See previous chapters for summaries and warnings.

Thanks for the incredible response to this fic! Keep the reviews coming.

Once more, it is important to remember that Cora has cursed Kathryn to be this way and she is the Evil Queen here. She married Leopold. Regina and Snow are step-sisters and love each other. Thanks for all the reviews. Except the negative troll reviews. I delete those and respond to them accordingly. This story is for true Snowing fans that know something like an age gap would never hinder their love.

The curse has lasted 20 years in this verse until they found Storybrooke.

Here are individual responses:

Ghostwriter: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. Yes, they definitely under utilized many story lines. Yeah, Abigail has a long road ahead to accepting what happened during the curse. :)

MerlockVonBaron: Yep, Tink will be around to stay. Greg...maybe not so much. We'll see. :)

Grace5231973: I know, poor Abigail. What she did wasn't her fault, but hopefully Archie can help her come to terms with everything. Yep, no sympathy for Cora at all. Yeah, I'm glad Rumple saved Emma and Maleficent made Cora pay. Tamara will be trouble though. :)

Jennifer Baratta: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! :)

Number Ten: yeah, it's a big shift in Greg's character, but things are a bit different here. Cora is the one responsible and since she's dead, he's reluctant to make her victims pay. Tamara will be another story though. Yes, I'm going with Wooden Fairy here. Tamara will be a problem. Yeah, I actually liked Snow being older, but did the age reset to give restore their time together. I didn't do it to quell anyone. I don't cave to anyone, ever. I don't care how loud they are. If I do something in the story, it's because I want to do it. Trust me, no one made me do this. I make the decisions. :)

Guest: It's not over. I'm not sure why you thought it was since there's still open story lines. It didn't end. Are you sure you read it? It literally did not end.

Sexystarwarslover: Yep, I'm going with Wooden Fairy here. Yep, if Emma dies, the curse breaks as well. The question is now can she brought back? The curse is broken though and restored Snow's youth as a reward, though I actually liked her being older here. It was kind of fun. Nope, no one will mourn Cora and magic brought Emma back. August is very upset with Geppetto and that will probably continue. I know, poor Abigail. Hopefully Archie can help her deal. Yep, Tamara is trouble for sure. Glad you're enjoying! :)

AnonSnowing: Yeah, I'm pretty sure Josh Dallas is Prince Charming. Yep, the curse is broken, but unfortunately, Emma died to do it. Fortunately, true love's magic brought her back. Glad you liked the way I used the true love's potion to do that here. Yeah, I actually liked Snow being older, but it was time to restore their time together. Yeah, Geppetto is not going to be very accepting. Yeah, Abigail was very distraught by what happened, but hopefully Archie can help her come to terms with everything. Yeah, Ruby kind of knows what she's going through, albeit in a different way. Yep, some Swanfire and Tamara will be huge trouble. Yeah, Greg got some peace here, but it may not last. Yep, Wooden Fairy. Glad you enjoyed it!

A Darker Curse

Chapter 29: Bad Blood

Snow looked at herself in the full length bathroom mirror and gently rubbed the towel through her wet hair. Her pixie cut had no signs of gray anymore, though before she had kept it dyed, taking advantage of this world's benefits in that respect. But there would be no need for that anymore. She then took a deep breath and opened her towel, looking at her body in the full length mirror on the back of the door. She knew Charming's words were true. He found her beautiful and sexy, this version and her older version. But she was still curious to see the changes that would be evident in her body.

She had done her best to stay trim and in shape over the years and time had been kind to her, actually. But there was still some noticeable difference. Her hips were still widened from pregnancy and she had subtle stretch marks on her belly from carrying Emma and a few on her thighs. But any wrinkling in her skin was gone and back to being much tighter than before. And her breasts...well, they were definitely perkier than they had been in years. She scoffed at herself. She was being really silly and her husband had already proved to her, more than once, how attractive he thought she was, even twenty-years older than him. And though she was grateful to have the twenty-years they lost essentially restored to her, she would always be grateful for her time with him as she was before. They had proven to all that their love was stronger and so much deeper than age and she liked that they could stick it to all those that had ever doubted them.

She had twenty-years to reflect on things that happened before the curse and the people she and Charming had surrounded themselves with in their court. Some of their trust was well placed and then there were sadly a few that she had serious questions about now.

Regina and Robin, of course, were always in their corner, as was Red and Granny. But she had some serious doubts now about the loyalty of the Blue Fairy and Geppetto. She knew August loved her and wanted nothing to do with them, but she had a feeling that Geppetto wasn't going to let her son be. In reality, she just wanted him to be happy and if that meant he wanted to forge some kind of relationship with the woodcarver, then she'd be happy for him. She knew that she was his Mom and that wasn't going to change. But they had betrayed her once and she would be lying if she said she didn't fear betrayal from them again. Archie had played a part in the lie too, though she had a feeling it had greatly troubled him. She wondered what they had done to convince him to go along with it.

Gently, she pulled her robe on and exited the bathroom. She spotted her husband locking up for the night and saw a text on her phone from her son. He was with Tink, which surprised her a bit, but then didn't. She had seen the signs of something between them. She just hoped Tink planned on sticking around. She feared for her son's heart if the fairy decided that Storybrooke wasn't for her.

"Everything okay?" David asked, as she looked up at him and she nodded.

"August...he's staying with Tink tonight," she mentioned. He smirked.

"You called that one," he said. She nodded.

"But that's not what has you so distracted," he added. She sighed.

"I'm just worried about him. I don't want him to feel like he's being pulled in a tug of war," she replied.

"August loves you. He's your son...because you raised him and Geppetto should be thanking you profusely. If he had sent August to this world by himself...that would have been pretty damaging. You're the reason that August is the man that he is," David reminded her.

"I know...and I can accept it if August wants Geppetto to be a part of his life, but I don't think Geppetto can accept me as a part of August's," she lamented.

"He doesn't have a choice and he's a fool if he can't see how lucky he was that you were there for August," David said.

"You raised two children by yourself. Look at the amazing people they are...because of you," he said.

"You are the most wonderful, amazing mother in all the realms," he said, as she swiped a tear away.

"I thought of you...every minute of every day. Any strength I had...I drew it from you and them. All for this moment...when we would finally be together again," she cried. He smiled.

"And we are. We did it, Snow. Cora is dead and nothing is ever tearing this family apart gain," he said passionately. She breathed in relief and lost herself in him, as their lips met passionately.

"I need you…" she begged, as she hurriedly unbuttoned his shirt and he undid the cord of her robe. Their lips met again, as she fumbled with his belt and he pushed her robe into a puddle on the floor. She yelped, as he lifted her up and they fell to the bed for a bout of frenzied lovemaking.

Greg put down his phone, as he heard a knock at his door and got up to answer it. He thought it might be Tink again, but was shocked to find Tamara behind the door.

"Tamara…" he uttered.

"Surprised to see me?" she questioned.

"Uh yes, I didn't know you could even get here yet. I mean...without an enchanted object," he said, as she walked in without an invite.

"You mean like the enchanted map that you just gave back to the leaders of this town?" she questioned and he felt a ripple of fear slither down his spine. It was well known that Tamara was ruthless when she needed to be.

"I didn't have a lot of choice. I decided that giving it up was better than getting locked up like Detective Bishop," he covered quickly.

"I suppose you're right and so you know...it seems that whatever barrier was around this place before is gone now. Curious, isn't it?" she asked.

"It is…" he agreed.

"So...tell me everything so we can complete our mission here," Tamara said.

"What exactly is the mission?" he asked. She looked back at him.

"To destroy magic, of course. This town is lousy with it, especially now, isn't that right?" she asked.

"Maybe...but the evil is gone. I've found out that Cora was the reason for all the bad and the reason my father was killed. No further action is needed here," he replied. Tamara snorted.

"This town doesn't belong in this world! Magic...it's unholy," she argued.

"Look...I know that's what they've always told us, but the rest of the people here are innocent. The Evil Queen was the real evil and now that she's gone, there will be peace here," he insisted.

"Wrong...magic must be destroyed and the war has just begun," she replied, as she looked out the window.

"We can't hurt innocent people, especially for a cause that might have ill intentions. I've been talking to Tia…" he started to say, but she cut him off.

"You mean Tinkerbell?" Tamara questioned.

"She has a lot of reasons to hate magic too, but she made me see that Cora was the real villain and that there is no need to take it out on a town full of innocent people. She said that someone sinister is behind the Home Office," he explained.

"Oh did she?" Tamara asked.

"Think about it, Tamara...we get anonymous orders and we don't even know who is really running this thing. We're pawns," he replied.

"Maybe you're right…" she said, pretending to think for a moment. He sighed in relief, but then his eyes widened, as she pulled a gun on him and it was capped with a silencer.

"Guess it's checkmate for you," she said.

"No...Tamara, wait!" he cried, but there was no hesitation from her, as she laughed.

"Oh, I'm not going to kill you," she said, as she pressed the barrel to his head.

"You're going to do that yourself," she said ominously.

"Are you sure you don't want to wait until morning to do this?" Robin asked, as they approached Cora's vault.

"No...those people out there deserve to have their hearts back sooner rather than later, especially Graham," Regina said. He nodded in agreement.

"My mother hurt so many people and destroyed so many lives," she added.

"She did...but she finally paid for it full," he said. She nodded.

"Besides, this place doesn't get any less creepy during the day so we might as well get this over with," she replied, as she used her magic to enter the vault. Since she was a blood relative, none of the protections her mother had on the vault hurt her or kept her out. Regina looked around, feeling the memories flood her mind. The way the wall full of small compartments breathed still sent chills down her spine. She peered into the potions cabinet and remembered watching her mother perform spells from behind the furniture in her den. She thought it was exciting at the time and long before she realized that all the things her mother did in that den would probably hurt people.

"Love...if you're not ready for this, we can wait," he said, as she was brought back to reality.

"No...the people that my mother took these from deserve to have them back," Regina said.

"It's a larger undertaking than I thought. She took so many," he mentioned.

"And she didn't bother to label them. Why would she? She never intended to return them. This is going to be harder than I thought," she said.

"Is there a way to identify who they might belong to?" he asked. She nodded.

"Yes, but it will require bringing each person here. So, first thing in the morning, we'll bring Graham here and find which heart is his," she said.

"And then we can summon anyone else that she stole from. She's gone, so there should be no fear in coming forward," she added. He smiled.

"That will at least be some of Cora's wrongs set right," he agreed, as they shared a kiss.

"Let's go home," he suggested, as they joined hands and left the vault and its contents behind for the night.

"And that's pretty much the story," Tink said, as she finished telling him.

"But you knew that...you're the author," she reminded him. He smiled.

"I know...doesn't mean I didn't want to hear about it directly from you," he mentioned.

"I guess my Mom and David aren't the only people Blue screwed over," he said bitterly.

"She's the worst," Tink agreed.

"I can't believe she stole your wings. We should make her give them back," he said, but the blonde shook her head.

"No...it's okay. I'm okay not being a fairy anymore. I made peace with it," she replied.

"So...now that the curse is broken, do you think Pan will mobilize his minions?" August asked.

"He'll try...but to be honest, not even I know what he's after here in Storybrooke other than the magic of some kind," she replied.

"Yeah…I guess we'll have to ask Gold tomorrow. He might know more. Until then...do you wanna get a drink?" he asked. She smiled, as they stopped in front of the Rabbit Hole.

"A seedy tavern…" she said.

"You certainly know the way to this girl's heart, though I'm pretty sure I can drink you under the table," she warned. He chuckled.

"I'm sure you can," he agreed, as they went inside.

A few hours later, the loft was dark and silent, as Snow and Charming slept soundly, spooned together after their blissful coupling earlier. A soft rapping though pulled Snow from her sleep and she gently sat up, covering her unclothed body with the sheet. She smiled fondly at her sleeping husband and gently traced a finger along the side of his handsome face. But then she heard the rapping again and got out of bed quietly. She found her robe and put it on, before tying it and hurrying to the door. She thought maybe it was August and he had forgotten his key or something, but she was shocked to find Geppetto was behind it.

"Geppetto…" she uttered in surprise, as she tucked the top of her robe a little tighter. Snow was never one for most of the rules or pomp that came with being a royal. After all, she and Charming regularly broke the appropriate etiquette against public displays of affection and she had tossed away all tradition when she married her beloved shepherd. But still...it was highly inappropriate of Geppetto to confront her in what was essentially her bed chambers in the middle of the night. She was still a Princess and believed she deserved her privacy, especially with her husband. Even by Land Without Magic rules, he was being inappropriate, but by the stern look on his face, it seemed that all pleasantries were lost on him.

"I believe we should talk," he said.

"Perhaps...but I don't think it's necessary to do so at two-thirty in the morning," she replied, but he pushed passed her without invitation.

"Please...come right in," she muttered sarcastically, before closing the door.

"I am sorry, but I need to see my son. I cannot wait until morning, because he will not answer my calls," the woodcarver stressed.

"August isn't here…" she replied. He looked at her in surprise.

"Not here? Why is he not here? Like you said, it's two-thirty in the morning?!" he hissed.

"August is a grown man. He's twenty-seven years old and if he chooses to spend his evenings with someone special, then I will neither object or interfere," Snow responded sternly.

"He should have come home with me!" Geppetto cried.

"August is an adult...it has to be his choice," she replied.

"Then you have to convince him to talk to me!" he insisted.

"I have encouraged him to forgive you, but he has to work out his grievances on his own. I can't force him. But I know my son…" she said, but he cut her off.

"He is my boy!" he said hotly and she recoiled.

"He is my boy…" he lamented sadly.

"He is also my son…" she said sternly.

"And I know August…" she said, but was interrupted again.

"Pinocchio! His name is Pinocchio!" Geppetto insisted.

"No...his name is August and I am his mother. I know that's hard for you...but you have no idea what we've both been through. The world out there...it was no picnic," Snow said sharply.

"And I am grateful that my boy had you. But now it is time that he come back where he belongs," Geppetto replied.

"Except that it doesn't work like that. I am his mother now and I can't just let him go, nor will I. August will come around on his own and I know him...he'll forgive you, but not if you tell him he has to push away the only family he knows just to be with you," Snow admonished.

"We can all be a family though. You'd be more than welcome to join us at meals and get to know August again," she offered.

"This is not how it's supposed to be!" he said in frustration.

"I'm sorry...but August was always going to grow up. You must have known that when you put him through the wardrobe," Snow replied.

"But I did not expect you to turn him against me!" he accused.

"I did not turn him against you!" she insisted.

"He wants nothing to do with me!" he snapped.

"You just have to give him time," Snow said.

"That's easy for you to say! You've had him for twenty-years!" Geppetto replied.

"You keep saying you are his mother...but you are not! You were to care for him for me and then give him back!" he ranted irrationally.

"If you raise your voice to my wife once more, you will not like where it takes you," David's voice interjected and Geppetto looked up to see the very stern stare of Prince Charming glaring daggers at him.

"I trusted you to raise my boy…" the old wood carver fretted, as David gently put his arms around her.

"And she did and she raised him into a wonderful, loving man. You should be thanking her profusely that she was there for your son and he wasn't alone," David defended.

"And I am! But now I am here and he does not want me! You told your daughter all about her father...yet you told mine nothing of his!" Geppetto accused.

"That isn't true! I told him how much you loved him and that you did what you did, because you were scared for him," Snow insisted.

"Yet your daughter got stories about her father's heroics," he countered.

"My daughter got stories of the truth and so did my son," she retorted.

"You betrayed me," Geppetto accused.

"She betrayed you!?" David growled.

"Did you seriously just say that!?" the prince cried.

"You lied to us! But we love August and we are more than willing to forgive that, because we know you did what you did out of fear to protect your child! But how dare you accuse my wife of betraying you!" he hissed.

"She would have been your Queen...how dare you stand there and cast aspersions on her," he spat.

"Get out of our house," David demanded. Geppetto wisely backpedaled and exited their home. Snow broke down in tears once he was gone and turned in his arms, as he pillowed her against his chest. He pressed a kiss to her hair and stroked her back. He was seething, but he pushed his own anger away and focused on comforting her.

"Mom? Dad?" Emma called from the top of the stairs, as she padded down with little David in her arms.

"Oh honey...I'm sorry, did we wake him?" she asked.

"No...pretty sure it was the jerk that barged in here in the middle of the night," Emma answered.

"Yeah...he won't be doing that again if he knows what's good for him," David said.

"Yeah…August is going to be pissed," Emma mentioned. Snow sniffed.

"Maybe we shouldn't tell him...I don't want to make things worse between him and Geppetto," she lamented.

"Geppetto did that...not you, Mom," Emma admonished.

"And like it or not, you're his Mom and he's my brother. He's going to have to accept that if he ever wants a relationship with August," she added. David kissed her hair again.

"She's right," he agreed.

"Nana?" little David cooed.

"See...even the kid agrees that you're the best," Emma said. David smiled, as they hugged her between them. Snow sniffed and looked at her family fondly. All the hardships she had endured were suddenly worth it just for that moment.

"I'll make us some cocoa and then we can all try to go back to sleep," David said, as he kissed her tenderly and went to the kitchen. Snow watched him fondly and then cuddled on the couch with her daughter and grandson.

Neal rubbed his tired eyes and padded downstairs to the kitchen and was surprised to see Belle up and making tea in her robe.

"Oh…I didn't know anyone was up," he said awkwardly. She smiled.

"That's okay...would you like some tea?" she asked.

"Sure…" he replied, as he sat down at the table.

"Where's dad? I mean, of anyone that should be up, it's usually him," he replied.

"He is...he's down in the basement," she replied.

"In the potions lab," he muttered and she nodded.

"So...you and my dad? How did that happen?" he asked bluntly. She smiled.

"Well…it started with me as his prisoner," she replied.

"Of course it did," he deadpanned.

"But...you know, then I started to see that there was more than just the beast on the surface. Cora kidnapped me though, before we could really explore our feelings and let him think I was dead," she explained.

"Yeah…I think she is one person that no one is going to blame if they want to dance on her grave," he quipped. Belle snorted.

"No argument there," she agreed, as his phone chimed and he checked it.

Is everything okay?" she asked.

"Uh yeah...just Emma. I guess Geppetto showed up accusing Snow of turning August against him. David threw him out," he mentioned.

"That awful," Belle said.

"The wood carver has no place in August's life anymore," Rumple mentioned, as he came upstairs.

"He's mostly harmless though, right?" Belle asked.

"On his own yes...but with the Blue Fairy on his side, don't be so sure," he replied pointedly. Neal knew his father hated the Blue Fairy and never really knew why. But Emma's family was his too and that included August. If she was a danger to them...then Neal would definitely be keeping an eye on them both...