Chapter 5

Enchanted Forest, long, long ago

Edward looked up as Hornigold stooped to enter the galley where he was finishing his breakfast. He got hastily to his feet. The man commanded respect, and respect he got—from the greenest land-lubber to the most grizzled veteran.

"What say we begin your training, lad?" Hornigold asked as soon as he'd reached Edward's table.

"Aye, Captain," Edward answered, eagerly getting to his feet.

He'd been a crew member on Hornigold's vessel for six weeks now, but it was only in the last one he'd been capable of being a useful contributor to the life of the ship. Before that, he'd spent every last minute in his berth, chamber pot at the ready, his face a continual sickly shade of puce.

The seasickness had hit hard and it hadn't given up without a fight. Edward had heard the snide remarks the other pirates muttered under their breath. He felt their disdain. If his traitorous stomach hadn't consumed his full attention, he would have bristled at their implications, no doubt.

But they were no more than implications. None dared to taunt, mock, or otherwise harass Edward openly because it was more than clear which way the wind blew. For some reason that no one—not even Edward—understood, the young man was something of a favorite with the fearsome Captain Hornigold. The sailors grimly understood that baldly insulting Captain's favorite would be decidedly unhealthy for them.

It didn't stop the mutterings and venomous looks—and it made Edward's blood boil. He was every inch the sailor any of these sewer rats were! He'd show them!

"Excellent!" Hornigold said, clapping Edward on the back. "Get yourself topside, choose a sword from the armory, and prepare to work your skinny little arse off."

"Aye, aye, Captain!" Edward said eagerly. He took a final swig of his coffee and hopped to his feet, eagerly moving in the direction Hornigold had indicated. Finally! At long last he was going to learn swordplay!

"Well, well," a rough voice said, "if it isn't the babe of a landlubber himself!"

The owner of the voice stepped into view, a burly man with a badly receding hairline and impressively bushy mutton-chop whiskers. If Edward was not mistaken, his name was Wallace. "Finally able to peel yerself from yer bunk?"

"Step aside, Wallace," Edward said with bravado, "I've no time for you. I'm to meet the captain on deck any minute. I don't intend to be late"

"My, my!" Wallace said mockingly. "We wouldn't that, now would we? Captain's trained monkey can't be late responding to his master's summons!"

"Out of my way!" Edward snarled, attempting to shove past.

Wallace let fly a string of curses so strong and venomous Edward hadn't even heard half of them before.

"You just going to let him talk to you like that, boy?"

Edward swiveled his head to the side where he saw Hornigold lazily leaning against the mast, one booted foot crossed over the other.

"No sir!" Edward said, the rage bubbling up inside him. It was high time he started proving himself to these mannerless ruffians! Fire blazed in his startlingly light blue eyes, and Wallace's bushy grey brows rose in surprise and consternation. Pulling his fist back, Edward planted it squarely in the larger man's jaw. His hand screamed in protest, but he paid it no mind as he pulled it back for another punch, this one to the man's firm stomach.

With a strangled "Oh!" Wallace doubled over, wind knocked clean from him. But Wallace recovered quickly, and the look on his face when he straightened again was positively frightening. Quick on his feet, Edward quickly ducked the punches the large sailor threw his way.

Even more enraged, Wallace charged, his arms outstretched, a roar like that of a wounded bear erupting from his throat. Edward stood his ground, waiting, waiting for his opponent. A moment before Wallace reached him, Edward extended one booted foot and the other man tripped over it and went crashing to the deck.

And with that, Wallace lost his head completely. Back on his feet he drew his pistol from its holster slung around his waist. He cocked it and pointed it straight at Edward's heart.

"Stand down, Wallace," Hornigold ordered, finally stepping into the fray.

Wallace's hand held steady, and fear began to ripple through Edward. Would he meet his end here on a pirate ship—before he'd even seen his first battle?

Hornigold got in Wallaces face. "I said stand down!" Hornigold shouted. The tone seemed to get through to Wallace, and his arm dropped a fraction of an inch.

"But captain…" Wallace began.

Hornigold growled. "Are you disobeying my orders? Because if you are, the plank is right over there. Valuable asset though you are to my enterprise, Wallace, any man who will not follow orders will walk it!"

Wallace dropped his eyes and stood down. "Nay captain. I wouldn't dream of insubordination."

…

With one final swish of the sword, Hornigold disarmed his pupil. Wiping beads of sweat from his brow, Hornigold, laughed, clapping a hand on Edward's shoulder.

"That was the best to date, me lad!" he said, pride beaming in his voice. "A few more weeks and you'll be disarming me."

Edward tried to tamp down the irritation. He'd been training with his mentor for two months and, regardless of what the older man said, he was convinced he was making precious little progress.

"What did I do wrong this time?" he asked. "How did you know just what to do to disarm me?"

"You must learn to control your emotions, my lad," Hornigold said. "Your every thought, every emotion is written across your face. 'Tis child's play for your opponent to anticipate your movements."

Edward nodded in resolve. "Then I'll learn to school my features."

He gripped his sword, a grim look on his face, his annoyance growing.

Hornigold chuckled. You've a ways to go before you reach that objective, I'm afraid. The anger is fairly oozing from your pours. What say you tell me what's really eating at you?"

Edward sighed, dropping his arm back to his side. "How am I ever to win a duel?" He paced in his agitation. "Any man I meet will be bigger, stronger, more experienced than I!"

Hornigold eyed him speculatively. "Ye'll grow larger," he said gently. "In the meantime, use the skills you already possess."

"What skills might those be, pray tell?"

"You're smart," Hornigold said simply. "You've more brains than half my men. Use your cleverness to your advantage. Outsmart your opponent, and use his impression of you to your advantage. Show no fear; convince your opponent he should fear you."

"So I'm to play a role?" Edward asked, canting his head to the side, intrigued in spite of himself.

"Aye," Hornigold said with a nod of the head. "I've told you before a man's reputation is his bond. You've the opportunity now to build for yourself the reputation you wish. You want to be one of the most feared pirates on the high seas? Ascertain what you have within yourself that will frighten your opponents. Use it; play it up; make it the object of hushed conversation in sea-port pubs."

Before Edward could continue the conversation, he and Hornigold were interrupted by the first mate.

"Captain," the man said, "a merchant vessel has been spotted off the starboard bow."

Hornigold snapped to attention. "From whence does it hale?"

"It clearly flies Agrabah's flag."

Hornigold laughed and rubbed his hands together. "Agrabah!" he said gleefully. "Our fortunes are made!"

"What's so important about Agrabah?" Edward asked as he hurried to the starboard side. Hornigold pulled his spyglass from his pocket, put it to his eye, and peered at the vessel Edward could only barely make out in the distance. Hornigold whooped, throwing his fist in the air before turning back to Edward.

"They are huge in the spice trade, lad," Hornigold said. "Once we've relieved them of their cargo, we'll be flush for the remainder of the year!"

"There is a problem, Captain," the burly first mate said.

Hornigold stopped abruptly and turned toward his right hand man. "And what might that be?"

The first mate pointed one knobby finger toward the west. "Squall coming up. Looks to be a doozy."

"Perfect!" Hornigold said jubilantly. "Keep the ship in our sights but remain out of plain sight. We wait for the storm and then attack."

"Aye, aye Captain," the first mate said and then rushed off to fulfill his orders.

"We sail into the storm?" Edward asked incredulously. It was bloody madness!

"Aye, lad," Hornigold said, handing Edward a vest with pockets for all weapons imaginable. "Return to the armory. Arm yourself heavily; all pockets filled. Then, meet me back here."

Hornigold turned away, but Edward dared stop him with a hand to his arm. "Forgive me, captain," he said in a deferential voice, "but might you tell me why we wait for the storm before attacking the Agrabah vessel?"

To Edward's relief, the older man seemed unruffled by the question. "It's a risky strategy, to be sure," he acknowledged, "but one that has borne results in the past. A ship focused on an incoming squall is easy prey. And beyond that, such a daring move can only bolster our image."

Edward nodded. "Very well," he answered. "I've but one question left."

"And what's that, my boy."

Edward shifted his eyes to the side. "I've never killed a man before. I…I'm not sure I'll be capable of doing so."

Hornigold gave him a quick, speculative look. "With any luck, lad, you'll not have to find out this day."

Edward's eyes widened. "You don't plan to put the captain and his crew to the sword?"

Hornigold shook his head deliberately. "Not unless they give us no other choice," he answered gravely. "Human life is a precious thing and I don't take it lightly. If our opponents surrender willingly, they'll suffer no more harm than the loss of their cargo."

"But Captain," Edward said, "all the stories...you're known as a terror, a butcher. You're feared because of your very viciousness!"

Hornigold smiled grimly. "And I've worked hard to cultivate that image. Little actual violence needs be done when ones adversaries are already convinced of your daring and ruthlessness."

"But, this is my first sea battle," Edward continued. "How will I know what to do?"

Hornigold clapped him on the shoulder. "Stick with me, lad and follow your instincts. Neither one will lead you astray."

Adrenaline pumping through his system, Edward rushed off, thoroughly armed himself and rushed back to deck. As the black clouds steadily advanced, marking the approach of the coming storm, his excitement mounted. His first act of piracy! He vowed then and there that today would be a day his victims remembered for the rest of their lives!

Storybrooke, the Charmings' flat, present day

David rolled over intending to throw an arm around his sleeping wife…only his arm encountered nothing but empty sheets. He sat up, looked around the darkened bedroom, illuminated only by the digital display of their alarm clock. 11:23.

Mary Margaret quietly opened the door, tiptoed across the room, and settled back into the bed. David settled her within his embrace and softly kissed her neck. She reached down and laced her hand with his, settling it on her softly rounded belly.

"I'm sorry I woke you," she whispered.

He kissed her again. "Don't worry about it. Everything okay?"

She sighed and then nodded, her short hair tickling his chin with the movement. "I'm fine. It's just that I'm convinced your son's favorite nighttime activity is tap dancing on my bladder."

David chuckled and gently rubbed her belly. He felt a swift kick against his hand. Bending down, he kissed his wife's abdomen. "Now listen to me, little man," he said. "We need to have a serious discussion about the proper way to treat your mother….Don't kick me when I'm talking to you, young man!"

Mary Margaret giggled, then dragged him up for a soft, gentle kiss. "David, you really think our son is going to be any quicker to listen to you than our daughter?"

David laughed against her lips. "Probably not. We specialize at making strong-willed, independent babies."

"Is it surprising considering who their parents are?"

"No, I suppose not."

They fell into a peaceful silence for several moments, and David started to drift back to sleep.

"It was a beautiful wedding, wasn't it?" Mary Margaret asked, shifting to lay her head against his chest.

One arm crooked beneath his head, the other wrapped protectively around his wife and baby. He nodded. "You did a great job, Snow. Everything went off flawlessly."

"It wasn't me," she insisted. "Those were just things, details. It was her. She was radiant, beaming with joy."

David smiled. "I've never seen our daughter looking that incredibly happy. A year and a half ago I never would have believed I'd be saying this, but I'm glad Killian came into her life."

Mary Margaret laughed softly. "Captain Hook! Our daughter is married to Captain freaking Hook!"

"Infamous terror of the high seas. Womanizer extraordinaire," David said.

"We certainly misjudged him. Who would have thought such a scoundrel could have such a big heart, such a capacity for selfless true love?"

David stared at the ceiling, deep in thought. "I'm not sure we did misjudge him…as he was when we first met. He was in a committed relationship with the darkness back then. She changed him."

"Yeah," Mary Margaret said, nodding against his chest, "but he changed her too. He brought the smile back to her face. He broke down the wall she had built around her heart."

"Any idea where they're heading on their honeymoon?"

"Not a clue," Mary Margaret answered. "Killian wanted to keep it a secret. Didn't want anyone dropping in on them, ruining their trip with news of villains or curses or kidnappings, or…"

"Can't blame him there," David said with a smile. "They deserve their two weeks away from the craziness that is Storybrooke."

A knock sounded at the front door. David looked over at the clock. 11:47. What in the world?

"Who could that be at this time of night?" Mary Margaret asked.

"I don't know, but I guess I'd better go find out," David said, hopping from the bed and throwing a white tee-shirt over his bare chest. He heard the creek of the bed as his wife got up as well. Turning on the light in the entryway, David threw the dead bolt, and opened the door.

"Emma!" he said in surprise, "what are you doing here?"

"Hey Dad, Mom," Emma said with a tight smile. "You guys up for another adventure?"

….

Behind her, Emma heard Killian's chuckle at her parents' flabbergasted expressions.

"Care to invite us in, or shall we merely have this conversation in the doorway?" her husband asked in a deep, amused voice.

David shook his head confusedly and then stepped aside. "Of course," he said, "go ahead and come in…all of you."

Emma filed in, followed by Killian and Gold and Belle. Regina brought up the rear.

"Are you hungry?" Mary Margaret asked, heading toward the kitchen. "I can whip something up if you want."

Her mother certainly had this whole "mom" thing figured out!

"Uh…no thanks, Mom."

"Well," Mary Margaret said, clearly at a loss, "um, how about we all settle into the living room, and you can explain to us why you're spending your wedding night with us."

They walked in, choosing seats in the cramped space of the flat. Regina sneered as she passed David. "Nice pajamas, Charming."

Emma looked at what her father was wearing, and had to stifle a laugh. His pajama pants sported cartoon drawings of the seven dwarfs.

"So," her father said once everyone was settled, "what's this all about?"

Within moments they'd laid out the whole convoluted story before her parents.

"And so," Regina said in conclusion. "We need your help. We can't get back to the Enchanted Forest without you."

Her parents looked stunned. For long moments the entire group sat in silence. Killian draped a comforting arm around her shoulders. She reached up and threaded her fingers with his. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

Regina looked at the ground. "Look," she said uncomfortably, "I know this is asking a lot, especially with the baby and all…" She looked up, and the naked anguish in her eyes fairly took Emma's breath away. "And I know our relationship has been…rocky at best…but I can't just leave Robin and Roland to their fate. It broke my heart to lose them the first time when we had to leave them six months ago, but I honestly think it would kill me to be stuck in Storybrooke when they need me…when I know what could happen to them."

Mary Margaret got up from her seat beside David, and went to Regina. Leaning down, she gave the other woman a warm hug. "Regina, of course, we'll help you in any way we can."

"You're sure this letter is authentic?" David asked. "It really comes from Little John? You're sure it's not just some ruse to get us all back to the Enchanted Forest to…I don't know…ambush us?"

"Well, I'm here, aren't I, Dearie?" Gold interjected. "Do you really think I'd consent to go on a wild goose chase? I'm not exactly the 'help people out of the kindness of my heart' type."

"So you do think it's authentic?" David persisted.

"Yeah," Belle answered, from her perch on the arm of Gold's chair, "we do. And even if there's some doubt…are we really willing to take that chance? A little boy's life might be in danger."

Emma watched as her parents shared a significant look. Finally they both nodded and turned back to the group. "Alright. Just give us a chance to get dressed and we're in."

They waited. Regina began to pace. This really was eating at her.

"Don't worry, Regina," Emma said bracingly. "This is going to work. We're going to get back there. The son of a bitch who did this won't know what hit him."

Emma's words seemed to hit their mark. Regina stopped her pacing, took a deep breath, and turned toward her, a resolved look on her face.

"Damn straight!" she said. "He better watch his back. I'm going to kick his ass all the way from here to Oz."

"That's the spirit, love," Killian said.

David and Mary Margaret came back, dressed and ready to go. Here it was; the moment of truth. If even Snow White and Prince Charming's true love wasn't strong enough to open a portal, Emma didn't know what they would do.

Gold directed everyone forward. Emma grasped the trident, felt Killian place his hand on her shoulder, and closed her eyes. She focused all her attention on the task before them. She pictured the Enchanted Forest, pictured Robin and little Roland needing help, felt the love flowing into her from her husband—and hers flowing back into him. A warm, rushing feeling came over her, and despite her closed eyelids, she saw a bright white flash of light fill her parents' flat.

Emma heard a gasp, and opened her eyes to see a huge, swirling vortex where her parents' living room floor used to be.

"It worked," Killian breathed behind her.

Emma turned around and wrapped her arms around Killian. "Well, here we go."

Arms wrapped around each other, Emma and Killian jumped, and felt the light, weightless sensation of falling. A moment later, they dropped to the damp ground. Killian twisted, taking the impact on himself, and Emma's fall was cushioned by his body.

Pushing awkwardly to a seated position, Emma looked around her. Her parents, the Golds, Regina were slowly sitting up, looking around them as well.

Emma got to her feet and offered a hand to her husband. "Killian, we've got to start looking for a different mode of transportation."

He grinned, rubbing at his arm which had come into hard contact with a tree root. "You'll get no argument from me love."

Emma looked around one more time, noted the trees, the dirt road, the stars in the sky. There was no doubt about it. This place couldn't be anywhere but the Enchanted Forest. They'd made it.

Notes:

-And with that, they've made it back to the Enchanted Forest. The first objective has been met. Now all they have to do is figure out what's going on, figure out who the villains are, defeat them, find Robin, rescue Roland, and restore peace and harmony to the realm. :-)

-Up next: Ursula's magic is definitely weakening, and it's putting a cramp in her style. How's a girl supposed to enjoy her cushy life and all her luxuries when her slaves may soon be able to break free? Something must be done. She employs a couple of her (well-known to those familiar to the movie) sycophants to scout out Triton's kingdom to find out 1. What's blocking her magic? 2. How might she get it back? In the Enchanted Forest, present day, the gang seeks out the merry men to find out just what's been going on, Regina learns some rather distressing news about Robin, and everyone beds down for the night around one of the Merry Men's campfires. .