I sat up and looked around.
Pan was sitting on a stone, looking at me.
I groaned annoyed "Pan"
He smiled.
I stood up.
he raised his hands "I'm not here to fight you, Echo. "
Me "What do you want?"
Pan "You're able to leave Neverland"
I asked confused "what? Why would you offer me something like that?"
Pan smiled "Because we both know that you won't leave. You'd never abandon Henry and Baelfire"
I froze "what? Bae's dead"
He chuckled, shaking his head "no, he's not. He's alive and he's in Neverland"
I froze.
Pan smirked "Like the good old days, isn't it?"
I asked confused "Why are you doing this?"
Pan ignored my question "I'm gonna make you a deal"
I scoffed, shaking my head "here we go"
Pan "I'll let you leave this island now."
Me "And if i decide not to? if i want to stay for Henry?"
Pan "then you're gonna stay forever"
I shook my head "Pan"
Pan "the choice is yours"
I looked down.
Pan asked amused "Your new boyfriend didn't tell you Bae was alive, did he?"
I asked confused "my boyfriend?"
Pan "Hook"
I asked confused "He knew Bae was alive?"
Pan nodded "Yes, he did"
I shook my head "but why didn't he tell me?"
Pan "Maybe because of your relationship with Baelfire"
I scoffed, shaking my head "Bae's like my brother, Pan."
Pan nodded "good to know. But does Hook know that too?"
Me "Pan, you do know you're not my type, right?"
Pan "and you do know, that no one leaves Neverland against my will"
Me "i was able to leave once against your will"
Pan walked over to me and grabbed my chin in his hands.
He growled "yes, and that will not happen a second time!"
I glared at me "what are you going to do with me?"
He smirked "My plans with you haven't changed since you left. I'm gonna make you my Queen. "
I shook my head "I'm not interested, Pan. Besides, i will never fall for you"
He chuckled "you will. Because you'll never leave Neverland. "
Me "I will find a way. I always do"
He chuckled, nodding "i bet you will. But you will have a reason to stay"
Me "which would be what exactly?"
Suddenly a heart appeared in Pan's hand and he smirked at me.
I asked shocked and put a hand over my empty chest "Pan, what did you do?!"
Pan looked at me heart before smirking "i took what i wanted. Your heart. So now, forgive me, love, but i have to use you as bait"
I looked at him confused but then everything went black.
Echo cave.
I groaned and sat up.
My jaw dropped when i saw the person next to me "Bae"
He smiled "hey, Echo. You know they call me Neal nowdays"
I shook my head "i don't care"
Then i hugged him "i can't believe you're alive"
He chuckled and hugged me back "you better do?"
I asked confused "but how did you end up here? In Neverland"
Bae "i did the same thing i did last time. But this time i didn't let go of the shadow. What about you?"
Me "Hook"
He nodded "Pan told me your guys were here"
I nodded.
Bae asked kinda engrossed "he also told me about you kissing Hook?"
My jaw dropped.
Bae grimaced "That came out way more engrossed than i intended it to be"
I nodded "you better hope that, for you sake"
Bae "so it's true?"
I nodded "yes"
Bae "Did it come to you in mind that this was not the best place nor the best timing to make out with someone?"
I asked confused "why?"
Bae "look around us, Echo"
We were in a wooden cage in a cave.
I froze "Bae, where are we"
Bae "you know"
Me "please do not tell me that that little maniac put us in the Echo Cave?"
Bae nodded "he did, Echo"
I breathed annoyed "oh come on! you've got to be kidding me!!!"
Bae "should've thought about that before getting Pan jealous by kissing Hook!"
I shot him a glare.
Bae "can't you use your magic?"
I shook my head "no"
Bae "why?"
Me " because no magic is powerful enough to break the rules of this curse"
He sighed and leaned back.
------
Suddenly i saw my team walking into the cave.
Well the cage was in the middle of the cage surrounded by nothing since the cage was in the middle of the cave on a big as rock and nothing but deepness was around it.
Me "hey guys!"
Snow "Echo!"
Neal yelled "Emma!"
Emma's jaw dropped "Neal"
Hook "now. Who wants to kick things off?"
Emma "so what? someone tells their secret and they sprout wings?"
Hook shook his head "i don't know the particulars. Only what i've been told. "
Charming asked confused "then how do you know it'll work?"
Hook looked at me for a second before down the cliff "There's only one way to find out, i suppose"
Then he took a deep breath "I kissed Echo"
Charming yelled "you did what?!"
Snow put a hand on his chest and sighed "David, please"
Me "Pan already told Bae so it's not really a secret. But it was just a kiss. How's that your darkest secret?"
Hook looked at me "it's what the kiss exposed"
My jaw dropped.
Hook "my secret is i never thought i'd let go of my first love, of my Milah, to believe that i could find someone else. That is until i met you"
Suddenly the ground started to shake . A small part of the stone bridge appeared.
I looked down.
Charming "Mary Margret"
Snow "me next. Ever since the curse broke, since we found each other, since we found Emma, in all of that happiness, there's something i haven't wanted to admit. Our daughter is a beautiful, smart, amazing woman, whom i love very much, of whom i could not be more proud. But she's all grown up. And as much as i want to pretend im okay with that, i'm not. We missed it, David. What we have with her is unique. But it's not what i wanted. We were cheated out of everything. "
Charming "what are you saying?"
Snow "When we get off this island and get back to Storybrroke, i want another go at it. i wanna have another baby"
My jaw dropped and the bridge grew longer.
Charming "nothing in this world would make me happier. And i know, with all my heart, that you would make an amazing mother. But it can never happen. At least, not with me. "
Snow asked confused "what do you mean?"
Charming "When Hook and i went to search for the sextant, he was really taking me to find a cure"
Snow "a cure for what?"
Charming "Dreamshade. "
Snow "the Lost Boys, the arrow, you pushed me out of the way-"
Charming "i wasn't fast enough. I was hit. Hook was able to find a cure, but it comes at a price. I can't leave Neverland"
My heart broke.
Charming "if i do, I'll die"
The bridge grew longer and it was long enough to reach the end.
Emma rushed over to us with the sword and tried to open the cage but it didn't work.
Neal "Emma! you know this is not how this works"
Emma kneeled down.
Neal "you can tell me anything"
Emma "When i heard you might be here, that you might still be alive, i knew i should be happy, but i wasn't. I was terrified. i didn't understand why until now. From the moment i saw you in New York, the instant you stepped back into my life, i knew i never stopped loving you. And before i even had a chance to take a breath, i lost you once more. and all that pain that i had pushed down for all those years, it just came rushing back. And i didn't know if i could go through it again. I love you. I probably always will. But my secret is that i was hoping that this was a trick. I was hoping you were dead. Because it would be easier for me to put you behind me than to face all the pain that we went through all over again"
The cage opened. Emma and Neal hugged and i looked at Hook who looked at me.
---
We all walked out of the cage.
I looked at the team "thank you, guys."
Charming shook his head "don't thank us yet. We still have to save Henry"
Me "We found your star map. "
He smirked at me "You couldn't read it?"
Me "it would've taken way more time we didn't have"
He nodded "okay. if we can find Henry, i can get us home"
Hook "Then let's go get Tinker Bell, and retrieve the boy. "
I nodded and they all left except Hook.
Hook looked at me "Can i ask you something?"
Me "Ho-"
Hook "please"
I sighed and nodded.
Hook "what's your deepest secret?"
I scoffed, shaking my head "Hook, please-"
Hook "you know mine. So please, let me know yours"
I shook my head " i guess, some things are better left untold"
Then i walked past him away.
---
Emma asked Neal "Pan's Shadow? That's your way off the island?"
Bae "unfortunately it's the only way"
Charming "we thought you learnt how to navigate the stars"
I nodded "We did. But we can't fly, Charming"
Snow "i'm guessing that's where the Shadow comes in"
I nodded.
Bae "that's why we have to capture it"
Emma "Capture it? we've never been within 10 feet of Pan unless he wanted us to be. Sneaking up on him to steal his Shadow, that sounds insane"
Hook "Except Pan's Shadow is rarely with him. It's an entity unto itself. It can carry out his will from miles away"
Charming "what does that mean for us?"
Me "We can catch his Shadow without getting near Pan. And i happen to know where to look. "
Emma stood up "So you are on Shadow duty"
Hook nodded "as am i"
I froze.
Hook "This trek won't be easy. You could use another veteran on the island"
I nodded "okay"
Charming "in the meantime, we'll give Tinker Bell a heads up. See if she can make good on her promise to get us into Pan's camp"
Emma nodded "okay. We meet back at Tink's. Then we get Henry and get the hell back to Storybrooke."
In the cave.
We walked inside and i saw the coconut there.
I grabbed it "okay. We can go"
Hook "Echo"
I froze in place and sighed "Hook, please"
Hook "i know that the things i've done are unforgivable"
I turned to him "Hook, listen to me, this.."
Then I gestured between us "....Can never happen.."
Hook asked kinda amused "why? Because i'm a pirate?"
Me "Because Pan made me the same deal he made you"
Hook raised an eyebrow "in exchange for what?"
I shook my head "nothing. He said i could leave but it had to be immediately and alone."
Hook "yet you stayed "
I nodded "i did. but he also said that if i said "no" that i would never be able to leave this Island ever again."
Hook froze shocked "Echo, why didn't you leave? No one would've blamed you if you had just left after everything you've been through"
I nodded "I stayed because of you and Henry, idiot "
He looked at me confused.
I shook my head "but it doesn't matter anymore, Hook, because i can't leave this Island"
Hook nodded "We will find a way"
I shook my head "We won't. Because Pan ripped my heart out"
He froze "what?"
Me "See, even if leave there might a chance Pan kills me the second i set foot on your ship"
Hook shook his head "i had no idea-"
Me "of course you didn't. "
Hook "but is this the only reason this can't happen?"
Me "i just told you i can't leave this Island, Hook, what other reason could there be?!"
Hook "But what if i stayed?"
I shook my head "No. There's no way i'm letting stay on this Island. "
Hook nodded "i would, for you"
Me "Hook, i'm not a good person!"
Hook asked amused "and you think i am? you do know who you're speaking to, right?"
I raised an eyebrow "and you do know who you're speaking to, right?"
Hook smirked "The Queen of Hearts' daughter"
My jaw dropped "what? "
Hook sighed, turning away "damn it-"
I shook my head and turned him to me "no, no, no, no, what did you just say?"
He didn't looked at me.
Me "Hook, what did you just call me?"
He just looked at me.
I froze and stepped back "you knew?"
Hook nodded "Aye"
Me "For how long ?"
Hook looked down.
Me "for how long, Hook?!"
He looked at me.
Me "When Emma and i landed in the Enchanted Forest? When we met you at the safe heaven? "
He just looked at me but then nodded a little.
I shook my head, in tears.
Hook "i knew you were Cora's daughter, Echo. Yet that doesn't stop my heart from beating faster every time i look at you"
Me "Yet that didn't stop you from backstabbing me over and over again, Hook"
He looked down.
Me "you wanna know my deepest secret? i fell for a guy i shouldn't have fallen for. A guy who sold me out to Pan, who backstabbed me so many times that i lost count. And yet i can't seem to stay away from this guy because i want him around me"
Hook took a deep breath, pleading "Echo, please"
I shook my head and walked past him out "We need to find Pan's Shadow"
He sighed followed me "where are we headed? "
Me "Dark Hollow"
I heard him stop walking and turned to him.
Hook "You can't be serious"
I shook my head "why would i lie about going to the darkest place on this island?"
Hook nodded "let's go"
I turned around to leave but sighed when i saw plants in the path "You're kidding, right?"
Hook "i haven't told anyone about your connection to Cora and Regina"
I nodded "of course you didn't, Cora would've slaughtered you if you did it"
Hook shook his head "i didn't do it for them. I did it for you"
I froze.
Hook "i knew it would wreck you. And after everything you've been through-"
I shook my head "i don't need your pity, Hook. I don't. "
Hook "i never meant to lie to you-"
I shook my head "I never said that you're a liar, Hook. I've never asked you if Cora's was my mother which means you never denied that. you didn't lie. but you're keeping things from me and then in the end you drive a dagger through my back"
Hook shook his head, looking down.
Me " did you know Bae was alive?"
Hook nodded "i did"
Me "why didn't you tell me?"
Hook "because he informed me after we shared that kiss, Echo, i wanted to tell you but Pan had already kidnapped you"
I froze.
Hook shook his head, scoffing amused "of course he left that part out"
I nodded.
Hook face softened and he took a step towards me "do you think that after everything you and Bae have been through that i would keep something like this from you?"
I shook my head "to be honest, Hook, i don't know what to believe anymore"
Hook "Then believe me. I was going to tell you about Bae, like i stopped lying to you or keeping from you"
I asked softly "why?"
Hook took a step towards me "so when i win your heart, Echo, and i will win it, i don't want it to be out of trickery. it will because you want to"
my stomach dropped. Damn.
Hook "And even though the Prince made it clear that he'd rather die than seeing us together, i made it clear to him that i'm not gonna give up. "
I looked down "Hook"
Hook "i let you be taken out of my life once, i'd be damned if i let that happen again"
I asked vulnerable "you mean it? everything you just said?"
He nodded "i meant every single word of it, Echo"
I nodded "then fight for it. Because even with all the good things you've done so far....it does not beat the pain you've put me through"
He nodded "i know. "
I turned to the path.
Hook "need me to cut a path through it"
I touched a plant "no need"
The plant vanished and so did every other plan in the way.
I smiled a Hook who smiled at me.
We started to walk down the path.
-----
I could actually feel the darkness around me. It was scary.
Me "the Dark Hollow"
Hook "this is where the victims of Pan's Shadow reside?"
I nodded "yeah. Forced to spend eternity in this darkness. Let's speed things up. I don't want to join them"
I stopped at a tree trunk.
Hook "what now? we wait for the Shadow?"
I nodded "Yes. we light the candle and the Shadow's drawn to it. When it gets close enough, the flame will suck it in. We put the lid on, and it's trapped inside this little thing"
Hook "we don't have any fire"
I took a lighter out and showed it to him "Welcome to the 21st century, Captain"
He looked at it.
I tried to light it but it wouldn't work.
Hook "Give me that"
Me "i can do it"
Hook "i have one hand and can probably do it better than you"
I tried it again before handing it to Hook "There"
Hook tried it "why can't you use any magic?"
Me "Because i used every bit of it to kill the plants in our path"
Hook "siphon new magic"
Me "from this place? are you crazy? This place is so dark i am terrified of the kind of magic that i would siphon"
Hook tried it again and it didn't work.
I tried to grab it "See? you're not really better than me"
Hook put it out of my reach "Let me keep trying"
Me "Hook, give it back"
suddenly it flew out of his hand and over to the trees.
Me "are you serious?"
Suddenly i saw the Shadow coming back "Pan's Shadow"
suddenly two more Shadows arrived.
Hook drew his sword "what about the other two?"
Suddenly the Shadow started to attack us.
Me "He's controlling them!"
I tried to move out of the way.
Hook "Echo!"
I threw myself to the ground over to the roots of the trees. I saw Hook getting pressed against the tree.
I saw the Shadow trying to rip Hook's shadow out of him.
Hook "Echo, get out of here!"
I opened the coconut and sighed "i don't wanna do this"
Then i put a hand on my forearm and siphoned myself.
I gasped dazzled and lit the candle.
The Shadow flew to it and i caught him.
Hook fell to the ground and i leaned against the tree half dead, like completely exhausted.
Hook "i thought that-that you didn't want to siphon this place"
i shook my head "i didn't. I siphoned myself"
He froze and rushed over to me "what, are you inane?"
I shook my head, tiredly "i had no choice, Hook, he was going to rip your shadow off "
Then i stood up but my legs gave in.
Hook caught me "careful, love"
Me "Hook?"
Hook put a hand on my cheek "siphon from me"
I shook my head "i can't. You're gonna need your power"
Hook "but so do you"
I shook my head "we need to find the others. "
suddenly i heard noises.
Hook "We need to leave"
I shook my head "no, it's too late"
Hook asked confused "What are you talking about?"
I siphoned from him and he gasped. He blacked out and i hid the coconut in his jacket.
I stood up, weakly. I siphoned this guy and yet my body doesn't seem to take the energy in. It's because my heart isn't beating in my chest to contain the power.
Pan was standing there, smirking at me "Hello love"
I tried to stand my ground but i lost balance and fell back.