Chapter 2

Hook could see the hatred before he'd even reached the dock. With expert skill, he eased the large vessel into the small port slowly. It was partly for caution of the ship, and partly for fear of what awaited him at the dock. Already he could see them all, standing mostly with their hands on their hips, waiting surprisingly patiently for him to dock. Briefly, his mind fantasized that instead of an angry mob, it was a hero's worship. He'd never really gotten one of those before. It seemed like it would be entertaining. Everyone smiling, laughing, cheering his arrival. Wenches everywhere with rum wanting a victory dance. Being a hero was definitely an idea he could get used to. He was kind of a hero, as it was, returning the bean to save Storybrooke. The fact that he'd been the one to steal it in the first place was a mere detail.

Hook smiled, bringing himself back to reality as he dropped anchor. Deciding to go for a heartfelt approach, he raced over to the side of the ship, expecting a great sense of urgency. He paused as he reached the side, gripping the woodwork with his singular hand. There was a sense of urgency about the group on land, but it wasn't quite as well…urgent as he'd expected. There was also quite a heavy silence falling over his ears. He lifted his head towards the town, and noticed that, while some of it was destroyed, whatever it was that was causing it had stopped. People were not running the streets, screaming in terror but instead already in the process of cleaning and aiding. Hook looked back down at his welcoming party and also noticed that a rather sour looking Regina was amongst them. Regina was supposed to be dead. He never really could get his way, could he?

Nevertheless, Charming had rolled up the strange metal contraption for disembarking and he did so much more slowly, taking comfort in the sword that slapped against his thigh with each step. He let his good hand fall to his hip, where the small satchel rested, and he felt the indentation of the bean inside. He still had the upper hand here. If they tried anything he could threaten to crush it, or eat it or…could you eat these beans? Hook shook the thoughts from his head as he gave a warm smile to his welcoming party.

"Well, it appears a lot has happened since our last encounter," he said throatily, raising his eyebrows in Regina's direction.

She merely raised her eyebrows as well, challenging him to continue speaking to her, and he turned his attention to Emma instead. She looked a bit more relieved than all the others. "Things seem…quiet."

"Yeah you could say that," she answered in an airy, skeptical tone, placing her hands on her hips. "What did you come back for?"

"Had a change of heart," he said sarcastically, tapping at his chest with his hook, "but now it all seems a bit irrelevant, doesn't it?"

"The town doesn't need saving, but we do need your help," Emma implored, her eyes softening a bit. If she'd used that look on him at the diner he might have been more easily persuaded to stay. He smiled, and stepped nearer into her personal space. Emma raised her chin in response, but did not back away.

"I'm always willing to offer...my services," he said with a waggle of his eyebrow, daring his eyes to sink to the floor before slowly roving their way back upward.

"The only thing we need from you, Hook, is your ship," Regina said, marching over and ripping the satchel from his hip. Her elbow collided with his ribs at the quick motion and he stepped back, taking a deep inhalation to keep from groaning.

"And what exactly do you need it for?" he asked, watching as Regina opened the satchel and dropped the bean into her hand, smiling before she closed her fingers around it.

"Henry's been taken," Emma offered, watching Regina from over his shoulder. "Whoever took him opened a portal and we need to get to him."

Much to Emma's surprise, the slightest bit of softness appeared at the corners of Hook's eyes. He looked down at the floor for a moment, scratching his beard with his hook before he met her eyes, giving a single nod. "I offer my ship, and my services," he said again, with no trace of indecency.

Emma nodded and Regina turned to make her way up to the ship. Snow and Charming followed and Hook extended his arm graciously to allow Emma to embark before him, taking care to watch her painted on jeans all the way up until they disappeared. He then turned to Rumpel and Lacey, offering the same gracious hand, albeit a little more lazily. Lacey took a step forward before she felt Rumpel's gentle hand on her arm. She stopped and turned, and as she regarded his sullen, tired face so full of love she felt a pull in the back of her mind. It was brief, however, and gone in an instant as she waited for what he was about to say.

"Lacey..." he began, his thick accent causing goose bumps to rise on her arms. "I'm afraid you can't go with me."

"What?" she asked, bringing her head back in confusion. She turned and looked towards the pirate, the big ship, and while she didn't understand it, she knew she longed for whatever adventure was awaiting them all. "But I want to come, to help."

Rumpel smiled and nodded to the ground. "You will help, immensely. But I need you to stay here to do so."

Lacey opened her mouth to protest again but was silenced as Rumpel held up a tiny scroll wrapped in a red ribbon.

"Storybrooke is exposed now. You need to protect it. Take this to the Blue Fairy," he said, placing the scroll in her hand with the gentlest of touches. "She'll know what to do."

"The…Blue Fairy? I don't know who that is. I don't know who any of these people are," she answered, her voice wavering as she flung her hand disgustedly towards the town.

Rumpel smiled again, tears rimming his eyes. "They know you, love. And I know you. I know that you can do this. You just have to believe in yourself."

"Just that simple, huh?" she snapped back, wiping her eyes.

"It's the hardest thing in the world," he responded, his voice barely above a whisper. "But I know you can do it. These people need a leader. They need to get back on their feet. You can help them do that."

"And what if I don't want to? What if I just take a car and leave this place and never come back?"

Rumpel nodded reaching up and ghosting his fingers across her tear stricken cheek. "If that is what you truly wish, I cannot stop you. At least give that," he gestured to her hand, "to the Blue Fairy before you run away."

With that Rumpel brushed past her and made his way to the ship. Lacey stared after him, long after the ship left the marina, her fingers rubbing up and down the small scrap of paper in her hand. When it was nothing but a speck on the open ocean, she looked down at the scroll in her hand, and made her decision.

0-0-0-0-0

Emma tapped her fingers nervously against the ship, staring up at the massive white sails above her. She had no knowledge of sailing, and briefly wondered if Hook could really master this huge vessel all by himself and with one hand at that. He probably wouldn't have gotten far, and the highly coveted bean would have found either found its way to the bottom of the ocean or the bottom of a trashcan at the US coast guard. She smiled at the thought of the leather clad one-handed Hook trying to explain who he was to a group of Navy Seals. That would go over really well.

A hand was placed on her shoulder and Emma turned to see her mother smiling kindly at her. She returned it as best as she could, which was a pursing of the lips, and turned back out towards the water. "I thought a ship this big could go faster," she said simply to break the awkward silence between them.

"There's not a lot of wind, and Hook says we have to go out deep enough that the entire ship could be easily submerged," Snow offered, following Emma's eyes out to sea.

"This waiting thing sucks."

"Tell me about it," Snow said weakly, the hand on Emma's shoulder tightening instinctively.

Emma sighed and looked down, shaking her head. She didn't want to have this conversation now, or ever. Henry was priority. She looked over at her mother again and could see Regina standing up towards the front of the ship. She jutted her chin in Regina's direction and decided to change the subject.

"I never asked how you found her."

Snow turned and look towards Regina, and Emma watched as her shoulders slumped a little at the sight. When she turned back around it was with the same motherly smile she always held, full of concern and love.

"It was…and still is a difficult time," she said consolingly.

"How did you find her?" Emma repeated.

Snow swallowed and looked down to the floor, shaking her head. "Greg and Tamara had her. Greg had her hooked up to some sort of machine. I didn't get a good look at it and I didn't want to because the pain was so—

"The pain?" Emma interrupted. "What, were you hurt?"

Her mother's mouth opened to answer, then faltered, as if she didn't exactly know what to say. Emma waited, her eyes growing more intense with each passing second. Snow finally let out an exasperated sigh and shook her head, starting from the beginning.

"To find Regina, Rumpel gave us this…potion that would allow us to see as Regina saw in hopes of figuring out where they were holding her and I took it and…" she paused, shaking her head again. Tears came from her eyes and she was quick to wipe them away. "Emma, it was the worst pain I've ever felt in my life."

Emma's stomach tightened at her words and she glanced over at the queen again. She was standing tall, proud as always, as if this ship was in her honor, sailing towards her loving minions. If she hadn't seen the burns, Emma would have never believed it.

"What did the pain feel like?" Emma asked, the earnestness of her voice causing Snow to give a hasty reply.

"Burning, but numbing. My entire body locked and it felt like it was going to snap in two."

"Electrocution," Emma breathed. "Jesus Christ. And she's still standing?"

"Blue helped with some of it, I think, but," Snow turned and glanced at Regina again, giving the queen a sad smile, "I guess it is pretty impressive all the same."

Emma nodded and headed towards Regina, Snow's hand sliding along her arm until she was out of her grasp yet again.

Regina stood out in front of the bow, holding her jacket tightly around her despite the fact that she wasn't cold. The wind blew her hair around her face, occasional catching on an eyelash before whipping back to dance behind her. She could smell the salt in the air, the wood of the boat, and willed herself to relax. She closed her eyes tightly, and the minute everything was black she felt the jolt. The raw burning that had fired its way up her veins and into her brain. Her bones locked and compressed, threatening to crack with the unknown force. Her eyes opened, and the sensation was gone. She exhaled slowly, taking relief in the mild wind that cooled the sweat on her brow.

Footsteps were heard behind her and Regina quickly ran her hand along her forehead before turning around. She affixed Emma Swan with a glare, but it receded as the woman stepped closer. Of all the people on this ship, she had the least reason to fix her ire upon Emma. The woman in question gave a polite smile of greeting and Regina gave her a nod in return before staring back out into the ocean.

"How are you holding up, Regina?" she asked, stuffing her hands into her pockets.

A snarky remark coiled at the back of Regina's throat, ready to strike, but she forced it back down, instead giving Emma a way out of that stupid question. "In regards to what?"

"All of it. The trigger, Henry, what Greg and Tamara did to you—

Idiot.

"Miss Swan," she said sharply, turning to face the blonde. "I do not need to be reminded of the rather unfortunate confluence of events that have led to me being trapped on a pirate ship with those whom I loathe above anyone else." mercifully, her eyes flitted from Emma to Snow as she said this. "I know what happened. Unlike you Charmings, I don't need to project my feelings onto others to deal with them. Now, would you care to also ask me how I feel about your mother killing mine or shall we get to the task at hand of finding our son?"

Emma stood, awestruck at the amount of words that had just spilled from Regina's fiery red lips. She wanted to retaliate, and kind of also wanted to throw the bitch overboard, just to see if she'd still look as haughty soaking with sea water. But one word pulled her back to sanity, and she smiled. It caught Regina off guard and the queer glance she gave her only caused it to widen.

"You're right, Regina. I'm sorry. We should definitely focus on our son," she reiterated, turning to stare out into the ocean. "What do you think we'll find out there?" she asked to no one in particular.

Regina sighed, running a hand through her windblown hair, and glanced over at the other woman. Emma looked good in nice clothes, and she wondered briefly where that black pea coat had come from. She had since put it away, during their prep for the portal, and now her long and sinewy arms left nothing to the imagination in the stretched tank top. Her blonde hair was lacking in her signature curls and yet it still managed to look like a commercial as the wind had it blowing and sweeping beautifully behind her. She ran a hand through her own hair again and grimaced at the tangles before speaking.

"It's won't be anything Rumpel and I haven't encountered before."

Her voice didn't actually sound hopeful, nor confident, but Emma smiled all the same and turned back towards the queen.

"Then it's a good thing we have you with us," she said, with enough conviction that it forced Regina to give a quick nod and turn away from the bow, heading back to the center of the ship where everyone else was gathering. Emma watched her momentarily, giving the woman the space she seemed to need, and then followed after her, choosing to stand next to her parents. They both smiled as she neared when she tried to stand by Snow, they maneuvered awkwardly around until she was between them. Both her parents then tried to put their arms around her shoulders at the same time, resulting in more awkwardness.

Emma took a deep breath to maintain her patience, unaware of the dark eyes that were watching her every interaction, a small smile playing at the corner of Regina's lips.

"We should be far enough out now," Hook called from the helm, waving down to Rumpel who gave him a nod.

Rumpel headed over to a cargo crate, everyone following and watching as he spun his hand a few times, purple smoke emitting and disappearing, leaving a solid white globe in its place. He could see the questions in their eyes from every angle of his peripherals and decided to save everyone time. "This globe tracks by blood. Using the strongest blood bond, it will find Henry, wherever he is." He looked over to Emma and gave a Rumpelstiltskin-like smile. "Miss Swan, if you please."

Emma blinked a few times at his words and noticed the sharp point at the end of the globe and knew what she had to do. All of the attention was focused on her and she felt her cheeks redden, stepping over, rubbing her fingers with her thumb. "I'm not gonna pull a Sleeping Beauty here, am I?" she half joked, scanning the crowd. Only when she saw Regina shake her head did she lift her index finger, placing it over the point and pressing down hard.

There was no sign of pain on her face, only concentration as she pushed and watched her blood seep down onto the white. The moment made contact it diluted and swirled, as if she'd just bled into milk. Everyone watched as the blood created a map of the earth before breaking apart again, making a map of another world, then a large chunk of land. It grew smaller and smaller, finally resting on a tiny island in the middle of who knows where. Regina frowned, staring at the globe. She didn't recognize the place. This meant unknown territory. She looked up at everyone else, hoping to see recognition on someone else's face. She found it on Rumpel's, and the expression that came along with it did nothing to ease the knots in her stomach.

"Where is that?" she asked, her voice low and demanding, breaking Rumpel from what seemed like a stupor.

"Neverland," he breathed quietly, his chin shaking as he forced certain thoughts to the back of his mind. "Captain!" he shouted up at Hook, "Looks like you're going back home."

Hook was too far away for anyone to read his expression but they did get a wave of his hand, and a signal to place the bean. "Everyone take your places," he shouted back down at them, "and believe me when I say it's going to be a bumpy ride."

Everyone did as they were told, going to certain spots along the ship they had designated earlier, and tying ropes around themselves. If this portal was going to be anything like what Neal fell through, Emma could be certain that it would definitely be one hell of a ride and she made her way to the bow of the ship. She had tied a rope to the mast and now was encircling it around her waist, creating a lariat style loop that would hopefully tighten if she was flung around.

Regina took the bean delicately from her pocket and headed back to the front of the ship. She cradled the bean in her palm, thinking of Henry and of Neverland until there was nothing else in her mind. Then, superstitiously, she placed her lips to the bean, closing her eyes and giving it a good luck kiss before she tossed it into the ocean.

Emma had seen the toss, but the splash that occurred sounded like Regina had just chucked a boulder into the water. As the queen also tied herself to the mast, Emma could see the water turning a bizarre shade of green, swirling and churning in the open water like a massive whirlpool. Her adrenaline kicked in, heart racing and fear creeping up the back of her neck. Despite her best efforts, she could not convince herself that going into that thing was a safe idea and she clutched the rope, closing her eyes as she felt the ship being pulled towards it. When she dared open her eyes again, they were almost on top of it. She could see her mother and father in the back, tied together, holding on tightly, and she looked to Regina.

The queen had opted to merely wrap a rope around her arm instead of securing herself somewhere and as the wind began to howl around them, the ship pulling quickly towards the portal, Emma inched closer to her, arms at the ready just in case.

The ship did not sink. It fell. Emma's stomach flew up into her throat and she felt herself scream as they plummeted, water swirling all around them, soaking them to the bone. She felt like she was in a centrifuge, spinning so violently that she lost her grip on the mast. But the lariat was tight around her waist, and holding firm. She looked to the tornado of water that was churning around them, feeling as it tried yet again to pull her from the ship and she held fast to the rope.

Amidst the roar of the water and the straining of the wood, she could hear Regina struggling. The queen was losing her battle with the portal, being pulled farther and farther from Emma's side. She was too exhausted. All of her adrenaline had run out and she was relying solely on her body weight to keep the rope latched around her arm. But she was losing, sinking to the floor and outward towards the torrent. In a moment the blonde would not be able to reach her.

In a surge of energy Emma reached out and caught Regina, sinking them both to the floor. She checked her lariat again, and it looked solid as she wrapped her arms around the queen's chest, one leg hooking across her lap, keeping them close. Regina did not fight her and wrapped her arms around Emma's, though the blonde could tell they were weak. Hook had said that right before they came out it would get worse, and her own experience with portals confirmed that. Fear consumed her again, but she did not allow it to overwhelm her and instead she lowered her head to Regina's shoulder, bracing the both of them for the end.

It came in a matter of moments. The wind picked up and Emma felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand as the ship spun even more violently. She quickly became disoriented, everything a blur of green. For a moment she wasn't sure if she was falling or spinning or being pulled or merely standing still. She could feel the lariat digging painfully into her waist and knew that her arms were tired and heavy. She couldn't remember why her arms were heavy, and a part of her wanted to let go, to ease that burden.

Regina could feel Emma's arms weakening around her. She turned her head as much as she could and saw that the savior was out of it. Her eyes were half-lidded, mouth open, oblivious to the wet smack of Regina's hair against her cheek. And her grip was failing. Regina knew she didn't have the strength to hold on so she used her last burst of energy to dig into the ship and push away from the portal's pull, closer to Emma. Once there she tilted her head back until her lips were almost even with Emma's ear. She shouted into it, but even Regina couldn't hear her own voice over the torrent.

Emma couldn't hear Regina. She could hear the sound of the wind, the ringing in her ears, feel the heaviness of her head and arms. Her nose burned with sea water and she almost felt as if she was drowning. She wanted to go to sleep. And then it hit her. It was faint, diluted with the ocean, but it was there, and Emma felt her mind waking up just to grasp onto it. Regina's perfume. Instinctively, Emma turned her head towards the smell, and felt her nose collide with the wet skin of Regina's neck. She kept it there, inhaling deeply as her mind woke up. It focused her, grounded her, and Regina tried her best not to move, keeping her muscles taut as she felt the savior's arms tighten once more around her.

And just like that, it was over. The ship that had once been falling now surfaced upright above the water. Emma's lariat fell slack and both women allowed themselves to crumple to the floor. Emma's arms were burning with the effort, and she was pretty sure the lariat had cut her skin. But Regina was still with them. That was all that mattered. She felt the hot, humid sun upon her, making her feel just as sticky as she was wet, and looked up into a cloudless sky. Everything was silent around her save for her ears, which were still humming from the roar of the ocean.

Slowly, Emma's fingers found the lariat and she hissed as she loosened the knot, feeling her skin release painfully from it. She looked down and could see a line of blood circling around her ripped shirt. That was going to hinder her movements for a while. While looking down at her waist, Emma saw Regina's hands appear, and she looked up to meet the woman's eyes.

Regina looked more than half-dead. Her skin sallow and dripping with water, eyes glazed over, hands shaking as they…

"Uh, Regina?" Emma asked, watching as Regina's hands moved towards her waist.

The queen gave no response, instead, without touching, slowly she moved her hands around Emma's waist. There was a fleeting sense of warmth, and then nothing and Emma lifted her shirt to see that whatever had caused the blood on her shirt had just been healed. She smiled and looked up at Regina who was now resting against the mast. She shrugged noncommittally and Emma nodded, choosing to pick her battles. She stood slowly, staring out of the ship, surprised when she saw no island in sight.

"I don't see Neverland," she said, offering her hand to Regina, who was also trying to stand.

At first Regina did not accept the offer. But the choice was soon out of her hands as she felt her legs giving, eyes blacking out as she stumbled back to the floor. It was hard to see. It was hard to think. Her entire body felt heavy. She gave a groan of frustration, unaware of the strong arms that had encircled her, lifting her to her feet. Regina couldn't help but falling into this strength as her legs gave no support, and she was surprised when they held her there too. Then everything went dark.

Emma felt Regina crumple against her and her heart began to race. Towards the end of the boat she could see her parents untangling themselves from their own ropes. They seemed so far away. Panic again began to consume her as she shook Regina's body, gaining no response. Their wet clothes rendered Regina too heavy to carry and Emma shouted the first thing that came to her mind.

"Dad!"

Charming looked over instantly and came running, Snow close behind. He reached Emma in a moment and took Regina from her, expertly lifting her into his arms as if she was nothing. Her head fell back and he adjusted to where he was supporting it with his shoulder. Without a word her father turned and headed towards Hook, shouting about where to put her. Emma tried to follow and stumbled on her own fatigue before Snow caught her hand, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and allowing Emma to rest against her before they slowly followed Charming.

He carried Regina below deck, kicking open a door that held four small beds, and he kneeled down to ease her into the closest one when he was stopped by Snow.

"We should change her clothes," she offered, "she's soaking."

"We're all soaking," Charming countered kindly. "What do you suggest?"

"I may have a clean shirt in my cabin," Hook offered, appearing at the door. "She could wear that while she rests."

"Thank you, Hook," Emma said, easing herself from her mother's grasp and testing her own balance. She seemed to be bouncing back and she watched Hook give a small nod before he disappeared yet again.

Charming adjusted the woman in his arms, and all three of them seemed to realize just how small Regina was. Snow reached out and gently pushed the wet hair from her face. "What happened to her?" she whispered.

"She's had a really, really long day. I think it just caught up with her," Emma offered, and her parents nodded.

When Hook returned, Rumpel was behind him this time, concern hinting at the corners of his eyes as he looked upon the queen. He offered the shirt to Snow, who then seemed to realize then that the idea of changing Regina's clothes would be a bit more difficult than she imagined.

"Emma, would you be able to help me with…" she drifted, lifting the shirt in her hand and Emma felt her cheeks reddening as she looked to the woman in Charming's arms.

"I…well, I mean—

"If I may, dearie," Rumpel interjected, stepping further into the room. "Let's let Regina keep whatever decency she may have left, hmm?"

With a wave of his hand, Regina was encased in purple smoke. When it disappeared she was not only changed into Hook's shirt, which looked more like a dress on her, but her hair was dried as well. Charming looked pleased and his wife pulled the covers of the bunk back while he eased her into it. Emma nodded her approval and turned to Rumpel, who was holding Regina's clothes, dried and folded, in his hands. He gave them to the blonde and she smiled at him.

"Any chance you could dry all of us as well?" she half-joked.

Surprisingly, Rumpel gave a rather kind smile, but shook his head. "I can, but if it's not too unbearable, I'd rather not. We don't know what awaits us here, and with Regina out I'd like to conserve my magic."

"Fair enough," Emma answered, turning her attention to Hook. "I don't see an island, by the way."

"No, we're about a two days journey away," he offered. "Appearing right alongside the island would make it far too easy to be noticed, and subsequently, captured."

"Captured? By who?"

Hook gave his signature crooked smile and shared a look with Rumpel before answering. "Maybe you lot would like to come up on deck. Your clothes can dry and we can debrief you on the most foul a monster that has ever lived: Peter Pan."

0-0-0-0-0

Neal found the nearest tree and pressed his back up against it, breathing heavily as he stretched his wound, causing it to bleed more. He didn't know how long or how far that he had crawled, but he was exhausted. He looked at his tracks in the dirt, the splotches of bloodied mud making an obvious trail should anyone try to track him. His eyes blurred momentarily and he closed them, pressing his hand to his torso and applying pressure. Despite his dizziness, he still remembered everything. Tamara, getting shot, the portal. It was all very vivid in his mind, for whatever good it did.

Well, he supposed, if he was going to die, he might as well die on an exotic island. At least he could pretend he had made his millions and owned the place and died with a drink in his hand. A damn strong drink. Neal groaned again and looked up at the sky. Night was falling, the stars were coming out. He looked, up, hoping for a cheery thought, until he recognized a star. And another…and another. Neal's eyes widened and in the dwindling light he looked around and immediately recognized where he was. His heart sank a bit and he shook his head, suddenly grateful that his blood loss was forcing him into unconsciousness.

"Neverland," he breathed angrily before allowing his head to fall, his hand slipping from his wound. "Welcome home, Baelfire," he muttered to himself before slipping into the darkness.

Out of the shadows stepped a figure, who smiled down at Neal's sleeping form.

"Yes…Welcome home, Baelfire."