ENCHANTED FOREST - PAST
Knights on horseback led a carriage through a path in the forest. A man stood in the center of the path, blocking the way. He drew his sword. The knights stopped.
"And just who might you be?" a knight asked.
"I'm the man who's going to relieve you of that chest full of gold you're transporting," the man replied.
The knight laughed. "You and what army?"
"Well I'm glad you asked." He raised his arm and flaming arrows lit up the forest. "Your choice. Save your lives or the gold."
"Retreat!" The knights rode away, leaving the carriage with the gold behind.
The man removed his helmet, revealing himself to be Captain Hook. "Smee!" Smee walked out of the forest. "Those arrows took a lot longer to light than discussed."
"It wasn't easy lighting them all by ourselves, Captain," Smee replied. "Maybe if we had an actual army."
"And share in the spoils? I think not."
"I gotta say: it's good to be at your side again, sir." He unlocked the carriage and removed a treasure chest. "And, not as a rat."
"Well, that's a lovely side effect of the curse breaking for you, I'd imagine."
"I did like the mobility, but being a human is good too." He broke the lock on the treasure chest.
"What did I tell you, mates? You don't need a ship to be a pirate." He laughed.
TAVERN
"To the most clever, dastardly band of pirates to ever set sail-" Hook began as he looked at Smee and they both laughed, "—stride, on the open road!"
"To Captain Hook!" Smee cried and the men cheered and drank. "Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. The boys and I chipped in and got you something." He pointed across the tavern to a wench.
"Oh, Mr. Smee. How did you know?" The wench led Hook out of the tavern.
"Enjoy! To Captain Hook! Come on, one more."
The wench, outside the tavern, as Hook gave her a pouch of coins, said, "I don't understand, your men took care of me."
"And tomorrow, you shall tell them that you had a grand time," Hook replied. "Goodnight." The wench left. Hook began to walk away, but was hit over the head with a club. He fell to the ground, and a figure put a dagger to his throat.
"Move and I'll slit your throat!" Ariel ordered.
"Not a good plan for you. I'm guessing you don't know who I am."
"I know exactly who you are, Captain Hook!"
"Well, then I'm at a disadvantage."
"My name's Ariel. And you're going to pay for what you've done."
STORYBROOKE - PRESENT
David and Emma were attempting to assemble a crib in the Blanchard Loft.
As David looked at the instructions, he said, "See, the enemy battle plans that were used are easier to decode than this."
"Let me see," Emma stated. "All right, it says, "take screws E, with washers D, through bar C, using wrench F, which is not provided"."
"Why don't we just call Marco?" Mary Margaret suggested. "He's really good at this sort of thing."
"No!"
"No!" David repeated. "We're fine."
"Should we even be doing this?" Mary Margaret wondered. "Ever since the showdown between Regina and the Wicked Witch, we haven't seen or at all. Shouldn't we be focusing on her next move?"
"We are," Emma said. "We just can't stop living."
"Yeah, this crib is a statement," David told her. "We're not gonna lose another baby."
Regina entered the loft and said, "And thanks to me, you won't. I'm finished."
"So? Did it work? Were you able to put up a new protection spell?"
"One that can't be undone by blood magic. Which means, Zelena won't be able to put her hands on that baby."
"Any idea why she would want to?" Mary Margaret questioned.
"The number of spells involving baby parts would surprise you. That greeny is clearly one twisted witch. But as long as we're in here, we're safe."
"That's useless," Emma said. "I think we need to stop playing defense and start taking the fight to her."
"Did you not see how I barely outwitted her yesterday? She has magic! Powerful magic."
"I have magic too. You've seen me use it. I just can't always control it. But if we teamed up, if you taught me-"
"Now why does this feel so familiar?"
"I'm ready this time."
Regina laughed. "Okay. But if we do this, we do this my way. This isn't drinking stale coffee at a stakeout, or whatever you did as a bail bonds person. This is a way of life. You have to fully commit to it."
"Not a problem."
"Meet me at my vault in one hour." She left.
"And no complaining. I'm doing this. It's the only way. And yes, I will be careful."
"We know," Mary Margaret replied.
"Don't worry, we'll watch Henry when he gets back from the store," David added.
"Actually, I'm not so sure that's the best idea," Emma admitted.
"What?" Mary Margaret asked. "What is it?"
"Well, you guys are tired. You need to rest."
"I'm pregnant. I'm not sick with the flu."
"Yeah, I know. It's just um... Well, it's... Cradle cap! Last time you guys had him, you overwhelmed him with baby tips. He's twelve, he doesn't want to talk about pregnancies. It's not fun."
"Oh, we're fun."
"I'm just saying, maybe Henry disagrees."
"No."
"He'll get there. You gotta remember, he doesn't remember who you are."
"Well, if we're not fun, who is?" David questioned.
STORYBROOKE DOCKS
Captain Hook looked out at the sea. Jackie and Matthew stood nearby.
"Captain Hook!" Smee called. "Captain."
"It's about time, Mr. Smee," Hook said. "You know how much I bore waiting. What is it that's so urgent?"
"It's just that me and the men were talking about how we haven't seen much of you since we all ended up back here."
"Is there a point to that rather odd observation?" Jackie asked, crossing her arms.
"What's keeping us from crewing up again? Hitting the high seas, getting back to pirating."
"You mean, other than being attacked and turned into Flying Monkeys? Have you forgotten? There's no safe passage out of this town. You've already been a rodent, Mr. Smee. Does life as a simian interest you as well?"
"Of course there's safe passage. We could outrun them."
"Not with that torso of yours!" Hook told him.
"If we had a fast enough ship, the Jolly Roger or the Black Pearl for instance. You or Captain Sparrow haven't told me whether you found her during the time none of us can remember."
"What happened during that time isn't important," Matthew said.
"Because you three remember. Are our ships okay? What happened to them?"
"My ship," Jackie corrected. "The Jolly Roger is Hook's. And all you need to know, Mr. Smee, is that the Black Pearl and the Jolly Roger aren't here. So there will be no outrunning of anything."
"Well, I mean, what if we found another ship? Any one of these!"
"Mr. Smee, Jacqueline's tried letting you down easy, now let me be more direct," Hook said. "She, Matthew and I have no intention of leaving this town."
"Captain, I agree with you. This place has its bright spots. I have never tried anything quite like frozen yogurt before. But the Wicked Witch is here. And with that sort of danger, what possible reason do you three have to stay?"
Matthew saw Emma and Henry approaching. "Our reasons are our own. Question them again at your peril."
"Sir." He left.
Emma said to Henry, "Wait here, okay?" She walked over to Hook, Jackie and Matthew. "Didn't he used to be a rat?"
"Aye," Hook replied. "In many ways, he still is. To what do we owe the pleasure, Swan?"
"I was wondering if you all could take care of Henry again."
"If you want to get close to me, you just have to ask," Matthew told her. "There's no need to use the lad as an excuse."
"Why am I not surprised you're making this about you? I need your help because Regina needs to train me in magic. We think together, we might be able to defeat the Wicked Witch."
Jackie smiled. "Well that's the first reasonable plan we've heard since this all began. Magic is part of you, Swan. Don't forget Hook and I were there when Cora tried to steal your heart. We saw the power inside of you. It's about time you embraced it. It's what makes you the savior."
"I'm not embracing anything. I need to learn magic to defeat Zelena and make sure everyone here is safe. After that, I'm done."
"Done with what, exactly?" Matthew questioned.
Emma looked at Henry. "He doesn't belong here, not anymore. He belongs in the real world, in New York, in the life that he remembers. It was good. And it didn't involve vile villains."
"What about the life you remember?" Hook said. "You can't just pretend like this never happened. Trust me. Jacqueline, Matthew and I spent the last year trying to do just that. Return to the person we used to be, and it didn't work."
"Why? What happened over the last year that you three aren'tk telling me?"
"It matters not. Just take it from us, just this once. No matter how much you wish you could go back to your old life, you can't."
---
David and Mary Margaret were walking along the shore.
"We can't just sit back and do nothing," David said.
"You're right," Mary Margaret agreed. "We can be as fun as any pirate captain."
"Exactly. Henry obviously did a lot of growing up in the past year. We just have to adjust accordingly."
"What's going on?"
"Does anyone know what happened?" a man asked.
"She just washed up on shore," Granny informed.
There is a crowd gathered around something on the beach and Mary Margaret questioned, "Who did? Who's here?" They pushed through the crowd and saw Ariel sitting on a rock. "Ariel?"
---
"Where have you been?" Mary Margaret wondered. "We thought you'd been turned into a monkey!"
"A monkey?" Ariel repeated. "No, I'm a girl who turns into a fish!"
"Yeah, we know," David said. "But what happened to you?"
"I'd been under the sea. Searching. I traveled to every known realm looking for Prince Eric."
"So he's missing. For how long?"
"After Pan failed, I woke up here like everybody else. I couldn't find him. I didn't understand what happened until I overheard everybody saying that we had all gone to the Enchanted Forest and been there for a year without knowing it."
"So you still don't know what happened to him."
"That's why I came back here. I thought maybe I'd overlooked something, that he'd be here, but obviously you haven't seen him."
"We're sorry," Mary Margaret apologized. "We've been trying to piece together what happened. All we know is that we're up against Regina's sister: the Wicked Witch."
"Do you think that she might be responsible for Prince Eric's disappearance?"
"Without our memories it's impossible to know everything."
"Maybe for us, but what about Hook?" David questioned.
"The pirate?" Ariel determined.
"Yes, he wasn't part of the Wicked Witch's curse," Mary Margaret answered. "He has his memories. Maybe he can, I don't know, shed some light on what happened to Prince Eric."
"Well, do you think he'd help me?"
"He helped us save Henry, I don't know why not."
ENCHANTED FOREST - PAST - OUTSIDE THE TAVERN
Ariel was holding a knife to Hook's throat.
"For fear of adding insult to injury, would you mind catching me up on your particular grievance?" Hook asked.
"You kidnapped Prince Eric," Ariel said. "And you're gonna return him to me. Now on your feet!"
Hook started to get up. "Kidnapping a prince. That sounds like something I would do, but I'm afraid you've got the wrong pirate." He grabbed the knife and held it to Ariel's throat. "Or should I say the wrong pirate has you?"
"Go ahead. Kill me. But I still know you're lying. One of Eric's men escaped, so I know the ship that took him was yours. The Jolly Roger."
"The Jolly Roger? Are you certain? Answer me!"
"You really didn't take him."
"What else do you know about who's captaining my ship? Did that man tell you anything else?"
"Only that he was able to escape with a weapon he stole from the armory: the dagger that's against my throat." Hook removed the dagger from Ariel's throat and looked at the handle. The initials "BB" were carved into it. He laughed and ran off.
---
Smee was sleeping inside the tavern. Hook kicked open the door and walked in.
"Rise and shine you bilge rats!" Hook yelled as he kicked the bench that one of his men was sitting on. "No offense, Mr. Smee."
"None taken," Smee replied. "I keep dreaming of cheese. What is it?"
"What is it? And we're gonna take it back."
"Who's funeral shall we be attending, Sir?"
Hook stabbed the table with the dagger. "Blackbeard."
"Blackbeard? But, he's the most cutthroat pirate to ever hoist a sail. After you and Captain Sparrow, of course."
"To make it all more satisfying, when I take my ship back and make him walk her lovely plank."
"Let's not be hasty. We've been having fun robbing carriages, getting rich from it too! Maybe we should forget about the Jolly Roger, you said it yourself, we don't need a ship to be-"
"She's not just a ship!"
"I'm fairly certain she is!"
"She's more than that. I haven't been myself since we've returned. I should've realized the reason why. It's because I don't have her."
"Her? You talk about the vessel as though she's a woman."
"Women come and go Mr. Smee, but a pirate's life: it's forever."
"Still, Captain, I doubt we could even find Blackbeard."
"Don't be a coward! I know where he moors his vessels. It's less than a day's trek. And then I'll have my ship again."
"And I will have my prince," Ariel added.
"Few people have held a dagger to my throat and lived to tell the tale. I'd leave before I change my mind."
"No. I've crossed paths with enough pirates to know your code. Any valuable information a pirate captain retains, shall be compensated in equal favor."
"I think she's right," Smee said.
"So? When do we leave?"
"First we need to find Jacqueline and Matthew."
STORYBROOKE - PRESENT - GRANNY'S DINER
Hook, Jackie and Matthew were playing a dice game with Henry.
Hook laughed. "You wanna know the secret to winning?"
"Practice?" Henry guessed.
"No, my boy," Matthew said with a smirk. "Loaded dice."
"That's cheating."
Jackie shrugged. "Only if you get caught."
"I think it's cheating either way."
"The point is, you win." David, Mary Margaret and Ariel entered the diner. "Practice."
Hook, Matthew and Jackie got up to talk to David.
"Hook, Jackie, Matthew," David called. "This is a friend of ours, Ariel. She's looking for someone who didn't return to Storybrooke with the rest of us."
"He's from a maritime kingdom, and he loves to sail," Ariel said. "Perhaps you came across him on the high seas? His name's Prince Eric."
"Sorry, lass," Hook apologized. "I wish I could help, but I've never heard of him."
Matthew shook his head. "Nor have my sister and I. Apologies, lass."
---
Emma and Regina were in the Heart Vault.
"Don't touch anything," Regina said.
"How am I supposed to learn magic if I can't touch anything?" Emma asked.
"The same way I did with Rumple. We're going to create a solid foundation first, and then build your skills from the ground up." Emma picked something up and was looking at it. "I said," she took the item away from Emma, "don't touch. So, while we're here, who's looking after Henry? The uncharmings?"
"Actually, Hook, Matthew and Jackie are."
"Well, those four have been spending a lot of time together lately."
"Hook, Jackie and Matthew are good with Henry and Henry likes them."
"They're prone to violence, impulsive, and Hook has a hook for a hand. What about them would a twelve-year-old boy not like?"
"I trust them. They brought me back to Storybrooke and they didn't have to."
"Of course they brought you back."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Seriously? You're going to pretend everyone doesn't see the yearning looks and doughy eyes?"
"I don't yearn."
"Well maybe. But Matthew does." She picked up a book. "Let's start with roots for incantations."
Emma took the book. "Are you kidding me right now? What language is this, Spanish?"
"We're not making tapas, we're making magic. It's elvish. Well, half elvish."
"I'm never gonna get this. Is this how Rumple taught you? Just think about your training. What other methods did he use?"
"Rumple was a bully. He didn't suffer fools, and he certainly didn't coddle his students. And if he tried to teach you how to swim, and you couldn't learn, you drowned."
"Drowned?"
"That's it."
"That's what?" Regina used her magic to transport Emma onto a rope bridge that spanned across a canyon. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Teaching you to swim."
GRANNY'S DINER
Hook, Jackie and Matthew were talking to Mary Margaret, David and Ariel.
"Come on," David said. "Think hard, Yo three. Are you sure you can't remember anything that can be useful?"
"My apologies, mate, but if either of us had across a prince during our adventure, I think we'd remember it," Hook replied.
"I just... I don't understand," Ariel said. "How could he vanish without a trace?"
"That's it. Maybe he didn't," Mary Margaret stated.
"What do you mean?" David asked.
"When the curse brought us back here, it brought our things, too. Gold's shop is filled with them."
"And if we find something of Eric's, we can use a Locator Spell to track him."
"Let's go," Ariel said.
"Sounds like a plan," Matthew replied. "Best of luck with that."
"Oh, wait. No. You three should come with us," Mary Margaret suggested. "You all might remember something that we won't. Or can't. You'd eschew be far more helpful than us."
"Well, someone has to keep an eye on the boy."
"Well, Mary Margaret and I can take over," David offered.
"Could we have a talk for a moment?"
David followed Hook and Matthew to the other side of the diner and asked, "What is it?"
"You sure this is such a good idea, mate?" Hook asked. "Let's be honest. There's only one obvious explanation why the little mermaid here can't find her prince. He's dead. There's no reason to ply her with false hope."
"In my experience, there's no such thing. You just have to believe. Now go. Good luck."
ENCHANTED FOREST - PAST
Hook, Jackie, Matthew, Ariel and Smee were walking along a path in a forest.
"Trudge, trudge, trudge," Ariel muttered. "If you ask me, there is nothing more boring than land travel. I'll take my tail in the ocean any day."
"That's one thing we can agree on," Hook said. "Minus the tail, of course. You won't be bored for much longer. Our destination is just past this rise.
"Then it won't be long until I'm reunited." Her cloak caught on a branch and she stopped walking.
"Here. Allow me." He pulled her cloak off the branch, tearing it in the process.
"You've ripped it!"
"It's a cloak."
"It's Eric's cloak. And he's had it since before we met. He left it with me while he was away to keep him close and now you have ruined it!"
"If mending a cloak is our biggest obstacle, we're in fine shape," Matthew said. "You realize you might not find him? Or survive?"
"I will."
"Didn't you see the fear Blackbeard's name struck into Hook's crew?" Jackie said. "You don't become a pirate captain through mercy. If I were you, I'd prepare myself for the worst."
"Why? What are you saying? That you would kill Eric if you had him?"
"You don't believe that?"
"Well, honestly I was a little surprised to hear that you and Hook might be responsible for Eric's kidnapping after the stories that I've heard."
"What stories?"
"Well, the ones of you helping reunite Snow White and her family in Neverland and finding Jackie's brother. Some people say that you're a hero."
Hook grabbed Ariel by the hand and pulled her to the side. "Don't believe every story you hear." He signaled Smee to keep walking.
"Being good is nothing to be ashamed of. People change. Look at me. I have legs and I fell in love with a human. I don't think anyone saw that coming."
"You might have changed. I haven't. I'm a pirate and I always will be. Matthew and Jacqueline will always be pirates."
STORYBROOKE - PRESENT
Hook, Jackie, Matthew and Ariel walked into Gold's shop.
"Belle?" Ariel called.
"Ariel?!" Belle exclaimed. "Where—Where have you been? I-I was—I was worried I'd never see you again." Belle hugged Ariel.
" I've been looking for Eric. He's been missing since we all returned."
"We were hoping we could find something of his here," Hook said.
"Oh—Of course," Belle stated. "To see if he's still in Storybrooke."
"Have you seen anything of his?" Ariel asked.
"I, um, only just started sorting out things. But, uh, don't despair. Let's start looking."
"Okay."
Belle, Matthew and Ariel started looking at the shelfs, while Hook and Jackie went into the back room. He found his telescope and started to chuckle.
"I've been wondering where you've went," Hook said as he stretched the telescope and looked through it. He turned his head until he found Eric's cloak. He went over to it and grabbed it. Jackie glanced at the cloak, then at Hook.
"That's Eric's," Ariel told them. "How did you two know that was his?"
"We, uh—we weren't sure. We saw the sea-creature clasp and remembered that he was from a maritime kingdom," Hook said.
"He is. He was. And now he's here." She hugged Hook and Jackie.
SOMEWHERE IN THE WOODS
Emma was hanging on a rope bridge across a canyon and yelled, "Are you out of your mind?!"
"Every time you exhibiting your power, it's been spurred by your instincts," Regina told her. "So, today we're going to push those instincts until you master them."
"A little reading doesn't sound so bad now."
"You can stop me."
"Stop you from what?"
"This." Regina used her magic to tear down the bridge. Emma hung on to the rope.
"What the hell are you doing?!"
"Making the bridge collapse. You can either stop it... or die."
The wooden pieces Emma was standing on collapsed and she hung onto the rope.
"Regina!" Emma called. "Enough! Stop this!"
"No, you stop it," Regina said. "No more hand holding. You have to do this. Reach into your gut. You know you can do this. It's inside you, Emma. Save the bridge. Save yourself."
"Aaaaah!"
The rope snapped and Emma fell into the canyon. She came back up floating on a piece of the bridge and to Regina.
"Did I... Did I just do that?" Emma asked.
"Yes," Regina replied. "When all I wanted was for you to retie the rope."
"It was like you said—instinct. Why are you pissed? I did it. Why does it matter how?"
"You think I'm mad because you didn't listen to me? I'm mad because look at all this potential inside of you, and you've been wasting it."
MR. GOLD'S SHOP
Belle poured a locator potion on Eric's cloak and said, "This is a locator spell, so whatever object it's poured on becomes enchanted and returns its self to its rightful owner."
"Thank you, Belle," Ariel replied. "I know that you've been busy trying to find a way to break your Mr. Gold out of the witch's control. You didn't have to do this."
"No, I did. Perhaps a little good news around here will be contagious."
The spell began working on the cloak and it started flying away.
"Let's go!" Ariel cried.
ENCHANTED FOREST - PAST - THE JOLLY ROGER
Hook, Ariel, Jackie, Matthew and Smee arrived at the ship, kneeling down behind barrels.
"Up close, she's even more beautiful than I remember," Hook said. "Don't worry my dear. You'll soon be in my loving arms."
"You do realize you're talking to a boat?" Ariel commented.
"You have your love. I have mine."
"So, how are we going to get on board, Captain?" Smee asked. "Blackbeard's crew outnumbers us."
Hook got up and came out from behind the barrels. He moved behind a sailor and knocked him out. Ariel, Matthew, Jackie and Smee followed. Hook and Jackie pulled out their swords. They then hopped on the ship.
"Stand at attention, mates," Hook ordered. "Now boarding the ship, the rightful captain of the Jolly Roger and my fellow captain Jacqueline Sparrow. Now, if the coward who tried stealing her from me would kindly show is face, I'll give him the punishment her deserves."
Blackbeard showed up from below deck and said, "Gladly. But it's not me who'll be punished." He kicked a barrel down. "You want you ship back? Then take it."
Hook and Jackie hit his sword while Ariel, Matthew and Smee snuck onto the ship.
"With pleasure," Hook and Jackie replied.
Hook, Jackie and Blackbeard fought while the crew cheered.
"Oh, yeah," Blackbeard commented and they continued to fight. "I was afraid you weren't going to show up. Word on the waterways is that Captain Hook and Captain Sparrow had gone soft."
"The only thing soft will be your guts spilling on this deck," Hook retorted as he grabbed on a rope, grabbed Jackie's waist, and swung in the other direction, pulling the mast down and covering the crew. He and Jackie landed on their feet back on the deck. "Jacqueline and I'd never give up the Jolly Roger without a fight. The same for the Black Pearl."
Hook, Jackie and Blackbeard continued to fight. They stopped at the front of the ship.
"You think you know this ship?" Jackie asked.
"Oh, every inch of it, I assure you," Blackbeard said.
"If that were the case, you'd know not to step there." Jackie hit a wooden plank with her sword and Blackbeard got stuck in the hole.
"Aaaah!"
"Oh, I've been meaning to fix that," Hook said.
"Finish it!"
"Fancy a shave, do we? Well, I'll be happy to oblige." Hook swung his sword, but Ariel stopped him.
"Wait!" Ariel cried. "Eric's not aboard. You have to get him to tell you where he is."
"You heard the lady. Where is he?"
"So that's what this was, a rescue mission for some wench?" Blackbeard said. "Ha! They were right about you, Hook, Jackie. You have gone soft."
Jackie knelt closer to Blackbeard and said in a low voice, "He and I can either make this painful or quite painful. Now answer!"
"I have him stashed safe and sound on a deserted island. Only I know where. I was planning to ransom him when the time was right."
"Whatever it is, I'll pay it," Ariel offered.
"Money is not what I'm after anymore."
"Then what is it that you want?"
"The satisfaction of proving Captain Hook and Captain Sparrow are no longer pirates."
"How are you going to prove that?" Hook inquired.
"By giving you a choice. Surrender the ships to me, and I'll tell you where I'm holding her prince. Or refuse, and he dies along with me."
STORYBROOKE - PRESENT - STORYBROOKE HARBOR
Hook, Jackie, Matthew and Ariel were following Eric's cloak.
"We must be getting close," Ariel said. "Maybe he's on one of those boats." The cloak fell onto the water and it sucked in. "It must be searching. If the spell worked, and it's taken us to Eric, then he's gone." She hugged Hook and Jackie.
"I'm sorry," Hook and Jackie apologized.
Matthew looked at Ariel with a solemn expression. "Apologies, lass."
---
David and Mary Margaret were walking.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Mary Margaret asked.
"You said you wanted to take action, so we're taking action," David said.
"Well-"
"Mary Margaret, our grandson would rather spend time with pirates than us, but not after today."
"It's dangerous, not to mention illegal!"
"It couldn't be safer. As far as the legality, I'm a Sheriff." He kissed Mary Margaret on the cheek then hopped in his truck, where Henry was sitting.
"So, are you sure this is okay?" Henry asked.
"Well, if Killian, Jacqueline and Matthew can teach you how to steal a boat, I can teach you how to drive."
"Technically, we borrowed it."
"Well, what do you say we see how well you can handle a land vessel?"
Henry started driving.
"Okay," David said. "Steady, steady. There you go. All right. Steady, steady."
"I got it," Henry replied. "I got it."
"Steady, steady."
"Okay."
"Watch out!"
Henry hit a mailbox.
STORYBROOKE HARBOR
"I saved Eric from the sea once before," Ariel said. "I just never thought I would lose him to it in the end."
"A sailor couldn't hope for a better resting place," Hook told her.
"Thank you."
"We didn't do anything."
"You and Jackie found Eric's cloak. I would've never stopped looking for him. At least now I know that our story's over. I just wish I knew how it ended. You're more than pirates, Hook, Jackie. You both have true hearts. I'll always be grateful that you two and Matthew tried to help me." She left.
ENCHANTED FOREST - PAST - THE JOLLY ROGER
Hook and Jackie had Blackbeard tied up and ready to walk the plank.
"You can't do this," Ariel told him. "We had an agreement. You promised me that you would help find Eric. Please. I know that you are a good man and a good woman, and I know that man and woman are still in there somewhere. It's not too late to do the right thing. Isn't true love more important than a few planks and a sail?"
"She might just be a few planks in the sail, but she's mine," Hook said. "She's all I need. Love brings nothing but wasted years and endless torment. I'm doing you a favor." He cut Blackbeard in the shoulder. "A little something to whet the appetite of our razor toothed friends below." He pushed Blackbeard off the ship.
Jackie's gaze hardened as she stared at Hook and she walked back to her brother and immediately frowned upon seeing her expression.
"No!"
"Enjoy the feast, boys! The Jolly Roger is mine! Any man willing to swear an oath to me shall be given quarter. Those who don't, you are welcome to follow your former captain. You may release her, Mr. Smee."
Ariel slapped Hook in the face. "I was wrong about you, Captain. You're selfish and you're heartless. And that is what will bring you wasted years and endless torment. I feel sorry for you. You'll never be happy."
"Where do you think you're going?"
"Eric's is still out there, and I will find him, no matter what it takes." She jumped into the ocean and swam away.
Jackie walked up to Hook and spat, "You haven't changed. I thought we were finally moving forward, yet you push away the idea of love."
"Jacqueline, I didn't mean-"
"No. You meant exactly as you said, Hook." She walked away and Matthew followed.
"Jacqueline! Jacqueline!"
STORYBROOKE - PRESENT - STORYBROOKE HARBOR
Hook and Matthew chased after Ariel. "Ariel! Wait!" Jackie had gone her separate way.
"What is it?" Ariel asked.
"I have a confession," Hook said. "Matthew, Jacqueline and I haven't being entirely truthful with you, with myself. You and we met before. Our paths crossed during the missing year."
"What?"
"Eric had been kidnapped by the pirate Blackbeard," Matthew told her. "You asked us to find him."
"I don't understand. Why didn't you say anything?"
"Because I was too ashamed," Hook admitted. "I sacrificed saving your prince for my ship. I am so sorry, Ariel."
Ariel slapped Hook in the face. "You're a coward and a monster! You let a man die for your ship?! What kind of person does that?"
"The kind who's empty, who believes a ship can fill a void left from a broken heart."
"And that makes it okay?!"
"No, it doesn't. I would give anything to take it back, to make things right."
"Anything?"
"Yes, anything."
"How am I supposed to trust a man who no longer believes in love?"
"I still do," Hook and Matthew said.
"Then swear to me on it, these women who broke your hearts, do you still love them?"
"Yes."
"Then swear to me on their names."
"I swear on Jacqueline Sparrow," Hook said.
"I swear on Emma Swan," Matthew stated.
"Thank you, Captain, Matthew. That's exactly what I needed to hear." She cursed Hook and Matthew's lips.
"What the hell?" Hook and Matthew asked.
Ariel transformed into who she really was; Zelena.
"Zelena?" Hook said. "It was you. Where's Ariel?"
Hook and Matthew pulled out their swords, but Zelena knocked them out of their hands.
"Relax," Zelena told them. "She was never really here. After she left you on your beloved ship, she actually found where Blackbeard had been keeping prince."
"She found him?" Matthew asked. "How do you know that?"
"My monkeys are always circling, Captain, Matthew. Through every realm, always circling. She found him on Hangman's Island, which was outside the force of the curse. They've been living happily ever after ever since. Don't you just love a good twist?"
"I don't understand. Why would you pretend to be her?" Hook questioned.
"To corrupt your love. As a said earlier, I've known about your dirty little secret for quite some time, seen the guilt on your face over the decision you made that day. I knew it haunted you and I knew I could use it."
"Use it for what?" Matthew demanded.
"When you invoked the name of your love, in a selfish plea for redemption, I was able to curse you, more specifically your kiss. See, the next time your lips touch Emma Swan's, or Hook's touch Jackie Sparrow's, all of her magic will be taken. Everything that makes her special, everything that makes her powerful, everything that makes her a threat, will be gone."
"I won't do it," Hook said. "Nor will he. We'll tell them and they'll defeat you."
"Then, I'll send the Dark One to kill them before you can."
"No, you won't," Matthew said, coming to a realization. "If you could have killed her, you would have. You need her power removed. It's why you didn't kill her when she came to the town. It's why you had a monkey look after her in New York, instead of kill her. For some reason, you can't."
"It no longer matters because you're going to remove her powers. I may not be able to hurt Emma, but I can hurt those around her. Her parents, her friends, her child."
"Do not go near him."
"Oh, yes. You've both become quite found of the boy, haven't you? I will enjoy turning him into a monkey's breakfast."
"We'll stop you," Hook said.
"No, you won't. That pointy hook of yours can scratch a mere mortal, but me? You're out of your depth, pirates. The choice is yours. Kiss Emma and Jackie and remove her powers or everyone they love dies." She disappeared in a green smoke cloud.
BLANCHARD LOFT
Matthew knocked on the door and said, "Swan? I didn't expect to see you here."
"What do you mean?" Emma asked. "Where's Henry? Is everything all right?"
"He's fine. He's with his grandparents. I thought they might be back here."
"We haven't seen them. If you're not with Henry, what have you been doing all day?"
"Hook, Jackie and I were enlisted to help Ariel find her lost prince." He walked into the loft.
"Really? That fish is in Storybrooke?" Regina asked.
"She was. Yes. And we found a clue in Gold's shop. Which lead us to discover that Eric had been shipwrecked on Hangman's Island, just off the coast of the Enchanted Forest."
"Zelena's curse must not have reached that far," Emma guessed.
"Ariel's on her way there now. She wanted me to say goodbye to Mary Margaret for her."
"At the rate mermaids swim, she's probably already there," Regina said. "In fact, let's find out." She walked over to a mirror and Matthew and Emma followed.
"I thought you couldn't use mirror magic to look between worlds," Emma remembered.
"I can't. But after seeing the raw power that you possess, I think maybe you can."
"There's no need," Matthew told her. "I'm sure she's fine. Anyway, it's bad form to spy on such an affair."
"How do I do it?" Emma asked.
"Well, you've focused," Regina replied. "You've let emotions awaken your power. Now you have to look inward."
Emma closed her eyes and used her magic to make Ariel and Prince Eric appear.
"You did this?" Emma questioned. "You brought them together?"
"No," Matthew answered. "It was Ariel. She never stopped believing."
"Modesty? You're just full of surprises today."
The door opened and Henry, David and Mary Margaret walked through the door.
"Where have you been?" Emma wondered.
"Only having the best day ever!" Henry cried. "David let me drive his truck."
"You let him what?!" Regina cried. "Oh. As mayor I can't let an unlicensed, underage driver on the streets of Storybrooke."
"As mayor you might want to throw a little money towards road repair," David said.
"Excuse me?"
"Nothing."
"This is a terrible mistake."
"She's right," Emma said. "Someone could have been seriously hurt."
"Only if you're mailbox," Mary Margaret stated.
"It was so much fun," Henry said.
"What can I say?" David replied. "I've got a reckless, carefree, fun side."
"Matthew? Where's our friend?" Mary Margaret asked.
"It turns out her missing husband was home after all," Matthew answered.
"It's true," Emma confirmed. "We just checked on them on Skype."
"She sends her regards, but she was too excited to wait."
Mary Margaret smiled and said, "A happy ending. Well, maybe our luck's about to change. Dinner at Granny's."
"Can I drive?" Henry asked.
"No!" everyone cried.
"Well, I guess I'll leave you guys to it." Matthew said.
"You're not coming?" Emma inquired.
"Another time, perhaps."
"Well, if you change your mind, you'll know where we'll be. And Matthew, whatever happened this past year, whatever you, Jackie and Killian aren't telling me, I don't care. I'm tired of living in the past."
"I know how you feel." He walked down the stairs and left.
GRANNY'S DINER
Emma, Regina, Henry, David and Mary Margaret were eating at a table. Matthew watched Emma from afar with Hook's telescope, sadly.
Hook came up behind him. "Not easy, is it? May I?"
Matthew nodded and handed Hook the telescope. Hook turned his attention to The Black Pearl bar to see Jackie opening it with a smile and looked at her sadly.