Chapter 54
Everyone turned to Lorelei, ready to go home finally. The siren was busy staring down Ruby's shirt. After she noticed the attention, Ruby closed her cloak, which brought Lorelei back to the present.
"Lorelei, I know it's difficult for you, but can you try to pay attention to the world around you for a few moments?" Regina asked in a sarcastically sweet voice. "I, for one, have been locked in a dungeon for some time and desperately need a bath."
Emma nodded and attempted to untangle some of her blonde hair, "yeah, I agree. Since I'm pretty sure the enchanted forest doesn't have my brand of conditioner, I'd like to take a bath back in Storybrooke."
The siren raised her brows and gestured at the water, "be my guest, but mind the Kraken. He gets cranky when people swim through his waters."
Henry laughed a bit, "come on Lorelei, we just want to go home. My moms get cranky when they have to rough it for a few days."
Regina and Emma both glared at him and he shrugged and turned away, still smiling. "I can't wait for a bath either, but I am also looking forward to researching the different worlds theories. I wonder if anyone else has actually been to them?" Belle seemed distracted by her own thoughts.
Ruby took Lorelei's hand and told her quietly, "I'm in need of a bath also. If we get a move on, maybe I will let you help…?"
The siren pretended to consider for a moment before smiling and gesturing again to the water. A little ways out to sea, the water started roiling and a great monstrosity of a shipwreck was pulled up to the surface. Silver swirls of magic swooped around it and at the shoreline, building a dock for them to board the ship with. Once it was all done, the travelers boarded their ride home.
Everyone stood ready to go. After a few minutes of just standing there, Emma asked, "sooo… where's the sirens?"
Lorelei glanced at her, "they're coming. They got rather roughly undone during the struggle between myself and… well myself. It takes a while for them to be remade and then they have to get to this world from our Underworld. It will take a while to find the right world, this time they do not have me to guide them. Basically, hit and miss til they find this place again."
Regina threw her hands up, "great. So how long could we be stuck in this place?"
Lorelei shrugged and sat down on a moldy bench. "No idea. Could be minutes, could be years. I assume there are an inconceivable number of worlds to look through."
Belle sat on a different moldy bench, "I don't understand. Why do you need them to take us home? Can't you just do it yourself?"
Shaking her head, Lorelei answered, "the problem is that I can't find my way back to our world. When we came here, I followed a sort of beacon from Ruby and Henry. Now, I have no path to follow."
Zelena, who had remained unusually quiet for quite some time spoke up, "but they found me and brought me here, how did they do it?"
"Well, they left a trail from Storybrooke to here, they followed it back, got you, then followed it back here again. Since they were undone, so was the trail. When they find us again, they will have left a trail from there to here again." Lorelei seemed uninterested in all of this.
Ruby sat beside her, hoping the bench would hold. "Okay, so we just have to wait?" the siren nodded. "Okay, well then… should we wait here or do you think we could maybe go back to the castle, take a bath and just breath for awhile?"
Everyone looked hopeful at this prospect, except Zelena. "Well, why don't you all go and I will wait here."
Lorelei shook her head, "no one needs to stay here, I will know when they arrive in this land."
Zelena was wringing her hands nervously, Regina noticed and held them in her own, whispering to her, "Zelena, it's okay. If you don't want to see Cora, you don't have to."
Zelena hugged Regina and smiled at her, "thank you. I don't really want to…"
Regina nodded in understanding and released her, taking Emma's hand and then Henry's. They left in a puff of purple smoke. Ruby took Belle's hand and then Lorelei's and they too vanished. Zelena sighed in relief and went back to the land, magicking up a comfortable chair to wait in.
…..
They arrived in the main hall of the castle to the strange sight of the other Lorelei walking towards them, holding a dark haired baby and making cooing noises at it. Cora followed close behind, smiling brightly. After a surprised gasp, Cora welcomed them in happily. "Of course you can stay with us until you're able to leave! I will have rooms made up for all of you." She glanced at the siren holding her baby and said quietly, "it seems she has a real love for babies! She will be a wonderful second mommy… well, fourth mommy I guess. Red and Snow are just as in love with Regina as they are with Emma."
Regina made a disgusted face, "mother, please do not let that creature raise me."
Emma snorted a laugh, "hey, at least if she raises you she won't be hitting on you all the time." Emma only laughed more when Regina slapped her arm.
The other siren looked up from the baby finally and smiled at grown Regina, "why would I ever want you when I can have your mother? Besides, you don't smile nearly enough. No worries though, I will make this version of you far happier. She will smile all the time when she grows up!"
Regina rolled her eyes, and tried to look mad, but Emma pulled her into a hug because she knew how wonderful that sounded to her. Regina could pretend, but she really was happy that at least in this world, she would grow up with an abundance of love and attention. There wouldn't be an evil queen this time. "Just make sure Emma grows up happy too."
The siren seemed to think for a minute and then vanished, with the baby. Cora let out an exhausted groan, "do you know how many times I have had to track her down with my child already? I'm quite thankful for this charm you gave me dear." Cora smiled at Lorelei before poofing away.
A castle servant found them shortly after and led them to their rooms. Each chamber was immaculate and had a private bathing room attached. Regina and Emma took the first one, racing to the bathroom excitedly. Ruby and Lorelei took the second and as the door closed behind them Belle could hear Ruby angrily telling Lorelei that a bath was in fact necessary. Belle was about to close her own door when she glanced at Henry, looking a bit sad.
"Henry, what's wrong?"
Shrugging, he answered, "nothing really. I'm just not really used to being so separated from everyone. This castle is huge, and I assume everyone will be occupied with what I am pretending is just bathing, for a while."
Belle thought for a moment and then asked the servant, "are any of the rooms close by joint rooms? I mean, two chambers in one?"
The servant nodded, "yes Lady. I have a room with two bedchambers, but a joined sitting room. There are two bathing rooms also, but it is not as grand as these single guest rooms Lady."
Belle nodded and closed the door she had been about to enter, "we will share that chamber then."
Henry smiled at her, "really?"
Belle smiled back and nudged his shoulder playfully, "yes, really. I'm alone here too you know. At least we can keep each other company while everyone else is… washing and sleeping." She giggled at the way his face turned red. They followed the servant down the hall a bit until they found their room.
Henry stared around the massive chamber in awe, "this isn't as grand? Are the single rooms furnished with like gold couches or something?"
Belle laughed at his naivety, "this isn't the best, as far as the evil queen provided. Of course, by normal standards, this room would be fit for a king."
They split into their private areas and immediately went to wash. After a few awkward moments of trying to get a servant to leave him alone to bathe, Henry finally let the man run his bath and prepare his new clothes as well as take his old ones. He did however refuse adamantly to the man helping him dress. He beat Belle back to the sitting room they shared by about an hour. He couldn't imagine what took her so long, his bath took longer to run than to actually use.
Eventually, Belle did emerge, looking perfect and smelling like roses. She sat across from him and they talked about everything that had happened until the dinner bell rang through the castle.
….
