CHAPTER EIGHT:  think lovely thought

.｡.:* ☆:**:. 𝕿𝖔𝖉𝖆𝖞 𝖜𝖆𝖘 𝖆 𝖋𝖆𝖎𝖗𝖞𝖙𝖆𝖑𝖊  .:**:.☆*.:｡.

JASON BUCHANAN HAD DECIDED THAT HE WOULD, BEFORE LEAVING NEVERLAND, FORCE PAN INTO TELLING HIM A LIFETIME CURE. Truthfully the only other plan he had, was for Rumplestilskin to make a cure. He did believe that if anyone would be able to do that, it would be the dark one.

Tinkerbell lead the group, behind her was Jason, who had thought that, maybe Tinkerbell would know a cure. After all, she lived on the island longer than Hook, Alister, and Neal. And, she has Pan's trust.  

"Tink," Jason calls, which caused for the blond-haired fairy to momentarily turn, if only to show him that she had gotten his attention. "Do you know of a cure for dreamshade? Other than, the waters behind the dream-shade plant."

Hook had informed Jason of how exactly David had been temporarily cured.

Tinker bell paused, turning to him completely. She paused in her walking, making Jason stop. Hook bumped into him. Tinker bell turned to him. "You were hit-"

"No. David was. Hook brought him to some-magical water fall-" Jason waved a hand, uncaring of the name. "But can he be healed without leaving him here?"

"You can't," Tinker Bell turns to walk away.

"Guess I'm gonna have to kill Pan," Jason says, hand shorting back to grab one of his arrows.

Hook moved back, almost being sliced across the face.  "You think you can kill Pan?"

"Okay, come on, he may be able to find a way to not die by aging. But, no one survives a bomb sinking into their head." Jason gestured to the arrow.

"You put a bomb in there?" Hook asked in disbelief.

Jason grins. "Of course I did."

David walked up to them, a hand shooting out and pulling Jason along with him.  As he moved to speak to Tinker Bell.  He had began to question her when they heard the sound of someone walking through. They all turned pulling out their weapons.

Jason quickly pulled his arrow, aiming in the direction. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hook shift, closer to Jason. Which Jason got, he wouldn't want the possibility of an arrow with a bomb so close to his ear.

He let go of the arrow, it whistling in the air as it flew.   The arrow came to a sudden stop. A cloud of purple fog appearing.

"Well, if this is your version of a rescue party, we got here just in time." Regina sarcastically remarked, a hand held up.

"I wouldn't drop that arrow unless you want it to explode," Jason says. "Damn, just had me waste an arrow."

"What are you two doing here?" Mary questioned.

"Well, same as you, except we actually have a chance. Pandora's box. It could trap Pan for eternity simply by opening the lid," Regina informed.

"You didn't tell me my father was with her," Neal tells Emma.

Alister moved, taking a step to stand in front of Neal.

"I didn't know." Emma tells Neal.

"Wait, your father is the Dark One?" Tinker Bell asked in surprise.

"Yeah, and he's not getting anywhere near Henry." Neal speaks in anger.

"Bae..."

"Why? What are you talking about?" Emma asked.

"There's a prophecy that says that Henry will be his undoing. He didn't come here to protect him. He came here to kill him."

Everyone turned to him, shocked. As they all took a step back.

"That's why you didn't want to find Neal before you got Henry back? Because you knew he'd spill your secret." Regina realized.

"Everything I did was to protect Henry, to rescue him from Pan." Rumplestilskin says.

"It all makes sense. You left before we even made shore.," Emma says.

Mary Margaret raises her bow and arrow. "You wanted to get to Henry first..."

David unsheathes his sword. "To be on his own..."

Hook raises his sword. "So no one could stop you..."

Alister and Jason raised their weapons.

"So you can kill him." Regina finished.

"It's not gonna happen, not unless you go through all of us first." Emma says.
.｡.:* ☆:**:. 𝕿𝖔𝖉𝖆𝖞 𝖜𝖆𝖘 𝖆 𝖋𝖆𝖎𝖗𝖞𝖙𝖆𝖑𝖊  .:**:.☆*.:｡.

"You're making a mistake. I don't care if the boy is destined to be my undoing. I won't hurt him," Mr. Gold told.

"Because that sounds just like you." Regina sarcastically speaks.

"Without me, you will fail. I'm the most powerful amongst us."

"That's why we can't trust you." Neal tells him.

"If I could give you my dagger, I would. But I can't."

"But you can give me Pandora's box. I don't have to trust you if I could stop you."

He looks down at the box, a look of disappointment and sadness.  He sighed, looking at everyone who still had either weapons pointed.
Gold extends the box to Neal.

Neal takes it. "Look at me, you so much as lift a finger to perform magic, you're gonna spend an eternity in this box."

"Let's go." Emma says.

And everyone walks away. Alister paused, looking back to see Gold stop Neal.  "Look... you may think you know who you're up against, but you don't."

"Then tell me. What really happened between you two?" Neal asked.

"Peter Pan destroyed my father."

Alister stayed until the two walked, not trusting Rumplestilskin.
.｡.:* ☆:**:. 𝕿𝖔𝖉𝖆𝖞 𝖜𝖆𝖘 𝖆 𝖋𝖆𝖎𝖗𝖞𝖙𝖆𝖑𝖊  .:**:.☆*.:｡.

Emma rushed forward, a hand clamping around Alister's shoulder. "We need to talk."

"I've found when a woman says that, I'm rarely in for pleasant conversation," Alister smiled.

"There has to be a way for David to leave the island," Emma says.

"Well, there isn't." Alister told her.

"He told me about your brother, what happened. I know it can't be easy to talk about, but..."

"Well, then let's not, shall we? The water that cured David from dreamshade has connected him to the island. If he leaves, the connection is broken. The poison will kill him," Alister says.

"What if we take some of the water with us? That way he stays connected. He can stay alive in Storybrooke."

"For how long? Once the water runs out, the dreamshade will take his life." Alister explained

"Unless there was another cure." Mr. Gold speaks up.  Which grabbed their attention. "You suddenly interested in what I have to say? Thought I wasn't to be trusted."

"You're not, but I'll take my chances." Emma replied.

"If you don't stop with your fucking-" Jason begins.

"Well, if you remember, I, too, was poisoned with dreamshade by a cowardly pirate. And yet..." Rumplestilskin gestured to Hook.

"Yes, and we know how you cured yourself... with a candle that takes another person's life. David is not that selfish," Emma says.

"Oh, how noble. The point is, after my near-death experience, I discovered much about the poison. I believe I could create an elixir back in my shop."

"What's your price?" Jason asks, crossing his arms.

"Well, this is quite the favor. I'd expect one of equal weight in return."

"No." Neal immediately speaks. "When we get back to Storybrooke, you're gonna save David because it's the right thing to do. No deals, no favors, understand?"

"Fine. I'll do as you ask." Gold says.

"I'll go tell David." Emma speaks up, walking over to find the four.

Regina, Mary Margaret, David and Tink come out from behind a brush.

"We're here. Pan's perimeter." Tinkerbell announced.

"It's time. Tink will sneak us in the back like we planned. We grab Henry. In and out, simple. You good with Pan patrol?"  Emma asked Neal.

"Locked and loaded." Neal tapped his bag.

"You mind if I, uh..." Gold reached forward, taking Hook's sword. "borrow this? You said no magic, I agreed. But I'm not walking in there with nothing but my good looks."

"Now I, on the other hand..." Hook begins.

David tosses his short sword to Hook. "Here, in case your good looks fail you."

"Thanks, mate."

"Let's get Henry." Emma says.
.｡.:* ☆:**:. 𝕿𝖔𝖉𝖆𝖞 𝖜𝖆𝖘 𝖆 𝖋𝖆𝖎𝖗𝖞𝖙𝖆𝖑𝖊  .:**:.☆*.:｡.

They all gathered around, hiding behind a large tree, and a line of bushes.

"Can I at least use magic on these boys?" Mr. Gold asked

"No." Neal quickly answered.

"I'll do it." Regina speaks up.

"You remember the spell?" Gold asked.

Regina sent him a glare, annoyed. Before she waved her hand, putting the boys to sleep. The group enters camp.

"Where's Pan?"  Neal asked, the box in his hands.

"I don't know. Henry!" Emma begins to call out.

"He's gotta be somewhere." David looks behind a tree.

"Where?" Mary asked.

"Help!" A voice called out.

They all rush forward, only to see a girl trapped in a cage.

"Wendy?" Neal asked.

"Do I know you?" The girl asked.

"It's Baelfire." Neal smiled, walking over to the cage.

"You two know each other?" Emma asked, as she stood up.

"Bae!" The girl gasped

"Yeah. Yeah, we do." Neal speaks softly.

"Can it really be you?"

Neal immediately picked up a rock, slamming it into the cage and breaking it. Wendy climbed out of the cage, as Neal helped her out, he stood up. And Wendy stepped on the tips of her tied to wrap her arms around his neck. "I thought I'd never see you again."

"What are you... wh... what are you doing here?" Neal asked, she pulled back from the hug.

"Well, I... I came back to save you." Wendy softly says.

"You did that for me?" Neal asked in shock.

"Well, I couldn't bear for you to be without a family, not after you told us that your mother and father were both dead."

"You told her I was dead?" Gold asked, hurt.

"It was easier than telling the truth... my own father abandoned me," Neal momentarily turned
.｡.:* ☆:**:. 𝕿𝖔𝖉𝖆𝖞 𝖜𝖆𝖘 𝖆 𝖋𝖆𝖎𝖗𝖞𝖙𝖆𝖑𝖊  .:**:.☆*.:｡.

They had given Wendy a blanket to wrap around herself. They all returned to the camp, where all the lost boys were still unconscious. Neal bent down, kneeling next to Wendy. "Hey, Wendy, since you've been here, have you seen my son? His name's Henry?"

"You have a son?" Wendy asked.

"Yeah. Pan needs his heart." 

"Has he said anything about the heart of the truest believer?" Emma asked.

Wendy turned. "No. I'm sorry. He never mentioned anything about a heart."

"She's lying. Where is he?" Gold says. As he walked forward.

David ran forward. "Whoa, whoa, whoa." He stood in front of Gold.  Immediately Jason was by David's side, also pushing Gold a step back. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I've carried enough lies in my life to recognize their burden. She knows where Henry is." Good grounds his teeth.

"Is that true?" Neal turned to her, whispering.

"You don't understand."

"You're helping Pan?" Mary asked in disbelief.

"I mean, Pan kept her in a cage," Jason says. "And Gold himself said we should be afraid. It's not likely to be about loyalty."

"He's keeping John and Michael alive, only if I do as he says." Wendy says

"Trust me, whatever he's promised, he will go back on his word." Gold tells her.

"And why should I trust a man who abandoned his own son?"

"Because your brothers did. They trusted a woman named Belle. They helped her get this box so we can defeat Pan." Regina tells her.

"They're okay?" She breathed out.

"For now, and only if we succeed." Gold replied.

"Wendy..." Neal went back to Wendy's side. "we will save John and Michael, I swear to God. But right now, I really need your help. Please."

"Pan told Henry that... he needs his heart to save magic. But it's a lie. He needs it to save himself." Wendy revealed.

"What do you mean?" Hook asked.

"Pan's dying. He needs the heart of the truest believer to absorb all the magic in Neverland. And once he does... he will be immortal, all powerful."

"And what happens to Henry?" Jason asked.

"Well, it's a trade. When Pan lives, Henry will die."
.｡.:* ☆:**:. 𝕿𝖔𝖉𝖆𝖞 𝖜𝖆𝖘 𝖆 𝖋𝖆𝖎𝖗𝖞𝖙𝖆𝖑𝖊  .:**:.☆*.:｡.

"How do we stop Pan?" David asked, stepping forward.

"Pan took Henry to Skull Rock. But you haven't got much time," Wendy answered.

"Then we stay behind. Someone needs to be here to guard the lost boys when they wake up," David says.

"You don't need to stay behind." Emma speaks.

"David's right. You get him home, tell him we love him." Mary says.

"Tell him yourself, when you get back from Deadman's Peak. Gold can cure you back in Storybrooke. We just need to bring some of the water with us." Emma informed.

Mary hugs Emma. Emma grabs David's hand behind her back.

"And you... you didn't give up." Mary then turns to Gold. "Thank you."

"Well, apparently, that's the only thanks I need these days." Gold says

"Tink, Alister, and I will take care of things here. Meet you back at the "Jolly Roger" when you find Henry."  Hook spoke.

"Promise me if your father and I don't make it back, you get him home," Mary whispered to Emma.

"We're all going back home. Together." Emma tells them.

David kisses Emma's head.
.｡.:* ☆:**:. 𝕿𝖔𝖉𝖆𝖞 𝖜𝖆𝖘 𝖆 𝖋𝖆𝖎𝖗𝖞𝖙𝖆𝖑𝖊  .:**:.☆*.:｡.

A sudden wave of magic had them all stumble back. As Mary, David and Jason were retrieving the water.

And Tink, Hook, and Alister were beginning to lift the lost boys to get them on the ship.
.｡.:* ☆:**:. 𝕿𝖔𝖉𝖆𝖞 𝖜𝖆𝖘 𝖆 𝖋𝖆𝖎𝖗𝖞𝖙𝖆𝖑𝖊  .:**:.☆*.:｡

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