A/N: If you remember, this is set in between Season 4A and 4B, so here are the important points you may have forgotten:

- Rumpelstiltskin has been banished to the outside world

- Robin, Marian, and Roland were forced to leave Storybrooke because of Marian's ice curse

Oh, and side note—I really love when people review and favourite and follow :)

It makes me HAPPY :) :) :)

Hope you like this chapter—sorry it took so long...

DISCLAIMER: My piggy bank is proof of the fact that I do not own anything...

Previously: Emma discovered some information and Killian and the others found themselves in some sort of strange realm, where hunger isn't an issue and nobody ages.

Chapter 3

Snow White missed her daughter.

She had lost track of how long they had been in this mysterious realm by now. They had tried leaving; attempted to find some sign of human civilization beyond them, but to no avail. There appeared to be some sort of indomitable barrier around them, preventing anyone from entering or exiting. Regina had tried her best to disintegrate it, but had failed after a few hours of fruitless magic.

The citizens of Storybrooke (or the previous citizens of Storybrooke) were becoming agitated and their temporary campsite had been thrust into a state of unrest. It was troubling, to say the least.

When Grumpy came barging in, Snow sighed and exchanged glances with David—when the dwarf came running in screaming, it usually never boded well. The bearded man yelled something about all of them meeting their 'imminent deaths' and then ran out, his voice carrying throughout the camp.

Snow took a moment to check on baby Neal, before striding out of the main tent to assess the situation, her husband matching her pace for pace. At first glance, everything seemed normal (other than the fact that a crazed dwarf was running around telling them they were all going to die—but even that was relatively normal for them).

At the sound of Grumpy's voice, the people exited their respective tents quickly, their expressions ranging from panicked to faintly interested. "What's going on?" called Ruby, surveying the scene in front of her.

"Regina and Belle found something!" Grumpy shouted, his chronically thunderous timber making Snow wince slightly. The words got a reaction from many, judging from the people's hopeful faces. Snow and Charming glanced at each other, their eyes exchanging silent words. Could the two women have possibly found something to take them back to Storybrooke? Or a way to bring Emma over? Considering Grumpy's rattled expression, she wasn't too hopeful of it being good news.

"What is it, Grumpy?" asked David.

The dwarf turned to look at Snow and her husband. "It's not good news," he said, confirming Snow's suspicions. "It's bad. Very, very bad."

Before either her or David had a chance to answer, Regina strode out of her makeshift shelter, Belle close at her heels. The sorceress' face was grim and uninviting, and Snow's last shred of hope was dashed. How bad could this news be to make Regina of all people look like that?

The Queen glared at Grumpy. "You," she hissed. "Don't tell anyone about anything you heard or I swear, you'll find yourself on the receiving end of one of my fireballs." Regina turned toward Snow and David and gestured for them to join them inside the main tent. "Follow me," she said dourly. "We need to talk."

Despite the citizens' protests, she followed Regina and Belle into the main tent, slightly unnerved. Snow waited until she had entered the shelter before getting straight to business.

"Regina," she began, "what happened? What did you find?"

The former Evil Queen sighed, shaking her head. "Nothing good. It turns out this place isn't as permanent as we thought."

"What do you mean?" asked David, narrowing his eyes.

Regina blinked slowly. "If we don't get out of here soon, we'll be dead within six months, maximum," she stated bluntly.

Nobody spoke for a moment, all of them too shocked to form any coherent sentences. Snow's mind was racing—what did Regina mean? Was there some sort of new threat? If so, she was sure they would overcome it...although, without Emma aiding them, it could be difficult.

"What?" exclaimed a new voice, interrupting the tense silence.

Snow turned to see the origin, and her eyes widened slightly when she saw Henry standing near the entrance of their tiny accommodation, Hook by his side. Both of them looked equally stunned. Their expressions would almost be laughable if the situation weren't so serious.

"Henry!" exclaimed Regina. "What are you doing here?"

Henry's gaze roved over the four people gathered in front of him and Snow saw Killian place a hand on his shoulder, as if he were offering a form of silent support. With a jolt, Snow realized how close the two had become in light of Emma's absence.

Neal began crying next to her and Snow had to take him into her arms. She whispered quiet words of comfort as the rest watched, at a loss for what to say.

"Mom," began Henry, his voice laced with resolve, "what's going on?" His expression hardened slightly. "And don't bother pretending nothing's wrong. I heard everything."

To say the least, his grit impressed Snow. He had grown so much in the years she had known him, from the schoolboy who believed to such a brave, young man. Regina seemed slightly taken aback as well, almost at a loss for words. Belle spoke up before any of them could say something.

"The barrier around this place...it's shrinking on all sides. Exponentially, in fact..." The brunette paused. "We—Regina and I—have estimated that it'll take approximately six months or less for the barrier to move in and..."

"Crush us all," finished Regina for her, looking down.

Neal's cries began again, this time unrelenting. Snow rocked him gently back and forth. She wondered if the baby could somehow sense the unease and apprehension in the atmosphere around them.

There was another pregnant silence, the tension in the air mounting higher.

"Is there anything we can do to halt these proceedings?" asked Hook uneasily, his gaze drilling straight through the Queen.

"Not that I know of," replied Regina, only corroborating Snow's fears. She gripped David's hand tightly, but refused to acknowledge that this was the end. They would somehow find a way back. They wouldn't die here.

"We can try and find a way," offered Belle, ever optimistic. "I remember some spells we could use to try and shatter the barrier! Rumple..."

The brunette trailed off and looked down uncomfortably, obviously still shaken by the recent banishment of her ex-husband. Snow looked at her sympathetically and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. Belle had been taking Rumpelstiltskin's absence well, yet there were times when Snow saw the pain barely concealed beneath her joyful façade.

Speaking of lost loves, Snow could tell Regina was paining as well. After Robin and his family had been forced to leave Storybrooke, the woman had been putting on a brave face, pretending not to care. Regina had really been working hard to change—she deserved her happy ending, no matter what she had done in the past.

"I don't think we should tell anyone about this," said Belle abruptly, interrupting her train of thought. "The people are already panicked as it is. They don't need to know that they might die in less than six months."

Regina rolled her eyes. "Grumpy overheard us talking, so he already knows. I wager the secret won't last a night with him running rampant." Snow cast her a withering glare and Regina shot one right back. "Belle and I should go to the barrier...try and figure this whole thing out."

She heard Killian speak up, "Henry and I could aid you in your pursuit." Henry nodded at that, and Regina accepted, albeit rather unwillingly. She led Henry and Killian out into the forest to examine the barrier, Belle whispering a hasty goodbye to Snow and David before following.

A minute of silence followed their leaving, punctuated by Neal's soft snores. The baby had fallen asleep only a few short moments ago, and Snow laid the little bundle back in his temporary crib, made simply out of sticks and vines—much like the rest of their provisional homes.

"Hey," said David quietly, gripping her hand soothingly. "We'll be fine."

"Will we?" sighed Snow softly. "At this point, I don't know..." She looked at Charming and could feel the unshed tears pooling in her eyes. "And Emma..."

"Will get back to us," said her husband firmly. "I swear to you, Snow, we'll find a way to get back. All of us."

She kissed him gently, the soft feel of his lips against hers proving that everything would be alright.

They would get through it. As a family.

XXX

Emma nearly laughed aloud, the messy scrawl in front of her renewing her hope tenfold. It appeared to be some sort of diary entry, and Emma felt her heart quicken after reading merely the first few lines. Maybe she would find her family again. Maybe she would see Killian once more.

She began to read.

The Evil Queen does not know of the more subtle implications of her curse, and I have no intention of telling her. Not even Rumpelstiltskin has any idea of what will occur after this curse is enacted. It is an unpleasant 'side effect', as I have taken to calling it.

Emma didn't dare breathe. The author of this was evidently speaking of the original curse Regina had cast to bring all the residents of the Enchanted Forest here. The one that had created Storybrooke.

To put it simply, everyone in the periphery of the curse's wall will vanish.

The curse's walls...would that mean Storybrooke then? If so, then whoever had written this was certainly correct. Everyone in the town had vanished eventually—except for her.

One by one, the people in this new town the Queen plans to create (Storybrooke, I believe) will disappear, rematerializing in a newly created dimension known as 'The Between'—an expanse in between realms, forever stuck in what I have deemed as a limbo.

She felt excitement rise up within her, like a tidal wave crushing all negativity. She knew where they were now! If she knew their location, then there was a way to get them back.

There they will remain, lost and uncertain.

The fools deserve it, after all.

No matter how hard they try, they won't escape. The Evil Queen will finally get what has been coming to her for decades. She, and the rest of them, will be forever stuck in an isolated land, never to return.

Emma's confidence withered, ever so slightly. She didn't know what to do, so she kept reading in hopes of finding an answer—in hopes of finding a way to reunite with her loved ones.

One thing I know for certain, is that this realm in the 'Between' will not last forever. It will slowly compress to the point where it shall vanish into oblivion, along with all of its inhabitants. When this will happen, I do not know, but I wager it shall be soon after the people arrive. I shall relish the death of the Evil Queen, and the rest of the foolish heroes she has cursed to die along with her.

No. They couldn't die. She wouldn't let it happen. Emma read on, hoping with all her heart the last few lines contained something she could use...anything.

Note: I have reason to believe the fabled Saviour is exempt from this new curse. If so, even she will not have the power to bring everyone back. Even I do not know how, and I have no plans of finding out.

-Circe

Emma closed the book, disappointment clouding her features, all of her previous hope sucked out as quickly as it had come. The last lines echoed in her mind, fierce and unrelenting.

I have reason to believe the fabled Saviour is exempt from this new curse. If so, even she will not have the power to bring everyone back. Even I do not know how, and I have no plans of finding out.

So it was true. This new curse didn't affect her as it had everyone else. That part, she was already almost certain of. It was the second line that sent Emma's mind reeling and multiplied the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach a thousand fold. According to this Circe, Emma didn't have the power to bring them back. No matter how many times the words drilled themselves into her brain, she refused to accept them. It wasn't possible. There had to be a way to bring her family back. She would not let them die.

Emma frantically flipped through the remaining yellowed pages of the leather-bound book, her last shred of faith dashed as she reached the end. Refusing to believe Circe's words, Emma went back to the journal entry and reread it, hoping to unearth hints in between the lines. The woman had evidently abhorred Regina (Emma wagered there were at least another couple hundred people who still hated Regina). Other than that, she could glean nothing except for the fact that everyone trapped in this different dimension would die soon, and she could do nothing about it.

From what she knew of mythology, Emma recalled this Circe was a witch who had transformed people into animals—if a powerful eon-old sorceress didn't know how to release the citizens of Storybrooke from this 'Between' realm, then what chance did she have?

Emma had already gone through the rest of the dust-ridden books from Regina's vault, finding nothing useful but a spell. It would supposedly shatter the barrier around Storybrooke, allowing her passage in and out. But that was of no help to her—why would she want to leave the town when Killian and her family were very clearly not even in the same world? She needed to find a way to get to them before this 'Between' area imploded and killed them all.

She sighed and laid her head wearily on the desk in front of her, her mind working furiously. She couldn't do this alone, that much she knew for certain. Emma needed help.

When the idea came to her, she nearly fell out of her chair.

She knew whom she needed to find. She knew the man who could help her get back to her family.

She had to leave Storybrooke.

Emma needed to find Rumpelstiltskin.