With his arms tied behind his back, Hook was led from the ship through the water and across the beach. There was also a harbor on the small island they had sailed to, but Redhat had thought it best to make as little fuss as possible and had anchored on the opposite side of the island. However, this meant that they had to wade through the shallower water before they reached the sandy beach.

Hook's mind was working; he had to seize the first opportunity and get away, otherwise he probably wouldn't be able to. If they didn't find a map, his life would be forfeit, and if they found one and Redhat came to the bean, it would he as well. He looked around feverishly for a way to escape. He couldn't possibly untie his shackles, they were too neatly bound and someone had put a sack over his hook so he couldn't hurt anyone with it. So he had to trust that he could disappear somewhere.

"Where to now?" Redhat asked when they reached the tree line.

Hook nodded to the highest point on the island, a forested mountain that rose above everything. "We have to go through the forest and up to the top," he explained, hoping fervently that an idea would come to him on the way.

Redhat nodded and instructed his men to head in the direction Hook had indicated.

Their progress was slow. The undergrowth was dense and the path narrow. The higher they got, the narrower it became and soon they could only walk one behind the other and sideways to avoid slipping off the narrow edge.

"Are you sure we're in the right place?" Redhat asked again.

"Like I said, there's no guarantee of the map's whereabouts, but if I'm right, it's up there," he nodded and was glad when the path opened up into a cliff of sorts and the sea roared below them, crashing against the rock. Hook glanced furtively at his guards on either side of him, but they were preoccupied with themselves, just making sure their boots had a grip on the narrow ledge.

Hook took a deep breath and thought of Emma and their child. Perhaps he would never have the chance to see her again and get to know his child. But at least he knew he had done everything he could to help them. Before his chance could pass, he gathered himself briefly and pushed himself off the rock face as far as he could. And then he fell. Behind him he could hear screams, some of them frightened, a few outraged, and between them Redhat's scream of rage. But all that quickly receded into the distance as he fell, the wind cutting into his skin, and he prayed that the water was deep enough at this point. He was bracing himself for the impact when he heard the loud crack of a revolver in the distance and only a moment later a sharp pain shot through his shoulder blade. He heard his own cry of pain, then plunged into the icy cold water.

Blood billowed around him in swathes and he tried desperately to use his legs to bring himself to the surface, but it was too cold and he was losing too much blood too quickly for his muscles to function properly. It was hopeless and probably for the first time in his life he gave up. He didn't want to spend his last moments in agony. Instead, his thoughts drifted back to Emma and their child, and while he could still see their faces in front of him, he lost consciousness.

Regina's body took a long time to drift from sleep to wakefulness. At first, she was unable to open her eyes, but she heard the hustle and bustle of the hospital corridor and felt warm fingers resting in her right hand. Her thoughts drifted to the previous day and when they arrived at Zelena, she snapped her eyes open and was blinded by the bright light of the morning sun as she struggled to sit up in bed.

"Hey, slow down."

Her head turned towards Emma's soft voice. The blonde was sitting at her bedside and had been holding her hand, now making sure she stayed put. "Do you have any news from Zelena?" she asked immediately, pulling the oxygen mask that was muffling her words off her face.

Emma looked at her apologetically and shook her head. "I'm afraid not. I'm sorry."

Regina rolled her head weakly to one side and closed her eyes again for a moment. "What time is it? And what are you doing here anyway?" she then wanted to know and looked at Emma again.

"It's eight o'clock in the morning. You slept through the rest of the day yesterday and the night," she explained to her. "You must have been pretty upset and panicked," she repeated what she had been told and what she had already noticed during the phone call with her. "They finally let leave the intensive care unit, so I was able to come to you." She looked at her friend with concern and put her hand on hers again. "How are you, Regina?"

She shrugged her shoulders and shook her head slightly. "I have no idea. Better, I'd say the pain has eased, I can breathe again," she said, but her eyes stared dully ahead of her.

"But you're afraid for Zelena," Emma nodded, uttering the words Regina had been holding back.

"I couldn't bear it if she were dead," Regina whispered, looking Emma in the eye. "There must be some way of finding out how she is."

Emma looked at her desperately and brushed her hair back from her forehead. "I was wondering... Well, I'm not pregnant now, am I?" she began cautiously. "Couldn't I use a spell to look for the crystal?"

Regina immediately shook her head. "You're breastfeeding, so the situation hasn't changed."

"But I don't have to breastfeed. I mean, it would be nice and all, but we're in an emergency situation here after all and it wouldn't be bad if at least one of us could work magic."

Regina shook her head again. "I want Hope to have the best start she can get. She already didn't have that because of me, so you should at least breastfeed her. It would be selfish of me to demand that."

"You're not demanding it, I suggested it!"

"Emma... I said no!" Regina looked at her and squeezed her hand. "I don't want it."

So Emma nodded slowly, stood up and took Regina carefully in her arms. "I'm sure she's not dead," she whispered, "you would feel that. Zelena is a survivor, don't forget that."

Regina's head sank against Emma's shoulder before she nodded slowly. "I really hope you're right."

After they had separated again, Regina looked at Emma for a while. An idea had occurred to her over the last few days, but she didn't know whether she should share it with her friend or not.

Emma didn't miss the look, of course. "What is it?"

"I'm thinking about something," she explained, "I had an idea." As Emma looked at her curiously, Regina sighed and continued. "The Dark Curse."

Emma's eyebrow shot up uncomprehendingly.

"With the Dark Curse, they could all come back. Drizella made me cast it again when she wanted to bring us all to Seattle. She found it convenient that she didn't have to sacrifice the heart of the one she loves the most herself, because I had already done that and so she had someone to do it for her. If we adjusted the curse so that it doesn't erase memories, then they could all go back to Storybrooke. Or at least those who want to."

"You don't expect anyone to take their loved one..." Emma said, shocked.

"Of course not, Miss Swan!" she replied briskly at the foolish suggestion. "I could cast it. But I'd have to go to the Enchanted Forest first. And I'd have to be able to work magic. Which brings me to my next consideration."

Almost anxiously, Emma waited to see what else she had come up with.

"Whatever you were doing in my head helped. I wonder if I can use magic again by now."

"That's far too dangerous!" came Emma's immediate response, the images of Regina's seemingly lifeless body still too fresh in her mind.

"But I have to try it sometime. And what's a better place than a hospital?"

"That couldn't have saved you last time either if I hadn't healed you! Do you want to end up on an operating table again?"

Regina took a deep breath and looked at her firmly. "You just tell me exactly what you did to heal me. We're not taking any unnecessary risks. But if I think it might work, then I'll try it."

Emma's heart sank to her knees as she realized that Regina was completely serious. "What if it doesn't work?"

Regina shrugged her shoulders and pressed her lips together. "Then you can tell Henry later that I did everything I could to see him again."

The door flew open, startling Henry up from his spot by Zelena's bed where he'd been watching over her all night.

"Mom!" Still in her traveling cloak and with bow and quiver on her back, Robin came hurrying to her mother's bedside and got down on her knees in front of her. With tears in her eyes, she gently stroked her red curls.

Henry made room for her and retreated to the table in the middle of the room. Only now did he notice the leaden tiredness that had settled over him after a sleepless night.

"How is she?" the young woman then wanted to know from Henry and turned her head towards him without letting go of Zelena's hand.

Henry ran his hand over his face. "According to the Blue Fairy, she should get back on her feet if she survives the night. I was here all night, she was breathing calmly, so I guess we can hope for the best."

"How could this even happen?"

"She was trying to help your aunt." From the look Robin gave him, he realized that no further explanation was needed. "Where have you been? And how did you find out?"

"The Blue Fairy sent me a message with magic. Fortunately, I was only half a day's journey from here. I was looking for Alice, but..." She shook her head and looked away from him.

Henry was incredibly sorry that her girlfriend hadn't ended up in the Enchanted Forest with her, but quite obviously in the Wish Realm she came from. "When this is all over, you'll see each other again."

"I really hope so," Robin nodded in thought as she looked down at her mother again. "I'll stay with her, you can go to sleep if you want," she then offered to Henry. "Thank you for looking after her."

He got up from the wooden chair and put a hand on her shoulder. "That was only natural. Come to me anytime if you want."

Robin nodded, gave him a smile and then, as he left the room, her eyes were already back on Zelena. "Mom, I know that Aunt Regina is very important to you, but it would be nice if you would think of me next time," she whispered in a choked voice and kissed her gently on the forehead. "It's not a great feeling, seeing you lying here like this and not knowing if you'll recover."

As Zelena continued to show no signs of movement, Robin first took off her weapons, provisions bag and traveling cloak and then lay down on the edge of the bed next to her. She gently took her hand and then also closed her eyes.