Once Upon a Dream:

Page 95: Henry!?!

Twenty-eight years ago.

The Enchanted Forest.

Regina rode to the Charming's castle to witness her victory. But first, she visited an old friend in the jail cell. 

"I'm waiting!" Rumpelstiltskin said as he held onto the bars. Regina used her magic, appearing in a purple cloud. "What took you so long, dearie?" Rumple smirked at her while holding onto the bar.

"You know what took so long," Regina said, turning around to the Dark One.

"Oh, yes, the curse. You did it."

"That's right. I did it." Regina said, walking closer to the cell. "And I wanted you to know it. Before you, like all the pathetic denizens of this wretched land, forgets everything." Regina smirked at him.

"How did it feel?" Rumple asked her.

"Watching the curse cloud form? Felt like victory." Regina smiled wickedly. 

"No. How did it feel to kill the thing you love most? Ripping the heart out of your father. How did that feel?" Rumple asked her with a big smile on his face. 

"It was the price of the curse. How it felt doesn't matter. He would've understood." Regina said as Rumple moved down the cell, causing her to follow him. "I took my life back. I had to. I won." Regina smirked at him.

"And yet, here you are, feeling the need to gloat. Something's missing, isn't it, dearie?"

"Not at all. I have everything I want. Nothing can stop me now."

Rumple giggled, smirking at her. "Not quite." He laughed at her since he could see the future. 

"What does that mean?" Regina asked, moving away from the cell bars. 

"The Savior! The child of Snow White and Prince Charming. She can stop you. She can break the curse." He smirked at her.

"Well, it looks like getting rid of a baby just made my to-do list."

"Of course, it did. But even if you succeed with that, you have an even bigger problem. Now there's a hole in your heart. And someday, you will come to me to fill it. Maybe more than once." Rumple smiled at her, seeing as he could see the future.  

"You overestimate your powers of foresight," Regina smirked, turning to walk away from him. 

"And you underestimate the price of what you've done. You shall see; you will come to me. There is more you need, oh!" He said, making her turn around.

"Your taunts will get you nowhere. I know you too well. You wanna make another deal... Well, I won't." Regina said, walking back to him. 

"A deal? You've already promised me a good life in this new land. What more can I want from you?" Rumple asked her. 

"Oh, to be let out of this cage. To be let out of our last deal. To escape the curse."

"But why would I desire that, dearie? I'm exactly where I want to be." He smiled at her, knowing what she would do coming up soon.

Present day.

Neverland.

"Oh! Is he unconscious?" Emma asked as Dream wiped her nose with her sleeve. 

"Henry, can you hear us?" Regina asked as Emma tried to shake him awake. 

"He passed out as soon as his heart went into Pan," Neal said as Dream moved over to them. 

"Is he breathing?" Dream asked, making Regina look at her ears and nose. 

"Just hang in there, buddy," Neal said as Emma looked at Pan, who went back to the ground. 

"What did you do to him?" Emma asked Pan. 

"Oh, I didn't do anything, Emma. It was Henry. He offered me his heart of his own free will." Pan said as Emma stood up, taking her sword out. 

"I'm gonna take it back from you," Emma said, charging towards him, but he vanished, appearing near the box. 

"I don't think you have it in you. Rumpelstiltskin didn't. Why should you?" Pan said, holding the box as he paced around. 

"Where is he?" Dream said, standing up with Emma. 

"Why, he's right in this box. Safe and sound and out of the way. Unfortunately for you, he can't hurt me anymore. Neither can you." Pan said as Dream grabbed the sword from Emma, cutting Pan's face, which shocked Regina, Emma, and Neal.

"Really? How did that feel?" Dream said as her eyes went black from the anger she felt. 

"Like a tickle," Pan smirked at her, flying up before flying away.

"How is he?" Emma asked, rushing back over to Henry. 

"You're gonna be all right, Henry," Regina said as Dream scoffed to herself as she felt helpless. "We're gonna get you home," Regina said, holding Henry's hand in hers.

~season 3, episode 9: "Save Henry"~

~759 words~