The Cheshire Cat (A OUAT love story)

Chapter Fourteen-Lying to a Lover

Cheshire didn't like lying to Peter, or trying to undermine him, but he was going down the wrong way to keep his immortality; he only saw himself at the top of the world while she saw what would prevent it.

"Don't think like that," Onyx scolded her as she pushed her muscles to their limits, ignoring the burn of the lactic acid. "Your plan will work. Emma will find her."

"I hope so," the assassin replied dryly, keeping an eye out for anyone in the forest that flashed by like a deadly missile. "Otherwise we're all screwed."

"And that's putting it lightly," Bandit agreed. "Can you please slow down?"

"No," the Cheshire Cat responded simply. "Running helps our mind to focus. All we have to do is wait, and I don't like it."

"And Ariel won't be likely to listen to you if you were to do it yourself," the panther commented helpfully. "Especially after your killing her mother."

"I need to make a living somehow," Cheshire reminded the felines pointedly. "And that's what the self-obsessed Little Mermaid doesn't understand. The world doesn't revolve around her."

"The future is for the opportunists!" Bandit cheered.

"Exactly."

Pan was talking to Henry when she got back, breathing heavily from her run. From what the assassin could see, the other magician was lying to the little boy about using magic to save Wendy. He could act pretty well, she thought, watching the two from the edges of the camp. But she, the observer, the watcher, could do it better. The assassin waited in the shifting shadows until the conversation had come to a halt then stalked carefully towards the two, an easy smile twitching at her lips. Peter turned his gaze away from Henry, to her, and her wicked grin widened; she had his attention now. Better use it wisely.

"Peter," she crooned quietly, and yet his eyes were as alert as if she'd picked up a poisoned arrow and had announced that she was about to kill him. Henry grinned knowingly at the two (because he believed they were a cute couple, not because Cheshire was hypothetically going to kill Peter), as if he had been presented with everything he'd ever wanted. He thought he knew what was happening, but Cheshire had him fooled. The twelve-year-old left to go and find Felix (who had promised to teach him how to hunt), and the rather odd couple was left alone.

"Where have you been?" Pan asked suspiciously, after Henry had gone. The assassin shimmied up to him, stopping before she got too close.

"Hunting, of course," she lied smoothly, offering him the fat rabbit that Bandit had killed on their run. Onyx purred lowly in amusement.

"Clever," she commented.

"Be quiet, I need to listen!" Bandit hissed back. The shapeshifter noticed that the boy king still wasn't convinced and placed a light hand on his shoulder.

"You said we were low on food last evening," she reminded him (truthfully, this time), feigning a hurt expression. "So I left to find some prey. I spent all night outside the camp because this little guy was surprisingly difficult to catch and I didn't want to come back with nothing." Peter then broke out into a carefree smile and gently rested his fingertips on her outstretched arm, unknowingly causing delicate butterflies to flit around inside her stomach at his touch.

"I know you'd never lie to me, Shire," he told her softly, and pulled her into a tight embrace. She caught her breath when she felt his head nestle into her neck, felt the static electricity that sparkled against her collar bone at the place of contact. Slowly, her own arms circled his body and tightened around it, and she savoured the embrace; soon, it would be time for her to go.