Hi! First of all, thank you very much for your reviews of the first part. I'm sorry it was so sad, this one it may be as sad too, but the first one was the saddest. Now here I leave part two, and I just decided that it's gonna have four parts, so are two more to leave. Hope you all like this one, and I'm curious about your thoughts at the end of this part!
Thank you very much to Mere-Brennan to still be my Beta for this story.
Cover my eyes, cover my ears,
tell me these words are a lie,
it can't be true, that I'm losing you,
the sun cannot fall from the sky.
David touched his chest for the tenth time in less than five minutes. Something strange was happening, and with each passing second it grew. He couldn't afford to slow down.
David and Gold were the first to make their way back to the ship. Minutes later they were joined by Regina and Hook. After a long waiting period with no sight of Snow or Emma, David decided to go in search of them by himself. A lengthy argument immediately ensued and eventually it was agreed that the four of them would go together. The plan was that Regina and Gold would investigate the jungle while David and Hook searched for Emma and Snow.
Shortly into their journey, David began to have a slight but sharp pain in his chest. It was a familiar pain that he had felt once before when he was locked in the Evil Queen's castle and Snow had bitten the poisoned apple. He was trying to ignore the nagging feeling that his family was in danger. He couldn't bear the thought of his daughter or wife being seriously hurt, of him not being there to protect them. He had already missed so much of his daughter's life that it plagued him when he wasn't there to take care of her, regardless of her age and insistence that she can take care of herself.
David stopped suddenly when he saw a fire in the distance. After pondering what it could be for a few seconds, he frowned and walked faster, going ahead to the rest of the group.
"Wait! It could be the lost boys..." Hook's voice said behind him, but David ignored him, his feet not wanting to stop.
Finally, he came out of the jungle and found himself at the shore. His heart stopped when he saw the view in front of him; Henry was lying on someone, and his eyes seemed to be closed, as if he were asleep. He took a few steps and raised his gaze from Henry, seeing his wife beside him, but Snow was looking down. The smile that had appeared at the sight of his family instantly faded when he realized who was in her arms.
"Emma!" He cried, running as fast as he could towards them.
"Henry!" He heard Regina's voice behind him, but Henry didn't move.
David ran faster than he ever had before until he fell on his knees in front of his wife and daughter. Emma's eyes were closed, her head resting on her mother's arm, and Snow was clinging to her. He lifted his gaze to Snow, trying to find some answers, but Snow's gaze was lost in her daughter's face, her cheeks full of tears. He lowered his gaze to his daughter again, noticing how white she was. A lump formed in his throat as his eyes dropped to Emma's chest; she wasn't breathing.
"She wanted you to know..." David looked up to Henry, noticing how red his eyes were from crying. His lip trembled, and David knew he was trying to hold back the tears. "…that she got her happy ending, when we were all together." His voice broke on the last words, and David turned his gaze to Emma again as Regina tried to comfort Henry.
David blinked and felt the tears begin to stream down his cheek. His brow furrowed as he lifted a hand and gently stroked his daughter's hair. He was prepared to see his wife or daughter injured, but he was not ready for this. Not this. He could have never been ready for this.
He began to remember the day she was born. His beautiful, perfect baby girl who had slept through the battles he faced while trying to get her to safety before the curse was enacted. He remembered how amazed he was that someone so small could bring him such great happiness. He thought about the overwhelming feeling of joy that he had when he felt her move in Snow's belly for the first time. Emma and Snow were what he had always dreamed of; his very own beautiful and perfect family.
They were supposed to live happily ever after; it was never supposed to end this way. How had things gone so wrong?
David moved closer to Snow, sitting next to her, and she moved closer to him with their daughter in her arms. He wrapped his arms around her, let out a sob, putting his face to Emma's face and pressing his lips to her smooth, cold forehead.
Snow closed her eyes and pressed her lips together to hold in the scream that was inside of her. She couldn't bring herself to look David in the eyes. She had failed him. She had failed their family when she couldn't save her daughter. When Regina and Snow had gone to investigate in the jungle, and David and Emma had gone in a different direction, she and David shared a look that was a silent promise that he would keep Emma safe. When she and Emma had decided to go together, they made the same silent promise; Snow promised him that she would bring their daughter back safely, but she didn't.
"Can't you bring her back?" Snow moved her head to see Henry desperately pleading with Regina, "Please, she sacrificed herself for me! Please, Mom! Please try."
Snow looked quickly to Regina, though she already knew the answer. Regina looked at her son sadly, and Snow could see the tears built up in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Henry. I – I can't."
Hook was looking at the sand, and Gold had a sad gaze fixed on Emma. "It wasn't supposed to be this way."
"She sacrificed herself for Henry?" Regina asked, her arms around her son. Snow stared blankly up at her, unable to find words.
"We found a way to get back to Storybrooke," Regina told them.
No. No. How was she supposed to go home without Emma? She wasn't going to return to Storybrooke now. Her train of thought was interrupted by some familiar sounds. Small people started flying around all of them, muttering things.
Fairies.
The group turned their attention to the fairies. As the fairies began to murmur around the others, Snow clutched her arms around her daughter's body, as David kept his hand on Emma's head.
"No!" Henry shouted suddenly, and Snow moved her eyes to him, seeing him walking away from Regina quickly. "No!" He repeated, now running toward them. He sat at her side and clung to his mother's body as he had earlier. "We can't leave her!"
Snow's eyes widened. "What?" Leaving her daughter behind was one thing that Snow could never do, no matter if she... no matter what condition she was in, she could never leave her daughter behind. She had already missed out on so much of her life, and now she had lost her forever and there was nothing she could do to change that, but she was NOT going to leave her here. "What?!" This time she raised her voice, her eyes focused on Regina's.
Regina kept her eyes on Snow, but said nothing as she turned away to look at Emma. Instead, it was Gold who spoke. "What dies in Neverland, remains in Neverland."
David, Henry and Snow all clung tighter to Emma's body. Snow slowly started to process what this meant; they had found a way back to Storybrooke, but Emma would have to stay in Neverland.
She had no desire to speak, but she knew what she had to say. "Then you can go."
She stared at Hook, Gold, and Regina, who were looking at each other in silence. She knew that Regina would want to stay with Henry, and if she wanted to take her grandson from them, then she would have to go back to a fight with her. Though it wasn't fair to Henry; he would have to remain always as a kid, because if Gold decided to leave, or Hook, then they would have no other way to get back to Storybrooke.
All but one of the fairies began to fly away. Tinkerbell began flying around them, and then just around Regina. Though she was a fairy, she was a special one, and her voice could be heard clearly by everyone.
"You know the rules, Regina, as do the two of you," Tinkerbell said, looking at Gold and Hook. "She can't leave the island, she sacrificed herself for a child and died here, therefore she belongs here."
"She belongs to us!" Snow intervened quickly, earning the fairy's attention. "You can't decide where my daughter belongs. She belongs with her family."
"I am afraid that the rules cannot be broken." The fairy said, flying closer to her. "She can't leave, and you can't stay. None of you."
Snow felt rage building up inside of her; the idea that she was going to be separated from her daughter again was breaking her heart. "No. I'm not leaving her," she said firmly.
"I'm sorry, but you'll have to."
David placed his free hand on her arm and squeezed it slightly. "If she can't come to our home, then we're staying with her. We are her parents."
Tinkerbell shook her head and flew a little further from them. "You can't understand now, but it's something that has to happen." She turned her head to Regina, Hook and Gold. "You know it has to be this way."
"She's right." Regina said, walking one step closer to them. "We have to go."
"Mom, no!" Henry sat up straight, his eyes widening in despair. "No, we can't leave her! She's my mom! She's family!"
Regina shook her head weakly, tears threatening to come out from her eyes. "I'm sorry, Henry. I really am." She moved one of her hands, and for the first time, Snow moved away from Emma. She hurriedly tried to grab Henry, but she was too late. He ascended into the air and started moving toward Regina.
"Regina!" Snow and David shouted, and David stood up and drew his sword. Henry reached Regina, and she dropped her hand. Henry held his arms at his sides, tried to move like he were caught somehow. Snow looked at her husband and wondered where he was getting his strength. "Let him go!" He yelled at Regina.
Regina raised her hand again and moved Henry even closer to her, then quickly wrapped her arms around him. "Mom, let me go!"
"Do it now, Gold!"
Gold pulled something from the pocket of his jacket, and Snow's eyes widened when she recognized the small object. It was a magic bean; they knew that there was a bean on this island, but they had been unable to find its location. They were going to open a portal and Regina was taking Henry with them.
"What if Emma comes with us?" Snow asked quickly, before Gold could throw the beans to the ground.
Tinkerbell flew around her. "She can't! She will appear on the other side of the island. She can't leave."
"I'm not leaving my daughter!" Snow said at the verge of the tears again. She had already cried so much that she was sure there were no tears left. She had already let her die; she couldn't leave her behind.
"Regina, let him go!" David said with his sword raised, walking a few steps toward them as Regina backed away, holding Henry close.
"It's time, Crocodile." Hook said, moving away from him. Gold glanced at him and threw the magic bean to the sand in front of them.
"Take care of him," Emma's voice echoed in her mind.
Snow looked down at her daughter's peaceful face. Her lip began to tremble as she approached her face to hers. "I love you, Emma." She kissed her forehead lightly, and slowly moved away from her daughter, leaving her lying in the sand. She quickly drew her bow and arrow and began to place an arrow on her quiver.
"Regina!" Snow exclaimed. Regina turned around, Henry moving in her arms. "Let him go, now!"
"Mom, please!" Henry cried, trying to free himself from Regina's grip.
Snow could see the anguish and despair in Regina's eyes, as if she were apologizing in advance. But her arms clung to Henry and she said. "Gold!"
"I know, dearie." Gold said, and raised his hands, and before Snow could react, David was raised in the air and pushed into the portal.
"David!" Snow cried out, her eyes desperate. Hook jumped after David, and Regina and Gold exchanged glances. "No, you can't..."
Gold moved his gaze to her, and shook his head slightly. "I'm sorry, dearie. It's just something that has to happen."
Snow's eyes widened at the realization of what was going to happen next. She raised her bow, but it was in vain, suddenly her muscles tensed and the bow fell from her hands, as her feet began to leave the sand. She was being raised in the air, and she was going to be pushed to the portal. "No!"
"Grandma!" Henry shouted, trying to move in Regina's arms and having no success.
The only thing on Snow's mind was the person who was lying behind her, in the sand, as if she were asleep. She couldn't leave her little girl here, alone. Snow began to move her body desperately, as if she could be stronger than Gold's magic.
"Emma..." Her arms began to move toward her, as if she had hopes of getting to her, and Snow panicked like never before as she began to move further away from her baby girl. "No! Emma!" She cried out as she suddenly found herself in the portal.
Snow closed her eyes and began to feel her stomach turning. Her daughter was trapped in Neverland, alone. She shouldn't be going back to Storybrooke, she didn't feel right about leaving Emma. She needed to get back to her. She would never be able to feel at home if her daughter wasn't there.
Suddenly, Snow felt something under her, on her back. She was lying on one side; her journey through the portal had come to an end. Without opening her eyes she reached out and felt something wet, like wet earth. Or maybe sand? Her eyes opened quickly and she saw that trees surrounded her. Maybe she was in the jungle. She had to be in the jungle, she had to still be in Neverland! Now she had to find Emma.
"Snow!" David shouted from somewhere. Snow got up and frantically looked around her trying to find him. Hook was getting up from the ground, and David was running toward her. She quickly ran to him and enveloped herself in his arms.
Her eyes were inspecting the place, thinking that maybe the three of them ended up in a different part of Neverland. When David moved away from her, she looked around her, and then she saw it: the Storybrooke well.
"Grandpa!" Snow moved her gaze to her right, watching Henry running towards them, Regina and Gold getting up behind him. Her grandson came to them and wrapped his arms around her husband, as Snow stared at them in shock. David hugged Henry back, but kept his gaze on her.
Snow lifted her gaze to him, completely lost. "We are not in... Neverland." She said in a voice that could barely be heard.
David's eyes quickly filled with tears, and Henry looked up at her, still hugging his grandfather. "Snow..." David whispered.
"No, no. We..." She said moving away from them, her eyes filling up with tear. "There must be a way. The well... the well can restore what was once lost, we have to get her back!"
"She can't leave Neverland." Hook said near them, in a low voice.
David took Henry's hand and moved him away from Hook. He took a few steps toward Snow, and stretched his hand to take hers, but she walked back quickly.
"David, our daughter is there alone! We have to bring her back!"
"Snow, we're gonna find a way, but..."
"No, we can't waste time. Emma... she's – she's waiting for us. We..." Her gaze moved away, and she saw Regina and Gold just meters from her, watching her sadly. "You left my daughter there! I will kill you!" Before she could run to them, David wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly. She began kicking and trying to free herself from her husband's grip. "Let me go! They left our daughter there!"
Regina took a step toward them, her hands raised in surrender, "I did what I had to do. I am..."
"You're not sorry! You're never going to even go near Henry! Stay away from me and my family! I trusted you!"
Regina's eyes filled with sadness, but Snow didn't notice the sadness. She was blind with rage, wanting to make Regina pay for making her leave her daughter. She trusted her, Emma trusted her, they had saved her life from the Lost Boys. She owed her life to Emma, and to her, yet she forced her to leave her daughter behind. She knew she couldn't really do anything to Regina or Gold, no matter how much she may have wanted to, they were too powerful. She could, however, do everything she could to keep them from Henry.
"Henry..." Regina murmured, approaching a few steps to him. But the boy stepped back, shaking his head slightly.
"I never want to see you again. We trusted you. I trusted you. I thought you'd changed, but... you're still just the Evil Queen who only thinks of herself."
"I had to do what I did in Neverland. I hope you can forgive me one day." Regina said, tears beginning to slide down her cheeks as she turned around and started walking away from them. Gold continued watching them, sadly, shaking his head from side to side, slowly.
"You will understand in time." He turned and started walking away, too, but in the opposite direction of Regina.
Hook just looked at them as he walked away in the same direction as Regina. As soon as everyone was out of their view, David released his grip on Snow. Henry clung to him again, and though Snow had her back to them, she could hear her grandson begin to sob again and it broke her heart.
Her eyes closed as tears began to fall from her cheeks, and her knees began to weaken, so she had no strength to hold herself upright. She fell to her knees, letting out a loud scream that she had been holding in accompanied by uncontrollable tears. After a few seconds David and Henry came and hugged her and the three of them cried together over the loss of Emma. They were home, and yet they weren't.
Snow closed her eyes and clung to David, still listening to her grandson's crying, still feeling her husband's tears fall on her head. Still feeling her heart break more and more with each passing second.
Emma had been Henry's hope of having a happy family. Emma had been hers and David's hope of having a happy family. They couldn't be a happy family without hope, and they just lost it.