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

A Little Bit of Spine

            Waking to the sounds of softly running water, Anne found herself laying on top of a rock. Throttled into a panic as she regained her consciousness, her eyes shot around in alarm. She had been sleeping just below moonlight, in the middle of a creek. Before she could get up, a voice ripped her attention away.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Peter spoke, diagonal from her as he picked up a bowl of bloody water. Having rung out the stained cloth, he was fully dressed again and began walking toward variously sized rocks of the creek bed. Hurriedly climbing up anyway, Anne almost staggered back into the water as he nearly dashed his way across the rocks that led her way.

Her breath visible and crisp against the air, Anne stole a glance toward the quite strangely high bank--behind her. The other side was just behind Pan's body as he continued toward her. She then shot a glance down into the softly rippling water surrounding her moss-covered, bed like rock. "You think I'm scared of a little bit of water??" She then breathlessly spoke with amused disbelief.

With a short laugh, Peter was watching his feet as he stepped onto a few rocks away from her. "I should probably mention that I've planted various knives throughout the creek bed--blade side up. I've slowed the current, haven't you noticed?" He gestured to the water around them.

Narrowing her vision, she never took her eyes off him. "You're bluffing," she wanted to believe.

"Am I?" He smirked. Dumping out the contaminated water, he dropped the rag inside his bowl. His brows raised expectantly. While the lost girl didn't want to believe him, she stayed put just in case.

"What's with the change of scenery?" She suddenly asked, addled that they were elsewhere rather than still inside the tree house, 'safe and sound'. "I thought you wanted to 'break' me," she added with a bitterness tainting her voice, a sadness and disappointment lingering in her eyes that he'd even attempt to steal something so valuable from her.

Carefully setting the bowl behind him, Peter clasped his hands together. "If you don't recall...you stabbed me. I needed to clean the wound--"

"I remember," she shot toward him, not even the least bit of remorse for him in her cold gaze. There was a long pause before she almost immediately changed the subject. "I know what happened to her, Peter...your precious Lydia, and why you're so determined to hurt me," tears pricked in her eyes, "why you're so determined to ruin my life..."

Peter's jaw clenched at the sudden uncomfortable topic of conversation. Though he had prepared for this ahead of time. The sound of her name still stung. He hesitated before speaking again. "Is that so?" His eyes narrowed.

Anne then roughly swallowed. "That Rumple's your son--"

The suspicion from Peter's face fled, his chest instantly clenching as his breathing hitched. This, he hadn't prepared for.

~ ~ ~

As Hemlock wandered back off into the shadows of the forest, he didn't catch that he was being followed. His work was done from what Pan had told him; he avoided answering questions, played the good messenger boy he was supposed to.

The other boys had been following the protocol, by obligation--under the shadow keeper's rule, along with the forgotten ones. Henry's rescuers didn't know it, but the lost boys were all in captivity. One by one, they were becoming wolves just as the group pieced together. Only certain lost boys were given the privilege of free will until they were called upon.

As Hemlock walked, he could begin to sense that he was, in fact, being followed. Though he knew it wasn't Pan. Obscuring himself inside a bush, he peered out as a lost boy wandered through his trail: Benjamin. Picking up a large rock from behind the bush, Hemlock then jumped out and hit the boy over the head.

As Benjamin sank to the ground, Hemlock tossed the rock. He then pulled the boy up by his clothes, catching groans and moans of pain Benjamin was making. Meeting the hardly conscious boy's eyes, Hemlock watched as Benjamin's head weakly fell back. "You know you could've just asked to come with me," Hemlock then mentioned sarcastically, before he dropped the lost boy to the forest floor.

~ ~ ~

"We have to tell them, John," Isabelle mumbled shakily to her husband as they struggled following the rushing group, trying to get back to the Jolly Roger. Clinging to her husband as he acted as if he couldn't hear her, Isabelle then yanked him back. "John, please," she pleaded lowly, tears brimming her eyes. As Hook passed them, Isabelle turned her back to him, her husband's confused expression lingering in her eyes.

"We have to--we don't have a choice, they'll leave otherwise!"

Hesitant at first, John quickly nodded through his slight shock. He was still having a hard time comprehending the news they had received not that long ago about their daughter being pregnant.

The moment Isabelle got his nod, she whirled around. "WAIT!" She pulled her husband over as Regina mumbled in frustration. She tried to keep walking until Isabelle blocked her. "Stop, please!"

"GET out of my way!" Regina snapped, shoving her to the side--before the group was startled by a loud gasp.

"HENRY!" Emma panicked when she saw that John had pulled Henry back with a knife to his throat.

"Get you damn hands off my son!!" Neal demanded.

"Please, just listen!" Isabelle managed as she climbed out of the bush she was shoved into, rushing over to guard her husband.

Henry struggled in the man's grip, helplessly.

"We won't hurt him, as long as you give us a chance!" Isabelle cried.

"NO ONE touches my son!" Regina snarled, lighting a purple orb in her hand--preparing to throw it at Isabelle. When it was thrown, Isabelle pulled back to the side and the orb struck Henry's chest. As John fell back into a tree, Henry sunk down in his arms.

Panicking immediately rousing, everyone rushed over with impending devastation. Isabelle hurriedly pulled John away as the group surrounded a fading Henry.

"Everyone, move!" Neal demanded, leaning down to feel for breathing.

As John gathered his feet, the Beastly parents watched in pure shock--holding their breath.

"He's not breathing!" Neal panicked angrily, beginning to perform CPR on the boy.

"Regina, what did you do?!" Emma cried, tears spilling from her eyes.

Tears glistening in her own eyes, Regina pulled herself to her feet as terror read on her face and stared at her hands.

"What?!" Rumple hissed fiercely, pulling everyone back. Before they could protest, Rumple shoved his hand in the boy's chest. He searched the boy's chest almost desperately. Stunned in the face, he pulled his empty hand back out. "It's not there," he spoke, distress reading on his face. "It's not there!"

"What..." Emma breathed shakily, her moist eyes widened.

"What the hell are you talking about?? What do you mean it's not there??" Neal yelled.

Too stunned to answer, Rumple slowly climbed to his feet, backing away when he searched his memories and recognized the circumstance.

"Pan took it," he whispered, "Pan took Henry's heart."