Eye of the Tiger | Peter Pan x OC

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Lily's feet landed on the sand, as she was one of the first to hop out of the lifeboat that brought them to shore. She heard everyone else exit the boat but all she could fix her eyes on were the jungle and forestry surrounding her. She never thought she'd be back here. 

"I don't particularly enjoy it either, lass." Hook was the last to step out of the boat, and he too halted next to her as the others started to move further onto the beach. 

"I swore I'd never be back here." She half muttered. 

"You and me both." He took a swig of rum and gestured it to her. 

Normally she wouldn't, she didn't take advantage of her real age very often. But this time she didn't hesitate. Who knows, a little liquid courage might do her some good. 

"Alright then, come on." He holstered the rum once more. "We shouldn't dally." 

"Where are we even going to go?" Regina said, everyone had gathered in a sort of circle after getting their bearings. 

"Well, the only people to have lived here before are Hook and Lily." Mary Margaret said. "So, what do you guys think?" 

They exchanged glances. 

"Well, after Pan disposed of Greg and Tamara he wouldn't have risked taking Henry anywhere but camp, so that's the first step." Lily began. 

"Aye, there's a ridge a few miles that way," he gestured to his left, "that looks over most of Neverland. I suggest we start there, get a visual for Pan's camp." 

"Good, a plan." David said. "Hook and Lily, stay up with me, you two know this jungle the best. I'll start clearing a path." He propped his sword in one and and a lantern in the other and began in the direction Hook suggested. 

They walked for a long time. The only sounds between them being the occasional voices of Emma and Mary Margaret in the back, and Hook instructing Charming with directions. That was until Regina spoke in a lower tone to Lily. 

"How did you end up on Neverland?" 

The question took Lily by surprise. She hesitated a moment before answering. 

"Would you actually like to know?" 

"I would like to know what makes the teenager that used to babysit my son, so knowledgeable that I trust her to guide me through Neverland."

"Regina!" Mary Margaret scolded from behind them. 

"It's okay, Snow. It's a valid question." Lily responded. "Though, I hesitate to remind you, your majesty, that time works differently here. I'm older than I look." 

At this, everyone gave her a quizzical look. She chuckled. 

"I first came here in a dream and it quickly became the only thing I looked forward to doing. Should have known it was a trap. Eventually I dreamt so much it became real, and I got here how everyone else gets here, the shadow brought me." She almost shivered at the memory. 

She cleared her throat before continuing. 

"When I eventually came to my senses I thought I had only spent a few months in Neverland. But when I got back to the Enchanted Forest I found out it had been years. Everyone I knew had either grown or died and before I could decide what to do or where to go, the curse hit, and I was brought to Storybrooke." 

"You say it so matter-of-factly." Emma commented.

"I suppose that's what it is now. I thought I was going to rebuild my life in Storybrooke but well, here we are." She gave a small laugh that no one else understood, but they didn't have to.