The Queen's Thief

Chapter 25: Back to Neverland

*27 years old*
*Neverland*
~Sam's pov~

I was confused on what just happened. One minute we were actually just fine and living our lives in Story Brooke, now I'm back in Neverland.

I don't think anyone noticed I fell into the portal. I was specifically told to stay home because Ive been getting more nosebleed and occasionally passing out because of memories coming back or me trying to remember things.

I'm sure Ruby will figure it out soon since Patr is a dog here she's been able to talk to him which is kinda weird, but he is in my apartment alone.

"Well if it isn't tiny Sammy all grown up." I turned around and saw Peter Pan smiling down at me from a tree. "Adult hood isn't so fun is it?"

"It's better than your shadow trying to kill me." I said as I crossed my arms. I suddenly felt slightly nervous.

"You know you looked just like the boy I need back then yet you weren't him." He jumped down from the tree and stood inches away from me. "You just had to be a girl. I should have noticed by your hair."

"Well I was born a girl and long hair tends to happen when you don't cut it."

"Are you still as scared as you use to be?" He laughed as he disappeared and reappeared behind me. "That should make this interesting, like a cat hunting a mouse."

I turned to face him and he smiled before disappearing for good this time.

Suddenly I heard people talking from the other side of the forestry so I drew my sword.

I was in the process of swinging down when a hook grabbed stopped my sword mid motion.

Hook stopped me from almost killing Emma.

"Sam. What the bloody hell are you doing here?!" He yelled as I lowered my sword.

"I could ask you the same thing." I stepped back. "Are you guys really here?"

I looked around and everyone who decided to try and exclude me from helping with anything was here starring at me like they saw a ghost.

"How do we know you're not really Peter Pan?" Emma asked as she raised her sword at me.

"That pesky brat my be evil, but he couldn't be Sam if he tried. She pisses him off too much plus he's only seen her as a kid."

"Not true he was just here." I said as I went and sat down. "He tried to mess with my mind I think."

Regina looked pissed off that I was here.

"Look I didn't plan on ending up here. I fell into a portal. While y'all weren't paying attention." I looked over to Regina trying to catch her gaze but failing. "I got a headache, passed out and fell in. I woke up here. It's been about a week but I have been surviving."

I laughed before I noticed no one else thought it was funny.

"Look y'all think I hunt adventure. I get it. It does seem that way." I stood up and looked away from them. "Honestly these things find me. Like I'm cursed."

"I thought you enjoyed adventure?" One of them asked.

"I use to, but then there was something I wanted more. So I tried to work on it while I worked with Robin." I placed my hand on a tree. "I kept say this is the last one to myself when Robin or someone else asked me to do something. Then it got to the point where I had been saying if for two years."

"Why didn't you just say no?" Emma asked.

"I had nothing except Patr. He eats a lot and I had to pay for things." I lowered my head and softly laughed. "I did say no to a couple things but somehow I still ended up involved or had to accept because something new needed to be paid for, or it was because I had to protect someone."

I turned around and ended up making eye contact with Regina.

"What else took so much money to care for?" Regina asked looking confused.

"I wanted to make roots. Something I never had. For once I didn't want to constantly have a bed that moved because that's were I had to go. I bought a place to do so."

I pulled out my phone and showed a picture of my cabin I took while I was back in the Enchanted Forest.

"It looked better before the curse but not by much, since it was still in decent condition." They began to pass around my phone and then I heard the beeping noise that notified me it was going to die soon.

No one said anything, but they did look like they were pitying me.

I was pissed off that they felt bad for me.

"Look it's my fault. I want something I can't have and I'm not the person people want to start roots with. It's fine. I cursed myself. I'm not meant to have that."

I couldn't stand them staring at me that way so I turned around and walked deeper into the forest.

"Sam!" I turned around and saw Hook chased after me. "I get what you mean."

I just turned and faced him and shook my head.

"Maybe we can talk some other time captain." I began to walk away again

"What's wrong? You seem lost." He said suddenly.

"I am lost." I admitted to him. "I don't have most of my memory. What I do have is mostly bad, like me being alone or being in pain. How am I supposed to know who I am if I can't even remember anything." I felt a tear roll down my cheek but I quickly wiped it away. "The few good memories I have just make me question things."

He didn't say anything before I heard him start to walk away.

I couldn't tell you how badly I wanted them to tell me I was wrong. That is was possible for me to make roots for myself.

No one was going to come though, yet some part of me was ok with that.

I kept walking until I was stopped by someone grabbing my hand.

"It's not safe to be alone." Regina said with her head hung low. "Please come back. You don't have to talk if you don't want to."

It's been a while since she's reached out to me like this.

"I remember those couple years you were running the Merry men. You were so depressed and tired. Is that when you realized what you wanted?" She asked once she began to slowly drag me back to the group.

"No. I realized it long before that. It's hard to actually talk about right now. Maybe once things calm down." I said as she let go of my hand.

"Ok well when ever you're ready to talk."

"Does this mean you don't hate me anymore?"

"I'm sorry. I kept pushing you away. I never meant to make you think I hated you." She looked up at me like she was about to cry. "I took my pain out on you. I'm so sorry." A tear rolled down her cheek and I instinctively wiped it away.