Chapter Status: Edited.
Regina sits beside her son, looking down at his pale face with her hand tightly gripping his. She knows he will survive, but how he will live if Tahlia were to die, she has no idea.
"Regina, you should go home, it's getting late," Dr Whale says softly.
She looks away from her son's face and stands up slowly, she then turns to face Dr Whale. It is then he sees her bloodshot eyes, her cheeks stained with tears, but there were very few left to see. She does not say anything as she walks past him and leaves the building.
Dr Whale sighs and looks at Henry, "you better wake up kid, I don't know what's going to happen to your mother if you don't."
He looks away and turns off the light, having no idea what is going on inside of Henry's head.
Dancing, howling, screams of joy. Neverland has never been so alive, celebrating the awaited return of their saviour, and her companion. This group of boys do not like Henry that much, considering that he is the reason that Tahlia had left last time. But if Tahlia likes him, then they are not going to complain.
"Do they do this every night?" Henry questions curiously.
"You've been here before, more than twice, you should know," Tahlia replies, her eyes not leaving the boys in front of her.
"Tahlia!" Fletcher shouts as he runs over to her.
Tahlia smiles at the very sight of her favourite lost boy.
"Come play the drums with us," he begs.
She looks at Henry, and he smiles lightly, telling her she can go. She smiles back, not noticing the sadness on his face as she stands up and follows Fletcher.
"She really likes it here, you know?" Jamie says, sitting down where Tahlia had previously been seated.
"You don't need to remind me," he mumbles grumpily.
"We're not trying to take her away from you, but you know if she does decide to stay."
Jamie does not need to finish for Henry to know what he is thinking.
"Why would she want to stay? Her whole life is back in Storybrooke, her friends, her family," he reminds him, yet the confliction upon his face is evident.
Jamie sighs, "I'm not saying she's going to stay, but Neverland has been her home longer than Storybrooke has. The lost boys are her family, and she's been thinking about coming back," Jamie explains softly.
"That's if she wakes up," Henry hisses.
Jamie looks at him with pity, "you don't have much faith in her, you were once the boy with the heart of the truest believer," Jamie frowns.
"Of course I have faith in her, I just don't know if she's going to make it this time. And if she dies and I live I..." he looks away. "I don't know what I'll do without her."
"You love her, I get it, but Tahlia always survives, good always wins, remember that."
And with those words, Jamie stands and walks away.
"Henry!" Tahlia hugs him from behind and he instantly smiles, "come join us!"
Henry stands and follows her over to the drums, Fletcher, Kane, and a few of the younger boys stand and sit around three large drums. Tahlia sits behind the drum in the middle and Henry sits behind the one to her right. Tahlia grabs two of the sticks and begins to drum to the beat of the others that sit on the other side of the fire.
Henry and Fletcher join in, and soon the boys dancing around the fire howl louder. But the drumming and singing stops when a familiar tune starts, Pan's tune. Henry frowns, he knows what is being played, but he cannot hear it, everything around him is silent. But he forgets his own thoughts when he notices Tahlia listening to it intently.
"You can hear it?" he whispers to her.
She looks at him with sadness in her eyes, yet she does not speak, nodding slightly before turning to look at Pan. Henry tosses his sticks to the side and stands up before walking hurriedly into the forest.
"Henry!" Tahlia yells in a hushed tone, following after him. "Henry stop, you'll get lost in here!"
Henry stops in his tracks and turns to look at her, she stops a metre from him, yet can see the anger in his eyes clearly, burning brightly in the darkness of the night. He does not speak at first, but soon the words come tumbling out.
"You want to be here, don't you?"
"I mean, I don't mind being here, but that doesn't mean I'd rather be here than at home," she answers.
"Well you're obviously confused as to where home is if you can hear that stupid song!" he shouts.
"I know where I belong Henry, Peter's just doing this to mess with your head, that's the type of guy he is!"
"How am I supposed to believe anything you're saying when you're hiding things from me?" he asks.
"Hiding what?" she asks, frowning.
"If you know where you belong then why are you lost?" he demands, she turns away from him. "Tahlia just tell me for christs sake!"
"Fine! When I killed Jadis and Jack, it felt good, and something inside me wants to kill again. That's not me Henry, something is wrong with me and that's why I'm lost!" she screams.
Henry looks at her in shock, not knowing what to say.
"Now just go back to camp, please," she begs, her voice dropping.
Henry nods and walks away, not wanting to argue with her anymore.
"So, you're finally admitting it, huh?" Peter questions from behind her.
"Why did you do it?" she asks, not wanting to turn around and face him.
"Do what?" he asks innocently.
A look of anger crosses her face as she turns to him, "you played that stupid song!"
"I was just helping you admit what you didn't want to," he says.
"For what? So I'll stay here? Because it's not going to work this time, Peter," she hisses, stepping closer.
The smug look on his face disappears, "so you can get help," he says softly.
Tahlia frowns, "what do you mean?"
"I know I'm not a good person, but you were the only one who cared even after everything I've done. And frankly, I don't want to see you turn into me," he admits.
"Who are you and what have you done to Peter?" Tahlia teases, and Peter laughs lightly.
"Don't tell anyone I said that, got it?"
Tahlia smiles and nods, "I'll just tell them you were being an ass and trying to piss off Henry," she decides.
"I was also doing that," he admits.
Tahlia shakes her shakes her. "What will happen if I don't make it?" she suddenly asks, the smile on her face disappearing.
"Oh, shut up, you won't die, you never do, Peter states, rolling his eyes.
Tahlia tries to smile at his sarcastic statement, but she cannot, "I think I'm going to go and sleep," she decides.
Peter nods and she walks past him. When she arrives back at camp, Henry is not there, she looks at Fletcher, and he nods to his tent. Tahlia nods in understanding and mumbles a goodnight before walking over to her own tent.
Yet, when she wakes up, Henry will be gone.
The next morning, Regina arrives back at the hospital before anyone else, she sits in her same seat, her hand holding Henry's tightly.
"This is why I told you not to trust her," she says softly, brushing some hair from his face. "But I promise I will try to keep her alive, for your sake."
She leans forward and kisses his forward, a tear falling from her cheek hits his skin. She sits back up and looks down when suddenly she hears a gasp. She looks up quickly, Henry sits up, breathing heavily.
"Henry! Oh, thank god you're okay!" Regina sighs, hugging her son tightly.
"Mum, I have to wake Tahlia up, something's wrong," he says quickly, but Regina pushes him back.
"No, you need to rest for a few days before you are allowed to get up," she says stubbornly.
"But you don't understand! Tahlia's not okay, she's stuck in Neverland and it's messing with her head," he begs. "Please, let me try to wake her up."
Regina sighs, "sorry Henry, she'll be okay for a few more days, you can wait."
Henry lets out a shaky breath as he lays back down, and a moment later, Dr Whale enters the room.
"You're awake? How?" he asks, stunned.
"I kissed his forehead, I suppose it's because true love's kiss breaks any curse," Regina shrugs.
Dr Whale nods, agreeing with her claim.
"Hopefully that means we can wake Tahlia up in a few days, but then again, true loves kiss might not work on her," he frowns.
"Why not?" Henry asks quickly, sitting up much too fast and instantly feeling dizzy.
"It's a Narnia spell, remember, things work differently over there, and because it doesn't affect you like it does Tahlia, true loves kiss may not affect her like it does you," he explains. "Now go back to sleep, you need rest, we'll try tomorrow."
But Henry cannot sleep, his mind racing with what might happen to Tahlia in the days to come.
A/N:
yo fam, another update.
Updating every day and writing more chapters will mean that the chapters will be a bit shorter, but I am aiming for every chapter to at least be 1.5k + words.
Also, damn that confession, what do you think is going to happen to Tahlia?
QOTD: do you like the way I've set out this chapter?
AOTD: well, technically books are supposed to be written like this, or in a similar way. But this is also easier and neater so I like it.
I'm so tired and I have to work in a few hours
but only 6 more days until Christmas!
I'm aiming for the book to be finished by/on Christmas eve, like a week of Christmas writing, but not a Christmas story if that makes any sense?
I have 4 more shifts (and one more paycheck aye) until Christmas #hellaexcited
also, dear the one reader who's actually reading this story, thank you, this one's for you!
ily all, bye!
~chloe x
Word Count: 1566.