────── ★★★ ──────

────── ★★★ ──────

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟐𝟎
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐂𝐔𝐄 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐍

────── ★★★ ──────

"And why don't I believe you?" David questioned Mary Margaret as she glared down at him from her place in the net.

"You should. She's telling the truth, mate," Killian said in response to the Nolan man's question as he and Everly came out from behind a tree. When the pirate captain saw the shocked looks on their faces, he did a mock bow towards them before the pirates resumed walking towards them while Killian continued speaking.

"Prince Charles and this is Lady Rapunzel. Lovely ball the other night. The mutton was a tad overcooked, but that happens," the raven-haired told them before he gestured up towards Mary Margaret after he and Everly stopped a few feet away from David, "Snow White doesn't have your ring. But I can tell you who does. My princess. And we need your help getting her back."

"She has my ring? That's two women who robbed me," David muttered before letting out a sigh while sheathing his word onto his belt, "where is she?"

"Well, that's the problem," Everly told him, drawing his attention to her for the first time they made themselves known to her parents, "the Queen's castle."

"Actually, that's not a problem at all. I know it well. It used to be mine." the brunette woman above them announced with a sly smirk on her face as everyone looked up at her, "I can get us in there, but not from up here. So, you let me down and you get your princess, you get your ring. And I never have to see your charming face again."

After staring up at her mother for a moment longer, Everly turned her attention towards David to see a small grin form on his face. The next thing anyone knew, the prince walked toward a nearby tree before unsheathing his sword and cutting the rope that held the net Mary Margaret was in.

────── ★★★ ──────

Everly sat with Killian in the front of the cart they were using to get to the Queen's castle while David was in the back with Mary Margaret, who was lying down in the hay to keep from being seen. As they continued down the forest trail, their cart hit a bump in the road, causing the whole thing to bounce into the air and the princess to let out a grunt.

"Apologies, lass," the pirate captain said with a small smile on his face while the prince's laughter cut through the air.

"You really think we can save Emma?" Everly asked the man sitting next to her while the two in the back of the cart begin to have their own conversation.

"I believe we can," he replied then he hesitated for a moment as he glanced over at his daughter before he built up enough courage to ask the question that had been plaguing him since the ball, "how was it seeing Felix?"

Everly's entire body stiffened then her eyes left the pirate's and moved back to the trees that surrounded them. "Honestly, it was strange."

"I thought you would be happy."

"I am, except the last time I saw him...he died in my arms. I also promised we'd see each other again."

"But you will."

"But he won't know that."

Before their conversation could continue, the Queen's castle appeared in the distance. Everly's eyes stayed glued to the shining palace as Killian pulled the cart to a stop before announcing that they reached their destination.

"We're going to need help to get past her guards," Mary Margaret sighed as she got to her feet and jumped out of the cart, "wait here. We go at night. I'll be back with help."

Before any of them could respond, she sprinted off into the distance and out of sight of her allies.

────── ★★★ ──────

Everly and Baelfire had been training for hours and the former was putting everything she had into improving. She wasn't going to be put in the situation she was in with Griff again. Baelfire, on the other hand, wasn't putting in as much effort. And Everly wasn't the only one who noticed.

"If you don't try, the girl will be able to pound you in a week," Felix said to the brunette boy from his place on the outskirts of the clearing.

"I don't care," the son of Rumplestiltskin scoffed as he continued using his dagger to carve pictures into the log he was sitting on.

"Pan will be disappointed when he returns."

"So what?"

Everly rolled her eyes as they continued bickering before she went back to working on her sword technique. Even back on the Jolly Roger, sword-fighting was never her strong suit. That was why Killian never gave her one. After failing at every attempt to properly use the object in her hands, the Jones girl let it fall from her fingers and drop to the ground before she let out a defeated sigh.

"The sword isn't your weapon," Felix told her as he walked across the clearing and stopped at her side, "you should stick to the bow."

"And what if I need to use a sword?"

"Don't," he stated after picking the sword off of the ground and placing it with the rest of their equipment, "we both know that you can't handle the sword. That's why Pan defeated you during initiation."

"And if it was archery?"

"You would've stood a better chance."

Before Everly could respond, Felix placed a bow and a quiver of arrows in her hands. She just stared at the objects for a long moment before the Lost Boy ushered her toward the target.

"The sword is for the strong and those who take orders well. Like a knight," the Thorne boy explained while helping the Lost Girl get into the correct stance, "the bow is for the smart and focused."

"I'm strong."

"But we both know you don't take orders well."

────── ★★★ ──────

After getting everything out of the cart and setting up camp for the night, Everly, Killian, and David sat around the fire and waited for Mary Margaret to return. The Jones girl just stared at the fire that burned in front of them as she thought about Emma. Just as she was about to open her mouth to ask how much longer they thought they had to wait, Killian beat her to breaking the silence.

"You excited about your nuptials?" the pirate captain asked the charming prince after throwing some more sticks into the fire.

"I'm marrying Midas' daughter, what's there not to get excited about?"

"I don't mean to pry-"

"Yes you do," Everly interrupted without taking her eyes off the flames in front of her.

"Anyway," Killian continued after sending an annoyed look the Jones girl's way before he looked back over at David, "you don't exactly look like a man who's doing this by choice."

"I always thought I'd marry for love. And here I am about to enter into what amounts to a business transaction. A merger of two kingdoms," the Nolan man admitted, making the Purest Heart look away from the fire for the first time before he continued speaking, "I don't know. This whole ordeal makes me wonder if there's even such a thing as true love."

"I once felt as you did, mate," Killian responded while Everly continued to stare at David with a blank expression on her face, something that didn't go unnoticed by the man, "and all it took was meeting the right person and everything changed."

"Princess Leia? The one we're rescuing?"

"Aye. I'd go to the end of the world for her...or time."

"And she for you, I take it?"

"I don't know. There are many complications."

"Family?" the charming prince questioned as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the tree behind him, "because my father is making things quite difficult for me."

"Aye, there's that," the pirate captain responded while Everly did her best to stifle her laughter at how uncomfortable Killian sounded, "I'm not so sure her parents approve of me."

"Given the lengths you've gone to save her...they'd be crazy not to."

"I hope you remember that."

Before their conversation could continue, a shadowy figure appeared in the distance and started walking toward them. All of them jumped to their feet before David and Killian unsheathed their swords. As soon as they saw the silhouette again, the pirate captain forced Everly to stand between himself and David, earning a sigh from the girl that he chose to ignore. Despite wanting to be part of the fight, Everly stayed behind the two men and waited for whatever was coming their way to make itself known. It wasn't long before a familiar woman in a bright red cloak broke through the darkness.

"Hey," David called out while keeping his sword aimed at the newcomer as she walked closer to them, "who are you?"

"Names Red. I'm a friend of Snow's," Ruby greeted before placing the basket in her hands on the forest floor near her feet, "she sent me to help you get into the castle."

"How?" Killian questioned as he and David slowly lowered their swords.

"You'll see. But first," she told them as her eyes landed on Everly before the brunette woman reached into her basket to pull out a simple beige dress and tossed it to the younger girl, "change into this."

────── ★★★ ──────

After getting past the numerous guards that occupied the halls that led to the Queen's dungeon, the four of them finally reached the room that contained the prisoners' cells. Everly and Killian stayed around the corner while David and Ruby took out the final guard. As soon as they got the all-clear from the charming prince, the two pirates came out from their hiding place to join them in the passageway.

"I'm glad the wolf's on our side," Killian said as he cautiously approached the animal with the red piece of cloth in his hands.

"She's a fearsome one," David added while watching the captain of the Jolly Roger cover Ruby in her cloak before she transformed back into her human form.

"We better hurry," Everly told them, drawing all attention away from the brunette woman before she gestured towards the unconscious man on the ground in front of her, "when he wakes, he'll be on to us."

Right as they started down the hall towards the cells, Ruby came to a sudden stop, causing Everly to glance back at her to find panic covering every inch of her face. Before she could ask the brunette woman what the problem was, she called out to the two men and made them turn back to face her. "Someone's coming."

As soon as those two words left Ruby's mouth, Killian unsheathed his sword and pointed it in the direction they were heading, only for two women to appear from around the corner.

"Swan?" Killian said as he stared at the blonde woman with a confused look on his face while a smile appeared on Everly's before the pirate captain continued speaking, "what are you doing? You're depriving me of a dashing rescue."

"Sorry. The only one that saves me is me. Speaking of which," she responded then took David's ring off of her finger before holding it up in the air in front of her face, "I'm not going to be around much longer unless we find out where this belongs."

"I think that belongs to me," David stated as he reached forward to take the ring from her.

"You guys have a way out of here?"

"Follow me. Snow told me where to meet her," Ruby answered the Savior before turning around and walking back the way they came followed by the charming prince.

"Thank you, Leia," the woman from the village they passed through a day prior said as she walked past the three from the future.

"Emma, you didn't," Everly muttered, making her sister stop in her tracks before she turned around to face the two pirates.

"She was supposed to be executed in the morning. I couldn't just leave her there to die."

"Actually, if she's to die, she pretty much has to," Killian stated, only for David to make his way toward them, putting an end to their hushed conversation.

"I hate to break up a reunion, but we have to keep moving. We have to find Snow White."

────── ★★★ ──────

"Excellent work, Jones," Pan praised the girl as he walked into the training hallow before his eyes landed on the boy standing next to her, "Baelfire, you still need some work."

"Whatever," the son of the Dark One grunted as he pushed past the leader of the Lost Ones and left the training arena.

"He needs to be taught some manners."

"Leave him be, Pan," Everly demanded, causing the green-eyed boy to turn his attention to her as she continued speaking, "he's been through enough."

"Did you just give me an order?" When he was greeted by nothing but silence, Pan took a few steps closer to Everly before he stopped inches away from her. "You need to figure out where your loyalties lie. Either with me and the Lost Boys or with Baelfire."

"I won't turn my back on him."

The irritation on his face transformed into an unreadable expression before he turned his back to Everly and walked over to the tree where their equipment was. A wave of terror washed over the Jones girl as she watched Pan pull out a dagger and dip it in a jar of Dreamshade.

"What are you doing?" Felix questioned with a hint of panic in his voice as Pan walked back over to stand in front of Everly.

He just stared at the girl for a long moment before he grabbed her wrist and held the dagger about a foot above it. "I will ask you only once, does your loyalty lie with Baelfire or me?"

────── ★★★ ──────

The group continued sprinting through the halls of the castle in search of Mary Margaret when they reached a window that overlooked the courtyard. Everly was about to walk straight past it when she glanced down at the scene that was taking place below them. It was unbelievable. The guards were lined up on both sides of the courtyard while the Evil Queen stood directly in the middle of them. Straight across from the powerful woman was a pile, and tied to the pole was none other than Snow White.

"We have to get down there before it's too late," Emma said after taking in the scene that was playing out below them.

"I don't think we can," David muttered under his breath while his eyes stayed glued to the courtyard.

The group stood in silence as they watched a guard put a sack over Mary Margaret's head. Everly's eyes stayed glued to her mother as Killian wrapped his arms around the sisters. The Queen then formed a fireball in her hand before throwing it at the hay that surrounded the warrior princess.

Emma let out a quiet gasp while Everly continued to watch the scene with horror in her eyes. Ruby's muffled cries soon cut through the silence before the Purest Heart finally looked over at David to find him blankly staring down at the courtyard.

────── ★★★ ──────

"Stop, Pan!" Felix shouted, taking the boy in question by surprise before he removed the dagger from Everly's arm while keeping a firm grip on her wrist as he turned to face his most loyal Lost Boy.

"She chooses Baelfire over us, Felix. Why should I spare her?"

"She chooses Baelfire over you," the Thorne boy stated while trying his best to hide the fear that was flowing through his veins, "she hasn't been here very long. She still sees us as the people who took her from her family. She'll turn, they all turn eventually. But threats won't work on her and you know it."

Pan stared at Felix for a moment longer before he turned back to Everly and released his hold on her wrist. His eyes scanned over the girl in front of him as silence surrounded them then he pointed the Dreamshade dagger at her and opened his mouth to speak. "You're lucky he's right, or else you'd be regretting everything."

Everly sent him a small nod in response before Pan stormed out of the clearing. As soon as he was out of sight, Felix approached the shaken girl and forced her to look him in the eyes.

"Breath," he told her while placing his hands on her shoulders, causing her to take a deep breath.

"Why did you do that?" the Jones girl asked after she managed to pull herself together, only to receive a confused look from the Lost Boy before she continued speaking, "why did you stop him?"

"I promised I wouldn't let anyone hurt you and I never break my promises."

────── ★★★ ──────

Everly and Emma sat on a long and stared down at the fire in front of them. That was all they did since they arrived back at the campsite. The Jones girl let the stillness of the forest surround her as she pulled the coat David gave her closer to her body. Just as another tear was about to slip down her cheek, she felt someone sit down between her and Emma.

"After my brother passed, all I could do was relive the final, terrible moment. Don't do that to yourselves," Killian told them, breaking the silence as Emma looked over at him while Everly continued to stare down at the flames, "all we can do in times like these is to try to live in the here and now."

"Here and now," the Jones girl repeated before she looked up to meet her sister's gaze, "we're still here. How is that possible? We saw her die. Which means we would have never been born."

"You both should have faded from existence," Killian muttered under his breath before both of them looked over at him, "then perhaps-"

"She's still alive!" Emma exclaimed as she jumped to her feet, followed by the two pirates as hope filled the Savior's eyes, "if Snow is out there, we have to find her!"

"Cursed vermin," Killian grunted after a ladybug started attacking him out of nowhere, "we should head back to the Queen's castle, take a look around. Perhaps it's a trick by Regina."

"No. Whatever happened, Regina thinks Snow is dead," Everly stated as the bug continued to fly around and agitate the pirate captain.

The Jones girl's eyebrows scrunched together when the bug landed on her shoulder. Her eyes stayed glued to the red beetle as it somewhat squeaked at her before Killian grabbed a branch and went to swat it, only for David's shouts to stop him in his tracks.

"Don't harm that thing," he told them as he rushed towards the trio and took the ladybug into his hand, "when we were coming to rescue you, Snow told me what her dust would do to the Queen. She said it would turn her into a form that could easily be squashed. A bug."

"You think Snow turned herself into that?" the Purest Heart asked as she stared at the tiny creature in the prince's hands.

"Well, if she timed it right, she could've escaped that fireball. Faked her death and flown away," he explained while the ladybug continued to squeak at everyone that surrounded her, "yeah, that's her. We just need to find a way to bring her back."

"She's saying something," Emma realized as she leaned in closer to the insect.

"Wonderful. Anyone fluent in Bug?" Killian sighed, earning an annoyed look from his daughter.

"She's calling for me."

Everyone instantly turned in the direction of the new voice to see the Blue Fairy flying towards them.

"Blue!" Emma exclaimed with a small smile on her face while Everly silently cursed at her sister for not being very discreet.

"That's right. And you are?"

"Leia."

"No, that's not it. But your secrets can be yours. I sense it's better that way."

"Can you bring Snow back?" Ruby questioned, drawing everyone's attention away from Emma and back to the situation at hand.

"Dark magic did this to her. Light magic can undo it," the fairy stated then waved her wand through the air before a bright flash of light followed it.

As soon as the light faded, Mary Margaret was standing before them in her human form. A huge smile appeared on Emma's face while Everly stared at the woman in front of her with wide eyes. David and Ruby's laughter cut through the air while Killian just stood in his place with a blank expression on his face.

"You're alive!" Emma shouted before pulling the brunette woman in for a tight hug, causing a confused look to form on the former princess' face.

"It would appear so. Thank you," Mary Margaret said after forcing the Savior away from her before the former turned to reunite with Ruby.

After the two women end their moment, they walk away to have a private conversation followed by David and Emma's former cellmate. As soon as they were out of sight, Killian stepped forward and wiped the tears from the Savior's cheeks before wrapping an arm around Everly's shoulders.

"It appears we're back on track," the pirate captain stated while keeping his eyes glued to the woman in front of him.

"Yeah."

────── ★★★ ──────

Everly woke up to the sound of birds chirping overhead then she slowly sat up to see Snow and Ruby saying their goodbyes before the latter headed into the forest. When she looked over to her left, her eyes immediately landed on David as he drank from his canteen before they settled on Killian and Emma sitting on a log near what used to be the fire pit.

"Sleep well?" the pirate captain asked after Everly went to sit on the other side of Killian.

"Better than I have in a long time," the Jones girl responded before the raven-haired man put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to his.

Before the pirate captain could respond, Emma nudged his shoulder and drew both of their attention to her before she gestured towards David and Mary Margaret. The three from the future watched as the pair had a private conversation and shared a few smiles before the prince handed his canteen over to the woman. After they shared one last smile among themselves, the Blanchard woman turned around and headed towards the stream.

"They're warming up to each other. This is good. This will work," Emma said as they watched Mary Margaret until she was out of sight.

"That may be, Swan, but we have another problem," Killian responded as he gestured towards the woman that Emma saved from the Queen's dungeon.

"Well, I had to save her."

"Sure, you did the noble thing, but she's supposed to be dead" Everly stated while keeping her eyes glued to the brunette woman across the clearing, "her presence in the Enchanted Forest could have unforeseen consequences."

"She's just a sweet, innocent woman."

"What if she had a child that grows into a mass murderer? Or she gets tipsy some night and rides a horse into the dwarves and there are only six of them? Who knows? And we're best not finding out," Killian ranted after the Savior continued to defend her choice of rescuing the woman from her fate, "she doesn't belong here."

Just as Everly thought her sister would give in and agree with what they were saying, a smile began to creep onto her face before Emma turned to look at them once again. "I know exactly what we could do."

"So that's what Sam means," the Jones girl muttered under her breath, receiving a confused look from both Emma and Killian before she continued, "he doesn't like the face I make when I get a bad idea...if it's anything like yours, I understand."

"What's your brilliant idea, Swan?" Killian questioned, drawing the Savior's annoyed eyes back to him.

"Take her with us."

"This isn't gonna end well," Everly sighed as she watched her sister walk over to the unknown woman.

────── ★★★ ──────

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