A/N: Sorry this one's a bit short, guys. Make it up to you next time? Thanks as always to Text for her beta and to everyone who reads!
Trigger warnings outlined last chapter remain in effect through approximately chapter twenty...
"Hook," Bae replied flatly, forcing himself to quell the panic that was quickly rising in his throat. He'd been so convinced that Emma was just being overly dramatic, that no one was looking for them, that no one would harm them, but then - here had come someone to do just that. He could only imagine that Cora had enticed this pirate into doing her bidding. She couldn't have settled just any henchman, found a run of the mill ne'er do well - no, it had to be a villain that had plagued his family for literally centuries. And of course he'd align himself with someone who was out to destroy the girl that Bae had been coerced to marry. Of course.
"I was surprised to hear you'd made it back to our realm. I see your father finally found you! Didn't even require the rumored curse... I'm most impressed," he continued. "So he's achieved his goal, I see. Unfortunately that's only one of us - mine is still outstanding. You'll be helping me finish it."
"I'll help you do nothing," Bae said with a snarl, his temper rising in contrast to the pirate's icy calm. He chanced a glance at Emma - she'd steeled herself to appear unfazed. But he was surprised to find that somewhere along the way he'd learned her well enough to see the fear seeping through at the cracks. Confident that she was holding her own, he returned to meet the gaze of the man he'd once considered calling a father.
"I don't think you have much of a choice in the matter, lad," he replied, and though his demeanor was calm, there was the air of a threat brewing in the statement. The pirate raised his sword, stepping towards the duo in the alcove. "You'll come along with me, show me where your father's hidden that dagger. That way I can end this feud for once and for all."
When Bae made no move to comply, the pirate lunged at him, grappling for the boy's arm. But Baelfire - a few years older and wiser than the last time they'd squared off - anticipated the move, tumbling under his reach and out of his way, knocking the sword away from the pirate in the process. He stumbled into the body of the cave, turning back to find that Emma hadn't been so lucky. Hook stood behind her, his good hand clamped around her upper arm. He slid his left arm around her neck, hook menacingly poised at her shoulder, then bent to scoop up the sword with his free hand.
"Well look, I found a consolation prize," he said, taunting the cave at large as he drug Emma towards her husband. "This must be the famed princess. I heard she'd run off with you. I might just have to see if Cora will barter for her!"
"Unhand her at once!" Bae declared, rushing towards the duo. But Hook pushed him back easily with the side of the sword, the boy's bare hands no match for the weaponry.
"Easy, son. No need for anyone to get hurt here."
His paternal tone did not sit well with Bae. Grabbing Emma's makeshift sword from its spot against the wall, he stood poised for battle - no matter that the match was decidedly uneven. Panic and anger engulfing him, he began hollering at his once father-figure. "You destroyed my family once already when you stole my mother away - and again when you abandoned me to that demon. I will not let you hurt my wife!"
Hook's eyes lit up, a mere glance at the boy proving Cora's tale of a loveless marriage entirely false. His distraction gave Emma the opening she was waiting for. Taking advantage of his inattention, she stomped on his instep, wrenching herself out of his grip as he howled in pain. Feeling her pull away, the pirate moved to catch her again, left arm slamming down towards her throat. She reached up to block the blow, catching cold metal in her hand as she stopped the pirate's hook mere inches away from slicing into her skin. Keeping her grip firmly on the weapon, she moved again to writhe out of his grasp. This time she was successful, and much to her surprise she found herself holding the hook in her hand, having twisted it loose as she spun away. Once more the pirate lunged at her. Out of pure instinct, she flung the hook back at him before she ducked away, slipping under his arm. As she did so, she spotted the hook - lodged in his chest.
Despite a yowl of pain, the loss of his consolation prize caused the pirate to focus again on his original goal: Bae. The boy still held the wooden sword in his hand, and he raised it for defense as Hook stepped towards him. He parried as the sword came down, chipping away bits of the hardwood with each blow, the battle leading the duo deeper and deeper into the cave.
"Surrender yourself, boy. You're backed against a wall, nothing but a stick to defend yourself with. Even if you had a sword, you couldn't kill me - you're a coward, just like your father. You couldn't do it in Neverland, you won't do it now. Not even to save that princess you're in love with."
Bae blinked, confused at the statement. The moments that followed happened so quickly that he could barely reconstruct them in the days that followed. The pirate, taking advantage of his bewilderment, lunged at him - sword aimed straight for his midsection. Centuries of experience kicked in as Bae dove down, narrowly missing the thrust of the sword. The momentum carried the pirate forward, and all too late he noticed the cliff. He flailed, fumbling his sword in an attempt to catch his balance. But he was careening forward far too quickly to stop, and with a seemingly endless scream he tumbled into the waterfall, sword clanking into the pit behind him.
Moments ticked past as Bae stood in stunned silence. Then there were footsteps, and Emma appeared at his elbow, a torch in her hand. "Is he-"
"Dead?" He looked back at her, eyes wide. "I don't see how he could be anything but."
Together they slipped cautiously to the waterfall's edge, Emma extending the torch above the chasm. Bae leaned as far as he dared, looking back at Emma and shaking his head. Nothing.
Their eyes locked and he gave the slightest of nods. She released the torch and it fell, lighting the pit on the way down. They found it every bit as empty as it had been before it had swallowed the pirate.
Wordless still, they slid tentatively back towards the alcove, hands running along the cave wall to guide them in the dark. As they arrived, it was Emma who broke the silence.
"That was... your mother's..."
"My mother's."
"Neverland?"
"Only way he'd still be alive."
"Got a bit of a chip on his shoulder, doesn't he?"
Bae gave a crooked smile, placing a hand on the small of Emma's back as he ushered her into the alcove. "He devoted his life to killing my father." Looking Emma over, he furrowed his brow. "Are you okay?"
"Been worse. You?"
"Same."
She let out a shaky breath. "Bae..."
"Hm?"
"We have to leave, don't we." It was a statement, not a question, but still she looked at him, expectantly waiting a response.
Bae nodded. "If he's found us..."
"The rest could, too."
"There it is!" Charming dug his heels into the horse's sides, urging it into a run. Up ahead he spied the green shawl that Rumplestiltskin had poured the potion onto - the third such item they'd chased down that day, the first two lost into the ether.
He tugged the shawl out of the bramble where it had lodged itself, running alongside a rock face. The shawl reached out, a mind of its own, and he released it, prepared to give chase once again - only to have it fly right back into the bramble.
"It's broken."
"No such thing," Rumplestiltskin replied, appearing next to him. "What's the rock face here?"
"Pile of boulders to the north... looks like a solid slab of rock through here."
"We can examine it more closely," Rumplestiltskin said, glancing at the sky, "But it'll need to wait until morning. We've nearly lost our light."
"You want to stop looking?!"
"Well unless you've suddenly developed the night vision of a bat, it's less of a want and more of a necessity."
Charming grumbled, but Rumplestiltskin headed to his left, beckoning for him to follow. "There's a glade we just rushed through - fine spot for pitching a camp for the night. Come morning, we can try to suss out where the troublesome scarf is trying to go."
"Open sky camping with you, just what I've always hoped for," Charming replied, sarcasm dripping from his voice.
"Who said anything about open sky?" Rumplestiltskin said, rolling his eyes. He waved his hand and a fully supplied camp appeared in the glade; two tents and a fire with meat already roasting atop it. His horse trotted to one of the tents, where Rumplestiltskin dismounted and turned back to the prince.
He found him scowling. "I thought you weren't covering needs on this trip."
"Well now I know where your daughter gets her propensity for ingratitude!"
Forcing out a "Thanks," Charming maneuvered his own steed to the other tent and tied it up before he moved to the fire to warm himself. "You think we'll find them tomorrow?"
The sorcerer shrugged. "I don't know about your daughter, but if there's one thing my son is good at... it's running."
"You have everything?"
Discussion in the cave had been notably absent as the duo had packed, words limited to, "Here," and "Take this," as they stuffed all they had into their satchels. They hadn't amassed anything during their stay, really; it was a matter of packing up what they'd brought with them and adding the few tools they'd constructed and might find useful as they journeyed onward. They'd allowed the fire to burn down, adding more layers of clothing as the cave cooled, in turn leaving only half-full satchels to be slung over shoulders as Emma nodded in response to Bae's question.
"Yeah."
"Your shawl's still hung over there. Don't forget to grab it."
Emma shook her head. "It's sopping wet. Carrying it will only make me colder. It'll have to be left behind." A pause and then, "Ready?" Emma rubbed her hands together, the chill permeating through the half-worn fingers of her gloves.
Bae shrugged, no further discussion needed to know that 'ready' was a lie. It wasn't a choice - there were no options left. "Where to?"
"South," Emma replied, not even taking a moment to consider. "It'll be warmer."
Bae nodded and grabbed the torch they'd left lit to guide them. Emma followed closely behind him, careful to watch her step as they made their way to the mouth of the cave. He snuffed out the flame, leaving the stick propped against the wall - "In case we need it again someday," he said, shrugging. "You never know."
She nodded, following again as he maneuvered through the boulders, their satchels held high. Emerging from the mass of rocks, Bae paused; Emma leaned her head to the right, indicating their direction. "C'mon," she said, "South's this way."
He nodded as she marched forward, determination evident in her steps. On the run again. The story never changed, he supposed - only this time he'd embroiled a princess.