A/N: Twelve hours late... *Gulps* Don't kill me.

My cousins distracted me by showing up out of the blue and playing board games.

So, here it is. If you aren't interested in the Felix/Jane, I'd skip the first half of the chapter. I had inspiration and kinda just decided to roll with it.

But, Baelfire has a certain reunion with one of our beloveds next chapter, so, I'm pretty keen for that.

Thank you to all my new followers and favouriters! And thank you to my reviewers! Love you guys! Cookies for everyone! xx (BTWs, it's already the 26th January in my corner of the world, so Happy Birthday to my beloved Colin O'Donoghue!)

Enjoy! xx

Deciphering Me

Belle had been talking with Granny for over ten minutes in the closed diner before she reluctantly agreed to let the entourage stay there. After handing out keys left, right and centre, the troupe began to head upstairs to find their beds.

"Hey Granny! Whoa – business is booming!" Ruby walked into the diner excited, but soon becoming confused when she recognised some of the faces at the foot of the stairs. Jefferson and Watson and Felix exchanged a glance before visibly gulping as Ruby's eyes narrowed.

"Wanna tell me what's going on?"

"Er, not really," Jefferson said before Felix elbowed him in the ribs. Watson rolled his eyes at the two of them before walking forward. "I'll fill you in," he sighed before sitting down in a booth and Ruby following him warily.

Jefferson, Watson and Smee would be bunking on the first floor, with Wendy heading into her own room. At first, she tried to get Jane to bunk with her, but Jane's hand was firmly wrapped around Felix's. And after giving him a heavily distrustful look, Wendy closed her door, leaving them to head up to the next landing where a few doors were. But neither of them separated to walk into the rooms that were opposite each other, instead, an unspoken agreement passed between them and Jane opened one door with her key, the two of them walking into the room silently.

Jane sank wearily into the nearest seat as Felix shot her a glance, watching her eyes close. Sensing her tiredness, he walked through to the ensuite, pouring himself a bath as he attempted to peel his clothing from his blood stained body. His limbs were aching, his skin stinging, and thus far he had managed to ignore it. But the minute he hit the warm water, he couldn't deny the hiss of pain followed by the groaning as the agony of his wounds finally hit him. Baelfire had come far from his days in Neverland. From that innocent boy to the even more cowardly man he was now…

"It doesn't look as bad as I thought." Jane's voice came from the doorway, her weary body leaning on the wood as she watched him, leaning back in the water. He jolted upward when he saw her, moving to cover himself, but the young woman seemed disconcerted. Sitting down on the closed toilet seat, she leaned forward with her elbows on her knees and asked with a sigh, "So what are we going to do to hide ourselves until Pan arrives?"

"You came in here, while I'm naked, to try and talk strategy?"

"Try being the key word," she answered, and Felix noticed her wandering gaze. "Your lack of clothing is proving rather distracting."

"Jane!"

"Fine," she rolled her eyes and stood up, walking across the tiles towards their room. "But if you aren't out in ten minutes. I'll be back; and I'll be naked."

She threw him a wink before shutting the door and walking across the room. Whilst Felix groaned, not entirely from pain, but from the fact that he was actually considering staying in the bath for another ten minutes, Jane was slowly stripping off her ruined jacket, just as Wendy came and knocked on her door.

"These are for you honey," Wendy said, holding out a pile of clothes, for sleeping and for tomorrow.

"Thanks, mom," she said, with a small smile, taking them with both hands.

"Are you going to sleep? You look tired."

"Yeah," she murmured, "I'm just heading off now."

"And Felix is sleeping in his room?"

"Actually, he's having a bath, trying to wash his wounds."

Wendy almost flinched. "I'm so sorry for what happened to you, Jane –"

"Please don't, mom," Jane said softly. "I don't want you to feel guilty for what was a wrong decision on my part. I picked Pan, and then I betrayed him, knowing full well the consequences of that decision, but expecting him to be different because I was his daughter. But I shouldn't have. I mean, he loved you once, and look how that turned out."

"Still, I'm your mom –"

"And I understand that," she smiled. "But we're here now. Let's not try and make up for lost time. Just…just be my mom. Not my friend or my babysitter. Be my mom."

"Then get to bed, Jane," she said with a hesitant smile. "Big day of planning tomorrow."

"Night, mom."

"Goodnight, honey." Wendy stepped forward and planted a soft kiss on Jane's forehead before stepping back and walking down the corridor. Jane shut the door as she looked down at the clothing in her arms.

"Jane! There wouldn't happen to be any spare clothes in the closet or anything?" Felix's voice called out from the bathroom.

Jane held up the men's pyjama pants that her mother had left her with and rolled her eyes. Of course, the small silver packet and note that fell out of the material folds also made her stop, and after a second of staring, a small blush began to flood her cheeks.

I was your age too, once.

And Jane forgot the pants as she went to open the bathroom door, finding Felix with a towel wrapped around his waist. Taking a few steps forward she ran her fingers along his scars, watching the raw redness of his newly healed skin before looking up at him with wide eyes. She reached for his neck delicately, feeling him bend down to take her lips in his own, pressing against her gently, small beads of wetness running down from his still wet hair. Pulling away, she left her hands around his neck and searched his face for something more, for the love she knew she would find there. And his eyes were overflowing with it. So, taking his hand, she led him back into their room tenderly. Strategies could wait for morning.

xxx

Killian woke up from a fearful sweat in the early hours of the next morning.

It had been a long time since Peter Pan had graced his nightmares. And he couldn't remember them being quite so vivid and bloody. But the boy's face remained the same. That violent maliciousness that made children cry and men run in fear.

He wasn't ashamed that he'd run. In fact, he was proud of the fact that he'd managed to elude Pan so valiantly. For time was a funny thing. One minute he'd been in the Enchanted forest, and the next, he'd arrived not five years ago in the middle of Deigal Street.

He'd never expected Pan to catch up with them.

Taking a quick glance at Emma's peaceful sleeping face, he couldn't help himself as he bent down to kiss her cheek before picking up a pair of pants that Snow had also brought in for him and pulling them onto his legs.

Running his hands through his hair in frustration, he headed out to the kitchen, searching through the cupboards and pouring himself a glass of water. The coldness of the water from the fridge seemed to knock some sense into him and he managed to unclench his hand from the bench.

"Couldn't sleep?"

Killian's hand went to his hip instinctively in search of a sword, before he realised that the voice belonged to David and turned around, letting out a breath of air.

"Weird dreams," he answered in response as David came around the opposite side of the bench to grab a stool.

"I can relate," David said with a shake of his head, "Back when we were all still under the curse, I had weird dreams."

"Were you and those you loved, killed?"

"In some," he answered, his brow furrowing. "Of course, I didn't realise that they were people that I loved at that point, but obviously some things were seeping through Regina's curse. They were fears that I'd had long before the curse was enacted. Fears for Snow, and for Emma."

Killian gulped when he said her name.

"Did they go away?"

"No," David answered honestly. "But there were things that made it easier to bear. I know that if I throw a bow and arrow in Snow's hand, she's a force to be reckoned with and that eases my fear. I know that Emma saved an entire realm from themselves and can wield the purest kind of magic known to man."

"Yeah," Killian said as he poured the rest of his water down the sink. "Emma can take care of herself."

"But it doesn't mean we stop protecting them, Jones."

"Oh, don't worry, Charming," he said with a small smile, realising as he did that he meant every word he said , "I don't intend to." It was strange, that Emma already had such a strong hold on his heart. He wasn't sure what it meant, or what she meant.

No, he actually did. He knew it. Because in his dream, what disturbed him most, was that the one person who Pan had chosen to kill, to make him watch die, was currently lying in her bed, completely oblivious to Killian's fears.

And when he slid in to bed beside her, it was to take her in his arms tightly, holding her to his chest with as much tenderness as he could muster, pulling the covers up over them and hearing her sigh contentedly.

"Where'd you go?" Emma murmured, burrowing her head into the pillow.

"Glass of water," he answered quietly.

"Don't go again, 'kay? It was cold."

"Okay, love," Killian whispered, kissing the top of her head, before promising. "I won't."