Storybrooke
Sam was parked near the docks as he sat in the Impala.
He had gotten a call from Bobby earlier today, he was on his way to Storybrooke and needed the coordinates. He was about a day or so out. David and Ruby were busy taking care of some resident problems. So Sam decided to do some surveillance on Jefferson, who had managed to escape them the other day during all the town chaos. He managed to find him sitting alone at the docks, staring at some kind of paper in his hands.
Just before Sam was ready to pull out the keys and make his presence known, Henry appeared out of nowhere and took a seat next to him.
Sam stayed in his spot, watching intently as the small boy and man began to engage in conversation. He noticed Henry point to the paper in Jefferson's hands, to which he began to fold it up and place it in his jacket pocket. A few seconds more of talking and Jefferson began to stand up, looking around as if for an excuse to leave. Henry tried to stop him from going, raising his hands and standing in front of him. Jefferson began to walk forward, to which Henry only stayed in front of him walking backwards and holding his hands up, desperately trying to convince him into whatever it was they were talking about.
That was when Jefferson bent down and grabbed onto Henry's arms, shaking him slightly.
Sam wasted no time opening the car door and jumping out. He started walking quickly towards the pair, until Henry put his hand on Jefferson's arm in an empathetic gesture. Jefferson's arms fell and he stood up, running his hand across his face. Sam slowed down a bit. Their conversation came to an end when Jefferson smiled and reached out his hand. Henry shook it and smiled brightly. Then Jefferson walked away.
Henry began to walk down the dock and Sam jogged to catch up to him.
"Hey, Henry," he announced whenever he got to his side. The kid looked up at him and smiled. "You ok?"
Henry nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just thought maybe if I talked to Jefferson, he would be more willing to help us."
"Was he?"
Henry shook his head. "He said he can't. He's worried about his daughter, Paige – or Grace. I tried to convince him to find her, but I'm not sure if he'll listen to me. But he might have mentioned someone who could help us. Or something."
"Really?" Sam was intrigued.
"My mom's vault."
Sam racked his brain, "The Evil Queen's vault? The one that had the Huntsman's heart in it?"
Henry looked up and grinned, obviously impressed with Sam's recollection of his storybook. "Exactly! I think I know where it is, too. When Graham was looking for it, Emma mentioned that they ended up in the graveyard."
"Who's Graham?" Sam asked. "I don't think I've met him yet."
Henry's gaze dropped slightly along with his smile. He and Sam sat down on one of the benches. "He was the sheriff when Emma came to town. He was the one who hired her as the deputy. But he was the Huntsman in the Enchanted Forest from Snow White's story."
"Was?"
"He was beginning to remember, because of Emma. He even came to me and asked for help. He was having dreams about hunting and a wolf and almost hurting Mary Margaret. So I told him I thought he was the Huntsman from the story. He said it all began to happen after he kissed Emma. He kept saying he needed to find his heart."
"The one the Evil Queen stole after he refused to kill Snow White."
Henry nodded. "But my mom still had his heart, in her vault. And Graham was starting to remember; breaking through the curse. So she crushed his heart – and killed him."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Sam finally said.
"Me too. So was Emma, though I know she didn't act like it." Henry paused for a moment and looked out to the water. "Do you think they're ok? I know gramps thinks so, but what about you? Are you worried about your brother?"
Sam had to look over at the young boy beside him. Sometimes, when he was talking to Henry, he forgot that the boy was only 10 years old. Sam smiled, "You know, I was at first. See, I've lost Dean before. About a little over a year –"
"When he went to Hell?" Henry asked bluntly.
"I don't think 10 year olds are supposed to say hell," Sam replied with a chuckle. "But yes. How did you know?"
"When Dean and Emma and I were at the sheriff station that first night together and your angel friend appeared. Cas, I think? I asked him if he was your guardian angel. He said he was because he raised Dean from some word that I don't know. Then my mom asked Dean if he raised him from Hell. So I sort of put the pieces together."
Sam laughed at Castiel calling himself their guardian angel. It was quite accurate at times, he had to give him that. "You know, you're a smart kid." Henry smiled proudly and pushed Sam into continuing with his story. "Right. Well, um. I did everything I could to try and find a way to save him; to bring him back. I worried and agonized over it for months. But he came back – he saved himself."
"But he had an angel to bring him back. And you said that Cas can't help us this time."
"That's true. But I've been looking up to Dean my entire life. He's a hero; a survivor. And from what I know of your mom and her past, she's a survivor too. If anyone can make it back home, it's those two." Sam nudged Henry's shoulder lightly. "They're fighters. They've fought all their lives. You can bet that they're fighting their asses off right now to get back to us. And right now, we'll find out everything we can on how to help."
Henry smiled up at Sam and jumped off the bench. "You're right! And I bet we could find something useful in my mom's vault!"
"Got a plan?" Sam asked, thoroughly intrigued by what was in this witch's magic vault.
"Oh yeah, I just need to borrow your phone."
Enchanted Forest
Emma walked into the room Snow led them to. As she stepped through the doorway, her jaw dropped.
It was dark, and most of the walls were falling apart. But despite the dingy paint, the torn curtains, the toppled and rusted furniture, the cobwebs, the dust – it was most certainly a nursery.
Or what used to be.
The crib laid on its side in the middle of the room. A couple of other pieces of furniture were laying on the ground, and a few stuffed animals were sprawled between the mess. There were a couple of bookcases that decorated the walls and a few small toys lined the shelves.
But nonetheless, it had been a room. It'd been her room. Her nursery.
Emma had never had a room before. Not really. She had always shared rooms with other kids in the foster homes she'd been passed around between. There was the room the couple who had adopted her had given her when she moved in. For a small moment, it had been hers. She remembered how excited she was – to have her own room, her own sheets, her own toys, her own space. Where she didn't have to worry about other kids stealing her things or walking in on her when she wanted to be alone. A place she could feel secure and safe in every night when she went to sleep.
But she wasn't good enough. Not compared to a biological kid of their own. And her room was no longer hers.
She heard Mary Margaret behind her somewhere, "Oh my god."
Then Emma's eyes landed on it. The wardrobe. "I recognize this from Henry's book," she expressed as she walked over quickly to it. It was just as she remembered from the pictures she had burned all those months ago. She reached out and touched the wood. It was cold, and a few lifeless bark flakes fell off in her hand. She walked around and inspected it from all corners, wondering how just this tree stump could magically transport her from this very spot to Maine.
"Come," Mulan said to Aurora, "We'll stand watch at the gate."
Emma turned to watch the two women make their exit out the door past Dean, who's mouth had fallen open as he looked around the room. When he looked to Emma, he snapped his mouth shut and rose his eye brows. It was his silent way of asking if she was ok. Just like that first time on the stair way at Granny's a few days ago. She gave him a half smile and turned away.
She walked over to the opening to the balcony, her fingers fiddling with the jacket that she carried.
"I never thought I'd see this place again," she heard Mary Margaret say behind her as she picked up one of the stuffed bears. Emma turned around and began to walk over towards her while Dean quietly began inspecting the wardrobe. "This room. It was your nursery."
"I lived here?" Emma asked, never really knowing how long it was between the time of her birth and when she was sent away.
Mary Margaret stroked the teddy bear lightly, sighing. "You never even got to spend a night." She began to look around. "This is the life I wanted you to have. I was going to teach you how to walk in here. How to talk. How to dress for your first ball. You never got to do any of it. We never got to be a family."
"We have a family," Emma said finally, "in Storybrooke. And right now they need us to get back there." She pushed her arms through her jacket and adjusted it as she turned towards Dean and the wardrobe. "So, how do we get this to work?"
Dean stood up and sighed. "I checked it out, all of it. It's just… wood. How did you get it to work last time?"
Mary Margaret and Emma opened the doors to the wardrobe.
"Where's the on switch?" Emma asked.
"It's more complicated than that," Mary Margaret replied. "We'll have to get it back to the island. Hopefully someone there has access to enough magic to make it work again."
Dean chuckled. "You want to move this tree all the way back to the haven?"
"Yeah," Emma agreed, "how are we gonna carry this thing?"
"With the help of an old friend."
The trio spun around quickly to the intruder's voice.
"Lancelot," Mary Margaret exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
He started walking forward and Emma noticed Dean tense slightly. She also thought it was strange that the knight was here, but he was acting very defensive it seemed.
"We heard about the ogre attack and I had to make sure you were all right," Lancelot responded.
Mary Margaret smiled. "Where are Mulan and Aurora?"
"I sent them to find food. Tonight we'll make camp and in the morning we'll head back." Lancelot turned towards the wardrobe. "So. This is it," he took a step closer towards it and reached out to touch it, "the portal you were after."
"The same one Emma went through," Mary Margaret replied. "It's how she escaped the curse."
"Remarkable."
"Geppetto carved it from an enchanted tree, but there's no magic left."
Emma kept looking between the two and Dean. Obviously Lancelot was someone Mary Margaret trusted a lot, otherwise she wouldn't be telling him any of this. And honestly, if Mary Margaret trusted him, he must not be all that bad. But Dean was making her anxious. The other two probably couldn't sense it, but Emma definitely could. He was tense and quite, carefully watching and listening to Lancelot as he spoke. She waited for Dean to look over to her so she could silently ask him what was up.
"A portal this powerful," Lancelot said as he admired the wardrobe with an unusual longing. "There must be another way to recharge it."
Mary Margaret laughed a little, "Why are you so interested in the wardrobe?"
That was when Dean looked to Emma. His jaw clenched and his breath hitched slightly. That was it. That's what was bothering him. He, too, wanted to know why Lancelot was so interested in them and their mission. Emma got a little nervous, turning her attention back to watch Lancelot a little more closely.
"Well," Lancelot began, "I just want you to get home to your husband." He smiled and turned towards Mary Margaret and Emma. "And son. Henry. They must miss you."
Before either Emma or Dean could register what was going on, Mary Margaret had turned towards Emma, grabbed her sword, pulled it from its sheath, and defensively braced herself between Lancelot and Emma, the end of the sword at Lancelot's chest. Emma gasped as Mary Margaret sheltered her behind her. In a moment, Dean was following Mary Margaret's lead and held his own sword up.
"Stay away from him, Emma and Dean. He is not who he says he is."
"What are you talking about?" Emma asked. "Who the hell is he?"
Mary Margaret's eyes narrowed, "There's only one person you told Henry's name."
"Cora," Emma breathed out.
Dean's brow creased, "The old chick from the pit?"
A puff of purple smoke surrounded Lancelot, and as it vanished, Cora appeared before them. "Clever girl."
"Where's Lancelot?" Mary Margaret demanded.
Cora scoffed. "He's dead. I killed him a long time ago."
"And you've been posing as him ever since."
"Well, they'd never listen to me. And besides, every kingdom needs a hero, don't you think?"
Mary Margaret lunged towards Cora with her sword, but a glow of magic surrounded her body and Cora threw her against the wall. Emma and Dean ran towards her, but Cora waved her other hand, sending them flying backwards across the room. Dean's head hit the wall and when he landed on the ground – he didn't move.
"Dean!" Emma called over to him without a response.
"Thank you, Snow." Cora walked up to Mary Margaret who was attached to the wall, gasping for air. "I've been looking for a way over for so long."
Emma stood up and ran over again, but Cora gestured towards the carpet, who began wrapping itself around Emma's feet until she toppled over.
"I never thought the person to help me find it would be you," Cora chuckled to Mary Margaret.
"Why?" Mary Margaret asked in a strained voice. "Why are you doing this?"
Emma had to think fast. Cora wanted the wardrobe. If she got it, they wouldn't stand a chance. She would make it over to Storybrooke and everyone they knew would be in danger. She couldn't let that happen.
Emma reached into her pocket and pulled out a few discarded bullets.
"I want to see my daughter," Cora replied. "It's been too long."
Emma opened the bullet and dumped the powder at the base of the wardrobe.
"And you know, I would love to meet my grandson, Henry."
Emma grabbed her knife and a discarded rock and began to scrape the knife against the rock. "No, you won't!"
In an instant, sparks flew from the friction and lit the powder, sending the wardrobe blazing.
"No!" Cora yelled. Using her magic, she pulled the fire into a ball and threw it towards Emma.
A sword came between the fire and Emma, deflecting the fire back towards the wardrobe. Dean fell to the floor, sword still in hand.
"Dean!" Mary Margaret called when he hit the ground.
Cora looked at the wardrobe, then turned towards Mary Margaret. "We're not done," she threatened before vanishing.
Mary Margaret fell to her feet.
"What's going on?" Mulan asked as she and Aurora rushed to the doorway. Aurora quickly ran over to Emma and helped untangle her feet from the carpet while Mary Margaret helped Dean up off the floor.
Emma grabbed on to Dean's arm when they both stood up and inspected him. "Is your head ok?"
Dean chuckled, "Yeah, trust me I'm ok. That happens a lot more than I'm willing to admit, actually."
Emma walked over to Mary Margaret, "Are you ok?"
"You saved me," she replied. She looked over to Dean, "you both did."
"Yeah, well. Where is she?" Emma asked.
"Gone."
Dean turned towards the burning wardrobe, "So's our ride home."
Mulan and Aurora looked at the scene in front of them. "What happened? Where's Lancelot?"
Mary Margaret sighed. "That wasn't Lancelot. I'm sorry to tell you, but it was Cora using her magic to look like him. She said she killed Lancelot a long time ago and she needed you all to trust her. I'm sorry, Mulan."
They all began to regain their steady breathing as the fire began to die down and ashes took its place.
"Lancelot was one of the most noble knights I ever knew," Mary Margaret said in honor of his tainted memory.
"How could I be so blind?" Mulan exclaimed, criticizing herself. "How could I not see that it was Cora?"
"Well, to be fair, the whole shape-shifting thing threw me, too." Emma turned to Dean. "But not you. You knew something was up with Lancelot the minute he came through the door."
Dean shrugged. "I've dealt with too many shape-shifters to know when something's off. I mean, there's no way I would have predicted the whole dude looks like a lady Mrs. Doubtfire thing. But there was no way his intentions were honest. That much was for sure. I'm just sorry for your friend, Mary Margaret."
"What are we going to tell the people on the island?" Mulan asked.
"The truth –" Mary Margaret replied. "That Lancelot was cut down by a terrible villain. He died an honorable death."
"Cora's still out there. We need to find her," Mulan insisted. "We need to defend what's left of the kingdom."
"Who's going to lead us?" Aurora asked her. "You?"
"No." Mulan turned to Mary Margaret. "Her."
Surprised, Mary Margaret looked around at the group. "I'm honored. But Emma, Dean, and I still have to find a way back to Storybrooke."
"We'll help you. We'll find a way, won't we?" Mulan turned to Aurora who agreed.
"Yes. Perhaps it'll help me channel my anger."
They all exchanged understanding smiles.
"Come," Mulan commanded. Aurora followed, while Dean, Emma, and Mary Margaret trailed behind.
Emma stopped Mary Margaret and Dean from continuing, moving to stand in front of her. "I'm, uh… sorry I torched our ride home. I couldn't let her get to Henry. I just –"
"You had to put Henry first," Mary Margaret interrupted.
Dean nodded in agreement. Of course he understood, he would have done the same under the circumstance.
Emma stared at Mary Margaret. She exhaled deeply, "I was angry for so long… Wondering how you could choose to let me grow up without you. But then just seeing all this," she gestured at the tattered nursery around her. "You gave up everything for me. And you're still doing that." Emma felt the tears she'd been harboring since their first reunion begin to emerge as her voice began to break. "Sorry. I'm not good at this. I… I guess I just… I'm not… I'm not used to someone putting me first," she looked between her mother and Dean, the tears beginning to fall.
Mary Margaret closed the space between her and her daughter, wrapping her arms around Emma. "Well, get used to it," she remarked, and Emma chuckled as she held on to her former best friend turned mother.
They squeezed each other tightly before pulling away. Mary Margaret reached up and wiped away a few tears from Emma's cheek. Emma smiled and laughed, turning around to walk out of the room. Dean was right behind her, leaving Mary Margaret alone in the nursery.
Once they were outside the door, Dean pulled Emma in for another hug. Emma clung to him as she buried her face into his chest. More tears were falling, but they were a mixture between pain, happiness, and confusion. Her overflow of emotion had boiled too high, and this was the spill over the edge. Dean simply stood there and held her, stoking the back of her hair as he rested his chin on the top of her head.
"I'm sorry," she finally choked out.
"Hey, hey," he whispered into her hair as he nuzzled against her. "Don't apologize. We'll find another way. We'll get back to Henry and Sam. We'll keep each other, all of us, safe. There's nothing that witch can do that will stop us from getting back to our family."
"How can you be sure?" she asked, pulling away from him slightly.
Dean smiled and ran his gently across her cheek. "We're in the Enchanted Forest, and we're the heroes. The heroes always win."
Bobby's coming to Storybrooke! I can't wait to see how he deals with all the fairy tale stuff. I have a feeling him and Leroy will be getting along well... going around calling everyone everyone idjits.
I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)
"Dede42: Cas, don't make a deal with Gold! 'course he probably will and it won't end well. Anyway, next up I'm sure Dean, Emma, and Mary Margaret are gonna deal with Cora. Update soon! Geronimo!" You were right! And poor Cas, he always tries to do what he thinks is the right thing and it never turns out well. Except him helping with the apocalypse. That turned out rather well.
"suncatcher24: I really enjoyed this chapter! Love Castiel mixing it up with Gold! And Dean and Emma are so cute together! I really like how protective Dean is of Emma. Looking forward to seeing how you introduce Captain Hook! I'm a huge CaptainSwan fan, but I also love Dean and Emma in this story. A jealous Dean is always fun. lol I can just imagine Dean and Hook fighting over who gets to climb the beanstalk with Emma. Can't wait for more!" Oh my goodness, I'm a HUGE Captain Swan fan! Hook is probably my favorite character after Emma! I am dreading introducing Hook. I've got a general story outline of how I want this to go, but I'm still trying to figure out how I'm going to go about with Hook's character in this story. Jealous Dean would be pretty interesting though!
"crusnik08: hmm you bring up a good point bout god but everyone believes he created everything so whos to say the fairy tales werent his creation mean both death and god existed before and during the moment of creation" That's very true.
"Eric the Looney" I hope you did well on your finals! And I definitely recommend watching Supernatural. They don't really deal with the angels and heaven stuff until about the 4th season. But there is a lot about good vs bad, free will vs destiny and all that. It's a little raw and messy, and scary at the beginning. But I would say the overall message is about family and love and loyalty and the line of morality and perception. Good luck if you get into it though! You'll definitely have a better grasp with the background for this story if you do lol. Also, to answer some of the points you made in the third paragraph: I think Emma's gun would work in the case of if she shot it at a person. Because I'm pretty sure they had like cannons (like on Hook's ship) and stuff like that, so I have a feeling gun powder would work if you were shooting it at another human. And as far as where George is through season 2 and 3, there actually was a deleted scene from season 2 that explained this. It showed Charming and Snow going down to the mines in Storybrooke where he was chained up. I'm not sure if like someone's feeding him or something lol but that's what they showed.
"LoveIsMoreThanDesire: I love your style and I am eagerly waiting for the next chapter :) Keep up the fantastic work :)" Thank you so much! I'm just glad people have like it enough to encourage me to write so much! And I'm glad you're enjoying it! :)