Chapter Text
Henry was gone…Well, he was still alive, just kidnapped by Greg and Tamara, and taken to Neverland.
Despite knowing where Greg and Tamara took Henry, Part of Emma doubted he was still alive. The only hope came from her overly optimistic parents who claim that ‘ Good always wins ’ . But after watching Neal get shot and fall through a magic portal, and after her childhood, she could not believe that was the case.
Now they were all on the Jolly Roger travelling towards Neverland just to save Henry. But all she could do was sit on one of the steps, moping over how she failed in saving both her son and her son’s father.“What happened to Neal and Henry, it’s not your fault. “ Snow began as both her and her husband walked over to their daughter. Emma gently breathed in trying to keep some form of composure. “You can’t blame yourself.”
Yes, Emma understood how her parents were right. It wasn’t her fault, well not fully her fault - being convinced that something was up with Tamara, and managing to save Regina, breaking in to a building on the docks. But she remembered how her parents talked her into following what she believed in, how they always claimed that ‘Good always wins’. But now Neal was dead. It started to feel like it wasn’t even her fault anymore. “I don’t.” Emma quietly replied, as she glanced down towards her feet. “I blame you.” she watched as her parents gave her a shocked look that almost broke her heart. “All this happened because I listened to you. You always say that good always wins? It doesn’t. I didn’t grow up in some fairytale land with magic. My experience is different. And that’s all I can go on.”
“And all we have to go on is our experiences. So if you would just allow us to share our wisdom…” Her mother said, causing Emma to look down at the ocean. She wanted to be able to accept her parents behaving like they were her parents, but the only thing that was in the way was the years stolen from them by the dark curse. They were now the same age. She was the same age as her parents.
“I appreciate that you’re trying to be parents. But we’re the same age now. We have equal amounts of wisdom and all I want is to have Henry back. I should never have broken the curse. I would have been able to take Henry and-”
“You’re right.” Snow answered. “Then you two would be together and Henry wouldn’t be missing. We missed you growing up Emma and it haunts us everyday. We understand how painful it is to lose your child, Emma.” Emma looked Snow right in the eyes and quickly realised that she was telling the truth. “We were placed under a curse for twenty-eight years!” Each word being more and more emphasised. “We were robbed of your first steps, your first words and your first smile! Okay, yes we lived in a land filled with magic and fairy tales. But we didn’t have the easiest of lives. David grew up as a shepherd who was struggling to feed both himself and his mother, and I was being hunted down by Regina…”
“But that's why we are here now.” David added as he walked closer to his daughter. “We don’t want you to…” At some point while he was talking Emma stopped paying attention to him, it infuriated her that even after all the bad things that had happened both her parents were still very optimistic - far too optimistic.
“How can you two be so infuriatingly optimistic!” Emma snapped, not even hearing what they said to her after. “Ever since you got your memories back. Ever since you remembered that you’re Snow White and Prince Charming. Your lives have… well sucked.”
“It hasn’t, we managed to find you.” David disagreed, further adding to Emma’s annoyance.
“But we lost Neal, Henry and so many other people that it-“ Emma breathed in, unsure how to even explain how she felt. “It is just hard to understand how you two can still be so positive…”
“Emma, you have to understand that the minute I stop believing that things will get better.” Her mother carefully explained, watching as Emma stared towards the ground. “Then I know they won’t. Trust me, we will save Henry. Everyone will be okY.”
“No you won’t.” Mr Gold bluntly disagreed with a giggle in his voice, forcing the others to look in his direction.
“Yeah, we are on a journey to save a child from Neverland.” Killian began with his voice full of Sarcasm as he glanced up to a newly dressed Rumplestiltskin. “The best use of our time is not to start plotting against Peter Pan, but to instead play dress up.”
“I’m going to find Henry,” he answered, ignoring the comments from hook.
“But we agreed that we would all do this together!” Regina was furious at how yet again Rumple had decided to go off on his own but this time to save Henry instead of working together to do so. Part of her however was not surprised, thinking back to how in the enchanted forest Rumple was never a team player. The other part of her thought that this was just an ulterior motive - that Rumplestiltskin did not actually care for Henry, that there was a wider reason to why he wanted to do this.
“You do know that we never actually made any sort of agreement like that.” Rumple countered with a smirk across his face. “You realise that the chances of the group of you managing to save Henry is very slim. Everything you all know about when it comes to anything does not apply here in Neverland. There is a very high chance that if you even manage to make it to wherever Henry is, that some of you will be dead and once you make it back to Storybrooke, most of you will be dead.”
“And Emma you are the only one of us who hasn’t even experienced in living in a magical land.” Rumple continued as they all stared at him increasingly more annoyed. “ Okay, Yes you slayed a dragon. But you are still a bail bonds person at heart who searches for evidence. That will not work in this land dearie.”
“I’ll do whatever it takes to find my son,” Emma quietly replied, staring blankly at The Dark One.
“Well then, someone needs to tell you what that is.” Rumple muttered as he rolled his eyes, “Sorry dearie, our foe is far too fearsome for ‘hand-holding’. Neverland is a place where imagination can run wild. Sadly yours does not.” Rumple spun his cane as he disappeared, leaving only his cane still spinning around.
Regina glanced around the ship feeling infuriated that she had to be on a journey with the overly optimistic charming who think that everything is sunshine and rainbows. She thought back to the conversation she overheard where Emma Swan complained at how optimistic her parents were. Regina felt shocked at how much she agreed with her. As she glanced over to the two she watched in horror as she realised that two people who were very inexperienced at sailing even a small ship, were now sailing a much bigger ship.
“What the hell are you two doing!!” She shouted as she rushed over to the two. She didn’t know what else to do but shout. “Where’s Hook?”
“We are trying to keep it steady! And I don't know where Hook is.”
Suddenly Hook rushed towards them two and quickly grabbed onto the helm. “Prepare for attack!” He shouted as he watched the alarm form across their faces.
“Can you be more specific?”
“If you’ve got a weapon, then grab it.” He quickly explained as he was thrown against the wall. “If you’ve got magic, then use it.”
“What is out there?” Emma asked, starting to feel concerned over what was about to attack the ship. “A shark? A whale?”
“A kraken?” David suggested, as Emma’s eyes widened.
“No it’s worse!!” Hook exclaimed. ‘What’s worse than a kraken!?’ Emma thought to herself. “It’s mermaids!!”
The sound of screeching echoed around as a group of mermaids swam towards the Jolly Roger. “Mermaids? Like Ariel?”
“Yes, like Ariel. “ Hook explained, as Emma became increasingly more shocked. “And they are quite unpleasant and vicious. But I will try and outrun them.”
“We caught one!” An overly optimistic voice shouted trying to get someone's attention.
“YOU CAUGHT ONE!? There are dozens of them!” Regina raised her hand with a ball of fire forming underneath her hand and she threw it at the group of mermaids. “See now they are gone!”
“But there is still one out there!!” Snow argued, as Regina raised her hand again causing a cloud of purple smoke to form on the deck of the ship. Once the smoke faded it revealed a mermaid flapping its tail.
Hook rushed back over to the passengers, starting to wonder why he even agreed to help them find Henry. Of course the people who are unfamiliar in sailing on such ships, become a massive imposition to him. “Why is that thing on my ship!” He shouted, glaring at the mermaid laying across the deck of his ship. “Get that creature off of my ship!”
“I don’t think so!” Regina sheepishly replied, as she rolled her eyes. “Now we have a hostage.”
“I can’t believe I’m saying this.” David said, taking a step away from the mermaid, “I agree with Hook, those creatures just tried to kill us.”
“Well now we are able to find out why.” Regina lifted her hand as if she was about to use her magic torture the mermaid.
“And we are going to do that by what? Torturing her?” Snow shouted at her, while trying to find a way to de-escalate the situation without anyone getting tortured or worse murdered.
“It will work won’t it!” Regina exclaimed, taking a step closer to the mermaid. Emma stared in shock at the event slowly unraveling into something much worse. But the mermaid picked up a sea shell and blew inside it
A loud clap of thunder echoed around as a storm began to brew around the ship. “WHAT DID YOU DO!” David shouted as the rain crashed against the deck of the ship.
“Let me go!” The mermaid complained as she watched the others struggling through the ran feeling amused.
“Tell us what you know or well ma-” Regina began, but much to her annoyance got cut off by Snow.
“Threatening her isn’t going to motivate her!” Snow White countered, standing between the queen and the mermaid.
“Well I’m sorry, I forgot to bring fish food!” Regina began to walk around Snow so she can easily get to the mermaid.
“You do know that even if you manage to get her to talk you cannot trust her.” Hook explained as he began to feel more infuriated with the so-called heroes and Regina. Emma started to step further and further away from her parents worried that it was going to break out into an actual fight. She stared up at the sky as the argument grew stronger, and watched as the storm kept getting worse the more that they argued. A thought crossed her mind ‘The argument is fueling the storm.’ Emma walked closer to the edge of the ship watching in horror as she tried to find a way to stop them.
“Stop!!! Maybe we should all just think this through!” Emma shouted. Once she turned towards where the mermaid was, just to see that she was already turned into wood. “Regina, what did you do!?”
“Turn her into wood, that should stop the storm!” Regina gleefully answered, unaware of the giant wave forming near the ship. As the wave began to pick up the ship they all grabbed onto a piece of rope hoping it would be strong enough to keep them on the ship.
“You said you could outrun this storm!” Emma shouted, but the sound of the water crashing against the ship and the ocean almost drowned out the side of her voice.
“This isn’t a storm, it's a damnation!!” Hook replied, trying to keep the ship steady.
“Why would you do this!” Snow asked Regina, wishing that she would stop behaving like the ‘Evil Queen’ . All she could think about was how none of this would happen if she would just listen, maybe they wouldn’t be so close to death.
“You blame me ?ME!?’ The Queen shouted, wiping her face in an attempt to remove any of the excess water.
“Didn’t you turn the mermaid into wood.” Snow exclaimed as Emma began to walk away from the group unaware of what they were even saying. She glanced up to the sky watching how the lightning and thunder grew to be more intense, just as the argument got more intense. She glanced over to Hook and her father who also began to start fighting.
“Stop!! It’s not the mermaid, it's us. We are causing the storm. If you don’t stop we are all going to die-” Emma shouted trying to get their attention, but there was no luck. They couldn’t hear her. She glanced back up to the sky knowing that this wasn’t going to stop. “Please listen to me.” She slowly walked over to the side of the ship as she glanced between her parents and the ocean below the ship. “This better work.”
Emma jumped off the side of the ship. “EMMA!”
As they rushed over to the edge of the ship to try and figure out where in the ocean she was. But there was no sight of her.
“Regina, use your magic!!” Snow demanded, turning around towards The Queen.
“And now you want my help.” Regina rolled her eyes. One minute using her magic is wrong and the next she’s supposed to. It infuriated her. There really was no winning with Snow. “I’m sorry but even if I wanted to, the storm is too strong to be able to see her, my magic will just bring up some of the water and maybe half her leg.”
David pressed his hand against the fence of the ship, preparing himself to jump into the ocean to save his daughter. But Hook quickly grabbed onto his arm. “Wait!!” Hook shouted as he rushed across the ship to get some rope.
“SHE’LL DROWN!’
“So will you.” Killian added, as he sprinted back to him with a rope. “Let me help you. Here tie him.”
Hours had passed since David rescued Emma from her fate drowning in the ocean. Much to her annoyance they all thought it was a good idea for her to rest. All she wanted to do was find Henry and she couldn’t do that while ‘resting’. Even though if she was above deck with her family she still wouldn’t have been able to save her son. She kept worrying that they would fail. That they would not be able to get her son back. That Peter Pan or the lost boys would harm him. As her mind kept circling over all the possible scenarios the sound of footsteps snapped her out of her train of thought. Once she looked up to see who was there she realised, It was just Regina.
“Did my parents send you to ‘check up’ on me?” Emma quietly asked. Yes she understood why her parents worried so much and that it was such a natural thing for a parent to do. She just was not used to a parent caring this much about her.
“No, I overheard your conversation with them.” Regina began, as Emma stared up into her eyes to pay attention. “I needed to get away from their overly optimistic behaviour. But are you okay?”
“I think so.” Emma quietly answered, glancing away from her eyes. She noticed the look of hurt displayed across her face. “Regina, are you okay? He’s your son too, I understand that this is affecting you as well…”
“I’m fine,” She quietly said, as she sat down next to her. But it was a lie, She was not okay. But if Snow found out that she was not okay, she’d pester her to make sure she wasn’t going to return back to her role of being ‘The Evil Queen’. Even if she wasn’t about to. “I don’t know how we’re going to pull this off.”
“We are all just going to have to stay ‘friends’.” Emma began, causing Regina to shoot her a confused look. “Yes I know that this won’t be easy. But we can’t afford another fight, especially between you and my parents. It almost killed us all last time.”