A/N: I'm back! :D I honestly don't know why I've been delaying this update, but I think I might subconsciously don't want this to finish so quickly... I thank each every one of those who have expressed their love and wish for this story to carry on longer than eight chapters, but to be honest, all good things have to end, and this will end soon... The plot was a short one, I'll admit, but I can't stretch it anymore, sorry.
I warn you, this chapter is filled with angst at the end. StorybrookeGirl may have a bad influence on me. Sorry about that. Prepare the tissues.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters depicted here, except for the Author. All the others are the propriety of Kitsis and Horowitz, those heart-breakers.
7. Death is a sweet revenge
Regina regained consciousness with some difficulty. She became aware of her surroundings, but could not open her eyes, for they felt as heavy as lead. Then she felt as if the right side of her head had been wrapped in something sticky, as well as a slight sting on her left shoulder.
Next to her, a monitor started bleeping as she had become to recall the events before she blacked-out. Daniel...Robin...
"Doctor! She's awake!" said a feminine voice she could not quite place somewhere in the same room. At the same time, a hand encompassed the place where hers should be, and her heart leaped in her throat.
"Robin..." she managed to croak.
"Ssssh..." he soothed her, "don't speak."
A set of footsteps approached, and her eyelids were forced open, a harsh light blinding her as she groaned at the aggression. "Sorry, Regina, I had to check." Then her eyes closed again, but felt less heavy already. "She had a bad concussion, but she'll be fine if she doesn't stand up too quickly. And I'd advise not to crumble to the ground anymore than necessary."
Regina had a joyless laugh and coughed when it hurt her ribs a little. "Always a pleasure, Whale."
The doctor chuckled, then she heard him exit the room, accompanied by the nurse, do doubt.
Robin sighed deeply at her side. "You scared the hell out of me." His voice was almost as low as a whisper, but he could convey his fear so easily that she found herself wishing she could reach for him at this precise moment.
So she tried to open her eyes again, and managed it after the hospital light stopped blinding her, and carefully turned her head to see him.
He hadn't changed one bit during the time they had been apart. Same blue eyes settled on her with utter affection, same green jacket, same ugly scarf, same dimples, same soft smile. She tried one of her own. "I'm safe now. You saved me."
He smiled back and stood a little to place a kiss to her forehead. "Anytime. You know that."
"How...?"
"I came to the town-line twice a week until I saw Rumpelstiltskin and some other people manage to enter town. That's when Marian and I decided we had to warn you, and we camped near the wishing well. Then yesterday morning, the spell around town was lifted by two people I had not seen before."
Regina groaned as she sat up slowly, and he arranged her pillow behind her to make her feel more comfortable. "Yes, well, I have some things to tell you. To fill you in the craziness that's taken place here."
"It'll have to wait, I'm afraid." Both Regina and Robin looked over at the door, and Henry Senior walked in, his face grave. "Henry has returned from the woods with William." Before Regina could come up to conclusions, her father lifted his hand. "He's perfectly fine. But I'm afraid the Dark One has his dagger once more."
Dread filled Regina's veins at once. This was what they had been fearing since he had returned. If he had the dagger, heaven forbid all the things he was about to unleash on the whole town in retaliation for his exile.
She let out a heavy breath, and Robin squeezed her hand harder, even if silently doing so.
Her father sighed. "Snow and David will be here shortly. They were attacked as well, but they're alright." A shadow passed in his brown eyes. "The same cannot be said about Belle."
Robin's head snapped up. "What happened?"
"She's been tortured. We can only guess by whom." He sent the archer a pointed look. "She was in such a bad state that Viktor put her in an artificial coma."
Regina groaned and looked up into the ceiling. Hell. He was about to unleash hell.
Her father walked to the bed and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "I'll be back with Henry. He is watching over Belle for now." He straightened up and nodded at Robin. "It is nice seeing you again, Robin."
The younger man watched as he left the room, his blue eyes widened in awe. "Who was that? I don't recall meeting him..."
Regina chuckled darkly. "This...was my father." His eyes snapped at her, widened even more. She sighed. "It is time we had that filling up conversation."
He had been witnessing the whole process, a frown never leaving his face.
Rumpelstiltskin proved to me much more of a threat than he had thought. While he had sent his minions to attack the four people who could possibly take them down, he had gone to his wife, and tortured her.
He had watched, frozen in place, as the imp broke the person who had loved him the most. Who still did, deep inside. He could not interfere, it wasn't meant to be, was against his own rules, but his two hands were balled up in fists, and when the wizard left his victim bloodied and crumbling to the shop's floor, he had waved his hand, making sure no fatal damage would be done to her. For the mental damage, though, he had no remedy.
He had gone, next, to witness as Snow White and her husband fought against Ursula and the cruel animal-killer. He had watched silently, hidden in the shadows of his own magic, as David Nolan wounded the sea-witch by firing a shot in one of her tentacles. He watched as the princess knocked her own opponent with a branch. And he watched as both villains were taken for the scene in a purple cloud.
He had not meant things to be this way when he had changed the book. But then, he knew the repercussions for such magic. And if 'magic always came if a price', that magic had an even bigger price.
He was standing in the middle of the road, in the woods, knowingly waiting for the Dark One to appear. He knew he was looking for him. And had left a trail for him to follow.
When he did, in his dark red mist of smoke, he, the 'Author', didn't move.
Rumpelstiltskin's face was distorted by rage, a snarl ever forming on his thin lips. The only thing lacking to this picture of old was the scaled skin.
"So it was you."
He nodded. "It was me."
"Why?"
"You know why, Rumpelstiltskin. Villains don't get happy endings."
The Dark One smirked, the sight frightening to anyone who would actually fear him. He produced his dagger from the inside pocket of his battered suit. "I have my dagger back. And you know what that means."
"Yes, I do. It means you want to enact revenge on Storybrooke. And me."
"Indeed I do. And I'll start with you."
He made an ample gesture with his dagger, and a surge of magic powerful enough to stop a train in its course was launched at the unmoving sorcerer.
At the last moment, he raised a hand, and the dark magic bounced on an immense shield made of pure light, that pushed it back towards its owner. When it had dispersed – scarring the trees around in the process – the Dark One stood there, his eyes widening in surprise, and even a little bit of fear.
"How is it-?"
"Possible?" He shrugged in amusement, and took several paces forward. The wizard watched this advance with weariness. The roles were quite reversed now. "I am the most powerful sorcerer there ever was, Rumpelstiltskin, and ever will be. I am immortal, and ten times the man you ever was." He passed the frightened little man, and walked calmly in the opposite direction.
The Dark One launched a heated "I'll find a way to kill you!" that meant he had not quite forgotten his rage during their stand-off, but he did not answer. He had other things to attend to.
Robin sat on the edge of the bed, completely dumbfounded. "We are...married?"
Regina smiled softly. "It appears that, in another version of history, we are, yes."
The archer laughed awkwardly. "Well...that's unexpected."
"Something else is unexpected." She said slowly, and when he met her eyes once more, her fingers went to her stomach.
She let it dawn on him, and when it did, she watched as he comically opened his mouth and closed it again several times, making him look like a fish out of water. "You. Are...?"
"I am. But I wasn't when you left."
He nodded without understanding. "Right. This book thing."
"Yes, this book thing." She reached for his hand and placed it on top of hers. "It's still yours, you know."
His blue eyes widened once more, and a small smile appeared on his lips, making his dimples appear and her swoon.
When his gaze met hers, she could swear she had never been looked upon with so much love. He stood and leaned towards her to seal the moment with a kiss. Against her lips, he said "I am so happy right now nothing could ruin this moment..."
"Robin?!"
The archer jumped away from Regina and could do little than stand there when Snow launched herself at him and drew him in for a hug he had not known he deserved.
Regina chuckled. "Except that."
He chuckled back but hugged the princess back. "Nice seeing you too, Your Highness."
"Stop that." Snow swatted his arm with her hand, then turned to Regina. "You okay?"
"I've been better, but I'm fine. You?"
David, who stood at the door, spoke up. "They tried, and they failed. But we don't know where they are now."
"Apparently, teaming up with a pissed Dark One." Regina paused. "It appears Gold has his dagger again."
Snow's face lost all colour. "Oh."
"Yeah."
David sighed and passed a hand over his face. "We need Emma. Now."
"Where is she?"
"She was checking on Robin's Merry Men with Hook." Robin looked up at the prince, who lifted a hand. "They're alright. Rumpel has left them mostly unharmed. Will was filling her in what had happened, apparently."
Regina looked at her...husband – she'd never get used to that – and smiled. "He did a wonderful job at pissing me off daily, by the way."
He smiled smugly at her but dismissed her attempt at humour. "I suppose we need to get ready for an attack?"
"Yes we certainly do!"
He nodded. "Then let's choose neutral ground. The forest. Less casualties."
"If we manage to stop him. Them." Snow's face was frozen in a frown. "I need my bow."
"I'll lent you one." Robin said, and with a nod between them, they stood and made to leave the room. At the last moment, he glanced at Regina and sent her a small smile. "I'll see you both later."
And she knew he wasn't talking about David...
They'll pay. They'll pay. Those were the only thoughts that crossed Rumpelstiltskin's mind as he stared into the distance. All of them. They'll pay.
"And now?"
He didn't turn, but if he had, he'd have seen Maleficent, a big bruise forming on her cheek where Miss Swan had thoroughly punched her, Daniel, his hand barely healed, Ursula, one of her tentacles wrapped in a bandage, and Cruella holding an ice-bag to the back of her head. What a bunch of useless idiots.
"Now," he snarled, "we end this."
It had all been decided quickly. The Merry Men's camp was where it had to happen. Emma and Hook had been quickly filled in by phone and had asked Robin's men to gather as many weapons as they could, while she surrounded the place with the best protection spell she could.
When Regina arrived, weak but standing on her two feet, with David, the so-called 'resistance' was well organised. Henry, who stood apart from the others, his eyes slightly red with crying, saw her and hurried to her to hug her tight.
"Mom."
"I'm alright, Henry. And Belle will be fine."
"I told him. I'm so sorry. He said he hadn't hurt her." He started sobbing again, and like when he was a little boy, she soothed him by passing a hand in his hair and humming quietly.
"It's alright, baby."
"Regina!" Emma hurried to their side, and Henry untangled himself from her arms. "Are you strong enough to fight?"
She nodded once. "I am."
"Good. I could need some help here." The Saviour sighed as she usually did in a moment of stress, then she stared at Henry. "You stay close to Killian."
He nodded and kissed Regina before going to the pirate's side.
Around them, every Merry Man had a bow in hand, arrows notched and eyes around the camp. Except for Will Scarlet, who, as usual, had decided to piss her off.
"Yer Majesty, need some 'elp?"
She sighed as Emma left her with a smirk on her lips. "No, I don't need help."
"Well, technically, t's still me job ter look after ya."
"And technically, I could still turn you into a frog."
He chuckled, then shrugged. "Suit yerself. I've been a bloody statue once. Can't be much diff'rent."
She rolled her eyes, then lifted her hand in defence as figures appeared in the woods ahead.
With a quick shout, David had everyone in a circle, Regina and Emma in the centre of it.
"What do you want?"
One of the five figures stopped, still too far to be fired at, but his identity was clear as he yelled "Nothing, except to kill you."
Regina tempted the impossible. "Gold, stop this nonsense! You'll only harm the only people who still...appreciated...you." She knew she had better kept her mouth shut as soon as she finished her sentence.
One sickly laugh erupted from him in the distance, then all five started laughing.
Rumpel continued with a clear, simple order. "Kill them all."
It all became a bit confusing after that.
Robin's men fired arrows at the quickly approaching villains, but Rumpel, with a flicker of his dagger, made them all disappear. Daniel was the first to attack, his features once more torn by rage, his eyes settled on Robin, his hand still red from the arrow that had pierced it.
Maleficent launched herself at Snow and David, a laugh erupting from her lips as she engaged them. Cruella merely took a small handgun from her fur-coat, and pointed it straight at one of the Merry Men, who soon crumbled to the ground, a hole in his chest. Ursula, on her left, threw her tentacle – since the other one was still injured – at Killian, who was protecting Henry, and the pirate took his cutlass to slash at her.
Regina soon realised that no-one was targeting either her or Miss Swan. And it made her quite uncomfortable.
When Cruella sent other one of Robin's men to Death, she could not take it anymore and raised her hand, sending the woman to fly into a nearby tree. Her move made the villain growl and, when she raised herself to her feet once more, a dagger shone in her hand.
She never reached Regina. An arrow soon found her in the chest, and she fell, her eyes forever opened into nothingness. When Regina glanced aside to thank Robin, her eyes narrowed as she saw that it had been, in fact, Will. He winked at her, then turned to Maleficent, who had managed to disarm Snow and who had pushed David to the side, where he was helping Robin battle Daniel.
Emma let out a cry of fear when a tentacle closed around Hook and squeezed, and she got distracted for a moment, a moment Rumpelstiltskin took at his advantage.
Appearing in his red mist of smoke, the wizard's hand closed around the Saviour's neck, and Regina could only watch as he leaned down, whispered "Goodbye, Miss Swan" to Emma, before his dagger sank into her chest.
Henry, nearby, screamed at the top of his lungs. Hook, who had successfully cut Ursula's appendage from him, cried in anguish. Snow and David, distracted from their current battles, were put to the ground.
And soon, the whole resistance was reduced to naught.
Daniel came to Regina and harshly pushed onto her wounded shoulder to make her kneel. When she yielded, she caught a glimpse of Robin, knelt next to Will where Maleficent surveyed them.
Next she looked over at Henry. He was launched over his mother's dead body, tears streaming from his lips. Next to him, Hook, to his knees, was a mixture of rage and despair.
Emma Swan was dead.
Rumpelstiltskin paced in-between groups of opponents, often stopping in front of Regina, his dagger still shining with the Saviour's blood.
"How foolish you all were, thinking you could best me, us, with a child who did not know how to use her magic, and a stupid girl who never could embrace the true darkness of her heart..." his eyes settled on Regina. "Now, I am afraid you are all going to die. It's only a matter of 'who first'."
Daniel growled. "The archer."
The Dark One shrugged. "Do whatever you want."
Daniel advanced on Robin and grabbed him with his jacket, sending him into the middle of the clearing, where everyone could see him. Could see him die.
Regina and Robin's eyes locked in an instant, and his gaze told her not to be afraid, that she'd be alright, that it was not the end of the world. But it was. It was the end of her world.
Daniel raised his hand to strike, but then, thunder and lightning growled from the side, and all eyes settled on a solitary figure leaning on a tall wooden stick.
"Stop this folly!"
A/N: Sorry, sorry, sorry... Don't burn me alive, please. I'm a sucker for happy endings and this might not be as shitty as it looks.
