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This Is It

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LATER IN THE DAY, PAN WOKE UP to someone shaking him gently. Pan opened his eyes to see Melody's nurse. The tray of dinner on the cart beside the bed. He looked down at Melody and saw that the young girl was still on his chest.

"I just came a brought breakfast for the two of you," the nurse said quietly, so she wouldn't wake up Melody.

"Thank you," Pan mouthed to her. The nurse nodded and walked out of the room. Pan took his hand and smoothed down Melody's hair. "Melody."

Melody stirred and then opened her eyes. She let out a groan of annoyance.

"You can still sleep if you're still tired. But the food's here," Pan said softly.

Melody shook her head lightly. "No, it's fine. I'll eat."

Pan helped her sit up and he brought over the tray. Melody dug into her chicken and Pan chuckled as he ate his.

"What?" Melody questioned when she saw him laughing slightly. "Are you laughing at me?"

She smiled slightly as Pan shook his head.

"It's nothing," he lied.

Melody nodded unconvinced, trying to force down the smile with no progress. "Right sure..."

Pan smiled and they continued to eat. Once they finished, Pan put the plates on the cart.

"Can you help me up. I need to take a shower and stretch," Melody said.

"Of course," Pan replied.

He went around and let Melody grabbed onto his shoulders. The teen felt bad for putting all of her weight on him so she tried to hurry and get on her feet. But Pan noticed and stopped her.

"Take your time," he told her softly.

Melody smiled at him shyly. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize."

Melody slowly got to the floor and Pan helped her to the door.

"Do you need help in there? I can call Regina, Emma, or Mary Margaret for you," Pan offered.

Melody nodded. "Can you call Regina."

"Yeah sure. Here," Pan said. He led her to sit on the hospital bed.

Melody sat down, letting her feet touch the floor and Pan got out the phone Emma had given him. He wasn't too sure how to use it but he managed to get a hold of Regina.

"Hello?" Regina answered.

"Regina. Do you mind coming down to the hospital? Melody needs some help cleaning up in the bathroom," Pan said calmly.

He wanted to snap and say a rude comment to her, but he didn't want to upset Melody.

"Sure. I'm on my way," Regina replied, then hung up.

Melody looked up at him when he finished and blushed slightly.

"About last night..." Melody trailed off.

She felt bad that she had woken Pan up because of a stupid nightmare she didn't even understand. And maybe it wasn't a part of her past. There was a shadow and the clothing they wore wasn't normal. So it couldn't have been a memory.

"Don't feel bad. I was already awake anyway," Pan replied honestly.

"Oh."

"Was it a nightmare?"

Melody nodded. "Yeah. I don't really understand it though. There was this little girl, she kinda looked like me. There were a little boy and an older man. And there was a dark shadow. The shadow grabbed the girl and the boy and the girl was screaming and crying. She kept saying 'Papa please don't let the monster take me'. And he didn't do anything. He just told her that she was a terrible daughter and that he never loved her."

Pan looked away as tears filled his eyes.

"I don't know what it means," Melody admitted, then she looked over at Pan and saw him looking away. "You ok Pan?"

Pan cleared his throat to rid of the tears. "I, uh, yeah. I'm fine."

Melody frowned and Regina knocked on the door and peeked her head into the room. She saw Melody and smiled at her as she came into the room.

"Hey honey, come on, let's get you cleaned up," she said.

Pan got up and helped Melody up again and led her to the bathroom. Once he got her by the shower, Regina held her to make sure she didn't fall and Pan let go and smiled once more at his daughter before leaving the bathroom and closing the door.

Regina helped Melody shower since the girl had trouble standing as it was. Once she finished, she and Regina exited the bathroom just as Dr. Whale walked into the room.

"Ah, good to see you are stretching your muscles, Melody." Melody said nothing as he continued. "We would like if you could maybe start walking around the hospital bit. To maybe help with your recovery."

Melody nodded. "Sure."

"I'll help you walk around," Pan offered.

Dr. Whale left the room and Regina glared at Pan, ready to argue but then her phone rang.

"Hello?" she answered. She was quiet for a moment and then her eyes filled with joy. "Ok. I'll be there soon." She hung up the phone looked at Pan. "Mother Superior is almost finished with it."

Pan smiled. "Really?"

Melody looked at them confused. "What's going on?"

"Nothing sweetheart. Just something we are doing," Regina told her. The teen nodded, not pushing it. "Well, the two of you have fun. I'll see you later Melody."

Regina left the room and Pan turned to his daughter.

"Ready?"

Melody looked at him and nodded. "Yeah."

---

Melody laughed. "That sounds like fun."

Pan laughed with her. "Trust me, it wasn't."

They had reached her hospital room and Pan helped her to the bed and put the covers over her. He brought over a chair and sat next to her bed.

Melody yawned.

"Take a nap," Pan told her. "I'll wake you up when your dinner's here."

Melody smiled at him and her eyes fluttered shut. Pan laid back in his chair as he tapped his finger against his leg.

He knew why Regina was excited. Mother Superior must have made a potion. Or at least successfully started one. It was no lie that he was getting more and more nervous for his daughter. What if she never got her memories back? What if she never remembered who she was? What if Gold got her first and killed her? Their second chance at being a family would go to waste.

After thinking for about another hour, Pan started noticing Melody whimpering. He looked over at her and realized she was having another nightmare. Pan got up and gently shook her awake.

Melody woke up and then instantly burst into tears. He held her against him as she cried.

"I remember him. I remember what he did to me. He left me. He left me all alone," she cried.

Pan felt the air leave his lungs and tears filled his eyes.

"Who Melody?" he asked.

"My papa."

The tears left his eyes and Melody continued to sob into his shirt.

Guilt. That was the only thing that could describe how he felt.

Melody had fallen back asleep and Pan gently peeled her off of him and laid her back down, pulling the covers over her.

He kissed her forehead and one of his tears fell onto her forehead.

"I'm so sorry, princess. I'm truly sorry."

Pan walked to the door and opened it, he walked to the front entrance of the hospital and exited. Once he saw the forest, he ran.

And he didn't turn back.

---

He didn't think about anything else. Just her. Anger at her. In his mind, it was the only thing he could think about: ripping her to shreds. She deserved it. She deserved to suffer.

Exiting the shop, he walked to the hospital, hatred burning inside of him. She was weak, pathetic, and everyone cared about her as if she were some kind of Princess. No, she was nothing but a weak peasant.

No one stopped him, not sensing anything off about him as he entered the hospital. He walked to her room and entered, not bothering to knock.

And there she was, lying peacefully on her bed, sleeping away. He walked to the side of her bed and stopped, staring at her.

Do it, a voice screamed. Do it or you're just as weak as her.

He raised his hand and then he tightened his grip. Melody sprung awake, trying to breathe. But then she saw him.

She saw Gold at the side of her bed, eyes full of anger as he used his magic to choke her. Melody was scared, she was afraid.

And she couldn't breathe

Her body tried to do something but she couldn't move, she couldn't stop him. The whole world was flashing before her eyes. This was it. This is where my life ends. Melody didn't move as tears streamed down her face, and he didn't stop. Gold continued and then his grip tightened even more.

And then, black spots covered her vision. The world slowed and Melody felt her heart slow. Her eyes closed and she fell onto the bed. Her breathing slowed and then stopped.

Gold's grip loosened and he blinked in a daze. Opening his eyes in confusion, he saw his sister lying in the bed. He was at the hospital. But it didn't look as if Melody were sleeping.

Tears filled his eyes and he desperately felt for a pulse but found none.

"No. No," he sobbed, holding onto her.

For the Dark One didn't know what he did, but he did know one thing.

He had killed Melody Mills.

---

For those of you who don't understand, Gold was in a daze and didn't know he killed Melody until it was done, then he woke up. It's part of the curse.

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