AN: This chapter was posted on October 2nd, 2017, the day of the Las Vegas Shooting. This chapter is dedicated to everyone who was personally affected by this tragedy. This chapter combines "Into the Deep" and "Queen of Hearts"
Into the Deep
At the Mary Margaret and Emma's loft in Storybrooke, Henry woke up yelling, "They're… They're alive. They're alive!"
Regina, David, and Gwen were all asleep near Henry's bed. David had left Henry in Regina's care while they were dealing with Albert. She told them that Gold said his dreams were a side effect of the sleeping curse and gave him an amulet to protect him while he slept. "Who? Who's alive?" asked Gwen, as she and David moved over to the bed.
"My mom and Snow."
"I told you, kid. I told you!" said David.
"Was… Was it that woman you saw?" asked Regina, "Did she tell you this?"
"Her name's Aurora," said Henry, "She said they have a way home, but there's someone in their way – someone they need us to help them stop. Someone only Mr. Gold knows how to defeat."
"Who?"
"Your mother."
PGJR
Regina went and talked to Gold about what Henry told them and he agreed to help. Gwen and David took Henry to Gold's shop and Henry got ready to lay down on a bed in the back. Regina came in with a blanket, "I brought your blanket… from your bedroom back home," said Regina as she put the blanket over Henry.
"Thanks," said Henry. He looked over at Mr. Gold, "So, Cora… She's pretty powerful?"
"Yes, but, uh, not as powerful as I am," said Mr. Gold.
"Debatable," said Regina.
"Actually, no, it's not."
"You sure you're okay to do this, kid?" asked David.
"I was born to do this," said Henry, "I'm done reading about heroes. I want to be one."
"Well, sometimes being one is knowing when not to run into the fire," said Gwen.
"I'll be okay."
"Look, whatever he faces in there, will be far less dangerous than what he'll face if we fail," said Mr. Gold.
"I can do this," said Henry.
"Get on with it. Fast," said David.
"Alright, Henry," said Mr. Gold, "Just relax. And soon, you're going to drift off."
"What do I tell them?" asked Henry.
"Just listen to my bedtime story, and all will be clear." Mr. Gold sat next to Henry's bed and placed his hand on Henry's forehead, "Once upon a time, Snow White and Prince Charming needed to stun a very powerful magician, long enough to lock him up in a dark dungeon."
"That was you. They used Cinderella to trap you with a magic quill."
Gold moved his hand across Henry's face, causing him to fall asleep, "Yes, indeed a quill. And yet, it wasn't the quill itself, but the ink that captured the Dark One – harvested from the rarest species of squid, from the bottom of a bottomless ocean. Impossible to find, unless, you're a mermaid… Or me. I happen to have a private supply. In my jail cell… That is where they will find it."
PGJR
A short time later, Henry woke up from his dream, with a gasp. David and Gwen rushed to his side, "Henry. Are you alright?" David asked.
"Did you see her?" asked Gold, "Did you tell her?"
"No. I… I didn't get the chance," said Henry, "Something… Something happened. She… She got sucked out of there."
They could all see that Henry was in pain, "Henry?" asked Regina.
"Some… Something's wrong," said Henry.
Regina pulled back Henry's sleeve, and they saw a burn, "Henry…"
Regina started to tend to Henry's burn, "Here. Let me take care of this," said Gold. Then he used his magic to heal Henry's burn.
"What did this?" asked Gwen.
"When you venture deeper into the Netherworld instead of away, there are risks. Someone woke Aurora before her soul was ready to return. The violence of that act tore her away and injured Henry. We're lucky it wasn't worse. He's going to need some time to recover before he can be sent back."
"Out of the question," said Regina.
"No way," said Gwen.
"Not a chance in hell," said David, "We'd be monsters to even consider risking his life again."
"Careful with your tone, Charming," said Gold, "I understand your concern for the boy, but I know Cora. Without our help, Snow and Emma will soon be dead. And then… A true monster will be on her way to Storybrooke."
"Aurora is gone," said Regina, "Why do we need to send Henry back to that fiery inferno with no one there to receive our message?"
There was a pause then David got an idea, "Because someone will be there."
"Who?"
"Snow."
"That's a pretty big assumption, David," said Gwen.
"No. No, it's not," said David, "She was there once before. She can go back. She can find a way. She will – I know it. And I'll be waiting."
"You're going to this Netherworld?" asked Regina.
"I faced you. How bad could it be?"
"It's not as simple as that," said Gold, "You can't get there. You haven't been under a sleeping curse."
"Well, then put me under one," said David.
"If we do that, there's a chance you might never waken up."
"Sure I will. When I see her, she'll kiss me, and I'll be fine. Now, put me under. I've spent far too much time looking for my wife. It is time to bring her home."
A short while later, Regina had made up a sleeping curse and David helpped Gold bring a spinning wheel into the back room. "We are going to do this the old-fashioned way."
"What do you mean, the old-fashioned way?" asked David.
"You're about to join a quite distinguished club, Mr. Nolan," said Gold, "Before such innovations as the apple, back when the sleeping curse first came to be, a more direct method was required… Through blood. By pricking one's finger on the needle of a spinning wheel, one falls under the spell." He looked over at Regina, "Your Majesty, you did his wife. I'm sure you'd like the honors."
Gold handed Regina the needle. She dipped the end of the needle into the sleeping curse, then she placed it back onto the wheel, she looked over at David and said, "It's all yours." Then she stepped aside.
Gwen and Henry stepped forward, "Good luck," said Henry as he gave David a hug.
Gwen gave her brother a hug, "Be careful," she said.
"It's going to be alright," said David.
"How do you know?" asked Henry.
"Well… How did you know Emma would save you after you ate the turnover?"
"I… I believed in her."
"The way Snow and I believed she'd come back to break the curse. That's the kind of faith that runs in our family."
Henry took the necklace from around his neck and gave it to David, "This helps control the flames in the room. It'll keep you safe."
"I will guard it with my life," said David.
David sat down next to the spinning wheel and stared at the needle, as Mr. Gold spun the spinning wheel, "When I awake, I'll be in that fiery room?" asked David.
"Not exactly," said Gold, as he stopped the wheel, "That room is where those who've already awoken from the curse return. You, however, are being put under for the first time."
"Then how will I know where to go? How the hell am I supposed to find a room with no door?"
"And that, dearie, is the conundrum we're all depending on you solving. Now, I say this with the utmost sincerity… Good luck."
Mr. Gold spun the spinning wheel. Then, David pricked his finger on the needle and he passed out. Gwen and Gold carried David over to the bed and laid him down. The three adults and Henry waited for David to wake up. After several minutes Henry spoke up, "Come on… Come back. Should he be in there so long?"
"I'm sure it's fine," said Regina, "I imagine they're just catching up." Regina looked at Gold he just shook his head. Gwen looked down at her brother. She hoped this all worked.
PGJR
Gold and Regina went to the front of the shop to talk while Gwen and Henry stayed in back. Henry took out his storybook and started to read the Snow White story to him. Regina walked in and said, "I think this time, it'll happen the other way around."
"You think so?" asked Henry.
"I do. Which is why I need you and Gwen to stay here and watch David for a little while."
"Where are you going?" asked Gwen.
"Gold and I need to prepare for Emma and Mary Margaret's return," said Regina, "Coming through the portal won't be easy. We need to make sure everything's in place."
"Really? You're really going to help them?"
"I promised Henry I was going to do better… to be better," said Regina. She looked down at Henry, "So, yes, I'm going to do everything in my power to see to it they come home safely."
"Wow. You really have changed," said Henry.
Regina smiled slightly, "Be back as soon as I can." She gave him a kiss on the forehead and left.
Gwen watched as Regina left… Something didn't see right to her.
PGJR
While Gwen was at Gold's, Fallon and Tamera were on duty at the Sherriff's Station. They got a call to the mine. When they got there they saw Leroy looking at the celling, "Leroy! What is it? What's the emergency?" asked Fallon. Leroy just kept looking up, "Leroy."
He looked at the two deputies, "They're gone. They're all gone," he said.
Fallon and Tamera looked up and the diamonds that covered the celling of the mine were gone.
Tamera, Fallon and the dwarves headed to Mr. Gold's shop. They went in the back and they found Henry reading to David from the book, "Where are they?" asked Fallon, "Regina and Gold."
"What's going on?" asked Gwen.
"All the magic has been drained from the mines," said Tamera.
"They stole it?" asked Henry.
"They snuck in after our shift and took everything," said Leroy, "Nobody steals from a dwarf!"
"Except the Queen," said Doc
"…And Rumpelstiltskin," added Happy.
"If they're not helping Emma and Mary Margaret that… That means my mom lied to me," said Henry.
"I'm sorry, Henry," said Gwen.
"We need to find her," said Henry, "We need to stop them. We need to help Emma and Mary Margaret."
Gwen nodded. She looked at the dwarves, "Guys, you stay here with David. Tamera, Call Ruby we're going to need her help..."
PGJR
Gwen, Tamera, Fallon, Ruby and Henry found Mr. Gold and Regina out by the old wishing well, "You're not helping Emma and Mary Margaret, are you?" asked Henry
"I'm helping you, Henry," said Regina.
"What are you talking about?" said Gwen.
"You're going to kill them," said Tamera.
The four adults went to make a move toward Mr. Gold and Regina. Mr. Gold waved his hand "Sorry, dearies." and blasted them back, knocking them out.
Gwen, Tamera, Fallon and Ruby came to. They looked and saw Emma and Mary Margaret with Henry and Regina. Gold was slinking away. "What's going on? What happened?" asked Mary Margaret.
"She saved you," said Henry as he looked back at Regina, "She saved both of you."
"Thank you," said Emma.
"You're welcome," said Regina.
Ruby, Gwen, Tamera and Fallon rushed over to them and Ruby asked, "Are you okay?"
The two of them hugged, Then Mary Margaret said, "Where's my husband? I need to find him."
"Don't worry, Mare," said Gwen, "David's back at Mr. Gold's" he smiled, "The Dwarfs are guarding him. Come on…"
Mary Margaret, Gwen, Tamera, Fallon and Ruby headed off.
PGJR
Mary Margaret, Ruby, Gwen, Tamera and Fallon entered the back room of Gold's shop, with Emma and Henry trailing behind. David was lying on the bed with the dwarves gathered around the bed., "David?" said Mary Margaret, as she walked up to him.
She knelt down next to him and kissed him. There was a pulse of magic and David woke up and gasped, "You… You did it."
"Did you ever doubt I would?" asked Mary Margaret.
"No," said David, they kissed again and he said, "Though the burning red room did give me pause." Mary Margaret laughed slightly and they kissed again.
PGJR
Emma walked back into the back room after talking with Gold in front part of the shop. Snow and David walked up to her, "Emma…" said Snow.
"Looks like we have some catching up to do," said David.
"You have no idea," said Emma.
"How about dinner at Granny's? On me," said Ruby.
"As long as it's not Chimera, I'm in," said Emma. She looked over at Henry who was with Regina, "Hey, kid. You hungry?"
"Yeah," said Henry. Henry broke away from Regina and joined Emma. Then, everyone else started to leave, "I'll see you later." He said to Regina.
Snow, David, Emma, Henry, Gwen, Tamera, Fallon, Ruby and the Dwarfs were happily walking down the main street of Storybrooke to Granny's Diner. Little did they know that there was a ship coming close to Storybrooke Harbor. On board were Hook and Cora.
AN: Remember, if you like this story. Review, Favorite and Follow. It gives me motivation to keep going.