United In a Second Chance
Chapter Eight
Present day, in Storybrooke…
Alice awoke to the sounds of the birds singing outside of her window within the cabin she now shared with her fiancé, as she slowly turned her head towards the window from the comfort of her bed with a smile on her face so she could watch them and listen for a few moments. When she finally looked over at the empty space in the bed beside her, she found a note left to her from Robin telling her she would be gone all day hunting with her brother Roland, and her father's friends, the Merry Men, all living within the Sherwood Forest that had also become a part of the United Realms.
At last, she slowly sat up, then began to get herself ready for the day. Once she was dressed, the young woman left her home and began to run through the forest as she's often done in the past, to make her way into downtown Storybrooke so that she could greet her father, who she hoped to spend most of her day with now that Robin was out with her other family. She didn't like hunting. So, the girl from Wonderland and other places never went with Robin on any of her hunting trips, although she accepted wholeheartedly that hunting was a big part of who the love of her life was.
When Alice finally arrived in town sometime later, she immediately made her way to her father's new home, not knowing that he wouldn't be there because he had been out since before the sun even rose. She knew he's always been an early riser, so when she found he was gone, she suspected he might have gone out to Kelly and Roni's Pub for coffee or maybe for some breakfast. She then walked away from the house and swiftly made her way through town, out to where one of the old mines' tunnels once caved in so many years ago to where what remained of their newly modified neighborhood of Hyperion Heights now stood.
Once she arrived at the pub and walked inside, she once again became disappointed to find that her father wasn't around. However, when Alice started to walk out, Henry called out to her from behind the bar where he was busy making another couple of patrons their coffees, and quickly motioned for her to come talk with him once he finished.
"Sorry… it's been surprisingly busy in here this morning," Henry finally said to her once he finished and walked over to stand in front of her while remaining behind the bar. "If you're looking for your father, I'm afraid you've just missed him. He left a few minutes ago to help Killian."
"To help him with what?" she worryingly asked him when she saw the concern in her friend's eyes while he spoke in regards to her father. "Are they in some sort of trouble?"
The young man shrugged and shook his head as he apprehensively replied, "I don't really know, but I'm worried they could be. Killian just received word from his first mate that an old enemy of his was attempting to steal the Jolly Roger. His ship, not Rogers'… or Smee's Wish Realm counterpart's ship that is. Anyways, Killian went to go deal with it and Rogers followed to help him in case of any trouble."
Alice looked at him suspiciously as she suspected he wasn't telling her everything, then she spoke to him again sternly saying, "But there's something else… isn't there? You're thinking there's definitely going to be trouble, don't you? Otherwise, you wouldn't have that worried look in your eyes. What is it, Henry? Please… if Papa's in trouble… What aren't you saying?"
"You're right," he reluctantly answered her at last with concern for his stepfather and for his best friend. "Look… the person trying to steal his ship… He's an old enemy of ours. Mostly Killian's of course, and your father's too. His name's Black Beard."
"I've heard of him," she responded out of surprise, then looked at her friend again in confusion. "The way Papa always spoke of him, it was like he never saw this Black Beard as much of a threat. He used to tell me wild stories… some of his pirate adventures when we still lived in the tower. Some of them were about Black Beard and how Papa always outsmarted him during their encounters. He told me that this other pirate was a fool."
Henry nodded upon partially agreeing with his friend's tale of Black Beard and then he replied, "Mostly he's right. I mean… I've met both versions of Black Beard. Your father's enemy and Killian's too. Both Black Beards were foolish and I suppose laughable at times. And both times I ever met him, he was easily defeated. But the Black Beard who is an enemy of Killian's… he's smarter and tougher than the one I met during your father's ruse to try to help me find my story. A fool… yes, but he's still dangerous. And I'm afraid it isn't just Black Beard who I was concerned about. Did your father ever talk to you about Neverland, Pan, or the Lost Boys?"
Alice nodded and looked down sadly as she answered him, "A little. But not much aside from that Neverland and all of its inhabitants were dangerous, and that he's ashamed of how he spent all those years in Neverland seeking revenge against… well against the evil version of Rumplestiltskin. But it always hurt Papa to talk about them, so I never pushed him to. I only ever just read the books out there written about my father. When I was cursed. About Pan, and Neverland… Why?"
"Because it appears that Black Beard has aligned himself with some of the Lost Boys Killian knew from his times there, and these boys are very dangerous," he firmly responded again and let out a worried sigh. "I saw the worried look in my stepfather's eyes. I wanted to go with him to help him, but I have to wait for Ella to get here. I called her to ask her if she could come in early. She'll be here soon and then I'll join them too. But your father left with Killian so he wouldn't have to face them alone."
"I don't understand," the young woman then crossly replied again as she stood up from her stool when she prepared to leave. "Why would Killian risk his life against these boys and Black Beard just to prevent them from stealing a ship? I know how much the Jolly Roger means to my father and obviously to your stepfather too, but…"
When he understood what she was thinking, Henry cut her off as he answered her brusquely, "Killian didn't leave to confront them just to protect his ship. He left because he read between the lines of their threat, which they asked Smee to pass along to him."
She looked at him again in confusion as she questioned, "What?"
"The message was that they wanted to talk," he continued worryingly. "But Killian knows Black Beard and he knows these Lost Boys. They wanted to fight him. To get rid of Captain Hook once and for all. Black Beard's threatened to do so hundreds of times. Only this time, they aren't in a fight on their own any longer in some land where there's no one for Killian to care about. Killian gave up his ship to Black Beard once to get back to Emma and misleadingly did so again the next time they confronted one another. It's a long story, but now Black Beard's here where he knows Killian has people he loves. And he knows that he and the Lost Boys will use those he loves to hurt him, unless he agrees to meet with them. Killian went to face them to protect us all. I know him and I know that's what this eyes were saying just before he took off."
"And now, my father's there with him," the girl from Wonderland fearfully responded to him in understanding, then started to leave so she could go find her father until Henry swiftly reached out to pull her back, before he quickly walked out from behind the bar.
As he did so, he urgently replied, "Wait. Just… just wait, please. I know you want to help your father. As much as I want to help Killian too. But I know Rogers won't want you to run out there and get trapped in the middle of what could very possibly become a real fight. He wouldn't want you to get hurt."
Alice looked at him sternly as she saw Ella walk in at last through the corners of her eyes and then answered, "Okay then… come with me to see to it that I don't get hurt."
"Hey… I got your message and came as soon as I could," the Princess immediately stated to her husband as she quickly made her way over to him. "What's going on?"
"I'm sorry to ask you to come in early," Henry quickly responded to her. "But Killian and Rogers are both in trouble and I have to go try to help them. I just couldn't leave without someone to look after everyone in here. Do you mind?"
Ella looked at him with concern as she replied, "Of course not. Go. Do what you have to do. Take care of Rogers and Hook."
Her husband leaned in to kiss her, then he answered, "Thank you, Ella. I'll make it up to you."
"Come on, Alice," Henry then apprehensively responded to Alice, while he grabbed her arm so he could pull her along with him as they finally left the pub. "I don't like that I'm bringing you with me, but I know that if I don't, you'll go on your own. At least we're not going to be the only ones who will arrive to help them."
"You're gonna call Emma and others to help us too," she gladly said upon understanding what he meant. "Excellent."
