────── ★★★ ──────

────── ★★★ ──────

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟒
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐂𝐔𝐄 𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍

────── ★★★ ──────

Hours passed before Everly felt a cool breeze pass over her face then her ears picked up the sound of voices a few feet away from her. She released a silent sigh before slowly opening her to find the three concerned adults surrounding Henry. After staring at the scene in front of her for a moment longer, the blonde girl looked away from the group next to her and scanned the room for any sign of Pan, only to find nothing but empty space.

Once she felt most of her strength return to her, Everly slowly began to get up from the rocky surface beneath her, drawing Neal's attention away from his son and toward his old friend. The brunette man quickly helped the younger girl into a sitting position and helped her lean back against the hourglass' cool surface. His brown eyes stayed glued to her as the leader of the Saved Ones reached pack to touch the back of her head before wincing and bringing her hand back to reveal blood on her fingertips.

"That's just great," Everly mumbled while trying to ignore the concerned look Neal was sending her way.

Before either of them could attempt to start a conversation, their attention turned back to the two women surrounding Henry when Regina held her glowing hands over the boy. The former Lost Girl watched in awe as the Truest Believer's body began to shimmer then stopped as quickly as it started.

"This preservation spell can keep him in this condition for a while longer," the Evil Queen told them while keeping her gaze glued to the young boy lying on the ground, "buy us time to get to Pan."

"You were a Lost Boy," Emma said as she got to her feet and turned to face Neal, "any idea where he went?"

"Well, I-I mean, I know where he lived. Where his compound-"

"Well, that's idiotic. We all know that. You think he's stupid enough to go back?" Regina scoffed before looking over to the blue-eyed girl fiddling with her fingers, "what about you? You've been here for a while. Do you know where he could have gone?"

"After everything I've done, Pan wouldn't trust me with secrets," Everly responded then thought back to all the times she saw the Lost Boys whispering among themselves, never letting her in on their secrets or games, "even before I got away from him and the Lost Boys, he never told me anything."

"You're both useless."

"Okay, enough."

"Don't tell me what's enough," Regina snapped at the blonde woman standing next to her as she clenched her fists at her sides, "my son is dying."

"Our son. So yes, I know how you feel."

"You have no idea what I feel. You have your parents. You have this," she paused as she looked to Neal, who was pacing around the room with his hands on his head while somewhat ignoring their conversation, "person. A pirate who pines for you. You have everything and yet you claim to know what I feel? All I have is Henry. And I'm not about to lose him because he is everything."

While the two of them proceeded with their conversation, Everly found herself following the man she used to know with her eyes as he continued to walk back and forth in front of her. Guilt flowed through every inch of her while she studied the worry on his face. After watching him for a moment longer, she noticed him muttering to himself, which was something he used to do as a boy when he was nervous. Another sigh passed over her lips before the Jones girl pushed off the glass behind her and got to her feet before making her way over to where Neal paced.

"I'm so sorry," the young girl told him, causing the man to stop his actions before turning his full attention in her direction, "this is all my fault. If I didn't help-"

"It's not your fault," the son of Rumplestiltskin interrupted her while placing his hands on her shoulders like he used to do to comfort her, "it's not your fault, Ev, but I gotta know. What was so important that you couldn't say no to helping Pan?"

"Killian, Felix, the Saved Boys...you," the blonde girl listed as she watched the concerned look on the man's face slowly turn to shock before Everly let out a long quiet breath, "even if you can find Pan, he was powerful before. With Henry's heart, I...I don't know if you can hurt him."

"Yes, we can. Look," Regina said, ending the conversation between the old friends before their attention landed on the sword in Emma's hand to see the tip stained red, "you nicked him. If he can bleed, we can hurt him. And if we can hurt him, we can kill him. And we will."

────── ★★★ ──────

As soon as she finished healing the cut on the back of the girl's head, Regina used her magic to take the four of them back to Pan's camp to rejoin the rest of their group. Everly looked around at all the Lost Boys that were sitting around the clearing with their hands bound in front of them before she met Felix's blank stare. They kept eye contact for a moment longer before the former Lost Girl's attention was drawn to the other side of the campsite to see Neal gently placing Henry on the now-empty mattress.

The leader of the Saved Ones' thoughts went to the girl who used to occupy the old bed as she looked around the open space for her. Just as she was about to ask someone about where she went, Everly heard her name being called before quickly turning around to see someone she hadn't spoken to in a very long time. Someone who felt more trapped on this island than the blonde girl ever did.

Wendy Darling.

As soon as the girl reached her, Everly pulled Wendy into a tight hug as their laughter cut through the tense silence of Pan's camp. The former Lost One talked to the Darling Girl for a bit when she first arrived on Neverland but she was almost instantly placed in a cage soon after. No matter how much she wanted to save the other girl from the Demon King, Everly never could due to Pan having her guarded all day, every day by some of his strongest Lost Boys.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Wendy whispered as the two of them pulled away from each other with matching smiles on their faces.

"You were worried about me? You're the one who was stuck in a cage," Everly practically snorted before both of their smiles grew, causing her smile to grow.

After they shared another laugh, the Jones girl's eyes wandered back to Felix, who was still sitting on a log with his hands bound behind his back as he stared at the ground in front of him. Her attention stayed glued to the boy for a moment longer before she told Wendy she'd be right back. Once the other girl realized Everly's true intentions, the Darling girl sent her friend a small smile before responding to the other blonde with a nod. The former Lost Girl returned the London native's grin before giving her one last hug then she made her way over to Felix.

Once she reached the Lost Boy, he glanced up to meet her gaze before letting out a scoff and looking back down at the dirt. Her blue eyes studied the defeated look on his face as she silently sat down on the log next to him. The two continued to sit in silence for an unknown amount of time before Everly finally found the courage to speak, only for Felix to stop her before she even started.

"You betrayed Pan."

"It wouldn't be the first time I did."

"Didn't think you'd be stupid enough to do it again," he scoffed, making Everly's blank expression turn into confusion as her eyes scanned over the blonde boy once again.

"I couldn't just let Henry die, Felix," the leader of the Saved Ones retaliated while the boy in question continued to avoid her stare, causing anger towards Felix to flow through her veins for the first time in a long time, "Pan tried to kill you a few hours ago and he still doesn't feel a single drop of remorse about it. If anything, he's proud of what he did. Why are you still defending him?"

"I'm done talking to you. Go back to the pirate. You were going to leave me for him anyway."

Against everything telling her to stay, Everly slowly got to her feet then she walked away from the gray-eyed boy and towards Sam, who was watching the whole thing. The former knight pulled the teary-eyed girl in for a tight hug as soon as she reached the boy who has been by my side for the last five years. Just as the blonde boy was about to speak to his best friend, Regina's shouts filled the air before the pair turned their attention in the direction of her voice to see her grabbing a smirking Felix by his collar.

"Gone. There's nothing you can do. He's already won. Peter Pan never fails."

"You won't talk?" Regina hissed as her grip around the boy's shirt tightened until her knuckles turned white, "how about I make you talk?"

Everly watched as the brunette woman reached her hand back while keeping her eyes glued to Felix's grinning face. Once she realized what she was planning to do, the former Lost Girl pushed herself away from Sam's grasp before grabbing Regina's wrist just as she was about to plunge her hand into his chest. The Evil Queen yanked her arm away and glared at the girl in front of her for a long moment before she opened her mouth to speak, only to be cut off by Emma pulling Regina away to talk to her.

While the two women had a hushed conversation, Everly's attention fell back on Felix, who was staring back at her with an expressionless look on his face. His emotionless look turned into a glare after sending the leader of the Saved Ones sent him a silent plea to help them before her eyes left him and fell on the rest of the Lost Boys. She watched them as they glanced around at the adults that surrounded them with a hint of fear in their eyes before an idea she should have come up with hours ago popped into her head

"Guys, listen to me," Everly called out while ignoring the adults watching her with curiosity in their eyes as she squatted down in front of the Lost Boys, "I promise I won't let them hurt you. I know you're loyal to Pan. But you are making a terrible mistake. For a long time, I thought I was never gonna get back to the people who cared about me. I felt alone, like all of you. A Lost One. But I was reminded that I am not alone, that I have more people that care about me than I realized." When she said the last sentence, her eyes fell on Felix, who was watching her with curiosity in his eyes before he quickly looked away as she continued, "if that can happen to me, it can happen to you."

"Pan is the only family we need," the second-in-command of the Lost Boys stated in a tone that seemed like he was trying to convince the former Lost Girl to change her mind.

"Family doesn't do what he did. Pan lied to you and made you do terrible things. He lied to Henry and convinced him to give up his own heart!"

"To save the island," one of the younger Lost Boys, Preston, tried to defend the leader he trusted while watching Everly with interest in his eyes.

"To save himself. Everything he's ever done was for himself. He only took you because he was looking for the Heart of the Truest Believer. When he discovered you weren't what he was looking for, he forced you to fight for him."

"Don't listen to her," Felix shouted to the Lost Boys before his eyes met the former Lost Girl's once again, "Pan cares about all of us."

"No, he doesn't. I care about you. That's why I tried to convince you to leave this place,"  the Jones girl told them then gestured to the adults behind her, "they can save you. They can get you off this island and take you back to their land. There's no reason for you to fear Pan anymore. Until he absorbs the power from Henry's heart, he can be stopped. You just have to tell me where I can find him."

"Leave now while Pan still allows you to breath," Felix threatened as he slowly stood up from the log. But it sounded more like a warning. Everly watching him for a moment before Killian forced him back down to sit on the log. "That's the only help you'll get from us, little Lost Girl."

As irritation flows through every inch of her body, the leader of the Saved Ones got to her feet before walking over to the boy she'd grown to care for then squatted down once again to be at eye level with him. "Where...is...Pan?"

"Not...telling."

"Can they really bring us home?" Preston questioned, drawing Everly's attention away from the blonde boy and back to the group of Lost Boys behind her.

"Shut your mouth!" Felix shouted at the young boy while the former Lost Girl made her way back over to the group of Lost Boys.

"Yes, but they need your help."

"His Thinking Tree."

"No!" Felix yelled while trying to get to his feet once again, only for Killian to pull him back down.

"Yes!" Troy, the boy next to him, exclaimed as he looked over at the tall blonde before his eyes landed back on Everly, "his Thinking Tree."

"No, don't trust her!" the blonde boy continued to try and keep the boys loyal then his attention fell on the girl standing in front of them, "she betrayed us all!"

"Enough!" the former Lost Girl screamed as she turned around to face Felix, "I've done everything for you! I was trying to find a way off this island for all of you! I wasn't going to leave you, any of you!"

All of the Lost Boys stared at her in awe after she finished letting all of her anger toward Pan's second in command. After staring at his emotionless face for a moment longer, Everly turned her attention away from him once again and back to the two Lost Boys who were speaking for the rest of their group. "Can you tell me where that is?"

"Yeah, but you have to swear that they'll take us with them."

Everly studied the young boy's scared expression for another minute or two before she looked back at the adults behind her to find them all nodding in response. A small smile appeared on the blonde girl's face as she turned back to the boys in front of her. "I promise. I promise we're gonna get off this island nightmare of an island. They're gonna get you home. All of you."

"The Pixie Woods."

"Do you know where that is?" Emma asked, causing Everly to look away from the Lost Boys and towards the blonde woman.

"It's just north of here. It's where the pixie dust used to grow but the whole region is deserted now," she answered while getting to her feet before turning to fully face her, "no one but Pan has set foot in those woods in years. I wouldn't even know where to begin looking"

"The biggest one," Devin said, drawing the former Lost Girl's attention to one of the Lost Boys who had been just as loyal to Pan as Felix, "it's the biggest tree there."

After she sent him a grateful smile, Everly made her way over to where Sam was standing before she caught the look he was sending her way. She hesitated for a moment as she studied the expression on her face then continued walking until she stopped right in front of him. The two stared at each other in silence until the former knight finally opened his mouth to share his thoughts. "Why did it sound like you're not coming with us?"

"Because I'm not," the leader of the Saved Ones responded, completely unaware of the pirate and the prince listening in on their conversation. Her eyes stayed on Sam as she stared back at her with confusion in his eyes before she let out a sigh and rolled up the sleeve of her cloak to reveal the scar on her wrist. "Pan cut my wrist with his Dreamshade dagger after I tried to escape with Baelfire. I drank the water from the spring, which means I can't leave. But I don't want that to stop you and the boys from getting off this island. Okay?"

A sad look made its way across the blonde boy's face then he responded with a small nod and pulled the girl in for another tight hug. The two stayed like this for a long moment before they saw Regina, Mary Margaret, and Emma standing a few feet away from them waiting for Everly to lead them through the dark forest and to the Pixie Woods. The blue-eyed girl sent Sam one last smile before breaking out of his arms and gesturing for the three women to follow her.

When they reached the Pixie Woods, the first thing they saw was the magic box that Pan used to trap the Dark One sitting on a rock in the middle of a clearing. After staring at the box for a short moment, the four of them grabbed their swords and loaded their bows to prepare themselves for a fight.

"Careful," Regina warned Mary Margaret as she went to pick up the box from where it sat, "Pan wouldn't have just left it behind for no reason."

"It's David's only way home," the short-haired woman responded, making Everly send her a confused look before the former turned her attention back to the small object, "without Gold, we're stuck here."

Just as she was about to grab the box, a vine came out of nowhere and wrapped around Mary Margaret's waist before pulling her against a tree. Emma's shouts cut through the silence as Everly stared at the trapped woman in shock before the same thing happened to Emma and Regina. After looking away from the three women tied to the tree, the former Lost Girl drew her bow and prepared to fight the monster that had been haunting her for years, only to be greeted by the dark forest that surrounds them.

"You should know better than anyone on Neverland that Peter Pan never fails," the boy whispered in her ear, causing the leader of the Saved Ones to spin around and aim the arrow straight at the Demon King's chest as his signature smirk appeared on his face, "brave little Lost Girl. Go ahead. Let go."

As her brain tried to wrap around the situation in front of her, Everly's arm began to shake before she watched the smirk on Pan's face grow. A chuckle passed over the leader of the Lost Boys' lips right as the blue-eyed girl felt something wrap around her ankles before she found herself dangling in the air above the clearing. After trying and failing to break free from the vines, the former Lost Girl let herself hang upside down as Pan stopped in the air to be at eye-level with her.

"That's the price of having the Purest Heart," he mocked before going back down to the base of the tree to address the three women.

While a pounding sound filled her ears due to all the blood rushing to her head, Everly took one of her arrows out of her quiver to cut the vine, only for the arrowhead to break off from the stick. An irritated sigh escaped her as she tossed the broken arrow to the ground before she remembered what Pan unlocked within her just a few hours ago.

Her magic.

Everly managed to rest her hand against the vines after calming herself down the best she could before she thought about herself back on the ground. Before she could fully process what was happening, gold smoke surrounded her then she found herself back on her feet on the ground below the tree. A laugh escaped her once the realization of what she just did kicked in before she looked back to the base of the tree to find Regina staring back at her with Henry's heart in one hand and Pandora's box in the other with Pan unconscious on the ground at her feet.

"Since when do you have magic?"

"Oh, uh, I don't know. A few hours ago?"

The three of them stared at the younger girl for a few seconds longer before Regina shook her shock off and looked back at Emma with a smile on her face. "Now...let's go save Henry."

────── ★★★ ──────

────── ★★★ ──────