No Place Like Home [Jefferson Hatter || OUAT || Mad Red #3]

Chapter 6

At Neal's cave, Emma and Rose Red looked at the cave walls and Emma pulled the cover off the bed that was in the cave, "You need a hand, love?" Captain Hook asked as he walked over to her.

"Is that a joke?" Emma asked.

"Hmm. No, I'm being quite serious," Captain Hook said and he helped her move the cover out of the way to reveal markings on the wall.

"Wow," Rose Red said.

"What is it?" David asked.

"It appears Neal marks his days trapped on this island," Captain Hook said.

Emma jumped onto the rock to get a better look at the mark, she brushed her fingers against the marks, "What's wrong?" Mary Margaret asked.

"Look here," Emma pointed to the end of the marks, "Neal stopped counting," Emma said.

"'Cause he got off the island," Mary Margaret said.

"No, he was here longer," Emma said.

"Then why would he..." David said.

"Because he lost hope," Rose Red said as she looked at the markings sadly.

"She's right," Emma said.

"You got that from scribbles?" Regina questioned.

"I got that because..." Emma got off the rock, "It's what I did every time I went to a new foster home. I counted days until counting seemed pointless," Emma said.

"And I know my little brother," Rose Red said.

"You think the same thing's happening to Henry," David said.

"Pan said that it would," Rose Red said and exhaled deeply, slightly shakingly.

"Hey. We're gonna rescue him," Jefferson said.

"Yeah, I know that and you know that, but Henry doesn't know that. Pan wants him to lose faith," Rose Red said.

"So what, you want to send him a message? Because I haven't seen a Neverland post office. What are you suggesting?" Regina asked.

"We take a page from Pan and we start being clever... Emma and I already talked this over and we think it could work," Rose Red said.

"What'd you both decide?" David asked.

"We need to send a simple sign, a sign that we're coming," Emma said.

"Yeah, with Lost Boys running around, trying to kill us all," Regina said.

"Yeah, maybe it's time we used that to our advantage," Mary Margaret said.

"How?" Giselle and Regina asked.

"Follow me, I'll show you," Mary Margaret said and walked out with them.

Emma turned to the drawings briefly before she turned to follow them and David watched her and Captain Hook, "Swan?" Captain Hook said.

"What?" She looked at him, "We're wasting time," Emma said.

"I, uh... I just wanted to let you know that I do know what it feels like, to lose hope," Captain Hook said.

"I know what this is. This you... You trying to bond with me. So, save your breath. I'm not in the mood," Emma said and walked out of the cave.

David walked up to the pirate captain, "Let me give you a bit of advice, Hook," He looked at David, "She's never gonna like you," David said.

"Is that so?" Captain Hook questioned.

"How could she? You're nothing but a pirate," David said.