Chapter 3

It didn't take long for Regina to get to her vault and once she got there, she immediately started looking for the potion she needed to take care of Hook. Her vault had a meticulous order and she went straight to the shelves that contained all her potion flasks. She started scanning the shelves from top to bottom, looking carefully for that particular potion she needed. After a quick scan of all the different potions she had, her eyes finally stopped when she found the one she had been looking for. It was in a purple container. She immediately grabbed and concealed it in a small leather pouch. She gathered other items that could come handy in this journey she was embarking on and left her vault in a rush, desperate to find Hook as soon as possible.

David showed up at Regina's vault probably about 10 minutes after Regina had already came and left. He looked around to see what might be missing, if he could even spot anything missing out of the ordinary to give him a clue of where Regina could be heading. It took him only a few minutes to find the shelf where Regina kept all her potions and immediately he could tell which potion wasn't in its place.

Regina had always labeled her potions so she'd never accidentally grab the wrong one. She put labels underneath each of the potion vials on the shelf to tell them apart. As David read the label for the missing potion, his eyes became wide and his thoughts frenzy. He just went into a bit of a shock at the label.

SLEEPING CURSE

Did Regina really have another sleeping curse made and left over from when he went under it to contact Snow, when she and Emma got stuck in the Enchanted Forest? She actually kept it? He couldn't believe it. He thought she had only made enough for him when they needed it back then, but there it was. Labeled on the shelf and missing, leaving a clear mark on the surface of the shelf. This couldn't be good. He had to move fast.

Since Regina was no where to be seen, David had to figure out where Hook might be, because he knew that's where Regina would be, apparently trying to curse him into an eternal sleep. Everyone knew he had a thing for Emma and that Emma seemed a little bit into him, but they were never an item. It wasn't true love by all means. Which meant Hook had no true love with anyone anymore, since his love died ages ago. He'd be stuck in the sleeping curse forever and David wasn't about to let that happen. He didn't fully trust Hook nor particularly liked him, but he wasn't going to allow Regina to put him in an eternal sleep with no chance of ever breaking that curse. If anything, Regina needed to redeem herself, instead of going down a darker path. She had already been trying to be better, for Henry's sake. She had been evil, sure, but she was really trying to change. Despite his and Snow's doubts, Emma was convinced that in Storybrooke, she was only Regina; a woman that truly wanted to change, not the Evil Queen they knew from the Enchanted Forest.

"Think. Think. Where would Hook be?" David thought to himself. After about a minute later, David realized. "His ship!"

Immediately David started running out of Regina's crypt and headed to the Jolly Roger. Hook was always there. Most of the time doing nothing and drinking rum, but that was his safe haven. If he wasn't there, then he was chasing after Emma and since Emma had been in the hospital still unconscious from the gunshot, he knew he had to be in his ship. By this time of the day, he was probably drunk or hungover. Not knowing a thing about what had happened to Emma yet.

About 10 minutes later, David finally arrived at the docks where Hook's ship was peacefully swaying at its mooring. He didn't even think twice or hesitated, he had to get on the ship fast. Once he set foot on the main deck, he started searching for the dark haired pirate. He went straight to the wooden steps that led to the lower deck. He heard a muffled sound coming from his left side. He turned around while still trying to adjust his eyes to the dimer light in this level of the ship.

Regina had Hook already tied up with a thick rope and gagged with a dirty rag, which she probably just picked up from the floor. She was ready to prick a needle into Hook's hand. Hook's arms were tied up behind his back, while another rope circled around him like a long big snake that kept him tightly secured to the chair he was sitting on, to keep him still and at bay, while Regina poked him with the needle she dabbed with the sleeping curse.

David could tell the rope around Hook was held tightly around him with her magic, so he couldn't get lose. He was screaming at Regina through the rag, begging her not to do it. Her moves were almost mechanical and she looked completely unmoved. Her face showed no emotions. It was actually quite disturbing to see her acting like this, when he had already seen glimpses of her other side; her human side. Right before Regina was able to prick Hook with the needle, David yelled to get Regina's attention.

"REGINA!! DON'T DO IT! HENRY WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU IF YOU DO!"

Suddenly Regina looked up and found David's blue eyes begging her to stop what she was doing. Her face, filled with evil and revenge a few seconds ago now turned into a little frown. Almost as if she had been woken up from a trance, as if she could snap at any moment and completely lose it.

"Henry wouldn't have to know. He's not even here. I have to get him back. He's ALL I have. I have no one else and I'm not about to lose him because he is EVERYTHING!"

David walked a few steps and got a little closer to her, raising his hands to show that he was empty handed and posed no threat to her, before replying.

"Regina, we will get Henry back. TOGETHER! Because that's what this family does best. We lose each other and then we find each other again. We'll always find each other. Henry is my grandson. I want him back just as much as you do Regina, but I'm telling you, this is NOT the way."

David's eyebrows then went up in a serious pleading look.

"Let Hook go! Snow said he stole the magic bean you had, right? I know by now you got it back. That's one of the first things you'd grab from him before cursing him into eternal sleep. So how about we take that bean and we go to Neverland TOGETHER! Let me help."

Regina's eyes widened at the thought of her not having to actually go alone to rescue her son. Yet, she also thought that David might find a way there after she had already been gone. Although right here and now, David was in front of her asking to tag along. She could use his help for sure. Neverland was after all an unknown territory for her.

"You'd actually go with me even though Emma's still unconscious in the hospital?" asked Regina in a now softer tone. As if this was too good to be true.

David's face lit up with a small smile before replying.

"YES Regina. YES! Snow will stay here with Emma as I go with you to rescue Henry. I have faith that once we get there, Emma will follow us once she wakes up. Which means so would Snow. Like I've said, we always find each other!"

Regina then studied David's reaction for a few minutes. Trying to read his face, looking for any possible trickery. She really didn't want to let the pirate go.

Suddenly her thoughts were interrupted when Hook finally freed himself of the rag and spoke out in confusion.

"Wait what happened to Emma? Why is she unconscious in the hospital?"

David then turned to Hook.

"She was shot by Tamara. Gold took her to the hospital just in time, because apparently he couldn't heal her with his magic, since hers is pure and his is dark. I'm still not sure if I believe that myself, but I know that he'd never lie to his son. Emma is fine. Snow is staying with her until she wakes!"

David then looked back at Regina and put his hand up to hush up Hook as he was trying to respond to what David just told him. The look on his face made Hook shut up. He rather be silent on his own volition, than have that dirty rag put back into his mouth to keep him quiet.

"So, Regina. What do you say? Let Hook go and we go find Henry in Neverland together?"

Regina now looked a little calmer, but deep down she knew Henry would eventually find out what she had done to Hook if she did go through with it and then Henry would want nothing to do with her. That thought alone made Regina's heartache. However, no matter how much pain she was in, she wasn't going to let anyone see her broken.

Regina then finally took a few steps back away from Hook and waved her hand over him. The ropes that held him tightly together, glued to the chair, fell to the floor as she let Hook lose. Hook stood immediately and backed away from Regina, while watching her with nothing but pure hatred in his eyes for almost putting him into an eternal sleep. He knew that if he had gone under that curse his chances of coming out of it were slim. He fancied Emma all right, but she hadn't fully reciprocated his advances. She probably wouldn't volunteer to wake him up and he still had a lot of work to do to conquer her heart and call her his true love.

Regina then looked down to the ground disappointed and hurt, all these feelings overwhelming her at the same time. She put the potion in her jacket pocket and magically poofed the needle away back in her vault. She didn't want to part with the potion in case she might need it in Neverland.

David immediately ran up to Hook and told him to run in case Regina changed her mind at cursing him out of rage and revenge. Regina's mood was unpredictable to say the least. He was lucky he had been released from the ropes. He should not stay around to press his luck.

Regina looked up to David for a minute before finally asking.

"Would you like to say goodbye to Snow before we go get Henry? I'll give you only two minutes to say your goodbyes and if you're not ready, I'll leave without you. Do you understand me? Henry is my first priority. Not my second! Am I making myself clear?"

David nodded in response before saying thank you. Then, suddenly Regina waved her hand and purple smoke appeared everywhere around both her and David. Once the smoke was gone, they were both at the hospital right by the door to Emma's room.

"You got two minutes!" said Regina.

David then shook his head and quickly ran in the room to tell his wife goodbye, for now. Until they met again, in Neverland. Regina stood by the door looking away into the hospital corridor, to give them some privacy. She took a quick look at Emma's motionless body before she turned her head around. She felt something warm and unusual go through her, like a lightning bolt. She wasn't sure if this was her magic responding to Emma's or if this had to do with what she had been feeling towards Emma lately. She disregarded these sensations and focused on what was coming next. While David was talking to Snow, Regina started making plans in her mind of how to get to Neverland undetected. She knew the Lost Boys could be a real menace and Pan was a superlative enemy. They needed to be prepared for anything and everything. She took a last look at Emma before telling David that his two minutes were up and they needed to leave. She was conflicted about leaving Emma behind, but she knew she had to go right then, or their chances of rescuing Henry would dwindle by the hour. They had already lost too much time and they couldn't afford losing another minute.

David came out of the room with a serious face. You could tell it was hard for him too, leaving Snow and Emma behind, but he also knew this was the only way.

"Are you ready?" David asked in a hushed voice.

"I was born ready" Regina replied with a self-assured wicked smile on her face.