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lilacmoon83 · 3 years

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Finding You Always

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Chapter 227: Rumor Has It

Natalie sat at the kitchen table in the modernized kitchen of her brother and sister-in-law's castle. She had slept a bit late and had been up with morning sickness, but the tea she had made was helping her.

"Good morning," Xander said, as he entered the kitchen.

"Morning," she replied.

"Mind if I sit?" he asked.

"Not at all," she replied.

"Morning sickness?" he asked.

"Yeah...it's for real. I don't know how the hell my sister-in-law did this four times," she mentioned. He smiled thinly.

"You'd have to ask her, but I think she'd tell you the payoff is worth it times a thousand," he replied.

"Maybe...except I'm pretty sure Snow was born to be a mother from what I've seen. Me...not so much," she murmured.

"There was a time when I was a terrible father and I'm still not even half the father that David or James are to their kids," he mentioned.

"So you're saying I get that from you?" she joked. He chuckled.

"No…I know for a fact that you will rise to this challenge where I failed too," he replied.

"Having kids wasn't in my plans...but I think I do want this baby. Is that weird?" she asked.

"Not at all...you may never want anything to do with the baby's father, but that doesn't mean you don't love the baby," he replied. She nodded.

"Are you worried...about this baby being half Clayton?" she asked.

"No...because this baby is also half Charming and will be raised by Charmings," he replied.

"I have no idea what I'm doing and like a million questions," she said. He smiled thinly.

"And I can promise you that Snow and David will love being there for all of it," he assured her, as the two in question came into the kitchen.

"Good morning," he greeted.

"I wish it was...but Emma just called and wants us at the station as soon as possible. It doesn't sound good. Any idea what this is about?" David asked.

"Uh well...Nora was murdered last night or at least, it's looking like murder," Xander replied. Snow gasped.

"Oh Gods...does Emma know who did it yet?" Snow asked.

"Last I checked, no...there was no suspicious activity on the security cams, but we're just starting the investigation," he replied, as he stood up.

"But if she's calling...then maybe there's been a development," he added, as Natalie stood up.

"Are you sure you're feeling up to coming?" Xander asked.

"Yeah...the morning sickness has passed. I feel fine," she answered. They nodded and made their way out to their cars.

~*~

"And while we don't know yet if foul play was involved, we have obtained an exclusive recording of an altercation Ms. Bradley was involved in shortly before she died and if I may say, this may be a bombshell that blows this case wide open," Goldie said, as they cut to the video of the altercation.

"The true Evil Queen: Snow White and her endless body count. By Nora Bradley," Nora read from her tablet and Summer launched at her, but JJ held her back.

"Delete the story, Nora," he insisted.

"Not a chance in hell," she replied.

"No one has destroyed more lives than the subject of this expose. She has left a trail of bodies in her wake for years and yet wears the crown of Queen. Many of you may think I am talking about Queen Regina, but not in the slightest. I am talking about Snow White herself, who chose to preserve the pureness of her heart over saving her own mother at the tender age of ten and her body count only builds from there," Nora read and then gasped, as Summer slapped her.

"You know nothing about my mother!" she hissed.

"I know enough. She's the reason your precious Nana lost her first true love. The reason everyone is here in the first place, ripped away from their homeland and loved ones," Nora replied.

"That was all fixed when the curse broke!" Summer claimed.

"And there has been nothing but chaos since, because of your parent's precious true love. And their insanity has spilled into my world one too many times. People need to know the truth. Your Nana was right long ago when she said Snow White was the true monster," Nora said. Summer tried to launch herself at her again, but JJ held her back.

"And just today...another life was ruined when Drizella Tremaine was hauled off to the rubber room," Nora said.

"That woman is insane! That's not my mother's fault!" Summer replied. Nora shrugged.

"Maybe, maybe not. But your mother is the reason for her torment and probably the reason she will never get better," she replied.

"Okay...let me walk you home. There's no reasoning with her," JJ suggested. Summer glared at the other woman, but then allowed him to lead her out.

"As you can see, Ms. Bradley had a very heated altercation with Summer Nolan-Charming over a story the young reporter was writing that was not favorable to Ms. Nolan-Charming's mother, Queen Snow White. Was it just a simple argument or a motive for something more? A motive for murder, perhaps," Goldie said.

The television exploded in a flash of sparks and smoke, as Regina released a fireball at her in her anger.

"That little…" Regina started to say.

"Regina…easy…" Robin soothed, as they looked at their granddaughter.

"Nana...I, I didn't do this…" Summer said, as she was now almost in tears after watching Goldie's sneak attack broadcast. Regina's eyes widened.

"Oh honey...we know that," she soothed, as she hugged her tightly against her chest.

"She's right...there is no question of that," Robin agreed.

"I am just angry at the gall of that reporter and believe me, I'm going to be calling Mitchell Herman to sue her and that entire studio for slander!" Regina raged.

"Maybe we should go see what Emma has to say. By now, I'm certain she has seen this and has called your parents," Robin reasoned, as Regina's phone chimed.

"You're right...that's Snow. She says Emma asked them to come to the station, but they don't know what about yet," Regina said, as she texted back.

"What did you say?" Summer asked.

"That I know what it's about and that it's better explained in person. Let's go," Regina replied, as they left the castle.

~*~

By the time the replay of Goldie's broadcast finished, her blood was boiling. She rarely watched the dumpster fire that was Good Morning United Realms, but Leroy had called her in an uproar about it just minutes ago and she had pulled up the stream on the website.

"I see you've finished the broadcast, so you know the only thing left to do is arrest your little sister," Goldie said, as she waltzed into the station.

"You have a lot of nerve," Emma spat, as she stood up from her desk, as the other blonde looked around.

"I'd say you're the one with the nerve, Sheriff. It would be obstruction of justice if you don't at least bring young Summer in for questioning after a video like that. A nice little piece of investigative journalism, if I do say so myself," Goldie said.

"If you think that my sister had anything to do with Nora's death...then you're crazy," Emma retorted, just as her parents walked in.

"What?" Snow asked, wondering if she had heard correctly. Goldie smirked smugly.

"That's right...your precious daughter was found at the scene of the crime," the blonde said.

"Which means nothing, because our Summer isn't capable of murder," David countered without missing a beat. Goldie rolled her eyes.

"Says the doting daddy," she countered in return.

"Look Curly...he's right. Summer was in the area, but that's because she had a date with JJ and then went to the diner for hot cocoa," Emma replied.

"And then she was found by JJ outside Nora's room, just as she was heard screaming and plummeting to her death," Goldie said.

"And earlier...she was caught on recording, by Nora's phone, earlier that night in a heated argument," she added.

"I don't care if they had an argument. Our daughter didn't kill anyone," Snow snapped.

"That's not how it looks and if this was anyone else in such a suspicious position, this department would launch a full investigation," she said, as she turned to Emma.

"So...will you be bringing your sister in for questioning, Sheriff or should I report that, as per usual, the Charming family will be protecting their own?" Goldie asked.

"We don't care what you report on your trash show, but for your information, I'll ask Summer what happens or if she knows anything. If she says that she isn't responsible, then that will be that and I'll keep investigating to find the real culprit," Emma answered. Goldie scoffed.

"Typical...but I'm not surprised. I guess this evening's headline will be the corruption in our law enforcement and the subsequent coverup of a murder committed by one of their own, Summer Nolan Charming," Goldie announced and there was a gasp, as Summer entered the station with Regina and Robin.

"Oh look...there's the little murderer now," the blonde said and a fireball appeared in Regina's palm.

"Choose your next words wisely, you hack…" Regina growled. Goldie smirked.

"Go ahead and do your worst, Queenie. Anything you do now will just go in tonight's broadcast," the blonde challenged.

"I didn't kill Nora," Summer said in horror.

"Oh honey...of course you didn't," Snow said, as she and David rushed to her and enveloped her in a hug between them. Goldie rolled her eyes at the sentiment.

"Just as I thought...you two are going to block any investigation into Nora's murder," Goldie said.

"Is that true?" a new voice said, as they looked to see JJ in the doorway.

"Of course not...our investigation will proceed as normal. But our daughter is not responsible for Nora's murder," David replied sternly. Goldie rolled her eyes.

"She was at the scene of the crime...you yourself found her outside your room, which was right next to your cousin's, isn't that right, Mr. Bradley?" Goldie asked, as all attention turned to him.

"Uh…I heard Nora scream and then came out into the hallway. Summer was there, but that doesn't mean anything," JJ refuted.

"He's right...that's circumstantial at best and Summer's story easily checks out," Emma agreed.

"Oh please...the hot cocoa story? You expect us to believe that?" Goldie asked.

"We don't care what you believe. If our daughter says that's what happened...then it is," Snow snapped in reply.

"Oh yes...because no one related to the fair and good Snow White could ever do anything bad," Goldie said sarcastically.

"I don't know why you hate me and frankly, I don't care...but coming after my children is a mistake that I promise you will regret," Snow threatened and Goldie smirked.

"I'll be sure to broadcast that quote loud and clear on tonight's broadcast," she said, as she started toward the door.

"And I'll be exposing this farce of a coverup as well. In addition, I've already sent a colleague to one of the biggest newspapers in the Land Without Magic with this bombshell story. Get ready...because I'm sure it will explode and I wouldn't be surprised if outside law enforcement takes an interest in this case as well," Goldie replied.

"If you really have done that, there could be serious consequences to everyone, including you," David warned.

"Free press, Your Highness and it's time that everyone knew the truth about your wife. She ruins lives...and it appears her daughter does as well," Goldie said, as she walked out.

"You're sure you don't know her from your past?" Regina asked.

"No…I never met her, until she popped up when we merged the realms," Snow replied.

"Does anyone know her story?" Emma asked, but there was no answer.

"I can probably help with that," Rose said, as she and Fandral entered behind Eva, who rushed to hug her parents and then Summer.

"We saw the broadcast at the hospital and came here right away," Eva said.

"It's going to be okay...we all know that Summer did nothing wrong," David replied, as Snow looked at JJ.

"We are very sorry for your loss," she said. He nodded mutely.

"JJ...you believe me, right?" Summer asked. He nodded.

"I do...but why were you there? I thought you went home after the fight we had with Nora," he replied, with a bit of scrutiny.

"I...I was upset and since Mom and Dad were gone, I stopped at the diner. Frankie and Joe made me some hot cocoa. I know that sounds lame...but it always helps me feel better. Daddy has been making me cocoa since I was little," she explained, making Snow and David smile at each other.

"Then when I got done there, I decided to come apologize to you again. As I got to your door, that's when we heard the scream," she explained. David looked at his eldest daughter.

"And there was no one coming out of Nora's room on the security camera?" he asked.

"No...and I already used a spell to see if it was magically altered. It wasn't," she replied.

"Magically altered?" JJ asked.

"It wouldn't be the first time that magic was used to alter a security camera," David replied.

"You know...magic isn't the only way to alter security footage," Eva interjected.

"She's right...I didn't even think to have Bashful do a forensic analysis on the tape. And then there's the whole network. It could have been hacked...it happens to systems all the time," Emma said.

"Your mother and I will drop that tape off at the lab," David replied. She nodded.

"I'll make some calls and see if I can find an IT expert to examine the network," she said.

"Actually...I have a friend. He could do it and he's the best. He could even do it remotely if you gave him access to the network," JJ chimed in.

"Do you trust him?" Emma asked. He nodded.

"He's my best friend...and while he's the best, he could hack your network with ease if he wanted to. Luckily, he's an honest guy and only works for people who invite him in," JJ replied. She nodded.

"Okay...there's an open computer at that desk over there if you want to make that call," Emma said. He nodded and then turned to Summer.

"I...I do believe you," he said.

"And I'm really sorry about Nora...I never wanted anything bad to happen to her," she replied, as they shared a hug. Snow put her hand to her heart at that and leaned her head against Charming's shoulder. He smiled and hugged her close.

"I think we should pay a visit to Goldie's co-host in the meantime. If we can get him away from her...we might be able to get that worm to talk," David said.

"I don't know...he is a worm, but possibly a worm with a lot to lose if he knows anything," Xander interjected.

"You think he's being blackmailed?" David asked.

"If the rumors floating around about him are true...then yes," Xander replied.

"Then what do you suggest?" David asked, knowing that this was his father's area of expertise.

"We tail him...and catch him in something. Then we bring him in and grill him. If it's bad enough...we might even be able to turn on his co-host for a lesser sentence," Xander replied.

"Okay...then let's do that," David said.

"You and your father do that. I'm going to go back with Rose and Fandral to see if I can find her story anywhere. It might be nothing, but it can't hurt," Snow replied, as they shared a kiss.

"Oh...you said you were at the hospital," Snow recalled, directing the statement to Rose and Fandral.

"Is everything okay?" she asked. They both smiled brightly.

"Better than okay...I'm pregnant," Rose announced, causing Snow to gasp and hug her counterpart.

"Congratulations!" she exclaimed, as David and Fandral shook hands.

"Truly," David said.

"Yes...an unplanned, but very welcome surprise," Fandral agreed, as he kissed Rose tenderly. David smiled and kissed Snow again.

"I'll see later," he said, as he left with his father and sister.

I'll be hanging around here to see if JJ's friend finds anything," Emma told her mother, who nodded.

"I've got to get back to the hospital," Eva said, as she hugged her mother and younger sister, before leaving.

"Okay honey...do you want to come with me to Rose's library?" Snow asked.

"Actually...do you think we could go riding, Nana? I could use some fresh air," Summer replied. Regina and Robin smiled.

"Of course," Regina agreed. Snow hugged her youngest daughter and then held her face in her hands.

"Everything is going to be okay," she promised, with a kiss to her forehead. Summer nodded and left with Regina and Robin, while Snow went with Rose and Fandral back to their castle.

~*~

Goldie arrived back at the news station with a smug smirk on her face.

"Goldie...get in here!" her boss bellowed and she rolled her eyes, as she did as he asked.

"Yes, Mr. Boots?" she asked.

"We need to talk about your story for the evening edition," he said.

"It's pure gold, isn't it?" she asked.

"No Goldie...accusing Queen Snow and King Charming's daughter of murder based on circumstantial evidence is reprehensible," he replied.

"She was found at the scene of the crime!" Goldie cried.

"Because she was at the diner next door...a place she frequents regularly. We are the press...not the police, nor are we the courts. We report. We do not arrest, try, and convict," he admonished.

"Our ratings were through the roof this morning! That was all me!" she protested.

"And much of that was not good ratings for us," he said, as he tossed a copy of the Storybrooke Mirror down in front of her.

"Oh...another fluff piece on the Charmings by none other than family friend August W. Booth," she scoffed.

"Actually, like a real reporter, he kept his emotion out of it and presented the cut and dry facts of the case so far. Summer Charming being at the Inn, where her new boyfriend is staying, is hardly out of the ordinary. And public opinion matters," he reiterated.

"Frankly, most people do not think she is capable of such savagery," he added.

"Oh...because she's Snow White's precious daughter!? Because one of perfect Snow White's perfect children could never do anything wrong!" she cried.

"Goldie...you are too close to this story. Your disdain for Snow White has not gone unnoticed by our viewers and most of them do not hold our show in high regard. Your ratings were high this morning, because of outrage and I was hired to stop this network from hemorrhaging money. Which I intend to do," he said.

"What does that mean?" she asked.

"It means...I've replaced you. You're fired," he announced.

"You're firing me!?" she screamed.

"I'm afraid so. Security will help you pack up your things and see you out," he replied.

"You can't do this to me! You can't possibly think Le Fou can carry this network's broadcasting on his own!" she screamed.

"No...but his new co-anchor will help him," he replied.

"You replaced me already, you son of bitch!?" she cried.

"Security!" he called, as she was forcibly led out of his office, only to see her replacement in the makeup chair. Her makeup chair.

"You're replacing me with this bitch!?" she screamed. The brunette woman smirked.

"Sorry Goldie...better luck next time," Attina said.

"You're replacing me with a mermaid!?" Goldie cried, but was led out by security.

"Oh this is not over…" she growled darkly.

~*~

Flashback

Blue stared at Opal's body, as she placed her at the bottom of the ravine. To an untrained person, they may very well think this was an accidental death, but she knew the Charmings and she knew it wouldn't be long before they connected her to Opal's death when they returned. She used Opal's wand to shrink herself and fly unnoticed back to the church where all the fairies still lived in the convent, except a few, including Tink. She had lost complete control of this place and her station, but she still had secrets hidden within these walls. She entered the library. It was a small library and nothing like the grand like Rose Red's, but it had some very old and powerful spell books. And there was one book that not even Rose Red's library had, for it once belonged to an ancient, dead tribe known at one time as the Northuldra.

Long ago, Blue had helped the King of Arendelle, Elsa and Anna's grandfather, Runeard, after he and his soldiers slaughtered the Northuldra and claimed their enchanted forests as part of Arendelle. But the killing of the Northuldra had caused the elements of nature to become angry. Arendelle had nearly been destroyed by vicious storms as a result. It became clear that Runeard had been cursed by the Northuldra before their eradication and only his banishment to a netherworld was the solution to appease the elemental spirits.

Once she had banished him, the spirits quieted and she had not seen the elements take power like that...until Elsa, the daughter of the sole surviving Northuldra, was born. Even then, Blue had thought she was an anomaly...until Snow White and Prince Charming gave birth to five magical children. She didn't think much of it when Emma was conceived. She had sensed the magic in her, but that was because she had been anointed as the Savior. But then the others had come into elemental magic once magic came to Storybrooke and she had feared their control of the elements, because by that time, she had no more influence with Snow and David.

Much like Elsa's father, she would have advised them to suppress the children's magic or allow her to train them. But that wasn't meant to be and now they may very well incarcerate her indefinitely for what she had done. Power had slipped through her fingers once again. But as long as she remained alive, Runeard's banishment would stand. The Charming children and Elsa were powerful enough as it was, but if he were to ever return, the elemental spirits would become angry again and wreak havoc. Not to mention that her part in covering up the eradication of a civilization would become known as well. Thankfully, she didn't plan on perishing anytime soon.

~*~

Smee docked the Jolly Roger at Pleasure Island and looked to the guest they had rescued from the water.

"Are you sure this is where you want to go?" Smee asked.

"Yes...this will suit me fine," the stranger replied.

"It's kind of a rough place and a bit lawless. Be careful," Smee warned. The man smirked and disembarked from the ship. Smee watched him go, wondering how such a regal looking man ended up wandering the seas on a rickety raft. They had rescued him and his only request was that they drop him off in an obscure place. Pleasure Island was the most obscure place that Smee knew and hoped that the man didn't just get himself into trouble.

He looked around and found his way into the local watering hole. This would be a good place to lay low for now, before he found a way to make his grand re-entrance into his home Kingdom and without everyone finding out the truth of his past…

~*~

Snow flipped through the books idly, as Belle read through some as well, and she closed it in frustration.

"I had no idea there were so many versions of Goldilocks," Snow said in frustration.

"Me either...I thought of all the stories, that one was pretty basic and generic," Belle agreed, as she chose another one from the pile. She flipped through it, just as Rumple and Bobby arrived.

"Hi sweetheart...how was training?" she asked, as she hugged him.

"Great…I shook down an entire mountain. It was fun, but I'm starving now," he complained.

"Of course you are. I suppose we should call it a day. I can take some of these with me and keep looking tonight," Snow said.

"Wait...oh my gosh, I think I found it!" Belle called, as Snow and Rumple looked over her shoulders.

"Wait...that's me," Snow said in confusion.

"It is...did you know that Goldie's mother was one of your nanny's?" Belle asked.

"No…I don't remember that at all," Snow said, as she read the story.

"Wait…I vaguely remember this woman and that she was mean. But I don't remember any of this stuff around it," Snow replied.

"Well...you were only four. That makes sense," Belle said.

"It appears that Goldie's mother was a bit too strict and when your mother discovered a mark on your arm, she fired her," Rumple deduced from the reading.

"Then they became homeless when her mother couldn't find work," Belle said.

"Well, that explains why she hates me so much. She blames me for her family falling apart," Snow replied sadly.

"Snow...this isn't your fault. From what I'm reading, her mother was abusive. Your mother did the right thing by getting you far away from her and Goldie's misfortune is not on you," Belle said. Snow nodded.

"I suppose you're right," she replied.

"She is, Mom. You and Dad went through some tough times too and could be blaming the world for it. But you don't," Bobby chimed in.

"Your son is right," Rumple agreed.

"You're right...and she has no right to take out her hatred on my children. Thanks for helping," Snow said, as she hugged her friend.

"Come on, let's head to the diner. Hopefully your father had some luck too," she said, as the four of them bid goodbye to Rose and Fandral, before leaving for Storybrooke.

~*~

After following Le Fou around all day, they were almost ready to give up, until they saw him head to the east end of Storybrooke and to Iago's place. They saw him leave with a young man and snapped a picture, before sending it to Emma.

As they were headed to the diner for dinner, she called David.

"Hey Dad...you were right. The person he picked up is in the system and he's sixteen. We've arrested him for prostitution," Emma told him.

"Thanks for running the photo through the system. I was pretty sure I recognized him and that he was underage," David said.

"Yeah...looks like we've got Le Fou dead to rights. Are you going to pick him up?" Emma asked.

"Not yet...I don't want to tip Goldie off yet. I'm going to let them do their stupid newscast tonight and then we'll arrest him on his way home. That way...it will be at least a few hours before it hits the news," David replied.

"Good idea...I'll see you at the diner in a few," Emma said, as they hung up the phone.

"That's sneaky," Natalie said.

"Are you impressed that I can be sneaky?" David asked. She smirked.

"Actually yes...I mean, I would totally expect this kind of move from James, but not you," she teased.

"Yeah, well when it comes to one of my kids, the gloves come off," he said, as they arrived at the diner.

"Hey baby," Snow greeted, as he slid into the booth beside her and kissed her passionately.

"Hey yourself, beautiful…" he said, as their lips parted.

"Did you find anything incriminating on Le Fou?" she asked.

"We did...and we'll be bringing him in later. We don't want to tip Goldie off," he replied.

"What's this?" he asked.

"Oh, just the reason that Goldie hates me," she replied.

"Her Mom was your nanny when you were little?" he asked.

"Apparently so...I just don't really remember it. But I guess her Mom was abusive and when my mother found a mark on me, she fired her," Snow explained.

"Well...sounds like your mother did the right thing and you're not responsible for Goldie's life turning out the way it did," he said.

"I know," she said. He raised an eyebrow.

"Really? You're not going to blame yourself?" he asked. She shook her head.

"If Winter taught me anything...it's that I can't keep holding myself responsible for everyone else's happiness. Nor should I feel guilty for being so blessed with the life and love that I have with you," she replied. He smiled.

"I'm so glad to hear you say that and accept it," he said, as they shared another kiss.

With that, they ordered dinner and enjoyed time with their family and friends.

~*~

"Well...I guess that does it for us tonight. I'm Le Fou,"

"And I'm your new co-anchor of Good Evening United Realms, Attina. We'll see you in the morning. Have a magical evening!"

Goldie screamed in rage, as she threw a vase through her television. She had come home, only to find her husband, passed out drunk and stinking of perfume, probably from whatever hooker he had been with the night before. Add to that, she was then forced to suffer through the evening news with her bubbly replacement.

"That's it...someone is going to pay for this," she hissed, as she grabbed her keys and stormed out of her apartment.

~*~

Leo came into their chambers that evening and found his wife, sitting by the window, with a stack of books.

"Hey…" he said, as he leaned down and kissed her.

"Hi...how is Summer?" she asked.

"She's okay...better now after we did a long trail ride," he replied, as he sat down with her.

"Are these the books that Rose found?" he asked.

"They are...I had forgotten so much of Arendelle's rich history, but it's a little weird," she replied.

"Weird how?" he asked.

"Well...there is nearly nothing about my Grandfather's time as King and it only says he was lost on an expedition. All of the other ruler's in my lineage have these detailed histories of their time on the Throne. If I didn't know any better…" she said, trailing off for a moment.

"You think something has been omitted from these books on purpose?" he asked.

"It's not like it would be the first time something has been hidden from us…" she replied.

"True," he agreed.

"I just...have this feeling," she mentioned, as she looked out the window and over the fjord, noticing how windy it was.

"Wow...that wind came out of nowhere. It was really calm today," he mentioned.

"Yeah...I don't remember any storms in the forecast," she replied.

"Yeah, but Scuttle is pretty bad at his job though. He means well...but he's a terrible meteorologist," he mentioned. She smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Come on...let's go to bed and tomorrow, we can ask Mr. Gold and Aphrodite if they know anything," he said. She smiled.

"That's a great idea. If anyone does...it's them or Hermes," she agreed, as they went to bed.

~*~

"Feeling better, sweetie?" Snow asked, as her husband put a cup of cocoa down in front of their daughter. She smiled.

"Yeah...a lot better now. I'm just glad that no one really believes those lies," Summer said.

"No one important anyway and I'm about to arrest Goldie's co-anchor. If he knows something, I'll get it out of him," David replied, as he kissed Snow.

"Be careful," she said, as he grabbed his coat and headed out.

"So...how about watch a movie together while we wait to hear from your Dad," Snow suggested. Summer smiled.

"That sounds nice," she replied.

"Okay...you pick the movie and I'll make the popcorn," Snow said.

~*~

Goldie watched her former boss exit the dark news station that evening and begin walking to his car. As he crossed her path, she shined her headlights on him and he looked to see who was there. But the look of surprise soon turned to fear, as she revved the engine and her tires screeched, as she drove toward him. He cried out momentarily and tried to run away, but she swerved with deliberation and mowed him down in the parking lot. She smirked with satisfaction, as she saw his figure laying on the concrete in her rear view mirror. At this point, there was no hiding what she had done and her car would be identified in the crime. Fortunately, she already had rented a boat to take her to the lawless place of Pleasure Island where she could hide out and continue to plot her revenge. And if luck was with her, the next person she'd be gunning down would be Snow White herself.

~*~

David walked into Iago's that evening and the owner let out a sigh of disdain, as at least five patrons left immediately, just due to his presence. Emma smirked.

"Aww...should we take that as a compliment or an insult?" she joked. David smirked.

"Definitely a compliment in this case," he said, as they approached the bar.

"Dammit...you're really bad for business, you know," Iago complained.

"Don't worry...we won't be long," David said, as they approached the other side of the bar where their target sat. He saw them and nearly fell off his stool to get away, but David grabbed him by the shirt and hauled him to his feet.

"You're under arrest," he announced.

"For what?" Le Fou challenged, as Emma showed him a photo on her phone. It was one of him and the young man going into a room in the seedy motel that was next to Iago's. Le Fou turned white as a sheet.

"So what...getting a room with someone isn't a crime," he said, trying to play it off.

"It is if you gave him money and he's sixteen...which he is," Emma replied.

"That…I...I didn't know," he claimed, as David put the cuffs on him.

"Still a crime...and you knew," he said.

"He...he approached me!" Le Fou claimed.

"Still a crime...he's underage," Emma said, as they hauled him out to the car. Emma put him in the backseat.

"Cracking him is going to be almost too easy…" she mentioned.

"Maybe...the question will be is he more scared of Goldie or hard prison time," David agreed, as they got into the car and drove back to the station.

~*~

Rodmilla looked at her new castle with smug satisfaction. Having magic was certainly something that had been amiss in her life. Had she had before, then she was certain that all of her enemies would have paid dearly. But now that she did, she would soon be crowned the new Evil Queen and she would relentlessly pursue her enemies and make their lives hell.

"Impressive...but this is still a lawless place. How do you plan to declare yourself the Mayor and mobilize these cretins?" Jekyll questioned.

"That will come, especially when they witness my new power. For now, I have done what you have asked and given you a new and fully equipped, pristine laboratory in the bowels of the castle," Rodmilla said.

"And me?" Grimm asked.

"And there is a quiet library and study in the east wing that is all yours," she added.

"Excellent...then we can soon resume our plans," Jekyll replied.

"What about my daughter? She is still in that awful place," Rodmilla said.

"She is barking mad...don't you think having her on the loose, at least right now, may detract from our plan?" Grimm questioned. She huffed.

"He has a very good point. From what I have seen, no medication can help her. Only when she has what she wants can she perhaps be controlled. Until then...she should remain where she is," Jekyll said.

"For now...but I will not tolerate having her in that place much longer," Rodmilla replied.

"Don't worry...we'll soon all have what we want," Grimm assured them.

"What of the protégé you have taken on?" Jekyll questioned.

"She'll be useful for a time and she's a psychopath. She's providing plenty of distraction as we speak," Grimm said.

"Then we should get to work," Rodmilla replied, as they went inside the castle.

~*~

Xander and James arrived at the crime scene and got out of the car. Bashful and his team had already put up the crime scene tape and were in the process of bagging evidence, as well as getting ready to transport the body to the morgue for autopsy.

"Hit and run?" Xander asked, as he shined his flashlight on them.

"More like intentional murder," Bashful said, as he motioned them over to a place on the concrete adjacent to the body.

"Tire marks," James said.

"Someone floored it and deliberately hit him," Xander deduced.

"That's what we're looking at. Deliberate and sloppy, as well as premeditated, most likely," Bashful said.

"Who is the victim?" James asked.

"Mr. Boots...the executive producer of the Enchanted News Network," Bashful replied.

"Puss in Boots...wasn't he a cat?" Xander asked.

"He probably was back in the Enchanted Forest, but like so many, the good curse gave him a human form. Here he took on the identity of Antonio Boots," Bashful answered.

"Is this the same studio that produces Good Morning United Realms?" Xander asked.

"One in the same...and word has it that Mr. Boots fired Goldilocks today and replaced her with Attina, one of Ariel's sisters," Bashful replied.

"Well, that's motive," James said.

"Yes...and I'm starting to think that Mr. Boots might not be the only person she murdered," Xander replied.

"You think she framed Summer?" James asked.

"Oh yeah...she's as vindictive as they come," Xander replied.

"Just because she hates Snow?" James asked and then thought about it for a moment.

"Yeah...that sounds about right for this town," he agreed.

"Let's track her car and then toss her place. She's probably hiding out somewhere," Xander said.

"Isn't she married?" James asked.

"Yeah...her husband is a drunk. I doubt he knows anything, but we'll pick him up. He's probably either passed out at home or at Iago's," Xander replied, as they got back into the car and drove off to check Goldie's place first. It was important they found her quickly, for in her unhinged state, anyone in her pathway was in potential danger and that included their family members...

#Snowing #SnowxCharming #Charming family #OC Charmings #AU #original season 9 storyline #The United Realms #Rose Red #Fandral the Dashing #Dashing Rose #Rumbelle #OQ #CS #romance #adventure #family #drama #Finding You Always #the epic continues

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jarienn972 · 5 years

Text

Curse of Undoings - Part 12

My apologies for a slight delay in getting the next chapter posted. Last week was a busy one for my family as my oldest daughter celebrated her birthday. (Still can't believe that I have an actual teenager in my home - yikes!) I made @hookaroo wait a couple of extra days to resolve my cliffhanger and of course, she retaliated with a huge one of her own, so I think we’re even. ;) Also tagging @killian-whump and @castielamigos for this new chapter.

I have one more chapter planned after this one so we're getting close to the end and then it will be time to focus putting some new ideas on paper! Read it from the beginning on AO3 or FF,net or here on Tumblr: Pt1 Pt2 Pt3 Pt4 Pt5 Pt6 Pt7 Pt8 Pt9 Pt10 Pt11

It was over, but at the same time, it wasn't completely over.

The Black Fairy was gone, banished back to whatever private hell awaited her, yet the tempest she'd created with her curse still raged on outside the clock tower. Streetlights flashed on and off and a spray of brilliant sparks flew into the air when a transformer overloaded and exploded. Most of the nearby homes and businesses had already been plunged into darkness as the fury of the storm intensified.

Storybrooke General Hospital, where her husband lay dying, was three quarters of a mile from her current position and without magic to poof herself across town in a split-second, Emma knew she was going to need to brave the weather. She'd have to run as fast as her legs would allow, dodging hailstones and lightning to reach the Bug, but she didn't care. This supernatural storm enveloping the town was frightening, but it wasn't nearly as scary as the thought of losing Killian.

Before she departed the tower, Emma stooped to collect the sword borrowed from Rumplestiltskin that she'd just used to dispatch Fiona to some faraway realm, not willing to leave the weapon she'd come to fear laying around. Even if her visions hadn't been real, she didn't dare allow this sword to fall into the hands of the next villain of the week. As she reached for it, her fingers barely brushed the hilt when Emma noticed that it was glowing again, illuminated with a pale, icy blue light that seemed to be emanating from within the blade itself.

"What the hell?" she exclaimed, not that she was expecting anyone else to hear her. She extended her fingers towards the handle again, hopping backwards when the blade began to vibrate against the wrought iron grating. Emma found herself silently cursing Rumplestiltskin's name as the weapon vanished in a burst of bluish light and before she could brace herself against whatever was about to happen, she discovered she had company.

"Hello, Emma," her companion spoke up as Emma realized she was now face to face with the Blue Fairy in her fae form, sparkling wings fluttering as she hovered above the spot where the sword had previously been laying.

"How the…?" Emma stammered, unable to even form a complete sentence as she tried to piece together what she was witnessing. "Where did you…?"

"Come from?" Blue finished the question. "From the sword. Our combined powers were the only way to defeat the Black Fairy."

"Okay… Rumple said the sword was filled with your magic, but he didn't tell me that it was literally you in the sword…"

"It was the only way – my power to create the sword and yours to wield it. Fiona manipulated those visions you were experiencing, but Emma, you were always intended to wield the weapon that would defeat her."

"Alright then - we've defeated her," Emma began with an impatient tone in her voice, "So - how do we stop this? The storm – the curse? How do we bring Storybrooke's magic back?"

"Storybrooke's magic will return once the curse is fully broken, but I think you know what that entails."

"But how?" Emma sobbed. "Without magic, how can I heal him? Storybrooke is going to vanish and we're all going to die right along with Killian… What good did it do to defeat Fiona if we can't undo her curse?"

"I'm afraid there isn't enough magic here to heal Killian's body," the fairy confessed, watching with empathetic eyes as Emma's head bowed in defeat. "But, there may be enough left to keep his heart beating."

"Then for heaven's sake, do it!" Emma implored her. "You have to save him!"

"I can only provide enough to restart a stopped heart as he's not yet crossed over, but that's all I can do. The rest of the battle will be up to Killian and until he is safe, the storm is going to continue."

"Do it!" Emma cried as tears streamed over her cheeks. "Please, do whatever you can to help him – to help all of us!"

The Blue Fairy nodded and floated closer to Emma. "Hold out your hands for me with your palms turned upward," Blue instructed and Emma obliged. The fairy dipped lower, dusting Emma's palms with glittering dust as she pressed her own tiny palms against Emma's skin, together creating an iridescent orb that materialized between them. "I'm bringing together the traces of your magic that lingered through Fiona's curse with a sprinkling of fairy dust. It will fill his heart, but there is always a chance that it may not be enough."

"It has to be enough," Emma stated, trying her best to remain positive as the orb lifted up from her hand then whooshed away, disappearing through the tower wall. "It has to be enough," she repeated, lifting her head to thank the Blue Fairy for her aid before realizing that she was gone, leaving Emma alone inside the tower once again.

Emma shook her head to clear the gathering cobwebs, worried that she may have just hallucinated the entire exchange, but a scant glance down to the tower floor where no trace of the sword remained confirmed the reality. And now she could only hope that the little orb Blue had conjured would be enough to bring Killian back from the edge. Too many lives depended on it.

"It's been four minutes, Doctor," the nurse advised, reminding everyone how long their patient had been without a pulse.

"I'm not ready to give up just yet," Dr. Whale responded, his arms already aching from the effort required to maintain consistent chest compressions. "Is that damned defibrillator charged back up yet?"

"A few more seconds, Doctor," the nurse responded. "These power fluctuations are making it slower to charge."

"Remind me when this is all over that I need to ask Regina for a bigger generator for this hospital," Whale mumbled, peering down at the ashen face of Killian Jones while concealing a scowl behind his surgical mask. "You're supposed to be the survivor, Hook… Is this really how you want to go out?"

"Doctor, the defibrillator is fully charged," the nurse announced at last, holding the paddles at the ready.

"Hand 'em here!" Whale ordered impatiently as he reached across Killian's torso to grab the handles. "Alright, Jones… Let's try this again, shall we?" With a shout to clear, he pressed the devices against the bare skin of Killian's chest and there was a collective hush in the operating room as all anxiously awaited the response to this attempt to jolt their patient back to life. In the midst of their collective breath-holding, not a single soul noticed the tiny, glistening orb that descended through the ceiling and dropped onto Killian's heart just as the surge of electricity surged through it.

Whale hesitated for a few seconds, paddles hovering in preparation for a second attempt as a series of faint blips lit up the monitor.

"We've got a rhythm again," a nurse said cheerfully as the pattern became more steady.

"Alright, people," Whale spoke up as he handed off the defibrillator paddles to another team member as the machine was powered down and wheeled out of the way. "Let's get back to work here. Somebody get me another forceps so I can yank that damned bullet out of him before he bleeds out all over my operating table." Whale wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, but they weren't done yet. There was still a lot of torn flesh to repair and no time to waste.

The increasing intensity of the thunderstorm outside the hospital walls wasn't lost on Emma and Killian's family either as they awaited news on one or both of the newlyweds' fates. David had his arm wrapped around a tense Snow White's shoulders as she leaned against him for support. The fluorescent lights here in the surgical waiting room had flickered a few times before going out completely nearly twenty minutes ago, replaced by two dimmer emergency spotlights when the generator kicked in moments after the outage. The atmosphere was only making the already stressful situation more nerve-wracking as everyone knew this was no run-of-the-mill storm. This was the Black Fairy's evil sorcery descending upon them as the curse threatened to overtake them.

Henry had been momentarily surprised when Regina arrived to join their vigil, having braved the formidable weather to show up dripping wet at the hospital just minutes before the power went out. As happy as he was to have one mother at his side again, Henry was still concerned about his other mom. She was the one he needed to have here the most but she was still out there alone somewhere, battling the Black Fairy in the prophesied final battle.

"Any news yet?" Regina asked as she entered the darkened waiting room that was occupied solely by Henry and the Charmings. "I wasn't sure if cell phone service was still working so I left Leroy in charge at the jail and headed over here."

"Phones still seem to be working okay," David told her. "We just spoke to the sitter who was going to keep the baby downstairs until the storm lets up. And no, we haven't heard anything yet."

"You do realize that this isn't a normal storm?" Regina asked them, almost sarcastically, not willing to believe they'd be this naive.

"It's the curse, isn't it?" Snow wondered.

"It's a veritable typhoon of dark magic," Regina replied, "and we're right in the middle of it. Hook must be clinging to life or we wouldn't even be having this conversation. If the pirate dies, that storm will wipe us all away. There won't be a trace of this town left."

"Even if Emma defeats Fiona in the final battle?" David queried.

"Afraid so, it seems. Every dark curse has a fail-safe built into it somewhere. It looks as though Fiona made sure hers would proceed no matter how Emma's True Love dies and no matter who wins the final battle." Regina's clarifications might have explained the situation better, but it probably only raised anxiety levels.

"I sure as hell hope that Whale can keep him alive," David sighed.

"If he doesn't, Storybrooke and everyone in it will be doomed. That's an awful lot of responsibility falling on Victor," the Queen stated bluntly, but no one could doubt she was right.

"So, all that Killian's sacrifice in saving Henry has accomplished so far was to free us from wherever Fiona sent us?" Snow questioned. "Do you think that it was so we'd all suffer more?"

"If she's anything like her manipulative, enterprising son – and I'm pretty sure she is – of course, she planned for us to suffer," Regina replied.

"Do you think Emma will be strong enough to defeat her?" David asked with a slight crack in his voice. "I mean, after all of those awful vision and premonitions of her death, and all of the awful things she was forced to do while cursed, if this is really the fabled final battle, is Emma going to be strong enough?"

"No one really knows," Regina began, slouching deeper into the vinyl armchair. "The good thing is that Fiona has no magic at the moment, at least not enough to be effective, but that means neither does Emma. This has to be straight combat where skill and cunning will probably determine the victor, but even though it seems to even the odds, we're still talking about the Black Fairy – the mother of everything evil. I'm quite certain she doesn't fight fair."

"I know Mom is strong enough to beat the Black Fairy," Henry insisted, "but I don't know if she'll be able to put everything Fiona made her do behind her so she can focus. The things she said to me, the things she did to Killian – it was all done on purpose to give Fiona an advantage."

"I'm afraid it doesn't really matter, Henry," Regina lamented, her tone decidedly bitter as she weighed the potential outcomes. "It's all a moot point if Hook dies. We're all going to lose no matter who wins that battle. Fiona made damned sure of it, as did her little lackey grandson."

"Well then, Blue had better be right about there being enough magic to keep Killian's heart beating," a voice announced from the corridor beyond the dismal waiting room. Recognizing the voice, everyone immediately turned toward the doorway to see the silhouette of a drenched Emma step into view, little puddles of cursed rainwater pooling at her feet.

"Mom!" Henry exclaimed, leaping to his feet and nearly tackling Emma back into the hallway as he hugged her as tight as he could. "You did it! You beat the Black Fairy!"

"Yeah, kid – I did," Emma replied with a proud, but exhausted smile curling on her lips. Her tone wasn't nearly as excited as her son's since despite her victory, the battle wasn't yet won.

"Fiona's gone?" David asked as he rose from his seat to embrace his daughter, not even caring that his clothing was now nearly as soaking wet as hers. "You killed her?"

"Yes – she's gone, for good, but no, I didn't have to kill her. Apparently, Rumple and the Blue Fairy conspired to brew up a concoction that sent her on a one-way trip to some distant, lonely realm."

"One way?" Regina asked skeptically.

"I asked the same question and according to Rumple, the portal that opened up and sucked her into oblivion has a blood seal on it that prevents her from returning to this realm, or any other, for that matter," Emma explained. "She's trapped there."

"Good riddance," David commented. "No one around here is going to miss her, but hang on, you said that Rumple and Blue were working together on this? I thought he hated fairies."

"It seems that they both hated one particular fairy enough to put their differences aside for once."

"So, the Blue Fairy just showed up?" Snow questioned, trying to figure out what role Blue played in Emma's victory.

"I guess she sort of showed up, although it was after I'd sent Fiona packing," Emma began, trying to determine the best way to explain. "She was somehow inside the sword that Rumple gave me to use against Fiona."

"It was the sword from your visions, wasn't it?" Henry asked her.

"It was. According to Blue, Fiona was manipulating those visions, but she also said that I was always destined to use that sword in battle against the Black Fairy. This Savior stuff is ridiculous sometimes, but I know now that all of the tremors and the visions were Fiona's attempts to weaken me and it damn near worked." Emma flopped onto the sofa next to her mother with an exasperated sigh before adding: "Well, it might still work…"

"What did the Blue Fairy being in the sword do to help you?" Snow wondered, still confused about what had actually transpired. "I guess I'm not understanding what she actually did or even how she got into the sword in the first place."

"I don't completely understand it all either," Emma admitted. "All I know is somehow Rumple put her, or her magic, I really don't know, into the sword so that our combined strengths could beat Fiona and send her away to her own personal hell. I had no idea Blue was even there until she materialized out of the blade when I tried to pick it up again after the battle was over."

"She wasn't able to help stop the curse though?" Henry asked but while Emma knew what he meant by the question, but she wasn't sure the answer would satisfy him – or anyone else for that matter.

"I'm afraid not, kid," she told her son. "There isn't enough magic left in Storybrooke to heal Killian and as you've probably already figured out, breaking the curse unfortunately lies with Killian. Blue took what little magic we had left and tried to use it to keep Killian's heart beating, at least for now. The town and all of us are still here so he's still hanging on, but that storm hasn't gone away either."

"As long as we're all still here, there's still hope," Snow stated, trying to lift everyone's spirits with a beaming smile, but she wasn't even totally convinced it would be enough.

"Well, that deluge outside isn't going to let up until Hook is guaranteed to survive, so we may have a long night ahead of us," Regina stated. "We can't rely on the town's power grid so we're going to have to make sure the hospital's generators keep running."

"I'll take the cruiser out and make a loop through town and see if I can get some help rounding up supplies," David offered. "And then I'll swing over and relieve the sitter. I don't think any of us is going to get much sleep tonight so we might as well bring the little guy over here with us."

"I'll check with Benny over at the power plant and see if he can divert power to this area of town," Regina said as she retrieved her cell phone from her blazer pocket. "Everyone in town needs to be aware that the hospital has priority for power tonight. If they don't like it, explain the alternative."

With the skies already pitch black from the encroaching dark clouds looming overhead, it was nearly impossible to tell when day became night. With little to do in the waiting room, Snow had dozed off with the baby snuggled against her chest and David's protective arm draped around them both. Regina had found a magazine that was a few weeks old and switched seats to be closer to one of the spotlights so she could waste time reading and Henry was trying his best to remain distracted by watching a movie on his phone (after borrowing David's portable charger so his battery wouldn't fizzle out).

Emma had taken to silently pacing along the back wall, her mind arduously replaying every horrific act she'd committed and every hurtful word she'd uttered today. She'd been cursed – that much she understood. She would never have said or done those terrible things had she not been cursed but yet in one of those nagging back corners of her brain, she harbored enough lingering doubt to keep second-guessing herself. What if Fiona's curse had really just brought some of her true feelings to the surface instead of implanted false memories and emotions? What if that awful person really existed somewhere within her psyche? Would she run the risk of hurting her family again one day without realizing it?

It was a fear that Emma didn't dare speak of even though rationally, she knew her parents had similar regrets of their cursed selves. She didn't really know what else to do – torture herself with futile attempts to find the right words to apologize to her husband? Would he even want to still be her husband when this was all through? He'd have every right to push her away if he chose to and as much as it would break her heart, she probably deserved it.

Thankfully, the sound of approaching footsteps would delay those thoughts for a while. Regina was the first to notice the faint echoes in the corridor after the extended silence, but as the sound drew closer, they all snapped to attention, hoping that this would be the good news they'd been anxiously awaiting. David gently nudged his slumbering wife to wake her as Dr. Whale lumbered into the room, still clad in his pale blue surgical scrubs, although he'd already shed the outer protective gown. Before uttering a word, the doctor yanked the matching blue cap off of his head, shoving it into his pocket as he focused his attention on a nearly quivering Emma.

"I'm going to keep this brief because it's been a long night, and I'm not even going to attempt to speculate on where all of those wounds came from. I've got him patched up as best as I can for now. My primary focus was getting that bullet out of his chest and repairing the damage it caused. It tore a hole through his right lung that couldn't entirely be fixed, but he can survive without the piece I had to remove. Honestly, even without that section, his lungs are probably still in better shape than his liver after a couple of centuries of heavy rum swigging, but I shouldn't digress…

"His impaired right lung did collapse from the trauma but it will re-inflate in time. To be safe and to give that lung some help in healing, I'm going to keep him on a ventilator for the next 24 to 48 hours so don't expect him to be awake and talking anytime soon. He's stable for now, but these next couple of days are going to be critical. He coded on the operating table and with these damned power fluctuations, we nearly lost him. I'm not taking any chances.

"In regard to his other injuries, I couldn't do much with all of those lacerations on his back aside from cleaning them up a bit and getting him started on a strong antibiotic to try to clear the infection. Most had already scabbed over so he'll have some nasty new scars to add to his already extensive collection. Lastly, I repaired the most threatening damage from the puncture wound to his left shoulder, but it will likely require additional surgery down the line to remove some bone shards and properly repair the tendon and ligament tears. For now, I've immobilized the arm to prevent further injury to the joint. It's not something I'm going to worry for at least a few days though. Saving his life was far more important."

"You have no idea," Regina muttered under her breath as she glanced over at a visibly shaken Emma who appeared as though she might vomit at any moment. "Thank you for the update, Victor," Regina said aloud after figuring that Emma wasn't ready to speak just yet.

"Will we be able to see him soon?" David asked.

"In a little while," the doctor replied. "I'll send a nurse to get you once he's out of recovery and settled into a room. Let's just all hope that the power holds out so the life-support systems don't fail before he's strong enough for us to wean him off of them."

"That's already been addressed. All of Storybrooke's auxiliary power is being diverted to this quadrant and we've secured additional fuel for the generators," Regina assured him. "It should be enough to keep everything operational for at least another full day if needed. If all goes well, this storm should pass by then."

"Alright, that's good to know," Whale responded with a satisfied nod. "Right now, I'm going to try to get in a little power nap before I collapse, but rest assured that two of Storybrooke's finest nurses are tending to Jones as we speak and know to page me immediately should there be any change. One last thing, when I do give the okay for visitors, no more than two at a time. Emma, as his wife, you're welcome to stay the night, but the rest of you, go home and get some sleep. You all look like a bunch of zombies."

"Thanks, Victor," Emma squeaked out as the doctor turned around and left. Regina wanted to make a snide reply to Whale's zombie remark, but she held her tongue. There was enough tension in the room already and it wasn't going to break with a single wisecrack so Regina knew it was best to settle in for a very long night.

#ouat ff #cs ff #killian jones ff #killian whump #curse of undoings

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mystical-flute · 5 years

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Friends or Foes?

inspired by conversations with @findingtallahassee regarding the behavior of the Storybrooke citizens when it came to Mary-Margaret, the love triangle, and the murder accusations.

Emma says she has a lot of friends. That's why they all showed up to the party celebrating her getting out of jail. But why didn't they support her when she was arrested to begin with?

Also on Ao3

"Call us if you need anything, Mary," Emma heard Ruby say as they stood near the open apartment door. "I swear, we'll be there for you quicker than lightning!"

Emma smiled as she scrubbed a tray that once had appetizers on it, trying to make it seem like she wasn't eavesdropping on the conversation.

"I promise, Ruby," Mary-Margaret replied, hugging Ruby and waving to her as she left the apartment.

"We should head off too, Mary-Margaret, Emma. I think Leroy's had a bit too much to drink," Tom Clarke said, stumbling over to the door as he tried to balance the drunken Leroy on his shoulder while letting out a sneeze. "I should get him home before he decides he wants to drive."

Emma nodded. "Of course. I don't want to have to come get him later on and take him to the station," she replied. Leroy had continued his tradition of ending up in the jail's cell far too often despite Graham's death.

"You won't have to. I promise. Thanks for inviting us."

With that, the final guests trickled out of the apartment. Despite herself, Emma let out a sigh of relief. This party had been her idea, and she didn't regret putting it on for Mary-Margaret, but she wasn't used to hosting parties and being that overly friendly. She supposed it was something she was going to have to get used to, living with someone as sweet and bubbly as Mary-Margaret Blanchard.

"Hey Mary-Margaret, why don't you go relax? I can finish cleaning up the stuff from the party," Emma called as Mary-Margaret closed the door behind Archie.

"Are you sure? I don't mind helping; you are the one that set up this whole party for me to begin with…" Mary-Margaret replied, already beginning to collect dirty dishes and tossing out the used paper products that had been left behind.

"I'm positive. I'm sure you're eager to spend the night in your own bed."

Mary-Margaret gave her a small smile that didn't quite match her eyes, but before Emma could ask her about it, she'd retreated to the bathroom, the door closing behind her. She tried to catch her again when she heard the bathroom door open, but Mary-Margaret had moved too quickly to her bedroom, and Emma's concern only grew.

She finished loading the dishwasher and turned it on, carefully making her way to Mary-Margaret's bedroom, pausing outside the door when she heard the distinct sound of sniffling, and she felt her heart sink. Something had upset her roommate.

"Mary-Margaret?" she called, knocking quietly on the door.

-----

You've got a lot of friends.

The words rolled through Mary-Margaret's head over and over again. They were words of comfort, she knew Emma meant well when she'd said them, but it just wasn't sitting well with her. None of it was. The words, the party, the smiles on everyone's faces. Nothing about tonight, other than getting out of jail and the card from her students (strangely worded as it was) had made her remotely happy.

So as soon as Emma had given her a chance to escape, she'd gone into the bathroom to do her nightly routine, but as soon as she'd glanced at herself in the mirror, she'd felt herself break.

No one at that party barring Ruby, Emma, August and Henry had supported her. No one there had believed her. They had run around town calling her a tramp, a slut, a home wrecker.

A murderer.

She'd spent weeks being bullied and cast aside like she was nothing, including having the word TRAMP spray painted in bright red ink on her car that still hadn't come out, and then suddenly, when she was set free and now people just wanted to party? Not one of them had even apologized!

It hadn't taken long for the tears to form, and she tried to use the sound of the sinks in the bathroom and the kitchen to mask the sound of her crying as she brushed her teeth and removed her make-up, stopping when the sinks did. She splashed some water on her face for good measure to ease the redness in her cheeks before she'd gone into her bedroom to continue the crying. Emma had worked so hard on the party, she didn't want to make Emma feel bad.

But of course, Emma knew what she was feeling, and had knocked on the door anyway.

"Oh – Emma… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to let you hear that."

"What's the matter? Can I come in?"

"Sure."

Emma opened the door, only taking one step into the room as she looked at Mary-Margaret.

She wasn't sure what to say, looking at Emma. "Emma, I – "

"It's okay. Just talk when you're ready. Do you want me to sit with you?"

"Why did all of those people come to the party?"

Emma stared in surprise. "What? They came to celebrate you being innocent."

"After everything they did to me in the last couple of weeks, Emma? They harassed me to no end, and now all of a sudden they care about me? Please don't think I'm upset at you, Emma," she continued when she saw the look on her face. "I appreciate the party, I do. I just… I really thought that I would… get an apology or two."

"Wait, what? Mary-Margaret, why didn't you tell me all that happened to you? I knew about the car but – "

"Because you were too busy working to find Kathryn. Not that it's… a bad thing of course. You were doing your job and she was in danger."

"Yeah but I should have known something else was going on. You were uh – "

Mary-Margaret smiled despite the tears. "I was in over my head."

Emma handed her a tissue, a frown still on her face. "Even so… I'm sorry. I should have known something was bothering you before all of this happened. You're my family. And I'm apparently really bad at this."

"No, Emma. You're not. I've just gotten used to this."

Concern replaced Emma's frown. "Gotten used to what?"

"Wearing my heart on my sleeve and not getting anything in return," she replied, more bluntly than she'd intended. "Or. Getting very little in return, I should say. You, Henry, August, Ruby and Mr. Gold were the only ones that believed in me."

"What the hell is wrong with this town?" Emma muttered, sitting on the bed with her. "So you mean to tell me this is a common thing?"

"I… wouldn't say common but… it seems I give everything only to get smacked in the face." She didn't know when she'd suddenly gotten so bold, but she couldn't say it was so bad when she had Emma here listening to her worries and struggles. "I was the rich kid that had everything. I guess people never wanted to get to know me, so I didn't have many friends. And then… when my father died and I used my inheritance for college… that was it. It was too late."

"It shouldn't have been!" Emma snapped, frowning. "You should have had friends, a family you could turn to. Not just a juvenile criminal like me."

"Emma…"

"I'm serious. I'm going to make this better for you, Mary-Margaret. I don't know how, but I will."

Neither of them realized that two weeks later, Emma would make good on that promise, by breaking the curse that had been placed on the realm twenty-eight years ago. Snow White's family and friends were returned to her, and the apologies finally flooded in.

She, of course, forgave her friends and husband, after all they were cursed and they probably wouldn't do such a thing to begin with. But, though she forgave them, the words had hurt… and it was telling that the cursed personalities felt no need to apologize to Mary-Margaret Blanchard, despite all the good she'd done for them and the town as a whole.

As much as she didn't want to, Snow couldn't help but wonder who her friends really were.

#ouat #once upon a time #snow white #emma swan

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swanqueeneverafter · 6 years

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60. The Final Battle, Pt.4

Enchanted Forest. (Clayton and his rabble are gathered outside the woods.) Clayton: “The Troll is in there. I say we charge in, torches blazing! (The rabble agree, shouting loudly. An arrow whistles by Clayton, clipping his ear as it passes. The men stop shouting as Clayton turns to see Robin stood with her bow raised:) How the hell did you get out?” Robin: “Basic pin-tumbler lock? Child's play. So do you want my help, or do you just want to charge in there like a bunch of losers?” Clayton: “You're just a little girl that couldn't even hit me from 10 feet away.” Robin: “I wasn't trying to hit you. And I wouldn't underestimate ‘little girls.’ I'm Robin Hood.” (The men laugh at this.) Clayton: “You're the legendary Robin Hood? I thought he was a little taller.” Robin: “He was my father. It's my mantle now. And I'll prove it to you.” Clayton: “I'd like to see this. All right, Girl Robin Hood. You've got one shot.” (Robin steps forward and watches as the Troll walks by. Noticing the angry villagers with pitchforks, the Troll heads towards them. Robin reaches for an arrow and notches it to her bow. When she’s about to let the arrow loose, Alice runs in, tackling Robin to the ground.) Robin: (Scrambling to her feet:) “Seriously, Tower Girl?” Alice: “Turns out, I have more than one hairpin.” Clayton: “You Troll-loving lunatic. I warned you to stay out of our way. (To the men:) This girl's troubled. And I don't like trouble.” Robin: (Stepping between them:) “Hey, back off, jerk wad! We'll find the Troll again, okay?” Clayton: “No. She needs to be taken care of.” Robin: (Raising her bow, aiming an arrow at his face:) “Did you not hear me? I said leave her alone.” Clayton: “I thought you wanted to join our campaign. Are you a Troll-Lover now, too?” Robin: “I would rather be a Troll-Lover than fight beside a bully like you.” (Clayton lunges, knocking the bow from Robin’s hands. Now unarmed, the men begin to close in on Robin and Alice.) Robin: (To Alice:) “We need to get out of here. We need an escape.” Alice: “Escape, right.” (Closes her eyes and concentrates hard.)

Will: (Appearing at the top of a hill:) "Oi! Get away from my sister!" (Will hurries down the hill and pushes his way into the centre of the circle, coming face to face with Clayton.) Clayton: "This crazy girl is your sister?" Will: "Yeah, that's right. And she's not crazy. She's just a little mad." (Will winks to Alice who smiles.) Clayton: "Listen, friend, these two have been nothing but pains in our backsides since we met them." Will: "Well, that's women for ya, ain't it. But I’ll tell you something, if you touch a hair on either one of their heads, I'll kill ya." Clayton: (Squaring up to Will:) "Yeah? You and what army?" Will: (Whistles:) "This one.” (Will turns to look back up the hill. Tiana appears at the top, flanked by Lost Boys carrying torches, Camelot Knights and their swords and even Munchkins carrying sharpened candy canes.) Storybrooke. Gothel’s Garden. (Regina rolls to the ground, having successfully avoided a blast from Gothel.) Gothel: (Stalking towards Regina:) “That's the problem with humans. They don't know when to let go.” Regina: (Springing to her feet:) “Letting go has never been my thing.”

(This time, Gothel catches Regina with a powerful blast of magic, sending Regina flying several feet away and crashing to the ground.) Main Street. (Surrounded by the newly awoken residents of Storybrooke, David & Snow White head for David's truck in the hopes of finding the rest of their family.) David: “Come on. We can cover more ground in the truck. (He opens the door and in the window he sees two Dark Ones following them:) Behind you!” (Soon the rest of the group, including Leroy and the dwarfs, are surrounded by numerous Dark Ones, who begin to close in around them.) Henry: (A short distance away:) “Help, help me!” (David and Snow run towards the sound of Henry’s voice. They arrive in time to see Nimue approaching Henry.) David: “Hey! Stay away from my Grandson!” Nimue: “Too late for that.” (Nimue walks through Henry, before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.) Snow White: (Runs forward:) “Henry! Henry, are you okay?!” Henry: “I-I think so.” (David, Zelena and the Dwarfs all catch up to Snow and Henry.) David: “What just happened to us?!” Zelena: “I think I may have the answer to that. Check your wrists.” (Everyone checks their wrists. They all have the same mark.) Snow White: “What is that?” Zelena: “That... is the mark of Charon.” Henry: “Charon? He was the ferryman in the old myths. He navigated a boat... to the Underworld.” Zelena: “Clever you. Back when Hades and I were an item, he took great pleasure in filling me in on how he ran the Underworld. You see, the Dark Ones that we just saw, only have a... a temporary pass into this world, like a tourist visa. The only way for them to stay... is to trade places with living souls.” David: “Meaning us?” Zelena: “Exactly. (Points to the moon:) And, unless I’m mistaken, when the moon reaches its peak, the ferry from the underworld will arrive... and drag us down there.” David: “To the Underworld. Haven’t we done this already?” Nimue: (Reappearing, flanked by dozens of Dark Ones:) “Indeed you have. But this time, you will all be taking our places in the Underworld. As its new permanent residents.” (Nimue raises her hand and the marks on everyone’s wrists begin to glow and burn before they disappear from Main Street.)

Enchanted Forest. (Alice, Robin, Will and Tiana arrive at the foot of Alice's tower.) Alice: (Sighs, staring up at the tower:) "Here it is. Home sweet tower. I hate this place. I hate its stupid stones and its stupid turret and its dumb mossy base. And I hate... I hate that all I've wanted to do since I left is come back. At least when I was trapped, I could have hope that when I got free, everything would be okay. But then I did. (Sobbing:) And it wasn't.” (Will moves to comfort her, but Robin beats him to it.) Robin: “Hey, hey. It's okay.” Alice: (Turns to face her:) “No, no, it's not okay. Who in their right mind wants to be a prisoner?! I've escaped these walls but I'm still bloody trapped. (Looks to Will:) I'll never be free of it, will I?” (At that moment, the Troll’s growling can be heard in the distance. The next instant, a large tree is seen hurtling through the air, hitting the tower and destroying it. Everyone runs for cover from the falling debris.)

(Alice & Robin take cover behind one tree while Will & Tiana duck behind another. The Troll meanwhile, growls into the night.) Robin: “Alice you need to stop the Troll. Now.” Alice: “How am I supposed to do that?! Just say ‘Hey! Troll! Stop!’” (Immediately, the Troll stops his growling.) Robin: “Yes. If anybody can do it, you can do it. (The Troll enters the clearing beside the remnants of Alice’s tower:) Look, you may be mad, but you have magic. I can sense it. Alice, the Troll came home because you wanted to come home. And back there when we needed an escape? - Your brother appeared.” Alice: “What are you saying?” Robin: “What if all those years ago when you wanted to escape the Tower, you created the Troll?” Alice: (Thinks:) “I wished for him on my birthday or at least, to be free.” Robin: “Why has he come back?” Alice: “Because... because today is my birthday. (Voice breaking:) And I didn't want to be alone.” Robin: “You're not alone. I'm here. Your brother’s here. Don't you see? It was you all along. You saved yourself.” (The Troll picks up the tree he threw earlier and is about to take another swing at the tower when Alice emerges.) Alice: “Hello, old friend. (The Troll stops, mid swing:) It's me, Alice. I'm all grown up, aren't I? And I've been so many places since we saw each other last. It's curiouser and madder and sadder and so much more wonderful out here than I ever imagined it could be. (The Troll puts down the tree and crouches before Alice:) So thank you. You don't have to worry about me anymore. 'Cause I'm okay. I promise. I think, after all this time I'm finally... Gosh, it's such a big, beautiful word, isn't it? Free.” (With tears in her eyes, Alice reaches up and rubs the Troll’s nose affectionately. The next moment, the Troll sits down and magically turns to stone. Alice sniffles and sobs as Robin comes over to comfort her. Stepping out from behind their own tree, Will and Tiana share a sigh of relief.) Tiana: “That... was incredible.” Will: “Yeah, I never even knew.” Tiana: “Listen, Will, I haven’t known Tiger Lily all that long, but her description of the Guardian was pretty specific. If we-” Will: “Let me stop you there, your majesty. I’ve got a confession to make. Ever since I heard the words ‘force of nature’ I knew exactly who we were dealing with. It’s the same person I swore to protect Robin from and who locked Alice away in that bloody tower. Mother Nature... Or Mother Gothel, as she prefers to be known, has already left her mark on us. I don’t care about any prophesy, Alice isn’t going anywhere near that witch again.” Tiana: (As Will turns to check on his sister:) “Even to save all the realms? (Will turns back towards her:) This Gothel you speak of, she isn’t going to stop until humanity is wiped out. That means there will be no place for you to live out your lives that is beyond her reach.” Will: (Chuckles mirthlessly:) "You know, it's funny. We were going to use that magic bean to travel to where Gothel is. We were going to make her lift the curse she put on my heart that separates me and Alice. But now, (Shaking his head:) now that I know that's exactly what Gothel wants? There is no way we're going back there. I'm sorry."

Storybrooke. Gothel's Garden. (Gothel stands using her powers to conjure a raging inferno while chanting. Emma arrives to see Regina laying prone on the ground.) Emma: (Running over to her:) "Regina! Hold on, Regina. (Cradling Regina into her arms:) I’ve got you. Regina? (Lightning splits the sky:) Regina, I'm sorry it took me so long, but I'm here. I remember. I finally remember everything. Please come back to me, ‘Gina. (Sobbing:) Come back. I love you.” (Emma leans down and kisses Regina. A burst of light courses throughout the fields, extinguishing Gothel’s flame before travelling through the town and beyond.) Regina: (Slowly waking, looks up, sighs:) “Emma.” Emma: (Laughs, relieved:) “Yeah.” Regina: “You did it. You broke the curse.” Emma: “No, no we did it. (They kiss again passionately for a long, beautiful moment before getting to their feet:) I’m sorry it took me so long to get to you.” Regina: “Oh, Emma. I'm just glad to have you back.” (As they’re about to kiss again, someone clears their throat, gaining Emma and Regina’s attention. They turn to see the entire landscape has changed. Where they were once in an open field, they are now surrounded by trees, a grotesque looking statue and four people watching them awkwardly.)

Robin: (Stepping forward:) “Aunt Regina?” Regina: “Robin?” Emma: (Confused:) “Robin? How is that possible - how long were we cursed?” Regina: (Shakes her head:) “I’ll tell you later. (To Robin:) How did you get here?” Will: (Chiming in:) “You tell us. One minute we’re alone in the forest, and the next, the ground is shaking and we end up back here.” Emma: (Smiles, looking past him:) “You found each other.” Will: (Softens, turns to see Alice walk forward:) “Yeah, we did.” (Alice’s smile fades as her gaze falls upon Gothel.) Gothel: “My, what a touching reunion. I’m so glad I got to witness it. Thank you, Emma and Regina. Your true love’s kiss was the last piece of the puzzle. You brought the Guardian right to me. (Holding out her hand:) Now, come take your rightful place beside me, Alice.”

#sq #swanqueen #swan queen

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psychadelickate · 6 years

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NCIS - Gibbs: Home

NCIS Imagine: Home Word Count: 743 Pairing: Gibbs x Reader Gif: Not Mine Requested: anonymous Prompt: Gibbs is shot

The sound of your ringing phone wakes you up at the ungodly hour of two in the morning and you hope whoever is calling you at this time has a good excuse for it. You grab the offending device off the pedestal, don’t bother to check the name flash on the screen and answer with a gruff (Y/L/N). It takes thirty seconds to make out DiNozzo’s frantic voice and even then, you only make out the words; Gibbs, shot, Bethesda hospital.

You’re dressed and ready to go before he even finishes the conversation. You stalk up to reception desk and ask for Gibbs room, but the nurse, who is on a social phone call tells you, family only and waves you away. You should call Tony and ask him, but you don’t want to waste time navigating your way through the hospital, not when your heart wants to break out your rib cage. You want to slap her and demand she tell you where he is, but you also don’t want to cause a scene where there are still people waiting to be assisted. Instead, you take a deep breath and lean over the counter and into the nurse’s personal space. You wait all of one second before slamming you hand down on the phone handset, effectively cutting her call. “What the hell?” She starts but you don’t let her finish her sentence. “I want the room number for Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, right now,” you tell her. Your voice is barely above a whisper but you’re sure the entire room has heard you. She writes it down on a piece of paper and hands it to you. “Thank you,” you reply, pointedly. As you make your way to his room you note people scurrying to get out of the passageway and you wonder what emergency there is that everyone looks as though they’re running for cover. You’re so deep in thought you almost collide into Tony, just managing not to because he grabs you by your upper arm and stops you. You almost curse him, before you realize it’s him. “Where is he!” You demand, your voice still quiet and calm. “Geez (Y/N), as worried as you might be about Gibbs, could you please not scare the people?” He asks you and fix him with a confused look. He hands you his cellphone, with the front camera turned on and then it hits you. There was no emergency, everyone was getting out of your way because your expression was murderous. Your heart is still thundering in your chest. “Tony,” you snap, “where is he?” And just as he’s about to answer, you hear Gibbs voice in your ear. “Heard you terrorized the nurse in reception,” you can hear the smile in his voice but you’re too angry to respond. Your brain clearly isn’t function at the speed it’s supposed to. You turn around to assess the damage and frown when you see a butterfly bandage just above his left eye and a crepe bandage wrapped around his right upper arm. “It’s a flesh wound,” he tells you. “I told DiNozzo not to call you, but clearly he doesn’t know how to take orders.” He fixes DiNozzo with a glare though the other man doesn’t flinch. You don’t move, don’t respond. “(Y/N)?” You hear Gibbs call. “Hey, it’s just a graze. Doctor said it should take a week or so to heal. Nothing to worry about.” He tells you and still you don’t respond. The next thing you know, Gibbs’ arms are around you and you’re chest to chest with him and you feel the tears running down your cheeks and… you realize… you can hear his heartbeat. And that’s when you remember to breathe. It feels like your first breath in hours. “You should head home, boss. McGee and I will deal with the paperwork.” Gibbs nods in response, or you think he does. “Come on, lets go home.” Gibbs tells you, leading you in the direction you came from. “Gibbs,” you call him, and he must see the vulnerability on your face, so he wastes no time in reassuring you he’s okay. He pulls you to him as close as you can get and then kisses you with everything he has, and it hits you like a freight train. You don’t just love this man, no…

You’re crazily, stupidly, unequivocally in love with him.

And home is wherever he is.

if you want to be tagged, let me know Masterlist

#ncis imagine #NCIS Fic #leroy jethro gibbs #gibbs x reader

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emospritelet · 7 years

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Empty Corridors - chapter 2

Last time, Lacey was $210 short for her rent payment, and went to try to make a deal with Gold to get an extension. He informed her that when she was younger, Moe had offered to trade her virginity to Gold for the price of a delivery van. Here’s what happened next.

AO3 link

She stomped along the road, tears blurring her vision, anger boiling up from within her. How dare he? How fucking dare he! Swiping at her eyes with the back of her hand, she dashed away tears, her heels clicking on the sidewalk. She marched across the street to her father’s florist shop, but Game of Thorns was closed up, the door locked and the lights off. Lacey supposed she shouldn’t have been surprised; he never worked beyond six if he could help it. Cut into drinking time.

His van was parked outside, with the shop’s logo emblazoned in bold colours: the van he had purchased six years ago with a loan from Mr Gold. He had bitched about the rate for weeks, and she wondered if Gold had charged him extra for being a wannabe pimp. She clutched at her chest with a whimper at the memory of what Gold had said, the betrayal like a physical pain. Moe French had never been much of a father, and her mother’s death had driven a wedge between them anyway, but he was all she had, and to hear that he had tried to give her innocence to Gold in exchange for a fucking van…

She kicked the front tyre in frustration, which hurt like hell, so she kicked it again, fury and pain giving her strength. If only she had a knife! She decided to let the tyres down instead, but that wasn’t enough to put a dent in her rage, so she glanced around, hoping to find something she could use. The shop sold garden ornaments as well as plants, and she grabbed a worked metal ornamental flamingo with a wrought-iron filigree base, picking it up by its neck and swinging it like a baseball bat. The first blow took the windshield out, and she let out a sob of rage as she swung it again, smashing the side window. A third blow, and the wing mirror was bouncing on the floor. Lacey wept, tears coursing down her cheeks.

“Hey!”

The sound of running feet made her turn, and she swore under her breath as Sheriff Graham Humbert came sprinting over, his hand on his gun until he recognised her. Lacey let the flamingo fall to the ground with a doleful clang, her arms weak from the strain. The van door was dented, two of the three windows smashed. It didn’t make her feel any better.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” demanded Graham, and she shrugged.

“Trashing my dad’s van, what’s it to you?”

Graham’s mouth flattened.

“Lacey, this is some serious damage,” he said. “I can’t turn a blind eye, you know that.”

“Well of course not!” she snapped, stepping forward, her jaw protruding. “You only turn a blind eye when it’s someone bigger than you, right? Like I’m small and - and I’m weak and people think they can do what the hell they like!”

Graham blinked at her, taken aback.

“Lacey…”

“Go fuck yourself!” she shouted, and he rolled his eyes.

“Okay, that’s it, I’m taking you in,” he said firmly. “You’re under arrest.”

He didn’t cuff her, which she supposed was something, and she stared mutinously at the back of his head as the car made the short trip to the sheriff’s station. Graham glanced at her in the rear view mirror, his blue eyes filled with an odd blend of sternness and concern, and so she dropped her gaze to her hands, folded in her lap. She felt numb, despite the cold air, and she chewed her lip until it bled as she heard Gold’s words over and over again in her mind. He offered me you. Your virtue.

Graham processed her with barely a word, and she glared at the camera when he took her picture, imagining it was her father.

“You want to tell me what this is about?” he asked, when he was done. Lacey stayed silent, and he rolled his eyes in frustration.

“You’re sure you don’t want a lawyer?” he added, and she shook her head. Graham sighed.

“Look, Lacey, I called your dad to let him know what happened,” he said patiently. “He’ll be here soon.”

Lacey curled her lip.

“Just put me in the bloody cell.”

The cot was hard, but she didn’t care. She sat with her knees pressed together, elbows tucked in and head bowed. It was the first time she had been on the wrong side of the bars in this place, and the sheriff’s station was noisier than she expected. The phone rang a number of times, the sound shrill in her ears, the scrape of chair legs too loud against the floor, and Graham had to leave at one point. He returned with Leroy in cuffs, protesting loudly and reeking of booze, his eyes bleary above his bristling beard. He was placed in the cell next to Lacey, and shouted about his rights for ten minutes before he realised no one was paying attention. He sat down on the cot with a thump and a muttered curse, and looked across at Lacey.

“So what are you in for, sister?” he asked gruffly.

“Trashed my dad’s van,” she said, her voice toneless, and he grunted.

“Well, I guess no one does that without a reason,” he said. “He deserve it?”

“Oh, hell yes,” she said dryly, and he chuckled before settling back on his cot.

She didn’t have long to wait before she heard her father’s voice, raised in anger, and she sighed, getting to her feet as he stomped into the room. Moe French was a large man, tall and broad, his face a little puffy from the drink he enjoyed, a battered baseball cap on his head. The smell of whisky was drifting through the bars towards her, and she raised her chin, meeting his bloodshot eyes with her own.

“What the hell did you do to my van?” he demanded. “I have deliveries to make tomorrow, what the fuck is your problem?”

“Well, I guess you’ll have to get off your ass and walk, then, won’t you?” she said, and Moe glared at her.

“Are you trying to bankrupt me?” he snapped. “It’s bloody rent day! I work hard enough as it is trying to make ends meet!”

“Oh yeah, you’re a real blue-collar hero!” she sneered. “Drinking and yelling and smacking me around! Offering my fucking virginity to Mr Gold so he’d give you the money for that fucking van!”

Moe’s face turned blank, his mouth opening and closing, and she wanted to cry again. It was true, then.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he blustered.

“Oh God, you’re such a liar!”

“Seriously?” said Leroy. “You tried to pimp your own daughter out to Gold? What the hell is wrong with you?”

Moe glared at him.

“Stay out of this, dwarf!” he snarled, and Leroy scowled.

“Hey, I’m compact!” he protested.

“Alright, can we keep it down in here?” asked Graham, coming back into the room and looking harassed. Moe turned back to Lacey.

“If you think this is the end of it, you’re as dumb as you look,” he spat. “I had two bloody payments left on that loan!”

Lacey stuck out her chin.

“Well, why don’t you ask Gold to come over and cop a feel through the bloody bars?” she snapped. “That ought to cover it, right?”

Moe gave her a nasty smile.

“Oh, you might have been worth something a few years ago, my girl,” he sneered. “But not now. There’s trash all over Storybrooke, and no one wants to pay to pick it up, least of all Gold.”

She pulled back, stung, and his grin widened.

“Wow, you’re a real piece of work, you know that?” remarked Leroy.

“Alright, that’s enough!” said Graham sharply. “Moe, go home. We’ll deal with this in the morning.”

He put a hand on Moe’s shoulder, steering him away from the cell, and Moe flapped a hand behind him as he was led out.

“I want her charged!” he shouted, and continued to bluster as Graham led him out of the building.

Lacey sank down onto the cot, her head hanging.

“You okay?” asked Leroy, and she shrugged.

“Not really,” she said. “Thanks for sticking up for me, though.”

“No problem. Your dad’s an asswipe, by the way. No offence.”

“Oh, believe me, none taken,” she said dryly, and he chuckled and lay back on the cot, folding his hands over his chest.

Within a few minutes, he was snoring, and she sighed, wondering how long Graham was going to keep her in the cell. It wasn’t as though she had any money to pay bail. She picked at the nail polish on her thumbnail, casting tiny, blood red flakes to the floor. This was turning into a real contender for worst day ever.

It was some time later that the sound of voices interrupted the rasping growl of Leroy’s snores. Lacey sat up, looking curiously towards the corridor that led to the station entrance, and her heart sank a little as a familiar figure appeared, cane tapping on the polished floor. Mr Gold’s eyes crinkled, his mouth stretching in a predatory smile. He was wearing an overcoat, and Lacey noticed that not a speck of dust or a single stray hair marred the pristine black wool. Leather gloves creaked as he folded his hands over the cane, its shining length placed between his feet.

“Miss French,” he said pleasantly. “Imagine seeing you.”

“Mr Gold,” she said, raising her chin. “What are you doing here?”

“Tracking down one of my non-paying tenants, of course.”

“You fucking came looking for me?” she demanded, her tone incredulous. Gold’s mouth twitched.

“Didn’t I tell you I would?”

“Dear God…” Lacey rolled her eyes. “Have you nothing better to do?”

“We agreed your rent was due by six, did we not?”

“I got arrested!” she snapped. “Or did it escape your notice?”

“Indeed you did.” He bared his teeth. “And I’ve come to get you out. Sheriff, if you would, please?”

Graham stepped over, giving Gold a wry look.

“Mr Gold’s paid your bail, Lacey,” he said. “Do you think you can stay out of trouble until we get this cleared up?”

Lacey’s mouth twisted, and she flipped him a salute.

“I solemnly swear that I will not damage any more of my asshole father’s things,” she said, sounding as though she were reciting a pledge, and Graham shook his head.

“I think it’s best you two stay away from one another for a while,” he said sternly, and she huffed, folding her arms.

“Believe me, I don’t want to see that bastard if I can help it.”

“Good.”

He unlocked the cell, and she stepped out. Leroy was still snoring on his cot, and she glanced away, back to Gold, who was still watching her with that infuriating little smile.

“You paid my bail,” she said.

“I did.”

“So…” She shifted uncomfortably. “So now I owe you the rent and the bail money, right?”

Gold showed his teeth. “Right.”

“Right,” she said gloomily, and Gold gestured to the doorway with a gloved hand.

“If you wouldn’t mind accompanying me back to the shop, Miss French,” he said silkily. “I believe there’s something we need to discuss.”

Lacey sighed, her heart sinking. There was no way this could end well.

They walked to the shop, and she was surprised at how quickly he could move in spite of his limp. She stayed silent by his side, trying to think of a way out of the situation she was in. The bail money wasn’t so much of an issue; there was no question of her skipping town, so he’d get that back. It was the rent that was the problem. She still had no idea how she was going to get her hands on two hundred and ten dollars. Beyond offering to blow him. She started, tripping a little as Ruby’s words sounded in her head again, and Gold put a steadying hand on her arm.

“Are you alright?” he asked, and she flinched, pulling away before nodding.

I could offer that, I guess. Become what Dad tried to fucking turn me into. At least it would be my choice, not his.

They reached the shop, and Gold unlocked the door, the bell jingling as they stepped inside. The lights were still on, and Lacey took a few steps inside, wrapping her arms around herself protectively. The sound of the door locking behind her made her shiver, and she licked her lips, the tap of Gold’s cane sounding in her ears as he walked around her, a prowling wolf.

“Would you like some tea?” he asked, and she blinked at him, unable to process his words.

“What?”

“Tea,” he said patiently. “I could make some.”

Lacey swallowed, running a hand over her face.

“Got anything stronger?”

“As a matter of fact I do.” He gestured to the space beyond the ancient cash register, where a curtain covered the entrance to the back room. “If you please?”

Lacey followed him, eyes on his back as he pushed aside the curtain and ducked through. The back room was filled with more stock, some in boxes, some stacked on shelves. A large workbench sat there, pieces of a fob watch laid out carefully on a square of black cloth. Gold had crossed to a carved wooden dresser and opened one of the cupboards, and she heard the clink of glass as he turned to face her, setting two glasses down on bench. A half-empty bottle of whisky followed, and Lacey watched silently as he poured two measures. He held one out to her, lamplight gleaming through the amber liquid, and she took it, breathing in the scent as she took a sip. The whisky was very good, smooth and nutty with a hint of spice and sea air.

“You paid my bail,” she said again, and he inclined his head.

“I did.”

“Why?”

Gold shrugged.

“I’m hardly likely to get the two hundred and ten dollars you owe me if you’re locked up, now am I?”

“I told you, I don’t have it!” she sighed, setting down her whisky glass. “I’d give it to you if I did, believe me.”

“I do believe you,” he said, and took another sip of his drink. “And therefore I’m very interested to hear how you’re going to earn this money. You have ideas, I’m sure.”

“No, I…”

She cut off, tugging at her lip with her teeth. He was right, damn him. She had one idea, at least. She picked up her glass and took another drink. A much bigger one. The whisky burned as it went down, smooth heat in her throat spreading down to pool in her belly, a core of fire and heat deep within her. She flicked her eyes up to meet his, and he met her gaze. His eyes were large and dark, burning with their own fire, and she sucked in a breath, surprised by the sudden feeling of desire. Perhaps this wouldn’t turn out to be the worst idea she’d had.

“I do have one idea,” she admitted. “But I don’t know if you’ll go for it. It doesn’t actually involve me giving you any money.”

“I can feel myself losing interest already,” he said dryly, and she held up a hand.

“Hear me out,” she said, nervousness making her roll the whisky glass between her fingers. “I can’t pay you. Not in cash, anyway.”

“I don’t take any other form of payment,” he said. “As Mrs Lucas found to her cost when she tried to offer me free meals instead.”

“What about sex?” she blurted.

To Gold’s credit, his only response was a blink.

“If she’d offered me sex, I’d have increased her rent on principle.”

“Gold…” She cut off, frustrated, her eyes rolling up to the ceiling as a blush started to rise in her cheeks. “I meant - I meant I was offering you sex.”

Gold sighed wearily.

“I’m aware of that,” he said, “but this conversation is highly uncomfortable and I was trying to lighten the mood.”

“Oh.”

There was silence for a moment. Lacey nibbled at her lower lip, watching him uncertainly. He hadn’t taken his eyes off her, and she saw his throat bob as he took another sip of his whisky. The tension was killing her. Gold lowered the glass, shaking his hair back before fixing her with a stare.

“You don’t want to do that,” he said calmly, and she dropped her hip, the other swinging outwards as her fingers curled around it.

“Really?” she said sardonically. “You know everything about this town and its people, Mr Gold. You must know my reputation.”

“I know that reputation and reality are not the same thing.”

“Like you, hmm?” She raised an eyebrow. “I think you just don’t want to run the risk of letting someone get close to you. Could be you’re not half as bad as everyone says.”

Gold flashed a smile. “Perhaps I’m worse.”

She didn’t bother arguing with him, because she wasn’t wholly convinced that wasn’t the case. He was always so calm, so contained, and yet everyone was afraid of him, and she wondered if they could sense what she did. There was an air of violence around him, a dark cloud that hung low and heavy, licking over his skin and sinking into his pores. It showed in his eyes when someone crossed him, or lied to him, or gave him a feeble excuse along with their missed payment. There was a spark there, deep in his eyes, lit from the core of darkness and rage that burned at the centre of him. She imagined that if he ever lost his temper it would be a spectacular display of pure, undiluted wrath.

He was clearly thinking something over, and she stayed silent, waiting for him to speak. Eventually Gold took another drink, setting down his glass and grounding his cane.

“I just bailed you out for a criminal damage offence,” he said quietly. “Sheriff Graham’s exact words were ‘she beat the crap out of her father’s van with a metal flamingo’.”

Lacey snorted in amusement, and he lifted a brow.

“Your father offered to trade me your virginity for money,” he said. “And you were so angry with him that you partially destroyed his vehicle with a garden ornament.”

She lifted her chin. “Yeah. So?”

“And yet you now want to offer yourself in payment for rent,” he said softly. “Why?”

She took another sip of whisky, relishing the fire on her tongue, burning through her and giving her courage.

“Because now it’s my choice, not his,” she said. “Because it’s the easiest way I know to clear the debt. And…” She licked her lips. “And because you told him no when he offered. Which means you’re better than he is.”

“You hope.”

He took another drink, watching her over the rim of his glass.

“I…” She hesitated, trying to get the words in her mind into some sort of order. “I believe.”

There was silence again. Gold tipped the glass, the heavy old moonstone ring he wore on his finger winking in the light. He drank the last of the whisky, the tip of his tongue sweeping across his lips to catch the taste of it, and she waited, her heart thumping. He set down the empty glass and reached for the bottle, holding it up. She drained her own glass, setting it next to his for him to pour another measure.

“So,” he said quietly. “What is it you’re offering?”

Lacey hesitated, suddenly unsure of herself.

“I - um…” She trailed off, chewing her lip. “I guess - I guess maybe I’ll have sex with you? And - and you’ll waive the rent?”

“Is this a proposal or a question?”

“It’s…” She took a breath, snatching up her glass. “Okay, I’ll have sex with you. And in return you’ll waive the rent. Deal?”

“You want me to waive two hundred and ten dollars in exchange for a quick fuck in the back of my shop?” he said, his tone sneering, and she felt herself flush.

“It’ll only be quick if you make it quick!” she snapped, and wanted to swallow the words as his eyes widened. To her surprise he chuckled, the light of amusement in his eyes.

“Fair point,” he acknowledged.

He looked her up and down, and Lacey felt her heart beat harder, her pulse throbbing in her throat.

“So - what do you think?” she asked. “Do you want me?”

Gold smiled, a wicked glint in his eyes.

“I think,” he said. “I think perhaps that we might be able to make a deal.”

#rumbelle #golden lace #golden lace fic #fic: empty corridors

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lifeinahole27 · 7 years

Text

CS ff: “They Lived”

Rating: T (which feels awful and weird and where is the smut? Hint: I’m saving it for other projects.)

A/N: This is 1.2k of pure wedding fluff, because I wanted them to have a little more fun at their reception this time.

When the dust all settles, including that of Mr. Gold’s late, evil fairy of a mother, they call a do-over on the wedding. The nuptials stand, but other than a single dance, Emma and Killian never got to have a reception, so they try it again with less chance of interruptions.

Since the weather decides to cooperate, they once again set up on the rooftop overlooking the clock tower, and at 6:01pm, two days after everything has gone back to normal, Leroy is given the honor of announcing.

He's not given a microphone, but everyone can still hear him easily enough as he says, “They’re here! The bride and groom are here!” And to an equal amount of applause and laughter, Emma and Killian emerge from the stairwell, hand in hand, with matching smiles. “Now announcing, the newlyweds!”

To clapping and whistles and cheers, they make their way back to the little stage to address the crowd.

“We want to thank you all for coming back since we really didn't think we got enough of a party the last time,” Emma says. “More than just having this as a celebration for us, though, we want it to be a celebration of Storybrooke. So please, eat, drink, dance, and let's all enjoy our happy living.”

“Thank you, everyone,” Killian adds, “enjoy!”

They step down, moving to the middle of the rooftop as several of the dwarves angle spotlights on their position. With the help of a little magic and a decent set of speakers, a slow song clicks on from the jukebox. It’s something timeless, full of the love and happiness they’re finally able to feel without the looming threat of a curse hanging over their heads. Emma grins at Killian as they come together in a loose hold for their second official dance as a married couple.

It's much less extravagant than their first waltz, and there's no singing involved this time, but they still reflect their happiness back at each other as they slowly sway in the light.

Killian takes a moment to gaze at his wife, with the rest of the crowd fading away from around them. They left the veil at home, and Killian suspects the lace jacket will only last for a portion of their evening. Instead of the carefully styled up-do she wore the first time, her hair is pinned up with just a few stray strands left curling around either side of her face. He reaches up to tuck one of those behind her ear, his fingers grazing over the simple pearl in her ear, and lets his thumb trail down the side of her neck until the collar of the lace.

If possible, Emma’s expression softens further, and her arms wind around his neck to bring them closer together. It’s with this new proximity that he can hear Emma humming the song under her breath, and he’s almost positive she could’ve been a siren in some other life, and he knows he would’ve always been powerless to steer away from her.

“What’s that look?” she asks quietly, her skirts rustling softly as their feet barely move.

“Just enjoying gazing at my beautiful, brilliant wife, is all,” he says just as softly.

“Well then, gaze away. I’ll just stare at my incredible husband while you’re doing that.” She presses her lips together before pulling him to meet her for a kiss. “Wanna know something great?” She asks it as the first song is ending, and he’s still only vaguely aware of the other couples edging onto the dance area around them.

“Of course I do, love. What is it?”

A new song starts playing, this one just slightly more up-beat, but still they sway in the center of all the other people, embracing more than traditionally dancing.

Her voice lowers further, as if she’s sharing some conspiratorial wisdom that no one else should ever learn, but only two words leave her lips when she finally speaks again. “We lived.”

Killian lets those two syllables sink in, letting them swirl around his brain and whispers them back to her as it fully settles into his bones. They’ve both technically died, at this point, although his stuck a little longer. But through curses and battles and realms, through years and miles and against every odd they never thought they’d encounter, they’re still standing here together.

The words escape him once more, breathed back to her reverently and with every ounce of gratitude he can pour into them, before he bends to kiss her again. This one is just a tad harder, with a sudden hunger to deepen it rolling through him before he pushes it to the back of his mind. There will be plenty of time for that later. Henry has already informed them that he plans to stay with Regina tonight. And Emma has agreed to magic the locks so that no one will be able to barge in until they say so.

“Save some of that for later, mister,” Emma tells him, her voice holding just the right amount of salaciousness for him to get her full meaning, and he chuckles as he places a kiss on her forehead.

“As you wish, my love.”

As the evening continues, they circulate with everyone else, with David twirling Emma around as she laughs, and Snow dancing with Henry. Killian manages to ply Regina for a dance with a generous wiggle of his eyebrows. She scoffs, even as she smiles and takes his hand and lets him lead her out towards the festivities. When Henry politely cuts in for the next song, Killian gives him a small bow and a companionable hand on the shoulder as he wanders to steal his wife away again. He gathers that they’ve both managed to dance with most, if not all, of the other guests.

The sun has long since set, and while he was right that the lace top got discarded at some point during their dancing, he also sees a slight shiver run through Emma as she stands off to the side talking to her mother. Without breaking his stride, Killian shrugs out of his velvet jacket and slips it over Emma’s shoulders as he moves to stand next to her.

Snow frames her daughter’s face for just a moment, smiling at her with tears in both of their eyes, before she informs them she’s off to dance with her own husband as they get closer to the last dance of the night.

Instead of moving him back to the middle of the dance floor, Emma once again loops her arms around Killian’s neck and chooses to just dance where they are, off to the side.

“Dad has promised to take care of the station for the next two days,” Emma tells him. “Which means you and I have nowhere to be for at least forty-eight hours, and Henry not coming back until tomorrow at dinner.”

“Will we make pancakes in the morning?” he asks, his eyebrow quirking up as he splays his hand across her back.

With a look in her eyes that says their time at the party is quickly dwindling, Emma looks him straight on as she tells him, “To hell with the pancakes.”

#captain swan ff #cs ff #cs wedding #cs fluff #sarah writes ff #short but fluffy #¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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unfolded73 · 7 years

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For All Eternity (1/1)

Captain Swan and the Charming family, Rated G, ~2300 words, Spoilers for 6x20

Missing scenes, missing scenes, get ‘em right here! Set immediately after the scene in the mayor’s office and before the wedding.

“I hate to break up this touching tableau,” Zelena said, and Killian opened his eyes as Emma’s lips parted from his, “but just because you vanquished the Black Fairy doesn’t mean her curse isn’t still in the clock tower, waiting to hit us at six o’clock. We still haven’t managed to stop it.”

Emma was looking into his eyes and smiling, and at Zelena’s reminder she just shrugged. “So we get married at five.” She looked around at her parents. “Five thirty? I don’t know, what do you think?”

She looked so hopeful, as if the looming curse was just an inconvenience, like the wedding flowers not being the right ones, and he didn’t want to dash her hopes, he really didn’t, but how could they get married now? “Emma, darling--”

“No, I just…” She closed her eyes and squeezed his hand tightly. “I know that this isn’t over. I know there’s a curse coming that we can’t stop. So rather than spending these last few hours worrying about it, can we…” She met the gaze of each member of her family in turn. “I just want to be married. Can we do that?”

“Absolutely,” Regina said firmly. “A little bit of magical assistance and I can have everything set up for the ceremony in no time.”

“I’ll let Archie know about the time change,” Henry offered, “And I’ll tell Leroy and Granny to spread the word with everyone else.”

Emma turned back to Killian. “Is this okay? I know it’s not ideal. But I know we’re going to win this battle, I know it, and in the meantime I don’t want to a waste another second not being married to you.”

He smiled, feeling tears pressing behind his eyes. “I don’t want to waste another second either. If you want to get married now, then nothing would make me happier.”

“So for the next few hours, we put the curse completely out of our minds, agreed?” Snow said. “We just focus on this happy occasion.”

“What curse?” David replied, grinning. “I don’t know anything about a curse.”

The group started to go their separate ways, leaving Killian, Emma, and her parents standing in Regina’s office. “Love, I have only one hesitation about this plan,” Killian said, still holding Emma’s hand. Her eyes flickered with doubt at his words, so he smiled reassuringly at her, shaking his head to deny that he had any doubts about marrying her today. He couldn’t possibly want anything more, and he hoped she knew that. “About the suit…”

Emma grimaced, laughing a little bit. “Sorry, I didn’t have a lot of time, and there aren’t a lot of choices in Storybrooke. I know it’s not really you, so you don’t have to wear it. You can show up in your long pirate coat and nothing else for all I care.”

He smirked. “I seem to recall it was you who liked to wear my pirate coat and nothing--”

“Okay, that’s enough of that,” David said, cutting him off. He clapped Killian on the back. “There’s an old tailor who lives here in Storybrooke who might be able to help us. He’s retired, but he owes me a favor.”

“He’s not going to be able to whip up a new suit in two hours, David.” Snow said.

“Maybe not, but I bet we can still find something that Killian would like better and prevent anyone from coming to this wedding naked.”

After parting ways from his soon-to-be bride and her mother, he and David climbed into the truck. “Thanks for this, mate. I appreciate the help.”

David shrugged, putting the truck in gear. “Not a problem.”

Killian glanced up at the clock tower as they drove past it. “What do you think this curse will do to us?”

“We’re not supposed to be thinking about it right now.”

“Easier said than done,” Killian said.

“Whatever it is, I believe Emma can prevail. Love will defeat darkness.”

“You sound like your wife.”

David smiled. “That’s the thing about being married, Hook. You tend to wear off on each other over time.”

“I just hope that Emma and I are allowed the luxury of time.” Much as he tried to have faith that Emma would win and the Black Fairy would be defeated, there was a dark doubt in his heart. The image of standing over his wife’s lifeless body, a widower after only a few minutes of marriage, kept intruding on his thoughts.

“You will be,” David said firmly. “We may have a fight still left to fight, but once we’ve won it, you’ll have your whole lives ahead of you.” He stopped the truck in front of a small house, then turned to face Killian. “Trust me. This isn’t the end.”

“Curse or no curse?” Killian asked, smiling faintly. He felt a flush on his cheeks at David’s sincerity. At how much he cared.

“As I’ve often been told, True Love can break any curse.” He reached for the door handle of the truck, then paused and added, “and this family has true love in spades. Whatever curse she throws at us, we can break it.”

“Why, Dave, I never knew you felt this way about me. I’m honored, but I fear my heart belongs to your daughter.”

David punched him in the arm. “Yeah, yeah.”

“Listen, Dave, there’s something I wanted…” Killian heaved a sigh.

“What is it?”

Killian stared down at the rings on his fingers, the rings that had been a constant in his life for so long, he wasn’t sure he would recognize his own hand without them. Using his thumb and the tip of his hook, he started to work the one on his index finger off. “I told Emma once…” He sighed again and started over. “When Emma was the Dark One, before I learned what had happened in Camelot, I told her that these rings represented men I had killed. Murdered. Not… not your father, but deaths that were equally wrong. Deaths that have weighed heavy on my conscience these many years.”

“Hook--”

“Just… just let me finish.” The ring on his index finger fell into his lap and he began working off the one on his ring finger. “To be honest, I wasn’t entirely honest with her. Not that I hadn’t killed men and taken jewelry off of them, so the spirit of what I was saying was true, but the specifics were… I was trying to make a point.”

“Which was?”

“I told her that these rings had come to symbolize the fact that any sin can be forgiven if someone loves you. That they were a reminder of that.” The second ring dropped off, and he started working on his thumb ring. With a frustrated sigh at watching this painstaking process, David reached over and helped pull Killian’s thumb ring off. His hand bare save for the stark tan lines on three of his fingers, Killian scooped the rings into his palm and shook his hand, allowing the metal to clink together.

“But they were also a reminder that I hadn’t forgiven myself. I assumed I never would. But now, I…” He looked up and met his friend’s eyes. “Now I think I’m ready to start fresh. I know I can’t make up for what I did all those years ago--”

“You’ve made up for it every time that you’ve helped my daughter to become the person that she’s become,” David said. “With every action you’ve taken that has made you a part of our family.”

Killian blinked at that, trying not to let tears spill over. “Thank you.”

Dave clapped him on the back, his go-to move to signify affection. “Now, let’s go find you something to wear at this wedding.”

~*~

“This is the one,” Emma said, tears shining in her eyes.

Snow fingered the lace sleeves of the wedding dress hanging in Emma’s bedroom. “I hadn’t thought you would like this one originally, which is why I didn’t show it to you. I wasn’t sure if it was your style.”

“I guess it isn’t, really, but…” She said down on the bed, picking up a leather bookmark of Killian’s from his bedside table and turning it over and over in her hands. “When I was little and I used to imagine my wedding, the dress in my imagination looked a lot like this one.” She chuckled. “Also that rooftop is going to be cold, and so I’m thinking bare shoulders is not the way to go.”

Clapping her hands together, Snow moved to start taking the dress off the hanger. “Then let’s get you into it.”

“Mom, can…” Emma swallowed against a lump in her throat. “Can you give me just a minute?”

“Emma, you made the right decision, going forward with the wedding.” Snow sat down at her side. “If you’re having doubts--”

“I’m not. I know it’s the right decision. Even if we’re only married for an hour, or a minute, it will be worth it. To stand up there and say…” A tear rolled down her cheek, and Emma took a shaky inhale. “I’ve got to get all this crying out of the way now, before we put on my makeup.” She tried again. “It’s important to me to stand up there and say our vows in front of everyone, even if we’re doomed to the shortest marriage in history.”

“Emma, you’re going to win the final battle, and this is not going to be the shortest marriage in history. You’re going to have a long and happy marriage, I know it.” Snow picked up one of Emma’s hands in both of hers and squeezed.

“Mom, you and I both know that even if I win, even if I defeat her, I still may not survive. The price I may have to pay for saving everyone else from the Black Fairy may be my life.”

“I don’t believe that, Emma.” Snow was fierce in her denial. “You’ve paid too high a price already, and you have True Love, and if fate doesn’t let you enjoy a life with that love, then I’m going to personally have a word with whoever is in charge of all this.”

Emma laughed at that. “I think the fates must be trembling in fear of you right now, Mom.”

“Hell yeah they are.”

“I love you,” Emma gasped, pulling her mother into a hug.

“I love you too, baby.” They held each other for several minutes, rocking slightly back and forth on the bed. Finally they released each other, Emma grabbing tissue box and putting it between them so that both of them could dry their tears. “Do you know when I suspected that you and Hook might be meant for each other?” Snow asked.

Emma laughed a watery laugh. “When was that?”

“After Elsa almost froze you to death, and they brought you back to the loft to warm you up, I watched the way he held you, the way he watched over you, and I realized that he wasn’t just infatuated with you -- he was completely, head-over-heels in love with you. And I knew that if you were willing to let down your walls and love him in return, the two of you could really build something together. And that’s exactly what happened. Not even the ultimate darkness, not even death itself was able to tear you apart.”

“Yeah, we talked to Archie about that,” Emma said, still dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. “He isn’t going to say ‘til death do us part’. He’s going to say something else instead.”

Snow raised her eyebrows. “What’s he going to say?”

“You’ll have to show up at the wedding and see.”

~*~

“Oh yeah, that’s way better,” Henry said as he dropped down the last rung of the ladder into the captain’s quarters.

Killian eyed his reflection critically in the mirror. He turned his head back and forth, feeling not a little bit strangled by the buttoned-up shirt collar. Still, he would endure any hardship if it meant marrying his love. “You think so?”

“Yeah, no one would recognize you if you showed up at the wedding in white. They’d be all, ‘Who’s that guy Emma Swan is marrying? What happened to the pirate?’”

Killian laughed at that. “You may be right, lad.” He turned around and took in Henry in his own tuxedo. “Well, you look rather smart yourself.”

“Yeah, but I’ve got no idea how to tie this thing,” he said, holding up the tie that was still in his hand. “But I figured you might not either,” he said, gesturing to the tie hanging loose around Killian’s neck, “or that if you did, you might not be able to do it one-handed.”

“We make quite a helpless pair, don’t we?”

“Not helpless,” Henry said with a smirk, holding up his phone. “That’s what YouTube is for.”

They watched a video on tying bow ties, huddled over the small screen together, and after several minutes and several false starts, both ties managed to get tied.

They stood close together, looking at their reflections in Killian’s one small mirror. “You have the rings, lad?”

“Safe and sound, right here,” Henry said, tapping his jacket pocket. “Granddad should be here to pick us up in a minute. Are you nervous?”

Their engagement had been so short, he’d hardly had time to think about the actual wedding. Now he paused and did just that. “Aye, I’m a tad nervous. Almost three hundred years and for most of those I assumed I’d never marry. Now there’s nothing I want more.”

“Thanks, for… making my mom so happy,” Henry said, stepping away, averting his eyes, and flushing. “And… I’m glad that you’re going to be my stepdad.”

Killian felt tears fill his eyes for the … fourth time today? He’d honestly lost count, and he hadn’t even seen Emma in her wedding dress yet. “I’m glad too, Henry. More than you know.” He put a hand on Henry’s shoulder. “Come on, lad, we have a wedding to get to.”

#cs ff #captain cobra ff #captain charming ff #emma and snow ff #my fic #missing scene fic #ouat 6x20

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peopleandrhythm · 7 years

Text

Episode Twelve: I Might Seem So Strong

Vincent and Hope sit side-by-side in the third pew from the front, the church yawning wide around them. Hope’s eyes are trained on the statue of the Virgin Mary at the back of the altar. Hope’s never been overly religious, but at this particular moment, she feels an odd sort of kinship to the woman who got more than she ever bargained for.

It’s been a while since either of them have spoken. Vincent’s taken some time to process the story that Hope just relayed to him. He places his palms on his thighs and stretches his fingers out. “Who knows?” His voice is quiet, but the echo in the empty church is still jarring.

“No one.” Who the hell would she tell?

“Alright. Alright, it’s gonna stay that way.”

Hope’s head snaps to stare at Vincent. “What do you mean? Shouldn’t—I mean, my parents—”

Vincent lets out a low hum of disapproval. “Your daddy cannot find out about this until we are sure we know what’s goin’ on.”

“Why?”

Side-eying her, the regent says, “Because he’d burn this place to the ground.”

Hope opens her mouth to argue, but then closes it again. He’s not wrong. So instead she says, “Well what are we going to do? Because I can’t be the…the…”

“The Advocate.”

She doesn’t even want to say it. “Right. See, I can’t do that. I have enough family members to deal with without tacking on generations of dead witches.”

“See it don’t work like that.”

“How do you know that?” Hope stands up and begins pacing between the pews. “How do you know I couldn’t just…I don’t know, give this power or ability or whatever to someone else? To Theo? She seems to want it!”

“No, no, Theo could not be trusted with this. And besides, you told me what happened.”

Hope stops pacing. “What?”

“You told me that Theo asked the ancestors to bind themselves to their most faithful, most judicious descendant. Sure, she might have meant herself, but if they chose you, they chose you. Ain’t much we can do about that.”

Hope swallows thickly. She just stares at Vincent, face pale. After a minute, she whispers, “I have to go get River.” She turns and makes a beeline for the exit.

“Now hang on!” Vincent shoots to his feet to stop her, but Hope whips around. “No! No, I can’t deal with this today.”

“You have to deal with this today. Theo LeRoy is on a warpath.”

“My girlfriend needs me,” Hope snarls. “And I need…I need…” She takes a deep breath. “I need to not be here.” She storms toward the doors once more, and this time, Vincent doesn’t try to stop her.

Hayley and Hope trek through the bayou, each with a duffel bag slung over her shoulder. Hayley notices Hope’s uncharacteristic silence, and asks, “Everything okay?”

“Yeah.”

Hayley’s not convinced. “Do you feel…different?”

Hope looks up at her mother, wide-eyed. “Why would I feel different?”

With a shrug, Hayley says, “I’m no witch, but I would imagine that suddenly being connected to a city’s worth of ancestral magic would make a girl feel more powerful than usual.”

“Oh. Yeah, no, I more or less feel the same.” Honestly, Hope hasn’t even had time to consider what this new connection might mean for her beyond the fact that she is now its lynchpin.

“Then why so quiet?”

Hope hates this. She tells her mother everything; after fifteen years of mostly just each other for companionship, the mother and daughter are extremely close, and Hayley has always been a reliable sounding board for Hope’s troubles. But Hope trusts Vincent, and if he thinks it’s best for her to keep the fact that she is the Advocate a secret for the time being, she will.

So she lies. “Just looking forward to seeing River.”

And sure enough, Mary’s cabin is appearing through the trees, the wood soft in the glow of early morning. The two step up onto the front porch, but they don’t even get the chance to knock before the door is being yanked open. “I’ve been naked for an hour,” River says unceremoniously, wrapped tightly in a plaid blanket.

Hope cocks a half-smile. “Maybe I was late on purpose.”

Hayley rolls her eyes as River grabs the duffel bag from her girlfriend and retreats into the house. She and Hope follow her in. “How was your night?”

“Um.” River closes herself in the bathroom to dress, but says through the door, “Actually, not the worst?”

Surprised, Hayley and Hope exchange a look. “Really?” Hope calls.

“Really. I mean, don’t get me wrong, the transition was so painful I wanted to peel off all of my skin, but…” She reemerges, dressed in jeans and a tank top, her feet still bare. “Being a wolf?” She searches for the words.

“There’s nothing like it,” Hayley offers, and River nods.

The front door opens, and Mary and Rose enter, each carrying a massive pail of water. Mary nods her hellos to the newcomers, and then says, “Damn water thing’s busted again, so we gotta use the well for a while.”

River sniffs the air. “Is that food?”

Hayley drops her duffel bag onto the floor, and River kneels to unzip it. “Bagels, oranges, bacon—probably cold by now—hard-boiled eggs, muffins, and, of course—”

“Beignets,” Hope finishes.

River looks up, two strips of bacon already crammed into her mouth. “Ah luff ya,” she says.

Hayley laughs, and then turns in surprise when she feels a tap on her shoulder. She sees Rose, face severe, jerk her head toward the open door. “We need to talk.” Hayley’s eyebrows fly up, but she nods and follows the alpha outside.

Hope helps River move all of the food onto the rickety kitchen table as Mary heads back outside to fill her water tank. As they sit, Hope asks, “So what was it like?”

River swallows her huge bite of beignets. “It was…it made sense.”

“Okay…?”

“Like…being a wolf made sense. The part where my body was literally tearing itself to pieces to become the wolf, that made no sense, but once I was in that body…the smells, the sounds…the feeling of the wind in my fur as I ran…it was like my whole life was leading up to that moment.”

Hope squeezes River’s hand atop the table. “I’m glad it was better than you thought it would be. It sounds awesome.” Her eyes fall down to the table.

River senses a shift in mood, and puts down the muffin she had just reached for. “Is everything okay?”

Hope hears Mary’s heavy footfalls on the porch, and shakes her head. “Later?”

River’s eyebrows furrow, but she nods as Mary reenters the cabin, cursing under her breath about the plumbing.

Marcel strides into the empty church, tapping on his phone as he says, “Alright, what the hell was so important you had to pull me out of a meeting with the mayor?”

Vincent’s waiting for him on the altar. “You alone?”

Sliding his phone into his pocket, Marcel gives Vincent a look somewhere between confused and offended. “Yeah, of course I’m alone. You ask me to come alone, I come alone. Now what is this about? Shouldn’t you be keepin’ your witches from starting yet another civil war in my city?”

Vincent decides to let my city go. “So you know about Theo.”

“Know that she tried to make herself the grand pupa of the ancestors and failed? Yeah, I know.” He stands before the regent, hands on his hips, chin in the air. “So what?”

“Theo may have failed to make herself the ancestors’ Advocate, but that doesn’t mean the spell itself failed.”

“Look, Vincent, I don’t got time to—”

“It’s Hope Mikaelson.” Marcel is deadly silent. “Hope Mikaelson is now the Advocate for the ancestors of New Orleans.”

Marcel runs a hand over his face. “This isn’t funny.”

“No.” Vincent steps down off the altar to stand right in front of Marcel. “This is the best damn news we’ve gotten in years.”

Marcel looks at the regent like he’s crazy. “You think this is good news? Klaus Mikaelson’s daughter now has exclusive access to the witches and you think we shouldn’t be runnin’ for this hills?”

“Think about it, Marcel,” Vincent hisses. “How many times have we tried to establish a real, lasting peace in this city, huh? One in which every community—witches, wolves, and vampires—have been able to live their lives in peace, free to be who they are?” Marcel doesn’t answer. “Even since the fall of the Mikaelsons, we ain’t had a real peace. The witches weren’t strong enough to fight for themselves, and that’s what led Theo to do what she did.”

“What’s your point?”

“My point is that the witches and the wolves were never gonna trust you to speak for them. And the wolves and vampires were never gonna trust me to speak for them, neither. And as many times as we’ve tried to create a—a—a council, a group representin’ everybody in the city, it’s never worked!

“But Hope.” Vincent’s face blooms into something bright and buoyant. “Hope might just be the key to savin’ this city once and for all.”

Outside of Mary’s cabin, behind the first row of trees, Rose rounds on Hayley, arms crossed. “I don’t like you.”

Hayley’s face betrays only mild surprise. “Okay.”

“I might’ve been a kid when you left fifteen years ago, but even then I understood that our alpha was abandoning us to go on some grand quest to save a couple of vampires who individually have lived longer than everyone in this pack combined.”

“Rose—”

“I’m not done,” Rose snaps. “For years we were leaderless. Jackson was dead, you took off god knows where, and the vampires decided to pick us off while we were at our weakest. After a while Marcel told them to back off. He played it like he was trying to honor you or something, but I knew. He just didn’t want the death of your pack to draw you back here.” She scoffs. “Not that I thought for a second it would.”

Hayley looks at the ground, tugs on the hem of her shirt. “Look, Rose, I know I didn’t do right by this pack—”

“So I stepped up.” Rose keeps talks like Hayley never opened her mouth. “I triggered the curse at nineteen, and when I was twenty-two I couldn’t stand by and watch my people fade away into nothingness. I’ve been alpha for three years now, and I may not know what I’m doing, but I do know what my next step is.”

Face drawn, Hayley asks, “And what’s that?”

“I need a meeting with Vincent Griffith and Marcel Gerard, and you’re going to set it up for me.” Not a question, not a request. A demand.

Hayley takes a deep breath. “Okay. And what would this meeting be about, exactly?”

Rose’s answering smile is sarcastic. “Well that’s alpha business, and you’re not the alpha anymore.”

It stings, but Hayley knows she deserves it. “And why should I ask them to meet with you? Seems to me like you don’t have much going for you out here.”

Rose narrows her eyes. “You’re going to do it because I spent last night keeping your daughter’s girlfriend from losing her goddamn mind. And because you owe us.”

Hayley sighs deeply, then nods. “Okay. Okay.” She starts to walk back toward the house, and then stops, turns to face Rose again. “Why do you turn?”

Rose’s brows knit in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“The rest of the pack. They gained control of their turning during the ceremony with Jackson. But you…”

Rose works her jaw. “I was a kid, and I hadn’t triggered my curse, so I wasn’t invited to the wedding. Every Crescent born afterward would inherit that ability, but me…” She shrugs. “I got shafted.”

“Oh.” Hayley never considered the kids, never thought about those who hadn’t yet triggered their curses, but might, someday. “I’m sorry.”

“Whatever.” Rose nods to the cabin. “Get them back to the Quarter. And get me that meeting with Vincent and Marcel.” And with that, Rose stalks off into the woods.

When River and Hope enter the compound, their jaws immediately drop. An intricate web of streamers—gold, green, and purple—encompass the courtyard, where a small army of workers assembles a stage in one corner. Across the way, a long table is being put together, an endless tablecloth waiting to be draped over top. Colored balloons are tied to the balconies, and strings of lights weave between the wrought iron.

“What the hell?”

Elijah and Rebekah turn to grin at the girls, who can barely move for shock. “Welcome back!” Rebekah says cheerfully. She walks over to them and wraps an arm around River’s shoulder. “How’re you feeling?”

“Like I’m doing the weirdest acid trip in history. What is all this?”

“Ah.” Elijah sets a clipboard down on the impossibly long table and approaches. “These are…preparations. For the party.”

“The party,” Hope repeats, deadpan. “Wasn’t Mardi Gras, like, months ago?”

“It’s for you!” Rebekah chirps.

Hope’s eyes widen even further. “For me?”

“For your birthday!”

And that’s when Hope remembers: her eighteenth birthday is tomorrow. “Oh.”

Elijah tries to dampen his smile. “Did you forget?”

“Honestly…yeah. I mean, first there was rescuing Dad, and then waking all of you up, and then River getting kidnapped, and then last night…” She catches herself before she says too much, recalling Vincent’s warning. “It’s just been a lot. I haven’t had time to think about…”

“Being an adult?” Rebekah offers. Hope nods.

River points at all of the decorations. “That still doesn’t explain all this.”

“Yeah,” Hope says. “I mean, a party? For who? I have one friend, and I’m dating her.”

“The party is for New Orleans.” Everyone’s eyes turn to Klaus, who’s descending the staircase, gesturing grandly to the set-up. “All of the most important figures in this city will be invited to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of my child, as well as our triumphant return to New Orleans.”

Hope nods once, eyes falling to the floor. “Right. So this has nothing to do with me, and everything to do with reminding everyone that the Mikaelsons are all-powerful harbingers of terror.”

Klaus gives a too-pleased grin. “Well, I suppose one could…” He trails off as his daughter stalks past him, avoiding his gaze. “Hope?” He looks at his siblings, bewildered.

River narrows her eyes in judgement. “Dude.” Shaking her head, she follows her girlfriend up to their shared room.

Elijah shifts to cross his arms and glare at his brother, who merely gives a baffled shrug.

After dropping the girls off at the compound, Hayley makes her way to St. Anne’s, where she’s lucky enough to find both Vincent and Marcel, heads tipped together conspiratorially. They look up quickly when they hear her footsteps. “What’re you doing here?” Marcel asks bluntly.

“Nice to see you too.” She finally reaches them and crosses her arms. “I need the two of you to meet with Rose Capitoline.”

The men exchange blank looks. “Who’s that?”

Hayley rolls her eyes. “She’s the new alpha of the Crescent pack.”

“Huh.” Marcel leans up against the wall of the sanctuary. “Didn’t realize they had a new alpha.”

“Shocking they didn’t consult with you first.”

“Well why does she want a meeting with us? Shouldn’t the Crescents hate the vampires, and the witches too?”

“Oh, they should, and they do,” Hayley says bitingly. “But I don’t know why she wants a meeting. I don’t care. You’re going to give it to her.”

Marcel works his jaw like he wants to argue, but Vincent says, “Actually…I think meeting with her is a good idea.” He gives Marcel a significant look, and Marcel slowly nods in agreement.

Hayley looks between the two of them with suspicion. “Do I want to know what’s going on here?”

Vincent gives her a bland smile. “Tell Rose we’d like to talk to her as soon as possible.”

Part of Hayley is worried that Rose is walking into something far more complicated than she could ever imagine, but right now she just wants to get back to Hope. “Whatever,” she says, spinning around, already pulling her phone out of her pocket as she exits the church.

When River enters their bedroom, Hope is leaning on the rail of the balcony, her hair falling down to obscure her face from view. The werewolf makes her way out, standing beside her girlfriend and looking down onto the street below. “I don’t really know what to say when your vampire dad says he’s going to use your birthday as an excuse to claim power in New Orleans. Maybe offer to make tea?”

Hope puffs out something akin to a laugh. “Yeah. Yeah, it’s just…I knew, who he was, what his priorities were. My mom tried her hardest not to…make him seem like a monster to me. And he didn’t. My whole life I thought of my dad as a martyr who sacrificed a life with me to save his siblings, and he was a hero to me.” She sighs. “I guess even heroes are people, too. Still, I should have known better than to expect too much from the man so terrible that he was the scary story regular vampires told each other over campfires.”

“I don’t think you were unreasonable to expect your dad not to be a dick,” River points out.

“I guess.” Hope tucks her hair behind one ear so she can see her girlfriend out of the corner of her eye. “It’s just, with everything going on…”

“Holy shit!” River grabs Hope’s arm and pulls her upright so they’re facing each other.

That’s when Hope feels it, the trickle of something hot and wet from her nose. She wicks the blood away with the back of her hand. “Sorry, sorry—”

“Don’t—oh my god.” River takes Hope’s face in her hands and stares her right in the eyes. “This has gone on long enough. Tell me what’s going on, now.”

Hope stares back for a long while, and then whispers. “Okay, but not here.” Her eyes flick down to the street. “Come on. Let’s go for a walk.”

They meet in St. James Infirmary. It’s neutral ground for all of them, and Rose already feels ganged up on, even though she’s the one who called the meeting. Vincent and Marcel, for all their disagreements, are mostly allies, and they have no reason to listen to a word she says.

There’s a jazz band playing, and the bar is fairly crowded, so when Rose approaches the corner table where the witch regent and the vampire king are waiting for her, she’s not worried they’ll be overheard. They’re seated when she walks up, shoulders straight to display a sense of confidence she’s not sure she has. “I’m surprised you agreed to meet with me.”

Marcel motions for her to take a seat opposite them. “Actually, we were going to reach out to you.”

That’s…interesting. Rose slowly lowers herself into the chair, suspicion coloring her face. “Why?”

“We wanted to talk to you about the future of New Orleans,” Vincent says, gaze steady.

“That’s a lucky coincidence. I’m here to talk about the wolves’ future in New Orleans. I am done watching my people suffer in silence out in the bayou. We deserve access to medicine, to culture. Our children deserve to go to schools, real schools. We deserve to live our lives without fear that the vampires are going to slaughter us, or that the witches are going to put a curse on us again. We want back in the Quarter, and we want it now.”

Vincent and Marcel look at each other, the ghosts of smiles dancing at the corners of their mouths. Finally Marcel flags down a server and says to Rose, “Get yourself a drink. We have a lot to talk about.”

They’re walking down Chartres Street toward Jackson Square. Each restaurant they pass is blaring music as the midday lunch rush swirls around them. Hope keeps her hands in her pocket as she begins her story. “Because the bones of my grandmother were consecrated on New Orleans soil, I have an ancestral tie to the magic that fuels the witches who live here.” River nods, following along. “Fifteen years ago, that tie was severed. It was a much bigger deal for the witches who live here, because for them, the ancestors are their only source of magic. That’s not the case for me, so it wasn’t much of a problem.

“Last night, that ancestral tie was…fixed. All of us have access to that power again, but it’s…it’s different now.”

“Different how?”

Hope takes a deep breath, searching for the words. “The witch who did the spell, Theo—”

“The crazy bitch who kidnapped me in my sleep? I’m familiar.”

“Right. Well, she was worried that the ancestors, if we were connected to them again, would, I guess, be super controlling of the living witches. Apparently that was a big problem back in the day? I don’t know, I was like two.

“Anyway, she tried to make herself the sort-of gatekeeper for the ancestors. They’d only be able to express their opinions, concerns, whatever to her. They wouldn’t be able to control us.”

“Well, that sounds like a good thing,” River says. “What’s the issue?”

Hope stops walking, and River does the same. “It didn’t work.”

River stares at her blankly. “What do you mean?”

“Theo didn’t make herself the gatekeeper.” She pauses. “It’s me. I’m the Advocate for the ancestors.”

River’s eyes widen. “Okay, I’m still not one hundred percent sure what that means, but it sounds serious.”

For a second, Hope wants to walk away, to leave River far from the confusing mess that her life is devolving into. But she doesn’t think she could do any of this without River by her side, that snarky, comforting voice in her ear. So she explains, “It means I hear them. All the time. Hundreds, thousands of voices in my head, screaming at me, whispering to me. The ancestors of New Orleans have been silent for fifteen years, and now I’m the only person who can hear them.”

River grips Hope’s hand so hard Hope worries the bones might crack. “Jesus Christ, that sounds awful.”

“It’s—I don’t know. It’s a lot, and you can’t tell anyone.”

“Yeah, of course.” River’s face works through a dozen different emotions. “But is this what’s causing the nosebleeds? I thought those started before last night.”

“Oh.” Hope starts to walk again, River’s hand still squeezing hers. “It’s…related?” River merely waits for her to elaborate. “Okay, think of my magic like…like a river.” River smiles, and Hope rolls her eyes. “Like an actual river, a strong one, like the raging rapids that people raft down. It’s fast and strong and overwhelming. And my entire life, I’ve put this dam in the river. It’s kept my power at bay. Sure, I’ve been able to use it, mostly for small spells—opening locks, locator spells, turning off the lights when I don’t feel like getting out of bed. And each time I use that power, a tiny crack forms in the dam. Nothing I can’t handle. My power stays hidden, where it can’t hurt anybody.

“But since the night that Vincent came to Tallahassee to get me, I have been doing much bigger spells, and using a lot more magic. And those tiny cracks are now much, much bigger. It’s getting harder and harder for me to keep the power from swallowing me whole, and thus…”

“Nosebleeds,” River finishes, and Hope nods. “Shouldn’t you tell someone about this? What about Freya? She’s got to know how to help.”

“I know, I know, it’s just…” Hope worries her bottom lip between her teeth. “I don’t know what to do. And now that I have this ancestral magic on top of what I already had…it’s like the raging river is flooding.”

“Hope.” River pulls them to a stop again. “It’s not just you and your mom anymore. You have people in your life who can help you, who want to help you. You have to let them. Before this magic kills you.”

Hope nods. “You’re right. I know you’re right. But Vincent told me to keep this whole Advocate thing a secret and—”

“Screw Vincent.” River kisses Hope’s forehead, and Hope didn’t realize just how much she needed that. “You are more important than whatever he’s up to.”

Hope smiles softly. “Thanks for…I don’t know. Being you. Being epic.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty great.” She loops her arm through Hope’s and resumes their walk to Jackson Square. “Remember that when I tell you I forgot to get you a birthday present.”

It’s late in the day, and Theo LeRoy is alone in her crypt, seething. She’s mostly righted everything inside, and now she’s poring over every piece of paper she owns, trying to figure out exactly what went wrong.

“It should have worked,” she mutters to herself, fingers curled into fists atop her work table. “I did everything right. It should have worked.”

“I think it did.”

Theo’s eyes flick up to see Dom leaning in the doorway. “I’m not in the mood.”

Ignoring her, Dom says, “I just had a very interesting conversation with all nine of our Harvest girls.”

Theo’s eyes are scanning the pages again. “So?”

“None of them can access the ancestors.”

That catches Theo’s attention. She straightens up. “What do you mean?”

“They’ve been trying to channel the ancestors all morning. Contorted themselves six ways to Sunday and still nothing.”

Theo leans back against the wall. “That is interesting.”

“So what does it mean if not even the nine girls we sent to retrieve the ancestors can commune with them? Someone has to be talking to them. They’re not exactly a quiet group.”

A slow, dangerous smile spreads across Theo’s face. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“That there’s an Advocate running around the city somewhere and we have no idea who they are?”

Theo lets out a long, humorless laugh. “Oh, I am going to find them. Whoever they are, I will hunt them down and I will take back what was stolen from me.” Her eyes snap to Dom, who’s looking at her with something akin to surprise. “Even if I have to kill them to do it.”

#the originals #originals #tvd #tvd fic #originals fic #people and rhythm #pr 1x12

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lilacmoon83 · 6 years

Text

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 18: Madness

Mary and David shivered, as they huddled by the fire.

"I'm going to find a first aid kit," she said, as she rushed off to find one. Fortunately, there was one in the bathroom cabinet and she quickly returned.

"I'm fine," David insisted. She gave him a look and gingerly touched his chest, as he hissed in pain.

"Yeah...you're fine. You probably have cracked ribs at the very least," she fretted. He took her hands.

"I know, but I will be okay. Nothing is taking me away from you," he promised. She swallowed thickly and tried to push back the tears.

"Come here," he requested, as she did and allowed herself to be folded into his arms. She sniffed and they shivered together.

"We need to get out of these wet clothes," she mentioned.

"Baby, if you want me to take my clothes off, all you have to do is ask," he teased, making her giggle.

"Nice try, Mister. But I know you're making jokes, because you're in a lot of pain," she chided.

"As long as you're okay, I'm fine," he assured, as she gingerly undid the buttons on his shirt and saw that there was already purple bruises forming on his abdomen.

"Oh God…" she fretted.

"I'm fine...I'm sure it's worse than it looks," he tried to soothe.

"We should tape your ribs. Fortunately the first aid kit was complete and had what she needed. He hissed a little, as she taped him up and then she gently swabbed the cuts on his face with alcohol, before applying a butterfly bandage to the gash on his forehead.

"It will have to do until we get to the hospital," she fretted.

"I'm fine...thanks to you," he told her. She leaned in and kissed him, as a tear slipped down her cheek.

"Hey...it's going to be okay," he promised. She sniffed.

"I'm sorry...I just can't lose you. I'm happy for the first time I can remember and now I could lose you," she cried.

"You are not going to lose me…" he replied vehemently, as he kissed her fiercely. She jumped in fright, as there was suddenly a loud bang on the door.

"Oh Gods...he found us!" she cried. David grabbed the fireplace poker and got to his feet.

"David...you can't fight him! You're hurt...he might kill you!" she exclaimed, as she held onto his arm for dear life.

"I will fight for you with every breath in my body...but I promise, I'm going to fight like hell for him to be the one to go down," he promised, as he gripped the poker and the banging on the door continued.

Emma traipsed through the muddy woods, trailing closely behind Pongo, even as the rain still punished the earth. The Dalmatian barked, as they came to a clearing and Emma flashed her light on the spot where he was standing. There was a torn piece of cloth, stained in red and her heart dropped into her stomach.

"Oh my God...is that blood?" Ruby cried, as she caught up to Emma.

"Yes...but we don't know who's it is yet...and I think we just caught a break," Emma said, as she noticed there was a trail of blood. Pongo took off and the search party ran after him.

On the fourth bang, the broken door splintered open and Damon stood in the doorway. He was a frightening sight, soaked to the bone and limping, with blood oozing from his torn pant leg. But it was his eyes that were perhaps the scariest thing they had ever seen. David had seen them like this before, knifing through them like daggers stained with blood. He may have been cursed not to remember his true self, but Deimos, the God of Terror, was definitely bleeding through in that moment.

For Mary, she didn't remember a time seeing him like this before and this man terrified her to her core in a way she was sure nothing ever would. She didn't have to wonder about the things he wanted to do. She was extremely clear on everything he had planned for them. She feared for them both; for the horror that awaited her at his hands, but she feared for her beloved more. This monster had every intention of murdering the man she loved and she was beside herself with so many emotions that it nearly made her faint. But she kept her feet rooted to the ground and her grip on David, for she feared him disappearing if she let go even just a little.

Her heart hammered in her chest, as the malicious man limped inside and her head hurt in a way that couldn't just be a headache. It was more like someone was screaming at her inside her subconscious to do something, to protect her love; to fight for him. How she was supposed to do that against this animal of a man, she did not know, but she found her eyes searching for anything that could be a weapon.

David gripped the poker and raised it before them.

"Do yourself a favor and step aside and maybe you'll live to see another day," Damon threatened.

"Like hell I will. If you think I'll let you hurt Mary, then you have another thing coming," David threatened back.

"Mary...unless you'd like to have his blood on your hands, then you should save yourself that pain and come with me," Damon said.

"She's not going anywhere with you," David growled. He smirked and made a show of his considerable strength by breaking a wooden chair over his knee so he could use one of the legs as a weapon. Mary yelped when he did, never imagining someone could have such strength. It was almost inhuman. As David circled the monster before them, Mary noticed a sculpture on the mantel. It was a wooden likeness of a spinning wheel and she picked it up, ready to spring in at the right moment to use it.

David swiped the poker at the other man, but he dodged and made his own strike, narrowly missing David's head. The monster of a man brought the wooden stake down on him again and David blocked in a high arc with his weapon. But Damon kneed him in the stomach and hit him on the back of the neck. Mary cried out, as he went down and their tormentor hovered over him with a devious smile.

"You should turn away, Mary. This is going to get messy," he hissed, but felt excruciating pain, as she hit him in the head with a blunt object. He held his head and fell to his knees. How it didn't drop him completely, Mary didn't know.

"That was a very big mistake, Mary," he growled, but they didn't waste any time and she helped David up, as they started toward the door. But Damon reached out and grabbed her leg, tripping her. David shoved him away and tried to go to her, but Damon hammered his fist into David's gut, tossing him away again. Mary watched the monster fearfully, as he lit the chair leg on fire and then tossed it onto the rug nearby, quickly igniting it.

"What are you doing?!" Mary cried.

"Making sure lover boy can't escape this time," he growled, as he grabbed her arm. She dug her heels and tried to stall him.

"That's it...you've left him no choice. I didn't want to do this, Mary, but you will be taught your place," he screamed at her, before angrily backhanding her. She fell to the floor in a painful daze and David saw red like he never had before.

Somehow, despite the pain, he jumped to his feet and tackled the monster that dared raise a hand to the woman he loved. He pummeled his fists into the other man, ignoring his bloodied knuckles that screamed in pain. He pushed off him and saw the fire had spread dangerously now. Damon grabbed at him and David kicked him back, but he never expected him to fall into the fire. He screamed in agony and rolled on the floor, quickly squelching the flames.

But the damage was done to the side of his right face and neck, one arm, side of his torso, and right leg. David was only sorry he didn't burn completely. He swept Mary into his arms, stumbling out of the cabin, as it was almost now completely engulfed. Unfortunately, Damon followed, now determined to kill him.

"You're going to pay...I was going to make it quick, but now I'm going to torture you until you beg me to kill you and I'm going to make that little bitch watch!" he screamed psychotically, as he trudged toward them, as Mary started to stir.

"David…" she murmured, as he knelt down in the mud and held her close. He knew he had to keep going, despite the pain and his weakened state. Mary gasped at the horrifying sight that was Damon and buried her face in David's shirt.

"Time to suffer, pretty boy," he hissed, until he heard the cocking of a gun.

"Give me a reason, asshole, because I'd love to blow your brains out," Emma growled, as she held her gun on him. Damon clenched his teeth and put his hands up reluctantly.

"You're under arrest. You have the right to remain silent," she said, as she holstered her weapon and cuffed him.

"He set me on fire...you should arrest him!" Damon growled.

"Oh yeah? And I suppose your fists just accidentally landed on David," she growled back.

"You set the fire, you bastard. After you chased us through the woods. You hit Mary too...you're lucky you're still breathing," David shouted.

"He's right. That alone makes me wish you had given me that reason to shoot you," Emma added.

"David...Mary...we've got an ambulance waiting. It's a bit of a trek. Do you think you can make it?" Archie asked.

"We'll be okay," David replied, as they were both helped along by Ruby, Leroy, and Archie.

"We found Wilby and put him in Emma's car," Archie said.

"Thank you," David said gratefully.

When they got closer, the paramedics met them halfway. A handcuffed Damon was put into one, while David and Mary were put in the other and rushed to the hospital.

Present Day

The moment Emma Swan's yellow bug rolled into Storybrooke and the clock ticked from eight fifteen to eight sixteen. Time, for the first time in twenty-eight years, finally resumed in all the realms.

The only realms that had not been frozen by the curse were the Underworld, Mount Olympus, and the Land Without Magic, outside of Storybrooke. It had been quite dull indeed, for Hades. He had once enjoyed an influx of new souls daily. Most were sent to his realm by Regina or King George. Cora, Blackbeard, and the vengeful Captain Hook also kept him in business. And even his beloved Zelena had her moments, giving him contributions from Oz.

But during the curse, the only souls passing into his realm had been from the Land Without Magic. But many of those people didn't have much unfinished business, so he never held onto those souls for long. There were some of course that become permanent residents in his plane, but nothing like he had enjoyed before the curse.

But now, time was moving again and he would soon be back in business, especially since he knew Cora and Captain Hook were on the move, eagerly searching for a way to the Land Without Magic. Cora sought her daughter Regina and Hook wanted revenge on Rumpelstiltskin. Their quests were of no consequence to him though. He had his own agenda, like making his treacherous wife pay for her continued betrayal.

Fortunately, he had devised a plot to see that she and that precious little mortal family of hers did indeed pay dearly. And that was the reason for his visit to Oz on this day.

"What are you doing here?" Zelena demanded to know, as she found him in her Throne Room.

"I'm here to make all your dreams come true," Hades replied, gesturing grandly with his arms. Zelena snorted derisively.

"Thousands of years under your belt and that's your best line?" she shot back. But he took it in stride.

"Oh, how I've missed your wit, my dear," he commented.

"Be that as it may, you're not here, because of my...wit," she surmised.

"How right you are. I am here, however, because the time when we can both have our revenge has finally come," he stated. That intrigued her and he now had her undivided attention.

"I'm listening," she said, nonchalantly.

"In a moment of pure treachery, my wife has managed to find a way to flee to the Land Without Magic, specifically your sister's little spot of revenge, aptly named Storybrooke. She seeks her daughter and to help her granddaughter foil all your sister's hard work by breaking the curse," he explained.

"How did she get to a place with no magic?" Zelena inquired.

"Oh her sanctimonious mother found a loophole and got her transportation there without a portal," Hades responded.

"That's unfortunate for you, but what does it have to do with me?" she asked.

"Think about it. We could go to Storybrooke together and make all our enemies pay. Think of the chaos we could create together," he tempted.

"And how do you propose we get there without a portal? Not to mention, how do we get our revenge in a place with no magic?" Zelena questioned. He smirked.

"There is no magic there now...but that won't hold true forever. I know for a fact that Rumpelstiltskin bottled true love from those two idiots and is just waiting for the moment the curse breaks to bring magic to Storybrooke. Once he does, crossing to that realm will be possible again," he reminded.

"Even if that's true, how exactly do we get there? Portals are hard to come by," she recalled.

"Yes, but you have something that requires no portal and simply three clicks of your heels," he replied. She snorted.

"We both know I don't have the bloody things. That little retch Dorothy stole them from me," Zelena growled. But Hades chuckled, unnerving her further.

"Oh my dear, you underestimate my resourcefulness," he goaded.

"Which I suppose is understandable. I don't get out much beyond the Underworld anymore. But just when I think I've lost my touch, I manage to prove I'm still as devious as the day Zeus cast me from Olympus," he said and she gasped, as the ruby slippers appeared in his hand and she snatched them.

"How...did you get them?" Zelena inquired. He shrugged.

"I killed Dorothy," he stated and she gaped at him, before he collapsed into chortles.

"I'm kidding. As fun as that would have been, we both know I can't kill in this mortal plane. What I did is far sweeter and more satisfying anyway," he replied.

"How?" she demanded.

"Dorothy gave them to me," Hades announced. Zelena snorted.

"Now I know you're lying. That little brat would never do that," she scoffed.

"Oh, but with the right persuasion, she did just that," he said deviously. Zelena looked very intrigued.

"What did you do?" she asked. He smirked.

"Well, you see Dorothy's Auntie Em passed on not long before the curse and she has some unfinished business," he said.

"So she ended up in your realm," Zelena replied.

"You catch on quick. Anyway, dear sweet Auntie Em runs a cute little diner down in the Underworld," he explained.

"Because dead people need to eat?" Zelena quipped. He chuckled.

"Funny. But when I told Dorothy that if she didn't give me the slippers, I'd have Pain and Panic toss poor little Auntie Em into the River of Lost Souls. The little retch, as you put it, couldn't get them off her feet fast enough," he boasted.

"Pain and Panic?" she asked, with a raised eyebrow.

"My henchmen," she clarified.

"Of course they are," she deadpanned, but was then thoughtful.

"I have to say..I'm impressed," she admitted.

"I thought you might be. So what do you say?" Hades asked.

"I'd say that once the curse breaks...Storybrooke will get wicked," she leered. He grinned with a feral gleam

"They'll be begging to be cursed again," he agreed, as they cackled maniacally together.

Storybrooke

Emma practically paced a hole in the floor, as she waited in the waiting room for word on her parent's conditions. Whale told her she couldn't go into the exam room with them, because she wasn't "family". Like hell she wasn't. But seeing her parent's friends, even Leroy also waiting with her was a true testament to how far they had come in just a short time. Just weeks ago, none of these people would have been caught near Mary Margaret Blanchard and didn't even know David Nolan. And now...they all waited with bated breath to hear about their friends. It was working, little by little. The curse was unraveling. Maybe not as quickly as she'd like, but it was happening.

To her surprise, though it probably shouldn't have been, Henry came running around the corner.

"Kid...what are you doing here?" she asked.

"My Mom is still at Town Hall, but Archie told everyone else that you found David and Miss Blanchard, so I sneaked away to come here," Henry replied. She sighed.

"Kid...I know you mean well, but you can't sneak off like that," she chided.

"She doesn't care. She's too busy yelling at Sidney, cause she's pretty sure he lost," he replied, with a grin. She smirked.

"We don't know that yet," she reminded, as she looked at the exam room door, practically willing it to open.

"They're be fine, you know," Stephanie said, as she walked toward her. The blonde sighed.

"I hope so. If I had been just a couple minutes later...I don't think that would be the case," Emma feared.

"You can't do that to yourself, Emma. They are okay and that's because of you," she replied. Emma nodded.

"I need to check and see if there's any news on Damon's condition too," she said, as he pulled her phone out. Before she could dial though, she saw Dr. Whale come out.

"How are they?" she exclaimed.

"Mary's fine...other than a few cuts and the bruise on her face. I've released her," he stated.

"And David?" she asked.

"Probably lucky, considering it could have been a lot worse. Three cracked ribs, cuts, bruises, and a minor concussion. I'm keeping him overnight for observation, but if everything checks out in the morning, I can release him," Whale reported. Emma let out a sigh of relief.

"Can we see them?" she asked. Whale sighed.

"Yes, but you need to talk to your room mate, Emma. She's insisting to stay all night in his room...but she's not family, so it's against hospital policy," he replied.

"Sorry Doc, but you might as well make that two cots, because Mary and I are both staying," she retorted.

"Miss Swan…" he started to say.

"Look, I know you mean well. Mary, David, and I are family, regardless of what anyone says," she replied hotly.

"I'd listen to her doctor. You're looking at Storybrooke's new Sheriff," Jefferson interjected, as he waltzed in with a smug smirk.

"What? The votes have been counted already?" she asked in disbelief.

"They're not done...but it's a landslide so far and they don't have many left to go. Congratulations, Sheriff Swan," he said, as she allowed herself a smile.

"Thanks…" she said, as she took Henry with her into the room.

"Does anyone listen to me?" Whale called, but received no answer.

"Doctor...can you tell me Damon Tromera's condition?" Stephanie asked.

"Are you a friend?" he asked.

"Most certainly not. I just want to know when he's well enough to be locked up in a tiny cell," she retorted and he gave her a wary look.

"The nurses are treating him and he is handcuffed to the bed. I'm heading there now, but if you're not next of kin, I can't share that information with you," he responded shortly, as he walked away. She crossed her arms over her chest and then heard an unwelcome voice behind her.

"Since we're alone...you and I can finally have a talk," Regina snapped. She smirked.

"What can I do for you, Madam Mayor?" Stephanie asked coolly.

"You can tell me who the hell you really are and how the hell you got into my town," Regina growled.

"My name is Stephanie Kore. I'm sure you've had a chance by now to call Boston to check my credentials," she replied. Regina glowered at her.

"I did...and everything is in perfect order. A degree in education and a doctorate in Botany. But I don't buy it. And that still doesn't explain how you got here," Regina retorted. Stephanie smirked.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about, Madam Mayor," she replied, playing dumb. Regina's nostrils flared in anger.

"I will find out who you are and what you're doing here," the Mayor snapped.

"You'll find out only what I want you to know. You're so used to giving orders and having no one pushing back. But those days are over, Madam Mayor," Stephanie snapped back. Regina smirked dangerously.

"You have no idea who you're dealing with, Ms. Kore," she hissed. But Stephanie smirked.

"And neither do you, Mayor Mills, I assure you," she shot back. Regina frowned, uneasiness flickering behind her eyes briefly, before she stalked toward the hospital room.

"Henry Daniel Mills...we are leaving now," she called into the room. The boy reluctantly slipped out of the room and left with her, as she took his arm. She watched them go and then walked down the hallway, before peering into Damon's room. His burns were packed off with gauze and he was unconscious, probably from the sheer amount of morphine he was one. But for her, this wasn't enough pain for him. She wanted so badly to end him right here. Without his immortality here, she could easily do it. She may not have had an actually doctorate in Botany, but she was Persephone and knew how to easily poison him a thousand different ways with plants. But she wouldn't. She may have been Queen of the Underworld, but she had never taken life in all her years. But if this man came near her daughter again, she would find a way to send him back to her estranged husband...permanently.

#Snowing #season 1 au #SnowxCharming #fanfiction

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noonmutter · 7 years

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Torches

They’d already gotten loud enough to be heard from inside. Leon sighed and tucked his schoolwork into his bag; he wasn’t going to get it done before bed anyway, even without the commotion out there. If they’d already gotten to this point, it was going to be one of the messy ones. He was already pulling on his boots when mum rapped her knuckles on the bedroom door. Flashing her a small, knowing smile, he said nothing, only waited.

Her smile was strained, the way it always was when she--”I’m sorry, Leon, but I need you t’go get some thin’s from Cauber’s up th’ way before they’re off for the night. Kin y’do that for me? Did up a list.”

“Sure, mum.” Cauber’s was all the way down the hill, at least an hour for the trip; it must’ve been worse than he thought. His smile wavered slightly, but mum’s didn’t. Never did, even though they both knew it was a front. Buttoning up his shirt, Leon crossed his room to give his weary mother a short, tight hug before she pressed money into his hand and gave him a gentle shove toward the front door.

“G’on, it’s already late.”

A sudden, loud crash made them both wince, and Leon was given no chance to protest before Mum left, marching out grimly to deal with Terry and dad. As always, he wanted to follow her, to help somehow, but that always ended one way: With mum demonstrating that she was every ounce as sturdy and strong as her husband, condensed into a smaller package (not “denser” if he valued his life), and forcing him to go anyway.

So he left, with a bit of torn cloth tucked into his ears so he couldn’t hear the shouting.

Surprising no one, the list mum had given him was for things Cauber’s didn’t carry until summer. Though the shopkeep was a little frustrated, he’d already cottoned to the pattern, so he didn’t chide Leon too harshly when all the teenager wound up buying was a little parcel of sweets for the house. He lingered for quite some time by the little assortment of liquors at the back, but decided against it. It wasn’t a good idea. Cauber’d already said he wouldn’t sell to him until he at least had some stubble going anyway.

By the time he’d gotten back up to the house it was well past dark, and silence had fallen over the stead. Normally, he thought of that as a good thing, but the air still felt uncomfortable, and it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. The moment he came around the front, he froze.

Mum was lying halfway out the door, immobile. After a moment’s panic, Leon got hold of himself and ran to her, finally breathing again when he found her pulse, good and strong. Unconscious, not dead, though there was a knot forming on the back of her head that was going to be ugly come morning. Carefully, he carried her into his room, not sure where Terry or dad were and not sure what he’d have done if he’d found them before he’d seen to her.

Leon had just finished putting together a cold pack for mum’s head when he heard footsteps, and with the fireplace poker in hand--good solid iron--he stepped out to meet them.

Terry was dirty, winded, carrying a rifle, and wild-eyed. He was also clearly skittish, jumping when he turned away from the door and found his little brother staring him down.

“Leroy! Where’s mum?”

“My bed. What th’fuck ‘appened?”

“Me ‘n’ dad were--well, y’know. We were.” He gave a one-armed shrug. “Started gettin’ in m’ face, tellin’ me ‘bout ‘is roof ‘n’ rules, tha’ kinna shit--”

“What happened to mum, Terry?”

Blinking at the unfamiliar sound of Leon holding back one hell of a rage, Terry raised his hands palms-out. “Dad grew a pair an’ threw a punch, I threw one back, we’re gettin’ into it an’ mum... well, she ‘ad bad timin’n’--AAFUCK Leon what th’fuck?!”

The poker made a satisfying sound when it struck, with as much force behind it as Leon could safely manage. It still nearly broke the bigger teen’s arm, and Leon dropped it from his shaking hand immediately after. Aside from Terry’s labored breathing while he tried to ignore his arm going painfully numb, they were both quiet. Leon was the one to finally break the silence.

“Where’s dad?”

“Saw mum ‘it th’ ground, went pale, ran off.”

“An’ you?”

“Dad wasn’t...right. An’ runnin’ ain’t like ‘im, y’know tha’. Mum was okayDON’T--”

Leon had crouched to pick up the poker when Terry shouted, and he privately delighted in the way his big brother cringed. It was rare to see him being the cowed one. He shook his head after a moment and kicked the poker down the hall a ways behind him, rather than lifting it like he’d intended. Terry settled almost immediately, and moved on as though nothing had happened.

“Mum was okay, just gonna be sore, ‘n’ I di’n’t wanna lose ‘im. ‘E’s a prick ‘n’all but not a let-’im-stumble-’round-in-th’-’ills-at-night-when-’e’s-gone-barmy prick. Y’d think I could find a big lumb’rin’ jackass like ‘im pretty easy, but ‘e lost me at th’creek. Never knew dad could ‘oof it tha’ fast. So I came back fer mum. ‘E wants t’fuck off ‘n’ risk it, let ‘im.”

Mulling it over for a moment--and trying not to reach out and punch Terry in the arm he’d hit before--Leon reluctantly agreed. “’E’s a big lad. ‘E’ll prolly be okay. Mum might be concussed.”

Terry nodded and pulled off his gloves (wincing the whole time). “Get some tea started, I’ll try ‘n’ wake ‘er up.” Not waiting for Leon to respond, Terry headed for their room.

Leon realized the front door was still open, sighed and moved to close it. As he did, he heard a rustling outside, and looked up. A moment later, a pair of eyes glinted just past the edge of the light from the hallway. There was a low, deceptively soft growl and Leon froze.

Softly, he said ‘Terry.’ He didn’t get a response from anyone except the animal outside, who growled again, a bit louder. It was nearly impossible to make out details, but the owner of those eyes and voice seemed awfully large. Leon was almost certain he wouldn’t be able to get the door shut in time if it lunged, with as little distance as it needed to cover.

Risking a bit more volume, he tried again. “Terry.”

"What?” Poking his head out into the hall with a perturbed expression, Terry almost asked something else, but the question died on his lips when he saw how Leon was standing--rigid, tense, hands hovering as dead still as they could. Drawing his bowie knife, Terry spoke as calmly as he could while he cursed a blue streak in his head for leaving his rifle by the door.

“...Back up. Slowly. Keep yer eyes on ‘im.”

It was the most painful two steps of his life, moving backwards at a pace that would make glaciers flash their brights. Halfway through the second step, the animal growled again, louder.

It reached out one limb and Leon had time to register that there wasn’t a paw on the end, but a huge black hand with claws as long as his fingers.

Time stopped as Terry shouted for him to run.

Mum was crying. Mum was crying. Another soft, male voice he couldn’t pin down was saying something he couldn’t understand, probably trying to console her. Leon’s eyes snapped open and he sat up about a quarter of an inch before his left side caught fire, forcing an undignified gasp out of him.

He was in bed. His bed, probably. They’d left one of the candles lit on the bedside table, but otherwise the room was empty and dim. Gingerly, he touched his ribs and felt a slightly damp bandage, finding his fingers stained a faint red when he held them to the candlelight.

Stubbornly Leon tried several times to sit up, but pain beat him back down each time. When he felt tears hit his chest he finally gave up and raised his voice, startled by how weak and raspy it was.

“...mum?...”

No response. He tried again, but couldn’t get his voice above a ragged whine. Out of sheer frustration, he picked up the candle, blew it out, and threw it at the wall. The thump was loud enough to at least startle the people outside into silence, and a moment later footsteps hurried to the door and pushed it open.

The room was flooded with light, and his vision swam as mum hugged him agonizingly tight, babbling more than a little. He’d never heard her do that, and, a tad woozily, he wondered who had died.

She was pried off of him to reveal dad standing behind her, looking worn but relieved. “Y’came close t’scarin’ us, lad.” An understatement if ever there was one, but his dad never admitted he had emotions when he could avoid them. “Damned lucky Terry got a shot off an’ ran ‘im off.” Graeme started to say something else, but his wife slapped his shoulder and glared through bloodshot eyes up at him. She did not need or want to hear how close she’d come to having at least one dead son.

“...what ‘appened...? Wasn’a wolf...”

Bettany Ambroce turned her red, puffy face back to her son’s battered form, and looked nearly ready to start bawling all over again. Her voice wavered as she said, “...We need t’talk about some things, peanut...”

“Need another ten coppers, sir.”

“...sorry, what? Sorry.”

“Ten more coppers, sir. You’re short.”

Leon looked down at the invoice in his hand, blinking, then laughed weakly and dug in his purse. “Sorry, bruv. Must still be asleep, hey?”

“I know the feeling. Chilly morning, too much fog; good time to sleep in if we only could!” Counting out his coins again, the courier nodded in satisfaction. “That’ll do you for another week I think, sir.”

“Get a nap on my be’alf, hey?”

With a bit of a grin, the fellow tipped his hat. “Gladly. ‘Bye!”

Leon stood in the doorway of the Cookbook with his delivery for a little while after he was alone, absently folding up the invoice into as tiny a square as he could. Eventually, his eyes wandered down the cobbles to take in the late morning fog still curling its way across the city, and he sighed. Reaching for the cart handle, he paused, then picked up a little paper-and-string package off the very top of the pile and unwrapped it.

He was glad he could still find Cauber’s sweets, even if it did risk bringing old wounds to mind.

#old memories #how Leon was bitten #and so arrives terry #mum and dad #this got long #my writing

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swanqueeneverafter · 6 years

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31. Going Home, Pt.5

Storybrooke. Present. (On the streets, Pan stands before the frozen group of townspeople.) Pan: “Look at you all. A captive audience. I could play with you like a pack of dolls, couldn't I? I think I'll start with these two. (Walks over to Belle and Neal:) Hmm. You both look so adorable. Hard to tell who to kill first. (Shifts his gaze between both of them:) No, it isn't. (Points to Neal:) You. You first.” (From behind, Mr. Gold clamps a hand on Pan's left shoulder and tugs him away from Belle and Neal.) Mr. Gold: “Stay away from them.” Pan: “How about this? The worm has teeth. (In a mocking tone:) You're here to protect your ‘loved ones’.” Mr. Gold: “I'm not gonna let you touch either one of them.” Pan: “Oh, I'd like to see that.” Mr. Gold: “Oh, you will. Because I have a job to finish, and I have to do whatever it takes. No loopholes. And what needs to be done has a price. A price I'm finally willing to pay. (Looks to Neal:) I used the curse to find you, Bae, to tell you I made a mistake. To make sure you had a chance at happiness. (Pan openly laughs at his words:) And that happiness is possible. Just not with me. I accept that.” Pan: “Pretty, pretty words.”

Mr. Gold: (To Neal:) “I love you, Bae. (Looks to Belle:) And I love you, Belle, you made me stronger.” Pan: “Stronger, yes. But still no magic.” Mr. Gold: “Oh, but I don't need it. You see, you may have lost your shadow, but there's one thing you're forgetting.” Pan: “And what's that?” Mr. Gold: (Triumphantly:) “So have I. I sent it away with something to hide.” (He raises his hand into the air; summoning his shadow back with the dagger. As Mr. Gold takes hold of the dagger, the shadow goes back into him. Then, he forcibly holds Pan against himself.) Pan: (Struggling to get free:) “What are you doing?!” Mr. Gold: “You see, the only way for you to die, is if we both die. And now... now, I am ready. (He stabs Pan in the back with the blade, but also impales himself with it in the process. Pan screams in pain while Mr. Gold remains silent. A cloud of black smoke covers Pan, who disappears. As the smoke dissipates, Malcolm appears in his place:) Hello, Papa.” Malcolm: “Rumple, please. You can stop this. Remove the dagger. We can start over. (Smiles:) We can have a happy ending.” Mr. Gold: “Oh, but I'm a villain. And villains don't get happy endings.” (He twists the dagger to embed deeper into both their wounds. Malcolm gasps in agony. A golden light peeks out from the blade and begins to shine even brighter. As Malcolm stops resisting the inevitable, Mr. Gold places a kiss on his cheek. The light engulfs them as they both disappear out of existence. The remaining scroll drops to the floor while the freezing spell on the group wears off. All are visibly in shock over the unexpected turn of events. Belle collapses on the ground in a fit of grief.)

Belle: “No... Rumple! He's-he's gone!” (Regina slowly kneels to pick up the scroll.) Mary Margaret: “Regina? Are you okay?” Regina: “I'm fine.” (Stands back up.) Emma: (To Neal:) “I'm so sorry.” (Belle quivers as a tear slides down her cheek.) Neal: “My father did what he had to do. He saved us. Regina, don't let him die for nothing. (Regina doesn't respond:) Regina?” Regina: “What?” Hook: “We're here for a reason, love. Pan.” Regina: “He’s dead.” Hook: “His curse remains. Can you stop it, or shall we all be preparing our souls 'cause mine is gonna take some time.” (Leroy, in a panic, runs up to the group pointing in the direction the curse is approaching from.) Leroy: “It's here!! The curse, it's here! It's coming from all sides! There's no escape.” (Neal hugs a worries Henry.) David: “It's not too late. We can still stop it, right? Regina?” Regina: “Yes. Yes.” Emma: “W-what's the price? Gold said there is a price. What is our price?” Regina: (Turns around to face the group:) “It's not our price. It's mine.” Emma: “What are you talking about?” Regina: “It's what I felt when I... first held it. I have to say goodbye to the thing I love most.” Emma: (Turns to look at Henry, who approaches forward to stand beside her. To Regina:) “Henry?”

Regina: “I can never see him again. I have no choice. I have to undo what I started.” Mary Margaret: (In realization:) “The curse that brought us to Storybrooke?” Regina: “That created Storybrooke. It doesn't belong here, and neither do any of us.” David: “Breaking the curse destroys the town.” Regina: “It will wink out of existence as though it were never here. And everyone will go back to where they are from. Prevented from ever returning.” Emma: “We'll go back to the Enchanted Forest?” Regina: “All of us. Except Henry. He will stay here because... he was born here.” Emma: “Alone?” Regina: “No, you will take him. Because you're the savior. And you were destined to break the curse. And once again, you can escape it.” Emma: “I-I don't want to. We'll both go back with everyone.” Regina: “That's not an option. I can't be with him. If I don't pay the price, none of this will work.” (The curse's thunder sounds near in the distance.) Mary Margaret: “Emma, you have to go.” Emma: “I just found you.” Mary Margaret: “And now it's time for you to leave us again. For your best chance. For his.” Emma: “No. N-no. I'm-I'm not... done. I'm the savior, right? I'm supposed to bring back all the happy endings. That's what Henry always said.” Mary Margaret: (Smiles:) “Happy endings aren't always what we think they will be. Look around you. You've touched the lives of everyone here.” Emma: “But we're a family.” Mary Margaret: “Yes, and we always will be. You gave us that.” David: “You and Henry can be a family. You can get your wish. You can be like everyone else. You can be happy.” Mary Margaret: “It's time to believe in yourself, Emma. There's time for you to find hope.” Regina: (To Emma:) “I've known you for some time and I know that all you wanted since you first came here was for Henry to be happy. And he can be, with you. (Voice breaking:) That’s a price I will live with. (Emma starts to protest:) We have no choice. You have to go.” Emma: (Reluctantly, still shocked:) “Okay.”

Phoenix, Arizona. Past. (It is eleven years ago. On a bed, at exactly eight-fifteen, Emma is giving birth.) Doctor: (To Emma:) “Okay, now, big push, big push!” Emma: (Pushing in labor:) “Aaaaaaah!” (The lights flicker and go out as she collapses on the bed in a sweaty mess.) Doctor: (Wrapping newborn in a blanket:) “Great. Here we go. Good, that's good. Beautiful. (Cradles infant in his arms:) It's a boy, Emma. (She refuses to look at the baby, and turns away:) Emma? (Emma shakes her head. A nurse approaches the doctor to whisper something to the doctor:) Oh. Emma, just so you know, you can change your mind.” Emma: (Hoarsely:) “No. I can't be a mother.” Storybrooke. Present. (Everyone is gathered at the town line where Emma's yellow bug is parked. Archie, rest of the dwarves, Mother Superior and Tinker Bell have joined them as well. Emma speaks to both Archie and Belle, and then makes her way over to David and Mary Margaret. She throws herself into their embrace as does Henry. The boy pulls away to say goodbye to Regina.) Henry: “This isn't fair. It's all my fault.” Regina: “What do you mean?” Henry: “If I had never gone to get Emma, if I just lived under the curse with you, none of this would have ever happened. I thought I was alone. I-I thought you didn't love me. But I was wrong.” Regina: “Henry. I was wrong too. It wasn't your fault, it's mine. I cast a curse out of vengeance and I'm- I'm a villain. You heard Mr. Gold. Villains don't get happy endings.” Henry: “You're not a villain. You're my mom.” (He hugs Regina.) (Emma moves from her parents to Neal.) Emma: “Neal. I'm sorry.” Neal: “Don't be. You’ve gotta get our boy the hell outta here.” Emma: “And you have to go back there.” Neal: “Yeah. (Emma embraces him, and he pulls away a moment later:) Hey, this isn't over. I'll see both of you again.“

(Emma walks towards her car, but is stopped by Hook.) Hook: (Jokingly:) “That's quite a vessel you captain there, Swan. (She gives him a sad smile:) There's not a day that won't go by that I won't think of you.” Emma: “Be good.” (He smiles and nods.) Regina: “Emma. There's something I haven't told you.” Emma: (Softly:) “Have you figured a way out of this?” Regina: (Shakes her head:) “When the curse washes over us, it will send us all back. Nothing will be left behind. Including your memories. It's just what the curse does. Storybrooke will no longer exist. It won't ever have existed. So these last years will be gone from both your memories. Now we'll go back to being just stories again.” Emma: “What will happen to us?” Regina: “I don't know.” Emma: “Doesn't sound like much of a happy ending.” Regina: (Chuckles:) “It's not. But I can give you one.” Emma: “You can preserve our memories?” Regina: “No, I can... do what I did to everyone else in this town. And give you new ones.” Emma: “You cursed them and they were miserable.” Regina: “They didn't have to be. (Grasps Emma's hands:) My gift to you is good memories, a good life for you and— (She turns to look at Henry. He comes to her side:) —Henry. You'll have never given him up. (Tearfully:) You'll have always been together.” Emma: “You would do that?” Regina: (Nods:) “When I stop Pan's curse and you cross that town line, you will have the life you always wanted.” Emma: “But it won't be real.” Regina: “Well, your past won't. But your future will. Now go. There isn't much time left. The curse will be here any minute.” (Henry gives her one last hug. She kisses him on the forehead. Mary Margaret approaches a tearful Emma with a smile and plants a kiss on her temple. As she steps backwards, Emma looks to Regina not knowing what to say.)

Emma: (Glancing at Henry:) “Sorry about this, kid.” (Realising she won’t get another chance, Emma pulls Regina toward her and kisses her deeply. The older woman returns the kiss as tears stream down both their faces. As they part, the curse is rapidly surging towards the group and, wordlessly, Emma and Henry walk towards the car and get in. Regina tears off a piece of the Dark Curse scroll as it glows purple. She crumbles it into a ball and generates it into magic in both her hands to strike the massive cloud of green smoke as a counter effect. Emma begins driving out of town as both the green and purple smoke mingle and engulf all the townspeople. Once they cross outside of town, the line on the ground is no longer visible. Henry looks back as the town disappears. Emma glances down at him briefly. Meanwhile, the curse is spreading through the remaining parts of town. It reaches Henry's old room while the storybook is swallowed up, too. Both Emma and Henry's memories change.) Phoenix, Arizona. Past. (It is eleven years ago, though Emma's recollection changes due to Regina's alteration. It is shortly after Emma has given birth.) Doctor: “Emma, just so you know, you can change your mind.” (Emma still refuses to look at the infant, but suddenly, her expression changes.) Emma: “Wait. (Looking up:) Let me hold him.” (The doctor brings him over into her arms. Emma happily looks down at her son, and touches one of his tiny hands. She laughs.)

The End.

#sq #swanqueen #swan queen

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swanqueeneverafter · 6 years

Text

32. Witch Hunt, Pt.5

Storybrooke. Present Day. Granny's Diner. (Leroy storms into the diner.) Leroy: “Big news, everybody. Emma found Regina. She was holed up in her office working on a potion.” Archie Hopper: “What kind of potion?” Happy: “Was she gonna hurt us?” Leroy: “A memory potion. Regina said she’s gonna use it to prove that she didn’t cast the curse.” Granny: “Like I’d drink anything she handed me.” Leroy: “Oh, somebody will. And if they remember we’ll know exactly who did this to us.” (Zelena quickly leaves the diner.) Storybrooke General Hospital. (Little John is taken to an emergency trauma room.) Nurse: “He’s bradycardic. BP dropping fast.” Dr. Whale: “What did this to him?” David: “We don’t know.” Nurse: (Realizing as Little John shakes violently:) “He’s going into shock.” Dr. Whale: “We need to sedate him. 15 mg of propofol.” (Dr. Whale tries to give Little John a shot. Little John continues to tremble violently and he begins growing a tail. As Dr. Whale attempts a second time, the tail lashes out hitting him. Lots of people take a blow from the tail.) Robin Hood: “John, John!” Hook: (Ducking:) “Bloody hell!” Robin Hood: “John!” (Little John transforms into a flying monkey.) David: “Okay, I didn’t see that coming. (The flying monkey takes a leap jumping through the window and disappears into the night:) What the hell was that thing?” Dr. Whale: “Don’t look at me. I’m a doctor not a vet.”

Outside The Mayor's Office. (Emma and Regina are on a stakeout, sitting in Emma's car and watching the house.) Regina: (Unimpressed, slightly bored:) “So, do we just sit here and wait?” Emma: (Nods:) “Until the person who cast the curse makes a move on your office.” Regina: “Is this... really what you do for a living?” Emma: “Yeah, it’s called a stakeout.” Regina: “And you don’t get bored?” Emma: “I don’t know. I find ways to pass time. Eat. Talk. Mostly watch, which is what we should be doing.” (Emma sips from her cup and Regina sits quietly for a moment.) Regina: “Does he have friends?” Emma: “Does who have friends?” Regina: “Henry. Does he have any friends in New York?” Emma: “Yeah, he’s got a lot of friends. No girlfriends, yet. At least not one I know about.” Regina: “So, he’s happy? His life is good there?” Emma: “Yeah. I almost didn’t come back because of that.” Regina: “Well, why did you?” Emma: “Because he may not remember all this but I do. And I know what he would say. A hero would come back.” Regina: (Smiles:) “He would say that.” Emma: “Are you sure you don’t want to meet him? We could just tell him you’re an old friend like Mary Margaret and David.” Regina: (Tears up, shakes her head:) “It would be too hard.” Emma: “I can’t imagine- (Emma notices a movement in the window of the house:) We got ‘em.”

The Mayor's Office. (Emma and Regina slowly sneak up to the office door.) Emma: “Are you sure whoever is in there can’t escape?” Regina: “I sealed the room with a blood lock. It can keep you out or it can keep you in. I know what I’m doing.” (Regina uses magic to open the door. The room is in a mess.) Emma: (Armed with a pistol:) “There. Don’t move!” Regina: “There’s nowhere for you to go.” (A hooded figure disappears in a cloud of green smoke.) Emma: “I thought you said they couldn’t do that.” Regina: “No one can break through blood magic. No matter how powerful they are.” Emma: “Then, who are we dealing with?” The Enchanted Forest. Past. One Year Ago. The Palace. (In the courtyard a burning fire fuels the protection spell. Regina magically absorbs the green flame.)

The Enchanted Forest. (Grumpy watches the palace from a distance. A green dome surrounding the castle slowly fades and then disappears entirely.) Grumpy: “It's down!” Prince Charming: (To the group:) “We move on the castle. Now.” The Palace. The Courtyard. (Regina sits down on a bench looking over the landscape.) Regina: “I’m sorry, Henry. Maybe one day you’ll find me and wake me up. But until then-” (She is about to prick her finger as the Wicked Witch approaches her from behind.) The Wicked Witch: “You weren’t even going to say hello first? It’s not exactly the welcome I was expecting. (Regina turns around:) What does a witch have to do to get your attention? (Using magic, she takes the needle from Regina’s hand:) What’s the matter? Has life got you down?” Regina: (Standing up:) “None of your business.” The Wicked Witch: “You really don’t know who I am, do you?” Regina: “I know exactly who you are. The Wicked Witch.” The Wicked Witch: “Is that all?” Regina: “I’m not that interested.” (The Wicked Witch magically disposes of the hairpin.) The Wicked Witch: “Please, allow me to introduce myself. You can call me Zelena.” Regina: “That’s my dress.” The Wicked Witch: “I had to take it in a little bit at the hips but it looks better on me, don’t you think?” Regina: “I think, you should never have left Oz.” The Wicked Witch: “You can have your castle back if you want it that badly. I was just trying it on for size. Besides, I’ve already seen everything worth seeing. Your closet. Your gardens. Your crypt.” Regina: “Yes, how did you break the blood lock?” The Wicked Witch: “I didn’t.” Regina: “The door was open. No one’s that powerful.” The Wicked Witch: “Cora really never told you.” Regina: “Told me what?” The Wicked Witch: “The truth about us, Regina.” Regina: (Chuckles:) “What are you talking about? And, how do you know my mother?” The Wicked Witch: “Same way you do. (Leaning closer:) I’m your sister. Actually, half-sister. But, details, details.” Regina: “That’s not possible. You’re green.” The Wicked Witch: “And you’re rude. Cora had me first. Before she wormed her way into the dregs of royalty. Well, you know I’m telling the truth. How else could I have broken the door to the crypt? Our mother gave me up and sent me away. But you, you she kept. You she gave everything.” Regina: “Everything she wanted. If what you’re saying is true, then you were lucky to escape her.” The Wicked Witch: “Enough of the martyr complex, Regina. Try growing up without a mother. Try living in Oz knowing that no one thought you were good enough. Not your mother. And not the only man that our paths both crossed. Rumplestiltskin.” Regina: “You knew Rumplestiltskin?” The Wicked Witch: “Did you think you were his only student?” Regina: “Let me guess: You’re mad because he chose me to cast his curse. Well, get over it. It wasn’t everything it was cracked up to be.” The Wicked Witch: “Anything would have been better than the life I had. But, despite my shortcomings I made something of myself, dear. And I didn’t need Cora. Or Rumplestiltskin.”

Regina: “Well, it’s too bad they’re not around to see how well you’ve turned out. They’re both dead.” The Wicked Witch: “That’s alright. You’re the only one I need alive.” Regina: “Really? Why is that?” The Wicked Witch: “Because I’m going to take everything away from you.” Regina: “Too late. I’ve already lost everything that matters.” The Wicked Witch: “No, Regina. You haven’t lost anything yet.” Regina: “So, you are going to kill me?” The Wicked Witch: “No, it’s too easy. For me to get what I want I need you to suffer. You see, what’s in store for me is all my dreams being realized. But for you- Well, it’s a fate worse than death.” Regina: “Go ahead. Bring it, Greeny.” The Wicked Witch: “Indeed, I will. See you soon, sis.” (She summons her broomstick and leaves.) The Palace. Regina’s Chamber. (Regina returns to her chamber. She frees Robin Hood from her spell.) Robin Hood: “You didn’t go through with it.” Regina: (In a cheerful tone:) “You were right. The sleeping curse wasn’t the answer. As you said, I just needed to find something to live for.” Robin Hood: “And you found it? (Smiles:) What?” Regina: “The one thing I haven’t had in a very long time. Someone to destroy.” Storybrooke. Present Day. Blanchard Apartment. (Emma and Regina are about to enter.) Regina: “Maybe this isn’t a good idea.” Emma: “It’s gonna be fine. Trust me. (Emma opens the door and they enter. clearing throat:) Hey, how was your day?” Henry: “Good. Storybrooke is a weird place. But cool. Did you know there’s a library inside a clock tower.”

Emma: “I do. I’ve been there before. Come on, I want you to meet someone. This is Regina Mills. She’s the mayor of this town and she wanted to meet you.” Henry: “Is something wrong?” Regina: “No, no. No, nothing’s wrong. Your mother just told me a lot about you. I heard you like school and that you’re good at English.” Henry: “Yeah. Why did she tell you all this?” Regina: “Because she couldn't be prouder of you. While you’re in town I was thinking, maybe I can give you a tour sometime. You know, show you around. Maybe we can stop in for ice cream.” Henry: “Yeah, I’d like that. (Regina smiles:) So, it was nice meeting you.” (Regina takes a step towards Henry intending to embrace him. He offers her a hand. After a moment she shakes it. Henry turns and leaves to play his game.) Emma: “How was that? You okay?” Regina: (Nods:) “It was a start.” (David and Hook enter the apartment.) David: “We need to talk.” Emma: (Looking around, she notices Henry sitting on a sofa:) “Outside.” (The group leaves the room.)

Outside The Apartment. Mary Margaret: (Whispering:) “They’re being turned into flying monkeys?!” Hook: “Yes, he took a simian form with the added bonus of wings.” Mary Margaret: “Did you think this is what happened to the missing dwarves, too?” David: “It would explain why we haven’t found any trace of them.” Emma: “And Neal?” David: “No sign of him, either. So, yeah, it’s possible.” Emma: “Wouldn't be the first flying monkey I've dated.” Regina: “The person who escaped our trap disappeared in cloud of green smoke. And now there are flying monkeys in this town? I think we know exactly who cursed us.” Emma: “The Wicked Witch of the West? (Regina nods:) Seriously? She’s real, too?“ Hook: “Says the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming.” Emma: “I don’t get it. It’s not like we’re in Kansas. Why would the Wicked Witch of the West wanna come to Storybrooke?” Storybrooke. Present Day. Zelena's Farmhouse. (Carrying a tray of food, Zelena walks to a storm cellar in the grounds. She uses magic to open the door and is then seen walking down a wooden staircase. She places the tray in front of a cage.) Zelena: “Hungry?” (A hand grabs her arm before she’s able to turn away.) Mr. Gold: “You never should have brought me back.” Zelena: (Smiles, kicking the tray so that he can reach it:) “Eat up. We’ve got work to do.” (Zelena exits.) Mr. Gold: (Picking up a bowl of rice:) “You feed the madness and it feeds on you. (Turning the bowl in his hands:) You feed the madness and it feeds on you. You feed the madness and it feeds on you.” (Mr. Gold giggles. Using his fingers, he finally starts to eat.)

The End.

#sq #swanqueen #Swan Queen

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