Here's some Captain Swan action to start your week!
The silence was really starting to get to her. Emma thought that distancing herself from her family for a bit would be nice, but the eeriness crept upon her without notice. Killian couldn't take being around a comatose Regina any longer, so he let Emma be and explored downstairs. The blonde couldn't seem to leave the master bedroom- she had three different spellbooks cracked open lying on her bed. Even if it killed her, Emma was going to get back in touch with her magic and figure out a way to rescue her. Magic always came naturally to her, much to Regina's annoyance, but after so many years of abandonment, some of it was still a struggle.
"I know you're probably judging me," she said sarcastically towards Regina, "but I was fine for ten years without magic, you gotta admit."
Reading the ancient literature was hardly Emma's strong suit, but it was Regina's life on the line. She probably would've known exactly what to do if the situation were reversed.
"You definitely haven't been turned into a toadstool," she muttered, flipping through the pages irritably. Her eyes were tired of reading words that barely made sense to her. In the few hours she had spent in the room, Emma had successfully remembered how to make objects levitate and how to teleport herself to different places in a cloud of smoke. None of these things could help with finding Regina.
Perhaps it was her need to always be the one to fix things that kept driving her forward; she didn't know. But Regina had children that really needed her, along with many honorary family members that wouldn't be the same without her. So Emma pressed forward.
By the time she looked up from the book she was attempting to read, the sky outside was completely black. Her nose crinkled at the smell of something odd but delicious wafting in from downstairs. Gliding down the staircase, Emma was surprised to see her boyfriend in the kitchen, tending to three different pots on the stove at once.
"What the hell is this?" Emma asked, in a weak attempt to be cross with him. She was hungry, though.
Killian grinned towards her. "We can't let their food go to waste, right? I'm trying to perfect this quiche recipe."
The pirate had recently taken an interest in culinary arts, much to Emma's enjoyment.
"I am starving, but this is kind of... weird, considering the situation."
Killian gave her a look. "I know Robin would be okay with it- -and we do have to stay here overnight to look after Regina. Makes sense to me."
Her tension eased when he uncorked a bottle of red wine and poured a glass for her. She graciously accepted the glass and kissed him.
"I'm glad I don't have to be here by myself tonight," she said before taking a sip.
The dinner Killian had made was delicious, just like she knew it would be. In just an hour, she was full and pleasantly drunk, almost making her almost forget about all their current problems.
"They really have decorated this place nicely over the years," Emma remarked, gazing around at the living room she had been in thousands of times before. "Doesn't it make you feel old, knowing that we've both been in here before Caroline was born? I still remember when Regina gave me the apple turnovers and tried forcing me out of town- those were the days."
The pirate put his arm around her and pulled her close. Sure he was beginning to accept the fact that they were all getting older; he had even let some of his grey hairs remain uncolored. Things like that used to bother him, but since Emma came into his life, he relaxed on quite a few things that weren't nearly as important.
"It's strange not having Caroline here demanding all of our attention," he remarked, the memory still fresh in his mind. "She's just like her mother- outspoken and relentless when it comes to getting her way."
Talking about the ten year old only made her worry about her more.
"Let's hope she can use that magic of hers to her advantage- it's impossible to picture her doing it, though. She's so young... do you think she's more powerful than me?"
"We'll have to pit you two against each other to find out," Killian replied, kissing her again.
Just then, the door opened, making the couple jump up in surprise. In came Henry, followed by Tinkerbell and Neal, all looking flustered.
"Oh god- you guys aren't supposed to be here until the morning!" She exclaimed, giving her son a tight hug.
"We started driving as soon as you called- is she upstairs?" Henry asked, exhaustion showing in his eyes.
Emma suddenly regretted drinking so much. The alcohol made her feel groggy- she wasn't in the right mindset for the conversation they were about to have.
She and Killian updated the three of them on the situation as best they could, and soon Tink was right where she was an hour ago, veraciously reading the spellbooks Emma had left out.
"Why isn't Grace with you?"
Henry sighed, unable to look away from Regina in her state. "She's swamped at the university right now- with everything going on, there's no way she could've come with us."
Emma wished Grace could be there, but figured it was for the better. The emotional tournament of it all was really getting to her, and it had only been two days.
"I should check up on Dad and see how he's doing," Neal said, giving Tinkerbell a quick kiss before waving goodbye to everyone else.
Even though her son was an adult now, Emma could still see the same look in his eyes as she did when he was ten- it was a look of hopelessness, one under very different circumstances.
"Don't worry kid, this is another operation for us to solve. This time we have a lot more people on our team- we'll figure out how to get them back, I promise."
Henry admired her passion. Maybe it was because he had been in the real world for too long, but he had trouble seeing the positives. Half of his family were missing, including his little sister. This left an ache in his heart. He couldn't imagine how Roland was dealing with all of it; the guy got stressed out over even the mundane things in his life. All Henry knew was he had to go see him.
Back in the Enchanted Forest, the cold was really beginning to set in. Caroline didn't notice it at first, but once the sun started to disappear from the sky, cold began to seep its way through her clothes. There weren't any snowflakes falling around them; the cold was invisible and it was approaching fast.
"We should stop for the night before it gets too dark," Robin declared, turning back to face Zelena and his daughter. With how cold they were, no complaints were made.
Robin got to work on making a fire while Caroline watched, desperate for warmth.
"Are you sure we can't use magic?" She asked Zelena, "some blankets would be nice."
The woman couldn't agree more, but she was wary- it could be like shooting a flare upwards into the air for the Ice Queen to see. But considering the alternative could be freezing in their sleep, there didn't seem to be any other option.
"Alright, why not," she said, giving the girl a look. "Do you want to try it?"
Her eyes widened. "Really?"
Robin looked up from the fire he was attempting to start. "No way- you can do it just fine, Zelena."
In response, she waved her hand and ignited the fire instantly. "Don't you want to see your daughter practice?"
Caroline gave her dad a pleading glance. "Can I? I wanna learn some more."
Of course Robin wanted her to develop the skill she was inherently born with, but he also recalled the stories Regina shared about her path down to darkness: there was a fine line between passion and rage.
"Don't worry, we'll keep it quick- won't we Dear?" Zelena smiled smugly as she placed her hands on Caroline's shoulders. Robin gritted his teeth and tried to suppress his frustration. He was over lying to his daughter about who the woman really was.
"Fine- but I expect a very comfortable sleeping situation out of it."
The girl was thrilled. "I'll do it myself!"
Zelena emitted a small laugh. "We'll work up to that. But with how smart you are, it shouldn't take too long... Maybe even before it gets completely dark."
She lead her a bit farther into the woods from their designated stop for the night. Wind rustled the leaves overhead; in the faint light that remained around them, Caroline noted how pretty Zelena looked with her red hair that always remained perfectly curled. Whenever she let her guard down (mostly when she thought nobody was looking), the girl was reminded of the kind woman she first met at Granny's daughter.
"Alright, off with the earrings," Zelena said, her voice cutting through her thoughts.
Caroline obeyed, taking them off with practiced ease and sticking them in her pocket.
"Now, let's begin with the basics," Zelana said, loving her leadership position instantly. "Magic is driven by emotion. It's heightened by how you're feeling in the moment- if you're not careful, though, it can get out of control. And, like anything, it gets better with practice."
In her hand a blindfold appeared, one that she promptly covered the girl's eyes with. "Do you trust me?"
Caroline nodded, brimming with excitement. She jumped slightly when she realized Zelena was no longer behind her.
"Follow the sound of my voice," she instructed, "direct the magic inside of you and give it a purpose- find me."
It was obviously there, the magic stirring through her veins. The ten year old balled her fists and commanded herself to move, but when she lifted her blindfold, she realized she was still where she started.
"It's getting colder, we're running out of time." Zelena called from a different location. "Think about a moment that made you angry- really angry- and use that to make it happen."
"Does it have to be anger?" Caroline asked, beginning to shiver in her boots. "Can't I think of something happy instead?"
Zelena tried to not roll her eyes. "Whatever the thought is, make it a really important one."
She began sifting through her thoughts, which was hard considering the stark bitterness of the air around her. Memories of her and Roland playing outside with their dog, watching Henry graduate high school, and being held by her mom created a warmness from within her. It wasn't until she was away from her mom and brothers that she realized how much she truly loved them.
Reaching forward, she felt the fabric of Zelena's cloak on her fingertips. She tugged off the blindfold to see the woman standing right in front of her.
"You did it!" She exclaimed, welcoming the hug the girl gave her. "Look what you're capable of."
The rush of magic still had her reeling- it felt like someone had jumpstarted her soul, revitalizing a part of her that she wasn't even aware of a week ago.
"Let's get started on getting warm; we have a long night ahead of us."
Henry held is younger brother tight, suddenly regretting how mean he was towards him during his last visit.
"I'm sorry you've had to go through all this," he began, "it's been a while, but I remember what it feels like."
Just then, Emma swore from across the room. "I can't get any of these stupid spells to work!"
"Mom, yelling isn't going to fix anything- if we don't stay focused, we won't be able to find her."
Emma glanced up at him, exhausted and brimming with irritation. She knew he was right.
Before Killian could suggest heading to bed for the evening, Henry took off towards the hall storage closet. His audience of three all looked suspicious as he began looking through various baskets of misplaced items. Finally, he pulled out a small, circular object, looking triumphant as he did so.
"I'm so glad it's still here!" He said, exhaling a sigh of relief.
"What is it?" Emma asked, wary of his enthusiasm.
"This is a looking glass- when Dad was stuck in the Enchanted Forest, Will gave us one of these to communicate with him. I, uh, sort of broke the original one, so a few years later I asked Mr. Gold to let me have one of his from his shop because I felt bad."
Emma's eyes widened. "You're telling me that we can use that thing to talk to Robin and Caroline? Maybe even Regina too?"
Henry nodded. "You can do it with your magic- I know you can."
He handed her the small mirror, his passion returning to his senses by the second. This was the key to saving their family.
Remember the looking glass from We Can Love Again? Found a way to tie it in here :) thoughts?