X Marks the Spot

Chapter Nineteen

After leaving the hospital, David walked to the sheriff's station where he parked his old truck and then drove to Phillip's and Aurora's home to pick up his son before finally heading home to the loft to wake his wife as he said he would do so that she could be the one at the hospital to comfort their daughter.

When he walked inside carrying Neal in his arms, the Prince tossed his truck's keys onto the island in their kitchen, glanced sadly over at Snow still lying asleep in their bed, then he looked down into his son's eyes upon noticing that he was staring up at him as if the child sensed that something was troubling his father.

Charming smiled at him, then he began to speak quietly like talking any louder would wake Snow up as he said, "You may be small, but you certainly understand more of what's going on around you than any of us realize, don't you little one?"

Neal smiled too and then David continued, "Don't worry. Everything's going to be just fine. Your sister's boyfriend is in the hospital and she's very worried about him, but we're all doing everything we can to try to help him. But Emma needs a little more comfort than I can really give her right now, which is why I'm going to wake up Snow so she can be there for her instead. I'm sure that you'll be happy to see your mommy awake too, won't you? And then someday soon, we're going to find a way to break the curse on the both of us so that we don't have to keep on doing all this back and forth between our children and each other. I promise."

When he was finished, David laid Neal down in his crib and then walked back into the kitchen to make himself something to eat before he woke his wife up, while he contemplated on how to tell her everything that's happened since she had awakened him earlier that morning in one simple video message on her phone. But just as he started to eat the sandwich he had made for himself, a knock sounded at the door and when he walked over to open it, he was surprised to see Zelena standing there.

David was the first to talk as he glared at the Wicked Witch while he stood between her and the entrance into their apartment and asked, "Are you here to try to harm me or my family again?"

Zelena scoffed and then she responded snidely, "If I were, do you really think that I would have bothered to knock on your door when I arrived? I could have just poofed myself in here if that was what I wanted and I would have been able to take you all by surprise."

"I don't understand why you do a lot of the things you do," the sheriff answered in frustration as he quickly glanced back at his wife and son before turning back to the woman still standing in front of him. "With you I can never tell what your motives are. What do you want then?"

"I'm here to talk to Snow White about my sister," she replied as she gently shoved David back a few steps so that she could enter the loft without him inviting her inside, then took a seat on their couch before looking up at him again. "Either one of them in fact. I was hoping to get a little advice from her, since she understands better than anyone else here what's it's like to try to fight for some kind of relationship with Regina, evil or not. Go ahead and kiss her already. I'll wait."

David finally closed the door behind her and moved to stand over his son by way of protecting him should she go against her word and attempt to attack them, then he shook his head while he responded, "No way. We already have a lot going on right now with all that's happened to Hook. Emma's terrified for him and right now she needs Snow to be there for her. Besides, I have too much to tell Snow about and I have no idea how I'm going to since I can't actually talk to her except for by leaving her a message on her phone. She also wouldn't appreciate waking up to finding you sitting here alone."

Zelena nodded as she stated, "Now that part I certainly do understand. I am still a villain after all, or at least all of you still see me as one. But the rest of your dilemma, not so much. Just tell her that the pirate's sick and in the hospital, Black Beard is responsible along with some other unknown villain, and that Emma needs comforting. Sounds simple enough to me. If you ask me, you're just making things far too complicated for yourself."

"How did you know that Hook was in the hospital?" the sheriff questioned with suspicion as he kept his eyes on her. "Regina mentioned that she suspected the Evil Queen already knew of Black Beard's attack on Hook and that someone else is involved, which means that you must have too. But Hook was only just admitted into the hospital a couple of hours ago. Do you two know absolutely everything that's going on here in Storybrooke?"

"Look, Regina's doppelganger does do all she can to know all of the comings and goings around here, so she can figure out the next best way to hurt one or all of you," she answered sternly and then paused as her eyes softened. "The truth is, I don't really want any part of what she's doing, which is why I'm not here to hurt you. I only want to find a way to get past my anger towards Her Majesty after she tried to kill me again, and finally gain some kind of sisterly relationship that I've been waiting for my whole life. I still believe I can have it. Though I think I prefer to have it with Regina, rather than with the Evil Queen. Unless of course she's really willing to try."

The Prince sighed and finally took a seat on the couch beside the red haired woman, then he turned to her as he replied, "You're right. You really need Snow's advice and not mine. But it's like I said before. There just is much time right now. If there was anything I could say to help you… I believe that everything will work out between you and Regina. It's what our family does. We believe and we have hope. You just have to want a relationship with your sister bad enough and fight for it. And keep trying to be good. Don't let the Evil Queen influence you to go back to your wicked ways. Otherwise, you might just lose everything once and for all."

Zelena took a few moments to let his words sink in, then she looked between their son and her daughter whom she was holding within her arms and finally turned back to David again while she said, "You know, you give better advice than you think. I may still come back later to talk to Snow once all this mess of yours is settled and if she's willing, but I really do appreciate you taking a few minutes to talk."

"As for Hook…" she then added, as she was tempted to tell David the truth about Rumple being the one helping Black Beard get his revenge until she knew that it would only give the Dark One more cause to target her harder than before. "I really do hope that you can solve whatever's happening to him and stop it. Perhaps if you were to find a way to look someplace else for answers, you might find one you're looking for. Another mind perhaps? I'm afraid that's all I can really help you with."

"It might be enough," Charming spoke again and then stood up behind her after she stood to leave. "Thank you, Zelena."