────── ★★★ ──────

────── ★★★ ──────

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟑
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐊

────── ★★★ ──────

A faint beeping sound pulled Everly out of her deep sleep before she quickly turned off her alarm. After letting out a long sigh, she forced herself out of bed to get ready for the day. The Jones girl finished getting dressed before slipping on a jacket and going over to the jewelry box that Mary Margaret and David gave to her a few weeks ago. Everly just stared at the box for a long moment before slowly opening the lid.

The first thing she reached for was her necklace filled with charms gifted to her by very important people in her life. Even though she wears and looks at the charms every day, Everly couldn't fight the sadness she felt when looking at Neal's silver sword charm. Every time she looked at it, she felt as though she was transported to the day she met him before she remembered the last day she shared with him. The Jones girl longed for him to come back, even if it was just for a moment. So much time passed since Neal was taken from her, and yet it felt like it was just yesterday. After letting out another long sigh, Everly secured her necklace around her neck before slipping Milah's ring on her finger.

The only items left in the jewelry box were two leather bracelets. One with a golden sun in the center and the other with a white feather. Everly fought the tears forming in her eyes as she reached for her bracelet, only for her to notice something on the inside of it. Confusion flowed through her veins as she flipped it over, only for her blood to run cold when she noticed an engraving. I love you. Always and forever. Everly quickly wiped away the single tear rolling down her cheek before she put the bracelets on her wrists and slipped Roland's arrowhead into her pocket.

After she had everything she needed, Everly closed the jewelry box and turned toward the door, only for her to jump out of her skin when she found Sam sitting up in his bed with his eyes on her. "You're up early."

"I'm meeting Will," was all the Jones girl said in response, knowing that her brother wouldn't like her answer.

Before Sam had a chance to say a word, a small snore cut through the silence. The Jones siblings turned their attention toward Katherine just in time to see her turn over in her bed before settling into a new position. If it were Killian, he would be wide awake and yelling at them for waking him up so early. Luckily, Granny was kind enough to give them another room so the pirate captain had one for himself.

"You're meeting with Scarlet? Again?" Sam questioned, drawing Everly's attention back to him before she sent him a small nod in response, "you can't replace Robin, you know."

The Jones girl's body instantly tensed at the sound of the Merry Man's name. She would never admit to missing him and Roland aloud, knowing that Regina was having a far worse time with the situation than she was. But like always, Sam saw straight through her act. He knew how close she and Robin were before he was forced to leave, and he knew it was affecting her more than she let on.

"I know and I'm not trying to replace anyone," Everly declared while Sam continued to stare at her with an unreadable look in his eyes, "I just need someone to talk to. Someone who isn't family."

"I understand, I guess," the Jones boy told her after letting out a long sigh. He kept his eyes glued to her for another moment before smiling at his sister and lying back down. "Have fun."

A small smile appeared on Everly's lips as she watched Sam quickly fall back asleep. It wasn't long after that when she left the room and went downstairs to the diner. The Jones girl barely made it two steps into Granny's when she spotted Cruella and Ursula sitting at the counter. However, Everly quickly shook off her shock before she went over to the counter. Just as she was about to order their drinks, Will walked over to her with a smile on his face before Granny handed them their usual orders. Everly instantly handed her money for the drinks before she and the Scarlet man made their way out to the streets of Storybrooke.

────── ★★★ ──────

It had been a few days since Everly's encounter with Vincent and everything seemed to have changed since then. The Saved Boys were more on guard every time they left the cove and now the McKay boy was all they would talk about. The Jones girl's dreams were filled with the day she first met Vincent and how she sentenced him to an eternity with Pan. She used to feel sorry for the Lost Boy and wanted to find another way to get him away from the King of Neverland. Now, all Everly felt was anger. She was mad at Pan for using Vincent against her and for messing with both of their heads. But she was also furious with the McKay boy for allowing the leader of the Lost Boys to manipulate him.

After getting back from gathering enough food to last them a week, Everly was lying on a soft patch in the cove. Vincent's words were on repeat in her head before she began to figure out what he could possibly do to her that Pan hadn't already done. It wasn't long after that when she found it hard to stay in the cove, especially with the Saved Boys' laughter filling the air. So instead of trying to ignore them any longer, Everly stood up and began walking toward the exit. However, she only made it five steps when someone called out her name, making her stop in her tracks.

Everly let out a long sigh before she slowly turned around to face Sam, who was staring back at her with an unreadable expression on his face. "Are you seriously thinking about going for a walk with Vincent somewhere out there?"

"I'll be fine," the Jones girl reassured him before sending him a small smile, "it'll only be a short walk."

The Wilbert boy just stared at her for a long moment before letting out a long sigh and sending her a nod. A small smile appeared on Everly's face as she turned around and walked out of the cove. A sense of comfort washed over her as she walked through the forest, which seemed to be where she was the most happy. But she only made it a few more steps when that comforting feeling vanished, leaving her with a cold pit in her stomach. It was at that moment that she wished she listened to Sam more and stopped walking around Neverland alone.

After letting out a long sigh, Everly grabbed the dagger from her boot and called out to the forest around her. "I know you're there, Vincent!"

Not even a second after that passed when the boy in question made himself known. Vincent just stared at the Jones girl for a long moment with a sinister smirk on his face. "Don't worry, I'm not here to fight...this time. I just thought you might wanna see what's happening at Dead Man's Peak...Sunshine."

Everly's entire body froze after hearing what he called her. However, before she had a chance to question Vincent, he sprinted in the direction of Pan's camp. The Jones girl just stood there for a moment, unsure of what to make of what the McKay boy had said. But she knew that she wouldn't be able to fight her curiosity, especially now knowing that Felix was involved.

────── ★★★ ──────

An hour passed of Everly and Will walking through Storybrooke and talking about whatever they could think of. Time seemed to fly by before they made it to the bench they always sat on that overlooked the pond in the park. The smile on the Jones girl's face did nothing but grow as she sat down beside the Scarlet man as they began to drink their beverages. It wasn't long after that when Will decided to break the comfortable silence settling around them. "So, what kinda story do you want to hear about the famous Robin Hood today?"

"Actually, today I want to know about you," Everly responded, earning a large smile in response from the man sitting next to her.

"I see you finally got your head on straight," Will mocked, causing the blonde girl to roll her eyes at him before he continued speaking, "what do you want to know?"

The Jones girl took a second to think, knowing that the Scarlet man would mock her if she asked a silly question. That lasted for a moment longer before she finally opened her mouth to speak. "Who were you before you were dragged to Storybrooke?"

"I spent most of my time running through forests and evading the Queen's guard. Not much different than my life here," the brunette man told the girl sitting next to him, "but I like Storybrooke much better than Wonderland."

The smile on Everly's face instantly fell as she stared at Will with wide eyes. "You're from Wonderland?"

"Not originally but yeah," the Scarlet man responded, unsure of what to make of the Purest Heart's sudden mood change, "I spent most of my time there after I...left the Merry Men. People around there knew me as the Knave of Hearts."

"You just got so much cooler. It must have been so awesome there!"

"Not entirely."

"What happened?"

"The Queen took my heart," Will answered in a tone that made it seem as though it wasn't a big deal, making Everly's jaw drop before he chuckled, "don't worry, I got it back. Alice helped me with that."

"You know Alice?!" the Jones girl shouted, causing the Knave of Hearts to jump and stare at her as if she grew a second head.

"Yeah. How do you know about Alice?"

"When I was in New York after Pan's curse, Henry and I would always watch movies in our spare time. Alice in Wonderland was one of my favorites."

"Sounds interesting," the Scarlet man responded before taking a quick sip of his coffee and turning his attention back to Everly, "what about you? Who were you before Storybrooke?"

The Jones girl couldn't help but blink at Will a few times, shocked that he hadn't heard her story from anyone in town considering who her parents were. "You don't know?"

"If I knew, why would I be asking?"

"It's kinda a long story."

"We've got time."

────── ★★★ ──────

"Okay, who's first?" Everly heard Felix say after hiding behind a large rock at the top of Dead Man's Peak.

The Jones girl wasn't surprised when none of the boys moved into the center of the circle. She knew this game very well and knew they were about to practice their fighting skills. Not even the strongest Lost Boy would want to go up against Felix, who had years of experience on Neverland to defeat anyone. Silence surrounded them for a moment longer before the Thorne boy sighed and singled out a boy from the group, Wally. Everly's breath got caught in her throat as she watched the two boys get into their fighting stances. They circled each other a few times before the battle finally began. Anyone who had eyes could clearly see that Wally was outmatched, but that didn't stop Felix from going all out. It wasn't long before the smaller Lost Boy ended up on the ground before the Thorne boy punched him in the jaw, knocking Wally out.

Everly stared at Felix in shock as a few of the Lost Boys congratulated him on his win. She always knew that the Thorne boy was strong, but what she had witnessed was almost barbaric. The Jones girl didn't wait around much longer as she turned and sprinted back the way she came. She stopped in a clearing close to the cove to gather her thoughts and emotions, not wanting to be questioned by any of the Saved Boys when she returned.

"How was the show?" a voice called out to her, causing Everly to jump before she spun around to find Vicent leaning against a tree.

The Jones girl just stared at him until the anger she felt toward the McKay boy returned. "I wanted to help you, Vincent. I wanted to save you. I really did. But now you can rot with Pan for all I care."

Everly didn't wait for him to respond as she turned around and began to continue on her way to the cove, only to stop in her tracks when he called out to her once again. "You didn't answer my question. How was the show?"

"Awful," the Jones girl responded without looking at Vincent before she glanced back at the boy one last time, "but not as awful as the person you've become."

────── ★★★ ──────

"You turned against Peter Pan and still lived on Neverland?" Will asked with a hint of shock in his voice after listening to Everly tell her story, earning a small nod from the girl next to him, "you're an idiot."

"Says the guy who tried to run away from Emma and David," the Jones girl retaliated, only for the Knave to send her a playful glare.

"I will admit that wasn't my brightest moment," he responded before taking another sip of his coffee and looking back at her, "so, you told me a lot about your friends and family. What about anyone special in your life?"

Everly tensed for a moment after hearing his question, which didn't go unnoticed by Will. The Scarlet man was watching her with a hint of concern in his eyes before the Jones girl finally responded. "There was someone...he was killed a little over two years ago by Pan."

"My apologies. I know how hard it is to lose someone you love."

A wave of curiosity washed over the Jones girl as she stared at Will, only for her to push it away after seeing the distant look in his eyes. "I just hope he's happy, wherever he is."

"When someone truly loves you, they can never move on."

Everly's heart began to beat a little faster as she thought of the engraving on the back of her bracelet. I love you. Always and forever. She let the silence surround them for a moment longer before gathering the courage to break it. "What about you?"

"I'm actually seeing Belle right now."

"You're dating Belle? As in the Dark One's ex-wife?" the Jones girl questioned, earning a proud smile and a nod from the Knave of Hearts before Everly scoffed, "you're the idiot here, Scarlet."

"Shut it, Jones."

────── ★★★ ──────

────── ★★★ ──────