Once A Lost Girl | Once Upon A Time Story | Peter Pan

03x06 - The Cave pt. 1 - Present

        Pan sent me around the long way so I'd meet with Emma and the group at the clearing where Neal got kidnapped. It marvels me the lengths he goes to for torture. Hook can lead them to Echo Caves just fine, but of course I have to be there. I know it's wrong to do whatever he says, but that's just as wrong as leaving Neal in that cage. What choice do I have?

        "This is a waste of time. He's toying with us," Regina yelled.

        "I don't think so. Look, more scuffling. Someone was definitely resisting." Mary Margaret traced the ground with her eyes.

        "How do we know that means Neal?" Emma asked.

        I made my entrance, stepping into the clearing. "Because I was here with him when it happened." Regina scoffed. Emma was staring at me incredulously.

        "Are you really going to fall for this? Fine." Regina sized Emma. I could see the old her slip through--the Evil slipping back into focus. "You wanna follow the Evil Munchkin's dirt road? Be my guest." She turned, leaving the clearing.

        "Wait. Where are you going?" Emma seemed to bring her thoughts back into focus.

        "To save our son."

        "We need to stick together."

        Regina chuckled, turning to look Emma in the eyes. "No, we don't. You may be prepared to risk Henry's life over some heartbroken fool's errand, but I'm not. I'm tired of waiting around." She left.

        "What if she's right? Pan could have made her lie." The savior motioned to me. I suppose I should have expected this. It doesn't mean it doesn't hurt.

        Mary Margaret tossed me a pitiful glance. "Just because it seems too good to be true doesn't mean it is. Don't give up. You owe it to Henry to find out if his father is still alive, and you owe it to yourself."

        Emma paused, scanning the floor as though it would help her decide. She didn't need help to decide. We all knew what she would choose. Everyone here could see the moment she had any hope that Baelfire was alive, she was going to go after him. I couldn't blame her. I would too. If I could, anyway.

        I took a deep breath. Emma steeled, walking over to me. Her shoulders were tense, her eyes just slightly wild. "Tell me everything." I almost smirked but caught myself. I'm not him. I'm not sick.

        I told them how it all went down. How we got Henry in the first place and how we ended up with him unconscious in the forest. The only detail I left out was Neal and I's fight. I should feel something, and I guess I do. I feel enough. It's enough to know what I'm supposed to feel. It's enough to realize that I'm not feeling a lot. I don't think I'd be standing if I was.

        "Alright, so where is he?" Emma started, "where did Pan take Neal?"

        "I can take you there--"

        "I don't want you to take me, I want you to tell me."

        I furrowed my brow, "what's the difference? It could be a trap either way."

        "Love, don't make this difficult. We all want the same thing," Hook was standing lazily off to the side. I scoffed.

        "Are we sure about that? Didn't you lie to me a month ago?"

        Emma took a step my way, "Says the girl working for Pan."

        "To keep Henry alive as long as it takes for you to save him. I'm weak but I'm not stupid, Emma. Who sent Henry to you in the first place?" I took my own daring step forward. "You wouldn't even care who your son is if I hadn't woken up and told Henry he wasn't crazy." she backed off. "Even if I wanted to tell you, I can't. You have to play the game."

        "We're done with games," David rushed. I did smirk that time.

        "Pan's house. Pan's rules. I don't make them. He'd kill Henry in front of us all if he wanted. Right now. You play the game, you keep him satiated, nothing drastic happens. How do you think Baelfire and I survived the first time?" Emma relaxed, if only slightly. She rolled her shoulders and gestured for me to lead the way.

        I thought it would have been slightly more difficult to get them to trust me. Maybe some part of them still sees the old, naive me. The me who didn't know full well who Pan was. Maybe that was a good thing. Maybe, eventually, they'll take me back. Forgive me like they're starting to forgive Regina.

        The path to the route we'd taken to bring Baelfire to Echo Caves wasn't too far, and once we'd arrived at the footprints Snow took the lead. They pushed me to the middle of the group. Emma and Mary Margaret were at the head, David and Hook were behind me. None of them spoke to me, they only carried on their own conversations. I didn't bother spying, and instead let the quiet rustling of the trees clear my head. I wonder where Tiger Lily is these days.

        It didn't take long for us to end up at Echo Caves. Hook gave me a sideways glance. I only shook my head. Hook and David both glanced around while Emma and Snow observed the mouth of the cave.

        "The tracks lead directly into that cave. This must be where Pan is keeping Neal." Snow stood carefully tracing the tracks with her eyes.

        "If the cave is some sort of prison, why aren't there any guards posted to stop us?" David asked.

        Hook glanced at me as if to ask to explain. I left him the floor. "Because this prison doesn't require guards. Echo Cave."

        "You know it?" Snow turned her attention to the pirate.

        "All too well. I lost half my crew inside those rock walls. The only way to rescue someone from there is to reveal a secret."

        "A secret? That's all?"

        "Your darkest secret," Hook elaborated, "Echo caves derives its name from an old saying... 'the deeper the lie, the louder its echo.' The cave demands you reveal a truth about yourself. A secret you would never admit to anyone."

        Emma huffed, "this is ridiculous."

        "Don't kill the messenger, love."

        "Even if we spill our guts, how do we know Neal's alive in there?" Emma's concern was valid. I decided now was probably a good time to speak.

        "He's alive. It wouldn't be worth it to send you in for a dead man. He wants you to rescue Baelfire." I said.

        "Why?" David asked.

        Hook cut me off, already knowing the answer. "So that we reveal our secrets. He believes one we do, our secrets will destroy us.

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