Chapter 21

Escape

Granny was watching Henry and Tally play and Mr Gold came up and watched them too wondering how to proceed. Suddenly he heard a car doors close, out came David, Mary-Margaret and Emma. Emma ignored him and went straight over to Henry and Tally. She had to tell them while David and Mary-Margaret told Mr Gold.

"Henry, Tally" she said.

Henry asked "Emma, is something wrong"?

Emma answered "yes, something is".

It was clear to hear the pain in her voice and that she was struggling. She lead them over to a bench and sat in between them "Mommy been crying"? asked Tally noticing the tearstains on Emma cheeks.

"Yes Sweetheart I've been crying".

Tally asked "where's daddy"?

"He's not here anymore. I knew I was right about Tamara, we were right about Tamara. But she was worst than I thought, she shot him, and opened up a portal. I couldn't keep hold of him as he fell through. I'm so, so sorry, but he's... Emma couldn't bring herself to say the last word so just started crying all over again while trying to comfort her children who were now crying too. Through her tears Tally could see Grandpa Gold seeming in shock horror obviously been told the same thing they had.

When they got back to the loft and Henry saw Regina he engulfed her in a hug. Suddenly there was a tremor Emma asked "Regina was that..."?

Regina answered "the trigger it's been activated".

Henry asked "so we're all going to die"?

Regina answered "not all of us, only those of us conceived in the Enchanted Forest. You and Tally will live".

Henry mentioned "but we'll be alone".

Regina said "I'm so sorry Henry".

"No" said Emma "I won't let them be alone. You did this so you fix this".

Regina replied "I can't".

Emma said "well figure it out, it's your fault".

"Please don't fight mommy" said Tally. Tears started emerging "Daddy's gone I don't want you to go too" and Tally buried her face is Emma's legs. Emma picked her up and Tally cried into Emma's chest.

Henry added "we need to work together".

"From the mouths of babes, I say the lad and little lass have points" said Hook coming in.

David punched him in the face "that's for the last time we met. Tell us why you're before I use something other than my fist".

Hook replied "I fight threatening to kill me is a bit redundant, we'll all about to die anyway".

"No thanks to you" said Emma. "Regina told us you were working with Greg and Tamara to get your revenge".

Hook replied "that was before they told me I had to die to get it".

Emma said "we don't have time for this, we have an actual problem here".

Hook said "which is why I'm here. Staring death in the face has made me realise if there's anything I love more than revenge it's my life. So shall we stop this thing now, then resume bickering".

Regina said "there is no stopping it, the most I can do is slow it down, but that will only delay the inevitable".

David suggested "or give us the time we need".

Mary-Margaret asked "the time for what"?

David answered "to steal back the beans, use them to take everyone back to the enchanted forest before Storybrooke is gone".

Emma asked "how? We don't know where Greg and Tamara are".

Hook replied "Well I do, I can help".

Emma said "yourself, you'd use the beans and leave us all behind. Why should we trust you"?

David said "I'll go with him if he tries anything I'll shoot him in the face".

Emma said "I'll go with Regina to slow down the diamond, give you guys time. Mary-Margaret take Henry and Tally, gather everyone, make sure they ready to leave as soon as we have those beans".

As Emma gave Tally to Mary-Margaret Regina said to Henry "before you leave I just wanted to say I'm sorry for everything's that's happened. I tried to be the person you wanted me to be, but I failed. I got blindsided by my own greed and rage. But I won't let you be alone, just know I love you".

Henry said "I love you too" and they shared a hug.

As everyone exited Hook said to David "the things we do for our children".

Emma, David and Hook got to Granny's at the same time. As David came in he declared "we have the bean" and everyone cheered.

Emma said "come on, let's go" Tally ran up to her.

Henry had noticed Regina wasn't with Emma "where's my mom".

Emma said "Regina decided to stay behind to give us a chance to escape, she said to tell you in the end it wasn't too late for her to do the right thing".

Henry argued "but she's family, we don't leave family behind".

"I promised her I would get you to safety. She's giving us a chance to escape, let take it".

Henry said "dad said you stopped her getting killed by the wraith. How is this any different".

Mary-Margaret said "the wraith, we sent the wraith through a portal, why can't we do the same with the self-destruct"?

Emma replied "because we don't know if it's going to work".

Mary-Margaret said "it could".

David agreed with her but Emma said "it's too risky, no one will go along with it".

Archie said "yes we will, Snow White and the Prince have always lead us before and we've always won. Who's willing to have them lead us again".

Hands shot into the air with words of agreement "thank you Archie" said Mary-Margaret. "This is what we should do".

David added "and will do"

Emma held her children worriedly as Mary-Margaret requested "we haven't had many chance to be parents but give us this one, it's not too late for us to do the right thing".

Emma replied "I just don't want my children to be alone. Me and Neal never wanted them to grow-up without at least one of us. One of the last thing he told me was not to let them grow up like we did".

A sudden tremor, bigger than the last caused most of them to fall over. Emma said "this plan could fail. We use that bean now and we can get away for sure, we will survive".

Mary-Margaret said "but it's wrong. Please Emma, I killed her mother".

Emma replied "you did what you did to Cora because you had to".

"I did it because it was easy" said Mary-Margaret. "It was a mistake. There were other paths, harder ones and I wish I had taken them. So, Emma, Honey, let's take the hard path, because if we don't we will be building a future on Regina's blood".

Tally said "Regina's saving us, she doesn't deserve to die".

Emma looked around and said "it seems we'll all in agreement".

David tossed her the pouch with the bean but Hook grabbed it "you're mad, I can live with myself".

Emma said "give it back".

Hook said "if she wants to die for us I say let her".

Emma sad "I know what you're thinking because I've been there, look out for yourself and you'll never get hurt".

Hook replied "worked out pretty well for me".

Emma said "until the day that it doesn't. We're doing this, it might be stupid, it might be crazy, but we're doing it. So you can join us and be a part of something or you can do what you do best and be alone". She held out her hand and added "your choice".

Giving her the pouch he replied "quite passionate Swan".

As they got ready to leave he asked "why are you really doing this"?

Emma said "my kids just lost their father today, I won't let Henry lose a mother too".

Hook asked "Neal's dead"?

Emma replied "yeah, I don't suppose you care, after all now Rumplstilskin's lost his son"?

"Wait" said Hook "Neal was Baelfire".

"Yeah" after Emma left Hook thought of the young boy he once looked after so many years ago.

They ran into the mines to save Regina, when she asked why they were there Henry said "you were willing to die to save us, that makes you a hero".

Tally added "you weren't going to let us die, so now we won't let you die".

David said "we'll open a portal and throw this thing through a void".

Regina replied "but you don't know that it will work".

Mary-Margaret said "we have to try".

David gave the pouch to Emma and took Henry and Tally to one side.

He noticed when Emma put her hand a confused and distressed look was on her face. David asked "Emma what's wrong"?

"It's empty" she said, and knew exactly what had happened to it "Hook".

She dropped the pouch on the ground and went over to her family with tears threatening to spill out. "Mom, dad, sweethearts" and she held them all in a hug.

Henry broke apart from his family and went over to Regina. Regina said "I'm sorry Henry, I wish I was strong enough to stop all this, I'm just not". Henry held her in a hug.

An idea struck Emma she broke from her own family hug and said "you might not be strong enough, but maybe together, we are".

With a look from both Emma and Regina David and Mary-Margaret lead Henry and Tally around the corner.

Emma put her hands out and let her magic try and shut down the diamond. Tally ran up to get a closer look David had to go get her so nothing bad would happen to her. Suddenly just before David and Tally got back to where there'd been Emma and Regina got thrown back. The diamond fell down and flickered before finally turning black, the town was saved, but not all was well. David looked at himself and Mary-Margaret "we're alive".

Mary-Margaret was more interested in seeing if Emma was alright and ran over to her with David and Tally.

Emma said "we did it".

Regina came up holding the diamond "yes we did".

David said "you gotta hand it to Henry, he's right about a lot of things".

"Yes he is" said Emma. "Isn't that right kid"?

They looked back to where Henry had been and he was gone. "Henry" Emma called.

Regina called "Henry, answer me". They all ran out of the mines calling out Henry's name only to find his backpack halfway out.

When they were out of the mines they all followed Emma who was determined and in mama bear mode. Mary-Margaret said "Emma, you don't even know where they are".

Emma replied "They have Henry, I'll track them down in Hell if I have to".

They suddenly spotted Greg and Tamara holding Henry on the edge of the docks. They started running up when Greg used his free hand to throw a magic bean into the water. Regina said "the last bean, they've opened up a portal".

Greg and Tamara jumped in and David had to stop Emma before she did the same. "We have to follow them there has to be a way" cried Emma.

Regina said "not only don't we know where they went but Hook stole the last bean".

Emma said "I don't care"

Regina said "without it there's no way to follow".

Emma replied "we have to, we can't let them just take Henry".

Mr Gold came up with a woken up Belle and said "they've taken Henry".

David replied "yeah, you're the dark one, can you find a way to follow them".

Mr Gold said "I can't, I spent years looking for a way to cross realms to find my son, there's no way in this world without a portal".

Tally asked "please, try, I don't want to lose my daddy and brother on the same day".

Mr Gold shook his head knelt down and said "I'm sorry I can't".

Regina asked "so that's it, he's gone forever. I refuse to believe that".

Suddenly Belle saw something on the horizon and following her gaze they saw a ship. Belle asked "what is that"?

Emma said "Hook".

They rushed to reach the ship as it docked. Emma said "I thought you didn't care about anyone but yourself."

Giving Emma the bean he replied "maybe I just needed reminding I could".

Regina said "enough waiting around, lets go".

Hook asked "go, where? I thought we were saving the town".

David said "we already did".

"We need to follow Henry. Greg and Tamara took him through a portal" said Emma.

Hook said "I offer my ship and services to help follow them".

Regina asked "that's great but how will we follow them".

Mr Gold said "leave that to me, I can get us where we need to go".

He and Hook stared death stares at each other but nothing else could happen before everyone bored the ship.

Just as Tally boarded Emma said "sweetheart no, where we're going could be dangerous. I don't want to see you get hurt".

Tally said "but daddy's gone. I don't want to lose you and Henry. Besides Mary-Margaret and David are going so I have to come".

Emma looks over the side of the ship and said "Belle, can you look after Tally while I'm gone".

Belle said "sure". Emma took Tally off the ship to Belle.

As Mr Gold came onto the ship he asked Hook "so are you done trying to kill me"

"I believe so" answered Hook.

Mr Gold said "excellent, then you can live" and manifested a magic globe. He pricked his finger and let a drop of blood fall onto the globe. They all gathered around the globe to see where Henry was now not noticing anything else.

Regina asked "where is that? Where did they take Henry"?

Hook said "Neverland".

As they set sail Emma gave the bean back to Hook who threw the bean into the water opening a portal. Everyone hung on knowing going through the portal would not be a smooth ride.

David called "who are we up against? Who are Greg and Tamara"?

Mr Gold answered "they're merely pawns, being manipulated by forces far greater than we can conceive. They have no idea who they're truly working for".

Emma asked "who's that"?

Mr Gold answered "someone we all should fear". What they didn't know was back on shore Belle was looking around for Tally who'd run away to sneak on board while everyone was gathered around the globe and now was below deck wishing she was back on shore.

AN. That's it for a while, I'm taking a short break now but I'll be back soon with Differences Little Sisters Make S3.