Pan didn't see her again for three days. She hadn't left her cabin at all. He finally entered her cabin quietly to find her in the same position, in the exact same place he had left her in three days ago. He sat on the bed next to her.
"Jesse's been asking about you. Wonders when you're coming back. He's worried Alice…I'm worried." He spoke softly but still got no response from her. He glanced at her wrists which he saw because she was hugging her shoulders with her back to him.
"What did they do to you?" he asked, "I don't see any physical damage except on your wrist, but something clearly happened. Please tell me. What happened to you on that ship? What did they do to you?" Still silence, "Alice please, I can't help you if you don't tell me what happened"
"You couldn't help anyway" she finally spoke at a barely audible volume. He was relieved to hear her say at least something.
"Yes I can. I'm Peter Pan and Peter Pan never fails at anything. So tell me"
Alice turned to face him and she showed her ankles which until then had been covered by the white dress the pirate captain had put her in. They were burned like her wrists.
"They tied your ankles too? Why?"
Alice closed her eyes and began to tear up and shake as she remembered what happened. Pan placed his hands on her shoulders gently causing her to flinch and open her eyes.
"Alice please" his voice was soothing and his face was full of worry, "bottling things up won't help…"
"He took advantage of me…" she said quietly
"What?" Peter asked, unsure of what he had just heard
"He raped me Peter. The captain tied me to his bed and raped me." Alice began to cry and Peter pulled her in close to hold her as she did. His expression darkened. Someone had hurt her, someone had touched his lost girl and he was going to make them pay. Anger filled his body and he held tightly onto Alice as she wept. He balled his fists.
"I'll take care of it." He promised in a dark tone
"What? Peter, no…" she pulled away to look at him
"NO ONE touches my lost girl and gets away with it! I will make them pay" She could see the anger in his eyes as he vanished before hers. His lost girl… In a flash Pan was back, but he was covered in blood. Her eyes widened.
"Peter you're hurt!" She stood up and went to help him
"It's not my blood"
She stopped.
"You mean…?"
"Yes"
"Why?"
"Because he hurt you. He took advantage of you!"
"I meant…why would you do that for me?" Confusion was suppressing Alice's mixed emotions, "Why am I so important to you? Ever since you brought me to Neverland I've been wondering 'why me?' and I'm finally asking. Why did you come to Storybrooke looking for me? Why did you bring me here? Why would you kill someone who did that to me?"
Peter took a deep breath and sat on her bed.
"It's a long story" he said softly
"I've got time." She sat next to him
"You're 16 right now even though that isn't your actual age. Do you know why?"
"Neverland's magic"
"Yes, but do you know why it made you this age?"
Alice shook her head
"Because up until you were this age, you could hear my music."
"What?"
"Regina's curse must have dulled your memory a bit."
"Hey!"
"Point is, it was a long time ago. I was in the Enchanted Forest playing my music to attract new lost boys and take them to Neverland. Usually I'll visit them in their dreams and then send the shadow to get them. One night when I was playing, a little 5 year old princess heard my melody. It was strange because no girl has ever heard my music. So I paid a visit to the Enchanted Forest to see who this girl was. A little cursed child by the name of Princess Delany. Once I realized you heard me and had my curse, I formed an idea and I watched you as you grew up. Not in person, but through you hearing my music, I was able to keep tabs on you. Then, shortly after your 16th birthday, you could no longer hear what I played. I assumed I knew why you felt lost: everyone forgot your existence if they didn't see you the next day! So now it's my turn to ask why. Why did you stop feeling lost? Why couldn't you hear my music anymore?"
Peter's tone was one of genuine curiosity. Alice stared down at her hands as she entangled them together.
"…I met a boy. A prince. He was tall and handsome…and he liked me. We became friends and we saw each other every day so it was like my curse didn't exist!" Alice smiled at the memory, but then frowned as she continued her story, "We became best friends actually…then we fell in love. Or at least I thought. He proposed and of course I said yes. It was the day of our wedding and just before it was supposed to begin, I heard the queen, a royal advisor and my soon to be husband talking about payment arrangements. I continued to listen and found out the whole thing was fake. A way to get rid of me or keep me occupied or something. It wasn't real. Any of it. So I ran. I figured I could live outside the royal life just like my sister Snow. And soon after I ran, the curse hit." A tear rolled down her cheek, "It's like you said Pan: someone with your curse can never find true love. Now answer the rest of my question. Why did you bring me to Neverland?"
"The lost boys need a mother"
"You're joking…you're not joking?"
"They need someone to look after them and I can't be here all the time so I've chosen you to marry me and become the mother of Neverland"
"Hang on, go back. Marry you? That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard! I'm not going to marry you! Pan, thanks for everything, I might hate you less than I did, but I am nowhere near loving you! And that is the only reason-!"
"You don't have a choice"
"I don't have a—you can't control me Peter"
"Yes I can. Besides, I know how you feel about me"
"Yeah, I've made it pretty clear, I don't like you all that much"
"I meant the attraction you feel towards me"
"Attraction?! I don't know what the Hell has gotten into your head but-!"
"Oh come on, I can tell when you're lying. And it's in your eyes. I see the desire"
"Alright. I've had enough of you. Get out."
Alice pushed the 'all mighty' Peter Pan off of her bed and shoved him out the door
"Excellent, I'll arrange the wedding for tomorrow!"
"You're delusional if you think I'm saying 'I do!" She shoved him out the door
"You don't have a choice" he reminded her. He pulled a beating, glowing heart out of a small box he kept on his belt. Alice's stomach dropped.
"There seems to be a lot of that going around lately" She said coldly as she slammed the door in Peter's face.
The next morning (or was it afternoon? She couldn't tell) Alice awoke to music. She opened the door and squinted her eyes at the sun. When her eyes adjusted to the light she saw she was standing on an aisle. There were logs on either side of it filled with lost boys and at the front was an alter, with Felix standing behind it and Pan in front of it. He smirked at her as she walked down the aisle angrily.
"What the hell is all of this?" She demanded once reaching Peter
"Our wedding"
"I said no"
"And I said yes. I want something, I get it"
"Well, well…" Alice was running out of excuses, "Well I'm not dressed properly to be married" She finally managed. Peter snapped his fingers and a shower of blue, sparkling dust cascaded over her. When it cleared, her hair and makeup were freshly done and she was wearing a stunning white dress. She half expected glass slippers, but this wasn't a fairy tale and she wasn't Cinderella, so she was still barefoot. Either way, the sudden transformation and the sheer beauty of the dress took her breath away.
"Felix, proceed" Pan said
"We are gathered here today, blah blah blah, boring stuff, ok! Do you, Peter Pan take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife?" Felix spoke
"I do" Peter said confidently with a smirk. Alice wondered if he could actually smile or if all he could so was smirk.
"And do you…" Felix got Alice out of her head, "Alice uhh…"
"…Cassidy" she snapped coldly
"Alice Cassidy, take this man to be your lawful wedded husband?"
She stared at Peter, "I guess"
"I'll take it. Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride"
Oh shit Alice had forgotten about that part
"Don't even think about it" She said to Peter, who quickly pulled her close and crashed his lips onto hers while he dipped her, classic fairytale style. Her eyes widened but as she was caught up in the moment, they slowly closed and she began to kiss back, she heard the lost boys cheer, then silence. Pan had teleported them again, she just knew it. Teleporting…Pan…she was kissing Peter Pan! She snapped her eyes open and pushed her groom away.
"What's the matter? Not to your liking darling?" Pan asked
"Not at all!"
"Which is why you kissed back" He reasoned. The new mother of Neverland began to blush. She was going to push her feelings for Pan as far down as they could go. He already controlled her life, he wasn't going to control her feelings as well.
"What? No sarcastic remark from my new bride?" He asked smugly
"Can it Dumbo! Where the hell did you drag me this time" she looked around and noted that they were in some sort of cave. The walls were damp and she heard the ocean.
"I'll show you." He led her to a wide opening to the cave. She saw Neverland, they were off of the mainland. Just in front of her was the ocean.
"This is Skull Rock. My special place."
Alice wondered about the name, so she peaked her head out and looked up: sure enough, she was standing in the mouth of a giant skull shaped rock. Very original name she thought to herself with a roll of her eyes. The ground beneath her began to shift and she began falling towards the sea. Peter grabbed her hand and helped her back onto steady land.
"Not in that dress princess. It's a wedding gown, not a swimsuit"
"This isn't a very stable rock is it?"
Pan shrugged, "Rocks shift and fall into the sea. It's called gravity my queen."
"Don't call me that" she said as she yanked away from Pan.
"You'll get used to it" Pan assured her as she turned her back and began walking deeper into Skull Rock. He sighed, "Look, Alice, I know this isn't what you wanted, and I really was going to wait until you fell in love with me, but after what happened with those pirates and you trying to run away…"
He was cut off when she stopped and spoke, "What?" she breathed, "How does that even make sense to you?" She turned to face him, only to find him right behind her, "Marrying me is going to keep me from running and keep bad shit from happening? That doesn't make sense Pan!" She waved her hands in the air to emphasize her point. He snatched up her left wrist, causing her to flinch; to which he responded with an apologetic look. He flared out her fingers by making her flick her wrist, "You see this?" Pan asked. She looked at her hand and noticed a ring on her ring finger. Despite everything happening, she couldn't help but admire its beauty: the band was gold, and it was topped with a blooming rose made from a diamond.
"And this?" he held up his left hand and showed her a gold wedding band on his ring finger, "These connect us. It's a magic bond so that the other will know when they're needed."
"Needed?" The new mother of Neverland asked.
Pan sighed, "When you were taken by those pirates and had the chance to call out for help, you didn't."
"Yes I di- "
"You shouted my name. Not help. This showed me that you knew I would always be there when you call. This just makes it so I can get to you sooner. If you're in trouble, the connection between the rings will let me know."
"…what if I take it off?"
"You can't" He stated simply, "Now, where to next love?"
"Excuse me?" Alice asked, trying to wrap her head around everything that was happening
"Where would my new bride like our honeymoon to be? The Enchanted Forest? Oz? Wonderland? I'll even let you chose Storybrooke if you so please" Pan said with a playful smirk and a tone that was expected to lighten the mood.
"I don't care." Alice said softly. Her husband frowned
"What?"
"It doesn't matter."
"But I thought you'd leap at the chance to go back to that land without magic. See all your…"
"All my what? Friends? My family? You said so yourself, no one remembers who I am. What would be the point of any of it?"
"Well I thought…"
"You thought you could win me over by taking me temporarily back home. Sorry to disappoint husband of mine, but you can't. It doesn't work that way"
"Then how does it work?"
"How does what work?"
"You? Love? How do I win my princess's heart?" He took her hand gently and to the surprise of both of them, she didn't flinch, "Alice, I'll admit I know nothing about love, but I know I love you and I want you to feel the same about me. So how do I make that happen?" He looked pleadingly into her eyes. Oh shit, oh shit, don't cave, don't cave…
"It'll take time. But you have to work for it." Alice gave in to his sad look.
"Of course, I'll do anything. Whatever you want."
"Loosen up the leash a bit. Let me explore this place."
"Alright…what about the lost boys?"
"Ok, I'll watch over them, but I'm not going to baby them. Keep them in check"
"Got it. Thank you Alice."
"Now, I want to go to bed."
"What about our honeymoon? Wonderland is very nice this time of year"
"As much as I'd love to see Jefferson again, I'd really rather just go to bed"
"Alright." Pan snapped his fingers and they were in a different tree house away from the camp, "I'll take you on a honeymoon some other time. Think of it like a free ticket off this island whenever you'd like to use it."
"Yeah, yeah alright. I'm too tired to think. Just get out, I need to change."
Pan snapped his fingers again and she was once again showered in blue, sparkling dust, but this time when the dust settled, she was in a soft, silk nightgown in a pastel shade of blue. She looked up at him annoyed as she crawled into the only bed in the tree house.
"I hate it when you do that."
Pan took off his shirt, revealing his muscular body. He stripped down to just his pants, "I can tell when you're lying." He said with a smirk as he crawled in the other side of the bed. Alice rolled over to face him. She was glad it was dark so he couldn't see how flushed she had gotten due to his lack of clothing.
"Then tell me if I'm lying about this…" She said, mirroring his signature smirk, "We're not sleeping in the same bed!" She pushed him out of the bed and onto the floor with a very satisfying thud. Then she rolled back over. Pan stood up and smirked as he looked at her laying in the bed. He was relieved that she was at least starting to act normally again. So that night, he obliged to her wishes and conjured up a separate bed for him to sleep in.
A/N: Sorry this chapter is a bit shorter, but I felt like this was a good stopping point. Anyway I hope you enjoyed and I will update again soon. Promise :)