Chapter Fifteen~

The drive back for Emma was heartbreaking as she radioed David to gather everyone in town hall though she didn't tell him why. Even though he heard her sniffling and was certain she was crying, she wouldn't tell him why. Finally arriving to a full town hall she burst into the building with Darcy's sweatshirt in hand and walked with head held high as she marched to the stage before getting to stand on it.

"This, is my friend Darcy's sweatshirt and as you can see—it's bloodied. I think Regina took it too far this time because when I got to where Darcy's car was there was only a crater and her sweatshirt left. Never—ever in my life have I wanted someone dead so much as I want Regina dead now. But even I know that won't get the answers that we'll need to get Darcy back safely. So what I'm asking—pleading—with all of you is to help me find her and bring her back safely." Emma said gripping the sweatshirt tightly in her fist with white knuckles looking around at the assorted crowd who started to whisper among themselves.

"But what can we do?" Grumpy asked as Mother Superior came up saying,

"We need to do what the Savior said, work together. Spread out and see if we can find any clues we can as to her friends disappearance." Emma nodded as David came over with Mary saying,

"I suggest we search Regina's house, there has to be some clues there."

"And find Sidney, he's sure to know something!" Grumpy shouted so that David nodded in agreement only Emma spotted a shadowy figure standing by the doorway leaving and said,

"David you lead a group to Regina's house and be careful, who knows what booby traps she has in there now. Grumpy you take a group to find Sidney." then she was pushing through the crowds to find the shadowy figure that was now outside and called out,

"GOLD YOU BASTARD!" turning, the man in question gave away nothing as she punched him right in the jaw saying,

"You bastard! This is all your fault and you know it! If it wasn't for you she wouldn't have tried to leave town and now she's hurt, bleeding and maybe even dying because of you!" face red with anger and tears streaming down her face at the very thought of her best friend and part of her family dying, Emma watched as Mr. Gold's shoulders sagged and he said,

"I know, and there is no Power I have that can turn back time and fix what I said or ever did. Just like before—I lost my one chance at a Happy Ending."

"No you haven't, help us find her Gold and maybe you can have it." Emma begged but he only dry chuckled saying,

"No my dear, I'm afraid I have forfeited that right when she stormed out of my shop," here he paused to look away from Emma running the image of Darcy's cold lifeless body somewhere and Regina forever able to torment him about it—as he had done with Belle's death.

"But I will help you look for her. Let us try Regina's Vault first." Mr. Gold said heading in the direction of the forests when Emma realized something.

"Where's Henry?" she asked turning towards the town hall where everyone had left so that Mr. Gold was about to speak only she heard a voice cry,

"Emma!" and turning the two saw Henry running over with a walkie-talkie in hand and stopping short said,

"I found this at Snow's apartment with this note." and pulling out the note Mr. Gold read it aloud,

"You have until tonight to find her, alive and dry."

"Alive and dry? Whatever does that mean?" Emma asked but suddenly from over the walkie-talkie they heard what they all took for a moan.

"Darcy?" Emma asked grabbing the walkie-talkie and waiting for a reply with baited breath as Mr. Gold and Henry stood by. They waited for a moment before they heard another moan and her voice say bewilderedly,

"Emma?" on the other end of the walkie-talkie Darcy was slowly but surely coming around from being knocked out and when her vision cleared found herself in what looked to be a medium size glass room—underground? Yes that's what it looked like and there was one entrance where a gate blocked off anyone from entering.

"Darcy is that you? Please come on answer me!" Emma's voice begged as Darcy noticed the walkie-talkie sitting beside her lying figure and carefully sitting up picked it up and said into it,

"Yeah it's me."

"Oh my goodness you're ok! Where are you Darcy? Are you hurt?" Emma asked as Darcy felt her shoulder pulse with pain and turned to see it bleeding.

"My right shoulder is bleeding from a gash, don't know how deep it is. Where I am is a different matter though. It looks like I'm underground in a glass room or something." Darcy told the three who looked at each other with looks of confusion as Henry asked,

"Glass room underground?"

"Can you give us a definitive marker in the room Darcy?" Mr. Gold asked so that Darcy didn't want to reply but realized if Emma was with him something was defiantly horribly wrong.

"Let me look, hold on a second." and so standing, Darcy looked around the darkened room to see nothing until she spotted a single broken lantern on the floor.

"All I see is a broken lantern on the floor, that's it besides the glass room I'm in. And the entrance is blocked by a gate or something which I'm going to guess is enchanted or has a spell on it." Darcy told them so that Mr. Gold said,

"She's in the mines under the town."

"But there are nearly hundreds of miles of mines! We'll need everyone in this town to help out plus every map we have of them!" Emma hissed but Henry cried,

"I'm on it! I'll go get Charming and the tell him what's going on while you two start on the search!" then he was running off towards the Mayors house leaving Emma to say,

"We have to go to the Library to get records of the mines." nodding, Mr. Gold followed Emma's lead as she said into the walkie-talkie,

"Hold tight Darcy, we're coming." entering the library they stopped in front of the counter and rang the bell to hear a woman's voice cry out,

"Just a moment!"

"We don't have 'just a moment' lady get over here!" Emma snapped so that a woman appeared with chestnut brown hair and soft stable eyes in a pale yellow summers dress frowning.

"Don't have to be so rude about it." she said but Emma glared saying,

"We're on a time crunch." then turned to Mr. Gold only to see his face in pure shock and panic and punched his arm saying,

"Gold, come on snap to it we have a deadline!" Mr. Gold only blinked and stared in awe at the woman unable to fathom the fact of who exactly he was seeing before him. Rolling her eyes, Emma said to the woman,

"We need all the records for the mines in Storybrook, like right now—every single one we've got." nodding, the woman left to get them leaving Emma to turn to Mr. Gold who was panting slightly and leaning his back against the counter.

"Hey, what's up with you Gold?" Emma asked crossing her arms across her chest and frowning as she tapped her foot impatiently and narrowed her eyes at him. Mr. Gold bit his lip until he actually tasted blood before the woman reappeared with a folder saying,

"Here's a folder with copies of all the records of the maps we have of the mines of Storybrook. Whatever you two are up to I wish you the best of luck." and with that the two left the library and as soon as they did it was Emma who snapped at Mr. God, turning towards him on her heel and glaring,

"Who was that?!"

"That, my dear Savior—was a person who is supposed to be dead. That—was a woman named Belle—a shadow from my past."