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────── ★★★ ──────

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟑𝟔
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐏𝐄𝐍

────── ★★★ ──────

Everly stayed beside Felix as they read through as many books as they could, both desperate to save their family before it was too late. Beside them, Pan was sitting in an armchair slowly flipping through the pages and scanning over the words. Even though the Thorne woman was the one who said they needed to give him a chance, she kept a careful eye on him. If this Pan was anything like the one she knew in their realm, he was a master of trickery. But once again there was something inside her telling her to trust him, and it was driving her crazy.

On the other side of the room, Sam stood next to Katherine as they read through the scrolls laid out in front of them. After years of living with the Dark One, the Jones woman learned that Rumplestiltskin sometimes hid the most important information in the scrolls. He always thought that people would more likely look through the books for his secrets than the scrolls. But to Katherine's dismay, she still couldn't find anything useful to help them.

What felt like an eternity passed when a loud slam cut through the silence surrounding them. They all instantly turned their attention toward a very frustrated-looking Henry. A wave of sadness washed over Everly as she stared at her nephew, knowing exactly how he was feeling at that moment. But just as she was about to attempt to comfort him, she watched as his attention moved to the quill sitting in front of him. Henry stared at the object for a long moment before carefully picking it up and holding it closer to his face. He inspected every inch of it as a look that was very familiar to Everly appeared on his face.

"I think I just figured out a way to save our family," Henry announced as he turned around to meet everyone's gazes, "without handing over the dagger."

"Well, that's great news. What do we need to do?" Sam asked after rolling up the scroll in his hands and placing it on the desk in front of him.

"There's no time. I have to go," the Mills man declared while getting to his feet and heading toward the door.

"Yeah, of course. We're coming with you," the pirate captain responded, only for an irritated look to form in Henry's eyes.

"No, I can do this on my own."

"But you don't have to, Hen," Katherine retaliated, drawing the brunette man's attention toward her while Hook continued to stand in front of him.

"You're not doing this alone," the Jones man announced as he turned his back toward the Mills man and headed toward the door.

Everyone else was about to follow the pirate captain when Everly noticed Henry grab something off the desk. Before she had a chance to comprehend what was happening, the Mills man slammed a candlestick against the back of Hook's head. The impact instantly knocked him unconscious and sent him tumbling to the ground. The two couples just stared at the pirate on the floor for a moment before turning their attention toward Henry, who was staring back at them with determination in his eyes.

Sam didn't hesitate to take a step forward, ready to restrain the Mills man so they could talk some sense into him. However, Everly grabbed his wrist and pulled him back. The blonde man sent his sister a confused look, only to find her staring at her nephew with an unreadable expression on her face. What felt like an eternity passed before the Thorne woman finally broke the silence surrounding them. "What are you planning, Henry?"

Henry didn't respond right away as he adjusted his grip around the candlestick in his hand. That lasted for another moment before he opened his mouth to speak. "I'm sorry but if you knew where I was going, you wouldn't help. You'd try to stop me...and no one is stopping me."

"Then tell me this, will your plan get our children back? Or will it just create more problems for us?" Everly questioned while her husband, brother, and best friend prepared themselves to stop Henry as soon as they were given the word.

"It could go either way," Henry answered honestly, knowing his aunt would be able to tell if he was lying.

Again, Everly just stared at her nephew as a thousand thoughts went through her head. Felix couldn't help but look over at her, knowing it wasn't good for his wife to ever be this quiet. It wasn't long after that when the Purest Heart took a step back before nodding at her family to do the same. As soon as the path was cleared, the Thorne woman's attention returned to her nephew. "I trust you, Hen. But don't make me regret it."

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What felt like an eternity passed of Everly looking for answers to their problems around the Dark One's castle with Felix, Sam, Katherine, and Pan. Their original plan was to wait for Henry in the library until he returned with whatever he was looking for, but they were restless. All they could think about as they sat in that room were their kids and the current situation they were in. They needed to find a solution and they wanted to find it as soon as possible.

It wasn't long before they heard the sound of approaching footsteps, causing everyone to turn around to find Regina, Austin, Hook, and Rumplestiltskin walking toward them. No one said a word as they watched their allies approach them, all with defeated looks on their faces. When the four of them finally came to a stop a few feet away, they finally noticed the concerned look on the Mill woman's face.

"Hook told us that Henry hit him over the head with a candle stick and all of you let him go off on his own," Regina said while her eyes scanned over the five people standing in front of her. When none of them made a move to respond, she continued speaking. "Why on earth would you think that was a good idea?"

"He said that he had a plan to save everyone. We weren't gonna get in his way," Katherine explained, earning annoyed looks from Regina, Hook, and Rumplestiltskin while Austin's attention fell on Everly.

The two of them just stared at each other before the Thorne woman sent him a small nod, telling him that what they did was their only choice. It wasn't long after that when the Nova man walked around Regina, Hook, and Rumplestiltskin to stand among his family. No one said a word as they just stared at each other. That lasted for what felt like an eternity before the former Evil Queen opened her mouth to break the silence once again. "Letting Henry go off on his own was a terrible idea. He's desperate and-"

"And you don't think we're desperate?" Felix interrupted Regina, drawing all attention toward him before he continued speaking, "he took all of our children too, Regina. Every single one of them. All because this realm's Dark One had a bone to pick with Henry. So trust me when I say all of us are very desperate."

Before anyone else had a chance to speak, they heard the sound of distant voices coming from down the hall. Everyone instantly exchanged concerned looks, knowing that the voices were coming from the library. It wasn't long after that when they rushed down the hall toward their destination. Rumplestiltskin reached the door first before he pulled it open and walked inside. Everyone was quick to follow the Dark One. Well, everyone except for Peter Pan.

When Everly noticed that the former leader of the Lost Boys wasn't behind them, she stopped in her tracks and spun around to face him. Pan was simply staring back at her from the opposite side of the hall. An expressionless look was plastered onto his face as he kept his eyes glued to hers, not wanting to voice the thoughts bouncing around in his head. But the Thorne woman wasn't going to allow him to stay silent.

"What do you think you're doing?" Everly questioned without bothering to hide the skepticism in her voice.

"I'll keep watch while you do whatever it is you need to do," Pan responded, earning an uncertain look from the woman in front of him before he let out a long sigh, "I have my reasons for not wanting to go in there. And not even Agrona could make me face them."

The Purest Heart's eyes scanned over him for a moment as a million thoughts bounced around in her head. It wasn't long after that when a wave of realization washed over her. "You don't wanna face your son."

"Would you?" the former Lost Boy retaliated, completely unaware of his hands shaking at his sides. But Everly didn't miss it.

"Fine. You stay here. But don't even think about betraying us."

Pan hesitated for a moment as he stared at Everly before opening his mouth to speak. "If I wanted to betray you, I would've done it by now. I am not your Peter Pan."

"And I'm not your Everly Jones."

The Purest Heart's eyes scanned over the boy in front of her one last time before he turned and walked into the library. What she saw next shocked Everly to the core. Standing behind the table on the other side of the room wasn't only their Henry, but the Wish Realm version of him. The other realm's Henry made the Thorne woman feel as though she stepped back in time. His young appearance reminded her of all the adventures they shared. But she knew that this Mills boy was so much different than the one she grew up with. And Everly didn't need to see the scowl on his face to know that.

But what made the scene even worse was the last person standing with them. The Wish Realm's Rumplestiltskin was staring at the newcomers with a large grin on his face. It didn't take a genius to know that the Dark One had the upper hand. Everly just wished she knew exactly what they just walked into.

"Your Majesty," Wish Realm Henry greeted with his rageful eye glued to Regina, "it's been a while since you killed my grandparents with your bare hands. Back to try and finish off the family?"

"Such pain. Such anger. I'm riveted," the Dark One said while the smile on his face did nothing but grow as he looked toward his counterpart, "aren't you riveted?"

Rumplestilskin just stared at his evil counterpart for a long moment before his eyes landed on the object in his hand. "No. The Author's pen. How?"

"I screwed up, big time," the Mills man announced, causing Regina to look over at Everly, who refused to meet the former Evil Queen's gaze. It wasn't long after that when their attention was drawn back to Henry when he continued speaking. "Hook, I'm sorry I hit you. Mom, I'm just...I'm sorry."

"What's he gonna write?" Austin questioned while pointing at the young Henry sitting down in front of the desk with a paper neatly placed on top of it.

"Look, whatever deal you made with him, you do not have to honor it," Rumplestiltskin said, drawing the Wish Realm Henry's attention toward him before he continued speaking, "trust me, there's always a loophole, and I'll help you find it."

The younger version of Henry just stared at the powerful man with an unreadable look in his eyes. What felt like an eternity passed when he finally opened his mouth to respond. "Why would I break a deal that's gonna give me what I want?"

"Smart boy! And now, we must attend to my humble needs," the Dark One announced as the smile on his face did nothing but grow. It wasn't long after that when he began walking toward his counterpart before a foot in front of him. "We have immortality and power, you and I, and you want to throw it all away for both of us just to get to Belle. Well, I'm afraid, in the stroke of a pan, dearie, I'm gonna make sure you never see her again."

Not even a second after that passed when the Wish Realm version of Rumplestiltskin disappeared into a cloud of maroon before reappearing on the other side of the desk. "Take a letter, boy. It goes something like this."

Panic began flowing through Everly's veins as she watched her nephew's counterpart pick up the Author's pen and place it on the paper. As soon as he was ready, the Wish Realm version of Henry looked up at his Rumplestiltskin and waited for his command. "'The powers of the Guardian are no more.'"

What felt like an eternity passed before the words on the page stopped glowing before the young Henry looked up at the Dark One. The next thing anyone knew, a bright light emitted from the book before vanishing as quickly as it came. "Done."

"Well written. My eternity feels...eternal again," the Wish Realm's Rumplestiltskin declared before his attention returned to the heroes standing in front of him, "and now...enjoy a taste of winter in your tiny prison."

The next thing anyone knew, everyone was surrounded by a cloud of maroon. The panic within Everly did nothing but grow as she looked up at Felix, who was already staring down at her with fear in his eyes. Neither of them looked away from each other until the Thorne man was whisked away along with the rest of their friends and family, leaving only Everly and Regina in the library.

The Thorne woman's breathing quickened as she stared at where Felix once stood. It wasn't long after that when anger mixed with the panic within her as she looked over at the Dark One. "Where'd they go?"

"I reunited everyone with their family. Bound to be quite the reunion," the powerful man responded with a large smirk on his face.

All emotion faded from within Everly as she continued to stare at the Dark One, unsure of what to make of his words. It wasn't long after that when Regina placed herself protectively in front of the Purest Heart and the Wish Realm inhabitants. A blank expression took home on her face as she kept her eyes glued to the other versions of Henry and Rumplestiltskin. "Then why are we still here?"

"Because we're finally back to what I'm getting out of this," Henry announced as he got to his feet and took a few steps forward to stand in front of the Mills woman, "I watched you crush my grandparents' hearts and take away my mom. And that story still needs its ending."

Everly's eyes stayed glued to her nephew's angry counterpart for another moment before her attention moved back to the Dark One. She wasn't surprised to find him already staring back at her with a large grin on his face, making a pit form in the Thorne woman's stomach. The two of them just stared at each other for what felt like an eternity before Everly found the courage to ask the question bouncing around in her head. "And what does that have to do with me?"

"Oh, nothing, dearie. Nothing at all," Rumplestiltskin declared without looking away from the blonde woman, "but we can't have the Purest Heart getting in the way of our happy endings."

The Throne woman's instincts took over before she could even think as she used her magic to summon the Author's pen into her possession. Her eyes stayed glued to the Dark One as he took a step closer, only for Everly's body to be surrounded by green smoke. Confusion flowed through her veins as she watched the could continue to swirl around her until it finally vanished. The Thorne woman was surprised to find herself standing in the middle of the forest right out of the Dark One's castle. Not even a second after that passed when she heard a twig snap, causing Everly to spin around to find Pan standing on the other side of the clearing.

"Did you just save me?" the Purest Heart questioned without even attempting to hide the shock in her voice.

"I think the words you're looking for are 'thank you,'" Pan responded with a smirk on his face as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the tree behind him, "you're welcome by the way."

A long sigh passed over Everly's lips as she looked back up at the Dark One's castle. "We need to get back in there."

"Are you kidding?" the former leader of the Lost Boys asked, only to see the serious look on the Thorne woman's face. Pan just stared at her for a long moment before letting out a long sigh. It wasn't long after that when he walked across the clearing to stand next to her. "Alright. So what's your plan?"

Everly couldn't help but laugh at his question before looking over at him with a hint of fear in her eyes. "I don't have a plan."

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