Author's Note: Another thanks goes out to Marphisa who was kind and awesome enough to Beta again for me.
**********************Alternative Fairy Tale Land***********************
Rum couldn't tear his eyes away from Regina and Emma as they comforted each other. Letting out a sigh, he resigned himself to the truth.
The prophecy had come to pass.
Without his ability to see the future, he found himself lost. He found himself trying to remember all those visions of the future. The problem was it had been many years since he had been the Dark One. Too much time had passed, and too many things had occurred for him to actually know what was about to happen.
Certain things could still be possible, and could indeed still happen. Before, he knew every possibility. Now, he walked blindly into situations.
That wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
Turning his head, he saw Belle talking to the others. All of them were still trying to decide who was really going through if they indeed found a portal. Of course, Rum knew they would.
Images of what could be happening to Sarah and Snow appeared in his mind and tortured him.
Trembling lips and watering eyes would have given him away if anyone had been looking at him. But he had to stay strong. Sarah needed him now more then ever. He had to stay brave. The consequences if he didn't were too high to pay.
"Hey."
Rum hadn't been paying attention as he had been staring at Belle, who had indeed caught him looking like he was about to cry.
When Belle approached him she immediately wrapped him in a huge hug.
Belle let her own tears fall then as Rum squeezed her as if life were ending.
"She's going to be fine. You'll see. Snow is more than capable of keeping them safe." Belle's beautiful accent made the words sound like magic.
Rum nodded against her shoulder, trying to keep from blubbering even more.
"Pappa, are you alright?"
Belle and Rum slowly pulled apart and looked down at the scared little face of Keegan. Rum bent and Keegan quickly entered into his father's embrace.
"It's alright, boy. I'm just worried about them is all," Rum whispered to his son.
"I hate to see you cry, Pappa," Keegan said against his father's chest.
Belle said nothing as her own emotions about the situation hit her also.
Rum had told her all about the visions that he use to have and what he was frightened of the moment they had heard Sarah and Snow had gone missing.
When they had arrived, Cora had quickly informed him of what had happened.
He had been worrying about this very thing for weeks now. Both he and Cora had spoken of the prophecy from those many years ago.
Over the last few days he had tried to keep vigil, to keep Snow and Sarah out of harms way.
In the end it was inevitable. Fate had run it's course.
With the known urgency of the situation, Rum had been utilizing what little magic he could use to search for the portal. It wasn't easy with the thick forest surrounding them and King George's encampment so close. He had been unable to find anything, though.
"We will find them. If anything, we know we will. You remembered that we find them." Belle tried to encourage her husband.
Rum shook his head and slowly pulled back from Keegan.
"I said there was a possibility of finding them. Without all the pieces to a puzzle, you can't see the overall picture. Only the edges are truly defined; but the middle—the middle is where you must piece things together and find your way," Rum explained.
Belle stared back at her husband, a husband that she had come to know because of Sarah. If nothing else, she owed Sarah for the love of her husband and the love of her little boy.
Belle turned her head and looked over to watch a distraught Regina as she consoled Emma. Of course, she also owed her fate to Regina and Emma as well. If it had not been for them, Bae would have never been found and Rum would have continued to be the Dark One.
Without a second thought Belle made her way over to Regina and Emma. Emma noticed her first, looking up from her Grandmother's shoulder. "Belle."
Emma dove and embraced the woman, both squeezing the other in a tight embrace of comfort.
"Don't you worry now! We'll find them. No matter what anyone says." Belle was trying to encourage Emma like she had Rum.
Emma tried to hold back tears as she nodded against Belle.
Regina watched the scene with a clogged throat. Seeing Emma scared was rare. Regina knew that Emma had huge doubts that they would get Snow and Sarah back. But Regina couldn't and wouldn't give up on her daughters. She tried to stay calm, knowing that if she became hysterical it would set off Emma. She would do anything to keep Emma from feeling even more pain.
The dwarves were all scouring the forest along with Robin and his men, while Jiminy and the fairies searched the tree tops.
"We're here!" Granny yelled as she, Anita, and Red ran towards Regina.
Red ran and immediately embraced Regina. Regina gave a small little smile.
"Why didn't you tell me what happened? " Red asked half hysterical herself as she hugged a woman that had become like a second mother to her.
Regina finally allowed a few tears to escape her eyes, knowing that if Sarah and Snow had planned anything that Red would have been missing as well.
"I didn't want you to worry. Not before we knew anything for sure," Regina admitted.
Pulling back, Red looked into Regina's eyes.
"Anything?" Red asked with a fear for the worst answer possible.
"Nothing yet. But we know what happened," Emma said as she stepped away from Belle's embrace.
"How do you—" Red had been about to ask how they knew, but a scent caught her.
Anita and Granny had bypassed the group as Red comforted Regina; but the distinct scent of Snow and Sarah had picked up on the slight breeze, making both go towards the edge of the forest.
Rum, as well as Regina, Emma, and Belle, noticed the far off looks on the women's faces.
"What is it?" Rum asked as he limped his way over with his walking stick with Keegan at his side.
Anita's eyes scanned the forest. "We can smell them. They were here."
Without another word, both Anita and Granny began to make a path through the thicker foliage.
Regina and Emma immediately followed as well as James and David and Cora.
Slowly the entire group followed, everyone that had been trying to help was eagerly checking the path to see if there were any trace of the two sisters.
Regina's mind wandered back in time to when she and Snow had been hiding in the forest, afraid for their lives. If it hadn't been for Robin, neither Regina, Sarah, nor Snow would have survived.
As she entered deeper into the forest, she knew that if Snow and Sarah had run deeper into the forest that Snow would have kept them safe. When her mother had all but fallen to the floor and told her the only reason she could have felt the pain she had – Regina had felt a fear that she might never see her daughter's again.
"HERE!" Red yelled as she came across two huge trees that had naturally created an arch. The trees' braches curved and had woven themselves together to form the unusual sight.
Rushing to the spot, everyone tried to catch their breaths as they looked around the area.
Rum and Cora though walked to the two trees, both immediately knowing what they were. Both looked at each other for a second; then both turned and put their arms out; and the portal enveloped their hands.
Emma's face was full of shock. "How?"
"Enchanted trees," Rum answered as Regina quickly made her way to the portal, almost pushing both her mother and Rum out of the way.
"Wait!" James yelled, quickly moving forward and grabbing his sister before she went through.
Turning her around, he quickly tried to reason with her, knowing that her only goal was to get to Snow and Sarah.
"Gina, it could be dangerous! We don't know what you could be walking into!" James exclaimed.
David nodded his head at his brother's words. He wanted to rush forward himself to find his wife, but he wasn't about to risk his entire family.
"He's right. I'll go first and—" David tried to reason.
"NO!" The yell came from the three women in the family.
"I'm not going to risk my children's lives blindly," Cora said; and, with just a small glance at her children, walked forward into the portal.
Everyone including Rum yelled out, reaching forward himself into the portal, but not feeling anything. At first. Minutes went by; and Rum still held his hand through the portal, hoping and praying that Cora was all right. Then he felt Cora's hand envelop his. Even after all those years, he recognized the feel of her smooth hand.
A laugh escaped him as he smiled. "She's alright!"
With that he held her hand and brought Cora back through the portal. Immediately, her family surrounded her, all crying and encompassing her at the fear of what could have happened to her.
"I'm fine. It's a cave! It has an opening that I think they made; it leads back into the forest."
Emma pulled away from the huge hug and began to scold Cora.
"Grammy, don't ever do that again! What if you had been in real danger? What if King George's soldiers were in the cave?"
"Emma, sweetheart, I wasn't about to risk any one of you. I may not have practiced magic in a long time, but I can still protect myself," Cora said with a no nonsense voice.
Though all of them were well aware and in some cases afraid of what would happen if she did indeed use magic once more, James quickly defused the situation in a way that only he could!
"Mother, we don't doubt that you can protect yourself. It's the person that you're protecting yourself from that we're worried about. Poor idiot might get turned into a fish and flop around in front of a hungry cat."
Regina, David, and Emma laughed as Cora slapped James on the back of his head.
James grimaced and touched the back of his head. "Why is it always the back of the head?"
"She knows it's empty and won't hurt you that much!" Regina quipped.
The smile of laughter on her face faded as she looked at Rum. He was standing in front of the portal, just staring at it. Regina moved towards Rum.
Rum was so focused on the portal that he was startled when Regina took his hand. It was rare that Regina did such a thing. After what he had done to her and her family, she still showed such kindness, kindness that he had been more than ready to manipulate to get what he had wanted.
Rum had been grateful that things didn't always go his way.
He squeezed her hand and turned his head to look at her.
"Are you ready?" Rum asked Regina simply.
"Let's get them back," Regina said with a squeeze to his hand.
Turning, both entered the portal where fate was waiting for them.
*******************************Back to the Main World****************************************
Henry smiled widely as he stood between Mary Margaret and Sarah. Henry's arms were linked with both of theirs as they walked down the sidewalk towards Mary Margaret's apartment.
"Come on, Mary! I catch on fast! I'm sure if you just showed me the basics I could pick it up easily!"
Mary Margaret and Henry shared a look, then both turned and shook their heads at Sarah. Sarah's encouraging smile died as she pursed her lips and glared daggers at the two.
"There's no doubt he's your grandson. Both of you are half evil!"
"Hey!" both Henry and Mary yelled out.
"See!" Sarah pointed between the two.
Mary just shook her head with a smile and wrapped Henry's arm around hers just a little bit tighter.
Sarah just smiled at her little victory and continued to walk along side them; but Sarah's mind was not idle. Many things entered her thoughts. The first was a question that she knew she shouldn't ask in front of Henry, fearing the answer.
Looking over at Mary, Sarah knew in her heart that both Mary and Snow were the exact same person.
When they had been in the diner earlier, Mary had shown that there was a feeling of sisterhood between them - despite the fact that Sarah knew she didn't exist in this world.
Pretending not to realize that little detail was hard but necessary to speak to those she knew to be her family - yet didn't know her.
Mary had somehow felt the connection that she and Snow had. It was written in the way Mary looked at her and acted towards her.
Letting out a sigh she braced herself, and asked the question she had been dying to ask.
"So, if I'm understanding things right—was mom the one who cursed everyone here?"
Mary Margaret stopped suddenly, almost making Henry fall.
Sarah saw the look on Mary's face. Uncomfortable wasn't the word. The look on her face was one that Sarah was very familiar with.
"Please don't try to lie. You can't lie even if your life depended on it," Sarah immediately chimed to make Mary reconsider what she had been about to say.
Mary's body seemed to crumble; and letting go of Henry's arm, she began to walk away with her hands in her coat pocket.
"Snow!" Sarah quickly moved towards Mary Margaret and grabbed her.
Whirling around, Snow spoke.
"I wasn't going to lie!"
Sarah rolled her eyes.
"I've only known you since birth! I know when you're about to lie to me Snow. And why not just answer the question honestly! It can't be that bad."
"IT IS!" Snow screamed out of frustration.
Now, Sarah knew it was rare for Snow to lose her calm; so when Mary Margaret did just that, Sarah knew it indeed had to be bad.
"What happened?" Sarah whispered the question.
Mary Margaret calmed instantly at the worried face Sarah gave her. Her instinct to reassure her supposed younger sister was stronger than she'd thought possible.
"I ruined her life, so she wanted revenge."
Sarah winced as she heard the words. Henry said nothing, standing a short distance away and remaining quiet, wanting to know how Snow White could have possibly ruined The Evil Queen's life. His face furrowed at the very idea of that even being possible.
"I highly doubt that, Snow! Mom loves—"
"No! Listen to me!" Mary Margaret stopped Sarah putting her hands out in a stop motion.
Sarah stopped and watched Mary Margaret's eyes water.
"I didn't—I didn't know about Daniel."
Sarah stiffened and made a 'ugh' sound, squeezing her eyes shut and clenching her fists in front of her.
"For the love of—WHO IS DANIEL?" Sarah screamed in complete frustration, her sister's answer not having satisfied her at all. Mary Margaret's explanation raised more questions than it answered.
And that's when Henry chimed in, making Mary Margaret's heart shrivel up at the unexpected information.
"He's the man that Mom protected me from a few weeks ago."
Both Sarah and Mary Margaret turned and stared at Henry.
Mary Margaret shook her head. "What are you talking about, Henry?"
Henry looked between the two and continued to explain.
"I was at the stables when this man came into the stall. He—he seemed out of it. Then he started to choke me. I heard her yell at him. She called him Daniel. When she did, he dropped me."
Mary Margaret couldn't speak; her eyes widened at the information.
"I thought Mom said he died," Sarah said as she turned to question Mary Margaret.
But Mary Margaret's mind was frozen. Her mind was trying to catch up with the fact that the man who could have saved them all from this horrid existence, from Regina's vengeance, had been alive and here. She almost missed the small detail of Henry being choked.
"What happened to him?" Sarah asked Henry, who shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't know. Grandpa came to check on me."
"But you just said mom was yelling; I doubt she'd not come to check on you," Sarah said with a furrowed brow, trying to piece what Henry was saying together.
Again Henry shrugged his shoulder's, not being able to give an explanation.
Sarah turned to Mary Margaret then.
"I know mom loved this Daniel; but could you please tell me how its possible that a dead man was choking Henry and yet somehow mom hates you because he's dead?"
Mary Margaret couldn't answer her.
"Well," Henry began, "maybe grandpa knows why."
Mary Margaret looked between Sarah and Henry when she remembered something.
"David was supposed to meet us at Regina's."
"That was hours ago!" Sarah exclaimed, looking at the sun's position.
"Is Grandpa in trouble?" Henry asked curiously.
"Oh, he's about to be," Mary Margaret said as she began to walk back to Regina's home.
"Snow, you said you had a car," Sarah said as Mary Margaret passed Henry. She stopped at Sarah's words.
Turning back, she began walking to her car, but not before murmuring, "Not a word," to Sarah.
Sarah looked at Henry with an arched brow.
"She's very brave… but not very bright." With that Sarah bounced her eyebrows up and down in her classic way, making Henry laugh.
Sarah never expected the slap to the back of her head.
Author's Notes: Ok! Was It worth the wait? I'd be happy with 4 new reviews. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!