《Artemis || OUAT》30. Think Lovely Thoughts
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Rumple and Peter watched their father, Malcolm, deal cards on a table in front of a crowd as the man started, showing a lady card, "Follow the lady, gents." He began shuffling a few of the cards as he chuckled, "A shilling returns two."
A man in front of the crowd smirked some and placed a coin in front of Malcolm after he had laid three cards facing down on top of the table; The man pointed at one card as Malcolm flipped it over to find that it wasn't the lady one. "What?"
The man's buddies laughed as Malcolm remarked, "Don't feel too bad. You're not the only one who's been spurned by the Lady tonight. She's been quite shy all evening." He giggled somewhat, fiddling with the coin in his hand.
The man glared and grabbed his wrist, pulling the sleeve down to show the lady card, saying, "You tricked me."
"How'd she get in there?" Malcolm replied and was then punched in the face and pinned against the wall.
Peter stepped his little brother by five years, Rumple, back a step before stepping in between their father and the villager himself while grabbing his outstretched arm desperately, "Please, don't hurt him! He's our father!"
"You two would be better off without him," The man commented and punched Malcolm in his gut as he fell to the ground in pain. The villager then took his satchel of coins away from him while Malcolm said, "No. No."
"Are you okay?" Rumple spoke up as he knelt on their father's other side after Malcolm spit up blood.
Malcolm quietly chuckled with a small smirk on his face, "The cost of the game. He didn't even leave me a shilling for a pint. How rude."
"He took all of our money," Peter pointed out as their father replied, "Yes, but I'll figure something out. I always do... Peter, Rumple..." The man stood up off the ground, "Roll up!"
Astrid stepped away from her family for a little while to take a breather when Peter appeared in front of her. "You know I wouldn't ask for something like this from you, but this will save my life in doing so..." Peter began reluctantly, immediately taking her hands into his.
"What is it? What's going on?" Astrid questioned, her eyes narrowed at him, "Henry okay?"
"He's fine," Peter answered, "Rumplestiltskin and Regina recently acquired the Pandora's box and they're going to use it to trap me for an eternity, separating the two of us..."
Astrid nodded slowly and quietly asked, "And you want me to what?"
"Take it from them- or replace the real one with a fake one, making them think that they have the real thing," Peter shrugged, making a small gray cube with engravings on it appear in his palm. "Do this for me- and we can continue to be together, love."
"Can I think about it? Because you know how I feel about me betraying my family." Astrid desperately spoke a little above a whisper, "And you also know that I would do anything for you."
"And I you," Peter nodded, placing the fake Pandora's box in her hands while still looking in her blue eyes, "Please, do this one thing for me, Charming."
Astrid slowly nodded as he kissed her on her forehead and then vanished into thin air; She returned to where her group had set up camp to finish planning out their big plan.
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Malcolm led his two sons to the door of a cottage and stopped at the front door, looking down at his teenager and ten year old. Rumple asked the question on his and his big brother's minds, "Where are we?"
Malcolm simply smiled a little and opened the door and guided them inside while closing the door behind them, answering, "These nice ladies are going to look after you two for a little while."
"You must be the boys-" One elderly woman started as the second one chimed in, both with smiles on their faces, "Rumplestiltskin and Peter."
"Do you two know how to spin?" "We can teach you." The two women said while spinning thread on their wooden wheels.
"I- I don't want to stay here," Rumple began towards his brother and said to their father, "Please, we- we'll be good. Won't we, Peter?"
"This will give me time to get a real job, so we can be together." Malcolm explained as Peter remarked with watery eyes, "We can be together right now." Rumple added also with watery eyes, hugging their father, "Papa, please. Don't leave us here."
"Don't be scared now." Malcolm told his youngest son while pulling out a straw doll, "Hey, I got you a present. A friend. Someone who will be at your side when I'm away. Other than your brother. It will be with you when I cannot."
"It will?" Rumple began as Malcolm smiled a little and replied, "Give it a name. Names always make things better. They make them real. Trust me. It will protect you. And I'll be back before you two know it. I promise."
Rumple looked from his brother and down at the doll in his hand and knew what he wanted to call it. He was going to name it after his brother because he was more of a father to him than Malcolm ever was. He murmured, "Peter Pan."
Peter wrapped a reassuring arm around his little brother's shoulders, pulling him close to him as Rumple buried his face in his ribs, crying some. "It's going to be okay, little brother. I'm still here."
Tinkerbell led the group down the trail that led to Pan's compound, Astrid following in front of her parents and behind Hook as she rolled her eyes at Snow and David.
The couple had been showing more and more affection towards one another and it was making the teenager uncomfortable, being that they were her parents.
Astrid glanced behind her as Snow whispered something in her husband's ear which made the man chuckle. The girl shuddered some, not even wanting to know what her mother said to her father.
Astrid groaned and raced in front of Hook, Neal, and Emma and stopped by the ex-fairy's side, saying, "I can't take much of my parents' flirting any more, so please, distract me with anything, Tink."
Tinkerbell laughed a little and sarcastically asked, "Yeah, about that? Did one of them have a close call to death or something? Oh, wait." Astrid chuckled and rolled her eyes, playfully elbowing the ex-fairy in her side. "But, seriously, it's not much further to Pan's compound, which you probably already knew that, huh?"
"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't," Astrid shrugged with a smirk on her face, "I'll never say, not even if-" Tinkerbell offered her some blackberries as Astrid took some gratefully and ate them, "I did know that." Tinkerbell laughed again.
They stopped in their tracks as they saw movement in the bushes in front of them, Hook stopping on Astrid's other side while the three of them slid out their swords and pointed it at the bushes defensively as Neal, Emma, David, and Snow joined their sides also.
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The group let out small gasps and exhaled once Regina and Gold stepped out as Regina remarked, "Well, if this is your version of a rescue party, we got here just in time."
"What are you two doing here?" Snow questioned as Regina answered her, "Well, same as you, except we actually have a chance. Pandora's box." The former Evil Queen gestured at the small box in Gold's hands then.
Astrid gasped some, knowing that a choice of hers was fixing to have to be made. "It could trap Pan for eternity simply by opening the lid." Regina continued and noticed Astrid who gritted her teeth at that, "Sorry, Astrid. It's come to this."
"Don't apologize to me," Astrid muttered, "Especially when you don't mean it. It's okay."
Neal looked over at Emma and then Astrid and spoke up in a lowered voice to them, "You didn't tell me my father was with her. And you, Astrid, know why he's doing what he's doing. You were there."
"I didn't know-" Emma defended herself as Tinkerbell cut in, "Wait, your father is the Dark One?"
"Yeah, and he's not getting anywhere near Henry." Neal replied as Gold started, "Bae-"
"Why? What are you talking about?" Emma questioned, looking from Neal to her sister to Gold and back at Neal.
"There's a prophecy that says that Henry will be his undoing," Neal explained, "He didn't come here to protect him. He came here to kill him."
"That's why you didn't want to find Neal before you got Henry back?" Regina questioned him, "Because you knew he'd spill your secret."
"Everything I did was to protect Henry, to rescue him from Pan." Gold answered, "At least, I done something, unlike Astrid who had Henry the whole time."
The said teenager scoffed, her sword in her hand still, "I kept him safe, though. I'm not going to bloody betray my family and my true love!" She pointed her sword at the Dark One and remarked, "At least, I don't intend on killing my nephew."
"It all makes sense. You left before we even made shore," Emma pointed out to Gold while pointing her sword at him.
Snow aimed her bow and an arrow at Gold and added, "You wanted to get to Henry first..."
"To be on his own..." David added while pointing his sword at him also.
"So no one could stop you..." Hook also added while pulling his sword out and pointing it at Gold as well.
"So you can kill him." Regina finished.
"It's not gonna happen," Emma spoke up, "Not unless you go through all of us first." She glanced over at her sister before looking back at Gold and adding, "And it's gonna be really difficult to get pass Astrid." The said teenager smirked at that.
Both Peter and Rumple were sitting at the two spinning wheels as the two women watched, impressed. "They're so young..." "In such a short time-" "Look at them. They could spin for-" "For kings and queens one day."
"I knew Peter had talent, but I didn't think I had any talent." Rumple admitted with a light smile.
"Oof, more than talent. A gift!" The first woman commented, "You and your brother could apprentice with anyone in the land."
"If I can make money, then our father, Rumple, and I can be together." Peter began as the same woman stopped him from spinning his wheel and told him, "Peter, even with your talent, too many people know your father is a cheat."
"And a coward-" The second woman added as the first one finished, "If you and your brother are to have a happy life, you must go somewhere where your father's name cannot follow you."
"You mean... alone?" Rumple spoke up.
The woman pulled out something from her pocket and nodded before saying, "This bean... can open a portal," She held up a white, almost clear-looking, bean, "take you two far away from this land."
"Even this realm."
"You and your brother could start a new life, but it cannot be with your father," The first woman continued towards Peter.
"But he's coming back for us as soon as he gets a job." Rumple started as the woman corrected him, "The truth is, he's at the pub. He doesn't want a job-"
"Or real responsibility."
"Family can be a strength, but it can also be a burden." The first woman said while dropping the bean in Peter's hand and closing it for him, "And your father will always be your burden, Rumplestiltskin and Peter."
"You're making a mistake," Gold began, "I don't care if the boy is destined to be my undoing. I won't hurt him."
"Because that sounds just like you." Regina remarked.
"Without me, you will fail. Astrid definitely won't go against Pan when it comes down to it. In fact, how certain are you people sure that she's actually on your sides?"
Astrid lifted an eyebrow as the seven other people glanced over at her, no one saying anything. Hook shrugged and remarked, slightly offended that her family isn't sticking up for her, "Come on, Astrid's extremely loyal. I have complete faith in her."
"I'm the most powerful amongst us-" Gold began again as Neal spoke up, "That's why we can't trust you."
Gold took a few steps towards his son and commented, "If I could give you my dagger, I would. But I can't."
"But you can give me Pandora's box," Neal simply said while nodding to the object still in Gold's hands tightly, "I don't have to trust you if I can stop you."
Gold looked hurt and wary at what was just said by his son, giving him a pleading look while tightening his grip on the box. "Son..." Neal didn't falter as Gold sighed and handed the object over to him.
Neal grabbed a hold of the box but don't take it completely out of his father's hands just yet. "Look at me," He began as Gold looked at him, "You so much as lift a finger to perform magic, you're gonna spend an eternity in this box."
Neal finally took the box completely out of his hands and turned away.
Tinkerbell began to lead the way to Peter's compound once again. "Let's go." Emma murmured as the rest of the group began to follow them.
Astrid caught up with Neal and lightly began, smirking some, "Want me to carry Pandora's box for you? After all, I'm the better fighter out of everyone here."
Neal glanced over at her and shrugged, handing it over to the girl who discreetly swapped the real with the fake one.
"What are you thinking?" Regina demanded from behind them which made Astrid stiffen just barely as the raven haired woman stepped next to the two, "She's wishy-washy on what side to take! She could give it to Pan!"
"Astrid's okay-" Neal started to defend the teenager in between them.
Astrid faced Regina, stopping them in their tracks, saying, "Really? You're testing my loyalties!? After everything that we've been through? I have stuck up for you when no one else did, and this is the bloody thanks I get? Fine, here, Bae." Astrid handed Neal Pandora's box and stormed off.
Regina glanced down a bit guiltily, knowing the teenager was right and knowing that she was probably going to have to apologize to her.
Up ahead, Astrid had a guilty smile on her face and called out to Peter in her mind. The said boy appeared in front of her and asked her with a light smile, "Ready, love?"
Astrid glanced back over at her family once more to see their pleading looks on their faces before nodding and replying, "Yeah, let's go." Peter took her hand in his and made the two of them disappear and reappear to his camp.
Peter stopped Rumple from going further as they spotted their father gambling at the Pub. He shook his head and led his brother away from the scene. "Come on, Rumple, we're leaving this place by ourselves."
"Without Papa?" Rumple sadly replied.
"He shouldn't have abandoned us for his gambling addiction," Peter frowned with a shake of his head.
"Then where should we go?" Rumple asked curiously, "There must be someplace special to you."
"Think, think, think... Think lovely thoughts. That's it." Peter murmured to himself before looking at his ten year old brother who asked, "What?"
"You was just a baby, but our father had sold me to a blacksmith for a little while. All day in front of hot coals, the sweat and the grime. I mean, eventually, our father came back for me... But every night I would say to myself, ."
"And in my sleep, I would travel to the most wonderful place." Peter finished as Rumple asked, "What was it called?" Peter knelt down to his brother's height and answered him, "Neverland."
"Then that's where we should go." Rumple assured as the two of them glanced down at the bean in Peter's hand.
Peter nodded and tossed the magic bean down on the ground as a green portal opened up. "I don't even know if this place is real." He took his little brother's outstretched hand and both of them jumped into the portal.
Astrid stepped away from Peter, her still holding the real Pandora's box in her hands tightly, saying, "I lied to my family, betrayed them... I have never bloody betrayed them like this before."
"Actually, you didn't lie. You said that you will hold onto it for protection. That's not a lie." Peter began, "In fact, Pandora's box will remain with you."
Astrid narrowed her eyes slightly in suspicion as he added, "But just know that whether you're with me or against me, I can't bear to lose you again. You're mine and only mine, and you're going to stay that way."
"What are you talking about right now?" Astrid inquired.
Peter gave her a long kiss on the lips before pulling apart and backing up towards the door of the treehouse. "I love you, Astrid." He then shut the door as she noticed a protection spell shoot up and around the treehouse, keeping her in.
"No! Don't do this!" Astrid exclaimed, now angry with him, "PETER!"
Peter and Rumple landed on the sandy shore of Neverland as they looked around after standing back on their feet, Rumple asking the question, "So... this is Neverland?"
"Yeah. It's a place that children can visit in their dreams," Peter began to explain to his little brother who looked around the sandy shore in slight shock.
"We're only dreaming of this place?" Rumple asked in confusion.
"No, this is very real. We really here on Neverland." Peter corrected him and then grinned after thinking of something like flying. "You can do anything that you imagine, like flying!"
Peter jumped sideways in the air but then crashed into the sand a second after; He spit up sand and frowned, knowing who he should go talk to.
"I'll be right back, Rumple. Just wait here at this tree, alright?" Peter began after brushing himself off and standing up again. Rumple reluctantly nodded and sat down in front of the big, thick tree and watched his big brother leave to go wherever.
"We're here. Pan's perimeter." Tinkerbell started as she glanced over at the group beside her.
Emma's eyes widened slightly before nodding and replying, taking the lead, "It's time. Tink will sneak us in the back like we planned. We grab Henry and Astrid, in and out, simple." She looked over at Neal and inquired, "You good with Pan patrol?"
Neal nodded, saying, "Lock and loaded." He patted the satchel that held Pandora's Box inside it.
Gold stepped up abruptly and began, "You mind if I, uh..." He quickly grabbed the hilt of Hook's sword and pulled it out of its scabbard, "borrow this?" Hook had took a small step back to avoid being hit in the face with it.
At instinct, David had placed his hand over his own sword, prepared to fight the Dark One if needed as Gold noticed this and added, "You said no magic, I agreed. But I'm not walking in there with nothing but my good looks."
The group watched Gold saunter past them, heading towards Pan's camp, while Hook spoke up, "Now, I, on the other hand..."
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