This chapter has taken a little longer to write than anticipated - I wanted to do it justice as it explains the main drive of this story in the Wish Realm. I had a pretty strong reaction after the last post that I guess I should have expected (though having Anons ask if they should get the rope from which I'm going to hang myself is obviously taking it too far).

I hope that Emma's reasoning becomes clearer in this chapter, particularly. I'm not going to say anything more here! Enjoy!

"Emma," Captain Jones said, a furious, despairing look in his eye. He slumped against the tree trunk behind him, losing energy every moment but still burning with anger. "You knew this would happen?"

Around them, there were no singing birds, no woodland creatures. It didn't feel like the fairy tale of the Enchanted Forest; it felt as though they had slipped into a nightmare, where the Dark One's castle forever loomed and there was no break for air. The woods felt claustrophobic and ominous.

"I-" Emma began, faltering. "I didn't know for certain, but… I suspected. It was a possibility."

"You took us in there when you knew!" Killian shouted, his voice hitting off the surrounding trees, his wrist still bloody and useless against his chest. Emma glanced towards Regina and Robin, both standing nearby, watching silently and uncomfortably.

"You need to understand," Emma said to Killian, pleading with him, "this whole realm isn't real."

"Are you trying to tell me my pain isn't real?"

"No-"

"The love of my life is dead and I don't care about your ridiculous other realm!" Killian shouted, his face contorted with rage. "You led us into a graveyard! Worse, a place of torture!"

Emma couldn't reply as the tears bounded down her cheeks uncontrollably. She had suspected. It had occurred to her. How could she call herself the Saviour when she had deliberately endangered them for her own ends?

In that moment, she knew she could not make the pirate believe when she barely believed herself. She had no more words. She could only cry in front of him while he watched, a sickened look etched over his lined face. Those lines had been carved from years of laughter. How well they now exhibited disdain and grief.

"And it was all for nothing," Regina said, breaking the silence, her arms folded across her chest. "We didn't even get the wand."

"About that," Robin said. Emma's eyes were blurred with tears, but as Robin reached into his pocket the evidence of his plunder was unmistakable.

"You have it!" Regina said, rushing towards him, the air ringing uncomfortably with the clash of joy on anguish. Emma winced. "We can go home!"

As Regina began examining the wand, Emma turned her eyes back towards the Captain. When she had looked away, he must have continued to glare at her; his fierce stare was raking through her, perhaps willing her to combust, or to turn into someone else, or to drop dead. Every ounce of fury and hate he possessed was directed at her, and she knew well what his fury looked like, though it had been years since she'd seen it and it had never been towards her. When she had first met her Killian, he had been this very man, but on the hunt for a crocodile rather than a princess.

"Killian – Captain," she said, lowly. "I would never have done this in any other circumstance, and I know you have no reason to believe me right now, but I'm telling you the truth. This realm only exists because I was trapped here by a genie's spell. It's not reality, it's a prison, and once I leave… well, it won't exist."

"And you'll go on and live happily ever after?" Captain Jones snarled.

"So will you."

"Trust me, princess, I will never be happy again."

"I'm so sorry," Emma said. "I'm so, so sorry. I knew how much it killed my Killian to lose Milah –" Killian shuddered "– and I've put you through this, but I promise it will all be over once we get through that portal."

"So you're just going to leave me here and that's that?"

"When we're gone, there won't be a 'here' for us to leave," Emma said. "It will all be over."

"But you're taking Hood, I presume?" Killian asked, looking behind her.

"What?"

Emma followed his nodding gaze, turning to Regina and Robin, who were gathered around the wand; Regina's hand was outstretched, waiting for it as Robin twirled it in his fingers.

"No," Robin said, apparently reacting to Regina's request for the wand. "No way I'm giving it to you for free. I come with you, or no one goes at all. That's my price. Like I said before we entered that nightmare, I've got nothing to lose."

Regina didn't even pause.

"Deal."

"Now wait just a minute-" Killian began.

"Shh! What was that?" Regina said, scanning the trees around them. They could all hear it too, the sound of horses' hooves hitting the earthy ground, thumping wildly. Emma looked at Killian, whose face had drained of all colour.

"Please, let me heal you so we can get you out of here before we leave."

"What's the point, lass?" he said, trying to shuffle himself upright, but only slumping down further. "If there's any truth to your lies, this will all be over soon. Get that damned portal open and get out of here."

She knelt down further towards him anyway, ignoring his protest as he twisted back. Lifting her hands above his bloody stump, she willed him to be healed. Warmth spread through her fingertips, glowing, as his wrist sealed up into a covered stub. He raised it to his eye level, inspecting it reluctantly.

At least the grimace of pain was gone from his face, Emma told herself.

"I won't thank you," he said.

"That's okay." Emma went to touch the Captain's cheek, but he flinched away from her hand. After all that had happened, could she really blame him?

"I'm sorry," she repeated. "I'm doing this because I love Killian and Henry and they love me. They're waiting for us in Storybrooke. I need to get back to them."

"Go, Swan."

The sound of hooves sounded nearer, and suddenly they were not alone. As Emma turned to look, she heard Killian murmur hatefully under his breath. She swallowed back tears as Henry, fully-clad in armour and atop a towering horse, came bounding out of the trees towards them. He swung down and landed near Emma. He held out his hand to beckon her.

"Mother!" he said. "Come here! Get away from them!"

"Henry, it's okay," Emma said, holding up her hands to console him. "Henry, it's not what it looks like."

Behind them, Regina was murmuring a spell as she waved her arms, before casting the wand down to the forest floor. Henry unsheathed his sword, yelling at her to halt, but Emma lifted a hand forward to stop him. A strong wind whittled around them, sending leaves and dirt swirling around their feet as the vivid, green, swirling portal opened.

"I have to go, Henry," Emma said. "I know it doesn't make sense, but I'm doing this for you. I'm sorry we can't take you with us."

"Whatever they've told you, Mother, it's a trick! You're under a spell!" Henry shouted over the raging of the portal.

Emma shook her head, stepping away from him and grabbing Regina's hand. She, Regina and Robin stood waiting by the portal, ready to jump.

"No, Henry," Emma said, "this world is the trick. It's not real. Don't worry, just trust me. I'm your mother, please, just trust me."

"Emma, we have to go, now!" Regina screamed.

Then Robin rushed forward and jumped and they were pulled along with him.

"I love you, Henry!" Emma shouted, her hand involuntarily reaching for him as she slipped into the familiar tumultuous pull of the portal. As the world around them disappeared from view, Emma's ears were filled with Henry's parting words, shouted over the chaos.

"I don't believe you!"

Never-ending drama! I'd love to hear your thoughts (Constructive criticism, yes. Death threats, no thank you)

There will be two more short instalments before this fic is over! The end is in sight! (and partially written already - I'm on it!)

Emily x