Hidden Treasures Chapter 80, an once upon a time fanfic

I'm back and after a quite productive night of charity work I am feeling good.

Things are certainly strange in Neverland... what is going on?

I'm not telling just yet lol

As always please review. (The site has been fixed so they're now showing again, hooray)

Enjoy

"That's strange" Belle muttered to herself. That had been the second book that she had gone to look for that wasn't where it was supposed to be, who had been messing up her system?

With a sigh she headed back across to her computer and checked for another title, noted where it should be and headed over to the correct shelf but when this book was missing too she knew something wasn't right. Why were all the books on realm travel and portal creation missing?

But if she was honest with herself she already knew the answer, she gave a heavy sigh and mumbled "Rumple... what are you up to?"

It was the only thing that made sense, the only person in the town that would be interested in these books was her very own husband but why?

What could he possibly gain from taking them?

In the end she just shook her head with disappointment and headed for the door, she needed to stop at the shop and get the locator spell that she had hidden there, she would find Rumple and heaven help him if he was up to no good. She was done defending him to this town when all he did in return was prove them right... would he ever change?

She picked up her cell and dialed Emma knowing that she had to fill her in on her suspicions. The last thing Belle wanted was any more trouble for Junior, that boy had been through enough so she knew that she had to warn Emma that Rumple was up to no good again.

She wanted to find him before he had a chance to do anything to hurt any more of her friends... she was not going to let that happen.

ONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIMEONCEUPONATIME

Emma hung up her cell and turned to her Mom who was now sitting by her side. Archie had left not long ago and Junior was sleeping again. Henry was sitting playing a video game with a set of head phones on, she knew that he wouldn't hear anything so she spoke freely.

"That was Belle, she thinks Gold is up to something. I'm gonna go with her to see if we can find out what. If this had happened this morning I would have sent Leroy but Junior seems a lot happier after Archie's visit. When he wakes up just tell him I've gone to get Pink Bear, he was excited about that. I'll swing by the Jolly on the way back and grab him, I know exactly where he is"

"OK Emma, just be careful." Mary-Margaret replied with a little worried smile

"I will Mom, I promise but I need to know what Gold's up to. If he's trying to stop us getting to Neverland I swear Magic or no magic I will kill him, he is NOT going to stop me bringing Hook and Dad home, I won't let him"

She lent over and gave her Mom a quick hug before going to Henry, she tapped him on the shoulder and when he pulled off his head phones and looked up at her she smiled.

"I'm just going to go and help Belle with something, I won't be long. Keep your Brother company when he wakes up and if he asks where I am Grandma has a cover story all ready to go, can you do that for me?"

"Sure Mom" he replied with a smile "Is everything alright?"

"It will be" she answered around the question then dropped a kiss on top of his head and whispered "I love you kid"

"Love you too Mom"

Ten minutes later Emma was making her way out into the parking lot where Belle said she'd pick her up. Ten minutes later Gold's Cadillac pulled up and Belle gave a little wave as Emma approached. As soon as she got in the locator spell and one of Gold's ties was practically flung into her lap after Belle had lifted them from the empty seat so Emma could sit down.

"Hold onto these" Belle said as she immediately shoved the car into gear and headed out of the parking lot "I thought I'd just drive us back into town and start from there, it's pretty central so it's probably the best place."

Emma could tell that Belle was worried about what they would find "Hey, it's alright. We can stop him doing whatever he is doing."

"I hope so Emma because I don't know how much more of this I can take. It's so confusing, one minute I am convinced that he is helping, then I find out that he was trying to get the gem all along. He CLAIMS that the gem was controlling him but even after it's gone I'm still not sure that he's not trying to get it back THEN he's being controlled by the dagger... I think he's sorry and then he goes and does this. Nothing or no one is controlling him now Emma, he's doing this himself..."

In no time at all they were standing outside the library, Belle held up the tie and Emma clutched the potion in her hands.

"You ready?" Emma asked cautiously

Belle gave a definite nod before lifting the tie up higher. Emma made short work of it and stuck the bottle in her pocket so that they could get moving. The tie hovered where it was for a few seconds, it kept dipping slightly and Emma was just about to ask if Belle had the right potion when it suddenly moved and kept bashing into the library doors.

"He's in here?" Emma asked in confusion, quickly grabbing the door.

"I don't understand" Belle replied just as confused "He wasn't here earlier"

"Maybe he's returning the books" Emma said with a shrug but when they followed the tie through the doors it headed straight towards the door to the clock tower.

"Of course" Belle sighed out "I should have known. How many bad things has he tried to do up there?!"

Emma couldn't argue, Gold seemed to have some sort of connection with this place for some reason, hell, he'd hidden his dagger there for the longest time so she just kept her mouth shut and headed up the spiral staircase. She could see him in seconds, he turned as soon as their feet hit the metal stairs and gave a heavy sigh.

"Belle... what are you doing here?" he said in a low tired voice

"What am I doing here?" Belle burst out immediately pointing at the wall "What are you doing?"

Emma looked around them and she could see that Gold had been working hard. There were notes and pictures pinned up across the wall. Little bits of red string ran from one thing to another and as Emma studied it she realized that Gold was trying to figure out how to get to Neverland... to find his dagger. She took a step forward to study the board further as Belle's voice rose higher.

"THIS IS ABOUT YOUR DAGGER!" She raged "WHY AM I NOT SURPRISED, IT'S ALWAYS ABOUT YOUR DAGGER ISN'T IT RUMPLE?"

Emma tuned out the rest as she narrowed her eyes and looked more closely at the wall then it hit her, she turned sharply and grabbed Belle's arm.

"Belle, stop" she nearly whispered not actually believing what she was about to do, she was going to restore Belle's faith in the Crocodile. "He CAN'T help find a way to bring back Dad and Hook...BUT he can find a way to bring back his dagger"

Belle frowned deeply and shook her head n confusion "What?"

"Look" Emma said pointing to the wall and when Belle gave a heavy sigh and did as she was told the sudden understanding on her face was all too clear when her eyes fell on a large piece of paper right in the middle that read

"Dagger, Shepherd, Pirate... All in Neverland. Find way to retrieve dagger"

"Of course..." Belle suddenly turned back to Gold with eyes full of regret "I am so sorry Rumple, I should have had more faith in you"

"It's alright, if I were you I would not trust me either" he replied stepping around her to wave a dismissive hand at the wall "But all of this is of little consequence anyway, I have tried everything and there is NO WAY to get "my dagger" back to Storybrooke."

"I don't believe that" Emma burst out stepping forward too

"Well feel free to check for yourself Miss Swan" Gold replied spreading his arms wide in invitation and stepping back "I have checked EVERY book that I could find, I have done little else for the least twenty four hours but if you think that you can find something that I cannot, well, go ahead... I tried for centuries to find a way to open a portal and failed but if you think you know better who am I to argue? I on the other hand am going home. I need some time to myself. It would seem that I will never be free of my dagger, it is trapped in Neverland and I CANNOT get to it or return it here"

He gave a nod of his head before simply walking away, there was no flair, no red smoke, he simply headed down the staircase and back into the library.

"I'm sorry Emma" Belle said moving to follow him "I have to go after him"

"Go Belle, it's alright" Emma replied never taking her eyes from the wall.

She heard Belle leaving but didn't turn around, she just walked the length of the wall trying to take in all the information. How could this be possible? There had to be a way... But she was now facing the reality that had been niggling in the back of her brain. The last time they had been in Neverland they had done everything possible to make sure that nothing or no one could every get there or leave there again.

Her heart sank but still the bubble of hope would not leave her... if anyone COULD find a way, it was her Dad and maybe Gold had missed something. He wasn't exactly thinking straight so she gave the wall one last look before grabbing all the books from the floor and heading to the Jolly. She would drop the books off, pick up Pink Bear then hit Granny's to get some food for everyone.

She was not beaten, she would NOT give up her hope, not without a fight.

It was Hook's job to survive... it was her job to save him.

Killian lay with his eyes shut just listening to David working over by the fire. The apple juice and water that he had drank earlier were sitting heavily in his stomach and he was trying to stay as still as possible in the hope that his guts would settle. He felt truly awful, the fever burning through him was taking it's toll leaving him exhausted, he would have happily just gone back to sleep but his rolling stomach reminded him that it wasn't a great idea right now.

He gave a heavy sigh and shoved the blanket down a bit, he was so hot that his skin felt tight but minutes later he gave a shiver as he suddenly felt cold. With another heavy sigh he tried to pull his blanket back up but the movement jarred his ribs and he let out a groan.

David was at his side in a second "You alright?"

Killian just nodded letting his hand fall back onto the bed under his blankets never even opening his eyes, it was just too much effort. He heard David give a sigh of his own then he felt the Prince's hand slid onto his forehead but again Killian didn't say anything or try to fight it... he just didn't have the strength.

David was gone in a second and Killian felt himself drifting a bit but just as he thought that sleep was finally going to take him his stomach rolled again and this time he knew that it wasn't going to end there. He practically clawed his way to the edge of the bed. His ribs were suddenly on fire along with what felt like everything else but his gut was not about to let up and he was suddenly purging the apple juice mix onto the floor.

He felt David's hands on him and he could hear him talking but he didn't know what he was saying. Killian's mind was just focused on the sole task of trying to breath through the never ending misery. After what felt like an eternity his stomach finally settled and David hoisted him back into the bed which pulled a rather pathetic sounding whine from Killian's lips but the Prince didn't seem to care he just adjusted Killian's pillows than pulled up his blankets over his shoulders. Killian peeked open an eye when he felt David's hand settle right in the centre of his chest and when he looked up he could see the worry all over his Brother's face.

"Drink this" David whispered moving his hand to the back of Killian's head to pull him up a bit.

Before Killian could even think about refusing the cup was being tipped and he didn't really have much choice in the matter. He took a few mouthfuls before trying to pull away letting some of the water run down his chin and down around his neck. His eyes were closed again in seconds and he was breathing heavily as the silence in the room echoed in his head.

"Get some sleep" David whispered letting his hand slide back down onto Killian's chest where it rested for a second before the Prince gave a quick rub "I'll get you some more apple juice when you wake up, we need to keep your strength up"

Killian tried to hum in reply but he didn't quite manage it, sleep was pulling at him and after his trip to the edge of the bed he was more than ready to let it take him so with a sigh he let his mind wander. A few minutes later he heard what he assumed was David cleaning the floor but even if he had tried with all his might he wouldn't have been able to thank him so he just took a mental note that he would have to do it later.

David sat back on his heals as he finished cleaning the floor and gave a sigh at the sight of Hook who was now sleeping. The Pirate was sweating quite heavily, his cheeks were very flushed and David had a feeling that he hadn't seen the last of the puke just yet.

He pulled himself up to his feet and headed straight outside with the sodden rags not willing to let them stay inside a minute longer than he needed too but as he nearer the cave entrance he gave a frown then raised his eyebrows as he stepped out and most of the snow had melted. It wasn't exactly warm but the bitter iciness that had hung in the air was definitely gone.

"What the hell is going on?!" he cried out sending a little flock of birds up from a nearby tree but more retching noises from inside had him throwing the rags to the side and turning on his heels to run back into the cave. Hook was hanging off the bed, he hadn't managed to bring anything up having already emptied his stomach a few minutes earlier and as if on cue his stomach lurched again but all that came up was air making David cringe at the noises escaping the Pirate. He dropped down onto the edge of the bed and held onto Hook again to make sure he didn't hurt himself anymore than he already had as the Pirate lurched yet again.

This bout didn't last nearly as long and neither did Hook's consciousness, practically the minute David pulled him back into the bed Hook was out again and David gave another heavy sigh as he got up and headed back across the room. He quickly washed his hands and went back to his chicken bird that still needed to pluck.

A good while later he had plucked it, beheaded it, and removed the birds organs. He stuck a skewer straight through the carcass and secured it above the flames before heading back over to the mess that he's left on the table and clearing it up. He looked around the large cupboard and found a small shovel, slung it over his shoulder, grabbed his trash and headed outside again. The sun was actually trying to shine through the clouds when he stepped out and the ground had dried up some what but it was still quite slippery under foot so after collecting up the rags from earlier he carefully made his way a short distance down the trail. He dug a small hole, dumped his trash inside then buried it, he had been gone less than fifteen minutes but as he came back up the trail he could smell his chicken bird cooking and his mouth was instantly watering at the thought of eating it.

He made his way back inside going straight to the sink to wash his his hands before turning his bird so that it cooked evenly. He looked around once he was done to make sure that Hook was still alright, the Pirate was sleeping soundly now and David decided to leave him until after he had eaten. There was no way that he was going to try and get Hook to eat any of the chicken bird, but he was determined to get him to drink more apple juice so in between turning his dinner he mashed up some more apples and put the cup once filled to one side so that it was ready once Hook woke up, he also made up some of the Neverberry tea knowing that the Pirate was probably going to need it before too long but this time instead of using the kettle he made it in a small pot and left it to stew over the fire so that it would still be warm when Hook woke up.

About half an hour later David was practically ripping his chicken bird apart and shoving it into his mouth, he had eaten a few apples but this was something new and when his stomach clenched he had to remind himself to slow down a bit. He hadn't really eaten in more than twenty four hours and his stomach was struggling with the sudden heavy meal. He gave a sigh and sat back letting the meat in his belly settle, maybe he should take a break and come back to it. Reluctantly he pushed his plate back and got to his feet, he wiped his hands on a cloth before heading over to the bed with the apple juice.

"Hook" he whispered and was happy to see him peek open his eyes nearly straight away.

"Hmmmm?"

"I've got some apple juice for you but I think we should probably get you to pee first and I want to put some more ointment on too"

"Awesome" Hook mumbled making David chuckle

"How you feeling?"

Hook frowned slightly like he was thinking about it for a second then answered with a smirk "A bit better I think...but ask me again once you've finished torturing me"

"Sorry, I'll be as quick as I can, I promise"

"It's fine Mate, I do appreciate it... although I may very well find that I will appreciate it more in a few weeks when it is just a distant memory"

"I'll bet" David chuckled before pulling the blankets back and getting to work.

Again he sighed in relief when Hook managed to pee, apparently the juice and water he had drank earlier had done some good but David knew that he had to get more into the Pirate before too long. He found himself apologizing before he'd even started with the ointment. They started with Hook's back this time so that could lie back quickly and David was happy to see that a lot of the swelling had gone down and that Hook didn't react nearly as badly as he had the last time. In fact at one point he actually opened his eyes and looked down at his shoulder as David worked, he raised an eyebrow then let a little hiss out through his teeth.

"This seems a bit better" David said pointing at the wound with his head

"Hmmmmm" Hook hummed back and when David looked up he saw that Hook had closed his eyes

"I'm nearly done, just hang on OK" David said hurrying to finish. Hook didn't say anything, he just grit his teeth slightly but he gave a slight nod of his head holding his breath until David said "All done"

David pulled Hook's blankets back up and got up, he headed to the sink and washed his hands again before grabbing the tea and heading back over.

"Apple juice first" he said putting the tea on the side and grabbing the other cup.

Hook actually looked a bit brighter and when David held the cup up he watched as the Pirate drank it down quickly. He hoped that Hook would manage to keep it down then Pirate surprised him when he looked at him and asked.

"Is there any bird left?"

"You think you can manage it?"

"I'll give it a bloody good go David" Hook replied with a smirk then nodded "I think the worst of the sickness is over and that smells too good to pass up, even just a mouthful would be enough"

"If you're sure" David said shaking his head, he wasn't convinced it was a good idea but he got up anyway returning a few minutes later with a few bits of the bird on a small plate.

He just fed Hook them and if the Pirate was not happy about it he didn't say anything, he just chewed the meat and gave a low hum of appreciation. He didn't even eat half of what David had brought over before saying he'd had enough but David was glad to see that he managed quite well.

"You want some tea now?"

"Aye Mate" Hook replied leaning back on his pillow with a wince "I think I may be overdue some meds"

"How's everything feeling?" David asked putting the plate down and picking up the cup of tea

Hook gave another wince as he tried to shift on the bed a bit then sighed out "Sore"

"Yeah, I'll bet" David agreed "OK well hopefully this will help"

David held the cup up and Hook was quick to take a few mouthful before he suddenly frowned and pulled back with a gasp.

"What did you do?" he asked with a frown

"What? What do you mean, what did I do?"

"It tastes different" Hook replied lifting his hand to his lips and touching his mouth

"I... I don't know, I didn't add anything if that's what you mean, I just let it brew over the fire for a while"

David was suddenly sitting up a bit straighter as Hook's hand fell to the bed, the Pirate gave a few long blinks then mumbled.

"Should...never brew... Neverberry tea... too... strong"

His head lolled to the side and in an instant he was gone. David was instantly panicking, he put the cup on the side then tried to shake Hook awake.

"HOOK" he yelled out but Hook was completely out of it

What the hell had he done?!

The Pirate's breathing was shallow and David suddenly found himself sitting with his hand on Hook's chest again except this time it wasn't to bring comfort it was to make sure that the Pirate was still breathing.

He lost track of how long he sat there and at one point his heart froze when Hook's chest stopped for a beat too long. David's system flooded with adrenaline thinking he was going to have to perform CPR until Hook's chest lurched and started moving again.

David nearly wept with relief.

The fire was dying down by the time David felt confident enough to get up. Hook now just seemed to be sleeping and his chest was rising and falling well with every breath. David stood up to find that his legs felt quite wobbly and when he made his way back over to the fire his eyes fell on the pot of stewed tea. Suddenly his anger burst free, he grabbed the pot not caring that it was hot and threw it with a roar across the room where it clattered off the wall and splashed across the room.

David found himself on his knees crying like he hadn't done in years... why had this happened?

He missed Snow so much that his heart physically hurt... her heart... not his.

He slumped to the side to lie back on his makeshift bed and brought his hand up to rest on his chest, he could feel her inside him, something that normally brought him comfort but right now it just made everything so much worse as he thought of home and another sob escaped him. His face crumpled as he rolled over onto his side and buried his face in his bedding, he felt so lost, incomplete but most of all he just missed seeing her smiling face.

He missed Storybrooke, he missed his family and as the face of a certain little mini pirate popped into his head another howl escaped him and suddenly he was crying for the boy...

Even though he himself had tried to tell Hook that Junior could be alright, right here, right now David found himself not believing his own words...

He clutched his blankets over his mouth trying to silence the sobs that left him as he grieved for his Grandson...

He had promised to keep him safe.

But he had failed and now Junior was gone... and there was absolutely nothing that he could do to fix it.

In that moment David let his feelings rush free and Neverland received it's first truly Lost Boy in a very long time...