Disclaimer: I do not own the world of Once Upon a time, or any of the characters. I'm just playing with their universe.

A/N: the italics parts will be flashbacks.

Okay now new Captain Swan story post season 4 finale! Please review and let me know if I should continue this or not! Thanks :)

"She has to be somewhere!" Hook said in exasperation, slamming his hook into the table. He was going mental.

They couldn't find her. It had been weeks and they had searched the entire town, but they had yet to locate Emma Swan. Currently, they were circled in Mary Margaret and David's apartment, watching as Regina tried to locate her again with magic. Unfortunately, her magic had failed, again. Wherever she was, they weren't going to find with her a location spell.

"Easy, Hook," David said, trying to calm the pirate. He was just as anxious to find his daughter, but he knew they had to keep a calm head about it. "We'll find her."

"Unless she doesn't want to be found," Regina said slowly.

"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" Hook glared at the woman. "Of course she wants to be found. It's bloody Emma."

"No, it's not," Regina looked at the pirate. "She's the Dark One now. It's not what you want to hear, trust me I know, but we have to face the possibility that her new magic is blocking us."

"How is that possible?" Snow exchanged a look with her husband. "Can she really do that?"

"It's possible," she said. "She's the savior, her magic was different already. Combined with the magic of the Dark One, there's no telling what she'll be able to do."

"Aye, she might be the Dark One, but she's still Emma," Hook shook his head. "She'd want our help. We have to find her."

David put his hand on the pirate's shoulder. Theirs was a strange friendship, as David was the father of Hook's love. But circumstance and several battles alongside each other had proven stronger than David's paternal instinct to kick the pirate's ass often. After all, Hook had saved his daughter more times than he could say now. Now, they were united in their cause to save Emma, someone they both loved dearly. David knew the pirate would do anything for her, even give his life as he had proved before. "We'll bring her home, somehow."

"But we aren't going to be able to use magic to do it," Henry said. They had all been a little iffy about letting him join them, wanting to protect him. But after many arguments and failed attempts to keep him away, they had agreed he could help. After all, he had saved them all in the old Author's reality. But more importantly, they weren't be able to keep him away, as it was his mom in danger.

"Then, what are we to do now?" Robin said, speaking for the first time.

They were quiet for a moment, thinking. Though they had all dealt with the Dark One before, they didn't know how to save her without the dagger, and that would require the darkness to enter one of them. Regardless, the dagger had disappeared right along with Emma, and they had no way to track it.

"We do what the Apprentice said," Henry said. "We focus on finding Merlin."

"But what could he do if we don't know where Emma is?" Snow asked.

"Actually, Henry has a point," Regina said slowly. "Merlin is powerful, much more powerful than me. He might be able to find her, and we already know he's the only one who can defeat the darkness. It might be a good idea to find him first, just in case." She didn't add aloud that the just in case was in the chance that Emma had been too consumed by the darkness and tried to kill them. But she didn't need to. She knew from the look on their faces that they were fearing the same thing.

"We don't know where he is anymore than we do Emma," David reminded them. They had been trying to find the Sorcerer as well, but he was cloaking himself. So far, just like with Emma, it had been in vain.

"Maybe not, but we know where to start," Regina said.

"Your majesty," King Arthur bowed his head as

Regina walked in, dressed in a tight red dress. "To what do we owe this honor?"

"Arthur," the Evil Queen smirked. The realm of Camelot was no friend to her kingdom, of that she was sure. She knew King Arthur would sooner have Snow White on her throne, and had heard rumors that he offered the girl sanctuary should she make it to his land. Unfortunately for her and most fortune for him, these were still just rumors, though she had no qualm about their truth. Still, his kingdom wasn't powerful enough to overthrow her. "I am in need of more Knights, your Knights to be exact."

The King's eyes hardened briefly, before he turned jovial again, laughing aloud. They might not be powerful enough to defeat her, but they would fight to the last knight should she bring a war to their borders. "Alas, I am afraid I cannot help you there, my queen," he said calmly. "My Knights would never serve you, as I know you know."

She smiled sardonically at him. "I can always force them, but I figured I would ask first, in case you could be convinced to see reason."

The Knights immediately flocked to their King, seeing the threat. "We will never serve you," Percival said, his sword drawn toward her, repeating his king's words.

With a wave of her hand, the Knights were thrown back, leaving her path to Arthur clear. She moved closer, her hand raised. "I'll ask nicely one more time."

"And my answer will still remain the same," he said, no fear in his eyes.

She had to admit, she quite admired the king of Camelot for his courage. Not many would stand before her as bravely as he did, knowing what she could do. "Oh well, it was worth a try," she smirked and thrust her hand into his chest, gripping his heart. "It would have been better for me, and you, if you had agreed. No matter, I can still bend you to see my way."

He gasped at the intrusion, feeling her hand in him, enclosing around his heart.

She started to pull it out, but was suddenly thrown back across the room, without his heart. Her own soldiers rushed to their queen's side as she slowly got up. A new man stood in front of the king now, facing her. "Great, Merlin," she said, her voice not shaking though she was suddenly afraid. That was not easy to do, frightening her. There were few who could defeat her. Unfortunately, Merlin was one of them. She had heard he was no longer here, choosing to remain in peace with his Lady of the Lake instead of interfering any longer with the workings of men. She would not have come if she knew.

"Regina," he greeted. "You should not have come here."

"I was not aware you would be here," she said truthfully.

"I was not," he said. "However, my eye is never far from this realm, just as it will never now be far from yours."

"I thought you didn't interfere with the daily life of this realms any longer," she said coldly, not liking that he'd be watching her. "Wasn't that so last millennia?"

"I do not. What happens in these realms is no longer my duty," he said, calmly. "I will continue to remain indifferent to you, Regina, should you choose to leave now. However, if you should try to bring your war with Snow White to Camelot, I will step in."

She was quiet for a moment. She knew that could now happen. He could kill her in seconds, and they both knew it. "Fine," she conceded finally, her voice cold and deadly. "Your precious Arthur and Camelot are safe, for now."

"Then leave now, Witch Queen, and do not return." He disappeared in a poof of white smoke, though it made no difference. She knew he could be back just as quickly as he had before.

"Your majesty," Arthur said, bowing slightly. It was a clear dismissal. "Lancelot will lead you to the gates."

She was fuming as she started following the Knight. He was Arthur's favorite, she had heard. He had favored him long before he was King.

"Lancelot," a woman met them in the hall, a gentle smile on her lips until she saw who was behind them. "Your majesty." She curtsied.

"My Queen Guinevere," Lancelot bowed. "Perhaps you should enter the Great Hall, your Majesty."

"Of course," she said quickly. It was clear they were friends, though being just friends was not what either wanted, even if they couldn't. Guinevere was married to Arthur, Queen of this land, and Lancelot was too honorable to betray his King.

Regina was not so blind as to not see that. A brilliant thought struck her, an evil smile coming to her lips. She waved her hands subtly at the pair before Guinevere left them. Both froze for a second, looking at each other before Lancelot shook his head and led Regina on. Perhaps she could not make Camelot fall due to that infuriating Merlin, but someone else could, or rather something. Magic could not force love, of course, but it could rather help it along. She smirked as she entered her carriage to return to her castle. Camelot would fall at the hands of a woman after all.

"I want to save my mom," Henry said stubbornly. "I have to go with you."

It had been decided that half their number would go to Camelot and search out Merlin while the other half remained here, looking for Emma. After much debate, it was decided David and Robin would journey to Camelot. David was the first choice as he knew his way around that world and with a sword. He had asked Hook, whom he had come to trust to guard his back, but they all agreed Hook would be better served here, where his love with Emma could help more. He was torn with this, knowing he was just as determined to go find Merlin and bring him back quickly to save her. But in the end, he agreed it was better for him to stay here, with her.

Mary Margaret wanted to go as well, but they agreed it was best if one of Emma's parents remained here in case they found her. And Regina would not be welcome in Camelot. Besides, with Rumplestiltskin out of commission in the magic induced coma, she was the only one with enough magic left. They had decided Henry too would stay, but he was finding difficulty accepting this decision.

"We know, lad," Hook said, putting his hand on the boy's shoulder. "That's why you need to be here, to help your mum."

"It's too dangerous, Henry," Regina said firmly. She'd be damned if Henry went and got hurt.

"Any more dangerous than going against a new Dark One?" he snapped. "She could attack me."

"Henry, your mom wouldn't attack you," Snow said hurriedly.

"You don't know that," he reminded her, though he believed she was right. When Rumplestiltskin became the Dark One, he still loved his son, Baelfire. But he wasn't about to remind them of that when he saw the doubt on their faces.

"Henry, you're the person who's most likely to get to her," David said gently.

"I thought that's why Hook was staying," he said stubbornly. "He's her true love after all."

Hook smirked at that, and David glared at him. Sure, David was thankful to the pirate for all he'd done and trusted him, but that was still his daughter after all.

"Emma broke the first curse with her love for you," Snow said, ignoring the two men. "That's not something we should ignore. Besides, it might take both of you, her true loves to save her." She was much more open to the thought of her daughter's true love being the pirate. She knew the power of true love, and she had seen the two together. Emma had been happy, and that was enough for her.

Henry slumped at that, not knowing how to argue it. But then, an idea came to him, and he straightened up smirking. He saw his mom's eyes narrow suspiciously as she recognized he look on his face. "How are you going to get to Camelot?" he asked, feigning ignorance.

The adults exchanged a look. They weren't sure about that. There were no portals here, and without a curse, it was impossible to travel back to the Enchanted Forest.

"We'll figure something out," Regina said.

"No you won't," Henry said confidently. "Because there is no way for you to travel. But there is for me." He saw from his mother's face that she had figured it out. He pulled out the pen the Sorcerer had given him to let the others in on his plan. "So you need me, I'd say."

He smirked triumphantly as their faces fell, stumped by a teenager. "Operation Swan is a a go.

chapter 1 complete :) what do you think? Should I continue? This is of course a captain swan story but I'm thinking if I do continue it, it'll also have a lot of stuff about Emma confronting the demons she has inside. I agree with Jennifer Morrison in her interview at FT3: this will be a chance for Emma to face those demons, which otherwise she might not have. Anyways let me know what you think please :)