Once Upon a Dream:

Page 80: Losing Time:

When David and Mary Margaret came back in, David lit the torch again while the others looked around. Dream kept looking at the cave drawings since they showed her the coconut; she hoped that it would show her more. She moved a blanket when Hook looked over at her. 

"You need a hand, love?" He asked her. 

"Is that a joke?" She raised her brow at him. "No, I'm being quite serious." He said, helping her move the makeshift mattress when she noticed more tally marks on the wall. "Whoa." Dream said, looking at the number of tallies that were on the wall.

"What is it?" David asked her.

"It appears Neal marked his days trapped on this island." Hook said as Dream jumped onto the rock, getting a closer look at the tallies. "What's wrong?" Emma asked, walking over to Hook and Dream.

"Look here. Neal stopped counting." Dream said, pointing at the end of the tallies. "Because he got off the island." Mary Margaret smiled when Dream looked at her. "He was here longer." Dream said, looking at Hook.

"Then why would he--"

"Because he lost hope." Dream sighed, interrupting David. 

"You got that from scribbles?" Emma asked her.

"I got that because it's what I did every time I asked mom who my dad was... I lost track of asking her when she stopped answering my question... And she stopped every attempt I had of finding out who he was." Dream sighed when Emma nodded. "I did the same thing every time I went to a new foster home." Emma sighed, agreeing with Dream. "Counting days until counting seemed pointless." Dream sighed as Hook helped her get back down.

"You think the same thing is happening to Henry." David sighed, looking over at his daughter. "Pan said that it would," Emma spoke up. "Hey. We're going to rescue him." David said to Emma and Dream.

"Yeah, I know that. And you know that..."

"But Henry doesn't know that." Dream sighed, cutting Emma off. "Pan wants him to lose faith." She continued, looking at everyone.

"You want to send him a message?" Regina asked her daughter. "Because I haven't seen a Neverland post office." She continued as Dream sighed.

"What are you suggesting?" Emma asked her.

"We take a page from Pan. And we start being clever. We need to send a simple sign. A sign that we're coming..." Dream said, trying to get everyone on the same page. 

"With Lost Boys running around trying to kill us all?" Emma asked Dream. "Yeah, maybe it's time we use that to our advantage." Mary Margaret spoke up.

"How?" Regina asked her.

"Follow me. I'll show you." Mary Margaret smiled, walking out of the cave with David and Regina, while Emma noticed Dream and Hook staying behind. 

"Dream." Hook said, stopping her when she went to walk out. "What?" Dream asked him, raising a brow at him. 

"I just wanted to let you know that I, too, know what it feels like. To lose hope." Hook continued, making Dream sigh. "I know what this is. This... You, you know, are trying to bond with me." Dream said, trying to stop Hook since they didn't have time. "Now-- Now is really not the time, Hook." She added, sighing, when Hook nodded, scoffing to himself.

"So, save your breaths. We're wasting time." Emma said, making Dream sigh as she followed Emma. Hook went to walk out behind her when David stopped him. "Let me give you a bit of advice, Hook. She's never going to like you." David said as Hook faked a smirk.