《Artemis || OUAT》25. Quite A Common Fairy
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Peter raised an eyebrow at Astrid who retracted her hand from his face. "Really, Astrid?"
She softly giggled some and tilted her head to the side. "What?" With that said, she started walking away from him.
Peter simply stared at her retreating form for a few seconds before jogging to catch up to her. "You've been doing it the whole morning, love."
"Doing what?" Astrid innocently inquired. He rolled his green eyes at her, knowing better than to think her being innocent. Those heated make out sessions proved his point.
"You know what I'm talking about, Charming." Peter spun her around to face him, his arms moving around her waist.
She pulled back some and smiled at his nickname and looked up at him, cupping her hands to his face while squeezing his cheeks slightly, saying, "I can't help it. You have hamster cheeks."
Peter gave her a look and repeated slightly, "I have what?"
Astrid repeated herself once more while trying her best not to laugh, "Hamster cheeks. Meaning, you have cute cheeks."
"You think... my cheeks are... cute?" Peter said, processing what she had just told him.
Astrid laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck while still looking at him. "I think you're cute."
He chuckled and kissed her forehead as Astrid corrected herself cheekily, "I take it back. Your cheeks aren't cute. They're adorable."
Peter rolled his eyes and held her hand as they walked back to their camp where the Lost Boys was still at.
"Mother?" Some of the Lost Boys started as they noticed the familiar girl to them and rushed up to her and Peter, surrounding them, "Mother!"
"Hello, boys," Astrid grinned, "You miss me?"
"Not a day haven't gone by where we haven't missed you." A seven year old blonde haired, silver eyed boy named Johnny admitted, immediately hugging her waist with his small arms and burying his face on her stomach as she wrapped an arm around his shoulders.
"I've missed you, too." Astrid said, "And you know what? I have even more bedtime stories to tell you boys, ones that you're sure to love."
The Lost Boys cheered and grew excited just as Astrid noticed her nephew sleeping underneath a large tree a few feet from them; Peter noticed and told the boys, "Back to your stations, boys, and get ready to move camp again."
The Lost Boys saluted and dispersed, going back to what they were previously doing before the couple arrived back at the camp.
Astrid made her way over to Henry as Peter woke him up by making a bird sound and saying, "Cuckoo! Wake up!" Henry woke up and sat up a little as Peter told him, "Catch." He tossed an apple towards the eleven year old who didn't catch it and just looked at it.
"I don't like apples," Henry started as Peter replied, "The only person I know who doesn't like apples is Astrid."
"It's a family thing." Henry simply commented.
Astrid softly chuckled as she held a small proud smirk and spoke up, "Don't worry, Bud, they're not for eating." Henry noticed her finally and smiled as the two of them hugged.
"It's for a kind of game. A really fun game." Peter added once his girl and Henry parted from the hug as he showed Henry his crossbow by pointing it at him, "I call it target practice."
Astrid had sat down on a log, watching Peter show her nephew how a crossbow works, one eyebrow slightly raised than the other.
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She stood back up when a Lost Boy named Kyle helped Peter dip Dreamshade on the tip of the arrow as Henry stepped beside his aunt and asked, "What's that?"
"Dreamshade." Both Peter and Astrid answered in unison as Peter added, "It's a nasty poison. We have a story here about a man who once shot an apple off his son's head with an arrow. Astrid's proved it true. Let's see if her archery skills rubbed off on you."
Astrid smirked a little bit again as she and her nephew watched Peter load the arrow on the crossbow. "If you're shooting at the apple, what's the poison for?" Henry asked while glancing over at his aunt for assurance.
"Motivation not to miss," Peter answered simply, "Felix! Get over here!" The said boy stood up from the log in front of the campfire and moved over to them.
Henry's voice cracked as he stammered out nervously, "Is- Is Felix good? Is his aim good?"
"Doesn't matter," Peter replied while handing the eleven year old his crossbow, "You're the one doing the shooting."
"But I- I don't want to shoot." Henry commented as Pan tossed the apple to Felix who caught it.
"Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! Shoot!" The Lost Boys now chanted.
"Astrid?" Henry began as he glanced over at the girl while the Lost Boys continued to chant the same thing.
"You won't hit him." Astrid confidently assured as she had her hands resting on the hilts of her swords at her hips and watched in anticipation.
"Trust yourself, go on," Peter added as Felix placed the apple on top of his head, "It's exhilarating."
"Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! Shoot!"
The chanting receded once Henry aimed his crossbow at Felix, the bow wobbling a little from his nervousness and fear; Henry suddenly remembered what his aunt said about fear.
Astrid sat beside her nephew on the park bench and waited for him to speak first. He looked up at her finally and lightly asked, "How do you not get afraid? How- How can I get rid of this fear that I feel? I'm scared the time."
Astrid smiled some and replied, "Fear is but a demon. In order to slay that demon, you must close your eyes and say that you're not afraid. Say it, Henry.."
"I'm- I'm not afraid." Henry repeated while closing his eyes and then reopened them to look back at her, "We'll always be forever, right?"
"It's you and me, Buddy," Astrid smiled in assurance as Henry hugged her, his small arms wrapped around her waist tightly and a grin on his face.
Henry, now with a little bit more confidence, moved the crossbow and now aimed at Peter and shot the arrow at him; Peter caught it in his hand before it could hit his chest, though, as the Lost Boys cheered and laughed.
"Told you it was exhilarating." Peter remarked as Henry lowered the crossbow while glancing over at Astrid who winked at him, "Come on, I have to show you something."
Astrid took the crossbow from her nephew, ruffled his hair, and nodded for him to follow Peter. Henry smiled a little at her and caught up to him who waited a few feet from them.
Peter stepped back over to Astrid and gave her a look that said not to do anything stupid while he's gone; Astrid returned the look and smiled a little. "Keep my nephew safe." She told him, her hand over his chest where she felt his heart beating.
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"Don't worry, love, he's in good hands." Peter assured and kissed her on the top of her head before leaving with the eleven year old boy.
Astrid felt the pain on her side again, but she knew that it was her father's; She quickly turned and left through the woods and took off running in search of her family.
And she knew exactly where they was going to be at; They were going to find the one person who would help them get into Peter's camp-- Tinkerbell.
*Tinkerbell's location- near a cave*
Tinkerbell walked out of the cave but stopped when Hook, Emma, Snow, and David moved out of the bushes and pointed their weapons at her; She lifted her arms halfway in surrender as Emma asked, "Where's Regina?"
"Who the hell are you?" The ex-fairy questioned as Emma simply answered, "A pissed off mother. Where is she?"
Regina rushed out of the cave while answering for her, "I'm fine. I'm fine."
"You mind lowering those?" Tinkerbell said about their swords pointed at her and the bow and arrow that Snow aimed at her, "You may stick me, but I'll take you down with me."
"She's okay. She's not gonna hurt us." Regina assured the group, "Just stand down."
"But is she going to help us?" Hook inquired.
"Well... Look who the Queen dragged in." Tinkerbell replied towards the pirate, "Hello Hook."
"Lady Bell." Hook nodded.
"You have some nerve showing up in front of me after what you did to Astrid." Tinkerbell said with a glare towards the pirate, "She was devastated and broken after that."
Hook nodded as he glanced down at the ground guiltily, letting out, "I know, but we're good now. I'm here because of her actually."
"Good." Tinkerbell replied, "She looks up to you and was fond of you."
"I am extremely fond of her, too." Hook assured, "She's the reason I believe I could be a father someday."
"She's not gonna help us." Regina spoke up about the ex-fairy as Emma asked, "Why not?"
"Tink..." Hook sighed, "After all we've been through together, little assistance? We're trying to get Astrid back and their son, Henry."
"She doesn't have any magic." Regina said as David replied, "No pixie dust?"
"Not even her wings." Regina shook her head.
"How?" Emma asked as Tinkerbell answered her, "I guess people just stopped believing in me. And if I wanted to help you, he's too powerful."
"But you know where Pan is." Snow commented.
"Sure." Tinkerbell replied, "But it won't do you a bit of good."
"Let us be the judge of that." Snow commented, "Does he trust you?"
"Can you get us inside his compound?" Emma added in question.
"Maybe." Tinkerbell replied and folded her arms across her chest, "Why should I help you?"
"Because I believe in you," Snow started, "And, from what I heard, so does Astrid."
"Just get us inside, and we'll take care of things from there." Emma added.
"And what's in it for me, other than a death sentence from Pan when you're gone with your boy?" The ex-fairy questioned as Emma assured, "You can come with us."
"That's right. A home." Snow added, "That is what you want, isn't it?"
"Okay, listen closely." Tinkerbell started, "Pan is still furious that I helped Astrid escape this island after all this time, but he'll let me in. And, maybe, just maybe, I'll leave a way open for you. But you've only got one shot, so you better have a good plan."
"Thank you. We will." Emma assured.
"Come with us to our camp. We'll figure it out." Snow added.
"I hope you will." Astrid spoke up, announcing her presence behind them as she stepped out from behind the bushes and slid off her hood.
"Astrid." The six of them replied.
"Hello, Tink, always a pleasure seeing you again." Astrid commented with a nod towards the ex-fairy who grinned and moved over to the teenager, immediately hugging her tightly.
"Is this your family?" Tinkerbell asked her softly.
"It is. I— I found them after searching endlessly." Astrid answered lightly.
Tinkerbell smiled a little and stepped back as Astrid faced her father and lifted an eyebrow while saying, "I leave you guys for a bloody day and you get nicked with Dreamshade. Nice."
"Wait. Who's been poisoned with Dreamshade?" Snow asked while Emma also asked, "And how do you know? You left us for him."
Astrid ignored her sister's remark and gave David a pointed look and answered first to him and then to everyone else, "You didn't tell them? Well, it doesn't matter because I'm still here."
"AJ-" Hook began, not wanting her to take away his pain because it would only hurt her even more.
Astrid smiled a little and hugged her father, healing him of the poison coursing through his veins that was killing him painfully; She stepped back while staggering some as Hook steadied her.
"There, you're healed from the Dreamshade. Now, if you'll excuse me, it's time for me to leave to go back." Astrid replied and turned around, starting to head back to Pan's camp.
"Oh, no, you don't. You are not going back to Pan." Snow objected, "He's a villain-"
Astrid chuckled and faced them again while saying, "Yet, he's someone who has been my home when everyone chose to bloody leave and didn't choose me... When everyone else chose not to bloody believe me, he's always believed me-- as well as believed in me."
"Why do you suddenly seem angry at us, Astro?" Emma carefully asked, "You're usually all lollipop and such or whatever."
Astrid laughed some as she said the first part but her tone changed serious at the last part, "Sister, I'm a lot of things, but I ain't lollipop."
"She's been with them for too long. It brings up feelings of neglect, abandonment, or whatever else to make you feel lost, which leads you to believing in Pan." Tinkerbell slightly explained but in kind of a confusing way.
Astrid rolled her eyes and replied, "That is so not true. My thoughts and feelings are my bloody own. I don't need a boy or my family to tell me what I bloody am or how to think. I am my own person."
"What's your problem, A? What can we do?" Emma inquired.
"What's my problem?" Astrid scoffed, "I would literally die for all of you without a second thought!"
"And you think we wouldn't?" David simply replied.
"I don't know what to think anymore. All I know is, since I took that locator potion when we found Regina captured by Greg Mendell, I haven't stopped feeling every one of your pain, emotional hurt included... And the more I feel this pain, it feels like I'm dying." Astrid commented.
"We don't ask you to heal people or take their pain away or sacrifice your needs for us," Snow started.
"I do that because I care about you guys," Astrid replied, "I'd do anything for my family, but now, one thing that I ask of you... if it comes to saving Henry or me, save him. Don't come back for me."
"Hey, Astrid, why didn't you tell us about you feeling our pain?" David questioned curiously.
"She shouldn't have to," Hook spoke up, "I mean, it was obvious. She'd be in so much pain where she could barely stand, but all of you focused on yours and everyone else's problems before your own blood- Astrid's."
Astrid turned around and was about to sneak away from them to head back to Pan's camp until Emma spoke up towards her, "Why are you really hurt? Are you trying to make us hate you? Is that what you're doing?"
"Yes..." The teenager admitted quietly.
"Why? Because it won't work. We will never hate you no matter what." Snow commented, "You're our daughter-"
"And friend-" Regina and Tinkerbell added.
"And my sister, um, twin." Emma also added, her hands over her hips.
"I just figured it would be easier for you to hate me to let me go than letting me go even if you love me." Astrid sighed, "I mean, it wouldn't take much to replace me." She sadly laughed but stopped shortly after.
"Nobody could ever replace you, Kid." Hook assured the girl in front of them who smiled a little and nodded.
"Well, I better go. If Peter finds out that I snuck away to find you guys, he'll go crazy, uhh, crazier." Astrid commented and smirked a little at the last part.
"He's overprotective of me, but it's cool because it's adorable." Astrid shrugged.
"Sneak us into his camp, so that we can get Henry and get out," Emma said in realization, "Then this will be all over."
"I'm not going to do that. I'm not betraying him. Again." Astrid replied, "I love you guys, I really do, and I'm torn between siding with you and siding with Peter, but this time I'm with him. Just play his game."
"Okay." Snow and David both said.
Astrid furrowed her brows and lifted one more than the other in slight confusion and surprise. "Really?" She started, "You're letting me go back just like that?"
"We trust you, and it comforts us to know that at least Henry has you while you're in Pan's camp." Snow replied.
Astrid sniffled quietly and glanced at the adults in front of her with a small smile and then grinned, laughing somewhat also.
David stopped his teenage daughter from leaving and hugged her again while saying, "And thank you, Astrid, for healing me from that poison."
"Hey, you're my dad. I am not going to let any of my family die, not if I can help it." Astrid shrugged and glanced over at Hook and comment to him, "That includes you, you know, because you're my dad also."
The pirate smiled and nodded once at her as she turned again and left through the bushes and walked down the trail for a minute and then stopped when she noticed Peter leaning against a tree.
"Thought you could sneak away from the camp without me noticing?" Peter smirked while stepping over to her.
"Nope," Astrid shrugged, "I was kind of hoping you would follow after me. I just had to heal my dad of the Dreamshade."
"I know." Peter lightly replied.
She gasped some, feeling the new pain from her father along with the old pain from everyone else's inside of her. Peter moved and held her in his arms reassuringly, one arm on her lower back as his other arm wrapped around her shoulder blades.
Astrid wrapped her arms around his shoulders, her chin resting on top of his shoulder as she then felt Peter's emotions. "You're hiding something from me, aren't you?" She murmured and pulled back some to look him in the eyes.
Peter sighed and began to explain, "When I found out about you having to endure everyone's pain and hurt, I casted this bonding spell on both of us last night... So, now I'll feel whatever you feel. I did it, so that you don't have to go through the pain alone."
"Why would you do that!?" Astrid demanded, moving her fingers through her hair before dropping her hand back down to her side.
"Now, I'll know whenever you're in trouble-" Peter started.
"What else does this spell do?" Astrid questioned, folding her arms across her chest.
"If you get hurt physically, I'll get hurt also. So, it's not just being able to feel the emotional pain..." Peter explained carefully.
"What the bloody hell were you thinking!?" Astrid argued, her voice raising some as Peter lifted his hands up in slight surrender. She sighed and continued in a regular tone, "I don't want you to have to be in pain like I have to be... I don't want you to hurt-- any of you."
Peter's eyes softened as he murmured, "And you think I want you to hurt? Because it pains me to see you in pain and makes me feel like I'm powerless because I can't heal your hurt with my magic... Everything I've done is for you, you're the only thing in the world that matters to me."
"I'm sorry... I know..." Astrid quietly said while moving her hands lightly over the sides of his face, their foreheads now touching. She moved one thumb gently over his lips, their eyes closed. "I love you, you know that, right?"
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