《Artemis || OUAT》31. Astrid's Curse
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Astrid laid there in bed, coughing and throwing up; Her throat was raw from the coughing fits, her nose filled with snot and was red. Her head ached painfully from her sinuses being clogged up, and she was running a fever.
Despite the warm Neverland sun, Astrid shivered and desperately pulled the blankets tighter around her, trying to warm herself back up.
"Feeling any better, Charming?" Pan spoke up as he stepped up to the tent entrance and looked at his best friend.
"I'm f-f-" Astrid started and then sneezed and sniffled some, "-fine."
Peter moved over to her and crouched by her side, placing a hand over her forehead before removing it, saying, "No you're not. You're burning up, love."
"St-Stop calling me- me love." Astrid groaned, holding onto the blanket even tighter.
"You love it," Pan smirked with a light roll of his eyes and then handed a cup of camomile tea and a teaspoon of medicine to her, "Now, take your medicine, A."
Astrid mumbled a whiny, "No..."
Peter sighed and tried again by offering it again, saying, "It'll make you feel better. Come on, you big baby." Astrid gave a small glare his way but downed the medicine and then drank some of the tea before laying back down.
"There. Now, that wasn't too bad, was it, Charming?" Pan smirked, setting the cup on the table beside them, "It's going to help you go to sleep, and when you wake up, you'll be better. Alright?"
"Thank you." Astrid sleepily replied, already drifting off and was completely out of it now, "Love you, Huckleberry..." With that said, she was sound asleep.
Pan actually genuinely smiled as he heard her unintentionally admit that she loves him. He always thought that it was just an unrequited love, him loving her and her not loving him back. But, with her completely out of it, Astrid just admitted her feelings for him.
Though, Pan knew that if he mentions this to Astrid, she would deny ever saying that. He knew she would because she's a lot like him in a sense.
He also knew that she still thinks about her fiancé back on Berk, but he knows that Astrid only that she is in love with Hiccup.
Pan glanced down at Astrid who turned in her sleep and flinched somewhat; He bent down and kissed her on the top of her temple and murmured, "Love you too." With that said, he stood up and exited the tent.
Peter had an arm wrapped around his girl's waist, helping her walk back to the camp where everyone else was at since Astrid was blind now. "You're going to be okay, love." He reassured her softly.
Snow, David, Neal, Regina, Gold, and Henry all followed them anxiously also until they reached Pan's compound. Astrid blinked some more, hoping that her sight would return, but she saw nothing but darkness now.
Hook noticed the worry looks on Astrid's family's faces and then noticed Peter guiding Astrid who looked afraid. The pirate grew concerned and rushed over to them, stopping in front of his teenager and asked, "AJ, what happened?"
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"My sight... I can't see," Astrid explained, looking at his chest, thinking that was his face. "I can't see a bloody thing!"
"It's going to be alright, lass," Hook assured, squeezing her arm in reassurance, "We'll figure this out together."
"I might have something that can cure her of this curse- or delay the effects until we find a cure." Gold spoke up, "But it's back in my shop in Storybrooke."
"What are we waiting for? Let's leave this island already!" Emma replied, "My sister needs a cure."
"I'll finish gathering up the supplies for our journey," Hook commented as he hesitantly left his adopted daughter's side and moved in the direction of the Jolly Roger with Neal, David, and Tinkerbell following beside him.
"I'm coming, too-" Peter started but was cut off by Regina saying, "No way. You're the reason we're all on this island and just tried taking my son's heart!"
The two of them began to get in an argument as Astrid exclaimed, "Stop! Peter is trying to do right now. Everyone gets a second chance, like you did, Regina. So, why can't he?"
"Fine." Regina sighed, "You can come to Storybrooke with us."
Astrid turned and threw up more black blood and then started to fall some as Peter swiftly caught her and held her up in his arms. "Pe-Peter, where's the black veins at now?" She softly spoke to him.
Peter reluctantly looked over her wrists to find black veins and then followed them up her arms and then it stopped at the edge of her shoulders. "Just at your shoulders..." Peter muttered quietly, "I was wrong about the two months, love. I'm sorry."
"How long does she have?" Snow questioned, overhearing their conversation and stepped in front of the young couple.
Astrid moved her head over to where she heard her mother as Peter answered tentatively, "Maybe two weeks...?"
Astrid shuddered some as her legs gave out and she fell some, Peter instantly picking her up and carrying her bridal-style in his arms. The pain was becoming more and more unbearable, and Peter knew it because of the bonding spell they shared.
"Everyone, get on the Jolly Roger now. We're leaving." Emma ordered as she, Regina, and Henry quickly headed to the ship with Gold in tow.
"Come on, boys! We're going to a new home-- Storybrooke!" Peter announced to the Lost Boys who glanced at a semi-conscious Astrid in his arms in concern.
Snow, Peter carrying Astrid still, and the Lost Boys ran after them and joined everyone else on the Jolly Roger.
***
Astrid was sleeping in her bedroom below deck as everyone else was above deck; Henry was also sitting beside her bed, reading from his storybook.
Peter crossed his arms as he leaned against the side of the boat, watching Snow pass out food to the Lost Boys while he listened in on David and Emma talk.
David continued his speech, saying, "To be honest, I didn't think it was possible... A hero, a villain, a Viking, a pirate... that we could all be united, but we were... because of the most important piece of the puzzle, the leader." He looked at his daughter, Emma, with a small smile.
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Peter scoffed in amusement as the two glanced over at him, saying, "Sorry. Emma? The leader? I see where Astrid gets her sense of humor."
"Hilarious, Pan," Emma said with a shake of her head, "I'm glad we were all able to work together, but if it weren't for Astrid, then Henry wouldn't be here..."
"We won't lose her-" David started to assure his eldest daughter but was cut off by Astrid screaming.
Peter took off running below deck first with David, Emma, and Snow behind him. The others had to remain above to watch out for the Lost Boys, and Hook had to continue to steer the ship.
"Astrid, stop!" Henry said desperately, warily watching his aunt move the dagger closer to her neck.
Peter entered her bedroom to find Henry standing a few feet away from Astrid with a scared look on his face; Astrid was sitting up on her bed with one of her daggers pointed at the side of her neck, her eyes black.
"Oh my God," Emma let out as she saw the scene and noticed her son and wrapped a reassuring arm around the eleven year old and led him out of the room.
"Astrid, put the knife down-" David began while slowly taking a step towards his teenage daughter.
Peter also began to walk slowly to her bed, glancing at the blackness that was her eyes now. He then realized, "She's in a fear hallucination. Astrid doesn't know what she's doing."
"So, what do we do?" David questioned the green eyed boy beside him.
"How about we try to remove that knife from our daughter?" Snow spoke up in worry.
"Right," David nodded in agreement. He moved closer to Astrid and grabbed her wrist that was holding the dagger with one of his hands and tried pulling the weapon out of her hand with his other one.
Astrid flipped her father over as he landed on his back on the floor. "Yeah, small problem with that plan." Peter remarked, helping David up off of the floor, "She's completely offensive right now. And Astrid's very capable in fighting."
"So, why does she have a knife pointed at herself?" Snow anxiously inquired, biting her thumbnail.
"It's all in her head. She's fighting, trying to stay alive." Peter simply answered.
"Wake her up from it!" David suggested, "Have you tried True Love's Kiss?"
"That's going to be kind of hard when Astrid thinks that whatever she sees right now is real and I'm not there." Peter sighed, trying to think of something to do for his girlfriend.
"Just help do something!" David said in slight annoyance, wanting his daughter to be better already.
"I'm trying. I don't want to lose her either!" Peter replied.
Astrid's eyes flickered from black to blue for a millisecond before going back to black. Snow noticed this and pointed it out, "Did you see that? Pa- Peter, she heard you. Talk to her."
Peter glanced over at his love and moved even closer to her, starting, "Astrid, hey, it's Peter... Come back, come back right now. Please. I need you..."
Astrid's hand on her dagger slowly lowered to her side as Peter immediately cupped his hands around her hands, slowly trying to pull the dagger from her grip. "Come on, love. I am right here in front of you..."
Astrid's black eyes slowly turned to gray and then back to her normal blue color. She blinked once and smiled, "You..." She hugged him tightly before pulling back, "You did it."
"Did you ever doubt I would?" Peter softly chuckled some.
"No." Astrid grinned as the two of them kissed as she added, "Though, that fear room did give me pause." Peter softly laughed as Snow and David smiled and shared a small look.
"So, what did you see?" David spoke up and then paused and changed the question, "Wait. Can you see now?"
"Yeah," Astrid smiled a little and was pulled into a tight hug by her parents. She sadly pointed out, "But the curse is still there."
"One thing at a time." Snow laughed sadly, hugging her daughter again.
"Now, what did you see in there?" David inquired curiously.
Astrid's eyes went dark as she looked away, saying, "I don't want to talk about it."
"You can tell us anything. We're your parents-" Snow began but was cut off by Astrid looking at them and repeating herself slightly, "I said I don't want to talk about it!"
"Okay. It's okay. We are right here whenever you do want to talk, if you do. You're in no rush. We understand." David assured lightly, kissing the top of the girl's head in reassurance, "We love you."
"I love you guys, too." Astrid sadly smiled at them, "I'm sorry for snapping at you, Mom. I just-- Being trapped in there and thinking that it was real... It's not pleasant at all..."
"I know, baby," Snow reassured her quietly, cupping her face in her hands, "It's okay." David and Snow then reluctantly left out of the room.
"What is it, love?" Peter asked in concern, taking his girlfriend in his arms as she buried her face in his chest.
"You know how you said one of the symptoms were 'makes you see the beast that you truly are' or whatever?" Astrid slowly began, looking up at him with teary eyes, "She wants to come out and reveal herself..."
Peter kissed her forehead and made her look back at him, saying, "I am with you no matter what, good or bad. Always. I will always bring you back, like you somehow manage to bring me back. And Peter Pan never fails." He smirked a little.
Astrid chuckled some and laid her face on his chest again and sighed, feeling something stir inside of her coldly as her eyes briefly flickered to black and then blue again, her murmuring with a smirk on her face, "Now... Let's play."
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