Hey guys! So this chapter isn't much shorter but I tried my best. There isn't much to say about this one so we shall talk at then end. Enjoy my lovelys
"You never cease to amaze me, Peter. Outwitting the Evil Queen in less than a day. It's impressive," Felix complimented as the pair arrived at the well.
"She loves the girl. That makes her weak," Pan peered into the well opening. "This is it. This is where we'll cast it. The ingredients?"
Felix handed over the bag with the requirements for the curse. "When it's done, will they all be dead?"
"Of course," Pan stated simply as he began to take out the ingredients. "They will be slaves to this new land we're making with no idea who they once were. Death is final, Felix. Their suffering will be eternal," the boy continued to throw various ingredients into the well, hearing them splash when they reached the bottom. "What she did is child's play compared to what I have in mind."
"I knew you'd win. Peter Pan never fails," Pan flashed the loyal boy a smile. Felix looked into the well to see nothing was really happening. "Are we missing something?"
"Yes," Pan answered simply, tucking a piece of Sarah's hair behind his ear. He couldn't wait to return to his own body.
"What is it?" Felix sensed Pan was holding something back.
"The heart of the thing I love most," Peter explained a sad look in his eyes.
"You mean your son's heart? Rumpelstiltskin?" Rumple was the only person Felix could think of that stood a chance of having Pan's love.
"No, uh, I never loved Rumple," part him felt guilty for admitting it but he could not deny that it was true.
Felix gave the boy a perplexed look out of ideas. "Well, then, whose heart do we need? Who do you love?"
"Love can be many things, Felix. It doesn't just come from romance or family. It can also come from loyalty; friendship," Pan noticed a change in Felix's expression. "Only one person has always believed in Pan."
"That's me," Felix took a step back.
"Don't be afraid. Be flattered," before the boy could argue Pan ripped the young boy's heart from his chest watching as he fell lifeless to the ground. Part of him was going to miss Felix. No one would ever be quite so reliable. Not dwelling on it any longer, Pan crushed the heart in Sarah's hand before throwing it into the well with everything else.
"It's happening again?" Mary Margaret began to pace the vault floor. It already took them 28 years to break out of the first curse. How long till they would be free again?
Emma turned to Rumple for answers. "Gold, this curse, is it going to work like the last one?"
"The last one was created to service the Queen's wishes. This will be done per Pan's desire. I would count on something hellish," Gold sighed. At least Regina had been somewhat practical in her demands.
"The curse was built to be unstoppable. There's nothing that can be done," Regina was finally starting to get things back on track and once again it was all about to fall apart.
"Well, it is possible to stop it," Gold corrected.
"Now you tell us," Sarah huffed in Pan's body.
"By using the scroll itself," the man explained. "It can only be undone by the person who used the scroll. That's you, Regina."
"What do I have to do?" Regina was suddenly listening very closely.
"You must destroy the scroll. Both yours and his curses shall be ended, but know this—there will be a price; a steep one," Gold warned.
"See this is where you get that creepy name we talked about," the teen pitched in.
"Maybe we should let the grownups talk so we don't all die," Zac pulled his teen away.
"W-what do you suggest?" Regina stammered.
"Instead of going to him, bring him to us with a spell. One that will return Pan and Sarah to their own bodies."
"If I'm back in my own body, that means I'll have the scroll. I can bring it to you guys," Sarah finished for the man.
"Exactly right, Sarah," Gold smiled.
"Even you aren't powerful enough to cast such a spell," Regina gave the man a skeptical look.
"I can't," Gold turned to the teen. "But she can."
"What part of not being in the right body are you not getting," Sarah hadn't been able to feel her magic since her switch with Pan. She knew it wasn't inside her like before.
"True, Pan will have access to your magic while in your body but you can tap into it. Your magic is a part of you. Apart of your soul not body," the man explained.
"Great now he is getting all philosophical on us," the teen sighed.
"Kid," Sarah turned reluctantly to her blonde mother. "We need you to try," after a few seconds Sarah gave a reluctant nod.
"Then it's settled. The rest of us should get back to my shop and prepare Sarah for the spell," as everyone made a move to leave, Gold pulled Sarah to one side. "Listen about what you said…"
"Not now okay," the girl interrupted. "We have bigger things to deal with."
Back in Gold's shop Emma noticed her mother playing with what looked to be a child's mobile. Mary Margaret caught her daughters stare in the corner of her eye. "This mobile hung above your crib," she smiled. "Uh, um, it was supposed to hang over your crib."
"I like the unicorns," Emma smiled, knowing how much it upset her mother to remember what she missed out on.
"Pegacorn," the teen interrupted as she made her way over to the pair.
"Unicorns," Emma corrected. "They have no wings. Now go stand over there you are creeping me out in Pans body."
"Love you too," the teen grumbled as she made her way over to her father.
Mary Margaret laughed at the girl before turning to look seriously at her daughter. "Giving you up when the curse hit was the hardest thing I ever had to do."
"I know," Emma nodded.
"Every time I look at you, I wonder what would have happened if I hadn't had to," Mary Margaret could almost picture it all like it was real. Watching Emma grow up. Seeing her get married and have kids. It was almost in reach and yet just a little too far.
"I do the same thing with Henry," Emma turned her gaze back to the mobile.
"You were doing your best. You were giving him—" Snow began but was cut off by the blonde.
"His best chance," Emma finished with a sigh. "Yeah. But still, things would have been very different if had kept him. We would have a life together. A normal one. Me, him and Sarah. A proper family. Back in New York or someplace else. Where no one kidnapped my daughter," Emma turned her gaze to where her child currently resided in Pan's body. "But I guess all that was just not meant to be," she gave one last smile to Mary Margaret before heading over to her teen. "You doing okay, kid?"
"Yeah. Just ready to be me again," Sarah smiled.
"I don't know, I always wanted a son," Zac commented from the side lines.
"And I always wanted a father that isn't a man child so I guess we both lucked out," the pair glared at each other while Emma looked on with an amused grin.
After watching the pair bicker Emma turned to Gold. "Do we need anything else?"
"Only one more item," Gold opened up a drawer to his right revealing a familiar bracelet.
"What is that?" Snow questioned.
"This is one of the only useful things that I managed to take from Greg and Tamara before they left for Neverland. It renders anyone with magic utterly powerless," Gold smiled.
"I haven't forgotten about all that, by the way," Regina grumbled.
"Yeah my head still hurts from that machine," Sarah agreed.
Ignoring the pair, Gold moved over to the youngest member of the group. "Once you say the spell, we will quickly have to put this on you. I want to make sure when my dear old Dad awakes that he is weakened. This will lock his powers."
"So, what happens now?" Sarah knew all eyes were about to be on her.
"You enact the spell," the older man said like it was simple. "You will then fall into a deep sleep and awaken in your own body."
"Then you hang onto that scroll and come find us as fast as you can," Regina added.
"I should have never trusted Pan," Sarah shook her head in annoyance. "I should have never turned my back on you guys. I'm so sorry." Emma put an arm around her child pulling her close.
"You're not the one who needs to be sorry. Pan does," David reassured his granddaughter.
"It's time," Gold moved Sarah to lie on the sofa in the room. "Now focus on your magic," the child closed her eyes. "Feel it coursing through you. Think of Pan. Tell yourself what you want to happen and then make it come true."
After a few moments Pan's body began going into a fit. "What's happening?" Emma asked, panic evident in her voice.
"Sarah's spirit is leaving Pan's body," the man explained. As soon as the shaking stopped, Rumple quickly put the bracelet on Pan's wrist.
"It worked," the mayor gave a sigh of relief.
Emma turned to her fellow mother. "Let's go find our daughter."
Sarah opened her eyes to find herself asleep on a desk in the library. "Well this is what I normally do in a library so story checks out," she mumbled to herself. She slowly sat up, her head throbbing. She looked down happy to be greeted by her own body and a scroll resting in her hand. The teen quickly got off the table in excitement racing out the door. It wasn't long till she saw her family rushing towards her from Golds shop. "Mom's," the girl smiled as she ran into her mother's arms, both women holding on as tight as possible.
"What am I chopped liver," Zac grumbled.
"Compared to them you may as well be," Zac gasped in mock outrage. "Just kidding," the girl laughed before releasing her mother's to hug her dad.
"Sarah!" The teen turned to see her little brother running towards her. She got on her knees enveloping him in a huge embrace. "I missed you," the young child whispered.
"Kid, you have no idea," Sarah smiled.
"I knew that wasn't you," Josh piped up from behind Henry.
"Course you did," Sam rolled his eyes.
Before Sarah could greet her fellow teens, she was interrupted by her mother.
"She's got it," Emma noticed the scroll in her child's hand. Regina took the paper from the girl's hand to only fall to the floor. She felt something flash through her before it all went dark. "Regina!" Emma screamed but the brunette didn't move.
"Why isn't she waking up?" Sarah grabbed her mother's hand.
After what felt like an eternity, the mayor slowly began to open her eyes, spotting the sheriff first. "Emma," she whispered as she was helped to her feet.
"What happened? You okay?" the blonde asked in concern.
"Yes, I'm fine," Regina responded but it sounded distracted.
"What is it? What happened when you touched it?" Mary Margaret could sense something wasn't right.
"I saw what needed to be done.," Regina explained honestly.
"Mom, are you going to be okay?" Sarah held onto her mother's arm to keep her upright.
The older brunette turned to her daughter, taking her face in her hands. "The important thing is you will be."
Before the teen could answer an unwanted voice interrupted.
"No, she won't," the family turned to see Pan approaching
"He has the–" Hook began to say but was soon froze by Pan. Pan froze everyone to the spot a smile on his face. Sadly, he did not notice Zac at the back of the group just out of reach.
"The Curse? That I do." The boy smirked. "Look at you all. A captive audience. I could play with you like a pack of dolls, couldn't I? I think I'll start with these two," Pan began to move over to Emma and Sarah. "Hmm. You both look so adorable. Hard to tell who to kill first," he shifts his gaze between the pair as if trying to decide. "No, it isn't," he points to Sarah. "You. You first."
Zac barges his way through the group shoving Pan back. "Stay away from them."
Pan laughed at the sudden disturbance. "How about this? The worm has teeth. You're here to protect their "loved ones". You realise you have no magic, right?"
"I'm not going to let you touch either one of them," Zac stood his ground.
"Oh, I'd like to see that," Pan was almost impressed by the man's stupidity.
"Oh, you will. Because I will do whatever it takes. And what needs to be done has a price," Zac looked back at his frozen daughter. "A price I'm finally willing to pay. Sarah, I spent so many years letting you down but I won't do it anymore. All I want is your happiness," Pan couldn't help but laugh at the father's words. "And that happiness is possible. Just not with me. I accept that."
"Pretty, pretty words," Pan was going to enjoy killing him.
"I love you, Sarah," Zac finished before turning to Emma. "Thank you for being just the best mother in the world. Thank you for being the greatest friend in the world. I know I can never repay you but I'm hoping this will be enough. I love you, Emma," Zac felt his voice begin to strain. "You made me stronger."
"Stronger?" Pan questioned.
"Yes," Zac turned his attention to the young boy who tried to destroy his family.
"But still no magic," Pan laughed.
"Oh, but I don't need it. You see, there's one thing you're forgetting," Zac took a step forward.
"And what's that?" Pan stood his ground.
"You have a child too," with that Gold appeared behind the teen throwing Zac the dagger needed while holding his father in place.
"What are you doing?!" Pan yelled, trying and failing to get out of Rumples hold.
"You see, the only way for you to die, is if you take another soul with you, meaning I have to die too. And now... now, I am ready," with that, Zac quickly stabbed through Pan's chest while also impaling himself in the process. Gold watched as the man killed his father. He didn't think he had ever seen something so brave. It wasn't long till smoke covered Pans body making him disappear, only leaving the scroll behind. With Pan gone the freezing spell wore away leaving a shocked group in its wake. Sarah quickly ran to her father's side putting his head in her lap.
"Dad," she whispered.
"I told you could count on me this time," the man choked out. Emma appeared at the other side of the man tears in her eyes. "Take good care of her, okay?"
"I promise," Emma cried taking the man's hand.
"I love you both," with that he slowly shut his eyes.
"No! Dad!" Sarah screamed, but it was too late. He was gone. The teen cried into the man's lifeless body as everyone else watched on with tears in their own eyes.
"Sarah I'm so sorry," Emma whispered, heartbroken for herself and her child.
"It's here!" The moment was broken by Leroy running around the corner. "The curse, it's here! It's coming from all sides! There's no escape."
"It's not too late. We can still stop it, right? Regina?" David turned to the mayor.
"Yes. Yes," Regina agreed.
Emma stood up joining the group "W-what's the price? Gold said there is a price. What is our price?"
Regina turned to face the group. "It's not our price. It's mine."
"What are you talking about?" Sarah's voice appeared behind them, her dads blood staining her clothes and tears staining her cheeks.
Regina looked at her daughter and felt her heart break. "It's what I felt when I... first held it. I have to say goodbye to the thing I love most."
"Me and Henry," Sarah filled in the blanks.
"I can never see you both again. I have no choice. I have to undo what I started," Regina tried her best not to cry.
A look of realisation crossed Mary Margaret's face. "The curse that brought us to Storybrooke?"
"That created Storybrooke," Regina corrected "It doesn't belong here, and neither do any of us."
"Breaking the curse destroys the town," David did not like the sound of this.
"It will go out of existence as though it were never here. And everyone will go back to where they are from. Prevented from ever returning," Regina explained.
"We'll go back to the Enchanted Forest?" Emma didn't know how to feel about this.
Regina nodded. "All of us. Except Henry. He will stay here because... he was born here."
"Alone?" Emma couldn't let that happen.
"No, you will take him. Because you're the savior. And you were created to break the curse. And once again, you can escape it. And Sarah," Regina turned to her daughter who didn't seem to be fully listening. "Sarah will stay because I sent her away before I cast the curse. Oh, and Josh because… I have no idea what he was doing here in the first place."
"Gee thanks," the raven hair boy sighed. He looked at his devastated best friend. He looked at the man who was like a father to him dead on the ground. How did they get here?
"I-I don't want to. We'll both go back with everyone," Emma argued.
"That's not an option. I can't be with Sarah and Henry. If I don't pay the price, none of this will work," Regina insisted as a crash of thunder sounded in the distance.
"We'll go," Emma turned to her daughter. "If we don't then dad would have died for nothing," the look in her eyes showed Emma there was no room for argument. Knowing she had no choice Emma approached her parents to say goodbye while Henry said goodbye to Regina.
Sam stepped towards his girlfriend. "I'm so sorry about Zac," he whispered rubbing the girl's arms.
"I can't believe he's gone," the teen felt tears run over her cheeks. "I can't believe I have to lose you too," her voice finally cracked.
"Hey," Sam ducked his head so they made eye contact. "We will find each other again," he smiled.
"You promise?" Sarah didn't think she was ready for all this.
"Promise," Sam pulled the girl into his arms.
The town made it to the town line. Emma's bug parked and ready to take her kids and Josh home. As everyone began to say their goodbyes, Regina pulled Emma over to one side. "Emma. There's something I haven't told you."
"What now?" Emma sighed; she didn't think she could take anymore.
"When the curse washes over us, it will send us all back. Nothing will be left behind. Including your memories. It's just what the curse does. Storybrooke will no longer exist. It won't ever have existed. So, these last years will be gone from your memories. Now we'll go back to being just stories again," Regina gave a watery smile.
Emma looked over at her kids. "What will happen to us?"
"I don't know," Regina answered honestly.
"Doesn't sound like much of a happy ending," Emma grumbled.
Regina let out a small chuckle. "It's not. But I can give you one."
"You can preserve our memories?" Emma asked hopefully.
"No, I can... do what I did to everyone else in this town. And give you new ones," Regina explained.
"You cursed them and they were miserable," Emma reminded the mayor of what life was like when she first came to Storybrooke.
"They didn't have to be," Regina reached out, taking Emma's hands in her own. "My gift to you is good memories, good life for you, Henry and Sarah. You'll have never given Henry up and you will be Sarah's birth mother," she couldn't stop the tears then. "You'll have always been together."
"You would do that?" Emma asked in disbelief.
"When I stop Pan's curse and you cross that town line, you will have the life you always wanted," Regina smiled.
"But it won't be real," the blonde argued.
"Well, your past won't. But your future will. Now go. There isn't much time left till the curse will be here any minute," Regina looked over to see her kids hugging their grandparents. Sensing it was time to go, Henry ran over giving Regina one last hug before him, Emma and Josh made their way over to the car.
"I guess this is it," Sarah spoke first. "Will I remember him? My dad?"
Regina brushed the tear from her child's face. "You will but his death will be a distant memory."
Sarah nodded before looking into her mother's eyes. "Are you going to be okay?"
"Not a chance," Regina let out a breathy laugh. "But this time I am letting you go because it's what's best for you, not me."
"I really do love you mom," Sarah cried, even though she wasn't sure how she had any tears left.
Regina pulled her daughter in to a tight hug. "I love you too." Regina place one last kiss to her child's head before letting her go for the last time.
Sarah slowly backed away towards the car. Making eye contact with Sam for the last time. Once in the car, Emma started the engine watching as Regina destroyed the scroll in her hands. Purple smoke began taking over the town letting Emma know that was their queue to leave. She pressed the accelerator causing the car to drive across the town line just as everyone her and her kids loved disappeared from sight. It was over.
Beep Beep Beep
Sarah groaned as she threw the alarm off her nightstand. Just as she was about to drift off to sleep someone began to bounce on her bed.
"Sarah! It's time to get up!" Henry yelled as he jumped on top of his sister.
"You have two seconds to get off me before I become an only child," she growled.
"Sarah, up," Emma called as she walked past the teen's door.
"I hate you all," she threw the covers off as her and Henry made their way into the kitchen.
"You better have made coffee," Sarah snapped as she wiped sleep from her eye.
"Better," Emma smiled. "Hot coco."
Sarah paused staring at her mother. "You never let us have chocolate for breakfast."
"Yeah, well whatever gets you off the coffee," Emma smiled setting the table.
"You are very sassy this morning and I have to tell you I don't appreciate it," Sarah took her seat next to her brother at the table.
"Mom, you forgot something," Henry commented before his mom could sit down.
"Right, cinnamon," Emma nodded, walking back to retrieve the item. Once the cinnamon has been poured the three of them clinked their mugs together before each reading a section of the paper. Suddenly, they were interrupted by a knock at the door.
"Someone coming over?" Henry questions.
"No," Emma said just as confused.
"It's George Clooney with his coffee and he's pissed," Sarah adds earning a glare from her mother.
"Would you stop going on about your coffee," Emma scolded before the banging on the door became louder. "Wait here," she tells her kids as she makes her way over to the door.
"Yeah you check, we are too young to die," Sarah agreed.
Emma opened the door to be greeted by a man dressed like a pirate. "Swan," the man smiled as he tried to enter the apartment but was soon stopped by Emma.
"Woah, do I know you?" Emma closed the door slightly to block the view of her kids.
"Look, I need your help. Something's happened. Something terrible. Your family is in trouble," the man explained quickly.
"My family's right here," Emma answered. "And whatever Sarah's done I'm sure she either didn't mean it or has a good excuse. Who are you?"
"An old friend," Hook smiled. "Look, I know you can't remember me, but... I can make you," with that he grabbed her and placed a kiss on her lips.
Always quick to react, Emma kicked the man in the groin, shoving him away. "The hell are you doing?"
Hook grunted in pain. "A long-shot. I had to try. I was hoping you felt as I did."
"What you'll feel is the handcuffs when I call the cops," Emma threatened.
"Look, I know this seems crazy, but you have to listen to me. You have to remem—" not having time for this Emma slammed the door in the man's face before making her way back over to the table.
"Mom, that's not how we make friends. He could have needed help to defeat Peter Pan," her daughter joked.
"Who was that?" Henry laughed.
"No idea," Emma shrugged. "Someone must have left the door open downstairs. Come on, let's eat."
Okay on a scale of one to ten how much do you guys hate me right now? I'm sorry okay but whats done is done! I promise happier times are to come. I'm always here if any of you need a therapy session. Thanks guys.