Chapter TWENTY-FOUR: Not Broken
A few hours after the Professor, and Belle left with Strax to go to Victorian London, it was night time. Hook and Cora had successfully docked the Jolly Roger into the Storybrooke Docks and both climbed off the ship. "Well, my dear Cora," Hook started to say, "this is where we should part ways. Thanks you for... everything. It's time for me to skin my crocodile." Hook started to walk off. but Cora magically transported herself from behind him to in front of him.
"You might want to reconsider this," Cora said.
"We had a deal. Get out of my way."
"Believe it or not, I'm doing you a favour."
"By preventing my vengeance?"
"Ask yourself how I'm doing that."
"By using your Dark Magic."
"Exactly. Magic is here, and that makes matters a bit more complicated. If you go off half-cocked after an empowered Rumplestiltskin, do you know what'll happen?" Cora asked Hook, but he never answered. "So you do. Good."
While they were talking, a fisherman walked up to them. "Hey. You folks need anything? Tackle shop don't open until morning, but if you want to go out and try and snare some of New England's finest pescetarian creatures, I'd be happy to open early for ya," he said.
"No, thank you. We're fine," Hook said.
"It's a fine vessel you got there. When'd you get in?" The Fisherman said.
"What vessel?" Cora asked.
"Why that one right..." the Fisherman said, pointing to the Jolly Roger, but Cora used her magic to make it invisable. "Hey that's a neat trick. You some kind of magician back in our land?" But no one got a chance to answer him, as Cora had him turned into a fish.
As the fish lay on the deck, wriggling, Captain Hook kicked it into the water with his boot, then asked Cora, "What did you do with my ship?"
"I hid it from prying eyes. For what we both want to do, we need the element of surprise. Now, you ready to listen to me?" Cora asked.
"Go on, Your Majesty. What now?"
"Let's go have a little look at this Storybrooke, shall we?" Cora asked, leading the way.
The next morning, at Mary Margaret's apartment, David and Mary Margaret were still in bed, and were starting to kiss each other. "What are you thinking?" David asked.
"Oh, that it's good to be back," Mary Margaret said.
"Yeah."
"Uhuh."
"And what are you really thinking?"
"28 years is too long to wait between..." Mary Margaret started to say, but he was interrupted by the door to the apartment opening, and Emma and Henry entering the apartment.
"Hey. Guess what. Taco shells were on sale," Henry said.
"Apparently, tacos not a big item in the enchanted..." Emma started to say, when she saw her parents still in bed.
"What are you guys still doing in bed? It's the middle of the morning."
"The trip back was tiring, and I needed to rest," Mary Margaret said.
"And I needed to... help her... rest," David said.
"Uh, let's-let's go get ready for taco night," Emma said, ushering Henry out. "We have to do, if other people decide to join..."
Mary Margaret whispered to Emma. "We thought you were gonna be back later."
Emma whispered back. "Yeah, well, we weren't, so maybe next time you could put a tie on the door or send a text or..." Emma paused, then said, "You know what? I'm...I'm gonna go make some tacos." She then went to leave for the kitchen.
"It's impressive that we can still offer her with a few traumatic childhood memories at this stage of the game," David said, making them both laugh, before they got out of bed.
Later that day, in the afternoon, Emma ran into Regina while she was walking down Main Street. "Hey," Emma said to her.
"Hello, Ms Swan," Regina said.
"We're having a taco night. Would you like to join us?"
"Why are you inviting me?"
"I thought you and Henry should spend more time together."
"I'd like to..." Regina said, then paused for a moment. "What brought this on?"
"Henry wanted it."
"Okay." Regina nodded.
"I'll see you there. And, by the way. I'm proud of you."
"For what?"
"Archie said you were trying to change, and, well, you are."
"Dr. Hopper said I was trying?"
"He said you came to see him, that you're trying not to use magic, that you're trying to be a better person. You understand, I was hesitant to invite you. I asked him, and he thought it was a good idea."
"I've changed my mind. I won't be coming to your place for tea. Now, I should be going." Regina then turned away and started to walk home.
Up on the Storybrooke rooftops, Hook and Cora were spying on the conversation.
"Well, is she broken?" Hook asked.
"Not yet."
AUTHOR'S NOTE: While I'm waiting for my Beta reader to check my last chapter for The Snowmen, I am gonna start on my main stories again. I have a load of catching up to do. #TimeGirl. Let's see if we can get that trending
