A/n: We're getting towards the belly of the beast in this story, and again, I want to thank everyone who added this story to their favorites, or followed me, or reviewed. I promise, these next few chapters are going to be very Once Upon a Time like.

Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time.

Apologies, for any grammatical errors.

Chapter VIIII: Something New at 8:15

Regina awakened with a start, checking the time…8:15 am. Robin was sound asleep next to her.

She stood slowly, walking down the hall to check on the baby, whom they decided to name Zara. Her room was decorated in all mint green, much to Regina's dismay, but Robin insisted she have something of her mother.

The baby was quietly snoring, which caused Regina to smile a bit. She was a beautiful little girl. Amazing how something so precious, could also represent so much…pain.

But she needed to focus on what had awakened her. Whatever it was, it wasn't good. Heading downstairs, she grabbed her cell. She needed to inform the Charming's.

8:15 AM (New York)

Meg rolled her eyes heaven-ward. "How did you find me?" she grumbled. She was at least 200 miles away from New York City, and had been enjoying the sunrise.

"It's my thing." Emma said simply. If by her thing she meant, hotwiring a stolen car and driving overnight, searching all around the city, then yeah.

Meg gave her a cynical brow. Emma sighed. "I figured Syracuse, New York would remind you of home."

Staring off the rooftop of abandoned building, Meg nodded. "I guess I'm a lot more transparent than I thought."

"Remember, that help you offered?" Emma asked, walking up to her.

Meg raised a brow. "What help?"

"A way out of New York." Emma reminded her. "Well, I'm cashing in."

Meg smirked. "Glad you're thinking rationally. I've got a car stashed away for emergencies such as this."

"You can drive a car?" Emma asked, impressed. Meg shrugged. "I'm a quick learner."

"I don't have much time." She told the Grecian. "I have to meet Killian tonight. But it's going to be impossible with Milah watching him."

"What can ya do? Hades plays with a loaded deck." Meg said casually.

Emma frowned as she remembered what Meg had said a week ago. 'Your boyfriend is dead. Give it up, and move on!' "You knew! You knew Killian was being guarded by the dead."

Meg didn't deny it. "Hence my rapid departure."

"Why didn't you tell me?!" Emma snapped. "I wouldn't have been blindsided two days ago when Milah had nearly took my head off!"

"We are not a team!" Meg shouted. "I told you there was no beating Hades! I told you it wasn't worth it!"

"NO!" Emma roared. "I've gone to hell and back, faced certain death, and embraced a darkness you could not BEGIN to understand!" Frustrated tears began to fall as she continued. "Killian has been there through all of it! And I cannot lose him! I cannot lose my family!"

"Then you're on your own, slick." Meg began to walk away, but Emma grabbed her arm.

"Weren't you ever in love?" She asked tiredly. "Have you ever found someone worth the fight? For happiness?"

"My happiness wasn't possible, Savior. I'm no saint." Meg exhaled. "And I'm not going to join some half-assed quest for the sake of redemption."

"I'm not asking for your redemption." Emma clarified. "I'm just asking you to believe."

"In what!" Meg snapped. "In love? In sacrifice? Wake UP!"

Snatching her arm back, she sneered, "I've been to hell too, Savior. The difference between you and me is, I didn't mind it."

"If that were true, you wouldn't have tried to escape." Emma reasoned quietly. Knowing she wasn't going to make any headway, she turned to leave.

"So, you called us, because of a hunch?" David asked sleepily. Snow cut him a chiding glare, before apologizing. "Forgive him Regina, he's usually not so grumpy in the mornings."

"That's usually because I wake up with my morning…" David's comment faded as Henry walked into the room.

"Morning, gramps." He greeted. "Mom! What are you doing up so early?"

Regina smirked. "Because evil never sleeps."

"Don't I know it." David commented dryly.

"What's going on?" Henry asked her, frowning slightly. "Is it about mom?"

"No." Regina shook her head. "Last I heard from Emma, she was on her way to find someone named Meg."

"Who's Meg?" Robin asked as he came through the door with baby Zara. Snow immediately took her, cooing at the precious little girl.

"Don't ask." Regina sighed.

"Regina has a feeling something's coming, although she doesn't know what." David filled him in, passing the bandit a cup of black coffee.

Robin accepted it in silent gratitude. Turning to his lover, he suggested. "Maybe it was a bad dream? You have been a little on edge since Emma left."

"No, it's stronger than that." She explained. "When you spend time in the darkness, there's a certain awareness you come to possess."

"Well Regina, we can't fight what we can't see." Snow reasoned. "Maybe this has something to do with…you know." She indicated discretely to the baby.

Regina's eyes widened. "Unbelievable! Still can't keep a secret!"

"Regina, we've talked about this." Robin comforted. "We both agreed it was best for the baby."

"You guys are NOT listening." Regina snapped. "Something is coming. Something new, and very dangerous."

"Mom," Henry finally spoke. "We'll figure it out. We always do."

"No." Regina corrected. "Emma does."

"And so do you!" Henry stressed. "You've saved this town before, you can do it again."

"But from what?" David voiced. "Until we know for certain, we can only hope that it's just a phase."

Regina huffed. She knew Charming was right. Why fight something you can't even see? "You're right. I'm going to take a walk. Maybe it is just stress."

"I'll go with you." Robin offered, but she shook her head. "No. I'll be back before you know it. Just need to clear my head."

And in her haze of purple smoke, she vanished.

8:15AM (New York City)

Jess entered Derek's office, sauntering over to his lap. "Hey babe." She greeted sweetly.

"What?" Derek asked, coming out of his trance. "Oh, hi luv."

"What's wrong?" Jess frowned, kissing his cheek. "How about we play your favorite game?" she said huskily, "pirate and bar wench?"

Derek tried to smile, but it didn't reach his lips. "Sorry luv, I can't. Business." he apologized. Actually he didn't have any business tonight, but Leia wanted to meet at the docks.

"Off chasing your slut?" Jess seethed, rising out of his lap.

"Jess, come off it, will you?" He exhaled, more annoyed than before.

"No, I think you're falling for her." She accused darkly. "You've been acting very different lately. Ditching the crew, unscheduled meetings…at the Treasure Chest."

Derek stood, getting into her face. "Careful luv." He threatened. "You wouldn't want to test me."

He walked around her, heading for his office door. Morgan and Flint came in, with guns. "Move the hell out of my way!" He shouted.

Jess smirked. "I don't think you're going anywhere."

Morgan then shoved him against the wall. "Sorry, mate. Nothing against ya, but I got orders."

"You take your orders from me!" Derek barked.

"Do I?" Morgan mocked with a chuckle. Derek wanted to rip his jaw from his mouth to get rid of his crooked smile. "You're the one who tried to kill her."

Morgan frowned. "The bitch has nine lives. She should be dead!"

Jess walked passed Derek, giving him a kiss on the lips, which he turned his head to avoid. "Sorry my love. It's for the best."

Addressing Flint, she ordered, "Make sure he doesn't leave this room. If he tries to escape, break his legs."

"Aye, boss." Flinted affirmed.

Jack sauntered down the hallway of the empty warehouse, drinking his rum.

He paused at seeing most of the crew gather in the large shipping room. Finding some large crates to hide behind, he avoided making a sound as he eavesdropped.

"LISTEN UP!" Jess roared loudly from on top of a table. "Things are about to change around here! Derek is no longer in charge, not that he ever was!"

The crew laughed.

"Derek is not to leave this building! We all know what's at stake if he reaches the girl!"

Jack furrowed his eyes together. The girl? She must have meant Leia. Not that he believed that was her name, but he did believe her when she had said Derek wasn't safe.

He had been stuck in the god forsaken spit of land for over 40 years, as punishment for stealing from the Bermuda triangle. When Derek helped break him out of a police station, he decided to stick around.

Now he knew why. There was magic connected to him, and not necessarily good magic.

"If he tries to escape, or if anyone tries to help him, they will die!" Jess announced. "And if you see the blonde-bring me her head."

The crew erupted in agreement, and Jack used the ruckus to escape. He needed to find Leia-fast.

Emma paced back in forth on the rooftop of a building, three miles from Derek's latest hideout.

Since arriving back in the city, she couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. She had waited at the docks for over an hour and he hadn't shown.

Glancing at her phone, she checked the time. 8:15PM " Where are you?" She grumbled aloud.

"He's being...detained." A voice announced.

Emma spun around to see Jack running towards her. "Where is he? Wait, how did you find me?"

Jack pulled out a compass, that appeared to be ancient, and…broken. "With a compass that doesn't point North?"

"With an enchanted compass, that helps you locate the thing you want most." He clarified. "And right now, that's you."

Emma studied him for a moment. "You're from another world, aren't you? You're a pirate."

Jack shrugged. "Sadly yes. I got banished here some time ago."

"Let me guess. Jack Sparrow?" She thought aloud.

"Jack Sparrow is a movie character." He commented dryly. "My name really is Jack. Friend's call me Calico. You?

"Emma. I came looking for my true love." She revealed. "But he doesn't remember who he is."

"Derek?" Jack guessed.

"Yes, but his real name is Killian Jones." Emma explained.

"Captain Hook." He recalled with a smirk. He'd heard about the vicious one-handed pirate who had lived centuries. He was a legend.

"I need to get him out of here because right now he is in danger, and I can't protect him in a world with no magic." Emma stressed her dilemma.

"Well we need to find a way," Jack suggested. "Because we currently have a mutiny on our hands."

"What?!" Emma shrieked.

"Jess, has imprisoned Hook and ordered he be killed if he tries to escape and to kill you on site." He informed her, with a cringe.

"Shit." Emma huffed. She needed a plan. "We have a warehouse full of undead, and no magic. What I wouldn't give to have John Constantine right now."

"Who?" Jack asked, confused.

"Nevermind." She waved her hand. "I need a distraction."

"That, I can do." Jack offered. "But the moment they see your face, it's all over."

"That's why she won't be the one coming for him." A woman announced.

Emma smiled, turning to see Meg walking towards them. "Surprised?" she asked.

Emma shook her head. "Never had a doubt."

Meg saw Jack and sent a worried glance to Emma. Emma shook her head. "He's with us."

"Okay." Meg sighed. "Let's go raise Hell."

Regina trekked through the woods, coming upon the pond that she and her family liked to visit. Taking a seat on the bench, she stared out into the water.

A reflection appeared, not her own. Regina rolled her eyes. "What do you want Gold."

Gold took a seat next to her on the bench. "Unfortunately, our paths must cross again."

"Not in the mood for riddles and deals." Regina exhaled, wanting to be left alone.

"Well dearie, neither one of us have a choice." He informed. "Something is coming."

Regina glanced at him. "You felt it too."

"Indeed." Gold confirmed. "Whatever it is, it's strong, and we need to prepare ourselves."

"We don't even know what 'it' is." She retorted crossing her arms.

"Exactly." He nodded. "Which is why, we shouldn't leave things to chance."

"We can't fight what we can't see Rumple." Regina reminded him.

"But we can prevent it from crossing our paths." Gold advised. "I suggest, we put up a protection spell."

"there's already a spell on the town. No can get in." She said with a lift of the shoulder.

"Actually, no one can get out." He reminded her. "There's a difference. Magical objects from other lands can very well reveal our location and get inside the town."

"So you're saying you want to cast a banishment spell." Regina surmised. "You know those can't be undone."

"I know dearie, I'm the one who taught you." Gold smirked lightly. "And you also know, we need dark and light magic to enact it."

Regina bit the inside of her cheek, thinking it over. "No. Emma's still on the outside. If we set up a banishment spell, she will never find Storybrooke."

"A price I'm willing to pay, if you are." Gold said, nonchalantly.

"Don't even think about it!" Regina threatened.

He snapped. "Emma made her choice to go after the pirate! Are you willing to risk your family's life, again, or are you going to protect it?!"

Regina didn't bother answering him, because he had vanished. Now she was stuck with the perplexing decision. Save the town, or save Emma?

Derek sat at his desk, debating on how to get the hell out of there. He could take Flint easily in a fair fight, but Morgan was 350lbs of solid muscle, and hit like a freight train.

A loud thundering noise shook the building. "It's the girl!" Someone shouted.

Morgan shot up, cocking his gun. He glared at Derek before telling Flint. "Watch him. I'm going to go check it out."

The door slammed shut. Flint held the gun steady at Derek's head, waiting for him to make a move.

What no one expected, was for another person to suddenly drop in from the ceiling.

Meg dropped down like a cat as Flint tried to shoot at the intruder. She grabbed the Maltese falcon desk statue and slammed it into his face.

Flint went down like paper. Throwing the object on the floor, she turned to Derek. "Let's go." She panted.

"Who the hell are you?" He demanded to know. All these random women showing up from nowhere was starting to make him consider sobriety.

"Try something new Pretty boy, it's called trust." She retorted. "And trust me, we gotta go."

A/N: Omg…what is going to happen next!? Thanks so much for all the support and love and views. I hope this chapter gave you a feeling of Once Upon a Time. I brought back most of the characters to wrap things up in New York. In the next chapter, we'll still be dealing with a confused Killian, a witty Jack, and a new danger that will have everyone on their A-game.

Review/Favorite/Follow-me!

-R.