The Monster Inside Peter Pan (ouat)//(Robbie Kay)

Chapter Fifty Eight

"No! I..." I didn't know what to say. I looked pleadingly at Ian, hoping that he'd rise to my aid. After all, he was the most fond of Ethan after me, and was the most likely to agree with me. "Ian?"

He didn't meet my eyes and looked instead at the wooden traceries on the table and shrugged. "He does have a right to be present."

If even Ian had sided with Sam and Ethan, I knew that it would be useless to debate further. I sank back down in my chair, glaring daggers at the three of them. Sam took place next to me and Ethan sat on Ian's other side.

Felix cleared his throat. "So, now that that's settled, can we get started?" No one said anything so he continued. "Ali, you're the one who wanted to call this meeting. Care to inform us what it's about?"

I nodded at took a shaky breath, calming my nerves. I knew it wasn't going to be easy to convince the others. I knew I wasn't going to be able to convince Pan, I was just hoping to convince enough other Lost Boys to agree with my idea.

"You all know by now that I have the heart of the truest believer," I said loudly and clearly. There wasn't a single noise in the hut. "You all also know that if Pan doesn't get my heart, he'll soon die. In fifteen to twenty years, I was told." I could feel the tension emanating from Pan but I didn't look at him, instead, I fixed my eyes on Jake. "If that time comes and Pan dies, who knows what will happen? First of all, how do we know that the island of Neverland itself doesn't disappear. Or what if his Shadow tears all of ours from our bodies until we're all dead? Or what is most likely to happen, what do you think is the first thing the Dark One will do once he learns that Pan, the only person keeping him  from killing us all, is dead?" There were a few unsettled murmurs.

"But Ali, you can't possibly be saying that you-" I held up a hand to silence Ian.

"What I'm saying is that we can't let Pan die. I'm not simply talking about two lives, about who's going to live and who's going to die. If I die to give my heart to Pan, that's the only life that'll have to be lost. If I don't give him my heart and Pan dies, he sure as hell won't be the last one to die. So this is what I'm asking you; don't you agree that one life, my life, should be sacrificed to save so many others?"

Before any murmured conversations could even start, Pan spoke up.

"There's no bloody way in hell that I'm letting you do this!"

"But it isn't up to you," Felix reminded him quietly. "It's up to all of us, it's all of our lives were talking about. We have a right to decide as much as you do."

Pan slammed his fist against the table. "To hell you do!" He shouted. "I'm not letting this happen! Do I have to remind you all who has the power here?" All the Lost Boys flinched back as if they were reminded of the unpleasant time he'd had to.

One brave and possibly suicidal Lost Boy got to his feet. Rufio, I thought his name was. He was completely enraged that Pan was ready to sacrifice all of them for me. "It's not up to you! We all have a right to choose what happens! Just because she's your own personal slut doesn't mean that we all have to die for her!"

In an instant Rufio was slammed against the wall so hard I heard a crack, his feet were dangling above the ground and Pan was holding him by the throat. Even with a few inches Rufio had gained, Pan was still towering over him.

"Excuse me?" He snarled, his eyes flashing scarlet. "How dare you insult Alianna or me like that?" He slammed Rufio's head against the wall, harder each time, until the wood was stained red. "I think I should teach you all a lesson of obedience and respect."

He plunged his hand inside Rufio's chest and brought out his heart. No one dared move except me. I snapped into action, I couldn't have Pan kill anyone, especially not because of me. I reached the two of them and tugged at Pan's arm, trying to make him snap out of it but nothing happened. His eyes had turned scarlet as he glared at Rufio and he started tightening his grip around his heart. The already half unconscious Lost Boy's breath hitched and he groaned in pain. I didn't know what to do, he was only seconds away from death, I had to do something. Out of pure desperation and lack of any other ideas, I did the only thing that seemed logical.