Pan's Tiger

Chapter 5: Home is where the Heart is

And Peter Pan laughed at his own joke, and when he did, all the Lost Boys laughed too, because Peter's laugh was a most contagious thing.

They roared with laughter, smirking at one another as they watched me with curiosity. I confidently folded my arms in front of my chest, rather awkwardly under Pan's dagger, which was still lingering at my neck. Then I glared icily at the Lost Boys, which sadly only enhanced their laughter. 'It's just Lily.'

'What? Like a nickname?Like how you call Liam Jones your Captain?' Pan sneered, the Lost Boys still clutching their sore stomachs after laughing so hard. He could tell he was winding me up by mentioning one of the few people I trusted, along with Killian and Oliver, but even they couldn't protect me from the infamous, villainous and repulsive Peter Pan.

Pan walked up to me to inspect me more closely, bending his dagger until it was directly below my chin, but not engraving my skin.

'Or like Pan?' I replied loudly and the Lost Boy's laughter instantly became silent. One could hear a pin drop or the wind gently rustling the leaves. Peter Pan's eyes narrowed, his glare evident as he stared at me.

'Is this usually how you address a man that could easily kill you, Princess Tiger Lily?' Pan asked, daring me to reply as I had done before. I shuddered at my lengthened name, realising I hadn't used it since leaving him in his world to save his life.

Calling myself a Princess reminded me of everything I had left behind at the hands of Peter Pan, before I returned with Killian Jones and Liam Jones to find Dreamshade: my brother, my mother, my father, my friends, my kingdom and most importantly, my people. But if I hadn't, I would never have had Rumple or married Malcolm. He removed his dagger from under my chin and brought it upwards, sliding the blade across my cheek. A small trickle of blood oozed from my wound and at the painful sight, I shuffled nervously backwards.

'Is this usually how you attract a girl's attention?' I replied confidently, inhaling deeply to spite him and pulled myself up tall, trying to intimidate him. Honesty, my bleeding cheek seemed to drain all of the colour from my countenance, my breaths became short and jagged and my whole body quaked gently in fear. 'With a blade at her throat?'

'Only if that's what she likes, Tiger Lily.' He winked and I was easily beginning to loath the flirtatious side of Peter Pan more than the obnoxiously ruthless and violent side of him. The Lost Boys sniggered around him, delighting in the fact that the threat to Peter Pan was now being threatened by him. He then mused, 'Hmmm.... I definitely prefer Princess Tiger Lily than just Lily, actually.'

'Submission and weakness isn't my thing I'm afraid, Pan.' I replied sourly, but fear was definitely laced into my confident tone. My breaths became even shorter as Pan took another step closer to me, so his breath was hot on the back of my neck.

'That is irrelevant, Princess Tiger Lily,' he said emphasising his reluctance to use my preferred name. 'I prefer a more dominant approach and you will learn to cope.'

The Lost Boys forced another chuckle again and smirked at one another, enjoying how fearful I was becoming and Peter Pan's reluctance to back down.

'Why don't you just kill me, Pan? You are not gaining anything from this interrogation.' I pointed out and his smirk somehow managed to widen across his insolent visage.

'But that wouldn't be any fun now would it?' Peter Pan's body was pushed so close to my own that I was sure he could feel me shudder beneath him, causing him to wear a satisfied smile. When I didn't reply, he continued to ask, 'Did my appearance in Neverland, after such a long time in my world, come as a surprise to you, Princess Tiger Lily?'

'I was wondering when you'd visit, I knew that you wouldn't be able to live with the satisfaction of just letting the natives try and kill me, but it did take you a little longer than I though. Almost two years? I'm embarrassed for you!' I chortled unsubtly, watching Peter Pan gently slipped his tongue over his lips, the way he used to do when he wanted a girl to fall in love with him. I swallowed, allowing my heart to race, but not letting my fear show.