Operation Escape Plan
Emma wasn't sure why she had agreed to this outing, things had been quiet lately, in fact, it had been weeks since a monster or villain had arrived in Storybrooke to disrupt their peaceful existence.
When her mother suggested doing something as a family, she expected some dinner and drinks, not to be locked in a room with her parents, kid, husband, friends, and of all people, Regina!
She felt strong arms wrap around her waist. "Are we quite certain this entire charade is necessary, love? Isn't escaping the latest curse enough excitement to go around for everyone?"
Emma grinned and spun around, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You know how much my mother enjoys family time."
"Aye, she and Dave are still arguing over the intense ending of Pictionary from the last game night."
Emma shuddered at the memory, as her mother stood at the drawing board, frantically drawing what was clearly a troll, as her father shouted every ridiculous animal he could think of until time ran out and Emma and Killian won the game. Her mother and father didn't speak for a week after the incident. Killian had continued to tease her father about trollgate behind her mother's back since.
"She's really excited this time." She stated softly, pressing her lips to his.
"You know I hate to disappoint Mummy." He teased against her lips.
"Gross. Do you two ever stop?" Emma bit her lip, smiling against Killian's mouth before they pulled apart.
"Never lad, or would you prefer we steal away to do our canoodling behind Granny's?"
Emma's brow furrowed at the comment, but she didn't miss the way her son's cheeks reddened and the subject changed quickly. She reminded herself to inquire about the exchange with her husband later.
"So about tonight." Henry interjected as Killian continued to smirk at the boy. "I was thinking we should name it something cool."
"You mean to give it an official operation name? This is already feeling more involved than I first assumed." Killian glared in her direction.
"Grandma is really excited; she's texted me three times already today. I just don't want her to be disappointed if it turns into a disaster."
"Why would it turn into a disaster?" She asked.
"Really? You and my mom locked in a room, with Hook. You think that's going to go well?" He paused and Emma shrugged, he did have a point. "Besides, you know how competitive Grandma is."
"Aye, truthfully the woman does scare me sometimes."
"Alright, fine, name the evening, kid. I'm sure she'll get a kick out of it."
"Cool." He said with a grin, running back to his room to get ready.
"I guess we're doing this." She said with a laugh.
"Was that ever in question? Because if so, I'd like to revisit the arguments." She swatted at his chest, pressing her lips to his again. She had to admit, family night was secretly one of her favorite things. Even with the arguments, the competition, or even dealing with Regina, Emma was grateful to have a family to spend these nights with. They had all been through hell together (some quite literally) and come out on the other side.
"Remember not to turn the wheel so sharply, lad. It's not like on the ship, this vessel requires a bit more finesse." Killian watched from the passenger side of the vehicle as Henry drove them to meet his in laws on the other side of town. He had been helping teach Henry to drive for the past few weeks after Emma had determined that she was unfit for the task.
He had laughed at her when she returned home after their first lesson with Henry, her hair twisted as if she had spent the last few hours wringing the strands into tight tendrils. When Henry entered the house moments later, a look of agony on his face, Killian was quite sure that neither one of them was very interested in repeating the lesson.
Driving a vehicle was not something he was fond of either, but he found that while it was not as intense as sailing a ship, the idea was similar. And though he found the silly yellow bug to be a finicky mistress, he had tamed her all the same.
Once the car was parked, the three of them made their way toward the rest of their party, standing on the street as they waited to enter the unassuming building that would become their prison for the next hour. He found the idea of being locked in a room simply to play games in order to leave it, preposterous. However, he had learned even as a young lad to never disappoint a woman and judging by the way his mother-in-law was currently bouncing up and down with sheer anticipation, he quickly decided that not entering the room would crush the woman.
"Oi, the gang's all here." Will Scarlet announced as they arrived. Killian had befriended the man since his return from Wonderland and enjoyed his company, though he honestly couldn't understand what benefit inviting him would do for the group. He was certain they weren't allowed to pick the locks in order to escape.
"This is so exciting." Belle whispered as she pushed against his shoulder.
"Aye, thrilling." He said dryly.
"Oh, come on, it's going to be fun." She said with a pout. "I haven't had a riddle to solve in ages, frankly it's boring around here."
"Watch your mouth, lass, say things like that and we'll end up invoking bigfoot upon the town." She snorted loudly, earning a glance from Emma.
"Are you two already misbehaving?" She warned. "I swear we can never put the two of you together without some sort of mischief happening."
"No mischief from this pirate Ma'am." He winked.
"That'll be the day." He heard Regina mumble under her breath.
"She's one to talk." Belle whispered and Killian pushed her with a playful tease.
"Ok, here are the rules." Mary Margaret started, and he heard the group collectively groan. "No magic…"
"What is the point of having it if you can't use it to your advantage." Regina quipped.
"This is about how well we can work together, abiding by the rules, in order to escape. Which means, magic is out!" She said firmly and Emma rolled her eyes. "Also, no arguing." She stared at her husband. "Everyone gets a say, and you have to listen to each other."
"I'm disliking this game already." Regina moaned and he watched with a grin as Henry gave her a reprimanding look which Regina immediately recognized, causing her to pause her complaints.
"I just want us all to have fun and to remember that we are a family. All of us." His mother-in-law announced, causing Killian's heart to swell. He really was a lucky man. "I know that together we can do anything. We are stronger together than we are apart."
"Oh, for heaven's…" Regina started before Henry's glare stilled her. "Fine."
"Alright, let Operation Escape Plan commence." Henry announced and Killian's chest puffed in pride of the boy.
"You named it." Mary Margaret gushed as expected. "That's so sweet, Henry."
"All great things deserve an operation name, Grandma." The woman swelled, kissing the boy's cheek before David took over.
"I'm going to go check us in." He said seriously, and Killian could tell that David had his game face on. If there was anyone more competitive than Mary Margaret, it was David.
"You ready for this?"
"I escaped Neverland, the Enchanted Forest, and the bloody Underworld, I think I can manage whatever this room supplies." Emma kissed his cheek as they entered the building, both stopping the moment they looked up. "Bloody hell, haven't we already lived this nightmare?"
"Isn't it exciting? Escape from King Arthur's Court." Emma's mother giggled excitedly.
"Um, mom, don't you think this is kind of…familiar." Emma asked with a puzzled look on her face.
"You mean because of Camelot? Look how that turned out." She said with a smile.
"I turned Hook into the dark one and he ended up in the Underworld." She said flatly.
"And now we're all here. Together." She grinned. "Isn't it great." She turned and skipped toward her husband, talking with the attendant who readied the room for them.
"It's only an hour and then either way, it's over." Emma said into his ear with a tone of annoyance. "How bad could it be?"
Ten minutes later, Emma found the answer to her question. Awful, terrible, not at all fun. As she looked around the fake castle in the escape room, she couldn't help but laugh to herself. The "round" table at the middle of the room was oval, the looming dragon scaling the castle wall with his head perched through the fake window was falling to pieces, duct tape holding together the frame, the tongue hanging precariously from its mouth like a sleeping puppy due to a tear at the back of the animatronic. But worse than the crumbling aesthetics was the deteriorating patience of her group.
"I'm just saying if you're going to read the clues, you can't skip anything." Her mother was yelling at Regina who was standing with her arms crossed, the glossy paper they had found on the table still in her hands.
"I didn't skip anything important, I simply deemed that the poem wasn't pertinent."
"How could it not be pertinent, Regina! It's a clue."
"Must everything be so ridiculously written then?" She held the paper up in front of her, clearing her throat. "She holdeth the blade, most damp and glittering, leaveth many a knight and knave a jittering." She groaned but Mary Margaret simply glared at the woman to continue speaking. "A bonnie lass, she offers it up to he who seeks the golden cup." She tossed the paper onto the table with a groan. "Who got paid to write this shi…"
"Mom." Henry warned before looking around the room. "Ok everyone, we're looking for Excalibur."
"You can count me out of that quest." Killian stated in annoyance. "Stepping to the back of the room and leaning against the wall."
"Why is the knave jittering because of a blade?" Will scoffed. "What the hell does that even mean?"
"Just look around." Belle scolded him, pushing him to the other side of the room.
"Wait, look, isn't that the lady of the lake on the glass?" Belle announced, pointing to the broken windows above them, fake stained glass painted on the panels.
"Yes, look." Her father jumped up on one of the chairs around the table, staring up at the depiction of a woman, holding a sword in her hand that pointed upward.
"It's pointing up!" Her mother screeched. "Look, there's a chalice in that other panel." Emma looked in the direction her mother pointed and found a golden chalice etched on the glass with a number written on it. "It's a five!" She said excitedly.
"Brilliant. Now what?" Regina said dryly.
"Look for anywhere that needs numbers, like a combination or something." Belle stated, searching the edges of the walls.
"You mean like that?" Killian announced, looking at the table as he stood leaning against the wall, his arms crossed in front of him. Her mother ran to the table, ducking below it to examine the lock.
"We need four numbers." She yelled to no one in particular. "Find more numbers." She directed the group.
Emma glanced at her husband, a satisfied smirk growing on his face. She knew he enjoyed this more than he let on, being a part of something put him at ease.
He pushed away from the wall, walking along the edges of the room, his hands tracing the fake bricks. "Lad, what's that there?" he asked as he approached Henry and Emma quickly made her way toward them as Henry was peeling away a faux brick next to them. "You aren't just going to stick your hand in there!" He exclaimed as she got closer, and Henry pulled his hand from the hole in the wall.
"Why not?"
"I'll not let any son of mine risk an appendage simply for sport?" He said egregiously, holding up his hook and slipping his arm through the hole. "I think I've got something." When he pulled back, he had a small key on the end of his hook. "Well, it's not a number. Do you think this will open the door and end this entire fiasco?"
Emma took the key off the hook. "I highly doubt that." She laughed. "But good find you two." She ruffled her hands through both of their hair as they each returned an eye roll. "We got a key." She announced, returning to her mother's side.
"Oh my!" He mother exclaimed excitedly. "Put it on the table. I'm sure we'll need it."
"I found a four in that pond over there." Will said, walking up to them with his entire body soaked.
"Did you climb in the water?" She asked him.
"Belle pushed me, I told her I could reach the damn thing without getting in, but she got impatient." He said with a frown. "Now me head smells like fish dung."
"Two more numbers to find." Her mother announced loudly, causing Emma to flinch.
She looked up at the timer, they had already used up half of their time. She only hoped that they could pull it together to use their last thirty minutes wisely.
Killian was growing weary of this game. Watching his wife take charge while arguing with Regina always had a carnal affect on him. Emma was a spit fire who took no shit from the brash woman. While they got along for Henry's sake, Emma wouldn't purposely wish to spend an evening in Regina's company.
Honestly, Regina was more of a challenge to him than an annoyance. He took great pleasure in blocking her snide comments, letting them roll off his back as if he hadn't even heard her. Sure, he had taken offense on more than one occasion, but he never let her words wound him. When it came down to it, he knew that Regina only wished to be accepted by the group, her inability to read the room aside, she was harmless.
"I beg your pardon." He heard Regina interject loudly as Emma tried to explain the reason that she felt it was best that she entered the crawl space under the dragon instead of Regina. "Are you trying to infer that I'm heavier than you?"
"Geez Regina, I never said that." Emma said rolling her eyes as Henry stood between them with his lips pursed.
"Moms, this isn't productive."
"He's right, now just move so I can get in there."
"I can do this, get out of my way, Henry." Regina demanded and Henry reluctantly stepped to the side with a groan. Killian watched in delight as Regina crawled under the dragon into the small space hidden beneath his wings.
"Oh God the spider webs." She complained, flinging her arms around her head. "What did I just kneel on? Oh God, it's wet. Is this gum?" She whined. Killian didn't miss the laugh that was shared between his wife and stepson.
"No that's not where you put it." He was interrupted by David's voice from the other side of the room.
"Oi, I can make it fit."
Killian watched as Will and David argued over a piece of rubble they were trying to shove into a hole on the wall. He glanced as Mary Margaret and Belle were reading the first clue again, talking quietly between themselves. He walked over toward the man and stood behind them, staring at the expanse of wall in front of him. There were shapes in a circle extending out to the edges of the wall.
"Men, I'm quite certain the shape you are holding fits up there." He pointed to the top corner.
"Well, I'll be damned." David said with a proud smile. "Glad someone is paying attention." He gave a pointed look at Will who shrugged.
"You only like him more because he's married to your daughter." Will scoffed.
"I like him more despite the fact he's married to my daughter." He said with a wink and Killian chuckled, watching them place the stone into the slot high up on the wall. "Well, there's one, four more to go." He said, pointing to the other empty spots around the circle.
"Where did you find that one?"
"Belle found it hidden under one of the stools." Will pointed to the chairs around the table.
"Alright, lets spread out, see what we can find."
"Well, clearly I don't have a key." He heard Regina's raised voice from behind him.
"How about I just magic one up for us." Emma said sarcastically and he watched the bright white light emanate from Emma's hand. Reacting quickly, he grabbed the key off the table and stepped between his angry wife and the dark-haired woman, giving Henry an apologetic glance as he stood between the women, his hands on his hips in annoyance.
"Ok loves, look here, no need to argue, the key is found." Honestly, this room was a terrible idea, he thought. "There's no need to break any rules tonight." He said pointedly at his wife before glancing in his mother-in-law's direction.
Henry grabbed the key from his hand. "Since I'm smaller than both of you," he announced, "I'll go in and get the clue." Bending to his knees, the boy slipped into the hole.
"Not sure why the boy wasn't the first choice to begin with." He said under his breath as both women glared in his direction. "Seeing as I have served my purpose here, I'll take my leave." He stepped back from the women and returned to his search for the missing pieces. When he got to the table, Will held up his hand with another shape he had found attached to the base of the massive stone table.
"I found the square."
"See, I said you'd be useful." Belle giggled, teasing the man who ignored her as he ran toward the wall, shoving the piece into the wall.
"I found the circle." David announced, coming from the other corner of the room. Killian stared at the wall, only the triangle was missing. He had seen something with that shape earlier, where was it?
Turning around he observed the room, watching as Henry came climbing out of the dark expanse below the dragon, a large grin on his face. "There was a number three in the box." He announced.
Mary Margaret squealed, "Ok we have 5, 4, 3, we need one more number. We have fifteen minutes left." She announced with nervous energy.
Killian looked above his head at the dragon, then he remembered where he had seen the triangle, placed in the eye socket was a triangle shaped rock. Killian pushed past Regina, ignoring her unwelcome grumblings, and reached up into the eye, removing the shape and holding it over his head.
Channeling what he had learned at the absurd yet endearing Sunday night football matches he endured with David, he tossed the piece across the room, as the man dramatically spun in his place, catching his prize in mid-air.
"And the crowd goes wild." He cheered as he placed it into the last remaining spot. They all stared in anticipation as absolutely nothing happened.
"Well, that was anticlimactic." Regina droned unamused.
"I was sure that would have caused something to happen." David said, holding his hand to his chin.
Everyone else went about what they were doing previously except for Killian and David who stood staring at the wall in annoyance. "That should have done something, right mate?"
"Seems a bit ridiculous to go to all that trouble otherwise."
Turning his head, he saw lines written into the rock face. "Perhaps if we paid attention more." He laughed as David followed him, slapping him on the shoulder.
"I knew there was a reason I liked you."
"Aww Dave, I promised myself I wouldn't cry tonight." He teased the man in a mocking voice.
Bending over they read the script together. "Behold the wall, a circular face shapes surround, none out of place. Use your wits – it could be fun, rotate now, opposite the sun."
They both stood and stared at each other in confusion. "Opposite the sun?" Dave repeated.
Belle spoke from behind them. "Counterclockwise."
They both turned and stared at her. "What?" They said in unison.
"It says to turn opposite the sun, that's counterclockwise." She said with a shrug.
He met David's eye, the smile growing on their faces. "We gotta turn counterclockwise." He announced and Killian nodded in agreement.
"Ok so that's this way?" He turned toward the left and David nodded.
"Yes! Ok let's turn all the way around until we face the wall again."
The men both shrugged and turned in a circle until they were facing the wall. Nothing happened.
"You have got to be kidding me." Killian looked over his shoulder as Regina glared at him. "The wall, you simpletons, you need to turn the wall."
"Turn the wall?" He retorted, before he realized what she meant. "Bloody hell." He walked toward the wall, putting his hand against the circle and felt the bricks move against his palm. "Turn the bloody thing to the left." He spun it with his hand until he heard a click.
"Look over there." Emma exclaimed, pointing toward a cabinet that had opened beside David.
David reached down and lifted the box from the drawer, opening it and peering inside. "It's a six." He announced and Mary Margaret jumped up and down.
"Yes, we still have five minutes left and we have all four numbers." She said excitedly.
"But what order do we enter them?" Henry appeared, scratching his head.
"There's a note in here." David announced, holding up the page from the box he had found.
"Wonderful, more ridiculous poetry, how divine." Regina grumbled and Killian could only hope that this entire experience would end before he tossed her through the locked door to escape the room.
David cleared his throat and read the words. "Finally, now, as one last quest, prepare in order – this is the test!. Take the sparkling chalice and fill it with the waters, so refreshing. Travel by way of the puzzled wall and receive the dragon's blessing!"
"Ok so that means we need to enter the numbers in that order. So, what number did we find on the chalice?" Henry asked.
"That was the first one, five." Emma announced proudly.
"Ok what about water? Did someone find a number with water?"
"Oi, I swam in it. The pond was a four, but I wouldn't recommend the experience."
Henry laughed. "Ok 5, 4…next was the wall."
"That was a six." David announced.
"Which leaves the dragon, I did that one. So that means we need to enter 5463."
Emma sat down under the table and entered the numbers in the order provided, she tugged on the lock, and nothing happened. "Are you guys sure that's the order?"
"Yes, I've checked it twice." Belle declared. "Henry's right."
"Are you sure your number was a 6 and not a 9, David?" Her mother questioned her father and Emma grimaced. The last thing she needed was the two of them arguing, they had made it a full hour without a breakdown.
"First trollgate, now we're going to have numbergate." She heard someone announce above her.
"I'll just try 9." Emma said, interrupting everyone. She entered the new number, and nothing happed, the lock didn't budge.
"We only have a minute left." Her mother squealed anxiously.
She felt Killian at her side. "Let me try, love. Gentleman's touch and all." He winked and Emma backed away from the table and watched as Killian entered the numbers she had already tried. She looked up at her mother whose face was red in anticipation and nervous energy.
"There we go, sticky lock." Killian announced, passing the new found key to his mother who practically ran to the door and entered it into the lock, opening the door with five seconds to spare.
"We did it!" Her mother said in an excited cry. "I knew we could do it together." She cried happily.
She felt Killian's hand at her back, and she looked up to see him smiling in her parent's direction as they stood hugging each other. "She does enjoy a good family get together."
"That's an understatement." She turned toward him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "You were definitely the hero tonight with that save at the end."
He reached up, touching his finger to his ear nervously. "I'm no hero, love. Just doing my part. Shall we?" He ushered her toward the group on the other side of the door as they gathered to take a photo.
"Everyone grab a prop." Her mother announced, passing out the ridiculous items to each of them. Emma put on the horn-rimmed glasses and walked over next to Henry who was holding a sign that said, "I survived my family."
"Really kid?"
He shrugged. "Too honest?" She shoved him forward next to his grandmother.
Killian stepped behind her and Emma glanced back to read his sign. "That's what you picked?"
"It suits me, don't you think?" He held up the sign with a smile and Emma rolled her eyes as he held the "I'm smarter than I look" sign in front of him. Emma leaned up and kissed him.
"What about looking hot?" She whispered. "Though you don't need a sign for that."
"Bloody minx." He grinned against her lips.
"Ok everyone, smile on three." Her mother's voice boomed throughout the group and Emma turned to smile at the camera. "Oh, I'm so excited, I'm going to hang that on the wall." She turned toward them all. "Thank you so much for doing this everyone. It was so much fun."
Her mother made her rounds, hugging anyone who would allow it, even Regina who stood stoically off to the side of the group. Emma was pleased to see her mother so happy tonight. She knew that her mom really just wanted everyone to get along, even when it wasn't always possible.
"Hey, you ok if I stay at mom's tonight?" Emma looked over at Regina and smiled.
"Sure, kid. Just don't forget that you're going sailing with Killian in the morning."
"Already plan to meet him at the docks first thing."
"Alright, go catch up with Regina. I'll see you tomorrow at dinner."
He wrapped his arms around her with a smile. "Love you mom."
"Love you too, kid."
He ran back to Regina, looking back one more time to wave goodbye before they exited the door toward the street. Emma found her husband talking to her father on the other side of the room. "You ready to go?"
"Aye, did the lad fill you in on his plans for the evening?"
She nodded, "Yeah, he just left with Regina."
"Guess it's just us for the evening." He said with a raise of his brow.
"I'm going to get your mother out of here before this gets awkward." Her father interrupted as she bit her lip, not taking her eyes off her gorgeous husband.
She felt her mother beside her and turned to face her. "Did you enjoy yourself?" Her mother asked.
"It was fun, mom, thanks again for doing this."
"I'm just so happy we were able to escape. I would have been so disappointed if we failed right at the end." She laughed, stepping away from her and pulling Killian into a hug. "You saved the day." Killian smiled with a genuine grin, hugging her mother.
"Always a pleasure, Your Highness." Which caused her mother to giggle happily.
"We're getting ice cream if you guys want to join us?"
"I think they want to enjoy a quiet evening alone." Her father said discretely.
"Being alone is no fun." Her mother frowned and David glanced at Killian with pursed lips.
"I have a feeling they might disagree with you on that, dear." He pushed her toward the door.
"But don't they want company, if Henry isn't with them won't they…"
"Snow, I think they want to be alone."
"But why…" Her mother's face reddened. "Oh, you mean…" Thankfully the door closed behind them, leaving Killian and Emma alone to avoid the embarrassment.
"That wasn't awkward at all." Killian announced, looking at her with a smirk. "How about I take you home, Mrs. Jones?"
"But whatever will we do at home, Mr. Jones?" She teased.
He wrapped an arm around her, "I think I can come up with something." He smiled.
"Good maybe you can start by explaining the whole canoodling behind Granny's conversation you and our son were avoiding having earlier this evening."
"Ah, that's a man-to-man conversation, I'm afraid it's not meant to be shared with his mother. Just know that I have the situation under control."
"There's a situation?" She cocked her head toward him.
He chuckled. "Shall we return home?"
"Changing the subject, interesting." She teased, knowing that he would share whatever information the two had once he felt she needed to know.
Walking toward the car hand in hand, Emma thought back on the evening. It wasn't without their disagreements, it didn't all go smoothly, but they did it together, as a family, and that was what mattered. Her mother got the perfect ending even when Emma feared it was going to go the other way. Honestly, she had no idea how Killian had gotten that lock to work after she had tried it multiple times with no luck.
She paused her steps, pulling Killian to a stop.
"How did you get that lock to work? I tried that combination three times. It wasn't right."
"I told you, it was a sticky lock."
Emma narrowed her eyes, "There was nothing wrong with the lock, Killian."
"Come now, love, we have an empty house waiting for us." He tugged her toward him.
"What did you do?" She accused.
He paused, pulling her against him. "I simply made sure that your mother got the happy ending she was hoping for. Isn't that what you taught me?"
"And how did you do that?"
He held up his hook, the silver glimmering in the moonlight. "This piece of hardware has gotten me through many a pinch. It's been a weapon, an accessory, an extra appendage, for her pleasure…" He winked, causing her body to heat up. "I have also found that it's very useful at unsticking things that are stuck."
"You broke the lock!" She exclaimed.
"Now, now Mrs. Jones, are you accusing me of cheating in order to win the game and ensuring your mother's happiness?"
Emma pushed up on her toes. "I love when you're a Pirate."
"Do you now?" He raised his brow. "Then shall I take you to the ship instead this evening?"
"Aye, Captain." She growled in his ear, as he whisked her to the car, allowing them to escape to the Jolly Roger.
Notes:
I walked into this prompt on the CSMM Discord and thought…I don't need anymore fics to write. And then my brain started spinning and I had to write this. I love escape rooms, I find them extremely exciting and have done quite a few of them. I would LOVE to do one with the case of OUAT! I hope this did the prompt justice.