Chapter 6: We'll Always Have Storybrooke

Henry and Penny told everyone about Mr. Gold and Dr. Smith wanting them to sneak aboard the Jupiter 2 to steal the magic bean in the probe rocket, promising to use it to grow more, so that the two lovers could remain in contact. But that what Mr. Gold really wanted was to bring them along with him as a source of True Love Magic.

"Professor Robinson, this was my fault, entirely," said Henry, gently giving Penny's hand a gentle squeeze. "I wanted to be with Penny so badly - to marry her and have a family with her - that I went against my better judgement, and agreed to do what Mr. Gold and Dr. Smith wanted."

Penny said, "Please don't blame Henry! It was my fault, too! I knew that we should have told you what they wanted us to do. But they said that you would not want to risk our only magic bean to try and grow more!"

Professor Robinson nodded. "Well, you're right, Penny. As much as it pains me to see you and Henry separated, we do have a mission to fulfill. And I would not have risked our only possible way back to the Alpha Centauri in our universe, even at the expense of our own happiness."

Maureen Robinson looked at Dr. Smith in the freezing tube that had originally been hers when they left Earth, and felt an involuntary shudder. They could not let him out. Not without a proper medical team standing by. And she doubted that the facilities here in Storybrooke were able to deal with a situation like this. "Oh, John, we just can't let Dr. Smith out until we know that it is safe! Hopefully, there will be a colony on Alpha Centauri when we get there with a proper medical facility."

"I quite agree, Maureen," said John nodding. "We need a proper medical facility. And we need people in authority to deal with this . . . saboteur."

Don quipped, "Suits me just fine to leave the 'Good Doctor' where he is."

Mary-Margaret looked at Belle and Killian standing motionless in their freezing tubes, and also felt an involuntary shudder. "I think that before we do anything else we should let Belle and Killian out of those . . . those things . . . ."

Major West nodded, and went over to the control panel that operated the freezing tubes. "It might be a good idea if someone were to assist them when they wake up before I open the tubes." Mary-Margaret went to the tube containing Belle, and Emma went to the tube that held Killian. Don flicked a few switches on the panel. The tubes glowed briefly, and then they opened up.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then Emma noticed that Killian, who had been standing as still as a store mannequin, slowly began to sway and then move, as though coming out of a trance. "Blimey! I can't remember feeling like this since that time when me crew plundered that ship carrying all that fine, expensive rum and . . . Swan . . . ?"

"Killian, are you alright?" said Emma as she took Killian's arm to help him out of the freezing tube. The pirate staggered a bit as Emma steadied him.

Killian quickly got his wits about him, and said, "Bloody Hell! What happened then, Swan? The last thing that I remembered was the Crocodile teleporting us aboard this round, silver . . . ," Killian looked around, and continued, ". . . you call this bloody thing a ship? Then he forced me to get inside this bloody glass tube like I was a ship in a bottle.

"The next thing I know, you're helping me out of it. I take it that this means that whatever the Crocodile had planned has been thwarted . . . ?"

"Big time!" said Emma, pointing to the freezing tubes containing Mr. Gold and Dr. Smith.

As this was going on, Mary-Margaret helped Belle out of her freezing tube. Shaking a little, Belle said "Oh, Mary-Margaret, I've just had a truly horrible experience! You have absolutely no idea what it was like to hover between life and death, trapped in a glass . . . ."

Mary-Margaret said nothing. She just smiled and raised an eyebrow.

Bell said, "Uh, yeah . . . maybe I'd just better shut-up, now . . . ."

"Now," said Regina. "What about Mr. Gold? When you let him out, he will have his magic back, and I may not be able to stop him."

"And even if you could stop him," said Don. "The two of you throwing spells at each other could damage the Jupiter 2 beyond repair."

"If you would like," said John. "We could leave Mr. Gold in the freezing tube and take him to Alpha Centauri with us. He did try to kidnap our children, and hijack the Jupiter 2, so we do have a valid legal claim against him. Will you approve his extradition to the Land of Yesterday's Tomorrows, Regina?"

Regina shook her head. "If you take him with you, it could potentially create an incident that would set Fairy Tale / Science Fiction relations back by decades."

"I can't see how," said Don. "I mean, if your people ever manage to imprison someone like Ming the Merciless, then I doubt that too many of us would complain!"

"That's not what I meant," said Regina. "Since our Realms are similar, Mr. Gold could still have his ability to do magic when you let him out, and that is a chance that you do not want to take. Trust me, lasers and phasers notwithstanding; you'll be defenseless against his magic."

"Then what do you suggest?" said Judy. "I mean, if we can't let him out and we can't take him with us, then what?"

"I suppose we have to let him out, here," said Regina with a resigned sigh. "Both Belle and Hook were momentarily dazed as they came out of suspended animation. If I can do a heart-rip on him the second after you open the tube . . . ."

"A second," said Emma, "is all the time that he will need to teleport away."

"You're right, Swan," said Regina. "Damn . . . !"

Will drew a quick breath. "Henry's mom swore!"

Belle said, "I have an idea. Will everyone please excuse me for a moment?" When everyone acquiesced, Belle took the elevator down to the lower deck. She returned moments later holding a wooden box and a strange looking short sword with a wavy blade.

"What are you going to do with that?" said Maureen, looking warily at the sword.

"Something that I should have done a long time ago, Mrs. Robinson," said Belle with a mixture of sadness and determination. "But first, I think that this belongs to you, Killian." Belle handed the box not to Killian, but to Emma Swan, who opened it up and removed a glowing red crystal shaped like a human heart.

"Brace yourself, Captain," said Emma. Before Killian could reply, she pushed the crystal into Killian's chest. Immediately the pirate embraced Emma, and the two shared a deep kiss.

Will turned to Henry and Penny and said, "Boy, and I thought that the two of you were icky!"

Then Belle stood in front of the freezing tube containing Mr. Gold, held up the sword, and said, "And now, would you kindly let Rumple out of this thing, Major West?"

Maureen said, "Oh, John, we just can't let her kill him!"

"Maureen is right," said John in a commanding voice. "Nobody is going to kill anyone aboard the Jupiter 2!"

"Oh, trust me, Mr. and Mrs. Robinson," said Belle dryly. "Killing Rumple with this dagger is the very last thing that any of us wants to do! But what he has done has to be punished. Now, please let him out."

"It's alright, Professor Robinson," said Regina. "I think that I know what Belle has in mind."

After a moment of consideration, John nodded to Don, who opened the freezing tube containing Mr. Gold. Almost immediately everyone saw that Emma had been right, and that Regina would not have had any time for a heart-rip. Mr. Gold had been frozen in what looked like an angry rant – an angry rant that picked up right where he had been before being frozen in the manner of a CD resuming a song at the point where it had been turned off.

"NO ONE BREAKS A DEAL WITH ME, DEARIE! NO ONE DOUBLE-CROSSES RUMPELSTILTSKIN THE DARK ONE!" Mr. Gold bounded out of the freezing tube to confront Dr. Smith, who was still frozen in his at the point of terror. "BELLE! OPEN UP THIS BLOODY THING SO I CAN HAVE MY REVENGE!"

"Shut up, Rumple," said Belle evenly. "We need to talk."

Mr. Gold rounded to Belle before he even realized that he had and blinked. "No . . . ." In Belle's hand, he saw The Dagger of the Dark One. The REAL Dagger of the Dark One. "B-Belle . . . I . . . what, what is the meaning of this . . . ?"

"Oh, I think that you know what this means, Rumple. And now, so do I."

"B-Belle, please, let me explain . . . ."

"Finding this among your things is all the explanation that I need, Rumple," said Belle as she held the dagger level to the ground between them so he could clearly see "Rumpelstiltskin" etched on the blade. "I had hoped that this time, things would be different. I had hoped that this time, you would choose love over power. But that is the problem with us Fairy Tales, isn't it? We just can't let go of hope no matter what! But I'm going to do my best to as far as you and I are concerned!

"Choosing power over love yet again would have been bad enough. Fool that I am, I probably would have forgiven you yet again, over time. I always do. But this time, you have gone way over the line.

"This time, your selfish actions would have harmed billions of people from another realm, by keeping the Robinsons from completing their mission to find a new world for their people. But you didn't stop there, did you?

"No, you had to go and take advantage of two, heart-broken, love-sick teenagers – one of them your own grandson – to make your scheme work. That's gratuitously low, even for you. And while I may be able to forgive your choice of power over love, I cannot forgive what you have done to Henry Mills and Penny Robinson.

"And now, we need to be alone for what comes next. Dark One, I command you to take us to the town line." Without so much as a word of protest, Mr. Gold waved his hand, surrounding himself and Belle in a swirl of red smoke. When it dissipated, they were gone.

Professor John Robinson said, "Alright, Don, I want to do an emergency lift-off check of the Jupiter 2's systems. Maureen, I want you and Judy to make sure that the provisions supplied by the people of Storybrooke are still aboard. Will, get the Robot secured and check on the probe rocket containing the magic bean. I want to lift-off in no more than twenty minutes! I'm not taking any more chances!"

"I'll get the rest of the stuff that Mr. Gold brought aboard off for you," said Regina, who then teleported herself to the lower deck in a swirl of blue smoke.

Then John turned to David and Mary-Margaret, and said, "Regina, Prince Charming, Princess Snow White, I want to thank you for all your assistance. Even if there isn't an Earth Colony on Alpha Centauri when we arrive, thanks to you we stand a good chance of getting one set up."

Maureen added, "Oh, and please tell Mrs. Lucas that we are sorry to have to leave before that nice breakfast she promised. It sounds so good. But John is right. We can't afford to take any more chances." She then smiled, and added, "Besides, I've already put on three pounds since we got here!"

John smiled too, and said, "One day, G-d willing, we will be able to live in a world as clean and bountiful as the one you are in, now. Whatever you do, don't take it for granted."

Penny said, "Daddy, when you gave everyone their assignments, you forgot me."

John said, "No, Sweetheart, I didn't. I want you have all the time left to be with Henry.

"And Henry, I want you to know that we really do like you, and would have been proud to call you our Son-In-Law, had things been different."

"Yes, Sir," said Henry. "I know that marriage is as hard as it is wonderful. And I guess that probably goes double for an Inter-Genre Couple. But we would have made it work! Us and our kids!"

"I'm sure that you would have," said Maureen. "You know, Henry, a couple of people we know – a cousin of our pilot, a man named James West, and his friend, Artemis Gordon - are both from Inter-Genre Families. In their case, one parent was Science Fiction and the other one was Western. And they never told us of having any difficulties."

"Well, it isn't all smooth sailing for them," said Major West. "My cousin says that he and Artie get called the "SP-Word" every now and then."

"The "SP-Word?"" said Will. Maureen came over to her son and whispered into her ear. Will looked quizzically at his mom, and said, "Steampunk? What's so bad about that word?"

"Well trust me, son," said Maureen. "James and Artemis can say it; but none of us can."

Will rolled his eyes and sighed as the Robinsons and the other Storybrookers laughed a bit uncomfortably - all except for Henry Mills and Penny Robinson.

Henry smiled at Penny. But Penny's face was a mask of sadness. "Oh, Henry! We're about to be separated forever! Not like Romeo and Juliette; but like Will Parry and Lyra Belacqua! How can you be so calm?"

"Because you haven't left me yet, Penny Robinson," said Henry. "And while you are here, I have hope! And hope has no room for tears! I'll admit that things look pretty bleak for us, now. But that's how things work in Fairy Tale Land. Things are at their worst before they get better and then we live Happily Ever After!"

Regina reappeared on the Jupiter 2's flight deck, and said, "All of Gold's stuff is off your ship, Professor Robinson."

Major West said, "Good, because all systems are A-OK and Go! That was a pretty good job of landing, Will!"

"Thanks, Don." Will then turned to Henry, and said, "And if you want my advice, Henry, just remember that it isn't cool to kiss another guy's sister only two hours after meeting her!"

Penny wiped away a tear, and was about to go-off on her brother, but Henry said, "And if you want my advice, Will, be sure to smile when you tell this story to your nieces and nephews when you and your wife are babysitting for us! Otherwise, they may actually think that you hate me for real!"

After the Robinsons strapped in, the Storybrookers said their final goodbyes and prepared to leave the Jupiter 2 before it took off for the Alpha Centauri of their own Realm of Storytelling.

John said to Regina, "Thank you all again for helping us out. Now, as soon as you back your cars away from the Jupiter 2, wave to us outside of the main viewport, and then get behind the Town Hall building for safety until we are airborne."

"Good luck," said Regina. Then, in a burst of blue smoke, all of the Storybrookers, with the exception of Henry Mills, vanished from the Jupiter 2. Outside of the ship, the Robinsons heard David's truck and Regina's car engines start.

Henry knelt by Penny's acceleration couch, and kissed her on her cheek. Sobbing, Penny said, "Oh, Henry, that didn't feel like a Goodbye Kiss!"

"It wasn't a Goodbye Kiss," said Henry smiling broadly. "That was an "I'll see you again soon" kiss!" Henry stood up and went over to the lower deck airlock. "Remember, Penny: I love you! Never lose hope!"

"I . . . I love you too, Henry!" said Penny in a subdued voice as Henry went out the airlock. And whatever else happens, we'll always have Storybrooke . . . .

A few moments later, Henry joined his moms and grandparents behind the Town Hall building where they were shielded from the Jupiter 2's engines as the ship lifted-off. The Storybrookers felt the ground rumble and heard a high whine as they saw the spaceship from the Land of Yesterday's Tomorrows climb into the Storybrooke night sky.

Both Regina and Emma put their arms around their son as Henry watched the ship level off and come about. The boy's expression was full of hope, even as the probe rocket launched and the magic bean formed a portal in the sky. His heart raced as he saw the Jupiter 2 overfly the portal, but then fought to keep from feeling crestfallen when he saw that the ship was maneuvering to fly through. You're not gone yet, my love. You're still with me, Penny . . . .

Aboard the Jupiter 2, a song came unbidden into Penny's mind as if to help her push back the despair and allow hope room to breathe. It was a song by her new, all-time favorite singer. It was the song that played as she and Henry had their last dance together the night before. She drew comfort from the refrain as she could picture the tall, willowy blonde with bright red lipstick singing,

"Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods? Are we in the clear yet? Are we in the clear yet? Are we in the clear yet? In the clear yet, good."

Penny said, "I love you, Henry Mills!"

In Storybrooke, Henry said, "I love you, Penny Robinson."

And then the Jupiter 2 flew through the portal and was gone. Seconds later, the portal was gone, too.

Aboard the Jupiter 2, Professor Robinson said, "Maureen! Kids! We made it! And it looks like there is a nascent colony being set up!"

Don added, "I count three, no four other Jupiter-Class Interstellar craft landed below us! We made it! We're here! And we are NOT alone!"

"Don, we're getting a signal!" said John. "I'm switching on the radio!"

". . . –ter 2? Is that you, Jupiter 2?"

"Yes it is!" said John. "This is Professor John Robinson. We are all present and accounted for!"

"And," added Don. "We are heavy one saboteur on ice! A certain Dr. Zachery Smith!"

"Glad that you could finally join us, Jupiter 2. Welcome to Earth Colony Alpha Centauri One, more popularly known as Grissom City! I'm sending you your landing coordinates, now. Prepare to be welcomed home! And please have Dr. Smith ready to be handed over to the local constabulary!

"Welcome back, John. I'm sure that you have a lot of good stories to tell, and we are all looking forward to hearing them!"

In her acceleration couch, Penny Robinson breathed a sigh of relief. Moments ago, it looked like that evil witch, Cora the Queen of Hearts, would have kept them from escaping. But they made it back safely!

"I hope that there are kids our age down there, Penny!" said Will grinning from ear to ear. "And I hope that they have a baseball team that we can join!"

"I hope so too, Will!" said Penny wistfully. "And I hope that some of them are cute boys!"

"Eeeewww, gross!" said Will. He would have to keep a very close eye on his sister and the boys who tried to speak to her. It was his sacred duty as her brother . . . .

The Robinsons and Major West all had a good laugh as Don brought them in for the smoothest landing of his career.

"Engines shut down!" said Don. "All systems are normal! Everyone, we are definitely in the clear!"

Penny said, "In the clear yet, good!"

She did not know why she phrased it like that. She vaguely remembered a song with those lyrics, but could not remember the rest of it or when she last heard it . . . .

And in Storybrooke, Maine, a fourteen year old boy fell to his knees and cried inconsolably as both of his mothers knelt beside him, telling him that everything was going to be alright, even though they both knew better . . . .

. . . . and watching the scene play out in the center of a small globe of bright, white light, held in the hands of an imposing black man, a blonde man and woman, nodded. The black man closed his hands.

"Let's hope that he gets here soon," said the blonde man. "Before it starts to thaw out beyond even Lead's ability to properly insulate it."

The blonde woman nodded solemnly as she anxiously scanned her immediate surroundings for signs of the arrival of the Blue Box.