Regina and Henry rushed to Granny's after Hyde walked away. Henry had seen some of the other stories in the book that included Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde's. Some had sounded somewhat familiar, others not at all. It was the latter stories that worried him most. At that moment he wished Belle was able to help him. Perhaps Violet would become his new research partner…and maybe more.
They burst through the door at the diner.
Immediately the Charming family and Killian knew there was a problem. Dr. Jekyll who had only known them for a few brief moments could tell there was a problem and a big one at that.
Emma got up and stepped towards them, well aware of Killian following right behind her. "Regina, what's going on?"
Regina looked straight at Dr. Jekyll as she spoke. "I untethered the magic from the Olympian crystal. Perhaps I shouldn't have just yet. Gold has made his way back to Storybrooke, but he isn't alone."
Henry looked around with concern. "He said everyone from his realm who wasn't able to live out their story has come here to do so."
Snow thought for a moment and then was resolved. "Well it's Operation Firebird all over again. We will just have to help them with their stories so they can return home just as we helped so many in the Underworld complete their finished business."
"Grandma, when I was at the library in New York, I found story books, just like the one with all of your stories. Only this one had different stories. Some I have heard of, such as Dr. Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, others I've never heard of," Henry said.
David squeezed his wife's hand. "We will just have to figure out who's here and learn about the stories they come from so we can help them."
Regina looked over towards the counter Granny stood behind and then at the ceiling. "The way Hyde spoke I am not so sure the people from these untold stories will be heroes. I think we have more villain."
Emma rubbed her face with her hands in frustration. "Again? I just want to live in peace with my family!"
Killian leaned back in surprise. "What about me, love?"
Emma rolled her eyes which made Killian smile. "It's true love. I think that constitutes as family."
Killian gave Emma that crooked smile she loved so much as he squeezed her hand.
Zelina rolled her eyes as she held her daughter. "As touching as you two love birds are, what's our plan? Hyde isn't particularly someone we should go up against without a plan."
"I concur. Zelina's magic was only able to stun him after we were able to separate because he was without magic for a few moments after we split. He's smart and he's cunning. Most of those from the realm of untold stories are not of the peaceful sort. Particularly any he would bring with him here." Dr. Jekyll said with fear.
David took a deep breath before he spoke. "Well it is late. Let's get some sleep and then start figuring out who's here in the morning. We can figure out what we need to worry about or even do until we know that."
Everyone agreed and Emma and Regain put protection spells on their homes for the night.
Dr. Jekyll stayed with Snow and David.
Killian and Emma stood in front of their house for a moment looking up at it. This was the first time they would enter it without the darkness as intended when Killian picked out the house with Henry many months ago.
They looked at each other and Emma leaned against him, wrapping her arms around him. Killian stroked her hair and they walked up onto the porch.
"Go on inside. I'll be in in a minute." Emma kissed Killian and after he walked inside, she place a protection spell on the house…their home.
Emma walked inside. She had lived here…as the Dark One. This house kept the light inside of her burning when the darkness had taken over. The hope, the future, the promise that was this house, now with Killian here and everything between them fixed and resolved, it was a home and everything she hoped for.
She rolled her eyes and smiled as she put her hands in her back pocket when she saw Killian sitting seductively on the stairs, biting on his hook.
"Shall we christen the house Swan?"
"The house?" she asked with exasperation. There were a lot of rooms in this house.
Killian read between the lines. "Do not fret. While I'd love to keep you up all night, we do need rest. The bedroom will do for tonight."
Emma followed Killian upstairs. She couldn't wait for the night when there would be no crisis to attend to and she could just wile the day away with her true love. The thought made her grin. While she always felt it was true love, it was nice to have it confirmed by their test in the Underworld.
Regina and Henry walked into her home. It really was for the best that he stay with her tonight. Emma and Killian needed a night alone, Snow and David had Neal who still wasn't sleeping through the night at their loft, and Regina really needed to not be alone.
The ache of losing Robin stung. "Good night Henry."
"Night mom." Henry walked up the stairs to his room.
Regina watched him walk away, clearly exhausted. She heard his door click shut and pulled out the letter she'd found at Robin's, or Neal's, whatever's apartment in New York. She wished she knew why he hadn't sent it to her. Perhaps he didn't think it would get to her with Storybrooke being unreachable, Marian, well Zelina, distracting him, or maybe he just decided not to mail it. Whatever the reason she decided it didn't matter. What matter was the words he had written. He believed in her and trusted her. She had destroyed the Evil Queen within and felt better than she had in decades.
Regina entered her home office and placed Robin's letter in a desk drawer and locked it. She sat down and turned her chair to the far corner and sat up alarmed.
A woman with fiery red hair sat in the corner with a glass of apple cider.
"Hello Regina," she said.
"Who are you and what are you doing in my house?" Regina spit out.
The woman frowned as she stood. "I'm insulted you don't know who I am."
Regina walked over to the woman and stared at her. "I have never met you before in my life. In any realm."
The woman finished her cider and handed Regina the glass. "Oh we haven't met. But it's a shame you don't know me. You really should know who you steal your ideas from."
"I don't know what you are talking about." Regina put the glass down on the nearby table with a thud.
"Sadly I believe that," the woman said as she walked towards the window and closed the curtains.
"What do you want?" Regina asked as she crossed her arms.
"You are going to help me."
"And why would I do that?" Regina glared.
"Because without me, you lose."
"Lose what?"
The woman laughed. "The Dragaon told you that you must win or else we are all lost. Without me, you lose that war."
Regina's eyes narrowed. "Hyde brought you here didn't he?"
"Yes."
"Who are you?" Regina asked taking a step towards the fiery red head.
"I am balance. The light AND the dark." With that the woman vanished. There was no puff of smoke, nothing. She was just there one moment and gone the next.
Up in his room Henry knew he should go to bed but there was too much adrenaline coursing through his body. He knew he couldn't leave with the protection spell Regina had placed on the house. Besides, what could he even do. There was nothing he could do. Without knowing just who Hyde had brought to Storybrooke with him and where they might be or what they wanted, going out was pointless. He stayed up into all hours of the night writing down each story he remembered seeing in the story books at the New York library. He texted Violet. It was very late. So he knew she was asleep and she wouldn't see it until the morning, but perhaps she might remember a few that he could.
Eventually he fell asleep in a very uncomfortable position at his desk on top of his notes.
The next morning Regina found him as she came into wake him for breakfast but instead placed him in gently to bed.
"David, what are we supposed to do? I want to help our town, our kingdom, but we have a young child now. We didn't have this dilemma with Emma, I don't know what to do." Snow said sadly.
David sat down next to Snow as she held their young son. "Take care of our son. I'll take care of the town."
Snow gave him the look. "I want to be a part of that as well."
After a moment David had an idea. "Okay, so we take turns taking care of Neal and fighting the villains."
Snow nodded sadly. "I just wish I could fight with for our family side by side as we used to."
"But don't you see, we still will be. It will just be in a different way."
Snow felt much better even though she longed for the nostalgia. She put Neal in his crib and climbed into bed beside her prince charming.
The red headed woman appeared in Regina's backyard. She gave a knowing smile and ran her hands through her voluminous hair. She ran her hand over a few roses and other flowers, taking the time to smell each. She looked over at Regina's prized apple tree, picked one and took a bite. She knew that she would be victorious. She would get what she wanted…what she needed. Everything would be made right and history rewritten.
