A/N: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, followed, and favorited!


Complications

Chapter 28: Let's Make a Deal


"Mom?" Henry asked carefully. Emma had told him to be prepared to see his Mom all covered in bandages. She was right, and it was scary, but his Mom was still smiling at him.

"Henry," she said, reaching out her hand. He took it, sitting on the bed next to her.

"Are you OK?"

"I'll be fine, honey." Then she noticed Belle. "What are you doing here?"

"She wants to know if you can help Mr. Gold," Henry said. "They don't know what's wrong with him. He still has his shadow, so Bae doesn't think the Shadow did it."

"What do you mean?" she asked. Henry could tell that she knew more than she was saying.

"Bae said the Shadow kills people by taking their shadows. Mr. Gold still has his, so that couldn't be what's wrong with him." Mom looked at Emma.

"And what are you doing to protect Henry from this Shadow?"

"Trying to revive the guy who can help us fight it," Emma said, her hand on her hips. "Can you help or not?"

"Please, Mom," Henry said. "You've got to help Mr. Gold. He's Bae's Dad, and he can help with the Shadow. And the people that kidnapped you."

Henry's Mom squeezed his hand, then looked at the strange cuff on her wrist. "I might be able to help, but you're going to have to take this cuff off," she told Emma.

"No," Belle said, "Tell us what you know. If it's magic, Nova can do it-"

"It's not," Mom said. "Look, I could be wrong, but Tweedle-dum and his little partner told me they have some kind of stun gun that kills magic users. You said they got away; maybe they zapped him with it."

Emma and August shared a look. "They used a stun gun on Gaston. And if you're right about the Dragon…"

"What dragon?" Mom asked. "Please don't tell me Maleficent got out! That's the last thing we need!"

"No… the Dragon. The magic user August met in Hong Kong. He died, and this woman was one of his customers…"

Mom stared at August. "Well, then; looks like they might have been telling the truth after all. They told me their little toy stuns regular people, but kills those of us with magic. But there's no way they could have something that can kill the Dark One; he's immortal. What if it's attacking his magic instead? Slap this cuff on him, and maybe he'll wake up."

Henry looked at Emma. Belle was right; she would know if his Mom was telling the truth. Emma crossed her arms. "And what are you going to do if we take that cuff off?"

"I'm going to protect Henry, since you idiots have apparently been letting Shadows and magic hunters waltz right in to my town."

Emma narrowed her eyes. "You gonna run off again, like you did with Cora?"

"Leave my mother out of this!"

"Mom, please! You're going to stay and help us fight the Shadow, right?"

"Henry…"

"Please, you have to!"

"Henry, I need to keep you safe-"

"Do you have any idea how much you sound like my father when you say that?" Bae asked suddenly, his voice tired.

Henry's Mom sat up straight. "This isn't-"

"The same thing? Yes, yes it is; it's exactly the same thing. He thinks he can do everything on his own because he's the Dark One," Bae said bitterly. "But he was wrong, wasn't he? And if you're right, and these people are the ones who did this to him, what chance do you have on your own? And the Shadow? The Shadow will kill you. My father's immortal, but you? You're not. If you really want to protect Henry, you'll help us instead of going off by yourself."

"Please, Mom," Henry said. "Pease stay. I don't want to lose you."

She looked like she might cry. She squeezed his hand again and closed her eyes. When she opened them, she said. "All right, Henry."

"Yeah?" he asked hopefully.

She smiled and nodded. "Yeah." She looked at Emma. "I think I know where they're going. Take the cuff off, and I'll tell you. And you can try to save Gold."

Emma stared at her, then she turned to Bae and Belle. "She's telling the truth."

Belle clasped her hands in front of her. "Then let's hurry."


I can help you.

Greg thought he was going insane.

I can give you want you need.

There was a whispering voice in his head, and he knew it was that thing. It had followed them. Go away! He wanted to scream at it, but he knew Tamara; if she knew it was making him lose it, she'd take him out. The mission always came first with her, and she was already starting to doubt him.

He jumped when he heard rustling brush. "Greg!" Tamara said, returning to the small clearing, "I got a message from the Home Office."

"What does it say?" he asked suspiciously.

"They changed the mission parameters. The Mayor's kid is something called the Truest Believer; they've been looking for him. All we have to do it bring him to a drop-off point, and we're in the clear."

Greg stared at her. "And what about the town?"

"With him, they can take care of the town, and any other magic on Earth. He's the key; the one they have been looking for this whole time."

Greg narrowed his eyes. "How do they know it's him?"

"They figured it out from your early reports."

She's lying to you.

Greg stiffened. The shadow was right behind him, whispering in his ear. Somehow, Tamara didn't see it. "Greg, don't you see? We don't need the trigger if we can get the kid."

She told them what you've done. She's lost faith in you.

Greg scoffed. "You think the kid will be easier? They have him under constant guard; you know that!"

"It's the mission," she said firmly. "And besides, I have an idea."

"What idea?"

"They've got the Queen, now, right? She probably told them about the trigger. We make it look like we're going after it, and while they all head down to the mines, we snatch the kid."

"And how do you propose to do that?"

"We go after the pirate, just like the Queen said."

"And how are we going to do that without the Queen?"

"I didn't say we had to succeed; just make it look like we tried."

"Do we even know where the kid is?"

I can find him. He is the Truest Believer.

Wait, what? Greg spun around. How did it know what the Truest Believer was? "Greg!" Tamara shouted, spotting the shadow and grasping for the neutralizer. "Get back!"

The shadow stared at her with its glowing eyes. "Get away!" Greg shouted. The shadow obeyed, disappearing into the darkness around them.

Greg looked at Tamara. "We need to contact the Home Office about that thing."

Her eyes wide, Tamara nodded.


"John!" Michael said, "The Shadow! It's there!"

"What?" John asked, hurrying over to peer at Michael's phone.

"Greg and Tamara saw it; it tried to make contact with them."

They hadn't heard from the Shadow - and thus Pan - in well over a month. They did not know if they had upset Pan somehow or if he was simply occupied elsewhere, but without its guidance, they'd made no progress finding the boy. Until Tamara's communication had come.

A boy, born in this world, living in a magical town no one could access? They knew it had to be the same boy Pan had told them to adopt eleven years ago. The fact that Jones was also there could not be a coincidence. It was the Truest Believer, the boy Pan would trade their sister for.

And now the Shadow was there. "What do we tell them?" Michael asked.

"We tell them to give it what it wants."


Regina had been right. As soon as they put the cuff on Papa, he'd stopped seizing. His fingers stopped twitching, and the erratic beeps from the machine measuring his heart rate began to slow to a more regular rhythm. Dr. Whale took out a small flashlight and shined it in Papa's eyes.

"It worked," Belle said, sighing in relief.

"I won't say he's out of the woods yet," Dr. Whale said, "But the cuff does seem to have been the key. All that's left is to make sure he remains stable and wait for him to wake up."

"Thank you," Belle said. Dr. Whale stepped back, and she sat on the edge of the bed, taking Papa's now still hand in hers.

"You'll be all right, Rumple. You were so brave, protecting everyone from the Shadow."

But the Shadow didn't do this. As frightened as Bae was of the Shadow, knowing that there were regular people out there with the means to hurt his father was somehow worse. If there had been one thing he could count on, it was that his father was invulnerable; as long as no one got a hold of the dagger, nothing could touch him. Bae might lose him to his curse, but no one could take him away - not like they could when he was a poor spinner.

Bae hadn't realized before how much he was taking that fact for granted. It wouldn't be fair to find his father, work so hard to forgive him, and then lose him like this. Once he gives up his curse, he'll be vulnerable. Bae hadn't thought he would ever second-guess his desire for his father to no longer be the Dark One.

He imagined that finding out that he'd been wrong was the price of something, but for the life of him, Bae couldn't guess what.


Tamara stared at her phone, stunned. "What?" Greg asked, "What did they say?"

She looked up at him. "They said to give it whatever it wants."

"What?"

"See for yourself." She handed him the phone.

The communication read, "We are aware of the Shadow. You must provide it with anything it requests. Failure to do so will result in failure of the mission."

What the hell is going on? "What are you?" he shouted into the darkness. They were running out of time and options. Tamara may have killed Gold, but the Queen was still alive, now in protected custody. The sun would be rising soon, and the Home Office had advised them to cooperate with some kind of demon. Nothing made sense anymore.

I am the Shadow.

Greg spun around, the shadow just behind him. Tamara lifted the neutralizer defensively, but said nothing.

"Did you hear that?" Greg asked.

"I heard whispers."

"What do you want?" Greg demanded.

I want to live.

"Live?"

"Greg," Tamara interrupted, "You can understand it?"

He nodded, not taking his eyes away from the monster in front of him. "What do you mean, live?"

I must return to my home. There is much magic there. Magic that can give you anything you desire.

"Can magic raise the dead?" Greg scoffed.

No.

"Thought so."

But it can punish the living.

Greg looked at Tamara, who was staring at him in concern. "What do you know about the Truest Believer?" Greg asked.

The heart of the Truest Believer has great magic.

"Is that why you want?"

My master desires it.

"Who is your master?"

Peter Pan.

Greg laughed. "Peter Pan? Seriously?

Yes. I must return to him.

"Let me guess - to Neverland?"

Yes.

"This is insane!" The Shadow said nothing.

"This is… Peter Pan's shadow?" Tamara asked in disbelief.

"That's what it says! OK, Shadow, how will getting you to Neverland help us destroy magic?"

Magic cannot be destroyed.

"That's a lie!"

It is truth. Magic may change form, but it cannot be destroyed.

"Then how were you planning on giving me what I want?"

You want revenge. I can help you with revenge. For a price.

"Getting you to Neverland?"

Yes.

"And how are we even supposed to do that?"

Magic beans.

"Magic… magic beans?" Greg shoved the phone back at Tamara. "Ask the Home Office about magic beans."

"Fine, take this." She exchanged the neutralizer for her phone. Greg leveled it at the shadow.

I can help you kill your enemies. The witch. Without me, you will fail.

"You don't know that!" Greg shouted.

I do. The Dark One lives.

"The Dark One… that's Gold right? Tamara killed him."

I do not know that name. The Dark One was struck by your weapon, but was not killed. It cannot be killed.

"How do you know that?"

All know of the Dark One. I can show you magic. Youth. Power.

"In Neverland?"

Yes.

"Can you can show us magic here, in Storybrooke?" Greg asked sharply, glancing at Tamara. She looked up from her phone, eyeing the Shadow warily.

Yes.

"What about the trigger?"

I do not know that word.

"It's a thing that supposedly can blow this whole town sky high. It's supposed to be in the mines."

There is great dark magic in the mines. There is danger.

"Greg," Tamara said. "The Home Office says that magic beans create portals."

"This is insane," Greg muttered.

"What did it say?" Tamara asked.

"It said there is 'great dark magic' in the mines. It also confirmed that Gold is the Dark One, but it says he's not dead."

"Impossible," Tamara said. "He had magic; the neutralizer would have taken him out."

"It said he can't be killed."

"Greg, you saw him go down!"

He lives still.

"Well, that'd be easy to check, wouldn't it? If we could get into the hospital." They had no good options left. There were two of them against an entire town of magic users, and the Home Office was asking them to work with a demon.

I can help you.

"How?"

I can move unseen. I can take shadows.

"Take shadows? What does that mean?"

Without the shadow, the body dies.

"Can you kill people?"

Yes.

"Can you kill the Queen?"

I can take her shadow.

"OK, here's the deal, then. You kill the Queen, you get us that trigger, and we take you back to Neverland."

"What? Greg-"

"Do you have any better ideas?" Greg shouted. "Maybe there's a reason the Home Office does business with this thing." Or maybe Storybrooke isn't the target at all - maybe Neverland is.

Tamara's glare was accusing and angry, but she conceded. "Fine," she growled. Greg looked at the shadow. It had already gone.


Everything hurt.

Rumplestiltskin groaned. "Rumple? Rumple!" Belle called, and Rumplestiltskin felt soft fingers brush the hair away from his face. "Can you hear me?"

"B- Belle."

"Yes," she said sweetly, "How are you feeling?"

Feeling? He was feeling terrible. He ached all over, and… his eyes flew open. "The Shadow! The Shadow - where's Bae?"

"I'm here, Papa," Bae said. He was sitting on Rumplestiltskin's other side, a magazine in his lap.

"Bae…" Rumplestiltskin reached out a hand, and Bae took it with a strained smile.

"I'm all right, Papa. Henry's here too; he's in with Regina."

"Good, good. Help me…" he struggled to sit up, wondering what, precisely, the Shadow had done. And how did it get here? His barriers were sound; he knew they were. It can't be stopped; Pan can't be stopped. It is your destiny. He is your undoing.

Belle looped an arm around his back and helped him. Bae was staring at something. Rumplestiltskin followed his gaze, his eyes falling on his own wrist, now wrapped in the leather cuff Regina had been wearing earlier "What is this?" he asked in confusion. His heart began to pound, and he looked at Belle then Bae. Why would they do this? Why would they try to control me?

"It blocks magic," Bae explained quietly. "Whatever the strangers did to you, it attacked your magic; Regina thought this might be the only way to stop it. She was right."

"The strangers… not the Shadow?" Rumplestiltskin tried to recall exactly that had happened. The Shadow had swopped towards him, and then he'd felt pain. But not from the front, from the side. Where the woman was standing.

"You've still got your shadow," Bae pointed out. "And Regina said that stun gun they have knocks out regular people, but kills magic users."

"But you can't die," Belle continued, "So it kept attacking your magic. We needed to suppress it so that the weapon would let you be."

"How do I get it off?" He needed his magic.

His mouth grim, Bae reached out and opened the cuff, pulling it off Rumplestiltskin's wrist and holding it out to him. "The wearer can't get it off, but anyone else can."

Rumplestiltskin swallowed, taking the cuff carefully. "Thank you, Bae." As soon as the cuff was off, his pain had started to ease.

"How are you feeling?" Belle asked again.

"Fine now, sweetheart, but I believe I will need a word with Regina."

"If you're sure you're up to it…"

"I'm fine," he repeated, "And we have no time to waste. The Shadow is here, and I take it the strangers escaped?" he asked, pushing his legs over the side of the bed and lurching to his feet. He was dressed in a hospital gown, and he staggered when he used magic to summon a new suit (no way in the seven hells was he facing Regina dressed in a backless hospital gown). Belle reached out to steady him, while Bae retrieved his cane from somewhere.

"Rumple…"

He shook his head. "There is no time."

He took his cane from Bae, who only said, "I'll go find Emma. We're going to need everyone for this."

Rumplestiltskin nodded, "You are probably correct, and she can test the veracity of anything Regina tells us."

Bae, his expression tense, took half a step back and then, seeming to change his mind, took a quick step forward to lock Rumplestiltskin in a tight embrace. "Oh, Bae, don't worry, I'll protect you, son," Rumplestiltskin assured him. Even if I don't survive this, you will; I swear it.

Bae gave him an odd look and shook his head. "I'll go get Emma," he said softly, pulling away.

Once he was gone, Belle sighed. "Rumple, he was worried about you."

"… Oh."

Aside from a brief run-in with Dr. Whale, who left quickly after Rumplestiltskin, ahem, insisted that he was fully recovered, the walk to Regina's room was uneventful. Not so much their arrival, however.

"So it worked," the former Queen said in an unimpressed voice.

"It did, though you still seem a bit ragged around the edges, dearie."

"Rumple," Belle scolded while Charming (not trusting her alone with Henry, are they?), sighed. Rumplestiltskin looked at Belle with what might qualify as an apologetic smile if he were actually sorry. Belle gave him an annoyed look then tilted her eyes towards Henry. Ah, right.

"Can you heal my Mom?" Henry asked.

"I don't need him to, Henry," Regina said quickly. "My magic will take care of it eventually."

Rumplestiltskin nodded, taking a seat. In truth, he wasn't quite recovered from whatever that weapon had done. "Regina isn't quite the Dark One, Henry, but magic protects its own."

"Oh."

"So why are you here, other than to gloat?" Regina demanded.

"No gloating, dearie; I'm here for answers, same as you."

"Me?"

"Now that I have possession of this intriguing cuff, and I see my manacles haven't made an appearance, you could have left at any time. Why haven't you? Because you'd like to know about the Shadow, now the you're convinced it's a danger."

"Yes, I'd like to know about the Shadow! How did it get through your precious barriers, Gold?"

"I don't know."

"Of course you don't," she laughed darkly. "And the strangers?"

"They looked rather travel worn to me. I'd wager they crossed back into town shortly after our balding friend was escorted out, which was, unfortunately, several days before I was able to get the final barrier up."

"So they've been here how long?"

"If I'm right? Over five weeks."

Regina looked at Charming. "Excellent patrols you have there."

"Could the Shadow have also been here since before the barriers were erected?" Belle asked.

"I supposed it's possible, but I don't know why it would not have immediately taken Henry and fled. You haven't seen it, have you lad?" Henry shook his head.

"Am I correct that no one has left town?" Rumplestiltskin asked Charming.

"Not as far as we know. With that curse still on the town line, no one wants to take the chance."

"One person did leave, Rumple," Belle said. Everyone looked at her. "Ariel, remember? When she retrieved the squid ink for us?"

"Yes," he said in realization, "And then she returned. Through a portal."

"That the Shadow could have followed her through," Regina groused, "That stupid fish!"

"Mom!" Henry objected, "I'm sure she didn't mean it!"

Regina looked ready to retort, but struggled with her barb-ready tongue with Henry's brown eyes pleading at her. "If that is what happened," Rumplestiltskin said, "We are very fortunate."

"What? You must be crazy!"

"Think, Regina. If the Shadow followed Ariel, that means the barriers are in tact; it cannot return to Pan. It also means that it has been here for more three weeks, and has not harmed anyone - why? Presumably because Pan did not tell it to. It was probably meant to gather information, but found itself trapped, unable to communicate with Pan. It will be weakened from being so long from Neverland; this is our chance to destroy it! Without it, Pan can never come after Henry."

"Sounds good to me," Emma said from the doorway. Bae, Mary Margaret, and the puppet were behind her. "That was the original plan, after all." Rumplestiltskin nodded as they filed in. Bae and the puppet were carrying enough coffee for every adult in the room (plus Bae… and the puppet) and a bottle of orange juice that was presumably for Henry.

"And what about the strangers?" Regina asked peevishly as the cups were distributed.

"That's where you come in, dearie," Rumplestiltskin said, taking his coffee from Bae with a grateful smile. "What did you manage to learn about them?"

"They're some kind of religious fanatics who are trying to destroy magic-" Rumplestiltskin snorted. "Exactly," Regina drawled. "They have that weapon they took you down with, and they got that from somewhere; the cuff too. But there are only two of them-"

"You're certain?"

"They're getting desperate; if they had back-up, they'd have called it in already. You did get those patrols set up in the mines, right?" she asked Emma.

Emma nodded. "Yup. Got the trigger too."

Regina nodded. "Good."

"Trigger?" Rumplestiltskin asked.

Emma pulled a large gem out of her pocket. "Regina's self-destruct switch."

Rumplestiltskin narrowed his eyes, reaching out for it. "That wasn't part of the curse."

"Forgive me for not trusting you," Regina sneered. "I wanted a way out that you didn't know about." She eyed the cup the puppet was offering her with suspicion, refusing to take it. He just rolled his eyes and left it on the side table.

Emma held the jewel out for Rumplestiltskin to take. "Don't drop it," she warned.

"Don't give it to him!" Regina objected.

Rumplestiltskin sneered. "I've got the same reason to leave this town in tact that you do, dearie, and if I desired otherwise, I wouldn't need your little trinket." Emma rolled her eyes as he took the gem. He examined it. Despite himself, he was impressed; original spell work was not Regina's strong suit.

"So what now?" Emma asked. "How do we destroy the Shadow?"

"Fire," Rumplestiltskin said.

"Cool," Henry said. Both of his mothers looked at him.

"You're sitting this one out, kid," Emma said.

"Finally, something we agree on," Regina drawled.

"But-"

"No buts. I'll give August my handcuffs if I have to; you're not getting in the middle if this."

Regina eyed the puppet. "You are not cuffing my son to a radiator."

"Of course not. I'd cuff him to me," he said cheekily.

"Well, that's one way to make sure he'll never see battle," she said in a nasty tone.

"Exactly," the puppet replied, nodding decisively and taking a sip of his coffee. Henry sighed noisily, shaking his juice with unnecessary vigor. Regina seemed put out that her little dig hadn't worked. One truth about the puppet: he was difficult to offend.

"So, fire," Emma said, "Care to be more specific?"

"I'm not sure I can at this time. It was attracted to my fire circle, but then broke free of it. But it is an elemental creature of pure darkness; fire can destroy it, if we can trap it long enough. I might have an object that could do it, if we can get close enough."

"What object?" Regina asked.

"Pandora's Box. It can trap any magical creature."

"Pandora - as in the myth?" Emma asked. Considering recent revelations, Rumplestiltskin suspected she would interrogate him at length about it some time in the near future.

"Yes, although it doesn't function quite how the myth version does; it's more akin to a magical prison."

"Like the trap in Ghostbusters?" Emma asked dryly. Regina rolled her eyes.

"I have never actually seen that film. But it will work, if we can lure the Shadow close enough."

"Will the fire work for that?" David asked, "You said it was attracted to your fire circle."

"It might. Or it might be forewarned of me now."

"What about my Mom?" Henry asked. "She can make fire."

Rumplestiltskin looked at Regina. There was little he could trust her with, but he did trust that she would do her utmost to protect Henry. If she could be convinced that this plan was in Henry's best interest, she would see it done.

Emma was not so convinced. "Does it need to be magical fire? Can't we just light a Bic or something?"

"It doesn't have to be magical," Bae said. "But I don't think a lighter would do it."

"A bonfire on the beach, then?"

"That might work," Bae said, his expression distant. "It usually joined us when Pan made us dance."

"Dance?" Emma asked, concerned.

Bae glanced at her. "Around the bonfire. Every night. Pan insisted." The room went quiet. "If you have a set of pipes, Papa, that might help," Bae said, eyes on his coffee.

"I don't," Rumplestiltskin said, "Not like his."

"Wouldn't it know it wasn't really Pan anyway?" the puppet asked.

"Yeah. It was just an idea," Bae said, shrugging.

"Well, if it's just the music you want, that won't be a problem," the puppet said, pulling out his phone. "What kind of pipes are they?"

"Pan pipes," Rumplestiltskin said dryly.

"Oh, duh. Hold on." The puppet set down his coffee and started pulling something up on his phone.

"Are you going to YouTube?" Emma asked archly.

"I was thinking Pandora."

"You're intending to lure an ancient evil with your cellphone?" Regina scoffed.

The puppet shrugged. "Couldn't hurt. Unless electronics repel it or something; do they?" he asked Bae.

Bae shook his head. "I don't think so. It might work. But we need dancers. No adults." He made eye contact with Rumplestiltskin.

"Absolutely not," he said immediately.

At the same moment, Emma and Regina looked at Henry and collectively said, "No."

"We can't use children for this," Mary Margaret said, "We'll think of another way."

"Technically speaking, I'm much older than you," Bae told her.

"Absolutely not," Rumplestiltskin reiterated.

"It has to be done, Papa; you know it does."

"Not by you."

"Who else, then? Who knows it like I do?"

"And who's going to dance this little dance with you?" Regina said, "Because it will be Henry over my dead body."

"Mom-"

"Jones," Rumplestiltskin said.

Everyone stared at him. "What?" Emma asked.

"Jones knows the Shadow. Smee too. With the correct potion, I can make them boys again. I can even make it temporary," he said with a smirk.

"And why would Captain Guyliner help us?" Regina asked.

Rumplestiltskin looked at Emma. "To get out of that cell, I think he'd do a great deal. Especially if you're the one asking, Miss Swan."

Emma sighed, but nodded. "Gold's right. He wants out."

"And the second part?" Mary Margaret asked suspiciously.

Emma sighed again. "That too."