Riley and her father had little time to search Gold's shop. Less than five minutes after the break-in, she heard the door open, followed by the sound of Belle's voice as she agreed to meet Ruby at Granny's for dinner. Before Belle noticed anything strange, they sneaked out the back door, leaving behind fake copies of all the books and bringing the actual books to Riley's old room at the inn. They spent most of the night reading page after page but were unable to find any mention of their desired spell. It was difficult to concentrate when Emma was constantly leaving her messages though she did not bother to read a single one.
Lying on her bed, she listened to the soothing, almost dream-like music playing from her phone. She dipped a thin paintbrush in a bottle of blue paint and carefully passed it over the glass eyes of the porcelain doll's head. The smell of shampoo filled the air as her father left the bathroom, just a red towel around his waist. He slicked back his wet, dark hair and picked up her phone from the bedside table.
"The Swan girl's calling again. It seems urgent."
"Everything is urgent with them. I'll answer when I'm done."
"What in god's name is this music? Are we at a funeral?"
"It reminds me of home. I get tired of listening to the music in this land. What do you think?" she asked, wiping the paint off her fingers with a rag.
Her father glanced at the finished doll resting against the pillow. For a moment, he seemed unnerved by its realistic features.
"You always were talented. Do you intend to sell them for money?"
She rolled her eyes. "No. I decided to start up an old hobby. Don't like dolls, Pierce?"
"As a boy, I found them unsettling. Perhaps it was because of a movie I once watched where the dolls murdered people. Shouldn't you be reading those books?"
"We're in no rush."
Riley placed the doll on a shelf in her hidden closet. After learning that Emma and the others had stumbled upon it when she was taken hostage by Greg and Tamara, she had Pierce strengthen the enchantments with blood magic, allowing only members of their family to reveal the door. She listened to the messages from Emma, which were increasingly panicky. Meeting with the town gave her no answers to who cast the curse but working with Regina, she attempted a con with claims that the two of them had brewed a memory potion. When they discovered someone breaking into Regina's office, to presumably destroy the potion, they were surprised to find the intruder was able to escape, in a cloud of green smoke, despite the office being sealed with blood magic.
Besides their failure of a con, David and Hook learned the truth about those who neared the town line. In front of their own eyes, Little John had transformed into a flying monkey and it was assumed that many of the missing people, if not all, suffered the same fate. Riley was impressed that they put the pieces together quickly, identifying the culprit as the wicked witch. She ordered her father to stay in the room, continuing their research, while she dealt with the latest problem in Storybrooke.
Emma, Hook, David, Mary Margaret, and Regina were gathered around the kitchen counter, speaking in hushed whispers. Henry was sitting on the couch, his eyes glued to his phone. Hearing the door shut, his head snapped up and it became obvious that the passing year had changed him from the little boy who was more interested in fairy tales. His cheeks reddened as she caught him sneaking tiny glances.
"Finally. I've been texting you since last night," said Emma, walking towards the door.
"Sorry, got caught up in other stuff. Is this your son?"
"Oh uh yeah, I forgot, Henry. You haven't met Riley yet."
Henry jumped up from the couch and, still blushing, shook her hand. "I—it's nice to meet you. Is she another friend of yours, Mom?"
"Sort of. She's helping out with the case too. She's uh…Killian's sister."
"Yep, he's my weird older brother who likes leather a little too much." Riley moved behind the counter, standing beside Hook, who hid his frustration with a feigned grin. "We're so close. Right, Killy?" she asked, perfectly imitating his accent.
He choked on his cup of coffee when she pinched his backside. "Y—yes, my lovely little sister. What would I do without her?"
Emma sent an amused Henry to the upstairs bedroom, not wanting him to hear the gory details of the case. As Henry passed by the counter, Hook looked at Riley for an explanation, still maintaining his silence towards her. She merely shrugged, the tiniest hint of a smirk on her lips.
"His sister? Really?" she asked Emma.
"I was thinking on the spot. Where's your father? Slaughtering rabbits out in the woods?"
"He's taking a nap. It's an old person thing. Did you figure out who the witch is yet?"
"We just figured out that the wicked witch is real so that's a no. She could be anyone in this town. We were—well, I was kind of hoping that you had an idea. You said the covens can travel to realms a lot easier than normal people. Ever been to Oz?"
Riley shook her head. "Nope. The council banned travel there decades ago. Certain lands, they didn't want us to go to so if we were caught, it was punishable by death. Pretty sure I know about as much as you. Green skin, flying monkeys…"
To begin their search for the wicked witch, they devised a plan to return to Regina's office in hopes of finding any clues. Mary Margaret, who had gotten pregnant during the missing year, was not joining them, having to meet with her new midwife to discuss the impending birth. When Riley suggested that she could keep an eye on Henry, Regina was vehemently against it, not trusting Riley anymore than she did before they were sent back to the Enchanted Forest. She offered to watch over Henry herself to ensure that the wicked witch did not harm him, meaning that Riley was stuck in her office with Emma, Hook, and David.
The wicked witch left behind quite the mess from the previous night, with pieces of potion vials and various potion ingredients scattered all over the floor. Riley entertained herself by purposely annoying Hook, whether it was 'accidentally' bumping into him or bending down at the exact moment that he turned his head in her direction. His responses to her teasing alternated between frustrated scowls and flared nostrils. Crouching down beside the fallen wooden chest, she examined its underside for a spot of blood or a fingerprint.. A strand of red hair near the chair caught her eye and she dropped it in one of the vials before placing several vials into her jacket pocket.
Ten minutes later, their only clue, possibly left behind by the witch, was crushed berries on the floor. David, recalling his cursed life as a volunteer at the animal shelter, explained that the berries, which were frequently found on the bottom of a dog's paws, grew in bushes north of the toll bridge. He was distracted by a call from Mary Margaret, who wanted him to meet the midwife. After some reassurance from Emma, he left the office, though he promised to join them later in the woods.
"So let's check out the bridge. It's our best chance of finding that witch," said Emma, sending a quick text to Henry.
"You two go ahead. I'm going to talk to my dad. I know travel to Oz was banned but he's never been the type to care about rules. He's not old as this walking skeleton," She nodded towards Hook. "But I have a feeling if anyone knows about this wicked witch, it's him."
"Or we could all just go together."
"That's wasting time. I'll meet you there. I doubt my dad's changed much so he'll just completely ignore me when I ask him a question but it's worth a shot."
Passing by Emma's car outside the office, she texted on her phone and reached into her jacket pocket, pulling out two vials, one containing a bright blue liquid and the other containing the strand of red hair. She poured the potion over the other vial and the strand rose into the air, floating down the sidewalk. The effects of the potion ceased when she arrived at a quaint farmhouse a few feet away from the toll bridge and the strand of hair fell on top of a storm cellar in the side yard. Brushing aside the thin layer of snow, she spotted an old-fashioned lock around the handle. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, showing a call from Emma.
"I'm a little busy trying to get my dad to talk. What do you want? I told you I'd meet you by the bridge."
She winced as she flicked her wrist to open the lock. "When were you going to tell me that Sebastian was coming here?"
"Why would he—I told him to stay with Seth."
"Apparently, he was more worried about you. He freaked out when I mentioned your father so I guess he didn't know you two were even talking. Not that I mind—don't take that the wrong way. I just mean that it's good to have someone like your brother around when we have a crazy witch in town. We haven't gotten to the woods yet. Someone thought it would be funny to toss my keys."
"Well, that's a lesson to not leave them in the front seat. Tell my brother to stop worrying. My father's trying to help so we can all use our magic again. The council made sure my brothers were punished with me. Until I find a way to take off this cuff, the three of us are pretty much powerless. I'll call you when I'm headed to the bridge."
Riley descended down the wooden steps, hearing the squeaky sounds of a spinning wheel. She tugged on a dangling string and the once dark room was filled with light, revealing a disheveled Gold in a cage. He looked vastly different from their last encounter, with his heavy stubble, unkempt hair, and dirty clothes. His eyes widened with crazed fervor as he frantically spun the wheel, muttering to himself. Seeing her, he stopped the wheel.
"Looks like I owe Gale fifty dollars next time I see him. He was right about you being alive," she said, tapping her fingers against the cage.
"Y—you. Not possible, not right. Need to keep spinning. Soothe the mind, soothe the soul."
She smirked. "I don't need magic to see what's got you talking even crazier than usual. I know that look all too well. Two brains in one head, constantly fighting. Who's sharing the tiny space between your ears, Rumple? Shall I take a look?"
"Madness…too many thoughts…soothe the mind…set me free," he muttered.
"Can't do that. Just as you're stuck in here, I've got a cage of my own. No more powerful magic for me."
"Lies, lies, lie. All the little dove does is lie. She likes her games very much. All grown up but still a child. Two faces, dolls...the dove smirks but inside, she's frightened to face the falcon."
He flinched when Riley opened the cage. Instead of racing towards the door, he remained behind the wheel. Sitting on his lap, she gripped his chin.
"Two brains doesn't make you any smarter, darling. Provoke this dove too much and you'll wake the dragon inside. Look at you, so helpless. It reminds me of the old days…the little, sad puppy."
"He'll become quite fearsome if I command him to," she heard.
A tall, redheaded woman was standing at the bottom of the steps, her fingers curled around the handle of the Dark One's dagger. "Shouldn't you be with the savior? She's your protector after all."
"Look who's done their research."
"I like to know who could be a threat to my plans. I thought you may be until I heard about your little bracelet. It wouldn't be wise to anger someone who can actually use their magic, dear."
"You're right. I could be a threat to you. I could be your worst enemy or your new best friend. Considering what I know about you, Zelena, I may be the first friend you've ever had. Is this your way of getting what you want? Imprisoning the Dark One? Bold but a bit boring. They don't know your real identity yet but considering how persistent they are, it's only a matter of time and I think time is what you need to achieve your plans."
Zelena looked at her, intrigued. "Are you offering to help me?"
"I'm suggesting a parallel alliance. I'll keep Emma and the rest of her scooby gang off your trail for as long as I can and you keep the Dark One on his leash. I'm here for my own reasons and I don't need him interfering. I can't guarantee that they won't figure out who you are but I'll make sure you get whatever it is you desire. I'll let you think it over. Send your answer to me at the inn later tonight. Don't send a monkey. I don't want them crapping all over my room."
Checking a text from Emma, she headed over to the toll bridge. Hook was dragging his hook across a branch covered in berries while Emma and Sebastian discussed their lives over the past year.
"You're like a cat. Should we call you Captain Killy Kitty?" asked Riley, making him scowl.
Sebastian heaved a sigh of relief and hugged her. "Finally. Would it have killed you to leave a note that you were returning to Storybrooke? You know I don't like you disappearing in the middle of the night. Where is he?"
"At the inn. For the thousandth time, Bash, he's harmless. I have him under control. He won't hurt anyone. You didn't have to come here."
"Leave you alone with the man who ruined our childhoods? I'm not that foolish. Seth can handle himself. He's busy attempting to bully Porter into an alliance against the council. It will inevitably fail but let him entertain such delusions."
"Never underestimate how persuasive Seth can be or how desperate Porter is after his failed scheme. No luck with my dad, Emma. He said he traveled to Oz before but he never heard of a wicked witch. She must've come along after his visit."
"At least you tried. I uh saw Alec while we were looking for my keys, by the way. He wanted me to pass along a message. Go to The Rabbit Hole tonight at nine or he'll push you across the town line and let you get turned into a monkey."
Emma led them down the path, checking for any footprints. Her anxiety regarding the wicked witch seemed to diminish in Sebastian's presence. Listening to him talk about an incident between Seth and the leader of the New Orleans coven, Riley noticed that it was the first time she had seen her crack a smile in a long time.
"What are you doing, Renato?" hissed Hook as she let a tree branch smack him in the face.
"Nothing. Just walking…watching to see how long it takes before I find Emma and my brother doing it in the back of her car. After finding out that her fiancé was a flying monkey, Bash is looking even better now, isn't he? Oh, I just realized that you were talking to me. Silent treatment over?"
"You—"
"So what were you doing while your twin brother was almost getting himself killed, Riley?" interrupted Emma.
Riley shrugged. "Nothing too exciting. Just trying to get this cuff off and avoiding the council."
Emma stopped at the end of the path and turned towards her and Hook. "You're lying, both of you. Him with his swashbuckling adventures and you about doing nothing. I really doubt that since you showed up here with the man who terrorized you and your siblings. How do you go from imprisoning him to working together?"
"This is starting to sound like an interrogation. Is that the time for this, sheriff? You should be more concerned with finding the witch who cursed your parents and everyone else back to this town. I need to go back to my room. My dad won't stay on his leash for long if I'm not there. Text me if you find the witch."
Back in her room, her father was no closer to finding the spell. He suggested that Gold's shop was hiding more books, ones with spells for far more powerful magic. She did not want to risk breaking into the shop again, not with Belle likely spending all of her time there to deal with her grief. Just before she headed over to The Rabbit Hole, she received a message from Zelena in the form of enchanted paper. She was willing to accept Riley's assistance though she was skeptical to trust her and wanted to meet in secret that same night.
Standing in front of a mirror, she zipped up the back of her dress. The door opened and Sebastian walked into the room, sharing a tense glance with her father.
"They know that Gold was down in that cellar."
"Expected as m—was?" she asked, turning towards him.
He rubbed the back of his neck. "The witch was tricking David with some hallucination that looked like him and acted on his fears. He stabbed it and it vanished with the hilt of his sword. Regina said it was a symbol of his courage or something. I'm not sure what she meant. Anyway, we found the cellar and in the cage was just his little spinning wheel. He was gone. A—are you angry with me?"
She slipped on a pair of heels. "No. I didn't think he'd be locked up for long. This is better. They'll be too busy looking for him and Zelena to give a damn about what we're doing."
"But Emma seemed—"
"I'll deal with Emma myself. If you did your job right, she wouldn't have started to interrogate me like that. Do better next time. You want to make it up to me? Figure out where Gold could be hiding the spellbook I need. I'm sure if you put your heads together, you'll figure it out in at least a week."
The Rabbit Hole had not changed at all since her last visit, though the loss of memories made some people more prone to heavy drinking. She had barely gotten one foot past the door when she was bombarded by her friends. Their voices overlapped as she followed them to their usual table, talking about the disappearance of Vivienne, who they believed was turned into a flying monkey, believing that Riley herself would never return to Storybrooke or was a monkey herself, and their memory loss. Ethan, through Regina, knew that Riley spent time in the Enchanted Forest with them and hoped that she could help jog their memories.
She put down her empty shot glass. "Ethan, I wasn't with you for that long. We were together for like a week and then I left to find a way to reverse Nicon's spell."
"But how did you get back without magic? If it hurts just to unlock a door, creating an entire portal might've killed you."
"I traveled to a castle that belonged to one of my ancestors. She was a collector of rare magical objects and one of them was this mirror. You just imagine where you want to go and the mirror takes you there."
Alec looked at her, confused. "Why didn't you tell us about it? We could've all gone back instead of being cursed."
"Because only someone born with magic can travel through it. If you tried to follow me, you'd die. I didn't think you'd ever come back here, to be honest. I'm sorry that you lost your memories. It must be tough not remembering an entire year."
Zelena walked through the door, behind a middle-aged couple, and sat down at the bar. Offering to buy more shots, Riley joined her at the bar and waited for one of the bartenders.
"How did you know I was here?"
"My spies are always circling the town. I'm quite torn about trusting you. On the one hand, having a spy on the inside would ensure that I have little interference with my plans and you're hardly a threat with that cuff on your wrist. Then again, how long before you figure out a way to remove it? That's surely why you returned to Storybrooke. Say you do remove it and regain your full abilities. You can see my concern with that, considering you're quite the gifted witch yourself."
"Magic or not, I have no reason to stop your plans. The only way you'll fail is through your own mistakes. I don't want to help you because I care about what you want. You don't have to worry about my father or brother either. Sebastian was linked to me through the council's spell so he can't really use his magic either and my father is all about chaos so he'll want a front row seat to your show. Do we have a deal or not?"
The bartender brought over a gin and tonic, handing it to Zelena. He nodded when Riley ordered another round of shots and grabbed a bottle of tequila from the shelf.
Zelena picked up her glass. "For now, we have a deal."
"Awesome but I do have one request. My brother told me about Gold's escape. I don't need him causing problems so I suggest you find him and use that dagger to keep him under complete control."
"No worries about that, dear. He'll be back in his cage very soon."
A night out with her friends was a good distraction from her own frustrations. After several rounds of shots and a lot of dancing, she stumbled her way back to the inn with Ethan. Though his own house was repaired, he enjoyed staying at the inn, as a way to avoid his controlling father. Opening her door, she found Hook sitting in the chair by the window, drinking from his flask. She expected the room to be empty, having sent her father on a little mission while she was at the bar.
"Ooh, are we both drunk? This could get interesting," she said, dropping her purse by the door.
"Swan thought you should know that the Dark One is very much alive. He was trapped in the storm cellar near the wicked witch's farmhouse."
"Emma wanted you to tell me that? Really? Why didn't she just ask my brother to tell me? That was a terrible lie. Just let it out already. Stop being all prim and proper. I've always been perceptive. You think I don't know why you're so angry? You came back to that camp, hoping to kiss me again, but instead, all you found was a shell. If you want to kiss me again, just do it. I thought you were pretty good for an old man."
He slammed his flask down on the windowsill. "Don't toy with me, Renato. That's all you've done since you've returned. You think I care about one little kiss? It meant nothing. Perhaps it meant more to you, what with all that flirting."
"You think I've been flirting? Hardly. A year of being stuck in hiding from the council has been so boring. I've been trapped with just my brothers and my father for company. Maybe I just wanted to have some fun by getting a rise out of you. Besides, you'd know if I was flirting. First, I'd take off my dress." Riley slid off the sleeves of her dress, letting it fall to the floor, and walked over to Hook. His fingers were digging into the arm of the chair. "Then, I'd lean really close."
She leaned close to his ear. "I'd tell you to stop being a little bitch and—"
He cut her off by his arm snaking around her waist and drawing her into a deep, fiery kiss. Their last kiss had been quite chaste but this time, it was filled with an intense passion, as if weeks of pent up emotion were bubbling to the surface. He pulled away when the tip of his hook grazed her hip.
"Did I hurt you?" he asked, sounding concerned.
She giggled. "If you're nervous about a little scratch, maybe you're not ready for a girl like me. It's your choice. Like you said, once I get what I want, I'm gone. This might be your only chance. If you don't want to take it, your loss."
Without saying a word, he made his choice by pulling her into another kiss…
~Killian~
The wicked witch terrorizing the town was the last thing on his mind. He had gone to Riley's room with the intention of having a long argument over her decision to abandon him in the Enchanted Forest without saying a word and her constant teasing throughout the day. The lecture he thought up in his head was abandoned when she returned from a night out with her friends, clearly a bit drunk. Riley had completely turned the conversation on him and her taunts had led to a passionate night where he forgot all about his anger.
None of the fantasies in his head lived up to the actual reality. All those times in Neverland when he imagined simply brushing his lips against hers made the night seem like a dream. He was never under the delusion that Riley was not experienced in such intimate matters but he was slightly taken aback by her forcefulness and, for lack of a better word, stamina.
Riley was fast asleep beside him. As he brushed her hair away from her face, he felt a sense of dread. He remembered how she confirmed his suspicions that she would leave as soon as she found what she was searching for in Storybrooke and how their time together would be nothing more than some fun. Deep down, he knew that his feelings were more than mere lust.
"Bloody hell," he muttered, touching the scratches on his back.
Riley's eyes fluttered open. "Was I too rough? I promise to be gentler in the shower," she said, straddling him.
"And risk your father finding us?"
"Even better? Letting him catch us in this bed. Maybe this time, we'll get it to break."
He chuckled. "As tempting as that is, love, your father can use his magic without consequence, unlike you. I'd rather not be turned into a toad."
She shrugged. "Your loss."
"You're absolutely maddening, do you know that?" he shouted as she sauntered towards the bathroom, giving him full view of her body.
He grinned at the sound of her childish giggle. Picking up his pants from the floor, he began to get dressed, fearing that her father could return to the room at any moment. Riley was old enough to make her own choices without consulting him but a man who had slaughtered thousands of people was still intimidating. He heard a faint popping sound and turned his head towards the bed, where a piece of parchment appeared on her pillow. Hearing the water still running, he glimpsed at the parchment.
The parchment was blank on both sides though his first thought was that the message was hidden by magic. Her phone device shook on the bedside table. He quickly tossed the parchment back on the pillow as Riley left the bathroom, dressed in a low-cut, long-sleeved dress that stopped just past her backside and a pair of ankle boots.
"Your talking device was moving."
She tapped the screen. "Emma wants to meet at Granny's. She's still checking out that farmhouse but everyone else is there."
Spotting the parchment, she picked it up and skimmed it as if reading an actual message. "I have to leave town for awhile. Turns out my dad's little fact finding mission turned into another murder spree. I have to clean up his mess before the council finds out. I'll come back."
"Perhaps it's best if you leave him for the council to deal with, love. He's trouble."
"I can handle him. I won't be gone too long. Just don't tell Emma. I don't need her badgering me."
"Be careful. If he attempts to harm you—"
"He won't. I'll catch up with you later."
Giving him a peck on the lips, she left the room…
~Riley~
"Hook and Belle are doing research to see how Gold was brought back and Regina's at that farmhouse again. Emma wants me to meet her in the woods when I'm done dealing with you."
Riley was with her father in the library, sifting through shelf after shelf. Returning to Gold's shop the night before, he discovered a page torn from the same book that they were searching for and cast a locater spell, leading him to the library. Gold's magic prevented him from finding the exact book, which meant having to search every single shelf by hand.
"Your guardian's not curious about your sudden departure?" he asked, tossing aside a book about animals.
"I'm sure she is but I thought of a very good distraction. I had taken it from the old castle before traveling back to this land. I used it last night while I was out at the bar and it should've found Gold by now. It'll help jog a few memories and give Bash a chance to…do a better job."
"Why would he be concerned about the Dark One getting back memories of the past? I doubt he'd remember him."
"Oh, it's not the Dark One I want to remember anything, Pierce. I've got a hunch and if I'm right, when they do find him, it will be very entertaining." She retracted her hand from the bottom shelf in the Mythology section. "Think we've got a winner."
An invisible barrier prevented her from touching a book about the Greek god Dionysus. Her father assumed that the book was guarded by blood magic, a clever trick to ensure its protection.
"His boy's missing. Unless you wish to find the Dark One and drain him of his blood to break through the enchantment—"
"As fun as that would be, I have a less drastic idea." Henry walked down the street, hands stuffed in his pockets. "I'll get the book while you make sure our packages are well-protected and keep an eye on the others. I want updates every fifteen minutes."
Leaving the library, she called out to Henry, who immediately blushed when he saw her. He was on his way to the docks to meet Leroy and the other dwarves for a fishing trip while Emma was busy dealing with her case. Riley, putting on the same accent she used around him before, offered to let him spend time with her and he eagerly agreed, forgetting all about fishing. She noticed that he was bitter over Emma constantly leaving him in the care of others without any explanation of her past in Storybrooke or why people whispered around him.
"It's nothing to worry about, trust me. Your mom's really focused on this case. Let me find the book I've been looking for and then if you want, I'll take you to Granny's. It's a book about Osiris. Do you know who that is?"
"No," he said, shaking his head. "Is he a real person?"
"He's a god from Egyptian mythology. He was murdered by his brother Set to usurp the throne then his wife Isis restored his body and they had a son together. Horus, their son, grew up to be a rival to Set and eventually took the throne from him, restoring order to Egypt."
"Wow, you really know a lot about mythology."
Riley led him down the mythology section and pretended to look through one of the shelves. "What can I say? I find it interesting. I'm really into the resurrection stuff. Osiris, Dionysus…"
"It would be cool if it was real but it's all just made up. It's just a story."
"Stories all come from somewhere, Henry. Never dismiss anything as impossible. You'd be amazed at what you can do when you believe that there are no limits. What looks impossible could just be waiting for the right person to come along and do it."
"I guess so." He spotted the tattered book on the bottom shelf. "Hey, I think I found it. It looks really old."
As he reached for the book, she read the latest text from her father. Neal had been discovered inside Gold's shop, looking very disoriented, and was taken to the hospital. He was unaware of where he had been since Regina cast the curse to return them to the Enchanted Forest. While Hook was given babysitting duty, to ensure Neal did not leave the hospital, Emma and David continued with their search for Gold and Belle was busy researching a strange symbol indented in Neal's hand. Henry was able to pick up the book without a problem and handed it to her.
"Is this the one you want?"
"Yeah, thanks. You really saved me, Henry. I couldn't do what I needed without you."
"Did you need it for a project or something?"
"A very big project. It feels like I've been working on it forever."
Together, they headed over to Granny's for lunch. She feigned interest in his life back in New York, listening to him talk about his many friends and some of his classes. The book laid open on her lap and in between bites of her hamburger, she skimmed through the pages.
"A—am I boring you?"
Riley glanced up from the book. "No, I just…college is a little intense. This project is due in a few weeks and I want to make sure everything is perfect. You really miss New York, huh? Ooh, look out." She ran her fingers through his hair. "Despite what your comics say, being bitten by a spider won't give you amazing powers."
"Thanks. I uh miss home a lot. My mom's taken me with her on cases before but this time, it feels weird. I feel like she's not telling me everything."
"Pretty sure that's the definition of a parent. When she's ready, she'll tell you what's going on." He glanced at his phone and she secretly sprinkled a black powder into his cocoa. "My mom's asking how the fishing trip is going. Should I tell her that I'm with you instead?"
Taking a sip of his cocoa, his eyes glazed over, briefly turning white. "You're going to tell her that you're having a very fun time fishing with Leroy and his friends. You won't even tell her that you saw me. I want you to leave and go sit in the park."
Henry left the diner without saying a single word. Her father's latest update informed her that Neal and Gold had been sharing the same body and Neal was the one who resurrected his father back in the Enchanted Forest. The spell, which was very dark magic, required a trade of a life for a life, meaning it would cost Neal his life. He had forced Emma to separate him from his father in order for Gold to aid them in their search for the wicked witch. Her father was disguised as a raven as he witnessed Emma and Gold grieving over their mutual loss.
Stashing the book in her purse, Riley headed back to the storm cellar and leaned against the wall, shrouded in darkness. Several minutes later, Gold descended down the steps, distraught and near tears. He returned to his cage and sat behind the spinning wheel.
"That dagger's so annoying, isn't it?" She stepped into the light. "As long as Zelena has it, you're just her puppet. You can't even properly grieve your poor little boy. If only you had someone to help you..."
He glared. "We're not friends. Why would I trust someone who manipulated me from the very start, in a similar situation as this? Have you come to gloat? It's as you once predicted. I lost my boy once again."
"I know," she said, pouting. "It's so sad. You spent all that time putting the pieces into place and it's all for nothing. Baelfire's dead and you're stuck in this cage. I found my old book, by the way. Nice job hiding it and then protecting it with blood magic…but not good enough, I'm afraid. Doesn't really count as stealing if it's yours to begin with, right?"
"I already lost my boy. I won't let you near my grandson as well. Stay far away from him or—"
"Or what? Go on, I'm curious. Are you going to throw pieces of straw at me? I'll tell you what I can do."
She reached into her purse and pulled out a porcelain doll with hazel green eyes and a mop of dark brown hair, dressed in a red and grey striped scarf, a sweater, dark coat, jeans, and sneakers. One of the strands of hair looked very realistic. Gold stood up from his stool, staring at the doll.
"You remember my old hobby, don't you? I was thinking of calling him mini Henry. Is that too on the nose? Do you like the hair? I only got a little strand from him when we were at Granny's but I only needed one. Let's see how real Henry is doing." She opened her compact mirror, revealing Henry on a bench in the park. Running her nail down the doll's arm, the real Henry winced, rubbing his hand over his arm in pain. "Oh no, how did that happen?"
"Destroy that now," he hissed.
"You're right. I can do a better job. It's the nose, isn't it? Until I fix him, I'll just play with the others." His eyes tore away from the doll. "Of course I have others. I had to occupy my time hiding from the council somehow. I just finished Zelena. I didn't go with the green skin though. If you want, I can visit Belle and say how I'm looking for something I lost in the Enchanted Forest…how it's possibly in your shop. You know her really well so I'll have you judge if I did a good job. My dad can send her over with a snap of his fingers."
His fingers gripped the bars of the cage, a fire burning in his eyes. "If you harm a hair on her head, I'll fight Zelena's control and crush your heart into dust. I may not be able to tell Miss Swan and the others who you really are but I can easily turn your new ally Zelena against you. She's prone to jealousy so it won't take much effort."
"You think I'm scared of her? All I have to do is play with her little doll and she'll end up like your son. I'm not here for threats, Rumple. I'm here to make a deal. I'll get the dagger back from Zelena and let you do whatever you like to her. In exchange, you let me keep the dagger."
"I'd rather let that wicked woman control me than you. You've truly lost your mind."
She scoffed. "I have no interest in controlling you. If I wanted to do that, I wouldn't need the dagger. I want its power. My reasons are my own and no concern of yours. You let me keep the dagger and strip it of its power, making you nothing more than a man in a nice suit, and I'll bring Baelfire back. I can see you're conflicted. It's a very big decision…whether you can go back to being a powerless nobody or keeping your power at the expense of your son. I'll give you time to think it over."
Returning to the inn, she saw Sebastian attempting to speak with a silent, teary-eyed Emma. She sent Henry up to their room and turned towards Sebastian, her eyes narrowed in a harsh glare.
"Emma, please—"
"What could you possibly tell me to make this all better? I know it was over a decade ago but because of what you did…because of you, I had to give up Henry. You ruined my life, Sebastian. What did I ever do to you?" Seeing Riley, she sighed in frustration. "Great. Both of you are here. Did you know about it too?"
"About what?" asked Riley, looking between her brother and Emma in confusion.
Emma explained that in her absence, they had found Neal and taken him to the hospital. The moment of celebration was cut short when Sebastian joined them and Neal reacted angrily, accusing him of being the reason that he was not part of Emma and Henry's lives. Through Neal, they learned that Sebastian and August worked together to get Neal to leave Emma and were responsible for her being sent to jail.
"You obviously knew who I was really was back then."
"I did. I swear that I never enjoyed my part in that night but you have to understand that if you and Neal stayed together, you would've gotten to Storybrooke before your twenty eighth birthday. Cassandra foresaw that."
"So what?!" Her angered shouting spooked several people downstairs to leave the inn. "Isn't that what everyone wanted? Didn't August want that?"
"He didn't care until I mentioned that he would see his father again and after he abandoned you as a child, he wasn't ready for that. Yes, I admit that I manipulated August but if you broke the curse, everyone would remember, including Gold. Riley was only eight at the time. I couldn't risk—as I said, it's very complicated, Emma. I never wanted you to find out this way. I don't even know how Neal could remember—"
"Why wouldn't he remember? Did you mess with his memories in Neverland? To what, maintain your perfect image?"
Sebastian shook his head. "I'm far from perfect, as you can see. I've lived with the guilt of that night ever since and I thought you becoming Riley's protector was a chance to make amends…to right my wrongs. In my desperate effort to protect my sister, I hurt you and I'll live with that for the rest of my life. Nothing I say can erase what I've done but in time, I hope you can forgive me."
"I can't deal with this right now. Neal's…I have to be with my son. Just stay away from me. Maybe it's best if you just leave Storybrooke. I'm sure your brother's causing plenty of trouble. Riley, it would be great if you could help us find a way to handle Zelena…a way to neutralize her magic or something."
As Emma hurried up the staircase, Riley looked at her brother. He did not turn away from the stairs until Emma had disappeared down the hallway.
"You could've warned me of that trick."
"You claimed you were good on your feet. Very convincing performance, by the way. Just keep that up and Emma will be so torn between wanting to forgive you and hate you that it'll keep her distracted for days."
"How long do I have to keep this up?"
"Is it really that much of a chore to charm her? Is she not pretty enough for you?"
"Her looks have nothing to do with it. When you told me to come here, I thought it was to help with—"
"You are helping." She cupped his cheek. "I can't have her meddling. Now that I have the book, I can start the preparations and this may be my only chance for a very long time. I know you're worried about the council but if everything goes according to plan, I'll be finished long before they arrive to interfere. I've got a special surprise for them."
Intrigued, he followed her back to her room…