Secrets

Wounded

"We're ready to go." David commented entering in the room. Snow, Elsa, Belle and Henry looked up to meet his gaze.

"Alright. Let's go." The princess said and within minutes they were all at the entrance of Regina's castle with Emma and Hook. Rumple arrived minutes after and waited as well.

Regina and Robin opened the heavy entrance door and quickly told the others about the note they had just received. "Oh my god." Snow said, shocked.

"Robin and I are going to meet them right away." Regina commented firmly.

"Here, take these." The outlaw muttered while handed over the weapons he collected to David.

"You should stay with something." The prince suggested.

"I already have everything I need, you can keep it." Robin insisted.

Rumple watched as the queen gave Snow, Emma and Belle the potions she was holding and quickly explained each one's use. He wasn't surprised when his former student gave him a suspicious look. The Dark One understood the queen didn't trust him and frankly, neither did he trust her. The queen walked towards her son and gave him a tight hug.

"Be careful." She whispered.

"I'll be fine, mom." Henry replied with a small smile. Regina kissed his forehead and looked at Emma. She tilted her head to the left, indicating to the blonde follow her. Thankfully, the savior wasn't stupid. She got the queen's message and did as she requested.

"I'll come back as soon as I can. While I'm gone I need you to be extra careful in this journey." Regina whispered.

"I'll keep them safe." Emma promised.

"I know you will, but don't fool yourself. There's something out there that no one here really understands yet." Regina added, concerned.

"Relax, we'll take care of each other." The savior replied with a small smile.

The queen nodded and walked away, stopping right next to Robin. Before they begin their search for the Merry Men, the queen took the opportunity she was hoping for. Since the others were separated in small circles of conversations, she placed a hand on Hook's shoulder, making the pirate look at her.

"Keep an eye on Rumple for me." She murmured in a way that no one would listen.

The captain smirked and nodded slightly. "Consider it done." He replied.

Regina furtively handed him one small mirror. "It works exactly like the one in Neverland. Use it if you need me but be discreet." The queen added, lifting an eyebrow.

"Aye, your majesty." Hook said, holding her gaze with the same intensity. With things settled, she walked back to Robin and the couple left the castle, hoping to find the others soon.

"Let's go." Rumple murmured, examining the pirate with a distrustful look.

                                  -- |¥| --

The more Snow tried to look for familiar things, the more disappointed she got. Those woods were her home for years and she knew it as well as her castle. Even if everything was the same as she remembered a year ago, she couldn't help but notice a change in the spirit of the forest. The trees were darker, the air was heavier.

No one knew what had happened with this land since they were gone. The princess expected it to be surrounded by ogres and violent creatures giving the fact that all population was now gone. For her surprise, even the smelly ogres weren't around.

"Are you alright?" David questioned, stepping closer.

"I was just thinking. This place changed so much!" The princess replied.