Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Once Upon a Time.
Red sky at night
Sailors delight
Red sky in the morning
Sailors take warning
One
The ship sat still in the water as the portal closed beneath them, the ocean stretching out smooth as a mirror for miles around them.
Emma clutched onto the side of the ship as she caught her balance in the sudden calm. She swallowed the urge to scream and at the same time struggled to breathe as she took in the new surroundings.
Greg and Tamara had take Henry.
They'd followed through a portal.
And now, the vast impossible surrounded them, keeping them from following.
Her parents crowded her, wrapped her in their arms to offer reassurance.
"Have faith," David big hand rested on her shoulder.
"Don't worry," Snow pleaded.
"How can you tell me not to worry? Faith alone won't bring him to us!" Emma ground out, looking around for the other inhabitants of the ship. Where was Regina? She was the only one who could possibly understand.
"You need to keep a good head on your shoulders."
Snow nodded emphatically and hugged her closer.
She pushed them away, "I can't breathe, I can't breathe. Leave me alone." She stumbled blindly to the ladder, turning only once to whisper defiantly to her parents and to the impossible ocean, "I will find him."
She scrambled down the ladder, only for her leather clad feet to meet soft flesh.
"Miss Swan, would you watch where you are going," Regina stood from her seat at the bottom rung of the ladder.
Emma watched as a stoic mask spread across the older woman's features, wiping away all emotion. The tear tracks however, glistening in the soft subtle light, told a different story.
She reached out to grab her arm in reassurance and tumbled the last step onto the floor.
A small smile melted the hard features, bringing a grin to Emma's own lips. If it took her clumsiness to get anything out of Regina, so be it.
The smile was gone as quickly as it appeared, "Graceful as ever dear, I can see you'll be a big help to save our son."
Emma pushed herself to her feet, whirling to meet the dark haired woman. Her face was inches away from Regina's and she locked her own pale eyes with dark ones, "You know very well that I can hold my own. And as previous events today would prove, you know very well that we're strong together. You are the only one who cares as I do to save Henry, our son as you so nicely put. You can say all the nasty things you want if it makes you feel better, but like it or not we have to work together."
Faint wisps of hope swam in the dark pools of pain that filled Regina's eyes. "You're right," She admitted softly.
Emma nodded, biting her tongue to keep from saying anything smug. It wouldn't help.
Nothing would.
As if Regina could read her thoughts, the brunette shook her head, "I will teach you to use your magic, you are strong but you are also uneducated and that no better than having no magic at all."
A few tiny ice crystals melted in the block of ice that had become her heart after Henry disappeared. It was an olive branch, extended from her greatest enemy and her only true ally, and she clung to it for dear life. "Thank you," She breathed.
They stood toe to toe for some time, gathering strength and comfort from each other's presence. The faint rocking of the ship was like a heartbeat sustaining them as one.
The ever giddy Snow White and her jubilant Prince Charming practically danced down the ladder to interrupt.
"Hook and Mr. Gold will have us on our way in a few moments," David's deep voice filled the small space.
"We've come to tour the ship, figure out where we'll be sleeping."
Snow's giggle had Emma cringing and Regina grimacing in agreement, but the two tagged along, curious to their new whereabouts.
On the first level, Snow and David quickly claimed the one other bedroom on the ship. They offered to share but neither of the girls wanted to spend any time in close quarters with the sickly sweet couple, among other reasons.
The galley was small, but proved tidy enough for what was a bachelor's pad. That didn't stop Snow from busying herself wiping down surfaces and repositioning offending utensils and dishes. She'd quickly marked her territory on the ship.
David, for his part, took charge in cataloging the stores aboard the Jolly Roger. Among these, Emma took note of a room full of rum. It could come in very handy in time, from large smoke signals to forgetting her own name.
The lowest level housed swinging hammocks for Hook's crew. In this tale, the crew would be two worried mothers and a conflicted grandfather.
Regina gingerly tested the hammock with her hands and the ropes creaked dramatically. She shook her head even as Emma tested them for herself.
In silence, they gathered blankets to make makeshift beds on the floor. The soft wool blankets were thick and would provide good protection against the hard wood. Regina's pallet looked fit for a queen, while Emma's, a few feet away, looked more like a human sized nest.
The younger woman's character was flawed but endearing and Regina couldn't help let another small smile escape, melting her mask and the icy cage around her heart.
Emma noticed the smile at her attempts to make a bed and tossed her curls happily. Any emotion she got from the older woman gave her hope, hope they'd connect on some level to save their son.
The ship lurched beneath their feet and threw them to the ground. They pulled themselves up on the beams as the boat began to rock slowly from side to side.
The tap-tap of a cane signaled Mr. Gold's arrival in the crew's quarters.
"That's right dearies, we're on our way." He leaned his cane against the wall and laid his coat in one of the hammocks. Without testing it first, he climbed in and folded his arms across his chest. "Go and help the dreadful cheery Charmings and wake me when it's time for my watch."
When they surfaced, they found the sky blazing red.
Only the clouds, tinged with pink and orange, softened the bright sky.
The water looked as if it was on fire and they were headed for the centre of the inferno.
They joined the Charmings and gathered around Hook, proudly steering his beloved ship.
"We're in luck mates, Red sky at night, Sailors delight."
A/N: Writing SQ fic is new to me so I welcome any comments and criticisms : )
