Killian rubbed his ear uncomfortably, staring across the lagoon at the mermaid he'd hoped to never encounter again.
"Ariel," he said, forcing a smile. "You're looking well."
"And you're looking marooned," she said. "Talk about just desserts."
"Yes. Well." He looked away, his brain working madly. How could he possibly win her over? He needed to get off this damned island.
"I called you because it's imperative that I get back to Storybrooke," he said. "Emma and her family may be in danger - perhaps even the whole bloody town."
She gave him a deadpan look. "Really."
"I'm not lying to you, Ariel."
She swam closer. "And I'm supposed to believe that? Why? You've never been especially truthful before. What's your angle?"
Killian's eyebrows went up. "Angle? There's no angle! You have to believe me - something's gone terribly wrong and I have to get back."
"Even with your ship, I can't pull you through a portal," she said, bobbing gently in the water.
"I don't have my ship," he said in exasperation.
Ariel looked at him in confusion. "You don't have your ship?" She moved closer, sliding the cuff on her arm and walking up out of the water. "What do you mean you don't have your ship? That ship was everything to you - more important than a man's life, as I recall."
Killian closed his eyes, letting the self-loathing wash over him. When he opened them, the pain within their depths made her step falter.
"I'm sorry, Ariel," he said softly. "Truly, I am. I know you ended up finding your prince, but it could have easily gone the other way, and I would have been to blame. I know I can't possibly say anything that could make you understand, but I need your help. They all need your help. Please."
His hand was outstretched in a gesture of entreaty, and Ariel could hear the sincerity in his voice.
"Maybe you'd better start at the beginning," she said, walking over to a fallen log nearby and taking a seat. "What happened to Storybrooke?"
"I don't know," he replied, sinking down wearily onto the log across from her. "Emma, Henry and I were out sailing -"
"You said you didn't have your ship," she said suspiciously.
"I don't. We were on a borrowed vessel. As we approached the town, the sky suddenly lit up. We pulled into port, and instead of stepping off the boat onto the dock, I stepped into Neverland, and I've no idea why, or who's responsible."
"Maybe you were the target," Ariel said. "It's not like you don't have enemies."
Killian's jaw tightened. "That's true enough. However, I'm completely alone here, and no one's tried to do me any harm. It's far more likely that the town is under threat, and they wanted me removed for some reason."
Ariel chewed her lower lip. "Other than the possible threat of potential danger...how is everyone? Snow and Belle and the others?"
"Snow just had a son. His name is Neal." Killian smiled. "He's quite the cherub."
"A son!" Ariel clapped her hands together happily. "How wonderful!"
"And Belle is...well, really, I thinks she could use a friend. If you've a mind to travel, she'd likely be very happy to see you," he said. "Provided she's all right. Provided they're all right."
"I'll see what I can do," Ariel said, brushing off her skirt. "Let me swim to Storybrooke, and I'll return and let you know if there's anything wrong."
"Thank you!" Killian got to his feet. "Thank you, Ariel. And could you - please - take a message to Emma? Tell her where I am and what happened. And tell her -" He paused, gathering his thoughts. "Tell her I'll find a way. That I won't stop looking until I return to her."
She stared at him, realization beginning to dawn. "Your ship," she said. "You traded your ship for a magic bean. That's how you got to Storybrooke."
He nodded. "Aye."
"For Emma?"
He let out a sigh. "Yes. And for all of them. Now you see why I had to have the ship. I knew if I could find someone with a magic bean, I could use the ship in trade and get back to Emma." He stroked his beard thoughtfully. "'Course, I had no idea at the time that Blackbeard would be the one with the bloody beans."
"Blackbeard!" Ariel's voice raised in anger. "You sold your ship to Blackbeard? After all you went through to take it from him?"
"The irony hasn't escaped me," he said with a good deal of chagrin. "But I really didn't have much of a choice."
"You weren't talking about the ship, that night on the dock," Ariel said, looking at him curiously. "When you said she'd be back in your arms. You were talking about Emma."
Killian gave her a crooked grin. "I had a singular purpose, and the ship was a means to an end," he said. "Is there anything you wouldn't give to see your Eric safe?"
Ariel shook her head. "No." She walked into the water, turning to look over her shoulder. "I'll help you, Hook. If I can. And I'll pass your message to Emma."
"Thank you," he said again. "And Ariel...be careful. I don't know yet what happened, but you may be swimming into danger."
She gave him a delicate shrug. "That's nothing I haven't done before," she said, and she dove under the water. Killian sank back down on the log, exhaling loudly in pure relief. He set his hands behind him, and stared up at the sky.
"Hold on, Emma. I'll get back to you, love."
###
The bowl of gruel slid under the door, and Belle turned her head lethargically to look at it. She pushed off the bunk, staggering slightly. The pills they gave her always made her head spin.
She kept one hand to the wall as she stumbled toward the door, crouching down slowly to avoid tipping over. She reached out for the bowl and withdrew her hand with a shriek when she saw the bug sitting in the middle of her bowl.
A loud volley of bangs against the door startled her badly, sending her backwards in a sprawl against the cold concrete floor.
"Quiet down in there, you!" A voice shouted.
Belle nodded her head almost violently. "Yes. S-sorry," she stammered.
The slot in the door opened again, and this time a metal cup of water slid through before it slammed shut again. Belle rolled up onto her knees, then she tentatively reached out, making a face as she fished the bug out of her gruel with the plastic spoon they'd given her. She wiped the spoon on her filthy gown, then reached for the bowl, shoveling the thin mixture greedily into her mouth. When the bowl was clean, she reached for the cup of water, tipping it up and drinking deeply.
She'd just lowered it back to the floor when she realized they'd done it to her again. Stupid, stupid, stupid, she thought, as the heaviness spread through her limbs and up to her neck and head. She crawled on her hands and knees to the bunk, using the last of her strength to pull herself onto the threadbare mattress, wishing she could make her arms move, to at least pull up the sheet for some warmth.
And then it all went black again.
###
Regina nearly ran when she heard the doorbell, and once she peeked out and saw who it was, it was all she could do not to try to break the window again.
"Henry!"
"Mom!"
"Henry, you'll have to open the door yourself. I can't do it," she called out.
Henry wrenched open the door and ran right into her arms. She held him tightly, kissing his hair before she pulled back to look at him. "You're all right?"
He nodded.
"Where's Emma?"
"I don't know," he said. "And I'm not sure exactly what's going on. Why are you here?"
"I don't know what's going on, either," she said, closing the door and pulling him over to the couch to sit down. "Tell me what you know."
"My mom and I were sailing with Killian. We saw the whole town light up. Then we got off the ship and I turned around and they were both gone. Just...vanished," he said.
"Gone? That fast?"
Henry nodded. "Yeah. And so I tried to call you, but you weren't answering. No one in town knew where you were - they didn't even know who you were. Until today when Marco said his wife wanted to talk to me." He looked at her, wide-eyed. "Mom, what's going on?"
"No one in town remembers me?" she asked in alarm.
"No. And they've all resorted to their cursed selves, pretty much. A few more people are missing, too. And just like before, nobody believes me when I try to tell them the truth. It's so...frustrating."
He sank back into the couch with a sound of exasperation.
"Tell me about it," Regina said. "Marco thinks I'm his new bride, I'm trapped in this house, and he's going crazy looking for Pinocchio."
"Pinocchio's missing?"
"Apparently so," Regina said dryly.
"But wait -" Henry said, scrunching his face up in confusion. "If Marco's back to his cursed self, he wouldn't know Pinocchio."
Now it was Regina's turn to look confused. "You're right. What about your grandparents?"
"Grandpa doesn't remember who he is. He lost all his memories. He's living with Catherine again."
And your grandmother?"
"She's in the hospital," Henry said. "Under a sleeping curse, but Dr. Whale doesn't realize it. He's drinking a lot again," Henry said, shrugging. "I tried to wake her, but it didn't work and I don't know why."
Regina shook her head, thinking. "And I'm here, trapped in a loveless marriage," she said. "It's like we've all been sent back to the worst times in our lives."
Henry nodded slowly. "Yeah. That's exactly what it's like. What kind of a curse would do that?"
"I don't know," Regina said grimly. "I need to get out of here and do some research, but whatever this curse does, it keeps me from ever leaving this house."
"There's something more," Henry said. "There's a woman."
"What woman?" Regina's eyebrows went up.
"She's a stranger. She says her name is Dora, and she's living in my apartment. She has Neal."
Regina stood up, walking fast toward the door, throwing her arms out desperately, willing the magic to come. Nothing happened.
"Dammit!' She shouted, wrenching at the doorknob. "Dammit, dammit..." she kicked the door hard, out of pure frustration.
"Whoever she is, Henry, we've got to get that baby away from her."
"I know," Henry said. "But nobody in town seems to care that she's not his mother. She's taking care of him and even taking him over to the hospital so he can nurse."
"If that bitch thinks she can get her claws on Snow's baby..." Regina ground her teeth together.
Henry walked over, taking her hand. "What are we going to do?"
"I need to research," Regina said, tapping her lip with a finger. "I need to figure out who this woman is, and what sort of a curse she laid on us all."
"I could talk to her. Pretend to be her friend. I met her already when I tried to go home."
"What was she like?" Regina's eyes narrowed.
"She was nice enough," Henry repllied. "Kinda sad, though. Like she's all cried out or something. I told her she should talk to Archie."
"That's a good idea," Regina said, thinking hard. "A very good idea. Henry, I think we've got something to start with." She considered for a moment more, then she suddenly looked down at her son. "Wait a minute - if she's at your apartment, where are you staying?"
"I'm back at our old house," he said. "All by myself."
"Are you eating?" she asked in alarm.
"Pop tarts. They're almost gone, though." He shrugged.
"Come on," she said. "I'll make some dinner. And we'll talk strategy."
They both turned suddenly at the sound of the door being opened. Marco stepped through, giving Henry a friendly nod before planting a dry, grazing kiss on Regina's cheek.
"Hello, my dear," he said, a bit wearily.
"How was your search?" she asked.
Marco's eyes were bleak. "No luck, still. I'll try again tomorrow." He looked over at Henry. "Did you enjoy your visit?"
"Yes," Regina said brightly. "Very much. Henry's going to stay for dinner."
"That's nice," Marco replied, unbuttoning his coat and removing his hat. He paused when Regina stepped closer, putting a hand on his arm.
"Marco..."
"Yes, my dear?"
"I've been thinking about what you said. About trying to be happy in my new life. And I think I know what will help."
"And what is that?" he asked politely.
Regina smiled. "I want to adopt a baby."