Good Form - Chapter 7

—

Killian smiled at the former Queen and stretched out his hand, purposely showing off the wristband that Majo had enchanted.

"Where did you get that? It belonged to my mother," the former Queen demanded.

"Yes," Killian told her, "Well, she enchanted it so I could climb the beanstalk in our world. She, uh-"

"I don't care why she gave it to you. It was hers, and I want it back."

Majo had to hide a smirk as Regina did exactly what they wanted her to do.

"You plan to blow this town off the map, and you're worried about a scrap of cowhide?" Killian asked which, of course, made her want to have it more.

"She was my mother."

"Well, she was my friend."

"Hardly."

For once, Majo had to agree with Regina.

"Oh," Killian frowned mockingly and then held out his hand for her.

She took off the wristband and put it in her coat pocket. "Now follow me closely."

They came into a cave with a large cliff and Majo couldn't help but comment, "Precarious. Couldn't you have just hidden the trigger in the back of your wardrobe?"

Regina chuckled, "It had to be both well-hidden and well-guarded. I put it somewhere no one would ever think I'd go."

Killian looked around, "You know, you say well-guarded..." he turned his head towards the former Queen. "Who's guarding it?"

"A friend. She's been through a lot. There's a powerful spell here that sustains her in...whatever form she's in. In fact, Hook, she's the reason why this is a two-man job," she looked at Majo, "or three-man."

"And what exactly am I here to do?"

"I'll get the trigger," Regina said. "And you? Well...You're the distraction."

"What?" Killian asked.

With a snap of her fingers, Majo fell unconscious and as Killian went to walk over to them, Regina waved her hands and both pirates fell off the cliff.

—

With a groan, Majo awoke and noticed that they were lying on cold rocks. Killian was in front of them and she quickly jumped up, black spots clouding her vision.

"Where is this guardian thing?" they asked, casting a light spell on their hand to illuminate the cave.

Killian chuckled, "You missed out on all the fun."

The warlock checked Killian over for wounds with their magic. His leg and his ribs had been broken again. With a sigh, she healed him.

"Let's go capture the Evil Queen."

"Aye, hopefully, she put on the wristband by now."

Majo nodded and teleported the two of them into the library again.

As Regina stepped out of the elevator, she was shocked to see the two pirates standing there. "How?"

"Startling, aren't I? Some people say striking," Killian teased.

"You couldn't have survived that."

Killian smirked, "Well, you should know by now the one thing we excel at is surviving. The amazing thing is, you almost had us. All that stuff about a fresh, clean start, just killing 'em and movin' on...It kinda touched us. For a moment there, I thought we had a real connection. And honestly, we almost put a stop to our plan."

"Your plan?"

"Well, their plan," Majo shrugged, "but we liked it."

Killian added, "And it did save me from that wretched...whatever Maleficent is."

The door opened and Killian pointed towards Greg and his girlfriend Tamara, "Do you, uh, know these two? Well, they have a way with magic. Or should I say, a way against magic."

"Enough of this," Regina said and waved her hand as if to create a fireball, but nothing happened.

"Yeah, sorry. That's not gonna work." Greg said. "Not anymore."

Regina looked at her arm, where she was now wearing the wristband. "The cuff. You gave me this."

"No, you rather insisted," Killian retorted.

"You knew I would want it."

"True," Majo said, "and I wished you'd have put it on sooner."

Killian and Majo moved back as Tamara and Greg stepped in front of Regina to gloat about their plan.

Tamara got out a list, "Which one was she?"

Greg looked at his girlfriend. "Uh, she was the-the Queen. The Evil Queen."

"Yes. I was...the Queen."

"But now...here...you're nothing," Greg said.

"And what are you?"

"I'm-I'm just a man- a man on a mission."

Regina smirked. "And all this just to try to find your father. I already told you, I don't know where-"

"Yes, you do. But that's not my mission."

Majo looked confused and Regina asked, "Then what is?"

Greg smirked, "I'm not telling you. Bag her."

And with that, Tamara pulled a bag over the Queen's head.

—

Regina was strapped to a table with Majo and Killian standing next to it.

"Whatever they're offering you, it's not worth it," Regina told the pirates.

"Well, considering they're offering to have us kill Rumplestiltskin, I'd say it is," Killian said.

"And you actually trust them?" Regina chuckled, "You don't even know who you're working for."

Greg came in with some electronic stuff Majo didn't know. "Good Morning, Regina."

"This part of your mission?"

"No," Greg said, "No, this is- this is personal. See, this...is about my father."

"I already told you, he left town."

Greg was sticking strange things to the former queen's head. "Yet he never came to find his only son. Hook, uh, would you mind lending me a hand? And..." he chuckled, "preferably your good one."

"Sorry, mate. Gonna have to say no. When you're interested in killing Rumplestiltskin and not torturing the Queen, find me." Killian said and he and Majo left the room.

—

Majo and Killian followed Greg and Tamara through the mines.

"It's just ahead," Greg said.

"You sure whoever's in charge of you guys doesn't want you to die in a mine collapse?" Majo asked.

"Just keep moving," Tamara told the warlock.

Killian turned to the woman. "Who is telling you what to do?"

"You know what?" Greg said, "That's not your concern. It's not ours, either."

"Not your concern?" Majo asked. "So you're telling me you don't know who commands you?"

Tamara sighed, "Unlike you, Marjorie, we believe in something. We have faith in the sacredness of our cause."

Majo's cat eyes shone through the glamour. "I'd be careful with what you say, mundane."

Tamara took a step back and was clever enough to shut up.

—

"We're here," Greg said, looking at a bunch of pickaxes.

"So your sacred cause is pilfering a dwarf's pickaxe?" Killian asked.

"Regina..." Tamara said. "Had this in her pocket when you turned her over to us," she held up a dark stone.

"It's a trigger," Greg explained, "and this axe, according to our people, is what activates it."

Killian looked doubtful. "You're going to destroy an entire town and kill everyone in it..."

"Yeah, including your enemy."

"Rumplestiltskin won't be immune to this?"

Tamara looked at the Captain. "None of your kind will be. Once this thing gets activated, nothing can shut it off."

Killian didn't look very happy and Greg continued, "This whole town will revert to the forest it was. So tell us, pirates, we're willing to die for our cause. Are you willing to die for yours?"

"Absolutely," Killian lied.

The couple smirked at each other and Tamara placed the dark brown stone on the floor.

Greg breathed heavily and with a grunt, he brought down the pickaxe on the stone which started glowing and began to float in the air with a humming sound.

A bright blue light emitted from it and blinded Majo, who quickly tried to shield their eyes with her arms.

The light dimmed a bit and the four people started walking out of the mines.

—

"What now?" Majo asked her Captain.

"I say we go visit the Charmings and try to get out of this alive."

—

"-I don't wanna lose anyone else." the pirates heard Henry say as they walked into the open door of the Charmings' apartment.

"From the mouth of babes. I'd say the lad has a point," Killian said and was promptly punched in the face by Prince Charming himself.

"That's for the last time we met," Charming said.

Majo gave Killian a look.

"Bloody hell," was the Captain's only comment.

The blond pulled his gun, "And tell us why you're here before I use something else other than my fist."

Majo raised an eyebrow.

"I think threatening to kill me is a bit redundant when we're all about to die anyway," Killian replied.

"No thanks to you," Emma said, "Regina told us you were working with Tamara and Greg to get your revenge."

Majo looked at the saviour. "Well, that was before they told us he had to die to get it." She nodded towards Killian.

"You mean, you both," Emma said.

The warlock shook their head. "Just like Henry, I was born here."

Emma shook her head, "We don't have time for this. We have a real problem."

Killian looked at the blonde, "Which is why we're here, 'cause staring death in the face has made me realize if there's one thing we want more than our revenge, it's our lives. So should we stop this thing now and then resume bickering?"

"There is no stopping it," Regina denied, stepping forwards, "And the best thing I can do is slow it down, but that will only delay the inevitable."

"It'll give us the time we need," Charming said.

Snow looked at her husband. "The time for what?"

"Steal back the beans. Use them to get everyone back into the enchanted forest before Storybrooke is gone."

Emma turned to her father, "How? We don't know where Greg and Tamara are."

"Well, we do. We can help," Killian told them. "I'll bring you to them."

"Help yourself. You'll take them and leave us all behind. Why should we trust you?"

"No, we won't have to," Charming said to his daughter. "I'll go with him. If he tries anything, I'll shoot him in the face."

Majo was about to step in front of Killian but the Captain held her back. "Quite hostile, aren't we?"

"Just being clear."

Emma spoke up. "I'll take Regina to slow down the diamond, give you guys some time. Mary Margaret, take Henry. Gather everyone. Make sure they're ready to go as soon as we have those beans."

Regina said something to Henry and Majo pulled Charming aside. "If anything happens to Killian while he's with you. I will kill you."

"What happened to you? All those years ago, you saved my life. What changed?"

Majo ignored his questions, "Just being clear."

—

Majo had been sitting in Granny's waiting for Killian's return. They didn't know how this would end and she wasn't sure what she would do if Killian were to die. They had been sailing the seas together since his brother got that godawful order from their king.

If he were to die, they would become Captain of a ship that would probably be destroyed and most importantly, her closest friend would be gone forever. The only other family she had was the brother they hadn't seen for hundreds of years.

"We have the beans." came Charming's voice suddenly.

Majo walked over to Killian. "You okay?"

Her Captain nodded and the two turned to Henry who asked Emma: "W-Where's my mom?"

"Regina can hold off the self-destruct device long enough for us to escape, but..."

"But what?" the boy asked.

"She won't survive."

The boy looked at her with wide eyes. "No. No."

"Henry, I'm sorry. I promised her I'd get you to safety."

"But we can't do this. She's family. We don't leave family behind."

Emma looked at her son sadly, "I know, but this is what she wants. We have a way out. We have to take it. "

"We saved her from being killed by the wraith. How is this any different?"

"The wraith," Snow said.

"What?" Emma asked.

"We sent it through a portal. Why can't we do the same thing with the self-destruct?"

Emma looked at her mother in doubt, "Because we don't know if it's going to work."

"It could."

"Yeah," her husband agreed with her.

"It's too risky. No one will go along with it."

"Yes, we will," Someone Majo didn't know said. "Because it's the right thing to do. Look, Snow White and the Prince have always led us before, and we've always won. So...who's willing to let them lead us again?"

"You can count on us." "Me" "I am" "Always" could be heard everywhere.

Snow turned to the man that had held the little speech, "Thank You, Archie. Oh, this is what we should do."

"And will do," Charming added.

"I know we haven't had a lot of chances to be parents, but give us this one. Let us do the right thing. It's not too late."

Emma took her son in her arms. "I just don't want him to be alone. I just don't want him to grow up the way I did."

—

Many Years Before

"If there is one thing that won't be tolerated aboard this ship, it's bad form," Majo heard a man say before he threw a drinking flask into the ocean.

"My ship has never been in finer hands," Liam Jones said next to Majo as they boarded the ship.

"Aye, Captain. We stand ready to receive the King's orders," the man nodded.

The Captain looked around, "To your stations!"

A lot of "Aye!"s were heard as the crewmen left the line up they had been standing in.

The two men in front of Majo shook hands and then walked along the Main Deck.

"When the King summoned me, I knew there was only one man I could trust to navigate this difficult journey–my little brother," the Captain said.

The other man sighed as they walked onto the quarterdeck, "Perhaps you mean younger brother."

Liam Jones pulled a golden thing, that Majo had no idea of, out of a satchel and showed it to his brother, "A gift to commemorate our latest voyage together."

"A sextant. You always were the sentimental type."

"Look closer, brother." They continued to talk and Majo grew bored of their conversation so they walked to one side of the ship. As it started to sail out into the ocean, Majo smiled.

Their brother had told them about a few of his adventures and Majo had dreamed of going on one herself, she was just too scared to leave her home behind but now, now they might as well make their life an adventure.

—

"What is that?" the Captain's brother asked as the crew let down the pegasus sail.

"The reason why I'm on board," Majo replied, scaring the man as he hadn't heard her approaching him, "A sail, woven from the last remaining feathers of the pegasus."

"Legend has it that horse could fly."

"Indeed," Liam nodded. "So can we. Hang on!"

And really, the ship lifted off the ocean and flew through the air.

The crew laughed in joy.

"Who are you?" the Lieutenant asked.

"Majo Bane," the warlock smiled, watching the joy on the crew's faces.

The man looked at his brother who nodded. "Killian Jones," he introduced himself.