Peter's Favorite- a OUAT fanfic

Chapter Seventeen- The Dark One's Son

A bonfire was lit and the boys were dancing. I was in the circle, teaching them (they weren't very good dancers- I'd been teaching them how to dance so they didn't look like they were having seizures).

It was great- I was swinging around, switching from boy to boy, twirling and getting them to do the same.

I loved the fire, and I loved the boys, like my brothers, and I loved these parties, the way people at home used to love their own ridiculous parties. I laughed out loud thinking about how silly they all were. But dancing here, I felt unstoppable.

That is, until I saw Felix storming in. Twisting around, Peter was deep in conversation with Henry- I walked up to Felix myself.

"What's wrong?" I demanded.

"I lost Baelfire," he replied, frustrated.

"The man that was coming? How could you have lost him?" I asked, my voice raising ever so slightly.

"I didn't, he ran away," he sighed. "I followed his trail, but found something else- some of our boys, under a sleeping spell."

"So that means..." I tried hard to remember. "The one Peter told me about-"

"Yes, the dark one. And together, they'll be ready to fight for him," he said, nodding to Henry. "We should move camp-"

"Oh, please," I laughed. "We're not playing defense in this game, Felix. We'll go find him," I said, walking towards Peter.

"Is something wrong?" he asked as I approached. I leaned in and whispered the stiuation. He nodded.

"Good luck, then," he smiled, as I walked away. Grabbing my sword, I took Felix's arm and dragged him out.

"Let's go," I ordered, and he followed me out.

~~~

He lead me to the place he was knocked out. Rope was on the ground and footsteps lead down a small path.

We were slient until we reached the two boys, both knocked out. I laughed.

"What's so funny?" Felix sneered.

I turned to face him. "You just left them there?" I laughed again.

"What's so funny about that?" he sighed.

"I don't know," I said, holding back my smile. "It's just sort of..." I sighed. "Nevermind."

He said nothing for a second, then laughed, once. It was small, quick, and so... unexpected.

I whipped around. "D-did you just... laugh?"

He rolled his eyes and sighed again. "Come on, back to work," he said, back to his old, bored voice.

"No- wait seriously!" I walked over to him. My smile was ear to ear, a laugh sitting on my mouth. "I've never heard you laugh unless it was about torturing someone!"

"Just let it go," he demanded, his eyes on the ground, when suddenly his eyes caught something. "These footprints..." he murmered. I saw what he was staring at. "Why didn't I notice this before?" he shouted at himself, frustrated.

I saw where the footsteps lead. "Oh... no...."

We began running down the path. He ran a step behind me, and we were panting as we found the clearing. All the boys were on the ground- sleeping curse, I assume- and Peter was standing in the middle. He was held by some sort of glowing blue substance, and he couldn't move anything but his face. I saw anger and frustrastion and before I could say anything he shouted.

"Go!" his voice rang. "What are you doing? Go get him!"

I exchanged a look with Felix before we both started running again, down a different path.

"How are- pant- we going to- pant- catch him without... the boys?"

He chuckled. "We won't need them."

~~~

As we arrived to their little camp, we saw the campfire, Henry, and the two men fighting. One I recognized as the Dark One, the other I assumed was Neal.

Neal stepped closer to his father and held his hand, but when he stepped back, his father was paralyzed by the same thing Peter was paralyzed with. He picked up Henry and walked off, leaving his father crying.

"Come on," Felix whispered. We ran to follow Neal.

He hadn't rested for even thirty seconds before we found him.

He sat on a rock and put his head in his hands. I stepped into the small, open area and he turned around at the sound of the rustling.

"Who are you?" he asked, confusion in his voice.

I thought for a moment. "I suppose you could call me... Pan's messenger," I said. "Maybe his right hand woman, or his lost girl-"

"If you're here to take my son, forget about it," he said, standing and walking towards Henry.

I chuckled as he turned his back to me to grab Henry and run. I jumped before he could reach the boy, landing on his back and knocking him down so I was stradling his back. I quickly flipped him over and, with my knees on his arms, held my sword to his neck. Felix stepped out to, picking up Henry. I laughed.

"Isn't it hilarious that this could have been avoided if you'd just trust your own family?" I said, laughing again.

He tried to raise his head, but couldn't. "I'll do anything to get my son back, even if it means going through every one of you," he said. I laughed again.

"No you won't," I said through my smile. "This is Peter's favorite game, and you can't stop him from winning."

"I've escaped before and I'll do it again," he threatened. "I'll stop at nothing to get my boy safely off this island."

From Felix's arms, Henry started wiggling, just a little bit.

"Don't you see?" I said, leaning in closer to him. "You can never win because we are always one... step... ahead." My face was inches from his. "So good luck," I chuckled before hitting him with my knee, knocking him out.

"I'll take him from here," Felix said. "I know where Pan wants him. You can take the boy back," he handed Henry to me. I nodded at him before walking back down the path.