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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟎
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐑𝐄𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐎𝐍

────── ★★★ ──────

Everly stayed up all night reading Felix's journal and was able to get about halfway through. she would've continued reading if it hadn't been for Killian calling her and asking them to meet everyone at the loft. A small sigh passed over the Jones girl's lips as she climbed through the window. After putting the journals somewhere safe, Everly got Sam, Katherine, and Pierce before she teleported them to the loft. However, as soon as they arrived, they found Emma fighting with David and Mary Margaret...again.

"Yes, I am still upset!" Emma exclaimed, causing their parents to exchange an unreadable look before turning their attention back to the Swan woman, "you were the ones who taught me there is always the right way. A heroic way. And what you did to Maleficent's child-"

"It was our only option to make sure you grew up good," David defended, earning an annoyed look from the Savior.

"Did we miss something?" Sam whispered just loud enough for his friends to hear while keeping his eyes glued to the adults in front of him, "what happened to Maleficent's child?"

"I don't know, but I'll try to find out later," Everly responded right as Regina walked into the loft.

"Regina, where have you been?" Emma questioned as soon as she realized the former Evil Queen was in the room.

"In the middle of a very bad day," the Mills woman sighed without even attempting to hide the distress on her face, "I'll tell you the whole story later after I rescue Robin Hood."

"Robin?" the Jones girl questioned, drawing everyone's attention to her for the first time since she entered the room while Everly continued to stare at Regina, "what are you talking about? Rescue him from what?"

"I called that number Emma gave me," Regina explained while trying her best to remain calm enough to tell the story, "but Marian answered the phone and I discovered...she's not really Marian at all."

"So who is she?"

"Zelena."

Everyone stared at the Mills woman in a shocked silence, unsure of what to say. That was until David found the courage inside himself to break it. "The Wicked Witch?"

"I don't know how it's possible, but my sister has been masquerading as her this entire time. And she's in league with Gold," Regina continued, this time showing a lot more of her true emotion than she did before, "Robin's in danger, so I'm going to New York to find him and stop her."

"And what about Gold?" Killian questioned, causing everyone to look over at him before he continued speaking, "if they're working together, he's not just going to let you waltz off and spoil his plans."

"Well, I wouldn't worry about Gold," Regina responded as a hint of darkness appeared in her eyes, something Everly hadn't seen in a very long time, "I know exactly how to handle him."

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Everly and the Save Boys hid in the treeline near the site where the fallen Lost Boys' ceremony was taking place. Pan was saying a few inaudible words as the Lost Boys bowed their heads in respect. It wasn't long after that when they finished honoring those they lost before they headed in the direction of their camp. As soon as they were out of sight, the Saved Ones came out of hiding and walked over to where the four boys rested.

Andy. Age: 15

Zachery. Age: 17

Wally. Age: 12

Toby. Age: 7

"Seven? I didn't know Pan took boys that were that young," J.P. whispered just loud enough for them to hear while keeping his eyes glued to the smallest stone.

Everly and Sam stood back as they watched the younger boys place a single white rose on each of the stones. Once they were finished, they had their own moment of silence. It wasn't before that when the Jones girl felt a hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up to find Sam weakly smiling at her. Not even a second after that when the Wilbert boy took the boys back to camp, allowing Everly to stay on the beach and have a moment to herself.

Once she finished paying her respects, Everly turned around to head back to the cove, only to come face to face with Pan. He stared at her with an expressionless look on his face with his eyes cold as ice. The way he gazed at her made the Jones girl think he blamed her for the four boys' deaths. That was until Pan held his hand out toward her.

"Peace for four days," the leader of the Lost Boys stated, only to be greeted by a confused look from Everly, "to mourn the losses of four brave boys."

The uncertainty within the Jones girl soon turned to realization as she stared at Pan. It wasn't long before she found herself shaking his hand. "Peace for four days."

────── ★★★ ──────

Anger flowed through Everly's veins after she was forced to stay behind while Emma and Regina went to save Robin in New York. Instead, the Jones girl sat beside Sam, Katherine, and Pierce on the couch across from Killian, David, and Mary Margaret. There had been nothing but silence surrounding them since Emma and Regina left, but Everly felt it was time to finally break it. "So, is anyone gonna tell us what happened with Maleficent's child?"

David and Mary Margaret hesitated before exchanging a quick look. It wasn't long after that when the raven-haired woman let out a long sigh and opened her mouth to speak. "When you're older."

"I'm technically older than Emma," Everly retaliated, earning an annoyed look from both of her parents while Killian did his best to suppress a laugh.

"We sent Maleficent's child into a portal in order to ensure Emma didn't turn dark," David explained, causing shock to appear on the four teen's faces.

"You really did that?" the Jones girl questioned after her initial shock faded before David and Mary Margaret nodded in response, "so that's why Emma's so upset."

"You have every right to be as well," Mary Margaret told her, as if preparing for their other daughter to react just like Emma did.

"I'm surprised by what you did, but I'm not mad," Everly announced, earning shocked looks from her parents before she continued speaking, "being on Neverland taught me you have to do whatever you can to keep your family safe."

It wasn't long after that when Emma and Regina came rushing back into the loft with distressed looks on their faces. They didn't say a word as they made everyone gather around the dining table to show them what they received. Everly felt Sam tense up beside her as they watched a video of Henry with Cruella, the latter threatening the boy's life if they didn't kill the Author. Her brother's actions caused the Jones girl to pull him and Katherine away from the table and off into the corner.

As soon as they were out of everyone's earshot, Everly turned her full attention toward Sam. "Are you okay?"

"She worse than I remember," the Jones boy whispered just loud enough for them to hear as Katherine wrapped her arm around his waist in an attempt to comfort him. Neither of the girls said a word as watched Sam, worried for his well-being as he continued to think about Cruella. It wasn't long after that when he continued speaking. "My mother would yell at me for no reason and make her dogs attack me as punishment. One of her dogs gave me this the day before I ran away."

Not even a second after that passed when David figured out Henry was being held a few miles south of the Toll Bridge by the trees in the background. It wasn't long after that when they came up with a plan for Emma and Regina to scope out the area with Everly, Killian, Sam, Katherine, and Pierce. While they did that, David and Mary Margaret would continue the search for the Author.

Before they left to find Henry and Cruella, Emma told David and Mary Margaret that she needed to be around people that she trusted. Everly couldn't help the annoyance she felt toward her sister, believing she was taking everything way too far. Yes, David and Mary Margaret shouldn't have done what they did, but there were a lot of people Emma trusted who did a lot worse. But for now, the Jones girl decided to push her feelings to the side and focus on finding Henry.

It wasn't long before they found themselves walking along the trail that would take them to where David said Henry was. No one said a word as they continued to walk through the forest, everyone focused on finding the Mills boy and getting him somewhere safe. At least, that was until Regina decided to break the silence. "You're acting like a petulant child. Your parents did a bad thing. They apologized. Get over it."

"Forgive me if I don't take advice from the woman who held a grudge for half her life because a ten-year-old spilled a secret," Emma retaliated, earning shocked looks from everyone surrounding her that she chose to ignore.

After letting out a long sigh, Killian picked up his pace to stand beside Emma. While the two of them had an inaudible conversation, Everly found herself looking over at Sam, only to find him already staring back at her. The look in his eyes was enough for the Jones girl to know there was something he needed to say. That made Everly stick out her arms and force her friends to slow their pace. As soon as they were far enough away to have a conversation without Regina, Killian, and Emma hearing them, the Jones girl began speaking. "What's wrong, Sam?"

"I'm worried for my mother," the Jones boy stated, shocking himself while everyone else stared at him with concern in their eyes, "even though she was mean and brutal, she's still my mother."

"Trust me, I understand," Pierce responded while sending the blonde boy a small smile, one that the latter forced himself to return, "what do you want to do?"

"We need to get to her before Emma."

"I agree," Everly announced, drawing everyone's attention toward her before she continued speaking, "by the way she's acting, I don't think she's thinking straight."

As soon as they all agreed on their plan, the four of them sneaked away from Killian, Emma, and Regina. They managed to get far enough away from them to be able to walk in the same direction without being seen. It hadn't even been two minutes since they managed to slip away when Everly's phone began ringing. A small sigh passed over her lips as she pulled her phone out of her pocket to see Killian calling her.

"Hello?"

"Evie, where'd you go?"

Everly hesitated for a moment as she looked over at Sam, Katherine, and Pierce, who were all staring back at her with a hint of worry in their eyes. It wasn't long after that when the Jones girl let out a long sigh and opened her mouth to respond. "I thought splitting up would be a better plan. You know, to cover more ground."

"This isn't a game, Evie. I need you to come back right now. It's safer."

"We have two people with magic, an amazing archer, and a former knight."

When he didn't answer right away, Everly closed her eyes and silently prayed that he didn't tell them to come back again. She really wasn't in the mood to get into an argument with him and she really didn't want Killian to be angry with her. It wasn't long after that when the pirate captain finally responded, causing a wave of relief to wash over Everly. "Okay. But be careful."

"Aren't I always?"

"Yeah. Yeah."

As soon as Everly put her phone away, they continued down the path to where they thought Henry might be. No one said a word as they looked for any signs of the Mills boy. That was until Pierce broke the silence to ask the question that was bouncing around in all of their heads. "What are we going to do once we find them?"

"Try to convince Cruella that the Author's death isn't her happy ending," Sam stated without even attempting to hide the hatred in his voice.

"Why does she even want the Author dead?" the Scott girl questioned, causing everyone to send her confused looks before she continued speaking, "the Author can give them happy endings, right? So why would Cruella want him dead?"

The Jones boy just blinked at Katherine a few times as he took in her words, trying to figure out the connection his mother would have with the Author. When he couldn't come up with any reasonable answers, he responded with three simple words. "I don't know."

Silence surrounded them once again as they continued walking through the foggy forest. No one knew what to say to make their current situation any better. However, it wasn't long after that when they heard shouting in the distance followed by a dog barking. The teens instantly stopped in their tracks as they looked around the forest, trying to pinpoint where the sounds were coming from.

"Help me! Please!"

A small gasp passed over Katherine's lips as she turned to look at her friends. "It's Henry. It's coming from over there!"

"No, it clearly came from over there," Pierce argued while pointing in the opposite direction.

"We need to split up," Everly announced after hearing Henry shout out for help over and over again, "Sam and Katherine go that way. Pierce and I will go this way. We'll call each other if we find anything."

────── ★★★ ──────

It was day two of the four-day truce and Everly was scouting the area to make sure the Lost Boys were holding up their end of the deal. When she didn't find any signs of them trying to track her or the Saved Ones, the Jones girl turned to make her way back home, only to stop in her tracks when she saw Harry staring back at her. The two of them kept their eyes glued to each other, neither knowing what to do or say. The only movement Everly saw from him was his hand tightening around the sword in his hand.

What felt like an eternity of them just standing there passed before Harry finally broke the silence surrounding them. "Just because Pan doesn't blame you for Toby's death doesn't mean I don't."

Before Everly had a chance to respond, the Lost Boy turned around and disappeared into the forest. The Jones girl didn't move from her place, shocked by Harry's words. She didn't know what to make of them, but she knew someone who might have answers.

A long sigh passed over her lips as she sprinted into the forest, wanting nothing more than to reach her destination as soon as possible. It wasn't long after that when she finally arrived at her tree, only to find Felix casually leaning against it. The Thorne boy pushed himself off the trunk with a huge smile on his face after spotting the former Lost Girl. He didn't hesitate to close the gap between them to pull Everly in for a tight hug.

The Jones girl couldn't help but laugh as she wrapped her arms around Felix. The two of them stayed like that for a long time before Everly ended the moment to look up at the Lost Boy. "Not that I'm complaining, but why are you so happy?"

"Because of the four-day truce," Felix responded as the smile on his face grew, "I finally get to relax a bit."

The joy on the blonde boy's face caused one to appear on Everly's lips, only for it to fade when she remembered what happened just moments ago. "Was Toby important to Harry?"

Felix's smile instantly faltered as his eyes scanned over the Jones girl's face. It wasn't long after that when a confused look appeared on his face as he opened his mouth to respond. "Toby was Harry's brother."

"So that's why he was so angry with me," Everly muttered under her breath, causing the confusion on Felix's face to grow before the former continued speaking, "I ran into Harry on my way here. He said that he blames me for Toby."

"How is it your fault?"

"The only way I see it as my fault is me not saving Vincent."

"You had to choose between Sam and Vincent. In my opinion, you made the right choice. Vincent was a pain to deal with"

"I know I did."

For the rest of their time spent at the tree, there was nothing but silence. They smiled as they stared up at the passing clouds. Felix's arm lay on Everly's shoulder as she rested her head on his. Everything was perfect.

────── ★★★ ──────

Everly and Pierce continued to sprint through the forest in the direction of Henry's voice. It didn't take them long to reach another clearing, where the Mills boy's voice was louder yet muffled. The two of them exchanged a confused look before the Sea Prince's attention landed on something behind Everly. An annoyed look instantly appeared on his face as he walked past her. When the Jones girl turned around to face him, she found Pierce holding up a bright pink shell, where Henry's voice was coming out of. "Most of the time, I love magic, but right now it's just a nuisance."

Before Everly had a chance to respond, their phones went off. Neither of them hesitated to pull out their phones to see a message from Sam sent to their group chat.

SAM:
Teleport to our location.

Everly and Pierce shared an uncertain look before teleporting themselves to Sam and Katherine's location. When the cloud of gold and purple smoke cleared, the Jones girl saw a scene playing out in front of her that she would never forget. Cruella was holding Henry hostage while Emma had her hands up in the air, ready to use her magic at any given moment.

"Samuel, darling, be a dear and help me get rid of the Savior and her son," Cruella said after noticing him standing at the edge of the forest. Everly couldn't help but look over at her brother to find him forcing Katherine behind him while gripping her hand so tight that both their knuckles were white. The Jones girl could see that he was trying to hide the fear and anger flowing through him. "Hurry up, Samuel!"

"No," Sam whispered just loud enough for everyone to hear, earning a confused look from his mother, "I won't help you hurt Henry, but I won't let you get hurt either."

"Oh Samuel, darling, pick a side. Are you a Jones or a De Vil?"

────── ★★★ ──────

An hour had passed when Felix and Everly decided to end their meeting and head back to their camps. A smile was plastered onto the Jones girl's lips as she walked through the forest, enjoying the peace and quiet for the first time in a very long time. But it wasn't long before there was a change in the atmosphere, causing her blood to run cold as she looked around at the surrounding trees. It felt as though she was being watched and her feelings were only confirmed when she heard a twig snap.

Before Everly had a chance to draw her bow, someone slammed into her. The force caused Everly to stumble back a few feet and trip over a fallen long. The next thing she knew, she was pinned to the ground with a dagger at her neck. Fear mixed with the shock flowing through her veins as she stared up at Harry, who was looking back at her with a crazed look in his eyes.

"What are you doing, Harry?" Everly questioned in a calm tone, knowing it was best not to panic in her current situation.

"Toby's dead because of you," the Bensen boy spat as he continued to glare down at her, "Vincent did what he did because of you."

"If you had to choose between Toby and a boy you barely knew, who would you choose?" Everly responded without thinking, earning a confused look from Harry before she continued speaking, "Pan made me choose between Vincent and Sam. It wasn't a hard decision. Sam's like a brother to me."

The shock within Everly overtook all other emotions as she watched the Bensen boy's eyes become softer. It wasn't long after that when he slowly took the dagger away from her neck and helped her to her feet. The Jones girl kept her eyes glued to Harry as she walked across the clearing and sat down on a nearby log. "Toby was all I had left. He was the last thing I had to live for."

"Don't talk like that Harry," the Jones girl said in a soft tone while continuing to watch Harry with an uncertain look in her eyes.

"It's true," the Bensen boy whispered just loud enough for Everly to hear before letting out a long sigh, "I have nothing left. What's the point anymore?"

The Jones girl kept her eyes glued to Harry as he continued to stare at the dagger in his hand. When his eyes lingered a bit too long for her liking, Everly let out a long sigh and broke the silence surrounding them. "Please don't tell me you're thinking what I think you're thinking."

"And what if I am?" the Bensen boy responded without taking his eyes off the dagger. "I don't know what I'd do without him."

The former Lost Girl hesitated for a moment, shocked by the words that came out of Harry's mouth. It wasn't long after that when she began speaking once again. "Then use that feeling to live for him. You need to make sure he isn't forgotten. If you die, the memories you shared will die as well. Don't let Toby be the reason you die. He wouldn't be able to move on. If you die a useless death, his would be for nothing."

What felt like an eternity passed before Harry let the dagger slip from his fingers and fall to the forest floor. A single tear trailed down his cheek as he looked up at Everly. "His death won't be in vain."

────── ★★★ ──────

It wasn't long before all the emotion faded from Sam's face as he continued to stare at Cruella. Everly couldn't help but take a step back when she saw something appear in her brother's eyes that she hadn't seen since they were on Neverland. Pure anger. What felt like an eternity passed when Sam took a step forward, placing himself between his friends and his mother, before opening his mouth to speak. "I was never a De Vil. You made that very clear a long time ago."

Cruella just stared at her son for a long moment, unsure of what to make of the boy standing in front of her. It wasn't long after that when she let out an annoyed sigh and turned her attention back to Emma. "One small dead Author, that's all I asked. Simple revenge and you failed utterly."

"What did the Author ever do to you?" Everly questioned after forcing herself to turn her gaze away from her terrified nephew to look at the crazy woman.

"Well, for one, he gave me that sorry excuse for a son," Cruella spat, causing everyone to turn their attention toward Sam, only to find him staring at the De Vil woman with no emotion in his eyes. Even though he wasn't showing it, Everly knew what he was doing. The Jones boy was trying to comprehend the idea of the Author being his father.

"Let him go, Cruella," Emma demanded, drawing everyone's attention back to the situation at hand.

"Mom," Henry whispered just loud enough for them to hear while keeping his eyes glued to the woman in front of him.

"It's going to be okay, Henry."

"I'll do it, Savior," Cruella proclaimed as her hands continued to shake, "believe me, I will."

Shock coursed through Everly's veins when she saw Emma's hands starting to glow. Next to her, Sam stared at the Savior with fear and uncertainty in his eyes, unsure of how to feel about everything happening around him. It wasn't long after that when the Jones girl took a step closer to her sister, determined to snap her out of the thoughts going through her head. "Put your hands down before you do something you and I both know you'll regret."

Emma kept her eyes glued to the woman in front of her, not even bothering to hide the rage flowing through her veins. "That's my son."

"And you're a hero," Cruella announced as a sinister smile appeared on her lips, "and heroes don't kill."

As soon as the words finished coming out of the De Vil woman's mouth, Emma shot a pulse of magic at her. The force caused Cruella to stumble backward before she fell over the edge of the cliff.

"No!" Sam shouted as he ran to the edge. Tears formed in his eyes as he stared down in disbelief, unable to comprehend what just happened. Katherine and Pierce instantly rushed over to Sam while Everly stood between her brother and nephew, wanting to be there to support them both. It wasn't long after that when approaching footsteps cut through the air, drawing the Jones girl's attention toward the trail to find her parents running toward them.

"Emma," Mary Margaret gasped when she saw Emma hugging Henry. Fear instantly formed in her eyes when she saw no sign of Cruella anywhere.

Out of the corner of her eye, Everly saw Sam turn toward her sister. The shock within her did nothing but grow when she saw how much anger his eyes held. The next thing anyone knew, the Jones boy lunged at Emma, only for Everly, Katherine, and Pierce to hold him back. "How could you do that?! How could you kill my mother?!"

"You said it yourself, she never treated you as a son," Emma calmly responded while keeping her arms tightly wrapped around Henry.

"That doesn't mean I wanted to see her dead! I thought the Savior was supposed to save lives, not end them!"

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