AN:
Edited: 27/07/2022
Introducing Chris Evans (Avenger's 2012) as Captain John Smith
The same night the Charming came after the Evil Queen and her Black Widow, the latter reluctantly left the Queen's side her her vault to seek out the one person that she could trust. At a push.
Letting herself into the large but modern home, she sought out for the older man that assisted the Charming's in their witch hunt over a murder they did not commit. Blinking on her sixth sense she searched the 1st floor for any trace of his presence but found nothing, she looked down and saw something more interesting beneath her boot covered feet.
Finding the cellar door to the basement was easy enough for the Master Assassin. Stood at the top of the stairs her vision found a figure tied to a chair. A firm tug of the pull string next to her head the light of a single bulb hanging from the ceiling flickered on to reveal a portly man she remembered from back home that hung around a hooked leather clad pirate sporting a red knitted hat on his balding head.
Smee.
He had been taken by surprise by the sudden light as he awaited another round of questioning from the Dark One, only to be left disappointed when he saw who truly stood at the top of the stairs. He didn't need to see her face to know that the Black Widow herself was there.
"Well what do we have here?" the man heard her voice for the first time as she slowly took her time stepping down the wooden steps, his breath quickening with the beat of his heart as the woman he feared came closer to him until she stood over him a sickening smirk growing on her face "Or should I say who?" she corrected herself before crouching down on her hunches her green eyes never wavering from his panicking ones as she removed the gag from his mouth.
"L-lady Amelia" he stammered in fear.
"Hello Smee" her tight-lipped smirk grew into a wide one showing her teeth to the kidnapped first mate as she grabbed his knee as felt the tip of of her hidden blades dig into his knee through his pant leg. One wrong move on his end and he would be limping around town just like the Dark One "Tell me, before the curse struck did you and you dear little Captain Hook have the money, you owed me"
"I-I-I-I" he stammered in fear. They hadn't.
"Aren't you wanted for murder?" a voice said from the entrance said making Smee jump in his seat while Amelia didn't even flinch as the blade slid back into her gauntlet.
Amelia stood back up to turn to face the older man at the bottom of the stairs "You would know something about that wouldn't you old man?"
"Alas, if I wanted you or the Queen framed for murder, you would be in the Sheriff's station in a cell" he said making his way towards the woman with his cane.
Smee jumped in his seat as the redhead grabbed his shoulder in a grip that make any man cry out for their mother "I'm willing to bet that the savior will give me some time off jail if I gave her information about poor old Smee being your prisoner. Unless this is a new thing you're trying with Belle?" she teased the man in front of her.
Gold chuckled to himself "No. He's here for a little experiment of mine. Care to join me?"
"Always"
On the ride out to the town line later that night the old man told her how Mr Smee was the one Moe French hired to kidnap Belle and attempt to send her over the line via the mines. Now she didn't feel so bad about not reporting the old man to the Sheriff's office.
Gold's car came to a stop in front of the town boundary. He got out the driver's side while Amelia stepped out onto the road via the passenger side the pair round to the trunk where he then pops the truck, where Smee is bound and gagged inside.
Amelia pulled him out the trunk and set him to walk towards the town line.
"This will only take a moment" Gold said taking the mans gag off. Realizing where he was he turned on the Dark One and Black Widow shuffling backwards in fear as the two predators stalked towards him nearer and nearer to the red line.
"Don't…push me over" Smee begged "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" the reached the line as Amelia kicked the man down on to the ground and snatched his red hat off his sweaty head and handed it to the Dark One.
"You've had this rag since the day we met. Why is it so important to you?" Gold asked the man on the ground
"My grandmother made it for me when I was a boy. It's always brought me good fortune. What difference does it make?"
Amelia watched as the Dark One poured a potion over the hat, causing it to glow with magic "Oh… All the difference in the world. It's your only chance" he replied. He throws the hat back to Smee, who quickly puts it on.
"What do you mean, my only-" before he could finish he felt the bottom of Amelia heeled boot go into his portly stock with enough force to send him over the line onto his back as surge of blue magic pulses around his body, before fading away.
"What's your name?" Gold asks the man after a second or two on the ground.
"William Smee" the man answered from the ground.
"And who are we?" Gold motioned with his came between himself and the red head.
"Rumpelstiltskin" he answered correctly again, picking himself up onto his knees "The Dark One" he said to Gold, then looked over to the red head "And Lady Amelia The Black Widow. I remember everything! How can this be?" he exclaimed in happiness as he stood up.
"Well, it seems our little experiment was a success" Gold reached over and brought Smee back over the line and brought him threateningly close to the Dark One "Now go" Gold lets the man go and Amelia watches on as Smee flees the pair.
Mr Gold looked to Amelia with a devilish smirk "We have a trip to plan"
Enchanted Forest
The tavern filled with laughter and merriment like it had for the last few nights he was sat at the same table with a full mug of mead untouched as he went over the drawn line over and over again in his small book of the face that filled his sweetest dreams and darkest nightmares.
The dreams were a fair skinned woman with dark red hair laughing sweetly holding an infant in her arms. The image always managed to bring a smile to his face. He knew he loved this woman and the infant in her arms.
But then the same nightmare would repeat just as much as the dream. The red headed woman was taken away from him on top of a ship's deck while the infant's cries echoed in the night sky as was taken away from its mother, he felt an unbridled rage as the woman was taken below deck. He wanted to scream at the faceless men, but no sound came out of his mouth. He was flanked either side of him holding him down.
The faceless men kicked and punched at him until was forced onto his knees before the only figure that still held his face looked at him with pity in his eyes, he remembers the long white sharpened nails on his fingers. His black hair was slicked back in such a way not one hair strayed. The next thing he saw was a leather clad pirate with a hook hitting him with a piece of the ship before he gasped awake desperate to fill his chest with much needed air, only for water to rush in instead.
He snapped out of his thoughts when his pencil lead snapped on the page, grumbling a curse as he brushed away the mess that was made. Letting out a frustrated sigh closing his eye praying for the image of the woman he loved dearly to come to him. Only to open them again to look across the tavern floor as he heard a voice.
"It's not in his head – it's in his heart. You're in love" the sweet voice came from a woman in a blue and white dress, she looked sad as she spoke to the shorter men with a beard.
"Well, that's impossible" one of the dwarves in a leather cap argued "Dwarves can't fall in love"
"Trust me. I know love, and you're in it" he watched as the bossy dwarf dismissively waves his hand and goes back to join the others as the other turns in his seat to face the woman.
"What's it like?" he asked the woman.
"It's the most wonderful and amazing thing in the world. Love is hope. It fuels our dreams. And if you're in it, you need to enjoy it. Because love doesn't always last forever" her last sentence made his heart skip a beat.
"But, if love's so great, then why do I feel so bad right now?"
"You need to be with the person you love"
"Yeah, but how do I know she feels the same way? All she talked about was going to see some fireflies – not loving me"
"What… what did she tell you about these fireflies?"
"Uh, that she was going to go see them on the hilltop tonight. That she heard they were the most beautiful sight in all the land" he trailed pff caught in the daydream "What?"
"She wasn't telling you about the fireflies. She was inviting you to go be with her"
"You think so?"
"I've had my heart broken enough to know when somebody's reaching out. Now go. Find your love, find your hope, find your dreams" he looked down at his book that held numerous pages of the woman from his dreams. Was she real or was she just that..a dream.
Being a fugitive of the law sucked. In an attempt to kill some time while hiding in the back she grabbed any book she could find and started to read it. The one she had was on a creature called a Yaohuai. A mythical creature that was encased with fire that terrorized villages, burning everything in its wake. She found translating the passages easy as she waited for Gold to work on two more of the same potions they had tested on Smee the previous night.
One for him. And one for her.
"Have you thought what's talisman you'd use" Gold asked the red head who was deep into a book she had found in his shop. He wasn't surprised to see her easily read the different language. She had been trained from a young age in the many different languages that lived in the Enchanted Forest, even dabbling in a few dead one's when she started working with him. One of her greatest strengths was her intellect and her ability to soak in any new information that came her way only for her emotions to let her down time after time.
Closing the book with her finger trapped between the pages, not to lose her place she looked to the man to answer his sudden question"Something with sentimental value I assume?" she rebutted with a raised brow. Gold nodded. Closing her book completely, she placed it down on the surface, she pulled off a chunky silver ring that lived on the middle of her right hand, showing it to the older man.
He knew that ring well. Every Assassin owned one once they passed their trails and were initiated into the Brotherhood as a fully fledged Master assassin. In the middle of the band was a dark engraving of the arrow head like insignia that symbolized the creed of killers.
"Your ring?"
Returning it to her finger she opened the book up again answering the man's initial question further "My father gave it to me when I was initiated into the order, I never took it off even as I ran for my life"
"Not even when you married your explorer?" he inquired with the Assassin.
"Captain" she corrected the man giving the man a pointed look of annoyance. He knew he was Captain. He just wanted a rise out of her "Especially then. I wanted to give our son something about his grandfather, about my family" he stayed quiet at the mention of her family. But was saved when his cell rung and answered it.
"Hey Belle" Gold answered the phone which made the Assassin roll her eyes "Belle? You're.. You're breaking up. Who's in the library?" he said into the phone making the red head forget about her book as she listened on "Belle? Belle? Belle? Hello?" the line cut out.
"Stay here" he ordered the red head as he rushed out of the back room with his cane and coat leaving the Assassin by herself.
The next night he returned to the tavern with his book laid out in front of him as he worked on another image he remembered, this time the woman was sleeping soundly, with no worry on her face. With his mug of mead untouched the same as any other night he would spend in the tavern he found himself sitting behind the woman in the blue dress that advised the dwarf of following his heart, he desperately wanted to talk to her ask her questions, he had found out her name was Belle.
On the page he couldn't quite get her thin lips right, he found himself erasing the lines once again and starting again when a man's voice yelled over the taverns laughter, he looked up from his drawing to watch the man speak to the patrons as another man nailed a sketch of the beat on a wooden post.
"There's a fearsome beast ravaging a faraway kingdom" the man announced to the tavern "Its eyes burn with fire. They call it the yaoguai. No man has been able to kill it, but we will. There's room on our wagon. Now, who's going to join us?"
"Looking for an adventure?" a voice he recognized suddenly spoke to Belle
"Dreamy, right?"
"Yes. I came to thank you" Dreamy said as he sat down opposite her "That advice you gave me last night? It worked. Nova and I are running away together"
Belle let out a laugh that reminded him of the red headed woman in his dreams "That… That's wonderful.
"Why don't you sign up?" Dreamy asked the woman referring to the hunting party.
"I, um… I've always dreamt of heroics, but… I think it's safer I stick to my books. They're the only adventures I know that have happy endings"
"Well, maybe this one'll have one, too"
"Well, yeah, I doubt it. Last time I faced a beast, it… It didn't end well"
"What are you talking about?"
"Men, follow me" the man heading the hunting party announced "Yaoguai awaits" He watched the men begin filing out of the tavern.
"Get on that wagon" Dreamy encouraged the woman "Go. Take a chance"
Belle didn't speak as she thought about the thought of helping the hunting party "Thank you" Belle packs up her book and goes to leave, with a giggle in glee.
But Dreamy stooped her stops her "Wait! Belle, wait" he watched as the dwarf stood from his place and give Belle a small satchel "It's fairy dust. Might come in handy"
"Oh, no… Thank you, I… I've seen what magic does to people" Belle protested.
"You've seen what dark magic does. Fairies use this for good. Now go be a hero"
"Okay" she takes the satchel and runs off to catch up to the group.
Under the table his leg shook until her pushed himself from his seat snatching up his sketch book and run out of the tavern. He saw the woman Belle had manged to catch up to the hunting part on their cart.
"Hey wait!" he yelled was he shoved his book into his satchel as he ran lucky she and the hunting party leader had seen a heard him.
"You wish to catch the Yaoguai" he said as he approached him holding out his gloved hand "What's your name good man?"
He held out his own hand and grabbed the leaders hand in his own and a firm grip "Smith. John Smith"
A while later after the old man had left to find Belle the red head was disturbed from her book when she heard glass shattering from the front room. Quietly she stood up and found a small mirror and lean next to the door to the front and slowly opened the door and moved the mirror to see the reflection as the noise continued.
Amelia saw Smee throwing items around the shop she went to move the mirror but the book she was reading fell onto the floor with a thump halting the movements in the shop. Amelia dived behind the door and listened. He stopped what he was doing for a few seconds before continuing. After a few minutes she heard the shop door open and close before she came out of her hiding spot and opened the door to find the shop in a tip. Glass was broken and everything had been turned upside down.
She quickly checked the safe that he hid behind a painting to see it was empty.
"He's not gonna be happy"
John sat on the back of the cart next to Belle who was studying a book in her hands as they traveled into towards the beast. He looked out into the scenery around them as they traveled trying to see if he remembered anything. But once again he came up with nothing.
Belle couldn't help but look at the man next to her, she knew him, but she wasn't sure where. He had short blonde hair that was divided at the side, but it was long enough that he could swept it either side. It was a little un-kept as few strands of hair hung over his forehead.
He was tall and broad shouldered, even under the distressed brown leather jacket she could see he was strong, underneath the jacket he wore a deep blue tunic that had seen better days', the tunic matched his pants. But he wore maroon boots that covered his feet and went up to his knees which made him stand out from the rest of the men.
His blue eye's caught her staring at him which made her jump "Can I help you Ma'am" he gently inquired with the woman.
"I'm sorry but do I know you?" she asked him.
"I was in the tavern last night and the night previous Ma'am you might have seen me"
"My name is Belle; you don't need to call me Ma'am" she corrected him.
"Sorry, old habits. I'm John" he said offering his hand in greeting, she went to shake it only for one of the men at the front of the cart to come between them.
"What's that?" a man from the party interrupted their conversation from behind them.
"Uh, a book?" Belle answered the man sarcastically "I trust you've seen them before" John had to turn his head to the side as a tight lipped smirk grew on his face.
"You expect to defeat the fiercest creature in the land with a book?" the man questioned them.
"Maybe she means to bore it to death" Another man joked making the party except from John and Belle laugh.
"It will tell us how to find the yaoguai" Belle tells him.
The man reached over and snatched the book out of her hands "These are just scribbles"
"It's called another language" John intervened as he snatched the book back "And one that we know how to translate" he gestured between the two of them as Belle looked over at the blonde man in surprise.
"What?"
"Oh, I thought it was just scribbles?" Belle retorted as John handed her the book back.
"We're here to protect the land, girl. If that book tells us where to go, you shall share it with us"
"It says we'll find the yaoguai by the lake" John answered for her.
"The lake, you say?" the man asked the pair.
Belle nodded along "Yes"
The man turned to the driver "You heard him, Claude! We're going to the lake!" The man pushes Belle off the wagon while it's still in motion.
"Hey!" John protested as he stood up on the cart but was quickly met with a dagger held to his throat.
"Get off or die Smith" John stared at the man as he tensed his jaw as he held up his hands in surrender and turns to step off the moving cart.
"To the lake!" John heard a man yell as he landed on the dirt ground.
"Don't forget your book!" The man tosses the book and hits John in the back, making him wince in pain as he heard the book thud on the dirt road leaving him and Belle on their own. John watched the men ride further away.
"Enjoy the lake!" Belle yelled at them as she saw John watch them ride away. She brushed the dirt off her clothes as she approached the blonde man "John are you okay?"
"I'm fine" he said as he bent down to retrieve the book off the road and straightened up give her book back to her.
"The yaoguai prefers mountain habitats to all others" John told her "The yaoguai hibernates by day, hunts by night" Belle looks at the passage in surprise to see he was right.
"How do you know this language?"
"Didn't ma'am, first time seeing it" he said as he started to walk up the road, Belle ran after the man as she pressed him for more answers.
"But you translated it perfectly" she argued in disbelief "You must've known all along about the yaoguai"
John stopped making her stop short letting out a frustrated short sigh "Look I'll explain on the way we're losing light if you're really serious about finding the yaoguai" Belle nodded and followed the man down the dirt path towards the mountains.
After retrieving Belle from the library after Captain Hook's attack, Gold escorted his love down main street seething at the pirate's gall to attack the young brunette back to his pawn shop knowing he had an attack dog ready and waiting just to put the man back in his place. But he couldn't risk one of the hero's or their daughter to spotting the wanted woman only to arrest her for another murder. He was more use to her as she was now, hiding in the back of his shop.
"Where are you going?" the librarian asked the older man as they moved quicker than she would have been comfortable with.
"The shop" he curtly answered.
"Why?"
"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"
"Rumpel, no. We… We need to report this to the Sheriff. They'll take care of 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" Belle pleaded with the man.
"But he tried to harm you" he tried to argue.
"But why? What… What happened between you two?"
"Belle…" he sighed "This is really not your concern" Belle stopped and turned on the man making him stop too.
"He attacked me. It most definitely is my concern" she argued. She never wanted to feel that scared again as she hid in the elevator.
Mr. Gold sighed and relented to the woman he love "Many years ago, I was married to a woman named Milah… Until Hook crossed our paths"
"She was Baelfire's mother?"
She could see the hurt behind the story as he continued "Yeah. 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" the pain quickly disappeared as he finished his story. Gold continued down the street with Belle following him.
"That's why he came after me. But, uh, what… What about her? What… What did he do? Rumpel, you can… You can tell me anything" They had finally reached the pawn shop
"She died. That's all that matters" he opened the shop door to see his shop partly destroyed and Amelia sat behind the counter with a book, nonchalantly flipping the pages as the shop lay in ruins around her.
"Amelia?" Belle whispered in shock seeing the red head.
"What happened?" Gold asked the red head.
"Isn't it obvious old man…. a tornado swept through "she answered flipping a page "You got robbed"
"And you did nothing about it?"
"My hands were tied couldn't risk them calling the damn sheriff's" she tells him looking up to see Belle next to him she smiled at her "Hey Belle"
Belle turned to Gold accusingly "You're harboring a murderer as well. I'm calling the sheriff now"
"No Belle. Please." He pleaded stopped her from leaving the shop "I need her assistance finding my boy, she has a talent for finding people. She's no use to me in a cell"
"And I didn't kill anyone by the way" Amelia quickly added "It was Smee who robbed you, if you're interested"
"Hook" he seethed angrily "This is why he attacked you"
"To get you out of the store" Belle realised "What did he want?" Gold rushed to the safe behind Amelia only to see it empty.
In his anger over the deception Gold begins smashing things with his cane, until Belle stops him as Amelia tries to clean floor the best she could "Rumpel! Rumpel!" Belle calls out to the man "Stop it! Stop, please"
Belle grabbed his arm as Amelia went to stop her as she knew not to get in the way of his temper when he go going, but she didn't have to seeing how he calmed himself down as "No, you're right" he sighed "I'll have to retrieve what's mine"
"Let me… Let me help you" He stalks towards the exit only for Belle to get in the way again.
"This is my fight!" he yelled.
"And this is my fault!" she retorted "If Hook had never attacked me, you never would have left the shop"
"How do you propose that we get the shawl back? Have you dueled with a pirate before? How exactly are you going to help me?" he questioned the woman.
"Well, I'm not just going to sit here and do nothing!" she pointed to the red head "Let Amelia go with you at least she can get the shawl back" she pleaded with the man, he looked back to see Amelia continuing to clean the shop while he talked to Belle before turning back to Belle.
"No. She can't be seen. If someone calls the sheriff I can't have them get in the way" he told her, Amelia's eyebrow raised in curiosity over the old mans protectiveness of her "She'll be of more use with you"
"Why?!"
"You're going to go back to the library, lock the door, and wait for me to dispense with this problem! Amelia will look after you"
"And, if I don't? You'll… You'll cast some spell that gives me no choice?" Belle argued.
"No. I trust you'll do as I wish, as you trust me to be a better man. Belle, please. Hook has maybe cost me the chance of finding my son. I don't want to lose you, too" he tells the woman he loves as she walks to a drawer "Here, look. I want you to take this" Mr. Gold pulls a gun out of one of the drawers and hands it to Belle.
Belle reluctantly took the gun from the man "Just in case Hook is stupid enough to come after you again. Point this, pull this trigger, and the gun'll do the rest for you. If not, I know Amelia here will enjoy taking care of the pirate once and for all"
"You know me so well Rumple" Amelia said from the back.
"Yes, I understand" He tries to leave, again, but Belle stops him at the door "W-wait. Promise me that you're going after Hook is just about getting the shawl back" Mr. Gold doesn't respond, and abruptly leaves. Leaving the woman, he loved with the woman he secretly trusted completely to keep the former safe from any harm.
"So let me understand this" Belle replied after listening to John's story as they trudged through the forest in search for the yaoguai's nest "You woke up on a beach near the Forbidden Fortress with no memory of your past. Only that you're searching for a woman with red hair who you think is your wife" she summarized as they trekked through the dense forest, as they looked out for an caves that housed the creature.
"I don't think. She is my wife" he corrects her as they come to a stop.
"Then why can't you remember her name?" the young woman challenges him.
"All I know is that I need to find her and our son, its hard enough that I only know her face, she could be anywhere or worse" he trailed off pushing those dark thoughts to the back of his minds. There was a chance she wasn't alive at all, but he couldn't let himself believe that. He had to make sure.
Seeing the distress on his face Belle felt sympathy for the man having found his love only to lose it "I'm sorry, you lost them"
"Well sorry isn't gonna bring them back"
"Why are you here then?" she questioned him "Shouldn't you be searching for them?"
"I did the same thing you did in the tavern" he said "Took a chance for an adventure" a sweet smile grew on Belle's lips before the pair continued with their adventure.
Amelia managed to get Belle to the library without being seen by taking the roofs and meeting the brunette at the front door of the library. Belle let her slip in just as she saw a group of dwarves walk by dressed in black with their head's hung low on the opposite side of the street.
It must've been the funeral today. The knot in her stomach grew tighter as she pushed it aside to concentrate on her task at hand. Protecting Belle from Captain Hook. She didn't know how the man made it to this land, but none of that mattered until she finished her final contract with the Dark One.
Once inside Belle locked them back inside while Amelia did a quick sweep of the library finding it clear of angry pirates before they got on with tidying the library left in the Captain's attack.
The pair stayed in comfortable silence as they went to work tidying the mess Belle had made trying to defend herself from the pirate.
"Did you really kill him?" Belle broke the silence broaching the subject with the woman.
"You do know who you're talking to right?" Amelia raised a brow at the brunette.
"Archie" she clarified for the red head "In the shop you said you didn't kill him"
"Did you believe me?" Amelia asked Belle "Because I don't know what to believe anymore if I'm being honest"
The brunette listening to the redhead as she continued to pick up books from the floor.
"I traded a corrupt Brotherhood. A creed of killers that justified killing people to save the realm to The Black Widow who justified killing the corrupt Brotherhood to feel like she's brought some kind of justice to her family, only to make things worse for the person she wants to be seen as" she paused "Why would I kill then man who saw Amelia for the first time in decades over a temper tantrum. I was starting to get somewhere with his sessions to see… that The Black Widow's first victim was Amelia Montague. Now I'm back where I started with everyone including myself. I may have been angry at him, but I didn't kill him"
Belle gave the red head a sad smile "I'm sorry Lia. If it help's I believe you"
"Thanks" she whispered, and the pair went back into silence. When Amelia reached for another book, she saw a knotted piece of rope, picking it up to inspect it "The monkey's fist" she whispered recognising the knot. Belle heard her old friend talking to herself.
"Lia?" Belle said from behind her as she stood to meet the brunette.
"My father taught me this knot on his ship. What's the bet this came off Captain Hook?" she said holding the rope up.
Belle searched through the shelves of books until she found the one, she was looking for 'A Nautical Guide' she placed it on the surface next to the piece of rope until she found the page that when through how to tie the Monkey's Fist.
"Your right. Hook came here on his ship" Belle told Amelia.
"Is there any point trying to convince you not to go?" Belle shook her head with a tight smile as they both headed for the door to the docks.
After a short trek further up the mountain the pair finally made it to a cave hidden among the foliage of the forest, coming to a stop Belle read over the page that John had perfectly translated earlier that day much to the bookworm's surprise.
"The yaoguai prefers mountain habitats to all others. The yaoguai hibernates by day, hunts by night. "Please be asleep"
"Only one way to find out" John sighed drawing out his sword from the leather sheath around his waist as, she draws a dagger and begins slowly approaching the cave.
However, Belle steps on a branch, alerting the yaoguai to her presence. The yaoguai roared inside it's cave, grabbing Belle's arm John drag her away from the entrance of the cave just as it charges out of the cave towards its trespasses only for her to trip on a tree root making the pair fall onto the ground, John throws himself over the woman to protect her as much as he could only for an arrow from behind them to hit the creature making it run away.
Getting off his new friend they turn on their back to see a masked warrior approach them, he took off it mask to reveal a woman with long black hair help them back onto their feet's.
"How can we thank you?" John huffed out to the female warrior "Y-you saved our lives"
"And you ruined my hunt" the woman Mulan added much to her annoyance "It took me weeks to track the yaoguai here"
"Yeah. We found it in a day" Belle points out to the woman picking up the book from the ground.
"You had luck on your side" Mulan argued.
"No, not luck. It was this" She holds up her book "We could, uh… I can help you find it again" John nodded along with the younger woman.
"You both done enough damage already. If you really want to help? Stay out of my way"
Amelia and Belle arrived at the docks to the sound of seagulls and bells clanging in the distance. They were searching for the Jolly Roger. The wooden dock creaked under their feet as they searched for the large ship as the blustery sea wind whipped up their hair.
"Where is it?" Belle asked out loud with the gun Gold gave her in her hand as they walked further down the dock. Amelia stopped looking up to see seagulls perched on something invisible, she stretched her arm out and stopped the brunette from moving.
"Wh-?" the brunette started to say but Amelia stopped her putting her finger to her lips and pointed out the seagulls to the librarian, she blinked on her sixth sense and chuckled to herself as she saw the Jolly Roger through the cloaking spell "Found you" she whispered.
"Found what?" Amelia looked back at the brunette and saw a box that said sand on the side.
"Grab some sand and throw it over there" Belle looked at the red head a little confused but followed the instructions throwing near the edge of the dock where Amelia was pointing to to see the steps that lead up to the ship appear in the sand.
"Found you" she repeated the redheads words.
Amelia went first and climbed up the steps in confidence only to vanish as she went through the cloaking.
"Amelia!" Belle called out in panic.
Amelia's head stuck out of the cloaking spell "Are you coming or not? Rumple will kill me if I let you out of my sight" Belle smiled and followed the Assassin carefully feeling out the invisible steps until she ended up on the edge of the Jolly Roger with the red head.
"What a piece of junk" she sighed jumping from the edge onto the deck.
After failing to defeat the creature John and Belle retreated to the nearest village to re-group before they tried again. The yaoguai was now in the wind but John wouldn't let them go against them. the pair stood at the well as the blonde man pulled up a bucket of fresh water for the pair before he felt himself be forced around with his back against the stone well and a sharp knife at the base of his throat meeting the same men that had kicked them off the cart in search of the creature as two other's held up Belle from he legs as she tried to cling onto the edge of the well.
"The yaoguai wasn't at the lake" the man holding John against the well growled in his face.
"I'm, uh… I'm sorry. I… I m… I must've misread that one" Belle stuttered as the tried to keep herself steady at the mercy of the men keeping her out of the well.
"See, you know what I think happened?" one of the other men started "I think you sent us in the wrong direction on purpose"
Suddenly, one of the men is hit and is thrown onto the ground. Mulan emerges from the crowd of villagers "Let them go" the warrior from earlier sauntering into the village square making the man that held the blonde man distracted enough for him to rear a tight fist back before throwing it into his face making him fall to the floor.
"This isn't your fight, solider" one of the men warns her. The man holding Belle drops her back onto the ground draws his sword to face the warrior himself and begins to swipe at Mulan. Unarmed, she twists him onto the ground, losing her helmet in the process. The movement took the blonde man by surprise as it seemed to remind him of the red headed woman he was searching for, like it was something she had done.
"Wait. You're a-" he didn't get the finish his sentence when she punches him in the face.
"Yeah, I know" Mulan notices that a crowd has gathered at the scene. She directs her attention towards the men"
"Go" Mulan tells them as they all get up from the ground to leave. Mulan approaches Belle and John.
"We didn't expect to see you again" John speaks up "Thank you"
"I had to put up with brutes like them when I served in the Emperor's army. Fools who think that women have no business holding a sword. I only wish there was someone there to stand up for me" Mulan grimaces in pain and grabs her knee. She's clearly wounded.
"You're, uh… You're bleeding" Belle states seeing the blood on Mulan's gloves.
"I'll survive" Mulan reassures them "The sun should be setting soon. We need to move out"
"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"
Belle looks towards John who give her a small smile in agreement before looking back Mulan "I'd be honoured to help you"
"How do you know where the ship was?" Belle asked her as Amelia opened the door to the crew quarters in the hull.
"One of the many benefits of being an Assassin. Some have this ability to hear objects, see sound. It's how I find most things. We called it Eagle Vision. The brotherhood trains those with the ability, make it easier to tell friend from foe and highlight your target from a distance"
"W-What am I?"
"You come up as blue, an ally or friend, it really depends on the situation"
"And an enemy?"
"Red" she answered plainly as she made her way into the hull. Belle followed behind the Assassin gripping the gun in her hand tightly as they came across a door to their left. The door creaked as Amelia open the door to a bunk room, the ship creaked as it swayed slightly in the water. Their footstep's must have been heard as a voice called out to them.
"Hello?" a muffled voice came from below them. Belle looked at the redhead in confusion who just looked back at her with the same look.
"Uh..H-Hello?" she replied
"Down here!" the man's voice came from a bench. Belle opens the grate while Amelia stood back ready to pounce if need be.
"Belle! Oh, thank God!" She recognised the voice as Archie and squeezed in next to the brunette to see the man himself alive and well tied to the ship.
"Archie! You're… You… You're okay!" Belle exclaimed in relief seeing the man alive and well.
"Archie" she retorted in disbelief.
"Yes, I… I… I am. I… I… Can… Can you, uh…" Amelia still stunned at seeing the man she was accused of killing Belle grabbed her wrist and make her hidden blade jump out and pull her arm to slice through the ropes that bound his wrist. He unties his legs himself and climbs out to face Amelia.
"Archie" she repeated.
"Yes it's me" without a beat the Amelia moves forward throwing her arms around his torso engulfed the man in a hug of relief as he reciprocates.
Belle let Amelia have her moment until she had to interrupt it was they pulled away, she could see the tears of relief in her eyes "Go" she tells Archie "Find Mr. Gold. Tell him I'm here. Bring him back to the ship" she instructs him.
"Wait. You're not coming with me?" A creaking noise is heard from above.
"Go. Go! Go, go! There's no time to argue" Archie nodded and ran out of the hull onto the deck.
"Lia go with him, make sure he's okay" Belle pushed the woman to the door.
"Belle-"
"Please just go, prove to the town you're not the Black Widow anymore" Amelia relented and nodded to the brunette and followed Archie out of the Jolly Roger.
It was dark by the time Belle, John and Mulan came to ridge as they tried to find the fiery creature as they find a field below them on fire, but it wasn't a field, it was another village that had been left in the wake of the creature's trail.
"It's just ahead" Belle tells the warrior.
"You found it. Your books serve you well" the warrior compliments the young brunette before she cringes in pain due to her injured knee.
"Mulan, your leg's getting worse" John tells the woman.
"No. I have to protect my village" she tells them. Mulan attempts to walk, but collapses in John's arms, the blonde man easily catching her.
"You can't even walk. How are you going to kill the yaoguai?" John argues to the woman.
"I'm not" she looks to Belle "She is"
"Me?" Belle gasps in shock "I… I'm… I'm… I'm not a soldier" Belle stutters.
"You have good instincts. You tracked down that beast faster than I ever could"
"Uh, tracking it and killing it are not the same thing" Belle argues.
"There was once a time when people didn't think that I had what it took, either, but I proved them wrong"
"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. I never gave up. Belle… The fate of my village depends on you" Mulan unbuckles her sword and hands it to Belle "Don't be afraid"
At Mary Margaret's apartment, Henry is drawing at the table, while Pongo lies near his feet. They had to say goodbye to their friend that morning. The day had been rough for all of them partially Henry. He seemed to cheer up after Emma suggested they take in Pongo, Archie's Dalmatian.
Emma came down the stairs of the loft to see Henry sat at the table drawing, she approached them seeing what he was drawing, he had plotted the layout of the loft "You plotting your escape from Shawshank, kid?" she asked him.
"No, there're blueprints" he told his birth mother "I had some ideas for what to do if David and Mary Margaret move out. Look"
Henry held up his paper to Emma to take a closer look "You want to make Mary Margaret's room an armoury?"
"Yeah. You know, for weapons and stuff. To protect us – from Regina and Amelia"
Emma felt her heart tug at Henry's explanation and crouched down to speak to him "They're not going to hurt you. I'm not going to let them"
"They hurt Archie. What if Regina wants to take me back? Amelia would help her"
"That's not going to happen" she quickly shut her son's thought pattern down. A knock on the door, which causes Pongo to bark and whine as he ran to the door
Emma saw the sudden change on demeanor of the dog "Pongo? What is it?" Emma stood up answers the door and discovers Archie – alive with Amelia behind him.
"Archie…" she greets him in shock.
"Hi" he replies making his way into the loft as Amelia leant against the door frame.
"What happened?
"It was Cora. She kidnapped me" Archie told the blonde as Henry ran to him in happiness. Emma turned back to Amelia while Henry and Archie reunited.
"Seem's she manged to follow you and Snow here on Hooks ship" Amelia continued "I got the full story on the way here from where he was being held"
"Lia-" Emma whispered.
"I think you own me an apology, I'm thinking, in writing first, then a press conference, then-"she was interrupted when a figure ran into her torso to wrap his arms around her in glee burying his head into her stomach.
"Lia, I knew it!" Henry exclaimed as Amelia hugged him back. Once she broke apart from the boy she stood up to meet the blonde's eye.
"Lia. We were wrong. You didn't do anything. I'm sorry" the blonde tells her.
"Apology accepted Sheriff"
"Which also means that Regina didn't do it" Emma realized.
"Maybe we should let her know" Henry spoke up.
"Yeah. But something tells me, either way, we're going to pay the price"
With John by her side Belle finds the creature in the walking in the field, the pair stand and watch "Do you trust me?" she asks him.
"I have so far" John says not taking his eye's off the yaoguai "Why'd you ask?"
"Because what I'm about to do might kill us"
"We'll walk it off" he says shrugging his shoulders.
"OVER HERE! OVER HERE!" Belle gets the creatures attention as John joined in; it roars at them as they start to run towards the village, once inside the 'abandoned' with the yaoguai trailing close behind, they ran towards a water wheel, they wait by the above ground water system and draws their swords.
John felt his heart hammer in his chest as he kept himself calm enough to keep his ground against creature. He hadn't felt this scared in a long time as he heard a woman's scream in the distance mixed with the cry of a child in the distance. He knew where he had heard them before, the scream had come from his wife and the infant's cries had come from his own son as he was wretched out of her arms.
Shaking the memory out of his head he focused on the fiery creature that was quickly approaching them, when it got close enough they slashed the water pipes with their sword releasing a blast of water from the directed at the creature, pushing it away from them.
The drenched creature struggled to get up from the ground as they slowly approached it seeing that it's writing symbols in the dirt.
"You… You're writing something" Belle says in surprise.
"Jiu wo" John translates for the pair easily once again "Save me. You need help" sheathing their swords Belle takes out the satchel of fairy dust.
"Let's, uh… Let's give this a try, shall we?" She sprinkles the fairy dust over the yaoguai, and in a puff of purple smoke, transforms the beast into a human – Phillip.
"The curse…" the Prince looks up to his saviors "You broke it" John quickly stepped forward.
"Someone did this to you?" John asked the man as he grasped the man's forearm helping the man back onto his feet.
"Maleficent – an evil sorceress from my kingdom determined to do everything in her power to keep me apart from Aurora, my true love" he explained to the pair "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. Except you two"
"Well, you're not the first beast I've faced" Belle tells him.
"I am forever in your debt. Please, tell me how I might repay you.
"Our friend's hurt. She… She needs a doctor" Belle tells him "As do you. Help me bring her back to the village"
"It would be my honour"
Finding the trek back to where they had left Mulan was easy to find. John had discovered the man they had saved was Prince Phillip. He was somewhat familiar with the royalty in the Enchanted Forest. He also knew about the rivalry between the Evil Queen and Snow White. Ever so weary not to get caught in the middle of the fight. The people who did usually didn't get to see another day. He had also heard rumors of an Assassin that worked for the Evil Queen. The Black Widow. He had never seen the woman herself and he wanted to keep it that way.
The three arrive to where Mulan has set up camp "My… My friend's over that ridge. There she is" they found her reading the same book they had been using to track 'Prince Philip'.
"Belle. John. You're alive" she says taking Belle's hand.
"We, uh… we did it. we defeated the yaoguai. …With a little help" she added looking to the Prince.
"Who are you?"
"I was the yaoguai" the prince simply explained.
"He was cursed. So, I helped him" Belle tells her "Now he's going to help you"
"Wait. You're not coming?"
"John is going with you with his quest to find his lost wife and son, while I have another beast to face. Goodbye" she tells the female warrior handing her back her sword, while Mulan hands Belle her book.
"Goodbye, Belle" at the warrior's farewell, Belle heads into the forest,with John watching her disappear into the forest a beat later John runs after her calling her name while Phillip remained with Mulan.
"We haven't been properly introduced. My name's Phillip"
"Mulan"
The blonde man quickly catches up to the young brunette, his quick strong steps hit the forest floor as he called out for his new friend "Belle! Wait up!" John calls after the woman who was running after her making her stop and turn around to face him.
"What is it?" the young brunette asked him in confusion.
"I just uh.." he seemed lost for words he waned to say to her "I wanted to say thank you, for everything, you've made this adventure something I'll never forget...hopefully"
A light chuckle left her lips at the attempt to lighten the moment "Your Welcome John, I hope you find what you're looking for, I couldn't imagine what your going through, your wife is a very lucky to have someone like you looking for her"
"Thank you" he says giving the woman a charming smile that would make any woman swoon at the sight "I wanted to tell you remembered something while we were facing the yaoguai"
"You did" she said with genuine excitement in her eyes "What did you remember?"
"Her name, it just suddenly came to me and I can't get it out of my head, I need to tell you"
"What's her name?"
"Amelia" he tells her with a relieved smile on his face, just saying it out loud felt like the weight of the world came off his shoulders, tears glistened in his eye's hearing the name roll off his tongue "Her name is Amelia"
Stepping forward Belle engulfed the man in a heartfelt embrace, wrapping his arms around her shoulder as he allowed his friend to comfort him before pulling away her hand still on his shoulders as she looked into his blue eye's "You will find her again John, and when you do promise me, you won't let her go again"
"I promise" he tell her "Stay safe" he tells her before letting his friend go.
Heading back to the camp John left the young woman ready to start the next chapter to find his own true love: Amelia Smith.
The Assassin couldn't wait to rub Archie's true fate in the faces of Prince Charming and Snow White but she was needed at the town line, she wanted to finish her final contract for the old man and be done with that part of her life once and for all. She tried to call Regina before she left, but she didn't answer her. She waited at the town line in the head lights of Gold's car as she waited of Rumple to step out of the vehicle.
The redhead greeted the man with a sharp nod as he saw her as Belle walked around the car to meet Amelia engulf her in a hug in greeting. She hugged the girl back in relief seeing that she was okay. When she and Archie found Gold at the dock's he was angry that Amelia had left her. But he seemed to calm down after Amelia reminded him that Belle was stronger that she let on. He wholeheartedly agreed with her before allowing her to continue onto the loft with Archie.
Amelia held back as Mr. Gold and Belle approach the town line. Mr. Gold pours the potion over the shawl, causing it to glow with magic. Belle put the shawl around his neck ready for him to step into the world of no magic.
Amelia did the same as she took her ring off and poured the bottle Gold had given to her when he arrived and watched as the silver ring glow in magic before she put it back where it had belonged on her middle finger and flexed her fingers into a fist and back again. She stepped up to the line with Rumple to her right.
"Okay…" Belle started
"Here we go" Amelia said as she looked to man next to her "If this doesn't work, I just want to say how much I really do hate you"
The man seemed to chuckle to himself with a tight smile "The feeling's mutual Miss Montague" he replied.
Amelia closed her eyes and took the leap of faith with Gold next to her. She felt the magic encase her body. It felt like she was falling in the air from the highest point in the world as her short hair whipped up in the wind, she opened her eyes and whirled around to see herself in on the other side of line.
"Belle…" she hears a voice next to her to see Belle edge closer to the town line and grabs Mr. Gold's hand.
"Miss Montague?" the old man looks towards the woman she had worked for him for so long. To see her fall back into her cursed self would be a shame within it self. Not only he would lose the one person he could find his son for him, but she'd be once again trapped within her own mind.
"It's still me old man" she told him a small smile graced his face seeing that the potion had worked for her.
"It… It worked" Belle spoke up as Amelia stepped over the line again letting out a breath of relief as she remembered her un-cursed life.
"Yes, it did. It did" Gold replied as Amelia waited for the man.
"Now you can find your son"
"Oh, Belle, I so wish you were coming with me"
"As do I, but… It doesn't matter"
"And why not?"
"Because you'll find him. And, when you do, I'll be here waiting for you when you get back"
Time slowed down for the Assassin as the hairs on her arms sprung to life, sensing the danger nearby. From the corner of her eye she saw none other than Captain Hook dressed in his long leather jacket suddenly come from nowhere with a gun pointed straight at Belle. Her feet moved faster than her mind as the gun shot went off just as the redhead suddenly jumped in front of her friend taking the bullet into her shoulder, only for the momentum of the small but deadly object to fall back into the young brunette, pushing her over the line into Gold's arms to catch her before she hit the ground.
Her ears rung out as her now injured shoulder took the brunt of her fall onto the hard road as she yelled out in pain.
"I wouldn't count on it" Hook grinned seeing both the crocodiles love on the ground along with the Widow herself.
"Belle?!" Gold calls out to this love in concern gently lowering her to the ground. She looks up at him with a confused look on her face.
"W-Who's Belle?" the brunette questioned the older man above her.
"Oh, no. No, no, no, no…"
"Oh, fear not. She'll live. She'll just have no idea who you are" Amelia heard Hooks voice jeer at the older man unaware that she took the bullet starting to push herself off the ground. She may be in pain but there was no way the man was going to get away with hurting her friend.
"What you've done cannot be undone"
"Well, now you finally know how it feels! Well, go ahead, crocodile. Do your worst!"
"I intend to" her voice made the Captain look to where the redhead was on the floor only to see her on her feet and focused on him "Hello Hook" Amelia growled, Hook's smug face fell as he saw The Black Widow on her feet, bleeding from her shoulder with her fists clenched and hidden blades showing and The Dark One with a fireball in his hand. Hook points the gun at her again only for the Assassin to run at him.
He shoots at the woman again only to miss as a car suddenly barrels down the road towards them. Mr. Gold grabs Belle and rolls them both out of the way, but the car ends up hitting Hook and Amelia hard, sending the two over the windscreen of the car and roof and back on the ground.
The last thing that Amelia heard before she let the darkness takeover was her name being called out, she tried to made sense of the world only for her eye's to flutter close. Then darkness.
AN: Hello there!
Shout-out to xwolvie and RonalynTrese for the follow. Much appreciated!
Another long one. Well Done!
Not so much action as the last and but the next few won't be as long. Yay!
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