Where Shadows Lie (Once Upon A Time)

The water numbed Killian's toes as he walked along the shore, breathing in the tangy sea air. The waves rolled rhythmically, the foamy water pooling around his ankles. It was moody today, like the sky. The clouds were black, and hungry. The waves grew bigger each time, along with the increasingly powerful gusts of wind from the North. A storm was coming.
Killian longed to leave the island. Desperately. He pulled up his sleeve and looked at his arm. At the two starkingly white dots of skin. Unnaturally white. Vampire bite white.
But that wasn't what he was looking at, but the dark veins beneath his skin.
Dreamshade. Killian hoped the water would last a lifetime at least.
A lifetime away from Neverland.
The magic was weakening, slowly but surely. His veins were getting darker, the poison writhing it's way towards his heart. Drinking more water kept it at bay, but not for much longer.
Guess no one was really believing in Neverland anymore. That was how it worked, after all. The more children believe, the more fairies about. And the more fairies means the more magic, the very substance that the island ran on. Rumple could offer him a antidote, probably, but his price was too much. Killing Wendy? Not a chance. Killian had honour, and all he wanted now, was to get on a pirate ship and sail away. And he'd do it the right way.
Belief was a very powerful thing, as one would find.
But that wasn't all. Killian, who had not aged a day for the last sixty years, was getting older. He looked about twenty now. He certainly wasn't a little boy anymore. Looks like the belief was wearing away off on him, too.
And just when he was turning the headland to pirates cove, he noticed a ship had come in. Probably more pirates on their search for eternal life. He scoffed. Won't they ever learn?
The pirates began unloading the ship, carrying all sorts of equipment and weapons, when the cabin boy looked unsettingly familiar.
Killian his behind some rocks, and got out his telescope. His breath caught.
Bloody hell. It was Baelfire.
The pirates handled him roughly, and Baelfire stumbled several times.
Killian racked his brain. He was outnumbered a dozen to one. Then, Bealfire went back onto the ship, by the captains orders. He began lowering the sails.
Killian bit his lip, and smirked. This was his chance.
He dove into the water, and began swimming towards the ship, stealthy as a shark. The ship's hull loomed before him. He climbed up a ladder, hanging down over the side. He peered over the top, before he swung his legs over the side.
He was in.
He unsheathed his dagger. Three pirates were in front of him, talking.
Killian stepped around them, and tried to appear nonchalant.
One of them noticed he was there.
"Aye, there's work to be done, laddy! Can't be standing around all day."
Killian smirked, and dipped his head, looking at them through his lashes. "I've done it before. Don't underestimate my ability to idle."

All three turned around, and eyed him reverently.
One bearded fellow narrowed his eyes.
"Hey, you're not from 'ere, are you? I've never seen you 'ere before."
They all seemed to understand what he was saying.
"Aye, he's an imposter! One of them natives!"
"Or those boys we were warned about."
One of the pirates gripped his knife.
"Tell me, boy.", he said. "Do you know Peter Pan?"

Killian raised an eyebrow. "I am Peter Pan.", he lied. "And I assure you, all the stories you've heard about me." He shrugged."Well, you'll wish those were true."
Killian's grin was flinty, as he raised his sword. A spark of fear showed on their faces, which Killian delighted at. He made a promise to himself that one day, people would fear his name too.
"I don't want to do this, mate.", he said. "Just give me the boy"--he guestured to Baelfire--"and we're all done and can be on our separate ways."

All three drew their swords. Killian was outnumbered.
They drew in closer. Then, one of the pirates got a fist to the temples, and fell to the ground.
Baelfire stood there, agape at what he had just done.
The other pirates flinched in surprise, which Killian used to his advantage and drove his dagger into the other's gut, while Baelfie knocked out the remaining pirate.
Baelfire turned to Killian.
"Killian? Is it really you?", he asked. His face held doubt, but Killian saw the wildness on his face he had from the fight.
"Aye, it's me alright. Come on, Baelfire. I'm not old, I've just grown more dashingly handsome, that's all. Not that I wasn't handsome all along."

Baelfire smiled. "It is you!" Then his brows furrowed. "Where's Peter? Wendy? All the rest?"

"As for Peter and Wendy." Killian sniggered, and shrugged. "Who can say?"
He winked.
Bealfire rolled his eyes. "I take that back. You haven't changed a bit. As for me, the shadow dropped me off on a pirate ship. And they forced me to lead them here." He sighed. "Now I'm stuck. Here. Again." He threw his arms in the air exasperately.

There was yellings from below. Their heads jerked up.
"We better get going.", said Killian, before drawing up the bridge, throwing the bodies overboard, (which was very squirmy), and setting the sails. And they sailed away, out to sea, and scaled Neverland's perimeter, leaving enraged pirates behind them.

They anchored the ship by Crocodile Creek, and ate and drank their fill. Killian told him of his plans to leave Neverland, and of the disease preventing him from doing just that.
"I wanted to do that too.", said Baelfire. "I want to go to the real world. Neverland. It's better than where I came from but. . .it's not home, you know."

"Aye.", agreed Killian. "I think I've grown out of it, to be honest. It's Peter's home. But it's not where I belong."

"And you belong at sea?", asked Baelfire.

"The sea knows me, and I it. And I've grown a certain fondness for my new ship. Love at first sight, this is."

"Um. . .okay.", said Bealfire. "Wait, oh no." His face went fightfully pale.

Killian drew his eyes to where he was looking, just as he saw Rumplestilskin walking into the caves in skull rock.

"What's the bloody Crocodile doing here?", asked Killian furiously.

"You know him?", asked Baelfire.

"You know him?", asked Killian.

Baelfire nodded slowly, a haunted look cast over his face. "Rumplestilskin is my father."