CHAPTER FIFTEEN: quite minds

𐌕Ꝋ𐌃𐌀𐌙 Ꮤ𐌀𐌔 𐌀 𐌅𐌀𐌉𐌐𐌙𐌕𐌀𐌋𐌄

JASON BUCHANAN STOOD BEHIND THE COUNTER, WAITING FOR EMMA TO ARRIVE; HE HAD DECIDED TO WHIP UP A BATCH OF OATMEAL PANCAKES. He didn't think many people would like it, but he found the recipe online and decided to try it out. He thought it was good. But, then again, he liked oatmeal.

Jason placed the plates onto the counter next to Hook.

"David, Mary," Jason called out, and he set two other plates on the counter.

𐌕Ꝋ𐌃𐌀𐌙 Ꮤ𐌀𐌔 𐌀 𐌅𐌀𐌉𐌐𐌙𐌕𐌀𐌋𐌄

Alister had gone to say that Jason didn't need to make him a plate, that he wasn't hungry. But when he went to speak, Jason placed the plate in front of him. Still, Alister was going to say that Jason could just give the plate to someone else. But it appeared that Hook was aware and elbowed him to stay silent.

"Jason, do you even sleep?" David asked, taking a bite from the pancakes. "Every day, you have something new."

"Don't be dramatic, David. It's not every day," Jason replied. Then he eyed David like he was insane. "You didn't even put syrup," he said.

"They're good without it."

"You didn't put syrup?"

"I just wanted to try-"

Jason poured the syrup over David's pancakes. He shook his head as if disappointed.
𐌕Ꝋ𐌃𐌀𐌙 Ꮤ𐌀𐌔 𐌀 𐌅𐌀𐌉𐌐𐌙𐌕𐌀𐌋𐌄

"Great, Emma, you're here," Jason says as soon as Granny lets Emma in. He sets a plate down for her and turns around to get her a fork and butter knife.

"Oh, I—" she begins, only to be silenced as Mary puts a hand over her mouth, and the other makes multiple gestures for her to be quiet. As he turns back around, everyone moves as if doing nothing.

"If you want privacy, talk fast. We open in twenty, and no one gets between Leroy and his bacon," Granny speaks.

"Is there any sign of our quarry?" hook asked.

Emma quickly took a bite from her pancakes. "I went all over that farmhouse and the land around it. Nothing."

"Well, now that the sun's up, we should hit every place Gold might go. His house, shop, his cabin." David says.

"'Cause dead men love vacation homes. Can someone explain to me how this is even possible? We all saw Gold, he..." Emma paused.

"Disappeared into nothingness, I know." Mary finished.

"I might have an inkling. When we went back to the Enchanted Forest, Neal was talking about the possibility of getting his father back." Alistair speaks.

"What? How?" David asked.

"He didn't know how. He just... He missed his family. He was desperate to find a way to return to this world. He believed that bringing his father back was the key."

"Well, if that was his plan, then obviously something went wrong. Because, while Gold might be alive and kicking, Neal is... He is... We don't know what he is. We don't even know if he made it back to Storybrooke. No one's seen him since this new curse." Emma says.

Because there's nothing to see, Jason thought.

"He's out there somewhere," David tells his daughter.

'With all due respect, we have bigger issues right now than who brought Gold back. The fact that he was in the Wicked Witch's basement for one. I wanna know what the hell she was cooking up with him," Regina speaks.

"Well, the best way to find that out would be to ask Gold, right?" Mary asked.

"He tells who the witch is, maybe how to track her down," David suggested.

"I'm going back to that farmhouse. It's possible this witch left behind some trace of potion or special ingredient," Regina says, putting on her gloves.

"Try about it. Just be careful?" Emma replied.

"Well, she's the one who needs to be careful. She invaded my space. When I return the favor, I'm not pulling any punches." Regina walked out of Granny's.
𐌕Ꝋ𐌃𐌀𐌙 Ꮤ𐌀𐌔 𐌀 𐌅𐌀𐌉𐌐𐌙𐌕𐌀𐌋𐌄

They had gone to Mr. Gold's shop, taking the straw that was turned into gold. Belle examined it. "So,... So, Rumple is alive? I mean, how is that even possible?"

"We were hoping you might be able to tell us that. You know him and the shop better than anyone. If he's in Storybrooke, there has to be a clue here about how he got back and how we can find him now that he is." Emma tells her.

"Yeah, I'll... I'll start looking right away." Belle says, her voice soft.

"Keep your eyes out for him, too. If he comes into town-" David speaks.

"He'll come to me. Yeah, I know."

"I will stay here with you. I'm surprisingly good at research," Hook says.

Belle faces Hook. "You will stay with me?"

"He'll protect you if the witch comes," Jason says.

"You do know he'd tried to kill me?" Belle asked in anger.

"Well, there were extenuating circumstances." hook tried to defend.

"Twice."

"Sorry?"

"You know how to charm a girl, don't you?" Jason sarcastically asked.

"This will be my way of making it up to you."

"Fine."

"All right, we should really get out into the woods." Emma says.

"Hey, maybe you should stay home." David speaks, to his wife.

"Me? I'm the best tracker here."

Jason gave a brief offended look.

"We have Jason, we'll manage. Remember, what Zelena said you need your rest." David says.

"Manage?" Jason asked in mockry offense.

Emma approaches Belle. "Belle, thank you for your help. Don't worry, we're gonna find him."

"Okay. Thank you."
𐌕Ꝋ𐌃𐌀𐌙 Ꮤ𐌀𐌔 𐌀 𐌅𐌀𐌉𐌐𐌙𐌕𐌀𐌋𐌄

Alister had decided to stay with Hook to watch over Belle. Not that he thought his presence wss any better, but, it was better to have three people in each group.

Plus, he could tease Hook about the way he looks at Jason. "So, brother," Alister begins,

"Uh, watch the cover of that one."  Belle says, as she hands two books to Hook, who had to press his hook against the cover of the top book.

"I'm dealing with a hook here." he sarcastically remarked.

A noise can be heard coming from the door of the shop. Someone is trying to get in. Hurriedly, Belle scrambles down from the ladde. "It's him. It's Rumple."

Still, as Belle runs down the small hall, the pirate brothers follow after, Alister taking his sword in hand, just in case it wasn't Gold.  As had Hook. They follow, seeing the figure force open the door, having to push it a few times before it actually opened, with all the boxes stacked up.

The figure falls to the floor, reavealing Neal.  He falls unconscious, and Belle rushed over, kneeling over him. "Neal? Neal?"
𐌕Ꝋ𐌃𐌀𐌙 Ꮤ𐌀𐌔 𐌀 𐌅𐌀𐌉𐌐𐌙𐌕𐌀𐌋𐌄

Alister and Hook each has thrown one of Neal's arms over thier shoulders, lifting him up. They had taken him to the hospital.  Which,  Alister had been grateful that he was unconscious the entire time. He was sure had Neal woken up along the time they had been carrying him.

But, once arriving at the hospital, they had taken him away on a gurney, and shown the others where his room would be.

"Neal. You're here. What happened?" Emma asked, as she entered, David and Jason following behind her.

"I... I don't know. I remember seeing the yellow bug cross the town line and next thing I know, I'm running around a forest back in Storybrooke, where, apparently, has been a whole lot going on." Neal answered.

"Are you gonna tell him or shall I?" Hook asked.

"Tell me what?" Neal inquired of, looking at Hook, and then Emma.

"Neal, we think your dad's back." David answered.

Neal looks at him in disbelief. "Back? I just watched him die. What do you mean he's back?"

"Take it easy." Emma says, before her face pulls in puzzlement, she lifts his hand hand, looks at it. There's a scar, in the form of a triangle. "What the hell is that?"

David removed his phone, takes a picture.

"No idea. It was there when I woke up." Neal doesn't move his hand.

Emma let's go of us hand, and turns to Belle. "Belle, can you do some more research?"

"Yeah, sure. Absolutely."

"I'll send you the picture." David shows Emma the picture on his phone.

"Okay."

Neal looked around. "Guys, can we have a minute?"

"Yeah, of course." David speaks, and everyone, aside from Emma leaves the room.
𐌕Ꝋ𐌃𐌀𐌙 Ꮤ𐌀𐌔 𐌀 𐌅𐌀𐌉𐌐𐌙𐌕𐌀𐌋𐌄

"Thought, you could use some sustenance," Hook tells Neal, as he places a bowl of jelly before him.

Neal grins. "Nothing like a green blob to get the appetite going."

"Well, I gather it has great medicinal properties."  Hook smiled.

"They put you two on babysitting duty, huh? What, no one trusted me to stay here?" Neal asked.

"More like, we don't trust the wicked witch to take one of us while we are alone," Alister replied. "Emma's simply concerned about you. She thought it best you weren't out in the cold running after your father."

"Thank you, by the way." Neal suddenly says.

"For playing nanny?" Hook questions.

"For getting Emma the message to come back." Neal says, as he looks to Alister.

"You would have done the same."

"Yeah. What's it feel like to play the hero after being a pirate for so long?" Neal teases the two.

"Unfamiliar. And you? How does it feel to play the villain?"

"I'm a villain now?"

"Well, if you truly had hand in bringing your father back, I suspect you had to use the darkest of magic and paid an even darker price, though I'm sure you felt the end justified the means," Hook answered.

Neal gets up. "I should be out there looking for him and set things right with him and my son. Question is, are you gonna stand in my way?"

"I am in your way." Hook says, and it's silent for a second, before Hook wrapped an arm around Neal, pulling him into a hug.

Neal doesn't hug him back, confused. "What the hell are you doing?"

"This is long overdue." Hook contoured to hug him for a few longer seconds. And the pulls back, he pave da hand on his shoulder. "Sometimes, when I look at you all I see is a man. I forget then beneath it all you're still that boy, the one I looked after all those years ago."

Alister didn't know if he should speak.

"Yeah, I haven't forgotten." Neal tells Hook.

Hook truly doesn't know how they became enemies. Because it was his brother who liked Emma, and, yet, throughout this entire conversation, Alister said nothing.

"I'm sorry," Alister found himself saying. "I never wanted to be your enemy." He truly wouldn't have cared to be everyone in this town enemy, it if meant that Baelfire-Neal, didn't hate him. He can't leave it inside. He had a feeling, that he never would get it say it. He hoped it was because Neal would later realize how much he hated him. And never want to speak to him again. "We got caught up in so much nonsense over a women."

"I need to do this, Alister, Killian. You know that, right?" Neal asked.

Hook steps aside. "You've got ten minutes. Then, I alert the others you've gone."

"Thank you." Neal walked out.

𐌕Ꝋ𐌃𐌀𐌙 Ꮤ𐌀𐌔 𐌀 𐌅𐌀𐌉𐌐𐌙𐌕𐌀𐌋𐌄

"So, how was Neal?" David asked his daughter.

"It was hard. Henry makes it complicated. It's not just about me. He's hoping Gold can help bring his memories back," Emma explained.

"That would be an added bonus to finding him." Jason says.

"Would it? A couple of days ago I would have thought that was true, but now..." Emma hesitated.

"Now what? How's he gonna stay in Storybrooke without them?" David asked, and when he got no answer, realized. "Unless, you're not planning to. You think, you'll go back to New York after we break the curse?"

"A week ago Henry and I were playing video games and eating fruit roll-ups. Now, I'm chasing after the Dark One, hoping he can help me find the Wicked Witch of the West."

Somewhere near by Mr. Gold screams. Hurriedly, all three, Jason, Emma and David head into the direction of the sound. Kneeling on the ground Mr. Gold holds his head in both hands and groans with pain. Emma crouches down beside him. "Gold, are you alright?"

"No! No! Not alright. Not alright." The man yelled in a panic, a hand extend to keep her back. " I can't quiet the voices."

"We know that you were held captive by the witch. Do you know where she is?" Emma asked.

Mr. Gold nods, weakly. "Yeah, she is..." but he cuts himself off with a pained sound. "There's no room. No room.There's too many voices. Too many voices!"

"Okay," Jason says, "we got to get him out of here. Maybe Regina could do something about...this mental break."

The sound of a shriek, high-pitched cuts through the woods. It was a flying monkey, above them, and headed straight at them. David swings his sword, injuring the wing. David and Jason use their sword to hold off the monkey, swiping sword and having the monkey dodge the attack.

"Gold!" Emma held out.

"He's getting away." David says. He begins to speak to Emma. "We'll hold it off. Go!"
𐌕Ꝋ𐌃𐌀𐌙 Ꮤ𐌀𐌔 𐌀 𐌅𐌀𐌉𐌐𐌙𐌕𐌀𐌋𐌄

They all rushed to Mary Margaret's apartment, Jason paused as David and Emma ran off. Mr. Gold was still holding a dead Neal.

Jason had carried Neal, considering he wasn't sure that Gold would be able to.

"That was rather ill-timed," a voice calls. "your son coming to the surface. Staging that little escape." She chuckles. "I can see, he'll no longer be a problem."

"Now, what to do with you?" Zelena asked, smiling as she looked at Jason.

Jason was stunned, unsure of what to do. His sword was still on his hip, but, he'd have to drop Neal, to grab it.  Even if he was dead, and it didn't matter that he was injured now, or, well his body was injured.   Before Jason could speak, he was enveloped in a cloud of  smoke.

He stood in the middle of the town.
He still held Neal.

And a thought hit him;  just how many times would he have to hold the dead body of his family and friends?

𐌕Ꝋ𐌃𐌀𐌙 Ꮤ𐌀𐌔 𐌀 𐌅𐌀𐌉𐌐𐌙𐌕𐌀𐌋𐌄

{2404}
I think I have a problem with making Jason/Eros hold the dead bodies of those he cares about.
He carried Snow after she ate the apple.
He carried Graham's dead body.
He carried who he believed to be Archie.
And now Neal, although, they weren't as close as Jason was with others...but, considering Neal's relationship with Emma (Jason's neice...)