Henry sat in the corner of the sheriffs office with his book on his lap. From across the room he watched his Grandparents and Ruby whisper nervously. He tried to listen in but he couldn't make out what they were saying. All he knew was that Corey was missing and that his Mom couldn't figure out what had happened. . . . . Yet. He knew she would figure it out. He opened his book and started to flip through the pages. He was looking for anything that might give him a clue as to where she went or more importantly who would want to hurt her. At first Henry thought Mr. Gold was the one who did it but, he and Belle were at Granny's the whole time. Henry continued to flip through the pages but then something caught his eye. One of the pages was peeling apart. As he looked at it more closely he noticed that he could see a small corner of a picture. He carefully pulled the two pieces of paper apart. Making sure not to rip them. He stared intently at the new page. It had a picture of Snow White and Prince Charming standing in front of a group of grown men surrounded by guards. But what really caught his eye was a girl who looked about thirteen or fourteen. She stood boldly in the middle of all the men with a look of defiance on her face. Henry more closely examined the men surrounding her. He noticed one man in particular the one standing directly behind the girl. . . . . . The one with the Hook. Henry went to read it but the years of being stuck together had taken its toll on the writing and the words were too smeared to read.
"Hey! Come look at this!" He called across the room. Next thing he knew his Grandparents and Ruby were huddled around him and were peering over his shoulder. "The words are smeared so I don't know what it says but, look.."he pointed his finger at the girl. And then at the Hook on the man behind her. Snow gasped.
"I remember that! They were caught trying to break into the palace treasury! I totally forgot until now." Snow said as she looked at the picture more closely.
"Could you tell me what happened?" Henry asked. Snow and Charming pulled up chairs beside him.
"Well," Snow said with a sigh. "Where do I begin?"
*********************************************
Snow sat quietly at the table while Charming rambled on about something to one of the guards. She glanced down nervously at her stomach. In another week or two she would start to show. She twisted the ring from Charming's mother nervously around her finger.
Could she handle being a mother?
How would she know how to be a good Mom if she barely could remember hers?
Questions swirled around her head like a tornado. But on top of it all was Regina's warning. It echoed through her head constantly.
When the baby did come would she even be safe?
KNOCK KNOCK
Snow was ripped away from her thoughts and thrown back into her Queenly duties.
"Come in." Charming said. His voice was so reassuring. When he spoke she felt all her worries begin to melt away. The doors were thrown open and a group of soldiers shuffled in. Once the doors closed behind them half of the men moved aside to reveal a fourteen year old girl with her hand tied behind her back. Her hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail with strands falling out in the front. But two bright blue eyes shown brightly from behind the hair in her face. Snow was appalled that they were treating the girl like a criminal.
"Why is she tied up?" Snow demanded.
"My majesty, She was caught trying to steal from the palace treasury." A solider said. Snow examined the girls face trying to see if it was true but, the girl kept the same unwavering ice cold stare. Her face was completely emotionless.
"Leave us." Snow said. The soldiers looked at Charming who was looking at Snow with concern in his eyes.
"Are you sure?" He asked. Snow nodded.
"She's tied up. I'll be fine." Snow said with a small smile.
"I'll be right outside the door if you need me." Charming said before kissing Snow and heading out the door. The door closed behind him.
It was just the girl and Snow.
"Were you trying to steal from the castle treasury?" Snow asked. The girl stood frozen where she was. She hadn't moved at all since she entered the room. If it was even possible the girls glare grew even colder.
"Do you think I would be here if I wasn't trying." The girl spat.
"Why? What need do you have with all the treasure?" Snow asked. Still the girls face stayed emotionless.
"I, have no need. It's about what the person I work for needs. But the question is what do you need with all of it!" Corey said.
"It's not mine. it's the kingdoms. Who are you working for? And why do they need it?" Snow asked but as soon as it was out of her mouth the doors swung open and a group of men were led in. They too were tied up. Charming walked over to her. He leaned in and whispered in her ear.
"They were caught trying to break in down the hall." Snow nodded to show him he heard what he said. One man, the man missing his left hand looked at the girl with concern in his eyes. He leaned over and said something to the girl. Snow could barely hear it but it looked like he was asking if she was ok. Then it hit Snow they were working together. The men had broken in to help the girl.
"They're working together." Snow said. All the guards interrogating them men stopped. "Now tell me who you're working for." The room went silent. The girls eyes bore into Snow. Then the girl said something.
" I BELIEVE!" She shouted! Then the window flew open and all the candles went out. The room was dark Snow couldn't see a thing. She grabbed Charming's hand. She could hear something flying around the room and a strong gust of wind blew through her hair. Snow stood frozen in the darkness as the wind whipped all around her. Then the whistling and the wind stopped.
Finally the guards got the candles lit again. And she could finally see. All the thieves were gone.
"Where'd they go!" One guard shouted. Then a cool burst of wind came through an open window. Snow and Charming walked toward the window.
"They couldn't have escaped out of here." Snow said as she looked down. "No one could survive a fall like that." She said as she looked down at the rocky ground below.
"Your majesty?" One guard spoke up. "I saw a figure come though that window.... But, I didn't get a good look because everything went dark."
"Well what did it look like?" Charming asked.
"Unlike anything I've ever seen before.... almost like a shadow.....without an owner." The guard finished.
*************************************************
Henry stared down at the picture. He looked at the guards armor. His grandparents actually had worn clothes like that.
"Did you ever see Corey and Hook again?" He asked.
"No, not until we found Corey passed out on the docks a couple months ago." Snow finished. Then the bells on the door rang. Henry looked up to see his Dad walk in.
"Have you found Corey yet?" He asked nervously. Charming shook his head.
"No, not yet but Emma and Hook are out looking." Charming replied. Neal swore under his breathe.
"Just to make sure, the curse only worked on our world. It didn't effect any others right?" Neal asked.
"I believe so." Snow answered.
"What if part of someone was there?" Neal asked. Everyone gave him confused looks.
"What do you mean?" Ruby asked.
"Like, what if, someone's shadow was in the Enchanted Forrest when the curse hit. But the body was somewhere else. Would the body go too?"
"What are you trying to say?" Charming asked.
"Wait...." Henry said. As he looked to Snow. "In the story the guard thought he saw a shadow. Can a shadow be separated from its body?" Henry asked. Turning to Neal.
"Yes, and I'm wondering if someone Corey has a complicated history with is somehow in Storybrooke. It would explain who is responsible for her disappearance." Neal said. His eyebrows were furrowed with concern.
"The town files are in that cabinet." Charming said "if the person was here during the Curse they will have a file." Neal nodded.
"Thanks, I better get looking." He said before heading towards the cabinet.
"I'll help" Ruby said before following Neal.
******************************************************
The women in the gray sweatshirt looked both ways before bolting down the street. Emma looked nervously at Hook to see his reaction. He stood up and brushed off his pants. Emma did the same. She closely examined his face but she couldn't read his expression.
"She's a tough girl. She'll be fine. . . Wherever she is." Emma said in an attempt at comforting him but she was never good at comforting. Mostly because up until she came to Storybrooke no one ever cared enough to comfort her. But instead of Hooks expression softening it got tense. He mumbled something under his breathe.
"What was that?" Emma asked.
"It's my fault...." He said as he looked down at the ground.
"What! Are you serious? It was not your fault!"
"If I had taught her to fight better she could have defended herself." He said.
"Seriously? You wanna play the blame game? How about this? If I had been on my regular patrol I would have come around that corner right as Gray sweatshirt started to hurt her!" Emma said fiercely. She hated talking about what would've or could've happened.... No matter the situation. Hooks expression softened.
"Your right, I was being foolish...... That was bad form.... I'm sorry." He said his gaze falling back to the ground. Emma looked in his blue eyes. That's where Corey got her magnificent sparkling blue eyes from. But, His eyes didn't have their normal sparkle to them they looked dull and lifeless.
"I do have a question... When Gold said we weren't the only ones looking for Corey what did he mean?" Emma asked. The concern in Hook's eyes only grew.
"He's referring to someone we met when we were in Neverland." Hook said grimly as he reflected on the time he and Corey spent in Neverland.
"Who?" Emma asked.
"Peter Pan." Hook growled. "And I swear if he does so much as hurt a hair in her head I Will. Kill. Him."
"Wait? Peter Pan? The little boy?" Emma said. Disney is really way off with what happened in all of the stories she thought to herself.
"Aye, I'm afraid of what he'll do to her. . . . At least before I knew he wouldn't hurt her but now.... I'm not so sure." Hook said.
"Why would he hurt her?"
"Let's just say he and Corey have a. Very. Complicated history." Emma could tell he didn't want to talk about it. So she decided to drop the subject.
"Well then, Let's get down from here and find Corey before he does." Emma said as she headed down the side of the building.
Emma peeked around the corner of the building cautiously to see if anyone was coming before she and Hook crossed the road.
"How will we know where she is?" Hook asked.
"I don't know but we'll find a way." Emma said as they approached the alley. They stood in the entrance to the alley. As Emma gazed around she saw the fight between Corey and the women in the gray sweatshirt, she heard Corey's screams for help, and the women in the gray sweatshirts threats all replay in her head. As it replayed in her head she noticed something fall out of the women in the gray sweatshirt's pocket. Emma's eyes flew open. She saw a piece of crumpled up paper laying on the ground. She bent down and picked it up.
"What is it?" Hook asked curiously as he peered over her shoulder. Emma slowly unfolded the paper. Her voice caught in her throat as she read its contents.
"A list. . . . . ." She gasped
"Of the people of Storybrooke" Hook finished. Emma looked over the list again.
Mary Margaret-Snow White
David Nolan-Prince Charming
Ruby-Little Red Riding Hood
Mayor Mills-Queen Regina
Mr. Gold-Rumplestilskin
"If we can find who made this list, we can find who hurt Corey." Emma said. "And I have a feeling that Corey isn't the only one they plan on hurting." Emma glanced down at her watch. "Ruby and I just got to your ship. We should head that way if we want to find that watch."
"I'm sorry love, but the crocodile said the watch would be close to ourselves but, how are we supposed to get it without your friend....smelling us?" Hook said.
"We're just going to have to hope she can't." Emma said before heading down the road.
************************************************
Emma peered quickly thorough the window of the sheriffs office. She looked around anxiously for the watch. Then Ruby began to turn her head. Emma ducked back down into the bushes.
"I can't see it-" Hook slapped his hand over her mouth. He held a finger up to his lips. Emma grew quiet and listened carefully. She could hear someone heading their way. Emma scooted closer to Hook so the bush hid them both. She Looked quietly through the branches. She could see her Mom running by. Her Mom looked upset and concerned. Her Dad followed closely behind. Out of the corner of her eye she saw something shimmer in her Mom's coat pocket. As soon as the office door closed behind her Emma let out a frustrated sigh.
"It's in her pocket!" She groaned. "How are we supposed to get it!"
"We'll find a way." Hook said.
"How can you be so sure?"
"We have yet to fail. We got the compass from the giant. We found out what happened to Corey. We found a the list. I don't mean to upset you Emma but we make quite the team." Hook said with a half hearted smile. Emma rolled her eyes before turning around and peeking through the window. Her Mom had just hung her coat up. They all were going to be gathered around the computer any minute.
"Now is our chance." Emma said as she began to crawl through the bushes toward the door. Hook followed closely behind. "I'll go in. Ruby will be less likely to smell me because its my office. Stay here and stay hidden." Hooked nodded.
"Be careful, Love, It would be a terrible shame if you turned into a pile of dust because you saw yourself." Hook said with a smirk but his eyes showed concerned and worry. Emma opened the door just right so the bells didn't ring. She cautiously looked over. They were all gathered around the computer just like she had predicted. She crept over to the coat rack. Emma prayed that all the emotional stress was clouding Ruby's senses. Emma slowly reached into the coat pocket. Fortunately she was a pro at picking pockets.......Thanks to Neal. Her hand touched the cold metal. Slowly she pulled it out hoping the chain wouldn't clink and luckily it didn't. Then it was out of her Mom's pocket. Emma got back down on her hands and knees and crawled back to the door. She opened it just as she did before. She climbed back into the bushes beside Hook.
"Did you get it?" He said. His eyes wide with concern. Emma opened her hand. It revealed a shining copper watch.
***********************************************
Snow, Charming, and Henry continued to look through the book for clues. While Neal and Ruby sat across the room looking through town records. Suddenly Emma and Hook burst through to door.
"We found a clue!" Emma said.
"What? How did you find it so quickly? You've been gone for at least twenty minutes?" Ruby asked.
"We had some help from the crocodile." Hook said.
"Well, did you find anything?" Snow asked anxiously. Emma nodded. "Well then, what did you find?" Emma reached into her pocket to pull out the list. But nothing was there.
"It's not there!" Emma said as she looked at Hook to see if her had it. "How did I lose it! It was our only lead and I lost it." Emma said as she collapsed in a chair.
"No, dearie you didn't lose it." Emma whipped her ahead around to see Mr. Gold.
"Then where is it!" Hook demanded.
"Sorry Dearie, but you can't take things with you when you time travel." Mr. Gold said.
"Then what happened to it?" Emma asked.
"It reappeared in the pocket of the person it truly belongs to." He said.
"Gray sweatshirt" Hook growled under his breathe. "We will find you."
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I am SOOOO SORRY this took so long. But, finally it's done!! I hope you like it!!!
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Thank you!!!!!!!