FINDING YOU AGAIN
There is a new evil in Storybrooke and it isn't who you think. Emma regrets bringing Marian back so much that she is willing to give up her happy ending with Hook, but someone is about to curse them into an alternate world where the original curse never happened. The only way to break it is for true love to be found again.
Emma studies her mug of hot chocolate. The guilt of bringing Marian back was killing her. She had single handedly ruined someone's life. Was it just fate pitting her family against Regina's? Or were they all just horrible people? The true villains of the story. She would never forget the look on Regina's face. The hurt. The betrayal. The hate.
She looks up when Hook sits across from her in the booth they so often shared. He smiles, "Hey." He looks down at her untouched beverage, "Are you going to drink that before it gets cold?"
She sighs, "I haven't decided yet. Maybe I don't deserve it."
He frowns, "Emma, you can't keep beating yourself up over this. You did what was right. What anyone would do in your position."
She closes her eyes, "How can you say that? I know better Killian. You kept warning me and I wouldn't listen. I was being stubborn."
He grabs her hand, "And that is what makes you, you. I have told you many times and I will keep telling you until it sinks in that what you did came from your heart. You are kind and amazing."
She pulls her hand away, "Stop. Just stop. I don't need you to justify my actions. I ruined Regina's life. Don't act like that is nothing."
He sits back, "I'm not. I am just telling you that beating yourself up for saving someone's life is pointless. You gave a child his mother. Why can't you focus on that part?"
Emma starts to smile until she sees Regina walk in and glare at her. She gestures, "That is why I cant. She was doing so well. She used light magic." Emma shakes her head, "She has every right to hate me."
Hook looks over his shoulder and back, "Like you said, she has come so far. She won't risk going back to her old ways."
Emma stands up, "I will be right back." And before he can stop her she walks over to Regina, "Regina? Can we talk?"
Regina groans, "What makes you think I want you anywhere near me?"
Emma takes a shaky breath, "I'm sorry, Regina. I don't know what else I can say. I will do anything to prove to you how sorry I am."
Regina rolls her eyes, "Emma there is nothing you can do. You saved a life that wasn't meant to be saved and I paid the price." She looks over at Hook, "But I am so glad your life is working out."
Emma looks back at Hook, "I-I…"
Ruby puts her coffee down and Regina stands up, "Save it. You Charming's just think of yourselves. I don't want to hear anymore."
Emma watches as Regina walks out. She sits across from Hook once again, "Hook I…" She trails off and sighs, "I can't do this anymore. We could never really work."
He looks up at her in shock, "Are you… Are you ending this?"
She nods, "I'm sorry."
He watches as she gets up and leaves the diner. He stares blankly at the door and then back at her still full mug of cocoa. How many times could one woman break his heart?
The Shadow man grins as the Savior walks out of Granny's. He turns to the shadows, "We are going in the right direction. Now we just need to get the boy who loves her and the woman who hates her and the curse ingredients will be complete."
A deep voice comes from the darkness in the alley, "You better do what you say you can. We are starving."
He nods, "Don't worry. Their true love will die. In the world that I put them in they will never find each other. A pirate and a princess could never cross paths."
The deep voice warns, "But remember, you can't interfere. If you do, then our feast will be bitter."
He sighs, "I know. True love has to fade on its own." He frowns and turns back to the street as Hook walks out, "Why is it so important to take their love?"
The deep voice laughs, "You are blind if you can't see how strong they are together. Their love is the strongest power I have ever come across. With them apart, the others will slowly start to die off and we will have the biggest feast anyone could ever have."
He smiles, "Then good will finally lose and we can take over all the worlds."
A giant smile appears in the darkness, "We will never go hungry again. Now go out and make yourself known. We will gather the ingredients and before you know it we will be in a different land with a different life."
The Shadow Man steps out of the alley and towards the Sheriff station.
Emma sits at her desk bored out of her mind. Usually, Hook was here to keep her entertained, but now she was alone. She did the right think breaking things off. Rubbing her happiness in Regina's face was unfair. Right? She drops her head onto her desk. She didn't know what to do anymore. Maybe she should have left town when she had the chance, but she would miss her family. And Neal. Her baby brother had quickly found his way into her heart.
She hears a commotion in the hallway and stands up, frowning. No one else was supposed to be coming in. David was taking a short leave to be with his new son, "Hello? Dad? I thought you were…" She trails off when she sees the strange man, "Who are you?"
A smile slowly spreads across his face, "I am your worst nightmare, my dear." He waves his hand and she falls to the ground, "Now, let's get you somewhere public.
Henry walks towards the bus station. He didn't know what to do with his mothers. On the days he spends at Regina's, she just mopes around the house and complains about Emma's existence. And Emma just asks him how Regina is and if she is forgiven yet. He could not handle being in the middle of it any longer. And he was going to tell that to them. At the same time. Maybe that will fix all of their problems.
He stops when he hears a strange whooshing sound. He looks around, "Hello?"
Before he can react a shadow jumps out and grabs him. He tries to struggle, but whoever or whatever grabbed him was stronger than anything he had ever faced. How many times is this going to happen to him?
Regina sits on her steps contemplating what she was going to do. Emma would not leave her alone and she knew killing her would just upset Henry. Plus, she liked being a hero for once. Emma wasn't worth changing back. But if she didn't leave her the hell alone she would have no choice. There is only so much one person could take.
Robin was staying out of sight and for some reason that hurt her more than him finding his long lost wife. Was she not worth his time anymore? The least he could do was tell her what he wanted to do. Or that he didn't want to be with her. It was only common courtesy.
She stands up, "If he won't come to me I will go to him."
She walks down the street when she hears a whooshing sound. She looks around, but only sees shadows. Something grabs her and she lets out a short scream before it silences her.
David looks out his window when he hears a small commotion, "Something is happening in the town center."
Snow picks up Neal from his high chair, "Do you think we should go down there and help?"
He shakes his head, "If Emma needs us she will call us." He jumps when his phone rings, "That was strange timing." He answers, "Hello? What? We will be right down."
Snow grabs the stroller and puts Neal down, "What is going on?"
He shrugs, "I don't know really. I just know that we are needed."
They walk out the door and run into Hook. He sighs, "I was just coming to get you. It seems Emma isn't answering her phone."
Snow frowns, "Aren't you usually with her?"
He looks down, "She kind of ended things with me."
David stops, surprised, "What? Why?"
Hook purses his lips, "I don't know, but we have more important things to deal with."
They continue walking towards the crowd of people. Robin runs up to them, "Thank God you are here. Some man has Emma and for some reason he is making a big spectacle of it."
They all take off at a run and Snow gasps when they see Emma tied to a post and passed out, "What is the meaning of this?"
The strange man grins, "Finally, you have joined us." He looks to the shadows, "And it seems you are just in time for the main attraction."
Regina and Henry are pushed out toward them. They fall off balance thanks to the ropes tied around them. Robin yells, "Regina!"
At the same time David yells, "Henry!"
They both look up in surprise. Henry gasps when he sees Emma, "Mom? Is she…"
The man shakes his head, "She is just sleeping, but I think that it is time to wake her." He waves his hand over her face and her head snaps up, "Hello, savior."
She looks at him, "What the hell are you doing? Let me go!"
He wags his finger at her, "Uh uh uh. Hasn't anyone told you? Patience is a virtue."
She doesn't hear him as she looks down at Henry, "Henry?"
Henry grimaces, "I am fine, mom."
Hook growls, "What do you want with them?"
The man takes a deep breath, "To take away the one thing that can make the savior stronger. Her true love."
Emma frowns, "Well, unless my true love is myself I think you have the wrong person tied up."
He laughs, "Oh dear, no. I am not going to kill you or anyone."
Regina glares, "Then what is this about and who the hell are you?"
He smiles, "How rude of me? I am the Shadow Man and I have friends on the other side that feed on true love, but in a very unique ways. You see, I can't interfere and take it away by killing anyone or stop it from happening by keeping you apart. It has to fade into the darkness."
Emma looks at Hook, "And how are you going to do that?"
He raises his brows, "What did I tell you about patience? The only thing I can do is make you start over. The only way to do that is to curse you. I am going to take you back to the Enchanted Forest, but it is going to be as if the first curse never happened. Emma will be a princess and Hook will be the slimy pirate that he is. When they never cross paths their love will disappear and good will die."
Emma's eyes widen and looks down at Henry and Regina, "If this is about me then why do you have them?"
He grabs Henry and Regina's arms, "They are the final ingredients. Someone who loves you." He pulls Henry up. "And someone who hates you." He pulls Regina up.
Robin frowns, "We won't let you kill them. I will stop you."
Regina stares at him with surprise and the Shadow Man laughs, "But it would stop you from the many conflicted emotions you have." He shakes his head, "I am not going to kill them. I am going to use their emotion. Complicated? Yes, but my friends have more power than you can imagine." He waves his hand and a giant boiling pot appears in front of him. He turns to Regina and Henry and holds his hands over them.
Hook and David run forward only to be thrown backwards. Robin reaches out and feels the barrier, "What is this?"
The Shadow Man looks over his shoulder, "A spell that keeps you from stopping me." He throws his head back as a red glow shoots from Regina and a blue glow shoots from Henry into his hands and then into the pot. They all watch as a grey haze shoots out and he laughs menacingly, "And so it begins."
A/N: I thought this was an interesting idea. A new curse that shows what life would be like if Regina hadn't succeeded in the original curse. A bit complicated, but intriguing. I already know how i want it to begin and end. And most of the middle parts as well. I hope you enjoy. Please review and let me know what you think.
Elsa will not be in this. I don't know what direction they are going with that yet so i don't really know what to think of it yet though I am excited.
:)
