Are we Devils or Black Sheep or Really Bad Eggs?
I hate this place. It's even worse on land. Hook thought as they trudged through even more jungle. At least the view is better. He knew the women were probably bemoaning the lack of proper conveniences (minus Regina, who was surely using magic to maintain her looks) but even run down by the day's drudgery, Emma was gorgeous.
At the moment, Hook was observing and cataloging little things away in his mind for when they were back in Storybrooke. Tendencies, things that irritated her, little nervous tics, that sort of thing. Emma was clearly still adjusting to the whole royal parents thing, as were the Charmings. Or, as he had heard Regina so snarkily dub them, the "un-Charmings".
Regina's snark was a welcome foil to the Charmings' heroic and unfailing optimism. But Emma was the wild card of their little odd crew. She wanted to hope but she didn't have any experience hoping. Emma was trying to keep the faith but waiting for the other shoe to drop. He also noticed that she didn't mind the occasional drink, and adapted quickly to new surroundings, be it at sea or in Neverland. Most importantly, she trusted his experience and judgement, at least as far as Pan was concerned. Emma seemed to see beyond him being just a "pirate", or even just an asset on her mission to save her son. For that alone, Hook was willing to stand with her, even if it meant standing against Pan. It'd been a long time since someone had seen him as anyone other than the notorious Captain Hook.
Around Hook, though, her defenses were up, higher than anyone else. Not because she didn't trust him. No, it was because she did. She could not deny that there was something between them. Otherwise she would not walk away from him when the flirting turned even remotely serious. But Emma was not ready, she had only just lost her first love. If anyone could understand that, it was Killian. And Emma knew that, and on some level, it bonded them in a way the others could not understand. Emma knew the Dark One had taken Milah. Just as Tamara had taken Bae from Emma.
Hook continued taking stock in their odd little party. The Evil Queen, who was irritated with them all, but stuck around because she would do anything for Henry. Hook and Regina did not truly like each other, but they understood one another. Both had gone to extraordinary lengths to take their vengeance on those that had wronged them, and both were now questioning those decisions, though neither would ever admit to that.
Mary Margaret - Snow - Lady Charming - Hook hadn't settled on a name for her in his head - was focused and the group cheerleader. He could have done without a lot of the cheerleading but it was fascinating to watch her and Emma. Emma must have inherited some of her lie detector abilities from her Highness, because sometimes Snow White could read him just as easily as Emma could. But there was something different in it. The brunette seemed to look at everything with rose colored glasses and in black and white. Right now, Hook was firmly black to her. She solved the issue of having to work with him by only interacting with him when it was absolutely necessary. Still, there was a spunk and edge to the woman that had clearly been passed down to her daughter.
Then there was David. Hook called him Dave to irritate him, mostly. Hook would never admit it, but David reminded him so much of Liam - brave, very stubborn, and unfailingly good. And like Liam, he was now dying of dreamshade. For the life of him, Hook couldn't figure out why he wouldn't tell his family. If they got close, he was going to figure out a way to get him up to the waterfall. It wasn't that he really liked the prince, it was that he reminded him so much of Liam, that seeing him die would be like watching his brother die all over again. He didn't dare voice that thought to the man himself, however, because David was downright hostile to him. Hook wasn't happy with that, but he knew that David saw the world in black and white as well. Hook was on the black side, so there was nothing he could do to convince the man to get help for the poisoning. He was pretty sure the prince would choose to live, even if he couldn't leave the island. But there was no point in mentioning it now, they weren't close to the waterfall and David wouldn't go for it, he wouldn't take a second away from looking for Henry. Hook respected that but he still thought it was bloody crazy. And not telling the family?
Hook's musings were interrupted when they reached Bae's hideout. Hook remembered the first time he found it…and quickly shook away the memories. It was…difficult looking around the cave with all of them there. Especially Emma. No one there could really understand what the two of them were going through. The drawings brought back painful memories of both Bae and, by extension, Milah. He studiously avoided the "p" and "s" on the wall, and instead turned his focus to Emma.
"Probably just a way to pass the time and keep occupied." Hook sighed, this little adventure might be for naught.
Emma focused her attention on him. "You knew him pretty well, didn't you?"
Hook nodded, knowing that Emma would understand, she was the only one who really knew about Milah, or about the time he spent with Baelfire. "We spent some time together. You all right there, Swan?"
"I'm fine" She replied.
As bloody fine as I am, I'm sure. Hook thought, but didn't say anything further. It wasn't the time and Swan didn't seem to like the fact that he could read her so easily. Yet. Besides, he had to focus on saving the Prince now.
They were close enough to the waterfall but Hook was pretty sure the other man wouldn't go for it. But there might be a way…Hook felt in his pocket for the leather strap with "Jones" on it. If the Prince didn't go for it, then he could trick him into going up to the waterfall on the pretense of looking for the sextant. If he told them the sextant could get them home, they might go for it, and he could just claim Pan got to it first or they couldn't find it when they inevitably came back without it. (The sextant was currently in his cabin aboard the Jolly Roger, but what the royals didn't know wouldn't hurt them).