A/N: Howdy Team! Christmas Eve - yay!

Here's another chappie! Thank you for reviewing. =]

Enjoy! xx

Spirit of Neverland

Six Months Ago

"I don't know what you want from me, Nevi," Felix groaned, sinking to the floor as he crawled into an almost foetal position, rocking back and forth. He couldn't turn against Peter. He simply couldn't. And yet, one glance at Nevi and he was falling at her feet once more.

"You know exactly what I want from you, my dear. I want your loyalty and I want your love." Nevi sent her wavering hand down to his chin and brought it up to look him in the eye. "If you love me, you'll want to be with me, right?" It was so easy for her to mimic what she used to sound like. That little innocent girl, who dealt in pleasantries and love.

Well, she was long gone.

"I'm going to give you the plan Felix. Do everything you can to make it come true. Get Peter out of Neverland. And promise me you will never tell him that you saw me."

Felix nodded as she let a smirk grace her face, "That's my job."

Present Day

"This seems like a bumpier ride than last time!" Wendy was calling out as she held on tightly to a banister as the ship rolled through the air. Ella could swear they'd almost rotated completely at one stage. Killian's eyes were alternating between the map, compass, and the cloudy atmosphere with fierce concentration and Ella couldn't help but feel like he looked like the most badass pirate captain she'd ever seen.

Not that she'd seen very many.

"Brace yourselves!" Hook was yelling out over the rush of the wind flying past them as the ship began its downward descent. The trip had occurred faster this time, perhaps due to the rishing wind, but it was almost as though something or someone wanted them to get there.

When the ship arrived with a splash, Tink cam over and squeezed Ella's hand muttering a quick, "Thank you," in her ear.

"What for?" Ella inquired curiously.

"For willing us along," Tink said with wide eyes. "I told you the other day…well, you were probably too drunk to remember, but we're fairies."

"Yes," Ella frowned, "I got that."

"We have leftover magic. Our hearts are, I don't know, pure? They still carry magic and it we believe something completely, or desperately need it with all our heart, we can have an effect on what outcomes may be."

"That'll be useful when we get to a town where we can play poker, love." Hook came down the stairs grinning widely at her, but both Ella's and Tink's faces dropped suddenly, nothing to do with Hook's comment. But they had both sensed the darkness that crept through Neverland. At a distance, as they sailed towards it, they could see the flourishing flowers and trees – the renewal of Neverland that had occurred in their absence.

Shrouded in an unmistakeable grey shadow.

"Bad shit went down here," Tinkerbell frowned, running to the forecastle to get a better look. Ella, Tom, Hook and Wendy followed her to get a better look. "See the camp?"

Hook brought out his spy glass to take a better look before passing it round wordlessly. The lost boys were fatigued, lying and sitting around almost doing nothing. Except Felix, who was pacing worriedly across the ground. Ella frowned when she saw him. He almost seemed like he was freaking out in his own way. She hadn't seen that look on his face in, oh, nine years?

He was concerned.

"Pan's definitely here," Ella confirmed. "Felix is on edge."

And as they crept closer and closer to the island, that was when they heard it. The screams.

Wendy's hand wormed its way into Ella's fearfully clutching at it because it was all she could do not to call out for him. Ella looked at Wendy a little curiously. She didn't realise the two of them had grown that close. Wendy was trying to bite down on her lip to avoid saying anything but Ella merely squeezed her hand back comfortingly before turning to Hook.

"We need to arm everyone," Ella said to him. He nodded; even he had heard Pan's screams. Leaving to speak to his new crew with Tom, Tinkerbell, Ella and Wendy were left on the bow, staring out at the land as they tried to prepare themselves.

"Shit."

Ella and Tinkerbell turned to Wendy in shock as the girl clapped her hand over her mouth. But pulling it away quickly, she murmured, "Nevara."

"The spirit of Neverland?"

"It can't be…"Wendy hesitated. "But it has too. I had a nightmare the other night."

"Was she ethereal? Like a spirit?"

Hook was back, staring at Wendy in shock. Shared dreams had returned.

"She was tearing out my heart," Hook admitted, staring at Wendy.

"She was tearing out Peter's heart," Wendy said to him.

"She was tearing out my heart," Ella breathed, remembering the dull dreams that had shaded the edges of her sleep.

The three of them looked at each other with a shared look of fear.

"Well," Tink said, clapping Wendy and Ella on the shoulders. "Let's try and not die, guys."

"We're lowering the anchor, Captain!" Smee yelled out and Hook nodded in response, still not wanting to leave the group.

"We're here," he murmured instead.

It was time to face the Spirit of Neverland.

Almost Three Weeks Ago…

"Nice work," Pan said appreciatively, staring at Ella as she flung her daggers at the targets lining the campsite. "Not your best I'll admit, but still good. But enough training. Walk with me."

The two of them walked side by side, at least a foot separating them in silence as they headed up to the best outlook in Neverland. From there, you could see all of the ocean, most noticeably, a pirate ship settled in the water.

"He came ashore again today, still searching for his dreamshade."

"Why can't you just give it to him and be rid of him?"

"I hardly see the point in that Ella," Pan almost pouted. "It's like getting rid of one of the pieces before they've come to their full use. So, tonight, you're going to take a little trip over to the Jolly Roger and kill some more of his crew my dear assassin."

Ella felt her hands clenching in anger. She hated the fact that he could so easily manipulate her. All because of that stupid contract she'd signed nine years ago. Finally, resigned, she folded her arms, maintain the last sense of secure defiance that she said, and muttered in almost complete hopelessness:

"Who the hell do you think you are Pan?"