I Am Emma Swan

Chapter 21

Henry ran through the opening and through a small tunnel which led to a junction in the passageway. He had to get away as fast as he could, so he quickly decided to take the right side as it seemed to be heading away from the house. After a couple of twists and turns he found himself in a familiar tunnel that led to the beach. He could hear the man yelling, he wasn't too far behind.

Finally, Henry could hear the waves hitting the shore and could see the end of the tunnel from the sunlight. He made it to the clearing then shimmied his way past the large rock that hid the entrance to the secret tunnels. He began to run down the beach when he collided with someone. Falling back, he fell onto the sand and looked up with his hand blocking the sun.

"Whoa hey there little man, where did you come from?"

"I…I need help, there's this man after me and he has a gun! They have my mom and another lady in the house hostage!"

Detective West helped Henry up and radioed for Dracona and Gardener for backup. Dracona wasn't far just down the beach and ran back just as Hatt came out from behind the large rock with his gun drawn.

"I'm gonna kill you kid, I swear!"

"Police! Don't move!" West yelled drawing her gun at the man and pulling Henry behind her. Dracona came up behind him with her gun pointing at him as well. "Put the gun down now!"

Hatt looked around and saw the two women pointing their guns at him, wondering how the hell they were there. He thought about shooting at them then running back into the tunnels but saw another cop coming down the beach with her gun drawn. "Fuck me." He grunted and put his gun down onto the sand and put his hands above his head.

"Now step away from the gun, keep your hands above your head." West ordered and Dracona drew closer to the man making sure he didn't try to run for it.

Deputy Gardener arrived and went straight to the man and took out her cuffs and placed him under arrest.

"It's okay, kid you're all right. What's your name?" West asked as she checked to make sure he was okay physically.

"My name is Henry Mills and the Cassidys' have my mom and Emma hostage. You have to help them!"

"Hey, hey it's okay we're going to get them out. The State police and the local sheriff are here, it's going to be okay."

"Henry, how did you get out? Where did you two come from?" Maleficent asked looking at the large rock.

"There's a secret passageway to get into the estate that have tunnels that lead to different parts of the house. I've only really used the one to Judith's room, but that man there chased me earlier and I found one for the library and just now I came from Mr. Spencer's office so that's two and there's one that leads to the pantry off the kitchen but I'm not sure how to get to that one."

"Do you have him?" West nodded at Gardener and the cuffed man.

"Yep, he's secure and I radioed Sergeant Scarlett as well."

"Let him know that we should have a few troopers here too, this is our way inside."

"Henry, can you show us the way in? Do you know where they're keeping your mom and Ms. Swan?"

"We were trying to escape but he grabbed Mom and Emma told me to run and get help. I don't know where he took them."

"It'll be okay, Henry we'll get your mom and Emma out."


Pretending to read her will, Emma glanced around hoping Neal and Eugenia would leave but what would she tell Gold? He could be in on it, but no she had to prove that she was sane and would be asked questions only Judith would know. She bit her lip thinking of how to do this without them knowing.

The Cassidys were talking quietly when a yell was heard from another room. Neal quickly got up gesturing for his mother to stay.

"What was that Neal?"

"I'm not sure but I'll take a look, maybe the gardener hurt himself." Neal replied knowing full well that it was Hatt's voice he heard.

"All right, you do that I'm going to get Mary Margaret to replenish the hors d'oeuvres." Eugenia remarked as she got up and went out with Neal.

In the foyer Eugenia grabbed Neal by the arm, "that wasn't David, make sure you deal with that man Hatt, he is more trouble than he's worth. Get rid of him and the boy I'm tired of this. We're too close, Neal."

"I know Mother, and I will."

Eugenia went to the kitchen where she saw David and Mary Margaret talking, she seemed upset as David was soothing her. "What's going on here?"

Mary Margaret turned around so fast she almost fell over. "Oh nothing, Mrs. Cassidy. Is everything going well with Mr. Gold? Am I needed to witness yet?"

"No, we're not ready yet. I just wanted you to replenish the hors d'oeuvres, I believe Mr. Gold is ravenous as he has eaten most of what was brought in earlier."

"Of course, Mrs. Cassidy I'll get to that right now."

"Are you sure you're all right, girl? You look as if you've been crying. Do fix yourself you look a state."

"I'm fine, just heard some bad news, um from my family but nothing to worry about."

"All right, you had best get going then. Oh and David make sure the champagne is chilled properly." Eugenia requested giving her maid another look.

Eugenia was caught by surprise when she heard the doorbell, she quickly left the kitchen making her way to the foyer where she met Neal coming out of her office. "Who do you think that could be, Dr. Whale?"

"No, I told him we didn't need him any longer so I'm not sure, but I have something to tell you in a bit and you're not going to like it."

The older woman let out a sigh, shook her head and gestured for her son to answer the door.

Neal opened the door to Sheriff Booth, "Hello Mr. Cassidy! How are you doing?"

"Um fine, what are you doing here Sheriff?"

"Just a courtesy call," Booth replied as he walked past Neal smiled and dipped his hat at Eugenia, "I just wanted to follow up on the Mills boy."

"The Mills boy, oh yes um that is well to say I haven't seen him again so your talking with his mother must have worked."

"How did you know I talked to the boy's mother? I came here to tell you that actually."

"Oh, um well I think I heard uh…Ruby! Ruby at the diner told me."

"Huh, is that so?"

"It's very nice to meet you Sheriff, I'm Neal's mother, Eugenia." The woman put out her hand to shake the sheriff's.

"Nice to meet you, ma'am. Wow, lookee here what a beautiful home, I've heard a lot about the Spencer estate, and I've always wanted to see the inside." Booth remarked as he looked up at the painted ceilings and around the foyer.

"Well, Sheriff we haven't seen the boy so thank you for your due diligence, but we do have company and we shouldn't keep them any longer."

"You're quite welcome Ma'am. Could I trouble you to use your facilities? I think I drank my weight in coffee today."

Eugenia gave him a smile and showed him the downstairs bathroom. When the sheriff shut the door, Eugenia went back to Neal, "He knows."

"What do you mean?"

"When the police ask to use your bathroom, they are either stalling or trying to look around your home."

"Mother, you watch too many crime shows. He's in the bathroom, we can see the door from here, he's not looking around the house."

"Then he's stalling!"

"For what? He only came here to check in about the kid."

"I don't know, I don't trust him. What was it that you wanted to tell me before?"

Neal didn't want to tell her at that moment, he knew she wouldn't take it well, "The kid and Hatt are gone, I don't know if he escaped or Hatt took him but seeing the room, I think he might've escaped."

"What?"

"He's a kid, Hatt will catch in no time. Don't worry."


Mary Margaret convinced David that she would take the snacks into the library her excuse being they may need her to sign something, but she just wanted to see Emma and let her know that she knows.

When she entered the room, both Mr. Gold and Judith, no Emma were both reading over paperwork.

"Hello, I'm just replenishing the snacks and David will be in momentarily with wine if you are so inclined."

"Thank you, Mary Margaret, but I'm fine no alcohol for me." Emma responded with a small smile.

Mary Margaret stared at the woman thinking about what she'd been through the last couple of months. Does she know she's not Judith, does she know she's really Emma Swan from Boston like she said in the beginning? How was she going to let her know without Gold hearing her?

"I wouldn't mind a glass, Miss. A chardonnay if you please."

The man's request brought her out of her thoughts, "Of course, Mr. Gold. I'll have David bring it in for you. I'm not a huge drinker of wine but I've heard of this new winery call Swan or something like that. All good reviews I think it's from a winery in Boston."

Emma quickly looked up from her papers at Mary Margaret who then winked and mouthed 'I know' and left the room.

Emma couldn't believe it, Mary Margaret knew. What did she know? Everything or did she believe her or was she in on it from the beginning? The smile turned to a frown as Emma tried to figure out if Mary Margaret knowing was a good thing or not.

"She's a peculiar woman, isn't she?" Mr. Gold quipped as he reached for another canape.


Regina searched the bedroom for something to pick the lock with, finding an old metal file and a bobby pin in Eugenia's things, she knelt in front of the door and began her task of getting out of the room. She had only tried picking locks a couple of times in research for her books, but something wasn't right, there seemed to be something in the way. Looking through the keyhole, she sees that there was something already in there.

"They left the key in there. HA! I just need to get it in here."

She got up and looked for something to slide under the door. She found a piece of cardboard behind the bureau and slid it under the door. She then proceeded to try pushing the key from the lock.

What seemed like forever, Regina finally pushed the key out and it landed on the cardboard with a small thud. She slowly pulled the cardboard back under the door, but the key seemed too thick for the small space. She reached with her fingertips and pulled the key until it finally fit under and into Regina's waiting hand.

"Thank God!" She sighed then stood up and unlocked the door, her victory was short lived however as she opened the door and stared straight down the barrel of a gun.


Poor Regina!
Only a few chapters left, I hope to have them all posted hopefully before or on Christmas Day.