Nasty Habits
"This is where they're keeping Henry," Emma said as she pointed to the dirt, rock, and stick construction with her makeshift stick pencil. "Pan's compound. According to, uh…" She motioned back to the fairy moving behind them with a stick.
"Tinkerbell," the green fairy reminded quickly.
"Yeah, I know," Emma said, shaking her head a little. "Still weird to say."
"Tink is fine."
"Not sure that's any better," Emma said quickly. "Anyway, she says there are sentries located here—" she pointed to one half of her crudely created map. "—and here, across the front." She pointed to the other. "But we are going to come in through the back entrance, here." She poked at her map again with her stick. "Tink will talk her way in. Once she makes sure the coast is clear, we will sneak our way in."
"You'll still have to deal with any Lost Boys inside," Tink pointed out quickly.
"I think we can handle a few children with pointy sticks," Regina said simply.
"It's not the sticks you need to worry about," Tinkerbell replied quickly. "It's the poison they're dipped in."
Emer noticed her father direct a pointed look at Prince Charming.
"Dreamshade," Mary Margaret said, clearly not noticing the side-eye the pirate was directing at her husband. "Hook warned us."
"Good," Tinkerbell replied, "because one nick, and you'll spend the last of your life—"
"Poison sticks equal death," David said quickly, moving to his feet as he stood to look at the fairy. "We got it. Now, when can we put this rescue mission into action?"
Emer nudged her father slightly with her elbow, her expression concerned. Her question was clear. Was he poisoned?
Her father nodded slightly.
Emer couldn't stop her concerned and hurt expression. She was starting to like David, and Dreamshade was such a horrible way to die. She'd seen it far too many times on far too many Lost Boys, not to mention her Uncle Liam.
"I'm ready to go," Tink replied to the group of adults, which turned Emer's attention back to the group. "Just as soon as you tell me the exit plan."
They all looked around at each other, like they were looking for something to say.
Emer almost laughed at the looks of confusion on the faces of the three Charmings, and the amused expression on her father's.
"You do have an exit strategy, right?" Tinkerbell asked, expression losing faith quickly.
"I can distract them," Emer said simply. "Pan will have given them orders to take me alive, not to mention what my singing can do. I sing, you all sneak out with Henry while they're distracted."
"No," Hook said sharply. "I will not put you in that demon's crosshairs again."
"I agree with the pirate," Regina said quickly, looking at the Lost Girl with soft dark eyes. "You're not a chess piece, Emer. We can't use you as strategy and take the risk that we lose you."
"I want to help," Emer said simply. "And if being a distraction is the only way I can, I think it's worth the risk."
"It's not," Killian said quickly. "The moment you sing, he'll send his worst Lost Boys after you, maybe even come himself. You're worth more to him than any of them are. Outside of the fact that I cannot lose you again, it puts you at far too great a risk."
Mary Margaret nodded in agreement, and so did David. Emma was the only one that hesitated. She was so desperate to get Henry back she would almost risk someone else's child. Killian understood that desperation, and he couldn't judge her for it. He would've done the same thing a hundred times over if it would've brought Emer home any sooner. Luckily she'd been outvoted.
"If you don't find a way of this island, none of the rest of it matters," Tinkerbell pointed out quickly.
"We'll figure it out," Regina replied, rising to her feet.
"You'll figure it out?" The fairy snapped, taking the queen by surprise. "No one comes and goes from this place unless he allows it. This is a waste of time."
"When it comes to family, we always find a way," David shot back quickly.
"You don't get it." Tinkerbell reached in her bag and pulled out something, a black banded watch. "Here, let me show you something. Do you know what this is?"
"Yeah," Emma said, sounding a little over the conversation. "A watch."
"I got it from the people who brought your son here for Pan," Tinkerbell said simply.
"Greg and Tamara, where are they?!" Emma demanded, jumping to her feet. "Why'd they give you that?!"
"I got it off the girl's body," Tinkerbell said simply, and Emma stopped in her tracks. "Spent half the night cleaning the blood off it." The fairy tucked it away again.
Emma's expression started to look hopeless.
"And the other guy," Tinkerbell continued, "well, there wasn't enough left of him to find anything useful." She stepped forward, looking at the group of heroes and talking as clearly as she could. "This is what Pan does to people he employs. What do you think he's going to do to you? I'm not sticking my neck on Pan's chopping block without a way off this island. When you figure that out, you know where I live." Tinkerbell walked out of camp.
Mary Margaret turned to the group worriedly. "Where's she going?"
"I'll get her," David assured. "Bring her back."
"Don't," Emma called, stopping her father. "She's right. If there's one thing I've learned, you never break in somewhere unless you know the way out."
"And where'd you learn that?" Regina asked, arms crossed and a frown on her face. "In bail-bondsperson school?"
Emerlyn had no idea what that was.
"Neal taught me that," Emma said simply, expression almost stone faced.
Regina didn't say anything else.
"What about you, Hook?" David turned toward the pirate. "You've gotten off this island before."
"Yes," Killian agreed as he stepped forward, glancing back at a still sitting Emer before he moved closer to the group of adults. "Aboard my ship. Which would require some form of magic to create a portal, which… I got from Pan. I made a deal, and I don't think he'll repeat without taking my daughter as payment."
Emer looked up, startled, blue eyes wide. He went to Pan to leave the island? She wondered coldly if that was the time he'd thought Pan killed her. But now wasn't the time to be bitter. If she wanted off that island, away from Pan, she had to trust whatever they came up with. No matter how she felt in the moment.
"So no one's ever left the island without permission?" Regina said in disbelief.
"One person has," Emer said softly, pushing to her feet carefully on her injured hands. "His name was Baelfire. He tried to take me with him, but I wouldn't let him. I knew he couldn't get away if I went along."
"Neal?" Emma's eyes got wider in surprise as all of the adults looked to Emer. "How?"
"I'm not sure," Emerlyn said softly. "But I know where we can go to find out."
Killian nodded. "As do I." The pirate turned to lead the way, making sure Emer was by his side before he continued forward.
The others followed quickly.
Emer and Killian led the others to a carved rock formation in the middle of the Dark Jungle, stopping in front of it.
Regina looked it up and down. "What is this supposed to be?"
"So, what?" Emma asked. "Neal swung out of Neverland on a vine?"
"We have to open it," Emer said simply, stepping up like she was going to help push it forward before hesitating and looking at her cloth wrapped, cut hands. Maybe that wasn't the best idea.
"Well, if someone will give me a hand," Killian said with a small smile at his daughter's efforts as well as her better judgment as he ran his hand over her tangled knots of dark hair. He loved her so much. He stepped forward only a second later. "What say you, Savior?"
Emma stepped forward, but was cut off by David, who stepped forward with an, "I got it."
The two pulled open the hidden door, David taking over most of the heavy lifting despite the look on Killian's face that seemed to advise against it.
"Ladies first," Hook said, motioning the rest of the group forward.
Emer slipped inside first without having to duck at the small doorway. One of the rare times she was happy to be so young and so small.
"What is this place?" Emma asked as the adult women lifted lanterns to look across the walls. "What are we doing here?"
Hook stepped up to try lighting a torch with a piece of flint off his hook.
David stepped forward with a small flame on a metal box and lit it for him.
Emer had never seen anything like it.
The torchlight spread down the sides of the walls to reveal writings and drawings along every flat surface of rock.
"This was Baelfire's home," Emer said softly.
"So," Mary Margaret started, "you two think he might've left a clue as to how he escaped somewhere in here?"
Emer nodded slightly as Killian answered. "I'd hope so, or we'll be lost just like he was."
Emer looked over the writings on the wall, looking for anything they could find.
"Find anything important?" Killian asked, and Emer turned to answer until she realized he wasn't talking to her. He was talking to the Savior. She almost blushed at herself as she turned back to scouring the wall, but couldn't stop herself from eavesdropping on the adults.
"I can't tell yet," Emma admitted as she backed up a step from the stone she was searching. "I didn't know he liked drawing."
"He got it from his mother," Killian said softly, looking at the wall himself.
Emer's brow furrowed. She wasn't exactly sure how he knew that, but now wasn't the time to bring it up.
There was a small moment of silence before Emma spoke again. "I'm hoping Neal left something useful in the details of one of these. Maybe a map. Some kind of clue." She turned back to look at something and noticed something. "Hand me that candle."
David lit it with his metal flame canister, and handed the candle in the coconut to Emma.
"What about you?" Emma asked Killian next. "Any luck?"
"Well, no potted bean plant or swirling vortex under the rug, if that's what you mean," Killian said simply. "Maybe no rug at all. There are other drawings on the far wall, but, as far as I can tell, that's all they are. Probably just a way to pass the time and keep occupied."
Emer wished she'd been able to find a new hobby like Bae had. She'd always loved the stars, mapping the sky at night and finding every constellation, even naming new ones if she found them, but on Neverland, Pan had made that quite impossible, and with no journal to map the stars, there was little point in trying.
She turned her attention back to her father and the Savior as she continued to search.
"You knew him pretty well, didn't you?" Emma asked as she looked at Killian almost softly.
Killian nodded slightly. "We spent some time together. He was the only Lost Boy that ever helped me try to save Em." He hesitated a moment, and she heard him step forward. "You alright, there, Swan?"
"I'm alright," Emma promised, her voice soft. "Looks like you're right. They're just a bunch of pictures." She turned toward her parents. "What's all this?"
"Just some cups and bowls he fashioned from things he found here," Mary Margaret explained, looking through them on the table one more time.
"I don't know how great a cup this coconut would make," David said, peeking through the bottom. "It's filled with holes."
Emer turned quickly at hearing that. "Filled with holes?"
David nodded. "Yeah, like he used it to drain stuff."
"Maybe it's a tiny colander," Mary Margaret suggested.
"Yes," Regina agreed sarcastically. "Because I'm sure pre-teen Baelfire made lots of pasta."
"I know what it is," Emerlyn said quickly, bouncing over to the adults and holding out her hand for the hole-filled coconut. "May I?"
David nodded and handed it to her.
Emer took it with a thankful smile and turned toward Emma. "May I borrow that candle?"
"Uh, sure," Emma said slowly, handing her the candle in the coconut half.
"Papa, will you snuff out that torch?"
Hook seemed to be realizing where she was going with this. "Bright as a star, Em. You're still bright as a star."
She grinned at him, trifling troubles momentarily forgotten as the torchlight faded with a hiss, and she closed the coconut over the candle.
"Am I supposed to be impressed that he made a night light?" Regina asked as they all looked up at the roof of the cave.
"Stars," Mary Margaret said softly, almost awestruck.
"It's a map," Killian said simply.
"To where?" Mary Margaret asked in surprise.
"Home," Emma answered softly.
"How can you be so sure it's a map?" Mary Margaret asked as they continued to look at the cave ceiling and it's mock stars.
"There was a short time in Neverland when Baelfire was aboard my ship," Killian explained softly. "I taught him to navigate using the stars, just like I taught my daughter long before Pan stole her away. What you're looking at is the fruit of my labors."
"I helped him chart Neverland's stars," Emerlyn added softly. "When he was on land again, after he joined Papa on his ship and came back to figure his way out."
"Then you two can read it," Regina said, tone almost hopeful.
"Sadly, no," Killian corrected.
Emer shook her head slightly.
"I thought you just said you taught him how," David said with a frown.
"Yes, but I also taught Neal something else," Killian replied simply. "The key to being a pirate—secrecy. The best captains conceal their maps in code, like Em's star journal. And he was an apt pupil."
"So, you're saying the only person who can read this map is Neal?" Mary Margaret clarified.
Killian looked at her with a confirming expression.
"Which means the only person who can read it is dead," Emma said, expression falling as she walked out of the cave.
Emer's blue eyes grew with sadness. Baelfire was her friend. She knew time passed and people were lost, but it never truly got easier.
David and Mary Margaret chased her out.
Emer shook her head a little, not quite understanding, and turned back to looking at the stars on the ceiling, wondering if she could solve this puzzle.