Counting Scars - OUAT

Control

"Winter, you're insane! Someone is going to get hurt!" Hunter boomed, darting his eyes from me, to Peter.

"It's the only plan we got. If Peter can control the demon, it can give us time to find a way to destroy it," I countered.

"And if it doesn't?" Blade questioned, crossing his arms. "If he can't control it, then what are we going to do? Winter, we can't risk this. Peter should just be chained up."

Peter, who stood close beside me, widened his eyes and grabbed my arm, stepping even closer to me. My heart fluttered at his touch, and a shade of pink had appeared on my cheeks. I shake my head, "give Peter a chance. If he can control it, we all might be able to sleep peacefully without the worry of the demon stabbing us."

Peter's eyes swept to the ground, biting his lip.

Archer stood up from a log near the fire. "Really? Is it giving him a chance or a 'you love him so you're going to do whatever he wants' move? Pan could care less about us."

"Archer listen to me-

He shakes his head furiously, "No! You listen! Peter already got a second chance, he doesn't deserve another one! He deserves to feel the pain he put on us just because he got himself heartbroken. You shouldn't feel sorrowful for his past, you should be sorrowful for our pasts!"

Nods and cheers followed after this. Peter was trembling, blinking as fast as he could to keep his glossy eyes from spilling scarring tears.

"Please! Boys! Don't do this for him, do this for me! Do this for Felix! Do this for yourselves. None of you want to see blood spilling by something so diabolical, do you?"

The boys were now silent, their heads bowed down in shame.

"Fine, we'll help," Blade uttered. "But I'm doing it for the good of all of us, not for him." His eyes glare at Peter, burning flames into Pan's forest eyes.

"Thank you," I said calmly. "Now, any ideas on how to get the demon to take over?"

Falcon, who had been busy sharpening his dagger, smirks, "pissing him off could work."

I furrow my brows, "what?"

Blade nods his head. "Falcon is right. Pissing him off. When Pan's adrenaline kicks up, it may give the demon strength to take over. I'm guessing it may depend on his emotions, too."

I nod my head. "Then who would like to be the one to make him mad?"

All eyes were darted to Blade, who raised his brows, then smirks. "I would love to volunteer."

***

It happened like that.

Peter's hands were tied to a tree, and the boys had their crossbows ready. Blade and I stood beside each other, a few feet away from Peter. Blade smirked as he watched Pan simply stare back at him.

"Just so you know, Pan. That what I'm about to say..." He pauses.

Peter raises a brow, "what, you don't mean it?"

Blade chuckles, "no, no, I completely mean it. Everything I say. Just hope it doesn't hurt you as much as your little meltdown session with Summer's death."

Pan's expression grew dark, his eyes piercing into Blade's. "What..."

Blade continued, "oh yeah. Or how about your meltdown session after Felix's death? Quite the friend there, murdering your only friend."

Peter tugged at the ropes as his hands clenched into tight fists. "Shut up!"

Blade bursts into laughter, completely enjoying this. "What are you going to do about it Pan? Going to crawl into Winter's arms and sob your soul out? Or are you going to go jump into the Aqua Speculo because you just can't handle pain? What a weak, little lost boy."

At that moment, I thought Peter was about to have a complete breakdown. He slammed his eyes shut, his hands in tight fists. He muttered a very soft, "I am not weak."

However, Blade kept taunting him. "Really? Looks like you're tied to a tree, looking like you're about to cry. Tell me, are you going to cry? Do you need Winter's shoulder to cry on?"

Instantaneously, Peter's eyes had turned raven black and his face was plastered with pure evil. Blade shut his mouth, his eyes widening as Pan smirked and ripped off the ropes that had tied him to the tree. Blade and I stumbled backwards as Pan glared at us, his smirk amused and greedy for spilling blood.

"P-Peter, I know you're in there," I spoke softly, stepping forward. "You need to fight this Peter."

He chuckles darkly, "step aside Emerson, before you get hurt."

I shake my head, standing tall. "No, I want Peter."

Pan's eyes swept to the ground, his brows furrowing. I could see his eyes flickering from black to green repeatedly. I take another step forward, my heart racing in my chest. "Peter, I know you're in there. You can do it."

Pan grabbed his head, hunching over and yelping. "Stop it!"

I take a few more steps closer. "C'mon Peter!"

His breathing becomes shaky and his face painted with an expression utterly of agony. His orbs were a dark shade of green, that continued to flicker to his normal forest green.

"Winter he's not strong enough!" Hunter exclaimed.

I bite my lip before rushing to Peter and grabbing his shoulder. At my touch, his eyes started to close. He tried to stay standing up but stumbled into my arms and out like a light. I laid him carefully down on the soft earth, then looked at the boys with wide eyes.

"What happens now?" I asked them all while my fingers gently ran through Peter's chestnut locks.

No one answered my question, no one even moved. All eyes were directed to Peter who had begun to stir in his sleep.

I sigh, and pressed a kiss against his forehead, not caring that six boys were watching me do so.

"He must be so scared," I said softly as I looked at the sleeping boy.

"Just think of how he's going to act when he wakes up," Blade added with a smirk. "That is.. if he wakes up."

I rolled my eyes, "he'll wake up. Now, Hunter, please take Peter to his bed, he needs to rest."

Hunter nods his head, scooping Peter into his arms as if he was a feather.

Sighing, I stand up, then sit down on a log, staring into the empty pit.

"You know, I think I have an idea on how to save Pan," Tame spoke before sitting down next to me.

I shake my head,"we've tried everything possible."

"You haven't tried one thing..."

I furrow my brows, "what?"

"Love." Tame uttered. "If the demon has no love for something, that means love can destroy it."

I gaped at him, realization snapped into my head. "Wait, so if I can get the demon to fall in love-

" the demon will be destroyed, yes."

"And Peter will no longer be an angel lost in the darkness."

***

A/N: I wrote this at school so be happy with the dedication I have to writing xD. Anyway I'll be on spring break next week so I may have time to update then, too. Thanks so much for 11K reads and 555 votes!❤️

Word count: 1,215