Disclaimer: I own nothing but any unrecognizable characters and dialogue.
Chapter Playlist: 'Sorrows Passing' by Peter Gundry and 'Yes' from 'Jane Eyre: OST'
Storybrooke
When he had been trussed up and stowed away in the back of that metal contraption by his dark-skinned captor, she had at least left him with the use of his eyes. Now that they were back in Storybrooke, though the gag had been removed, it appeared they didn't trust him to see where he was led.
Seated in an unknown place, Hook twisted his sore arms within the rope, hissing at the way it chaffed his skin. He heard the voices of his captors – the woman now joined by a man – and scowled into the blackness.
"Actually, I prefer it with the lights on." The sack was removed promptly, and he blinked furiously at the change in the amount of light. Thankfully, it wasn't daytime, or he was sure his eyes would be smarting even more. "I've spent enough time below deck to not be afraid of the dark," he growled at the duo shortly, "so if this is your idea of torture, well…" he clicked his tongue mockingly, "You're just gonna have to try a little harder."
The man spoke as the woman tossed the offending bag to the side. "Torture you? No, we just want to offer you a job. "
"Oh. And then you're gonna let me go?" Hook asked, adopting the meekest tone he could. Laughing to himself, he looked between them with a wide, demented smile. "Oh, I'm sorry, I already did that last job. I killed Rumpelstiltskin. I'm sated, replete. My life's purpose met."
The wench spoke for the first time. "I wish I could have been there, to see you stab the Dark One."
Hook spared her a savage smile. "Well, look who's up to speed."
"I'm a quick learner."
"Then you know my work is done!"
From where he'd been leaning against the clock face, Greg moved closer. "Yeah, I don't think so." As one, he and Tamara grabbed hold of the heavy metal chair and dragged Hook to the clock face. "Take a look."
Tamara produced a telescope from her pocket and offered it. Recognizing it as his own, Hook accepted it with a black scowl. Raising it to his eye, he watched a couple leave a nearby building. From their position, he could dimly hear them speaking over the sudden roaring in his ears.
"No," he whispered at the sight of the Dark one, hale and whole, with his arm around the brown-haired wench Hook had put a bullet through. "No!"
Tamara ripped the telescope from his hand. "He's alive, Hook."
Once more, she and Greg took hold of the chair and drew Hook back from the window. Renewing his struggle against his bonds, Hook snarled when the man put his face right before Hook's.
"He beat you." Greg said lowly and straight to the point. "Now, this guy has some powerful magic here, mate. He's untouchable. You'll never get another chance to take him down."
Hook scowled after the other man as he straightened and stepped back. "Oh, I will. I will indeed."
"Not unless we help you."
The pirate spared a snarl for the woman. "How can you help me?"
Tamara stepped into his line of sight. "We know how to kill magical creatures."
Hook stared at the ground. "And the price?"
"I need you to help me find someone." Greg began without preamble. "My father – he was taken in this town a long time ago."
"Why the bloody hell do you think I'll be able to help you find your father?"
"Because you know the woman who took him – Regina." Hook sneered at the name, but gave no other reaction. Sensing the other man was wavering, Greg held up the hook, allowing it to glimmer in the moonlight. "Do we have a deal?"
Neverland
"Took you long enough to get back," lounging against the side of the Jolly Roger, Lily eyed Killian oddly, "Pan was worried you weren't coming back. As was I." The last part was muttered, for Hook's ears only.
The rest of the crew, including Smee, were below deck resting given the excitement of their last foray into the Enchanted Forest. Sighing deeply, Hook pulled his vial of rum from his coat and took a deep swig. "Aye. We were delayed, thanks to some members of Her Majesty's royal navy."
She raised a brow. "Which Majesty? Regina?"
"The Evil Queen?" Hook asked, mildly impressed that the girl before him knew about the current monarchs in their old home. "No, she doesn't care much for dealing with pirates - all her attention seems to be on that step-brat of hers. It was the Royal Navy of Corona, actually."
She went still, the whites of her eyes far too visible for comfort. It was very obvious after a few short months in her acquaintance that Lilith was not someone who reacted to matters calmly. While she might have when not in possession of her humanity, Hook couldn't say. During their shared time on the island, he had seen her taken by plenty of rages that usually ended with something on fire until she could be calmed.
"Lass," he called to her warily. While he cared for the girl, he refused to be a martyr and place himself in the path of her outbursts.
Thankfully, she stirred, blinking so rapidly he almost missed the flash of red that overtook the blue. "Yes?" She asked calmly, far too calmly for his peace of mind. "You said Queen Tabitha sent her navy after you?"
"Well, not us exactly. Her Majesty has put out a bounty on the head of any pirate her men happen upon."
"Lucky you," she muttered, naked fingers rubbing at her temples. "Grandmother was never the most benevolent of rulers after what happened to my mother."
It was Hook's turn to pause. Lilith had rarely spoken of her past, at least not in so much detail, little as was offered. As casually as he could, the pirate began to gently broach the topic of the aging queen of Corona.
"I know little about Queen Tabitha, what is she like?"
"Hmm," Lily ran a hand along the edge of the deck with a pained, almost agonized smile. "Grandmother is… a rather difficult woman to get along with, even for family. She wasn't too fond of my father and it soured relations between her and my mother."
"Your father was a duke, wasn't he? Duke of Eastwyk?"
Her eyes went soft at the thought of her papa. "Yes, he was the thirteenth in our family to hold the title. My mother married him after she was rescued from her captors - his brother was the one that saved her."
"Why did she not marry her rescuer?"
"I never asked - I only knew about her abduction long after they both passed." Suddenly chilled by the recollection, she folded her arms. "It was a long time ago. A lifetime ago, really. I should go, Peter will be expecting me."
"Lass!" Hook called before she had even moved a step. She turned to face him curiously, a hint of wariness creeping into that lovely gaze. "What would you do if… if you could leave the island?"
"If I knew of a way to get off this place, I'd send Bae home in a heartbeat." She replied without hesitation. "Out of everyone, he deserves to go home. He doesn't deserve to be here… nothing he's done in his life is worth such a punishment as this island."
The unspoken, But we have, lingered unpleasantly in the air between them for a long while. Finally, crossing her arms once more and hunching her shoulders, she turned to go.
"Is this truly a prison for you, Lily?" He couldn't help but ask, wishing he'd thought to hold his tongue. She tensed again, and when she turned back there was a definite flash of red in her narrowed gaze. "You and Pan seem… rather close."
"Goodbye, Killian."
Storybrooke
Back during the long years they had fought to regain Snow White's kingdom, Lilith, Charming and Snow had frequently traveled to the forests when they had sensitive subjects to discuss. While the woods were sprawling in Storybrooke, it was easier to travel to the docks instead of the woods that surrounded the once sleepy town. After leaving the bean field for the day, Mary Margaret, David, and Lillian traveled there to discuss what to do about Regina, recognizing that it was probably the most sensitive subject after the secrecy surrounding the magic beans.
Seated on the bench, tucked beneath a blanket and bundled up warmly against the chill, Mary Margaret was able to voice the question that had been burning at her for days.
Clutching her warm cup of cocoa between gloved hands, she managed to ask, "If we're going back to the Enchanted Forest, are we really going to leave Regina behind?" Despite everything, part of her still loved her former step-mother and it pained her to leave the poor woman behind alone… especially given how upset she knew Henry would be if they did.
David had to stop himself from sighing, instead sharing a long look with Lillian who wore a similar expression to his. The teenager was perched on the back of the bench, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She felt no guilt whatsoever for intruding upon their date night and it showed.
"She's too dangerous to bring with us." David reminded his wife gently, wrapping his arm around her in an attempt to comfort her. "We have to leave her."
"She did just try to kill us less than a week ago," Lillian pointed out a tad sharply, causing both Mary Margaret and David to flinch. Neither liked to be reminded of what happened, especially given Lillian's role. "Now, I'm all for giving the woman a chance when she's earned it, but I draw the line at cold-blooded murder. Especially when it involved Henry."
"But… Henry won't like it." Having been deprived of her mother since she was around the same age as Henry, she knew he would feel the same, gnawing emptiness that she had dealt with the last few decades. She didn't want that for her grandson, no matter how awful his mother might be. "She is his mother, despite all the horrors."
David pursed his lips, looking as if he'd love to refute her words. Sensing his thoughts, Lillian placed a hand on his arm, ignoring the hollow pang in her chest as she spoke. "And you know, as well as I, that those horrors will never stop, Mary Margaret. How many chances have you given Regina, only for her to throw them back in your face? Because every time you do- "
"… She slips, I know." Mary Margaret whispered, suddenly so lost that she half-expected the world to tilt dizzily. "What do we do?"
Once more, David looked to Lillian. She was scowling, arms crossed tightly, and shook her head when he arched a brow. Sighing, he reached over and took his wife's hands in his.
"Instead of a second chance," he sighed carefully, "we give her a choice: come back, live out her days in Rumple's cell, or stay here."
As the three began to argue among themselves about the benefits of actually offering Regina a choice at all, they didn't notice when the fisherman several feet away moved. Leaving behind the tackle box, the bearded man stepped further out of sight before becoming engulfed in a swirl of purple smoke.
"Jail cell?" Regina repeated as the smoke cleared, face like thunder. "I don't think so."
Neverland
The party was in full swing when Lily entered the campsite.
Whenever Hook was sent to the 'mainland', as the Lost Boys called it, his return with whatever goods Pan had ordered was always celebrated. Pausing in the shadows, unseen by the sentries that were only halfheartedly doing their jobs, she watched with a soft fondness. Luca and Cade were prancing around, both clearly drunk on whatever alcohol Killian had brought them.
Felix was watching them with a stern disapproval that reminded her of the way Rumple treated particularly thick customers. The sight of it caused a pang of homesickness to go through her - though she was used to that by now. Some times she missed Rumple and the Enchanted Forest so badly it was a physical ache inside her… until she remembered the lies and the pain.
Peter had never lied to her, not like Rumple.
As he careened drunkenly, Luca caught sight of Lily, half-hidden in the shadow of a tree. Grinning, he raced towards her, looping an arm about her waist to pull her into the dancing circle.
"Lily!"
"Luca - no, don't -!" Suddenly breathless as she was bodily flung into the air, only to be caught by another lost boy, Lily threw her head back and let out a peal of laughter.
Several of the boys smiled at the sight of their princess so happy. Lost in the rhythm of the drums, she lost count of how long she danced with the boys, passed from partner to partner. Finally, as the world spun dizzily around her, she fell into a pair of very familiar, very missed arms.
Amused green eyes gazed down at her affectionately as Peter drew her close. "Hello, love," he greeted faintly, smile widening at the faint tang of alcohol on her breath. He knew he should punish Luca for giving it to her, especially after the fiasco the last time there had been alcohol on Neverland, but quickly decided against it. "Having fun, I see."
"Mhmm," she breathed, light as air. "I missed you."
"Did you?" He teased, breath catching as she pressed closer.
They were in the middle of the camp, surrounded on all sides, but neither seemed to care. He drew her closer, one hand spanning the small of her back while the other became tangled in her mass of curls. No one paid them any mind, too used to their behavior to truly care. The only one who watched them was Felix, an amused quirk to his lips that was rarely seen.
"How was our dear captain doing?" Peter asked, drawing Lily away from the main group of dancers. They swayed from side to side to no particular rhythm, simply content to be in each other's arms. "Did he seem surprised by your visit?"
She hummed noncommittally, snuggling closer before raising her chin to gaze up at him. He arched a brow back, chuckling when she stuck her tongue out at him childishly, coloring rapidly when he lunged forward, trying to playfully nip at her. As if just realizing they were still in the middle of camp, she began to stiffen in his arms.
"It's alright, love," he whispered hotly in her ear, gathering her closer as he drew them further away from the center of camp. She allowed herself to be led, relaxing the moment the campfire was out of sight. "I'm not too sure the boys were paying attention, given how sloshed half of them were."
"And whose fault is that?" She shot back tartly, her smile softening the bite in her words.
"Oh, mine of course," he replied, suddenly lifting her up and spinning her around and around until they both fell onto the ground, giggling like drunks.
They lay there as the world lurched around them, hands interlocked, sprawled across one another. Lily pressed her face against his neck, smiling when he peppered her face in chaste kisses, pressing longer, lingering ones to her mouth when he had the chance. At the back of her mind, Killian's earlier words of escaping threatened the moment, and she brushed them away impatiently.
She could focus on the pirate's riddles another day. Right now, all she wanted to do was focus on the boy cradling her against him as if she was the most precious thing in the world.
Storybrooke
While waiting for Lillian to come and pick him up for school, Henry wandered outside to fill up the bird feeders Mary Margaret had outside of the loft. As he opened the one he had made in class himself to check it, Regina strode up to the small yard.
"Good morning, Henry."
Startled, he turned and blinked at his dark-haired mother. While Emma and his grandparents hadn't exactly forbidden his mother from coming to see him, the intent was perfectly clear. "Uh, what are you doing here?"
"I've missed you." Regina said, smiling past the pain his blunt words brought. Clearing her throat, she reached into her handbag to show him the bean sprout she'd taken from the hidden fields. "And I wanted to show you something. Emma, Lillian, Mary Margaret and David have been keeping this from you, darling," she watched his eyes grow at the sight of the sprout. "They've been growing beans in secret. They want to take you to the Enchanted Forest, without me."
He shook his head, shrugging his shoulders helplessly. "Maybe we're all going and they just haven't told you yet?"
She gave him a bitter smile. "No, they won't let me help. They don't see the good in me. The good you've seen. All they see is the Evil Queen, which they made me." It still hurt sometimes, to know how bitterly she was hated. She never wanted Henry to look at her the way Snow did. "And I don't want to be that any more. This is my chance to go back and start over, for me to be the hero. And you'd like that, right?"
"I-I'd love it!" Henry enthused, his face lighting up at the thought.
Buoyed by his enthusiasm, Regina rushed to explain, mindful that Lillian would arrive soon. "Here's how it will work - there's a fail-safe built into the curse, a trigger."
"Like a self-destruct button." He tilted his head, more excited by the minute. "Like you never did it?"
"Yes. It's the next best thing to turning back time."
"That's amazing." He paused, struck by an unwelcome thought. "What happens to Storybrooke?" While it might have been the product of a curse, Storybrooke had been his home his entire life.
"It disappears. Forever." His mother admitted easily enough, leaning closer to him. "But no need to worry, dear. We can get away first, back to the Enchanted Forest, using this." She held the bean up for emphasis, smiling at how brilliant her plan turned out to be.
Henry shivered at the sudden dread that formed in the pit of his stomach. "But, what about everyone else?"
"They die."
"What?!"
Regina frowned reprovingly at his negative reaction. "I don't have any other choice. As long as there are other people in our lives, you can never fully be mine. You loved me once. With them gone, you'll love me again." Assured by her plan once more - knowing that Henry would see it her way - she straightened with a smile. "And you can see me for what I truly am—a hero."
"Not if you kill everyone." Henry snapped back, shaking his head in denial. "You're a villain!"
"Me?" She bristled. "They're the ones that have been keeping us apart, they're the villains!"
"How I can I ever love anyone who would do such horrible things?" Henry questioned heatedly, glaring at her as he would a stranger. "Why would you even tell me this?"
"Because I don't have anyone else to talk to."
Though her frank admission threatened to break his heart in two, he refused to show it. "Well, I'm gonna stop you."
"Everything I just said will come to pass." Regina told him quietly, producing her spell book from her purse.
"Never!" Henry said, vehemently shaking his head. He barely paid any attention to the book in her hands. "Why would I let you do any of this?"
She observed him sadly. "Because you won't remember a thing." Waving her hand, she made a complicated gesture, removing any memory of the last few minutes.
Blinking past the spell, Henry's rapidly clearing eyes alighted on her curiously. "Mom. What are you doing here?"
Regina shrugged, laughing lightly with a warm smile. "Just came to say hello," she told him, "I've missed you. Why don't you show me that bird feeder?"
Smiling in return, he led her to the feeder he had just filled, opening it to show her what he had built. Going along, Regina placed a hand along his hair, stroking it gently.
"I'm sure it will make the birds very happy."
Neverland
When he awoke in the tree house, the moon was already at its peak in the sky. It bathed the interior in the room, casting everything in a silvery glow. Stretching as carefully as he could in the hammock, Peter managed to slide out his arm from beneath Lily's slumbering form. Working back feeling into the limb, he drew himself up on an elbow to stare contemplatively at the girl beside him.
Ignoring the way his heart tugged at the sight of her sleep-tousled hair and rosy cheeks, he sighed deeply. Sometimes, he wished nothing had ever happened between the young sorceress and himself. While he had very quickly adored the little girl that had been promised to him, it was always a struggle to hold back. Even before Katerina had passed, Peter had been all too aware of the dark fate that awaited little Lily.
More than once, his Shadow had reminded him of why it was dangerous to interfere with prophecy, sometimes physically restraining him when the situation called for it. When Lily had been a little girl, little more than a toddler, he had thought of stealing her away to the safety of Neverland. Then, his affection for her had been that of an older brother, doting on the little sister he had never gotten the chance to have.
Even when she was finally on Neverland, almost a grown woman, he had still harbored a platonic, almost childish affection for her. Now though… now, things were completely different.
Storybrooke
Studying the makeshift terrarium she'd planted the stolen bean sapling in, Regina was drawn from her musings when the door to her office opened. Frowning at the interruption, prepared to violently eject the unwanted guest, she rounded the corner and skidded to a stop in front of her desk.
"Captain!" She greeted with far more enthusiasm than she thought herself capable of producing. All attempts at appearing nonchalant faded, and she eyed the man, taking in every bump and scrape. "you look like you've had a rough time."
"Indeed I have," he admitted, closing the door behind him. "I've come to ask for your protection."
"From Gold?" Regina cast a wary eye toward the bean plant, relieved when Hook limped straight passed it. "I'm surprised you'd show your face in this town after you noticed your murder didn't take."
"Well, we've got bigger problems." He came to stand before her. "That man Greg Mendell, the one who hit me the night I shot Belle, well he's in league with some woman. She abducted me in New York and dragged me back to Mendell. They want me to make an alliance with you, and then betray you. That's why they let me go." Ignoring the disbelief that flashed in her eyes at his explanation, he shifted closer and lowered his voice. "Well I say that you and I make an alliance, and we'll skip the unpleasant betrayal business."
She arched a brow. "Why should I trust you?"
"I took up with your mother for a reason. Perhaps the three of us could reestablish in our alliance."
Well aware he had been out of commission for a while and was unaware, Regina struggled to hold back her misery. "My mother died."
Hook blanched at her words, expression suitably contrite. "Well that… is sad news indeed. I'm sorry, she will be missed." While he held no true personal affection for the Queen of Hearts, he had respected the older woman. "But I tell you this, Regina. I knew her well enough to know what she wanted most in the world was to see you win." Her lips parted at his words, but he continued. "Now I failed in my revenge. The best tribute I could give her is to help you with yours."
"Well, can I… " Moved by his words, Regina sighed and bit her lip. Choosing to trust the pirate her mother had once put her trust in, she made her decision. "Let me show you something."
The bean was growing nicely in the terrarium, and she was gratified at Hook's impressed stare. "An escape plan?" He questioned, smirking wickedly. "Oh, she would have loved that. She brought that giant for the beans, so she could go back and start over with you."
Regina matched his smile with one of her own. "And now I'm going to do that with Henry. If you'll help me." She added, some of the weight lifting from her shoulders at the thought of having an ally. "This is how we're going to escape the total destruction of Storybrooke. If I can trust you."
"Now when you say total destruction, including the crocodile, yes?"
"Oh, yes." She gave a faint chuckle. "Rumpelstiltskin will die. If you help me."
A cautiously smiling waitress at Granny's Diner handed over the to-go order to the dark-haired outsider. "Here you go." Ever since the Curse had broken, outsiders were to be treated with caution, if not outright hostility. Much of the town had clammed up where Greg Mendell was concerned, much to the man's bemusement.
Tamara accepted the package, checking one last time. "No mayo, right?"
The waitress nodded. "Right."
Thanking the other woman again, Tamara turned to leave. As she did so, Emma was just entering the Diner distractedly. Both women let out startled cries when they collided, sending Tamara's bags to the ground.
"Ohh! I'm so sorry," Emma apologized, kneeling with Tamara to help her pick up the scattered things. "I'm - he still hates mayo, huh?" The blonde asked, catching sight of the order ticket stapled to the outside of the bag. As she did, her eyes fell on the list of names - which included everyone in Storybrooke and their Enchanted Forest counterparts.
Tamara accepted the bag, surreptitiously slipping the list into her purse. "Avoids it like the plague," she agreed, the two women rising to their feet.
"How are you doing here in Storybrooke?" Emma asked. "I mean, it's a lot to take in."
Tamara shouldered her bag with a weak smile. "Understatement." Her statement provoked laughter from both parties. "But, uh, I guess you know that better than anyone."
"Yeah," Emma shrugged. "I guess it's true. But I had Henry. He got me through it."
"Yeah. Right." Tamara's features softened at the mention of Henry. "Neal's doing the same for me."
Emma forced another smile. "Even so, it's pretty crazy here." Tamara was nodding in agreement, looking innocent for all intents and purposes. "If the world found out about this place, do you know what that would mean for Henry or Neal?"
"Look, Emma, you don't have to worry." Tamara said, as if Emma hadn't just inadvertently accused her of being a danger to Neal and his son. "You can trust me."
Somehow, the blonde found it in her to keep smiling. "That's good to know."
All smiles once more, Tamara said, "I'll be seeing you later."
Emma nodded. "Yeah, I'll be seeing you."
She watched Neal's fiancee exit the Diner, her artificial smile slipping to give way to a worried frown. Soon enough, Emma was back at the loft apartment, ranting once more to her mother about the danger August had warned them about.
"I'm telling you, Tamara is the "she" August was trying to warn us about!" She said, rather loudly, hot on her mother's heels as the dark-haired woman prepared to head to the fields.
Reaching the island, Mary Margaret whirled around at her daughter's words. "Emma! Shh!"
"What?" The blonde demanded. "Don't 'Emma' me!"
Lowering her voice so they didn't draw anymore attention than they probably already had, Mary Margaret explained, "Henry is upstairs. Look… I know this has been hard for you- "
"No," Emma growled, crossing her arms after casting a wary glance toward the second floor. "This isn't about me. This is about August. He died trying to warn us about someone. A woman. "She". Tamara has a list of people who live here, what their fairytale names are. Doesn't that worry you?"
Mary Margaret pursed her lips and strode to the door. "There could be a million different explanations for what you saw."
"We don't know anything about her," Emma reminded her hotly, dogging her mother's steps again. "And she lied to me. When she said I could trust her, she lied."
"Your "superpower" has been known to be unreliable, Emma. Especially when you're emotional."
"For the last time, I do not have feelings for Neal!" Emma protested loudly, wincing at her mother's assumption. "That was over a decade ago! I'm over it!"
Mary Margaret reached for her scarf. "Well, that may be." She lowered her voice once more. "But if you tell Henry that you think his dad's fiancée may be up to something, then Henry's gonna think that there's a chance his parents could get back together." Sighing at the mutinous expression Emma wore, Mary Margaret smiled at her. "So keep it to yourself. Please. Till you know something more."
Groaning once the door closed, Emma turned and nearly jumped out of her skin. Henry stood before her, arms crossed and smiling like he'd just been told cookies were an acceptable substitute for breakfast.
"So… we're back in business?" He asked, rocking forward and back on his heels. "I heard everything." He added by way of explanation.
Emma gazed at him in shock. "I thought you were in the shower."
"Exactly." He told her smugly. "Operation Cobra's back on. We're investigating Tamara, right? Oh, and, Lillian said she had some info on her and Greg that she wanted to share with you."
Still too startled to react, it took a moment for her to react. "Get your coat… "
The library was deserted when Hook and Regina entered it. Thanks to Belle's memory loss and her reawakening as Lacey, there was no one left to act as librarian and care for the neglected books.
"This why it's a two-man job?" The pirate questioned as they made their way to the rickety elevator. He eyed the contraption as if he expected it to bite him. "You need me to lower you?"
"No. Used to be… before magic." Twisting her hand just so, the doors of the elevator creaked open. Entering it, Hook at her side, the elevator began to descend, aided by her magic.
The elevator shuttered to a stop, mechanics whirring loudly, the doors opened to reveal that they were inside a cavern of sorts. Leaving the mechanical death trap behind, they wandered further into the cavern, Hook on Regina's heels.
"You ever wonder if this constant pursuit for revenge is the reason we have no one who cares for us?" Hook asked, out of the blue. He limped beside the former queen, who peered at him over her shoulder in bemusement. "I mean, when all this is over, and I know the Crocodile is dead, for good and all, I'll have nothing to look forward to. My life will be empty."
While his allegiance to the outsiders may have been conditional, he knew Regina, if she had any of her mother in her, could prove to be a more steadfast ally than the ones who had kidnapped him. As it was, he spoke from the heart. The idea of what he would do, where he would go, after the crocodile was dead, had haunted him ever since his escape from Neverland.
"Revenge may sate your being, but don't misunderstand me, my dear." He continued, as they locked gazes. "It's an end, not a beginning."
"For you, maybe." She admitted with a negligent shrug. "Not me. I have Henry." They paused for a moment. "And destroying Storybrooke? Well… that seems like a small price to pay to allow us to live in peace."
Giving her a charming, entirely false smile, Hook gestured for her to lead on. Instead, her eyes fell on the plain, leather cuff that encircled his good wrist.
"Where did you get that?" She demanded, reaching out to touch it. "It belonged to my mother."
"Yes," Hook acknowledge, as if he hadn't even realized he still wore it. He drew his sleeve back with his hook, exposing the cuff fully. "Well, she enchanted it so I could climb the beanstalk in our world. She, uh… "
"I don't care why she gave it to you." Regina interrupted flatly. "It was hers, and I want it back."
"You plan to blow this town off the map, and you're worried about a scrap of cowhide?"
"She was my mother."
"Well, she was my friend."
Her expression mocked him. "Hardly."
"Oh," Hook muttered, pretending to be wounded. Without protest, he raised his arm, offering her the cuff.
Slipping it from his wrist, Regina examined the stiff cuff before she drew back her sleeve. Satisfied that the cuff was where it belonged, Regina inhaled deeply and flashed him a smile.
"Now, follow me closely."
They entered another cavern, this one much larger than the previous one. Hook wrinkled his nose at the sheer drop that awaited them at the edge of the cliff.
"Precarious." He commented blithely. "You couldn't have just hid the trigger in the back of your wardrobe?"
Regina chuckled. "It had to be both well-hidden and well-guarded." Her humor abruptly sobered. "I put it somewhere no one would ever think I'd go."
"You know, you say well-guarded… who's guarding it?"
"A friend." She watched the pirate limp to peer over the edge. "She's been through a lot. There's a powerful spell here that sustains her in… whatever form she's in." At the hidden laughter in her words, Hook twisted to stare at her. "In face, Hook, she's the reason why this is a two-man job."
"And what exactly am I here to do?"
"I'll get the trigger." Regina began, walking behind the pirate so she was in just the right spot. "And you? Well… you're the distraction."
He whirled. "What?"
Giving him little time to react, Regina lunged forward. Had the man been uninjured - and less surprised - she doubted she'd have been able to shove him off the side of the cliff. He went sailing over, landing in a heap at the bottom with a pained grunt Regina heard all the way from the top.
"Uh!" Wheezing as the breath was knocked from his lungs, Hook rolled painfully over onto his back. Every part of him ached, and he dearly wished for the opportunity of young Lilith's healing when this was all over.
Groaning against the agony, he twisted when the wind began to howl within the ravine. Wide-eyed, he watched black particles begin to swirl around, beginning to solidify into a grotesque shape.
By the time he was on his feet, the decaying figure was staring at him; the tell-tale horns were the last part to be completed. The creature - Maleficent - screeched at the sight of him.
"Maleficent," he greeted past the pain of his ribs, warily moving when the former sorceress began to circle him with another screech. "Love you in earth tones."
Hook wasn't sure of what the strange, reborn spirit of Maleficent was capable of, and he wasn't sure he wanted to find out. Darting to the side, he scaled a series of rocks, keeping her in his sights. When she suddenly leapt at him, he was ready.
Jumping to meet her halfway, he brought his hook down, slicing through her arm. Rolling to his feet, he whirled to see her recover from his attack before she threw herself at him again.
This time, he slammed his hook into her head, forcing her to the ground. His short-lived relief at stopping her faded to panic once her body began to reform once more. This time, she towered over him and tossed him aside with a forceful wave of her decomposed hand.
Up above, Regina skirted the edge of the ravine, determinedly ignoring the howling and screeching that rose from it. While Maleficent was severely weakened in the decomposing form she currently held, there was no possible way that anyone without magical talent could survive her.
Guilt was something she couldn't allow herself to give into. Carefully, she made her way to Snow White's glass coffin and shattered the glass. Feeling inside the dusty thing, she grabbed hold of the small silken, drawstring bag and pulled it free.
Reaching into it, she pulled out the large, glittering trigger with the beginnings of a victorious smirk on her lips.
Neverland
Peter gazed deeply into the fire, eyes flaring with the flames. Beside him sat Felix, who watched their leader with an amused quirk to his thin lips. He had been around long enough to know when Pan was pouting over something.
"Did you make contact last night?" Even though he was Pan's second-in-command, Felix was still cautious enough to not broach the subject too deeply. "With Storybrooke?"
"I did."
The reply was short and simple and raised the hair on the back of Felix's neck. Sensing it would be prudent to not press the issue, he inclined his head and slunk back into the shadows, waiting for when he was needed.
When he no longer sensed Felix's presence, Peter allowed the carefully crafted mask to fall. Scrubbing his hands over his face, he almost succumbed to the gaping hole Lily's absence had left in his chest. While he watched her frequently with his Shadow - before, during and after the Curse - it wasn't the same. His very soul ached for her presence, no longer content with the faint, echo of her presence he was able to sense whenever he was able to gather enough magic to visit her.
Rising to his feet, he strode through the jungle, staving off the welling nausea that even walking was beginning to cause him. While the Shadow had warned him years ago that this would happen, he was too arrogant to believe that anything would ever happen to him once he had Lily by his side. He hadn't counted on her being taken away from him though, and was clever enough to realize that True Love wasn't going to save him, not now.
Breaking away from the edge of the jungle, Peter peered across the cliff to see Skull Rock looming in the distance. As if sensing his presence to the cursed island, his chest gave a throb. Hissing from the pain, fingers bunched in his tunic, he stumbled to rest on the nearest available rock. Some days were easier than others, but today was not one of them.
Every breath was a challenge, and the raspy sound of his breathing was like a death rattle to his ears. Thankfully, things were progressing rapidly enough in Storybrooke that he was able to stave off any real worry about his deteriorating condition. They'd just had words from their agents on the ground, something which relieved Peter more than he would ever admit. He would have the heart of the Truest Believer soon enough, just as he would soon have his princess back where she belonged.
On Neverland, with him.
Storybrooke
Personally, Lillian couldn't decide if she liked the newfound Belle - or should she say Lacey - but quickly found that she didn't really care all that much. She had spent little time with Belle after the breaking of the Curse, though had found the older woman to be a sweet, caring person who wasn't afraid to call Rumple out on his bullshit.
Thankfully, that part of her personality was still intact, even if the shy, caring bookworm was now a scantily-clad barfly who enjoyed drinking men three times her size under the table.
What Lillian was unable to stomach about the whole change was the way Gold was acting. While he had never been much of a people person, Lillian hadn't been privy to this side of him since her days as his apprentice. Watching him cozy up to Lacey, while barking threats and orders at people that made Lillian's head spin, all to make his girlfriend laugh was too much for his assistant.
Lacey had an apartment in town, where Gold had begun to spend most of his time, leaving Lillian with the run of the manor house for the first time in years. Alone with her thoughts, it was easier to control her murderous impulses when she wasn't ten feet away from the two-timing she-witch Neal had convinced himself to marry.
It took everything she had not to storm to the Inn and rip out the older woman's lying heart. And while Lillian knew Neal might take her word for it, he would also more than likely involve Tamara in any discussion that took place. Though she hated herself for it, Lillian wasn't sure that Neal would be able to see the situation objectively; part of her was surprised he had let anyone get so close to him, particularly after what he had suffered on Neverland.
So, anytime she spoke to Neal or spent time with him, she kept her mouth shut on the subject of Tamara. Even on the occasion that Neal broached the subject of the upcoming wedding, she side-stepped any mention as tactfully as she could, all the while tamping down feelings of guilt when she felt his disappointment.
She didn't want to hurt Bae, her entire being shied away from the very thought. But when it came to Tamara, it was as if he'd been placed under a spell, unable to see that things were not as they appeared.
To make matters worse, Lillian had been woken from a dead sleep by Peter's Shadow. The entity had greeted her pleasantly enough before ominously promising that Peter would see her again, very soon. Hours after it had left, she'd laid awake, still able to sense its presence within the boundaries of Storybrooke until shortly before sunrise.
Disturbed by the creature's warnings and its extended stay, she'd spent the majority of the day in Gold's extensive library. Since the breaking of the Curse, it had enlarged, revealing the hidden caches of magical books Rumple had brought over when the Curse hit.
Lost within a large tome written entirely in what she believed was some form of ancient draconic, Lillian didn't look up when the door to the library creaked open. Neal poked his head in, softening at the sight of Lillian, hair a mess and ink smudges on her cheek, curled into the reading nook of the admittedly giant library.
"Hey," he greeted softly.
She didn't move, eyes scanning the pages before her. "Hey." Draconic was difficult to read, even with a translating spell, and Neal's presence was rather disruptive. Giving up for now, she snapped the book shut and returned it to its home with a flick of her wrist. "What is it?"
"Well, I was just, uh… in the neighborhood and was wondering if you wanted to get some dinner together." He watched her cracked her back with a loud popping sound before she raised a skeptical brow. "Just us," he clarified. "No one else."
"Not even Tamara?" Lillian cursed inwardly the moment the words flew past her lips.
Neal sighed loudly, watching her face close warily, as if waiting for him to explode. While he admitted he had his share of his papa's temper, he was much better at controlling it.
"No, not even Tamara." He gave her a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I thought it would be nice if it was just us. Like old times."
Her eyelids slipped shut. "Bae… " She scrubbed a hand over her face, chest throbbing with an aching emptiness she couldn't explain. "I- "
Neal needed no prompting as he crossed the room and gathered her in his arms. On Neverland, she had been taller than him, if only by a few inches. Now, here, decades later, he towered over her slight form. She pressed her face to his chest, fingers gathered in the lapels of his coat. He held her for several long heartbeats, both of them relaxing marginally as they basked in the others presence.
Finally, he drew back to look her in the eye. "What is it with you and Tamara recently? You seemed to like her just fine the first time you met."
Lillian forcibly swallowed back the bile gathering in her throat. "I-I'm not sure, exactly. Are you sure about here? I mean, are you really, truly sure that you want to marry her?" Empathy was her strongest power, and she used it to go in for the kill. "I've seen the way you look at Emma when no one is looking - I know how you feel about her."
"Lily, you know I hate it when you use your empathy on me," he groaned, taking a needed step back. He gave an exaggerated shiver in an attempt to lighten the mood. "It gives me the creeps."
Her lips became a slash across her face. "Don't change the subject."
"I'm not- " He caught himself and ran a hand through his silver-flecked hair. "Man, this was not how I wanted to spend the afternoon."
Used to his stalling tactics, Lillian waited, arms crossed and foot tapping against the floor. Realizing he couldn't stall her forever - he wasn't entirely sure she wasn't an immortal like his father - he relented and slumped.
"I have some… lingering feelings for Emma, I'll admit. Even though right now, I feel like strangling her for keeping Henry from me." Lillian's lips twitched at that but she said nothing, silently urging him to continue. "But, seeing her again it's… it's like it brought it all back. How we met, how happy we were before… before August. I-I don't know what to do, Lily."
Despite her irritation, she relented at his distress. Sighing, she fell in a graceless heap on the reading nook, drawing her knees to her chest. "Bae, what if… what if I knew something? About Tamara?" His eyes snapped to her, grief clearing faster that snow on a sunny day.
"What do you mean?"
Parked outside of Granny's, Emma tapped an anxious rhythm on the steering wheel, waiting for her son to come back. All calls to Lillian had gone unanswered, resulting in the mock-stakeout consisting of just the two of them. Henry returned within ten minutes, loaded down with at least a dozen pastries and two large hot cocoas. He settled in the passenger seat, leaning forward so he could see where the action was.
"Operation Cobra was about breaking the curse." He announced when the silence became a bit too oppressive for his taste. "This is about keeping Storybrooke secret. We need a new name."
"Operation Tiger." Emma answered without missing a beat.
Henry arched a brow. "Why?"
"I need a why?" Emma lowered the cup from her mouth, staring at her son in amazement. "You never need a why."
"I want something like the town, something that hides in plain sight." Henry mused, ignoring her valid objection. "Something like… a praying mantis."
Henry's thoughtful decision was abruptly cut off when, catching sight of the door to the diner opening, Emma yelled out, "Oh! Duck!"
Two heads vanished from view as a single patron exited the diner. Peeking up through the window, Emma relaxed when she saw it wasn't who they expected.
"Nope, it's not them." Grunting - Storybrooke had clearly made her start to go soft - she sat up in the seat.
Henry raised his head, taking another sip of cocoa. "Stakeouts are fun."
Ripping off a piece of the bear claw, Emma shrugged. "Not usually," she announced around the snack. She swallowed before smiling mischievously at her son. "But this one? Yeah, kinda."
"I thought by now we'd be having adventures. Over there, you know? Riding horses, shooting bow and arrows. This is cool, too."
"Is that still something you want? I mean, if there was a way to… go back to the enchanted forest?"
"Is there? No, don't be crazy."
"There is. A way back." He stared in growing wonder at his sheepish mother. "The… a bean or something. The giant brought it, didn't he?"
"You are a smart kid." She sighed, pushing past the guilt that keeping another secret from him caused.
"That's awesome!" He cried, delighted with the opportunity. We could get, like, a castle - you, me, and Neal."
Emma blinked at the conviction in his words, furiously backpedaling in an attempt to regain control over the situation. "Oh, hey, whoa. No way. That… we're not… that's not… " As she struggled to say the right thing, Henry eyes eyes landed on the door to Granny's.
"Duck!"
In unison, they ducked down in their seats. Emma peered above her window, catching sight of Tamara and Neal exiting the Diner, hand in hand. Neal produced a large, black umbrella and they strode down the street, laughing.
Henry rose to watch their departing figures. "Operation Praying Mantis is on," he announced smugly, shooting his mother a smile.
No one gave them a second look as they entered the inn and headed upstairs; for that, Emma was grateful. While the gossips in the town, with Leroy being the primary instigator, were a handful, they usually looked the other way when it involved Henry.
Gathering her lockpick and wrench, Emma set to work on opening the door to Neal's rented room. Henry watched, his enthusiasm dimming when he realized they wouldn't be doing anything anytime soon.
"Hand on," Emma whispered, seeing his bored pacing. She listened intently to the clicking of the metal. "I almost got it."
Henry stopped his movement, turning to look slyly at his mother from his place as lookout. "So, once we find proof that Tamara's evil, I guess the wedding's off?"
Emma jolted so hard at his innocent words that she nearly broke the wrench. "Henry… " She breathed quietly, not turning from what she was doing. "Neal and I are not getting back together. You know that, right?"
"I mean, once he's single, it could happen. Thrown together, moonlight, wine… "
"Listen to me, Henry." Emma waited until he'd wandered back to the door to turn to him. He peered up at her, lips pressed so he didn't smile. "I am onto Tamara for other reasons, not because she's with Neal, okay?"
Sensing his mother wasn't going to be receptive to any more probing questions, Henry offered little protest when she urged him to go back to his post. Satisfied the subject was done with, for now, Emma returned her attention to the task at hand.
With a few more careful twists, the lock clicked. "Ah! Yes!" She quietly cheered, catching Henry's attention as the door creaked open. "Uh-uhn-uhn! You gotta be the lookout still." She said when Henry made to follow her into the room.
"But… but what do I do?" He asked. "Whistle?"
She shook her head. "No, that's too obvious. You gotta his the door," she explained, acting out the movement she wanted him to do. "You know, like, just like… like, kick it like you're bored." She demonstrated, kicking the door faintly with her boot. "Like… or, like, stumble into it. Like, oh, I'm… you know?" He raised an eyebrow at her and she almost growled at his skepticism. "Just hit the door, okay?"
"Hit the door," he agreed, fighting back a smile. "Got it. Now go!"
Emma followed his order and slipped into the room, leaving Henry to shut the door behind her. Neal's room looked like all of the other rooms at Granny's and for that she was grateful. Heading to the closet first, she flipped through the coats before heading towards the armoire where she once again found nothing.
She made a beeline for the bed, she paused when the floorboard beneath her foot creaked. Pausing, she tested the board out several times before smirking.
"Gotcha."
Outside the room, Henry was slowly pacing the floor when he heard incoming footsteps. Scrambling to the door, he fell back on it just as his dad rounded the corner, Lillian at his side.
"Uh, hey, Henry," Neal reached out to ruffle his son's hair, pausing when he thumb against the door in a manner all too familiar to the former thief. "What…?"
Henry muttered something, attempting to smile in a strange manner at the suddenly suspicious duo. He thumped against the door again, causing Neal's eyes to widen in disbelief.
"Oh, hell no. I taught her that. Emma!" Grinning fondly at his son - the little thief in the making - Neal wrapped an arm around him and led them both into the room, Lillian right behind.
Her head shot up warily at his entrance and she stood. "So, you weren't here, and the door was open, and we just… " She trailed off with a sigh, recognizing that they were caught.
"Emma, what's - what's this about?" Neal queried, faintly amused.
"Tamara. I think she's playing you."
Instead of throwing her words back at her, instead of not believing her, Neal slumped dejectedly. Lillian laid a comforting hand on his shoulder, saying nothing but her eyes flared red.
"Ah," Neal breathed, running a hand through his hair. "Damnit."
"Never doubt the Princess," Lillian muttered, though there was a darkness to her smiling mouth. Catching sight of Emma's confused stare, she relented. "I saw Tamara kissing Greg. Greg Mendell."
Emma wasn't sure her ears were working correctly. "And I'm just hearing about this now because?"
"Because your father needs a lesson in what keeping secrets does to a family," Lillian deadpanned, turning to Neal. "Now, we need to figure out a plan - we can't let them now we're on to them."
"Hold up," Emma held up a hand. "Wh-what is going on?" She whirled on Neal. "You believe me?"
"It's a little hard after Lillian showed me the memory of Tamara and that Mendell guy." He said, eyes glittering with pain.
"Neal… " Emma shifted, as if to touch him, to offer comfort, but she stopped herself. Henry was already confused enough and she didn't need to add to it. "So, Tamara is the 'she' August was trying to warn us about. The one who tried to kill him."
"We think so," Lillian admitted with a shrug of her shoulders. "I haven't been able to find out much information about her, and anything Neal knows is suspect at best given what we know now."
"I knew she was lying," Emma wanted to swear and tear Tamara's hair out, anything that made the betrayed look in Neal's eyes go away. "I have that thing with lies, remember?"
"You thought you had a thing with lies," Neal threw back at her, managing a smirk. "I never bought that. Now, I'm not as mad as I should be, but, come on… you brought the kid into this?"
"Hey!" Henry piped up, lips pursed. "I wanted to help!"
Lillian smiled at him, drawing him close. "I'm sure you did. By the way, what proof did you end up finding?"
"I found a list of fairy-tale characters and who they are in this world. Whoever she might be giving that to, it could blow this whole town right open."
"Emma, I helped her make that list," Neal revealed helplessly, cursing himself for being so blind. "It was to help her come to grips with this place."
"Well, honestly she could have found all that out by simply going to the dinner and speaking to someone," Lillian grimaced, "not that anyone is really all that willing to speak to her. Or Greg Mendell for that matter."
Sensing that Neal was becoming overwhelmed by the topic at hand, Emma switched subjects as tactfully as she could. "I'm sorry, about breaking into your room. I'm sure I look like a jealous ex right now."
Her attempt at humor fell flat, but Neal made an attempt to smile. He glanced down at the floor board beneath her feet and gestured, clearing his throat.
"So, uh, what did you find?"
"Oh," Emma glanced down at her feet. "I, uh, I don't know exactly. The floorboards just loose and it shouldn't be, so I thought…"
"Let's look under it." Lillian gestured for everyone to move before lifting the loose wooden board with a twist of her fingers.
Emma knelt down and felt within the empty space, scowling when her fingers came up empty. Frowning herself, Lillian replaced the board as Emma stood, looking very put out.
"Listen," Neal inhaled deeply, wanting to make things less awkward between Emma and him. "I know… I know things have been awkward with Tamara being here but…"
Emma held up a hand to forestall his attempts at making things better between them. They were on the same side now, and there was a lot to sift through, but right now, she couldn't. Not with the way he was looking at her.
"Don't." The blonde whispered, holding out a hand for her son to take. "Henry, let's go."
Folding the trigger back into the cloth bag, Regina didn't immediately look up when the elevator whirred to a stop and the door screeched open. As she carefully stepped out, her eyes caught movement and she glanced up with a startled gasp.
Hook stood, leaning painfully on the counter, his eyes darkened with both agony and anger.
"How?"
"Startling, aren't I?" He asked, lips twitching. "Some people say 'striking'."
She pocketed the trigger, eyes narrowing. "You couldn't have survived that."
"Well, you should know by now the one thing I excel at is surviving." He reminded her, fiddling with the point of his hook. "The amazing thing is, you almost had me. All that stuff about a fresh, clean start, just killing 'em and movin' on… it kinda touched me." He sauntered towards her, his normally smooth stride broken by his limp. "For a moment there, I thought we had a real connection. And honestly, I almost put a stop to my plan."
Regina gazed at him in confused amazement "Your plan?"
"Well, their plan," he admitted with a shrug of his shoulders. "But I rather fancied it. And they did save me from that wretched…whatever Maleficent is."
The door behind the counter opened, revealing Greg Mendell and a dark-haired woman she dimly recognized as one who hung around with Gold's son. Both stared in an unnerving manner at her.
Hook gestured to them. "Do you, uh, know these two?" He didn't wait for her to respond. "Well, they have a way with magic. Or should I say, a way against magic."
Regina had heard enough. "Enough of this." She raised her hand, mouthing the spell to conjure a fireball.
Her hand remained empty, her magic fizzling out.
"Yeah, sorry." Greg - Owen - said, not looking sorry at all. "That's not gonna work. Not anymore."
Emma slumped in her seat, gathering a hefty spoonful of ice cream and hot fudge.
"You know, that went better than I expected." Henry said brightly, trying to raise his mother's spirits as best he could. "At least my dad believed us."
"He should, 'cause I'm right about this." Emma muttered, dejectedly remembering the absolute heartbreak that flared in her chest at the pain in Neal's eyes.
Henry nodded with a small, optimistic smile. "And when we prove it, we can all go back to the Enchanted Forest."
Emma said nothing, instead taking another bite of their shared sundae. She didn't want to reveal to him that going back to the Enchanted Forest was the last thing she wanted to do right now.
She couldn't.
David eased the truck along the road, parking it beside the hidden bean field. Shutting off the engine, he climbed out of the vehicle. Leroy and Mary Margaret did the same on the other side.
"You know, when we get back, Leroy, we're going to need your help restoring the palace." David called to the dark-haired man. "It's in pretty bad shape."
Leroy raised a brow at Mary Margaret. "Cosmetic or a total teardown?"
"Burn down." Mary Margaret answered flatly, leaving the dwarf to stare after her in bemusement.
His confusion faded, however, into a cold horror that settled deeply in all their chests when they crossed through the barrier.
"No." David whispered, limbs frozen. His eyes roved over the empty, charred vines.
"What happened here?" Mary Margaret bit her lip, eyes unable to look away from the once flourishing vines.
"The beans - they're gone." David jogged towards the plants, unwilling to believe that each and every one of them could just be gone.
"Nobody steals from a dwarf!" Leroy shouted, breathing so heavily Mary Margaret half-feared he'd pass out from the stress.
"Who would do this?" She asked, her mind already conjuring up several possible solutions.
Neverland
Soon after Lilith's arrival on the island - and likely to gain her favor - Peter had shown her a hidden hot spring hidden high on one of the cliff faces. None of the lost boys knew of it, and he had warded it against the pirates and their resident former fairies as well. Bae knew of its existence, but only because she had mentioned in in conversation.
Even when she hadn't been on speaking terms with Peter, she had allowed herself to relent and make use of the place he'd designated as solely hers. True to his word, no one had bothered her there, not even Peter. Such a sacrifice on his part had been noted, even as consumed by bitter rage as she had been in the beginning of her stay on the island.
Now, decades later, she had softened somewhat towards him and others. So, as she slipped lower into the heated water, when the back of her neck prickled in awareness, no fireballs were thrown.
Turning her head, she peered above the rocky lip of the pool to see Peter entering the cavern. Brow creasing at the black scowl he wore, she rose to rest her arms on the stone. Chin pressed to her forearms, she raised a brow at how unsettled he appeared.
"What is it?"
He paused, eyes flashing upwards, as if he had just realized she was there. Her skin thrummed pleasantly as his eyes slid over her bare, damp skin. Clearly thrown by her presence - though he had to know she was there even before he entered - he swallowed thickly and made his way to her side. Eyes narrowing at the jerky movements, she raised a hand in silent offer.
While there was a flare of tell-tale heat in his eyes, he did little more than smile ruefully at her. "I'm afraid we cannot play today, love. Not with what just happened."
Her skin prickled again, this time with unease. "What happened?"
"Have you been down to the beach lately?" Though his voice was light, his body language was not. Hostility radiated from his every pore and the skin of his knuckles was stretched so tightly over bone it was white.
"Peter," she touched his hand, scowling fiercely when he jerked at the touch. "Will you stop sulking and tell me what the bloody hell is happening? Whatever it is, it can't be that bad."
"Killian is gone."
The blood drained from her face and she felt as if she'd just been nailed in the collarbone with a particularity hard blow. Mouth working, unable to formulate a response, her gaze froze on the murderous expression he wore.
Numbly, she forced her jaw to work. "How? No one can leave the island- " A thought, ugly and horrible, struck her and she stared harder at Peter's suddenly closed-off face. "But he did. He always did. You let him leave with the expectation that he would come back… but he didn't this time, did he?"
When Peter offered no denial, Lilith clapped a hand to her mouth to keep from screaming in rage and fury. He caught the action, one expressive brow rising in mocking concern.
"Not feeling abandoned, are we, Lily?" He sneered without pity, teeth bared in a snarl. "Not- Ah!"
Rolling her eyes, Lilith reached forward and hauled him into the hot spring with her. Twisting in the water, she waited with her arms crossed for him to surface. Within a heartbeat, he rose from the water, coughing and sputtering and glaring irritably at her. Raising a brow in challenge, she waited for him to calm down before she dropped the defensive posture.
"Now that you've recovered from being such a spoiled brat, perhaps you can tell me how the hell Killian managed to break the deal you struck with him? If I recall correctly, he was only allowed to leave when you allowed it, and he had to return when you wished it."
Slowly, Peter began to relax, if only marginally. His fists loosened and when he spoke, his teeth were no longer in danger of grinding themselves to dust. "I don't know how Killian broke the deal - all I know is that he did. One minute I knew exactly where he was, the next he was gone."
"Is he dead?" Outwardly she was calm, but inwardly her heart seized at the thought. Though she knew Killian could never be allowed to leave Neverland, or he would continue to hunt Rumple, Lilith adored the pirate in her own way.
"No, I would know if he was." He slanted a half-amused, half-exasperated look her way. "And so would you."
Sensing he had calmed down, Lilith settled more comfortably in the water, content to wait until he was ready. For his part, Peter caught onto what she was doing through their bond and he chuckled darkly to himself. The sound turned into a groan of annoyance when he realized that his clothes were completely soaked. Twisting his fingers, the clothes and boots vanished and reappeared in a pile next to Lilith's discarded nightshirt.
"You are taking our dear captain's departure far more calmly than I expected," Peter noted, cautiously treading water to fold her into his arms. She went limp at his touch, head falling to rest against the sharp jut of his collarbone.
"There's no point in getting upset," she said with a calm that was frightening. "What good would it do? Hook's gone and both know he'll never be back.
Storybrooke
Inhaling faintly, Regina turned her hands over, eyes falling on her wrist when the sleeve of her jacket rode up. "The cuff." She muttered at the stupid thing. Her eyes rose to burn into Hook's. "You gave me this."
"No, you rather insisted." Hook retorted, not moving an inch when Regina advanced threateningly.
"You knew I would want it."
"True." He allowed, glancing back at the duo behind them. "They rigged it with something that blocks your magic. It's impressive."
Hook turned on his heel, striding to stand behind his employers to avoid being collateral damage. Scowling blackly, Regina slipped off her gloves and glowered at Greg.
"So little bitty Owen does grown-up magic of his own now."
"It's not magic. Actually, this is something much better… science." Greg told her, approaching her with a fairly bland expression. "You… you can stop doing that. It's not gonna work." He recommended when she continued to fiddle with the cuff. "You might be able to get rid of the leather, but inside are the toughest metals and machinery known to man, and right now they're counteracting every magic bone in your body."
"Which one was she?" Tamara asked in a business-like manner, pulling out a list of names from her pocket.
Greg turned to her. "Uh, she was the… the Queen." Her turned back to Regina with a mocking expression. "The Evil Queen."
"Yes." Regina drew herself up proudly. "I was… the Queen."
But now… here… you're nothing."
"And what are you?" Regina snapped back.
"I'm… I'm just a man… a man on a mission."
"And all this just to try to find your father. I already told you, I don't know where- "
"Yes, you do." He cut her off, peaceful demeanor falling for the briefest of seconds. "But that's not my mission."
"Then what is?"
"I'm not telling you." Greg answered with a smile that set Regina's teeth on edge. He addressed Tamara. "Bag her."
Powerless, Regina turned her head to stare at the stone-faced, dark-haired woman as she approached. A smile flirting at the edges of her lips, Tamara produced a black bag and threw it over Regina's head, cutting off her line of sight.
Thoughts? Comments? Questions?