Peter knew it was risky, but he had to figure out his next move. He recalled his exchange with the Dark One earlier today.
Peter entered Mr. Gold's shop looking for answers. After everything that had happened, Mr. Gold and Belle had settled in Storybrooke and raising their child Gideon. It was still surprising to see the Dark One taking part in such a mundane activity. Belle saw Peter walking in and held Gideon in her arms even tighter.
"Where is he?" Peter asked through gritted teeth.
"Calm your tone," Mr. Gold walked out from the back, "The baby is asleep."
Peter narrowed his green eyes. Mr. Gold sighed, "Belle, please go to the back. I'll handle things here."
Belle nodded her head and hurried back. Mr. Gold presided behind the counter, "I didn't think I would be seeing you this soon, old friend."
"So you are aware of what is happening too, aren't you?" Peter asked him seriously.
Mr. Gold's eyes darkened, "Yes."
The graveness of the situation was apparent to both men. Mr. Gold looked down and murmured, "I had a vision of what is to come."
His tone was grim and Peter braced himself for the news. His eyes went wide as Mr. Gold gave him a brief glimpse of the future. When he was done, Peter punched a mirror. Mr. Gold sighed at his former friend's anger. His hand was bleeding and no doubt Elle would be concerned.
He waved his hand over and healed it with magic. Peter mumbled a thanks and Mr. Gold advised him, "The future isn't fluent. What I see is the most probable event. As time progresses, what I saw will be one step closer to becoming a reality."
"Is there any way to stop this?" Peter asked him, "You're the bloody Dark One."
Mr Gold was silent on the matter. After a few minutes of not speaking, The Dark One gave Peter a tense look, "You know as well as I, the position we are put in."
Peter frowned, "I hate this position. I had hoped it was all behind me. I see there is no other choice. I have to return to the game and this time... There is no other choice than victory."
Peter hated being at the disadvantage. Due to this meeting and new information, he was forced to miss working at the restaurant. He had planned to be back in time before Elle's shift so she wouldn't suspect anything. Peter sighed, knowing Elle was already at the restaurant. He could not face her.
Instead he visited the library and decided to read some books while he waited for them to make their move. He headed home and was startled by a dagger trapping him on the wall. Elle came into view and Peter rubbed his temple trying to keep calm. He had to repair the wall tomorrow.
As the phone rang and Elle answered, he sensed her fearful tone. When she hung up, Peter was taken off guard by Hope going missing. How far could the four year old have gone?
They arrived in the woods as the storm grew bigger. They made it to a fork in the road and Peter splits off from his wife and treks deeper into the forest. The trees shook with the winds and the rain blinded him. His clothes were soaked and he feared his wife's and Hope's safety.
Peter arrived at a clearing and cracked a smile as he closed his eyes, "So this is how you wanted to meet, I must say, you were always one for the dramatics."
Peter didn't need magic to sense the presence behind him. The voice was all the confirmation that he needed to know who he was dealing with.
"What can I say," the voice replied, "It's part of my aesthetic."
Peter turned to face the light haired boy who appeared to be around his age, but Peter knew better. His green eyes flickered to the pan flute in the boy's hand. The boy smiled and placed his hands in his pockets.
"I have to say, there are so many more interesting places than this small mortal town," the boy said bored, "It suits you."
Peter clenched his jaw at the boy, "What business do you have with this town?"
"Business?" The boy laughed darkly, "I have no quarrel with this town, but with you. However, I guess the town is a consolation prize for what I'm really after."
"And what would that be?" Peter asked hiding his fear.
Before he could open his mouth, he heard his wife's voice shout throughout the woods, "Hope!"
"Elle..." Peter murmured and then looked at the boy's golden eyes.
"What have you done to Hope?"
"Hope?" The boy scoffed, "What kind of name is that? Hope? Such a trivial word. Such an easy thing to crush between my hands."
"If you hurt one hair on her head..." Peter threatens and the boy cuts him off.
"You'll what?" the boy chuckled, "You are powerless. I've watched you since then and how your empire crumbled beneath your feet. You are just a man while I am something more. I've already crossed paths with your darling little Elle. How such a powerful woman could choose you to love. How pathetic really. She had the god of the Underworld himself wrapped around her little finger and yet she gave it all up for you."
Hades was a bitter memory that both he and Elle tried to block from memory. The dark fate that ensnared them for so long had ended five years ago. Five years they lived in peace. His green eyes were on guard when faced with the figure from his past.
"Elena Weston..." the boy recalled, "Also known as the vessel to Persephone, Queen of the Underworld. Such power lies deep inside of her. Such strength. I came across her in town and must say that she is quite divine."
"You stay away from her," Peter says through gritted teeth.
"Or what?" the boy smirked, "You think I care if she is a married woman? Who is going to stop me?"
To prove his point, the boy punched Peter's face and he crashed into the tree. he grunted and rose to his feet while the boy stepped towards him, "I prove my point. Though she is quite distant of me as was that rotten child. Well... The one thing children are good at is being the perfect bait."
The very thought of Hope being used as bait left Peter angry. The boy picked up a pile of dead leaves and blew them towards Peter. In midair, they transformed into shards of glass. They sliced Peter's face and the boy smiled watching the blood stem from the wounds.
The boy sighed, "Atlas I would love to stay here and catch up with you, but I have other fun matters to tend to. But let me tell you, I'm just getting started."
Peter unsheathed his dagger and hurled it towards the boy. The boy casually caught the blade between his fingers and glanced over his shoulder at him, "How amusing this game will be, Peter."
The low laughter from the boy as he disappeared left Peter fuming. he tore off a branch and snapped it in his hands pretending it was the boy's neck. A clash of thunder above him caused Peter to lift his head to the skies murmuring, "Pan..."
He loathed the god for what he had started long ago and vowed that he would no longer be powerless. But in doing so, he'd be taking a step back into the darkness. Time passed as Peter stood, reeling from the interaction. He finally returned to the entrance of the woods to find Elle asleep on the park bench. Her clothes were soaked and water fell down her face. Peter frowned at the sight.
Elle looked uninjured, but Peter knew the heroes told her to go home. She must have come back after Peter had not left. Peter stepped towards her and knelt down by his wife. He brought his hand to her cheek and Elle stirred slightly. Her eyes slowly opened alarmed before settling on him. A tired smile danced across her face, "You're okay."
"Why didn't you go back home?"
"I couldn't sleep without knowing you were home with me," Elle whispered.
"You're so stubborn," Peter chastised his wife.
Elle smiled again and yawned, "You knew that when you decided to marry me."
"I guess I did," Peter joked, "Let's get home, alright?"
Elle nodded her head and Peter picked her up bridal style. The rain was slowly letting up and the cloudy sky gave way to the star filled sky. Peter stopped at Elle's words and they both looked up at the constellations in the night sky. Both adults smiled at the beautiful sight.
"It's just like Neverland, huh?" Elle murmured.
"Indeed," Peter said, but the back of his mind lingered on Neverland and the past.
The past when he had powers. He ruled the island and no one went against him. Those were the days where he was powerful enough to rival anything. Now he was reduced to a mortal man. his eyes darkened in deep thought of what he had become.
The way he was now, the happy husband, has always been enough in protecting and providing for him and Elle. They ran a successful business and had everything they could ever want. With the resurface of an old enemy, Peter began to question if what he had was enough.
"Your face..." Elle trembled.
Peter looked into her hazel eyes as she reached her hand up to cup his cut cheeks from the glass shards from Pan.
"What happened?" She asked him worried.
"I fell," Peter lied.
"You weren't the only one," Elle tells him.
"What happened?" Peter tightened his hold on his wife.
"I fell down a small ravine," Elle informed him, "I didn't look where I was going. But I was able to find Hope thankfully."
"That's good," Peter said relieved, "She wasn't injured was she?"
Elle shook her head, "Bedsides being afraid, she was no worse for wear. Hook and Emma took her home. Though I wonder, what compelled her to come out here? My little sister is a good girl, she never would leave without an adult and much less go to the woods out of all places. What called her out here and why?"
Peter looked in the direction of the woods they just left. He had no doubt in what had drew Hope to the woods. Like a spider who weaved his web for the unassuming butterfly, Pan was calculative knowing that Elle would always be there to protect Hope.
"Say Elle," Peter asks her as they enter their home.
"Yeah?"
"Have you met anyone new in town?"
They entered their bedroom and changed into pyjamas. Elle put her shirt on and answered, "Now that you think about it, when I couldn't find you earlier today, there was a new face in the diner. It was someone who looked our age. There was something about him that caused alarms to go off in my head. I saw him again in the woods when I found Hope."
Peter stiffened at his wife's words. It would seem Pan had gone through with his word and encountered Elle. That must've been his plan, separating Elle and Peter who searched for Hope. Elle stood behind him and grasped his hands. It was only then that Peter realized that he had clenched his fists tightly at his sides.
"Peter?" Elles says concerned.
Peter turned to look at Elle, "Don't trust that boy, Elle."
"Do you know who he is?"
"No," Peter lied again, "But I have a bad feeling about him."
"It's not like we can avoid him," Elle frowned, "He hasn't done anything wrong to the town just yet. Besides, he helped us find Hope."
Hearing Elle defend Pan not knowing his ulterior motives annoyed Peter. His wife was too trusting and shed her tough exterior since getting her fresh start in Storybrooke.
"Come on," she said to him, "Let's head to bed."
The couple went into the bed and Elle dozed off. Peter, meanwhile found himself unable to sleep. He thought of this evening's events and took it as a sign that he needed to change.
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