As they let go of each other Killian looked at Emma and Emma looked up at Killian.
"You haven't answered me, love?" Killian smirked at Emma.
"You haven't answered me," Emma said in a serious tone. She so badly wanted to say yes and kiss him but she knew that she needed an answer. "You say I'm amazing but yet you hardly know me and this is coming from someone who thought I was ugly the last time you saw me."
"Emma," Killian pleaded. "What do you want me to say?"
She gave him a hurt look. "Nothing," was all she said as she turned around and walked away. She controlled her emotions to keep the weather in line but rain still sprinkled across her land as she let a tear escape her eye.
Killian watched her run away. He truly didn't know what else to say. He did love her. She was beautiful and according to the town folk she was as nice and gentle as her mother but strong and stubborn like her father. Then, it dawned on him that's what he should have said. He witnessed all these things in the past few days that he had been here. He just never noticed it till now. When they walked around the garden when his parents and him first arrived he was too busy telling his tales to even notice that the birds and squirrels would try to get close to her. She would pet and acknowledge every one of them. It seemed so cliche that a princess in the enchanted forest would be close to the woodland creatures. But that's what he loved most about her is she was so nonchalant about it, it was normal for her. These were things that he should have said to her, his realization made him move from where he was standing. He had to find Emma and tell her how he really felt about her. As he moved through the garden, it began to rain harder and Killian knew it was because of him.
Emma ran straight to her mother who was taking to Killian's parents.
"Emma, what's wrong?" Snow asked in concern.
"Mother please, can I talk to you?" Emma pleaded as more tears escaped her eyes and it began to rain harder outside.
"Of course dear," Snow said as she put a protective arm around her daughter.
Una looked at her husband and back at Emma. "What has our son done?" She asked Emma.
"Nothing," Emma shook her head. She looked at Snow and James. "He proposed," she began. Snow went to smile but then frowned as Emma continued. "I asked why and he said because I was beautiful and when I asked him what else he said 'what else is there?'" Emma looked at Una and Hook. "He couldn't answer me. How can I marry someone who just wants me because I'm beautiful?"
"I understand honey," Una said as she saw Killian walk back into the ballroom. Una pushed her husband towards their son. "I don't know what my son was thinking." Hook took her cue and started walking towards their son.
As Emma cried in her mother's shoulder she peeked up at Killian. Who was wet and looked at her with concern.
"My boy," Hook said as he hooked his son's arm with his hook and pulled him back to him. "What have you done, my boy?" His father asked him.
"Nothing, that's the problem," Killian said to his father.
"Let's let things cool down before going over there, shall we?" Hook said. "A bit of advice lad, never, ever, say that beauty is the only thing."
Killian rolled his eyes at his father, "I didn't mean to. I just realized what I love about her and I need to tell her and fix what I've done."
As Killian talked to his father, Emma was still being comforted by her parents and Una. She pushed away from her mother and watched Killian walk up with his father.
"No, I don't want to talk to you!" Emma said as she stormed off to her room. She slammed the door and sat at her vanity. She quietly let the tears run down her cheeks as it rained outside.
Downstairs, Killian tried to follow but Prince James stopped him.
"Perhaps you should leave her alone tonight, " James said as he held his hand to Killian's chest.
"I believe that's a grand idea," Hook said as he hooked Killian's arm and pulled him back. "Let her calm down. At least you can gauge her mood by the weather," Hook smirked at his son.
But his son was unamused. He did back down out of respect for Prince James. He watched as Snow went after her daughter and his own mother scowled at him.
"What were you thinking?" She asked him.
"I wasn't, mother and I want to fix it," Killian pleaded.
"Not tonight," Una said as she wrapped her arm around her sons'. "Tonight let he be and get some rest."
"Everyone keeps saying that but I want to make it right and prove to her that I do love her," Killian said as he walked with his mother and father.
"I understand lad, but you have to understand how women work," Hook said as he walked on the other side of him.
Una looked past her son to her husband, "And just how do they work my dear?" She asked in a serious but playful tone.
"Please you two, this is serious. I want the love that you two have and that the Charmings have," Killian said bowing his head down and stood in front of his bedroom door.
"And you will lad. Just let it rest tonight," Hook said to his son as he patted him on the shoulder and reached out for Una.
Una placed her hand on her son's cheek. "She will come around. Just wait until tomorrow. It will all work out, you'll see." She smiled and kissed his cheek and took Hooks offered hand.
Killian watched his parents walk to their room and he could hear his mother giggle. They were truly in love after all these years and all they went through. That's what Killian wanted with Emma. He thought to himself as he walked into his room and shut the door. He had to prove to Emma before it was too late.
Emma stood on her balcony and looked out at the night sky. She had settled down enough for the moon to come out. She was staring at it thinking about what had happen earlier.
"How could he do that to you?" A dark voice came from nowhere.
Emma looked around and saw nobody. "Is someone there?" She asked into the void.
"Yes," the voice answered from next to her.
She was almost afraid to turn and face whoever or whatever the voice was. When she finally built up the courage to turn. She was faced with a shadow that had purple eyes. She gasped a little. "Who or what are you?"
"I'm the shadow of Neverland. A place to get away and never grow old," the shadow tells Emma.
"Never grow old? Why would anyone never want to grow old?" Emma questioned.
"You'd be amazed. In Neverland you can fly and have great adventures," he said trying to trick Emma into coming on her own free will.
"You can fly? That's amazing," Emma chimed.
"Come with me," the shadow said as it flew around to be in front of her and he offered her his hand. "You can have a grand adventure in Neverland." Emma was reaching up to take the shadows hand. "The Lost Boys need a new leader."
Emma quickly pulled her hand away, "Lost Boys?"
The shadow circled her, "Yesss," it hissed out of irritation. "The Lost Boys are boys that were unloved and uncared for that I brought to Neverland to have grand adventures and freedom."
"I'm no one's leader," Emma said as she turned to walk back in her room but the shadow blocked her. She gasped and suddenly grew nervous. "Please move out of my way," she said sternly.
"I think we both know that's not going to happen, Princess," the shadow said as it got closer to her. Emma slowly walked backwards until she bumped into the railing of her balcony.
Killian stood outside of Emma's door trying to build up the courage to knock. He paced back and forth repeating his speech to her over and over in his head. He didn't want to screw it up again. He stopped pacing and stood in front of her door, he raised his right hand to knock but before his knuckles could reach the hard wood door he heard Emma scream.
His eyes filled with fear as he yelled her name through the door, "Emma!" He heard her scream again this time for help. Killian rammed his body against the door twice before it finally broke open. He quickly scanned the room and didn't see Emma right away but finally caught a glance of her on the balcony struggling. "Emma!" He yelled again as he ran towards her.
Emma quickly glanced into her room at Killian as he rushed to the balcony. "Killian!" She yelled before she was jerked away.
Killian reached for her but it was too late. Whatever had her, had her high enough in the sky that he couldn't reach her. "Emma!" He yelled again as he scanned around her to see what had her and all he could see was two glowing purple eyes. "I will find you! I will always find you!" Killian after her.
This calmed Emma and she yelled back, "I know you will!"
Just then James, Snow, Una, and Hook came running out on the balcony.
"What's happening?" Snow and James said at the same time as they watched their daughter fly off.
"Pan's shadow!" Una gasped as she held onto Hook.
"Aye," Hook agreed. "He's taking her to Neverland."
Una began to shake. "Does that mean Pan has escaped?"
Hook pulled Una closer to her him. "I don't know, love."
"What does this mean? Why has he taken Emma?" Snow asked.
"To get Killian," Baelfire answered as he walked in with his father Rumplestiltskin.
"We know that his shadow is free and it's trying to bring back Killian to release Pan. But, the shadow doesn't realize that Emma has power as well," Rumple explained. "How much has Regina taught our princess?"
Snow and James looked at each other and back at Rumple. "She's working on controlling her feelings and I think she can now move objects," Snow answered.
"We need to get to Neverland," Killian interrupted.
"Nah lad, you're not going. I almost lost your mother to that bloody island. I'm not losing my son," Hook argued.
"Father don't you see it has to be me that saves her. I have to prove my love to her. It has to be me," Killian said as he walked out of the room. "So, either you're with me or you're not but some how I will figure out how to get to Neverland and save my swan."
Emma fought the shadow as much as she could but it was useless, it was much stronger than her. They flew over the ocean and towards two stars that lit the night sky. Suddenly a familiar story came to her. The story of Peter Pan and his shadow, that he tried to keep Una in Neverland because the magic her baby possessed. That baby was Killian! She thought to herself. The shadow was kidnapping her to bring Killian to Neverland to free Pan from Pandora's box. She again began to struggle as they went through a portal. She could see Neverland in the distance and was getting closer and closer. Before she knew it they had reached the island and the shadow was putting her down on the beach.
"Someone will come for you," it said before it flew off.
Emma turned and watched it leave. She was distracted by a noise coming from the trees. A tall boy came out from behind a bush.
"Who are you?" Emma asked as she began to back away. She didn't realize that more boys emerged from the trees.
"Don't worry Princess, we'll take good care of you until your pirate comes to save you," the tall boy said to her as another boy put a bag over her head. She fought them the best she could but there were too many of them. Before she knew she was tied and thrown into what felt like a cage. She felt the cage move as she pulled the bag off of her head. She was angry and the weather showed it.
"Where is this storm coming from?" A boy asked.
"I don't know but it came out of no where," another boy said.
Emma looked around and saw she was in what looked like a bamboo cage, four boys carried her and followed the tall boy with blonde hair.
"Who are you?" Emma asked the tall blonde boy. He ignored her and kept walking through the jungle. "You work for Pan, don't you?" She asked again with no answer. They reached a clearing in the jungle with a fire in the middle and one lone tree house. The boys set the cage down with a thump.
The tall boy turned to face Emma. "You can stay in this cage and rot for all I care or you can behave and stay in the tree house. Which will it be?" He asked.
Emma looked up at the treehouse. "The treehouse," she answered.
The tall boy nodded at another boy and he opened the cage. "You can go up there and stay there until you are needed," the tall boy ordered her. She climbed the ladder and looked around the tree house. There was a bed and a small couch on one side and on the other was a vanity. She sat at the vanity and looked at herself in the mirror as a tear trickled down her cheek and it began to rain.
Killian helped his father load the Jolly Roger with supplies, as the rescue party assembled on deck. The Charmings, Killian's parents, Regina, Robin Hood, Rumple, Belle, Baelfire, and Graham.
Killian looked at his father. "I really should be doing this alone," he said as they prepared to set sail.
Hook looked at his son. "We have to do this together my boy. Your mother and I have dealt with Pan before, and it's no bloody picnic." He paused, "Besides, it's you the shadow is after he's just using Emma to get you to Neverland. If it were up to your mother and I, you won't be coming on this adventure."
"Why me?" Killian asked.
"Because you are the product of true love. That's where your magic comes from, magic that Pan needed to live forever," Hook said as Rumple walked up to them both.
"Well let's hope that whoever has freed the shadow doesn't realise that Emma has magic too and uses her to free Pan," Rumple said
Emma sat staring at her reflection in the mirror. When she heard someone coming up into the treehouse. She looked over at the entrance as Felix walked in with a small box that had a red stone in it. She learned his name from the other boys.
"What's that?" Emma asked him.
"In this?" Felix held up the small box. "This Emma, is your freedom."