Once A Lost Girl | Once Upon A Time Story | Peter Pan

03x11 - What do You Try For? - Present

        I woke up on the ground. Gold's shadow hovered over me. It all started to click into place. Bae escaped early? He was holding us all for something... and carefully planning the timing. This whole time, he was playing chess while the rest of us played checkers.

        Slowly, I stood. My hand touched the necklace. What I thought was a gift has been holding me back this entire time. I wrapped my hand around the vial and tugged. The clasp snapped and it broke free. I stared down at it. He wants magic? I'll give it to him.

        I started walking. Gold's shadow flew in front of me to block my path. I tried to step around him. He flew in front of me again. I huffed. "I'm not doing this." I flicked my wrist and teleported away.

        When the blue smoke faded, I was still in the forest. I looked around to try and orient myself. There were voices off to the right.

        "You must destroy the scroll. Both yours and his curses shall be ended, but know this--there will be a price; a steep one." Gold. Just the man I wanted to see. My legs started walking before I fully registered it. 

        "What do you suggest?" Regina asked.

        "Instead of going to him, bring him to us with a spell. One that will return pan and henry to their own bodies," Gold answered. I pushed beyond the tree line and in to the clearing. "What the hell are you doing here?"

         "I'm fighting the urge to set you on fire, really," I snapped. "I drank it. I had to know."

         "What? What is she talking about? What did you do?" Regina looked between Gold and I. I ignored her.

         "He planned this. Bae--Neal leaving and meeting Emma. Having Henry. He... how did he know?" 

         Emma traded a glance with Neal. He stepped toward me. "Wait, what are you talking about?" 

         "Elyssa, now isn't the time." Gold said gently. "Take a breath."

         I looked over at the rest of the group. They were staring at me, a mix of concern and defensiveness cast over them. I didn't react to Henry in Pan's body standing there. There wasn't enough left in me. I turned back to Rumple.

         "He's been farming my magic. From the moment I landed on Neverland until now," I said, "I just want to know why."

         Just as Gold opened his mouth, Regina cut into our conversation. "It will have to wait. What do we need for the spell, Gold?"

        "The Black Fairy's wand. One of the most powerful fairies in existence. Well versed in Dark Magic. The Blue Fairy exiled her but before she did, she took her wand." Tink said. Emma's eyes met mine. I tore mine away if only to break her gaze.

        So easily dismissed it's almost a joke. It will have to wait? His plan won't wait. I stared at the necklace, the rare happy memory now tainted with the weight of the truth. Nothing I'm given is ever really mine. Not this necklace, not my title, and certainly not this family.

        Part of me was tempted to smash the vial to pieces. I should take back what's mine, shouldn't I? My power, my heart, my strength? And yet, it's sitting in my hands instead of underfoot. Proof the Charmings are the only people hope works out for. For me, hope is a poison. It drains you slowly. It suffocates. It kills.

        "Hey," Emma pulled me from my thoughts, "you okay?" I stared blankly at her. "Stupid question. If it's about Henry, he's switched bodies with Pan." Emma scanned me, then. "But you already knew that. Why didn't you say anything?"

        "Would you have believed me?" I asked. "Would your parents? Would Neal? Regina?" Emma sighed and looked down. "Exactly. I'd be called paranoid at best. Nothing would have changed."

         "You could have tried."

         "I've been trying, Emma. I've done nothing but try. Try to be a good sister, try to be a good daughter, try to be a good person. It's like I'm not supposed to exist or something."

         "Don't say that--"

         "It's true! The universe is torturing me for existing. Maybe it's right."

          "Then prove it wrong." Emma leaned in. "I don't know everything you dealt with, but what I do know is that Henry loves you. If you won't push through for yourself, push through for him." She adjusted her jacket. "We're going to Gold's. Are you coming?"

          I shifted and clutched the vial. One way or another this ends. I haveno choice. I have to go. For Henry.

~~

        Decidedly, no one brought up my lack of surprise at the body switch. No time for an argument, I suppose? Henry looked at me, worried. I gave him the best smile I could, which wasn't much comparatively. It was easy seeing Henry behind Pan's eyes, but with the knowledge I have now? The memories of the nights in cages and the training until the fire started burning from the inside out? I could hardly stand to look at that body without the bile cimbing my throat. Let this nightmare end.

       I walked over to Gold. "Not now." He muttered.

       "Then when? When will you tell me my destiny?"

       "You don't really want to know that, you just hope it's a good enough reason for Pan to have tortured you." His voice got deep, and his temper clearly short. "Take it from me, dearie, you don't want to know your future."

       "Afraid I'll hobble myself?" I snipped.

       "Save the snark for Peter Pan." He turned back to his book. I glared at him but stepped back. He'll never tell. The only person who could ever see through him was Belle, but I wholly doubt he'd even tell her. She's too nice. She'd tell me because she felt bad.

        Hook, Tink, Neal, and David returned with the wand and the good news of a dead shadow and very much alive Blue. Gold took the wand. With any luck, the spell works easily with no problems.

        "Do we need anything else?" Emma asked.

        "Only one more item," Gold said. He opened a cabinet and pulled a black leather cuff out of it. We all sort of stared at him. "This is one of the only useful things I pilfered from Greg and Tamara before they left for Neverland. It renders anyone with magic utterly powerless."

        Regina frowned. "I haven't forgotten about all that, by the way."

        "Let me see your wrist, Henry." Gold placed the cuff on Henry's wrist. It wouldn't do anything now, but when Pan is returned to his own body it would hopefully hold him. "I want to make sure when my dear old dad awakens he is weakened. This will lock his powers."

       "So what happens now?" Henry asked.

       "I enact the spell, you fall into a deep sleep, and when you awaken you'll be back in your own body."

       "Then you hang onto that scroll and come find us as fast as you can." Regina cupped his cheek. Henry nodded.

       "When I gave my heart to Pan, I thought I was being a hero." Henry looked at me. I swallowed thickly, unable to really hold his gaze for too long. "I'm sorry."

       "You're not the one who needs to be sorry, Pan does." David said.

       "It's time." Gold approached Henry with the wand. My brother laid down. I hugged myself about as tightly as I could.

       The air got cold as Gold waved the wand over Pan's body. Henry closed his eyes. I clenched my jaw. Pan's body convulsed. My stomach twisted. He's fine. Probably. He has to be. Gold wouldn't fuck us up this late in the game, right?

      "It worked." Regina said.

      "Let's go find our son." Emma booked it out of the room.

      I hesitated. Team True Love and company filed out. Gold and I stayed behind. I couldn't shake it. I needed to know.

      It didn't take long for Pan to wake. He was going to give me my answers. One way or another.