"We don't have two weeks! We may not even have two hours."

Emma sighed loudly and buried her face in her husband's shoulder for a moment, breathing him in and praying she'd turn around, and the newest crisis would be a figment of her imagination.

No such luck.

When she turned back around, her hand still laced with Killian's, she was met with six pairs of grim, panicked eyes.

"Are you kidding me?" she muttered under her breath. "The craziness can't even leave us alone on our wedding day?"

"Your what?" David thundered, eyeing Killian with more than a little hostility. "You married my daughter without talking to me first, pirate?"

Killian rolled his eyes. "We were a bit pressed for time, mate, and I was laboring under the impression that your daughter is capable of making decisions for herself."

"Yeah, I am," Emma said shooting her father an exasperated look. "We're not living in the dark ages, Dad. I don't need permission to marry my true love."

David had the grace to look slightly shamefaced.

But it was Snow's reaction that really cut Emma as she took in Emma's simple white dress, her bouquet. There was a lifetime of pain in her mother's expression. "Emma? You got married without us? Your father and I have missed out on so much of your life, I…I was hoping I'd at least have that day with you—helping you plan, helping you get ready, all the typical mother-of-the-bride stuff."

Emma rushed to her mother and enveloped her in a hug. "And I absolutely wanted you to do all of that stuff with me, mom," she said, her voice wavering. It still hit her hard sometimes hearing how much her parents loved her, how wanted she'd always been. "Killian and I didn't do this to cut you out, it was just a spur of the moment thing so that his dad and brother could see him get married."

Snow looked marginally better hearing that. She pulled back, looking curiously around the clearing. "So you found them? You found Killian's family? Where are they?"

Killian stepped up beside them. "They've gone into the light," he said. "They were able to remain with us long enough to witness our nuptials, but afterwards, the pull to the peace of Elysium was too strong to be resisted."

Snow White shot her new son-in-law a sympathetic look and gave him a motherly pat on the arm. "You okay?"

Emma felt emotion well up at the surprise and pleasure in her husband's face. "Aye, milady. I've lived with the pain of their loss for many a century. There is a good deal of peace in seeing them go to a better place where they'll wait for me when my turn comes."

"Which will be many, many, many years from now, if I have anything to do with it!" Emma said fiercely.

"Just so," he agreed, stooping down to kiss the top of her head affectionately.

Emma smiled up at him, taking a moment to caress his stubbled cheek before turning back toward her mother.

"And just so you and dad know," she said, "we do want you involved in our wedding. We were hoping to do this again—you know, have a big formal wedding, the dress, the cake, the reception, the whole nine yards, once we get back to Storybrooke and things calm down. And let me tell you, when it comes to that, I'll need all the help you can give me."

"Really?" Snow asked, looking back and forth between Emma and Killian. "You really want to have another wedding with all the pomp and circumstance?"

"We wouldn't miss it, your majesty," Killian said.

David stepped up to his wife, putting his arm around her waist. "You know, Snow, it kind of sounds like another couple I know of who had Lancelot marry them in a forest clearing so that the guy's mom could witness the wedding before she passed on. They had a big formal wedding as well afterwards."

Snow smiled. "Let's just hope no Evil Queens show up and threaten to curse an entire realm at the end of Emma and Killian's formal ceremony."

In the background, Regina snorted inelegantly. "You crash one wedding breathing threats and murder, and suddenly you're always remembered as the one who destroys happiness."

Robin leaned over and kissed her cheek. "You've no need to worry, my love; we all know the extent to which you've changed."

"Yeah, we do," Snow reassured.

A masculine throat clearing broke the ensuing silence.

"While I appreciate the moment of family bonding," Hercules said, "perhaps now is not the time. Have you forgotten the very precarious position we find ourselves in?"

"About that," Henry piped up, "what happened with you guys after you left the house this morning?"

Charming's mouth compressed into a thin line. "We'd no more than left the house before we realized our best bet would likely be to split up."

"You see," Snow continued, "Regina was very eager to find her father and help him into the light, given her…role…in him being down here. I wanted to try to make amends to Cora, but I was quickly shouted down."

Regina rolled her eyes, though the slight upturn of her lips betrayed her lack of annoyance. "No one shouted. We just spoke, um, forcefully, trying to bring you to your senses. My mother is not exactly one to forgive and forget."

"Yes, well in any case," Snow continued, "we decided that we'd be best off keeping an eye on both Hades and Rumple. That being the case, Charming and I offered to track Rumple and see what he was up to while Hercules and Meg spied on Hades."

"How'd you find Grandpa Rumple?" Henry asked.

Snow White reached into her pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. "Seems Rumple dropped this when he last came to visit us at the loft. Regina put a tracking spell on it."

"Okay," Emma said, brows furrowed, "but I'm still confused. How did you guys manage to get close enough to the villains to learn their plans?"

"Simple invisibility spell was all it took," Regina said, waving her hand and rendering Robin temporarily invisible.

Emma took a deep breath, not sure she wanted an answer to her next question. "So what did you guys learn."

"Rumple and Hades have plans to double cross us," Charming said. "Big surprise there."

"Figures," Emma muttered.

"Meg and I managed to gain entrance to Hades' mansion by slipping in as Henry—Regina's father—stormed out. Given the man's absence, I assume your mission was successful, your majesty?"

Regina smiled, tears shimmering in her eyes. "Yes. We were able to make peace, forgive each other—although he certainly had more to forgive than I did since I, you know, killed him. He made his way to Elysium, and then Robin and I waited for the others to return to our prearranged meeting place."

"Oh, Regina!" Snow White cried, "I'm so happy for you."

"Yeah, well," Meg said grimly, "the queen's mission may have had a happy ending, but ours certainly didn't. We got to Hades' study undetected because of the whole invisibility thing. At first, Hades was alone, and I was starting to wonder how we'd manage to gain any intel, but then his fools of servants came in."

"Pain and Panic?" Killian asked.

"The very same," Hercules agreed. "After a few minutes of conversation, their whole plan was laid out before us. We were able to learn the whole thing, though there was a moment or two when I feared we'd be discovered thanks to a couple of inopportune gasps."

"Well?" Emma asked, "what is this 'whole thing' you learned?"

"Rumple and Hades have devised a plan to steal the life forces of those of you who have ventured to the Underworld as living beings. They then plan to return to the land of the living, along with a select band of villains, where they can amass enough power for Hades to successfully challenge his brother and, in essence, take over all of the known universe, seen and unseen."

Killian gasped. "But how do they propose to do this? Opening a portal is quite the undertaking."

"It seems they have found a loophole," Hercules said. "Apparently the separation between worlds is much more…penetrable…during the blue moon, which happens to be tonight. We've only got until moon-rise to prevent this."

Emma cursed under her breath, beginning to pace. Finally she stopped, turning back to the rest of the group. "Alright, so what do we do? How do we stop Gold and Hades?"

Hercules grimaced, took a deep breath, let it out on a sigh and then stepped forward. "There's really only one thing to be done. You have to return to the land of the living before my uncle is able to carry out his plan. You can take advantage of the blue moon as well as they can. It will be a simple matter of you going through the portal before they're able to put their plan into motion. As a god myself, I should have sufficient power to open the portal for you even if the moon has not yet reached its zenith."

"But your plan to defeat your uncle," Charming protested. "We can't leave you to face him on your own!"

"I must agree with the prince, mate," Killian said, "particularly when the true love between my wife and myself may very well be a key to his destruction."

Hercules shrugged. "It can't be helped. If we don't do this, all of you will be trapped here forever. As to the True Love prophecy, perhaps you've already played your roll by breaking the curse. If worse comes to worst, I'll follow my uncle to your world, and you can lend your assistance on your own home turf."

Emma felt distinctly uncomfortable at the thought of leaving Hercules to clean up the mess on his own, and from the looks on everyone's faces, she was not alone. Still, there was nothing to be gained from being trapped in the Underworld; they couldn't exactly defeat Hades in the above world that way.

"I don't like it," Emma said, finally taking charge, "but like you said, Hercules, it looks like our only option at the moment. I promise you, though, that as soon as we get home, every one of us is going to work tirelessly to try to come up with a way to help you."

"Much appreciated," he said with a smile. "Now, best we head toward the lake before our small window of opportunity evaporates."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Given the gravity of the situation, it was decided there was no time to waste in getting back to the lake. Instructing the others to take hold, Emma and Regina poofed the whole lot of them to their intended destination just as the shadows were starting to lengthen.

Killian looked around anxiously and then slowly let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He'd half expected Hades and the bloody Crocodile to be lying in wait for them, but the lake and it's surrounding area seemed to be deserted—almost eerily so. Not so much a ripple passed over the smooth surface of the water.

It was strangely unsettling, and a vague premonition of unease passed through him. He'd been a sailor long enough to know never to discount said premonitions. They'd best create the portal, get home, and be quick about it. If they didn't proceed with utmost haste…well, he didn't know what would transpire, but it would not be good.

"Killian?" Emma asked, placing a warm, comforting hand on his chest against his half of their heart. "What's the matter?"

He smiled at her, reveling in the fact they were so attuned now that she knew when he was uneasy almost before he did. "Nothing concrete, my love," he said, turning to stare out at the lake. "I've merely a feeling our window of opportunity is rapidly dwindling. We'd best get to it."

"For once, I agree with Captain Guyliner," Regina said, tossing him an affectionate smile along with the bon mot. "This has been fun and everything, but if it's all the same to you, Robin and I would like to get home to our children."

Hercules smiled. "And I'm more than ready to restore Meg to the land of the living."

The lady in question shot him a shocked look. "What? You expect to send me back while you stay down here by yourself? Fat chance of that! I just found you again; I'm not ready to say goodbye."

Hercules took her hands in his. "Darling, it's not goodbye," He said quietly. "It's only a small separation. I'll return to the land of the living in a short two weeks' time. It will give you time to get used to our new world, come up with a plan to help me defeat my uncle once and for all."

Meg looked stubborn for another moment, and then her face fell. "And if something goes wrong? If you end up trapped down here? I can't lose you again!"

"It won't go wrong," Hercules said firmly. "We must have faith Meg! We will prevail."

She looked up, holding his gaze for long moments before standing on her tip-toes and kissing him as though the very world was coming to an end. Hercules sank into the kiss, returning it in equal measure before pulling back.

"Fine," she said finally, "just…be careful. I'll be up above coming up with a plan to kick Hades' ass from here all the way to the ninth ring of hell so I'll be ready as soon as you show up."

"That's my love," Hercules said with another kiss.

Killian looked around, noticed how very dark it had become, the sun only moments from sinking below the horizon. "While I can certainly appreciate the agony of parting with the one you love, I must insist we proceed with all haste. We've little more than minutes before we're thwarted."

Hercules nodded, pecked Meg once more on the lips, and then walked confidently toward the lake. He'd taken four steps, when suddenly he flew backwards, landing on his arse.

"What the hell?" Regina asked, stepping cautiously forward. She reached out her hand and a buzzing sound, much like the electricity which powered Swan's world, rang out over the clearing.

"What is going on here?" Emma asked.

"It's quite simple, Dearie," came the last voice Killian ever wanted to hear again. "We suspected you might attempt a daring escape and took measures to ensure that couldn't happen."

Killian whipped around, hand going to his sword, and his heart dropped.

It was worse than he'd feared.

Not only had the Crocodile found them, he was accompanied by no less than Hades, Cora, Pan, Cruella, Nimue, the blind witch, and a man who could be none other than David's twin.

"Son of a bitch," Emma muttered behind him, and he heard similar oaths (as well as the drawing of several other weapons) from the remainder of their companions.

"Now is that any way to talk, 'savior'?" Hades drawled, stepping forward. "Quite the language in front of your son, isn't it?"

Emma growled. "Yeah, you're gonna get a lot more than language if you try to lay a finger on any of my loved ones, buddy!"

"Ooo," Hades said, mimicking fear. "The thing is, sweetheart, you can rail and insult and threaten all you want, but we both know there's nothing you can do against the god of the dead, the Dark One, and a half-dozen villains who can no longer be killed."

"Maybe not," Regina said, stepping up next to Emma, "but we can put up a hell of a fight before you take us down. I'm willing to bet I can do some serious, quality damage that'll make you rue the day you took me on! Now answer the question. What is that force field surrounding the lake?"

"Oh come now, Darling," Cruella said in a bored voice, "surely even you aren't so daft. It's magic of course. Meant to keep out any who have living breath in their bodies."

"And ensuring we not only have the opportunity to regain our own lives, but the chance to get our revenge as well," James said with a grin that was anything but pleasant.

"Over my dead body!" Charming growled, stepping forward, sword in hand.

Cruella rolled her eyes. "Well that is, after all, the point, Chiseled Chin."

"Enough of this!" Robin yelled, letting an arrow fly. It hit home, going straight through Hades' chest where his heart should be.

The weapon didn't even seem to faze him, but it was the spark that set the group of heroes on fire, each wielding their own weapons to greatest advantage.

But like with Hades, nothing they threw at their adversaries seemed to make a difference. Finally, Hades sighed, raised his hand, and with a flick of his wrist pulled Swan's lad to stand before him and Rumple.

"Henry!" Emma and Regina yelled in unison, instinctively dropping their fireballs.

"Relax, Dearies," Rumple said lazily. "I have no intention of harming my grandson. That is, of course, unless you give me no other choice."

"Drop your weapons," Pan said, "The moment any one of you makes a move to stand in our way, Henry will pray for death before we're done with him."

Killian looked at the raw, naked fear in Henry's eyes, and felt his own fear for the lad blossom. Not a one of the lot standing before him would object to torturing the lad should it be their only opportunity to obtain their aims. Seeing that they were well and truly trapped, he did as the demon demanded and dropped his sword and then unscrewed and tossed away his hook. Around him, Henry's other assorted family members did the same.

"Now," Hades said, "this is how it's gonna go. Each of my associates here handpicked a hero of their very own. They walk through you, they get your life force, they come with me to the land of the living where I can finally get what's owed to me, and you…well, you're trapped down here for eternity."

Snow looked around. "I think you miscounted," she said in a hard voice. "Excluding Hercules and Meg, there are seven of us. You only have six villains lined up for the task."

"Oh that," Rumple said with a nasty smile. "Did we forget to mention that Henry will be coming with us? I've no intention of leaving my grandson, my only surviving link to Bae to rot in hell."

"Over my dead body!" Regina shouted.

"Haven't you been listening?" the blind witch said on a sigh. "Of course it will be over your dead body. That's, after all the point."

Henry struggled, almost freeing himself at one point, before the Crocodile got a firmer grip on him. "You'll never succeed," the lad shouted! "Even if you get back to Storybrooke I won't cooperate! I'll tell everyone what you've done! I'll find a way to get my family back!"

"I'm afraid that won't be possible, Henry," the Crocodile said, and with that, he waved his hand, and Henry slumped to the ground, eyes closed.

Emma surged forward, and likely would have attempted to strangle Rumple with her bare hands had Killian not caught her in his arms and held her back. "No!" Killian muttered, "we can't chance they'll make good on their threats!"

"What have you done to him, you son of a bitch!" Emma screamed, still struggling against her husband's arms.

"Nothing worth all the dramatics," Rumple drawled. "I merely wiped his mind. Such actions inevitably result in fatigue. When he wakes, to the best of his memory, I was the hero. The pirate, as it turns out, was still infected with the darkness and plotted to kill us all. I valiantly struggled against him, trying to save everyone, but in the end I was only able to save the lad and myself."

Killian heard Robin curse under his breath behind him. Did the Crocodile's perfidy truly know no bounds?

"In that way," Rumple continued. "I've killed two birds with one stone. I return the hero, and I've neutralized the threat of every living soul who can destroy my relationship with my wife."

"Any living soul who can remind her what a lying, manipulating bastard you are, you mean!" Charming growled.

Rumple shrugged. "Call it what you will. It no longer matters. Unless you prefer I hand young Henry off to my associates to torture into madness you will stand back and allow us to proceed."

Standing back, accepting their fate, allowing a band of villains to destroy his wife, and those he'd come to accept as his family went against everything Killian believed in, but while Swan's lad's life was in danger, there was truly no other choice.

Seeing they'd won, the villains whooped in triumph, each standing before their chosen victim—Cruella before Swan, James before David, Cora before Snow, the blind witch before Regina, Pan before Robin and Nimue before Killian himself.

"Well it's been fun," Hades drawled, "but it's time for us to go. Get to it, guys."

Killian felt a curious, cold sensation as Nimue walked through him. As soon as the deed was done, he knew it had succeeded. He felt strangely muted, as though every one of his senses was dulled. This was death.

As soon as the villains had gained their new life, Hades dropped the human shield with a wave of his hand. The blue moon was rising quickly, already high in the sky. Killian had noticed how quickly night always fell in this accursed realm. As soon as the moon had reached its peak, its bright glow reflecting off the lake, a whirlpool formed, the lights and magic proving it an obvious portal.

One by one, the villains jumped through, Rumple carrying Henry in his arms. Soon only Hades remained.

"What are you waiting for?" Hercules fumed. "You've gotten all you wanted! At least for now."

"Not quite," Hades said, eyeing Meg malevolently. "I've got one thing left to do before I head out."

And with that, he waved his hand, and Meg convulsed, falling to the ground. In the space of a heartbeat, her spirit slowly drained from her, stopping for a moment in the air above her before disintegrating.

"That'll teach ya to break a deal with me!" Hades spat before looking over the rest of the group with a delighted smile. "Well, this is it! See ya…never!"

With no more ado, Hades jumped into the void which closed around him and then disappeared before their eyes.

Notes:

-I FINALLY finished another chapter. It seems like it's taking me forever on updates for this story. I am bound and determined, though, to finish the fic before the end of the OUAT season. Toward that end, I've set up a posting schedule for myself: I'll post every Wednesday and Saturday. In that way, I should post the last chapter on the day before the season finale.

-So things are obviously not looking so great for the heroes here at the end of the chapter. It LOOKS like the bad guys have won and they've lost every possibility of stopping them. But you know how it goes. Things always look darkest just before the dawn. (Besides that…I did give you several episodes in a row of basically unmarred happiness. It was about time for something bad to happen!)

-Up next: In the UW, the gang is really upset about what happened (particularly Emma and Regina, given the fact that Henry's in Rumple's clutches). They try to brainstorm their next move, and eventually retire for the night. In real Storybrooke, Belle warmly welcomes Rumple and Henry home, sad about the loss of their friends, but relieved that he made it back. After they settle back in, Belle has some rather momentous information for Rumple. Information that he soon realizes could be really, really bad.