Hook's P.O.V:

It's only been less than a day without Alice but I was beginning to get increasingly worried. We soon figured out that Pan was the one who took her. Of course he came to gloat about it to the bandit.

Alice told me she was in control of the situation, why did I believe her? Now both her and Henry are in Pans possession. And with Pan constantly changing his location on the map, it was becoming near impossible to find them.

I had no choice but to tell the group about Tinkerbell, she was the only person on the island who could actually help us get close to Pan. I also know that that meant I had to confront her.

I was in a tricky situation for sure. Alice still didn't know what I did to her and I certainly didn't want her to find out. If Tinkerbell had her way, she would definitely tell her but I can't have that.

I just needed to talk to her, explain myself. Convince her to keep my secret. It was clear that was going to be no easy task, considering that she came back to Neverland to find Alice, only to be forced to work for Pan again.

I put her in that situation, I did that to her and I hated it. And I was definitely sure that she hated me for it too.

The only question on my mind now is how Alice managed to escape Pan in the first place. I told him where she was in exchange for that treasure but I know he didn't find her.

At least, I think he didn't. She never mentioned him finding her or going back to Neverland at all. I know for a fact that if she did, she wouldn't have been able to escape again.

She previously told me that after going to the land without magic, she managed to wind up in Storybrooke and get wrapped in the curse. But now that I'm actually thinking about it, it doesn't add up.

There was something missing. What wasn't she telling me? Did she go back to Neverland and not mention it? I just didn't understand. I needed to talk to her pronto, I needed to find her.

Not only that but we needed to find the Queen. She had disappeared as well and now we were in the search to find her for some reason. At least we had a strong idea of where she could be.

Emma explained to us that there was something bad that happened between her and Tink and that she was most likely responsible for it.

We had already tried her treehouse and it was empty, so now we were headed in the direction of tracks left on the forest floor.

As we follow them, we suddenly spot the fairy and everyone immediately points their weapons as I try to stay hidden behind the group. She looks slightly shocked by our appearance.

"Where's Regina?", Emma demands to know.

"Who the hell are you?", Tink asks in confusioni, slightly putting her hands up in defence.

"A pissed off mother, where is she?", Emma says aggressively.

Tink looks at her blankly, not saying anymore. It's silent for a few seconds before the Queen appears from behind her, coming out of a cave.

"I'm fine", she reveals.

"Do you mind lowering those? You might stick me. But I'll take you down", Tink says fiercely. Still the same old Tinkerbell I see.

"It's okay. She's not gonna hurt us, just stand down", The Queen insists as everyone lowers their weapons.

"Is she going to help us?", I butt in.

As she sees me, her expression changes immediately. From an annoyed one to a suprised one and then back to an annoyed one again, very annoyed.

"Well, look who The Queen dragged along. Hello Hook. I would say it's a pleasure to see you again but it's really not, considering I've been stuck on this island for years because of what you did", she says angrily.

I can see that the others look curious about what Tink just said but I know they are more focussed on finding Henry than my past grievances with the fairy.

"Do we have to do this now Tink? We need your help", I insist.

"She's not gonna help us", The Queen intervenes.

"Why not?", Emma asks.

"Tink, after all we've been through together, a little assistance", I encourage.

"Assist you, not likely", she snaps.

"It's not for me", I explain.

"It doesn't matter. She doesn't have any magic", the Queen reveals.

"No pixie dust?", the prince questions.

"Not even her wings", she responds.

"How?", Emma asks.

"I guess people just stopped believing in me", Tink sighs.

"And even if I wanted to helped you, he's too powerful", she insists.

"But we've been able to go against him before", I mention.

"That was different, we had an advantage. There's no way we're going to be able to take him down this time, not again", she argues.

"But you know where Pan is?", Snow asks.

"Sure, but it won't do you a bit of good, not without a way to detain him", she explains.

"Let us be the judge of that", Snow responds.

"So you can get us inside his compound?", Emma confirms.

"Maybe", Tink shrugs.

"Does he trust you?", Snow asks.

"Barley. I already betrayed him once", she explains.

"But you can you get us inside his compound right?", Emma questions.

"There's a small chance", Tink sighs.

"All you have to do is get us inside, and we'll take care of things from there", Emma informs.

"And what's in it for me, other than a dead sentence from Pan when you leave?", Tink snaps.

"You can come with us, you can finally escape this island once and for all. You don't have to be under Pans control anymore", I intervene as she looks at me with a more softened expression.

"I know I put you in this situation and I've regretted that for years but now is the only chance to redeem that. I don't expect you to forgive me but I want to undo my mistakes. I know you want a home Tink, if you come back with us you may finally have one", I continue.

The whole group looks shocked and confused by my statements. Most likely because they don't know what I'm talking about but also because it's not like me to be sincere about anything. I'm more the type to throw out sarcastic remarks.

This causes serval seconds of complete silence as Tink thinks about her decision. She eventually looks back up at me with a stern face.

"Okay fine but listen closely. Pan trusts me enough, he'll let me in. And maybe, just maybe, I'll leave a way open for you. But you've only got one shot, so you better have a good plan", she explains.

"Thank you", Emma says sincerely.

"We will", she adds.

"Come with us to our camp. We'll figure it out", Snow explains.

The whole group begins to walk in the direction of the camp, that is expect for me. Tink stops when she sees me and stays behind, sending me a glare. Now we're alone as the group carries on.

"Just because I'm helping, doesn't mean I forgive you Hook", she states as I sigh.

"You know I'll never understand why you betrayed that poor girl. I didn't even arrive in time to save her and then Pan caught me before I could leave. She's dead because of you", Tink says angrily.

"She's not dead Tink", I reveal.

"What?", she says, completely stunned.

"I said she's not dead", I repeat.

"I know that you idiot", she says in annoyance.

"How?", she adds.

"That's what I want to figure out", I explain.

"What are you talking about?", she questions.

"What did Pan tell you about her when you arrived?", I ask, semi dismissing the question.

"What does that have to do with anything?", she says in confusion.

"Tink I just need to know", I demand.

"He told me that I was too late, that she had already been there and he had killed her but obviously now I know he was lying", she explains.

"Maybe not entirely", I inquire.

"What are you saying?", she asks.

"Something doesn't quite add up. If I told him her location then he would have found her and she would most definitely be dead but she's not", I explain.

"Are you saying he let her go?", she questions.

"I don't know", I state.

"That doesn't make sense Hook", she admits.

"Look all I know is that I found her with the hero's in the land without magic. She never mentioned that she went back to Neverland but she's definitely hiding something because her story doesn't make sense", I explain.

"Maybe she did go back, she could have escaped", Tink suggests.

"Again? I don't think so, it doesn't add up. That's why we need to find her, to know the truth", I admit.

"Where is she?", she asks.

"Here", I reveal.

"Here?", she says outraged.

"She came with the group. They're practically family now. She convinced me she would be fine to come, that she was perfectly safe. That's the weird thing, she didn't seem worried at all, she was so confident", I explain.

"And let me guess, he has her now", she says with disappointment.

"I'm afraid so", I confirm.

"Why didn't you tell me this first!", she exclaims.

"Well it wasn't the appropriate time", I reveal, hinting that I couldn't tell the others.

"They don't know?", she questions and I nod in response.

"That's why they were confused when you spoke. They don't know about you and me or her. They don't know about our past in Neverland", she says in revaluation.

"They don't even know her name, they call her Emily. She told me she wanted a fresh start and wanted me to keep her past a secret, including our relationship. The least I could do was that", I explain.

"And she trusts you to do that, after what you did?", she scoffs.

I don't respond straight away, I don't know what to say. I don't want her to find out that she doesn't know but I don't have the guts to lie to her right now. I've been caught.

"Unless she doesn't know what you did", she says shocked.

"You dirty pirate, you didn't have the guts to tell her, did you?", she snaps.

"How could I?", I respond. I may as well admit it, she already knows.

"When we find Alice, you're going to tell her what you did or I will", she says harshly.

"What's the point in that? It's pointless to tell her something that doesn't even matter anymore, it will cause damage for no good. I'm here now and I'm going to help her", I insist.

"So that's it? You're trying to make it up to her by actually looking out for her this time?", she asks sarcastically.

"What if you change your mind? What if that selfish pirate instinct comes through and you make another deal with Pan, leaving us all behind to rot", she adds.

"That won't happen", I deny.

"It better not, because if it does, you'll be a dead man. I'm risking everything on this, so you and your pals better pull through", she hisses.

She immediately turns away after that and follows in the groups direction. I sigh to myself, getting out my rum and pouring the liquid down my throat to calm myself. I then start to follow behind her, not saying a word.

*****

Alice's P.O.V:

What the hell am I going to do now? I've got no magic, no help. Yes I know my way around the island by heart but he was right, on foot I could never catch up. I didn't even know where they are right now.

I could tell that I was far away from where I last saw the group. It would take me at least a few hours to get to that point and even when I did, they would have already travelled further. But finding Emma was my best option.

I wanted to find James though, well if Pan was telling the truth that is. He could be sending me on a wild goose chase. I know he wants me to look for him, which is why I shouldn't.

It's most likely a trap. Right now, I really shouldn't believe a word Pan says, even if I want to believe it's true. I need to focus on Henry at the moment, before it's too late.

I quickly figure out whereabouts I am and immediately start to walk towards where I believe the camp was.

I have been walking for a long time now despite this, it feels like I've got no where. I'm still a couple hours from reaching there last location.

I become alert all of a second when I hear noises coming from around me. Someone's there, I can feel it. I can feel their eyes watching me.

Someone's following me. Why is somebody following me? Do they think I'm not going to notice? It's definitely Pans doing. I really don't have time for this.

I continue to walk normally so they don't suspect anything but once I hit an area that is heavily full of foliage, I cautiously hide behind a large tree. Since they are behind me, from their view, I would have hopefully vanished.

It takes them a minute or so but I hear them come out of hiding, confused at where I am. They're walking around where I just was, just behind the tree.

I wait until I can hear them get closer and closer to my position. Once they are near enough, I come out suddenly and throw myself on them, pushing them to the ground with force.

It's a boy, a lost boy for sure. He wears his dark coloured cloak with a hood that covers his head and face. I can tell he is much taller and stronger than me but I still manage to pin him down by pushing all of my weight onto him as he struggles beneath me.

"Next time Pan asks you to spy on me, you might want to be a little quieter", I say angrily.

He doesn't respond but tries to push me off him. I force my arm onto his chest, pushing him down momentarily and pull of his hood harshly.

I stare into his familiar chocolate brown eyes in a state of shock. The boy I had been waiting to see for years was right in front of me. It was really him.

He stops struggling immediately when he sees me staring at him, looking back at me with a confused expression.

"James?", I exclaim.

Now he looks even more confused as he scrunches his eyebrows at me. I immediately get off him and stand up. He cautiously gets up as well, not breaking eye contact with me.

"Um, yeah", he mumbles slightly.

Why is he acting like this isn't the first time I'm seeing him in 28 years?

"Have we met before?", he adds.

Upon hearing this, my heart drops lower than it ever has before. My blood runs cold and my expression falls to a deep frown. It feels like the world's temporarily paused. I am too stunned to comprehend what is happening.

"You don't know who I am?", I stutter slightly, with sadness in my voice.

I didn't know what else to say, I didn't know what was happening. He looks at me, absolutely perplexed at this point and starts shaking his head.

"No I do. You're Alice, everyone on Neverland knows who you are", he explains and pauses for a second.

"But that doesn't explain how you know me", he continues.

That sentence confirms all that I fear.

He doesn't remember me.

"I don't", I state coldly.

I turn around and walk in the other direction, hiding the fact I feel like my hearts just be shattered into a million pieces. I try to contain myself, keep it together but it's too much.

"Then how do you know my name?", he calls out but I ignore him.

I don't have the words to respond to him, so I don't. I carry on walking, feeling so crushed. My heartbeat begins to increase at a rapid pace.

This is a whole different type of pain. When I lose someone, it's because they're dead but James isn't. I should be happy but he doesn't have any memories of me.

All these years of searching, waiting, not knowing, and now he's standing right in front of me and I turned away from him.

"Hey stop I'm talking to you", he shouts again.

I carry on.

I start to walk faster as I begin to hear him behind me and go different ways to lose him. The forest is too dark to see me properly and I think he loses sight of me as I hear him stop in his tracks to look around.

"Wait", I hear him faintly.

I can't. I won't. 

I walk away completely, losing him amongst the abundance of trees. I think he is to busy gathering he thoughts to decide whether to come find me. He's probably too stunned and confused to comprehend what is going on.

The same words repeat in my head - this can't be possible; he doesn't know who I am; he'll never remember; he was the only one I had left, I have nothing now.

No this wasn't James. It looked like him but without his memories, it wasn't truly him. I have no idea who his anymore. There's no reassure I can trust him.

Best thing to do now is to avoid him, at least till I find a way to return his memories. It's too painful to be in his presence and him not know the truth.

I couldn't tell him the truth, it was too soon. I couldn't stomach it and I had no idea what Pan would do if I did.

Pan.

He did this, he's done so much. He let me out, he let me find him on purpose. I knew he was up to something, that there was an alterer motive and I was right. He got James to follow me so that I could see what he did, so he could rub it in my face.

He's here, I can feel it. He's watching, satisfied with my reaction and with what he's done. But he's not going to come out.

I stop walking.

"Happy now?", I call out.

"It all went according to your plan, are you satisfied!?", I shout.

There's no answer.

"You know if you weren't such a coward, you'd come out and face me".

Silence.

"You said you wanted me to forgive you but I never will", I hiss.

"I hate your guts", I snap.

There's still complete silence but I know he heard me. I meant every single word. I'm tired of wasting my energy on Pan, I'm not going to waste my time on his games. I need to find Henry.

"I know you want to distract me with James but I won't be. I'm not going to follow the bait, I'm going to find Emma", I say, before walking away and carrying on with my journey.

I just need to forget about it, focus on the mission at hand. It can't be long now before I find the group. I just hope James doesn't find me.

A/N: THANKS FOR 17 and 18k!!!!!

I named this chapter after a song: 'Who are you' by Aquilo. I love this song and it reminded me of James and Alice's relationship in this segment of the story, which will make more sense in a few chapters.

Let me know your opinions on the story and any ideas that you have. There will be regular updates, so stay around if you like the story so far. Vote if you really enjoy the story it will be very much appreciated.

Stay safe and well everyone ❤️

Thanks for reading :)

Written - 10.02.21

~A.M