An early update tonight, I know that I said that this wouldn't be updated daily but I can't seem to stop writing lol.
I am currently about four chapters ahead and it's starting to get exciting!
Enjoy
"What the hell just happened?" David yelled as everyone seemed to jump up at once.
Mary-Margaret rushed up to his side and tried to grab his hand but he pulled it back with a hiss. He didn't have time to let her fuss right now he needed to get to Emma who had grabbed her boots and was trying the jam her feet into them quickly.
"Emma?"
"I'm not sure but he's been having nightmares again after his panic attack the other day, he's not sleeping well and seems to be constantly on edge. I need to go find him"
Damn it, why had no one told him? If he had known he would never have tried to put his hands on the Pirate.
"I didn't know... I'm sorry... I would never have..."
"It's OK Dad, I get it but I need to go, we'll talk about it later"
But David knew he couldn't just leave it so he moved to the door right behind her
"I'm coming too, we can split up and find him quicker"
But Mary-Margaret tugged his shirt sleeve stopping him going any further.
"David, at least let me wrap your hand" she said with a worried face and when he looked down it was to see a deep gouge across his palm, the minute his eyes registered the cut it stung instantly and he hissed again.
"Here, let me" Regina said rushing forward and grabbing hold of him, he felt a heat spread across his hand and when she pulled back seconds later the cut was gone "Now go and find him before he does himself some damage"
"Thanks Regina" David said in earnest as he dropped a kiss onto Mary-Margaret's head then practically ran out the door after his daughter who was already half way down the stairs.
"EMMA... wait for me"
"I can't Dad, I need to find him. What if he's having another panic attack? I'm going to the harbor, he likes to sit and stare at the horizon, it calms him. Can you check up by the playground down by the beach, that's another place he likes to sit"
He heard the door open and Emma was gone but he knew where he was going now so when he hit Main Street he picked up his pace and headed for the waterfront but he knew before he reached the sand that the Pirate wouldn't be there when he found a large group of kids playing volley ball in the evening sun.
David slowed to a jog looking wildly around, where could he be?
"Think David think, where would he go?"
But the more he thought about it the more his stomach churned, what if the problem was that Hook hadn't thought about where he was going? What if he had just blindly ran trying to get away from his own head?
"Damn it" David yelled out into the air causing a few kids to turn in surprise.
He dug out his cell and called Emma just praying to God that she'd had more luck but when she answered with the news that Hook wasn't at the docks either they decided to head back to the loft and then set off in opposite directions to start their search, checking all the back alleys along Main Street.
An hour later and David was really starting to stress, there was no sign of the Pirate and it was starting to get dark, looking for a dark haired Pirate who was wearing dark clothing at night would be impossible.
"When are you planning on setting Dopey free?" a voice suddenly said behind him
He turned to see the dwarves all standing in a row, arms folded across their chests, he didn't have time for this.
"Look Leroy I don't have time for this right now, he'll be let out when I get round to it OK" he grit out barging past them but they turned as one and trailed after him
"Not OK Brother, he's been in that cell all day. He's sorry alright, he didn't mean no harm"
"Yeah well he should have thought about that before he slapped my daughter in the ass" David said over his shoulder as he carried on down the street
"What's got you all riled up and taking it out on Dopey anyhows?"
David ground to a halt turning sharply making his entourage stumble into each other so that they didn't end up in a heap on the ground.
"Hook's gone missing alright" he said grinding his teeth at the dwarves "I just need to find him first then I promise I'll let Dopey out"
"Well then get your keys ready" Leroy said with a smirk
"You know where Hook is?"
"I do"
"Damn it Leroy, spit it out. Where is he? Is he OK?"
Depends on what your definition of OK is... Is he his usual moody self? I'd say so, he's currently sitting in "The Rabbit Hole" nursing the same damn shot of rum he bought over an hour ago"
David dug in his pocket and pulled out the keys to the station tossing them to Leroy as he rushed by.
"Lock up when you leave and tell Dopey that if he tries anything like this again Emma will turn him into a toad"
"Thanks Brother" Leroy called after him as he jogged back up Main Street.
A few minutes later he was pushing through the door into the dingy pub and sure enough there he was sitting at the back of the room in one of the booths just staring at the shot glass in front of him. David pulled out his cell and sighed in relief as he called Emma to let her know that her Pirate was alright.
Once he had reassured Emma that he would talk to Hook and bring him home she finally let him hang up the line. David walked slowly over to the table and slid himself into the other side of the booth sitting opposite the Pirate.
"You drinking or staring?"
Hook just kept staring but he answered with a sigh.
"Staring... I..." he sighed again and lifted his eyes to look at David "I had to take some pain pills earlier... and I wasn't exactly sure if I should or not... so in the end I just ended up staring"
As he finished his sentence his eyes fell back to the glass.
"Hook you only took Tylenol and that was hours ago. You'll be fine, drink the damn rum"
But the Pirate just shook his head "I already had a beer... by mistake, I did it without thinking"
"When?" David asked leaning back
"This afternoon just after I took he pills" he sighed out leaning back too "It was there in the fridge and before I even thought about it I had drank it down."
"Again hours ago, you'll be fine but if you don't hurry up and drink it I'm gonna take the option away and drink it myself"
Hook looked at him hard, David knew he wanted to say something so he just waited and finally the Pirate got to the point that was really bothering him
"I struck you... I..."
"Forget it" David said leaning forward to lean on his forearms against the edge of the table top
"I can't" Hook grit out finally taking up the shot of rum, he looked at it for a few seconds more before tipping it clean down his throat. He seemed to be battling with his own thoughts but he eventually looked back at David and said "What if that had been Henry? I cannot take the chance that I could hurt the boy"
"So what? You hide in here forever? Hook it wasn't your fault, it wasn't my fault it was just one of those things and from what I can see you got your head together pretty quickly. A few months ago that would have lead to a major flake out but you didn't let it, you are more in control than you give yourself credit for."
Hook just sat staring at the empty glass in his hand for a second before a slight smirk appeared on his lips.
"Major Flake out?" he chuckled "Well that's a new one"
"Yeah well whatever you call them it makes no difference, you've got this, we all believe in you. Now before this gets too mushy I think we should change the subject so, what's this I hear about a treasure hunt? You know I want in on that action right?"
Hook gave another chuckle "If you want to help so badly you can meet me on the beach at four thirty"
"In the morning?!" David's eyebrows shot up
"Aye, I need a low tide to be able to get into the cave that the map leads to too hide the treasure, otherwise the whole thing will be ruined. Too early for you?"
"Not really but I have a feeling that it will be too early for you. Look, why don't you leave it until Tuesday to let Henry find the map? I will come with you myself tomorrow afternoon to hide your treasure but let yourself get some sleep, you look like hell"
Hook seemed to think over David's words before he gave another long sigh and nodded.
"You may be right and it will probably take us longer than one day to clear the... what does Emma call it? Junk... from the lower hold, I don't want to make Henry suspicious so we will need to empty each chest as we go and sort through what is to be kept and what is to be disposed of"
"Great, now that is sorted can we go and eat? I don't know about you but I'm starving"
Hook still looked unsure if he wanted to leave or not so David pulled out the big guns.
"Emma needs to see you "Son", she's worried so get your behind off that seat and get moving" he said with a laugh and he was happy to see Hook's lip twitch
"Alright "Dad". I am moving"
Hook had started throwing that name back at him every time David called him Son knowing that it annoyed him but right now he'd let it slide... well maybe he'd just put his comeback on hold.
They walked in silence for a few minutes but David didn't want to let Hook fall back into his own self doubt so he carried on quizzing the Pirate about his plan for Henry.
"You gonna let me in on the great treasure mystery? What's Henry going to be searching for?"
He watched as Hook stuck his hand in his pocket as they walked along and pulled out a small cloth bag before tossing it towards him.
"I found it in the hidden compartment in the section of hull beneath Henry's new games room, the same one I plan to hide the map in. I'm pretty sure Black Beard must have hidden it there in his time aboard, I certainly didn't"
David paused as he concentrated on his task of opening the bag and when he tipped the bag a few seconds later it was to reveal a small gem about the size of a walnut . David held it up in his fingers to the streetlamp above him and nodded his head in appreciation.
"I like it"
"I just hope the boy does too" Hook said accepting the bag back and jamming it into his pocket again.
"Hook, Henry could find an old tin kettle in that cave and be perfectly happy as long as there was someone there to enjoy the hunt with him"
Hook nodded at him and they set off again but a few more steps down the sidewalk the Pirate stopped again looking up at David with a worried look.
"I don't want to hurt the boy... what if I have one of those damn attacks when it is just him and I? I couldn't bear it if I were to do anything to harm him"
David sighed "You don't need to worry about Henry, he is much more tuned into you than I am. Hook, tonight was partly my fault, if I had been paying more attention I would never have tried to touch your arm and you wouldn't have struck out. So forget it, it was a one off. It's not like it's happened before and I have faith that it won't happen again. Do you really think that I would let you be around Henry if I thought for a second that you would hurt him?"
Hook lifted his hand and ruffled the back of his head making his hair stick up slightly "I just find I'm doubting myself all the bloody time, my head is so full of... everything at the moment, I feel like I really am going insane."
Then David's own words came back to haunt him as he suddenly remembered yelling at the Pirate after Hook had struck out earlier... God, he had asked if he was insane? He needed to fix this.
"Hook you are as sane as I am and don't let anybody ever tell you any different but if you really want to see someone lose their mind just carry on standing here because it's about to happen if I don't eat soon"
Hook gave a laugh and bowed his head slightly before looking up and meeting David's gaze again.
"We can't have that now can we? Plus if I remember correctly there was mention of cake."
"Yeah just don't freak out when Henry cuts it open. I'll give you warning now before it's put down in front of you, the cake is red inside. I think he only got it to freak you out"
"Red?! I'm not even going to ask but what is it with this realm and abnormally colored food? Thank you for the warning though at least now I will not make a fool of myself"
"Well I'm not sure about that but at least it won't be over the cake" David barked out a laugh and clapped his hand on Hook's shoulder before setting off back towards the loft with a spring in his stride. "Come on Son, let's go home"