Enter the Neverwoods

They walked a little further along the road and ducked back between the trees so that they were still concealed but close enough to the cars that the noise would scare off any other animals.

Teddy let Felix start the fire this time, deciding that building the tent was more interesting anyway, even though it took a long time and they were struggling to fit the pieces together. "Don't laugh," they warned preemptively. They didn't know if Felix would laugh at them for taking 40 minutes to set up a tent, but they wouldn't put it past him.

She tossed the blankets and her backpack into the tent before joining him near the fire, keeping her daggers close. She offered him an assortment of snacks that she kept stuffed in a side pocket of that bag, including some jerky and granola bars. She kept the only pop tart as a reward for killing the bear (she had dealt the final blow after all), and because she was bored with her phone charging off her tiny portable crank generator.

They pulled a deck of cards out of their pocket and began to shuffle them, practicing tricks in the firelight. "Do you know how to play poker?" they asked. They continued to shuffle the cards dramatically just to have something to do with their hands. It was still a bit too early to pull s'mores ingredients out of their bag, and they were sure they were smooshed from being put at the bottom. Even if they had survived, they weren't quite sure how to explain the concept of roasted marshmallows to Felix. He didn't seem like the kind of person to enjoy sweets.

The wind whipped at her, even through her jacket, and she scooted a little closer to the fire, pulling her jacket further around herself. "If you do know how to play, and want to, I've random coins in my bag we can use for the gambling part. Or we could play something stupid like twenty questions. I've known you for centuries and yet I barely know you at all."

He made quick work of the fire, coaxing flames from the dry twigs with practiced ease. "Took you long enough with that tent," Felix drawled, stretching his arms behind his head, the firelight throwing sharp shadows across his face. "I was starting to think you were build a second bear trap." There was a flicker of amusement in his eyes as he watched her struggle, but he didn't offer to help.

Felix took some of the jerky they offered, nodding his thanks. He eyed the pop tart with a skeptical look but didn't comment, at least not yet.

When Teddy pulled out the cards and asked about poker, Felix shook his head. "Never played. The Lost Ones used to love it, but I could never see the point. I wasn't interested in pretending to have a winning hand when it was all a bluff anyway."

He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, angular features softened by the firelight. "I'll play your twenty questions, though. At least there's no bluffing involved."

She stuck her tongue out at him when he teased her about taking too long with the tent. "Maybe I was building a bear trap. Maybe I want you to step in it and lose a limb," she said sharply, though the tilt of her lips made it clear she was joking and trying to hold back a laugh.

"Twenty questions has nothing to do with embarrassing secrets, you're thinking of truth or dare," they said, and the concept of playing that particular party game with Felix of all people was both intriguing and terrifying.

"Essentially, you take turns thinking of a thing, like an object, or a person, and the other person or people have to guess what it is, but you only have twenty questions so you have to be smart about it. I was gonna offer you more food as a prize, but we could use embarrassing secrets instead."

She listened to him speak about Pan, noting the almost melancholic look on his face as he explained the pressure. She assumed he was thinking about their relationship when he fell silent. "Maybe he does want to push you," she murmured. "People do that when they care about you. Wanna make sure you're strong enough. Though, knowing Pan, he might just do it to satisfy his own curiosity. But I think he cares about you, about all of us, in his own way. Why else do we stay?"

They thought about their own convoluted relationship with Pan. He saved their life. They owed him. Still, they could see the way he enjoyed their suffering sometimes, how cruel he could be when it suited him. In the early days, they hadn't wanted to believe that he would be anything other than good to the Lost Ones. Now, they knew that their safety was bought by loyalty. Still, something made them stay even when the opportunity to leave presented itself. Teddy didn't know if it was because they actually liked Neverland, or if it was because they had nowhere else to go.

She raised an eyebrow when he asked her why she stayed. She hummed thoughtfully. "I did stay because I was ordered to, but it's not like I would never willingly hang out with you," she said. "I had other things I wanted to do today, but it's also important to make sure you don't die. I honestly thought you'd prefer to be alone, or to have Pan watch you, which is why I didn't offer to stay before he told me to. It's not a chore to be here. It's actually quite nice. Quiet."

He listened to Teddy’s theory about why Pan pushed him so hard, his expression turned thoughtful. “Maybe you’re right,” he said quietly. “Maybe he does push me because he cares. Or maybe he just likes seeing what I’ll survive.” The words were gruff, but there was an edge of uncertainty he couldn’t hide. Deep down, Felix wondered if Pan’s interest in him ran deeper than mere loyalty or leadership, if there wasn’t something else neither of them would ever say aloud.

When Teddy asked, “Why else do we stay?” Felix was silent for a moment, gazing at the worn canvas above them. “It’s better than what we came from,” he said, voice low. “Memory gets fuzzy after a few centuries, but I remember enough. I wouldn’t trade this place, not if it meant going back to the hell I escaped from.”

He glanced at her, voice softer. “I do like being alone, most days. But I wouldn’t mind a little more company, if it’s the right person. Not just Pan.” That admission lingered between them, quietly honest. He wondered, not for the first time, if Pan would prefer it that way; Felix alone and loyal, never straying too far.

He shifted, making himself more comfortable against the tent wall. “I’ll probably head back to my own tent later,” he told her, “but for now, here’s good.”

She hummed again, tilting her head when he said he wouldn't go back to where he came from. "I might," she said. "I don't remember much of the place I came from, but it wasn't hell, it was just...lonely. Which was funny because I remember there being a lot of people around, they just weren't good at listening." She shrugged. "I like being a Lost One for the most part. I like the sun and the beaches and play fighting and the magic of it all. And maybe..." She gave him a pointed look. "Maybe I like you, too. Sometimes. When you're not being a major asshole."

They held out their hand to shake. "I'll keep you company if you want. If it doesn't interfere with my duties and you don't talk my ear off or steal my things." The stipulations were ridiculous, but they couldn't let him think that they were too willing to hang around him. That would just boost his ego.

"Suit yourself," she said with a shrug when he said he'd go back to his tent later. "But if you die on the way over there, I'm laughing at you instead of helping." She grinned, the candlelight glinting off her canine teeth. "Seriously, please don't try to walk across camp until you're sure you're not gonna pass out. It was difficult to carry you over here."

They finished bandaging the wound and moved to rub the blood off his forehead. "I hate how irrational you are sometimes," they admitted. "I don't like watching people fade away and become shells of themselves. And yeah, Storybrooke sucks. No one likes us. The Lost Ones are disbanded and all living with new families. But that doesn't mean you get to just give up."

She stood and began dismantling the work he'd done with the tent. It was probably best for them to move to a different part of the woods, maybe closer to the road where the noise would scare off most wildlife. "I want us to be friends, Felix," she said, gathering her things and pulling the knives out of the bear. "But I won't stick around if you're gonna be a nihilistic asshole about everything. I don't have enough energy to deal with your crises every single day."

They kicked dirt over the fire to put it out, careful to make sure there weren't any sparks left over to set fire to the surrounding grass and trees. It was quieter now, the soft chirping of insects and fluttering of wings occasionally breaking through the silence.

Teddy pulled her jacket out of her backpack and stuffed the blankets in it to make them easier to carry. She'd done this hundreds of times in Neverland, though the tents were more like temporary huts, and hammocks were much easier to tear down when moving camp. It was tempting to compare the scene to her life on the island but she shoved the urge down. She was determined to make this life worth something. She couldn't keep thinking of the past.

"C'mon, get up," they said, gently kicking Felix's ankle. "We need to get out of here before another bear or something shows up. And I'm tired." They shoved the tent and stakes into his hands and walked away, following their own footprints back toward the town. When they looked up, they could see the same moon that they stared at every night in Neverland. The feeling of freedom was somehow different. They were still trapped, in a way. But they were sure that finding a way out with no consequences would be possible this time.

When she emerged out of the woods near the road, she looked in the direction of where they had come from. She hesitated there, wondering if she should just follow the road closer to the town and set up camp there for the night. But she was curious, and Felix was several steps behind her, so she walked the opposite direction to the edge of town, and stood in front of the line.

There was something oddly comforting in the familiar rhythm of her lecturing like old times, when things were simpler and the threats were things they could fight.

When Teddy started in on him about being reckless, Felix rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I get it… don’t be an idiot, don’t play the hero, all that.” His voice was dry, but there was a flicker of something softer beneath the sarcasm.

She mentioned wanting to be friends, and Felix went quiet for a moment, his expression unreadable. “Friends, huh?” he echoed, almost testing the word. He let out a short, humorless laugh. “Guess you’re the only one stubborn enough to stick around this long. Not sure I remember how to do the whole friend thing, but… I’ll try. For you.”

When Teddy suggested moving camp closer to the road, Felix didn’t argue. He stood, favoring his injured side, and glanced in the direction of the highway. “Yeah, fine. Not exactly the wilds of Neverland out here. I’ll take my chances with headlights and truckers over another bear.” He started gathering what little gear they had, his motions stiff but determined.

He paused, though, as he noticed Teddy wandering toward the town line, the weight of her contemplation clear in the set of her shoulders. Felix’s face hardened, his voice low and a little rough. “Don’t even think about it. You step over that line, you might forget everything… even me.”

They walked a little further along the road and ducked back between the trees so that they were still concealed but close enough to the cars that the noise would scare off any other animals.

Teddy let Felix start the fire this time, deciding that building the tent was more interesting anyway, even though it took a long time and they were struggling to fit the pieces together. "Don't laugh," they warned preemptively. They didn't know if Felix would laugh at them for taking 40 minutes to set up a tent, but they wouldn't put it past him.

She tossed the blankets and her backpack into the tent before joining him near the fire, keeping her daggers close. She offered him an assortment of snacks that she kept stuffed in a side pocket of that bag, including some jerky and granola bars. She kept the only pop tart as a reward for killing the bear (she had dealt the final blow after all), and because she was bored with her phone charging off her tiny portable crank generator.

They pulled a deck of cards out of their pocket and began to shuffle them, practicing tricks in the firelight. "Do you know how to play poker?" they asked. They continued to shuffle the cards dramatically just to have something to do with their hands. It was still a bit too early to pull s'mores ingredients out of their bag, and they were sure they were smooshed from being put at the bottom. Even if they had survived, they weren't quite sure how to explain the concept of roasted marshmallows to Felix. He didn't seem like the kind of person to enjoy sweets.

The wind whipped at her, even through her jacket, and she scooted a little closer to the fire, pulling her jacket further around herself. "If you do know how to play, and want to, I've random coins in my bag we can use for the gambling part. Or we could play something stupid like twenty questions. I've known you for centuries and yet I barely know you at all."

They snorted when Felix suggested they leave. "No way, Pan told me to watch you," they muttered, turning their head and blinking at him with sleepy eyes. "I'll get in trouble if I leave too early. I'll wait an hour at least, to make sure you don't fall off the table and die or something."

She yawned and zoned out a little, since he wasn't talking and she had no desire to fill the empty space with meaningless chatter. Her mind drifted to the chores she had to do and the blanket she was working on, made out of a patchwork of fur scraps from some of the hides she'd tanned recently. She made a mental note to set aside some fabric to sew a new bag to hold medical supplies for on the go.

It was surprisingly comfortable to be half draped over the table with no expectations to do or say anything. That was one thing Teddy liked about hanging around Felix. He never forced them to talk if they didn't want to, never expected them to answer questions they didn't like. Even back when they hated him for everything he represented, they could respect him at the very least.

When Teddy had said she’d stay because Peter told her to, Felix shrugged and managed a dry, “Suit yourself.” He tried to sound indifferent, but couldn’t help the small flare of annoyance, just a flicker at the idea she was only here out of obligation to Pan, not out of any real choice.

Teddy’s next question, about being Pan’s second, made Felix pause. He stared at the ground for a long moment before answering. “It’s… not easy,” he said quietly. “There’s always pressure. Pan expects you to be perfect, and the others expect you to never mess up. You get away with things sometimes… but not the important stuff. Not when it really matters.”

He glanced up at Teddy, voice lowering, “And yeah, if I get in trouble with Pan, it’s worse for me. He holds me to a different standard. Says it’s ‘because I can take it.’” Felix’s mouth twisted into a humorless smile. “Sometimes I wonder if he just likes seeing how far he can push me.”

As he leaned his head back against the tent pole, Felix let his thoughts drift to Pan. Their bond was more than friendship, older, stranger, forged in secrets and loyalty and battles no one else could understand. It was tangled and fierce, sometimes feeling like brotherhood and sometimes like something deeper, a connection that set him apart from every other Lost Boy on the island. Most days, he didn’t mind the weight of it; tonight, though, it pressed against his ribs, heavy and inescapable.

Felix was quiet for a while, the flicker of the campfire outside casting shifting shadows across the tent. He glanced over at Teddy, studying her in the dim light.

After a moment, he broke the silence, voice rough but honest. “Why’d you really stay?” he asked, eyes searching her face. “Was it just because Pan told you to… or was there another reason?”

She listened to him speak about Pan, noting the almost melancholic look on his face as he explained the pressure. She assumed he was thinking about their relationship when he fell silent. "Maybe he does want to push you," she murmured. "People do that when they care about you. Wanna make sure you're strong enough. Though, knowing Pan, he might just do it to satisfy his own curiosity. But I think he cares about you, about all of us, in his own way. Why else do we stay?"

They thought about their own convoluted relationship with Pan. He saved their life. They owed him. Still, they could see the way he enjoyed their suffering sometimes, how cruel he could be when it suited him. In the early days, they hadn't wanted to believe that he would be anything other than good to the Lost Ones. Now, they knew that their safety was bought by loyalty. Still, something made them stay even when the opportunity to leave presented itself. Teddy didn't know if it was because they actually liked Neverland, or if it was because they had nowhere else to go.

She raised an eyebrow when he asked her why she stayed. She hummed thoughtfully. "I did stay because I was ordered to, but it's not like I would never willingly hang out with you," she said. "I had other things I wanted to do today, but it's also important to make sure you don't die. I honestly thought you'd prefer to be alone, or to have Pan watch you, which is why I didn't offer to stay before he told me to. It's not a chore to be here. It's actually quite nice. Quiet."

She watched Pan ruffle Felix's hair and felt a small pang of...well, she wasn't quite sure what it was, but it churned in her stomach at the easy camaraderie between the two. "I think he gets the stubbornness from you," she said quietly.

They slumped back down onto their stool at the order to stay put, a little pouty, but unwilling to disobey a direct command from Pan himself. They supposed he was right anyway. Felix wasn't useful if he was dead. Not that they thought Felix's life was valuable just because he was useful. They'd never admit that, though.

"How are you feeling?" she asked when Pan walked away. "Can you eat? Should I call for Toodles to come bring food over here?" She offered him a water skin from the nearby table. "Sorry about cutting up your pants, by the way. It was necessary. Now you have shorts. I hear they're in style with the pixies," she joked.

They grabbed the alcohol bottle they'd been using to clean his wound and took a swig from what was left. "I guess you do owe me," they mused, the alcohol burning their throat. "Maybe a dagger. I'd argue two. But maybe I want to keep the favor for something important later. Like forcing you to join my side in the ongoing prank war. Or getting out of chores."

He caught the scent of dinner drifting in from the campfire but just shook his head. “Not that hungry,” he admitted, voice rough. “Think I’ll just sit here for a while.”

Glancing down, Felix noticed the ragged edges of his pants, torn wide at the thigh where Teddy and Pan had tended his wound. “Well, that’s one way to get new clothes,” he muttered, trying to make a joke out of it. “I’ll have to scrounge up something else to wear later.” That was the least of his concerns at the moment.

He looked over at Teddy, meeting her eyes for a moment before glancing away. “You don’t have to stick around, you know,” he said, quieter now. “I’m used to being on my own.”

They snorted when Felix suggested they leave. "No way, Pan told me to watch you," they muttered, turning their head and blinking at him with sleepy eyes. "I'll get in trouble if I leave too early. I'll wait an hour at least, to make sure you don't fall off the table and die or something."

She yawned and zoned out a little, since he wasn't talking and she had no desire to fill the empty space with meaningless chatter. Her mind drifted to the chores she had to do and the blanket she was working on, made out of a patchwork of fur scraps from some of the hides she'd tanned recently. She made a mental note to set aside some fabric to sew a new bag to hold medical supplies for on the go.

It was surprisingly comfortable to be half draped over the table with no expectations to do or say anything. That was one thing Teddy liked about hanging around Felix. He never forced them to talk if they didn't want to, never expected them to answer questions they didn't like. Even back when they hated him for everything he represented, they could respect him at the very least.

At his order to just stay behind him and trust him, she frowned. "I will not," she hissed. "How about we both not get mauled? I'd be very happy if neither of us got hurt." She tried pulling him back again to no avail. "Felix, just let it go. Felix!"

They flinched when the bear lunged at him, barely avoiding getting knocked over as well when it pinned him down. For a moment, Teddy didn't even move, too busy trying to make sure Felix wasn't getting eaten. When he stabbed the bear, it was enough to shock them back into action, and they jumped onto the bear's back and drove their dagger through its neck, twisting to be sure they hit something important.

The bear roared in pain, attempting to throw her off, but she dug her heels in, pulling the dagger out and stabbing it again through its right eye. It keeled over with her after a few moments, and Teddy didn't bother removing the knife before scrambling to her feet and making sure Felix hadn't been crushed.

They stood over him for a moment, breathing a sigh of relief, and then started screaming. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!" they yelled, hitting him in the chest, not hard enough to hurt, but hard enough to show their displeasure. "What were you thinking?!" They knelt down, grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. "You could've gotten hurt— you could've died ! We could've just ducked into the tent and stayed quiet and it would've gone away but nooooo. You have to be the fucking defender! Are you out of your fucking mind?!"

She stared at him, chest heaving as she tried to put every single ounce of disappointment and displeasure into a glare that definitely looked more like a grimace. She didn't want to admit she'd been scared for him. She'd seen him injured enough times to know he could take it, but that didn't mean she wanted to stand by and let it happen again.

"You are the absolute worst sometimes," they grumbled. "You're gonna give me a fucking heart attack one of these days. I know you're used to being the leader, but you're not anymore. That means you have to listen and collaborate and not put yourself in harms way every five seconds! I can't handle you dying too!"

When she finally paused, Felix propped himself up on one elbow and wiped blood from his brow. “You done?” he rasped, the corner of his mouth twitching with a battered smirk. “That bear wasn’t exactly up for a peace talk. I’m not about to cower in a tent while something’s out there that could rip us both apart.”

He tried to sit up straighter, suppressing a wince as pain flared in his side. “I know I’m not the leader anymore. Doesn’t mean I can just turn it off. Someone’s gotta make sure we get through the night.”

At her warning about Pan not being there to fix him up, Felix’s expression flickered, a shadow passing over his eyes. “Yeah, well… haven’t counted on magic in a long time.” He tried for a joke, voice rough: “I’ll do my best not to die, but no promises.”  

Felix stared up at the dark canopy, his breath still ragged. He pressed a hand to the wound on his arm, feeling the blood seep between his fingers.

“You know,” he said, voice low and rough, “this world’s fucked up. None of it fits. Doesn’t matter how many times I try to pretend like there’s something here for me.”

He let out a hollow laugh, bitterness edging every word. “I hate it. I hate waking up every day and pretending there’s a reason to keep going. Used to be, even when Neverland was hell, at least I knew what I was fighting for. Now?”

They finished bandaging the wound and moved to rub the blood off his forehead. "I hate how irrational you are sometimes," they admitted. "I don't like watching people fade away and become shells of themselves. And yeah, Storybrooke sucks. No one likes us. The Lost Ones are disbanded and all living with new families. But that doesn't mean you get to just give up."

She stood and began dismantling the work he'd done with the tent. It was probably best for them to move to a different part of the woods, maybe closer to the road where the noise would scare off most wildlife. "I want us to be friends, Felix," she said, gathering her things and pulling the knives out of the bear. "But I won't stick around if you're gonna be a nihilistic asshole about everything. I don't have enough energy to deal with your crises every single day."

They kicked dirt over the fire to put it out, careful to make sure there weren't any sparks left over to set fire to the surrounding grass and trees. It was quieter now, the soft chirping of insects and fluttering of wings occasionally breaking through the silence.

Teddy pulled her jacket out of her backpack and stuffed the blankets in it to make them easier to carry. She'd done this hundreds of times in Neverland, though the tents were more like temporary huts, and hammocks were much easier to tear down when moving camp. It was tempting to compare the scene to her life on the island but she shoved the urge down. She was determined to make this life worth something. She couldn't keep thinking of the past.

"C'mon, get up," they said, gently kicking Felix's ankle. "We need to get out of here before another bear or something shows up. And I'm tired." They shoved the tent and stakes into his hands and walked away, following their own footprints back toward the town. When they looked up, they could see the same moon that they stared at every night in Neverland. The feeling of freedom was somehow different. They were still trapped, in a way. But they were sure that finding a way out with no consequences would be possible this time.

When she emerged out of the woods near the road, she looked in the direction of where they had come from. She hesitated there, wondering if she should just follow the road closer to the town and set up camp there for the night. But she was curious, and Felix was several steps behind her, so she walked the opposite direction to the edge of town, and stood in front of the line.

"I wish I could do that," she grumbled under her breath. She gently squeezed Felix's hand and helped him sit up. "You still look like you almost died," she joked. "You could really benefit from a bath. And a nap, probably." Her hands dropped back to her sides and she looked between Pan and Felix, unsure if she should still be there.

The urge to keep talking and to joke around now that he was healed was there, but they knew when to shut up. If Pan was here, maybe that meant Felix needed to go back to being the person in charge. Pan usually liked pulling Felix away to talk to him privately.

Teddy wanted to ask what Felix planned on doing to thank them for helping save his life, but they supposed that could wait till later. They still had time, and if they hurried eating, they could actually make it to their plans, even though they did want to stick around for some reason.

Peter Pan straightened, brushing invisible dust from his hands, his eyes glinting with a strange mix of fondness and mischief. He looked Teddy over with something like approval. “You did well, you know. Not everyone keeps their head in a crisis,” Pan said, his tone suddenly softer than usual. “Felix here’s a stubborn one, but even he needs help sometimes.”

Pan knelt beside Felix, ruffling his hair with mock affection. “You, on the other hand, should maybe learn when to ask for it before you’re half-dead.”

Felix snorted, rolling his eyes. “Wouldn’t want to make your job too easy, Pan.”

Pan grinned at Teddy, his expression turning serious. “You’re not going anywhere. Stick around and keep an eye on Felix for a little while. He’s no good to me... or to you, if he tries to act invincible again.” He winked and rose, his presence commanding. “Get some rest afterward. I expect you both at breakfast. I’ll handle the boys tonight.”

She watched Pan ruffle Felix's hair and felt a small pang of...well, she wasn't quite sure what it was, but it churned in her stomach at the easy camaraderie between the two. "I think he gets the stubbornness from you," she said quietly.

They slumped back down onto their stool at the order to stay put, a little pouty, but unwilling to disobey a direct command from Pan himself. They supposed he was right anyway. Felix wasn't useful if he was dead. Not that they thought Felix's life was valuable just because he was useful. They'd never admit that, though.

"How are you feeling?" she asked when Pan walked away. "Can you eat? Should I call for Toodles to come bring food over here?" She offered him a water skin from the nearby table. "Sorry about cutting up your pants, by the way. It was necessary. Now you have shorts. I hear they're in style with the pixies," she joked.

They grabbed the alcohol bottle they'd been using to clean his wound and took a swig from what was left. "I guess you do owe me," they mused, the alcohol burning their throat. "Maybe a dagger. I'd argue two. But maybe I want to keep the favor for something important later. Like forcing you to join my side in the ongoing prank war. Or getting out of chores."

They narrowed their eyes at him when he stepped between them and the bear. "The fuck do you mean, 'stay behind you?'" they hissed back, gripping their own dagger tightly. They cursed the fact that Felix was a few inches taller than them, which meant if the bear did attack, he'd take the brunt of it, and that their first instinct was to obey, since he'd given them so many orders over the years that it was a habit.

"Don't do anything rash, Felix," she warned. "We don't know what type of bear it is, maybe we can scare it away." As she spoke, she tugged on his shirt, trying to get him to back up slowly and not antagonize the bear. "They sometimes leave on their own, I think," she whispered. "We just have to be quiet and not run. Please don't get into a bear fight, I cannot drag you all the way to the hospital. And you better give me back that dagger."

He barely spared her another glance as she questioned his protective stance. "Stay behind me means stay behind me," he snapped, eyes never leaving the bear. It was old instinct, protect first, argue later. He heard her grip her dagger and shook his head. “Just trust me on this, alright? One of us needs to not get mauled."

As Teddy tugged on his shirt, Felix didn't budge. "If I’m going to go down, it’s not going to be running from a bear," he muttered under his breath. He kept himself between Teddy and the animal, shifting his weight, dagger raised. "If it charges, go for the eyes. And you’re getting this dagger back... assuming it doesn’t end up in a bear." The tension in his jaw was palpable, every muscle coiled and ready.

Felix glanced at the bear, assessing its posture. "Doesn’t look hungry, just pissed we’re in its yard," he murmured, barely above a whisper. Still, he held his ground, refusing to let his guard down. It was just like the Neverwoods all over again, danger in the dark, and nowhere else he’d rather be than standing between the threat and the last person he cared about.

Suddenly, the bear shifted, its massive frame coiling like a spring. Without warning, it lunged forward, a roar escaping its throat that echoed through the trees. Felix’s heart raced as he instinctively positioned himself in front of the other person, adrenaline flooding his veins. The bear crashed into him, sending him sprawling to the ground as its sheer weight pinned him.

With the breath knocked from his lungs, Felix struggled beneath the beast, its hot breath washing over him. But he couldn’t just lie there; he had to fight back. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he fumbled for the knife at his belt. As the bear swiped at him with its massive claws, he managed to roll just enough to bring the blade into play.

At his order to just stay behind him and trust him, she frowned. "I will not," she hissed. "How about we both not get mauled? I'd be very happy if neither of us got hurt." She tried pulling him back again to no avail. "Felix, just let it go. Felix!"

They flinched when the bear lunged at him, barely avoiding getting knocked over as well when it pinned him down. For a moment, Teddy didn't even move, too busy trying to make sure Felix wasn't getting eaten. When he stabbed the bear, it was enough to shock them back into action, and they jumped onto the bear's back and drove their dagger through its neck, twisting to be sure they hit something important.

The bear roared in pain, attempting to throw her off, but she dug her heels in, pulling the dagger out and stabbing it again through its right eye. It keeled over with her after a few moments, and Teddy didn't bother removing the knife before scrambling to her feet and making sure Felix hadn't been crushed.

They stood over him for a moment, breathing a sigh of relief, and then started screaming. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!" they yelled, hitting him in the chest, not hard enough to hurt, but hard enough to show their displeasure. "What were you thinking?!" They knelt down, grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. "You could've gotten hurt— you could've died ! We could've just ducked into the tent and stayed quiet and it would've gone away but nooooo. You have to be the fucking defender! Are you out of your fucking mind?!"

She stared at him, chest heaving as she tried to put every single ounce of disappointment and displeasure into a glare that definitely looked more like a grimace. She didn't want to admit she'd been scared for him. She'd seen him injured enough times to know he could take it, but that didn't mean she wanted to stand by and let it happen again.

"You are the absolute worst sometimes," they grumbled. "You're gonna give me a fucking heart attack one of these days. I know you're used to being the leader, but you're not anymore. That means you have to listen and collaborate and not put yourself in harms way every five seconds! I can't handle you dying too!"

She stayed silent while Tink first inspected it, not wanting to distract the fairy. "I don't think it's magical," she said, plopping down on a nearby stool. "And if it was cursed, I'd probably be dead by now."

They stuck their tongue out at Slightly when he mentioned Curly and the twins. "You should never bring them around important things ever again. In fact, while she's trying to figure out what that thing is, you should brainstorm how I'm going to prank them."

"This isn’t just any knife, it’s old Neverland make, probably from one of the first groups that ever washed up here. The iron’s mixed with meteorite, and see these runes? They’re the kind Pan used to use to keep out shadow magic. Whoever had this was either very clever or very paranoid."

She set the dagger down gently on her worktable, giving it a look of grudging respect. "You’ve got something rare here. Keep it hidden if you want to keep it."

Teddy’s compliment about her home made Tinker Bell’s lips twitch, just short of a smile. "Took me years to collect all this. Not many get to see it. As for stories…" She shot a sidelong glance at Slightly, eyebrow arched. "Some of these would keep you up for a week."

Slightly flopped onto a crate, waving a dismissive hand. "Don’t get her started, Ted, or we’ll be here till next moonrise. You want pranks, I’ll help you plot. You want stories, you better bring a whole feast next time. Tink’s got tales for every jar and trinket in here."

He grinned, eyes glinting with mischief. "And no, I’m never bringing Curly and the twins to anything important again. Not unless you want glitter in your boots for a month."

"I'll be back when I find a better place for it," she promised, turning to leave. "And I'll bring you something interesting in exchange for some stories. And to learn about threads." She flashed Tinker Bell a bright smile as she left the hut.

It was getting brighter now, and Teddy hurried toward camp, not bothering to make sure Slightly was still behind them. He could stand to get in trouble if he didn't show up to the morning headcount. They couldn't. They were already on thin ice with Pan for their latest mistake during a recent hunt.

They continued stoking the fire. "For the record, I do actually miss your cloak. If only because it hid your stupid face," they teased. They missed their own cloak too, the warmth of it, how much it had smelled like the forest. Like home.

"Pan's lapdog is a correct term, in my opinion," she said, then immediately regretted it. It was true, but maybe brought up bad memories. She didn't want to piss him off when he was already in a fragile mood. There'd be plenty of time to antagonize him later. "Why were you called a traitor? You were the loyalist," they pointed out. "And you're not a monster. You're more like a really annoying hound. Dogs follow orders because they love their humans." She didn't seem to find anything insulting about that statement.

They just sighed and shook their head at his fantasy of what Rufio would say if he saw them. "I think many Lost would make fun of my clothes and books. But I'm out here, about to make s'mores while camping, and they're off being boring with boring families, so who's really winning?"

They paused at his sharp tone, something settling into their bones at the thought of him caring enough to scold them for thinking he wouldn't come find them if the curse was real. "I'm not saying it's propaganda that you'd come find me, but that it's propaganda that it's real," they said, because they didn't know what else to say. "But I'm glad you like me enough to save me." They flashed him a triumphant grin. "Guess you're not as grumpy and prickly as you pretend to be."

The “Pan’s lapdog” comment stung, but Felix just shrugged, jaw tight. “You stick around Pan long enough, everyone thinks you’re just another mutt.”

When the crack came from the woods, Felix’s instincts snapped to attention. He cursed under his breath, wishing desperately for the weight of his old club, the only thing he’d bothered to keep from Neverland. It was back at Granny’s, tucked under his bed, the wood worn smooth from years of use. It meant more to him than he’d ever admit: a reminder of who he used to be, and what he’d survived.

Without it, he went for the next best thing. Felix reached for Teddy’s bag, flashing her a crooked smile. “Don’t go getting sentimental about your dagger. I’m just borrowing it… not running off with it. You can threaten me later.”

He barely had time to grip the hilt before the underbrush exploded with movement. A low, guttural growl vibrated through the clearing—a bear, massive and wild, lumbering into view. Felix’s grip tightened on the dagger, every muscle tense, eyes locked on the animal. “Stay behind me,” he hissed, stepping instinctively between Teddy and the bear, heart pounding in his chest.

They narrowed their eyes at him when he stepped between them and the bear. "The fuck do you mean, 'stay behind you?'" they hissed back, gripping their own dagger tightly. They cursed the fact that Felix was a few inches taller than them, which meant if the bear did attack, he'd take the brunt of it, and that their first instinct was to obey, since he'd given them so many orders over the years that it was a habit.

"Don't do anything rash, Felix," she warned. "We don't know what type of bear it is, maybe we can scare it away." As she spoke, she tugged on his shirt, trying to get him to back up slowly and not antagonize the bear. "They sometimes leave on their own, I think," she whispered. "We just have to be quiet and not run. Please don't get into a bear fight, I cannot drag you all the way to the hospital. And you better give me back that dagger."

She tried to return his smile, but she was sure it was pained. She rested her elbows on the bed next to him, chin propped up by her hands. "I do like trouble," she admitted. "But this isn't trouble, Felix. This is... everything falling apart. I know Pan goes through seconds fast. Boys die. You're all reckless and idiotic. But you've lasted the longest. I don't want to see you go over something like this."

They snorted at his grumbling, amused for a few seconds before the panic set back in at his slowed breathing and slurred speech. "I have to be pushy. If you close your eyes and fall asleep—" They cut themselves off. There was no point speaking the worst case scenario into existence.

She sighed and used the corner of her sleeve to wipe the sweat off his face. "Hang in there. Pan will be here. You know he'll be here." She watched the rise and fall of his chest with his breathing, though it worried her at how much he was struggling. "You know," she said, though the talk of death was utterly pointless. "I've always imagined that you'd die on the battlefield. You know, like those people who believe in the Norse gods and they go to a place that celebrates them being brave?"

They tried to school their face into something neutral at his scolding. If he could see the worry, the whole damn camp probably could too. "I'm not scared," they lied. "I'm sorry it hurts. I can't do anything about the pain that won't put you to sleep and I don't want you to sleep. I can get you water, though? Please don't ask me to get you wine."

Her eyes darted between Felix and the tent entrance every few seconds, as if willing Pan to step through. Every second that passed felt like hours. She felt herself start to tear up, but stubbornly made no noise.

Suddenly, a new presence swept into the tent, a subtle shift in the air, a coolness that cut through the feverish heat. Peter Pan’s silhouette filled the entrance, his eyes sharp and ancient above a mischievous smile. “Well, well. I leave you alone for a single day and you try to die on me, Felix?” Pan’s tone was light but edged with something more serious. He knelt at Felix’s side, glancing at Teddy. “Hold him steady, will you?”

Pan’s hands hovered over Felix’s leg, his fingers glimmering with strange, wild magic. “You’re lucky I came back when I did,” Pan murmured, glancing up at Teddy. “Keep him awake, talk to him.” He nodded at her, then pressed his palm gently over the wound.

A rush of cool, tingling magic surged through Felix’s leg, numbing the pain and pushing back the shadows crowding his vision. He gasped, the relief so sudden it left him dizzy. Color slowly returned to his face, and his eyes focused on Teddy and Pan.

Pan gave Teddy a knowing look. “That’s good… just like that."

"I wish I could do that," she grumbled under her breath. She gently squeezed Felix's hand and helped him sit up. "You still look like you almost died," she joked. "You could really benefit from a bath. And a nap, probably." Her hands dropped back to her sides and she looked between Pan and Felix, unsure if she should still be there.

The urge to keep talking and to joke around now that he was healed was there, but they knew when to shut up. If Pan was here, maybe that meant Felix needed to go back to being the person in charge. Pan usually liked pulling Felix away to talk to him privately.

Teddy wanted to ask what Felix planned on doing to thank them for helping save his life, but they supposed that could wait till later. They still had time, and if they hurried eating, they could actually make it to their plans, even though they did want to stick around for some reason.

At the mention of him rather running around nude than in a suit, she wrinkled her nose. "Ugh, ew! Why would you say that? I did not need that visual," she grumbled. "You don't have to worry about me offering you a suit, then. I don't think I'd ever want to see you naked, thank you very much." She bumped her shoulder with his and grinned. "That'd be weird, don't you think? It's hard getting used to seeing you without your cloak as it is."

They continued walking through the forest until they found a suitable spot where the stars could be seen through the trees. "Here," they said, shoving the bag with the tent stakes into his arms. "You set up the tent, I'm gonna start a fire." They dumped their bag and the blankets in an unceremonious pile and began gathering twigs and stones.

It was a familiar task, and they found a small joy in setting up the circle of stones and using the twigs to spark a fire. They snorted when he said he'd been called worse. "What's the worst thing you've ever been called that scandalous is so mild?" they asked. "And I don't think they'd do well in Neverland. They probably wouldn't faint, but they might get drowned by the mermaids."

At the mention of Rufio, they paused. "You're right, he would've hated the nuns," they mused. Their memories of the boy were faint. He'd been proud and loud and colorful. Much like Felix had been before he became second in command. "He'd also probably think my job is too nerdy and make fun of my clothes so I don't think I care that much about his opinion," they added.

"Then again, I didn't know him as well as you did," she said, adding leaves and pine needles to stoke the fire. "I think I interacted with him solo once. But he taught me how to fish so I can't complain. Besides, it's rude to speak ill of the dead." She paused.

He snorted at her disgust over the suit and nudity, shaking his head as he spread out the canvas. “Relax, it was a joke. No one’s lining up to see me in a suit or otherwise. And don’t act like you don’t miss the cloak. At least it gave me some dignity.”

The familiar rhythm of setting up camp settled his nerves. He worked in silence for a minute, hands moving with practiced ease, muscle memory from nights in the Neverwoods. When Teddy handed over the stakes, Felix grumbled under his breath but got to work, letting the simple task ground him. At her question about scandal and insults, he smirked. “You wouldn’t believe half the things I’ve been called. Pirate bait, Pan’s lapdog, traitor, monster… You name it. ‘Scandalous’ is practically a compliment.”

He listened as she reminisced about Rufio, and for a brief moment, something like nostalgia flickered in his eyes. “Rufio would’ve hated all this,” he admitted quietly. “He was loud, proud, and never let anyone forget it. Would’ve had a field day with all your books and normal clothes.”

Felix’s hands stilled as Teddy brought up the curse and her own worth. He looked up, something sharp in his gaze. “Don’t say you’re not worth the trouble. I get to decide who’s worth it, and you made the cut. Journal or not, if you got lost, I’d find you. That’s not propaganda… it’s just how things are.”

They continued stoking the fire. "For the record, I do actually miss your cloak. If only because it hid your stupid face," they teased. They missed their own cloak too, the warmth of it, how much it had smelled like the forest. Like home.

"Pan's lapdog is a correct term, in my opinion," she said, then immediately regretted it. It was true, but maybe brought up bad memories. She didn't want to piss him off when he was already in a fragile mood. There'd be plenty of time to antagonize him later. "Why were you called a traitor? You were the loyalist," they pointed out. "And you're not a monster. You're more like a really annoying hound. Dogs follow orders because they love their humans." She didn't seem to find anything insulting about that statement.

They just sighed and shook their head at his fantasy of what Rufio would say if he saw them. "I think many Lost would make fun of my clothes and books. But I'm out here, about to make s'mores while camping, and they're off being boring with boring families, so who's really winning?"

They paused at his sharp tone, something settling into their bones at the thought of him caring enough to scold them for thinking he wouldn't come find them if the curse was real. "I'm not saying it's propaganda that you'd come find me, but that it's propaganda that it's real," they said, because they didn't know what else to say. "But I'm glad you like me enough to save me." They flashed him a triumphant grin. "Guess you're not as grumpy and prickly as you pretend to be."

They wanted to scold him, to tell him to shut up for being a nuisance, but couldn't bring themselves to. At least, if they heard his voice, they'd know that he was still alive. "Keep talking," they ordered, trying to mimic his bossy tone. "Pan will be here soon, and then you'll be fine."

The lie came easily because Teddy wanted to believe that it was true. They had no idea where Pan was, but they knew Felix believed in him, so they had to force themselves to have faith that the boy king would show up for his second.

"You're not dying," she said forcefully, as if she said it firmly enough, it'd become reality. "You're just being dramatic. You can't die from a leg wound and you're not allowed to die until I get angry enough to kill you myself, anyway, ok?"

They soaked a rag in cold water and placed it over his forehead, hoping it would help soothe the feverish skin. "You're gonna fuck up my plans for tonight," they grumbled, trying to keep their tone light. "I'm gonna get in so much trouble for ditching my other friend to keep you company. You owe me two favors now. And one of your daggers."

Teddy’s sarcasm about his recklessness got a weak smirk out of him. “Hey, I thought you liked trouble. Don’t act surprised,” he rasped, forcing a bit of his old attitude even as his eyelids fluttered.

When she told him to stay awake, Felix fought to keep his eyes open, his jaw clenched against the burning pain radiating up his leg. He tried to sound casual, but fatigue slurred his words. “You’re pushy, you know that? Couldn’t let a guy rest for five minutes…” He swallowed hard, sweat running down his temple, and forced himself to add, “Pan left Neverland this morning. Not due back ’til tonight... whenever he feels like showing. So don’t count on him just yet.”

She tried to return his smile, but she was sure it was pained. She rested her elbows on the bed next to him, chin propped up by her hands. "I do like trouble," she admitted. "But this isn't trouble, Felix. This is... everything falling apart. I know Pan goes through seconds fast. Boys die. You're all reckless and idiotic. But you've lasted the longest. I don't want to see you go over something like this."

They snorted at his grumbling, amused for a few seconds before the panic set back in at his slowed breathing and slurred speech. "I have to be pushy. If you close your eyes and fall asleep—" They cut themselves off. There was no point speaking the worst case scenario into existence.

She sighed and used the corner of her sleeve to wipe the sweat off his face. "Hang in there. Pan will be here. You know he'll be here." She watched the rise and fall of his chest with his breathing, though it worried her at how much he was struggling. "You know," she said, though the talk of death was utterly pointless. "I've always imagined that you'd die on the battlefield. You know, like those people who believe in the Norse gods and they go to a place that celebrates them being brave?"

They tried to school their face into something neutral at his scolding. If he could see the worry, the whole damn camp probably could too. "I'm not scared," they lied. "I'm sorry it hurts. I can't do anything about the pain that won't put you to sleep and I don't want you to sleep. I can get you water, though? Please don't ask me to get you wine."

Her eyes darted between Felix and the tent entrance every few seconds, as if willing Pan to step through. Every second that passed felt like hours. She felt herself start to tear up, but stubbornly made no noise.

"I think I could handle hearing about thread for a few hours. It's always nice when someone is passionate about what they like." Teddy thought hard about what questions they would ask Tink if they had the chance. It would be hard to run out of things to say when it came to sewing, so a few hours would run by in a flash.

They nodded when Slightly mentioned pranks and bowed mockingly. "Teach me your ways, great Slightly," they said playfully. "I do need to get back at those assholes somehow. Maybe not with skunks. Maybe paint and a whole lot of spiders. Or perhaps I could take Tink's thread advice and sew them into their bedding."

They giggled at the thought, imagining the boys angrily tossing and turning after being cocooned in pelts and blankets and sewn into their tents.

"Ugh, I hate them some days, you know," she admitted. "They're insufferable. They mess up hunts and pull my hair and I think it's because they think it's funny to mess with someone who's quiet. It's been a while since the last prank, but since Felix started joining in, they've been getting braver. They think I won't stab anyone again. Or maybe they just forgot I did."

They sighed, kicking rocks on the trail in front of them. "I should probably talk to Pan about it, right? He's not always one to step in, but maybe getting permission to cause a bit more permanent damage would help."

With a swift motion, she stepped back from Slightly and lowered her dagger, nudging him with her elbow in a warning that was more playful than serious. “Lucky for you, I’m in a decent mood tonight, Slightly. Another inch closer and I might have trimmed that messy hair of yours.”

Slightly grinned, rubbing his neck with mock offense. “You know I like a dramatic entrance, Tink. Besides, if I wanted real trouble, I’d have brought Curly and the twins.”

Tink’s sharp gaze settled on Teddy and the mysterious weapon. She extended a hand, palm up, her eyes glittering with curiosity. “Let’s see what you’ve found. If it’s cursed, you’ll owe me more than a bunch of wildflowers. If it’s interesting, maybe I’ll show you a few stitches while we talk.”

She stayed silent while Tink first inspected it, not wanting to distract the fairy. "I don't think it's magical," she said, plopping down on a nearby stool. "And if it was cursed, I'd probably be dead by now."

They stuck their tongue out at Slightly when he mentioned Curly and the twins. "You should never bring them around important things ever again. In fact, while she's trying to figure out what that thing is, you should brainstorm how I'm going to prank them."