Chapter 8: The Bermuda Love Triangle of All Love Triangles.

After an hour of hiking through the pass they had made it around the native camp and decided to rest by a near stream. There they refilled the canteens as Gold refreshed the enchantment on the bracelet, again it shimmered with blue magic and began floating in a direction towards Henry. Gold snatched it from the air so it wouldn't leave without them.

As they stood snacking on some of the fruits that had sprouted by the river, something began to stirrup the stream. They noticed the water churning when it began to glow a florescent blue. Backing away they looked at the water. Killian and Charming drew their swords. Out of the water came a very dazed Neal as he tried to get his barrings.

"NEAL!" Emma cried in joy when she recognized his face. Killian watched Emma with unacknowledged sadness, jumping in stream she embraced Neal. The force of it nearly sending them under the water.

"Woah..Emma?" He laughed.

"Bae!" Gold cried.

"Papa." Bae said climbing out of the water to hug his father. Rumple's face became filled of admiration, joy and bewilderment as he looked upon his boy. "My boy." he whispered holding his face." But how?"

Emma stumbled out of the river with Killian's assist, with his hand to pull her out. Neal began to explain what had happened after Tamara had shot him and how Storybrooke's population went up three people. "...and that's how I got here."

Emma and Snow exchanged a glance, curious as to how Philip was alive.

"Great story lad, but I'm afraid if you want your boy back we need to be moving on." Remarked Hook.

"Oh right," Neal agreed seeing Hook for the first time that day and drawing a sword that Phillip had give him. "What is he doing here!?"

Killian put his hands up defensively glaring down at the swords sharp tip that sat at the hallow of his throat. "EY!"

"Neal. Neal." Said Emma defensively, she pushed the blade away from Killian. "Neal, he's here to help. He got us here, without him we would be that much farther from finding Henry."

"Where is Henry?" Neal asked carefully, eyeing Hook.

"That's what we're going to figure out. Lets go." Killian said as he looked to Gold. Gold released the bracelet and they followed the flying beacon. Onward they marched. A few times Killian had to assist Regina over some logs, being tentative to Emma's struggles as well, though they were few in number she still had slight trouble navigating through her new environment.

' Luckily Baelfire had made an appearance or to I would have to assist the disabled Dark One.' Thought Hook with distaste, as he stole a glance behind him to see father and son walking along together and talking quietly.

He glanced at the sky to see some gray clouds . Killian looked forward and as soon as he did he ran into something.

"AH!" Complained Killian rubbing the bump on his forehead. Small and metal the bracelet spun in the air in front of his eyes. He took a step back and examined it. Everyone gathered around the object.

"What happened? Why did it stop." Huffed Charming.

They all looked at Gold. "It stopped because, we're here."

As if on cue the bracelet dropped to the ground losing all traces of magic. Everyone stared before Hook picked it up, examined it and shoved it into his tattered knapsack.

"Where is here?" Asked Snow.

They all looked around nothing but dead trees sat round about them.

"Hook, where are we?" Regina asked intensely.

If I'm not mistaken where about an hours walk from the Natives Camp. Other than that the small shore line and the cliffs are about two miles that way." He said sweeping his hand gracefully in each direction he indicated. "Other than that there's nothing."

"So, much for magic." Bae said.

"I don't understand." Reflected Gold dejectedly. "It should've taken us straight ta Henry." Rumple put his finger to his chin lost in deep thought. Everyone went silence as the contemplated what to do next. Several moment flew by then...

Suddenly a crashing sound enveloped their ears as the skies tore with a roar of thunder. All at once they looked up. The sky's had turned gray, the sun didn't show through the dark curtain of clouds and then the skies began to cry. Emma put her hands out catching some drops of the warm jungle rain.

"We have to find shelter." Called Neal over a surprise wind that over took them.

"There are some caves on the cliffs! It's a long walk."

"Is it a long run?" Responded Neal angrily

Another clap of thunder rang out in the distance.

"Come on!" Motioned Hook as he led them all forward.

Tripping through the mud the rain was quickly creating everyone kept up with the sprinting Hook as they ran through puddle after puddle. Even Gold and his limp (with the aid of his son kept a progressive pace.) Killian turned after he had gotten about ten feet ahead of the group. He halted there, lucky for Emma as she tripped over a tree root that had poked out of the ground. She barreled into Killian how was able took keep his footing for the both of them. She began to straighten, but Hook held her there, looking into her eyes, it was a brief exchange, but not so brief that it missed the wandering eyes of Neal 'Baelfire' Cassidy Gold. A moment of anger, hatred and jealousy singed his mind. That was all though a moment, his next thought were full of concern for his struggling papa in a horrible storm.

When they all met up with the now separated Hook and Emma. Hook pointed into the mouth of a cave. They all fumbled in with sighs of relief. Regina grabbed a pile of dry leaves and sticks that had found it's way into the cave and immediate started work on the fire. The rain had been warm, but now that no warm water hit their backs they felt like they had all stepped out of a shower into an air-conditioned room and they shook with chills.

After a while the fires grew bigger and so did the heat it distributed. Soon they were all able to relax as their clothes dried up.

"We'll have to stay here for the night." Declared a very damp pirate. Who rubbed his hand against his right pant leg and held it back to the fire. Trying to rub feeling into his cold fingers.

"Yes, but even then, what do we do tomorrow?" Asked an even more soaked through prince.

"We search for Henry." Said a concerned father for his missing son.

"Where to we look?" Said the once evil queen, hopelessly " The bracelet won't guide us further."

"I don't have anything else up my sleeve, magic works differently in every realm here it takes not just a price, but our strength as well." A man with a very sore ankle informed Regina, who nodded in agreement.

"So, what do we do, where do we look?" The rightful queen and a worried grandmother asked.

They all sat in silence until Emma spoke.

"Henry once told me I was going to bring back the happy endings. Later, he told me that every story in his book actually happened."

They all looked at her as she sat in silence then continued to talk.

"I think I know where we can find Henry."

That surprised all of them. "Where?" They all said conjointly. Emma looked into the fire.

"It's just a theory."

"A theory is more than what we have now Emma." Neal said walking over taking her hand and shifting her chin up so that their eyes met. She pulled her hand back and looked away from both Neal and an irritated Killian. She glared out at the storm trying to put her thought into sentences.

"Every story has...consistency.I read most of his book. In Henry's book each story had something about it that remained the same as the stories told to children in our world. Like Snow White, The Seven Dwarfs, Prince Charming, The Evil Queen, The Apple, The Sleeping Curse. Then, there's Red Riding hood. The Grandmother, The Girl, The Wolf. Also, Pinocchio, Puppet turned boy, Jiminey Cricket. Next, ther-"

"Miss Swan! We get it. So, what?" Snarled Regina.

"Right. Well, in Peter Pan's stories there's another thing that stays consistent with every retelling. Not just Neverland, Captain Hook and the Jolly Roger, or the Lost Boys, but his hide-out too."

"Where would that be?" Questioned a somewhat confused Hook.

Snow and Charming looked at each other trying to remember the Disney movie or Hook the movie or Return to Neverland, but they simply couldn't recall the hideout. Regina and Gold had never wasted their time with such nonsense as the Peter Pan movies, but Neal had.

"Hang-man's Tree." They said together.

"Hangman's Tree?" Killian asked skeptic tones coated his voice. "No its not possible I spent years trying to track Pan down. I search Hang-mans Tree first. I scowered every inch of the woods near and next to there. It's not his hide out." Killian said with slight surety.

Snow, Charming, Regina,Gold and Neal looked to the ground.

"Maybe you didn't look hard enough. Its worth a try and its our only lead right now." Commented Neal under his breath. The pirate glared at Neal.

"I've been here longer than you. Besides you were once Pan's captive! What do you have to offer. Can you not tell us were he hid you...Mate" The last words he said were hard.

"Sorry, but no. Pan had a thing for putting bags over people's head. I never truly knew where I was and to be fair that was approximately fifty years ago!"

Emma hadn't gotten to that part in Neal's story when she'd read it, but she brushed it off.

Neal and Hook locked eyes. Neither of them willing to release the other from their intense glares. They spoke with their souls and the fire in their eyes. Though they would never admit it they weren't fighting over anything but Emma and they both knew it. With the brief connections they had caught between their princess and one another they could both see neither man was willing to give her up so easily this time - without a fight.

"But, that's just the thing Hook." They both looked at Emma. "The forest near and around the tree isn't where you should've been looking. It was the ground underneath the tree. I think his hideout..is underground."


Sorry everybody, I took a holiday weekend before school starts a new. The tension is building. Coming up next Emma and Neal reconnect. Peter Pan is revealed and trust me none of you are expecting who it will be. Really? Think you know? Well tell me your theory in the review box. See if you're smarter than I think. Also, Think Regina might have a thing for Hook. Oooo! Hold onto your hats CaptianSwan fans Neal and Killian are still going strong. Plus Emma gets some quick flying lessons. Stay Tuned! See You Tomorrow!