────── ★★★ ──────

────── ★★★ ──────

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟐
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋

────── ★★★ ──────

After lying on the bay window cushion and staring up at the ceiling for about an hour, Everly finally decided what to do with her day if nothing out of the ordinary happened. A silent prayer for at least a normal morning passed over her lips before the Jones girl got to her feet and moved about the room to get ready. Just as she was about to open the door of the motel room, it swung open to reveal a frantic-looking Sam. Everly stared at him in confusion and a quirked eyebrow as he walked into the room after closing the door behind him.

"Hey can I talk to you?" he asked as he paced back and forth in front of the door.

"I'm about to leave. Is it important?" Everly responded while watching his movements, only to receive a nod in response before she let out a sigh and sat back down at the bay window, "what's going on?"

"It's Katherine," he said as he took his place on the bed across from her before Everly noticed his cheeks turning bright red.

"No way! You like her! You actually like her!" the Jones girl laughed as the shining prince sent her a playful glare, "you should tell her!"

"Don't you have to go somewhere?" he groaned as he flopped back on the mattress while rubbing his hands over his face.

"Don't give me that. You asked me to stay...and yeah, I do. I should probably go before a flying monkey comes out of nowhere and ruins my day."

Sam simply waved at her in response before she let out another laugh and left the room.

As she walked through the streets of Storybrooke, Everly received different greetings from its citizens. While some were starting to accept her as the Charming's daughter, others still couldn't see past where she spent the majority of her life. In all honesty, their looks never bother the Jones girl. That was because, despite wasting most of her life on that nightmare island, she was happy with how everything turned out in the end...well, almost everything.

Everly entered the florist before her eyes took in the rainbow of plants that surrounded her. She continued to scan the small shop until she spotted the exact flowers she was looking for. White daisies and sunflowers. A small smile formed on her face at the sight of their favorite flowers before the Jones girl walked over to the counter and gave the florist her order. It didn't take long for him to complete her order before he handed her the two bouquets. Everly paid him before thanking him and making her way out of the shop.

Silence surrounded the Purest Heart once again as she walked a few blocks to the cemetery. Her feet took her through the entrance before they led her in the direction where Neal was. As soon as she reached her destination, Everly placed the white daisies on the stone before staring at the name she never called him that was carved into the stone for the longest time. What felt like an eternity passed before she finally found the courage to speak.

"I never got a chance to thank you for always looking out for me, even when I didn't want you to," the Purest Heart whispered as tears began to form in her eyes, "I wish we had a chance to grow up together or at least had more time together. I miss you."

Everly's last three words were almost inaudible as she choked back a sob. After standing there for a few more minutes, she muttered a goodbye to the stone of the boy she grew up with before heading to the other side of the field to Felix. When his stone came into view, her feet come to a sudden stop as if they were glued to the ground. A moment passed on her just standing in the middle of a patch of grass before a sigh passed over her lips and she continued her journey. Once she reached the stone, Everly gently placed the sunflowers on the stone and let the tears she'd been holding back fall.

"I miss you more than humanly possible. I will always love you and you'll forever be in my heart, " the former Lost Girl mumbled as her fingers ran over the top of the stone before she lay down on the grass next to it and looked up at the clouds like the two of them used to do on Neverland.

────── ★★★ ──────

"Look at that one!" Everly exclaimed as she pointed to the fluffy object floating through the sky, "it looks like a bird."

"That one's a flying pig," Felix said, causing her to follow his finger to see the round animal with wings floating through the air.

Their laughter filled the air around them before he placed his arm around Everly's shoulders and pulled her closer to his side. Her eyes continued to watch the clouds roll by as she thought back to the past three months of running from Pan and the constant warnings she would receive from the boy next to her.

"Look," the blonde shouted as he gestured up at a large puffy cloud right above them, "it looks like a heart."

Out of the corner of her eye, Everly saw him turn to look at her, making the girl copy his actions so that she could stare into his gray eyes. After a moment of comfortable silence passed between them, he leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

────── ★★★ ──────

A small smile formed on Everly's face as she thought back to the first kiss she shared with the tall Lost Boy. She let another moment pass before getting to her feet and facing the stone one last time. After reading over the name neatly engraved into the stone, the Jones girl placed a gentle kiss on the stone and headed out of the cemetery and back towards the motel.

When she got into the room, the first thing she saw was Katherine pacing around the room with a nervous expression on her face, similar to how Sam was acting before she left. A silent sigh passed over her lips as she closed the door while simultaneously drawing the archer's attention toward her.

"Finally! What took you so long?!" Katherine exclaimed as stopped in front of Everly after the latter sat down at the bay window.

"I was...busy," the Jones girl responded while unconsciously messing with the bracelets on her wrist before Katherine continued to pace once again, "can you please tell me what's going on?"

"It's Sam."

"What about Sam?"

"There's just this feeling I get when I'm around him that I can't place."

Confusion made its way through Everly's veins before she remembered the conversation she had with the former Saved Boy. After studying the girl in front of her for another moment, a small smile formed on Everly's face. "I think I know what feeling you're talking about. And I also think that you should go talk to him."

"Talk to who?" At the sound of his voice, Katherine's whole body froze while Everly looked past her to see Sam standing in the doorway. The smile on the Jones girl's face did nothing but grow before she looked back at the redhead in front of me and nodded in the direction of the blonde boy. Katherine let out a long sigh before turning to face the boy, who continued to stare back at her with uncertainty in his eyes.

"I'm feeling a feeling when I'm around you and I don't know what it is but I only get it when I'm around you," she told him at a pace that Everly could barely understand before she took in a deep breath and continued, "I'm hoping you get that feeling too because I don't want to feel dumber than I already am."

"You're not dumb," he told her before sending her a small smile, which she gladly returned, "wanna go get some ice cream?"

Her face lit up as the biggest grin Everly had ever seen formed on her face and sent the former Saved Boy a nod. The two of them shared a smile with the blonde girl before Sam stuck his arm out. After she laced her fingers with his, they turned around and walked out the door.

────── ★★★ ──────

After deciding that getting food at the diner was better than sitting in the motel room, Everly made her way downstairs to find Killian and Henry sitting at one of the tables. Just as she reached their booth, the pirate captain rolled a pair of dice across the table and won whatever game they were playing. Killian let out a victorious laugh while claiming his reward by stealing a french fry off of Henry's plate.

"Want to know the secret to winning, Hen?" the blonde girl asked as she sat down next to him. When she saw the curious look on his face, Everly picked up the dice and rolled them across the table to show him that they'd land on the exact same numbers as before. "Loaded dice."

"That's cheating," Henry stated as he looked across the table at the captain of the Jolly Roger, who simply held his coffee cup out toward the boy.

"Only if you get caught," Killian responded while sending the Mills boy an arrogant smirk before taking a sip of his drink then his eyes landed on Everly, "where are the other two troublemakers?"

"On a date getting ice cream somewhere," the blonde girl answered after taking a fry off of Henry's plate, who sent his aunt a playful glare, "that's the best way to get into a girl's heart."

Just as she reached for another french fry, the diner bell cut through the air. The three in the booth instantly turned their attention in the direction of the sound to find David walking in. It only took the worried look on her father's face to make Everly wish she stayed alone in her room with a book.

While the pirate captain went to greet the charming prince, the Jones girl stayed with her nephew in the booth. A small smile appeared on her face as she watched Herny pick up the dice before rolling them across the table. When he saw them land on the exact same numbers as before, he rolled his eyes at the small objects, which only made the girl's smile grow.

It wasn't long after Killian started talking to David that Everly's curiosity got the better of her. She sent Henry one last glance before she turned around to look at the two men having what looked like a serious conversation. The next thing she knew a red-haired woman walked in with Mary Margaret, causing a troubled look to appear on Killian's face. Everly studied the expression she'd seen so few times on the Jones man's face before she decided she needed to know what was going on. After telling Henry she'd be back, the Purest Heart walked over to the group near the door to listen to what they were talking about.

"He's from a maritime kingdom and he loved to sail. Perhaps you came across him on the high seas? His name's Prince Eric," the woman explained before they all looked at Killian, who stayed silent as he looked down at the tiled floor before letting out a long sigh.

"Sorry, lass, I wish I could help, but I've never heard of him," he responded after glancing up to meet her gaze with a hint of guilt in his eyes.

"Come on. Think hard, Hook," David pleaded as a disappointed look appeared on the redhead's face, "are you sure you can't remember anything that can be useful?"

"My apologies, mate. But if I'd run across a prince during my adventure, I think I'd remember it," Killian responded to the Nolan man while continuing to hide his true emotions that only Everly seemed to notice.

"I just...I don't understand," Ariel muttered while keeping her eyes glued to the pirate in front of her, "how could he vanish without a trace?"

"That's it. Maybe he didn't," Mary Margaret said, causing everyone to stare at her in confusion as they waited for her to continue, "when the curse brought us back here, it brought our things, too. Gold's shop is filled with them."

"And if we find something of Eric's, we can use a locator spell to track him," David concluded while the hope in Ariel's eyes slowly returned before the three of them looked at the pirate captain.

"Sounds like a plan. Best of luck with that," Killian told them before turning to make his way back towards Henry, only to stop in his tracks when Mary Margaret called out to him.

"You should come with us. You might remember something that we won't or can't. You'd be far more helpful than us."

"Well, someone has to keep an eye on the boy," the pirate captain responded in a desperate attempt to get out of the situation while gesturing towards the Mills boy, who was still at the booth messing around with the man's dice.

"Can I talk to you really quick?" Everly asked the man who was trying so hard to turn down helping the mermaid princess.

After receiving nods in response from the Charmings and the redheaded princess, the Jones girl grabbed Killian's wrist and dragged him through the diner until they reached the jukebox in the back room. Once they were out of earshot from the others, Everly released her grip on the Jones man before turning to face him with her arms crossed over her chest.

"What are you hiding?" she questioned, only to receive a confused look in response before she let a sigh pass over her lips, "we've known each other for a long time, Killian, and I know that look that's been plastered onto your face since Ariel walked into the diner."

"I don't have to explain myself to you," he snapped, causing Everly's blood to run cold as she stared at him in shock. Not a moment passed before realization made its way into his eyes before he let out a long sigh. "I came across both of them in the lost time but I wasn't the best back there...I wasn't who you see me as."

"What are you talking about?"

"After Pan took you, I became...darker. He kept making these promises that if I followed his orders, he'd let you come back. I became more willing to do his work until I eventually wouldn't even need orders. I would just do anything I wanted. No rules. No boundaries," the pirate captain hesitated for a moment as he studied the blank expression on his daughter's face before he let out another sigh and continued.

"When we went back to the Enchanted Forest, I became that man again because I had nothing else to live for. But that's not who I want to be. Not for you. Not for Sam. Not for Emma."

"That's in the past, Killian. What matters now is what you do to make up for it," Everly told him, drawing his attention to her and away from the floor beneath his feet, "you need to do what you can to help her find Eric."

After receiving a small nod from the pirate, he went back to the group by the door. Everly watched them have an inaudible conversation before Killian left the diner with Ariel while David and Mary Margaret took Henry on some sort of adventure. Once the front door of the diner closed, the Purest Heart made her way back upstairs to her room.

Everly shut and locked the door behind her then she headed over to the small bookshelf in the corner. When she finally found a book that piqued her interest, she sat down at the bar window and opened the story. As she read the pages of the book, her brain wandered to the first time she met Felix on the Jolly Roger.

────── ★★★ ──────

After the ship landed in the dark waters of Neverland, Everly looked up to take in the scene before her, only to find a large island and a skull-shaped rock in the distance. Anger and fear of the surrounding environment consumed her as she turned to face the smiling pirate captain next to her.

"Why on earth would you want to come here?" she asked him while gesturing out toward the darkness.

"I need time to get revenge on the crocodile," he told her while the grin on his face slowly grew, "and in this realm, you never grow old."

"So I'm going to be sixteen for however long it takes for you to come up with a plan? Did you even think that through?!"

Before she could continue speaking, the sound of splashing water filled the air around them. The two pirates shared a look before they turned their attention toward the sea. Goosebumps began to form on the girl's arms at the sight of five small boats making their way from the island and toward their ship.

"They look friendly," Everly mocked before crossing her arms over her chest as her eyes scanned the new arrivals.

"Go to your cabin and don't come out until I say," the pirate captain commanded after the newcomers reached the Jolly Roger and signaled that they wanted to come aboard.

The irritation within Everly grew before she rolled her eyes in response to the man's request while the crew lowered the ladders for the newcomers to board. As the girl began to make her way toward her quarters, something zoomed past her head and barely missed her ear before getting stuck in the door in front of her. Her feet became glued to the floorboard as she stared at the silver dagger while a shaky breath passed over her lips. Everly tried to hide the rising fear within her before slowly turning around to see a tall blonde boy smirking at her.

"Where do you think you're going?" he questioned in a mocking tone as he came towards her with a club over his shoulder before stopping so close to her that she could see every detail on his face. "You don't want to miss all of the fun," he whispered in her ear before turning and making his way back toward Killian.

Everly's attention stayed glued to the boy for the entire time he and his allies were on the Jolly Roger. Curiosity overtook the fear within her as he and Killian had an inaudible conversation. As soon as they finished, the boy turned to head back to the boats, only for him to stop in front of her.

"Careful, princess," he told Everly while keeping his eyes on the island in the distance, "Neverland is a dangerous place. Don't want someone like you getting hurt."

────── ★★★ ──────

Just as her thoughts came to an end and she began the next chapter of her book, the door swung open to reveal Sam and Katherine walking in with their hands intertwined. Everly instantly closed her book and gestured for them to sit with her before they told her how the date went.

A few hours passed of the three teens talking and laughing when Killian walked in, looking both physically and mentally exhausted. Before any of them could respond, he held his hooked hand out to them, silencing them before they could even start.

"Sleep now, fun in the morning," the pirate captain told them then he plopped himself down on the bed Everly was sitting on, which caused the girl to fall to the floor with a thud.

After rolling her eyes at the man, Everly, Sam, and Katherine got ready for the night and settled in. It didn't take long before the Purest Heart finally found herself drifting off into slumber and letting her dreams take her away.

────── ★★★ ──────

"Why, Sunshine?"

"Felix?" Everly said as she looked around in the darkness that surrounded her, only to find nothing but trees in every direction, "where are you?"

"Why did you have to go against Pan?" Felix questioned while his voice grew louder by the second, "it's all your fault."

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," the girl whispered while tears began to stream down her cheeks as she searched for the boy through the darkness until she turned one final time and came face to face with Felix.

"It's all your fault and I will never forgive you."

────── ★★★ ──────

Everly's eyes flashed open as a gasp passed over her lips. Tears began to form as the urge to scream overwhelmed her. Because she didn't want to wake the others, she quietly opened the window and climbed out on the fire escape. The Jones girl let the cool air surround her as she leaned back against the brick wall and brought her knees up to her chest. After a few moments of sitting in the cold in silence, she heard someone coming out from the window and looked to see a concerned Killian at her side.

"What's going on?" he questioned as he placed an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to his side.

"I had a dream...about Felix."

After a moment of gathering her thoughts and feelings, Everly told the pirate captain every detail about her dream. Retelling it was almost as difficult as dreaming it. It was like she could see it replaying in front of her eyes against her will.

"I'm sure he doesn't really feel that way," Killian told her as soon as she finished her story.

"You don't know that," the Jones girl replied before bringing her knees closer to her chest, "I feel so lost without him...I feel like I'm back on Neverland. How long is it gonna take for these feelings to just...stop?"

"I don't think they ever will, Evie. But no matter how long it takes, I will be here for you."

Everly slowly nodded in response before Killian placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head. Tears continued to flow down the Purest Heart's cheeks once again as the pirate captain pulled her closer to his side.

────── ★★★ ──────

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