Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time

AN: And now things really start to happen...


Chapter Twelve

"Henry," Ava whispered worriedly, "what do we do?"

Henry shook his head and shuffled until he was sitting next to her, pulling her into his side, "I don't know, Av. She took my backpack. We're on our own in here." He whispered.

His little sister sniffled, "Do you think Momma and Daddy will find us?" She asked quietly.

"I know they will." Henry assured her. "They're the Savior and Captain Jones. They can do anything."

"I know, I just" She let out a sob.

"They'll find us. We always find each other. Remember, Av?" He reminded her. "It's what our family does. We always find each other."

OUAT

All of the training she had no longer helped. Emma was on the verge of hysterics. They were just gone. Ava's backpack and lunch box were still in her classroom. Henry's backpack was missing, but his lunchbox was there. And they were gone. Almost like they'd never been there before.

"I need you to stay focused and calm, Swan." Killian came up next to her. "If we're going to find them, I'm going to need your help."

"I'm just so scared, what if they ran, like they did from Boston." She whispered, "What if this is what they do and"

"Stop thinking like that." Killian ordered. "They came looking for us. They are ours. They would never leave us. We'll find them, Emma. We'll always find them."

"Killian's right, Emma," David scrubbed his hand over his face, "I need you to either stay calm or go home."

Emma let out a shuddering breath and wrapped her arms around Killian for a hug, "I'm fine." She assured them, "I'm good. We need to interview the entire faculty and staff, see if anyone saw them leave."

"Parents are on their way in to sit with us while we talk to the kids." David explained, "The faculty and staff are all willing to cooperate, we'll find them, Emma. I promise."

OUAT

Zelena stood in her office, "They're tucked away safely?"

Walsh nodded, "Don't worry, no one knows they're down there."

She brushed off her black skirt and fingered her green pendant, "Good, I don't want them found. Do you understand me?" She informed him. He nodded at her words, "Now, I want you to head to the school and find out what's going on. Police scanner said they're out looking for them. Give them a false lead."

"What kind of lead?" Walsh asked.

Zelena let out a growl, "A false one, you imbecile." Walsh flushed and nodded, spinning and leaving her office to go to the school.

OUAT

Emma continued to tear through the cubby belonging to Henry. Her hand stilled on his storybook. Mary Margaret sat beside her on the floor, "I gave that to him. He seemed a little," she paused, "lost. Like he was looking for hope, I thought it might help."

Emma sniffed and crossed her legs to sit in front of the school teacher, "They've been dragging this around everywhere they go. The fact that it's not with them" Emma hesitated to think of the possibilities. Still, in this little town where their biggest worry was Leroy and Scarlett getting into a bar fight, it was hard to imagine anyone hurting two kids. Except her.

"We'll find them, Emma. They wouldn't leave you willingly. I've seen them around you and Killian. They truly believe you're their parents. And you may not be biologically, but you are. You've given them a home. A wonderful home and"

Emma lunged at he woman, wrapping her arms around her neck, a sob tearing from her throat, "I'm so scared for them." She admitted with a wail.

"Oh, Emma." Mary Margaret brought the taller woman into the cradle of her arms, "Just breathe, honey, it will be okay. We'll figure it out. I promise." She rubbed her back, "You just need to keep breathing."

Emma sniffed and pulled back, "Sorry, I just"

Mary Margaret wiped away a few of Emma's tears, "David and I are both very protective of you, Emma, it's okay. We've been treating you like a daughter for years now."

Emma dropped her head to the teacher's shoulder, "I'm lucky to have that. I wish Killian had had that."

"Well now you both have each other. And true love like that is pretty spectacular if I do say so myself." The older woman sighed, "Now let me see that book. Maybe Henry stuck something in here that can help us."

OUAT

"What did Walsh want?" Emma asked, as she curled up on the sofa four hours later. David and Lance had sent them home. The two of them were working (in conjunction with Gold who was oddly enough worried about the well-being of the children) to find Henry and Ava. Emma and Killian were told to wait for a phone call and she honestly never felt more useless in her entire life.

"Mills wanted to know what was going on and how she could help." Killian pressed a mug of cocoa into her hands and sat down next to her. "What's that?"

"Henry's book." Emma ran her hand over the embossed cover. "Mary Margaret and I thought he might have stuck something in here. Well actually, she suggested it. We didn't see anything, but I thought I may give it a closer look. Want to help?" She took a sip of the chocolate beverage before sliding it onto the coffee table.

"Sure, maybe we can find out what would've made them leave school." Killian suggested.

"You honestly think they left on their own?" Emma asked quietly.

"I do." Killian said with a sigh, "They were looking for something to take them home. I'd bet you a month's worth of sex that they left to find something they thought was magical. Something happened to them on their way there or on their way back."

"Maybe they went to Gold's shop then." Emma suggested, "I mean if I was looking for an object that's where I would go. He's got so much shit in there and they've seen the shop" she sighed, "but maybe not."

"That's a thought. Let me text it to Dave. I think Gold has security cameras in there." Killian picked up his phone.

"He does, it's how we nailed Scarlett for stealing one of Belle's books." Emma flipped open the first page of the storybook. She found a picture of a blonde woman hiding in what looked like the cargo hold of a ship.

"Hey, Swan, that looks kind of like you." Killian pointed to the woman.

"Very funny, Jones. The kids aren't here to see you agree with them." She flipped the page and stared at a picture of the blonde woman standing on the bow of the ship with a dark-haired man, "Okay, that is kind of weird."

Killian dropped his phone to the table and glanced over her shoulder, "Okay, that looks like me."

"I'd say this is where they got their crazy ideas from, but they had them before Mary Margaret gave them this book."

"Maybe we should actually read the story, Swan." He paused, "They knew of the Enchanted Forest before the book, too, right?" Emma nodded. "Okay, here, hand it to me. I'll read to us." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, tucking her firmly into his side as he flipped back to the first page. Picking up her cocoa, Emma let the story of Princess Emma and Killian Jones of the Enchanted Forest wash over her.

An hour later, she was shaking her head, "It's"

"It's us, love." Killian interrupted her, "This is our story in this land."

"But Killian, come on, an enchanted land? Magic? Curses?" She shook her head, "It's too insane to be real."

"You know what they were looking for." Killian pointed to a page near the end of the book.

"That lamp." She sighed, "If I were them, I would've started at Gold's shop, except," She paused, "maybe not. Instinctively, yes I would've, but if I were to think it through"

"Where else would you look? That man has every bloody random item on the Eastern Seaboard."

"Zelena." Emma flipped to a page near the end, "She looks like the Wicked Witch of the West." She pointed to a picture of a green woman, "If you can just picture her green, that is."

"You know," Killian shut the book and set it carefully on the arm of the sofa next to him, "I was thinking, her interest in the kids was unsettling. Do you think she'd take them and"

"Hurt them?" Emma interrupted.

"Okay, I was going to go with send them to Portland or back to Boston." Killian paused, "I don't think she'd hurt them. She is the mayor."

"She's corrupt and terrifying. I think she'd hurt them." Emma argued.

"Okay, well, we're still thinking the same thing, that maybe we should look into the good mayor." Killian scratched the back of his ear, "You know Dave will never go for it."

"No, he won't want to step out of bounds in case we need her." Emma stood up and held out her hand, "That doesn't mean we can't surveil her."

"Let me grab our coats. You make sure we have our phones in case someone calls." He darted off towards the bedroom.

OUAT

Emma and Killian sat on Killian's bike across from the mayor's house. "It's cold. We should've taken my car."

"Your car is bright yellow, love. Not exactly the best cover." Killian pointed out.

"And a motorcycle is?" Emma asked incredulously. She sighed, "Maybe we should've followed her little pet monkey instead. This is boring."

"You're such an impatient lass." Killian admonished lightly, "Have a little faith."

"Faith? Our kids are missing and you want me to have faith?"

He sighed and wrapped her arms more firmly around his body, bringing up one of her hands to brush his lips across her knuckles, "We'll get them back, darling. We won't lose them. We just found them."

"I wish I could believe that, too." Emma admitted with a sigh. "Oh, wait, Killian, look." She pointed as Zelena and Walsh both exited the house. "Where do you think they're going?"

"I don't know, but this could be our only chance to get into her house." He sighed, "One of us should follow them."

"Perhaps, we'll follow them and you break in." Emma and Killian nearly toppled the bike in their surprise.

Lance and David stood behind them, arms crossed. "David, Lance," Killian scratched the back of his ear, "what are you doing here?"

"The same as you, I'd imagine." David shook his head, "Okay, Emma and I'll break in. You and Lance follow on the bike." David held his hand out to Emma. "Come on, let's break the law as quietly as possible.

Emma took her helmet off and handed it to Lance, "Be careful." She pressed a kiss to Killian's jaw. "Love you."

"Love you too, darling." Emma stepped back and watched as Lance and Killian took off after Zelena's car.

"Let's move before they come back." She darted across the street.

David watched as Emma easily picked the lock to Zelena's side door and disabled her alarm system. Frowning, he muttered, "I'm not a fan of how easily you break the law." He admitted.

Emma just shrugged, "Look at least we're in."

"And what exactly are we looking for?" David asked as he followed Emma through the dark house with only the help of a flashlight. When he'd tried to flick on a light earlier she'd smacked his hand away from the switch and reminded him they didn't want to draw the attention of neighbors.

"A lamp."

"Like the one you wouldn't let me turn on?" He asked archly.

"No, like, think of the Disney movie Aladdin. That kind of lamp." She explained as she made her way through the living room.

"This has to do with Henry and Ava's insane theory. Emma, I told you to pretend to believe them, not break into the mayor's house." David sighed in exasperation. "You and Killian are not good for my stress levels."

"Oh stop complaining, you old man. Just help me look. It'd probably be in a safe or some"

"Or what?" David asked.

"Or right on the mantle of the fireplace." Emma crossed the room and picked up a gold lamp that looked just like the one in the storybook. "Let's go." She pulled her phone out of her pocket and texted Killian quickly. "Let's hope they have the kids."

OUAT

"You know this is insane." Lance took his helmet off as they parked down from the hospital.

"You don't think maybe she's hiding them here?" Killian asked.

"How would she get away with that?" Lance sighed, "Look, I know you and Emma are at your wits end, but Killian." He sighed, "This is the mayor. And your theory is just insane."

"Let's just see what we can find." He led the way through the hospital, trailing after Walsh and Zelena until they reached a door with a keycard access only. "Bloody hell."

Lance scowled, "Think we can convince someone to let us in?"

Glancing at the nurse's station where Whale was standing, Killian shook his head, "No, but I know someone who can. And we should wait until our fair mayor is gone." He pulled his phone out and grinned, "Let's head back to my place. Swan has what we were looking for in her house. That's as good as place as any to start."

OUAT

Zelena opened the cell door and smiled, "How are you two doing?" Henry straightened and Ava put on her bravest face. Neither one of them responded. "What, no answer to that." Zelena's face twisted up at their lack of response, "Fine, you little brats. Walsh has some food for you. Just stay quiet." She muttered, spinning around as Walsh set the fast food and two soft drinks down on the small metal table attached to the wall before following her out.

OUAT

"You've got it?" Killian asked as he and Lance came back into the house. Mary Margaret and Elsa (who had Skylar with her) had joined them at some point. Both women looked equally skeptical and pale.

"Yeah, did you find them?" Emma was on her feet the moment the door opened.

"I think she's keeping them at the hospital under lock and key. Think you can twist Dr. Whale's arm to let you in?" Killian asked.

"Of course." Emma agreed, "So what do we do with the lamp?" She laced their hands together and led them into the living room. The lamp was sitting on the coffee table.

"In the Disney movie they rub it." David supplied.

"Do you really think that's helpful? Giving us tips from a movie?" Killian snapped.

"This coming from a man getting his moves from a storybook." David sneered back.

"Okay enough!" Emma picked up the lamp. "Rubbing it and opening it are as good of plan as any." She stared at the gold metal in her hands and muttered, "When the hell did this become my life?" Sighing, she rubbed the side of the lamp.

OUAT

XOXO

MAS