Chapter 10
Word Count: 2,416
Jefferson watched the ship from the bush, the event seemed to go in slow motion; he saw Emma raise her glass and clutch at her chest, her glass fell as did she right into the arms of Hook. He heard the cheering on the ship and knew that it was all wrong, "This is all my fault." He said, "I tied her corset too tight, I let her get on that ship—"
Robin closed his telescope, "Don't beat yourself up about it, she knew what she was getting into by boarding that boat."
"She didn't." Jefferson said as two men pulled on a chain attached to the anchor. "What's going on?" He asked, "They're taking her—"Jefferson had to think quickly he pulled Robin towards him, "You go back to Graham and tell him everything, however you have tracked Hook's ship before do it again. I can't let them take her." Jefferson stumbled from the bush, he was thankful he had already changed his clothes back at his mother's house. He wore one of his father's long leather coats and pants, something he would've worn to the market with his daughter Grace. "Wait!" He shouted at the ship. The two men cranking on the chain stopped, "I've got a meeting with the Captain, I've been told he's seeking information about a certain-"Jefferson glanced over his shoulder making sure to be discreet and hissed out, " A certain, Dark one." The men nodded and motioned Jefferson aboard. He ran up the wooden plank and boarded the Jolly Roger. The two men who cranked on the chain earlier met him as he walked aboard the ship.
"Do you have any weapons?" The pirate questioned. Jefferson raised his arms up as the pirates searched him. "Welcome aboard mate." The pirate said satisfied as Jefferson came up clean.
Robin knew this forest like the back of his hand; he ducked, dodged, weaved and vaulted his way through the woods expertly. He stepped off trees and trunks; swung from tree limbs and somersaulted through clearings of grass. When he was living in Neverland he was just as familiar with his surroundings, he knew every trap the lost boys lay and every hole he could escape through in the trees. His name had changed but he sure hadn't. He was still scared to grow up, but it didn't matter without Wendy.
As he ran he thought about her, it had been a few years since he had seen her. He imagined her hair had grown, that slowly her face had changed into that of a young woman. He finally reached the clearing where their campsite was. Graham, John and Henry were all awake around the fire; Henry had his book propped upon his lap. Out of breath, Robin hunched over spitting out words that made no sense and had no structure.
"Calm down." Henry said placing his book on the log next to him. He stood up and walked to Robin trying to listen closely to what he said.
"Your mom." Robin finally choked out.
Henry looked to Graham, "What about her? And where is Jefferson?" Graham asked standing from his stump.
Robin removed his hood and moved towards his weapons. "They left the dock and took her with them. Jefferson left our post and talked his way aboard the ship." He pulled a long sword, a crossbow and two daggers from his supply.
"With the ship in the sea how will we find my mom?" Henry spoke up.
Graham moved to him, "I'm not sure you should go on this venture Henry."
"Are you kidding me? That's my mom, she believes in me and I believe in her! The only way we're getting out of this is together, I have to go Graham! I need to go!" Henry pleaded.
Graham draped an arm around Henry, "Alright kid but please be safe. This isn't a book anymore Henry this is real life."
Henry nodded; he looked at the weapons Robin had pulled out, "Which is mine?" Henry asked. Robin equipped Graham with the crossbow, Henry and John with daggers and himself with the long sword. "If my mom is on that ship we should bring that mirror we need." Henry spoke up attaching a strip of leather around him to holster his dagger, "We might need her magic, and if she doesn't believe that she's Alice we won't have any of it." Robin nodded and left to his tent where he emerged with a satchel, presumably holding the mirror that they needed.
"Wait a second." Graham paused, "If they've set sail how do you propose we get aboard their ship?"
Robin sheathed his sword and pulled his hood upon his head, "We're going to need some fairy dust."
Emma awoke in a panic. For a second, she thought she awoke in her room back in Boston, that this was all a dream and she had never been to Storybrooke; but she had, and she was on a ship with a man who has been to Neverland. The room was pitch black but Emma could feel the sway of being on a ship. She sat up on the bed and shook her hair out, she was still clothed, that was a good sign—a very good sign. Emma pulled on the strings of her corset leaving the ribbon untied on her back; never again would she be wearing one of these.
She pulled the dagger from her leg slipping it into the palm of her hand. She inched the hilt into her sleeve but she wanted to be at the ready. She reached for the knob on the door just as it opened. She was pressed against the wall in an instant; it was so dark she couldn't tell who was holding her. She tried to pull her daggers hilt free from her sleeve but her fingers fumbled and it dropped from her hand. "Shh." She heard as a hand cupped across her mouth. He left her and closed the door dragging the nightstand in front of it. "Emma are you alright?"
"Jefferson?" Emma asked. She had learned his voice by now, "What are you doing here?" After waking up in an unknown location, having someone near her that she knew sent a wave of relief across Emma.
She felt Jefferson's arm graze against her, as he returned to her side. "I saw you faint and got aboard the ship, Killian is an enemy of Rumplestilsken's. I'm pretty sure this is the whole reason why he sent us in Robin's direction, he knows he's Peter Pan and he's setting up a war we never bargained for. He knew who we would be dealing with and he's hoping one of us dies in the crossfire." She could see Jefferson's form move in the dark but couldn't make out the slightest hint of his face.
"So why did you come aboard then if I just fainted? Shouldn't the plan stick, get Wendy and get out?"
Jefferson grabbed her arms, "They've set sail Emma. We're not on the docks anymore, we're on the move." He was shaking her now willing her to understand, Emma pulled herself from Jefferson's hands. She couldn't grasp the situation they were in, stranded in the Enchanted Kingdom aboard a pirate ship with a man who would do anything to get at the Dark One. Emma turned to move away from him but he pulled her close to him, "Don't believe anything Hook says Emma," he whispered in the darkness to her; she felt his breath against her cheek, "He is vengeful. If he knows you're capable of magic- if he understands your true worth…" Jefferson trailed off. He could hear something Emma couldn't, "I've got to go Emma, please, be careful." She was surprised when she felt his arms wrap around her in a hug, "Emma, I think it's about time, don't you?" He pulled away from her pushed the nightstand out of the way quickly and dipped out of her dark room.
"Time for what?" Emma questioned, the door closed once again leaving her in silence and darkness. She opened the door slightly peaking out. There was no one she could see guarding her room. She saw a glimpse of the sea and closed the door swiftly before she could feel nauseous. Emma sighed and lay on the bed. What had she gotten herself into? She thought about how this whole endeavor started, with magic. She looked at her hands, she couldn't see them clearly in the dark but she saw the outlines. How in the world had she brought someone back to life with her bare hands? How had she created a portal from Jefferson's hat? There were so many unanswered questions, but even the answers to her questions sounded ridiculous.
Emma clutched her necklace in her hand; she felt the engravings of the swan. She closed her eyes Jefferson's words circulating in her head 'I think it's about time, don't you' A haziness overcame her as she slipped into an unexpected sleep.
'This will keep you safe' A large brown rabbit in an orange suit and striped trousers pulled his hands away after placing a necklace on her.
A man in a hat was behind him, his back facing her. 'Alice, I think it's time.' He turned towards her and his face faded but she could see the guards behind him their tabards with red hearts faded away too.
Emma was awakened when a young woman entered her room. She hadn't expected to go to sleep but she knew the fragments of a dream lingered inside of her head. Emma jumped from her bed away from the girl.
"Don't be afraid." The young woman said placing a lantern on the nightstand and taking a seat on Emma's bed. Emma had drifted towards the corner of her room; she didn't even realize how terrified she was until now; unarmed, her dagger in the dark abyss somewhere and the only person she was familiar with had to pretend he didn't know her. She lifted a large object on her leg, "I'm here to read to you."
Relief swept over Emma's body, "You're Wendy." She took a few steps toward the bed.
"Killian mentioned me?" She asked.
Emma kneeled at Wendy's side nearly knocking over the book, "I know Peter." She gasped reaching for Wendy's hand. She saw a glimpse of her as the flame in their cabin wafted towards them, "He left Neverland Wendy, and he's been trying to find you!"
The book in Wendy's hand dropped, "Peter?" she questioned.
Emma nodded, "I have a friend aboard the ship, and he's going to help us. We will get you off this ship." She squeezed the young girl's hands.
Wendy couldn't help but let a tear slip from her eye, "Peter is here?"
"John is too." Emma admitted running her hands through her hair, "To be honest I think this whole thing kind of got away from us but—I'm sure they'll come for us, Jefferson already has."
"And who is this Jefferson?" Wendy asked. Her voice already sounded weak, she had already given up.
Emma pondered who was Jefferson? An insane man who kidnapped her hoping he could return to his daughter, the mad hatter who was a friend to Alice? "He's a friend." She said his words ringing again in her head. She could've sworn they were familiar to her now.
Wendy dipped her head forward and sighed, she brought a hand to her cheek striking away the new tears, "John and Peter? How are they?"
Emma smiled and reached for Wendy's hand, "They'll be better once you're back with them. You're not alone anymore Wendy."
Jefferson glanced around on the pirate ship. He racked his brain formulating plans but he wasn't too sure what they were dealing with. "Well what do we have here?" A voice questioned from behind.
Jefferson turned to see Hook, "Just the man I was looking for." Jefferson liked to believe that he was a changed man. Ever since he had Grace he left his life of thieving and schemes behind him and tried to live honorably with his daughter but for this circumstance he tried to channel his former self. "Captain, I believe I have some information you might like to bargain for."
Killian laughed as he inserted his hook into his stump, "What makes you think I'll need to bargain for it?" His hook snapped into place, the sun glinting off its silver.
"Correct me if I'm wrong—"Jefferson laughed, "But I believe you're seeking a man who'll rip your heart out." Hook pushed Jefferson against the edge of the ship bringing the point of his hook to Jefferson's throat, "—that's right I forgot. It wasn't your heart he ripped out was it?"
"Who are you?" Hook asked digging the point of his hook in deeper pricking Jefferson's skin.
Jefferson lifted his neck back revealing the scar already placed where the tip of the hook dug into. "You wouldn't be the first person to try and take my head off." Hook let him go with a shove. A small bead of blood escaped Jefferson's neck where Hook cut him. He laughed running his finger along the trail of red.
Killian wiped his hook off on his shirt, "What do you know?"
"I know you're looking for Rumplestiltskin." Jefferson fixed the collar of his jacket. "I know you seek revenge."
"And how would a man like you know all this?"
Jefferson laughed, "A man like me?" He leaned closer to Killian, "You have no idea what a man like me is capable of."
Killian twirled his hand in the air and used his hook to poke at Jefferson's chest, "Enlighten me."
"I've been helping the Dark One find something… or perhaps someone."
A grin spread across Captain Hook's face, "Well then— um?"
"Jefferson."
"Ah- Jefferson, well then Jefferson, it seems we have some catching up to do."
Robin had lead Graham, Henry and John deep through the woods. "Are we almost—" Henry started before running into the back of Graham, "—there?" he finished. In front of him he saw a mine glistening, there were hundreds of bright lights in the sky of all different colors, blue, green, pink, yellow. It was magnificent. "What are those?" Henry asked in awe.
Robin glanced over his shoulder back at Henry, "Well kid," a smile stretched wide across his face,"-those are fairies."