The Shadow's Keeper ~OUAT Peter Panfiction (Book 2)

"This is a real family reunion."

            As Peter lowered to the ground with the silhouette's arm in his grip, the hooded figure came into view and tossed down his cowl. By then, Anne flooded into his arms, crying with relief. "Felix!" She pooled into his hollow chest, pressing her quivering and damp lashes into his shirt.

            "I'm here," he breathed shakily, hugging her to his body warmly.

            She continued to cry softly, sniffling much like a little girl would have if she was hugging a piece of home.

            Seven year old Anna Rose Beastly tossed and thrashed about her blankets, mumbling and clawing into an invisible force. "No...please, no!! FELIX!!" She shot awake, hot tears drenching her flushed, soft cheeks.

            She weakly sat up, quietly crying into her little hands. She was used to this, the nightmares, and with no mother and father to soothe her sleep terrors. She had felt their abandonment countless times before, but when she'd wake up this way, she'd feel it immensely. Night after night, she just learned to deal with it.

            Except tonight had been different. Instead of dreaming about getting mauled by wolves, she had dreamt of Felix getting attacked, and she had the inability to rescue him. Lifting her drenched features, she listened to the gentle and sleepy chirping of crickets and faint croaking of the frogs by quiet, nearby water.

            She inhaled deeply, wiping her eyes. She then hugged her wool blanket around her small body, and slipped off her feather mattress. Dragging her blanket behind her, she entered Felix's room. Her eyes popped wide when she saw his bed, empty, through the darkness.

            "Felix!!" She panicked, dropping her blanket as she rushed over to his vacant bed. She searched his blankets in a blurry desperation, disbelieving that he was missing from them.

            "Anna!" A voice hissed from just below her. Felix's small, tear-stained face peered out from under his bed.

            Anne gasped then dropped onto the floor, steadying her breathing. The moment she did, Felix shied back under his bed, shadowing his pale cheeks. "Come out," she spoke softly. She reached for him when he crept back some more. He was lanky and tall for a ten year old but he managed to appear Anne's age, merely seven in the face, and so afraid.

            "Felix, come out," she gently added, her concerned, big green eyes boring into Felix's pool blues. "Why are you so afraid?" She frowned, beginning to crawl under his bed.

            His eyes snapped wide and he flinched back, his breath hitching. Anne halted. "I had a bad dream," she mumbled sheepishly, softly blushing with slight embarrassment. She hadn't ever came to Felix with these types of things before that night.

            Because while she was the little one, and while she was expected to be the most vulnerable, she wasn't. It was the other way around, and for the first time, she acted just as she was expected.

            Felix carefully, but hesitantly, crawled his way toward her, her eyes brimmed with tears. "I had one too," he mumbled as he sat up, wrapping his arms around her. Leaning into him, she closed her eyes with relief. "It was so scary," he cried softly, sniffling. "Th-there w-were th-these w-wolves, th-they w-were g-growling," he stumbled over his words, crying more, squeezing her almost too tightly. "They wanted to hurt me..."

            Little Anne felt her stomach sink with guilt. "Shhh..." she cooled gently, pushing the guilt behind her, "I'm here."

            Pan bitterly watched the two siblings, disgusted at how closely they clung to each other. He then loudly exhaled. "Alright, that's enough." He pulled Felix back by his cowl. Anne hurriedly wiped her eyes and conservatively stared at Pan, arms crossed.

            He sensed her sudden discomfort and furtively gazed at her, a smirk pulling at his lips. He met her side, laying a hand across her lower back. "Now, now," he spoke quietly, amused at the sprouting irritation in her features, "don't give me that look," he commanded lowly.

            She managed to sharply glare at him like she was a little girl again and that Pan had just taken her favorite toy. The thought that came to Peter's head when he realized he must have, another smirk made the corner of his mouth twitch. Because ironically enough, he felt the exact same way she did the moment Felix had to interrupt their little fun. He just obscured his spitefulness a little better than she did.

            "So," he began, reverting his eyes back on Felix, "why don't you tell your little sister what you told me..." he spoke slowly, narrowing his eyes.

            Felix had a ready grin on his face. "I told Pan I wanted to come back and work for him again, to protect you from Henry's family."

            Anne's eyes widened in slight horror and alarm. She swallowed roughly, paling. "But..." she managed to murmur, "what about..." her voice faded out. She blinked in hopes of Felix's words being a dream.

            "Our parents?" He finished for her. "We don't need them, we've never needed them," he said with a bitter tone in his voice.

            Anne's mouth dried as she continued to stare in shock. "Felix," she breathed.

            "I understand now. All that you said to them, you could never be more right. They are cowards, they don't deserve us, Anne," he spoke slowly with a concentration that intimidated her.

            Pan snickered softly, amused by the scene. Shivering at the small sound, Anne then moved away, taking hold of Pan's forearm. She pulled him away. Her head then shot in his direction. "What'd you do?" She quietly snapped, glaring at him.

            "I did nothing."

            "You're lying! This is some type of trick of yours!" She hissed fiercely, glaring harder.

            Snickering some more, Pan then carefully slid his hand up the side of her jaw, stroking her cheek with a thumb. "Now why would I take the time to do that?" He pursed his lips teasingly, watching her with a fake remorse in his big eyes.

            She suddenly reduced the space between their faces. "Are you kidding me??" Clenching her jaw, her gaze darkened. 

            Peter then narrowed his eyes, contemplating when another thought surfaced once he noticed the tiny space between their lips. "You know I could kiss you right now," he breathed, grinning.

            Furrowing her brows, Anne tore his hand off her cheek. She pressed a firm finger into his chest. "Not the point, you asshole." She glowered. "You must've given him a potion, he wouldn't just run back to you—especially not after all the horrible things you've done—"

            "Think again, baby sister," Felix spoke up. Anne looked over, dropping her hand. When she did, Pan abruptly snatched her wrist, making her stiffen in annoyance inside his grip. She glared at him some more.

            "Keep in mind, my little Anna, I didn't have to let him in," he mumbled lowly, eyes darkening.

            Anne ripped his fingers off her wrist, flicking her hair over her shoulder. "Please," she sassed, making her way back over to her brother. Pan lifted a brow, attentively watching her walk off. He crossed his arms. When she met her brother's side, Anne gazed up into his orbs of blue.

            She debated whether or not he had been telling the truth, that he had decided to return to Pan, or that he just pretended he had. She studied her brother in that moment, suspiciously narrowing her eyes to try and uncover whatever he may have been hiding. But his pools were clear of any deceit, and perhaps they were too clear.