Emma felt just about ready to burst from the amount of energy that was flowing through her. She needed to find Cora while she was still on this magic high. She was guessing that Cora and Regina were currently commanding the dark one to search for her family and then slaughter them. She was confident enough to assume Henry would be safe, but her parents would be less likely to receive mercy. She didn't think Cora or Regina would be with Gold. From what Regina was saying earlier, she was most likely trying to blame the murder on Rumplestiltskin so she would be guiltless in Henry's eyes. If there was one thing Regina was unwilling to lose, it was Henry's love and faith in her.
Emma's first guess would be that Cora was commanding Rumplestiltskin from afar. It would be stupid to find Gold and face him head on. If she could find Cora and get the dagger from her before Gold got to her family, she would stand a chance.
Emma looked down at Austin, who was unconscious and breathing raggedly. But he was alive. She didn't have enough time to get him to a hospital, not while her parents were in danger of death. But she couldn't leave him in a crypt. She had dragged him over to the stair case and left him resting in the recovery position. The only thing she could think to do was call the hospital and tell them where he was. She hated leaving him there after he had been dying a few moments prior. But she knew he would understand, she knew he would want her to save his father and their son. So with that assurance, she climbed up the steps and exited the crypt. Leaving Austin below.
While thinking of where Regina and Cora could be while they commanded Gold, Emma could only come up with two places. Regina's house and her office. Between the two, the mayor's house was closest to the cemetery. So with determination in her stride, she marched towards the mayor's house. She thought back to when she confronted Regina after discovering her magic with the dream catcher. The Queen had knocked Emma off her feet with a wave of her hand. But that wasn't going to happen this time.
Emma felt a raw power surging through her, and she knew that she would be enough for Regina this time. It was dealing with Cora and Regina together that she was concerned about. No matter how much magic was flowing through her veins, she didn't know if she could really handle two powerful and experienced sorceresses at once. But with her family in danger and Austin struggling to breath in the crypt where she left him, she had to act fast.
Emma approached the white door as she had so many times before. To hell with knocking. She trust out her hand again, and just like in the tomb, the door shattered and was left in splinters when she dropped her hand. No doubt Regina heard that.
There was the slightest feeling of fear when she walked up the stone steps and then entered the house. What if she wasn't strong enough? What if she managed to overpower them but it was already too late. What if her parents were...
She shook her head vigorously. She couldn't dwell on that right now. It would only slow her down. So she suppressed the feeling and kept walking forward. She glanced around, thinking where to look for Regina and Cora. She was going to begin searching in the downstairs area, when she heard the sound of someone strutting down the staircase in their designer heals. Emma narrowed her eyes and turned to face the the stairs, finding Regina glaring at her with a mixture of shock and loathing. Emma resisted the urge to smirk.
"How did you get out?" Regina snarled.
Emma stepped toward the former queen and focused all her energy into her hands. She felt the pressure of magic pushing at her skin.
"Where is the dagger." She demanded, her voice sharp and threatening.
"Why on earth would I tell you that?" Regina asked flippantly.
Emma sneered in return at her.
"Not a request."
She held up her hands and focused all her emotion towards Regina. A pulse of white magic escaped from her palms. Swirls and crashing waves of white water spun through the air and smashed into Regina. The mayor was knocked back onto the steps after the impact and she was temporarily unconscious after her head slapped against the floor.
Emma didn't waste any time, running past her and sprinting up the steps to find Cora.
The powerful witch couldn't be far from the Evil Queen. And she would have the dagger in hand. Emma's emotions flared and stormed within her.
Xxx
David had though about how dangerous the dark one really was. When he thought back on it, Rumplestiltskin had never actively sought out anyone's demise. Well, except for Regina. And Hook.
But he when he went after Regina a wraith almost ripped out her soul. The Shepard Prince never sure what Gold was planning on doing with the pirate, but he was guessing that both Belle and Austin were the only things that would stop him from ripping Hook to shreds.
Besides all that, David had never seen the dark one use his full potential.
And now that he's seen it, he wished he hadn't.
Part of the town was on fire. Walls were being smashed to bits and the roads are being ripped up from the earth. The citizens were cowering within their homes and the town hall in order to avoid the powerful magician.
Gold was storming up and down main street, demanding the people to come out and face him.
Charming, Snow, Belle and Henry were in the pawn shop, searching for something, anything that could subdue the dark one. As soon as Emma warned them about the dagger, they immediately went to Belle in order to find out how to stop Gold and what might break the hold that the dagger has on him. Not long after they began searching the shop for answers, there was a great thundering crack outside and the earth below them shook violently. Gold was now storming across StoryBrooke, demanding for David and Snow's head.
David now understood that when Rumplestiltskin wanted to kill you, he really wasted no effort in trying to kill you.
They had continued to search for something to stop him, Gold got continuously closer with his destruction and havoc. And finally, after what felt like hours, Rumplestiltskin ripped the door of the shop off its hinges. They all ducked out the way when it flew at them and smashed into one of the glass cabinets.
Each of them looked up at the powerful sorcerer with horror struck faces.
His own face was filled with regret, especially when he looked towards Belle.
"I don't want to do this," he said in a strained voice. A ball of fire formed in his palm. David pushed Snow behind him. She didn't take well that and stepped up beside him. "But I have no choice."
Henry was backing away in fear and Belle stood in front of him, to block whatever deadly blow her love would deal out. Snow reached for one of the swords that had been kept in the corner of the shop.
Gold held up his hand, ready to launch his flame at David. But before he could do anything, his head snapped up and he tensed. Everything was still for a moment aside from the fire that burned within the Dark One's palm. And in a second that passed as quick as lightning, he vanished into thin air. Each of them looked around in confusion at his sudden departure and relief that he hadn't managed to slaughter any of them. They wondered cautiously if they were actually still safe, but they continued to searched anyway. It was the only thing they could do at that moment.
Xxx
It didn't take long to find Cora. Mostly because the witch found her first, probably not too happy about Emma's escape and Regina's defeat.
When Emma was confronted with a very pissed off Cora appearing in front of her in a puff of purple smoke, she had to stop herself from retracting in fear. She forced her nerves into a calm and met the witch's brown eyes with her own steely gaze.
"You don't know when to give up do you?" Cora snarled at her and Emma scowled at her in return. "I commend you for escaping, but I'm afraid you just can't be allowed to continue."
"You've tried to kill me at least 5 times and each time you failed," Emma stated with a slight smirk. "What makes you think now will be any different?"
"Because now, I have the darkest magic known to man," she answered, pulling out the dagger. Emma focussed her emotions, thinking of Austin and Henry and her parents. "At my fingertips."
"Fair point," Emma said simply. Before Cora could summon the dark one to come and kill her, Emma forced both her hands forward and blasted Cora back. The white swirls that erupted from her palms forced Cora to fly off her feet and crash into the wall. When the magic hit her, the dagger was released from her hold. It clattered to the hardwood floor and Emma scrambled to pick it up. With panic racing through her veins and her heart pounding like a jackhammer, she gripped the hilt of the dagger tightly.
"Rumplestlitskin, I summon thee," she yelled. She felt the dagger pulse in her hands. And in a split second, he appeared before her. His eyes were wide and panicked like he was some sort of caged animal. But when he saw Emma holding his dagger, something akin to a smile twitched at his lips.
"I believe this is yours," she stated, holding the knife out to him by the blade. Gold took a deep breath before taking the dagger and holding it tightly in his grasp. He sighed in relief when he felt the familiar texture of the hilt on his skin. It was his. He was free.
"Bae," he whispered, remembering the son who he had buried alive in Regina's crypt. He turned to Emma with a fearful expression. "Is he..."
He couldn't bear to finish the question. He couldn't even think about it. But before the dread and sorrow could fully seep through him, Emma answered the unasked question.
"He's alive," she stated, breathless and full of adrenaline. "I made sure he would be okay. But my parents and Henry, are they alright?"
"Yes," he replied. "I didn't get the chance to kill them."
Emma let out a sigh of relief and then focused her attention on Cora. The sorceress stood up with an expression that could be considered fearful. Gold narrowed his eyes on her and casted a deadly glare in her direction.
"Time to cut your losses," Emma said. She put her hands on her hips, knowing that with Gold on her side, neither Cora not Regina could stand a chance against them.
Cora glared at them both with deadly intensity. But she leaned heavily against the wall. The blow that Emma dealt clearly taking a very negative physical effect.
Gold smiled when he saw she was weakened. With a flick of his wrist, his magic shoved her up against the wall. An invisible hand held Cora up by her throat and roughly slammed her against the wall. Gold's eye twitched as he held his hand up, using his dark magic to lock her in a choke hold. There was a vicious fire in his eyes, and Emma was almost terrified by the merciless grin that stretched at his mouth.
"You really thought you could control me, force me to kill my own son, and not suffer the consequences?" A dry laugh escaped his throat, and Emma suppressed a shiver when she heard the malicious sound. Cora struggled against the grip, but she couldn't breathe or find the energy to fight back. "I'm going to make you pay for what you've done."
Emma put her hand on his shoulder and tried to pull him away. "Stop," she hissed. "No one is dying today."
"You do realize that she just tried to kill you less than an hour ago," he snarled, not releasing his hold as he turned to look at the savior.
"Austin wouldn't want you to kill her," she replied in a cool voice. "And you know that."
"She would waste no mercy on you," he said. He stated it calmly and simply, even as he was still choking the life out of the woman beside him.
"I know," Emma answered. "Let her go."
He stood his ground, and griped his hand a bit more tightly. He continued to stare at Emma with cold eyes.
"I saved your sons life and freed you from Cora," she growled. "I think you owe me at least on favor."
He glared at her for a moment before sighing impatiently and releasing his hold. Cora slumped to the ground with a thump just as Regina came running up the stairs. When she saw her mother on the ground, practically unconscious, she ran towards her.
"Mother!" she yelled as she dropped down beside her. She immediately casted an accusing glare at Gold and Emma. "What did you do!"
Emma straitened out and narrowed her eyes on the Queen.
"All I did was stop your mother from murdering mine," she answered with a shrug. "And right now, you are both under arrest, for attempted murder and enforcing involuntary servitude."
Regina looked at her like she wanted to burst out laughing.
"As if that's going to happen," she scoffed before waving her hand with a flourish. She was enveloped in a cloud of purple smoke and she vanished with out a trace, bring her mother along with her.
Gold glared at her. "Brilliant strategy sherif," he growled. "Were you expecting her to accept her crimes and just come along quietly?"
Emma rolled her eyes and started walking down the stairs. Gold begrudgingly trailed behind her.
"Calm down," she said as she made her way to the shattered door. "We know all of Regina's hiding spots. We've backed them both into a corner and after a defeat like this, they probably won't try anything for a while. They will need to lie low for a while in order to make a new plan for what to do next."
"You give Regina far too much credit," he stated. "She's notoriously impulsive and will waste no time in launching another poorly planed attack."
They walked out to the street and Emma turned in the direction of the hospital, Gold followed her, knowing his son was in the hospital now.
"If Regina tries anything, I've got you on my side," Emma replied with a shrug. "She's not crazy enough to take you on."
"What makes you think I'm on your side?" He asked in a bored tone. "It's none of my concern if Regina seeks revenge on your family."
"First of all, I freed you from your enslavement," she pointed out. "Second of all, I saved your son's life. Third, Austin is Henry's father, which makes you his grandfather, which makes you technically part of my family."
Gold only glowered at her in response, but he knew she was right. Miss Swan was usually adept at making a good point. He let out and irritated sigh when she turned back to walk up the road and he continued to follow her to the hospital.
Xxx
As I drifted in and out of consciousness, there was a continuous pain in my middle and my head. I could feel a lining of dried blood, sticking to the sides of my throat. The taste made me nauseous. I had no strength or energy in my limbs and I couldn't move. I let out ragged and painful breaths and my lungs were burning. I knew that I wasn't dead because of the pain. The fact that I was alive would be a comfort if I wasn't in so much agony.
When I finally had the strength to open my eyes, everything was blurry, and the bright sunshine burned into my retinas. I groaned and tried to move my head and look around. But I honestly felt so drained and my body felt like it was made of led.
One thing that stuck out was the fact that I didn't feel the tear in my stomach that had been present before I fell unconscious. Which was weird because I was pretty sure I had been stabbed there.
My eyes adjusted to the brightness and I saw a white ceiling above me. Within my line of vision I couldn't see much. There was a window, from which the blaring sunlight was entering. On the other side I could make out the top of a grey door and bleached walls. Judging by those surroundings, I was no longer trapped underground. And in front of me I could make out a head of blonde hair in one chair as well as my father's stiff form, pacing back and forth.
I wanted to say something to him. Ask him what was going on and what had happened with Cora. The last thing I remember was falling unconscious after he had stabbed me in the gut. It could be possible that we were both dead and for some reason death was painful and within a sterol hospital room.
When I did try to speak all I managed to get out was a garbled cough. It seemed to get his attention well enough anyway.
His head immediately snapped toward me and the blonde head stood up, revealing the completely unharmed face of Emma Swan. I sighed in relief, we all managed to get out of that nightmare without dying.
"Bae," my father whispered as he wandered to my bedside with a look of concern. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah," I rasped before coughing sporadically. "What- what happened to Cora?"
"Miss Swan let her get away," he stated with a slight snarl in Emma's direction. "Which is not all that surprising."
Emma marched over to where my father stood and glared at him. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"It means that you and your family are all the same," he snarled. "Honorable to the point of gullible, courageous to the point of stupidity and completely incapable of making difficult decisions."
"I apologize if I'm incapable of committing murder at the drop of a hat," she said insincerely.
"Cora will waste no time in plotting against us," he stated. "Are you really willing to risk the lives of your friends and family to preserve you're flimsy morality?"
Emma looked like she was going to retaliate and I had a feeling this argument was never going to end. It was already starting to give me a headache.
"Kay, I get it," I groaned. "Mass murderer wants to kill us all in horrible fashion. Can we please move on to something else?"
Both of them looked towards me. My father looked mildly annoyed and Emma looked nervous and conflicted when her eyes met mine. She quickly turned away and looked back at my father.
"I'm going to check on some of the other patients," Emma stated. "See how fatal their injuries are."
She glanced at me for a moment, looking like she wanted to say something. But the words wouldn't leave her mouth, and she left me and my father alone with a deathly silence in her wake.
I had enough energy to turn my head and look at my father head on. His hands were clenched tightly around the bras handle of his cane as he stared down at me. His face plagued with regret at seeing my sorry state.
"How do you feel?" he asked after a long silence. His voice was shockingly weak.
"Like I got hit by a train," I answered with an attempted smile. That didn't seem to do anything to lighten his mood. I decided to take a more serious approach. "Did you heal me?"
He frowned and his gaze drifted to my middle where there was a profound lack of a deadly stab wound. I was pretty damn curious as to how I survived and how Emma managed to break us out of the crypt.
"Miss Swan saved you're life," my father stated somewhat begrudgingly. "As well as mine and everyone else's."
"How did Emma heal me?" I asked in confusion. How was that possible?
He looked down at me curiously, his eyes narrowing slightly. "She has magic," he replied simply, and the word jolted me. "Surly you knew that."
I coughed again and tried to take in this new information. Emma had magic. When the hell did that happen? I tried to push away the bit of dread that swelled in my chest. Magic was dangerous. It had a way of corrupting people. Good people like the man my father once was. If Emma had magic as well...
I shook my head and was immediately bombarded with a massive headache. There was no way Emma would be like that. It just wasn't her.
"Where did she get magic?" I wondered.
"She is the product of true love," he shrugged in reply. "Magic flows through her veins."
I nodded before resting my head again, looking up at the ceiling in contemplation. My father was no longer a slave. Cora was still on the loose. I wasn't dead yet. Emma knew I was still in love with her and she may still love me as well. What a weird day.
"I'm sorry Bae," my father sighed, slumping down on the chair beside my bed. I turned my head to look at his defeated form and found my chest becoming tighter. He looked so human.
There was a long silence that followed his quiet apology. I fought the urge to reject him. Anger was easy, but quite frankly, I was tired of anger.
After my encounter with Anton, how he could forgive after the slaughter of his family, I found my self desiring such peace and strength of soul. And after I almost died in that crypt, I realized something, I want my father back. I want to forgive him.
"I know," I whispered and he looked up at me. "I'm sorry too."
"You have nothing to be sorry for," my father insisted, leaning in towards me.
I didn't answer him. I only gave a soft smile, hoping it was good enough. Hoping it would give him the comfort he needed.
He smiled at me in return, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. Cautiously, he reached out and touched my hand lightly. With what little strength I could muster within my limbs, I lifted up my hand and clasped his. My fingers curled around his hand. He leaned far forward and brought my hand up to his forehead.
"Oh Bae," he whispered, his voice hoarse and rough with emotion. "I failed you so many times. Can you ever forgive me?"
What a good question. I knew that I wanted to work things out. It would take time. But we might be able to get there. "I think I can," I answered honestly. But I was still unsure. Still frightened of the monster that haunted my dreams and destroyed lives. Still dreading the pain of abandonment after 20 years. "But you need to prove to me that you've changed."
My fathers face melted into one of hurt, but I couldn't allow myself to feel guilty. He should know I would expect this from him.
After a moment he nodded somberly dropped my hand down to the bed sheets and grasped his brass cane nervously.
"Magic is the only thing that will stop Cora from killing us all," he stated, not looking up to meet my eyes. "I can't promise I won't use it. Not under these circumstances."
I couldn't disagree with him. Magic infected him and controlled him. I never liked the idea of him using it. The way he now depended on it like a crutch made me uneasy, but I knew that we would need it. This whole experience had proved that Cora and Regina are not enemies to be taken lightly.
"Fine," I relented. "But you can't use magic to kill people or hurt anyone who doesn't pose a threat."
He looked up at me with a reserved expression. "And if I do," he whispered hopeful and fearful. "You'll give me a chance. We can start over."
I paused before giving him my final answer. I knew that rebuilding our relationship would be difficult and what we do build will be fragile and brittle. But would it be worth it? After all this time I spent hating him, avoiding him, refusing to forgive him. Could I really forgive him?
But I knew that if I didn't accept my father, than I didn't deserve to be accepted by Emma or Henry.
I held up my hand and grasped his. My father looked at me with wide nervous eyes. I offered him a reassuring smile.
"The deal is struck."
I saw tears glittering in the corners of his eyes. His fingers curled tightly around my hand as he gave me a watery smile. His voice was shaky when he finally spoke. "Struck."
Woah this took forever. Allow me to explain why I've been gone for 2 months. (really sorry about that) Ive been really busy since september with work and school and honestly this stuff just always came in second, I also started to write another story with my sister thats an AU of season 4. You guys should read it you like Rumbelle or Swanfire. Mostly Rumbelle stuff though. Anyway Im hoping to get more time dedicated to this now that this session for work is almost over. I hope to get lots done in the christmas holidays.
Anyway, I hope you guys like the chapter.
Please review :)