Pan's smug smile is what greets them as they all burst into the clearing.
Emma shares a dismayed look with Regina to her left when they realize that Henry isn't here. They'd been so sure he would be, had planned to snatch him and flee while the others held Pan and the Lost Boys at bay.
"Where is the lad?" Hook growls, stepping forward on her right, sword raised in challenge.
Emma watches the demon boy's smile grow.
"Still showing off for Emma, Hook?" he taunts. "And here she's already got her lover back."
Hook tenses, another low growl rumbling in his chest that would give Emma all kinds of mad thoughts in another situation. But all Emma feels is indignant at this boy's audacity, proclaiming nonsense about her love life and making assumptions about choices she hasn't even made yet.
"I won't ask again, demon," Hook warns. "Where is Henry?"
Pan laughs, and the sound sends chills down Emma's spine. "Oh Henry's off doing exactly what I need him to. And here you all are, right where I wanted you."
He looks to Hook again. "You should have taken my deal when you had the chance, Killian. You could have taken your precious Emma and lived out your epic little love affair without challenge." Pan spreads his hands, gesturing at Hook's rigid form. "Now look at you. You've lost your second chance and you have absolutely nothing to show for it."
"Forgive me for not taking advice on my love life from an unloved prepubescent like yourself," Hook drawls back, though Emma can see Pan's words struck a chord. And she doesn't even want to think about what kind of deal Neverland's boy king offered him.
"Tell me, pirate," Pan spits. "If this quest was yours and not Emma's, who would stand by you?"
And Emma feels her heart clench as she sees the shift in Hook, sees the defeated acceptance that settles over him for a moment. He truly believes that the answer is no one, that he is worth nothing past his knowledge of the island and his usefulness in getting Henry back. But Hook is so much more than that, a fact he has proven again and again, at great cost to himself. Emma has never wanted to strike a child in her life. But then, Peter Pan really isn't a child so she could definitely make an exception with a clear conscience.
Apparently, Pan thinks their surprised silence is a fitting answer.
"See that, Hook? You are nothing. Just a worthless—"
"Shut up!"
Emma's head jerks in Hook's direction as David steps up between her and the pirate. There's a fire in his bright blue eyes that she's only ever seen when he's defending her or Mary Margaret. The look of utter shock on Hook's face is almost comical.
"I'm done listening to this crap. He is far from worthless, you little brat," David spits, and Emma just gapes. "I would stand by him."
Pan's look of surprise at David's vehement defense matches Hook's.
"Same here," Neal declares, stepping up to Hook's other side. Emma swears she sees something simultaneously break and heal in Hook's eyes as Neal speaks up.
She remembers the years of feeling like she was worthless, of believing that if she disappeared from the world in a moment, not a soul would take notice. And Emma realizes that she doesn't want Hook to feel that same hollow gnawing pain, that her heart aches to see him so sure of his own insignificance.
"He is worth more than you could possibly imagine," she declares, moving to stand shoulder to shoulder with her father. She meets Pan's furious gaze with her steady one. "We would all stand by him, fight for him, just like he has done for us."
She doesn't look to see Hook's expression, though she's positive she hears him suck in a breath at her words. She just continues to watch as Pan grows absolutely livid. Somewhere behind her, Emma hears Regina give an impatient huff and she allows a menacing little smirk to grace her lips.
"Now," Emma says, done playing Pan's relentless mind games. "Where. Is. Our. Son?"