Home, d.s[3]

THIRTY FOUR

(CHAPTER 34 - THE JOLLY ROGER)

🦢🗡

Nadia, Captain Hook and Ariel walked down the street, until coming to the pawnshop and entering it. Seeing her behind the counter, Ariel called out to her, "Belle?"

Looking up and seeing her friend, "Ariel?" Belle said and moved out from behind the counter, "Where...Where have you been?" they embraced each other in a hug, "I was worried I'd never see you again."

"I've been looking for Eric," Ariel told her, "He's been missing since we all returned."

"We were hoping we could find something of his here," Nadia said.

"Oh, of course," Belle answered, looking between them, "To see if he's still in Storybrooke."

"Have you seen anything of his?" Ariel asked.

"I only just started sorting out things. But, uh, don't despair," Belle said with a small smile, "Let's start looking."

"Okay," Ariel said with a nod.

Belle and Ariel began looking through the items on the shelves, while Nadia and Captain Hook made their way into the backroom. As he searched a shelf, Captain Hook found a telescope and chuckled, "I've been wondering where you've went," He said and stretched the telescope looking through it.

"You think we'll find anything?" Nadia asked him.

"I don't know," Captain Hook replied.

"You know if we do, we'll have to tell the truth about the past year," Nadia said.

"I know, love," Captain Hook said and she just looked at him, sending him a small glare, "Right, sorry. I forgot you're sensitive."

Nadia scoffed, "I'm not sensitive," She said and turned away from him, where she spotted a cloak and grabbed it.

"You find something?" Captain Hook asked and Nadia just turned to him, holding it up to show him the clasp.

"That's Eric's," Ariel said as she and Belle entered the backroom, "How did you know that was his?"

"I, uh...I wasn't sure," Nadia said with a shrug as Ariel took the cloak from her, "I saw the sea-creature clasp and remembered that he was from a maritime kingdom."

"He is, he was," Ariel smiled, "And now he's here," She said, hopefully, before pulling Nadia into a hug, "Thank you."

"Uh-huh," Nadia nodded as she hugged back slowly, and glanced over Ariel's shoulder at the pirate behind them.

----------<3----------

Meanwhile, the twins held onto the ropes of the swinging bridge, while Regina stood on the opposite edge of the cliff, "Are you out of your mind?!" Emma questioned.

"Every time either of you exhibited your powers, it's been spurred by your instincts. So, today we're going to push those instincts until you master them," Regina explained.

"A little reading doesn't sound so bad now," Elias commented.

"You can stop me," Regina said.

"Stop you from what?" Emma asked.

"This," Regina said before flicking her wrist, using magic to make the wooden planks fall from underneath the twins' feet, leaving nothing but the ropes for them to hang on to.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Emma yelled.

"Making the bridge collapse. You can either stop it...or die," Regina said and the ropes began to break.