"So how are we going to get to the vault?" Felix asked Sophia the next morning at school. Last night when Sophia left Ingrid's shop Felix went to the graveyard and discovered that Pan was guarding it for whatever reason.
"We have to distract Pan," Sophia said and shut her locker. "Any ideas on how?"
Felix thought for a moment. At that moment Violet joined them. "Are you two always together?"
"Something wrong with that?" Felix asked and raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, you are stealing my best friend."
"Not my fault she likes me more than you."
"Guys, stop it," Sophia said. She sighed and was about to ask Violet to leave because they had to discuss this, when an idea popped up in her head. "Violet," she said with a smile. Her friend gave her a wary look, knowing that smile all too well.
"Yeah?"
"We need your help."
"What for?" she asked carefully.
"Felix and I have to get inside somewhere but Pa- Peter won't let us, you have to distract him."
"What? No way! I'm with Henry, I can't cheat on him!"
"Don't be so over dramatic," Felix groaned. "You're not cheating on him. You just have to make sure Peter is to focussed on you to notice us."
Violet crossed her arms. "Beg me." Sophia and Felix shared a look before sighing and they started to pout. "On your knees, Felix."
"No way in Hell," he growled.
"Felix. Knees. Now," Sophia commanded him. He glared at both of them and mumbled something under his breath before getting down on his knees.
"Please," he said through gritted teeth with a annoyed fake pout.
"Wait," Violet said and grabbed her photo, snapping a photo before he could get up. "Okay, I'm in."
"What is it with you two and taking humiliating photos of me," he grumbled as he pushed himself up again.
"You're just so cute," Sophia said and hugged him sideways. "Oh, by the way, I can't come to this whole distracting Peter thing."
"You are not going to ditch me with them, are you?"
"I have no choice, really. My parents found out about Felix and now I'm grounded for who know how long, probably life."
"I was wondering when that would happen," Violet smirked and lifted her chin. "Was he kissing you while it happened?"
Out of the corner of her eye she could see a blush creep up Felix face, but she felt her own rise, too. "Maybe," she said quietly and shrugged, resting her head against Felix.
Violet laughed and snapped another picture. "You two are so photogenic," she teased them before putting her phone away. "But what is Peter guarding that is so importuned?"
Sophia and Felix looked at each other again. Should they tell her? If they succeeded then the curse would be broken in no time and she would know anyway. But maybe she would back out and think they were crazy. Without words she asked Felix if she should tell her and he nodded.
She took a deep breath before speaking, "We need to get to the Evil Queens' vault to make a potion that will make my mother believe so that she can break the curse."
"Wait, what?"
"We are all fairy tale characters, the Evil Queen cursed us about 42 years ago and Sophia's mother is the Saviour that can break the curse," Felix explained, sounding bored.
Violet snorted a laugh. "Yeah, right. Who are you? Pinocchio?"
"I'm a lost boy from Neverland," he growled.
"Pinocchio is a close friend from my Mom," Sophia said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Sure," Violet huffed and rolled her eyes. "Let me guess, Sophia's parents are Snow White and Prince Charming."
"No, that are my grandparents and my father is Captain Hook."
"I got this scar from his hook," Felix said and pointed at his face.
"You two really believe this nonsense?" They both nodded. "Fine, who am I?"
"You aren't in the book. Just like Sophia you were born within the curse, but your father is originally from Camelot," Felix explained. Violet still didn't look convince.
Sophia crossed her arms. "Okay, so how do you explain that my grandparents look the exact same age as my parents? And that the curse was cast 42 years ago and Felix still looks like 17?"
"You're not 17?" Violet asked, raising her brow.
"Somewhere around 459, maybe even 559."
Violets mouth dropped. "Yeah, sure. You really think I'm going to believe that?"
At that moment Miss Nolan, Sophia's grandmother, walked by. She smiled at Sophia and Violet but glared at Felix who just smiled polity.
"Does that look like a grandma to you?" Sophia pointed after Miss Nolan.
"Maybe she was a young mother," Violet argued.
"She was 28 when she got my mother," Sophia said frustrated. Why can't she just believe?
"You know what?" Felix said, getting their attention. "it doesn't matter as long as you help us."
"I'll help, but you two are crazy."
"Says the non-believer," Felix said.
"Sorry, I don't speak idiot."
"Good, because I don't speak it either."
Sophia let her head fall against Felix. "Please be civil when I'm not around."
"I will if she is," Felix said like a child, crossing his arms. Violet stuck out her tongue at him and also crossed her arms. To Sophia's relief rang the bell. Sophia kissed Felix cheek and followed Violet to their next class.
"You sure you guys can handle this without me?" Sophia said, handing Felix the note with the ingratiates they'll be needing. The three of them stood before the school building and Sophia needed to go home or she would be grounded for even longer.
"I've dealt with Pan before, I think I'll be fine," Felix said and took the note.
"Seriously? Peter Pan? Since when is he the bad guy?" Violet snorted.
"Since he traded his son for youth," Felix explained bored.
Sophia sighed and hugged her best friend. "Even though you don't believe, please be careful. He is more powerful than you think."
"Don't worry Soph, I'll be fine," Violet said as they separated. Sophia smiled at her before turning to him. Before she could tell him again to be careful he stepped forward and leaned down, kissing her lovingly. To their relief, Violet didn't comment because they really needed this right now.
"I'll be careful," he whispered when he pulled back. "I love you."
"I love you, too."
He let go of her and walked with Violet to the graveyard while Sophia walked back home. Both of them stayed quiet for most of the walk. It was a bit of an awkward silence since they don't really know each other and, well, they pretty much hate each other.
After a while though, Violet broke the awkward silence, "So you two love each other, huh?"
"Yeah," he said and pulled his hood over his head.
"Since when?"
Felix shrugged. "Few days ago." But that was only when he admitted he loved her. If he was completely honest, he had fallen for her the first moment he saw her as a two year old in the woods.
Violet nodded and they went back to the awkward silence. They entered the graveyard and walked further until they spotted Pan. Felix grabbed her wrist and yanked her with him behind a tree.
"What is it?" Violet asked while rubbing her wrist.
"Pan," he shook his head. "or Peter. He's there." he looked away from Pan and turned to Violet. "You know the plan?"
"Go to Peter, flirt with him, you go inside, when you're out we run."
Felix nodded and looked past the trunk before looking back and nodding at her again. She bobbed her head once and stood up, dusting off her clothing and putting on a flirty smile. She walked out from behind the tree and Pan immediately spotted her, a smirk forming on his lips. Violet made sure that they were facing the other way so he could go around them without being seen.
Felix got up and sneaked passed them. He quietly opened the door of the vault and closed it behind him. Was this it? He looked around and noticed scratch marks on the floor. He walked to the other side and pushed the stone coffin. A secret entrance showed and Felix smirked.
He walked down the stairs and opened the note Sophia gave him. He scanned the shelves for every ingredient that was on the note. Frog eyes, dragon nails, unicorn dust, ogre… boogers? He looked disgusted at the little pot that it was in before dropping it in his bag. He only needed one last thing; a phoenix tear.
He looked over every shelve three times and sighed in relief when he found it behind some other vials. He closed his bag and swung it around his shoulder, hoping that the ogre boogers would leak. He walked up the stairs and pushed the coffin back in place. He opened the door slightly and peaked through it. He saw Pan standing before a tree and Violet probably being pushed against it by him. Maybe he should help her…
Felix sighed to himself, grabbed a pot that was on one of the shelves and quietly walked out of the vault. He tip toed over to them and when he was close enough he smacked the pot right on Pan's head. Pan fell unconscious to the ground and Felix threw what was over from the pot to the ground. Normally Pan would have noticed him sneaking up on him, but the cursed Peter wasn't that aware of such things if there was a girl around.
"You okay?" he asked Violet as he stepped over Pan and started walking out of the graveyard.
"Yeah, uhm… thanks," Violet said as she came to walk beside him.
"Don't mention it."
"Did you get everything?"
"Yep," he said, popping the 'p'.
"So… what now?"
"I need your laptop."
"What? Why?"
"Because I don't have one," he said, like he was talking to a child.
Violet crossed her arms, not liking his tone. "Why do you need it?"
"I don't know how to brew this potion and I'm not allowed to go to Sophia to deliver the ingredients, neither are you," he added before she could suggest that.
"Can't you use your phone?"
"Don't have that either."
Violet huffed a laugh. "Under which rock have you been living?"
"A very large one in Neverland, it's quite nice there actually."
Violet shoved him. "You're not really from Neverland."
Felix raised his eyebrow. "Why can't I be?"
"Because Neverland doesn't exist," Violet stated as matter of fact.
"How can I convince you that it's real?"
"Show me proof."
Felix thought about that for a moment. How in hell was he going to show her proof of a destroyed fairy tale land? He had scars that were hundreds of years old but they didn't look any different from the ones he got last year, so that's a no. Then something came to his mind, the unicorn dust and the dragon nails, that's not something you see every day.
He took his bag of his shoulder and opened it, grabbing the unicorn dust, handing it to her. "Unicorn dust?" Violet said as she read the small tag.
"Careful, it's pretty rare."
She looked at it, turning the vial around a few times. "It just looks like dirt with glitter."
He took the vial from her again, putting it back in his bag and taking out the dragon nails. He opened the pot and took one out, giving it to her. "More common than unicorn dust, but still rare. Not may dragons like clipping their nails."
She examined it, but gave it back with a shrug. "Could also be from a dinosaur."
Felix put the nail back, closing his bag and swung it over his shoulder again. "Never mind, I'm done trying," he grumbled and walked ahead of her.
"Wait, where are you going?"
"Your house," he said annoyed. "I need your laptop, remember?"
"No way," she said and stepped before him, blocking his path. "my Dad is home and he doesn't like it when boys come over."
"To bad." Felix walked past her, bumping her shoulder. He should have just left her there pinned against a tree by Pan, it would have saved him a lot of time. Violet rushed after him, grabbing his arm and pulling him around so that he was facing her. "What?" he snarled.
"You're not getting my laptop," she said flatly and crossed her arms.
"Who's stopping me?" he raised his eyebrows, giving her a smirk.
"I am."
She lunched forward with her fist, wanting to punch him. What a way of thanking him for saving her from Pan. He ducked and grabbed her wrist, twisting it behind her back. "I'm a lost boy, Violet, you can't win from me without magic," he whispered darkly into her ear.
Violet tried to get out of his grip, but after failing sighed in defeat. "Alright, you can use my laptop, but my father can't see you."
He let her go and walked past her again. She rubbed her arm and came to walk beside him again. "Why actually can't your father see me?"
"He'll probably think you want to date me and he is going to give you a speech about how when times come you should be able to protect me," Violet snorted but a he noticed a the small smile forming on her lips. Felix looked down, a bit of sadness washing over him. He wouldn't know what it was like to have a father or a mother. He didn't know what it was like to bring a girl home to his parents, hoping that they would approve. Couldn't the curse at least give him that? "You okay?" Violet asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"Fine," he said shortly and started walking faster. He didn't want to talk about it with her, only with Sophia he felt save enough to be vulnerable. A few minutes later they were at Violets' house. He smirked and mischief shone in his eyes while she unlocked the door. The urge to irritate her was just too big.
"What a lovely home," he said loudly as he stepped inside. Violet pace-palmed herself and quickly pushed him to the stairs.
"Violet?" a man who he assumed was her father said as he came from another room. "Who's this?"
Felix pulled down the hood of his hoodie, walking over to him and shook the man's hand with a bit too much enthusiasm. "My name is Felix, sir. I'm just here for something in your daughter's bedroom. I must say your house looks better at day."
"Excuse me!?" The man was boiling with anger and Violet turned completely red. This was way to fun.
"It was nice meeting you, sir, but I really have to go," he said quickly and rushed upstairs entering every room until he found Violets'. He grabbed her laptop that was laying on her desk, shoving it in his bag and left the room again. Violets' father was halfway up the stair but he quickly jumped past him before he could grab him. When he ran past Violet he smirked and turned to her. "Lost boy," he said simple and turned back around, leaving the house.
Violet came to stand in the doorway. "Fuck you!" she yelled after him.
"Sounds great!" he called back. As quickly as he could he ran to Ingrid's ice cream shop. He shot through the front door, starling the family that was getting ice cream and Ingrid who was serving it. He was painting and laughing at the same time. The family and Ingrid giving him strange looks but he ignored them, having too much fun.
He sat down at one of the few tables, trying to calm his laughter and failing while Ingrid finished serving the family. When the family left Ingrid walked around the counter and sat down before him.
"What got you so happy?" she asked.
He wiped away a tear as he started to calm down. "I was at Violets' and I really don't like her so I messed with her father, stole her laptop and just ran away, you should have seen her face."
"Stole her laptop?" Ingrid repeated and frowned.
"Don't worry, I'm giving it back tomorrow at school. I just need it for… something," he said, the laughter leaving him as Ingrid kept frowning. "It was just a joke," he said, feeling the urge to defence himself.
"Felix," she started, not looking very amused. A weird feeling formed in his stomach that made him feel bad. "Stealing is bad, even if it was just a joke or a prank. It might get you in trouble."
"I know," he mumbled. "But I'm giving it back tomorrow."
"If you needed a laptop why didn't you ask if you could use mine?"
"Violet said I could use hers, too."
"But did she say you could take it with you?"
"No," he said quietly. Why was she making him feel so bad, who did she think she was, his mother? He didn't have a mother, never had and never will, so why didn't she just leave him alone. He grabbed his bag and stood up, tired of this.
"Where do you think you're you going?" Ingrid called after him.
"I have stuff to do," he called back and closed the door to the back behind him. He sat down on the couch taking Violet's laptop out of his bag. He turned it on and put it down next to him. the longer he stared at the screen the more guilt he felt. Guilt for taking the laptop like that and guilt for being rude to Ingrid. She had taken him in, let him stay with her and he was acting like a real asshole. It wouldn't surprise him if Ingrid kicked him out tonight or tomorrow morning. He deserved it.
A few hours later Felix was seated on the couch, having just brewed the potion with some help of Sophia. He didn't tell her what happened, even when she asked him why he looked so upset. When she asked how he got Violets' laptop he shrugged and said he could borrow it from her. He hated lying to Sophia, but he didn't want her to look at him like Ingrid did. The lying only made him more guilty though.
Now he was just staring at the laptop on the coffee table before him, telling himself it was just a joke and that he did no serious harm. But no matter how much he repeated that sentence the guilt stayed and he even began to feel worse about himself.
Ingrid entered the room, not looking at him when she walked to the kitchen. "How sounds homemade fries and hamburgers for dinner?"
He looked up surprised. He had expected her to be angry at him, to say that he wouldn't have any dinner tonight and could grab his bags to leave in the morning. Instead, her voice was gently like always, like nothing had happened.
"You're not mad at me?" he asked a bit hesitating.
"Why would I be mad?"
"Because I was rude and stole and probably scared that family away when I burst in."
Ingrid walked over to him and sat down on the couch. "You're a teenage boy, that's what they do. I can see that you've been through too much at your age. This is all new for you, living in a place with rules, having me around. I get it, it's scary, but it's good for you." When Felix looked down and stayed quiet she continued. "When my sister died I came to Storybrooke to take care of my nieces, but before I came here I was a foster mother. I helped children your age and younger who were struggling with life as well." She gave him a sweet smile. "All those kids wanted was a home and someone to care for them. I've seen you around Sophia, you really care about her and you only want what is best for her, right?"
"Yes," he mumbled quietly.
"Then see this as a new start, a way to become the best version of yourself for Sophia." She placed a hand on his knee making him winch slightly from the sudden contact. "I don't expect you to see me as a mother or anything, but I'm willing to care for you and give you a home."
"Why would you want me?" he asked suddenly, looking up. "I'm a monster, I destroy everything I touch. Why haven't you kicked me out yet?" Tears were stinging his eyes but he refused to let them flow.
"You are more than you think. I see that, Sophia sees that, why can't you see that, too?"
Because I'm not, he wanted to tell her but couldn't get the words to leave his lips. Only now did he realise that he really wanted this, a home. That the last few days he spend with Sophia were perfect because he was with her, she was his home. But she wasn't here, she couldn't never be everywhere he went, so the emptiness was there again.
When he ran to the ice cream shop it just felt good to have somewhere to run to, to have someone there that you could talk to when you get there. Maybe he did wanted a mother to boss him around, tell him what he should and shouldn't do.
Ingrid removed her hand from his knee and started rubbing his back. "Tell you what; I'm going to prepare dinner, you go think this through, decide what you want and tell me what you want when we eat. If you decide that you want to stay here, that you want me to take care of you then I will, but then there are a few rules that you have to stick to. If you don't want to stay, that's fine by me, but know that you throw more than just a stable home away."
He nodded and she stood up, walking to the kitchen. A stable home sounded more than perfect to him and although he didn't like following rules it sounded good to have them, knowing where the edge was for once. Maybe he could prove to Sophia's parent that he could take care of her, that he wasn't some lost boy from Neverland, that maybe he was ready to grow up. Felix smiled to himself, maybe this was what he had been looking for all those years. Maybe he was just looking for a mother that could help him become a man.
A/N: Second chapter of the day! or it's just the other day by you already because of the time differents and stuff. I posted this chapter earlier because I don't have time to post it tomorrow, so hope you all enjoyed this freaking long chapter.
Have you read my idea in the previous chapters A/N? if you have please tell me if you like the idea and if you think I should do it.
Please review, you can leave questions, ideas, complements and hate if you like, anything is welcome ;)