Edited 5/9/2016
Emma stared at Ingrid dumbly, longer than was polite. She couldn't understand how the older woman could still stare at her fondly, especially after their last encounter. Emma could see Rumple's gaze narrow at Ingrid almost in recognition. The turn of events was interesting. Was there someone Rumple didn't know in the Enchanted Forest?
"Ingrid, I don't understand. How are you in Storybrooke?" Emma asked, breaking the awkward silence.
"'I'll answer your questions"- Ingrid promised before her eyes landed on Regina. -"but first, we need to deal with the mayor."
Ingrid's words reminded Emma of Regina's presence. She almost forgot about the evil queen. Regina was struggling to free herself from the ice. Smoke was rising from the ice that was cuffing her hands. She was trying to free herself by using magic.
"Really, are you going to try and attack three magic users?" Rumple mocked, his eyes glinting dangerously.
Emma could hear the barely controlled anger in his voice. He was still sour about being controlled by his dagger. Emma didn't know if she was going to be able to stop Rumple from carrying out his revenge on Regina. Her attention drifted back to August. She was going to have to free him as well. She wondered his role in the night's events.
"Get rid of the ice. She'll catch hypothermia," Emma cautioned.
The ice must be cold for Regina to be shivering.
"How pathetically predictable. You have a soft spot like your mother," Regina snarked, sneering in Emma's direction.
Emma's jaw clenched at Regina's jab. She knew the mayor was trying to rile her up. No matter what situation the queen was in, she would always have a haughty attitude. Emma watched as Ingrid lifted her hand to cast the spell to remove the ice, but she faltered when Rumple interrupted her.
"Dearie, before you do that, let me take a little precaution."
Rumple smiled gleefully at Regina before summoning a brace by magic with a snap of his fingers. Emma stared at the cuff warily. Since it belonged to Rumple, who knew what it did. She didn't have time to ask because he immediately snapped it on Regina's arm.
Regina smiled at the trio before flexing her hand back in a familiar gesture. Emma expected to see Regina's fireball, but raised an eyebrow at the queen's shocked expression. No matter how many times Regina tried, she was unable to perform magic.
"What the hell did you do to me?" Regina accused, glaring at Rumple.
Rumple didn't seem phased by Regina's glare but rather proud of himself. Emma guessed by the triumphant expression on his face that was an indication the bracelet worked.
"Oh, it's something of my own devising. As long as you wear it, you can't use magic. You are my first test subject," He answered her with an amused grin.
He was successfully riling up Regina. Her prominent scowl became more ingrained on her face than Emma thought possible. She tried pulling on the cuff but no matter how hard she pulled, the cuff refused to come off. It was like it was permanently latched onto her.
"How does it come off?" Regina asked, her tone demanding.
"That's for me to know only," Rumple mocked before leaning close to Regina. "Now, you are going to help us break the curse, " he demanded.
Emma could tell he was controlling his rage. He was showing Regina he was serious. He didn't want to waste anytime finding Bae.
"You think I would willingly help you? This town is my Happy Ending. Why would I want to give it up," Regina scoffed at Rumple's suggestion.
"What you did was selfish. Families were torn apart because of your curse. Don't you think it's about time to let this end?" Emma asked.
"These people don't care about me. Why should I care about them," Regina answered, rolling her eyes at the thought of willingly helping the people of Storybrooke.
"Because if you don't, you will never see Roland again. Emma will keep you locked up in jail," Rumple added.
"Don't I have a say in this?" Emma asked, taken aback.
Emma eyes widened at Rumple's suggestion. He was using Regina's son as leverage against her. She had a feeling she knew how she ended up in the woods tonight. Rumple stole Roland, and Regina thought she had a part because she worked with Rumple in the past. Rumple's plan backfired and he ended up being controlled, hence they were in their current predicament.
"Don't bother. I know you will follow Rumpelstiltskin's suggestions. You're going to listen to him anyway. He is your teacher after all"- Regina answered for her, and she smiled at Emma's shocked expression- "Oh, yes. I know he taught you how to use magic."
Emma guessed that Rumple taught everyone in the Enchanted Forest. She hated that Regina automatically assumed the worst in her. She supposed the evil queen's guise made her enemies with many people over the years, and she found it hard to trust. Still, Emma wanted to know how much Regina cared for Roland.
"You don't know me. How did you end up with Roland anyway?" Emma asked.
"If she manipulated Graham into sleeping with her, it wouldn't surprise me if she stole the boy," Rumple scoffed.
Regina must have a bad reputation in the Enchanted Forest. She knew what Regina was capable of from what Emma just witnessed firsthand, but she hoped Rumple was wrong for once. If Roland was stolen, she hoped that she would be able to reunite the boy with his real parents.
"I didn't steal Roland. His village was on fire when I arrived," Regina corrected, her tone filled with anger.
"That's because you and your men destroyed it. We all know how quick you were to destroy anyone who stood against you," Rumple accused, causing Regina to clench her hands at her side in anger.
"I had no part in the village's destruction. I received word that a major trading village got destroyed. I had to see the destruction for myself. Roland was cowering in the debris. He told me his dad disappeared before his eyes, and his mother died. When I saw him, I couldn't just leave him there. He had no one. I took him as my own and cursed his memories so that he couldn't remember that tragedy," Regina snapped.
Emma was slightly impressed that Regina didn't yell. The woman had resilience to control her emotions. It was perhaps due to her countless plotting of manipulative schemes. Emma thought the woman would have cracked by now at the accusations thrown at her.
"We need you to break the curse," Emma explained, her tone calm.
"I can't. If I break the curse, then I would be forced to give up what I love most," Regina said, voice barely above a whisper.
The pain in her eyes was evident. Emma could tell she wasn't lying. Her story touched her. During Regina's retelling, Emma could see Regina walking through the village seeing the destruction. She encountered a young boy she immediately found a connection to, and she took away his memories so that he wouldn't be upset. Everyone was against Regina, but Roland loved her unconditionally. If someone took Henry away from her, Emma would be devastated. Henry was her world. She couldn't in good conscience take away Regina's child.
"Please, you can have your castle back in the Enchanted Forest," Rumple reminded, his tone impatient.
"Wait, I thought you wanted to leave Storybrooke," Emma asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.
Rumple's words confused her. How would bringing back everyone to the Enchanted Forest find Bae? Bae could be anywhere in the United States. Was magic so widespread that it worked anywhere?
"Oh, I do. We'll leave as soon as everyone gets transported back. I have no intention of going back to that world when Bae is here," Rumple answered.
"I still won't do it," Regina continued to protest.
"You would be forced to give up Roland," Emma said knowingly.
"He is all I have," Regina answered, not looking Emma in the eye.
The queen didn't want to show vulnerability. Emma could see the slight the pain in the queen's eyes. Regina's answer was a confirmation that if Regina broke the curse, she would give up her son. Emma wasn't going to let it happen no matter what Rumple said.
"You already lost him by not helping us. You will help us break this curse," Rumple reminded.
"Maybe kidnapping kids is what you and Regina like to do, but I refuse to keep an innocent boy hostage. If what Regina says is true, then he looks to her as a mother." Emma challenged Rumple's words.
"You can't be serious." He looked at Emma incredulously, his tone filled with anger.
Emma braced herself when Rumple took a step closer to her. She was slightly edgy after the fight she just had. Rumple stood his ground staring at Emma for a long moment considering his options. What would he do after he found Bae? Emma wasn't exactly going to be useful anymore.
"Suppose someone took Bae from you, what would you do? The only victim in this situation is Roland," Emma reasoned, hoping he understood.
His eyes narrowing told her that she touched a nerve.
"Give her back her son. I will break the curse. We already know that she can't use magic," Emma finished.
The trio was left in tense silence as Rumple considered Emma's words. The expression on his face was murderous.
"You better not make me regret this. You have a week to break the curse on your own .If you are unsuccessful, we will try it my way," Rumple said with a growl before turning his gaze to Regina. "I'm going to take some extra precautions. We don't want that cuff coming off any time soon," He taunted the former queen before disappearing in a puff of purple smoke.
Emma grimaced at Rumple's words. Now, her task was timed and there was no way she could get Rumple to reconsider. Her gaze locked with Ingrid's, and the older woman gave her a proud smile. Regina took long looks at both of them and opened her mouth a couple of times to try and talk. Emma wasn't going to force the woman to say anything because of the threats the woman had already endured. Hell, if the woman wanted to leave, she wasn't going to stop her. If the cuff truly stopped magic, then Regina was harmless.
"Just so you know it's impossible for the curse to break. I'm the only one capable of breaking it. Your involvement with Roland was unexpected but welcome," Regina said, breaking the awkward silence.
It took a moment for Emma to register Regina's gratitude. She had to replay Regina's words in her mind to realize she was thanking her. It took all of Regina's pride to thank her. Regina must haven't thanked many people in her life because that was the worst expression of gratitude Emma had ever heard, but she wasn't going to make fun of Regina's apology.
"You mean that was the easy way for the curse to break. With Roland involved, you breaking the curse wasn't an option. I wouldn't want anyone to lose their son. What I learned in life is that there are many loopholes," Emma said with a smile, ignoring the uncomfortableness in Regina's posture.
"I hope you find it, Ms. Swan." Regina gave Emma a small smile before walking away from the clearing.
Emma had to admit that this was an interesting turn of events. If they managed to keep Regina in check, there won't be a problem in breaking the curse, and Emma didn't have to worry about Henry's safety.
"Well, this is an exciting night," Ingrid commented, breaking Emma out of her thoughts.
Emma took a look at the woman, who she once considered a foster mother. If someone told her younger self that running away from Ingrid was a bad idea and Ingrid was right all along, then she would have laughed. Emma turned her gaze away, feeling slightly ashamed of her actions.
"You can say that again. I never thought I would ever use magic in this world-" Emma began before returning her gaze to the woman- "About that Ingrid, I wanted to apologize for my actions when I was younger. Now I know magic exists, but you have to admit pushing me in front of a car was a little extreme," Emma teased.
"I have to admit I regret my actions. Even though you ran away, I still care for you," Ingrid admitted.
Emma smiled at Ingrid's words. It felt good that someone else cared about her in this town. Hell, she knew Killian cared for her because the man refused to give up on her. It would be easy to go to him for comfort about her problems or the timed task before her in breaking the curse, but she would feel guilty because she hadn't been entirely truthful with him. She ran a hand through her hair at the thought. He should know about Henry sooner than later. Still, Ingrid's presence was a welcome surprise. At least, she had someone else to confide in this cursed place.
"How did you know I was here?" Emma asked, crossing her arms in interest.
Emma question was twofold. She wanted to know how Ingrid knew about Storybrooke and how she saved her. Ingrid must have understood what she was asking because she sighed heavily before she began to speak.
"Back in the Enchanted Forest, I asked a man to show me if there was someone with magic who would be important in my life. He referred me to you. I found out about your role in this town, and I bided my time here until you arrived. As for your other question, I felt the magic arrive in Storybrooke. I walked in the forest to see the potency of my magic. I didn't make it far until I felt then saw the magic battle. At first, I thought it was Rumple and Regina fighting. As soon as I saw you, I had to intervene." Ingrid stated a matter of fact.
"Well, I am happy you're here. You really saved me tonight," Emma said genuinely.
Ingrid's tense expression relaxed a little at Emma's words. It was as though she worried about Emma's opinion on her.
"I will always have your back, Emma, and my offer still stands for you to be my sister," Ingrid reminded with a small smile.
"I would like that very much," Emma answered with a smile.
Despite having pleasant dreams after speaking with Emma, Killian Jones didn't have a good morning. There was no chamber pot to relieve himself. He saw this monstrosity filled with water. After appraising it, he pulled down on the metal handle and jumped when said contraption made a loud noise. He decided to leave it alone and go to the tall block. It was surrounded by a curtain and he assumed that this was the spot people in this time relieved themselves. He saw so many things in this time that he didn't understand. Hence, he left most of the objects alone in his room. He couldn't understand how Emma lived here, but this time was going to be the death of him. He brought his flask of rum to his mouth at the thought. He frowned when nothing came out, Shaking it a little, he realized it was empty. He wondered if this establishment sold any because he had no way to restore the supplies on his own. His rum was still on his ship in the Enchanted Forest.
"Why are you dressed like a pirate?" A soft voice broke him from his musings.
Killian's blue gaze darted to the direction of the voice. Inquisitive green eyes met his own. The boy looked to be no more than ten. He had to admit that the boy looked familiar, and he had seen those green eyes before, but the question was where?
"Why are you dressed like that?" Killian countered.
"Hey, if you haven't noticed. We don't dress like you do around here," The boy countered with a cheeky grin.
The lad's response brought a smirk to his face. He had to admit a boy like this would give him run for his gold.
"Fair enough." Killian conceded defeat.
The boy won this round. He could get used to speaking to the boy if he frequented the diner. He wondered if Emma and he had a kid of their own, would the child have turned out like the boy before him. With a shrug, Killian grabbed the red bottle and tried to put it on his food. He grunted when the object in question refused to cooperate. He could feel the boy's eyes on him, staring at him with an amused expression.
"The lass told me I'm supposed to put this on my fries, but nothing is happening," Killian explained, trying to justify his action.
" The thing with ketchup is that you have to open the lid," the boy explained, taking the bottle from his hand.
He watched as the boy took one of those fries and dipped them in the "ketchup".
"You clearly aren't from around here. Where are you from?" The boy asked.
Killian heard the door to shop chime. He debated to tell the boy he was from the Enchanted Forest, but he doubted the boy would believe him.
"Well-"
"Henry!" A man yelled, interrupting Killian from his explanation.
"Mr. N-Nolan," The boy, Killian assumed to be Henry, stuttered.
Mr. Nolan approached the boy and looked at him in disbelief. Henry smiled at the older man sheepishly.
"You're supposed to be in school. Come on, if I drop you off and you actually stay for the rest of the day, your mother won't know that you were skipping," Mr. Nolan chided, gently nudging Henry towards the door.
"I guess. I'll see you around." Henry said to Killian over his shoulder.
Mr. Nolan stared at Killian for a moment before looking at the boy and frowned. The man shook his head as though he got rid of some ridiculous thought from his mind before leaving with the boy.
Killian felt that a boy like him would find him again later like Emma. He seemed genuinely interested in getting to know him. He didn't think he minded sharing stories with the boy.
"That you will, lad," Killian said with a smile.
"I swear. I thought I was looking at a splitting image for a second," A female voice interrupted Killian from his thoughts.
Killian turned his attention to the waitress in front of him. Her clothing left no room for the imagination which is why he usually stared at her face. Her statement caught him off guard.
"Excuse me?" He asked, his tone laced in confusion.
"Seriously, did you not look into a mirror this morning?" Ruby asked, looking at him incredulously.
"I am sorry, miss. I'm none the wiser," Killian admitted, not knowing what else to say.
"Men," she snorted.
She shook her head in disbelief before walking away from him to take the order of the next patron.
Killian didn't know what the woman wanted to tell him. He could tell by her tone that she was implying something about his looks, but he must have missed an important element of the conversation. He turned his attention back to his food as he replayed the conversation in his head. After several minutes, the only conclusion he reached was that this town was very strange.
Next: The Cost of Revenge
Hi everyone, sorry for the delay. These last couple of weeks/months have been a bear. The good news is that I passed all my classes, and there are no more classes ever! So, this story should be updated regularly along with my Naruto story, but I will also be updating my others which haven't been done in a year. I am also spending some time writing a novel series, but it doesn't mean this story will be abandoned. I wanted to thank you all so much for all your support so far! It touches my heart to see everyone so receptive of this story. When I first started it, I thought it was going to turn out kind of crappy. To show my appreciation, I got the part 2 cover art commissioned for this story, and I will share it with you all as soon as I get it. Anyways,The next chapter will be long. It is two chapters combined because I didn't know how to split it. It will be the catalyst for the curse breaking. I'm going to go ahead and apologize in advance for it because it will be a little rough, but it won't put cs backwards by any means. I hope you enjoyed the slight fluff after that episode we had last Sunday.