Chapter 25 – The Tower

"You're up early." Emma comments as she sees her sister enter the Blanchard l oft dressed with black legging and a grey hoddie, and Nike running shoes. Her hair pulled into a perfect bun, clearly coming from running. "And running."

"Yeah. Just needed to burn some energy."

"Seriously, with everything going on I don't know how you still have energy, especially to burn."

"I'm an active person. Everyone's wake?" Emma knew there was more to it, probably nightmares. Helena always has a hard time sleeping. With a little she sleeps Emma can't help but wonder where in the hell her sister gets so much energy.

"Getting there, Regina is coming here to get everything. Want some eggs?"

OUAT

"So, now that we know who we are dealing with, how do we find this Wicked Witch?" She asked everyone around the kitchen island.

"Might I suggest we start by asking, if anyone has seen a woman with green skin running around?"

"We're cursed in Storybrooke. She'll look like any one of us." Regina informs everyone as Helena takes a deep breath. Great, that could mean 90% of the population could be the witch.

"Then we start somewhere we know she's been. Regina's office."

"I've been over it with a fine-toothed comb. She left no trace."

"But you were combing for magic. Maybe there's physical evidence that you missed."

"Good idea. We'll track her." David tells Emma, a plan already forming around.

"If you wanna waste your time playing Nancy Drew, be my guest, but we can't let Henry wander around alone with that witch and her flying monkeys out there."

"Well, especially, since one of these flying monkeys could turn out to be his father."

"Still no sign of Neal?"

"No."

"Point being, someone needs to protect Henry."

"We need to remember he doesn't even know what's going on." Helena says showing once again she supports Regina.

"I'm guessing you're volunteering?"

"If you find anything, call me."

"Just remember, he thinks we're here because I'm on a case."

"Well, look who's gotten good at lying." Helena rolls her eyes, the two of them fighting won't get us anywhere.

"Just don't let anything slip up. As far as Henry knows, you're just Madame Mayor and that's it."

"I'm well aware of how Henry sees me." Regina says clearly not happy as she leaves them. Helena just lets out a breath.

"Time is wasting. There's something wicked in your town. What do you say we go find find it?"

OUAT

"You haven't spoke to me since we came back."

"Hook, now it's really not the time to be talking about whatever this is."

"Having in count one of us can be turned into flying monkeys anytime possible I really think this time is the deal." She was ready to talk into the office, where Emma and David where already, when his hook stopped her arm not allowing her to move. She turned back to him seeing the way his eyes stared at her. He wanted a change – to what she didn't know.

"Elizabeth." Her voice came as a whispers to her and she closed her eyes looking down.

"I can't." There was too much going on. She couldn't just forget everything that happened.

"Can't or won't?" He looked at her with a challenging look.

"I moved on." She says with a cold tone shocking him and as soon her words left her lips she regrets but now was too late. She turned around and entered the room.

July 4, 2013

She could feel Steve's fingers drawing figures in her naked back. That was something that somehow relaxed her as she lies on his naked chest.

"Where do we go from here?" Steve voice shows uncertainty and a bit of fear, two feelings that she never connected to the hero.

"I don't know." She says looking up at Steve. "I like you Steve and I can't deny there is fire between us. Tonight proved that." she teased him as she noticed how red he's becoming. "But your heart is still with Peggy."

"And yours with him. You never told me his name."

"Killian. His name is Killian." She says with melancholic. "What a pair we make."

Present Time

They all took turns looking around the woods. Emma was paired up with the rest of the dwarfs. She stayed with Hook. They were walking as they pass by a holly berry bush. Using his hook Killian shakes some berries off the bush.

"You'll look for any excuse to use that thing, won't you?"

"At least we know we're in the right place. What now?"

"Now, we start searching."

"You know something, Elizabeth? Whenever you're around, I inevitably find myself trekking through some manner of woods or forest, courting danger."

"Here I thought you weren't afraid of anything. Always looking for the next adventure."

"Oh, is that, what this is?"

"Isn't it? What the hell were you doing the last year and half on that ship? I'm guessing it was one swashbuckling tale after another. Till you decided to come back and save me."

"Exactly."

"You're lying." She accuses him as she faces him. Of course he was.

"Excuse me?"

"What happened back there? What aren't you telling me?"

"Nothing. It's my tale. I'm sticking to it."

"Still don't believe you."

"Well, let's leave at that and I will drop the lie you told me before."

"What lie?""

"That you moved on with someone else. I know you didn't."

"Why because there are movies with me lying around this town? Just because you saw some of the my days where, it doesn't mean you know everything."

"I don't care about the man you slept with Elizabeth."

"You don't know that. You don't know who I slept with and I."

"Captain America." He says almost joking but then saw the look on her face and he took a deep breath. "Of course. You don't love him."

"I never said I did or that he didn't wants something seriously."

"Were you considering it?"

"Does it matter?"

"Humor me."

"Yes. Okay? I was considering it. But then I realized we would never work and one of us would eventually end up with a broken heart, probably both, so I told him neither of us was ready and he agree. He still loved Peggy and I had my own ghosts and heartbreak. Enough humor for you?"

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm glad to hear that."

"You're glad to hear I had my heart broken?"

"If it can be broken, it means it still works." He says with honestly as they bodies were almost pressed together. She couldn't deal with his so Helena turns around and walks on. Climbing up a hill they stop in front of a farmhouse.

"A farmhouse. You have to appreciate the irony."

OUAT

"David, you okay?2" she runs to her father as she notices some bruises on him from the fight.

"Well, where is she?" Regina asked him.

"It wasn't her."

"Then, who was it? You look whiter than a fresh sail." Hook comments as she starts to check for more dangerous injures.

"Myself."

"Come again?"

"It's the witch. She's toying with us."

"Did you guys find where she might be hiding?"

"A farmhouse. We think it's hers."

"Then let's end this. Let's send this witch back to Oz."

OUAT

"How many people do we know who can spin straw into gold?" She asked the group as she touched the straw of gold and points to the group.

"Rumplestiltskin."

A.N. I apologize for the last chapter. It's already been changed for the right one. I knew last chapter didn't have much of Hook but more of Regina. I love Regina, she's the best character on the show and I love Helena's friendship with her.