The Shadow's Keeper ~OUAT Peter Panfiction (Book 2)

Importance of Saying Sorry

Benjamin's P.O.V.

It was all my fault. I had done this to her. It should've been me, now she was on the verge of bleeding out and Felix would never forgive me. I might as well have been dead. Everyone was surrounding her like she was a fallen angel and anxious words would circulate through the air. Some were about Anne's condition, but most of it was about the fact that it took Anne stabbing herself for Pan to cave and surrender her over.

Observing the scene the way everyone had broken off into their own little conversations, I wanted to believe they didn't have to plot for anything anymore, that Pan was finally going to let us go. Nothing would've been stopping us from leaving, ourselves, except Henry's heart was still missing and no one knew what to expect next. "It's not over," I mumbled as Hemlock approached. I heard his breathing, though my eyes never strayed away from a hunched over Felix, rocking next to his unconscious sister.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Hemlock replied. I felt him glance over at me. "Never in a million years would Pan have surrendered her over to Henry's family if it hadn't been over."

"He surrendered her because he couldn't heal her, he needed a hand. You really think he's just going to let her go after everything?" I protested.

"Well it wasn't like he was prepared for it, but I know he sure as hell wasn't prepared for Anne to try and take her own life," he replied as I looked at him from the side. There was a pause. "Why do you think she did it?" He suddenly asked.

I inhaled shakily, finally meeting his eyes. "I'm not sure, at first I thought it was because of what I said, but..." my voice faded out. I was still contemplating that.

"Of course it wasn't what you said," he declared, "she was trying to distract Pan--"

"By killing herself??" I questioned in disbelief. "If that were true, she would've settled for something smaller," I leaned against a tree, casting my eyes downward in guilt, cursing, "it's all my fault." Angry tears threatened to break in my eyes.

I felt a firm hand land on my shoulder. I leaned my head against the tree and closed my eyes, groaning, "what do you want...Hemlock? I don't care for your bullying right now--" having been yanked around, I was stuck across the cheek by a sharp hand. "AH!" I winced, covering the burning sensation in my skin, before I was forced to look at the owner of the hand.

"Listen to me, what happened to Anne wasn't your fault!" Hemlock asserted, a surfacing desperation in his eyes. "Now why the hell do I have to keep pushing you into toughening up?!"

My face contorted in disbelief. "First of all, I never asked--"

"That tears it--" he then yanked me away from the tree, and I tried to pull against him. He had dragged me far enough, throwing me into a bush. I stared awestruck, shocked to the core before I anxiously scrambled back up and tried to run passed him. "NO!" He growled through what sounded like clenched teeth, grasping my clothes and pulling me back. The ghost of my heart was thundering in my chest, and I was tore up by surprise when he crushed his lips into mine.

I immediately tried to pull away, though his grasp tightened and I became frigid in throat clenching fear. I had grabbed hold of his shoulders to push him away but his lips... his lips were rough, but they had an alluring, rich taste--one I was compelled to falter at, one that was overtaking my mind. I wanted to resist but I became enslaved, immobilized to the core, my knuckles white in earnest the harder I gripped his shoulders.