A/N: Hi Everyone! Long time, no see, right? I have about a million excuses I could give you, but that's not what you're here for. I want to thank everyone who read, reviewed, favorited and/or followed this story since my last update! I appreciate your continued support for this story. Apparently, in my absence, a lot happened. OUAT is ending (which makes me sad), but I still love the fandom and hope you will join me in continuing to support their amazing work by watching the remaining episodes and reading some of the awesome OUAT stories on this site! I hope you enjoy the chapter. I want to give a shoutout and thank you to the amazing Genevieve Kelly for encouraging me over the past couple of months. She, too, has a CaptainSwan story with Killian as the Dark One called "Quelling My Bloodlust". If you're interested, I encourage you to go to her page and check it out because it is awesome! Alright, enough about me. Let's get on with the story. Presenting—Chapter fifteen!
Disclaimer: If I owned anything from OUAT, this past semester never would've happened
This chapter is dedicated to my readers MackJan and Lisa1972! Thank you for taking the time to review! Your comments made me so happy. I hope you enjoy the chapter! :)
Chapter 15
"Okay, we'll meet you at the loft in fifteen minutes."
With the click of a button, Regina ends her conversation with Henry. With their ticket to Camelot in her hand, everything around her glistens. Beams of sunlight illuminate the dreary hallway, earning a smile from Mary Margaret.
"Alright, David and Henry will meet us back at your place," Regina informs her. "I'll stop by Gold's shop and see if Belle managed to find anything useful. After we gather some supplies—we'll be on our way."
"Thank you, Regina," the princess says, embracing her.
"For what?"
Gazing into the eyes of her friend, Mary Margaret replies, "For never giving up."
After Regina squeezes her hand, their newest companion chimes in, "Well, not that this isn't nice, but we have somewhere to be."
"Alright, Maleficent," Regina responds, with a slight chuckle.
As the stepmother and stepdaughter separate, the Queen notices that her archer appears to be nowhere in sight. Pressed for time, Regina decides to look for him by marching back into the last place on earth she wants to be.
"Regina, where are you going?" the princess asks.
"I have to get Robin," she answers. "I'm not leaving without him."
"Well, make it quick," Maleficent says. "The sooner we get to my daughter, the better."
With a nod, the former Evil Queen turns the key and enters the claustrophobic jail cell. Not to her surprise, she finds herself in the crossfire of the Wicked Witch and the Merrymen's leader.
"Zelena, please! Can we not be civil about this?"
"Civil?! You're the one who threw me into this jail cell!"
"I just wanted—"
"Oh I know what you want! You don't care about what happens to me! The moment I plop out the munchkin, you'll lock me away for good, just like Regina did to Maleficent. You may think you've won, but you are sadly mistaken. I will get out of here, and when I do, I promise you that you will never see this child again!"
"Hey!" Regina shouts. "That's enough!"
Only the mayor's arm prevents Robin from lunging for the Wicked Witch.
Leaning back onto her perch, Zelena grunts toward Regina, "Why'd you have to pick him? I would rather have that old hag, Leopold, be the father of my child, after all of the trouble this one gives me."
"This never would've happened if you hadn't deceived me and killed my wife!" Robin roars.
Regina looks on with disbelief at the thief's anger. His inner anguish boils over and transmits into rage. His pain over his wife's death and child's predicament finally sees the light of day.
"Oh please! She was going to die anyway. Besides, I did you a favor."
"You, Witch!"
Instantly, the archer lunges for Zelena, only to be held back by his lover. "Robin, Robin, Robin!"
When she finally manages to grab his attention, Regina tells him. "It's not even worth it."
As Nottingham's greatest thief desperately tries to gather his composure, the cell door opens, revealing Maleficent and Mary Margaret.
"Regina, Robin, is everything alright?" the princess asks.
"It will be when you take this cuff off," Zelena answers.
"Yeah, that's definitely not happening," Regina responds.
"We're going to be late meeting David and Henry if we don't leave now," Maleficent reminds them.
"We're coming," the mayor replies, before she turns to Robin. "Listen to me. We're going to sort this all out, I promise. We'll go help Emma, rescue Hook, and then you and I will be right back here. Zelena's not going anywhere."
At those words, Zelena maliciously chuckles. Captivating her audience, her eyes squint as an evil grin paints her features.
"That's what you think."
When Regina traces her half-sister's gaze, she finds it lands on her hand. In the blink of an eye, the Wicked Witch tackles the former Evil Queen to the ground. The moment she senses the bean pulsing between her fingers, Regina's plans explode. The window shatters into thousands of crystal pieces and the room shakes, throwing all of its occupants to the ground.
She's not ready. They need more time. Regina needs answers on how to free Merlin and to defeat the darkness. But when the ground beneath her opens into a green wormhole, the mayor's throat drops to the pit of her stomach. With nothing to tether her to Storybrooke, she feels like she falls from a hundred stories. Along with her companions, the bean sucks her from their pleasant town of Storybrooke and into the unknown.
The sound of crackling fire and rustling pine trees stir Maleficent's daughter awake. Even with much needed rest, her muscles feel frozen by the weather and her head feels heavy. Shifting her body to the left, Lily discovers her sleeping companion no longer resting against the straw mattress.
Darting out of the bed, Lily throws off the wool blanket and searches the tiny cottage, looking for the Savior and their friendly knight. A kettle of porridge boils over the flames and the handcrafted mahogany table with mismatched chairs stands prepared for an early breakfast. Dawn arrives and Lily hears Gerda, Kay's elderly servant, in the barn feeding their horses. Emma and Kay, however, hide from her view. After she fruitlessly searches the cottage, Lily throws on her cape and hurries toward the barn.
"Good morning, madam," Gerda greets Lily, when she reaches the stables. "I trust you slept well?"
"Yes, I did," Lily answers. "Thank you."
Perceiving that Lily's visit to the barn does not pertain to the horses, Gerda tells her, "Sir Kay went to fetch some dry firewood. With the storm last night, all of our wood is wet and that won't keep us warm today. He should be back soon."
"And Emma?"
The gray-haired servant peers up from raking some straw. "She's down by the creek."
"Thank you," Lily replies, tying her cape and heading out of the barn.
After a short stroll behind the cottage, she finds the Savior perched on a large stone that overlooks the creek, watching the sunrise. Dew sparkles in the grass on the hillside. The birds greet the morning with a sweet melody. It is as if Camelot lives blissfully unaware of the looming darkness that threatens it.
Even from a distance, Lily discovers the Savior still bears the scars of the darkness' thwarted plot. The quilt draped across her shoulders fails to contain the once ethereal gown that is now tatters of crimson stained lace and tangled beadwork. Like an angel from heaven with clipped wings, the Savior's weary features fill with woe.
As Maleficent's daughter journeys down towards the creek, pebbles tumble down the hill, alerting Emma that she no longer watches the morning's approach alone. When the two friends lock gazes, no warm greetings come from either of them. The events of the night before weigh heavily on their minds. Regardless, Lily joins Emma and crams herself onto a seat next to her oldest friend.
Since Emma's revival, Maleficent's daughter patiently waits to get answers to her pressing questions. What happened? Did she stop Hook? Where is he now? Though she hopes for an explanation, Lily doesn't push Emma.
For the next few minutes, they watch the ginger and crimson colors of the heavens morph into a celestial blue. To her surprise, Lily enjoys hearing the rushing sound of the water from the creek.
"I've always liked the sound of water," Emma tells her, staring straight ahead. "I guess that's why I enjoy sitting at the docks so much with Killian. And you're about to fall off the side."
"I'm fine," Lily says, attempting to hide her discomfort.
Turning and giving her a scowl, Emma scoots over to offer a larger seat and Lily takes it. Though neither of them speak, Lily notes how perfectly the rays of sunshine illuminate Emma's stern eyes. Though she determines to stay strong, the Savior's emotions betray her.
"Do you ever wonder—" she says, before pausing.
"What?"
Emma's features attempt to shrug her question off, but it fights to remain. "Do you ever wonder what our lives would be like if we were—normal?"
"Yeah, I wanna punch the person who came up with the definition of normal," Lily sarcastically replies, keeping her gaze forward.
"I'm serious. I mean—if Regina never casted the Dark Curse, if you were never taken from your parents, if there were no Dark Ones or Saviors, what would our lives look like?"
Lily takes a deep breath before she answers. "I used to think about it. Even though I was adopted, I sometimes imagined what my real parents were like. I always thought they would be the kind who would let me do some crazy sport, let me stay up late, eat whatever I wanted, and take me to Disney World."
"It's just—I never asked for any of this. I never asked to be the Savior. I just want my family, Henry, and Killian to be happy. I want that house by the docks that Killian picked out for me. Last night, I told him we could have it, but now—now I don't know."
Lily's head contorts with confusion. "Wait—you found him?"
"Last night," Emma nods. "By Merlin's tree."
"And?"
"I stopped him from freeing Merlin. In the process, I lifted his memory curse, but Killian is still the Dark One. We were hiding from the knights in the Apprentice's house when—"
"What?" Lily asks.
"I think the darkness did something. Because one moment Killian was in my arms, and the next he disappeared."
"Are you sure he didn't do it willingly?" Lily questions. "Maybe he—"
"No," Emma interrupts. "He wouldn't do that, not to me."
"And after that?"
The Savior shakes her head. "I—I don't know. All I remember is a shadow, and the next thing I know, I opened my eyes and saw you."
"What if it wasn't the darkness that took him?" Lily argues. "What if it was someone else?"
The idea intrigues Emma. Though her mind remains clouded, it holds fractured memories from last night. One of them, when she held the dagger in the dead of night and called out to Killian with no answer, comes back. It causes Emma to believe it could be the first idea that actually makes sense.
"I mean, I must sound crazy, right?"
"No," Emma mumbles. "You don't."
"I mean, we've been so careful and—hold on. Did you just say no?"
Unveiling the dagger from her tatters of silk, the Savior realizes, "This isn't the real dagger."
"Wait—what?"
"Lily," Emma says, glancing at her friend. "I tried to use it last night, right before I lost consciousness. I tried to call him back, but it didn't work."
"Which means—"
"Someone knows our secret."
"I don't understand," Lily says, still trying to process Emma's words. "We've been so careful."
"Not enough."
With a grunt, Maleficent's daughter rolls her eyes. "Well—if you're hoping I have it, I don't. Remember, I gave the dagger back to you just before we left for Arthur's castle."
"That's what I was afraid of."
Worry races down the Savior's spine. They did everything possible to keep their secret, yet someone knows. Images of Killian being tortured by the darkness start to flood Emma's brain.
"So what do we do now?" Lily asks.
"I don't know," the Savior admits. "I don't know and I hate it, because I'm supposed to know. Everybody always looks to me to have the answers and to save the day, even my own family. Because that's what a Savior does, she saves everyone, but—I don't want this."
The pain that echoes the Savior's words resonates with Lily. Perhaps more than anyone else, she understands the orphan's agony and loneliness. Though she doesn't have it all figured out, she shares her heart.
"Emma, I used to think there was a lot of things that if I could go back, I would've changed. I would've been with my parents and lived a perfect life. But that's not what happened. Now, all these years later, I wouldn't change what happened to me: not the adoption, not the foster system, not the sleepless nights, not the rat infested apartments, nothing."
"Really?" the Savior questions as she raises an eyebrow.
"Yes, I wouldn't change my experiences because they made me into who I am. I mean, think about it. Emma, if you never became the Savior, if your parents didn't send you through that portal, you never would've met Neal, and you wouldn't have the one thing you love most."
"Henry."
A smile sprouts on Lily's face as she nods, "Plus, you never would've met Hook."
"I could've," Emma corrects her. "I did meet him in the Enchanted Forest, after all. Our paths could've crossed."
"Yeah, I don't think Daddy Charming would let his teenage daughter anywhere near a 300 year old pirate."
Her words bring a slight chuckle to Emma's voice. It is the first sign of light in her bruised and battered state.
As the sun rises to its throne in the sky, the breeze twirls Emma's golden locks into the air. She loses herself in thoughts, uncertain of Killian's whereabouts. Where could he be? How would she find him?
"What am I going to do, Lily? Everything is falling apart."
"You're going to do what you've always done, Emma," she answers. "You're going to get up, pick up the pieces, and figure it out, because you're the Savior. You're the only one who can do this. You're the only one who can stop the darkness and save Hook."
Emma knows that Lily is right. She must find a way to save Killian. Her inner strength and the love of her family drive her to stop the darkness once and for all. From her experience as a bail bondsperson, she knows how to find people, especially those who do not want to be found. There is no doubt that despite the darkness' best intentions, she will find her Captain.
Lily finds that the Savior wraps her hand around hers and gives it a tight squeeze. The feeling of Emma's warmth against her palm brings a sigh of relief. After all they endure, she feels thankful that their friendship remains.
The serene yet painful silence breaks when the friends hear their protective knight calling for them. "Emma?! Lily?!"
"At the creek!" Lily responds before hearing the footsteps head their way.
As the sound of boots sliding in the mud echoes in her ears, the Savior feels the sensation of her cloak scratching her skin. She prepares to lie, again. Though the knight seems friendly, their situation grows dire.
When Sir Kay approaches their rock, Lily displays her attempt at a warm smile. Droplets of sunshine illuminate in his silver hair like a halo. A huge grin decorates his scruff and countenance.
"Good morning ladies! Enjoying the sunrise, I see?"
"Yes," Lily answers. "It's like watching a painter create a masterpiece."
"Indeed," Kay grins before turning to the Savior. "I trust you feel better, Miss Emma?"
"I do," she replies. "Thank you."
"Everything alright? You seem upset."
Before she speaks, Lily comes to her rescue. "She's just worried about Neal. We both are."
"Not to worry, ladies," the knight responds. "I've already encountered my patrol of soldiers this morning. They haven't seen him, but I told them that finding Lord Neal is their priority. By midday, all of Camelot will be searching for him. I have no doubt he shall be found before sundown."
"Thank you," Lily says.
"That is not the only news I bring," the knight continues. "His majesty requests our presence immediately. We are to prepare for our journey back to the castle and leave as soon as possible."
"Why?" Emma asks.
"Is there something wrong?" her friend questions. "Does it have to do with the Dark One? Are we in danger?"
"No," the knight refutes. "Not at all. It is quite the opposite. I'm told that the King has guests."
Emma displays a puzzled look. She finds the announcement to be random, but probes for more information.
"Who? Why should we be informed?"
"Yeah," Lily chimes in. "Doesn't the King always have guests?"
"Well, that's true," Sir Kay replies. "But I believe these guests are some you might know. It's your family. They're here and they want to see you."
A/N: Here comes the Storybrooke gang! (well, some of them at least) I'm looking forward to having all of the characters in one place. Hooray! Chapter Fifteen is complete! Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. As always, I welcome and would love to hear any comments, critiques, or suggestions you have for this chapter and the story as a whole. Also, don't forget to favorite and/or follow this story if you haven't already. Next chapter includes a CaptainSwan scene, yay! I think after all the stuff I've put them through (sorry, not sorry), we could use one right now. I am almost finished (really, I'm serious this time) with it and hope to post it in a couple of days. You're not going to want to miss it! Thank you for being awesome readers! I appreciate your support!
Until next time!
C.M. Singer:)