#anti greg mendel

[themattress]

OUAT Observation

In retrospect, Season 2 was a Sophomore Slump that Once Upon a Time was never truly able to recover from, despite all of Season 3′s best efforts. However, while the show would certainly get worse than how it was in Season 2, there’s still a fascinating uniqueness to how it went off the rails. This is pretty much the only season (other than the final one due to the sudden cancellation) where I feel they had a road map going into it that they just trashed.

For those who don’t know what I mean, it’s been confirmed that with each season renewal there is a session between the writers where the new season’s road map is created, which is then utilized when they reconvene that Summer to actually start writing the season. And the road map for Season 2 was clearly going smoothly for its first 6 episodes; everything felt tight and naturally flowing. But then we hit “Child of the Moon”, where not only did the requisite centric for new season regular Megan Ory and her Red/Ruby character get forcibly cobbled together with the teased Albert Spencer plotline, but a development was made that ensured Emma and Snow’s quest in the Enchanted Forest would come to its conclusion two episodes later, in time for the Winter break. I highly doubt this was originally planned; it feels like the idea going into Season 2 was for that quest to end closer to the middle of the season, with the discovery of Baelfire/Neal in Manhattan occurring closer to the climax...after all, the season opened with a sequence all about him in that part of New York City. Just as Season 1 opened with the Curse being cast and ended with the Curse being broken, Season 2 was to open with Neal as the focus and end with him as the focus. And, well, it still does...kind of.

After this alteration, the season was on track to have Neal found in the middle of the season, and it would conclude either with a battle against Cora or against Regina who spirals out of control following Cora’s death. After all, before “Manhattan”, the focus was still on the threat Cora posed, especially now that Regina had joined up with her, and it was still continuing focus on plotlines and characters the season had set up (Hook and Smee, Mulan and Philip, Red/Ruby, Dr. Frankenstein and his monsterified brother, Anton/Tiny the Giant, all of the core characters’ personal arcs, etc.), plus threads that could be pursued in the following season (Emma’s magic, Snow and Charming’s disagreement on whether to stay in Storybrooke or not, Belle’s amnesia, Greg Mendell, etc.) But it was at the time of making “Manhattan” that a bombshell dropped: A&E, perhaps due to their usage of Hook and Smee being met with acclaim, were granted full rights to use everything else from Peter Pan. And because they had a passion for that property and the ideas they had for it, they just burned the season’s road map altogether and redirected it toward ending with everyone going off to Neverland.

So many decisions made were centered around this choice: the removal of the scene with Rumple’s father in “Manhattan” since their plans for that character immediately changed, the whole “the boy will be your undoing” prophecy being geared specifically toward the Neverland situation, Neal knowing Hook and it being set up that he was a Lost Boy in Neverland, Neal’s fiancée Tamara being introduced to be the “Her” that Greg Mendell was in touch with and revelation that they’re anti-magic activists unknowingly working for Peter Pan, and literally every single plot thread that had no place in the Neverland story either being dropped altogether (Red/Ruby, the Frankenstein stuff, Emma further awakening her magic powers, and any on-screen resolution to restoring Philip’s soul) or wrapped up as hastily and anticlimactically as possible (the darkness in Snow’s heart, August’s situation, the magic beans, Belle’s memory loss and new cursed identity, and Regina’s status as the villain).

Because of this rush, there wasn’t enough time to properly think through or flesh out a lot of the story decisions being made, which - along with A&E’s skewed morality - made “Welcome to Storybrooke” through “The Evil Queen” such an aimless, unpleasant slog to sit through. Another consequence is that one of the writers who had been there since the beginning, Ian Goldberg, jumped ship, clearly more interested in working with the setting and characters the show already had and resenting the sudden directional shift A&E had forced upon everyone.

Despite all of this, I want to stress that everyone involved was still trying the best that they could which still was able to shine through (ex: “Welcome to Storybrooke has some chillingly good direction, music and acting, and even in the moments it’s not intentionally trying to be “Lacey” is a highly funny episode, as are parts of “The Evil Queen”.) And as much as it pains me to admit, A&E were totally justified in wanting to get to Neverland ASAP, since the Neverland Saga ended up providing so many things the show and its characters were in desperate need of, the dark take on the Peter Pan story was very clever and interesting, and doing it right then allowed them to cast Robbie Kay as Peter Pan while he was still the right age for it, and he gave one of the greatest villainous performances in the entire series.

In the end, Season 2 and its messy storyline is what it is. Not entirely good, not entirely bad, but certainly entirely interesting and something that I look back on more fondly overtime.

[hitchell-mope]

Fictional characters that are known to be pieces of (mostly irredeemable) trash

The former king beast.

THOSE FUCKING JOURNALISTS WHO WOULDNT LEAVE MAL THE FUCK ALONE

Harry hook

Chad charming

Audrey

Greg Mendel

Tamara

Draco malfoy

Lucius malfoy

Snape

Bellatrix

Umbitch

Fudge

Vernon Dursley

Petunia Dursley

Peter Pettigrew

[cosette141]

Lost and Found (Begin Again Sequel) (OUAT fanfic) | Chapter Three

Fandom: Once Upon A Time

Author: cosette141

Pairing: Captain Swan

Words: 4k (this chapter) | 20k total (so far)

Summary: (Begin Again sequel) Emma had felt lost nearly her whole life, and Killian had lost everything he’d ever found. That is, until they found each other. With the Crocodile dead and Cora turned good, it seems happy endings have returned. However, new crises arise, threatening the budding family between them and Henry. But this is a family that always finds each other… and they have yet to fail. CS, Anti-Neal

AO3 (from chapter 1)

Chapter Three

Suddenly something made Emma and everyone freeze.

A gunshot sounded, somewhere off in the distance.

Silence descended on them all in a horrible, still moment.

And Emma suddenly felt something, deep in her chest, making her stagger.

Something was horribly, emptily, terribly wrong.

Emma felt a chill like ice slide down her spine. "That sounded like it came from the docks," she said hollowly.

She was running before she even thought to.

"Stay here!" called David toward the dwarves and Anton, but Emma was already sprinting.

Several footsteps were pounding behind her, but the docks weren't far. She was there in less than two minutes.

But she was finally running alongside the coast, pushing herself faster.

Regina suddenly appeared in a burst of purple mist at Emma's side, running alongside her and Emma barely reacted.

Because she could see Henry, and the sight of him stopped her heart.

Henry was on his hands and knees, soaking wet from his shoulders to his shoes, staring at the water with raw heartbreak.

And he was crying.

"HENRY!" cried Emma at the same time Regina did, and they finally reached him.

Henry didn't even react.

He was frozen, tears mixing with the water on his face, eyes staring unseeing at the water.

"Henry—" gasped Emma, chest so tight it hurt, feeling the pounding footsteps of Mary Margaret and David, but Emma paid neither of them mind. "What—" began Emma to Henry, but Regina's gasp tore her attention.

"Emma."

Emma whipped her head sharply to see Regina staring at something on the ground with horror.

Emma's heart stopped.

On the ground next to Henry, was blood.

A lot of blood.

Emma's hands were on Henry at the same time Regina's were.

"Henry!" Emma cried. "Are you hurt? What—?!"

"Henry?!" gasped Regina.

But he shook his head, making Emma's and Regina's frantic hands on him still, and she felt herself relax the smallest bit.

For half a second.

Because something under Henry's fingers glinted with the sun, and Emma's eyes fell to it.

Emma's heart suddenly dropped to her stomach.

Killian's hook.

"Henry," Emma choked out. Swallowed dryly. Felt sick. Horribly, utterly sick. "Where's Killian?" she breathed, the two words barely making it past her lips, every part of her body growing numb.

And for the first time since they got to him, Henry pulled his eyes from the water and looked at her, pure agony in his eyes.

Emma felt hers burn.

"W-We just got b-back," stammered Henry. Tears still freely flowed down Henry's face. "But wh-when we did…" His voice caught, and Emma felt a tear fall down her own cheek, "Greg M-Mendel was there."

It took a second for the name to register, and Emma felt her eyes widen.

"The—the man from the car accident?!" gasped Mary Margaret. "He was still here?!"

Henry's chin wobbled. "C-Captain Hook and I were—were gonna wait for you," said Henry through tears to Emma. "But Greg sho-showed up, an—" He swallowed hard, tears falling harder. "He—he had a gun."

Regina and Emma sucked in a breath at once.

Emma suddenly looked at the blood on the ground.

Her mind was putting the pieces together and she couldn't breathe.

"Captain Hook…" His eyes shut, even more tears falling, a sob breaking from his chest as he said, "He told me to r-run and then…"

Regina looked from the blood to Henry's face. And to Emma, who's face lost every bit of color. "Hook was shot?" whispered Regina.

Henry opened his eyes, red and agonized.

Emma couldn't breathe.

A sound broke out of her throat, something strangled and painful.

"C-Captain couldn't g-get up," Henry went on, voice hiccuping, and Emma felt something break inside her— "An–an' I tried to h-help him but he was bleeding and—" Emma's chest was on fire. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't breathe. "G-Greg said his boss w-wants me," Henry went on, sniffing miserably, "an' he had a bean and m-made a portal, and h-he tried to push me in—" Nearly everyone sucked in a breath. "—and I fell," said Henry, voice betraying every ounce of his panic, "b-but Captain Hook saved me, w-with this," he choked out, eyes falling to the hook in his hands, shutting his eyes to break out, "But he fell th-through." Another sob wracked him, and he cried, "He's gone."

Regina grabbed Henry, pulling him into a crushing hug, and he cried into her chest.

But Regina's eyes shifted to Emma, as did everyone else.

For Emma was frozen.

Killian.

Killian.

"I promise you, love. I am not going anywhere."

Killian.

Killian.

Tears burned down Emma's cheeks, her entire body so rigid it hurt.

A hand fell on Emma's shoulder, and she knew it was Mary Margaret's.

But Emma's head snapped up.

No.

No.

"Henry," Emma choked out, her own voice breaking, and it took a few repetitions of his name for him to look at her, and she asked desperately, "Do you remember where he was shot?"

Henry's breath hiccuped, and he sniffed miserably, pointing the hand that wasn't holding Killian's hook to his stomach.

Emma's eyes shut.

No.

Every word painful, she forced out, her voice shaking horribly, "Was he… was he alive when he fell through?"

Henry nodded.

Emma felt her panic still.

Like the first star in a black night sky, hope shined through.

"How many times do I have to tell you, love? I'm a survivor."

"Emma…" said Mary Margaret gently. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

Emma abruptly stood, knocking Mary Margaret's hand from her shoulder. "He's not dead." breathed Emma, clamping onto that hope as hard as she possibly could.

"I'm a survivor, love."

"Trust me, Emma."

Mary Margaret and David looked at her with a horribly pitying look. "Emma…" said David slowly, carefully. "Even if… even if he was alive when he fell through… a bullet to the abdomen? He won't survive—"

"That's what he does," said Emma sharply, eyes burning, desperate hope flaring so strongly, so hotly in her veins. Hope she'd never had before she met him, and she damn well wasn't about to give up on him. He was alive. He was alive. "I'm going after him." she said firmly.

"Emma—" began David with surprise.

"You don't even know where he went," said Mary Margaret exasperatedly.

"Henry," said Emma quickly, trying so hard to speak gently through her desperation, looking back at Henry, still in Regina's arms, whose tears suddenly froze, as Emma's hope flared in his own eyes. "Do you know where the portal took him?" she asked urgently.

Henry's hope waned, and he sniffed, shaking his head.

Emma felt her own hope begin to plummet.

"I might be able to find him," said Regina suddenly, her eyes back to the blood—Killian's blood—on the ground. She lifted one hand from Henry, and waved it, and suddenly Gold's blood globe was sitting on the ground at her knees. At everyone's confusion, she muttered, "I took my own souvenir." But she looked at Emma, saying, "We have his blood here. If he's alive… this will show us where he is."

The if made Emma flinch.

And suddenly she felt like falling apart, because there was no one to catch her hand, no one to hold her reassuringly.

Suddenly she felt one breeze away from breaking, from shattering, something so far beyond repair because if Killian was gone…

Emma shook herself, refusing to go down that road.

He was a survivor.

He was a survivor.

She clung onto that shred of hope as tight as she could.

Slowly, Emma bent next to the blood, her heart pounding. She dipped a shaking finger in it, and with a tight chest, let it drip to the needle on the globe.

The drop of blood traveled down the needle, dissolving into the globe, making the entire object shimmer.

She waited.

No one breathed.

But…

Nothing happened.

Not one thing.

The globe remained still.

Mary Margaret's hand settled again on her shoulder. "Emma…"

"He's alive," Emma broke out, voice strangled and horribly young.

But then—

Like a red star, something lit up in the globe, emerging a landscape with it that Emma's never seen before.

Her eyes widened as the red dot blinked, slow and unsteady.

Like a heartbeat.

A smile broke out on her face. "He's alive," she breathed. Whipping her head around, she demanded, "Where is that? Where is he?!"

Regina, Mary Margaret and David looked at it, no recognition on their faces.

"I don't—" began Regina, but a quiet voice spoke up from behind them.

"Neverland."

Everyone whipped around, to see Neal standing behind them, expression grim.

Emma didn't even react to his presence. She didn't care. All that mattered was Killian. She shot to her feet. "Neverland?" she breathed.

Neal shut his eyes before saying, "It's not what you think it is, Emma. It's a wretched island. I spent more time there than I care to remember." With a sigh, he said, "If someone wanted Henry… it was probably Pan."

"As in… Peter Pan?" asked Emma hollowly, feeling her hand grab Henry's shoulder.

"More like a little bloody devil."

Killian had just told her and Henry about his time on Neverland, and even from the little he shared, Emma had felt him tense.

The place terrified him.

And now he was trapped there.

Shot, bleeding out, trapped—

Panic was wrapping around Emma's chest so tightly it was suffocating.

Neal nodded. "Pan kidnaps kids from all the realms."

Henry was nearly kidnapped.

Emma felt sick.

Emma took a steadying breath, opening her eyes, turning to Regina. "Regina," she said firmly. "Get Henry out of here. We don't know if Greg Mendel was the only one who was trying to get Henry, and this Pan might try again when he finds out he didn't succeed the first time." And with a heavy breath, she said, "Protect him while I'm gone."

"Gone?" echoed Mary Margaret.

"I'm going after Killian." said Emma firmly.

Regina and Henry stood and Emma hugged Henry tight. When they pulled back, Henry said, "I wanna help."

"No," said Emma, brushing her thumb over his cheek, trying to memorize his face. "Pan wants you, Henry. Killian did what he did to save you. We're not letting you anywhere near there."

Henry deflated a little, then hugged her again, even tighter, whispering, "I need you both."

"I know," she said, a tear slipping down her own cheek. "I'll get him back. And we will both come home to you. I promise."

With a sniff, Henry held out Killian's hook to her, the metal stained with blood. Killina's blood. Emma's chest hurt.

"He's gonna need this," whispered Henry.

Emma's breath hitched, and her voice wouldn't work. She took it, holding it carefully, hugging him one last time.

They pulled away, and Emma nodded to Regina. "Magic is emotion, Emma," said Regina softly, with a strong, meaningful look. "Good luck."

Emma nodded, feeling hollow.

Regina then disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke with Henry.

Emma stood, and set her shoulders. She turned to Mary Margaret and held out her hand, though it was shaking. "I need the bean." she said firmly, though her voice was as strong as shattered glass.

"Emma," said Mary Margaret, face paler than her namesake, "going to Neverland?!"

"I'm finding Killian and bringing him home," Emma said firmly, voice breaking on the last word.

"Emma," said Neal, "Hook was shot somewhere vital, and he's in Neverland." he said heavily. "And if there's anyone Pan hates the most, it's Hook. Even if Hook manages to survive the injury, Pan owns that island—he'll find him in minutes and kill him. He's probably already dead—"

Emma's breath hitched.

But she pushed away the fear, the panic, the devastation and hopelessness that was creeping up her spine.

"I don't care how dangerous it is," growled Emma, whirling on all three of them. "Killian is alive."

"Emma," stressed Neal, with something almost like condescension, making Emma's fury grow, "Even if he is, it took me two hundred years to leave Neverland! It's called Neverland because once you get there, you can never leave!"

"I don't—" began Emma angrily.

"Emma," said Mary Margaret, just as heavily, holding her fingers tightly around the last bean. "Killian… his chances… regardless of the fact that the chance of you making it back…"

"I don't CARE!" exploded Emma, making all three of them flinch.

"Emma—" said Mary Margaret, startled. "I know you're hurting, but—"

"You have no idea what I'm feeling!" Emma burst out, finally too scared, too furious to hold back the emotions, broken so far past her limit, and it exploded. "You sent me away," yelled Emma, voice breaking, "to save your Kingdom, and your people, and yourselves," she snapped, every word carved out from pure, raw agony, "but what the hell about me?" Tears were streaming down her face, burning horribly. "You made me some savior," she spat, turning her anger to Neal, who was staring at her with shock, "to save you from prison and your damn father," and to Mary Margaret and David, who were frozen, "and to save you from a stupid curse—" Her voice broke again. "Well, guess what? No one has ever saved me!" Her chest was heaving now, from crying, from the pain, from the loneliness that Killian wasn't here to erase— "You have no idea what I've been through!" she cried, voice breaking over every word. "You don't even care! None of you do!" Her voice caught. David and Mary Margaret looked horrified. "No one," she broke out, "no one has ever saved me. No one has ever done anything for me." Her voice lost its strength. It was broken. She was broken. "No one except Killian."

The three of them stared at her in utter shock.

And for the first time since she's known all three of them, they actually seemed to listen.

But she didn't care anymore.

Because right now, she was done with all of them.

"I'm going after Killian," said Emma, voice as firm as thin ice, but as sure as she's ever been about anything. "I am not giving up on him!"

"Emma…" began Mary Margaret, her own voice weathered, another tear falling down her cheek.

"Don't—" began Emma angrily.

But Mary Margaret shut her eyes, looking at David before saying, "You're right." She opened her fingers, looking at the bean in her palm. She took a breath, something heavy. Something decisive. She looked at Emma, pain in her own eyes. "You… you suffered," she stumbled over the word, like she was finally admitting it to herself, "for our happiness." And slowly, she held the bean out to Emma. "It's time we do the same for you."

Emma went to take it, but Mary Margaret pulled it back a little. "But there is no way," she said, voice shaking around the words, "that I am letting you go without me." Firmly, she said, "I'm coming with you, Emma."

"Me, too," said David, voice a little choked.

Emma hesitated, emotions raging inside her like a storm. But she nodded shortly, taking the bean.

"I'm coming, too."

Emma, Mary Margaret and David stopped at Neal's voice.

Emma's brows narrowed. "What makes you think I want to go anywhere with you?" she growled. "Just go—"

"Emma," said Neal slowly, "this is Neverland. It's not safe. At all. Every single part of that island is going to try to kill you, and if you go there by yourself, none of you will last more than an hour."

"I can take care of myself," began Emma angrily.

But flashes of New York, of Gold, of the apartment, had a chill sweep down her spine, and her eyes screwed shut because Killian wasn't here.

"She has us," said David firmly, making Emma's eyes open.

"I know that island," stressed Neal firmly, "I spent two hundred years there, and I am the only person who figured out how to leave."

"Killian left," snapped Emma, chest twisting at his name.

"Pan let him leave," said Neal grimly, "in a deal that he will not repeat."

Emma felt herself frozen.

No part of her wanted Neal to go with them.

But she was just beginning to realize what she was about to do—the dangers she was about to face.

"Why the hell do you want to help me?" whispered Emma heavily, eyes narrowed at Neal.

Neal swallowed hard, like he had an answer for that up and ready. But he hesitated, instead saying, "I will help you save Hook and help you get home."

Emma held his gaze, reading the truth in his eyes.

Feeling the clock on Killian's life ticking, she snapped. "Fine." She moved to throw the bean into the water, when Neal said, "Wait."

"What?" snapped Emma.

"We're taking his ship. Unless you want to swim two miles to the island, and get killed in seconds by a mermaid." said Neal darkly.

"I don't know how to sail," said Emma, suddenly unsure, and feeling in over her head.

But something identifiable gleaned in Neal's eyes, and he said, "I do."

Emma shot him a look.

But she filed the questions away for later.

Setting her jaw, she said, "Let's go."

The four of them filed onto Killian's ship—something that felt so empty, so wrong, without Killian himself. The ship rocked under their weight in a way that felt upset. Emma held onto that hope as hard she possibly could. Killian's alive. He's alive.

Neal readied the ship and sailed away from the coast, with movements so familiar. Emma held the portside rail, Killian's hook still tight in her grip, every muscle rigid. Mary Margaret reached to lay a hand on Emma's shoulder, but she flinched away, avoiding the hurt in Mary Margaret's gaze. Emma glared at the water, fear consuming her so completely she felt she'd shatter.

Neal took the bean from Mary Margaret, cursing under his breath, and threw it, and Emma watched a portal surface in the water like a whirlpool.

"Hold onto something," he yelled, and the four of them grabbed a surface, and Neal sailed the ship into the vortex. Emma's hair flew madly, and she grasped onto the side of the ship, knuckles white. Sounds crescendoed as they fell into the heart of the portal.

What felt like seconds later, they abruptly came through, and the ship landed roughly on the surface of water that Emma could already tell was different. The sky had turned from bright blue to a stark, endless black.

As the ship calmed, Emma slowly released her tight grip.

The sky shone a brilliance of stars, of the likes she'd never seen before.

But her eyes were drawn to a dark form in the distance—land.

Emma felt her chest tighten. "Is that it?" she breathed.

Neal swallowed hard. "Yeah," he said hollowly. "Neverland."

Emma stared at it, feeling a million emotions battling inside her, and an intense, horribly need to feel Killian's hand in hers, his arms around her, so badly she felt a tear slip down her cheek. Her fingers grasped the side of the ship again, and she desperately tried to push down her panic.

"I'll find you, Killian," she whispered, fingers tightening around his hook.

I will always find you.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

The impact to the ground shocked Killian back into consciousness.

Painful, horrible consciousness.

He landed hard on his chest, slamming into dirt.

Pain exploded.

A horrible groan was torn from him, gasping, his abdomen on fire. Killian could still feel the blood saturating his vest. He was in bloody agony.

Henry.

The thought of the boy snapped his eyes open with a burst of adrenaline. Killian grimaced, trying to think past the pain—

—the man, some Greg Mendel—

—a pistol, pain—

—the portal—

Killian froze.

The portal.

The portal.

He'd fallen through a bloody portal.

But panic shot through him—

Had Henry?

An angry groan from beside him had Killian realizing he wasn't alone, but it wasn't Henry.

Greg Mendel got himself to his feet, half-covered in dirt, and he was spinning in a mad circle, whipping his head around. "No," he breathed. "Where the hell is the kid?!" But there was no sign of life other than them both, and he swore. "No!" He whirled on Killian, who was breathing hard, trying to stay conscious. "You did this!"

But Killian had relief coursing through him, just barely noticeable over the radiating agony. Mendel was swearing up a storm beside him, but Killian felt himself relax a fraction.

Henry was safe.

Killian nearly smiled.

But weakness was heavy and thick and his vision was blurring.

Killian coughed, something wet and painful.

He tasted blood, feeling it stain his lips.

Hell, he was dying.

His eyes snapped back open.

"Don't leave."

"I promise you, Emma. I am not going anywhere."

Panic suddenly seized him.

He couldn't die.

He could not die.

Emma.

Emma.

He would not bloody leave her.

He tried to get himself off the ground.

Never more in his life did he need to bloody survive.

He tried to get up, but pain flared so hotly, he collapsed back to the ground, gasping for breath.

He needed to survive.

Bloody hell, he needed to live.

He finally had a bloody reason.

His eyes shut, despair claiming him.

But suddenly something whistled sharply through the air, and Mendel was thrown back, an arrow slicing through his chest.

He was dead before he hit the ground.

Killian stared in shock.

"Well, well, well."

Killian's entire body froze.

Cold trailed through him.

He knew that voice.

He bloody knew that voice.

Footsteps approached him, and Killian's entire body went rigid.

No.

Gods, no.

It couldn't be.

It bloody couldn't be.

His heart pounded.

His eyes snapped to the sky.

"No," he choked out.

He knew those stars.

He spent two hundred years trapped under this sky.

He can't be back.

Bloody damn hell, he can't be back.

It was a nightmare.

It was a bloody nightmare.

"Hello, Captain."

Killian's eyes shut.

Bloody gods, no.

The footsteps stopped next to Killian, and Killian forced himself to open his eyes as the figure bent to his eyeline.

Absolute dread consumed him.

Pan smiled coldly. "Welcome back to Neverland."

Panic competed with the agony paralyzing him.

No.

Gods, no.

"Captain," drawled Pan. "I have to say, I didn't expect to see you back so soon." With a wicked, gleeful smile, he said, "You don't look too good."

Killian shut his eyes.

He wasn't getting out of this alive.

His eyes felt heavy, his limbs like nothing.

Pan simply watched him fading.

Dying.

Killian's eyes burned, desperately trying to hold on.

But the harsh truth was creeping up his spine.

He would never see Emma again.

Horrible, terrible, empty pain was suddenly worse than the agony in his abdomen.

"Mendel failed," said a voice above him. "The boy wasn't with him."

Every ounce of fear and pain and hatred, Killian rasped out, "So you lose."

Except…

Pan didn't look angry.

He still had that sly smirk on his face, still looked like he had the upperhand.

"Yes," said Pan, tilting his head, "that's what I thought, too. At first." His smile grew, and he lifted his hand toward Killian. Killian braced himself for more pain, for bloody death, but it didn't come.

Suddenly…

The agony was gone.

Killian's eyes snapped open, seeing a glow of magic encircling Killian's waist.

Killian stared in shock.

He was healing him.

The glow faded after a few seconds, and Killian heaved in a breath, collapsing back to the dirt.

The agony was gone.

Killian touched his abdomen, but the blood was gone, the wound… gone.

Killian stared in shock.

But not a second later, jerked off the ground now that he was able, only to be seized from behind. He fought, swearing, grimacing when his abdomen twinged with residual pain.

"Now, Captain," chastised Pan, slowly rising to meet Killian's level. Killian jerked and pulled against the arms holding him, but he still felt weaker than normal. He growled, struggling harder. "Is that any way to thank me for saving your life?" asked Pan with false hurt.

Killian growled again, voice breaking with his panic, jerking against the grips on him, again to no avail. "What are you bloody playing at?" he demanded.

Pan smiled. "Mendel may have failed in bringing me the boy," he drawled, "but I actually haven't lost anything, Captain." Pan's wicked smile was back. "Because Henry was never my target."

Killian stopped struggling. He stared in shock.

At Killian's frozen silence, Pan leaned even closer to him, smile growing even more, he whispered, "Henry… was bait."

"Bait?" echoed Killian, heart pounding.

That ugly smile at his lips, Pan said, "I don't want Henry." The smile grew. "I want the Savior." Pan grinned. "I want Emma Swan."

Killian couldn't breathe.

Emma.

Emma.

"I need her to come to Neverland willingly for her to be useful to me," Pan went on. "The boy was supposed to lure her here." he said, clasping his hands behind his back. "Mendel was a patsy, and a pretty poor one at that. But I learned that in this Land Without Magic, people will do pretty much anything if you make a cause sound important enough. Poor sap didn't even know what he was doing."

Utter panic was seizing Killian's chest.

Something dark passed through Pan's eyes. He stepped closer to Killian, something that made Killian swallow. Hard. "And something tells me," said Pan, "that you will be just as good bait as her son."

Fear for Emma was suddenly an agony worse than the bullet had been.

But his panic halted.

She was safe.

She was all right.

She was back in Storybrooke, realms away, something that felt as much like relief as a crack in his chest

Somehow he forced his voice to work, despite the growing dread and hollowness in his chest, growling, "You're wrong. She won't—"

But Pan only smiled more, with this wicked glee, and he said, "Oh, but Captain…" He winked. "She's already here."

Shock and panic stopped his heart.

"Let's get the Captain somewhere he won't cause any trouble," drawled Pan. "Keep him alive. For now."

Emma.

Emma.

Killian jerked desperately against the grips on him, but sharp pain suddenly pierced his shoulder, and a wave of dizzying weakness struck him instantly.

His legs buckled, and the arms caught him, starting to drag him into the trees.

Emma.

He tried to fight.

Needed to find her.

Save her.

But he was already gone.

tag list: @teamhook @jrob64 @kmomof4 @justanother-unluckysoul @klynn-stormz @stahlop @ilovemesomekillianjones @hookmecaptain @fleurdepetite @tiganasummertree @jadehowlettthewolf @jonesfandomfanatic @anmylica @pirateprincessofpizza @stahlop @snowbellewells @eddisfargo @motherkatereloyshipper @confessionsofthemword 

[enixamyram]

So... Regina’s torture certainly cheered me up a bit :) unfortunately not enough once she revealed she killed Owen’s father right after he had left. That bitch doesn’t even show guilt for what she did, she just looks smug about it. I love Snow to pieces but damn I wish she’d just let Regina die already.

[piracytheorist]

thoughts on killian's redemption arc vs regina's redemption arc?

I don’t anymore think it’s fair to compare two different characters’ arcs, especially when we can’t be impartial judges.

Like, I’m super biased towards Killian and his story. I try to be more open-minded, but in general, I like the dude, I connect and sympathize with him, so even though I’m like “Yeah he did some really messed up stuff” I still think he deserves his place in Storybrooke. And we’re talking about a guy who even up to his last scenes was killing people in cold blood (see him running a random guard through in 7x02. Bro what if he had a family?) Bad guys, maybe? But still people.

On the other hand, I never connected much with Regina, and the tumblr crowd didn’t help, cause even now for some fucking reason people are still like “uwu I’m allowed to dislike stuff” and like, while that’s valid, it normalizes spending way too much of your time focusing on stuff you dislike. This is what the anti-Regina (and anti-anyone, pretty much) crowd did, and it reeled me in, and I spent nearly two and a half years obsessing over how I hated Regina instead of enjoying what I loved. Anyway, all that’s to say that I don’t have the most unbiased opinion about Regina either even though I’m way over my hate for her now.

All that said, I still don’t think it’s actually possible to compare the two characters and their redemption arcs - cause by and large, those two characters have different target audiences. There are overlaps like your average Venn diagram, but overall the two characters work differently. They’re two different people, going by their lives on different worldviews, different experiences, and different needs. Of course, there are similarities; hence the overlaps in the two target audiences, and hence people who can connect with both characters at the same time.

And since on that Venn diagram I exist only on the “Killian Jones fan” side, I don’t feel I have the berth to delve into how I see his redemption arc in comparison to Regina’s. And that’s not only because I’m not a fan of Regina, but because of another problem the show had.

The show never allowed us to see the actions of the villains from the viewpoint of the heroes, or the victims. That was especially true from season three onward. The stories focused on how tewwible the villains’ lives were before they turned villains, then they showed them murdering in cold blood, and oh who the fuck cares about this random peasant, we have a problematic fave to romanticize!

Seriously, that was a big issue. I love Hook, but seeing how from s3 on his victims (direct or indirect) weren’t allowed their own stories, and only got closure just so Hook wouldn’t have a burden over his guilt was really weird. Like, think about it. With Neal he was like “LOL remembered when I took care of you” and Neal was like “LOL yeah bro good times” and then he got killed. The real Ariel never heard Killian’s apology. Ursula’s story is introduced and concluded in one episode, never mentioned after. The Apprentice just gave him one stern look and then got killed. Merlin didn’t get justice. Belle threw him an “Oh you changed!” when he never directly apologized to her. Liam II rushed through forgiving him and bonding with him, then he disappeared off the face of the earth. David was barely even mad at him for killing his father. “It was a long time ago” Bruh he killed your father, not your favourite pet frog. And again, the only time he uttered the words “I’m sorry” was to Zelena posing as Ariel*. Those stories existed to give Hook angst and to justify the existence of an ex-villain to the audience, because yeah we know he murdered in cold blood but look how sad he is for that now. The characters and their pain for what Hook caused to them didn’t matter. Hook’s angst and character development did.

* I get that you can feel sorry and not say the words, but actually saying the words is a step towards taking accountability for your actions. Saying the words is actually part of making a good apology. But why did I even think the ouat writers would bother reading some social analyses.

And that was the same with Regina, Rumpelstiltskin, and Zelena. Take any of their victims; they are either forgotten, or forced to forgive them, or sometimes even vilified themselves (see Greg Mendell, Milah - or even Regina herself - and s7!Hansel respectively) because the ex-villains are sad and are trying to do good now! Bro I see that but you don’t need to put a victim down to show that!

In general, from a moral standpoint, ouat was a mess. They made the villains so deeply flawed and then tried to brush their crimes under the carpet by showing them do one (1) good thing then their victims forgiving them because the villains felt bad now most of the time.

I... digressed. A fuck ton. But yeah, I did have a point in all that.

In general, I do feel that Hook’s redemption arc was the only one that was unprompted by someone else, and he only took it because he himself wanted to. The other three had something to “win“; particularly, Henry and Belle all but threatened Regina and Rumpelstiltskin respectively to stop being bad or they’ll go away, and if you can’t see how fucked up that is then I don’t know what else to say. Zelena had kind of a... ready place to fit in once she killed Hades to save Regina. I will admit I cannot judge her completely because I skipped all her scenes in s6 so like, I don’t know.

But Hook had everything to win and nothing to lose by staying a villain; in s2 he could’ve simply fucked off in the end and enjoy the fact that Rumpelstiltskin was dead. Instead he came back with his ship at the end because he wanted to do right by Baelfire’s memory (and because he had realized that his revenge would never bring him the peace he was searching for). In 3b he could’ve simply not cared for anyone else, instead he sold his ship, left his secure pirate life behind to save Emma and her loved ones. All without a promise or demand of someone accepting him in the heroes’ circle. And in a way, that seems very genuine to me and it’s why I rooted for him.

But again, overall, the morality of all the redemption arcs in OUAT is totally fucked. So even though in my own biased opinion, I liked Hook’s redemption the most because it felt the most self-prompted and genuine... the bar is still very low.

[hitchell-mope]

Ok look. I know. I understand. Greg and Tamara are awful. But would it really have been so bad to let Regina die?