Once Upon The Underworld (Once Upon A Time)

Chapter 18: "Whether You Like It Or Not."

Emma's POV:

Pan, Neal, and I left the graveyard and began the necessary precautions in order to open Pan's time portal. "I'll deal with getting the blood from the most evil," Pan said as we walked down the street. "Who are you planning to get it from?" Neal asked. Pan looked at us daringly. "My son," he replied. That made sense. The only person I'd ever known worse than Gold was Regina, but she'd changed now. For the better. "Savior, you can get the lock of hair from the most innocent." He paused a smiled. "Your mother." I nodded, yet I had no idea how I could pull that off. "What about the baby?" Neal asked. Pan nodded and clasped his hands together.  "We'll get the child last," he explained. He grinned. "That's the least of our worries."

We parted ways, Neal and Pan going to find Gold, and I to find Mary Margaret. I spotted her and David going into the apartment building and I quickly followed. I stood outside the door, my palms sweaty. I pushed open the door and smiled. "Emma," Mom said. David looked up. "Hi," he said. "Hey guys," I murmured. I felt the guilt of what I was doing written all over my face. "Are you okay?" Mary Margaret asked. "You look upset." I shook my head. "Uh, no I'm fine," I replied. David sat down in the living room. "We were beginning to wonder about you," he said. "You've been gone for quite a while." I thought quick. "Just looking for Hook," I assured them. "No luck." Mom sighed. "I was afraid you'd given up on you two," she said. She laughed a little and smiled. "But it's good that you haven't." I tried to smile back, but it made me feel too guilty. They were legitimately trying to help me and be good parents, and I was just tricking them. Mary Margaret sat down in a chair across from David. I remained standing. Pan would be expecting me back with my ingredient soon, and I still had no plan to get it. "I, uh, I'm gonna go get a drink," I said, and walked stiffly over to the kitchen. I yanked open drawers and tried to silently rummage through all the junk. Finally I found a pair of red scissors. I sat them on the counter and pulled my cell phone halfway out of my pocket. I dialed David's number and heard him walk out into the hallway, saying "I've gotta take this." I walked over to Mary Margaret. "So what've you been up to?" she asked me. I nonchalantly stood behind her. "Not much," I replied, slowly holding up the scissors. "You should come home more often. We miss you." "Uh huh." I raised the scissors up to her head. Just before I was about to take a snip, the door behind me opened. I shoved them in my pocket, feeling a sharp sting as the open blade jabbed into my thigh. I winced in pain. "Not sure what that was about," David said. "No caller ID. Emma, are you okay?" I nodded, but yanked the scissors out of the wound and raised them, absentmindedly taking a chunk out of my mom's hair, catching it before it fell to the ground. "Well, I should get going," I said. "Maybe Hook's around." I turned as my hand hit the doorknob. "But I'll be home later." I quickly left before either of them could say anything. I pressed myself up against the door, breathing heavily. I'd barely made it out of there without getting caught. Phony caller ID calls wouldn't fool everyone. I opened my palm and glanced at the lock of brown hair I'd cut. Time to go find Pan.

Neal's POV:

We left Emma to go find Papa. He was, as usual, in his shop. Abked. "What are you doing with...him?" I sighed and let Pan do the talking. "We need something from you Laddie," he explained. "Something that will benefit us all." Papa tilted his head. "What could you possibly need from me?" he sneered. Suddenly, there was a needle levitating towards Papa. "Pan!" I said. The needle flew towards Rumplestiltskin and poked his finger. He gasped and recoiled in pain. The needle was then back in Pan's hand, leaving Papa with less blood and more confusion. "What exactly are you doing?" he asked in a whisper. When Pan didn't respond, he nodded silently to himself. "A drop of blood from the most evil," he said. He looked up at his father with a ghastly expression. "You wouldn't." Pan shrugged. "I think we both know I would. But I'm not. I'm doing this for Emma." Papa stepped around the counter. "You can't do this! I won't let you!" he declared. With a wave of Pan's hand, Papa unconsciously fell to the floor. "Have you lost your mind, what are you doing?" I demanded. "Please," Pan scoffed. "My son's the Dark One, he'll be fine." He gave another glance to his son on the floor. "And he won't remember a thing."

Emma's POV:

I met up with Pan and Neal in the middle of town. "Did you get it Emma?" Neal asked. I held up my mom's hair. "Yeah. You?" He pointed to Pan, who admired a blood stained needle. "Yeah," Neal griped, rolling his eyes. "Don't sound so harsh, lad," Pan said. He looked at the needle again. "All will be right soon." I put my hands on my hips impatiently. "Okay. Zelena's baby. How do you plan to accomplish that? Regina told me Zelena took her off somewhere." Pan nodded. "That she did. Luckily I know where." Pan waved his hand, and all three of us were transported to a room that appeared to be one of Granny's suites. Zelena sat in the corner, cradling her child in arms. She immediately jumped up when we appeared in front of her. "How did you get in?" she demanded. "I used a protection spell!" Pan laughed. "I know we don't know each other, but you underestimate me, dear." Zelena looked at Pan questionably. Her eyes fell on Neal and I. "Oh look. The two lovebirds reunited." She pointed at Neal with her free hand. "I seem to remember being responsible for your death." She paused. "And you Emma. What? Did Regina put you up to this?" I shook my head. "No Zelena. Regina has no idea we're here." Zelena considered this. "Then what exactly do you want?" Pan snapped his fingers and was suddenly holding Zelena's child. She waved her arms around startled. "Kelly!" she exclaimed when she realized what was happening. "You give me my daughter back right now!" Pan grinned. "Sorry. Can't." Zelena formed a fireball in her hands and aimed it straight at us. "Okay then. We'll do this the hard way." I cringed as she reared back to throw it, but lo and behold, Pan flashed us out of the room and into an abandoned barn near the town line. "This is the same place Zelena tried to open her time portal," I observed. Pan nodded. "Precisely. Now..." He sat the baby in the middle of the imprint. Then he dropped the blood droplet on one side and the lock of hair on the other. He held up his hand. "Now, time to travel back." "Wait!" I said. Pan and Neal both stared at me. "Don't tell me you're backing out now, Savior," Pan griped. "This isn't right," I said. "Didn't you see Zelena with her daughter? She's finally happy." "I told you before, she won't remember a thing." "It doesn't matter," I said. "We're betraying everyone's trust and it's not fair. Me to my mother and you to your father. We're tricking them and it's not right." Pan rolled his eyes. "I'm opening this time portal whether you like it or not," he said bluntly. "Hey, maybe you should listen to her," Neal suggested. "She does have a point." Pan ignored him. "I've never been one to think about anyone but myself. And right now, this is what I want to do," he said. "Look, I'm prepared to do anything I have to to keep you from opening this portal." I whipped out my gun and pointed it at him. "Even if that means killing you to do it." Pan shrugged and held up his hands. "It will." I closed my eyes and squeezed the trigger. The bullet shot towards Pan and plunged into his chest. He fell to the ground. Instantly, all the ingredients of the time portal came together in a swirl of purple haze, mixed together with the sound of a baby's cry. "Neal!" I shouted over the noise. "What happened?" "I tried to tell you," Pan called out in a raspy voice. "I'm opening the portal whether you like it or not." "You knew!" I yelled. "You knew us killing you would open the portal!" Pan grinned smugly as he breathed his final breath. "Have a nice trip." The portal grabbed hold of Neal and I and we fell through.