The boys scattered into varying directions, leaving only me and Wendy at camp. Her fragile face was quivering and her white nightgown was tattered and ripped, and I wondered how such a porcelain doll could survive on this wretched island for much longer.

"There aren't anymore girls on Neverland," she said as soft as a whisper, helping herself to a seat against of the logs.

Tilting my head to the side, I sat beside her and cautiously dropped my gaze to the burnt out fire.

"Neverland is a place of survival," I said, remembering what Pan had told me after the first lot of boys died. "End of story."

"So...this isn't just a place of magic and fun?" she squeaked and I couldn't help but chuckle at her naivety.

"Oh Wendy, you have much to learn," I sneered, looking towards her now. "You're here because your lost. Why?"

Her expression was blank, her bottom lip dropped in confusion as she stared right back at me. Her eyes were wide and beady, just like a doll's, and I wondered if she'd break within a single blink of my gaze.

"I..."

"Broken home?" I said and then smiled, pulling out the manipulation from within me.

"Did you –?" she started and I cut her off quickly, lying.

"I did. My father, he...he treated me in words I can't..." I paused for a dramatic effect, forcibly shutting my eyes. Wendy placed her hand against my own hand and I re-opened my eyes. I compelled tears from my eyes and pretended to fake smile, squeaking out the next words. "Neverland is my home now."

"They all seem so nice," she said, beaming a toothed smile before it slowly faded. "I...I'd like to stay here forever but..."

And I waited, taking a deep breath as I pursed my lips. I felt like a lion retracting in tall grass, getting ready to pounce at any moment. "I have to get home. I love my family. I...simply came for an adventure."

Smirking, I got up into a standing position and looked down at her. I'm too impatient for this.

"Come," was all I said and just like that, she followed me into the woods.

+++

When we reached the cages, Wendy clutched onto my arm like a frightened little girl and I heard her soft whimpers.

"Please, Serena," she begged and I snapped my arm away from hers and took hold of her own arms, glaring down at her. I need the information, I worried to myself and her eyes widened just a tad. "You're...this isn't you."

And that's what caught me off guard. Could she see through my...my fake evil? My demure self? No. Tightening my grip, I spat, "you don't know me."

"I can see –"

"You're nothing but a girl," I snapped at her but she smiled lightly and almost with pity for me.

"And so are you."

I dropped my hands, remembering how James once said how the boys on here were monsters. Was I slowly becoming one? Of course not, it was stupid to even think that. It wasn't that I wasn't strong – I just...didn't want to do things the way Pan did them, but I was forcing myself to. I was trying to mirror his ways when I should have been doing my own.

Lowering my gaze, I swallowed down the lump in my throat as I briefly closed my eyes.

"Run," I whispered and when I opened my eyes, she stared at me confused. "Pan wants you and when he comes back, you'll be in the cage. Go, quickly."

"But – he's powerful. He'll be able to find me!"

"Not if you believe," I smiled, placing my hands on her shoulders.

And she smiled back at me with a rare beauty I wouldn't see in decades.

"Thank you, Serena."

And with that, she ran back into the forest, disappearing from sight...and from memory.

+++

"What do you mean 'she escaped'?"

I was copping it from Pan but I didn't care – I expected it and braced myself for the argument. Standing in his tent, I leant my hand against the table as he sat in the chair at the end, his leg upwards as he glared towards me. "Do you think I'm that stupid?"

"She's not some animal you and the boys can track," I said through gritted teeth, his gaze as sharp as my dagger. He chuckled once, his eyebrow flicking upwards as he got out of the chair, walking towards me.

"Oh really?" he said and in a blink of an eye, I felt his breath against my ear from behind, sending shivers down the back of my spine. "Watch me."

Turning on my heels, I quickly faced him and grabbed his arms, pursing my lips.

"Do whatever the hell you want, Peter," I sneered but then I smiled, dropping my arms and shrugging once. "I'm tired of fighting your battles." My smile faded and so did his anger.

I headed towards the tent but with a single name, my feet stopped.

"Serena," he said softly, almost with exhaustion. I sighed, lifting my shoulders up fully and dropping them back down as I kept my eyes fixated on the ground before me.

"How many more times are we going to argue?" I mumbled, keeping my back towards him.

I felt his breath against my ear once again, his hand slowly pulling my hair back behind my shoulder and allowing himself to kiss my neck tenderly. My eyes flickered to a close and I allowed my head to arch back, my bottom lip dropping. The sweet sensation of loving a hateful being gave me too much pleasure. Our hate-love relationship was something I would never understand, but I understood his touch more than anything – and I longed for it.

It was what reminded me that I was alive, alive with a beating heart in a place where time stood still.

I spent the night with him and when I awoke the next morning, I didn't know whether to feel guilty or...happy that we had moved past all the troubles. Leaning against my elbows and keeping my bare chest covered by the blankets, I stared at the tent flap, gently blowing in the wind. Pan was nowhere in sight, so I assumed training had started for the day.

Once I was changed, I received the heart attack of my life.

"Serena."

It was Killian and I snapped around to see him standing beside my bed. Gasping, I raised a shaking hand and pointed.

"How long have you been here?" If he's seen me naked, I swear to god –

"Don't worry, lassie. I may be a pirate but I'm still a gentleman," he said, smirking as he gulped down a mouthful of rum. "But that's not the point."

"Then why are you here?"

"To tell you that Baelfire isn't the heart of the truest believer." I narrowed my eyes, taking a step forward and folding my arms, patiently waiting for an explanation. "After you two...finished up, Pan met Felix and I at the shore where I safely delivered the boy. And he didn't look like the sketch."

"So where's the boy now?"

"He'll be on my ship until Pan decides what to do with him. Wendy was caught last night as well. She's back in London...for now."

I rolled back my lips and nodded, looking down to the ground.

"So...it must be Baelfire's son?"

"Or Baelfire's grandson."

"Pan is running out of time!"

"We know," Killian snapped but then he merely chuckled, taking another gulp of from his flask. "Felix said that the heart of the truest believer is related to Pan's son, yes?"

I nodded, my forehead creasing. Where's he going with this?

"And you were told that –"

"'I am the key to his survival'" I said dully, agitated how he was dragging his point out. "What are you getting at?"

He kept his smirk, taking slow and painful steps towards me.

"Put the points together, Serena. You're smart," he said and all I didn't get it at first.

But then it clicked.

"Do you mean...?"

The pirate chuckled, clearly very amused in the situation.

"It's not Rumple, dearie. It's your son."