Hey guys! Sorry it took so long to get this up but life has been extremely hectic. Just know even if there is a break I will always be back. Also thank you guys for your sweet comments. It's nice to hear how long some of you have been reading this story and what it has meant to you. Please keep your comments coming they are such great motivation and I really appreciate them. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Thank you my lovelys.
"This is where they're keeping Sarah. Pan's compound," Emma pointed to the map in front of her. Every second she was away from her daughter the more anxious she was becoming. She couldn't explain it, but something was telling her that when she found the girl, which she would no matter what, she would be different to the teen she was before. "According to, uh..."
"Tinker Bell," Tinkerbell filled in the blank for the saviour.
"Yes, I know," Emma gave a shy smile. "Still weird to say."
"Tink is fine," the fairy gave a comforting smile. Reassuring people was her forte and the blonde was no different despite the walls she kept up.
"Not sure that's any better," Emma said more to herself.
"I think it is," Zac stepped in to break some of the tension. "Tinkerbell is a bit of a mouthful. How do you feel about T-dog," Tinkerbell smirked at the man.
"Anyway," Emma gave her co parent a shove before turning back to the map. "She says that there are sentries positioned across the front, which is why we are gonna come in through the back entrance here. She's gonna talk her way in. Once she makes sure the coast is clear, then we are going to sneak on in."
"You'll still have to deal with any lost boys once you're inside," Tink reminded them.
"I think we can handle a few children with pointy sticks," Regina snarled.
"It's not the sticks you need to worry about. It's the poison they're dipped in," Tink sighed at the Queens naivety.
"Dreamshade. Hook warned us," Mary Margaret nodded.
"Good. Because one nick, and you'll spend the last of..." Tink began but was quickly interrupted.
"Poison sticks equal death. We got it," David finished, looking to change the subject. "Now when can we put this rescue mission into action?"
"I'm ready to go, just as soon as you tell me the exit plan," the fairy smiled but quickly got quiet as the rest of the group grew silent. "You do have an escape plan, don't you?"
"It's... it's more of a last-minute trip," Emma stuttered avoiding the fellow blondes eye contact.
"If you don't have a way off this island, then none of this matters," Tink knew no one could beat Pan.
"We'll figure it out," Regina was praying that her and her daughters magic would be enough to get them home.
"You'll figure it out?" Tinkerbell scoffed. "No one comes and goes from this place unless he allows it. This is a waste of time."
"Hey, when it comes to family, we always find a way," David corrected.
"You don't get it. Here. Let me show you something," Tinkerbell pulled out a watch from her pocket. "You know what this is?"
"Yeah, a watch," Emma was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
"I got it from the people who brought your daughter here for Pan," the fairy explained.
"Greg and Tamara?" This peaked Emma's interest. "Where are they? Why'd they give you that?"
"I got it off the girl's body," Tink went quiet thinking about the mess she had witnessed. "Spent half the night cleaning the blood off it. And the other guy... Well, there wasn't enough left of him to find anything useful," she looked at the object in her hands. "This is what Pan does to people he employs. What do you think he's gonna do to you? I'm not sticking my neck on Pan's chopping block without a way off this island. When you figure that out, you know where I live," with that she began to walk away.
"Where the hell is she going?" Mary Margaret watched the blonde storm off.
"There is no way I'm walking back to her house again. I'm still exhausted from the last time." Zac moaned.
"I'll get her, bring her back," David made a move to follow the woman.
"Don't," Emma stopped her father. "She's right. If there's one thing I've learned, you never break in somewhere unless you know the way out."
"And where'd you get that, in bail bondsperson school?" Regina shot at the sheriff.
"Zac taught me that," Emma answered quietly gesturing to the man.
"What can I say prison can be useful," the man nodded.
"What about you, Hook?" David turned to the one handed man. "You got off this island before."
"Yes, aboard my ship, which would require some form of magic to create a portal, which... I got from Pan in a deal I don't think he's ready to repeat," the man explained.
"So no one's ever left the island without Pan's permission," Regina was really starting to hate this kid.
"One man. Her partner in crime Neal," Hook saw Emma's face fall.
"How?" the blonde whispered.
"Maybe we can find out," Hook sighed. With that the man guided them across the jungle to a spot he used to know so well.. it wasn't long till a boulder stood in their way.
"What is this supposed to be?" Regina questioned.
"So... what, Neal swung out of Neverland on a vine?" Emma added.
"Well, if someone would be kind enough to lend me a hand..." Hook turned to the blonde. "What do you say, saviour?"
"I'll do it," David winced walking over to Hook and struggling to move the barrier.
Once removed, a black hole stood in its wake. "Ladies first," Hook gave a slimy smile as he let the women through.
"Hook!" Emma called back to the man from inside the cave. "What is this place? What are we doing here?" She took a second to look around before realising the place had a familiar aspect to it. "Neal. This is where he lived," she stated more than asked.
"Aye," the man nodded as him David and Zac joined the women in the cave. "Baelfire spent some time in Neverland as a boy. This was his home."
"So you think he may have left a clue as to how he escaped from here?" Snow asked the pirate.
"Well, let's hope so, or we'll be lost just like he was," the man grumbled.
Meanwhile in Pans camp the lost boys were dancing around the campfire enjoying their never-ending freedom.
Sarah sat in a tent Pan had said she could sleep in. She didn't want to celebrate, there was nothing to celebrate. Her life was turning out to be more lies and secrets that no one ever told her. She was lost before and she is lost now and with everyday that passed she was losing faith that her parents would come. None of this would have happened at all if Regina hadn't thrown her away to begin with. None of it would have happened if Zac had managed to stay clean and not go to prison. It never would have happened if Emma didn't insist they move to Storybrooke.
"You don't want to join in the celebration, Sarah?" Her thoughts were interrupted by Pan entering the tent.
"Nothing to celebrate," the girl looked at her shoes.
"Nothing to celebrate?" The boy chuckled. "Sarah, this whole party is to celebrate you."
"Me?" Sarah shot her gaze up. "Why?"
"Because you've come to save magic, of course. And I, for one, can't think of a reason more deserving of celebration than that. Just look at them," he pointed outside the tent to the boys dancing around.
Sarah sighed trying to think how to word her point. "I'm not like them. Or you. For one my general hygiene is a hell of a lot better."
"Sure you are," Pan smiled. "You're still a kid. Maybe a song will get you on your feet," he blew into the air but the teen couldn't hear a thing.
"Sorry. I... I don't hear anything. Although I don't hear the voices in your head either," she gave a sickly sweet smile.
"Interesting," Pan nodded. "You see, this pipe's enchanted, Sarah. It can only be heard by certain children."
"Like who?" The teen couldn't help but being curious.
"You'll find out soon enough, I promise," with that Pan noticed Felix trying to get his attention outside. He gave the girl one last smile before walking out to the boy. "What? I know that look. What happened?"
"Baelfire. I'm afraid he got away," Felix held his breath waiting for his leaders reaction.
"Well, then why didn't you get him back?" Pan tried to remain calm.
"I tried. I followed his trail and found two of our sentries knocked out... By a sleeping spell," the boy quickly explained.
"The Dark One," Pan gave an evil smirk. "So father and son have been reunited."
"They'll be coming for the girl. We should move her somewhere safe," Felix panicked.
"Now, now, Felix. Where's your sense of adventure? We can't end the party when the real fun is about to begin," an evil glint appeared in his eye as he began to formulate a plan.
While the family worked in Neal's cave trying to discover a plan to save Sarah, Zac wondered through the woods trying to gain a sense of calm. Being a father had never really been his forte but god knows he tried. What he lacked in practical skills he more than made up for in his willingness to learn. And that's what Sarah did. She taught him how to be a father. What it means to be a part of a family and there was no way he was going to give up without a fight. He had abandoned the teen too many times to count but this would not be one of them. He didn't know how long he had been walking but he began to see a flicker of light in the distance.
"What the…" he murmured to himself as he noticed a tent begin to form with chanting in the background. He peered into the distance to see what he assumed to be lost boys dancing around. How did he stumble upon this when the others were struggling to find a way in? Something did not feel right. Quietly, he moved his way inside the tent to find his daughter lying unconscious on the bed. "Sarah!" he exclaimed running to the teens side but she didn't seem to stir.
"You were so close to finding her. You disappoint me. I thought prison would have taught you better. Never break in somewhere unless you know the way out," Zac turned to see Pan stood in the entry way. After the boy had chased off Baelfire and the dark one he decided he had the taste for some more fun. Pan had heard of the man who had adopted Sarah once she left them and he was eager to learn more. Sarah was certainly an interesting character and he wanted to see just who had made her that way.
"I'll remember that for next time," Zac snarled standing up straight.
"Well, there isn't going to be a next time. But don't blame yourself. You see, Sarah's more powerful than you could possibly understand and once she chooses her path there will be no one able to stop her," the boy smirked.
"I will get my daughter back, no matter what it takes," Zac insisted. "You may only be a boy but I will hit you if I have to."
"You're not getting it. That's not the problem. You got her. I got her back," Zac gave the boy a confused look. "It's the game. No, my boy, the real problem for you is that there is no escaping Neverland. No one gets off this island without my permission. Well, apart from your daughter."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Zac could not make heads up tails of this.
"You see long before she was yours, she was mine. However, fate had different ideas," Pan sighed looking past Zac remembering the day the baby had left the island. "But now everyone is where I want them." With that Sarah began to groan gaining everyone's attention. "Something to chew on," the lost boys entered the tent heading for Zac. "You know where to take him."
"No!" Zac yelled as he tried to break free of the boys grips. "Sarah!"
"Oh, don't worry. It won't be for very long," Pan smiled. "Just until I reset the board. See, the game is about to change."
"Don't give up hope, Sarah! I will come for you! I promise!" The man yelled to his daughter before he disappeared from sight.
Sarah slowly opened her eye to see Pan standing over her. "Stare much," the young girl grumbled. "What happened?
"Oh, you fell asleep," Pan smiled.
"I did?" The teen didn't remember falling asleep. One minute she was talking to Pan and the next…
"No, don't worry. It was just a little catnap. The night's still young," Pan explained as the lost boys began to cheer outside.
"Wait. I... I remember something. My dad... When I was asleep, I... I could've sworn I heard him calling for me," Sarah looked around the tent almost expecting to see the man in the corner.
"Really?" Pan turned away from the girl.
"It must've been a dream," She sighed sadly.
"Well, how can you be sure?" he turned back around with a smirk.
"Because last time I checked you were holding me captive," she snarled.
"You really don't like me do you?" Pan chuckled.
"Well, I'm not saying I hate you, but you are literally the Monday morning of my life," she gave a tight smile to which the boy continued to laugh at.
"It makes sense for us to dream about the things we've lost and the things we hoped for, like your father being here and your mother coming to find you. But eventually, you'll find new things to dream about. And when you do, they'll start to come true," the boy sat down on the bed.
"How do you know? Maybe I'm happy with the old dreams," the girl sat up moving away from Peter.
"Because that's what I did. And now you're here. Neverland used to be a place where new dreams were born. You can bring that magic back, Sarah. And we can be your family," he looked at her intensely for a second before heading to the tent opening to shout to the lost boys. "I'd like to play a song, a song for our guest of honor... Sarah," he looked back to the teen and smiled before beginning to play a melody which the lost boys began to cheer for. "You can hear the music now, can't you, Sarah?"
"Yeah," the teen could hear the music crystal clear. "I can," and she couldn't help but smile at the melody. Maybe things would begin to look up.
Is Sarah joining the dark side? Will Zac be saved? Keep reading to find out!