────── ★★★ ──────

────── ★★★ ──────

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟒
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐁𝐎𝐘𝐒

────── ★★★ ──────

A few hours passed since word was sent to the Lost Boys of a boy found floating in the Neverland waters. While the rest of the crew rushed about the Jolly Roger in preparation for the boys' arrival, Everly spent most of the day locked up in her cabin to avoid running into anyone. She tried to comprehend how Baelfire defended his father after everything that man did. When the sound of Smee barking orders reached her ears from the deck above her, the youngest pirate let out a long sigh to calm all the emotions that were flowing through her before getting to her feet and exiting her cabin.

Everly was stunned to see the crew on the top deck actually making an attempt to clean up the Jolly Roger as she made her way across the deck to stand at Killian's side. She was about to jump up to sit on the railing next to where the captain was steering the ship before her eyes landed on Baelfire, who was standing near the edge of the Jolly Roger while watching the waves roll by. The blonde girl just stared at the boy she was beginning to see as a brother for a long moment before she sent Killian a small smile. It wasn't long after that when Everly turned around and made her way over to where Baelfire stood.

"Eager to go, I see," Everly greeted, making Baelfire slightly jump as she came to a stop at his side.

His eyes scanned over the girl in front of him while his mind played back all the conversations they shared. He let a long sigh pass over his lips and turned his attention back to the sea. "Just have them drop me off anywhere."

"And you really think you can survive on that island by yourself?"

"I've never been given the choice."

"Well, you have one now. You don't have to go," she said, only for him to continue to look out at the passing ocean. Her blue eyes scanned over the conflicting look on her face before she caught the hint of fear in his eyes. "Look, Bae, I get you're angry but it doesn't have to end like this. You won't be able to survive on your own on that island. Trust me, I've met the boys that live there and they aren't friendly. Just say the word and I'll have Killian turn this ship around and we can leave Neverland behind us."

"You say that but I can't stay on a ship full of pirates because all pirates care about are themselves," he hissed as he turned his body so he was fully facing the blonde-haired girl standing a foot away from him, "including you."

Before the shocked girl could say another word to him, Baelfire pushed past her and made his way toward the other side of the ship just as Killian came to a stop behind Everly. The blonde kept her eyes on the brunette boy's retreating figure for a short moment before looking up to meet the Pirate Captain's gaze. As soon as the man saw the look of betrayal on the face of the girl who has become his family, a look of disdain formed on his.

"Thank you. For reminding me what I'm all about," Killian said to the boy as the two of them turned to face each other one last time, "killing your father."

As soon as those three words left his mouth, Felix popped out of nowhere and climbed over the side of the ship, causing the son of the Dark One to look back at us with a surprised look on his face. While the second-in-command of the Lost Boys slowly stood to his full height on the railing, two more climbed aboard the ship before grabbing Baelfire's arms and dragging him toward the ledge.

"You're not letting me go," Baelfire stated while keeping his eyes on the pirate pair standing in front of him.

"How would that help me?" Killian retaliated.

"You hated my father so much, you didn't even realize you're just like him!" was the last thing Baelfire said before the two boys forced him over the edge of the ship with them, leaving Felix alone as he stared at Killian and Everly with a look in his eyes that caused the younger of the two to stiffen.

"You have the boy," Killian sighed as he approached the tall blonde, "he will be pleased?"

"Not just yet," Felix responded before pulling a rolled-up parchment from his cloak, "Pan has a letter for you, Captain."

Everly's eyes followed the paper as it went from the Lost Boy's hands to the pirate captain's. Once the scroll was in the raven-haired man's hand, he unrolled it before his eyes took in every word that was written on the page. The blonde girl's attention stayed on Killian as his face went from confused to panicked before the paper slips from his hands and onto the deck near his feet. Without a second thought, the youngest pirate picked the note off the deck and carefully read what Pan had to say.

Thank you for your cooperation, Captain. But you and I both know the boy has been on your ship much longer than you say. Because of your lack of urgency, I will be taking something close to you. Please let Felix and my other Lost Boys take your little navigator. She will be a great addition to my group.

Peter Pan

"That's not gonna happen! Get off my ship!" Killian shouted while pointing to where the boy came right. At the same moment, Everly tore her eyes away from the paper to look at the smirking Lost Boy standing a few feet in front of her.

"Now, Hook, you're a great guy," the Lost Boy smiled before leaping off the ledge and walking across the deck. Felix stopped in front of the pirate captain, who placed himself in between the blonde boy and Everly. "I don't want you to have to deal with the consequence."

"And what might that be?" the blue-eyed man responded in the most unamused voice that ever left his mouth. While the two continued to have a staredown, Everly's gaze fell to the deck at her feet as her mind raced with a thousand different thoughts that she couldn't keep track of.

"Pan will rip all the shadows from everyone on this ship."

The calmness in the Lost Boy's voice sent chills up the girl's spine as her thoughts landed on the memory that happened a month ago of him describing the process of losing your shadow. Without even thinking, Everly looked back up to meet the Lost Boy's gaze to find him staring back at her with a dark smile on his face. Silence filled the air that surrounded them as the two continued to just stare at one another as if trying to predict the other's next move. However, what the youngest pirate did next surprised everyone, including herself.

"I'll go." All attention turned to her small frame as she let out a shaky breath. After staring at Felix for another long moment, Everly turned her gaze to the man who taught her everything she knew, only to find him looking back at her with an emotionless look on his face. "I can't let him kill you."

Not another word was spoken between the two pirates as they just watched the other with their bright blue eyes. Without any warning, Killian reached forward and pulled Everly into a tight hug as a single tear slid down his cheek. Their moment was quickly put to an end by Felix when he pulled the blonde girl out of the captain's embrace. Before Everly could react, she was dragged to the other side of the Jolly Roger before Felix tossed her over the ledge and onto the small rowboat below.

As soon as the second-in-command joined them in the boat, he grabbed a burlap sack from the nearest seat to him and placed it over Everly's head. The next thing she knew, someone was tying her arms behind her. She tuned out Felix's orders and listened to the waves against the small rowboat as they set a course to the island of Neverland.

Once the small group reached the shore of Neverland, Everly was dragged out of the boat and forced to walk for what felt like miles before they finally came to stop. There was a long moment of the group just standing around as the silence of the forest surrounding them before one of the boys made Everly sit down on a log before the sack was finally lifted from her head. After staring at the ground to avoid meeting the Lost Boys' eyes, Everly felt a hand cup her chin before it slowly lifted her head up to force her to stare straight into the eyes of Peter Pan.

"So, you're the only one that the captain values more than his own life," he said with a smile as her green eyes scanned over every inch of the girl's face before he turned his attention back to his four followers that stood in the clearing with them, "I finally have something to hold over Hook, boys!"

As their laughs fill the air, Everly continued to fight the urge to shutter as her eyes found themselves studying the leader of the Lost Boys. She took in every aspect of him as her brain tried to find the reason why a boy barely taller than her was more intimidating than Black Beard. After a long moment of only listening to their laughter, the young pirate finally realized the boy who was the sole reason for her being here was nowhere in sight. Knowing that she needed her answer sooner rather than later, she let a shaky breath pass over her lips before turning her attention back to Peter Pan.

"Where's Baelfire?" she whispered, causing all laughter to fade from existence before all eyes landed on her small frame.

"So she speaks," Peter Pan mocked with a taunting smirk on his face before he crouched down to be at eye level with the girl, "why should I tell you where he is?"

"Because I'm asking nicely."

"Nice gets you nowhere here."

"You don't want me to be nice. Fine with me. Tell me where Bae is! Now!"

All the irritation that was flowing through her veins faded as she watched the boy's amused look transform into anger before he stood back up to his full height. After a moment of carefully watching her, Peter Pan turned his attention away from Everly and to the Lost Boys behind her before signaled for them to leave. Against the young pirate's silent wishes, the four boys leave her alone with their leader. An eerie silence took over the forest once again while Peter Pan paced back in forth in front of Everly, occasionally glancing over at her with his bright green eyes.

"You need to learn some respect for your superior," he finally said as he came to a stop a few feet away from the young pirate.

After his words sank into her head, Everly just stared back at the leader of the Lost Boys with her mouth slightly open and unable to form words. However, that quickly changed when she saw the mocking smirk form back on Peter Pan's lips. The only thing that bothered Everly more than Killian sailing through a stop was someone who thought she was beneath them.

"Superior? Respect? I only respect those who deserve it and you sure don't," the young pirate retaliate, causing him to quirk an eyebrow at me before a small forced smirk formed on his lips.

"I'll let you see Baelfire," he said, causing the irritation within Everly to be replaced with shock before he squatted back down to meet the girl's eyes, "but you have to do something for me first."

"What do you want?"

"Be a Lost Girl."

"A Lost Girl? Seriously?" Everly scoffed and would have crossed her arms over her chest if they weren't currently bound behind her, "I'm not gonna blindly follow you like the rest of your minions."

"You will or else I could do what I wanted to in the first place and send my shadow to visit that precious little ship of yours."

Everly's glare slowly faded as she took in his words before the feeling of being utterly useless set in. She thought back to Killian and the crew of the Jolly Roger, who had been the only family she ever knew and the reasons why she gave herself over to that maniac.

"Fine. I'll be a Lost Girl."

────── ★★★ ──────

A month has passed since Everly had to become a Lost Girl and she hated every minute of it. Due to her past as a navigator, Pan assigned her the task of being their tracker, which meant she had to go with every hunting group to find food. The leader of the Lost Boys also never lets the former pirate get a moment to herself. She was always being watched by either Pan himself or Felix like she had two of her own shadows.

The former pirate was slowly starting to feel broken and nothing like the person she used to be. Everly wasn't your typical Lost Boy who listened to Peter because they didn't know what else to do. No, she was a Lost Girl with no hope and no way out while being looked down upon by everyone else on Neverland.

The only thing that kept her somewhat sane was Baelfire, who she somewhat made up with due to both of them knowing that the other was the only one they could truly trust. The son of the Dark One never left Everly alone with Pan or Felix and always made sure he was with her on hunting trips. The last thing either of them needed was the other becoming one of Pan's blind followers.

────── ★★★ ──────

While Pan and his Lost Boys were running around the island playing a game that was deemed "too dangerous for a girl," Everly sat on a long back at the camp with Baelfire and, unfortunately, Felix to keep her company. The three sat in silence and tried to ignore the awkwardness in the air before it was finally broken by the one they least expected to do so.

"Hey, Baelfire. Go get us some water," Felix ordered, drawing both Everly and the boy in question's attention.

After staring at the tall boy for a moment, Baelfire sent Everly an uncertain look before she returned it with a small smile and a nod. The son of the Dark One let out a long sigh before getting to his feet and walking out of camp, leaving Everly with Peter Pan's second-in-command. Silence surrounded the pair once again while the former pirate shifted back and forth on the log beneath her as she began to grow uncomfortable under Felix's gaze. "You and Baelfire really shouldn't reveal to everyone how close the two of you are."

"What's supposed to mean?"

"You know, girly, I'm not as dumb as you think I am."

Her lips stayed glued together to hold back her scoff. "I really have no idea what you're talking about."

"Relationships are a weakness you must overcome," he stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world before letting out a sigh while keeping his attention glued to the girl who refused to make eye contact with him, "that's something you have to learn if you're gonna survive Pan. He'll use everything he can against you and he already has that pirate crew hanging over your head."

As his words filled the air, confusion began to flow through Everly's body before she found herself looking through the flames of the fire and at Peter Pan's second-in-command. When Felix just stares back at her with his signature blank expression, the blonde girl found herself trying to keep the chills threatening to make their way through her at bay. After a long moment of silence passed, the tall boy across the clearing looked away from her before a small smile formed on his face. "I won't tell Pan."

"I really don't want to but I have to ask...what's in it for you?" Everly sighed while running a hand down the side of her face.

"You need to have allies to survive on this island."

Uncertainty hung in the air between the two, both knowing that his simple words weren't enough to get Everly to trust him. They just stared at each other through the fire in a surprisingly comfortable silence as Everly replayed their conversation through her head.

"What did I miss?" Baelfire asked as he reentered the camp with two buckets filled to the brim with water. He placed them on the ground beside the fire before sitting back down next to Everly.

"Nothing important," Everly responded while keeping her eyes glued to Pan's second-in-command.

The son of the Dark One stared at his only ally with skepticism in his eyes before he shook it off. For a long time, the three of them either sat in silence or had a small conversation until Peter Pan and the Lost Boys returned. As the three began to feel a bit more comfortable in each other's presence, Everly began to show signs of her old self replacing the Lost Girl Pan was trying to create, but no matter what she did or who she aligned herself with, there would always be a part of her that was missing.

────── ★★★ ──────

The day had finally come to an end and the Lost Boys were slowly making their way to their tents to get some sleep. While the clearing continued to grow emptier, Baelfire and Everly sat by the fire in silence, listening to everyone's footsteps fade. Once Pan disappeared into his cloud of green smoke and Felix closed the flap to his tent, the last two in the clearing got to their feet and quietly made their way out of camp. When they knew they put enough distance between them and the clearing, Everly and Baelfire sprinted towards their favorite spot on the island, the top of Dead Man's Peak.

As soon as they set foot on the rocky cliff, Everly opened her bag and took out the maps that she'd been making with the paper she found lying around camp. While the former pirate's hand flew across the paper and drew the constellations above them, Baelfire's eyes were glued to the shining stare above him with a million different thoughts racing through his head.

"How would you feel about getting off this island?" Baelfire asked, causing the blue-eyed girl's hand to freeze before she slowly looked up to meet his brown ones.

"I would love to leave this place behind but you and I both no one gets off Neverland without Peter knowing," she responded, completely forgetting about the half-finished maps lying in front of her.

"I have a plan, but it's complicated."

"What do you need me to do?"

"Be a distraction."

"One of my many abilities."

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