Sorry about the long break that this story has been on. I meant to get this chapter up a few weeks ago, but I didn't have enough time to type it before I left for spring break. But anyway, it's a nice Easter treat for all of you. Thank you so much for reading this and reviewing.

Chapter 12: Beginning to Remember

"They say that dreams, dreams are memories…memories of another life."

-Mr. Gold

Victoria stared at the bathroom mirror, frowning at the red streaks of her reflection's hair. They were not so much a fashion statement, but a sign of the curse weakening, a consequence that had been given to her when she cast the curse. Over the past twenty four years, there had been a few small ones that came from casting perception spells for the ones who wouldn't age, such as herself, her allies, the fairies, and the Huntsman. But a few days ago, many strands had begun to turn red. She'd had to buy brown hair dye to hide them from the eyes of suspicious SHIELD agents.

As Victoria gazed at the mirror, another strand turned red, and her face contorted into a snarl. Someone had found the book the idiots had left behind when they cleared out of the last base, she just knew it. But even worse, they were believing! And if they were believing, then the curse would continue to weaken, and they might even try to seek out the Savior.

She had to find out who had the book, and she needed to stop them at all costs.

Enchanted Forest, Many years ago

"We have him, Your Majesty,"

Victoria rose from the divan. "You may go," she said to the guards, dismissing them. The huntsman who had arrived with them was now her only company in the room. He looked rugged and rough and quite promising.

"Do you have a name?" she murmured as she walked around him, inspecting him. "Or shall I just call you 'The Huntsman'?"

He remained silent. Victoria frowned.

"The Huntsman it is then," the queen continued, gazing at him. "You're not much of a talker, Huntsman. Could that be why your family abandoned you? Because you were a mute?"

The Huntsman looked her in the eye, and Victoria was pleased to see a slight fire pass through his eyes. She'd hit a nerve.

"All my parents ever did was give birth to me," he said. "The wolves were the ones who took care of me, and raised me. They are my family, not those creatures who abandoned me. Why have you brought me here though? Surely it wasn't to discuss my life."

"I am in need of someone to carry out a murder," Victoria explained, her lip curling in disgust as she thought about her stepdaughter.

The king had always favored Snow White and practically ignored the woman he had married. She'd loathed the princess a long time ago, when she had first married the king. If he hadn't been in search of a replacement mother for the little brat, Victoria would have never met him. But the chance to claim power in the kingdom had been there, and she had gone for it. Back then, Snow White was still an innocent young child, left in Victoria's charge. King Leopold spent time with the two of them when things were like that. but the moment Snow White was grown, Leopold's favor for Victoria went up in smoke as he focused solely on grooming his daughter to be his successor.

There had been no remorse in her heart when she put those vipers in Leopold's bed a week ago. His last strangled breathes had been like music to her ears.

"So why do you call upon me?" the Huntsman asked. "You have a palace full of guards to do your bidding. Why not have one of them commit the crime for you?"

"Because a lack of human attachment is needed, especially when the victim is loved by everyone," she told him. "That's why I need you. You do this for me, and I will give you a place in my court, in this palace. You can spend your life in luxury, never wanting anything again."

"No."

Victoria jerked back in surprise. "I offer you all you could ever desire, and you reject me?"

"This is a cage. I will not be out in one, especially not one so gilded," the Huntsman replied.

"So what do I have to give to you do you complete the task?" Victoria questioned, crossing her arms.

"Outlaw the hunting of wolves," the man said. "Protect them. Punish those who kill such a noble creature with death."

"Simple enough." Victoria was all too pleased by the ease of the request. It wasn't too detrimental, and surely hunters should find other things to kill.

The Huntsman nodded. "So who am I to kill?"

Victoria felt a smile creep across her face as she told him.

"Snow White."

Victoria exited the bathroom and stopped in the middle of the room. Miles was getting dressed, but something was wrong. He was worried and frantic, as if something was about to get him. She frowned, concerned about him now. He had arrived the previous night, unannounced and kissed her heatedly. Things quickly escalated to the bedroom afterwards.

"Miles?" She took a step closer to him, resting her hand on his as he tried to button his shirt. "What's wrong?"

"I…I need to go," he stammered. "I had a strange dream."

Victoria blinked, puzzled. "What sort of dream? Can you tell me what happened?"

Miles sighed, staring off into space. "I was in the woods, and I was hunting. There was a…a wolf with me too. I shot a deer with an arrow. The wolf lured him out for me. He was white, with one red eye, and one black one. It was like he was…like he was my friend."

Victoria stiffened. She'd heard descriptions of that wolf before, seen it in her magic mirror back in the Enchanted Forest. But how was Miles suddenly seeing his old life in his dreams?

"Well, it was only a dream," she said nonchalantly, running her hands over his shoulders. "Let's get you back to bed. You're burning up right now."

"No, I need to go figure this out," Miles snapped, breaking away from her and heading toward the door. "I can't leave this. I'm sorry, but I need a break, Victoria."

"Miles, wait-"

But the door had already slammed shut, and he was gone. Victoria huffed with annoyance and sat down on the bed. Twenty-four years had passed, and the Savior had arrived to SHIELD. Every measure she had taken to drive Skye away had failed. She'd thrown Miles at her, treated her with coldness and distrust, kicked her off the plane, and even got Ian to shot her. That last task had almost been a success. She'd called the Swiss medical center they'd taken Skye to and heard that girl was on life support. But somehow, the girl was still alive and perfectly fine.

Skye had to be responsible for Miles's behavior. Coulson's team had landed at a nearby SHIELD base, putting the Savior close by. The wretched child might have found the book, and now she or someone else was believing.

"I know who you are."

Nicholas turned toward the sound of the voice, now facing away from the clock in the main lobby of the SHIELD base. Standing in the moonlight was the engineer on Phillip's team, Leopold Fitz. Nicholas had seen him in his visions of the future that he'd had back in the Enchanted Forest. He had a feeling that the boy was referring to who he had been back there, but he needed to make sure of it.

"I should hope you do, since I'm the damn Director," Nichols replied, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Not here," Fitz shook his head. "In the Enchanted Forest, you were a wizard. Nicholas. The Dark One."

The kid actually knew what he was talking about. Nicholas nodded slowly. "Want to tell me how you figured this out?"

"I found this at the last abandoned Centipede place," the boy explained, reaching into a bag and pulling out a thick leather-bound book. "You're in it. I saw you in one of the pictures. And I saw a picture of Snow White and it was May, but then May was Snow White for a moment."

"So you believe." Nicholas stepped up to the young scientist. "But do you remember?"

Fitz was hesitant in answering. "I…can see flashes, little pieces, but it's too hazy. I believe though. Science discourages belief in magic, but seeing as I'm not a regular scientist, I've always had a little faith in it. Also, the pictures help me too."

"Do you know who the Savior is?"

"Yeah, Skye. She's this girl on the team-"

"I know who she is," Nicholas interrupted. "I saw bits of her future long ago in the Enchanted Forest."

"I have to tell her about this," Fitz murmured, running a hand over the book. "She needs to know. It's her destiny. Bring back the happy endings and all that, yeah?"

"It is a possible path, provided she defeats the Evil Queen and breaks the curse, yes," Nicholas nodded. "But telling her about all this won't get her to believe. She'll think you're crazy, and that could end in you getting locked up in the psych ward. However, Skye will find out the truth, but only when the time comes for it to reveal itself to her."

"So how do I get her to believe in this?"

"I understand your team is being sent to China next. Do you know what's in China?"

"The village where Skye came through," Fitz answered quickly. "But it was destroyed. Do you know what happened to it?"

"The Evil Queen located her, and led an attack on the village. She believed that the entire village had been slaughtered, and there were no survivors. However, a woman named Linda Avery was on a team sent to investigate the village and found Skye. She took her to an orphanage to keep her safe. A few years later, she died on a bad op. Queen's probably responsible for it going sour, if you ask me." Nicholas paused a moment to think about Avery, or Gretel as she was known in the Enchanted Forest. She and Barton were made to believe they weren't siblings when the curse brought them here. He'd hoped the two would survive until it was broken, but it didn't seem like it was meant to be.

"I'm sure though," Nicholas continued. "that there must be something there in the ruins that you can use to give her the push she needs to figure it out. And you've got that book there too."

"So you're saying to take her out to the village that she was found in because there might be something that will help her believe hidden out there?" Fitz asked, his voice seeking out conformation.

Nicholas nodded and the boy sighed. "I think I can do that."

"Do it, but do not overwhelm her," Nicholas instructed, pulling a card from his coat and passing it to Fitz. "You see anything that is strange and magical out there, call this number."

Fitz bobbed his head vigorously as Nicholas looked down at his watch. "You better head back to your plane 'n get some sleep."

"Ah, yes. Thank you, Dark One…Director Fury."

He watched as Fitz scurried off. A sigh escaped Nicholas as he turned and made his way down the halls of the currently empty base. During his time in the dungeons of the castle, he'd seen pieces of Leo Fitz's future. The little boy who had unknowingly helped Snow White chose to send Skye to this world was destined to be a believer. He was the spark of faith that was emerging after twenty four years of dark hopelessness. But as bright as he was shining right now, Leopold Fitz was approaching a stretch of difficult choices. If he was to get the Savior to believe, then he would be facing many challenges.

And the one that would get Skye to fully accept her destiny might also be the one that would cost Fitz his life.

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