Missing Year

Trouble In Town

Hope recovered from croup. Emma thought it was time for Hope to try her first food. She made mushy rice Krispy cereal for Hope to try. She hears Hope awake in the baby monitor and goes upstairs. She finds Hope sitting on Killian's bare chest he was cooing to her in their bedroom. "Yes, you are the best little pirate princess in all the realms." He kisses her on her belly making her squeal.
Emma smiles and takes a picture of their daddy-daughter moment. Hope was laughing. She joins her family on the bed. "Is dada being so funny Hope?" Hope babbles. "Yes, he is."
"Aye, Hope loves talking to me. I am making her laugh." He tickles Hope on her belly making his little lass laugh. Emma joins her husband tickling their daughter. Emma and Killian smile at each other, they love their daughter's laugh.
Henry sees his parents tickling Hope and takes a photo. "There is a family tickling party, that I am missing." Hope reaches out for her brother. He gets Hope from their parents. She babbles. "You are having fun with Mommy and Daddy." Hope babbles as she reached for her brother's hair. "Hope!"
"Mama."
Emma faces her daughter. "Hope, are you ready to try your first food?" Hope babbles.
Henry smiles. "Hope is going to try her first food today?"
"Yes, she is. She is going to have soft cereal."
"Swan, I will get the camera. We need to add this milestone to the baby book." Killian gets the camera. Emma and Henry went downstairs, he was carrying hope into the kitchen. "Little sis, you are going to have breakfast with me. I am having cereal too but a different type."
"You can put her in her booster seat on the table." Henry puts his sister on her bumbo seat and buckles her in. "We are having breakfast together, baby sis."
Emma makes Hope's warm cereal and puts a bib on her daughter. Hope was crying. "Hope, you are going to eat in a few minutes, sweetie." Emma gets the cereal and sits in front of her daughter. "Hope, open... Hope opens her mouth. Emma smiles. She spoonfeeds Hope her mushy cereal while Killian was taking pictures. Hope eats her first food licking the food, some dropped out of her mouth. "Do you like it?" Hope grabs the spoon. Emma chuckles.
"She likes her food, love."
"Mom, she is saying more."
Emma smiles and gets the spoon from her daughter and spoonfed her more. "Hope, you like your first food, sweetie." She was smiling at her daughter who was trying her first food and being so cute. "You, my little duckling, are so cute!" She continues feeding her daughter her first solid food until the doorbell rings."Killian? Can you feed her?"
"Aye, I would love to." He takes the bowl from Emma. Hope babbles. "Dada is going to feed you, little pirate." He sits down at the table and spoonfeeds her.
"Mama."
"She will be right back, Hope."
Emma answers the door, it was her parents. "Hi, Dad, Mary-Margaret. What is going on?"
"We sent Regina to spy on the villains last night."
"You could have told me. I could have followed her. I was a bail bondsperson for ten years, it was my job to go undercover." Killian arrives hearing his swan talking to his in-laws. Henry was feeding his sister.
"We know, Emma. Regina can take care of herself."
Emma was still mad at her Mom for lying to her nonstop. "I hope you are right. When is she supposed to check in?" Her parents did not respond.
Charming, "About an hour ago."
"We got to search for her." Emma quickly gets ready.
"Aye, I have to go back into the kitchen." Killian returns to Henry talking to Hope. "Dada is back." Hope babbles. "You want some more?" He sat back down and spoonfed Hope her cereal.
"Dad, she likes it."
"Yes, she does." He spoonfeeds Hope.
David enters the room."Hope is eating food already?"
"Yes, she is gramps. She loves cereal."
"Aye, she is still eating breast milk but Auntie Allison told us that we can get her to try solids." Hope grabs her Daddy's hook making him smile. "Little love, you want more?" She chews on her Daddy's hook covering it with baby drools and cereal. "Little love, you can have more cereal."
"Mama."
"Mommy has to be sheriff, Hope." She began crying, knocking down the cereal. "Oh, Hope." Killian holds his little lass.
"Killian, I can clean up." Charming clean the mess on the table.
"Mama."
"Mommy is still here, Hope." Killian takes Hope to the stairs hearing his swan heading downstairs Emma sees Hope covered with her food.
"Hope, did you enjoy your first food?"
"Mama."
She scooped her daughter in her arms. "Sweetie, are you full?" Hope babbles.
"Once she heard you were being sheriff she got upset. She wanted you to be there." Hope hugged her Mommy.
"Awe, Hope." She knows her daughter does not want her to leave. "Mommy will be back, little duckling. I have to make sure Henry's other Mommy is away from mean villains. You are going to be safe here with Henry." Hope cried more.
"Hope, we are going to have fun. H & H time." Hope gripped onto her Mommy.
Killian knows Hope is being stubborn. "When Daddy comes back, we are going to have our pirate time." Hope cries lessen.
"Mom, please find my other Mom."
"I will, Henry." She hugs her son. Hope reaches out to her brother. Henry holds Hope. Their parents leave with their grandparents.
"Looks like we are going to have H&H time." He played From Now On, her favorite song on his laptop. Hope screamed and smiled hearing her favorite song playing. "Do you want to dance?" He helps his sister stand up and helped her dance. Henry smiles, he loves playing with his sister and can cheer her up.
Emma drove Killian to Granny's. He looked inside the diner as she looked at her office, her home, and while her parents are checking her vault. She was seeing all the destruction that the villains did the night before all over town on the way back to Granny's."Did you find anything in there?"
"Well about tables tossed around, broken bottles, and a very irate Granny. You do not want to go in there right now. Apparently, Regina and the witches drank all the alcohol dry, all gone. I'd say she won them over."
"Unless that is what they want her to think."
"Emma, I know you are worried but we do not know what has happened yet."
"That is what is worrying me."
"But you fear the worst?"
"I cannot help but think if the undercover thing worked. If she got the situation under control, then why the hell is she is not back yet?"
"We are going to find her, Emma." He holds his wife's hand.
"Ever since Ursula and Cruella have been in town, my parents have been lying to me. They did not even tell me about Regina going undercover last night. I am worried about Hope at home, I was missing her milestone."
"Emma, you were there for Hope's milestone. Hope just wanted her Mommy because she loves her amazing Mommy. I know once we find Regina, you are going to go straight home to be home with our children."
Emma smiles,her husband does make her calm when she is nervous. She gets a phone call. "It is her." She answered her iPhone. "Hi. We have been looking everywhere for you."
"I have updates from what I learned last night. Meet me at the library."
"I will." Their phone conversation ended.
"Emma?"
"We are going to the library." They walked to the library and waited for her parents inside.
They all went looking for Regina. Charming sees Regina. "Hey, we are here."
Regina sees Emma, Killian, and the Charmings. "I said we needed to meet covertly. Now, I see you brought the entire Charming softball team and their pirate mascot."
Snow White,"We were worried about you."
"Then worry quickly, I cannot be seen with all of you."
"Regina, listen to me. This is a bad idea. This woman, this dragon, she is dangerous." Snow White gives Regina a worried look about not telling Emma the truth. "You do not know a thing about going undercover."
"I am a quick study. They already told me why they are here." She looks at Snow White and David, worried she would spill the beans. She sighs. "Apparently, they are after the author too."
"What do they want?"
"They want to shift the entire balance so that villains win and heroes lose. The only way they can is to destroy yours."
Emma looks at Killian. "Do you think they will find the author?"
"They have a lead. We do not. And tonight they want me to help them steal it. Whatever it is." Everyone is now all worried.
"I am telling you, these things never end well, in my experience of spying."
"I understand your concern but I am in."
"Well, okay. I am in too."
"What?"
"I am going to stick by you. They are threatening my family, my children, your son, and my son. I am not going to let them get anywhere destroying my family." She holds Killian's hook and look up at him. "I am not going anywhere, Killian. They are not going to destroy me."
Killian smiles. "How can I help?"
"While I follow Regina, you are going to watch Henry and Hope."
"Aye, aye sheriff swan." They return home to their children.
"Mom, did you find my other Mom?"
"Yes, she is safe, kid." He hugs her. She faces her son."She did find tell us what Ursula, Cruella, and Maleficent are up to."
"What?"
"They are looking for the author."
"They want the villains to have their happy endings, not the heroes."
"They have a lead son."
Henry got afraid."They..They.. do not have the book..."
"Henry, they are not going to get your book, kid." She hugs her son.
"I am going to stay here with you and Hope tonight, son. While your Mom spies on the villains and help your other Mom. No villains are coming here, lad." Henry hugs his Dad. "You are not in danger,son. No one is going to hurt you."
"You have us to protect you, Henry." She joins their son. Emma and Killian hug their son and look at each other, their children won't lose their mother or father. She goes upstairs to Hope who was awake. "Hi, little duckling." Hope was smiling. She scooped Hope into her arms. "Mommy is home." She patted her butt knowing she needed to be changed. She laid Hope on her changing table and changed Hope's wet diaper. "There you go, baby girl. You are all clean." She takes Hope downstairs. "Henry, I was thinking we can watch a movie."
"Yes!" Henry sets the movie up.
"Swan, I am going to make popcorn."
"Yes, with...?"
"Melted milk duds. I know how my swan loves in her popcorn." Emma smiles her husband knows her so much. They kiss. Hope babbles. "Hi, Hope. Dada is home." He kisses Hope on the cheek and heads into the kitchen. Henry sits next to his Mom and sister and waits for his Dad to join them before the movie. "I got Hope to stop crying when you and Dad left."
"You did? How?"
"I turned on my laptop and played her favorite song."
"What is her favorite song?"
"The Greatest Showman song From Now On." Once I began playing it, she stopped crying. She was smiling and screaming. She knew her favorite song was playing."
"You found Hope's favorite song."
"Yes, I did. We also danced."
"Really?"
"Yes, we did." He takes Hope from their Mom. Hope babbles. "We are going to show Mommy your new dance moves, baby sis." He helps his sister and holds her hands and moved them up and down. Hope was bending her knees. "That is it, Hope! Dance!" Emma smiles. Killian returns into the room, seeing Hope dancing. He took a video of them dancing on his iPhone. Hope looks at her Mommy.
"You are dancing with your big brother! Yay!" She clapped her hands. Henry stops when Hope looks upset. He puts Hope back with their Mom. "Hope, you did great dancing with Henry!" She kisses her daughter on the cheek. "You are a great big brother, Henry." She kisses him on the cheek.
He hugs his Mom and his sister. "Are you okay Mom?"
"Yes, I am, Henry."
Killian joins them on the couch. "Lad, you are teaching your sister how to dance?"
"Just the basics or her since she is still learning her two feet. I know Mom will teach her how to dance, like in the ballroom scene in my book."
Emma chuckles. "That was Dad teaching me how to ballroom dance." Hope wanted to breastfeed.
"Is the movie on?"
"Yes, Dad. We are going to watch The Little Mermaid. The family watched the movie together. Killian wrapped his arm around his swan and little pirate princess.
Later that day in the evening, Emma was rocking Hope to bed. "I love you so much, baby girl." She kissed her daughter on the head and watched her sleep for a moment. Emma puts Hope to bed. "Night, sweet girl. Be a good little pirate for your Daddy." She leaves the room seeing her husband in the hallway. She hugs her husband.
"Swan, are you sure about this plan with Regina and your parents?"
"I have to hear who the villains are taking for the author, Regina is our spy. I will text you updates."
"Aye, love. Call me if you need me."
"I will. Call me if Hope needs me."
"She has her daddy and her big brother home with her."
"Mom, Hope is going to be with me and Dad."
Emma hugs her son. "Everything is going to be okay, kid."
"I know, Mom. I love you."
"I love you, Henry."
"Be careful, Emma."
"I will, captain." They kiss. Emma drove around following Regina, in Cruella's car with the rest of the evil villains. They stopped in front of Geppetto's shed. She sees Regina going in. Emma snuck around to another entrance and sees Regina holding fast asleep Pinocchio. "Regina, what are you doing?"
"What are you doing here?"
"I was wondering the same. I saw you going in here."
"They want Pinnochio. They have a plan to get him to help them with the author."
"This is a bad idea."
"I will be with him the whole time. I will not let them hurt him."
"Okay. I am still following you." Regina took Pinnochio wrapped in a blanket to Cruella's car. Emma went back to her yellow bug and waited for the tracking monitor to move. She waited a while and walked around to find the phone. It was on the ground. "Crap." She texts her parents to help search for Regina who took Pinnochio and Mulan to join the search. She calls Killian, he was rocking Hope up and down who woke up.
"Emma? What is going on?"
"Regina took Pinnochio. I tried following them but the phone was dropped. I have no idea where they went."
"Knowing Regina is there with Pinnochio, she won't let him get hurt. I can get Granny to watch..."
"No, no. I want you home with Henry and Hope. With Maleficent back from the dead and working with Cruella and Ursula on getting the author. Our son is in danger."
"Emma, our children are safe with me." Hope babbles. "Say hi to Mama."
"Mama!!" Hope stops crying.
Emma smiles. "Hi, Hope. Mama will be home soon, sweetie. Mommy has to find her old friend with Henry's other Mommy."
"Emma, I know how to get Ursula's happy ending. I will begin in the morning. Granny can watch Henry and Hope."
"Okay, if you need my help. I can help."
"Aye, I will let you know, swan. I know you need to find your friend, love."
"I will talk to you soon."
"Aye, swan."
"I love you."
"I love you too, Emma. Be careful." They ended their phone conversation. "Mommy is working tonight, Hope."
"Dad, I heard."
Killian hugs his son. "Your Mom is going to find your other Mom and Pinnochio. She has a search party looking for them."
"I know she will rescue Pinnochio, Dad. I heard about Ursula."
"Let's just say I know how to give Ursula's happy ending without the author changing her story." He hugs his two children. Emma was driving around the woods, looking for Regina and Pinnochio, there is no way the villains can hurt her old friend.
To Be Continued.