Chapter 10

Her mother and their companions were not nearly as sure about her decision. Hell, she wasn't sure either, but for once she wanted to take a chance, to give him a chance to prove himself trustworthy. And if this was what it took to find her son and take them all back to Storybrooke, she would do it...

"Let's just get to the point, Mr Gold. You said you might know where I was in the missing year, and where my son may still be." Emma said authoritatively.

Gold just smirked. "You might ask a bit more nicely. I am, after all, doing you a favor, while it should be the other way around."

Emma gave him a tight smile. "Mr Gold, will you please do me a favor and help me solve the question of the year? Because certainly, you're doing me a favor and you have no personal interest in this, just like in everything else you ever did." she said, tone dripping with sarcasm.

Gold scrutinized her for a moment, and she raised her eyebrows expectantly.

He sighed. "All right, Miss Swan. It so happens that around the time you came into this town, I was trying to create a portal to the Enchanted Forest. A quite difficult feat in a land without magic, and would have required a big sacrifice on my part, but my need was urgent. I had borrowed Jefferson's hat and was ready to do the required on the edge of town, but I got interrupted. By the time I returned, the hat was gone, and so was a certain kidnapper with the Mayor's baby, who seemingly disappeared into nothingness. At first I wondered how anyone could have activated the portal, but then I realized… the person who kidnapped the baby was his own mother, the Savior, who was made up of the strongest magic in all realms, and so didn't need any external aid to use the portal."

There was a moment of silence as what he had said sank in. Emma opened her mouth, closed it, and then shook her head before finally managing to say something. "So… I was in the Enchanted Forest for a year. With my son. And I returned without him?"

"Apparently." Gold replied. "When the portal returned, you were unconscious, and alone. You turned up just beyond the town line, it's a wonder someone out there found you."

Emma paced, thinking. "So for any hope of finding my son, I will have to go back to the Enchanted Forest. How does that work out, anyway? Isn't it supposed to be destroyed?"

"That was what should have been, but considering you took a trip to and back from the Enchanted Forest, I'd say it is still there. And, assuming that my guess is correct and you don't know the identity of your daughter's father, not completely uninhabited." He said.

Emma tried to mull over the information she just got. "Thank you." She muttered, and turned to leave.

"Oh, and Miss Swan?" Gold called after her. "While you are there, I do hope you won't mind collecting something for me."

"Knew you had some reason to help me." Emma said, "I don't know if I'm going. I need to think this through."

Unfortunately, she never got the time to do that.

A zombie attack, a kidnapped princess, and a ransom message later, they sat on the forest floor trying to figure out what to do.

"There's no choice. We'll have to give up the compass." Mulan stated.

"We can't let Cora get to Storybrooke!" Snow argued.

"We can't let Aurora die either!" Mulan retorted.

"Then we'll have to find a way to do both. We aren't going to give up the compass, nor will we sacrifice Aurora." Emma said.

"If you have any grand ideas about how you plan to do that, pray tell us." Mulan said skeptically.

Emma took a deep breath. "We'll have to break into Cora's hideout."

"That'll be suicide!" Hook finally spoke up. "You have no idea of the amount of protection spells that surround the place.

"No, but you do." Emma said, "I'm pretty sure you can take us in."

Hook was stunned for a moment, but regained his composure. "While I'm flattered that you'll trust me with your life, lass, I don't think your mother or the warrior feel the same way. Which brings me to my plan: I go there and free the princess, and possibly steal the ashes as well."

"And you think we'll trust you with that?" Mulan scoffed.

"At least it's better than me leading you all to your potential death." Hook retorted sarcastically. "Look, if the princess isn't back with you before Cora's deadline, go ahead and do whatever it takes to free her, and kill me too if you desperately want to, though I know you won't do that to this devilishly handsome face." He raised his hands in surrender at their no-nonsense expression.

"Okay." Emma said, "But the compass stays with us, and we'll keep a backup plan. If you aren't back with Aurora within five hours, we'll go ahead."

"As you wish."

Emma smiled slightly despite herself, though he certainly didn't know the reference.

"Wake up! Wake up, princess, WAKE UP!" he said urgently as Aurora came to.

"W-w-what?" Aurora mumbled. "What are you doing here?"

He looked around to check for Cora's presence. "Saving your life. Now, follow me. Quick!"

He led her to the back entrance and let her sneak out, telling her the location of the clearing her companions were assembled in.

"What about you?" she asked.

"I'm going to try and steal the ashes, but you must go!" Hook instructed.

She nodded, and ran off. He went back in to wait for Cora.

"Looking for something, milady?" he smirked as Cora turned to him in surprise.

After a moment, she sneered. "Hello, Hook. I didn't think you will show your face after your betrayal, though I did expect your betrayal after she turned up. After all, it's Emma we're talking about. I won't beat around the bush. Where is my prisoner?"

"Oh, I had to let her go." He said casually.

"Oh did you?" she said calmly, though her eyes were burning with rage. She waved her hand, and he found himself knocked against the wall, stone cuffs holding him up.

"I don't think you would like to leave your 'son' orphaned, and nor would you ever betray your dear Emma. So why are you here, Hook?"

He smirked. "See, you're right about the first thing. If I intended to die, I would have told Emma where to find her son first. But as for betraying Emma, well… given the right incentive, I might be so inclined. For her own good, of course."

Cora raised an eyebrow.

"I changed my mind, about going to Storybrooke. I realized that there's no way I could get both my revenge and my love and family. Going there, so close to Rumpelstiltskin, it will be too tempting."

"So you want them to be left stranded here, separated forever from their family, and then you'll reunite Emma with her only remaining family, her long lost son?" Cora said, slightly impressed.

He shrugged. "She learned to love me once here, maybe she'll do it again. Can't say the same for where we'll end up going, if I do get there, that is. She has tried to ditch me already. This time she might even take away my son."

She scrutinized him for a moment. "You're lucky I believe you." With a wave of her hand, he fell down on the floor.

He got up. "Now that that's settled…"

She cut him off, "Let me finish, Hook. I believe you, but… If you want my help, you will have to earn it. You helped Emma Swan get the compass, so now it's your job to steal it back."

Hook let out a guffaw. "Well, I'm afraid it's a bit late to say that."

Cora looked at him, confused.

He handed her a satchel. "A gift for you, milady."

Cora opened it, and a smile came up on her face. "The compass. You already stole it."

"Aye." He said with a smirk.

A/N: Boom! So who's side is Hook actually on? Well, who knows ;)

Long wait, I know. But a slightly longer chapter as well to make up for it.