Hey guys! Yes, we are getting much closer to the end. I definitely can't top the series (Holy Batman, what a crazy way for those 11 eps to end) but it doesn't mean I still don't have angst. Am I planning on doing a sequel to this? Possibly...just maybe. I have also been tossing around ideas for an AU Enchanted Forest series where the curse never happened because Baelfire came back home but I'm not sure because my holiday series is still stuck on Black Friday. Yeah. I have projects all over the place.

Anyway, for those of you who commented and left reviews, thank you! It's so good to hear from you and I am so glad to be writing for you all again! :) Totally worth it.

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing

Tink cursed under her breath as she hurried through the jungle she knew only too well in an attempt to keep Rumpelstiltskin's back in her sights. Damn that pirate and his long strides.

Agitated, she swiped at the foliage that threatened to smack her face with the longer blade that Hook had thrown her way before they'd taken off into the jungle at a breakneck speed, pushing thoughts of the others fighting the Lost Ones from her mind. She ducked under a low hanging branch as Neal's face flashed in the forefront of her mind which only caused her lips to slant downwards.

The way he'd looked at Emma…

"Tink!"

The sound of Hook's voice interrupted her thoughts and she came to a sudden halt at the urgency in his tone. It was the kind of urgency that held a hint of worry and she had to marvel at what Emma had done to the pirate. Never had he been this…warm. She had remembered him as a technical, oftentimes cold kind of man who did whatever it took to get what he wanted so to see him work with people he wouldn't have hesitated to hurt had they come to him years prior was a refreshing thing to see.

She moved around in a slow circle seeing why Hook was concerned. The men were nowhere to be seen, no hide nor hair, and she once again cursed the pirate's longer legs that her shorter ones had a hard time keeping up with.

"Hook?"
"Tink! Just stay wherever you are. We're headed your way!"

Tink rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. Of course it'd be when they were in a hurry to be somewhere that this would happen. Things just couldn't work out easily.

She shifted her gaze around the trees that she had called home for a countless amount of time and felt a chill run up her arms and down her back. An uneasy feeling stole over her like something terrible was coming and before she could even comprehend what she was doing she lowered her body into the brush that stood to her waist. She wasn't fearful, she had encountered many things that had met their demise at her hand but it didn't hurt to be cautious.

Several short minutes that felt incredibly long crept by to the point where she was beginning to wonder if she was starting to go crazy when something dark shifted through the trees beyond her. Her whole body stilled as she focused her eyes on the dark form that lazily shifted through the brush just a few feet from her and she felt its coldness steal the air from around her.

What was it doing?

After several rotations around the clearing the shadow finally stopped at a gathering of jagged rocks that stood at the farthest edge of the clearing from Tinker Bell. She held her breath as she watched Pan's shadow reach into a crevice the same time there was the sound of leaves slapping against each other from behind her.

She quickly swiveled in her spot and met Hook's blue eyes before zipping her fingers across her lips and pointing beyond her toward the shadow. His eyes widened as did Rumpelstiltskin's and she could only be grateful that they had the mind to sink into the brush as she had. Turning around once again she watched as the shadow finally pulled something back from the rock, something dark and blackened beyond recognition and it wasn't until she saw the slightest beat that she realized what it was.

Rumpelstiltskin must have realized as well because he stood from his place and before she or Hook could ask what it was he was planning to do, his palms were flaming with fire. Tink looked back to the shadow who, of course, had noticed Rumpelstiltskin and Tink couldn't help but dryly think who could miss him. Especially when fire was a shadow's weakness.

A ball of flame flew past her completely missing the dark form but still the shadow let out a shriek that was beyond haunting before he flew up into the trees.

Hook and Tink stood up from where they crouched as Rumpelstiltskin let out a string of curses that Hook himself could possibly be in awe of if he wasn't so opposed to the imp.

"Was that-"
"Pan's heart? I believe it was, dearie," Rumpelstiltskin spat, his eyes looking as ominous as ever.
"What could he possibly need with Pan's heart?"
"It's not what Pan needs. It's what he intends to do with it."
"What do you mean?" Hook asked, confusion causing his brow to slant.
"Well, 'Captain'," Rumpelstiltskin started and Tink was impressed with how he could make a title sound like the nastiest word in the land, "he either intends to hide it which isn't going to work out too well for him in the end," he explained as he waved his hand as if summoning something before continuing, "or he plans to use it in the worst way which would be to thrust it into someone else's body."

Hook gave him a contemplative look before glancing at Tink who had the same question in her eyes that he was wondering in his mind.

"You're probably wondering how that would be a bad thing I'm assuming," Rumpelstiltskin predicted before inhaling a deep breath. "Pan's heart is so black that if placed in a body that is not Pan's it will overtake the person and turn them into the darkest version of themselves. It's a weapon in itself and the worst kind imaginable."
"You just summoned your shadow didn't you?"
"That I did. Hopefully it can intervene in whatever sinister plan the little devil has in store. Well, let's be on our way and it'll catch up with me eventually. I'm assuming the lass can't be too far from here."
"No, not far at all. Just another quarter of a mile to go, maybe less than," Hook replied, his mind obviously turning from the matter at hand to the matter that would soon be. "Let's get away from this place. The border into Shadow Cove is one of the most dangerous of the island."

Rumpelstiltskin may have missed it but Tink caught the worry that flashed over Hook's face as he turned away from them and once again led the way.

Emma stared at Henry, an intense longing and desire to pull him into her arms overwhelming every maternal urge within her, but it was his heart in his hands that served to remind her just how intense this moment was. That coupled along with the confused look on his face as he studied her was enough to bring her desperate run to a slow walk with her hands cautiously held out to her sides.

"Henry, are you all right?"

It seemed like a silly question to ask but it seemed to put him off all the same and she gave a small smile when he gave a slight nod. Pan grabbed for him once again but just like he had only a minute before, Henry pulled from him and that gave Emma the hope she needed.

"Kid, do you know who I am?"

There was a moment's hesitation as he studied her with that intense look that was very much hers and just a bit Regina's.

"Your name…is it Emma?"

Pan visibly stiffened as Emma broke into a real smile, the first one she'd really had since coming to this cursed place and she nodded her head as tears came to her eyes.

"Yeah, that's me."
"Henry, don't listen to her. She's just using your emotions to get what she wants. She doesn't care about you. She just wants the power of your magic," Pan leaned into Henry's ear

Emma lifted a brow at Pan and had to tamper down the temptation to run up and push him over the cliff side. That was really the story he was attempting to sell?

"Power of his magic? Why would I need his magic when I have my own?"

That caught Henry's attention as well as Peter's and she could see from the way he ground his jaw together he was thinking of what to do with that new information.

"Maybe because his magic is stronger than yours. He does after all possess the heart of the truest believer."
"And I'm the Savior."

Once again Pan clenched his jaw, his eyes turning toward Henry with an intensity that made Emma very uncomfortable.

"Henry," she directed her attention to her son who was looking from Pan to her, his face contorted into mistrust in either of them, "Pan wants your heart for himself. He wants it because you are the Truest Believer which means that Neverland is basically yours and his power is dwindling."
"Lies! Don't listen to her, Henry. She just wants to destroy Neverland and destroy you."
"That's not true. Neverland won't cease to exist unless Pan dies. He just can't stand the idea of not being the one in control," Emma rebutted, trying her hardest to keep her tone even.

Pan glared at her and she could tell he was wondering exactly how they had managed to figure out so much. She met his gaze look for look and after a few silent seconds he raised his fist.

Emma's eyes widened as the rocks around them rose into the air, hovering just a few feet from the ground where they stood. She noticed that they weren't the boulders or the larger sized ones but the smaller ones that were no bigger than the palm of her hand. She found a bit of comfort in that but knew just as well they could hurt as bad.

"I think it's time you left, Emma," Pan sneered and as if to emphasize his point, the rocks jolted forward a few feet in her direction.

Emma looked from the small weapons to her son who wore a look of horror and clenched her fists before loosening them. If it was a battle Pan wanted, it was a battle he was going to get.

"You have to be crazy if you think I'm leaving my son with you," she bit out and Pan's tight smile widened and before her or even Henry could wonder at what he was going to do, he gave a small flick of his wrist.

Emma threw her hands out in front of her and closed her eyes as pieces of rock were hurled in her direction, focusing all of her emotion on forming a shield between her and them. She felt her fingers tingle and when she finally dared to open her eyes gave a satisfied smile when she saw rocks falling to the ground in front of her as if they had just hit a wall.

The look on Pan's face made it all the more satisfying as it was one of terror mixed with agitation. It was the smile on Henry's face, however, that sealed the deal and through the shimmer of her shield she saw the small nod he sent her way.

"That's the way, love," a familiar voice said behind her and the magic flowing from her fingers sparked at the sound of his voice.

She turned her head just a notch to see Hook and Tink standing on either side of her, a combative look flickering in Hook's deep blue eyes while Tink tightened her jaw with the expectation of what was to come.

"You found me."
"I told you I was right behind you," he smiled and she gave him a small smile before shifting her eyes back to her son and the boy Hook had dubbed a little demon their first day on the island.

Her smile immediately wiped from her face and she lowered her hands even though a few more rocks came her way. They were thrown off course by Tink whose lips settled into a thin line as Hook and Emma ran up the hill where Pan had Henry pinned down, wrestling for the heart that he wanted as his own.

"Henry!"

Hook cringed at the desperation in Emma's shrill voice as she barreled toward the boy, the pain there aiming straight for his heart. Peter looked up at her from Henry's face and Hook felt a fire ignite in him from the evil he saw in the boy's face, completely contorting it into something sinister.

He lifted his hand in a tiny wave and he felt a strong breeze brush against his legs, just strong enough to make him nearly fall over.

The time Pan had taken to lift that one hand was his weakness, however, and Henry used Pan's lack of balance to throw him from off of his body with surprising strength considering his heart was still beating out of his chest.

Emma picked herself up from off the ground where she had fallen just as Henry stood up, his heart still beating in his hands somehow while Pan rolled from his backside to his feet. Henry stumbled back from Peter who had gained his bearings and was now racing for him when Emma finally managed to come up behind Henry. She wrapped an arm around him defensively, narrowing her eyes at the boy who had been playing games up till this point.

He still raced for them and Emma lifted her hand but before anything could happen the sound of breaking air whistled in her ear and she watched as an arrow embedded itself into Peter's shoulder. She looked behind her to see Regina, David, Ariel, Neal, and Liam breaking through the trees with Mary-Margaret standing just a ways in front of them, a grim smile dancing across her lips as she reached back into her quiver for another arrow.

Emma looked back to Peter who stared at the arrow sticking out of his shoulder with wide eyes, slowly lifting his fingers to trace the place where wood met flesh and holding them out in front of him several seconds later with a satisfied smirk. No blood, no pain.

"Henry, go to Tink. She's the blonde standing behind Captain Hook," she murmured before pushing her son toward Hook who had come up just a few feet behind her.
"No, no," Peter exhaled and gave a smile, "I don't think so. Henry, you're really going to believe them? You're going to believe the ones who have hunted for you, for your heart?"

Henry looked from Emma to Hook to Tink who was pointing him out to Regina and Neal who met his gaze with expressions of relief before he looked to Peter.

"Yes, I believe I am," he finally told Pan, lifting his chin up a notch as if to challenge Pan.

Pan stood straighter just then, something entering his eye as his free hand reached up and pulled the arrow from where it painlessly dug into his shoulder. Emma watched as he tossed it away and it was suddenly as if no one existed but him and Henry.

Hook drew his sword and she could hear Neal and Regina running up toward them, Regina's voice calling to Henry with nothing short of motherly concern.

Pan ignored them all, his eyes boring into Henry until Emma was sure he would combust into flame.

Not really sure what to expect she tentatively lifted her hands again but Pan beat her to the task and quickly thrust his hands toward them, a move which tore the earth apart between them and would have gone farther had a force not hit Pan that moment.

"Nice timing, Regina," Emma said smoothly as she unsheathed her sword, moving to pull Henry behind her and the others when she realized that Henry was holding his hands up.
"That wasn't me," Regina whispered and Henry looked up at Emma with wide, green-brown eyes.

"That was me."

Yeah, things aren't looking good for Pan. You just don't mess with family :)

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