Chapter 25

Peter Pan's blood was boiling from anger. He hadn't returned to the Lost Boy's camp with Felix as he had first wanted to make sure that Hook was really dead by now. He had ordered the Shadow to wait at the Skull Rock after the deed had been done, but when Peter had arrived, no Shadow had been in sight. First, Pan hadn't been concerned at all. He knew that the Shadow was a cruel and dark entity which most likely had chosen to play with its prey before killing the useless pirate. But hours had passed and the Shadow still hadn't returned. By sunrise, Peter Pan finally had enough and he had tried to locate his dark companion with the help of his magic.

Without success.

The only trace he had been able to detect was a faint hint of the Shadow's magic in a small hidden cave in the middle of the Hazy Forest. And yet, when Pan had arrived, neither the Shadow nor the dead body of a certain pirate could be found.

But then, Pan had sensed something entirely different – and a bad feeling had suddenly been spreading through is body.

A wave of ancient magic had still been lingering in the air – a magic only one person in Neverland was able to perform. With an angry flick of his wrist, Peter Pan had disappeared in a cloud of bilious green and had reappeared right in front of the Aptokee Tribe's boundaries.

"This old witch!" he had hissed as he noticed that the protection spell around the tribe had been stronger than ever before. He had tried some of his darkest spells to get through, but Sahakawe's magic was protecting the area – magic that was so different from his – and it had been impossible for him to get through.

But every spell that had been blocked by the invisible shield had only been mere fuel to Pan's ever growing fury as he sent a stream of curses towards the protection wall. But the ancient magic wouldn't wield.

Oh, Pan knew exactly what had happened. He knew what the old witch was protecting from him – hiding from him. She had rescued Hook with the help of Pandora's Box, so much was certain. And for now, the Shadow seemed to be beyond saving. Pan knew that Sahakawe had only two options left: find a place where she would be able to hide the legendary object for all time, or – and somehow Pan had the feeling that it had been exactly that what Sahakawe had been aiming for for years – use the tribe's ancient magic to finally destroy Pandora's Box including the Shadow. Even if that meant that she would probably have to sacrifice her own life in the process.

Pan sent one last angry fireball against the invisible protection shield.

To be fair – he really had underestimated the old witch. Never had he thought that she would exploit his distraction because of Belle to go and trap his dark companion. He really should have been more careful.

Belle.

Pan's eyes were shining with a new gleam of excitement when the thought of the blue-eyed girl who was now waiting for him to return crossed his mind. Without another look at the protection shield, Pan turned on his heel and made his way back to the Lost Boys' camp.

Let the old woman have the Shadow – Pan actually didn't need it anymore. Not now that Belle and her magic were finally with him. And Peter was only too eager to show his Little Darling what she really was capable of.

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When Peter Pan arrived at the camp, his eyes immediately scanned his surroundings in search for his latest guest. The beauty with dark curls and eyes like the sky was sitting alone at a small lake nearby, with knees tucked under her chin while staring absentmindedly at the glistering water's surface. A smirk appeared on Pan's face as he saw her sitting at her former, favorite place – even though she didn't remember.

"What took you so long?" Felix' scratchy voice announced and made Pan shift his gaze towards the voice's owner.

"Unforeseen circumstances." was his simple reply as he locked eyes with the tall, blond boy.

Confused, Felix raised his brows and stared at Peter Pan with an unvoiced question in his eyes, waiting patiently for the other to share more details.

Pan sighed in response.

"We lost the Shadow." he finally stated through gritted teeth, and Felix eyes widened in shocked disbelief. "The old shaman has trapped it and there's no way I can break through her protection spells."

"And the pirate?" the blond boy asked carefully.

Pan's eyes darkened immediately at the thought of Hook.

"Got away." he replied brusquely.

His eyes wandered back to Belle, who was still sitting motionless on the waterfront of the small lake. The rising of the sun made her auburn hair and pale skin glow, and Pan could feel the invisible cloud of darkness and despair that was surrounding her body. In his eyes, she had never been more beautiful.

"How is our guest?" he asked Felix with a low voice, but his eyes never strayed from the beauty nearby.

Felix rubbed his forehead with one hand and sighed deeply.

"I don't know." he replied honestly. "She won't talk. Or eat. Or sleep. She's just sitting there, motionless, and staring at the water's surface. Not even Tootles was able to make her do… well… anything besides that."

Pan raised his brows, and a malicious grin convulsed his face.

"Poor girl." he announced, and mock-pity was sounding heavy in his voice.

Felix just nodded in silent response, and his eyes moved towards a group of Lost Boys who, too, were staring at Belle.

"The boys grow impatient, you know." he added after a while and Pan's head suddenly snapped around to look straight into the other boy's face.

"Why's that?" Pan asked calmly, but failed to veil the slight growl in his voice.

Felix pressed his lips into a thin line, and for the slightest of moments, a hint of guilt appeared on his face.

"It's not easy for them, now that she's back." he finally replied lowly.

"They didn't say anything, did they?" Pan hissed with narrowed eyes.

"Of course not." Felix affirmed at once. "They barely talk to her."

A hint of relief washed over Pan's face and his body relaxed a little.

"But you know them better than I do, Peter." The blond boy added after some more moments, giving the young man in front of him an intent look. "Eventually, they will talk to her and try to help her remember. And I think…" he shifted his weight awkwardly from one foot to the other. "… I think she should learn it from you, shouldn't she?"

Pan cocked his head and eyed the group of Lost Boy's that was standing not far away from them. Tootles and the Twins were discussing heatedly with hushed voices, and every now and then they were glancing looks at Belle.

Pan sighed.

Of course they were excited that Belle was back, and of course they wanted her to remember her time with them. To be honest, Pan, too, wanted her to remember – at least parts of their shared past. Maybe, for the first time in his life, sticking to the truth would be the best way to solve this problem.

"I'll take care of it." he finally announced and Felix nodded contentedly.

As Pan started to make his way towards where Belle was sitting, a broad grin appeared on his face.

"Belle?" he asked softly when he finally reached the sitting beauty.

Startled by the sudden sound of a voice, Belle's head shot up and she blinked at him as if he had just awaken her from a deep sleep.

When Belle recognized the young man who was standing right in front of her, she let out a small sigh and averted her eyes.

"Pan." she greeted silently and her voice sounded almost disappointed as if she had expected – 'or even hoped' Pan noticed angrily – to find someone else in his place.

"Well I'd still prefer you'd call me Peter." he replied with a sulky tone in his voice, but didn't receive an answer.

"How are you feeling?" Pan then asked with a softer voice while he sat down next to her, ignoring the hint of anger that her disappointed look had caused him to feel.

Belle offered him a weak smile and placed her chin back on her knees.

"My ankle still hurts, but my head is much better." she simply replied.

Peter Pan cocked his head and smiled at her compassionately.

"I think you know that's not exactly what I meant."

Again, Belle didn't answer. Instead, she bit her lower lip in silent response while her eyes were firmly fixed on the lake's water surface.

Pan sighed heavily and, out of instinct, reached out one hand to touch Belle in a soothing gesture. But before his fingers were able to reach her, Belle's head suddenly snapped towards him, and she shied away like a wild animal.

"You still don't trust me, hm?" he asked softly as he pulled his hand away.

"Why should I?" Belle spat in response and shifted her body to make a little bit more space between Pan and her.

Peter Pan shrugged his shoulders and raised his brows.

"Well, firstly: other than your other companions, I've never given you any reason not to trust me, now have I?" he suggested matter-of-factly and earned an uncertain side-glance from the petite woman next to him.

"And secondly…" he continued and gave her a sly smile. "I've rescued you. Twice, as far as I remember. In fact, I think that rather makes me quite the hero than the villain."

Pan noticed how Belle bit her lip guiltily and the grin on his face grew. Oh, he knew her only all too well. Inflicting a feeling of guilt had always worked with her. Belle really hadn't changed. Her heart had always needed quite the persuasion to allow herself to comply to even the slightest of selfish desires – something Pan had always been able to take advantage of.

"I'm sorry." Belle finally sighed and buried her face in both hands. "It's been some long days, I guess."

Peter Pan nodded his understanding and moved a little bit closer.

"I know." he whispered. "But for now, let me at least take care of the visible wounds, alright?"

Before Belle could react, his hand was already hovering above her hurting ankle and a tingling sensation in her foot made her remove her hands from her face.

Soft streams of light green smoke were wrapping around her ankle, and bit by bit, the sharp pain faded away. Belle looked up, only to meet Peter Pan's piercing look. When sky blue met dark brown, Belle suddenly had the strange feeling of a déjà-vu.

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"Let me take care of the visible wounds, alright?"

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She had heard those words before, hadn't she?

Pan's voice was ringing heavy in her head. But it sounded different than from what she had just heard, somehow cold and aloof.

Belle shuddered with eyes closed and shook her head slightly to get rid of this strange feeling that was starting to spread through her entire body.

"There." she suddenly heard Pan say and opened her eyes again.

Belle carefully moved her foot from the left to the right, but the stinging pain was gone.

"Thank you." she finally whispered and offered him a shaky smile.

But with a quick flick of his hand, Pan simply waved her off.

"It's no matter, really." he answered nonchalantly. "Just a little spell to heal your ankle."

"No, I mean… it's not just my ankle." Belle protested immediately, sounding a little bit shy. "I mean everything. What you've done for me… letting me stay here for example. Well, at least for now."

She averted her eyes and glued her gaze onto the ground.

"There would have been nowhere I would have been able to go to." she added more silently.

"As I said…" the young man answered and patted Belle's hand softly. "It's no matter. Knowing that you are safe and sound is reward enough, Little Darling."

The strange endearment made Belle immediately look up and she narrowed her eyes as she stared at Pan.

"Why are you calling me that?" she asked and suddenly, her voice was once again full of suspicion.

"You don't like it?" Pan challenged with a mischievous smile across his face.

Belle cocked her head and thought about it.

It was not that she didn't like the endearment. If she were true to herself, a part in her actually did like it. But there was more to it: to her, it was somehow a special kind of endearment, evoking memories of a long forgotten past.

"No, it's not that." Belle finally replied. "But I think… I think the endearment reminds me of someone."

"Indeed it does." Pan said softly and grabbed her hand once again. "Of a childhood friend, doesn't it?"

Belle knitted her brows and stared at Peter Pan in utter confusion – but she didn't pull her hand away.

"How do you know that?" she replied with a cracked voice. She didn't even quite remember herself, so why on earth did Peter Pan know so much about her… about her past?

The expectant expression in Pan's eyes turned slightly sad.

"You really don't remember, now do you Little Darling?"

Belle's eyes widened and she leant slightly away from him, finally pulling her hand out of his tender grasp.

"What are you talking about?" she whispered and Pan could hear how her heart was beating faster and faster in her chest.

It took all of his willpower and deceiving abilities to suppress the broad grin that was threatening to form on his face. Instead, Pan creased his face into an even sadder expression. He just had to keep the masquerade a little bit longer… Just a little bit.

"Because it was me who had come up with the name in the first place." he sighed and offered her a reassuring smile. "When you were sitting all alone in the rose gardens because your father had once again prohibited you from leaving the castle, don't you remember?"

He let out an amused laugh before he continued.

"Shortly after you had thrown a book at King Thrushbeard's annoying daughter because she had said…"

"… that nobody wanted to be friends with an odd, boring bookworm and that even my mother hadn't wanted me." Belle completed Pan's sentence with a monotone voice while her thoughts were flashing back to the sad childhood memory.

Pan smiled softly and nodded.

"Yes." he breathed, the word itself barely audible.

Confused, Belle forced herself to remember the long forgotten scene from her childhood. She had been sitting in the royal rose gardens, crying bitterly. King Thrushbeard's daughter had insulted her and her mother, so she had thrown a book at her. As a result however, King Maurice had punished Belle, and not the insolent princess. He had even made Belle apologize for her 'inappropriate and inexcusable behavior' and had forbidden her to ever go to town again as 'those waifs and strays she had always been playing with seemed to have a bad influence on her – at least that had been King Maurice's narrow-minded 'royal' opinion. That had been complete nonsense of course – but from that time on, Belle had never been allowed to play with the town's children again. But during this afternoon in the royal rose gardens, when she had cried bitterly on a stony bench, there had been someone else, someone who had understood and who had listened. Someone who had suddenly appeared out of thin air and who told her stories about foreign places and magic – someone who had called her "Little Darling". And suddenly, the face of a boy with fuzzy hair and dark brown eyes appeared before Belle's mind's eye.

She raised her gaze again and looked straight into exactly that face.

"That's not possible." Belle whispered and stared at Peter Pan with wide open eyes. "The boy… he was just my imaginary friend! That wasn't you!"

Peter Pan rolled his eyes and crossed his arms before his chest, eying the princess with an accusing look.

"Well, in fact… we already had this conversation that I have always been quite real, Belle." he sighed. "But I guess this is just another thing you don't remember. But no worries: I don't blame you."

Belle couldn't help but shaking her head disbelievingly. That was simply not possible. It couldn't be. But even though her mind tried anything to prove that Pan's story was wrong, a small part in Belle's heart already knew the truth. Peter Pan's smell, his voice, his eyes… his choice of words… Since their first encounter, there had always been that odd feeling that something about him was strangely familiar.

"I know that's quite a bit to take." Pan finally said while smiling compassionately at her. "But it is true, Belle. You know it is, don't you?"

Belle closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I don't remember everything… but this childhood friend… he left when I was 14… when I needed him most." she opened her eyes again and suddenly, they were filled with tears.

"If this childhood friend was really you, then why did you leave me?"

Pan cocked his head and his lips curled up into a small smile.

"I came back." was his simple reply.

Belle let out a cheerless laugh.

"Almost 40 years later!" she gasped, this time significantly louder and angrier than before. "Where were you when I was abducted by the Queen? Where were you when I was locked up in Storybrooke? If you really were my friend, why didn't you help me? You left me in the lurch!"

"That's not true, Belle." Pan said softly and stared at her with wide open eyes. "Before this, even before you made the deal with the Dark One, I did come back to you. You just don't remember."

Belle stared at him for a moment, taking his words in.

"But why?" Belle breathed exhaustedly after some moments of silence. "Since I've arrived in Neverland, I've got that feeling that there is something more, something I need to remember. But I don't … I can't. Something is holding be back. I want to know why?"

"There is." Pan confirmed. "But it's a long story, Little Darling. And it's been an exhausting day. Why don't you go and get some sleep first, and when you awake, I'll share our tale."

Although Belle's heart and mind were yearning for answers, she also felt every muscle and bone in her body screaming for some rest. Pan was right, it's been a long day, and despite the waves of impatience and angry confusion that were flooding through her body, she was barely able to think straight. And somehow she had the feeling that she needed all of her wit and brain to understand, to learn what had happened.

"As long as you promise you'll tell me what happened?" Belle asked reluctantly, apparently not entirely ready to end the conversation at that point.

Pan gave her a sly smile and nodded in silent response.

Belle let out a deep sigh and Pan saw that her eyelids were already heavy from drowsiness.

"Alright then." he finally announced and got up. "I'll go and find Tootles, he will show you to your sleeping-place."

Belle nodded wordlessly and got up as well. Pan was just about to turn and leave when a dark bruise on the right side of Belle's neck suddenly caught his eye.

"What's that?" he suddenly hissed and pointed at Belle's neck.

Belle's hand followed the direction of Pan's finger and finally touched the spot he was pointing at.

"It's nothing." she croaked out and blushed deeply as she hastily grabbed a wave of dark curls to cover the small mark on her neck.

She pressed her lips into a thin line and averted her eyes. Belle clearly remembered how this bruise – and several more her clothes were thankfully hiding from the world's prying eyes – had come into being and who had been responsible for them – who had marked her only few hours ago as his own. Who had used her as a tool for his revenge. And those marks… those most intimate marks of possession were just a visual proof of his betrayal.

"I'll go and fetch Tootles." Pan's strangely hoarse voice startled Belle out of her dark thoughts. When she looked up, the young man had already turned and was now walking towards a small group of Lost Boys. Confused, Belle stared at Pan's back. If she didn't know better, she'd say she'd heard a hint of anger in his parting words.

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Peter Pan watched Tootles grabbing Belle's hand as he led her to the big, hollowed tree where Belle would find a comfortable, soft bed she could sleep in.

"Did you tell her?" announced Felix' scratchy voice on his right.

"She knows that we've met before." Pan replied as his eyes followed how Tootles and Belle vanished into the small dark entrance of the tree.

"I promised to tell her the rest of the story as soon as she awakes."

Felix brows shot upwards and he stared at Peter Pan with a disbelieving expression on his face.

"You will?" he asked warily.

A sly smile appeared on Peter Pan's face and he shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, yes of course, Felix." he replied nonchalantly. "I've always been true to my word."

As he felt Felix' disbelieving gaze still fixed on him, he turned to look at him, and the smirk across Pan's face broadened.

"But I didn't promise to tell her the entire story, now did I?" he continued and gave the blond Lost Boy a mischievous wink. "Luckily, her mother's magic still keeps her from remembering her time in Neverland, and – as it seems – this turns out to our advantage."

Felix' facial expression relaxed as he returned Pan's smile and both remained silent, watching the other Lost Boys dance. Felix was the first who broke the silence again.

"What about Hook?" he finally whispered, and noticed how the expression on Pan's face darkened immediately, making the earlier complacent smile vanish completely.

"I need you to find him, Felix." Pan ordered after a while with a hiss, and without turning his head towards his tall companion. "Find him, and make sure he will never be able to touch her again. Ever."

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Hey guys :)
So sorry for the delay... I somehow had some difficulties writing this chapter and had to rewrite it several times until I finally liked it (but now I do ... :D)

Next Chapter: Hook-centric!

Have a great week,

and thanks again for your support and interest :)

J