Pursing her lips, Emma rolled her eyes in annoyance as she heard his voice beside her. She was on watch for the next hour while the others slept. Of course he would show up.
"Do you really think you'll reach Henry in time?" Pan asked, leaning against the tree, a cocky smirk on his face.
Emma wondered if this kid ever actually slept when he wasn't bothering people all day. "Feeling threatened?" she asked, remembering seeing Henry just hours earlier, grateful.
Pan chuckled. "Me? Never. Just curious…he seems to be having a jolly old time with me and the boys, is all."
Emma rolled her eyes again. "Don't you have someone else to bother? Where's Wendy when you need her?" she asked, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. Seeing his lips thin, she knew she struck a chord.
Pan quickly changed his expression and walked towards her. "How about we make a deal?" he asked, stopping in front of her.
Emma tilted her head. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were the Dark One's son."
Ignoring her, Pan continued. "IF you find Henry….I'll let you & your family leave Neverland."
Eyeing him warily, Emma chewed the inside of her mouth. "What's the catch?"
Smirking, Pan idly rubbed his chin. "Hook stays."
Emma's heart started thumping a tiny bit faster, she didn't fail to notice, unfortunately. "Why do you want him to stay?" she asked.
Pointing towards her playfully, Pan spoke. "Now, Emma, didn't your parents ever teach you to stay out of other people's business?" he asked her, hopping up onto a low hanging branch, gazing down at her. "Well?" he asked her.
Gazing up at him, Emma shook her head. "Not happening."
Pan places his heart over his chest, as if wounded. "Even if it means you get to go home, Emma? Now why would you deny me?"
Emma stares at him, hard. "Because we all came together, we all leave together."
Descending from his branch, Pan steps close to Emma. "Is that so? That's the only reason, Emma? Cmon now, let's not beat around the bush. You know, I saw that little kiss you two had. I'm pretty sure if I had parents, they would have shielded my eyes."
Emma's brows furrowed and her mouth pursed. "And you wanna talk to me about staying out of people's business? Why were you watching us?" she demanded.
Ignoring her again, Pan continued on. "You have feelings for our little Captain, don't you? Don't deny it, Emma, as much as you try." Emma eyed him as he started to circle around her. "I may be young, but I know a thing or two about matters of the heart, you see. Be careful, Emma. You don't want to lose focus on finding Henry for a no good pirate."
Lifting her chin, Emma looked him in the eyes, not allowing his words to affect her. "You're the one that should be careful. You think I don't know what you're doing. I know your games. You're trying to drive a wedge and it's not gonna work. I WILL find Henry and when I do, we are ALL getting out of here, Hook included." She paused and swallowed. "I'm not leaving him."
Pan pursed his lips and disappeared. Letting out a breath of frustration, Emma turned and stopped., surprised, her breath catching.
"How long have you been standing there?" she asked him. He appeared from just behind some shrubbery, staring at her.
"Long enough." he spoke low, his voice sounding strained. "You didn't take the deal." He swallows, walking towards her slowly. "Why would you do that?" he asked, eyes boring into hers.
Emma's lashes fluttered as she tried to avoid his gaze. He was too close. She could smell him. Stepping back slightly, she started to walk away. "Let's just go back to camp." She stops as he grabs her hand. "Emma." he says. She doesn't want to look at him. She wishes she could just pull her hand away but she can't seem to. Stepping behind her, he whispers in her ear. "Why? It's my understanding that you didn't care what you had to do to get Henry back home."
Emma swallows again and closes her eyes. She whispers back. "Maybe I just needed reminding that I could." Emma walks away from him, not daring to look back, but finding comfort in the likely fact that he is watching her, as he always is, as he always will.
End.