The wagon load of staff for the kitchen had left that night for the nearby houses and hovels that they called home, tired and weary from the added strain of cooking for the additional guests at the palace. Snow, who tried to be cognizant of such tension, had offered them an increased salary and time off in the future. However, patience was wearing thin and the rumblings of rumors of the King and Princess's fate were growing louder. None of that concerned Regina who watched as a few of them milled about that next morning. While she stayed mostly in the shadows, it was not arrival did not have the former queen pacing and plotting through the possible scenarios in her head.

"I'm sorry, Regina," Elsa said from the poorly lit alcove where she had met up with the former queen in the early morning hours. "It is a much stronger magic than before. We will need Emma to perform that sort of spell."

"We could cut it with the Dark One's dagger," she said, tugging at the leather bounds at her wrist helplessly. "It can cut through any spell."

While Elsa had not questioned her friend's mother on why she had insisted upon locking up the dagger and not removing it yet, she had her suspicions. "I still think that waiting for Emma's return is a smarter idea. I may have control of my inherent magical tendencies, but not so well as to break magical bonds. I could attempt to freeze it. There are dangers in that though."

"I don't wish to be handless in your inept attempts," Regina spat, her brown eyes narrowing in suspicion. "You seem quite loyal to Snow. Isn't that unusual for a queen to pledge allegiance to another queen?"

"I'd think you would know the ins and outs of such situations," Elsa said, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "Diplomacy was never your strong suit though was it? You simply razed the villages that did not comply to your whims and dared others to defy you."

"And you have studied my reign so thoroughly in your history books?"

Elsa's thin hand rested at the framed archway, curling against the smooth stone and wood. "I would not be much of a ruler if I ignored the lessons of the past. I would not be a good person if I ignored the trials and challenges of my dearest friend. While you are here now and have shown remorse, I cannot forget that you were once held in regard as an enemy of Snow and her family. Emma grew up with a healthy fear of you. I believe in second chances and redemption, but I also believe in being wary."

"And you have transferred that wariness to me?" Regina's hands were on her hips and her lips thinned as she waited for a response. When one was not immediate, she continued. "I did not come here for redemption. I came here to keep my son safe from the Dark One. Now that the Dark One is imprisoned, I have every intention of vacating and…"

"Taking Emma's son with you?" Elsa asked pointedly. "You see, Regina, that's exactly why I think it is good to be wary. Emma's son was ripped from her and given to you. While you might not have been complicit in the kidnapping, you have benefited."

"I have raised him as my son. If Emma returns, she and I will have to have this conversation."

***AAA***

It was Red who first noted the shifting yet still closed eyes of the King and his mumbled words signaling his awakened state just a bit after dawn. She stumbled from her bed roll with a graceless gallop, falling to his side and staring at his still closed eyes. Perhaps she had imagined it, she thought, wished it so hard that now her eyes were playing tricks on her mind.

"David?"

She got no answer for a moment, making her doubt that the King was going to awaken after all. She sank back down onto her heels and placed her folded hands on his still chest. While hardly an emotional woman, she knew that somewhere out there her dearest friend was aching for a sign that her husband and daughter were well. Snow was probably at her wits end trying to reconcile herself to the idea that they could never return.

"Red?"

The dark haired woman's eyes fluttered as she locked gazes with the man who had been so badly injured. And while she did not fly at him with the enthusiasm of a loved one, she said a silent prayer of thanks and reached for the deerskin canteen that they had kept near him just in case. "You're awake."

"How long have I…"

"Not long, a little more than two days. You were badly injured, but Emma…well, she healed you. It was remarkable really. Her magic was as bright as anything. Just this radiant white light. And while you didn't wake up immediately, it was clear that her efforts worked miracles. She's quite special."

He gave a tired and proud smile turning his head toward where others were sleeping. "Is she…Is she awake? I would like to see my daughter."

"Oh my, yes. She's been up taking her shift at watching for danger. You know she is like you and won't do for special treatment." Rising easily to her feet, Red adjusted the cape about her shoulders and looked toward the burning embers of the fire that had been blazing earlier. "She's just over…"

The spot where Emma should have been was empty, the Princess nowhere to be found. Red threw back her head and sniffed the air before cursing under her breath and stalking away from David toward Killian. She called out his name three times before kicking him with the toe of her boot. "Wake up," she hissed, not bothering to see if David was watching her unraveling. "Wake up?"

"Red? Buggering hell. What has happened?" He blinked at the woman above him, barely able to make out her face with her hair falling forward. It reminded him of a few times back at Granny's tavern and inn when the dark haired beauty had woken him from a stupor to go back to his ship before Granny saw him. "Is it Emma? What's wrong with Emma?"

"Where is she? She's not over there." Red's jaw clenched as she demanded answers. Staggering a step back, she threw an arm in the direction of the spot they had selected as the best for watch. "See. Not there." Her nostrils flared as she breathed in deeply. "Her scent is weakening. She's likely been gone a while."

Killian was to his feet in a second, clutching the long coat that he normally used to cover Emma rather than wore himself. It's presence over him was enough of a clue to tell him that Emma had left on her own, choosing for some ungodly reason to abandon those who loved her. He was about to tell Red that when David spoke out, startling the pirate with his alert state of consciousness.

"Where's my daughter?"

"We're trying to figure that out, mate," Killian snapped, then turned his head violently to stare at the King struggling to sit up. He rushed over to the man's side, offering his arm and one hand in assistance. "I mean, David…your majesty…"

"I think the important thing is finding Emma. Titles and pleasantries can wait. We don't have much time before they come."

"Before who comes?" Killian asked, confused by both David's statement, the man's miraculous recovery and Red's sniffing about in a wolfish way. "Bloody hell, how are you awake?"

"I was able to talk to Snow in my sleep," David explained. "It's…It's complicated, but she will be sending the fairies to find us and light our path out of these woods." He gave a weak cough and glance toward where Red was sniffing out a scent of Emma. "I didn't realize she was missing when we made the plan."

"We? You talked to your wife? Is this some sort of yarn? Your wife is safe at home in your palace…miles from here. You had a dream." Killian's coat billowed out as he turned back to Red, who knelt lower to the ground, craning her neck to inspect something he didn't see.

"She contacted me. I assume with Regina and Elsa's help. It was through a dream state. But I tell you that she is going to use Blue and the other fairies."

Red approached them, her face set in a determined stare at them both. "Fine then," she said, holding a hand up to Killian in an effort to silence his argument against the illogical statements of the King. "We have no time to waste. Hook and I will search out the Princess. I'll wake Graham and have him build a larger fire so that we might see it to guide us back. The rope won't do. We don't have enough of it. With luck I can track her."

"Why don't you take Graham? He's a fine tracker." David moaned a bit as he turned on his side. "I think it might be…"

"Graham is, but Hook is a pirate – a true treasure hunter. He is far better at finding those that mean not to be found. I need Graham to stay here with you in case the fairies arrive before we get back. He can persuade them to wait or at least give us guidance to get us back too. Now," she said, leaning down and adjusting the thin material they had thrown over him as a blanket. "You rest. Snow will skin the fur off me if I let anything more happen to you."

***AAA***

Snow pressed her hand to the pillow on her husband's side of the bed and sighed, the coolness of his absence tangible on the feathered rest. "I miss you," she whispered into the still nearly dark room. She was not unaccustomed to sleeping alone, as she had done so on many of the nights when he went hunting or attended to diplomatic missions that did not need her attention. But combined with the fear of what was happening to him, Emma, and the others, Snow felt herself losing what grip she had on hope.

While she had a good feeling about the plan with the fairies, she worried it might be too late. Her best bird had returned a message still tied to its leg, having never found Emma or David. That bird could find anyone, yet there was no sign of them.

The knock at her door did not even startle her, but she took a moment and brushed her dark hair from her face and stole a deep breath to cleanse and calm. "You may enter," she said, holding her dressing gown closed.

"Milady I hate to disturb, but Henry's mother is not in her room," Johanna said, her bumbling hands and words coinciding. "And the boy's had a terrible fright of a nightmare."

Snow did not correct the governess's assumption of the boy's paternity, though her heart felt heavy at hearing it. "Bring him to me. I will handle it."

"I didn't mean…"

"It is alright, Johanna. Just bring him here. I will soothe him."

Johanna swallowed thickly, giving a glance at the open door and back to Snow before disappearing for a moment. When she returned she guided a young Henry toward the sitting area. "I don't know what it was about, milady. He was crying though."

Tears still fresh on his cheeks, Henry glared at the older woman. "I wasn't. I mustn't cry."

Snow knelt down in front of the boy who was in fact her grandson and smoothed down a bit of his messy brown hair. "It's alright, Henry. Did you know…" She paused, looking toward Johanna's eager expression. "Johanna, if you will see to the other boys, please. Sometimes these things are contagious and with dawn breaking it is likely they will awaken soon."

The round woman blushed and gathered her skirts in one hand. "Of course, milady. Ring when you are ready to have me take him back to the nursery."

Snow did not respond or speak again until the door was shut. "I was going to ask if you knew what I was doing before you arrived this morning?"

Henry shook his head, his mouth opening slightly in question.

"I was crying. I don't find that silly at all. You see, Henry, crying isn't a sign of weakness. It is a sign you feel too much and are too filled with emotions to hold it back. It overflows out of you as tears." She could tell from his scrunched up nose that he did not understand. With a determined breath, she led him over to the settee. "Do you know what emotions are?"

He shook his head, climbing carefully onto her lap and then looking worried she might not appreciate that. His worry was unfounded as she hugged him to her. "No, I don't," he said softly.

"Well, an emotion is a feeling," she explained patiently. "How do you feel when you see your favorite dessert at dinner?"

He pondered his response longer than necessary. "Happy?"

"Yes, that's right. And how do you feel when something scary happens in a book?"

"Afraid?"

"Yes, that's right too. You are a very smart boy. There are lots of emotions. Anger, fear, happiness, sadness, and on and on. I think that sometimes we feel so much that our bodies can't hold it in any longer. So we laugh or we cry. It must escape because there is no room for it all."

"Because we overflow," he repeated proud in this new knowledge. His face tilted upwards with a soft expression. "I had a bad dream. I dreamed that I was all alone and a monster was trying to hurt me."

Snow showed a measured concern for the boy's dream as he spoke about it in greater detail. When he finished his head was at her shoulder and his right hand was gripping the material of her dressing gown tightly. "That does sound scary," she consoled. "But I don't think you should worry about being left alone like that. You have so many people who love you. So many that you might never count them all."

"I'm good at counting."

"Yes, I would guess that you are what with you being a smart boy." She resisted the urge to hold him tight to her for fear she might never let him go. "Do you want to try to go back to bed or would you like to stay with me for a while?"

His face twisted with a concentration at the question. "I'd like very much to stay here. You're very nice. Are you a mama?"

Her hand instinctively brushed down his cowlicked hair, smiling softly. "Yes, Henry. I have a daughter and a son. You know them. They are Leo and Emma."

"You're Leo's mama?" he asked, studying her for either a resemblance or some unknown reason. "I like him. He's a good friend."

***AAA***

"I mean no harm at all," Emma said, the frayed rope tight about her ankles and wrists. "I swear to you that I will…"

"Silence," the tall lanky former black knight said from his spot on a nearby log. "Her majesty will pay a great sum for a treasure such as yourself."

Emma stared at his faded uniform that had been patched not so neatly and sewn together after numerous tears. Shortened ropes and threads held the soles of his shoes onto him in what she realized were mismatched shoes that probably were stolen off bodies of those lost forever in the forest. "When was the last time you saw her?" she asked, her tongue in her cheek as he pondered the question with all seriousness.

"Never you mind that, lass. I am going to get my reward."

Emma breathed heavily, lifting her tied arms up as an example. "Look, you have to realize that time has passed. I'm the daughter of Snow White and Prince James, also known as David. I'm a grown woman now. Do you honestly think there is a good bounty on me?"

"Silence," he repeated. "Her majesty does not give up so easily. If you are who you say, surely she is looking for you as well. We'll take you to her and let her sort it out." His bottom jaw continued to move as if talking or chewing, long thin fingers scratching down his neck. "A good profit, indeed."

From his stubborn glint and his crazed eyes, she could tell that arguing with him was a foolish venture. He was not aware of the over two decades that had passed since Snow was no longer on the run from Regina. Somehow these men had found themselves a way to live within the confines of the infinite forest, finding food and shelter where she feared there was none. Perhaps if she played along, the answer would come to her about how she could help her father, Killian, and the others. But she would have to earn his trust, she reasoned, make him believe that she was willing to submit herself to Regina's punishment.

While there were a half dozen of these former black knights milling about, this one man was the only one talking to her. He seemed to be in charge and more at ease with the role than the others. She remembered only bits and pieces of the vague stories that Graham had spoken of in his own history as such a knight. The men who served in that role were unmarried and often without families to turn to even in their downtime. They were the job, he had told her one afternoon after a training session with her father. Their entire lives revolved around that task and making Regina feel happy and secure.

***AAA***

"She marked her trail," Red told Killian as she stepped into the largest area of clearing she could find and turned her nose up at the wind. "But I am afraid that does little good in this maze."

Looking paler than he had seemed back at the camp and even at the group's lowest moments, Killian touched the bark of the tree and sliced into it with his hook to make a haphazard x mark on the surface. "It's better than nothing," he said, not really arguing any more than admitting his own helplessness in the situation. "I should have suspected. She was so concerned over the waning supplies and her father's state. She's gone to find help."

"You may be close to her, but you can't read her mind," Red challenged back. Sniffing the air as if for confirmation, she pointed along the narrower of the paths in front of them and took off in that direction. "The good news is that she was raised by parents who insisted she learn tracking and other such techniques. While she is pampered as a princess, she's a natural at surviving."

"I pray your evaluation of her is right."

Red's sense of smell helped her stay on Emma's trail, only losing track a few times. But she was quickly able to retrace the steps and find the scent again. Killian followed, both in awe and in hurried steps that seemed at times lumbering under the weight of guilt. He was loathe to admit that though, not wanting to indicate anything resembling weakness to the woman who was kind but still quite judgmental of him. And if they did ever escape from the woods, she had the King and Queen's ear on all things, including their daughter's duty and love life.

Emma had been worried about their supplies, concerned that they would perish from starvation before any of them found a way out. He should have taken that more seriously, he thought as he skimmed over the earth with his boots. There was truly no way he could have ever seen allowing her to disappear into the darkness the way she did. He should have gone in her place, volunteered before she ever even had the thought.

But he hadn't. He'd thought that she would stay at his side. Not that he had any reason to assume that she would. He just thought that she would want to be there with him, fighting the battles together. When he found her, he thought, refusing to say if. When he found her, he wasn't going to say a word about rescuing her. That would surely push her farther away. Instead he would say that he was joining her, fulfilling her wishes and not demeaning her or her abilities.

***AAA***

Belle stared at the packed bags and wondered if there was anything left for her at the home she had made with Rumpelstiltskin. She hadn't asked to return there or even sent some of the staff in search of anything. It felt too much like hanging onto the past and admitting that things were changing. Having not seen her family or her home in years, she was not all that sure that there would be something worth coming back to anyway.

"I do appreciate all that you have done," Snow said as she entered the sitting area where Belle was waiting. "He seems almost calmer when you were near him."

Belle swallowed and ran her hand over her traveling cape draped over a nearby chair. "I know that it is best that I go back to my kingdom and to what is left of my family. It is your wish, your majesty. I would remiss if I did not express my desire to help. As you have just said, I am a calming influence on him. Perhaps I could be of some help to you, beyond the research in the palace studies. I could approach him, demand from him the return of your husband and daughter. If he knows a way, he would tell me. I am sure of it."

Snow knew that the beautiful woman was not one to make bold or audacious statements such as that without reason. She also knew that this was a woman with a broken heart. For as much as her mind might have told her that Dark One was incapable of a loving relationship, the heart hoped for more and often spoke louder than the thoughts in her head. "He said that without enchantments and tools the quest would be quite hopeless. It was while being ordered with the dagger that he said those things. So there is little doubt that he spoke the truth."

"He is quite clever, more than people realize. If there is a way that he can subvert the pull of that dagger in his quest, he will. While I would have hoped that my influence would be stronger, it is truly the Dark One's son that has the most power over him. And Baelfire is apparently lost to him forever."

Snow walked to the window, staring down on the green grounds where guards marched in an effort to protect her and the guests. Her son, grandson, and Roland played among them, ignoring their presence in an elaborate game that sent their legs pumping as they ran. "The loss of a child is a powerful motivator, Belle. I have little doubt of that. And while your offer to approach him is perhaps nothing more than a noble wish to be of assistance, I have fears that it is more."

"You doubt me?" Belle questioned. "I suppose I can understand that."

Far in the village the bells rang from a church, echoing even in the palace. Snow did not face the woman, staring instead into the reflection. "It is not doubt, Belle. It is simply that I am not sure of your loyalty and where it might reside now. When you were brought here it was not of your own free will. I have not slept much since my husband and daughter have been gone. That is reason enough for my lack of sleep. You though…you don't seem to sleep either. The guards have spoken of your walking near the entrance to the dungeon where he is being held. They say you never ask for entry, just simply pace there deep in thought."

"I should think that would be understandable." Belle dropped her eyes, the lavender of her dress soft and beautiful against her pale skin and dark hair. "For as much as you and others have spoke of me going home, it is not my home. My father and the others sent me to the Dark One to protect them all from his machinations. It is not easy to fathom them welcoming me home again."

Snow breathed slowly, her chest rising and falling with the efforts. "It may not ever be as you wish here," she finally conceded. "He's got to be contained. He's probably going to be punished. It will be up to my daughter."

"I know," Belle whispered. "I know. I swear to you that I won't betray you or your trust, your majesty. I only wish to help."

***AAA***

Emma nibbled at the gamey meat and watched as the men drew out useless maps in the dirt with blunt sticks. They reminded her a bit of her brother and even her son playing pretend. She said nothing, grateful for the food even if it was badly cooked. She had no intention of indenturing herself to them, though she knew her mother had done similar with her uncles many years ago. The dwarves had made wonderful guards and friends for her mother, but they weren't half crazed from years in the forest with no sense of time or reality any longer.

Reginald was the most talkative of the men, his eyes just a smidge kinder and his gruffness surely only a display in front of the others. She saw an opportunity with him and exchanged pleasantries when he seemed up for it that morning and early afternoon.

"I know a former black knight," she told him when he offered her some water from a carved out gourd. "Graham."

The tired expression on his face grew harder as he explained that Graham had been in his regiment. "His betrayal should have never been glossed over the way it was." She didn't have to ask which betrayal that was, as she knew he had both rescued her mother and spared his father. The royal couple had been grateful to him ever sense.

"He does not work for Regina any longer," she explained. "He's quite happy in his new role. I know that seems like it is impossible. But if you were to help me…"

"You speak quite familiarly of our Queen," he said, standing back up and wiping his hands down his thin trousers as if wiping away the memory of the conversation. "I would be careful. She does not appreciate that at all."

Emma winced. "Would you at least answer my question? How do you plan to get back to her when it has been years since you have last seen outside this forest? If you know the way, how…" She knew at once that it was the wrong tactic, as he did not argue with her at all. Instead he simply walked away and left her there with her wrists and ankles tied as he joined the others. Without even looking in her direction, he and the others whispered among themselves over their hastily done maps in the dirt.

She knew that her time was growing short. These men would not be so willing to let her live if they gave up hope of their reward. She would be seen as nothing but a hindrance to them. And while they might find a way to use her forcefully before snuffing the life out of her, she knew the end result was the same. Taking her dimmed green eyes off of them, she stared down at the rope that circled her wrists. While frayed, it was still impossibly thick and nothing she would ever find a way to cut through with even the sharpest stone. That meant she would have to find another way, but the choices were not many. Perhaps she could earn the trust of one of the men, hoping that he would loosen the ties. That seemed like it might take too long, leaving Killian, her father, and the others in peril of starvation when she did not return right away with assistance or food. Then there was her magic.

It could not be so different as making things appear and disappear, she thought as she studied the braided strands that bound her. The answer could be as simple as to make the rope simply disappear, leaving her free to run from these men who were older and far weaker than her at that moment. Their one asset was knowing this area of the forest, something she would not make up for in time and agility. She would have to run back the way she came. But what if she simply led them back to camp. Her father would not be there to fight them, but Graham and Killian would be and Red could become the wolf and scare off the rest if she did not eat them first.

She half closed her eyes and stared at the rope with the image of it disappearing behind her eyes. Just as Regina and Elsa had taught her, she breathed in focused all her energy on the task. If the men were to catch a glimpse of her now she would appear to be in contemplation or prayer. However, there was no flash of light and no change in the rope. Sighing, she looked upward and the umbrella of the trees above. It may have been too much, she thought critically. The weight of her magic feeling heavy despite its not working.

Worrying her lips between her teeth, she looked at the rope again, this time concentrating on the knot that was impressive for men on land to have tied. Her thoughts instantly went to Killian and his impressive ability to tie much more fancy knots with his one hand. She had seen him showing her brother, Roland, and Henry the technique. He had been so patient with them that her heart had clenched with the sight of it. Men were typically not that way. At least that is what she had been told. Yet there he had sat in the garden with Leo in front of him and Henry draped on one leg and Roland on the other as he spun yarns of krakens and other beasts their young lives had not crossed except in storybooks.

While he had told her that he loved her, showed her that she was more precious to him than his innate sense of adventure, she wondered if that would extend to her son. Henry would have so many changes if she returned. Though she doubted herself, she knew she could not allow him to be raised by Regina with no knowledge of his mother truly wanting him. Would Captain Hook make for the water in haste with that added burden? Or would he… She smiled, the knot already feeling looser. Killian had told her he had every intention of speaking to her father and mother about properly courting her. And while they had already broken with propriety and rules with stolen kisses and time alone, she knew that he had been careful with her and respectful of her reputation and station.

The thought of his kisses warmed her, making her wish for more and feel loved and cherished at the same time. There was no denying his passionate desire for her, but he tempered that with tender reverence. Her eyes fluttered shut with the memory of his warm lips against hers, coaxing and urging her into his embrace. It was then she felt the glow of her magic like the heat of a fire nearby. The blood returned to her hands as she waved them about before deftly untying the knots around her ankles. She was free.

Once she stood she would surely garner the attention of Regina's most loyal of knights. But she could not sit there forever. Stealing in a deep breath, she stood abruptly and darted for the line of trees behind her. It was the way they had come in and with a bit of luck and magic on her side, she hoped it would lead her to the path she had made before.

***AAA***

Regina flexed and extended her right hand, a motion that until she had been bound by the magic cuffs had resulted in a fire ball. Yes, it might have been just as easy to call for a servant to light the fire in the day room, something that would have been done without hesitation had she been in charge. Her black gown was accented with a deep red, something very akin to what she would have worn back then.

Pulling back the thick curtains, she saw the carriage that had been called forward to carry Belle back to her kingdom. It still remained empty, giving her just the tiniest flicker of hope that the woman might not retreat into the distance. With the dagger securely protected and Snow unwilling to budge on that, she knew that Belle was her best bet in enticing the Dark One to at least tell her how to make sure that Emma never laid claim to Henry. Elsa and even Robin were not going to be very good pawns in her game of chess, leaving her with the Dark One's lover as her only hope for that.

"She's staying on," Robin interrupted. His footsteps had been so quiet that she had not heard him approach. "She's determined to help Snow convince the Dark One to save the ones who are lost."

"The dagger could force him if it was possible." She did not turn, her hand gripping the brocade. "But she's scared of it."

"If he were to somehow get it from her, the results would be disastrous, my darling. He would not only regain his control and powers, but would have even more vengeance to satisfy. No, I believe Queen Snow is being overly cautious and not to her detriment." He lowered his quiver to the table and propped it there before taking a seat. "Surely things will change once the Princess Emma and the others are rescued. I heard the Queen say that she was leaving the Dark One's fate to her daughter, as she was the one who had suffered at his machinations the most as of late."

"I'm not talking about vengeance," Regina said, her hand again curling and releasing as if the result would be different. "I need to protect my son. And so long as the Dark One wants him, he's not safe. Emma is not the true enemy here."

His eyebrow shot up. "Are you sure you feel that way, as I recall it wasn't that clear last night. You seemed to think that Emma is somehow crossing a line if she should want a relationship with her own flesh and blood. Is it that way?"

"We may never know," Regina said, allowing herself the brief luxury of glaring in his direction. He looked taken aback by her. "I only mean that it is a tall order to believe they are to ever be seen again."

He rubbed at his chin, studying her closely. "It is hard to trust the fairies, but the Queen is quite hopeful about it. Though I do get the sense that is a natural state with her."

"Quite annoying, actually. I think the intention is good, but the execution might need some work." She twisted the material and then let it go. "I don't intend to lose my son. If having my magic returned is not in the cards, I will simply take him away and make a new life for us. Before she was the woman I knew, my mother was a poor miller's daughter. Don't think I couldn't blend in with the peasantry."

***AAA***

Emma stumbled through the thick brush, too focused to turn back and see if anyone was chasing her. Dodging impediments to her path and the guards who might be on her trail, she struggled to breath and was thankful that both she and Red had dislodged their corsets earlier in their travels to be used in the harnesses. Having her ribs able to breathe in and out was so much easier.

There was another of the small clearings ahead, perhaps the same that she had passed at least twice but she wasn't sure. While the clearings offered no protection or privacy, she longed to feel sunlight on her skin. She would only be a moment, she told herself, gathering the torn skirt and stepping over a dislodged rock.

"Emma!" Red said with a vehement tone. "It's you!" Before Emma could even recognize that she had been both spotted and rescued in a way, she was swept up into a hug by her mother's dearest friend. Red grabbed both of Emma's forearms as she pulled away, inspecting her eagerly. "You're well, aren't you? Not hurt?" She tilted her head back and sniffed. "I don't smell blood."

"I'm well," Emma managed to say before being pulled into another hug. "And father? Killian? Graham?"

"Your father is awake," Red enthused, still holding onto her. "He woke not long after you snuck away. Whatever made you do that? You could have been lost. We still could be. Your father said the fairies are coming to lead us home."

Emma tried her best to process that information, unsure about it all and what the fairies had to with anything. She simply bobbed her head as Red sniffed the air again, turning and peering into the dark woods. "Killian?"

A slow smile spread on the woman's face. "He's fine. Worried about you, I daresay. It's quite a sight. Once he knew you had left, he's been nearly impossible. Searching every corner for you. We saw a flash of light earlier and he took off in that direction. We assumed it to be your magic."

"There was no way to leave word," Emma said, pulling her arms out of Red's grip. "I wanted to find help. All I found was…"

Red threw a hand up, tilting her head in the direction of the path and closed her eyes. While Red was known for having her wolf like olfactory sense, her hearing was also quite sensitive. Her lips parted slightly and her eyes scanned the dark recesses of the treeline. "There," she said, gathering her own torn skirts into her hands and darting in the direction she had pointed. "I hear something. It sounds like…" The lines of her forehead deepened, though she moved so fast that Emma could not make out that detail as she struggled to keep up. "Swords. That's a sword."

They saw Killian with one of the black knights while still under the cover of the trees, his long arms and legs spread graciously as he thrust the sword at the clearly out of practice knight. He made no overt threat, but only demanded to know where Emma was at that moment. There was no answer and Killian pushed the sword toward the man again. "Where is she?"

Emma could not help but stare at Killian both in awe of his finesse and skill and in fear that he would be hurt. She took a step forward as if to reveal herself and end the fight, but Red pulled her back. "Do they know you're here?" she hissed.

"I got away from them," she said softly, realizing the dilemma. "They worked for Regina and have been lost in this forest since before her reign ended. They want to return me to her for a reward."

Red nodded knowingly, still gripping her goddaughter's arm. "I'm going to sneak over to the other side and make a noise," she said. Perhaps it will distract the knight and let us escape with the Captain."

Before she could go, Emma shook her head quickly. "No, the knight is not alone. There are others nearby. We can't be seen. We need to get Killian's attention and then run."

Fidgeting with the familiar red cloak, Red stared skyward with the realization that the moon had hours to go before it would rise. It was not wolf's time, which left her helpless in a way. Her sight shifted around them, looking for any solution among the damp ground and foliage. "There must be something," she said softly.

Emma paid her no mind, her own green eyes locked on a medium size rock about the size of her hand. It lay just a few feet from where Killian and the knight were dueling. With every ounce of her concentration, she made her mind lift the rock until it was about shoulder high. She hoped that none of the hidden knights could see it floating in the air. Then with an almost imperceptible flick of her wrist, she sent the rock flying out as if thrown by an invisible hand. The knight stopped in his tracks, sword still raised high in preparation for attack. Without losing a moment, Killian surged forward and knocked the weapon from his foe's hands and held back a groan as the knight ran toward where he assumed the rock was thrown.

"Men, she's over there," the knight called out a few points of blood already showing through from where Killian had gotten in more than three good attacks. From behind the other trees the shabbily dressed army retreated in search of what they assumed to be their meal ticket. Killian took two steps after them and stopped short as he heard her quiet but steady voice call to him.

"You were trying to save me?" she asked, holding up a fern branch and appearing to him like someone in a dream.

"Aye, but you denied me the honor and the privilege, milady," he said, sheathing his sword and hurrying to her. "You see I saw that flash of magic and thought you to be in trouble."

"I was, but I was able to escape," she said, cupping both sides of his face in her hands. "My father's truly awake? And the fairies are coming?"

"So he says, but it might just be a dream. So might this, Emma. I thought…I thought I might never see you again." He flinched as she pressed her chest against his, unable to mask the pain of the one good shot the knight had managed to land. "Easy there, my love."

"Should I try to heal you?" she asked almost coyly. "Apparently I am better at it than I first thought." She did not wait for an answer, crashing her lips against his in a way that was most inappropriate.

Red stepped toward them with a half amused and half belligerent sort of smile on her face. "That's all well, but let's get out of this area before those men return. And let us get back to camp before those fairies arrive. As much as your mother may miss your father, I think she would be disappointed to see that you were still stuck here. And I don't know how Granny would feel about having to replace me in the tavern with Graham."

Killian swept his handless arm toward the path and gave a short bow. "Lead the way, Lady Red. We won't be far behind you. After all, we don't want to get stuck out here with you after dark. At least I don't."