Two more (I think) chapters to go on this. Don't quote me on that. I wanted to give CS a little time to reconnect in this, as well as a little time for Daddy Charming feels.

Emma could feel her father's footfalls behind her, his breath catching when he found her there by the narrow creek. She was crouched at the water, cupping her hand so that she might wash away some of the soot and ash from her skin. While Killian had said nothing of her bedraggled appearance, she could feel the sadness in his gaze as he took inventory of the singed fabric and tears.

"I'm alone," he said, kneeling next to her and removing his belt sash so that he might tear it. He dropped the shorter cloth into the water and wet it before holding it before her to ask permission. When she nodded, he ran it softly over her face to scrub away some of the fight. "It's not easy to sleep after such things."

She shook her head, twisting it in the direction he guided with his fingers under her chin to inspect his work. "I didn't kill her," she said with solemn and resigned sigh. "I wanted to, but I did get the potion that you…"

"It was the only way Rumpelstiltskin would allow me to get to your mother. She was under a sleeping curse and I had…I had only a little time."

"You would do anything for her," Emma said softly. "I have known that since I was a small child. You could see it."

Her father turned back to the water to dip the cloth back into the water. "I would do better with soap, but you will pass." He peeked over his shoulder to wear Killian was attempting to sleep on a bedroll that was no more than a thin blanket on the ground. "I suppose he will approve."

She flushed, thankful for the moon's dim glow through the imposing trees. "Will he?"

As a child she had believed that her father could read her mind, as he often circumvented her confessions and admissions by telling her what he already knew. It had been years since she had last felt that connection with him. Yet for an instant, it sparked back between them and she felt his hand touch her shoulder gently. "I have never known you to doubt what is true, Emma," he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I may not appreciate his actions on the high seas or his disregard for the laws of this land, but I do not doubt that he intends only the best that he can offer for you. You helped me to see that, as did he these last few days. You do not doubt that now, do you?"

That worm of doubt ate at her confidence. "Henry's my son," she said the words aloud, confusing her father from his topic for a brief moment. "I am not the virginal princess nor the redeemed one that everyone has seen me to be. There is evidence now of my indiscretion that could destroy this kingdom if our enemies preyed upon us. I am not the same."

He plucked a twig from her hair thoughtfully and twisted it in between his fingers and thumb. "I fail to see the change you speak of. Emma, your son is alive, which is reason to celebrate and be joyous that you were not robbed of him for longer than you were. He has been raised by a woman who desired a son and brought up to be a caring young boy. If anyone would dare to judge the daughter of Snow White and myself, I fear for their safety. For I would challenge anyone who impugns your fitness for the crown over the existence of a remarkable young boy." He dropped the twig to the ground. "And I might say that the pirate has shown no despair over your role as Henry's mother. He has instead strengthened his resolve, I believe, wanting to reunite you with the boy as well as himself."

Her dark lashes drooped onto her cheeks. "I don't know how to do this," she said in a wavering voice. "How can I be something to everyone who will require it? Maybe Henry is better off…"

"That will be your decision, my Emma. I cannot make it for you. But I will be here, as will your mother and I suspect Killian as well."

"You called him Killian," she said, her eyes lifting again and brightening at the realization. "You didn't say pirate."

Father embraced daughter there by the water. He held her to him and said he would help her decide about the potion and the quandary over contacting Baelfire. There seated on the damp earth, they considered their options when it came to the Dark One and by morning were feeling tired yet more prepared to meet the day.

***AAA***

"I feel as though we should do something," Elsa said, coming round the table to greet the other queen. "They are in that forest with no real means of escape unless Red's senses are more powerful than any wolf that I know."

"What do you suggest?" the Queen said warily. "I am afraid I am lacking in inspiration."

Elsa trusted her assessment of the situation and drew her skirts into her hand as she took a seat upon one of the side chairs. "I was remembering a conversation with Regina that we had over Emma's lessons. The former queen spoke of a locator spell, something that can sprinkled upon the belongings of a missing person and help guide us back to him or her. I know that she was looking for the ingredients when the dagger was obtained. But she left it alone after that."

Snow's smile to her counterpart from the other kingdom dimmed. "Regina has taken to seclusion, the threat of losing both her magic again and her…Henry are taking their toll. I'm afraid she would be of little help in the matter."

"If I could find the spell I could make it. I'm sure that I could, but I ask your permission to view some of the texts that Regina had shared with Emma. I know that there may be things that are possessed solely by this kingdom. I would not wish to steal them for my own. I am simply trying to help Emma come home to those who love her."

Snow could remember those texts from her childhood, the books having belonged first to Cora and transcribed in some cases from the teachings of Rumpelstiltskin himself. It was thought that they had been destroyed during the long years of war between the two women only to find that she had saved the dusty tomes that were useless to her without the spark of magic. There were quite powerful incantations and recipes within them that could destroy as well as heal. However, Elsa was not just any ruler. She was a dear friend of Emma's and the daughter of the late royal couple who had been allies and confidants of both the King and Queen.

"I will allow it," Snow conceded with her gentle nod. "Should the opportunity arise, I will speak to Regina of this, but I fear she won't recover soon. Perhaps you should include the young woman Belle? I know that she has been fraught with frustration over feeling useless right now. She has an affinity for books and may be good at research."

Elsa worried her bottom lip between her teeth as she smoothed her hands over the velvety purple gown she wore. "I do not wish to speak out of fear or paranoia, but I fear that we might should keep this plan between us both. The young woman does seem capable and kind, but she had been loyal to the Dark One. It is possible that she could turn back…"

"I suppose it isn't in our best interests to pose the temptation of her learning of some magic that might help. Very well. If you require it, I can assist later today after Granny has attempted her own recognizance. She is out with a few of the guard now, sniffing out trouble as she would say. I can join you in the library at the noon hour."

"I appreciate it, Your Majesty." The woman's head nod was one of respect, though not as deep as formal curtsy from a subject would have been.

***AAA***

"I don't understand this," Red seethed, her cape still about her shoulders and lines of frustration evident on her face. "We were marking the path as we went. How are we so lost that we might have passed the same spot four times now? Even a novice tracker would not make such a mistake."

"It is not the tracker but these woods," Graham explained as he ran his hand over the bark of the tree for any sign that it had been marked for their return. The bark on the trees in this forest were as thick and dark as the limbs and foliage that blocked out most of sun's natural light. It seemed that the trees had essentially healed themselves from the incisions that were the easiest and most effective markings.

"The huntsman is right," David agreed. "Without a magical guide there is no way to know which direction we should head."

"I could try my magic again," Emma said, holding her palms up and bracing herself for that first blast that always seemed to challenge her balance. Light shot from her hands, but there was no immediate change to their location or condition. "I…"

"Princess Emma, it is unlikely that your magic is going to be able to help us here. These woods are impenetrable and your magic unless directed quite precisely will only serve to give us false bearing. It is one of the consequences of this place." He cleared his throat. "While it is not advised that we split up, I think that perhaps some of us should journey farther into this labyrinth and the others stay within ear shot to guide us back if anything goes wrong."

"That might be the safest course," David agreed, "but we should see to having a bit to eat. It has been a while and we shouldn't neglect that."

Graham and David elected to search out some form of nourishment as Red tried to map out what her own senses were telling her. That left Killian and Emma to guide the horses over to the water for a drink.

"Emma, are you truly well?" he asked, dropping the reigns and reaching for her instead. "I have not stopped worrying that the Crocodile might have done something to harm you."

"I'm well, Killian. I just…I want to be home." She leaned into the touch of his hand on the said of her face, closing her eyes to it. "Thank you for coming to find me."

"I would say that you are the last woman who needs rescuing, as you seem to have perfected that on your own, love. But you cannot blame a man for seeking to be at your side." He brushed his lips against the corner of her mouth, taking a bit of pride in her comforting sigh and tighter hold on his coat lapels. "I love you, Emma."

Her eyes fluttered back open as she stared at him with a mixture of surprise and wonder. "You do?" she asked.

It was not quite the response he was expecting, but he appreciated the adorably honest reaction. "Of course, my love. I have for some time, though I have set about my days to temper it into friendship and then mild affection. The truth is that I am in love with you. I promised myself that when you had succeeded in your tasks that I would no longer allow the words to stay trapped between my heart and my mouth."

"I…"

"You don't have to say the words, Emma," he consoled after she stuttered for a moment. "I'm not attempting to make you feel as you don't just to satisfy my ego. I will still love you and admire you even if you are never to feel the same for me."

"I…I do love you, Killian." She ducked her head in a disbelieving and embarrassed gesture. "I hoped that you felt that for me, Killian. I dreamed that you did. I've been falling in love with you for a long time too."

The shout of joy that he wanted to convey might have been inappropriate given the proximity they were to the others, so he settled for kissing her. He wasn't sure, but maybe the kiss was the best way to convey the still unspoken words between them. For he wasn't sure three words could adequately speak to his devotion and desire for her. His palm curved and his fingers dissolved into the mass of curls that were still beautifully messy down her back. Her breasts were pressed against his torso, their firm pressure giving him material for future fantasies of her. With a sweep of his tongue inside her mouth, he felt her shudder against him before her own tongue joined the dance.

There was a sense of pride as they parted, her head dropping to his shoulder as if she were exhausted. She must have been, he assumed thinking of the trials of her latest days. Had they been back on his ship he might have swept her up in his arms and carried her to his quarters without mind to her objections that she could certainly walk under her own power. "We should head back soon. I don't want to lose what ground I have gained with your father because I could not control my desire to ravish his daughter." He heard what sounded like a giggle at his assessment. "It will make it easier to continue my conversations with him about my intentions if I am not in fear of being hanged for my treatment of you."

"I thought we were going to talk to him together," she reminded him, rubbing her cheek against his skin where his shirt was open. "I'm rather curious about your intentions toward me as well."

His chuckle rumbled in his chest as he pulled her even tighter against him. "I might have every intention of being by your side no matter where life is taking you. I know that things are quite unpredictable for you what with the current state of our whereabouts and the discovery of your son, but I assure you that I will be there with you. If you wish for me to never sail again, I will do that. If you ask that I take you and Henry away from all the madness of this kingdom, consider your trunks packed. It is all up to you, my love."

Her breath caught in her chest as she fisted her hands on the leather of his coat. "You would do that? Take us away if I asked?"

"I would do anything for you, my love."

***AAA***

Roland sat on his father's lap as Regina stoically stood next to the fireplace. His head and eyes were drooping in connection with his altered naptime and his father rubbing slow circles on his back. "She wants to get to know him," Regina spat with a fury before returning to her emotionless pace. "Snow wants to know Henry."

Drawing his son in closer to him, Robin nodded. "I imagine that she does."

"He's my son."

"Yes, he is, but it appears that he has another mother as well, in addition to grandparents. I dare say the boy is about to be inundated with more family than he could ever hope for in his life. It may not seem that way, but he's a lucky lad to have the opportunity for such love."

Regina blinked furiously, her hands balling into fists that could have threatened destruction if she had her magic. "But he's my son."

Lifting the sleeping boy into his arms, and carrying him over to the bed, Robin nodded thoughtfully. "I know this circumstance is not ideal. And I fear there will be no happy outcome if we continue along this path. You have but one chance to do this the right way. No one will doubt that this is painful for you, darling, but think of how it is for Emma and her family. They believed the child she bore to be dead. To find out that…"

"I know that," she seethed. "I only want to ensure that my son is safe and out of the fray when it comes to this mess."

Robin looked back at his son and imagined if someone said he must share the boy. It would not be easy. He could admit that it would be the hardest damn thing in his life to do. Part of him would want to bundle him in his arms to never let go, hiding from the society that threatened their family. But there were other circumstances here. Emma was an innocent party to the deception. His code and his honor would not allow the Princess to suffer to feed the desire and need of his wife.

"The Regina who I feel in love with has a strong soul, a beautiful and brilliant woman who is afraid of nothing. I should have seen that when you were willing to come here that it was fear over losing your son that drove you. You have selflessly placed yourself at the mercy of people you battled to ensure Henry's safety from the Dark One. And it is unfair that your decision led to you possibly losing your son to those very people." She let loose a sob that beguiled her usually regal stance and he approached with the intention of soothing her. He wrapped her in his arms, nearly forcing her to succumb to the tears that had begun to fall. "Unfair as it is, it is not something we have a way to fix without pain and sorrow. It is not a game or a sport or a match. There are points or rules of engagement. We must follow what is right for you, for him, and for Princess Emma."

"What if she refuses to let me ever see him again?" Regina said into his shoulder. "They already look at me as if I am a trespasser when I go to the nursery to check on him."

"She appears to be quite adept at making decisions without the staff and advisors. I don't fear for one moment that she will enter this selfishly."

Just as he had soothed his hands along his son's back, he did the same for Regina, the velvety fabric smooth on his fingers. "She sees the good in people. I don't know her well, but I have seen that with the pirate and even with you. She believed you to be good and on the side of right. She will continue to believe that."

***AAA***

"So we are no closer to finding a way out?" Emma asked Red, her cloak wrapped tight around her to ward off the chill that seemed to exist in the maze of trees and underbrush. They had built a small fire, taking heed that too large of one would threaten their safety should it burn out of control. Her father and Graham provided the team with some of the fresh berries they had found and game that they had roasted over the fire as Killian scrounged up a few herbs that grew in the wild there. It was no feast, but their stomachs were full and minds troubled as they sat and discussed options.

David had told of his first trip through the forest, explaining that it changed on a whim to suit its needs of trapping those who dare to enter. "I used your grandmother's ring, the one your mother now wears. It was to lead me to true love and it did."

Sitting as close to Killian as she could without raising the ire of her father, Emma nestles more into herself. "If everyone who comes here is trapped, then how have we not seen anyone?"

"Many do not make it," her father answered honestly. "And others still wander and live off the land. There are some out there." He waved his arm in the direction of their perimeter. "I would advise looking for anyone. And I believe we are wasting our time and energy trying to walk out."

"That's comforting, mate," Killian said, breaking that wall of respect between pirate and royalty. He was not admonished, which was a victory in itself. "What is your solution then? Fly?"

Graham let loose a good guffaw over the suggestion, breaking the silence that fell amongst them. "If I know the Queen she will do everything in her power to summon us back, but I don't care to wait for it to happen. That's why his majesty and I thought about it and realized that taking to the trees might be the right answer."

Not quite as sharp and cutting with her words, Emma's brow furrowed and she threw the stick she had been twirling in her fingers into the fire to watch it spark. "You mean for us to swing from branches? I don't understand."

Graham again laughed at the mental image as her father began to explain. "We will take turns climbing to get a better lay of the land. The others will walk forward or whatever direction that person deems necessary. I'm quite surprised that Killian here didn't think of it himself, having been on ships with crow's nests and the like."

"I have always been more akin to the stars and sextant. Much more accurate."

"Do you see any stars out here?" Graham asked, abruptly launching himself off the ground and throwing his arms heavenward. "We have no way to know where we are or what direction we are headed except a wolf's nose, a pirate's sarcasm and wit, a Princess's limited knowledge of magic, and a king who traveled this way once before."

Red smoothed the hood of her cloak, frowning into the fire's glow. "And you expect us to just climb these trees? They are treacherous at best. To do it multiple times could be suicide."

"It will no doubt be slow going," David informed them, his typical voice of reason shining amongst the turmoil of too many leaders in one group. "We were lucky when we found Emma, but we cannot rely on that again. We will fasten our own harnesses out of the horse's bridles and whatnot. That will allow for a bit more safety."

"And who will do this climbing?" Killian asked. The leaves and twigs are crunching under Graham's boots and Red shuddered a bit at the sound of a faraway howl.

"Graham and I will take on this task. We need Red to be here on the ground and you and Emma to help guide the way. As I said, it will be hard going. Our best hope lies that we make it as close to the kingdom as we can so that Snow's job is easier." His gaze on his daughter was gentle. "And before you blame yourself, daughter, know that we anticipated that it would be this way."

She almost called them all fools for this rescue attempt. "We should sleep and start fresh in the morning."

While no one agreed with her outright, the group began readying their makeshift camp for rest. The King bedded down near a small rise with his sword on the burlap beside him. His face creased from worry was softened in the light of the fire and his fitful sleep. Graham and Red both offered to keep watch, neither knowing what the night would bring. Finally they decided that Red would go first, as Graham would be exerting enough energy with the tree climbing.

Killian prepared Emma's bed, shaking away her protests by saying that he had often imagined performing a night time ritual for her so he might as well do it now. There is not much to it, but he did the best he could and even told her that she might use his long coat for warmth. She refused.

"I have my cloak for that and my arm for a pillow," she told him. "I doubt that it will be that uncomfortable."

He made his own bed just next to hers, laughing that if her mother was there it would be complete with a bundling board to separate them. "Mustn't let anyone think we are up to something." She tried not to watch him, especially as he removed the coat and his fitted pants revealed the tone of his body that she had seen only glimpses of before. Instead she watched the glow of the dying fire and made pictures in her mind among the smoky lifts. When he had finished she expected him to recline onto the earth like her and drift off to sleep, having told her he found no trouble doing that anywhere. He didn't. Instead he leaned over her and readjusted her cloak so that it fully covered her, giving off the impression of a parent tucking a child into bed.

"Thank you," she whispered up to him, searching in the darkness for the familiar light of his eyes. She could detect his smile and softening edges of his features.

He finally took his place on the thin barrier between himself and the ground, not groaning about it as the others had. Turning to his left side he was facing her, the distance between them respectable enough should her father awaken and wonder. If he was asked, he was good with it, seeing her there so close and hearing her breathing as her lashes fluttered against her cheeks and the braid of her hair roped over her shoulder so that she might not have as many tangles in the morning.

Reaching a hand out from under the makeshift blanket, she reached for his and pressed their palms together. Fingers interlaced, she stared at the combined sight and sighed. "Good night, Killian."

"Sweet slumber, my love."