Chapter 1: Death is Pain


Mr. Gold sat on his knees and wept. It had been a dark night and a long day.

Off to the side Emma hugged Henry tightly, his face was buried in her chest and his eyes were closed. Mary Margaret had her hand on Emma's back and David stood near them, his arms wrapped around his family.

"No!" Gold cried, "What have you done, what have you done, what have you done," he repeated over and over.

It wasn't supposed to happen this way. His son Baelfire wasn't supposed to have been taken from him, not like this.

"Now we're even," said Hook.

Gold used his cane to help him stand. "Even," he said nearly lunging toward Hook.

There was nothing he could do. Cora took a step forward and blasted Gold sending him flying.

Gold was quick to recover though.

"He was Milah's boy too," Gold yelled. "Does that mean nothing to you!"

"Considering that your boy had tried to kill me before," said Hook, "No it doesn't."

"Oh get over it Rumpel," Cora said with a laugh. "You're showing weakness."

Emma and her family watched as they argued. She could feel her own anger begin to boil.

Releasing Henry and looking forward she said, "Watch Henry."

"Emma don't," David called out.

Standing a few feet in front of Regina, Cora and Hook, Emma could feel the energy from inside start to simmer.

In the past several months since returning from New York Emma had been working at her power, understanding it, learning it, controlling it. She had reached the point where no longer did she need someone placing a hand in her chest to create a blast.

Now she called upon that power and blasted the trio. Only Hook went flying. Both Cora and Regina used their smoke screen only to reappear in the same position as before the blast.

Regina laughed, "I'm gonna let that one slide only because you're pissed."

"Damn right I'm pissed," said Emma. "You're just as responsible for getting rid of Henry's father as Hook is."

Regina shrugged, "Well Henry's been without a father before, no great loss."

"You may want him back but you don't care about him at all anymore do you? If you did this wouldn't have happened."

Regina took a step forward closing the gap between her and Emma.

"No, if you had stayed away then we wouldn't be here now!"

"You're holding on so hard to the past you don't care how far you'll go, how far you'll push Henry away. If I were you I'd take a good hard look at Gold's relationship with his son. Is that really what you want?"

"What I want is my son back."

Emma backed away, "As long as you stay like this it will never happen." Emma pointed behind her. "Take a good hard look at that little boy. You broke him your majesty. There is no way you're getting him back now. I hope you're happy."