Regina tread carefully into the glade, arms raised in surrender as she was led to the Lost One's encampment by Felix and a smaller Lost One who went by Tootles. Neither the queen nor Pan's companions spoke as they trailed through the forest, but Tootles kept shooting awestruck glances at Regina when Felix looked the other way. As the trio entered the clearing, there was a great rustle of branches and leaves as the Lost One's camp sprang to life.
A series of animal calls made by the boys signaled Pan's dramatic arrival. The green clad boy flew impressively out from the tree trunk hideaway. Pan swooped around the clearing twice, crowing cockily to the delight of the boys, before hovering in front of the queen with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Who are you?" Pan queried haughtily.
"She's come to be our mother!" Tootles exclaimed excitedly, before he was promptly swatted by Felix for his outburst.
"Know your place, Tootles," Felix hissed, as Tootles rubbed his smarting ear.
"A mother?" Pan repeated, looking Regina up and down, "Well then, let's see if you're mother material." Peter rubbed his chin thoughtfully, still floating so that he was eye level with the queen. "Can you cook?" Pan asked.
"Yes, but I am best at baking...especially with apples." Regina laughed at her hidden joke.
"Do you...tell stories?" Pan continued.
"I have. I always wanted to tell my children stories."
"What sort of stories do you know?" Tootles chimed in enthusiastically before being cuffed again by Felix.
Regina gave a small frown but smiled fondly at the smaller boy. "I know a lot of stories. Fairy tales mostly, but I know better endings to the ones you're used to. The endings you won't find in books."
Peter nodded seriously, "That is an excellent skill for a mother to have. Knowing different endings keeps things entertaining when we hear the same story over and over again. Let's see what else..." Peter rubbed his chin again. He spotted a dark figure moving out of the corner of his eye, an wheeled around.
"Who let my shadow out again!" Pan roared at the Lost Ones, picking up the Shadow Henry from off the ground from where he had been attempting an escape, "I told you lot to leave him in the hideout until I've gotten him stuck on again!" Peter seemed to have had an epiphany, as he stopped his circling and looked slowly between the Shadow Henry and the queen.
"One last question," Pan stated quietly, a wicked and pleased glint to his eyes as he looked upon the Shadow Henry, "Can you sew?"
"Yes," Regina answered without hesitation. The Shadow Henry turned to his adoptive mother; had his facial expressions been visible, they would have portrayed his confusion.
Pan crowed. "Lost Boys, listen up! I have found us all a mother!" Pan's enthusiasm was met with cheers from all the Boys but Felix.
"You can't be serious, Pan! You've only just met her! She was with them when she came here!" Felix argued, furious at Peter's quick decision and lack of forethought, "For all we know she has magic and is going to use it against us!"
Peter thrust the Shadow into the arms of Tootles, barking "Don't let it loose!" before flying towards Felix.
Pan and the Lost Boy glared at each other, while the other Boys and Regina looked on in silence; some looked worried, others amused, but the queen showed no emotion towards the staring contest taking place. The air was thick with tension. Finally, Peter spoke. "Who is the leader around here, Felix?"
"You left me in charge while you were gone Peter! Forgive me for having the interests of the Boys in mind!"
"The interests of the Boys!? Tell me lads," Pan addressed the group, "Who left you with an adventure when he could not be there to lead you?"
"Pan!" they chorused at once.
"Who brought you a mother?"
"Pan!" this response was slightly hesitant, as several of the boys recognized that technically Felix and Tootles brought Regina to them, while others responded out of pure loyalty to Pan.
Seeing he was fighting a loosing battle, Felix tried a different tactic. "None of the others would have followed you like I did; done the things you asked me to do! I searched this island for years, trying to find the boy like you told me! You should be thanking me! You should be listening to me! I'm your second in command! I'm the reason you are back!" the Lost One cried.
Pan's eyes turned cold and flashed blood red. "You think yourself above my orders, Felix? You think you're special? More special than me?" There was a flash of movement and several of the Lost Boys gasped in horror at seeing Pan's hand lodged in Felix's chest. Pan continued calmly, as though he were not causing the boy a great deal of pain, "I'm the one who found you abandoned at the side of the road in your world, Felix. I brought you to Neverland. I am the reason you are even alive today. And don't think for an instant that I can't destroy you."
Peter jerked his arm backwards withdrawing Felix's heart. The Lost Boy fell to his knees with a whimper, and for the first time the other Boys saw Felix's hardened exterior fall away, leaving behind a very frightened little boy who only wanted to protect the other children who had become his family.
"I will admit Felix, you played your part very well," Peter tightened his grip on the heart ever so slightly, "But to be honest, I have grown tired of this game. You were a great second for a while. But I just don't think your...ahem...your heart is in it anymore." And with a malicious grin Peter Pan crushed Felix's heart, letting the dust fall from his hand and float into the wind.
Several of the Boys screamed, having never seen Pan act this way; what had started out as an adventure game to the Lost Boys was quickly turning into their worst nightmares, as their protector became the person they should be protected from.
Pan gave Felix's body a final look of contempt before addressing the Boys. "So, who wants Mother to tell us a story?"
The entire glade was silent, and a few of the Boys shrunk back hoping to avoid Pan's eye.
"Come now boys! I've brought you a mother and this is the thanks I get for all my hard work?" Peter tutted, glancing around the glade, "Now who wants to hear a story?"
"You killed Felix," a small voice spoke up behind Regina.
"Now Tootles, that wasn't my question. I asked. Who. Wants. To hear. A. Story." Peter spoke slowly but with a slightly threatening tone.
"Felix only ever did what you asked us to do. He was good to us—"
"You are out of line Tootles!" Pan broke in.
"He always made sure we knew the plan. He treated each of us from the biggest ones to the smallest like we were his equals." Tootles's voice grew louder.
"Stand down Tootles!" Pan raged, furious that he was being compared to his late subordinate.
Some of the older Boys, worried for their young compatriot's safety, were heard muttering, "Come on Tootles. Don't do it."
"He might not have been the kindest Lost Boy—he had to be tough on us to make sure we had a sense of order—but he was a good leader. He knew how to take care of us! Just like Nibs did before—"
Peter flew in front of Tootles and glared. "Never ever ever talk about Nibs! Do you hear me!" Pan screamed, shaking Tootles by the shoulders to emphasize his point, "Nibs left you! He wanted to grow up! How's that for a leader? When I came here all you ever talked about was your beloved leader Nibs, who led you on great adventures and told stories of singing mermaids, sailing ships, and parents who found their children. Then he leaves you, all of you, alone in Neverland with no one in charge while he went and grew up!"
"He left me in charge, Peter! But the you came along and were so much bigger than me that I stood down because I thought you could do a better job!" Tootles cried looking at Pan sadly, "But now I know that I was wrong. And Nibs would be ashamed of me for being a coward."
Peter glowered at Tootles, exhaling loudly in anger. "Well, Tootles, Nibs isn't here. And now I am your leader," Pan declared through clenched teeth, "And if you have a problem with my authority, then perhaps you are not fit to be among us anymore."
The Lost Boys gasped in horror as Pan thrust his hand into Tootles's chest, only to be stopped by a firm hand gripping his wrist.
"Peter, don't!" Regina cried.
"Are you undermining my authority too, mother?" Pan's eyes were still locked on Tootles, feeding off the smaller boy's fear.
"Absolutely not," Regina replied calmly.
Pan and the Lost Boys all turned to look at the Queen; Peter looked curious, while the majority of the Boys wore dumbfounded expressions, as though they had been clubbed over the head.
"I agree Tootles should be punished for his behaviour," Pan grinned and moved to continue the process of ripping out the small boy's heart. "But why not wait until you have your Shadow back on?" Regina continued quickly.
Peter cocked his head to the side, silently letting Regina know he was listening.
"Well, if you kill him now, the Boys won't learn anything. The Boys need to know that you are their undisputed leader. Without your Shadow, they can challenge you. You are not whole without it. Without your Shadow, you don't have full access to your powers. Think about it. Your Shadow has...a mind of it's own," Pan snickered at Regina's quip, "But it has powers you don't have...yet.
"What sort of powers?" Pan questioned skeptically.
Regina laughed: an adult particularly amused by a child's innocence. "Endless powers," the Queen said with a fond smile, "Your Shadow was once the truest believer and he made many things possible. Your Shadow still has this capacity for belief, and if you reattach your Shadow, you too can make anything possible. You need only to rejoin with your Shadow and you can unlock these powers...and you will be the most extraordinary boy that has ever lived. The true leader of the Lost Boys, the King of Neverland. Then you can kill the ones who refuse your rule. Kill the boy now, and your claim can still be questioned. Wait..and you will have complete control." Somewhere during her speech, the queen's voice had lowered to a soft tone, encouraging Pan to see her point of view.
"King of Neverland," Pan murmured to himself, "I rather like the sound of that. Just how do you suppose I reattach my Shadow?"
Regina gave the boy a saccharine smile. "Why, I can sew it on for you."
And Pan's eyes glinted with unrepressed glee as he matched the Queen's smile.