The Brave and the Notorious

Summery: When Belle and Neal resurrected the Dark One, what they didn't realize was that they also resurrected yet another monster from the land of the dead: Peter Pan. However, instead of landing in the Enchanted Forest, he fell into the land of Dun Broch. He needs a trustworthy ally to fight his enemies and reach his goals, and he might have just found one in a certain red-haired Princess

Disclaimer: If I owned Once Upon a Time, this story wouldn't be in the 'fanfiction' category.

"Normal speech"

'Thought'

A/N: This idea was in my head for somewhere around a year now. That was before I found out that there will be Merida in the fifth OUaT season. Hope you like it. A big thanks to my BBFF (best beta friend forever) KoolKat189, cause without her, this story would have been a mess.

Chapter 1. New World.

Some say our destiny is tied to the land, as much a part of us as we are of it. Others say fate is woven together like a cloth, so that one's destiny intertwines with many others. It's the one thing we search for, or fight to change. Some never find it. But there are some who are led.

There are those who say fate is something beyond our command. That destiny is not our own, but I know better. Our fate lives within us, you only have to be brave enough to see it.

- Princess Merida

Merida was practicing her archery skills when something unexpected happened.

She missed.

She missed.

SHE missed.

Merida's eyes widened. Nevertheless she took out another arrow and tried again.

Another miss. And so on.

She used up all her arrows, any human being would give up by this time, but not Merida. Oh no, the stubborn girl wouldn't even dream of giving up until she has shot the first arrow right into the apple and split it in half with the second arrow.

The princess took her position once more, completely sure that this time she would not miss. She was slightly surprised but easily angered when the arrow flew way over the target. Having run out of arrows, Merida sighed and went into the forest. She went deep inside the woods to retrieve her last arrow, while collecting the others on the way. Once in a while she felt like someone was watching her, but she didn't even turn around, excusing it for an animal.

Finally she saw the reason for her unexpectedly long trip: her arrow was stuck to the lower part of the tree. She stooped down to get it out and, straightening her back, she smiled to herself.

That's when the princess heard the crack of a twig. Turning around to find the source of the sound, she found herself face to face (well, whatever they had for a face) with a will-o-the-wisp. The transparent little gust let out an occasional soft little eerie, almost blood-chilling, sound.

Merida hesitated before running after it and stretching out a hand towards the creature. As usual, it disappeared before Merida could even touch it, and the girl noticed a trail of them twisting its way through the woods. The princess took her time debating whether to follow it or not. She decided that following will-o-the-wisps never really hurt, if you think about it, so she ran up the trail of the magical creatures and when she thought she saw something important, her mother called her name. She turned to the source of the sound before turning back to where she was headed, and realized that there was nothing but an old tree.

"Merida! Come along sweetheart! We are leaving now!" her mother called out. Merida sighed but obeyed. While running back up, she felt a strange sense of déjà vu, but it was all gone when she saw her father examining her target. She snorted. His jaw was hanging open, eyes bulged out, a look of disbelief written on every inch of his face. Fergus turned to face her, pointing a finger on her target before switching it to his daughter, then back again on the target, struggling to find words: "Agh... you... how...wha...why...MERIDA?!"

That brought the rest of the family's attention. The twins' jaws fell open as cookies fell from their hiding places. Hamish tripped, but Harris and Hubert caught him just in time. Queen Elinor pricked her finger with her needle when she saw what the commotion was about, and she stood up, ignoring her needle work as it fell to the ground.

She ran up to her daughter and asked:"Did you do this?!"

When Merida nodded, she asked another question:" Are you completely sure it was you?!" Merida wondered why her parents haven't seen her shoot, before she remembered that they were all listening to the story of his father's missing leg.

"No mom, we have another Harris, Hubert and Hamish, who, instead of concentrating on stealing dessert, concentrate on ruining my arrows," she said as she showed them some broken arrows, but when she saw the look on her mother's face, she continued:" Yes, I'm sure it was me, who else?"

Her mother looked pretty worried, but as she opened her mouth to speak, a woman's shrill scream tore through the air. Once again Merida had that strange feeling of déjà vu; she even prepared her sword, expecting a monster like Mor'du.

The family ran up to the screaming Maudie. There, inside the tent, lay a boy covered in blood. He had light brown hair and was wearing a shirt made of different pieces of green colored cloth, his pants were greenish-brownish grey, brown leather boots, and there were brown leather cuffs on his wrists.

At first people just stood gaping at the site. Finally, Elinor took action: "What are you doing, standing there mouths open?" everyone gasped, seeing that their queen had never spoken like that to anyone, but quickly saw reason to it and started running around, hurrying to do as their queen wished. Some twenty minutes later, they were at the castle, waiting, as the doctor examined the boy. As soon as Beathan (the doctor) came out, he was showered with questions.

Stealing a pause, the doctor blurted out: "He woke up for a minute there, said his name was Peter Pan and fell into a coma. I'm surprised he's still alive and I don't think he's going to survive, but I'll do everything in my power".

"Thank you, Doctor."

oOo

Peter Pan didn't wake up for months now. Soon he would have been in coma for a year. Princess Merida visited him every day. The doctor, though, wasn't that worried about the boy than he was for himself. He felt as though he was dying, he got paler every day, and felt weaker by each minute. The place on his palm where the boy, Peter Pan, clutched to him, as though for dear life, was red and itchy. In contrast, the boy grew healthier and healthier. His pulse got stronger, his skin looked healthier. So there Beathan sat, wondering about that, thinking if that time when Peter touched him had to do with anything.

Flashback

A sudden gasp escaped the boy's throat as his green eyes flew open. His hand roughly grabbed the doctor's and he squeezed it so tightly, that burning hot pain rushed through it. Beathan yelped.

"Who-who are you?" rasped the boy

Beathan winced at the boy's hoarse voice.

"My name is Beathan, I'm your doctor. What is your name, lad?"

"I'm Peter, Peter Pan."

And the boy fell into a coma.

End Flashback

Days passed, and the doctor decided that he needed to rest. He would leave his patient to his wife, Adamina, and their seventeen year-old twins: Leslie and Errol. He was in Peter's room, which was shared with Beathan, packing his belongings, when he heard a quiet moan. He turned to his patient. Peter was touching his chest, where the bandage was wrapped around with one hand, and with the other hand he clutched his head.

"Peter, do you have a head ache?" the doctor asked softly.

"I think so. How long was I out?"

"Nearly a year since we found you. Personally, I'm surprised that you made it. Not many people get stabbed in the back, then wonder around for gods know how long, losing a lot of blood, then somehow survive a fifteen minute bumpy ride, and still live, Peter".

Pan nodded. "I see. Well, thank you for helping me out." Then he noticed the bags in the doctor's hands. "Going somewhere?"

"Ah, yes. You see, I don't feel practically good myself, I think that it would be better for everyone if I rest for a while, get my health back, and return to my duty as a royal doctor. My assistants will take care of you, while I'm gone".

Pan gave him a sweet and innocent encouraging smile:"Get well soon. Dr. Beathan! Have a nice trip!"

"Thank you, Peter. You are such a sweet boy," said the doctor, turning his back on his patient to finish his packing.

An evil smirk spread across Peter Pan's face.

oOo

Peter Pan was absolutely bored. He wasn't allowed to come out of his room until he recieved permission from the king (he and his family went to a trip for a couple of days),so he had nothing to do, but to listen to this outrageously annoying boy, with the most outrageously stupid name: Cam

'Cam just can't appreciate the beauty of silence' Peter thought. ' And to think that people said that I was too loud'

Peter spent the afternoon talking to the doctor's seven year-old son, Cam. He was too talkative for a lost boy and too loyal to his parents, in Pan's opinion. But he did find some useful information about the princess and her mother and Mor'du. The story was interesting, and Peter made a mental note to visit that bear witch. He also found out the royal family's weaknesses. Pan was sorry to hear that Merida figured it out and helped her mother become a person again. To tell the truth, he was even more sorry to hear that Queen Elinor didn't force her daughter to marry her idiot fiancé. After that, Merida surely would have come to him for help. She sounded better than any of the lost boys, except, maybe, Felix.

Peter sighed at the memory of his ex-right hand. He did what was necessary; true, he was a loyal servant, and Peter was fond of him, but how else could he activate the Dark curse? But Pan couldn't dwell on the past, he had to concentrate on the matter at hand. True, he survived the wound, but without the heart of the truest believer, it would be all for naught. He looked at Cam, who was blabbing away happily. He wondered what would the boy's reaction be, when he would find out, what would be the cause of his father's sure death. Peter hoped it was sure. What if Pan died before he found out another believer, or found a way to get to Storybrook? Henry would have been there, without any loved ones. Maybe then he would become a hundred percent true lost boy. Well, that would be a waste.

Peter mentally made a list of all the bad things that were currently happening to him:

1) He was dying

2) He had no idea how to get to Storybrook without his shadow

3) He had no idea if there was another truest believer

4) He was never bored in his life as much as he was bored now

5) He wasn't allowed to leave the bloody room

6) He had a head ache

7) He couldn't get this boy to shut up

8)He was too weak to perform any magic

9) He couldn't get this boy to shut up

10) His previous shirt was covered in blood

11) That's why they didn't give him back the rest of his clothes

12) Including his knife

13) Including his pipe

14)He was literally forced to wear a skirt.

15)Did he mention that he couldn't get this idiot to SHUT THE HELL UP!

It turned out that he said the last part allowed. The boy was silenced immediately ...but that bliss only lasted a couple of minutes. Peter groaned as the boy started talking again.

"Peter!" Cam yelled into his ear minutes later, after Pan completely ignored his question.

"What?!" he snapped.

"Do you believe in magic?"

"Yes", he said, his voice softer.

"Like in magic, magic ? Not in just Mor'du and witches?" whispered the younger boy.

"Yes." Peter perched up on his elbow,"Why d'you ask?"

"Welllllllll..., if I really really want for something to happen and strongly believe that it did, then it just happens," Cam murmured, afraid of Peter's reaction.

"It can't be..." Pan whispered barely audibly, but Cam caught that." No it's-it's... impossible!"

Cam's face fell, then Pan took him roughly by the shoulders and made eye contact. His green eyes showed exactly the monster he really was. The seven year-old gulped.

"Prove it," Pan whispered in his ear.

"B-but... it happens very rarely."

"I'm gonna help you, do you know where my clothes are?"

When Cam returned Peter his clothes, he fetched out a bottle with the water from the living fountain and a flask with the nightshade poison. He took a bowl and mixed the two up. Fetching a Neverland oak leaf, he dipped it into the mixture and closed his eyes. Pan gathered his strength and let his magic flow into the leaf and around the room. Nearly fainting with exauhstion, he lay back on his back and urged his only hope:"C'mon, Cam, show me what you can do."

The seven year-old gulped again and closed his eyes, concentrating on the task at hand. When he heard that Peter drew his breath, he thought that he somehow disappointed him, which was scary, since he still remembered Peter's eyes. He waited for a strike, which never came. Instead, when he opened his eyes, he noticed that his 'friend' was kneeling in front of him, examining the cake in Cam's palms.

oOo

Beathan was taking a stroll through the woods. He felt much better and his hand wasn't stinging any more, on the contrary, it felt better than usual. Although the doctor was happy for the change, he couldn't help but feel as though the pain was giving him some sense of security before it could strike again, more painful than ever.

He was just about to return home when he heard a sound that, in his opinion, didn't belong in this world. The doctor turned towards the source of the sound to see a ball of blue light floating in mid air. He rubbed his eyes, but still seeing the light, stepped toward it with an outstretched hand. He had suspicions about what this creature was, but he refused to believe it. There was absolutely no way that will-o-the-wisps were real. He walked up to it, but the ball of light disappeared, revealing a whole trail of them.

Beathen followed them to a door in a hill. He opened it with a creak. Inside, there was a collection of hand-crafted statues filled every nook and cranny and lay strewn across the floors of the little shack. A very old woman with big eyes and curly white hair was muttering while working on the statue. Although the woman's muttering was very quiet, the doctor caught snatches of it: "Peter Pan... actually came back from the dead...immortal... even in his powerful state... with that boy he'll soon be the most powerful person in all the worlds...have to be on his good side... if ... powerful... cruel... if only someone could save us all... monster...even the Dark One is afraid of him..."

The words mixed up and spun around in Beathan's mind. They echoed in his head, his breath came out faster and faster, and his heart thumped wildly in his chest.

"Welcome to my- ... oh. It's you," said the woman turning around:" You really shouldn't have left your son with him, you know... Cam is the key to his power."

"How d'you... wait a minute... you are the witch that tuned Her Majesty the Queen into a bear?" Beathen's eyes narrowed in suspicion and distrust.

"No. I simply sold the princess what she wanted: the spell to change her mother," the witch deadpanned.

"Can you sell me a spell?" the doctor asked carefully.

"Do you have anything valuable enough for it?" asked the old woman in turn.

Beathan closed his eyes. It was hard to part with the most prized thing in his possession, but if what the witch said was true... He suspected it to be. The stinging bruise on his hand, the impossible survival...

"Yes." he said taking out the pendant and holding it up to the woman, "This pendant was given to the head of the king's healing squad, back in the time when Mor'Du was human. Mor'du had destroyed it, but not before the head gave this pendant to his son, who passed it to his son and so on."

The witch looked closer at the pendant. It was made of pink gold; on it was a snake curling around a lily.

"Aaaand what kind of spell would you like to have?"

"A spell that will make me more powerful than this Peter Pan, a spell that will destroy him."

Everything was silent as the witch looked the man in front of her over with a raised eyebrow, as though trying to see if the doctor was kidding her. "Impossible."

"What? Then make me as strong as him!"

"Impossible! But I can make you a threat to him... as long as that doesn't take over," she said pointing at the bruise on the doctors hand.

"Do it."

oOo

Peter Pan lay smirking to himself. But his smirk faded when he thought whether or not he did the right thing.

He just told Cam that he believed him now and that he was very proud of him and that he will be teaching him how to control such a gift. He decided not to risk playing with him like he did with Henry.

The Neverland king needed for everyone to fall asleep to reenact his plan. He waited and waited until Cam's exited mutters died out, and Errol's soft snoring was the only sound in the room.

Peter took out the box he prepared that evening. Tiptoeing to the door and locking it, he looked around making sure there were no eyewitnesses before taking a deep breath and plunging his hand into the seven year-old's chest and taking out his heart.

It was perfect: perfectly pink red, and perfectly smooth. Pan looked at it trying to find at least a shadow of darkness on at least a millimeter of the surface. Nothing.

"Well, aren't you an innocent heart," whispered Peter, smirking. "But don't worry, you'll change soon enough."

Chuckling, the Neverland king put the heart into the box, which he hid in between the bed and the wall. In the morning, things would change.

A/N: If you are wondering how on Earth did Peter Pan come back from the dead, just like KoolKat, then don't worry. It'll be explained in the next chapter.

Constructive criticism is always welcomed, give your peace of mind about the story, tell me what you expect from it etc. Have any questions? Don't hesitate to ask. As my astronomy teacher said: "The only questions that are stupid, are the questions that weren't asked"

R&R

Timeless number 1