A/N: Howdy Team!
I feel like I'm never going on a holiday near water again. Whilst the sunsets were positively glorious, the twenty mosquito bites on my arms are not (Yes, I counted. And yes, you did in fact need to know that).

This chapter introduces Tinkerbell. I feel like I've taken my view of her, and maybe exaggerated some of her more defensive and self-sufficient qualities, but I actually find that I kind of like the view of her. Personal view though, dunno if you guys will. =P

Thank you, my lovely readers, for in fact reading, you are fantastic. And my reviewers even more so. =]

Happy reading! xx

Fairy

Hook's boots padded through the forest easily. Dusk was falling upon the day as he walked along the Western Coast of Neverland. Smee had suggested that there was dreamshade to be found on this side of the island, and Hook wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to get the weapon he needed to kill Rumplestiltskin.

Hook heard the groaning before he saw her. Rounding a corner, he saw a shining metallic glow was dripping off rocks and in curiosity, found himself jumping over the rocks to follow the trail. It wasn't long before he spotted a mass of green rags rising and falling in shivering pain. Sliding quickly over to the figure, he found a woman; unconscious, bleeding and broken. Around her, bronze blood was swelling; small incisions across her skin slowly healing themselves.

As Hook's eyes looked at the woman in shock, he found himself bending to meet her, not wanting to touch her fragile skin. In her unconsciousness, her body suddenly convulsed as a loud crack reset one of her ribs that had been snapped earlier that day. Slowly, her body was repairing itself, but Hook was simply staring at her face as it began to stir.

Tinkerbell hissed in pain as she came to. Opening her green eyes carefully, she adjusted to the light and saw knees in front of her. Something was brushing the hair from her face.

"Tink," Hook murmured. The fairy tried to shrug away from the pirate but not all of her bones were quite healed yet and her body was aching. "What happened?"

"What do you think happened, Hook?" she groaned, closing her eyes in pain as another of her bones reset with a loud crack. "I was fucking shot out of the sky."

"Well aren't you just a ray of – where are your wings?"

"What the fuck are you on Hook?" she opened her eyes and stared at him angrily. "I'm a fairy, they're right-"

She shifted her shoulders back and felt nothing there; no fluttering, no movement. Only air.

"Ah shit."

She collapsed her head back onto the dirty rock with a loud sigh. Hook saw Tink bury her face into the rock, ignoring her burning body and begin to shake. He looked past her body as she silently cried out onto the rock, her salty tears mixing with her metallic blood. Hook had never been too comfortable with women crying. Even those nights when he held Milah whilst she was tearful over Bae-

Don't go there Jones, he reminded himself.

A sob ripped through Tinkerbell, vocalised loudly as she muffled a scream, her spine, bent out of shape, righting itself and lending her body back to its original shape. It was a few moments before she was recovered enough to sit upright. Her body hurt all over, but it was bearable.

Sitting up, she looked over at Hook, shining blood drying all over her body. He eyed her warily – without her wings she was just an ordinary woman and not a very nice looking one at that moment. Her dirty blond hair was matted with dirt and blood, and her eyes were worn, even a little sad.

"How did you lose your wings Tink?" Hook asked, eyeing her back warily.

"I was flying before," she said, a little confused. "I came here looking for another fairy. But my wings gave out…someone…" Tinkerbell sighed somewhat angrily, "Someone fucking stopped believing in me."

Hook offered her his hand, getting to his feet easily and helping her up. She treated her lithe limbs a little more delicately than usual, getting to her feet in curiosity. This was the first time in a lifetime when she knew she didn't have her wings there to support her. Tinkerbell had walked before; it just wasn't her preferred method of transportation. Especially over long distances.

And now she'd have to do it forever. For a fairy's wings once lost, could never be returned.

xxx

Pan's hands traced over the drawings that Ella had lining her walls. He'd never actually taken time to be in her cave without her being there, and it was interesting to see how she had made use of the space. It was nothing special, just a place to sleep, but somehow she'd made it homely. Decorating the walls by her own hand, she'd detailed carvings of Shayan, landscapes and flowers. There were no people however, which piqued his curiosity, and also hurt him.

Pan's heart was heavy in his chest.

He was reluctant to admit that something akin to stones was present in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't tell what it was. For years, ordering Ella around had seemed insignificant. She was his slave; he'd even tried to make her feel better about it with the contract. Although, he swallowed when he reminded himself that was actually just a way to control her.

Why had he done that? Why was he so adamant that she never leave him? It was time wasn't it? Shouldn't he be done with her, done with Hook; shouldn't they just be dead?

But all he could think was that he needed her. Pan had kept her for much longer than intended, not because he thought she was a valuable asset, but because deep, in the bottomless pit of his heart, he needed her.

"Dangerous thoughts Pan," he murmured to himself, taking his eyes from the walls sharply and beginning to walk out of the rocky room, coming face to face with Ella who was standing in the doorway in wide-eyed shock. Her soft lips were parted as she looked at Pan.

"Did you…" she breathed. There was only ever one reason why he came into his cave. "Did you want me?"

And looking at her hesitation in that moment, Pan took control of his thoughts and brought her forward by the arm, murmuring lowly, "I need you."

And still reeling from Hook's rejection, Ella didn't fight, but let herself be pulled gently into her cave by Pan's hand.

Gently?

Ella was confused by Pan's presence in her cabin. He wasn't one to seek out her. For a moment she fretted – had he tried to use the slave band, and she hadn't responded? Her arm was shaking ever so slightly. What if Pan had found out?

That still didn't explain why he was guiding her to the bed so evenly and carefully, treating her as though she was something…as though she was someone…

And it was that thought that made her pull her arm from his hand not too smoothly and solidify into stone behind him. He spun around and looked into her eyes, watching the tension in her body and moved to take her hand again.

"What's wrong?"

There was a moment's silence as Ella composed her thoughts, "You…you never touch me like that."

Pan frowned, reaching for her once again as though to quell her slightly shaking hands. He looked her in the eyes, something dark stirring in them as he said with a hint of anger, "Do you want me to just fuck you?"

Ella opened and closed her mouth silently, as though she was genuinely considering Pan's question. It would be easier wouldn't it? No feelings; just pleasure. An exchange of pure unadulterated hatred.

So what was he asking her?

"Please no."

Pan pulled her forward harshly, his arm pulling her close to his body. Her body was filled with life, with warmth, but not towards him. She stiffened as he brought his lips down to hers, whispering, barely audibly, "Okay."

And then he was gone, leaving Ella in a state of shock as to how on earth Pan had suddenly gained a conscience.

xxx

Later that night, when Ella decided to return to the Jolly Roger in order to speak to Hook further about their plans to get into Dead Man's Cave, she went with a headache. Too many confusing occurrences had happened in that day to even consider not continuing on her way out of Neverland. It was the only constant thing keeping her sane with the way Pan and Hook were acting.

When she reached the Jolly Roger, Ella spotted Hook at the helm. His voice carried across the ship as she zoned in on him. A female voice laughed and Ella dotted her way up the stairs towards Hook and his companion in curiosity. Apparently she was no longer the only girl in Neverland.

When she caught Hook's eye, an unspoken understanding passed between the two of them to not mention anything about that morning. Instead, Ella tried her hardest to forget it, and Hook just tried to act like his usual self.

"Welcome back, love," he commented, looking from her to the girl next to him. "This is Tinkerbell."

"The fairy?" Ella was gratefully distracted in that moment. She'd heard of Tinkerbell back in Shayan. She was a teenage rebel back then; now she was just a woman looking incredibly ragged and worn.

"Er…"

"Not anymore," she answered warily, eyeing Ella from afar, purposefully keeping her distance as she took in the weapons at her belt. Hook noticed too, his eyes narrowing when he saw the girl's guard up once more. It hurt him that she would feel the need to have weapons around him, but it was for the best he supposed. "Who are you?"

"I'm…" Ella hesitated.

"She's Pan's Assassin," he said by way of explanation. "Isn't that right Hart?"

Ella nodded, not knowing why Hook didn't just give away her entire name. He knew it, but she was somewhat grateful to him for not revealing it.

Stop being grateful Ella, she repeated the mantra in her head.

"Pan doesn't keep girls," Tinkerbell stated, looking the assassin up and down, her eyes narrowing. "You're fucking him aren't you?"

Ella's eyes widened as Hook jumped into the conversation once more, "I really don't think that's great conversation material Tink."

Tink looked at him incredulously. "What? You're defending her? Quite plainly she's not on your side."

"She doesn't have a choice," Hook almost groaned in frustration with the fairy. Sometimes she honestly just didn't understand humans. But before Tinkerbell could give a biting retort, Ella cut across them both.

"Look," Ella started with a sigh, "I just want to get out of here."

"I guess we better get working then chums," Tinkerbell said almost sarcastically, still eyeing Ella cautiously. Obviously Hook had filled her in on their plans, which momentarily put Ella off until she saw the small pouch Tinkerbell pulled out of her pocket. "So what are we doing with this?"

Hook and Ella looked from the pouch to each other in shock. Pulling the ties, Tink looked down at the glittering dust curiously before looking up at the pair nonplussed. "You guys seem really fucking excited about some dust."

They really, honestly, were.