Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and any unrecognizable characters and dialogue.
I'm very sorry about the long delay. My grandfather recently passed away and, as you can imagine, I haven't had much desire to write in the last month and a half.
Chapter Playlist: 'Confession' from 'Murder on the Orient Express: OST'
Neverland
The Jolly Roger continued its endless circle around Neverland, never straying too close to the cursed isle unless there was a need. After an initial meeting with the boy-king of the accursed isle - and Hook could say that seeing the boy was something he never wanted to repeat - and his lost ones, the pirates had largely been left to their own devices.
Whether it was the boredom of their day, or the arrival of their newest catch, Hook found himself strangely maudlin. Withdrawing the much loved drawing from his surcoat, he found himself gazing at the drawing of his beloved.
"Milah was quite beautiful, wasn't she?"
Hook glanced up to see William Smee approaching, expression predictably sympathetic. Swallowing thickly, Hook folded up the drawing and put it away. He was in no mood to be comforted by his crew.
Smee approached the captain cautiously; he was too used to the other man's moods to not be so. "Don't worry, Cap'n. You'll avenge her. No matter what it takes, I know you'll find a way to kill Rumpelstiltskin."
"Mr. Smee, what news of today's catch?" Hook neatly side-stepped the topic, turning to more important matters. "The boy we yanked from the sea."
"He's still asleep. A bit waterlogged and smells of catfish, but he'll live."
"Where do you suppose he came from, hmm?" Hook moved to the steps, forcing Smee to follow. "There aren't many other ships in this area, and his clothes are certainly not of this land."
Smee rushed to catch up when the captain stopped by the side of the ship. "What if the boy belongs to him? The ones he kidnaps from the other world. I-I'd bet my rations on it."
"Indeed. But could we be so lucky?" A small smirk quirked at the edge of Hook's lips.
"Lucky?" Smee repeated dumbly, looking at the captain as if he'd lost his marbles. "He'll be looking for us. He knows this land better than we do."
"Mr. Smee… are you not a connoisseur of rare and valuable objects?" Hook clapped a hand on the man's shoulder. The other man watched him warily. "If we return the boy to him, it could be the very key to our survival in Neverland."
Elsewhere on the ship, below deck, Baelfire sat curled up on a cot. A blanket that smelt of the sea was wrapped around his shoulders and he stared blankly in front of him. Wendy's wide, frightened gaze was seared into his mind's eye and he couldn't stop thinking about the loving home he had found and lost.
The door behind him creaked open, though he didn't so much as react. Heavy footfalls came closer before the unseen man spoke.
"Ahoy there." Hook greeted quietly, not wanting to startle the boy. He may be little more than a bargaining chip, but that didn't mean he would be treated badly. "Aren't you lucky to be alive."
The boy twisted towards him with slitted eyes. "Lucky? I'm a prisoner of pirates in a land cursed with magic."
"Well, most children think they've found paradise when they lay their eyes on Neverland's magic." Hook leaned closer, voice lowered. "Why else leave home in the first place?"
"I came here so a family I loved could live."
Amused by the boy, Hook leaned close once more with a grin. "Well, aren't you quite the hero?"
"What would you know about that?" The boy spat back, eyeing him with disgust. "Pirate."
Hook stood in front of the boy and pointed his hook. "A pirate saved your scrawny bones from the curse of the mermaids."
"A pirate killed my mother and tore apart my family."
At that little tidbit, Hook glanced at Smee. "What about your father?"
"He left me." The boy's expression crumpled into a deep grief that swiftly gave way to anger. "He's a coward."
At the boy's words, something inside Hook shifted. While he had put it off as madness - after all, how many women and children had such dark eyes and hair? - there was no mistaking the similarities between his beloved and this boy.
"What's your name, boy?"
"I don't have to answer you."
"Ooh." Hook pulled his head back, adopting a mock offended expression. "Well, I can make you." His eyes flickered to Smee, and the boy's followed. "But to prove to you that not all pirates are as you fear, I'll simply ask again - what's your name?"
He leaned close to the boy, practically whispering the demand in his ear. The boy twisted his head to glower fiercely at him, eyes narrowed once more.
"Baelfire."
Everything seemed to come to a sudden stop around Hook as the boy - as Milah's boy - resumed looking forward. Pulling back as if stung, Hook turned to see Smee's look of horrified shock. While Smee had joined up after Milah's death, everyone on the ship had known about the little boy their captain's love had left behind.
Decision made, Hook forced his heavy legs to move. "Welcome aboard, Baelfire." Gathering another blanket in his good hand, he turned around and carefully set it in the startled boy's lap. Smirking down at him, he crowed, "It's a pirates life for you."
Storybrooke
After he'd been dropped off by his parents and Lillian, handed into the capable hands of Granny and Ruby, Henry resisted the urge to throw a fit. They were just trying to protect him, he realized that, but it didn't make it any less irritating that they continuously dropped him off at the slightest hint of danger. While he had nothing against Granny or Ruby, the both of them were far too overzealous when it came to protecting him.
It had taken quite a bit of pleading on Henry's part before Granny relented and allowed him to visit the park. Standing off to the side, holding a loaded crossbow with her finger on the trigger, Granny guarded the perimeter as Henry went to the rope swing. Carelessly swinging through the air, Henry didn't notice when his older grandfather arrived and, facing the other way, neither did Granny.
Gazing across the way at his errant grandson, Gold belatedly tried to stop Lacey's words from reverberating in his thoughts. While part of him knew that Bae would never forgive him, that Lilith would most likely murder him on the spot or die trying, he couldn't help but think over the choices he had. Should he kill Henry, then he'd be free to continue on as the Dark One, free to have and love Lacey till the end of time.
That in mind, he eyed the surroundings carefully. Just beyond the rope swing were several sharp rocks that, should the rope snap mid-swing, the accident would most likely be fatal. Raising one hand just so from his cane, he began to twist it in time with Henry's swings. Before he could completely finish destroying the rope, he paused when David Nolan's truck came rumbling up to the playground.
Gold felt Lillian before he saw her.
It was as if her magic had become a black hole, swirling violently and threatening to destroy everything around her. When she exited the car, the others kept a wide berth around her, clearly sensing the restrained power simmering just beneath her skin, threatening to break free. Her eyes were that bright, vibrant red he'd taken so much pleasure in and they were focused only on him.
"Gold!" David called, carefully striding toward him. He was casting a wary eye Lillian's way, one that was more concerned than afraid. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, my son made it clear I'm to stay away from him, so I'm spending some time with my grandson instead." Gold retorted lightly, eyes narrowed on the way Lillian's blank facade began to crack. Raising a hand and summoning his magic, he carefully drew Lillian towards him. "Lillian, to what do I owe…" He trailed off, struck by her strange behavior. It reminded him of when she was Lilith.
His query was cut short when Lillian did nothing but stare blankly at him. The unstable currents of her magic were almost suffocating in their intensity and he was overcome with a sudden worry for his ward. He glanced at the Charmings, noting their pale, drawn faces; Emma seemed the most upset, shuddering quietly with barely repressed tears.
"Emma, it's okay." Mary Margaret whispered, gently nudging her daughter to where Henry was swinging. "Why don't you talk to Henry, and we'll handle this."
Nodding with a shaky confidence, Emma walked to her son, twisting her gloved hands all the while. Watching his grandson greet her mother, David tore his eyes away from the scene, returning them to Lillian. Her fingers were trembling into clenched fists, expression still frighteningly blank. She hadn't responded to any of their attempts to engage her, only following them to the truck when they announced they were going to see Henry.
They hadn't expected Gold, but this was the most responsive Lillian had been in hours.
"Lillian…" Gold tried again before he paused, eying the dark-haired teen up and down with serious, steely eyes. "No, not Lillian, is it?"
"Gold, what is this about?" David asked, eyes darting between the former master and apprentice in growing suspicion.
Gold held up a hand to silence him. "It's alright, my dear assistant," he cooed faintly to the walking time bomb Lillian had become. "It's alright, Lilith."
It was as if he'd said the magic word. David and Mary Margaret could only watch in disbelief as Lillian slumped, the tension leaving her body as if she'd been a puppet and someone had cut her strings. Drawing an arm around his wife, David watched Gold extend a hand to his ward - which she took almost eagerly.
"Rumple," she whispered, shaking so violently even Gold looked alarmed. "It's Bae, he's-" She stuttered, eyes still frighteningly blank. "He's…" She wouldn't, couldn't finish. It would make everything too real and she wasn't sure she could handle it.
Gold paled rapidly, so much so that David was half-afraid he would collapse. "What?"
"Tamara shot him." David took the initiative.
"He's dead?" Gold asked numbly.
David shook his head, looking down. "They used a bean to open a portal. Neal was hurt so badly that he fell through." He paused, glancing at Lillian's once more ramrod straight back. "He's gone."
"Bae wasn't supposed to die." Gold glanced at Lillian, so lost and hurt that, even when she grasped his hands in her own, it didn't help to ground him.
"Greg and Tamara - they took something from Regina - a magical trigger." David continued, hoping to pierce through the older man's fog of grief and hating himself for it. "A fail-safe in the curse that could destroy Storybrooke."
Mary Margaret chimed in. "If they activate it, it's a self-destruct. Everyone not born in this world will die."
"I know this is hard," David added when Gold's expression did little more than crumple beneath the weight of his pain. "But we need your help."
"No." Lillian started, become aware at Gold's tightly-clipped answer.
Eyes narrowing, and magic beginning to swirl angrily again, she tugged her hands out of his grip. "No?" She demanded in a low voice that held no inflection, no insight to her feelings. "What do you mean, no? That backstabbing bitch killed Bae - killed him, Rumple - in cold blood and your answer is 'no'?!"
"They didn't kill my son, Lilith. I did." Gold snarled back, eyes pricking and throat uncomfortably tight. "I brought magic into this world to find Bae, and now he's dead. Magic always has a price, and this - this is it. But I'm prepared to pay it."
"But… we'll die." Mary Margaret reminded him, shaken by his dismissal of the approaching tragedy.
"Well, I've made my peace with that." His eyes remained on Lillian. "Lilith, come with me. If we're to die, we should meet our deaths together - we can grieve for Bae, together."
Lillian jerked away from his hand, sneering. "I'll grieve for Bae when Tamara and Greg are dead."
Aware he wouldn't be able to reason with her, Gold nodded and retracted his hand. Succumbing to his loss, Gold didn't spare any of them another moment as he stalked away, intent on getting back to Lacey.
Behind him, David and Mary Margaret watched him go in shock as Lillian forcibly kept her gaze on Henry, unable to look away as his little face crumpled.
After rendezvousing with Hook, Greg and Tamara told the pirate sparing details of their plan, making sure not to keep him too informed. With their ally prepared, they headed down into the mines that crossed beneath Storybrooke. While Greg had been able to procure a map to lead there way, Hook was less than trusting of his sense of direction.
"It's just ahead," Greg announced, eyeing the map the home office had sent them.
"Are you sure whoever's in charge of you doesn't want you to die in a mine collapse?" Hook drawled, irritated by the feel of the mines. He could suffer cramped quarters just fine, but being underground like this reminded him too much of the Echo Caves on Neverland.
Tamara rolled her eyes behind his back. "Just keep moving."
"Who is telling you what to do?" While they'd spoken of their cause plenty in Hook's short acquaintance with them, they'd never given a name to their benefactor.
Greg came to a sudden stop and whirled around to glower at the pirate. "You know what? That's not your concern." He began to walk again, Tamara at his side. "It's not ours, either."
"Not your concern." Hook parroted, mildly amused. "So, you're telling me you don't know who commands you?"
It was Tamara's turn to level an irritated glare his way with a deep sigh. "Unlike you, Hook, we believe in something. We have faith in the sacredness of our cause."
Greg stopped any more arguing by announcing, "We're here."
The party came to a stop just before what appeared to be the collection of mining equipment. Greg carefully selected an axe from the wall, testing it's weight in his hands.
Hook arched a brow. "So, your sacred cause is pilfering a dwarf's pickax?"
"Regina had this," Tamara produced a sizeable dark diamond from her pocket, "in her pocket when you handed her over to us."
"It's a trigger," Greg explained while Hook gazed at the trigger in bemusement. "And this pickax, according to our people, is what activates it."
"You're going to destroy an entire town, and kill everyone in it… " He wanted to be sure he was hearing this right.
Greg nodded, a fervent light entering his eyes. "Yeah, including your enemy."
"Rumpelstiltskin won't be immune to this?"
"None of your kind will be." Tamara told him savagely as she placed the trigger on the flat surface of a rock. "Once this thing gets turned activated, nothing can shut it off."
"This whole town will revert to the forest it was. So tell us, Hook." Greg hefted the axe, aiming it carefully above the trigger. "We're willing to die for our cause. Are you willing to die for yours?"
Hook gazed placidly at the fanatics in front of him, mustering a charming smile. "Absolutely." He assured them, all the while cataloguing where in the town he'd seen Lily frequent.
Satisfied the pirate would do nothing to stop them, Greg pressed the tip of the pickax into the diamond. Instantly, the air became heavy and the trigger rose several inches from its perch. A pale blue glow was drawn from the inside of the diamond, growing so bright that the three had to shield their eyes. Nodding in approval at one another, Tamara and Greg exited the mine, Hook on their heels.
Above them, the clock tower in Storybrooke was encased in vines, signalling the imminent destruction of Storybrooke.
While she wanted nothing more than to go with Emma and her parents when they went to collect Henry, Regina knew it wasn't a feasible option. While her magic, and therefore strength, was returning rapidly, she was still far too weak to go with them. By the time she was able to stand and dress herself in the clothes Lillian had brought her, she was a basket case.
Wearing a hole in the floor brought little relief; she was about ready to portal herself to the park when the door to the loft opened. Visibly wilting at the sight of her teary-eyed son huddle safely between his grandparents and Emma, Regina fell to her knees.
"Henry!"
"Mom!" He raced into her open arms, nearly bowling the two of them over.
Pressing frantic kisses all over his dark head, Regina cradled Henry to her, relieved when he returned her embrace with the same ferocity. Neither were prepared for the sudden earthquake to rock the entire apartment, nearly sending everyone to the ground. As the tremors calmed, Regina cautiously rose to her feet, Henry locked safely in her arms.
"Regina, was that… " Emma's eyes were white against her suddenly too pale face.
Miserably, the dark-haired mayor nodded. "Yes. The diamond was activated."
"So, we're all gonna die."
Regina stilled at her son's words. Swallowing thickly, she cupped his face in her hands and gave him a trembling attempt at a smile. "You were born here," she reminded him gently. "So you'll live."
"But… I'll be alone." Henry whispered, gripping his mother's hand so tightly it hurt.
Eyes gleaming with tears, Regina shook her head miserably. "I'm so sorry, Henry."
"It's not gonna happen, I'm not gonna let it." Emma announced, turning on her son's adoptive mother. "You did this, now make it stop."
Regina flinched at the accusation. "I can't, there's no way."
"Well, figure it out! Emma retorted heatedly. "It's your fault!"
"Stop!" Henry snapped, glaring at each of them in turn, unaware of Lillian shifting towards the doorway. "I already lost my dad. I don't wanna lose anybody else. We have to work together."
"From the mouths of babes," Hook called lightly as he entered the loft, gesturing toward Henry. "I'd say the lad has a point."
Without thinking, David reared back and let his fist fly. Hook's head snapped back at the impact while David let his fist fall to his side, clenched tightly.
"That's for the last time we met." Davis hissed, withdrawing his gun and cocking it.
"Bloody hell," Hook muttered, wiping away the trickle of blood from his nose. "Thanks for that, lass." He mocked, eyeing the dark-haired girl who drifted lightly to his side.
Lillian ignored his rancor. "You deserved it." She sniffed imperiously, red eyes locked on David.
"Tell us you're here before I use something other than my fist." David threatened, raising his gun just slightly.
"I think threatening to kill me seems a bit redundant when we're all about to die anyway."
Emma spoke up. "No thanks to you." She accused, drawing Hook's attention. "Regina just told us you were working with Tamara and Greg to get your revenge."
"Well, that was before they told me I had to die to get it."
Lillian squinted at him. "You've been trying to kill the Dark One for decades and it never crossed your mind that you'd have to die to do it?"
Emma wrinkled her nose at their almost friendly banter. "We don't have time for this. We have a real problem."
"Which is why I'm here." Hook reminded them, expression appropriately somber, given the circumstances. "'Cause staring death in the face has made me realize if there's one thing I want more than my revenge, it's my life. So should we start this thing now, and then resume bickering?"
Regina stepped forward, voice thick with regret. "There is no stopping it. And the best thing I can do is slow it down, but that will only delay the inevitable."
As she spoke, David's eyes widened in realization. "Or give us the time we need."
"The time for what?" Mary Margaret asked at her husband's whisper.
"Steal back the beans." David began, looking more excited by the minute. "Use them to get everyone into the Enchanted Forest before Storybrooke is gone."
"How? We don't even know where Greg and Tamara are."
"Well, I do." Hook pointed out dryly. "I can help."
"You mean help yourself." Emma accused flatly. "You'll take them and leave us all behind. Why should we trust you?"
"You won't have to," Lillian muttered furiously. "I'll go with him - We'll find Greg and Tamara and the beans."
"Lillian…" Emma began faintly. Lillian clearly wasn't in any state to go anywhere near Tamara.
David cut her off. "Don't worry, I'll be coming along too. If he tries anything, I'll shoot him in the face."
"Quite hostile, aren't we?" Hook shot a charming smile David's way, one that was more mocking than anything
"Just being clear." David returned tonelessly.
"I'll take Regina to slow down the diamond, give you guys time." Emma began to issue orders, falling into her Sheriff role with ease. "Mary Margaret, take Henry, and gather everyone. Make sure they're ready to go as soon as we have those beans."
Both nodding, Mary Margaret and Henry started for the door. As he passed her, Regina caught hold of her son's coat sleeve.
"Henry, before you go." She bent to his level, voice low with grief. "I'm sorry for what's happened. I… tried to be the person that you wanted me to be and I failed. But I won't let you be alone. You just know that I love you."
Henry stared back, eyes pricking. "I love you, too." He went willingly into her arms, gripping tightly to one another before the both pulled away.
Emma watched them, eyes flat and listless. Hook watched them as well, swallowing thickly. Lillian slipped her hand into his good one, hiding the action behind their backs.
As the others all slipped from the apartment, Hook glanced up to meet David's stormy blue eyes.
"The things we do for our children…"
Neverland
"Capt'n, we have to give them the boy." Smee hissed quietly, eyes practically bulging from his head in terror at the sight of the rowboat filled with lost boys. Whenever there was so much as a hint of the presence of the lost ones, whether they saw them on the shore or heard them on their rare treks on the island, none of the crew felt safe. "They've killed for less. The sooner we give them what they want, the sooner they leave us alone."
Though he didn't like being reminded of their first few ventures on the island and the good men they lost, Hook refused to lose his last link to Milah. "No, I can't part with him now, not when I know he's the Dark One's son." The half-lie fell easily from his lips. "It can't be chance that brought him here. Providence must be at work. He is the key to my revenge. I won't lose him."
Several cloaked boys, each more ruthless than the last, climbed from the rowboat onto the deck. The last to arrive was the tallest of them, with a club slung over one slim shoulder. "Do you know who we are?" The boy asked, his entire demeanor projecting danger.
"You're the Lost Ones." Hook returned breezily, as if they were discussing the weather. "You work for him."
"We're looking for a boy that was seen adrift nearby." Felix drawled, getting to the heart of the matter. While terrorizing adults was all well and good, he disliked being away from the island. "A boy he has a particular interest in."
Hook smiled. "Then I'm afraid I'll have to send you away disappointed. As you can see," he gestured expansively to the deck where the crew was milling about warily.
"We're only men here."
"Then you won't mind if we search your ship."
"Be my guest."
Though the crew was clearly ill at east, the captain merely watched them with a pleasant expression. Satisfied that there would be no resistance, though disappointed that there wouldn't be a fight, Felix and the other boys began to search. As they began to look below deck, one of the boys ventured dangerously close to the hidden Baelfire, missing the terrified boy by inches.
After searching what seemed to be every nook and cranny of the ship, the Lost Ones admitted defeat. As they returned to the main deck, gathering around the blond boy - Felix, if Hook recalled the name correctly - the captain gave them a charming smile.
"Told you." He withheld the urge to taunt the boys; he didn't want anymore of his crew to perish. "No one here but me crew."
"You're new to this land, which means I should warn you." Felix said ominously, stalking forward to bring himself eye level with Hook. "Do you know what he does to people who lie to him?"
"No," Hook replied, expression innocently open. "But I gather it hurts."
A sadistic smile crossed Felix's thin lips. "It does." He promised, raising his voice so all of the pirates would hear him. "He rips your shadow right from your body. R-r-r-rip." He drew out the word, irritated when the captain did little more than smile. Sensing he'd get no reaction from the man, Felix gestured for the rest of the boys to return to the boats. "If you find him, you know who he belongs to. Good-bye, Captain."
Hook watched the Lost Ones leave, more relieved than he would ever admit as their row boats drifted towards the island. Some of the tension eased from him, though he knew it wouldn't be safe to relax so long as he had Baelfire hidden within the ship. Ignoring that, and the looks he was receiving from Smee, Hook crossed the deck to fetch the boy.
Lifting the hatch, Hook stepped back to allow the boy to clamber out of his hiding spot. Rising cautiously to the deck, Baelfire eyed the pirate captain with surprise rather than distrust.
"I thought pirates only cared about themselves."
"Well, you've a lot to learn, boy."
Storybrooke
Glancing up from his drink at the sound of footsteps from the front of the shop, Gold rose and stalked from the back room. He entered to see the seven dwarves rifling through his shop - though the still amnesia-ridden Mr. Clark looked rather put out by what his fellows were up to. Watching silently for several heartbeats, Gold finally decided to remind the would be thieves of his presence.
"A sure sign of impending doom." He called lightly, gratified when the seven interlopers turned in his direction. He was less pleased to see that none but Clark looked abashed at being discovered. "Looters."
With a fearsome scowl, Leroy reached out to pluck his previously missing drinking stein. "It ain't looting if the stuff you find's already yours. We need Sneezy's drinking stein. We can bring his memories back."
Interest peaked, Gold forced himself to remain outwardly detached. "Oh, can you?"
"Mother Superior finally figured it out. He needs to drink this," Leroy held up a small vial filled with blue liquid, "out of his old stein. Something that's important to him."
"So, she found the solution to the memory problem?" Gold wanted to clarify, hands wringing the top of his cane the same way he now wanted to wring that blasted fairy's neck. "Today? In the nick of time before we all die?"
Clark, clearly kept in the dark, startled at his words. "Die? Who's dying?"
Leroy spared his brother a look before he returned his attention to Gold. "She's been working on it all along. Then when she had to transform August back to Pinocchio, she found the ingredient she needed—a hair from Pinocchio's head." He explained. "Someone who returned to who he should be. Someone who wasn't cursed."
"So, you're gonna wake your friend up, to tell him he's about to die?"
"I don't want that!" Clark protested, causing two of his brothers to grab hold of him gently.
"Shut it, Clark!" Leroy ordered, irritated by the other man's behavior. "He wants to know who he is and be with his family, no matter how much time he has left."
"Not if I'm gonna die!"
Leroy, once again, ignored his brother. "Take him back to Granny's. We'll do it there." He told the others, waiting for them to drag the somewhat protesting man out the door.
"Hey! Hey guys, if I don't have a family, will I still die?"
Rolling his eyes at Clark's panic, Leroy turned to glare heatedly at Gold. "I asked her to make a second dose. This is for you." He offered another bottle, identical to the first.
Gold eyed it as if it was poison, but took it anyway. "Well, what am I supposed to do with that."
"Belle once helped remind me who I was." Leroy told the other man gruffly, unable to stop his eyes from misting over at the memory. "I've never forgotten her kindness; I wanna return the favor. Don't let her die as Lacey."
That said, the scowling man turned and left the shop, tailing after his brothers. Somewhat stricken by what he was holding, Gold was dimly aware of Lacey hovering in the doorway to the back of the shop.
"What was all that about?" She asked arms crossed as she gazed at him in an appraising manner.
"Oh, it was nothing." Gold replied airily, pocketing the potion and turning to face her in the same breath.
As they pulled up behind the main building of the Cannery, all three inhabitants of David's truck caught sight of Greg Mendell just as the man turned the corner. Snarling loudly enough that even Hook was taken aback, Lillian vanished from the cab in a swirl of purple smoke. Reappearing just beyond the trash can fire, she took off after the fleeing man.
"Damnit!" David snapped, putting the truck in park and turning it off before both he and Hook jumped from the vehicle.
"Over there," Hook gestured with his good hand to where Lillian had run off to, worry seizing him at the thought of what the two crusaders might do to yet another magical user.
"Let's go-" David halted, struggling to keep his feet as another earthquake, this one much stronger than the last.
"Time's running out, let's go!" Hook called, regaining his balance far easier than the other man did thanks to his years on ships.
David gave a little sigh as Hook took off after Lillian again. "Oh, is that what that means?" He demanded sarcastically before he followed after the other man.
Neverland
When he caught sight of young Baelfire venturing out from below deck, Hook allowed himself to smile. Though the boy was clearly his own person, he could see facets of his beloved Milah in her son. When the boy wandered towards Hook at the helm, the pirate smiled lazily at him.
"Your sea legs aren't bad for a landlubber." Hook watched with approval as the boy stood on steady legs beside him.
Baelfire offered a faint smile. "Yes. But I still get queasy." He confided, keen eyes taking in the sight of Hook navigating the ship.
"Oh, it'll pass." Years of experience assured the captain of such a certainty. "Just think of yourself as an extension of the ship." He tilted his head, examining Baelfire from the corner of one eye. "Do you care to try a hand at the helm?"
Baelfire at once snapped his eyes away from studying the helm. "I know nothing of sailing."
With an amused smirk, Hook reached out and caught the neckline of Bae's surcoat with his hook. He carefully drew the smiling boy forward. "Oh, once you get your bearings, it's easy as pie." As he spoke e began to carve the corresponding symbols into the wood. "The left side is called port and the right slide is called starboard. Now, go two notches to port." He stepped back, allowing the boy to take the helm. "Well done, mate." He praised when Baelfire did as he asked. "You were born with the sea in your blood."
"Thanks."
"You spoke of your mother's fate." Though he hated to turn to such a sober topic, Hook couldn't forget the momentous opportunity he had to discover the Dark One's weakness. "But your father—what became of him? You say he left you?"
Baelfire's beaming smile faltered. "It's a long story."
"It's one that I know well." He announced flatly. "When I was a boy, my father and I boarded a ship with plans to travel the realms. One morning, I awoke, and her was gone. Turned out, he was a fugitive. He had fled in the middle of the night to avoid capture."
"He abandoned you?"
"Aye," Hook saw the same pain hed felt for decades echoed in the boy's eyes. "That he did."
Considering the man before him, the man who in the short time they'd known one another had risked his life to protect him, Bae made the decision to confide in him.
"If I tell you something, will you promise not to tell the crew? They may become frightened." When Hook nodded in agreement, eyes carefully guarded, Bae continued. "My father—the reason I don't speak of him is because... he's the Dark One." Hooks eyes widened at the title, but Bae hurried on, almost relieved to have someone to speak to about his errant father. "He once was a man, but when I got drafted to the Ogre Wars, he wanted to protect me. So he went in search of the Dark One's dagger. And once he got it, he grew obsessed with the power it gave him."
Hook chose his words carefully. "He draws his power from a dagger?"
"Yes. It's the only weapon that can kill him. And the only thing he truly cares about anymore." Bae muttered, still so hurt and angry. "He chose it over me. My papa abandoned me, too."
Storybrooke
Well aware that he had a homicidal magical user on his hands - one that was not wearing an inhibitor cuff - Greg picked up the pace to meet Tamara in the Cannery. Nearly running headlong into her, he grasped hold of his lover's arms, taking in her surprised expression seconds before they were ripped away from one another.
Lillian stalked towards them, one hand extended in Greg's direction, keeping him prone against the far wall. She had eyes only for Tamara, who had already produced a gun from her pocket. Incensed by the sight, Lillian lashed out with her free arm, sending both Tamara and the weapon flying. Greg cried out for his partner, the noise halting in his throat as Lillian tightened her fingers.
Struggling to right herself, Tamara's eyes fell on Greg as he struggled to breathe. "Stop it." She demanded quietly, rising to her shaky feet as Lillian continued to stare at her. "Greg has nothing to do with this - let him go, Lillian."
"Oh, he has everything to with this, Tamara." Lillian mocked, eyes burning with hate. "You took Neal from me - you're about to take everyone I love from me. It seems only fair that I take Greg from you before we all die."
Though Tamara barely outweighed the younger woman, she used it to her advantage. Charging Lillian, she sent them both to the ground where they quickly descended into a violent scuffle. Quickly gaining the upper hand in their fight, Tamara drove her knee into Lillian's stomach, knocking the breath from her lungs. Picking up the gun, she took aim, finger more than ready to press the trigger.
"We're all going to be dead soon," Tamara explained calmly as she tried to catch her own breath. "Is this really the way you wanna go?"
On her hands and knees, Lillian gave a harsh exhale. "You're not getting it." Those demonic eyes of hers raised to meet Tamara's. "I died with Neal." Her head titled to the side, agony overtaking her features. "Do you want to know how it felt?"
Tamara made to pull the trigger, only to find herself frozen in place. Lillian hadn't moved, eyes unwavering in their stare. Struggling to break free of the oppressive magic encasing her, Tamara felt the first trickle of real fear.
Without warning, Lillian's features contorted in a fierce snarl and Tamara began to scream.
"So," David began as he and Hook crept through the Cannery, eyes and ears peeled for any sign of Greg and Tamara, or Lillian. "Tell me, Hook. All this time, it's been about revenge for you. Why is it suddenly so important that you survive? I know what I'm fighting for—my family. What are you fighting for?"
"Myself." Hook retorted flatly, looking around warily. His skin prickled unpleasantly and he rubbed at his arm anxiously. "That's plenty of motivation, I assure you."
A loud, piercing scream split the air, causing both men to nearly jump out of their skins. Without a word, they sprinted in the direction, neither prepared for the scene that awaited them.
Kneeling on the floor was Lillian, her face twisted into a fearsome expression that made even Hook take a step back. Greg Mendell was laid flat against a far wall, eyes wide in unchecked horror at the sight before him. Half afraid to look, David finally glanced back to Lillian, eyes following her line of sight to see the source of the screams.
Tamara stood, held in place by magic, half of her face consumed by blue fire.
Regaining his bearings far more quickly than the prince, Hook quickly took action. Running for Lillian, he tackled her to the ground, breaking her concentration on both of the spells. Greg Mendell fell into a crumpled heap against the wall, coughing and massaging his throat while taking in lungfuls of air. Tamara likewise fell to the ground curling into a small, whimpering ball as the flames dissipated, leaving behind scorched flesh.
Twisting on the ground to meet Tamara's wide, terrified gaze, Lillian whispered, "It felt like that."
Stomach churning at the sight - and the smell - David took a hesitant step in Lillian's direction, stopping when Greg shifted. "Don't move." He ordered, taking out his gun and leveling it at the other man. "The beans. Give them to me."
Still rubbing at his aching yet unmarked throat, Greg shakily rose to his feet. "You mean these?" He asked, weakly pulling out a small jar of beans. "Before I give them to you… let me help her." He wheezed, gazing at Tamara who had yet to make a sound or even flinch.
David obligingly backed away enough to allow the other man to carefully make his way to Tamara. Kneeling, Greg whispered something to his partner, helping her rise to stand uneasily by his side. With Hook and Lillian still on the ground several feet away, and with David only halfheartedly aiming his gun, they seized there chance.
Tamara broke into a dead sprint, resolutely pushing down the immense agony that every little movement brought. Behind her, she heard shouts but ignored them, praying that Greg would find a way to escape. Behind her, Greg prepared to take off after her, only for Hook to grab hold of him, reaching for the beans with his good hand while the hook attempted to find sensitive places to dig in to.
Managing to grab hold of one of the beans, Hook allowed Greg to throw him off, allowing the latter to run off after Tamara. David, who had been readying himself to take the first shot he got, started after Greg. Hook, on his feet once more, reached out and stopped the blond in his tracks.
"What are you doing?" David snarled, trying to jerk his arm free. "They've got the beans!"
"Not all of them. I snagged one." Hook opened his hand, revealing the silvery, clear bean resting on his palm.
"Where are the rest?"
"Who cares? All we need is one." Hook rolled his eyes when David attempted to run after the two crusaders again. Reaching out, he hooked his arm around David's, reeling the blond back in. "Hey! Live to fight another day, mate! Besides," he lowered his voice, pointedly nodding his head in Lillian's direction. "We've got bigger problems right now."
Panting faintly, David ripped his arm from Hook and took the bean from his grasp, pocketing it. "I'm not your mate," he snapped under his breath with a scowl. The expression softened, however, when he turned to look at Lillian, kneeling on the floor, expression lost and eyes blue once again.
They'd barely taken half a dozen steps into the mines before Emma felt exactly what Regina had described. The air around them was heavy - even for a place beneath the ground - and it felt like it was pressing in on all sides.
"I can feel it," Emma whispered as they carefully made their way through a lesser used tunnel of the mines. "It's like the oxygen's being sucked out of the air."
"Not the oxygen, the magic." Regina corrected as they rounded the corner. Hovering several feet off the ground was the trigger, gleaming brightly in the dim cavern. "There it is. Once it stops glowing, its destruction is achieved. And then… well, then we'll see the real carnage." She swallowed thickly, glancing at her once foe. "I'll try to contain its energy as long as I can."
"Won't be long," Emma assured her. "We'll have the beans soon and we can get the hell out of here."
Regina paused, carefully considering her words. "Slowing the device… it's going to require all of the strength I have."
Emma stopped, looking stricken. "You're not coming with us, are you? When you said goodbye to Henry, you were… saying goodbye."
"He knows I love him, doesn't he?" Regina found it hard to look at the blonde.
"Regina, no. There has gotta be another way!"
Steeling herself, Regina forced herself to meet Emma's eye. "You were right, you know. Everything that's happening, it's my fault." She admitted, swallowing passed the lump in her throat. "I created this device. It's only fitting that it takes my life."
Emma's voice was heartbroken. "What am I supposed to tell Henry?"
"Tell him that in the end, it wasn't too late for me to do the right thing."
"Regina, please…"
"Everyone looks at me as the Evil Queen, including my son." Regina reminded her, steel creeping into her tone. "Let me die as Regina."
Sensing the older woman wouldn't listen to a word she said, Emma turned and began to return the way they came. Heart sinking with each heavy step, she turned, ready to offer one final plea, even if it fell on deaf ears.
"Regina-" Emma trailed off as Regina approached the trigger with her hands outstretched. The dark-haired woman showed no reaction as she began to siphon off the energy, eyes focused only on the trigger before her.
Closing her eyes tightly, Emma turned around and continued on her way, heart cracking in preparation for what she was going to have to tell her son.
As vines began to encase the outside of the shop, true terror flashed through Lacey's eyes. It was the first time Gold had seen anything that wasn't pleasure or desire since her cursed self had taken control. Struggling with his decision, he quickly made what he hoped was the right choice.
Lacey had barely begun to understand magic. He didn't want her last memories to be of fear before they died together. Though he adored Lacey - adored the way she made him feel, how she reveled in his darkness in a way Belle never could - She wasn't the woman he had fallen in love with.
She wasn't Belle.
Still ruminating over the decision, he reached for the bottle of liquor. "To the end of the world." He toasted wryly, pouring her a measure. "Come on," he gently urged when she hesitated. "It'll help numb it."
"I, uh, I'll drink to that." She tried to put on a brave face, but the trembling of her hand gave her away. As she reached for the glass, her fingers slipped, knocking it over. "Oh. I-I'm so sorry. Uh, here. I got it."
She twisted, eyes searching for anything to clean up the mess with. Her eyes fell into an off white fabric that she quickly used to sop up the mess.
God's heart seized when he realized what Lacey had grabbed hold of. "Stop!" He snapped before he could stop himself. "Stop! Put that down!"
"It's just an old rag."
He snatched the shawl from her slack hands, inwardly seething at the damage done to it. "It belonged to someone very important. You wouldn't understand."
"I said I'm sorry." She snarled, anger replacing her surprise at what she considered an overreaction. Rather than getting her fire with his own, Gold paused, carefully lowering the shawl before he went to the nearest cabinet. He withdrew the shattered remains of the chipped cup. "That cup again." Lacey muttered as he repaired it with a flourish of his hand. "What is it?"
"It's something from my past - from our past. And, I'm sorry." He raised a hand to cup her face, smiling gently when she leaned into the touch. "Let's not fight." Lowering his hand, he poured the blue potion Leroy had given him into the chipped cup.
Raising a brow at the liquid, but trusting him not to poison her, Lacey lifted the old teacup to her lips. Gold watched, scarcely daring to breathe as she consumed the potion. Jerking back faintly as the magic washed over her, returning her lost memories.
As aware, teary blue eyes met his, Gold struggled to stop his own tears from falling. "Belle…"
Crying now, Belle cupped his face in her hands. "Rumple." Clutching each other tightly, they kissed through the tears.
"I'm so sorry." He whispered, hoping she could forgive him for being so selfish."I didn't wanna wake you up to die. But I needed you."
"You lost your son." Her eyes were soft and loving, alight with sympathy. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry."
"I've failed." Gold gave a shuddering breath as Belle drew him into her arms once more.
Clutching the beans in one hand with Lillian tucked underneath the other arm, David stormed into the packed diner. Hook followed at his heels, eyes darting anxiously from the crowd to the girl beneath the prince's arm.
"We have the beans!" David called, drawing all eyes to him.
Emma nearly fell over herself to reach his side. "You did it?"
Mary Margaret joined them, excited expression faltering slightly at the sight of Lillian's numb, stricken expression.
David noted where her eyes were drawn. "Yeah.
"You all okay?" Emma swallowed at the deadened expression Lillian wore.
"It's… it's fine." David tried and failed to reassure them all, including himself. Beneath his touch, the faint tremble of Lillian's shoulders worsened and he shared a look with Hook that his wife and daughter took notice of.
Though she didn't believe him, Emma wisely chose not to press the issue. "Okay. Let's get going." She turned to catch sight of her son with Archie. "Henry?"
"Wh-where's my mom?" Henry asked, struggling to keep his lower lip from trembling at how Emma blanched.
Reaching down to grasp his arms, Emma swallowed. "Regina can hold off the self-destruct device long enough for us to escape, but…"
"But what?"
Her eyes darted to her mother, watching as her face fell in realization. "She won't survive."
Henry took a step back, shaking his head in denial. "No. No!"
"Henry, I'm sorry." Emma whispered, blinking back tears at his reaction. "I promised her I'd get you to safety."
"But we can't do this!" He protested shrilly, looking at them all wildly. "She's family! We don't leave family behind!"
"This is what she wants." Though Emma wasn't too sure that was true, it was what the other woman had insisted upon. "We have a way out; we have to take it."
"We saved her from being killed by the Wraith!" He reminded them, horrified by the thought of leaving his mother behind to die alone. "How is this any different?"
Mary Margaret's solemn, sympathetic expression suddenly brightened. "The Wraith!"
Emma startled at the sudden outburst and whirled to her mother. "What?"
"We sent it through a portal." Though her daughter looked skeptical, her husband and grandson were nodding along. "Why can't we do the same thing with the self-destruct?"
"Because we don't know if it's gonna work." Emma reminded her mother.
Mary Margaret refused to consider that outcome. "It could."
Despite sensing she wasn't in the right mindset, David glanced down at Lillian. "Do you think it'll work?" He asked gently, squeezing her shoulders when she gave the tiniest shrug. It didn't escape his notice that Hook was staring at the teen, eyes wide with concern.
"It's too risky." Emma didn't comment on the small exchange and instead shook her head, half-convinced her family had gone off the deep end. "No one will go along with it."
"Yes, we will." The feuding family turned to see Archie, standing at the head of the crowd with a faint smile on his face. "Because it's the right thing to do. Look, Snow White and the Prince have always led us before, and we've always won." He turned to the rest of the townsfolk crowded within the diner who were nodding along with his words. "So, who's willing to let them lead us again?"
Though she had heard about how devoted their people had been to her parents, it was one thing to hear about it, much less see it. Almost every person within the diner was agreeing with Archie's question. Rendered silent in shock, Emma could only stare in disbelief before her mother took the floor.
"Thank you, Archie." Mary Margaret's warm, fond expression sobered as she turned to her daughter. Her arm pulled Henry towards her. "This is what we should do."
"And will do." David held back a chuckle at his daughter's gobsmacked expression.
"Look, I know we haven't had a lot of chances to be parents, but give us this one." It was a struggle to get the words out, to admit their failure. "Let us do the right thing. It's not to late."
Emma couldn't deny her mother's words, no matter how they hurt all three of them. Reaching out, Emma pulled Henry into her embrace, looking to her parents with frightened eyes. "I just don't want him to be alone. I don't want him to grow up the way I did."
Another earthquake struck then, this one far stronger than all the others. All struggled to stay on their feet, with some failing to do so. Clutching Henry tightly to her, Emma waited for the quake to calm before she returned her attention to the conversation at hand. As she did, no one noticed but Hook as Lillian vanished, using the commotion as a cover.
"This plan could fail. If we use that bean now, we can get away for sure." Both her parents wore somber, yet hopeful expressions. The paradox made her head spin. "We will survive."
Guilt weakened Mary Margaret's voice. "But it's wrong. Emma, I killed her mother."
"You did that to Cora because you had to."
Mary Margaret refused to let her daughter, let anyone really, try and soothe her. "I did it because it was easy. It was a mistake. There were other paths, harder paths, and I wish I had taken them." She reached out with her free hand, smiling widely when Emma cautiously took it. "So please, Emma, honey, let's take the hard path. Because if we don't we will be building a future on Regina's blood."
Hesitating a moment, Emma found herself agreeing weakly. "Okay."
Proud of his daughter, David tossed the small pouch containing the bean towards her. Emma raised a hand, dropping it in surprise when Hook intercepted the pouch with his good hand.
"You're all mad." He told them with a fearsome scowl. He dodged Emma and David's attempts to snatch the bean back. "I can live with myself."
"Give it back." Emma ordered flatly, hand drifting to her gun holster.
"If she wants to die for us, I sat let her." He continued to hold the bag out of reach, silently thanking his luck that Lily had gone elsewhere. In her current mindset, she was likely to set him on fire as she had Tamara.
Emma held out an arm, stopping her father from charging the pirate. "We understand each other." She reminded Hook in a low, serious voice that made him take notice. "Look out for yourself, and you'll never get hurt, right?"
His smirk was back, though it lacked its usual charm. "Worked quite well for me."
Emma nodded, eyes narrowed. "Yeah, until the day that it doesn't." She took a step closer. "We're gonna do this. It might be stupid, it might be crazy, but we're doing it. So, you can join us and be a part of something, or you can do what you can do best, and be alone."
Staring at her closely, Hook handed over the pouch, to her utmost surprise. "Quite passionate, Swan." He praised her lightly, leaving her unable to be sure if he was mocking her or not. As everyone filed out of the diner, clearly still terrified, he asked, "So, why are you really doing this?"
"The kid just lost his father today." Emma told him coldly. "I'm not letting him lose a mother too."
Suddenly, Lillian's actions suddenly took a startling, disturbing turn. "His father?" He repeated numbly. "Who's Henry's father?"
Emma paused, wondering why he cared. "Neal."
"Baelfire?" It felt as if ice had replaced the blood in Hook's veins.
"Yeah."
Neverland
As the days passed since Baelfire's arrival on the ship, Smee was unable to help himself any longer on the subject. "Captain, why is Baelfire still aboard the Jolly Roger?!" He demanded after drawing the captain aside for a private word. "The boy has given you a path to revenge, but you can't walk that path if you're dead!"
Hook glared out at the sea. "Careful, Mr. Smee."
"Captain, you know quite well that he is after the boy." Smee refused to heed his captain's warning, refused to allow him to place the entire ship in danger. "If you don't surrender Baelfire to him, the Lost Ones will take him anyway and kill you."
Enraged that Smee had not heeded his multiple warnings, Hook exploded."I'M THE CAPTAIN! I GIVE THE ORDERS! AND ANYONE WHO DISOBEYS CAN WALK THE PLANK AND PRAY THAT THE MERMAIDS TAKE PITY ON HIS SOUL!"
Before a clearly frightened Smee could react, Baelfire emerged from below deck, brandishing a sword and carrying Hook's much loved drawing of Milah. "Face me, villain!"
"Whoa!" Hook ducked beneath the clumsy swing, eyeing the distraught boy with concern. "What's this about, Bae?"
"I found this - " Bae held up the picture "- on your desk. It's my mother. How'd you get it?"
"Bae-"
"HOW?!" Bae swung the sword, much more viciously this time. Hook ducked once again, carefully wrenching the sword from the boy's grasp. "You're the pirate that killed her!"
"I didn't kill your mother." Hook said hoarsely, his words stilling Bae's rage. "We fell in love, and we ran off together. Your father lied to you. He was too much of a coward to tell you the truth." Long-buried pain threatened to choke him. "He tore out her heart and crushed it in front of me. And I've spent every moment since then wanting revenge."
Baelfire went still. "She abandoned me?"
Hook didn't bother to deny it, but hoped to alleviate the pain he knew Bae was feeling. "Not a single day went past where your mother didn't regret leaving you, Baelfire. We talked about going back for you when you were old enough. Perhaps fate brought us together to make good on those plans." He slowly reached for Bae with his good hand. "We can live the life that Milah wanted for us, as a family."
"No! Stay back!" Bae ordered, darting away like a frightened animal. "You used me! You wanted to kill my father!"
"Yes." He saw no need to deny that either. "I did."
"You tore apart my family, as sure as if you ripped her heart out yourself."
Hook flinched at his accusations. "Bae, don't."
"Take me back to my real family - the Darlings." Bae snarled, tears burning behind his eyes.
"Uh, I can't. It's not possible to leave Neverland." Hook told him as gently as he could. "But you can stay here, Under my protection."
Baelfire looked at him with something approaching hate. "I'd rather fend for myself than be with you. I want off this ship, pirate."
Storybrooke
So focused on keeping the trigger in place, Regina didn't even notice when Lillian materialized several feet away. As such, she jerked back in surprise, almost losing control of the trigger when Lillian's hands joined her in siphoning off the energy.
"What are you doing here, Lillian?" Her eyes briefly scanned the younger sorceress' face, eyeing the girl warily. "Where's Henry?"
Lillian's lips barely moved. "With Emma and her parents."
"So, why aren't you with them?"
A dark shadow crossed Lillian's face, making her appear like a wild, wounded animal. It had been quite a while since she'd seen the girl so angry and Regina resisted the urge to shy away. Despite the fact that they weren't related by blood, Lillian had picked up certain mannerisms of Rumple that never failed to strike fear into the hearts of her enemies.
"Because there's no life left in me." Lillian answered cryptically, raising her flat, empty gaze to meet Regina's. The older sorceress looked taken aback. "I… I have nothing, Regina. Nothing. It all died with Bae."
"Lillian," Regina slipped into what Henry had always called her mayor voice. "Trust me, you are not alone. You do not have nothing." When Lillian made to interrupt, Regina stopped her. "You have Henry. He's going to need you when all this is over."
"Henry has Emma, and the Charmings." The fact that Lillian looked as pained as she felt stopped Regina from flinching back from her words. "He doesn't need me - I'm poison, Regina. I kill everything I touch. Sooner or later, everyone I love dies." Her eyes became glued to the trigger. "This is the only way I can save him."
Pursing her lips, Regina scrambled for something, anything to say to the younger woman. Though she had twenty-eight years of memories to pull from, she knew that the Lillian the Curse had created was far different from the one standing in front of her. As it was, she was stopped from doing so when her eyes fell on the people approaching over Lillian's shoulder.
"Henry!" Regina cried, nearly losing her hold on the trigger once more. Lillian stumbled slightly at the influx of energy, her eyes flaring bright red. "Sorry, Lillian," Regina muttered, glaring hotly at Emma. "What are you all doing here? Especially Henry?"
"What the hell is Lillian doing here?" David asked, narrow eyes fixed on the teen's rigid back.
Henry raced to their side, ignoring his grandfather's obvious disapproval. "You were willing to die to save us. That makes you a hero."
"We're gonna open up a portal, throw this thing into a void." David gestured at the glowing gem, eyeing Lillian with a mixture of exasperation and worry. "So, you can let go now, Lillian, and we can talk about what you did to Tamara."
"No. You don't know that it'll work." Regina shook her head, desperation tinging her voice. "You have to go - all of you." Henry gazed up at her earnestly, and she felt tears press hotly at her eyes. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you were left alone, Henry."
"We have to try." Mary Margaret said it as if it was the simplest explanation.
Seeing that Regina was too shocked to stop them, David seized the moment. Grabbing hold of his wife and grandson's shoulders, he tugged them out of the bean's path. "Everybody, step aside. Emma?"
His daughter took several steps back, waiting until Lillian had shifted to stand beside Regina where it was fairly safe. Digging the pouch from her coat pocket, Emma flipped it open and dug around, eyes widening when her fingers came up empty.
David glanced away from the sparking trigger when Emma made no move to turn and throw the bean. "Emma?" He asked, dreading her answer when she turned with a frantic look on her face.
"It's empty." She whispered.
Both Regina and Lillian stared at her, eyes darting towards the equally stricken Charmings and Henry.
Emma's eyes hardened. "Hook."
Steering the Jolly Roger further into Storybrooke's harbor, far enough away to safely open the portal, Hook uncurled his fist to reveal the stolen bean. Rubbing it between two fingers, he held it up, prepared to toss it into the sea and sail to safety.
As he did so, his eyes caught the scratched out etchings along the helm. Lowering his fist slowly, drawn in by memories he had tried so hard to bury, he found himself unable to throw the bean and save himself. Choice made, he took to the wheel again, pocketing the bean for safekeeping as he steered back to Storybrooke.
Neverland
Baelfire stood at the edge of the ship, one hand gripping the wood tightly. In his other, he had a rucksack slung over his shoulder. Staring across the sea at the approaching isle, he almost didn't notice when Hook cautiously approached.
"Eager to go, I see."
Bae refused to look at him, refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing just how badly this had hurt him. "Just drop me off anywhere."
Hook tried and failed to keep the faint note of concern from entering his voice. "You really think you can survive on you own?"
"I've never been given the choice."
"Well, you have one now." Hook claimed, inwardly relieved when Bae deigned to glance at him.
Said relief faded when all Bae did was mutter, "Anywhere will do."
"I get you're angry. But it doesn't have to end like this." Hook stepped closer, gesturing expansively to the deck. "This ship can be your home, your family. Just say the word." His lips twitched with the beginnings of a smile, though it faded when Bae looked to him with betrayed eyes. "It's not too late start over. I can change, Bae, for you."
"You say that." Bae had heard the same line from his papa more times than he could count. He refused to listen to such lies any longer. "I know you'll never change. Because all you care about is yourself." Turning from the pirate, Bae began to head towards the opposite side of the ship.
It was never difficult to seize onto the hatred he held for Rumpelstiltskin, though it was a struggle when confronted with Baelfire's sorrowful gaze. "Thank you… " Hook called, swallowing thickly when Bae turned to look at him. "For reminding me what I'm all about - killing your father!"
Brow creased in confusion, Bae jerked around when he sensed a presence behind him. Clambering onto the ship were three of the Lost Ones, the tallest of them leaning against the ropes, a club slung over one shoulder.
"You're not letting me go." Bae uttered faintly as the two masked boys grabbed hold of his shoulders.
Hook couldn't quite meet his eye. "How would that help me?"
Struggling against his captors, Bae snarled one last parting shot. "You hated my father so much, you didn't even realize you were just like him!"
Hook watched as Bae was forced overboard onto the Lost Ones boat. The watching boy was grinning in dark amusement, looking between the fighting boy and the captain.
Hook approached the skinny lad. "You have the boy." He gestured, hoping that their leader wouldn't hold this indiscretion against him and his crew. "He will be pleased?"
Felix said nothing, merely joining his fellows in the row boat. Unable to help himself, Hook went to the edge and watched, Smee joining him. A black bag was forced over Baelfire's head, hiding his hurt, betrayed expression. Glowering angrily as the Lost Ones rowed off toward the island, Hook stormed back to the helm, eyes falling on the etchings he'd drawn.
Suddenly enraged, though he couldn't tell who he was more angry at, Hook scratched out the markings with his hook.
Storybrooke
Pale-faced and shaking, Regina glanced up from the trigger, eyes moist with tears, to find Lillian in no better shape. Staring at one another long enough to confirm what they both knew, they turned their attention to the others.
"We can't contain this much longer." Regina's voice trembled violently.
Horrified by the unavoidable truth, Emma turned to Mary Margaret and David, to her mother and father, and allowed the tears to fall. "Mom… Dad…" She whispered the titles like a prayer, and fell into their waiting arms. As the small, broken family hugged one another, Henry hurried to his mother and Lillian, watching them with wide, teary eyes.
"I love you, Henry." Regina whispered, allowing the tears to fall as Henry grabbed hold of her with all he had. "I only wish we were strong enough to stop all this."
"We're just not." Lillian added, the red fading from her eyes as she took in Henry's tear soaked face. "I'm so sorry, Henry. For everything." Henry wedged himself in between them, gripping them both tightly about the waist.
Emma's head shot up with a gasp at their words. "You two may not be strong enough, but maybe all three of us might be - together." Though she still didn't understand what little magic she had used, what she did next was instinctual.
Copying Lillian and Regina, Emma joined in on siphoning the energy from the trigger with a ragged gasp. David reached out, tugging Henry to him as he and Mary Margaret stepped back several paces. With Emma added to the equation, the three women managed to diffuse the trigger, stopping the destruction in its tracks and reversing it.
All six of them were thrown back by the resulting backlash, Henry and Lillian falling in the same direction. Above ground, the vines and trees of the forest that had once been Storybrooke began to recede. Gold, sensing the change in the air, stepped outside of the pawnshop and watched avidly.
Back in the mines, David lurched to his feet, blue eyes large with excitement. "We're live!"
He hauled his wife to her feet, who immediately rushed over to their still downed daughter. "Emma?"
David strode to Regina, offering her a hand that she tiredly accepted as his wife fussed over Emma.
Emma stood on shaky knees as Regina picked up the trigger. "We did it."
Regina crushed the diamond into dust. "Yes, we did"
"Gotta hand it to Henry." David sighed, arm wrapped affectionately around his wife's waist. "He's right about a lot of things."
Emma agreed wholeheartedly. "Yes, he is. Isn't that right, kid?" She turned to where Lillian and Henry had fallen, only to see no sign of them. "Henry?"
"Henry? Lillian?" Regina called, voice echoing eerily in the mines. Soon the four were racing through the mines, searching for any sign of Henry or Lillian.
"Henry?" Emma called, eyes falling on a lumpy shape further up the tunnel as she sprinted ahead.
"Emma, what is it?" Mary Margaret called when her daughter fell to her knees.
Emma held up the object - Henry's backpack - to their growing horror. "They took him."
Though she was in tremendous pain from the burns on her face, despite Greg administering a painkiller the Home Office had sent them months ago, Tamara managed to keep a tight grip on Henry Mills as they raced along the docks.
Relax, kid." She reassured Neal's son, glancing at Greg as he shifted Lillian, slinging the unconscious teen over his shoulder. They'd managed to slip an inhibitor cuff on her before she'd woken up, rendering her unable to fight when Greg doused her with chloroform. "We're not gonna hurt you. Or Lillian."
Despite his anxiety, Henry managed to arch a brow at the burns - a clear sign of Lillian's handiwork - that marred Tamara's face. "Just everyone I love." He mocked, renewing his struggles. "You tried to blow up Storybrooke!"
"True, but that was never the point."
Henry would have stopped in his tracks if it had been possible. "It wasn't?"
"We came here to destroy magic, Henry," Greg spoke for the first time, adjusting Lillian as he spoke. "But then we found something more important, something that changed everything - you and Lillian."
"Emma, you don't even know where you're going."
Emma ignored her mother, sprinting determinedly down the dock, Regina matching her step for step. "Doesn't matter." She returned shortly. "I have to find him. I'll track them down in hell if I have to."
They rounded the corner, catching sight of Greg and Tamara, Henry and Lillian in their clutches, racing towards the water. One he saw them Greg withdrew something small from his pocket and threw it towards the water.
Regina stumbled at the familiar sound. "The last bean." She breathed as the vortex began to form. "They've opened a portal!"
"Henry!"
Picking up the pace, the four faced towards the kidnappers, watching in horror as Greg and Tamara leapt into the portal. As she was dragged with them, Lillian's eyes snapped open, her horrified expression the last thing Emma saw as the portal closed.
"No! No! No!" Emma made to dive into the now calm water. David caught her about the waist, stopping her from plunging into the depths. "We have to follow them! There has to be a way!"
Regina glowered at her, masking the hysteria she too felt. "Not only do we not know where they went, but Hook stole the last bean!"
"I don't care!"
"Without it, there's no way to follow."
Emma shook her head, refusing to believe Regina. "There has to be. We can't just let them take Henry!"
"They've taken Henry? Wh-where's Lillian?"
All eyes turned to see Gold, his face darkened with worry, Belle at his side.
David stormed to him. "They took them both. You're the Dark One - do something."
"Gold, help us." Emma didn't care that she was begging. All she wanted was her son back.
"There's no way. I spe"nt a lifetime trying to cross worlds to find my son." Gold informed them, voice heavy with regret. "There's no way in this world without a portal.
Regina threw her hands up. "So that's it? They're gone forever? I refuse to believe that."
Belle raised a hand to forestall any more comments, her eyes picking something on the horizon. "What is that?"
Emma followed her line of sight, eyes widening. "Hook."
They raced futher down the docks, making it there just as Hook brought the Jolly Roger to a halt. Stomping towards the ship, Emma glowered heatedly at the captain.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
Hook peered down at them. "Helping."
"Well, you're too late." Regina snarled, fingers itching to tear out his heart.
"Am I?"
Emma walked onto the ship, one eyebrow raised. "I thought you didn't care about anyone but yourself."
Hook held out his olive branch and the sight of it made Emma's heart seize in relief. "Maybe I just needed reminding that I could."
"Enough waiting around, let's go." Regina ordered, ready to commit murder if they didn't do something soon.
"Go? Where?" Hook queried, looking between them in confusion. "I thought we were saving the town."
"We already did." David informed him blackly.
"We need to get Henry." Emma explained, holding the bean like a lifeline. "Greg and Tamara took him through a portal."
"Well, I offer my ship and my services to help follow them."
Regina looked heartbeats away from murdering him. "Well that's great, Hook, but how do we track them?"
"Leave that to me." Gold interceded, tired of the back and forth already. "I can get us to where we need to go."
"Well, let's do it." Mary Margaret encouraged, clambering onto the ship as everyone followed.
Before he boarded, Gold turned to Belle, who was watching him with worry. "Belle, I have to go." He grasped her hands tightly. "You have to stay here."
"No. Why? I-I wanna help." Belle protested, mildly insulted that clearly believed she couldn't handle herself.
"The town is no longer safe." Though their conversation was private, Belle's startled "What?" was echoed by David. "Well, Greg and Tamara weren't working alone. Others will follow." Gold explained plainly, too high strung to mock.
David began to get off the boat. "No. We can't leave people in danger."
Waving off David's concerns, Gold pulled out a small scroll and handed it to Belle. "After we've gone, follow these instructions." He told her quietly, waiting for her to nod in acceptance. "It's a cloaking spell. It'll shield the town, making it impossible for anyone to find."
"Then how will you find your way back to me?" Belle asked, fearing the answer when all he did was stare at her, as if memorizing her features. "You're not coming back, are you?"
"The prophecy." He reminded her gently, knowing that she remembered that conversation by the dawning realization in her eyes. "The boy is my undoing, but he's also my grandson. I must save him. I must do this to honor Baelfire." His throat felt thick. "He's gone, and I didn't even get the chance to say good-bye."
Belle nodded, eyes glimmering. "I understand, but I also know that the future isn't always what it seems." She pocketed the scroll and held his face between her hands, foreheads pressed together. "I will see you again." His lip found hers, and they kissed, long and deep before tearfully parting. Before she walked away, Belle cupped his cheek one last time. "Baelfire would be very proud of you."
Enchanted Forest
As startled as they were by the sight of a man washing up on the beach, that didn't stop the trio from racing to aid him. Headed by Mulan, who knelt beside the man and turned him onto his back, they took in the man's foreign dress and unfamiliar face.
"Who is he?" Philip queried, joining Mulan in the sand, with Aurora following suit.
Though his clothes reminded her of Emma and Snow's, Aurora didn't recognize him. "I don't know."
"Is he alive?"
Aurora felt for a pulse, relaxing when she felt a faint, but still there one. "Barely. We have to get him help."
"Help me get him up," Philip gripped the man's arm, hauling it over his shoulder.
Mulan grabbed the stranger's other arm and followed Philip's lead. They moved the man to the castle, unaware that he was the father of Emma Swan's young son.
Storybrooke
Facing down Rumpelstiltskin once more, Hook found that, after coming so close to death and losing Baelfire, all in the same, day, the taste for vengeance had quite lost its appeal.
"So, are you done trying to kill me?" Gold asked quite pleasantly, the only sign of his uncertainty the tight grip he had on his cane.
Hook considered him for a moment. "I believe so."
"Excellent." Gold mocked faintly. "Then you can live."
Summoning the magic globe he'd used to find Bae from his shop, Gold set it on the wood of the ship. Pricking his finger on the tip, he waited for it to reveal the whereabouts of his grandson and ward. As it was, he and Hook shared a terrified look when the blood-red map of a strange island appeared on the globe.
"Where is that?" Regina asked, voice pitched in distress at the expression the two men wore. "Where did they take Henry and Lillian?"
Hook's voice was grim as he took the helm once more. "Neverland."
Neverland
Hauling their captive from the boat and dragging him onto the beach where several more of them awaited. Gripping the boy tightly by the arm, Felix drew him to a stop before a tall, dark-skinned boy and ripped the bag from his head.
"Is it the boy?" Felix demanded, eyes alight with excitement. "The one that he wants?"
Holding up a piece of paper, the other Lost One scanned the clearly terrified boy's features, comparing them to the drawing. "No, it's not."
Scowling blackly, Felix shoved Baelfire away from him, towards more waiting Lost Ones. "It's your lucky day, boy. You get to live." His dark eyes stole to his fellow boys. "Put him with the rest."
Storybrooke
Steering the Jolly Roger back into the harbor, Hook held the bean aloft before he tossed it into the sea ahead of them. As the vortex formed, all but Hook latched onto nearby pieces of rigging and held on tight.
"So, who are we up against?" David demanded as the roar of the portal came closer. Mary Margaret clutched him tightly. "Who are Greg and Tamara?"
"They're merely pawns, manipulated by forces far greater than they can conceive." Gold returned as the wind picked up, nearly drowning out his words. "They have no idea who they're truly working for."
As he spoke, he sent a silent prayer to any listening deity that Lillian would remain safe and strong against the coming challenges. Though she had never fully explained her time on that accursed isle, he had been able to read between the lines and work out a frankly disturbing outcome.
Emma twisted her head to stare back at him, taking in the man's somber, worried expression. "And who's that?"
"Someone we all should fear."
Neverland
Felix and his fellow watched as Baelfire was dragged away, neither of them pleased with the outcome. Faintly irritated now, the other Lost One turned to Felix.
"If that's not the boy he's looking for, do you think we'll be able to find him?"
Felix allowed his lips to twist into a half-smirk. "Of course we will. It may take time, but Peter Pan never fails."
Smirking now, the dark-skinned boy handed off the drawing to Felix, who glanced at it briefly before heading off to camp.
Jolly Roger
Steering the Jolly Roger into the portal, Hook eyed his passengers, satisfied that they'd survive the trip through the portal. The ship sailed peacefully enough into the portal, leaving behind still, calm waters as both portal and ship vanished.