Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot and any unrecognizable characters and dialogue.
So, we're at the season one finale! I hope you've all enjoyed the story so far and don't forget to let me know what you think!
Onward with the chapter!
"We've been falling out for way too long.
So let's forget who's right,
And forget who's wrong."
-Life's too short, Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell.
"Henry!" I pressed closer to Jack as Henry was wheeled away from us, Emma rushing by his side as they wheeled him through the hallway into a room.
"Henry, can you hear me? Come on, Henry. Wake up, please. Come on, Henry. Come on. You can do it." Emma begged frantically from his side and I watched as a nurse tried to make her leave the room.
"Ma'am, let me take you to-"
"No, I am not going anywhere!" Emma snapped at the poor nurse, jerking away from her and raising her hands defensively.
"There's no pupil response." Whale said quickly, removing his hand from Henry's eye and turning to address Emma. "What happened? Did he fall? Hit his head?" He asked rapidly, looking back to Jack and I questioningly.
"He ate this. I think it's poisoned." Emma said, raising a baggie that held the turnover I knew contained Regina's sleeping curse.
"His airway's clear." Whale said shortly, looking worried. "Did he vomit? Any convulsion or disorientation?"
"He took a bite of this, and then he just collapsed." Emma snapped and I took a step forward, refraining from touching her as she looked like she'd explode. "So, run the test for arsenic, or bleach, or Draino, or whatever could've done this to him!"
"The boy is showing no symptoms that would suggest neurotoxins." Whale said, raising his hands in a placating manner as he tried to calm her down. "So, whatever's going on, this is not the culprit." He pointed to the turnover.
"Well, what else could it be?" Emma demanded sharply.
"I don't know." Whale snapped back in exasperation. "That's what I'm trying to find out."
"He'll be okay though, right?" I found my voice and Whale turned to me, his brow drawn and his face pale.
"Right now, we just need to stabilize him, cause he's slipping away." He explained, to my growing horror. "Is there anything else that you can remember? Any little detail?"
"I already told you everything. Do something!" Emma snapped loudly and I watched as Whale's patience snapped.
"Look, I understand you're frustrated, Miss Swan, I do. But I need something to treat. And, right now, there is no explanation. It's like…" He looked back to where Henry was being hooked to several machines and I watched as Emma dumped out the contents of Henry's book bag, stepping forward when his book came out.
"Like magic." Emma and I whispered, her tone disbelieving while I smiled sadly at the book and pulled away as she touched it. Her eyes widened and I watched as a faraway look entered them, the look fading just as Regina rushed into the room.
"Where's my son?" She asked frantically and Emma turned to her, eyes narrowed and voice low.
"You did this."
I watched as Emma shoved Regina from the room, dragging her violently into a supply closet. I yanked out of Jack's grasp and followed them, stepping into the room and going to Emma' side as she shoved Regina against the wall.
"You did this." She repeated viciously, pressing her forearm against Regina's throat.
"What are you taking about?!" Regina wheezed out. "Stop this! My son is-"
"Sick because of you!" I snapped out angrily and her wide, fear-filled gaze switched to me. "He ate that apple turnover that you spiked with a sleeping curse!" Ignoring Emma's stunned look, I stared at Regina, who was staring at me in wide-eyed terror.
"What?" She breathed out before looking to Emma. "It was meant for you!"
"It's true, isn't it?" Emma snarled out, looking helplessly from Regina to me and I swallowed thickly before I looked away, still not totally believing it myself.
"What are you talking about?" Regina spat out and Emma's attention snapped back to her, anger taking over her features once more.
"It's true, isn't it?" She repeated, crowding closer to Regina angrily. "All of it."
Regina hesitated several seconds before she closed her eyes and slumped slightly. "Yes."
Emma rounded on me, her eyes wide and I swallowed thickly at the question in her eyes before I nodded, looking down when I felt Jack's hand fall onto my shoulder. "All of it, Emma."
Emma rounded back on Regina, her eyes blazing. "I was leaving town. Why couldn't you just leave things alone!?" She demanded.
"Because, as long as you're alive, Henry will never be mine!" Regina almost whined and I stiffened, Jack following suit before I stepped forward and fixed her with an icy glare.
"Well, right now, there won't be a Henry to have unless you fix this!" I nearly shrieked and dimly felt Jack hold me back as I tried to move closer to the older woman. "Wake him up!"
"I can't!" Regina cried back and I pulled away when Emma pushed me aside, narrowing my eyes angrily at her as Emma proceeded to get back into her face.
"Don't you have magic?" She demanded and Regina looked down, guilt clouding her features, though I couldn't find an ounce of sympathy for her at the moment.
"That was the last of it." She admitted, raising her gaze and her voice accusingly. "It was supposed to put you to sleep!"
Emma's grip slackened and she stepped away from Regina, forcing Jack and I to take a rather large step back as the closet became crowded. "What's it going to do to him?" Emma demanded and Regina looked down.
"I don't know...Magic here is unpredictable."
"So...he could..." Jack started, closing his mouth with an audible snap at Regina's nod and I turned to look up at him, my brow creased with worry before I spoke, keeping my body turned toward him.
"What do we need to do?" I asked quietly, afraid that if I looked at her, I'd end up punching Regina in the face.
"We need help." Regina said. "There's only one other person in town who knows about this...knows about magic."
"Mr. Gold." Emma said shortly and Regina nodded, her words making my eyes widen in shock.
"Actually, he goes by Rumpelstiltskin."
"No," I said, flinching away from the memory of striking Anna. "We can't." I crossed my arms around my abdomen and turned to go. "Goodbye, Anna."
"Elsa, wait-"
"No," I turned my head to address her as I continued walking away. "I am just trying to protect you!"
"You don't have to protect me, I'm not afraid!" I heard Anna say and I continued to flee from her, heading up to the second story steps, looking back at her briefly as I began to ascend them. "Please don't shut me out again, please don't slam the door. You don't have to keep your distance any more." She begged as I climbed the stairs faster, gripping the handrail tightly. "'Cause for the first time in forever, I finally understand. For the first time in forever, we can fix this hand in hand." I reached the top story and closed my eyes. We can head down this mountain together, you don't have to live in fear."
I walked away from the stairs, hands clenched tightly against my heart and I stopped as she sang happily. "'Cause for the first time in forever, I will be right here."
"Anna," I turned around with a sad smile, grateful to her but determined to keep her safe. "Please go back home, your life awaits." I pointed at her before I moved my arms open. "Go enjoy the sun and open up the gates."
"Yeah, but-" She began, only for me to cut her off.
"I know," I raised my hands with another sad smile. "You mean well, but leave me be." I tuned around and headed toward the balcony, opening the doors. "Yes I'm alone, but I'm alone and free." I turned to see Anna standing next to me and backed away from her, holding up my arms as I entered the palace again. "Just stay away and you'll be safe from me."
"Actually we're not." She sang and I turned to her in shock.
"What do you mean you're not?" I asked, brow creased in confusion.
"I get the feeling you don't know," she continued, looking sheepish.
"What do I not know?" I turned fully to face her.
"Arendelle's in deep, deep, deep, deep...snow." She finished awkwardly and my eyes widened.
"What?" I asked in disbelief and she shrugged sheepishly.
"You kinda set off an eternal winter...everywhere." She explained.
I looked past her shoulder toward the white-covered mountains before focusing back on her. "Everywhere?" I repeated and she smiled bravely as snow began to fall around us.
"It's okay, you can just unfreeze it." She said happily and I shook my head, the snow fall picking up.
"No I can't," I raised my hands, looking at them before I held them tightly. "I-I don't know how!"
"Sure you can!" She said brightly and as my fear increased, the snow surrounding us began to pick up. "I know you can! 'Cause for the first time in forever,"
"Oh," I raised a hand to my head and turned away from her. "I'm such a fool I can't be free!"
"You don't have to be afraid!" She tried, unaware that she wasn't helping.
"No escape from the storm inside of me!" I panicked, pressing my hand against my chest as the snow moved faster as my panic grew.
"We can work this out together!"
I raised my hands, looking at them in terror. "I can't control the curse!"
"We'll reverse the storm you've made!" Anna sang and I turned to look at her, the growing blizzard making it hard for me to see her.
"Oh, Anna please you'll only make it worse!" I spun around again, turning to the wall and staring at my reflection.
"Don't panic!" She tried.
"There's so much fear!" I fretted, reaching up and brushing my hands over my hair.
"We'll make the sun shine bright!"
"You're not safe here!" I rounded on Anna before I turned and raised my hands to my heart.
"We can face this thing together..."
"No," I sang, spinning around wildly in a circle as I alternately pressed my hands against my head, panic overwhelming me as I felt the blizzard grow larger and larger. "Ah" I vocalized, still spinning.
"We can change this winter weather, and everything will be-"
I spun a final time, crying out. "I CAN'T!" Dimly, I felt the blizzard suck inside me as my fear grew to new heights, before I felt it burst out of me and I stopped, breathing hard as I faced away from Anna. I slowly turned, gasping loudly when I caught sight of her on the ground, clutching at her chest as she panted loudly.
"Anna!"
I listened half-heartedly as uncle told Emma what needed to be done, dimly aware of him speaking of 'bottled true-love' and such. I quietly questioned Jack about everything I could remember, though it wasn't much and what I could remember was still a fuzzy, mixed-up mess. Though I did react to the other conversation when uncle suddenly opened the long box on the counter. I stepped forward, Jack at my side and gasped loudly at the sight of the scabbard and sword in the container.
"What is that?" Emma asked in disbelief and uncle smirked lightly.
"You father's sword." He announced, gingerly raising it before he offered it to her. "Believe me, you'll need it."
As the two women left, I rounded on uncle and sent him a disbelieving look. "She brought her over?" I asked in shock and he nodded gravely, looking out to the door.
"Indeed." He muttered before he straightened up and raised an eyebrow at me. "I see you've recovered..."He appraised me for a brief second. "Some, of your memories."
I nodded, looking lost and he nodded, offering his hand to me, which I took with no hesitation. "What should I do?" I asked softly and he gently tugged me closer before he raised his free hand and bent his fingers in Jack's direction.
"Stick with Jack." He ordered. "Because when this curse breaks, all hell will break loose with it." He said grimly and I nodded, turning to leave, but not before he called me back. "Oh, and Jack," he reached under the counter and raised a crooked staff, offering it to Jack. "You might need this."
He tossed it to Jack, who caught it smoothly before raising it to his eye level and smiling widely at it. "Thanks, Rump." he said brightly and I smiled when uncle-no, Rumple, hissed like an angry cat at Jack before he made a shooing motion with his fingers.
"Go on, you two." His disgruntled expression turned slightly saddened. "Go to the hospital and wait for my signal."
I shared a look with Jack before I nodded, stopping when Jack narrowed his eyes warily. "And what signal is that?"
"Oh, believe me." Rumple breathed out with a faint smirk. "You'll know when you see it."
I frowned before I allowed a slightly worried Jack to pull me away, leading me toward the hospital before I suddenly stopped and stared up at him with wide and new eyes.
"Jack..." I whispered softly and he nodded sadly before he reached forward and tugged me into his arms and the sobs overwhelmed me.
"Shh," he soothed, brushing a hand over the top of my head, careful not to mess with my bun. "It'll be okay, Erin."
I nodded, forcing myself to calm down before I pulled away and started toward the hospital, Jack at my side and I didn't pull away when he laced his fingers with mine and tucked me into his side as we walked into the hospital.
"Jack, what's happening?" I asked, panicked as we approached Henry's room to see several doctors in it, almost every machine blaring and a distraught Mary Margaret being forced out of the room, her eyes wide with tears.
"Erin!" She cried, catching sight of me and I moved to her, embracing her tightly as another name rushed through my head.
Snow White.
I hugged her tightly before we turned, still clutching one another, and watched as the staff rushed around Henry, swallowing when I saw the despair etched on some of their faces.
"Erin, Mary Margaret, we should go." Jack said suddenly and I turned to him, my eyes wide at the look on his face. "Come on, you don't need to see this."
He managed to get us to leave the hospital and as we made it to the street, Mary Margaret slowly pulled away from us and I watched her go, sadness welling inside me before I turned to Jack and pressed my face against his chest at the though of Henry; sweet, loving Henry, stuck in a sleeping curse for the rest of his life.
"Elsa?" I whirled around, my eyes wide at the sight of a familiar, white-haired figured standing-floating actually- in the doorway to the balcony of my castle. I cautiously stepped forward, my eyes widening in shock when I realized exactly who it was.
"Jack?" I asked quietly, my voice echoing around the wide, open room and he nodded, softly landing on his feet before he took a step forward, pulling down his hood with a small, faint smile.
"Yeah, it's me." He agreed and I took a step forward, my eyes widening at how much...older he looked. From the time I was twelve to sixteen, Jack had always looked the same age and had never changed. Now he looked...around the same age as I. "You look...different." He observed, leaning against the doorway with a fond smile as he rested his staff against his shoulder. "But, I like it."
"Thank you," I whispered hesitantly and he smiled teasingly, the familiar expression making my eyes burn.
"Why are we whispering?" He asked, leaning closer and a small smile broke out onto my face before I gently pushed my train out of the way and took a hesitant step forward, stopping almost instantly.
Our last meeting, hadn't been the greatest. I'd attacked him, unintentionally or not, I'd still done it and I'd suffered a relapse in control after it, one that I was still suffering from now. His expression fell when I stopped and he suddenly lowered his staff to the ground and stepped toward me slowly, taking short steps until he was standing in front of me.
He reached for my hand, taking it in a gentle grip before he slowly raised my hand to press against his chest where I'd struck him. I looked at the spot before I raised my eyes to meet his, watching as his lips curled into a warm, loving smile.
"See?" He asked softly, seconds before I collapsed into his waiting arms. "I'm fine, Elsa."
"What...what if he doesn't wake up?" I whispered suddenly. "What if she can't break the Curse?" I raised my eyes to meet Jack's and saw the same fear I felt in them before I looked up to see Hanna walking towards us, her head lowered and my brow furrowed before I opened my mouth, jolting when I felt a pulse of something-magic, my brain screamed-jolt through me and I raised my head slowly, meeting identical eyes.
"Anna!" I half-sobbed out, covering my mouth to stifle the sounds.
She started, her eyes widening in shock before hope filled her eyes and suddenly, I was running toward her and collided hard with her, my arms wrapping tightly around her as she gripped me just as tightly.
"Oh, Elsa." She breathed out, tightening her grip slightly before I pulled back and raised a hand to her cheek, clutching her hand in my free one. "You sacrificed your freedom for me?" She asked softly and I smiled at the fact that, once again, our roles had been reversed.
"I love you." I whispered back and her smile grew along with mine before we hugged each other again, drawing apart in time to hear another set of voices.
"Snow!"
"Charming."
We turned to see Snow and Charming embracing tightly before they started kissing and Anna whirled around at the sound of yet another voice.
"ANNA!"
A wide smile grew on her face and her eyes lit up in a way that made tears rapidly fill my eyes.
"Kristoff." She almost whispered before she walked forward, slowly breaking into a run as Kristoff raced to her, picking her up by the waist and spinning her over his head before he set her down and kissed her deeply.
I smiled, laughing through my tears and turned to see Jack smiling at me, his staff flung across his shoulder before he dropped it in his haste to catch me when I nearly tackled him in a hug.
"Jack!" I turned in his arms to see Anna and Kristoff approaching us, ducking out of the way for Anna to actually tackle Jack and knock them both down into a laughing pile. I turned to see Kristoff smiling sheepishly before he bowed to me.
"Your Majesty," he tried before I hugged him tightly, taking him by surprise before he wrapped an arm around my waist and returned the hug. I pulled back and turned to see Anna smiling at me before I offered my arms again and we fell into another embrace, holding onto each other tightly.
"We won't be separated again, Anna." I whispered, feeling her embrace tighten before I closed my eyes, true peace washing over me for the first time in twenty-eight years.
"Uh, Anna, Elsa?" I turned to look at Kristoff, following his finger to see him pointing at a rolling purple cloud and stepped forward my eyes widening as it continued to come closer. "What is that?" He asked as Anna and I tightened our grip on each other in fear.
"That," Jack breathed, gaining the attention of all three of us and cold, icy dread filled me at the expression on his face. "Is magic."
Thoughts? Comments? Questions?