Neal had been unsure about staying with his father but he had watched his father's face as Belle had made her oath, mind you he was still shocked his father had given up the dagger to her, and there had been no anger or upset. As if he was now barred from doing what he wanted. Merely some shock and a bit of concern.
That combined with Henry's surprising pleas to stay with his paternal grandparents had swayed Neal to agree to stay. After all, in the worst case as long as he was there surely his father wouldn't try and hurt Henry with him around.
Henry seemed quite pleased with his decision to acquiesce and Neal couldn't quite bring himself to deny the boy. Truthfully, he was a little surprised at how attached Henry was to Belle and his father.
The moment however was ruined by a whooshing sound overhead the skies above them became clouded in darkness and a host of shadows came sweeping over them. The trio surrounded Henry protectively and Rumple sent a ball of fire at the shadows which seemed to send some of them off but the rest came back Neal looked desperately for something on fire that he could use as a torch but they had yet to light a camp fire.
A pair of shadows managed to trip him up and he fell to the ground leaving an opening for two of the shadows to grab Henry.
He lunged for Henry just missing his son's pant leg while Belle tossed something towards the shadows. There was a burst of flame which hit one of the shadows however the other still had Henry firmly in its clutches.
"No!" he yelled as the shadows departed leaving them forlorn. His father let out a similar noise of frustration while Belle covered her face with her hands.
"What was that?" asked his step mother.
"If I were to guess Pan temporarily recruited his lost boy's shadows. They'd have to be returned if he didn't want to exhaust himself trying to control them all but they seem to have served their purpose," sighed his father.
"Great. Just GREAT!" It seems he was doomed no matter what. Neal supposed he might not have survived had his Papa and Belle not been there. Odds are if the shadows had caught Neal and Henry alone, they might have tried to capture them both and separate them. Then Pan would have two hostages. All the same it was difficult to look on the bright side with his son gone.
What were they to do now?
OUAT
Henry yelled and fought against the shadow but to no avail his father and grandparents did their best to protect him but it was too late. Eventually the shadow set him down in front of a smirking Pan.
"So much for your family's great rescue mission."
"They fooled you once and got me they'll come back and get you again. And they won't stop NONE OF THEM!" yelled Henry furiously.
"Oh really? You are certain about that? Honestly, I don't even understand why you want to go back. All adults do is lie after all. Not to mention who's to say your whole family is still here and alive anyway?"
"They're better than you," snapped Henry. "And you aren't good enough to kill any of them."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that," scoffed Pan he walked away and the lost boys went back to their chanting Henry was stuck sitting on the outskirts thought there were a few boys watching him to make sure he didn't try and escape.
One boy who was carrying a stick came over.
"So, you're the kid Pan's been looking for all this time." he nudged Henry with the stick and Henry shifted away.
"Why don't you ask him?" replied Henry shortly. The boy attacked Henry playfully with the stick and Henry stood jumping out of the way. "Stop it!" The boy laughed.
"If you can't take this, how are you gonna handle what Pan has in store for you?"
"I won't have to my family will come for me," said Henry. All the same he looked down and picked up a stick he didn't want to be defenseless against the boy who immediately swung at him. Remembering his lessons with his grandfather and father Henry blocked it countering the boy's attacks.
"Not bad." said Pan. "But wouldn't it be more fun, if you had real swords?"
"I'm not interested in your idea of fun," replied Henry whose courage had been bolstered by knowing not only was his family on the island looking for him but his father was alive. "And I've never used a real sword."
"This is Neverland and you have the of the truest believer. You can use whatever you want. Our idea of fun is also much more entertaining." Henry noticed that the boy opposite him now had a real sword. Unable to think of anything else to do Henry closed his eyes and focused on imagining the stick as a real sword. When he opened them he was holding a blade.
"What are you waiting for? Go on!" said Pan. The boy charged him and Henry dodged. Hoping to end this and disarm the boy Henry charged and after a couple blows sent the sword flying also cutting the boy's cheek in the process by accident.
"I'm sorry. It was an accident," he said however Pan laughed putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Henry. Don't you know the best thing about being a Lost Boy? You never apologize." He tried to raise Henry's hand victoriously but Henry pulled away.
"Maybe. But I'm not a lost boy."
OUAT
The only way Emma could think of at this point to get a message to Henry was via a lost boy and so she, Mary Margaret and Regina had set a trap resulting in them catching a boy of about fourteen.
"What are you doing?!" The boy demanded as they kept an arrow trained on him. Are you trying to start a war with Pan?" Emma scoffed.
"Pan started the war when he kidnapped my son." Regina then stepped forward and said in a smooth voice.
"But that doesn't you're our enemy," she opened her palm to reveal a chocolate bar.
"What's that?" asked the boy.
"Chocolate. I thought you might like the taste of something sweet."
"We don't wanna hurt you. We just need you to deliver a message to Henry," said Emma calmly trying to sound gentle.
"Why should I help you?" asked the boy.
"Because you had a home and a family once and you stopped believing you could get back to them. Now we're here. We can help- not just Henry, all of you. We can get you home, "as Emma spoke Regina moved closer allowing the boy to take the bar. He sniffed it.
"Mmm. " Then he tossed it in the jungle. Emma drew her dagger. So much for the diplomatic approach. "Don't you get it? I'm here because I don't wanna go home. None of us do."
"Pan's a monster. Look what he did to you!" she gestured to a cut on his cheek.
"Oh, Pan didn't do that. Henry did." Emma didn't want to believe the boy.
"If he did you must have given him a reason," snapped Regina.
"It's too late! Henry is a Lost Boy, now! Your boy is one of the most vicious recruits we've had in ages!" Emma moved forward starting to choke the boy.
"Don't let him get to you, okay?" said Mary Margaret pulling her off of the boy. Emma took a deep breath. Regina was probably right and Henry might have done that in self-defense in which case the boy was just trying to push her buttons.
"Move aside," said Regina stepping towards the boy but Mary Margaret intervened.
"Why?"
"So I can rip his heart out! Then he'll do exactly what we want," said Regina.
"This is not how we do things! Emma, we can find another way," said Mary Margaret. Looking towards Emma for support. Regina also stared at her.
"Really? And what do you think, Emma?" Emma took a deep breath it was a harsh move but what choice did they have? They'd tried being nice and that hadn't worked. She remembered Gold's words about needing to be willing to go as far as it took. Truthfully his advice about belief had been helpful. The second part also appeared to be accurate. The unfortunate truth was they couldn't afford to hold back for the sake of moral high ground.
"I think we need to talk to our son," she said. Mary Margaret looked horrified and tried to get in the way as Regina moved forward by Emma held her back unable to watch.
"We can't do this! That is brutal-" cried Mary Margaret.
"We can't but she can. Do it Regina!" said Emma.
"Emma!" cried Mary Margaret as they heard the sound of him crying out in pain as the heart was removed.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
OUAT
Henry once more sat off to the side feeling slightly guilty. He'd never hurt someone before even if this had been in self-defense. Well, aside from that one time he'd shoved a kid being mean to Grace on the playground. He was also worried about his moms and other grandparents.
Sure, it was good to know that his Dad and paternal grandparents were still ok and out searching but what if Pan HAD gotten to the others? He saw the boy from earlier approaching again and he shifted away.
"I don't want to fight again," he said.
"I come with a message," said the boy and he pulled Henry off into the brush away from the campfire and view of Pan.
"Your family is still here on the island searching for you," said the boy.
"Do you have proof?" asked Henry and in response the boy handed over half of a compact mirror.
Henry held it up and to his joy saw the face of his Grams, Emma, and Regina.
"Henry, are you okay?" asked Regina.
"Henry! Can you hear me?" asked Emma.
"Moms?" asked Henry.
"I'm here too, Henry!" added his Grams. Henry glanced up unsure.
"This is a trick."
"No. No, this is not a trick. Henry, I promise you this is real. Kid, it's Operation Cobra Rescue. It's us." Henry smiled at the name.
"You're all safe?"
"Yes. We're coming to get you."
"That's great. Dad's alive and with Grandma and Grandpa Gold!" he saw shock on Emma's face.
"How do you know?" asked Regina.
"They had me but Pan's shadow stole me back."
"Look Henry just hang in there, okay?" said his Grams.
"I gotta go," said Henry he could see Pan's blond hair approaching. He heard his Grams and Emma stammering then Regina called.
"We love you!" he gave them a last smile before throwing down the mirror which shattered. He kicked some dirt over the shards and then headed back his heart filled with more hope.
OUAT
Emma wasn't quite sure what to think about the fact that Neal was alive. A part of her thought she should be happy. She had loved him after all. Yet instead she felt...terror. Now things were even more complicated.
"So, they had him but let him get captured again," said Regina.
"I can't imagine Gold "letting" anything happen," said Emma. "And even if they lost him it's more progress than we made," she couldn't help a slight note of bitterness.
"Well, that's wonderful Neal is alive," said Mary Margaret.
"Yeah." agreed Emma.
"And Henry has hope now," added Regina.
"Even if we went about, it the wrong way," said Mary Margaret.
"Oh, cut the sanctimonious speech," scoffed Regina.
"We could have found another way."
"You always say that but your other ways are generally riskier or you don't have another option," pointed out Emma.
"Emma!" scolded the woman.
"Look. I'm not sorry I held you back."
"You don't have to apologize for that to me. It's Henry I'm worried about," replied Mary Margaret.
"I know. That's why I'm willing to let Regina do whatever it takes." The short haired brunette nodded.
"When we get to him, I just want to make sure the line is still there."
"What line?" asked Emma she was getting a tad tired of these speeches too.
"Their line between "good" and "evil"" snorted Regina.
"If you want to call it that FINE," said Mary Margaret defensively. "But it's the line between what Regina's willing to do and what you are willing to do. The line between right and wrong. The one I don't want my daughter to feel too comfortable crossing." Emma couldn't help but glare.
"I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get him home!"
"But the cost can't be this family," protested Mary Margaret. "Nothing is worth that cost. And I worry your desperation could let you be influenced in a negative way." she shot a glance at Regina who scowled.
"You know what! I've had enough of your preaching Snow White. I'm willing to do what is necessary to find my son and I don't need to also deal with you and your husband's judgement." Regina began to storm off.
"Where are you going?" asked Emma in concern.
"To find Gold. You said it yourself at least he's making progress." Regina disappeared and Emma sighed turning to Mary Margaret.
"Just great."
"Emma I can't just stay quiet when I see something is wrong," said Mary Margaret.
"Look you can choose not to make those choices if you want. But you could really quit being so judgmental of others who make them out of necessity," said Emma in annoyance.
"The Golds are really getting to you," said Mary Margaret looking worried and Emma threw up her hands at the way she completely missed the point.
"For the last time this has nothing to do with the Golds! But you did just lose us our only magic user." Emma stalked off to just far away enough to get some air. Frustration reeling through her.
Author's Note: So sadly we can't make rescuing Henry too easy and I had to send him back to Pan so I transferred the shadow attack here. I also figured getting sick of Snow's preachiness was plenty of reason to drive off Regina since they don't have the side quest to find Neal. Here we also see some more of Emma being the heroine who sees things with a little more nuance than her parents. Thanks so much to all my lovely readers and ESPECIALLY those who have left such wonderful detailed comments. If you like the story please take a moment to leave a note below! It really helps keep me motivated to continue this story. Until next time!