Henry stomped down the narrow staircase fast enough to compromise his control, sending him straight into the upstanding wall when he tried to turn. With a tight grip on the splintered railing, Henry swung himself into the holding cell docks. The meager flickers of light through the walled inserts offered him limited visibility as he stepped inside. His head was on a swivel in search of one pirate in particular - the only pirate that would have a solution to end the madness. Much to his dismay, it seemed the brig was empty and the infamous Jack Sparrow had long-since taken off.

"He isn't here." A dark brooding voice sounded behind him. Henry whipped around with his sword at the ready to find Davy Jones watching him from the far-off shadowed corner. "Your search for Sparrow is futile as he is no longer present on this ship."

Henry subtly leaned in the direction of the stairwell. His attention was kept fixed on the pirate lord. "What did you do to him?"

"What I do to any traitor on my ship." He smirked, "Sparrow was dealt his rightful punishment."

"That's alright - I'd rather talk to you anyways." Henry reinserted his sword back into its sheath and stepped forward. His chin rose as he stared the Captain square in the eyes.

Davy Jones chuckled, "I'm not sure what false promises Peter Pan has coerced you with, so perhaps it would be best to set the record…"

"Peter Pan?" Henry perked his brow. "No, you've got that part all wrong, Jones. Unlike everyone else who's come aboard this ship in the last hour, I've come with my own intentions and my own plan. All Peter did was feed me coordinates." He smiled, "I already knew that it was pointless to tamper with the chest. That's not why I'm here."

"Did you now?" Davy Jones mused. "Curious that a young man like yourself appears so far beyond in intellect to your superiors."

"It doesn't take intellect to read a book," Henry retorted dryly. "While the rest of my family were busy running around trying to find a way onto this ship, I took the time to reread your tale."

"And what may I ask did you find?"

"I know there's more to you than this curse. You were a man before this happened - a conqueror who could go anywhere and take anything you pleased. You were tricked into this curse." Henry could see the underlying tension brooding in the Captain's stare. "Calypso promised you eternal glory, but all she was really doing was trapping you to remain on the seas. No more conquests on land, plundering wealthy cities, pillaging harbors. She took away everything and left you alone on the seas for all eternity. She made sure that your sons went where you could not follow. You couldn't even be sure that you had sons; that is, until Liam took his first steps into the ocean." Davy Jones was abashed by this unassuming prince, though couldn't find the right words to refute his claims. Henry continued, "You want to get back at Calypso for what she's done to you; you want revenge. I bet that sounds much better than mortality."

Davy Jones furrowed his brow with an incredulous stare. "You are the truest believer, I take it."

"The one and only," Henry opened his arms and smiled bitterly. At this point in his life, the title 'Truest Believer' did little more than bring a sickening taste to his mouth. His faith and belief was the spark that reunited his family in the first curse back when he was a child and since then had been the mold that kept them on peaceful terms. However, the notion of his heart being a power source had also brought him strife in his life. The last thing Henry would ever consider abusing was magic. Just because he vowed to never take advantage of the magical qualities of his heart, it didn't mean that others wouldn't. His heart was a blessing and a curse; a temptation to any who would move to strike against the crown.

Henry placed his bandaged hand over his chest. "What I have to offer can give you the strength that you need to finally defeat Calypso and remain Captain of the Dutchman."

"You know that I have no interest in being Captain any longer. I've done my time…"

"You'll have plenty interest in remaining Captain once you get a hold of these powers," Henry stated firmly. "Peter Pan has been after them for centuries. Trust me when I say that they're unlike anything you've ever experienced."

Davy Jones suavely pushed his weight off from where he was leaning against the wall. The glowing hue of his blue eyes sharpened into Henry like a predator targeting its prey. "I could just take the heart now… all for myself." He peered down at his chest with his hand clutched on the knife stowed in his belt. "As you've mentioned, plundering treasure has long been in my nature. There's nothing to stop me."

"Actually there is," Henry smiled. "Thanks to the stunt Peter Pan tried to pull many years ago, Queen Regina cast a protective enchantment over me. The spell guards my heart from anyone who would try to forcibly take it. The only person that can pull out the heart is myself."

"What then, pray tell are you asking of me in exchange for such a commodity?"

"Complete and eternal abandonment of your plot against my family: Killian, Elizabeth, and any other family members that may proceed her. You will take what I offer to you, go back out to sea, and never again pollute the peaceful realms within the Enchanted Forest with your meddling. "

"Surrendering of your heart would result in your ultimate demise." Davy Jones tilted his head with an inquiring grin. "How can you be sure that I'd uphold my end of the bargain if you are not there to see to it?"

"This heart contains the purest form of magic - belief - and is given at the cost of my sacrifice. You can't use the heart if you can't uphold belief in your own word. The consequence of squandering my sacrifice would come to you equally as severe." Standing at even height with the cursed Pirate King, Henry did not budge an inch from intimidation. "The deal stands, Jones, as long as you're willing to uphold your end of the bargain."

Davy Jones eyed him with a sheer curiosity. This prince in his early thirties, who in the span of time when his sister went missing had allowed his personal appearance to degrade to that of common foot soldier with a shadow of stubble, wrinkles along his brows and hair matted in all directions, had managed to maintain a glint of childlike faith in his hazel brown stare. He was an intrigue to the Captain certainly, as it had been centuries since Davy Jones last encountered anyone with an alike spirit.

Suddenly an echo of frenzied footsteps thundered down the steps. "Henry!" Neal shouted angrily as he pushed himself off from the hallway wall and rounded the corner into the brig. "Henry, wait…-"

With a quick lift of his wrist, Davy Jones cast a subtle glowing aura that engulfed Neal and kept him frozen and muted where he stood. "We're not quite finished." The Captain remarked in jest to the tormented expression on Neal's face. He turned back to Henry, who was now obviously uncomfortable with his father's eyes fixed on where his hand rested over his heart. "You strike a hard deal, Prince Henry, though I do not deny that your offer is of great captivation to me." He sauntered closer to the Prince, "If these powers that you've mentioned would suffice in ending my torment of boredom and revulsion, then perhaps…"

The sound of a heavy thud interrupted Davy Jones and called his attention back around to the stairwell. Standing at the foot of the stairs were two lost boys.

Between them was the Dutchman's Chest, which they had just dropped on the top step of the floor. Henry and Davy Jones both fell silent as the boys looked at the Captain in utter horror. One of the boys turned to the other and yelled for him to 'keep going' though it was not before the Captain began his furious advance towards the thieves.

Henry could only act on instinct. The time for striking the deal was over and in a blink of an instant he had lunged after Davy Jones to knock him down onto the floor. "Go, now!" Henry shouted up at the boys, who had already begun their rushed ascent up the stairwell that led to the deck. Rufio followed the two boys with his hood pulled over to conceal his face from the furious Pirate Captain momentarily restrained.

It took Davy Jones no less than two seconds to snap out of his shock and throttle Henry back against the far wall. The slam of his face against the hardwood panels knocked the air out of Henry's lungs, causing him to keel over on his side. Davy Jones turned on his heels in hot pursuit of his chest.

Warm trickles of red dribbled down Henry's chin. He coughed twice before spitting a mouthful of red onto the floor. The procession of Davy Jones' stomping up the stairs was soon followed by Neal's release of the magic restraining him to silence.

"Henry!" Neal rushed across the room to where his son was sprawled over the floor. He pulled Henry back by the shoulders to observe that his nose was the source of most of blood and undoubtedly broken. He swallowed and placed a firm hand under his son's chin. "What the hell's the matter with you? You were seriously going to give him your heart, do you realize what kind of danger that would cause?"

"I wasn't trying to empower him." Henry murmured through his red-stained teeth. "Peter told me about the chest and how it was protected, but he also told me the Captain's weakness against light magic. I thought that if I did trick him to use my heart, it would backfire his curse."

"Come here." Neal pulled him in for a tight embrace. "Don't you ever try a stunt like that again, you hear me?" He mumbled against his son's cloaked shoulder. "We'll find another way to save them both, alright? No one is getting left behind in this mess, you least of all."

Henry nodded numbly, his eyes drifted from where Davy Jones had just departed up the stairwell and moved down to where two more people were walking up the stairs. His brows furrowed with disbelief, "Mom?"

Neal turned back from his son to find Emma trudging up the staircase with Milah in tow.

Henry stood up abruptly, "Mom!"

Emma froze where she stood on the stairwell. At first glimpse of Henry and Neal, her eyes alighted with a relief she had not felt in days. "Henry!" She rushed up the final steps to meet her son, who was stumbling towards her in light of his inflicted head damage. She stopped just short of him to place both hands on either side of his arms to steady him from falling. "What the hell happened?" Emma glowered at the crooked nose that continued to spew a trail of red down the side of his cheek.

"Davy Jones happened." Neal answered for Henry, as his son's attention was preoccupied down at the floorboards which appeared to be moving beneath his feet. Just when Henry's balance began to waver off to the side, Neal took a step closer and wrapped a sturdy arm around him as support. "Whoa, easy," he ushered to his son and kept him steady. "I think it's his head. He took a bad hit."

Emma brushed back Henry's hair and walked to stand by his other side. "Let's get him upstairs to Gold or Regina." She suggested with a nod to the stairwell. "They're probably better at treating concussions."

Neal nodded numbly, his eyes fixed down solely on the floor ahead of him.

Milah followed close behind the party. She watched as Emma and Neal approached the narrow albeit steep staircase and paused with careful deliberation as to how to maneuver their son. "Do you need any help on the stairs with him?"

"No." Emma turned to find Neal refusing to look anywhere higher than ground ahead. It was only at that moment that Emma remembered who Milah was beyond her former dalliance with Killian. Emma felt a twinge of sympathy when she saw the despair plague the lost mother's eyes; however, the sentiment went unrequited as Neal refused to pay Milah the respect of even looking in her direction.

Neal trudged up the first few stairs with Henry's arm slung over his shoulder. When he noticed that Emma did not immediately follow, Neal glared back and found her standing at the bottom of the stairwell. "Come on, Emma. We have to keep moving."

As much as she wanted there to be some sort of resolution between Neal and his long-lost mother, Emma knew him well enough not to push that button. She knew that just by the way he turned to look down at her.

She could see the shock in his eyes, as well as the fear. There was too much pain that Neal kept stored in that locked closet of his memories that he was unprepared at facing all at once. In that moment when Emma looked up at him, she did not see the calm and collected adult Neal Cassidy; but rather the shaken and troubled young Baelfire.

She thus nodded and lifted her hands up to support Henry's backside. "I'll cover your back in case he slips."

As Neal turned to continue their trek up the stairs, Emma turned to find Milah standing at the bottom step - eyes squeezed shut with her hand held over her mouth.

"Get a move on!" Rufio snapped at the two boys hoisting the chest over the rail. They had snuck past the rally of pirate scum and comrades to the highest edge of the Dutchman's deck, where it would be easiest to meet the shadow. They rested the treasure just over the side to await the pickup. A minute ticked by of no change in the wind or otherwise indicator that the shade was approaching. It was not normal for Pan's minion to be late for anything, especially to retrieve something of such value. The boys glanced amongst each other in a devastation of anxiety.

Still catching his breath from the hasty getaway from the Captain, one of the lost boys turned to Rufio in a state of panic. "What do we do? It's not here yet and we can't fight the Captain off."

"No, you can't." Davy Jones affirmed behind Rufio, sending all three of the boys into a fear-induced paralysis. Rufio swallowed and turned to face the Captain with the key held securely in his palm.

Davy Jones stopped to recognize Rufio - one of his own crewmates - and chuckled. "My, what a testament to the honor of a lost boy," he neared the blonde lost boy with a sneer, "that even in death you'd follow that child to the brink of damnation. It took some nerve for you to return to the ship, I'm sure."

The two boys felt their grip on the chest begin to slip over the edge. The wind had suddenly picked up against the long face of the locked trunk and made it impossible for them to keep a steady grip on the handles. Davy Jones peered up from Rufio and noticed their failing grimaces as the chest toppled over. "No!" He shouted though failed to reach the chest before it slipped off the railing.

The boys flinched back from the Pirate King in hopes to escape his grasp. Rufio stumbled back when suddenly the Captain's arms stretched out on either side, summoning the boys' to return back into his grasp with magical force. Davy Jones' hands wrapped around the boy's throats. Rufio could see the pirate's fingers curl and press against their airways. The two boys gasped - their eyes widened to the other and they reached to fight against the Captain's grip around their throats.

"No, God, no, stop it!" Rufio shuddered as he helplessly watched the two boys struggle for air. The Captain's grip continued to tighten around their necks until finally Rufio heard two ear-splitting snaps. The boys collapsed onto the floor of the deck, leaving Rufio a heavy mess of gasps and Davy Jones not the least bit satisfied. The lost boy stumbled and fell back onto the floor of the deck. The key was still held firmly in his sweating palm as the Captain approached. "Go ahead then!" Rufio spat out, "Just get on with it! Kill me!"

Davy Jones wordlessly pulled out his long sword from its sheath. On all fours, Rufio feared the inevitable. Tears dripped down his chin to land over his palms stretched over the floor. Despite his acceptance that these were likely his last breaths, Rufio could not pull himself to look away from the gleam of sharp metal that the Captain raised high. "It's the locker for you, boy."

The sword began its steadfast decent towards the bare crook of Rufio's neck, though was intercepted by the attack of a primitive wooden club.

Felix recoiled his weapon, taking the edge of the sword with him to shift the unsuspecting Captain off balance. "Keep away from him," he snarled lowly. The charade of his cool composure had been abandoned the moment he glimpsed Rufio on the deck. From there it was all a blur that led his feet across the ship in a last ditch effort to protect his brother from yet another death by the hand of a pirate. All considerations of why Rufio was there and how it was even possible was thrown out the window as Felix's mind was immediately taken back to that fateful night on the Roger where he lost him forever.

Davy Jones chuckled at Felix. The sight of his headstrong teenage boy having the nerve to challenge the Captain's order was nothing short of an amusement; however, there was no time left for games. With Felix's main priority to protect his brother, he did not advance on him.

Though just as fast as Felix approached the attack, he was apprehended as a slew of ropes fell over him under the magical control of Davy Jones. The lost boy squirmed and growled while each individual rope tied his limbs down.

The Captain chuckled again, only this time approaching his onslaught with his sword at the ready. "And to think that my son did not have the heart to exterminate the likes of you," he knelt lower to catch Felix's menacing glare, "Boys. When I'm through with Peter Pan, there will be nothing to protect you all from the punishment that awaits."

"Oi!"Rufio shouted from the guard rail. In the time that Felix held the Captain's attention, Rufio had managed to crawl over his brothers and reach the rail of the ship. His arm stretched out over the open water, grasping the chain attached to the Dutchman key. "Is this what you're looking for?"

Davy Jones sneered, his steps slowly moving past where Felix was tied down closer towards Rufio. "That doesn't belong to you, boy."

"I'm guessing it's yours then. Do you want it back?" Rufio raised his brow mock-innocently.

"Hand it over and perhaps I'll overlook your stint of insubordination long enough for you to see a new Captain."

Rufio shook his head, "Don't play coy, you're going to kill me either way. I will, however, give this little trinket if you were to promise that my brother goes free."

Davy Jones scoffed, "What are you going to do, throw it in the ocean? I've got my beast already looking for the chest. It wouldn't be any trouble…"

"To find a single key in a black ocean?" He cocked his head to the side. "I'd like to take that bet. In fact, I'd love to see who'd find the key first; your kraken or one of Peter's mermaids. They do have quite the eyesight." He relaxed his grip on the key long enough for the chain to slip through his palms. Davy Jones reacted to lunge forward just before Rufio caught the last inch of the metal chain. The boy smirked, "My brother, Captain. He goes free."

Davy Jones glared at the key then to the boy wielding it. A short deliberation of tense glares passed between them before the Captain obliged by removing the ropes off of Felix's body.

Felix kicked himself out of the binds and reached for the club. He fumbled with his crooked hood to pull back over his head and stood to face the backside of Davy Jones. Rufio let his eyes drift behind the Captain to settle on his brother, causing a terrible gut-wrenching ache to pull at Felix's insides. It was Rufio back from the dead and standing before him with the same twisted smirk as if nothing had happened and he had never left.

"Felix, is it?" Davy Jones suddenly turned to face the tall, lanky lost boy. Felix offered the pirate no answer, but merely ahead stared in stubborn silence. "Considering these may very well be my final hours as Captain, I'd like to take this moment to teach you a valuable lesson." The pirate whipped back around and grabbed Rufio's shoulder. The Captain moved quickly - too quickly for Rufio to get out of the way though fast enough to toss the key overboard beyond his aggressor's reach. Davy Jones snarled in dispute of losing the key. He yanked Rufio around so that they both now faced Felix. His calloused hands wrapped around Rufio's neck from behind and caused the lost boy to wince from his vice grip.

Ropes wrapped back up Felix's legs to keep him stagnant. "No!" Felix looked down at the ropes then back at Jones. "He's only following our orders! Don't hurt him!"

Rufio coughed against the Captain's fingers pressed against his jugular. The air was thinning in his lungs and he could feel the horrible throbs from his chest as he found against the Captain's chokehold. His fingers clawed at the leathery skin of the Captain though it was no use in breaking the man's grip. Davy Jones peered back from Rufio to Felix. He smiled, "Do not walk into a battle you know you cannot win, and do not betray a man you cannot rival."

Felix could see the Captain's wrists begin to jerk in opposite directions. He expected the crackles of his brother's neck and final silencing of their overdrawn brotherhood - this time for good.

He did not expect to hear the sudden shouting of Davy Jones as a third-party knife was shoved into his back. Sitting soaking wet half over the railing with her red fin flapping against the wooden pegs, Maddie had her dagger lodged in the Captain's lower spine. Rufio promptly turned and kneed the man in the groin before evading his reach.

Felix reached down at the ropes and began to swiftly cut through them, sensing their need to make a quick escape as the Captain had already reached behind to rip out the impaled blade. "Come on!" He shouted at his brother, who curiously went back to pick up the mermaid from the rail. "What the hell's the matter with you? Put her down, she's a mermaid!"

Rufio did not spare a word to refute Felix in the instant of the escape. His arms were locked on Maddie's wet frame and for unexplainable reasons to a lost boy, he wasn't about to let go of her. He glanced back the Captain was already following in hot pursuit with the knife in hand.

Then, behind Davy Jones, another figure appeared from where it was hiding along the side of the ship. Peter's shadow revealed itself, carrying the chest in its slim black arms as well as wearing the key along his silhouette neck.

Both Rufio and Maddie grinned up at the shade, which had been there waiting out of sight to catch the goods.

Horror overcame Davy Jones as he took notice to the shadow and its goods. "No!" He growled and sent forth every outpour of magic he could muster to catch the shadow from leaving. It evaded the furious attempts with ease, juggling the weight of the heavy wooden trunk while keeping the key safe from unlatching.

"Find Pan!" Rufio shouted, "Get those to Pan!" Following those parting words, Rufio was quick to rush him and Maddie down the stairs to put as much distance between them and the Captain as possible.

On the far end of the Dutchman, Killian's breathing steadied into an even rise-and-fall. Elizabeth watched his closed eyelids twitch to show that his health had improved from unconsciousness to a deep sleep. Adam was the same way. Relaxed on Elizabeth's other side, the boy lied on his side with his jaw slack open against his forearm. In normal circumstances, Elizabeth would have teased him on how boy-like he appeared in his sleep, what with the dribble of drool that formed a dark circle in his cloak and the unsuspecting puppy-face beneath his shaggy brown hair. Belle had returned to Adam in a matter of minutes prior to informing David of Elizabeth's return. Unfortunately she could do nothing to help his condition other than remaining by his side and wait until they found a way off the ship.

With her father still in her arms, Elizabeth listened to the conditions of battle as it began to turn for the better. The sounds of clanging swords were dying down. The lost boys were sounding more triumphant with their jeering whistles and stomping feet. The number of undead pirates that Davy Jones summoned from the locker was dwindling. Why, Elizabeth could not understand. Something was transpiring elsewhere on the island - something no doubt of Peter Pan's doing which diverted the Captain's attention.

"Don't worry," Belle spoke up to Elizabeth. The woman's bright smile cut through the hazed fog between them. "We'll find a way out of this soon."

Elizabeth smiled weakly. She wished she could share Belle's hopefulness on the matter; however, it was impossible to ignore the plain fact that it would take either her heart or her father's heart to settle the matter. The legitimacy of Peter's promised words had faded in her mind to the point where she half-expected to see Peter flying in the distance. She hoped it would be that simple; catch him in the act and persuade him. Peter she could handle, or so she thought.

As her eyes were kept peeled on the dark horizon of Neverland in the distance, something else caught her eye.

She knew that it was not Peter. In fact the moment she saw it, she knew exactly what it was. She just did not want to believe what she was seeing.

The shadow made its second trip to the Dutchman to retrieve the final necessity to Peter Pan's game. Elizabeth gripped onto her father all the more tighter as anxiety caused her heart to race. Belle frowned at the sudden shift of Elizabeth's countenance and it only took her a moment to follow the girl's fear-struck gaze to witness the approach of the malevolent shade as well.

The dark silhouette slowed over the rail of the ship and hovered a mere ten feet from where Killian lied over the floor. The lights of its eyes narrowed in view of Elizabeth. Elizabeth Swan, what a pleasure to meet under such circumstances.

"This is impossible," Elizabeth gritted through her teeth. "I stuck your face in the fire."

And Peter resurrected me… through the fire, the shadow remarked as it began to sway to the side. Last we met you were a vision of grace, a beautiful marvel. My, how the times have changed.

"You obviously haven't," she answered briskly. "If it's Killian that you're after, you're wasting your…-"

Me? Oh no, I am of service to Peter now. The shade lowered down closer to where Elizabeth had her arm around her father. Do not fret. He doesn't need all of Killian, just his heart.

Elizabeth stood to her feet refusing not to hear another word. Her heart hammered in her chest now with the adrenaline fueled by her fury. Belle ushered for Elizabeth to keep away, though it was useless in suppressing the magic crackling on the girl's fingertips. "You've got a lot of nerve if you think I'd like you get away with my father's heart."

You've got a lot of nerve to think that you could stop me. The shadow took its first lunge towards Killian's chest. Elizabeth stretched out her hands and let the outpour of her anger channel into a sharp beam of light. It penetrated the shade's shoulder and cut down the center of its body until it ripped through the bottom of its hip.

The shadow screeched an ear-splitting shriek that caused Elizabeth to flinch back. Her magic dissipated when she raised her palms to her ears to block out the deafening screeches.

Belle moved Adam to the side and stood. Rather than reach for her knife, she reached for the cursed flask containing scant traces of the rum. She turned to Elizabeth, whose eyes were still fixated on the shade recovering in the distance over the open water. Belle unclasped the top and motioned to the open rim. "Can you create fire with your magic?"

Elizabeth hesitated, "I don't know how it works. This was the first time it's been anything but ice."

The two woman exchanged frenzied glances as the shade made it furious return to the vessel. It did not falter to exchange words this time, rather it made first contact with Belle to knock her off her feet. Elizabeth tried to resummon the same magic that had been so effective against the demon though it was of no use. Despite her best efforts, all that came was ineffective whips of icy wind. The shadow sounded a dark chuckle before took a violent swing across Elizabeth's jaw, sending her across the deck onto the floor. It closed in on her before she could stand, hovering just inches above where she lied.

Does it bother you to know that everything Peter's told you has been a lie? That, despite all of your loving efforts to help him embrace love and goodness, nothing's changed. He's still the same ruler with the same dark intentions and with the same priority to win. What a shame for your dear father…

A great ball of fire was suddenly thrown at the shadow causing yet another foul screech and its retreat away from the deck. Elizabeth looked up at Killian leaning against the nearby mast. In one hand he held a fire-lit torch and in the other the empty flask. He winced up at the shadow convulsing above their heads. "Keep away from my daughter, beast."

Elizabeth grasped the guard rail to stand before running over to join his side. She was comforted by the simple yet assuring weave of his hand in hers. The shadow shuddered away the sting of the burn that the fire inflicted on its being, then turned its attention back on the two of them standing below.

"Darling you must escape this place," Killian implored to her. "Go below deck and find your mother."

She looked up at her father with a stubborn flat glare. "It's here to take you to the island. I'm not letting that happen."

"You must," Killian disputed. "You already know that I would not have this affair ending any other way." The shadow swooped downwards and missed reaching Killian by his last-minute dodge. Before another attack could be made, he grabbed the collar of his daughter's shirt to lead her back to the sanctuary of stacked boxes.

Disorientated and weak, Adam had also risen from the blackout and was now fumbling around to find his arrows. He looked up at Killian and Elizabeth as the two of them hurried back to form a larger group. Adam shouted at Elizabeth to inquire what was happening, though his answer went unrequited amidst her shared state of panic with her father. Killian turned to Adam, "Keep her here."

"What? No!" Elizabeth screamed after Killian, who had abruptly turned to face the shadow. Before she could move after him, Adam had his arms around her in restraint. "Dad, you can't!"

"Elizabeth, no…" Adam tried to reason with her though it was to no avail.

The shadow began its slow decent towards Killian, causing Elizabeth to fight against him harder. "Adam, get off me!" She snarled viciously. The skin of her fingers hardened and stiffened like the dead and she knew in a matter of seconds Adam's strength would not be enough to keep her and her magic down.

"Please," Adam pleaded softly in her ear. "Lizzie, he wants you to let him go."

The shadow reached its arm down towards Killian's chest. Its black fingers skimmed the edge of his jacket before yet another magical source of energy impaled towards it. The flash of fire impaled the shade and pushed it back off the ship. Killian stumbled back against the railing to find Rumplestiltskin with his palm held open, insinuating the imp was not yet done with Pan's monstrosity.

"Go!" Killian shouted at Rumplestiltskin. "Take my daughter with Adam! Please, find her safety."

Rumplestiltskin gawked at the Captain in disbelief to what he was implying. His wide, brown-green eyes darted from the former pirate back to the shadow as it was making its return to the ship. Killian beckoned Rumplestiltskin to step back and leave him be. Elizabeth whimpered broken no's and save him's against Adam's shoulder as she watched Rumple oblige her father's request to step away.

In light of the advancing threat, Rumplestiltskin opened his palms out flat to generate to balls of fire as a measure of protection for his son and Belle standing behind him.

The shadow had no further interest in pursuing Elizabeth. The magical infliction that had been dealt on its physical being forced it to grab all of Killian rather than just his heart. Its fingers gripped onto the lapels of Killian's jacket and lifted him up off the deck.

Belle joined Adam in embracing Elizabeth tightly. By that point Adam had been cradling her against his shoulder to stifle her cries, not daring to look down to see her devastation as her father willingly went off with the shadow. He could hear broken phrases as she uttered them softly, you promised... I knew it… you liar… I hate you… God, I hate you. Her lapse of despair suddenly took a turn for the worse. Adam could feel her shaking as his arms took the brunt of her digging nails. Elizabeth seethed a breath through her teeth before screaming. "Peter, you liar!"

Adam squeezed his eyes shut and held her all the more tighter.

The shadow unlatched its fingers from Killian's jacket to send him plummeting down into the soft cushion of Neverland's ocean shore. Despite the rather merciful location that the shadow decided to drop the pirate, Killian still hit the sand hard. A pained grunt pushed through his teeth and he immediately rolled over onto his side to shuffle the weight over his ribs which were undoubtedly cracked. The stray gashes along his arms and chest tingled - away from the fight on the Dutchman, Killian could finally feel the extent of his blood loss.

Even whilst his view was cast down, Killian could feel another's eyes on him. He hesitated before tilting his head upwards. Not more than fifteen feet ahead up the shore was his father's chest - the Chest of Davy Jones - left out in the open. Peter sat on top of the heavy trunk with one knee tucked up against his chest and the other dangling lackadaisically over the side. One of his knuckles was gripped white-tight over his knee while the other clenched the Dutchman key in a fist.

Peter snapped his attention up at the shadow lowering down to the shore. "That's not what I asked for."

"I intended to bring only his heart, though as it would seem, the girl and her family has a liking for conjuring magic to hurdle at foes."

"That much was obvious. I told you to be careful." He straightened up to reveal the skin of his own ribs crackling and scathed. The connection Peter shared with his shadow proved stronger than he would have liked. "She's been made aware of the plan."

Killian observed the boy from where he lied on his side. Peter's eyes narrowed in contemplation, no doubt considering a number of different tactics to try next and just in a mere matter of seconds his eyes widened with a solidified blink of resolve. He cocked his head to the side and grinned down at his set of pipes tucked in his belt. "Actually this all comes together rather nicely…-"

"You said you'd keep Elizabeth safe," Killian spat out a mouthful of blood. He brooded up at the boy, who seemed at the very most annoyed by the Captain's accusatory tone. "You said that there was no safer place for her than on this island."

Peter perked his brows with a bitter smile. "And?"

"So why in the bloody hell did I just find her aboard the Dutchman? You said you were here with a plan to help, or was that just another farce?" Sand collected in the bloodied wounds along Killian's palm as he struggled to sit up. He shuddered back when Peter suddenly knelt down to be just a few inches high from his face. Animosity had crackled in Peter's eyes in an instant - his wide, forest green irises glimmered in the moonlight to reveal calculated fury - exposing a look that Killian had only seen in the rarest occasions of their hostile encounter. It was certainly not common for Peter to allow this much emotion to show.

"Elizabeth is exactly where I want her to be. It's not the Dutchman you should all be worrying about - it's the Captain - and I have a very good feeling that he'll be arriving shortly when he learns of our whereabouts."

Killian hesitated to move. His breathing turned shallow and his hand pressed down over the deepest wound that still spouting ample amounts of blood. "What use could you possibly have of me? I pose no threat so long as my heart remains cursed."

"You don't look cursed to me." Peter tilted his head down to his body with a manipulative smirk, "At least not anymore."

The pirate stiffened. His weary eyes, though at first still trained on the boy-king, widened with the realization that he had not taken a monstrous form. He glanced down to his wrists and found no trace of scales or leathery exterior. His hands traced up the front of his chest to feel for any abnormalities though he noticed no differences. His unshaven chin was rough with the natural stubble of a week without grooming, as was his wet unruly dark hair covered with sand grit.

He was on land, and remained human.

Killian blinked back to Pan, "This isn't possible."

"Isn't it?" Peter perked his brow. "As I said, everyone is exactly where I want them."

"So that's it then; you will have me stab the heart to forfeit my life." Killian answered solemnly, "There's no other alternative."

"Not quite." The boy stood back up. "As much as I enjoy the simple pleasures like a quick knife to the heart, what I've got planned will require a bit more from you than just that. Luckily you've got that lovely heart of yours alive and beating," he motioned down to Killian's chest, "and ready to be put to good use."

Peter sauntered over to the chest and held out his right wrist to expose his leather cuff. He waved his hand over wristband to draw out the two stored droplets of Elizabeth's blood that had soaked through. The droplets descended down over the iron key to douse the edges. Killian drew in a nervous breath as Peter inserted the key into the keyhole. Tumblers twisted and fell as Peter slowly turned his wrist. A ripple of clear magic rinsed down from the top and over the faces of the iron box, signaling the undoing of the first of the blood magic. He scoffed back to the weary Captain, "You won't be of any use to me lying over there. Come have a better look."

Killian fought back the urge to groan when he obediently stumbled to stand. He crossed the ridges of sand closer to where Pan knelt by the chest. With the Captain standing close at his side, Peter rested his hands on the sides to heave the top open.

They both peered into the dark chest that at first appeared to be empty - had it not been for the steady throbbing, the heart would not have been discernable in the shadowed corner. Peter grinned up at Killian, who could barely stand the sight of the enchanted organ before averting his gaze down at the sand.

"Here's where the real fun begins."

Get ready for the finale, folks...