Already working on the next chapter of this. Inspiration has finally struck, and I know exactly what I want to do for it. :) This chapter is super short, but the next one should be longer. Thank you for the continued support of this story, and to Michebellaxo for being my beta!
Deception
Chapter 7
Emma trudged through the thick foliage behind Regina and Hook. She scowled as she dodged yet another branch Regina carelessly let go behind her. "Do you mind?" she growled in frustration.
Regina looked over her shoulder, blinking at her with an empty expression before turning back around.
"Right. Stupid question." She looked around at the jungle-like atmosphere, not finding any sort of natural trail or markings of any kind that would lead her to believe Hook knew where he was going. "How well do you know this place again?" she asked with concern.
"Don't worry, love," Hook told her. "It may not look like much, but this is the right path. We can move faster going this way, and cutting through the heart of Neverland will give us more chance to intercept your boy before Pan can get him to Dead Man's Ridge."
A shiver ran down her spine at the way Hook said the name and the fear got the better of her. "Is it really as bad as it Gold made it sound?" she asked hesitantly, not sure that she wanted the answer.
"Rumplestiltskin?" Hook questioned. "Aye, it's worse. The decades I spent here..." he trailed off, an unpleasant expression on his face. "Let's just say that some things cannot be unseen."
Regina sighed. "So dramatic."
"I only speak the truth," Hook defended irritably. "And what would your majesty know about Neverland?" He looked over at her as she continued walking.
"Enough to know I don't want my son spending any more time here alone!" she spat. "The two of you are wasting valuable time and energy talking."
"Shh," Hook said, looking off to the left.
"Oh, that's rich!" Regina snarked.
"No!" Hook whispered harshly. "There's someone else here." He threw his hand out to halt their movement and Regina nearly ran into him, but this time, she remained quiet.
Sure enough, the sound of plants being crushed underfoot was heard, and it gradually grew louder the longer they listened. The three held their breath and Hook motioned for them to hunker down; an attempt to hide them from view of whoever was traveling in their direction.
As it grew louder, it became apparent that there were more than one, and the sounds of an argument traveled across the tops of the ferns.
After another minute, the words and the people speaking them became clear.
"I'm not accusing you of anything, David! I'm just saying that you seem different."
"Well, it's not exactly a vacation, is it? We're all under a lot of stress."
"I know that. I just...we've been through a lot before, and you've never been...I just want to know if there's something else? Is anything wrong?"
"No! And I wish that you'd stop asking me that! I'm fine! Except that you keep bothering me about my behavior!"
Emma stood up from her hiding spot. "Seriously?!"
Gold, Mary Margaret and David all jumped at her sudden appearance.
"We were supposed to split up!" she directed at Gold. "You started off to the right of us! And now here you are, arguing loudly, in the complete opposite direction of where you're supposed to be, and I feel like we're not any closer to finding Henry!"
Regina gave David a scalding look as she rose to her feet along with Hook.
Snow looked appropriately chastised, but Gold was looking at Hook. "I was leading them straight through," he said roughly, lacking the defensive tone Emma had been expecting. She grew even more concerned when Hook looked up toward the direction they'd been traveling and a serious expression replaced the one of pure loathing.
"You know what this means, crocodile?" he asked, and for once, Gold didn't respond to the barb.
"Pan knows we're here."
"And he's up to his old tricks."
"What do you mean, Pan knows?" Emma asked. "How do you know that? And what old tricks?"
"We've been led off course," Gold told her. "And trust me, dearie, that means nothing good for us. From this point on, we're going to have to stick together. Much as I detest the thought," he said sharply, looking back at Hook.
David looked between the two and then over at Regina. "If he knows we're here, doesn't that mean we should think of a different plan? Wouldn't it be more dangerous going to Dead Man's Ridge if they're expecting us?"
"It's still where he'd be taking Henry," Hook told him, sounding irritated. "So if you want to get the lad back, aye. It's forward to Dead Man's Ridge."
"That just sounds more and more appealing every time someone says it," Emma said sarcastically. "Let's get a move on, then. The sun's already starting to set," she pointed out, gesturing at what had already started as a faint light dimming even further through the trees.
"Right you are," Hook agreed, but before he'd started walking again, Gold moved to take the lead.
The pirate growled and moved to confront his old enemy, but a sharp look from Emma had him biting his lip angrily and shaking his head as he followed without a fight. He'd have to wait.
After a rough morning, Regina lay back on the shelf that was her bed and closed her eyes. The guards had come not long after breakfast to drag her away, and she'd been terrified. Dr. Valery hadn't been there, and she was grateful she'd been able to wear her mask once again with the guards, but it seemed it didn't work with David anymore, and so he'd followed them as far as he could before one of the other guards grabbed him firmly.
It had been for a shower and a fresh change of clothes. As much as she despised the one-piece white jumpsuit they'd provided for her, she was relieved to have something clean to wear again. After a few days of being locked up and then tortured, she'd been ready for something fresh to wear and a chance to wash her hair. The woman that had guarded the door during her shower was someone she hadn't seen before. She didn't speak harshly like the others, though she barely spoke at all. She disappeared again, replaced with the rough guards who'd brought her once she'd dressed.
They'd taken David next, and now Regina was left to ponder alone in her cell until he returned. So far, there hadn't been any indication that the people running this prison intended to close the doors between their cells. Even now, Regina's door was open. She thought briefly about trying to escape when they returned, but immediately discarded the idea. There were far too many guards and she had no idea how to get out of the rooms beyond this one. She'd tried to keep track of what she'd seen so far of the prison; making a map of sorts in her head, but it was built like a maze; meant to confuse those contained within.
For now, she was still considering the events of the previous day. Things had started falling into place in her mind and she thought, maybe, just maybe, she might have an idea of what these people were up to. She'd been thinking now about a way to test her theory, and soon, she'd know if she was right. And if she was, then maybe they'd have a way out.