4 - NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Teresa's skin had grown hot and her pain was increasing with each passing second. It was obvious to everyone in the camp that her infected wound was beginning to take effect. Her skin had become a milky white colour and her eyes seemed to be glazing over as more time passed by. She looked like a corpse.
Snow walked over and frowned at the sight of her friend. "Teri, how you doing?"
Teresa weakly opened her eyes and looked at Snow through her blurred vision. She was cold, but hadn't told anyone about this new side effect. "I'm fine."
Snow sighed at the obvious lie and lifted Teresa up from the ground, encircling her arm around her waist and bringing her arm up around her shoulder to help the young girl walk.
"W-Where are we going?" Teresa weakly asked.
"To find some water. We need to clean your wound and get you hydrated. I'd leave you here and go get it but we don't have anything that can carry water," Snow White replied.
Teresa gave her a weak nod, and kept her blurred vision straight ahead as Snow began to lead her through the woods to find a stream, pond or lake. Hopefully they would find one soon, for Teresa's throat was aching at the mention of water.
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After searching for Snow White and Teresa for several minutes and coming up with nothing, Prince James headed towards Emma and Hook with a panicked expression on his face that concerned Emma. "Have either one of you seen Snow or Teresa? They went to find some water but they haven't ─ " His eyes widened as he realised something, and he began to frantically search his pockets. "The ring. They took it."
Emma furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, wondering why Teresa would leave their makeshift camp when she said that she would be leaving with her and Hook. "Really?" Emma said. "Do you know where they might be headed? Teresa won't last long without water or medicine." Emma's heart began to hammer in her chest. All she wanted was to bring back the young girl who, besides herself and Henry, was family to them.
"They were seeking passage on a pirate ship. There's only one way to get to the harbor from here. The Troll Bridge." Prince James then began to head in the direction of the Troll Bridge, leaving them behind.
"Oh, no," Emma said, knowing full well, since reading Henry's book, what the Trolls were capable of. They had almost killed her father until Snow saved him with her dust. The bag of dust which Snow has already used to save herself and fool the Evil Queen to think she was dead.
Emma went to follow her father but Hook grabbed her arm. "Swan, wait. The bridge. Isn't that where you want them to be? Isn't that where Snow saved your father from the trolls?"
"Yes, but the only reason she was able to do that was because she had a weapon. The dust."
A look of realisation pulled onto his face. "Which she's already used on herself. Bloody hell."
"And let's not forget how Teresa hadn't been dying last time and was able to help out with her bow ─ " Emma's eyes spotted Teresa bow and quiver and sighed. " ─ which they left here." She rushed over and picked up Teresa's weapon, putting them on her back before turning to look at Hook. "Come on. They're gonna need help."
"Do you even know how to shoot an arrow?" Hook asked, chasing after the blonde savior.
"Nope!" Emma yelled over her shoulder.
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When Emma and Hook arrived at the bridge, they found Teresa sprawled out on the ground at the beginning of the bridge, safe and out of harm's way. For now. Meanwhile, Snow White and Prince James were struggling against the trolls that held them captive. When Emma went to run and help them, Hook grabbed her arm, stopping her. "Wait! I'll get Teresa, you wait here. I mean it, Swan."
Emma stared into his icey blue eyes for a moment before hesitantly nodding her head. "Fine."
Hook was quick and quiet as he made his way towards Teresa's unconscious and pale form. Lucky for him, he was able to lift the teenager into his arms without Snow White or Prince James noticing. They were too distracted by the Trolls to even look away. He rushed back over to Emma, placing Teresa on the ground in-between them. They then watched the scene before them unfold.
"Follow me!" Emma and Hook heard Snow White shout over her shoulder, having escapsed the clutches of the Trolls, but then she turned back towards the bridge where the prince was still in trouble and her shoulders sagged, most likely having sighed.
Emma and Hook watched as Snow White turned back around and pulled at the bag around her neck, ready to use her fairy dust to help the prince, which confused them for they both knew she had already used it.
"Royal blood is the sweetest of all!" They heard one of the trolls shout as they prepared to behead Prince James with his own sword. This caused Emma's eyes to widen in horror. Hook grabbed her hand.
"Stop!" Snow White shouted. She held out her hand and began talking to the trolls, uttering words that they were unable to hear. However, whatever she said must have worked since the Trolls released Prince James and placed Snow White's pouch of money on the bridge railing.
Emma smiled and tears built up in her eyes as she watched her parents smile and talk to each other.
Prince James grabbed Snow's money pouch from the bridge and the two started walking off the bridge, heading for the woods. Prince James handed Snow White her pouch and Snow took it, exchanging words that were still too difficult for Emma and Hook to make out.
Hook smirked and leaned towards Emma to whisper, "It appears your parents didn't need our help after all."
They watched as Snow handed Prince James his satchel, which he accepted with a smile. He pulled out the wedding ring, which caused a wide grin to break out on Emma's face.
Words were exchanged before Emma and Hook watched as Snow White grabbed the wedding ring and slipped it onto her finger, holding it up and admiring its beauty. More tears built up in Emma's eyes. Hook glanced at her and smiled slightly as he watched how hard Emma was trying to not cry. "It's okay, Swan. Not everyone gets the chance to watch their parents fall in love."
Emma and Hook watched next as Prince James handed Snow her cloak before they headed their separate ways.
Hook's eyes widened as he watched them walk away from each other, and he began to panic. "They're heading away from each other."
Emma placed her hand on his arm. "No, it's okay. That's how it happened the first time. It took my parents a while to accept their feelings."
"Must run in the family," he mumbled.
Emma reached into Hook's bag and pulled out Henry's storybook. She opened it and smiled, watching as, one by one, the writing and pictures changed, now telling the new story of how Prince James and Snow White fell in love.
"Look," she said, smiling, "we did it."
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It took them some time, but Emma and Hook had finally reached Rumpelstilltskin's Dark Castle. They walked in, carrying Teresa and Marian, both of whom were still unconcious. Emma had noticed how Teresa looked even more pale as she laid limp in her arms. During one point she was sure Teresa's heart had stopped beating that she had stopped walking to see if her chest was still rising and falling. They found Rumpelstiltskin preparing some sort of potion.
"We did it," Emma told the Dark One.
"Your parents are together?" Rumpelstiltskin asked, not looking away from his potion mixture.
"They're right back on track. We're ready to go."
"I see." Rumpelstiltskin then noticed Teresa and Marian, and raised an eyebrow. "And you brought some luggage."
"Long story. So, how's the portal coming? Can you open it?"
"I cannot."
Emma's eyes widened. "Then what are you working on?"
"Oh, this is for me. A forgetting potion. The only way to protect it, is to forget it."
"Well, what about this wand?" Emma asked. "You said that could help us."
"Oh, that..." Rumpelstiltskin paused for a moment before continuing. "Well, apparently, only those who used the portal can reopen it. So unless you can wield magic, I'm afraid you're going nowhere." He threw the wand at Emma, who caught it. "Can you?"
Emma stared silently at the wand, wanting nothing more for her magic to return, but hers was gone. Forever.
Rumpelstiltskin nodded after seeing no magic come from the girl or the wand. "Thought not."
"So, you just expect us to stay here? What about protecting your precious future?" Hook asked, angered that he wouldn't be able to get the woman he loves back to her family.
"That's exactly what I'm going to do."
Hook drew his sword, narrowing his eyes at the sparkly-skinned man. "He means to kill us, Swan."
Rumpelstiltskin giggled. "No. I mean to put you someplace safe. Someplace even I dare not go. Where I store the magic is too dark or unpredictable even for me."
"Rumpelstilts ─ " Before Emma could say anything else, a cloud of dark purple smoke had enveloped her and Hook and suddenly they were in an unknown room. After placing Teresa on a nearby table, Emma began to examine the room while Hook placed Marian on the floor.
"No," Emma groaned.
Hook looked at a mirror in the room, seeing a note that Rumpelstilltskin has undone the spell he provided them with. "At least he did us one favour. I'm devilishly handsome again." He opened the cupboard standing beside the mirror and furrowed his eyebrows in confusion when he seen there was a singular urn was inside. He grabbed it, examining it in his hand, wondering why Rumpelstiltskin would keep an urn within a cupboard.
Emma turned around and her eyes widened when she seen Hook with the urn. "Wait! Don't touch anything! If Rumple is afraid of his stuff, there's gotta be a reason."
Hook nodded and placed the urn on a table nearby. "I'm just trying to figure a way out," he innocently replied.
"I don't think there is one. And what's the point? You heard what he said."
"But you can. All he said we need is magic. You're the savior, Swan. You can do it."
Emma shook her head. "Not anymore. I lost it."
"When Zelena died, all of her spells were undone. Your powers should have been restored."
"Believe me, if I could make it work, I would." Emma looked at him with anger burning in her eyes. "You think I'm faking it?"
Hook chose his next words carefully, not wanting to upset the woman he loves. "I think not having magic makes it a lot easier for you to run back to New York and pretend to be somebody else. But listen to me, Swan. You're not. It's time to stop running."
"You think I don't know that? Yes, I run away. That's how I have always survived. But believe me, I want this to work. I wanna go back. I wanna stop running."
Hook felt his heart soar. "What's changed your mind?" He was so sure that she wanted to leave for New York and leave him.
"Watching my mother die. Thinking she was dead. You saw what happened. I was so relieved when she was okay. And I hugged her. And you know what I saw in her eyes?" Tears built in Emma's eyes. "Nothing. She didn't know who I was." Her voice began to break. "I had saved her and lost her, too. And that's what I've been doing since I met her. It's got to stop. When Henry brought me to Storybrooke he told me I was the savior. I didn't see what he was really doing: He was not bringing me back to break a curse. He was bringing me home." And then Emma realised just what Neal meant. "Neal was right."
Hook furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "About what?"
She met his gaze, hers building with more tears that threatened to spill over at any moment. "You don't have a home until you just miss it. Being with my parents the last few days, but not really being with them? I've never missed them more." Emma paused, a small smile gracing her face. "Storybrooke. That's my home."
Hook smiled, making Emma look at him in confusion. "What?" she asked.
"Look down."
Emma looked down and her heart skipped a beat. The wand in her hand was shimmering bright with her light magic.
"I'd say you've got your magic back. Now, shall we go?"
Emma nodded and held the wand up in-front of her. Concentrating hard, Emma then began to conjure up a portal. They both smiled as a portal opened and began swirl in-front of them. Hook picked up Marian from the floor, still smiling. "Yup. Well done, Swan." He then quickly went through the portal.
Emma smiled once more before lifting the pale Teresa from the table and walking towards the portal. Before she could go through it, Rumpelstiltskin grabbed her arm, stopping her. "You opened it," he stated the obvious.
Emma struggled to break free while still holding Teresa in her arms.
"Wait," he pleaded.
"Let me go."
"My son," he said desperately. "What happens when I find him?"
"I thought you wanted to forget," Emma said.
"Before I do, I need to know. Does he forgive me?"
Emma hesitated. "Yes."
"Yes, but what?" Rumpelstiltskin asked. "What aren't you telling me? Tell me or you will never leave," he threatened.
But Emma didn't feel threatened one bit. She looked down at him with pity. "He dies. He forgives you. He loved you. He died to save all of us. Don't let it be in vain."
"No. I can change what happened. I can save my boy."
"You think you can change the future, but you might make it worse. I loved him, too. I wanted to save him. He died a hero. You can't take that away from him. You have to drink the potion. You have to forget everything I just told you." Rumpelstiltskin nodded, his eyes glazing over. He slowly released Emma's arm as he drank up the potion.
Emma felt the butterflies in her stomach burst as she was sucked into the portal. She landed in the warehouse with a groan and released Teresa so she could roll over onto her back. Hook helped ber onto her feet and patted the dirt from her body.
"Oh god," Emma said, remembering Marian. "Hey, do me a favor. Fill her in. Make sure, she doesn't freak out."
"Where are you going?" Hook asked.
"I have to take Teresa to Dr. Whale, then go see some people."
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