Early the next morning Amelia walked down main street without her gauntlets on her forearms. She had locked them away with the spell book. If Regina could go without magic, she could make the first step of making amends she promised the fairies the day previous. But she couldn't help feeling completely exposed without them.
Regina used to joke about her gauntlets and how much she wore them. How that haven't attached themselves to her flesh. She walked into Granny's and headed straight to the counter she was met by Ruby now as she pulled out some cash from her tan leather jacket and counted out the bills for the food and drink.
"Two coffee's black and a sesame seed bagel to go" Amelia ordered looking back up to the brunette, but she stayed still staring back at the red head "Please?" she added. Amelia slapped the cash on the counter "Okay" she sighed blinking at the younger woman opposite her "What?"
"Why are you helping David get Snow and Emma back?" Amelia leant her elbows on the counter and glared up at the werewolf.
"Listen-"she started but a voice she recognised came from the red booths stopped her.
"Amelia?" the red head stood back up and looked towards the voice and saw a brunette she hadn't seen in years sat in a booth with a glass of ice-tea in front of her with one empty one.
"Belle?" at that Ruby snatched the cash from the counter to put the order in
"It-It's really you" Belle stood from the booth and rushed up to the red head and tightly embraced the assassin who hesitantly returned the hug.
"Yeah it's me" Belle pulled herself away from the woman and gave her a look over.
"Your hair its.." she started shaking her head in disbelief
"Short, well that happens when you are cursed, I guess, new life, new haircuts" Belle dragged Amelia over to her booth retaking her seat as the red-head took the opposite
"H-How are you?" the brunette asked her old friend
"Good, well despite everything" she answered the younger woman
"What happened after you left my Father's palace, did you find what you were looking for?"
"Yes eventually" the pair were interrupted when Ruby returns with her earlier order plonked in front of her
"Here you go, two coffee's black and a sesame bagel for the Queen" Amelia's green eyes glared at the she-wolf
"The Queen?" Belle questioned the red-head "You know her"
"Oh, Amelia's been working for her for years" Ruby informs the brunette
"Thank you Ruby" Amelia told Ruby dismissing her. Ruby took the hint that the assassin wasn't pleased with
"What is she talking about Amelia?"
"Things changed since that last time I saw you Belle. I changed"
"W-What do you mean changed?"
"I'm not the same person you met before. After I left you palace I went home with the information. I took a path that eventually took me to the Evil Queen"
"You're the Black Widow" Belle deduced. Amelia simply nodded confirming. Amelia continued to look forward as Belle stood from her seat shaking her head in disbelief and left the diner. Amelia snatched her order up and left the diner trying to quell the anger that she wanted to take out on the wolf.
Enchanted Forest
Many Years Ago
She's been back in the Enchanted Forest for months and she had heard nothing about her former brothers since returning as a widow and childless mother. She had mere whispering but with the Brotherhoods reputation in tatters, no one would talk to her as soon as they recognised the symbol.
She walked with weapons that she took from Monteriggioni the night her father was killed. Her hidden blades, some throwing knifes and one of her cutlass swords and the robes that were on her back, if felt odd wearing the clothing since she hadn't worn them in over four years. She felt her heart had hardened after watching the family she found die. Claudius was the one responsible and he would pay dearly for not killing her when he had the chance. But she needed more weapons, more alliances to get to her targets. she let out a huff of frustration. She would need a miracle.
Her first move would have to be retaking the Brotherhood's ancient stronghold and home Monteriggioni. It held the assets she would need going forward. But it wasn't it's anti-magic shield that protected the city from the outside world that was the issue it's what was still inside. The tall city walls could withstand most heavy artillery and the provisions inside would hold out any blockade from enemy forces for at least two months. The mercenaries inside would be another problem if anyone got in, well trained and well organized, the men and woman that used the city as a rest stop would be able to repel any attack. And then there's the assassins.
Trained for years the assassins knew all the way how to kill a man and then some more. She would know, she was trained the same way. Some were experts in free-running, weapons, stealth. The list went on
It was impenetrable.
The sound galloping horses behind her brought her out of her thoughts as she moved to the side and bowed her head brought her hood further forward to hide her face. The horses came closer and ran past her, she looked up and saw a trio of knights in black armour.
She continued until she saw the knights returned. They all jumped off their horses and surrounded her.
"Who goes there, this is the Queen's Highway!" he announced to Amelia. She kept her head down with her hood covering her face.
"Didn't realise sir, I've only just returned to the kingdom. I'll be on my way" she tipped her hood at them and went to walk into the forest. The captain didn't like her answer and took out his sword, the other two followed his action.
"Remove you hood woman, or be arrested and taken to the palace for questioning"
"For what? Walking?" she argued
"For trespassing" he retorted, as the three knights stepped forward sword ready.
"You really need sword to take down a lone woman, who the hell trained you"
"Quiet wench!" the Captain yelled at her.
Amelia answered the Captains insult by reaching for her throwing knifes and swiftly implanting it between his helmet and chain mail. The others stood in shock as the Captain fell onto the forest floor dead.
"Take her head!" the two guards ran towards her with their swords. Amelia unsheathed her sword and bend her knees ready to take on the knights. She was too used to holding two swords instead of one. As the knight on her right swung his words towards her old instants kicked in as she dodged the over arc swung by rolling onto the ground in between the two knights, making the knight to hit nothing but air. The knight lost his footing and fell onto the ground.
Amelia climbed back onto feet already tired, the second knight turned on her and swung at her this time she used her hidden blade to parry him, she turned her back into his front trapping his sword arm under hers and sent the back of her head into his face, stunning him into stumbling backwards, she swung her arm around and slit his throat between armour. Blood splattered onto her face as she used her other arm to send her sword through the knight's armour and chainmail into his chest making his body fall forward over the sword, she grabbed the back of his armour and pulled the dead knight off her sword.
She turned back to see the first knight had gotten back onto his feet and watched helplessly as his comrade full onto the ground.
"I'll take your head whore!" he bellowed as he ran at her once more. He swung his sword towards Amelia, she dodged the move but not quick enough as the sword sliced open her upper arm cutting through the material of her robes into the flesh. Amelia stumbled back holding the wound with her free hand. She could feel the blood drip down the inside of her robe and soak into the material.
The knight gave her a sickening smirk with his teeth seeing the damage he had inflicted onto the woman. She let go of her bleeding arm.
"Did your mother ever tell you not to hit a woman" she asked rhetorically as she dropped her blood covered sword onto the grass and flexing both her forearms making both of her hidden blades spring from her gauntlets, she could see the knights eyes bulge in surprise seeing how long and sharp they were.
"Especially woman with blades" she finished. The knight brought his sword over his head and threw it down but for the sword to get caught on two crossed blades inches from the woman's face, she jerked the sword out of the knight's hands, disarming him before kicking his groin making him bent over in pain. With the back of his neck now exposed to her she sunk her hidden blade through his neck severing his spine from his skull, killing him. she stepped back jerking the blade back and let his body hit the ground letting the blades go back into her gauntlets
She stood there letting the adrenaline flow through her body, the first time she's felt it in years, she let out heavy breaths as her heart pounded in her chest. Behind her she heard a manic giggle and hands clapping. She whirled around to see what she thought was a man with gold skins and long hair sat on a rock continued to clap and giggle.
"Bravo! Bravo!" he yelled he stopped clapping at least "a little rough around the edges but still such grace, such poise, a true assassin"
"Who are you?" Amelia asked
"Oh, my apologies I'm Rumpelstiltskin" he rolled the 'r' mockingly bowed before her from the waist.
She remembered that name. "Dark One" she seethed at him stepping back towards her sword.
"The one and only dearie"
"I'm in no mood for one of your infamous deals" she turned her back on him only to appear in swirling red smoke in front of her making her flinch back. He grinned at her.
"So, you have heard of me, good that saves us some time" he giggled as she stepped away from the man "I'm in need of your particular skill set of late and you're a desperate soul if I ever saw one"
"No deal" she flicked her right wrist up making her hidden blade spring out as she pushed the blade in his chest. He didn't even flinch. Her eyes widened in fear.
"I see your Father didn't teach you everything about the Dark One" he flicked out his wrist making her be pulled from him by an unknown force making her spin in the air before landing heavily onto the ground. The move made the air leave her lungs as she took in a desperate gasp when the world stopping spinning. She sprung back up to face the Dark One once more only making him giggle again.
"How did you know my him?"
"You're not the first Assassin I've dealt with over the centuries dearie, and you certainly won't be the last" he answered "But it's you I want" pointing a long finger at her
"Why me, there are other Assassins, better than me"
"Ahh, but you're the only one who's desperate enough. I've invested in your future and I want to see a fruitful return"
"What do you need from me?"
"Over the years I've made a number of deals with desperate souls such as yourself and they've gone back on their part of the deal, I need them found and dealt with for double crossing me"
"What do I get in return?" she was interested
"I shall give you bed and board in return as well as better weapons for each good job done and give you information on the where about on the five former brothers for killing your husband and son"
How did he know about them?
"That's it?"
"I'll even give you the location of your first target, in good faith, if you kill him then you have to take my deal"
"And if I get better deals in the meantime, I won't serve just one"
"Then you shall have the freedom to do so, but when I give you a contract you have to take it, whatever it is, no questions asked"
"Where's my first target?" she asked him he giggled and waved his hand engulfing them both in red smoke, when the smoke disappeared, they were overlooking a road that held more of the knights she had fought earlier, they were on horses escorting a dark carriage from the treetops.
"Well go on. Use that little trick you Assassins have" he pointed at the carriage with his thin fingers. She used her sixth sense and the world around her turned dark blue, she saw the knights were highlighted a bright red on the horses, she turned to the carriage and saw a male figure sat across from a feminine figure highlighted in a bright gold. Her vision zoomed into the man her vision turned itself off as she zeroed in onto the man.
"Iago" she growled
"Yes, your former weapons master has switched his alliances to The Evil Queen, but you know her as Regina"
"Regina. She's the Evil Queen" it was more of a statement than a question.
"Since you've been riding the high seas with your husband, she's taken a leap of faith into darkness. Killed King Leopold, with his daughter Snow White a wanted criminal throughout the kingdom" she turned to the Dark One.
A lot had happened since the last time she set foot in the Enchanted Forest
"I'll take your deal when I end his life" she told him and walked the length of the branch onto the next tree until she was running in the trees chasing down the carriage leaving the Dark One giggling once again as he watched the woman give into the darkness that surrounded her hardened heart.
She couldn't get Ruby's voice out of her head for that last two hours. She wanted to skin the bitch alive and turn it into a decorative rug. She was getting on Regina's last nerve as she paces the kitchen as the energy continued to grow. Her fist itched. And she wanted to scratch it.
Amelia found herself outside the diner with a long silver dagger in her hand and stormed in taking the she wolf by surprise stood near the back and continued on her war path until she had a hand wrapped around the she-wolfs throat holding the tip of the dagger against the younger woman's neck unit the waitresses back hit the wall
"You enjoyed that didn't you Little Red?" she seethed at the wolf through gritted teeth "Turning someone that was a friend against me for what you own personal kick"
"I was only telling her the truth" Ruby spat out as Amelia pressed the dagger further into her skin without piercing it.
"And you think I wouldn't?"
"You're a liar. It's what you do. You don't want Snow or Emma back it's what your Queen wants"
"You don't know me!" Amelia took the dagger off her throat and stabbed the wall next to her head as the bell on the door rung out announcing someone's arrival
"Hey!" David exclaimed as he saw Amelia holding Ruby against the dagger embedded in the wall close to Ruby's head, he ran over and pulled the Assassin off Snow's best friend. Putting himself between Ruby and Amelia
"I see you've inherited your cursed self-temper Miss Montague" Gold observed outload. Amelia raised her fist up to go for the Dark One, but David pushed her away once again holding her forearm in a vice grip
"Get out of here" he told the red head and threw her arm down. Amelia went to leave when Gold called her back
"Actually, I think our Assassins skills can have some use to our search"
Her friend was missing. it didn't take much convincing for Amelia to help the Dark One when he gave her a sketch of her face. "You know her?" David asked the red head
"She helped me decode a message for me shorty after I saved your future wife from mercenaries that tried to kill her and Queen"
"Snow mentioned that" he added. Amelia handed the sketch to Ruby who looked over it.
"Belle, huh? Sorry, doesn't ring a bell" Ruby told them men
"You're a terrible liar wolf girl" the assassin scoffed at her from the bar
"Ruby, listen to me. If you've come across her, you've got to tell me. I'll make sure nothing bad happens" David tried to reassure the werewolf
"Yeah, but what about him?" she motioned to Gold behind the Prince
"I've got him. Trust me"
"She was in earlier" she tells him "She was looking for a job. I pointed her in the direction of the library"
"Well, you think she went there?" Gold asked
"Don't know" she told them and walked behind the counter "But, when you find her, give her this. She left it in her booth" Ruby pulls out a sweater from under the counter
"Well, that's mine" Gold corrected her "She didn't have anything for the cold" Amelia watched the Dark One closely, he cared for Belle. She'd only seem him like this whenever he mentioned his former caretaker.
"You sure you'll watch out for her?" Ruby asks the former prince
"Yes. Why?" he asks her
"I think… I think I can find her. Lately, since things changed, I've been, uh, a little more sensitive to odours"
"You can smell her?" Amelia raised a curious brow at the werewolf, the Brotherhood didn't know much about werewolf's, only how to kill one
"I guess it's cause of the wolf thing"
"Well it looks like my job here is done" Amelia went to leave the temporary sheriff with Ruby and Gold, but her former employer stopped her
"Actually, Miss Montague it's not" his voice stopped her "you work for me remember, consider Belle your next target. Find her and return her to me" she turned to face him
"You know that deal only works when I get something in return, I have all my weapons, Monteriggioni is in another realm, I have money through my club, you have nothing to offer me old man"
"That's true but you'll do it anyway" he calls her out "Am I right?"
"Fuck" she whispered to herself
Amelia followed Ruby as she tracked Belle through the scent of the jumper with David and Gold trailing her. The former assassin used her own way to track her old friend down sixth sense to track Belle's movements but each time she would use it would send a sharp stab of pain through the back of her eyes.
She had to stop as the world turned back to normal and she winced as a fresh stabbing pain went through her head. David saw the redhead stop and squeeze her eyes shut in pain and holding her head.
"Amelia? You okay?" David voice made Mr. Gold stop and look back
"Your little parlour trick not working for you in this realm, dearie?" Gold leered at the red head
"Parlour trick?" the prince looked between the red head and the man in confusion
"There's a reason why I've always been able to find you and Snow even in the thickest of forests Shepherd" she spat at him as the pain finally faded away "But that's another story for another day" Amelia brushed the Prince's concern off and caught up with Ruby who had suddenly stopped in front of the florist 'Game of Thornes'.
"What's wrong?" David asks his wife's friend
"I had her, but, uh… I lost her trail" Ruby sneezed "It must be the flowers. I… I can't track her anymore. I'm sorry"
"Don't be. This is her father's shop" Mr. Gold tells them. the four followed him into the shop. Where they were quickly greeted by the man
Mr. French sees Gold "You again. Out! This is a private establishment – you're not welcome"
"Where's Belle?" The Dark One asks him but was reluctant to answer
"I won't let anything happen to her, Moe" David reassured the man
"We're just worried" Ruby added
"Don't be. She's safe. So, you can stop looking" French told her. Amelia cocked her head to the side watching Belle's father. He was confident. Too confident of keeping his daughter away from the Dark One.
"Look, if I could just have the chance to talk to her" Gold tried but was quickly shut down by French
"You will destroy Belle like you destroy everything else. Well, I won't let that happen"
"What have you done with her?"
"There's only one way to get her" Mr. Gold jabs him in the chest with his finger
"What have you done with her?"
"I have to make her forget about you. No matter the cost. Even if it means she forgets me, too"
"He's sending her across the town line" Amelia said aloud. Amelia took French by the back of his jacket and escorted him out of the shop as David spoke.
"Where are you sending Belle across? You know we have patrols on the town line to make sure no one crosses accidentally. So, how are you planning to pull it off?" Amelia threw French against the side of his white van as Gold lunged at him pinning him to the truck with his cane held against his neck
"Where? Where are you sending them across? Tell me!" he yelled at the man
"Stop it! You're going to kill him"
"Isn't that the point?" Amelia shrugged earning a judgemental glare at the assassin. David pries Mr. Gold off Moe. David looks down at Moe's hands, and sees that they're covered in mine dust.
"You've been down in the mines. The tunnels – they lead out of town" David shoves French into the back of truck with Amelia following the Prince while Ruby took the wheel.
The four ran down the mines to find the track for the mine cart Gold held out his hand and used his magic to drag the cart back with Belle occupying said cart cuffed to it. Once the cart stopped at the start and Gold used his magic to snap the cuffs open.
"That is seriously… Wow" Ruby commented at Golds magical abilities
"Belle, are you alright?" Gold asked his love
"Yeah. I, uh… I think so" she replied
"You remember who I am?
"I do, Rumpelstiltskin. I… I remember" relieved Mr. Gold hugged Belle, but she doesn't reciprocate.
Gold pulled back concerned that Belle didn't hug him back "Belle, what's wrong?"
"Thank you for what you just did, but that doesn't change that you're too cowardly to be honest with me"
"Well, Belle, that's just-" Gold tried to reply but Mr. French interrupted the Dark One
"I tried to tell them that, Belle. Come with me, darling"
"After what you just tried to do to me? You're no better, Father. You don't get to decide what I do or how I feel. I do. If either of you cared about me, you would've listened. I don't want to see either of you again. Ever" Belle glanced back to Amelia including her in the conversation and left, leaving the rest behind them.
The next day Amelia watched from the street from the clock tower as Gold left the clock tower where Belle was now working as the librarian. Quickly crossing the street, she opened the door to the library and found Belle looking through the shelves. The brunette snapped her head to see the red head at the front desk.
"He used to talk about you" Amelia told her
"What?"
"Rumple. He talked about you. Well not by name but by the way he talked about the caretaker he used to have, reminded me of something I thought I'd lost a long time ago"
"You knew him?" Amelia nodded solemnly
"I worked for him back home. He'd give me a name and location of a person that went back on a deal and the uh..Black Widow would go deal with said person in return, for information about the people who hurt my family, new weapons, coin for my home"
"Family?"
"A little while after I left your castle, I returned home to witness my father die at the hand of the people I used to call family for falling in love with my mother and having me. I did the same thing any scared girl would do at the time. I ran. Three years later they found me and killed my husband and took my three-year-old son" Belle looked stunned by her revelation, the brunette saw the hurt and grief still in her eyes
"In the years since I've been hunting down my former brothers and killed them in my vengeance, I worked for both the Dark One and The Evil Queen. I became the worse side of myself"
"Amelia I'm so sorry for what happened but it doesn't excuse some of the stories I've heard of the Black Widow"
"I know. And I'm working on it. Look, it's a longshot but if you ever want to come by the bar I own and come for a drink to talk, I'd really appreciate you giving me a second chance" Belle nodded
"What's the name of the bar?"
"The Hidden Ones. It's a bit of a dive. But the people there are good people"
"Okay"
Years Later
Amelia had taken the deal made by the Dark One after taking Iago's life. In the past few years she has managed to take down three of her five targets with alliances she had made with The Evil Queen. In-between her targets she has been taking care of those who didn't pay their debt to the Dark One. She had taken over her former home and developed an affection for the Evil Queen which was being partly reciprocated.
She walked into the Dark Castle after completing yet another contract. She was to hunt down the elusive Pied Piper of Hamlin and bring back its enchanted wooden pipe. The Dark One gave her wax ear plugs to stop her coming under the pipe's powers. She pushed the doors into his castle and saw him at his spinning wheel turning straw into threads of gold.
The Dark One heard her enter and stopped to greet her, she had her white hood down, he long red-hair cascaded down her shoulders in tight ringlets. Rumpelstiltskin almost mistook her as his sister with the similarities they both held. She reached into the robes he had given her at the start of their deal years ago. She would wear them when she was working for the Dark One and wear her black and red robes when she was working for the Evil Queen.
Those robes gave her the title of 'The Black Widow' by the villagers and townsfolk her 'Widow Bite' has become famous for inflicting a tremendous amount of pain from a small weapon. She pulled out the wooden pipe that he had given the Pied Piper and threw it into the air and catching it again as she approached him at this spinning wheel.
"I take the Pied Piper has played their last tune" he giggled as she held the pipe towards the Dark One
"That and a few of her little birds" he giggled again as he went to take it the instrument from her hands but before he got his hands on the enchanted piece she snatched it away and waked over to his long dining table and jumped up to sit on the table and resting her feet on one of the chairs.
"Arrogance doesn't suit you, dearie" he growled in annoyance at the woman.
"Not arrogance, I want a different reward for this contract Dark One"
"What do you desire, more weapons? gold for Monteriggioni? Name it and it will be yours"
"Answers" she held out the pipe for the Dark One who snatched the instrument out of her hand and stalked back to his spinning wheel
"Answers about what Assassin"
"Why did you want me to become your debt collector, there're mercenaries in the Enchanted Forest that would be more than willing to do your dirty work for your gold"
He's been waiting in trepidation from the day he found her fighting those Queens Guard. She was smart like her Mother. For his plan to work he couldn't let her know, if she knew she would be in danger by those against him. he could use her to find Bae.
"Let's just say…I'm invested in your future" he told her cryptically starting to spin his straw again
"Like how your invested in Snow Whites and Prince Charming's future or what it could make" he suddenly stopped surprised of what she knew.
"Different kind of investment dearie" he told her and continued to spin with his head down.
"I was taught from a young age what magic like that could do, even if we don't practise it ourselves and with you giving The Evil Queen a curse that would take the entire kingdoms to place without magic, the product of true love could break such a curse if you desired so"
"You're on very thin ice dearie" he warned her
"Then answer my question or I'll go and do the thing the Queen doesn't have the guts to do, kill Snow White and there'll be no curse. It would be no trouble really" she enjoyed pushing his buttons
Amelia suddenly found herself on her back on the wooden table with the Dark One's arm in her chest as he gripped her heart still in her chest. She snarled at him in pain showing him her teeth as he held her heart in his heart
"You will not touch Snow White! Continue your work with your Queen or I'll make you wish your Brothers killed you years ago"
"Then tell me what I want to know" she growled at him she cried out in pain as he tightened his grip on her heart. He suddenly let go of her heart and walked away from the Assassin, as she caught her breath. Her heart pounding against her chest.
"Be gone with you, I'll send the crow with another target" Amelia sat up and kicked the chair down, jumping down onto the ground. She swiped her finger on the table. Dust gathered on her finger.
"The Queen was right you do need a new caretaker, old man" she brushed her fingers on her cloak and turned to leave. Once she shut the door behind her, she heard his yell in rage throwing objects across the room.
Amelia smelt the musty smell of the pawn shop instantly as the bell rang above her and she entered the store. She saw Gold limp from the back and stop in front of the counter.
"Miss Montague, thank you for coming" he greeted her as she closed the door behind her
"Well you were polite enough to call me. So, what did you want?" he limped around the back counter until it was the only thing between them both. She stepped forward towards the sorcerer until she was stood in front of him with her arms crossed
"It's uh actually something you want, tell me has the pain in her head gotten any better whenever you use your little gift?"
"No, only worse. what did you do?" she narrowed her eyes at him with suspicion
"Nothing. It's simply reacting to a realm where magic doesn't usually exist. And I just happen to have a cure for such an ailment" he reached down to something underneath the counter and brought out a small glass vial with bright blue liquid inside "Take this and you little problem will go away"
"What's your price?"
"Call it an investment. I need to find someone in this world, and I need your skill set to find him"
"I don't know if you know in your old age but there's a small problem with crossing the town line at the moment, you won't get the Assassin you need, you'll get the bar owner with a temper"
"I'm aware. Leave that to me Miss Montague. This would be your last contract for me, find him and you'll be free to go so to speak"
"Our final contract?" she stated curiously
"Our final contract" he confirmed
Amelia snatched the vial up and held it in the palm of her hand "Who's your target? I need a name remember?"
"Baelfire. He's my son"Amelia uncorks the vial and shoots the liquid down her throat and swallowed it in one gulp. Gold watched her eyes changed as she used her gift after a minute and no evident pain they turned back.
"Pleasure doing business with you as usual Rumple" Amelia turned and left the shop.
"Wait" he stopped her, she did hold the door open and looked back at him "Thank you for finding Belle" Amelia nodded at the older man and left.
AN:
Thank you to everyone that has come this far! I wanted to get the first few chapters of the story uploaded straight away to give you a chance to see what this story is all about
More of a filler chapter but I hope this chapter opens the relationship between my OC and Rumpelstiltskin, and a few more to come until the story really gets going. Thanks to everyone that has given this story a chance. Please comment and follow.