A/N: Sorry its been so long. Life has been insane. So...yeah. I'm trying my hand at prophecy and curses etc. Hopefully the plot holes wont be as bad as Adam and Eddy's but I have an ending in mind and a way the story is going to go!

Unbeta-all errors are mine

Chapter Eight

Queen Snow White paced about the council room. Their allies sat around the large golden tables, all eyes were on the Queen. Many had seen her angry, but none had seen her like this.

"First my daughter, and now Neal. Why are my children always targeted by the Dark Kingdom?"

"To be fair," Charming interrupted. "We don't know for sure than Emma was ever targeted by the D-"

"Now is not the time." Snow raised her hand to her husband. They had already lost one child, and for the past 13 years she mourned for her daughter. She could not do that again. She wouldn't do that again. She was going to protect her son at all cost.

"I know what we need to do," she turned to the White Kingdom's council. Eager and confused eyes were on the Queen. They didn't even know what the Evil Queen, as Regina had now coined herself, was going to do. All she had said was that their happy endings were going to be taken away. "I will consult the Dark One-"

"No!" several voices erupted in unions, including the Prince Consort's

"We cannot trust him," David said, standing. "That man is more of a danger than Regina ever was or will be."

"What do you suggest David? Should we just wait and hope that Regina's plan will fail? Hope that whatever she has planned for us will not hurt Neal too bad?" she said sarcastically. "No. I will not stand by and wait. He has the ability to see the future. To see what she has planned and I for one will not stand by and lose that opportunity."

"And what will he want in return Snow? His freedom? We are fortunate to have him locked up. We can't risk him going free."

"But we can risk losing our freedom, David? You saw how she was. I have never seen the Dark Princess…excuse me, the Evil Queen, like that. There was pure murder in her eyes." All in the room remained quiet, for they knew the White Queen's words were true. Regina walked directly into a room full of her enemies with no fear. There was no hesitation on her part. A direct confrontation. Anyone who would do that was not afraid of anything.

"She's right," Doc, one of the Queen's loyal advisers said. "The Evil Queen has shown she has no boundaries. No fear. We have to know what she is planning to do."

"I want it down in the record that the Prince Consort was against this. I do not trust him. He is known for manipulation."

"It will be written David," Snow White said solemnly. She inhaled deeply. "Guards! Prepare for an escort to the Dark One."

[SQ]

The Queen and Prince Consort waited for their eyes to adjust as they entered the underground prison. Torches were placed every few feet along the stone walls, but even that fire didn't illuminate the darkness. A cold draft seemed to flow through the corridor, causing them to pull their cloaks tighter around their framed. They were counseled to disguise themselves and their voices when speaking. Any knowledge of who they were, allowed the Dark One power over them. His capture had been considered a miracle, as he had been impossible to track and overpower. Yet here he was, in the cells far beneath the normal dungeon of the White Kingdom, locked in a cell sealed with white magic.

"Rumpelstiltskin," the escort said as they reached the furthest cell in the cavern. "I have a question for you."

"No you don't" the scaly man chuckled. "They do! Queen Snow White and Prince Charming. Don't insult me. Come on into the light and take off those cloaks." The couple approached slowly.

"We want-" David started.

"Yes. Yes I know. You want to know about the Evil Queen's threat," he laughed. "Well fear not! For I can ease you minds."

"Tell us what you know!" the Queen growled.

"Well it's going to cost you."

"What do you want," Snow said over her husband's objection. She knew he wasn't going to tell them anything without a deal or promise. That wasn't the way the Dark One worked. She had known that from the moment she had decided she was going to speak to him. She would pay whatever she could, even down to his freedom.

"Nothing much, just…a strand of hair from your first born. Surely you can find one among her old things."

"Absolutely no-" David interrupted.

"Deal!" said the Queen, shaking her head against the look of shock from the Prince. "What do you know?"

"Your dear daughter-in-law has created a powerful curse. A curse that will put all of us in a prison, like I am…only worse. Our prison will be time," a look of glee grew on the man's face as he spoke. "Time will stop, and we will be trapped someplace horrible, where everything we love and hold dear will be ripped from us, while the Queen celebrates." He paused "No more happy endings."

"What can we do," the Queen asked.

"We can do nothing. Only the true heir of the White Kingdom…."

"Neal?"

"No…the true heir. Find the heir of the White Kingdom and we will be saved."

"There is no other heir," David said. Drawing his sword and pointing it between the stone bars that held the sorcerer in prison. "Stop speaking in riddles! Tell us what we need to know."

"Only the true heir to the White Kingdom can undo the curse that the Evil Queen will cast," Rumpelstiltskin then lowered his voice to a whisper. "Find your lost heir."

"Lost? Emma?" Snow White whispered back. "Emma is…"

"Dead?" the man giggled. "Is that what you think?"

"We know," David said. "We searched every inch of this realm. We have consulted every witch, fairy and sorcerer. None have been able to find her."

"Who said she was in this realm?" Rumpelstiltskin reached out to stroke the Queen's cheek, only to be struck by the Prince.

"Watch it."

"The heir is our only hope. Find your heir…," he closed his eyes as if conjuring a memory. "…find you heir and when….the life is pulled from the heart of the Dark Kingdom, the Queen's curse will be broken."

"This makes no sense!" David yelled. He pulled Snow White by her arms, attempting to turn her around to leave. "Were leaving!"

"You know I'm right don't you!" The man yelled at the frozen Queen. "You know that she isn't dead."

"Where is she?" Snow White mumbled. "Where is our daughter?"

"A place where magic does not exist. A place where pain and suffering are absolutes and happy endings exist only in story," he said. "They very place you are going."

"If Emma were alive she would have come home," David said. "Snow don't fall for this. He is playing us."

"Only those who know they are missing go looking for home," the sorcerer replied. "Find your lost heir, or suffer for eternity." David continued pulling at the Queen's arm, only stopping when she turned around to follow him.

"You'll get your strand of hair," she mumbled as they were escorted out.

[SQ]

"Who is going to go?" David said standing around the room looking at the council. Everyone remained silent as the Queen and Prince glared at their members.

"Blue has said the journey will be safe, I do not understand why you or I cannot go," Snow complained.

"Because Neal needs his mother and I am not letting you face Regina alone. We need to remain here. Blue only has the power to send one person."

"No one in their right mind will go to this realm willingly," Grumpy said. "Hell the Dark Princess is cursing us there. Who is going to jump at the opportunity to experience suffering on a whim that Princess Emma is there."

"She is your Princess and heir to the White Kingdom, all of you should be jumping at the chance to help!" Snow yelled.

"How can we trust what the Dark One has said?" Ruby, a werewolf and Snow's oldest friend said. "We know nothing of this other realm. If it is as horrible as you say and there is no magic, how will you find the princess and bring her to us?"

"Magic from the Enchanted Forest will be sustainable for a short time," Blue said. "With an object of the princesses and an object of her parents, the user should be able to track both in a short amount of time. Though there is no guarantee. Magic will be different there."

"Is the no one willing to travel to this land, for your princess?" As Snow White looked around the room, her council remained silent. Everyone eyes looking to the person across or next to them.

"I may know of someone who will do it, but I don't know his price," a small voice, near the Blue Fairy said. The Queen watched a small green light flew towards her, landing directly at her place at the table. "I traveled to a faraway land, and there was a man who routinely crossed the realms. I know he has been to Neverland, Wonderland and the Enchanted Forest….perhaps he will go to this new world for us."

"Who is this….realm jumping person?" David asked.

"Killian Jones."

"Never heard of him," David said, getting a few nods in agreement.

"You may know him by another name," Tink said. "The infamous Pirate, Captain Hook."

Present Day

New York

Emma leaned against the door as she sighed. She was finally home, but couldn't figure out how to get from her foyer to the living room. She could hear the TV going, Henry was playing some game, and she knew he'd ask how her date went.
"I heard you were quiet tonight," she said taking off her jacket.

"Not quiet, concentrating. I finally reached level 23." Emma nodded with a grin. He was such a little nerd, and she had no idea where he got it from. She enjoyed comics and the movies, but when it came to RPG games and fantasy and dragons and elves and witches…that was all Henry. He got so wrapped up in these fantastic worlds.

"Mind if a 5th level wizard joins you." Emma grabbed the controller and brought up her character for a co-op. She was so elementary that she'd be more hindrance than help considering she'd be fighting enemies four times as powerful, but spending time with her son would help her relax.

"So what did you say? To Mike."

"What?" Emma said not looking away from the screen. "How'd you know?"

"First date restaurant, special night out…the writing was on the wall," he said sarcastically. There it was. That sass. She'd never get used to it.

"Technically the writing was in the desert." She mumbled.

"So what did you say?" He turned back, and the blonde could feel the stare. "Oh poor guy."

"Hey! I didn't say no!"

"Well, you didn't say yes Mom. So, I stand by 'my poor guy' assessment."

Emma shrugged and continued hitting random keys on the controller in an attempt to fight some creatures that were attacking her. She frowned when the screen suddenly paused and her son turned to look at her. His expression was serious. It was also familiar, but she couldn't quite remember from what. It wasn't her expression that's for sure. Probably Neal's.

"Not every guy is like my dad. Not every guy is going to leave you and I."

"Firstly…he didn't just leave. He set me up to take the fall for his crime and left me in jail. Secondly, he doesn't even know you exist…and he doesn't deserve to." Emma smiled, running a hand through his a-little-too-long hair. She remembered when he was born. Remembered the feeling of joy that surged through her body. When she held him, it was as if pulse of energy passed between the two of them and she remembered looking up, expecting to see someone else there. Of course there wasn't. No one but the doctor and nurses.

"Yes. My dad did that…and you think Mike is going to do the same?"

"No, I just…we have a great thing you and I. Why mess that up?"

"We could have a great thing with you, me and Mike too. Besides you like him."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because he is the first guy you've dated that I ever met." Emma sighed. Henry was right. She had dated a few times over the years, but it was nothing serious. "Do you ever feel like…like someone is missing? Like when we eat in the evenings that there should be a third plate there?"

Emma knew what Henry was talking about. There were some days she felt as if she were only partially complete. Yes she had her son, and she loved him, but it was as if a third of her was missing. A space that just couldn't quite be filled. But…she didn't feel like Mike could fill that space and she didn't know how to tell Henry that.