Pan's Game || OUAT Fanfic || EDITED VERSION

Chapter 56; The New Neverland

"It's so simple. He loved me and I loved him. That's all there is."

~ F. Scott Fitzgerald, "Flight and Pursuit"

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Alice's P.O.V

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    "What is it?" Will asks, seeing the worrided look on my face.
    I don't reply, my mind in a frenzy due to what Ray just told me. My knees give way, but Will catches me before I hit the ground. He helps me to my feet, asking me if I'm alright. I want to answer him but no words come out. Will grabs me by the shoulders when I don't respond. "Alice, what happened?"

    "C-Cassie... Malcolm... H-He's gone," I stutter.
    Will engulfs me in a hug. "Breath, Alice, breath."
    I take a deep breath, trying to hold back the tears that threaten to fall. Will cradles me in his arms, patiently waiting for me to calm down. I grip his bicep, letting out a shaky breath. This position we're in brings me back to when Will and I were kids.

    He always held me when I cried, and Lewis would whisper comforting things to me. I always felt safe in his arms, and truth to be told, I missed the comfort he provided when he hugged me. Will pulls back, wiping the tears from my eyes. "Do you wanna talk about it?"
    "M-Malcolm took Cassie."
    Will's eyes darken. "I'm going to kill that bastard."

    "You can't he's a freaking sprit."
    "He took Cassie from you," he says. "I'll find a way to kill him."
    "First thing's first, we have to get back to Emma's apartment," I say.
    Will looks from Jared's dead body then back to me. "It's not safe to be out here now that Malcolm's free. We'll search for Cassie first thing tomorrow."
    "First thing tomorrow," I repeat.

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Peter's P.O.V

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    "Any sign of him?"
    "No, nothing," Alice replies, distraught. "We checked everywhere."
    "Maybe he could've wandered off?" I suggest. "You know how he loves exploring new places."
    Alice shakes her head. "No, Asa and Isaac said that Cassie was sleeping in their room when they went left him."
    So much for trying to cheer her up.

    "What did the boys say?" I ask.
    "They told me to take it easy," she tells me, plopping down on the bed. "I can't believe them, Cassie's like a son to me and they don't let me join the search 'cause it's "too dangerous"."
    She rolls her eyes, muttering some colorful words under her breath. "Too dangerous my arse."
    "They're just worried," I say. "What if Malcolm got you?"

    Alice waves the thought away. "He wouldn't hurt me. He knows how much I mean to Peter."
    "But how can you be sure?" I ask. "He chose power over you."
    "That's the thing, he didn't."
    I furrow my eyebrows. "But he-"
    "He chose to steal your heart so he could live," she explains. "I admit, what he did was wrong, but he did it because he wanted to be with me."

    "But I thought you despised him."
    She shakes her head. "No. No, I could never hate him. No matter how much I try."
    "You still love him?" I ask, not believing my ears. "After everything he put you through?"
    Alice gives me a rueful smile. "I still love him."
    And I still love you, too. Always have and always will.

    I flip Henry's storybook open, stopping at the page where Alice and I had our first kiss. I smile as I look at the illustration of us. My hands are in her hair and she smiles in the kiss. Oh, how I yearn for those lips to be on mine once more.
    "Did you know he was your soul mate?" I ask her.
    Alice looks at the drawing on the page. "No."