Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot and any unrecognizable characters and dialogue.
This chapter did not want to cooperate with me. And, on the tumblr for the story, I posted a little drabble from the upcoming chapters set during season 3B!
Chapter playlist: 'Loki's Lie' from 'Thor OST'
Storybrooke
Henry came awake in an instant and jerked upright in bed. Twisting his head around, he caught sight of movement by the window before Lillian clambered over the sill. Her finger rose to her lips, silencing the bewildered cry of her name that rose to his lips. Brushing her tangled curls from her face, she slipped toward the bed and settled beside Henry.
His eyes, bloodshot and sore, stared into her own. Before she could say a word, Henry all but leapt into her arms, pressing his face against her as fresh tears seeped past his closed eyelids. Shutting her own eyes, Lillian wrapped her arms around his shaking shoulders. Not bothering to hold back her own tears, they slid silently down her cheeks, she gently rubbed a hand up and down his back.
Mindful that she had limited time, as David was bound to peak in on Henry once he went to bed for the night, Lillian forced herself to pull away from him. His cheeks were flushed and his eyes red. "I missed you," he whispered, though he'd already said the words at least a dozen times since she'd returned from the Enchanted Forest. "Where have you been?"
Lillian wanted to flinch at the accusation in those words. She'd spent half the night holed up in the clock tower, knowing that was the one place no one would think to look. Except maybe Henry. But he'd been busy with his own grief and she couldn't fault him for it. She knew how it felt to lose someone you loved all too well.
"Emma and I aren't exactly getting along right now," Lillian said quietly, reaching up to cup his face and wipe away the few stray tears that leaked out. "I… Henry, Regina didn't do it."
His eyes all but bugged out of his head. "Wha- !" Lillian clamped a hand over his mouth and looked around, listening intently. When the pounding of footsteps on the metal staircase never came, she removed her hand. Far more quietly this time, he asked, "What do you mean?"
"Henry, you know I'm an empath, right?" She asked seriously, waiting for him to nod. While she'd briefly outlined the magic she knew to him, it had barely touched the surface of what she could do. "I know exactly how Regina felt at the station - she didn't know until the moment David told her. Henry, I promise you. Your mom didn't kill Archie."
He stared at her, breath quivering, as her words settled around them. Dimly, he felt like he was in shock, he heard her gentle calling of his name when the minutes ticked by. He allowed himself to be tugged toward her, his face pressed against her neck as great, shuddering sobs began to overtake him. Lillian tightened her arms, able to feel the pain and guilt so intensely it felt like poison in her veins.
"Henry," she whispered, attempting to calm him down when he began to gasp for breath. Behind them, the door opened and light poured in. When Lillian's head whipped around, hand raised in preparation to banish Emma from the bloody loft, she halted when she saw David in the doorway. His blue eyes widened at the sight before he carefully shut the door and joined them on the bed.
"Lillian, where have you been?" David asked, reaching out to rub his grandson's shoulder gently. "Hey. Hey, Henry, what's the matter?"
Henry peeked at his grandpa through tear-soaked lashes. "Lillian says that my mom didn't do it."
David blinked, though when he turned to look at Lillian, her expression dared him to say something. However, he surprised them both by sighing deeply instead of shouting. "Are you a hundred percent sure?" The blond man asked Lillian, who nodded before he'd even finished speaking. Lips pursed, he leaned back and groaned. "No one's gonna believe it unless you get solid proof - Leroy already told the entire town about the dream catcher memories."
Lillian wanted to burn the dwarf in his bed. While they got along on occasion, even back in the Enchanted Forest, he was an overzealous, grudge-holding, impulsive arse the majority of the time. Shoving back her rage for the moment, Lillian merely forced herself to smile down at Henry and tightened her grip on him.
"Then, we'll just have to find some."
Henry's eyes bugged again. "'We'?" He repeated, looking excited despite his tear-soaked face and blotchy cheeks. "You mean… I'm gonna help you?"
Lillian nodded gravely. "I promised I'd show you some magic when the Curse broke, didn't I?"
A watery chuckle escaped Henry's lips before he promptly tackled Lillian. Only David's quick intervention stopped the duo from tumbling over the side of the bed and onto the floor. Giggling softly, Lillian dazedly thanked David when he helped her and Henry right themselves. As the three of them began to plan, only one of them was aware of what Gold was doing at the town border in the dead of night.
Pulling his car to a stop several feet before the drawn on town boundary line, Gold calmly stepped out once he'd placed it in park. Striding around to the back of the car, he popped the trunk and smiled thinly down at the red-caped man who lay bound and gagged within. Hauling the man out, he removed the gag before leading the frightened man toward the line.
"This will only take a moment," he told Smee placidly, as if they were speaking of the weather. As if he didn't hate the man trembling beneath his fingers.
"Don't… push me over." The man begged once Gold let go of him. "If I cross the line, I'll lose my memory. It's a cruel fate."
"A fate you were more than willing to bestow upon Belle." Gold returned raggedly before he kicked Smee's feet out from under him. Reaching down, he ripped the hat from the man's head and held it up. "You've had this rag since the day we met. Why is it so important to you?"
Smee settled himself onto his knees. "My grandmother made it for me when I was a boy." He explained quickly, wondering why the Dark One wanted this information. "It's always brought me good fortune. What difference does it make?"
He watched as Gold poured a potion onto the hat, causing it to faintly glow. "Oh… all the difference in the world," Gold told him. "It's your only chance."
Smee caught the hat with shaking hands before blinking owlishly at the other man. "What do you mean, my only- " Before he could finish or fully rise to his feet, Gold firmly pushed him across the border.
The Dark One watched as a surge of blue magic pulsed through the other man's body before it suddenly came to a stop. "What's your name?" He asked the moment Smee's eyes cleared.
"William Smee."
Gold raised a brow. "And who am I?"
"Rumpelstiltskin. The Dark One." Realization washed over the man's previously frightened features. " I remember everything!" He crowed, shaking from excitement and relief now than terror. "How can this be?"
"Well, it seems our little experiment was a success." Gold said conversationally, his voice hardening on the next words. "Now go." A faint smirk crossed his lips as the red-capped man scampered away like a bilge rat. Reaching into his pocket, he plucked his phone and dialed. Eyes trained on the town line, he smiled when Lillian's voice met his ear.
"What?"
"We have a trip to plan, my dear."
There was a decent crowd when Lillian arrived with Ruby and Granny at the cemetery. As she settled between Ruby and David, the latter wrapping an arm around her as the former clutched her hand tightly, Mary Margaret moved to face the crowd.
"Some of us knew him as Archie. Others, as Jiminy, but we all knew him as a true friend." The school teacher began. As she spoke, Lillian's eyes slid from the casket to the tombstone, eyes flicking over the etched writing. 'Archibald Hopper - Friend and Conscience'. She swallowed past the bile that rose at the sight. "An though, he may now be gone, he will always live inside of us. Reminding us to be our best selves, to do the right thing, to always fight for what we believe in." Mary Margaret paused, visibly struggling with the hot tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. "So, we shouldn't think of today as a goodbye, just as a way of saying… Archie, we'll be listening."
Tears sparkling in her lashes now, Mary Margaret rapidly walked to her husband, accepting the comfort he offered. All watched in silence as they lowered the cast into the ground. As the group began to disperse, some breaking off into groups, other heading to their cars to go to the wake, Marco approached the grave. Lillian broke away from David's grip, once more ignoring the jealously that oozed of Emma at the sight, and waited patiently for the older man.
"I miss you so much, my friend," Marco whispered, gently laying Archie's umbrella against the headstone. "Well, at least… you are in a better place." As he straightened and turned, Lillian gently wrapped her hand around his arm and steered him to the cars, allowing him to lean on her.
Though Peter had confirmed to her that Cora and Hook had somehow traveled from the Enchanted Forest, Lillian was keeping mum about that now. She had no proof, and while confident she could either hunt or lure Cora out of hiding, she'd also have to divulge where she'd gotten the idea that their adversaries had managed to come to Storybrooke. She'd already had to beg Mary Margaret to keep quiet about the 'Tiger Lily' thing, she didn't want to tell them that Peter Pan himself had come to visit her.
I can't let them know, I can't let anyone know. If it got back to Rumple…. If it got back to Gold that Peter Pan had been in Storybrooke, all hell would break loose.
But, even without help, Lillian was going to make Cora pay for what she'd done.
"Wait! No, please, don't!" The red-haired man cried as Hook drew back, hook glinting in the dim lighting in the hold of the ship. "Wait! Please! Please!"
The pirate lightly pressed the tip of his hook to Archie's mouth. "Shh… as your patient, the Dark One must've told you all manner of secrets." He leaned closer, voice low. "Where is his dagger?"
"I don't know anything about a dagger."
Hook eyed the cricket for several, long heartbeats. "No, you don't, do you?" He asked, able to see the complete bewilderment behind the man's glasses. "It's his weakness. Now, tell me, does he have any others?" He waited, holding back the urge to curse when the red-haired man did nothing more than glare at him. "Very well. I've always wanted to dissect a cricket."
Without preamble, he raised his hook and began to press it against the bespectacled man's forehead. As he increased the pressure, the poor man gasped out, "No! Wait, wait, please."
"Ah… that's more like it." Gently, he eased off on the pressure, an easy, satisfied smirk forming on his lips. "Now tell me, Cricket, what is his weakness?"
Belle blinked at the sight of Lillian in the pawn shop, dressed head to toe in black. Distantly, she remembered that the other woman had been Archie's funeral had been that morning as well, though she was too surprised to see Lillian in the same space as Rumple to really process anything else. While she didn't know the full extant of the story between her lover and his adopted daughter, she knew that whatever had happened had been severely detrimental to the relationship they'd once shared.
"Hey." Belle greeted instead, earning a wane smile from the teen. "Uh, h-how are you, Lillian?"
"Still breathing," Lillian answered, eyes darkened from lack of sleep. "What are you doing here?"
Belle opened her mouth, though Gold entered the room before she could reply. "Belle," he smiled fondly at her, carefully maneuvering around his ward. Things were still extremely tense between the two of them, and this was the first time he'd been in the same room with her since her return from the Enchanted Forest. While he was burning to know if she and Bae had truly been on Neverland - and if they had been, the sheer horror that brought on threatened to bring him to his knees - he was aware they had more pressing matters.
"Hey." Belle's attention shifted from Lillian to Rumple, expression softening. "What, uh… what's wrong that you couldn't tell me on the phone?"
"I did it." Gold breathed, expression at once open and happy. "I can leave."
Her blue eyes widened. "You can cross the town line?" She asked, wanting to make sure she was hearing correctly.
"Indeed, I can. When I pour this potion onto the object I hold most dear, that object becomes a talisman, and allows me to cross the town line and still remember who I am."
"And who you're looking for?"
"My boy."
Belle blinked at that. "What, um… what will you enchant?" She looked to Lillian, automatically thinking that she would go with him. "And you, Lillian?"
While Lillian merely plucked a silver acorn charm from beneath the folds of her blouse and held it up, Rumple turned to slip behind the main counter. "Well…." He reached up to the painting directly behind the counter and pulled it away, revealing a safe. Swiftly unlocking it, he pulled out an old, tattered shawl from its depths. "This shawl… is all I have left of my Baelfire."
Belle eyed it sadly before she looked up, eyes alight with interest. "I don't suppose I could come with you?" When his excited expression dimmed slightly, she merely reached out to clasp his hand.
"No, I… I… I truly wish you could, but… I only have enough of this potion for myself and Lillian." Quickly, he replaced the shawl in the safe and locked it up tight. "Hey. This is my journey, Belle." He told her, attempting to soften the sting that he would be bringing another with him, just not her. "This is my journey. I'm afraid it's something Lillian and I have to do alone."
Lillian watched them hug, the moment suddenly so intimate and touching that her eyes pricked. Looking down, she rounded the counter and slipped into the back room, leaving the shop altogether.
Unaware of Lillian's abrupt departure, Belle settled her chin on his shoulder, soaking in the warmth of his body. "I know," she whispered, wanting him to know that she understood.
She always had.
Enchanted Forest
"There's a fearsome beast ravaging a faraway kingdom," Belle's eyes glanced up from her book, listening intently to the words of the man at the center of the small crowd. "Its eyes burn with fire. They call it the yaoguai," he paused dramatically, half the tavern hanging on his every word. "No man has been able to kill it, but we will. There's room on our wagon. Now, who's going to join us?"
As she reluctantly turned back to her book, a burly, dark-haired dwarf sat across from her, smiling. "Looking for adventure?" He asked. He'd seen the longing in her eyes when they looked away from the crowd of men.
Belle merely smiled. "Dreamy, right?"
"Yes. I came to thank you." His smile widened. "That advice you gave me last night? It worked. Nova and I are running away together."
Her eyes widened in surprise before she recovered use of her tongue. "That… that's wonderful." She said, meaning every word despite the sudden pulse of pain in her chest.
Dreamy tilted his head toward the crowd of men. "Why don't you sign up?"
"I, um… I've always dreamt of heroics, but… I think it's safer I stick to my books." She muttered, eyes hooded as she smiled weakly. "They're the only adventures I know that have happy endings."
"Well, maybe this one'll have one, too."
"Well, yeah, I doubt it." She sighed faintly. "Last time I faced a beast, it… it didn't end well."
Dreamy tilted his head, puzzled. "What are you talking about?"
"Men, follow me, Yaoguai awaits!"
Belle's eyes were drawn to the men as they filed out of the tavern before she turned back to her book, biting her lip. Dreamy didn't miss it, and his eyes softened at the sight.
"Get on that wagon," he encouraged. "Go. Take a chance."
She stared at him, her eyes impossibly wide before a small smile grew on her parted lips. "Thank you." She whispered, squeezing his hand before she stuffed her book into the rucksack she owned and stood.
"Wait!" Dreamy jumped to his feet. "Belle, wait," he produced a small satchel from his belt. "It's fairy dust," he explained at her curious look. "Might come in handy."
"Oh, no… thank you, I… I've seen what magic does to people." Belle said, staring at the satchel in her hand like it was diseased.
"You've seen what dark magic does." Dreamy told her with a shameless grin. "Fairies use this for good. Now go be a hero."
Belle smiled wider, touched by his generosity before she reached out and grasped his hand again. "Okay," she muttered and, with a quick squeeze, released his hand and raced after the group.
Storybrooke
It didn't take long to find Regina. While the woman had obviously gone underground, it wasn't hard for someone like Lillian, who had spent a good portion of her time on Neverland learning how to hide and track, to find the older woman. It also didn't hurt, she admitted as she walked toward the Mills family mausoleum, that Regina was extremely predictable.
"Regina!" She shouted at the doorway, unwilling to charge in and face a distraught Regina all at once. It was better to at least pretend that she cared about the woman's personal space. "I know you're in there. I just want to talk."
Arms crossed, she waited. It took several minutes but, when she made it clear she wasn't going to leave, Lillian felt the surge of magic in the air. With a loud thud, the carved doors to the mausoleum opened. Once she was sure no fireball was going to fly out at her, Lillian stalked into the stone building, gently flicking the casket aside with a wave of her hand.
Regina was seated within the vault, reading intently from a book, and Lillian was tactful enough to not mention the redness of her eyes or the soft sniffles she made every so often. Quietly, she sat on a small stool across the room from Regina and waited.
It didn't take long.
Snapping the book she'd been pretending to read shut with a snap, Regina whipped her head up to glare at the teen. "To what do I owe the pleasure, Lillian? Come to help Ms. Swan arrest me again?"
Lillian rolled her eyes. "Okay, first of all, I wasn't helping Emma; I'm not even on speaking terms with that arrogant twat, if you must know." Looking down, she pulled the letter Henry had written from the pocket of her coat and held it out.
Eyeing her warily, as if she expected a blow, Regina reached out and snatched the paper. Her narrowed eyes rapidly scanned over the printed words, picking up each and every one of the smudges her son's tears had made. By the time she reached the end of the message her son had written her, her lashes were damp with tears and the strain of holding them back made her tremble.
"Why…," Regina clutched the letter to her chest, hands crumpling the thin sheet. After swallowing with some difficulty, she tried again. "Why would you bring me this?"
"Because I know you didn't kill Archie." Lillian answered calmly. I'm also not even sure that was Archie we just buried. "And because I've seen first-hand how much you love Henry. How much you've changed all because you want to be better for him. For yourself."
While she couldn't fault Mary Margaret or David for believing the worst of the woman before her, she could fault Emma. Yes, Regina had done nothing but cause trouble for Emma ever since she'd stepped foot in Storybrooke, but that didn't mean she was incapable of changing, especially when it was Henry she wanted to change for. David and Mary Margaret had given Lillian a change, years ago, even when they knew of the unspeakable things she'd done as the Dark Lilith. Why couldn't they give Regina one now?
Eyes still wide against the taut, too pale skin of her face, Regina swallowed back a hitching sob. "I want to see him." She told Lillian, who raised a brow in response. "Henry. I want to see my son."
To her great surprise, the younger woman merely nodded. "I'll do my best," she promised quietly. "I can't promise any more than that."
It went unspoken that Emma was unlikely to let Henry out of her sight, or her parents', in the near future. However, Lillian was well versed in sneaking Henry out and in of places, so that didn't worry her. What did worry her, was that Henry might hear Emma bad-mouthing Regina - something Lillian could grudgingly understand, given the circumstances - and would erupt and give the game away too soon. But, she trusted him, as she had all along.
"Henry and I will start to gather evidence," a glance at her phone told her that she was going to be missed at the wake if she waited any longer. While David knew about her plan, she didn't want to put him in an awkward situation if she could help it. "If I can get him away from the Sheriff for more than an hour, I'll try and stop by."
Standing and turning to go, Lillian was stopped when Regina called out. "Wait."
Expression expectant, she turned quietly. "Yes?"
Twisting Henry's letter round and round between her fingers, Regina struggled to put her thoughts to words. As the seconds ticked by, Lillian relaxed, the hint of a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
"I get it, Regina," the older woman's head snapped up, lips parted in surprise. "And don't worry, you're welcome." Shooting Regina another faint smile, she turned on her heel and slipped out of the mausoleum, leaving Regina to stare after her in bemusement.
Enchanted Forest
Though they'd blanched at the idea of a women coming along, the chauvinistic pigs, they'd relented and allowed it. Seated on the very back of the wagon, Belle intently read through the section of the book on the beast they were chasing.
"What's that?" One of the men closest to her asked craning his head to get a good look.
Belle raised a brow. "Uh, a book? I trust you've seen them before."
"You expect to defeat the fiercest creature in the land with a book?"
A second man joined the first's laughter. "Maybe she means to bore it to death."
"It will tell us how to find the yaoguai."
"These are just scribbles." The first man snorted derisively.
"It's called another language." She shot back. "And one that I know how to translate."
The man sat up, eyes suddenly interested. "What?"
"Oh, I thought it was just scribbles?" She asked coolly.
"We're here to protect the land, girl." The man blustered, clearly trying to intimidate her. "If that book tells us where to go, you shall share it with us."
Sighing, as if she'd given up, she quickly read, "It says we'll find the yaoguai by the lake."
"The lake, you say?"
"Yes."
"You heard her, Claude! We're going to the lake!" Without giving her enough time to process, he reached out and pushed Belle off the still moving wagon.
"To the lake!"
Sputtering and covered in dust, she dazedly made it to her knees. "Wait!" She called as the distance between her and the wagon lengthened.
"Don't forget your book!" The man who pushed her tossed the small tome to the ground.
As she stood, she reached down and plucked up the book, smiling smugly to herself. "Enjoy the lake!" She called to the distant wagon before turning and starting down the dusty road. "The yaoguai," she began to read from the passage, "prefers mountain habitats to all others. The yaoguai hibernates by day, hunts by night."
As the hours passed, Belle found herself creeping toward a cave deep in the forest. "Please be asleep," she whispered to herself, drawing the dagger from its sheath on her hip. As she carefully stepped toward the cave, listening intently to hear if the creature was awake, she carelessly stepped on a branch. The loud crack echoed loudly before a roar shattered the sudden calm.
The yaoguai, teeth bared and flaming, charged from the cave. Belle turned on her heel and sped away, not daring to look back as the beast gained on her. Her foot suddenly caught on a fallen tree limb, sending her sprawling to the ground. Forcing her aching body to turn, she frantically began to crawl backwards as the fiery beast advanced.
Hidden behind a nearby tree, Mulan notched an arrow and released it. As the yaoguai howled in pain and ran off, the warrior approached the woman on the ground. Wide-eyed and shaking, heart beating fiercely behind her ribs, Belle made her way to her feet at the other woman's approach. The woman was clearly a native of the kingdom, as she had the look of those from the eastern lands of the Enchanted Forest.
"How can I ever thank you?" Belle forced her lips to form the words, heart beating an uneven rhythm within her chest. "Y-you saved my life."
"And you ruined my hunt." The black-haired warrior snapped irritably. Belle jerked at the words, eyes wide. "It took me weeks to track the yaoguai here."
Belle raised a brow at the rancor in the other woman's voice. "Yeah, I found it in a day."
"You had luck on your side." She said dismissively.
"No, not luck," she pulled her book from the small sack slung over her shoulder. "It was this." Belle faltered when the other woman did little more than stare at her through narrowed eyes that seemed to sear into her skin. "I could, uh… I can help you find it again." Belle offered hesitantly, carefully, trying not to further upset the woman before her.
"You've done enough damage already." The warrior said flatly, shaking her head stiffly. "If you really want to help? Stay out of my way."
Storybrooke
Trapped in the elevator, Belle pressed as closely as she could to the far wall. The phone contraption Rumple had given her soon after their reconciliation had stopped working, cutting off the only contact she had. As the banging steadily grew louder and louder, she readied herself to launch at the pirate before he could get her. However, her knees grew weak when the doors were forced open.
"Belle," Gold said, relief coloring his tone as she rushed into his embrace. "It's okay," he soothed, stroking along her hair. "It's okay, it's okay." Briefly retracting his arms, he pulled off his jacket and draped it around her shaking shoulders. "Here."
"Where… where is he?" She demanded, looking around the library warily as they exited the confines of the elevator.
"I don't know." He said softly, with the faintest hints of anger lurking. "But you've nothing to fear," the shaking began to lessen underneath his touch when he smiled at her. "I'm here now."
When Lillian slipped into Mary Margaret's apartment, it was to witness Emma heading from Mary Margaret's closed off bedroom, with a pop tart. Holding back an almost hysterical sounding laugh, she crossed the room, bypassing Emma and heading straight for Henry. He was brooding on the bed, and she paused to smile at how adorable he looked, before she composed herself.
"Hey," she settled beside him, smiling when he pressed close to her.
"Did you get my mom the letter?" His whisper tickled the skin of her collar. When she nodded, his answering smile made his face light up. "Good." He snuggled up to her, blatantly ignoring all others in the apartment.
Raising her head, Lillian squarely met Emma's gaze, refusing to flinch. No matter what the blonde thought, and Lillian was the first to admit that she was dangerous, she'd never hurt Henry. Eyes flashing red in warning, which made Emma blanch, Lillian untangled Henry from her and prodded him to join civilization.
Though she said nothing, Emma caught the rankled look her mother sent Lillian. Briefly squeezing Mary Margaret's hand, they both watched as David joined Lillian and Henry. Her father's hand immediately went to Lillian's cheek, thumb rubbing at the dark half-circles beneath her blue eyes. Smiling sadly, the young woman merely brushed off his touch, though she didn't complain when he settled on her other side at the table.
"Ladies?" Leroy's voice jarred Emma out of her perusal of the trio, tearing her away from her own resentful feelings toward Lillian. "The dwarves have been thinking," the burly man began, catching the attention of everyone at the wake. "We have to ask – when do we go back?"
"Back?" Emma repeated, bewildered. "Where?"
"The Enchanted Forest. Our home."
Emma felt slightly better when her mother spoke incredulously. "You want to go back?"
"We fought really hard to get here." The blonde added.
Leroy shrugged, accepting it as fact. "But with what Regina did to Archie, Storybrooke ain't as safe as we thought." He indicated, though none needed the reminder that an all-powerful witch was out there.
"We're going to find her." Emma said tightly, all too familiar with the dark glare Lillian shot her at her words. "There's only so many places she can hide."
"We've dealt with her before, we'll do it again." Mary Margaret added, throwing her weight behind her daughter's conviction. Neither truly noticed that David remained mum about the whole topic when, just yesterday, he'd been ready to burn Regina at the stake.
"But it's not just her." Leroy continued relentlessly, worry beginning to leak through his gruff words. "The curse is broken. There's a whole world full of people beyond the town line that don't know who or what we are. Ever think of what might happen if one of them were to come pay us a visit?"
Judging by their expressions, neither Mary Margaret or Emma had. Lillian, however, had gone white in her seat. Though she knew, in the back of her mind, that while they were stuck in Storybrooke, it didn't work both ways. When she and Gold left, they would be able to come back.
"He's right," Lillian said stiffly. "What if some random tourist comes, finds a town that shouldn't be here, and sees magic?"
Ruby, silent until now, couldn't hold back. "Like a girl turning into a wolf, for example?" She stood at Leroy's side, eyes wide. Though she'd accepted her wolf-side once more, the thought of outsiders coming in was terrifying. "Folks weren't exactly understanding back in our world."
Murmuring began, threatening to break out into full scale hysterics until Emma raised a hand. "Okay, let's not worry about 'what ifs'." Voice raised so she could be heard over the low mutterings, she continued. "No one is here."
"Yet." Lillian pointed out, one arm around Henry's shoulders.
Leroy was nodding his bald head. "Maybe they come, maybe they don't," he admitted with a shrug. "But that doesn't change the fact that while we might enjoy things like penicillin, we're a bit homesick."
To her surprise, instead of heading towards the Sheriff's station, or the apartment where Emma and her family lived, Rumple led them down the street toward the shop. When it became obvious he wasn't going to speak or change his course, Belle did.
"Where are you going?" She asked as lightly as she dared.
"The shop." The faint growl in his voice made her wince.
"Why?"
He finally turned to look at her, and the menacing expression he wore reminded her so much of the early days in his castle that she had to stop herself from flinching away in fear. "Well, let's just say, there are many wonderful things in there, that I could use to make sure that pirate never comes near you ever again."
"Rumple, no. We… we need to report this to the Sheriff. They'll take care of him." She told him, trying as hard as she could to convince him. "You're so close to finding your son. Please. Please, don't let your hatred for this man get in the way of that."
His expression became almost curious, but there was no hiding the simmering rage. "But he tried to harm you."
She ignored the reminder of those terrifying, helpless moments in the library. "But why? What… what happened between you two?"
"Belle… this is really not your concern." Rumple told her. Chiding her, as if she were a child.
"He attacked me." Belle spat, coming to an abrupt halt and shaking off his touch. "It most definitely is my concern."
Rumple paused, reaching out in an attempt to calm her and continue to the shop. When it became obvious she wouldn't be budged until he told her, he sighed. "Many years ago, I was married to a woman named Milah… until Hook crossed our paths."
Belle blinked, never having heard the name before. "She was Baelfire's mother?"
"Yeah." He nodded, voice lowering with rage. "And because of that marauding cur, he grew up without her. He took my wife – he took Bae's mother – so I took his hand."
"That's why he came after me." Gently, his hand curved about her elbow and they resumed heading toward the shop. "But, uh, what… what about her? What… what did he do?" his gaze lowered, hiding his emotions from her. "Rumple, you can… you can tell me anything."
When he raised his gaze, his features were carefully blank. "She died. That's all that matters."
Sensing he wouldn't thank her if she asked more questions, though her curiosity was peaked, Belle fell silent. However, when Gold unlocked the shop door and carefully herded her inside, her mouth opened in shock.
"What happened here?" She breathed, taking in the overturned tables and knickknacks and the shattered glass of the display cases. Books lay strewn on the floor, pages torn, and some ripped out completely.
"Hook." He growled the name like a curse. "This is why he attacked you."
Belle followed him when he stormed further into the shop. "To get you out of the store." Rumple rounded the counter and made a beeline for his private safe. "What did he want?"
On a nearby rooftop, Hook watched them enter the ransacked store through his telescope. Shuffling caught his attention and, lowering the telescope, but without looking away from the shop, he addressed the portly man beside him.
"You have it, Mr. Smee?" He asked lightly.
Smee held up the beige shawl, allowing his Captain to take it. "What is it, Cap'n?" He asked, wondering what about the old rag he'd pilfered was so interesting.
Hook held up the shawl, eyeing the hand stitching with a loving eye. Milah made this. "It's the end of the crocodile's hope," he told his former crew member triumphantly. "Now he's trapped here."
"Rumple!" Belle shouted back in the shop when he began to swing his cane around, smashing through what little glass was untouched. "Rumple! Stop it!" Her cries snapped him out of his rage enough that he turned to look at her. "Stop, please." She whispered, taking a cautious step forward and laying a hand on his arm. It trembled beneath her touch.
"No, you're right." He muttered, and the sound was so raw and heartbroken that her heart ached for him.
"Hey…."
He continued as if he hadn't heard her. "I'll have to retrieve what's mine." Without another word, he turned and stalked toward the door.
Belle followed on his heels. "Let me… let me help you."
"This is my fight."
"And this is my fault!" Her outburst made him spin, eyes beginning to widen. "If Hook had never attacked me, you never would have left the shop."
"How do you propose that we get the shawl back?" Rumple almost sneered, the expression cutting. "Have you dueled with a pirate before? How exactly are you going to help me?"
Belle bristled indignantly at his unspoken insult. "Well, I'm not just going to sit here and do nothing!"
"No." He brushed off her retort. "You're going to go back to the library, lock the door, and wait for me to dispense with this problem!"
"And, if I don't?" Belle demanded, eyes blazing with fury at the gall of the man before her. "You'll… you'll cast some spell that gives me no choice?"
At her words, he slumped ever so slightly, though not enough to make her relent. "No." He muttered, and she believed him despite her anger. "I trust you'll do as I wish, as you trust me to be a better man." His voice softened, expression suddenly pleading. "Belle, please. Hook has maybe cost me the chance of finding my son. I don't want to lose you, too." She eyed him, almost dizzy at his sudden mood swings. "Here, look. I want you to take this."
He handed her a small, oddly shaped, metal object. It was cool against her hands, and she twisted it round and round, only mildly interested in the strange object. When she raised her eyes from it to meet his, he rushed to explain.
"Just in case Hook is stupid enough to come after you again." His finger drifted over the parts as he explained how to use it. "Point this, pull this trigger, and the gun'll do the rest for you. Alright?" His hands shot out to touch her arms. "Alright?!"
Belle nodded, the crazed look in his eye unsettling her. "Yes, yes." Satisfied, he turned and began to head once more for the door. "W-wait!" He paused and turned his head in her direction. "Promise me that you going after Hook is just about getting the shawl back."
Rumple met her gaze, and as the seconds ticked by silently, her heart sank. When he finally gave an abrupt turn and stormed out of the shop, the sickened feeling in her gut felt somewhere around her toes.
Enchanted Forest
In the bustling village Belle had found nearby the yaoguai's lair, she headed straight for the well. As she drew up a bucket of water, heavy footsteps preceded rough hands grabbing hold of her. Before she could blink, she was suspended, head first, over the lip of the well by one man as another sneered furiously at her.
"The yaoguai wasn't at the lake."
Belle craned her head around to see the man who'd pushed her from the wagon glowering down. "I'm, uh… I'm sorry. I… I m… I must've misread that one." She attempted to smile sheepishly.
"See, you know what I think happened? I think you sent us in the wrong direction on purpose." The man snarled as the one holding her began to loosen his grip.
Beofre the scream could claw its way up her throat, a stone was thrown, knocking the first man to the ground. The second drew from the well, still holding onto Belle, as an imperial soldier approached from the crowd.
"Let her go." They demanded.
"This isn't your fight, solider," the man on the ground snapped.
As the second man released Belle, he drew his sword and swiped at the soldier. Though unarmed, the warrior managed to twist him to the ground, the movement dislodging her helmet.
The man paused when her features came into view. "Wait. You're a- "
Mulan drew her fist back and punched him in the face. "Yeah, I know." She replied grimly. As she drew back from the men, toward Belle, she noticed the crowd gathering. "Go." She ordered the two men, who immediately jumped at the chance to flee.
"I didn't expect to see you again," Belle said, heart still racing, as Mulan turned toward her. "Thank you."
"I had to put up with brutes like them when I served in the Emperor's army. Fools who think we have no business holding a sword." The warrior explained fiercely, features briefly losing their stern visage. "I only wish there was someone there to stand up for me." A wave of pain overcame her, and she winced, grabbing at her wounded knee.
"You're, uh… you're bleeding." Belle noted unhelpfully.
Mulan grimaced past the pain. "I'll survive." She told her. "The sun should be setting soon. We need to move out."
Belle blinked at her words. "What… what… what do you mean, 'we'?"
"You tracked the yaoguai in a matter of hours. It took me weeks. You track the beast, and I'll kill it."
Unable to believe what she was hearing, Belle blinked at Mulan for several heartbeats before a faint smile spread across her lips. "I'd be honoured to help you."
Storybrooke
While Cora had hidden her tracks well, Hook hadn't. "I expected more from you, Killian," she called lightly, though inside she trembled like a wreck. As expected, his eyes flitted right to where his hook had caught her, and he swallowed thickly when she coolly met his eye. "Aren't you better than stealing from the crocodile?"
"Lass," he greeted, unable to hide the relief he felt. He regretted little in his long life, but he'd known with every ounce of his being that if Lily had died because of him, he'd regret it for the rest of his time alive. Not to mention what Pan would do to him, if the immortal boy ever found out. And he always seems to know. Though he could blame it on a trick of light, Hook was intimately familiar with Pan's shadow, and knew his eyes hadn't been playing tricks on him a few nights past. "Can I be expecting a visit from your lost boy anytime soon?"
Though the words were said in jest, Lillian visibly flinched. "I wouldn't worry about him right now." She hedged, eyes seamlessly flashing to red. "I'd worry about me. Give me the shawl."
Fingering his sword were it was sheathed against his hip, Hook eyed her wearily. She looked as brittle as glass, delicate and untouchable, much more so than she'd been in the Enchanted Forest. Whatever had happened when that blasted shadow had come, it had left her worse off. "And why should I?"
He felt the magic ripple through the air before she'd even moved. Hand on the pommel of his sword, he tensed in preparation.
"Because I'll let you keep your hand."
Recognizing the nautical knot for what it was, and determined to not sit around like damsel in distress, Belle raced to the docks. As she made her way down the stairs, she looked around, unable to find any odd looking ships that would have come from back home.
Muttering to herself, she looked around, even upwards. That was when her eyes landed on several seagulls, perched in midair. Stepping closer to the side of the dock where they were, she caught sight of a feed bag and grabbed a handful. When she tossed it toward the dock, the feed landed on something solid, making, what she assumed was a barrier, shimmer.
"Found you." She whispered with a small, pleased smirk. Carefully, she awkwardly stepped on the revealed outline of the stairs and felt the faint touch of magic when she crossed through the invisible barrier. At once, the deck of the ship was revealed to her, though a quick look around revealed nothing. Heading down below deck, she stopped dead when a voice called out.
"Hello?"
Heart pounding in her throat, she threw caution to the wind and returned the call. "Uh… h-hello?"
"Down here!"
The voice, dim and muffled, came from a grate. Lifting it up, her mouth dropped at the sight of Archie, tied up in the hold and very much alive at that.
"Belle!" He cried, eyes huge behind his glasses. "Oh, thank God!"
"Archie!" She returned in disbelief, having just attended his funeral this morning. "You're… you… you're okay!"
"Yes, I… I… I am." As she helped him to stand, he continued to trip over his words. "I… I… can… can you, uh…." He jerked his chin helplessly at the rope tying him to the ship.
Looking around, her eyes landed on a sword that rested on a shelf. Grabbing hold of it, slightly off-balanced by the weight as she hadn't held one in quite some time, she neatly sliced through the ropes connected to his wrists. Rapidly, the red-haired man untied the binding on his legs and climbed out of the hold.
"Go," Belle urged him once he'd made it to his feet. "Find Mr. Gold or Lillian," she added, well aware that while they'd spoken little, the younger woman would help her in a heartbeat. "Tell them I'm here. Bring one of them back to the ship.
Archie half went to run, then paused. "Wait. You're not coming with me?"
As if on que, the floor above them creaked as if being stepped on. "Go," Belle hissed, eyes trained on the ceiling. "Go! Go, go!" She shooed him with her hands despite his hesitation. "There's no time to argue."
Sending her a grateful nod, Archie turned and rushed from the hold toward freedom.
With the wake over, the guests had quietly trickled out of the apartment until it was just David, Mary Margaret and Henry. Wanting to do something normal, if only to distract herself from the dull ache in her chest at the loss of Archie, the dark-haired teacher made a beeline for the dishes piled up next to the sink. David silently joined her, taking the dishes and drying them off one at a time.
Lillian had left before the others, promising to return soon and pick up Henry. Despite his sister's promises, and her faint suspicion that Archie wasn't even truly dead, Henry couldn't hold back the sadness that threatened to drown him. Dragging the phone to his bed, he rapidly dialed the familiar succession of numbers. Across the room, his grandparent's watched curiously.
"Who's he calling?" David asked moments before the faint words drifted over to them.
"You've reached the office of Archibald Hopper. I'm sorry I can't take your call right now. I'm either with a patient- "
"Or dead." Henry muttered, loudly enough to horrify his grandmother. He slammed the phone back onto the cradle, little shoulders tightening as he all but curled in on himself.
Before his wife could prompt him, David rapidly crossed the room and settled beside his grandson. "It's okay, buddy," he drew Henry closer. "Things will get better, I promise. You just… got to hang in there."
Henry looked down miserably. "Doesn't feel that way."
David released a slow breath. "I know," he whispered. "I know."
The door slipped open and, to everyone's surprise, Pongo padded into the room. The dog made a beeline for Henry, who sat up a the sight. "Pongo!" He slipped to the edge of the bed, affectionately rubbing the dog's ears.
Mary Margaret rounded the island counter. "How did he get in here?" Last she'd heard, Marco had been taking care of the poor thing until better arrangements could be made.
"I brought him," all eyes snapped to the door as Emma followed Pongo. "Marco and I had a chat," she began, striding toward the bed where her son was finally smiling. "Archie knew how much Henry loves this dog. We decided he should have him." Hands on her hips, she cocked a brow at her son. "That is, if you're up for taking care of him, Henry."
Henry's grin threatened to split his face. "Yeah, I am!"
Despite her grandson's obviously delight, Mary Margaret's eyes were drawn to the trail of muddy paw prints Pongo had left in his wake. Catching sight of her mother's expression, Emma carefully side-stepped the issue.
"Henry," she began innocently. "Why don't you take Pongo outside and clean him up?"
"Okay!" He all but leapt from the bed and raced to the door. "Come on. Come on, boy! Come on!" He called to Pongo, who raced after him. "Let's go! Come on, boy."
Emma turned and spoke the moment the door shut behind Henry, attempting to stop her parents from offering any protests. "Alright, look. I know that there's a lot to work out logistically, but- "
"No, no, no. I think giving Pongo to Henry is a great idea." Mary Margaret revealed, smiling faintly in the direction the little boy had gone. When her eyes turned back to Emma, they were weary. "It's just, four people and a dalmatian in this loft. Things might get a little- "
" -Cramped." Emma finished. "I know. We'll get creative."
"Or… we could get our own place." Mary Margaret glanced at her husband, who started almost as badly as Emma did.
"You want to do what?" Emma asked, aghast.
"You want to move out?" David demanded of her.
"Whoa!" Mary Margaret held up her hands, as if trying to ward off the displeasure her words had caused. "I… it's just a suggestion." She defended, more than a little put out.
"After twenty-eight years, isn't this what we've all been waiting for?" Emma blinked at her mother with wide, disbelieving eyes, unable to hold back the trickle of hurt the words brought her. "To be together under the same roof?"
"Yes!" Mary Margaret answered quickly, rushing to reassure her daughter. "I just… imagined a bigger roof." She paused before adding carefully, "…with turrets." Unwilling to dredge up the past and all the hurt and resentment it brought, she continued. "Being here in Storybrooke, we have a chance at a fresh start. Let's take it."
Her mouth tasted like she'd been sucking on copper pennies. Struggling against the throbbing ache inside her head, Lillian forced herself to sit up. As the room came into focus, she was instantly aware of just where she was. The Captain's quarters of the Jolly Roger hadn't changed, though she'd be surprised if they had. Killian was nothing if not sentimental. Throwing her legs over the side of the spare cot, they trembled when she stood.
Running a hand over the back of her head, Lillian winced at the wet touch of blood. Getting tricked by Killian and ambushed by Cora was not high on her list of priorities. Clearly, the 'Queen of Hearts' didn't care what she had to do to get what she wanted. And she wanted me out of the way. Groaning in pain, she stumbled to the stairs that led back to the deck of the ship… only to be thrown back when she pressed against the magical barrier.
Gritting her teeth so hard she heard something crack, Lillian raised her hands. It took longer than she would have liked to break the spell on the door, though she blamed it on the hammer beating away at her skull. As the magical lock on the door ebbed away, she focused on healing the wound, chasing away the darkness that lurked on the edges of her vision.
Once sure she wouldn't pass out the moment she made it onto the deck, Lillian began to climb the almost vertical stairs. As she forced the door open and clambered onto the deck, her eyes widened at the sight before her.
Enchanted Forest
They made it through the woods and to the ridge just before sunset. "It's just ahead," Belle assured Mulan, who looked more agitated than ever.
"You found it," Mulan gave her a faint smile. "Your books serve you well." She praised as they crested the ridge, revealing the burning village ahead of them. As they did, Mulan cringed and once more reached for her still bleeding knee.
Belle bent to try and support the other woman. "Mulan, your leg's getting worse."
"No." The black-haired woman hissed through her gritted teeth. "I have to protect my village."
Straightening, Mulan attempted to continue down the ridge. Before she even made it half a dozen steps, she collapsed, stumbling into Belle's surprised arms.
"You can't even walk," Belle chided, carefully helping her to sit on the ground. An awful thought suddenly occurred to Belle. "How… how are you going to kill the yaoguai?"
"I'm not." Mulan replied simply. "You are."
"Me?" Belle repeated shrilly. "I… I'm… I'm… I'm not a soldier." She protested rapidly.
"You have good instincts." Mulan pointed out calmly despite the pain that radiated from her knee. "You tracked down that beast faster than I ever could."
"Uh, tracking it and killing it are not the same thing." She pointed out tightly, worried that the pain from the wound had addled Mulan's mind.
Mulan pressed on despite the trepidation reflected in Belle's blue eyes. "There was once a time when people didn't think that I had what it took, either, but I proved them wrong."
Belle visibly trembled. "How?"
"By showing them that I had the warrior spirit. Once I found something worth fighting for, I fought for it with everything that I had."Mulan replied steadily. "I never gave up. Belle… the fate of my village depends on you." Seeing the other woman's wide, frightened stare, Mulan unbuckled her sword with nimble fingers and handed it off to her. "Don't be afraid."
Storybrooke
Stiffening her spine, despite the cool metal of the weapon pressed against her forehead, Belle met Hook's gaze steadily. His kohl-rimmed eyes mocked her, and she bristled at the amusement there.
"I'm not afraid of you, and I'm not leaving without that." She said, her words clear and strong.
Mocking her now, Hook smiled easily and placed the shawl on the counter. "Well, I admire your loyalty," he admitted candidly as he moved, forcing Belle to follow suit. "But helping Rumpelstiltskin? I'm afraid you're fighting a lost cause."
Her eyes fixated on the shawl. "He needs that shawl to find his son."
"And what makes you think his son wants to be found?" Hook demanded sharply despite his easy manner. It was all too easy to remember young Baelfire and how his faint hopes of being rescued by his father turned into resentment as the years dragged by on that accursed island. "Mm? I'm doing that boy a favour."
"Have you not hurt Rumple enough?" Belle cried, unable to listen any longer to his snide comments toward the man she loved. She knew, better than most, that Rumple was flawed, but that didn't mean she was going to stand there and listen to a man who had hurt Rumple more than any other.
He cocked his head to the side. "Oh. I've hurt him?"
"You stole his wife."
"Tell me something, love," Hook stepped closer, crowding against her. Belle took a half a step back in discomfort, before she stood her ground once more. "If a woman comes to you and begs you to take her away, is that theft?"
She glared hotly up at him. "Why would she leave him?"
"Because he was a coward." He hissed, taking a step back. "And because she loved me," his charcoaled eyes snapped to the shawl. "I should have burned this the moment I acquired it."
"Why didn't you?" Belle challenged, only somewhat curious.
His voice softened ever so slightly, old pain creeping up on him. "Because she made it."
"I'm sorry she died, but… vengeance? Vengeance won't bring her back."
"Died?" Hook repeated, a black sort of humor twisting the corners of his lips. "Like it was some kind of accident? Is that what he told you?"
Belle blinked, the words registering in her mind. At the time, it hadn't seemed important how Milah had died, but now… "He… well, he… he didn't say."
"No, of course not." He barked, a pain grimace distorting his handsome features. "Of course he'd leave out the most important detail of her passing."
Something within her gut twisted nervously. "And, uh… what would that be?" She asked, half-afraid to hear the answer, but resolved to find out all the same.
"He killed her." He said, voice low and husky with pain. Agony glittered in his gaze when Belle mustered the strength to meet it. "He ripped out her heart, and he crushed it right in front of me."
She began to shake her head, pained by the very thought that even Rumple could be so needlessly cruel. "No… "
"Oh, yes."
"No!"
"Yes." He growled savagely. "He will do anything – anything – to hold on to his power. Why do you think anyone who's ever gotten close to him, has either run away, or been killed?" He asked of her, though no sound escaped her parted lips. "Now, what makes you think you're any different? Tell me something, darling, why would you want to fight for a man like that?"
Something clicked within her at his words. "Because I still see good in him," she replied flatly, her conviction making him raise a brow. "Because I believe he's changed. Because his heart? Is true." It was her turn to narrow her eyes mockingly. "And yours? Yours is rotten."
Before he could reply, Belle reached up and yanked the oar above them down. Slamming it into his head, he careened back from the blow and fell into the hold where Archie had been tied. Tossing the make-shift weapon aside, Belle darted toward the counter, grabbed the shawl, and ran for the deck.
"You have no idea…," Hook muttered darkly as he righted himself, head throbbing with pain. Launching himself out of the hold, he ran after the brave, but suicidal chit.
Relief coursed through her when she stumbled onto the deck, though it just as quickly deserted her when, as she raced for the stairs, Hook rounded the corner to block the exit. "How the hell did you… "
"Oh, I know this ship like the back of my…," he stiffened for a moment, eyes darting to his hook. "Well, you know." He held out his hand. "I'd suggest you give that back to me now."
"You're not the only one who knows this ship well, Cap'n." Lillian hissed from behind him.
Hook whirled around at the sight, his eyes wide. "Lass. You shouldn't be up- "
All eyes became riveted to the stairs that led to the docks as Gold calmly waltzed up them and through the barrier. "And why is that?" He asked calmly, though even Hook could sense the raging beast the crocodile barely kept contained.
"Ah, you look different in this world, crocodile." Hook called airily, unconsciously moving to stand in front of Lillian. He barely noticed the flicker of disbelief in Gold's eyes at the action. "Like the coward I met so long ago – limp, and all." He said with a pointed jerk at the cane the man carried.
"And yet, you still can't kill me." Gold retorted, feigning the use of his cane as he stalked closer and closer to the oblivious pirate.
"Rumple- " Lillian began, only for Hook to cut her off.
"Let's have it, Dark One." The pirate challenged flatly. "What magic are you going to hide behind today?"
Gold's answering smile have even Lillian chills. "Oh, no. Not magic." Violently swinging his cane, the hit connected with Hook and sent him onto his back. Before he could even register what had happened, Gold was on him.
"Rumple!" Belle called hoarsely as he continued to beat the defenseless pirate with his cane. "Hey, let's go," she cajoled, stealing a glance toward Lillian. The younger woman watched the sight, her features agonized at the sight. Sensing she'd get no help in that corner, Belle turned back to her lover. "Let's go. Let's go."
"No, not yet, Belle." Rumple growled, continuing the assault.
"This – this is what you came for!" She snapped, holding up the shawl. "This is what's going to get you back to Bae."
Gold paused at the name of his son, and Belle heard Lillian catch her breath. However, whatever part of him she'd reached was gone the moment Hook opened his mouth.
"Ah, you're wasting your breath, love," Hook cackled around a mouthful of blood. "He can't resist. He has to prove that he's not a coward." He goaded the man, uncaring about his own safety.
"You may want to turn away, Belle." Gold told her, eerily calm as he focused on more on the pirate and raised his cane. "This isn't going to be pretty."
With that, he began to rain blows down upon the already bloodied pirate.
Enchanted Forest
Swallowing thickly, Belle watched as the yaoguai ran through a field, leaving a trail of fire and smoke in its wake. Desperately praying that her plan would work, she set it into action.
"Over here!" She yelled, running toward the village. "Over here!"
She waited till the creature gave chase until she began to run in earnest. Sprinting through the seemingly abandoned town, she made it to the water system and waited, drawing her sword. As the snarling beast approached, she lashed out, slashing through the pipes and releasing a torrent of water. The resulting flood overcame the yaoguai, and she watched as it extinguished the creature's flames. Stalking toward it, sword raised, she watched as the poor thing began to flail on the ground helpless, its claws frantically digging into the dirt.
Tilting her head, she began to make sense of what the creature was doing. "You… you're writing something. Jiu wo. 'Save me'." She translated, eyes widening when the words sank in. "You need help." Without a thought, she sheathed her sword, inspiration striking her. "Let's, uh… let's give this a try, shall we?" She muttered, drawing out the satchel of fairy dust Dreamy had gifted her.
Upturning the satchel and sprinkling the sparkling dust over the yaoguai, she watched with bated breath. A swirl of purple smoke overtook the creature, and when it cleared, revealed a human man.
"The curse…," he breathed, raising dazed eyes to meet her own. "You broke it."
Belle stared hard at him. "Someone… someone did this to you?"
"Maleficent – an evil sorceress from my kingdom determined to do everything in her power to keep me apart from Aurora, my true love." The admittedly handsome man explained. "So she exiled me to this land, and turned me into a monster. I tried to warn the villagers, but… no one understood what I really was." His eyes were warm with gratitude when they met her own. "Except you."
Belle shrugged one shoulder easily. "Well, you're not the first beast I've faced."
"I am forever in your debt," he said formally, smiling in earnest now. "Please, tell me how I might repay you."
What he could do to repay her came to Belle in an instant. "My friend's hurt," she began, her worry for Mulan reasserting itself in the forefront of her mind. "She… she needs a doctor. As do you," she added after a cursory look over the obviously tired and bruised man. "Help me bring her back to the village."
He bowed his head gravely. "It would be my honour."
Storybrooke
"Do it! Do it! Kill me!" Hook continued to taunt the enraged Dark One, gloating in the horrified expression Belle wore. "He has to show you how powerful he is."
Before Belle could say a word, before Gold could rain down more blows on Hook, Lillian suddenly reacted. Flinging her arm out violently, she wrenched the cane away from Gold, who halted. His betrayed expression burned into her own, but she didn't exactly care right now.
"Enough!" Lillian snarled, taking a threatening step forward when Gold made to move toward the downed pirate.
Belle jumped at the chance to keep Rumple from murdering a man in cold blood. "She's right, Rumple." His head tilted her way, though his eyes remained trained on Lillian. "This… this is what he wants," Belle said, swallowing past the lump in her throat as she tossed Hook a look of loathing. "To destroy every bit of good in you."
Seeing that Gold was distracted, Lillian darted to Hook's side and knelt next to him. Before she could stop him, his mouth opened and he began to goad the volatile man once more. "Rip my heart out." He snapped, causing Rumple's head to snap away from Belle and toward him once more. "Kill me like you did Milah, and then I'll finally be reunited with her."
"He has to die, Belle." Gold snarled before he lunged for Hook's throat, knocking Lillian out of the way with a jerk of his hand. She went sailing across the deck and collided hard with the side of the ship.
Horrified by the violence, Belle began to shout. "No! No, he doesn't!" Rumple's grip neither tightened or loosened on the pirate's throat at her words. "There's still good in you. I see it. I've always seen it." His eyes slwoly moved toward her, catching sight of Lillian on the way. The girl was slumped against the wood, chest rapidly rising and falling. "Please. Please show me I'm not wrong."
Belle offered the hand that held the shawl, eyes pleading. They swept toward Lillian, worry taking hold of her as she took in the whiteness of Lillian's features. Following her gaze, Rumple stiffened before he moved off the prone pirate. Without looking at Belle, he stalked across the deck and swept Lillian into his arms. Coming back to stand at Belle's side, he nodded when she carefully placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You take your little ship," Rumple began, spitting at Hook as if he were the scum of the earth. "And sail until you fall off the edge of the world." The pirate shakily managed to prop himself on his elbows, glaring at the Dark One trhough a half-swollen eye. "I never want to see you again." The htreat hung in the air unpleasantly before Rumple turned to Belle.
"Let's go."
Seated across from one another in a boot, David and Mary Margaret poured over the available houses in the news paper. Though there was little to go around, as not many people moved or died while under the curse, there was a fair amount of real estate still up for grabs.
"I really liked this one." Mary Margaret pointed to a listing she'd circled.
David eyed it for a moment before shrugging. "I don't know. The yard looks kind of small."
She leveled him with a flat stare. "You going to say that about every house we look at?"
"I grew up on a farm." He defended.
She sighed, lowering the newspaper. "This isn't about the houses, is it?"
"We buried a friend this morning, Mary Margaret, and it made me realize… I don't want to die here."
Though she sympathized with him, Mary Margaret refused to sugar coat things for him. "But our home, David? It doesn't exist anymore." She explained quietly, as pained by the thought as he was. "The ogres are back. Cora's in power."
David nodded enthusiastically. "Which is exactly why we need to return. To make things right – to fight."
"I'm tired of fighting!" She erupted, her words catching him off guard. "That's all we've ever done. We have a chance here – a chance to be together."
"But what if we don't belong here?" David asked, unable to shake the desire to return to the Enchanted Forest - their home. "Isn't it worth it to fight for what we really want?"
His hand reached out to hold hers, but Mary Margaret drew her hands off the table and into her lap.
"Unless, we don't want the same thing."
Sketching out the designs for the spare rooms if Mart Margaret and David did decide to move out, Henry didn't even look up when the door opened. Seated at Henry's feet, Pongo lifted his head, though lowered it and went back to dozing once he saw who was at the door.
Emma strode up to her son and peered down at the drawing. "You plotting your escape from Shawshank, kid?"
"No, they're blueprints." He told her smartly. "I had some ideas for what to do if David and Mary Margaret move out." His eyes filled with excitement, and Emma was happy enough that he wasn't moping to humor him. "Look."
As she ran an eye down the drawings, her forehead creased. "You want to make Mary Margaret's room an armory?"
Henry shrugged. "Yeah. You know, for weapons and stuff. To protect us- " Before he could finished, Emma settled at his side and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.
"Regina's not going to hurt you." She told him, unaware of the reason behind his sudden stiffness. "I'm not going to let her."
"But- "
It's not going to happen, I promise."
Thankfully, the knock at the door stopped Henry from defending one of his mothers from his other mother. At their feet, Pongo began to stand and whine in agitation.
"Pongo?" Emma reached down to soothe the dog as she stepped toward the door. "What is it?" Her heart threatened to beat out of her chest when she opened the door, revealing a very much alive Archie. "Archie…."
"Hi."
Emma held back her laughter at his reply, well aware of the hysterical edge it would take if she didn't. "What happened?" She demanded, stepping to the side so he could enter the apartment.
"It was Cora," he explained, still trembling. He'd found Gold soon after his escape and had sent the man on his way to the ship before running to where he knew one of the Charmings would be. "She kidnapped me."
Henry, still on the bed, nearly fell off it at the sight of the red-haired man. "Archie?"
"Henry.' Archie opened his arms seconds before Henry launched himself into them. "Oh!" The little boy trembled in his hold, and Archie gently rubbed his back comfortingly. "Oh, it's alright, I'm fine. I'm fine."
"I knew my mom didn't do it!" Henry cheered, pulling away from Emma to smile blindingly. "I knew Lillian was right! We have to tell her - and Regina."
Emma nodded faintly, feeling all the blood drain from her face at the though. "Yeah, Lillian was right." She paused, the sick feeling in her gut worsening. "But something tells me, either way, we're going to pay the price."
While he'd healed Lillian, Gold had kept her in a deep sleep. He didn't have the emotional strength to deal with an infuriated Dark Lilith right now, as words would be said, words neither of them would be able to take back once they'd calmed down. So, as they drove toward the town line, Lillian slept peacefully in the back seat, tucked in warmly by Belle. Though he had an inkling she knew what he'd done to his adopted daughter, Belle hadn't said a word in protest.
As he put the car in park and shut off the engine, he turned to Belle with a faint smile. "This would have been lost if it wasn't for you, Belle." He held up the shawl she'd reacquired for him, all on her own. "I would have been lost. After everything you've learned about me, after everything I've done, why haven't you given up on me?"
Belle smiled patiently despite his doubts. "I learned a long time ago, that when you find something that's worth fighting for, you never give up."
Enchanted Forest
Belle trembled with relief when, as she and Philip, as he'd introduced himself, approached the ridge where she'd left Mulan, the scent of smoke was blown toward them. "My… my friend's over that ridge." She told her companion, suddenly weighed down by exhaustion as they crested the ridge. "There she is."
Mulan perked up from beside the fire, eyes widening. "Belle. You're alive." She exhaled in obvious relief.
"I, uh… I did it." Belle admitted with a faint smile as Philip came to stand at her side. "I defeated the yaoguai. …with a little help."
Mulan's eyes narrowed slightly at the stranger, though that was the only outward reaction she allowed. "Who are you?"
"I was the yaoguai." Philip admittedly candidly, wincing underneath the force of the warrior's disbelieving stare.
"He was cursed." Belle explained when Mulan's gaze cut to her. "So, I helped him. Now he's going to help you."
"Wait," Mulan began slowly. "You're not coming?"
Belle shook her head, smiling sadly. "I have another beast to face." She explained, unhooking Mulan's sword from her belt. "Goodbye."
Handing off the sword, Belle gratefully excepted when Mulan handed her her book and rucksack. "Goodbye, Belle," the warrior replied warmly, nodding her head in respect.
With a last smile, Belle turned and headed into the forest, disappearing into the darkness in moments. Turning toward the man Belle had saved, Mulan eyed him as he opened his mouth.
"We haven't been properly introduced," he said, sounding so bashful she could only name him as a prince. "My name's Phillip."
"Mulan."
"I'm coming back, Rumple." Belle whispered to the air with a smile as she finally reached the road. Behind her, Regina, several black knights, and the two men from the wagon were lying in wait.
"Isn't that sweet?" Regina called, smiling venomously when Belle turned in surprise. "Still fighting for true love, even to the bitter end."
Belle took a wary step back. "How did you find me?"
"You really should be nicer to your traveling companions." The Evil Queen tilted her head toward the two smirking men from the wagon. "Right, Claude?" Her attention turned to several of the black knights. "Take her to the tower."
Before Belle could do more than take several steps, they were on her. Dragging her to a wooden cell despite her vicious struggles, all ignored her frantic words as she attempted to escape their hold.
"What? No. What are you… what are you doing?" She demanded, twisting her head around to yell at the smiling queen. "I… I can save him! Just let me go to him. I… I can break his curse!"
Regina tsked chidingly. "You already tried and failed." She reminded Belle, causing the girl to wince at her failed attempt at helping Rumple. "That monster's beyond saving. I'm sparing you a lifetime of pain and misery."
"You… you can't keep us apart forever!" Belle shouted once they'd thrown her in the cell and locked her inside. "I'll fight for him." She snarled, gripping the bars to tightly her knuckles went white. Outside them, Regina grinned at her, more amused than she'd been in quite some time. "I'll never stop fighting for him!"
Storybrooke
Nerves strung tight, Belle held Gold's hand tightly as they approached the town line. Uncorking what was left of the blue potion - he'd already poured enough of it on Lillian's necklace while she slept - Gold poured it onto Bae's shawl. After the glow of magic faded, Gold began to step toward the line.
"Okay…." She whispered nervously as Gold shot her a strained, hopeful smile.
"Here we go." He replied before taking the final step. The magic surged through him, pulsating through his body. But, when it cleared and his eyes landed on Belle, her name came instantly to his lips. "Belle…."
Smiling brilliantly now with tears in her eyes, Belle shuffled closer to the line and took his hand when he held it over the line. "It… it worked." She breathed, ecstatic for both him and Lillian.
"Yes, it did." Gold said, half in shock. Though he'd seen the effects himself, it was another thing entirely to go through it himself. "It did."
"Now you and Lillian can find your son."
"Oh, Belle," he stepped closer, smiling sadly now. "I so wish you were coming with me."
"As do I, but… it doesn't matter." She'd already decided this the moment he'd told her of his choice to bring Lillian with him.
He blinked at her words. "And why not?"
Belle smiled knowingly. "Because no matter your differences, no matter this… this bad blood, between you two, you and Lillian will find him." She said, leaving Gold to stare at her in wonder at her kindness and understanding. "And, when you do, I'll be here waiting for you when you get back."
As they both moved toward one another to embrace, a loud shot echoed through the air. Staggering as she fell toward him, Gold was unable to stop Belle from crossing the town line. As the pulse of magic surged through her suddenly limp body, Gold's head shop up to see Hook pointing the forgotten gun at them.
"I wouldn't count on it." The pirate snarled darkly as he lowered the weapon.
"Belle?! Belle?" Gently lowering her to the ground, Gold cradled Belle's head against his chest. "Belle!"
His relief that she was alive, that she blinked dazedly up at him, was dashed when a confused expression crossed her face. "W-who's Belle?"
"Oh, no," Gold whispered frantically, unable to truly notice how frightened the woman in his arms was becoming as her eyes fluttered shut. "No, no, no, no…."
"Oh, fear not. She'll live." Hook called out in mock sympathy, though he wore no smile or sign of mirth. His eyes were hard and cold as they gazed down at the broken Dark One. "She'll just have no idea who you are."
"What you've done cannot be undone." Gold snarled through clenched teeth as he gently cradled Belle to him and knelt to face the pirate.
Hook merely accepted the hate, his own overwhelming him. "Well, now you finally know how it feels!" He snapped across the distance. "Well, go ahead, crocodile. Do your worst!"
"Oh, I intend to." Gold replied in a chilling tone, producing a fireball in his hand. As he drew his arm back to throw it, the screech of tires and flash of lights was all the warning he had of the oncoming car. Grabbing hold of Belle, he rolled them both out of the way, though Hook was not as lucky. While the car managed to swerve and miss Gold's car, the movement caused it to slam into a boulder off the edge of the road.
Inside Gold's car, the magically induced sleep came to an end, and Lillian shot upright in the back seat. Turning, her eyes fell upon the strange car, heart sinking at the sight of the license plate that happily proclaimed the vehicle from Pennsylvania.
Thoughts? Comments? Questions?