Hey guys, I'm sorry it took so long to have this up. This week I've been working on a Swanfire family one-shot, taking up a lot of my time. It's called A Particle of Light, so when you like Swanfire stories, please go and take a look. I'm thrilled to hear your reaction to it.
I hope you all are ready for another tragic chapter. I'm sorry, it's just the way it is. I can only warn you beforehand. Please let me know if there's anything else you want to see, cause I'm always up for some feedback I can work with. :)
DISCLAIMER: I don't anything, just this profile.
Emptiness is all she feels. She feels empty inside, and is completely ignorant to her parents that are holding her, whispering soothing words with a desperate undertone in their voice. It all passes by Emma like a hazy cloud. She's not able to grasp any of it. She's in lockdown so to say. Her primal defense system kicking in.
''Emma honey, please look at us. We're here for you baby, we're here for you. Nothing can happen to you anymore.'' Snow's desperately pleading for her daughter to come back to them.
Charming knows that it won't be this easy to get through. He has seen Emma closing up before, although not to this extend. The empty look in his daughter's eyes makes his blood run cold. It's something he has never seen happening to her. He runs his fingers through her soft hair, whispering soothing words just like Snow, but there's absolutely no change noticeable with his daughter whatsoever.
The two are completely forgetting about their own heartache, and are grieving for their little girl who had to go through so much pain and agony.
Pan is observing them from the side, completely content with the picture that's unfolding in front of him. The grin is self-explanatory.
It's the proverbial last straw for the Prince. With all the energy he still has left in him, he's lifting himself up from the cold, wet floor, and looks the devilish boy straight in the eyes. ''Whatever other sick plans you're having in store for us, Emma will not be a part of it anymore from now on. You're done torturing her like this. And I'm personally going to make sure of that.'' Charming tries to run up to the villain, but invisible forces are holding him back. He's gasping for air and falls back down on the floor.
As would've been expected, Snow is right with him, dividing her attention between her daughter and husband.
''My oh my, I've explained it a hundred times now. Honestly your Highness, your nescience doesn't do you credit. I am the one making the rules here, I'm the one you should listen to.'' Pan's voice raises a little when he's talking about himself. ''And to be completely fair with you, I find this quite entertaining. I mean, it's fun and all, hanging out with the Lost Boys, but nothing much happens around here. Bringing Henry here made this island a whole different place. Suddenly there were new opportunities on the horizon. And I wouldn't be called Peter Pan if I wouldn't take those opportunities.''
There's a short pause between his sentences. ''I'll tell it to you one more time, because you're Royal and all. I make the rules, you follow them up, and then, only then you'll have a chance of surviving and of saving your grandson. I hope I made that very clear once and for all.'' He shifts his attention to Snow. ''You're probably wondering what the next round of the game holds for your precious daughter aren't you Princess?''
The brunette tries to ignore the deep imbedded feelings of hatred that are trying to break through from inside her. She keeps her attention on Emma instead and repeats on uttering the soothing words like a mantra, while holding her daughter close.
Charming sits frozen-like in front of Pan, who has now shifted his gaze back to the Prince.
''Your wife doesn't seem to be interested in what I've to say. I hope you are though. It would be a shame when you would miss anything so important as the explanation to the next round of the game. This round namely, is going to be highly beneficial for your sake. And I'll tell you exactly why. Do you see that green door over there?'' He points to the door that's all the way on the left.
Charming nods hesitatingly. Whatever the little imp has in store for them, it can't be worse than what his daughter had been through earlier.
''Behind that door is your next challenge located. The next round however, is one of which you all three have to participate.''
In the meantime, Emma slowly has regained consciousness , and now clings onto her mother's neck for dear life. Simply her mother's presence somehow seems to calm her down and the soothing words she keeps hearing are doing their work. Her strong will to fight, that has always been so natural to her, probably has something to do with it too.
Pan continues explaining his game plan. ''And if you thought that that was the best part of all, you're wrong. The best part of the next challenge is that you will be cured as soon as you enter the green door.''
''Will we be able to save Henry when we go through?'' asks the Prince hoarsely.
''All in due time of course. Let me just say that this challenge is focused on curing you. You'll see Henry in the Big Finale.'' Peter winks at Charming. ''But I wasn't finished yet,'' the tone of voice changing back to serious again. ''It's not called a challenge for nothing of course. Obviously I've something planned for you guys that you'll have to face once inside. There are consequences.'' The boy's amused grin turns into a questioning gaze and he raises his brow. ''Are you willing to take the risk?''
The question was aimed at him, but Charming knows that he can't make the ultimate decision. He turns around to his wife and daughter, sending them a questioning look.
She wants this so bad. She wants to save her father. She wants to save her son, but Emma doesn't know if she can take anything else. Pan made her relive one of the memories she spent more than half of her life trying to forget. He had managed to break her down to pieces. ''I don't… I mean I'm not sure if…''
Charming takes her hand. ''You don't have to Emma. I would completely understand if this is too much.''
Emma finds herself in an ambiguous conflict when she looks at the reassuring eyes of her father and the begging eyes of her mother.
Another coughing fit however makes the two women jump up. Charming has had horrifying coughing fits before, but not like this. It takes him so much longer this time, making him gasping for oxygen, which he doesn't seem to get.
Snow's placing herself behind him, carefully rubbing his back in an attempt to help, although she knows it's worthless.
Emma's just looking at her father in complete horror, wanting to help but not sure what to do. She sees blood coming out of his nose and mouth, terrifying her even more.
''I can't… I can't… no air…'' Charming exclaims between coughs.
''I know, please don't try to talk now,'' begs Snow, still trying to help her husband. She knows that there's no way that he can keep going like this any longer.
The coughing dies down a bit, but instead the Prince is starting to make a rattling sound with every breath he's trying to take.
''There's fluid in his lunges,'' whispers Emma worrisome to her mother.
Charming feels all of the remaining strength floating swiftly out of his body. It won't take long until it will totally give up on him. If there's something he wants to say to his daughter and wife, this is the right moment, because there won't be a next one. He's knows that now. Emma can't take yet another blow to the head, and he finds himself being in ease with that knowledge. He can't ask her to go through hell again for him. Snow and Emma being able to save Henry is all that counts.
Suddenly, he's feeling extremely dizzy and lies down. ''Snow,'' he whispers, ''Snow?''
''Ssst, it's okay Charming, I'm here. We're here.'' She moves next to him and holds onto his hand.
He's bathing in sweat, while cold chills are running up and down his spine. But the fact that he can't breathe bothers him the most. He needs his breath for what he's going to say. ''I love you Snow.'' Another coughing fit, shorter this time, interrupts him. ''Your happiness means everything to me, and I want you to be happy, even after I'm not with you anymore.''
''Charming, please don't say those things! You're not going anywhere!'' She doesn't want to see the truth, because she isn't ready for it.
Emma's sitting on the other side of her father and grabs both of her parents' hands.
''You two are so strong. You are the two strongest women I know.'' The rattling sound of his breathing worsens as he tries to take another breath. ''I need you to find Henry, save him, and go home. Find your happiness, the three of you, that's the only thing I ask. Please.'' With the last bit of strength in his body he squeezes both of his girls' hands and returns the soft kiss he gets from his wife. ''I love you.'' That are his last words before he closes his eyes.
''No! Charming, don't you dare leaving me! Come back to me!'' cries Snow.
There's the slightest of rattled breathing coming from the Prince's mouth.
Emma's eyes grow big. It's really happening, her father is really dying on her. An imaginable switch seems to be turned on in her head. ''No! no! Mom, we need to stop this!'' Within seconds she places herself behind her father, putting her hands underneath his shoulders, trying to drag him to the green door.
When Snow notices what her daughter's up to, she immediately gets up to help her, the tears in her eyes blocking her vision. She lifts up her husbands' legs, and together, she and Emma carry him into the direction of the green door.
''We need to… Please dad don't die,'' begs Emma while she's putting all of her strength into dragging her father towards the door that must lead to salvation. ''Oh God, please don't die!''
They're still about fifteen feet away from it. The seconds seem to pass by like hours, and they can't get there fast enough.
Charming's breaths come at a slower pace, indicating that the end is near.
Eight more feet. ''Hang in there Charming, it's all going to be all right. Stay with us!'' screams the brunette. ''I need you!''
Emma's almost sure that she can't hear her father breath anymore, but she won't give up so quickly.
When they arrive in front of the door, the blonde gently, but quickly lets go of her father's arms and opens the door with the speed of light. Not looking at what's behind it, her attention shifts back to her father and she and her mother lift him over the doorstep.
For the next excruciating seconds, nothing seems to happen. Only the green door slams into their face and disappears into thin air.
Charming's lifeless body lies motionless on the ground. There's no movement nor sound whatsoever coming from him.
''No, please, no,'' whispers Snow as reality kicks in. She's leaned over her husband, kissing him fiercely. True Love Kiss has worked before, and it should work now too. There's just no other way.
When Charming opens his eyes, he knows she saved him. His daughter took the brave decision to save him, no matter the costs. For that, he would forever be grateful.
Thank you for reading! xoxo