Hearts Fall Unnexpectedly

The Reunion

Pan notices that not all boys have joined, and she looks at the remaining one. Ricky is standing there with tears in his eyes and he's very obviously conflicted. He wants to go hug his big sister, who he calls mama and has since Peter brought him home and claimed him, but he doesn't want to be left again. She's technically the first one who left out of the lost family, followed by Peter, Felix, and their last brother, Asher.

Pan lets go of the other boys and slowly walks over to her baby brother. She crouches in front of him and gently wipes away his tears with her thumb, "Come on Rick, I'm home. I'm not going anywhere again, I promise."

"B-But Papa a-and Felix a-and Ashy left too. W-Why didn't you go with them?"

Pan's heart breaks at the sight of the boy sobbing in front of her and she gently pulls him into a hug. Once her arms are fully around him, he completely breaks and she seats him in her lap. He bawls and sobs and she tries to whisper sweet nothings into his ear and she rubs his back soothingly. After a few minutes, he finally calms down to the point of talking again.

"Why didn't you go with them?" Ricky mumbles in his sister's ear.

"Because you guys are my boys," Pan answers without hesitation. "Sure, I love all the lost boys, but you guys are the ones that I have been raising and I am closest with. You're my baby brother, bubs."

Ricky hugs the girl tighter. Pan takes a look around and realizes there are still three boys unaccounted for.

"Where are they?"

Malachi and Viktor take a glance at each other before the older boy sighs and turns back around toward their mother, "Ambrose doesn't leave your old treehouse much, and Orion is busy.."

Viktor slaps Malachi on the stomach to make him stop talking, and Pan raises an eyebrow at the two. Both boys look down, not wanting to see her face because they know they'll give in.

"Busy doing what?"

"Taking care of Bae.."

Pan scrunches her eyebrows and tilts her head in confusion, "Why is he taking care of him?"

Malachi gulps, "He's..uh..he's really sick."

Those words make her stomach drop. The thought of losing one of her boys sends her into a frenzy. She must've asked where they were because Malachi tells her they're in her father's old tent and she's rushing in there. When she opens the tent, Orion flips around and when he sees the girl he immediately starts crying and he runs into her arms.

"M-mama."

Pan sighs and holds the boy tight. He's one of the boys who really only calls her that when he's really upset or really tired and doesn't realize he said it. This was definitely a mix of both. The boy had clear exhaustion written all over his face and she could understand why. No seven year old should have to take care of a four, almost five, year old. She picks the young boy up and walks closer to the sick boy. She almost starts to cry again when she sees how pale his tan skin looks.

"Ori, I need you to get out of here. You're going to get sick."

"What?!" The boy sits up in shock, "No, I need to take care of him. And besides, you'll get sick!"

"No, I won't, hun," Pan eases the boy's fears, "I've got him now. Please, go get some rest, you're obviously tired."

He tries to argue, but a yawn cuts him off and he sighs before removing himself from her arms. He kisses the little boy on the forehead, and makes his way to his own tent. Pan turns to the little boy and lifts her hand to feel his forehead. The temperature of his skin is so hot, it makes Pan retract her hand quickly. She uses her magic to summon a bucket of cold water and a rag. Technically, she should be taking a rest from using her magic, but when it comes to her boys, she doesn't care about herself.

Feeling the cooling sensation on his head, Baelfire opens his eyes and whimpers when he sees Pan.

"My brain is being mean again, mama's not here."

Pan starts to cry at the little boy's words. She uses one hand to gently press the cold cloth onto his face and uses the other to play with his hair, something he has always loved.

"No, little one, I'm here. It's not a trick."

His eyes open more and when they connect with hers, they start to water, "Mama?"

"Hi, honey, I'm home."

The sick boy leans up and wraps himself around her neck and starts to bawl, much like all the other boys have. As Pan clutches her sick boy, her dislike for Ben and Auradon grows as she wishes she was never chosen. Never taken away from her boys. Maybe then they would all be on Neverland living their best life. Maybe then Baelfire wouldn't be sick. Maybe then her father wouldn't have abandoned all of them.

Pan holds the boy for the rest of the night, using her magic here and there to summon things for them. Around 7PM, Pan summons food for all the boys, but she stays in the tent with their littlest one. The rest of the boys come in here and there, mostly to say goodnight and give the girl another hug, still not believing she is truly home, and checking on their little brother before making their way to their tents.