Peter:It Only Takes A Wish... (The UnFairytales Saga, Book 2)

Chapter 12 - Peter

When Hatter and I landed in the meadow, the others weren't there yet. When my feet touched the ground, I instantly fell to the ground and put my head in my hands.  

"What's wrong, boy?" Hatter asked, sitting gracefully next to me. 

"This is all starting to play out like it did before. And, if it is the same, I don't know how to protect her." 

"This won't end like it did last time." He said as he laid back, tipping his hat over his face. 

"How can you say that? Last time, things started exactly the same. Last time, Hook followed Elizabeth back to the Other Side. He almost killed her right there, in broad daylight." 

I felt the tears flowing freely down my face, and I didn't try to control them. I felt Hatters arm circle my shaking shoulders comfortingly. 

"This won't be like last time," he said again. "This isn't something that hook would do twice. And, Angela is definitely not Elizabeth." 

"That's true," I murmured. "She's definitely not Elizabeth." 

"Who's definitely not Elizabeth?" A voice from near the forest asked. 

I looked up to see Wolfsbane and Huntsman walking towards us from the tree line. I knew instantly that it had been Wolfsbane who had asked. The shape-shifter had an uncanny sense of hearing. 

"Angie," Hatter said as the two sat down with us. 

"Of course she's not like Elizabeth," Huntsman said. "They're as different as Hatter and I. How could you even try to compare them?"  

"Peter thinks this is all playing out like the last time with Elizabeth." Hatter explained, sitting up and joining the conversation again. 

"How so?"  

With a sigh, I started explaining everything, starting with the meeting with the Queens. When I was done, everyone was quiet. Huntsman had a stern look on his face, deep in concentration. Hatter had laid on the grass again, arm crossed behind his head and his eyes closed. Wolfsbane was stacking small stones on top of each other. 

"So?" I finally said, drawing out the word, annoyed with the silence. 

"So, what?" Wolfsbane asked. 

"What do you think?" 

"I think you're over thinking." 

"What?" I was confused. "How am I over thinking? This is just like last time." 

"This is not like last time. This isn't old Hook's doing. It's too complicated for him to pull of a second time. And, to be honest, I'm surprised he did the first time around. And, Angie's not Elizabeth." Huntsmans gruff English voice stated. "Like I said, you're over thinking." 

"Besides," Wolfsbane cut in. "What happened with Elizabeth wasn't your fault. You couldn't have stopped it." 

"I couldn't protect her," I only managed to whisper, emotion choking me. "So it is my fault." 

The shape-shifter sighed. "I can see that you aren't going to listen to reason. Let's go find the Boys." 

"Agreed," Hatter and Huntsman said simultaneously. 

"The question is," Huntsman added. "How are we going to find them?" 

"Josephine believes that they were caught when they neared the Caves that are a few miles from the Lagoon," Hatter explained. "Tink thinks if we start there, it will give us a better chance at figuring out who took them." 

"Maybe they left something we can trace." Wolfsbane concluded. 

"Exactly; if they did leave something, between your acute senses, and Huntsmans tracking abilities, and Peter's knowledge of the area, it should be relatively easy to get the Boys back." 

"But," Huntsman interjected. "What if they didn't leave any trace? What if there's nothing for us to track?" 

"Then we follow the story." I stated simply.  

"What story?" 

"Angie told them a story she thought she made up. That's how this whole mess started. If whoever took the Boys didn't leave anything for us to go off of, then we'll go off of the story." 

"I hate to ask, but you know I need to look at all the options." Huntsman was quiet again for a moment.  

"What do you want to ask?" Hatter asked. 

What if they story is a dead end too? What will we do if none of our leads end with us finding the Boys?" 

We were all quiet, which I didn't want. In the quiet, the only thing I was able to think of was what happened in the past and the very real possibility that this would end exactly the same way. I didn't want to think of a future without the Boys or Angie in it. 

"I don't want to think about that." I said finally. 

"We'll cross that river if we come to it." Hatter agreed.  

Huntsman nodded, satisfied for the moment. "Well, let's go then. We don't have any time to waste." 

We all got up. As we started walking, I felt a hand grip my shoulder in a somewhat comforting embrace. When I looked to my side, Wolfsbane appeared in my vision. 

"You've been awfully quiet, boy," he mused. "What's on your mind?" 

I sighed. "I just hope we get the Boys in time." 

"And?" He pressed. 

"And, what?" 

"You're thinking of Miss Angie, aren't you?" 

I rubbed my face, defeated. "I don't want to sound like I'm choosing her over the Boys. But, I can't help but to have this feeling that something bad is going to happen to her while I'm gone."  

"Nothing bad is going to happen to her. You have Miss Sam and Tink with her. She couldn't be safer if she were here with us." 

I looked at him with slight unease. "I hope you're right."