The Demon Archer - OUAT Meripan Fanfic

I'm On My Own

Most nights I hardly sleep
when I'm on my own
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Merida sat on the window seat of her old room, staring listlessly at the rain that spattered against the window pane. It'd been a few months since she had came to Dunbroch. She'd managed to keep the magic hidden for the most part, and had tried to avoid talking about what had happened with her mum. Elinor knew bits and pieces of the story, of course, but not the full story. Merida didn't want her to worry, and there was no reason for her to know what had happened. Whispers began spreading around the kingdom of her being pregnant by an irresponsible boy from a rival clan. Merida did nothing to combat the rumors; after all they were partly true. There was no sign or mention of Pan; of course, why would there be? He had told her not to come back, and she had said she was leaving. They wouldn't see each other again.

The months passed, and Merida could feel the child slowly growing inside her. She never forgot Pan, but gradually she stopped thinking about him and he didn't enter her mind. However, as it started getting closer to the time when the baby was due, she couldn't stop thinking about what Pan had promised Rumple. The Dark One would find some way to get what he promised once the child was born. Merida sighed and rubbed her temples tiredly, staring down at the paperwork in front of her. Since she had come home, the queen decided to have Merida help with managing the kingdom; something that the girl wasn't all too ecstatic about.
Suddenly a spasm went through her stomach, and she groaned in pain as she stood up, beginning to call for Elinor. She didn't have a chance to finish as she cried out in pain, stumbling and landing heavily on the floor.
"Oh god, please no," she gasped, her cheek pressed up against the rough floorboards as she struggled to crawl to her feet. "Please no..."

In the months following the time when Merida left, Pan had become dangerous and unpredictable. He'd lash out at the Lost Boys for no apparent reason, and they'd quickly learned to avoid him when he got into one of his moods. He'd try to tell himself he didn't care about her, and for a while it worked. After all she had betrayed him and left him. The one person that had ever believed in him and stayed with him though the times, and now even she had forsaken him. Pan didn't know how long it had been since she'd left. Time passed differently in Neverland; it could have been a month or a year. But the more he tried to push her out of his mind, the more she seemed to creep back in when he was caught unawares. Pan swore loudly and slammed his fist into the rotten log he was sitting on, the satisfying feeling of the wood shattering under his knuckles calming him down slightly. He let out a breath as he ran his hand through his hair, wincing slightly at the feeling of his now-bloody knuckles. The child was partially his, and although Pan knew he wasn't ever meant to be a father, the very least he could do is find a way to reverse the deal he'd made with Rumple. But first he had to find Merida, and their child. Swearing again, he got up and slipped a few extra knives into his belt along with slinging a cloak over his shoulders. It would be a long journey to Dunbroch.

Pan stood outside the castle a few days later, scanning it and noticing the guards. His eyes narrowed as he started thinking of a way to get past them, when he noticed a trio of familiar redheads, Merida's brothers. He smiled grimly. They didn't like him, as they had run-ins with him before, but they could get him inside the castle.

Elinor had heard Merida cry out, and within a few moments she was there beside her, gently helping her up.
Merida leaned heavily against the wall, gasping for breath as she wrapped her arm around her stomach, feeling another spasm twisting her muscles into knots.
"The baby's coming, isn't it," Elinor said worriedly, her brows knitting together worridly as she looked at her daughter. Merida nodded wordlessly, another groan escaping her lips.

Suddenly a boy slipped into the room with them, throwing his hood back to reveal Pan. His face was expressionless as he looked at Merida, ignoring Elinor who was edging in front of Merida to protect her from him. The redhead's eyes widened as she spotted him, sucking in a breath that was loud in the silence. The moment was short-lived as she gasped in pain again as her legs buckled beneath her. Pan shoved Elinor out of the way and caught Merida before she hit the ground, gathering her up in his arms and laying her down on the bed, his features still remaining unreadable. The girl already had a thin sheen of sweat over her skin as she dragged in another breath, her blue eyes focusing on his face.
They were both silent for a long moment. There was nothing to be said. Pan's eyes searched her face, and she did the same, each noticing that the other looked tired and beaten down. Merida was the first to break the silence. "Why did you come back for me?"
His tone and demeanor remained aloof as he crossed his arms. "I didn't do it for you."
Pan's words stung, even though she knew he had every right to be angry; as did she. But there was no point to it anymore. Merida would have the child any time now, and the Dark One would appear and take the baby for himself. Unless someone tried to stop him.
Pan locked eyes with her, his eyes darkening slightly. "If it's in my power to stop Rumple, I promise you I won't let anything happen to our child."