Standard disclaimer applies, I own nothing. This chapter has been part of updating to fill holes and streamline it. All errors are mine, particularly the grammar ones.

Chapter Forty Nine

The town line was an ordinary place that elicited a good deal of irrational fear in Robin. He eyed the dead land marking the boundary with displeasure. The witching hour was not improving his impression. Of course the town line held no fond memories.

It was where Little John had been carried off by the flying simians and he had walked away from Regina.

David nudged him, pulling Robin from his thoughts. The king held up a cell phone showing one minute to midnight. "What are we looking for this time?"

"According to my Queen, the bottle has been magicked to make the barrier think a person is crossing." Robin answered quickly, his eyes on the modern device. "If it makes it through with no transformation and in one piece then good. If not."

"Yeah, I get it."

"We will need to pay close attention for the unexpected as well." Robin caught the nod in response as the cell phone started to sound off the hour. He tossed the bottle of swirling blue liquid through the barrier. The two men watched the bottle turn to dust.

"So." David studied the black dust blowing away into the night. "What's next?"

Robin sighed and read Regina's detailed instructions. "Noon. Tomorrow. We'll find out if anyone can get in." David headed back to the truck but Robin felt frozen in place. "Does nothing good ever happen here?"

The king had the driver's side door open when he caught Robin's soft murmur. "Well, not much. Though this is where I stopped wondering about who I was, David Nolan or Prince Charming and accepted both to become the man I wanted to be, flaws and all."

Robin looked over his shoulder at the king in boots and flannel who would happily tend a kingdom or a town or the family farm. "How? How do you keep adjusting to these new places and circumstances and memories?"

David shrugged and got in the truck. Robin jogged over and got in, waiting for the rumbling of the mechanical beast to stop. "How?"

The king's hands rested on the steering wheel and he leaned over it, looking off into the forest.

"Sometimes I wasn't me or just made of all the worst parts and made all the wrong choices but who I am was, is, still there inside. And it's not about where we are, its being together. I can endure anything as long as I'm with my family, as long as they're safe. Or when I know we're all working to be together again." He sat back and turned the truck towards town. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the thief brood in silence. "It's not like I never have to relearn it all."

Robin considered those last words and thought of Regina and Roland waiting for him. "I guess there isn't anything I wouldn't face if it meant getting home to my family."


"This is becoming a bad habit."

Zelena shrugged at her sister's words. She threw a green apple high into the air and watched as her daughter caught it with her magic and floated it back. "You know training will help her."

"Not that." Regina huffed and crossed her eyes, lounging back on the cushioned chair. "Being here. Why do we always end up here?"

Snow White rolled her eyes while Zelena held back a grin.

"Regina, it's the easiest, especially with the kids in tow." Snow watched Neal try to chase Roland. "I know you don't like how isolated it is out here but it is also quite peaceful."

"We are supposed to be working." Regina closed her eyes and tapped a finger against the bridge of her nose. "Not having Mommy and me lunches."

Snow stood up and went to lean over Regina's chair. "Stop stalling and answer the question."

Regina's mouth tightened into a pout and she glared. "In the woods."

Snow stood quickly in surprise and looked over at Zelena who shrugged.

"Sis, you can't mean that tiny chapel from Issacs's awful book?"

Regina sighed. "There's a clearing at the edge of Sherwood, near my castle." She sunk further into her chair. "It's no roof in Storybrooke but…"

"It's perfect." Snow smiled down at her. "For you and Robin."

Regina let out the breath she was holding. "And I'm informing you now, it will be small. Family and a few select people."

"Fine." Snow turned away and fired her final stipulation over her shoulder. "But you will wear white and have anything else you want."

Zelena laughed at the surprise on her sister's face. "Face it, Mummy would never have approved but this wedding isn't under her control. Instead you have the second scariest wedding planner of all time, Snow White."

"Zelena, please," Snow begged her.

Regina's smile stretched slowly across her face. "No, Snow. The witch is right, you are the second scariest wedding planner. It'll be more elaborate than the forest dwellers like but you'll do everything you can to make it exactly as I wish."

Regina hugged Snow quickly then pushed her backwards to glare into her eyes. "I am not wearing white."

"You will and you will like it."

Zelena rolled her eyes as the two bickered and tossed the apple in the air again. Soon lunch would be over and they'd go back to work. This morning's chat hadn't been very promising.

Snow had contacted Ariel and cross realm communication via mermaid was out. Mermaids could not travel to the worlds of the dead. In fact, all waters known to contain leakage from the rivers of the dead were avoided. The sea princess had promised to reach out to a few ancient sea creatures to discover if it was a relatively new development.

An apple thumped to the ground in front of her and Zelena looked down into the pouting face of her daughter. Smirking, she threw the apple back in to the air and when her daughter started to float it, she snatched it with her hand. Green Pea's pout turned to tears slipping down chubby baby cheeks. Zelena restrained herself from rolling her eyes and waited to see what her baby would do next.

Green Pea wiggled her way onto her hands and knees and across the blanket, using Zelena to pull herself up on her feet where she stood unsteadily and pursed her lips to give her mother kisses.

Snow and Regina turned when they heard Zelena's happy laughter and grinned as the Wicked Witch of the West cuddled and kissed her daughter.

Settling the girl on her lap, Zelena blushed but ignored their sappy smiles. "So white dress, forest wedding, limited guest list. Which really, dearest, you should definitely not invite the dwarves. Conga lines are such a cliché."

"Finish lunch, greenie. It's back to work for us."

"And I'll take care of the wedding details." Snow waved for Roland and Neal to come finish when Emma made her way across the meadow. "Honey?"

Emma set a basket filled with cuttings from the garden down and hugged her mother. "Mom."

"You missed Mommy and me lunch." Regina took a few steps and scooped up Neal, giving Roland a pointed look then tilting her head at his unfinished lunch. "What's in the basket? This pregnancy must be really crazy if you're suddenly into salad."

Emma shrugged. "It's a new project and there's no need to worry, pretty sure the twins are into chocolate and fried food."

Zelena frowned when the Savior sunk into Regina's chair with a sigh. Snow and Regina exchanged a silent look of worry, an all too common occurrence since Emma started showing.

Heroes were too polite for their own good.

"Do you really think another new project is good idea right now? Finishing the castle, research and, oh, I don't know, preparing for twins is bit much already."

"True." Emma gave the one word reply and let her head fall back to look up at the sky as a hand moved over her belly. When she opened her eyes Emma stared at each of them in turn, gaining their undivided attention before she shrugged. "I thought when I came out to the island I'd have more privacy."

Zelena snorted and opened her mouth to mock her when she noticed the stillness of her own sister. Neither Regina nor Snow responded. They didn't argue with her statement considering the idiot savior had built space for her parents and son and Regina and the Dark One as well. The only redeeming feature Zelena found here was that it was far away from the opinions and needs of the entire kingdom.

"Oh." The exclamation escaped Zelena.

Snow glared at her, a new low point when the White Queen figured it out before Zelena did. Rolling her eyes, she caught the grin on her sister's face. Let Regina enjoy the moment, Zelena wasn't out of it entirely.

"Get over it, Savior." Zelena tossed the green apple up and over to Emma, who grabbed it out of the air and took a bite before making a face. "We just came for lunch."

She sent a look at her sister, lifting Green Pea into her arms and raising a brow.

Regina deflected the attention of any spying eye and ear. "No getting rid of us now."

Emma shrugged and closed her eyes again. Snow picked up a stool and pillow and eased her daughter's legs onto it. A sighed escaped the pregnant princess and Snow placed a kiss on her forehead. "We'll be going back soon, don't worry."

"Soon but not yet," Emma mumbled.

The three women watched Emma's body relax into a light doze before going back to their children and lunch.


The hold of the Jolly Roger was more orderly once upon a time.

When Killian had become a pirate, he had welcomed rum and freedom and theft onto his ship but had retained the orderliness drilled into him by the royal navy. Between curses and realm jumps and general Storybrooke mayhem, he had never gotten a chance to sort it out properly. Killian wiped the sweat from his brow then carried another unknown crate to the stack to be hauled up on the deck.

With the last crate was stacked, he grabbed his third cup of coffee and went up top, checking the time on the phone he had found on the bedside table last night. Ten minutes till Dave and company were due to help hoist away. Killian needed another hit of coffee to feel as awake and alert as he wished. He never should have let Emma talk him into those damn blackout curtains. Sleeping in never agreed with him.

"Ahoy, Captain." Henry's voice called out.

"Welcome abroad." Killian watched Henry lope up the gang plank with a couple of take out cups. "On your own?"

"Robin and Grandpa gathered some of the stuff on the list and headed out for test number three." Catching the pirate's raised brow, Henry rolled his eyes and held out one of the cups. "Milah is at the diner, she helped some with packing and then took on lunch."

Killian wrinkled his nose and tossed the remaining coffee from the morning over the side before taking the cup from the boy. "I'm not sure we should…"

"Don't worry, she said she could manage lunch."

Killian took a long swallow of fresh coffee and sighed with satisfaction.

"Didn't you sleep well?"

A small smile flitted across Killian's face, unsure how to respond to his step-son's question. Last night, he slept in the bed he had shared with Emma. It was the deepest sleep he had in the last few months. The sun had been unable to break through Emma's beloved curtains and he had woke up late, groggy with his arms wrapped around her pillow.

"I slept too well, lad. So, thanks for the refill."

Henry tapped Killian's cup with his own before slurping up the contents. "Have you checked any of the crates yet?"

"Nay." He lifted the cup for another sip, raising an eyebrow at the lad slurping. "No sense littering the hold with whatnot when we'll need all the space we can get."

"Why? With the return of the beans, we can come and go pretty easily." Henry slurped louder.

Killian waited for Henry to stop. "Entities unknown have messed with our lives resulting in magic beans magically reappearing. Therefore, these unknown bloody foes know much, potentially know enough to put up unpassable barriers between realms. Which has happened. Before."

"Point taken." Henry saluted him. "It shouldn't be more than a couple of days before we can head back. What'll you do?"

"Do?"

"When we get back." Henry looked down at his feet before looking back up. "Will you stay at the castle with Grandpa and Grandma? Or, well, I don't imagine Grandpa Rumple really wants you around…"

"Well, I will have to unload." Killian scratched at the scruff along his jaw. "Make sure you all make it home safe and sound."

"Find a place for Milah?" The words came out quickly as if Henry couldn't hold them back.

"You'll find lad, that your grandmother can find her own place."

"Here, here!"

The two turned to find Milah standing at the top of the gang plank and holding bags from Granny's. "Lunch. I'm afraid it's not much."

She grabbed a white container and handed it to Henry. She held out a second one to Killian.

"Thank you." Killian opened it to find slices of meat and cheese, cut vegetables and a roll. "And you brought more for the boys. Let's save that for after they haul up the load from the hold." He tucked the remaining bags behind a barrel and returned to his lunch.

Milah wandered around the deck waiting until both their mouths were full to speak.

"Henry, I may be wrong but I imagine once Killian clears the Jolly Roger of cargo and passengers, he'll be heading directly to wherever she is."

Killian swallowed his food and caught the smile that stretched slowly across Henry's face. He studied Milah who waited patiently.

"Your grandmother," he started.

"Stop that," Milah interrupted.

He rolled his eyes and ignored her request. "Happens to be right."

Henry chewed and swallowed. "Good. Still can't say her name though."

Milah glared at him and included Killian when he covered his laugh with a cough. "Small steps, gentlemen. Small steps.

"Ahoy, Captain!"

"Let's go mates, plenty of cargo to haul up." Killian set his lunch aside and started tossing out orders to the grumbling men.