AN: Well, here's Emma's reaction to all of this. Hope you enjoy!

Emma: What kind of bitch thought that she could steal away her son from her and make him tell her about him himself? The coward didn't even have anything to say for herself right after she made an eleven year old boy tell his family that he was some prince of a land he had just entered.

Emma had to admit that before she had pulled the whole "your son is a prince and he is going to stay her with me forever" act, she actually had a sliver of begrudging respect for the girl. She did go toe to toe will Killian and came out on top with only a few shutters of disgust, a record that she had yet to beat. And she kind of liked being called a princess even if it did catch her off guard the first few times. She was one after all.

But the thing that she hated the most is that she could have prevented all of this. She knew that if Killian wasn't locked up he would be breathing 'I told you so's down the back of her neck as they walked this very long hallway to get to wherever they were going to eat. She hated herself for knowing deep down that Henry was not safe here and not being able to do anything about it. She hated Killian for not forcing Henry to stay on the ship. She hated her mother for not second guessing her parenting choices. But most of all, she hated herself and she knew that she was never going to redeem herself in her own eyes because no matter how she got Henry back, and she was going to get him back, her mistake will have caused him pain. She had felt like a terrible mother since day one when she gave him up for adoption and eleven years later she felt no better.

And what hurt the worst was knowing that the smug bitch that took her son away from her reminded her of herself a little bit. Not much, but she was the embodiment of the confidence that she wished she had. The way she held herself and acted so nonchalantly about everything, even having to disarm a very attractive pirate, ticked her off. And the fact that she knew that she was skipping down the hallway holding her daughter's hand just made her livid. Why did this seemingly perfect golden girl who looked no older than seventeen get to be happy with her daughter when she had gone through hell her entire life and her son was being taken away from her for what seemed like the millionth time in only a short year.

And what was this whole thing about her being Cleopatra? If she remembered correctly, she believed that Cleopatra had killed herself when she thought that her boyfriend had died. This must be just another twisted fairy tale like the rest of my life, Emma thought as they appeared at a door at the end of the hall. A teenage boy dressed in some sort of military uniform opened the door for them and she walked in without giving him any thanks.

Before she knew it, she was in a grand dining hall with a tall ceiling that would put the Great Hall at Hogwarts to shame. The room only held a large table with just enough chairs to fit their group plus the princess and her daughter. She had always thought that dining rooms in castles would have high stained glass windows with a fire place adorned with a rug and wild animal head above the mantle. But no, this room had stone walls all of the way up. The only decoration was what seemed to be some sort of sundial near the corner of the room. Even though it had been mid-afternoon when they had entered the castle, it seemed that either the sun had already set or it was too cloudy for the sun to shine. She believed either could be true.

"Henry, your place is there at the end of the table. Everyone else, make yourselves at home," Cleopatra said as she gestured towards the table and took her seat at the opposite end of the table from Henry. Her daughter took her place next to her mother. Emma picked up her pace and claimed one of the seats next to Henry.

Not surprisingly, Regina took the other. Emma sent a nod at the other woman. The same hatred for the princess was most likely running through her veins just as it was her own. They were probably feeling the exact same things as each other as they were both equally Henry's mother.

Exactly the same besides the regret that I have, she thought. A smack of déjà vu hit her suddenly. This situation paralleled the one that they had faced the year before just before she had broken the curse. Only this time, it was not Regina that held the regret for taking Henry away from them. It was her. And the pain was almost enough to kill her.

"Dinner is served!" Cleopatra announced just as five boys dressed in white chef-like uniforms walked into the room through a door in a wall that she had missed on her first glance. Cleopatra had greeted each of the boys by name as they passed and set their platters in the center of the table. Each bowed as they lifted the lids off their platters. Spaghetti, meatballs and garlic bread. Not what she was expecting for dinner in such a fancy place, but she was not going to complain. After a week of eating only dehydrated foods and hard bread, spaghetti was going to be heavenly.

"Go ahead. Dig in," the princess said offhandedly as she used the tongs to scoop spaghetti onto her daughter's plate. Emma huffed and reached towards the nearest platter and scooped a generous amount of pasta on her plate and began eating. She looked up from her first bite and saw that everyone else was being much more shy and polite about their food; watching the princess and her daughter take a few bites first and then dishing themselves some food. Am I the only one who sees food and eats it instead of thinking about whether or not it's poisoned? she asked herself after swallowing. Must be some royal thing I was never thought.

She looked over to Henry and saw that he was eating very slowly; his hand was shaking as he held his fork. She would have thought it was cute if it hadn't been for the fact that this was going to be one of the last times that she saw him eat. No it's not, she thought, I'm going to put this bitch in her place and get my son back.

She told herself that the only reason that she had waited this long to tell the princess that she was not going to take her son was because she was actually trying to act like the princess that she was supposed to be. But, she quickly decided that in the fairy tales that she had been brought up with, princesses always got what they wanted, so that is what she was going to do. She was not going to be separated from her son.

"I would like to address the issue of my son being held hostage here in the castle and the fact that he is somehow the prince of this place," Emma directed down the table towards the girl. Everybody stopped eating for a second and looked at her for a second before turning their heads, as if watching a tennis match, to the opposite side of the table for some sort of explanation.

"I would first like to say that I am not the one who makes the rules. It is not my fault that boys cannot leave the island once they step foot on it. The land has been like this since much before my time. I was informed by Henry that your captain withheld information on this matter from you on the subject of this little rule even though I can assure you that he knew about it."

Emma gulped and hoped that her guilt was not showing on her face. Henry was the only one who could see her because of the way that they were seated, but the way she saw it, Henry was the only one who mattered.

"Next, I would like to say that Henry is not being held hostage by anybody here in this castle. If he wished to leave, he could. I will tell you the same thing I told him: leaving is not the best option for him. Having six adults roaming the island is testing fate as well as the law. I can say that I am a hostage of the law and if he were to leave with you lot I would have to send troops after you and you would have to pay your time. He had a choice between being with his family and keeping them safe. He chose the option he thought was best."

"Bullshit!" Emma yelled as she dropped her fork rather loudly on her plate. "Henry is safe with me! Do you know how many times he has been taken from me in his lifetime? I can tell you that he is not going to be taken from me again! How would you like it if I took your daughter away from you?"

"First, I would like to acknowledge that you are quite perceptive, you majesty. I do not recall telling anybody except Henry about my daughter. Next, I would like to say that the safest place for Henry is not in your arms, but here in the castle. He is the weight balancing the bar of law. If he stays, I can help you find a way back to your land; a place where Henry cannot go," she spoke calmly as if she was explaining a simple concept to a small kid.

"So that's all Henry is to you, a bargaining chip? A reason to help a group of good people who fell into your realm by accident after taking our guide?"

"No, he is not a bargaining chip. I would love to help you all as well as assure your happiness, but I cannot. I am bound by the law. And as for your guide, well, let's just say that you should have never gotten on a ship with that sorry excuse for a man. He is a pirate after all," she said with a sneer as if her triumph of putting Killian under lock and key made her happier than it should.

"Could you please explain to me what the hell this law is that you can't help anybody unless they give you their child?" Emma spoke while feigning the slightest interest in any matter besides the loophole she might find that would help her keep her son.

"Some of the boys that have come here have spoken of a fairy tale that is told in the Land Without Magic. It is about a boy called Peter Pan who goes to Neverland where he never grows up. Are any of you familiar with this story?"

"Of course. Who do you think we are?" Emma replied with a snort. Who wouldn't know about Peter Pan?

"Oh, so there is also a story like this in the Enchanted Forest?"

"No, we were stuck in the Land Without Magic for the past twenty nine years," Mary Margret piped in. This was the first time she had heard her mother speak since they had arrived at the castle and the sound of her voice surprised her for a second.

"Well then, I will enjoy telling you what really happened to Peter. Once upon a time, there was a boy who had discovered the land of Neverland through his dreams. He became obsessed with the idea of this land and one day he found a magic bean and used it to travel to the land from his dreams. When he got there, he learned that he could fly and do whatever he wanted as there were no adults around to tell him what to do. But, he soon became lonely and wanted friends.

"He found out that he could fly to different realms and would make trips and bring young boys back with him where they would never grow old and have as much fun as they wanted. But, Peter soon became bored with having fun and having no responsibilities. He wished to go back to his land and have a family, but when he tried to leave for good the land stopped him. He could not leave. Growing up, it seemed, was a trap just like Neverland itself. Once you made the choice to step on the island you could not go back.

"Peter wanted to grow up so badly, he made an impossible trade with the land. He gave up his shadow which held his innocence and childlike spirit for the chance to grow up. That shadow stayed and ruled over the remaining boys with an iron fist making sure that they all knew the horrors of growing up. He established order, the government and the law that the land abides by today. He chose the leader of the government, the Princess, who would one day choose the person who would help her rule." Cleopatra took a sip from her goblet as she finished her tale.

Of course Peter Pan has to ruined for me too, Emma thought. She wished that for once that she could look back on her childhood and think that something that she learned was right.

"Was that supposed to explain why Henry can't stay with us at least until we find a way to the Enchanted Forest?" Regina snapped. Emma was thankful that she wasn't the only one who was pissed off with this situation.

"You see, the Shadow still watches over Neverland, bringing new boys every so often and enforcing rules. The most important rule in Neverland is the one banning adults so boys can be free to have fun without anybody holding them back. If you are to stay here, free to do whatever you want may I add, I at least need something to show the Shadow for the crime I committed. What better than saying that the rightful Prince is now in power?" she asked rhetorically. Oh, how much I want to punch her right now.

Nobody responded, and after what seemed to be a few minutes of eating in silence, Cleopatra said, "Seeing that everyone has finished eating, I will lead you all to your rooms for the night. I would suggest that you all sleep as much as you can tonight, as I have you set to leave first thing after breakfast in the morning. Per Henry's request, I will be sending a small group of my boys with you on your journey. They know the land better than even myself and can act as your guides seeing as your last one was a vile criminal."

She followed Mary Margret and David out of the dining room, letting Regina be the one to walk with Henry for maybe the last time in a while. Emma sighed and hoped that Henry would at least be a good prince.

Emma, again, was lying in her bed staring up at the ceiling. Only this time, she could not say that her son was safe lying in the bed next to her. But, just like last time she was in this similar predicament, she ventured outside her room to seek answers from the root of her problem.

She looked down the hall. She remembered which way Cleopatra had taken Henry when she had brought their group to their rooms and followed the hall down. She figured that if there were no obvious signs as to which room was hers, she would break into each one until she found her.

Right after she passed the entrance to the hallway they had walked through to get to their rooms, she found a door with a guard waiting outside. This has to be her room, she thought as she walked up to the boy.

Before she even finished expressing that she would like to speak with the princess, the boy who couldn't be any older than sixteen interrupted her.

"Her majesty is resting and is not to be disturbed."

Just as she was about to go off on him about how he better fucking move over and let her get thought the damn door or else, the door opened and Cleopatra stuck her head out.

"It's fine, Felix. Come on in, your majesty. I've been expecting you." Emma could not even imagine why the girl was smiling when she had clearly just been woken up by her coming to her door. And how could she be expecting her? Did she just know that she wasn't going to be satisfied until she had her son back for good?

"How could you have possibly been expecting me?" Emma asked with genuine curiosity as she brushed past the younger girl and into her bedroom. She knew that she should be yelling about seeing Henry, but at the moment she was more concerned about finding a way to defeat this princess and what better way to bring on someone's downfall than their own magic. She had heard the phrase "All magic comes with a price" so many times in the past year, and she hoped this girl would pay an arm and a leg.

"I know what happens in this castle. I knew that you were going to show up at my door just as I know that both of your boys are just fine," Cleopatra breathed out in a soft tone as she closed the door behind herself and Emma. She wore an ill-fitting night gown which was the polar opposite of the lavish gold that she wore that evening. Her eyes seemed so much smaller without all of the eyeliner, and if anything her attire made her look like someone Emma should feel sorry for. Except that wasn't going to happen.

The girl waltzed over to a model of a castle in the middle of the room. It was an exquisite statue and it perfectly resembled the castle that they were in as far as Emma's memory knew.

"What do you mean my boys are fine? All I care about is Henry. Who is the other boy?" Emma almost shouted. Was she taking about David? Did she somehow know one of the boys who lived on the island? Did one of her foster brother's wishes to go to Neverland get granted instead of hers?

"Please be quiet if you can; Ife is sleeping," the girl said as she tilted her head to one of the doors at the end of the room. "And this is how I knew you were coming." She walked a ways back around the castle towards Emma and pulled a piece out of one of the wings and placed it in Emma's hand. At first it seemed to be just a room, but on closer inspection she found that it was the room she was standing in. She squinted and saw that by the castle in the little room there stood two girls, one with long blonde hair and one with short black hair. Her and Cleopatra.

She was about to make a comment on the model, which probably would have been the first nice thing that she said to the girl, but her thoughts were interrupted.

"And this is how I know that your boys are safe." She was handed two more pieces, and there were two more holes in the castle. One was across from the first piece that had been removed and one had been from the very top of a tower. When she looked at them this time she knew what she was looking for. In the first was Henry in a room almost identical to the one that they were in. He was asleep in what looked like a luxurious bed and she hoped that he was dreaming of being a hero, a real hero who would slay dragons and go back home to his family and didn't have to sacrifice being with the people he loved most to keep them safe.

She shifted the pieces around in her hand so she could look at the last piece. She couldn't see much at first because the stone room was draped in shadows, but after close inspections she saw somebody pacing back and forth. She couldn't make out who the person was at first because their dark attire made them into a shadow, but after seeing a glint of metal protruding from the side of the figure, she knew who her other boy was.

"Why do you think Hook is 'one of my boys'", Emma forcefully whispered, putting "one of my boys" in air quotes. Even though she wanted to scream at the princess, she didn't want to wake her daughter.

"Don't put me off as stupid. I witnessed the way you were the only one who protested in his arrest and how you trusted him enough to know that him being arrested was the best thing for you. Why, the pirate has feelings for you and you for him. I would think that it would be more obvious to yourself, but I have been wrong about that pirate many times in the past."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Emma snapped back. She more than anything didn't want to sound defensive over Hook, but at the moment she couldn't help it. I don't need to give this girl anything else on me, even if she is wrong about Hook.

"About me misinterpreting what I thought the pirate would do? Let's start with the most recent and go backwards, shall we. I thought that maybe since the pirate has seemed to find a purpose in life instead of hunting down a crocodile that he would never catch, he would have become more responsible. The first thing that I thought he would have done after landing in my lovely land by accident would be to tell Henry that he would not be able to go home. It seems a bit hypocritical that he would bring the boy on an island to find a way home even though he couldn't leave." She sounded a bit pleased, no, concerned when she said these words.

"I-," Emma started, "I just need Henry back. I don't care about Hook. He is the reason that Henry can't leave. He is the reason none of us can leave. I need to get home with everybody else besides him. Losing Hook would be collateral damage. Please tell me how you're going to get us home." She didn't want to sound like she was begging, but she was begging. She didn't know what else she could do before this girl would see that she needed her son back more than she needed to breathe. She knew that it was her fault that Henry wouldn't be able to come home and she knew that her selfish emotions had gotten in the way and she knew that she couldn't admit that at the moment. Blaming everything on Hook was way easier.

Just when she thought that she was going to be turned away and told to go back to her room; she was never going to get Henry back and there was nothing she could do about it, Cleopatra said, "Don't dismiss love so easily, your majesty. Only some are so lucky to find it at all. Come with me." She grabbed the rooms containing her, Henry and Hook out of Emma's hands before putting them back and leading her across the room. Emma ignored her comments about love and followed her to a door in the corner of the room. When the door was opened, Emma walked inside and gasped at what she saw.

Inside the room was more paper than she had ever seen in one place in her life. There were stacks of books and scrolls that touched the ceiling and she immediately felt claustrophobic.

"Please take a seat," Emma was instructed. She saw a desk in the corner of the room that she had missed at first glance. One side of it was covered with a stack of blank paper, but it was otherwise spotless. She sat down and Cleopatra took the seat across from her.

"All I want is my son back and how to get back home, rules be damned," Emma said as soon as she had sat down even though Cleopatra wasn't fully seated. "You're in charge here; you have to be able to do something!"

"You're majesty, you remind me of a younger version of myself: naïve and willing to think that the world is split up into good and bad, right and wrong. I saw so much of me in you that I overlooked the greatest thing that ailed me in my youth: stupidity."

Emma was about to jump up in protest when the girl raised her hand signaling Emma that she wasn't done talking. She didn't know why she was putting up with this girl's shit, but she couldn't seem to help it. The princess reeked of power and she just couldn't ignore that. She was sure that this girl would go back on her deal with Henry in a heartbeat and their lives would become a living hell.

"This is not meant to offend you. We are all young and stupid. Wisdom and knowledge comes with age, something that I possess that you don't. What I'm trying to say is that you haven't seen though my ruse, which I suppose is a good thing in a way. I was sure that you at least would have noticed that I'm not the one in control here," she ended in a harsh whisper while looking over her head for a brief moment as to make sure there was nobody on the ceiling eavesdropping.

"What do you mean you're not in control?" Emma asked in a similar tone.

"I recall at dinner I told you the tale of young Peter and his shadow, did I not? Well, the shadow is still alive and still a tyrant. Peter had been the ruler of the early Lost Boys and it is believed that some of the boys put the idea of growing up in his head because of his sometimes wicked behavior. When Peter left, his most desired traits, such as his thirst for power, were left behind. I cannot do anything that the shadow would not approve of. Henry staying on the island may not even cover the price you remaining to roam it."

"What are you going to do? And how does this have anything to do with getting Henry back?" Emma asked. She was enthralled by the story as she had gotten over the fact that Peter Pan was going to be ruined for her earlier in the evening. She was beginning to realize that Neverland politics were going to play a big part in her going home and she was going to have to get over it whether she liked it or not; or no matter how pissed off she got.

"You were a child in a prophecy, am I wrong?" Cleopatra asked. I'm getting real sick of this girl changing the subject just when I'm starting to figure something out. But all Emma could do was shake her head expectantly.

"I believe that before you were born you were already prophesized to break the queen's curse that brought residents from many of the magical lands to the one without magic. For better or for worse, the young prince is the prophesized prince of Neverland."

Of fucking course, Emma thought. Of course Henry would be some magical prince in Neverland, because why the hell not?

"Is this supposed to make me feel better, or something?" Emma mused aloud. "Do you think the fact that Henry is supposed to be here is going to make me shut up and do whatever you say?"

"Of course not! If you were to attempt to remove Ife from my care you would already be dead. I complement you on your restraint."

Emma gave Cleopatra a death glare. She watched as she chewed on her lower lip and took a deep breath with her eyes closed. Good, she's scared of me, if only just a little bit. "I – I'm sorry for my insensitivity. The point is: the second your son landed in Neverland a war started. And it's not going to end until you cooperate and trust my judgment. Winning this war will bring the element of choice back to Neverland, even choices that were never present before. Such as the choice to leave. If we banish the shadow, you can leave, and Henry might be able to leave also."

Emma let out a deep sigh and said, "What do you need me to do?" She felt defeated having to follow orders, but she knew it was her best chance to get her son back.

"I will send you and your family out tomorrow with a mission. You will complete this mission without complaint even though it has absolutely nothing to do with you getting home. When I summon you are to come back to the castle and be prepared to fight. As for right now, it would be best if you got some rest. You have a long day tomorrow." With that she smiled and stood up. Emma did the same.

As they both began walking towards the door, Emma asked, "What is all of this anyways?" as she gestured to the stacks of books surrounding the both of them.

"These are all of the stories of every boy who has lived here in the past two thousand and forty years. When they are ready to talk about their lives before Neverland, I'm ready to listen. This is how I know of lands besides my own. And it helps prevent the boredom that can ensue after the monotony of living for thousands of years."

Emma debated back and forward in her mind about whether or not she should ask. Deciding that this may be her only chance to learn about her dead ex, she gained the courage and began asking the princess, "Did you ever meet a boy-," Emma looked up to prevent the tear that threatened to fall. Get your shit together, she prompted herself. "Did you every write anything about a boy named Baelfire?"

The princess gave her a sad smile and said, reaching up towards a stack near her, "Of course I have."

She handed Emma a leather bound book and with a barely audible stammer she said, "You need him more than I do."

How was it? We got a new version of Peter Pan, a war on the brink and a book about Neal's past. And Selene called Hook one of Emma's boys. How sweet.

The next chapter may not be up next Saturday, but maybe shortly after. I've got a big, big week ahead, not even going to mention 3 X 12... If I don't update by Wednesday, assume all of the CS feels killed me. :)

Anywho, thanks for reading. I really appreciate you guys sticking with me on this journey. Have a great week and a half!