Neal was right - Neverland was nothing like Emma had ever imagined.
Nothing like anyone had ever imagined, for that matter.
The so-called Lost Boys were nothing less than psychopaths, however old they appeared to be, and had already tried to kill them more than once.
And they were capable of it - they had found Greg and Tamara's bodies within an hour of landing.
Gold had long-since struck out on his own, frustrated by the restrictions her parents' moral code was putting on them.
Regina had stayed at first, but now she had disappeared as well, and Emma could only hope that it was a conscious - or even a willing - decision.
The encounter with Tinkerbelle had shaken Regina, but neither of them had elaborated further than to say that they had a shared history.
'Shared history' had to be the biggest understatement in question, considering the fact that Emma had seen the fairy tear Regina's heart out - and not lost hers in return.
With Regina gone, Tinkerbelle was still nearby, but for the most part, Emma had only her parents and Hook for company.
Her feelings towards the latter had softened a little on the voyage to Neverland, her anger pacified by his apparently genuine concern for Henry, although he still hadn't told her why.
And, once she had made it clear that she would not tolerate him flirting with her or hitting on her - even in jest - he became surprisingly good company.
Even David seemed to have warmed to him somewhat, but Emma had a feeling that had something to do with an injury he had been trying to hide that had since disappeared.
So when Hook returned to the camp one evening with the words "Who wants some good news?", it actually made her smile and scramble to her feet.
"You found him?"
Hook grimaced. "Sorry, Swan, no. But Pan found us."
"That's not good news," David said, gripping his sword.
"Not to worry," Hook said, "he doesn't think we'll find his camp so he's not worried about us."
"Of course he's not," Emma muttered. "That still doesn't make it good news."
"There's a cave near here," Hook said, "with a prisoner. Apparently Baelfire survived the fall."
Snow gasped, her hand flying to her mouth, and Emma took a step forwards. "Why would he tell us this?"
"It's an enchanted cave," Hook said, "requires complete honesty to break. I'd wager he's hoping you won't be able to resist saving him and, in doing so, completely destroy your relationship with your parents. And, alone, you've got no hope."
"Why would honesty destroy our relationship?" Snow asked.
"Everyone has their secrets, Your Majesty," Hook said, "even from their loved ones. At the very least, it might slow you down."
"It doesn't matter," Emma said. "We can't just … leave him there."
It could have still been a trap, but everyone agreed that Emma was right - if Neal had somehow survived the fall, and wound up on Neverland, they had to save him.
True to Hook's word, the cave was relatively close, but getting in took some doing; the crevice was tight and narrow, and entry involved a lot of passing supplies back and forth so they could each take it in turns to hold their breath and squeeze through.
Finally, though, they emerged into an enormous cavern, lit only by the moonlight streaming through the cracks in the ceiling above them.
And there, across a great chasm, on a lone column of stone, was a cage.
Emma took a step closer, lifting her lantern; something inside the cage moved, and then Neal's face appeared, eyes wide with shock.
"Emma!"
Emma managed a smile, but it was weak and unconvincing. How was she supposed to get him out?
And, if she got him out, how was she supposed to get him across the chasm?
"It must be a hundred feet across," Snow said, echoing Emma's thoughts.
"Even if we fashioned a rope, there's nothing to attach it to,' David said. "No way to swing over."
"So what do we do?" Emma asked, flexing her fingers and trying to urge some kind of magic to come to her.
It was no use though, her grasp on her magic was tenuous at best, in spite of Regina's attempts to teach her.
"I told you what needs to be done," Hook said. "Consider this the moment of truth. Literally. Now who wants to kick things off?"
Emma hesitated, glancing over at her parents, neither of whom looked as confident as they had earlier. "So we just … tell the truth?"
"Aye," Hook said. "I'll go first, shall I?"
Emma smirked weakly. "Well, I'm sure you must have a secret or two up your sleeve."
"You asked me on the voyage here," Hook said, "why I returned to Storybrooke, and then why I stayed to help. And the truth is - I made a mistake, a long time ago. I was so focused on getting revenge on the Crocodile that I failed to remember that …" he glanced across at Neal. "Milah was going back for her son. Her son's wellbeing and safety would always have been more important to her than avenging her. I should never have abandoned him. I let her down."
As he finished speaking, there was an ominous rumbling sound and a stone pathway began to form between them and the cage, stopping about a third of the way across.
The silence that followed was heavy, broken only by David clearing his throat. "Snow …"
"No, me next," Snow said firmly. "Ever since the curse broke, since we found each other, since we found Emma, and all of that happiness, there's something I haven't wanted to admit."
Emma couldn't help taking a step closer, even though she was sure her mother was talking to her father more than to her.
But Snow smiled - albeit sadly - and her next words were definitely directed at Emma. "Our daughter is a beautiful, smart, amazing woman, whom I love very much, and of whom I could not be more proud." She looked at David. "But she's all grown up. And as much as I want to pretend I'm okay with that, I'm not. We missed it, David. What we have with her is unique, but it's not what I wanted. We were cheated out of everything - her first step, her first word, her first smile … We missed it all."
Emma knew what was coming next, but clearly David didn't. "What are you saying?"
"When we get off this island and get back to Storybrooke, I want another go at it," Snow said. "I want to have another baby."
The rumbling noise again, and the bridge grew further.
Her mother looked so relieved and so distraught all at once, and Emma wanted to say something, but at the same time, she knew that this was a conversation for her parents, and one that she probably should not even be hearing.
"Nothing in this world would make me happier," David said, his voice choked, "and I know with all my heart that you would make an amazing mother. You are an amazing mother," he added, before Emma could interject. "But that can never happen. At least, not with me."
That … was not what she was expecting.
Neither was Snow. "What do you mean?"
"When Hook and I went to search for the sextant, he was really taking me to find a cure," David said in a low voice.
"A cure for what?" Snow asked, in dangerously low voice.
"Dreamshade," David admitted.
"The Lost Boys," Snow whispered. "The arrow. You pushed me out of the way."
"I wasn't fast enough," David said. "I was hit. Hook was able to find a cure but it comes at a price. I can't leave Neverland. If I do, I'll die."
The bridge had reached the cage, but Emma wasn't watching, her eyes fixed on her mother's face, anger and grief warring for control in her expression.
"Go on, Emma," Snow said in a low voice, not taking her eyes off her husband.
Reluctantly turning away, Emma made her way across the bridge, falling to her knees beside the cage. "Any chance you couldn't hear any of that?"
"Sorry," Neal said. "I heard everything."
"Any chance they won't hear me?" Emma asked hopefully.
"Sorry, Swan," Hook said, eyeing Snow and David almost nervously.
Emma nodded with a sigh. "Well, I've got quite a few secrets. But I think I know which one it's going to want."
Neal managed a weak smile. "Is it that the 'I love you' before I fell was a platonic one? Because I knew that. So was mine."
"I know," Emma said, because she did. "But it wasn't. I wish it was." She took a deep breath, addressing her lap instead of his face. "I was pregnant. I found out a week or so after we lost him and I … I miscarried after you fell through the portal."
The bars of the cage withdrew and Neal immediately pulled her into a hug, murmuring his apologies over and over again.
Thankfully, no one tried to talk to her about it while they made their way back to the campsite. Emma stuck to Neal's side, filling him in on what had happened since he fell.
In turn, he told her about waking in the Enchanted Forest and meeting Mulan, who was now part of Robin Hood's Merry Men.
When he admitted to using the man's small child as bait to summon the Shadow, Emma nearly took his head off.
"He's fine," Neal assured her. "If I'd thought he wouldn't be, I would never have suggested it. And he certainly wouldn't have agreed to it."
Tinkerbelle was waiting for them.
"Regina?" Emma asked.
"She was here, briefly," Tinkerbelle said. "She said they've figured out a way of getting a message back to your home, to get some kind of weapon they can use against Pan."
"Let's hope so," Neal said grimly. "He was even a match for Papa, although that might have been shock."
"Shock?" David asked, apparently giving up for now on getting his wife to speak to him again. "He's the Dark One. What shocks him?"
"Well, shock may not be the best word," Neal conceded. "I think he already knew."
"Knew what?" Emma asked.
"Turns out Pan is my grandfather," Neal said heavily. "He abandoned Papa so he could come here and stay forever young without any responsibility."
Emma closed her eyes. "Well, this family tree just got weirder."
"Tell me about it," Neal muttered.
"Emma."
Emma tried not to wince. "I really don't want to talk about it."
Snow put a gentle hand on her arm, her eyes filled with sorrow. "Then let me speak? Please?"
Emma sighed, allowing her mother to lead her away from the group a little and out of earshot. "I would have told you at some point. I just … I wanted to keep it for myself for a little bit and then it was gone, and then Henry and …"
"Sweetheart, I'm not upset," Snow interrupted. "I'm just concerned. Are you alright?"
Emma smiled weakly. "No. I will be."
Snow nodded when she said nothing else. "I was't expecting you to say that much, to be honest. Just … Well, you know that when you want to talk, I'll be here."
"Until we find Henry," Emma said. "And then you'll stay here, won't you?"
Snow looked at her, wide-eyed with surprise. "What?"
"David can't leave," Emma said. "You won't leave him here."
Snow hesitated. "Emma …"
"I get it," Emma said firmly. "I'm not upset, Snow."
"You … You were calling us Mom and Dad for a moment there," Snow said, tentatively.
"I want to," Emma admitted after a moment. "I just … I've been calling you Snow and David for so long that old habits die hard, I guess. I have to really concentrate."
"And now you're losing us again," Snow finished sadly. "Emma, I'm sorry."
"It is what it is," Emma said managing a small smile.
"I want you to know that … what I said about having another baby," Snow said, "it was never meant to … I think it sounded … I don't want you to think …"
"Would I have been an only child?" Emma said, cutting off her attempts to explain herself. "If the curse had never been cast and I'd grown up with you in the Enchanted Forest, would I have been an only child?"
"We didn't want you to be," Snow said honestly. "We always intended on having more than one child."
Emma took her hand. "Then I don't feel like I'm being replaced. I know what you were trying to say."
Snow sighed. "And you'd be okay? If we had another baby?"
Emma wrinkled her nose. "I mean, I'll have the same problem all older siblings have."
"Which is what?" Snow asked, worried.
"The reminder that your parents are still having sex," Emma said with a grin. "And, yeah, assuming we can find a way to get you both back home, there'll be a point that I see you with them as a baby and wish I'd had that with you. But I like to think I wouldn't resent you or the baby for that; it's not your fault."
"If we can find a way home," Snow repeated quietly.
"If we can't …" Emma hesitated. "Let's cross that bridge if we have to, yeah? What do you think Regina and Gold are up to?"
"I'm not worried about Regina," Snow admitted. "Her priority is Henry. My only concern is her turning to, um, old habits in order to save him. But Gold …"
"He won't hurt Henry," Neal said.
"How long have you been standing there?" Emma asked.
"Since you asked what Regina and Papa were up to," Neal said. "Came to tell you Hook and Tinkerbelle managed to scrounge up something to eat. But there is something you should know."
"What?" Emma asked.
"When I found Papa, he thought I was a trick," Neal said. "Some kind of hallucination. He said it wasn't going to stop him - that he would sacrifice himself to save his grandson if he had to."