"Shall we go down?" the captain of the Jolly Roger asked, "Or do you think they'll sort it out and go back to sharing dolls?" David shook his head subtly while the loud stomps of his boots hitting the deck moved towards the cabin.
"What's going on?" he said, bursting through the door. Snow stood between Emma and Regina while their yells overlapped each other and made the topic of conversation incoherent.
"He's a prepubescent boy, they all think they're unhappy!" the mayor was shouting at his daughter. With each sentence, the volume in the cabin rose twofold. The temperature in the room climbed subtly as a flame started to ignite in Regina's hand.
"This isn't getting us any closer to saving Henry," David shouted over the women. Having been out-volumed, the women stepped back from each other, and Regina stomped out of the cabin.
"I should have never let him come back. After so much conflict. After he ran from her so many times, I should have just taken him and left," Emma chastised herself. "You heard her yourself, she didn't choose him out of love. She was lonely. She needed a cat, not a child." The blonde sat on the cot rubbing her head. Her parents were silent — holding hands as they sat at the foot of the bed.
"Come on… Where are the heroic, good-guy-self validation speeches you both seem to have on standby?" Snow and Charming stared at each other, but they were not on similar pages.
"I'm with you," David said. "I didn't hear the whole conversation, but from what I understand everything Regina said and supposedly did is wrong." Snow let go of his hand.
"What? You think that's wrong?" David pushed.
"I think everything Regina said and did was wrong," Snow replied, "But this isn't a good-verses-bad situation. It's far more complicated than that."
"How could you say that?" Emma's look of betrayal was quickly bricked over by practiced indifference.
"You said it yourself," Snow said, her bite harsher than normal, "We are the same age. We have the same experience and knowledge."
"If that's how you think, then I can't be around you right now." Emma rolled over on the bed and allowed the tension in the room to wrap itself around the necks of her parents.
"The only difference—"
"Mary Margaret just leave," Emma's voice was stone.
"No," Snow barked, "I'm not going to because you need to hear this." Emma made no effort to respond.
"We might be the same age. We may have the same knowledge that comes with age. I may be from a place with magic, but you're the one treating this like it isn't reality. You're only seeing the good and the bad — you against Regina. Let's not forget that none of us are innocent of mistakes and wrong-doings. You are not treating this like someone who grew up in the real world. Good doesn't always win and sometimes good and bad aren't the only options."
"Have you been to Neverland?" Hook questioned the mayor.
"No."
"Well then, you're in for a grand time." The woman didn't even look in his direction.
"Look, I don't know what –"
"I don't need a walking fishing lure trying to make small talk with me," Regina interjected. "Leave me alone." Inside her head, a million conversations were taking place. Conversations with Emma, the Charmings, Henry, even Rumple. All of them defending her decisions and emotions. Unknown to her, Emma was doing the same. Both women knew their arguments would seem lacking in logic when looked at with hindsight, but in the moment it was the only thing keeping them from tearing each other apart.
Yelling from the stern of the ship, Hook called for the Charmings and Emma to come onto the deck.
"There she is," he pointed. "Neverland."
As the group gathered on the deck of the ship, Henry's mothers ground their teeth and clenched their jaws.
"Look Swan," Regina sliced at the tension, "Let's just find Henry. When he's safe we can decide who is the worthiest of them all."
Hi all! It's been a bit. Thanks, everyone, for reading.