A/N: Hey Team!

Thank you so much for that response to the first chapter. I love coming back to writing PanFiction and getting an epic response, it's so encouraging!

Ari: Did Pan ever love her? Well, we'll have to wait and see. ;)

Here's the next chapter for you guys! I think it may be the first and only time I write something completely set in the past. But anyways. Love you!

Enjoy! xx

Happy Birthday

xxx

Four Years Ago

"Emma!"

"Oh shit," Emma said before clapping her hand over her mouth and seeing Evelyn's wide smile. The two of them giggled quietly at her outburst, trying to avoid the earshot of her mother. Which seemed impossible.

"Emma! There you are and…oh. Evelyn."

"Good evening, Your Majesty," Evelyn said, giving a curtsy with her muddied brown skirt. Emma was just as dirty and the Queen was giving them both disapproving looks.

"Emma, you were supposed to be in your writing lesson twenty minutes ago."

"I'm sorry, mother," Emma said, bowing her head, but a smirk played at the corner of her mouth as she glanced at Evelyn out of the corner of her eye.

"Never mind," her mother sighed, taking her by the shoulder and nudging her forward. "Off you go to get cleaned up before dinner."

Emma nodded before throwing an apologetic glance at Evie who nodded in understanding. Evie never got off easy whenever the Queen caught her.

"Evelyn," she began softly. "I've told you about this before."

"I'm sorry , Your Highness."

"No," Snow White said, "You don't have to. You never have to call me that, Evelyn. Please."

"But I don't feel comfortable calling you anything else."

"How about Snow?" the Queen said warmly. "It is, after all my name."

"But you're the Queen –"

"And you're a Princess, Evie," Snow countered. "And I know you don't care for it, but please, don't try and sway Emma from her duties. She will rule someday and she needs to learn."

"And I won't so I don't need to." There was a bitterness in Evie's tone that Snow heard beneath distant words.

"I never said that," Snow answered, reaching out to touch her gently on the shoulder. "But you and I both know that it's always going to be up to you, what you want to do."

"Because I have to decide now, right?" Evie answered, looking up at the Queen defiantly. "I'm almost fourteen Your Highness. I'm a Princess with no kingdom, so I'm not even a Princess anymore. So what would be the point in learning the rules of diplomacy? Of becoming such an accomplished woman? When really, I'm no more important than every person beyond those gates."

Snow knew that when Evie was like this, there was no arguing with her.

"You're too much like your mother, Evie."

"And my mother is dead, Your Majesty," Evie said harshly, "So knowing all those things, and being who she was, didn't really get her anywhere except the bottom of the sea."

"Evelyn!"

"I'm going to my room, Your Highness," Evie said, beginning to walk past the Queen. "Please don't call me for dinner."

And when it was just Snow in the garden, she gave a loud sigh, "Teenagers."

xxx

Evie had lived with a quiet rage inside her for a very long time. She wasn't one for confrontations and she hated being so harsh with Snow when the woman had been nothing but motherly towards her, but sometimes it boiled to the surface and she would get angry at various things.

The young princess wasn't watching where she was going as she headed through the castle towards her bedroom. So it was of no surprise to her that she ran into someone. And that someone just happened to be the one person she needed.

"Killian!" Evie wrapped her arms around his waist without a second thought. "I have never needed to see you more than I do now."

"Whoa, Princess," he said, pulling away from her and pushing a rogue curl from her face, "What's wrong?"

"Snow's trying to get me to take classes again," she sighed.

"You know, it could be good for you," Killian suggested as they started walking side by side towards her room.

"It could be good for you too, Killian," Evie groaned in annoyance, looking up at him. "But you don't see her all up in your face trying to make you a princess."

"I feel as though that requires certain body parts that I lack, Evie," Killian teased. "Not to mention a status that eludes me."

"You're no better than I am," Evie said, with her hand on the door. As she was about to enter her room, she looked back at Killian curiously, "What were you doing up here anyway? I mean, you don't come up the end of the castle that often. Not that I'm complaining about you being here or anything."

Killian merely gave a deep chuckle as he looked past her, pushing open her door to where she found her room newly decorated.

"I know it isn't your birthday until tomorrow, but since they're having the tournament…" Killian shrugged, a little embarrassed by the lengths he'd gone to for Evie's birthday. "I'm not going to get the chance to do this so I thought, why not?"

Evie smiled widely as she went to her desk, where he'd placed a large bouquet of every flower you could possibly find in the palace gardens. It was huge! And next to it sat a small pouch. With an excited grin, Evie set her nimble fingers to work untying the strings. The minute she pulled the gift from within, she let out a gasp. The silver chain glittered in the afternoon sun shining in through the window.

"It's beautiful," Evie breathed, unable to take her eyes away from the perfectly sculpted Northern Star hanging on the end of the chain. "Thank you, Killian! But…I mean…this would have cost a lot."

Killian shrugged indifferently, "It was worth it."

And Evie blushed, holding out the necklace, silently asking for him to clasp it around her neck. Pulling aside her brown curls, Evie exposed her neck to him, and after clasping it there, he moved away, staring at her curiously. The sun was shining upon her, casting an unearthly glow and he felt a pang of longing searching through him.

"Killian," Evie said, spinning around and looking at him tenderly. "It's my birthday tomorrow."

"Yes it is, Princess," he said with a smile, "That's what the gifts were for."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Ask away."

"You've kissed someone, right?"

Killian's brow furrowed at the personal question. It seemed strange coming from her mouth, from the lips of a Princess…and then he looked away quickly when he realised he was thinking about her lips.

"Erm. Yeah," he said reluctantly and almost a little sheepishly as he sank down onto the side of her bed.

"Would you kiss me?" she asked experimentally. Every birthday brought that dreaded day, when she would be given as a wife to some foreign kingdom, closer. And if she were to be kissed, she wanted it to be with someone she'd loved, someone who'd been her best friend since the moment she arrived a year ago, broken and grieving at the loss of her parents and the loss of their kingdom.

"Evie…"

"If I wasn't a Princess," she said, crossing the room to sit beside him, the folds of her pale green skirt flying with her, the dirt and mud lining the edges the very opposite of what she was. "If I wasn't a Princess, would you consider it?"

"You are a princess and I'm considering it," he answered with a casual smirk, a small blush flooding Evie's face once more. He was leaning forward then…

"Killian Jones!"

"Sir Pellinore," he grimaced hearing the sound of his master calling out from the stables below Evie's window, pulling away from where Evie was trembling, waiting for his kiss. "Squire duties call, my lady."

Evie slumped back in disappointment. But as Killian got up, he grasped onto her hand, placing a feather light kiss on her hand.

"Be prepared to sneak out tonight, Evie," he whispered, before giving her a wink. "Stables at nine."

And her left her there, excited for her birthday eve. She was going out.

xxx

Killian already had her horse saddled when Evie met him in the stables that night. She looked far from a princess that night, wearing pants and a loose shirt, boots with her hair free flowing and wild.

"Well well, Princess," he said as he brought out her horse, "You certainly know how to dress down."

"I'll take that as a compliment Master Jones," she said with a smile. He moved to give her a step up to her horse, but using the stall gate she managed to swing her leg over the saddle and into the stirrup in one smooth movement. Killian watched her, impressed.

"You don't act like a Princess, Evie."

"And you don't act like a squire, Killian," she mocked a disappointed face, "Shame on you for corrupting the innocent."

"Oh, there's going to be a lot of corrupting tonight, Princess," he laughed. "Ever been to a tavern?"

"I'm fourteen!"

"Live a little," he smirked. "Now come on, we need to get out of the gates before they shut them."

Ten minutes later they were laughing in exhilaration, leading their horses by the reins through the town's cobblestones streets.

"I can't believe Garrow's still making fun of that one time I snuck out and got drunk when I was fifteen. Every time I leave the palace at night now, he brings it up."

Evie chuckled as she tied her horse's reins to the trough around the side of the tavern. With the two animals side by side, her and Killian made their way into the tavern single file, taking a seat at one of the tables in the corner after weaving their way through the various other occupants.

"What can I do for you, gents?"

"Bottle of rum thanks, love," Killian said, giving the barmaid a dashing smile that almost made her swoon.

"I'll be right back," she promised.

"Word of warning," Killian said, eyeing Evie suggestively, "Most taverns double as brothels. So, keep to what you're wearing right now and we shouldn't have any problems."

"So women don't even come in here?"

"Not really," Killian thought for a moment, "Unless they're looking for a job."

"That's so discriminatory," Evie frowned, sinking backwards with her arms folded.

"Way of the world, Evie. After all, princess…squire…"

"We manage to break that social rule on a regular basis," Evie pointed out.

"Yes, Princess," he answered as the barmaid came back with some cups and a bottle for them. She took her time laying them out, but Killian spoke to Evie until she walked away.

"Aww, Killian," Evie pouted, "You made her sad!"

"I'm sure that it will pass in time," he answered, looking back to her, "And despite the rumours that circulate around the castle, I don't have a different woman in my bed every night."

"Oh?" Evie raised her eyebrow mockingly.

"I've never had a woman in my bed."

"Oh!" This time it was in surprise. She supposed, palace gossip had kind of been accepted as truth. It was well known that eighteen year old Killian Jones was a flirt, and a good one at that, but he was Evie's friend first and foremost. Of course his word took precedence.

"Anyway," he continued, pouring their drinks and sliding on over to her. "Happy Birthday, Evelyn Asteri."

Evie raised her cup to her lips, tasting the unfamiliarity of the drink burning down her throat. Attributing the displeasing taste to nothing more than being unused to such drinks. By the time she'd finished the entire cup, she was used to it – or numbed to it – it was impossible to tell. But by the time she'd downed the second she was pleasantly buzzed. Low tolerance first timer and all.

"I'll be right back," Killian said, "Nature calls."

Evie rolled her eyes as he slid off the table. Looking around the room, she caught sight of someone standing beside the doorway outside. He'd only be visible from her angle, and she didn't know what it was that made her stand up and cross the room, meeting him in the wide doorway.

"And who are you then?" Talking to strangers whilst drunk? Really smooth, Evie.

The young man tilted his head to glance at her, green eyes gazing through the darkness at the way she leaned against the doorframe, a little tired as it neared midnight.

"I have a feeling I'm the one you've been waiting for," he said smoothly, recognising in her, the displaced nature that filled him and those he knew. He saw a lost girl.

"Is that the line you give all the girls?"

The young man turned fully then, and Evie realised he was younger than she'd first thought. There was an arrogant edge to his stance but a boyish hint to his smirk. "Actually, I don't talk to many girls."

"Figures," Evie said. "I'm Evie."

"Peter," he answered, taking a step back from her and looking up at the stars. "This sky is a little too dark for my liking."

"How much have you been drinking?" Evie frowned, but he merely laughed, beckoning her over. "Look up," he said, once she was there beside him. Stars dotted the sky. "There aren't nearly enough."

"Where have you seen more?"

"My home," he said, looking down at her with sparkling eyes, "Neverland."

"Neverland?!" Evie asked incredulously. "What are you on about? Neverland's a myth."

"Really?" Peter cocked an eyebrow at her before pulling her arm up and pointing up to the sky. "Second star to the right and straight on 'til morning."

"That's insane Peter…"

"Is it though, Evie?" He was looking at her challengingly – daring her to take his words for truth. A distant bell rang, striking midnight and, lost in his gaze, she barely managed to mutter, "It's midnight."

"Yes it is," Peter answered softly.

"That makes it my birthday," she continued at a murmur.

"And what do you want?"

"A kiss."

And maybe it was because she had the unusual hum of alcohol running through her veins, but Evie was given the bravery to kiss the handsome boy, arching her face up as he brought his lips down to meet hers softly. It was tender and soft and promising. And by the time the clock gave it's twelfth toll, Peter had broken away, Evie's lips left tingling.

"Come away with me," the whisper came as a breath on her lips. "You don't belong here."

"A princess without a throne," she murmured to herself, glancing at the ground, digging her booted toe into the dirt that covered the cobblestones. "When will I be back?"

"You'll wake up in your own bed tomorrow. If you want."

And Killian, her title and the weak ties she felt to this realm fled her, as Peter wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed a finger upon the star around her neck. In a blinding flash of white, they had disappeared.

And aside from the light breeze that swept through the street when they left, there was no evidence that Evie and Pan had even been there that night.

Happy Birthday Evie…