On the Shores of Neverland, the First Day There

"No"

"Yes"

"No!"

"Yes!"

While Emma had a look on that could kill a man where he stood, Hook's expression was that of a five year old in a candy shop. Emma wasn't sure what she was more pissed about, how un-intimidated he was by her or that he actually thought he would win this argument.

"You gave Regina and my mother much different clothing then this." She waved her hand at the clothe she had laid out for her. If they could even be called clothes that is. To Emma, they looked like scrapes of brightly colored clothes that would hide absolutely nothing. And when she said absolutely nothing, she meant absolutely nothing.

"Well it isn't my fault you slept in and got the last pickings lass."

Emma scoffed. "Oh I'm sure that's what this is. It's not like you had these hand picked already and was just waiting to force them on me."

The smile Hook gave said as much. "Force is a strong word."

"Hook-"

"Killian" He corrected immediately, his blue eyes flashing with a mixture of seriousness and amusement. He was always sure to point out whenever she slipped up and used his moniker. It wasn't her fault really, she had only just agreed to call him by his real name not so long ago. After calling him Hook for so long it just kinda slipped out sometimes.

Emma prayed for patience. "Killian. I would greatly appreciate it if you got me something else to wear. Like, five minutes ago."

"Emma" He drawled mockingly, "I would greatly appreciate it if you stopped being your usual thorn in my ass self and just put on the damn clothes. You don't even know what they look like on."

"Well it isn't hard to imagine! You do know I have to walk around my father and Gold in this right?"

Killian was still amused at her ranting, it was obvious by his slight smile and the twinkle in his eye, but his next words came out in a surprising tone of somberness, "Yes love, I'm well aware. And I had thought you trust me enough to know I wouldn't put you on display in front of anyone like some harlot."

Oh he was playing dirty. Playing the trust card while giving her that smoldering look? 100% dirty. Emma knew it and she suspected so did Killian, and yet, she couldn't stop the guilt that stabbed her right in the stomach. She sighed with defeat. "Oh whatever, just get out so I can change."

When Hook reentered the deck everyone seemed to be fascinated with their new clothing. He really didn't understand why, clothes were clothes. What difference did it make as long as they served their purpose?

"Dressed like a pirate…if my father could see me now." Snow breathed, a faint smile ghosting her lips as she looked down at her new attire.

Indeed she was dressed in pirate garb, just as everyone else was, since there were really no other options on a pirate ship.

Regina patted down her skirt her whole focus seemingly in the task, yet her words were directed at Snow. "Well he hated pirates but I think he'd more faint of shock of you actually wearing something that wasn't a dress."

Snow's head snapped up so quick it was actually quite comical but no one could take the chance to appreciate it as they looked at Queen with the same amount of surprise. Was Regina making light conversation and reminiscing…with Snow?

Regina noticed the sudden silence, as well as the heat from four intense gazes, and lifted her head up. "What?"

"Nothing" Snow said quickly, ducking down to hide the goofy smile that had suddenly overtook her. "And I seemed to recall you helped me pick out a lot of those dresses."

The Queen scoffed. "Hardly. You made practically your whole wardrobe rather than came out with me and bought them. You were always sowing away locked up in your room."

Snow shrugged. "I guess. But I always loved to do that, my mother had taught me. Doing that was like staying close to her…" Her voice slowly faded away as the memory of the late Queen Eva came back. It didn't help Regina's mother was the reason she was gone.

It always seemed to be like that with all of them. It was so hard and so rare for one good moment to happen, one real connection, and yet when it did there was always a dark shadow of sadness creeping not too far away. Their lives were so twisted and tangled with so many differing moments that it was hard to separate the dark from light and the good from bad.

But they were trying. That was at least one thing they had going for them.

"Your father hated pirates eh?" Hook said, steering the conversation back into safer water. "That's too bad considering he would have been related to one."

Snow tipped her head to the side. "What do you mean?"

The pirate flourished his hands in a mock bow. "Come now, it's only a matter a time before I become a permanent fixture in your charming family. No pun intended mate." He added with a wink to Charming.

A few moments of silence followed before the prince's face grew a tinge red with understanding. His hand instinctively went to his hip, were his sword was eagerly waiting, but at the last second he stopped. In a rare show of composure Charming crossed his arms over his chest, smirked, and look rather smugly down at the pirate.

"What's so funny?" Killian asked immediately and with actual concern. Or possibly fear. This was not the Prince whose buttons he oh so loved to push.

"I was about to point out how I would never give you my blessing but then I realized I don't have to worry about you getting past me."

Killian continued to look at him expectantly.

Charming's smirk grew more devious, something Killian was sure only he could pull off. It felt good for once to actually have the pirate squirming in his boots. "Worry about me all you want but you got a bigger problem. You actually have to get Emma to say yes."

Oh.

A witty comment, shockingly, didn't come to Killian as quick as he hoped. His mouth had instinctively opened up to deliver a retort worthy of him nothing but awkward and heavy air fell out. Eventually a comeback formed in his head, and oh was it good, but the fact was he had hesitated and everyone noticed. Hell, he even noticed.

Because Charming was right. Killian and Emma weren't even a thing, not even close, and he had only started this damned conversation as a joke and now look at him. Actually getting worried over of asking Emma to marry him and her saying no. She had only just started called him by his given name for Christ's sake!

"Say yes to what?"

Emma had come up on deck, dressed in the clothes Killian had given her and just getting the last bit of the conversation.

And did she look good. The pirate was actually rendered speechless the moment his eyes landed on her. Yes, of course he had given her different attire from the other two woman on the ship. Had anyone actually been expecting him not to? But now, as he stood there completely absorbed in her, he didn't regret or feel shameful for his decision one bit. She looked amazing. A blood red puffy shirt that hung gracefully over her body, dipping just so to expose a beautiful but decent amount of chest, that was tightened around her rib area with a firm black vest adorned with gold buttons. Her pants were made of black leather, naturally, and hugged those legs he loved so much better than those damned jeans she insisted on wearing. She kept on her modern brown leather boots but they only added to the outfit rather than take away from it.

"I always said you'd make a good pirate." Killian awed after his inspection.

Self conscious of his gaze, Emma nervously crossed her arms across her chest. God could he not do that? Those blue eyes were looking at her-devouring her- like all she was wearing was underwear. Her parents were right there!

Gold was the one to interrupt the moment. Emma was thankful while Killian was near vicious. After all it was his usual reaction to anything that had to do with Gold. "Well now that we've all done what you asked, can we get back to business?"

"You'll thank me later." Killian snapped. "There was no way any of you were going to be comfortable hiking through Neverland in your jeans and high heels."

"Let's stay focused." Charming interrupted before the conversation got out of control. And when it came to those two, it was almost a sure thing. But now was not the time. They had finally reached Neverland and could finally begin the search for Henry. Now was the time for action, not pettiness. So Charming did what he did best, he began to lead. "We need to scout the area, figure out the terrain and get our bearings."

"You do forget I have been here before." Killian said.

"Yes but how long ago was that?' Regina asked snidely. "Things change. Who knows how many years you've got under your belt."

"Darling you couldn't handle what's under my belt."

Emma punched him on the shoulder. Hard. "Focus" She growled.

"Regina's right." Charming continued, "Things could have changed since the last time you've been here. We can't go rushing into this guns blazing or assuming anything."

"We should split up." Snow said.

Again, Killian interrupted. But much more passionately this time around and rather less smartly. "Absolutely not. Fine, I haven't been here in a while, I'll give you that. But I know for sure splitting up is not the way to go. Neverland attacks your innermost desires and fears, a much easier task to do when alone. Even before I left I always sent my men ashore in groups."

Gold narrowed his eyes. "We'll we're not simple pirates."

"And we don't have time to go together. Splitting up will be faster." Regina added.

Killian glared at the both of them. "What good is having me around if you're not even going to listen to me?"

The pirate's anger did little to phase Gold. "You all seem to be forgetting I have been here as well."

"Not near enough to compared to me!" Killian yelled, his anger finally slipping through his mask of control. The Captain in him was fuming. He gave the orders and they were followed, that's how it was done on his ship. Not the other way around. Apparently these people hadn't been given the message…

"This fighting isn't helping!" Snow cried but it was too late. Killian and Gold were rounding on each other, Regina looking like she was about to urge it on, and Charming was reaching for his sword with his mind set on breaking up with whatever hell was about to break loose.

God these people.

With a groan Emma rushed forward putting herself in the middle of it all. "Stop it! Stop it all of you! People would think we're a bunch of five years olds with this nonsense! Do you think any of this is helping Henry? Do you?"

Henry's name was always sure to inflict a little common sense. Everyone silenced, rather reluctantly, but kept up their agitated and ready to lunge positions.

While keeping his eyes solely on Gold, Killian spoken gently to Emma through clenched teeth, "Love, trust me, splitting up is not the way to go."

Ah, the trust card again. He seemed to like to throw that in her face…all the time. It wasn't fair really, especially when her disagreeing with him could be misconstrued to look like she didn't trust him. Which, she was going to have to prove, wasn't the case at all. "Killian, I know you've been here before and have a hell a lot more experience than us, but we just don't have the time. Who knows how much longer Greg and Tamara got here before us and even what their plans are for Henry. I just-we just can't take the chance. We need to do this as quickly as possible and if splitting up gets that done then so be it."

Oh he did not look happy. He wouldn't even look at her.

Well shit, Emma hadn't felt like this in a while. She wanted to walk over to him, put her arms around him, and make every assurance in the world that she did trust him. She hadn't felt like doing that to a guy in quite a while. Actually, the last time had been with Graham but no, no way she was going there. Right now it wasn't about them. It was about Henry. "You've taught us enough of the basics," She continued, softer and more pleadingly, "What not to touch or eat and what kind of monsters are hiding around. And you do have to give us some credit. We're not exactly your normal run of the mill kind of people here." And that was an understatement.

A tense and shuttering burst of air blew past Hook's lips. Nope, still wasn't happy. But at least now he looked a little more…understanding. And yet, his eyes still never turned to her.

"Fine" He gritted out, his gaze finally breaking away from Gold's heated one. Still pointedly ignoring Emma, he instead looked to Charming, the self proclaimed leader of the group who was still awaiting order to take place among his "troops". Killian still thought it was just a tad ridiculous considering he was the Captain but that was a battle for another day. Apparently he had already lost today's one. "But this is how it's going to go; we go in groups of two and come back around noon. Noon. We'll gather our bearings then, see what we've found out, and depending what the situation is decide if we continue with this ridiculous course of action for the rest of the day."

Captain ordering around a Prince. Charming didn't like I one bit but nonetheless nodded his head. The plan was sound enough for his taste and he supposed it didn't really mattered who was giving it. Even if it was the stupid pirate. "Alright then, now we just decide how we're splitting up."

And then the mayhem broke loose. Again.

"We should split up those with magic evenly."

"Ms. Swan barely had a hold on hers to be considered magical."

"Hey buddy I didn't see you anywhere around when Regina and I saved Storybrooke."

"Perhaps the Captain and you should team up Gold, wouldn't that be interesting?"

"Over my dead body!"

"…Regina you're really not helping."

"Sure, I'll go with the Captain dear if you're fine pairing off with your lovely stepdaughter."

"Did no one hear over my dead body?"

"Killian stop being a drama queen."

"Fine then. They can squabble all they want but I know who I'm going with. Emma love, let's be off."

"Oh no, no way. Not happening mate, I'm not letting you alone with her-"

"Dad I think I can take care of myself-"

"You want to go with him?!"

"Charming, your sword…"

"God you people really are a bunch of idiots."

"Again Regina, not helping."

"Dearies, I've been here if you do recall and have magic. I think I might have the strongest chance of finding Henry so whoever is most dedicated-"

"Seriously Gold? One, let's not fight over whose the most dedicated. I think we're the worst bunch of people to have a pissing contest with. And two, If you recall, Snow and I spent a majority of time in the woods before we ruled evading the likes of Regina. We lived there, fought there, and won. I think that kind of experience beats out your magic."

"Charming has a point. We know how to survive in the wilderness."

"Oh please. Watch your egos, you two weren't that amazing."

"Says the woman who never managed to catch us."

"See love, you and I could have been well enough away at this point."

"Killian-"

"Did you not hear me before pirate?"

"Charming-"

"You know mate I've had quite enough of thinking you can bark your orders at me. Maybe it's time to remind you who's the Captain here."

"Oh please do, I've been waiting for this moment for a while."

"ENOUGH!"

A bust of air exploded between the group, not strong enough to cause any real damage but powerful enough that it sent everyone staggering a few feet back. They all looked around in shock, wondering who had exactly burst the bubble of magic, when they noticed Emma was starring down at her hands with a shocked expression.

"I…I'm sorry." She stuttered, still staring blankly down at her hands and whatever the hell they had just done. But then she sucked in a breath and called back some determination. Mistake or not, at least the magic had shut everyone the hell up. While everyone knew the show of power hadn't been planned, she played it off like it had. "Now enough with this. Apparently the only thing we can agree on is getting Henry back so let's leave it at that. Gold and Regina you go east, Mom and Dad west, and Killian and I north. Got it?"

"But Emma-" Charming protested.

"I don't care if they don't make sense, magically or Neverland knowledge wise. They make sense in the way that we won't kill each other. I think when it comes to us that's the most important."

Killian sent a smirk Charming's way. "Like I said, no problem here."

The Prince just glowered in return.

"Well then," Snow breathed with a forced smile and a clap of the hands. "Shall we do this?"

Authors Note: I really, reallyyy, hope this scene is actually awesome when it happens in the TV show.