AN- Sorry about the long delay. Christmas, New Years and here where I live... an ice storm that knocked out power for days. But enough excuses and on with the story, right?

On the Sword

Chapter X

"Every fiber of my being wants to go over there and rip her out of his arms," Snow said tightly, her arms crossed defiantly over her chest.

"Right there with you," replied Charming.

Snow grabbed his arm before he could walk away. "But," she continued, in a softer, almost whimsical voice. "My heart says differently."

"It's her heart I'm worried about," proclaimed Charming, as he attempted to step forward again.

Snow, held him at bay with an even stronger grip on his arm. "Just look at her," she said. "She's asleep. I mean really asleep. She needs this."

Charming looked contemplative, and then dropped his head. "She does look peaceful… and I'd hate to disturb her… but…"

Again, Snow stopped her husband from charging forth. "I say we give them awhile longer. For our daughter's sake. Let her get as much rest as she can."

Charming breathed deeply and ran one hand down his face as his other migrated up to his hip. "All right," he said. "We'll give them till the scouts report back, and then, I get to rip his arms off."

Snow patted her husband's arm with a tight smile. "I promise." Then she hooked her arm in his and led him away from the fire pit. They walked toward the north end of camp where several Lost Boys were conversing with Regina and Rumple.

It was early dawn and Neverland's sun was beginning to rise over the treetops of the surrounding jungle. It cast strange shadows on the ground, adding to the eeriness established by the light misty fog seeping out of the jungle floor. The chill was still in the air, but there were pockets of heat caused by the sun that foreshadowed the upcoming day. Snow found one of these warmer spots to stand as she pulled up beside Regina. "Any news?" she asked.

Regina jumped then quickly folded a piece of paper in her hands and shoved it into a pocket. "Hm? What?"

Snow eyed her skeptically. "Any news?" she reiterated. "Have the scouts returned?"

"Not yet," sighed Regina, tucking errant hairs behind her ears. "But Robes is expecting them soon. That's why were all waiting here."

Snow returned a stern nod, and then as if on cue, a small boy charged out of the thick jungle, panting and sweating and trying to catch his breath.

Robes ran to the boy who doubled over with his hands braced on his knees. It took several long, anxiety filled moments before Robes calmed the boy enough to speak. "Tomas," he spat. "They got Tomas."

When the boy stood up, Snow noticed dirt-streaked tears running down his face. Her heart clenched in her chest. She feared the worst but hoped for the best, but that message usually meant only one thing.

Suddenly, the trees along the perimeter nearest them began to rustle and several footfalls, snapping twigs and scuffling along the dirt floor could be heard. Snow was about to reach for her weapon, but stopped due to Robe's assurance that it was his boys coming through the trees. As Snow secured her bow, she saw several familiar faces break through the foliage. But unlike yesterday's faces of glee and welcoming smiles, these faces were sullen and forlorn. She fought the urge to rush forward and hug every of them, especially the eldest, for in his arms was the limp body of a boy, no older than ten or eleven.

Tomas, she presumed.

As the elder bent down with the body, Snow and Regina rushed forward to help.

"What happened?" stammered Regina, rising to her feet. "Did you see Henry? Were any of you hurt?"

Snow joined the Queen as she inspected the rest of the scouting party for blood and bruises. Most of them stood still with their eyes cast down as the two women checked them over, but some forced them away and refused their pity.

Finally, Robes broke his grim stare from the dead boy and spoke up. "How did this happen, Erwyn?" he asked, stern eyes fixated on the boy who carried Tomas.

Erwyn reached under his cloak and pulled something out and passed it to his leader. "We found him tied to a tree with this in his chest," he replied, his voice shaking with both sorrow and anger.

Snow could not tear her eyes away from the object. It was a large leaf pierced through the middle with a long arrow. She rushed to Robes' side as he read something on the leaf. She leaned over his shoulder and read the message emblazoned across the leaf in dark crimson. One hand went straight to her mouth as the other clutched at her chest. After a moment spent in shocked grief, she ran to her husband. "It's time we wake Hook," she said tightly.

Charming nodded and took off toward the pirate.

-OUAT-

Even deep in sleep Hook could sense someone watching him. It was a skill honed over many years as a pirate. He fought his way through the fog-laden depths of slumber and slowly opened one eye. There was a face, void of any sympathy for waking a man, staring at him from a knelt position at his feet. When Hook recognized who it was, his other eye shot open and he nearly jumped to his feet, but when he realized the sudden action would wake Emma, he settled himself back down.

Charming smirked. "I'm glad you have the good sense to be afraid… and this…" he paused to wave his hand between the pirate and his daughter. "This, we'll definitely be discussing later. But right now, I need you to come with me." He started to rise, but before he reached his full height he leveled his gaze on Hook once again. "And try not to wake my daughter while you're at it."

Hook frowned. "I wouldn't dream of it, mate."

He tried to slip his right arm out from under his sleeping beauty then remembered she was tucked into his coat. Pensively, he began searching for other options. He tried tugging the coat gently but it caused Emma to stir so he stopped. Then he looked at his other arm and sighed. At his feet, Charming watched with a puzzled expression. Hook sat forward as far as he could, raised his left arm and waved his hook at the prince. "A hand?" he asked. "If you please."

Charming let out a long breath and ran a hand down his face. "For Emma," he murmured skyward. Then he bent down, and with Hook's coaxing, unlocked the metal appendage from the pirate's wrist.

Hook smiled awkwardly. "Cheers, mate." Then he slowly, and carefully, pulled his left arm out of his coat and used it to support Emma's head while he pulled his right one out from under her. He gently rested her back down against the log, tucked his coat around her and stood to face her father.

Charming still wore his puzzled expression. "Come with me," he said, then turned and walked away.

Hook spared a quick backward glance at Emma, and then ran to catch up to Charming making excellent headway toward a large group standing on the north edge of the perimeter. As they approached, Hook did not need his sixth sense to know someone was watching him, he saw all sets of eyes staring in his direction. When he was a few feet away, the group parted to reveal a young child laid out motionless on the ground. Hook's first instinct was to scream bloody murder and draw his sword, but instead, he fell to his knees beside the boy he recognized as Tomas. His heart burned, sending out ripples of pain to every corner of his soul. Tears threatened to fall from his waterlogged eyes. He barely had the strength to hold himself upright, let alone speak. "What happened?"

A large, blood soaked leaf was thrust in front of him. "This was pinned to his chest with one of Pan's arrows," Robes said, evenly.

Hook bit back tears so he could read the message scrawled on the leaf.

Hook for Henry.

Hook fell to his side, his left arm barely capable of holding his weight. "I… I…" He couldn't find the right words to say, for there were no words that could be said.

"Hook."

He heard his name spoken softly by Regina, but he ignored her. A moment later she tried again, but Hook refused to acknowledge her. He began breathing fast, deep and with a conviction so strong he was able to turn his sorrow into anger. And as it fostered, his strength returned, his head cleared and his muscles twitched for action, or more accurately- for vengeance.

He rose to his feet, looked to all the faces staring at him and set his jaw. With his head turned down and a finger-pointing at the dead body of Tomas, he made his demand through gritted teeth. "Emma. Cannot. See this."

After a moment of silence, Charming stepped forward. "You're right," he said, putting a hand on his shoulder. Then he turned to Robes. "Where would you like him?" he asked. "We would be honored to carry him."

"Only you," replied Robes. "You're Captain has done enough all ready."

Hook felt all his anger slip away in an instant as it was quickly replaced by shame. So lost in his emotional turmoil, he barely registered the body of Tomas being removed. It wasn't until Regina placed a hand on his arm that he was able to break from his trance. He pushed her hand off roughly and walked away.

-OUAT-

Nearly a day's journey away, in a hideout camouflaged by the jungle, Henry paced the clearing beside the fire pit. His game with the other boys the previous day revealed to Henry a treasure trove of history and information. So much information in fact, that too many ideas were running through his head. He couldn't sit still. He couldn't concentrate. He was trying so hard to figure out what to do with all this newfound knowledge about Pan and his attachment to Neverland that he felt sick. His mom would know what to do- both of them would. But they weren't here. Or were they? He still had that feeling deep down that his family was here in Neverland. It was a sense, like knowing someone is staring at you from across a room before you turn around and see them. He figured this was what adults called a 'gut feeling'. And if Henry learned anything from reading and watching movies, it was that one should never ignore one. So he continued to pace while trying to organize his thoughts and hold tight to the belief his family was out there.

A moment after he took another turn back across the clearing, Pan broke from the tree line and made his way toward him. Henry stopped and presented a façade of absent-mindedness. Pan did not like to see any of his boys deep in thought for it usually meant they were planning something, and only Pan planned things around here. This, Henry picked up on very early during his captivity.

"Henry," Pan said, guiding him toward some upturned logs beside the pit. "We need to talk." Henry was gently nudged to sit down. "You are familiar with a certain, vile pirate, are you not? Goes by the name of Captain Hook? I understand he spent quite some time in your land wreaking havoc on you and your family."

Something clicked in Henry's mind, but he was able to keep his expression neutral despite his small epiphany. Our land, yes. With my family… not so much. Henry recalled only meeting the pirate a couple of times, but something in Pan's voice made him think he thought it more. And all though the two instances that stood out in his mind were not in Hook's favor, there was something about the way Emma spoke to him that suggested that maybe, just maybe, there was something either redeemable about the man, or that he was more of a nuisance than a straight up villain. Henry decided to see where this was going before making any admissions either way. "I know him," he affirmed, casually.

"Well, I have some unfortunate news for you," continued Pan. "It seems the pirate still has this ridiculous idea that he can exact vengeance on your grandfather, Rumpelstiltskin. He's come here for you and I've heard he'll stop at nothing to get what he wants. I mean, really, who spends centuries pining over one woman? The man doesn't understand the meaning of 'let it go'. But that's beside the point."

Henry stopped listening after 'he's come here for you'. He stood up abruptly while his stomach churned with fear. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Pan started, rubbing his chin. "To my knowledge, your grandfather took something that he cared for so the pirate wants to take something in return. And since his son is already dead, that leaves you."

Henry gulped. The memory of the incident in the mine sprang into his head- Hook tricked them into thinking they had the bean. "He stole the bean!" he proclaimed, his eyes wide in shock. "He knew I was coming here? Was he in on it from the beginning?"

There was a slight hesitation in Pan's voice when he responded. "Uh, yes. He wanted you separated from your family so he could take you for himself."

Henry noted the slight uncertainty in Pan's voice, but wasn't sure what it meant. His explanation sounded rushed, almost fabricated, but the facts were all in place. Either way, Henry knew not to trust Captain Hook. Evil or not, he certainly wasn't one of the good guys.

Henry's fear and confusion must have been obvious, for Pan rested a hand on his shoulder and smiled. "But don't worry," he said. "I will protect you. I have a plan."

Several hours later, Henry was still not at ease as he sat staring out at the jungle from his perch on the log. He hadn't moved since Pan's departure from camp to make preparations for the exchange with Captain Hook. He closed his eyes and tried to breathe deeply but the smell of leather kept invading his nose and causing him to look around. Basically, he was alone. Most of the other boys had gone off with Pan or were busying themselves with random chores around camp. There was no leather, or cow for that matter, anywhere near him.

This went on for quite some time. He would just be about to form some sort of opinion or come to some kind of conclusion when suddenly a strong, comforting smell of leather would jolt him from his thoughts and make him look around. A part of him wanted to get up and seek out this mysterious smell, get closer to it, because for some reason it made him feel relaxed, calm and strangely happy. And when the smell changed slightly, became a mixture of both leather and warm spice, Henry almost fell off his log so relaxed he was. He sprang his eyes open and tried to shake his senses back into place. Now was not the time to fall asleep, he had important matters to contemplate, like figuring out this Hook problem and how to get away from Pan.

There was no sense in trying to find the source of the elusive, albeit soothing, smell when his life was in danger.

-OUAT-

Emma feared what waited for her on the other side of her cocoon. Warm and surprisingly at peace, she did not want to face the chill morning air, the exhaustion of a new day or Neverland in general. But an image of Henry flashed into her mind and she instantly threw the heavy, enveloping coat from her body and got to her feet. She looked back to her bed with first a long full sigh, and then confusion. When had Hook gotten up? And more importantly, why had everyone let her sleep so late? She could tell by the brightness of the day it was way past dawn and the lack of chill in the air indicated it was nearing mid morning. She saw a large gathering near the center table, so she grabbed the coat and headed over to where most of the activity was happening. On her way, she could not help sneaking a quick sniff of the heavy, scent-laden coat. She hid the smile it triggered behind the folds of the coat as she held it up to her face. And as she approached the table, and most of the rescue party- including her parents, she dropped the coat to her side and put on a neutral expression, no one the wiser of her little moment of bliss.

"What's going on? Any word?" she asked, placing the coat on the table when she realized Hook was nowhere in sight.

Several solemn faces turned to her, but it was her father that spoke. "Emma," he said, coming to rest his hands on her arms. There was a long pause before he continued and Emma had enough time to search the faces of all those around her and realize that something was wrong. "Pan made contact this morning."

Emma's breath caught in her throat and her limbs trembled slightly. "When? Why didn't anyone wake me? Is Henry okay?" Her voice grew louder and more desperate with each question and it wasn't until she saw Hook approach the group that her heart began to slow its unnaturally fast pace. She looked to him immediately, but instead of his usual self-confident demeanor and reassuring smile, she saw a man undone. His eyes looked tired, his facial muscles taught, and there was nothing confident about the way he stood just outside the group with his right hand resting lazily on the hilt of his sheathed sword.

"Pan will make a deal," continued Charming, drawing her attention back to the priority of the moment. "He will trade Henry for Hook."

There was a long silence before Emma looked back to the pirate, but this time not to seek out a familiar smile, but rather in anticipation of a response. "Why aren't you saying anything?"

Hook shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. "I didn't think an answer was in order," he said. "Isn't it obvious? Of course I'll go."

Hook stepped into the group and approached her slowly. She could see telltale signs of crying- or at least, of someone trying very hard not to. He rested his good hand on her shoulder when her father backed away to give him space. "We came here to save Henry." He paused to wave a hand toward the rest of their band. "I don't think any one of us had reservations about sacrificing ourselves to obtain that goal."

Emma froze for a split second and all the thoughts coursing through her mind shattered into a million shards in that instant. "He'll kill you."

With palpable sincerity, Hook squeezed her shoulder and smiled. "I will be fine," he said, and then turned away quickly, his body language returning to its natural bravado and swagger. "I've escaped him before. I can do it again."

"What makes you think he'll even let Henry go once he has his hands on you?" asked Regina. "Pan and trust don't exactly have a monogamous relationship."

Charming stepped forward. "That's right. This is probably a trap."

Hook dropped his head with a smile. "Of course it's a trap," he said. "But one we can take advantage of. I hold no hope that Pan will release Henry, but I would stake my life on the fact that he will surely take me. Actually, I'm counting on it."

Realization dawned on Emma and she smiled over at him. "Henry will see you."

"You can get a message to him," rushed Charming, his features reflecting the possibilities running through all their minds.

Emma tried not to let the small spark of hope inside her fully ignite, but she couldn't stop it from flickering just a bit brighter. "You can tell him we're here! Let him know not to give up hope."

"Assuming Hook can get near him," Regina interjected, arms defiantly crossed over her chest. "There's no guarantee Pan will let Hook anywhere near Henry. No. It's too risky. We need Hook with us. Without him, we're just floundering around in the jungle with no idea where we're going."

Hook mockingly placed his hand over his heart. "I'm touched, your highness."

"It's not your safety I'm concerned about. It's mine… It's Henry's. If your plan doesn't work, and you get kidnaped, or more likely killed, how are the rest of us supposed to survive out here? How are we supposed to get home?"

"Because I'll go with him," declared Charming.

"You'll do what?" asked several voices in unison, followed by a single voice.

"Say again, mate?"

Charming approached Emma with an undeniable vigor in his step. He held her by the arms and stared into her worried expression. "I'll go with Hook… to make the exchange. I'll stay hidden and follow them back to the camp. Hopefully, it's where they're keeping Henry. Then I'll double back and we can all go in together to rescue Henry."

"Why don't we all follow Hook?" suggested Snow.

Emma watched as Hook shook his head, slightly dejected by the fact that whatever he was about to say most likely meant a delay in her reunion with her son. "There's no way a band this size and inexperienced would go undetected by Pan and his boys," he replied. "Only Charming should follow."

"What if Henry's not there?" asked Emma.

"Well, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it," replied Charming.

"What if Pan just kills Hook on the spot?" asked Regina.

"I'll be sure to take a moment to mourn," shrugged Charming, not without a little jest in his voice. "But either way, I'll still be able to follow them back to the camp."

"Hey!"

Charming looked over to the shocked voice. "Sorry, mate. But it was your plan."

Emma took a deep breath and searched the faces of those around her. Regina threw her arms up in dejected defeat. Hook stood again off to the side, casual, with his right thumb tucked into his belt and his eyes pleading and unflinching. And Snow, the one person whose opinion she was counting on the most, was wearing a sullen expression. Emma waited patiently for a signal.

Finally it came. A slight, tight-lipped nod from her mother was all Emma needed to confirm her decision.

"Let's do this."

More to Come…