Emma took a deep breath after obliterating her living room. She clenched her hands and ground her teeth, thinking about how badly she wanted to rip Peter Pan apart for what he'd done.
"Are you finished?" Regina asked, standing in the doorway with her arms crossed. She snapped her fingers, neatly repairing the room.
"No, but the rest of my anger will be taken out on Pan." Emma held out her hand and her sword appeared in it.
"Emma, what are you going to do? Kill Pan?"
"Absolutely."
"Emma, that's a road you shouldn't go down." Regina walked forward to stand in front of her. "We can figure a way out of this. We can come up with plan, maybe get Gold involved, and save Penelope and the kids without killing anyone."
"And you think Peter Pan is just going to go away?" Emma asked.
"Heroes don't kill."
"I don't care about being a hero anymore." Emma replied. "I care about making sure that people know not to touch my woman. I just got Penelope back, you don't know what it's like to lose your entire world. She is everything. I can't go back to being the way I was. I can't! I know it sounds like I'm dependent on her right now, but-but-"
"Hey." Regina dipped her head and forced the blonde to meet her eyes. "No one is going to take Penelope away from you. She is a fighter, just like you. I know you're angry, but you can't let it cloud your judgement. No one is going to hurt Penelope."
Emma shook her head. "He'll try if we don't give him what he wants."
"There must be another way."
"You have an hour to find it or I'm going by myself and when I do, I'm taking his head."
Regina's eyes narrowed, as if she couldn't quite believe what she was hearing. In the end she nodded and teleported away. She appeared in her living room to find Mal laying on the couch next to the fire. She recounted the last half hour she had with Emma. "You should've seen her, Mal. I truly believe that she is going to kill Pan."
"This is surprising?" Mal frowned, looking up at her. "I would feel the same were I in her position and Pan had kidnapped you. I would not hesitate to rip his head off his body."
"I know that, Mal, but this is Emma."
"Emma is as human as any of us and clearly Penelope means the world to her, more so than trying to be some perfect princess."
"I get that." Regina sighed. "But it's like everything before now has just been thrown out the window. She didn't even mention Henry."
"Pan needs Henry alive, not Penelope and not Rickon." Mal reminded her. "I say, let the beast loose."
"Are you serious?"
"Indeed. It would be different if this was someone like you, who wanted to be better, learn to be different, but we all know Pan. He's not going to just give up, settle for a life working at a pawn shop with his irritating son. He's going to do everything he can to retain his power, including murder a child. Emma, right now, is not going to give him that option. He laid his hands on her lover, the woman she is going to marry, the woman who changed her life, essentially gave her one worth living…" Mal scoffed. "His life is forfeit. Let her kill him. Or better yet, let me kill him because it's been a while since I've ripped someone in half."
Regina rolled her eyes at her lover. To a dragon, all transgressions were paid in blood. There was no dilemma for her, no problem, no reason to try and preserve anyone's life that she didn't want or have to. If Maleficent had her way, she would've killed Pan long ago and it wouldn't disturb her sleep in the slightest. Maybe she was right. Pan wasn't just going to walk away and there was no way they were letting him have Henry's heart. "Alright, we let the Savior lead. Come for backup?"
"Of course."
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Emma lead the way into the cave with Regina and Maleficent following behind her and her parents bringing up the rear just in case. Pan was sitting in the middle of the room, a smug smirk on his face. "Where are they?"
"Welcome-"
"Where is Penelope and my kids?!" Emma roared. Her sword was already drawn and all she needed to do was wait. "You honestly think I'm going to stand here and tolerate you any longer than I need to? Bring them here. Now." She commanded. Pan tilted his head as he surveyed the barely concealed rage on her face.
"No, I'm not going to do that. You look pretty upset. Something wrong?"
"I'm cold." She replied, gritting her teeth, her grip tightening on her blade.
Pan narrowed his eyes at her before looking at Regina. "You're going to remove the spell on Henry and give me his heart."
"I want to know they're alright, first." Regina replied.
Pan snapped his fingers and the trio appeared nearby, along with an armed male guard. The kids looked cold and tired, both shivering and sporting blue lips. Henry looked the best out of all of them. Rickon looked even worse than he did when he was jumped. Penelope seemed to have taken the brunt of the kidnapping. Her right cheek was swollen and she had a black eye as well. If Emma wasn't angry before, she certainly was now. It took only a second. Mal and Regina teleported across the room. Regina grabbed the kids and Mal slew the guard with a well placed punch to the temple and took hold of Penelope. They teleported away, leaving Emma to do what she came here to do. With no hesitation, she rammed the sword into Pan's stomach.
"Emma!" Snow exclaimed. "What are you doing?!"
Emma leaned in close to Pan, ignoring her parents. "When you put yours hands on my woman, you decided your fate."
"So much for the Savior." Pan gasped.
Emma said nothing as she wrenched the sword out and swung it again, perfectly cutting off the head of the snake that was Peter Pan. She wiped her sword on his coat and walked out.
"Emma," Snow grabbed her arm, stopping her from moving. "You didn't have to do that."
"I didn't." She shrugged.
"Why?"
Emma turned around and met her mother's eyes. "He took Henry. He took Rickon. He took Penelope, he hurt Penelope! If you thought I was just going to lose her again over the bullshit that comes with being a Savior, then you're wrong and you don't know me at all." She teleported home to take care of her family.
It took a couple hours to get Rickon cleaned up. She got him something warm to eat after a hot bath and wrapped him up on his bed.
"Thank you, Emma." He said softly.
"You're more than welcome, Rick. Get some rest. No one is going to hurt you while I'm around." She smiled as Harry climbed into the bed and curled up with him. She left the room and made her way to the bedroom. Penelope was bundled up as well with an ice pack laying on her face. "Pen, you comfortable?"
"I'm pissed." Penelope said. Emma moved the ice pack and Penelope slowly worked her jaw, wincing at the same time. "If only that asshole hadn't choked me out. I tried to make it to your gun but he grabbed me, I couldn't break his hold-"
"Hey." Emma climbed into bed with her love and kissed her injuries. "You did your best to protect the kids. I wouldn't have expected any less from you."
"I need to get back into shape, back to fighting-"
"No, you don't. I'm here now." Emma assured her. "I will protect you."
"You can't protect me 24/7 and I'll hurt you if you dare try." Her lover hissed. "You're not superwoman, you're Emma Swan and that's all I need you to be. Not a savior, not a hero, just mine. I can defend myself just fine, I'm just out of practice." Penelope turned over, grunting softly as she did so. "Is Rickon better?"
"He's fine."
"And Henry?"
"Regina said he was doing well." Emma got out of bed to remove her clothes. She got back in to spoon her fiancee and kissed her hair. "I killed Peter Pan."
"Am I supposed to bat an eye over that arsehole? Bloody tosser, I want to…" Her lover trailed off on a tangent on the body parts she wanted to remove from Pan and a list of other British curses she didn't really understand.
"I won't let anyone hurt you again." Emma promised her.
"Can't promise that, love."
"I'll try. Losing you was like losing my heart. I don't ever want to feel that feeling again." She whispered softly, almost shaking as she remembered all those lonely years without Penelope at her side. She honestly didn't know how she did it.
"Ssh." Penelope rolled into her arms and buried her face in Emma's neck. "I'm here and I'm not going anywhere, I assure you."
"Of course you aren't. I'm not letting you go." Emma kissed the top of her head. "Now, get some sleep. I have something planned for us tomorrow."
"Oh joy."
Emma chuckled softly as she closed her eyes. Almost immediately she found herself on the edge of Storybrooke. It was once again dark and quiet. Merlin was standing next to the town line. "What?"
"What are you doing, Emma? Death was not needed."
"No, it wasn't, but he got the message. Everyone got the message." She snapped.
"What message? That's the message you want to send? To the world, to your family, to your son?"
"Um...yeah." She shrugged. "Don't fuck with Penelope and we won't have any problems. Simple."
"Staining your hands with blood is needless-"
"Send me back, Merlin. I'm done explaining myself to you and anyone else." And instantly she was back in her bed with Penelope still sleeping soundly in her embrace. She sighed, running a hand through her hair. That day she made breakfast in bed for Penelope and Rickon. Then they laid in bed all day, watching movies and eating junk food and playing with Harry. She checked up on Henry frequently, but he shut her out completely. That is, until Mal talked to him. Whatever she said made his attitude change a little bit and Emma took the opportunity that evening to go see her son.
"Hey Regina." She said, walking into the mansion.
"Hello, Swan." Regina called from where she was sitting on the couch, an almost child-like grin on her face as she played with Maleficent's hair who was sitting on the floor in front of her.
Emma smirked at seeing them together. She went upstairs and knocked on Henry's door. When she heard the lock click, she opened the door and stepped in, closing the door behind her. "Feeling any better?"
"Yeah." He said, sitting on his bed.
Emma pulled the chair over from his desk and sat down. "What do you think about staying with me for a little bit, hmm? Get to know Penelope a little better?"
"What about your new son?"
"I don't have a new son." She sighed. "Rickon is just staying with us until we get the situation at the orphanage under control."
"And then? You're just going to send him back?"
"We will discuss it then. The kid was jumped and beaten, kidnapped, and beaten again over the last few days, give him a break. And besides, whatever happens is not going to be affected by you. It is Penelope's choice."
He rolled his eyes. "All you ever talk about these days is Penelope."
"Yeah and I'll continue to talk about her as long as you're still acting like a spoiled child."
"I'm not acting like a spoiled-"
"Because all of the attention isn't on you?" She asked. "Because Regina has Mal now and I have Penelope? Look, kid-"
"I don't want to go with you." Henry said firmly. "I just want to stay here."
"Then listen to your mother. Treat her with respect. The respect she deserves. Stop this crazy behavior of yours." She stood up. "I'll call you later then, maybe you can come see the house another time." She made her departure and went back downstairs, finding Mal and Regina cuddling on the couch.
"He didn't want to go?" The brunette asked.
"No. He thinks Rickon is my son and he's mad that I talk about Penelope. I don't get it."
"He'll come around." Regina assured her. "How is Penelope and Rickon?"
"Fine. Pen is still pissed. She wants to learn how to fight again. I told her that I'll fight for her, but she said she would hurt me if I tried to protect her all the time."
"I agree with her. I would do the same if it were Mal." Regina replied, sitting up. "Mal can teach her how to fight again without her getting hurt. You have to trust her. After all, didn't she teach you hot to fight?"
"Well, yeah, but she isn't what she used to be." Before their split, Emma remembered Penelope Croft being fit and strong and actually quite good at mixed martial arts. But that was years ago. She didn't really need any of that hiding out in a village in China. She had lost a lot of weight, was nowhere near as agile as she used to be… except in the bedroom. "I mean, give her a few months she might be, but right now she should be resting and just, I don't know enjoying being with me."
"She can't do both?" The former queen arched an eyebrow.
Emma shrugged. She supposed it was for the best. She looked at Maleficent. "Would you give her some pointers?"
"Why don't you use a potion? Simpler and just as effective." The dragon conjured a small vial in her hand and Emma took it.
"You dragons always try to find the easy way out of things." Regina scoffed.
"Yes, because you humans always try to go about it the hard way. But go ahead, your species knows everything, doesn't it?" The dragon sassed to her lover. She yelped in surprise when Regina jumped on top of her and the pair rolled off the couch, laughing. Mal ended up pinning Regina of course and planted a kiss on her nose.
"You two make me sick. I'm going to go now." Emma smirked as she left and drove home. She walked into the house and found Penelope and Rickon napping on the bed, exactly where she had left them. She lightly touched Penelope's shoulder to wake her up. "Pen, wake up, babe." It took a few shakes to wake up her lover. "Drink this, it's medicine." Penelope groaned as she sat up to drink the potion, making a disgusted face as she did so and laid back down.
"What was that?"
"Something Maleficent gave me. Get some rest." Emma went to change clothes into sweats and a tanktop to climb into bed with Penelope. She wrapped her future wife in her arms and kissed the top of her head. She just wanted Pen to be happy and healthy. If anyone or anything tried to take that from her, she would destroy them. She would tear down everything for the woman in her arms. "I love you, Pen."
"I love you too, Em." Penelope whispered sleepily.
Emma kissed the top of her head again. Everyone was so worried about her staining her hands with blood. She almost scoffed. Blood washes off.
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