I Know The End || Killian Jones

𝟶𝟹 - 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚊𝚜 𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚊𝚜 𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚢

storybrooke, maine

— SUFFICE TO SAY EMMA WAS SURPRISED TO SEE AJATRI WHEN SHE CAME JOGGING INTO THE HOSPITAL. "Hey," She greeted, her tone slightly confused as the woman offered her a smile. "What are you doing here?"

"The Sheriff called me to ask for my help." She explained. "I understand a John Doe has gone missing."

"That's correct." Graham said as he approached from somewhere behind Emma. "Thank you for coming, Aja."

"Of course." Her brows went up, though, when she spotted Grey lingering shyly behind the man. "No one told me this little rascal was here though." He gave her a tiny smile, coming out from his hiding spot towards her.

"Oh, he came here with us." Emma explained. "With Henry?"

"Oh." Aja frowned slightly. It was odd to see the boys separate when they were nearly always glued to one another's sides when they weren't sleeping. "Where is he?"

"He... left with Regina." Mary Margaret explained quietly.

"Ah." Aja nodded in understanding, shooting Emma a small, sympathetic look. "So where are we going?"

"The woods behind the hospital." Graham said. "We need to find him quickly, and according to the security tapes, that's where he's gone."

"Wait," Emma frowned slightly. "I thought you only owned the cafe?"

"I do." Aja agreed. "But our parents were hunters, and I've always had a sort of talent for navigating the woods. I'm usually the first, second and third call when someone loses a pet, and Grey and I have always been more than happy to track them down."

"Does that mean I can come??" Grey asked excitedly.

She sighed. "Well, I don't see where else you're meant to go." She ruffled his hair lightly as he grinned. "Come on, then."

°

Some people, like Graham and Aja, were well-adjusted to and prepared for the woods. Others were not. Emma kept up without too much difficulty just behind them while Mary Margaret struggled slightly a few paces behind her. Grey lingered back alongside his teacher, but Aja knew he was more than capable of keeping up, and was likely hanging back to keep her company.

They searched through the afternoon, following the trail John Doe had left behind easily enough until the sun had nearly sunk completely beyond the horizon. Here, between the tightly-packed trees, it was already quite dark.

Finally, they came to a stop. "The trail runs out here." Graham concluded.

Aja nodded. "It's alright. I've got it. Grey, come help me out."

"Okay!" Excited to finally be needed, the boy skipped over to his sister, taking her hand, and the two started ahead to keep looking for signs while Graham quietly instructed the other two to wait where they were just a moment. They kept going until the trail they'd been following was completely shrouded by the trees and foliage behind them, as well as the others. It was easier to find new things by starting fresh. That was what Aja had taught Grey. When they were surrounded by only woods, they began to pay attention to senses other than sight. Hearing, for instance. Sometimes even smell. But it was the wildlife in the woods that truly gave away what was amiss. Like the racing of small feet across the forest floor away from a hardly-noticeable path that could only have been made by a creature as clumsy as a human. Like the small flock of birds a distance away that suddenly took to the air sounding more like they'd been disturbed rather than simply deciding to take to wing.

"Grey?"

"I see them!" He whispered brightly.

She shot him a smile. "Good work. Come on, let's go get the others."