"You can do this love," Killian says as he stands behind her, arms wrapped around her waist and his chin resting on her shoulder. They are standing before the full length mirror in their bedroom. Emma closes her eyes and concentrates, feeling her magic flow through her veins. When she opened her eyes again there was an image in the mirror. The image showed Sophia collecting some coconuts. Emma sighed in relief because her daughter was okay but she felt Killian tense behind her.
"What is it?" she asked him and turned her head just a little to look at him.
"She's in Neverland," he answered, not taking his eyes off the mirror.
She turned in his arms and made him look at her while she stoked his cheek. "Hey, she's okay. She has your blood. You survived in Neverland, so will she. At least we are familiar with the realm she's in. She could have landed up in Wonderland, that would have been a real challenge."
He seemed to relax a bit and gave her a sad smile. "You're right love, I'm just worried."
"Me too," she lets her head fall to her shoulder and wrapped her arms around his waist. He kisses the top of her head and rests his cheek against it, swaying her slowly. "Come, we have to find Regina."
Felix was walking with some of the lost boys through the jungle. They were still looking for whatever entered Neverland. Although he knew they meant Sophia he didn't say anything. Now, he had to get rid of these boys and go to her. To make sure she didn't get him in trouble of course. When no one was looking he picked up a stone and threw it in the opposite direction.
"Did you see that?" one of the boys said.
"Yeah, what was it?" said another.
"You go on, I'll see what it was," he offered innocent. They nodded and walked on. When they were out of sight he turned and made his way toward the cave he had left Sophia in. Somehow he found himself become nervous. Why was he nervous? He never felt nervous. Why did she make him nervous? He began to walk slower. What was he going to say to her?
He shook his head. He was being an idiot. What does it matter what he would say to her? He just didn't want to get in trouble, that's all. He tried to not think about her, about her smile, her eyes, her cute pointy ears, her… What the hell was wrong with him? He sighed when he saw the cave. For a moment he considered going back, but his feet thought otherwise because they just carried him inside.
"Sophia?" he called when he was inside. He didn't hear any respond and when he walked further inside he saw there was no one there. In the middle of the cave was a fire and the rock she said that could be her bed was covered with all kinds of different leaves. Should he go back or wait for her?
He was about to leave when something on the wall caught his eye. He walked closer to see that she had been drawing on the wall. On the ground were half coconuts with different kind of collared mud. He looked back at the drawing. She had drawn a dragon with big wings and sharp claws. Next to the dragon was a text. After all his years in Neverland he had forgotten how to read, but he still could recognise some words. He looked over the text again and again, trying to recognise the letters and words.
" 'Don't Fashion Me Into A Maiden That Needs Saving From A Dragon. I Am The Dragon, And I Will Eat You Whole'" he heard behind him and he jumped a bit. He turned to see her walking into the cave, a net of coconuts was swung over her shoulder and she had her hair pulled back in a ponytail.
"What?" he asked. Hoping he sounded less breathless then he felt.
"The quote on the wall you were trying to read, that's what is says," she explained and put the coconuts in a corner of the cave. "What are you doing here?"
"How do you know I can't read?" ignoring her question. He knew he didn't really have a good excuse to be here. The 'he didn't want to get in trouble' excuse sounded lame now that he thought about it. If he didn't want to get in trouble he would have told Pan the truth.
"You we staring at the letters like it was some kind of riddle," she came to stand next to him. "I have the same quote in my bedroom."
Her eyes grew sad at the memory and felt the need to comfort her. He didn't know why but he just did. "They'll come for you."
"How do you know?" she whispered and bit her lip. She was clearly trying to hold her tears back.
"I may not know your mother but I do know your father and I know he would go to the end of the world for the people he loves," he turned his head to look at her and she gave him a sad smile, then turned her gaze back to the wall and leaned a bit against him.
"Thank you," she whispered. He felt a weird tingle in his stomach when she rested her head against his shoulder. "Do you know how to use a sword?"
He looked questioning at her. "Yeah, why?"
She lifter her head from his shoulder and walked to the other side of the cave. "If I'm going to stay here for a while I have to know how to defend myself," from behind a few small rocks she grabbed two blades. "I had a few fighting lessons back home but I never used blades like this before."
"Where did you get those?" he said as he walked closer. The cutlasses where beautifully engraved with different patterns and they looked as if they were never used.
"Don't know, I was thinking about how cool it would be to have cutlasses like these and suddenly they appeared," she handed one to him.
"You have magic?"
"Maybe, I am the product of True Love just like my mother so it wouldn't be a surprise."
"I may not know a lot about magic but I can teach you how to sword fright," he gave her back her cutlass and started walking towards the exit of the cave. "You coming?"
"Wait, like, right now?" she raised an eyebrow at him. "Don't you have to go back to Pan or something?"
"Pan doesn't expect me back for a few hours, why not have a little fun?" he smirked at her and she smiled at him while sprinting over and walking with him out of the cave.
Regina had called Emma and Killian to meet her at Granny's. She had found a way to travel through the realms and they didn't want to waste any time. Trying not to look like idiots they rushed into the diner to where Regina was sitting in a booth.
"What did you find?" was Emma's way of greeting as she sat down on the opposite side of Regina, Killian right behind her.
"Hello to you too," Regina said a bit mocking, "I searched through Arthur's office and vault and found this." She held out her hand to show a magic bean.
"Here did you find it?" asked Killian.
"I found it under his desk."
"He got the first bean from a box on his desk," Emma looked over at Killian, "he probably dropped it in his rush to get away."
"There is only one problem," they both turned their attention back to Regina, "there is only one bean, that means you have to find another way to get back here."
"We'll find a way," Emma said confident.
"Have you found out where she is yet?"
"Neverland," Killian answered.
Regina handed them the bean and got up. "Then I wish you two the best of luck."
"Thank you," Emma said and Regina nodded before leaving.
A few minutes later they were back home, changing and gearing up. Emma changed into a set of comfortable jeans and a tank top. Killian had warned her that it could be very warm on the island and she didn't want to dress to warm and have to carry all of the clothing around. Killian had changed into some jeans and a simple V-neck T-shirt and was now in town to gather some weapons. They would meet in an hour on his ship. In that hour she would inform her parents where they were going.
"Emma, let us come with you, we can help," her mother insisted.
Emma shook her head, "No. I need you two here. The town doesn't have a mayor or a sheriff, someone needs to keep everyone from breaking the law and the best persons to do that right now are the old rulers of their kingdom."
Snow and David pulled Emma into a hug. "Just promise us you and Killian will be careful."
"We will," Emma pulled back from the hug and gave her parents one last smile before heading toward the docks in her yellow bug. The drive wasn't long but it gave her some time to think. In the past few hours she didn't have the time to think really. Everything happened so fast, from not having parents to having the greatest one's ever. From not having her own family to having a husband and daughter. She knew that her fake memories were all lies, there was no fiancé named Graham who died in her arms, there was no ex-boyfriend who send her to jail named Neal. It all was a lie, one big lie, and it was all Arthurs fault. The stupid asshole deserved to die. Still, she pitied him. He may deserved to die for what he did to Killian's brother, for what he did to her and for the curse, but still she pitied him. Killian had told her about their friendship before Arthur became cruel and heartless. When Killian and Liam where on the open seas Arthur was in the castle learning how to be a king. He didn't have any brothers who he could pass the throne to. He had no choice in what he did and that made him jealous of the Jones brothers who were free in their choices.
She stopped her car in a parting spot and got out. She walked over to The Jolly Roger. At least the curse brought the ship to this realm.
"You ready, love?" Killian asked when she walked on board. He handed her a cutlass and a scabbard which she strapped over her shoulder. He himself had a sword dangling from his hip.
"Yeah, why are we taking the Jolly again?" Emma asked as he steered the ship to out of the docks.
"In Neverland traveling on the waters is faster and safer than on land. We can get closer faster that way and get away even faster," he explained and held his and out for the bean. She handed it to him and he threw it into the water. There appeared a green portal in the water and Killian steered them toward it. "Next stop, Neverland!"
"Try to keep your defence higher," Felix said as he gave her the next blow. She blocked it and stepped back to get some distance between them. She went for his side but he simply blocked it and disarmed her. "Not bad, but…"
With a swift move she ducked and kicked his feet from the ground beneath him so that he fell to the ground on his back. She grabbed his fallen cutlass and put a knee on his chest while holding the blade against his throat. "You were saying?"
He froze and his eyes went wide with surprise. She laughed at the expression on his face. Apparently he took this opportunity to roll her over so that she was now laying on her back and he sat on top of her. She let out a sound of surprise but the smile didn't leave her lips, even when he held the cutlass against her throat.
"Not bad, but not good enough," he said with his own smile on his lips. She liked it when he smiled, it made him look more careless. Like he wasn't an unloved lost boy. She sometimes saw the pain that he tried to hide. No matter how hard he tried she could still see it in his eyes.
"Are you going to let me go or are you going to keep staring?" she asked when he didn't make a move to get off of her. He gave her a sheepish smile and stood up, picking up her other cutlass and giving it to her when she was on her feet again.
"What happened to your arm?" he asked when they got back in their positions.
"Long story," he made a blow which she blocked, "short summery, I was pushed and fell on my arm."
"Doesn't it hurt?" this time he had to block.
"Nah," he blocked her attack again, "my wounds normally heal in a matter of hours."
She duck when he went for her head, "then why do you still have the bandages on?"
"Just to be sure," he blocked her blow again and she disarmed him.
"You're getting really good," he complemented her with a smirk which made her blush a little.
"Daughter of a pirate," she shrugged and smirked back.
"That you are," he picked up the cutlass and walked over to her. "Now that you're getting better at sword fighting, maybe you can teach me some of your fight moves."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "Don't you know how to fight without a weapon?" she teased him.
"I know how to fight, only your fighting skills are clearly better than mine," he admitted a bit bashful and she saw his cheeks turn a bit pink.
"Well then," she took the cutlass from him and set them against a tree, "show me what you got."
They both settles in a fighting position. She nodded at him and he stepped forward to give her a punch. She simply stepped aside and held out her foot so her would stumble over it. She snickered when he went face first to the ground. He gave her a half-hearted glare when he was on his feet again and she saw his face turn red. Again.
"Okay. Well first of all, you have to stand stronger," she walked over to him. "keep your feet more firm on the ground." He got in his fighting position and did what she said. "Now, keep one hand in front of the other so you won't leave any openings," she stood beside him in her position and he tried to mimic her posture, "then when you punch you make the blow and retrieve your hand again and create distance."
She demonstrated it and he looked closely. She felt her cheeks warm up under his stare and turned her head slightly so he wouldn't see it. It was weird how he made her feel. She wasn't a stranger to boys and their complements or the way they stared at her, but somehow Felix was different. Her father had mentioned him a few times when he told her about Neverland. He said Felix was one of the merciless and heartless of them all, that he would kill without a second thought.
But the boy she saw now, the boy who blushed when she came too close, the boy who laughed when she told him a joke, the boy who broke his loyalty to Pan just to help her, that boy was nothing like the monster her father described him as. He tried a few times to do the move the same way as she did while she gave him instruction. She found herself thinking back to the conversation she had with her father that morning after he and her mother went on a date, about how your True Love can change you for the better.
She mentally shook her head. That wasn't it, it couldn't be. She was probably just the only girl he had seen in a million years or so. When she would leave again he would forget about her and she about him like nothing happened. She showed him a few more basics before he walked her back to the cave.
"Do you think I can defeat Pan?" she asked as she leaned back next to the opening of the cave.
"You would at least survive for more than 10 seconds," he said and smiled at her in admiration. "but I have to go now before anyone suspects anything."
She nodded and before she could stop herself the words left her mouth, "Will I see you tomorrow? For training of course," she added quickly.
He clearly didn't expect that question as he rubbed his neck, "Maybe, I don't know. Only if I could escape Pan without making him think something is up."
"Well, if you succeed in escaping him," she said while turning toward the entrance of the cave, "I'll see you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow," he said and it sounded more like a promise than a goodbye.
A/N: Hope you all enjoyed this chapter and than you for reading! Don't forget to leave a review! And Merry Christmas to you all! *(:D
