Author's Note: First, in response to a review from Guest, yes, David is with Snow, but neither of them will be in the story much at the beginning. They are busy leading the resistance, and don't really fall into my main story plot. Second, I am going to do a previously section in this story, to help us remember what happened in each chapter. I've found this to be useful before, but if you guys don't like it, just let me know. And last, I have written a few other stories on here. If you guys like my writing style, you should check them out. Anyway, thanks for reading.

Previously on Freeing Hearts

"You'll regret ever keeping secrets from me," she snarled, before shoving his head away from her and sweeping out of the inn, followed by her guards and their prisoner. It only took a second after their departure for the restaurant to erupt in noise, everyone talking over either Snow's escape or Archie's involvement in the resistance. Ruby, however, didn't join in the discussion. She stood, staring at the door, wondering if he'd been about to offer her a position in the resistance later that day, and if by looking for a way into the group, she'd avoided the only way being offered.

"So, if I can't bring the people I rescue to you for a little while, then who …" "Actually, I've got the perfect temporary replacement. I've been meaning to tell you he was in for a while now, but I just never got the chance."

She pulled a knife out of a hidden fold in her dress, and plunged it straight into Archie's heart. His cry of pain was cut short, and he slumped to the floor, obviously dead.

The boy stiffened, even though tears continued to fall from his cheeks onto Archie's suit. Regina didn't even process what her mother said; still in too much shock after what Henry said. He blamed her for this, and wasn't it her fault? That idiotic resistance member, Sidney, had decided to switch onto the side of the crown because of his infatuation with her. Archie would still be alive if it hadn't been for that, and surely she could have found a way to warn him, or rescue him.

"He's not dead, he just looks like he is. The resistance can't rescue someone they don't know is alive."

"You have permission to do whatever it takes to get the information out of him." Hook found himself smiling as well. This was going to be fun!

Regina sighed, staring at the papers littering her desk. There were three full pages, as well as half of a fourth, of males she knew. How was she supposed to figure out which one was in the resistance? She'd thought she could narrow it down by only considering the people Archie knew she had met, but then, since he was in the resistance with this person, Regina might not know that Archie had heard about their meeting. So, the only person she could cross off for sure was Henry. While she knew her son wanted to be in the resistance, she also knew that the group never recruited children.

If only she knew someone else in the resistance! However, Archie had been her only contact, and he'd never told anyone that she was the person who rescued the innocent, and he was just the go between. While the prisoners should be able to notice the height and build differences between their original masked rescuer and the psychiatrist, they were usually too wound up to. From what Hopper had told her, no one knew that he wasn't the one who snuck into the prisons and broke people out. This would make it so much harder to convince the resistance she'd already been working with them for the past several years.

The names on the list drew her attention back to them, seeming to taunt her. Finally, she got so frustrated that she threw them into the flames of her fireplace. It was probably a good idea to destroy them anyway, she didn't want to have to try to explain the list to her mother.

Just as she was about to sit back down, and try to think of this from another angle, there was a knock on the door. "Come in," she ordered, and the door opened to reveal the only person who truly understood the trials she went through daily. "Gold!" she exclaimed, and he shut the door behind him.

"I come bringing the latest batch," he informed her. Gold lived in a mansion far from the castle, but right next to the country's only other prison. He rescued them, much like Regina saved the prisoners from her town, and brought them to her. She would then bring them to Archie, who would bring them the rest of the way to the secret base. Somehow, his prisoners never noticed that she and Archie had drastically different builds, either. However, they did know that their original rescuer was the Dark One, but they had yet to equate the crazy imp with the stoic and resistance-hating Mr. Gold.

"I'm afraid I can't be much help," she admitted. "The bridge between us and the resistance …" she trailed off. She couldn't bring herself to say that Archie was gone, and it was all her fault.

"Ah, well then, we need a new bridge," Gold said, instantly understanding that her silence meant her contact was dead, not imprisoned.

"He told me I know someone in the resistance, but I can't figure out who."

"Did he say anything else about this person?"

Regina shook her head. "No, he didn't have time." Gold thought, trying to figure out if her informant could have possibly given her more than she realized he had.

"Did he say anything else about the situation?"

Regina dug past the sorrow into the memories of his last words. "He said he'd been meaning to tell me about it for a while."

"Well then, it seems to me like this person must be someone you know pretty well, not just someone you say hello to every other week."

"You're probably right. At least we can start there." Using a new piece of parchment, she wrote out a short list of names; people who she knew well. Or at least, she tried to. "I can't think of anyone!"

"What about your boy?" Gold brought up.

"No, it can't be Henry. He's too young. They wouldn't recruit him yet."

"Not even when he's the Prince?" Regina wondered if her business partner had a point. "No, my contact would have told me."

"He would have meant to tell you," Gold put in.

"Fine, I'll keep an eye on him, but continue to think of who else it could be. In the meantime, the people you rescued will just have to stay in the secret room and be patient. Unless, one of them is already in the resistance?"

"Sorry to disappoint, but no."

"Oh well, it's only a matter of time until I either figure out who I need to talk to, or a resistance member gets caught, and then rescued by us."

"I better leave before someone finds me with you," Gold reminded her, stepping toward the door. "Oh, and Regina? I'm sorry about the contact." With that, he left, leaving Regina with less questions, at least, but more sadness.

…

Archie awoke, groaning at the pain from the wound in his chest, which, he had to admit, was tiny compared to the death wound it should have been. She'd used a collapsible knife, he realized, but it had still cut into him, most likely to inject him with a poison to make it look like he'd died. Well, whatever she'd used, it had been fast-acting, because the last thing he remembered was seeing her plunge the knife into him.

Besides the pain in his chest, his face hurt from the places Regina had hit him, which he expected, but his wrists also hurt, from being tied together by what he inferred to be rope. He couldn't really tell, it was pitch black in this dungeon, but the texture felt like rope. His neck also hurt, from sleeping at an awkward angle, but that was it, and he supposed he should count himself lucky for not sustaining any worse injuries. Those were probably about to come.

He leaned his head back against the wall, only to jerk it away again in surprise. Was that wood? He'd assumed he was in a stone prison, but apparently, he was incorrect. Now that he thought about it, he could detect a gentle swaying of the floorboards, which were also wooden. He was aboard a ship, which could only mean one thing.

Dr. Hopper wrestled his fear down as he realized he must be aboard Captain Hook's ship; the fiercest pirate he'd ever heard of. The Captain was known to work with Cora when she gave him a good enough deal, and it was apparent she'd managed to convince him to get information about the resistance out of him. The best interrogator of the entire realm would be the one squeezing him for information. Perhaps he should have held off on his judgment from earlier about it being a perfect day, because he was now coming to the conclusion that this was the worst thing that would ever happen to him.

…

Ruby walked home from the diner, after telling Billy she didn't feel like a date that night. They'd rescheduled, and he'd gone to join a sort of secret party to celebrate Snow White's safety and freedom. Ruby didn't feel like celebrating a stranger's freedom when her friend was in chains. Of course, knowing the resistance, the likelihood of his escape was high, but that didn't make her feel much better about his captivity.

She reached her house, and went straight to her room, putting her head in her hands. There was nothing she could do to save the man she'd come to think of as a friend, and it was killing her. She'd always wanted to help others, but she'd never been able to join the resistance and actually make a difference.

But maybe, she didn't have to. Maybe, she could help fight the Queen without the resistance, without backup. She could start a new resistance, one that would, hopefully, merge with the current one. Why should she wait to do what was right, when she could do it now?

She leapt off her bed and exitted the house, walking back toward the celebration. She could recruit Billy into this new group, and maybe some of the other young people there as well. No longer would they stand by and watch the wonderful acts of the resistance, wishing to be a part of them. Now, they would help the civilians suffering under the Queen's rule themselves. No more longing to be heroes; it was time to actually become them.

…

Henry easily slipped past the guards, squeezing through a hole in the castle walls that no one knew existed, save for him of course. Soon, he was walking down the streets as if he was an average boy, wearing the same clothing as a peasant of the kingdom. Today, the only thing that differentiated him from the rest of the crowd were the tears streaming down his face. No one paid the young boy any attention, assuming he was sad because his friends had insulted him, or some other tiny thing that would pass in time. None of them thought that his friend, his father figure, had died.

The young prince tried his best to ignore the cheerful demeanor of the rest of the city. News of Snow's escape had spread like wildfire, and although they'd never admit to the Queen that was the cause of their joy, it was quite apparent it was the only reason for them to be celebrating. They were overjoyed at the safety of one person, and were totally overlooking the death of another. Life was certainly unfair.

"Kid," someone called, and he turned around, seeing Emma walk toward him. He ran to her, and hugged her, sobbing into his shoulder. "Hey, don't worry, we'll rescue Dr. Hopper." Oh, apparently, not even the resistance knew yet.

"He's dead," Henry choked out, before burying his face deeper into Emma's shoulder. The woman froze for a second, before hugging him tighter.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, the only thing she could think to say. Hopper was the one who had originally recruited the boy, but being too busy to train him himself, he'd told Emma about the young Prince's desire to help them. Her first couple of interactions with Henry had been in the presence of the psychiatrist, and she knew how much the boy looked up to him.

"My grandmother stabbed him with a knife," Henry admitted, feeling obligated to tell Emma everything. "My mom just stood there and watched." Then, he was crying too hard to speak anymore. Emma, having no idea what to say, just hugged him tighter, but that seemed to help, as eventually he calmed down a little. "Just tell me what you need me to do; whatever you need me to do, to help the resistance. I won't let you down." There was a fierce determination in his eyes; he wanted to do his best to avenge Archie's death.

"Alright kid, now's when your real training begins." It had been hard to teach him everything he needed to know, because he was living at the castle, and couldn't be gone for too long. Now, however, with the determination he had, he would be able to learn everything he needed to. Soon, he'd be a full-fledged member of the resistance, and they'd be closer than ever to taking down the corrupt government.