Chapter 22

The Way We Almost Weren't

PART 2

Neal and Hook walked away into the woods Neal asked "what are we going to do? Emma's a prisoner of the Evil Queen, the only thing worse would be if Regina figures out who she really is".

Hook looked at him confused "figures out she's who"?

Neal said "Snow White's daughter. The same Snow White who doesn't have the ring she needs to escape Regina and find her true love".

Hook smiled and said "maybe she doesn't need the ring to find true love, but Charming doesn't know that".

Neal asked "what do you mean"?

Hook answered "as far as Charming knows Snow stole his ring, in the book he went after her because he wanted his ring back. But we know Snow doesn't have the ring Emma does and what Princess turned Bandit doesn't know secret passages in and out of her own castle"?

The edges of Neal's mouth turned up realizing what Hook was saying.

Meanwhile Emma was brought before Regina a black knight said "kneel before the Queen".

Emma said "really"

The Evil Queen said "yes, really. The bandit Snow White, where is she"?

Emma said "believe me I wish I knew but the truth as I've told your guards is I have no idea".

The Evil Queen replied "I don't know what kingdom you came from Princess Leia but around here the price of aiding Snow White is steep and I'm being generous indulging your fantasy. But I know you're no princess, I know a dirty street rat when I see one and I know not to trust such creatures".

Emma replied "I promise you your majesty, I can honestly say with my hand over my heart, I am of royal blood, my mother and father are a prince and princess, which technically does make me a princess".

The Evil Queen said "and who exactly are you, Princess Leia"?

Emma answered "I would tell you but you would never believe me"

Regina scoffed at her and said "take her to the dungeon".

They hadn't been searching the forest for too long when they heard voices and followed them. "Not the jewellery type"

"Indeed, I noticed"

"I don't have your ring".

"Why don't I believe you".

Neal and Hook saw Prince Charming and Snow White who was currently trapped in a net. "You should" said Hook, "she's telling the truth".

Prince Charming asked "who are you"?

Neal said "my brother Prince Charles, and I'm Prince Caspian, we were at the ball and we need yours and hers help."

Prince Charming said "with what"?

Hook said "Snow White is telling the truth, she doesn't have your ring but we can tell you who does"?

Neal added "my wife, Leia, I need your help to save her".

Prince Charming asked "she has my ring"

Hook said "she does mate".

Neal answered "did we not just say that"?

Prince Charming said "that's two women who's robbed me."

Before he could say another word Neal interjected "technically Snow White dropped it in her escape and my wife found it"

Prince Charming said "alright, where is she"?

Neal answered "that's why we need Snow White, she's locked up in the Evil Queen's castle"?

Prince Charming asked "how is she supposed to help with that".

Snow White said "because I know it well, it used to be mine, I can get us in, but not from up here. So you let me down you get your ring, he gets his wife, and I never have to see your charming face again". Prince Charming cut her down with his sword.

They used a wagon to travel to the Evil Queens castle so they could hide Snow White and they wouldn't be stopped for harbouring a fugitive. They were having a bumpy ride and seeing her discomfort made Prince Charming laugh.

Snow White said "you're really enjoying this aren't you charming".

Prince Charming mentioned "it's not my fault your face is plastered on every tree in the forest". He noticed her clutching the thing around her neck, "what's that around your neck I thought you weren't the jewellery type"?

Snow White said "don't worry about it" when he snatched it away from her Snow White replied "it's a weapon".

Prince Charming took a closer look at it, it was some sort of container of dust "dust is a weapon".

Neal interjected "fairy dust is magic and dark fairy dust can be deadly".

Snow White added "it can transform the fearsome of adversaries into a form that's easily squashed. I'm saving it for someone".

Prince Charming guessed "let me guess the Queen, got a lot of anger there Snow".

Snow White said "the charges on her poster are lies, didn't stop her from sending a huntsman from trying to cut my heart out. That's why I'm trying to get out of the kingdom. That's why I tried to steal your ring, to secure passage on a pirate ship".

Prince Charming asked "what did you do to her"?

Snow White answered "she blames me for ruining her life".

Prince Charming asked "did you".

Snow White said "yes".

Neal mentioned "it's not like you did it on purpose, and you didn't know Cora was a psychopath".

Hook nudged in the arm trying to remind him he's not suppose to know who Cora is or what she did.

Snow White asked "how did you know her mother's name"?

Neal nervously said "I just...I know stuff let's leave it at that".

Before anyone could say anything else Hook stopped seeing the trees thinning and the Queens castle not too far away. "We're here"

Snow White mentioned "we're going to need help to get past her guards, stay here we go at night," Snow White got out of the wagon, "I just need to go get someone".

At nightfall the men sat around a fire to make light conversation Neal said "so, marriage, to Midas's daughter, looking forward to it".

Prince Charming indifferently replied "yeah, I guess".

Hook said "you don't sound as if you're doing this by choice mate".

Prince Charming said "I always thought I'd marry for love, I always wanted a wife I loved and a son".

Neal asked "just a son".

Prince Charming said "if I loved her mother I'd be certain to love a daughter too. But here I am about to enter into what amounts to nothing more than a business transaction, a merger of two strong kingdoms. I wonder if there is such a thing as true love".

Neal said "oh there is, nothing ever made me more sure of that than my wife".

Prince Charming asked "Princess Leia, the one we're rescuing".

Neal said "we love each other, we love our kids, nothing means more to us than our family".

Prince Charming asked "you got kids, what are they like"?

Neal answered "Henry is so clever and Tally is so sweet, in fact I call her my little sugar plum. They're both brave, considerate and believe in anything. I want to believe so bad I can get myself and their mother back to them".

Hook added "those two kids are great. You could never find a boy with a stronger moral fiber, or a girl with a stronger love for her family".

"I wish I could believe in my family right now, but my father is making things quite difficult for me right now" Prince Charming said.

Neal asked "does he have to? It seems to me if you want true love the only stopping you is you".

Prince Charming replied "it's not that..."

Before he could finish they heard a rustling coming from the bushes. They all drew their swords as a dark figure in a red cloak came closer.

Prince Charming asked "who are"...

"Ruby" said Neal.

"No" said Red "my name's Red, I'm a friend of Snow's she's sent me to help get you into the castle".

Hook whispered "the curse gave everyone new identities, Ruby doesn't even exist yet".

Emma sat in a cell staring at her parents ring. In the cell next to Emma's was the woman she'd seen in the Evil Queen's clutches the day before. She refused to give her name in hoping that lack of knowledge would protect her family and Emma had given her the name Leia. Seeing her looking at the ring she asked "what's that"?

Emma said "it's my parents. I guess you could call it their wedding ring".

The woman asked "and they entrusted it with you"?

Emma replied "kind of, I need to get it back to them".

"Being away from family is a horrible thing, every moment I'm separated from them it doesn't dull the pain, it only worsens. Maybe because I know I'll never see them again".

Emma said "if my mom was here she would tell me to have hope, and my son, and my daughter".

The woman asked "you have kids"?

Emma smiled bravely and said "an ingenious boy and a bubbly girl, they believe in hope, perhaps that's what we should do. Who knows maybe you will end up with them again".

The woman said "I doubt it, I'm fairly certain they already think that I'm dead and soon that will be true".

"Maybe not" Emma spotted a piece of metal wire wrapped around the spoon in her bowl keeping it together and come up with an idea. "Give me your spoon" she said unwinding the wire from hers.

When the woman gave Emma her spoon she unwrapped the wire from that spoon too. As Emma went to the cell door the woman asked "what are you...

"Shhh" Emma cut in starting to pick the lock "it's all about the tumblers".

The padlock on her cell door opened and as she was about to run out she looked at the woman again. "What are you waiting for? Go, get out of here, go".

The woman had told her earlier everyone in the dungeons was to be executed in the morning and she just couldn't leave her to die.

As the other ventured to the dungeons Red said "wait I smell two people coming".

They raised their weapons as Emma and the unnamed woman ran round the corner. Hook said "what are you doing? You're depriving me of a dashing rescue".

With her arms folded said "sorry, but the only person who rescues me is me".

Neal sheathed his cutlass "of course milady, how narrow-minded of me. I commend you on your courage and wit, of which will allow you to overcome any obstacle".

"Fancy" Emma commented "but speaking of me I won't be around much longer unless we find where this belongs" holding up the ring.

Prince Charming said" I think you'll find that belongs to me".

Giving him the ring Emma asked "do you have a way out of here"?

Red said "follow me, Snow told me where to meet her".

The woman walked past Emma and said "thank you Leia, I owe you my life".

Knowing no one could hear them Neal said "oh Emma, you di..."

Emma cut in "she was supposed to be executed in the morning, I couldn't just let her die".

Hook said "if she is suppose to die then she has to, things must happen as they always did".

Neal said "I agree but how about we escape now and worry about preserving the future later".

They ran along the corridors when suddenly Hook saw something out the window "uh... everyone".

As everyone ran over to him Emma asked "did you find Snow"?

Hook said "sort of" and pointed out the window.

When they looked they saw black knights pulling Snow White to a stake and they knew what for.

Emma cried "we have to get down there before it's too late".

Prince Charming replied "I don't think we can".

They watched as Regina formed a fireball and as she threw it igniting the stake everyone else could just watch on in horror. Emma buried her face in Neal chest and he held her tight.

Everyone paused in the woods the unnamed woman, Red and Prince Charming loaded the wagon to move on while Neal and Hook tried to comfort Emma. Neal kept his arm around her as she kept crying Hook came over and said "after the death of my brother I kept reliving that terrible moment, don't do that to yourself".

"Did you just watch your mother die" Emma said half crying half seething. "Don't tell me what to do".

Neal took his arm from around her to get his wallet out from his doublet and said "I know what will make you feel better".

Neal opened his wallet and pulled out a photo of their family and gave it to her. Emma smiled lovingly at the picture and said "this does help, us and the kids, the four of us, we're all together".

Then Emma looked as if something was off Neal asked "Emma, is something wrong"?

Emma said "in the picture, we're all together".

Neal asked "how is that bad"?

Emma replied "it isn't but how are we all there, me and the kids shouldn't be there, technically speaking this picture shouldn't even exist".

Neal started to realise what she was saying "because the moment Regina's fireball hit Snow White you should have popped out of existence and so should the kids".

Hook said "well then perhaps"...

Emma said "she's still alive, if Snow is out there we have to find her".

Neal mentioned "but she could be anywhere"?

"Cursed vermin" Hook yelled trying to swat a ladybird buzzing around.

Neal asked "hey Hook any suggestions on where to start looking for Snow"?

Continuing to try and swat the bug Hook suggested "we could head back to the Evil Queens castle, take a look around for clues. Perhaps it's a trick by Regina".

Emma shook her head "No, she'd kill Snow first chance she got so whatever happened Regina thinks Snow is dead". The ladybird landed on Emma's shoulder.

Hook said "stay still" he raised his hand to squash the ladybird.

Suddenly Prince Charming ran up crying "NO".

The Ladybird flew into Prince Charming's hand, Emma asked "what is it"?

Prince Charming replied "when we were on the way to rescue you Snow told me what her dust would do to the Queen, it would transform her into a form that could be easily squashed".

Neal said "of course".

Prince Charming said "if she timed it just right she could have escaped the fireball, faked her death and flown away". The bug kept buzzing "yeah that's her, she won't shut up".

Emma said "I think she's trying to say something".

Hook asked "anyone speak bug"?

The Blue Fairy arrived and said "she's calling for me".

"Blue" said Emma.

Confused the Blue Fairy said "and who are you? I know everyone, but not you, you're a mystery".

Neal said "you can trust her Rhelm Ghorm".

The Blue Fairy said "I'm sorry your plan didn't work".

Neal replied "it's not your fault, it's his, but please turn Snow back".

The Blue Fairy said "dark magic did this to her, light magic can undo it" With a wave of her wand Snow White transformed back.

"Snow, you're alive" Emma cried and hugged her.

When she looked at Snow who looked at her confused, "It would appear so, thank you".

Red called "Snow" and Snow went to hug her, Emma could see it, she was a stranger to her, and Prince Charming. They've looked through her and she felt hurt her inside.

Neal said "now it's mission accomplished".

Emma said "not yet, he still needs to see his mother's ring on her finger, he said it was the moment he knew there was no unnamed woman he could ever love".

Later in the morning the Trio watched as Snow White and Prince Charming talked after Red left. Neal mentioned "they were arguing earlier".

Emma noticed "and now they're warming up to each other, this is good".

Neal said "if we leave them to they own devices they could get back on track themselves".

Hook said "but we do have a new problem"?

Neal asked "and what is that"?

Hook looked over at the unnamed woman and Emma said "I had to save her".

Hook replied "I'm sure you did a noble thing but she's supposed to be dead. Her living could unforeseen consequences in the future".

Emma replied "she's just a poor innocent woman".

Neal said "I'm sure she is but Hook is right, she might be innocent now but there are millions of ways things could go wrong".

Hook suggested "she could have a child who grows into a mass murderer".

Emma asked "how far into the past do we think we are, unless this theoretic child is Michael Myers I don't think we need to worry about her ... three year old".

Hook asked "Michael who"?

Emma said "it doesn't matter, we don't need to worry about a child".

Hook said "well what if she gets tipsy one night and drives her horse into one of the seven dwarves and there's only six of them. Anything could happen, she doesn't belong here".

Emma had an idea "maybe, but I know where she could which wouldn't affect the timeline".

Neal asked "where is that"?

Emma answered "with us, we'll take her back with us to the future".

Neal said "as usual you're right".

They went up to the woman and Emma said "we need to confess something to you".

The unnamed woman asked "your name isn't Leia I think the Blue Fairy confirmed that"?

Neal said "actually what we need to confess is that, we're not from here, I'm not certain how far but it's over twenty eight years in the future".

Emma added "and you need to come with us".

The unnamed woman asked "to the future"?

Emma said "you can't stay, you were supposed to die hours ago"

The unnamed woman answered "I don't understand I just want to get back to my family".

Hook told her "they need to believe you're dead because that's what they've always believed".

Emma added "trust us".

The unnamed woman replied "I appreciate you saving me but I don't trust you, nor believe you" taking no notice of Emma going behind her and continued "so unless you're kidnapping me I'm going to go find my family".

Emma picked up a think stick and hit the woman over the head with it and said "then I guess we're kidnapping you" as Hook gently lay her on the ground.

Hook chuckled and said "I always knew there was a little pirate in you Emma".

Neal asked "hitting her over the head, really"?

Emma said "she wasn't co-operating and desperate times call for desperate measures".

Prince Charming came over and asked "what happened to her"?

They all said simultaneously "sleeping" Emma continued "she needed to rest after the events of last night, so what's up"?

Prince Charming asked "have you seen Snow".

"No" they replied.

Prince Charming said "she went to the stream to"... It suddenly dawned on him what might have happened to her and checked his jacket to find the pouch with his ring gone "my ring, she took it".

Concealing a smile Emma asked "really? Do you know where she may be headed"?

Prince Charming answered "she was seeking passage on a pirate ship, there's one way to the harbour from here, the troll bridge".

As he took off Emma groaned "oh no".

Hook said "wait, isn't that where your mother saved your father from the trolls".

Neal mentioned "you can't this time unless she has an extra supply of dark fairy dust".

Emma said "she used the dark fairy dust to save him by turning the troll in cockroaches".

Hook said "but she's already used it on herself".

They ran to the troll bridge and ran into Snow running from the troll bridge. Emma asked "Snow, where's Charming"?

"Well he" she turned around and said "I thought he was right behind me, oh no he must still be there". They ran back to the Troll bridge and saw the trolls holding him down with a troll about the cut his head off with a sword. The troll said "royal blood is the sweetest of all".

Emma said "too bad his blood isn't royal, he's the son of a shepherd, he's only been a prince for a week or two taking the place of his brother who was adopted by King George".

Charming asked "how do you know that"?

Emma replied "if I told you. You'd never believe me".

The troll holding Charming's sword said "shepherds blood is better than none at all".

Emma said "really" without turning around she said "Hook, your sword please".

Hook replied "I don't think"...

Emma yelled "SWORD".

At the sound of Emma's tone he handed it over and she said to the trolls "drop the sword and release him".

The troll did something resembling laughing and Emma charged. If anyone could making sword fighting look graceful it was Emma. She was doing well until one of the other trolls knocked her onto the ground. The troll grabbed her and held Hook sword to her neck, Emma tried to get free but the troll was too strong.

Snow ran up with Hook and Neal behind her. She said "my turn, release them or I'll turn you all into bugs". She held out her hand "dark fairy dust, so release them or I'll be peeling you all off the bottom of my boot".

Neal muttered "oh, so she did have extra".

Snow White looked like she was about to throw it when the trolls let go them and dropped the swords. One of them said "we don't want any trouble".

Snow White said "good, now give me a reason to forget any of this ever happened". The trolls left some good coins on the bridge wall and then they all climbed down.

Neal rushed over to help Emma up "are you okay"?

Rubbing the side where she was knocked over Emma replied "I'll be fine Neal" Then she turned to Snow White "thank you"

Prince Charming added "I thank you too, you saved us".

Snow White said "it seemed like the honourable thing to do".

Prince Charming asked "but how, I thought you already used the dark fairy dust".

Snow White poured what was in her hand on the floor "sand, Trolls aren't exactly known for their cleverness. But we should go in case they come back" Hook grabbed his sword and Charming grabbed the money as they left.

They were down the road from Midas's castle when Prince Charming said "you probably want this" giving Snow White the money".

"Oh yes" she said "and you can't get married without this" giving him his pouch back.

He checked it to make sure his ring was there and pulled it out, he looked at Snow White. "Let me guess, not your style".

Snow White took it and said "there's only one way to find out".

As she put it on Emma whispered "finally".

Snow White said "no, not my style" she gave it back to Prince Charming and added "but I bet your finance will love it".

Prince Charming said "be careful wherever you're going and if you need anything".

Snow White said "you'll find me"

He replied "always". He turned to Hook, Emma and Neal "so what's next for you three".

Neal said "well we just finished what we came here to do so we'll be headed back now".

Prince Charming said "well good bye, you be careful as well, tell your friend I said good bye too".

Snow White and Prince Charming started leaving Hook said worriedly "they're headed away from each other".

Emma said "it's ok, that's how it happened the first time". Checking the book they saw everything had gone back to normal.

They went to the dark castle Emma came in saying "we did it".

Rumplstilskin was clearly working on something at the table littered with ingredients and replied "your parents are together".

Emma said "yeah, back on track, the book's restored the story, we're ready to go".

Seeing Hook with a young woman over his shoulder Rumplstilskin mentioned "and you brought luggage".

Emma said "long story, can you open our portal".

Rumplstilskin said "first I believe you should hold up your end of the deal. Complete your story about my son".

Neal cleared his voice "at first life looked hard for young Baelfire. One day he climbed through an open window and saw three loaves of bread. He stuffed a handful in his mouth and then started stuffing his pocket. A young girl found him but when she saw he was just hungry she offered him all he wanted. She let him stay in the house and when her parents found it they actually accepted him as a part of the family. He had his adventures and grew up to have a family of his own and lived happily ever after"

Rumplstilskin asked "does he forgive me"?

Neal replied "not at first but when he realised how hard you were trying he did".

Emma asked "so can you open our portal"?

Rumplstilskin answered "I cannot".

Emma asked "then what are you working on"?

Rumplstilskin answered "this is for me, I forgetting potion".

Neal asked "then what was the point of me telling you the story".

Rumplstilskin replied "all debts must be paid, but I know too much about my future, the only way to protect it is to forget it".

Neal asked "is the wand you said could recreate any magic ever wielded broken"?

Rumplstilskin replied "well, turns out only the one to use the magic and reopen it". He threw the wand to Emma "unless any of you can wield magic your going nowhere, can you"? Emma shook the wand "didn't think so".

Neal said "so we're stuck here, you're the great and powerful dark one and you're telling me you can't find a loophole".

Rumplstilskin said "the only thing I could do was give you enough magic to use it but with it being my magic it wouldn't work. It's out of my hands".

Hook asked "but what about protecting your precious future".

Rumplstilskin replied "I intend to".

Hook took out his sword and declared "he means to kill us".

Rumplstilskin said "oh no I'm just going to put you somewhere where it's like you don't even exist, somewhere I don't even dare go where I store the magic too dark or unpredictable even for me".

They suddenly found themselves in a dark room in their original clothes. Hook put the unnamed woman on a table and looked in a mirror "well at least he did us one favour, I'm devilishly handsome again". Looking around their surroundings Neal commented "how long has he been collecting this stuff"?

They looked around and Hook found an urn in a cabinet. Emma cried "don't touch anything, if Rumples afraid of this stuff there has to be a reason".

Hook said "I'm just trying to find a way out

Emma said "I don't think there is one".

Hook said "there is one way, the wand"

Emma replied "you heard him, we can't re-open the portal".

Hook said "but you can, all he said is we need magic you're the saviour, you have magic".

Emma reminded him "not anymore I lost it".

Hook said "when Zelena died all her spells were broken, your powers should have been restored".

Emma asked "if I could make it work I would, you think I'm thinking I'm faking it"?

Neal said "maybe not faking, but maybe there's another reason you can't use magic".

Emma asked "any idea what reason that might be"?

Neal answered "I think it's like how you couldn't see August's wooden leg before you broke the curse. You can't see what you don't believe in and you can't use powers you don't want".

Emma said "of course I want to open portal".

Hook said "but not having magic does make it easier to run back to New York and pretend to be someone else. Well guess what? You're not".

Neal added "you are Emma Swan-Cassidy, the orphan who found her parents, the princess who never needed a throne for confidence, the wife who's never afraid to speak her mind, the mother who will always fight tooth and nail for her children, the saviour who... does what? Runs away".

Tears were escaping Emma's eyes "yes I run away that's how I've always survived but believe me I want this to work, I want to go back, I want to stop running".

Hook asked "What changed in two days"?

Emma said "Watching my mother die, believing she was dead, you saw what happened, I was so relieved when she okay, I hugged her, but when I looked in her eyes I saw nothing she had no idea who I was. I saved her and lost her".

Neal said "well you haven't been born yet you know back in our time she loves you".

Emma said "but Neal I was so hurt and then realised that's what I've been doing to her since I met her. I call them David and Mary-Margaret, I only called them mom and dad once when I thought we were all going to die. It has to stop. When Henry brought us to Storybrooke he told me I was saviour. I didn't see what he was really doing, he didn't bring me to Storybrooke to break the curse, he was bringing me home",

Excitedly Neal asked "are you saying what I think you're saying"?

Emma said "home and I quote Neal is a place that when you leave you just miss it. Being with my parents but not really being with them I've never missed them more. Storybrooke is our home".

Hook said "look" Emma noticed the wand was glowing "I'd say you have your magic back".

Neal said "admitting the part of you that has magic got it back".

Hook said "so shall we". Emma smiled and reopened the portal "I knew you could do it. He took the unnamed woman and jumped through. Neal offered his hand "ready to get back to our family".

Emma took it and they jumped through.

The moment they got back the unnamed woman came too. Emma said "Hook, do me a favour fill her in and make sure she doesn't freak out".

Hook asked "where are you going"?

Emma said "I have people to see".

As she started running off Hook called "who"?

Neal asked "who do you think"? and ran off too.

When they got back to the diner everything was just how they left it. She ran up and hugged her parents. David asked "are you okay? When you didn't answer your phone we were worried".

Emma said "I'm totally fine, I'm finally home where I belong".

Mary-Margaret asked "so you're not leaving".

Emma said "I'm not going anywhere"?

Henry asked excitedly "so we're staying here in Storybrooke"?

Tally added "and we can buy that pretty house Henry found"?

Neal said "yes and we'll see about the house".

Emma put an arm around each of her children and said "we're definitely staying in Storybrooke, this is where our family is". She turned back to her parents "Mom, Dad, I missed you" and she hugged them.

Emma and Neal showed them their story in the book. Mary-Margaret asked "you're Princess Leia"?

Henry added "cool alias".

Emma replied "I was in a pinch".

Neal said "coming up with a name on the spot is no easy feat, especially for a man who has a golden castle".

David said "well, there you go, you'll officially one of us, a fairytale prince and princess at last".

Emma said "and as my first princessy request I would like to know the name of the baby".

Neal said "oh yes, what did you decide in the end"?

"Right that" David said, he as he got his mug "excuse me, can I have everyone's attention please" With everyone's attention on him he announced "this coronation ceremony is something we've looked forward to for a long time. It's a cause of great celebration for our family and we hope you can join in it as we name him after a friend to all of us. Someone who may not seem to do much but recently showed great courage in risking his life and reputation to save us and our son".

Mary-Margaret said "people of Storybrooke it is our great honour to introduce our son Prince Neal".

As everyone applauded Neal said "I'm honoured, I truly am, thank you".

Emma put a finger in baby Neal's hand "hello Neal, I'm your big sister Emma.

The Swan-Cassidy's had to leave for a while having been asked to be witnesses as family to Mr Gold and Belle's wedding. They saw Hook sitting outside when they got back. Emma said "Hi Hook, how is... she?

Hook said "she's inside, Granny's providing her with a good meal".

Neal said "thanks for all your help".

Hook replied "you're welcome, and I hear congratulations are in order. They must think very highly of you to name the baby after you".

Emma said "but there's been something bugging me lately. When the curse hit everyone was sent here but not you, how did you get here".

Hook said "I knew the curse was coming so I ditched my crew and took the Jolly Roger as fast and as far as I could to outrun it".

Henry asked "you outran a curse".

Hook said "I'm quite an exceptional captain. Once I was outside the curses range I knew the walls were down, transport between the worlds was possible again. All I needed was a bean".

Neal asked "Regina destroyed the bean fields here and Anton said the giants destroyed all the beans they'd harvested years ago when James attacked them. How did you get a magic bean"?

Hook answered "clearly there was still some and you can get them if you know who to go to and have something of value to trade for it".

Neal asked "so what was it? The lost treasure of something or other"?

Hook answered "no, the most valuable thing I own, the Jolly Roger".

Emma said "you traded your ship for me".

Hook replied "aye".

Emma said "I don't know what to say".

Hook asked "what is there to say"?

Emma said "thank you".

Hook decided to try his luck "there might not be anything to say but maybe I am deserving of a reward".

Neal asked "what sort of reward"?

Hook smiled flirtingly but even Tally understood what he wanted. Tally said "you want what mommy gave you when you saved Grandpa David".

Hook said "clever girl".

Neal said "you never give up do you"?

Hook replied "you have her for a lifetime, can't I have a moment or two with her".

Neal was about to say something when Emma put a hand on Neal's chest and went over to Hook. As Hook got ready to kiss Emma she gave a small peck on the cheek.

The unnamed woman had eaten what Granny gave her and Emma and Neal came to have a drink with her while Henry and Tally went back to see the baby. Suddenly Regina came in "the Evil Queen.

Emma said "oh no, she's changed, she's not the same person now".

Neal added "you would not believe the number of good deeds she's done lately".

Emma said "stay here" and she got up and went over to Regina "Regina, I should tell you I brought a woman back from the past and she still thinks of you as the..."

"Evil Queen" Regina finished.

Emma continued "I feel if she got to know you she'd change her mind, so I'm going to bring her over".

Regina nodded her head "right".

Regina put on her best innocent smile as Emma lead over the wary woman "Regina, this is..." that's when Emma realised the woman still hadn't told her, her name.

She didn't need to "Marian" said Robin

"Robin" said Marian

Neal had to look away grimacing, a family reunited would have been a beautiful sight to behold, but Regina was starting to happily become like a member of their family.

Regina looked at Emma "you did this".

Emma replied "I just wanted to save her life".

Regina angrily said "you're just like your mother, never thinking of consequences, well you better hope you didn't bring anything else back with you.

Emma hadn't and no one had noticed but when the portal opened the urn Hook had found got pulled through. Back in the barn the lid of the urn came open and pulpy substance splashed out. They came together to make the form of a woman who destroyed the urn the moment she was fully restored. As she left the barn she left a trail of frost behind her.

That's it for S3

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

I will return in the new year but I make no promises to upload as quick as usual