A/N: Hey guys!

Writers Block? Aint nobody got time for that!

Here's the next chapter!

Review, my lovelies! Always love to hear from you. =]

And Good Lord. I just got my HSC results. And even though I was writing When One Day while the exams were going on, I still managed to do well. Go figure. =P

Enjoy! xx

Yours

50 Years Ago

"I'm not sure if you realise what she's doing, Pan," Felix drawled as Pan watched Nevi telling stories to the lost boys. They laughed and milled around her. Some sat at her feet and others in her arms, but all of them looked at her adoringly and Pan couldn't help but find her even more endearing in that moment.

"She's telling stories, Felix," Pan replied incredulously. "It's the kind of imagination that fuels Neverland."

"Maybe," Felix shrugged, "But they call her mother."

Pan turned sharply at that. There was danger in that word. A mother was a grown up.

But Nevi was nowhere near a grown up. He'd never asked her exactly how old she was, but her youth was an aura that surrounded her. Her stories were leftovers from her childhood. Even if she was beyond it, she was still in that in between space. Not really young, but definitely not old.

As the children began to yawn, she sent them off to bed despite their complaints. She hugged each of them in turn before spinning round and seeing Pan and Felix deep in conversation. They broke apart when they heard her approaching steps.

"Nevi," Pan smiled widely at her, but it didn't completely meet his eyes. It was a cold smile, almost calculating. Because Pan was trying to figure out just exactly how to make sure Nevi didn't become the mother of the lost boys. "We don't have much time before you wake up."

"What were you guys talking about?"

"We're going to send the shadow out for you tomorrow. Nevi," Peter said, with wide eyes. He needed her in Neverland so that she could be completely lost to the wonders of childhood; and always with him. "Are you ready to say your goodbyes?"

"I already did a long time ago, Peter," she answered with a large smile. Seemingly missing the edge in his gaze that Felix shared. It was something that she'd never seen in the wide-eyed boy before, and she refused to see it then.

Instead, the grasped Felix by the hand in farewell, and lifted her lips to Pan's soft cheek in a soft kiss as she felt sleep drifting away from her and forcing her into reality.

"I'll be here soon," Nevi said with a smile before she faded across worlds and out of sight. The minute she was gone, Felix turned back to Peter, grasping his arm tightly. Pan eyed Felix's grip with narrowing green eyes before the boy realised how far out of line he was and let go. It was strange to see Felix acting that way.

"You're bringing her here?" Felix asked dangerously. "Are you sure that's wise Pan? I know you care for her, but she's tainting the lost boys."

"I'll fix that, Felix," Pan answered with a shrug, "But I know her. I know what she feels…how she thinks. She'd be the biggest asset to Neverland if she can just put aside the motherly thoughts. And I will help her. But I need her here."

"But Pan-"

"Enough, Felix," Pan said, cutting across the boy. He wasn't exactly angry, more impatient. "You know me. I never fail."

But as Pan walked away, Felix couldn't help but feel that there was always a first for everything. And for the first time, he was doubting Pan's ability to never fail. And he was doubting his own restraint…he didn't know how he'd survive with Nevi in the same world…

Present Day

"Hey Pan."

Ella turned onto her side to face the boy curiously. "Are you looking for the Neverfall stone?"

"Unless it's lying on this beach – no."

Ella nodded, thankful that he, at least for the time being, was abandoning his quest. Maybe if she kept him in this state…

That would be incredibly selfish. Because he still hated himself and could go off the rails again at any moment. And however much she hated him, she wanted to heal him.

It was a problematic situation.

"So what does it do?" Ella asked curiously, only half expecting him to answer. She wasn't fully reliant on the encyclopaedia definition, and really, what she was asking was what he wanted to do with it.

"Fixes things," Pan answered slowly. "It'll fix Neverland from its slow death."

"You're being pretty extreme in all this," Ella frowned. "Bringing Wendy to Neverland. And what was with Felix being gone for six months? Surely it shouldn't take that long to figure out a plan. Where is the stone anyway?"

"It's somewhere here Ella," he sighed. "I can't fixate my magic on it though. And I can't use it once I find it anyway."

"You have to have a pure heart," Ella began, reciting what she'd read. "Of love and belief."

"I'm not exactly abounding in any of those."

"That's why you have Wendy, isn't it?" Ella asked. She would protect the girl at all costs, but it seemed like Pan had almost forgotten that he needed the girl.

"I wouldn't do that to her."

Ella looked at Pan with new eyes, searching his face for any sign that he was lying. But in his eyes there was nothing less than honesty, and in his chest, there was a heart beating with something more than she'd ever seen before. She reached out her hand and clasped his fingers in her hand.

"I'm glad," she said with a small smile, seeing his surprise before he leaned back down onto the sand and squeezed her hand lightly.

And that was how they laid until Hook sent Wendy back out from the ship as the sun began to set. She was as angry as Ella had ever seen here when she stood in front of the lowering sun. Ella was drifting into sleep when Wendy started loudly.

"Are you two intending on sleeping out here or…"

Ella let go of Pan's hand as though burned, not having realised that they'd been connected for an unmeasurable amount of time. He pulled his back slowly, rising upwards and stretching out his limbs.

"Hook wants to talk to you," Wendy continued, pointedly looking at Ella.

"Of course he does," Ella sighed, brushing the sand off of her body and picking up the blanket she'd been laying on. He'd left earlier to get away from being in Pan's presence.

"You two are going to be really sore tomorrow," Wendy commented. For a moment, Ella's face was shocked – what was Wendy insinuating? But as she twisted around to face her, she felt it.

Sunburn.

It was one of the perks of Neverland – to never be affected by such menial things. But here in the Enchanted Forest, Ella would be nursing red and peeling skin for days. Glancing over at Pan, Ella saw him wincing as he pressed his shining red skin.

"This isn't going to be fun," Ella sighed as she began to walk with Wendy back up to the docks. Pan trailed close behind them, small hisses coming from both of them as their skin finally revealed to them the effects of the day.

When Wendy spotted Tink crossing the gangplank, she sped up to catch up with her, leaving Ella and Pan to walk a little slower and easier. He fell into step with her easily before reaching for her hand once again. Holding on tightly, she felt warmth flooding up her arm like a rush of pure ecstasy.

Glancing over at Pan in astonishment, she saw the redness fading from his shoulders and in turn, the burn fading from her own skin. Within seconds he had let go, and his healing magic left their skin brand new and unharmed, renewing even the scratches inflicted across his skin.

"Why didn't you do that earlier?" Ella enquired softly, looking at the boy in wonder as they came to a stop. Pan couldn't answer her, merely shrugging indifferently before heading off to his room.

Ella was confused by Pan's apparent selflessness. He'd suffered through his pain until she was injured, and it suddenly hit her that maybe he actually did care for her. Sure, she'd considered the thought in the past few days, but through his simple physical act of healing her, he'd proven to Ella that he actually wanted to make things better. He was trying to apologise and make up for what he'd done.

And Ella looked after his retreating back – proud.

Hook, however, was sitting back in his chair with a book on his knees and a flask at his lips. When Ella closed the door to his cabin and gave him a small tentative smile, he raised his eyebrows but didn't say anything.

Ella searched for some spare clothes before realising she needed to do a wash and the only clothes within this cabin were Hook's. Pursing her lips, she jumped into his wash room and pulled off her now dry dress and threw on his shirt instead. It was insanely short, but considering it was just Hook…

She stepped out of the washroom as she tied her hair back into its usual messy bun, but Hook didn't look up when she stepped inside. With a frown, she walked over to him and pulled up a chair beside him. Finally, she broke the silence and asked, "What's wrong?"

Hook placed his flask on the edge of his desk, pulling down his boots from where the arch was digging into the desk edge, and closed the book softly. Ella stared at him, expecting him to be angry after his silence. Instead, he sounded resigned.

"I can't deal with this, Ella," he said, sullenly, keeping his eyes low as he said the words painfully. Ella leaned back in her seat incredulously, pulling her bare feet up onto the edge of his seat as she folded her arms across her chest.

"I never thought you were the jealous type."

"I am the incredibly jealous type, love," he answered, biting down on his lip as he refrained from looking at her. "I'm just trying incredibly hard not to be."

"Is this because of Pan and I?" Ella asked huffily. She thought he knew her better than that. As if she would just go back to him after everything he'd done. Yes, he had changed, and yes, he did want to be better. But…

Her thoughts trailed off as Killian nodded almost imperceptibly.

"I thought you knew me better than that, Killian." Ella removed herself angrily from the seat, turning away, wanting to get out of there. But then she decided to stand her ground. She wasn't walking away from the argument. What gave Hook the right to be the only one who was angry. "Do you think my words don't mean anything? I've spent ten years without a say in my life. What I choose – who I choose – is entirely up to me. And I've told you more than I've told anyone, Hook. You know me…"

"So does he."

It wasn't harsh. The way that he said it…it was impossible to hear it that way. He was so defeated and so completely torn. He wanted her to be happy, but he didn't want to lose her. His insecurity flooded his being, painfully obvious.

That was it. Ella realised it when he said those words, his eyes searching his varnished desk for something unattainable. Confirmation – resolution – anything. He just didn't want to lose her.

Ella crossed back to him quickly then, kneeling by the side of his chair and forcing him to look at her. His eyes were heavy and watery, but no tears came. Instead, he tried to be emotionless as Ella searched his face. She didn't know what she felt for him, only that she did. And it was the strongest feeling she had ever felt in her life.

"You are mine, Killian Jones," she said as she tucked her hand around his neck, the echo of a promise in her words. "And I'm yours."

Reaching her lips upwards, Ella took his in her own, feeling the tentativeness within him. Breaking away, she looked at him curiously as he closed his eyes peacefully. He murmured as though it was painful to him, "Love, we have to have dinner. And with you dressed like that…"

Ella glanced up at the clock, before bringing her eyes back down to him and said with a mischievous glint in her eye, "We've still got half an hour. And I know what you would've done this morning if there weren't any people around."

"You're going to be the death of me Ella Hart," Hook groaned as she stood up, his eyes following her every move and she waltzed over to the bed, a delicious amount of skin already exposed by the shortness of his shirt upon her body.

"Well I'd best make use of you before then," she smirked, as Hook went to go and join her on the bed.

Dinner ended up being very late.