Chapter Five: Firsts

Henry was getting older. As in actually growing. John and Michael Darling hadn't really processed when they agreed to this that he wouldn't be a baby the entire time- that he was going to grow up. So it was a real shock to the system when he started crawling. And it was even more of a shock when they realized just how much trouble he was attempting to get into.

That was when they had bought the books. Books about babies and parenting, though John had taken a permanent marker to anything with that word. He didn't want to even have it around the house in any capacity. But the two of them combed through, gaining the knowledge of how to baby-proof the house so Henry wouldn't electrocute himself or choke on something. They were pretty sure Pan wouldn't be happy if they handed him that Heart of the Truest Believer. So the toilet seats were now bolted down and unplugged outlets were covered. Someone still had an eye on him at all times though, because Henry always seemed to find a way.

But the revelation that Henry was growing up brought another set of issues the two brothers hadn't exactly planned for. "What are we going to tell him?" Michael asked suddenly on one of their daily walks. Henry was fighting the stroller, wanting to move about on his own. John merely gave a questioning look. "How are we going to explain that he lives here in the town where every day is the same and no one gets older?"

"I don't know," John admitted, bending down to stop Henry from fussing. "I have no idea, Michael. It seems the easiest way would be to ignore the whole situation and refuse to acknowledge it if he brings it up." Henry reached his arms out for John's glasses, a new favorite activity of his whenever they were in close proximity. John gently moved the outstretched hands away, looking up to see an upset Michael.

"We can't do that, John. We can't put him through what we did." John seemed to immediately realize his mistake and rose with the intention of calming his little brother down. "Nobody believed our stories about Peter Pan… about Wendy," he continues, voice building. "They just locked us up in an orphanage and threw away the key. But at least they had reasonable doubt. We did sound insane. But Henry, we'll know it's the truth and you still want us to lie to him? He needs to believe, not have everything crushed by the two he's going to trust. And when the curse is broken and he knows we lied how can we expect him to follow us back to Neverland?"

Henry seemed to notice something was happening and decided to chime in with some unintelligible babbling that attracted both their attention. He just stared back at them with his large dark eyes a moment before smiling. Michael turned back to give a hard look at John. "You could put him through that?" he questioned harshly.

John immediately shook his head, sobered. "No. We won't lie to him. I don't know exactly what we'll say, but on my word I promise you he won't doubt like we did. I figure we have six or seven years before he puts it together. We'll think of something." Michael nodded; giving a ghost of a smile before the two wordlessly began to keep walking once again.

"Thank you," John heard his brother finally say. He merely gave a stiff nod back. Anything for his baby brother.

-FAWH-

When Henry was nine months old he said his first word. It wasn't the most revolutionary first word in history, in fact it was quite standard, but it didn't stop the Darling household from celebrating the moment.

It had been a standard evening. Michael had been preparing dinner in the kitchen, expecting Mary Margaret to arrive at any moment with another doomed casserole, while John had Henry atop his lap in the living room. The two had found that Henry had taken a real liking to books and stories, sitting quietly or at least trying whenever they read to him. It didn't even matter what they read- John would sometimes pull out old manuals for the sake of new material- Henry would listen with rapt attention despite minimal understanding.

Tonight's selection was one of his favorites, Goodnight Moon. But as John turned the page he notices a hand coming towards him in his peripheral vision. He wasn't quick enough as the glasses were roughly pulled off of his face and headed directly for an open mouth. "Henry," he said in his stern voice as he grabbed them back. "I can't read to you if I don't have my glasses." Henry seemed quite intent on holding onto them, tugging against John's hand. "Henry, stop," he warned, using his other hand to successfully reclaim the glasses and reaffix them on his face.

But Henry would not be so easily deterred. The hands were instantly reaching up for them once again. John let out an annoyed huff, holding them as he looked Henry squarely in the eyes. "I said that's enough Henry."

"No." John merely blinked, having not quite processed what had just occurred. But Henry was more than happy to repeat himself. "No!"

"Michael!" He was instantly on his feet, book cluttering to the floor, and quickly carrying Henry to the kitchen where Michael looked panicked. "Michael!"

"What is it? What's wrong?! Is he hurt?!" He instantly took Henry from John and started looking him over to see what the fuss was about and John merely stood there completely unable to form a sentence. "Out with it John! What's bloody-?!"

"No! No! No!" Michael looked down to see Henry giggling to himself. "No." A huge smile broke out on his face.

"His first words. John, his first words!" He started laughing, throwing little Henry into the air and giving him a kiss on the cheek. "He talked!" John seemed to be equally excited, although one wouldn't have guessed so by his more put-together outward appearance. But both of their hearts were leaping with excitement and soon he was laughing too. It had been an awfully long time since the Darling brothers had truly laughed together. Henry seemed to appreciate the reaction he was getting and continued to repeat himself.

The doorbell rang a moment later, and both brothers opened it to Mary Margaret with her daily casserole. "Mary Margaret!" Michael began before she could say anything. "Henry said his first word! He talked!"

She looked between the three of them, gentle smile appearing on her face. "I can't tell who's more excited by the development- Henry or his parents."

Her words sent it all crashing down, and John and Michael realized exactly how they were behaving and how unacceptable it was. The smiles fell so suddenly Mary Margaret sputtered as if she had done something wrong. "I'm sorry. I'm aware that Michael's his uncle, of course. I didn't mean to insinuate- I know-"

John cleared his throat, returning to his cold professional persona. "That's quite alright Ms. Margaret. We understood you intentions. Thank you so much for the casserole and have a great night." He gently took it from her and headed for the kitchen. She still look quite baffled as Michael gave her a small smile and nod before turning and closing the door. He found John leaned against the counter, head down and taking a shuddering breath.

"John-"

At his brother's voice, John immediately pulled himself together and looked up. "That can't happen again," he warned voice very detached and distant. "We can't lose it like that again."

"John, it wasn't that bad. In fact, it was completely natural," Michael tried to rationalize. "It's okay for us to feel something about him."

John took Henry from his brother. "Not that. Never that." He started back for the living room. "Let me know when dinner is ready." Michael merely nodded and returned to the oven, taking a moment to violently throw the casserole in the trash.

John took a seat in the armchair in the living room still looking quite dazed. Henry was staring up at him quite puzzled. "Trust me, its better this way little guy. We're not your parents and I hope you understand that." There was no doubt that the words hurt coming out even though Henry had no clue what he was saying. The moment had honestly been too much for John Darling, had given him almost of vision of a life that could have been. He refused to be too far gone though, forced himself to rein all of the feelings back. This was in reality, and in reality Pan was coming in nine years to take Henry away.

What he failed to notice was his grip unconsciously tighten on Henry as he thought of Pan collecting the boy. And if he had, he certainly would have known for sure that there was no longer an option in refusing to be too far gone. But he didn't notice and Henry was able to say one word but not able to point out the situation. So he remained ignorant and would continue to convince himself of this supposed distance for a while longer.

-FAWH-

John had been very much against the idea of a birthday party. Henry wasn't even going to remember the event. Why should they go to the trouble of inviting their scattered neighbors over for something Henry wouldn't recall later? Plus there was the fact that it was almost guaranteed to blow their cover to the Mayor since Michael actually intended on placing her on the guest list. He was putting too much stock into the power of the pixie dust- far too much.

But John was an older brother, and older brothers have this unfortunate tendency to cave when they see just how excited their younger sibling gets over something and how much it means to them. Plus he couldn't really counter the argument that this was one-tenth of the birthdays Henry was going to experience in his life. If they were going to cut his life short by handing him over to Pan then they owed him this at least.

He had at least agreed to keep it smaller and confined to Granny's, seeing as John was not about to let all of them into their house by any means. So here John was walking Henry in his stroller to an event he wouldn't remember. He paused in front of the diner to look down at the squirming boy who was dressed in a birthday boy shirt Michael had bought just for the occasion. "Brace yourself, Henry. It's going to be a long day." He gripped the stroller a little tighter and started to push it up the steps.

John had become very aware that distance was no longer anywhere close to an option for Michael. Especially after this party, Michael was very invested in Henry and cared very much for him. He couldn't blame his baby brother exactly. Henry was the first person that had been around them this long in a very long time. As long as he understood in the end and John believed he still would. Only John had to hold out so he actually had the strength to hand him over. Michael didn't need to burden himself with that. He was just going to have to step up as the older brother once again when push came to shove.

"Surprise!" a chorus of voices shouted from the diner as they entered. Balloons were hung with streamers, a large cake stood on the counter in front of Granny, and a large banner was hung in the background that said 'Happy Birthday Henry'. Everyone started clapping as Michael took the assembled guests in, noting it was more than the few Michael had promised. Granny and Red were there, Dr. Hopper, Mary Margaret, Leroy the town drunk who probably just wanted the free cake, Mr. Clark, Dr. Whale, the Sherriff, and then in the back corner was Mayor Milles herself among others. Michael came up to the two and placed a hat on a very confused Henry's head.

"I thought we agreed no too many people," John hissed with a fake smile plastered on his face.

"I lied," Michael simply answered. "This is the one day they get to do something different. Let them enjoy it." The two stepped into the room as everyone gathered about Henry and started commenting about how adorable he looked.

John was actually surprised at how well everything seemed to go. Michael had pretty much planned it all out flawlessly. No one seemed to question the fact that for Henry to have a birthday he had to have aged. Mayor Mills seemed none the wiser, though she did look wistful when she temporarily held him. And John could see that Michael had made friends oddly enough. He was happy and seemingly amongst this odd gathering of neighbors. John could tell that Michael had finally found someplace where he felt at home. Maybe they could stay here when this was all over. Wendy would like this place too, he was sure of it.

The cake was quickly devoured and soon the two brothers started to tear into a huge pile of gifts that sat in one of the booths. Michael had done the ripping while John tried to keep Henry interested in the events as opposed to his glasses. "Oh, look Henry," Michael cooed as he removed a check from a card.

Mayor Mills cleared her throat. "I wasn't really sure… I tried…"

John gave her a kind smile. "It's fine, Mayor. We'll put this in his bank account and it'll last a long time. That was very thoughtful of you." Michael nodded and the Mayor flashed a relieved smile, instantly looking more comfortable. Michael ripped the next one open to reveal an old storybook with the words 'Once Upon a Time' upon the cover. "Wow. He's going to love that."

"It was just sitting around," the voice of Mary Margaret piped in, casting a worried glance around when all eyes turned to her. "I thought he would get more use out of it then I would."

Michael placed it gently to the side. "Oh, he definitely will. Henry loves stories," he assured the schoolteacher. He grabbed the next package from the pile and continued opening gifts until John was pretty sure Henry was the most spoiled one year old in existence. Things had wrapped up from there with thanks you's and a few more polite exchanges before they loaded the car and drove home.

Henry was exhausted when John tucked him into the crib that evening, letting out a loud yawn. John put his hand in the crib so Henry wrapped his small finger around it. "I know it's gone by fast for you, but imagine how we feel," he said quietly, content in the moment. "It seems like just yesterday we moved here and adopted you. Listen, Henry, between us this has been the best year in a long time and that's mostly because of you. So thank you and… I hope the next nine go by slower," he concluded, gently running his hand though Henry's tuft of hair. "Good night, Henry. Happy birthday," was what he said, though his heart very much wanted him to say something else. He refused that urge though and buried it deep enough to ignore it as he shut off the light and went to visit Michael.

"You were right. That party-what's the matter?" His brother looked white as a sheet from where he sat upon his bed. He walked up to him and noticed he was reading the storybook Mary Margaret had given them.

Michael looked up at him, eyes wide. He tapped a finger on the pages. "I think I figured the curse out." John curiously took a seat next to him, seeing a picture of a Queen who looked shockingly like Mayor Mills. He felt his jaw drop. "You're not going to believe this," Michael whispered, going back to the beginning.

-FAWH-

It was an evening about a month later where John found himself pursuing the book for what must have been the fiftieth time. Henry was sprawled out on the floor with Michael, playing with some blocks Marco had made him for his birthday. The boy kept turning his attention to John though, pointing at him. "John, he wants you to play with him," Michael told his brother.

John just waved at them, captivated in the story of Snow White and Prince Charming once again. It had been a very interesting month since the two had discovered the nature of the curse and recognized now who many of their neighbors and friends truly were. It was Snow White who dropped a casserole off every evening, Jiminy Cricket they encountered on the street, and it was the Evil Queen who had almost adopted Henry. This whole thing was her doing. She was the reason every day was the same and why no one remembered who they were. And if Owen's accounts of the town appearing from nowhere were to be believed then the clock put them at nine years before the Savior, Emma the daughter of Prince Charming and Snow White, arrived and broke the curse. Pan really had known what he was doing when he sent them here. This place was built on belief and fairy-tales for Pete's sake.

But the two had carried on as if everything was normal, trying not to make the Mayor too suspicious even with the pixie dust working. She had been stopping them more since the party, making conversation and holding Henry. It seemed part of her was still drawn to him.

"John!" A voice broke him out of his train of thought and he glanced up to glare at Michael. But his brother pointed and John turned his gaze to see Henry on two feet. He had been pulling himself up by the coffee table recently, but the way he kept looking at John and then his feet meant only one thing. John put the book on the table and knelt down, arms outstretched.

"Come on, Henry. You can do it," he cheered, smile plastered on his face as Henry took his first step. He looked over to see Michael recording the moment on his phone as Henry continued his journey across the living room before collapsing into John's awaiting arms. John found himself pulling Henry into a tight hug. "Oh, I'm so proud of you! You did it!"

"Did it!" he shouted back, adding two new words to his quickly growing vocabulary. Michael joined the two of them, giving Henry a hug as well. This time there was no third party to break them out of their reverie and point out their behavior. So they were content to repeat the moment to one another in words of excitement and coax a few more steps out of Henry before calling it a night. And as they both went to bed and realized how they acted, neither of them could work up the strength this time to care. It had been a great night. They'd just act like everything was normal in the morning. No harm, no foul.

-FAWH-

If John and Michael thought Henry got into trouble when he crawled, well walking had them almost pulling their hair out at trying to keep an eye on him. He had a knack on their walks for simply bowling over to someone he recognized, not even caring if he ran into them. So the next year was spent chasing Henry down the street, in new words, in stories, in casseroles. But sadly for John it seemed to fly by faster than even the first one. He just tried to enjoy every moment.

It was when Henry turned two and a half that the most painful day came. Henry had taken to Barney as he played with his toys in the morning, John having purchased a television in their second year to alleviate some of the boredom in the evenings. So John knew exactly where he got the words from when he said them.

John had tucked two and half year old Henry into his crib after a few pages from the storybook, giving him a tight hug. As he went to click off the light Henry abruptly stood up gripping the crib bars. "I love you."

John felt his heart physically stop. He turned back to see Henry staring at him completely earnest with a huge smile on his face. He walked back over and tucked him back in, feeling his heart physically split in two as he ran his hand through his hair.

He willed himself to say it. He knew it was true. There was no way he could openly deny it as he just stared down at Henry. It had maybe been true since the moment he had held him that first time. But he was just rational enough to know it wouldn't be the best idea for anybody. "I know, kiddo," were the three words he chose instead. With that, he turned off the light and retreated to his bedroom. He had to sit down because his chest physically hurt. He spent the night rationalizing himself and burying his feelings deep as he was used to doing. He could still do this. He wasn't in too deep. He could still do this. He wasn't in too deep.

But the next morning Michael came downstairs to find the television gone and Henry crying about it. He had stormed into the kitchen to find John drinking a cup of coffee. He could instantly tell his brother hadn't slept, so he immediately lost his words. John noticed him and set the cup down.

"No more Barney," He reasoned simply. "I'm not having the kid being raised by a television." Michael ad simply nodded in agreement, seeing his brother was not to be messed with.

-FAWH-