Chapter Three

"There it is," Regina called out as she helped Henry pull a sail into place and tie it off. Henry quickly went over to his spyglass and Regina picked up Charlotte and settled her on her hip.

"That looks tough to get into mate," Hook commented looking as well.

"There's only one guard," Henry told them.

"Great, but how are we going to get in, I doubt the Queen would leave one guard to guard one person all the way out here. If Emma really is the savior then she's dangerous, and if she's dangerous one guard and an island wouldn't cut it," Regina told them. "I told you there's some unspeakable…"

"Shs then don't speak about it," Henry told her indicating Hook. "He's a bit of a coward here, not so much in my world." Regina nodded.

"I guess the stories were just a lie then to keep people away," Regina commented to them both. Henry nodded.

"Good I hope so, but even with one guard, you've got a baby, and I'm a deckhand, whose going to fight it?"

"We are not going to make a direct assault," Henry told them. "We're going to talk our way in."

"Really?" They both asked sceptical. He nodded. Once they had docked Henry and Regina were fake tied up after they safely secured Charlotte below deck.

"Prisoners from my Queen!" Hook shouted as he walked into the prison. "There's a rebellion and she doesn't want these two escaping before she can execute them." Hook pulled the sacks off of Regina and Henry's hands. The guard leaned forward and Henry grabbed the hilt of Hook's sword and hit the black knight hard in the face, but not hard enough as they stumbled around. So Regina brought her bound hands up and forced their head down hard towards her knee just as she brought it up. There was a crunch sound probably their nose as they fell down.

"Well done lad," Hook told Henry. Regina rolled her eyes thinking she may as well not even be there.

"The wookie prisoner gag it always works," Henry told them.

"What?" They both asked tilting their heads to the side.

"Nevermind," Henry told them. "I'll get my mom, you two drag the knight into a free cell." They nodded as Regina easily freed herself from the rope.

"Right, I'll grab the feet then mate," Hook told Regina.

"Of course I get the heaviest part," Regina grumbled going to the head of the body as Henry ran off. They both grunted as they shuffled off together towards an unlocked cell down the hall and around a corner. They were just walking back when Emma ran into Regina as she was hurrying down the stairs. Regina felt dazed as she stared into those familiar green eyes. Time seemed to stand still really as they moved.

"Regi," She whispered as they just as Regina's arms caught her making sure Emma kept her balance.

"Em," Regina replied.

"You're Emma, wow, I had no idea we'd be rescuing a beauty." Both of their attention shifted in that moment to Hook.

"I'm Killian Jones or Deckhand Hook."

"Uh guys we should really get out of here," Henry told them. They all seemed to remember where they were and get into gear.

"Henry's right, we have to go now, that guard you took out was no ordinary guard, its Lily," Emma told them. They ran out and hurried down to the boat. Regina checked briefly to make sure Charlotte hadn't somehow gotten out; she had not before she scrambled to help Henry and Hook get the Jolly Rodger sailing again.

"Ah shit," Regina said pausing as the tower exploded and a dragon appeared. "I knew there was an unspeakable horror."

"Ready the cannon!" Emma yelled at Hook. Hook looked ready to take cover and pray, but he did as Emma ordered. "Don't shoot until I give the signal."

"Right," Hook told her as his knees shook.

"Hey!" Emma yelled waving her arms. "Lily!"

"What are you doing, are you crazy if she's too blind to see us then so be it," Regina cried. Emma kept at it though as she stood in front of the cannon. Regina groaned and just went to Charlotte, if she was going to die she was going to die with Charlotte in her arms. She was just hugging Charlotte close when there was an explosion from the cannon, a roar, and then the sound of a wave hitting the boat and propelling it forward, but they didn't sink. Tentatively she returned wondering if she would find herself alone with Charlotte on an empty deck and hard pressed to sail them both to some distant land away from the Evil Queen.

"You're alive," Regina said spotting Henry and Emma hugging and a relieved Hook back at the wheel again.

"Yes, and so are you," Emma said going over and hugging her too. "I thought for sure she would kill you that day." Regina shrugged.

"She's tried a lot, but somehow I get lucky." Charlotte reached out for Emma.

"Is this Charlotte?" Emma asked feeling a connection, but a faint one to the child. She was and she wasn't there at least not yet." Something Regina had said when they had finally kissed that it was and it wasn't Charlotte settling inside of them for the moment.

"Yes, how did you know her name?" Regina asked her. "From that stupid book of Henry's too?"

"No, because I was there when he named her," Emma told her. "You still don't believe do you?"

"I have my doubts, and I'm afraid if Charlotte is really dead…"

"She's not dead," Emma told her. "She's in our hearts and our magic, and when we're all ready for her. She's coming back to us. I assure you, this little face will be with us."

"So I can watch her grow up and she won't be someone's prisoner?" Regina asked her. "She won't be in danger."

"No, she's going to be safe and happy with us her family," Emma assured her.

"Then how do we get home?" Regina asked them. Henry and Emma smiled.

"We defeat the Evil Queen with love," Henry told them. "Everyone will be at Queen Zelena's wedding to Robin Hood, but we are going to stop it and once you two enact true love's kiss before the last three bells toll to celebrate Zelena and Robin's fake love."

"But why wouldn't we just kiss now?" Regina asked him. Henry frowned.

"Uh well you can try," Henry told her. They both shrugged and looked at one another and kissed. They waited and nothing happened.

"Uh no, pretty sure true love's kiss has to come with some great gesture of love," Hook told them from the helm opening his arms up wide to indicate how big. "If every kiss was true love's kiss it wouldn't be so special."

"That does seem to be the golden rule, I just thought maybe we could have a little less of a hassle," Regina murmured.

"We tried," Emma told her. "Now I need a change of clothes, I'm going to see what's below." Charlotte farted and they were sure it was stinky diaper.

"Charlotte needs a change too," Regina grinned. Emma pouted. "I have to help sail the ship." Emma glared, but easily took Charlotte down below with her where she found a white shirt, blue vest, gloves, leather pants, and boots to fit her. She changed Charlotte as well and it was indeed a bad diaper.

"Oh boy haven't they potty trained you yet." Charlotte laughed. Emma lifted her up in the air so she was above her head and Charlotte laughed.

"Oh Charlotte, I can't wait for you to join us for real, and I'll never let you go again, that's a promise." Emma hugged her close before going back up on top of the deck. They sailed back to go defeat the Evil Queen. Once they were docked however they found the Evil Queen waiting for them.

"You aren't taking us so easily this time," Emma told her taking out her sword. She was going to protect her family from her own mother. Snow White looked bored.

"I am going to enjoy watching you die," Snow White told her. "Charming kill her." Charming stepped from around the carriage and pulled out his sword. He headed straight for Emma and she for him. They clashed.

"Henry take Charlotte and run for safety," Regina ordered as she handed her over and she took out the sword Emma had found for her. She pointed it at Snow White.

"I won't let you hurt either of them," Regina told her. Henry ran for it as Regina stepped off the dock as her and Snow White began to circle one another.

"Glad you're not running this time Regina, it's time I got what I wanted," Snow White growled. Regina dodged several fireballs. Two hit the butts of two horses and they took off running revealing Emma and Charming in a dead lock. Regina dodged another fireball, and it passed closely between Emma and Charming's faces so they backed up quickly. Regina and Emma stood together on one side facing Charming and Snow White. Hook jumped down in front of them wanting to impress Emma.

"Go!" Hook told them.

"Hook you can't take them, you don't know how to use a sword," Emma told him.

"Go, save your children, they're more important," He told them just as more black knights arrived including Lily.

"Get me Regina's baby, killing her will be my gift to Zelena," Snow White told them.

"Go!" Hook yelled again and launched himself at them. Emma and Regina turned and ran, but not before Hook gave Emma one of his yearning looks before David ran him through easily. They grabbed Henry who had stopped under an archway before they ran off.

"Now what?" Regina asked.

"The wedding, that's where the book ends so that's where we have to be if true love's kiss is going to work and get us out of this book." They ran heading for the small church where Zelena was marrying Robin Hood. No surprise it was the same church that Regina had once married King Leopold, but she didn't know that as they stood out on the terrace passing a green apple tree.

"Damn it Henry, you just couldn't leave well enough alone," the Author told him as he stood at the door. Rumple was right next to him dressed in Gold.

"You should have left well enough alone, why couldn't you just write for yourself and leave the rest of us alone."

"Oh Henry a deal is a deal and I made a deal with the Light one. This is the life he wants and you are not going to ruin it."

"Stall the wedding Regina, don't let those bells ring, I'll take care of Rumple," Emma told her taking out her sword. Regina nodded. She knew how to get Zelena's attention. Gold went after Emma and they fought, but she paused and turned at the door to look back. Emma went flying back and hit her head on the stone under the tree.

"Emma!" Regina cried. The light one turned on Henry next as he grabbed Emma's sword to protect himself. Regina had taken Charlotte knowing that Zelena would loathe to see her as she believed her to be Robin Hood's child, and the Author laughed in glee.

"Please you're supposed to be the hero in this story, heroes do the right thing," Henry told him.

"Which is exactly why I have to do this," Gold told him easily knocking his sword away before he swung again. Regina appeared in front of his sword just in time to protect Henry.

"Mom!" Henry cried. Charlotte also gave a cry of distress as she ran over from where Regina had placed her down out of the way. Regina crumpled to the ground.

"Mom no, why did you do that?" Henry asked her crying.

"It is done," Rumple said before disappearing in a flash of light. Emma woke up with a groan and saw what happened. She shook the fog from her brain and crawled over to them.

"Regina!" She cried out.

"Mom," Henry sobbed. "Why?" She stroked his cheek with her hand.

"You said you were my son," Regina ground out. "And I have to protect my son as much as my daughter."

"Oh Regina." Emma took her left hand just as the bells struck three times

"Take care of Charlotte, be a family don't let her go back to being their prisoner she will destroy them. And thank you for giving me hope for a life."

"She will be protected, she will have a family," Emma cried as she kissed Regina, but still nothing happened.

"Too little too late even for true love's kiss, now had you gotten to that part before the bells well you might have had a fighting chance. The people started to exit the church.

"Regina?" Robin asked surprised as they all walked over. Emma stood up with a growl and punched the author.

"Change it back now save Regina, and bring back Hook," Emma told him upset.

"I can't I'm not the author anymore, this is reality and it's staying and as soon as I find a magic bean I'm getting out of here." Emma punched him again several times until his face was bloody. His bag fell.

"You know I should be upset that you'd ruin my wedding day, but I'm going to take pleasure in watching you die slowly," Zelena growled as she shoved Henry out of the way. He grabbed Charlotte protectively and scooted back as Charlotte cried. "I want you to know I'm having his baby, and it's already when prophesized to be even more powerful than the light one."

"You know I hope you're happy Zelena, I really do," Regina got out. If Zelena was relishing in her death then she wouldn't notice Henry, Charlotte, and Emma slip away to safety. They could get back to Hook's boat and take it anywhere in the world. Maybe even find their way home back to their world one day and far away from Zelena and Snow White.

"What?" Zelena asked as the people around to comment how kind she was and beautiful so very beautiful, how she had always been beautiful. Zelena let out a scream.

"This is supposed to be my day and you ruined it!" Zelena screamed. Her skin turned green on her hand as it often did when Regina was getting attention. She picked up her skirts and ran off before she became hideously green. She had to keep up a good face.

Henry bumped into the Author's bag and he turned staring at the infamous pen that had ruined his family's entire life and trapped them all here. Before he had met the author it had been a beacon of hope to ensure his mother's happiness, now it had killed her. Feeling anger well up inside of him he grabbed it, gripping it hard between his fingers wanting so much to break it. But then he felt a sudden power course through his veins as the pen glowed blue.

"Whoa Kid, what the hell?" Emma asked looking at him.

"Don't stay here go," Regina told them, but her voice was barely carrying now. Unattended now, Charlotte hurried back over to Regina and lay down next to her. Regina felt more hot tears spilling from her eyes. She didn't want Charlotte to see her die so brutally as her blood began to pool in her mouth and spill out the sides.

"He's the new author," The old author gasped.

"Henry, Henry write it all back the way it was, save us," Emma cried.

"He can't write anything without ink," the author told her smugly. "I still win."

"Good thing I'm here," Emma told him. She went and grabbed a sword and started to cut her hand through her gloves.

"Yes, but we needed a dark savior then, but you're not the savior here, because of him." They both looked at his smug face.

"Like I said you're too late," He told them.

"No, mom may not be the savior, but mom is and we don't need a dark savior here, we need a light one." Henry picked up the note pad as well and they both hurried over to Regina.

"Hang on mom."

"Stay with me Regina, we're all going home, we're all going home now, and Charlotte will be safe again," Emma told her. Henry dipped the pen in her blood.

"No!" Issac cried out but Robin three a dagger and it lodged into his leg.

"I want my heart back," Robin told them when they looked at him shocked.

"Thanks to the hero Regina's sacrifice, Issac's villainous work was undone," Henry read as he wrote out loud. The magic erupted from the notepad and light surrounded them all. Emma and Regina felt Charlotte disappear back inside of them. When the light cleared they were back in storybrooke on the main street. Regina was lying on the ground next to Henry and Emma.

"Mom are you all right?" Henry asked. Regina sat up quickly and stood up as she patted herself down as she made sure she was indeed not dying painfully slow anymore.

"Henry!" She hugged him fiercely and Emma engulfed them both in a hug too.

"Oh I missed you too so much, I know it was only a few minutes, but it felt like years," Emma cried.

"I know what you mean," Regina sniffed as they all smiled at one another as relief flooded through them that they were all safe.


Author's note: Please leave me a review and let me know what you thought of my short story. I am currently working on the next installment A Dream is a Wish your heart makes. It may be some time before I post because of school, but also I'm still perfecting it and deciding on where I'm trying to go next exactly with Regina and Emma since we know that Dark Swan is next in the show, and I've been so far lining up with the show in some way, but I'm trying to also find my own story in all of that.