Lost in Neverland - Outlawqueen

14) The Camp

Robin appreciated that Regina told him about Daniel. He knew that it was difficult for her to trust someone. It seemed like she built her inner walls so high that it was almost impossible to break them down. But he was intent on prompting her to let him in.
"Thank you" he said for the second time on this evening. "For sharing the story with me."
"You told me about your wife. I guess, I owed you the favor." A slight smile appeared on her red lips. Her brown eyes began to glow. And that was the moment he realized, she was going to feel comfortable with him. That she liked him somehow. And he could not be any happier about his discovery.
"How did your mother find out about Daniel?" he asked and hoped she would not push him away by one of her sarcastic comments.
Her smile faded and the sparkle in her eyes disappeared. Coldness flashed in them and the thief could almost taste her acrimony. "I shared my secret with a person I thought I could trust. But she betrayed me."
He was curious about every little detail. But he knew that he could not quiz her about them. She was still suffering because of the loss. He could see that. Therefore it was not necessary to rub salt into the wound.
"She betrayed me although she promised to keep it" she spit. It was like she was rather talking to herself than to him. "I was so stupid to believe that everything would turn out well."
He wrapped one arm around her and stroked her shoulder. The scent of apples and cinnamon reached his nostrils. He felt the warmth of her body. It took her a while to decide to give in to his touch and positioning her head on his shoulder. Her breath touched his neck and he needed all his self-control to resist stealing a kiss from her. Every cell inside of him burned with desire.
"We both lost love" he said and pulled her a little closer. "I understand that it's not easy to forget about a person who meant the world to you."
"Ain't fate a bitch?" she responded.
"Sometimes it is" he approved. "But sometimes it isn't."
"That may count for you. But for the Evil Queen, things are quite different."
"Regina..." It was the first time he actually used her name. And he liked the taste of pronouncing it.
She looked up to him in surprise. Obviously she noticed as well.
"You're not the Evil Queen anymore. How often do one has to say that until you actually believe it?" he continued.
"No, but that doesn't compensate for what I've done."
"Enough" he demanded and surprisingly she did not start a fight with him. She just leant against him and let him hold her.
"Your pessimism is terrible" he teased her. An amused smile crept on his face.
She raised her eyes to him. The depth of her brown iris captured his imagination.
"Your optimism is torture" she countered.

---

Hook put his index finger on his lips and showed them to be quiet. They finally found Pan's camp. They were so close finding Henry. Regina's hands were shaking. She was nervous and at the same time glad that the endless walks through Neverland actually had an end. She wanted to face the one who kidnapped her son and punish him for it.
Some of the lost boys trained their skills in archery and it reminded the former queen of their own training in Neverland. She still owed Robin a wish.
"Can you see Henry and Roland?" Emma whispered, her eyes searching for her son.
"Not yet" the pirate replied.
"What do you think you are doing?" a blond boy spit at another. He was tall and skinny. A scar in form of a cross decorated his right cheek bone. "How often do I have to tell you to concentrate?"
"I'm sorry, Felix" the smaller one murmured.
Regina frowned. This Felix might be Pan's right-hand. He was more serious than the other Lost Boys. And he was the only one who did not seem to care about his life before he came to Neverland.
When the former queen looked in the children's eyes, she saw that they missed their home and their parents. But Felix was confident and told them all over again, that they had to get better in archery to help Peter Pan. He motivated them and he also ranted at them.
"Stop it" a well-known voice demanded. "They all try their best."
Tears burned in the black-haired woman's eyes. Henry. The voice belonged to Henry. He was unscathed. He was alive.
She bent forward to have a better view of her son. How she had missed his intelligent brown eyes and this tousled short hair. She wanted to hug him. To press his body firmly against hers. Feeling his warmth and drinking in his scent. For such a long time she did not saw his face. And now that she did the emotions overwhelmed her.
"Do you want to start a fight?" Felix answered and planted himself in front of him.
"No. It's just not necessary."
"What's going on here?" Pan asked and came out of the shadows of the shrubs and trees.
"Nothing" Felix muttered.
"Hook! Emma! You don't have to hide" Peter Pan called them. "Just join us."
Of course he knows, Regina thought and clenched her teeth.
They beat the branches away and stepped up to the kids.
"You finally managed to find the camp. Congratulations!"
"Shut up!" Regina growled and looked at her son. "Henry, are you okay?"
"Never been better" he answered and smiled. "Why are you here?"
"Are you serious?" Emma replied instead. "We're here to save you."
"That's nice of you. But I don't need to be saved. I'm fine."
That was not the Henry they knew. It broke the queen's heart to see him like that. Careless. Like he was not even glad to see them. Like he did not need them.
"Henry, listen: He's manipulating you. They all are" Hook began to speak.
"No, he's not" the boy answered. "He cares for me. For all of us. And for Neverland. You might think he's evil, but he isn't. He wants to save this place. The magic."
"He wants to save himself" Regina tried to convince him.
"Why do you always see the worst things in people?" he asked her. Although she was sure that Pan must have brainwashed him somehow, the words hurt.
"As much as I want to continue with this family drama, we don't have much time" the ruler of Neverland interrupted their conversation. "Ready to be a hero, Henry?"
He nodded and Regina's blood was up. She knew that her son always dreamed about being a hero. But right know he was not far from being stupid.
"Henry Daniel Mills!" she shouted as he turned her back on her to follow Pan. "You're not going anywhere."
"I'm sorry, Mom. But this time I won't listen to you."
"Let's grab Roland and start the mission" Pan said and both of them disappeared into the woods.
Meanwhile the lost boys had rose their weapons and pointed them at the group.
"Roland..." Robin whispered. He stood next to Regina. His blue eyes were full of sorrow and hate.
Emma looked at the former queen and nodded. The woman knew what she was up to. She wanted to bring together their magic. Light and darkness.
Regina returned her nod. She braced her energies. Concentrated on her anger and her pain. Concentrated on the heat and on the moments of weakness in her life. It was the source to her power.
A cold wind blew through the air. Charged up with magic. It filled her completely.
The boys flew unconscious on the ground.
Will and Robin started to tie them to the trees. Tinkerbell helped them by using her magic as well.
They needed to know where Pan took them and Regina was sure that his companions knew exactly where. Or at least Felix knew it. She was ready to tickle the truth out of them. Even if it was necessary to harm the kids. She wanted her son back and she would not let him die for a villain like Peter Pan.
It took a while until they awoke again.
"What's your name?" Will asked a boy with red hair and freckles. His green eyes stared at him. It was not difficult to guess that he was in shock.
"Answer the question" Hook supported him.
"Dylan" he whispered.
"Dylan, alright. So, where are Roland and Henry?"
The redhead shrugged. "I don't know."
"Nonsense" Regina spit and bent over to him. She did not want to hurt this child, but he clearly had no idea what she was capable of when it came to her son. "There must be something."
He kept quiet and her impatience grew with every passing second.
"We can get you out of here. All of you" Emma tried to convince them to talk to them. "To your family. But therefore you have to help us."
"We don't have a family" Felix said. "Pan is our family."
"He's not" the blonde refused.
"He's manipulating you" Robin added. "You're just means to an end. He doesn't care for you."
Dylan looked from the savior to the thief just to look at the blonde woman again. "You're really able to send us home?"
"Don't be stupid!" Felix screamed. "They're not! They just want to find the two boys and then they will leave you here! Don't trust them, Dylan."
"They're at the skull rock" he whispered and Felix looked like he wanted to murder him.

I finally managed to continue this story. Merry christmas, everyone!

RegalMills