Thank you for the lovely reviews! Know that they are appreciated. I feel like I should explain the Evil Charming feels... I reasoned that David and Regina grew up together - they are each other's first love, each other's comfort zone and then they are pulled away from each other. So I think that whatever feelings they have would be multiplied and romanticized. As for Hook... well, Regina is mortal and you've all seen Hook...

DISCLAIMER: Not mine - I just took them out to play with them a little while.

Chapter 10

This was it. It was easy, so easy, to go back to his old ways. Finally, after years, he could give in to the seductive voice of darkness once again. He could accept the power that he so needed and for a second, a possible future danced in front of him in a golden light.

Baelfire…

With the immense power, it was a possibility that he would not only get his daughter back, but his son too. Of course, he had to accept that he had no idea where Baelfire was, but once he found Regina he would be able to work on that. His family could be whole again.

He glanced at Cora, where she stood bent over a crystal ball, her blood swirling in it majestically. She had made the ultimate sacrifice – her heart. Her only focus now, was her daughter returning to them and her motivation was anger rather than love. Of course he hated seeing his loving wife having given up on all emotion, but he appreciated her sacrifice. Together they were too strong for Hook to avoid them. Together, they would find Regina and…

Rumple rolled his eyes when he saw the young man approaching him, and he folded his arms across his chest. The shepherd who claimed to love his daughter, but was too weak to protect her, was approaching their house rapidly – a look he guessed was supposed to resemble determination. Shock flew through David's eyes when he noticed Rumplestiltskin – the golden skin, impish laugh and cold eyes. This was not the man he had grown up to know. He moved closer carefully, unsure of what had happened to him. He found his voice after a long time, hoping that it did not sound as terrified is he was.

"I… I have decided to go and look for her."

The gleeful giggle escaped Rumple's lips.

"Good luck with that, dearie."

Cora glanced up, her cold eyes expressionless and David stared – taken aback. He refused to let their peculiar behaviour change his mind, however.

"I will find her and I will not give up before I do. I love her and…"

"Love?"

Cora spat the word out and approached him.

"Love is weakness, dear. Love will not help you find my daughter, love is what lost her. Hook's love for Milah, our love for Regina, your love for her…"

She was a broken woman, and she moved her hand to his chest, feeling his steady heartbeat with interest.

"I am sure you believe that you love her, David. But if it was not for that, perhaps you would not have been too distracted to notice the man kidnapping her. If it was not for your apparent love, my daughter would still be here."

David nodded and moved back, inexplicably frightened of her.

"Yes, I know. I know it was my fault, that I should have protected her. But I also know that despite what you think, despite your claims that love is weakness… I know that you love her and the second she comes back you will remember. You will remember that love makes you strong."

Something flashed in Cora's eyes, but he could not place it. She turned back to the crystal ball, clearly frustrated.

"I still can't find her, Rumple."

"Perhaps David here could be of assistance."

David approached them quickly, his fear all but forgotten.

"I will do anything."

Rumple turned to his cupboard and removed a small vial. He looked at it tenderly before he turned to David again.

"This is one of Regina's tears. I took it long ago – in case of a situation just like this."

He pulled another vial out of his cupboard, red liquid swirling in it.

"I need a tear and a drop of blood, dearie. If I have that, you will be telepathically connected to my daughter. You will see what she sees, hear what she thinks… you'd be able to communicate with her."

David folded his arms and held out his hand, allowing Rumple to prick his index finger for a drop of blood.

"Why are you only doing this now? Why did you not do it a year ago?"

"Because, dearie… it is dark magic. I clung to the belief that we could find her without it, but now that seems impossible. A tear, please."

It did not take much to cry – thoughts of Regina caused tears to form in his eyes at once and Rumple giggled when he had the tear. He mixed it with two drops of blood and held his hand over it. David watched in awe as the mixture turned into a translucent purple. Rumple moved forward and held the mixture over his eye with a sinister grin.

"I'm warning you, dearie… this might burn a little."

The sudden burn in her eyes was terrifying torture and Regina fell forward against Hook's chest with a muffled cry. Confused, he pulled her closer, folding his arms around her in a comforting embrace.

Hook was flabbergasted by the sobs ripping through her chest, even more so when she suddenly pushed him away and fell to her knees. He sat down behind her, his hand stroking over her back gently.

"Regina, love… what's going on?"

His words disappeared, a strange buzzing sound ringing in her ears and she covered them with her hands, chest heaving. Everything stopped suddenly and she looked around, confused.

"Regina?"

It was not possible. She was hallucinating, it could not be David's voice whispering in her ears.

"It is me, Gina. It's David."

"David?"

Her voice was small and Hook took a step back, watching her with a confused frown. She wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her chin on her knees. Her entire body trembled as she tried to focus on the voice.

"How is this possible? How can I hear you?"

There was a long silence before the voice spoke again.

"Your dad… he helped me. It's magic… Where are you, Gina?"

"Neverland… I'm in Neverland, David and I'm scared… I'm so scared, I don't…"

Her voice broke and she dissolved into tears, unaware of Hook still watching her intently.

"I will find you, Regina. I promise… Do you remember when we were kids…? I promised that I'd save you, Gina and I will."

He hesitated before his next confession, unsure of whether it was a good idea to admit it.

"Gina… I love you."

More sobs tore through her and she hugged her legs even closer.

"I love you too, David… I love you too."

Where he stood behind her, Hook pursed his lips. So she had someone she loved… and perhaps he would have felt guilty – was it not for the fact that it was her father who ripped his true love away from him. He moved forward and jerked Regina up with his good hand. His voice was gruff, angry, when he spoke.

"Enough. You've said enough. We will leave tonight – you will fix the Jolly Roger right now or you will die."

It was the last words David heard before the world went white around him and he came back to reality with a gasp. Rumple was in front of him the second his eyes open, his hands clutching at David's shirt.

"Where is she?"

David swallowed with difficulty and looked up at Rumple, scared.

"She's in Neverland."