A/N: Sorry for the delay chaps! I had a touch of writer's block – the plot twist in 3X08 totally threw me – did not see that one coming! I spent some time thinking 'what the hell do I do with that?' Then it came to me – ignore it! So, for the purpose of this AU, it never happened! Plus, my head's been full of The Long Game, so I've been working on that. Anyway, thanks for all the reviews. Special big thank you to Emilie Brown for her cover art xxx

Nearly at the end!

Felix returned from burying his dead comrades, and entered Pan's hut quietly. He waited, watching the other boy as he looked into a wooden bowl. Pan's rage at finding the dead Lost Boys had been terrifying to behold, and he had vowed bloody vengeance on the group of strangers for their actions. Felix had news on that score, but elected to wait until spoken to. It was then that Pan noticed him, and beckoned him over to the bowl, which was full of water. There was a picture in the water, an image of a group of people in a clearing, the people they were looking for. One of them was a very pretty woman he hadn't seen before, and they were clustered around a fire, obviously talking. The oldest man was reaching into a backpack, when he suddenly looked up, almost as though he could see the two boys spying on them, smirked, and waved his hand. Immediately, the picture disappeared and Pan and Felix found themselves gazing at their own wobbly reflections. Pan made a sound of frustration.

"So, they're only over the next ridge," drawled Felix. "What do you think they're planning?"

"An attack, obviously," said Pan impatiently. "The more interesting question is, who was that girl? How did she get here?"

"Mermaid?" guessed Felix, and Pan frowned.

"Possible," he agreed. "If that's the case, once this is over the two of us are going fishing." He grinned with dark humour, and Felix returned the smile.

"Do we let them come?" he asked, and Pan drummed his fingers on the edge of the bowl.

"I won't have my plans put back decades by Henry seeing me destroy his family," he said decidedly. "I need him to be open to my suggestions, and it won't help if he knows I've killed his mother. Either one of them. So we either go to them, or we move Henry." He turned to Felix. "I suggest we get Henry out of the way. They won't be expecting it, and we get to have some fun." He straightened up. "We need something to keep Henry occupied," he added dismissively. "A distraction."

Felix nodded. "And the family?"

Pan grinned wickedly. "We formally welcome them to the island."

Having spent time practicing archery with the Lost Boys, Henry was resting on a log, his legs stretched out in front of him as he watched the boys check their weapons, play-fight and banter. He noticed Pan stride up to the tall, blond one called Felix, and the two of them had a brief, whispered conversation before walking swiftly away, swallowed by the undergrowth. Henry threw aside the apple core he had been munching on, and walked casually to the hut that Pan slept in. Risking a glance over his shoulder he couldn't see that any of the boys in the camp were looking his way, so he slipped into the hut. Inside, it was dark and cool, fingers of firelight from the camp outside working their way in through thin cracks in the walls. He ran a quick eye over the contents of the hut; there was little of importance, a bed, a stool and a small table with a large, shiny black stone resting on it. Henry picked it up, but could see nothing on its flat planes that indicated that it had magical properties. Perhaps it was just a pretty rock. There was a wooden chest at the foot of the bed, and if anything precious was kept in the hut, he imagined it would be in that. He went quickly to the chest and bit his lip in frustration as he saw the large padlock on it. Henry tugged at it ineffectually, trying to think where Pan might have hidden the key. It was probably on his person, but Henry decided it was possible that there was something in the hut that he could use, so he searched thoroughly. He came up with nothing more exciting than a dead, dried-up lizard that had crawled under the mattress at some point. Frustrated, he returned everything to its place and exited the hut, checking carefully to ensure that he wasn't spotted. He needed something to break open the chest with, but a stick wouldn't do the job against the lock. He sauntered easily over to Tinkerbell's cell. The fairy was sitting cross-legged, watching the comings and goings in the camp with new interest. Henry was pleased to see a light in her eyes that had not been there when she was captured. He hoped that she was starting to believe in herself, and in him.

"I looked for the wand," he said quietly, leaning against the wall next to her cell and pretending to tie his shoelace. "There's a big wooden chest in his hut, but it's locked up tight. I couldn't find the key."

"Keep looking," she whispered. "Try under the floorboards – I've seen him put things there before when he thought I wasn't looking."

Henry perked up. "Are you okay? Do you need anything?" he asked softly, and she shook her head urgently.

"Just get us out of here," she hissed, her eyes twinkling with hope. He grinned, and turned his back on her, striding casually across the camp to the hut. He stole a quick look around once more, then slipped back inside. The hut almost seemed to be waiting for him – it was as though he could feel the tension and anticipation in the air, although he suspected it was simply that he was nervous and excited. He started walking slowly around the room, stepping on the uneven boards, listening for a tell-tale squeak that would suggest a loose one. The boards were badly fitted and every one of them seemed to squeak, but eventually Henry felt a board by the bed move slightly when he stepped on it. He dropped to his knees and stuck his fingernails under the edge, his heart thumping with excitement as it lifted up easily. Henry peered into the hole left behind, and let out a hissed sound of triumph as he saw a large key. He grabbed it, putting the board back, and fumbled it into the lock of the chest. The key turned easily, and Henry threw back the lid, almost bursting with anticipation. In the end, the chest contained very little. There was clothing, a few books, several bottles with indistinguishable ingredients, and a few strange objects. One of those objects was something Henry recognised instantly. He closed his fingers reverently around a wand that seemed to be made of twisted glass, its handle a bright green. Delighted with his find, he shoved the wand down his shirt for safekeeping, and looked over what remained. Taking a small wooden box with a carving of what looked like a whirlwind on it, and a round, flat stone carved with a pattern of stars, he quickly locked the trunk and replaced the key, before shoving his new acquisitions into his pockets and leaving the hut.

"Henry," said Pan cheerfully, making him jump. "Were you looking for me?"

Henry turned slowly to face him, hoping that he looked innocent. "Yeah – where have you been?" he asked, proud of the way his voice didn't wobble and give him away. Pan clapped a hand on his shoulder, making Henry want to shove him away.

"Felix and I were just doing a quick sweep of the area, to make sure there was no danger," he said confidently. "Now, I understand you're getting quite good with a bow. I always want to improve the skills of my boys, and I think motivation is an important part of leadership. How about a little contest?"

"Contest?" Henry's interest was immediately piqued, and Pan smiled.

"If you win," he announced. "You can make one request of me, and I'll grant it."

Henry stared, suddenly excited. "Y-you will?"

"Of course," the older boy confirmed, waving a lazy hand. "Just beat Nibs in the contest and I promise to grant you a wish, as long as it's within my power." He looked down at Henry, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Do we have a deal?"

"Deal!" agreed Henry, quickly. He knew he was good with the bow, even after a couple of days. It had seemed to come so naturally to him. He wasn't sure that he could beat Nibs, but it was certainly worth a try, and if he succeeded, he could ensure that Tinkerbell was set free.

"Excellent!" Pan clapped him on the shoulder again, and nodded to Felix. "Have Nibs take Henry to the shooting range to the west. That'll be more of a challenge. Tell him to take half a dozen of the boys. And no cheating – this has to be a fair contest."

Henry took the bow being proffered by Felix, grinning. He turned so that his back was to Pan and his second-in-command, and gave a quick thumbs-up to Tinkerbell. Her eyes widened with delight and hope, and he hoped that the contest wouldn't take too long. She really needed to be free if she was going to help his family.

"So, what's the plan?" asked David. Gold had cast a spell to ward their camp against eavesdropping, but they kept a watchful eye on their surroundings anyway.

"We have to play to our strengths," said Gold, looking from one to the other of the people sitting around him. "Pan is powerful and surrounded by mindless bodyguards. We can't assume that the first thing we try will work. I'd feel more comfortable with a multi-pronged attack."

The others nodded.

"I guess that means those of us that can fight on sword-slash-bow-slash-gun duty, and you freaks using magic," suggested Hook cheerfully. Emma glared at him, but Gold smiled coldly.

"Do you know what a 'Forlorn Hope' is?" he asked, grinning, and Hook scowled.

"So, I get thrown in at the deep end to cover your arse, do I?" he demanded, and Gold shrugged.

"I couldn't think of a better use for you," he admitted.

"I happen to be rather fond of his arse," added Belle brightly. Mary Margaret stifled a laugh, and Gold smirked.

"Regina and I will concoct some potions and other spells that will be of assistance," he explained. "Miss Swan, your help would also be appreciated."

Emma scowled at Regina, but nodded reluctantly. Gold turned to David and Mary Margaret.

"We'll need you as fighters, holding off the Lost, if it becomes necessary," he added, then nodded to Lily. "Little one, we need you to get into the camp and see if you can get to Henry. Get him out if you can. If not, do your best to keep him safe and let him know we're coming for him." Lily nodded, taking a deep breath as if she was trying to steel herself. Gold hesitated, then turned to Belle and looked an unspoken question at her. She frowned curiously, then nodded, and he handed the small bottle of fairy dust to Lily. She held out her hands reverently, her eyes wide.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" she asked.

"I have a feeling you might need it," he said gently, and she looked puzzled, but nodded.

"What about me?" asked Belle nervously, and he hesitated. He was desperately afraid for her. The moment Pan saw her he would know, and he would try to use her. She seemed to see something in his eyes, for her own narrowed. He relented.

"You stay with me and watch my back," he said reluctantly, and she beamed as though he had given her a treat.

Ruby sat at the sheriff's station all night, waiting for Alex to lose the influence of the full moon. He had writhed on the floor of the cell, drenched in sweat and moaning with pain. At times, his features had seemed to stretch and warp, as though his form was changing, and Ruby had pressed her hands to her mouth in horror. But he didn't change. She suspected that he would, however. Perhaps as early as the next night. She needed to decide what to do; first, she had to explain to him what was happening, and boy, was she dreading that conversation! She had never felt so guilty about anything in her life. How could she have been so stupid? She hoped that he would allow her to help him, allow her to teach him how to control the wolf, but she accepted that he was perfectly within his rights to say that he never wanted to see her again. If he got out and ran beyond the town line, he never would.

She watched the moon slowly slip below the horizon, and immediately his struggles ceased and he fell into a restful sleep. Ruby sighed, and slunk around to Granny's for two take-out coffees and some doughnuts. When she returned, he was waking up, rubbing at his eyes sleepily. Ruby handed him his glasses between the bars, and he put them on, blinking up at her.

"Hey," he said, confused. "I had the most awful nightmares. Why am I locked up again?"

"You don't remember," she said sadly. She had expected that. He frowned.

"Remember what?" he asked, and she sat down on the bench next to the cell.

"You had a – kind of fit," she began, wondering how best to break it to him. Perhaps it would be easiest to show him. "We had to put you in here for your own safety." She handed him the coffee and doughnut, and he pushed himself up off the floor and sat on his bench. "I think it would be best if you stay here for a day or so until we work out what's going on."

"In a – jail cell?" he said uncertainly. "Not a hospital?"

Ruby bit her lip. "Well, you were kind of a danger to other people," she said, not entirely untruthfully. "But we'll get Dr Whale to come take a look at you."

"Dr Frankenstein, you mean," he said dryly. "This just gets better and better."

Regina, Gold and Emma stood around the pile of ingredients that Belle had brought, Regina tapping her fingers against her leg thoughtfully.

"I suggest protection spells for us and a few nasty surprises for Pan and his band of idiots," she said. Emma glared at her.

"If you kill any more of those boys, Regina, so help me…" she began.

"Oh, come down from the moral high-ground, you'll get frostbite!" snapped Regina. Gold's eyebrows twitched in surprised amusement. "I didn't say I was going to kill anyone, did I? There are ways of dealing with a bunch of smug teenagers without ripping their guts out."

"Really? I'm surprised you know of any," countered Emma. Gold cleared his throat.

"This really isn't helping," he said mildly. "Miss Swan, would you please collect some nightsbane berries? Belle should be able to help you with identifying them." He held up a small bag, and Emma grabbed it, cast another glare at Regina, and stomped off with Belle, the latter shooting a puzzled glance over her shoulder at him. Regina snorted, and Gold threw more wood on the fire, ensuring there was sufficient heat for potion making.

"I suggest we make a start on a sleeping draught," he suggested, and she nodded agreement, picking out the various ingredients they would need and dropping them into one of the glass jars. He watched her as she worked, impressed with how quickly she conjured up the base for the potion. He added the remaining ingredients as Regina kept the potion at just the right temperature, until it was a milky blue colour that marked the half-way stage.

"What exactly have you and Miss Swan had a disagreement about?" asked Gold, and she scowled.

"The Saviour jumped to the wrong conclusion when she found me beside a pile of Pan's dead minions," she snarled. Gold smirked.

"Yes, I can imagine how you would be affronted at the very suggestion that you're a murderer," he remarked dryly. Regina's eyes flashed dangerously, then her gaze grew calculating. She turned to face him, folding her arms.

"Was it you?" she asked softly.

"Was what me?" His voice was calm, his expression innocent. She smiled slightly.

"The disembowelled Lost Boys? It wasn't me, so the obvious culprit is you."

"Now, why would I feel the need to do something like that when I could just as easily turn them into snails and have no-one the wiser?" he asked, the corners of his mouth twitching with amusement. She frowned at him.

"So it was you!" she breathed, eyes flashing. "And you're going to let me take the fall? I don't think so! You tell her, Gold, or I swear…"

"Are you sure you want to finish that sentence?" he interrupted dangerously. "I will tell Miss Swan nothing because I have nothing to tell her. Perhaps Pan killed them."

Regina retreated slightly, nostrils flaring, jaw clenching. "Perhaps," she allowed. "But I highly doubt it."

He bared his teeth. "Well, let's see you prove it, and perhaps we'll have a different conversation."

He began waving his hands over the potion, his fingers making intricate movements as the spell was created. Regina gave him a knowing look.

"This is about Belle, isn't it?" she said perceptively. "You don't want her to see who you really are, do you?"

Gold grimaced. "Belle knows who I am," he muttered, and finished waving his fingers over the potion. "There. I believe that's ready. Care to try it for efficacy, Your Majesty?"

Regina gave him a very level look, and held up a bottle to contain the potion.

"That's one down," she said. "What's next?"

Lily crept silently through the undergrowth towards Pan's camp. She felt a little strange being alone after spending so much time with the others over the past few days. She would get used to it though, once she'd helped them to escape Neverland. She peered through a bush at the camp below, which looked surprisingly empty considering the time of day. Perhaps the boys had gone hunting. She craned her neck for a glimpse of Henry, and crept closer, confident that she blended into the undergrowth. She was almost to the edge of the camp when a hand slammed against her mouth to stifle her scream and an arm snaked around her waist, dragging her to her feet. She kicked and struggled, and bit down on the hand over her mouth, causing a howl of pain from her captor. He almost dropped her, and she struggled more violently, trying to break free. A hard blow to the side of her face floored her, and she saw stars for a moment, her entire body limp. She felt hands picking her up, and began to struggle again, though she didn't yet have the strength. She was dragged towards the camp and dumped unceremoniously on the ground. Staring at a pair of feet in soft leather boots, she pushed herself up onto her knees groggily, then made it to her feet. He was smirking at her, and she glared at him hatefully, this demon in the form of a boy.

"Princess Tiger Lily," drawled Pan, earning a scowl. "I might have known you'd end up with that band of pathetic misfits." He walked around her; Lily was poised on the balls of her feet as though she intended to flee at any moment, although her head was pounding and she had no confidence that she'd get far. "I hear you ran away from your people because you didn't want to get married."

"You heard right," she said belligerently, and he smiled.

"Not quite," he said. "Does your father know who you really are? How would he feel if he found out you've been making a fool of him? That you never intended to marry any man he picked out for you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she snapped.

"Hmm," he said, hands clasped behind his back. "Then you'll have absolutely no feelings whatsoever about this." He waved his hand and Lily gasped, her eyes bulging, as another girl was dragged towards them by two of the boys, struggling against her captors. Blonde hair fell over her face, which was streaked with dirt and tears.

"I'm sorry Lily!" sobbed Tinkerbell. "He caught me!"

"No!" cried Lily, tears starting in her own eyes. She turned her desperate gaze on Pan. "Please! Let her go!"

"Yes, of course," he said sarcastically. "I had planned on using her against you, but, since you asked so nicely…"

Lily glared at him, her chin wobbling slightly as she tried to hold back her tears. "What do you want with her?" she asked, and he smiled coldly.

"She betrayed me," he said softly. "And if I let her go she'll do it again. So she stays, and you're going to join her. I've got a plan for those ridiculous new friends of yours, and I won't have you screwing it up for me." He nodded to Felix, who immediately lifted Lily up and threw her over his shoulder. She shouted in outrage, trying to kick him, beating at his shoulders with her fists, but she might as well have been punching a wall for all the good it did. She thought about using the knife at her belt, but she was worried about being searched and having the fairy dust taken, so she stilled herself and allowed him to carry her to one of the cells. He dropped her on the floor unceremoniously and she scrabbled back from him on the heels of her hands, scowling as she stood up and brushed herself off. She saw Tinkerbell being thrown into the cell next to hers. They would pay, all of them. Starting with this oaf.

"Are you going to turn out your pockets or do I have to pat you down?" asked Felix in his cold drawl. Lily curled her lip.

"Stick your head up your ass, you pervert!" she snapped, backing away. He approached her slowly, and she relented. "Fine!" She dug her hands into the pockets of her trousers, pulling out a length of twine, a handful of small stones and a slingshot. He gave her a shrewd look, and she hesitated, before pulling her knife from behind her back and handing it over.

"Good girl," he said soothingly, and her scowl deepened. He slammed the cage door and tied it shut in a complicated knot. She threw herself against it as he walked away, grasping through the bars at the rope, but she couldn't reach the knot no matter how hard she tried.

"Lily?" Tinkerbell's tremulous voice reached her, and Lily sighed, leaving the lock and moving as close to the other cell as she could get.

"I'm here, Tink," she said sadly. "They took my knife and my slingshot. I'm guessing they took your wand, right?"

"Pan ripped off my wings," said Tink, her voice almost a whisper. Lily's heart nearly burst with white-hot rage.

"Oh, he is dead!" she whispered furiously. Tink sniffed.

"He's too powerful," she said dolefully. "I have no wand, no wings, no fairy dust… We're screwed, Lily. Pan's won."

"Screw him!" Lily said fiercely. "We're getting out of here. They didn't take everything! I've got some fairy dust."

She could almost feel the surge of hope from the other girl. "How did you…?"

"Belle. Gold's girlfriend. She brought some from the Storybrooke fairies."

"Okay…I only understood about one word in three from that."

"Never mind," said Lily hurriedly. "Henry's family. They're here, on the island, with weapons."

She heard Tinkerbell clutch at the bars of her cell. "So it is them! Henry was right! He knew they'd come!" she said excitedly.

"Ssh!" Lily said urgently. She watched as Pan and Felix entered a hut on the edge of the camp. "Where is Henry?"

"I don't know. He went off with half a dozen or so of the other boys. They were carrying bows – I guess they've gone hunting. I think he may have my wand though – he was looking for it. He said he'd steal it back for me."

"So we have no idea where they are or when they'll be back," said Lily, vexed. "Dammit! And Pan knows his family's here. He'll be going after them."

At that moment, Pan and Felix emerged from the hut. Pan was clutching a large, shiny black stone in his hand, the light reflecting off its flat planes, and Tinkerbell gasped.

"What is it?" asked Lily, frowning. Pan saw them watching, and held up the stone, a mocking light in his eyes, before turning on his heel and striding from the camp.

"We have to stop him using that!" blurted the fairy. "It's a shadowport, Lily! It opens a door to the underworld and calls forth terrible creatures. He can't use it! I've already opened one door for him – who knows what could come through this one!"

"So we get out of here, and we stop him," said Lily grimly. She fished the bottle of fairy dust from where it had been nestled between her breasts, and reached out of the cage, stretching as far as she could. "Here. Can you reach?"

There was a moment's silence, then she felt the brush of a finger. "There! Try again!"

Another touch, this one firmer, and she felt Tinkerbell grasp the bottle. "Got it!"

Lily withdrew her hand excitedly, and waited. In less than a minute Tinkerbell was in front of her, using a tiny pinch of the fairy dust to open the cage. The two girls threw themselves on each other and hugged as though their lives depended on it.

"I missed you so much," whispered Tinkerbell. "When I heard you'd disappeared…I didn't know what to think. I was so afraid something bad had happened to you."

"Well, I couldn't marry that awful man, could I?" said Lily gruffly, and kissed her true love deeply, revelling in the feel of soft lips and perfect skin, that had been denied to her for so long. When the kiss faded to a series of small, affectionate pecks and caresses, they stood for a moment, foreheads pressed together, content, and Lily suddenly grinned.

"Come on," she said, taking her girlfriend's hand. "We need to find Henry and get your wand back. There's some people I want you to meet. We have to hurry if we're going to kick Pan's ass."

A/N: Coming up: the fight with Pan! Possibly the last chapter, but you never can tell!