Chapter 27: Something Akin to Hope
Mary Margaret awoke with a start. She looked over at the clock. 4 am. It was early considering their long night, combing through every inch of Storybrooke all over again, in hopes that Henry was still in town, that he'd just lost his scarf. So what was she doing awake?
Just then, she heard the quiet click of a key turning in the door. Odd. Emma had called last night to say that she'd be staying in a hotel and then continuing her search the next morning. So why would she be back? And in the middle of the night.
Unless something was wrong. Throwing the covers off, she padded down the dark hall and was indeed greeted by the sight of her daughter.
"What are you doing back so early?"
But Emma didn't seem to have heard; it looked as though she was muttering to herself distractedly. She was clenching her fists so hard her knuckles were white.
"Emma? Is everything ok?" Instantly, Mary Margaret could tell that something was horribly, terribly wrong as her daughter's red rimmed eyes met hers. Emma's hair was tangled and messy, and her face was awfully pale. Worst of all was that it appeared that she'd been crying. But above all, what startled Mary Margaret the most was the mask of barely disguised fury on her daughter's face.
"Cora…Henry…Hook." Emma continued to mumble angrily. "Need…talk…Regina."
"What?" Mary Margaret's voice was laced with confusion. "What's going on? What are you talking about?"
As if sensing the tension, David had suddenly appeared by her side. Both of them guided Emma towards the couch and sat down, one on either side.
"What's going on?" Mary Margaret repeated. "Did you find Henry?"
At the word Henry, Emma winced as though her mother had struck a nerve. "Not exactly."
"What do you mean?" David probed. "But you found something, didn't you? Otherwise you wouldn't be here right now."
She immediately tensed, her hands curling into fists again. "Cora." She muttered. "He's with Cora."
"Cora?"
"Yeah." She replied. "Cora has him."
Suddenly, the air was peppered with questions.
"How do you know?"
"Did you actually see her?"
"I thought Henry just ran away."
"How did she get here? I thought you said the portal closed."
"If Cora's here, is Hook?
As Emma listened to her parents' incessant questions, she could feel her blood pressure rising and her heart rate increase as they continued to ramble on.
"As far as I know, Hook and Cora came together on his ship." She said, trying to keep her voice steady, pushing her feelings to the back of her mind. Luckily, squashing her emotions had always been second nature to her.
"How did you find out it was Cora?" Mary Margaret pressed. "Did Hook say something? Is that why you're always gone?"
Oh God. Emma could feel a migraine coming on. Her mother was edging too close to the truth for comfort. And the last thing Emma wanted to do was explain the truth. It was too embarrassing and painful for words. Why had she come home instead of going straight to Regina or Gold? Oh right. She'd thought that her parents would be able to offer some suggestions. Instead, they hadn't been too helpful.
Looks like she'd been wrong about yet another thing.
"That doesn't matter." She snapped, standing up furiously. "We're wasting time right now. Cora has Henry and she's planning to kill him. We need to go get help." Without bothering to wait for her parents, she strode towards the door and yanked it open.
Mary Margaret and David exchanged a glance, but said nothing, following her to the door. To Mary Margaret, it was fairly clear that there was something Emma wasn't telling her. And although she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it would be fairly difficult to get it out of her stubborn daughter, she was determined to figure out what.
"Kill me." Hook blurted.
Gold just gaped at him, unsure if he'd heard correctly. "I'm sorry, but did you just ask me to kill you?"
"Aye." Hook said grimly. "That I did."
Gold eyed him suspiciously. "As much as I would like to, I sense that you have an ulterior motive."
"I need your help to defeat Cora."
"Did you not hear me last time, pirate? I will not concern myself in affairs that do not involve me."
"But he's your grandson." Hook argued. "I may be a mere pirate, but think of how your son will react when he finds out that his dear papa just stood by and let his son be killed."
Several different emotions flickered over Gold's face at once; he seemed to be contemplating something inside.
Sensing that he'd hit a nerve, Hook continued. "I'm offering you my life, in exchange for your aid. Help Emma defeat Cora and get her son back. Show your son that you've changed." He thanked his lucky stars that Emma had told him a bit about Neal's history with his father, enough that he could use to his advantage.
Gold sighed deeply, seemingly aging several years. "I'm sorry. I can't help you."
"You can't just let the lad die." Hook protested.
"I made a deal with Cora. A binding magical contract that cannot be broken." Gold responded. "I literally cannot do anything to interfere with her plans."
"But Henry will die. Your son will never forgive you."
Something dangerous flashed in Gold's eyes. "Don't talk to me about my son. If anything it's your fault."
Hook wanted to argue, but seeing as he was emotionally and physically drained, he had no strength left.
Gold continued. "But as despicable as you are, I have to admit that you have a point. If I let Henry die, Bae will never forgive me. And after everything I did to find him…" He ran a hand over his face. "There may be a way to help without directly helping."
Something akin to hope rose in Hook's chest. Maybe all was not lost. "What?"
"It will take lots of work."
"I'll do anything." Hook said immediately.
Gold snickered softly. "I have no doubt you will. And in the end, know that I will be taking your life in payment for my assistance. Do we have a deal?"
Well considering that all that mattered was the success of their plan, Hook was willing to do anything.
Even die.
Hook nodded. "Deal."
"Now, begin by telling me everything you know about Cora's plans…"
Author's note: What do you think Gold's plan is? Will Hook really die?