Missing Year

Unforgiven

The next few days, Emma was exhausted since she and Killian were up most of the days tending to sick Hope. Hope was sitting up in her crib crying. "Little duckling." She scooped Hope into her arms. "Mommy is here." She was pacing around Hope's nursery letting Killian sleep.
"Mama." She gripped her Mommy's pajama shirt.
"Mommy is here, Hope. I am not going anywhere, little duckling. "Hush Now, Don't be scared, Through this tide of darkness. Shadows may march, Thunders may roar,But peace will soon prevail. Through our land, This sacred land, Nightmares sprite confusion, But stand your ground, Until you've found, The strength to light your way." She kisses Hope on the head and laid her cheek onto her daughter's head. Hope coos. "Yes, we are having Mommy and Hope time, little duck." She takes Hope to the living room and sits on the couch. Hope was looking up at her Mommy. Emma had an idea, "Once upon a time, there was a long lost princess of the Enchanted Forest who was put into a magic tree and transported her to another realm..."
"Mama."
"That is right Hope, Mama was the long-lost princess of the Enchanted forest." She continues to tell Hope the story.
Killian wakes up seeing Emma exhausted. "Emma, I got our little love."
Emma yawns. "We have to go back to work today."
"Aye, yes we do. That is why the sheriff needs to sleep."
Emma gives Hope to Killian and kisses him on the cheek. "I do need a few more hours of sleep." Emma goes back into her room and fell back to sleep.
After the family walked Henry to the bus stop, Emma and Killian went to the sheriff's station. They went on patrol trying to figure out what Cruella and Ursula were up too. Emma and Killian were walking into Granny's after a long morning of searching, catching up on work she had missed on when she was in the hospital with Hope. Emma was carrying Hope in her carrier, Cruella and Ursula are passing by them. Ursula gave Killian a look. Emma held his hand. "Killian, you will help her." Hope babbles. Emma sees her Dad rushing out of Granny's.
"Emma, glad that you are here. We need to go."
"Now? We just got here. I have been dying for a grilled cheese sandwich all day."
"It has to wait. Our... new friends are up to something. We have to follow them."
"Okay. Duty calls." Emma places Hope into her Daddy's arms. "Hope, be a good girl for your Daddy. Mommy will be back."
"Swan, I got our little love." He takes the diaper bag from his swan. Emma and her Dad go into her yellow bug to follow Cruella and Ursula. "Hope, it is time for Daddy and Hope time." Hope babbles. "Aye, I know where we should go." Killian takes Hope to the docks. Hope babbles. "Yes, we are by the ocean, little love." He sets Hope on his lap, she was chewing on her pacifier and holding her blankie. "Do you think we will find the Jolly Roger soon?" Hope looks up at her Daddy with her matching ocean blue eyes. "I think so too. When Dada was a mean pirate, all he thought was about his revenge on the Crocodile. From dada's selfishness, I ruined Ursula's life. That is why I always want you to be a good little pirate princess." Hope babbles. "Yes, Mommy and Dada will be teaching you how to be a good person because of Dada and Mommy are good people with hard childhoods." Hope grabs her Daddy's hook. "Once I find our second home, I am going to give you a tour of the Jolly Roger." Hope babbles. "Aye, of course, I will teach you how to sail. You are part pirate." Killian kisses Hope on the head. Hope babbles. "I am a good pirate?" Hope chews on her Daddy's hook. He stands by the dock holding Hope who was cooing. "Yes, you are happy that we are by the ocean."
Emma parked her yellow bug across Gold's shop where Cruella's car infront of. Emma still wondering why her parents are so against the newest villains. "I get you are not a fan of Cruella and Ursula. Am I missing something? Did you and Mom meet them in the Enchanted Forest?"
"Your mother and I had some run-ins with them..." Emma gave him a look. "Emma?"
"I just feel that you are leaving stuff out. Are you?"
"Wait..." They see Cruella and Ursula leaving Gold's shop and into Cruella's car. Emma turns on the engine of her yellow bug and siren on. "We have to find out what they took from the shop." They follow them to the woods.
Emma calls Belle. "Hi, Belle."
"Hi, Emma."
"I am wondering if there is anything missing in the shop?"
"Let me check...I knew Ursula and Cruella came in here for something." Belle checked in the back. "Emma, a box is missing from the back."
"Okay, I will find it. David and I are tailgating them." Emma ends the phone conversation. "Belle said a box from the back is missing."
Emma stops the car when Cruella pulled over. "I will see what they have." David went to the car and searched. In the back of the truck, he found a box, with a purple rattle. He cannot tell Emma what he has found. Emma waits out of her yellow bug.
"Did you find anything?"
"The car is clean."
"Weird. Maybe Belle misplaced that box?"
Charming sighs."Maybe there is speculation?"
Ursula looks at Emma, "All good?"
"Yes, you two can go. Sorry."
"Well, it would be nice of one of the Charming is living up to their family name." Ursula and Cruella return to their car.
"Maybe we should go back to the sheriff's station? We can watch the security footage of Gold's shop."
"Can you drop me off at the loft on the way there?"
Emma knows something was going on with her Dad, he was keeping something from her. "Dad?" The engine ran. "Are you sure everything is okay..?"
"Emma...of course. Let's go." Emma returns to the driver's seat and drove her father back into town wondering what is he lying.
Killian returns into town, Hope was napping in her carrier. He went to Granny's. "Hi, Killian, what can I get for you?"
"A grilled cheese and onion rings for Emma."
"Coming right up." She puts the order in and returns to Killian. "How is Hope? She had a fever when I watched her a few days ago."
"Aye, she ended up having croup and still has it. She is on antibiotics and very uncomfortable. She barely sleeps most of the night..." Hope wakes up crying. "Little love." He takes Hope out of her carrier. She was moving around. "You want to move around?" Hope coughs.
"Hi, Hope." Hope fusses. "Killian, I think she is starting to want to crawl."
"Aye, I do need to baby proof the house, the gates on the staircase." He puts Hope on the booth seat. Hope was on her tummy moving her legs around. "She was in the carrier for a while. She just needs to move around."
"Pretty soon, she will be crawling and walking around everywhere."
"When she starts to walk, Emma and I will be in trouble." Hope coughs. Killian puts Hope on his lap and gave her water in a bottle. "Drink up, little pirate princess." He kisses her on the head. Granny sees Killian being a great father to Hope.
Emma returns to her office after dropping off her Dad at the sheriff's station. She takes off her gray coat and watched security videos from Gold's shop on her computer. Killian arrives, "Hope, we are going to surprise Mommy with her lunch." He enters the office. "Delivery!" Emma turns around and smiles seeing Killian and Hope at her office. "Swan, I have your lunch."
"Thank you." She kissed him on the lips. "I am starving." Hope babbles. "Hi, baby girl!" She takes Hope from the carrier and hugs her daughter. "How was our little pirate?" She sat on her chair hugging her daughter.
"She is still coughing. I took her to the docks for some fresh air. We went home for a little bit. On the way back here, we went to granny's."
"Grilled cheese and fries?"
"Onion rings."
"Good, I was testing you."
"We have been together for over a year. I know what my swan loves to eat." They kiss. Hope coughs.
"I gave her medicine already. How was working with your Dad?"
Emma sighs. "My Dad was holding something back. Just like Mary Margaret. They are hiding something from me. I asked him, he would not tell me."
"I do not know why they are lying to you. I just know they are keeping something from you."
"Something about with Cruella and Ursula in the Enchanted Forest for sure." Hope was chewing on her Mommy's finger. Emma giggles. "Hope." She kisses Hope on the head. "You are a great distraction from my research on videos, little sheriff."
"Swan, I should take Hope out of our office so you can eat and do your research on the computer."
"Hope can stay with me." Hope babbles. "You want to stay with Mommy and help her with her the security videos?" Hope makes poop.
"Swan, I can change her." Killian takes Hope from Emma who was crying.
"Mama.
"We are just going to the bathroom, little love. We are coming back to Mommy." Emma smiles hearing Hope calling her name and wanted to be with her. She continues to do her work. Killian changes Hope's diaper. "There, there, little love. You are all clean." He holds Hope in his arms and takes her to his desk.
Emma was watching closely at the security cameras at Gold's shop closely, until she finds Ursula's tentacle stealing a brown box, that Belle described. "Killian!"
Killian carrying Hope to the room. "What is it, Emma?"
"I found proof Ursula and Cruella took something from Gold's shop."
"That is my swan!"
Emma smiles. "Let's go find my parents." They went into town Emma was holding her daughter, they find her parents loading their truck. Killian takes Hope from Emma. She goes to her parents. "Hey, where are you guys headed?"
"Emma..."
"What are you doing here?"
Emma looks at her Dad. "I found something on the security cameras.." She shows them her iPhone a video. "Look. Looks like Belle was right. I think that the box was missing. This is enough to drag them into the station."
"Let's not jump the gun. We do not even know who that is."
Emma was annoyed at her Dad."Wait. What? Two hours ago, you two were so anxious about these two demons, you would not let me eat lunch. Now..."
Snow White, "We are going for a hike..." Killian was watching Emma's parents lying to her. "We got Ashley to babysit Leo."
"So, now the crisis does not matter. What the hell is going on today?"
"Emma, your mother and I realized that we need to take a step back from the crusade. The truth is we have been going at this all wrong."
"We know those women back in the Enchanted Forest, and ever since they came into this town we treated exactly the same.."
"We chose to see the worse in them. If they want to have a shot in redeeming themselves. We have to choose to see the best. "
Emma knew her parents were lying to them,"Are you guys really going on a hike?"
"I know it is hard to believe that we backed off Cruella and Ursula. Your mother and I chose to see the best in them. "
"Well, if you need me, I will be at the station."
Killian carried Hope to Emma as she watched her parents drove off. "Emma, I can see why you are annoyed at your parents. They are still lying to you."
"They just lied to my face."
"Mama."
Emma smiles as she takes Hope from her husband. "Hope, you make me so happy. I will never lie to you as your grandparents have been lying to me nonstop lately."
"Let's go back to the sheriff's station. We can let Hope play."
Killian puts his arm around his swan as they walked to the sheriff's station. "I am not going to lie to you, or Hope or Henry."
"I do not like lies. I know when people are lying. I am not going to lie to our children." Emma gets a phone call. "Hi, Regina."
"Hi, Emma. I need your help at my office."
"I am on way." She ends the phone conversation. "Regina needs me at her office."
"Hope and I will tag along."
The family arrives at Regina's office seeing her getting mad at Pinocchio. Marco and Henry were watching. "You wore a leather jacket, rode a motorcycle..."
Emma gives Hope to Killian. "Regina?"
"Emma, where the hell have you been?"
"I have been on witch watch. I got your call on the way back to the station. Why did you call?"
"I am helping Henry finding the author. Pinnochio cannot remember anything. I figured you and August spent so much time together, his memories will come back?"
"Yeah. I will give it a shot." Emma looks at Killian and Hope. Killian walked into the office. Henry goes to his sister and Dad. Emma sits on the couch next to Pinocchio. "Hey, come here." She holds the book. "Do you remember me right?"
"Yes, Henry and Hope's Mom and the sheriff."
Emma smiles. "But you know back when..." She looks at Killian and Regina. "Back when you were old-older, we were friends." She smiles remembering how August was trying to help her believe. "You were a really smart grown-up, so smart. You took out a section and added a story into the book, and then, put it back together. Do you remember doing that? Or anything else about the book?"
Pinocchio looked around at the adults and Henry."I know everyone wants me to remember but I just don't. "
Regina was mad."You went to Phuket, you rode a motorcycle, you wore leather.. "
"Regina.."
"He is not trying hard enough..." She faces him. "All you need to do is concentrate. And think!! If you were still made out of wood.." Hope began crying.
Marco was getting at Regina yelling at his boy."I won't have you speak that way to my boy! "
Regina faces Marco."Maybe what your boy needs is motivation?" She started a fire flame.
"Regina, that is enough. Let's go down to the vending machine to get a snack?" She looks at her husband. "Henry, come on." Emma takes Hope from Killian and leads the two boys and her husband out of the office. "Shh..shh...You are with Mommy, little duckling. Regina being mean is over."
Killian and Henry walk with Pinnochio. "Pinocchio, I was thinking, we need to play more video games at my house. You against me?"
"What about Killian?"
Killian smiles."Aye, lad, it can be me against you two."
"Yes! We are going to beat you." Emma chuckles, her husband is still a young boy at heart and wants to play with the lads. They found the closest vending machine, Emma gave Henry and Pinnochio spare change to use for the machine. Pinnochio got a chocolate bar and Henry got a pop tart.
"Swan, do you want anything? I do have change to spare."
"I do want a chocolate bar?"
"Aye, one chocolate bar for my swan." He gets Emma a chocolate bar from the machine.
"Hi, Hope. It is me Pinnochio." Hope babbles and coughs. "Can I hold her Emma?"
"She is sick. I do not want you to get sick. You can hold her when you come over."
"Okay!" Marco returns. "Papa, Emma said I can play video games with Henry and Killian when Hope is feeling better."
"Yes, you can when Emma says you can come over, my boy."
"Marco we would love to have Pinocchio over. Hope is sick. We do not want Aug- Pinocchio to catch it."
"I appreciate that you came. Regina can be a bully."
"Aye, her majesty is hard on a lot of people." Hope fusses. Henry holds his sister wrapped in her blankie.
"Emma, I am sorry, I could not remember."
Emma faces her old friend. "That is okay, Pinnochio. I am happy you told us the truth." Emma hugs Pinocchio. "Thank you for the treat."
"You are welcome, Pinnochio." Marco and Pinnochio left.
Killian hugs Emma. "My swan is a great friend."
She kisses him on the cheek. "Thank you." Hope fusses. "Henry, give me your sister."
"Hopey, you are with Mommy, baby sis." He gives his sister to their Mom. The family walked to the sheriff's station together. Emma sat on the couch exhausted. Killian puts Hope on the floor.
"Lad, Hope wants to play."
"I will get her toys."
"Swan, Granny thinks Hope will being to crawl soon."
Emma faces her daughter. "Hope, are you going to crawl?" Hope babbles as she chews on her duckling doll. She kisses Hope on the cheek.
Henry returns with baby toys. "Mom, it is time for H&H time." Hope babbles. "Mommy and Daddy are staying. We are going to play."
"Be careful, kid. She just learned to sit up."
"I will be careful." Hope swiped a toy from her brother's hand. Henry gives his sister a surprising look.
Killian smiles. "Hope is showing her pirate side already!!"
"You little pirate." He tickles his sister making her laugh. Emma hugs Killian watching their children play.
Emma noticed something was wrong with her husband from the look on his face."Killian, are you okay?" She held his hook.
"I am just...I do not know how to help Ursula."
"You have me to help you. I know you are not lying to me like my parents have been. I doubted them. I have a tendency to people letting me down people in my childhood growing up in the foster system."
"I never intend to let you down, Emma. You or our family."
"I know, I know whatever you have done to that sea witch, you can tell me the whole story on our own time. I just know whatever you did you can fix it, with me on your side. I am going to do what my parents do, I choose to see the best in you. You told me the truth right away."
"And I with you. I told you the truth because I trust you, Emma. You are my wife."
"You are my husband." They kiss. They heard movement, Emma sees her parents. "Dad, Mary Margaret..."
"Sorry, we just...did not want to interrupt."
"So you awkwardly stood there and watched?" Hope was laughing at Henry. "Next time interrupt."
Charming, "I am afraid we have bad news. It turns out, Cruella and Ursula resurrected Maleficent." Henry stops playing with Hope and listens.
"They resurrected Maleficient. The one I slayed in the clocktower? She is back?"
"Aye, the dragon."
"She is back to her old self now."
"Your father is trying to say is that Maleficient is in town, no one is safe."
"I do not get it. Why are these witches going against war with us?"
Snow White, "Because they are villains and we are heroes." Hope babbles gripping onto her brother's shoelace, wanting to play.
Henry sits back down. "Little sis, you want to play." Hope screams and goes into a coughing fit.
Emma scooped Hope into her arms and pats her back, know Hope needs her attention. "Killian,we need to take Hope home, now. She needs her nebulizer treatment. Dad, we will talk about all of this later. We have to take Hope home." Henry quickly cleans up, Emma rushes Hope home, by running. Killian reaches to their home first and sets up the nebulizer treatment machine. Emma sets Hope on her lap and puts the mask on. Hope fusses. "You need it, sweetie."
"The medicine will help you breathe, little love."
Henry turns on the television for Mickey Mouse Clubhouse which his sister loves. "That is Mickey Mouse!" Hope babbles. "Oh, you like Pluto." Henry goes upstairs to get her Pluto doll. He returns with her doll. "Hope, look Pluto." Hope stops crying.
Emma looks at Killian, "We need to make sure Hope gets her medicine. I hate seeing her coughing like that."
"We got her here on time for her medicine."
"Next time, I will put the nebulizer machine in her diaper bag."
"Aye, I can carry it easily in the diaper bag."
Emma sighs in relief, her daughter is okay and has a plan for the next time they go out. "That is a good plan, captain. With this war with villains...I just know my parents are behind this war somehow."
"We will figure it out love, together. Whatever it is, we are going to get through this together."
"That is why we are team Jones."
"Aye, we are team Jones." They kiss knowing they will get through the villains in town and protect their family together.