Author's note: Hi everybody! Sorry it's been longer than normal for an update- I had a camping trip, and then a case of writer's block. Now, the muse has struck again, and I spent all of today writing, and here's the result! I hope you find it's worth the wait!
~..~..~..~..
"The Blue Fairy's dead?" David repeated slowly. "How is that possible?"
All eyes turned to Rumple.
"Don't look at me," he told them firmly. "I had nothing to do with it. In fact," he added, "I'm just as surprised as you are."
"How is this possible?" Emma demanded, repeating her Deputy's question..
"I have no idea," Rumple admitted. "The Blue Fairy is immortal, I didn't know it was possible to kill her."
"You're immortal," David reminded the Dark One. "But you can still be killed with your knife. Maybe the Blue Fairy had a weakness, too?"
"Well, then," Rumple mused, "only a fairy would know what that is."
Rumple's eyes widened with realisation as he met Emma's gaze.
"Only a fairy would know how to kill the Blue Fairy," he whispered.
Emma nodded slowly in understanding.
"Tamara."
"Tamara?" Henry asked, disbelieving. "Why would she kill the Blue Fairy?"
"That's what we're going to find out, Henry," Emma told her son.
"Not before I find her," Rumple growled.
"What do you care about the Blue Fairy?" David asked, surprised.
"I don't," Rumple granted. "But I'm willing to bet that the reason Tamara killed her is the same reason for which she used my son."
"You promised Neal you wouldn't hurt her," Emma reminded him.
"And I promised Belle that I wouldn't kill Regina," Rumple added, "which is the only reason I'm not going after the dear Queen now, for making me lose my son again. However," Rumple added, "I need answers."
"And I'll get them," Emma told Gold firmly. "I'm the Sheriff, this is my job. Besides," Emma added warily, "if Tamara can kill the Blue Fairy, she may also know how to kill you. Best for you to stay out of the crossfire until we can find out what Tamara's really up to."
"She's right, Rumple," Belle told her Love. "We need to keep our family safe."
"That's what I'm trying to do, Belle," Rumple told her.
"But we don't know how the Blue Fairy was killed. You didn't even know it was possible." Worry caused Belle's voice to tremble. "Please," she begged, "let Emma do her job, until we know what we're dealing with. If Tamara did kill the Blue Fairy, she could kill you too. I don't want to lose you."
Gazing into his Love's eyes, Rumple slowly nodded in agreement.
"David and I need to go investigate this." Emma announced. "But, Regina could still come after Henry." She turned to Gold. "Can you make sure he's safe?"
Rumple nodded. He'd failed to protect his son for the second time, the least he could do now would be to try and protect his grandson.
"We need to keep the beans safe, too," David added. "They lead to Neverland, it's the only way we'll be able to get more."
"I'll take them," Emma said.
"Why you?" Rumple demanded.
"'Cause I'm the Sheriff," Emma answered. "And," she added in a gentler tone, "to make sure you don't go after Neal without me."
'I knew Emma still cared about him,' Rumple smiled slightly as Belle placed the two clear beans she held into Emma's hand.
"Now," Emma turned slowly to Gold as she placed the beans in a pocket. "Sorry to ask this Gold, but could you send me and David back to our car?"
Snorting slightly in amusement, Rumple waved a hand, enveloping the pair in smoke.
~..~..~..~..
Greg paced around the hotel room impatiently. He'd just returned from another hike and now he really needed to talk to Tamara.
Where was she?
A knock at the door snapped him out of his thoughts.
Opening it in a rush, he was relieved to see Tamara standing calmly in the hallway.
"Thank God you're finally here!" Greg pulled her inside. "You won't believe what I just saw in the woods.
Handing his phone to Tamara, Greg watched her press the 'play' button for the video.
Tamara's eyes widened as she saw the Evil Queen throw what seemed to be a magic bean into the wishing well, and take hold of Henry, before Neal pulled them back, only to get pushed into the portal himself, despite his father's attempts to save him from falling.
"It looks like your friend is gone," Greg put forward hesitantly as the video ended.
"Neal fulfilled his purpose," Tamara stated, her mind racing at the new possibilities that this video offered.
"There are magic beans here, Greg," Tamara told her partner, excitement building within her.
"We can worry about magic beans later," Greg said firmly. "I'm so close to finding my father, I'm not going to stop now."
"We'll find your father, Greg," Tamara assured him, placing a hand on his shoulder supportively.
"How?" Greg asked.
Tamara held up the video, paused as Regina threw her bean into the wishing well.
"Regina," Tamara whispered. "We can get her to tell us where your father is, forcibly if needed."
"Kidnapping?" Greg asked.
"Don't worry, babe," Tamara told him. "I know someone who can help."
~..~..~..~..
Emma and David carefully made their way up the path to the convent. Ahead, they could see the fairies gathered in the entrance way, waiting for them.
"Sheriff!" One of the fairies rushed forward upon sighting them. "Your Majesty! Who could've done this?"
"That's what we're going to find out," David assured her calmly.
"Where's Mother Superior?" Emma asked, keeping her tone professional.
The fairy swallowed.
"We left her where we found her," she answered, "in her room."
"Good," Emma nodded, making her way inside, "lead the way."
"Follow me."
As the fairy led them through the hallways, Emma did her best to keep her mask up as she met the gaze of the mourning fairies, still recovering from the shock of losing their leader.
"Who found her?" Emma asked.
"I did," the fairy leading them answered tearfully. "My name's Astrid."
"Well Astrid," Emma began. "I'm going to need you to tell me what happened."
Astrid nodded, coming to a stop outside a closed doorway.
"It was, uh, just after breakfast, I think," Astrid began, trying to keep her voice steady. "Tamara had left early, so I went looking for her, when-"
"Wait," Emma interrupted. "Tamara?"
Astrid nodded.
"She came to stay at the convent, when people found out that she was a fairy," she explained. "She was my roommate."
Emma and David shared a look. They didn't want to jump to conclusions, but still...it was too much of a coincidence that Tamara had been living at the Convent at the time the Blue Fairy was killed.
"What is it?" Astrid asked, her large eyes travelling between the Sheriff and her Deputy.
"Carry on, Astrid," Emma granted. "You went looking for Tamara..."
Astrid cleared her throat nervously. "Well," she began, "Tamara had missed breakfast, and when she did arrive at the convent, I asked her where she'd been."
"And?" Emma prompted.
Astrid shrugged.
"She just said that she'd been looking for something."
David got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"Did she say what it was?" He asked. "Did she say if she found it?"
Astrid shook her head.
"No, and I didn't think to ask," she admitted regretfully. "But, she did seem pleased about something."
Emma nodded. It sounded like whatever it was that Tamara had been looking for, she had found it.
"Then what?" Emma asked.
Astrid had to take deep breaths as she fought to stop herself crying.
"Tamara said that she needed to talk to Blue," Astrid continued. "And I haven't seen her since."
"And," David prompted gently, "how did you find Blue?"
Astrid swallowed a sob.
"It was about an hour or so after I last saw Tamara," the fairy explained. "I'm still in training, and now that we have our wands back, Blue has started teaching us again. I was coming for my lesson, and I found her door locked." Astrid took a deep breath, turning her gaze sadly to the closed door she stood beside.
"I knocked, but became concerned when there was no answer. So I used magic to unlock the door...and that's when I found her."
"Did you move her?" Emma asked.
Astrid shook her head, tears trailing down her cheeks.
"I checked for a pulse," Astrid explained, "but when I didn't find one, I ran to call for help."
David nodded.
"Thank you for your help Astrid," he said gratefully, seeing that the poor fairy was at breaking point. "We can take it from here."
"We'll find the one responsible for this," Emma promised.
Nodding, Astrid left them, wiping her tears as she went.
Slowly, Emma reached out and turned the door handle.
Pushing the door open, Emma and David stepped cautiously into the room.
Emma swallowed, feeling her breath catch in her throat.
The Blue Fairy was lying on her side on the wooden floor of her bedroom, where she had apparently fallen. Her face was frozen in a death-mask.
David examined the Blue Fairy's face, noticing the wide eyes and the lines surrounding her eyes and mouth. A grimace.
"She was in pain when she died," he whispered.
"But how did she die?" Emma asked. "It's not like Pongo's here to help this time."
Crouching down, Emma examined the shards of what appeared to be glass that were scattered around Mother Superior's body, some fragments even sparkled in her dark hair.
"What kind of glass is this?" she wondered aloud.
David knelt beside his daughter. Picking up a shard carefully, he noticed the faint sparkle of fairy dust.
"This is Blue's wand," David realised, showing Emma the traces of fairy dust. "Her wand actually shattered in the attack."
Emma began to carefully roll Mother Superior onto her back, looking for a cause of death on her body.
"David," she gestured to her Deputy, "look at this."
Leaning forward, David noticed two small burns on the dead fairy's clothing, over her stomach.
"Those look too small to be deadly," he commented.
Carefully, Emma lifted the clothing away until they saw that the burns had penetrated straight through her clothes to brand the fairy's skin. The burns were small, but clearly deep and still raw.
"Okay," David breathed, "perhaps I was wrong."
"Maybe we should have brought Gold along," Emma said as she carefully rearranged the Blue Fairy's clothing back into place. "This had to have been a magical attack, and neither of us knows enough magic to guess what could have happened."
"Well, we may not know exactly how Blue was killed," David began slowly, "but at least we have a suspect."
Emma nodded, her expression turning hard.
"Tamara."
~..~..~..~..
Tamara and Greg made their way along the docks carefully.
"Are you sure we can find this guy here?" Greg asked as he cast his eyes around the various ships harboured in the marina.
"I'm sure," Tamara answered confidently.
Suddenly, from what appeared to be thin air, a man stepped onto the dock.
"That's the last time I work for you, Regina," he muttered before starting in surprise as he raised his eyes to see the couple before him.
"I'm guessing that's him?" Greg whispered to Tamara, who nodded.
"Is he magical too?" He asked her.
"No," she answered. "He just sails in magical circles."
Hook relaxed slightly upon learning that these people knew of magic.
"Sorry, don't mean to be rude," He began as he started to walk by, "but I'm a trifle busy at the moment."
"Don't you recognise me, Captain?" Tamara asked mockingly. "I'm insulted."
Casting his eyes over Tamara, Hook smiled charmingly.
"Love, I know I probably said that I'd never forget you, but to be honest, I know so many women, that I do tend to lose track after a while."
"Hey," Greg objected, taking a step forward, but Tamara merely held up a hand to stop him, smiling at Hook's comment.
"Oh, no Hook," Tamara corrected the pirate captain. "You knew me in Neverland. Though I was known as Tinkerbell, there."
Hook's eyes widened.
"Tinkerbell?" He repeated. "Why are you here? How did you get here?"
"I'm here to make you an offer, Hook," Tamara offered. "I think we can help each other."
Hook shook his head.
"I'm done with helping," he snarled. "All I want is my vengeance, and the closest I came to getting it was doing it myself."
"Yes, the Dark One," Tamara stated calmly. "Well, now that Rumplestiltskin has magic, you're a little out of your league now, aren't you?"
Tamara's eyes were calm and calculated as Hook's furious dark eyes landed on her.
"Come with us," Tamara told him. "And I can guarantee you your vengeance."
~..~..~..~..
Henry lay back down on the large bed as Belle lifted the covers up over him.
"Are you sure you want to do this, Henry?" She asked him. "We could get David or Mary-Margret to do it."
But Henry shook his head.
"I want to be the one to help my dad," he said surely. "Families look after each other."
"Yes indeed," Rumple agreed as he stepped into the room.
He had brought Henry to his home after Emma and David had left to investigate the Blue Fairy's death, and immediately, he, Henry and Belle began their own quest to help Bae.
Coming forward, Rumple handed Henry a new necklace filled with protection potion.
"That'll protect him from the flames?" Belle asked as Henry slipped the chain around his neck. Henry and Rumple had explained this Netherworld to her and it had sounded terrifying.
Rumple nodded in assurance.
"As long as Henry wears that necklace, he can control the flames in the Netherworld," he explained.
Belle nodded in understanding. At least now, Henry wouldn't get hurt.
"Now, Henry," Rumple at on the edge of the bed, next to Belle. "You remember what you have to tell Aurora?"
Henry nodded surely.
"I have to tell her that my dad got pushed through a magical portal that links our world to Lake Nostos," he recited, "and to tell her to meet him there, so that we can stay in contact until we find more beans to bring him back home."
"Don't be afraid Henry," Belle smiled at the boy. "The flames won't hurt you now."
"I know," Henry answered. "And I'm not afraid. I'm on a quest, just like in the stories. I want to be a hero for a change."
Belle smiled.
"I know exactly how you feel," she told him. "And believe me, Henry: you are a hero. You've helped so many people, and now you're helping your father."
Henry grinned proudly before lying back down on the pillows.
"Alright Henry," Rumple said softly, as he placed his hand gently on his grandson's forehead. "Just relax, and soon, you'll begin to drift off."
As Rumple passed his hand slowly across Henry's face, the boy's eyes began to close sleepily, and soon, his breathing became slow and deep with slumber.
Exhaling, Rumple bowed his head over his cane. He had lost his son again, and now, he was relying on his grandson to help find him.
He felt Belle's hand touch his shoulder and he raised his eyes to meet his Love's gaze.
"You'll find your son, Rumple," she told him surely. "You don't have to do anything on your own anymore, you have your whole family to help you now."
Rumple nodded, glancing to the sleeping boy in the bed.
"Can you watch over Henry, Belle?" Rumple asked her as he stood up. "Call me the moment he wakes up."
"Where are you going?" Belle asked, her forehead creasing in a frown.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt anyone," Rumple assured her. "I just want to have a few words with our dear Queen, to ensure she stays away from my family."
~..~..~..~..
He was surrounded by fire. It shot up from the floor and licked its way across the walls, filling the room with blistering heat and smoke that made it difficult to breathe.
The worst of it was the sound: The crackling, snapping, roaring sound of the flames as they burned, apparently using Henry's own fear as fuel, because the flames never seemed to die.
Unless...
Henry gripped the necklace he wore in his fist, closing his eyes to concentrate.
'Put out the fire,' he thought as loudly as he could, willing it to happen.
Suddenly, he was surrounded by blissful silence.
Opening his eyes, Henry could see the whole room was clear of fire, only fragments of ash drifted through the air. Stray sparks from embers made the only light and filled the room with a glow that reminded him of the jack-o-lanterns at Halloween.
"Aurora?" He called out. "Hello?"
But there was no reply.
Henry moved forward cautiously, searching. But now that there were no flames in the room, he didn't need to search for long before he realised that Aurora wasn't there.
Henry swallowed. He hadn't counted on this. He'd been expecting to see Aurora here, like all the other times he'd been here.
Why wasn't she here? Then he realised.
Of course! Aurora wasn't asleep yet. Since they hadn't needed to be in contact during the day since his mom and Mary-Margret had come back, Aurora would have no need to be here right now.
Henry looked down at the necklace that he wore, thankful that he had it.
For now, all he could do was wait for Aurora to arrive, so he could tell her about his dad, or wait for himself to wake up, and he'd try again tonight.
Henry sat on the floor of the room, watching the glowing ashes drift through the air like fireflies.
And he waited.
~..~..~..~..
Hook was silent as he followed Tamara and her associate, Greg Mandel towards the Storybrooke Cannery.
However, Tamara led them away from the main building to the old factory beside it, the cold, dark walls immediately creating the feeling of isolation, as Hook could hear nothing but their footsteps echoing along the dark walls as they walked.
Eventually, they came to a room off the corridor, where Tamara stopped.
Hook stepped away slightly from the two others in the room, creating distance, and keeping them both, as well as his means of escape, in sight.
"Now," he began slowly. "You say that you can guarantee my vengeance. How can you help me?"
"Because we know how to kill magical creatures," Tamara answered plainly, getting the pirate's attention. "And something tells me, that may come in useful to you."
The fairy definitely now had Hook's attention.
"How do you do it?" He asked.
Tamara held up her taser.
"When my wand is in this form," she explained. "It drains the magic from them. And the more magic they have, the more life threatening it is."
A smile of anticipation began to creep across Hook's face.
"You've done it before?"
Tamara smiled as the taser regained the form of her wand, the blue light shining in the dim room.
"I've already killed one magical creature this morning: The Blue Fairy."
Hook eyes widened.
"You killed the Blue Fairy?" Hook repeated. "Why?"
"You have your vengeance, I have mine," Tamara told the pirate. "And I needed her power."
"Why?" Hook asked.
"That's my business," Tamara answered firmly.
"Fair enough," Hook granted.
"Are you in?" Greg asked.
Hook turned towards the man.
"And if I was, what would be in it for you?" he asked the outsider. "Who are you?"
"I'm the guy who hit you with my car when I came into town," Greg shot at the pirate, not liking his tone.
"What?" Hook demanded taking a step forward, only to be blocked by Tamara.
"Never mind that now, Captain," she told him. "That was an accident, you weren't his target."
"Then who is?" Hook asked.
"Regina," Greg answered. "She took my father from me."
"So here's the deal, Captain Hook," Tamara regained the pirate's attention. "You help us get Regina, and we'll help you get Rumplestiltskin and your revenge."
Hook's eyes travelled from the fairy before him to the man behind her.
They could kill magical creatures...
"I'm in," he said.
~..~..~..~..
Regina was in her office when she heard the unmistakable sound of a cane hitting the floor.
Turning, she found Rumplestiltskin standing in the doorway.
"Your Majesty," he smiled coldly in greeting.
"Are you here to kill me Rumple?" She asked, moving until her desk was between herself and the man whose presence seemed to fill the room, regardless of his average build.
"Oh no, you're safe from me," Rumple said calmly. "I made a promise to Belle that I wouldn't kill you, remember?"
Regina felt herself relax ever so slightly. She may not be in danger of losing her life, but she also knew how creative the Dark One could be.
"So then why are you here?" Regina asked, as she sat down at her desk, trying to appear calm and in control of the situation.
"You took my love from me, and then you took my son from me," Rumple hissed as he came forward.
"You got Belle back, very quickly too, I might add," Regina told him. "And you took my son from me. I was just returning the favour."
Rumple slowly approached the Mayor's desk.
"I may not able to kill you, Your Majesty," the softness of Rumple's voice making his words sound all the more chilling. "But I promise you: there will be suffering. You took my son, and now, I will do everything in my power to ensure that you will never be with Henry, ever again."
"Henry is my son!" Regina stood up to confront the man trying to intimidate her in her own office.
"No, he's Bae's son." Rumple kept his voice calm, even though his eyes were on fire. "He's Emma's son. And he's my grandson."
Rumple leaned closer, locking eyes with the Evil Queen.
"You took my son from me, Regina," he hissed. "So in return, I'm going to deny you the one thing that you truly want: Henry."
He smiled.
"To be separated forever from the thing you love most," Rumple whispered as he watched the emotion flicking across the Queen's face. "Now that, is truly a fate worse than death."
~..~..~..~..
"Henry?"
Henry's head shot up to see Aurora standing before him in the now dimly lit room of the Netherworld.
"Aurora!" He greeted in relief as he stood up. "You're finally here! I've been waiting for you."
"Is there something wrong?" She asked, coming forward, concerned. "Did Emma and Mary-Margret get through safely?"
"Yes, they're okay," Henry told her. "But now we have another problem."
Aurora studied the boy's face, noting how serious his expression was.
She nodded.
"How can I help?" She asked.
Henry took a breath.
"I need you to go to Lake Nostos," he told her.
"Why?" Aurora asked, curious. "What's at Lake Nostos?"
Aurora noticed that while the serious expression never fell from Henry's face, he lifted his chin proudly.
"My father."
~..~..~..~..
"Remind me again, why we're looking for Regina now?" David asked his daughter as they approached the Council building.
They'd searched for Tamara at the convent, though hadn't expected to find her. They then tried Granny's, and again found no sign of the rogue fairy, or even Greg, who they now knew was another link.
It was then that Emma decided to search for Regina, trying her house, only to find it empty.
Now, they were making their way to the Mayor's office.
"Because she kidnapped Henry," Emma answered her Deputy's question. "That's a charge for arrest right there."
"I thought we were looking for Tamara," David said.
"We don't know where she is," Emma reminded him. "And if she's after magical beings, as it appears to be," Emma still couldn't get the Blue Fairy's expression, frozen in pain, out of her head, "then Regina could be a target as well."
"So, are we warning her then?" David asked, a little surprised by his daughter's concern for Regina.
"Or just waiting for Tamara to show up?"
Emma paused.
"I'm not sure yet," she admitted.
They were at the base of the stairs leading up to the Mayor's office within the town council building.
Cautiously, Emma and David each took out the guns and held them at the ready as they made their way up the stairs.
At the doorway, Emma and David both pressed themselves against the wall of the corridor, trying to stay out of sight of the frosted glass.
At Emma's signal, they opened the door to the office and entered, guns at the ready in case Regina decided to attack them.
"All clear here," Emma announced from her side of the room.
"All clear here," David echoed from his position.
Slowly, the two lowered their guns.
"What now?" Emma thought aloud. "Where would Regina go?"
"The beanstalk?" David suggested. "Maybe to look for another bean?"
"She torched the thing, she wouldn't expect there to be any more," Emma reminded him. "Besides, you've got the dwarves searching the area. If there are any beans that survived the fire, they'll find them."
"What about her vault?" David put forward another suggestion. "That's where she went to hide after she was framed for Dr Hopper, and it's where all her magic is."
"That's a possibility," Emma granted. "But with Regina as desperate as she is at the moment, I don't think that she's go into hiding. I think she'd be trying to search for another way to try and get Henry, like the beans."
"Well, you have the only beans to Neverland that we've found so far," David reminded his daughter. "And there's no way Regina will be able to get them."
"Not without help," Emma muttered.
"Who would help her?" David asked. "She doesn't have any allies anymore except-"
David and Emma met each other's eyes in realisation.
"Hook," Emma said for both of them. "He was the distraction while Regina got the beans, maybe she's gone to him to try and figure out a way to get them back?"
David nodded. It was the most possible scenario he could think of. Regina needed allies, and Hook was her only one in town.
"We've got to get to the marina."
~..~..~..~..
Regina slowly opened her eyes, wincing as her head throbbed and pain shot through her side.
She was in a cold, dimly lit room, and she could smell a hint of salty ocean air as a breeze made its way through the room from somewhere out of her line of sight.
Trying to sit up, Regina felt slight panic as she realised that her arms and legs were strapped down to the table she was lying on.
What was going on?
Regina remembered Hook entering her office not long after Rumple departed once he'd delivered his threat. He was then followed by the former Owen Flynn and a new woman who Regina didn't recognise.
She remembered the woman stepping forward and jabbing something into her stomach, feeling pain lance through her body like fire, before blacking out.
And now she was strapped to this table, apparently somewhere near the harbour.
Regina didn't know what was going on, but she wasn't sticking around to find out.
Flexing her wrist, Regina was glad to find that her hands were at least free, and began concentrating on using magic to free herself.
However, when the straps that held her to the table didn't release her, she began to feel the faint traces of panic clutching her heart.
"Your Majesty," a voice greeted grandly, and Regina watched as Hook came to stand over her.
"Hook?" Regina asked in confusion. "What are you doing? We had a deal."
"Yes," Hook commented drily. "And I ended up being chained to my own ship, while you, my dear Queen, abandoned our deal while you went to abduct your son. And you failed."
The pirate held up a phone, and Regina watched the screen numbly as she saw the events at the wishing well unfold.
"Hook," Regina tried to smile, "I can explain."
"No need," Hook assured her lightly. "As they say, a picture," Hook waved the device in his hand, "is worth a thousand words."
"I can help you get your revenge on Rumplestiltskin," Regina told him. "He's keeping me from my son, we can both get what we want."
Hook smiled.
"You had your chance, love," he smiled. "And I don't need you anymore."
"Then why am I here?" Regina demanded.
At that moment, Owen and the woman from before stepped into her line of sight.
"You're here," the woman said in a chillingly calm voice, "because you have something that we want."
Regina's eyes drifted to the man who was once the boy she had wanted so much to stay with her.
"I don't have your father, Owen," she whispered.
"You're lying," Owen said firmly. "You do have him, and I'm not gonna stop until I find him."
"You can't hold me prisoner," Regina told him.
"Then why don't you just use magic to free yourself?" The woman smiled.
Regina froze. This woman knew about magic? Her eyes flicked to Owen, who appeared unfazed by the woman's comment.
She couldn't believe it...
"You know about magic?" She asked slowly.
"Oh, yeah," Owen nodded. "I've learnt a lot over the years, especially since I arrived here in Storybrooke."
"I helped him," The woman added, walking around the table towards Regina's head. "My name's Tamara by the way."
"I knew her as Tinkerbell," Hook interjected with a grin.
Regina continued to try and use magic to free herself as she felt Tamara attach wires to her temples.
"Why can't I use magic now?" She asked fearfully.
"Because," Owen came forward slowly. "Tamara is a genius. She's figured out a way to drain magic from magical beings."
Regina's breath became quicker as panic began to spread from her heart, up her spine and into her head, filling her mind like smoke.
"My magic's gone?" She asked.
"Not completely," Tamara admitted. "It's just left you temporarily. It was the only way we could get you here without making a mess. Besides," she added, as Owen disappeared from view, "if all your magic was drained, you'd be dead now. And we don't want that to happen just yet."
"You want to kill me?" Regina asked. "Why? If all you want is Owen's father-"
"But that's not all we want," Tamara told the Queen, appearing in her line of sight again, as Owen apparently fiddled with some kind of equipment. Regina could hear him moving, and every now and again, she could hear static.
"Owen wants his father back, of course," Tamara explained. "But I want something too."
"And what's that?" Regina asked slowly.
Smiling, Tamara held up her taser.
"I have the ability to absorb the magic from any magical creature," she whispered.
Regina watched as it transformed into a blue, glowing, fairy's wand.
"And I could even kill the supposedly immortal Blue Fairy."
Regina's heart began to pound in her chest.
"My next goal is to kill the Dark One," Tamara explained, "but in order to get close enough to him to absorb his power, I'm gonna need something a little better than fairy magic. And next to him, you're the most powerful magician in this world."
"So this is why you're with them, Hook," Regina spoke to the pirate, who still stood just outside her line of sight. "You and Tamara have a common goal."
"Revenge can be very good at uniting people," Hook granted from the sidelines.
"But first," Owen said and Regina rolled her eyes, trying to see behind her to where Owen stood, "you're going to tell us where my father is."
"Or you'll what?" Regina demanded, trying to gain control of the situation, despite her prone position.
Smiling, Tamara backed away, leaving Regina with only the ceiling to look at.
Tamara looked over at Greg.
"Do it," she ordered.
The wires that were attached to Regina's temples were connected to the machine that Greg stood next to.
"Let's see if this works," he said softly, but still loud enough for Regina to hear.
Reaching with one hand, Greg slowly turned a dial.
A hum of energy filled the room for a split second before Regina's screams cut through the air.
~..~..~..~..
After searching Hook's ship, Emma and David had to concede that neither the pirate nor Regina were there.
"This is getting ridiculous," Emma said in frustration as she and David walked along the docks, trying to think of their next step. "First we can't find a fairy, then we can't find a magically powerful queen and now we can't find a pirate."
"All this means is that we're looking in the wrong places, Emma." David told her. "We just need to find the one right place to find them. We've searched in all the places they'd normally be-"
"Maybe that's why we can't find them," Emma mused. "We're looking in all the obvious places."
They were passing the Cannery, when Emma felt it. Like a tingling pulse going through the air, sending her senses on full alert.
"What is it?" David asked, as his daughter paused.
"Do you feel that?" Emma asked.
David stood still, listening to the sound of the wind coming off the ocean, and smelling the salt in the air.
And that wasn't all that was carried on the air...
"Can you hear that?" David took out his gun.
After a moment, Emma swallowed, nodding, as she reached for her own gun.
Carefully, Emma and David made their way as quickly as they could towards the Cannery, and the sound of screaming.
~..~..~..~..
Belle started as Henry bolted upright.
"Henry!" She smiled in relief as Rumple came forward from where he had been pacing the middle of the room. "You're okay! You took so long, we were getting worried."
"Yeah, I'm okay," Henry assured them. "Aurora just wasn't there when I arrived, so I had to wait for her."
"And?" Rumple prompted. "Did you tell her?"
Henry nodded.
"Aurora, Mulan and Phillip are heading towards Lake Nostos now," Henry was proud to report. "They'd just rescued Phillip from something called a wraith."
Rumple frowned slightly. The wraith was in the Enchanted Forest, where his son was...
"Phillip?" Belle repeated. "And did you say Mulan?"
"Yeah," Henry answered. "Why?"
Belle smiled.
"I know Mulan and Phillip," she told Henry before turning to Rumple. "Believe me, Rumple, Bae will be in safe hands with those two."
"Good," Rumple nodded. "Thank you, Henry."
"You're welcome," Henry smiled. "We're family now." He then turned to Belle.
"So, you know Mulan and Phillip?" he asked.
Belle smiled.
"Would you like to hear the story?" She asked.
Henry nodded.
"And, I'd also like something to eat," added sheepishly. It was passed lunch time now.
Rumple smiled.
"Well, you have helped me greatly so far, Henry," he granted, "How about I take you to Granny's for lunch?"
"Sounds good to me," Henry grinned, throwing the blankets off himself and getting to his feet.
~..~..~..~..
Hook watched as Greg turned the dial down and Regina's screams faded into panting, panicked breathing.
Now, as a pirate, he'd often had to do his fair share of torture, or at least the threat of torture, to get information out of a prisoner, but he'd never seen anything like this before: no broken bones, no blood, just an invisible current of...something that caused tremendous pain, while leaving the body completely intact.
He had to admit, he found it fascinating.
On the other hand, while he had no real love for Regina, who he'd double crossed, and who had double crossed him in return, he didn't think she'd yet earned torture as a punishment.
He did like a fair fight, after all.
"Now," Greg demanded, "what did you do to my father?"
Regina was taking deep, shaking breaths as she fought to recover from the pain as it faded from her body, her muscles becoming limp in relief.
"Is this any way to treat a Queen?" She asked the room, her voice was weak, but Hook had to admire the strength of her spirit.
"Maybe we weren't being clear enough," Tamara snarled. Pushing Greg out of the way, she turned the dial higher.
Hook flinched as Regina's screams resumed.
~..~..~..~..
David gestured for Emma to follow him as made his way through the dark building. As she followed her father, Emma had to admit she was impressed at his ability to pinpoint which direction to take, as she couldn't make sense of all the echoing sounds in the place. Although, she reminded herself, David did come from a world full of castles, and they had long, echoing halls. Maybe he was used to it?
They both started as they heard the screams begin again, and Emma felt her stomach clench unpleasantly in realisation.
"Regina," she whispered, her voice echoing slightly.
"What?" David asked from ahead of her.
"That's Regina screaming," Emma told him.
Listening, for a moment, David had to agree.
Who, or what, could be making the Evil Queen scream in such a way?
"We have to find her," David said. "I know all the evil she's done, and I know she tried to take Henry, but she does not deserve...this." He flinched as another scream echoed through the halls.
Emma nodded.
Suddenly, they came to a fork in the hallway.
"We should split up," she suggested. "We'll cover more ground that way."
Nodding, David turned on the walkie talkie on his belt as Emma did the same.
"Stay in contact, you understand?" David turned his eyes on his daughter. "If they can do this to Regina..."
Emma nodded.
"Right back at you," she told her father.
~..~..~..~..
Regina's breathing was haggard as Tamara turned the dial down once more.
"Look, you're just making this worse for yourself, Regina," Tamara told the Queen calmly. "Greg wants his father, I want more power, Hook wants to kill the Dark One and you want the pain to go away. We can all get what we want if you'd just start talking."
Tears were streaming down Regina's face, dripping on to the table, yet she still kept her mouth shut defiantly. They were planning on killing her anyway, so what did it matter if she spoke or not?
Maybe, at least this way, Henry would stay safe...
At that moment, in the silence broken only by Regina's shaky breathing, footsteps could be heard along the corridors outside.
"Go check that out," Tamara ordered.
Nodding, Greg ventured out of the room.
"You've got that man on quite the leash, Tamara," Hook complimented the woman before she reached for the dial once more.
"He's a good puppet," Tamara conceded. "I'm good at pulling strings."
"Indeed you are," Hook stepped forward, "but I think you may need to pull a different string, if you want this puppet," he gestured to Regina, "to start talking to you."
"What do you mean?" Tamara asked.
"Pain's not gonna do much to her," Hook gestured to Regina once more, illustrating how she was still resolutely staying silent. "Not physical pain, anyway. People can learn to cope with it after a while."
"What do you suggest, then?" Tamara asked.
Hook held up the phone, playing the video for Tamara once more.
"Do you see how much she wants her son?" Hook whispered. "She's willing to travel to a different world for him." He smiled. "Regina would give anything for her son."
Slowly, Tamara smiled.
"Good idea, Captain," she congratulated, turning her eyes towards Regina, whose face was no longer pained, but fearful.
~..~..~..~..
David made his way cautiously down the dim corridor, his gun held low in front of him, ready to raise at a moment's notice.
The screaming had thankfully stopped, and now all he could hear were the echoing sounds of his footsteps, despite his efforts to move silently.
Pausing, David listened.
Were those footsteps echoes?
The sound faded away along the corridor, replaced by a tense silence.
David kept his ears pricked for a sound as he cautiously moved along the corridor, where another hallway branched off to the right.
Slowly, David peered down the new corridor on the right, only to be confronted by darkness and shadow.
After standing for a few moments, tense, ready for an attack, David continued on his way.
As David turned, a figure barrelled out of the dark corridor, tackling him.
David felt his body slam against the opposing wall, lights flashing before his eyes as his head hits the brickwork.
David felt someone grabbing for his gun, and he shoved his attacker back reflexively, only to have his attacker grab hold of him and use his momentum to throw him to the ground.
David got up as quickly as he could, only to find his own gun being pointed at him.
"So," Greg Mandel smiled. "You're prince Charming, huh?"
"And you're not as average as we thought," David countered, holding his hands up in a calming gesture.
"Oh, no, I know a lot about this place," Greg told him casually. "You see, I was here as a kid." He explained. "And when Regina captured my father and I ran away...funny thing, I could never find this town again until now. Lucky huh?"
"Look," David told the man in front of him. "I know Regina's known as 'The Evil Queen', but she doesn't deserve to be tortured."
"That wasn't my idea," Greg told him flatly.
"Who's was it then?" David asked. "Tamara's?"
Greg nodded.
"Okay,' David breathed. "Clearly, Regina's done something terrible to you. Heck, she did something terrible to everyone in this whole town. But, whatever Neal's fiancé told you-"
"What?" Greg interrupted. "Fiance? To that guy she brought into town?"
David froze.
"You didn't know Tamara was engaged to Neal, did you?" he said quietly.
Greg's punch answered David's question quite clearly.
David fell to his knees, his ears ringing.
"Hey!"
Greg turned just in time to receive Emma's punch full in the face.
As Emma pulled Greg away from her father, David struggled to his feet.
Emma didn't know where her newfound energy had come from, but as she slammed Greg onto the floor, she could only think of one thing: No one threatens the ones she loves.
Standing up slowly from the now unconscious Greg, Emma made her way back to her father.
"You alright?" She asked, concerned.
"Yeah," David nodded, reclaiming his fallen gun. Looking down the corridor to where Greg lay prone on the floor, to his strong-spirited daughter before him, David couldn't help but smile.
"What?" Emma asked.
"I'm so proud of you," he told her. His daughter had just body slammed a full grown man on her own.
Emma smiled self consciously.
"I guess being protective runs in the family," she said.
"Absolutely," David grinned before becoming serious once more.
"Now, we need to get Regina out of here."
~..~..~..~..
'So this is ice cream,' Belle mused as she walked. It was strange: Lacey had memories of eating ice cream, yet Belle knew that she hadn't actually ever tasted the cold, sweet food until today.
The three of them were making their way to the park. Emma had yet to contact them with an update, and they had to watch over Henry until she did, as he was a prime target for the Evil Queen at the moment.
Still, even though they now had a contact in the Enchanted Forest heading to Lake Nostos, Belle could tell that Rumple was still impatient to leave Storybrooke to find his son.
Reaching out with her free hand, Belle took hold of Rumple's hand as they made their way across the park, Henry heading for the swings, as happy as any other boy at the park would be.
"We'll find him Rumple," Belle told her love. "And Mulan and Phillip will protect him until we do."
"I know," he assured her. "I just... don't like feeling helpless," he admitted to her reluctantly.
"But you're not helpless," Belle told him. "You're protecting your family, even now," she gestured to Henry.
Rumple nodded.
"Still," he said, "I don't want to be away from my son for longer than necessary. I want to get going."
He wished that Emma hadn't taken both of the Neverland beans. Maybe then he and Belle could have travelled there by now, and Emma and the others could then follow, if they desired, with the other bean.
"We'll go as a family, Rumple." Belle told him, as she seemed to guess at what he was thinking. "We'll find him as a family."
"This could be dangerous, Belle," Rumple told the woman at his side. "Are you sure you want to come?"
"Of course I'm coming!" Belle replied without a moment's thought. "This is a quest to find your son! And this time," she smiled, "I can come with you."
Rumple slowly returned the smile.
"Yes, indeed you can," he told her.
~..~..~..~..
After a few minutes of continued searching, Emma and David found Regina alone, in a room off the main corridor, strapped to a table.
"Regina!" Emma exclaimed as she and David did a quick check to ensure they were alone. "What happened?"
"Hook, Tamara and Owen," Regina answered weakly as Emma and David released her.
"Owen?" Emma repeated. "You mean Greg Mandel?"
Regina nodded.
"But he was Owen when I met him as a boy," she answered as she sat up gingerly.
"Where are they now?" David asked.
Regina shook her head, exhausted.
"I'm not sure," she replied, "but Hook was able to convince Tamara to stop torturing me."
"He did?" Emma was surprised.
Regina nodded.
"They're going after Henry instead," she hissed through clenched teeth.
"Henry's safe," Emma said quickly. "He's with Gold."
"Of course he is,' Regina muttered, getting carefully to her feet. However, she was forced to sit back down on the table when her legs refused to take her weight.
"The Blue Fairy's dead," Regina told them.
"Yeah," David said softly, "we know."
"Tamara killed her." Regina added.
"That we didn't know," David granted.
"But we suspected," Emma sighed, closing her eyes. "And now we can give Mother Superior a proper funeral."
"But first," David put forward slowly, eying the Queen carefully, "we need to get you to a hospital, and you need to answer some questions, Regina."
"I can't stop you," Regina admitted reluctantly as David cuffed her hands.
"You take her in," Emma told her Deputy. "I need to check on Henry, and contact the fairies."
"Will do, Sheriff," David agreed, helping Regina to stay steady on her feet.
Emma put a hand in her pocket and froze.
"What is it?" David asked, seeing the fear pass across his daughter's face.
Slowly, Emma pulled out her hand, showing her father the single bean resting on her palm.
"I lost one of the beans," she whispered.
~..~..~..~..
"Wake up, Greg," a voice seemed to call from far away. "Come on babe, wake up."
Groggily, Greg opened his eyes to see Tamara standing over him, Hook in the background, casting his eyes around the hallways warily, in case they'd been followed.
"What happened?" Greg asked as Tamara pulled him to his feet.
"I was gonna ask you the same thing," Tamara said angrily, apparently over her concern now that he was awake.
"Let me guess," Hook put forward. "Our lovely Sheriff, Emma Swan?"
Reluctantly, Greg nodded.
"What?" Tamara demanded. "You got knocked out by that cute little blond?"
"You know, you shouldn't generalise like that, love," Hook told the fairy. "After all, most people don't think fairies would do what you just did to Regina."
"And besides," Greg added, wanting to redeem himself, "I managed to get something from the Sheriff," he opened up his hand.
Tamara smiled when she saw the clear bean nestled in Greg's palm.
"Well done, babe," she smiled, giving him a kiss.
"Yes, good form," Hook rolled his eyes, "now can we get out of here before we're found?"
Greg was confused.
"What about Regina?" He asked.
"We've been found out, Greg," Tamara told him plainly. "We have to make a new plan. And the good Captain," she smiled at the pirate, "has come up with a good one."
~..~..~..~..
Emma made her way across the park towards where Gold stood, watching Henry play on the swings like any normal boy.
Sighing, Emma felt reluctant to burst that image of her son. But she had promised herself that she would be more truthful to him.
"Henry," she called as she approached.
"Mom!" Henry greeted, using his feet to skid his swing to a stop. Running over, he wrapped his arms around her in a hug.
"Thanks for protecting him," she told Gold, who nodded graciously.
"Where's Belle?" Emma asked, casting her eyes around, searching.
"She's at home," Gold explained simply, "starting to pack for the trip."
Slowly, Emma nodded.
"What happened?" Henry asked, his eyes worried.
"Henry," Emma began slowly, "I need to tell you something."
She led her son over to a park bench, where she sat down. Henry followed suit, worry shining in his face.
Emma took a deep breath, gathering her nerve.
"Here's the thing Henry," Emma began. "The Blue Fairy's dead, and... Tamara was the one who killed her."
"What?" Henry's eyes grew wide. He hadn't known Tamara long, and yes, she'd lied to Neal about being a fairy, but killing the Blue Fairy?
"That's not all," Emma continued slowly. "Tamara and Greg kidnapped Regina, with Hook's help, and they..." Emma swallowed. "Well, they hurt her pretty badly."
"What?" Henry's heart began to quicken, "my mom's hurt?"
She'd tried to kidnap him this morning, but still...she was his mom.
"She's going to be okay, though Henry," Emma told him. "David's with her at the hospital now, and Dr Whale says that she'll be able to leave soon."
Henry breathed a sigh of relief. His mom was going to be okay.
"What about Tamara?" Henry asked.
"We haven't found her yet," Emma admitted. "But, now that we know how the Blue Fairy died, we can give her a proper funeral."
Henry was almost too afraid to ask, but...
"How did she die?"
Emma took a deep breath.
"According to Regina," Emma answered slowly, "Tamara has something that can drain all the magic out of any person with magic, and if that happens, they die."
"Any person with magic?" Henry repeated slowly. "Like my mom?"
Emma nodded.
"And Mr. Gold?"
Emma nodded again.
Henry swallowed.
"And you?" He whispered.
Emma nodded slowly.
Henry threw his arms around his birthmother, holding her tightly.
"I don't want to lose you," he whispered. "I've already lost my dad, I don't want to lose anyone else in my family."
"Oh, Henry," Emma sighed, hugging her son to her. "You won't lose me. And we will find Neal, I promise."
~..~..~..~..
Slowly, Neal opened his eyes.
Sitting up carefully, he realised that he was on soft, almost sandy ground. Turning his head, he saw what appeared to be a spring close by.
'Oh, no.'
He closed his eyes in protest, but his memory played the scene for him.
Regina pushing him into the portal.
His father's hand wrapped around his.
Only this time, his father had been trying to pull him out of that whirling pit. Even calling for help as he struggled.
His father had kept his word, he hadn't let go.
The portal had ripped Bae from his father's grip.
And now, Neal was in the last place he wanted to be.
Back home.
'Well,' he thought to himself, 'at least Henry isn't here.'
Standing up, Neal cast his eyes around the area. No people, or towns in sight, though he did spy what looked to be a road on the other side of the spring.
Maybe that would lead him to a town? Or at least hopefully some other travellers who could tell him where to find a town, though it wasn't like Neal couldn't live rough if he had to.
But while it had been a long time since he'd been to the Enchanted Forest, one thing he did remember was that it was not a good idea to travel after nightfall.
And by the looks of the sky, it was already passed midday. If Neal was going to find a safe place to spend the night, he'd have to hurry.
Steeling himself, Neal made his way towards the road, hoping it would lead him to somewhere better than here.
"Welcome home, Bae," he muttered.
~..~..~..~..
Just before the sun began to set and the first stars began to appear, many people gathered in the Storybrooke cemetery for the Blue Fairy's funeral.
David held his arm around his wife as he listened to the fairies give their farewell eulogy.
Emma stood just in front of her parents, Henry by her side, staring numbly at the coffin as it was lowered into the ground.
The immortal Blue Fairy was dead.
This was the person who had found the enchanted tree that saved Emma from the curse.
This was the person who had turned Pinocchio into a real boy, giving him the life and family, he had always wanted.
Emma turned her eyes to where Geppetto, Pinocchio and Archie were standing, heads bowed in grief.
The Blue Fairy was also the one who had given Neal the magic bean that took him to Neverland, and then to this world.
Emma swallowed with difficulty.
Neal...
He was gone now, too. He wasn't gone like the Blue Fairy was, of course, Emma reminded herself, but still, he was gone.
And if the ogres she had met in the Enchanted forest were anything to go by...
Emma shook her head.
'We'll find him,' she told herself firmly.
Henry had told her about travelling to the Netherworld once more to ask for Aurora's help. And, after a few minutes of being angry at her son for going to that fiery inferno, and then at Mr. Gold for allowing him to go there... Emma eventually became grateful that now they had someone in the Enchanted Forest who was going to look out for Neal.
And once they found him, they now had a way to communicate...
Gold had wanted to leave for Neverland as soon as David returned from the hospital, saying Regina was being kept overnight for observation, and Emma had to admit that she was wanting to leave soon, as well.
For with Tamara on the loose, with her magic-sucking taser-wand, and Regina recovering quickly, Storybrooke was no longer safe for anyone in her family.
However, they eventually came to the agreement that they would stay for Blue's funeral, before leaving for Neverland the next day.
After the funeral, Emma found herself sitting on the stairs in the loft, having just put Henry to bed.
"Hey," a soft voice said, and Emma looked up slowly to see David standing before her.
"How are you holding up?" He asked gently, as he came to sit beside her on the stairs.
Emma sighed.
"I wish the Blue Fairy was here," she whispered. "Then maybe I could wish upon a star that Neal would be alright. That Henry would stay safe."
Slowly, David put his arm around his daughter's shoulders, giving her a kiss on her forehead.
Emma, so used to taking care of herself, wasn't used to the fatherly affection, but she leaned into it, craving to be taken care of for a change. She slowly turned her head until she met her father's eyes, and David could see that Emma's usual defences were completely down. He'd never seen his daughter look so vulnerable.
"You'll find Neal, Emma," David told her. "Have faith. When you love someone, you will always find them, and you don't give up until you do."
"As for Henry," David continued softly. "He has his whole family behind him, protecting him. There is no place safer for him to be, then with his family."
He pulled his daughter closer, and felt something tug at his heart when she actually placed her head on his shoulder.
"You sound so sure," Emma whispered.
"You know why that is?" David asked.
"Because you have faith in happy endings?" Emma asked.
David smiled.
"Because I have faith in our family," David answered surely.
~..~..~..~..
Author's note: Well, there it is! What did you think? After seeing the new promos for the finale, I had the inspiration to write a couple of the scenes, though I admit I struggled writing some too- like Regina's torture scene- did NOT enjoy that...and as I'm still trying to stay as cannon as possible, I had to write entire sequences just to incorporate one flash of a scene I saw in a promo- like Emma and David searching Regina's office weilding guns...
Also, I know one of the promos showed Neal having a gun aimed at him, but as I had already made Neal fall through a portal, I had David act as his understudy in the scene.
I know lots of people think Emma was fighting Tamara in that scene in the promo, but I watched it in slow motion (you can see a sign saying 'Storybrooke Cannery' in the background, that's why I've set it there) and I'm pretty sure it's Greg. Though the face wasn't clear- the figure had short hair, or was wearing a hat, and in the promo, Greg was shown wearing a hat, so...that's my theory. If I turn out to be wrong, I apologise, but I hope the scene I wrote still comes off well.
I know this chapter jumped around a lot, as there were so many people partaking in their own 'quests', and many of these scenes were happening at the same time, so I hope that the chapter flowed easily, and there wasn't too much confusion over what was going on.
Was everything consistant?
I'm so excited for the Lacey episode coming up! Rumbelle pleeease come back! Whenever I've needed a quick shot of inspiration, I hit 'Google' for the latest articles, promos or sneak peeks.
I think I'll have a little break now, and start on the next chapter soon.
Please review! I love feedback and theories!
Celino.