────── ★★★ ──────

────── ★★★ ──────

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟑
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐋

────── ★★★ ──────

It wasn't long after Everly, Sam, and Katherine got back to their motel room when the power went out. The three of them just stood in pitch-black darkness while the Jones girl felt her heart rate quicken. One look at the blonde boy standing next to her told Everly that he was feeling the same way she was.

"No!" Sam shouted after a few more minutes passed of them standing in the darkness before he turned to look at the two girls standing next to him, "we need to get the lights back on!"

"What's wrong, Sam?" Katherine questioned with a hint of confusion in her voice while Everly walked towards the nightstand on the other side of the room.

"He doesn't like it being this dark...it's a Neverland thing," the Jones girl explained as she looked through the drawers for a flashlight, "I'm trying really hard to not let it get to me."

"Why does it scare you so badly?"

"Because there's no light on Neverland," Sam answered her while he continued to try and calm himself down, "the longer you find yourself on Neverland, the more you fear what lurks in the darkness around you."

Everly tuned out the rest of their conversation as she continued to search for any possible source of light. A huge grin appeared on her face when her hand finally came in contact with a flashlight. The Jones girl instantly turned in on then turned around to shine it at the former Lost Boy and the concerned girl standing next to him.

"Better?"

"Better."

After we find two more flashlights and shrug our jackets back on, we head back downstairs to try and figure out what was going on. As soon as they walked into the diner, Everly's eyes landed on her sister sitting at the counter with her son. By the looks on both their faces, the Jones girl knew Emma's attempts at cheering Henry up failed.

"That's okay," the three teens heard the Truest Believer tell his mother as they approached the duo.

Emma just stared at her son for a moment longer before letting out a long sigh and heading towards the door. The trio instantly picked up their pace to follow her outside onto the patio. It didn't take long for Everly, Sam, and Katherine to notice that the Savior picked up her pace before the blonde boy let out an irritated groan.

"We're coming with you!" Sam called out to the Swan woman, making her stop in her tracks before she turned to face them with an exhausted look on her face.

"Can I talk you out of it?"

"No," the three teens said in unison, causing Emma to let out another sigh then she gestured for them to follow her.

As soon as their feet landed on the sidewalk outside of Granny's, David pulled up and stopped right in front of them. While Emma got into the passenger seat, Everly, Sam, and Katherine hopped into the truck bed. It wasn't long after they got themselves settled when they heard their names being called in the distance. Everly shared a confused look with Sam and Katherine before she turned her attention towards the source of the sound to find Jackson running towards them.

"I'm coming with you," the former Lost Boy told them after taking a second to catch his breath before he noticed the uncertain looks being sent his way, "if Elsa is involved in any of this, you're gonna need my help."

The three teens sitting in the truck exchanged another look then Everly sent him a small nod. That small gesture made the determined look on the Overland boy's face turn into a smile before he joined them in the vehicle. As soon as Jackson was in, David started his truck to begin their journey through town.

Everly looked around at the dark buildings as they drove through the streets of Storybrooke before her attention landed on the back window of the truck. A strange feeling formed in her chest as she watched David and Emma have what seemed like a serious conversation before a long sigh escaped her.

"I wish we could hear them," the Jones girl muttered just loud enough for her friends to hear, only for Sam to let out a small scoff.

"I'm glad we can't."

"Sam!" Katherine exclaimed after not-so-gently slapping him on the shoulder.

"Seriously?" he whined while playful nudging the redheaded girl in the side, "come on, you know she's just complaining about how Henry shut her out."

"Sam, I don't think you're-"

"No, he's right," Everly interrupted Katherine before turning away from the window to meet their gazes, "that's what happens when things don't go her way...she vents."

After receiving small smiles from Sam and Katherine in response, Everly's attention landed solely on Jackson. The Overland boy was completely oblivious to their conversation as he stared off into the distance. When she finally noticed the serious look on his face, the Jones girl found herself unwilling to let the former Lost Boy sit in silence any longer.

"What are you thinking?" she asked, causing Jackson to look away from the passing buildings to stare at her, Sam, and Katherine without changing the concerned look on his face.

"Haven't you noticed?" he questioned, only for the three of them to stare at him with blank expressions on their faces before he continued, "it's getting colder."

As soon as he pointed it out, the drop in temperature became noticeable before the truck began to slow down. That caused the four of them to look over the top of the truck to see a wall of ice. Chills ran up and down Everly's spine as she followed the barricade, only to find that it spread as far as the eye could see.

────── ★★★ ──────

Despite everything telling her not to, Everly found herself heading to the tree to meet with Felix the following day. As she walked through Neverland's forest, her mind was trying to figure out if she was crazy or stupid for meeting with the second-in-command of the Lost Boys. She knew she was probably both but there was something inside her telling her she needed to go. Everly just hoped her instincts weren't wrong.

When she finally reached the tree, Everly was greeted by an empty clearing and silence. She just stood there for a long moment before she decided to climb up and wait for the Lost Boy to arrive. The Jones girl sat up in the branches for about an hour before he finally arrived...and he wasn't empty-handed. Her eyes stayed glued to the basket for a long moment before they moved up to Felix's smirking face. When he was near the base of the tree, Everly jumped down from her hiding spot and landed in front of him.

"What's that?" she asked while she pointed to the basket with a hint of skepticism in her eyes.

"Thought you might want...or need something to eat," Felix stated explained as he held up the basket to her eye level so she could see the food he brought.

"How do I know there isn't poisoned or something?"

"You don't," the Lost Boys responded while the smirk on his face slowly grew, "I guess this is where trust comes into play."

After studying his face for another long moment, Everly took the basket from him to get a better look at the variety of goods. Her eyes were instantly drawn to the dried meat and a roll of bread before they scanned over the berries and stopped at a canteen of water. Everly just stared at the basket's contents for a moment longer before she closed the top of the basket and looked back up at Felix without any emotion on her face.

"Are you going to eat it or did I risk stealing food for nothing?" the blonde boy asked, only to receive silence in response before he let out another long sigh, "I did promise you I wouldn't let anything or anyone hurt you. And when I promise something, I never, ever, break that promise."

Everly froze the moment she heard those words. The same words that Killian would always say back on the Jolly Roger and the same words she told Baelfire one day. But she never said that to Felix. She knew there were tons of people out there that followed that code, but what were the chances he knew the same saying?

"Where did you hear that?" the Jones girl questioned after coming around from her daze.

"A friend told me that a very long time ago," he responded while keeping his eyes glued to the stunned girl standing in front of him.

"Must have been a trustworthy friend if they took promises that seriously."

"She was. Until she wasn't."

"What do you mean?"

"She never came back."

────── ★★★ ──────

The four teens didn't hesitate to hop out of the bed of the trunk while David and Emma got out of the front to get a better look at the ice wall. All of them just stared at the massive structure in silence until it was broken by the sound of bushes rustling nearby. Their instincts immediately took over and they prepared themselves for a fight, only for all of them to relax when they saw Killian walking toward them with a lantern in his hand.

"In case you were wondering, it goes all the whole way around."

"Hook," David sighed as a disappointed look appeared on his face, "I didn't know you were joining us."

"I get a distress call from a fair maiden, and I'm on the spot."

"I was not distressed," Emma responded with a hint of annoyance in her eyes.

"And you're saying this goes all the way around, what, the whole town?" Everly questioned after Killian placed his lantern on the ground and walked over to join them.

"And that it does."

"So once again, we can't leave Storybrooke," the Nolan man grumbled before crossing his hands over his chest while his eyes scanned over the ice wall.

"It's doing more than keeping us inside, by the looks of that," Sam stated then he gestured towards the power line lying on the ground, "guess that's what caused the loss of power?"

"It looks like whoever was putting up the wall wasn't trying to out the lights. They were just putting up the wall," Katherine added as she studied the sparking structure on the cement a few feet away from them.

"Yeah, keep us in? Why?" David questioned.

"Kill us all one by one," Killian joked before turning to face everyone with a proud smile on his face, "it's what I'd do."

Everly let out a small scoff at the pirate captain's attempt at a joke before her attention turned to Jackson. The boy who had been silent since they arrived had his eyes glued to the ice wall while a concerned look covered every inch of his face.

"What are you thinking?" the Jones asked in a tone just above a whisper in order to keep away unwanted attention.

"She must be really scared," he muttered while keeping his eyes on the structure in front of him.

"Why would she put up the wall though? She's trapped, too."

"I don't know. There has to be something else. If only we could-"

The Overland boy cut his sentence short when his eyes landed on something near the wall. Confusion began to flow through Everly's veins as she followed his gaze to find that he wasn't staring at something...but someone. Just as the Jones girl was about to question Jackson about it, she caught movement out of the corner of her eyes.

When she turned her attention in the direction of the movement, the Purest Heart found Emma cautiously walking toward the wall. It wasn't long after the Savior started towards the ice wall when Jackson began to follow her, only for Everly to grab his arm before he could get far.

"What are you doing?"

"Emma has her magic to protect her...you don't."

"I have..." Jackson paused for a moment as he studied the blonde girl before letting out a long sigh, "Elsa wouldn't hurt me."

"What if it's not Elsa? Or, even if it is her, what if she doesn't recognize you?" Everly countered before a hint of anger flashed across the Overland boy's features.

"I wasn't taken from Arendelle that long ago."

"You can't risk it, Jackson," the Purest Heart declared, only for the determined look on the former Lost Boy's face to remain before the former let out a long sigh, "at least let Emma calm her down, then you can go see if you can help her."

The Overland boy just stared at the blonde girl for a moment longer before he gave her a reluctant nod and looked back to where Emma was heading. Everly continued to stare at Jackson until she saw a hint of concern buried under the determination on his face.

────── ★★★ ──────

"What do you mean she never came back? Did something happen to her?" Everly asked after she found the courage to continue the conversation, only to be greeted by a simple shrug from Felix in response before she let out a long sigh, "there has to be more to it, especially if she promised to come back."

"I honestly have no idea and I stopped guessing a long time ago," the Lost Boy told her while keeping his eyes glued to his interlocked fingers.

"Is she why you're here? Why you felt lost?"

"Other than my mother, yes. She was a big reason."

"And your brother was lost because of your mother?" the Jones girl asked as the curiosity within her continued to grow.

"He lost someone special to him as well," the Thorne boy explained before he got a look on his face as if he was reliving one of his worst memories, "the love of his life was killed by the Evil Queen. Harper knew where Snow White was and she wouldn't give her up...I just hope that Fletcher and Harper found each other."

"I'm sure they did...true love always wins, after all."

A small smirk formed on the Lost Boy's face before his eyes left his interlocked hands and moved to meet Everly's gaze. The two of them just stared at each other for a long moment then Felix quirked an eyebrow at the former Lost Girl. "Always?"

"At least, that's what I'm told," the Jones girl responded as a smile formed on her face to match his, "and technically, her promise isn't broken."

"What do you mean?"

"She never said when she'd see you again."

────── ★★★ ──────

It wasn't long after Emma started walking towards the ice wall when David and Killian followed her. Right as they watched the Savior step onto the ice in front of the wall, Everly caught Jackson looking over at her out of the corner of her eye. The Purest Heart kept her eyes glued to her sister and father figures for a moment longer before she turned her attention towards the boy next to her.

"Unless you want things to get worse, Elsa's gonna need a familiar face to calm her down," the Overland boy told the girl next to him without trying to hide the shakiness of his voice. When he was greeted by a skeptical look on the Jones girl's face, Jackson let out a long sigh before asking the one question he wasn't sure he wanted an answer to. "Do you trust me?"

Everly's whole body stiffened as she stared into the blonde boy's usually joyful eyes. It wasn't long before memories of the boy in front of her letting her go free more times than she could count on Neverland filled her head. That continued for what felt like an eternity before the Purest Heart let out a long sigh in an attempt to calm her nerves.

"Of course, I trust you," Everly finally said, making a small smile appear on Jackson's face.

After returning the Overland boy's gesture, the blonde girl turned around and told Sam and Katherine their plan. As soon as she finished her explanation, the three of them followed Jackson toward the ice wall. They were only a few feet behind Killian and David when they came to a stop and stared up at the ice wall. The group of six just stood there for a long moment before the ground began to shake.

Killian and David's shouts cut through the air as the ice started to fall from the top of the wall. The four teens just stood in shock as the falling ice sent the two men to the ground before it trapped Emma and Elsa within the wall. It didn't take long for Killian and David to get to their feet before the latter pulled out his walkie-talkie.

"Emma! Are you in there?!"

They all waited for the Savior's response, but it never came. Everly instantly exchanged a look with Sam, Katherine, and Jackson before her attention fell on David and Killian. It wasn't long after that when the pirate captain rushed forward and began hacking his hook against the ice wall.

"What if we lift?" David suggested after he moved to stand next to the raven-haired man.

The four teens just watched as the two men struggled to lift the ice boulder blocking the only way to reach Emma. After they fail to move it even an inch, David takes a step back while Killian went back to hacking at it with his hook. That only continued for a moment longer before the charming prince reached forward and grabbed the pirate's wrist, forcing him to stop his actions.

Everly's eyes stayed glued to her father figures for a moment longer as they have an inaudible conversation. A long sigh passed over the Jones girl's lips as she scanned over the ice wall one last time before she, Sam, and Katherine all turned their attention toward Jackson.

"What do we do?" Sam asked the question that was running through all of their heads.

"I need to find a way to get in contact with Elsa," Jackson stated with his eyes glued to the wall in front of them, "she can undo this."

"And how do you suppose we do that?" Katherine questioned while trying her best to hide the uncertainty in her voice.

Jackson remained silent as she studied the ice wall for a moment longer before his eyes landed on the boulder blocking their only escape from the cave. It wasn't long after that when the three teens saw his eyes slightly widen then the Overland boy's attention fell on Everly.

"You have magic right?" he asked, receiving a nod in response from the Jones girl before he continued speaking, "do you think you can teleport us in there and then bring them back out?"

"I might be able to...if I had more control over my magic," Everly said with a hint of uncertainty in her voice as she broke eye contact with Jackson to look where her sister was trapped, "what if we can't get out and we get trapped in there too?"

When the Purest Heart glanced back up at the former Lost Boy, she found him staring down at her with an indescribable look on his face. It was as if trying he was to figure out if he should say what was on his mind. Just as Everly was about to ask what the Overland boy was thinking, David's shouts cut through the air and drew everyone's attention back to him.

"Emma! Can you hear me?!" the Nolan man shouted into the walkie-talkie while keeping his eyes glued to where his daughter disappeared, "Emma! Are you okay?! Say something!"

"Dad, can you hear me?"

"Emma!" Killian exclaimed before he grabbed the device from David and brought it up to his mouth, "say again."

"I'm in here with this woman. She's looking for her sister, Anna," the Swan woman explained with a very audible shaking of her voice, "she thinks Anna is in town because she found a necklace of hers in Gold's shop. She wants us to find her-"

"Before I freeze this town and everyone in it," a new voice declared in a determined yet nervous tone.

The statement caused David and Killian to exchange a look at the same time Everly, Sam, and Katherine turned their attention back to Jackson.

"Would she really do that?" Sam asked, only for the Overland boy to let out a long sigh and look back up at his friends.

"She'd do anything for her sister," Jackson stated before taking a few steps forward to stand in front of David and Killian while Everly, Sam, and Katherine just stared at the boy with confused looks on their face, "we have to hurry and find Anna. What Elsa said wasn't a threat, it was a warning. She has trouble controlling her magic when Anna isn't around."

"We need to get to Gold's. That's where Elsa found the necklace. There might be something she missed," David stated before everyone got back in his truck and headed toward their next destination.

────── ★★★ ──────

────── ★★★ ──────