Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot and any unrecognizable characters and dialogue.
I just want you all to know, that I'm seriously considering that Lily is going to murder Gold by the fifth season. And possibly have something to do with Hades. Haven't decided yet.
Chapter playlist: 'Battle' from 'Elizabeth: The Golden Age: OST' and 'The Burdens of Duty' from 'Merlin Season One: OST' (this one is for Lily and Hook)
Enchanted Forest
The sentries alerted him, though he'd known of the presence long before they had. Quietly, Peter slunk through the trees, peering around one carefully. A little girl stood in the clearing, giggling and chasing the pixie lights. When she spun, Peter stiffened at the flash of pale blue eyes before the dark curls blocked them from his sight.
Something fundamental within him shifted.
Before he could react - whether to greet her or send her away - his Shadow descended from the sky. He'd seen countless boys, much older than the girl that was barely older than a toddler, flinch at the sight of the creature. However, she merely tilted her head curiously at the sight of the yellow-eyed shadow.
"Who are you?" She asked brightly, reaching chubby fingers up to try and touch the odd creature above her. She giggled when it flitted just out of reach.
"Who are you?" The Shadow countered smoothly, its own head tilted.
"I'm Lily!" The girl replied, clearly unaware of the darkness that the Shadow held. "Where am I?"
"Neverland," Peter answered, striding out from behind the tree before the Shadow could answer. With a jerk of his chin, it flew away, leaving him alone with the little girl.
He almost flinched when eyes that looked so like Katerina's focused on him. "Neverland?" She repeated quietly, almost to herself. "Neverland…."
Peter waited for the little girl to come to the realization herself. He knew, as she would soon, that the dreams she'd had since she could remember (which couldn't be very long), were of him. Of Neverland. Of home. Unlike other children, who after they'd been taken from their world and homes, she didn't cower or cry. But, then again, she wasn't really here. At least not yet.
"My name's Lily!" She said, smiling widely now. She skipped up to him, craning her head up to meet his eyes. "Who are you?"
Peter knelt to her level, though he still towered over her. He reached out to touch a cherubic cheek, exhaling sharply when she leaned into the touch. She smiled up at him with open affection, the emotion sending a pang through his chest.
"I'm Peter," he answered quietly, gently brushing a curl from her eyes. "Peter Pan."
Storybrooke
Gold entered the back room, not surprised to see Regina at David's bedside. Despite their sordid past, the mayor continued to come into the shop daily to check on David, well aware that the longer someone was under a sleeping curse, the worse it could get. Quietly, so not to disturb her, Gold watched her adjust the blankets, if only to do something for the cursed man.
"Any change?" He asked quietly.
Regina sight heavily, turning to face the shop owner. "No, he's not improving." She admitted, smoothing down a wrinkle in the blanket. "He needs true love's kiss. He won't wake up until Mary Margaret comes back."
"'Until'?" He repeated, the tone of his voice causing her to turn to meet his eye. "Well, that's rather optimistic, isn't it?"
"What are you talking about?"
"They're up against your mother," he reminded her. "The only chance Snow, Lilith and Emma have of defeating her, is with the squid ink."
"Which is why you sent the message through David," she couldn't help but raise a brow. For a good portion of her adult life, all she'd heard about the Dark One's assistant was how powerful she was. It was more than slightly insulting, but she found herself indignant over how little faith he had in his adopted daughter.
If he sensed the turn her thoughts had taken, he made no mention of it. "Which would be beneficial, if we knew that message were delivered. But alas," he gestured toward the slumbering man. "Given the Prince's condition, we don't know. As such, it's important we take precautions." His voice lowered, eyes grave.
"We have to consider the possibility that, when that portal opens, it won't be his family that come through. It'll be Cora."
"And neither one of us wants that."
"We have to find where they're coming through, and destroy that portal."
Regina's eyes widened slightly. "But whoever came through would die."
"Exactly." Once more, she felt a stirring of pity toward Lilith, unaware of how expendable she was to their shared mentor. "But, I'm confident between the two of us, we can summon up enough magic to complete the task."
"Well, what if we're wrong?" She asked quietly, refusing to flinch at the look Gold sent her. "What if that portal opens up, and it's not my mother? What if Mary Margaret and Emma do defeat Cora, and go through it?" Her promise to Henry seemed to sear into her skin.
A faint smirk crossed his lips. "Well, I believe in this world, they call that a win-win." It deepened when Regina blinked, taken aback.
"How exactly is that?" She demanded once she recovered.
"If we stop Cora, you are protected from your mother's wrath. If, on the other hand, we stop Snow and Emma, well… you become the only mother in your son's life, now don't you?"
"What about Lilith?" Regina asked, wishing she could have kept her mouth shut when his eyes flashed. "You speak of throwing away her life like she means nothing to you. We both know that's not true."
He stared at her, expression unreadable. She refused to flinch first, meeting his eyes squarely, a challenging tilt to her chin. Though it was less than a minute, it felt like hours before Gold looked down. Though not before Regina caught a glimpse of the pain that flashed in his eyes.
"Look, magic is unpredictable in this world," he began, refusing to answer or acknowledge her questions. "If something unfortunate were to happen while you were attempting to help… Henry could hardly blame you for that, could he?"
"No," she refused at once. "I can't lie to him. I am trying to be a better mother."
"You won't be able to be a better anything if Cora comes through." Gold reminded her harshly. He felt only slightly gratified when Regina visibly flinched from his words. "And if she does, she will be a threat to everyone – including your son. So, if you truly want to be a good mother to Henry – to protect him – if you want to be better, prove it."
Enchanted Forest
The journey to the cell seemed longer than she remembered. All, Mary Margaret included, were more than a little leery of going underground. However, the quickest, and only, route to the cell the Dwarves had crafted to hold the Dark One. Mary Margaret could remember how displeased Lilith had been at the idea of capturing and keeping her mentor. However, the sorceress had followed the plan to the letter, her oath binding her to David.
Emma's face was white at the sight of the barred hole in the wall.
"Rumpelstiltskin's cell," Mary Margaret whispered. "I haven't been here since before Regina's curse," she glanced at Emma, noting the slight flinch at her words. "This is where he told us you were going to be the saviour."
"He knew?" Emma demanded flatly, face, if possible, whiter.
"It was prophesied." Mary Margaret said in reply before she started forward. "Come on."
The cell, as she remembered it, was empty. Before the Curse, other than food and water, little had been given to the Dark One. Mary Margaret remembered Lilith once remarking that her mentor didn't even technically need any type of nourishment. The teen had visited him frequently, bringing books and the like, though she'd never tried to free him.
Aurora looked around, "The squid ink – it's not here."
"Gold said we would find it." Mary Margaret muttered before she began to search the nooks and crannies in the walls. The other three followed suit, with little luck.
"Well," Mulan started, frustration leaking into her words. "Was there anyone else in here with him? Could they have taken the ink?"
The short-haired woman shook her head. "No, he was kept alone. Visitors were forbidden." Except Lilith. "He was too dangerous to allow any human contact."
Emma raised a brow. "How'd he keep from going crazy?"
Aurora's answer, shaky and soft, made them all turn. "He didn't." She turned the paper she'd found in a crevice over in her hands.
"What is it?"
Emma started toward her. "Is that a message?"
"Yes," Aurora's expression was wary as she regarded Emma. "And I think it's for you."
The blonde woman's brow creased at the other woman's tone as she accepted the paper. "Why would you think… that."
Her eyes fell onto the paper, growing wide as she truly looked at the words. Her hands began to shake. Written hundreds of times in succession, was her name.
Storybrooke
Regina smiled bitterly at her son's voice as he read the 'Snow White' story to his cursed grandfather. As he finished that section of the story, Regina cleared her throat softly and entered the back room.
"I think this time, it'll happen the other way around," her smile trembled.
Henry, it seemed, didn't notice. "You think so?" He asked instead, smiling faithful when she nodded encouragingly.
"I do. Which is why I need you to stay here and watch David for a little while."
His head tilted curiously. "Where are you going?"
"Mr. Gold and I need to prepare for Emma, Lillian and Mary Margaret's return," she lied, guilt tearing her apart on the insides. "Coming through the portal won't be easy, we need to make sure everything's in place."
"Really?" The smile that began to form on his lips made her heart ache. "You're really going to help them?"
Regina nodded, forcing herself to return his smile. "I promised you I was going to do better – to be better." She reminded him gently. "So, yes, I'm going to do everything in my power to see to it they come home safely."
"Wow," Henry breathed after regarding her in thoughtful silence. "You really have changed."
When he went to hug her, Regina couldn't find it within herself to stop him. Even with the guilt that threatened to choke her, the affection and love from her son was too much to resist. "Be back as soon as I can," she promised with a kiss to the top of his head. Sending him a last smile, she slipped out of the room, then the shop.
Stalking down Main Street, she roughly brushed away the tears that threatened to overwhelm her. Gold said nothing when she met him at the entrance of the mine, though he saw the splotched patches on her cheeks. Instead, he gestured for her to enter first before following her. They walked in silence for some time before he spoke.
"I'm really glad you, uh, came to your senses." He said, meaning every word. He couldn't do this by himself, and with Lilith gone, he had no other options.
Regina just grimaced miserably. "Let's just get this over with," she muttered, looking anywhere but him.
He said nothing, instead gesturing to the hole in the wall of the tunnel. "It's right through here." Once more, he allowed her to go first. She wanted to sneer at the idea he still believed himself a gentleman, but withheld the urge.
Her breath caught when she fully entered the cave. Diamonds, glittering and oozing with magic, covered almost every available inch. She spun slightly, taking in the sight, while Gold eyed the diamonds carefully.
"Ah, yes," he finally said, catching sight of her expression. "Should suit our purposes, no?"
"How much do we need?" Regina asked breathlessly.
"All of it."
At his words, her head snapped toward him. "How are we going to do that?" She asked, taking in his serious expression.
"With a little help from a fairy," he produced a golden wand from inside his suit coat. Regina eyed it warily, sending him an almost incredulous look. "Dead one," he explained before she could berate him for murder. "Believe me, no one mourns her."
Though she still looked fairly uneasy with the plan, Regina merely nodded. She watched in silence as Gold waved the wand, drawing the power of the diamonds within it. As the last of the diamonds disappeared, the wand began to glow brightly in the dim cavern.
Enchanted Forest
It had seemed so easy to sneak into the prison where the Dark One's little pet was kept. When she'd refused to help him, claiming that the creature was 'no monster', Hook had easily settled on killing her. It would harm the Dark One, an added bonus, in Hook's mind. While mildly put out that his plan hadn't worked out, he wasn't about to complain to the woman who could easily kill him. Instead, he watched as the Evil Queen waved her hand over his hook, causing it to glow faintly.
"It's now… enchanted," she explained, handing the hook back to him. "It will enable you to rip out her heart. I believe you've seen it done before?" She asked delicately, a finely arched brow raising.
"Yes." He affirmed darkly, twisting the hook into place.
"The enchantment will only allow you to rip out one heart, so make sure you do it right."
Hook glanced up from his hook. "What could she have possibly done to warrant such brutality?"
A hint of warning crept into her words. "That's my business," she told him. "Yours is to kill her, and bring her body back to me."
"Easy enough," he shrugged; it was truly none of his business, so long as the Queen kept her word. "When will I set forth on this murderous journey?"
"Immediately." She answered, smiling now. "But you won't be going alone." She turned and strode into the sitting area of her quarters. Hook followed, brow raised when he saw the rather large lump beneath the blanket that covered a chair. Regina pulled the blanket off, revealing the corpse of a Black Knight. "You remember Claude?"
"Can't say that I do," Hook answered breezily, glancing at the body with disinterest.
She raised a brow once more. "You killed him in the cell block."
"Ah, yes," he didn't bother to hide the smirk at her gentle rebuke. "I didn't recognize him without my hook in his neck. Forgive me, but isn't he a bit of dead weight?"
"I banished my mother to a far-off land some time ago," she turned and plucked a box from a nearby cabinet. "You're going to need a portal to get to her." She ignored Hook's disbelieving smile when she pulled out Jefferson's hat. "The rules are simple - one goes in, one comes back. Or, in this case, two in, two back," she amended with a shrug. "You'll arrive with Claude, and you'll return with my mother."
Regina side-eyed the pirate, watching his expressions closely. She was taking a gamble with this, she knew. There were all sorts of things that could go wrong, least of which that the pirate would end up dead at her mother's hands. But, she'd decided to trust the man, playing on his hatred of Rumpelstiltskin to win his compliance.
"Now tell me… which far-off land do I have the pleasure of visiting today?" He asked finally, looking at ease once more.
"Wonderland."
"Happily named, I'm sure," he remarked with a dashing smile. "How will I find her?"
She smiled wickedly at that. "Oh, don't worry. She'll find you." She assured him before she knelt and spun the hat, standing back as a purple vortex rapidly began to form.
Wonderland
As the Evil Queen had assured him, Hook hadn't been in the strange land long before he was found. Guards, with a red heart emblazoned on their armor, captured him and dragged him before the masked Queen of Hearts.
"Kneel, before the Queen of Hearts." The man beside said Queen ordered roughly as the knights flung Hook to the ground before the throne.
"Appreciate the warm welcome," Hook snarked dryly, rolling his shoulders.
He watched, faintly amused, as the Queen whispered to her man-servant through a tube. The man listened intently to the whispers before he spoke to the intruder on the floor.
"The Queen wants to know why you've come to Wonderland." He didn't need to say what would happen if Hook refused to answer.
"I'm in search of someone." Hook replied. "In her native land, she goes by Cora."
As if he'd said something vulgar, whispers immediately rose from the court. People stared from all sides, equal parts wary and curious, though all sounds ceased when the Queen of Hearts removed her mask.
"In this land," the woman said with a red-lipped smile, "she goes by Your Majesty." Her voice hardened and her cold gaze flicked to the people of her court. "Leave us." She ordered, and the room was clear within moments. She rose from her throne. "You name, pirate?"
"Hook."
Cora smiled. "What a clever nickname."
"I come bearing gifts," Hook explained, pulling a pearl necklace from his pocket. He began to approach her throne. "If you allow me."
Cora produced the hat that had brought him to Wonderland. "This hat – your portal… if I understand correctly, the same number who travels through, must also return." She looked up at the pirate, who stood mere feet away. "You arrived with him, but who shall you return with?"
"You." He replied simply before tossing the necklace over his shoulder and lunging for her. His hook plunged inside her chest, though when he removed it, nothing happened. "What?" He breathed, looking so bewildered that Cora laughed.
"I'm the 'Queen' of Hearts," she reminded him, smirking now. "Do you really think I'd be so careless, as to keep my heart where everyone else does? This…," she plunged her hand into his chest, gripping onto his beating heart. "Is how it's done. Tell me – who did this? Who sent you here to kill me? Who?"
"Your daughter." He half-panted. The pain that radiated from his chest almost stopped him from speaking.
Cora went stiff. "Regina? She… wants me dead?" She asked, scarcely able to believe her ears. Quickly recovering, she narrowed her eyes on the pirate's strained features. "You're now going to tell me everything, and do exactly what I want." She ordered. "Because when you hold a heart, you control it." She leaned closer, lowering her voice as Hook grimaced under her hold. "You have the power."
Enchanted Forest
While the others continued to frantically search the cell for the ink, Emma stared at the paper. While her hands had long since stopped shaking, the horror that took her at the sight of her name remained.
"What does this even mean?" She whispered suddenly, loud enough for her mother to hear.
"He was obsessed with you, Emma," Mary Margaret explained, not liking the look in her daughter's eye. "You were the key to breaking the curse."
Aurora turned from the wall she'd been scouring. "We've looked everywhere," she said, frustrated. "There's no ink in this cell."
"Well, it has to be." Mary Margaret replied. "He told David."
Emma raised a brow. "You were in a Netherworld." She retorted. "Maybe something got lost in translation."
Mulan, who had yet to turn toward the others, spoke. "No. She heard right."
Mary Margaret nearly ran to the warrior. "You found it?"
Mulan turned and held up the empty bottle she'd found hidden in a crevice. "In a manner of speaking," she scowled blackly. "There was ink in the cell."
Emma's eyes widened and she looked down at the paper in her hands. "Son of a bitch…."
Before anyone could react, not that they had suspected any treachery, Aurora moved. Grabbing hold of a rock, she threw it with all her might at the lever just outside of the cell. The cell door fell with a resounding clang, trapping the four of them inside.
"Aurora," Emma demanded once she'd found her voice. The other two were not so lucky. "What are you doing?!"
"Helping me." Cora replied as she, Lilith and Hook entered the room. The older sorceress held out her hand, summoning the compass from Emma's pocket.
"NO!" Emma flew at the bars, beating uselessly on them. Her wide eyes flew to Lillian, who watched with blank, red eyes. "Lillian, what the hell are you doing? Get us outta here!"
Cora smothered a chuckle. "No, don't waste your energy, dear." She chided, unable to keep the amusement from her voice. "Rumpelstiltskin himself couldn't escape from this cell. Thank you, Aurora." She praised the wide-eyed princess. "We couldn't have done it without you."
Emma whirled on Aurora. "Why would you do this?"
Mary Margaret joined her. "How could you?"
"Don't blame her." Cora called lightly. "She was only doing what she was told." To prove herself, Cora pulled out Aurora's heart from the satchel Lilith had presented her with.
"You took her heart?" Emma demanded, aghast at the very thought.
Hook piped up. "Actually, I did." He shrugged at the blonde's horror. "It was a gift."
Without a word, Cora began to squeeze the heart. Aurora doubled over in pain, crying out, causing Mulan to rush to her side. Smiling, Cora loosened her grip on the organ.
"Forgive us. We'd love to stay, but Storybrooke awaits." She turned, Hook and Lilith behind her, and began to leave the cell.
"Hook! Wait!" Emma called desperately, her grip on the bares so tight her knuckles went white. The pirate turned, brow raised expectantly. Beside him, Lilith stood, looking bored with the proceedings. Emma didn't even spare her a glance. "Please don't do this," Emma begged. "My son is in Storybrooke, he needs me."
"Perhaps you should've considered that," Hook began easily, voice hardening. "Before you abandoned me on that beanstalk."
"You would've done the same."
Hook actually scowled at the blonde's accusation. "Actually, no." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a vial. "Do you know what this is Emma?"
Emma felt the blood drain from her face. "The bean that the giant kept."
"Yes, indeed," Hook twisted it around his fingers. "A pirate always keeps a souvenir of his conquest, but this… well, this is much more than a mere trinket," he lightly tossed the vial into the air with a chuckle. "This is a symbol. Something that was once magical, full of hope, possibility… now look at it. Dried up, dead, useless. Much like you." Emma held back the urge to flinch from the malice directed at her. "The time for making deals is done, just as I'm done… with you.
Storybrooke
Phone still in her hand, Ruby sprinted further into the mines. Her grip tightened, she could feel the plastic beneath her fingers cracking, as she called for Leroy.
"Leroy! What is it?" She ducked through the hole in the wall, stumbling into the cavern with the diamonds. "What's the emergency?" Leroy stood, staring helplessly at the ceiling and didn't reply. "Leroy."
"They're gone," he breathed. Suddenly, with a sinking feeling, Ruby looked around the cavern, actually taking it in. Where there had once been thousands of sparkling diamonds, there was nothing now. "They're all gone."
After they'd met up with his brothers, Leroy led them and Ruby toward Gold's shoppe. It was empty when they entered, though they found Henry in the back room at David's bedside. He was reading to his grandpa and turned, frowning, when they entered.
"Where are they?" Ruby demanded, too high-strung to control her tone. "Regina and Gold."
"What's going on?" Henry asked, looking around at the faces that stared down at him.
"All the magic has been drained from the mines."
The little boy blinked, a horrible feeling overtaking him. "They stole it?" He asked, voice barely more than a whisper.
Leroy nodded vigorously. "They snuck in after our shift and took everything." His face contorted with rage. "Nobody steals from a dwarf!"
"Except the Queen." Doc replied dryly.
Happy, looking miserable, added, "…and Rumpelstiltskin."
But all Henry could hear was his heart beating loudly in his ears. His stomach clenched, betrayal bringing tears that stung at his eyes. "If they're not helping Emma and Mary Margaret that… that means my mom lied to me."
Ruby's eyes softened at the sight. "I'm sorry, Henry," she reached down, wrapping an arm around his trembling shoulders.
Henry, though, merely looked up with overly bright eyes. "We need to find her." He said angrily. "We need to stop them. We need to help Emma and Lillian and Mary Margaret."
Enchanted Forest
Mary Margaret's head pounded in time with Emma's swings. After five minutes of her daughter attacking the cell door with her sword, Mulan looked ready to commit murder, though she remained where she was beside Aurora. Deciding that she'd allowed Emma to have a long enough tantrum, Mary Margaret stood.
"We aren't going to break it down, Emma. It was enchanted to hold Rumpelstiltskin." At her daughter's cynical expression, the dark-haired woman placed a hand on the blonde's sword arm. "We don't have a chance."
Aurora, miserable and guilt-ridden, glanced up from her hands. "This is my fault."
Mulan rubbed her arm awkwardly. "No, it's mine." She countered. "Cora stole your heart because I failed to protect you."
"That's very sweet," Emma snapped at them. "But I believe it's my fault. I'm the saviour, and I'm not doing much saving, am I?" She glared down at her boots, scowling now. "And Lillian. How could she betray us like that?"
Mary Margaret skirted around the issue of Lillian for the moment. "We're going to win this fight, you know." She said instead. "Good always defeats evil."
Despite everything, Emma smiled wryly at her. "You sound like Henry."
"Guess optimism runs in the family."
"I think it skipped a generation."
Mary Margaret wanted to laugh but stopped herself. She knew how it would sound if she did. "You should know better than anybody - you broke the curse."
"What have I done since then?" Emma asked, voice tight and controlled. "I got us stranded over here, burned down the wardrobe, let Cora get the ashes, and now, the compass. I made Lillian desert us." She sent her mother a strained look. "The only reason I ever broke the curse, was because it was exactly what Gold wanted me to do. I had nothing to do with it."
"What are you talking about?"
"He told you I was the saviour. It was his plan." Emma said, her agitated words striking a cord within her mother. "Once I fulfilled that role, maybe that's all I was ever meant to do. Everything I've ever done… he had it all mapped out before I was even born."
Mary Margaret stared at her daughter, eyes wide. She'd never thought of it like that - that Rumpelstiltskin had been behind everything that had happened in her their lives. A puppet master, controlling the strings of everyone.I'm not powerful.
"I'm… I'm not… a saviour." Emma whispered brokenly, eyes stinging. "I'm a name on a piece of paper. I'm a pawn, and that's exactly why we are in here. And Cora's on her way to Storybrooke."
Lillian walked at Hook's side, eyes trained intently on Cora's back. She knew the older woman could feel it, but was untroubled; neither of them trusted each other, so it bothered Cora little that Lilith wouldn't take any chances. As they continued through the field, Hook glanced down at the teen by his side.
"You look as though no time has passed, lass," he prodded gently. Lilith had always been temperamental, prone to cold silences and hot rages. He'd seen her burn half a forest to the ground once in a fit of rage.
Now, she turned eyes the color of blood on him. Even after all the years he'd been subjected to that stare, he shivered inwardly at the sight. He'd seen Pan's eyes change color, to a burnished tawny, when he cast spells, but he'd never seen a permanent change in eye color from magic until he'd run into Rumpelstiltskin. And then he twisted an innocent little girl into his personal monster. Even Pan had been troubled by the way his Princess seamlessly changed her eye color.
"Many things have happened, Killian," Lillian replied quietly, turning her attention back to Cora. "If I may ask, where are we going?"
Cora waited for them to catch up to her before she spoke. "Lake Nostos. The legend says its waters hold the power to restore what was once lost." She glanced at Lilith. "I believe you've seen their waters, dear?" At the younger sorceress' nod, Cora continued, a pleased smile on her painted lips. "It'll return magic to what remains of this wardrobe. And then, we'll be able to cross worlds."
Lake Nostos, as Lillian remembered, was an empty, dried crater. Years ago, Charming had fought the Siren of the lake, and in killing its protector, he'd killed the water itself. Lancelot had found some, that horrible day when Charming's mother had died so Snow could be cured of her barren womb.
Hook surveyed the lake bed for several heartbeats before her spoke. "I may be a simple pirate, but… I know one thing – lakes have water."
Cora ignored his sarcasm and glanced at Lilith. The girl stood, stiff as a statue, but met her eyes calmly. "My dear, if you would?" Cora delicately held up a gloved hand, waiting until Lilith had placed her own atop it.
Together, they waved their hands, creating a small vortex in the middle of the dry lake bed. Both watched, hands lowering, as the vortex dissipated and a geyser of water formed in its place.
Catching Hook's gobsmacked expression, Cora's smile widened.
"After everything we've been through, why do you still doubt me?"
Wonderland
It seemed to take hours to tell Cora all her knew. Which, he conceded, may have had something to do with the face that his heart was in her hand. Throughout his tale, her grip remained on his heart, never loosening or tightening.
"I've told you all I know." He breathed once he'd reached the end. "Now have some honour, and kill me."
Cora tittered. "Honour?" She repeated. "For the pirate who snuck into my palace to assassinate me?"
"At your daughter's behest."
"She should've come." Cora retorted smoothly, voice lowering, as if she was speaking to herself. "She should've killed me herself." Then, to his surprise, she slipped her hand from his chest. Tensed, it took Hook a moment to register that his heart remained in his chest.
"Mercy seems a bit out of character."
Cora glanced back at him. "Oh, not mercy, Hook. You're going to help me." She told him, as casually as if speaking of the weather. "Regina knows my methods better than anyone. If I was controlling you, she'd know. This has to be your choice."
He raised a brow. "Why should I?" What Regina had offered in exchange for her mother's heart had seemed fair enough to him at the time. It still did, provided he was ever able to fulfill his end of the deal.
"Because, my dear, I'm the only one who can give you what you want."
"Is that so?"
"This curse my daughter plans to enact? This new land she's taking everyone to?" She waited for his nod of understanding before continuing. "You won't remember who you are. So tell me, Captain – how do you expect to kill someone, when you can't even remember him?" As she suspected, a flicker of anger filled those stormy eyes. It seemed her daughter had been less than forthcoming with details of the Dark Curse. "But, if you do what I say, I'll make sure you not only kill him, but that you remember every single moment."
It took less time than she thought it would to win him over to her side.
"Well, what shall you have me do?" Hook asked, quite eagerly, in her opinion.
"Get me close to my daughter." She said, smiling once more. "And then, I'll rip her heart out."
Enchanted Forest
Hook returned much sooner than Regina had expected. On some level, she hadn't truly expected him to come back at all, far too aware of how dangerous her mother was. While Cora was a mere princess in the Enchanted Forest, a minor and forgotten one at that, she was the Queen in Wonderland, which made her all the more dangerous. However, Regina was mildly pleased when the Knights announced that the pirate had returned, with a coffin in tow.
"Satisfied?" Hook asked as he showed the Evil Queen her mother, lying dead in the casket.
She reached out to touch the casket, though neither her voice or her hand trembled. "Did she put up a fight?"
"Nothing I couldn't handle."
The Evil Queen nodded once, waving her hand in dismissal. "Thank you. Now leave us." She stepped closer to he casket. "I'd like a moment alone to say goodbye."
Without a word, the pirate bowed and exited the room, showing far more tact than Regina would have ever thought him capable of. Left alone, she released the quavering breath she'd been holding in, a tight band around her chest.
"I'm sorry, mother," she breathed, brushing her fingers down the cold cheek. "Without you, I never would've become the person I am now. But I had no choice. I had to do this." She whispered, unaware that her mother was alive and able to hear every hushed word spoken. "After you killed Daniel, you told me something I've never forgotten." Her voice began to shake, choked by the tears she refused to shed just yet. "'Love is weakness'."
Beneath her, Cora listened intently, tensed and ready to spring. However, the words that fell from her daughter's lips gave her pause.
"Well, mother, you are my weakness, because I love you." Regina whimpered out, closing her eyes to stave off the tears. "That's why I couldn't risk taking you to the new land with me. Your grip on my heart is just too strong. And for what I need to do… I can't have any weakness." With that, she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her mother's forehead before placing a red rose atop her body.
"Goodbye mother."
After the Queen had exited, eyes dry despite the tremble in her shoulders, Hook slipped from his hiding spot. Croa sat up, staring after her daughter, though her expression was blank when she turned to him.
"What happened? You didn't kill her."
"There's been a change in plans."
Hook's brow creased, though he refrained from angrily taking her to task. "What would that be?"
Cora didn't answer, only held out her hand so he could help her from the casket. "My daughter's curse is coming." She said instead. "We have to protect ourselves."
They watched in silence as the Curse ripped through the Enchanted Forest, watching as it violently progressed through the land. As it approached them, Cora struck the ground with her sceptre, sending a beam of light into the sky. Hook watched the beam scatter, creating a domed shield that covered a small section of the land around them.
Others might have been caught within the barrier, though he cared little about them. He glanced at the woman beside him, curious about the reasoning behind her actions.
"Wouldn't it have been easier to reconcile with her before her curse destroys the land?"
Cora shook her head, eyes trained on the approaching cloud. "Regina doesn't need me – not now." She told him. "Not when she thinks she's about to win. But I still have a place in her heart. And the curse won't last forever - it will end." The curse came closer, thundering its way through the Enchanted Forest. "In twenty-eight years, there'll be a saviour. And she'll break it."
"Twenty-eight years?"
"You won't even notice," she smiled at the outrage in his tone. "You'll be frozen, like all those in this corner of the land. But, when the curse ends, our quest will resume." Her eyes turned back to the curse. "And, when it does, Regina will truly have lost everything, and then she'll need me. That's when we'll go to this new land. You'll get your revenge. And me, I'll… help her pick up the pieces."
Storybrooke
The wishing well was far from town, deep in the woods. Regina followed Gold, having never visited the sight for quite some years, though she knew Gold had been there just weeks previously.
"You're certain the portal's going to open up all the way out here?"
He nodded at the well. "There." He corrected quietly. "This is where things once lost are returned to us. This is where Cora's going to come through."
They both peered over the lip of the well. Below, the water within it was beginning bubble gently. Regina glanced askance at Gold, who didn't take his eyes off the water.
"Unless, it's Mary Margaret, Lillian and Emma."
He looked unimpressed with her continued belief that it wouldn't be Cora coming through. As it was, if she truly hadn't believed, she wouldn't be here with him.
"I highly doubt it."
Enchanted Forest
Staring intently at the pages, Mary Margaret focused on the faint tremor of magic she felt. While untrained to the ways of magic, she'd been around enough practitioners and had seen it in action enough to be able to feel it.
"We are going to get out of here." She breathed, catching Emma's attention.
Emma whirled on her. "How?" She demanded, tossing her hands in the air. "By staring at that scroll? It's not like it's going to magically open the door for us."
Her mother stood. "Yes, it is."
The blonde started. "What?"
"When I was a little girl, I used to sneak into Cora's chamber and watch her practice magic." Mary Margaret recounted. "She had a spell book and, Emma… the spells were in the book."
Emma blinked at her. "Yeah, isn't that what a spell book is? A book that has spells in it?"
Shaking her head with a fond smile, Mary Margaret held up the scroll. "Watch." She leaned closer and gently blew on the paper. As she'd suspected, the ink rose from the scroll, hovering in the air.
"Whoa." Emma muttered as both Mulan and Aurora rose to stare at the ink. "Squid ink. Gold wrote the scroll in squid ink!"
Smiling widely now, Mary Margaret blew the ink toward the cell door. The moment the ink made contact with the bars, they dissolved. Satisfied, Mary Margaret turned toward the three other women. "Told you." She said smugly at their amazed stares. "Good always wins."
With that, she started for the exit, Mulan and Emma falling behind her. Aurora, however, refused to budge.
"Wait, I can't go." she said suddenly, looking terrified. "You have to tie me up."
Mulan shook her head. "No. I'm not leaving without you." She'd made a promise to Philip, and she wasn't going to let down his memory any more than she already had.
"I can't be trusted. Not as long as Cora has my heart."
"Then I will get it back for you."
Aurora startled, clearly taken aback. "Mulan…."
"I will."
"Mulan," Emma urged frantically, breaking off the staring contest. "We got to go."
When she saw MUlan hesitate, Aurora nodded reassuringly. "Do it."
Biting her lip, Mulan nodded and began to tie Aurora to what little remained of the bars with a piece of robe.
"Good luck." Aurora said, forcing a smile on her face.
Mary Margaret nodded, returning the expression. "Thank you," she whispered. "Good luck to you."
With a last look at the princess, Mulan turned and followed the mother-daughter pair out of the cell.
As the geyser began to gradually subside, Cora stepped closer to it. Lilith followed, eyes trained on the small lake it left in its wake. Without a word, she took out the vial of ashes she had, allowing Cora to join it with the ones she'd taken.
"And now, the ashes." She glanced at Hook, smiling widely. "Would you care to do the honours?"
He smirked in return, taking them from Cora's outstretched hand. He liberally sprinkled them into the water, all three collectively holding their breath until a whirlpool formed in the center of the lake.
"Here we go," Cora whispered, distracted with her apparent victory that she didn't sense the growing threat behind her. "We'll be in Storybrooke soon enough. I really look forward to seeing my daughter."
Storybrooke
The water continued to gentle bubble for so long that Regina felt a crick in her neck from staring at it so long. Before she could made a snarky comment, there was a change in the water. It began to boil furiously, a whirlpool beginning to form.
"It's time." Gold observed quietly, though he didn't move.
Regina eyed him doubtfully. She'd seen first-hand how protective he was of Lillian. Loving, almost. "So, what are we waiting for?" She goaded quietly, waiting to see what he'd do.
They both stepped away from the well, Regina watching him closely. Instead of waiting for something to happen, Gold pulled the fairy wand from his pocket. Raising it to the sky, he summoned a thunderstorm. Skin prickling, Regina flinched when green lightning streaked toward the ground and struck the well. An electric barrier rose up, guaranteed to kill any and all who came through the well.
"Doesn't matter who comes through now." Gold whispered, pocketing the want. His heart rested heavily within his chest, guilt clawing him up on the inside. Lillian's bright, smiling face flashed within his mind, and he violently shoved the vision away. "No one can survive this."
Enchanted Forest
Cora held out the compass, prompting Hook to grab hold of it. He offered his hook to Lilith, who gripped it so tightly her hand shook. He eyed the girl with concern, though Cora's words drew his attention.
"I told you I'd deliver you to Rumpelstiltskin." She glanced at her two companions. "Now don't let go. Unless, you want to end up someplace that isn't Storybrooke."
As Hook's fingers tightened on the other side of the compass, unaware that Emma, Mary Margaret and Mulan had arrived and the princess was aiming an arrow at them, Lillian reacted. With a burst of magic, she threw Cora across the clearing and knocked Hook on his arse.
"You'll get anywhere near Henry over my dead body," Across the clearing, she caught sight of Emma watching, mouth open. Without halting, Lillian raced toward the compass, ducking the fireball that Cora shot at her. "Get the compass!"
Springing into action, Mulan deflected the second fireball Cora threw - at them this time - before the sorceress turned to a dazed Hook. "Find it first." She demanded of him. "I'll take care of them."
Cora began to assault them with fireballs, halting Emma from going for the compass. As both Emma and Mulan fended off Cora's fireballs, with Mary Margaret backing them up with arrows, Lillian raced for the compass. She met Hook there and, instead of using her magic, drew the stiletto Mary Margaret had forced on her.
Ducking and spinning, without attempting to seriously harm the man, Lillian held off Hook's attempts to get the compass. The betrayed look her sent her cut her to the core. Behind her, Mulan swung at Cora, her blade swinging through air when the woman disappeared. Mulan watched, heart in her throat, as the satchel that contained Aurora's heart fell toward the whirlpool. Before she could dive for it, Hook caught it with his sword and threw it toward the shell-shocked Mulan.
He sent her a strained smirk at her look of disbelief. "I may be a pirate, but I bristle at the thought of a woman losing her heart – unless it's over me." Was all he said before he turned back to Lillian.
Conflicted, Mulan jerkily turned to Snow, who rapidly waved her off. "Go!"
"No, but you need the compass!"
"And Aurora needs her heart." Snow shot back.
Panting, Mulan handed Snow her sword. "Take it. It deflects magic."
Snow nodded, sending her a grimly determined look before she joined the battle once more. Mulan turned and ran, knowing that if she looked back, she'd lose her resolve. Emma, seeing that her mother was handling herself, jumped in to join Lillian against Hook. The brunette, however, didn't welcome the help.
"I'm fine!" She snapped, eyes red as she parried another blow from Hook.
Emma ignored her. "I had no idea you had such a soft side." She called to Hook, careful of the whirlpool.
"I don't." He replied, looking between the two women. "Just like a fair fight."
Emma fought, all too aware of how much better the both of them were at this than she was. As Lillian rolled over Hook's back, Emma took the opening. As she forced him back several paces, he grinned at her across their locked blades.
"Good form." He mocked, smirk growing. "But not good enough." He lashed out with his foot, hooking it around Emma's ankle and flipped her on her back. Uncaring of Lillian, or of Cora and Snow White as they squared off across the whirlpool, he began to slide his hook down down Emma's blade. Pressing Emma into the sand, her sword pressed flush against her, he grinned down.
"Normally, I prefer to do other more enjoyable activities with a woman on her back. With my life on the line, you've left me no choice." Emma began to writhe underneath him. He grinned salaciously. "A bit of advice? When I jab you with my sword, you'll feel it. You might want to quit."
Unbeknownst to him, Emma struggled to reach the compass she could feel digging into her back. As her fingers closed around it, she grinned up at Hook. "Why would I do that, when I'm winning?" She held u0 the compass, the sight of it causing Hook's attention to shift. Gathering her strength, Emma managed to knock him off her. "Thanks!"
As he stumbled to his feet Hook was met with Lillian's blade flashing through the air. He parried it and, blind with rage, swiped out with his hook. Unable to move fast enough, the tip of it caught Lillian across the rib cage. Immediately, she knew something wasn't right. A burning sensation started at the gash and began to spread through her whole body. She stared at him, dawning comprehension overtaking her.
Hook's tan features were white as a bleached sheet.
Stumbling, Lillian fell to her knees. Taking advantage of Hook's inattentiveness, Emma jerked toward him and, compass in her fist, reared back and punched him in the face. He fell to the ground, unconscious, while Emma turned to gather a pale-faced, gasping Lillian in her arms.
"Now, let's go home!"
Storybrooke
"Mom?" Henry couldn't help but call as he and Ruby approached the well. While he'd ordinarily be interested in the fact that Ruby could sniff people out, this was far more important. Regina whirled at the sound of his voice, heart sinking. "You're not helping Emma, Lillian and Mary Margaret, are you?"
Regina visibly struggled for words. "I'm helping you, Henry." She forced past the lump in her throat.
"What are you talking about?"
Ruby quickly decided that the time for talking was over. "You're going to kill them." She accused, beginning to stalk forward.
Without a thought, Gold raised the wand and send a flare of magic at her. It threw her several feet away, and she fell to the ground, unconscious. "Sorry, dearie," he muttered, not sorry at all, as he pocketed the wand.
"Mom," Henry tried, taking a cautious step forward. "What are you doing?"
Regina shook her head. "We can't let Cora come through the portal." Dread filled her at the thought. "You have no idea what she would do to us."
"Emma, Lillian and Mary Margaret are going to defeat her. They're the ones that are going to come through."
Gold sent the little boy a pained look. "Henry, your mother's right." Much as he hated to admit it. "It's going to be Cora."
"No. It won't." Henry snapped in reply, hysteria beginning to rise within him. "Good always defeats evil." He sent them both a fierce glare. "You should know that more than anyone."
"What I know, is my mother will destroy everything I love – and that means you." Regina stepped in front of him. "And I can't let that happen."
Enchanted Forest
Seeing that her mother and Cora had yet to get to the actual fighting, Emma left Lillian on the ground by Hook and charged the older woman. Cora disappeared in a swirl of smoke, causing Emma to whirl around, looking for her.
"Emma, run!" Mary Margaret called, sprinting toward the whirlpool and Lillian, Emma on her heels.
Before they reached Lillian, Cora reappeared in front of them. With a gesture of her hands, she threw them both back, stalking toward the downed Snow. She caught Emma attempting to rise from the corner of her eye, and carelessly flicked a hand in her direction to keep her down.
"Why do you want to go to Storybrooke?" Mary Margaret demanded, struggling to her feet. Her body ached from the blow, and she stiffened when magic immobilized her.
"Because my daughter needs me." Cora replied smoothly. "And now, I'm going to give her the one thing she's always wanted – your heart." She drew her hand back, both her words and actions causing Snow's eyes to widen. "Goodbye, Snow."
Emma managed to stand in time to see Cora prepare to rip her mother's heart out. "No!" Emma shouted, sprinting toward them. Barreling into her mother, Emma knocked her out of the way moments before Cora's hand reached Mary Margaret's chest. Instead, Cora's hand entered Emma's chest, making the blonde release a choked gasp.
"Emma!" Mary Margaret cried once she realized what had happened.
Cora merely smiled. "Oh, you foolish girl." She chided the wide-eyed blonde. "Don't you know? Love is weakness."
However, when she attempted to draw back her hand, to rip out Emma's heart, something stopped her. Eyes now wide, she looked first down at her hand before glancing up to meet Emma's eyes.
"No," Emma breathed, something within her pulsating. "It's strength." Suddenly, a burst of white light spread from Emma's body in every direction, blinding all present. When it cleared, Cora was nowhere to be found.
Emma's eyes were wide and her voice shook. "What was that?" She demanded of Lillian, who stared, looking as frightened as Emma felt. The teen swayed on the spot, forcing the short-haired woman to keep her on her feet.
"That… is a great subject for discussion," Mary Margaret answered instead. She reached out and grabbed Emma's arm. "When we get home."
With mother and daughter on either side of her, Lillian forced her feet to move. The three of them sprinted for the whirlpool, stopping just before the edge of it.
"Ready?" Mary Margaret asked over the roar.
"Yeah!" Emma returned, tightening her grip on Lillian when the teen's knees began to buckle. "Let's go."
As the jumped, Lillian closed her eyes, all too aware of what could happen to her if Gold didn't have the right ingredients.
After all, she knew all too well that dreamshade was fatal.
Storybrooke
Without a thought, Henry sprinted toward the well. Before he could reach it, Regina reached out and yanked him into her arms. The vortex began to spin rapidly, causing the panic to rise up within him.
"You can't!" Henry screamed, thrashing violently in his mother's arms. "Stop it! You can't! You're going to kill them!" Regina's arms shook as his struggles increased in time with the vortex. "Please! No! They're going to make it through! We have to turn it off! You're going to kill them!" With a sudden burst of strength, he wrenched himself free from Regina's hold and sprinted toward the well once more.
Frantically, Regina reached for him, nails scraping the wool of his coat. "Henry!" She hauled her struggling son back into her hold. "What are you doing?"
Henry grabbed at her arms. "Emma and Lillian and Mary Margaret are going to come through, I know it." He said, nearly hysterical. "You said you wanted to change – to be better. This is how," he jerked a hand back toward the crackling magic behind them. "You want me to have faith in you?" He demanded, eyes searching her face. Her lips parted, though nothing came out. "Have faith in me."
Gold, who had been watching silently, suddenly spoke up. "Regina."
She looked up at the urgency in his quiet words. Looking back down at her son, taking in his tear-stained face, the tears that gleamed on his lashes, she nodded, almost to herself. Releasing Henry, she shakily walked toward the well. Raising her arms, ignoring Gold's warning, magic poured out of them, colliding with the barrier. The energy crackled, raising the hair on her body, and she began to draw the storm of magic into her body.
Shaking from the effort, Regina clenched her teeth as she drew the last of the magic into her body. The resounding backlash sent her flying several feet away. Dazedly, she was aware of Henry racing to her side, his little arms wrapping around her and attempting to help her sit up. All eyes cut to the well, each waiting with bated breath as the seconds ticked by.
Regina bit her tongue when Henry's high, mournful cry echoed in her ears.
"No!" He shot from his mother's side, skidding to a stop before he reached the well. His hands clenched and opened, knuckles straining against his skin.
Regina shakily forced herself to stand. "I'm sorry, Henry," she whispered, hesitantly extending her hand. Henry whirled around and embraced her tightly when it touched his shoulder. "I'm so sorry." She whispered while he buried his face in her abdomen.
"Regina."
Mother and son both turned to the well at Gold's soft whisper. A hand suddenly appeared at the lip of the well, gripping tightly to the edge. Henry's heart skipped a beat as Emma crested the lip of the well. She tumbled out, reaching back to haul Mary Margaret out after her. It took a moment, long enough for Henry to swear his heart had stopped, for a third hand to grip the edge. Tears sprang to his eyes at the familiar nail polish, chipped and faded.
"Lillian," he heard Mary Margaret before both she and Emma reached out to help the younger woman. Lillian slipped onto the ground with a pained cry, causing Henry's eyes to widen in horror.
"Mom?" He called, watching as both his mother and grandmother frantically helped Lillian to stand.
At his cry, Emma whirled around, as if just realizing he was there. "Henry!"
"Mom!" Henry sprinted toward the trio, unable to see the blackened blood that stained Lillian's shirt. "Lillian! Grandma!"
Emma caught him about the waist before he could tackle all three of them in a hug. "I missed you!" She enthused, trying to distract him as Mary Margaret held the swaying Lillian upright.
"I missed you, too." Henry muttered into her abdomen, not so distracted that he didn't hear Mary Margaret's frantic call for Gold.
"I missed you so much," Emma brushed a kiss against Henry's hair, watching as Gold rapidly closed the distance between himself and Lillian.
The pawnbroker's eyes were wide with concern, and he handled Lillian as if she were made of glass. "What happened?" He demanded flatly, too worried to chide Lillian for not healing herself.
Mary Margaret drew back Lillian's cardigan, allowing Gold to see the gash that lined Lillian's rib cage. Gold hissed through his teeth, the sound catching Henry's attention despite Emma's attempts to pull him away.
"Hook." Mary Margaret answered shortly, wincing when the teen's shirt was raised. She didn't notice the horrified look the man sent her at the name. "He got her with his, well, his hook - Lillian's barely stayed conscious."
"She's been poisoned." He muttered, jerking when Lillian gripped hold of his sleeve.
"I need… burdock and…," Lillian heaved a gasping breath. "Echinacea." As she went slack in his grip, Gold quickly transported them to his shoppe where he, luckily, had the ingredients. And, he swore darkly, where Lilith would finally explain where she'd disappeared to all those years ago.
Regian watched, eyes wide, as her son released a panicked cry when Lillian and Gold disappeared. Emma grabbed hold of him, carefully hugging him even as he struggled. When he broke free from the blonde's grip, Regina caught him, holding him tightly.
"Henry, Henry!" She knelt and gripped his face with both hands, forcing him to meet her eyes. "It's okay. She's going to be okay. Gold will take care of her, I promise." He said nothing, merely blinked back the tears before he raced into her arms.
Taking a moment to catch her breath, Mary Margaret looked around. She stiffened at the sight of Ruby on the ground, slowly coming to. "What's going on?" She asked carefully. "What happened?"
Henry, his face wet with tears, glanced up at her. "She saved you," he murmured, jerking his head toward his mother. "She saved all of you."
"Thank you." Emma breathed at Regina, eyes wide as she ran a hand along Henry's hair.
Regina nodded in return. "You're welcome."
"Are you okay?" A voice asked loudly, and they all turned to see Ruby on her feet, looking a little dazed. Without waiting for an answer, she raced toward Mary Margaret and the two embraced tightly.
"Where's my husband?" The teacher asked, pulling back from the hug. "I need to find him."
Ruby nodded, grinning now, and the two raced off in the direction of town.
Emma stood awkwardly. "Um, your mom… she's, uh… she's… s piece of work, you know?"
"Indeed, I do." Regina replied calmly, unable to refute, even if the words were crass. "Welcome back."
Emma sighed heavily, looking down at her son's tear-stained face. "Thanks."
The pawn shoppe was a madhouse when they entered. While most of the dwarves were gathered around David's bedside, both Doc and Leroy were with Gold and Lillian. The black-haired dwarf held the girl in his arms while Doc helped Gold brew a tea as quickly as they could. Emma watched, trailing behind her mother and Ruby, Henry and Regina just behind her, as Gold began to force feed the tea to Lillian.
Once she was sure Lillian was in good hands, Mary Margaret turned her attention to her husband. Kneeling at his side, she reached down to cup his face in her hands. "David?" She called softly before she kissed him gently on the lips. A pulse of magic spread through the room just in time for Lillian's eyes to crack open.
David's eyes fluttered open with a gasp, his unfocused gaze quickly focusing on the woman beaming down at him. "You… you did it." He whispered as Mary Margaret ran her hand along his face.
"Did you ever doubt I would?"
Both smiled before they kissed once more.
"No." David answered as they drew back. Then, a wicked grin curved up his cheek. "Though, the burning red room did give me pause."
Mary Margaret laughed, shaking her head. Movement caught David's eye, and he sluggishly turned to see Lillian, white-faced and trembling, leaning on Leroy but standing on her own two feet.
"Lillian!" David held out his arms, the sight making the teen smile faintly.
"David," she left Leroy's side and stumbled into David's arms. The two were soon tackled by Henry, who Lillian smothered with kisses. So caught up in the reunion, none noticed Emma slip after Gold to the front of the shop.
"We need to talk." She crossed her arms after she'd managed to corner him alone.
His face was flushed, eyes tired and suit coat gone. "Yes," he sighed heavily. "I believe apologies are in order."
Emma, however, surprised him. "No, no apologies necessary. I understand why you wanted to keep Cora out of here."
"Just remind me never to bet against you in the future, Miss Swan." He observed faintly.
Her eyes narrowed. "It's not really a bet when the game is rigged, is it?"
"To what exactly are you referring?"
"Your scroll. I saw it in your cell." She hissed. "You wrote my name again, and again, and again."
He shrugged with the ease of a man who had gotten everything he wanted. "Just wanted to make sure it would stick."
"The ink – it was there all the time. You could've gotten out." She accused.
"I was exactly where I wanted to be." He told her, unwilling to deal with the rage he could see building. "You needed to find that, so all this could occur."
"You created the curse, Gold." She snapped. "You made me the saviour. So everything I've ever done… it's exactly what you wanted me to do."
He barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes. "I created the curse, dearie, but I didn't make you. I merely took advantage of what you are – the product of true love." Her eyes began to widen. "That's why you're powerful. And everything you've done, you've done yourself."
"So you don't know."
His brow furrowed at her frightened whisper. "Know what?"
Emma hunched her shoulders, as it to protect herself from her own words. "Cora… tried to rip my heart out, but she couldn't." She explained, unwilling to meet his eye. "She was blasted back by something inside me. By… by- " She refused to say what they both knew.
So, Gold did it for her. "By magic. Whatever that was, I didn't do that. You did."
Enchanted Forest
Aurora eyed the heart warily as Mulan produced it from the satchel. Sitting in the cell, both women stared at one another, each uncertain as the glowing heart beat steadily in Mulan's palm.
Aurora wet her lips. "Have you done this before?" She asked.
"No." Mulan said before she lifted the heart and pushed it into the princess' chest. For the briefest of seconds, Aurora stopped breathing, but suddenly gasped, color returning to her cheeks.
Her hand shakily rose to feel the stead thrum of her heart beneath her chest. "Thank you…."
Mulan nodded. "What now?"
Aurora's brow creased. "Cora told me something," she shared. "When a wraith consumes a soul, it's not trapped there forever. It can be reunited with its body."
"You think we can save Phillip?"
"We can try."
Mulan smiled, the expression coming to her easily. "Then let's try." She offered her hand, helping the princess up before they began to exit the cell.
Cora stared at the whirlpool, knowing that, without the compass, it was useless. Beside her, Hook struggled to his feet.
"We failed."
Hook turned to her, brow raised. "Really, Cora," he lightly chided her with her own words. "After all this time, why do you still doubt me?" He held up the mummified bean he'd taken from the giant.
"Well, that bean's petrified." Cora snapped. "It's useless."
Hook smirked. "But these waters have regenerative properties." He reminded her, resulting in a small smirk growing on her features. "Perhaps, it's time to do some gardening."
Storybrooke
Arms crossed, Lillian returned Gold's glare, refusing to back down. He'd managed to drag her off to the back room while everyone gathered in the front.
"So, just ,uh, how do you know Captain Hook?" He demanded finally, hands curled into claws on his unneeded cane.
"Why don't you just spit it out, Rumple," she hissed instead.
"Neverland." He spat the word like a curse. "You and Bae were on Neverland. With him." Whether he meant Hook or Pan, Lillian didn't know. She wasn't even sure he knew. "You've lied to me, all this time -"
"Oh, no," she snarled, advancing on him before she could stop herself. "You don't get to play the self-righteous card with me. You have manipulated me, screwed around with my memories, lied and used me, just like you do everyone else." Her eyes glittered with hurt, unshed tears gleaming on her lashes. He wanted to cower from the sight. "I am not your puppet, Rumple." Her voice lowered. "Not anymore."
With that, Lillian turned on her heel and stormed to the front of the shop in time to hear Ruby's invitation. "How about dinner at Granny's? On me."
Emma nodded, looking half-starved. "As long as it's not Chimera, I'm in." She glanced at Henry, who was currently in Regina's arms. "Hey, kid. You hungry?"
He nodded brightly, breaking away from his dark-haired mother. "Yeah." A hand slipped into his own, and he looked up to see Lillian, David's arm around her, by his side. "I'll see you later," Henry called to Regina, who forced herself to smile.
As the group exited, Regina felt the sting of tears overtake her. Gold slipped into the room, tutting sympathetically under his breath. "Congratulations," he praised, unable to keep from taking out his anger with Lillian on Regina. "You just reunited mother and son. Maybe one day, they'll even invite you for dinner."
As the group walked happily down Main Street toward the diner, Henry holding onto Lillian so tightly, and she the same to him, a large ship sailed toward the docks. Aboard it, Hook inspected the town through a telescope while Cora gripped a black, wilted rose in her hand.
"There it is." Hook announced, lowering the scope.
Cora nodded, inhaling deeply.
"Storybrooke."
Thoughts? Comments? Questions?