4B: The Underworld

by DaesGatling

After Mina Harker's death, and the dreams that followed, Emma and the others venture to the underworld to make sure everything is alright. They get more than they bargained for when friend and foe alike meet them and bonds are tested, broken, and made.Hades and Persephone's links to Mr. Dark and Dracula come to light as they struggle with their own decisions against the heroes

3. 4B: E02 - Family Ties

When Mina had awakened after stabbing herself in the stomach, she found herself strapped to a gurney being wheeled to the room that she had now stayed in for….how long had she been staying in here again?

At first, she thought that she was still alive, that somehow, she had failed and they'd saved her against her wishes. That theory proved wr ong as soon as she went to look at her stomach and found no wound or bandage there.

So, either she WAS dead and the afterlife was an evil hospital room where no one talked to her, or she was crazy all along and everything was a delusion and she ju st woke up.

Death seemed a better theory than the latter.

Oddly enough, Mina felt peace with her decision. She knew that the crushing guilt that she left her daughter behind would come later, once the shock wore off. Then the boredom would come if she was indeed to be trapped in this cell for the rest of eternity.

She'd go mad. It was inevitable. She was too active, used to constantly moving. She would have to sit here in a small room and think now. She'd have to think about the things she did and the things she didn't do. She'd have to relive all her memories over and over in her mind in a windowless room where she was denied even a pen to write her thoughts down.

That would all come later though. Mina instead slept. She slept until she couldn't sleep anymore and then meditated. She was dead now, there was nothing she could do any longer. It wasn't practical to continually worry herself over Storybrooke or the fate of her daughter now that she was gone.

Emma would take her daughter back to her mother, her mother would raise the baby and at least have that piece of Mina back.

Should have gone back home when you realized you were pregnant. Should have ignored Dracula coming back

Mina tried to block out that voice plaguing the back of her mind as she slept.

What if he isn't dead? What if you killed yourself for nothing and now he has full access to Lizzie?

She couldn't think like that. Rumple said this was how it was done, this was how he died.

What if he was wrong?

Mina buried her face in her knees, he couldn't be wrong, she couldn't have died for nothing. He was dead, they would kill him. Lizzie would be raised by her grandmother. She wouldn't have to be raised by the broken shell that was Mina. It was for the best; if Mina survived everything, she'd ruin her daughter. How could Mina hope to raise her in a normal environment knowing what she knew? Seeing what she'd seen? She knew about the things that lurked in closets and under the bed. She knew that the things scratching at the windows weren't the branches from the tree in the yard.

How could her child grow up with a mum like her?

She had saved lives and she took pride in that but it came at a cost. It chipped and chipped away at her until one day she didn't recognize herself anymore.

No, it was for the best that she was dead and her child was free.

She told herself that for the days she was trapped here. She put it at about two weeks judging by the sorts of food they brought in.

Then when she was heading into week 3, something changed. She wasn't sure what but someone finally entered her room. Mina took in the two men dressed in white 'scrubs' as Emma had called them once

"What's going on?" she asked, "Am I getting out?"

They roughly grabbed her by her ankles and under her arms. They hoisted her up onto the gurney and strapped her down. She kicked back on instinct, her foot connected with someone's face. A baton crashed down on her midsection and shut her up

"What's going on?" she demanded again through pants of pain.

They strapped her in tighter and put a bag over her head. Mina panicked when she was surrounded by darkness. She started fighting the restraints until she forced herself to settle down. She couldn't control where they were taking her, but she could control herself in this situation.

She lay still and tried to feel the directions they were taking her in. Eventually it started to feel like she was being taken in circles to throw off her sense of direction.

Then they were rising…or was it falling? Mina hadn't even heard the elevator doors. She tried to time how long they climbed…or dropped before she was then wheeled out of the lift.

She lay bound on the gurney for several minutes before she heard a door open and close. Mina felt the straps loosen on her arms and legs.

Someone ripped the bag off her head, blinding light filled her vision.

A man in a suit sat on the edge of the desk. Mina took him in. He was clean cut, about 6 foot with a goatee. He wore a black suit with a red cravat. Mina caught a glimpse of the chain of a pocket watch tucked into his waistcoat. This was a gentleman, she could tell by the way he carried himself.

One of the men tried to pull her off the gurney, she shoved him away, "Don't bloody touch me."

"Mrs. Harker," the man by the desk cleared his throat, "Welcome to the Underworld."

So, she was dead then, well that took care of that question, "Are you in charge?"

"Indeed, I am, my name is Henry Jekyll."

Mina had heard the name in the hunting circles, "The Mad Doctor?"

"I had hoped for something more creative for a moniker," he sighed, "Shall I pour you some tea?"

"No," Mina said, "Where's the other one?"

"There's no reason to be rude."

"Rude?" she scoffed, "I've been trapped in a room for over two weeks!"

"You have a lot longer to stay."

"Why?" Mina asked and felt her heart start to race, "Is it because….is it because the vampire children?"

He blinked, "You don't know what you did?"

Mina shrugged.

"Well this is very interesting," Jekyll leaned on the desk with his arms crossed, "This whole situation is fascinating really. You're supposed to be this mighty hunter but you haven't put this together."

"Why am I here?" Mina asked.

"You tell me."

"I don't know," Mina hissed, "I don't know anything about what's happening."

"I'll tell you what's happening," Jekyll told her with an eerie calmness, "Hades and Persephone put you down here because you killed their son two weeks ago."

Mina looked up, her heart started racing as she processed what he said, "The…that's impossible."

"Is it really?"

"The Greek Gods are a myth, created by man to try and explain away what he could not understand at the time."

"And in some worlds, I'm a story in a book," he leaned forward, uncomfortably so and Mina pressed her back to the chair, "But to you, you know what I threat I am if I let him out."

Her eyes slid to the impassive guard holding his gun, "Yes."

He grabbed her face and forced her to look at him, "You've heard what he can do?"

"Yes."

"Good, then I expect your full cooperation," he tightened his grip momentarily before he let her go. Mina watched in horror as she saw his face was starting to twist. His body jerked unnaturally. She thought she heard bones breaking and cracking as he started to take a new form in front of her.

"You're going to tell me why you're so special that your friends are here, and what they want."

Mina felt the air being driven out of her lungs when she heard him say that. She forced herself to ignore the twisting of his body as she focused on his words.

Her friends came for her.

His grip was growing stronger, Mina had to do something now. If her friends were down here, she had to warn them to leave. If they killed the son of gods, then they had to get out while they still were alive and not turned into trees that would be named after them.

She slammed the tea cup against the arm of the chair. The shard was in Jekyll's neck before the guard had time to react. Mina shoved her captor away from her. She heard the guard scream orders behind her but she didn't take time to comprehend it. She had to get to her friends.

Her hand closed on the back of the chair she'd just been sitting in. She hurled it at the feet of the guard knocking him over.

When he landed, there was the sound of keys hitting the floor. Mina rushed over to him and slammed his face against the tile to buy herself time.

Another guard was entering the room. Mina lifted the gun and fired above his head, sending him back into the asylum for cover.

With a knife, a gun, and keys in hand, Mina ran out what was most logically the door leading outside. There were gates and guards that took cover when she fired above their heads or by their feet. IF she got any, she didn't know, her mind was on escape.

She ran zig zag instead of straight to avoid bullets firing around her. An alarm screeched somewhere behind her but she pushed on.

She took in her surroundings. It looked like an island, she could smell the sea. Across the water looked like the nearest city several miles off. It would be a tough swim, especially after being cooped up in a room for 2 weeks, her muscles weren't as strong as they used to be.

Or did that matter if she was dead?

Mina should have realized something was wrong once the attacks stopped coming. She could barely hear anything over the pounding of her heartbeat in her ears but dammit, she should've sensed something.

As soon as she reached the beach, an inhuman roar filled her ears. Mina felt her blood run cold as she turned to see what they sent out.

It was milk white, and it was fast; far faster than she could be. It would reach her before she could reach the water. She had to cripple it before it got to her.

Mina had never fought a minotaur before. And she really didn't want to tangle with one now that both were dead.

The bullets did little to slow it down. It stumbled once and then sped up.

Mina had to take her chances and try to make it for the water.

When it hit her, Mina felt the horn go through her skin. She flew through the air and hit her head on a rock. Stars danced before her eyes as the monster went for the gore again and again. Mina only knew at one point she had the guard's knife in her hand and she stabbed the beast over and over as it mauled her, threw her, slammed her, and then put what was left of her under the water to drown.

It felt like an eternity before blood made the creature lose his grip. Mina couldn't pull herself out of the water for air, both arms had to be broken from the attack.

So, she tried to kick off with her feet. She couldn't stay here. She'd let the currents take her away from here if she could.

The guards, who had hung back simply walked forward, grabbed her ankle and pulled her back.

Jekyll was beside him. His face was red with rage, "Take them all to the infirmary. Lock her away from everyone else."

Mina let out a strangled cry of pain as they forced her on the gurney.

"Lord Hades can deal with you," he snarled.

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The beach that connected to the palace was so beautiful in the morning that Hades often took his meals there when he was too busy to have taken it with his family. His dealings as the Lord of the Underworld left him taking care of business at all manner of time and often it meant he was already up and moving around in the morning. Breakfasts were usually an isolated affair, with his wife having the breakfast with the children before she went to conduct her own dealings.

Dinners however were a required event and he hoped to be done with all this Overworld mess by the time he sat down with his family and assure them that the so called above world heroes were not here to murder them.

He was just sitting down to his meal, listening to the roar of the waves in front of him when he spotted his wife coming out of the palace. As always, Persephone was radiant, the blue sundress she was wearing matched her blue eyes and filled him with such desire that he never felt for any other woman in the many millennia that he'd been alive.

"Where were you?" she asked, kissing his cheek.

"On the Island, then getting some affairs in order," he put the napkin in his lap, "Have you eaten?"

"No, I wasn't hungry."

He waved for Eurydice, the servant that attended his wife, "Bring your mistress a plate."

"I'm not hungry," she protested.

"You're eating so little now, surely you can stomach something," he shifted uncomfortably. True, they didn't NEED to eat, but he didn't like seeing her waste away. He'd lost a part of her when Hera had Zagreus killed and he felt like he'd never get it back. He couldn't bear the thought of losing more because they'd lost two more sons.

She stared down at the empty spot in her table, "Have they been banished from this place?"

He looked down guiltily, "No."

She looked up, eyes flashing dangerously, "Why not?"

"That's my goal for today," he told her, "But it must be done carefully so as not to convince them to stay longer. The good news is that the sheriff reports they're not here to harm us, they're here for the Harker bitch."

"Why?" Persephone demanded and then paled, "Surely you don't mean to let her meet with them?"

"Of course not, I don't owe any of them any such meeting," he was still the god of the Underworld and he would not be bent to accommodate a group of humans who killed his sons because they wanted a meet and greet with his human property, "But we can NOT underestimate them, this must be dealt with delicately."

"Or we can kill them and make them ours to handle as well as we please.'

He looked up at that, he was becoming angry now. His wife questioned him many times and he welcomed it as she often found things or ideas that he missed But this? He wouldn't have anyone questioning him when it came to the murder of their children, "What if such a thing ends badly? What if it's not just you and I that are lost? What if it means more of our children are dead?"

"If we strike now, we catch them by surprise."

"Or lead them to a trap, remember Rumpelstiltskin is with them and he was here for quite a while before he was resurrected."

He was the only real threat, it was his dagger that took the lives of Ichor and Erebus, and if Rumpelstiltskin had it with him down here, Hades didn't want to consider how many he might take with him if they attacked.

Rumpelstiltskin would fight as hard as they would to keep his family intact.

The savior? Well, she wouldn't be much trouble. She wasn't dangerous and the rest of the party fared even less when it came to his attention.

Rumpelstiltskin and Rumpelstiltskin mentoring Emma Swan was the real concern.

"You ask me to sit here and do nothing," she growled.

"I ask you to be choose your decisions wisely and once you see past the grief and emotions, you'll know I'm right."

"What if I do it anyway?" She challenged.

Any other of his brothers, she wouldn't have dared ask that if she'd been married to them, but however, he was the one she had picked to be married to, "I gave you half this kingdom. Your power equals mine. You can make the decisions that you wish. But remember that no one's life gets easier with our family when we lash out blindly. More than the intended targets suffer."

She stopped then, he saw for a brief second that he'd awakened something in her that was his wife again. The beautiful logical woman that ruled by his side, but it was quickly clouded over with the look of an angry mother who had just lost two of her sons' mere months apart.

"You're so calm, one might say you don't even care."

"You know better than that," he growled, suddenly enraged, "How dare you even suggest- I taught them to walk, I taught them to read. I stayed up with them when Thanatos's stories about death terrified them into insomnia. I taught them to be gods that would one day rule in our stead should anything happen to us."

Eurydice entered the beach, holding a plate of breakfast. Persephone shot an angry look to her, "I told you I wasn't hungry."

"I think it'd be best if you saw to Cora's punishment today," Hades told her, still trying to focus after Persephone dealt that verbal blow.

"The less I'm near them, the better, right?"

"You can do what you wish, but I think that's safest."

Persephone threw her napkin down, "Fine."

"Fine," he watched her go. He gripped the table for a few moments and gathered himself, he looked at the trembling Eurydice, "Best you eat that breakfast, it'll go to waste otherwise."

"Yes, my lord. Thank you," she whispered and turned to leave.

She passed Pain and Panic; both, he noted, were pale after passing Persephone on the way here.

"What is it?" he demanded. They didn't say anything at first, they just handed him a slip of paper.

Once he read it, he was grateful his wife wasn't standing with him.

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Centuries Ago

Liam loved the sea, he spent more of his twelve years seeing its splendor than he had ever been on land and he liked it like that. He had learned to walk on the ship. His brother had been born and learned to walk on the Queen Anne's Revenge as well. He had seen mountains, and deserts from his father's ship. He watched kingdoms rise and fall in the span of months to years. He knew how to read and navigate. He knew more about ships than most shipbuilders.

He was born to be a captain, just like his father. It was the only thing he wanted.

His father was a giant of a man, even as a child where EVERYONE was bigger than him, he knew his father towered over everyone else and had the sort of presence that no one ignored. If it wasn't his size, it was his big bushy beard that came down to his waist, he kept braids and ribbons in it and sometimes Liam even saw that he tied smoking coals to it to give off the impression of a demon. It made the people they met cooperate more, his father said. And while his father was never above taking means to hurt those who did not cooperate with him, he would really rather not hurt anyone.

The sea was a rough life, but it was their home and here they were free. And to hold that, they had to be strong, to be strong, men had to fear them.

To be strong, men could not show weakness. That's why most bastards like him and his brother were left on land to be raised by their mothers, never to see their father's again. But his father was different, his father loved his mother when she was alive. He had promised her on her deathbed that he would look after their sons.

Most men abandoned their children and called it 'right' because who would want their children to be near a pirate father? Their father had decided it was the manly thing to take them on and raise himself. So he taught them, and he educated them.

He was practicing with his father on the last night they spent together. He had learned French of his father's quartermaster and was practicing it as his father walked with him to the bedroom he andh is brother shared.

"Papa, are you alright?" he asked once he noted his father's silence.

"I'm fine," his father said a little too quickly.

Even Liam was fast to pick up on it, "Papa."

"Just…. a storm's coming boy," his father said, "And you and your brother need to stay below for when it happens."

"Yes papa," Liam didn't see what the problem was, they had stayed below for storms before.

Killian was already asleep when they came into the cabin. Their father rested a hand on Killian's hair and sighed.

"Papa?" Killian asked sleepily.

"Go back to bed, boy," Papa said gently, "Tomorrow when the storm's over, we're going to explore new realms, how would you like that?"

Kilian rubbed his eyes, "Promise?"

"Promise." He tucked him in and stood.

Liam felt some unease but he brushed it off, "Papa, what if you need help?"

"I have men to do it," He told Liam, "The ship is strong, and the storm is hours away. You'll be asleep by then. This one isn't one you need to be in the middle of."

"Yes papa."

Papa rested his forehead on Liam's and sighed, "Look after your brother."

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Present Day

The sun was just coming up when Liam finally pulled into the driveway of his home. His hands were shaking, his heart hammered in his chest so loudly he was sure everyone outside the car could hear it.

He had broken the golden rule set by himself, his brother, and Milah. That was that they didn't have any communication with Blackbeard or any of his pirates. He had tried when Liam landed down here and Liam kept ignoring him. When Milah came down here and started sailing with pirates, one was sent on a crew with her to spy and report back any information about Liam and his brother.

Milah came to find him after that. He took her in, loved her like his sister and cut off any contact they might have had from his father.

When Killian died, Liam tried to protect him but their father's little spies got through once. Just once. It was always in Killian's peripheral that his father was there, but when he made contact, it sent Kilian into a week of binge drinking and bad decisions that the state he was in was only familiar to Milah during their pirating days..

After that, all three of them swore not to have anything to do with Edward Teach, the man known as Blackbeard.

And he had broken that.

He was shaking as he went up the steps and into the house. He did it for the right reasons. Mina had had Killian's baby. Killian would just get attached on account of that. That made Mina his sister too, he was doing what he did and making the deals that he made to save his new sister.

That's the way he would justify it to Killian. He didn't make contact to save his brother's child's mother that Killian had known for all of a week. He'd done it to save a woman he'd think of as a sibling if they were all alive.

Graham was sitting at the dining table reading when he arrived, "There you are. I was getting worried."

"I told you I'd be out late," he went to the man he loved and kissed him.

Graham knew there was something wrong immediately, "What is it?"

Liam looked up, "I talked to him."

Graham went rigid, concern in his eyes, "Do the others know?"

"No, there'd be a screaming match if they knew I saw him."

"Okay," Graham whispered, "Is he going to help us?"

"For a price." Liam wrapped his arms around himself, "I think this is wrong. I think I messed up."

They heard the door opening upstairs. Graham turned quickly, "We'll talk about it later."

"Thank you," Liam whispered in relief. If there was someone he knew would have his back it'd be Graham. He could tell anything to him and Graham would support him. He could even say he didn't want them all here and Graham would understand. He might not agree with it but he'd know Liam was just trying to protect his siblings.

"Hey," Killian ran down the stairs, "Where were you?"

"I was just driving around, a lot to think about," Liam told him. It wasn't all a lie.

"I hope one of those things was what we're going to do with James since he's tied up in our basement."

"I don't know," Liam whispered, "Where's Milah? We need to involve her in this too."

"She's not leaving Baelfire's side until he wakes up," Killian said in a rush, "James knows who we are, we work for him for God's sake. And as charming as Charming is, he can't keep up the ruse for very long. We have to figure out what we're going to do."

"He just got promoted to mayor now that Cora's out. We have the mayor locked up in the basement," Graham reminded him.

And this was what Liam worried about when they arrived. The heroes would leave all this behind and the rest of them were stuck here trying to pick up the pieces."

"We just need Charming long enough to get James's heart back," Killian said as something started to dawn on him.

Liam caught on immediately, "I don't think controlling hearts is the best thing to do."

"I agree," Graham said a little too quickly. Liam took a protective step over to him.

"We have to do something, there might not be another way."

"No," Graham said, "We don't take control away."

"Then we erase his memories," Killian snapped.

"Those aren't ours to take," Graham snapped back, "Do you really want to do to him what was done to me?"

"No. It's different," Killian told him, "Because this will protect all of us."

"We're breaking the laws of nature, it's not natural to control someone like that."

"Well, if you have any other ideas then I want to hear them. You KNOW talking to him won't work. He's not going to overlook the fact we have him tied up in the basement," Killian said, "Sometimes we have to do the wrong things for the right reasons. It's something all of us know and understand. There is no other way."

"I won't be party to controlling another person's heart," Graham said.

Killian stopped, he looked at his brother for guidance. Liam looked between both of them and found himself evaluating both sides.

"We'll think of antoher way," Liam promised Graham to his relief, "But until then we have a man in our basement whose heart we may get access to. We also have to consider there might not be another way. We're all in a rough spot here and we don't have to decide now."

"But soon," Graham said.

"Yes, that's something we can agree on," Killian whispered.

They heard the door open, they saw Belle come down the stairs, "What's going on?"

"Nothing, everything's fine," Killian said over his shoulder.

"Oh," Belle looked over her shoulder and then cleared her throat, "Bae's waking up."

Killian turned around more fully at that news, "Is he alright?"

"He's a little disoriented but Rumple says he'll be fine."

Something dark crossed Killian's eyes at the mention of Rumple, but he managed to hold back anything he might say.

"Emma has a mirror," Belle started, "It connects with Storybrooke if there was anyone that you might want to talk to."

"Before my time," Liam said and went ot the kitchen.

Killian went to go up the stairs, "The only one I care about his my daughter and she can't talk back."

Belle looked at Graham.

He just looked broken, "The man they knew there wasn't real."

Belle looked sad for him, "But-."

"I don't want them to see me like this," he went outside.

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Emma slept the hardest that she slept in a long time when she was next to Neal. It should have been impossible with as many people as there were in the room. She was just so tired…

But the sun was up when Emma finally opened her eyes, she felt Neal moving next to her. For a moment, she thought they were at the house in their bed, then her mind caught up with her and she remembered he'd been shot. She sat up a bit, "Neal?"

Rumple was crossing the room as soon as Emma sat up. Emma glanced to see Milah had moved sometime in the night to sit on the other side of him.

Neal looked at everyone, "What happened?"

"You were shot," Emma told him.

Neal looked at her in confusion, "What?"

"Prince James shot you-."

He looked at all of them, "Did I- did I die?"

"No," Rumple told him quickly, "I healed you. Your mother fought James off."

Milah moved into Neal's view as well. Her eyes were hopeful as she took in his face, but there was still a lot of reluctance in her eyes and posture. There was a lot going on in Emma's head when it came to Milah. She had abandoned her son to run off with Hook, and while that was none of Emma's business, she knew how much it hurt Neal. Emma was open to giving anyone a second chance after Regina, but she couldn't stand in the way of letting Neal be angry and deal with his emotions when it came to this.

All she had to do was stand by him and listen to how hurt he was.

Neal's eyes took in his mother. Emma saw the fear in them, and the anger he still had that he was trying to swallow back, "You saved me?"

"Yes, yes, I saved you. He was going to kill you-."

"Thank you," Neal allowed, "For saving both of us."

Milah's eyes filled with tears and she nodded, satisfied that this seemed to be a start.

"Oh god," Neal looked at Emma, "We were supposed to check in by now."

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Visiting the island every couple of days to see how things were was not out of the norm for Hades. Visiting twice in twelve hours was something that maybe happened a few times millennia ago, but it'd been so long that he'd forgotten.

He didn't wait for his minions to clear the room for him, he ignored the guards, "There had better be a good explanation for what I read."

Jekyll stood in front of him, dressed in a suit that had blood on the collar, he saw the rags with dried blood still on the desk, "She cut me with a teacup!"

Hades watched as Jekyll's assistant tried clearing it away, "It says Harker tried to escape."

"She cut me and she tried to escape!" Jekyll said angrily, "She broke a mug and stabbed me in the neck. You said she was domesticated! I don't let them out unless they're housebroken."

What was he complaining about? He was dead. If he got his throat slashed, then it'd heal minutes later. There wouldn't even be a scar a few hours from now, "She cut you?"

Jekyll huffed, "She cut us."

"So, you were awake during the time Hyde was trying to interrogate her."

"Of course I was. I know your rules, I wouldn't allow that madman to have complete control when interrogating a woman."

Hades didn't have the patience, "How far did she get?"

"To the beach."

How could she POSSIBLY get that far? "And your men didn't stop her?"

"They tried, they're in the infirmary now."

"What stopped her then?"

"That abomination stopped her. Gored her several times. She was still trying to pull herself in the water. As if she would like what she found THERE. Should have let her go in. If the mermaids and pirates don't get her, swimming towards the wrong river certainly won't end -"

"Why did she try to escape?" Hades asked.

"I'm sorry?" Jekyll scoffed, "She's a prisoner. They all would try to escape if they were given the opportunity."

"No, she's been a model prisoner for two weeks now. She hasn't even spoken a word beyond thanking those who clean the cell and bring her food."

"She was close to the door that led outside. Of course she would attempt it."

Hades narrowed his eyes, something didn't feel right. He couldn't explain it but the way Jekyll was tense around him had his attention, "Did Hyde try something?"

"No, gods no."

"Because I'll know once I talk to her if he tried anything he shouldn't."

"I know your rule about that," he snapped, "And I would've taken control back the minute that risked happening."

"You'll forgive me if I doubt the word of that from the man who created an alter ego just so he could do the human depravities he couldn't do otherwise."

Jekyll was silent on that one.

"If she wasn't running away from something, she was certainly running towards something," he bit the inside of his cheek and looked thoughtful, "She knows they're here, doesn't she?"

"I tried to stop him from saying so."

Now the woman he was trying to keep separated from everyone knew her rescuers were here.

His wife didn't believe he loved his children enough to be angry and do something

The living had found their way here.

Hades wasn't sure how much more he could take.

He stormed towards the doors that would take him towards the infirmary, "I want to see her now."

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Emma thought that telling Henry that they weren't coming back just yet would be harder, she expected a tantrum and anger and accusations since they parted badly upon leaving. To her surprise though, once Emma told him why they weren't returning automatically he was surprisingly receptive.

They didn't tell him that they killed a god, they didn't tell him that Neal ahd been shot. They didn't want to scare him with the idea that they might never get out if they stayed longer than necessary.

"I sort of thought things wouldn't go as easily as you said they would," Henry told her, "It never does."

Emma smiled as she and Neal sat side by side on the bed, looking in the mirror, "Guess you're smarter than that."

"When are you coming back?"

"As soon as we find Mina and get her to safety but…we don't have timetable, kid. I'm sorry."

"But if the gods have her locked away somewhere….what happens if you get her out and then just leave? What happens to everyone then?"

Emma swallowed, "Working on that."

"Maybe you can defeat Hades and Persephone."

Emma shifted, "Their side of things is complicated, Henry."

"Maybe you should just talk to them then."

"I don't know if they can come back from this," Emma told him.

"But what happened?"

"We'll talk about it when we get back. It's a long story and we have to get to work" Emma promised and looked at Neal and then back in the mirror, "I love you."

"I love you too."

"Is Lizzie okay?" Neal asked.

"She's crying a lot, grandma says it's just gas though."

Emma ignored the guilt, she should be there for both of them but this needed to be fixed.

"Let me talk to Snow and Regina."

There was movement on the other side of the mirror, Emma cringed as she was far closer to her mom and son's other mom's faces than he ever wanted to be in her life.

Snow was the first one to know something was wrong, "Henry, why don't you go make us some tea?"

"I was hoping I could talk to dad…"

"In a few minutes," Snow promised, "Just go put the kettle on."

They waited until he was gone and Snow leaned closer, "What happened?"

"Short version?" Emma sighed, "Dracula and Mr. Dark are the kids of Hades and Persephone."

"WHAT?!" Regina demanded.

"We killed gods?" Snow gasped.

"And their daughter or…Zeus's daughter or whatever had Uncle James try to kill me and Neal when we went for a walk. Yeah, he's here too. So is Granny."

"And Red found her?" Regina asked hopefully.

"She stayed up all night guarding the house, she went back there to sleep."

"I really need the long version of the god thing and the shooting thing."

"Well tea doesn't take that long to make," Neal said.

"And you really don't know what you're going to do once you find Mina?" Regina asked.

"I have no idea."

"That's some planning," she reprimanded.

"Well, it's not like we knew we killed gods, did we?" Neal snapped.

"The fact of the matter is that if you don't have a plan then you need to come back," Regina snapped, "The last thing Henry needs is to bury his entire family except me and his grandmother."

"I'm not leaving Mina."

"You can help her when you've died," Regina told her, "Henry needs you here."

"Regina," Snow whispered, "Enough."

Emma felt the guilt clawing away at her stomach.

"Where's Charming?" Snow asked.

"He's with Persephone," Emma saw her mother's terrified look, "He's posing as James to try and reach Mina. From there we'll come up with a plan."

"She'll find out."

"I tried to tell him that but he wouldn't listen."

"Of course not, that's just like him."

Emma frowned, "I'll keep trying to talk him out of it."

"Thank you," Snow ran a hand through her hair, "I just got him back."

"I know."

"Henry's coming back," Snow said quickly and turned the mirror back towards Henry.

Neal took the mirror, "Hey buddy! How was your day."

Emma met Rumple's eyes across the room. He gave her an understanding nod and she looked away. She toyed with the strands of the bed covers while Henry and Neal made small talk.

When they promised to call again later that night, Neal put the mirror face down and looked at her, "You alright?"

"I just don't want my kids to bury me."

Rumpelstiltskin flinched at the slip and got up to leave the room. Emma realized what she said as he got up. She wasn't pregnant herself, but she thought of Lizzie like she was her own daughter and that attachment was growing every day.

So was the animosity between Emma and Rumple over it.

"They're not going to bury you," Neal promised her.

"How are we going to get Mina out and leave everyone intact after we leave?" Emma dug the palms of her hands into her eyes

"I don't know," Neal kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arms around her, "I don't know."

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Mina Harker was a mere slip of a woman, rather plain for Hades taste. She looked so small curled up on the infirmary bed, facing the wall in the far corner that Hades couldn't understand how she rallied people around her to kill his son twice.

Emma Swan sure, she was a savior but this little thing?

He closed his eyes and gathered himself, forced himself to let his rage simmer. It wouldn't do anyone any good if he strangled this bitch in her sickbed. It was a cowardly move, and the woman he was about to face had that department. She never faced Dracula by herself if she had to. She got others to do it. And she just killed herself and left her baby alone.

After a few moments, he strolled in. He ignored the nurses and doctors that gasped or awkwardly bowed as he walked by. Most of the beings here didn't mind being a doctor or a nurse. There weren't many opportunities in the underworld for a medical practice; injuries eventually healed, death never came.

The Harker bitch must have heard the commotion because she slowly turned her body to look at what the commotion was. Her eyes grew when she saw him, "Oh bloody hell."

He had met her eight years ago, after she left the safety of her home and her mother to come to Abraham Van Helsing for help. It had been a happy accident that she stumbled on them, and he'd rolled with that punch. He talked her into taking up hunting along with Van Helsing for the sole purpose of sending them off to die. It would at least be an honorable death, to give them a fighting chance. He was the god of the underworld, he wasn't a slaughterer. He'd let his children's creations do that for him.

But somehow both had survived. It could have been because they didn't take too many hunts from him. They chose to take smaller independent hunts that their co-hunters would not pay attention to.

Otherwise she most certainly would have been dead by now.

But if Hades HAD just killed both of them, his son would still be alive.

"Alexios," She slurred and pulled herself up to a sitting position.

"No darling, not down here," he looked her over. She had a lot of internal injuries, her face was damaged, her cheek and jaw were still healing. He could see her leg was twisted, her shoulder was mending and her ribs were realigning. She wasn't going anywhere any time soon, "Here I am called Lord Hades."

She took that in, her face was too damaged to really show her reaction, "And does the Lord of the Underworld name himself the Leader of Hunters for fun and games?"

"Your broken jaw must hurt," he mocked.

"It's been broken before," she snarled.

"Twice," he finished, "The second one wasn't your fault, though. You told them you didn't want to trust Matthew after he nearly sold you to pirates the first time. To think that he'd leave you to die the second time you hunted together."

She shifted uncomfortably, "You didn't answer my question."

"Easier to keep control of both parties, don't you think?"

"Why is the underworld an asylum?" she asked, "Are you redecorating?"

He grabbed her jaw painfully, she winced but said nothing, He looked her over, "How is it that you banded together two different parties to kill a millennia old vampire for you?"

"Must be my optimistic disposition."

"Hm," he pulled away and wiped his hand on his overcoat.

"Do you take a personal interest in all hunters like this?" she demanded, "I doubt all attempted escapers get a personal visit from the lord of the underworld."

"No, just the cockroaches that murder my children."

Mina stopped, he watched as her whole body went rigid, "So Jekyll isn't a liar then."

He didn't bother to hide his rage, "It was Dracula by the way. I know you probably have to go back and figure out which one you killed but it was him."

"He did this to me," she hissed, "And you manipulated me into going hunting."

"No, your mother not loving you anymore made you go into hunting. I just took an opportunity that was presenting to me to send you off to die," he shrugged.

She didn't seem to believe him, "I'm sure you'd have went to seek me out if I stayed."

"Nothing of the sort," he smiled wider knowing ultimately something that she didn't, "I'd have let you go. Contrary to what you might think, I didn't ultimately approve of my son's decisions. And while you still led the charge in killing him, you lost your best friend, her fiancé, your husband, your baby and your father. You'd be dressed up and thrust back into a society that didn't understand what happened to you. I'd felt you suffered enough. But as always, Mrs. Harker, you didn't know when to stop, and I took advantage of an opportunity. You took it too far and the only person you have to blame for where you are now is yourself."

He turned to leave, confidant that he'd won.

"He'd never have let me go," Mina called after him, "He'd have come back and he made it very clear that he would've eventually come to get his revenge. I did nothing wrong by making sure it didn't happen."

He looked back at her. He wasn't lying when he said he didn't agree with what Ichor did to her. He didn't like what his son became but it was till his son and what ultimately happened was because she went after him.

"Unfortunately, eventually he would've let you go," Hades opened the door, "He got bored of all of them except for Alina, he always did."

"And I would've been a monster."

"IF you survived the newborn phase and developed yourself, you never would've been just a monster."

"Hunters would've killed me."

"A hunter killing a monster, imagine that."

"I don't apologize for protecting myself."

"One shouldn't have to," he agreed, "But he's a god and unfortunately for you, his mother and I loved him very much."

"Will I be expecting a visit from her too then?"

"I hope not for your sake," he went forward and took her face again. She pulled back and tried to push him away but he held his grip, "Come here, stop. The Queen, you'll find, is not as friendly as me."

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It was with a day's worth of gritted teeth, fist tightening and half journeys to the dock before Persephone finally tasked herself to obeying her husband's wishes and staying out of this hero debacle.

He wouldn't lie. If she chose to interfere, there would be no consequences. He wasn't as regressive as his brothers, he took no pride in ruling his family with an iron will. She was free to do as she pleased, as was their children when they were old enough.

Which some might think was what got them in this whole mess in the first place.

It was because of that, that she listened to him when they disagreed, she obeyed him when he didn't want her to kill these 'heroes' or torture the Harker woman just yet.

She had an eternity for all that after all.

Her husband had to be playing the long game, that was it. He was never one for outer rage, his was tranquil and quiet. The only time she'd seen him visibly angry was when he found out she'd been raped by his brother.

Then Zagreus died by Hera's hand, their children took to the Overworld to avenge his death by taking it out on the humans and here they were.

Did that make her weak? Were her children really risking death to be on the front lines to avenge her? They didn't listen to her when she asked them more than once to stop. They just kept spreading destruction and creating their little monsters.

If she wasn't strong enough to protect her little baby, no wonder her husband didn't want her there to endure the living being there.

Maybe she was a weakness too.

"My lady?"

Persephone looked up and saw Eurydice standing there waiting. She must've drifted off in her thoughts, "What is it?"

"My lady, it's time to look over the laws that are set to expire today."

Persephone cleared her throat, "Of course."

It was a fact that as humanity evolved, the old ways up above became obsolete. So, therefore they became obsolete down here too. Persephone always made sure to keep on top of such things. If laws contrasted in two different worlds, she just exercised her best judgment in dealing with it.

"Do you need me to help you review them, your majesty?" Eurydice asked.

"No, thank you, Eurydice but I have these known by heart now," she pulled out some new parchment though. She needed to put down new laws. The rules of the living entering in here, the punishment for god killers had always been too lax. It was never permanent until now, so no one had cared. "You may go."

"Your majesty?"

"Yes," Persephone looked up.

"Your majesty, I wondered if I might see Orpheus if you're done with my services for the rest of the day."

Persephone watched her. She remembered the story like it was yesterday. Orpheus had been her husband, he'd been a gifted musician and she herself had been a nymph and Persephone's niece through Apollo. Eurydice's life had been tragically cut short when she was killed by a snake. Orpheus loved her so much that he had managed to make his way down to the underworld; a feat, that until recently, was unheard of. He played his lyre so well that even Hades and Persephone were moved.

But she also saw an opportunity to give her husband a gift. And so there, she devised a test. Orpheus was free to have his wife back. She would follow him the way he came out of the underworld but he was not allowed to look back at her until both reached the world of the living.

He made it to the entrance until his doubt and worry got the better f him and he looked back. He lost his wife for a second time that day. He himself was later torn apart by his fellow humans and sent to live down here.

To sit in the Underworld in the throne room with the rest of the musicians that pleased her husband; Persephone's gift to Hades.

Some might think she was cruel. She did not, she had given him a chance when she truly didn't have to. He had failed, like she knew he would, and both were honored after their deaths when they didn't have to be. Eurydice was her lady in waiting and Orpheus was a favorite of Hades.

"You may see him if he is not playing," Persephone told her, "But remember to have him back by nightfall so he might play for the children."

Eurydice bowed and went to leave.

The door to her office opened, she looked up to see that Sheriff….or rather Mayor James now walked in.

She never really liked him. She generally did not care much for those her husband chose to put in power. That was his game though. He put those corrupt just so he could take it away later.

And because most of those corrupt ruled far longer than most heroes did.

She took James in. She had expected him to lost everything upon six months after his death but somehow here he was several promotions later, standing in front of her as the mayor of his district.

"Your majesty," he bowed.

She watched him, "It appears we're getting your heart back today."

"Well, that's good news."

"I should hope so, you look terrible," he looked far more haggard than what he normally did. There was something off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it, "Have you been getting enough rest?"

"Too much to do. Moving into my office and….clearing out her heart boxes….figuring out who the new sheriff is going to be."

"Hades decides that, not you."

He watched her and lowered his head, "Of course."

She stood up, "Come along."

"Where?"

Persephone shot him a look, "Cora's trial of course."

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Persephone had never really known a mighty human, to her, they all cowered and begged for mercy if she was angered. They were rewarded if they did well, but she never knew anyone that really truly impressed her.

Cora was no exception. She supposed to the people that dealt with her, the people whose hearts she ripped out and terrorized, she was striking but to a god, she was nothing more than a tyrant who never reached her full potential.

Half potential was catastrophic enough.

So, when she was brought to the throne room, dressed in black with her hair in a bun and crooked posture, Persephone new the game. She was trying ot make herself look meek and humble. Persephone knew her history. She wasn't buying it.

"Lady Cora," Persephone started and looked at the new mayor James standing a few steps down from her feet, "You are charged with stealing a heart and breaking all the rules of the natural order. How do you plead?"

Cora looked at her, "Not guilty, your Grace."

Persephone sighed, must they do this? When children were caught red handed, they still found a way to lie in the hopes that somehow it would get them out of trouble, "Explain how the heart came to be out of James's chest and into a box in your apartment, then."

"Anyone can enter an apartment as small as that, the locks are secured with magic but magic can be broken by someone who read a few books and had an enternity to practice."

"And who would do such a thing?"

"I have my enemies, more than I remember in fact. You've granted me amnesty in return for my ruling this distract as mayor. I can not be charged for what I did before I died."

"Which is null and void if you continued your crimes," Persephone leaned back.

"Anyone could've planted that heart in my home, it wasn't me. They left it in my house where anyone could find it."

Persephone doubted this would take long. She waved for Panic to open the door to the left. She didn't need to look to see who came in. She'd already called him to witness that morning.

Henry, her late husband, that her daughter killed trembled before both women but ultimately bowed at Persephone's feet, "Your grace."

Persephone kept her eyes on Cora, "The heart was not left in plain sight, Cora. Henry, where did you find the box?"

"In her room, your grace, in a panel that was hidden by a tapestry."

Cora shook her head, "no."

"Your husband showed us the panel after they searched your entire home and nearly gave up," Persephone stated, "He assures us when we interviewed him that only you have access to that room. You won't even allow your maid in to clean it."

"But-."

"Blocked with magic too," Persephone shook her head and sighed, "Cora based on this evidence and the testimony of your husband; I hereby declare you guilty as charged. Your punishment for this as well as your multitude of other crimes is that you are stripped of all rights and titles and you will spend the foreseeable future in Monaxiá Prison until madness take you or mercy is granted."

The guards came forward to take Cora. James followed her at a respectful pace.

Panic gave her the box that contained the heart, "I do believe this belongs to you."

"Thank you," he started to turn away.

"Where are you going?" Persephone asked.

"To….go put it back in privately?"

"Fine," Persephone went to get her coat, "Pain and Panic will make sure she's secure until morning. You get some rest."

"What's morning?"

Persephone smirked, "We're taking her to Monaxiá."

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Emma held the bottle of rum in her hand and stared down at the table as she sat there with just her thoughts.

She was doing the right thing, right?

Was it the right thing if she had to lie to her son?

"That's mine, you know."

Emma looked over see Killian went up to sit beside her.

"Mine now," Emma told him and took another drink.

"Bae asleep?"

"Yeah, his body's trying to replace the blood that it lost, so we're feeding him and putting him to bed. Which really isn't far from how it normally goes in Storybrooke."

Killian gave a chuckle and took the bottle from her, downing some of it himself, "But you're happy….with him?"

Emma smiled a bit, "Yeah, I'm happy." "And Henry's safe and he's happy with him as well?"

"He is. He just went through a growth spurt, he's a straight A student, we're all making it work."

Sadness passed his eyes and he swallowed, "Good."

"Yeah."

"It's good you're happy," he smirked, "Would have been ecstatic with me though."

"Pretty sure the presence of your baby mama would've ruined that."

"We could've brought her into our relationship, I doubt she'd have minded," his smirk fell a bit, "Did she look for me?"

"She didn't think you'd be in that world when I met her, we didn't have that conversation about where you were."

"I meant before she even went to Storybrooke. Did she ever…did she ever say if she looked for me to tell me she was pregnant?"

"Yes," Emma looked at him, "She did. When she found out she was pregnant, she went to look for you."

It wasn't the full truth though. Emma wouldn't tell him that Mina didn't look as hard as she could have…or why she didn't. That wasn't her place.

"You know, I don't think many here will tell you this, but it was a brave thing you did to sacrifice yourself to save us from Mr. Dark."

Killian poured himself another drink and just drank it quietly.

Emma frowned, "Killian?"

"So, I hear that you're the one taking care of my daughter?"

Emma smiled, "Yes, I am."

"Could you tell me everything? She's all I think about now."

Emma bounced a bit too excitedly in her seat, "Killian, she's absolutely beautiful, she has the most beautiful blue eyes…."

0000000000000

Centuries Ago

The ship was eerily quiet when Liam woke up.

And then he realized that he wasn't in his own bed. He sat up to look around a small windowless cabin. Fear jolted through him as he stood up. He had to be dreaming, this wasn't home.

"Killian," he shook his drowsy brother, "Killian get up."

He pulled his brother to a sitting position and ran for the door. He had heard of kidnappings but they never took children off ships and they'd have had to kill his dad to take them away, so why were they here?

The door opened, Liam nearly collided with a man's chest, "Are you looking for your father?"

"Who are you?" Liam demanded.

"He left," The man said, "Sold both of you to me and left."

"That's a lie, father would never-."

"Then how did you get here boy?" the man looked between the two of them, "Your father isn't what you think. He's a pirate; a thief, a fugitive of the law. He's murdered innocent people, and he's sold you to me."

Liam took a step back.

"What?" the man asked, "Did you really think your pirate father would show mercy to you?"

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Present Day

It was getting to be dark when Milah finally left Neal's room. She was exhausted and it was only Rumple's nagging that convinced her he'd make it through the night without joining their ranks.

She found Liam leaning against the wall at the bottom of the stairs, "You look happy for someone that just let themselves be alone with the husband that murdered them."

"My son actually let me talk today without shutting me down," she sat on the stairs and smiled, "I think maybe if I keep working on him, he might forgive me. I'm sated for the day."

"And then you'll fix your unfinished business and leave to go to…whatever fate you've earned for yourself," Liam muttered.

Milah narrowed her eyes, "Oh, well no…I mean- maybe? Hey, what's going on with you?"

"I mean, I'm worried about what's going to happen to us after."

"Yeah, I get that, but my son is here and his girlfriend."

"And the man that murdered you."

'Yeah well, I'm trying to focus on positives like that one therapist said," Milah said.

"You went to her once,"

"Because I don't need therapy, I've made peace with what I am and that's the entire point of therapy anyway," Milah watched him, "But it's more with you, isn't it? I know when you're hiding something, I've known you for way too long."

"Fine," Liam looked around, "Not here, I don't want anyone to hear."

0000000000000000

A Few Hours Ago

Edward Teach was tall enough and had enough presence to make the bar seem to shrink around Liam. He has an effect on everyone around him, they all kept their eyes downcast in respect as he looked over his son. Liam kept eye contact but he was a quivering mess inside.

"So, after centuries of trying communications, my firstborn decides he's willing to see me after all," Blackbeard said. Liam noticed his father did not have kind eyes. It was a strange thing to notice but even when he was a child, his eyes were not soft.

"it's not a bonding experience," he said, finding his voice.

"So, you need something."

"You owe us something after abandoning us."

"You don't know the full story, son."

"I don't care about the full story," Liam snapped.

"Then what's so urgent that you finally decide that I should grace you with my presence?"

He sold you

Liam wrapped his arms around himself, "There's a woman that just died. But we can't find her, she's not in the directory."

"Then she's in the pit, or in paradise."

"Doubtful, not her."

"Why's she important?"

"That's not your concern."

"It is if you're coming to me."

Liam really didn't want his pirate father knowing more than he already did, "She's my sister."

"You don't have a sister," Blackbeard growled, "I kept an eye on all the women I was with. You were the only whelps I fathered. And your mother, may she rest in peace, would not have survived a third child."

Liam closed his eyes and tried to conjure up any memory he had of his mother, in truth he could pass her in this place and never truly recognize her, "She's a sister to me."

Blackbeard took a moment, "What's she to Killian then?"

"I'm sorry?"

"You've been dead too long to form any real relationships. So, has Milah. But Killian hasn't been dead a year, therefore if she's just arrived she must be linked with him if you see her as a sister," he looked amused, "So is she his wife then?"

"Something like that."

"Mother of his child then," Blackbeard watched his son's reaction, "This would be easier if you didn't resist every step of the way."

Liam was shaking with rage, "The people that bought us told us the same thing."

Blackbeard stopped and sighed, "There's only one sort place I can think of she might be. There are islands all over this place that hold prisoners. They don't put them in the directory, they just take them to a cell and leave them there until they go insane from the isolation. But she'd have to do something terrible to end up there, so what sort of woman is she?"

Liam shifted, "I'm not telling you that."

"Oh really?"

If he told his father that she helped kill the same god twice, her value to others might go up. He didn't expect his father would just give Mina over to them safe and sound if she had any real value he could extort, "How do I get her out?"

"If you have a solid plan, we could get her out, for a price of course."

Here it came, "And what would that price be?"

"You and your brother come and hear the full story about what truly happened."

Liam shook his head, "I will, but not Killian."

"That's the price. I'm risking my neck for some woman I've never met who is so dangerous she was locked away by gods. The least you two can do in payment is listen to your father."

"I have to talk to Killian about it."

"That would be easiest, wouldn't it?"

'Yes."

"Too bad; it's yes or no now."

Liam didn't allow himself to think about it, if he thought about it, he'd have realized how insane this was and refused, "Fine."

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Present

"You promised him WHAT?!"

Liam didn't know when Killian had come into the room, he didn't hear anyone until he heard his brother's voice behind him.

And this wasn't the way he wanted his brother to find out

He slowly turned and saw his furious brother and Emma standing behind him. He tried to think of something to say but realized he couldn't, "Killian."

"You went to him, out of all the people in this place, you went to him," Killian shouted.

"Killian," Emma whispered.

"No, stay out of this," Killian moved away, "You don't know what was done to us because of our father."

"What's going on?" Neal demanded as he came into the room.

"She is in one of the Asylums. Probably the closest one here. I did what I had to to get to her," Liam told him.

"Charming's getting her out."

"Charming might get her out that door but what happens when he gets to the water? Our father has the fastest ship in this place."

"I'm not taking her on that ship!" Killian screamed, "I'm not getting on it, and Emma isn't getting on it either."

"Hey, you don't speak for me," Emma said sharply.

"It's not happening," Killian said again, "If I have to steal another boat when we get her out, then we're doing it, but I will not step one foot near our father or ask for his help. He is the reason I am the way that I am. He is the reason that the things that were done to us were done. I will not hear his lies now."

"Killian!" he tried to call after his brother and then winced when he heard the door at the end of the hallway slam, "Killian!"

Emma stood in silence for a few moments and looked at Liam, "It's a good plan?"

"It has to be, it's the one we're doing."

"There's more to just saving Mina, isn't there?" Emma asked. "You haven't exactly been warm to us being here."

"Yeah, I know, I'm sorry, I wish I could," He told her honestly, "But if he tells us his story and that's his unfinished business…."

"Then he moves on."

"And either option is good with me, just as long as he never bothers us again," Liam said and left.

Emma passed a look to Milah, who sighed and took a drink, "Our family is ridiculous with its drama."

Emma chuckled, "You have no idea."

0000000000000000000000000000000

Neal took it upon himself to follow Killian to the other room before anyone else did. He really shouldn't have. There was a voice in the back of his head telling him that he didn't owe Killian anything after the trouble that he caused him.

But despite himself, he was worried and he did it anyway.

Killian was frantically pacing the room when he came in, "What do you want?"

"I'm checking on you," he walked further into the room, "So I guess that stuff you told me about your dad when I was a kid was true."

"I didn't tell you any of the things that happened to me and Liam afterwards because of him," Killian muttered, "Those men hurt Liam and me when we were kids. And what I may have done to you was unforgivable, but I would never ever let anyone do that."

Neal let him talk. He understood the implications, he knew how it was out in the sea when women were in short demand and there were those that couldn't fight back, "I'm sorry."

"I didn't know how to have a relationship with Milah, I didn't know how to have a fam-," he stopped, "They told me that what I was was what a man should be. And it wasn't until Snow's husband that I saw differently."

"You should probably calm down."

"He'll sell her. Liam didn't tell him why she was there. That'll make him curious and then she'll be sold to the highest bidder. She'll go from one hell to the other and why shouldn't she when he sold his own kids!"

"That won't happen."

"Yes, it will."

"Emma's mastered her magic, and we have my dad here."

"Like he won't use her like he does everyone."

"Hope not, she's sort of his adopted granddaughter."

Killian stopped, "What?"

"But she didn't know that when she met you."

Killian seemed dazed but shook it off and continued pacing, "There's another way. There has to be, we can use magic."

"It's probably protected."

"I don't want my father involved with this," Killian almost sounded small, but there was enough rage in his voice that he was still the captain that Neal was very familiar with, "There has to be another way."

"We'll find it if there is one."

"There better be," Killian went to leave.

Liam was standing outside the door, "Where are you going?!"

"TO FEED THE ACTUAL MAYOR WE'RE KEEPING IN THE BASEMENT!" Killian yelled as he went down the stairs.

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Hades spent most of his day going over new protocols with Jekyll to secure the facility, while taking correspondence from things going on in the mainland. The group hadn't left the house, not after the attack on Rumpelstiltskin's son. Cora had been found guilty and was going to be put in Jekyll's care in the morning. She'd probably stop and see the Harker girl on the way there, but it was out of his hands. Persephone did what Persephone did.

Just like him.

He pulled up to the house that he knew very well and walked up the steps. He pressed the doorbell and waited.

He saw the Storybrooke ex-sheriff freeze before he even opened the door. He put on the most condescending polite smile that he could when Graham opened the door.

"Deputy, what a wonderful time to see you're here."

"Lord Hades."

"I know they're here," he told him jovially, "And I'd like to talk to them."

He tried to look innocent, "Who?"

"Oh, any chance you might have had at deception was gone the minute James tried to kill them last night."

"Please," Graham whispered, "Don't hurt them, or my family. It was my idea-."

"I have no interest in harming your family at the moment but I'm sure once the heroes are out of the way, we're going to have a long long talk."

"It's alright, Graham," the familiar voice said from the stairwell.

Hades brightened in glee when he heard the voice, "Rumpelstiltskin."

He stuck his head in and grinned at the Dark One, "How lovely to see you again!"

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There were a lot of them, that's what Hades first noticed. For a house, even this big, it had to be crowded.

They were all nervous and Hades reveled in it. He took a cookie and dipped it in milk. The sound of him eating was the only thing that filled the room. He took a look at Rumple's ring finger and smirked, "Congratulations, how long has it been?"

"A week," Belle said after a moment of silence.

"A week," Hades nodded, "Well let's pray to well….my family that it doesn't go the way the last ones did."

Milah shifted uncomfortably.

"Well, I'm sure the tensions in this house are to be expected, so lets cut this short and talk about your leaving. Charon of course will take you back to Storybrooke-."

"I'm not leaving," the savior said.

"Of course you are, there's no reason for you to be down here yet. Keep at it though, and you'll be a new addition before you know it. You've luckily cheated death how many times? Tyche must like you."

"I'm here to see Mina Harker."

"Can't."

"Won't is more like it," Emma said, "All we have to do is talk to her and we'll be gone, that's all."

"I have no reason to let her talk to any of you," Hades watched them, a smug look in his eye, "And we both know that you won't settle with just talking to her. You'll want her safe, you'll want her happy. Well, I'm afraid as a loving father, I can't abide that."

"Do you know what your son did to her and her family?" Rumpelstiltskin said, "I'm a loving father too. Alexander Murray, Mina's father, died because of your son."

"And he was your foster son, for what now? 3 years? 5 years? You pawned him off on hunters and that's how this whole mess started on your end. It's amazing how easily you let your sons go."

"That's enough," Baelfire said.

"There's the boy that led to all of your world's troubles. Oh Baelfire, your murderous father and your neglectful murderous mother in the same room? Your stepfather who sold you out and then took an interest in your son's mother? Your step uncle forming a relationship with the man that died because he fell in love with the same child's mother? With family connections like that, you're right on the way to becoming your version of a Greek hero."

"We know she helped kill your son," Baelfire continued, undaunted, "I get that you're a father, and I get that you're grieving. But it doesn't have to be like this. Mina's father hunted him, he hunted Mina's father and then her family, Mina hunted him twice and now you're punishing her, where does it end? It doesn't have to be a cycle of revenge."

Hades thought it over, he supposed if he was human then it might start to sway him. But he knew that no matter what, he would win and they would all die and come to his realm.

"It ends when all of your souls are down in Monaxiá in little cells isolated from everyone else for your parts in the murders of not one but two gods, and that extends to everyone, even your son," he gave a pointed look at Emma, "And everyone in Storybrooke that had anything to do with their deaths."

Emma processed what he said and then reached for a knife. Hades slammed the palm of his hand down on the table, sending waves of pain to everyone in front of him. They all crumbled in agony. He didn't relent until blood started leaking from their noses. He crushed the glass with his bare hands in rage and sent the shards flying across the table.

"You think something like that would harm something like me?" he hissed and pulled Emma Swan to a sitting position, "Why is Mina Harker so special that you came down here when there are plenty of bodies in your wake that you didn't think twice about coming down here over."

Emma was gritting her teeth in agony, "She sent us."

"Who?"

"A dream, she asked for help in a dream."

He started to ask more questions, when something slammed against him from behind. He stumbled only once. He heard the growl of a wolf behind him. He turned only to walk right into the female wolf. She grabbed him by the neck and slammed him into the wall.

He couldn't be bothered. Without a word, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a bloody wedding ring.

Emma recognized it immediately, "What are you doing to her?"

"It's not what I'm doing to her, no. But it's what I'm going to do to her…to all of you that you should worry about."

He let the ring clatter on the floor, and waved his hands.

The wolf pulled away before she could be pulled towards the palace with him, as he disappeared in blue flames.

He'd made his point.

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Emma was the first to move, she scrambled across the floor and grabbed Mina's ring before it could be lost.

"Dad was right," Emma whispered, "She has to be in that place Hades said…that place he said we were all going to."

"Monaxiá"

Emma nodded and stared at the ring, "She's hurt, she's trapped, we have to get her out, we have to go."

"Love," Killian sighed, "We don't even know where that is. It doesn't mean anything to us."

"We can't wait," Emma said.

"Your father will go with Persephone in the morning, we have to have faith that he can keep the cover for that long in order to locate her and extract her," Liam told them.

Killian rolled his eyes and walked out of the room.

"Killian," Emma stood up.

Neal put his hand on Emma's, "Let him be."

"We have bigger things to worry about," Milah finally said, and when eyes were on her, she took a breath, "If this insane plan works and we get her out of that place, what do we do once she's out. I know none of you have thought that far since you all get to get out the moment you want to but we don't. So, lets starts planning."

There was a moment of silence before Neal went to sit down with his mother, "There has to be like a pocket area that maybe no one pays attention to. Maybe a cabin or something with some land."

"I can conjure some magic," Rumple went to sit as well, "but I'll need help, and we'll need to do it before we get her out of that place, we can't risk Hades finding it or us as we're taking her."

"You think he won't know?" Liam asked.

"If we get land far enough away where she can hide then we might. I'm sure leniency is out the window now."

Emma stumbled into the seat, barely listening. Whatever they would think of sounded good.

Mina's blood was on her hands, both literally and figuratively because she didn't protect her, and now she was being tortured and Emma's family was next in line.

What had she done?

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Graham had dealt with family squabbles before, the Jones-Milah dynamic was very dramatic. It was usually best to let everyone go their separate ways and calm down.

But this was bad, this was "Milah was told Killian sold her son out to Pan" bad, which was not something that had even remotely healed between them. So he backed off, waited until everyone went their separate ways and went upstairs to his and Liam's room.

Liam was already in bed. There was no snoring so Graham knew he was awake.

"You want to talk about it?" he asked.

"I spent my whole life protecting my brother as best I could," Liam said after a minute, "And to try and do my part and protect this woman he fathered a child with, I dropped him right at our father's feet."

Graham sat on the bed and turned, "It was a brave thing you did to face him."

"It was a cowardly thing for him to insist Killian get pulled in on it too. Nothing can justify what he let them do to us and I don't want to sit by and have to hear his excuses."

"Okay," Graham went to lay next to him.

"I won't lose Killian over this, not after I failed him as many times as I have."

"Okay," Graham went to spoon him.

"We have to think of another way to get her off that island."

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Neal walked beside his girlfriend as they headed upstairs for the night.

"Do you think it'll work?" he asked.

"Maybe," Emma said with what he knew was false confidence, "There's a lot we have to work out though."

"A hidden pocket area that she'll have to hide in for a long long time, that'll be bound to drive her crazy."

"How long do you think?"

"If gods see time differently than us, maybe millennia."

Emma put her hand on the bannister for support, "….well, we'll be down here before then. We'll just find a way to escape the asylum and join her. We'll have all the time in the world, right?"

"Maybe he'll just see the light and boot us all to hell."

"That's another hurdle we have to figure out," Emma looked over his shoulder and nudged him when she saw his mom come out, "Neal."

He turned, saw her and then turned back to Emma, "Can you give us a minute?"

"Yeah, I have to get in contact with my mom anyway."

"Okay," he kissed her and turned to Milah, "Mother."

"Bae," her eyes shone with what he thought was love, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

"Hades when we attacked us like that I was just….I was so worried about you."

"Well I'm fine, just don't want to be a burdon."

"You were never that," Milah said and cleared her throat, "I know that's hard to believe after everything that happened but-…gods Baelfire, you were never a burden."

"You thought papa was though."

"Your father and I will never see eye to eye on that and to preserve the peace, that's all I'm going to say about that," Milah swallowed, "But it was the right thing to leave you with him knowing what I know now about life on the sea…about what Killian was capable of doing to you."

"Well, papa dropped me down a portal so…."

"Killian sold you to your psychotic grandfather," Milah replied with a biting edge to her voice, her eyes flashed dangerously, "I left you with the father I believed…and still believe loves you."

"So, you know about what Killian did."

"Of course I know, do you think he'd be able to hide a lie like that from me once he got down here?" Milah walked forward, "I've tried to grow beyond what I was all those centuries ago. And I know that's hard for you to understand but I want you to know that I'm willing to try. I just hope that you give me that chance."

"Okay," Baelfire started to go up the stairs and then stopped, he didn't want to leave things like this, not when she seemed to want to try

What if she hurt him again?

He worked on forgiving papa, he worked on tolerating Killian, he shouldn't ignore his own mother, "I started a home."

"A what?"

"A home…when I was in Neverland, there were lost boys that were like me and when we brought them back from Neverland…I mean, they were damaged…a lot like I was. So with help from papa, I opened a home to help them recover emotionally and mentally so they could have a safe place…and one day if they're lucky…. find a family of their own."

Milah actually looked proud of him, "That's fantastic, Baelfire."

He took the next step, "Would you like to see my son?"

"I'd love to see your son."

He pulled out his own phone, his phone had nothing but videos and photos of him, the Lost Boys, and his family.

And his mother was a new person to brag to about his son.

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Belle was the forgiving type. Maybe a little too much so if anyone had anything to say about her marrying Rumplestiltskin and her…somewhat toleration towards Regina and Killian when he was alive.

But to witness him panic like he did, or what little slivers of it she saw, she felt for him. As everyone went to planning for the night, Belle slipped away, she went to get a couple of bottles of rum and found him sitting on the steps outside the house.

"Not safe for you to be out here," he told her.

"IT's alright, I'm pretty sure if Hades wanted us dead, we'd be so," she offered him one of the bottles. He accepted it and Belle took it as her invitation to sit down.

"Still not safe."

"Because they're a danger or you are?" Belle asked.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Killian looked at her, she saw the broken man underneath, "I'm sorry I kept trying to in the past. You didn't deserve that just because you were in love with him."

"It's alright," Belle took a sip and winced at the taste, "I forgave you."

"It didn't even matter because once Milah heard….well we're not together anymore. We all failed that boy all those centuries ago. I suppose I am my father's son after all," He took another drink, "Things could have been so different…with Bae, with Lizzie. I would've- I would've done it differently with Mina if I knew she was pregnant."

"It really hurts you that you didn't know, doesn't it?" Belle didn't know why she was surprised. Maybe it was because he tried to kill her all those times. That didn't really give her the mental image of him happily bouncing a daughter on his knee.

Killian stared at his feet, laughed bitterly, and took another drink, "I'm my father's son. I abandon my children."

Belle watched him, "My father…tried to marry me off to a man that saw me as an asset instead of a person. And when we all got here and I woke up and chose Rumple, he tried to erase my memory. I know a thing or two about bad fathers. You're not alone, you know, if you want to talk."

"Best not," Killian said after some consideration, "Things I've been through are already too painful."

"Okay," Belle said, "Would you like me to sit here?"

Killian stared at his drink, "The crocodile won't like it."

"I make my own decisions."

"I'm not good company."

"It's about what I would like, would YOU like some company?"

He sighed, "I would rather not be alone right now, no. But I don't wish to talk."

"Fine," Belle said and passed that terrible drink off to him, "We'll just sit here then."

Killian shrugged and looked back at the phone that held a photo of his daughter, "It occurred to me that I could've seen her through the mirror."

"We'll put it down for tomorrow," Belle promised.

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Emma shut herself up in the bathroom and covered the mirror when she was placing the call to her mother through that enchanted mirror that they brought with them.

When she saw her drowsy mother with bedhead, she immediately cursed, "You were asleep, I'm so sorry."

"No honey, I was just taking an early evening nap. The babies were keeping me awake. What's happened?"

"Everything," Emma ran a hand through her hair, "And nothing."

The whole story came out. She told her mother about their fates once they died, and how Hades had easily taken them all down. Why he hadn't killed all of them, Emma didn't know but she voiced her concerns to her mother anyway.

"He says we all have a cell there, even Henry," Emma rubbed her temples, "I can't let him die only to spend eternity trapped in a little cell somewhere on some island."

"Emma, you just have to remind him that he's a father too."

"We did remind Hades and we didn't do anything wrong when we defended ourselves from Dracula and Mr. Dark but then somehow there's a part of me that thinks deep down that maybe we didn't."

"There was no other way, we came to you because we couldn't defeat MR. Dark and Pandora's box didn't work. We were out of options."

"I know," Emma told her, "But…I mean I can't help but think they're parents too. I mean how would I feel if someone killed my kids…kid."

"You wouldn't do this."

"I don't know what I would do if Henry or Lizzie was killed." Emma admitted, "Am I even doing good being here when we can leave and they can't?"

"I think…," Snow started, "There's a lot of good you can do. I know you don't see it and you worry about Henry and being there but I think that if you want to help people find their happy endings and peace, then death is just another place to do it...if you want to."

"I just want to see Mina off safely, that's all I wanted. I didn't expect it to be all this.

"Your friend is in danger," Snow said, "Even Henry knows you have to save her. He said it himself, he knows this time you have to save her and everyone you can while you're down there."

"Hades can kill us anytime he wants."

"So, could the others we fought," Snow told her, "But if you just decide you want to come home, that's alright too."

"I know I can't," Emma told her, "But it's a lot easier knowing Henry has my back."

"Oh, the babies are awake," Snow took the mirror and walked over to the crib.

Emma smiled as she heard the babies gurgling back and forth to each other. She watched her mother turn on the lamp so she could see them smile at Snow and then at Emma. She put her hand on Lizzie's image, "Hi sweetie, hi. I'm sorry I'm not there right now, but I'm going to bring your mommy peace, I promise. Then I'll be home, and then….we'll take you to your grandmother and figure out how we're going to make an arrangement."

If she couldn't have Lizzie, she at least wanted to see her as much as possible.

Snow waved Lizzie and baby Robert's hand, "We love yoooou."

Emma smiled, despite herself, "I'm sorry dad can't be here."

"It's okay, he's deep undercover, we can't compromise that."

"You'll get him back, I promise."

"I better," Snow told her, "And all of you be safe."

"You too," Emma tucked some hair behind her ear, "Better go wake up Regina. She has a girlfriend waiting to talk to her too."

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"It's a lot to take in," Red told Regina through the mirror as they sat on their beds talking, "There's just so much here for everyone to deal with."

"I'm glad I'm not there, really," Regina told her, "I don't think I'd last very long."

Red sighed, "I think this place could do you some good."

"How so?" Regina asked, "I'm just realizing the extent of the things I've done. I don't think that's something anyone wants to hear after being dead for thirty years."

"Yeah well what better redemption then showing them how much you're willing to make amends?" Red asked, "And…..and it would anchor me better."

"Hey, you're strong enough to anchor yourself."

"I thought I'd have to kill Hades tonight," Red told her, "What's scary is how easy I was slipping in to that mentality. And it sucks because years ago, that wouldn't be the case."

"Years ago; I changed that. It's my fault."

"I just really wish you were here with me," Red told her.

"Well, chances are one day I will be," Regina shrugged.

Red understood the implication, "That's morbid."

"Well I'm definitely not going to paradise and I'm sure as hell not going to the pit without a fight."

"I'll go to that asylum since I helped kill Dracula. I just threatened Hades, no way are we getting a normal purgatory."

"I'll break you out," Regina smirked, "If it's that expansive, there's plenty of places to hide."

"You on the run from an oppressive force?" she raised an eyebrow, "Tables have turned."

"I was hoping I'd live in a palace but godkilling doesn't seem to make that hope very promising."

Red smirked and then went to touch the mirror, to touch the woman she loved as close as she should, "I love you."

"I love you too."

"It's almost over, we'll be back."

"You better, I'm not burying another love."

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Emma knew it was time, she knew her mind, she knew like she just knew it was always going to be Neal.

She came into their room. Neal was sitting on the bed, "I just spent time bonding with my mom."

Emma grinned, "You did?"

"It was weird and awkward at first but I think maybe we might be on the path to something."

Emma sat on the bed, "I'm happy for you."

He tilted his head, "You didn't agree with me being angry, did you?"

"You have every right to be angry with the people that hurt you, and it's not for me to judge. You're an adult…several times over. It's up to you."

"Thank you for supporting me," his hand found hers.

Emma squeezed it and took a breath, "Neal? I'm ready."

He straightened up immediately, he knew what she meant. Emma had put off the next step. They had found a family house for obvious reasons like walls, but Henry had nightmares and Lizzie was always awake at the wrong time…and the nursery was right across the hall from their room. Baby Robert who was always awake when Lizzie was asleep. They didn't want Emma's parents having to go take care of their son and hear THAT.

But it was them, here, and they were supporting each other in a place with walls and no babies or kids nearby.

It was just time.

"You're sure?"

She nodded.

"I'll stop if you want," he promised.

"I'm not going to want you to stop," she told him.

"Well, just in case," he went to move on top of his girlfriend.

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When Hades got to his house and sat in his car for a few moments, he realized what he risked in going at the visitors like he had. He had endangered himself. His wife and children had had no idea where he was.

It was stupid and reckless and they deserved better.

He was better than this. He was smarter. But he saw all of them, especially Emma Swan and he wanted to wring their necks.

But he couldn't. He couldn't risk the off chance his brother might come down to address the situation and get near Persephone and Melinoë.

So, he took a breath, he pulled himself together and he went into the palace. He checked on each and every one of his children, noting a couple of empty beds for the smaller ones, and finally went to the master bedroom where he and his wife slept.

Persephone was still awake, he saw her staring at the fire, stroking the hair of Penelope, who was curled into her side.

"Hey," she whispered, "I was worried. Where were you?"

"Shh," he went to lift up his daughter. Penny wrapped her arms around his neck. He stroked her back and gave her to one of the guards to take back to her room.

"We have to talk," he whispered and went to sit down. A lump and an indignant squeak from under the covers led to the discovery of Adrian, a son with the most untamable hair. He gave the sobbing surprised boy a hug and put him in another's guard's arms to take to bed.

"Hades, at least let us sooth him."

"He's fine. He'll stop before he even reaches the end of the hallway," Hades sat down and took a breath.

"I'm sorry for what I said this morning," Persephone told him, "I know you're grieving."

"In half a year, we've lost two of our sons and you doubt that I mourn them," Hades told her, "You are wrong. It's all I think about when I'm awake, when I'm eating, or when I'm sleeping and I'd like nothing more than to make them pay but I also have you and the children to think about. Underestimating an enemy is the worst thing we can do."

"I know. I don't doubt you grieve, I shouldn't have used it as a weapon."

"I went to see them," Hades confessed.

Persephone's eyes grew, "You what?"

"I wanted to prove I wasn't sitting idly by."

"You could've been killed!" Persephone hit him with a pillow, "I'VE LOST ENOUGH"

"OW!" He grabbed it when she hit him again, "The Harker bitch nearly escaped the asylum and I was trying to drive them away in case the next time it was successful. She took the minotaur out of commission, there's nothing really stopping her if she manages to get out again; except for a lucky sharpshooter."

"So then she'll get out if she can get outside."

"She's on lockdown in the infirmary right now, she has forty guards on her, until we can put her back in the bowels of that place."

"Further."

"Further," he promised.

"But not close to the titans," Persephone muttered and slammed her pillow angrily down for another sleepless night, "The last thing we need is for her to rally them to try and kill us all too. I have to take Cora to Monoxiá tomorrow, I'd really rather NOT die by their hand."

She turned her back on him and lay down.

Hades was dreading this next part, he wrung his hands a bit and cleared his throat, "There's something else."

"What?" she asked without turning around.

"When I was kicking their ass in a very manly fashion, they told me why they were here. They told me that dreams brought them down here of the Harker bitch calling for help."

"The dead can't do that, they were liars."

"No," he tightened his fists, "But Melinoë can."

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Melinoë could only wait for tomorrow for James to get back from Monoxia with the location of where Mina Harker was.

So that was on the backburner for now, this next part had to be done perfectly.

She sat in her closet, with an old flashlight as her only light source. She stared down at the water in the goblet until the picture formed of the square that she had seen so many times in the past two weeks.

She was the goddess of nightmares, and that was what she was sending to Storybrooke