Chapter 6 – Monday

Monday morning came along and Emma got up earlier than usual because of the meeting Regina had called. She hated waking up early, but it wasn't the worst thing that could happen to her on a Monday. No, things got worse when she was getting Hope dressed. Her diaper was messier than usual, and she was extra fussy. Emma was running thought possible reasons in her head when Hope revealed exactly what was wrong. Her little girl threw up. It wasn't a light amount of spit up, but the full on sick kind. Emma got her cleaned up and changed again as quickly as she could. This time in just a simple onesie.

"I know your tummy hurts, I'm so sorry." She tried to comfort the crying baby against her chest.

"Swan, if you want to eat and have cocoa before we have to leave…" Killian announced as he came into the nursery, but trailed off once he noticed something was wrong.

"She's sick. We can't bring her to Ashley's, and honestly I don't want to." She told him.

She had been left alone while sick countless times growing up. Even if Hope was a baby and wouldn't know any different, Emma didn't want to leave her to someone else.

"You go on without me, and I'll eat later when I've got her settled."

"Of course, I understand completely. I'll fill you in on the meeting, and the station is in Henry's capable hands. But I don't have to leave this instant. Do you need me to get anything for you? I can quickly run to the drug store." He suggested, more than willing to do whatever he could.

"No, we have everything from before." She shook her head and took a seat in the rocker.

Even though Emma hated seeing her daughter go through this, this wasn't the first time she had gotten sick. The first time she and Killian did go a little overboard. She determined that she was not going to freak out every time. She could do this, and today would be a sick day of relaxing and recovering for her and Hope.

"You're quite right." Killian agreed and a second later his stomach growled loud enough for her to hear. "Well, I better go and eat something. Regina would kill me if my stomach was making noises during the meeting."

"Yeah, I wouldn't want to be sitting next to you either if that happened. I might suffer some collateral damage." She teased a little. She wanted to show that they were fine, and he could take care of himself without spending every second with her. That would be nice, but life doesn't stop when a person is sick.

"Such loyalty," He shook his head and mumbled sarcastically as he left the room and headed downstairs.

After several minutes Hope had cried herself back to sleep, but Emma remained with her in the rocker. She wanted to give Hope all the comfort she could. And that's how Killian found her when he returned with a pack of Pop Tarts in hand. No way!

"I figured if she was being fussy you might not be able to go down and make yourself something to eat. I thought these would be easier for right now, and I rather you ate these than not eat at all." He explained, and she was still stunned.

"Thank you, this is just what I need." She thanked him and gave him a short kiss. "But wait until I tell Henry. He's not going to believe it. This may deserve a podcast segment."

"These are extreme circumstances." He stated and defended his usual stand against Pop Tarts. "Speaking of which, I better be off, Swan. I love you both."

"We love you too. Bring us some good news home."

"I'll do my best." He nodded and sent her a smile.

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CS

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La fa mi re so ti

La fa mi re ti

La fa mi re so ti la

La fa mi re so ti

La fa mi re ti

La la fa mi re so ti

So fa fa

Emma hummed for Hope. It was the song she had sung in front the Black Fairy before her wedding. The tune had always been there, like a song that got stuck in her head. She remembered the words that had come to her that day, but the tune by itself was still familiar to her and seemed to bring more comfort. It seemed to be peaceful and soothing for Hope as well.

She was calm for right now, but chewing on her shirt. Emma could already feel the drool getting to the fabric. But she could deal with a damp shoulder if her daughter was happy and settled. She had gotten sick a little over an hour ago, and Emma thought perhaps that was the last of it. Emma's thoughts and humming came to a pause when she saw her phone light up on the coffee table. She thought it might be Killian, but to her happy surprise, it was Elsa with a video call.

"Hey, Elsa!"

"Hello, Emma! How are you?"

"I'm doing okay. But, Elsa, I can only see your eyes and your forehead."

"Oh, sorry!" She apologized, and Emma watched as she adjusted her phone. "Is this better?"

"Much!" Emma nodded.

Not too many people outside of Storybrooke had a cell phone, but Elsa got one to keep in touch with Anna, who was all about travel. Most people didn't see the need since they lived their whole lives without one. And don't ask her how they even worked for the people who did have them. Henry had a theory and tried to explain how they worked on magic rather than cell towers or other modern technology, but it went over her head. Nevertheless, she was grateful that it worked. It helped her keep in touch with Henry while he was away, and now she was video calling with a friend.

"I've gotten used to typing and calling, but this is still new. It's funny how using magic on a mirror is easier to me than this. I suppose I could have done that, but I can't know if there's a mirror around that's convenient for you. I could text to find out, but then I might as well just call or video call like I am now." Elsa rambled on.

"Elsa, Elsa, it's fine. This works." She assured her once she got her attention. "Did you switch personalities with Anna?"

"I can see what you mean. I guess maybe I miss her while she's in Storybrooke. And things are a little hectic here right now."

"Is there something going on besides the magical medical issue?"

"Yes and no. The people are restless and panicked, but I'm not in fear of an uprising or other drastic measures." She shrugged. "I'm just frustrated that I can't be there. But from what I hear, I'd be frustrated here or there."

"Oh you definitely would be. Trust me." Emma stated and shook her head. "I have to keep reminding myself that I can't be everywhere or do everything."

"That is so very true." Elsa agreed before continuing with the goings on in Arendelle. "And there's this ambassador from the Land of Untold Stories that's staying here. He's a pleasant guest, but he's quite irritated at the moment. Even though he can travel, he's choosing not to. He's not taking the risk, plus, that would throw off his schedule for visiting Guilder and Florin next."

"Some people can never be pleased, and misery love company. He wants others to be just as bent out of shape as he is." Emma shook her head. In the back of her mind she was thinking about Guilder and Florin since Elsa mentioned them. They were definitely on the list of places to visit one day. "I hope for your sake that he gets on his way soon. In the meantime, good luck!"

"Well thanks," Elsa replied with a hint of sarcasm at the 'good luck' part. "He has lots of opinions about this, and how he thinks things should really be done. Some of which I do agree with, but I'm not Regina. Truthfully, I'm glad I'm not."

"Me too. I don't know how she does it all. But that's what she's meant to do. Just like I'm meant to be a mom right now."

"Oh yes, how is Hope?" She asked and then shook her head. "I'm so sorry, that's the reason I called. I've just talked about my problems."

"Don't be sorry, we have a lot to catch up on. And Hope seems pretty content right now. I think we're passed the worst of it."

"That's good to hear. What else is going on besides the council meeting and a sick baby?"

"Well, we had a nice family evening on the Jolly Roger on Saturday. We had dinner with my parents yesterday and Anna and Kristoff were invited too. And I think Killian is planning for a date later this week."

"That's wonderful!" Elsa smiled at the news of the date. "It must be nice after all this time to have normality in your life during a crisis. With the United Realms there are so many working together instead of you and your family against the world. I guess that's a perk of having gotten your happy ending."

"It is a good change, and a positive result of the realms being together." Emma nodded and thought a bit about what Elsa said. "As for the happy ending part, I think it's more than that. There is no arriving at a point where everything will be perfect forever, but we're living our lives instead of having life put on hold to fight a villain or impending threat. It's a choice we've made."

"That reminds me of a saying I came across in Storybrooke. I saw it on a book and also as wall decoration. Choose joy." She told her. "I was puzzled at first. But joy is something you can have no matter the circumstances while happiness is an emotion, and emotions change. Joy doesn't have to."

"I think that's the exactly the case. I might get a little decoration with that. It's a good reminder."

"Oh yes, of course. I can in just a few minutes." Elsa replied, but it wasn't to Emma. "Sorry about that, Emma."

"You're a busy person with a lot of responsibilities. I understand if you need to get going. Honestly, we probably would have been interrupted by Hope, but it seems she's decided to fall asleep on me."

"Well, hopefully she's feeling more like her usual self when she wakes up. But unfortunately, I do have to say goodbye for now."

"Like you said, it's for now. We'll have to talk again soon. This was good."

"It was. Say hello to everyone else for me."

"I will. Bye, Elsa!"

"Goodbye, my friend."

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CS

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"Joining the navy was a whole new, amazing life for us." Emma heard quietly from the upstairs hallway as Killian told Hope a bedtime story. "But your Uncle Liam adapted faster than I did. I loved the sailing and working on a ship where I was actually a part of the crew instead of a slave. It took a while to get a hang of it, or hooked rather, on the other things the navy required. The main thing that I couldn't fathom was why dancing was required training. Liam told me not to think of it as something for the navy, but as a skill that would come in handy when I met a lass I fancied. I thought he was full of nonsense; he always fit into that lifestyle better than I did. But I learned, and while I was quite good at dancing, it was never for the opportunity Liam suggested. Not while I was in the navy anyway. No, Liam was finally proved right a couple centuries and a time travel trip later.

"Now, let me tell you something, Hope. When people disagree they don't like to admit when the other person was right, and they were wrong. This is especially true when talking about older and younger brothers. But I was so glad that Liam turned out to be right after all. Those other dances were all worth it for the chance to dance with my swan. It was one of the best nights of my life."

"Is she asleep?" Emma asked from her spot in the doorway where she was watching and listening.

"Aye, before I even said a word about dancing. Knowing that she was unwell today, I just wanted to hold her a bit longer."

"I completely understand that. She's improved a lot though since this morning. Maybe it was just a twenty-four hour bug."

"Maybe then she'll be back to her cheerful self in the morning." He replied to her and then turned his attention back to Hope. "Sleep well, my little beacon of hope."

They both gave their little girl a kiss goodnight, and Killian put her down in the crib.

"So, are we any closer to a cure?" Emma asked when they settled downstairs on the couch.

They had started to talk about it over dinner, but Emma got a phone call. And Hope was tired and made it loud and clear that she was unhappy.

"Well, you heard the theory Rogers had before, right?" He began and continued when she nodded. "A link hasn't been found yet between the dogs and how they got the magic. But a link between the condition and the magic causing it has. The curse that Rogers and Alice suffered from came from a mushroom. After some research, that same mushroom is an ingredient in a spell that is inflicted on people through the wild dogs. Once it reaches the heart, it's not unlike your test in the Underworld."

"You mean when I put my heart on the scale? My love was weighed when I chose you over my heart."

"Aye," Killian replied, and they shared a smile, remembering the moment. He then gave her a kiss before returning to the conversation. "It's similar to that. It searches for the darkest spots in the heart and feeds off of it. This is where the 'weighing' or the 'scale' part comes in. If it's dark but not that dark, the person recovers with no magic cure necessary. But if it's very dark then…"

"It kills them." She finished quietly.

They sat in silence for a minute as the information sank in. It wasn't anything they hadn't already figured out, but now they had proof. At least they had a little bit more in the department of why things were happening the way they were.

"When it finds darkness, it causes physical signs such as the sickness and eventual coma. It can be compared to people being in physical pain when their hearts are squeezed and eventually crushed." He continued to explain but took a brief pause. She knew he was remembering that time in the clock tower and other times as well. "Mentally it causes the person to harbor on that moment or situation only and any guilt towards the matter is increased."

"What's the cure? And what's the purpose?" Emma asked and almost demanded. Not really at him, but she was frustrated with the whole situation. It felt like they were going in circles. "A person's heart is taken for a reason, and my heart was tested for a reason."

"Well, that's where some of the delay in finding answers came in." He replied patiently with her. "People were searching for accounts of dogs or other animals doing something similar. There were none because this is not a natural ability of any animal. Someone is doing this to the dogs. As for a cure, at first it was thought that there wasn't a cure since Rogers and Alice never found one, except for Rumpelstiltskin's heart. But because other ingredients are involved there is a chance at a cure being found."

"This sounds like the most informative meeting so far." She sighed. It still hadn't reached the end goal of fixing things, but now they knew they were going in the right direction. "How's the productive part going? Is there a new plan or plans in place?"

"From here on out the guys, myself, and Ruby will be full-time hunting the dogs. Perhaps that will lead to some clues about their master. Right now we don't know who it is or what the goal is."

"I'd suggest Cruella. But the one we knew is dead, and the Wish Realm isn't part of the United Realms." She pointed out. It would have been confusing to have doubles of everyone, and the people of that land chose to keep to themselves.

"Regina spoke with Henry, and he's going to be leading a group that's searching for any story with a dog from books to movies. If anyone is going to find the right story, it will be him." He told her with a proud look for his stepson that she shared. "Rogers and some others are shifting focus now that we know what we're dealing with and looking for antidotes. He figures that if all four ingredients are required then it doesn't matter that there isn't a cure for the mushroom. If the other parts are cancelled out with an antidote then the whole spell will fall apart."

"I guess I see the logic in that. But won't the people be left with the curse of the poisoned heart if just the magic from the mushroom is left?"

Would this mean trading one curse for another? That didn't really seem like an answer.

"You're not the only one to mention that. But the way Regina explained it it's like a food recipe. If you drink wine or rum you're likely to get drunk if you have enough. If you cook with it however, the alcohol cooks off and only the flavor remains. Take the wine for example. Once you make a sauce with it and cook it, the change has been made. It's the same with using rum in a cake if it's baked. When the mushroom is used by itself it has one purpose, but mixed with other things it takes on a new roll and won't revert back even when the other elements are taken out." He gave a pretty impressive explanation.

"Did Regina really use the wine and rum example or is it what you came up with to understand it?" She had to ask, and couldn't help but tease a little about the rum.

"Well, she was a bartender and bar owner during the last curse." He pointed out. "But really, she used the wine, and I added the rum example."

"Is that a hint for me to make rum cake for dessert in the near future?" She asked, knowing it was one of his favorites.

"I always enjoy your rum cake. With the hunting and tracking of the dog packs however, I probably won't have time to appreciate it. Perhaps when this is all over you can make one to celebrate?"

"Deal." She agreed and gave him a kiss with her promise.

Thank you for reading this chapter. First thing I want to mention is the "Do re mi" stuff. Yes, that's supposed to represent humming. I wanted to include that because that's how I figured out how to play some of the musical episode songs on piano. I have yet to find real sheet music for them, so I've listened to them and muddle through with playing them. Think of the end part "All the years of running...". Anyway, I'm a music nerd, moving on. Hope you enjoyed seeing Elsa. I know I enjoyed writing her in. And I hope this plot is making sense as it progresses and takes shape. I had an idea and one main thing that I wanted to write about, and now as I'm trying to get there, I need to explain it and make it work. It's not all about fluff, and it takes some really creative thinking. Thanks again, hope you enjoyed, and see you next time for a break through in the case. You'll also get to see Snow, Regina, and Emma's brother too.