Part 9

The Rescue

Snow White rolled over on the filthy wooden deck and tried not to vomit. The smell of rum filled the air and the rolling of the waves cast her and the ship around. Her vision was blurred and her head felt heavy, grasping her arms tightly over her aching ribs, she crawled to the nearest wall and slumped her back against it. Glancing around warily she touched her tied hands to the bruise on her head then tenderly to the split in her lip.

Damn, she thought. I wonder if Henry or Emma is here somewhere. If they are I need to find them.

She inhaled deeply digging down to find the last speck of her energy, and staggered to her feet. Looking around the murky room she could hear the faint voices of her captors. She slowed her movements as she listened but just couldn't make out what they were saying, and she needed to get the rough ropes off of her wrists, so she quietly moved across the room looking for anything that would tear the binds off of her.

Mary Margret limped across the shadows of the dark corridor, a smidgen of the moons light cascaded through the ship's small holes in the deck. She barely could make out a bent rusted spike jagging its way through the freeboard. She angled her hands just enough to rub the rope against it. It was uncomfortable and it hurt but she continued to push as hard as she could to make the rope start to fray. Her breathing dwindled softer as she fought against the fatigue and continued to grind at the tight ropes that bound her hands together.

She brought her head up with a jerk, realizing that she almost dozed off. She shook her head vigorously trying to keep her eyes open even though the fuzziness in her head was making it hard. "Charming where are you?" She winced out quietly as she once again fitted her tied hands over the spike.

…

"I'm not letting you go over there alone." James growled standing in the sheriff's way.

"You have no choice, you said it yourself. If he sees anyone other than me he will kill her." She reminded reasonably. "It's my fault she's there."

James dipped his head. "I just got you back."

Emma's exhaled. "He won't hurt me."

"You don't know this man….he is a tyrant he won't hesitate in throwing you over for fish food."

"If he ever wants to see Henry he will not harm me."

"You can't be serious in letting that man see him." He paused. "Plus what is it, why does he want him?"

The blonde rubbed her forehead. "He is Henry's father." She said in a shaky whisper.

Charming stumbled back. "How do you know?" he freaked.

Emma swallowed hard. "Trust me I know." She sighed. "So you see, I kind of have to do this."

He shook his head in disbelief. "You can't."

She squared her shoulders and glared at her father. "Watch me." She hissed and marched past him.

He ran up next to her to try to stop her when unusual howls in the forest beckoned his attention away from his daughter. "What is that?" He wondered taking a quick glance in its direction and turned back to the blonde and noticed she was gone. "Emma!" He shouted.

….

The whites of the moon were now sinking away into the zest of the ocean and now the pinks of dawn were gradually taking its place with dancing sparkles of light flickering off the swell of the tides. The water was ice cold as Emma was about to sink slowly into the frigid water and swim to the boat when a golden flash of light flew across her vision. Her instinct was to swat it away like an annoying fly.

"Hey that's not nice."

The blonde blinked and jumped back. "What the hell?"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Emma spun around trying to find where the very light voice was coming from, and couldn't see a single person. When the voice beckoned her again, "there is another way."

The sheriff rubbed at her ears to see if she was hearing things when she heard a tiny giggle. "Up here." The voice called.

The blonde angled her head up and when she did the sight astounded her. "Whooooaa," she gasped.

"Swan, right? We didn't officially meet. I'm Tinkerbell." The fairy smiled as she floated down right in front of Emma's eyes.

The sheriff jerked back and now flung her hands over her eyes. "This isn't happening, fairies aren't real."

Tinkerbell remained floating in front of the blonde but now crossed her arms over her chest. "Every time someone says I do not believe in fairies, somewhere there's a fairy that falls down dead." She said with a forlorn expression.

Emma slowly peeled her hands away from her eyes to see the golden fairy still there and grimaced. "Sorry, I'm just having a hard time with all of this." She apologized sympathetically.

Tinkerbell made a soft sound of amusement, "still yet?" She asked in a small chuckle.

"Apparently so," Emma murmured her features unusually shaken and unsure as her sight veered to the large ship behind the fairy.

Tinkerbell flew around and gradually landed on the blonde's shoulder and Emma slightly glanced in her direction. "Your mother is okay, I just saw her." She relayed quietly to the sheriff.

"Oh good," she sighed. "I need to get her out of there."

"I know, but don't go swimming in that water." The fairy warned.

"Why?"

"Listen closely." Her tiny voice told her keeping very still on her red leather jacket.

"Is that a clock?" Out of the corner of her eye she saw the fairy nod.

"It is," Tinkerbell agreed, and then added. "A clock inside of a very terrible beast."

The blonde's eyes grew wide. "Well thanks for the warning." Her lips thinned as she looked around the shore trying to find another way on to the ship.

The golden fairy cleared her throat. "You love her don't you?"

The sheriff flinched. "Huh, who?"

"I can feel it," she smiled and her tiny eyes drifted to the ship as well. "Now if you will just recognize it."

"Recognize what?" Emma asked her brow scrunching in annoyance.

"That she is your mother, and you love her."

"She abandoned me." Her lip quivered.

"You know better than that or you wouldn't be here."

The blonde exhaled a defeated sigh then slowly nodded. "It's still hard though…..all of this….. my heart right now is a mess."

"Yes but Miss Swan, love will find its way, a heart will never be truly lost."

Sighing Emma nodded and changed the subject. "So are you here to help and tell me how to get to that big ol' boat over there?"

Tinkerbell darted up and off her shoulder and twirled around then floated right in front of the saviors green eyes. "Faith, trust and…a little pixie dust." She smiled.

The blonde slowly arched her eyebrow up. "I don't have pixie dust."

"You're a princess Miss Swan, it is who you are. So own it and be proud of it."

Emma tried not to roll her eyes. "Uh okay, but this is just all happening so fast."

"Close your eyes and take a deep breath." Tinkerbell said with a confident smile.

"Why?" The sheriff asked under hooded eyes.

"Trust me, my dear."

Shaking her head, why is it that everyone says dear? The blonde thought then did what she asked.

"Can you feel it?"

Emma searched herself. "Feel what?" She wondered when she heard the tiny giggle from the golden fairy again.

"You're flying Miss Swan."

She opened her closed eyes and gasped as she noticed she was indeed floating across the dark sea. But as that realization hit her she began to fall from flight and started her first belly flop toward the cold depths below.

"Close your eyes, relax Miss Swan!" Tinkerbell yelled as she buzzed across Emma's ears.

She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to relax when a warm hand surrounded her bicep. "I think you need a little help."

She barely opened her right eye to see who was keeping her adrift. "Peter?" She breathed as he darted them low and her feet just skimmed across the water.

"Better fly under the radar ma'am" He said with a wink.

Under regular circumstances Emma probably would have screamed or passed out right there, but now as all of this was happening all she could do was try to stay calm and enjoy the ride. I mean it wasn't everyday you were flying with Peter Pan across the ocean and a moon dwindling slowly down in the background. And they were on their way to rescue her mother Snow White from the evil clutches of Captain Hook who was the father of her son.

"So what's the plan?" Peter whispered as they drifted below the ship's port.

"Uh," Emma mumbled. "I was just winging it." She glanced over at the young man and saw the small smile form, and then realized what she said. "Yeah, I guess I walked right into that one. Or should I say flew?"

"Here grab on." He said motioning to the large chain that was attached to the anchor.

The blonde nodded and clenched tightly to the cold steel. "I believe your mother is in the hold just off from the captain's quarters." He relayed in a whisper then flew off before Emma could answer.

"Shit," she hissed quietly. "Like I know where that is?"

"Miss Swan, it's below the quarter deck." Tinkerbell smiled.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Thanks, I think," and began to slowly crawl her way up to peek over the deck.

"The captain and most of his crew are in the Galley." The fairy informed her softly.

The sheriff inhaled deeply. "Here goes nothing." She said and swiftly leaped over the side and landed agilely onto the deck. She took a quick glance around before moving half bent around the mainmast, and toward the hold where they kept Snow. She saw the yellow glow from the tiny fairy and knew she was close when she heard a loud bang and coughing sound right next to her.

She froze with a grimace and ducked along the wall just outside the door. She squatted down trying to make herself very small as the large brawny man walked carelessly by, not showing any interest at all as though she wasn't even there.

She swallowed hard as she fumbled with the door knob realizing it was locked. She grinned knowing there never was a lock she couldn't beat. She gracefully picked at it until it clicked open. Staying low to the ground she slithered into the dark room and closed the door behind her.

On all fours she moved through the smelly room as the dawn now started to peek across the horizon and shone through the small holes. She saw the lone figure lying askew on the cold deck.

"Mary," she whispered pulling the woman into her lap and noticing the raw wrists and the rope that bound them together almost off, she finished what was left and threw it behind her.

The brunette slowly inched her eyes open and focused onto the blonde. A smile slightly emerged through a bruised lip that shook as the tears welled up and fell down her face. "My… my daughter." She trembled as she pulled her into a tight embrace.

"So it's true." Emma shuddered feeling her heart pound against her chest.

Snow sniffed as she drew back. "You found me."

"Yeah I guess it appears that way." The sheriff said her throat tight then found the arms of her mother surrounding her again.

"Finally I get to hold my daughter."

The blonde cringed; she wasn't used to this and pulled away slowly. "Uh yeah, we should get you out of here."

Snow nodded and slowly stood up. "So what's the plan?"

Emma puffed out her cheeks. "A plan?" she muttered as she crept slowly back to the door to listen. "Why do we have to always have a plan?"

Surprised, Snow glanced at her. "You don't have a plan?"

Fumbling around her words the blonde swallowed. "I have a plan." She replied out of sorts leaning her ear against the large wooden door.

"Besides getting us killed?"

Just then the door flung open slamming the blonde right in the head, making her stumble back, and when she peered up she recognized the deep sensual smirk followed by the sparkle in his blue eyes. "Welcome aboard Miss Swan. I've been expecting you."

…