Disclaimer: I do not own OUAT or Maleficent. If I did, I would keep Pan, Hook, and Diaval all to myself. ;)
A/N: Sorry for the slow updates; finals are just around the corner for me so I've been quite busy. Nevertheless, do not fret; I'm not going anywhere. Let me know what you think about the story by leaving a review! I'm really curious to hear your thoughts. :)
Past
Felix stared at the girl's body, waiting for something to happen. His leader insisted that this girl was not some ordinary girl. Hence, he was compelled to take her back from Neverland to escape death. Initially, Felix felt an immediate hatred for the girl; nobody would topple his leader, not even some plain girl with some microscopic, irrelevant fingernail above normality. Felix was worried when he saw the amount of concern and heed in his leader's eyes. However, the waves of his fears crashed against the shoreline, receding back into the ocean, when he was reminded of who his leader was - Peter Pan; he never failed.
The clouds of Felix's thoughts faded, clearing the image of reality behind all its haziness. A strong, biting wind coursed through the compound, inviting dead, forlorn leaves from the cruel condemnation of the mundane ambience of the soil to the liberty of the wild, the rowdy rager. The wind circled around the girl's body, creating a powerful vortex, which demanded the participation of the dry, dead leaves in its increasing heartbeat. She remained untroubled, a calm, verdant flower in the eye of the bedlam. A single beam of violet light shot through the vortex and into the sky. Felix stared at the spectacle in wonder. He squinted his eyes at the girl's body, which was now levitating above the ground and glowing in a blinding violet aura. Her warm brown eyes were hidden underneath the protection of her eyelids, her dark, wispy eyelashes guarding the gate to the castle. The kingdom was peaceful and still while all those around her were lost in a storm of chaos. What was happening?
A loud, triumphant roar filled the air, shaking the trees violently and powerfully. Felix had to grip tightly onto the log he was sitting on to prevent his body from flailing back into the shadows of the Dark Jungle. The roar died out as did the wind, and the girl's body returned back onto the forest floor. When her back touched the brown soil, her eyes snapped open, the soul of the castle liberated from a weightless limbo.
Her eyes darted around the compound wildly, hopelessly confused and panicked. She let out a loud gasp of surprise when she spotted Felix eyeing her curiously on the log. She backed up slowly as he stood up, advancing towards her.
"Who are you?" she demanded, bracing herself for a fight.
"I'm Felix," he declared with a certain air. "Who are you?"
"I'm Andrea Lux," she said with a shaky voice.
"No you're not," a different voice interjected, emerging from the shadows of the trees. His green eyes glimmered in the white moonlight.
"What do you mean?"
"You're Andy now," the boy decided.
"Says who?" Andrea challenged.
"Says me, Peter Pan," he smirked. "Your name is Andy now. Andrea is too formal, too feminine." The last word hung on his tongue awkwardly.
"You're Peter Pan. You saved my life. How could I ever repay-"
"I'm gonna stop you there with the whole gratitude thing," he interrupted, holding a hand up. "You speak only when spoken to. You only leave this compound when I let you. Lastly, you're entitled to fulfill any demands I may have."
Andrea narrowed her eyes. A sense of irritation replaced her sense of gratitude. "I'm not some slave that you can boss around." She was reminded of the horrible woman she lived with in Hamelin for sixteen years. "I'm not a piece of property." She heard Felix scoff and shake his head, amused.
"Actually, you are," he grinned, stepping closer. "You just asked me how you could ever repay me. You see, I saved your life. Therefore, the only way you can repay me is with your life, meaning you are to dedicate your entire life to me."
The color drained from Andrea's face. This was some horrible dream. She would wake up in her haystack to the shouts and demands of the woman in Hamelin, not Peter Pan in Neverland.
"Rufio!" Pan called out. A boy, roughly around the age of Pan emerged from the shadows of the Dark Jungle. He wore a ripped black shirt, tight black pants, leather combat boots, and a skull necklace around his tan neck. His black hair was styled in wildly in jagged, menacing spikes, racing along streaks of of fiery, angry reds. He had a sinister gleam in his black eyes, clouded with dark shadows and streaks, which made Andrea's stomach turn. He had his hands behind his back.
"Yes, Pan?" he answered, stepping beside his leader.
"Target practice," Pan said simply, grin widening.
Rufio revealed the crossbow he had been holding behind his back, showing it off in full display to a terrified Andrea. Pan pulled a bright red, sinful apple out of his pocket, tossing it up and down like a baseball.
"You and I are going to play a little game," he said, locking Andrea in a gaze in which it felt like they were the only two people in the word. Andrea expected him to toss the apple to her, but was stunned when Rufio shoved the heavy crossbow into her arms.
"I don't understand," Andrea muttered. holding the crossbow stiffly.
"You'll be the one doing the shooting," Pan said, tossing the apple to Felix and backing away from the two along with Rufio.
Felix carefully placed the apple atop his dirty blonde head, stormy grey eyes eyeing Andrea daringly, testing her willpower. "Shoot. Shoot. Shoot," he chanted.
Pan and Rufio smiled at their comrade, joining in his chant. The sound of their chants increased, beating against the temples of Andrea. She held the crossbow nervously as more Lost Boys emerged out of the trees, joining in on the growing furor, feeding the wood to the flames. Their bloodthirsty eyes were glued to the girl, challenging her to prove herself in Neverland. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a younger Lost Boy, about fourteen to fifteen years old with a worried look in his hazel eyes, slightly hidden behind a mess of dark brown waves.
Andrea met the eyes of the young boy, feeling a sense of comfort as he watched her worriedly. He wasn't like the others at all. He was different. He understood Andrea.
Surged with a new wave of hope, Andrea lifted up the crossbow and aimed it towards Felix, the chants of the Lost Boys, all except one, coursing through the compound and dissipating into a cloud of chaos. Andrea inhaled, letting the cold air sit in her lungs before she swiftly changed the direction of her aim and released the arrow, letting it cut through the brisk air and fly straight towards Pan's chest.
However, Pan knew the angle she was playing at, the angle which abided to her own rules, not Pan's. He grabbed the arrow effortlessly and held it stiffly in his tight grip, its Dreamshade-laced tip lingering dangerously above his heart.
The Lost Boys let out a collection of gasps, panic stirring in the air. This girl had just tried to eliminate their leader. Andrea was encircled by a snare of narrowed eyes and burning blood.
"You've got a thirst for blood, a certain fire," Pan commented, fingers dancing and twiddling around the wooden shaft. The Lost Boys were glued to the excitement. "I like fire."
He began to walk towards Andrea who remained frozen in her position. She gulped as he eyed her wickedly, gripping the arrow firmly in his hand.
"And what I like about fire is both its strength and weakness," he continued. "It can either grow and consume all around it, or it can be destroyed and forgotten with a single breath."
He grabbed Andrea's shoulder and pulled her close, holding the poisoned tip of the arrow against her throat, grazing its delicate surface. She let out a whimper as tears began to form in her eyes.
"Please," she breathed, heartbeat racing madly. "Don't kill me."
"Kill you?" he questioned. "What fun would that be?" The arrow's deadly, poisoned tip was still pressed against Andrea's throat. "No, killing you would be too generous. You may have escaped death, but you will never escape Neverland. You will never escape me."
Which was worse? To die standing and escape this life of condemnation, or to live on her knees as a shadow of her former self?
"Pan, stop it," a voice demanded. Andrea's eyes followed the sound of the voice, her savior. It was the boy with hazel eyes, the one who wasn't like the other Lost Boys. He stepped forward.
The Lost Boys stared at him in shock. No one dared to question Pan.
Pan narrowed his eyes at the boy.
"Excuse me, Baelfire? Did you just ask me to stop?" he questioned, his words dangerously toxic.
The boy stood his ground bravely. "I didn't ask."
Pan let out a scoff, looking around incredulously. He shook his head. "You're not getting it, are you? Do you know who I am?"
"I know who you are, Pan. It doesn't mean you have the right to treat others like dirt," Baelfire criticized.
Pan laughed loudly. "It actually does. This is Neverland. These are my rules, and speaking out of term is breaking the rules. You want to know what I do to people who break my rules?"
Pan released his hold on Andrea, the arrow still in his grip. Baelfire's eyes widened as he advanced towards him. Andrea watched the boy still stand his ground firmly despite his anxiety. How could he, Baelfire, manage to risk his life like that, questioning Pan's authority?
"I assume it's not a good thing," Baelfire shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant despite the growing pit of nausea in his stomach.
An unreadable gleam flashed across Pan's eyes. He smirked, satisfied and confident that he had won this game.
"You assumed correctly," he mocked, making a move to swipe the arrow at Baelfire.
"NO!" Andrea yelled, running in front of Baelfire and taking the fatal swipe of Dreamshade across her face. She let out a pained gasp and collapsed to the ground, holding her freshly cut cheek with trembling, shocked fingers now painted a striking color of crimson.
"Why did you do that?!" Baelfire demanded, running towards her shaking body. He kneeled over her, worriedly holding her face to assess the damage. "No. No. No. This is not good!"
Pan's expression remained stoic, neither shocked or regretful of his actions. He simply watched and waited.
Baelfire watched the black poison spread into the cut, coloring her veins dark upon her paled cheeks.
"Why did you try to save me?" Baelfire asked her.
She gave him a weak smile. "You tried to save me," she justified.
He returned her answer with a small smile. "You're stubborn, aren't you?"
"So are you."
Baelfire opened his mouth to respond, but instead no words came out. The black poison which had been spreading into the cut on Andrea's face were now receding back onto the surface of her cheeks and out of her veins. A violet light, like the one that Felix had witnessed but to a smaller scale, glowed in the crevasse of her cut as a small breeze danced through her tangled, brunette locks. The Dreamshade formed into a small black pool and dripped down her soft face and onto the forest floor, lost and hidden as the violet aura died out with the gentle wind rustling her hair.
"How?" was all Baelfire could muster out.
Felix eyed the situation cautiously. This was why Pan was so interested in her. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Pan smirk, satisfied with his observations.
"Well boys," Pan began, "it looks like our new Lost Girl has a lot of training to do."
Present
"He's dead?" Andy choked out, tears threatening to spill out of her eyes.
Henry nodded, lowering his head sadly. "Did you know him well?"
He looked up and met Andy's eyes. Andy was looking straight at Baelfire. She couldn't bring herself to answer verbally, so she simply nodded her head. Andy placed her hand on his shoulder, deeply reminded of the way she would do that to Baelfire; it always made her feel better, like she had a purpose by protecting him.
Andy was suddenly overwhelmed by a sense to protect the boy, Baelfire's son Henry. She would not let Pan use him like a pawn. She would do it for Bae. This was the only way she could say sorry; this was the only way she could honor his memory properly.
"I'm gonna help you Henry," she whispered, making sure that no one would overhear them. "I'm gonna help you find your family."
Henry stared at her with wonder. A light of happiness flooded his eyes, a smile stretching onto his face, the same smile that Bae had.
This was her redemption. I hope that you can forgive me now, Bae. This is all for you.
Past
"Can I please just rest?! I've been doing this all day! I don't want to do this anymore!" Andy pleaded, sweat dripping down her face. She felt like she was about to throw up. Bruises and cuts covered her arms.
"You'll rest when Pan tells you to," Felix replied with a smug smirk, playing with his sword in the soil. "Until then, get up and stop whining. You're not finished."
Andy glared up at him, her blood boiling with an intense hatred. She grabbed her dagger and grudgingly stood up. Felix raised an eyebrow at her, challenging her. Andy let out a yell, charging at him with all her might. Felix simply sidestepped and knocked her to her feet, smacking her across her back with the helm of his sword.
Andy smacked the ground with a loud grunt.
"That should be good enough Felix," Pan announced from the shadows of the compound. "I'll take it from here."
Pan stepped forward as Felix retreated back into the Dark Jungle, whistling happily at the damage he caused.
"So, how's it going little Lost Girl?" Pan mocked, kneeling down over her. "Tired, are we?"
"Pan, shut up," she panted.
"Ahh, there's that fire I like," he grinned. "Come on." He held out a hand for her to grab. She glared at him, refusing his assistance.
"Where are we going?" she asked him, eyeing him cautiously.
"Nowhere," he said simply.
"Pan, what do you want?" she demanded.
"Just something of yours that belongs to me," he said, reaching into her chest with a satisfied grin. She let out a pained gasp, eyes shutting from shock. Pan's eyes widened in fear and his smile disappeared when he reached around her beating heart, but was blown back with a tremendous explosion of violet light. Andy's body flew back, unconscious from the shock. Pan stood up from where he landed, a look of concern across his devilish face. He stumbled around, disoriented and flew away from the compound to his safe haven, his place of regret - the Thinking Tree.
He began to pace. What had gone wrong? Pan never failed, then why the hell did his plan just fail?
"You've failed," a silky, deep voice mocked. A feeling of dread washed over Pan's face.
"Why did I fail?" Pan demanded, facing the ethereal body of the Shadow, which floated in front of him, faceless.
"Her heart is not yours to take; it does not belong to you," the Shadow explained.
"Why not?" Pan demanded, green eyes narrowing.
"Stealing what is not yours is a crime against the Laws of Neverland."
"The Laws?" Pan cried incredulously. "What rules? I make the rules."
"You may own the Lost Boys, but you do not own Neverland or its magic."
"So, I cannot own the girl's heart if I do not own the girl?" Pan asked.
The Shadow remained silent.
"Well, there's that pretty little loophole I was looking for," Pan laughed. "It's simple then. Own the girl, own the heart."
"It's not in my place to say," the Shadow said in a grave voice.
"You just don't want to admit that I'm right. I will own that heart of hers, and to do so, I have to own her. I never fail, and that Lost Girl is now mine," Pan grinned.
Present
Andy made her way through the jungle. She could justify her triple agent status now that she was motivated by her need to protect Henry rather than by a selfish need to protect herself.
In the distance, she could see the campfire of the Storybrooke group welcoming her into its warm presence, a hero's welcome. However, she entered the camp boldly and rather naively, and was met with a not so warm welcome as she had anticipated.
"Stop!" a woman yelled at her.
It was the Savior holding a sword as she advanced towards Andy. Behind Emma were Snow and Charming, also in defense mode and armed with a bow and arrow and sword, respectively. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a bright flame levitating in the hand of a smug Regina. Andy held up her hands in peace.
"Who are you?" Emma demanded, alarm in her eyes. Andy opened her mouth to speak, but the Evil Queen beat her to it.
"I know who she is," she heard Regina sneer. She walked up behind her, circling her in a tight glare. "She's the little brat who blew up the ship."
"Pan's girl," Charming concluded.
"I'm not anybody's girl," Andy spat, vexed. Where the hell was Hook when she needed him?
"Oh yeah? Then why did you blow up the ship?" Emma questioned.
"To make it look like I was on Pan's side," Andy explained with an agitated sigh.
"Really? You expect us to believe that? If you're not on Pan's side, whose side are you on?" Regina demanded.
"Yours!" she half-lied.
Regina scoffed and rolled her eyes.
"You don't even know us! Give me one reason not to kill you," Regina demanded.
"Regina!" Snow scolded.
"Well I'm sorry! The more time we waste being righteous, the more time Pan has to hurt Henry."
"But killing her is not an option! Do you remember what happened with the mermaid?" Snow reminded fiercely.
"Whatever!" Regina waved off. "I'm not trusting this one, especially after what she did to the ship. Who's to say she won't slice us up with some Dreamshade?"
Andy saw Charming's body tense up. She felt rather bad about that now, given the twisted circumstances.
"Regina, listen to me. We need to hear her out-"
"I don't want to! What I want is my son-"
"Wait!" Andy interjected. All eyes turned to her. "I know your son, Henry."
Regina's hard expression softened as she stared at her. Andy had hit her in the right spot. The weapons around her were lowered at this claim.
"You know Henry," Emma said softly. Looks like Andy had killed two birds with one stone with that one.
"I do," Andy nodded, meeting Emma's look with a sympathetic glance. "I just didn't know that he had two mothers."
Regina and Emma exchanged an understanding glance.
"I'm his biological mom. Regina adopted him. Is he alright? Is he hurt?" she asked, worried.
"He's alright. Pan has no intentions of hurting him," Andy reported.
"Then why the hell does Pan want him?" Regina asked.
"He's a special boy; I'm sure you all knew that." The group around her nodded. "Pan needs him to save Neverland. He's got the heart of the truest believer."
"What does that mean?" Snow asked.
"It means that Pan wants to gain Henry's trust to turn him into a Lost Boy. Once that is complete, Henry will never want to leave Neverland, regardless of whether you find him or not," Andy explained.
"So how can you help us?" Emma asked, her voice subliminally desperate, guilt flooding her eyes.
"I take it that you have an entry plan into Pan's compound, but are finding difficulties with an escape plan. I have an idea of where to find an escape plan."
Emma nodded, worries eased.
"And why do you want to help us?" Regina questioned.
Andy sighed and responded. "Years ago, I made decision, a selfish one. And the cost of that decision was losing my best friend who was like a brother to me, Baelfire."
Emma looked up at her with wide, sad eyes. Charming and Snow lowered their heads sadly. Regina pursed her lips.
"You knew Baelfire?" Snow asked.
"I did. And Henry is the only way that I can make up for that mistake," Andy concluded with a saddened sigh, trying to keep her voice from breaking. She had cried enough tears already within the last few days.
"Who are you?" Snow asked.
"My name is Andrea Lux or Andy if you prefer. I came to Neverland some years ago after escaping death. Pan saved me and made me his Lost Girl, to carry out some of his dirty work. That doesn't mean you can't trust me. My loyalty doesn't lie with Pan."
"So you're saying your loyalty lies with us?" Regina asked.
"Not necessarily, no," she admitted. "The only person I've ever pledged my loyalty to was Baelfire. Given the circumstances, that loyalty has now been inherited by Henry. Please, let me help you and your group. I need to do this for Baelfire."
Emma met her eyes in a sympathetic glance. Swallowing her pride, she nodded.
"Ok," Emma concluded. "Lead the way."
Andy nodded and began to walk, but stopped.
"Wait. Where's Hook?"
"Right here, love," she heard his voice from the jungle. He stepped out of the foliage, rum in hand.
"You two know each other?" Emma questioned, suspicious.
"Aye," Hook nodded. "This is the lass who's been feeding me all of Pan's secrets."
"Well, why didn't you say anything?" Emma asked, a hint of jealousy in her voice.
"I was waiting for the right opportunity. Unfortunately that opportunity passed, and here we are," Hook explained, sending a wink to Andy who mouthed a thank you. "She was the one who suggested that we recruit Tink in our mission to save Henry."
"You two have been working together this entire time?" Regina asked. "What made you want to join our side?"
"Look, I'm just here to help you guys get to Henry, that's all. No more questions," Andy requested. "Like Regina said: we can't waste any more time than we already have. This is about Henry not me." She nodded her head promptly, stepping into the Dark Jungle, followed by the Storybrooke group as well as the interested gaze of a concerned captain.
Andy led the group outside of a rock engrossed in the side of a hill. A small wooden door was concealed by the overgrown foliage, suggesting that the place had been abandoned for quite some time.
"What is this supposed to be?" Regina questioned, holding a lantern to the structure.
"So what? Neal swung out of Neverland on a vine?" the Savior asked, observing the collection of vines travelling along the surface of the rock.
"Not exactly. Unfortunately, it's not that simple. If someone could help me out, we might be able to find some clues as to how Baelfire, or Neal, escaped Neverland," Andy said, reaching for the rope along the wall of the rock.
"I'll do it," Hook and David said at the same time, taking the rope from Andy's hands.
David began pulling on the rope, lifting the door up. However, with each pull, he panted. Hook eyed him knowingly and took over the job.
"Ladies first," Hook motioned towards the now-open entry.
Andy met his bow with a small smile, leading the way into the cave. It was dark, but Andy remembered the entry like the back of her hand. She led the group to the open space of the cave and waited for Hook and David to join them.
"Andy?" Emma started, her voice distant in the darkness. "What is this? What are we doing here?"
Andy reached inside the tangles of her hair, pulling out a single match. She simply struck it against the cave wall, igniting it. She carefully placed the flame against a torch hidden in the dark corner of the cave, illuminating the cave.
It was exactly how she remembered it: the scribbled drawings along the cave walls, the cluttered objects scattered around the room. It was like she was returning home after a long, lost journey.
Emma's eyes lit up with wonder, but were hazed by a cloud of vacantness, a sense of loss and remorse.
"Neal," she breathed out.
"This was his home, our home," she muttered, voice sadly quieting down at the last part as she lowered her head.
"Aye," Hook said. "Baelfire spent some time in Neverland as a boy."
"You knew Baelfire?" Andy asked, turning to face him.
Hook gave her a small, sympathetic smile and nodded.
"So you think Neal left behind a clue as to how he left Neverland?" Snow asked.
"Well, I hope so," Andy said as the group spread out, admiring and analyzing the scribbled drawings on the walls. "Otherwise, we're completely lost."
"Knowing that Rumplestiltskin is his father, I think he picked up a couple of tricks," Snow commented.
"What do you mean?" David asked.
"When Emma and I visited the Enchanted Forest, Cora trapped us in Rumplestiltskin's cell. He left behind a way to get out of the cell with squid ink. Let's just hope that Neal left behind something as well," Snow explained.
The group dispersed and split up around the cave, slowly observing the various drawings on the walls. After some time, Andy took a seat on a tower of crates as the rest of the group continued to wander around, searching for a way to escape Neverland. Hook observed her detachedness and took a seat beside her.
"What do you want Hook?" she asked.
"Well based on everyone's opinion about me, I came here for decent conversation. It seems like you're the only one who understands my wounded soul," he joked.
She scoffed. "Hmmm. I can say the same."
"Believe or not, love, I actually like talking to you," he admitted with a grin.
"Believe or not captain, I agree," Andy said, biting her lip.
"Are we the designated wallflowers of this party?" Hook joked. Andy rolled her eyes at him. She couldn't help but notice how close their bodies were; it was comforting though.
"I suppose so," Andy nodded.
"Well, I suppose this moment is most opportune for getting to know one another. Where did you come from?"
"Same realm as you: the Enchanted Forest."
"How long have you been here? And how old are you anyways? You don't look 100 years old," he joked. Andy punched his shoulder teasingly.
"So many questions tonight Captain. I came to Neverland when I was 19. Physically, I'm 19, I suppose. In actuality, I'm probably more. I don't know how long I've been here because time moves slowly in Neverland. From what I've heard, it appears that I escaped some curse?"
"Aye. I escaped it as well. I was stuck in the Enchanted Forest for 28 years as time froze."
"Must've been lonely."
"Wait. That means you've been on this island for 28 years."
"It's honestly felt like a month," Andy laughed, but a feeling of loss bubbled in the pit of her stomach. Had it really been that long?
"Aye. I was stuck in Neverland for some years as well."
"Ahh. Preserving your good looks I suppose," Andy joked as Hook let out a laugh. "Anyways,10, 20, 30 years? I've honestly lost count. That's what happens in Neverland, but time is running out here. Neverland is dying. No one believes in it anymore. No more children visiting in their dreams. That's why Pan kidnapped Henry. He has the heart of the truest believer."
"But why did he kidnap you?"
"I was dying. He saved me and brought me here. Honestly, I wish I had died."
"But you wouldn't be here right now, talking to me."
"That's true. I guess that's one thing I'm thankful for," Andy smiled at him.
Her eyes travelled to a particular cave drawing of an empty house with its occupants standing outside of it with frowns upon their faces. "He used to love drawing."
"He got it from his mother," Hook added. Andy looked over at him, interested in knowing more, but the look in Hook's eyes told Andy that it wasn't her place to pry.
"So, did you find anything useful from the drawings?" Andy asked, changing the subject.
"Nothing in particular, no," Hook frowned. "They appear as they are - just drawings. Looks like Baelfire just needed a way to pass the time on Neverland."
"It sounds like you knew him pretty well," Andy commented.
Hook seemed lost in thought, detached from reality as if he were lamenting over something. "We spent some time together," he said, voice distant. "Earlier at the camp, I heard what you told Regina and Emma. Baelfire, it seems like you knew him really well."
"I did. He was the only one who stood out from the Lost Boys. He understood me. He was like my brother, a stubborn one," she laughed at the last part.
"Aye, he was."
"And you knew him too," Andy added.
"That I did," Hook answered, debating on whether or not to reveal his story to Andy. However, the way she looked at him made him feel like it was ok to be anything other than a pirate; it was ok to be human. "I was the first person he met when he arrived in Neverland. Gave him a spot on my ship."
"What happened?" she asked.
"He discovered something about me and his mother," Hook admitted, a certain pain resurfacing in his chest.
"Milah. I saw the name on your tattoo so I just assumed."
"Milah was my first love. She was killed by the Dark One after she ran away with me," Hook explained, eyes darkening with anger. "That's why I came to Neverland in the first place. I needed to find a way to kill the Dark One and avenge Milah's death. And then, I met Bae. He made me forget about my vengeance, made me feel whole. Then, he discovered that I was the man who his mother ran away with. He blamed me for tearing apart his family. So he left me and the Jolly Roger, joined Pan, and met you."
"Wait, now you're working with the Dark One... Indirectly," she pointed out, rather confused.
"Yes," Hook sighed. "It wasn't the ideal future I had in mind. I only live for love and revenge. My love was murdered and I can't seem to have my revenge."
"It looks like you need something else to live for. Maybe you haven't found it yet," she suggested with a shrug.
"Maybe I have." Hook locked her in a tight gaze. The look in his eyes told her everything. Andy felt a pull in her stomach. He was so close to her...
"Hook, you're not just a pirate," she said, quickly changing the subject and pulling herself away from his intense gaze.
"Why do you say that?"
"Because you knew that there was more to me than just a cold-hearted assassin. I don't believe there's such a thing as a good or bad person. I think it has to do more with our choices. We're all just humans making either good choices or bad choices, which all affects how people see us," Andy explained.
"Regina told me something interesting; villains don't get happy endings."
"I think that's because we get so consumed in how others view us that we start to believe in what they say as well."
He looked at her, genuinely. He didn't see some Lost Girl or some assassin. He looked at her like he was seeing her for the first time for who she truly was, a beautiful young woman.
"Hook! Andy! Snuff out that torch!" Emma requested. She held a coconut shell in one hand with a lit candle in its center and the other half of the coconut shell in her other hand. Andy and Hook did what they were told, extinguishing the torch, awaiting Emma's next move. She combined the two coconut shells, the candlelight radiating through its holes.
"Am I supposed to be impressed that preteen Baelfire made a nightlight?" Regina scoffed.
"Wait," Emma began, "look up."
A thousand stars smiled down upon the group from the ceiling of the cave, showing off their elaborate constellations and beauty. Andy looked up in wonder. She recalled the time when Bae had been playing with that particular coconut, never understanding its purpose until now.
"Stars," Snow breathed.
"It's a map," Hook concluded.
"To where?" David asked.
"Home," Andy finished.