Chapter 2

Storybrooke, present day

Regina walked slowly toward her office, trying desperately to banish the pain and darkness that threatened to consume her. The wedding had been beautiful. Emma and Hook were so disgustingly happy and in love it nearly made her sick. Jealousy and bitterness reared their ugly heads, but Regina ruthlessly shoved them back. It wasn't Miss Swan's…no Mrs. Jones's…fault that fate had seen fit to slap Regina across the face. She had worked so hard at being a hero these last six months knowing Robin and Roland would be proud of her for her attempt to stay on the straight and narrow.

Regina unlocked her office door and looked around at the stark black and white décor. Henry was spending the night with his father, and Regina found she just couldn't face the evening alone in her big house. Maybe she'd get some work done until she was tired enough the pain wouldn't keep her awake.

Slipping out of her pumps, Regina sat at her desk, buried her face in her hands and gave way to the tears that had been threatening all day. How she missed them! It had been six months, but the pain was as fresh as the moment she'd left them behind. How did someone get over this?

It was Roland's birthday. Today he turned seven. If she'd been back at that cabin in the Enchanted Forest with them, she'd have made him one of her famous apple turnovers. Regina swiped at her tears and smiled in spite of herself. Roland would have eaten those turnovers until he was sick.

Robin had planned to make the boy a wooden sword and shield for his birthday. He claimed that would allow Roland to be a real little knight. She wondered if Robin had followed through on his plan.

Robin! A fresh wave of grief hit Regina, so strong it was hard to breathe. She loved him so much it was almost a physical ache. She missed him. Missed his teasing in the evenings while she prepared supper. Missed the way he obviously adored his son. Missed the long talks they would have at night after Roland fell asleep. Missed his strong arms holding her, keeping her warm during the cold winter nights. Missed his kisses, so deep and passionate it felt as though their very souls were merged. She could barely stand it anymore.

Regina hated rum. She hated the cloying spiciness of it. Yet though she hated it, she was half tempted to go find the pirate and beg a bottle off of him. That wouldn't work, of course, Hook was no doubt very busy right now enjoying his wedding night with his brand new wife. Ugh! She did not need those images in her head!

Regina sat up and furiously scrubbed the tears from her face. She wasn't a helpless damsel in distress who sat around crying for her lost love! She was the queen! She wanted something to happen? She'd make it happen! Somehow, some way she would get back to Robin and Roland if it was the last thing she did.

In the meantime, maybe catching up on paperwork would help occupy her mind. Regina shuffled through the envelopes piled neatly on her desk. She abhorred clutter and always attended to it as promptly as possible. Everything in this stack looked in order. She was just about to turn from the stack when suddenly her hand stilled. There was something else there at the bottom—an envelope, but not one made of modern paper. It seemed to be made of parchment.

Slowly, gently Regina picked up the envelope and peered at it closely. Her name and the address of her office were written in a firm, confident hand. There was no return address and no stamp. Regina turned the parcel over and discovered it was closed with red sealing wax. The seal had been stamped with…how was it possible? It was sealed with a lion—the very one on the tattoo she'd come to know and love so well in the Enchanted Forest!

Regina tore open the envelope as quickly as her shaking fingers would allow. She snatched the single folded sheet of parchment from within, wrenched it open, and began to read.

Your Majesty,

I pray this letter finds you. Its bearer assures me she is capable of delivering it, but travel between realms being as difficult as it is, I hardly dare to hope.

My queen, we are in desperate need of your help! They have arrived! They've sacked our village and threaten to do more harm every day. They've taken little Roland, and I fear Robin may be in their clutches as well. None have seen him in three days.

You are our only hope. You, and perhaps the savior. This is a foe more formidable than any I've seen! Utterly and completely ruthless! If you do not come to our aid, I fear all will be lost.

Please, Your Highness! Time is of the essence. There is not a moment to spare!

I remain your devoted servant,

Little John

Regina looked quickly at the date at the top of the page, her heart racing, panic like a living thing clutching at her heart. Two days ago. This letter had been written two days ago! What horrors could have happened in that period of time?

Regina surged to her feet, threw on her shoes and ran out the door. The letter said the savior might be of help. Wedding night or no wedding night, Regina had to get Emma's help, and as Little John said, there wasn't a minute to spare.

…

Emma felt Killian's hand, soft as a whisper, at the small of her back as he guided her into the bridal suite at Granny's. The freaking bridal suite!

Her heart raced as fast as a thoroughbred as the nerves threatened to take over. What was her problem? She wasn't some green teenager about to engage in her first time with a boy. She was a grown woman. An experienced grown woman. This was no big deal; just a release, just a physical expression of the desire and passion she and Killian had felt for each other since…well since the very beginning.

Emma's inner lie-detector roared to life. Liar! Liar! Pants on fire! Since when was her inner lie-detector a ten-year-old on the playground at recess? Emma laughed nervously.

The fact was…she knew this was a big deal. This would be nothing like the endless parade of one-night-stands she'd experienced throughout her solitary life in Boston. It would be nothing like the youthful infatuation she'd felt for Neal. This would be joining with her true love. It would be two halves fusing together to form a unified whole at long last. It would be her giving every last bit of herself—body, heart, soul—to Killian and receiving every last bit of him in return. Once they crossed this bridge, there would never be any going back.

The thought was both terrifying and exhilarating.

Killian slowly, deliberately shut the hotel room door and then turned back toward her. The smile that wreathed his face was so full of love and happiness it made her heart melt. She smiled back, somewhat tremulously as he slowly walked toward her. He stopped just short of touching her, and then slowly brought his hand to her cheek. Emma closed her eyes, leaning into his touch. Thinking of the enormity of what they were about to do, she began trembling again.

"Swan, are you alright?" Killian asked gently. "You're shaking."

Emma forced herself to look into his eyes.

"Yeah," she said, blowing out her breath, "I'm fine. It's just….I'm a little...I don't know…nervous. I've never done this before."

He flashed her his pirate grin. "Your son Henry's existence would seem to suggest otherwise."

She rolled her eyes, strangely feeling more at ease with a Captain Hook filled with swagger and innuendo than she had with a Killian Jones who adored her with a startling intensity.

After a moment she dropped her eyes. "I don't mean I've never done this. I mean I've never done this." She swept her hand over the room. "You know. Before it's always been just sex. It's never been about love. It's never been about commitment. It's always just been a meaningless physical act; something people just do when they're attracted to someone of the opposite sex."

She met his gaze once more, briefly, before letting it skitter away once more. "This," she continued, "well, this is different."

He tipped her chin up until she met his eyes once more. "Aye, my love," he murmured, "that it is."

Killian kissed her softly, gently, and some of her unease started to melt away. Being in his arms, receiving his love, giving hers in return…well, it just felt right. He pulled away rather than deepening the kiss.

"You need not fear, lass," he said with a gentle smile. "We've all night, and I'm a patient man. I've no objection to waiting until you're ready to consummate our vows."

Emma smiled, his thoughtfulness dissolving the last of her nerves. Putting both hands on his cheeks, she brought his face down for another kiss. When she finally pulled back, she smiled.

"Killian, if I'm being totally honest, I think I've been ready for that since…oh…around the beanstalk."

"Emma," he said, his voice breaking with emotion, "I love you! I love you so bloody much!"

And then he was crushing her to him, kissing her with wild abandon, his hand pulling at the pins in her hair, hers tugging at his clothing. He'd long since lost the jacket and the bowtie, but this tuxedo shirt had way too many freaking buttons!

Killian trailed a line of hot kissed down her jaw, to her collar bone, and she moaned, tipping her head backwards to give him better access. She felt his hand at the corset-back laces of her wedding gown, and her need for him exploded.

"How the hell can you even manage a corset with only one hand," she asked breathlessly.

He shot her look that was nothing short of cocky. "Where there's a will there's always a way, love. And in this case there is most definitely a will."

And then his mouth was back on hers. Teasing her, claiming her, branding her as his own. They moved together until they reached the bed, and then they toppled onto its luxurious softness, lips becoming more insistent, hands roaming.

Emma's heart beat so loudly she would swear she could hear it. The knocking continued on and on…until Emma finally realized the noise wasn't coming from her heart; it was coming from their hotel room door.

Wrenching her mouth free from Killian's, Emma looked to the door silently vowing to murder whoever stood on the other side.

"Ignore them love," Killian said, gently turning her face back toward him. "With any luck they'll go away."

And then he was kissing her again, and all rational thought fled. Nothing in the world existed except him and her and this powerful love they shared between them.

The knocking picked up in intensity.

"Miss Swan!" Regina called through the door. "I mean Mrs. Jones! I know you're in there! Open up."

"Seriously?" Emma gasped, pulling her mouth free once more. "Killian, remind me again why we decided to spend our wedding night at Granny's freaking bed and breakfast!"

"I've no idea love," Killian muttered, "but it was without doubt the most abysmally stupid idea we've ever concocted."

"Open up or I'll break down the door!" Regina demanded.

Emma sat up and smoothed her hands through her tangled hair. "We better see what she wants, Killian," she said with a sigh. "It doesn't look like we'll get any privacy until we do."

Killian growled low in his throat and hopped to the floor, letting his unbuttoned shirt fall unto the bed as he marched to the offending door.

Wrenching the knob so forcefully it was a wonder it didn't come off in his hand, Killian pulled the door open. Regina didn't stand on ceremony but strode into the room the moment the opening was wide enough to accommodate her slight frame.

"What?" Killian roared.

Regina sneered. "I see marriage hasn't sweetened your disposition at all, pirate."

Killian muttered something about his hook never being around when he needed it while Regina marched to the bed.

"We're kind of in the middle of something here, Regina," Emma said with a scowl, "so unless you barged in here to tell me we're facing utter annihilation or somebody's about to die or something, I suggest you save it till after the honeymoon."

Slowly, Regina's expression began to register with Emma. She looked terrified…and so frantic she was barely holding it together. A frission of dread crawled up Emma's spine. Was it Henry? Had something happened to Henry?

"What is it?" Emma asked anxiously. She felt Killian sit on the bed beside her and wrap his arm around her shoulders. She leaned into his strength. "Is Henry okay? Did something happen…"

"No, no, nothing like that," Regina said quickly with a placating gesture of the hand. Emma's shoulders sagged with relief, and Killian gave the one he was holding a gentle squeeze. "It's Roland, and maybe Robin too."

Quickly the story unfolded. Regina told of the letter she'd received, of the terrible danger Roland, Robin and even the Enchanted Forest found itself in.

"He said I'm the only one who can save them," Regina said, the note of panic still prominent in her voice. "Me and maybe you, Emma."

Emma felt pity deep within her. What would it be like to receive word that Killian and Henry were in grave danger?

"I'm sorry for them and you, love, I truly am," Killian said in a soothing voice, "but what are we to do? All methods of creating portals are gone. We've no way to go to your love's aid."

Regina began to pace, agitation evident in every muscle of her body. "I don't believe that!" she said sharply. "I refuse to believe that! There's a way. There has to be a way."

Emma got to her feet and awkwardly went to Regina, her partially unlaced bridal gown sagging and threatening to fall off altogether. She gently led the distraught woman to a chair and handed her an unopened bottle of water.

"Thanks," Regina muttered distractedly.

"Okay," Emma said slowly, soothingly, "we'll find a way, but you're going to have to help me out. I'm still new to this whole fairy-tale magic thing."

Regina took a deep breath, obviously trying to master herself.

"Now," Emma said gently, "any ideas how we can create a portal."

Emma heard Killian muttering to himself behind her but chose to ignore it.

"I don't know," Regina said, "but anything this big will require, powerful magic. Far more powerful than you or I possess."

"Stronger than the two of you combined, love?" Killian asked from the bed.

"Yeah," Regina said, getting up to begin pacing again, "even more powerful than that."

"What if we asked for Gold's help?" Emma asked. "Maybe if the three of us joined forces, we could conjure up enough magic."

"Maybe," Regina said skeptically. "It's as good a plan as any."

With that, Regina marched to the door, and Emma, uttering a sigh of relief wandered back to the bed and Killian's waiting arms.

"Well?" Regina said from the hallway, "are you coming?"

"Regina, it's our wedding night!" Emma said in frustration. "Can't this wait until morning?"

Regina marched back into the hotel room glared at Emma, then Killian, then Emma again. "Sorry to burst your perfect little bubble, Mrs. Jones," she said snidely, "but the man I love and his son are in danger, maybe even mortal danger! You suggest I just sit around twiddling my thumbs so that you and your pirate can have your little roll in the hay?!"

Well when she put it like that it sounded positively sordid!

"Fine," Emma said with a sigh. "Just give us a few minutes to get changed and then we'll come with you to talk to gold."

"Brilliant," Killian muttered in evident ill-temper, "It's my wedding night, and not only do I not get to make love to my wife; I have to spend the evening with the bloody Crocodile! Just brilliant!"

Emma leaned over and gave Killian a slow gentle kiss. "I'm sorry," she said, "this isn't exactly how I pictured our wedding night either. It's just one of the great joys of being the savior, I guess."

Killian got to his feet and offered Emma a hand. "There's no time like the present, I suppose. The sooner we vanquish this foe, the sooner we can return to our marriage bed."

Emma grinned, rummaging through her suitcase for something more comfortable and serviceable to wear. "I like the way you think, pirate," she tossed over her shoulder.

Notes

-So…how did Regina get that letter from Little John? Who's the mysterious "she" who assured Little John she could get the letter to the other realm? Yes, I do know the answers, and yes, I will eventually tell you!

-So that Captain Swan scene got a little steamy, but, after all, it was their wedding night…not exactly the wedding night they had pictured, but still. Poor Emma and Killian! After all that waiting and restraint during the engagement period, they were finally free to express their love in whatever manner they chose…and then a villain had to show up and ruin it! Don't worry. They will eventually get to engage in normal married-couple activities! :-)

-Up next: In a long-long ago section, we meet one of the two major villains when he's a teenager. He meets someone who changes his whole life and starts him down the path toward villainy. In the present day section, Killian, Emma and Regina head to Gold and Belle's house trying to find a way to create a portal back to the Enchanted forest. Though less than happy to be disturbed in the middle of the night, Gold does have a potential solution, but will it work?