Hello readers! I am actually not a month late this time! There are not many chapters left... wow.
Thank you to VicaJoy for reviewing! I really love getting reviews, I think most people do. Anyway, enjoy!
Chapter 14: Home?
Emma collapsed on the steps of the Jolly Roger as they rose higher and higher into the air. The Shadow had been destroyed when Ven killed Mim so it was a palpable relief to all parties involved when the pix crystal, aided by Tink, rose them aloft into the dark sky of Neverland.
She glanced down on the crumbling island, she could feel the unstable magic sparking against her skin. Ven had just barely teleported them to the ship before an explosion ripped through the core of the island. It had been hell and high water to escape before they were torn to shreds. There was no doubt about it, Ven was incredible. Even after taking such a beating, regaining her magic and killing one of the most powerful magic users ever Ven saved them once again.
But, after taking such heavy stress her body was in shock. At least, that was how Gold explained it. Apparently magic users sometimes over used their magic, or used magic that was too powerful for their human bodies to handle, when something like that happened, depending on the degree of magic, the body would shut down. Gold guessed that that was probably what made Ven pass out, same with Pan, though it was difficult to say since Gold, the most magically informed of all of them, knew very little about Neverland.
Both Ven and Pan were currently unconscious lying in separate cabins of the Jolly Roger, safe, but exhausted and drained of power.
She sighed and closed her eyes as the wind pulled at her hair. She knew so little about magic, apparently there were loads of magic theories and studies and, well, sometimes it just made her head hurt.
"Mom!"
She practically leapt up at the voice and unwittingly allowed a broad smile to spread over her face. She opened her arms and held him tightly.
"Henry!" she exclaimed. "You're awake!"
He nodded. "Yup!" He hugged her back just as tightly, but then he pulled away, his eyes lowering. "Mom…"
"What is it?"
"I'm sorry." He looked up. "I should have listened to you… they… I'm sorry."
She brushed his hair away from his face. "I forgive you, as long as you're safe." She kissed his forehead, then hugged him again. "I love you kiddo."
"I love you too mom."
"Oh and by the way, Peter and Ven basically saved all of us."
…
"WHAT?!"
Regina sat silently next to the bed as Ven slept, her chest rose up and down steadily, her black hair splayed over the pillow. Black and white. There were two streaks of pure white in her daughter's hair, remnants of the pain she'd been through.
"My baby," she whispered. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry." She brushed hair away from her face. "We're almost home Ven."
"Regina." She looked up. Emma stood in the doorway. "We need to talk."
She stood, then, casting a final glance at her daughter, exited the room.
"Come on. Everyone is gathered in the galley," Emma said.
She nodded and followed. "Pan is still sleeping?"
"Yes, Henry as well. The lost boys are all in the forecastle, some sleeping or just waiting," Emma replied. "Tink is with them."
They arrived at the galley and entered to find Rumple, Snow, David, Neal and Hook waiting for them.
"What's going on?" she asked.
Everyone was silent for a moment, then Neal spoke.
"We're going to figure out what to do with Peter and Ven."
She scoffed. "Do? We don't do anything, they saved us all."
"They were also the ones that kidnapped Henry, tricked him into almost dying and almost got all of us killed," David said.
"But—"
"Listen Regina, Ven is incredibly dangerous," Rumplestiltskin said. "You saw how she obliterated Mim, who is-was-one of the most powerful beings in the universe-"
"So what? She did it to save us—"
"No she didn't," Rumple said. "She did it out of anger. She thought Mim killed her lover so she killed Mim. Simple as that."
"Why is she so important to you Regina?" Snow asked.
Her eyes narrowed, then she sighed. "Ven is my daughter."
"What?!"
"What are you talking about?"
"No way!"
"Daniel and I…" she hesitated. "Ven is the daughter of myself and Daniel, the man I once loved. I lost her when she was just a baby. Apparently it was Mim that orchestrated all of it, sent Ven back in time to London and then got Peter involved and… well, there you have it, the uncomplicated version anyway."
There was silence. No one knew what to say. Some weren't so surprised by it, Emma wasn't, clearly.
"That doesn't change the fact of the matter," Neal said. "They almost killed Henry and very nearly did kill me."
Regina bit her lip hard. Henry. Her son. They almost killed her son. But Ven was...
"They saved us..."
"We all saved us."
"But without Ven she would have defeated us."
"If it wasn't for them than Mim would have never been drawn into the equation."
"We would have all been safe."
"That's enough!"
Regina looked up in surprise at Emma.
"Can you hear yourselves talking?" Emma shook her head in disbelief. "Listen, how many here screwed up? Regina was the Evil Queen, Hook is a pirate that's been trying to kill Rumple for forever! Snow killed Cora, Rumplestiltskin, well, I'm pretty sure you've tried to kill or injure everyone in this room at least once!"
"Your point please dearie," Rumple said blandly.
"My point is that you've all had second chances. And more than that you've had them without having to save over fifty people! My point is that they deserve a second chance."
There was silence, guilt being a primary emotion sensed.
"All those in favor of giving the King and Queen of Neverland a second chance?" Hook said, raising a hand.
Regina raised her hand. Then Emma. Then Snow followed by David, then Rumple with a sigh and a roll of his eyes.
Everyone looked at Neal.
"Pan's minions almost killed me and imprisoned me but more importantly both almost killed my son," Neal said obstinately.
"Well you ditched me and left me in prison," Emma pointed out.
Neal winced, but didn't back down. "Look, we may have all screwed up, but none of us have ever had the power to destroy a Dark Sorceress."
That quickly restored the animosity, they fell silent, the truth behind Neal's words hung over everyone. He was right. Ven had the Heart of Truest Belief, a coveted magic that no one knew the limits of. Judging by her performance with Mim it was safe to say that she had regained her full power.
"But—"
"Listen Regina, Neal is right," Rumple said. "We can't let them run free. Now that Mim is gone there really is no telling what they'll do." Her jaw tightened.
"Just give us an hour, at most," David said quickly. "We'll restrict her power, then talk to her to try and gauge what they want so that none of us die in the negotiations."
"Look, they only wanted to separate Henry and Ven's magic, that was all, they succeeded," Regina said. "What more could they possibly want from us?"
Rumple sighed in exasperation. "Well if you haven't noticed, neither of them particularly like me, in fact, dare I say, it wouldn't be far fetched to say that they may want to kill me."
"Well that isn't our problem," Regina snapped.
It was Emma's turn to snap. "Regina! I… don't like the idea of holding them captive, but you have to concede that both are very dangerous." Emma paused, looking torn. "We… we have to think about Storybrooke, think about Henry. We want them to be safe, and if that means restricting their magic to be safe when we talk to them then that's what we'll do." Emma looked away, as though she resented her own words. Regina knew that Emma had become somewhat softer towards Ven following the team-up, perhaps because of their similar situation in terms of parents, whatever the case she recognized the look of discomfort on the blonde's face.
Henry. Henry almost died. After a long moment Regina released the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "Alright," she murmured. For Henry. "But if you hurt her I swear—"
"No one's hurting anyone," David cut in. "That's the point of the restriction."
She nodded. "Good. Then let's get this over with."
Yes I know it's short, yes I'm going to post soon. We're almost done!
Stay tuned...