Gold

{49}

The waves crashed around us as we fell through the portal.

I felt the water splash me as the boat finally settled.

I held tightly to the rope and looked out across the water. There was an island not too far ahead.

"Is that it?" Emma asked, looking at Hook.

"Aye. Neverland." Hook told her.

I glanced at Rumple and saw he had a sad look in his eyes as he looked at the island. Did he have some sort of history with this land?

We were able to let go of the ropes as Hook took over sailing the ship.

I walked over to Rumple to see him lost in thought.

"What's going on?" I asked him and he looked startled.

"Wow, jumpy aren't we?" I asked him and he chuckled.

"Sorry, it's just this place. It brings back memories." He told me.

"Bad ones?" I asked and he looked towards the island.

"It's a long story."

"Whenever you're ready, you can tell me." I told him and he smiled.

"I know."

I heard Emma raising her voice and looked over my shoulder to see her talking to Snow and Charming.

I walked over to them and stood by Emma.

"Is everything okay?" I asked her.

"No, it's not okay. Nothing is okay. I should've just taken Henry away with me and we'd still-" Emma said angrily.

"You'd still be together. We missed you growing up Emma, and it haunts us every day." Snow told her.

"And that's why we're here now. We don't want you to have to go through the same thing, too, and you won't.  We are going to get our family back." Charming told Emma.

"How can you two be so infuriatingly optimistic?" Emma asked angrily. It seemed her and I were on the same page.

"It's who we are." Charming told her.

Sometimes I thought it was a front the two of them put on. There was no way they were always morally perfect and just. No one was that way.

"Why? Ever since you got your memories back, ever since you remembered that you're Snow White and Prince Charming, your lives have sucked." Emma said.

"No, we found you." Charming told her.

"And lost Henry and Neal and countless other people!" Emma said.

"Emma, the minute I let go of the belief that things will get better is the minute that I know they won't. We'll find Henry." Snow said.

"No, you won't." I heard Rumple say and we all turned to see him standing on the helm of the ship. He was dressed in his old clothes, the type of clothes he wore as Rumplestiltskin.

"Rumple, what are you-"

"Oh that's a great use of our time- a wardrobe change." Hook said sarcastically and I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, shut up, discount Jack Sparrow." I said and Hook looked confused.

"Who's that?" He asked, and I saw Regina roll her eyes too. I could tell she didn't like Hook at all.

"I'm gonna get Henry." Rumple said, drawing our attention back to him.

"We agreed to do this together." Regina said.