Chapter 15
Zelena Arrives
Belle went to the convent to feed baby Hood and baby Neal. She made sure to distinguish the bottles so baby Hood got the milk for newborns and baby Neal got the one for one year olds. Mother Superior greeted her when she approached the babies. Mother Superior took the bottle with the blue lid and went to feed baby Hood. Belle said "no, the bottle with the blue lid is for Neal, the bottle with the red lid is for baby Hood".
Mother Superior take the red one and said "right, I don't know where my head is today".
As she was about to pick up baby Hood the real Mother Superior arrived and said "don't trust her Belle, she's an imposter".
Belle looked at the Mother Superior next to baby Hood's crib and then glanced at the crib. "You wanted her, you're Zelena".
"Clever girl" and Zelena changed back into her true form.
"But Regina sent you back to Oz"
"While my sister and I trained under the same teacher I was always the better student. My sister isn't powerful enough to keep me in Oz indefinitely. She and Robin cannot keep my daughter from me, and if you want to stay alive you won't even try".
Zelena picked up her baby and Mother Superior took out her wand and pointed it at Zelena. Belle took a step forward and the whole room started shaking and everyone had to grab onto something .
Belle cried "Zelena, stop this".
Just as perplexed of what was going on Zelena replied "it's not me doing this". A portal appeared and Belle took her chances and grabbed the baby from Zelena's arms but fell into the portal and Zelena jumped in after her baby.
Belle was holding the baby close to keep her safe when she fell down, followed by Zelena. When Zelena fell through the portal she injured her leg and her magic couldn't heal it. Belle looked around and it looked like they were outside the convent. She asked "what just happened"?
Zelena answered "well obviously we fell through a portal, and you're supposed to be the smart one".
Belle said "but we're just outside the convent". She looked up and said "but why is the sky red"?
Zelena cried "oh no, we're in the underworld".
"Okay" Belle said and tried to find a reason a portal opened "Then Rumple must need me".
Zelena said "Or Hades, and I think I know why"?
Belle asked "why would Hades bring us here"?
Zelena looked at her baby "for my daughter. Hand over my baby so I can keep her safe".
Belle shook her and got up "no good ever came from anyone trusting you" and she ran off to find her husband.
Snow and David sat in the diner when the blind witch brought over their breakfast. Snow mentioned "but we haven't ordered yet".
The blind witch replied "I know the orders of all the regulars".
As she left Snow came to a horrible realization "we're regulars at the diner in hell".
David said "you're thinking about Neal, so am I".
Snow said "Emma had to live her whole life without us. Neal was suppose to be our second chance but now... I wish there was a way to contact him, to let him know we love him".
The blind witch came back with Snow's cocoa and revealed "oh you can do that".
David asked "how"?
The blind witch got out an empty bottle and said "everything has a price and the breath of a living goes for a lot on the black market".
David looked at Snow, and she said "I can't do it, Hades put my name on a tombstone". David took the bottle and breathed into it and gave back to the blind witch.
"It looks like a phone booth but it's a level one haunting booth. You simply tell the operator who you wish to haunt and they'll hear whatever you say.
In the loft Henry had written what's just happened between Snow and David. Hook said "quite riveting but weren't you suppose the write about Hades".
Henry said "I don't even remember writing this, I just woke up and it was done".
Looking at the pages Neal asked "and the pictures"?
Regina added "which are lovely".
Emma said "and it's beautifully written".
Henry said "but Snow and David's breakfast isn't going to help us".
Tally thought "maybe you can't help it, maybe authors just do it without thinking. You did say you don't remember writing it".
Emma suggested "so maybe if you just focus".
Henry yelled "hey I'm doing the best I can". He grabbed the pages and went back upstairs.
Tally looked scared "Henry's never sounded that mad before".
Neal replied "he's a teenager sugar-plum, this stress combined with... new changes in his life means he's bound to be moody every now and again. There's a high chance he'll do it again, but you know your brother loves you. He would never hurt you, or anyone else". As Tally calmed down Emma looked proudly at Neal, he always knew just what to say.
It would be nice to say nothing could ruin this perfect scene but there was something that could. There was a knock at the door, when Regina opened the door she saw it was Zelena. The corners of Regina's mouth turned up knowing the usual way people got here. "So someone finally killed you".
Zelena said "sorry to disappoint you but I'm still very much alive. I fell through a portal with that mousey bookworm and my daughter".
Robin said "our child, she's down here".
"Yes, and she's in danger".
Belle ran to a place that she thought even in the underworld would be her haven, the library. As soon as she got there she heard the elevator coming up so she hid behind a shelf until she saw the person getting out of the elevator was Gold "Rumple".
She came out from behind a shelf and he got nervous "Belle, what are you doing here, you're not"...
"No" Belle said. "I fell through a portal with Zelena when she tried to kidnap her baby here" gesturing to the baby in her arms.
"Three people, that's why it didn't come out where we thought, the two extra people threw the direction off".
Belle asked "if you didn't mean to bring me and you know Zelena was back then who did you mean to bring"?
Gold replied "the baby. Hades forced me to help him to bring her here, he didn't tell me why".
Belle asked "how can he be forcing you"?
Gold answered "you know I was a normal man before I was the Dark One, and the most precious thing in my life was my son. I would do anything for him, and someone took advantage of that to make me agree to give up my second born child".
Belle asked "you had a second born child".
Gold said "opposite tense, the man already died and Hades stole the contract".
Belle asked "what do mean opposite tense"?
Gold explained "you asked if I had a second child. At the time I didn't and never thought I would. I didn't have a second born child in the past but...".
Belle realised what he was saying "I'm going to have a child", happily she repeated "I'm going to have a child" then in sad realisation added "a child you've already sold".
"You know how much I love my son and back then I was desperate to get the anti-venin for that blasted snake bite". She wasn't interested in what he had to say and turned away from him. He said "but I promise I will use all my power to clear my debt so we can keep our child".
He hadn't realised he'd been careless with his words "your power"? asked Belle.
Gold quickly rephrased "everything within my power".
But she wasn't convinced and knew his secret "you're the Dark One again".
He knew there was no use in denying it and took out his dagger "yes. You see I love the power that comes with this dagger but I also love you, both are possible. You wanted me to be a better man and now I am, but if you want me to be a different man well sorry but this is who I am."
Belle shook her head "you weren't always".
Yes I was, even when I was a coward I craved power, but now I have it. And I would always take an opportunity to gain more power. It's important to me".
"More important than me".
"Belle you didn't fall in love with me because you saw the man behind the beast, you fell in love with me because I was a man and a beast. Both are halves of a whole".
"I can't accept this, get me back to our friends and ensure I can keep my baby and I can try to accept it".
"Then that's what I'll do".
Snow and David stood in line to use the booth wondering what they should say and how it got through. They turned to the man behind them David asked "excuse but do you know how they person on the other side gets our message".
The man replied "I don't even know if they through, none of us do. I hope they do or I've wasted a lot of time".
David turned to Snow "what if Neal doesn't get the message".
Anxious about the same thing Snow replied "we have to hope it does. Just think how many years Emma spent believing we didn't care about her, and how hard and closed up it made her. If there's even the slightest chance to tell Neal we love him we have to try".
As Zelena, Robin and Regina track down the baby Zelena asked "I wanted to call her Jade, or Kelly, or Fern, but now you've probably saddled our child with something awful like Britney, or Nancy, or...oh no not Marian.
Robin faced Zelena and said "I haven't had time to name her because I've been too busy trying to protect her".
Zelena argued "no you didn't, you left her so you could go on some heroic quest".
Robin said "two children sorely missed their father and a woman was grieving her husband, what was I suppose to say 'no'. If I abandon my friends when they need my help what kind of message does that give our daughter. To give her, her best chance I need to set a good example. And I left her with fairies because I knew they would protect her".
"I got in, so you didn't do too well on that end either".
Regina felt a need to intervene "you know Zelena I used to be just like you".
"Don't flatter yourself".
"Oh no I know how it is, I felt cheated out of my happy ending, thought revenge would make me feel better, that is how I became the Evil Queen. Then I opened up my heart again, to my son. Then suddenly my enemies became my family and that's when I felt truly happy. My family needs my help and when family needs help you step up. I find it a minuscule and fair price to pay to be happy. I suggest you try and open your heart too, if you ever wish to be happy".
"But I do love my daughter, but I'm not interested in sharing her with anyone".
As she walked off Regina mumbled "I wasn't with Henry at first either".
They saw a figure in the distance holding a pink bundle, Robin called "Belle is that you"?
Belle came into view holding the baby and they rushed up to her. Belle carefully handed the baby to Robin, "it's alright Daddy's got you, Daddy's got you", then he looked up at Belle and said "thank you for taking care of her".
"Yes, thank you" that's when she noticed Zelena.
Belle asked "what are you doing here"?
"Finding my daughter".
Belle told Robin and Regina "she tried to steal your baby"
Zelena said "she's my daughter so it's hardly stealing. I have as much as a right to her as he does, no wait, I have more right. I carried her, I went through all that pain and labour".
Regina reminded her "the custody agreement said you could visit as long as one of us is with her. You may have wanted to change it but that was when you were under the assumption we were going to die".
The baby was crying so as Robin tried to soothe the baby Zelena took the bottle out of her pocket. "I've got a bottle, give her to me".
Robin knew it would be a bad idea to trust Zelena "no, give it to me, I'll do it".
Knowing what he was thinking Zelena replied "I don't have any magic right now. The worst thing that can happen is some mother-daughter bonding time".
Regina thought about it and nodded at Robin telling him it was alright."When you're done give her right back" Robin said.
He slowly gave his daughter to her mother and she fed her.
Once the baby had drunk all the milk Zelena was getting some magic back. When Robin asked for his daughter back Zelena refused and disappears.
It wasn't long before Robin, Regina and Belle went to the farmhouse knowing that was the most likely place she would go. Robin shouted "Zelena, please it's not safe for you or our child out here".
For a while nothing happened and when they were thinking of breaking in Zelena came out. She said in a saddened tone "I'm here"
Regina said "Belle said you thought Hades was after the baby and that Gold confirmed it".
Robin asked "so tell us why"?
Zelena said "we met up when I was trying to find time travel ingredients in Oz".
Robin said "but that doesn't tell us why he wants our daughter"?
"Actually it does" Regina explained "she's not even a month old yet, making her a perfect candidate for being a symbol of innocence".
Zelena said "he's got the same lust for vengeance I did". It was then Zelena knew what she had to do, she had to put her daughter's safety ahead of her own wants. "Take her Regina. You can protect her, I can't, when I teleported away she got hurt. Back in Camelot you promised she would be safe so take her. Her safety is more important than what happens to me. I don't care if you never let me see her again but please keep her safe". As Robin came to take the baby she said "mummy has to let you go now to give you your best chance. Daddy and Auntie can keep you safe, I hope you'll always know I love you so much".
Later in the apartment Neal asked "so decided on a name yet"?
Robin replied "we decided to wait on giving her a name".
Regina said "since Hades can do things with names, like put them on tombstones to ensure they can never go back up. While she's unnamed she's safe".
Neal asked "so what's the plan for when Zelena decides she wants her daughter back"?
Regina replied "you didn't see her, she was actually crying. Giving her up couldn't have been easy but sometimes putting your child first can mean having the strength to give them up. If she truly loves her daughter she'll keep a distance until we're back. Then she might decide she wants her back but we'll deal with that if or when that happens".
Robin said "still it might be unsafe to keep her in this apartment. She and I will go to the woods".
Neal had noticed Belle was trying to avoid looking at him. Eventually he asked "alright Belle, why are you trying not to look at me"?
"Sorry Neal" Belle replied. "I just found out something today, I'm pregnant".
Hook said "I'd always thought women were happy to find themselves with child".
Belle said "except when the baby comes, I might not get to keep him or her".
Emma asked "why"?
Belle said "turns out as a boy Neal got bitten by a snake and in order to get the anti-venin Rumple agreed to give up his second born child. This baby might be my first but it's Rumple's second".
Neal replied "Belle, I'm so sorry, I had no idea. Especially as I was the stupid one, I'm the one who went off on my own, I'm the one who foolishly reached out to the snake".
Emma asked "you remembered this, what did you think saved you"?
"Didn't you see that part when you saw my memories, I lost consciousness. The snake bit me, next thing I know it's night and I'm waking up in bed with my parents watching over me".
Henry came running downstairs, "it happened again, I just woke up and had it done". He gave the pages to Snow and David. The illustration was of Baby Neal. Emma read out what was written "the infant son of Snow White and Prince Charming looked up at the tiny glass unicorns as they were stirred by the wind. But on this night he didn't hear the ting of the glass, he instead heard the voices of his parents. They sang him a lullaby until he fell asleep as soundly as if he was in their arms".
Snow said "he heard us, the haunting works".
David said "Thank you Henry, you have no idea how much this means to us".
Snow said "I'm ready to get back to my family, my whole family".
Zelena met up with Hades on main street "hello Hades."
"Zelena, I was looking for you" he replied.
"You were looking for my daughter, my coming through the portal was a happy accident".
"A very, very happy accident".
"I know you want her to use her for my time travel spell, and you so much as touch her"...
"No, what I told you before was true, I don't want that anymore, I want you. I never would hurt her, because I never would hurt you. I was trying to get her so I could return her to you".
"Sending the dark one after my daughter had nothing to do with revenge. Why would you care about me getting my little girl back"?
"Because I love you, that's the thing about true love it endures eternally.
"After all this time, you've loved me".
"Look around you, why do you think the underworld looks like Storybrooke? I saw how much you wanted to be the one to cast the curse and rule Storybrooke. I made you your own Storybrooke to give you what you wanted. I know it's not perfect, despite my best efforts things don't grow here they only decay, but it's our decay. Wouldn't it be nice to have someone with you, who chooses you. There's no better revenge than having it all".
"I had my daughter but then I gave her away because I thought you wanted to hurt her.
"Then we'll get her back, together".
"No I will get my daughter back but I'll do it all on my own".
As she walked away he called "April 15th".
She turned back to look at him confused "what"?
"Your birthday is April 15th. I tortured it out of a Miller's daughter, I took care of her too. I know you don't need me or anyone, but if you decide you want me I'll be waiting". In a burst of blue flames he left.