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CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
FIREBIRD, PT. 2
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"WE CAN'T JUST SIT AROUND WAITING FOR THEM TO GET BACK," Henry sighed. It had been almost an hour since Emma and Hook disappeared down in the elevator, and he wasn't the only one growing impatient and bored as they stood around doing nothing but waiting.

"We don't have a choice, Henry," Regina said to her son. "The minute Emma and Hook get off this elevator, we're going straight through that portal."

"What about Operation Firebird? We can't leave the Underworld without helping the people trapped here."

"They were trapped here because of Hades. Who, fortunately for them, will no longer be a resident."

"She's right," Hades agreed. "The Underworld will function as it was meant to...a place for people to deal with their unfinished business without anyone getting in their way."

Henry frowned in disbelief. "Yeah...but a lot of the people down here don't even know what their unfinished business is. But maybe as the author, I can tell them."

Henry waited for a response, hoping someone would agree that his idea to help everyone would work, but suddenly, the door opened and Robin Hood entered, carrying baby Hood.

"What's going on?"

"Great. You got our message."

Robin's eyes widened tremendously at the sight of Zelena and Hades. "What are they doing here?"

Zelena rolled her eyes. "Hello to you, too. Are you just gonna stand there, or are you gonna let our darling daughter see her mommy?"

Robin turned to face Regina, seeking an answer to as why they were both present. "Regina."

Regina sent him a reassuring smile. "It's okay, Robin. As hard as this is to believe, they're actually helping us."

"We both want the same thing," Hades said from where he stood with Zelena. "To leave this place."

"It's true. He took our names off the tombstones. We can leave."

Robin nodded, raising an eyebrow in surprise. "Well, then what are we still doing here?"

"Boy Scout's got a point," Zelena said. "We could take the baby to the cemetery now and then all walk through as soon as it opens."

David shook his head at the red haired with. "Not without Emma and Hook."

"And Henry's right," Regina said, which caused Henry to brighten, for someone was actually agreeing with him. "We can still help people. Robin, take the baby to the portal."

The leader of the Merry Men stared at his love in shock. "No. I'm not leaving you in this place. He may be playing nice, but there's still plenty of people down here that have a grudge against you."

Regina nodded. "Okay, then give the baby to Zelena."

"Are you mad?"

"We can trust her," she reassured the now concerned looking father.

"Maybe you can."

Regina stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on Robin's arm. "Trust me. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think it's what's best for your daughter."

Robin hesitated, but as he searched Regina's eyes, he knew that he could trust her word. So he kissed his daughters forehead before passing her to her mother.

Zelena went to leave, but before she did, she embraced her sister in a grateful hug. "Thank you."

Regina flashed her a smile before watching her sister leave with Hades and the little pink bundle.

"Are you okay?" Regina asked, noticing Robin's sudden change in mood.

Robin sighed. "I just...I need a moment." They watched in concern as the arch move behind a couple bookshelves, but they didn't follow as to give him the privacy he seemed to need at the moment.

"Henry," Regina said, turning toward her son. "Why don't we get to work?

➳

Robin had assisted Henry by carrying out a table from the library, which Henry now sat at. In his hand was the author's pen, and on the table in front of his, was the Underworld version of the Storybook; he was determined to help every one he could to move on.

There was a long line in front of the table, and behind Henry, Regina, Alice and Robin were smiling at the teenagers compassion.

After writing, Henry gripped the page and handed it off to the eight dwarve. "Here you go, Stealthy, your unfinished business."

Stealthy looked scanned his page in shock. "Oh, wow. I hadn't realized how much resentment I held against Bashful. Thank you. And, um, when you get back, can you tell my brothers I miss them?"

Henry nodded, giving the deceased dwarf a smile. "I will. Y-You know, Leroy...Grumpy...he talks about you a lot."

Stealthy smiled before walking away, just as David exited the library and made his over to them.

"Any sign of Mom and Hook?" Henry asked.

David shook his head. "No, but we still have some time before the portal even opens."

"Don't count on it!" Suddenly, Cruella De Vil herself was her way to the front of line of people, an angry expression on her face. Henry hurriedly collected all the pages and the page as Alice and David pulled him back away from Cruella. "That's right, vermin. Scatter!"

"Sorry, Cruella," Regina smirked. "But I don't think your unfinished business is going to take you to any place you'd like."

"Oh, I'm not here to collect my story. I want to stay in this marvelous realm. You see, with Hades departing, the Underworld is going to need a new ruler."

"You?"

Cruella chuckled. "It's the only upside to your daughter sentencing me to this fate. But the job would be meaningless without a citizenry to torment."

"Cruella, we're not gonna let you harm these people."

"Oh, you think I'm just going to keep them here? Oh, no. I'm going to keep all of you here. It's only fair, considering it was your son — " Cruella glared at the teenager. " — who refused to write me back to life, and you, you dissolved my James, the best toy in the whole playpen."

Henry felt guilt rise up as he stared at all the hopeful faces of the deceased. Because of him not writing for Cruella, they were all going to continue suffering in the Underworld.

"I'm still waiting to hear how you're going to stop us from leaving, Fuzzy," Regina said. "Because all your magic can do is make a dog roll over and beg."

"True. I don't have the magic to keep you all penned in here."

"But I do." Suddenly, the Blind Witch was at Cruella's side. In a flash, she used her magic to open the library doors and force the five of them into the building, before locking them inside.

Henry got up from the ground, reclaiming the book, for he had dropped it.

David ran toward the door and began trying to pry it open, but it was no use.

"Out of the way, David," Regina said, creating a fireball in her palm. "You forced my hand, kid eater!"

Regina threw her fireball at the door, but it failed to open the door, causing her to let out a frustrated sigh.

"Regina!"

"What the hell?"

"That's right!" Cruella shouted from the outside. "No one's getting out before sunset when the portal closes, and then no one's getting out."

"Consider it payback, Regina!" The Blind Witch shouted. "For tricking those children into burning me in my own oven."

"Ta-ta!"

David walked over to the window, trying to peer through, as Regina began to pace.

"I don't get it," Regina said. "The Blind Witch's spells are always half-baked."

"Unless this isn't her spell," Alice said with a knowing look. "It has to be Hades. Hook was right...we shouldn't have trust the damn devil."

➳

The elevator opened, and Emma lifted the gate with a blank expression. They turned to face her, and their eyes instantly started searching for Hook.

"Mom!"

Emma hugged him tightly, her voice breaking. "Henry."

"Emma, where's Hook?"

Emma's face fell, and they instantly knew something bad had happened, and Emma was clearly not wanting to talk about it. "I'll explain later. We have to hurry to get to the thing."

"We can't," Alice said. "The Blind Witch cast a spell trapping us here."

"Let me guess, she got it from Hades," Emma said. "This whole thing has been a setup to keep us trapped in the Underworld."

"You mean, the ambrosia..."

"It wasn't there."

Henry frowned. "So, Hook...he...he can't leave?"

Emma's eyes were stinging with tears. "He can move on. But he wanted to make sure that we all got out even if he couldn't."

"Well, then, let's give him his wish," Regina said.

Emma nodded, a blank expression on her face. "Yeah."

Just like before when they opened the elevator that revealed to them a blocked wall, the trio of three women stepped forward and used their magic to blast open the door.

Alice met out a relieved breath when the doors opened, for now Regina, Henry and the others would be able to go home. And she would be able to move on.

"You did it!" Henry grinned.

"Come on, it's getting late," Alice said, rushing through the door.

"Let's get out of here."

Everyone left but Henry, who turned to pick up the Storybrooke and it's pages from the floor.

Regina stayed behind, watching her son as be placed the book on the book cart, in plain sight. "People will find them."

➳

They raced toward through the cemetery and straight toward the portal, where Emma came to a hault and motioned for her son to go forward.

"The portal, it's closing! Henry! Hurry! Hurry! Go!" Henry and Robin ran through first, but the remaining four stayed behind; Regina turned to Alice with sad eyes.

Knowing everything she was already planning on saying, Alice stepped forward and placed a kiss to her lips. When she pulled back, Alice brushed away the tear that had escaped Regina's eye. "I know," she told Regina in a quiet voice.

"I love you," Regina croaked.

"I love you, too," Alice said with a bittersweet smile. She then nudged Regina toward the closing portal. "Now, go, please."

Regina flashed her one more smile before turning and going into the portal after her son and Robin.

David gently tugged on Emma's wrist, his blonde daughter staring at Hook's grave in the distance. He let out a sigh. "I'm sorry there wasn't some other way."

"When I bought this jacket, it was meant to be armor to protect me from getting hurt by those I love. But now it's just a reminder that I have to protect those I love." Emma's voice began o break. "Nothing's more important."

"You did your best for Killian, Emma," Alice said.

"I don't know. Did I?" Emma said, glancing over at the deceased blonde, that she could tell was trying desperately to not break down after Regina stepped through the portal. "All I know is, I can't lose anyone else. Let's go."

David then stepped through the portal, his hand in Emma's. Before Emma fully stepped through the shimmering portal, she turned back to Alice. "Please make sure you both move on."

Alice sent her a small smile, tears slipping down her cheeks. "I promise."