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Henry watched two Lost Boys race up the ropes hanging from a large tree while the rest of the boys cheered them on; The eleven year old glanced around and lifted an eyebrow curiously to find his aunt and Pan arguing.

Astrid was wearing a pair of her skinny denim jeans and a black tee shirt with her black converse sneakers, her wavy blonde hair left down; She had her arms folded across her chest as she slowly nodded at Peter, a scowl present on her face.

While Peter just attempted to calm her down and act like it wasn't that big of a deal.

But Henry knew his aunt well enough that he knew she wasn't going to just calm down like that; If Astrid was angry, she would stay angry as long as she wants to.

Astrid lifted an eyebrow at the boy in front of her in a daring way. "Just let this whole thing go."

Peter took a small step towards her, his hands slightly lifted in surrender, saying, "I need his heart, you know this. This will prevent me from dying-"

"That's where you are lying to me. I know you, Peter. I even feel what you feel," Astrid sighed, unfolding her arms and now just laid her hands on top of the hilts of her swords at her sides. "It's not you that's dying, it's the bloody island."

Peter glanced down at the ground and also sighed, "I'm doing this for us and for the boys. This place is our home."

Astrid stepped closer to him and held the sides of his face in her hands before murmuring softly, "We're each other's homes. But Henry... He's like my own kid, even if I met him a few months ago. I can't bloody lose him. It would really hurt me..."

"So, if the two of us, the Lost Boys, Henry included, were to stay on the island for all of eternity without those band of heroes trying to get you two, would you want that?" Peter slowly wondered aloud quietly.

"I don't know," Astrid admitted.

"Forgive me?" He cheekily asked as she barely chuckled and answered him, "I suppose I can forgive you."

"Now, or in seven years?" Peter inquired with a small smirk on his face.

Astrid laughed, "I don't know yet." Peter's smirk only grew as he asked, both still centimeters apart, "Can I kiss you now?"

Astrid smirked, saying, "Why haven't you yet?" The two softly kissed as he gently whispered after it, "I love you."

Astrid grinned and kissed him again, this time a stronger one. Once they pulled apart, Astrid smirked and added, "Who doesn't?"

Astrid turned her attention away from Peter and over to her nephew when she heard his familiar yelp; Before Peter even realized what she was doing, Astrid had marched over to the Lost Boy who swung his stick towards Henry who blocked his blows with his own stick.

"Not bad, Henry," Astrid complimented and then faced the other boy, Devin, and lifted an eyebrow his way. "Trying to hurt him?"

"N-No, we were just having a little fun." Devin stammered out.

"You alright, Henry?" Astrid asked, glancing behind her at the eleven year old who nodded and confidently remarked, "You had helped teach me how to use swords, A. I'm good."

Astrid smirked and nodded at him and then stepped back before saying, "Then carry on."

"But wouldn't it be more fun if you had real swords?" Peter spoke up, stepping up beside them also.

"I've... never used a real sword." Henry started a little bit nervously as Peter commented, "This is Neverland. And you have the heart of the truest believer. You can use whatever you want. You just need to believe, Henry."

Peter had moved behind him and held his stick up in front of him and added, "Close your eyes and believe you're holding a real sword." He stepped back as Henry closed his eyes, gripped the stick in his hands tightly, took a deep breath.

Astrid watched, impressed, with her arms folded across her chest, as the stick in his hands turned into an actual sword. "Whoa!" Some of the Lost Boys murmured in amazement.

Henry opened his eyes and widened his eyes at the sight of the real sword in his hand. Peter spoke up again, "What are you waiting for?"

Henry didn't hesitate and immediately swung his sword towards Devin who staggered backwards as a few Lost Boys commented, "Whoo!" "Yeah!" Henry continued to swing his sword at the boy who desperately blocked it with his stick.

"Go on! Go for it! Keep going!" Peter cheered along with the other boys, "Come on, Henry!" Henry swung his sword and cut the stick in Devin's hand in pieces in a few short but swift movements and then sliced his cheek with his sword.

Devin held his now bleeding cheek in his hand as Henry straightened up and lowered his weapon, immediately apologizing, "I-I'm sorry. It was an accident." The eleven year old instantly moved over to his aunt and wrapped his arms around her waist as she had one hand over the top of his head.

"Henry," Peter began while stepping over to Astrid and Henry, "Don't you know the best thing about being a Lost Boy?" He picked up his sword and handed it out to him and finished, "You never apologize."

Henry looked up at Astrid who slightly shrugged and he took the sword from Peter; Pan lifted Henry's hand that was holding the sword up in the air as the Lost Boys cheered as did Henry while Astrid watched, unsure of how she should feel about her nephew like this.

***

Regina, Snow, David, Hook, and Emma were stationed behind different trees in defense, waiting and hiding as they noticed a wild boar in the middle of the small clearing.

One of the Lost Boys, Devin, slowly moved towards the boar with his spear pointed at the animal; As he moved closer, Snow fired an arrow at the tree near him, making the trap fall on top of him and quickly tangling him up in it.

The five adults approached him while he grunted, struggling to remove the net off of him, and once he removed part of it off of him and looked up at them, Devin exclaimed, "What are you doing!? Are you trying to start a war with Pan?"

"Pan started a war when he kidnapped my son." Emma shot back as Regina added, "But that doesn't make you our enemy." Regina then opened her empty hand and made a chocolate bar appear in it as Hook slightly rolled his eyes at that gesture.

"What's that?" Devin inquired while standing back up on his feet and brushing himself off. Regina innocently glanced down at the candy in her hand and back at him and answered him, "Chocolate. I thought you might like the taste of something sweet."

"We don't wanna hurt you," Emma spoke back up in sympathy, "We just need you to deliver a message to Henry."

"Why should I help you?" Devin remarked.

"Because you had a home and a family once and you stopped believing you could get back to them." Emma answered him, "Now we're here. We can help- not just Henry- all of you. We can get you home."

Regina gestured to the candy still in her hand and stepped forward to him as he took it and sniffed it some; Devin then turned and threw the chocolate away as Emma readied her sword in defense.

He looked back at them and commented with a small smirk, "Don't you get it? I'm here because I don't want to go home. None of us do."

"Pan's a monster. Look what he did to you," Emma pointed out as Devin chuckled while lightly touching the cut on his cheek and commented to them, "Oh, Pan didn't do that. Henry did."

He watched the adults in front of them in amusement as their faces fell at that set of news; They just couldn't believe that Henry would intentionally hurt someone.

Emma then shoved him against the tree and held him there as Devin struggled in her grip, saying, "It's too late! Henry is a lost boy now! Your boy is one of the most vicious new recruits we've have had in ages-- the last one being Astrid!"

"Ugh!" Emma groaned out in annoyance and aggravation after Snow pulled her off and began to reassure her in a lowered voice, "Don't let him get to you. Okay?"

"Move aside." Regina spoke up as Snow and David stopped her and both asked, "Why?" Regina simply gestured to the boy behind them and answered them in frustration, "So I can rip his heart out. Then he'll do exactly what we want." The former Evil Queen smirked at the Lost Boy then.

"As much as that sounds... kind of... Evil Queen-ish, I'm going to stop all of you right there," A familiar female voice spoke up behind all of them as she leaned against a tree with her arms folded across her chest.

They turned and saw Astrid smirk a little and straighten up, stepping down the hill as she moved over to the six of them. "That is not how you bloody do things... You're all better than that. There is another way to get to Henry."

"Yeah? And what's that?" Emma suddenly snapped at her sister, "Whose side are you even on? Pan's or ours?"

"Does it matter?" Astrid scoffed in amusement but was met by her birth parents' and sister's disappointed looks and changed her tone to a serious one, "I'm in the middle and on both sides, but right now, I'm more on Henry's side... You're running out of time-- He's lost his hope, and I never wanted that."

"Then how about you do your job and tell him we're out here looking for him." Regina also snapped, "What are you even doing here if you're not going to help us?"

Astrid's mouth twitched some as her blue eyes watered somewhat while she nodded slowly, letting out, "Okay... You're both right. This was a bloody mistake coming here to talk to you guys. I'm really sorry."

"Astrid-" "AJ-" They all started but was cut off by the said teenager turning around and stomping off and into the woods.

"I'll go after her," David started as Hook added, "So will I." David sighed but didn't argue about it this time and both followed after the girl, quickly catching up to her and stopping her from leaving even farther.

"Astrid-" David started first as he stood in front of her while Hook was behind her but in front of him. Astrid sighed and slightly stammered out, "Don't. Just- Just let me go."

"Never again." Hook spoke up as she glanced over at him as he continued, "Talk to me... us. We are here, so let us help."

"I have a right to be angry," Astrid muttered as Hook nodded slowly and soothingly assured her, "Yes you do."

"I have a right to be hurt... and whatever other bloody feeling that I might be feeling and no one will tell me otherwise," Astrid added as Hook continued to assure in the same tone, "You're right, Kiddo."

Astrid sighed and turned and looked at her birth father before admitting to him, "You guys ruined bloody everything. My life is so- so, well, I don't know! My heart is literally broken in halves on whose bloody side I should be fighting for..."

"I know-" David tried to speak but was only cut off by his teenage daughter, "Why can't you guys listen to a bloody word I say!? Why do you guys intentionally ignore me!?"

David glanced down at the ground, now realizing that was actually true. He realized that they have been ignoring her and anything she says. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Kid. No wonder you're angry at your mother and me... And to make things worse, Hook's the only one who actually truly listened to you."

Hook gave the prince an amused look and remarked, "I knew I was warming up to you." David rolled his eyes as Astrid hid a small smirk but soon dropped it as she felt another round of searing pain run through her body and mind and winced some.

She breathed in and then out quietly as the pain tripled and she began to hurt even more worse while Hook and David was slightly arguing over nothing particular really.

"Astrid?" "AJ?"

But Astrid couldn't focus on them or the words that came out of their mouths as she just focused on the immense pain that she was in, her muscles tensed and shaking with the strain; Her breaths coming in short, soft, panting gasps.

"Hey, hey. You're going to be okay," David began as he moved and now held her in his arms, one hand on the back of her head reassuringly. "Whatever it is, we will figure it out. It'll be okay."

Astrid pulled out of his arms and stepped back, shaking her head as a single tear fell onto her cheek coldly, finally admitting, "No, it won't be. I- I'm sick and... I am- I'm going to bloody die... And there's no stopping what I'm going through..."

"You're not dying, Kid," Hook began, "You can't." Astrid smiled sadly at the pirate and sniffled some before replying to them, "I should get back to Henry and Peter."

"No, I'm sorry, but you're staying with us until we can get this figured out." David stopped her as she looked back at over at him.

"But I-" Astrid began as David shook his head and cut her off sternly, "No buts!" Astrid sadly sighed and reluctantly agreed to stay with them and replied, "At least, keep this dying thing between the three of us, okay? Peter knows because, well, we tell each other everything."

"You want to keep you dying a secret from your mother and sister?" David repeated with slightly raised eyebrows in concern.

"At least until you guys get Henry off of the island and save him." Astrid commented, "Everyone already has enough to worry about. Let's not add more to the list of things to worry about."

"Secret's safe with me, lass," Hook reluctantly agreed as David nodded and added, "Me too, Astrid. So, are you still angry and hurt with me and your mother? Do you forgive us?"

"I'll let you know whenever. I'm trying to, I really am, so..." Astrid slowly replied, rubbing her face in both of her hands now and soon dropped them right back down at her sides again.

"It's a work in progress." David replied, "We're getting there." David then pulled her into a tight hug once more while saying, "We'll try harder to be there for you this time."

Astrid smiled some and hugged him back, replying, "I know you will, Dad." She glanced over at the pirate and then hugged him also and added to Hook, "Thank you... Dad... I'm lucky to have two dads who care about me."

Hook grinned at the teenager and nodded somewhat, saying, "We should head back to the others and see what they decided on the fate of that Lost Boy."

Astrid shrugged yet playfully punched the two men in their arms hard as they grunted but chuckled; She then walked between them back to the small clearing where the three women and Devin was still at.

The teenager overheard Snow tell Emma, "When we finally get to him, I just wanna make sure the line is still there."

"What line?" Emma asked, unsure of what their mother was talking about right now.

Snow's eyebrows furrowed and her frown deepened as she looked at her eldest daughter; It was clear that she was disappointed in what Emma had chosen to do. "Between what Regina is willing to do and what you are."

Emma sighed some before admitting, "I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get him home."

"But the cost can't be this family," Snow glumly replied with a shake of her head, "I won't stand by and watch you and your sister turn dark."

Astrid rolled her eyes somewhat and spoke up with a light shrug, "Then don't. Worry about yourself going dark and pretend whatever Emma did never bloody happened." This made Snow, Emma, and David face her with furrowed eyebrows. "Hey, I am done holding my emotions in and thoughts back. You want to see the real me? You've bloody got her. Viking, pirate, thief-- whatever the bloody hell I am."

Though before anyone could reply to her, Regina stepped back over to them and inquired, "Second thoughts?"

Emma stood up from the log she had been sitting on and faced Regina with a look of determination, saying, "Let's get him that message."

Regina grinned and replied, "Oh, we're gonna do more than that." She dug through her pocket and pulled out a small compact mirror, breaking it into two. She handed one half to Devin and held out the other one in front of the others. "We're gonna see him."

Emma's eyes lit up while Regina enchanted the mirror before showing them how it worked.

Astrid stood back and leaned against a tree, her arms folded across her chest, not bothering to be in the message to Henry; Hook also stood back and noticed the teenager wince some as she tried to hide the pain that she felt. He let out a sigh and shook his head.

Devin had left to go back to Pan's camp and went straight to Henry. Astrid watched as her family crowded around the small compact mirror as Regina quickly asked the boy, "Henry, are you okay!?"

"Henry, can you hear me?" Emma also asked quickly, earning a confused look from the eleven year old who replied in shock, "Mom?"

Snow and David also butted in, saying, "We're here too, Henry!"

Henry wanted to believe it was real, but he shook his head in denial, and commented, "No. This is a trick. I assumed only Astrid was the only one here."

Emma's eyes widened but quickly corrected him, "No. No, it's not a trick. Henry, I promise you this is real. Kid, it's Operation: Cobra Rescue. It's us."

"You- You're here?" Henry stammered out, "I have to find Astrid and tell her." The said teenager looked down at the ground a bit guiltily as everyone glanced over at her and back at the mirror.

"Yes, we're coming to get you!" Emma said as Henry glanced over his shoulder and back at them and commented, "There's someone coming. It's Pan. I- I gotta go."

"Henry-" Emma tried to stop him from leaving as Henry added, "I gotta go!" Instead of stopping him, Regina also exclaimed, "We love you!" Henry smiled at them before throwing the compact mirror in the dirt, shattering it upon contact.

They smiled in relief, knowing that Henry now knew that his family was here for him. But then Emma turned and marched over to her sister, a hurt and angry look present on her face, as she snapped, "You told him we didn't come here with you and that he was basically all alone!?"

Astrid unfolded her arms from her chest and simply started quietly, "I'm sorry-"

"No, no more apologizing, no more acting like Miss-I-don't-care anymore, no more being a lousy sister to me!" Emma cut her off, still furious with the girl, "I trusted you to keep my son hopeful and safe and you have failed at that."

Astrid watched her with sad eyes but only nodded as Emma continued to snap at her, "Since we have got here, you've been absent and angry at us and siding with Pan and making Henry think that we don't care about him when that's not the case at all. You really are selfish and- and broken. There's seriously something wrong inside of you."

"Emma-" Snow, Hook, and David started.

Astrid was fixing to say something but stiffened as the pain tripled all throughout her body, now afraid to even move because it hurt terribly bad.