Just a filler...

Enjoy.

Chapter 8.

As everyone gathered looked at Rumplestiltskin to summon his globe again and to search for Baelfire, he shook his head in defeat. "I am afraid I cannot do it," he said heavily, leaning upon his cane. When everyone but Regina erupted into an argument, one yelling over the other, he just waved his hand, asking for silence. But, before he could speak, a boy joined their midst, hugging his mother in greeting.

"What is going on?" Henry asked sleepily, wiping his eyes with his fist in such a childish move, that both Regina and Snow smiled gently upon him. "What are you shouting about?"

"Your grandfather was about to tell everyone why he couldn't look for Baelfire in his blood searching globe," Regina spoke to him, keeping another one of her promises – not to lie to her son. It seemed she had made quite a few in these few days. Was it only a few days?

As no one wanted to interrupt Regina while she spoke to Henry, the quiet settled on the group. But it was soon broken by the one man who had the answers. "As I was about to say, I cannot help because I don't have my powers any more." It was apparent that he was uncomfortable with the surprised scrutiny he was subjected to at the statement.

"You lost your powers?" Henry spoke, his voice rising, astounded with the fact that his grandfather was no longer the Dark One.

Rumplestiltskin scowled at the boy, before he tapped his cane snottily. "I, my dear boy, did not lose my powers. They are not a watch to misplace somewhere." Calming himself down at Regina's reproaching look, he inclined his head in apology. "I simply used them up, fighting Peter Pan. If not for your mother, I would have been dead." When Henry looked up at the brunette, and seeing her confused look he glanced back at Rumplestiltskin, followed by every head in the group. "The other mother. If she had not pushed her magic toward me at the last moment, it would be the end of me as well as the end of the Dark One."

"So she used her powers saving you instead saving herself," Regina said coldly, but before she could continue he pressed on.

"She had already been hit with the Curse of Darkness, even before she freed me. Actually, that is why she freed me. To help her, because she needed additional strength and she did not want you to get into the fighting because he needed one of the parents there for him," Rumplestiltskin spoke softly, gesturing at Henry with his hand. "She knew it would take most, if not all of my strength and yet that it might not be enough. I called you in because we were so close and needed just one more solid push. It was safe for you, that is why she allowed it."

Henry left his mother's arms, having hugged her in comfort. He walked to his grandfather and stood in front of him. "Belle will be so proud of you, when we get back."

At Rumplestiltskin's watering eyes, David placed his hand upon the boy's shoulder. "I don't think we are going back. Not if Belle made good on her promise."

At the startled looks directed at David and then again at Rumplestiltskin, the old man rushed to explain, before he was enveloped with another yelling match. "I gave Belle a cloaking spell to put on our town. Greg, or Owen as Regina knows him, only proved to us how dangerous the world is for our kind. They do not understand magic, and they will fear it, and destroy all of us in that fear." He looked at Henry, as he was the best judge of what would happen of the world finding out the magic of Storybrooke, as he was well versed in stories about people with magical powers, many of them found in the comic books he liked to read so much. Seeing him nod in agreement, he continued. "If the spell is activated before we return, and I trust it will be, we will not be able to see the town from outside the border. And, as we are outside of it when the spell is casted, there is no way for us to unveil it for us. So, no, we cannot go back." He looked at Henry's tearing eyes so the next words he spoke directly to him. "I know that this is not what you wanted, but I had to protect Belle and with her everyone else in the town. Greg and Tamara activated the trigger knowing what it would do. Who knows what the others might do? I think it was the right thing to do." He ended softly, pained with the knowledge that he would never see his True Love again, despite Belle's reassurance.

Henry just took his hand and squeezed it, looking into his eyes with understanding in his own. "It was."

Regina came from behind and hugged her boy, wishing that she could ease his trouble. Pulling him into her embrace, she nodded to the old man in acceptance of his move. Soon, the other two agreed, David having already known about the cloak. Only Hook remained silent, but they did not think it strange for he had no interest in going back, as Rumplestiltskin was no longer the Dark One, and killing an ordinary man, no matter who he was, was not the revenge he imagined. So, in his mind, he had set his debts with the crocodile that had killed his love in the past, when he had chosen Henry over his revenge.

"So, if you no longer have the magic, who can tell us where to go?" Hook asked, eager to get the show going again.

Rumplestiltskin looked up at Hook watching him, scrutinizing him carefully, and deciding to lay out his secret. Or perhaps he would just give the answers without explanations. He was always good in using the truth in his own way. "Regina." His short answer was enough.

The woman in question looked at him and after a long moment of scrutiny, nodded in acceptance. She let Henry go to Snow and came closer to him, ready for her instructions, her sharp look warning him to keep it strictly in the business mode. He leaned in her space, standing by her side and softly spoke his instructions, slowly, making sure that she understood each one perfectly. When he mentioned that she would have to concentrate on her blood connection to Neal, she speared him with a suspicious look, but he held firm to her doubting gaze.

"It is the only way," he answered softly, aware of the trouble for Regina. Not only was he unrecognized brother to Regina, but also a competitor for the place in Charming family. And now she was to acknowledge and accept her connection to him, in order to find him.

"Fine," she blew out softly, clenching her jaw afterwards, keeping her temper under control. It would not do to Henry see her outraged for no apparent reason. She still did not know what to tell him about the newest development. Closing her eyes, she remembered Neal's face from one of their encounters. If she really thought about it, they had similar smiles and the same eyes. Reaching for the likenesses, she pulled the knowledge deep into her own heart. She had a brother. Feeling her blood react to her thoughts, she poured the magic into it making the connection stronger.

"Now, summon the globe from the Crew Quarters. You have seen me what I did after, just follow it…"

With a poof of purple smoke, the globe appeared and she placed her finger on the prick at the top, puncturing the skin. As several drops of blood dropped on to the surface of the globe, Regina felt small arms encircle her waist. Smiling down at her boy, she placed her undamaged hand onto his back, pulling him to her tighter. When he looked up into her face, he frowned with concern. But before she was able to compose her visage into calm and assured form, he pulled her down toward him. "Don't do that," he whispered softly, hiding his mouth from the others by leaning into her shoulder. "Don't pretend." Sounding so much like his blonde mother at the time, she felt her mask fall away even before she could put it on. Placing her hand onto his face, she caressed his cheek with her thumb gently, nodding with a bashful and weak smile. "You will always be my mother, no matter what," he said firmly, albeit softly, conscious of the closeness of the others. "One of them," he added with what she thought of as a patented Emma smirk. Chuckling at his humorous adage, she looked at the globe and gasped, recognizing the shapes swirling on the globe's misty surface.

"Where is that?" Henry asked, looking up at the adults who stood stunned with the image of a land. When no one answered him, he turned to his mother and concerned with her worried and afraid face he tapped her shoulder, drawing her attention to him. "Mom?" She opened her mouth to answer but nothing came out. Getting more concerned by the second he grabbed her hand.

But before he could ask again, Henry heard Snow clear her throat. "Home. That is the Enchanted Forest." Her voice shook with many emotions, and she looked at Henry with teary glaze in her eyes. "We are going home."

Henry looked back at his mother. That was the worst place for former Evil Queen to be, and he knew that. And Henry also knew that she would look for Neal, even if it meant her life's end, because he had asked for it. In that moment it hit him, as it had several times before, so strongly that he lost his breath for a moment. She loved him, so much, that she would go into certain death just to make him happy. His eyes watered.

"You don't have to come," he spoke, unaware that he had spoken loudly enough for others to hear. Snow closed her eyes in realization that the Evil Queen would not be welcome in the Enchanted Forest, no matter what anyone said.

"I am not leaving you," Regina answered with a weak smile, oddly pleased that he had tried to protect her.

"But, Mom…" He tried again, but a gentle finger across his lips stopped him. The older woman touched his nose gently and wiped the runaway tears from her son's cheeks.

"I am not leaving you," she said again, speaking each word with calm enunciation, making her point clear.

"We will protect her, Henry," David spoke with certainty. Henry turned to his younger grandfather with the hopeful inquiry in his eyes. "We will defend her. She is a part of the family." Charming spoke in his proclamation voice, reassuring Henry, and lifting his gaze to the former Evil Queen, he looked her directly into her eyes. "And you never abandon family." His firm declaration eased some of the fear that clenched her heart, and she gratefully smiled at the Prince.

"Well, then, let's go!" Henry exclaimed happily, ready for another adventure, hardly able to wait to see the land where they all came from. Clapping his hands in pleasure, he looked at Hook and Snow, waiting for them to move. Snow still held the pouch with the bean, as he had entrusted her to guard it.

"Not so fast, lad," Hook spoke, breaking Henry's mood. "Emma did fix her up good, but Jolly still needs to be prepared for the rough seas. They are common at this time of year in the Enchanted Forest, and we cannot know where we will be dropped." His voice of reason calmed the boy down. "I and the Prince will take care of it, you just sit tight and stay out of the way." Tying up the rope around the wheel, he gestured to David to follow him

Henry took his mother's hand and held it, leading them to the stairs close to the entrance below deck, seeing everything that was happening, but keeping aside. Snow and Rumplestiltskin joined them, enjoying the moment of peace.

"What I do not understand is how the boys remained the same age they were taken at, and the Lost Boys almost grew up?" Regina asked after a while, breaking the comfortable silence and looking at Rumplestiltskin, thinking he would know as he almost always knew things regarding magic. Henry nodded, also interested in the answer.

"Peter had a very powerful magic at his disposal, fueled by the endless supply of young minds and spirits." Rumplestiltskin started, remembering what he had known about their enemy. "His presence in Neverland was so powerful that the land itself was doused with his magic, making it a place where no one aged, no matter the time that passed. I do not know the specifics of the magic, but it involved using the energy of the young children." He looked at Henry and continued, consciously gentling his voice. "It would seem that there was a prophecy about you, young prince, which said that you would have energy in you, powerful enough that when fed to Peter it would end his dependence on the new coming boys, and even give him the power to cross realms on his own." When Henry shuddered in the reminder of the danger he had been in, Rumplestiltskin placed his hand onto the boy's knee. "However, it would seem that there are more prophesies about you, dear boy. Earlier, in my time, I heard prophesy from the Seer that had foretold that I would lose my son to my actions. She had foreseen that you would be the end of me." At Regina's startled gasp, he turned to the woman and nodded, confirming her thoughts about the danger her son had been in, from his own grandfather. "But, as prophesies go, this one came to be in the way I could not predict. In saving you, the Dark One met came to his end, fulfilling the vision of the Seer." He smiled at the boy. "And as the Dark One ceased to exist, Peter Pan followed him into oblivion."

But he was aware that he had not answered the question. As he didn't know the answer, he just shrugged, the move seeming so strange on the dignified man.

"If I may?" a new voice interrupted, drawing the group's attention toward Elias who was sitting beside the stairs to below. "Your Majesty?" the boy asked for permission to join them.

Snow invited him with a gracious hand move, gesturing him to sit beside her, closing their little circle. "You do not have to ask for permission to talk to us, Elias. I am not the Queen here." At his glance toward Regina, she chuckled, letting the older woman deal with it.

"Nor am I," Regina spoke with a gentle smile, holding Henry to her.

"You know something about this mystery?" Rumplestiltskin asked the boy after he had settled down.

"I heard Felix explain it once to one of the boys." Elias looked at his hands, uncomfortable with attention of so many adults, after the endless time spent in place that had none.

"Who is Felix?" Snow asked.

"The blonde one, the chief. He said that Peter would find out who was faithful to him and devoted to his goal and he would reward him with ability to reach the older age." Elias shrugged, but continued nevertheless. "But Christian, one of the boys, thought that Peter needed an army and that he allowed the ones who would quickly forget about their homes and past to grow, because he had no need for the army of weak and helpless children. Not long after he had said that, Devin came for him and we hadn't seen him again."

At the question who Devin was, the boy explained his appearance and Henry recognized the man that had accompanied Felix when he had been led to Peter. Elias shared some of his experiences, explaining that most of the children were taken to never be seen again, while few were given opportunity to become one of the Lost Boys and fewer remained untouched, such as him and the other four. When he spoke of the Shadow, Henry looked at his grandfather hoping that he would know to explain it away.

"The Shadow is the entity Peter used to kidnap children. As he could not cross the worlds because it would use up much of his energy he created the Shadow in his own image, imbuing it with just enough magic to go to intended destination, back and to protect the charge of the crossing in process." Rumplestiltskin answered the inquiry in the boy's eyes. "But as we fought him, he summoned the Shadow to him, needing the extra power. It got destroyed along with him." Knowing that he hadn't satisfied the boy's thirst for knowledge, he added. "The Neverland is specific. It could be reached not only with portals but also with flying, unlike other Realms. If someone had enough power to keep himself airborne that long, he would reach it, regardless of the mode of transport. However, they had to know where they were going and to wish to get there, as there is a protection spell around the Realm, defending it from unsuspecting people barging in."

When Henry nodded, understanding how the Shadow could just fly away with its victims, Rumplestiltskin rose to his feet, groaning softly as he leaned onto his bad leg. Looking around, he noticed that David was walking toward them, having left Hook at the Helm. "It seems that the preparations are done."

"Hey, guys. Hook said we are ready to leave, but he suggested we eat first." David helped his wife up to her feet, smiling at the group. Reaching to Regina as well, he offered her a helping hand which she accepted without a blink. Henry smiled at the ease they all behaved with around each other, telling him that most, if not all of the past had been put behind them.

Henry waved Elias over and guided him to the galley, talking with the younger boy about the Enchanted Forest Elias remembered. Snow took Regina's elbow, and nudged her gently, showing at the boys. "He is making friends."

Regina smiled sadly, looking at her child, letting Snow guide her toward the hatch to the lower level. "He is using Elias as a distraction. The news of not going back shook him, badly, regardless of his cheery appearance." Then she looked at Snow, afraid of how her words might have sounded.

Snow released Regina's elbow and let David climb down first, wanting a moment alone with her former step mother. "I know what you meant, Regina. You don't have to watch your every step, afraid that we will judge you the moment you slip. I will not. We will not." Placing her hand onto Regina's forearm, she squeezed gently. "Emma made sure of it, and I know that she was right about you. I think I always knew, but refused to accept." Sighing, she looked toward the hatch. "He has so much of you both in him."

Regina nodded and turned her arm so she could reach for Snow's arm that had already been grasping hers. "I don't know what to do," she whispered suddenly, startling the younger woman, who had thought that their conversation was over. Regina looked at the former nemesis, and shook her head in defeat. "It seems that I am failing on every side."

"What do you mean?" Snow managed to say, surprised with such show of vulnerability from the other woman. It must have been Emma's unavailability that forced Regina to talk to her. Still, she would have never thought that Regina would come to her. However, accepting the role with responsibility and care, she tried to offer comfort to the mother of her grandson.

"Emma is…" Regina started, but her voice broke at the word she wanted to say. "Indisposed at the moment." Snow knew the woman enough to know that it wasn't the word she had in mind to speak. "We cannot go home, and I might die in the hands of outraged villagers of Enchanted Forest… I cannot ease Henry's worry and pain the way Emma could, and with her gone…."

"Regina," pixie haired woman spoke softly, interrupting her wallowing. "Henry loves you. And he would never blame you for not being able to go home. And he worries because he doesn't want to lose you. Worry is part of loving someone, as you must know. Emma will return, when someone is ready to get her back." At this, Snow pierced Regina with such meaningful look that the older woman had to look away. "And David meant what he said, as do I. You are part of our family, and as such you are protected with our swords, bows and anything else that can help." Grabbing both Regina's forearms, but not harshly, she forced the woman to look back at her. "You are not failing. The situation is overwhelming and you are doing what there can be done. And it is enough." Searching the dark eyes in front of her for a glimmer of hope, or ease, Snow continued on. "He is such a wonderful boy, strong enough to endure this with few if any marks, because you raised him as you have. You have done so much for him already, and it is OK to falter here and there." Finally seeing what she was looking for, Snow smiled gently at the relaxation in the tense shoulders in front of her. "Let's go down, they will wonder what's keeping us…"

During their meal together, it was decided that Snow and Rumplestiltskin would stay with the rescued children in the Crew Quarters, Regina and Henry in the Captain's Cabin with Emma, and Hook would navigate, with David's help and assistance. As they did not know where exactly the portal would leave them, it was agreed to first make the jump, and then plan for the search.

"I don't understand why do I have to be inside?" Henry complained, after Regina closed the door of the cabin. Leaning her head against the wood, she closed her eyes in resignation. Henry had been arguing against their decision to keep all the children below deck during the jump for their own safety. The young prince, not wanting to miss the important part of the mission of saving his biological mother, expressed his wish to be on the deck with David.

"Because, it is not safe, Henry." Regina turned away from the door, looking at her son, who was standing close to the bed, with his arms crossed, staring defiantly at his brunette mother. "I, we just got you back. And I am not ready to risk your life for your desire to have fun." She looked at Emma, lying peacefully on the bed, and swallowed visibly. Henry followed her look with his eyes and with changed attitude sat on the bed, placing his hand onto Emma's.

Regina walked to him, going through his hair with her gentle fingers. "I know you wish to see and experience everything there is to this adventure, but sometimes, it's just not worth the risk," Regina spoke softly, welcoming the relaxation in his posture with relief. As he leaned his head onto her belly, she took hold of his shoulders, giving him a hug, still having one of her hands in his hair.

"The protection spell," Henry started speaking, still keeping his hand on his mother's ones, then he looked at the other mother in the room, standing beside him. "Will it keep her safe until we find Neal?"

And that was the important question that tortured Regina since the moment she had casted it. The Curse was still active, and it was attacking the spell, making it less effective in time. Regina didn't know, and could not even dare to predict how long it would last. All that knowledge was weighted with the expectations that the adult crew, well most of the crew, placed on her. For now, it was still easy to hide the fear under justifications and rationalizations, reinforced by Henry's adamant belief that Neal was the one they were looking for. They still had time, but it was the inevitable fact that it was running out.

"I think so." Regina was looking at the blonde woman lying on the bed when she spoke, seeing the soft smile frozen on her face.

Not really reassured by her whispered answer, Henry searched Regina's face for more clues. It was rare to see the emotions swirling in the darkness of her eyes, but at the moment he saw uncertainty and fear fighting for supremacy over hope and determination. Snow had told him that his mothers had become friends, and it could explain all the feelings showing on Regina's face, but something was off. He was missing something, and it tickled him because he had a feeling that his grandmother had known about that thing when she had talked to him about it.

"Mom?"

Regina blinked and looked down to her boy, slightly frowning in confusion, thinking that she had missed a question. "Sorry?"

"You seem tired." The change of subject made Regina blink again, but she only raised an eyebrow in answer. But, used to his leaping from one subject to another, she just nodded and sat down onto bed, next to him. If she had to be honest, she would say that she felt down right haggard, over worn with all the emotional and physical stress she had suffered in the previous day.

Henry reached for her face, touching her cheek with concern, finally having a good look at the brunette. Her eyes had shadows not even magic could hide and her movements were slow and sluggish, compared to her precise and sharp motion she always had exhibited. "When was the last time you had some rest?" Henry asked, sounding more like a worrying parent than a child at the moment, making Regina quirk her lips into snorting sneer that had none of her usual venom and bite.

"I thought I am the parent here."

"Mom," came Henry's reproachful tone.

Regina tried to remember the last time she had slept, but the events only started piling up in her mind, making it hard for her to recollect the precise moment in the past days of her last rest. She had grabbed a little shut eye just before the storm had hit, the day prior to the rescue. Had it been only a day? It seemed an eon had passed, with all the things that happened. And the last time she had slept was the night before, when her night had been interrupted many times by nightmares, soothed every time by Emma who would whisper at her with calming and soft voice, easing her terrors.

"It was two nights ago…" Regina spoke gently, musing at the events that had happened during the previous mission.

"Do you think we'll get a chance to rest before we continue on, after the jump?" Henry asked, more for her sake than for his own. She just looked at him with kind smile, acknowledging his care.

"I don't know, depend where we come out." Feeling the ship move to a side, she took his shoulder and summoning some of her regenerated power, she held them tight. "Hold on, it may be rough." In that moment, the ship banked hard to left, throwing Henry off balance, but Regina was ready for it, holding him steady and keeping Emma motionless at the pallet. After a while they experienced a sudden drop and the whooshing noise of the water could be heard even in their cabin. And then everything went quiet, and the ship leveled out.

"You know, I could do this by myself, if you would rather be with your wife, down below." Hook commented, his hook at the wheel, as he did the last spot check of Jolly Roger before the travel.

"As if anyone trusts you enough the second time with the bean." David took the pouch and opened it, seeing that the captain finished his observation, obviously pleased. "Your selfish streak can kick in at any moment, and why would we risk it, unnecessary?"

"You wound me," Hook spoke, glancing toward the prince as he tied the rope around his middle.

"I just might yet do that. I still owe you for before." David followed Hook's suit and secured himself with another rope as he checked the line thoroughly. Then he looked at the captain and frowned. "Something is different, now. Is this about Neal? You knew him from before, I heard you talking to Gold about him when he was a boy."

"I loved his mother, and he reminded me a lot of her, when he was a boy." Hook blinked at his sharing, not used to divulging personal details about his life to anyone. "And then I betrayed him," he added for the measure, before looking up into the sails to judge the direction of the wind, avoiding the eye contact with the prince. "I just wanted a chance to right that wrong," he mumbled softly, but he knew that David had heard him by the surprised raise of his eyebrows.

Gesturing to the other man to get on with it, Hook took the wheel in his both hands, sort to speak. When David picked up the translucent bean and threw it overboard, the dark haired man watched the object fly over the railing and into the sea, immediately creating a whirl of greenish light and turbulent water. Turning the wheel quickly, he sailed into the whirl, prepared for the rough twist of the ship. Keeping the careful balance on his feet, he held on to the wheel, maintaining the course straight to the source of the light.

"Off we go to the Enchanted Forest!" he spoke to David, seconds before the ship dropped into the whirlpool of green light and tremendous noise, darkness engulfing them at once. Seconds passed slowly and at last they reappeared in the rain of another sea, the gloom of the day pierced with lightning and thunders.

As they appeared close to the shore, he took out his scope and watched for any land mark in order to gauge their position. Seeing a familiar building in the distance, he smiled, giving the scope to the prince beside him. "I believe you are home."

And indeed, the castle in the distance was the one he, along with Snow, had won from his father, King George and had made his home. As he watched the ruins of his Kingdom, a tear slipped out of his eye, streaming down his cheek. "Home," he murmured lowering down the scope as his tears mingled with the rain drops of the storm.