level with his chest.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he offered.

She gave a slight shake of her head, still not meeting his gaze. He resisted the urge to wrap his arms around her and pull her close, knowing that by all rights he should have moved back to his own makeshift bed already. He was married. Sleeping with Regina, even in the most literal sense of the term, was not allowed.

Thinking about kissing her isn't allowed either, he thought, and you've been doing that since you gave her the cure.

"Is it morning yet?" she murmured after a time, her eyelashes fluttering as she fought the pull of sleep.

"No, go back to sleep," he soothed her gently. She made a small, sleepy sound, her eyes falling shut again and her breathing evening out as she slipped back into oblivion. He watched her, unwilling to move, unable to leave her side and cursing himself for it all the while. He hadn't intended for this to happen. He hadn't even thought it was possible. But watching her now, David knew he couldn't deny what he was feeling any longer. It was messy and confusing as hell, but it was also too powerful to be ignored.

You can't love her, it's not possible, he told himself. Snow is your true love. Nothing is supposed to be able to come between that.

It would have been easier if Regina had been trying to seduce him, as she had once done during the curse. At least that way she would be partially to blame, he thought. But she seemed to have no idea at all. She was completely innocent in this, while he was the one constantly contemplating pulling her against him and kissing her senseless.

He groaned softly, squeezing his eyes shut briefly as he tried to get his thoughts under control.

The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her. She had given him her trust, and as fragile and uncertain as that trust was, he knew just how easily he could shatter it. He wanted her to feel safe with him, he wanted her to know that she had someone she could rely on completely, someone who wasn't going to cause her pain… but he also wanted her. The fierce protectiveness that had grown for the woman he had once sworn to destroy had come hand in hand with an equal share of desire.

Since she had awoken from the ink poisoning, she seemed to have dropped her guard around him completely. Those deep dark eyes that had once seemed so empty and cold to him, now seemed warm and bright when he looked into them. And every time she smiled, or laughed, or bared a little more of her soul to him, he found himself falling even harder for her. The woman that was hidden beneath the Evil Queen was someone incredible, and he wasn't willing to lose her.

Giving in, he found himself moving forwards, draping an arm around her waist as he pulled her in closer. She roused slightly, mumbling something unintelligible and she nuzzling her head into his chest, before falling back asleep. He couldn't understand how something that should be causing him to feel guilty, could instead make him feel so complete. It was as though everything had settled inside of him, as though nothing else mattered while he had her in his arms.

Tomorrow, he decided sleepily, closing his eyes. Once they had Henry back safely. He would decide what had to be done then.

…

She woke as suddenly as though someone had screamed in her ear, her heart pounding against her ribcage. For a moment nothing made sense – the stuffy, herb scented air that surrounded her, the hard, unforgiving floor and the prickly fur pelt beneath her, and most confusing of all, the strong arms holding her securely against a muscled chest. She blinked, confused, tilting her head up to find David's face just inches from her own.

"David?" she called, whispering without knowing why. Something was wrong. She could feel it. Something was very wrong. She tried wriggling backwards, only to find that David's arms reflexively tightened around her as she tried to shift away. Over protective even in his sleep, she thought in frustration. She lifted her hand, tentative fingers brushing against his stubbled jaw. He stirred at her touch, blue eyes flickering open sleepily.

"Hey," he mumbled, smiling down at her.

"Let me go," she said urgently.

"Wha…Oh…" he seemed to suddenly realise that he had her in his arms. "I'm sorry, I…" he began, loosening his grip on her. She was on her feet in an instant, moving towards the doorway. "Regina!" David's panicked voice followed her as she strode out the open door and into the still night air.

Almost dawn, she thought, her eyes sweeping restlessly around her. The sky was more indigo than black, shadows were growing as the light crept back into the world.

"Regina!" his hand caught her arm, releasing her an instant later. "You were having a nightmare… I woke you… Don't you remember?"

She spun around suddenly, pressing her hand against his lips. "Quiet!" she hissed.

Something was wrong. She turned her head, searching the spaces between the tree trunks that surrounded them frantically. Calloused fingers found her chin a moment later, forcing her to look back at David. He pulled her hand away from his lips with his other hand, holding onto her for a moment longer before releasing her hand again.

"I think you were having another nightmare," he said gently. "Come on, come back to bed."

"No, David… Trust me," she said desperately.

There!

She felt it suddenly, a prickle at the edge of her awareness. She drew on her magic, reaching out into the forest around her, searching… She whirled around as she felt the foreign magic sweep towards her in a sudden, violent rush. A shadow detached itself from the darkness, rushing towards her in a dark blur. She didn't have time to think, her hand was automatically lifting to defend herself, a spell flickering at her fingertips as David's hands found her waist and shoved her aside. She fell to her hands and knees on the creaking wooden walkway, twisting her neck in time to see the shadow slam into David instead, sending him tumbling over the rope railing and hurtling towards the ground below. Her hand flicked towards him, the magic at her fingers flowing forwards to catch him before he hit the ground. She pushed herself to her feet, another bolt of magic flying from her hand towards the shadow as it circled back to her. The dark figure twisted aside, dodging the purple light. A ghostly hand flew towards her and she gasped as a blast of shadowy magic struck her. Her knees buckled, her teeth snapping together as her jaw clenched in pain.

"Regina!" David yelled up at her, somewhere from the ground below.

"I'm a little busy, dear," she called back, summoning a fireball into her palm. The shadow hung back, the blue orbs of light which passed for eyes in its featureless face watching the flame warily. "Come at me you bastard," she snarled, pushing more of her magic into the fire. Bright orange light coloured the forest around her, chasing the shadows – both the living one and the lifeless ones – backwards. The shadow moved its hand again, sending another blast of its magic sweeping towards her. She felt it claw at the magic in her palm, the fire flickering violently as she fought to keep it alight. The struggle lasted only moments, in which time the shadow seemed to decide that playing fair was not worth the effort. He turned around, abandoning his efforts to extinguish the fire in her palm.

"Aah!" a moment later, David was suddenly flung into the air, dark, shadowy bands wrapping around him.

"David!"

The shadow itself was wrapping around him now, hiding behind him, smothering him in darkness. She caught herself a moment before she let her fireball fly, realising in aggravation that she couldn't attack the shadow without hurting David. The shadow was using him as a shield. Dark bands wrapped around his mouth, his nose, smothering him, his eyes, blinding him…

"Screamer!" a voice yelled. Regina's eyes flickered briefly towards the source, finding a villager standing at the entrance to a tree house a short distance away.

Not a screamer, she thought. This creature was silent. It was a shadow, Peter Pan's shadow, if she was not mistaken.

The shadow flicked his hand again, and the villager too was consumed by bands of darkness.

"Stop," she breathed, her head whipping back towards David as he began to gasp and choke for air.

She couldn't attack the shadow without attacking David. She couldn't stand by or he would die regardless.

Think! Think!

He slumped, his body going limp in the grasp of the shadow, and everything inside of Regina went cold. She couldn't lose him.

I'll see this place in ashes first, she thought, the familiar threat rising to mind in her panic. Her eyes went wide in realisation. It was time to make good on that threat.

Dark eyes flickered upwards, to the canopy of leaves overhead. Purple light sufficed her irises, and without moving her hand, flames spontaneously burst to life among the branches.

Normal flames would not have spread so quickly amidst the green leaves, but this was magical fire and it needed only Regina's panic and fury to fuel it, of which she had an abundance. Within seconds the canopy above her was a roof of fire. The shadow writhed away, hissing in fury as it released its grip on David, allowing him to drop like a stone to the ground.

The world around her dissolved into sensations.

The crackle and hiss of the fire, the orange glow that filled the air, the heat of the flames against her skin… She knew she had to douse the flames or the entire village would be destroyed, but in that moment, nothing mattered but David. Her magic caught him just before he hit the ground. She grabbed the rope along the walkway, sliding under it and dropping several feet to the ground. She landed with a thud, catching herself on her hands, her fingers scrabbling at the dirt beneath her as she pushed herself up again. Screams and shouts filled the air as the villagers were roused by the fire. She ignored it, focusing only on the still form lying on the ground before her.

"David?" she dropped to her knees at his side. Her fingers fumbled as she reached out to touch his face. Purple light flickered at her fingertips, sinking into his skin. She cradled his face between her hands and leaned in closer, desperately searching for any sign of life.

"David!" she repeated his name, a note of panic in her voice. Behind her, there was a whoosh as the straw roof of a tree house went up in flames. "David!"

His blue eyes flickered open, dazed and disconcerted.

"Why are you yelling?" he mumbled.

Relief rushed through her like a tidal wave. Dizzied with adrenaline, she dropped her head, her nose bumping against his as she rested their foreheads together. Another scream dragged her attention back to the burning village above her and with an idle wave of her hand the flames died away.

Ash floated in the air around her, falling down in dainty flakes as she returned her attention to the man lying before her.

"It's gone," she whispered shakily.

"You saved me," he murmured back, his hand lifting to cup her cheek. She smiled.

"I figured I owed you. Come on," she stood up, holding her hand out towards him. He took it, allowing her to pull him to his feet.

"Where are we going?" he asked, as she spun around and began to walk to the nearest laddered tree.

"You don't know a message when you see one?" she asked over her shoulder. "That was Peter Pan's shadow. And he came here for a reason."

"It looked to me like he was after you," David said.

"Exactly," Regina nodded her head.

"So where are we going?" David repeated.

She lifted her hand, her index finger pointing to the ever lightening sky.

"It's first light. I think its time we paid Peter Pan a visit."