Lagoon ( Peter Pan x OC ) - OUAT fan faction

Chapter 5

Warnings: small mentions of murder
Word count: 1524

Aurora.

The trees in front of her were outlined with light, telling her she was getting very close to the beach of her homely lagoon. Despite the fact that she never felt quite at one with her shoal, or indeed the place where she lived, the idea that pirates may be roaming the island meant she found some comfort in having a safe haven such as this.
The lagoon itself acted like an amplifier of sound, so the mermaid's joyful laughs as they woke for the day usually carried far into the forest. This morning however, it was not laughter that echoed from wall to wall, but whispers. Upon hearing Calliopes whisper-shouts from the shore where she was perched, Aurora crouched behind a boulder to her left - just on the outer edge of the jungle. She didn't know exactly know what had possessed her to do it, but Calliope's whispers made her uneasy. Who would she be talking to at this hour of the morning?
A second mermaid that she didn't know swam from behind a rock, "are you sure this is a good idea Calliope?" The mermaid spoke quietly.
"Yes, yes I'm sure. She will be back any minute. I have the berries right here, it'll be an easy switch and we can rid this perfect island of her god forsaken existence Perinea. Isn't that what you want as well?" Calliope said to this mermaid name Perinea.
Her heart beat in her chest like that of a hummingbird, threatening to spill out of her mouth and stain her pretty white dress. It hurt. They were talking about her.
As slowly as she could manage, Aurora backed up from the tree line, hoping not to catch their attention. She was sure that they could hear her heartbeat, her breathing. Once she was far enough back, she turned and ran blindly through the forest. Branches hit her face but she batted them away with a determined force, keeping her mind focused on fleeing from Calliope and her horrible words.
Within seconds of running, it began to rain, and soon enough Aurora wasn't sure whether it was rain water or salty tears that were streaming down her face.

Pan.

"How far have the pirates gotten?" Peter questioned Felix impatiently.
"Devin is out there now, but whilst i was with him, they had advanced about 500 paces away from the east side of the island, heading south east. One of them died from a prick with some dream-shade, and the other three well..." Peter glared at him harshly, not appreciative of his dramatic pause for effect. Felix continued hurriedly: " two of them seem far more reluctant, but the final one is charging forward. Certainly their leader.". As Felix finished Pan began to nod to himself, looking at the ground in front of the unlit fire.
The rest of the boys had busied themselves around the camp, but Pan and Felix had met in the middle of the area; perching on the edge of two logs, they spoke of business. Or the closest you could get to business in a place like Neverland.
"That one is Killian. Fuck, I knew it would be him.". Peter simply sat for a second, looking up at the canopy above and considering his options. "We will keep watch of them in their obviously haphazard route to find our camp. I will have shadow watch the boat in case there are any more lovely pirates joining the escapade, and you and Devin will continue to watch Killian. I will meet him when the time is right, but when I do I want him weak and begging for mercy.". As he said those final words he stood, silently dismissing Felix from their meeting.
"Yes Pan." said Felix. 

Aurora.

The idea that Pirates may be roaming the island around her had been far less concerning for Aurora when Peter Pan had been at her side. A ruthless killer he may be, but perhaps she was learning to respect that part of him, or even enjoy the thrill behind it. What was wrong with her? She shook her head of thoughts of Pan, for now she had far more pressing issues.
Darkness was closing in on Neverland like a douter snuffing out an open flame. The rain had not ceased, the pelting on her skin had been so constant that she was sure it had made its way into her bones. Aurora was huddled against the trunk of an enormous tree. She had lost her bearings miles back and the feeling of being lost had become almost disorienting.
Shaking. She couldn't stop shaking. It was violent. She could go back. No, no she couldn't. They'd kill her. At this point, a fate that, she couldn't imagine would be any worse than this.
Within the hour her body started to shut down, and the noise of the rain became her biggest burden. It clamoured in her head like it was metal on metal, rather than water on moss. She had to stop herself from sleeping. Anything could get to her if she let herself lose consciousness. If pirates did not kill her, the cold would eat away at her until there was nothing left. Aurora didn't remember much after that. Just a body silhouetted in the rising moon that shone out of the dark. Perhaps it was an angel.

Pan.

He had to wake her. If she slept any longer, Pan felt his insides begin to burn at thought of what may happen to her.
He found Aurora at the foot of the enormous oak tree, not far from camp. Her dress was ripped from the hem and her elegant chestnut hair was disheveled around her muddied face. She was curled up like a hedgehog, obviously she had been trying to protect herself from the elements.
Pan bent down ruffly shaking her shoulders with one hand, and brushing the hair from her contorted features with the other. "Aurora. Aurora you have to wake up now! It isn't safe for you to sleep like this.". He cursed to himself under his breath. What would he do if she didn't wake up? He couldn't bring himself to bury another lost one. Not so soon.
Then she stirred. eye-lids fluttering, head turning, and Peter's wicked heart leapt into his throat. He didn't understand the sense of extreme relief washing over his body, but this time, he didn't try to stop this unfamiliar feeling.
"Are you an angel?" Her voice called out into the quiet forest, and Peter breathed a deep sigh upon hearing her speak.
"Not exactly love," Peter sighed, trying to regain some of his dignity after what he'd just felt. Aurora scrunched her small nose at him and pulled herself up onto her elbows.
"Oh no, far from angelic, I'd say more devilish." She said, smiling meekly.
"Watch your tone Aurora, you may have nearly died, but don't think that puts us on an equal playing field." He stood up and offered her his hand, which just as last time, she refused. Aurora made a futile attempt to stand, before stumbling over the uneven ground. Peter, on instinct, shot out his hands and caught her by the waist. He steadied her gently and helped her up to her full height. Time didn't move on Neverland, but if it did, it would have stopped to watch Aurora press herself into the most evil person to ever set foot on the island.
Pan could have sworn that he could feel the girl's heart beat against his, chests pressed together as she found her balance.
"I...uhh...thank you Pan. For waking me I mean." Aurora was stuttering for him, which he enjoyed far too much. Pan smirked down and the astounding young woman in his arms, and her voice broke the silence between them: "Now, I'll be fine on my own from here."
"What?" He let go of her.
"Yes I'll be just fine" her face said determined, but the wavering in her voice told him something different.
"There are pirates here Aurora. You spent your whole life in that fucking lagoon and -" he stopped himself. There was a more pressing question here: "Why did you leave them? You were safe there. Why did you leave?"
"I don't have to tell you anything, Pan." Aurora crossed her slender arms over her chest. He smirked and let his eyes trace over her form.
"This might be the right time tell you love, that the rain rendered that pretty little dress of yours shockingly see-through" he let his gaze wander down to her chest. God he needed to stop indulging himself in her.
Realisation dawned on Aurora's face and she gasped, "Pan! Give me your shawl." She demanded. He very slowly took the piece of cloth off of his shoulders and held it out to her. Before she could even grab for it, he pulled it just slightly out of her reach. A smirk grew from one side of his face to the other,
"tell me why you ran away." he countered her request.
"Fine."