"I wish I could help, but as you know, magic beans are in short supply, dearie. If I had one, all these children would be back where they belong." Gold moved around his shop.
"You and I both know that's not the only way to travel between realms." Hook pointed at the Crocodile.
"What would you like me to do, cast another curse?" Gold scoffed.
"I want you to tell me how I can get Emma back!" He shouted and slammed his hand on the counter.
"You don't scare me, pirate." Gold leaned into Killian's face, speaking dangerously low. "I'm the Dark One, and I don't owe you a thing. So I suggest you leave before you find out what the darkness can really do."
Killian's eyes narrowed and he shoved off the counter, storming out of the shop.
He made his way down Main Street and paused only to kick over a trash can in his fury. David's truck pulled up beside him.
"Get in." He said through the open window.
"I'm a little busy, mate." Hook growled and kept walking, David keeping pace beside him from the truck.
"Busy assaulting garbage bins? Get in. Snow thinks she may have found something." David told him and Killian's head whipped around.
"Next time, lead with that." He opened the door and got inside and they sped off to Regina's vault.
Neverland was hot and humid, despite the everlasting night. Emma didn't sleep at all. She spit on the sand next to her, still trying to rid herself of the taste of the disgusting pirate she had kissed.
Blackbeard stretched out noisily and removed his hat from his face. He caught Emma's gaze and a dark grin spread over his lips.
"Well, good to see you're already up, lass. Fancy a good morning kiss?" He waggled his eyebrows at her. She said nothing, bile rising in her throat. "No? That's fine. You'll warm up to me." He chuckled. "Why don't you go fetch Jacobs and see about some breakfast?" She shuffled to her feet and padded her way outside, taking into account every aspect of her surroundings. All she could see was forest surrounding the small clearing and two paths, one leading back towards the Jolly Roger from whence they came, and one leading away from them into the jungle.
She made her way into the small hut where Regina had been led and saw Blackbeard's first mate sitting on the cot inside, whittling a piece of wood with a large knife. Regina sat with her back to the wall of the hut, eyes closed and head against the wall, but Emma knew she wasn't asleep.
"Your captain wants breakfast." She informed the pirate and the man wordlessly rose to his feet to comply. Regina looked up at the sound of Emma's voice. Emma stared at her, urging her to be still with just the look. The pirate left the two of them to fetch breakfast and Emma sunk down to Regina.
"We don't have much time before Blackbeard comes looking for me." Emma spoke low. "We need to find that seashell and then we can make a break for it. I looked for it last night, but he didn't have it on him."
"So what's the plan, exactly? We make a break for it, and where do we go? And how do you know he didn't have it on him?" Regina sat up, brushing sand from her pants.
"I kissed him." Emma said, turning red and Regina looked like she might be sick. "And we can head back to the ship. Killian has all sorts of weapons on board, we can fight."
"Honestly, Emma, do you have to make out with every pirate that brings you to Neverland?" She scrunched her nose in disgust and Emma gave her an exasperated look. "What we need now is a way to get these damn cuffs off."
"We can worry about that once we get out of here." Emma said. "Let's go get breakfast, or I'm sure Blackbeard will be here soon."
The two women left the hut and saw Blackbeard barreling towards the shelter. He slowed his pace as he saw the two coming in his direction.
"For a moment, I thought you'd made a very unwise decision, lass. I was prepared to give my man further instruction." He grinned and dangled the seashell now back on a strap around his neck at her. "Hungry? You'll need your strength." He led the two to the large campfire.
Emma sat down on a log begrudgingly and Regina sat next to her. The pirate called Jacobs handed them two half coconut shells with some kind of fish stew in them. The two women sipped at them gingerly.
Blackbeard hunkered down next to Emma on the log and Emma instinctively shuffled towards Regina. He began to eat noisily as soon as the coconut shell hit his hand.
"First order of business will be to make this camp into something respectable. You can handle that with your magic." Blackbeard said between slurps. Emma's eyes were glued to the seashell dangling at the man's neck. Blackbeard saw her gaze and smirked. "Oh, aye, lass. Trust I'll be keeping this to my lips the whole time you're unleashed." He patted the shell. Emma turned her attention back to the food and continued to eat. Blackbeard leaned forward slightly, causing the shell to swing away from him and she saw her chance.
Emma's hand darted out and seized the seashell, wrenching it free from the leather strap and bringing her elbow back into the bridge of the pirate's nose, breaking it immediately and sending him howling backwards into the sand.
"Regina, go, NOW!" She got up and the two women made to make a break for it and found themselves facing three pirates, swords drawn. They backed away, looking for another escape when one of the pirates grunted and dropped to the ground, clutching his neck. The other two followed suit. Emma looked down and saw long, thin darts protruding from each of the napes of their necks.
"Come with me!" A voice shouted and a woman in dirty red clothes and two symmetrical braids came running towards them, a bamboo tube clutched in her hand. They paused only momentarily, seeing Blackbeard scrambling to his feet and ten more pirates joining him as he began to run in their direction. The three women ran in the opposite direction of the Jolly Roger and up the other path.
"In here." The woman who had saved them pulled Emma's arm as they ducked into a crevice that was near unnoticeable. Emma pulled Regina with them. The woman pulled vegetation in front of the crevice and turned back to the other two and put her finger to her lips.
"They won't get far, men! Search the whole island until they're found! Bring me the Savior unharmed!" Blackbeard's gruff instruction was met with hurrahs from his men and a herd of pirates made their way past the crevice unflinching.
When they were sure the last of them had past, the woman moved the vines that covered their hiding spot aside.
"The coast is clear." She said softly. "Let's go."
"Wait, who the hell are you?" Emma grabbed the woman by the arm as she made to head out of the gap. She turned her head back and looked at the hand on her arm.
"That's a funny way to show gratitude. My name is Tiger Lily. You're safe with me." Tiger Lily released herself from Emma's grip.
"Tiger Lily. I should have recognized you. I'm sorry." Emma said.
"Don't worry about it, Savior." She smiled tightly and left the crevice, leading the other two women out.
"We need a way off this godforsaken island. Can you help?" Regina brushed herself off as she emerged.
"Yes. We need to get to safety first." Tiger Lily looked at Regina warily. "I never thought I'd be helping the Evil Queen."
"Well, you're not. That part of me is gone." She said back. Tiger Lily raised an eyebrow.
"It's a long story, but it's true." Emma said, moving past the two. "We really need to get our magic back. Can you help with these?" Emma held up her hand and revealed the cuff around her wrist.
Tiger Lily shook her head and examined the leather brace further. "I can't, but I know someone who can. Hook may have mentioned her before. Her name is Tinkerbell."
"Yeah, we've met." Regina said. "I love that I'm trapped in Neverland on my way to a meeting of the one-handed wonder's ex-girlfriend club." She rolled her eyes.
"Hook and I were never together." Tiger Lily said indignantly.
"Surprising." Regina scoffed and Emma shot her a glare.
The three began their journey into the jungle and Emma's heart began to fill with a familiar feeling. Hope.
Zelena was rummaging through the supplies within the vault as David and Killian made their descent.
"Can we focus here?" Snow asked, impatiently. Zelena rolled her eyes and paused her excursion with a snort.
"Well you're no fun. How often do I get to play around in the candy shop without my little sister breathing down my neck?" She sat with a huff.
"What is it that you've discovered, luv?" Killian stepped forward.
"Oh! You're here. Great." Snow perked up at the sight of her husband and son-in-law. "So I was thinking of all the ways we could get to Neverland, and how we could get back. And then it hit me. Pixie flowers. That's how Emma got you back." She smiled.
"Aye, but that's a fruitless idea, unless you happen to have some laying around." Killian looked back at her.
"What do we know about pixie flowers? They only bloom in the presence of great evil." She said and grabbed Killian's arm. His eyes lit up with realization.
"The lighthouse." He said and Snow nodded.
"Zelena is going to mix up the dust, but we have to hurry. If they're there, they are going to start dying soon since the Shadow is gone." Snow said and moved towards the exit. David and Killian followed after her, and as they left, Zelena began to rifle through the chests and drawers again.
Emma, Regina, and Tiger Lily pushed their way through the last of the brush and came upon a familiar hut.
"Green!" Tiger Lily called out. Tinkerbell poked her head from the doorway of the thatch walls and smirked.
"Didn't think I'd see you lot here again, especially since the Lost Boys left with the Shadow so I know you're not chasing your son. What brings you to my neck of the woods?" She leaned against the side of the hut, crossing a leg in front of her.
"Blackbeard kidnapped us. He's trying to build some kind of pirate utopia here." Emma scoffed.
"Ah, and the Savior went along with this plan because...?" She stepped forward, eyebrow raised incredulously
"He has someone watching Killian. He was going to kill him if I didn't go along." She said softly.
"Wow, Hook wasn't lying when he said he was in love with the Savior." Tiger Lily chuckled.
"I could have told you that, Red." Tink looked pointedly at her. "So what do you need me for? I haven't got a portal back."
Regina held up her wrist, exposing the cuff. "Tiger Lily thought you might be able to help with these."
"Why should I want to help you? You never wanted my help before." Tinkerbell looked Regina up and down.
"Aren't we past all of that? Honestly, you know Robin and I ended up together." Regina rolled her eyes.
"Oh yeah, I guess so. How is he?" Tinkerbell asked and Emma looked back at her suddenly.
"Ah, he...he died. A little while back." Regina said quietly. Emma put a comforting hand on her arm and Regina smiled at her briefly in response.
"Oh, I'm so sorry." Tink replied regretfully. "Um, let's see what I have to get that off. I think I should have just the thing." She disappeared back into her hut and emerged seconds later with a black potion jar.
"Squid ink. Perfect." Regina stepped forward next to Emma. The two women held their hands out and Tinkerbell poured a drop onto the cuffs one at a time. The leather fell free to the ground, and as they did, voices came into earshot.
"Quick, hide!" Tink pushed Regina, Emma, and Tiger Lily into the doorway of her home and headed back out.
"Tinkerbell! Where are you, you damnable pixie?" Blackbeard bellowed.
"Good to see you, too, Blackbeard. You're looking a little worse for the wear. What happened to your nose?" Tinkerbell chuckled.
"Nevermind that. I'm looking for two women. Have you seen anyone suspicious around here?" Emma peeked through a gap in the thatching of the hut as Blackbeard spoke. His mouth was stained with blood that had clearly poured from his nose, which was purple and swollen.
"Can't say that I have. Just little old me out here." Tink lied, fisting her hands at her hips.and shrugging.
"If you see them, you come to me immediately, pixie. You know where to find me." Blackbeard pointed in her face and Tinkerbell sputtered a laugh back to him.
"Why on earth would I do that? You must have done something to them, and I know you well, pirate. I'm sure I'll be more likely to be on their side." She retorted.
"If you attempt to hide them from me, I'll pluck your wings like petals from a flower. Don't test me, lass." He moved dangerously close to her.
"You don't scare me, Blackbeard. Good luck on your hunt, though." She turned to walk away and Blackbeard grabbed her arm and placed his other hand around her throat, squeezing. Emma flinched to rescue her and Tiger Lily put a hand on her shoulder, shaking her head no vehemently.
"You'll find me if you see anyone if you know what's good for you. And because you do know me well, you know that you should be very scared of me." He released her with a shove and Tink fell to the ground, gasping for air, glaring up at Blackbeard.
"Let's go, lads. Leave no stone unturned." He gave a greasy smile to the fairy and whistled loudly. The pirates made their way out and Tinkerbell stood and entered the hut, rubbing her throat.
"Stay here for a minute to make sure they're gone." Tink instructed, sitting on the edge of her bed.
"Thank you, Tink. Are you alright?" Emma moved forward to inspect her and the pixie nodded.
"Yeah, that big galoot has a strong grip, but he's no real threat. He knows I'm better off alive." She smirked.
"So, what now? How do we get home?" Regina cleared her throat and crossed her arms.
"The mermaid lagoon." Tiger Lily spoke up. "Mermaids can travel between realms. They're going to be our best shot at getting you out of here."
"Brilliant, Red. But, ah, you may not want to mention Killian when you visit." Tinkerbell shifted uncomfortably. "He has a, uh, less than reputable history with them."
"Why am I not surprised." Regina said bitterly and Emma sighed.
"It's only a couple miles trek from here. We can lay low here for bit, and then we will head out." Tiger Lily said and the two women nodded in agreement. They were going home.
Killian leapt from the truck as they pulled up to the lighthouse and made his way around the side. Upon rounding the building, he saw a stretch of flowers decaying before him. He bent and touched a flower lightly and the brown petals crumbled to the ground. Snow and David caught up to him and stopped in their tracks at the sight.
"We're too late." David whispered.
"Don't lose hope." Snow said, moving forward into the patch of dead flowers before her. "There's bound to be something still alive. Ah." She stopped at the top of the ridge and turned back to the men with a knowing smile. The two rushed to her side and down below them they found themselves faced with a virtual grove of pink flowers extending up through the sand.
"Take as many as you can." Killian said, jumping off the small ledge and running towards the living flora.
Each of the three gathered armfuls of the blush colored flowers and came back to the truck in record time. They flew back to Regina's vault and entered to find Zelena brewing something in several beakers.
"What are you doing?" Snow asked carefully, eyeing the witch. Zelena picked up a beaker and poured it into a martini glass, taking a sip.
"Cocktail?" She smirked and extended the glass to Snow, who shook her head. "Suit yourself." She shrugged and took another drink. The group dropped the flowers onto the table.
"We need as much dust as you can make." Killian instructed.
"Aye, aye Captain." Zelena gave a mock salute and giggled, downing the rest of her drink and moving towards the table. She began to strip the petals from the flowers and grind them up. In the corner of the room, a baby started to cry. All eyes turned to Robyn who lay in a stroller nearby and Killian's heart ached, wishing his own children were near. He knew they were safe at the convent, but he just wanted this to be over with so he could enjoy his family. He needed to get Emma back first. He shook the emotion from his mind as the baby continued to cry.
"Little busy, do you mind helping?" Zelena nodded, hands covered in pixie flower pollen. Snow made her way to the baby and picked her up, shushing.
It wouldn't be long now.
Tiger Lily led the group back through the jungle towards the coastline. Tinkerbell had elected to stay behind in case the pirates returned. As they cleared the forest, Tiger Lily stopped and pointed to a rock cliff with a waterfall cascading over into a pool of the most sparkling water Emma had ever seen.
"That's it there. Let's keep going." She moved forward onto the stretch of sand before them and before long, they had reached their destination.
"Lorelei!" Tiger Lily called out. She was met with silence. "Lorelei, it's Tiger Lily!" She called again.
"Are you sure this is the place?" Regina asked doubtfully and Tiger Lily threw her an annoyed glance. The water began to bubble before them and the most beautiful woman Emma had ever seen emerged from it. Her hair was blue, illuminated by the moonlight, and adorned with seashells. The seashells at her chest were a slightly lighter shade of blue but the tail she flipped gracefully behind her matched her hair perfectly.
"Tiger Lily." She smiled warmly. "Who are your friends?"
"This is Regina," She gestured to the queen. "And this is Emma. She is the Savior." Lorelei looked at Emma especially hard.
"Well, it's very much a pleasure to meet you both, but to what do we owe the delight of your visit?" She raised an eyebrow and three more mermaids emerged from the water and lifted themselves onto the rock structure in the center of the pool.
"They've been kidnapped from their realm and they need to get back. Can you help?" Tiger Lily explained. "We don't have much time." Lorelei contemplated for a moment.
"Any friend of Tiger Lily is a friend of ours." The mermaid smiled brightly.
"Oh, thank you so much." Emma said softly. The mermaid nodded and swam away to speak to the other three.
"Finally." Regina huffed. "We can probably be back in Storybrooke by dinner." Emma nodded.
"This has definitely been an experience that I don't want to repeat. I just want to get back to my husband and kids." She agreed.
"Don't worry. You'll be back in his loving arms and hook before you know it." Regina smirked.
"Hook? As in Captain Hook?" The women hadn't noticed the cerulean beauty had rejoined them. "And you're his lover?" Lorelei's face twisted in anger.
"No, no, no, you misunderstood me." Regina started.
"How could you bring them here?" Lorelei turned to face the Red Fairy. "How could you betray us like this?"
"Lorelei, just wait a moment..." Tiger Lily began to back them all away.
"Sabrina, Naia, Kai, seize them!" Lorelei's body began to rise out of the water with the force of the waves in her control. The three turned to run, but before they got anywhere, they were lassoed with seaweed and pulled off their feet.
The mermaids drug them towards the water and quickly bound them from shoulder to ankle with more of the thick, green fiber.
"We told you not to mention Killian." Tiger Lily struggled against her restraints.
"Oh, come on, like I wanted this." Regina shot back. "What could that idiot possibly have done to warrant this?"
"He used my affections to gain favor with Pan. After he robbed Pan's camp, he came back here and led the Lost Boys right to us. They almost destroyed the lagoon. And even afterwards, I would have forgiven him, had he stood by my side and helped rebuild, but he said that getting his revenge on a crocodile did not include a sappy love story with a fish. I never saw him again." Lorelei explained as the three women were hoisted upside down and dangled above the water.
"Good Lord, is there anyone in this realm your pirate hasn't had relations with and broken their heart?" Regina struggled and glared at Emma.
"Listen, Lorelei, I get it. Hook has done some bad things. He made a lot of mistakes. But I swear to you, he's changed. He's a father now. He is not the man he was before. I just want to get home to my babies. Please." She tried to reason with her.
The mermaid looked up at them apatheically.
"You're a fool if you think that Killian Jones can love anyone, and a bigger fool for bearing his seed." Lorelei responded with a deadpan gaze.
"Lower them into the depths," she instructed the other mermaids, then turned back to Emma. "and if his love for you is true, maybe he will finally feel the heartbreak I did when he retrieves your lifeless bodies from the bottom of the lagoon floor."