CHAP 3 – HUNT
When Neal return to Storybrook after drink that potion, the first person he thought to meet after arriving, was his beloved Emma. But unfortunately, that was not what happened.
According to her very worried parents, the former savior had not been seen in the city and the best guess is that she had not been caught by the curse.
''we thought that she didn't come with us and went to find you and Henry in New York.''
''no, she didn't.'' everyone turn to face Hook who had said that
''how do you know that?'' David asked
''I went together with you back to our land. And Emma was with us.''
''how do you remember that?'' Snow asked
''Regina´s spell brought us back, we spend a brief time with Aurora. But I wasn't feeling the community spirit, so I decided to venture alone.'' Hook explain ''the last time I saw her or any of you, you were making your way, to Regina´s castle.''
''I don't understand, if you left the enchanted forest before the curse, how did you know how to find Neal and lead him back here?''
''while traveling though the realms, a bird lend on my ship with a dose of memory potion and a message, saying that Neal was the only hope.''
''did you think, Regina planed this curse?'' Neal asked
''no, I don't think so, Regina seems clueless at the rest of us'' Snow assures him
''who send you the message, Killian?'' David asked again
''I don't know mate, I supposed it was one of you.'' Assured the former pirate
''Message via bird, sounds like you Snow.'' Charming was saying, when suddenly, Leroy bust into the room yelling about some missing people.
''did you have any news of Emma?'' Neal was worried
''no, bud, we didn't find Princess Emma yet.'' Answered the dwarf
''she´s going to show up, Mate, she always do.'' Killian assures him
''I have an idea how to figure this out.'' Neal get up from the couch ''we need to get your memories back.''
''how are you going to do that Neal?'' Snow asked
''by figuring out who took then in the first place.''
Next morning, Neal brought Henry to Granny's in order to take breakfast and make a plan to find the boy's mother and find out who was the cause of this curse.
''so, buddy, what do you think about this city?'' asked Neal
''seems pretty nice, Dad, but how a criminal could hide in a city like this?''
''never knows what those crazy guys have in mind.'' Answered Neal, when David and Snow came close ''Henry, I want you to meet Mary Margaret and David, they are old friends.''
''old friends? From where?'' Henry asked
''Tallahassee.'' Said Neal
''here.'' Said David and Snow
''well…Tallahassee and then…here…''Neal try to explain
''But, Dad, I thought you never go back to Tallahassee, since mom…'' Henry was suspicious
''I used to work at the hospital you´re born.'' Explain Snow
''and I work with your dad when he start his job as a P.D.'' lied David
''Nice shot.'' Neal was astonish'' now let's eat? I´m starving.'' He suggested when suddenly they heard a glass broking and a woman suddenly stared directly at them. The woman in question was Regina, but Henry doesn't know that yet.
''oh, I'm sorry...I didn't mean to scare you'' she sighed, a little embarrassed
''that's okay.'' Henry smile and turn his attention to his chocolate.
Trying not to make the situation even more awkward than it already was, Neal quickly stood up, walked over to Regina and asked her to talk in private.
''he look right through me.'' Regina complained
''he doesn't remember you.'' Neal explain
''I have a question, Mr. Cassidy, why are you here? And more important, how you got your memories back?'' the former Evil-Queen, changed the subject
''I'm here because Emma is in trouble…all her family and friends is in trouble.'' He started ''Hook found me in New York and give me a dose of memory potion…Unfortunately, there wasn't memory potion enough to Henry too.''
''I see…Mr. Cassidy, I'm not the author of this curse, I can assure you.'' Regina told him
''I didn't say anything. Maybe you had unleash this curse only to bring Henry back here.''
''whit no memory of me? Why would I do that? Why would I erase an entire year of my life? Mr. Cassidy, do you think I would put myself in this kind of torture?'' Regina was pissed of ''curses are created to hurt other people, no ourselves. As son of The Dark One, you should know that.''
''no, Regina, I didn't. What I need to know right now is where´s Emma, Hook told me she may be in trouble and she has not been seen here in Storybrook, since you returned.''
''well, you can calm down, Mr. Cassidy, even it though may be a tempting idea, I did not do anything with your loved one. Henry would never forgive me. Now lets focus in our priority; do you have some plan to find out who cursed us?''
''we need to start cross people out of the list.''
''how? Knocking on people´s door and asking ''hey, did you cast this new curse?'''
''no, I have another idea…'' he explains.
Meanwhile, near the exit of Storybrook, Robin Hood and his men tried to hunt a peacock, who was there. However, even before they could reach the critter, some ghastly flying monkey, appeared in the skies and attacked the group, taking Little John away.
Luckily, for then, at this very moment, Hook and David were patrolling the city limits and successfully stop the attack. Whoever, it was too late and upon arriving at the Hospital, Little John had turned into a flying monkey.
Back at the Town Hall, Neal had gathered all citizens together in order to extract from them, some important information, however, the poor man had not obtained any success.
''guys, please, I know you´re frightened and confuse, but you have to listen.'' Neal yelled
''it's true? Is there some kind of monster keeping us from leaving town?'' Mrs. Lucas asked
''and about the savior, where´s she when we need her?''
''why don't we ask this question to the person who could have been killed the savior?'' upon hearing this, Neal felt a shivering in his spine, ''who cast the previous curse. THE EVIL QUEEN.'' Barked Leroy, pointing to Regina who was standing up straight at the end of the room
''for once, I'm just clueless as the rest of you.'' Said the mayor
''and you expect us to believe that?'' Dr. Whale retract angry
''it's the truth''
'' this curse have your fingerprints all over of it.'' Mrs. Lucas accused
''and you did take our memories once before'' Belle points out
''you still have your big house.'' Someone said
''did you think I really care about my house? My job and any of those things?'' Regina asked incredulous
''Regina, please, just tell us the truth, we´ll understand.'' Dr. Hopper assures
''the truth is…the thrust is, if you want an Evil Queen, an evil queen you shall have.'' Making some movements with her arms, Regina made all the hall shake and then disappear.
''I will go after her.'' Neal rasped and without another word, left the place.
While the hall, crumbled into a frenzy after the departure of Regina, nobody had time to realize that the true author of the curse, was sitting right there in front of them. A redhead woman, who was sitting by the window, just enjoying the show.
The woman in question, is called Zelena, a self-proclaimed midwife, who insist in help Snow white during her pregnancy. Less did they know, that Zelena was the Wicked Witch herself.
When Neal arrived at Regina´s office, after leaves the Town Hall, the Mayor had walking impatiently from side to side, waiting for him.
''oh, you finally came. I thought you had stop to drinking beer with that pirate.'' She said annoyed
''I asked Hook to help David patrolling the town.''
''good, so let's get work.''
All the rest of that afternoon, Neal and Regina began working on some potion of memory, which could restore Henry´s memory. However, nothing was working was they expected.
''that's useless.'' Regina snapped smashing the bottle on the nearest wall
''you can't make it work?'' Neal asked
''I can't live in this town, without Henry knowing me.'' She growled, when suddenly, to her surprise, Neal punch the table furiously.
''I can't live without Emma, so you better make this thing work and remember what happened or I will…I will…'' then, he just collapsed on the chair again, hiding his face in his hands.'' I´m sorry Mrs. Mayor, I didn´t mean to be impolite, but I'm really worried about Emma. If something happened to her?''
''you will find Ms. Swan again, I'm sure. But now, we must focus in discover who cursed us.''
''Alright, you´re right, but let's doing it my way.''
''how?'' Regina asked confuse
''I am a Private Detective, Mrs. Mayor, I usually prepared baits to catch the bad guys. is more or less as a fishery.'' Neal said, calling Mary and asking her to notify everyone that he and Regina, were working on a memory potion. After that done, they went to the yellow bug and there they stayed, till the criminal decided to appear.
''does he has friends?'' Regina asked suddenly
''who?''
''Henry; does he has friends, in New York?''
''he have a lot of friends. No girlfriends yet, at least none that I know about.''
''so he´s happy.'' Regina seems a little sad
''he´s life was good there, Mrs. Mayor, he dad friends, he´s the best student of his class… Are you sure you don't want to meet him? I can tell him you´re an Old friend, like Snow, David and Belle.'' He explained
''it would be too hard.'' Explains the mother, but before Neal could say something, they saw that Regina´s officer light was on and immediately, run to corner the criminal who disappeared wrapped in a green smoke.
Back at Snow´s apartment, Henry was grumpily studying some books when Neal arrived with Regina.
''hi Dad, I leave the grounded now?'' he asked annoyed. Earlier that morning, Henry had made an impolite comment about Snow and as punishment, Neal told him to go up to the library and rent some books to study.
''course, Buddy, come here, I want you to meet someone.'' He patted Henry´s shoulder and bring him close to Regina ''this is Mrs. Regina Mills, she´s the mayor of this town and she wants to meet you.''
''I did something wrong?'' he asked confuse
''oh no, you did nothing wrong; your… father just told me a lot about you. He told you like school and you´re pretty good in science.''
''Yeah…why she told you all this?'' he asked, looking at Neal, in confusion
''because he´s proud of his son and if he could, he would tell all the world about you.'' Regina give a deep sad breath. ''err…while you´re in town, I was thinking, maybe I can give you a tour sometime, show you around and maybe stop for an ice cream.'' She suggests
''seems cool, thanks.'' Henry stretch his hand, so Regina could shake. And without another word, go find his video game.
''are you okay?''
''what do you think?'' Regina growled, when suddenly, Hook and David appear with some news. It seems that the missing people were turning into Flying Monkey
''any sight of Emma?'' Neal asked worriedly
''no, it's like she just vanished in the thin air.'' David sniffed
'' let's not assume the worst, please.'' Snow tried to shake the bed felling '' she must be hiding somewhere, waiting for help.''
'' or she was transformed into a flying monkey...'' Regina sneered, with a dreamy smile, but stopped immediately when the others faced her angry ''anyway…the person who escaped Neal´s trap, disappear on a cloud of green smoke. And now there´s Flying Monkeys in this town? I think who exactly cursed us. The Wicked Witch.''
''you´re serious? We´re not even in Kansas, why the wicked witch of the West, would come to Storybrook?'' Neal was scared not only for Henry, but for Emma
While David, Neal, Jones, Regina and Snow, were doing speculations about her person, somewhere in Storybrook, Zelena walked up a small shelter with a tray in hands.
Once there, she placed the tray on the floor and was about to leave, when a hand grabbed her arm. It was Rumpelstiltiskin.
''you should never have brought me back.'' He growled madly
''just eat your food, stupid, we got work to do.'' She snapped and walked away
''oh, so many voices in my head…'' Neal´s father, leaned back in the cell wall where he was completely exhausted''… I'm sure they will just be quiet…when I died. ''he whispered and quietly eat his meal.
Hope you have enjoyed this new chapter. If, you want me to change or add something, just tell me.
Ana Serpico