Hey guys! New Chapter time! :D :D :D
Autumn walked into the shop where Hook and her mother were, Snow and Charming were standing on either side of her. The whole car ride, Snow watched Autumn, unsure of what the girl would do next. Autumn kept staring blankly ahead.
"Autumn..." Belle looked at her daughter. "What happened?" she immediately knew something was very wrong.
"Lass?" Hook was concerned as well. Autumn began to breath heavily and the air got colder. Tears finally escaped and Autumn broke.
"He's dead. He's dead and I feel like I can't breathe or think and all I want is to make Zelena feel the pain that I feel." the girl panted, voice breaking with sorrow but dripping in venom that shocked everyone but Belle. The brunette walked over to her daughter and pulled her into a tight hug and Autumn began to sob. Snow joined and they just stayed like that for a few minutes. "She killed my brother Mom. I loved Neal and she killed him... and she still has Daddy."
"Hush... shhh.." Belle lulled her.
"Am I making it snow?" Autumn cried.
"We all have jackets on. You just cry dearest." Belle whispered.
"I hate feeling this way."
"As long as you're still feeling." Belle stroked her daughter's hair.
The next morning Autumn found herself exhausted and standing at the edge of hole that was her brother's final resting place. She was standing in her black suit alone with dark sunglasses on to hide the bags under her eyes that showed that she had been up all night crying. Her mother, Dove, and Chess took shifts looking after her, Hans was standing behind her. He was respecting her wish for distance to mourn but caring enough to still be in the vicinity when and if she needed him. Henry walked up and stood beside her.
"I'm sorry." he whispered. "I really am. I didn't know him, but I know he didn't deserve this."
"He didn't." She spoke softly. "He wasn't perfect Henry, but when he knew about you, he loved you. I hope you know that."
"I've heard. He may be gone... but with my mom being an orphan... having some extended family would be nice." he slipped his hand in hers, and she looked at the boy. He was gaining on her in height.
"You are going to be taller than I am... I hate that." she sniffed.
"I'll slouch when I am around you." he smiled back. "Do I call you Aunt?"
"Do I look like an Aunt? That makes me seem old." Autumn scoffed.
"Aunty A." he quipped quietly, Autumn smirked at the fact that they were telling jokes at a funeral, but Neal would hate having everyone feeling sorry for him.
"I'll bury you in this hole boy."
"My mom will come and find me." Henry responded.
"Ain't no one going to find you." Autumn breathed a laugh and so did Henry, they hugged each other, and for a moment, it was if she had her best friend back. They broke apart when Belle told Autumn that it was her turn to toss dirt on the grave. Autumn swallowed hard and Henry gave her hand a hard squeeze. Autumn tossed the dirt and her stomach churned when it hit the casket with an undignified thump.
Everyone went back to the diner after, Autumn was staring at the cup of tea that was given to her. Henry was sitting in the booth next to her, watching her curiously.
"Autumn?" he asked.
"Mmm?"
"You haven't said a word in like over an hour." he looked at her. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"No." she said simply. She knew she still had to hide magic from Henry, and she knew that if she began talking about how she felt she would at minimum cause it to snow inside. She kept staring at her mug, biting her lip to bite back the tears. She lost her brother, she couldn't even be herself with her best friend, and her father was being held captive by a pompous witch. Emma came over and told Henry something. He gave Autumn a sad look and walked away, Emma taking his place.
"Hey kid."
"Not a kid anymore." Autumn noticed that steam was no longer rising from her mug, she put it to her lips and noticed that the tea was frozen solid.
"You'll always be kid to me. I can't believe I have to tell both you and Henry that." Emma looked at her. "How are you feeling?" Autumn slid the mug over to Emma's side of the table.
"That give you a clue?"
"I understand. I want to hurt her to." Emma glared.
"I don't want to hurt her." Autumn met Emma's gaze. "I will hurt her. And it will be bloody and brutal. She wants to mess with the Gold family, she'll deal with the consequences." Emma flashed a smile and went and got a drink. Autumn watched Hook leave with Henry while Emma threw darts viciously. Belle joined Autumn with another cup of tea. "I hurt."
"I know darling. I wish I could make the hurt go away." then the bell on the door jingled and Zelena walked in.
"Sorry I missed the funeral... but I so do love a wake." She smiled. "Have we all went around the room talking about the deceased? Shall I start? Since," the witch giggled "I am the reason why we're all here." Zelena walked closer to Snow, and Charming stepped in front of her protectively. "Oh don't worry.. I'm not here for your baby, today." Autumn slowly clenched her fist, and went to get up, but Belle reached out and tugged her back into her seat by the collar.
"Don't." Belle hissed. "She hasn't noticed you."
"She's about to notice." Autumn growled.
"You will either sit here like a dignified Gold, or I will have Dove come hold you down. Either scenario, I will get my way. Now make your choice." Belle sized up her daughter, Autumn sighed and sat quietly, noticing Zelena's attention was on Regina.
"Meet me on main street say, sundown?" Zelena told the former queen.
"This isn't the wild west." Regina rolled her eyes.
"No sis, it's the wicked west." Zelena turned to the crowd in the diner. "And I want all of you to be there, to witness the fall of the evil queen." and as Zelena left she lingered a look to Autumn and Hans stepped next to Autumn protectively, she had honestly forgotten the prince was there. Once the threat had left, any other conversation was drowned out by the two Gold women.
"I could have had her." Autumn said to her mother.
"You would have been hurt." Belle said honestly.
"I would not have! How could you say that?" Autumn argued. "It's like you don't even care she has Dad." and she immediately knew she went to far, and the rest of diner knew as well. Belle's hand slapped down on the table, hard.
"You obviously don't understand what is going on here." Belle snapped. "She killed your brother for no other reason except that he was your brother and your father's son! Do you understand that?" Belle took a deep breath to calm herself, this was the harshest Belle had every spoken to her daughter. "You may have gotten taller, but you have a hell of a lot of growing up to do. She will kill you without a second thought." Belle sighed and got up from the table. The diner was watching the exchange.
"You can't expect me to just sit back and do nothing." Autumn argued.
"Keeping yourself alive isn't doing nothing. The only way your father is going to beat this is giving him something to fight for. If he loses you too... he won't fight. Why would he fight? He would have lost his son and his daughter. I wouldn't fight either." Belle explained. "I love you my dearest, but you are as stubborn as your father. And that makes you, like your father, more likely to make stupid decisions." she kissed her head. Autumn sighed.
"Autumn." Hans put his hands on her shoulders. "How about we go get some ice cream.. or watch a movie?" he smiled. Autumn looked at her mother then Hans.
"Emma.. Where'd Henry and Hook go?"
"Sailing..." Emma said. Autumn nodded her head. "Autumn, how did you know that Zelena was Regina's sister?"
"Well.. There was that story, but mostly because of the blood seal. There is no one alive in this town who could have gotten into that office."
"I just... I need to check this out for myself." Regina said, getting up from her diner stool. Autumn turned to Hans.
"I... I think I am going to go sailing." she smiled apologetically.
"I understand." Hans kissed her hand. "Take all the time you need."
Alright Alright, I know it was kind of filler... but they can't all be gold. At least there was a little inappropriate fun at a funeral... sooo... I get a little brownie points right?