Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Thirty-Five

Meanwhile…

Shortly after Emma fell under the effects of the dream root so the Savior could enter into her son's dreams, Alice nervously approached Regina as she continued to stand over her friends long enough to make sure they were as okay as Lila assured her and David they were. The brothers' mother glanced over at her oldest son while he watched on from where he was once again standing against the wall, then finally she caught Regina's attention and motioned for her to join her a moment so they could talk in private. Lila took her place and sat in the chair across from where David still stood in the chair closest to his daughter.

"I apologize for pulling you away, but I was hoping you and I could take a few minutes to talk," the older woman whispered to her once they reached the doorway. "It's somewhat of a private matter, which I doubt is known to any of your friends and I don't wish to bring it up in front of them in case I'm right."

"Is it so important that we have to talk about whatever it is right now?" Regina then asked, skeptical of Alice's motives just like Emma was.

Alice let out a quiet sigh in frustration and then continued, "Your friends are looking after my son. And so is his brother. Please… It's about Killian's and Liam's father. I know about your role in his death. I think it's important that we talk about this. But outside. I don't want Liam to know."

The Queen looked over at the oldest of the Jones brothers as well, then looked between her friends and Robin, before she finally turned back to face Alice again while she answered, "I suppose you're right. We should talk."

"Okay, we're outside and away from anyone who might want to listen in on our conversation we're about to have," Regina uttered curtly once they were outside and had left the safety of the protections she had helped put in place along with Tinker Bell, until her countenance softened to reveal sympathy and remorse. "You're right… they don't know about what I've done. But not because I was trying to keep this secret from them to protect myself. I kept it a secret because Hook asked me to never speak of it again to anyone. Not ever. I am going back on my word by talking about to you now. However, I doubt you're going to let this go if I didn't. So, here I am. I know this might not mean much to you right now, but the truth is… I am sorry for provoking your youngest into killing his father. It was wrong and I do deeply regret it."

"I appreciate that, Your Majesty," the other woman replied with a small sense of sincerity behind her words, until Regina's instincts began to tell her there was more to their reason for talking than just to clear the air between them. "Honestly, I know as well as you do that their father wasn't undeserving of the punishment he brought upon himself. I just wish it hadn't been by Killian's hands. However, I'm afraid that's not the only reason why we're out here. I'm so sorry…"

Before Regina had the chance to acknowledge Alice's trap she had lured her into, both Cruella and an enemy who wore David's face, whom the Queen immediately realized was the Prince's identical twin, stepped out from the trees behind her where they hid under the cover of the woods while the two women spoke until Alice apologized to her, then they quickly grabbed hold of the hero before Regina could attempt to lash out against them with her magic. While their hold on her was firm as she struggled against them, she immediately screamed Robin's name.

With his bow and quiver in hand while he quickly readied himself for the fight that had found them, the archer ran from the cottage upon hearing Regina's cry, followed closely by Graham, August, Tinker Bell, Grumpy, Smee, and Liam who were all also armed, except for the older of the Jones brothers, who quickly rushed over to his mother to help her and get her back inside, while David and Lila remained inside to protect Emma and Hook.

When he saw the woman he loved was being held by James and Cruella, neither of whom he'd met or even knew about other than from the stories about the dog hater he'd been told from when he'd been away in New York, then watched as the evil twin suddenly struck her across the back of her head to knock her out cold, Robin immediately cried out, "Regina!"

Robin took aim and fired an arrow directly at James' back to try to stop them as the two villains started to drag Regina off, only the projectile did nothing more than stick out of him until he pulled it out, then glanced back at the archer and the others while he said smugly, "Your weapons can't harm those who are already dead. However, luckily we can harm you."

"Robin… hold on!" Graham shouted when all of a sudden, one of Hades' creatures from this world known as a fury swooped down to attack his friend from behind, until the Huntsman fired his own arrow at its head to kill it before it could harm his friend. "You can't help Regina now!"

"I have to!" Robin retorted angrily, until a swarm of the winged creatures appeared above them and flew down to attack each of the heroes who came out to help their friends.

However, he kept on after James and Cruella until he caught up to them before they could get away, while the rest of his friends all fought against the furies the best they could. His determination to save Regina surprised Cruella when the archer swiftly appeared behind them as he struck the evil woman with his bow from behind, then continued to fight against the Prince in hand to hand combat, causing the villains to drop Regina in the ground.

Unfortunately, the fight didn't last long before three more furies swooped down and carried both Regina and Robin away to wherever James and Cruella were meant to take the former Evil Queen, then James just ran, leaving Cruella behind when Tinker Bell appeared in front of her. Cruella glared at her for only a couple of seconds before the fairy swiftly blew pixie dust into the villainess' face, causing her to fall to the ground upon losing consciousness. She took out a few more of the creatures using a dagger she carried with her, then rushed back to continue to help her friends.

By the time the battle was finished and the remainder of the furies were either killed or had flown off, Regina and Robin weren't the only ones who'd been taken by the winged creatures. August, Leroy, and Smee had all been taken captive as well despite their fighting efforts. There were just too many of them, as the heroes had been heavily outnumbered.

After those who remained safe walked back inside the cottage, including Tink who dragged Cruella in with her, Lila rushed into Graham's arms, relieved to see that he was mostly alright aside from a large gash across his forehead from the fight, while David looked between them, Liam and Alice too, as he questioned, "What just happened out there? How did Hades find us?"

The villainess among them chortled until Graham swiftly raised one of his knives to her throat, then spoke coldly saying, "We may not be able to kill you or even hurt you, but we can still make your own captivity here with us unpleasant unless you talk. What do you know? Why did you come here for Regina? For Hades?"

"Of course it was for Hades, darling," the vile woman responded to them haughtily. "No one does things around here without Hades either issuing the order, or without him knowing about what we've done on our own, which we would then be punished for doing later. As for why he wanted Her Majesty, I've no idea. He told us to come here and to bring her in. That's all I know. Oh… and you have Pan to thank for his finding out where you heroes were hiding. But the trap, however…"

"The trap was because of me," Alice suddenly admitted before Cruella could call her out first, then looked over at her oldest and saw the confusion on his face upon hearing her confession. "I'm so sorry. I didn't want to, but Hades came to me earlier while I was drawing water from the brook. He needs Regina's help with something. Something involving Hades finding another way to restart his heart and an old romance. I have no idea what he meant. But he promised he wouldn't hurt her. Regina… I mean."

Tinker Bell angrily retorted, "You'll forgive us if that isn't very comforting. Hades is nothing but a liar and a monster. You've seen what he's done to your son. How can you even think he won't do the same thing to our friends?"

Liam looked between those surrounding him and his mother, then turned back to her as he asked sadly, "He threatened me and Killian… didn't he? That's why you did this?"

"I had no choice," Alice answered him with remorse, purposefully leaving out the rest of the story between her and the deity. "I couldn't let him harm you or Killian any more than he already has. Again… I'm sorry."

"While we don't condone what you've done, we do understand," David replied and looked back at his daughter and friend still lying unconscious before turning back to the rest of their friends still with them. "We need to find them, while someone stays here to protect Emma and Hook."

Lila glanced at Cruella and smiled, then responded, "I think I've got a way we can do both."

The good Prince turned to the witch and stated, "Tell us your plan."