A/N: Hey Team! Thank you for your reviews last chapter! Oh, the past...

So the next couple of chapters are past chapters, just to catch us up to the present day so we can continue where we left off and perhaps see some...reunions...

Anyway, onwards! Love you all! xx

Heartless

Fifteen Years Ago

Emma couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Evie and Pan were off finding Evie and they were supposed to be getting a group together to assist them with finding Ash. But here Graham was, conversing happily with one of the Immortals.

"Is this the part where I shoot the enemy?" Emma called through the dark, making Graham jump. "Because, to be honest, I'm finding it incredibly hard to know who I'm shooting."

"Get out of here," Graham muttered, sending the soldier away. "Give her my message."

"What. The fuck. Is. Going. On."

Emma stalked over to him and pushed him back into the nearest tree harshly. Graham tried to dodge it but didn't manage it. Emma had the dagger at his neck in a split second, only whilst last time it had been playful, this time, she wasn't fooling around. The blade was pressing dangerously close to his windpipe, but Emma was fuming in anger.

"You're a traitor," Emma hissed.

"Fuck, Emma, I'm not!" His eyes were darting around, looking for an escape, but Emma simply dug it in closer.

"Was this your plan?" she continued. "Make Evie and Pan think they had control of the rebels, get in my pants and make me trust you? Did you take Ash?"

"What the hell…"

"Did you take Ash?!" Emma tightened her pressure once more until Graham slumped and muttered, "Yes."

"Then give me one good reason why I shouldn't fucking slit your throat this minute."

Graham hesitated for a second and Emma chose that moment to see the helpless fear in his eyes. And that split second she spent looking in his eyes was enough for Graham to grab the dagger and throw it aside.

"What the hell!"

"The Evil Queen has my heart."

Emma was stunned for a moment. But then she started laughing.

"I bet that's every guy's cop out," she said, "Slept with someone? Killed someone? Tricked someone? The Evil Queen made me do it."

"I'm being serious, Emma!" Graham said, pushing off the tree in frustration, making her take steps away from him. "Fuck. She owns me! Everything of me! So I did all I could to oppose her. When I escaped her, I started up the rebellion because she never deserved her throne! She's a selfish but powerful, vengeful bitch. And I don't want to be hers, but I am."

"But she doesn't know," he said quickly. "I've hidden the rebels well. As long as I'm there when she needs me, she doesn't mind…"

Emma's hand left a harsh red handprint on his face.

"How dare you."

"What?!"

"How dare you sleep with me! And comfort me! While you were bedding her whenever the call came. Didn't I deserve to know?! And how do you know that everything you think and feel isn't just what she wants you to feel. That you aren't just keeping us here and biding time until she sees fit to wipe us all out, hmm?"

"Because I made a deal!"

"With who?" Emma had her arms crossed and asked the question sharply, reading every word he said for a hint of a lie.

"The Dark One."

Emma nearly choked on air.

"You did WHAT?!"

"Shh," he tried to calm her down by reaching for her shoulder, but Emma was having none of it, eluding his grasp.

"Rumplestiltskin?!" Emma hissed.

"He promised to hide the rebels from Regina if we could get him a star."

"What, this?" Emma reached for the necklace she never took off, only to discover that it wasn't there. "Let me guess, that soldier just ran off with it?"

"He's on our side," Graham reassured her. "I swear we have his loyalty."

"Just like we have yours," Emma answered sarcastically.

"I am not your enemy, Emma," Graham pleaded. "Everything that I've told you has been truth."

"It's what you haven't said, Graham!"

"I know," he muttered, steeping closer with a resigned sigh. "But I still have to do what she tells me. And you're not going to let me stay here now are you?"

Emma thought for a moment.

"Ash?"

"Pan and Evie will get her back," Graham answered, "I have no doubt of that. But I am sorry for taking her. It was what she wanted."

"The Queen will pay, Graham," Emma answered, still completely frustrated. She turned around before hesitating, "When we take it back, Asteria, that is. We'll get your heart back too."

Graham's face lit up in hope.

"But you're not sleeping in my bed tonight."

xxx

Evie collapsed in the bed of some random inn that night just as Ash was coming to. Complaining of a headache, Evie tried to get her to eat and drink things, but despite her hunger, she took only the barest bites. It was almost ten minutes later when she finally asked:

"Where's daddy?"

A knocking came at the door, saving Evie from answering. The muffled voice said, "Evie?"

Evie was at the door in a split second, throwing it open and leaping on Emma's frame in complete abandon.

"You found Ash!" Emma breathed in relief, clutching at her friend until Evie let her go and Emma could walk into the room, reaching for Ash. The little girl allowed herself to be swept into Emma's arms easily as Emma practically squished her with her hug. "Thank God."

"Fiyori had her," Evie sighed. "But I got her back."

"Where's Pan?" Emma asked, sitting on the bed with Ash in her lap, both of them looking up at Evie expectantly.

"He erm…" Evie tried to think around it. For Ash's sake. "He took Ash's place."

"Damn," Emma murmured. Keeping it tame for Ash's sake. What she would've given to have been able to yell at Graham in that moment. But she'd left the stronghold early that morning in pursuit of Evie and Pan, only to find Evie's horse at this inn.

"We'll get him back," Evie promised them, also promising herself. "But I need to talk to Graham –"

"Not such a good idea," Emma pointed out.

"Why?"

She sighed.

"Well, I guess you could say…"

xxx

"Alright, pet," Circe said with a haunting smirk upon her face as she closed the door behind her, "Kneel."

Pan didn't. But Circe simply waved her hand and made him. He'd already tried to fight his way out of her chambers but she'd enchanted the doors far better than he could fight. So, on his knees, she came towards him, her dress trailing behind her like a mass of golden shadows.

"You are quite handsome aren't you," she said, her cold and spindly hands tracing along his jaw like knives. He tried to stare her down and shift out of her reach.

"My name is Pa –"

"I care not for your name," Circe said dismissively. "For it is of no use to me."

"But fear not, boy," Circe said as she sat down upon the edge of her bed. "You still have use to me, even if your name does not."

"What do you want from me?"

"I thought that fairly obvious," Circe smiled darkly. "I want your body."

"You could have had any body you wanted."

"True." Circe cocked her head to the side, perusing his face with her keening gold eyes. "But they don't have your power. You see, I don't want you just for the needs of my flesh."

She continued on with a certain glee in her voice.

"You and I are going to kill the Highmarks. The King, the Queen and Prince Fiyori. And then Her Royal Highness the Evil Queen. And I shall be queen over both lands unto the Eastern Sea. The Empire of Circe." The dark witch actually had the audacity to giggle and Pan simply grew even more disturbed.

"But for now, pet," she said, her golden eyes sparkling as a wave of what almost felt like fear overcame Pan, "Pleasure me."