OUAT/VD: The Truth Is Out There

Ch.44: The Heart Of The Truest Believer

The Jolly Roger finished its course from Storybrooke to Neverland soon enough and Katherine saw an island up ahead.

"I assume that's it," she said.

"Aye," Hook said. "Neverland."

Regina approached Hook where he was steering.

"Why are you slowing down? In case you didn't know, my son's life is in danger."

"Oh, I know, my hotheaded Queen. My plan is to bring us to the far side of the island, link up with the widest part of the river. Then we sail right though and take him by surprise. The irony."

"What irony?"

"Oh. I spent more time than I care to remember trying to leave this place and to kill Rumpelstiltskin. And here I am, sailing right back into its heart with him as my guest of honor. It's not quite the happy ending I was hoping for."

"Greg Mendell said something funny to me. He said I'm a villain. And that villains don't get happy endings. You believe that?"

"I hope not. Or we've wasted our lives."

Katherine was staring into the open water, when Snow and Charming came up to her.

"Hey," Snow said. "What happened to Neal and Henry, it's not your fault. You can't blame yourself."

She looked at her.

"I don't. You say good always wins, but I didn't grow up in some fairytale land. All I can go on is my experience. It's way different than yours."

"And all we have to go on is ours," Snow replied. "So, if you would just let us share our wisdom—"

"I appreciate you trying to make me feel better about the situation we're in, but I don't need your wisdom. All I want is to do good and get Henry back for myself and Regina and everyone else. Besides, all of this is happening because I broke the curse. Nothing enormously bad was happening before I broke the curse. Then I broke it and everything has all gone wrong. I should've left town and gone back to where I came from. I could've gone to New Orleans or asked for a second chance."

"You're right. Then you'd probably be together," Snow replied.

"We are going to get our family back," Charming assured her.

"How can you two be so infuriatingly optimistic?" she inquired.

"It's who we are," Charming reminded her.

"Why? Ever since you got your memories back, your lives have sucked."

"What is this really about?" Snow inquired of her.

"I lost Neal and Henry and countless others before and in Storybrooke," she answered her.

"Katherine, the minute I let go of the belief that things will get better is the minute I know they won't. We'll find Henry," Snow assured her.

"No, you won't," Rumple said, standing not far from where Hook was steering.

"Well, that's a good use of our time. A wardrobe change," Hook commented, since Rumple was now wearing what he used to wear before Storybrooke.

"I'm gonna go get Henry," Rumple stated.

"We agreed to do this together," Regina reminded him, standing not far behind him.

Katherine went to stand not far from Rumple, an old lamp in hand.

"Actually, we made no such agreement," Rumple replied.