A/N: A little shorter than I was going for, but this is setting up the last two chapters. There will be an epilogue-and I'm thinking of doing a sequel...but it depends on a few things. Like, if you guys want a sequel for instance.

Snow's held Henry tight, as the van jerked forward before coming to a stop. She watched as Balefire turned in his seat. A sadistic smile on his face. "I have a make a call. You better be a good girl." His face turned into a sneer when he turned back toward Regina. "Watch them closely." Snow couldn't see Regina's reaction to his words, but whatever it was must have been sufficient enough for Balefire to leave them alone.

Once he was outside of the van, Snow could no longer see him. However, that didn't make her feel any safer. Regina was just as bad, if not worse than Balefire. Sure, he had a gun, which Snow still hadn't figure out how to get away from him, but Regina had magic. Even if it was unpredictable here, it didn't mean she wouldn't be willing to use it. Especially if it was against someone she hated, like Snow's entire family, except for Henry.

"I understand now, why you're doing this. You never do anything without getting something in return." Silence followed Snow's sentence. Even if she knew that Regina wouldn't say anything, she wanted that evil witch to know that she would only get Henry back over her dead body. "I just need you to know-" Snow sighed, knowing her next words could upset Henry. She placed her hands over the young boy's ears so he couldn't hear her next words. "You will only get Henry back if every single member of my family is dead. Hell, you'd have to kill the entire town. No one will stand to see you have control over anyone else, especially someone as young and good-hearted as Henry."

Snow fought back a smile as Regina rose to the bait. With her hands still firmly over Henry's ears she watched as Regina turned in her seat and looked Snow in the eye. "Oh don't worry, Snow. I'll have my son back, and no one in your family will be able to stop me." Just as quickly as she turned around, Regina was back facing the road again, as Balefire climbed back into the van.

"It's all set. My father is setting up the room now." Balefire smiled wickedly. "Alright, Snow White, you're up." She watched as he dialed a number, and just seeing only a few of the numbers, she knew who he was calling. Her stomach dropped as the phone was thrust into her face. She shook her head, until the gun came back into view. This time, pointing at Henry. Snow let go of Henry's ears and grabbed the phone.

Pulling it to her ear, she heard her daughter's voice on the other end. With tears in her eyes, Snow's mouth opened. "Emma." It was a whispered, ragged sob. Henry's head snapped toward her, pleading eyes staring at her, but she knew better than to disobey Balefire right now. Hearing her daughter's voice break on the other line broke her heart.

Just as quickly as she was hearing her daughter's ragged voice, it was quickly taken away. Balefire snatched the phone from her ear. A wicked grin on his drawn face. "Hello, Emma." His face grew to a scowl, and Snow grinned at the obvious colorful language that her daughter was using. "Listen. If you want your mother and son to stay alive, you'd better listen." A sinister smile crept onto his lips, which told Snow that he had gotten his way. "You will meet us at the Storybrooke library in half an hour. If you are so much as a minute late, I will put a bullet in one of my hostages. This will continue until you show up or they're dead. The choice is yours Miss Swan." After that, he disconnected the call and tossed the phone out the window.

Snow watched as he turned toward her, the same smile on his face. "Thank you, Snow White. You just led your daughter and husband to their deaths. I thank you for the help."

Snow's stomach convulsed uncomfortably as she fought the urge to throw up. The image of Emma and James laying dead in a pool of blood was emblazoned in her mind, as Henry stared at her wide-eyed. Snow needed a plan, and she needed one now.

It took everything in Emma to not throw the phone to the ground and stomp on it. She growled for a moment, before realizing that her father was looking at her expectantly. Sighing, she closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose to calm herself down.

"He wants me to meet him at the library—or he's going to kill them."

James nodded, the frown on his face proved he expected as much. "I had a feeling." He said simply. "You're not going alone."

Emma's head snapped up at that. Her eyes pierced his, and she realized that no words she said would budge him on the matter. "I can't lose my family." She finally whispered. Her heart constricted. Both at having opened up so much with those few little words, and at the actual thought of losing any member of her growing family. She watched James open his mouth, she put up a hand to stop him. "Promise me that Graham won't come. I have to know at least one person I care about is safe."

James nodded. "We can't lie to him, though. He might love you unconditionally-" James sighed at that. He might not know the huntsman well, but what he did see of his interaction with Emma showed James just how much Graham loved her. "but if you lie to him-"

Emma nodded. Sighing, she walked toward Graham's curtained off area. He smiled at her when she walked into his room. "I was afraid you weren't coming back." He said softly, reaching out a hand for hers. His brow wrinkled, noticing that her arm was still without a cast. "I thought they were taking care of that?" He asked, pointing at her arm.

Emma adverted his eyes. "Something has come up. I have to leave, but can you tell Dr. Whale that I'll be back to finish the examination later?"

Graham brushed his fingertips against Emma's cheek until she looked up at him. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing-" She heard James cough awkwardly behind her. Sending a glare his way, she turned back to Graham. "Garrett—Balefire-whoever the hell he is. He kidnapped Henry and my mom. I have to go met him somewhere, otherwise he'll kill them."

Graham sat up, and attempted to remove the I.V.'s from his arm. Emma tried to force him back onto the bed, but with only one good arm she might as well have been trying to move a wall. "Graham, please." Emma whispered. He looked up at her and something tugged at his heart.

"Emma doesn't want you to come." James interjected.

The hurt expression on Graham's face nearly broke Emma's heart. "I don't want you to get hurt. Garrett-" Emma sighed. "He's a wild card, and if he's there-" Emma closed her eyes. "Then Regina will be there." Emma's lip snarled upward knowing that she was with her son, again. After she had promised him that he'd never have to be around her ever again. "I can't have everyone I care about in danger. I can't stop my father from coming, but I will stop you."

Graham sighed, before laying back onto the bed. He looked to James. "Keep her safe." James nodded stiffly. "Emma." Graham called out, as she turned her back on him to leave. "At least put a sling on that arm, and come back to me."

She smiled, realizing how easy it was to fall back into step with Graham, even after everything that had happened. His hand clasped around her good wrist, and pulled her to him. Pressing his lips to her cheek, "I love you. Always. Remember that, Emma."

Emma swallowed the lump in her throat as she pulled back, placing a hand against his cheek before turning around. Panic swelled in her noticing that her father was missing. Her mouth opened to call out to him, when he reappeared, a sling in his hand. Handing it to her, they made their way toward the exit. As the door started to slide close, Emma and James could hear Dr. Whale call out to them to stop. They pushed forward, they only had fifteen minutes left and they needed some sort of protection against Garrett and Regina.

Balefire grinned at Snow as he clasped the last handcuff in place. Her feet were tied together, dangling helpless beneath her. Her arms holding her weight, as her hands were handcuffed to two separate pipes. The stress on her arms was already starting to cause her biceps to burn furiously. She bit back the pained gasp that wanted to escape. Instead she focused her attention on Henry who was sitting on the floor beneath her feet. She could barely see him, but knew that his arms were bound behind his back. Tied to one of the pipes that was currently holding her prisoner.

"This should hold the two of you until our guests arrive. I know Emma will want to come alone, but I hope she at least brings your husband with her." He eyed Snow. "It would be an added bonus if she brought that man with her."

Snow felt her body tense as she bit back a response to Balefire's attempts to get a rise out of her.

"Graham is a good guy!" Henry cried out. The boy had been fairly silent since Balefire had kidnapped the both of them. Except for the couple of occasions in which he had cried out for Emma. Hearing the defiance in his voice made Snow swell with pride, and cringe at what Balefire might do in retaliation. "Better than you! I wish he was my father."

Snow watched Balefire stalk forward. Tears pricked her eyes as she tugged against her restraints. "Don't you dare touch him!" Snow yelled out.

Balefire sneered at Henry, before turning his attention to Snow. "I told you to shut him up! Couldn't even get that right, could you? Let me ask you something, Snow White. What makes you any better than my good for nothing father?"

Snow glared at him. "What do you mean?"

"Are you not a coward, just like him? Let's face it. You sent your only daughter to this world alone. So, how are you any better than my father?"

Snow's mouth bobbed open and close for a moment. Tears in her eyes. "We had to give Emma, her best chance." She whispered.

"Is that what you tell yourself? That you doing what was best for her? Do you think being alone her entire life was best for her? Obviously it did wonders for me." Balefire's white teeth glinted at her.

Snow's body started to shake as a sob escaped her lips. "Stop it!" Henry screamed out. "You're hurting her!"

"That's the point."

"Bay. That's about enough." Rumpelstiltskin wondered into the room.

Balefire turned toward his father. "No. It's not. You'll know when it's enough. I'll stop." Rumpelstiltskin took a step toward his son, his arms outstretched. "I don't think so father. Now that my plan is in motion I can be honest." Rumpelstiltskin just stared at Balefire. Realization lit up his features, as a tear slipped down his cheek. "I hate you. I always have, and I always will. You are nothing but a coward." Balefire turned his back on his father.

Rumpelstiltskin looked up at Snow, tears in his eyes. A defeated look on his face. Snow had never seen him look so broken, ever. He was Rumpelstiltskin, the most powerful man in their world. "I am sorry, dearie." With that he disappeared into the back room. Snow sighed. Her daughter and husband were going to walk into an ambush, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. There was nothing she could do but watch it happen, and that thought made her sick to her stomach.