Dark Hearts | Once Upon A Time

XXXV. The Darkness in Her Soul

Jolly Roger, Seven Seas. Present day

THE BLONDE'S HAIR whipped across her face, due to the wind as she stood on the ship watching Neal teach his son how to drive the pirate ship through narrowed eyes while Emma talked to Rumplestilkskin about his dagger, Erica was going to do it but then thought against it as her twin now had the deeper connection with the Dark One than anyone previously thought 

Of course Neal didn't seem to notice the anger radiating off of Erica the man too focused on trying to steer the ship but Erica was plenty  angry and she wanted that bastard to know it because once again the no good thief had managed to break her little sister's heart once again and she wasn't going to have that ... however she snapped herself out of dark thoughts, she wasn't going to become dark, she couldn't do that to her baby sister, she was going to fight the darkness for as long as she could 

"How are you?" Erica heard Gemma ask causing her head to turn to the bubbly red head woman who hadn't looked so bubbly over the past few days but she still had a bright smile on her face which caused Erica to grin right back

"I'm fine but how are you?"  Erica replied before raising her eyebrows 

Gemma shifted uncomfortably but the bright smile still remained on her face "I'm good"

"Are you sure?" Erica asks, raising her eyebrows 

"No..." The redhead shakes her head, tears now streaming down her face "But I'm not quite sure how to explain it, it's jarring seeing the little girl that I had become to know so well as I was supposed to become her mother and then to find her twenty eight years later as a grown woman with her own child and my supposed be fiancee had a heart attack ... when he still had so much life in him"

Erica frowned as she brought the woman into a hug "I'm sorry if --"

"We should be reaching land soon" Neal tells them, cutting into the conversation as he yells over the roaring wind and Erica tears her eyes away from Gemma and over the side of the ship to see the outline of buildings coming closer indicating that they were indeed going to reach land soon "You mind want to go to the quarters and tell Emma, I'm sure she's talked with my father enough"

"Don't tell me what to do" She snapped before turning to the red head before she tells her to look after Henry as she didn't trust Neal before she opens the door to the master cabin and her eyes fall on the bleeding immortal man with a corrupt soul and she raises an eyebrow but doesn't say anything and instead the blonde turns to her sister and starts speaking to her "We're nearing land I hope you have said what you need to say, do you need help getting Rumplestilkskin up on his feet?"

"Yes please"

The two women grab the Dark One under the arms and sharing his weight between the two of them were able to lift him from the small sofa and walk him onto the main deck and just as they arrived Neal had been able to pull them up at the Storybrooke port and Gemma helps the twins by holding Rumplestilkskin's back 

"Are you okay?" Mary Margret cried as she surged forward going to hug her daughters but seeing her daughters currently had their hands full so instead she ran to her best friend and pulled her into a hug causing the redhead to choke a little as the hug nearly choked the air out of her when Mary Margret pulls back, red in the face Keira grabbed her friend in a hug, her face soft as the younger blonde looked like she was going to cry 

"Here let me help" Neal says grabbing his father from Erica and Erica steps back frowning and glaring at the man but it goes unnoticed as Henry bounced up and down on his feet as he clapped his hands 

"I drove a ship" He said to his grandparents excitedly 

"Did you now?" David questioned raising an eyebrow