────── ★★★ ──────

────── ★★★ ──────

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟒
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐃 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐃

────── ★★★ ──────

It wasn't long after she finished her walk with Will when Everly headed back to the diner. As soon as she walked through the door, she found Sam and Katherine sitting with Pierce at a booth. The Jones girl just stared at the back of the raven-haired boy's head for a long moment before letting out a long sigh. Despite wanting to turn around and walk out the door, Everly walked through the diner and sat down next to Pierce. Not even a second after the Purest Heart sat down passed when the Kai boy slid an envelope over to her.

"What's this?" Everly asked with a hint of annoyance in her voice as she picked up the envelope.

"Read it and see," was all Pierce said in response, causing the Jones girl to roll her eyes at him before opening the envelope to reveal a letter.

I'm so excited to see you again, Everly. It's been far too long. Meet me in the warehouse at the docks at 3:30. I can't wait to see you.

Vincent

P.S. Come alone.

Everly kept her eyes glued to the note before looking up at Pierce, only to find him smirking back at her. The next thing she knew Sam snatched the paper from her so he and Katherine could read it. The Jones girl watched them for a long moment before turning her attention back to the boy sitting next to her.

"This has to be a joke," Everly declared, only for the smirk on Pierce's face to grow as he shook his head in response, "I still don't get how you know him. I know for a fact that you were never on Neverland."

"That's my business," the Kai boy told her before looking up at the clock on the wall behind Sam and Katherine, "you better hurry. You only have ten minutes."

"After everything you told me about this guy, there's no way you're going alone," Katherine declared while Sam continued to stare at the note with an unreadable expression on his face.

"It's better for you to follow his directions," Pierce retaliated as he looked between Everly and Sam, "I'm sure you remember how he can get when he doesn't get his way."

A million thoughts swam through the Jones girl's head as she looked over at her brother, only to find him staring at her with no emotion in his eyes. He kept his gaze glued to her for a moment longer before opening his mouth to speak. "You can't seriously be considering going."

"I need to, Sam," Everly replied with a determined look in her eyes. The two of them continued to stare at each other for what felt like an eternity before the Jones girl stood up and walked out the door. Despite knowing that meeting with Vincent was something she had to do, the Purest Heart couldn't help but feel she was making the biggest mistake of her life.

────── ★★★ ──────

After what she witnessed at Dead Man's Peak yesterday, Everly was debating on even meeting up with Felix. She couldn't get the scene out of her head and it drove her insane. For the first time since she could remember, she didn't want to see the Lost Boy, but she also knew that she needed answers. That was the sole reason she was sitting up in their tree with them trying to convince herself not to regret the decision she made.

"What's with the face?" the Thorne boy asked, breaking the silence that surrounded them and making Everly look up at him for the first time since she arrived.

"Why does everyone ask me that?" she responded, not bothering to hide the confusion in her voice.

"Because you always make this face when something's bothering you," Felix told her before trying to mimic the expression on the former Lost Girl's face. Everly couldn't help but laugh, temporarily freeing her from the thoughts in her head. However, her moment of happiness didn't last long before her mind went back to thinking about what she saw. That caused the smile on Felix's face to fade before he spoke once again. "So what is it?"

"I saw you on Dead Man's Peak yesterday. You were...training a group of Lost Boys and you fought Wally," Everly said, causing all the color to fade from the Lost Boy's face to fade, "why did you do that?"

"I had to," the Thorne boy muttered under his breath just loud enough for Everly to hear before he let out a long sigh, "Pan's been getting suspicious. I needed to get him off my back."

"You should come back to the cove with me. We can figure out a way to stop Pan together."

"You know I can't," Felix told her while trying his best not to let his emotions get the best of him as he clenched his fists in his lap, "ever since Rapunzel broke her promise, I made a vow that I would never do the same. I'm sorry, Sunshine, but I can't break my promise. I can't be like Rapunzel."

"Have you ever thought that she couldn't come back?" Everly suggested, causing the Thorne boy to look up at her once again with confusion in his eyes before she continued speaking, "what if something happened to her?"

"Fletcher, Harper, and I looked for her. There was no sign of her," Felix explained while fighting all the emotions washing over him as he thought back to one of the worst days of his life, "that was when we ran into the Evil Queen and...and she killed Harper. If Rapunzel kept her promise, we wouldn't have gone to look for her. She's the reason Harper is dead and why Fletcher and I came to Neverland."

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Everly had been standing in front of the warehouse door with fear running through her veins. She was still trying to decide whether to walk inside or to go back to the diner. Never in a million years did she think she'd have to face Vincent again. The Jones girl didn't know if she was ready to face one of her biggest mistakes. She let another minute go by before letting out a long sigh and walking inside. Her eyes scanned over her surroundings in search of the McKay boy, only to find nothing but an empty building.

The Purest Heart just stood there in silence for another five minutes before letting out a long sigh and turning around. She only made it a few steps toward the warehouse door when a cloud of gray appeared in her path. Everly instantly stopped in her tracks as she stared at the smoke until it cleared, revealing a smirking Vincent.

Everly couldn't help but take a step away from the raven-haired boy with shock in her eyes. "Since when do you have magic?"

"Always have," Vincent answered while matching the Jones girl's steps until her back met the wall behind her.

The Purest Heart kept her eyes glued to the boy in front of her for what felt like an eternity before finding the courage to speak. "Why did you want to see me?"

"You need to suffer for what you did to me."

"I lost Felix. How have I not suffered enough?"

"Not even close," Vincent scoffed while glaring daggers at the girl in front of him, "not only are you and Sam closer than ever, but now you have Katherine too."

A sudden wave of confidence washed over the Jones girl as she stood up as straight as possible while summoning light to her fingertips. "This is between you and me. Stay away from them."

"You're not in a place to make demands here, little Lost Girl. Or should I say Purest Heart?" the McKay boy responded, causing Everly's blood to run cold and Vincent's smirk to grow, "I wonder how Felix would feel if he ever found out you're the reason he and his brother were on Neverland."

"Who are you?" the Purest Heart questioned, earning a slightly confused look from Vincent that caused a wave of irritation to wash over the Jones girl, "you have magic. You know information you shouldn't. Who are you?"

"I'm the same old Vincent McKay," the raven-haired boy said with a sinister smile before he leaned forward and whispered into Everly's ear, "and I'm your worst nightmare."

Not even a second passed after he finished speaking when he formed a ball of fire in his hand and hurled it at the Purest Heart. Everly had just enough time to create a shield, causing the flames to burst against it. She just stared at the boy in front of her through her shield for a moment before shooting a beam of light at him. Vincent barely had enough time to get out of the way of her attack, causing the light to graze his arm. The McKay boy shouted as he grabbed his arm, trying his best to numb the pain, only to fail. Everly continued to stare at him through her shield before she found him slowly looking up and glaring at her.

"This isn't over," Vincent hissed without even attempting to hide the hatred in his voice.

"I won't be alone next time," Everly retaliated before the McKay boy disappeared in a cloud of gray.

────── ★★★ ──────

After failing to convince Felix to join her and the Save Boys, Everly began her long walk back to the cove. Her mind was once again filled with a million different thoughts. And on top of that, all of her senses were on high alert in case Vincent decided to make a surprise appearance. Lucky for her, Everly ran into Sam, who was searching for food for their camp. The two of them walked in comfortable silence until the blonde boy broke it. "How did it go with Felix?"

The Jones girl kept her eyes glued to the trees surrounding them for a moment before letting out a long sigh. "He won't join us. He's still holding on to that promise."

"He'll come around eventually. No one can deal with Pan for that long," Sam told her with a small smile on his face in an attempt to make his best friend feel a bit better.

After Sam received a small nod in response from Everly, the two of them went back to walking through the forest in silence. They were just about to reach a clearing near the cove when an eerie feeling washed over both of them. However, before either of them could react to their senses, a familiar voice cut through the air. "Well, if it isn't the Dynamic Duo."

Everly and Sam instantly exchanged a look before turning around to find Pan standing on the other side of the clearing with Vincent at his side. The two boys just smirked after watching Everly load her bow and Sam unsheathe his sword. However, instead of making a move toward them, the leader of the Lost Boys opened his mouth to speak. "I'm not here to fight."

"But I am," Vincent announced after pulling a dagger out from his boot.

Not even a second after that passed when Pan vanished into thin air before the McKay boy charged at them. Everly was able to dodge most of his punches until he was able to make a direct hit with her jaw. The force caused her to stumble back before falling to the ground. The Jones girl clutched her jaw with her hand as she stared up at Vincent. The raven-haired boy was just standing over her with his dagger gripped tightly in his hand. What felt like an eternity passed when he finally moved to finish her, only for Sam to slam into his side and pin him to the nearest tree.

"We want to help you, Vincent," the Wilbert boy hissed while Vincent struggled to break free from the blonde boy's grasp, "we tried coming back to you."

"Stop lying to me!" the McKay boy shouted before pushing Sam to the ground and turning to face Everly, "I really wish Pan didn't tell me to keep you alive."

Before the Jones girl even had a chance to respond, Vincent spun around and impaled Sam's side with his dagger. Everly watched in horror as the Wilbert boy fell to the ground while Vincent ran off into the forest.

As soon as the initial shock faded, Everly rushed to Sam's side. Fear instantly flooded her veins as she watched him struggle to keep his eyes open. The Jones girl let her instincts take over as she ripped off her sleeve and tied it around his waist to put pressure on his wound. Everly tried her best not to panic as she tried to think of a way to save her best friend. Her first thought was to take him to Tinker Bell, but she knew they wouldn't make it in time. A hint of irritation mixed with her fear when she realized where she had to take Sam in order to save him. After letting out a long sigh, Everly helped the blonde boy to his feet before she pulled his arm over her shoulder to help him stand. It wasn't long after that when the Jones girl began walking in the direction of Pan's camp.

"Are you insane? We can't go there," Sam said once he realized where Everly was taking him.

"I'm not letting you die," was all Everly said in response as she continued to drag him through the forest.

What felt like an eternity passed before they finally reached the Lost Boys' camp. Everyone stared at the newcomers with confusion in their eyes, unsure of what to make of the situation in front of them. Not even a second after that passed when Pan appeared out of nowhere and stood a few feet away from them with a large smirk on his face.

"This just gets easier and easier," Pan taunted before his attention moved to Sam. Everly was surprised when she saw his smirk falter as he studied the wound in the Saved Boy's side. It wasn't long after that when the leader of the Lost Boy's eyes returned to the Jones girl. "What happened to him?"

"Vincent."

Everly did her best to hide her surprise when she found Pan staring at her with a blank expression on his face. It looked as though a million thoughts were swimming in his head before he snapped out of his daze and began speaking. "Vincent did this?"

"Just like you ordered," the Jones girl hissed while struggling to keep Sam on his feet.

"I told him to scare you, not hurt you!" Pan shouted, making all the emotion fade from Everly's body when she heard the fear in his voice, "I wanted you to see that you can't win! I didn't want this to happen!"

────── ★★★ ──────

Everly instantly threw his hands out in front of her and let a cloud of gold surround her, not wanting to waste another second in that warehouse. When the smoke cleared, she found herself standing in the middle of her motel room. Because of all the emotions she was feeling, the Jones girl failed to realize she wasn't alone until someone crashed into her and pulled her in for a tight hug. That lasted for another moment before Everly felt a huge weight on her chest. "Sam. I can't breathe."

"I was so scared," the Jones boy confessed before letting go of her and placing his hands on her shoulders as if to make sure she was really there.

A small smile appeared on Everly's face as she placed her hands over his. "I've been through much worse."

Sam just stared at her with no emotion in his eyes for a moment longer before letting out a long sigh. It wasn't long after that when he pulled Everly across the room before they sat down on the couch with Katherine. They let the silence surround them for a short moment before the Scott girl broke it. "What did he want?"

"He wants to see me suffer more than I already have," Everly explained while keeping her eyes glued to her intertwined fingers, "this is all because he thinks Sam and I deserted him on Neverland."

"Then just tell him you didn't," Katherine said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, drawing the Jones siblings' attention to her before she continued speaking, "tell him that you tried to go back for him."

"We have," Sam and Everly responded in unison.

The three of them just sat there for a moment longer before they all decided they needed to get out of their room. None of them said another word as they walked downstairs to Granny's. It wasn't that they didn't want to talk to each other, they just didn't know what to say. And on top of that, all of them were preoccupied with trying to figure out how to stop Vincent from terrorizing them. But to their dismay, none of them were able to come up with anything that could help them.

It wasn't long after they arrived in the diner when Everly spotted Killian sitting in a booth with Will and Belle. The looks on both men's faces alone were enough to tell the Jones girl that whatever was happening wasn't good. After watching them for a moment longer, Everly turned her attention toward Sam and Katherine. "Can you get me a slice of red velvet cake? I'll be at the booth in a second."

After receiving nods in response from Sam and Katherine, Everly made her way over to where Killian, Will, and Belle were sitting. The Jones girl was barely ten steps away from them when she heard the French woman speak. "And you clearly don't get along."

"Everything okay here?" the Purest Heart asked while standing at the head of the table, drawing all of their attention to her before she sent Killian an annoyed look.

"Everything's fine," the pirate captain responded with a forced smile before he turned his attention back to Will, "as much as I would enjoy bloodying you again, I'm here for Belle." Killian paused as he looked across the table at the brunette woman. "We need to talk in private."

Belle just stared at the Jones man with an unreadable look in her eyes before she responded with a small nod. It wasn't long after that when she and Killian got up from the booth and began heading toward the back of the diner. However, before he took another step, the pirate captain forced Everly to sit in Belle's place. "Keep Scarlet company for me."

Before the Jones girl had a chance to argue, she watched Killian turn around and follow Belle into the back of the diner. Everly continued to stare at the door they disappeared through as a strange feeling formed in the pit of her stomach. There was something off with Killian. It was as if he was trying too hard to act normal. But instead of pondering on her feelings, Everly turned her attention toward Will, only to find him staring at the piece of chocolate cake on the table with annoyance in his eyes.

"I hate pirates," the Scarlet man muttered under his breath before looking up at Everly to find an irritated look on her face, "except you. You're great."

"Nice save, Knave."

────── ★★★ ──────

"Message received!" Everly shouted while a small crowd of Lost Boys began forming around them, "now can you help him?!"

When Pan looked back over at Sam, the Jones girl found her attention moving over to Felix. His look alone was enough to tell her that she shouldn't have come, but she also knew she didn't have any other choice. Not if she wanted Sam to live.

"I'll help," Pan announced, drawing Everly's attention back to him before she saw the smirk plastered onto his face, "but you have to fight for his life. You will battle three boys of my choosing. If you win, I'll heal him. If you lose, he dies."

The Jones girl just stared at the leader of the Lost Boys before looking over at Sam. Her heart began pounding in her chest when she saw his face paling and his eyes losing their usual spark. Even if Everly agreed to the deal and won, she knew the Wilbert boy wasn't going to last long enough to be healed. There was only one way that she would be able to save Sam. Everly just hoped she wasn't making a mistake. "I want to change the deal."

When she looked over at Pan, Everly found him staring back at her with curiosity in his eyes. That lasted for a moment longer before the King of Neverland sent her a nod, urging her to continue. "You heal Sam. Right now. Once I see he's safe, I'll play your game. If I win, Sam and I get to go."

"And if you lose?"

"I'll stay for good. No more fighting. I'll be a true Lost Girl."

The smirk on his face already told Everly that he accepted her proposition before he muttered one of his favorite words. "Deal."

────── ★★★ ──────

Later that night, Everly, Sam, and Katherine decided to take a walk around Storybrooke. They wanted to try to forget about everything happening in the town and relax a bit, but nothing was working. It also didn't help that Pierce came along with them against all of their wishes. It wasn't long before they walked past the pawnshop, making the Jones girl glance through the window without thinking. Her feet instantly came to a stop as she stared at the scene in front of her.

Belle was standing near the counter with Killian right in front of her. That was already surprising enough considering Everly thought they ended their conversation at Granny's. But what shocked the Purest Heart even more was the sight of them holding a hand over each other's hearts.

"What's going on in there?" Sam questioned after seeing what Everly was looking at.

It wasn't long after that when they ducked down to watch Belle and Killian without being seen. They sat there in silence for another moment before Pierce decided to break it. "I thought Killian was dating Emma."

"He is," Katherine responded without taking her eyes off the pawn shop's window, "and Belle's with Will."

"Then what's going on in there?" Pierce questioned with a hint of fear in his voice that didn't go unnoticed by those around him.

"Nothing good," was all Sam said in response.

After watching the scene unfold for a moment longer, Everly quickly made her way to the side of the window. She then stood up as soon as she knew she wasn't going to be seen by Belle or Killian and took out her phone. The Jones girl just stared at the screen for a moment before dialing the pirate captain's number. As she listened to the phone ring, Everly peeked into the window, only to find Killian not reaching for his phone.

"Hey, Evie." When his voice came through the phone and not from the man in the pawnshop, Everly's blood ran cold. She was unable to form words as she made everyone get up to continue on with their walk. "You still there?"

"Yeah. I'm here. I was just seeing if you wanted anything from Granny's," the Jones girl responded while trying to ignore the confused looks she was receiving.

"I wouldn't pass up a slice of chocolate cake."

"No problem."

"Thanks, Evie."

The Purest Heart's hand shook as she hung up the phone before turning around to face her friends. "That wasn't Killian in the pawnshop."

As soon as those words left her mouth, they all looked back in the direction they came to find the Killian imposter staring through the pawnshop window. That lasted for a moment longer before a cloud of maroon surrounded him until it faded to reveal the one and only Rumplestiltskin.

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