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────── ★★★ ──────

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟖
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐓𝐓𝐎𝐌𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐒𝐄𝐀

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It had been about an hour since Everly and Henry parted ways with Regina and Katherine. Despite wanting to stay and try to prove to them that what they were saying was true, they knew it was just a waste of time. Especially since they knew Emma was here. So instead, they found themselves walking along the docks in search of a certain boat that belonged to a certain captain. And when they finally found the Jolly Roger, joy filled every inch of the Jones girl's body. Nothing else seemed to matter as she and Henry walked across the platform and onto the deck.

"Ahoy!" Henry called out, only to be greeted by silence, "is anyone here?!"

"Careful," a familiar voice warned, causing them to turn around to find Killian walking toward them. Everly couldn't fight the smile forming on her lips as the pirate captain stopped in front of them and continued speaking. "No one steps aboard the Jolly Roger's decks without an invitation from its captain first."

"Are you going to make us walk the plank?" the Mills boy questioned as he walked up the steps to join the Jones man on the upper deck.

"All depends on why you're here."

"We need a ship to take us to the Bottomless Sea," Everly announced while trying her best to pretend that they'd never met before.

"Dangerous waters," Sam responded as he walked across the deck to stand beside Killian, "there must be something of great value there to be worth taking the risk."

"Someone," Henry corrected while handing the Jones man a map, "her name is Emma. She's my mom. And she was put there by the Queen."

"Well, then, I'm sorry for you," the Jones man responded as he looked between Henry and Everly then over at Sam. The two of them stared at each other for a moment before Killian looked back over at the pair in front of him and sighed. "Even if we wanted to, we can't help you."

"Why? You're the captain," Everly retaliated with a hint of annoyance in her voice, "you can take your ship wherever you want."

Nervous looks instantly appeared on Killian and Sam's faces when laughter cut through the air. Everly and Henry soon turned around to find Blackbeard walking onto the ship. "A captain? Is that who he says he is? I thought I told the two of you to be done swabbing the decks when I returned."

"I'm sorry, Captain Blackbeard," the raven-haired man said as joy evaporated from Everly's body. She should've known that her family's happiness in this world was too good to be true.

"Wait, he's the captain?" Henry questioned without even bothering to hide the shock in his voice.

"Indeed," Blackbeard announced while continuing to glare at the two pirates standing near the ship's helm, "unless Deckhands Hook and Blondie want to keep playing pretend."

The annoyance within Everly did nothing but grow as she looked back over at Killian and Sam. She wanted them to show Blackbeard that they were willing to fight for what they wanted, like the people she used to know. But all she found was nervous looks on their faces. That was all it took for her hatred toward the Author to grow more than she ever thought possible.

"What do you say, Hook? Blondie? Beat me and the Jolly Roger is yours," Blackbeard mocked before unsheathing his sword and pointing it at Killian, "or are you still a one-handed coward?"

The Jones girl wanted to look away from what happened next, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Instead, she watched as two of the bravest people she had ever known turned around to pick up sponges. "What are you guys doing? Stand up to him! You can beat him!"

"I'm afraid you don't know us very well, lass," Killian told her with a shakiness in his voice, "I'm sorry, we can't help you."

Everly kept her eyes glued to her family as they began scrubbing the deck. When she looked back over at Blackbeard, she found him smirking as he returned his sword to its sheath. The Jones girl glared at him for a moment before noticing an unattended sword on the deck. Despite knowing she was one of the worst sword fighters there was, she grabbed it without an ounce of hesitation. She looked at her reflection in the sword before her attention moved back to the pirate in red. "Then I guess I'll have to help you."

The next thing anyone knew, Everly used the sword to cut a rope close to her. Her actions caused a small crane to swing through the air toward Blackbeard. The pirate didn't have time to react before the crane hit him in the back of the head, sending him to the ground and knocking him unconscious.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Sam shouted as he and Killian approached Blackbeard.

"Getting you your ship back," the Jones girl announced while turning to face them. She wasn't surprised to find shocked looks on their faces, but she was surprised to find one on Henry's as well. But she chose to ignore them and continued speaking. "Come on. Let's dump Blackbeard and go."

"What? You think it's that easy?! We can't sail the Jolly Roger alone!" Killian panicked as he continued to stare at Everly as if she had just grown a second head.

"I can help."

"How do you know how to sail a ship?" Sam asked with a hint of curiosity in his voice while his eyes proceeded to study the girl in front of him.

"I learned from the best," Everly responded while looking at Killian, earning confused looks from him and Sam. After letting out a long sigh, she went to help Henry get Blackbeard off the ship so they could begin their journey.

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It was the following day and Everly was preparing to return to Pan's camp, only this time she wouldn't be alone. She explained what happened to the Saved Boys last night and made sure to keep in every detail. In the end, they were all unconvinced that the leader of the Lost Boys was sending Harry away out of the kindness of his heart. Even Everly had to admit something felt off. Because of this, Sam insisted on going with her. And no matter how hard she tried to convince him otherwise, he wouldn't change his mind.

"Let me do the talking," the Jones girl told him, earning a small nod as they entered the camp.

They were greeted by Felix the second they set foot in the clearing before they were led to Pan's tent. As soon as the Demon King's eyes landed on Sam, a disgusted look appeared on his face. "Why did you bring him?"

"You have your right-hand man, and I have mine," Everly declared, earning an irritated sigh from the boy sitting in front of her, "did you find Harry?"

"Of course. This is my island after all," Pan responded after letting out a scoff, "the better question is where to send him?"

"What are the options?" Sam questioned as the grip around his sword's hilt tightened, not liking being in a small space with a magical boy.

"The Enchanted Forest, DunBroch, Arendelle, or Camelot."

"Camelot?" Everly repeated without bothering to hide the confusion in her voice, "never heard of it. Where is it?"

"It's just outside the Enchanted Forest," Felix explained, making the Jones girl wonder how he knew so much about a faraway kingdom.

"They're isolated," Pan announced, drawing Everly and Sam's attention back to him, "they're ruled by a benevolent king and queen who have very strict rules. There's also the Knights of the Round Table to keep people in line."

The Jones girl hesitated for a moment as she thought about Camelot. A place that was strict and orderly might be just what Harry needed. Maybe this wouldn't be a punishment after all. "I think we should send him to Camelot."

"Then Camelot it is."

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It took longer than they would've liked to calm Killian and Sam down and convince them that everything would be fine. But as soon as that was done, they set sail to find where Emma was being held. While Henry was staring out at the ocean, the Jones men were pulling the ropes that Everly was telling them to pull as she steered the Jolly Roger. A wave of happiness washed over the Jones girl as she felt the ocean breeze on her face, taking her back to a time before Neverland. But she soon shook it off and focused back on the situation at hand.

"Look!" Henry called out, drawing everyone's attention toward him before he pulled out a telescope and pointed it at an island in the distance, "we found it!"

"There's a black knight standing guard," Sam announced after lowering his own telescope.

"Only one. We can easily take him out," Everly responded with a large smile on her face.

"Well, perhaps you haven't noticed, but we're deckhands, not soldiers," Killian retaliated with annoyance in his voice as he stared at the Jones girl.

"Then maybe we don't need to fight," Henry declared, receiving confused looks from everyone on the Jolly Roger.

As they continued sailing toward the island, Henry explained his plan to everyone. It wasn't long after that when Killian and Sam tied ropes around Everly and Henry's wrists. Once they were finished, they placed sacks over their heads. What felt like an eternity passed before they finally arrived at the island. The pirates forced the teens to leave the Jolly Roger and walk onto the island. The next thing Everly knew, she was being dragged up a set of stairs before she heard a door open. Not even a second after that passed when Sam guided her inside. They barely made it five steps into the tower when she heard Killian let out a long sigh.

"I'm here on official business for the Queen," Everly heard Killian explain to who she assumed was a guard, "delivering dangerous prisoners from the kingdom of Kashyyyk."

It wasn't long after that when the Jones girl felt someone grab the bag on her head and yank it off. After her eyes adjusted to the light, Everly came face to face with a black knight. She forced herself to become as still as a statue as he examined her and then Henry. What felt like an eternity passed when the Mills boy grabbed Killian's sword and hit the knight square in the face. The force sent him stumbling back before he fell to the floor unconscious.

"Nice, Hen," Everly said with a smile while Sam took the ropes off her wrists.

"The Wookiee prisoner gag. It always works," Henry explained, earning him a very confused look from his aunt, "I guess I'll have to show you Star Wars when we get back."

The Purest Heart couldn't help but laugh while his nephew went to grab the keys from the guard. It wasn't long after that when he turned back to Killian and handed him the keys. "Lock the guard in the cell. We'll be back with my mom as soon as we can."

Killian and Sam hesitated for a moment as they watched Everly and Henry begin to walk down the hall. It wasn't long before the blonde boy came to his senses and called out after them. "What if he wakes up?"

"Knock him out again!" Everly shouted over her shoulder.

It wasn't long after that when she and Henry began their journey up a very large flight of stairs. A million thoughts were bouncing around in Everly's head as they got closer and closer to the top. But the one that stood out among the rest was what if Emma wasn't here? Despite this being a very important question, the Jones girl forced it away. She had to have hope that they would find her sister. She had to have hope that the Savior would be able to save them again.

As soon as they made it to the top of the staircase, Henry used the keys to unlock the single door at the top. They let the door swing all the way open before walking inside. To Everly's surprise, there was nothing inside but a woman curled up in a ball in the center of the room. What surprised the Jones girl more was realizing that the woman chained to the ground was Emma. The Swan woman was now staring at the two teens with no emotion in her eyes.

"Hi," Henry said as he cautiously stepped further into the room with Everly right behind him, "my name is-"

"Henry."

"Mom?"

Not even a second after that passed when Emma forced herself to her feet while keeping her eyes glued to her son. "Henry."

"You remember," the Mills boy said with hope in his voice as he walked closer to his mother.

A smile instantly appeared on the Swan woman's face before pulling Henry in for a hug. "I knew you'd find me."

Everly just watched for a moment then cleared her throat, drawing their attention to her before waving at them. "Hi. I'm here, too."

Their laughter soon filled the air as Henry grabbed his aunt's wrist and pulled her toward him. Now Everly was trapped in the middle of a group hug. That lasted for another moment before they broke apart to allow Henry to unlock Emma's chains.

"Thank you, Everly," Emma said, drawing her sister's attention toward her while the Mills boy continued working on freeing her.

"I wasn't just going to leave you here."

"No. Not for saving me.For keeping Henry safe."

The smile soon returned to Everly's face right as Henry finished unlocking the other chain. "I would never let anything happen to him."

────── ★★★ ──────

There was nothing to fill the silence as Everly and Sam made their way to Dead Man's Peak with Pan and Felix. If the Jones girl were being honest, she was starting to have second thoughts. They couldn't just keep sending their problems away for someone else to deal with. But then again, it might be the only way to keep everyone safe. It felt very much like a lose-lose situation.

What felt like an eternity passed when they finally made it to the top of Dead Man's Peak. All of them were staring down at the treetops, waiting for the Shadow to make its appearance. But the silence soon became too much to bear for Everly, forcing her to break it. "So how does this work exactly?"

"Were you not paying attention earlier?" Pan scoffed while looking over at the leader of the Saved Ones, only to be greeted by annoyed looks from Everly and Sam. After letting out a long sigh, the Demon King continued speaking. "The Shadow will bring Harry here and I'll open a portal to Camelot for him to go through." 

"And how long will this take?" the Jones girl questioned, completely ignoring the irritated look that was being sent her way.

"Have somewhere to be?"

"Just don't wanna spend more time with you than I have to."

Pan let out a scoff while trying his best not to show that her words were affecting him. It didn't work. "It should only take a few moments."

Silence fell back over them as they waited for hours for the Shadow to arrive. Just as Everly and Sam began to think this was a waste of time they spotted movement in the distance. The Jones girl's blood ran cold as Pan's Shadow flew closer and closer to them with something in his arms. Or should she say someone. The Shadow didn't need to get any closer for Everly to know Harry was the person it was carrying. It wasn't long before the Shadow hovered a few feet over Dead Man's Peak before dropping Harry and flying away.

The Bensen boy instantly jumped to his feet and glared at the four people standing in front of him. However, before he could even think about approaching them, Pan waved his hand through the air, keeping Harry where he stood. The raven-haired boy just stared down at his unmoving feet for a moment before looking back up at the group in front of him. "What's going on?"

"Time for you to go," Pan stated in a tone that made it seem like he was already bored with their conversation.

"What are you talking about?" Harry demanded before looking over at Everly and Sam, "why are you working for him?"

"We're not," the Jones girl answered while trying her best to hide her true emotions, "this will be better for everyone, Harry. I just hope you'll understand that."

The next thing anyone knew, Pan began conjuring the portal. Because he was using all his magic for his creation, Harry's feet became free. He used that opportunity to try to run down Dead Man's Peak, only for Felix to get in his way. The portal was becoming bigger and bigger as they waited for the Demon King to finish. When Everly forced herself to look over at the Bensen boy, she found nothing but fear in his eyes. It was at that moment when the Jones girl remembered what she had known all along. Harry was just a scared boy on a dangerous island. Just like the rest of them. They shouldn't be sending him away.

It wasn't long after she came to her conclusion when Pan had finished creating his portal. He then held his out toward Harry, forcing the boy to come toward him. As she watched the Bensen boy get closer and closer to the portal, Everly knew she had to stop everything.

"Wait!" the Jones girl shouted, but she was too late. Pan pushed him straight into the portal.

────── ★★★ ──────

"I don't understand," Henry said after letting the chains fall to the floor before focusing all his attention on his mother, "how do you remember when no one else does?"

"Must have been part of Gold's plan. My punishment in this world is that I know the truth, but I'm powerless to do anything about it," Emma answered while taking a moment to summon her strength back to her, "in this world, I'm no longer the Savior. I've got no magic."

"That's alright. I think I know what to do."

After listening to her son's words, a confused look appeared on the Swan woman's face. It wasn't long after that when she looked over at Everly. "How do you remember?"

The Jones girl couldn't help but smile as she pulled out the paper Isaac gave her from her pocket and handed it to Emma. The Savior didn't waste a second as she unfolded the parchment and read the words written on it. Her eyes scanned over every letter multiple times before looking back up at her sister. "Why would he leave you out of his story?"

"He said I was the least important character in the storybook. That I served no purpose after escaping Neverland," Everly explained while trying her best not to show how much the Author's words truly affected her, "he made it clear that I wouldn't survive in the Enchanted Forest without my magic, which he also took."

"Well, you proved him wrong. In more ways than one," Emma responded, earning a confused look from the Purest Heart before the former continued speaking, "you're just as important as I am, Everly. Don't let anyone tell you differently."

The sister shared a smile before the Swan girl pulled Everly in for another hug. They stayed like that until Henry's voice cut through the air, drawing their attention toward him. "Real touching. Now, come on. We need to get out of here."

Neither of the sisters argued as they followed the Mills boy out of the cell. As they raced down the stairs, Henry explained his plan to them and made sure not to leave out any of the details. They finally made it down to the ground floor and started making their way down the hall. It wasn't long before Killian appeared from another hallway, causing Emma to collide with them. The same happened with Everly and Sam, making the former almost fall to the floor. Luckily for her, the Jones boy was able to steady her.

"Uh, Killian, this is my mom," Henry said while Emma stared up at Killian with happiness in her eyes, "Mom, Killian."

"Uh. Yeah, um," the pirate captain muttered under his breath before clearing his throat and backing away from the blonde woman. It wasn't long after that when he held his hand out to her. "Pleasure."

"Yeah. Right," Emma responded while shaking Killian's hand.

"Glad everyone knows each other now," Everly told them, breaking their awkward moment and drawing all attention toward her, "we need to get going. We've got a wedding to stop."

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