"It's so simple. He loved me and I loved him. That's all there is."

~ F. Scott Fitzgerald, "Flight and Pursuit"

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Alice's P.O.V

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    "What is it?" Will asks, seeing the worrided look on my face.
    I don't reply, my mind in a frenzy due to what Ray just told me. My knees give way, but Will catches me before I hit the ground. He helps me to my feet, asking me if I'm alright. I want to answer him but no words come out. Will grabs me by the shoulders when I don't respond. "Alice, what happened?"

    "C-Cassie... Malcolm... H-He's gone," I stutter.
    Will engulfs me in a hug. "Breath, Alice, breath."
    I take a deep breath, trying to hold back the tears that threaten to fall. Will cradles me in his arms, patiently waiting for me to calm down. I grip his bicep, letting out a shaky breath. This position we're in brings me back to when Will and I were kids.

    He always held me when I cried, and Lewis would whisper comforting things to me. I always felt safe in his arms, and truth to be told, I missed the comfort he provided when he hugged me. Will pulls back, wiping the tears from my eyes. "Do you wanna talk about it?"
    "M-Malcolm took Cassie."
    Will's eyes darken. "I'm going to kill that bastard."

    "You can't he's a freaking sprit."
    "He took Cassie from you," he says. "I'll find a way to kill him."
    "First thing's first, we have to get back to Emma's apartment," I say.
    Will looks from Jared's dead body then back to me. "It's not safe to be out here now that Malcolm's free. We'll search for Cassie first thing tomorrow."
    "First thing tomorrow," I repeat.

-

Peter's P.O.V

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    "Any sign of him?"
    "No, nothing," Alice replies, distraught. "We checked everywhere."
    "Maybe he could've wandered off?" I suggest. "You know how he loves exploring new places."
    Alice shakes her head. "No, Asa and Isaac said that Cassie was sleeping in their room when they went left him."
    So much for trying to cheer her up.

    "What did the boys say?" I ask.
    "They told me to take it easy," she tells me, plopping down on the bed. "I can't believe them, Cassie's like a son to me and they don't let me join the search 'cause it's "too dangerous"."
    She rolls her eyes, muttering some colorful words under her breath. "Too dangerous my arse."
    "They're just worried," I say. "What if Malcolm got you?"

    Alice waves the thought away. "He wouldn't hurt me. He knows how much I mean to Peter."
    "But how can you be sure?" I ask. "He chose power over you."
    "That's the thing, he didn't."
    I furrow my eyebrows. "But he-"
    "He chose to steal your heart so he could live," she explains. "I admit, what he did was wrong, but he did it because he wanted to be with me."

    "But I thought you despised him."
    She shakes her head. "No. No, I could never hate him. No matter how much I try."
    "You still love him?" I ask, not believing my ears. "After everything he put you through?"
    Alice gives me a rueful smile. "I still love him."
    And I still love you, too. Always have and always will.

    I flip Henry's storybook open, stopping at the page where Alice and I had our first kiss. I smile as I look at the illustration of us. My hands are in her hair and she smiles in the kiss. Oh, how I yearn for those lips to be on mine once more.
    "Did you know he was your soul mate?" I ask her.
    Alice looks at the drawing on the page. "No."

    "Well, apparently he didn't need my heart to live as long as he had you with him."
    "So you're saying that he didn't need your heart at all?" Alice asks me.
    I nod. "That's what the book says."
    "If only he knew."
    Yeah, if only I knew. Things would be different.
    "Alice?"

    She looks up. "Yeah?"
    "Would you forgive him if he changed his mind?"
    "What do you mean?" she asks.
    "I mean, would you forgive him if he didn't try to steal Henry's- uh, my heart?" I correct.
    "Of course," Alice says. "As you said, he's my soul mate, it'd be physically impossible for me to hate him."
    "Yeah."

    Alice almost falls off the bed as the door slams open. Regina smiles sheepishly. "Sorry, Alice. I guess I should've knocked first."
    I give "my mom" a look. "Ya think?"
    Alice chuckles, getting to her feet. "It's fine, I'm just naturally clumsy."
    The smile is wipped off Alice's face when she sees the look etched on Regina's face. "What is it?"

    "You guys have to come with me," Regina says, grabbing the both of us by our hands.
    "Why? What's wrong?" I ask her as we leave my room.
    "Something's happened," she answers.
    "Good or bad?" Alice asks worriedly.
    "Bad. Very bad," Regina replies woefully, leading us out the front door.

****

    "What the hell happened?" Regina asks as we approach the convent.
    Alice's hands fly to her mouth when she notice a dead body on the steps of the church.
    "Malcolm killed her," David replies.
    "Pan's grandfather?" Regina asks. "I trapped him in the sail."
    "Yeah, well, he got free last night," Emma says.
    "He killed Jared," Emma tells her.

    "Look, let's go back to the ship and get the candle," my half-brother says. "If my grandfather strikes again, we need to be able to capture him."
    My grandfather, I feel like shouting at him. Malcolm is my grandfather, not yours. You hardly knew him. You don't get the right to call him your family.
    "Pan's behind this," Emma says, breaking my dangerous train of thought. "I know it."

    "He's trapped in a box under the floor of Gold's shop," Regina states.
    "Who else would be doing this?" Emma asks.
    "Is there a possibility that Malcolm could've gotten out on his own?" Alice asks, standing up for me.
    Regina shakes her head. "No, he isn't powerful enough to do that on his own. He would've needed help."

    "So, Pan can still hurt me," I say, feigning a terrified voice.
    "We don't know that," Regina assures me.
    "Well, we have to assume he's still a threat," Mary Margaret states.
    "And that he's after Henry," Emma adds.
    "Then what am I doing here?" I ask, worriedly.

    "He's right," David says. "He's not safe out in the open."
    I turn to face Regina. "You'll protect me, right?"
    "Yes, of course," she replies, hugging me.
    I pull back, glancing at Alice to see her response to all of this. She looks terrified at the thought of having to confront me a second time.
    "Go," Emma says. "We'll take care of Malcolm."

    "Regina wait," Emma calls, causing her to turn around.

    The said woman turns around to face Emma. "What?"
    "Keep a close eye on him," Emma whispers, thinking that I can't hear them.
    Regina furrows her eyebrows at Emma's words. "I already said I would."
    "I know," Emma says. "He just doesn't seem quite himself."

    "Really? You mean because he asked for me?"
    Emma shakes her head. "No, I didn't- I didn't mean-"
    "That's exactly what you meant," Regina says. "You can't face the fact that I'm his mother, too. And maybe, just maybe, he wants me when he's frightened. You forget- I have ten years of soothing his nightmares under my belt. He's fine."

    "It's not about you, Regina," Emma tells her. "I just have a... gut feeling."
    "Well, maybe you can use that gut feeling to find Malcolm and Cassie instead of obsessing over who's gonna comfort our son."
    And with that said Regina walks away from Emma, making her way towards me.
    "So where are you taking me?" I ask her as she places her arm around me.

    "Once place in Storybrooke Malcolm can never get to," Regina says. "The place where I keep my magic."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-yxqu6maSA

****

    Regina doesn't talk to me as we make our way to her vault. We have to make our way through a cemetery before we can get to her vault, which was bulit in the middle of this eeriry place. I count the headstone as I pass them, counting up to fifty or more people who have died here, or in The Enchanted Forest. Regina unlocks the door to the vault and the two of us make our way inside.

    She walks up to the tomb lying in the middle of the barren room and pushes it open, revealing a secret staircase underneath. She then makes her way down the stairs, pausing to see if I'm following her.
    "Promise you won't touch anything?" Regina says as we step off the staircase.
    My eyes dart to the many potions and spell books lying around. "I promise."

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Alice's P.O.V

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    The four of us make our way to Gold's pawn shop, not stopping to talk to anyone we pass by. I spot Lewis, Ray and Will my peripheral vision.
    "We came as soon as we heard," Will says, jogging up to us.
    "Where's Henry?" Ray asks.
    "With Regina," I reply.
    I look to the boys in a silent question.

    Will shakes his head. "Still no sign of him."
    "But we'll keep trying," Ray assures me.
    Lewis nods in agreement with the two brothers. I wipe away the tears that cloud my eyes. I have to focus on the task at hand, I can't let my emotions get the better of me. They'll just distract me. We reach the shop just as Belle as Mr Gold are exiting it.

    "No, I'm afraid we're closed," he says as he notices us approaching him. "Whatever crisis you're dealing with, I'm done for the day."
    Belle gives him a look. "Rumple."
    "Pandora's Box," Emma says. "Give it to me."
    "Why would I do that?" Mr Gold asks.
    "We need to open it," Emma tells him.

    "And let Pan escape?" he asks. "What are you crazy?"
    "Somehow he managed to free your father from inside the box. Henry's life is in danger," Mary Margaret tells him.
    "And you think letting Pan out will change that?" he asks sarcastically.
    "Yes," Emma replies. "Because we can finally stop him forever."

    "All due respect, Miss Swan, we barely succeeded in apprehending him the first time," Mr Gold says. "If I've learnt one thing, it's not to tempt fate."
    "I'm not looking to apprehend him. Wouldn't you rather be sure he's gone?" Emma says.
    "Well, what do you have in mind?" he asks.

****

    I step out of Emma's car, smoothing the crumpled material of my TFIOS shirt. I look down at the words printed on it in cursive: "That's the thing about pain, it demands to be felt."
    Yes, it does, John Green. Yes, it does.
    Emma and the others step out from their cars behind me. Mr Gold makes his way towards Storybrooke's borders.

    "There's no magic beyond the town line," Mr Gold says. "If we release Pan outside Storybrooke, he'll be powerless to fight back."
    He begins to cross the town line but Emma has other ideas. She sidesteps in front of him, blocking him from leaving. "Uh-uh. I'm doing this."
    "I can cross the line and retain my memory," Gold tells her.

    "It's not about that," Emma tells him. "There's no magic over there. All due respect, the real world is my expertise."
    Emma takes out her handgun and steps over the town line. "You're gonna deal with Pan on my terms."
    "He's my son," Mr Gold protests.
    I think this is the first time that he's accepted that Peter's his son.

    "It's my hunch," Emma says. "If I fail, you're more than welcome to pick up the pieces."
    "Emma, be careful," Mary Margaret warns her daughter.
    I feel someone slip their hand in mine. I don't need to turn around to know that it's Ray. He squeezes my hand, letting me know that I'm not alone. I give him a small smile, squeezing his hand back.

    I watch as Mr Gold proceeds to open Pandora's Box, placing it over the town line where Emma is standing. I tighten my grip on Ray's hand as Peter appears from the fog. Emma aims her gun at him as he stands up with a dazed expression. Peter turns around to face Emma.
    "Mom?" he asks in a scared voice.
    "What?" Emma asks, taken aback.
    My thoughts exactly.

    "What are you waiting for?" Gold asks. "Shoot him."
    "Don't. Please. I'm Henry," Peter says. "Pan... He- He switched our bodies."
    "You expect me to believe that?" Emma asks him.
    "Don't listen to him. This is one of his tricks," Gold says.
    I speak up. "What if it isn't? What if he's telling the truth?"

    That explains why Henry's been acting rather odd around me and why he's been re-reading the story of Peter and I over and over again. That's why he asked me earlier this morning if I knew that Peter was my soul mate. He wanted to know if I knew. He wanted to know if I'd ever forgive him, if I hated him.

    "Of course you'd say that, you're his soul mate, you don't want him to die," Gold snaps.
    "Of course I don't want him to die," I say. "But it doesn't mean that I'd trade your lives for his, or lie in order to save him."
    "She's right, Pan did it right before Mr Gold captured me in the box, I swear," Peter- Henry says.

    Emma aims her gun at him. "Ah, don't come any closer."
    "I've had enough of this," Mr Gold says. "Shoot him!"
    "Maybe he's telling the truth," Emma says. "Maybe that's why I can't shake the feeling that something's off about Henry."
    "Maybe that's what he wants you to believe. If he steps over the line, we're all dead," Mr Gold exclaims.

    "All right, if you are Henry, prove it," Emma says, not taking her eyes or her gun off him. "Tell me something only Henry would know."
    "Peter" stutters his response. "I-I got trapped in the mines. I tried blowing up the well. I like hot cocoa with cinnamon."
    "This proves nothing," Gold says, annoyed.

    "He's right, Emma," Mary Margaret agrees. "Pan could've told Henry all this is Neverland."
    "He could've but I highly doubt that he did," Ray says.
    "Pan might know facts, but life is made up more than that—there are moments," Emma says. "He can't possibly know all of them. The first time you and I connected—you remember that? Not met, but connected."

    "Yeah," "Peter" says.
    "Where was it?" Emma asks him.
    "My castle," he replies. "Right after you came to Storybrooke."
    "And what did you tell me?" she asks.
    "That I knew why you gave me up," he replies.
    "Why?"
    "Because you wanted to give me my best chance."

    Emma lowers her gun, tucking it away. "Henry..."
    "Mom," Henry replies, running to hug his mother.
    "It's Henry." Emma turns to face Mr Gold. "Promise you're not going to incinerate us when we step over the line."
    Gold nods in reply and Emma picks up Pandora's Box, walking over the line with Henry.

    Henry hugs his grandparents as Emma hands the box to Mr Gold.
    "I'm sorry I doubted you, Henry," Mr Gold says to him. "And I'm sorry I put you in the box in the first place."
    "It's okay. I would've done the same thing," Henry assures him.
    "Come on," Emma says, leading Henry to her car.
    David turns to face his wife. "If he's all the way out here, where's Pan?"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaptN--l35s

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Peter's P.O.V

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    I walk around Regina's vault with her, looking at all her various magical items she has stored in here. But I only have eyes for one of them. My eyes dart to a potion bottle near me.
    "What is it?" Regina asks me.
    "I was just thinking of how lucky I am to have you to protect me here," I lie.
    "Oh, Henry," Regina says, clasping my hands.

    "When all this is over, I promise I'm going to be the mother you've always wanted me to be." She pauses, hugging me. I take this opportunity to grab the potion bottle with my free hand while she's still distracted.
    "I love you," she says, pulling back.
    I open the potion bottle, releasing the powdery substance inside. The poppy powder hits Regina, knocking her out cold.

    "I know," I say, closing the bottle. "That's why this was so easy."

-

Alice's P.O.V

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    I look up at the late night sky. Has it really been twelve hours since I last talked to Peter? And I didn't even know I was talking to him.
    "Regina's still not answering," Emma says, ending the call.
    Henry turns to face Mr Gold. "When we find Pan, remember he's still in my body. So if you have to throw a fireball or something, at least avoid the face."

    "I'll do my best," Gold replies.
    I stifle a laugh.
    We approach Regina's vault where Hook, Neal and Tinker Bell are waiting for us.
    "Is it really you?" Neal asks his son.
    "Dad," Henry replies, hugging his father.

    I smile sadly at the sight in front of me. This is probably the only time Peter will ever hug or show any fondness towrads his half-brother, and it isn't even Peter who's hugging him.
    "Did you find Malcolm?" David asks.
    "Not yet," Tinker Bell replies.
    "Well, we'll be ready of him when we do," Hook says, holding up the halves of the coconut shell.

    "I think it's Pan we should be worried about now, not my father," Mr Gold says. "Why are we still up here?"
    "It's locked up tight," Neal tells him.
    "Really?" Gold asks, using his magic to try and open the vault, but to no avail.
    "Told you," Neal says.
    "Fair enough," Gold says. "This is going to take some time."

    He then begins working to break the spell. Emma walks off to talk to her parents while I turn to face the boys.
    "I don't think I can do this, guys," I say. "I don't think I can face him."
    "You did it before, what's different this time?" Lewis asks.
    "Because this time he knows what she feels towards him," Will replies for me.

    "Yeah, what if he wants to talk to me? What if he tries to make me change my mind? What if-"
    Ray takes my hands in his. "Alice, don't worry. We'll be there with you the entire time. I promise."
    Lewis and Will nod in agreement.
    I smile at them. "Thanks, guys."
    I hear a click, indicating that Mr Gold managed to open the vault doors.

    "Shall we?" he asks, stepping past the doors.
    I make my way down the staircase, Ray's hand still laced in mine. My eyes dart to a body lying on the ground.
    "Regina!" Mary Margaret exclaims, rushing towards the unconscious woman.
    "Pan's gone," David says.
    "We're clear down here!" Emma shouts to the others who stayed upstairs.

    Mr Gold approaches Regina, lifting the sleeping spell off her. The raven haired woman wakes up with a start. "What? What happend?"
    "It's Henry. Somehow Pan switched bodies with him," Emma tells her.
    "And I fell for it," Regina says, disappointed.
    "We all did," Mary Margaret says.

    "I wanted to believe what he was saying so badly, I missed all the signs," Regina says. "I just wanted to believe he still needed me to be his mother."
    "I still do," Henry says, stepping out from behind the boys.
    I have to restrain myself from running over to hug him, almost forgetting that it's Henry, not Peter who's standing in front of me.
    "Henry?"

    Henry runs over to hug her.
    "So what exactly did Pan come down here to get?" David asks.
    Mr Gold walks around the room with his hand up, using his magic to see if there's anything missing. He stops at an open box.
    "Please tell me you didn't keep it in here," he says, turning to face Regina.
    "Where else would I keep it?" she asks.

    "What is it?" Emma asks. "What did Pan take?"

-

Felix's P.O.V

-

    I watch a Peter unravels a scroll with cursive words written on it.
    "A curse?" I question, looking at him.
    "No, Felix, the curse," he replies. "The curse that tore everyone from The Enchanted Forest and dropped them here."
    I shift the sleeping toddler in my arms. "You broke me out of jail to tell me how everyone got to this town?"

    I give him a "you're kidding me, right?" look.
    He shakes his head. "I broke you out of jail 'cause this spell is going to give us everything we always wanted."
    "And what is that exactly?"
    "I'm going to make everyone forget who they are," he says. "Time will stand still. And Felix, we will be in charge."
    "This whole place?" I ask.

    Cassie squirms in my arms, mumbling incoherent words. Peter looks at the toddler in my arms, smiling fondly as he ruffles up the boy's disheveled hair.
    He nods. "Yes, and when we're done with it, it's gonna be the new Neverland..."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4A-G19lwmo

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Wow, this was a long chapter. I hope you guys are ready for the ending 'cause it's only two or three chapters away and I already have the ending in mind. Long story short, you guys are gonna cry. I won't stray from the actual plot too much but I'll still change the ending.

Here's a heads up: three people will die. Only one of them is a main character. Three ships will be sunk. There will be a sequel and a triquel. Hypothetically, if I do happen to kill Alice or Peter, I will (somehow) bring them back to life for the sequel. And that's about it. I'm not going to tell you guys anymore spoilers.

I'll try to update the next chapter by Sunday (no promises). That's about it for this A/N bye, guys ☺

~ Alice xx

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Which is your favorite Brotp? Walice or Panlix?

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Here's a beautiful piece of art by Angie:

Credit: Fate221 on IG (go and follow her if you're not already doing so)

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Vote, comment, rate, do whatever you what <3

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