Hello, It's Mrs. Hyde

Prologue:Ch.7: Boy With the Flute & Girl with the Flame

Jessica (Narration):
"Neverland was not a place.
It was a memory that refused to be forgotten.
The air itself tasted of longing — like the sweetness of something you once had and will never have again.
*Hook said Peter Pan would find me.
He didn't say it would be with music."*

The flute drifted through the trees like smoke.
Low. Haunting. Not quite a melody, but something older — something wild. The kind of sound that tugged at the spine rather than the ears. Jessica stopped walking as the first note reached her.
Then took a step toward it.
Killian's warning rang in her mind.
"Stay put. Don't move. Don't follow anything."
She moved anyway.

Through twisted vines and silver-misted groves she walked, drawn to the pull of the song. The sun didn't rise or fall here — it just hovered, casting green-gold light that painted her skin like moss.
She came into the clearing silently, stepping barefoot over tree roots worn smooth by centuries of boyish footsteps.
And there he was.
Seated on a stone throne draped in vines.
Peter Pan.
His fingers still on the flute, mouth curled into something far too knowing for a boy's face. Around him, a ring of Lost Boys stared, curious but wary, their eyes tracking her like she were prey they hadn't decided what to do with yet.
Pan stopped playing.
And smiled.
"I've been waiting for you, Jessica."
Her spine stiffened — just slightly.
He said her name as if it belonged to him.
But she didn't flinch. She reached behind her and tossed the black bag at his feet.
Pan caught it in one hand without looking down.
Jessica tilted her head. "You play beautifully."
Pan's grin widened, wicked and amused. "Only the lost can hear my music. So that must mean you're lost."
He crouched and opened the bag, pulling out the glowing soul-gem. It lit up his face like a candle, casting shadows across his sharp cheekbones.
His eyes gleamed. "I'm listening."
Jessica stepped forward and held up a small glass vial, no bigger than her thumb.
"I want this filled with water from the Dreaming Spring," she said. "You can retrieve it, or grant me access to do so. Once it's full, the gem is yours. Use it to steal the time from every fool who sets foot here again. I'll be gone before the sun rises."
Pan turned the gem in his hand slowly.
"You know what this is," he said. "You know what it does."
"I've seen it used," she said calmly. "I've seen it ruin lives. I have no use for it. But I thought... maybe you would."
Pan chuckled under his breath. "A generous offering."
"I'm not generous," Jessica said. "I'm desperate."
Pan rose from his throne, gem still in hand, and walked a slow circle around her.
"Tell me, girl-from-nowhere... where did you get a soul-gem?"
Jessica didn't look at him. "I've been to a world or two before."
Pan laughed.
The boys stirred at the sound — relaxed, loosened — but kept their eyes on her.
Pan stepped back to the throne and leaned against it, pleased.
"Then you're not lost," he said. "You're dangerous."
Jessica smiled faintly. "You say that like it's a bad thing."
Pan grinned.
"I'll take you to the Spring. And I'll drop you on that pirate's ship myself. He's still a pain in my side."
Jessica allowed a short laugh to escape. "He mentioned you fondly."
Pan smirked. "He would."
They shook hands.
His palm was cool and dry. Her grip was firm.
The deal was struck.

Later — That Night
The fire crackled beneath a spit of wild boar, the scent of roasted fruit and jungle herbs thick in the air. The Lost Boys chanted old songs in languages Jessica didn't understand.
Pan leaned beside her on a tree stump, the gem in his hand, holding it up to the flames. "This'll protect the island for decades."
Jessica nodded, sipping something fruity from a carved cup. "Then it was a fair trade."
Pan looked at her sideways. "Most people who come here expect pain."
"Pain's a given," Jessica said, eyes flicking up to the stars. "The point is what you do with it."
Pan considered her for a long moment.
"You're not what I expected."
"You either."
He smirked. "We'll call it even."

Dawn — The Return
The moment her boots touched the deck of the Jolly Roger, Hook nearly dropped the compass he was holding.
Peter Pan floated lazily beside her midair, arms crossed, smiling like a cat who'd stolen something expensive.
"Next time you want to bring someone into my woods, Captain," Pan called, "try to send someone less charming."
Jessica smirked.
"Bye, Peter."
"Don't die before our next deal," he winked.
And just like that — gone.
Hook stared at her, jaw slack. "Did you just—?"
Jessica dropped her pack with a thud and walked past him.
"He's not so bad," she said over her shoulder. "Bit smug. But a delight, really."
Hook followed her, stunned. "A delight?! He once turned me into a rosebush for three days—"
"Maybe he just didn't like you."
"I don't like him!"
Jessica smiled faintly. "Then I guess that makes two of us he's charmed."
Hook groaned, slamming the helm wheel. "Never again."
And with that, the sails unfurled — and they began the journey home.

Jessica (Narration):
*"I didn't trust Pan.
But I respected him.
There's power in knowing what someone will do to protect their home.
Because once...
I would've burned the world for mine."*