Once Upon a Supernatural

Chapter XXXVI: Whole New World

Dean watched skeptically when the woman named Cora bent down to inspect Mary Margaret.

"You sure she's going to be ok?" Emma asked, more concerned about her friend than whoever this person was.

Cora looked up and smiled at the pair of them, "Don't worry. She'll be fine."

Dean groaned and Emma pat his arm. "Sam is probably flipping his shit right now trying to figure out where we went."

"Your brother and David both." Emma stood up and began to look around the strange hole. "What is this place? Where are we?"

"It's a little island our captors like to think of as their haven."

"Haven," Dean questioned. "From what?"

"The world's dangerous. What's left of it anyway."

Emma looked between Cora and Dean, "Well they can't keep us down here."

"That's right," Dean agreed. "We didn't do anything wrong!" he yelled up to the hole, trying to get someone's attention.

Cora shrugged, "Neither did I."

"Then why are you here?" Emma asked.

Cora sighed, "I'm here because of something my daughter did. The curse that ravaged this land- she cast it. Regina."

"You're Regina's mother?" Emma asked, pulling Dean's attention back to the woman in front of them.

"Yes. But you've nothing to fear from me. The apple fell very far from the tree." Cora looked between Emma and Dean, looking down at their clothes. "You're from over there, aren't you? How did you get back?"

"Emma." Mary Margaret, holding the back of her head, began to stand up. She was staring at Cora, a look Dean recognized as distrust. They had met before- and it hadn't ended well, at least not for her. "No," she whispered.

"Oh, Snow. You're awake. I'm so relieved," Cora said with a smile.

Mary Margaret grabbed Emma's arms and positioned herself between her daughter and the woman. "As bad as you think Regina, this woman is worse."

Emma tilted her head and tried to reply, but Cora spoke up first. "Oh, Snow." Mary Margaret turned around wrapped a protective arm in front of Emma. "Sweet Snow. Please. Believe me. Whatever she told you isn't true. I just want to help you."

Den watched from the sidelines, wondering whether this woman was trustworthy or not. He tried to remember if Regina's mother was mentioned during his time in Storybrooke. He thought he remembered Sam mention something about the Evil Queen's mother being a bitch, but he wasn't exactly sure. Either way, the woman didn't sit well with him. He barely knew Mary Margaret, but he trusted her judgement.

Emma, on the other hand, wasn't as convinced. "Let's hear her out," she said softly to Snow.

"Emma." Mary Margaret warned.

"Ok, right now we are at the bottom of a whole with no other options. And Henry is back in Storybrooke with Regina," Emma tried to reason.

Cora looked between the pair of women, "Who's Henry?"

"My son," Emma explained. "I kind of share him with Regina." Mary Margaret shook her head and spun around. "It's complicated-"

Mary Margaret grabbed Emma to get her attention, "Don't talk to her."

"Enough!" they heard above them. A rope was tossed down through the hole. "Our leaders requests an audience."

The trio looked to each other and shrugged. Dean helped Mary Margaret up first, then Emma. He looked back to Cora, who smiled something slightly shady.