Apologies for the delay. Had trouble with this chapter.
Standard disclaimers...
Enjoy!
Chapter 6.
The dark seeped into the room, when no one had remembered to light up a lantern. But it did not matter, for one of the occupants of the room was sleeping deeply, and the other had spent her time thinking over the things she had learned by the process somewhat similar to the 'mind meld' of the Star Trek.
It had been hours since the storm had passed, and she had no doubt that Hook would reach the island soon, under the cover of darkness. She, also, had no doubt that it would take another three to four hours to guide the ship into its hiding place under the veil of night, going slow to keep the sounds down. Just enough for everyone to rest for the rescue part of their mission as her son would call it.
The truth she had heard reverberating in the Savior's mind during the meshing of the magic made her angry. All the things she had learned had hit her, and she understood Emma's desire to protect her from the further pain, no matter how futile it had been. She did feel pain, accompanied with anger, hatred, and devastation, followed by understanding, acceptance and finally affection toward the people who had offered themselves to her, to help her ease the pain of her past. It did not bother her that Snow knew what she did, although she would have expected to be irritated, at least with such intrusion. It didn't even bother her that Snow seemed to accept her as an inevitable and important part of Emma's life, therefore her own. And the looks she had received in the past days reminded the former queen of a young girl, affectionate and loving toward her step mother. And, if she were honest with herself, she did miss the child she had known before her marriage to the king. Emma had been right, as usual, Regina thought, with a slight sarcastic bite to her mind's voice.
The knowledge that she never had a chance, that she had been always fated to be the Evil Queen, by orchestrations of her own father. That thought made her sick inside. He had conceived her for the sole purpose of reaching his son, like she had been just another tool he used in his search, ignoring the lives destroyed in the process. But, Emma's thoughts that accompanied that knowledge did enough to assuage her guilt and ire. You are so much more than what he imagined of you. A much better, loving and brave person. It was only the thought of Emma's support that stopped her from demanding explanations from Gold. Although, she knew, deeply down that Emma had given them, and that it had been all she had been to the Dark One. Just another mean to an end.
It burned, however. Deep inside, the knowledge of her past hurt more than she would ever admit. The man she had considered her father was nothing to her, biologically at least. She would always regard him as the only father she had. Had he known? Had Cora used that knowledge to keep him somehow in line? Perhaps it had been the reason why he had never stood up to her in Regina's behalf. Not directly, anyways.
A soft knock interrupted her thoughts and she used her magic to open the door, loath to speak, not wanting to wake the woman next to her. A soft glow of the light in the hallway outlined the familiar silhouette of her former step daughter carrying something in her hands. Gesturing to Snow to keep quiet, Regina lifted herself gently, leaning onto the wall, softened by the pillow she placed beneath her back. The pixie haired woman walked in slowly, and placed the tray she had been carrying onto the small night table beside Regina's side of the mattress. Lowering herself beside Regina's free side, Snow sat onto the edge of the pallet, looking at her sleeping daughter.
The peaceful face Emma sported brought a soft smile on Snow's face, and she glanced up to see Regina smile as well at the Savior's sleeping expression. Feeling her smile grow, Snow took the free Regina's hand, that was resting on her lap, noticing that the other one was held in one of Emma's, close to her chest. Regina looked at her former step daughter with question on her face. However, Snow did not answer, only squeezed the hand in hers in gentle manner, before she rose and turned to leave. But the grip firmed on her hand.
"I am sorry," Regina spoke softly, her murmur barely heard in the silence of the room. There was no need to specify why Regina was sorry, for Snow understood perfectly.
"I am, too." The soft whisper brought a nod out of the reclining woman, but Snow was not finished. Having sat back in her place, the younger woman brought their linked hands to her chest in comfort. "For everything. And I hope we could move on, for them." Pixie haired woman glanced toward her sleeping daughter. She felt her hand squeezed in response, and she looked back into the face that had often marred her dreams, now seen in different light. With a gentle smile she tapped their linked hands with the other one, and let go, rising up once again. With another look at the women on the pallet, Snow left the room.
"I am glad you called truce with her," Emma murmured, not opening her eyes, drawing Regina to herself in surprise.
"You heard that?" Regina asked, not really surprised by Emma's statement, more with her sudden break of the silence. She took the plate and nudged Emma to rise up, in order to eat. The blonde woman groaned but lifted herself, settling beside Regina, also leaning onto the wall. Taking the offered plate, she dug in, aware that she hadn't eaten in a while.
Regina followed her example, but not having a real appetite she only nibbled on the food, watching Emma in the darkness of the room, with only light coming of the open door.
After the hunger was sated, and having Emma eat both of their plates, Regina lit the lantern closest to her, bringing a weak light into the room, making the shadows stand out even more. Emma watched her carefully, aware that something was going to be brought up, and with their experience of several hours before, she had no doubt what that something would be.
"We need to talk," Regina started, worrying her hands before placing them in her lap. Emma placed one of hers over them and turned slightly toward the other woman, giving her full attention. "I understand why you kept the truth about me and Rumplestiltskin from me. Like you said, you did not want to hurt me. And I can accept that. But, there is something else we are in need to discuss."
"Can it wait?" Emma interrupted. She saw Regina look her with a slight frown and she shook her head. "We are going into God knows what and with all the dangers I do not feel comfortable about making some kind of long term plans." She shrugged at the narrowed look pointed at her face. "I know it is complicated. It is even beyond complicated, but when the things between us aren't? This new revelation makes it even trickier, but I know deeply down that this can work, only if we both want it."
"How can you say it so dismissively?" Regina asked, her unresolved anger close to surface.
Emma rose from the mattress and straightened out, placing her hands on her chest. "What do you want me to say? That it is impossible?" Emma said, her voice rising. Emma walked to the door and closed it, leaning on it. "After all that I have been through, I cannot say that anything is impossible." Going through her hair with her hands, she rubbed her head, calming herself down. "The fact is it is complicated. But, honestly, I have seen more complicated relationships in my world. Hell, history is full of them!" She pushed of the door, placing her hands onto her hips. "The fact that you are Henry's aunt, or that you are my step grandmother – they do not trouble me."
"I am older than you. More than thirty years." Regina tried to argue, but she knew her argument was weak, as soon proven by the Savior.
"So what? You don't look it." At the scowl directed at her, she grinned. "Neal had several hundred years on you." Emma walked to the bed and took Regina's hands and pulled the other woman up, right into her arms. "And speaking of ages, here is a fun fact for you. I am older than Snow." She smiled when Regina whipped her head toward her.
"What?"
"She has been in stasis more time than she had been alive. It is only a matter of months, but still, I am older than my own mother – isn't that mindboggling?" Emma said, lowering her head in order to catch Regina's eyes. Her smirk brought out the green in her eyes, seeming almost amber in the light. Her hair still mused from sleeping, fell down in soft waves. Regina lifted her hands and placed them onto Emma's shoulders, accepting the hold. "I know we need to talk about too many things, but we don't have time to get into it now, and it is not worth starting it and then not finishing…"
Regina only nodded, leaning into the other woman's shoulder, taking the last bit of the open comfort for the night, and very possibly longer. "Let's get our son."
"Yeah." Emma lowered her arms and walked toward the bag that held her things and picked out several dark things, to blend with the darkness. Not bothered with the presence of the other woman, she stripped into her underwear and put the fresh clothes on. But before Emma could put her leather jacket, similar to her favorite red one, only dark, Regina stopped her. She gestured her to rise her arms up in the air and after Emma had obeyed, she pulled the black chainmail over the blonde head. Fixing the straps, Regina looked at the Savior and smiled. With one wave of her hand the light in the room increased and a mirror showed in front of Emma. The blonde woman looked at the reflection and gasped at the handsome sight in it. The black of the chainmail showcased her upper body, making her look sleek and dangerous. It was light and did not restrict movement as much as Emma had guessed. If fact, she could move with it more freely than with the protective vest.
Regina helped her place the belt with her gun, extra clips and a knife over the jacket that covered the mail, and at last the sword at the back. "There, you look good." Fixing the lapels of the jacket, Regina pushed Emma's hair out of the collar.
"You don't have one of these for yourself? I could have used the vest." Emma fingered the mail that peaked under the jacket, on her hips.
Regina shook her head and stepped away, placing her own sword and daggers on her person. "I will not be in the thick of the fighting, and I know how to avoid danger, unlike you, Miss Swan. Sometimes, I am of mind that you are quite danger magnet…" The brunette smiled at the end showing that she was joking, slightly. Placing her hands on her hips, she presented herself to inspection. "How do I look?"
Emma lowered herself before the older woman, kneeling on one knee, while placing one hand on the other. "Ready to fight for our son, your Majesty," Emma spoke, and while she was down she placed two daggers in her boots, and tightened the holster of her back up revolver. Taking offered hand, she rose and crossed her arms on her chest, feeling the mail move across her back, adjusting.
They went up and reached the mast, where everyone else seemed to be in the light of the stars. Emma stood right beside her parents and Regina beside her side, while Hook and Gold were on the other side of Snow and David. The pixie haired woman took Emma's arm and pulled her closer, reaching out to Regina to do the same, while Hook explained the layout of the island. Emma looked around, half listening to the minutiae of the paths and trails in the vegetation of this place, surveying the cove she saw the ship was in. As she understood, Hook had led the ship here because it was remote part of the island and hidden from the view, from both land and sea. The trees came all up to the water line, and the lagoon went deep into the shore, giving them a bit of an advantage, a clear path to the middle of the island. The sky was filled with stars but there was no moon, giving them another advantage.
Snow squeezed her arm, pulling her back to people around her. Hook outlined the best options but Snow considered them carefully. "Emma and I will go for a look out. I want to see if the path is clear. If everything is ok, we can proceed." Seeing the nods all around, they both turned to their partners in silent goodbyes. Emma heard Regina's soft whisper telling her not to use magic until absolutely necessary, and then only in small scales to avoid detection. With that last advice and a gentle pat on her back, she followed Snow over the railing and climbed down the roped ladders leading into a small boat.
Silently they rowed to the mouth of the lagoon and walked on the different shores, looking for traps and alarm systems. After a while when Snow was pleased with progress, she signaled for the return, watching Emma cross the water carefully, avoiding to get wet and make noise. Joining her mother, Emma crouched watching the light of various fires in the distance. Snow gestured to the direction of the ship and the blonde nodded, following her mother's footsteps.
A soft buzz of an insect assaulted her from the back, and Emma tried to swipe the annoying creature away but the buzz did not get away. If anything it got more persistent. And if Emma was not wrong there was a soft glow of something behind her. But before she could swipe her hand once more it got held back by Snow's firm grip. The experienced brunette only cupped her hand and the soft buzzing light flew into the protective grasp. At Emma's raised brows, Snow smirked and gestured to continue their trek to the ship and the encampment that would find them, as everything went as planned.
As soon as they cleared the forest, Emma saw the rest of the crew looking into their weapons. She saw that David sported one of the Sheriff's vests, beneath his jeans shirt. As they reached the temporary camp, Regina came to her and looked at Snow holding the flickering light.
"A fairy? Here?"
Emma turned at the question, and glanced carefully at the light in her mother's hand. "Let me guess, Tinker Bell?" Her exclamation was followed by a rapid buzzing and chirping from the light.
"She says that it is rare for humans to know her name," Snow answered for the fairy, understanding the small creature. "Especially for humans who cannot understand her." Emma rolled her eyes at the development and placed her hands on her hips. It was getting out of the hand, and Emma could feel her sanity cracking and only Regina's soothing hand on her back helped her calm down. With another roll of her eyes she looked at her mother.
"The next thing, the mermaids of the lagoon will come out to play…" Emma remarked softly, but not quietly enough. Regina snickered at the comment and Snow frowned as the light in her hand, flickering in and out rapidly.
"She says that they are in the different lagoon, to the north of the island."
"Easy, Miss Swan." Regina whispered into Emma's ear, coming from the back, still having her hand pressed against the blonde woman's back. "They are not aware that so many of their worlds are familiar to yours, although with several misconceptions." She could feel Emma's tenseness leave her body, and with that she turned to Snow who had been watching her carefully, probably because Emma had seemed so agitated before. "What does she want?" Regina asked, directing the question at Snow although she knew that the fairy could understand them perfectly.
After a brief chirping, Snow raised her eyebrow in surprise. "She wants to help us end the great evil." All the while Snow talked the fairy chirped. "He has many of her people in his cells, using their magic to his own purpose. They wish to be free once more. And she, as their princess, is obligated to report to Peter Pan if new fairies are born. He expects her soon. She was on her way to him when she saw Emma cross the water in the forest. As we seemed as the ones to come for the boy from prophesy, she thought we would accept her help and in return help her people." Snow finished and released the fairy. But before Emma and Regina could react, to hold her captive, the light turned to the Savior and landed on her shoulder. For the first time, Emma saw a small woman, shaking her insect like wings. The miniature woman turned to the blonde's face and with flourish curtsied. Emma looked at the small woman and noticed that she was dressed in a tight fitting suit but over it was a small silver rope going around her legs, individually and then up her body and her arms. The long reddish blond hair was plaited and raised in an intricate bun. A top of it was a tiara declaring her position among the fairy folk. Emma inclined her head in return but the frown of mistrust remained on her face.
A soft melody washed over her face as the woman spoke, and Emma heard Snow speak for the woman. "She sees you don't trust her, and she wishes to tell you that she would do anything to prove herself to you."
"Can you tell us about their encampment and where they keep their captives?" Emma asked directly, seeing the princess nod vigorously. "Alright, go to Snow and explain everything about it to her. She will ask you many questions. Be prepared to answer them." With another curtsy the fairy flew off to the designated woman, leaving Emma and Regina alone for a bit, as everyone else gathered around Snow to hear the outlines of the camp.
"Something is bothering you about her." Regina spoke softly, watching the crowd at the other side of their camp. Then she looked at the blonde woman beside her.
"It is convenient that we stumbled across a guide just as we needed her." Emma watched the small light prepared to react at the moment's notice, waiting for the group to relax. "And I cannot see if she is telling the truth because I don't understand her. Maybe I have turned into a cynic, but things do not go this easily."
Regina nodded in agreement and she too watched the fairy. The obvious solution was to disregard anything that the fairy told them and to scope out the camp and the fort for themselves, but it would take time, a luxury they did not have. "What do you plan to do about it?"
"You are the tactician. I just push through the obstacles, and I figure here is needed a more subtle approach. So, the question is what your plan is?" Emma said, glancing toward the woman beside her, her frown turning into a smirk when she saw Regina focus on the group in front of them.
"So, we plan this as a trap, right?" Regina asked, her mind already whirling with possible routes. Seeing Emma's subtle nod, she listened to the outline that Snow translated to the others. Along, she formulated two different plans, one for the entire group, that the fairy would hear and the other one only for the two of them. As soon as Snow was finished, Regina smiled in victory, her smirk a mixture of an Evil Queen's smirk and the Mayor's victory grin. Turning to Emma she noticed the woman's focus had been on her face. Caught staring, Emma felt her cheeks burn but she pushed down the embarrassment, ready to hear Regina's solution. "Have you heard what Snow said?" When Emma nodded, Regina continued, first outlining her plan, then the revisions. "The plan rests on someone going into the dungeons and finding Henry. The most people knowing us would assume that you would be outside, covering me, because it is more dangerous out there, and you are the Savior. So, instead of me, you go in, while I cover. You get Henry; we switch and proceed as planned."
"You will be pinned without back up." Emma spoke, shaking her head. But Regina grabbed her hand.
"You are my back up, and if we are discovered that quickly, it really doesn't matter, does it?" Regina raised her other hand to place it on Emma's shoulder. "Henry is our first priority." The soft reminder, whispered with firm voice - that their lives were second to the life of their son made Emma reconsider the plan and reluctantly agree. "Good. Now we have to inform the others of it."
While the plan was explained to the others, depicting the each person's post and assignment, Regina worked out a few bits of their own plan, setting the contingency strategies. Updating Emma before they moved out, they were all set. Hook would stay near the ship, protecting their own way of escape, while the others would be involved in the action. Emma smirked when she saw the captain's pleased expression when he had heard that he wouldn't be involved into the fighting directly. But, she did not deny him his escape from the thick of the danger. He was not Henry's family, and that he had brought them this far was enough in Emma's opinion. He did not need to prove himself to her, and honestly if he joined, she would worry about him betraying them once more to the enemy.
With the last preparations they set out. Snow in the front, Emma and Regina behind her, followed by David and Gold bringing up the rear. With the fairy's guidance, they traversed the forest quicker than they had expected, reaching the path to the caves before the midnight. Having learned that the caves had two exit points, Emma directed Snow to go above the mouth of the cave and stand guard from that side. David and Gold continued on to the encampment at the shore, keeping the watch from that side. Regina followed Emma in, having given Snow some directions on fairy. The two of them reached another mouth inside and with a simple hand squeeze they parted ways.
After several minutes walking in the dark, seeing what she was looking for, Emma dashed toward the secured door, and knelt down, reaching for her burglary tools from her belt. Listening carefully to the silence, she picked the lock. Slowly opening the door, Emma peaked inside seeing another door. The wooden door with small bars placed at the head level proved to be harder for her to open, but after several minutes of trying she managed to unlock it.
Opening the door, her hand poised over her gun, ready for anything, Emma searched the room with her eyes, not bringing the light into the small cell. After several moments when her eyes got used to the darkness, she saw a small pallet and a body covered with a rag. Recognizing her son, she walked softly to the bed, and knelt beside the boy, gently waking him up.
"Henry!" Emma breathed out, pleased to find him unharmed. He blinked his eyes open and stared at the familiar eyes looking down at him, glinting in the weak light from the door. For a moment he lied frozen, not believing that she was finally there, but as she moved to get him up he jumped into her arms, slamming into her body, holding her in a vice-like grip.
"Mom!" he gushed out, aware that he needed to be quiet. Then a sound of a gun fire pierced the air, startling them both.
"That's David. We must hurry." Emma turned to take Henry out before too many men gathered outside. But, she considered that she was bringing a child into a fight zone and she turned back to the boy, looking at him. Making a quick decision, she took off her belt and her sword, unzipping her jacket. Quickly stripping the chain mail, she motioned to the boy to follow her lead and take off his things. "Just the shirt, this thing might chafe if on skin." Pulling the mail on his shoulders, Emma tightened the straps to fit the boy's body. Stuffing the showing part of the mail into his pants to keep it out of sight, she helped him button his shirt and jacket over it.
"Emma? Is mo… I mean, is Regina here?" Henry asked before they left the cell. Emma looked at him and smiled with softness, pleased that he asked about her.
"You can call her mom Henry. That is what she is." She took out one of her daggers from her booth and gave it to Henry, just in a case something goes wrong. "She is just up ahead. Now, listen to me." She knelt before him, placing her weapons back on her person, after she put the jacket on. "We are all here, Snow, David, Regina and Gold. But, that is not important. Whatever happens, you are to go to the forest, to the lagoon. You know how to discern the sides, right? East, West and such?"
"Yeah, I am not an idiot!" Henry spoke, but as soon as he had said the words, he wanted to take them back.
"I know you are really smart. So, you go west, and you will reach a small lagoon. Follow the water, and you will go to Jolly Roger." Emma rose and took his hand. "No matter what, you are to go to Hook, do you understand me?" Her voice brook no doubt her orders were to be followed. Henry nodded, his fear growing.
"Now stay close." Emma walked out the door, looking around for the enemy, pleased to find none. Taking out her gun from the hip, she cleared every corner before gesturing to Henry to follow her. They moved slowly, not rushing into the danger ahead. When they reached the fork Emma had passed before and split with Regina, she noticed the cave in further in the way. Their path out was blocked from that side, and the only way was to go through the caves and the fort, as the fairy had called it. Becoming worried for the other woman, Emma hastened her pace, eager to leave this place. Henry trudged behind her, barely catching up with her.
A minute later they almost stumbled over a body lying in the dirt, half hidden by the dark in the cave corridor. Emma searched for the pulse, but a voice interrupted her. "He's alive. I just knocked him out." Sighing in relief, Emma turned to the woman, siting in the dark, standing guard.
"Mom!" Henry spoke, reaching the older woman and hugging her firmly. Regina took his face into her hands and wiped away his tears, before kissing him on the nose and forehead. Pressing his head to her chest she took a deep breath, like she could finally breathe with ease, now that her boy was found.
She looked over his ruffled hair to the blonde woman standing on guard, her body tensed to defend at the moment's notice. The protector. The Savior. Regina rose and placed a hand on the other woman's shoulder in silent communication. Emma just leaned her head toward the hand, before they wordlessly turned to the tunnel leading to the way out. Henry watched his mothers communicate in this way, and his surprised frown was quickly turned into a pleased smirk. Staying close to Regina, he watched Emma assume the lead.
Quickly, they reached the door that Henry had passed through not so long before. With a soft whisper he explained the layout of what he had seen to Emma and Regina, while the younger woman was picking the lock. Emma opened the door and walked in first, taking out her sword along with her gun.
The first man attacked before she even had cleared the door. Yelling in alarm, he waved with his weird looking mace and jumped at Emma. She managed to push him away, before slicing his weapon in two and away from his hands. Not discouraged in the slightest, he brought his hands up, trying to reach her neck. With another swish of the sword, he fell down, his legs slashed. But before Emma could think about his wounds, another one jumped out followed by many more. One by one, she fought them off, trying to slow them down with her pistol before they reached her. Even then she was loath to take a human life, so she aimed for the wound shots, not kills. With the corner of her eye, she saw that Regina had lead Henry into the hall, hidden by the shadows, with her sword out. She had been guiding him out while the enemies had been engaged in fighting Emma.
Soon she was able to follow them, as the attack yielded because there were too many wounded in the hall. As far as she knew, Emma had not killed anyone, but it did not change the look of things. Covered in grime and blood, she could feel the sticky substance all over her hands and the sword. Disgusted with the outcome, she rushed after Regina, pushing the thought of what she had done out of her mind. Henry was the priority, and for him, she would destroy the world if need be, and her conscience would be a small price to pay.
Meeting with the other two at the other hall Henry had been in, Emma saw Regina gesture to a door beside the dark hall. Nodding, the blonde woman opened them carefully and looked through them quickly, before pulling herself back in. "It leads into an atrium of a kind, and after that is the camp." Emma said softly, looking into Regina's eyes. The realization settled quickly. They would have to fight their way out facing the entire contingent of the Lost Boys and Peter Pan. Luckily, the Indians were only in the book, Emma grimly thought. The fairy had said that there were about a hundred of the men working for Peter. Emma doubled the numbers in her head, just to be on the safe side. Even with the more than two dozen disabled in the hall beside them, there were too many. Emma looked at Regina, seeing the brunette's gaze focused on her face.
"We won't use magic, until it is absolutely necessary. I don't know how Greg enchanted my mother's cuff, but it is safe to say it came from here." Regina spoke when it was obvious that the decision had been made long ago, even before they had set out on this mission. It was the price of motherhood. "I don't know about the others." Regina saw Emma nod grimly, so she turned to Henry who held her hand in a bone crushing grip. "Henry, you know I love you?"
"I do, mom," he spoke, his eyes filling with tears. He recognized the look in her eyes, as it was the same as before when she had spoken to him what she had thought to be the last time. Another goodbye was to be said, and this one might even be the last one he would ever get from his mother. He understood the situation perfectly. He had seen the numbers of people feasting in the hall before, and even Emma as the Savior could not fight against them without serious help. Even with Regina it would be a very close call, but they could not rely on using magic to fight the people off for it might not work – so they had to count on sheer power and strength they had. Emma had her gun, but Regina had only her sword. "I love you too." He pushed himself into her arms and gripped firmly. "I forgive you, for everything. And I hope you can forgive me, too."
At his words, Regina sobbed out into his hair, overwhelmed with love for her boy. "Of course I do, Henry. I always would forgive you, no matter what. I am your mother." Her voice breaking, she buried her face into his hair.
Henry kissed his mother on the cheek and moved to the blonde, leaning on the wall beside the door. "Hey, kid," Emma spoke softly, as her throat had tightened with the tears she never allowed to fall. She enveloped him into her embrace, and kissed his forehead, speaking no words of goodbye. "I love you."
Henry nodded sadly, wiping his eyes. "Now remember what I told you," Emma said firmly. "West, then follow the water, ok?"
"You do know you are a hero, Emma? You both are!" He spoke holding the hands of the women before him. Emma chuckled, remembering the old conversation she had had with him about heroes.
Wiping her eyes, Regina regained her composure and stood behind Henry. Kissing the crown of his head, she took her sword and nodded to Emma. The blonde woman grabbed the metal handle on the door and pulled. Quickly filing out, Emma crouched low and moved to the gate to the camp. Glancing outside she saw David captured and the light, signaling that the fairy had betrayed them as Emma suspected she would all along.
Emma rushed out, drawing the attention away from the gate, as several men attacked her on her way to the forest. Emma didn't hesitate, aiming her gun at them and bringing them down one by one. Quickly reloading, she changed her direction and marched into the camp, with her cocky attitude and brandishing her sword. She knew that Regina had smuggled the boy out while the others were busy, but the danger was still apparent. At any moment they can choose to send someone after them to the forest.
With her smirk she invited the Lost Boys to attack. But before the first one could lay his hands on her, an arrow appeared in his chest, mowing him down just inches in front of her. Emma smirked, recognizing the archer's style. At least, Snow was safe. One by one, arrows whistled around Emma's head, finding their targets into the men willing to attack. However, Emma knew the volley would not last for there were not enough arrows to keep the disfigured men away for long.
Regina looked behind her, seeing Emma stride in the camp, giving them the needed distraction. With her heart going out to the brave Savior, the woman pushed through the forest, climbing over the limbs of the vegetation, helping Henry whenever they were going over a trunk too big for him to step over. However they could not move fast enough.
"Mom, look out!" Henry yelled from behind her, and she lifted her head just in time to see the club going toward her face. Soon, only darkness followed.
Henry saw his mother fall down, her lifeless body crumbling on the forest floor. But, before he could reach the woman, hands grabbed his middle, hoisting him up in the air. The blonde man that had led him into the cell the days before smiled evilly at him, before throwing him over his shoulder, all the while Henry yelled and fought the man, trying to get to the woman lying just several feet away. "Mom! Mom, wake up! Let me go!" He watched helplessly, still fighting as the place they had left the brunette was moving away from him at the steady gait of the man. The fact that he was captured, again, did not worry him as much as the crumpled form of his mother not moving at his cries.
The blonde man carried him into the camp where he saw Emma fight the Lost Boys, and it pleased him to see that she held her own against the tide of the men attacking her. An arrow here and there would pierce the air taking down men who had come too close to Emma for Snow's comfort. He had heard about his grandmother's ability with a bow, and he was glad she was there too.
He was dropped beside David, who was bound tightly around a pillar in the middle of the camp. As soon as his capturer stepped away, Henry moved to David and pulled down the gag of his face. Doing that, he looked around the camp. It was very well lit with fires and torches at every few steps. And his biological mother stood thirty paces to a side, involved in a fight, cutting down and pushing off the attackers with her sword, having spent all her ammunition for the semi, and not having enough time to take the revolver.
"She is magnificent, isn't she?" David whispered to the boy, showing him that he was awake. With a subtle head shake, he pointed to the knots on his back that held him to the pillar. Henry glanced upon them and frowned. They seemed too complicated to try to untie them and not be detected. However, he remembered the dagger Emma had given him, cursing himself silently for not thinking of it sooner. He would have been able to stay with Regina. Pulling it slowly out, he started cutting the ropes, moving as little as possible. At last, he felt the lines snap and David move a bit to loosen the rest. Placing the dagger into his grandfather's hands, Henry moved slightly away. Just at the right time, it seemed as the blonde man returned and grabbed him up.
"STOP!" He yelled, his voice carrying across the camp. Henry froze feeling the barrel of the gun under his chin. It must have been David's, for Emma still had her own on the hip. "Stop or I will shoot!"
Emma had seen Henry in the arms of the blonde man at the first cry but still fought, trying to reach them. However, when she saw the gun pointed at the boy's neck, she stopped.
The darkness and pain were overwhelming, and the nausea that followed made her turn at the side and throw up the meager meal she had hours before. The flashes of light pulsed before her eyes in the rhythm of her heartbeats. If she hadn't looked up at the Henry's warning, the glancing blow would have killed her for sure.
Henry! Her mind exclaimed causing her to grab her pulsing forehead. "Damn it all to hell," she murmured and summoned her magic to heal and light her way back. She would not leave Henry to these barbarians, no matter the cost. Wiping the blood, she straightened and dusted off, picking her sword and placing it in the scabbard. After her head cleared of the pain and nausea, she looked up trying to judge the time she had spent unconscious. It was still night, and the stars had not moved much. There might still be time to do something.
Creeping in the shadows, she came closer to the camp. What she saw froze her body and the chills came down her spine. Emma was kneeling in the dirt and blood while her own sword was pointed at her, leaning against the jacket. Henry stood across, held by the man that had hit her and watched helplessly as his mother surrendered to keep him safe. The gun at his chin was hard to miss.
Looking around, she noticed many men had been downed by arrows. So Snow had made herself useful, Regina thought with approval, but judging by the numbers of the arrows littering the bodies in the camp, the pixie haired woman must have run out. And rushing in the camp with the sword swirling and yelling would do nothing except get them all killed. Luckily for them, the young queen had not been the rash one in the Charming Duo. Where the hell was Gold?
Returning her attention to the camp, she saw a young man, a boy really, approach the prisoners. With a startling realization, Regina gasped. The worst evil they had ever faced, by Rumplestiltskin's words was a teenage boy!
Seeing Henry in the arms of what looked to be the chief among the Lost Boys, and that Regina was nowhere to be found, Emma felt anger and grief warring in her, fighting for supremacy. They had lost, spectacularly. David was bound, Snow was powerless against the many, Regina was probably dead somewhere in the forest, and there was no sound of Gold. She was held at the point of her own sword and Henry was kept prisoner by the weapon she had given to David long before.
"You will not kill him. You need him." Emma spoke, projecting calmness and assuredness. But before the blonde man could answer another person stepped in the light, smiling arrogantly at the kneeling woman. He walked slowly to the blonde Savior and leaned down, looking into her eyes. She shuddered, seeing that his were black holes, and the blackness covered all the space of the eye visible, bordered with eyelids. Looking into the face of her enemy she knew that she was watching the face of unspeakable evil and she was afraid, not only for her and Henry's life, but for their souls as well, for if there ever was a devil, it would be this person.
The person that approached her looked like an ordinary teenage boy, several years older than Henry. Dressed all in dark green and black, his flame red hair glinted in the light of the fires, and a top of it was a small hat with a red feather, so similar to the one the cartoon character wore… Lean and agile, he was striking, but his beauty was cold and terrifying.
He reached out and placed his hand onto Emma's cheek, lifting her head up. Enjoying the shudders going through her body, the boy smirked devilishly. "Yes, I will not kill him." His voice, deeper than expected for a boy, even an ordinary man, pierced the air, heard in all the corners of the camp although he did not raise his voice. "But, I do not need him to be whole for it. Or anything, but alive." The even delivery of his threat did more for Emma's courage than anything else that might have been said.
"Why do you need him?" Emma asked weakly, looking in the frightened face of her son.
The boy released the blonde woman from his touch and stepped closer to his prize. "The boy has the spirit and the power I had never felt before. And as it was foretold, he will give me the power to cross the worlds and conquer them, no matter the magic or weaponry they have." His face darkened with the malice. "My agents in the other worlds believe I hate magic and I want it destroyed. But, the truth is I am the magic!" He raised his arms and levitated into the air. "I am immortal!" He spoke, his gaze coming over all of them. Coming lightly to the ground, he continued. "I have used the spirits of the children brought to me here by my fateful shadow to keep myself eternally young and powerful. I have seen what the age does to people, making them weak and pitiful. Am I not magnificent?" With a smirk, he summoned the fairy. "Ah, my dear, you did well." Cradling her in his hand, he smiled gently at her, the smile looking like a painful grimace on his face. "You have earned your freedom." At the cheerful chirping of the fairy, Peter smirked once more and closed his hand, with the light still in it. After a moment, he shook his hand dislodging the glimmering dust of it. "Well, she is free," he commented flippantly.
Giving a flick with his hand, he turned away and walked to a chair at one end of the camp. At his signal Emma was bound with a silvery chain and stripped of her weapons. All the time she watched at her son, held at the gun point. Keeping her eyes glued to his, she tried to give him all her courage and love, sorry that he witnessed his family destroyed in front of him.
"I have lost enough time." Peter spoke from the chair. "Bring me the boy." With a rough pull, Henry was dropped on his knees before the ageless boy. Emma tried to fight against the restraints but she couldn't reach her magic, although she could feel it. Sensing her struggle, Peter looked at her and smirking, winked at her, reaching behind him and uncovering a lump that was situated behind his chair. Gold, bound with the silver rope and gagged, laid in dirt his eyes darting wildly around. If he couldn't break the barrier of the chain, how could she?
But then she remembered that she had been more powerful than him on the ship. Focusing internally at the barrier, she pushed wishing herself free. But as that did not work, she thought about her family. She wanted them all safe and sound, and for that she needed to be free. The seconds ticked away as she pushed against the obstacle, until she finally found the smallest crack in the wall cutting her off from her magic. Mentally she slammed into it with all her power, feeling the wall weakening. As the time slowed, she could feel the sweat drip from her face, lazily, as she slammed once more.
From the outside, it seemed like Emma was praying, her lips only twitching, her eyes focused at Henry. Peter laughed at her focus. "Prayers won't help you now." He reached for the boy, taking him by his neck and lifting him up, breaking the intense gaze. "It is time to end this."
But before he could take anything from Henry, several things happened at once. David jumped off the pillar, slamming into the blonde man holding his gun. Henry used the commotion to get himself out of Peter's hold rushing off to the forest, following his mother's instructions to the letter. But before he could leave the encampment, he saw his other mother wielding power and mowing the Lost Boys down. At his excited yell, she looked at him and smiled, hurrying him along.
A shot rang out, and Henry fell, his startled yell ringing afterwards. Regina looked at David, seeing him taking his gun out of the hands of the blonde thug, knocking him out with a butt swipe. Rushing to her boy, Regina saw Henry lift himself gingerly and shake off the dirt, joining her. "I'm fine," he spoke at her obviously distressed and surprised look.
"Take him!" Emma's voice startled them, as the woman in question rose to her feet, her eyes glowing bluish white. The ropes fell of her turning into the dust in the second they touched the ground. Standing in between her boy and the greatest danger she had ever faced, Emma waved Regina off. Understanding the message, Regina took Henry's hand and directed him to the part of the forest she had come out of. Ignoring the gun fire and the sword clashing, Regina pushed her child in front of her.
Suddenly coldness filled the air as the East started to get bright with the new day. Regina turned to see a dark fog rushing at Emma at speed from Peter's hands. Worried, she clutched Henry's shoulder, watching Emma trying to fight it off. She could feel its devastating power even from her position away from the camp. "I guess the mail will absorb the worst of it," Regina mumbled, unwilling to move away, but knowing that she had to bring Henry to safety.
"Mail?" Henry asked, confused, looking at his mother. "You mean this?" he spoke, pulling the neck of his jacket and shirt away, uncovering the dark metal weave. Regina blinked at the sight and grabbed her son, turning him around to see his back. And there, in between his shoulder blades, close to his left, was a hole in his clothes. Touching around, Regina unearthed a bullet that had been lodged in the weaves of the chain mail, keeping her son alive and unharmed. Closing her hand around the bullet, she looked out at the blonde Savior fighting with the fog and losing.
"Damn her!" Regina whispered in helpless anger and terror, tears coming down her face, holding Henry close to her.
Emma, seeing that she could not win against the powerful dark spell, refocused her magic and released Rumplestiltskin from his bonds, and after he understood what she planned to do, she refocused her energy again. With a last look toward her son, hiding in the shadows of the forest, invisible in the light of the dawn, she searched for the woman who had occupied her mind, looking for her magical signature. Finding it, she smiled and nodded in goodbye. Turning to her enemy, she directed all her power to Peter, joined with Rumplestiltskin.
The fire haired boy froze in surprise when his limbs locked. He could not move and could not release himself, and that had never happened to him before. It was a nuisance that the Savior could not be stopped with the specially crafted chain to block magic, but it did not mean that she was more powerful than him. No one was more powerful than him, he had proven that times and times again. But this was impossible. "No!" He screamed in helpless fury. "I am to rule the Realms!" He said his hands sending more of the spell of darkness toward Emma. "You shall not defeat me!"
Rumplestiltskin sniggered at the struggling boy, adding more of his magic in the mix, knowing he, they, would need more to destroy their fiend. And Emma was already at her end of the rope, so there was the only other source of magic willing to help them. "Regina, we need more!" his voice rang out, strained with exhaustion. Instantly, Regina rushed back into the camp, closely followed by Henry, whom she directed to David. Standing close to Emma, she raised her hands and sent out her purple magic, joining the others. For a moment there was a stalemate but a second later, things changed, drastically. With her power in the mix, suddenly the boy started aging, destroying all the years of agelessness in seconds. Regina felt his power leaving him, and the taste of his magic was making her sick with terror, recognizing the true evil of the world. His screams filled the air, until there was nothing left but the dust. Regina turned to Gold, and gasped in surprise. His skin had turned into gold of the Dark One the moment he joined his power with Emma's and now his skin was returning to his human one, but he seemed older, more fragile. He had never looked so old, in fact, Regina thought until more pressing matter diverted her attention.
Disregarding him, she looked at Emma and saw her smiling at her in the light of the new day. The Sun grazed her as it came out of hiding behind the hills and it showed Emma covered with blood and grime, standing there, looking around. For a brief second, Regina regarded her with pleasure – a victorious warrior after the hard won battle, and she had never looked more powerful and breathtaking, regardless of the state she was in. As she walked to her, Emma straightened out with a heavy sigh, her hands dropping down beside her hips.
"Everyone is safe," she spoke quietly with a tired but pleased smile on her face, her relief obvious, looking at Regina and checking her out for injuries.
"Yes, we are," Regina answered, stepping closer, worried with the paleness and stillness of the woman before her. Emma was too quiet for this moment, even if she was tired. And, too much motionless for a woman who did not know how to be stationary for more than a minute. The dark curse was too vivid in her mind to let it go and attribute it to exhaustion.
"Good." Another smile twisted her lips before her eyes rolled into her head and she crumpled into the heap at the ground.
"Emma!"
"Mom!"
"Emma!"
Regina had jumped to the falling woman, managing to catch her head before it hit the ground, but it did nothing for Emma as she was unconscious. Quickly checking for her pulse and breathing, Regina furiously opened the jacket in her way. Snow and David rushed to her, the man holding Henry to his chest, keeping him out of the way.
"What happened?" Snow asked, while she tried to find the pulse on Emma's wrist. Regina saw that the Savior was not breathing and that her heart had stopped. Starting the cardio massage, she looked at Snow with desperation on her face. Pushing the breath down Emma's mouth, she repeated the procedure refusing to believe that the Savior was gone.
Rumplestiltskin slowly walked, leaning onto his cane heavily, reaching the group in the clearing. Kneeling beside Snow, sparing his bad leg of bending by putting it aside to his body, he looked down at the blonde woman. "She took the curse of darkness. I have hoped she managed to avoid most of it, but apparently she did not." Gold spoke softly, with sadness and regret. Although he felt nothing significant for the blonde Sheriff that had butted in his business more than it had been warranted, he knew that she had used her last moments to free him to aid in battle, ensuring the certain victory, even if she had died in the process. Sacrifice worthy of the Savior, but never freely offered to the Dark One. And in doing so, she enabled him to redeem himself, if not for Baelfire or Bell, then for Henry.
"Can you undo it?" David asked, ignoring Regina's tired scoff as she continued to perform the heart massage and breathing for Emma.
"I am afraid that even if a Dark One could undo it, which he couldn't, I cannot." Gold looked at Snow and David and shook his head. "There is only one thing that can save Miss Swan, and the time is running out even for that." At that he looked at Regina, but she refused to lift her eyes away from Emma's face. Stopping with the life support, she waved her hand over the body making the air around it simmer with purplish tint. With that she pushed off and walked several steps away, holding herself while she sobbed silently, and her tears streaming down her face.
Henry pulled out of his grandfather's protective embrace and kissed his mother's cold cheek, ignoring the blood and dust. He wished with all his might it would work as it had worked for him, but nothing happened. With desperation, he grabbed her shoulders and started shaking them. "Come on, come back to us!" He yelled at her, no one stopping him. "You can't leave us! You can't leave me!" His cries turned into sobs and he felt soft hands come around him, pulling him into a soothing embrace, but it seemed cold and hollow, as Snow was crying for the blonde Sheriff too.
"Why isn't it working?" Henry asked weakly, turning to Gold. He looked at his older grandparent and begged for an answer, a solution. Whenever he asked the old man, the shopkeeper had provided the answers, even if the boy did not like them.
"Her love for you was true, Henry. But she was the child of the True Love, and as such, all the love she had was true, no matter whom she loved." The old man spoke in past tense, knowing that the chances of the Sheriff waking up were slim, and with Regina's refusal to believe in the truth, even slimmer. "However, for it to work in return, it had to be the real True Love, her romantic love, to kiss her back. And, you are not, Henry, no matter how much you love her."
"So we find her True Love then?" The child spoke, his mind focused only on the positive outcome. After all, it shouldn't be hard to track his father with the all magic floating around. "We find Neal."
Gold smiled at the simple fact the boy stated, admiring his single-mindedness. "It is not that simple. First, we need to get to whatever world he was sucked in. If he survived, we have to find him. And, even then the chances that he is her True Love…" He paused with pain closing his throat. He did not wish to endure another argument with his son, but he wanted to know if he was alive. "I would be very happy to find Bae, my boy, but what if he is not the one we are looking for?"
But before Henry or anyone else could answer, a cloud of light floated in the clearing and one of the lights separated from the group and floated to Snow. Holding her hand out, Snow accepted the small fairy, waving her other hand at Regina to stall her responding magic surge.
The small fairy dressed in yellow, bowed lowly, her head almost touching the palm of the hand she was in. the light chirping could be heard, and before Snow could reply, Henry interrupted.
"She apologizes for the action of her sister and wishes to offer their sincere condolence for losing a great hero," the boy said, making all of the adults turn to him in surprise.
"You can understand her?" Snow asked, but the chirping interrupted Henry's answer. "She said that the children that had kept their innocence can understand fairies of this land quite easily." Periodically pausing to hear the fairy, Snow delivered the message the newcomer wanted to offer. "She said that Tinker Bell had done what she had thought best for her people that had been enslaved for generations. Her decision had been wrong but she did it out of the will to protect her people. However, they wish to thank us for liberating them from the great evil and they recognize the countless loss we had suffered in this battle. In small ways of repaying us, in gratitude they offer us a gift that we would find valuable. It had been found in the pockets of one of the out-world-people that had washed up on their shore a couple days before." With that, the other fairies joined them and dropped a small satchel into Henry's hand.
The spoke fairy flew to Henry and landed on his forearm, asking for his attention. He leaned in, aware that Snow was listening carefully; watching for the first sound of trouble, ready to give his adoptive mother a sign to attack. "I wish we have met under better circumstances, young prince Henry." The dark fairy brushed her hair and looked at the woman's body, lying just beside Henry's knee. "She was truly the Savior, and we would have been proud to know her as a friend. I have an advice for you, young prince, if you wish to hear it."
Henry looked at Snow and seeing her nod, he inclined his head to the fairy, giving her a go ahead. "Your mother is loved by many, but only one is her own salvation, and it is born not only out of love but of understanding and forgiveness as well. Only one can help her now, and that one is much closer than you think."
Henry frowned at the riddle presented to him, making him confused. Neal fitted the bill, although he had to think about what the fairy said, knowing the small woman spoke the truth. "Can't you do something?"
"We are not the same kind as the ones you know. We do not have magic beyond what is inherently the fairy magic. Only the Godmothers are in possession of powers you are asking for, and even they would not be able to help you, young master Henry." The fairy flew up and came close to the boy's face, pressing her palms onto the boy's nose. "Only the True Love's Kiss can break the Curse of Darkness, as the former Dark One had spoken. Nothing else is to be done, apart what your mother is already doing to the Savior's body, keeping it in suspension, unaware of the passage of time." Wiping the tear of the boy's cheek the fairy bowed once more and flew higher up, joining her sisters. "We leave you now. But, remember, you are always welcome here. You are the Savior's son and the friend."
"Wait!" Henry spoke suddenly, clutching the satchel in his hand. "What is your name? And where are you going?" he asked the fairy folk. The dark one came down again, inclining her head in a greeting.
"I am Iridessa. We are going back to our home at the Pixie Hollow, to rebuild and restore the island to its former glory, young prince. In hope we will see each other again, I must say it had been an honor to meet you all." With a curtsy, Iridessa flew to the others and together they formed a circle above Emma's body, all bowing down at the same time, before they flew off to the North.
Henry watched them leave before his eyes fell down to his blonde mother's body. At Snow's soft nudging, he opened the satchel in his hand and gasped in surprise when he had seen what had been there. A single translucent bean stood alone in the darkness of the satchel. It must have been the last of the beans Greg and Tamara had stolen from his mother. Turning around he showed the rest the prize he had gotten from the fairies. Pushing the satchel into Snow's hands, he turned back to Emma and with his shirt sleeve he started wiping her face, but when the dried blood and the encased mud could not be taken off with the dry shirt cloth, he tried harder, before gentle hands stopped him.
"We'll take her to Roger, and then we will wash her." Regina had come to him, seeing his devastated look, but the hope tingling in his eyes was even worse to watch. Placing her hand onto Henry's shoulder she gently guided him into her hug, closing her eyes when he placed his arms around her neck. Taking comfort in closeness and love that emanated from her son, Regina felt her eyes fill with tears that spilled over her closed lids. Snow placed her hand on Regina's back, offering a sympathetic smile to the boy peering out of the older woman's shoulder.
"We should go," Snow spoke softly. Regina nodded and looked at the mother of the blonde woman. Even though the future seemed grim or even non-existent for her daughter, the pixie haired woman looked like a beacon of hope, shining through the gloom of their fate. Helping Regina up, who refused to relinquish her hold on Henry, Snow looked at the small glimmer surrounding Emma. "You did that?"
"It should keep her safe, from time and other things…" Regina murmured softly, turning her head away from the boy in her arms, making sure only her former step daughter could hear.
A high pitched scream made them all turn to the source of the sound. David lifted his weapon but as soon as he saw the children coming out of the underground passage, he lowered the gun, but remaining vigilant. Several children clambered out of their hiding place, shaking and holding each other, their tears making visible tracks on their muddy faces. The children saw them and started walking toward them, the oldest one carrying the youngest. The moment they came into the clearing the oldest placed the baby into another one boy's arms, shushing the baby gently. When they reached the small group, Snow stood in front of the first child, offering her hand slowly.
"Hey, sweetie. Are you OK?" She asked, seeing that the boy was not older than ten and looking at the verge of tears, but remaining strong for the others, all younger than him. After an unsure nod, the boy looked at one of the younger boys and showed at a deep cut one of them sported. Moving quickly, Regina lowered Henry, and signaled him to remain next to Emma, while she rushed to the small four year old crying and holding the injured arm. Gently, she approached the boy and took his arm, careful not to injure him further.
Healing the boy, she looked at the remaining three. They were all boys, dressed in rags, dirty and smelly from obvious neglect, and if she wasn't wrong, starving. "What is your name, dear?" Regina spoke gently, returning the healed arm to the boy in front of her. He looked at her with his wide eyes and then he glanced down to his arm.
"Sammy," he whispered in awe of what Regina had done.
"Sammy, that is a nice name. Where are you from?"
"Chicago."
At the name of the city, Regina straightened out in surprise and looked at Snow, in askance for further directions. Snow came to the oldest boy and frowned when the boy fell to his knees before her, bowing his head. "What it is? What is wrong?" she asked, crouching in front of him, looking for the reason of distress.
"Nothing, my Queen. I am fine." The boy glanced up at Snow and then at Regina, fear passing his visage when he saw the former Evil Queen. However, Snow took his shoulders calming him down. "Thank you for helping Sammy," the boy spoke lifting his head and directing his look at the older woman. "My name is Elias, from Charming's Kingdom. This is Robert, Bobby Kenneth from England. He is seven, at least he was when he was taken." Elias pointed at the scruffy blonde boy next to him, carrying a baby in his arms. "That is Kyle. We don't know where he is from, the boy he came with did not talk much." The oldest boy turned to the other two. "You met Samuel Connors, of Chicago, and that is Damian, of the former White Kingdom." Elias showed the boys, four and five year old. "There were a lot more, but in time they were gone."
"Do you know how long you were here?" David asked, remembering the police procedures Emma had showed to him when she had gotten back from the Enchanted Forest. Boys shook their heads collectively, but Elias frowned.
"Time moves here differently. Or Peter controlled it, somehow. I was up to seventeen moon cycles for sure before I lost count, and it had been a long while since then, but I haven't gotten older. Kyle was there before any of us and he is still a baby." Elias came to Regina and bowed, before he came closer to Samuel, holding him close. "Tell them about your world, Sammy. It's OK." The leading boy spoke gently toward the youngster, showing a great maturity in his gesture, his shoulders moving like he had a great weight placed on them. And he had, Regina understood. He had taken upon himself to take care of the remaining children.
"What was the hit cartoon in the movies when you were taken?" Henry suddenly spoke, appearing beside adoptive mother, lowering himself not to tower over the younger boy.
Samuel looked at Henry and smiled, with understanding that he knew his world and would not look at him like he was a stranger. "The one with Zebra, Lion and Giraffe… Mommy took me to watch it just before…"
Henry frowned at the mention of the characters and looked up at his mother. "We watched it, too, a while back…" Screwing his face in concentration he looked at the boy and then smiled with satisfaction. "Madagascar."
"Yeah!" the young boy exclaimed with glee, clapping his hands.
"That was over eight years ago," Henry whispered after he had leaned closer to his mother. When she blinked in confusion, he pulled her lower to him and coming to her ear, he whispered. "I don't think they aged a day since they were brought here. And I think they were here a really long time…" Seeing Regina's jaw clench in understanding, he straightened out, letting his mother do the same. She looked at him with horror in her eyes but when she turned to the boys, her face showed nothing but compassion and care.
If she could put on that mask and make it perfectly believable, even after the events of the day, then the mask she had worn in the past, day after day was damn unbreakable. At last, Henry understood what Emma had told him years ago. Regina was not the Evil Queen, she only behaved and wore the mask of one, modeling it after the influential people in her life, and using it as an outlet for all the pain and hurt she had suffered. Emma would be proud of him, Henry thought and looked at the blonde on the ground, Gold standing above her head. When she would wake, she and he would have a very long talk, and he had apologies to make.
"The fairies said you can offer assistance," Elias said, looking hopefully at the Queen of his home. Snow crooked her head in consideration and slowly nodded.
"We can only offer a way of this island. Even we do not know where we are going next." Snow said, going to Elias and Robert, taking Kyle out of his hands and placing him into her embrace, gently shushing him when he started fussing. "But, what ever you decide, you must do it quickly, as we are about to leave."
Elias looked at the boys, scrutinizing each one's face, judging their answer. Pleased with the consensus, he nodded as well. "We would like to come with you." When Snow smiled gently at him, he blushed and took Robert's hand while he gestured to Damian to go in front of him.
Regina looked down at the sudden jerk of her jacket. Seeing Samuel looking up at her expectantly, she smiled crookedly at the tremulous smirk on the boy's face. Glancing toward Henry she nodded at his go ahead gesture and picked the boy right up, settling him on her hip. Placing her other hand around Henry's shoulders, she turned to follow Snow. But before she moved, she caught David's eyes and gestured toward Emma. Having used almost all of her energies, creating the protective spell on Emma, she had very little left, and it was not enough to magically carry the woman who had been more that her friend and confidant in the past days, regardless of Regina's feeling of protectiveness and possessiveness of the woman. Understanding the conflict playing out on Regina's face, David knelt and took his daughter into his arm, picking her up, with the help of Mister Gold by his side.
It was time to go back to the ship.