~ The Nevenger Diversion ~
Emma was in the middle of a wonderful dream of lying on a beach with Bae while the kids made castles in the sand when she was rudely awakened by her cellphone at six AM the following morning. She opened one eye and reached out to grab it off the nightstand and missed, sending it crashing to the floor. Moments later all the landline phones in the house started ringing and she could hear Regina yelling in the hallway.
"Shut those things up! M'tryin t'sleep!"
Aria and Miri screamed from their cribs.
"What the hell?" Bae moaned, throwing the pillow over his head.
She crawled out of bed and grabbed her phone, seeing her mother's name on the display. "Mom, what's goin on?"
"We've been robbed!" she cried.
She was awake in an instant. "What?!"
"Someone broke into our car and stole everything…all the gifts we bought for Christmas! Your dad had them in the trunk and it wasn't just us…three of our neighbors were robbed too!"
"That must be who's calling the house. Where's Dad?"
"He's talking to our neighbors."
"Okay, I'm gonna call Nick and Molk and we'll be over."
"Em, what the hell's goin on?"
"Looks we've got people breaking into cars and stealing Christmas gifts. They hit my parents and three of their neighbors."
"You think it's the same people that wanted Cedric working in Papa's shop."
"I'd bet my next paycheck on it," she muttered while she dressed and turned on the speaker to talk to Nick.
"Already on it, Em. Our neighbors were robbed too and Peri's assistant said someone broke into the shop and tried to get in the safe."
"I'm gonna call Molk…wait…hold on…that's him on the other line. I'm gonna put you guys on conference, okay?"
"Emma, we've got a problem down here! A few people had their cars broken into last night and it looks like someone tried to break into Rumple and Melanie's houses too." David was saying. "Archie just texted me and told me they hit his place too."
"It's happening all over town. My parents were hit, Peri's shop, and a lot of the neighbors. Where are you?"
"I'm over at Melanie's. She had her place warded and so does Rumple so whoever tried to break in got a little surprise! Found burn marks on Rumple's front porch."
"Anything else?"
"I bagged up what I could with Ziplocs…only things I had handy."
"What about you, Nick?"
"I've got a phone full of photos from the scenes I'm working and cleaned Peri out of her Ziplocs too. I'll bring 'em down when I'm done here."
"My landlines are ringing off the hook so our gang of thieves were busy last night. Any activity on those cameras at Rumple's shop."
"None."
Out in the hall the Nevengers gathered in a huddle. "Holy crap! You hear that! Those guys were reallly busy last night," Killian exclaimed.
Rumple giggled. "Melanie musta set up a ward where if you touch her stuff you get fried!"
"They try to come here we need to make Mister Common Sense bite their butts!" Belle hissed.
Regina conjured a basket of rotten apple bombs. "I say we set up booby traps like in the Goonies."
Killian hi-fived her. "Yeah….and when they come in here they're gonna get worse surprises. I know all kinds of booby traps we can set. But we gotta make sure Mom and Dad don't set 'em off or we're gonna be sent to our rooms with sore butts."
"An me and Regina can set up good wards!" Rumple rubbed his hands together gleefully. "I know…we gotta find a way to get around town an tell people we can set up stuff to protect their houses if those thieves come back!"
"How we gonna do it?" Regina asked him. "Emma's gonna be really busy and Bae's got Miri an Aria to look after." She scowled. "Ya know they're just doin this stuff to throw us off their scent."
"Yeah, s'why we gotta get ahead of 'em cause we're the Nevengers and nobody's quicker n'us at solving stuff!" Killian boasted.
"Oooh I got it!" Belle cried, jumping up and down excitedly. "What if we ask somebody to take us house to house to sing Christmas stuff an give people candy then Rumple an Regina can set up the wards an booby traps! Plus we gotta get ALL the Nevengers to help!"
"Good idea, dearie!" Rumple praised. "People are gonna be mad they got their stuff stolen so we can cheer 'em up an help 'em out at the same time. An if their houses are warded then Emma, Mister Carlyle, and Mister Molk won't be runnin round like chickens with their heads cut off." He made a face. "Whole thing's to 'stract 'em anyway."
Killian grinned. "And if we go house to house we might find out where the Browns are!"
"Okay, Nick…I'm on my over to my parents place…you can meet me there. Molk, I'm gonna need you on Archie's street after you're done at Melanie's," Emma was saying. "Hold on a minute guys…." She put her phone in her pocket and leaned down to kiss the kids. "I'm gonna gone awhile today so you be on your best behavior for Bae, okay?"
Killian rolled his eyes. "Mom, whaddya think we're gonna do…wreck the neighborhood?"
"Do you really want me to answer that question, Killian Gold?" she asked with a twinkle in her eye. "You forget I KNOW you guys too well. No adventures today. This is a matter for the grownups."
"Okay…" they sighed. She gave each of them a kiss and hug goodbye and raced out the door.
Over at the Molk and Carlyle houses, the newest members of the Nevenger team were merely observing while their fathers were conducting their own investigations of the previous night's events, curious to find out what the senior members of their team were planning to do.
"Anybody tries to break in here I'm gonna whack 'em with my teeball bat!" Jasper grabbed his bat out from underneath his bed, his brother doing the same.
"I wanna freeze 'em like Elsa!" Cami cried.
"Hope Mommy lets us outta the house today! We gotta talk to the other Nevengers!" Devon said.
"Then we gotta make sure she does. You know Mommy. She gets all panicky when Daddy's on a big case," Jasper reminded him.
"Jasper, why do you and Devon have your bats out?" Beth asked from the doorway with Elsa in her arms.
"Cause anybody tries to get in here we're gonna smack their balls up into their throats like you said you was gonna do when you thought those bad cops were gonna come after Daddy," Devon replied.
"Put them away. No one is getting in this house," his mother said firmly.
"Yeah well are you gonna let us go out…don't wanna be stuck here!" Cami whined.
"Why do you want to go out today? It'll be better if you stay indoors."
"We wanna see the Nevengers!" they protested.
"Don't even think about it," she warned. "You ARE not going on any adventures so get that thought out of your heads right now."
They glared at her.
"Do not give me the Molkitude today or you'll be spending a lot of time in the corner. I mean it," she threatened. "Now come on. Let's go downstairs and watch a movie or make some things for Daddy to cheer him up when he gets home."
"Okay," they grouched.
"Oh boy!" Beth sighed and followed them downstairs. It was going to be a long day.
"…We gotta talk to Killian and find out what the heck's goin on!" Bobby Carlyle said to his sister. She nodded in agreement.
"I got an idea! C'mon!" They ran outside and met up with their father as he about to get in his car. "Daddy, can you ask if we can stay at Killian's today?" Annie asked him.
"Why?"
"Ummm…cause you'll be busy an so will Mom 'cause her shop got robbed!"
"They're gonna be busy too," he reminded them. "And if ye're thinkin ye'll be goin out on one of your adventures, forget it lass. This is Daddy's business and I dinna want ye gettin hurt!"
"We're gonna be BORED being here!" Bobby complained, giving their father the puppy dog look. "C'mon Daddy. We promise we'll just go over there and play. Please?"
Nick groaned. "Ye better just go over there and play because ye dinna want to be on the Naughty List, do ye?"
"No! We'll just play, we swear!"
"All right. Get in the car. I'll call your mum and Bae on the way."
"YAY!"
I really have to work on being immune to that damn look, he thought and started the engine.
"Holy shit! Some of this stuff costs more than my rent!"
Back at the hideout the thieves were celebrating their greatest achievement, a daring after hours' robbery spree that yielded them thousands of dollars in cash and merchandise. Their greatest haul would come from Gold's pawnshop that night. Luck was on their side when Cedrick informed them that Bae had gotten his father's child self to remove the wards on all the items making it easier for them to be taken. Their fence in Portland was ready to buy, all they had to do was get the stuff there and with the money from all the robberies, they had enough to leave that dead-end town and into the high life in California. That was where the real money was.
One of the thieves held up a blue sapphire necklace they'd stolen from Archie Hopper's office, a gift for his wife. "Oh well the cricket can afford to buy another one."
Selma snorted and tossed a lingerie set at the trashcan. "I don't give a damn what Snow White wears to bed. I told you idiots to go after the good stuff, not junk!" Three more lingerie sets were thrown out. She opened another bag and brought out several ring boxes. "Now THIS is more like it!"
One of the men was hooking up the plasma television they'd stolen out of Robin Hood's workshop. "Rob from the rich and give to the poor!" he snickered and turned it on. His arm had several burns on it from the wards at Regina, Melanie, and Rumple's homes.
The items they didn't want were thrown into the dumpster to be burned later, mostly clothing, toys and greeting cards they'd removed the cash and gift cards from. After sorting through the rest of the items, Selma went upstairs to give their captives their breakfast, what little of it she was willing to make. The children ate their cold, greasy meal in silence, a plot forming in their minds; an old trick they'd used on Nanny McPhee.
"I hope this works," Evangeline sighed.
"It almost worked with you guys," Simon reminded her.
When Selma returned to collect the dirty dishes she screamed in horror at the sight that met her eyes. "POX!" she screamed and ran out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
"What the hell you screamin about woman?" her lover demanded.
"They have pox! All of them!"
"Oh shit…if THEY got it, WE'RE gonna get it!"
"Then we gotta get rid of them!"
"You idiot…we can't get within a foot of them or we're gonna catch it and you can get pox everywhere!"
"You mean even on…."
"Yes."
"Now what the hell we gonna do with them!"
"Let em up there to rot," one of the men said coldly.
Cedric only had two customers though the shop had been open all morning. He worried for his family constantly making it difficult for him to concentrate on his work. He'd been warned to expect Selma's associates that night and to have the shop prepared for their arrival by disabling the computerized alarm systems, removing all the cash from the front safe and register and packing the smaller items in boxes for transport. He heard the bell above the door tinkle and cringed when he saw Selma Quickly with her latest lapdog.
"My family?" he croaked hoarsely.
"It appears they've caught a case of the pox," Selma announced.
"No…no! You have to let them go! Please! They need to see a doctor!" he pleaded desperately.
"You do your part, we'll do ours," she reminded him though she could care less if that scullery maid and his brats died. It was no less than they deserved for ruining her chances at a life as an aristocrat.
"I'll do it, I'll do it just…just let my family see a doctor!"
You fool. They'll never let them see a doctor. They'll just let them die as soon as you finish doing what they want you to do.
Unless it's my children up to one of their tricks…
And trickery was what the Brown children were famous for, recalling an incident where the children claimed to have measles to stay in bed all day and refuse to do anything Nanny McPhee told them until she applied a little trickery of her own. He recalled that Aggie was the only one of his children that never had the chicken pox. His clever children were simply stalling for time until their father could help them. Evangeline, bless her heart often told him that was smarter and braver than he gave himself credit for. He would save his family no matter what it took. He would play the part of the terrified father for now but once the opportunity presented itself he would make certain those thieves were given what they deserved.
Bae was grateful to have his eldest son's assistance keeping watch over a houseful of kids, including his own parents and Regina. Keeping them distracted was not going to be an easy task. He dug out their collection of Christmas movies knowing how much the kids liked them, especially the ones they could sing along to hoping that would keep them busy most of the morning since the schools were now closed for the holidays and the morning storm that swept through the town along with the wave of robberies.
Bae entertained Miri and Aria in the kitchen, playing some of the same breakfast games his father often did when he was too stubborn to eat, the girls laughing and clapping their hands at his silly antics and Aria spit her applesauce all over her chair.
"Now I know you take after me, kid," he said wryly, grabbing the roll of paper towels and wiping up the mess. "Aww man, Miri!" he groaned. She'd managed to grab one of the waffles off his plate and dropped it, giggling at the mess. "Ha ha…now your big brother's gotta cook some more waffles and I gotta tell ya…I stink at it."
In the living room; Killian grabbed the remote and paused The Year Without a Santa Claus. "Henry, we gotta find out what's goin on around town an we got a plan. You gotta help us get Dad to go for it."
Henry sighed. "Lemme guess…I'm the lookout, right?"
"Ummm...not really, dearie," his grandfather replied. "Might need your help on some magic stuff."
The teenager's eyes lit up. "Cool! What's the plan?"
"We talk Bae into takin us out so we can sing Christmas songs to cheer people up but set up wards an booby traps an 'vestigate," Belle said. "Those thieves are just doing this to 'stract Emma, Nick an Mister Molk and we gotta help them out."
Moments later they heard the doorbell ring. "I'LL GET IT!" Regina shrilled and raced to the front door with the others at her heels. "HEY BAE! THE MOLKS ARE HERE!"
"Holy crap M…Regina! You tryin to make us all deaf or what?" Henry exclaimed, grateful his mother wasn't that loud as an adult even when she was angry.
Bae picked up his sister and daughter and came to the front door to find Elizabeth Molk and her brood standing on the porch. "Mrs. Molk, what can I do for you?"
"Help me cure a nasty case of the Molkitude?" she asked hopefully.
"What?"
"We wanna see the Nevengers!" Jasper protested, his siblings following suit.
"I've tried everything I can to keep them calm but they insisted on coming over here…" She glanced over his shoulder. "And it looks like you could use a little help babysitting. David, Emma and Nick will probably be gone most of the day working on those robberies and the kids won't put up as much of a fuss if they're with their new friends."
"Yeah, I really could use the help," Bae mumbled, catching the scent of diapers needing changing. "Okay, okay gonna get you cleaned up," he soothed. "Looks like you have a diaper needing changing too," he said to Beth, Elsa sniffling in her arms. "The nursery's upstairs." Okay guys, go in the living room with Henry while Missus Molk and I take care of the babies."
Rumple smiled. "Sure! C'mon!"
"Okay, so wha'cha got planned?" Jasper demanded once they were alone with Henry.
"Here's what we're gonna do…"
While the children were discussing their diversion strategy Bae and Beth went upstairs to change the babies.
"I'm still getting used to doing this," Bae laughed. "Was David nervous when he had to do it the first time?"
"A little but he caught on quickly. My second husband never wanted to learn anything about child rearing. He made two of them but he never wanted to take care of them. They've always thought of David as their father even before we got remarried because he always went out of his way to spend as much time with them as he did with Jasper."
"I missed out on all of this with Henry but I don't wanna miss a thing with Aria. And my father feels the same way because he missed out on things with me because of that stupid blue bitch. You guys are lucky."
Beth sighed. "David still feels he missed out on a lot of things working with the SFPD. Being a cop is rough on the family life; it's even harder when you're one in a city like San Francisco with a high crime rate. That's another reason why I'm glad we got our memories back. We needed to get out of there, not just because we were displaced fairy tale characters. I didn't want my children living in fear." She picked up Elsa. "Do you need help getting them breakfast?"
"No, I did manage to get that done," he chuckled. "It's keeping them busy the rest of the day we gotta worry about. They'll want to go on one of their adventures."
"I have to admit even I want to know what's going on. It's the investigative journalist in me."
"Me too and though he gives me as many gray hairs as I gave him getting into mishaps, my father always manages to find a solution and so does Emma."
"David always had a detective's brain even when he lived as Jasper in my father's court. Nothing escaped his notice even my attempts to slip past him when I was feeling frustrated with my royal duties. He was the one who suggested we summon Rumple when Maleficent cursed me and was willing to pay the price himself."
"What price did he ask for?"
"That if there ever came a time when he needed David's help with something he would give it. This is that time."
The children were watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas when Bae and Beth joined them in the living room. Everyone was shocked when a large plush Grinch doll appeared on the sofa beside Beth while she was holding Elsa, the baby giving her a Look.
"Whoa!" Killian exclaimed. "Did she do that, Missus Molk?"
"I...I think so."
"Yup. You forgot him so she's mad," Rumple explained.
"He's bigger n'her!"
"So's Cami's Frozen stuff," Devon said.
"Hey Dad can we go out Christmas caroling tonight?"
"Ummm…why?"
"Because we wanna cheer everybody up. Are ya watching this? Christmas doesn't come from a store and it's not gonna get ruined because some jerks stole stuff," Belle said angrily. "So we'll go around town cheering people up."
"Belle I can't sing worth crap. You know that," Bae reminded her.
"YOU don't have to. We will."
"And we don't wanna be stuck in the house all day," Bobby huffed.
"What do you think Beth?"
"We could but Aria, Miri, and Elsa can't be out in the cold too long or they'll get sick. So would all of you and that means you're wearing your warmest clothing."
Rumple and Regina smiled. "We can 'chant Aria, Miri, and Elsa so's they stay warm can't we, Rumple?"
"I know what spell to use!" Henry exclaimed. It was one his grandfather taught him a month earlier if he ever found himself stranded outdoors during the winter.
"Okay then we can go out after dinner." Bae said. He'd gotten a text from Emma saying that she would be working most of the day and needed him to make dinner for the kids. Peri planned on going over to the house to help out now that her shop was officially a crime scene.
The children were excited, hoping that their diversionary tactic would help them locate the missing Browns.
At the Hopper house David was examining his twin's safe. "So you and Selene were the only two that knew the code?"
"It ahhh…it was my office number," Archie said sheepishly. "Selene warned me to change it months ago but I never got around to it. I just used it because that's a number easy for me to remember."
"Either that or get one with a better lock." He loaded all of his evidence bags into the trunk of his squad car and locked it. "I'm hoping we can get everything back before Christmas but if we don't you better pick up something else for Selene."
"I will. Thanks, David. Didn't expect one of your first cases to involve me."
"I've dealt with worse. I'll call you when I find something out."
He met up with Emma and Nick at the station. "These guys are good. I'll give them that," Emma sighed. "They picked the trunk locks with the same kinds of picks I used and slim Jims on the doors. We've got some fingerprints but its gonna take a little while for those to come back. Some of the stolen merchandise was wrapped so they'll be throwing fits when they find toys and clothes in those. We need to work overtime on this one boys or the whole town's gonna be breathing down our necks to get their stuff back by tomorrow night. Not how any of us planned on spending our Christmas Eve."
"Try being called to the scene of a triple homicide on Christmas Day," David said bitterly. "Happened the year of Jasper's first Christmas. The holidays bring out the best and worst in people."
"I've gotten called out on Christmas twice for homicides," Nick added. "I'd rather deal with a bunch of thieves than a murder over the holidays."
"Point taken. Based on what Rumple told us, we should look at Selma Quickly. She could've gotten a few of her friends to rob people in the town to distract us from finding the Browns but we have to tread lightly. One wrong move and we lose that family."
"Still no activity at the shop, Emma."
"I'll go over there myself and talk to Cedric. I can say I'm working on the aging potion for the kids while you two handle the robberies." Emma summoned her map of the town from her desk drawer and unrolled it. "Most of the robbers took place in this area." She drew a large circle on the map.
"Then they must be hunkering down near there," Nick said. "But we already did a house to house and no one saw anything."
"Okay…let's widen the grid. Start here and work your way out. I want every inch of this town covered and I'll call my dad and two other deputies in to help you out along with Ruby. She's a damn good tracker and so is my mother. While Cedric's distracted I'm gonna teleport over to his house and get items from the missing family. Once I send them to you, give them to Ruby and have my mom go with her. She picks up a scent, you move in."
"Got it, Em. C'mon Molk, let's get movin."
That evening, Bae, Beth, Peri and the children put on their warmest clothing and set out on what the Nevengers called Operation: Fix Christmas. Many of the residents were still upset over the loss of their Christmas gifts but hearing a group of children singing some of their favorite Christmas carols helped lift their spirits. As they were singing Rumple, Henry and Regina were setting up wards on all of the houses and some of the other children wanted to go caroling with them.
As they approached a one story blue house they saw a note taped to the door. Killian walked up to the door and began to read. "Carolers…will be….crit…crit…sized?"
"Carolers will be criticized? Ummm….think we better skip this house dearies. Whoever lives here sounds like a real grump," Rumple suggested.
"I agree with Rumple. Let's skip this one!" Regina said.
"No, they're prolly mad cause their gifts got stolen. I'm gonna sing whether they want me to or not!" Belle insisted.
"Dunno how to spell either," The Professor pointed out. "Criticized has a 'z' in it not an 's."
"For someone from Europe that is the correct spelling, Anne," Beth spoke up. "They spell a lot of words differently."
Killian rang the doorbell, all of them confused by the sound emitting from it.
"What the heck kinda doorbell is that? Sounds like somethin' grinding?" Willie asked.
They also heard the song Pretty Woman being played on an electric guitar.
"Oh my God that sounds awesome!" Killian exclaimed. Belle rang the doorbell again.
A man in his late fifties wearing sunglasses, a white t-shirt, a black hoodie, and sweatpants poked his head out the door. There were also red plush deer antlers on his head.
"Hi!" Belle said cheerfully. "I know your sign says we're gonna be criticized but can we sing carols for you anyway?"
"Ummm…"
"Did you play Pretty Woman?" Killian asked him.
"Yes," he answered in a Scottish accent.
"That was so awesome! Can you play something else…like Eruption by Van Halen?"
The man smiled. "Well dude, I'll see if I can remember it," he said and began to play. Killian tapped his foot along with the music.
"Now can we sing?" Belle asked once he was finished.
"Yes, you can sing."
The man was still smiling as he listened to the children singing. It had been a difficult year for him, losing two people he cared for deeply but it was time for him to stop hiding in this obscure American town and get back to travelling the stars and he now had at least one good memory to take with him. "I'll be leaving town soon…moving away on business but who knows…I might come back someday."
"Hope you do. What's your name?"
"Smith, Doctor John Smith."
"I guess we'll see you around dearie." Rumple reached for his hand and shook it. "You won't be alone for long, Doctor," the toddler added and winked at him. Mr. Smith nodded.
"Goodbye kids…and thank you."
They heard the grinding noise again and the house was now vacant.
They made several more stops on that street before turning down the next one, encountering Snow and Ruby. Ruby held a blanket in her hand.
"What're you guys doin?" Bae asked.
"Emma has us tracking the Browns," Snow said. "Molk, Charming and Nick are a few blocks down.
"You pick up the scent yet, Ruby?" Rumple asked her. She shook her head.
"Then come with us…we're caroling 'cross as much of the town as we can."
"It'll be a good cover if ya pick up anything," Bobby added.
"That's a good idea…come on, Snow!"
The pair followed the group down to the next street.
Back at the shop Emma took Cedric into the backroom with her while she was working on the potion. "Mr. Brown, we know what's going on and we're going to help you."
He panicked. "Y….You can't…they'll hurt my family!"
"Listen to me…that is NOT gonna happen, okay! I've got my deputies all over town searching for them and the robbers. The robbers are the ones who took them, aren't they?"
He nodded. "They told me I had to work here so that I could help them remove Mr. Gold's stock."
"Then that's exactly what you're going to do. Let them take it out."
"But…but…"
"Mr. Brown, I need you to keep calm. You cannot do or say anything to make them think we're on to them. Do you know where they're keeping Evangeline and the kids?"
"No…Selma has them but she's not staying at her house…"
"We're gonna find them…one way or another."
"How?"
"Ruby has their scent now…she and my mother can track them and if that doesn't work we have some items in here with locator spells on them. I'm gonna show you which ones they are and I need you to make sure they go with these guys when they come to pick them up. I'll be right here if you need me but you won't see me." She cast an invisibility spell. "They won't be able to see or hear me…but you will be able to hear me."
"Okay."
They heard a car door close.
"You're on, Cedrick. Now remember….keep calm."
"Right….right…"
Two of Selma's associates sauntered into the shop. "Truck's in the back. Let's get it loaded. The Golds are too busy goin around town singing carols."
Emma was grateful her targets couldn't hear her laughing at the thought of her husband singing. He couldn't to save his life.
Oh I bet you've had a few doors slammed in your face, Bae and this has to be one of my mother-in-law's schemes. She tried it last year.
Three more men showed up and in that hour they'd taken a large portion of Rumple's stock including six items that had been enchanted with locator spells. Once they drove away Cedric sat down on the cot and buried his face in his hands. "What if this doesn't work?"
"It will!" Emma said firmly. "Come with me."
They went outside and Emma pressed her hand to the pavement. A glowing set of tire tracks appeared on the road. She raced to her Bug with Cedric Brown at her heels. "I'm going with you!"
"Listen up everybody! The tracer spell's been activated on the items from Rumple's shop. I've got a set of tire tracks I'm following. Dad, you're closest to me so meet me near Marco's shop. I want all units to converge we find the end of the trail and keep in mind we have a family being held captive. Removing them from the scene safely is priority one!"
The Nevengers approached a small cottage. Belle rang the doorbell hearing "You're a Mean One Mister Grinch" play. The door opened and a creature with green fur dressed in an old Santa suit opened the door.
"Holy crap! The REAL Grinch? Really?" Devon Molk exclaimed.
"That is SO cool! Bobby, I can't believe we're meeting the REAL Grinch. Wait till we tell Daddy!"
"He's not gonna be shocked, Annie. He's meetin all kinds of story people here."
"Oh did Daddy and I forget to mention that?" Beth giggled. "Hello, Mister Grinch. You may not remember me but I'm Phillip and Aurora's daughter."
"Oh, yes Rose. And hello to you, Baelfire. It's been a long time since I've seen you."
"Yeah," Bae chuckled. "I thought you were still living in Whoville."
"Oh, we came over here during the summer but you were out of town."
"Hi, Mister Grinch. You wanna hear us sing the Who Christmas song?"
"You know I would, Belle," He winked at her. Elsa wriggled in her mother's arms.
"Mister Grinch, Elsa wants to hug you like her plushie," Cami explained.
"Jasper, he goes by David now, has been reading your story to our kids since they were born and our littlest one…well…you're one of her favorite characters," Beth explained. The Grinch took the baby in his arms and held her while the children sang.
"If your heart wasn't three sizes bigger now Emma woulda thought you stole Christmas again and locked you up," Killian said once they finished. The Grinch frowned.
"It wasn't me but I hope she finds out who did," he said angrily. "My Who friends are very upset. If there's anything I can do to help, you just let me know."
"We might need to borrow your old sled dearie." Rumple said.
"Oh? What for?"
"Cause if we find the stuff they took we gotta get it back to them before Christmas!"
"My sled's a little small…"
"Not for us!" Regina declared. "We can make it Santa sized! Just gonna need you to drive it!"
The Grinch laughed. "If your ahhhh….if Bae doesn't mind."
"He's not gonna mind. Are you, Bae?" Rumple demanded, giving his son his Stubborn As Hell Face.
Henry laughed. "He's got you there, Dad."
"Yeah yeah, rub it in. Okay, Rumple. But ONLY if you let the Grinch drive."
"I'll be happy to drive it."
"Thank you, Mister Grinch."
"You're welcome, Regina."
"Okay guys, we better get back home."
"Regina, look! Tracks from our spell!" Rumple pointed to a glowing set of tire tracks on the ground.
"They're pointin to that dumpy ole house! That's gotta be where the Browns are! Bae, we gotta go over there!"
"No, we're gonna call Emma."
"Bae, we don't have time to wait!" his father insisted. "Emma's prolly on the other side of town. Listen, we can 'stract whoever's in the house while you an Henry get the Browns out. S'what we were doin in the first place."
"What!" Peri exclaimed. "Robert and Anne Carlyle, are you gonna tell me this caroling bit is you going on another one of your adventures!?"
"Ummm…yeah….sorry Mom…" Annie said nervously.
"I'm texting Nick now, Bae." Peri said.
"And I'm sending the address to David. Rumple's right." Beth glanced over at Bae. "We have to try stall them somehow."
"Rumple, you've been using a lot of magic today. I know you are. You're getting tired."
Regina glared at him. "I got enough apple juice in me to kick that pasty witch's butt!"
"And I've got the scent!" Ruby confirmed. "I'll go with you and take you to where the Browns are. Snow, you and Peri and Beth can stay with the kids."
"They could be armed!" Bae protested.
"The hardest enemy to hit is one you can't see. You get me, Henry?" Rumple asked his grandson.
"Gotcha! Get ready to be invisible, Dad!" The trio vanished from sight. "And I remembered to make sure only those we want to can see and hear us."
"Good."
"They can't see the tracks, can they?" The Professor wanted to know. Rumple shook his head. Regina snorted.
"We're not that stupid. C'mon! Time's wastin."
"Emma, I've got a visual on the tracks!" they heard Nick call out.
"Where?"
"Down near the docks!"
"My dad and I are on our way, Molk?"
"Emma….we've got a problem!"
"What?"
"Bae, Beth, Peri and our kids are at the place the tracks are leading to! I'm on my way and sending you the address!"
"Shit!" Emma floored the accelerator. "Better hang on, Cedric! Nick, you haul ass and back up Molk till we get there!"
"On my way!"
Selma was getting ready to go down to the shop when she spotted the child Rumple Gold accompanied by Snow White and two other women. She put on her best face and met up with them. "What are all of you doing out in this weather?" she asked sweetly.
"We're singin Christmas carols!" Belle answered. They were standing in front of her car. While she wasn't looking Regina and Rumple cast a spell that flattened her tires.
"Oh how nice."
"You wanna hear one?"
"Ummm…"
"Please….." She gave her the puppy dog look.
"There's somewhere I need to be."
"Okay…well…have a Merry Christmas."
"Thank you."
They stepped back to allow her to get in her car. As soon as she pressed her foot on the gas pedal she heard a grinding noise. "What the hell? She got out of the car. "How the hell did my tires get flat!"
"Didja forget to put air in 'em. Ya gotta do that in cold weather," Rumple said smugly.
"Shut up, you little smartass! They were full earlier!"
"You better watch that mouth or you're gonna eat soap!" Regina threatened.
Selma glared at her. "And YOU better watch yourself or I'll show you what happens to bad little girls!"
Snow shoved her against the car. "Threaten her one more time, bitch and you're gonna find out what happens to bad big girls!" she snarled.
"I'll take that!" Peri snatched Selma's purse out of her hands and took out a handgun. "Can't risk you firing this around children!"
"I got something better to do with it!" Regina gestured and turned the weapon into a candy cane. "Merry Christmas, Snow!"
"Thanks, Regina!"
David ran up to them panting heavily. "W…What…the heck…are you guys doing!"
"Giving you a hand, what else?" Killian shook his head. "You gonna take that witch downtown?"
"Not before I ask her a few questions. All right Selma, where are the Browns?" he demanded.
"You go fu…."
"I WARNED you!" Regina singsonged as Selma coughed up soap bubbles.
David facepalmed himself. "Regina, couldn't you wait until I got something outta her?"
"She's not gonna talk," Killian spoke up. "They're in that dumpy house. They have to be."
"Honey, go. We'll handle this bitch!" Beth said to her husband.
"Where's Nick?" Peri demanded.
"He was behind me. I hope to hell he gets here soon!" He handcuffed Selma and made her sit in the backseat of her car then drew his gun and raced toward the house.
Meanwhile Ruby, Henry, and Bae snuck around the back, Ruby sniffing the air. "Only catching the scent of the Browns…and someone else….It's Molk. Emma gave me all the scents of all her deputies so I would know the difference. The Browns' scent is coming from the second floor."
"Okay, we better tell Molk." They came back around to the front of the house as David was about to enter. "Only the Browns are inside, Deputy," Ruby informed him. "But I'm picking up the others, not far from here."
"All right, let's get the family outta here." He entered the house, Bae, Henry, and Ruby following suit. Ruby moved forward and led the group to a room at the end of the hall on the second floor. When she opened the door something struck her on the head. She slumped to the floor.
"Oh crap! Miss Ruby, I'm sorry! I didn't know it was you!" Sebastian Brown cried, holding the broken leg of a chair in his hand.
"She's gonna be okay. We gotta get you guys outta here fast!" Henry cried. He teleported Ruby to the hospital with a note for Granny and Doctor Whale explaining the situation. Nick pulled up as they were coming out of the house. "Sorry I'm late, Molk."
"Ruby said she picked up the scent of the others but she's had an accident. Where are Emma and Nolan?"
"They're about five minutes away. Rumple sent Selma down to the station. She'll be cooling her heels in a cell for a while. Come on. We'll find 'em!"
The two men started running toward the docks.
"We did it, we did it! We found the Browns!" Killian cheered and started hugging all of them.
"We KNEW you guys would find us!" Sebastian hugged him back.
"S'not over yet, dearies!" Rumple reminded them. "Those robbers are still out there. C'mon Regina. Mister Molk and Nick are gonna need our help."
"M'getting tired, Rumple."
"So am I," Henry confessed.
"Guys, you better leave this one up to the pros," Bae advised.
"But we wanna help!" Belle protested.
"You've done enough for one day, honey. Let the police do their job," Peri said gently.
"Look!" Willie pointed toward an old warehouse parking lot.
"Oh no not again!" Beth groaned, watching her husband climbing up the back of a trailer in pursuit of his suspect.
"Get 'em Daddy, get 'em!" Jasper and Devon cheered.
The other Nevengers stood beside them, their mouths agape.
Nick, you better be ready on the ground! David thought as they got closer to the edge of the trailer. The two of the split up when their suspects took off in opposite directions. David's suspect Horace jumped off and landed on a pile garbage beneath the first trailer then started climbing up the second trailer.
"Shit!" David cursed. He jumped off his trailer onto the garbage and followed Horace up the second trailer. Here I go again!
"Uh oh…if he jumps off the other one he's gonna get hurt! We gotta help him, Rumple, but we're too tired!" Regina cried.
"We gotta try! Soon as he gets close we'll do a floating spell an bring 'im down!"
Horace jumped off the second trailer yelling in pain and got up to run again.
"Where the heck's your dad?" Jasper demanded of Bobby and Annie.
"He's comin! C'mon Dad! Hurry up 'fore he gets away!"
"Rumple, Mister Molk can't get down! You gotta help him!" Belle pointed to the trailer. Seconds later a slide made of ice appeared in front of it. He slid down behind Horace but before he could catch him Nick came around the corner and tackled the man to the ground.
"Horace Byers, you're under arrest!" Nick growled and hauled him to his feet and took his gun. "You okay, Molk?"
"Yeah….where's the other guy?"
Nick gestured to the second suspect, cuffed to the fence.
"Oh my God that was AWESOME!" Killian exclaimed.
"Yeah but scary!" Belle shivered.
"Daddy's chased somebody like that before," Jasper told them. "Huh Dev?"
"Yep."
"Really?" Bobby asked. "Did he have an ice slide too?"
"Nope. He was stuck on the second trailer. Uncle Eddie tackled the guy an' he an Hildy took him off to jail. Thanks for giving him the ice slide guys," he said to Regina and Rumple.
"We didn't do it."
"Huh? Then how did it get there?"
"Cami did it," Rumple said.
"I did? How?" the little girl's eyes widened with shock.
"Were you thinkin 'bout it, dearie?"
"Umm…I was scared Daddy was gonna fall an I thought 'bout a sliding board…did I really do that?"
"Uh-huh. You got ice powers like Elsa," Rumple answered.
"Cool!"
"But you are going to learn how to control them, Cami," Beth said firmly.
Nick and Molk walked their suspects to the police truck where the other two robbers were waiting. Emma had just pulled up when she and Charming spotted them fleeing the scene in their car. They boxed them in using their own vehicles and took them into custody. "Okay Ben, haul 'em in!" she instructed the deputy driving.
"You got it, Sheriff!"
The robbers could hear the Nevengers singing during the trip to the station.
"They're coming to take you away-hee hee ha ha
To Maine State Pen, twenty years to life,
Where a fat guy named Bubba's gonna make you his wife
If ya don't do as you're told
Ya get chucked into a dark hole
And nobody cares cause you broke the law
And now you're gonna pay
So take them away
Hooray!"
The parents gave their children the Look.
"Now what did I tell you about singin that song?" Nick demanded of his children.
"Not to do it anymore."
"Then how 'bout this?" Rumple suggested. "Breakin' rocks in the hot sun
They fought the law and the law won
They fought the law and the law won
They needed money 'cause they had none
They fought the law and the law won
They fought the law and the law won…"
Emma reached into her pocket and took out the vial holding the antidote to the deaging potion.
"You finished it?" Bae asked her.
She nodded. "I know Miri needs to see her parents, Bae…but I want to have one more Christmas with those rugrats…just one more."
"I know hon but this is Miri's first Christmas too."
She sighed. "You're right. I'll change them back before Christmas morning."
He kissed her. "We still have them till then."
They heard someone clear their throat and turned to face Rumple. "Umm Emma, we said we'd return all the stuff that was stolen and we're gonna cause now we know where it is."
"Okay. Wanna tell me how we're gonna do that."
He beckoned her to lean down and whispered in her ear. "Seriously?"
"Yup!"
"Ummm…well…that's Santa's job."
"We'll write him a note."
Bae laughed. "Oh I can't wait to see how this turns out!"
Author's notes: There are several eggs planted in this chapter. Let's see who can pick them all out! Only one more chapter to go and thank you all for continuing to read dearies!