"DAVID!"
Hook turned his attention to the owner of the voice, Emma's sharp cry piercing the air. She didn't look hurt, and he followed her gaze to the tree line, watching as her father dashed after a fleeing Lost Boy. He rolled his eyes in annoyance as he took off after the prince, David doing the one thing they had all agreed never to do. He'd separated himself from the group. That had been Emma's number one rule the minute they got settled in their encampment the first night. No one was to wander off alone. You had at least one person to cover your ass should the need arise.
The trees were hanging low and thick as Hook made his way through, doing his best to keep his eye on David's form, farther up ahead than he cared for. If something happened to the prince, Emma and Snow would probably stab him with his own hook, and now that he felt like his life had some kind of meaning once more, he was rather fond of living.
He turned where he'd seen David turn moments before but only met an open path, unable to see either of the two people he'd been chasing. Stopping dead in his tracks, he listened intently, trying to decide which direction he should head in to find the two. Hook heard the whoosh before he even had time to react, turning just in time to see the arrow flying through the air from the Lost Boy's bow. His eyes closed, bracing himself, knowing he wouldn't be able to jump out of the way in time.
He heard a scream of pain that wasn't his, and the arrow never hit. There was no pain, no sting, not even a graze of the arrow at all. He opened his eyes, and he heard a groan, immediately spotting David holding his chest, nodding his head to the Lost Boy. Hook was wary of leaving the man, but the boy wasn't far from him, notching another arrow. He was able to react more quickly to that one, reaching the boy with ease and cutting the bow in half, slicing the boy's hand in the process. Defenseless, the boy ran, leaving Hook and David alone on the path, David's hand still clutching where the arrow was lodged.
Hook turned immediately, laying his sword next to David should he need it. "What the bloody hell was that, mate?" He pulled David's hands away from his chest, using his hook to cut the fabric around the wound. Giving the arrow a small tug, causing the prince a bit of discomfort, he could see that only the head of the arrow was embedded in him. If only he knew how big that was. "Are you insane? I'm not worth your life."
David scoffed, causing him to hiss in pain as Hook helped him to his feet. "Emma would have my head if I let something happen to you, Hook." He draped his arm over the pirate, pulling at his chest as he did. "You're welcome, by the way," he said through gritted teeth, sarcasm still lacing his voice.
Hook found himself rolling his eyes at the man again, helping keep him steady for a moment before looking over. Holding him up like this was causing the wound to bleed more. Unable to do much else, he increased his pace, needing to get him back to the others. "I'll thank you when we get back to the others," he said, groaning as he helped David walk the path they'd come from. "Before your wife and daughter get to me."
David, for longer than Hook was comfortable with, was silent. The farther they went, the heavier David's steps became, and every time Hook looked over at him, his eyes were getting heavier and heavier. His breathing was beginning to become ragged, getting heavier and heavier by the minute.
"Don't mean to rush you, mate," David forced out, tripping over a root. "But you might need to pick it up."
"We're almost there." Hook tightened his grip on him, seeing the trees begin to thin and hearing voices up ahead. He took the chance, hoping the others had already gotten rid of the other Lost Boys. "Swan!" The voices ahead stopped, but no one came running, and he groaned. "EMMA!" The sounds of quick footsteps met his ears, and Emma was standing in front of him. Her eyes went wide at the sight of her father almost being held up completely by Hook, and she was on his other side in a second.
"What the hell happened?" Emma asked, worry unmistakably in her voice. "David?"
"Emma," he said, hissing due to even the small action of his other arm over her causing him pain. "I'll be fine."
She lifted her head to look at Hook as they got to the clearing, lowering David to the ground, Snow by his side, gripping his hand in an instant. "What the hell happened?" Emma repeated, emphasizing each word.
Hook looked at her apologetically, as if David taking the arrow for him was his fault. "I ran after David and lost track of him. The Lost Boy he went after got the jump on me from behind and fired an arrow at me. Your father took it for me, and I disarmed the boy before hauling him back here."
"I'll bet he did," Neal mumbled from the side, his arms crossed over his chest but concern still over his face.
Emma ripped the cloth around her father's wound more, studying it for a few long minutes before looking up, searching for Regina, waving her over to them. The Queen, still begrudgingly getting used to their team dynamic, walked over upon seeing the arrow in David's chest. "Can you heal this?"
"Yes," Regina replied as she looked over the wound as well. "You'll have to take the arrow out, though, before I can."
Hook watched as Snow held David's hand tighter, leaning her head down to kiss his forehead as Emma took hold of the arrow.
"One…" Emma pulled the arrow from his body then. David grunted in pain, but it subsided quickly as Regina waved her hand over the hole in his chest, closing it up as if it were never there. Emma sat there for a moment with her mother and father, letting herself sigh with relief before standing. Neal tried to walk over to her, but she brushed him off, turning to Hook instead. "Can I talk to you for a second?" She asked, before grabbing him by the arm, dragging him away from the rest of the group, not really giving him much of a choice.
"Easy on the goods, love," Hook quipped, unable to resist. He realized they were just past the tree line, unable to see or be seen by the rest of the group. Taking note of the uneasy look on her face, his own face softened. "What is it?"
He hadn't been expecting the barrage of fists, hitting his chest with force that he knew she had. At first he didn't bother to stop her, letting her get out whatever frustrations she had against, not only him, but the boy that had caused this. "He could've been killed," she yelled at him, loud enough for only him to hear. She hit him with every word. "You could've been killed." With each hit, the force behind them was getting less and less, her energy drained for the fight, but she continued. "Why would you do something so stupid?"
Hook caught her around the shoulders, her fists balled at his chest as she breathed in and out, trying to calm herself. He knew that every day they didn't get to Henry was another piece of her armor chipping away, her resolve breaking, and the belief she'd instilled in everyone that first night wearing away. As her breathing finally calmed, he pulled her away from him, hand and hook on her shoulders, his eyes trying to convey how sorry he was. "Emma, if I'd…"
Her lips cut him off, and it took him a moment to respond. Few times in his life had he been taken off guard, and now, it had happened twice in a matter of an hour. As soon as he was alert once more, he was kissing her back with the same ferocity as she was. She was holding onto him like he would disappear any second, and she was going to take advantage of whatever time they could spare.
She pulled away too soon for either of them, their foreheads resting against one another. Opening his eyes, he found her beautiful green ones staring back at him, slightly laced with fear. "Don't ever do that again."
"I never meant to frighten you, Emma," Hook said, lifting his hand to cup her cheek for a moment. "And your father is fine."
Emma pulled her head away slightly to look him in the eye fully. "I may not say it much, but I do need you here." The weight of the statement hung in the air for a few minutes, silence it's only company. He could see in her eyes that she was debating leaving it there, but matters were complicated. "We all need you."
Hook gave her a sad smile. He knew with Baelfire—Neal—seemingly back form the dead as it were that it would be a bumpier voyage to her heart, but he wouldn't stop fighting for her. His happy ending. He would give her reprieve for now, knowing pressing the subject when she was already at her wit's end for the day would be too much. "We should get back to the others," he said, letting her know she was off the hook. For now.
"Right. Snow will want me with her and David for a while," she said, smiling gratefully that he'd dropped it. She moved past his still figure before turning back to him. "And…Killian?"
He smiled slightly to himself and turned to face her, his hand clasped over his leather clad wrist behind his back. "Yes, Emma?"
"When we find Henry…"
"I'll be waiting," he said simply, and she took the answer, walking back toward the clearing once more. "And I'll be ready to fight."