A/N: A few things you need to know for this chapter, and the rest of the story. Regina and Zelena are not sisters in this story but the jealousy of Regina casting the curse might still be there. Don't know yet. Snow is not pregnant because I don't want her having the attention cause she always does (if you are a follower of me, than you probably already know that I hate the Charmings).
"You remember?" Belle asked.
They had stopped along the road, not caring about the two men who took Neal finding them. It almost didn't matter. Emma remembered.
A little.
"I remember you. I remember Gold, or Rumplestiltskin. I remember reading how you two met. I remember a little but not everything." Emma explained.
"But you remember enough to believe?" Ricky asked.
"Yeah. I believe." Emma smiled.
Before Emma could say anything else, Belle wrapped her arms around the Savior and gave a hug. Although they weren't really friends back in Storybrooke, Belle always liked Emma. She wasn't sure if it was her spunky attitude or her ability to face Rumple without any fear, but Emma was always Belle's favorite Charming.
"It's good to have you back." Belle said as Emma hugged her back.
The trio got back in the car and continued to drive to Storybrooke. It was only about an hour away now and Belle never felt more excited. She only hoped they could do what they needed.
"What all do you remember?" Belle asked. Emma then began to list off everything that came to mind from Storybrooke. From meeting Henry, meeting Neal again in Manhattan and learning who he really was, and lots of drama. However, she wasn't so certain if she fought a dragon or not.
"Do you remember who your parents are?" Belle asked. There was a small pause before Emma answered no. Belle wasn't too worried. She knew Emma would remember. If she remembered her, someone she wasn't around a lot, than she would definitely remember her parents. Maybe she just needed to see them, which she would if they succeeded.
"I don't remember everything but enough to know that we need to get to Storybrooke."
Looking in the rear view mirror, Emma could see Belle looking out of the window. She suddenly felt bad for the way she talked about the beauty and how she acted towards her. A part of her could excuse the behavior with the fact that she didn't remember anything and had just thought of Belle as some gold-digger. The other part told her that whatever the reason, she had no right to act that way towards her or even talk about her like that behind her back. She knew very well that it was anger towards Neal and since he was taking it pretty well, she had to find another outlet for her angry and Belle and Ricky took it.
"I'm sorry if I was rude to you Belle." Emma apologized.
"Oh. It's perfectly okay Emma. You didn't remember."
"Doesn't matter. I had no right to act that way towards you or say what I said. You didn't do anything to me to deserve it."
"Bae probably did." Ricky said quietly.
"Yeah, he did." Emma said. "I remember that clearly. Might never forget."
Emma looked back in the mirror and watched Ricky. She still wasn't so sure about him but maybe if Belle trusted him, maybe she could to. However, she knew that Belle was probably a little too trusting, especially with Gold, but she wanted to get back to her son. If they needed Ricky, fine.
"So...Storybrooke." She began. "What happened?"
"We need to get back to it." Ricky said.
"I know that. You have said that many times already. What I don't get is, if the curse was broken, how can the town be there. I vaguely remember someone saying that the town was built with the curse."
"That was Regina, and we might have a way back to it." The beauty said.
"How?"
"Time travel." Ricky answered.
"So we're planning on time traveling just to get to the town? Why not find a way to the Enchanted Forest?" Emma asked.
"Because I think Baelfire wants to save his father." Belle said.
"We might need to save him first." Ricky said.
"But how is going back in time to the town going to save Gold?"
Belle went on to explain what all Emma didn't remember, Neverland, Peter Pan and how Gold sacrificed himself to save them all. By the time everything was explained and Emma got a good idea of the situation, they were only a few minutes away from the town line, until they arrived.
They made it. They made it to Storybrooke, or at least the town line. Emma and Belle were surprised to still see the painted red line when they approached it but Ricky had said that they need to be deep inside the town for his little gadget to work.
"So Ricky has time traveled before?" Emma asked Belle.
"He never said that technically but I believe so, yes. He implied it before." Belle said. Emma stepped on the pedal and drove yellow bug over the town line, watching Belle in the back to see if anything changed or happened to her.
"How do you feel Belle?" Emma asked, her and Ricky both looking at the beauty for a sign of change.
"I feel fine." She said. "I didn't really expect something to happen since the town is gone."
"Right." Emma said as she continued to drive down the road. She suddenly realized that since crossing the town line, although nothing changed with Belle, it did with her. It was as if crossing the town line brought all her memories back and she remembered everything.
"That's great." Belle smiled. She was a little disappointed that Emma didn't say anything back about the subject but she remembered how hard it was for Emma to simple accept who her parents were. Not wanting to push anything, Belle focused on the road. It didn't take long to get closer to where the town would be until the three saw something they weren't expecting.
The town.
Everything was still there. The library, the pawnshop, Granny's diner, everything. It was as if nothing had changed and it made Emma and Belle wonder if someone had cast a curse back in the Forest and if so, why was Belle and Neal not in it?
"I don't understand." Belle said. "How can the town still be here?"
"I don't know." The Savior said. "But maybe we should find someone and find out what is going on here." Emma drove to Mary Margret's loft and once they were there, the three got out and went inside up to the loft.
Emma knocked on the door, not sure if they were even there to answer, when after just a few seconds, the door opened. She saw David stare at her wide eyed as if he saw a ghost.
"Emma." He breathed.
"David. What's going on?"
"The wicked witch? She's real too?"
"Yeah, and I guess she's the one that cursed us." David said.
The whole Charming gang, Regina, Hook, Belle, and Ricky were all inside talking for what seemed like an hour but only a few minutes. There was too much to take in. From they had learned so far, people were being taking by flying monkeys when they got near the town line and when they came back, they were being turned into flying monkeys. With Belle's book knowledge, they were able to figure out that the only person who had that power was the Wicked Witch of Oz.
"Wait, when we crossed the line, there were no flying monkeys trying to attack us." Belle said.
"Well if it really is her, maybe she wanted you guys here. Who knows." Regina said.
"So how do we stop her?" Ricky said.
"Who is he?" Regina asked in her snarky self. "And why is he here?"
"I'm here to help."
"How?"
"No idea but I'm here for Baelfire." Ricky replied, not showing any fear for the queen. He's fought worse, she was nothing compare to what he has seen.
"He's knows about Baelfire?" David asked, not sure how to feel about a complete stranger to him knowing their secret.
"He and Neal, or Balefire, knew each other before while Neal was still on the run." Belle explained. "Don't worry. He's more afraid than what you think." She smiled.
"Geez, thanks Belle." She giggled.
"Guess we don't have to go back in time." Emma pointed out, remembering the plan. However, if the town was here, why go back. Then she remembered. Neal wanted to save his father.
"Where is Baelfire?" Snow asked. The three remained silent until Emma explained who they came across and how they took Neal, and how they had a plan to go back in time to stop Gold from killing himself and Pan's curse happening that would also stop them from going back to the Enchanted Forest.
"It's his own damn fault. I told him to keep driving." Ricky said.
"Why do they want Neal?" Hook asked. Emma had almost forgot he was there since he had been so quiet.
"We don't know." She said. "We don't even know where they went."
"Wait," Snow said. "Where's Henry?"
Emma just stared at her mother not wanting to explain. She also didn't want to admit that leaving Henry in New York was both a good thing and a bad thing. She figured he could help but she also didn't want him in danger. She didn't bother on looking at her parents and definitely not at Regina. She didn't feel like listening to Regina being...Regina. She already had a headache from Neal and it surprised her to realize that it was only this morning that she knocked on the hotel door to see him again. Only this afternoon when they had that car chase and the men captured Neal. Now, it was night and she was about to go on a wicked witch hunt. She had no idea what she felt at the moment or what she was going to do. There was so much in her head that she didn't want to think about what might have happened to Neal or how she was going to get to Henry. However, if she wasn't part of the curse, maybe she could leave and get him. First she had to solve this flying monkey issue.
"How were you planning on going back in time in the first place?" Regina asked, changing the topic a little and looking at the three as if they lost their heads. Marbles perhaps, she thought.
"I rather not talk about that." Ricky said.
"Let's focus on the problem at hand right now. Quick question. If the wicked witch really did curse everyone, how come Belle and Neal didn't end up here?" Emma asked.
Everyone in the room found it odd. They remembered Belle and Neal being with them when the curse hit to take them home. However, since know one really remembered what happened in the Forest for the last, however long it was, no one had an answer.
"Well I say we pay this witch a visit and demand some answers." Regina said.
"How? Do you even know if she's here? And if she is, who she is and where she is?" Emma asked.
"Actually, we don't." Hook spoke up.
"Than we find her." Regina replied.
"Alright. Emma, Hook, Snow, you three go do some tracking. Belle, can you try and find some more information on the witch?" David said, always the prince to take charge.
"Um, yeah, I'll see what I can find."
"I'll check with the dwarves and the town to see if anything has changed. Ricky, what do you want to do?" Although David didn't really trust the boy since he had no idea who he was, the fact that he hadn't harmed his daughter was a mark in his book. Also, from the little bit he knew of Ricky, which was virtually nothing, the prince liked his attitude better than the pirates. And anyone who was a friend of Neal's was a good guy in his book.
"I'll think I'll stick with Belle." He said.
"Belle, are you going to be okay?" Emma asked, remembering how Neal told her to protect Belle. She figured that Belle would be safe in Gold's shop or house, surely he had those places protected with magic, however, if a wicked witch was loose in town, than she needed to make sure Belle was safe.
"I'll be fine." The beauty smiled.
"Yeah, well, Neal told me to protect you. Dad, can you stay with Belle?" Emma asked.
Emma was happy that her father didn't question it and agree. There was no way she was leaving Belle alone with the man who tried to kill her almost three times. David went with Belle and Ricky while Snow volunteered to check with the dwarves, leaving her and Hook to scout.
"What about me?" Regina asked.
"Don't kill anyone?" David sighed. Regina glared at him and said that she was going to do her own business on figuring out this witch issue. Before anyone could object, Emma agreed and suggested that it would help if everyone remembered and since Gold was gone, Regina was the only one who could fix that issue. Everyone than left to their respective duties.
While in the woods, Snow kept pestering Emma for answers and why Henry wasn't there. Emma was really starting to regret meeting Neal. She had a nice life in New York with just Henry. She was out looking for witches or dealing with monkeys. The only witch she had to deal with in New York was one of Henry's teacher that they both believed had it out for them, and the monkey was Henry being...Henry. Now, she's in Storybrooke trekking in the woods at night looking for who knows who.
"Why are we doing this at night?" Emma asked, trying to get her mother to change the subject entirely. "Won't it be easier for the flying monkeys to get us?"
"Well, sometimes the night can be a big advantage when you're looking for someone." Snow explained.
"Yeah but can't monkeys see in the dark?"
"Let's find out." Snow smiled as she continued walking. Emma just stared at her for a few seconds as if she was crazy and soon followed. They didn't go far when they heard someone else walking in the woods. They snuck down hiding behind a fallen tree and did their best to peer in the dark to see who it was. Emma decided that Snow was wrong, the night was not an advantage in finding someone in the dark. So, they listened and heard two voices but they were too low to get who it was.
"They're too far." Snow whispered.
"Let's follow." Emma whispered back.
When they saw the two people walk away, Snow and Emma stayed lowed while following the people in the back. It was than Emma realized she didn't have her gun in case their was trouble. They soon came upon a clearing and saw the two figures walk towards a house. Emma and Snow looked at each with a knowing look and left back to town, agreeing to come back in the morning.
"Did you get him?" The woman asked. Her and her captive walked into the house in the clearing to see two young men standing in the middle of the room.
"Yes, ma'am." The younger said. They moved aside to show Neal laying on the couch, clearly unconscious from multiple punches to the head. Zelena smiled as she looked down at the boy. Things were going perfectly. She turned around and looked at her captive, holding the knife that controlled him in her hand.
"We have one." She said. "We just need one more my darling Rumple."
Rumple glared at Zelena as he imagined multiple ways of killing her. He had yet to find a suitable fit since all the ways he had thought of were all good.
"The most important." She sneered. "Your beauty."
"If you touch her, I will not kill you." Rumple growled. "I will torture you."
"Oh calm down now Rumple. I won't hurt her." She watched him. "You will."
She than used the dagger to order him back to the cellar. After the Dark One left, Zelena flicked her wrist to turn the two men back into primates with wings.
"Now my darling pets. Bring me back information about that beauty of his, and don't forget, I want her in good condition for Rumple." Zelena smiled wickedly. The two monkeys then flew out the window to complete their orders.
Sorry it's been a whole week for an update. I'm usually the type of writer that updates almost every other day if not every day. Oh well. The episode sunday night kind of got me depressed at the end with Rumple's heartbreaking expression. I kept telling myself, "Happy thoughts. Happy thoughts." Also, check out my new story, Ever After, featuring the usual gang fighting the Sorcerer and saving the Author.
