Chapter Two: The Thing You Love Most
The next day, Mary Margaret, while eating breakfast, notices that the clock is working again. Archie is walking his dog, Mr. Gold walks past, and Ruby is putting out the sign for Granny's Diner. They all notice the functioning clock.
"Guess someone finally fixed that clock, Madam Mayor," Mary Margaret Blanchard remarked pleasantly.
Regina smiled. "Yes, indeed."
"Who's this?" Mary Margaret asked nodding to Emma.
"Oh, sorry," Emma stammered. "I'm Emma Swan. Um, Henry's biological mother."
"Hi, Miss Blanchard!" Henry waved.
"Hi, Henry," Mary Margaret exclaimed. "Well, welcome to Storybrooke, Emma."
"Thanks," Emma said softly. She wandered off to be by Henry.
"Listen, Mary Margaret," Regina said as soon as she was gone. "I was thinking we could have a welcoming party tonight at Granny's for Emma. Since she is Henry's mother, she may want to stay and this would be a good way to introduce her to everyone."
Mary Margaret smiled. "That's a wonderful idea, Madam May-"
"Regina. Please, call me Regina."
Mary Margaret blinked. "Oh, um, okay, uh, Regina."
Later Emma and Regina sat by the docks.
"I miss him," Emma cried softly.
"I know, Swan," Regina comforted her.
"I can just hear his ship sailing now and his voice calling 'Land ho' and hear the bell ringing," Emma laughed though her tears. "I'm imagining it though, right?"
Regina paused. She did hear something exactly like what Emma described. "No," she said slowly. "I hear it too."
The two women looked up to see a large ship sailing this way. They waited impatiently for it to arrive. When it did, off stepped...
"Hook!" Emma breathed.
Killian Jones, or Captain Hook, walked straight towards them. "Hello, ladies," he winked. "Might I know where I am?"
"Storybrooke," Emma said. She looked at her arms crossed against her chest. She couldn't bear to look at him.
"Look at me when you're speaking, love. Couldn't hear you."
Emma took a deep breath and looked directly into his eyes. "Storybrooke. Are you from Operation Mongoose?"
Killian did a slight double take. "Operation Mongoose? As in finding the author for Regina's happy ending?"
"Killian!" Emma shrieked. And jumped on him and hugged him tight. "I am so, so, so, so sorry for everything," she whispered. She paused. "What do you last remember?"
"Being stabbed with Excalibur," Killian said deadpan. "You two?"
Emma hesitated. "Well, Gold used the dagger to-"
"What do you mean Gold used the dagger?" Killian asked eyes narrow.
Regina smoothed her skirt. "Gold's the Dark One. Again."
"Again!" Killian yelled. It drew some attention. "Again?" He repeated more quietly. "I died for absolutely nothing?"
"I'm sorry, Killian," Emma said with tears in her eyes. "I didn't know until I heard the dagger calling out for me the next day. Since a Dark One never survived, I assumed it was a side affect, but I followed it to Gold's shop. He showed me the dagger with his name on it. I'm so, so, so, so, so sorry."
"I'm going to kill that Crocodile," Killian declared softly.
"No!" Emma said suddenly. "You can't! You can't submit to the darkness."
"Hook," Regina said. "Gold does remember here, okay? So you need to make yourself seem unsuspicious you know absolutely nothing."
"So why would you be hanging around me?" Emma asked. "I am Snow White's daughter, and he knows that."
"I'll just say 'Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.'"
"Nice, love," Killian said amused.
"You know people have names, right, Guyliner?" Regina asked Killian. "Mine is Regina. Use it." She walked away.
"Mine's Regina. Use it," Killian mimicked making Emma laugh. "She called me Guyliner, but she wants me to call her by her name? So, is Henry here?" Killian asked changing topics.
"Yeah, he'd love to see you. Maybe. Probably."
"Mom," Henry said later. "Can we eat at Granny's tonight?"
"Sure why not."
Henry ran ahead.
"Kid's up to something," Killian remarked.
"Figured that out. You forget I knew him for a little bit longer that you."
They arrived at Granny's to see it packed full of people.
"Maybe we shouldn't," Emma said uneasy. "It kinda full."
"Oh come on, Swan," Killian said linking arms with her. "It'll be grand."
They entered to see the whole town.
"Welcome to Storybrooke!" Everyone chorused.
Emma grinned and made her way towards Regina. "Well am I right to assume you planned this?"
"She and Snow White," Henry replied not looking up from his book.
"Ah, who?" Killian asked.
"Oh, sorry. I forgot you're new here. Everyone here is a fairytale character," Henry explained. "Mary Margaret Blanchard in Snow White. She's also Emma's mom."
"I am?" Mary Margaret asked perplexed.
"Yep!" Henry confirmed. "My mom, well, Regina, is the Evil Queen."
"She's not evil, Henry!" Emma exclaimed.
"Am I a character?" Killian asked.
"Yeah, I think so," Henry said flipping through his book. "Based off your hook, I'd say you're Captain Hook."
"Aye, mate," Killian responded. "Arrgh!" He declared dramatically. Henry laughed.
"What appears to be going on here?" All eyes turned to the source of the question.
"Mr. Gold," Regina nodded.
Rumplestiltskin turned his eyes on Emma and Killian. "New comers," he whispered eerily. "What a pleasant surprise. What are your names?"
"Emma," Emma said stiffly.
"Killian," replied Killian. His gaze met Gold's.
"You enjoy your stay... Emma... Killian." With that Rumple walked off.
"That's Rumplestiltskin," Henry said to break the silence. A few people laughed awkwardly before the party started again.
"Your both welcome to stay at my place," Mary Margaret said suddenly. "If I am Snow White and you're my daughter, I'd certainly love to get to know you."
"So you wouldn't mind a pirate in your home?" Killian asked grinning.
The ex-Snow White shook her head. "If your Emma's friend, your mine too."
Killian smiled at Emma. She sighed. "I guess so. Why not?"
"Don't you want to stay with me?" Henry whined.
"Henry," Regina said sternly. "I'm sure Emma could walk you to and from the bus and spend time with you after school everyday."
Henry brightened immediately. "Okay! We can get ice cream right? And I can show you my castle! And we can get snacks! And-"
"Okay, kid," Emma laughed. "Slow down. One thing at a time."
That night Mary Margaret approached Emma.
"Do you believe him?" She asked her daughter. "About me being Snow White and you being my daughter?"
"Honestly?" Emma replied. "It makes sense, but at the same time it doesn't. I messed up so badly, Mary Margaret."
"How so?" She asked. "Henry really seems to like you."
"You wouldn't understand. It's a Mongoose sized problem."
"Mongoose sized?" Mary Margaret asked amused. "Why mongoose?"
"Adoption agency I used," Emma said heart dropping.
"Oh," Mary Margaret said softly. "You can make up for it, Emma. You always can."
A/N: So Killian's back now! That makes Regina, Emma, and Killian who are back. So Rumple may wonder how in the world Killian Jones just manages to turn up out of the blue after twenty-eight years, but hey it's magic!
