Chapter Three:
"Baelfire" she breathed, before she fell to the ground unconscious.
"That's enough of that" Peter sighed, directing his attention back towards the two figures watching with wide eyes.
"You psycho" Neal seethed, aiming the bow again. "You've kept her this whole time?"
"It's heart-warming to see father and son working together" Peter ignored Baelfire's comment. "Especially after you abandoned him Rumple. This is a real family reunion."
"What are you waiting for?" Rumple cut in before Pan could out their relationship and past.
"I got this" Neal assured his father, before releasing the arrow. The same as Pan had done for his son hours before, he caught it an inch from his heart as smugness radiated from him.
"Clever" He remarked sarcastically. "But we've been through this before, Baelfire. Have you remembered nothing?"
"I remembered plenty" Bae was the smug one now, wrapping the crossbow over his shoulder and heading towards his son. "That's why I didn't coat the tip."
"Grab Henry" Rumple patted his sons back as they both rushed over to their family, Peter freezing over with the magic slowly.
"Well how about that. I'm impressed" he seemed more furious than impressed. "Are you sure you're really saving him, Bae?"
"What could be worse than leaving him hear with you?" Neal questioned, throwing the boy over his shoulder.
"Why don't you ask your father?" Peter hinted venomously. "Sometimes the people we should fear the most are the ones closest to us. You haven't told him?" Pan continued when Neal started to believe his words. "About the prophecy? The prophecy that says you've been tricked. Your father isn't here to rescue your son, he's here to murder him."
Neal stared at the boy, before turning to Rumple is disgust.
"We don't have time for this, Bae" Rumple tried to avert the conversation.
"Take Henry" Neal offered reluctantly, not wanting to believe Peter's words, knowing he didn't have time too now. Rumple hooked the boy over his shoulder and headed off into the woods. Bae stalked passed the boy-King, who looked on in confusion before his eyes widened in realisation.
"I wouldn't Bae" he hissed, as Baelfire lifted Clary from the ground and tucked his arms under her legs and shoulders. "Put her down!"
"You can't control either of us now" Neal promised, before stalking out of the woods.
Peter's cry of frustration followed him as he left, his fear at what Pan would do now only growing.
LINE BREAK
Pan's spell wore off much earlier than Rumple's did, Clary stirring to hear Neal and Rumpelstiltskin arguing loudly, loud rummaging as one disappeared into the woods made her wince.
"Bae?" she mumbled, getting to her feet quickly. "Where's Pan?"
"Not here. You're free" Baelfire insisted, seeing her tense and flighty stance.
"Oh God" her breathing accelerated. "What have you done?"
"Got my son back and rescued you" Bae didn't seem to register why she wouldn't feel happy right now.
"You've sentenced us. We have to go back" she headed towards the sleeping boy, but the man she no longer knew blocked her way.
"Go back?" he seemed to be fumbling for words. "When I left here, you were desperate to escape." He realised his mistake when she tensed and stepped away from him.
"Yes, when you left Neverland, that's something I wanted" the bitterness wasn't missed. "But you left me behind. And I had to adapt to another failed escape attempt."
"So, you'd rather stay? There are people here, who were in this very camp, who can save you!" Bae persuaded.
"No, I want to escape. But you never break into somewhere unless you know the way out. Because one more failed attempt will get me killed or chained to the bottom of Mermaid Lagoon. You escaped, and I lived with the repercussions of your actions" she spat, before forcing herself to calm down. "I'm going back, before Peter comes to find me."
"Too late" his voice mocked from behind her, Pan savouring the way her body always reacted to him. "You were so close to finding her, Baelfire. You disappoint me." Lost boys jumped and swarmed into the camp, surrounding any escape methods. "I thought I taught you better, never break in somewhere unless you know the way out" he echoed Clary's words. Did that mean he had heard her talking about escape?
"I'll remember that for next time" he tried acting cocky, but his constant glancing at his son didn't help.
"Oh, there isn't going to be a next time" Peter continued as Felix picked up Henry from the ground. "But don't blame yourself, your father could have protected you out here sure. But then who would have protected Henry from him? Talk about a rock and a hard place."
"I will get my son back, no matter what it takes" this was the real Bae. Not this new person, who was the lost kid. The fearless, brave Bae who stood up for what he wanted.
"You're not getting it. That's not the problem" Peter seemed almost disappointed Baelfire didn't understand his riddles. "You got him, I got him back. 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." Clary could sense his anger growing and knew he had heard her before.
"Well, I've done it before" his smugness was misguided.
"Did you?" Pan asked, earning Clary's full attention. "Look where you are now. It's like you never left."
"Are you saying you let me go?" Bae questioned, glancing at Clary, who stood frozen in shock.
"I'm saying everyone's where I want them. Something to chew on" he finished as Henry started to stir. "You know where to take him." Boys latched onto Bae's limbs, tugging him back into the woods as he screamed his sons name. "Don't worry, it won't be for very long. Just until I reset the board. See, the game is about to change."
Clary watched helplessly as her once friend was dragged painfully into the woods. She didn't dare move as Peter waited for everyone to clear the camp. The fact he hadn't said anything terrified her. Why didn't he just get the mocking and hope destroying words over with?
Striding over to her, he wrapped one hand painfully through her hair and tilted her neck at an odd angle to look at him, the other hand going around her waist to pull her closer.
"I hope that message was received" he snarled. "Because I do hate repeating myself."
"It was, Peter" she rushed, going to nod but he didn't loosen his grip.
CONTINUE
"What happened?" Henry mumbled sleepily, eyes distracted by the dancing around him.
"You feel asleep" Pan lied, crouched over him with his flute in hand. "Don't worry. It was just a little cat-nap. The nights still young." He indicated to the dancing lost boys. Everyone except Felix, who sat tossing a knife around, deep in thought.
"Wait, I…remember something" Henry hesitated, furrowing his eyebrows as the memories stirred. "My dad. When I was asleep, I could have sworn I heard him calling for me."
Peter struggled to keep the anger off his face, Clary pressing herself further into the tree to avoid his wrath.
"It must have been a dream" Henry concluded with a dejected sadness in his eyes.
"How can you be sure?" Peter prompted, forever playing the manipulative liar.
"Because my dads dead" the boy admitted, stirring a spark in Clary upon hearing it. He had no idea his father was alive and Pan's captive. Poor day.
"I'm sorry Henry" Pan replied slowly. "It makes sense for us to dream about the things we've lost." As if he would know what that was like. "And the things we hope for, like your father being alive and your mother coming to find you. But eventually, you will find new things to dream about. And when you do, they will start to come true."
Clary had heard enough. Slinking away from the tree despite Pan's signal, she moved a little out of camp to where the water was stored.
"Think he's starting to sway the lad" Felix's voice filtered through the quieter atmosphere.
"Not like we doubted he would" Clary sighed, holding her hand out for Felix's water canteen as well. "You seem rather down about the idea."
Felix shrugged, "Just adjusting." He took his full canteen back, taking a clean sip. "Should join in."
Clary looked at him in confusion, before glancing back towards camp to see Peter with his pan-flute to his lips.
"Oh" Felix realised, before a smile tugged his lips. "Good luck."
"Thanks" she bit back, knowing he was only mocking her as he returned to the slowing and mystical effects the flute could have over people, taking a seat back by the fire as Peter went to his side.
A flash of red drew her attention as the boy had joined the fold, dancing as free and as effortlessly as those around him. It was unnerving, how easily Peter could draw them in. Speaking off, Pan held up a finger to beckon her back to the camp. She followed the command gradually, seeing as the dancing would take a while and she very, very rarely wanted any part of the hysterical ritual.
CONTINUE
When Clary and Peter arose from the tree the next day, they instantly were drawn to the commotion coming from the off-camp. It was a small clearing that had the water storage, food hut, weapons, clothing, the important things.
One of the newer lost boys, having arrived in the last 5-8 years maybe, was fighting Henry with sticks. Devin was clearly more lax about it, Henry looking tense and afraid as the other lost boys cheered the fight.
"Not bad" Peter made their presence known as Devin backed Henry towards a tree. "Wouldn't it be more fun if you had real swords?" Clary instantly walked away, not wanting to watch Henry or Devin hurt each other. Their shouts and excitement followed them, Peter's louder than the others as he cheered his truest believer on. It made her sick.
Clary saw Devin storm past her, blood slicing down his cheek and anger bubbling under his skin. Devin was probably scared. Humiliated by a newbie in front of Pan wouldn't do well for his rank or his safety. Pan didn't have weakness in his boys.
The boy disappeared for a few hours, it was getting dark when he finally strolled back into camp, a little hesitation in his step. All Clary could do from her perch was watch people, she knew their characteristics, knew when they had something to hide or something to brag about or something to kill. It was ingrained in their body language and tone. And this boy had something to hide.
While she knew prying might make her aware of something she shouldn't be, she was bored. It took a few moments for her to navigate herself safely off the platform as it was an uncomfortable distance off the ground. No one paid her any attention as she slunk behind the trees and neared when Devin was now hassling Henry.
"You're trying to get back at me, for cutting your cheek" Henry's voice was offended and hurt, but Devin just handed him something. Oh god he was betraying Pan. Devin hovered near where she was with a vague expression on his face, as if something was missing.
"Henry! Henry are you okay?" a parade of female voices asked, as Henry held an object in front of his wide eyes.
"Mom?" Henry gasped. "No this is a trick." He swore but the voices assured him otherwise.
Clary then saw Pan making his way through the leaves, and felt her throat constrict.
"Devin" she hissed, the boy finally noticing her and her eyeline. With wide eyes, he slunk off from overhearing to join the others. "Henry" she called, walking over with a friendly smile.
"One second" Henry whispered, hidden poorly from her but she pretended anyway.
"Hey" she smiled sweetly enough. "I heard about before. It will go a long way in making Pan happy." She indicated roughly with her head towards where Pan was now entering the camp.
"I have to go" Henry caught on and whispered into the hand-mirror.
"Who is that?" someone questioned suspiciously, but Henry urged them away with final 'I love you's, before dropping them onto the floor hastily, the glass cracking. Clary slunk from the boy, going over to Pan who was already looking for her.
"Rough day?" she asked, Peter turning to her with hardened eyes. He didn't answer, just tugged her over to a log and sat her down harshly on the floor.
"Don't talk to anyone" he seethed. Someone must have really riled him up, but she just did as she was told. Felix strolled over a little later to update Pan on the lost boys while he was gone, handing both Pan and Clary some spears to whittle. She welcomed the distraction from her silent sitting.
Pan's eyes followed Henry as he hovered around the outskirts of base, his knife cutting quicker into the wood the angrier he got. Better the spear than her flesh. Aria had never been great a wood work, her hands were too small. She held in a silent curse as the blade scabbed across her thumb for a second, raising the injured digit to her lips.
"Someone's leaving Neverland" Pan stated with a jerk. How many people were currently here? Baelfire, Rumple and Henry's three female voices. Who else could possibly have tagged along? And how were they finding ways off the island in days when she had spent centuries?
"Where? How shall we stop them?" Felix jumped into action, clearly finding the whittling restless.
"Oh it's too late" Peter explained, turning to his second commands as Clary did the same, unaware her thumb was still dangling in her mouth. "Don't worry Felix, we simple need to get word to our friends on the ground."
"In Storybrooke?" Felix sounded disgusted at the idea. Guess the escape route wasn't as easy as Clary had been thinking. Hoping.
"They can handle this. All it does it move up our time-table a touch" Peter's eyes turned back to the sullen Henry. He had everything planned. "We need to get Henry ready. And I need to have a chat with our friend in the other cage."
Clary jumped up as the others did, Felix slinking off the Peter turned to her. He took her wrist gently, turning over her hand to examine the wound with a small chuckle. With a light stroke, he had healed it, rather suspiciously.
"You mean Wendy" Clary stated with a whisper, not wanting to make him mad.
"Yes" He agreed. "But it won't break our deal regarding her."
"No harm?" she prodded for his promise. It didn't mean much, but she didn't have anything else to go on.
"No harm" He swore with a smirk. "She is just going to help with Henry, and then be returned to her sleep."
It was a deal they had held ever since Peter took the girl. He refused to let her go, intending to possibly kill her in a game, or give her to the mermaids. But Clary had made a deal with him to save her life and sacrifice a portion of her own.
"Stay there" he ordered without even a glance back as he left the camp, and Clary took her seat. It was worrying not knowing when he would be back or where he was going. Camp was usually run fairly set in their routine, there weren't many options other than training, collecting supplies or playing. But all these added factors were making her jittery.
With nothing else to do, she continued whittling carefully, going through spear after spear. Picking up a smaller one, she couldn't help the rebellious streak that ran within her. Pan had clothes her in a similar outfit to his own, rough ¾ length trousers with matching boots, and a cross-work of material making up a short-sleeved shirt, thinner in material than the others, but rather comfortable. She sliced the end away, before keeping the weapon secure in her boot. Just in case.
After a few hours more of this, Clary felt the ache in her arms and decided to stretch her legs. She walked around the log a little, breaching further by centimetres. It was when she was a couple feet away from the log on another circuit she saw Felix slinking into the bushes, with a flash of red behind him.
Should she risk following? Peter had specifically said 'stay here', but he left for 12-hour periods recently, and was unlikely to return before she got back. But if that was where Henry was going, wasn't it likely Peter was not far behind?
With her decision made, they became a trio of unwitting followers.