Time Will Tell

Chapter Eight

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Regina and Snow quietly settle down for supper later that evening. The tension at the table is palpable, but she cannot possibly fathom why she is feeling so much anger radiating from the princess. Usually there is some tension, yes, mostly because she despises the young woman, but she has no problem masking the emotions in front of Snow. However, this evening, feels utterly different, something is off.

So, they sit in silence as they eat. Snow's eyes are straining onto her meal, obviously stewing and pouting about something. Every so often, Regina will lift her gaze, assessing and studying the princess closely. When they are about halfway through their meal, a loud clatter echoes through the dining area, snapping Regina's attention toward the bratty teen who dropped her fork a little too aggressively.

"Regina," Snow exhales, but hesitates as she tries to scrape her mind for the right words. Regina blankly stares in return, wondering if maybe Snow will find some manners along the way. "Regina, a man came to visit me this evening in my room," she confesses, but Regina fights back the urge to react, knowing all too well who the man is. She remains impassive, glaring at the spoiled brat. "He told me that he can see the future. He explained how you were going to seek your revenge at the expense of my life. Not only that you will cast a horrible curse, but destroy my future family," Snow reveals everything in one single breath.

When Regina remains silent, Snow finds her courage to finally look up from her plate and meet the cold hard glare pointed directly at her.

"And you believe this stranger?" She casually investigates as if she is disinterested in the subject.

Elegantly as always, she gathers her fork and proceeds to eat as if she doesn't have a care in the world. She refuses to allow this insolent child to see her true emotions. She will never allow Snow White to get the best of her, ever again. Her head is slightly bowed as she consumes a dainty bite, all while she peeks through her eyelashes, examining how Snow chews neurotically on her bottom lip, taking Regina's question into consideration.

"My father?"

"What about him, dear?"

"Did...did you have something to do-"

The rage boils and leaks like the hazardous waste it is through her blood, forcing her to slam her fork down, startling the princess and provoking her to jump in her seat.

"Need I remind you, who you are speaking with? You may return to your room now," Regina reprimands her, but Snow holds her gaze for a moment until Regina raises her voice and shouts, "Now!"

Snow hastily leaps from her chair and Regina watches closely, inspecting how unnervingly calm she is as she struts confidently back to her room. And she knows something is off.

She doesn't have to wait too long for her theories to be confirmed because the very next morning, the guards inform the Queen that Snow had run off in the night. Regina sent every man she owns out to find the princess and bring her home.

Thus forming the never ending chase between Snow White and the Evil Queen, as the princess so kindly named her.

~~~~~~

Storybrooke: Present Time

Killian wakes up with a jolt, blindly searching the spot beside him in bed. He has a gut-wrenching feeling that something went terribly wrong with Emma last night, forcing him to jump right out of bed. He knew something was off with his wife and he should have never let her go alone.

"Emma?" He repeatedly calls out as he jogs down the stairs in the Charmings' loft.

He searches the kitchen and living room, but he knows it's hopeless, he can feel it in his gut that she is not there. He slides onto a stool and scrubs his hand down his face as David and Henry rush to his side.

"What's going on Hook?" David suspiciously asks, stepping in front of the counter and folding his arms across his chest like the protective father he is.

"Where's my mom?" Henry immediately interrogates, eyeing his stepfather warily.

"I'm not quite sure, lad," he shamefully admits, scratching the back of his head while Emma's father and son glare murderously at him.

"What do you mean you don't know where my daughter is?"

"She lost her cool last night, rambling on about Regina being alone, she ran out the door before I could stop her."

"How could you let her leave in the middle of the night alone?" Snow screeches, startling the former pirate as she comes barging into the kitchen with a sleepy Neal following in her shadow.

"You know how stubborn she is. Emma does things her way, when she wants. There's no changing that woman's mind when she's determined," he attempts to defend himself, but fails miserably by the way David and Snow are both shaking their heads in disappointment.

"I need to go home," Henry unexpectedly blurts out, gathering everyone's attention.

"Well, you're not going alone," David sternly orders, still bitterly glaring at his son-in-law for being so careless at a time like this.

"Why, do you think Emma's there?" Killian asks, his blue eyes brimming with hope as he lifts his head toward Henry.

"I-I don't know," Henry stutters, before he becomes lost in thought and rushes toward the door. "But, I think I need my book right now."

"Alright, let's try calling Emma and in the meantime we can make a quick break-"

"No, grandma, I need my book right now. We don't have time-"

"Alright, we are coming with you," Snow insists, ushering Neal toward the door for his coat even though he's still in his pajamas and clearly half asleep.

The group rushes to slip into their coats and shoes, one more worried than the next to leave anyone alone at this point if people keep vanishing from thin air. Henry rushes down the apartment building's staircase with Hook behind him while David locks up and Snow takes Neal's hand and follows along.  Everyone piles uncomfortably into David's truck, luckily he's the sheriff now and there won't be any issues with speeding.

It isn't long before they are parking outside of the mayor's mansion and everyone is rushing out of the car and up the brick pathway. Henry fishes his key out of his coat pocket, unlocking the door with a shaky hand, because now, both his mothers are missing and it's unnerving. He doesn't bother with an explanation, his feet already charging through the foyer and up the stairs, leaving everyone else in his awake.

Not one person can find the courage to mutter a single sound, feeling completely out of place in the mansion without Regina's consent. They have all come a long way in their relationship, yet it still feels forbidden and foreign to be in her home without her.

After a few minutes of agonizing silence, Henry's heavy foot stomps echo through the home as he charges down the stairs. He's clutching the storybook protectively against his chest and all eyes immediately fall to that book that not one of them has seen in the last five years.

"You guys are not going to believe this..." Henry announces, rushing into the kitchen and encouraging everyone to quickly follow him.

He slams his book down on the marble island with the book already opened to the last page.

"What's this?" Snow curiously inquires, peeking over Henry's shoulder to observe a new illustration she has never seen before. "I thought this story was complete when Emma defeated the Black Fairy in the final battle," she rambles, her eyes absorbing every detail that the new page has to offer.

"That's what I thought too..."Henry concedes skeptically as everyone else in the group leans forward to examine a drawing of Emma walking through the Enchanted Forest with Mulan.

Snow tentatively reaches for the book, her fingers feeling magnetized to the drawing and words before her. She mindlessly traces over the intricate script written below while she reads out loud.

"As the Savior begins her journey with Mulan to discover her true destiny."