Chapter 18: Intervention

In which Henry is put in an awkward position, Neal considers his options, and Belle and Daniel conduct a search.

"We're so sorry to do this Henry, but you might be the only one who can get through to her. Emma needs a reality check. She has to stop this feud against Blue or things could get seriously out of control."

Henry listened to his grandparents. They seemed to think that he could get his mom to stop with her ridiculous feud. Henry already knows that it won't work. Emma doesn't listen to anyone these days, so why should she listen to him? "Here's what we'll do…" His grandfather whispered and Henry leant in to catch every word that he was saying.

Ever since he made his discovery Neal has been looking for the dagger. Ralph must have hidden it somewhere! He doesn't know what to think of it. It would explain the strange connection he feels between himself and Ralph. Perhaps they recognize something in each other because of a similar background and heritage. During the day, at every possible moment he searches, during the night, at every waking moment he puzzles on the mystery.

How can the dagger be here? In this world? Does that mean his father is here somewhere as well? Where is Ralph from? Is he a loner: did he come here alone? How did he came to possess it? The questions do not have an answer, and Baelfire is disheartened.

A small part of him longs to see his father again. Living in this world for quite a while, living in Neverland for a very long time, has taught him the importance of power, of might, of money. His young teenage self had been quick to judge his father, but his older and cynical self would not judge so easily. The abandonment had left it's traces—and deep they were— but he could understand his father's reasoning far better. The fear of losing his power, being hopeless once more…

The following morning, Ralph gives him the day off, unexpectedly. Neal decides to follow Ralph as he heads out into the woods. He appears to be hunting, and is successful at most attempts. When Ralph has taken his prey to a hunting shed to skin the animals, Neal takes a closer look…

Inside the cabin, Ralph is whistling a song about reindeer. Neal takes a furtive glimpse through a crack in the wooden beams. The dagger in Ralph's hand is glistening and with narrowed eyes Neal can make out the word on the hilt: Radolph. He holds his breath in shock and wonders how to proceed next. Should he try to overpower him? Does the Dark One possess strength in this world without magic?

Henry has taken his mother for a hike. Emma is fuming and ranting about the Blue Fairy and Henry worries that the plan will not work.

"Mom," he said shyly, "Don't you think that… perhaps… you could be wrong about this?"

Emma glared at him. "Not you too, Henry! You've been talking to Mary Margaret, haven't you?"

He nodded. "Yes, but… maybe, you could try and look at things differently. Look, you didn't believe me at first with the fairy tales but it was true, wasn't it?"

"Henry, it has nothing to do with you and I'd hate for us to have an argument over this! It's all about who they trust the most! Me or…. Or her!"

Henry fell silent. This was exactly what his grandparents had told him: that Emma's judgement was clouded by her new-found anger and mistrust towards her parents. She needed to pick a fight over something and Blue was the subject…

"Look there's the cabin where grandpa was held… Do you want to take a look inside?" Henry managed to sound innocently, knowing full well what will happen when they pass the threshold.

"I don't know… David had a terrible ordeal there… and I couldn't save him…" Emma's wounded pride showed only too clearly.

"Maybe that's why it would be good to go…" Henry looked up to persuade her.

"Aren't you the little therapist…" Emma gave him a pat on his head. "I suppose you're right. Fight the demons head on…"

She briskly walked towards the hunting cabin, Henry following two steps behind her. As she entered the shed, she noticed she wasn't the only one there.

"Hello Emma." The Blue Fairy stood right in front of her as David closed the door behind Henry. Mary Margaret stood beside him.

"I'm glad you came," she said to her daughter.

"Henry, what's this? What have you done?" Emma shouted at him, wanting to run away, but her parents blocked the door.

"Emma, we really need to talk," her father said.

"Emma, you really need to listen," Blue began.

Daniel and Belle were turning Rumple's house upside down.

"I believe he had a lantern…, a stake, and a harp, just like you said."

"This was before you left him?" Daniel asked.

"Yes, right before I left him… I was so angry that he couldn't stop using magic and I had already given him an ultimatum several times, so I left. He just couldn't choose me. He could never choose me." She began to sob.

"But then you came back quite soon after…"

"Yes, I did. I was at Granny's and I suddenly changed my mind. Out of the blue, just like that!"

"A bit strange, don't you think?" Daniel insisted on getting to the bottom of this.

"Yes, and it was the same evening that you…" Belle bit her lip.

"That I awoke in a glass covered coffin in this new world."

"And Regina was there minutes later and found you, which means that she knew you would become alive again!" Belle continued.

"Yes, exactly! I was too baffled and relieved to see her and totally astonished at everything that I didn't realize how very odd it was. But later, I began considering the implications… And all the things I heard about her…. She sounded more and more like Cora."

Daniel sadly shook his head. "To think that my Regina became like this. She was so sweet when we were together, but now. It's horrible how she's turned out!"

"Here's another box… I think.., yes, yes! Daniel, I've found it!"

Triumphantly Belle showed him the harp in one hand and the lantern in the other. "This must be it! A harp with three strings. An enchanted artefact."

"And one who has cursed us…holds power over us. Has us enchained!" Daniel said with gritted teeth. "We'll have to break it, set it alight, do something to destroy it."

"That could be very dangerous though… What if we die?" Belle suddenly wanted to back out.

"I've been dead before. It's better than this life!" Daniel was determined to see it done.

"Wait, wait… Perhaps we could…" Belle took a pair of scissors from a nearby table. With trembling hands she took one of the strings in her hand. The black one. A quick snap and the string was broken. Belle looked at Daniel. "Do you feel anything?"

"Nothing, nothing at all."

"Good. I think." She plucked at the red string and ended with the white. "I hope this will have some effect."

"I'm not sensing any difference…"

"Neither am I," she replied.

Regina and Rumple however...