Shaya

Chapter 12 - The truth you don't know

Henry jumped on her and hugged her tightly. " You healed! "

" Yes, little Prince, did you doubt about that?" Rapunzel asked, holding him with a smile.
" Henry, easy! She's still weak..." Snow said, right behind them.
" I'm never weak!"
" Uh-uh, sure!"
Emma joined them, followed by Killian. " Hey, how are you?" she asked, still worried.
" "Okay"...?" the warrior answered, making her laugh.
" Yeah, right! You'll be fine in Storybrooke."
The smile suddenly disappeared from Rapunzel's face. " Am I coming with you?" She really looked surprised. Emma was more.
" Do you wanna stay here?"
" Well, no, but..."
Snow wrapped an arm around her shoulders. " Look Em, this way: you're coming with us, it's an order. No argue accepted."
Rapunzel laughed, and so Henry and Emma did.
" Alright, I surrender. I'll come to Storybrooke. "
" You'll like it! " Henry said with a satisfied smile, and then hugged her again.
Hook, who had stayed silent until that moment, smirked. " Mh, let me tell you, M'lady, I'm not sure you'll like it."
" Why?"
" After all these years in the jungle, that place could appear a little too... civilized to you."
Rapunzel arched an eyebrow. " Sorry, what?"
" I mean..." he continued with hand and hook lifted, as to show that he was unarmed. "... that there are many things you don't know in that world. Strange things. As guns. And cars. "
" What are cars?"
" See?"
" They're like carriages, but they move without horses. " Snow hurried to explain, glaring at Hook.
" So... with magic?"
" No, with the engine!" Henry said smiling. " It makes the wheels move."
" How?"
" Well this is... complicated. " Emma intervened with an apologizing smile. " Really. "
Rapunzel shrugged. " Oh, well... they're for moving, isn't it?"
" Yes."
" And they move."
" Yes."
The warrior smiled. " Nothing else needed."
Killian similed widely. " I like your pragmatism."
" I bet there's something else you like about me, Captain."
Hook, unexpectedly, blushed, making the women laugh hard.
" Hit and sunk!" Emma exclaimed with a smirk.
" Better if I go back steering." he murmured, eying wickedly the three women. " Witches." he added after a while with a grin.
" I heard you!" Regina screamed from the helm place, the wind that blew her hair back, showing her face. She was pretending to be offended, but as Henry began to laugh, she smiled, making Rapunzel's heart skip a couple of beats.
" Pirate!" Regina added, and the pirate in question laughed looking up to her.
" Proud!" he yelled in response.
" If you say so..." she glowered at him.
Rapunzel felt somehow uncomfortable at that gaze. He was grinning at her. She suddenly realized that she was nothing less than jealous! A suffocated laugh erupted from her, surprising the others.
" What?" Emma asked, eyebrows lifted.
" Oh, nothing, I remembered a thing... so, Captain, do we go?"
" Absolutely." Hook answered walking fast towards the helm and indicating the sea to Regina with a waving hand. " If you show us the path..."
Regina smirked, and another hint of jealousy hit Rapunzel. The former Evil Queen took one bean from her pocket and held it between two fingers, watching it glow in the sunlight. In the meanwhile, the rest of the group had gathered closer to her. Henry and Emma were right behind her.
" What about Tamara? And the Shadow? We'll never know why he wanted you, Henry." Regina said gazing at her son.
The boy shrugged. " I don't care. I mean, I'm curious, but it's better if we go back home..."
" Of course you are..." she smiled, eying Emma for a brief moment. The younger woman was surprised at first, but then she tried to smile.
" Yeah, right, but now throw that magic shit out of this ship and let's go home!"
Regina's eyes glittered in amusement although she pretended to be outraged. " You're language is inappropriate for a child, Miss Swan. "
Emma blushed a little but then, recognizing the Mayor's expression, she hid a smile. " Sorry, kid." she said almost smiling, without taking her eyes off of Regina's. The brunette devilishly smiled.
" You should do it. " she said, handing her the bean. " You're the Savior after all: save us."
She smiled again. That sassy, enjoying, devilish smile of her own. Rapunzel almost died of a heart attack.
" W-what the hell, Regina?! Why should I do it? I don't know what to do! What if we end up in another world because..."
" You only have to think of Storybrooke while throwing it outboard. It's easy. Even Hook can do it!"
" Hey!!!" he exclaimed, upset.
Regina sneered at him. " No offense, dear." she said, evidently lying.
He murmured something incomprehensible and went back looking around, worried for possible incoming enemies. Actually they weren't exactly protected in the middle of the sea.
" Whatever you'll decide, ladies, hurry up. " Rapunzel suggested, making them look at her.
" Right." Emma murmured before grabbing the bean from Regina's hand and walking to the corner of the ship. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. " Storybrooke. " she whispered, nodding to herself. " You can do it, Swan. "
She opened her eyes and threw the bean in the sea. The portal opened as a maelstrom, immediately pulling the ship toward its center.