Neal had disappeared with Henry to Neverland.
Emma didn't want to jump to conclusions. But she didn't want Henry in another realm without her, or cellphone reception. Neither did Snow or David, who had begged and pleaded with Captain Hook to take them, on his ship, to the dimension they had until now only heard of.
He'd agreed, over an hour ago. Had heaved up the anchor, had directed Emma and Charming in battening down the hatches and putting up the sails. Contrary to all physics, the ship was firmly lodged in the harbor as ever. Captain Hook walked the planks of the deck, his brow furrowed, clenching and unclenching his hands, his boots making a sharp tck tck tck, his expression mildly embarrassed.

"You see before, I was with Cora, who is magic. It was she who opened up a portal into your realm and, I'm starting to fear, made this vessel sail."

"No kidding." Emma said gruffly, and shot a glance at Snow. "We need Regina. And it's only fair we tell her Neal took Henry."

Snow's brow furrowed. "I don't think Regina is in any mood to help me."

"This isn't about you." Emma had trouble keeping her words low. "This is about Henry."

Snow nodded and Emma scrolled to Regina's number on her phone. "Regina, it's me, can you meet me down by the pier?"


She waited on the bench with hands clenched. Across the street she saw the Benz park and the dark-haired woman step out in a fluid motion, her dark eyes stormy even at a distance, her rigid posture reminding Emma of nothing so much as a pissed off ballerina. Regina approached the bench with an acid smile spreading across her face, her eyes still wary and distant. Emma patted the spot next to her, Regina sat down so close their knees touched.

"Don't get mad at me." Emma put her hands up. "I need you to stay calm until I finish talking."

"I like where this is going." Regina said sarcastically.

"Neal took Henry to Neverland. I think."

"You think? YOU THINK?"

"I'm pretty sure."

It was clear Regina was furious but her panic over Henry calmed Emma in a way Snow and Charming's vague, sad flutterings had not. Regina's panic matched hers and Regina, she was confident, would focus on a solution, not emoting, as Snow was wont to do.

"I asked you once if I had anything to worry about from Henry's biological dad-"

"I know. Believe me, if I could have prevented bringing him back into Henry's life-I know he won't hurt him, I think he just didn't know how to ask us or- you know how Henry is he gets….smitten by the idea of someone new."

Regina looked at her with appreciation for admitting she was going through what Regina had already dealt with: Henry's childish and often hurtful favoritism. Regina looked in Emma's eyes. "So what do we do?"

"We thought we could use Hook's ship to get to Neverland. But Hook doesn't know how to make it sail without Cora."

"I see." Regina raised a manicured eyebrow. "He is, after all, essentially a goth skipper, so that makes sense."

"Will you help us?"

"I will always do anything to help Henry. You know that, Miss Swan." Regina answered. Emma put a hand on Regina's dark glove.

"Thank you."

Regina paced the deck, whisking her hand one way to unfurl the topmost sails that David and Emma hadn't been able to reach. Her face took on a look of intense concentration and she sent a bolt of purple lighting to the steering wheel: incredibly, it bounced back in a green flare as though deflected by some unseen field.

"My mother Cora cursed this ship. After Hook took it to New York, she must have decided she didn't want him- or Mr. Gold- taking anymore joyrides."

"Can you break it?" Snow asked pitifully, stepping from behind David.

"My mother was an extremely powerful and learned sorceress. I'm not adept enough to break her spells. It's a tragedy she's not here right now or we wouldn't be facing this calamity-"

Emma stepped between them and walked over to Regina, making steady eye contact. She could tell Regina's short temper was warming to the personal tragedy she'd recently experienced, watching her own mother die in her arms.

"Please Regina-" Emma put a hand on the furious woman's shoulder. "I know this is incredibly hard."

Regina's eyes locked with Emma's and the boat moved underfoot.

"Did you feel that?!" David cried, moving to the side rail. "The curse must have been broken somehow-"

Regina turned to the steering wheel. Unspoken, they all thought of the one thing powerful enough to break any curse. "Well then, I suppose we're off." her eyes cut to Captain Hook, who stood warily a few feet from her. "Unless you want to change out of that insane leather dress and black blouse before we hit the open seas. We're headed for Neverland, not a Renaissance Faire."

"A what?" Hook asked, puzzled, and Emma suppressed a smile.

To Be Continued