They ran through the forest with trees brushing against their shoulders, they kept their heads forward occasionally looking back. Shouts came from behind them slowly fading away but still close by. The smell of trees and salt water swarmed in the air around them. Panting, someone yelled out "Split up!" A few seconds went by and the panting voice yelled out again, "Meet along the river!" The five of them ran in separate directions.
Five, ten minutes of running and David looked back to find only Emma. "Where's your mother?" David spoke breathlessly.
"I don't know. But I think we lost the lost boys. Ha," she started to chuckle. "Look, David, maybe she's just listening to what you said. She's probably on her way to the river now."
David looked over at Emma. "We don't know that! For all we know she could have been taken by them! Emma, we need to go back and look for her." His voice was stern but not enough to convince her.
She watched him turn around and head back towards the direction they had come from. Emma jumped in front of him and tried to turn him around.
"I know," she said, "trust me, I know what it's like to loose track of someone. But what can you do? We can only follow your advice and meet at the river. If she doesn't show up within a few hours of us getting there then we will go out and look for her. But trust me when I say Mary Margaret is a big girl who can take care of herself." Emma started to walk towards the way of the river, but David didn't budge.
"No I'm not leaving her! You may be used to letting people go so easily but right now your mother, my wife, is out there all alone and is probably worried sick about us! Now I'm your father and I promised to take care of you and your mother. We're going back to find her whether you like it or not."
Emma was stunned by this. She didn't know what to do, but she knew she would have to go with David or he would just about lose it. If David lost it now he would do anything to get them all back together, but from what Emma could tell David would give his life for them any day.
"Fine, we will search for Mary Margaret. But if we don't find her we're going strait to the river to search for her." The two of them retraced their steps and made their way through the forest, watching for the lost boys each time they walked past a tree or cleared the path from leaves.
A Few Miles Away
"Hook stop following me! That idiot said to split up. Not follow people around like a lost puppy. Now go away your just about breathing down my neck." she turned around to see Hook trip on a trees root sticking out from the ground covered by a few leaves. Regina started to laugh but was cut short by the pirate's body falling on top of hers. She could feel his breath on her face.
He stared into her dark eyes and gave her a devilish smirk, "Well since were already here-"
She cut him off. "No! No! There shall be nothing of that sort!" She cleared her throat and pushed him off of her. "I don't know why you would even think that would be an option." She continued to walk away from where the pirate was laying stunned for a moment.
Hook got up and brushed himself off and ran to catch up with her. "So where are we headed, my queen?"
She scoffed at him, "Of course you wouldn't have listened. Why would I have thought otherwise?" She rolled her eyes not giving him the satisfaction of looking at him when she spoke. "We're supposed to meet the rest of them along the river. Now shut up and just follow me."
Hook stopped and looked at the back of her head with a confused look. "Thought you didn't want me to follow you like what was it? A puppy dog?"
Regina sighed. "Then don't! It's not like I'll shed a tear if an arrow pierces through your heart," she commented.
"I'm truly warmed by your kindness, your majesty," he replied sarcastically putting his hand over his heart.
She smiled back at him and rolled her eyes. "Well you know I didn't invite you to follow me around this god forsaken forest! If you don't like my warm fuzzy comments you might as well leave." She watched as he started to trail off in another direction. "Where are you going now?"
"Well your majesty," he spoke with a sarcastic tone. "You don't want me following you? Then fine! I'll go by myself!" He continued to stomp away though the trees and bushes.
"Fine!" Regina yelled from where she stood.
In the distance she could hear the pirate, "Fine!"
She scoffed at the faint voice and continued to keep moving forward. No more than 5 minuets later she heard a deep scream coming from the direction Hook had gone. "Hook?" She called out his name. Once more she heard a low groan coming from the same direction. "Hook?" She called out with more concern.
She ran to where she heard the scream come from. Looking around she saw him lying there on a few leaves. Instantly she ran over to him and knelt beside him, turning him over to see his face.
As soon as she saw his face she noticed a grin. "I knew you cared about me!" He got up laughing, putting out a hand for her to hold onto as she got up.
"Really pirate? We're running from the lost boys and on a mission and you decide to see if I have feelings for you?" She got up one her own, pushing the hand he offered away angrily.
"Well, you see, I knew you wouldn't let me go off on my own if something would have happened. Plus let's face it your better off with me."
Regina looked at him with anger. "You know what! I can literally give two craps if you ever get hurt! Now I'm going to go meet the idiots back at the river."
She started to walk away when Hook interrupted the silence, "Love, the river's this way." He motioned to left of him. Regina turned around, kept her head down to avoid eye contact and continued to walk towards the river.
Somewhere on the island
"I loose sight of them for one second and their gone! Split up he said. Meet by the river he said! But no, let's all abandon Snow to fend for herself!" Snow stomped through the thick leaves, groaning. "I mean I'm a big girl. I can fend for myself! But it wouldn't hurt to give me some company!" She continued to walk as she looked up to the sky. "Is that to much to ask?"
"Actually in some cases it would be, but you never know," a voice came from one of the shorter trees. Snow spun around to find where the voice was coming from. "Well look at you! Looks like you've grown up! I wish I could have been there but you know. Evil things happen when evil people intervene. Am I right?" Snow stood there in shock wondering what was going on. "Oh Snow, I missed you so much!" The woman climbed off the short tree and walked over to Snow.
Holding back tears and confused with everything that was happening she spoke, "Mom?"