{ Dreamshade }

•Chapter 8•

The adults fought their way through the jungle, looking for Neal. Emma walked up to her mother who walked upfront. "I kissed him." She said in a lowered voice. "What? Who?" Snow asked confused. "Hook. I kissed Hook." Emma answered. "Oh! Well...why?" Snow questioned. "I-I don't know. I-I was...it's been a while. I was feeling good. I don't know." Emma answered. Snow smiled to herself as she heard the words come from Emma's mouth. "Did it mean anything?" She asked. "It...It was just a kiss." She replied. "I'm sure Neal will understand." Snow assures her. "If he's still alive," Emma responded. Snow shook her head. "Emma, I get what you're doing, you know. You don't want to open yourself up to the hope that he's alive, but you should." Snow tells her. "Why?" Emma asked her mother. "Because you deserve a happy ending, Emma. And Happy endings always start with hope." Snow replied. They kept on walking, not continuing their conversation. They followed the tracks in the dirt until they arrived at a cave. "The tracks lead directly into that cave. This must be where Pan's keeping Neal." Snow said. "If the cave is some sort of prison, why aren't there any guards posted to stop us?" David questions. "Because this prison doesn't require guards." Killian tells and steps forward, "Echo Cave." He added. "You know it?" Snow asked the pirate. "All too well. I lost half my crew inside those rock walls. The only way to rescue someone from the inside is to reveal a secret." He tells the others. "A secret? That's all?" Snow questioned. "Your darkest secret. Echo cave derives its name from an old saying- 'The deeper the lie, the more truth in its echo'. The cave demands that you reveal a truth about yourself. A secret you would never admit to anyone." Killian tells them. Emma glared at him. "This is ridiculous." She snapped at him. "Don't kill the messenger, Love," Killian smirked at her. But Emma wasn't pleased. "Even if we spill our guts, how do we know Neal's still alive in there?" She asked him. "Because this is what Pan wants. He wants us to rescue him." The pirate tells the blonde. "Why?" David asked, joining in on the conversation. Killian turned to the prince. "So that we reveal our secrets. He believes once we do, our secrets will destroy us." He said. 

"When will you get back?" Y/n asked him. "When Henry goes back to camp after he got here. Do you remember what you have to say?" He asked her. She nodded as she fluffed her pillow. "I do, but don't be surprised if I improvise a little." She tells him. He smirked at her. "I expect you to do whatever needs to be done." He replied. "Will do, boss." She responded. He just looked at her, not saying anything. She giggled and crawled towards the end of the bed where Pan stood. "I know that look. What's up?" She asked him. Pan shrugged and puts his hand on her cheek. "I just can't stop admiring you, Love." He tells her. Y/n blushed and kissed the inside of his hand. "I can't wait to be back at the camp. I miss the hunting trips. I haven't done anything like that for three days." She complained. Pan kissed her head and smiled at her. "Just a little longer, Love. When we've got our happy ending, you can hunt with the others all day long. You can hunt, run around, dance, anything you want. It's yours." He tells her. Y/n's eyes lit up. "Anything?" She asked him. "Anything," Pan replied. He kissed her lips before taking a step back. "I've got work to do. Felix will give you a sign when Henry's here. And...behave." He tells her. Y/n rolls her eyes at him. "No promises."

The adults stepped into the cave. It was dark and cold inside the cave. It was so quiet you could almost hear your heartbeat. There was a stone pillar sitting in the middle of the cave. There was a wooden cage on top of it. There was someone inside of it. Neal. "Emma!" He called. His voice echoed through the cave. "Neal," Emma whispered. "It must be a hundred feet across." Snow said quietly. "Even if we fashioned some sort of rope, there is nothing to attach it to. No way to sing over." David added. "So what do we do?" Emma asked. "I told you what needs to be done. Consider this the moment of truth, literally. Who would like to kick things off?" Killian asked. "So what, someone tells their secret and they sprout wings?" Emma questioned. "I don't know the particulars, only what I've been told," Killian replied. "Well, how do you know it'll work?" David asked. Killian sighed and turned around to look at the void. "There is only one way to find out, I suppose." He said. He took a deep breath. "The girl. Y/n. She's more than an old friend." Killian tells them. "You made that pretty clear. So, technically it's not a secret." Emma informs him. Killian sighed. "I wasn't finished." He said, "A several years ago when I returned to this island, I wasn't exactly on Pan's side. He sent Y/n to kill me. She didn't. She couldn't. When I looked into her eyes, all I saw was fear. She was afraid of something. I stayed on the island to make sure she was alright, risking my life. We became very close. I started to love her. Not as a lover, but as a father. She was taken by the shadow because she was alone. Her mother died, and her father didn't care for her. So, one day, I wanted to take her away from all of this. From Pan, from the island. I wanted her to have the life she deserved. A better life." He tells them. "Pan, don't! Peter!"  He heard her scream in his memories. He cleared his throat. "I paid the price for that. Pan didn't want her to leave. She was his possession, and she still is. She may not be blood, but she is my daughter, and I fear for her life every day. There isn't a day that goes by where I don't regret leaving her behind. I care for Y/n, and I want her to come live with me. For as long as I shall live." He tells them. A part of the bridge appeared behind them, making the ground rumble. Killian sighed to himself and walked behind the family. "That's my secret." He added. 

A while later, Henry followed Pan and Felix. They walked away from the others, somewhere they could talk in private. Pan handed Felix a bag, with who knows what in it. "New supplies. Take it to the other side of the island." Pan orders, "and be certain Henry doesn't find out what you're up to." Pan instructed. Felix nodded and sling the bag over his shoulder. "Understood. Anything else?" He asked. "Come straight back you're done. I don't need lost boys wandering around the island, we can't lose anyone else." Pan replied. Felix nodded in response and walked off into the jungle. Henry hid behind a tree when Pan walked by. He waited for Pan to be out of sight before he ran after Felix. He followed the boy through the jungle. Felix had a quick pace as he pushed his way through the plants and bushes. Felix dropped the bag on the path and made a clicking sound before walking off again. Henry picked up the bag. He spotted the ladder that was hidden in the big tree. He heard coughing coming from it. He climbed up the ladder and found Y/n in the bed. She sat up slightly. "You're not supposed to be here." She tells him. "I know..what are you doing so far from the camp?" He asked her. Y/n coughed again. "I'm sick and he's afraid someone might catch it," Y/n replied. "It's Y/n, right?" He asked her. She nodded slowly. He sat on the edge of the bed. "What's wrong?" He asked her. "It's the island, Henry. Its power is fading. I've been here a long time...but well...for some reason, it's affecting me more than the others." She tells the boy. She looked at him for a second, catching his eyes. "You look like him." She tells him. "Like who?" Henry asked. "Your father. We were friends. A long time ago, when he was just a little bit older than you." She continued before starting to cough again. "Are you going to be okay?" He asked her. "You should go before you, too, become ill. But the magic here...I fear it's not enough." She tells him. "But, I want to help. Isn't there anything I can do?" Henry asked the girl. She shook her head "No, you can't. Pan is already doing everything he can." She tells him. Henry stood up. "I'll come back for you, I promise." He tells her before leaving again. 

Y/n sat up in the bed. She runs her hand through her hair, fixing it a little. Pan walked up from behind the curtain. "Well done. I couldn't have played the part better myself. Oh, and that bit about dear old dad." He said, "Excellent job." He whispered. He puts his hands on the foot end of the bed and looked at her. She glanced down at her lap as she played with her fingers. "You told me to do it." She said. She glanced up and met his eyes. Y/n smirked and pushed the covers off her body. She crawls up to him again. "Your eyes are so dark." She tells him. She puts her hands on his cheeks. "I like it." She whispered. Pan smirked back at her. "Do you now?" He asked her. She smiled and pecked his lips. "Can we go back to camp now?" She asked him. He nodded and helped her get off the bed. "Yes, but first you have to change out of this gown." He tells her. "I thought you would never ask!" She exclaimed and walked up behind the curtain Pan was hiding behind earlier. She pulled out her clothes from the wardrobe. She glanced over her shoulder to see Pan looking at her through the mirror. She glared at him. "Peter." She said in a warning tone. He holds up his hands and turns away from the mirror. "Sorry, love, but you can't blame me for trying to catch a glimpse of you." He replied. Y/n rolls her eyes and slips off the nightgown. "You know, I was thinking, maybe we should start planting strawberries in the camp. I've been thinking about some recipes, especially desserts, we could use them for. Maybe make some lemonade as well. The lost boys would love it!" Y/n tells him. She heard Pan's chuckle and knee he was smiling at her. "Anything you want, my love." He responded. She pulled on her clothes and put her hood over her head. She stepped out, revealing herself to Pan. He turned back to her. He eyed her up and down and smirked. "Come here, and be a good girl." He tells her. She giggled quietly and walks towards him, pressing their lips together.