ETERNALLY ⇢ HENRY MILLS [2]

chapter twenty-four

Robin brung to me to the graveyard. We were currently stood by Hook's grave: Killian Jones was engraved into the stone.
"So what is this again?" I whispered to Henry.
"The Aile Du Chanaid. It's used to communicate with the dead. Gold gave it us." He explained.
"Alright, let's do this." Emma said, opening the lid.
"Are you okay?" Mary Margaret asked.
"I just hope he is." Emma almost whispered. She sprinkled the potion over Hook's grave and we all waited for a while.
Suddenly, a holographic image appeared of Hook and I almost threw up at the sight of him. He looked as if he'd been beaten terribly: he was covered in blood and he had a slit in his right eye, making it permanently shut. Henry immediately turned round to cover my eyes, whilst Regina and Robin stood in the way of Henry's view of the pirate.
"Killian, we're here to help you but we just can't find you!" I heard Emma say. "Where are you?"
"Emma, the spell's not steady, he can't hear you." Regina said.
"Just tell us where you are." Emma whispered
"Somethings happening." Robin said.
"It's not holding. Killian, please just talk to me!" Emma pleaded. "Killian!"
Once Henry and I looked back, he was gone.
"He doesn't know we came for him, he doesn't know we're here, he doesn't know that I care!" Emma almost shouted.
"Yes he does, and Emma we will find him." Mary Margaret reassured her.
"Really?! Did you not just see that?! He's in pain, he's suffering! We have half an hour, Cora has a boat coming, we have to take it otherwise we might all be stuck here."
"We're not leaving without and we're not giving up on you." David said.
Emma walked towards Regina, Henry, Robin and I. "Regina, if they're staying, you should go-"
"No, I-"
"Take Robin, Henry and Brooke." Emma said to her, cutting her off. "Because if you don't, whatever your father is going to face-"
"Probably looks a lot like what Hook is facing." Regina finished for her.
"So it's settled. Get them out of here; get yourself out of here."

***

Later that day, Henry was told that he was going to meet his grandfather for the first time and wanted me to come with him.
When we ran in with Regina, he was stood at the edge of the stone that seemed to lead to a fiery pit of hell - literally.
"Let him go, mother!" Regina ordered.
"You should be on that boat."
"I can't turn my back on those I love."
Cora sighed. "I know that seems like the right choice, but life doesn't work that way. Leave this place."
I turned to Henry, not knowing what to do or say, but he stayed silent. He just gulped and took hold of my hand.
"No, Regina, stay." Henry, Regina's father said. "She's trying to bait you."
"I didn't come back just to help my friends, I came back to help everyone." Regina exclaimed.
"That's not possible. You have to trust me."
"Let him go." Regina whispered.
"Oh, please! Listen to reason, listen to me! Either way, my time in the Underworld is done. Yours can be too, just do what I say." Cora told her.
Regina looked behind to Henry and I. "Henry, Brooke, stand back." She told us before turning back to her mother.

"Please don't force my hand, I don't want to do this."
"Then don't."
"I'm sorry." Cora said, before waving her hand behind her and fire engulfing Regina's father.
I gasped and turned away, burying my head in Henry's neck. I couldn't bear to watch this.
"No!" I heard Regina scream.
"One day you'll understand." Was the last thing I heard Cora say.
"I'm so sorry!" I heard Regina cry. "Daddy?"
"Stop! Stay there. I'm okay." Henry said.
"What's happening?" Regina asked
I slowly turned back around and saw that he was no longer surrounded by fire and Cora was gone.
"I don't know. There's something down here." Henry replied, looking up at the light at the other side of the cavern. "It's so..."
"Beautiful..." I whispered, saying it before Henry could, taking a step in front of my boyfriend and gazing at it.
"It's where I belong." Regina's father said, before turning to her and walking towards his daughter. "I know what my unfinished business was now: it's you."
"Me?" Regina asked in disbelief.
"For so long I let your mother get in the way of who you really are - it was the biggest regret of my life. But now, you're free forever and I've never been more proud." He smiled with tears in his eyes.
I lightly nudged Henry, signalling for him to go up to his grandfather. He nodded and took hold of my hand, taking me with him. But once Henry was stood in front of him, I took a step back and let them have their family moment.
"Hi,"
"Is that-"
"This is your grandson: Henry."
"Thank you, grandpa." Henry said softly. "For believing in her, like I do."
"And thank you, Henry, for being there when I couldn't. You take good care of her." His grandfather said before looking over his shoulder at me. "And who's this?"
Henry looked over his shoulder at me and ushered for me to come over. "This is my girlfriend: Brooke."
Henry smiled at me and I returned the gesture. "Hey,"
"Now, you've got two women to take care of." His grandfather joked, chuckling lightly, making me do the same.
Henry looked behind before back to Regina. "It's time for me to go."
"Daddy, no-"
"I love you, Regina. Never forget who you really are."
Regina slowly nodded and I leaned my head on Henry's shoulder, trying to hold back the tears since this was a pretty emotional family moment for Regina and Henry as we watched him walk away to paradise.

The three of us walked down the Main Street of the Underworld back to our group.

"Tell me your father's okay." Mary Margaret said to Regina.
"He's better than okay." Regina smiled.
"He's in a better place now." Henry sighed, Robin patting his back.
"Right, that means everyone here-"
"Can be saved." David finished for Mary Margaret.
"Every soul in this town has unfinished business," Regina began.
"And the chances are for a lot of them we're that business." I finished.
"You've all deluded yourselves if you think these people are worth your time." Gold said, his hands held behind his back. "They're not the dearly departed, they're dead, wretched souls and I want no part of it."
"What you want doesn't matter. I wasn't bluffing, I'm happy to tell Belle about your return to Dark One-ness." Emma threatened.
"Our agreement was to find your pirate and get the hell out of here. If you wanna distract yourself with this other pursuit, be my guest. I'm out." Gold replied, walking away.

"So," Henry grinned. "who's ready for operation firebird?"
I chuckled. "Is that what we're calling it now?"
"You're referring to the mythological bird or the muscle car?" Emma joked, putting her arm around Henry. The rest of us began to follow Emma and Henry but I stopped once I realised Regina wasn't following. I turned around to look at her, she was watching the clock, which just ticked.
"You okay?" I asked her.
She turned around and smiled and nodded before catching up with me and the two of us walked together.