Finding a Way Home

Chapter 1: Three Lost Boys

Two men stood anxiously awaiting the conclusion of the conversation behind the door to their left, watching two figures interact through tinted glass. They were so close- so close to finally putting their family back together. They just had to secure the bassinet along with the cargo inside it and bring it to the ma-boy who had essentially been holding them prisoner for close to three hundred years.

"I hope she doesn't change her mind," the first commented to the second. He was seemingly the younger of the two with dark short hair and a rounder face. Shifting nervously from one foot to the other, he had an air of innocence about him, specifically broken innocence. One could almost sense the tragedy in his life just by glancing at him. "We'll never get another opportunity if she does."

"She won't," the second answered, clipped and cold. He was taller and leaner with thick black glasses, tie and vest, and brown hair parted to the side. For as open as the first man was, this one gave the impression of the total opposite. He stood still and calm, very closed off in terms of what he was thinking. He gave the impression of someone who had been forced to grow up very fast and was still coping with the shock to his system. "She may have gotten the better of us before, but this time we are going to get the job done. She's counting on us."

The first man nodded sadly at this, still shuffling. Both almost let out a sigh of relief as the two figures parted through the glass, the one heading towards the door obviously carrying an object. The adoption agent rounded the corner and gently placed the carrier on the desk, allowing the two to get their first look at the item they were about to obtain. "Here he is, gentlemen. This is your son."

Their gaze drifted to the baby wriggling in the bassinet, appearing as if he was on the verge of crying. His face was pursed and turning redder by the second. The first man seemed to light up at the sight of him, a small smile appearing on his face as he gave the baby a little wave. The second merely looked him over before returning attention to the adoption agent. "The former parent had previously named him Henry. You don't have to-"

"We'll keep the name. It hardly matters," the second cut in, terse. "Just tell us where we still need to sign." A piece of paper was slid over and they both quickly scrawled their names. The first: Michael Darling and the second: John Darling. With that, John gave a nod for Michael to collect the bassinet before the two quickly headed for the exit. "Thank you for your service. We can assure you he'll be in good hands."

-FAWH-

John opened the door to their apartment, leaving way for Michael to enter with Henry and the rest of the items they had prepared for the child. The loft wasn't very large and hardly looked as if anyone lived there outside of the most necessary of furnishings. The walls were blank and the floor was spotless. Michael set Henry on the table and just looked at him as John went to a desk by the only window, emerging from a drawer with papers a moment later.

"He said he would contact us tonight with instructions about the boy," John reminded his brother as he started jotting things down.

"But it's still the morning. What do we do with him until then?" Michael asked nervously as baby Henry started squirming, waking from the nap he had taken on the way over.

"We baby-sit. Don't worry. It's not like he's going to do anything. He's just a baby." As if he had not taken kindly to that statement, baby Henry immediately proceeded to start screaming at the top of his lungs. Michael clasped his ears and turned desperately to his older brother.

"What do we do? How do we make it stop?!" John didn't even glance up. "John, I don't know what to do!"

"Well, how am I bloody supposed to know either?" his brother inquired, annoyed. "Just feed it or change it or something. Just make that racket stop. I'm trying to get everything together for tonight."

Michael whirled around the apartment helplessly, trying to glean an idea from wherever he could find it. He started digging through the bag, tossing out items as Henry began to scream even louder. Finally, he retrieved a teddy bear and bounced it in front of the baby. "Oh, look at this. He's happy to see you, Henry!"

This did nothing to calm the screaming red baby at the kitchen table. Michael took a seat in front of him, still desperately bouncing the bear. "I don't know what to do!" he shouted to his brother. "He doesn't smell like he needs changing and we didn't buy any formula." John was clearly blocking the two of them out by now though, leaving Michael to run a hand through his hair. "How about a story, Henry? Would you like that? You see, once upon a time there was a family."

A hand slammed on the desk, causing Michael to turn and see John glaring at him. "Do you have to tell that one?!" he asked, voice colder than usual.

"It's the only one I know!" Michael shouted back. "I'm not telling him the version in the books, that's for sure." John sighed and returned to tuning them out while he returned his attention to the wailing baby Henry. "So this family loved each other very much. But when they went to go save someone, they were separated by an evil boy named Peter Pan. And he kept them apart for a long, long time." As Michael continued, Henry's wails began to stifle and soon he was just staring at the man with big, wide eyes. "But they knew they would be a family together. So they found a very special boy who could do that for them. He would go to Neverland with Peter Pan and the family would live happily-ever-after. Doesn't that sound nice?"

Henry just stared at him. "How can Pan be so sure he's the one?" Michael inquired. "There's nothing about him that looks very special."

"He's pretty convinced this time- apparently that's the product of some great orchestrations on his part," John explained. "It's not our problem."

Michael reached a finger our, smiling as Henry grasped it with his tiny hand. "I feel kind of bad though, shipping him off like this. Like this he's most definitely a Lost Boy. He never really had a chance for a family."

John sits silently for a moment, rigid. "Well, we didn't either," he says finally, adjusting his glasses. "Just keep him quiet until the sun goes down."

-FAWH-

That evening as the sun finally set, John stood impatiently before the window. He glanced over his shoulder momentarily to see Michael asleep at the kitchen table, holding a stuffed bear out to the baby asleep across from him. They should be fine for a few hours while he was gone. He hoped it would be a quick and simple trade- Pan would take the boy and return their sister to them. Then maybe they could finally have some peace. It had been a long three hundred years.

It had been a long time since he had thought of the stupid and foolish quest his older sister had led to retrieve Baelfire- a boy they once considered to be their brother. Michael's story had brought it all screaming back, perhaps a lot more than John cared to admit. He could remember the nights crying, huddled with his brother in the cage that trapped him. He remembered the games they were forced to play and how the Lost Boys were merciless in their torment. But most of all he remembered when Pan allowed them to return home, filling them with hope only to realize their parents were long gone having believed to the very end that their children had all run away. It had practically split his heart down the middle.

They had been forced to adjust and grow up in this time in their land. Pan had stated he needed two adults to accomplish some of his more far-reaching goals. Something had occurred in another land that made their being here and being ready very necessary. So they had been firmly planted in the orphanage until they could live on their own. John had to grow up to make sure Michael was taken care of in Wendy's absence. He had to lead now. Then Pan under the guise of the Home Office provided everything they needed and a place to wait until this mission had come along. At least the two still had one another through this hell. But soon this nightmare of a life would all be over. The Darling children would be together again at last.

Not that Pan hadn't made all of this equally maddening though. John's idea of fun hadn't exactly been sitting around filling out legal documents on an adoption that would last half a day. And then someone had gone outside the system and almost ripped away their chance. Not just someone, but the Mayor. The Home Office was painfully aware of Storybrooke from the stories of one boy who had been there, and knew they had no hope of getting in. No one could even see the town, let alone enter it.

John was so lost in thought that the sight of the shadow at the window caused him to jump. But he quickly pulled himself together and removed his glasses, tucking them into his pocket. He had lost a pair on a ride like this before and was not about to make the same mistake again. Then he extended his arm like he had done many times since this presence had come into their lives. The shadow firmly grabbed it before flying back into the sky, taking John with him. They went sailing up into the night air, always along the same path to the same destination.

John was headed to Neverland. He needed to have a conversation with Peter Pan and finally get his sister back.