The journey back to the haven felt so much longer than it truly was. Mary Margaret was silent most of the way, still fuming about Lisa accepting the gauntlet and while Lisa herself, mostly stayed in wolf form so she wouldn't have to talk to them. Emma was constantly trying to get either one of them to talk, but neither wanted to at the moment. Lisa tried several times to reconnect with Regina but only received headaches in return. Finally they reached the haven, and the sight before them took their breath away. Everyone was dead.
"We were supposed to be protected here. How did the ogres find us?" Mulan said as they searched for unlikely survivors.
Mary Margaret stopped and examined a body. "Ogres didn't do this. Cora did. Their hearts...they were ripped out. Her magic is twisted and evil. We have to stop her."
"From doing what?" Lisa asked. "They're all already dead."
"Then we have to stop her before she hurts anyone else."
"Look!" Emma called, pointing to where a hand was twitching. "Someone's under there! He's alive." She and Mulan stepped forward to pull the bodies off the man.
"Please don't hurt me." He said.
"Relax." Mary Margaret reassured him. "You're safe with us."
"Apparently he's a blacksmith. Mulan says she's seen him around." Emma said, sitting down next to Lisa, who was perched on top of one of the roofs of the haven huts, watching the newest addition to their group.
"And you believe that?"
"You don't?"
"Cora doesn't leave survivors." Lisa said simply. "She's tricked us before."
"She's tricked us before, but she talked to you. What did she say?" Emma asked.
"She asked me about Regina. I don't know anything about that frustratingly invigorating woman to tell her."
"And that gauntlet hasn't backfired or anything?"
"Obviously...not." She held up her hand for good measure. "Perhaps, we should have a word with our lone survivor, hmm?" Lisa leaped down with ease and Emma had to quickly scramble after her.
"Wait a minute, wolfy. I know you, and 'have a word', usually means eat my fist. Let us try it our way first, then you. Kay?"
Lisa waved her forward. Mary Margaret stepped up to her while Mulan and Emma interrogated the man. "Look, Lisa, I think we need to have a little talk." Lisa raised an eyebrow in a very Regina-like way. "Gods, you need to stop spending time with her."
Lisa smiled. "It's okay, Mary Margaret. I know that you know these lands and these people better than I do, but I have my wolf, and regardless of whether I know what is a threat and what isn't, everything is considered one until proven otherwise, starting with our blacksmith, who is currently lying to Emma."
"You can tell when someone is lying too?"
"I can read signs. Unlike Emma, who listens to the voice, I watch the face."
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Wait! You can't just leave me here!" The blacksmith yelled as Lisa finished tying him to the tree.
"I think that we can." She grunted, wiping off her hands.
"Okay!" He screamed when Emma whistled to the ogres. "My name is Killian. Killian Jones. But you might know me by my more colorful moniker. Hook."
"As in Captain Hook?" Emma asked.
"So you have heard of me. Check my satchel." Mary Margaret did, and pulled out a silver hook.
"Alright, then start talking, unless you wanna be dinner." Lisa commanded.
"Cora wanted me to gain your trust, so I could learn everything there is to know about your Storybrooke. She didn't want any surprises when she finally got over there."
"She can't get there, we destroyed the wardrobe." Mary Margaret said.
"Ah, but the enchantment remains." said Hook. "Cora gathered the ashes, she's gonna use them to open up a portal. Now if you'll kindly cut me loose…" He said, as there was growling in the distance.
"No, we should leave him here, to pay for all the lives he took." Mulan said.
"That wasn't me, that was Cora."
"Let's go." Emma said, turning to leave.
"Wait! You need my help. We both want the same thing, to get back to your land." Hook pleaded. "I arranged for transport with Cora, but seeing how resourceful you are, I'll make the same deal."
"You'll say anything to save yourself right now."
"I'll help you if you promise to take me along."
"And how are you going to do that?" Lisa asked, crossing her arms.
"The ashes will open a portal, but to find your land, she needs more. She seeks an enchanted compass. I'll help you obtain it before she does."
"So Cora won't make it to Storybrooke and we'll be one step closer to getting home." Emma said. She looked at Lisa and Mary Margaret.
"Sounds too good to be true." said her mother.
"There's only one way to find out." Lisa said as ogres roared in the distance.
Emma stepped up to him, unsheathing her knife. "You tell me one thing and I better believe it. Why does Captain Hook want to go to Storybrooke?"
"To exact revenge on the man that took my hand."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Let me guess. The compass is up there." Emma said, looking up at the beanstalk.
"Oh, yeah." Hook answered.
"So how do we get to it?"
"It's not the giant you need to worry about. It's the giant at the top."
"Of course." Emma turned her head at the sound of a loud thud as Lisa leaned against a tree, panting and holding a hand over her chest. "Lisa?"
"Something's wrong." Lisa groaned as pain shot through her heart.
Lisa?
"Regina?"
I need help.
"I'm coming Regina. Hold on, please." Lisa mentally begged, aching to be at the woman's side. She could feel Regina's pain and it hurt like it was her own.
Please, hurry.
"Lisa!" Emma snapped, shaking the brunette until her eyes returned to their normal dark brown color. "What happened? What's wrong?"
"Regina, she called me."
"You can talk to Regina?" Mary Margaret asked.
"Yes, and she's in pain. We need to get home fast." Lisa said, taking a few deep breaths to steady her heart. "I'm fine. Let's just go." She ignored the looks on the faces on the others as they walked to the beanstalk. She ignored Hook telling some story about magic beans and giants. Her thoughts were only on getting back to her Regina.
While the three idiots argued over who was going to climb the beanstalk, Emma pulled Lisa to the side. "Let me guess: you're going with the pirate?"
"Yeah, I am. You gonna argue about that too?"
"It's not going to do any good. What's the point?" Lisa smiled. "We just killed a fucking dragon last week, what's a giant gonna do, hmm?"
Emma smiled too. "I'm sorry about this. You finally found your sister, and whatever you consider Regina-"
"Emma don't. There's nothing to be sorry about. If I had this to do all over again, my choice would still be the same. I would have still thrown myself into that hat to save you guys, and Regina."
"Regina gets her own category?" Emma smirked.
"Um, yeah. No regrets, my dear. Now, go kill us a giant will ya?"
xxxxxxxxxxx
"When did you learn you could talk to Regina?" Mary Margaret asked, sitting down next to Lisa beneath the shade of a tree.
"After I let Cora go." Lisa answered, absently fingering the gauntlet.
"Has she said anything...about David or Henry?"
"No, the first time, Emma interrupted and my wolf severed the connection. The second time was earlier today. She called out to me. It's faint, weak, because she hasn't accepted what we are."
"What are you?"
"Meant to be."
"You're in love with her?"
"Don't act so surprised. I did kinda throw myself into a giant hat, chasing some soul sucking monster to save her. What good did that do? Now I'm farther from her than ever."
"Because you just need to tell her how you feel."
"This isn't a fairytale Miss Blanchard. Love is different where I came from. I don't need her to love me. Of course I want her to, but all I truly want, is for her to know that she isn't alone anymore. She doesn't have to be lost. I will always have her back. I will always be at her side. That no matter what, she can at least always find a friend in me. She won't be judged, or criticized for her past, but encouraged to a brighter future."
"That was beautiful." Mary Margaret said. "I'm sure if you just told her that, she would understand."
"Don't forget who we're talking about." Lisa laughed. "Regina doesn't do lovey dovey stuff. And quite frankly, neither do I."
"Except when it comes to her." Mary Margaret pointed out. "There was a time when Regina did do, as you so eloquently put it 'lovey dovey stuff'. She was the one who taught me about True Love. I don't think she will ever forget what it means to be in love. And you shouldn't give up hope for it. Everything you told me, you need to tell her, as soon as we get back."
No need. I heard everything.
"Oh shit."
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