Chapter 37

Our Return

We followed the men, Aurora and Snow talking in the background I smiled, as I saw Henry and Killian getting along. All I thought about what we were going to do once we returned to Storybrooke. How much it must've changed since I left. I was tired, and was longing for a long bubble bath.

"Hey, are you happy that you will be returning home?" Mulan asked. I smiled, shortly. "Yes, I guess." I replied. "You guess?" She asked. I smiled. "I guess…I don't know." I replied. "There's someone I don't want to really see once we get there." I said.

"Who?" Mulan asked.

I sighed. I didn't know why, but I was compelled on answering. Telling her the whole truth. "If I tell you, would you promise…no, swear not to tell Killian." I replied.

"Alright." She said.

"My ex has been haunting me in my dreams, I don't know why. But there's something, creepy…almost scary about him. He's becoming more and more familiar. It's scaring me, and I have a fear that he's going to be there when we return." I replied. "I don't want him showing up there."

"Well, maybe you should tell someone." Mulan replied.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"You should tell someone, let the stress out." She replied. We trudged on, and my stomach growled in hunger. "Maybe I don't want to burden others," I replied, but Mulan wouldn't let me finish. She placed a hand out.

"Have you really even tried, Emma?" Mulan asked.

"Mulan," I protested.

"Emma, more people would help you if you would just open yourself up." Mulan explained.

"And if I opened myself, I would be left more vulnerable, now wouldn't I?" I asked.

"It doesn't automatically mean that, Emma." Mulan replied.

Just then, I saw him. He was hidden beneath the bushes, eyeing me down. "Mulan," I whispered, pausing in my steps.

"What is it?" She asked, stopping beside me. "See that?" I asked, pointing. "Emma," Mary Margaret replied. The whole group stopped, staring at me. "Who's that?" Mulan asked. "That's the guy." I replied.

"The one that took you?" Mulan asked. I nodded.

He then walked over to us, obviously not afraid. "You, you thought you were so sneaky didn't you." He spat. I shook my head. "I escaped from a mad hatter's house before, and he was pretty…up there, I can escape from poorly tightened rope. It was almost like you were saying…go ahead, you can go." I replied.

The man frowned. "My boss is not pleased." He replied.

"Who cares about your boss." Mulan said. "Emma, who's this?" Killian asked. "My captor." I answered.

It didn't take Killian another word, for him to charge straight for him. They fought, David joining him. I tried to hide Henry as best as I could. Flinching as I saw, Killian's sword pierce through his skin. They quickly returned to us.

"What was the purpose of that?" I asked.

"Giving him a message." Both, David and Killian, replied.

We continued our journey until we reached the place where Mary Margaret and I entered. "This is where we're going to return?" Mary Margaret asked. "This is how we came." David replied.

"Jefferson, we're ready!" David shouted. We turned to Aurora and Mulan. "I guess this is goodbye." I replied. Mulan and Aurora smiled. "Yes, I think it is." She said . "Good bye." Mary Margaret replied, as she hugged each one of them.

I hugged them, also. The wind began to change, and I turned to face the men, who was a facing a whole tornado-like wind. "C'mon, Mary Margaret let's go home!" I replied, with a smile. We all took each other's hands and jumped into the wind looking forward to returning home.

###TO BE CONTINUED###