✖️✖️✖️✖️

Twenty-eight year old Peter Pan landed his late wife's dragon in the woods of Storybrooke as he hopped off and looked around curiously.

Nothing really has changed since he's been gone, which was eight years— or at least from where he went.

Stormfly landed in the Enchanted Forest just as Peter slid off of the dragon and glanced around the forest.

They had first arrived at Berk two years ago, but then they left as it reminded them too much of Astrid.

He looked at his sleeping seven year old who now laid on the saddle of the large dragon, his small arms around her back.

"Well, dearie, isn't this a surprise?"

Peter lifted an eyebrow and turned to face the Black Fairy, "What do you want?"

She smirked, "Just to take your son from you. After all, the child of Astrid Jones and Peter Pan is sure to be powerful."

The twenty-two year old glared at his mother and stated, "You're not laying a hand on him."

He directed his attention to the dragon behind him, adding in a hushed tone, "Stormfly, take Zep to Neverland."

At that, the seven year old woke up and watched his father, "Papa? What's going on?"

"You're going somewhere safe. I will see you soon, kiddo." Peter assured the small boy, "Remember who you are, and give up."

Zephyr watched with sad eyes as Stormfly then took off in the air, taking him away from the only family he had left and left in a portal.

Peter glared again at his mother who kept her smirk and added, "Fine, I'll just have to take you back with me. ."

Before the Black Fairy could disappear and appear back in her realm, she grabbed her firstborn and held onto him.

Peter walked into the town of Storybrooke, magically changing into a pair of regular clothes.

He didn't want to come back here as it reminded him of his late wife, but he had to warn them.

They had grown to be his family, too, after all, but more importantly, Astrid would want him to keep them safe, to look after them.

And Peter did make a promise to Astrid— a promise to do better and to try.

He was going to finally be the man his wife deserved. A hero, not a coward.

Seven year old Zephyr Pan slid off of his mother's dragon and looked around the island he was now on.

Neverland.

It was the place where his parents had first met each other, where it all started.

Though, it looked different than when he came here with his parents.

Stormfly couldn't portal him off yet until after a few days, but his father had sent him here for his protection— so he was going to stay until he found him.

Zephyr suddenly heard some hollering and teenagers howling in the near distance, and knew that it was coming from the Lost Boys that had stayed behind after Peter and Astrid had left.

Emma stormed inside of the pawn shop followed by Snow, "Gold! Get out here. Now. I've got questions, and you better have answers."

"Well, if you want answers, I suggest you start by asking nicely." Gold spoke up as he and Belle stepped out of the back room and behind the counter.

"I'm done with nice. Your son has a death wish, which... if he messes with me one more time, I'm happy to fulfill. He already killed my sister."

"And I'm happy to help." Snow agreed, "We've been looking for some mother, daughter bonding."

"What did he do now?" Belle questioned somewhat quietly.

"He banished Hook to another realm." Emma explained, "He's using him as a bargaining chip to force me to help him to kill the Black Fairy."

"He did?" Gold inquired.

"Yes, he did." Emma nodded, "Now, I know nothing about this fairy, but I'm guessing you do."

"Yeah, she's our mother." Peter suddenly admitted as he now stood at the doorway.

The four of them glanced over at him in slight surprise, "Peter?"

The twenty-eight year old folded his arms across his chest and sighed, "Yeah... Anyway, she stole Gideon from the Blue Fairy, took him away to another realm where time moves differently. It was where I was when I died and was brought back... And again, when I left. Sorry for leaving. I needed time."

Snow immediately moved over to Peter and then hugged him in relief, "I'm glad you're back."

"Me, too," Peter murmured and was then hugged by his little brother and Belle.

"Where's Zephyr?" Emma also asked in concern.

Peter nodded, "He's safe for now. He's in Neverland. I'm going to bring him home after we stop the Black Fairy. She not only tortured myself my entire life, but now also my nephew for twenty-eight years."

Snow folded her arms, "Why would she do that?"

"To hurt my brother and me." Gold softly admitted.

"Her own sons?"

"That tells you all you need to know about her." Peter replied.

"Okay, Emma, please don't hurt Gideon." Belle pleaded, "He was not born evil. No, she made him this way. Peter saw to that and rescued him from that realm, brought him here to give him another chance..."

"I just wasn't expecting him to actually bloody kill my wife and try to kill you..." Peter sighed, his jaw flexing, "That's my fault. I should've known better."

Belle placed a reassuring hand on her brother in-law's arm and added, "If you help him, he will be on the side of good. I am certain."

"Belle, I can only go with what I see and what I know." Emma also sighed.

"Then know this, belief in good and hope isn't the only reason to spare my son and help destroy the Black Fairy." Gold spoke up, "Right now, we have an opportunity to not only destroy her and save him, but to save all of us."

"She hasn't threatened anyone else." Emma started.

"That's because she's in another realm." Peter commented, "Only able to break free long enough to steal other children before it pulls her back in."

"But, if she should break free for good..." Gold added.

"I think I can handle it. I handled you. I broke your curse, the one you gave to Regina that started this whole mess." Emma remarked.

"Well, that's just the thing, Miss Swan. The curse, that dark curse." Gold said, "It, and all of the darkness you've ever faced... was born out of one twisted soul."

Peter nodded, "The Black Fairy. And unless we try and stop her, she is gonna bring far worse."

***

Peter finished arranging the last of the ingredients as he stood in an abandoned barn.

"I'm gonna save you, Astrid, one more time. You are still needed here." He murmured just as a time portal began to open up, "You can stop my mother. You're powerful."

He jumped inside of the portal and found himself appearing on the street of Storybrooke at night where everyone was gathered.

He saw Gideon facing Emma whose hand was shaking and smirked, "Ready to die, Savior?"

And, right on cue, Astrid magically appeared in front of her sister, "Not today."

Gideon kept his smirk and quickly withdrew what remained of the Olympian Crystal and pointed it at her, "Right on time, Artemis."

"You wanted Astrid this whole time. Why?" Emma spoke from behind her sister.

"Not this time." Twenty-eight year old Peter spoke up and appeared in front of Astrid and was zapped with the Olympian Crystal's power instead.

Astrid gasped and recognized him, letting out, "P-Peter?"

After being hit, the grown Peter turned around and gave one last look at his wife and smiled a little, "It's okay..."

Peter's spirit, past and future, then abruptly separated from their bodies which fell to the ground.

"No!"

His spirit then started to reach out longingly at his love while Astrid tearfully watched him fade out of existence.

"Give 'em hell, Astrid Jones-"

A single tear fell down Astrid's face as she started to reach out to her husband's spirit until the green eyed man completely faded away, "N-No..."

Emma glanced around before blasting Gideon back as he landed roughly on the pavement a few feet away.

While Astrid dropped to her knees and now cradled her husband's body in her arms, tears in her eyes.

He was gone. Again.

Gideon vanished in a cloud of smoke, leaving them to now grieve over Peter Pan.

***

Both Hook and Blackbeard appeared in Neverland as the one handed pirate let out, "What the devil?"

"So, where the hell is the Jolly Roger?" Blackbeard questioned, "The sooner we get this over with, the sooner I can kill you."

"That's just it." Hook sighed, "This isn't my realm."

Blackbeard glared at him, "What? Then where are we?"

"I'm not sure. Something must have gone wrong."

"Gone wrong? Don't you know how to use a magic bean?" Blackbeard remarked in annoyance, "You think of a place you want to go, and it takes you. It's quite simple."

"I did!" Hook replied also in annoyance, "When we stepped through, I thought of getting home to Emma, but this definitely isn't home. Whatever dark magic banished me must have affected the portal, preventing me from returning."

"So now I'm the victim of your banishment? So, where are we?"

They suddenly a distant howling as Hook furrowed his eyebrows and looked around the place, "Wait. Do you hear that?"

"What is that sound?" Blackbeard questioned.

"I think I know what it is." Hook muttered as the two noticed a group of Lost Boys now standing on top of the hill pointing their weapons at them, "Bloody hell."

"Who are they?" Blackbeard asked in confusion.

"Those are Lost Boys." Hook explained.

Blackbeard glanced from him to the teenagers and back at him, "Where are we?"

"Neverland." Hook muttered.

"Hunt them down!" A familiar curly haired seven year old shouted, not yet seeing that it was his Grandpa Hook, "Bring them to Pit!"

The Lost Boys cheered and hollered in delight, now chasing the two pirates through the jungle.

***

Twenty-eight year old Astrid suddenly appeared through a portal now in Storybrooke after nine years when her husband was killed.

She had taken herself and her son to the Enchanted Forest for a year before the Black Fairy had showed up, forcing her to send Zephyr to Neverland for his protection.

The Black Fairy had took Astrid away to her realm for the remaining years.

But now she's home.

She appeared inside of the Sorceror's mansion, feeling her twin in trouble and in pain.

Astrid saw a giant spider pulling a webbed woman towards it until she blasted the creature back.

"Em?" Astrid raced over to her sister and magically undid the webbing off of her unconscious sister, "Emma... Emma!"

Emma sharply gasped and pulled off the webbing wrapped around herself with the help of Astrid who asked, "You okay?"

"Yeah, I think so," Emma breathed out, "God, I'm glad you're back, Astro."

Astrid smiled, "My sister needed me."

They were then interrupted just as the huge spider moved over to them again but was soon blasted by both of their magic until the creature shrunk to normal size.

Emma stepped over to the small spider and stomped on it before hugging her twin tightly in relief.

"Ms. Swan... Where's Gideon? Did the beast kill him?" Gold suddenly spoke up, entering the mansion and moving over to them as he noticed Astrid, "Welcome back, my dear sister in-law."

"That beast was his pet." Astrid answered for her sister. "He brought it here to kill her."

"I'm sorry, but your son cannot be saved." Emma added, still catching her breath from almost dying, "He's evil."

***

Snow quickly walked inside of the mansion followed by Belle as she noticed her two daughters, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Astrid saved me," Emma replied, "Though, I'll never look at Spiderman again the same way, but I'm fine."

Snow pulled Astrid into a tight hug before holding her at arms' length, "Don't ever leave like that again. You don't have to face anything alone. You know that, A."

Astrid smiled some, "I know, Mom. I just needed time. It's good to be home again."

Snow hugged her again just as Belle asked, "Rumple, where's our boy?"

"Gideon led Emma to the creature and left her to die." Gold explained.

"I thought you were helping him." Snow started.

"I was, but Dark One Junior had different plans. He played me." Emma replied.

"He came to you for help, though..." Belle began in slight confusion.

Astrid sighed and rested her hands on the hilts of her twin swords strapped on her hips.

Emma replied, "Belle, I know you want to believe the best in him, but it's like you said, evil is not born, it is made, and that is exactly what the Black Fairy did to him."

"Careful with your accusations, Ms. Swan." Gold spoke up.

"Your son tried to kill me. Again-" Emma started as Astrid also added, "Not to mention, he bloody killed Peter after trying to kill me."

"He needs help. You're heroes, Astrid, Ms. Swan. Gideon is my son." Gold commented.

"You can't keep cleaning up his messes, Gold." Emma argued, "He needs to take responsibility for his actions."

"Are you threatening my child?" Gold remarked.

"I don't have a choice." Emma sighed, "He's tried to kill my sister. He tried to kill me twice. And he killed Peter, your brother. I'm not gonna give him a third chance."

"All right, Creator, Savior. If you cross my son, I will do what I must to stop you." Gold replied.

"We didn't start this fight." Snow spoke up, "Let's go home."

Snow walked out of the mansion next to her daughters.

Astrid spoke up in a slight joking way, "It's good to be back."

✖✖✖✖