A few minutes later, David, Mary Margaret, and Hook were getting ready to see if Pan was telling the truth when Regina, Emma, and Dream noticed them going somewhere. "If we're gonna hide this, we need a good cover story." Mary Margaret whispered to her husband.
"Done," David said, fixing his pack.
"Not a problem." Hook said when the other three walked over.
"Where are you guys going?" Emma asked them as Mary Margaret tried to help David.
"To get water," David said to her.
"Get firewood." Hook said at the same time as David.
"Guys, what's going on?" Dream asked them, knowing something was up.
"Neal's alive." Mary Margaret blurted out, causing Emma to look at her in disbelief. "Neal is... Alive?" Emma mumbled, looking at them as Regina placed her hand on her daughter's back. "Maybe. Sorry. They deserved to know." Mary Margaret sighed as Dream looked at her mom.
"This is a waste of time. He's toying with us." Regina sighed, making Dream look down at her feet.
"I don't think so." Mary Margaret said, walking over to where she found the tracks. "Look, more scuffling. Someone was definitely resisting." Mary Margaret explained as Dream sighed.
"How do we know that means Neal?" Dream asked Mary Margaret.
"It means someone was fighting for his life." Mary Margaret sighed as Regina grabbed her daughter's hand, looking at Emma.
"Are you really going to fall for this?" Regina asked as she looked between Emma and her daughter. "Fine. You want to follow the evil munchkin's dirt road, be my guest." Regina sighed, taking Dream's hand.
"Wait. Where are you going?" Dream asked her mother, stopping the two of them from leaving.
"To save our son." Regina sighed, looking at Emma.
"We need to stick together." Emma fought. "No. We don't. You may be prepared to risk Henry's life over some heartbroken fool's errand, but I'm not. I'm tired of waiting around. Come on, Dreamy." Regina said, walking away from the others when Dream stopped her.
"I got to stay. I need to know if my brother's alive." Dream sighed, making Regina sigh.
"Dream, we are on this island to find your brother. Henry. Henry is your brother. Pan is messing with your mind."
"Henry is my brother, but so is Neal. Think about Henry... That's his dad, Mom. I have to know." Dream sighed when Regina placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders. "Fine. Be careful." Regina sighed, giving up on fighting with her daughter. Regina kissed Dream's head before hugging her tightly.
Meanwhile, Emma looked at her mother, skeptical. "What if she's right? Pan could be lying." Emma said to her mother. "Just because it seems too good to be true, doesn't mean it is. Don't give up. You owe it to Henry to find out if his father's still alive. And you owe it to Dream, who needs her brother in her life. And you owe it to yourself." Mary Margaret smiled at her daughter.
Gold looked down at the toy he had as a boy while he stayed at the place where he made camp at.
"You don't know what to do, do you?"
He looked up at the figment of Belle that had been appearing to him. "No, I don't..." Gold sighed, still looking down at the toy that he had copied to make a doll for Dream when she was a baby. "Come home to Storybrooke," Belle said to him when Gold sighed to himself.
"And just leave Henry, my family, behind?" Gold asked, referring to his grandson, his daughter, and the son that he learned wasn't dead. "Come with me, and we can start a new family. Our own family... That's what I want. Don't you?" Belle asked him, making him scoff to himself. "No, you can't want anything. You're just a figment of my subconscious." He retorted, making her shake her head.
"No. No, I am really here." Belle smiled when she moved to caress his cheek. "Now, take my hand. Believe in our love, and we can go back. Take it, Rumple. Please. Come home to me." She continued when he moved to take her hand before Belle started gasping for air.
"Enough of this!"
Gold turned to Regina, who was using her magic to choke Belle when Gold rushed over to her. "Regina!" Gold exclaimed when Regina kept choking Belle. "Are you really going to fall for this? Even our daughter is not this gullible." Regina scoffed while Gold still watched Belle gasping for air.
"Rumple, stop her." Belle struggled to get out.
"Don't listen to him," Regina said when Gold moved to push himself in front of her. "What are you doing?" He asked Regina, still watching Belle gasping. "Showing you the truth." Regina continued to say, still choking Belle, who dropped to her knees.
"No!" Gold said, being held back by Regina from helping Belle.
"Look who you're really dealing with!" Regina said when Belle turned into black dust before turning into Pan's shadow. He flew away, shocking Gold, who did not say a word.
Meanwhile, Mary Margaret led the way, following the tracks on the ground. Emma followed her mother, then David, Dream, and Hook. "Watch your step," David said to Dream, helping her watch a log that was in the path. "You okay, kiddo?" David asked her, making her look at him.
"Just hoping that Pan's right." Dream confessed, looking at him.
"I think we are all hoping that." David smiled at her, holding the lantern.
"I just wish my mom would have stayed with us... I know she wants to find Henry, but now both of my parents are off somewhere on this deadly island." Dream sighed, glancing back at Hook. "We're all family. And this family always finds one another." David smiled at her.
"That also means we don't lie to each other..." Dream said, looking at David. "I know about you nearly dying from Dreamshade. How are you better?" Dream asked softly so that no one else would hear their conversation.
"There was no sextant. Hook took me to get water that could cure it." David whispered, confessing to Dream.
"So, there is a cure?" Dream asked when David hesitated but nodded. "Well, I'm glad you're alive and well." Dream smiled when David smiled back at her.
"Me too, Dream... Me too."
Dream just smiled at him, thanking him for the reassurance. Meanwhile, Emma walked closer to her mother. "I kissed him." She whispered to her mother. "What? Who?" Mary Margaret asked her. "Hook. I kissed Hook." Emma confessed to her mother.
"Oh... Why?" Mary Margaret asked, shocked that Emma was talking to her about it.
"I don't know. I was... It's been a while. I was feeling good. I don't know."
"Did it mean anything?" Mary Margaret smiled.
"It was just a kiss." Emma shrugged, leaving the part of Hook pulling away out. "I'm sure Neal will understand." Mary Margaret said as they continued to walk. "If he's still alive." Emma sighed, glancing back at Dream, who was talking to David and blatantly ignoring Hook.
"Emma, I get what you're doing, you know. You don't want to open yourself up to the hope that he's alive, but you should." Mary Margaret continued, making Emma stop.
"Why?" Emma asked, making Mary Margaret stop.
"Because you deserve a happy ending, Emma. And happy endings always start with hope." Mary Margaret smiled at her daughter.
~season 3, episode 6: "Ariel"~
~1214 words~