"Oh, hey there, Tilly." Roni smiled, taking a quick step back to avoid walking into the girl as she came charging through the door.
"Hi!" Tilly said quickly, not even looking over her shoulder as she threw herself against the bar top where Margot was busy cleaning glasses. "Margot!"
"Whoa, hey," Margot laughed at her sudden appearance. "Surprised to see you here so early." Normally Tilly swung by later in the evening near the end of Margot's afternoon shift to walk her home or to get a bite to eat.
"I found something!" Tilly beamed.
"What?" Margot blinked.
Tilly shook her head. "I need to show it to you!" She said quickly. "I can't describe it with just words."
"Wow, must be something if it's left even you speechless." Margot teased.
As the girls bantered back and forth lightly, Roni watched from where she was still standing by the doorway. She didn't know if these two women had known each other back in the Enchanted Forest or what their relationship was if they did but since coming back to the Heights, Robin had been spending a lot of time around Killian's not-so-secret daughter. They often spent their days off together, going places in town and seemingly just enjoying being in each other's company for hours at a time. It was really sweet seeing them become so close. If nothing else, Roni was relieved that Margot had found a good friend to have in this life, even if only until she got her memories back once the curse was broken by Henry and Jacinda.
"You think you can get an hour off?" Tilly asked, glancing around at the practically empty bar. But then again, it was still early and a lot of the customers did come later in the day.
Still, Margot was more than a little tempted as she bit her lip before nodding her head. "Give me five minutes." She said, walking around the counter to have a word with Roni.
"Seriously?" Roni said, putting a hand on her hip and raising an eyebrow at the question she already knew was about to come her way.
"Just for one hour, I promise." Margot said quickly. "I swear, I'll be back as soon as I can and I'll stay late tonight."
Roni sighed, then glanced over towards where Tilly was excitedly waiting for Margot to rejoin her. She suddenly had a curious thought…
She remembered how Zelena had mentioned that Robin had a case of young love just before the curse was cast. Back then, there hadn't been any time to talk about it any further – not while they still needed to stop Drizella and Gothel – but now she actually had a moment, she realised she had assumed her young love was a man, but what if it wasn't? What if this girl was the woman Robin had fallen for back before the curse? Could they have truly found their way back to one another all on their own?
"Okay, go on." Roni nodded. "I'll let you have an hour off," She raised a hand sharply. "This time. Don't make a habit out of it."
"I won't, promise," She grinned, turning and running back over to Tilly. "Be right back."
A few moments later, Margot had ditched her uniformed apron in exchange for a loose fitting long jacket and Roni watched the two girls head on outside into the street. It was a warm day, and she probably didn't need the jacket after all, but Tilly was already running ahead of her, giving Margot no time to change her mind on her wardrobe choice. Instead she was forced to follow along behind her, having to rush to match Tilly's long legged strides.
"Where are we going?" Margot asked.
"You'll see!" Tilly grinned, grabbing her hand and pulling her along even faster. It was hard not to get caught up in her excitement and Margot couldn't help grinning and giggling as she followed along.
Tilly led them down along the street and out of the main part of the town centre. What Margot had expected to be a quick pop outside turned into a rather long trek halfway through the whole of Hyperion Heights, and even then she kept going. She was beginning to worry about getting back to work in time. Margot truly loved working at the bar, but at the same time, a part of her knew that she wouldn't hesitate to choose Tilly over her job, at least for just this once. Margot couldn't put it into words but there was just something about Tilly that made her reluctant to say no…
Even while a part of Margot worried about how annoyed Roni would be if she were late returning, a bigger part of her was still curious as to what it was Tilly was dragging her out for… Whatever it was, it had Tilly giddy to a point that Margot had never seen her so eager before. By now, Margot was expecting something downright magical from her at the end of this walk.
Tilly continued at a light jog ahead of her, holding onto Margot's hand the whole time, until the girls had started in between a row of rundown apartment buildings. It was only when Margot saw the large bushes of varying shades of greenery that she realised they were nearing the edge of town. The buildings either side of them were among the last to be knocked down and rebuilt and even the soft forest of trees beginning to come into view probably wouldn't last much longer before someone decided they wanted more apartments or a new mall or studio or whatever else they figured was more important than the simpler things in life. It was a shame. During Margot's travels, she found she enjoyed the natural outdoors most of all.
"Are we leaving town?" Margot asked, feeling a little more than just anxious. She definitely wouldn't make it back in time if they went much further.
"No, we're nearly there." Tilly promised.
She tightened her hold on Margot's arm like she was afraid she might try and leave her and began to pull Margot down towards the trees. Only she changed direction at the last moment and led Margot in between the gap in an old wooden fence that had clearly seen better days. Margot nearly scratched herself on a broken bit of splinter sticking out and was surprise to find that there was small abandoned garden behind it. One that looked even more like a jungle than the actual woods outside of town. The grass was overgrown around their knees, there were several skinny trees towards the end and bushes and vines from plants that had grown wild and out of control in every direction.
"Where are we?" Margot blinked, looking around.
"No idea. Some old garden I think. But it hasn't been touched in a long time." Tilly explained, still holding Margot's arm and leading her towards the back. "Maybe that's why it hasn't been disturbed."
"What hasn't?" Margot said, trying to push through the overgrown grass and hide her frustration at how damn tall it was.
"This," Tilly said, finally letting go and diving ahead.
Margot hesitated before following behind, squeezing between a pair of trees that had grown unnaturally close together. She squeezed between them and almost ran into where Tilly was crouched down on the other side. She was about to ask what it was she was looking at when it suddenly, quite literally, flashed in front of her eyes.
It was a flower. A golden one. That was actually glowing.
"What is that?" Margot croaked, crouching down beside Tilly to gaze at the shining petals that seemed to dance even though the cluster around it sheltered it from any kind of breeze. All thoughts of getting back to work had vanished from her mind and she didn't even remember that she had a job anymore.
"I don't know. I found it last night." Tilly explained, sitting back on her heels. "I've been dying to show someone all day!"
"How?" Margot blinked.
"It's a long story. I was chasing this squirrel and…" She stopped herself, shaking her head at the baffled look Margot gave her. "Like I said. Long story. But I just found it! And it's real! Not a fake or anything."
Margot blinked. "How can it possibly be real? It's… I don't know what it is!"
"It's amazing." Tilly whispered, glancing at Margot and grinning. "It's magic."
Something about that echoed in Margot's mind and she found herself returning Alice's grin. "Yeah. It is."
"Oh you have no idea."
The girls jumped at the sound of a third voice joining them and scrambled to their feet, spinning around to find Eloise Gardener standing on the other side of the gap in the trees, watching them closely. She had a cold smirk on her face but there was something darker in her eyes, like she wanted nothing more than to reach over and slap the both of them.
In fact, it was such a dark look that Margot instantly wanted to defend herself and Tilly had a desperate desire to run far, far away. Unfortunately the space they had squeezed into to look at the golden flower was a tight one with only one way in or out, and that was the way that Eloise was currently blocking. Instead Tilly stumbled back, putting some space between them and letting her back hit the fence behind her, barely even caring if she kicked the beautiful plant with her foot as she did. Margot, however, stood her ground, forcing her expression into a confident scowl and putting on an air of confidence that hid just how badly she felt like shaking.
"What are you doing here?" Margot demanded.
"I should be asking you the same question." Eloise said, stepping through the gap. There was barely enough space for Margot and Tilly so with Eloise joining in, it really was truly a tight squeeze. Tilly and Margot pressed tightly together, trying to keep a space between them and Eloise as much as possible. "This is my garden after all."
"It's not your garden," Margot said sharply. "It's abandoned. It doesn't belong to anyone."
"That's where you're wrong." Eloise said. "And now that you've found it… Well… I'm afraid I can't let you leave."
"Wait what?" Margot frowned.
Tilly's whole body felt ice cold despite the warm air. She had flashes of seeing Eloise back in the station before she had been accused of murdering that woman in the hospital. The monster had been sitting in that room and had looked up at Tilly through the camera, waving her fingers and smirking at her like she could somehow actually see her. That wasn't possible and yet her eyes had bore right into Tilly's and they felt like a stabbing threat. That was weeks ago and now, here she was, in person, doing the same thing all over again.
"I'm afraid I can't let you leave," Eloise repeated calmly.
"You're going to what? Hold us hostage because we found your secret garden?" Margot sneered.
Eloise's smile stretched and her eyes turned slowly from one girl to the other. "Not exactly but close."
"You're crazy." Margot snarled, stepping towards her. "Now get out of my way."
"Margot…" Tilly said nervously, reaching for her. For some reason the idea of Margot being anywhere near Eloise terrified her and she desperately wanted to pull her back, safely away from the other woman.
"You should listen to her. Not that it will do you any good." Eloise said, closing the gap between her and Margot in a single half step.
"Margot!" Tilly suddenly cried, even before anything had happened.
Then Eloise reached into her pocket and whipped her arm back out again, slashing her hand through the air in front of her. It was dark in the space but for the flower that still shone between them and Tilly saw its beautiful light reflect of something clear and silver in Eloise's hand. There was also a slight tapping feeling on her side and when Tilly looked down she saw a splatter of blood tracing a line across the side of her green coat and onto her shirt.
For a moment time seemed to stand still. Tilly stared down at herself before she slowly lifted her eyes. Margot was standing in front of her so all she could see was her back but Eloise was smirking down at them both clearly and Tilly's eyes followed along her arm until she saw the sharp blade the older woman was holding firmly in her hand, sticking it out dramatically to the side. That was what she had swept out in front of her against Margot…
Tilly's thoughts hadn't clicked together what had happened when Margot let out a pained gasp and her legs folded beneath her. Screaming for her, Tilly dived and grabbed onto Margot's shoulders as she fell back against her, both of them just barely avoiding squishing the golden flower as they dropped to their knees. When Margot leaned back against her, Tilly saw that the front of her cream coloured jumper was torn open and there was a rapidly growing stain of dark red growing from the ripped knitting. Margot's face had gone pale but she seemed more shocked and confused than in pain, her mouth opening and closing slowly as she stared down at her stomach like she couldn't believe it was even hers.
Then the shock seemed to wear off for the both of them at the same time. Margot let out another gasp of pain and seemed to be trying to speak or scream but her throat had closed off and she could barely manage to breathe any more. Tilly let out a shriek and grabbed at her shoulders tightly, not sure what to do so she just began crying her name and clinging onto her arms desperately, like her very touch could heal her if she just willed it enough.
"What did you do?!" Tilly shrieked, her earlier fear forgotten in the face of Margot's gasping and pain filled breath.
"I cut her." Eloise said, wiping the handle of the knife on her skirt. "And now she will die."
"Why?!" Tilly screamed, tears filling her eyes and finally dragging her gaze away from Margot to look up at Eloise in horror.
Eloise smirked. "Because of you, Tilly. It's always because of you." Eloise crouched down, placing the knife carefully on the ground with her skirt, leaving the blood to drip off the blade and into the grass.
"Why…" Tilly croaked, tears streaming down her cheeks and her whole body was shaking.
"T-T-Tilly." Margot finally gasped, tears had filled her own eyes but still her mouth opened and closed like a fish. She wanted to scream and cry but for some reason it just wouldn't come out. Instead she was gaping and gasping, her eyes turned up to Tilly from where she slid down so her head rest in the other girls lap.
"Margot! Hold on! It's gonna be okay!" Tilly sobbed.
"Yes it will, once the police arrive and find you with the bleeding girl you just murdered during your delusions." Eloise said, reaching down and digging her hands into the soft dirt, physically pulling the plant out and carefully turning to place it in the bag resting against her side along with a good chunk of soil to keep it well nourished. When the flower was tucked away out of sight, she closed the bag and turned back to the other two girls. "Goodbye. Enjoy your time locked away again, Tilly." She sneered at her name.
"Wait! You can't do this! Stop!" Tilly screamed, crawling around Robin but Eloise had already squeezed out of the gap and walked off. "You won't get away with this! Detective Rogers-"
"Already knows about how violent you can be off your pills." Eloise's voice sounded, gradually fading in the distance.
"No! He won't believe you! I'm not off my pills! He knows that!" Tilly screamed but either Eloise was too far away to answer or she simply didn't care to.
"I… Ah!" Margot coughed, her hands resting on her stomach were steadily growing red.
"Margot!"
Tilly crawled back beside her and, without thought, took off her coat and pressed it down on the wound in the way she had seen people do on television. She pressed down a little too hard, making Margot cough loudly and, to Tilly's horror, a spittle of blood dribbled down from the corner of her lips. It was horrifying and Tilly felt the tears flooding even harder than before as she tried to put just the right amount of pressure on Margot's stomach without hurting her even more.
"I don't know what to do." Tilly sobbed.
"… It… It hurts," Margot gasped.
"I'm sorry!" Tilly croaked, lightening the pressure slightly and glancing around blindly but she had no idea what she was searching for. She didn't have a phone. She'd never had need of one before – Weaver always found her when he needed something and then she moved in with Rogers and they just always found each other as well. Now she was regretting it more than ever. She should have listened to what Rogers was saying the other day and let him buy her a cheap one, just in case, just for emergencies…
Like this one.
"Oh, God, I don't know what to do." Tilly repeated.
"Go…" Margot moaned.
"I can't! If I leave you'll bleed out! I can't leave you." Tilly sobbed. "There's no time to get help!"
Margot shook her head then winced and whimpered in pain. "No. Go. Get away… She… Can't… Frame you… If you… Not here…"
"What? You're crazy! I won't just leave you to die, Margot!" Tilly snapped.
"She's insane." Margot said, tears beginning to slide down her temples and dripping onto the grass. "Can't… Let her get… Away…" She coughed and let out a cry of pain as her body jerked at the painful movement.
"No! No, I don't care about her! I can't lose you! You're the only person who really sees me! Sees me for who I am!" Tilly sobbed, keeping one hand pressed against the coat while the other reached to cradle the side of Margot's face. "I've never had someone like you in my life before. I can't lose the only person who's ever made me feel so happy just by being by my side."
Margot's shaking lips stretched into an almost smile before her face crumpled into another spasm of pain and she let out a second cry that died into a prolonged whimper. Her hands had fallen from her stomach and now lay uselessly by her side like they were too heavy to hold. The only thing on the wound now was Tilly's coat and hand and even that wasn't enough. She could still see the blood spreading down her sides and soaking through the thick material of her coat, leaving a sticky feeling along her palm and fingers.
"I'm… I feel… Cold." Margot mumbled, her eyes growing heavy.
"No, hold on. Please hold on! There has to be something! Something I can do! I want to do something, I just don't know what!" Tilly cried. She'd never felt so useless before in her life. Despite Margot's deep wound, Tilly felt like the one now struggling to breath. She cringed at her own self centred thoughts and pressed down on the wound again, ignoring the way Margot shouted at the painful pressure. She had to stop the bleeding. She had to find a way to stop it.
"Tilly… Sorry…" Margot mumbled, her words slurred like her lips weren't working properly and another mixture of spit and blood coughed from between her lips, trailing down her chin and the lower part of her face. "So sorry…"
"Margot?" Tilly asked, blinking through the tears. She didn't understand. What did she mean? Why was she apologising?
"Sorry… 'M tired." Margot said, eyes flickering.
"NO!" Tilly shouted, grabbing Margot's hands. "Don't, please, Margot, don't go. Stay with me. Don't go to sleep. I need you, please, please, please stay with me!" But Margot didn't respond.
Tilly was choking now. Her vision was clouded with tears and her nose was blocked. She gasped through her mouth but no matter how deeply; it constantly felt like it wasn't enough. She still kept one hand pressed on Margot's stomach but her limbs felt like jelly; weak and pathetic. She didn't have the strength to put the proper pressure down on the wound and more blood was escaping. Her own stomach squeezed and she thought she might throw up, but her throat was also tightening so she was afraid if her stomach tried to heave, she would just end up suffocating on it.
"Please…" Tilly sobbed, even knowing it was no good. Part of her knew she should run. She needed to find Detective Rogers or Detective Weaver. She needed to tell them what Eloise did and show them she was still taking her pills so they didn't believe the lies she would try and tell. There was so much Tilly needed to do, and yet she couldn't leave Margot's side. She just couldn't leave her…
O*U*A*T
"Hey, Roni. You okay?" Jacinda asked, wandering over to where Regina stood by the window, watching the outside streets closely.
"Yeah." Regina sighed. "Margot said she'd be back within an hour." Regina turned and pulled a face. "She's got two minutes before she's late."
"Where did she go?" Jacinda asked, frowning. It wasn't like Margot to ditch work like that.
At that, despite her annoyance at losing a staff member, Regina glanced back at Jacinda and smiled slightly. "She wanted a moment to go somewhere with Tilly."
"Oh," Jacinda's face broke into a smile. "In that case we've probably lost her for the day."
"No, Margot's not like that." Regina argued. "She's a good worker and she doesn't break promises."
"Oh come on, Roni." Jacinda laughed. "You know what a young crush is like, I'm sure you had plenty when you were her age. I know I did. And I was just the same as Margot, if not worse." She grinned, walking over and patting Regina's back. "I've seen the way they looked at each other when Tilly was helping out with the food truck. They're smitten!" She nudged her playfully. "Come on, let them have their fun every now and then."
"I know," Regina sighed. Jacinda had a point. If Regina was right and Tilly really was Robin's young love, then they deserved some quiet time together. She was just going to have to trust that Margot would make it back in time so that Regina could meet up with Rumple and plan their next step in breaking the curse. Henry was cured of the spell Drizella and the coven had put on him, but they couldn't just wait around for him and Jacinda to kiss naturally. They needed some encouragement to speed things along.
"You're too young to be playing the role of someone else's mother." Jacinda said, grabbing her arm and dragging her away from the window. "Now come on. I'm sure they're fine. Margot will be back any moment."
O*U*A*T
Even when Margot had shut her eyes and stopped responding to her name, Tilly kept a hand pressing down on her stomach. Even when her limbs felt barely strong enough to hold themselves up any longer, she tried to push down on the wound. Even when she knew there was no point, she couldn't bring herself to just give up.
"I'm sorry." Tilly sobbed. This was her fault. She'd brought Margot here. She'd demanded she leave her work to come and see a stupid flower. Tilly should have known something was wrong the moment she found it. Flowers don't just glow for no reason. They just don't.
And now Margot was paying for Tilly's stupidity. It seemed Eloise was right. This had all happened because of her. It was her fault Margot was dying. She was Margot's murderer just as much as Eloise.
"I'm so sorry." Tilly sobbed, leaning her head down against Margot's chest. Her heart was still beating, but so slowly, so softly that it made another sob rack Tilly's body and she half collapsed onto her side beside her, sobbing loudly in the otherwise silent space.
After a moment, Tilly forced herself to push back onto her knees, reaching down and pressing a hand to her chest. Margot's heart was so damn slow. It wouldn't last much longer. Tilly tried to hold back her sobbing but it was useless. She felt like her whole body and mind were breaking apart. Like a piece of her was dying along with Margot and there was nothing she could do about it. All she could do was watch and slow the bleeding, making her death last even longer.
"I'm sorry." Tilly repeated for what felt like the hundredth time.
She opened her mouth to say more but the words died into another sob. Instead she leaned forward and slowly reached down, stroking her fingers through some of Margot's soft hair. It didn't feel right. This couldn't be it. This just couldn't be how their story ended. After everything they had been through, after how Margot had saved her life, and now Tilly had ended hers and that just wasn't fair!
Still crying with no signs of stopping, Tilly pressed her hand against the side of Margot's face and slowly leaned down. There was nothing left to do. She needed to leave. But she couldn't do it. Not yet. Not without a proper goodbye first.
Tilly pressed her lips gently on top of Margot's. For a moment she tasted the hot blood she had coughed up and there was still the ghost of a breath easing its way out of Margot's wheezing lungs in a way that was almost soul crushing. And then… Something else.
There was a rush of heat that burst from between the girls like a warm wind and it spread out through the entire of the town and even further still in a quick rush. All over town, people were hit with a brush of wind that wakened something that had been locked deep inside of them and they stumbled to sharp stops, looking a mixture of shocked, relieved and confused.
At the Rollin Bayou, Sabine dropped her beignets she had been in the middle of serving and stumbled back against the side, gasping for breath as she looked up to the man whom she thought she had lost after their battle with the gaiter.
In a small apartment in the middle of town, another woman who had just returned from the bar lost her grip on her keys and her daughter froze mid yawn, but only for a moment before jumping to her feet, spinning around on the spot and letting out a joyful cry.
At the police station, a man ran into one of his fellow officers but didn't even bother to apologise. Instead he looked around, then down at himself, then up again and all his thoughts were suddenly clouded with a desperate urge to run and find his daughter.
And walking down the street, among dozens of other citizens, a woman whose memories had been unchanged still felt the rush of magic hit her from behind. She paused mid step but not for the same relieved reason as everyone else. Instead she turned and stared in furious horror down the street where she had left the two young girls, one of which was dying, and cursed herself for her own ignorance. Without hesitation she started the way she had came, fingers twitching to finish what she had started once and for all.
And finally, back in the small, dark, cramped space, both girls felt their own brush of hot air waking something locked away inside of them. The injured girl temporarily fluttered her eyelids, just barely waking before the wound along her stomach dragged her back to the darkness. She didn't even have a chance to mutter her relief at being woken from her cursed self nor greet the love kneeling by her side before she had fallen unconscious once more.
The other girl still hovering by her side managed to stop her tears long enough to lift her head and take in the feeling of relief and amazement that almost overwhelmed her. She was taken by surprise at how she had been woken so suddenly and unexpectedly from her own kiss. In fact, it took her a few extra moments of staring at the fence in front of her before she truly realised what happened, and then, the smile that had just begun to stretch on her face, dropped twice as fast when she looked down at the young girl still lying in front of her.
Still bleeding.
Still dying.
"ROBIN!" Alice cried, like she was seeing her for the first time. She reached down, grabbing Robin's arms but the other girl didn't respond. "NO!" Alice's cry was even more heartbroken than before. She screamed loudly enough for people in the distance to hear her, though none moved to see what the source was, assuming it was an overreaction at best or otherwise caught in their own waking.
Alice felt her heart racing. She glanced from Robin's head down to her feet, like the answer to helping her was just temporarily out of her eye sight and she just needed to look around, but there was nothing. Nothing but fresh dirt, overgrown grass and, of course, her true love bleeding away.
"This can't be happening. This can't be happening. This cannot be happening!" Alice chanted, grabbing Robin's arm, then grabbing her waist, then her leg and stomach like she wasn't sure what part to touch. "No, Robin! Wake up! You can't die! You can't leave me! Not now! Not now we've just woken up! We found each other! We said we would and we did! It can't be over! Not like this! Not now! It can't be! I won't let it!"
With nothing left to do she pressed her hands back on the wound, pushing down until she heard Robin let out a short, weak groan of pain. Alice didn't know if she had made a mistake but she refused to loosen the pressure on the wound. There was so much blood; she was terrified of what would happen if it continued to ooze out of her. God, how was it possible to bleed so much? Was there really this much blood in one person? How was that possible?
"Robin? Robin! You need to wake up! Robin…" Alice's voice trailed off as she stared down at Robin's blank face. She was so perfectly still. Not even responding to the sound of Alice's voice. "Robin…" Alice whispered.
There was a snapping sound and Alice's head shot up. At first she didn't see anything, glancing around the dark space with a sick feeling growing in her stomach, all the while still pushing down on Robin's wound. When she turned almost completely around and looked back again, she couldn't stop the scream of fear and surprise that burst from her when she found Gothel standing in the gap between the trees, glaring down at her. She hadn't been there when Alice had first looked and besides the single snapping of a branch that she must have trodden on, she had made no other sounds during her approach. Now she stood, looming in the darkness of the trees and watching Alice and Robin closely with eyes so cold and dark that it made Alice want to curl up and crawl away from her to escape her nasty gaze.
"What have you done, you foolish girl?" Gothel demanded, pushing into the small space for the second time.
Alice wanted to move away and put some space between them like before. She knew it wasn't much, but she still felt safer when there was a space between them and yet, she forced herself to stay where she was, because she knew she couldn't leave Robin's side. If she did, then Gothel might do something more to her and Alice could not let that happen!
"Stay back!" Alice gasped, a cold fear clutching at her and she tried to do her best to shield Robin's limp body with her own.
"You ruined everything." Gothel snarled, standing over her and taking a step closer, reaching into her side and pulling out another knife, identical to the one she had used to cut Robin earlier.
"You… I said stay back!" Alice snapped, gripping Robin tightly while her eyes darted down to the ground but the knife she had left behind to frame Alice was hidden amongst the overgrown grass and dirt that Gothel had dug up earlier.
"I should have gotten rid of you first," Gothel hissed, twisting the knife slowly between her fingers. "It was a mistake to let you get this far. Luckily it's a mistake that I am not too late to correct."
Alice felt her breathing coming in harsh gasps again, knowing she needed to run, to get away but she also knew she couldn't leave Robin. Even still as she was, she wasn't actually gone yet and Alice refused to leave her loves side. With a sob she grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it up into Gothel's eyes, meaning to blind her, however Gothel knocked it away with her free hand as easily as if it had been the wind and sneered at her pathetic attempt at self defence.
There was no magic in this world, even if the curse had been broken, but that didn't mean Gothel couldn't still do some damage. Especially with that knife she was waving around.
With that, Gothel took the final step towards her. Alice momentarily debated tackling her legs or punching her in the stomach, but not only was she still feeling too weak, but she also didn't want to leave Robin's side. She refused to accept that this was the end for them. So for now she still needed to protect Robin while she was stuck in this defenceless state.
Unsure of what else to do – there were no other weapons in reach and no other way for her to physically defend herself – so Alice did the only thing she could think of. She moved to shield Robin's body with her own. Keeping a hand pressed on Robin's bleeding stomach, (either she had a good hold or the blood was naturally slowing – which was a horrifying idea!) Alice shuffled towards Robin's chest and head, protecting her from any other attacks and leaning slightly over her limp body. She was still crying but not as hard now that she had a newfound determination to protect her love from this monster of a woman.
Gothel lifted the blade into the air, purposely dragging it out to enjoy the fear and anger in the young woman's eyes as she helplessly watched while her love bleed out behind her. Alice momentarily wondered who would die first, her or Robin…
There was a very subtle click that would have gone by unnoticed if not for the fact that they had such an intense silence hanging between them. The dull silence made the subtle click sound like a gunshot, which was ironic, because when Gothel and Alice both looked up, they found that it was a gun that had made the noise.
Standing in between the gap in the trees, with a hand held tightly his grip, was Detective Weaver, otherwise known as Rumplestiltskin. His eyes were focussed on Gothel and he stood his ground, almost frozen, as he watched her, barely breathing even now that they knew he was there.
"Stand back." Rumplestiltskin said, keeping his gun aimed at Gothel and his voice low. "One move, and we'll see how well you heal without magic."
Gothel hesitated, glancing from Rumplestiltskin to Alice and Robin like she might still have a chance to finish what she had started before he could pull the trigger on her. In the end she seemed to see sense, and lowered her hand slowly back to her side, taking a small step back in the tight space away from where Alice continued to cry. Though now her miserable tears had a touch of relief added to them as they trailed twin lines down either side of her face. She glanced over to Rumplestiltskin with a burst of hope finally making it easier for her to breathe again.
He was here. He had come. He had saved them. Everything was going to be okay now.
Turning back to Robin, Alice felt the slight happiness fade when she saw how pale she was. She was barely breathing. In fact… Was she breathing?
"Robin!" Alice cried, grabbing her face and cringing at how cold she felt. Was that Alice's imagination or did her skin really feel like ice now?
Her cry distracted Rumplestiltskin, only for a moment but a moment was all it took. Gothel charged at him, slashing the blade in hand. She ducked between the gaps of the trees and Rumplestiltskin barely managed to swing himself out of the way to avoid her sharp blow, lifting the gun to shoot her but she had already grabbed his wrist and stabbed the blade into his shoulder. Rumplestiltskin roared in pain and slammed the top of his gun against her stomach, throwing her off and causing them both to stumble back against the trees.
As Rumplestiltskin stood up and pulled the knife from his shoulder, Gothel took the opportunity to turn around and run. She knew better than to try anything with him while he had that weapon and she had no magic. However she vowed to get her revenge, on him and Alice and everyone. The curse had been broken but that didn't mean that they had won, not yet at least.
Rumplestiltskin started to move after her, intending to give chase and hunt her down before she could hurt anyone else, when he heard Alice cry out again. There was no mistaking the intense pain in her voice and he quickly dropped the knife and the gun at his feet, ignoring the wound on his shoulder – it was bleeding but it wasn't life threatening – and climbed through the gap in the trees. He dropped to his knees beside Alice and looked down at Robin.
She was pale, deathly so. And she was shivering when she wasn't holding completely still with a ghost of breath barely leaving her lips now. Her eyes were closed and her body was becoming so still in between the shivers that he almost thought they were too late to save her. Then he heard the rasp as she struggled to take another breathe. Even now, she was fighting to stay alive. Good. There was still time to save her then.
"Help her!" Alice begged.
Rumplestiltskin looked up. Alice's face was growing red, her eyes and cheeks were wet with tears and there was a trail of mucus streaming from her nose from where she had been sobbing so hard. She hadn't noticed, but she'd bitten her lip hard enough to show a single red line that was threatening to start bleeding and she was shaking so hard that it was a miracle she was able to keep her hand pressed down on Robin's stomach at all anymore. There was also a scary amount of blood on her palms and against her knees, though the black material of the leggings hid most of it, nothing could hide the desperate look of terror in her wide blue eyes.
After all the time they had spent together, Rumplestiltskin had seen almost every expression Alice had to offer the world. Yet he had never seen her looking to frightened before, even when he own life was on the line.
"I can't," Rumplestiltskin confessed and watched Alice's body slump forward against Robin as she let out an agonizing cry that affected Rumple more than he thought it would. She was still screaming her misery at the world, loud enough to scare a bird from one of the nearby trees, when Rumplestiltskin grabbed her shoulders and pulled her up. "I can't, Alice!" He snapped. "But you can!"
"What?" Alice blinked, her cries dying quickly as she looked up at him.
"You can save her, Alice! You have the power!" Rumplestiltskin said, squeezing her shoulders gently.
"No…" Alice whimpered. "I don't… There's no magic…"
"Yes there is." Rumplestiltskin grabbed Alice's face when she tried to turn back to Robin and forced her to look at him. "Henry proved to me once, that even in a land that seems without magic, there's still something. Even after he had gotten rid of magic from Storybrooke, he still somehow found it in the minds and the hearts of all the people around him. And, Alice, no one has a bigger heart, nor a greater ability for magic, than you do."
"But…" Alice hesitated.
"Do you want to argue with me or do you want to save the woman you love?" Rumplestiltskin demanded.
When he put it that way…
Alice forced herself to take a breath in an attempt to calm down and turned her hands back to Robin's wound. She was afraid to move her coat so she simply lifted her hands and hovered them over the blood stained material. Alice remembered her lessons, remember the feeling she had when she made the wishes to create the troll and create the yellow before. She'd used magic many times in the Enchanted Forest since then and yet she still found herself thinking back to her original uses most of all.
When nothing happened, Alice felt her tears returning and shook her head, crying out: "It's not working!"
"Because you're thinking too much!" Rumplestiltskin snapped. While Alice hovered her hands over Robin's wound, he had taken hold of Robin's wrist and felt her pulse getting weaker and weaker with every passing second. "Don't think! I've told you this, Alice. Magic is based on emotion. It's based on feeling and right now you are the most feeling and emotional person in this world. This should be easy for you!"
"Well it's not and I can't!" Alice snapped, shaking her head and sobbing. "I don't have the magic here. I can't do it. I can't save her. I'm going to lose her."
"No, you're not." Rumplestiltskin reached his arm and put it around her shoulders, still feeling Robin's pulse with his free hand. "You can do this, Alice. I believe in you. You are powerful and I always knew you were destined to be a great hero."
"I've never even saved anyone before!" Alice snapped, choking on her own ragged breathing.
"You're going to save Robin!" Rumplestiltskin snapped back, squeezing her shoulder tightly. "Heroes aren't always the people who save villages or defeat great evils. They're the people who save the ones they love. They're people who stand up to the evil in the world even when no one else with. Anyone who does any good with a kindness in their heart is a hero and you are, without a doubt, one of the kindest people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. You are a hero, Alice. And I know you can do this!"
Alice glanced at him, looking at him through her tears and blinking hard until his blurred face cleared. He was staring at her, face inches from her own, and she was surprise to see that there was no hint of exaggeration or the slightest glimmer of fear in his expression. It seemed that he truly believed she could do this. He believed in her as much as he was claiming to.
Turning back to Robin, Alice focussed again, this time not thinking so much of the events from her past uses of magic, but how she felt when she used them. She remembered being so lonely in the tower, so desperately lonely that it had hurt. And then she was afraid when the mob was closed in on them. Frightened of what would happen to her and the girl who had stood up for her.
Now Alice felt both of those things. She felt lonely because she was losing Robin, and afraid for the same reason. She clung to those feelings but also to the one of relief that Rumplestiltskin was by her side and the idea that he truly believed in her. Alice allowed the feelings to mix together, to weigh down on her like a spray of hot water before she began controlling the spray and directing it to follow along her shoulders and down either arm into her palms. She pushed and pushed the feeling, clinging to it at the same time so as not to lose the weight.
Rumplestiltskin's grip on her arm tightened enough to leave a bruise and Alice squinted through her eye lids and tears to see a light coming from her palms. She gasped but quickly pushed the weight she was feeling even harder into her palms. The light grew until it was almost blinding and she couldn't see Robin's wounded stomach any more. She wanted to look towards her loves face for sign that it was working but was afraid she would lose control if she did. Instead she focussed firmly on her hands and on the wound, drawing strength from her painful memories, from her emotions she felt at the time.
But it was then that she realised, she wasn't drawing on the emotions of loneliness and fear of those times in her life. She was drawing on her relief and happiness that came after. Her joy at finally escaping the tower thanks to the troll that would always be her close friend, even when he became a statue. Her excitement at the car showing up to save them just in time. Her love for the girl who had stood up for her and for the people in her life who had always saw her, even when she thought they didn't. Alice had so much misery in her past, but she had happiness too and she pushed that intense feeling down into Robin's wound, closing it as the light continued to warm all three of them grouped together.
Robin's gasp broke the silence and Alice's magic died at once. The last of the weight she had been pushing down left her and she collapsed, falling against Rumplestiltskin at the same time as Robin sat up. She was still pale and shaking and her breath uneven but that was from the shock of everything. After a few seconds she calmed down and her eyes turned, finding Alice leaning heavily against Rumplestiltskin.
"Alice," Robin tried to cry but it came out as a croak from her dry throat.
Rumple handed Alice over to Robin, leaning back and allowing the two girls to fall into each other's arms. They were both crying again but they were also smiling and even though Alice was tired, she forced herself to throw her body against Robin's, knocking them both to the ground where they clung to each other, caught between their happy tears and joyous laughter.
"What happened?" Robin asked, cradling Alice's face between her hands and looking up at her in awe. "The curse…"
"We broke it," Alice laughed, feeling almost deliriously hysterical. "We did it!"
"But… Eloise… Gothel… She…" Robin reached down and touched her stomach. Her shirt and jumper were torn but the wound, the blood, it was all gone.
"I…" Alice began but hesitated, unsure how to begin to explain had she had done.
"Alice did it." Rumplestiltskin supplied, standing up and brushing the dirt from his jeans. He was the only one who seemed undisturbed, calm even, with a little knowing smile on his lips as he looked down at them. "It's like I always said. She's a hero. Now come on. We need to get out of here."
Alice almost wanted to tell him to go ahead of them. To ask for a private moment with her love now that they were awake and reunited. But she also knew Gothel was still out there, and so were their friends and family like Robin's aunt and… Alice's father.
"You saved me," Robin mumbled before Alice could ask Rumple if her papa was okay. She reached up, tracing Alice's face gently. "Thank you."
Alice felt another burst of laughter and sobs at the same time, reaching up and grabbing Robin's shoulders tightly like she was never going to let go. "You don't need to thank me, you idiot! Like I could ever live in this world without you…"
With that, Rumplestiltskin stood back and allowed the two just a quick moment for their well deserved and long overdue kiss. The first of many more to come.