A/U So I literally just finished this and have gone over it once so it might not be flawless but I felt bad because I haven't updated in a month and I left a cliff-hanger last time so… here it is!
Chapter Eleven: The Eboli
It all happened too fast.
One minute he was standing, ready for the impact of the beast sprinting through the forest towards him. And the next he was rolling around, trying to fend off the iridescent claws of the monster clawing viciously at him, hissing in pain when its claws reached past his leather clad chest and thinly covered arms.
It was a long time before they stopped moving, and when they did, it was in a small clearing.
Of bloody course, Killian thought, his mind drifting to images of a Spartan warrior in an arena. Neverland was a lot like Ancient Rome in that sense; kill or be killed. He pulled himself into a standing position almost immediately, eyes fixed on the thing as it uncurled and faced him head on.
He was right about his prediction. It was an Eboli: the ancient pixie word for pain.
The great creature had the build of a jungle cat, its head sleek with glossy black fur, from neck down, covered in silver scales. It roared once, a colossal boom that nearly drowned out the sound of something in the distance growing louder. His ears perked at the noise to his left and he focused on it: a familiar male voice calling out.
"Emma!"
It was Neal.
Why was he calling out to Emma?
He didn't have the opportunity to ponder the thought because all too quickly, the Eboli was rushing towards him, sprinting unnaturally fast across the space separating them and launching at him. Killian dodged the creature and tried to roll away, crying out in pain when a stick dug into one of his already open wounds. He winced and bit down on his lip, holding his arm and forcing himself into a standing position.
He saw the Eboli rear its head, and growl a guttural sound, tensing to launch at him again. And he coiled his muscles to jump out of the way, when there was commotion to his right.
Killian kept his eyes on the beast even as he heard the sound of someone approaching. The Eboli turned to look for the source of the noise and Killian felt a window of opportunity open as he padded silently over the grass towards the distracted monster, its eyes honing in on something in the darkness.
He was approximately four metres away from it when there was a distinct sound to his right.
And the voice that yelped in surprise made him turn, regardless of the threat in his immediate vicinity.
He watched as she dived onto the grass at the edge of the clearing, looking as though she'd just tripped. The Eboli glanced between Killian and the newest option, evidently trying to decide which it wanted to make a meal out of.
He didn't even think about drawing attention to himself as he bellowed at her, "Swan! What the hell are you doing? Get out of here!" Killian heard the Eboli growl as he called out and turned to it, bracing himself for impact as he expected to see it flashing its silver pinpoint fangs. But, as he pivoted in the direction of the hybrid jungle cat, he watched as it bounded over to stand directly in front of Emma.
And Killian's heart stopped.
He watched as Emma pushed herself up onto her hands and knees and froze, reacting to the sound the Eboli made in the depths of its chest as it rumbled like a volcano ready to erupt.
Killian scanned her quickly and blanched at what he saw.
She was weaponless.
He'd forgotten to hand her something, anything, to defend herself.
"Don't… move," he said with forced composure, watching as Emma lifted her head up to look at the beast, her arms and legs held to such stillness, she almost looked like a statue. The beast growled again and he could see as its hackles rose, the sound of its snarl broadening as though it had opened its mouth wider.
Killian glanced from the Eboli to Emma just as she looked to him and he watched as the usually indifferent green irises glinted with uninhibited dread. He could only guess what she saw in his eyes at that moment, and quickly formed a resolve to stay strong. He'd dealt with Neverland's beasties before; this was no different.
Except this time you're trying to keep someone else alive, a small voice whispered mockingly.
He ignored it, pulling out his sword with one swift movement and levelling Emma with a meaningful look. Killian pulled back the blade, swinging it over his head before hurling it forward, taking a step towards the Eboli to give it more momentum as it sliced through the air.
"Run!" he called to Emma, even before the blade planted itself in the Eboli's shoulder.
The best howled in pain, turning around with fire in its green eyes; if it had been hunting for food before, now it was hunting for of blood. Emma moved quickly away from the Eboli, scuffling backwards before standing up and running to the other side of the clearing. But she was completely forgotten, the monster's sights now focused entirely on Killian.
It turned around, teeth bared, tail swooshing threateningly as it took a limped step forward.
It growled again and Killian watched as it moved towards a tree, trying furiously to remove the sword from its shoulder. With the Eboli otherwise preoccupied, he turned his attention briefly to Emma.
"Get out of here, now!" he yelled, pointing to the trees.
But she didn't move and he found the heat in his face was no longer from exertion but from anger.
"Swan, go! I'll find you! Just go!" he tried, mistakenly assuming her reason for not moving was that she didn't want to get lost in the Neverwoods. To be completely honest, he didn't like the idea of sending her out into the dark foliage alone but it sure as hell beat sticking around for the Eboli to come out and play.
But still she didn't move, her feet seemingly rooted to the spot as she appeared to war with herself.
He frowned at her and was about to order her away again when the Eboli's growl close by made him turn. It scratched at the ground twice, sharp claws slicing through the hard packed dirt like it was nothing more than silk, and sprung forward. He was only just able to dodge it again, pulling out a smaller blade at his side as he did and shoving the sharp end into the Eboli's shoulder.
The beast howled and pulled its paws around, snapping at the air as he held onto the hilt. Its claws sliced through the skin on his chest, completely bypassing the tough leather of his vest, leaving deep gashes he knew would later hurt. But for now, the adrenaline pumping through his veins kept it thankfully numb as he tried to tug his weapon out of the Eboli. But it wouldn't budge and, as the beast's claws whipped out again, he was forced to let go of the hilt and step back, ducking and rolling out of its reach.
He pulled himself up, looking up to meet the beast's eyes and distantly registered that the iridescent green orbs might just be the last thing he saw in this lifetime. Green eyes weren't necessarily a bad last image, but he did wish they belonged to something else - or rather, someone else.
Killian braced himself as he watched the Eboli snap angrily at the air and kick its hind legs, preparing to spring at him again. He tried to glance over the thing's broad silvery shoulders, trying to catch a glimpse of Emma so he could order her to run as fast as she could, as far as she could. But he couldn't see her and for a moment he felt relief that she'd actually done what he told her to do.
He should have known better than to assume when it came to her.
The Eboli coiled itself, ready to spring towards the pirate, when it suddenly howled very loudly and turned around. As it did, he could see a very long, very sharp piece of wood lodged into its back leg.
And behind it, now visible as the Eboli stumbled slightly to the side, was Emma. Her eyes were wide with sudden fear as the beast turned on her and Killian felt a mixture of frustration and gratitude. Though it was mostly the former.
"Emma, get up that tree! For the love of God, do what I say for once," he yelled, picking up a large rock and throwing it at the Eboli, whose attention was now consumed by the blonde.
Surprisingly, this time she actually did as she was told, and turned around to purchase a strong grip on the lowest branch of the tree directly behind her. The Eboli howled and started running for the tree and Killian was swiftly behind it, aiming his rock and thrusting it forward. It hit the beast square in the back of the head and it turned around briefly to yap at the pirate before continuing its course towards Emma who had just made it up to the first branch and was trying to pull herself up to the second one.
He almost saw what would happen before it did as the monster bounded forward with its jaws wide open. Emma saw it too and followed the beast's line of sight to her dangling legs, trying to pull them away and only just managing to divert some of the blow.
Killian sighed with relief as he saw the Eboli fall down, its teeth having missed the target of her legs, and pivoted. It was still focused on Emma who had just managed to climb to the second branch, thankfully careful to keep her legs on the tree branch now. The Eboli eyed her viciously and shuffled around the base of the tree, yelping occasionally when a movement would aggravate the two objects stuck into its back.
It tried to jump up again to bite her and landed with its back facing Killian.
He smiled, an adrenaline-fuelled, ridiculous grin, and launched himself towards the scaled surface, his hand reaching out automatically for the already deeply embedded dagger. The Eboli roared as he landed and stuck his hook into its neck as an anchor, holding on for dear life as it reared backwards and tried to bite at his arm.
Killian pushed down hard on the hilt of his weapon, feeling as it sliced through the beast's tender muscle. The Eboli roared louder still and tried more fervently to land a blow, but he just continued to push, regardless of the world spinning around him as the beast ran from side to side and bucked upwards. With one final shove, Killian felt the blade give way at something tough and he was thrown from the beast as it abruptly stopped moving, falling in a heap on the forest floor as he was tossed to the grass near the base of the tree Emma was sitting in. He grunted in pain at the sudden change in velocity and scrambled for a moment, turning to look at the silvery-mass that had just dropped to the ground. Dead.
It took a moment for it to sink in and Killian tried to calm his rapid breathing, the realisation that the monstrous beast was dead and they were alive seeping slowly into his taut muscles. He turned his head to look at the lifeless form of the Eboli again, ensuring it was truly dead before looking up at the foliage above and the sky beyond that with a heavy exhale. He was vaguely aware of a sharp stinging pain in his chest and arms, steadily increasing in intensity as his breaths slowed.
Beside him, he heard as two feet landed on the ground and he looked to where Emma had just landed, a soft hiss escaping her mouth as she looked down at her left leg for a moment before turning to him. He pushed himself up as she made her way towards him and almost immediately grabbed a delicate hold of her chin, tilting it up and checking her face for any contusions.
"Are you hurt?" he asked, staring at her hard.
Emma pulled away from him, her hand reaching up to push his away and she shook her head, "No."
He gave her a long look, probing her words for any hint of falsity, "Are you sure?"
She nodded feebly, her eyes wandering to the beast lying on the ground not five metres from them, "Yeah."
"Good. Now what the bloody hell were you thinking?" he demanded, his eyes flashing angrily as he maintained her stare. Emma's eyebrows pulled together in confusion as she returned his gaze.
"What?"
"You nearly died – again!" Killian hissed through his teeth, unadulterated anger rising up in him like lava as he saw in his mind again what had just happened, her facing the Eboli, her refusing to run, her nearly getting her legs ripped off, "We only just got you back and already you're throwing caution to the wind for no good reason!"
He was unsurprised when she reacted almost immediately, her initial confusion evaporating in the face of confrontation. Emma Swan did not take to being admonished well, especially when she considered it undeserved.
She narrowed her eyes incredulously, "And you don't consider your life ample reason?" she retorted.
Killian shook his head simply, "No."
Emma's mouth opened and closed and for a moment she seemed taken aback, her eyes roaming over him in a way that felt far too abysmal considering the tension floating in thick in the air. There was a second where her blue-green eyes softened and he saw understanding flicker briefly before being extinguished, her walls re-erected as she shook her head and glared at him.
"Are you serious?" she pointed to the black mound to her right, "I just saved your life –"
"And nearly got yourself killed in the process! You're a bloody idiot!" Killian cut her off, unyielding with his sudden onset of outrage.
Emma was abruptly very close to him as she shoved him backwards with such force that he actually stumbled, "And you're an ass hole! I save your ass and this is how you thank me?"
Killian stepped forward, "Well I'm sure as hell not thanking you for taking a stupid gamble on your bloody life!"
"I –" she tried to start but words began spilling from his mouth like an unstoppable current, sparking in the air and leaving them both breathless.
"Why didn't you run when I told you to run?" he stepped closer so they were toe-to-toe and his eyes bore down into her like drills, the ice blue drowning her as he hissed the words with a narrowed gaze, "Do you really distrust me so much that you're willing to jeopardize your life?"
"That's not –"
"I'd wager you thought I was going to abandon you out here! Just like on the beanstalk, you thought I would turn on you! Back to square-fucking-one –"
"I wasn't about to let you die!" she finally yelled, the honesty and anger in her voice mixing together to create a tone he'd never heard the blonde use. He knew she wasn't lying but, despite the voice in his head urging him to let it go, to turn around and head back to the group, to end whatever this was on the spot, he scoffed disdainfully.
"Oh, come off it Swan. Why would you care?" he said. The resent-laced words out before he could stop them; apparently narrowly escaping death produced the perfect moment to bring out all the unspoken antagonism. "I bet your beloved family didn't even tell you –"
"Tell me what?" she interrupted, eyes wide with frustration and something utterly unidentifiable as she spoke, "That you're the only reason we're here – I'm here? That you led this entire expedition?"
"That I put sodding everything on hold – for you!" his words reverberated in the air for a second but he didn't stop, the bitter resentments flowing from his lips like an overwhelming tsunami of pent up anger, "That I've sailed into the heart of a land I spent three centuries trying to escape to save you! And you throw yourself headfirst into danger!" He waited for her response, sure that she would counter something with her sharp tongue and unyielding temper. But, as the silence stretched on uncomfortably and she just continued to stare at him in shock, he found his voice.
Killian shook his head and turned around, walking towards the Eboli to pull out his smaller blade, "Why would you evenwant to save me?"
Her response came as though without thought, "Because I need you," she stammered for a second as he turned to face her, eyes locking onto hers in the moonlight, "we need you… we need you to help us," she corrected quickly. He smirked mirthlessly and shook his head, walking in the direction she had initially come and automatically expecting she would follow. He hadn't, however, expected her to do so quickly and spoke his next words ostensibly to himself.
"Oh, I'm sure your Neal could lead you all out just fine."
He realised his mistake too late when he heard her sidle up to him and grab his arm, turning him and pulling them both to a stop on the edge of the clearing.
"What the hell does Neal have to do with this?" she demanded exasperatedly. Killian shrugged off her purchase on his arm and levelled her with a patronizing stare.
"Nothing," he said, "absolutely nothing."
Killian turned to start walking but once again she grabbed his arm and forced him to turn and face her as she jeered, "Oh, spit it out Hook. Don't hold it in on my account."
He leaned even closer to her, looming over her as he enunciated every syllable very clearly, "I have nothing to say."
She stared back at him with unwavering indignation, "Lie."
Killian bit down on his lip in irritation for a long moment, studying her face carefully in his shadow.
"Has anyone ever told you how annoying that is?" he asked, the bite in his tone lesser now.
"On many occasions," she replied instantly, meeting his gaze full-force. As the silence encroached on the pirate and the princess, both became very aware of how close they were standing, of how his chest brushed hers with ever inhale, of how their breaths mingled in the inch separating their faces.
"We should get back," Killian murmured, finding his gaze haphazardly drawn to her lips.
Emma nodded in agreement, leaning back as her eyes stayed focused on him. He too leaned away, taking a step back as he feared not doing so would lead to him initiating something he might regret. As the electricity in the air faded and reality seeped in, the pirate looked to the sky and turned back to the blonde now separated from him by a good metre and a half.
"Follow me," he instructed indifferently, walking into the forest in the direction he was sure led to the rest of their small expedition party. She followed behind him, though this time there was no speaking, just the sound of insects clicking around them and the occasional bird call floating ominously through the night.
They were walking for five minutes when her soft voice caught his attention, "How do you know where we're going?"
His gaze was drawn heavenward and he pointed to the sky, "Used the stars."
There was silence again for a moment until she asked, with a nearly indiscernible undercurrent of admiration, "How do you do that?"
"You learn a lot of things on the seven seas, love. You'd be surprised," he answered, stepping over a particularly large log and turning around to ensure she gotten over it without injury. He watched her step over it, her left leg giving way slightly when she landed on it, and noticed her eyes on him with a strange look. She stopped in front of them and there was a telling silence between them.
As he looked down at her, he sighed, "I won't apologise for being concerned for your safety or for being frustrated with your lack of basic self-preservation skills... But I had no right to admonish you the way I did."
Emma nodded, evidently appeased by the request for forgiveness and chewed her bottom lip for a short moment, considering something before she too opened her mouth, "And I'm sorry for yelling at you…. but you're right; you had no right to yell at me for covering your ass."
He smirked and shook his head, turning around and continuing their trek.
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Emma saw Neal first as he dropped out of the tree and instantly began running towards her. Her parents and the rest of their troop followed soon after, but Neal was still the first to reach her. As he did, his arms quickly crushed her to his chest and she grunted at the impact, struggling for a second before escaping his grip and giving him a tight-lipped smile.
"I'm fine," she said, and was taken slightly off guard when he too glared at her.
"What were you thinking?" he demanded as Mary Margaret and David reached them with Henry and Regina in tow. Emma was about to reply when Hook stepped forward, putting a hand out towards Neal.
"Don't worry, I've already dealt her the scolding of her life," he said as Neal's eyes landed on him.
Unwilling to deal with the two men, Emma turned to her family. Her parents didn't hug her this time, clearly having observed her aversion to the constant displays of affection after Neal's embrace. She moved towards her son first, the boy already walking forward with an astonished look on his face.
"What the heck was that?" Henry asked her, stopping in front of her.
Emma frowned, "Good question, kid. Hook, what was that?" She turned around to Hook and Neal just as the two men stopped their momentary stare-off so that the former could address her. A dark look passed over the pirate's face.
"An Eboli. Best we not run into any more of them," he said.
"Should we get back in the tree?" she asked, looking at the trunk their little group had just descended from.
But Hook shook his head and looked to Neal, "I don't think we should risk staying in here the night. It appears the Neverwoods are no longer predictable and so I'd prefer to escape this death trap as soon as possible."
Neal nodded, "I still don't know what that thing was doing this far South."
"Aye, we should best get moving," Hook said grimly, turning around and leading them into the trees again.
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It didn't take nearly as long to retrace their steps back to the shore, the downward slope paired with the fact that Emma was no longer a dead weight meant they reached the tree line just as dawn broke, the sun rising quickly up out of the dark sea. Killian sighed with relief as he saw the horizon ahead of them, and not far away the Jolly Roger. He'd been careful to stop the group whenever he was unsure of a sound, but, for some reason, nothing else had attacked them.
Something about that fact seemed off to Killian, but he wasn't about to question it – especially when they were on the home stretch. He ignored the nagging feeling at the back of his mind and pushed forward through the thin foliage, breathing in the fresh air as he reached the beach.
He didn't waste time in retrieving their concealed row boat and, with the assistance of Charming and Neal, dragged it into the water. He watched as their group filed into the small vessel, his eyes drawn in particular to Emma as she seemed to limp slightly across the shore.
Again, something strange nagged at him, but he ignored it.
All Killian wanted was to get back to Storybrooke; perhaps then he could get some rest. But, as his eyes were drawn to the blonde who sat with her son and Neal, he had a feeling that wouldn't happen. It was as though there was an intangible difference in the air between the princess and the pirate, but he couldn't place it and he had a feeling she couldn't either.
With Charming's help, Killian pushed off from the island and began rowing them back to the Jolly Roger.
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The second his feet hit the deck, Killian immediately moved towards the helm. On the main deck, he could see as Mary Margaret, David and Regina walked towards the hatch and disappeared below deck. Closer to the mast, he watched as Neal, Henry and Emma spoke, the blonde's easy smile simultaneously burning and calming him. She kept her eyes on her son, her hand ruffling his hair as he said something that made both her and Neal chortle with amusement.
Killian forced himself to look away from the happy family, focusing instead on drawing in the anchor with a tug on a special rope at his right, feeling as the weight magically retrieved itself from the sea-bottom and retracted back into the keel.
He looked to his left, watching the seemingly harmless and beautiful island and thanking the heavens they hadn't been forced to enter the Northern areas. It took more than luck to survive that particular district of the realm.
Killian let go of the helm, walking quickly down to the main deck and heading straight for another set of ropes, heaving on them once so the sails billowed out and the wind caught. He turned around, precisely aware of the happy family to his right, and once again ignored their presence, striding up the steps to the Quarterdeck and once again taking hold of the ship's wheel, turning it slightly as the Jolly Roger picked up speed, slicing through the water like a blade.
And, though he tried to restrain himself, he continued to glance down at her. His eyes constantly drawn to her face even as Henry left and she spoke in hushed tones to Neal. Their conversation was brief and Neal was soon heading below deck as well, leaving Emma alone on the main deck.
Killian looked back out towards the sea, and could feel it the second she turned to look at him. He heard her footsteps getting louder and only crooked his head to face her when she'd reached the Quarterdeck, standing almost awkwardly at the top of the small flight of stairs with her arms crossed. She took a step towards him, and he noticed with slight concern how she limped heavier now.
Killian frowned and raised his eyes to hers, "Is your leg alright?"
Emma looked down at her left leg and shook her head indifferently, "It's fine. Just something I got back when we were fighting the Eboli. Probably just scratched myself on the branches of the tree or something," she said, brushing it off and moving closer to the helm.
He nodded but made a mental note to keep tabs on it; the trees in Neverland were sometimes known to house slow-working paralytics. He would have asked her to check it, but (1) she would likely refuse him and (2) the toxins in the trees never showed physically until days after when the affects had actually worn off. Not truly life-threatening unless you were staying in the Neverwoods, but overall just an irritating poison.
"Alright – well, you should probably head below deck soon, love. We're heading for deeper waters so we can open the portal. And before you ask, we should be there by sundown," he said, turning the wheel as he did.
"I was actually going to ask you something else," Emma responded defensively.
Killian simply shrugged, "What is it?"
She paused for a second, before speaking confidently, "I need your help."
Her admission took him slightly off guard and he turned his face to shoot her a probing look, his brows furrowing as he studied her. She appeared unfazed by the request but he could easily see the hesitant undertones in her expression. Emma didn't ask for help, especially not from him. Killian kept his face neutral as he inquired, "With what?"
Her response was immediate, "I need to find somebody."
And so was his, "Who?"
Again she paused, and he could see the clogs turning in her mind, he could see her trying to decide if she should tell him. It was barely another second before she straightened herself, squaring her shoulders and lifting herself up ever-so-slightly, "A man I met in the wraith's void. His name is Lancelot."
Killian sighed and returned his attention to the wheel, "Darling, you do realise I only agreed to assist your charming family with your resurrection." She didn't reply and he glanced her out of his peripheral vision, her stance unwavering as she continued to stare at him expectantly. He wrung the wheel in his hands as he internally cursed, knowing it was already a losing battle.
He gave her a dubious look, "And you do understand that in order to save a person's soul, you must have four very important ingredients: fairy dust, a personal item, the temporarily deceased's body and an individual with a strong connection to them…"
Killian's voice drifted off as his mind was suddenly thrust back to Lilith's Lagoon: calling out, the glow of the lake in response, the hazy dots he felt only they could connect. Emma's face closed off and she looked down, her jaw rigid as she visibly got lost in her own thoughts.
There was a moment of silence and he looked away from her, feeling as though the air around them was suddenly too constricting, that the Quarterdeck was not large enough to house them both, that she was far too close to him. Finally, she looked up and spoke, her eyes flickering occasionally out to sea so she didn't quite look him in the eye.
"…Yeah, well he told me his wife's name. We need to find a woman named Gwen."
"And where would we find this lass; Gwen?"
"I think… I think she's in Neverland," Emma replied tentatively.
Killian frowned and shot her a sceptical look, raising an eyebrow as he considered her assumption, "Why in the world would you think that?"
She was unfazed by the visible disbelief on his face and shrugged, "Because the last time he saw her they were on the edge of a portal in the Enchanted Forest and I think she would have gone through with his body. And I don't think they would have ended up in reality – so my bet is here."
"Or Wonderland," Killian said.
Emma studied him carefully and his reluctance eventually registered, her eyes softening as her tone lowered, the faintest hint of pleading making its way into her words, "Look, I just have a gut feeling okay – and I owe him," she paused and he saw something like despondency flash in her blue-green eyes, "I might not be here if he hadn't helped me. I at least need to try. He saved my life." Her words resonated within him and he found himself wanting to ask what had happened, what had caused the morbid glint in her eyes, but he withheld the urge to verbalise his thoughts.
Killian gave her a hard look, but he could feel his resolve to leave fading, so he spoke bluntly, "Neverland is dangerous, Swan. The longer we stay, the greater the risk."
"I know it's not a lot to go on but… I need to do this and if you don't help me I'll do it on my own – and you know I will," she replied, face hardening with her own resolve and something else. There was a long moment of silence as he processed her words before he recognised the knowing undertones to her words and groaned; she knew she was forcing his hand by threatening to go solo. It should have been alarming, frankly it was just irritating.
He shook his head and turned towards the wheel, turning it so they were no longer heading out to open sea, "I have a contact in Calcava Port. We'll head there first – if this woman is here, he'll know about it. We'll start there, okay?"
If she wasn't in Neverland, she would be in Wonderland and Killian prayed to the gods they wouldn't have to traverse that puzzle of a realm. He was partially surprised when he heard her voice beside him.
"Thank you, Hook," she said earnestly.
He kept his expression indifferent and side glanced her, "Don't thank me yet; I have conditions."
And, just like lightning, the grateful expression vanished and she gave him a reproachful look, "Hook."
Killian shook his head and smirked, "Oh, please spare me the threats darling, my conditions are simple: follow my every order without question. Do that, and we might just survive." Emma's mouth thinned into a line on her face and she nodded once, taking a couple of steps back and turning towards the stairs. He saw from his peripheral vision as she moved to go back to the main deck and spoke again, catching her gaze and holding it, "See to it that your son stays below deck, we'll be heading into the denser population of this death trap and you don't want him spotted. Trust me."
She nodded again and, after a short second, spun on her heel and retreated below deck as Killian steered the ship back towards the heart of Neverland.
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Emma did as he said, walking quietly to the hatch and moving down into the ship's core. She walked along the hall until she was standing at a door where voices could be heard. Knocking lightly on the wooden surface, she waited a short moment before gently easing the door open and poking her head in.
Regina, Henry, Neal and her parents all looked up from their respective positions around the room as she entered. Her son smiled and stood, walking towards her and hugging her waist. He was hugging her an awful lot lately, but she didn't mind. She had missed him to the point of physical aching in the wraith's void. As he released her and took a step back, her eyes lifted from his head, searching the room for her parent's gaze and landing firmly on it.
"Hey, sweetie, how are you feeling?" Mary Margaret asked, smiling warmly at her daughter.
Emma walked forward with Henry and stood in front of the bed her parents were seated on.
"I'm fine," she answered simply.
Neal's voice caught her attention from across the other side of the room, his attention partly consumed by the deck of cards he was shuffling for Henry and himself. He looked up briefly as he spoke, "What were you and Hook talking about?"
Something about his tone set Emma's teeth on edge and she turned to him with narrowed eyes, "How do you know I was talking to Hook?"
He raised his eyebrows, "Why else would you have stayed above deck so long?"
She could feel her feathers ruffling at the resentful edge to his words though she conceded that he made a fair point. He knew her well enough to know she wasn't the type to stay out on deck just to 'enjoy the view.' She understood his darkened mood, though she didn't condone it. Above deck, after Henry had left, he'd made a remark that alluded to a rekindling of their relationship. Evidently, soft deflection wasn't what he wanted. But she hadn't outright rejected him; her mind was still too hazy to focus on the state of her relationships. She didn't know what she wanted, but she sure as hell wasn't ready to jump out of the frying pan and into the fire.
A small voice whispered in the back of her head, 'You know exactly what you want. You just aren't ready to admit it.'
Emma shivered subconsciously and focused her attention back on Neal, "We're not leaving yet."
Regina was the first to react, "What?" She walked quickly over to Emma, a reprimanding hint to the way she regarded the saviour, "Why in the hell would we stay here any longer?"
"Emma, what's going on?" Mary Margaret asked, standing up and approaching her daughter. The petite woman's eyebrows were drawn together when Emma looked at her and she glanced over her shoulder to where David sat. He fixed her with a questioning look and she began to explain.
"I met Lancelot in the wraith's void –"
"Lancelot?" Mary Margaret gasped, turning to share a brief look of shock with her husband. Henry piped up beside her, a wide grin spreading across his face.
"Wait – as in, Lancelot the knight?" he asked.
Emma nodded in response to her son's question and continued speaking, "He had his soul sucked when he and his wife were trying to escape Cora. I want to try and bring him back."
Regina scoffed, "You can't be serious? Do you know how difficult it was to get your soul back let alone someone who we don't know? It's impossible without –"
"I know, without a personal item and all that," Emma cut the mayor off, "But I know his wife's name. And I think she might be in Neverland. If we can find her, we can save him."
Mary Margaret beamed, "We can do it."
David stood and walked until he was behind his wife, one hand automatically moving to her waist. His eyes landed on Henry's form beside Emma and he met her gaze warily, the smile on her father's face faltering slightly.
"We should try to get Henry home," David said, nodding to the small boy who almost instantly began to protest. Mary Margaret cut off his whine, nodding fervently and looking in the direction of Neal. He was still shuffling the cards, a sullen look gracing his features.
"He should go back with Neal," she suggested authoritatively.
Regina raised her eyebrows, "He should go back with Neal and me."
Neal piped up as well, almost at the same time as the Evil Queen, "Hang on a second; I'm not leaving you to deal with this island on your own. Next to Hook, I know the most about this place." He placed the cards on the table and paced until he was standing in between Emma and Regina, his eyes locked on the blonde who groaned under her breath.
"Fine, Henry and I can travel to Storybrooke alone," Regina amended indifferently.
"I'm not so sure about that," David interceded firmly, "How do we know you won't destroy Storybrooke and return to the Enchanted Forest?"
The mayor narrowed her eyes, "You're really going to play the distrust card?"
Emma put her hands up, "Not now, guys. But David does have a point, Regina. You have an awful knack for trying to kill my family and friends." The woman in question shook her head in disbelief and gestured weakly to Henry.
"Do you really think I would jeopardize your life after I just spent at least a week of my life saving your ass?" she inquired with a raised eyebrow. Emma's lips pursed into a thin line as she contemplated the mayor's question, and nearly jumped when another voice entered the already crowded room.
"There's no point in arguing. There's no way to get Henry back to Storybrooke externally so if we're doing this, we're all doing this," Hook said, walking into the room and leaning against the wall lazily. Emma groaned again and tried to ignore the smile that bloomed on her son's face, especially when he directed it towards the pirate captain who she could swear winked at him in return.
"He can't just stay here - you said yourself it's dangerous for him," Emma tried, looking to Neal for support. He shrugged and shook his head, looking towards Hook with reluctant provision.
"He's right – even if we wanted to send Henry back to Storybrooke, we couldn't without the Jolly Roger. There are ways to get back but you need a vessel and seeing as how this is the only one we have, it's impossible," Neal explained unapologetically.
"Why didn't you say so at the beginning?" the blonde asked sharply.
"Because I couldn't get a breath in," he retorted instantly and Emma clenched her knuckles when she saw Hook smirk from the corner of her eyes. The blonde shook her head and sighed, looking down at her side to Henry whose grin could rival the Cheshire cat.
"Fine... Fine," she said exasperatedly, throwing her arms up in defeat, "We're all doing this." Emma turned to Hook again who was picking at his appendage absent-mindedly, "How long will it be until we reach port?" He looked up through his lashes, that familiar amused smirk still plastered on his lips as he studied their small congregation.
"We'll be there tomorrow morning," he replied, standing from his place against the wall. She watched him turn and felt concern bloom in her chest when he winced, his hand landing on his chest where she noticed the black material was darker and clung to his chest. How she hadn't noticed it earlier escaped her but she couldn't help the frown that marred her face as he headed towards the door.
"Try to get some rest," he said over his shoulder as he left the room. Emma's eyes stayed on the door a moment longer than necessary and, when she turned back, her parents had already sat down again and Regina was pacing, frustration obscuring the air around her, and Neal still stood beside her, his eyes on her face so that when she looked at him their eyes locked. Distantly, she saw something like realisation flash in his eyes but it disappeared before she could register it and he turned, Henry following him back to the table so they could play cards.
Emma stayed in the centre of the room for a moment, indecision playing out briefly in her mind before she turned on her heel and exited the room, heading down the corridor to where she knew the captain's quarters were located.
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