I didn't do too bad this time, did I? Good. Mission accomplished.

Thank you to BulletStrong for being my very helpful beta and thank you to Withgirl for somehow becoming obsessed with reading this. It happens to be great motivation.

Enjoy.


"Emma, not that I don't appreciate your effort thus far, but it'd be really great if you hurried up. Yes?" Regina said pacing ever so slightly behind the blonde.

Frankly, the former queen was sure that instead of planning, she was scribbling nonsense into the dirt but the sheriff's determination hadn't failed them yet. The blonde was fairly aware of the fact too as she glared up at the woman.

"Alright so according to…uh…"

"Tinkerbell," the other blonde answered.

"Yeah, no, I know. It's still weird to say," Emma admitted.

"Tink is fine, too."

"Not sure that's any better, really."

"Nor is it very well relevant to the conversation. Emma, continue," Regina huffed. She received another glare from the younger woman.

"Anyway, she says that there are sentries positioned in here, across the front," she continued, pointing to the spots on her creatively built map, "Which is why we're coming in through the back entrance here. She's going to talk her way in and we sneak in once the coast is clear."

"You'll have to deal with any lost boys once you get inside," Tinkerbell added.

"I think we can handle a few children with pointy sticks…so long as the savior doesn't go rushing into the line of fire," Regina informed, exchanging a slightly concerned smirk with Emma.

"It's not the sticks-" Tinkerbell started.

"It's the Dreamshade. Emma got lucky, Mills," Hook finished. Regina rolled her eyes but she nodded still. David got up and stood by Regina to look at the map, "When do we put this plan into action?"

"I'm ready to go, just as soon as you tell me the exit plan," the fairy said. At the uncertain, almost guilty looking stares, she frowned, "You do have an escape right?"

"Well it's not like we planned on Henry getting kidnapped. This was a last minute trip," Snow explained.

"If you don't have an escape plan then none of this matters."

"We'll figure it out when get there," the former queen provided, as if it really made much different to the woman. Having a plan a little later other than in the present was the same as not having one at all. Although that didn't seem to matter to Tinkerbell.

"You'll figure it out? I don't think you all know how dangerous Pan is. If he doesn't let you, you can't leave then you don't leave. This plan is useless without a way out."

"When it comes to finding a way we always do," David claimed confidently. It took everything in Regina's power not to slap him for saying that. It was very tempting considering how she close she happened to be standing next to him.

"You don't get it, do you?" Tinkerbell muttered out loud. Her stare went right to Hook as it seemed he didn't give them all the knowledge they needed to know about Neverland. It would've at least saved her some effort. She pulled a trinket from her pouch and held it up to them, "You know what this is?"

"A watch," Regina said flatly, "Why?"

"I got it from the people who brought your son here for Pan." Everyone, except Hook, closed in on her personal space fairly quickly. Although Emma was forced back to sitting as Regina pushed her down by the shoulder. She was cringing in pain a lot more often and it was best no one get her unnecessarily worked up.

"Why do you have that?" Regina questioned.

"I got it off the girl's body. Enough blood to spend the whole night cleaning it. As for that guy there wasn't enough left of him to find anything useful," Tinkerbell said, tucking the watch away again. Emma felt Regina's grip change on her shoulder but couldn't identify her emotion. All she could do was put her own hand on top of hers for now.

"He does that to people he employs, you're in for much, much worse. Let me know when you come up with an exit plan…if you ever," the blonde said stalking away, "You know where I live."

"Where the hell is she going?" Snow asked in a panic. David instantly started to walk off to find her.

"Wait. She's right. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that you don't break in somewhere unless you have a way out."

Regina looked down to her, "I think we need to discuss what you can and can't tell Henry about your activities before you came to Storybrooke at a later date."

The blonde only grinned but her parents completely ignored their moment. David turned to Hook, "You got off this island?"

"Aye, once. I made a deal with Pan that I'm sure he won't repeat anything soon, mate."

"So you're saying no one's ever left here without Pan's permission?" Regina sighed.

"There was one. Your partner in crime, Swan," Hook said looking to Emma. The blonde's face blanched at the implication and Regina immediately noticed.

"Emma? What is it?"

"Neal."


"Baelfire spent some time in Neverland as a boy. This was his home," Hook explained at Snow's confused look. The pirate looked over to the blonde, who was blankly staring at the writing on the walls around them. Regina watched her closely. It had been one thing for Hook to be trying to pursue Emma but her dead first love was a whole other problem. Although, perhaps, being deceased completely slipped her worrying mind.

"So you think he may have left a clue?" Snow asked.

"Hope so. Best start searching if we're going to get Tinkerbell to agree to the plan." All but Emma followed his lead, though before he could lay a hand on anything he was jerked aside.

"Problem, Mills?" he smirked, "Need more relationship advice?"

"The last thing I want is to admit I need your help with anything." Regina struck him with a heavy glare. In the statement she had already admitted to needing his assistance anyway. Only to herself would she even give the thought that she was in need of help in her personal life.

"Your grip says otherwise, love." Regina glanced down to the hand that was clutching Hook's upper arm in a very suffocating way. She snatched her hand away and wrung both her hands together in front of her and glanced at the blonde still looking over the writing on the wall. Hook noticed as he always did.

"I doubt you have anything to worry about, Your Majesty."

"What?" the brunette frowned at his statement.

"Baelfire…Neal, however you refer to him, is no one to fear. He's dead."

"Don't be crass about it," Regina hissed, glancing to Emma again, "Her emotions are still…fresh from his passing."

"You're the one worried about her late first love taking her from you." He chuckled lightly until he received a swift slap on the arm.

"I have a right to feel some kind of emotion towards him…her…this entire situation."

"She does look torn."

"Well that's an understatement," Regina grumbled folding her arms.

"Just start searching, love. One step closer to your son." Regina begrudgingly complied with his request but purposely searching anywhere that was closest to Emma.

"See anything useful up there, Miss Swan," Regina questioned looking through dusty blankets.

"I'm hoping there's something here," Emma answered, voice a bit hollow.

The brunette took notice and was about to move to stand next to the younger woman but the blonde stepped away requesting David hand her a candle. She searched with that hopeful look in her eye that made Regina wish to give her whatever she wanted but for the moment the former queen was unsure whether the savior was hoping for a way out or for the person whose stuff they were searching.

"They're just…drawings. Really good drawings," Emma said to herself more than everyone else. She turned around to her parents expectantly, "Find anything?"

"Bowls…that looks like a colander or something," her mother sighed.

"I'm sure preteen Baelfire probably made lots of pasta." Regina frowned but instantly wanted to take it back when Emma winced at the retort.

"Don't see how…it has holes in it," David said, somehow finding the other half of the candle. Emma turned to him, took it, and gently put the two pieces together.

"Put the light out," Emma requested and Hook complied quickly.

"A nightlight?" Regina asked.

The blonde gave her smile and shook her head, staring towards the ceiling above them, "Look up."

"Stars," Snow commented in amazement.

"It's a map," Hook said.

"Where to?" Regina questioned, sounding unimpressed. Emma look at her again, sadness shining in her eyes.

"Home."


"You're sure it's a map?" the brunette asked, "Could be a way to pass the time."

"No, love. It's a map. I taught him to navigate using the stars. He was an apt pupil as you can see."

"So you can read it, right?"

"Sadly, no."

"You said you taught him how," David said curiously.

"I also taught him the key to being a pirate: secrecy. Every pirate conceals their maps in code."

"So the only person who can read it is Neal," Snow concluded. Hook sighed and nodded, giving Emma an apologetic looked.

"Which means the only person who can read it is dead," Emma said absently, putting the map down and walking out of the cave. David moved to go after her but Snow caught his arm.

"Someone has to go and talk to her," he said.

"I know but not us. Not this time," Snow said slowly looking to the brunette woman looking after Emma sadly, with maybe a touch of hurt in her eyes. David followed her gaze and exchanged a conversation with her solely through eye contact. His shoulders slumped a little and Snow seemed to look triumphant and then looked to Regina expectantly, waiting for her to look up.

Once she did, she raised a brow at her, "What?"

"We think you should go and talk to her."

"Me? Why?"

"Her feelings for Neal are confusing her and she will feel guilty about them. Talk to her." The older woman looked to be moments away from protesting but instead just nodded and went after the blonde.

The last thing she needed was permission to go after her…her…well she wasn't exactly sure what Emma was to her now. Partner, maybe? But either way she still didn't need permission from those idiots to go after her, she just decided not to, considering Emma probably need to the space away from her True Love, her pirate pursuer, and the memory of her deceased first love. It was logical to think she could give her space. It had to be a bit suffocating with most parties present especially with this lost girl thing hanging over her head too.

"Emma?"

"Not now," the blonde muttered sounding tired.

"Emma, are you feeling alright? Physically?" she asked cautiously. The younger had swayed slightly and almost fell into the brunette several times on their trek up here. The blonde shook her head but kept her back to her. Regina walked up behind her and gently slid an arm around her waist, "Emma, talk to me."

Though she didn't reject the touch, she didn't necessary welcome it as she weakly tried to jerk away, "No, Regina. Don't do that."

"Do what? I'm attempting to comfort you. Am I not doing it correctly?" Regina frowned. Gentle, well meant embraces usually worked with Henry. She didn't get why it wasn't working here.

"No…it's not…" Emma tried but just sighed.

"You're…sad, aren't you?" The younger woman shoved out of Regina's hold and walked a few steps forward before turning around to face the woman.

"I'm not sad, Regina. I'm pissed," at the brunette's confused look, she continued, "Neal just died but I lost him years ago…all that thinking that he didn't love me, only to find out that he did and it was too late. I can't even tell him how angry I am or how much it hurt…"

"Because you had already spent your whole life being rejected," Regina finished looking away from her, "That's not his fault, it's mine…that you had to feel that."

"No," She gasped and fisted away the tears spilling down her cheeks, "He made a choice. I love you Regina and I have for a long time and when he came back I was scared. I'm in love with you but seeing him…thinking of him, I still love him."

"I…I can't fault you for that. We all have our first loves. I still love Daniel and I never thought I would find that again but here you are Emma Swan. It's, of course, not something I want to hear but it's okay to still love him. That kind of love doesn't go away."

"I can't love him and you. That's not how it works…" The confusion in her tone was evident even muffled under her crying.

"Who told you that Emma?"

"Every foster parent I ever had," she sniffed. "Everyone. Life...the whole fucking universe."

"Well they were all very wrong Miss Swan," Regina said walking up to the woman and pulling her into a hug, "Despite the phrase my mother burned into me, love is not weakness and it is infinite."

"Don't let go," Emma murmured into the former queen's shoulder. The brunette only tightened her hold.

She'd comfort the blonde for however long she need but even the confession of love for her wasn't enough to assure her troubled mind. The thought of Neal ever having a chance to hear anything Emma had just said terrified her to no end. He was the one man that could take Emma away.

The fear of losing yet another love just seemed to grow more and more since their time in the cave. She pulled Emma tighter for her own comfort. There was no way of knowing just when the contentment of having told Emma her feelings would vanish and she'd be alone again.


"We're setting a trap in hopes that we catch a lost boy, is that right?" Regina questioned skeptically as she sat next to Emma on a rock. The blonde bumped their shoulders and gave her a look.

"The lost boys want to come after us, we'll come after them," Snow replied. Hook murmured something and Regina shot him a glare. Snow didn't bother to look at him and just said, "Thanks for the advice. David we need more vine."

"On it," David said walking away. "You're with me, pirate."

"Why's that mate?" Hook questioned with a scowl.

"Because we need more rope, Killian," Regina growled. Everyone gave her a curious look at the use of his name. He immediately stood up and gave her a mocking bow, "If Her Majesty so wishes it."

Once they disappeared Emma turned to Regina, "Killian?"

"What? That's his name, isn't it?" the brunette said not looking over at the woman and continuing tying vines together. Her look of indifference made Emma squint at her in suspicion.

"What's with you two anyway?"

"Meaning what exactly, dear?"

"You guys are always hanging out and you have nicknames. What the hell is all that about?" Emma questioned in an attempt to hide her pout.

"We're trapped on Neverland right now I doubt anything we've done constitutes as 'hanging out' and I'm not aware of any nicknames either."

"Mills? Killian?"

"Mills is my last name, Emma," Regina sighed in amusement. Now she was starting to understand. Emma Swan was jealous.

"Killian?"

"Happens to be his name as well…" the brunette said, slowly turning to her. Snow looked up from her rope tying to them, "Emma, what's going on?"

"Nothing. It just seems like you're a little too close for comfort."

"Miss Swan-"

"Let's not finish this conversation please," Emma interrupted, "Just tie your rope, lady."

Regina smirked at the blonde and kissed her temple. The younger woman grumbled something to herself and Snow smiled at them.

Never in all her years did she think she would be on okay terms with her former stepmother but she definitely didn't think that she would be okay with seeing her daughter madly in love with the woman. None of that, by any means, meant all was instantly forgiven but even in the unfortunate situation they were in, it was a nice relief. Romance amongst the chaos.

Emma continued looking annoyed at the fact that Regina and Hook were forming some kind of friendship with each other, despite being the one that gave a whole speech about not fighting with each other. Snow and Regina tied their vines together in silence until David and Hook came rushing back, out of breath like had just ran from the other side of the island. They both gave a rushed, barely comprehensible explanation of what was going on and what they going to do and were soon taking up some rope ready to march to wherever this object was.

"Wait, a sexton? It can get us out of here?" Emma questioned them with a still confused Snow standing next to her.

"Why just now?" Regina asked.

"It's the best hope we have for an exit plan and we're going to get it," David said putting a gentle hand against Emma's shoulder before swiftly kissing Snow.

"But-" Emma started.

"Just get the message to your son, Swan. Every day without hope brings him a day closer to becoming a lost boy," Hook said in passing heading off into the woods.

"You want to split up?" Snow asked in confusion.

"That's the last thing I want to do but we need that sexton as our way out," David replied.

"Okay," Snow said simply and David turned to Emma, "While I'm gone…"

"Listen to my mother. Got it." He chuckled at her.

"That and be careful," he said hugging her. Emma willingly took it and gave him a small smile and went to go stand next to Regina who wasn't looking too amused by anything going on. Emma watched her parents hug for an excessive amount of time and then kiss too passionately for her stand. It was sickeningly…Charming. She tilted her head and thought out loud, "We don't look like that when we kiss, do we?"

Regina grimaced at the couple and then glanced over to Emma before walking away, "I'm not a Charming."

The blonde chuckled and then looked to the vacant spot next to her and went after the woman, pouting, "Oh come on, Regina. You think I'm adorable right?"


Emma sighed quietly to herself as she had been crouched next to the tree for over fifteen minutes. Hunting for demonic children was pretty boring and it didn't help that there was a boar chewing at a bush only a few feet away from her. She clenched her stomach before it could let out a growl and grimaced at the ground.

Neverland did nothing to satisfy her oddly large appetite. She was close to asking her mother when they were going to take a break until a chocolate bar appeared in front of her. The blonde grinned over at the brunette looking at her nails, uninterested in the plan, standing against a tree. Regina looked up at her and gave her a short grin.

Emma was about to pick it up until rustling came from the bushes across from her. The three of them spotted a lost boy, weapon in hand and ready to hunt down the boar. Snow pulled the arrow back on her bow and glanced to Regina and Emma, both giving her a nod. She let go in a swift movement and the trap fell down on the boy. They all rushed from their hiding spot over to him, Emma grabbing the spear.

"What are you doing?" he yelled, "Are you trying to start a war with Pan?"

"Pan started the war when he kidnapped my son," Emma sneered back pointing her sword in his direction.

"But that doesn't make you our enemy," Regina softly. Emma frowned at her sudden change in approach. The former queen put out her hand and appeared a familiar chocolate bar. Emma reached around her back pocket and felt the Apollo bar gone. She tried not to frown and pout about it. She was still hungry.

"What's that?" the boy asked standing up.

"Chocolate. I thought you might like the taste of something sweet."

"We don't want to hurt you. We just want you to deliver a message to Henry," Emma tried.

"Why should I help you?"

"You had a home and a family once and you stopped believing you can get back to them. Now that we're here we can help all of you, not just Henry. We can get you home." Regina nodded and pushed the candy bar further in his direction. He took it and inhaled the aroma as if it was the last time he was going to smell chocolate again. The slight chuckle made Regina fall for it and she grinned at him for a moment before he violently threw into the dirt.

Emma tried so hard. She really did but her resolve wasn't strong enough. At the sight of the Apollo bar flying out of reach, she sighed quietly but the distraught look on her face still showed. Ungrateful little shit. I wanted that.

"Don't you get it? I'm here because I don't want to go home. None of us do."

"Pan's a monster," Emma stated pointing to the cut on his cheek, "Look at what he did to you."

Regina frowned at his chuckle, "Pan didn't do that. Henry did."

Both mothers exchanged a look and before Regina or Snow could react, Emma pounced on him, hand grasping his neck, "It's too late. Henry is a lost boy now. Your boy is one of the most vicious new recruits we've had in ages."

Snow pulled her away from nearly choking him, "Don't let him get to you, okay?"

"She's right, Emma," Regina agreed.

"Really?" Snow asked.

"Yes, now get out of my way."

"What?"

"You are right; Emma shouldn't let him get to her. She's the savior but I'm the Evil Queen, dear. I believe we all know that cruel and unusual punishment is in my job description."

"What are you going to do?" Snow asked in concern, stepping in front of the older woman.

"I'm going to rip his heart out. Then he'll do exactly what we want," she shouted. The boy looked stunned and Regina only gave him a sickening smile.

"This is not how we do things. We can find another way to get to Henry."

"Really?" the brunette turned to Emma who was hoping not to have to intervene, "And what do you think Emma? You know I can get things done this way."

"Your heart…" Emma said almost to herself. Her hopes were that Regina could avoid doing anything unreasonably crude while they were here but it seemed it was unlikely for that to happen. At this point she was choosing between their son and another strike against the brunette's already overflowing dark deeds.

"Don't worry about that now, Miss Swan. Think about Henry. What do you want?" Regina questioned placing a hand on the younger woman's wrist.

Emma looked between her mother and Regina. Doing everything the right and just way wasn't going to help them save her son any quicker. Knowing how easy it is to lose hope, every moment spent trying to do everything the Charming way was another minute that Henry came closer to being a lost boy…to losing faith in them.

Then she looked Regina directly in the eye, "I want to talk to our son."

"No, Emma we can't do this. This is brutal," Snow started fighting against the grasp Emma caught her in as Regina rolled up her right sleeve and walking towards the boy.

"Do it Regina." The brunette stopped at the hitch in the blonde's voice. She turned slightly but knowing she'd find them both in tears she continued on. After groan and gasp that came with getting your heart ripped out subsided, Emma let go of her mother and twisted around to Regina holding the pulsing organ in her hand.


"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize to me. I'm more worried about Henry."

"I know, that's why I'm willing to do whatever it takes."

"You know there had to be another way."

"This was the best way. I chose this because it's our best chance."

"How long is going to be until you start thinking these choices are the right thing to do?"

"I never said this was the right thing to do, I know it was bad. But I don't see things in black and white. Not everything is good and evil, sometimes there's a gray. And that gray is doing what it takes to find my son."

"We could've found a better way to do this, Emma, and you know it."

"I'm not going to sit around and wait for my son to turn into a lost boy because you want to take your time."

"Emma…"

"Second thoughts?" Regina asked coming up to them with the boy following behind her. Emma stood up to her and said softly, "No. Let get him that message."

"We're going to do more than that," the brunette smirked proudly as she pulled a mirror from her blazer pocket. She broke it in half and handed one to the boy who willingly took it and she lifted it up. "We're going to see him."


The women huddled together to look into the mirror at the surprised boy on the other end.

"Henry, are you okay?"

"Can you hear me?"

"Mom?" Henry looked into the mirror skeptically, "This is a trick."

"No Henry. I promise you it's not a trick. This is real," Emma said.

"Prove it."

"Kid, this is Operation Cobra Rescue…your mom wanted to just call it Operation Henry."

"Cobra…"

"It's us."

"You're here," he smiled.

"Yes, we're coming to get you."

He allowed himself a smile before hearing familiar footsteps from afar. His expression turned serious as he looked away, "It's Pan. I have to go."

"We love you, Henry," Regina hurried out. Emma nodded in agreement, "Kid, don't lose hope."

"I won't," he smiled before discarding the mirror into the bushes.


Quick question before you go for those of you who don't despise Killian. Who would you guys most likely say Hook should be paired with? I'm thinking Tinkerbell but you guys might have other people in mind.

Let me know down in the box below and I'll be back soon.

Until next time...