OK, some of you might not be happy about this but it had to happen... sorry.
As always please review.
:)
David pulled the truck up to a stop on the street as the ambulance peeled out of the driveway to head to the hospital. He swallowed hard just staring after it as the lights bounced their way out across the leafy trees before it turned to the left and disappeared from sight.
"Come on David, we need to find the wolf girl" Rufio's voice broke his concentration and he sucked in a breath
"You're right, come on" He jumped out of the cab and looked up and down the street "You head that way, I'll go this way"
Rufio nodded and headed off at a jog towards the far end of town while David headed towards Main Street just hoping that he'd find Ruby quickly then he could get back to searching for Tootles.
Why had he done this?
Why now?
Rufio had been so convinced that the boy had changed. That he was going to be a strong part of the community so why had he suddenly attacked the Pirate?
David was just slowing to decide which way to go when he heard a low growl in the bushes off to his side.
"Ruby?!" he called out quietly not wanting to startle her and in the next second the wolf limped out with a whimper, David rushed forward "Ruby! You alright?"
The wolf tilted her head and even without words David could read her expression "Sorry, stupid question"
Ruby tugged on his shirt sleeve, he gave a confused look but when she did it again and looked down at herself he suddenly understood. He jumped up and stripped off his flannel turning his head slightly as he held it out to her and within seconds he could feel her struggling into it.
"Thanks"
"You decent?" he asked not wanting to turn too early
"Yeah"
He turned to find her with blood running down the side of her face and clutching her arm across her chest.
"Oh my God, are you alright?" he rushed forward to help her
"I've been better but believe me Tootles didn't get away unscathed, I clawed him up pretty good but he hit me with a rock then stamped on my arm before running away... is Hook alright? I saw the ambulance"
"I don't know Ruby, come on let's get you checked out"
"Wait" she suddenly said as he tried to steer her back towards the truck "Let me go to Granny's, I've got some... you know... pants there. I can't go like this"
David just nodded and they started off around the corner, they were literally about two minutes from the diner anyway and as they came up to the front he stopped.
"I'll just wait here, I'll call Rufio and tell him what's going on"
"Kay, I'll just be a few minutes. I am so not waking Granny though, she will go mad if she sees me like this"
David chuckled to himself as she disappeared up the side alley, those two fought like cat and dog but he saw how much they cared for each other, they weren't fooling anyone. He sat heavily on one of the metal chairs and pulled out his cell, he'd call Rufio then he needed to call Snow, he looked over his shoulder up to the loft window to see the light still on, she must be feeding Neal.
Sighing heavily he lifted his cell to his ear knowing that this call was going to be the easy one.
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Tootles coughed and gave a groan as he clawed his way to his feet again, he ached from the beating Devin had given him but he didn't have time to feel sorry for himself, he had to stop Devin from using his image to hurt Hook and he had to warn the others of the Dark One's plan.
He came out into a large cave area but didn't stop to look at it's wonder he just kept following the footprints until he came to a set of doors, he looked at them trying to figure out how they worked. He tried prying them open but they wouldn't budge and he let out a frustrated yell, he needed to get out. Breathing heavily he thumped his hands on them but still they wouldn't open.
"Come on" he yelled looking around frantically for anything to help him but when his eyes fell on a round disc on the wall he frowned "What's this?"
He stepped forward and his fingers traced the smooth surface. On a whim he pressed it and when it lit up he actually jumped in surprise looking wildly around expecting something to happen but when the doors slid open he just grinned and walked forward only to be confronted by a wall in his way. The doors suddenly closed behind him and he yelled in surprise as he realized that he was trapped in a very small space.
"Nooooo" he yelled beating on the doors "I need to get out"
But suddenly the space lurched, he dropped to the floor and held his head tightly not having a clue what the hell was going on. There was a pinging noise and the doors slid back, Tootz looked up cautiously to realize that he was in the library. He was up and moving in an instant but when he pulled on the door to get out onto the street he realized that it was locked but he was not about to be stopped. He ran and grabbed a chair dragging it back with him, he lifted it and swung it at the large window to the side of the door before pulling it free and clambering his way out through the jagged shards. He hissed when his palm got caught on some glass still stuck in the frame but he scrambled through shoving the blinds to the side to fall to his knees on the sidewalk.
He had done it... he had escaped.
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"I gotta go Mary-Margaret, Ruby's back" he said down his cell looking up at her still standing at the window.
She gave a little wave and blew him a kiss as he stuck his cell back in his pocket turning to Ruby "You ready? Rufio is waiting by the truck"
Ruby gave a nod but then grit her teeth bringing her hand to her head "I'm gonna hunt that little shit down and skin him alive, do you think that Lost One pelt would be worth anything to anyone in town?"
David just shook his head with a smirk as he put his hand on her back guiding her back towards the truck when there was a sound of smashing glass from the other direction. They both turned in surprise to see the library window in pieces across the ground, the blinds were rattling and in the next second someone was crashing through to fall in a heap on the sidewalk.
David pulled Ruby behind him not knowing what was going on but when the person suddenly looked up he recognized him in an instant.
"TOOTLES... STAY WHERE YOU ARE, YOU ARE UNDER ARREST" he screamed as he started running forward
The boy looked straight at him and was on his feet and running too... straight towards him. What the hell? Tootz was limping badly and clutching his arm across his front but there was no mistaking it, he was definitely running this way. David slowed not knowing what his game was but as the boy carried on across the street they both saw it too late.
A car roared out of nowhere striking the boy hard, he flew up into the air and across the top of the car as it skidded and slithered to a halt. Tootz tumbled across the roof then landed hard on the asphalt and didn't move... he just lay in a crumpled heap face down on the ground.
"Ruby, call for an ambulance" David mumbled as he started forward
He hadn't realized who was driving the car until they suddenly spoke as he knelt down next to the boy.
"I didn't see him, he just ran out. Is he alright?"
Gold... David glanced up to see him looking quite flustered as he leant heavily on his cane.
"Hang on" David said reaching forward to check for a pulse, it was there but quite faint.
"I never saw him... what was he doing in the middle of the street?" Gold mumbled and Belle was now at his side trying to comfort him
"It's OK Rumple, it's not your fault" she soothed
David looked back at the boy, why had he been running towards him? What was going on? Tootles was breathing harshly now into the ground but he creaked open an eye and looked up at David gritting his teeth and whispered.
"Save... Hook. Help Rapha. Need to stop... gahhhh" he curled forward holding his stomach tightly but David lent in closer, something was not right here.
"Stop what?" he asked urgently "Tootz, talk to me. What's going on?"
David could hear footsteps behind him now and when the boy managed to open his eyes again he gasped in surprise with a face full of fear. He shook his head a little and tugged on David's shirt to pull him in closer and whispered in his ear. David sat back slightly confused, what did Neverland have to do with any of this? He didn't have time to ponder over things as suddenly Tootles was gasping for breath again and his eyes rolled in his head. David watched in horror as the boy started convulsing on the ground in front of him then fell still, completely limp and unmoving.
David lurched forward and shook him wildly "Tootles... Tootz, come on. Don't do this Kid"
He was suddenly checking for a pulse again and let out a long growl when he couldn't find one... he pulled the boy over onto his back and immediately started CPR counting the compressions in his head before puffing two breaths into the kid's mouth but within minutes he knew that it was no use as the pool of blood grew around Tootles' head, he wasn't going to win this fight.
He sat back on his heels and looked up at Gold who was standing with Belle clutched in his arms.
"He's gone" was all David said before pulling himself to his feet and heading back towards Ruby, she looked like she was about to say something but he spoke over her. "Ruby, go inside. I will be there as soon as I can. Rufio, can you go with her? Wake Granny Ruby, she needs to know what's going on"
Rufio gave a nod of his head but Ruby stepped out of the Ranger's grasp "But David, I think you need..."
"RUBY" he yelled bringing his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose "A kid has just died, PLEASE just go inside. I will come in and talk to you in a minute, I'm gonna need to take your statement."
To her credit Ruby just snapped her mouth closed and walked away with Rufio as David made his way back over to find that Gold had removed his jacket and was laying it over Tootles' still form.
"Who was he?" Gold asked stepping back to Belle
"Tootles. He was one of the Lost Ones that attacked Hook last year"
"No" Belle cried out "He was the one working with Rufio? What was he doing David? He came from nowhere"
David sighed letting out a long breath "I don't know Belle. Hook was attacked earlier and he seemed to think that it was Tootz that did it. I don't know why or what he was doing in the library and it looks like we'll never know now."
He looked up to see Gold looking at the boy lying on the ground with no emotion what so ever but when he noticed David watching him he furrowed his brow "Maybe he planned it all along. Maybe he never really changed. They say that people don't..."
"Maybe." David agreed narrowing his eyes at the man then sighed again "Look, why don't you two head off. I know where to find you when I need your statement. You just can't take the car... not yet, it's evidence"
Belle nodded "We'll stay at the shop tonight. Come on Rumple, I think you might need a drink"
He watched them as they made their way back down the street to the shop and as they disappeared inside he pulled out his cell to call Grumpy, he was going to need his help sorting this mess out. The minute the ambulance pulled up David left them too it as headed into the diner to find Ruby pacing back and forth in front of the counter with a worried Granny by her side.
"David" Ruby cried out as soon as he opened the door "I don't know what's going on but that kid... that kid was not the same kid that attacked Hook"
"I know" he said looking over his shoulder and closing the door quickly "Look, I don't know what the hell is going on but I do know that Tootles was scared. He tried to warn me that someone was going to attack Hook. He told me to keep Rapha safe and right before he died he shoved this in my hand and mumbled something about Neverland" He dug in his pocket and pulled out the gemstone to hold it up "Something is going on in this town and I plan to find out what it is but if I am right we just lost half of our research team"
"What? I don't understand" Ruby said sitting down on one of the stools
"Well, I'm pretty sure Gold is tangled up in this somehow and as much as I trust Belle we cannot let him know that we are on to him so for the moment she needs to be kept out of the loop until I can prove either way if the Dark One is up to his old tricks or not. But right now I need to fill Leroy in then get you checked out" He turned back to the others "I shouldn't have to say this but PLEASE do not discuss this with anyone. I need this kept on the down low. This gem stone is obviously the key to figuring this whole thing out... I'm just not sure why I didn't realize that before"
He gave the gem a confused look then shoved it back in his pocket with a shrug, he could deal with that later, right now he had to get Leroy to sort out the mess in the street so that he could take a wolf girl and her Granny to the hospital before he checked on his soon to be son in law the Pirate and his cloned younger self who were currently being checked out by a monster maker as his daughter the Savior sat by their side... yeah, his life was complicated.