It was the next morning after finding Wendy that Hook realized their rescue mission wasn't over.
As Felix and Tinkerbell took their turns sleeping, Hook looked over to where Wendy laid propped up against a tree with her head resting on one shoulder. He didn't know how she hadn't died earlier.
Hook remembered his brother. How convinced he was that their king had not sent them to gather poison to cheat at war. How he simply took the plant's thorn and cut his forearm without any hesitation.
The poison had crippling effects almost the second he cut himself with it. What could have possibly kept Wendy alive for three weeks?
Whatever had saved her in the cave was not saving her now. Hook saw the purple veins through her pale white skin of her arms. He watched as every hour they would branch out upward closer and closer to her heart.
Felix and Tink wanted to take her to Pan. They knew that he could cure her. The only problem was Ursula. She was at the camp still breathing as Wendy. Hook had a nagging feeling that Pan either wouldn't believe them, or he had already figured it out.
Maybe he had already become one of Ursula's victims himself.
He knew if be voiced his opinions aloud, Felix would go charging into the camp in attempt to save Pan. As far as loyalties go, Felix could very well get the rest of them killed. And Wendy didn't have that kind of time.
She needed what Pan used to cure his brother. The water of the Neverland youth spring. Hook remembered Pan's words clearly that day as he hunched over his brother in despair.
"I tried to warn you," Pan walk up to both men with a sad smile, "He'll die as soon as the poison reaches his heart."
Hook looked at him with pleading eyes, "Please. He's my brother, he's all that I have left-"
"Then maybe you shouldn't have talked him into it."
"He's so stubborn, I didn't mean to..." Then realization hit Killian.
"Can you help me?"
Pan sighed, "Well I might not feel like it, but today is your lucky day." The boy moved closer to where Killian's brother lay. "There is a way to stop him from dying."
Killian looked at the boy desperately, "Tell me."
Pan moved towards the Dreamshade thorn bushes that Killian recoiled from. With the wave of his hand, the vines came to life. They simply moved away from the middle of the rock that revealed the spring Killian would have never guessed was there.
"This spring. These waters are rich with the power of Neverland. It's what keeps this land and all on it so....young. If one was to drink directly from it, its powers can cure any ill." Pan shrugged as if it was no big deal.
"Thank you," Killian breathed and made his way towards the spring.
Pan gripped his arm, "But, I must warn you. All magic comes with a price. And that spring is no exception. Don't leave the island unless you're willing to pay it.
"Of course, whatever you want, it's yours." Without a backward glance he had filled his canister with the spring water and had given it to his brother.
Lone and behold he never realized what that price was. It only prolonged his suffering.
The sun began to set in the sky when Hook walked over to Felix and nudged his shoulder. Felix flinched awake and held his sword to Hook's throat. When he realized it was Hook, he took a shaky breath and put the sword down.
"OK, you need to seriously stop doing that when I wake you up, or I'm just going to wake Tinkerbell instead. She won't cut my head off." Felix gently whispered in her ear it was time to get up.
"That won't be necessary, Hook." He sighed, but rolled his eyes. It was funny that they were working together now. After all the years of them trying to kill each other....
"How is she?" Tinkerbell asked rubbing her eyes sleepily.
"It's getting closer to her heart." Hook replied as he watched Felix scoop Wendy up in his arms protectively. It was kind of like the protection an older brother offered his little sister.
"Will we make it in time, Felix?" She asked worriedly. Their gazes locked for a moment until Felix looked away.
"I don't know."
"She won't make it, Felix." Hook said still eyeing the corpse like Wendy.
"We have to try-"
"And what if trying gets her killed? What then?" Hook snapped.
"Hook, this is the only way. If we give up, she'll die for sure." Tinkerbell defended.
Hook looked at her shocked and then gave Felix a questionable glare.
"No, I didn't tell her about the other opinion. Frankly, she won't agree to it." Felix stated simply glaring at Hook.
"What other option?" Tinkerbell growled. Hook felt bad for her. Being on the run for so long was bound to its downside. She missed out on all the Neverland loopholes of dying gossip.
"We can take her to the Neverland's spring. It cures any ill." Hook whispered, his mind flashing back to his missed brother.
"Then why aren't we heading there now?" She asked and bent down to roll up the her sleeping bag.
"Because that spring has a price for whoever drinks from it, Tink," Felix replied, "And I don't think Wendy would want to pay that price."
"What would she have to give up?" Tinkerbell asked cautiously. Hook knew what she was thinking.
What else?
What else did Wendy Darling have to sacrifice? She left her family behind, her life. She lost Pan multiple times when each new villain declared their vengeance against him. She lost part of her humanity becoming a mermaid.
She hardly gained anything.
It was beyond Hook to figure out why Wendy didn't just break down.
"Drinking from the spring prevents you from leaving Neverland," Hook explained, "If you leave, as soon as your feet touch new soil, you will die."
"That's why we are wasting time. She wouldn't want this, Tink." Felix started walking with Wendy. Tink sighed and began to follow.
And then suddenly everyone stopped. Every thing stopped.
"Take me to the spring."
No one had spoken, but the voice was recognizably Wendy's. It was like everyones mind stopped working the second she put her voice in their heads.
Wendy was still limp in Felix's arms. Her eyelids fluttered for a split, her brow creased as if she was concentrating on something.
"Take me."
Tinkerbell reacted first. She dropped her sleeping bag and moved to Felix. She put a hand on Wendy's cheek.
"Are....are sure? You've....suffered so much." Tink looked like she was about to burst into tears.
"Yes."
Tink nodded and started packing up the camp. Felix turned to Hook and jerked his chin to the left indicating he wanted him to lead the way.
And then they were soon running, for with each passing moment the Dreamshade was spreading through Wendy's body closer to her heart.
It was a race they had to win.
~~~~~~~~
Ursula stood over the unconscious Peter Pan's body. It was over. Her well thought out plan, all of it, gone.
Ursula concentrated. She thought of how vivid green his eyes were. How endlessly deep they were, how vindictive. She imagined his deep voice that perfectly articulated an English accent. Even when his voice shouts, you couldn't help but admire.
She bent down and ran a hand through his silky bronze hair with Wendy's fingertips. She traced his sharp jawline, his nose, his perfect lips.
After her examination she turned on her heel and headed to the Lost Boys camp.
She spotted Rudolph immediately. In fact, spying on Wendy, Ursula made sure she knew every identity on the island. Rudolph sat on a high tree branch near the bonfire watching the other Lost Boys dance around the fire. At the sight of her approach, he lept off the tree and jogged up to her.
"Pan." He greeted.
Ursula almost smiled, but forced it back.
She displayed a frustrated expression, "I need you to do something for me." She gritted her teeth along with the act. Secretly loving the copied version of the voice she loved so much.
"Anything," Rudolph replied simply, but his hazel eyes narrowed in secret resentment. Pan may not pay attention to what his Lost Boys think of him, but his glare unsettled Ursula.
"Felix and Tinkerbell have betrayed us all. I need you to take Zealand and Victor to find them. Bring them back alive, I'll need them for questioning." Ursula watched Rudolph's eyes widen to the new information.
"How exactly has Felix betrayed us?" He asked in disbelief. Ursula knew very well that Felix was like an older brother to the Lost Boys. It was risky sending a Lost Boy to do her dirty work, but she had to carry out her plans with Pan.
"He has kidnapped my Wendy. They plan to break out of Neverland." Rudolph shut his eyes a moment as the information slapped him in the face.
"We will go tomorrow," Rudolph opened his eyes and looked over his shoulder at the other boys, "So we don't alarm anyone."
"Very well, just...." Ursula mirrored Pan's face to look pained, "Bring her back to me."
Rudolph nodded and then fled into Felix's tent.
It was all an act.
She would kill them all.
~~~~~~~~
Wendy hurt. Everything hurt. As the poison crept closer and closer up her body, the pain maximized.
Somehow she remained still. She didn't scream or thrash around in Felix's arms. Wendy didn't want to distract them from finding her cure. She stayed silent by reminding herself that the longer she stayed silent, the quicker the pain would stop.
They were headed to the spring now. From what Wendy could see between eye flutters, Hook was scouting ahead while Tink guarded their flank. All Wendy could do was remember. Remember the night Pan had carried her back to camp. How good it felt to have his arms supporting her. Having that sense of protection. With Felix it felt wrong. Then again, if things were different, he wouldn't voluntarily carry her at all.
Wendy didn't feel safe. If anything it felt like she had never been saved. Like Ursula was still there laughing at her in her delusional state. She will never again forget those piercing sea colored eyes. Never forget the sharp, jet black hair the announced her presence.
All Wendy wanted was to forget. Maybe if she tried hard enough, she could spiral herself into another delusion. Maybe she could go back to Pan in London. Maybe she could love him in the humanly way. They could get married, have kids, go to-
"Something's wrong." Tink's voice cut through Wendy's thoughts.
And then all four of them could hear it.
The almost silent footsteps of their hunting party.
"He sent the Lost Boys after us?" Hook asked Felix alarmed.
"No not him, her." Felix replied and started to sprint. Tink and Hook took off behind him.
Her. Of course it was. Wendy quickly mustered up enough to strength to reach out to Pan. Still unsure how to use the magic she placed on Hook and Tinkerbell's dreams, her breathing accelerated.
Pan wasn't there. Something was indeed wrong. Wendy couldn't read him. She was able to read Tink even when she thought she was dead. She was able to do more than she thought being trapped in a cave. But right then she got the aching feeling Pan was out of her grasp for good.
Wendy couldn't reach him.
"Hook, we need to get there now! Wendy, stop fighting me!" She didn't realize she was thrashing against Felix. Her mind went numb to the undeniable pain of losing Peter Pan.
She tried to put another thought in their heads. Something to make them turn around. Pan was the one in danger. It was a rouse. A trap. Wendy's life was a distraction.
Wendy's heart was failing on her. She realized all the magic she had used had simply diminished all the time she had left on this earth.
"We're almost there."
Almost wasn't enough time. Wendy could feel the blackness creep in the corners of her vision. Everything was lost.
And then she fell limp against Felix's chest.
~~~~~~~~
Finally Hook found the familiar vines.
"Felix help me cut these!" Hook rushed to the vines and quickly but carefully began to saw them apart with his sword. But Felix didn't help.
Hook turned around and made the mistake of looking at Felix's face. It was filled with grief and self loathing. Tink was slapping at Wendy's face trying to stir her sleep while anxiously looking at the jungle.
"Felix!" Hook yelled.
"Hook, she's gone." Felix whispered.
"No, the spring can help her! Felix we have to get her to drink it, we have to-"
"Hook, Wendy is dead. The Lost Boys are after us. We can't stay here if we want to stay alive."
Hook shook his head vigorously.
Tinkerbell fell to her knees and sobbed quietly.
"Now what do we have here?"
The voice came out of nowhere. Felix gripped Wendy's body protectively away from the voice. Hook and Tink unsheathed their swords and pointed the tip at the scaled reptilian man before them.
His repulsive reptile-like gold eyes flickered with amusement at the scene. But his gaze soon locked on Wendy.
"You know, the young girl's heart stopped beating, sure. But she's not dead yet. In about.....a minute or so, she will be."
"Crocodile." Hook finally said. He took a step forward and pressed his blade to the creatures throat.
"What do you want, Rumple?" Felix asked harshly through his teeth.
"I simply want to reunite you with your friend here."
"Like hell," Tink spat.
"I can go into more detail about my reasoning if you'd like, but I'm afraid it would be too late for her..." Rumplestiltskin looked at Hook with a twisted smile.
As much as Hook hated the Crocodile, as much as he wished to plunge his sword through the man's throat, Wendy was more important than any of it. Hook lowered his sword and jerked his head towards the girl. Tink looked at him as if he was crazy, but Hook ignored her.
He watched as Felix lowered Wendy to the rocky floor. Watched as Rumple knelt down so close to the girl's face he could simply kiss her if he wished to. Hook fought the urge to rip him off of her body.
Rumple placed his ear to where her heart once beat and simply snapped his fingers.
The Crocodile danced away from her just in time as she lunged forward with both hands on her heart. Her gasps where wild. Her face had the color that had been stripped by the poison. The purple veins that encircled her heart had vanished.
"Welcome back to the Land of the Living, Miss Darling."
Rumple laughed in delight twiddling his thumbs as Wendy looked wildly around her.
And while Tinkerbell had thrown herself at Wendy and cooed over and over again that she was alright and safe, the faraway look in her brown eyes told Hook the truth.
Wendy was far from alright.
Quotes from the OUAT show were used in the flashback of Killian's brother.
I'm sorry I took awhile to update, February is a very busy month for me. Thank you for your patience. :)
~~~~~~~~7 Chapters Left