Starlight

38

"It's the same." Aoife put her hands to her cheeks.

"Fi?" A quiet voice from her side questioned confused.

"It's exactly the same." She said again while stopping on the shoreline. The Lost Boys stopped beside her, they all equally stared in the direction of the ship. Their ticket out of Neverland.

Hook appeared and looked from his ship, to the group, to Aoife then back again. "What can I say? I'm not one for change."

Aoife opened and shut her mouth. "I forgot how...how..."

"Interesting? Amazing? Spectacular?" Edward piped up again, his eyes wide and bright as he shifted by her side. Waking up to her being by his side was a shock, though he was not shocked to be bought into a tight hug when he looked tearfully up at her, saying her name and looking relieved to see her again, even after all this time. Of course, being told they're leaving the island caused him and the others to look confused. Readily they all followed suit and left the camp to come to the shore.

"All of those things. I forgot how interesting, amazing, and spectacular the Jolly Roger was, and is." Aoife said quietly.

"As much fun as this is standing here staring at my ship. Can we please move? We have orders to get you all on board by the time they come back." Hook said while moving away from Aoife's side. The small group which also included Tink, moved after him. While the others went to retrieve Henry, they had the pleasure of escorting the Lost Boys to the ship.

"You know," Aoife jogged to Hook's side. "It's a little late, and I do not wish to taint anything."

"Go on."

"But you've finally held up your promise." Aoife clapped her hands together and sighed happily. Hook looked to her, then to the boy who had appeared in between them. Edward it seemed had a habit of appearing silently. It was clearly a trait he'd picked up from Peter.

For the most part, his awakening and immediately latching tightly onto Aoife in return of her own hug was more than evidence enough that all it took for his loyalties to change was her. She hadn't moved from his side. She continued to stay by him even when Emma had spoken to the still groggy Lost Boys about giving them a ride out of here.

"Promise?" Edward asked confused, he was in the dark, his nose scrunching in thought as he looked between the pair.

Hook frowned. "Ah, you're a nosey little boy aren't you?"

"I'm not that little." Edward defended only to have Hook measure him with his hand. Edward was short for his apparent age, he looked to be between ten and twelve. But the boy reached just above his elbow. His hair stuck up in odd dark curled angles, and his eyes were a clear blue.

"Face it mate, you're little." Hook patted him on the head.

"Oi! Watch whatcha doing!" Edward shouted defensively while patting his hair down. He had not that long ago ditched wearing his hat. Which was perhaps the one thing which would've kept his untamed curls down.

Aoife rolled her eyes and put her hands on Edward's shoulders. "It's all right, you'll grow." Edward looked over his shoulder at her, he didn't look like he believed her. But she smiled kindly and kissed the top of his head, his glare lessened only slightly.

"I doubt it. I bet my growth has been stunted thanks to being here for so long. There's the slimmest chance of being normal once I leave here. Slightly depressing, but true." Edward said with a frown, he even crossed his arms firmly. It wasn't his fault for sounding so down, but it was something that surely had crossed everyone else's minds? How could any of them be normal, or return to normal when they had all been on the island for so long?