A/N: Hi Everyone! I hope you are all having a great weekend! Exciting things have happened since the last chapter and I wanted to bring you all up to speed. First of all, I want to say thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and/or followed this story since my last update! I love hearing your encouraging words and wonderful critique that help make this story even better! Also, I have a Beta! I want to give a warm welcome to Shiloh Grace who will personally be helping me improve this story immensely! She's awesome and I cannot wait for you guys to see what we have planned. Please give her some love and go check out her Beauty and the Beast story! I hope you guys enjoy the chapter! Please excuse any grammar errors. Also, don't forget to favorite and/or follow this story so you can know when I update! Alright, here we go-Chapter 7!

Disclaimer: If I owned anything from OUAT, I wouldn't have to go to college and take summer classes. ;-)


Chapter 7

"He's getting worse, Emma."

Dawn breaks, but the Savior watches as Hook's condition remains stifled. Since his seizure and sudden unconsciousness, Lily and Emma repeatedly place a soaked rag on his forehead. The pirate's trench coat, boots, vests, and other articles of clothing lay sprawled out in a pile on the floor as he rests on the sofa.

The Dark One's fever soars, and Emma fails to bring it down. They ripped apart the house, looking for anything that might help, but to no avail. Though a cool zephyr sweeps through the front door, it does little to improve the pirate's condition.

They have no ice, and doused all of their water supply on the Dark One. Now Emma searches more anything else they could do. What she wouldn't give to have Elsa's ice powers right now.

"He can't die," the Savior mumbles. "He's immortal."

She says those words repeatedly. They keep her mentally stable and anchor her to hope. He should come out of this. Nevertheless, a part of Emma wonders if the darkness intends to keep him in this state forever. If there is one thing she hates more than pain itself, it's watching others endure its agonizing torture.

"There's no doubt he is in a lot of pain," Lily mumbles. "I know he won't die, but what happens if his memory gets worse or he suffers some sort of brain damage? We need to get help—"

"No!" Emma says. "They'd kill him the moment they found him like this."

"So that's it then? We just let him stay like this and hope he comes to?"

Emma's eyes narrow. "You think I like seeing him like this? In pain? I want to save him, but if we get help now, we risk him getting captured or worse. We need to lay low for as long as possible."

"The entire kingdom is looking for him!" Lily reminds her. "Even if we tried, we can't stay like this for long. Sooner or later, they will find us."

"So what do we do?" the Savior asks. "Drag him into Camelot and hope they welcome us?"

"Hook needs help, Emma. We have no idea what the darkness is doing to him. If we don't get him help now, who knows if we will be able to rescue him from its grasp?"

Every fiber in Emma's body fights her heart. Her instinct tells her to stay put and see if Killian turns around. The only people she trusts are either in this room or in Storybrooke. She doesn't know anyone in Camelot, so how can she trust that everything will be alright the moment they reveal themselves?

It's by sheer luck they've been able to hide for this long. They stand guard, but find that only the frogs and crickets seem to be aware of their unexpected arrival. Emma silently wonders if by leaving and traveling to Camelot, they forfeit their element of surprise.

Every time she steals a glance at her Killian, another piece of her heart shatters. Sweat cakes his bare chest and his skin is turns sickly pale. Since observing the pirate's reaction to his nightmare, excruciating images of torture flood Emma's mind at the thought of what the darkness does to him now.

Though he gave very little information, she believes that the demon the pirate described is real. It must be luring him away from the light. She only hopes that her love for him proves strong enough to save him.

He suffers insurmountable pain, and Emma can't let go of the one thought that gnaws at her. He chose this to save her. He chose to absorb all of the darkness and carry its burden so that she didn't have to. She wishes Killian could remember her long enough for her to express her irrefutable love for him. If only she could reach into the depths of his soul and tell him that herself.

"Things would be so much easier if he were someone else," Lily says.

Immediately, the lightbulb in Emma's head goes off. "That's it!"

"What?"

"A glamour spell. Gold used one on me and Killian when we went back in time."

"You went back in time?! When?"

"Long story. But the important thing is, no one knew who we truly were. What if we could do that here?"

Suddenly, Emma detects the sound of horse hooves trotting. Her eyes glare up and discover a shadow growing on the floor and covering the rising sun.

"Someone's outside," Lily whispers.

The hairs on the back of Emma's neck shoot straight up. Her pulse begins to beat rapidly as fear rumbles through her veins. They're not ready, she's not ready for what comes next. The outside world arrives at her doorstep, and Emma feels unprepared to show her hand.

Quietly, the Savior scoots over towards her friend and whispers, "Go outside and stall them."

Lily obeys and swiftly makes her way out the door. When she leaves, Emma acts quickly. In moments, someone will storm through the door, and if they find the Dark One, they will destroy any thread of hope of redeeming Killian.

The Savior never performed a glamour spell before, but she learns fast. She doesn't have time to paint all of the spell's details. All she knows is that she must prevent someone from blowing their cover. To succeed, she arranges his appearance to resemble a man who never stepped foot in Camelot. When the pirate's appearance changes, she quickly switches out his hook for a gloved hand prosthetic. There is no mirror in the house, so Emma prays that her spell works. Otherwise, her future begins to crash down.


For Regina, the drive to the hospital feels unbearable. From the moment she found her sister squatting in her castle, Zelena stabs her like a thorn in her side. She tried to destroy Regina's life by using a time travel spell and pretending to be Robin's dead wife. Her actions cause an enormous amount of misery for Regina, all because of something the mayor never controlled.

How could she know that Cora chose to keep her and get rid of Zelena? Up until a couple of months ago, Regina didn't even know she had a sister. If Zelena must blame someone, it should be Cora or even Gold for not choosing her to be their poster child. Everyday, her sister continues to ruin her life, and Regina tries to keep it all together.

As much as she wishes Zelena would disappear, it is not possible. Because she carries Robin's child, she wiggles her presence into Regina's romance. She earns the right to be the mother to Robin's child, leaving Regina unable to lock her away forever.

Despite her hatred for Zelena and her crimes, Regina knows that she can't take Robin away from the chance to be a part of his child's life. His child needs him. She recalls how her own father was a constant light in her life, even during her darkest days. He loved her despite all of the evil crimes she committed and always protected her, even from herself. She hates to think about how far she could have spiraled into the darkness if her father wasn't there for her.

A part of her envies Zelena. Every time Regina looks at her, it reminds of her greatest regret. More than anything, she wants to give Robin everything he dreams of. It is what he deserves. Though between them, they share Henry and Roland, she knows Robin's secret wish that they could conceive a child of their own. She overheard him talking to Hook about it the other night at Granny's. Her heart breaks, regretting that she ever took the potion that prevents her from having children.

"Are you okay?" Maleficent asks. Regina glances into the front mirror and a single tear escapes her eyelids.

"I'm fine," she replies. "I just want to get this over with."

The car pulls up to Storybrooke's hospital parking lot. After she grabs her keys, Regina quickly exits the car, trying to smile away her tears. She hopes Maleficent doesn't notice, because she refuses to hear a counseling session or another hope speech.

Thankfully, Maleficent doesn't say anything as the women make their way inside. The hospital isn't busy, and thankfully, no one asks them why they are here. As a group, Regina, Robin, Belle, and the Charmings agreed to keep the Dark One secret from everyone else. Until they resolve the issue, they hope to keep the town and its gossip silent.

Upon first glance, she doesn't see Dr. Whale anywhere, despite his responsibilities. She guesses that he hides from his duties in a spare room, tapping into his bottle of whiskey. This causes her to wonder what ever provoked her to make Dr. Frankenstein the only medical professional in the city limits.

At the end of the first floor hallway and by a nurses' station, they approach the psychiatric ward. The word "Exit" brands on the door. Even after Emma broke the Dark Curse, the ward stays fairly empty of psychiatric patients. To Regina's knowledge, only Zelena, Isaac, and King George reside within its walls.

With butterflies in her stomach, she punches in the code and opens the door. The mayor checked on Zelena yesterday, but it took an enormous amount of her willpower to not squirm or let the witch get under her skin. It if were up to her, Regina would lock her in the ward and never look back. But now all of her hopes of reaching Emma and rescuing Merlin in time rest on securing Zelena's help.

"Good morning, ma'am," the on-call nurse greets. "Does she have clearance?"

Regina's peers over her shoulder to find that the woman gestures to Maleficent.

"Yes, she's with me. Tell me, how is my sister?"

"Still refusing to eat your organic produce diet, but otherwise fine," the nurse informs her.

Satisfied with the answer, Regina takes the key and listens to the sound of her heels clicking down the hallway. Her eyes roll as she prepares herself for what comes next. When she turns the key, Regina and Maleficent open the door and find their least favorite witch.

"Gina!" Zelena greets, looking up from her maternity book. "Did you know that my baby is now about the size of a sweet pea? Oh, that's right! You wouldn't know because you've never been pregnant."

The witch from Oz lounges against the thick concrete on a high bench. Her baby bump conceals itself through her loose tank top and yoga pants. Her attire is the only thing that appears comfortable inside the four walls of the prison. While Zelena may not have her magic or her wicked attire, she compensates for it with her attitude and sarcasm.

"Hello Zelena," Regina responds with a sarcastic tone.

"And if it isn't Maleficent! You know, I am such a fan of your sleeping curses."

The smell of bleach permeates Regina's nostrils. The ashen walls and cloudy afternoon make the insipid room darker than normal. The space feels cramped, reminding the former Evil Queen of the fact that she never thought to build a better facility. She certainly never expected the basement of the hospital to house an insane author and her vengeful sister.

"Enough with the games, Zelena. We're here on business."

"On setting me free? I knew you'd eventually come to your senses."

Regina knows that her sister exasperates her on purpose. What she wouldn't give to silence the Wicked Witch once and for all. But she remembers her promise to Henry, and calms herself. Besides, until the child is born, Regina chooses not to risk harm to Zelena and Robin's baby.

"I'm not here to set you free. I need your help."

"Wow!" Zelena laughs. "Things must be truly terrible if the Evil Queen, herself, has to come to me."

"Everything is under control," Maleficent states, with a frozen stare.

"Oh I bet."

Clearly Zelena does not believe a word Maleficent says. Regina knows that the ability to detect one's deception is a trait the sisters share. The witch from Oz takes pleasure in ruffling people's feathers, and her half-sister becomes furious.

"Let me explain why we're here," she says. "We're looking for your pair of magical slippers."

"Who says I've got them?"

"Don't bother lying. I know you have them."

Zelena shuts her book, leans back, and props herself against the brick. Her eyes narrow as she locks her gaze onto her sister. "Theoretically, let's say I did. Why should I give them to you?"

"Because we need them to cross over to Camelot."

"Camelot? Going on a vacation, Sis? You're right to get as far away from that thief as possible. I prefer vacationing in the Emerald City. They have the best spas and—"

"We're not going on vacation," Regina interrupts. "We need the shoes to stop the Dark One."

"Oh really? Well, given the condition of his heart, I thought that old hag, Mr. Gold, would've fallen over dead by now."

"She means the new Dark One," Maleficent interjects.

Zelena's features fill with a gleeful surprise. "What?! Who?"

"Hook—Hook became the Dark One," Regina finally admits.

The Wicked Witch breaks out into laughter. "So now—we have a Dark Pirate. Oh even better! The Dark Hook!"

"Where are the shoes?" the mayor questions.

"You have no idea how much I love the desperation on both of your faces right now!"

"Where are the shoes?!"

"Hidden," Zelena finally seethes. "Somewhere you will never find them."

Tension slices through the room like a knife. The sneer of joy on her sister's face makes Regina shudder. She wishes there was an alternative, but the Wicked Witch is their best chance of reaching Emma and Lily in time.

The anger in Regina's chest boils over. Every minute they waste, Hook comes one step closer to killing Merlin and hurting Emma. It still amazes Regina how much concern she harbors for the Savior. She refuses to let anything happen to her best friend and Henry's mother on her watch.

"What do you want?"

"Well, what are you willing to offer me?"

"A better living situation, and that spell book of Cora's you always wanted. I might even throw in some of Granny's onion rings once in awhile in your diet."

"Really?" Zelena scoffs. "You think an upgrade and some little presents will make me give up the only leverage I have? Those slippers are my ticket out of this horrid place."

"I'm offering you a chance to do the right thing."

"You know, Regina, a lot of villains are happy with who they are. I don't need to help you, and I don't have to."

"Then I guess you leave me no choice. Enjoy the view from your cell, Sis. We'll find the slippers on our own."

Regina starts to leave, but stops in her tracks when Zelena calls out, "Oh I don't think so!"

Ready to explode, Regina turns around to find her sister gleaming. "You may be on top now and have 'everything under control', but sooner than later, I will be out of this cuff. You and I both know that if you don't get to Camelot soon, it will be too late. You should know better than anyone, Regina. The darkness never fails."

As much as she wants to rebuff Zelena's claim, she speaks the truth. Their chance to save Merlin and rescue Hook diminishes the longer they wait. Despite her best judgement, Regina's heels pivot back towards Zelena.

"What's it gonna take?"

"Finally, we are getting somewhere!" the Wicked Witch chuckles. "Well, Sis, first things first. I want this cuff taken off of me. Then, I want your word that when I leave this realm, taking my little munchkin with me, neither you or Robin will ever interfere with me again."

"No," Regina adamantly responds, shaking her head.

"Regina!" Maleficent shouts. "What about my daughter?!"

"So that's why you're here!" Zelena smirks as she turns her features towards the Mayor. "Guess this isn't just about what you want anymore, Gina. Is it?"

"You can't just take the baby away from Robin."

"I can do anything I want! It's my baby and it's my life!"

"You only have that child because you deceived Robin in the most disgusting way imaginable!"

"Regardless, the child is still mine. Do you really think I want my child to grow up and be some hero? Heroes are weak. I'm going to teach my little munchkin how to be wicked."

"The child is also Robin's. And he would never let his child be wicked."

"Then why don't you two lovebirds have a child and make it a hero of your own? Oh that's right! You can't."

"That's it!" Regina roars. Instantly, she grabs Zelena and slams her against the wall. "I am through with being civil!"

"Good," Zelena sneers. "Go ahead. Kill me. Then the location of the shoes dies with me."

"Regina, that's enough!"

"Listen to your little friend, Sis. I'm sure her burn feels far worse than Robin's arrow will be when he finds out you killed the mother of his child."

Regina's fists glow beet red as she clenches Zelena's shoulders. The look of satisfaction in the witch's eyes causes her bones to shudder. Regina wishes to do nothing more than to unleash all of her regrets, all of her anger, and all of her fears in this moment.

She could do it. But if the queen ends it all, she knows it is a double-edged sword. If she kills Zelena, she loses everything and everyone she loves, and that is just what her sister wants. It is the perfect trap.

"Regina—let her go."

Desperate to regain her composure, it takes a moment for Regina's hands to release. When they do, she races into the hallway, unable to endure seeing the smirk that decorates Zelena's face. With her emotions rising in her chest, Regina feels like locking herself in her vault and never coming out.

In the next moment, she hears the lock of the cell click shut. Zelena stays locked up, but Regina feels like the prisoner to her emotions. In the next moment, a hand finds the crest of her shoulder.

"You can't let her get to you, Regina," Maleficent says.

"That's easier said than done."

"We'll find the slippers."

"We're just fooling ourselves. She hid the shoes so we'll never find them. We could tear up this whole town and never even find a clue."

"So what's our alternative? You're just going to give up?"

"No," Regina answers. "Of course not. I—I just don't know what to do."

"Well, I would say the first thing you can do is take a step."

Regina glances at her old friend. "What do you mean?"

"It's a lesson my mother taught me once, when I was a young dragon learning to fly. Our greatest obstacles seem so large and vast. But to conquer them, we must first take a step. If we stay where we are, we will never overcome them and find what we're searching for."

Ever since her curse broke, to Regina, everything seems like one big obstacle. It is an endless cycle of crises, and she just wishes to enjoy her happy ending right now. Though if anyone deserves a life of misery, volunteers to be the first to say it is her.

Maybe this is a form of punishment for her destruction of other people's lives. Regina suffers so many misfortunes that she stops counting. Though she always personifies someone who seems as tough of as nails, she feels like her dam is about to break.

"So what is my first step?"

"How about you start by walking out the door?"

Holding back her tears, Regina composes herself and nods. After handing the keys back off to the nurse, she allows Maleficent to lead the climb back upstairs before she slams the door shut. If only this would be the last time she visits Zelena. To her dismay, Regina knows that sooner than later, she will return.


As Lily shuts the door and ambles onto the front porch, she greets the sight of a chivalrous knight on horseback. His armor gleams in the sunlight, as his face conceals itself behind his helmet. The man rests proudly atop of his mighty steed. He reminds Lily of the ancient antiques she once observed in a history museum.

Putting the tingling fear in her stomach aside, Lily musters a look of innocence and displays her best faux smile.

"Morning, sir! What brings you all the way out here?"

"I could ask the same of you," he replies. "Miss—"

"Lily. And yours is?"

"That, Miss Lily, is one that will not be given."

"Well that is rude," she responds. "What kind of man hides behind his helmet and refuses to answer a simple question."

"I'm looking for someone, a man in a hood. Have you seen him?"

"Give me your name and I'll answer that question," Lily responds, crossing her arms.

The knight dismounts from his horse and leads it over to the nearby tree. Pressure pulses through Lily's veins as the man approaches her.

"You have a fire, Miss Lily," he chuckles. "Most women in this kingdom do not talk back to a knight and refuse to answer his question."

"Come any closer and I will hurt you," she warns, picking up a nearby stick as her back squishes a column of the house.

The knight stops in his tracks when he sees the amount of distrust in Lily's features. "I'm not going to hurt you, m'lady."

"Then prove it."

Seconds tick by as silence sails through the air. Anxiety swells in Lily's chest. Finally, to her relief, the knight composes himself and proceeds to remove his helmet.

Under his helmet, soft slate features betray the tough exterior he portrays. Lily guesses that the knight is older, but not an elderly knight who sports a draping beard. Instead, his scruff and short curls highlight his youth. Her heart rate slows as she finds a genuine honesty buried within his silver orbs.

"Not what you expected, I see."

"So who are you? Lancelot?"

"A fine guess, Miss Lily. But I'm afraid I no longer work with Lancelot. My name is Sir Kay, a distinguished Knight of the Roundtable, and dear friend of our King."

While Lily finds her apprehension drops, she stays cautious. Even with Emma's magic. Lily knows they can't reveal the Dark One. With the Apprentice's wand and Emma's pistol as their only weapons, their chances of conquering Camelot's armies are small. For now, Lily continues doing her best to gain the trust of the knight.

"It is an honor to meet you, Sir Kay," Lily responds, bowing in respect.

"The pleasure is mine m'lady," he says. "But please, call me, Kay. Now tell me, have you seen the man I described?"

"I haven't seen anyone from around here but you. What's so important about finding him? Did he steal something from your king?"

"Indeed, the many lives of the King's subjects. I've been told he terrorized some nearby settlements not two nights ago. He killed and burned down nearly every village I've encountered. Strangely, it seems the vigilante disappeared overnight."

"That's awful."

"The description that the terrified villagers gave me of him was that he is cold and heartless. But he has a hook for a hand. At least, that's what I've been told."

"Well, I'll keep an eye out for him."

"Thank you, m'lady. Now tell me, why do you seek refuge so far away from the kingdom? Most of our villagers prefer to live close to the King's castle or the nearby stream."

"Well, I'm not from around here. My friends and I are—visiting from another land."

"Well, well," the knight responds. "It's not often we get visitors in Camelot. I do hope you haven't run into trouble."

"What? The man in the hood?" Lily questions, doing her best to hide the truth and her restlessness from the knight. "Rest assured sir, we have seen no one."

"I see. May I ask, where are your friends?"

"Inside," Lily answers. "But I advise you not go in there."

"And why not?"

"One of them is very sick."

"Then they need help."

Sir Kay starts to head up the stairs, but Lily reaches out her hand and blocks his path. "No! We're—we're not sure if it's contagious."

"Miss Lily," Sir Kay replies. "I battle beasts of all sorts and survive many wars. I am sure stepping inside will not kill me, now, will it?"

"No, I suppose not."

"You're wouldn't be hiding something or someone from me, would you?"

Lily shakes her head. "No, of course not."

"Then if you will excuse me."

Reluctantly, Lily allows the knight to pass. She hopes that she gave Emma enough time to cast the glamour spell. As Kay storms through the door, he welcomes the sight of Emma hunched over Hook. Lily realizes that the spell works, because when Emma stands up, the man that lays on the couch is no longer Hook.

No longer does the pirate sleep on the couch or his hook and collection of leather litter the floor. Instead, he appears to be an older man, probably a few years older than Emma or herself. He wears modern clothes along with a checkered scarf. Besides them both appearing deathly ill, the scruff and goatee on the man's face are the only features that resemble the notorious pirate. While he may not look like the pirate, the man does favor one other person Lily remembers meeting.

"Lily!" Emma shouts, freeing her from her thoughts. "Would you mind introducing me to your new friend?"

Lily catches the glare of Sir Kay out of the rim of her chocolate eyes. She hates feeling like the knight watches her every move and response. But she keeps her composure and stands strong. Deceiving people is a specialty of Lily's and now she does it once more.

"Oh yeah," she nods. "Sorry. Emma, this is, um, Sir Kay—"

"Knight of the Roundtable, and distinguished member of King Arthur's court," he bows.

"It is an honor to meet you," the Savior replies. "You'll have to excuse me. I would shake your hand, but I don't want you getting sick."

"So this is your friend who you were telling me about, the one who is sick?"

"Yes sir, this is—this is—"

Noticing Lily's distress, Emma jumps in and finishes her sentence.

"Neal. This is my boyfriend, Neal Cassidy."


A/N: Hooray! Chapter 7 is complete! By the way, Sir Kay is an actual Knight of the Roundtable! I thought it would be cool to include a new character to make things more interesting. Also, in case anyone was wondering, I'm making time go a little faster in the Camelot realm than in Storybrooke. It's not dramatic, but it helps keep the story going. I really liked writing more about Regina! She's an awesome and complex character that I hope we get to explore in more depth. I hope you liked the chapter and I would appreaciate it if you left me a review! Don't forget to favorite and/or follow this story if you haven't already. Next chapter we're going to get some OutlawQueen and maybe even a royal ball! Will Killian wake up? Stay tuned and find out! Until next time!

-C.M. Singer:)