Better Love

Chapter Thirteen

"What happens if it breaks?" Felix asked, staring suspiciously at her car. He could hear Jessa stifled a giggle beside him.

"It won't." She said with an badly-concealed smile as he examined it. "I've had it for ages, no problems." They were about to go visit Manon. Which Emma and the heroes weren't too happy about, but it wasn't like they could do anything about it. They knew full well that when Jessa made up her mind about something, it wasn't easily changed.

So now the only thing she needed to do was convince Felix to get in her car so that they could actually go.

"How does it move?" He looked under the car to examine the wheels. "Is it magic?"

The girl laughed warmly. "Sure," she told him, and got into the drivers seat. "Come on."

***

"Jessamine!" Farah greeted her warmly, with a tight hug and a friendly smile. "I'm so glad to see you

She allowed herself to sink into the woman's embrace. "You too!" Her voice was warm, although she knew Farah could feel the tenseness in her shoulders from the hug. The stress from catastrophizing about what this meeting could do to Felix's already fragile mind. He stood behind her awkwardly, watching her interact with the older woman. She turned to him. "I used to look after Farah's...." She hesitated before saying the world daughter, not knowing exactly how to describe the relationship after Grace's real father took her back.

Luckily Farah stepped in. "My adoptive daughter. She's with her birth father right now. But thanks to this lovely girl here, he's agreed to let her stay over a night or two a week." It had been suprisingly easy for Jessa to convince Jefferson. Apparently he had seen how good Grace's Storybrooke parents were to her, and had wanted to show his gratitude in some way or another. Farah continued. "It's nice to finally meet you, Felix sweetheart. Is there anything i can get you? Food? Something to drink?

As always, Felix seemed uncomfortable with the intense friendliness. "Where's Manon?" Was all he replied, even more tense than she was.

"Out in the yard." She pointed out the front door, knowing that the boy wasn't attempting to be rude. "Coffee, Jessamine?"

"Appreciated." Jessa replied, before looking back at Felix. She wanted to say something to him. Stay safe, maybe? Or don't go far? But he had left before she could say anything, leaving the unformed words caught in her throat.

Farah handed her a mug. "Your lost boy will be fine." She gave Jessa a reassuring smile. "They just need some time alone together."

Jessa wouldn't admit how much she liked when Felix was refered to as her lost boy.

***

"Manon!" Felix called out as soon as he caught a glimpse of the other boy, a relieved smile on his face. The other lost boy had been sitting in a tree, relaxing. His eyes cracked open as soon as he heard his name, and leapt from the tree as soon as he saw who it was.

"Thought you had been all locked up." Manon laughed, clapping Felix on the shoulder. "Didn't think the heroes would let you go free, but some girl came and told me that you were staying with her. Didn't even believe it at first."

He nodded. "She convinced them to let her keep an eye on me."

"Not a bad deal." Manon joked. "She's a pretty girl." Felix didn't like Manon saying that, he didn't even know Jessa. There was a uncomfortable feeling in his chest when Manon called her that, similar to how he felt when Pan would chose someone else to lead hunts. He didn't have the words to describe it.

"How are you? Have you heard from any of the other boys?" Felix chose not to react to Manon's comment. "What's happened since Pan was... since he was defeated?" It almost caused him pain to admit that about Pan. That he had lost. It went against everything that he had been taught during his decades on the island.

"I'm fine. Those Storybrooke people are decent people, they treat me nice. Their kid too, met her the other day, a sweetheart. As for the boys, they're okay. They're adjusting and" Manon hesitated in the middle of his sentence, looking at Felix with an uneasy expression forming. "Well, except..."

A pit began to grow in Felix's stomach. "Well what?"

"It's Devon." Mannon replied, the name of one of Pan's most loyal lost boys - other than Felix - falling from his tongue. "He had been put with a family, but ran away soon after. The heroes looked for him, but he disappeared into the forest somewhere. None of the other boys have heard from him either."

Felix, Mannon, and Devon had been the eldest boys. And although Manon had never been too close to Pan, the three of them had always carried out any of Pan's orders. They had always been charged with keeping the others controlled.

If Devon was out there, it meant that Pan may still have a chance after all. Felix would normally be overjoyed and relieved at that thought. Now, he didn't know how to feel about that.

"Have you gone looking for him?"

"No." Manon replied, his gaze turning steely. Whatever he was about to say, it had clearly come from very careful deliberation. "And I'm not going to."

Felix made a noise of disagreement but Mannon continued. "This is the safest we'd been in our whole lives. We tried to kill these people, and they're still giving me a place to stay. I'm not gonna fuck that up."

"He'd do it for us."

"Would he?"

Felix glared. "Do you really want to betray the person who gave you another chance at life? Gave all of us another chance at life?"

"Are you talking about Pan or your pretty new friend?"

That silenced Felix, and Mannon looked quite proud of himself for it. In a way that almost made Felix want to punch him. Could he even betray Jessa like that? After all that she had told him? After all she had done for him?

He didn't know. For the first time since he had arrived in Neverland, Felix didn't know what he was capable off.

"Let go of the island." Mannon told Felix, sensing his doubt. "If we don't move on, it's gonna kill us."

***
Hey guys, sorry for the awfully long break lol. Got a really busy job, started university, had a breakup, fell super hard for a new guy and then realized he had only been flirting with me because he wanted to sleep with me.... all in all a very eventful few months. But I'm gonna try to be a lot more active, and here's your new chapter. Thanks to @saphiretheweird for reminding me that this story exists lol