The next day, Killian and Brooke decided to go to The Queen's castle and rescue Emma, get thee ring to Snow and get the story back on track. Prince Lucas had disappeared when they left the castle the night before, as his job to accompany Emma at the party so they did not raise suspicion.
The two were walking in the woods and heard talking, "I don't have your ring," They heard Snow's voice.
"Wait," Brooke said and looked to where the voice came from, "That's mom," She said, "Let's go," She added and followed their voices.
"Then, why don't I believe you?" Charming asked.
Killian and Brooke emerges from behind a tree, "You should, she's telling the truth, mate," Killian said and looked at Charming then bowed, "Prince Charles and the lovely Princess Maria," Killian said and Brooke curtised to Charming, "Lovely ball the other night, the mutton was a lad overcooked, but that happens," Killian said.
"Anyway, Prince James..." Brooke said and Charming looked at her, "Snow White doesn't have your ring, but we know who does... My sister and I need your help to get her back, please?"
"She has my ring?" Charming asked and Brooke nodded, "That's two women who robbed me, where is your sister?"
"That's the problem, The Queen's castle," Brooke said.
"Actually, that's not a problem at all," Snow White said and the tree looked up to see her in a net that was set by Charming, "I know it well, it used to be mine. I can get us in there, but not from up here. So you let me down," She said and looked at Brooke, "You get your sister," She turned to Charmng, "You get your ring and I never have to see your charming face again," Snow said.
"Charming, huh?" Brooke commented and Killian lightly poked her back to remind her not to change anything as Charming cut her down.
Later, the four were on their wat to The Queen's castle. Killian and Brooke were sat together at the front of the cart, Charming in the cart and Snow laid down in the cart so she is not seen by anyone passing who might be inties with The Evil Queen.
Snow groaned from her position in the cart when Killian went over a bump, "Apologies, lass," Killian said as Charming chuckled.
"What I wouldn't give to be sailing," Brooke said.
"You know the way to my heart," Killian said quietly to her and she smiled.
"Boats, rum and me, right?" Brooke said with a smile.
"Aye, love," Killian said.
"I know my man," Brooke said and looked back at Charming and Snow, "You good?" She said looking at Snow.
"Yes, thank you," Charming said.
"I believe she was talking to me," Snow said, "I've been in more uncomfortable places than this before."
We're here," Killian said as he stopped the cart a couple of feet away from the castle.
"We're gonna need help to get past the guards. Wait here, we go at night, I'll be back with help," Snow said as she jumped off the cart and left.
Later at night, Charming, Killian and Brooke were waiting for Snow's return.
Brooke was pacing back and forth, "You're excited for your nuptials?" Killian asked Charming.
"I'm marrying Midas' daughter, what's not to be excited about?" Charming asked.
"I don't mean to pry, mate, but you don't exactly look like a man who's doing this by choice," Killian said and looked at Brooke, "Love, would you sit down... You're going to wear yourself out," Brooke looked at him and reluctantly sat beside Killian.
Charming watched them and hummed, "I always thought I'd marry for love," Charming said to Killian and shook his head, "And here I am about to enter into what amounts to a business transaction. A merger of two kingdoms," He sighed, "I don't know this whole ordeal makes me wonder if there's ever such a thing as true love."
"I once felt as you did, mate. All it took was meeting the right person and everything changed," Killian said and looked at Brooke, "I'd go to the end of the world for her."
"And she for you, I take it?" Charming asked, looking at Brooke.
Brooke looked at Charming, "Well, that depends on if I'm about to sneak out or not and it's usually a not," Brooke said.
"There are also many other complications," Killian said.
"Family? Becuase my father is making things quite difficult for me," Charming said.
"Aye, there's that," Killian said and Brooke rested her head on Killian's shoulder, "I'm not so sure her parents approve of me."
"Given the length you've gone to save her sister, they'd be crazy not to," Charming said.
"Thank you," Brooke said, "For saying that, James."
"I hope you remember that," Killian looked at Brooke, "Getting sleepy love?"
"I cannot sleep and I won't till I'm back with my sister," Brooke said.
"Maria, you need to sleep," Charming said, "We'll keep watch, I prom..." He was interrupted when they heard rustling coming from behind them.
They all turned to see a figuring coming towards them, Charming stood up and drew his sword, "What the hell was that?" Charming asked.
Killian drew his as he stood up, "I think we're about to find out," He glanced at Brooke, "Love..."
"If it's a bad guy I'll run, yes, yes," Brooke said and stood up as they saw the person coming towards them was Red.
"Hey! Who the hell are you?" Charming asked.
"My name is Red, I'm a friend of Snow's," Red told them, "Snow sent me to help you get into The Queen's Castle," Red said.
"How are you gonna help us?" Killian asked.
"You'll see," Red said and removed her red cloak.
The four made their way to the queen's dungeons, Brooke and Killian held back a little as Red in her wolf form. Red growled at the guard and he drew his sword to fight the wolf but the guard was unaware that Charming struck a blow at his feet. The guard lost his balance and is knocked unconscious.
Killian and Brooke walked to Red, "I'm glad the wolf is on our side," Killian said as Brooke place the red cloak over the wolf.
"She's a fearsome one," Charming said and sheathed his sword as Red stood up in her human form, "Better hurry, when he awakes, they'll be onto us," They begin to walk, but Red stopped them.
"Wait, someone is coming," Red told them.
Killian drew his sword and they saw Emma running in with another woman, "Swan," Killian said.
"Sis," Brooke said.
"Hook, sis," Emma said and the two sisters ran to each other and hugged each other tightly, "I was so worried."
"You're telling me," Brooke said.
"What the hell are you doing? You're depriving your sister of a dashing rescue," Killian said.
"Sorry, but my sister knows that the only one who saves me is me," Emma said and the sisters pulled away from each other, "Speaking of which," Emma said and slipped off the ring from her finger, not "We're gonna be around much longer unless we find where this belongs," Emma said.
"I think hat belongs to me," Charming said and he took the ring back.
"Follow me, Snow told me where to meet her," Red said and walked out of the dungeons with Charming following her.
The woman that was with Emma, walked past the twins, "Thank you, Leia," She said and walked out of the dungeons.
Brooke looked at Emma, "Swan, you didn't," Killian said walking up to the sisters.
"She was to be executed in the morning, I couldn't just leave her there to die," Emma said.
"Emma..." Brooke looked at her elder sister.
"Actually, if she's to die, she pretty much has to," Killian said.
Charming walked up to them, "I hate to break up this reunion, but we have to keep moving. We have to find Snow White," He said.
"You're right, James... Let's go," Brooke said and they all ran out of the dungeons.
They made their way inside of the castle, they wandered the upper floor of the castle. As they walked past a large window, Killian stopped walking as he looked to see preparations being made to burn someone at the stake.
"What is it? Did you find Snow?" Emma asked.
"I'm afraid so," Killian said.
Brooke looked out the window and her eyes widened, "We have to get down there before it's too late," Brooke said.
"I don't think we can," Charming said as they watched as Snow was tied to a stake.
"No..." Brooke said and Killian puts his arm around Brooke, pulled into into him. She held back her tears as best as she could, she covered her mouth as The Evil Queen threw a fireball, lightly the stake and burning Snow White. Brooke gasped and turned into Killian, hiding her face in him, "No," She said as she sobbed into him and felt Emma hugging her and she, too, was sobbing into her.
----x----
Later in the woods, a lone wold howled. Brooke and Emma sat together on a log holding each other's hand, Brooke had her head on Emma's shoulder.
Killian sat beside Brooke and put his hand on her leg, linking their fingers together, "After my brother passed, all I could do was relive that final terrible moment. Don't do that to yourselves. All we can do in times like these is try to live in the here and now," Killian told them.
"Here and now..." Brooke said, "We're still here," She sat up and looked at Emma, "How is that possible? We saw her die."
"Which means we would have never been born," Emma said and the twins looked at Killian.
"You both should have faded from existence," Killian said.
"Exactly," The twins said.
"Well, then perhaps..." Killian said.
"She's still alive, if Snow is out there, we have to find her," Emma said.
Killian tried to shoo off a ladybug, "Cursed vermin. We should head back to the Queen's castle. Take a look around," He said and tried shooing off the ladybug, "Perhaps it's a trick by Regina."
"No, whatever happened. Regina thinks Snow is dead," Brooke said and the ladybug landed on Brooke's arm.
"Stay still, love," Killian said as he wanted to crush the ladybug but Charming stopped him.
"Wait! Don't harm that thing," Charming said and rushed over, "When we were coming to rescue Leia, Snow told me what her dust would do to the Queen. She said it would turn her into a form that could easily be squashed," He said and gently removed the ladybug from Brooke's arm, "A bug."
Emma was doubtful, "You think Snow turned herself into a bug?" She asked.
"Well, if she times it right, she could have escaped that fireball and faked her own death and flown away," Charming said, "We just need to find a way to bring her back."
The ladybug buzzed and Emma leaned a little closer, "She's saying something," She said.
"Wonderful, anyone fluent in bug?" Killian asked and Brooke lightly slapped his chest.
The Blue Fairy flew down to them, "She's calling for me," The Blue Fairy said.
"Blue," Emma said.
"That's right and you are?" The Blue Fairy asked Emma.
"Leia," Emma said.
The Blue Fairy smiled a little, "No, that's not it," She said and glanced at Brooke then looked back at Emma, "But your secrets can be yours. I sense it's better that way."
"Can you bring Snow back?" Red asked.
"Dark magic did this to her, light magic can undo it," The Blue Fairy said and used her wand and she transformed the bug into Snow.
Emma hugged Snow in relief, "You've alive!" She said.
Snow flinched a little, "Oh, it appears so. Thank you," Snow said unsure of Emma's actions.
Brooke patted her sisters back, "Come on now, don't be doing that or you'll make me think you care," Brooke teased.
Killian smiled at the twins, "Looks like we're back on track, ladies," He said.
"We are," Brooke nodded.
"Yeah," Emma nodded.
A few minutes later, Red left and Snow was thanking Charming about helping to save her. Snow left for the stream to fill up on some water for herself and Charming.
Emma overheard the conversation, "They're warming up to each other, this is good, this'll work," Emma said.
"That may be sis," Brooke said and looked at Emma.
"But we have another problem," Killian added and nodded toward the woman Emma freed for the dungeons.
"I had to save her," Emma said.
"Sure, you did the noble thing, but she's supposed to be dead. Her presence in the Enchanted Forest could have been unforeseen consequences," Killian said.
"She's just a sweet, innocent woman," Emma said.
"What if she had a child who grows into a mass murderer or she gets tipsy some night and rides her horse into one of the dwarf's and there's only six of them? Who knows? We're best not finding out... She doesn't belong here," Killian said.
"I know exactly what we can do, take her with us," Emma said and began walked to the woman.
"That's gonna have more consequences that anything else," Brooke muttered and sighed then follows Emma with Killian.
After a few minutes of talking with the woman about that they are from the future.
"The future?" The woman said unsure.
"You can't stay here, you were supposed to die hours ago," Emma said.
"I don't understand, I just wanna get back to my family," The woman said.
"They need to believe you're dead because that's what they've always thought," Killian said.
"Trust us," Emma said.
"All due respect, I don't trust you or believe you. So, unless you're kidnapping me I'm going to go find my family," The woman said.
Brooke walked around her as the woman was talk a picked up a small log and hit the woman over the head, knocking her unconscious. The woman fell into Killian's arms, "Well, then, I'm guessing we're kidnapping you," Brooke said and dropped the small log.
Killian laid the woman on the ground and chuckled, "I always love seeing the little pirate in you, Lyn," He said.
Charming noticed the woman's body lying on the ground, "What happened to her?" He asked.
"She's, uh, resting.... What's up?" Emma answered.
"Has anyone of you seen Snow? She went to the stream but she hasn't..." He began to say then quickly checked his pocket, "The ring, she took it," Charming said.
"Really? Do you know where she might be headed?" Emma asked glancing at Killian and Brooke.
"She said she was seeking passage on a pirate ship, there's only one way to get to the harbour from here. The Troll Bridge," Charming said before he took off running.
"Oh, no," The twins said and they went to follow Charming but Killian stopped them.
"Wait, the bridge. Isn't that where you want them to be? Isn't that where Snow saved your father from the trolls?" Killian asked them.
"Yes, but the only reason she was able to do that was because she had a weapon, the dust," Brooke said.
"Which she's already used on herself, bloody hell," Killian said.
"Come on, they're gonna need our help," Emma said and the three ran towards the Troll Bridge.