Part Seventeen

Snow sets up the trap for us to capture a lost boy. But is it really her trap when all she does is put the pig on the ground and ask me to put on some sort of spell to make the pig not wander far?

Oh, right, there was the net to help capture the boy, and again, is it really her trap if I'm the one who had to magic the thing up on the tree?

Whatever!

It was her idea, at least.

She tells us to hide behind a tree, somewhere they can't see us and we wait.

And wait.

And wait.

And guess what?

We wait!

I'm starting to think this wasn't a good idea after all. How could it be? Snow was the one who had it!

But then I hear it. It's faint and far away but I know someone is approaching carefully.

I try to look to see if it is one of the lost boys, or better yet the demon child but I can't stretch much without blowing my cover away.

I hear another step, whoever it is is getting closer to us now.

I look at Snow and she is already aiming her bow.

Another step and now I can see clearly who it is.

A lost boy.

We got him.

He approaches the pig carefully as the three of us position ourselves ready to attack. I see Snow aiming for the rope holding the net up in the tree and I make a silent prayer for her not to miss it.

I know she won't.

As much as it pains me to admit, she is good with a bow.

The arrow leaves her bow and hits the rope with enough force to cut it and the net falls on top of the boy.

The three of us come out of our hiding spot and run in his direction. He is properly trapped trying to get rid of the net, but there is no use now. He is surrounded.

"What are you doing?" The boy finally gets rid of the net "Are you trying to start a war with Pan?"

"Pan started a war when he kidnapped my son," Emma says pointing her sword at the boy.

And I feel like that's my cue to… well, let's say to play good cop here.

"But that doesn't make you our enemy,"

And then an idea pops into my mind.

He is a child.

And what is it that children like the most?

Chocolate!

I make my, oh so familiar, hand movement and make a bar of Apollo chocolate appear on my hand.

They are Henry's favorite.

"What is that?" The boy asks standing up.

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

"We don't wanna hurt you," Emma says "We just need you to deliver a messenger to Henry"

"Why should I help you?" The boy asks.

"Because you have a home and a family and once you stop believing you can get back to them," Emma says "Now we are here we can help, not just Henry, all of you. We can get you home"

I look at Emma and even though I am deeply touched by what she is doing…

What the hell is she doing?

We don't even know from where he or any of the boys on this island came from.

We don't even know how long has it been since they are here, how the hell does she expects us to return them home?

They probably don't even have a home anymore.

Most of their parents must be dead by now.

But still, it touches me the way she cares about them.

Truth be told I only really care about Henry.

But I can do it. After I get Henry after my boy is safe then, yes. I can help bring the rest of them home too.

I take a step closer to the boy and offer him the chocolate again. He looks at me and then takes a step closer, taking the chocolate from my hand. He smells it and I smile, not only because he looks like a little kid doing that but because I know we are one step closer to send Henry that messenger.

But then, the unexpected happens.

He turns around and simply throws my gift away in the woods.

That little bastard.

"Don't you get it?" The boy says "I'm here because I don't wanna go home. None of us do"

"Pan is a monster," Emma says and points her sword at the boy's face "Look what he did to you"

"Oh Pan didn't do that," He smiles after running his thumb over the wound on his cheek "Henry did"

I look at Emma feeling my heart tighten inside my chest.

Did he just say my sweet, gentle boy did that to him?

No!

That's impossible!

Henry wouldn't do that. He would never hurt anyone.

Emma runs to the boy and traps him against a tree with force and my heart tightens again for a new reason.

I guess Emma and I are more similar than I ever thought of.

"It's too late, Henry is a lost boy now," The boy says "Your boy is one of the most vicious, new recruits we have had in ages"

Gods, hearing this boy saying these words about my son makes my stomach revolt.

I can't even move right now.

I see Snow walking to Emma and then she just grabs her by force and pulls Emma away from the boy.

I know she meant well.

But I do not like the way she touched Emma.

"Don't let him get to you, okay?" Snow says when she puts Emma right in front of me.

Thank the Gods, her action makes something click inside of me, and the nauseous I was feeling seconds ago are replaced with rage.

And on, how good I am with rage.

"Move aside," I say angrily.

"Why?" Snow tries to stop me.

"So I can rip his heart out," I say "Then he will do exactly what we want"

"This is not how we do things," Snow says "Emma, we can find another way to get to Henry"

"Really?" I ask and then I look at Emma "What do you think, Emma?"

Emma hesitates for a second, only long enough to look at Snow and then back at me.

"I think we need to talk to our son," Emma says.

I smile and nod at her.

She's on my side.

Emma moves to hold Snow while the woman is babbling about how wrong this is as I walk to the boy. I hear Emma telling me to do it and that's all the encouragement I need to pull my sleeves up. I look at him and smile because, well, ripping hearts out is my specialty. But I do it quickly, there is no need to torture the poor kid.

I see Emma and Snow talking and by the look on her face, it's not a pleasant conversation.

But to be fair, can anyone ever have a pleasant conversation with her?

I move my hand as an indication the boy should follow me and I walk to where they are talking.

"Second thought?" I ask because even though I know this is a good plan I don't want Emma to feel bad about it.

"Let's give him that messenger," Emma says.

"Oh, we are going to do more than that," I smile as I put my hand inside my jacket pocket.

While mother and daughter were chatting I cooked up quite a plan, a good plan for us to get in touch with Henry.

I take the small mirror from my pocket and break it in half, giving one half to the lost boy and keeping the other one for myself.

"We are gonna see him," I say flashing Emma the mirror.

"How?" Emma asks me.

"I have enchanted this mirror," I say with a hint of pride in my voice "When he sent him away, I'm going to use his heart to make him deliver a messenger to Henry along with this mirror. As soon as Henry takes the mirror, the spell will… activate and we'll be able to see him"

"Seriously?" Emma asks her voice full os surprise.

"Yes, Miss Swan," I smile "We are going to see our son"

We send the lost boy his way and I make sure he let me knows his every move as I hold his heart in my hand.

Curious enough, the feeling of having his heart, of controlling him doesn't give me the same joy as it did years ago.

He is just a boy.

But we…I had to do this. It's for Henry. I will do anything for my boy and I will never, ever regret anything I do to keep him safe.

And right now this is the only way to let Henry know that we are here, that he just needs to hold on a little while longer before we take him back.

Back home.

Where he is safe.

Is it cruel, as Snow so eloquently put it, to control this boy's heart?

Maybe.

Do I regret it?

Never!

The boy tells me he arrived at the camp and I instruct him to deliver Henry the messenger. I can hear Henry through his heart saying he is making it up and I feel like crying heavily when I say he is not making it up.

Did he really think I wouldn't come for him?

Gods, I need to find him.

I instruct the lost boy to give Henry the mirror and when he does, I walk to Emma who is holding the other half.

"Henry, can you hear me?" Emma asks.

I see my little boy on the other side of the mirror and my heart beats faster, happier when I see him.

"Mom?" Henry asks "No, this is a trick"

"No, this is not a trick, Henry I promise you, this is real," Emma says "Kid, its operation cobra, the rescue, it's us"

I smile because it's so adorable the way Emma says that.

And for the first time, I don't wish I didn't find that.

"You are here?" Henry asks in disbelief.

"Yes, we are coming to get you," Emma says.

"There is someone coming," Henry looks behind his shoulder "It's Pan. I...I got to go"

Was that fear I saw on Henry's face when he said Pan was coming.

What the hell did the demon do to my son?

"Henry?" Both Emma and I say at the same time.

"We love you," I say because that's the only thing I can think to say right now.

And then, the image is gone. Just like that, the mirror is cracked.

But I look at Emma and she is smiling, a smile that I'm sure matches the one I'm wearing right now.

We did it.

We talked to Henry.

We talked to our son.

But then Emma looks at me concerned and I know, without thinking, what the look means.

I had that look too when Henry's scared voice said Pan was coming.

My boy was scared of him.

And I don't even want to start imagining why.

Emma shook her head and closes off and it's strange how I notice that.

It's simply there.

It's like a wall suddenly appears around her strong enough to not let anyone in.

Not even me.

Emma says we need to get a move on and I don't even bother to argue.

It would do no good.

She walks ahead of me and Snow quickly follows her. I decide to stay a little on the back.

"Do you think he's okay?" Snow asks.

"He is fine," Emma says.

Denial.

The stuff Rumple was saying back on the ship is playing right here in front of my eyes.

It shouldn't bother me.

But it does.

Because right now, we cant have Emma returning to her old self.

We've come too far for this.

"You know this how?" I ask, feeling my annoyance get to me.

"Because he is our son and he is a survivor and now he has something to survive for. He knows we are coming and we are not gonna let him down"

"I'm sorry I doubted you," Snow says, making Emma turn around "I've just…I know how easy it is to get taken by the darkness. I didn't want you…"

"She didn't," I say interrupting the annoying woman "I did. That's what I'm here for" I say and look at Emma "One happy family"

Unfortunately, I don't have time to watch her reaction when I say the word family because there is a noise in the jungle and we all look in the direction of the sound.

Emma gallantly put herself in front of me with her sword which is adorable considering I have a fireball in my hand. If anyone is coming to attack us, I'm sure I'll be the one saving her ass.

"Stand out, it's us," Charming says coming out of the woods.

I put the fire down as the man walks to Snow. He takes her in her arms and kisses her as if he was about to die and come back to life or something like that, either way, the sight of it is disgusting.

Ew!

Just… ew!

"Where is the sextant?" I ask looking at Hook.

"I'm afraid Pan got to it first," Hook says looking down.

Both Emma and I sigh and when I turn around, the two idiots are still kissing.

Again, ew.

"Okay, I'm complaining," Emma says.

"What I wouldn't give for another sleeping curse"

I look at Emma and her disgusting face matches mine and I smile.

I wouldn't mind kissing her.

Charming starts to tell a tale of how Hook saved his life when they were ambushed by the lost boys. He says that if it wasn't for him he wouldn't be alive.

But Hook looks uncomfortable, and I find that to be odd.

I know how much he loves to brag.

Charming walks to him and asks for his flask taking a sip.

He gives the flask to Snow who salutes Hook before taking a sip.

And then she handles the flask to me.

As if.

"I don't do rum," I say and walk away from them.

I don't stick around to see if Emma is going to drink or not.

I don't want to know.

But I really, really hope she doesn't.

That would mean something, somehow.

Mean something to me.

Mean that this is possible.

Mean that I'm not dreaming this whole thing between us.

Mean that she is with me.