Getting close to the end now! Counting on about three more chapters (epilogue included).
I have also got some real interesting reviews and theories about how this is going to go. You are on to something, I will say, but wait and read! Hopefully the next part is coming within soon! Enjoy! xx
"So there's you, and Liam and Henry who's mine, right?"
It wasn't out of nowhere her mother asked the question, Hope had practically announced that she had six siblings just hours ago. Obviously her mother would have to wonder.
"Yeah, don't worry, there are no more surprises now, Mom." Emma nodded, but the crease between her eyes told Hope there was more to come. However, she knew her mother, and knew the only way to get her to speak was to give her time. They walked in silence and were almost back at the station when Emma finally stopped them.
"Have you had a good childhood? I mean, since the threats doesn't seem to stop coming in the future, have you been safe? Has it been good?" Hope should hear the underlying Have I been good?, but didn't comment on it. She knew about her mother's fears, heard them more than once during her 17 years. Though, with experience, Hope also learned how to handle her mother's doubts. Don't hold back, don't let her hide.
"You've been good, mom. You have been great. Otherwise we wouldn't be here, you know. We may not always have got everything we wanted, but we had what we needed. With you, and dad, we couldn't have asked for a better childhood." Emma gave her a watery smile, but seemed relieved.
"You are a total daddy's girl, though, aren't you?" The question brought a smile to Hope's lips when she saw the fond sparkle in Emma's eyes.
"Yeah, and Liam is a total mama's boy. But we both love you equally anyway." Emma smiled at that and placed a tender hand on her daughter's cheek.
"We love you equally as well." Emma couldn't actually know that at this pint, but her words were convincing enough to unexpectedly make tears pool in Hope's eyes. She knew the statement was true, but to hear it, that meant so much. Concern swam in Emma's eyes and Hope could already see the self-doubt return. Emma quickly gathered her in a hug, obviously to not let her daughter see the emotions she was fighting.
"You know that, don't you?" Hope nodded into her mother's shoulder and a gentle sob escaped her chest.
"Yeah, I do. We both do. It's just… I'm sorry," Hope whispered, a treacherous tear making its way down her cheek.
"What are you sorry for? You have nothing to apologize for, sweetheart." Pet names was not her mother's strong suit and Hope knew it, but she appreciated the words all the same. She took a deep breath and held on to her mother, knowing whatever plan they would come up with might not work, and it might be the last time she got to be held like this, even if her mother was about 20 years younger than usual.
"I'm sorry for being reckless and getting us into this mess. I am sorry I didn't listen and just stayed at home when you told me to. I'm sorry I always fight you, and sometimes make you and dad get into fights. I'm so sorry for everything, but I just really want to fix this. I really really want you back, because despite everything, you are the whole world to me and I can't live without you. You are my mom, and I know life isn't fair, but I am not going to lose you."
Her words were whispered, and if there would have been people around them only Emma would have heard her. They stood and swayed on the spot for a long while, slowly rocking back and forth, before they broke apart and Emma rubbed along Hope's arms.
"Come on. Lets get you and your brother back to your own time."
"What can we do?" Snow's voice was low, but not low enough for it to be unheard on the top of the stairs. Neal, Daniel and Wilma had been sent upstairs after Killian had come back to the loft in panic, telling everyone about what happened to Hope and Liam. He had been quiet ever since, leaving the plotting up to the other adults.
"Is there anything we can do?" Robin's muffled voice said.
"Why aren't they letting us help? We get sent upstairs like we are some kids needing protection. We were also out there fighting. We are just as capable as them, if not more. We are the young ones after all." Daniel was frustrated; his dismay about their situation obvious in his words.
"Its understandable, Dan. After what happened to Liam and Hope, they just want us to be out of danger." Wilma was sat against a bed on the floor, eyes closed and her burry hair she usually kept in a ponytail was falling in waves over her shoulders.
"But we are not in danger! And we are all adults by law. And we care just as much about Liam and Hope as they do. We should be allowed to help," Daniel argued with his sister. Nothing was happening and he was getting increasingly worried. Himself and Hope had been best friends for as long as he could remember. He would help her with boy problems and she would do the same for him. They told each other everything and nothing and he couldn't remember the last time they hadn't spoken for more than 24 hours. He knew her better than he knew himself, and the thought of losing her was driving him crazy.
"Daniel, we are still their children, and I don't think they think they care more. They are just trying to do their best in this situation. Trying to compensate without Emma and Killian. Killian is understandably devastated. If everything goes wrong today he might lose both his children and Emma, on the same day. We may all suffer that loss. Give them some slack, would you." There was an edge to Wilmas voice, warning her little brother to press further, but her eyes were still shut close. Wilma opened her eyes when her phone buzzed and Rolands name flashed across the screen.
Roland was out looking for some way to help, at the same time keeping an eye and ear towards the hospital and Henry. Henry would recover and was awake and active. Julia and Ruthie had been brought there by their mother to keep him company, and to let Regina tend to this new crisis without having to worry about her eldest.
"What does it say?" Neal piped up. He was lying on the bed above Wilma and tried reading the text over her head. He had also been quiet, understanding their parents choices to stick them out of the way and dealing with what could presumably lead to danger themselves. But he also agreed with Daniel. He wanted to help and he wanted to do more than lie on a bed waiting for either one thing or another to happen. Being left out also meant being left to deal with emotions and thoughts all by himself.
Despite the unusually big age gap between him and his sister, they had been immensely close. She had really felt like a big sister, and he had seen a lot of himself in her. When he was a child he remembered always spending time at Emma and Killian's house and he still spent at lest a few nights at his sister's home; eating pizza, watching movies, He understood that all of the others also had suffered a great loss at Emma's death, but still he felt a frustration against them. He understood, yet he was angry over their reaction when he had lost his big sister. He felt selfish for thinking such things, when his parents had lost a daughter, Killian had lost his true love and Henry, Liam and Hope had lost their mom. Technically, his loss wasn't the biggest, however the loss was his biggest. Emma was so much, and she meant so much and he was angry. Angry at everyone. So, therefore, he tried to just keep quiet.
"Henry is better, he had been on his legs and is impatient to come home and help with the crisis. He hasn't told the girls about Emma yet. And Roland has found where Hope opened the portal, but like we thought it doesn't seem like we can reopen it." Wilma finished with a sigh, which the other two mirrored.
"If we only knew where they went, we could go after them." Daniel was pacing the floor, thinking so hard Neal and Wilma almost heard the wheels in his head spin.
"We can't, Daniel. It's impossible to know where they went." Neal loved Wilma, he really did, she was the closest in age and the one he had always stuck to, apart from Emma. So he loved her, but at that moment he really hated Wilma for saying what she did. Despite knowing she was right.
Daniel sent his sister a dirty look and kept pacing, kept thinking. Wilma closed her eyes and rested her head against the bed again, and Neal laid back down, eyes in the roof and thoughts swirling in his head. Despite the muffled murmurs from downstairs and Daniels pacing, silence filled the room and left them all to their own thoughts.
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