"To die: to sleep;
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;
To sleep: perchance to dream..."
-Hamlet, Act III Scene i
It's in her hand. She's got it in her hand and she hears her sister's words and she's crying, doesn't know what to do. Doesn't know what she's doing. Turns at the last moment, blue light plunging into his chest and his face contorts in shock and pain and he utters her name and there's cracks, cracks everywhere, and suddenly a burst of ash and dust and it falls to the floor and he's gone, and she's screaming and he's just gone, gone gone gone he's GONE—
"HADES!"
Zelena's eyes shoot open as she sits up in bed, gasping for air. She's shaking all over, red curls plastered to her forehead with sweat as she runs a hand through her hair. Her heart's pounding in her chest as she looks around the darkened room, the sickening feeling in her stomach worsening with every passing second. It felt too real, far too real to just shake it off. Her sister's face swims behind every blink of her eyes, the flash of bright blue, the sound of her name—did it actually all happen? The death of her sister's true love? And...oh god, where's—
"Zelena?"
She jumps as a light suddenly switches on next to her and the bed creaks as its other occupant shifts and sits up to face her, sleepy blue eyes filled with concern.
"Zelena, what's wrong?" Hades asks, reaching for her arm. "What happened?"
Her wild eyes lock onto him: light blue sleeping shirt, striped pyjama pants, his eyes squinting a bit as he adjusts to the dim brightness of the room, focusing on her entirely. As if by some unknown instinct, her hand immediately places itself flat against his chest, seeking the rhythm she's desperate to feel. And it's there. Steady, strong, whole. Her breathing is still erratic, her mind still filled with horror, and his heartbeat is the only thing keeping her anchored in that moment.
If anything, the gesture makes Hades' brow furrow even deeper with worry. "Sweetheart, tell me what's wrong. Please."
Zelena's still shaking as she tries to answer, but no explanation comes. Instead, it's a question. She has to ask. "W-Where are we?"
Hades reaches for her other hand, soothing her knuckles with his thumb. "We're in your house, sweetheart," he says gently. "In Storybrooke."
"We're...we're in Storybrooke? But...h-how did we get here? When? Where is everyone else?" Her questions are coming quicker now, frantic and desperate—she needs answers for this. After that...that horrible, terrifying, unspeakable...
"We came back through the portal, Zelena." His hand carefully moves to her back, rubbing gentle circles to calm her down. "We've been in Storybrooke for a week now. Everyone else is home safe." Hades pulls her closer as her breaths slowly start to calm, wrapping his arms around her trembling frame.
He strokes her arm lightly, the other hand resting on her head that's buried in the crook of his neck. "Was it a nightmare?" he asks quietly.
She can't speak. She nods once instead, pressing her face further into the fabric of his shirt and breathing in the comfort of his scent. It steadies her further, along with the rhythmic feeling of Hades' hand on her forearm and the pulse at her ear. Alive. He's alive, her mind chants over and over.
A few moments pass before she finally manages to whisper, "…I killed you."
Hades' movement falters briefly before he resumes the soothing pace. "Was that what happened? In the dream?" His voice is gentle, careful.
Zelena nods again. "We…we were at Regina's office…you…you killed Robin with some sort of crystal…and then I had it. I had it in my hand and everyone was shouting and then—" Her words are cut abruptly when she starts shaking again, fresh tears spilling out. She can't say it. It's too much.
Hades immediately tightens his grip, his cheek resting on her head as she starts to sob. "Shh, Zelena, it's okay. It was just a dream. Just a nightmare. I'm right here. I'm right here, sweetheart, don't worry…"
He repeats it over and over as she trembles and cries, clutching him as if he could disappear at any moment. She can't lose him. She won't. Not like that.
His soft consoling eventually calms her down, her tears subsiding as she leans into him. "I'm sorry," she says quietly, even as her fingers tighten around his shirt collar.
"Don't be," he murmurs with a shake of his head. "You never have to be sorry for a bad dream." He presses a delicate kiss to her temple. "Do you feel alright enough to try and lay down again?"
Zelena takes a deep breath in, nodding slowly. Hades maneuvers them both back down and he tucks her close to his chest, pulling the quilt over them. One hand flicks briefly and the lamp on the bedside table goes dark once more. She lets out a sigh and closes her eyes, her limbs slowly relaxing against him as her mind begins to calm. Just a dream, she says to herself. Just a dream. And as if he can hear her mantra, Hades kisses her forehead lightly, his hand finding hers and squeezing reassuringly.
"Think you can go back to sleep?" he asks gently. "If you can't, I can stay awake with you."
Despite her weary thoughts, she smiles at his words. "I think I can sleep," she answers after a moment.
"Okay." She feels his head relax further into the pillow. "If it happens again, just wake me up. I'm right here." He pauses for just a moment before he adds, softly, "I love you."
Her lingering twinges of fear abate as soon as he says those three words. In response, she cuddles closer to him. "I love you, too."
The peaceful quiet of the room and the warmth of him next to her is enough to keep anymore nightmares at bay that night, and the last thought she has before drifting off again is the gentle reminder of Hades' words: everyone is safe. It was just a dream. She's back in her farmhouse, Hades unharmed and alive with her, the stillness of the night surrounding them. Everyone is safe. It was just a dream.
It was just a dream…
END
Notes:
And that's all that happened, they all remained safe in Storybrooke and everyone got along and Zelena got her house and Hades got his garden and they all lived hAPPILY EVERY AFTER THE END AMEN.
...A girl can dream, right? Which is quite the whole point of this thing. Dreams can do anything, both good and bad. We just have to let it happen.
As always, thank you so much for reading! :)