The Dark Backward

Chapter Three

After they had witnessed Emma and Hook falling through the portal with Maleficent down in the cave beneath the library, David, Tink, and Leroy had to return to the loft so they could try to explain to Mary Margaret what happened the best they could without knowing anything about how it happened at all. So David could explain to his wife he'd been too late to protect their daughter. He knew it would crush his wife, especially with Emma now being trapped somewhere unknown believing she couldn't count on her parents to fight to get her back.

When the Prince and his friends arrived, they walked inside and found Mary Margaret and Henry standing over a box set out on top of the table containing Emma's things from when she was a baby including her blanket, as she was going through it upon pulling it out from underneath her bed after David left to go after her. The box also now held things from since Emma arrived in Storybrooke and had broken the first curse over them including a scrapbook she had made containing pictures of her with Henry, with them and Neal, with Killian, and others too.

However, when the door opened and the Princess saw her husband enter with the Green Fairy and Leroy without their daughter, she saw the concern in his eyes as she looked at him worryingly while she asked, "David? Is Emma alright? Where is she?"

David moved to stand in front of his wife and reached down to take her hands into his own, then he despondently answered, "Something's happened. Something… something I'm not sure how to explain. We arrived too late, so we didn't see Emma's confrontation with Maleficent. We don't know how it happened, but… I'm afraid she and Hook have been pulled through a portal that somehow opened up during what I can only assume had been a fight that took place between her and Maleficent. Maleficent went through too. I don't know where they are, but I'm sure Emma's okay, Mary Margaret. She's strong. And she isn't alone. She's with Hook. You know he'll keep her safe."

"How did a portal just open up and pull them into it?" she questioned fearfully, as David pulled her tenderly into his arms and held her close. "Portals don't do that unless someone created one like Zelena did when she created her time travel spell, or used a magic bean to open one like Tamara did to escape from Emma and Neal during their fight last year. Maleficent did this to her, David. She had to. But why?"

"If she did, I doubt she was counting on being pulled in herself," Grumpy contently replied.

Tinker Bell also spoke as she responded, "We should call Regina. She may be the only one who could help us try piece together what might have happened."

Mary Margaret pulled back a little from her husband while she shook her head and answered, "Henry and I have been trying to call her ever since Emma and David left. I can't get ahold of her."

"I was just about to go talk to Belle to see if she's heard at all from Gold," the teenager replied, as he worried about both of his mothers. "Or if she knows where we might be able to find Cruella. One of them have to be behind why Mom isn't answering any of our calls. I mean… it's possible she might still be undercover with them and can't answer her phone, but…"

"She's always found a way to contact us before, especially when it's important," David finished for him when he understood Henry's concern.

The fairy among them looked over at Henry as well, as she responded, "I'll come with you to talk to Belle. I want to be of help in any way I can."

The dwarf nodded in agreement, then he stated, "I'll come too. And if you feel a need to gather a search party for anyone… Regina, Gold, Cruella, or anyone… let me know. I'll talk with my brothers and we can put one together in a matter of minutes."

"Thank you, Leroy," Mary Margaret answered sincerely and reached out to pat his arm in gratitude before he, Henry, and Tinker Bell walked towards the door, then left the apartment to head over to Gold's pawnshop where they expected the beauty might be closing it down for the night, or on to Granny's in case she wasn't.

About twenty minutes later, Henry, Tink, and Grumpy entered the diner when they saw Belle sitting in a booth with Will through the window despite it being well after midnight, then they walked over to join them. Belle quickly stood and walked around so she could sit next to the thief who had become a close friend to her since her husband betrayed her six months ago, while her grandson and their friends sat down across from them in the empty seat.

"It's good to see you," the beauty said happily, until she saw the look of concern on each of their faces. "What's wrong? Did Rumple do something?"

Tink shook her head as she replied, "Actually… we don't really know, though we suspect he could be behind at least one of the problems going on right now."

Will sighed in frustration, then rhetorically he asked, "Why is it, that whenever things seem to be looking up, that bloody villain always seems to come right back to cause more trouble for us?"

"I'm sorry, Belle," he then apologized quickly, after he turned to look over at the beauty sitting beside him upon seeing her apprehension and sadness over her husband in her eyes.

"It's okay," she responded as he reached down to take his hand, then turned back to look between Henry, Tinker Bell, and Leroy. "What's happened?"

The fairy glanced over at the dwarf, then turned back to Belle and Will again as she answered, "First of all… Emma received a message earlier from Maleficent on Hook's phone and it turns out she had kidnapped him to get Emma to confront her alone. David asked me and Leroy to go with him so we could find her… to help her in case she needed us. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived, Emma was forced into an open portal. Hook and Maleficent too. They're missing."

Grumpy then spoke up as well saying, "If that wasn't bad enough, we're worried Regina's missing too and unless it's because she's busy being undercover with Gold and Cruella…"

"You're worried that Rumple might have something to do with her disappearance," Belle finished for him when she understood their concerns. "I'm afraid I haven't seen Rumple since two nights ago. Since… he came to talk to me disguised as Hook so he could steal back his dagger. But I'll help you if I can. He'll come to me if I ask to see him."

"Thank you, Belle," Tink replied gratefully, while the beauty pulled out her phone from her coat pocket so she could send her husband a message asking him to come to see her.

The beauty kept her eyes on the screen while she continued to type, although she responded, "You're welcome. Anything I can do to help Emma, Killian, and Regina. I hope they're okay."

Will looked between his friends skeptically as he answered, "Me too. Do you really believe that if Rumplestiltskin is behind any of their disappearances… that he'll admit it to any of ya? Cause I don't. Not so long as he's tryin' ta take us all out."

"I've got to agree with Will on that," Leroy gruffly replied.

"Nevertheless, we have to try," Belle responded sadly. "He may be the only one who can tell us what's happened to them. If he agrees to meet me here, you might want to stay hidden until he's seated. But don't go too far. I'd rather not be alone with him right now. Not after he deceived me again by pretending to be one of my closest friends."

Tink nodded her head as she reached out to lay her hand over Belle's out of remorse for the difficult position the beauty was in because of being the Dark One's wife. Belle smiled at her to show her gratitude, until a message from Gold came through and she looked between her friends again while she told them Gold would meet her once he finished up with the business he was currently conducting.