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Chapter 4.

After the jump of the docks, the darkness tinged with greenish light enveloped him, squeezing the air out of him. For a long moment, he actually thought he was going to die, alone, in the darkness, taken away from his family. But, then the darkness thinned and he found himself falling, before diving deep into the salty water of the sea. With his hands bound and heavy clothes that got soaked in seconds, he sank fast, unable to swim toward the surface.

The salt from the water burned his eyes and his throat, while he struggled to reach the blurry white spot in his vision, thinking it must be the surface. Clenching his jaw, fighting against the burning need to breathe, he realized that he was doomed. Losing his fight with sea, his mouth slackened and the instinctual need for air sucked in the water, scorching the flesh it passed. He closed his eyes and let the darkness reach him once more.

The next time he opened his eyes, he found himself lying on something hard. Unable to move, or to even open his eyes, he just concentrated on pushing the air into his burning lungs, moaning as the pain overwhelmed him. A shadow fell over him and he waited, stilling his breath. A hand grabbed his collar and pulled him up into the sitting position. "Drink, boy!" he heard and a skin of something was thrust into his hands.

Opening his eyes, at first he saw undefined shapes moving around in the glaring light, but soon the shapes cleared by the aid of his own tears, cleaning his eyes. He was on a boat, sitting between the middle benches, surrounded by four hooded people. The one closest to him impatiently gestured toward the skin in his lap and he, following the directives, uncorked it and took a careful swallow. As the soothing effects of the liquid washed against his tortured inner flesh, he gasped and swallowed more, eager to ease the pain.

Once he had his fill, he replaced the cork and looked at the man beside him. The veil covered his face, but he could see the cold eyes searching the horizon for something. Probably Greg and Tamara, he thought. Glancing around, unobtrusively as he could, he saw that the boat was rather small and it held five people including him. The other three were rowing, synchronized, his bodies turned away from the front, facing him and the other hooded man. Even with the daylight, the lit lantern stood on the bench beside him, ready to be taken for the moment's notice.

Rising a bit, he threw his head around but as far as his eyes could reach, there was nothing but the sea. He knew that the people that had him were dangerous and what he would call bad, but as there was no land he couldn't even try to escape as he was opposed to jumping into the water again. Keeping silent, with his knees drown to his chest, he leaned his head back onto the wooden edge and closed his eyes. Tired out by the events, he dropped off to sleep, lulled by the rhythmic sounds of rowing and the water washing against the hull.

A rough hand shook him out of his nap, and he startled, remembering where he was. With a frown he looked around and saw the not so distant shore line. The sand beach was covered in timber, positioned in groups like pyres, ready to be lit. There were other people waiting on the shore, looking at the boat and showing with their hands, talking among themselves. As the hull ground against the sand ridge, the leader of the people in the boat grabbed him and pulled him up, helping him roughly out and then throwing him on the land, before he got out of the boat himself.

A tall man walked to the boy, sneering down on the sputtering child. He crouched, reaching for the boy's brown jacket lapels and grabbed him roughly pulling his face towards him. When he saw the boy's face, his frozen eyes glinted with malice and pleasure. His gaunt and dirty face twisted into a grimace of mirth, overshadowed by the cruelty. Lifting the boy up, he turned to the boat leader. "Others?"

The mask covered man shook his head once in answer. "They aren't important." The man holding the boy spoke dismissing the other one. Turning back to the boy, the blond hooded man sneered. "Welcome to the Neverland, boy. He will be greatly pleased to finally have you." At those words he felt the boy tremble against his hand. Pulling him away, he led the way inland, to a forest.

"What do you want from me?" the boy squawked, his voice unused for long time and damaged by the salt water. He looked up and seeing only harsh smile upon the man's face, he dropped his head trudging through the woods, following the path.

They reached a cave and leading the way inside, the man grabbed the torch from the entrance and lighted the insides. On the far end of the dark and damp cave were bars inlaid into the stone. Opening the doors, the man pushed the boy inside and took him to another door, hidden in the dark. Throwing him through it, he locked the door behind him and spoke through the bars on a small window. "Stay quiet, boy. He will see you when he wishes it. Food will be here soon." With that he turned away and reached the outer bars.

"Wait!" the boy yelled, in panic. "Wait, don't leave me here!" Kicking the door, the boy saw the torch move out, letting the dark consume the place. "Please!" The only answer he received was a chuckle reverberating of the walls of the cave. Realizing that he had been locked away, he sat down and hugged himself, tears flooding his sand dirty face as the despair and anguish enveloped him.

He remembered another cave, another dark place that he had found himself stuck in two years before. But, then he had had company and he had known without a doubt that Emma would save him. Now he didn't know even if they could find the world he was in. Looking around, his eyes already used to the darkness, he saw a small trickle of light from the roof of the cave that served as his cell. But, the hole was too small to try and widen it, and even if it wasn't he couldn't reach it. Giving up hope that he could escape that way, he sat back down and closed his eyes, trying to get some rest, still exhausted from the ordeal.

Emma was the Savior, and she had brought him from the dead once. But, could she travel this far? And Regina, his mom, was unstoppable when he was in danger. Perhaps they could work together on getting him home, he thought with a gentle smile on his face. He liked the idea of Emma and his mother getting along, and even helping each other. But, his smile faded away quickly. It was more likely that his kidnapping would bring them to destruction, and he didn't want them to fight each other.

Before the curse broke, there were the few times Regina and Emma fought in front of him. But he knew about each and every argument, twisted move and reaction. If she were the Evil Queen, his mother might have been proud at his skills to find information and spy on people of interest. God only knew it was the only way Henry would learn something important, as the both his parents tended to protect him with lying.

Emma had told him about his mother's actions and her despair when he had been ill because of the apple. Then, he had understood that she might not be as evil as he thought. Or evil at all. Emma had tried to get him to understand that sometimes people cannot be judged only by their actions, that there were circumstances and that it had been necessary for them to learn the whole story. His childish reluctance to listen caused a lot of pain to both of his mothers, and he felt sorry for it.

It seemed appropriate that he would think about his mother's past while he was locked in a dungeon.

"Your mom is not evil, Henry," Emma spoke with certainty.

"But, she is the Evil Queen!" The childish insistence would continue and Henry almost stomped his foot. Emma sighed and took his hand, leading him to their favorite bench on the pier. They sat side by side, Henry filled with anticipation, vibrating in his seat, while Emma watched him, debating silently about what she should tell him. She knew for a fact Regina was a good, even great mother. Just one look at Henry was proof enough.

"Henry," Emma started, her decision firm. "Your mother is not evil."

"Emma, I told you…" Henry spoke but a raised hand stopped him from going further.

"She may have been the Evil Queen, but that is not what I see." Before the boy could complain, the woman pressed on. "I have seen evil." The quiet, sure voice kept the boy silent. "You had food that was good for you. Sometimes even your favorites, right?" A single unsure nod confirmed her statement. "You always had clothes and shoes you needed. She took care of you even when you were fussy and ill. Even when you screamed at her that she was not your mother. Did she ever hit you?"

"N-n-o," Henry mumbled, looking down tucking his chin into his chest, throwing his legs wildly, below the bench. He knew what Emma was trying to tell him, but she was wrong.

"Your mother loves you, Henry. And people who love cannot be evil."

"You are wrong! She is the Evil Queen. She wants to destroy us." Henry jumped off the bench and briskly moved away. Emma just sighed before going after him.

"The sooner you realize that people aren't black and white, kid, the better. It will save you a lot of disappointment and heartbreak," Emma spoke, closing the subject, and leading him home.

And she had been right. Snow had made Regina kill Cora, Regina had spared Snow and she had saved them all, along with Emma. Emma had been a thief as a youngster, and now she was the Savior. They could not be seen as black and white, and his childlike ignorance had faded away with each day spent in Storybrooke after the curse had been broken. And, then the unthinkable had happened. In New York, Emma had disappointed him and the shock of it made him think hard about what she had said that day long before, on that bench.

Nevertheless, after all the heartache, he knew without a doubt that his mothers loved him, strongly enough to blindly follow after him and try to save him. With Emma he had irrefutable proof, she had saved him with a kiss of True Love. But, with Regina he had had his doubts before her many deeds proved to him that she did indeed love him, even when the darkness came over her.

When Emma and Snow had informed them that Cora had been after them, Regina had gotten herself involved with Gold, falling under his influencing reasoning once more. Although she might have killed his other mother and grandmother, Henry believed she had really tried only to protect him from the great evil of her past. Seeing what Cora could do, he understood too well her fear.

"What I know is that my mother will destroy everything that I love, and that means you, and I can't let that happen," Regina spoke, her fear and sorrow for his pain evident in her voice.

However, after he had pleaded with her, convincing her that good would always win and that Emma would be the one coming back, she looked at him, her head inclining just a bit, almost a nod. Straightening out, she had looked calm and resolute while she had walked to the sparkling and crackling well. Slowly spreading her hands in the air above the well, as if she had been afraid of the green light, she had summoned the power to her, letting it fill her up, the sheer magnitude of the curse shaking her body and tensing her muscles. After several tense and terrifying moments, she had been thrown away and the curse was gone. In that one gesture she had shown Henry that she had indeed had faith in him. In fact, she had saved Emma and Snow, without mentioning what she had had to do.

Several hours later, after Emma finally had allowed him to slip out of her embrace, he had gone home, to the Mayor's house. Using his key he had slowly opened the door, and silently he had climbed the stairs, looking into the rooms, searching for the woman of the house. Not once had a thought that she might not be well passed his mind, and when he had found her in her en-suite bathroom on her knees, throwing up, he had gasped in horror.

"Henry?" Regina rasped, lifting her head of the toilet seat weakly. "What are you doing here?" she whispered, watching him with her tired and bloodshot eyes but he saw a glimmer of happiness in them caused by his presence. He walked in slowly, and placed his hand on her shoulder gently. Her shirt was drenched in sweat and her hair slicked back, wet with exertion. She was pale and looked very, very sick.

"Mom? What's happening?" He asked, kneeling beside the tortured woman, looking into her dark eyes.

Regina closed her eyes in defeat. She never wanted anyone to find out that what she had done may have killed her, least of all her son. "My body is fighting the magic I absorbed," she explained simply. She would never tell him that she was not supposed to survive the death curse placed on the wishing well and that she had known what it had been. She would never brag about her trust in him, or demean it by trying to cash it in. "I'll be fine in a couple of hours." I wasn't a lie, exactly. She would be well enough to present herself for the party the town was buzzing about, the one Emma had invited her to. And after that… Perhaps it would taper off and leave her be as she was. But, the death curse was made of such powerful dark magic, there was no way to predict its influence.

Henry placed his palm on her cheek and smiled. "Can I help?" He knew she was diminishing the danger she was in for his sake, but the effects of the curse were quite evident. But, if she didn't want to talk about it, or to just tell him or anyone else about it, he would honor her wishes. Feeling the tears against his palm he looked into the glossy brown eyes and saw the tear trails. The offer made her cry with happiness, Henry noted sadly. Had he really been so terrible to her?

"No, that's OK. I'll see you later tonight, I promise." She lifted her head slightly and smiled softly at him. She never liked other people witnessing her at her weakest, not even him. The boy nodded and rose, turning away from his mother and walking out. As he did, the sound of throwing up once more filled the bathroom. Closing his eyes against the tears he walked out of the house, locking the door and went to the Station to meet with Emma.

Later, Cora had arrived and the whole mess had been created by the evil witch. He hadn't been kept in the loop but he had understood things well enough. But, as Emma had said, people have so many faces. Regina, under the familiar influence of the Queen of Hearts committed unspeakable deeds. However, as they saved each other many times, almost as many as they tried to kill themselves, Regina and Snow had forged an uneasy truce because of him, the link that connected them all into one happy family. And as a part of that family, Regina had offered her final sacrifice.

"I am sorry for what's happened. I tried to be the person that you wanted me to be, and I failed. But, I won't let you be alone. You just know that I love you." Regina watched her son with tears in her eyes, her good bye meaning so much more than any of them knew at the time. Taking a deep breath and settling her emotions, she embraced her choice and went to her destiny.

It was only later that when Emma had told him Regina wouldn't be coming back he had understood her last words. His mother had chosen a path of a hero, finally redeeming herself and she did it for him, so he would not be alone in the world, even if it meant he would be with Emma, her adversary for his love. The dread had gripped his heart and he had raged against their decision to honor Regina's sacrifice. She had been his mother and he would have had been damned to let it happen like that. Not when she finally had become who he had wanted her to be all along. Listening to him, Snow had offered an alternate solution and the town, following their Queen, had agreed. But Hook had interfered by having stolen the bean, leaving them helpless against the destruction wrought by the diamond.

"I love you, Henry." Regina sighed weakly, shaking with the force of the power draining through the diamond. "I only wish I was strong enough to stop all this." Her voice breaking when Henry hugged her, she cried in anguish. "I am just not," she whispered, in despair.

Emma had figured it out just in time to save them all. He had seen his mothers stand one across the other and work in tandem to survive. His mother's encouraging smile directed at Emma made something click for him, before a hand grabbed him and pulled him away, having placed something against his mouth. And that was how he had gotten himself stuck in this forsaken world, in this dungeon.

The last moments he had spent with his mother had made him think about a possibility of having a united family, rather unique one and whether it was possible for all of them to live under one roof. Once upon a time, he had hoped to be brought to the Enchanted Forest and to experience adventures the other children only dream about – riding horses, fighting battles, slaying dragons, and living in castles… But, then he had realized that Emma had not liked that world, and that Regina had been deeply hated. Would he have been happy with the two very important women in his life miserable? His mother had lost her True Love and Emma had not found one. Had it been fair to expect them to live in that world with only a promise of a possible contentment, but never happiness?

Of all the places I have seen, this is the fairest of them all.

Regina had told him that when he had the talk with her, about magic.

He knew the story about the stable boy. He had known it since he had read the book, but he never connected the young woman saving the princess to his grown up powerful mother. Daniel had died because she had loved him.

After the man had charged into the stables, he had seen Regina's True Love and the thought of the young man made him smile. He had been much more suited for the young noble woman that the old King, even though he was his great grandfather. Tall, slim with piercing but gentle blue eyes… Henry only hoped he would be as good looking as him when he would grow up. After Regina had stopped him and Henry had been freed, David had made him leave, but instead he had hid in one of the many nooks of the stables and had witnessed the whole thing. He had seen the pain, the sorrow, the grief she had experienced. He had also heard Daniel's last words directed to her. "Then love again," he had said. But who would ever fall in love with the Evil Queen?

Perhaps the answer wasn't obvious one. He wasn't stupid or too ignorant of the things around him. He had heard the comments adults had made when they had thought he hadn't been around. Somehow, it always involved Emma and other women of the town. And Mary Margaret had been very strict when she had explained the sex orientation and discrimination. Not one pupil from her class had ever been called to the principals for bullying. And, the smirk his mom had directed at Emma when they had fought the diamond together had opened the door for so many questions regarding two of them.

Emma had been forgiving enough. Perhaps it was her life experience that made her that way, but everything she had said to Henry in her wise tone, he had memorized. And so many times, he would remember and figure out that she had been always right.

"Kid, I am not a saint!" Emma spoke exasperated, opening the door to Mary Margaret's place. Henry trudged in, passing her and going straight to the breakfast bar.

"You are the Savior, Emma!"

"What does it even mean?" the woman spoke, opening the fridge and gathering the supplies for the promised sandwiches.

"You are going to break the curse, remember? The operation Cobra!" Henry stated, missing the blonde's eye roll at his childishly absolute persistence.

"Yeah, but what does it mean for me? What does that make me?"

"A hero."

"I'm no hero, kid. I'm just a bounty hunter who did some bad things in her life."

"You are, Emma. And, you had a hard life because of the curse and the Evil Queen."

"Kid, even if that were true, I cannot blame anyone but myself for the choices I made. And, I made my share of bad choices and mistakes."

"Yes, but…"

"Henry." The name spoken a bit sharper than usual made Henry blink with surprise. "I know you don't want to believe me regarding this because you are sweet and innocent kid, but I am no hero."

Indeed she was, and had been. Only he had the wrong definition of the hero. He had thought it was the person who is always good, on the side of the truth, a knight in shining armor. But, he had been wrong. A hero was a person willing to sacrifice everything to protect the one he, or she, loved. A person willing to bear eternal pain for the loved one's moment of happiness. The one who thought of others before themselves. Rumplestiltskin always spoke the truth – only he would twist it in that way that one couldn't find his way with it. Snow had been good, and yet her heart started to darken.

And his mother, Regina, had been the hero many times over, but no one had recognized it at the time. Letting him go, to live with David – it had been no doubt the hardest thing she had to do in a while, and she had done it for him. She had saved Emma and Snow, absorbing the death curse. She had denied herself a way to ensure some form of his love, in hope she would one day receive his honest affection. She had offered her life as the delay tactics.

Shaking off the sluggish limbs, he rose, touching the stone walls. The light over his head had extinguished some time while he had been lost in thought, making him conclude it was night outside. A clanking noise startled him and a torch light spread, casting shadows all around the cell. The door opened and one of the hooded men brought in a pallet with a roll of blanket on it and a pillow, while another one brought in a bucked and a skin filled to the top, along with a plate that contained some kind of paste and bread. Quickly they left him in the dark once more. Surveying the offerings, he frowned at the bucket. Suddenly understanding its purpose his face scrunched in distaste. "Ugh!" he mumbled, shuddering.

Having eaten a bit, Henry got back to his place against the cave wall, bringing the cot with him. Preparing himself for the night he remembered of all the times Regina had tucked him in his bed at home. Always gentle, but firm about his curfew, Regina had given him the best memories, and the fact that she was the Evil Queen did not change it. He still smiled when he thought about their game night, or a story time before bed. Emma had been right once again, Regina had always loved him. And it hadn't been the fact that she had been the bad guy that had made him so angry. It had been the fact that he had felt betrayed by the person he had trusted the most. She had lied to him, even though there had been something about having the Evil Queen for a mother.

As time had passed he had gotten to see the glimpses of the real person his mother had been. And if he was honest with himself he had liked the woman that had peaked through the vulnerable shields of his mother. And, although she had done some pretty bad things, he couldn't call her the Evil Queen anymore. Not after Daniel, and definitely not after the trigger business.

He just wished he had told her at least once that he had forgiven her. And, now, sitting in a damp cell with a bucket for a toilet he felt regret and remorse for his behavior toward his mother. Both of them, in fact. He had pitted them inadvertently, one against the other, wreaking havoc. But, irony was that the one person Regina had considered the ultimate threat had helped him grow and understand the grownups. If it hadn't been for Emma's little chats about Regina, he would never have realized, in time anyways, that Regina could redeem herself and earn a place in his life. She didn't have to earn his love, she had never lost it, although it had been hidden under a lot of anger and betrayal.

With that as his last thought he sank into sleep, a deep and dreamless one, despite the danger he was in.

Time passed. He couldn't know how many days had it been, but he was sure it had been days because the fickle light out of the crack in the ceiling overhead disappeared from time to time. His meals would arrive seemingly at random interval. With every further moment spent in the darkness of his prison, he would lose a bit of his hope.

˝He will see you now˝, a voice pierced the darkness startling Henry so hard that he overturned the cot he had been sleeping in. Chuckling, the man that had come to bring him to his Master opened the door.

Henry rose of the floor cautiously keeping the cot in between him and the man entering his cell. For a moment he had considered pushing through and trying to escape, but when another hooded man appeared in the doorway carrying a torch, he gave upon the idea. Slowly, he walked toward them at their beckoning moves, watching them carefully. When he reached the door, the man with the torch grabbed him and pushed him forward, taking him to another twit of the cave´s tunnel. Going deeper into the cave, the man holding the torch kept his hand on Henry´s shoulder, squeezing it sharply when the boy hadn´t moved quickly enough or in the wished direction. Not a word was spoken again, and Henry had a feeling that if he were to speak he wouldn´t get a reply as an answer, but some kind of abuse instead.

It seemed that they were going for hours, but in reality it had been only several minutes. Finally, they reached a wooden door and the leading man gestured with the torch to the one behind them to pass them and open the door. As soon as it was done, Henry was overwhelmed with sounds and lights. The amount of noise hurt his ears unused to the din, having only the sound of his voice for company for the past few days.

The space he was pushed into was a great hall of some kind, alit with many blazing torches and lanterns. There were so many people bustling around that Henry had to close his eyes, for he was becoming dizzy with the movements of the crowd.

˝These are those who are loyal to Him. We prosper in His grace,˝ spoke the man in front of Henry, leading the way, while the man with the torch stood by his side, his hand still on Henry´s shoulder.

They brought him into another great hall, but this one was doused in darkness, so Henry could not see anything past the circle of light surrounding the torch by his side. The man released him, and along with the other one left the room, leaving him immersed in the darkness once more.

˝Hello?˝ Henry said softly having heard the rustling in front of him. Suddenly, there was a pressure around him and he couldn´t move.

˝And you are here, at last.˝ A soft whisper came to Henry, its malicious tone making goose bumps rise all over Henry´s body. ˝I had hoped I would find you sooner,˝ the voice came closer, followed by the eyes that glinted in the darkness, giving Henry something to focus on, no matter the terror he felt. ˝It does not matter. It changes nothing.˝

˝Who are you?˝ Henry spoke, searching the darkness for the eyes, to see where this person was.

˝Peter Pan is the name, boy,˝ the darkness spoke. ˝And you shall help me rule the realms,˝ the voice added, murmuring just off Henry´s ear making his shudder with fear. This, what ever this was, was pure evil and he felt that down to his bones. The only one thought started repeating in his head, fueled by his desperate need to get out of there.

Mom, Emma, please hurry.