Innocence (OUAT/Peter Pan)

Chapter 22: The First, Last, and Only Time

Hello!! Here is the next chapter! Not sure how proud of this I am, I think it might be a bit OOC but I tried and any alterations didn't fit either. I have my sister and brother hooked on OUAT, they started from the beginning and are now about 30% through season 2!!! I'm so proud...I also just got my crush started, great way to leave an impression...? Anyway, thanks for all your reads and votes and COMMENTS! I love them so much and I love reading them they are so wonderfful you guys are so wonderful! Enjoy:)

PETER PAN’S POV

Peter didn’t know how many days it had been since they’d rescued her from Jones, and his princess was still sick. Or whatever she was. He believed Colin’s observations, but they didn’t change anything. He still couldn’t do anything more for her, Daniel and Harry had fixed her up physically and if Colin was right, and her struggle was internal, he just had to wait for her to win the battle. She would, he had to believe it.

            Today she’d made so much progress, or what Peter thought was progress. The sun had risen to her squirming and crying as usual, but by now, late afternoon, she was almost completely still, eyes closed, and very quiet. He had stayed with her all day, hating the shifts and the boys knew not to challenge him. It was just her curled up on the cot with her head in his lap, her hair spread across his legs. He ran his fingers absentmindedly through it, Joshua and Colin had teamed up yesterday and finally cleaned it. That was good, Peter could see it better and he took it as a good sign that it was completely white again.

            Pressing his lips to her forehead, he sighed and thought over the events involving Jones again for the millionth time. It was all his fault. If Peter had just decided to get rid of Jones as soon as he felt him arrive, none of this would’ve happened. He couldn’t even remember his reasons for not attacking immediately, but he was sure they weren’t worth this. Not even the fact that Jones had the Box was worth this. What useless information, Jones couldn’t even get close enough to him to use it. He pressed light little kisses to her forehead and cheek, silently begging his little princess to just be okay again.

            He jerked his head up when he heard the tent’s flap open, and stared wordlessly at Felix as he came in.

            “Boys are heading to sleep,” he said blankly, looking back at Peter with tired eyes. “Anything?” Peter just shook his head.

            Peter sighed and shifted, laying himself down on his side next to her.

            Felix lay on the floor next to the cot, an action he’d been doing for the last few days. Both slept fitfully, and Felix had insisted that it made him feel a bit better to be near her and Peter was hell-bent on not moving her. Colin’s observations had boosted Felix’s argument: if she did have any awareness of them, Felix’s presence would definitely be a comfort. Peter felt unnaturally bitter at this, he was sure his presence was good, too. He was the only one powerful enough to be of help, after all.

            Peter always slept lightly, so something woke him with only an hour or so before sunrise. He opened his eyes and looked around, but nothing was different. Except his princess, who had changed from being curled in on herself with her back to him. Now, she was facing him with her torso curled around his, her head on his chest, and her fingers wrapped tightly around the collar of his shirt. He gasped, and gingerly scooped her into his arms as he sat up. She hadn’t been making such big movements, and only twice had the boys reported her holding onto them. Perhaps she really was aware of them, perhaps she was finally waking up. Peter shuffled until he was sitting up, her legs curled on his lap and her head pressed against his chest. He tilted her head so he was looking down into her face and nudged Felix, who stared wordlessly and clenched his jaw, both of them waiting desperately.