Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT

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Ever since the night Emma, Regina and Wish Robin returned from the Wish Realm, Rumple and Belle had been searching all over Storybrooke for their wayward son. No matter what method they tried, magical or non, the would-be-Savior could not be found. So, while his estranged wife was looking somewhere else, Rumple was scouring through the woods the old fashioned way.

"Gideon." he called out to his boy, "Gideon!"

"Did you find any sign of him?" Belle asked as she joined him with Mother Superior.

"No."

"There was nothing in the north woods, either." Blue informed the couple.

"Why am I not surprised you couldn't find him? Could it be because you were the one who lost him in the first place?" Rumple sarcastically asked in spite to the fairy.

"If you're looking for a fairy to take your anger out on, perhaps you should find your mother." Blue suggested in retort.

"Well, since the Black Fairy is trapped in another realm, I suppose I'll have to make do with you." he all but threatened.

"The most important thing right now is finding our son." Belle reminded as she stepped between them.

"I think maybe it's best if I continue to look on my own." Blue offered before leaving the couple.

"I'm beginning to think we're not gonna find him out here." Rumple said.

"Well, why? Where do you think he is?"

"His heart is set on fulfilling his destiny. And he can't do that without the sword."

"What sword?" she asked.

"The sword that was shattered when Gideon last faced Emma." he clarified.

"I don't understand. Why does he think that killing Emma with this blade will make him the Savior?"

"He's not the first one to think wielding that sword will make him a hero." Rumple replied, clearly thinking about the first time he saw that sword.

"We have to find him before he gets his hands on it, before he goes after Emma again."

"We will. You can trust me, Belle." he vowed, "I've already lost one son. I won't lose another."

Not long after making this vow, the Dark One's other son stomped through the sheriff's station in search of something he needed. Still clad in his black hood, the town's newest villain cut the security feed and searched through Emma's office. After spotting her safe, he used his magic to unlock it and unveil his prize; the grip and fragmented blade of Hrunting. As soon as he took it and turned around, he was slightly startled by his melancholy father.

"Father." he gasped before composing himself.

"Gideon." Rumple greeted, "After your little showdown with the Savior, this is one of the last places you should be."

"Don't worry, Father. With this sword, she won't be able to get the best of me again." Gideon assured before falling in a heap, unconscious from his father's magic.

"Perhaps she won't. But there's still a few things you need to learn from your papa." Rumple said to his sleeping boy.

After transporting them both to the inside of the clock tower, and binding Gideon in both the magic-sealing cuff and golden ropes around his wrists to the railing, Rumple waited a few moments for his son to wake up. After Gideon did, with a panicked jolt, Rumple resumed their conversation.

"I'm afraid I couldn't take any chances."

"You said you'd help me. You said you were on my side." Gideon spat.

"I did, and I am." Rumple calmly replied, "But killing the Savior, even to destroy the Black Fairy, you will never be the hero you want to be. Gideon, do you know why I became the Dark One?"

"Afraid not." his son replied, obviously not caring.

"I took the power to end the first ogres war, to save my first son; your brother, Baelfire. I embraced darkness for good. But I never became a hero. Because once you fall into darkness, it's almost impossible to pull yourself out."

"Not if I become the Savior, not if I steal Emma's light magic." Gideon argued.

"And how are you gonna do that?" Rumple asked as he held up the broken weapon, "This is a useless relic, Gideon. It never worked to begin with"

"You know, I thought you'd want to see the fall of the Black Fairy more than anyone."

"Oh, I do. But not if it costs my son his soul." Rumple sternly replied.

"I have to defeat her. I have to save my people from her curse."

"Gideon, no one knows more about darkness than I. If you do this, giving into darkness can only lead to heartbreak." Rumple warned, clearly speaking from his own, painful experience.

On the other side of town, after taking their daily stroll for fresh air, Zelena and little baby Robin were headed back inside their cozy, little home.

"This little munchkin went to see the wizard, and this little munchkin stayed at home." Zelena cooed at her baby as they went inside. But, as soon as she passed the threshold, Zelena's playful demeanor immediately changed to defensive rage as she summoned a green fireball in her free hand. "And this little munchkin never lived to see the light of another day."

"Careful. I don't think your sister would be too pleased if you caused the demise of a second Robin." Wish Robin playfully warned from his seat at her table.

"I don't care. You're not getting my daughter!" Zelena shouted.

"Oh, I'm not here for the brat. I never was one for children." he arrogantly smirked before opening the small box he stole from Regina, "You see, where I'm from, I robbed enough witches and warlocks to know the kind of magic you need to break a protection spell. Problem is, I had a partner that was savvy with that kind of stuff."

"Sorry." Zelena scoffed after dismissing her spell, "Grand theft sorcery isn't my thing."

"Oh, I don't need your help to break in somewhere. I need it to break out." he corrected.

"Oh. Do you want to leave Storybrooke?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"It's just that there's this pesky little protection spell surrounding the town. I came here for a fresh start; new people to rob, places to drink, women to meet. But, you see, I'm not gonna get any of that, not with your sister threatening to reform me at every step."

"Believe me, that I understand. But why should I help you? Why not go ask the League agents over at the mansion?"

"Because you need to leave this town more than I do." he replied, "I know when somebody's got a target on their back. And as for this League I keep hearing about, while the other Robin may have been involved with it, I, on the other hand, have never heard of it before coming here."

"Is that so?" she rhetorically asked, "Well, even if I do have a few enemies, I can handle myself."

"But wouldn't it be nice to make a few friends, instead?" he asked with a cunning smile.

"When do we leave?" she asked with a smirk of her own.

Back in the clock tower, still not making any headway with his stubborn, borderline emo son, Rumple decided to take a different approach.

"You think tea with dear old Dad is going to make everything better?" Gideon sarcastically asked as he watched his father pour a cup of tea from a thermos.

"No. But a chat might." he replied, "I want to know what the Black Fairy did to you to make you think killing the Savior is the only way to become a hero."

"How can I trust you with the truth when you don't even trust me?" Gideon challenged as he gestured to his restraints. Nodding in acknowledgment, Rumple undid the ropes around his son's wrists.

"Now, tell me. What did the Black Fairy to my son?" Rumple asked, bracing himself for the truth about his boy's painful life. In response, Gideon pulled out the copy of Belle's favorite book, the one she sent away with him.

"Her Handsome Hero." Gideon said as he handed over the book.

"Your mother's favorite." Rumple wistfully said.

"She sent me away with that copy. Years after the Black Fairy kidnapped me, I found it amongst her things. I kept it beneath the mattress in my cell. That tale got me through the endless nights. But then one night, the Black Fairy caught me reading it. She asked me if I wanted to be like the character I was named after; a hero. I said I did. She just laughed, and she said, 'We'll see about that.' That night, she took the boy in the cell across from mine. She dragged him to her tower, where she whipped him. I could hear his cries echo through the halls, begging for someone to stop her. I reached out to the door of my cell, and it was open. I had a chance to save him. But I didn't. I just sat there, listening to his cries."

"She left the door unlocked on purpose." Rumple stated.

"To show me I didn't have what it takes." Gideon nodded as tears slipped down his faces, "I was a coward, Father, just like you. But we can show your mother that she was wrong about both of us. Will you help me?"

"Yes." Rumple softly said before rising from his seat and handing his son the tea, "But first you must settle your nerves."

"What kind of tea is this?" Gideon asked after he sipped from the cup.

"One laced with memory potion." Rumple replied, earning a look of betrayal from his son, "In a few moments, you won't remember what the Black Fairy did. Your pain will be gone."

When Gideon stumbled forward, only to be caught in a hug from his father, it seemed like all his pain was about to leave him. But, much to Rumple's surprise, his son reached into his coat and pulled out the dagger as he pushed him away. Clearly, the plan had backfired.

"Did you really think a memory potion would work on me?" Gideon darkly asked as he used the dagger to strip off his cuff, "I was raised by the Black Fairy."

"Gideon, don't." Rumple pleaded.

"You know, I thought you cared about what she did to me, but you're no different than her." he seethed, "Now you're going to keep your promise, and you are going to help me to fulfill my destiny, whether you want to or not. Now, take us to your shop and tell me what I must do to repair this sword."

Even though he did not want to, Rumple relented and sent them both to the pawn shop. Already knowing exactly what his son needed, Rumple plucked a book off one of his many shelves and explained the process to repair Hrunting.

"This book contains the spell that will repair the sword." Rumple began as he showed his son the formula, "It requires the blood of the person who forged it."

"If that's what it takes, Father." Gideon replied as he began to storm off.

"Gideon, look, you were willing to kill the Savior. Now you're willing to spill innocent blood." Rumple argued.

"I don't have a choice." Gideon argued, "I need to fix this sword to fulfill my destiny."

"And what happens then? How does it end?" Rumple asked.

"With the destruction of the Black Fairy and all she stands for."

"That's not how it ends. That's not how it ever ends." he corrected, "The Black Fairy destroyed your childhood. Don't let her destroy the rest of your life."

"You don't get a say in the matter." Gideon retorted as he held up the dagger, "Dark One, who forged this blade? Whose blood do I need?"

"…The Blue Fairy's." Rumple unwillingly confessed.

"My fairy godmother?" Gideon asked.

"There's good in you, Gideon. Don't snuff out the light in your heart. If you do this, you might not be able to get back." Rumple warned.

"…That's a risk I have to take." Gideon waved off as he stormed towards the door.

"Gideon, please." he begged, only to be stopped by the dagger.

"I can't have you getting in my way. I truly am sorry, Father. Dark One, I command you; don't try to stop me." Gideon ordered before poofing away.

As Gideon was once again on the hunt, over at the town line, Wish Robin, armed with his bow and arrows, was waiting for Zelena to appear with the potion they needed for their escape. A few moments later, the witch in question poofed behind him with her baby, three suitcases, and a tarp covered cage.

"Where have you been?" he snapped.

"Don't get your arrows in a twist. I just had to pick up a few things." Zelena replied as she revealed the Evil Queen's snake form inside the cage.

"A pet snake?" Robin asked.

"Well, she's practically family." she joked, even if he would not understand it, "And with so many dank sewers out there, I could hardly leave her behind."

"Right. So, we're doing this?" he asked.

"Mixed to order." Zelena said a she presented the green concoction, "It'll drain the magic out of any spell, including the town line. And then it's hello New York City."

But before either of them could pour the liquid on the line, Regina appeared before them, looking completely pissed.

"I thought you might be here. I should have known you'd be with him." Regina spat towards her sister, "Did you really think I wouldn't notice my magic was missing?"

"I can explain." Robin attempted.

"Oh, you mean lie to me again?" she countered, "You said you came here because you wanted to find meaning in your life. Was any of that true?"

"Yes!" he retorted, "I truly wanted to find purpose here, but you made it so hard."

"How did I make it hard? All I did was try to help you."

"By bringing me somewhere where I'm constantly reminded of somebody that I'm not." he pointed out in a huff before slightly calming down, "Regina, I can't live up to the legacy of a man who died for you."

"It won't work." Regina warned when Robin snatched the potion from Zelena.

"Don't listen to her. She's lying." Zelena snapped.

"Fine. Don't believe me. Go ahead. Try it." she urged. As soon as the liquid touched the spray paint line, it immediately backfired on Robin, leaving the barrier still intact.

"If I had all the ingredients to break the protection spell, do you really think I wouldn't have done it already?" Regina sarcastically asked her sister.

"So we're trapped here?" Robin snapped.

"I bet you're happy now." Zelena remarked towards her sister.

"Robin, I know you want to leave, but you don't understand the world out there. It's not like where you're from."

"I can handle myself, Regina." he defended.

"…I know. If you really want to leave, I'll dig through every book I have to figure out how to break the protection spell." she said.

"You will?" he asked.

"Yes. I owe it to him; to you. To let you find your happiness…even if it means helping you walk out of here." Regina said, trying to swallow the lump of sadness in her throat.

Later, once night had fallen over the town, Gideon found his target looking over a map of Storybrooke, still desperately searching for the child she failed.

"You were my fairy godmother." he said, alerting her to his presence.

"Gideon." she exhaled after being startled, "I have been looking for you everywhere."

"You were supposed to protect me when I was just a baby." he coldly said.

"I know. I tried." Blue said, "But the Black Fairy was too strong. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You may not have been able to help me back then, but maybe you can now." Gideon offered as he held up the hilt of the sword she made.

"No." she said as her voice shook, "Killing Emma with that blade, it-it will not make you the Savior the way you think."

"Save the lecture." he coldly interrupted, "There's only one thing I need from you; your magic. All of it."

"Please don't do this." she begged.

"Don't make this any harder than it has to be." he said before freezing her with his magic. Just as he was about to slice her hand and take her magic, his father, once again, arrived to stop him.

"Gideon, stop." Rumple ordered.

"Father, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"I watched one son darken his heart long ago. I can't watch another do the same."

"You can't stop me. I commanded you." Gideon reminded.

"I'm not here to stop you. I'm here to do it for you." Rumple clarified as he took the hilt and pressed it against Blue's palm.

"Gold, please don't." she pleaded desperately.

"I'm sorry." he said sincerely before slicing her hand. As soon as a single drop of her blood landed on the red gem of the sword's pommel, all of her magic was absorbed into her creation, restoring it to his former glory. Unfortunately for Blue, it completely weakened her, causing to fall to the ground unconscious.

"We will defeat the Black Fairy. You will become a hero. But I won't let you touch the darkness to do so." Rumple vowed to his son as he gave him the blade.

"Thank you, Father." Gideon said, feeling touched by his parent's sacrifice. It was then that he felt trusted enough to return the dagger. "I don't think I'll be needing this anymore."

Later, after Gideon went off on his own with the sword, Rumple did the courteous thing and brought Blue back to the shop with him. Afterwards, he called Belle over to explain things. As soon as she arrived and saw the comatose nun on the backroom cot, she feared the worst.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Belle, I can explain." Rumple calmly said.

"No. Rumple, you promised me. You said you would find Gideon before he did something he couldn't come back from." Belle accused.

"Gideon didn't do this to her. I did." he admitted.

"Why?"

"Because it was the only way to stop him from doing it himself." he explained, "If he had, I fear he would already be lost to us. Once we stop him, I can return her magic. No one needs to be hurt. Gideon has the sword now. It's more powerful than ever. He'll go after the Savior once again. I just hope there's enough time to stop him before he does."

"We will." Belle promised, "For once, you put our son first. You darkened your soul so he wouldn't have to. If you can make the right choice after all the wrong you've done, then that means that there's hope our son will, too."

Over at the vault, Regina was in the process of brewing another potion to destroy the town's barrier for Robin. While she was doing this, Zelena came down the stairs with the snake cage in her hand.

"There you are." the witch said as she entered the chamber.

"Here to steal more of my magic?" Regina quipped without making eye contact.

"No. I'm here to return Queen Cobra before the Charmings realize she's missing. Although, I suppose I should be thanking you for ruining my plan for her." Zelena sarcastically remarked.

"What plan?" Regina asked, actually looking her sister in the eyes now.

"Did you really think I was going to run off to New York with my baby daddy's lookalike?" Zelena sarcastically asked, "No. I couldn't care less what that man does, as long as it doesn't involve my daughter. So, when he told me he was looking for a way out, and just so happened to be in possession of some of the ingredients needed to make that possible, I saw an opportunity to get rid of Her Majesty, once and for all."

"You were going to throw her over the town line?" Regina asked.

"Oh, look who's catching on, finally." Zelena said with a fake smile, "Of course that's what I was doing. And if it resulted her remaining in her surprise make-over, and staying locked in that cage, it would've been an added bonus."

"Why? I thought you two were trying to be the sisters we never were." Regina asked.

"You really have to ask me that?" Zelena snapped, "After what she did to Nicholas?! I only regret not getting my hands on that sword so I could've killed her myself after what she did to him. Because unlike you, Regina, I actually still care about our brother and how that day afflicted his mind. I wanted to finally do something for him for once, so I could be the one to tell him that the devil woman who made him suffer the one thing that terrifies him more than anything was finally gone."

"So, all the suitcases-"

"Empty." Zelena spat, "It was all for show to convince that doppelganger to hold onto the cage while I grabbed my stuff. Once they were past the barrier, I would have thrown it back up and gone home."

"You did all that for Nicholas?" Regina asked, "You were willing to stay for Nicholas?"

"Well, it certainly wasn't for you." Zelena snapped, "Because unlike with, I don't have to prove myself or meet impossible standards for his love. And with the way you've treated him these last few months, I figured he needed at least one sister who still cares about him. Not to mention, I wasn't going to cheat my daughter out of knowing her only uncle's love, either."

"…You really do love Nicholas, don't you?" Regina softly asked, already knowing the answer.

"He accepted me for who I am. Something you were too proud to even try." Zelena sneered, despite how much it hurt her.

"You're right." Regina admitted, "I'm not different than I was before. Still just as cynical. How did I ever think that removing my evil half would change anything? When I saw Robin in that alternate world, it was a test to see if I could move forward, and I failed."

It wasn't an apology, but Zelena could tell her sister was beginning to realize how wrong she had been lately.

"Well, I thought I was rid of you for good, Queenie," Regina said to the covered cage, "But I guess I'll always be paying the price for what you did…what I did."

Wanting to at least look at her other half in her serpent eyes, Regina pulled off the tarp, only for both sisters to see that the cage had been broken and the Evil Queen nowhere to be found.

"What?!" Zelena shrieked.

"Where the hell is she?" Regina asked.

In another part of the woods, Wish Robin was mulling over his thoughts in front of a campfire. However, as he was, a large, black, familiar snake was slithering down from a tree across his shoulders and down his arm.

"Easy now." he calmly said, even though he was afraid. As the snake looked directly at him, he thought he was safe. That is until it bit him and became engulfed in magical dust. While he cradled his bitten hand, the snake resumed her original form as the Evil Queen.

"Hope that didn't sting." she playfully remarked as she took in the pleasure of having her old body back, "A-A bit of that anti-magic potion stuck to you in the blast. And, well, as you can see, I needed some. So, thanks."

"I just left you at the town line." he said, clearly confused.

"You left Regina at the town line." she dryly corrected.

"You are Regina." he said, still confused.

"I'm the Evil Queen." she snapped, trying to maintain her wicked smile, "You, of all people, should recognize a doppelganger when you see one. There's two of us now."

"I don't care if there's seven of you now." he rudely retorted, "I'm leaving as soon as possible."

"Well, that's a shame because there's nothing for you out there." Evil Queen said with a slight pout.

"Nothing you can say will keep me in this abysmal hamlet a moment longer than I need to be." he argued.

"Abysmal hamlet?" she asked with an amused scoff, "Sounds like you haven't had the right tour guide. But now you do. And when I'm done with you, you'll have a whole new appreciation of what Storybrooke has to offer."

"This is not how I expected things to turn out." Zelena huffed as she and Regina marched to the loft to warn everyone about their enemy's release.

"Oh, when does anything any of us plan ever work as we wanted?" Regina pointed out, "As long as she's still a snake, we have nothing to worry about. She can't hurt anyone not within reach of a baseball bat."

As soon as she said this, the two sisters heard the distinct screaming of Snow White from the loft. Fearing the worst, they ran as fast as they could in their current footwear and hurried towards the building, completely unsuspecting of the news they were about to receive.

I know, I know. This one wasn't really any different than the original episode. I actually considered skipping this. But with everything that's going to go down, especially with all my twists, it needed to be done. Plus, I needed to do something for Zelena and I felt like I did exactly what I needed to for her.

Her leaving Storybrooke wouldn't have made much sense in this story. Unlike the cannon, there is actually someone in Storybrooke who loves Zelena. I'm not gonna lie, it got redundant when it came to her and Regina's bickering. Then again, so did Rumple and Belle's. In fact, I was starting to get really annoyed with Belle whenever she would always lecture Rumple and try to change him to meet her standards. In hindsight, she was pretty demanding of him and didn't put enough effort into their relationship. It's one thing to be mad at your spouse, but her constant belittling of him and trying to get him to change whenever he wasn't doing what she viewed as the right thing even when he was willing to compromise all the time? Eeesh!

But besides that, I think we'll all be in for a better portrayal of her character this season. Just you wait~ It'll be good!

Oh, and sorry for not including the proposal, if you were looking forward to that. You'll see it, don't worry. It's just going to be towards the end of this season, and here's the reason why.

But I won't tell you just yet. PSYCHE!

But seriously, you are gonna have to wait a little while longer for the proposal. It'll be worth it, and there will be plenty of other surprises and "gifts" in that chapter. Until then, you'll just have to keep reading.

So, as always, I hope you enjoyed, please like/follow the story/me and leave plenty of reviews!

Bye!