Turn for the Worst

Chapter 51

Henry can barely speak as he realizes that he is really talking to his mother. It's not some dream or a sick joke by someone else. He immediately begins to tear up. He rushes from his room and down the hall into the crowded living room. He's practically panting. Many look up at him.

"What is it, Henry?" Regina asks, standing up to go to him.

"M-Mom..." Henry says barely managing to get the words out.

"What do you mean?" David asks.

Henry puts his phone on speaker.

"Mom, can you hear me?"

"Yes Henry, I can hear you. Where are you? Who are you talking to?"

The room gasps all at once and rushes over as best they can. David grabs the phone from Henry in a frenzy.

"Emma is that you?" he nearly shouts.

"It is, David," Emma says, so happy to hear a familiar voice. She begins tearing up, overwhelmed with joy.

"Are you alright?" he asks.

"I could be better at this point," she sighs weakly.

Killian is stumbling over with his crutches, inundated by emotion. His heart is threatening to burst through his chest in joy but also anxiety and fear. He fights his way through the crowd of people to at least hear his beloved Emma more clearly.

David brings Henry's phone to a computer and hooks it up. He begins to try and collect data from it, August directing him the entire way.

"Where the hell are you?" Ruby yells into the phone.

"I-I don't know exactly, in some cabin in the woods," Emma says.

"Do you know where this cabin is?" David asks.

Emma's stomach twists. "I'm sorry I don't. I was blindfolded for most of the trip."

"What did he do to you, Emma?" David asks.

"What happened that night at the bar?" Lacey calls out.

"Were you held in that man's home?" Regina asks.

"Is the man still with you?"

"Has he hurt you?"

"Has he threatened you?"

The questions should be overwhelming to her, but they are a comfort to Emma. To hear her friends' voices again and her son's, it's such a relief. She hopes David can put a trace on the call and they will be able to find her faster.

"Emma, is there any way that you can escape right now?" August asks loudly.

"Who is that?" she asks, not recognizing the voice on the other end.

"It's August," he answers.

Her heart sinks just a little bit but then fills with hope as she remembered that August was a private investigator and could find anyone.

"Long time no see huh?" he says in good humour. "We're going to find you, Emma."

Emma smiles and laughs through her tears. "Thank you, August."

"Emma, is there any way you can escape?" the private investigator asks.

"It's going to be hard, he has me locked in the room right now and there are bars on the window. I tried to threaten him this morning and I ended up getting hurt."

Killian's hands clench into fists and his face flushes in anger. This bloody bastard was hurting Emma, leaving her weak and wounded. He took in a sharp breath as if trying to calm himself.

"Can you at least describe your surrounding area?" David asks he's paged several of his officers to be on standby. The problem is that Henry's phone and the computer cannot seem to pick up the signal. August grabs his notepad.

Emma stands up and looks out the window, squinting into the darkness. She uses bits and pieces of her time around the other parts of the house to help with her description.

"We're in a really thick part of the woods. It might be a national park or something, I can't really tell right now. We're in a shitty cabin that's falling apart and has overgrowth and ivy everywhere. It takes the guy hours to get to the nearest town and back. The trees are really thick in this area, there are pine trees on all sides. The terrain is mostly gravel and underbrush..."

August is writing down everything he can frantically while David calls over some more officers to help him. Everyone else listens with bated breath, waiting for the chance to talk to their missing loved one.

"Is that everything?" August asks.

"It's what I can see right now. Is Mary Margret there?"

"I am Emma," the teacher and best friend sobs. She's been in tears this entire time. "I'm here and I'm so happy to know you're okay."

"How's the baby?"

"He's beautiful, his name is Jacob."

Emma cries quietly, smiling with great pleasure and joy. They had a boy, a beautiful baby boy, his name was Jacob. She wished beyond all measure that she could see his beautiful face and watch her best friends adjust to becoming new parents.

"He's waiting for his godmother to come home and meet him," Mary sobs.

Emma cries a little harder. She squeezes the bloody rag she's been using as a bandage tightly, wanting to be free even more. Even though she was missing, she was still the little guy's godmother. It made her feel a little happy that everyone missed her and never assumed that she was dead.

"Is Henry okay?" the mother asks.

"I'm fine Mom," Henry says as convincingly as he can, even though he's crying. "Regina and Mary Margret have been taking care of me."

"I'm so glad, you're the only reason I keep hope alive, Bug."

Henry nearly collapses after his mother uses his old nickname. He seems to forget his teenage angst against the name and just wants to see his mother again.

"We've been looking everywhere for you Emma, we've done search parties and used cadaver dogs, anything to find you..." Ruby says.

Emma gives another weak smile. Unbeknownst to her, a figure is slowly climbing the stairs, making his way towards her room.

"Is... is Killian there?" Emma asks.

"Aye Swan I am," Killian says. He just wants to grab the phone as if it is Emma herself and hold onto every word she says.

"I miss you so much," Emma whispers.

"We won't be apart for much longer Love I promise," Killian says. "I will find you, I will always find you."

Emma is still slightly oblivious to the figure creeping up behind her, she's lost in her own emotions.

"Killian there's something you should know I'm..."

Suddenly the line goes dead.

Another great cliffhanger. I also changed Leo's name to Jacob because one of the reviewers thought I should be a bit more creative and use a name that hasn't been used before. Thank you for the reviews, they mean so much to me. I'm happy Once Upon a Time is back on TV again. I will hopefully update soon.