I do not own OUAT. Anything recognizable is not mine.
Italics = Flasbacks
When Reyna Jones woke up that morning, she never expected to be in the back of the Savior's car, speeding towards the town line with the Chernabog after her 'boyfriend'.
She had planned to go to Anna's wedding that morning and then spend the rest of the day locked in her bedroom with Peter, but the Fates had other plans.
Upon stepping through the crocus encrusted door in the sorcerer's mansion, a loud roar sounded through the area.
Undeterred, the couple returned to their farmhouse and retreated to their room, only for banging to start on their front door. They left it for Felix to answer. It went silent for a few moments before the insistent knocking started again.
She was half-undressed when the door slammed and Felix was shouting for them to get out there. To say Peter was pissed was an understatement. With a snap of his fingers, he had her in more comfortable clothing, all traces of makeup removed and her hair braided down her back. He was storming out, his green eyes flashing dangerously, leaving a flustered ex-pirate to scramble after him to keep him from doing anything rash.
Felix was glaring at the door, grumbling about saviors and privacy. "What is it? And this had better be good," Peter snarled at his second in command. He did not like being interrupted. Felix turned his glare onto his best friend and leader.
"The Savior. She is talking nonsense about monsters and darkness. You are apparently in danger and causing problems for the town. She won't leave!"
Reyna put her hands into one of Peter's, interlocking their fingers and making him look down at her. She was furious as well, especially since Peter had her worked up, but she knew that she needed to keep a clear head. If Emma said there was something endangering Peter, she wanted to hear her out.
"Let's just see what she wants. Nicely."
Peter didn't look happy about it as he made for the door.
"This had better be important, Savior, you are on your last leg," Peter spat irritably as he opened the door. "Oh and the Evil Queen, what an unpleasant surprise," he sneered. Regina just glared, turning to look at the sky fearfully as another loud roar was heard.
"We found the hat and released the fairies," Emma rushed to explain, seeing as Peter was a second away from slamming the door in her face, "However we released more that: the Chernabog. It seeks the heart with the most potential of darkness."
"That's what you wanted? To warn me about a winged demon?" asked Peter, one part bored, one part disbelief, and one part annoyance.
Emma gave a frustrated sigh and pulled her fingers through her hair. "We have a way to expel it, but we need your help because it is looking for you."
"And how can you be so sure?" Peter said, knowing that it wasn't after him. He had encountered the beast once before. Unfortunately, he knew exactly who it was after.
Regina answered, raising a challenging eyebrow at the teen, who met it with an equally challenging one. With his eyebrows, he definitely won. "With Rumplestiltskin gone, you are the only person that still practices dark magic in this town."
Peter didn't look convinced, but he leaned against the frame of the door, released Reyna's hand, and crossed his arms. "And your plan?"
"There isn't any magic over the town line. If we can lure it there, we can send it across and it will no longer exist," Emma said confidently, and Reyna had to wonder is the Savior came up with the plan because it wasn't that bad if they could pull it off.
"And you plan to use Peter as bait?" Reyna accused in disgust, not knowing the truth like Peter did.
Emma looked sympathetically at the Jones girl. "Not really, he will be with me and Regina the whole time, we just need the beacon that attracts the monster, and Pan is the only one that fits the description."
Reyna looked up at Peter, only to find him already staring at her with a calculating gaze. She sighed. "Fine, but I am coming too."
Peter looked torn between protesting and agreeing, but he didn't argue and they followed the Savior into the bug, the mood ruined by Emma's appearance anyways.
Reyna clutched Peter's hand tightly, hating the metal death trap she was forced to ride in. She had only been in a car once or twice and had been unconscious half of them. At the speed Emma was driving, the needle slowly inching closer to the 100 mph mark, she felt like she needed to throw up.
"What made you choose yellow?" Regina said, breaking the silence and trying to conceal her worry. In her eyes, if the monster wasn't after Pan then it was after her.
Emma looked confused, taking her eyes off of the road and side mirror, making Reyna tense and her stomach flip.
"Your bug! Yellow? Bold choice," Regina said, raising her voice over the deafening growls of the Chernabog.
"I like yellow. I stole it. Is this really the time to question my taste?" Emma rattled off in quick succession. Reyna heard Peter sigh in annoyance. He did not want to be here.
"Sorry, I'm trying to keep my mind off of being some demon's lunch," Regina said, looking out her window at the flying monster.
"You're not going to be," Emma said, looking behind them once more as the Chernabog disappeared from her sight. At Reyna's glare, she quickly reiterated. "No one in this car is going to be fed to that beast. Not even Pan." Reyna wasn't satisfied, but she knew it was the best she would get.
"Well, glad you're confident," Regina said sarcastically.
A loud roar sounded and the car swerved as the hood caved ever so slightly under the weight of the gigantic demon. Reyna held Peter's hand tighter while Peter did the same, though for a different reason.
"What is this thing made of? Tin?" Reyna shouted, flinching at the crunching noise the top made.
"Hang on," Emma said calmly, flooring the gas pedal, "We're almost there." She maneuvered the car back and forth, trying to shake the Chernabog off and making Reyna feel worse than she already did, giving her a pounding headache.
The head appeared outside of the windshield, revealing a hideous monster with shining, grey, scaly flesh and beady, glowing, molten lava-esque eyes. It had two twin horns adorning its head, and as it roared, they got a view of yellowing, slimy looking fangs. Raising a fist, it slammed its claws through the front window, shattering a hole in the center as the glass flew inwards, cutting the occupants as they shrank away.
"It's too late," Regina said, her voice shaking.
"That's it," Peter said, glaring ahead when the Chernabog reached a hand in, its talons clawing at the air to find the one that it was wanting. Not once did it reach for Regina or Emma, but the hole restricted its reach to the back seat. The smell of decaying bodies wafted towards their noses.
"Thanks for trying, Savior," Peter snapped, and while clutching on to Reyna, they disappeared out of the yellow bug.
Appearing about three hundred feet in front of the car, Emma swerved dangerously and the beast raised its head, eyes locking onto the two that were no longer in the car, its wings flapping with a force greater than helicopter blades as it prepared for flight.
Fortunately for the pair, Emma's car was moving at a fast enough momentum, giving them the right amount of time as she slammed the gas, followed quickly by her brakes. Catching the demon off guard at the sudden speed change, it flew off the top and tumbled uselessly, flailing, through the air towards the barrier that marked the town line.
Peter threw his body over Reyna's when they ducked, feeling one of the claws brush his back where Reyna's head had been. As it hit the force field, it disintegrated into nothing without the magic to fuel its existence. Emma's car finished skidding about a foot away from the couple, just short of hitting them.
Straightening, Reyna turned to look over Peter, relieved to see that he was unharmed while Peter did the same to her, frowning at the shard of glass that was imbedded in her shoulder. With a wave of his hand, it disappeared. The passenger and driver's side doors opened, the sound of heels and boots hitting the pavement reaching their ears, pulling them from their little bubble.
Reyna shot the two women an appreciative smile, not knowing that it wasn't Peter the demon was after. Emma smiled back, gripping the Snow Queen's scroll and slamming her door. Even Regina nodded her acknowledgement with a small quirk of her lips upwards.
As the Savior and the ex-Evil Queen walked towards them, one of the sheriff cruisers pulled up to behind the yellow car, Snow and David rushing out of it the second it stopped. "Emma!" Mary-Margaret shouted, running to pull her daughter into a hug, "Are you alright?"
"Yeah," Emma breathed as the adrenaline began to settle.
Mary-Margaret shared a look with David. "So, Cruella and Ursula were telling the truth.
Regina gave a curt nod, "It would appear so." Emma moved to hand Regina the rolled paper, making good on their end of the bargain.
"Wait, Emma," Mary-Margaret said, holding out a halting hand. Reyna raised an eyebrow at her behavior while Emma and Regina looked surprised by her outburst. Peter just looked bored. "I think this is a bad idea," she said, voicing her opinion. "They may have told the truth this time, but that doesn't mean they can be trusted."
Reyna's mind raced with suspicions and possibilities. Snow was having a hard time meeting anyone's eyes and she stumbled over her words. Regina looked disbelieving.
"Mom, this doesn't sound like you. You always believe the best in everyone."
"Emma, she is right. Things were just starting to get back to normal in Storybrooke."
"You too?" Emma asked her father in surprise. Reyna wondered what secret the two were hiding. Obviously it pertained to Emma.
"We don't know anything about these two. They could be looking for redemption, or they could be just as evil as Mr. Gold, or Zelena, or…" She trailed off with a pointed look at Peter. Reyna glared, suddenly wanting to hurt the princess turned elementary teacher. Peter's hand kept her from doing anything stupid, though she was sure that he was smirking and taking it as a compliment.
Emma looked extremely put off by the idea of not letting the two in. "That could be, but they just helped us, and we made a deal," she reasoned.
"Doesn't matter. It is a bad idea. They are villains." Reyna rolled her eyes at the flimsy argument, especially when made in the presence of Regina Mills, dark witch who now practices light magic.
Said witch spoke up. "You're right. They're horrible… but not as horrible as I once was. And if I deserved a second chance, so do they. How can we sit here and look for my happy ending but turn around and deny them theirs?"
"I'm with Regina," Emma said, handing the scroll over. They all turned to the line as she threw it over. Reyna stared in mild interest, a glare on her face as she watched the two get into Cruella's car and open the paper, looking up in surprise when the town appeared. Cruella pulled forward.
Forcing a smile on her face, Regina spoke. "Welcome to Storybrooke."
Reyna noted the glares that Snow and David sported. Cruella looked at them with a smile of someone who was hiding something. In a sickly sweet voice, she said, "Thank you, Regina. You won't regret it." Regina nodded.
"I'd better not," she said, leaving the silent threat in the air. Cruella smirked, speeding off into town with a wave out the window.
"And they call you a villain," Reyna hissed, glaring at nothing in particular. Peter shrugged uncaringly. Reyna had known many of Snow White's dirty secrets, but this seemed to be a whole new low for the princess.
She examined Peter's face as he got to his feet, looking at the clock on the wall. "Where are you going?" she asked.
"There is someone I need to welcome to Storybrooke, love."
"It isn't one of those witches, is it?" she asked with narrowed eyes.
He chuckles. "No need to be jealous, love. Those two will be too busy dealing with the Charmings. I need to speak with the person who is behind it all, the one who got them into Storybrooke.
She raised an eyebrow and sighed. "Of course you do."
She got up and followed Peter into their living room, finding all the Lost Boys sitting around the TV with bowls of popcorn. Felix was putting a movie into the DVD player.
She walked to one of the couches, sitting down in one of two empty seats. Peter walked out of their room, pocketing her dagger and walking towards her.
Reyna kissed Peter goodbye, settling down onto the couch between Felix and Nibs, pulling the youngest Lost Boy, Tootles, into her lap in the process when Peter 'smoked' out. She was happy to know what the Charmings' secret was, though she wasn't approving of what Peter was leaving to do.
A crippled Rumplestiltskin stood outside where he knew the town line to be, waiting without hope for his accomplices to return to let him back into town. Losing what little, nonexistent hope he did have, he turned to hobble down to the nearest bus stop, wishing he hadn't trust the sea witch and her puppy trainer.
The sound of something hitting the ground drew his attention behind him. A roll of paper stood out in the dark night against the pavement, the red ribbon being the only color in a seemingly black and white world.
Limping over with most of his weight on his cane, he leaned down and grabbed the ancient scroll. Pulling one end of the bow, he began to scan the old symbols, unsure of what it was at first, until something appeared in his periphery. This was his ticket back home. Looking up, he expected to see Cruella and Ursula, but froze at the single figure that waited for him.
"Did you miss me, laddie?" Peter Pan smirked, his arms crossed as he stared at his younger brother.
"Pan. What do you want?" Rumple snarled.
"Now, is that any way to talk to the person getting you back into town? I could keep you out just as easily."
Rumple, while hating the teenager in front of him with his entire being, knew that he didn't stand a chance, and better than anyone, that Pan was not bluffing. "Where are Ursula and Cruella?" Rumple settled for asking.
"Well they would have come themselves, but I left them… Preoccupied. I wanted to speak to my little brother after all."
"I'm not about to share my plan with you," Rumple spat, and Pan knew it to be true.
"You see though, I don't need you to. I know exactly what you're after. And reviving Maleficent, quite the feat. That isn't what I am here about," he said darkly, surprising Rumple.
"Then what could you possibly want, dearie? In case you haven't noticed, I am in no position to be making deals. Especially with the likes of you."
"Come on across the line, laddie, we have much to talk about and I can't have you unable to keep up with such a poor ankle."
Despite not wanting to, Rumple did as he was told. Pan may not be after his plans, but he was surely after Pan's.
Once he was across the line, he threw the cane off to the side, keeping a reasonable distance between himself and Pan as they started walking.
"I know all about your hand in the translation and release of the nasty little magical flies and that hell demon, and I must say I am impressed. Must have been hard for a coward such as yourself in the big bad world without anything to protect himself. Surprised you dragged yourself up enough to even plot how to get in. You were always one for a pity-party."
Rumple's lip curled, "What is the real reason for this displeasure, Pan?"
"Your cronies hang off your every word like lost puppies. I suggest you know where your allegiances lie. It's time for you to reunite the band, but don't think I don't know your ulterior motive for releasing that Chernabog."
"I can't say I know what you're talking about."
"Of course you do," Pan said darkly. "You had Ursula and Cruella tell the Savior what the beast was after, knowing full well they would think it was targeting me."
"Oh? And a creature looking for the heart with the darkest potential isn't searching for you?" Rumple said, feigning innocence.
Pan rolled his eyes at the act. "That monstrosity wasn't after me, and it most definitely wasn't after Regina. But you failed to realize that it wouldn't be after Emma either."
Now this scared Rumple. He had been sure that Emma Swan was the only obstacle in his way. His brother had to be lying; it was the only explanation he could think of.
"I'd suggest you think twice before trying to destroy the heart with the greatest potential of darkness. Remember that when you thought you had the right person with the heart of the Truest Believer, only to find that it is your grandson?"
Rumple looked at Pan skeptically. "If not Miss Swan, then who?"
Pan leveled a glare at the Dark One. "Now, where's the fun in telling you that? You're a bright boy, Rumple, I'm sure you can figure it out. Just remember: I'm not your enemy yet, but with what you're planning, I'm about to be. You don't want me as your enemy. Or have you forgotten the last time?"
Rumple couldn't prevent the involuntary shiver that ran down his spine. While he would beg to differ– he thought of Pan as his enemy– he definitely didn't want Pan to get in his way, and if he set off his temper, he knew that is exactly what would happen.
"I'm surprised you wanted to meet with me, of all people, Snow White," Peter Pan said, twenty four hours after his conversation with Rumple. Reyna stood by his side curiously, both having been surprised by Mary-Margaret's call.
"Maleficent is back," she told them, getting straight to business.
Peter narrowed his eyes. "I'm well aware. Cruella and Ursula are here for more than a second chance, I'm surprised Savior and Madame Mayor fell for it."
"They are here to de-"
"Destroy the happy endings, yes, we know. The question is why are we standing in the rain discussing it with you?"
If Snow was surprised, she hid it well. "We need to find out what they're planning."
Reyna sighed and Peter knew that he couldn't let on that they already know. "So? You expect me to help you?"
"We need to get someone close to them, someone they believe to be a villain." Reyna's nose wrinkled from the way Snow used villain as an insult. They needed to get it through their thick skulls that there was hardly a difference between heroes and villains. She would have thought that Snow of all people– after all that she has done– would realize that. "We want you to go under cover with them and help us stop their plans."
"And why am I the best choice? I'm sure there is an actual ex-villain that you actually trust. I can't say that I even see a reason to help."
"Regina is too invested in her happy ending and she is too close to Emma to keep this a secret."
"No, no, that isn't it," Reyna said, realizing why she wanted to use Peter. "You want to use Peter because you know that no one would be surprised, and you think that Peter is a villain anyways, so what's the harm. Well I would challenge you to get off your fucking high horse because you aren't any better. No one would suspect that their princess could have done something so horrendous if it is Peter. It wouldn't be traced back to you. That's what this is about. Keeping as little visible blood off your hands as possible. Sorry to tell you, but they are already stained red."
Snow looked offended but not surprised. Peter spoke up anyways. "I could just as easily join them and make it all the more easy for them to destroy this. What makes you think that they would welcome me into their coven with open arms anyway? I don't have the best track record with any of them."
"You're one of them," she answered, like it was the most obvious thing. Reyna's lip curled as she glared.
"You're forgetting that I already have my happy ending. They would never believe me," Peter lied. He knew it would be easy to twist their leg and join them, even if Rumplestiltskin was a part of the group.
"So find a way to make them believe," Snow commanded harshly. Reyna was surprised by the raised voice, knowing that people didn't get away with speaking to Peter that way. She knew that she was having a hard time not tearing Snow's head off. It was silent in the small clearing, Reyna fuming and Pan wore a calculating expression. Only the pitter-patter of the rain was heard.
Snow tried to convince them again, breaking the silence. "You live here now, and they could just as easily take away your happy ending. Regina and I did it fairly easily once before," she was digging own grave, "She wants to destroy this town because of something David and I did long ago."
Peter cut her off once more. "Don't waste your time spouting a story about your terrible acts and the effects on your daughter. I already know that you made her lose her child. I honestly feel that she was better off, but apparently that is a terrible, terrible thing. You see, I could let this out and tell Emma everything. Everything that you've done that makes you no different than the villain that I am. Maybe it even makes you worse. I like to save secrets for a rainy day, much like this one, and could you imagine how this town, one that idolizes you and your husband, would act if they only knew what you were capable of? If they thought killing Cora was bad, they wouldn't forgive you for this."
Snow stood dumbfounded, she hadn't planned on giving him that much information, and she was starting to regret not going to Regina.
"I can't say that I would fit in amongst those witches," Peter said monotonously, making Snow deflate. "But, I can see the fun that this could be. I'll help you, but I want something in return."
"And what's it you want?"
"There will come a day when we want a favor, and you fit the bill. One favor and I can make your problems go away. You buy my silence for one, and my help with a second," Peter negotiated. "Do we have a deal?" He had never made so many deals, but he found that in this town it got the best results.
Snow hesitated before nodding. Reyna could help but think that it was a mistake on her part. "We have a deal," Snow agreed, making Peter's smirk widen.