Emma

I cuddled Hope close to my chest and stared at Lily. Her expression was honest and etched with concern as she stared back at me.

I turned toward my husband and carried our baby to him and placed her in his welcoming arms. I said to him quietly, "I'm going to go see what she wants."

He nodded cagily as he glanced at Lily and then back to me. "Don't wander too far. I'll be right here."

I nodded and made my way to Lily. She drew closer to me and gave my family another nervous glance. I could have sworn she looked at Killian.

She said softly, "I just wanted to say I'm sorry about your husband. I was really drunk that night and it had been a bad day. Well, a bad year really. I wasn't myself and I just want you to forgive me. I didn't know what I was really doing." She paused to shift her weight and avert her gaze for a moment. She lifted her eyes and added, "And I really do want to remain friends. I know I didn't seem that way few years ago and especially at the club. But can you forgive me?"

I stared at her, perplexed at her sincere honesty. I frowned. "You came all this way to tell me this?"

She drew her head back and blinked her eyes, puzzled. "No. I just came to apologize when I spotted you headed this way. I'm glad you found your baby." She smiled at me. She lifted her eyebrows at me expectantly.

For a long time, I would have wanted to hear her attempt for friendship again, but since she hit on Killian, I was wary of her. But half of me still wanted to repair our old friendship from years ago. I gave her a careful look. "Do you know anything about my baby being taken?" I asked. "If you were out here, maybe you saw someone?"

She blinked her eyes, surprised. "Way to shoot down an apology of sincerity straight from the heart," she said with sarcasm although I could tell she was wounded that I had not responded to what she had said. She glanced around us and shrugged her shoulders.

I raised my brows at her. "I appreciate that. Right now, I'm just trying to figure out who would have taken my daughter."

She looked at me and said sweetly, "I did in fact see someone out here. But first, aren't you in the least bit…interested in my heartfelt apology?"

I sighed and glanced back at Killian. He watched me carefully with adoration in his warm eyes. He was bouncing Hope in his arms, his hand under her. She was placid and silent as she stared up at him. The rest of my family just stared at me patiently.

I faced Lily and tried to soften my facial expression. I exhaled and shrugged. "Look I've had a horrible day also. A lot of things are going on right now, but yes, I do appreciate your sincerity. I do want to be friends still. I always missed that since I pushed you away. Like I said a few years back. But hitting on my husband, to be honest, what kind of friend would do that?"

She snorted and shook her head and smoothed her hair from her forehead that was moving in the breeze. "I told you. I had had way too many drinks. But I swear I would never do that again. Maybe I envy you. But I am really sorry, Emma."

I nodded. I felt badly for her. I could see the pain and loss and humble guilt in her eyes. I said softly, "I do forgive you. I do want to move on from that because I get it. We all mess up, even with friends. But just letting you know; Killian isn't like that. So, don't ever touch him again." I stared at her earnestly and tightened my jaw. I reflected on her sincerity for a moment. I did want to have her friendship again. Also, because I could sense she was lonely.

"Thank you. That really means a lot." She smiled at me warmly.

"So, who did you see out here?" I asked urgently.

"I saw the woman with the red wavy hair. The wicked witch of the West, I think. Or East. She was leaving towards the town." She waved her hand towards Storybrooke and sighed.

I parted my lips in shock. "Zelena?" I exclaimed and narrowed my eyes. "Did she have my baby with her or anyone else?"

Killian, Henry, Snow, David and Regina came behind me to listen.

"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" Killian asked Lily. "Zelena what?"

Lily looked at him and then at the rest of my family.

"You can't be serious," Regina said with a scoff. "My sister? Stealing another baby?"

"Are you sure, Lily?" Snow asked gently.

I put out my hand in front of Lily. "Lily what do you know?"

Lily replied, "Zelena was alone. I didn't see your baby with her, but she glowered at me. Almost like a warning. I can't explain it. I thought she was good now."

David said seriously, "She is now. Well, she's supposed to be."

"That doesn't make any bloody sense," Killian said. He moved right beside me. I looked at his eyes briefly, then averted my gaze to Hope. She was gazing up at her daddy as if she had seen the sunlight for the first time. I touched her soft silky arm and faced Lily again.

I said urgently, "It doesn't make any sense. Zelena has nothing against us that we know of."

Regina said, "To be fair, how do we know she took Hope?" She gestured her palm toward my baby. Regina arched a perfect brow at me and then at Lily, "Not that I am denying that she could have had anything to do with her kidnapping. I don't understand what her motive would be. She has a child of her own. And I don't think she dislikes you, Emma." Regina looked at me pensively.

Snow said, "She could have just been out here walking for another reason. We don't know for sure. Lily, do you know anything else?

Lily shook her head and focused on me. "No. She seemed like she was in a hurry to get back to wherever she was going. My guess was she was headed back to Storybrooke."

I glanced at Killian and my daughter again, peace and relief still washing over me that Hope was back here with us. Killian was gazing at me curiously as if trying to read my mind. Perhaps it was because of our intense conversation in the car earlier, but I didn't want to think about that right now.

I said to Lily, "Now that we're talking again; what were you really doing out here?"

Lily lifted her hands and dropped them as if in surrender. "I was just visiting my mother. She lives on the other side of the forest now in a new home." She pointed toward the green leafy trees.

"Then I saw Zelena, then I saw you," she said to me. "I could tell you were all looking for something. Well, someone, now that I know." She lifted her fingers to indicate my daughter. She smiled a little at her and added, "She is really adorable."

I returned her smile and gazed at my baby for a moment. She was sucking on her fist. I said, "I know." I smirked at Killian and then at Lily proudly. I added, "We need to get back home. Hope is hungry. And we have to chat with Zelena. See what she was doing out here at the moment before we found Hope."

Regina said flatly, "I'll talk to her." She sighed.

We all marched back towards Storybrooke. Lily flanked my other side that Killian didn't occupy.

Snow said, "Lily. We really do appreciate your help." She beamed at my new-old friend.

Lily nodded once. "No problem."

I looked at Henry, remembering we were missing his girlfriend. "Henry, where's Violet by the way?"

Henry replied with a smirk, "She's watching Little Neal."

Snow added affirmatively, "We love her already. She offered to babysit him. So sweet of her."

Killian patted Hope's back lovingly and said, "We need to figure out who's basement my daughter was locked in. I'll murder whoever it is. Zelena or not."

"Hey!" snapped Regina vehemently with a glare shot in my husband's direction. "You don't know that for sure. None of us do. It could be Gold who really took Hope. It could be whoever was snatching from my vault. My guess is that this individual is linked to the kidnapper."

I sighed. "Guys…come on." I rolled my eyes. "Do I have to separate you two? We're supposed to work together."

Killian retorted. "I'll still kill her. Or Gold. I rather hope it was Gold. All the more reason to skin him." There was bitterness in his voice.

"I'll go find Zelena. I'll report back to you all when I'm finished interrogating." Regina said as she disappeared.

David said, "Snow, Henry and I are going to figure out if we can somehow research the basement's whereabouts. It's getting close to sunset."

Lily looked at me expectantly. I said to her, "Do you think you can do us a favor, and speak with your mother? Ask her if she knows anything about who took Hope into another realm?"

Lily gave a glimmer of a smile. "Sure. I'll catch up with you guys later. I got your number." She waved at me and then turned to leave in the direction I was certain was Maleficent's home.

We parted into groups, Killian and I made our way back to the car. I held the car door open to help him get Hope into the backseat car seat and then I slid in the driver's seat while Killian slid in beside me. I turned on the ignition and turned my car back on the road that would lead us to our house.

After a few minutes of tense silence, Killian said softly, "Do you think Zelena has anything to do with Hope's kidnapping, Love?"

I didn't say anything at first. I lifted my fingers from the steering wheel as if to shrug. "I doubt it. But she could be helping someone though. She would be the only one who could break into Regina's vault due to the blood magic they have. It doesn't make sense though. None of these puzzle pieces do. The realm crossing shadow of death, the thief of the magic bean not to mention the break into Regina's vault…and then Hope disappearing." I let out a long breath, still feeling tense and too alarmed to relax that Hope had gone missing.

He nodded once and then stared at me silently. Then he said, "I reckon if all of this has anything to do with your kidnapping and being dragged into the past. And then the bit about Neal being found. That mess is Gold's doing, no doubt."

I didn't respond. I turned into our driveway, not wanting to discuss Neal. I quickly shut off the vehicle and flipped off the headlights and got out of the car. Killian stepped out and then reached in and took the handle of Hope's baby carrier. She was asleep. I walked to the front door of our home and unlocked the front door and let Killian in. He placed the carrier near the sofa and sat down next to it and then looked up at me.

I locked the door and dead bolted it. I put my keys on the round table next to the front door and sighed, feeling relieved we were home, although I still felt on edge that someone had broke inside this house and took our daughter. I glanced at him and then went into the kitchen.

He was watching me closely. I got the feeling he wanted to talk but I wasn't ready.

"I won't let our daughter out of our sight, Swan," he said to me in a gentle tone. He lifted the baby seat on the couch next to himself and twisted his body to stare at me pensively. His eyes were expectant and someone worried.

I grabbed the coconut rum and pineapple juice from the fridge and then grabbed two glasses form the cupboard. I poured him just the rum and sauntered into the living area where he sat and handed it to him.

"Thank you Love," he practically whispered. He took a deep drink as he kept his eyes on me.

I ignored his stare and grabbed a spoon from the silverware drawer and mixed my drink and then grabbed a handful of ice out of the freezer and plopped them in. I took a generous sip and then shook my head and said to myself, "On second thought." From the counter of liquor bottles, I lifted the hard liquor and opened it and then poured a copious amount into my drink. I took another large sip.

Killian said, "Easy, Swan. You are making me look bad." He took another gulp and then set his glass on the round coffee table. He locked eyes with me. His gaze was full of regret and worry.

I took another long drink and shrugged as I set it down.

He asked softly, "You're avoiding me, aren't you?"

I picked up my drink and took another sip before I sauntered towards him, thinking about sitting down next to him. I dropped my eyes to our sleeping baby. She looked so blissfully at peace. I waited a few beats before I replied, "We just had our daughter kidnapped, I think my mind is a tornado right now." I slowly sunk down next to him but left a little space. I watched Hope in her serene slumber.

I felt his hand on my shoulder and then he rubbed his fingers over my back soothingly. "I've known you for nearly seven years, Love. I know when you're avoiding talking with me. Years of practice."

"Why would I be avoiding you?" I replied.

His hand winded around my shoulders, but I didn't look up at him. I kept my gaze on Hope. I wouldn't be able to sleep after today.

He said, "Well, we still haven't finished the conversation earlier after therapy."

I took another long drink and then set my glass down next to his and heaved a sigh and leaned closer to him. He probably wouldn't let that go. I wanted to know where we stood as well, but my focus was more on the mysteries that kept occurring, and how to defeat whoever our new enemy was.

"I think that there are more players than Gold and the time warping demon thing," I said evenly without looking into his eyes. I could feel his drilling into me though.

He lifted his head, and I could tell he was rolling his eyes heavenward. He exhaled and replied, "You know what I am talking about, Emma." He waited a beat, "We will figure this bloody mystery, we always do. But I want to know, what did you mean earlier today when you said that maybe we should…" He lifted his hand from my shoulder and then turned his body to face me and caught my gaze.

I looked back at him for a moment. He had such a desperate look in his tormented eyes. I shook my head and said, "Never mind that."

"Well then answer my earlier question please. Are we all right and are we separated, or not? Because I got the impression that you wanted to take a break as you were pretty much saying." I could feel the passion in his voice.

I closed my eyes and looked down at our daughter. I frowned and shrugged and said in a low tone, "I don't know. We clearly don't trust one another."

He was silent for a few moments. He slowly ran his hand down my arm and pulled me to face him. He said under his voice, "You don't trust me?"

I looked up in his desperate gaze. I pursed my lips together. "I don't trust that you will ever get over my thing with Neal or trust me for that matter. And I honestly feel like we're drifting apart." My throat tightened up as fear and horror filled his widened eyes.

He rapidly blinked his eyes and slowly shook his head. "And I don't believe that you want to end this Swan." He whispered.

I didn't answer. I heard Hope stir and then reached down to caress her cheek as she opened her eyes halfway and then closed them again. I didn't want to discuss the matter anymore, but also wanted to work this out with him. Instead I rose to my feet. His hand slid gradually down my arm until it dropped as he gawked up at me, flabbergasted.

"I don't want to talk about this right now," I replied calmly as I locked gazes with him. I added, "I can't think straight and I'm exhausted, yet I won't sleep. I can't sleep. Most of all we've been through enough disaster to give us PTSD." I let out a breath as he pressed his lips together and gave me a sorrowful frown.

I folded my arms.

He said sullenly, "And I need to know if we're okay or not. Just give me that, Love. Because you're pushing me away like you used to. And we're married, we need to discuss this issue. I request a parlay, Swan." His blue eyes blazed with hope, yearning and pleading.

I dropped my hands to my thighs and sighed. "Fine. I want to be with you, I do. But I know you don't trust me with Neal. You don't trust me that I still am your wife, and that I choose you. I always will choose you. Yet you always sulk and brood about him but there is nothing going on, yet you lie and say you trust me, but I know you don't. And we need to trust each other."

He swallowed hard and waited a full five seconds before he said gingerly, "I do trust you. But I just know that you said you love him. And that created deep emotion. That gutted me. But I will assure you I will trust you no matter what. I promise that to you Love."

"Yet I went to talk with Henry, and you thought I was sneaking around on you. I know you think I wanted to see Neal, but I didn't," I said, not meaning to let all of those buried feelings pour out, but they did.

His eyes filled with sadness. "All right, I believe you. I just want to get past all of that. Can't we do that? Forget the bloody past, Neal and all of that?"

I thought about Henry and wondered how he was doing. I reached for my phone in my back pocket, but it wasn't there. I then realized I forgot it. "Dang it. I left my phone in the car."

Killian stood and picked up Hope's car seat. "You're not going alone, Swan. Look at what happened last time."

Henry and Violet were walking side by side towards the steps to our home. Killian and I stopped at the opened front door.

"Mom," Henry said. "We came to see how Hope was and to stay over if you guys need us to."

Violet smiled sweetly at me and then at Killian. She said, "We thought maybe you'd want to sleep. And have a little break."

Henry added, "Even if it's just to have a moment to yourself."

"Thanks Kid," I said as I gave him a knowing look. He was always too wise for his age. He must have known that Killian and I were struggling in our relationship.

"That's very thoughtful. You are both welcome here," Killian said. His eyes held mine for a moment, and I knew he wanted to resolve everything since we'd have an opportunity.

I watched Killian take the baby inside as Henry and his girlfriend walked inside and sat on the sofa. Killian put Hope's carrier in front of Henry.

"Always giving us a hand," Kilian said as he walked with me to the car to fetch my phone.

"We're not going to go anywhere even if you two want to stay," I told Henry and Violet. "We've had enough of a break for, ever." I went to the car and opened the driver's seat door. Kilian stood right behind me.

I grabbed my phone and glanced at the screen and turned to look at my husband.

His eyes searched mine imploringly. "Before we go back in there, just tell me that we're all right, Love first."

I put my phone in my back pocket and let out a long breath. "Killian…. I think that it'll take maybe some time before we're perfectly all right. More therapy with Archie maybe, but I told you already that I want this."

His face fell as he dropped his eyes to my hand and then reached for it and slid my hand in his. "Then stop being distant, I beg you. I will give us that time."

"I'm not distant, Killian. I'm afraid for our child. Something is after her, and what if it's not finished?"

His hand tenderly wrapped tighter around mine in his. "I won't lose her, and I certainly won't bloody lose you. Just please. Open up to me again."

I drew my brows together. I didn't think I was pulling away, but he was too perceptive. "I am, I'm open, what more do you want? I already told you I would stay away from Neal…"

Just then, a breeze picked up around us. My long hair swirled around my back and then whipped around my shoulders and face. Killian's brow furrowed as he looked around us and then up at the sky.

The breeze whipped into a hard, strong wind and it started to blow hard so much that I stumbled backward. Killian squeezed his hand around mine and pulled me to him.

"Bloody hell is that?" he said as he pulled me toward the house.

I looked behind us and saw leaves and twigs and dust swirl around us like a small tornado. It was like an aggressive cyclone.

"Run!" I hollered at him as he burst towards the front door.

I heard Henry call out from inside the house, "Mom!?"

The small cyclone violently spun around Killian and I with us in the center of it, and a large empty wooden crate from the side of the house that was near our shed, spun around us in our tornado as the wind thrashed my hair around my face and plucked us up in its strong wind currents upward. I couldn't see anything except Killian, who wrapped his arms around me tightly, and I locked my arms around his middle securely and pressed myself up against him.

"The hell?!" I exclaimed as I pressed my face against his neck. "Another portal?"

If this tornado or portal was going to take us, at least we would go together. I locked my fingers together around his back, holding on as tight as I ever had with him. I suddenly felt the possibility of losing him and never seeing our family again, but mostly, I was scared something would happen to Killian. "Hold on!" I screamed. "It's too strong!"

We were lifted into the cyclone against our will. We had already lost our balance. It was no use of trying to get down from this. I had a gut wrenching feeling that it wasn't just a natural disaster either.

"Emma!" he cried out as he cradled me tighter against his chest. I peeled my eyes open a sliver to see him and look around. The sensation was that like we were falling.

I could only see dirt and him and the crate whirling around us.

I tried not to panic as I found a glimmer of hope and love that gave me peace as he held me in his arms. He said loudly in my ear against the loud howling wind currents, "If we don't live through his, I love you."

"I love you!"

Then we fell into pitch black. I felt a hard thud on wood, but Killian was still holding me.

When I opened my eyes, the tornado was gone, but I could smell water. Killian and I were laying down on a wooden floor. There was bright sunlight.

Killian gradually rose, his arms still fastened around my waist. I groaned as I slowly sat up and opened my eyes. "Where are we?"

We both looked around us in wonder. I could hear calm water around us, lapping around us.

"I don't know." His hand smoothed the back of my shoulders. "Why the bloody hell are we in a wooden crate?"

I could see the tall wooden bars of the large crate. We both fit in it. But that wasn't the oddest part. I looked around the create that we sat in, and we were in the middle of water.

"Why are we in the middle of a lake?" I asked him, as I squinted to look across the wide murky lake. It was the middle of the day wherever we were.

I could see the shores around the water, and it looked like sand. I squinted my eyes. I looked down at the water near our crate and noticed we were floating.

Killian said, "It isn't a lake, it looks more like a pond. Except this vessel we are in, I cannot steer. You all right, Love?" His hand rubbed my arm.

I nodded and said, "I have a headache, but in which body of water are we in?"

Killian gazed around us, awestruck. "Bloody hell…"

"What?" I said, alarmed. "I don't like how you say that."

He pointed down at the water that surrounded our makeshift boat. He sighed, "It's bloody drying up. The water."

"We're in…a desert?" I said, as I noticed the lake was going down, as if draining. Now it looked like a small pond, or a large puddle.

"Aye, and we're no longer floating." His fingers tightened around my hand. I could see sand all around us, and like magic, the water dissipated.

"How the hell? What happened to the water?" I asked him.

His lips parted as he scanned our perimeters. "It's a desert. The deadly desert."

I had heard that term before, but it was in an older movie. "The what?" I gasped. "It's real?"

His eyes, full of dread, locked with mine. "Aye. We're near Oz."

I started to stand up, since our crate was sitting in the middle of sand. It looked like normal sand, maybe quicksand. But it felt stable.

"No Swan. Do not touch that bloody stuff." He pointed with his ringed finger. "That sand…it will turn you to stone if you so much as touch it."

I felt the air escape my lungs. "No…" I stared at him, feeling panic rise in me. "How do we get out of the Deadly Desert?" I looked past the wide, large sandy dessert. There were trees far away and rocks and stones all over the sand.

Killian pointed to the larger boulders and rocks, that looked like stepping-stones. "Those rocks are the only way. Towards that forest over there."

I looked where he was pointing. There was green and it looked like regular land almost like a forest. But what other deadly things would await?

"I don't like this," I replied as we both slowly stood up. He met my gaze and said, "I won't let anything happen to you. But we will turn to stone and then crumble into sand if we fall into that." He flicked his fingers towards the dried-up sandy ground. I looked at a larger boulder and could swear it had eyes and was staring at us.

"Did that rock just blink at us?" I exclaimed in alarm as I pointed to it. "Its eyes were like hollow." I held his hand not ever intending on letting go of him. I wrapped my other arm around his torso and swallowed hard as I looked at the deadly sand.

"Aye. They aren't hollow, Love. Whoever is the Princess of this deadly land, has eyes and ears everywhere," he said with dread.