Innocence (OUAT/Peter Pan)

Chapter 21: Waiting and Fighting

Hello!! OMGGGG so many reads! I get so happy every time I seeit, you guys are so amazing and I send hugs and kisses to every single one of you:) I am super busy but I wrote this a while ago so here it is, uneditted.

DANIEL'S POV:

Daniel woke far after the sun was up, and grew nervous. Pan would have his arse for this! But everything was quiet. Daniel sat up and saw Robert lying on the cot across the tent from him, still asleep. Quietly crawling out of their shared tent, Daniel saw that the camp was peaceful. No boys were going in or out, he didn't hear any hollering or games. That could mean they were just further in the forest, but still, Pan would never let them sleep in like this.

            Swallowing his nerves, he poked his head into Pan's tent and sucked in a breath through his teeth. Elle was curled up on Pan's cot, her pretty hair now short and filthy, and had her eyes closed but was squirming around and whimpering slightly. Pan had obviously taken care of her a bit because her light skin was clean, but it showed the bruises and cuts all over her. Pan himself looked about half-asleep, sitting and keeping her on the cot with his arms wrapped around her but clearly exhausted. He'd probably been up all night.

            "Pan," Daniel breathed uncertainly, getting his attention. He wasn't sure what he wanted, it hurt to see Elle so hurt and upset. Daniel himself had never had a sister, but he'd had five younger brothers before Neverland and had just always been a big-brother type. He didn't know what he could do, obviously Pan was working on her. "What can I do?"

            Pan nodded gratefully. "Uh, I need," he sighed and drifted off. Daniel grimaced, he'd never seen the leader of the Lost Boys even slightly weak or tired. But Pan looked plain helpless, looking down at Elle with a drawn face.

            "How 'bout some herbs? For medicine?" Daniel suggested quietly, hoping Pan wouldn't snap at him. Pan possessed such magic, and was proud of it. "Sometimes people need ta heal naturally, too."

            Pan nodded weakly. "Go on, then," he ordered, but Daniel was already off.

FELIX'S POV

Felix sat cross-legged on Pan's cot, keeping Elle's head in his lap as she writhed and cried out weakly. Four hours ago, he'd practically dragged Pan into his own tent to sleep, promising to watch over Elle and tell him if anything changed, even though Felix knew Pan would feel any changes anyway.

            "Shhh, Elle, it's me, it's Felix, it's ok," he murmured, feeling tears prick his eyes as he told her this for what felt like the hundredth time. She seemed to get a bit quieter and nudged her head deeper against his arm, but still kept moving. It was such a strange movement: it was like she was trying to escape something, yet she hadn't fallen off of the cot even when no one was holding her. He could tell she was in pain, but she wasn't bleeding anywhere anymore and Pan had checked her over to find no broken bones or permanent damage. Her hair was light brown but seemed to faintly glow, she was still alive and seemed to have traces of magic. Felix had snorted when Pan had told him this, as if either of them really still cared about her magic. But Pan had explained that, to someone so powerful, magic was like a second life force: it would be almost impossible for her to survive without it.

            Felix was stroking her matted hair and talking quietly to her when Daniel walked in carrying a full sack of plants in his arms and his little brother, Harry, in tow. He placed it on the floor and began pulling out different types of plants, naming them while Harry began organizing them on the floor in front of the cot.

            "Sorry I took so long, had ta circle the island for some a' this stuff," Daniel started, but Felix just shook his head.

            "Just get on with it," he said, voice low. Daniel jerked his head at Harry and the two set to work.