Authorsnote Hey guys, just some quick information. This fanfiction will have 15 chapters, each one around 1 k words. I'm planing to post 2 - 3 times a week. So stay tuned for the next chapters ;)

If you find any spelling or grammatical errors feel free to text me or leave a comment so I can correct them. English is not my first language but I still hope there are no bigger mistakes. Anyways, thanks for reading. Enjoy!

Henry took a sip of his hot cocoa, "First we need to figure out how people fall under this spell. Then maybe we can trace it back to it's source."

"What do Mary Margret, David, Granny, your cook and Gold have in common?" Emma thought out loud. Regina had spoken of half of the town coming after her, including them.

"Mr. Gold is chasing her too?" Henry asked worried, but before Emma could say anything to calm him down Ruby went in, "Don't worry, Henry. Your mom is the former Evil Queen. She can handle that imp."

"They all suffered under her reign. They fought against her in the enchanted forest. You fought against her", Emma turned to Ruby. "But you're still … you."

"Um, thanks?"

"What makes you different from your Granny and all the other's?" Henry continued Emma's train of thoughts.

"She's younger, she has magic, she ..." the blonde answered bur Henry cut her off, "Mary Margaret is not much older than you, Ruby, isn't she? And Mr. Gold has magic too and still is after my mom."

"We're around the same age" Ruby confirmed. "But you know my magic isn't dark like Rumpelstiltskin's, right? And I was born with it."

"I don't think we're on the right path, guys" Emma sighed. "Maybe..."

She was interrupted when somebody bursted out the bathroom, the same furry that had been written on Granny's face on his now. His eyes landed on Henry and he immediately headed for him. Emma got up and blocked his way, "What do you want?"

The man pointed on her son, "He lived with her for many years. He has to know where she is!"

Emma couldn't believe her ears when she heard Henry say, "I'll tell you where she is. Under one condition. You need to answer me a question first."

"Henry! What are you doing?" Emma hissed but he turned to her and looked her in the eyes, "Trust me, Ma."

"Fine. Ask"

"Since when do you feel the urge to kill The … Evil Queen?", Henry questioned him.

"Since forever" was the short reply.

"That's no real answer. Tell me the exact moment" he commanded.

"I don't know. It feels like forever!" the man defended himself.

"If it was forever then why are you searching her only now and not earlier?" Henry persisted.

"You know what? Forget it. I'm gonna find her on my own", with that the guy stormed off and left them as clueless as before.

"We're gonna ask the fairies for help" Emma decided and made her way out, followed by Henry and Ruby. There was silence in the car when they drove to the convent.

"You know what?" Ruby broke the silence, "Maybe we think to complex, maybe it's really simple what's connecting all the people that want to kill Regina."

"You mean, we think about personality or magic abilities, when it's not personal but universal like the air they breathed ?" Emma asked.

"Oh damn! You're right! The water!" Henry almost screamed. "It's in the water!"

"You mean the ground water?" Ruby questioned.

"Yes! Mary Margret and David showered this morning, like they always do. I'm sure Granny and your cook washed their hands when they worked in the kitchen, and the man came from the bathroom where he washed them too" Henry explained his theory.

"So all the people that didn't went after Regina had no water contact this morning?" Emma asked.

"I hadn't" he confirmed.

"Me neither. I had no time since Regina called me" the blonde confessed..

"But I had. I showered this morning and brushed my teeth of course" Ruby told them.

"When?"

"At 5:30 I think. Couldn't sleep any longer. Maybe because of my instincts that were warning me that something bad would happen" the brunette thought out loud.

"I think so" Henry agreed. "And it seems like somebody poisoned the water between 6 and 7."

For a brief seconds Emma had looked over to Henry but that was enough for someone to step on the road without her noticing. If not for Ruby screaming "Look out!" Emma totally would have hit that guy. However she managed to avoid him and to stop the car.

"What the hell we're you thinking?!" she almost screamed out the window to the man that was now walking over to them. He was dressed in black and as he came closer she recognized the leather closing and saw his hook blinking in the sunlight.

Hook didn't respond to her question, he seemed to look right through her.

"Have you seen him?", his eyes focused on Emma now.

"What?" she asked confused.

"The crocodile. Do you know where he is?"

"Why? What do you want from him?" Ruby intervened.

Hook's gaze hardened and he suddenly seemed well aware of the three of them in the car. His eyes focused on Henry and without thinking, Emma pushed him away and floored the gas pedal, leaving him behind.

"What the hell was that?" Ruby asked and Emma met her eyes in the reviewing mirror. They were wide open.

"I don't know. He wasn't himself anymore."

Henry had been quiet all the time but piped up now, "He wasn't after my mom, he was after Mr. Gold, which means that the curse isn't just about hurting her."

"It's like he became his old self. Just controlled by his desire for revenge" Emma added.

"Maybe" Ruby began but was interrupted when Emma's phone started to ring. The blonde picked up without looking who called her.

"Emma?", Regina's breathless voice sounded through the speaker.

"I'm here" the blonde confirmed.

"I need your help. Gold managed to block my magic. I can't defend myself anymore."

Emma's heart stopped for a second. She could hear people screaming in the background and she even managed to pick Mary Margret's voice out of the chore.

"Where are you?" she asked with furry in her voice.

"In the mines. You remember where you defeated Mal in her dragon form? I'm hiding there" the brunette whispered and Emma got the feeling that the screaming just got louder.

"Hold on. I'll be there in ten minutes."

"There she is! The Evil Queen!" someone shout in the background and Regina sighed, "I think that will be too late. Could you … could you give me Henry, please?"

Emma's throat seemed to tighten as if someone had put his hands around it and squeezed. Squeezed until no air came through anymore.

She stopped the car immediately. "I won't let you die Regina! Just tell me how I can stop this!"

The other woman sounded defeated when she answered, "I don't know. Now please give me my son."

Emma gave the phone to Henry who's face was as pale as a blanket.

"Mom?" he whispered, pressing it to his ear. His voice was trembling.