Once Upon a Dream:

Page 41: Trying to Save Storybrooke:

*The Dwarf Mines*

"It's just ahead," Greg said, looking at his phone while he walked down in the mines with Tamara and Hook.

"Are you sure whoever's in charge of you guys doesn't want you to die in a mine collapse?" Hook asked as he walked with them since Dream did not go back to her home. He could not find her until he bumped back into Greg and Tamara. "Just keep moving." Tamara scoffed at the pirate while she shined the flashlight. "Who is telling you what to do?" Hook continued to ask them.

"You know what? That's not your concern. It's not ours either." Greg said, stopping to look at Hook before he continued to walk to where the phone was leading them.

"Not your concern? So, you're telling me you don't know who commands you?" Hook asked the two of them while he stayed still with Tamara. "Unlike you, Hook, we believe in something. We have faith in the sacredness of our cause." Tamara said to him when Greg found the dwarf pickaxes. 

"We're here," Greg said, making Hook and Tamara look over at him.

"So, your sacred cause is pilfering a dwarf's pickax?" Hook asked, sounding a little amused. 

"Regina had this in her pocket when you turned her over to us," Tamara said, taking out the trigger to show Hook. "It's a trigger. And this ax, according to our people, is what activates it." Greg said, walking over to hand the ax to Tamara.

"You're going to destroy an entire town and kill everyone in it?" Hook asked them when Greg moved to pick up a flat rock. 

"Yeah, including your enemy," Greg said when he put the rock down.

"Rumpelstiltskin won't be immune to this?" Hook asked them, furrowing his brow. "None of your kind will be. Once this thing gets activated, nothing can shut it off." Tamara said when Hook started to regret his decision. 

"This whole town will revert to the forest it was. So, tell us, Hook, we're willing to die for our cause; are you willing to die for yours?" Greg asked him.

"Absolutely." Hook said, but he was not exactly sure. He watched Tamara hand Greg the pickax before she set the trigger on the rock. Greg hit the trigger with the pickax, causing the ground to shake for a bit before it floated up, glowing blue. The three of them shielded their eyes when the blast went off before running away from the trigger.

*The Loft*

Regina sat up, putting her boots on, while Dream moved to wipe the blood from her sleeve in the kitchen part. Regina got off the bed when she moved her hand to her neck due to her neck pain and headache. 

"Here, let me... You're making it a bigger smudge." Regina said when she walked over to help Dream wipe the blood on her sleeve. The two of them looked up to see the Charmings walk into the loft with Henry. "Oh, Henry!" Regina exclaimed when Henry rushed into her arms. "Mom!" Henry exclaimed while he hugged her.

Suddenly, there was an Earthquake, causing the whole town to rumble; when everyone tried to hold onto things. But it stopped as soon as it started. "Regina was that..." Emma went to ask when Regina looked up from holding onto both of her children. "Yes. The diamond was activated." Regina sighed when Henry moved to hold onto his sister.

"So, we're all gonna die?" He asked when Dream sighed, hugging him tighter.

"Don't say that, Henry... We'll figure this out. Right, Mom?" Dream asked when David and Mary Margaret looked at each other worried, while Emma, Dream, and Henry looked at Regina. "You both were born here. So, you'll live." Regina said when Henry turned to look at his other mom and his grandparents.

"But... we'll be alone," Henry said, turning back to look at Regina.

"I'm so sorry, Henry." Regina sighed when she placed her hand on his chin.

"It's not gonna happen. I'm not gonna let it. You did this; now make it stop." Emma said, making Regina look at her. "I can't. There's no way..." Regina sighed when Dream looked down at Henry. "Well, figure it out. It's your fault." Emma spat when Dream held back anything she wanted to say to Emma.

"Stop!" Henry yelled, making his mothers stop. "I already lost my dad. I don't wanna lose anyone else. We have to work together." Henry said when he looked at everyone.

"From the mouth of babes, I'd say the lad has a point."

The group turned to see Hook walk in. David turned to punch him in the face before anyone could say anything. "That's for the last time we met," David said before pulling his gun out. "Tell us why you're here before I use something else other than my fist." David threatened while Hook looked at him after seeing no blood coming from his nose. 

"I think threatening to kill me is a bit redundant when we're all about to die anyway." Hook said to David.

"No thanks to you," Emma said, making Hook look over at her, Henry, Regina, and Dream. "Regina just told us you were working with Tamara and Greg..." Emma continued to say to him.

"To get your revenge." Dream added, making Hook look only at her when she sounded hurt. "Well, that was before they told me I had to die to get it." Hook said, only looking at Dream when Emma turned to look at her parents.

"We don't have time for this. We have a real problem." Emma said to her parents.

"Which is why I'm here. Because staring death in the face has made me realize if there's one thing I want more than my revenge..." Hook went to say to the group before looking at Dream, who was still holding onto her baby brother. "...it's my life," Hook smirked when he turned to look at the others, making Dream scoff to herself. "So, shall we stop this thing now and then resume bickering?" Hook asked them when Regina stepped forward.

"There is no stopping it. Now, the best thing I can do is slow it down, but that will only delay the inevitable." Regina said when Dream feared losing her mother.

"Or give us the time we need," David said when he came up with an idea. "The time for what?" Mary Margaret asked her husband. "Steal back the beans. Use them to get everyone back into the Enchanted Forest before Storybrooke is gone." David said, explaining his suggestion.

"How?" Emma asked her father.

"We don't even know where Greg and Tamara are." Dream added, sighing, while Regina looked back to her kids.

"Well, I do. I can help." Hook said, looking at Dream. "Help yourself. You'll take them and leave us all behind. Why should we trust you?" Emma scoffed at him. 

"No, we won't have to. I'll go with him. If he tries anything, I'll shoot him in the face." David said to the group, making Hook look at him. "Quite hostile, aren't we?" Hook asked sarcastically. "Just being clear," David said when Dream rolled her eyes.

"I'll come, too. I own Tamara for knocking me out with poppies." Dream said when Regina turned to look at Dream, smirking a bit. She could see the snarky personality that Dream had inherited.

"I'll take Regina to slow down the diamond and give you guys time... Mary Margaret, take Henry and gather everyone; make sure they're ready to go as soon as we have those beans," Emma said before Henry went to go with his grandmother.

"Henry... Dream..." Regina said, making both of her kids look at her. "...before you go. I'm sorry for what's happened. I tried to be the person that you wanted me to be, and I failed. But I won't let you be alone. You just know that I love you. I love both of you..." Regina said when she bent down to Henry's level but looked between both of her kids. 

"I love you, too." Henry smiled at her.

"You know, we love you, too, Mom." Dream said, smiling at her mom when Regina hugged both of them.

When she let go, they all walked out. Henry went with Mary Margaret. Emma and Regina went together while Dream waited at the door for Hook and David. "Things we do for our children..." Hook said to David, making Dream furrow her brows before seeing them leave.

~season 2, episode 22: "And Straight on 'til Morning"~

~1398 words~