Chapter Eighteen

"I should toss the lot of you overboard," Hook said as he looked at Emma, Regina, Tinker Bell and Snow White standing in front of him and Baelfire, Charming, Robin Hood and Rumplestiltskin glared at them. One of the crew had found the women in the hold and brought them up on deck and Emma gave Hook a cool look.

"I dare you," she said as Hook walked closer and held his hook up like he was pointing his finger at her.

"Don't push me, Swan," he growled then sighed, lowering his hook. "Well, seeing that it's too late to turn around, you can stay."

"Seven hells," Rumplestiltskin grumbled while Charming, Robin and Baelfire walked to Emma, Regina and Snow White and he sat down hard on the barrel. He placed his face in his hands while shaking his head then looked up at the sky.

"Did you really think we'd stay behind?" Regina said as she sat on the barrel next to him and he looked at her. He never noticed that she had gone from wearing gowns, jewels and high heels to wearing a fawn color tunic, a brown leather vest, brown buckskin trousers and brown leather boots and a knife was in a sheath on her belt.

"Yes, I did," he said and she placed her hand on his shoulder. "At least Belle had the sense to listen to me."

"Someone had to look after the kids," she said and he arched an eyebrow.

"Your husband doesn't mind you left Roland behind?"

"Yes, he does, but I'll make it up to him," she said with a small smile.

"Just so we're clear. I'm the one in charge and you will do as I say. If I tell any of you to leave, you leave."

"Of course," she said and he sighed.

"Then let's get going," he said then stood up and walked to Hook.

"The last time we did this, we had a magic bean and Pan's shadow," Hook said, looking at the main sail.

"Then it's a good thing I came," Tinker Bell said when she walked to Hook and held her hand out. In the palm of her hand sat a magic bean and his eyes widened.

"Where did you get that, Love?" he asked.

"I "borrowed" it," she said with a grin and Hook took the magic bean, kissing her lips. He held the magic bean in his hand when he tossed the magic bean into the air and the magic bean hit the water. The water bubbled then sparkled in a blue/white light and a portal opened.

"To your stations," Hook shouted as his crew manned their stations and the others went to help while the Jolly Roger headed for the portal. Rumplestiltskin felt his stomach drop like last time as he held onto the rope and the wind wiped through his hair.

"Whoa, that is so cool," Henry said as he looked at the enchanted mirror and Roland sat on Belle's lap.

"Where're my mama and papa?" Roland asked and Belle moved her hand over the enchanted mirror, causing the blue mist to swirl around. Regina then Robin appeared as Roland smiled and leaned against Belle.

The portal swirled around them as Hook held onto the wheel and his hook dug into the wood railing. His crew tried to keep the ship on course as he felt his heart slamming in his chest and looked straight ahead. He had sworn he would never go back to Neverland, but the idea of Pan still being alive made his blood boil. He wondered if they would ever be free of him as he sighed and turned the wheel. The portal flared as the ship slammed onto the waves and the portal closed behind them. The crew cheered as he smiled and Tinker Bell slid her arms around him, hugging him.

"Well done, Captain," Rumplestiltskin said as he smiled at him and Hook nodded his head.

"Now what do we do?" Emma asked.

"We're going to have to be careful. The mermaids might still be working for him," Hook said.

"Should we go to Skull Island? We find a safe port there," Snow said.

"No," he said with a shake of his head. "I think I know where we can go. It's on the far end of the island, but it's surrounded by sharp rocks."

"We don't have any choice," Charming said and Hook nodded. Sighing, he turned the wheel and the Jolly Roger moved across the waves.

The sand crunched under their feet as they walked along the beach and Rumplestiltskin led the way. They had waited until morning to set foot on shore and the breakfast he had eaten felt like lead in his stomach. Hook walked beside him, but neither of them spoke and Rumplestiltskin looked straight ahead. Memories of the last time he was there filled his head as he balled his hands into fists and walked faster.

"Slow down," Hook said softly as Rumplestiltskin slowed down and Hook gave him a concerned look on his face. "Look, I don't know everything about what went on with you and Pan, but running head on is suicide."

Rumplestiltskin stopped as they looked at him and he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I am not suicidal if that's what you think," he said and gave them a blank look. "I just want this over with. I've always knew I would have to face him sooner or later and I thought I had finally gotten rid of him. I sacrificed my life to get rid of him. So, yes, the thought of him still being alive makes me feel that everything I did seem pointless. Am I happy about it? No, I am not. So, if you think I've got some death wish, let me assure you that I don't. I did when I first came here, but this…all of this…has shown me what I have to lose if he is still alive. I will not let him take my family away from me or threaten my friends. Yes, I said you're my friends. Now, are you coming or not?"

He stormed off as they looked at each other when Regina smiled and took Robin's hand.

"Finally," she said in reference to Rumplestiltskin finally admitting how he felt and she and Robin went to catch up with him.

"Why is Mister Rumple so mad?" Roland asked as he watched Regina and Robin walk away and Belle softly smiled, rocking Duer.

"It's because of what happened to him," Henry said and placed the storybook Snow White had given him on the dining table. Snow White had found the book in a trunk and had given it back to Henry. "Come here and I'll tell his story."

"Don't forget to tell him how we met," Belle said and Henry nodded, opening the book. Roland sat on Henry's lap as he started reading and Belle smiled.

The trees and large bushes surrounded them as they walked down the path and Charming admitted that he was nervous. He nearly died then was nearly stranded when he first came to Neverland and Snow White slid her hand in his, wrapping their fingers together.

"Where are we going?" Emma said as she walked near Rumplestiltskin, but he just looked straight ahead. Hook had given him a map, which he had tucked in his waistcoat, and he removed the map. He stopped at the edge of a clearing when he looked at the map then at the clearing, nodded and put the map away.

"We need to go that way, but I don't like it. There's no cover and we don't know if there's any traps," he said as he looked at the large rocks to his left and reached out his hand. He closed his eyes when he opened his mind to magic and one of the large rocks started shaking. Emma placed her hand on top of his hand when he looked at her hand then at her and titled his head to one side.

"Just thought I help," she said as he smiled and she closed her eyes. A purple light surrounded their hands as he looked at the large rock and the large rock floated a few inches off the ground. He took a deep breath then let it out as the large rock moved higher and he floated the large rock toward the glade. The large rock sailed across the glade when he let the large rock fall and the large rock slammed into the ground, sending a puff of dirt into the air. Suddenly small or medium size holes appeared as they looked at the holes and Emma frowned. "You were right."

"Come on," he said while walking to one of the medium size holes then looked down and saw sharpened spikes at the bottom of the hole.

"Now that's sick," Bae said as he stood near his father and Rumplestiltskin nodded his head.

"Then I guess we go that way," Regina said as she pointed toward the trees and they started walking by the tree line.

"That was gross," Henry said as he looked at the enchanted mirror and Belle nodded. Roland had gotten bored and went to play in the nursery and Henry nibbled on the sandwich she had made him. He saw the worry in her eyes as he smiled and placed his hand on top of hers. "They'll be ok."

"I hope so," she said and wrapped her fingers around Henry's fingers.

The chanting echoed around her as Tiger Lily walked by the children dressed in black robes kneeling prone at her feet and she smiled. It had taken months to learn how to control the shadows in the Forbidden Forest and she had sent the shadows to abduct children. It hadn't taken long to subjugate their minds and she looked at the figure sitting on the wooden throne. A long, tan buckskin cape with a hood was wrapped around the figure's shoulders and only tan leather boots peeked out from under the cape. The figure's head lifted as she looked at the face barely seen under the hood and the figure wiggled two fingers for her to come closer. She walked closer when she knelt down at the figure's feet and the figure slowly leaned forward.

"I'm hungry," the figure said in a soft, gravelly voice and she nodded, standing up.

"Pan is hungry," she said then picked up a wooden bowl from the stone next to the wooden throne and walked to the children. She walked by the children as each child reached into the wooden bowl and removed a stone from the wooden bowl. When she finished, Tiger Lily looked at them and placed the wooden bowl back on the stone. "Open your hands."

The children opened their hands as she walked by them then stopped at a girl with blonde hair, a round face and green eyes and she held her hand up, showing her the black stone in the palm of her hand. Tiger Lily helped her to her feet as the girl shook and they walked to the wooden throne. The figure looked up and saw the fear in the girl's eyes then the figure stood up and waved for the girl to come closer. The other children winced at the sounds of the girl's screaming when the black robe fell to the ground and the figure sat back on the wooden throne.

"Feeling better?" Tiger Lily asked.

"Yes," the figure growled and Tiger Lily smiled.

Rumplestiltskin had found a cave near a small stream and some editable berries as he sat on the ground at the mouth of the cave and looked at the sun setting. He knew that Belle must be watching as he mouthed "I love you" and placed his head against the stone. His heart thumped slow and steady in his chest as he bent one leg up and placed his wrist on his knee. He didn't notice Emma sitting next to him when he glanced at her and she placed her hand on top of his.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"I feel tired," he sighed and half closed his eyes.

"Me, too," she said and he wrapped his fingers around hers.

"That's because you're not used to using magic."

"Did you get tired when you started using it?"

"Oh, yes," he said with a small grin.

"How long have you been using magic?"

"It's been a very long time."

"So it's been, what, thirty or forty years? I mean you look like you're in your mid-forties or early fifties," she said and his eyes widened as he giggled.

"Oh, I am a lot older than that."

"How much older?" she asked and he squeezed her fingers.

"If I told you then you'd look at Bae differently."

"What does he have to do with this?"

"He's a lot older than he looks, too."

"He is?"

"Yes. You see, I've been doing magic for a little over three hundred years," he said and her eyes widened.

"Are you kidding me?!"

"No," he said with a shake of his head. "When Bae came here, he was affected by the magic of this place and didn't age. He only started aging when he left and that wasn't until just before you had been sent to the other world. That is why he looks like he's only a few years older than you."

Emma didn't mean to use her super power as she looked at him then looked back at the cave and sighed.

"You're telling the truth."

"Have things changed?" he asked with concern in his voice.

"No," she said as she shook her head and he squeezed her fingers. "So, if Pan is alive, who could have healed him or brought him back from the dead?"

"One thing you need to remember, Dearie, is dead is dead. That is one thing magic can't reverse."

"Unless you know CPR," she teased. "But that doesn't always work either."

"Then I'm grateful that it did," he said and she gently nudged him.

"What if someone found a way to bring back the dead?"

"That would take very dark magic. Even then there is a risk of what comes back may not be who or what the caster expects."

"So you can bring back something evil or a zombie?"

"Yes. Which is why I would never try it," he said. "The risk is too high."

"But you think someone has?"

"I have heard of a young sorceress who lives here. She is reported to dabble in necromancy or death magic."

"Who is she?"

"Her name is Tiger Lily."

"Wait, you're talking about the Indian princess who was friends with Pan?" she asked, wide eyed.

"Yes," he said, nodding his head.

"Well, I don't know why I'm surprised. Peter Pan turned out being completely different from the story," she sad then smiled, looking at him. "Just like Rumplestiltskin."

"I'll take that as a compliment, Dearie," he said when she stood up, held her hand out and helped him to his feet. Smiling, they walked back in the cave and the clouds slowly moved across the moon.