Once Upon a Time-The Truest Believer

Chapter 19: A Cure

Hook looked down at the packet. "I thought it was gone forever," he said softly.

Charming looked at him curiously. "What was gone?"

"No," Hook said, turning and beginning to walk away. "It's too dangerous."

"No, no no," Charming said, walking after him. "What's too dangerous? If you know something that can help us, don't hold back."

Hook looked at the packet. "If this insignia survived all these years, then perhaps my brother's satchel survived as well. Inside that satchel is a sextant. It can help us decode Neal's star map that can get us off this island."

Charming's eyes were widening with Hook's every word. "I know how I'm going to spend my last hours. We're going to find that thing."

"Look, you might reach the top," Hook said, "or you'll die before you return."

"Then come with me," Charming urged. "And make sure the sextant gets back to Emma."

Maria chuckled despite her tiredness. Charming was playing the Emma Card against Hook.

"You ready to be a hero?" Charming asked Hook.

Hook rubbed the insignia. He nodded, and he and Charming set off back towards camp.

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Maria pushed herself off the ground and sprinted on silent feet back to camp.

She reached the clearing before Hook and Charming, and took her place beside Emma again.

"Well?" Snow asked.

"Shh, here they come," Maria warned. She picked up some vines.

The men emerged into the clearing.

"We may have a way to descipher Neal's star map," Charming announced.

Emma got up. "How?"

"A sextant," Hook replied.

"A sextant?" Emma said. "You're telling us about this now?"

"How do we know you're not lying?" Regina questioned.

"Oh, you don't," Hook said good-naturedly. "But I'm not. It's the best hope we've ever had over an exit plan and we most definitely need one."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Emma asked.

Hook and Charming shared a look. Hook then walked over to Emma. "Emma," he said, "you were right. We need to get that message across to Henry. Every day without hope is a day closer to becoming a Lost Boy."

He shouldered some vines. "Your father and I should go."

Snow and Emma shared a shocked look.

"Hook's right," Charming said from his position a few feet away.

"Uh, you want to split up?" Snow asked.

"It's the last thing I want to do," Charming said, walking over to her, "but if there's a chance it can get us home..."

"Okay," Snow agreed.

"And Emma, when I'm gone, just-"

"Listen to my mother?" Emma joked.

Charming chuckled. "Be careful."

"Always am."

"And when you send that message to Henry, put in something for me, will you?" Charming asked.

"Okay," Emma said.

"Tell him that grandpa loves him."

Charming pulled Emma into a hug. She was confused, but he was scared.

He walked over to Snow.

She gave him a weird look. "Is everything alright?"

He pulled her into a long hug. "Yeah, it's just that I'm not feeling well."

"I'll see you soon," Snow said.

"You know, Neverland is a dangerous place," Charming said, still hugging her. "You never know what's going to happen."

"David," Snow said, pulling away. "You're going to be fine."

"Right," Charming said. He kissed her forehead and then kissed her lips. "I love you."

Snow watched him leave the clearing.

As soon as the men had left the clearing, Maria turned to Emma.

"I'm going to follow them," she said. "Who knows when something will come up for them to argue about? I'll just trial behind them and keep them in sight. I'll be fine."

"No," Regina said. "It's too dangerous. We need to stick together."

"I know Neverland better than any of you," Maria argued. "I need to follow them. They may end up needing help. What if they run into any Lost Boys? I know the Lost Boys, they wouldn't hurt me." She thought of her dreamshade wound.

"I think she's right," Snow said. "Hook and Charming can both be overly confident. They many need assistance, especially from someone who's spent lots of time here."

"I thought Hook had spent time here," Emma said.

"Yes," Maria butted in, "but he spent it here as Pan's enemy. I was living in Pan's hideout as his servant. I had freedom to roam around Neverland and discover things. Just let me go."

"Emma," Snow said, trying to convince her. "I think it's a good idea."

"Fine," Emma said.

"What, no one consults me?" Regina protested.

"Nope," Maria said. "I'll gather some vine for me to use, then set out after them."

She set out a minute later, following the men's trail.

After she was far enough away from the camp, she started to run. She knew running wouldn't help her energy problem, but she knew that Hook and Charming were planning to climb the cliff with the vine. She knew another way up, and intended to find them at the top. She felt the dreamshade moving quickly. She had to get there in time.