Forty Three

+ + +

Naomi held a lantern out from her body, as to send the light as far out as possible. 

She had snuck out early that morning. If luck were on her side, she could find the Charmings in under a day. 

They had been on the back of her mind forever. It was bugging her beyond description. She just wanted to check in on them. If all went well, a few worries would be calmed. Anxieties would be settled. 

Or maybe she was being naive. It was not for sure whether or not they would listen to her. 

Only time would tell. 

Time. The longer everyone waited around, the more of it would be lost. 

Naomi paused in her tracks when a gap between trees revealed campfire. That meant; either Emma and the others, or Gold. She had not known of Gold's whereabouts since the Jolly Roger. She took a step forward in order to get a better view of the site. 

A foot landed on a trig and snapped. The sound echoed throughout the entire canopy. 

Silence fell. Absolute silence. Naomi took a deep breath and stepped through the remaining slip of trees. A makeshift campsite revealed itself, accompanied by none other than the very people she was seeking. 

She held her hands up by her head in defense. David was in a proper sword stance, Regina held a ball of fire, and Mary Margaret aimed an arrow directly at her. Naomi spread her palms to show she bore no weapons. 

"It's me," she told them. Mary Margaret lowered her bow and exhaled in relief. 

"Thank god!" Mary Margaret dropped her weapons and rushed forward to embrace Naomi. The girl did not reciprocate the hug, only stared ahead at the people over Mary Margaret's shoulder. 

Killian looked at her from a few meters away. The two shared a silent communication: she was not here to stay. 

Mary Margaret felt Naomi's arms and face as if checking for injuries. "Are you okay? Are you hurt? What did he do to you?" She asked rapidly. 

Naomi cocked an eyebrow and stepped out of Mary Margaret's reach. "Relax. I was only gone for two days," she said. 

The camp was littered with long vines they had collected from trees. Some were twisted and strung together to make rope. What they would need rope for was a mystery to Naomi. She crossed her arms as the others stared at her. 

"Two days? It's been two days?" Emma demanded. Her jaw dropped and eyes were wide with horror. 

"Roughly. Maybe three."

"Oh my god-" Emma sank back down to sit. 

"And where have you been?" Regina demanded. Her tone of voice was not friendly. "Why do you choose now to show up?"

Mary Margaret frowned. "Regina, it's Naomi. I'm sure she's doing the best she-"

"I'm fully aware of who she is! But can we trust her? How do we know she's not a spy for Pan?" Regina questioned. She looked among the adults. "Am I the only one who's a little suspicious?"

"Regina, I don't want to-" Naomi started. 

Killian cut her off. "Of course we can trust her, just as you can me!" He shouted in her defense. 

"All due respect, Hook, but that's not a strong argument," Regina muttered. 

"Is Henry with Pan now? Take us to him!" Emma commanded. Naomi attempted to speak more. 

David held up a hand. "Hold on. Everyone just calm down. Naomi went with Pan so the attack on us would be called off. We were dangerously outnumbered. She may have saved a life. Perhaps we should be thanking her," he pointed out. 

"You think I can't handle a few hormonally stunted children?" Regina scoffed. 

"Careful how you insult the Lost Boys, love."

"-but on the other hand," David continued despite them, raising his voice, "she did leave. What is Pan... your boyfriend? Who's to say you're not loyal to him?" Naomi stared at him as if he had assaulted someone. He sighed. "I think we should be cautious, that's all."

Regina nodded. "I wholeheartedly agree."

"David!" Mary Margaret exclaimed. 

"Oh, don't be so daft, Mary Margaret!" Regina scolded. "Admit it; she is able to switch sides faster than any of us. We never know where she truly stands. Over the past year she has demonstrated dangerous levels of a two-sided nature."

"Regina, she's a teenager-"

"-One day she's ready to murder her brother of all people," Regina continued on despite Mary Margaret's protests, "then the next she's clinging to him like a diaper. Only this time, Pan could be in the receiving end."

Regina stepped up to Naomi, who stood with a blank expression. She would be lying to herself to say Regina was not intimidating. 

"How do we know we can trust you?"

Naomi shrugged. "I can't. I don't have any physical proof. You just need to have faith in me," she told them all. She then looked directly to Killian. "Please, all I need is time. As much of it as you can give me."

"Why should we be listening to you?" Emma demanded. She was siding with Regina. 

Killian grabbed Naomi's elbow and whispered, "I appreciate the sentiment of coming back, but waters are getting rough here. Go back to Pan. Now." He looked at her sincerely. "Please. There is no need enraging Regina. She'll hold a grudge for years. Better to hold her faith now-"

"She already holds a grudge!" Naomi muttered. She yanked her arm from his grasp. She stared Killian down. "Please, brother. I am asking this one thing of you: trust Pan. Just for once, trust that he is doing good. Magic is dying! It'll all be gone if we don't-"

"Has he told you his plan? What needs to be done?"

"No- I just.... listen to me, please! That's all I'm asking," Naomi said. She glanced back to the others. They were all now engaged in their own argument, too absorbed to pay any attention to the two of them. 

Killian carefully moved her face back to examine it. "Naomi, your eyes-"

"Why does everyone keep talking about my eyes?" Naomi exclaimed. She laughed airily and brought a hand up to her hair. "They are normal! Nothing different! I'm really-"

She had to remind herself to calm down. Now they were attracting attention from the others. She took a few deep, calming breaths before focusing back on Killian. 

He sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Naomi. I can't."

Naomi pursed her lips, nodded, and placed her hands on her waist. She turned on her heels to face everyone else. At this point both David and Mary Margaret wore apologetic expressions. Emma looked ready for a physical fight, and Regina's fists were clenched tightly by her side. 

"I'm sorry for coming back. I just wanted to... check. Just to make sure you guys weren't dead in a pit somewhere," Naomi told them. She took a second to breath and rub her neck, which had begun to ache. "I'm sorry for a lot-"

Emma ran up to her and slammed her against the nearest tree. She forced her forearm against Naomi's chest. "Where is my son?!" She shouted. A tiny bit of saliva hit Naomi's cheek. 

Killian shouted and pulled Emma away, nearly throwing her back. "Enough!" He looked back to Naomi. "I think you should leave," he told her. 

Naomi quickly nodded and ran off into the trees. She may or may not have royally screwed up. 

+ + +

The girl's legs dangled high from the sturdy branch of a tree. 

She hummed an old lullaby Celeste used to sing to her and Amile at night to herself. The memories of her time with that family were faint, but still there. That lullaby was one of the only things keeping them with her before drifting off into a cloud of forgotten memories. 

Her eyes traveled around in random circles, observing everything that her vision came in contact with. The various vibrant greens popped against the brown of barks. The bright sun beamed down from above the canopy. Birds chirped all around. A single squirrel sped up her tree, just narrowly missing her shoulder. A drop of dew fell onto her hand from above. 

It was beautiful. 

After minutes and minutes of perfection, her eyes made their way to the ocean's horizon. At first she did not see it. Then her eyes caught the dark shape of a navy-styled ship. About a hundred yards away from the ship itself was a tiny rowboat. She could not tell how many men the boat carried, but it was not many. 

People were coming on to the island. Outsiders had found it. 

She wanted to meet them. 

Naomi quickly and carefully got back to the ground. She stumbled a bit upon landing the jump. Her knees scraped the rough dirt. She brushed herself off before studying where she stood. She was still a good ways from the beach. 

She was not able to get very far before a hand caught her shoulder. She spun around and faced Pan. He held a finger to his lips. He motioned for her to stay still. He would handle this. 

Obediently, Naomi did not go to the beach, only the next best option. She crouched behind a couple trees around the edge. Several large leaves covered the majority of her body. One would have to strain a trained eye to find her. 

There were two men, both dressed in high-ranking navy uniforms. They were too far away for her to see their faces or hear their conversation. Each admired the island in their own way. 

Pan appeared behind the men. He gave them a startle, causing them to draw their swords on him. 

Naomi could not have possibly listened in on their words. The taller man handed Pan a single piece of paper. The two shared concerned whispers. All she could make out was that he was giving them trouble. Eventually the men gave up on speaking with Pan. They turned their backs on him and walked straight into the trees ahead. 

"Don't say I didn't warn you!" Pan shouted after them, waving. One man gave him a second look, while the other ignored him. 

The two men now faced Naomi. Her heart stopped beating. 

Liam. Her eldest brother had not changed one bit since they had been together. That was him. That was her brother. That was Liam Jones. 

The other man she did not recognize. The two seemed close. But whether they'd be comrades or... brothers, she could not take that chance. She could not take that chance that Liam had separated from Killian for work, or for reasons outside of their control. She could not be seen. 

Naomi bit back a swear, holding it back in her throat. She bolted upright and into the upcoming jungle behind her. Her legs carried her faster than ever before. 

She hoped and prayed to all known gods and deities that Liam had not seen her. 

+ + +

Naomi decided to take a walk along the beach to clear her head. 

The waters were not calm. They managed to sparkle brilliantly through the rough waves that crashed onto the shore. It was pleasant to listen to. 

As time passed, she began to regret abandoning her sweater at the camp. The dramatic temperature changes of Neverland never ceased to shock Naomi. The jungle would get sweltering hot, while the beach right next to it would make you shiver upon first contact. 

Had she been overestimating how much trust they really held in her? If so, what was the one thing keeping them from leaving her behind? Mary Margaret? Killian? Henry? 

Her mind went to her brother. Things between them had just changed right before the return to Neverland. It just happened. Naomi, at the time, had assumed it was the threat of death that pushed them towards a mutual acceptance. Now she wasn't so sure. 

She wanted to apologize for everything. For the way she acted, the way she treated him, and the way she had failed as a sister. Regina had been right on one account: these bonds should not be this complicated. 

Their parents would have expected better. Liam wouldn't have wanted that of them. 

She felt guilty. 

Yes, he had his downs, but so did she. They had both done things they regretted. They had both gone on similar roller coasters of good and bad. They had both regretted their actions. She wasn't special. 

If she deserved a second chance from the Charmings, he deserved a second chance from her. 

But of course, it would be near impossible to voice these thoughts. 

Naomi approached the rock at which she used to rest under. It had quite a good size, not too small but big enough so it could successfully shield her body from any points at the edge of the trees. It jutted out in such a way from the sand that one could climb to the edge and dangle their legs over. It was close enough to the ground so one could jump back down without trouble. 

Nostalgia came flooding back. That small area had so many memories. It had often been her escape when she really needed an escape. Pan was among the very few who knew of her tree house. If she were to seclude herself from the others there, he would eventually join and give her company. 

If she ever needed something more than that, something peaceful, she would go to the singly giant rock at the beach. At this point, she was sure Pan knew of her attachment to the rock. But he always respected her privacy there. 

Ruffio was the only other person with knowledge of the place. He was the only other one who knew of her sanctuary there. The one time he had visited her there was one of her most fond memories. 

Naomi curled up underneath the overcast shadow. Her back pressed against the rough gray rock. She kicked her shoes and socks off, pushing her toes into the soft grains of sand. 

The early morning sun barely peaked out between thick, gray clouds. One of the thickest blankets of fog she had ever seen coated the far off horizon. A gust of wind chilled her skin once more. 

Despite this, the sea sparkled. It sparkled on and on through the dull atmosphere. 

Until her body had relaxed, Naomi had not realized just how little sleep she had gotten over the past few days. Her eyes grew heavy and fluttered to a close. Soon, she had dozed off. 

It was a dreamless sleep. 

Had ten minutes passed? Twenty? An hour? There was no way for Naomi to tell. 

Naomi was always a heavy sleeper. Always had been, always would be. Under the right circumstances, she slept like a baby. Once she fell unconscious, a bullhorn could not disturb her. 

She was woken when a tidal wave washed entirely over the rock, drenching her with ice cold salt water. She gasped and sputtered, breathing in through her mouth. Her clothes stuck to her frame. As she jumped to her feet the water receded. Her shoes were damp. She slung her dripping hair over her shoulder and looked around the area. 

It was storming. The thunder had not penetrated her sleep. Many hours had passed. It was now nighttime. 

But no rain fell. They waves crashed onto the beach as regular. Rough indentions had been craved into the sand from the sheer power of water. Thick gray clouds blanketed the strip of land in a blanket of darkness. 

It was never supposed to rain on Neverland. It wasn't supposed to rain, storm, or anything of the sort. Only powerful magic could do that. Extremely powerful magic. 

Naomi snatched her shoes and marched back into the trees. 

It was a twenty or so minute walk from the beach to the Lost Boy camp. The oncoming jungle was darker than usual. She pulled her hair together and wrung it out. The ground was dry under her bare, wet feet. Leaves and dirt stuck to the bottoms. A shiver was sent down her spine. 

Her neck ached from the sleeping position against the rock. Sand was sticking to her skin. Her skinny jeans were wet. 

Other than that, she was doing great. 

She took the long way back, as hopefully to give the clothes more time to dry. It didn't work as well as she had hoped. At least her tank top had stopped sticking to her stomach. 

Half an hour later, Naomi finally made it to their campsite. Several boys had convened around the fire, a fallen tree trunk, the hut she had slept in earlier. Naomi leaned against the nearest tree, staying hidden from any of their sights. They did not need to see this version of her. 

Her arms crossed together at her abdomen. She did not mind the chill anymore. 

"Did you go swimming?"

Naomi almost fell onto her face trying to face him. She squealed and tripped over her own two feet. "Stop doing that!"

Pan stood there with a content smirk on his face. He caught her by the forearms before she reached the ground. "What happened to you?" He laughed, wiping a bead of water from her bicep. 

"Beach storm," she mumbled under her breath. She smiled and squeezed the remaining bit of water from her hair onto his torso. He chuckled and wiped his shirt with one hand. 

Pan's eyes traveled over her body. "Good idea; not going over there yet," he whispered into her ear. He pulled her close with one arm. 

"What?"

"See-through shirt," he answered. Naomi buried her face in his shoulder out of embarrassment with a tiny nod. 

For a moment they just stood there. It was fine by her. He was warm. 

Eventually Pan separated and took a few steps back. "Hungry?" He asked before moving the palm of his hand down, over the air that surrounded her body. Naomi was instantly dried. She smiled out of gratitude. 

"Always," she admitted."

+ + +

Dead Man's Peak. It's a cliff with a well-deserved name. 

The largest abundance of Dreamshade Naomi had ever encountered grew at the top. Behind it was a magical spring carved into the mountain. What that spring did, she had not the faintest idea. She had never needed to know, so she never asked. 

She had followed Liam and the other man up there. Liam seemed very confident in the mission. The same could not be said for his comrade. 

Naomi balanced precariously along the edge of the mountain. She stood at the very edge of the side, peering over just enough to get a good look of the two. Her fingers gripped at any vine she could reach. Over two thousand feet below her was ground. A fall from there would be deadly. 

Liam lead the way onto the smooth surface ridge. He faced the large Dreamshade vines. The two of them observed the drawing in hand to the correct plant. In front of their noses, black sap dripped from a frighteningly sharp thorn. 

"It certainly doesn't look like medicine," his friend commented. 

Liam sighed. "You choose to believe that boy over our King?" He asked, moving to study the plant closer. They had clearly been debating this for an extended amount of time. He was getting tired of it. 

"That boy showed us the path to the Dreamshade. Why would he lie about it's nature?" The other man countered in a reasoning tone. He seemed to be the wiser one of the duo. 

"So he could keep it all to himself!" Liam placed a delicate hand to the stems, careful not to touch the thorns. "Do you really believe our King would send us to retrieve something of such vile nature?"

"If he did, this is not what I signed up for-"

"You signed up to listen to your King," Liam told the man in a scolding tone. 

Naomi closed her eyes, listening to his voice. She remembered him using that tone with her countless times before. It never meant he was mad. He had never gotten mad at his younger siblings. 

"Yes, because I thought he was a man of honor," the second man said. 

Liam turned to face him. "He is!" 

"Liam, if we do this, it will not only kill hundreds, it will obliterate an entire race!" The man told him. 

"What do you know about any of this?" Liam asked. He stepped forward, towards his comrade. "I'm your brother, and your captain. You will listen to me."

Naomi's mind and heart stopped. A hand clasped over her mouth as to hold back an outburst. Brother. That word echoed in her mind. Brother, brother. Brother. Killian. 

Liam and Killian. 

And Naomi. 

She leaned back against the mountain side to catch a steady breath. All three of them were back together... technically. After all this time, this was how they were reunited?  Naomi had to fight back every urge not to jump out there and surprise them. 

She took a deep intake of breath and looked back over the corner. Killian spoke again. "No. I'll fight my enemies, but I fight fair," he said. He was genuine and sincere. 

Liam sighed and nodded. "Then allow me to disabuse you of that notion." He brought out his sword and slashed at the vines. He selected a fallen piece, about a foot long, and confidently held it at arm's length. 

Naomi's grip on the mountain side tightened. What was he doing?

"Brother, don't-"

Despite Killian's protests, Liam carved a line up his forearm with a single Dreamshade thorn. Naomi bit her lip, cheeks, tongue, everything in her mouth to keep from screaming. A single ounce of sound escaped her throat before a hand was clasped over her face. She was silently dragged back, off of the dangerous ledge. 

Gently, she was placed on the ground at the other side of the mountain. Here, there was enough room for one to spread out. Pan calmed her shaking form before holding a finger to his lips. 

Silent. 

Killian's shouts could be heard from the other side of the peak. He was begging for his brother, begging for him to hold on. Pan kissed Naomi's head before disappearing. She grabbed at her sore throat, screamed into her jacket, and stumbled forward on her knees. 

Naomi could not hear any more. She could not, she would not, she should not. She climbed the scraping rocks to get back on her feet before running down the same path from before. Liam's pride had finally gotten the best of him. 

She needed to escape Dead Man's Peak. Dreamshade, brothers, all of it. 

Liam would be dead before she reached the bottom. 

+ + +

last edited August 24, 2020