Families Reunited, d.s[2]

TWELVE

(CHAPTER 12 - TALLAHASSEE)

🦢🗡

Enchanted Forest...

Using a stick, Mulan drew a sundial in the dry dirt as Emma, Aurora and Mary Margaret watched her.

"What is that?" Aurora asked.

"It keeps the time," Mulan said.

"You have somewhere to be?" Mary Margaret asked.

"We can mark watches, take turns sleeping. We'll most likely have to walk through the night again, so we should rest while we can," Mulan said.

"I'll take first shift," Mary Margaret said.

"I'll stay up with you," Aurora said.

"Okay," Mulan said and walked away.

Emma walked over to the beanstalk and looked up it as Mary Margaret watched her, then looked at Aurora, "When's the last time you slept?" Mary Margaret asked her.

"I don't really sleep now. Not after what I've been through," Aurora said.

"Sleeping curse," Mary Margaret said.

"The one time I did sleep, I had horrible nightmares," Aurora said.

"It's a side effect," Mary Margaret said.

"Is it?" Emma said as she walked up to them.

"Yeah, same thing happened to me," Mary Margaret said.

"Really?" Emma said.

"It did?" Aurora asked.

"Mhm, I had them for months. Charming, you dad, my husband, he used to wake me. When I cried out, he'd light a candle. He said it would capture the nightmares. He'd watch over me as I fell back to sleep," Mary Margaret said and Emma smiled at the thought, reminiscing in her own memories.

"Sounds like he lives up to his name," Aurora said.

"Yeah...um...why don't you try...to sleep? I'll watch over you. You'll be safe," Mary Margaret said.

"Thank you," Aurora said as she sat down, and rested her head on Mary Margaret's knee, closing her eyes.

"I guess Elias really is like David," Emma said.

Mary Margaret looked at her, "How so?" She asked.

"He did the same thing for me when I was restless," Emma said.

Mary Margaret smiled, "Why don't you try sleeping as well?" She said.

"I can't, not until Elias is back," Emma said.

"He will," Mary Margaret said.

"I can't risk it," Emma said.

"Emma, rest. Elias won't want you worrying about him," Mary Margaret said.

"All my life I've worried about him and he's worried about me...we've only had each other," Emma said.

"And now you've got me," Mary Margaret said.

"We had someone who cared for us...but they left us, and it hurt...we don't want that again," Emma said and walked away from her.

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Elias and Captain Hook reached the top of the beanstalk where they found a giant, destitute looking castle, with skeletons around as an aftermath of war.