Walking through the jungles of Neverland is what Katherine imagined it would be like to hike through the Amazon Rainforest. Hot, humid, and covered in bugs. Only ten times worse.
Pushing through overgrown leaves and brush, they all trudged through the jungle following Emma who held the map to Pan's lair. Once they found Henry, Katherine wanted to go home, have a hot shower, and remind herself to never go camping.
"How much further?" Regina asked, dabbing at her neck with a handkerchief. "We should be getting close to Pan's lair," Emma said as they all came to a stop. "Going in a straight line course..."
She pulled the map out of her pocket and unraveled it expecting them to be only a mile or two away. And they were. For a second.
The X that was once located near the top of the island disappeared and reappeared at the bottom of the map. Right where they started.
"Son of a...how is it now behind us?" Emma asked. "How can that be?" Mary Margaret asked.
"You got us lost" Regina groaned. "No, she didn't," Katherine said. "The map is showing us where his camp is. Only problem is that he's moving it."
"He's playing tricks on us," David said.
"If Pan's camp keeps moving, how are we gonna find Henry?" Emma asked. "This whole trek's been for nothing and now my shoes are covered in more mud I'll ever be able to get out" Katherine sighed.
"I told you walking was idiotic," Regina said. "I get it, mother. Every idea I have is a bad one" Katherine said.
"If we just use some magic we can materialize in the camp and grab Henry!" Regina shouted. "We don't know where the camp is. Have you even been listening?" Mary Margaret asked.
"If I'm talking of course she wasn't" Katherine huffed. "Pan'll have shields against magic," Killian said. "I fear such an attempt would end in you death."
"Well, then what's your idea? How are we going to find it?" Regina asked. "By using someone he trust," he said.
"Who?" David asked. "Because I'd guess he certainly doesn't trust you."
"A fairy who lived here when I was about. She might still be on the island. She'd be an inside source, knows all about the camp and can get us in" Killian said. "She might even have some pixie dust left. Perhaps we can fly in."
"You mean fairy dust?" Emma asked.
"No, pixie dust," Katherine said. "It's stronger. Like nuclear fairy dust."
"Wait, a fairy...Tinkerbell?" Emma asked. "You know her?" Killian asked. "Every kid in the world...knows her," she said.
"It's a bad idea," Regina said. "Mark my words. This Tinkerbell is not going to save us."
"You don't know that," Katherine said. "There is another way," Regina said.
"Oh, is there?"
"Magic."
"Didn't we just go through this?" Katherine asked. "I'm not talking about my magic. I'm talking about our magic" Regina said.
"Absolutely not" Katherine scoffed.
"I bet you and I combined are strong enough to overpower Pan," she said. "Look, mother, I know you don't like this plan but let's just see it through. We can at least try to find Tinkerbell" Katherine said.
"And you think it's the best plan because your boyfriend came up with it?"
"You think it's the worst plan because he did!"
"Okay! We don't have time for this" Emma said, stepping between the two. Katherine sighed, taking a deep breath. "Emma's right. If you want to magically poof yourself into your own death, by all means. But we're going to find the fairy" Katherine said, pushing past her mother as they all followed Killian further into the jungle.
─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
When they got to Tinkerbell's hideout, Katherine was shocked to find it was just a giant treehouse. Killian went up first to see if she was home. But when he climbed the ladder and pushed open the hatch in the floor he found the place empty.
"No one's home!" he called out. "Come on up."
David went next. Followed by Emma, Katherine, and Mary Margaret. "It's pretty bare. Reminds me of someplace" Emma said. "You'd think a tree house would be more cheery," Mary Margaret said.
"Where I used to live. That's it" Emma said.
"You used to live somewhere that looked like an old desolate treehouse?" Katherine asked. "Because it's just a place to sleep," Mary Margaret said.
"What would you know about that?" Emma asked. "I didn't always have a canopy bed in a palace. I had a place like this too once" she laughed.
"You did?" Emma asked.
"A tree stump, when I was running from the Queen" Mary Margaret said. "Where is she?" Katherine asked, realizing her mother hadn't followed them up the ladder.
"She stayed behind," Emma said. "Said Tinker Bell wouldn't help us if she saw her."
"Of course not" Katherine mumbled.
"The real question is why does she have a ladder. Fairies have wings" Mary Margaret said.
"Guys? I found something" David said, picking up a small white cloth. "It's a handkerchief."
"That's my mothers," Katherine said, taking it from him. "How did it get here?"
"She was tracking us," Emma said. "Watching Regina."
"But if she's been watching her..."
"Then we're in the wrong place," Killian said. Leaving the treehouse, Katherine used a locator spell on the handkerchief to lead them to the cave where Tinkerbell was keeping Regina.
They ran up to the cave entrance the same time a woman walked out. She was wearing a small, slightly tattered, green dress with her hair up in a blonde updo. Dirt was smeared over her face and it was clear she had been here for quite some time.
Everyone had their weapons drawn, Katherine holding a fireball as they looked at the woman they assumed was Tinkerbell. "Where is my mother?" she asked.
"Who the hell are you?" Tinkerbell asked, holding her hands up. "That didn't sound like an answer and I'm not asking again," Katherine said, ready to toss the fireball at her.
Suddenly Regina came out of the cave behind the woman. "I'm fine" she called out.
"You mind lowering those?" Tinkerbell asked, looking at the swords pointed at her. "You may stick me but I'll take you down with me."
"She's okay," Regina said. "She's not gonna hurt us. Just stand down."
"But is she going to help us?" Killian asked. Tinkerbell looked at Killian and smirked. "Well, look who the Queen dragged in. Hello, Hook."
"Lady Bell" he sighed, putting his sword away. Katherine looked at Killian with a knowing look on her face. "You told us you knew a fairy here, you didn't say you knew a fairy."
Killian winked at Katherine knowing she was jealous even if she wouldn't say anything. "She's not gonna help us," Regina said.
"Why not?" Katherine asked, looking at Tinkerbell. "She doesn't have any magic," Regina said.
"No pixie dust?" David asked. "Great. So she's useless" Katherine sighed.
"Looks like the apple doesn't fall far from the tree after all" Tinkerbell smirked. "No but it still is poisonous," Katherine said, glaring at her.
"Do you at least know where Pan is?" Mary Margaret asked, trying to cut into their bickering. "Sure. But it won't do you a bit of good" Tinkerbell said.
"Let us be the judge of that. Does he trust you?" Mary Margaret asked. "Can you get us inside his compound?" Emma asked.
"Maybe," Tinkerbell said, crossing her arms. "Why should I help you?"
"Because I believe in you," Mary Margaret said.
"Just get us inside and we'll take care of things of there," Emma said.
"And what's in it for me?" Tinkerbell asked. "Other than a death sentence from Pan when you're gone with your boy."
"You can come with us," Emma said. "That's right. A home" Mary Margaret smiled. "That is what you want isn't it?"
Tinkerbell looked at them before she nodded. "Okay. Listen closely. Pan trust me. He'll let me in. And maybe, just maybe, I'll leave a way open for you. But you've only got one shot, so you better have a good plan."
"Thank you," Emma said. "We will."
"Come with us to our camp. We'll figure it out" Mary Margaret said as they followed her back through the trees.
─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Once the fire had been made Katherine and Killian sat off to the side while Tinkerbell discussed the layout of Pan's camp with Emma.
Grabbing a coconut he had gathered, he used his hook to carve out a hole before handing it to Katherine. "Everything alright?" he asked, as she took a sip.
"Of course. Why wouldn't it be?" she asked. "Because you look like you're about to set Tink ablaze," he said.
"Tink? I didn't realize you were on a nickname basis" she sighed, setting her coconut down. "Ah, there it is" he smirked.
"There what is?"
"You're jealous, love."
"Of the fairy who lost her wings?" Katherine scoffed. "I don't think so."
"You can deny it all you want, love. But it's written all over your face."
"Look, is it weird to know that you slept with...Tinkerbell? Sure. But I am not jealous."
"It's alright. I don't think I'd be too fond of meeting any of the men who had the honor of being with you" he said.
"There are no other men" she mumbled, tracing a pattern into the dirt with her finger. "What does that mean?" he asked but Katherine stayed quiet, too embarrassed to tell him.
Placing his hook under her chin he pulled her head up to look at him. "Tell me the truth, love. Was I your first?"
Even though he didn't ask with any malicious intent or even say it in a teasing tone Katherine still pulled away, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
"Don't say it like that!"
"Like what?"
"Like that! There's a reason why I didn't tell you. It's embarrassing and plus I thought you would've figured it out" she said.
"How on earth would I have figured it out? You definitely didn't act like you'd never done it before."
Katherine bit her lip as she playfully nudged him before Emma called them over.
"This is where they're keeping Henry," she said, pointing to an outline she drew in the sand with a stick. "Pan's compound. Tinkerbell says there are sentries positioned across the front which is why we're gonna come in through the back entrance, here. She's gonna talk her way in, once she makes sure the coast is clear, then we're going to sneak on in.
"You'll still have to deal with any Lost Boys once you're inside," Tinkerbell said. "We can handle a few children with pointy sticks," Katherine said. "Trust me."
"It's not the sticks you need to worry about. It's the poison they're dipped in" Tinkerbell said. Katherine didn't miss the way Killian glanced at David.
"Dreamshade. Hook warned us" Mary Margaret said.
"Good" Tinkerbell said. "Because one nick and you'll spend the last of your days-"
"Poison sticks equal death. We got it" David said. "Now, when can we put this rescue mission into action?"
"I'm ready to go. Just as soon as you tell me the exit plan" she said.
Everyone looked around as they realized they didn't have an exit plan.
"You do have an escape plan, don't you?" Tinkerbell asked. "It was more of a last minute trip," Mary Margaret said.
"If you don't have a way off this island, then none of this matters," Tinkerbell said. "We'll figure it out," Regina said.
"You'll figure it out? No one comes and goes from this place unless he allows it. This is a waste of time" Tinkerbell said.
"When it comes to family, we always find a way," David said.
"You don't get it. Here let me show you something" Tinkerbell said, pulling a watch from her pocket. "You know what this is?"
"Yeah, a watch," Emma said.
"I got it from the people who brought your son here for Pan," she said.
"Greg and Tamara? Where are they? Why did they give you that?"
"I got it off the girl's body," Tinkerbell said. "Spent half the night cleaning the blood off it. And the other guy? Well, there wasn't enough of him left to find anything useful. This is what Pan does to people he employs. What do you think he's gonna do to you? I'm not sticking my neck on Pan's chopping block without a way off this island. You figure that out, you know where I live."
"Where the hell is she going?" Mary Margaret asked as Tinkerbell walked off leaving them alone at their camp. "I'll go talk to her," David said, "bring her back."
"Don't" Emma said. "She's right. If there's one thing I've learned you never break in somewhere unless you know the way out."
"And where'd you get that, in bail bonds person school?" Regina asked. "Neal taught me that," Emma said.
Katherine sighed as she turned to Killian. "What about you? You got off this island before" she said.
"Yes, aboard my ship. Which would require some form of magic to create a portal" he said. "Where'd you get that the first time?" she asked.
"Pan gave it to me," he told her.
"Why?"
Killian shook his head. "It doesn't matter. But I know it's a deal he's not going to repeat."
Katherine looked at him and knew he was keeping something from her. Something he really didn't want her to find out.
"So no one's ever left the island without Pan's permission?" Regina asked.
"One man," Killian said. "Her partner in crime, Neal," he said, looking at Emma.
"How?"
"Maybe we can find out," Killian said, walking into the woods as everyone followed him, praying for a way off the island.