𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐄𝐃 ★ 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 ⁵

•Chapter 20: Journey to the Underworld•

After the events of yesterday, Katherine and I are in our motel room, sitting silently on out beds as I stare at Milah's ring Killian gave me and play with the ruby Sam gave me while Katherine messes with the bracelet Sam gave her. After a moment of staring at the ring, my hand continues to stay on Sam's ruby as I look to my wrist and stare at the two bracelets I had from Felix before my hand leaves the ruby and goes to the sword charm Bae gave to me.

A single tear rolls down my cheek as I think about all the people I lost while Katherine begins to quietly cry as she continues to stare at the bracelet on her wrist. A small smile makes it's way on my face before I make my way over to her before pulling her into a tight hug as our tears begin to stain each other's shirts.

"I never got to tell him," she whispers through her tears.

"Tell him what?" I quietly ask.

"That I love him."

As her words fill the air, I feel more tears beginning to build up as I think about the way he would talk about her when she wasn't around.

"He knew," I say, "trust me. He knew."

When I pull away from her, we stare at each other for a moment in silence as we exchange small smiles, before my phone beeps, like it does at the worst times, and I pick it up to see a text from Emma.

Meet us at the loft. Now!

I sigh then tell Katherine before we go to the mirror to make ourselves look somewhat decent before the two of us walk side by side to the loft. Once we get there, everyone is staring at Emma in shock.

"You're going to Hell?" Mary Margaret asks, causing Katherine and me to join in the shock.

"The Underworld," Emma corrects.

"That's quite a distinction," David says.

"I'm getting him back," she tells us, "this isn't fair to Killian. Gold tricked him. Everything he gave up was based on a lie."

"Emma, you know how this works," David responds, "it's a one-for-one trade. To get him back, someone else will have to die."

"And you just got back from being the Dark One," Mary Margaret adds, "you can't give into darkness again."

"I won't," Emma states, "I'm giving into love. I'm doing this right. I learned my lesson. I'm taking a page out of your book. You two share a heart. So will we."

"You can do that?" Katherine whispers so only I can hear.

"I don't know exactly how it works but my parents share a heart," I quietly answer.

"Could it work with Sam?" Katherine asks at the same time I think about performing the task with Felix.

"It could work," Regina announces as she grabs our attention before a small smile forms on mine and Katherine's face.

"It will work," Emma corrects.

"Uh, forgive me if I'm missing the obvious," Robin says, "but, um, how does one get to the Underworld?"

His question causes Emma to smile before we follow her out of the loft and to the pond where Rumpelstiltskin waits. When we see the former Dark One standing at the edge of the pond, Katherine and I come to a stop before Robin and I exchange a look then we all look back to Emma.

"Do it," she demands.

I look away as Rumpelstiltskin cuts his hand before I see his blood drip into the water. As soon as the two liquids mix, ripples form in the water and a random fog appears before a boat with a hooded figure comes out of the fog and towards us.

"No going back now," Robin sighs.

"Would you if you had a choice?" I ask with a smirk.

He rolls his eyes before he smiles. Then Katherine and I take each other's hands before we exchange a glance then follow everyone into the water and to the boat that will take us to the Underworld.