Peter pointed to hammock in the Underworld version of Reyna's house. "Lie down. I want to take a look at you."
"Are you sure you want to? Hades kind of knocked any beauty out of me," Reyna said, chuckling insecurely.
Peter shook his head, smiling softly. "Not possible, no one's that powerful. Now, come on. I don't want you on your feet longer than you have to be."
Reyna sighed, unable to put off the inevitable. Limping over, Peter pushed the net down to make it easier, and she tried to stifle a groan of pain, though she didn't do a good job of hiding her wince. Peter put a pillow under her head and on under her swollen ankle.
He quickly cataloged her injuries, his face paling more and more. He promised right then that Hades would have a painful death by his hands. Taking a deep breath, he snapped his fingers. In a flash, she was healed (mostly), and she let out a breath of relief. Considering the nature of the injuries, not all of them could be repair fully. Anything mortal or nature made, like the jagged cut from the cliff, the chain indentations, and several knife wounds disappeared without a trace, but the one made with godly power could only be healed enough to not make any lasting damage. She would have several scars from those particular ones.
Her clothes were changed into something less torn and more comfortable, and her hair seemed to become clean, all the blood and sweat and oil disappearing.
Peter brushed the hair out of her face, staring into her violet eyes. She stared back, but only one eye was focused. Even Peter's magic couldn't fix the partial blindness Hades had caused.
"I can't heal you as well as I like because of how the injuries were made," Peter said, a tone of sadness and self-loathing, "You'll still be a little sore for awhile, but I'd get some sleep. Doctor's orders."
Reyna gave him a smile, wishing that he didn't blame himself. "At least my doctor is cute," she said jokingly.
"I'm not cute, love," Peter whined. Reyna rolled her eyes.
"What a baby," she muttered, shaking her head.
They fell into a comfortable silence. Reyna slowly leaned closer to Peter, where he was crouching beside the hammock, his arms crossed under his chin as he leaned on the swinging bed. Their lips were just a hair's width away when Peter suddenly pulled back.
"What's wrong?" Reyna asked, rejection running through her, though she knew that it was silly.
"I'm what's wrong," Peter said, dropping his head into his hands. Reyna waited for him to continue. "You were the Dark One for six weeks and only gave in for me. I plunged in without second thought! I was weak, and you still died. And for what? For me!" He stood up and started pacing angrily.
Reyna sighed. Now he wanted to be rational? She followed him with her eyes. "You're right. Everything I did was for you, and I would do it all again if I had to. We've been through a lot, Peter…I was pregnant, and I know that you aren't happy about that, and you've met Herc…I'm sure he told you what happened. I was just as weak, so stop with the guilt and pity! This isn't your fault."
"Let me be the judge of that," Peter said, staring at her with wide eyes.
Reyna shook her head. "Excalibur doesn't kill just anyone. You shouldn't have come. I'm not sure that I deserve saving. After everything I've done. You're right though, we can't just go back to what we were like nothing's happened."
"What are you saying? That you want to stay down here?" Peter shouted, getting angry. Why didn't she understand that she was the whole reason he came down to hell? "How can you expect me to just let you go?"
Reyna opened her mouth to reply when there was a firm knock. Reyna looked at it with a raised eyebrow, and Peter quickly walked towards it. Even though he was fuming, he didn't want her to have to get up. He muttered under his breath as he wrenched it open, prepared to yell at who ever was interrupting them.
Any comment he had died on his tongue as he stared at the man in front of him.
Liam Jones' eyes widened as he stared at the boy that had tricked him into dying. They stared at one another.
"Who's at the door?" Reyna called, getting up and walking towards the entry way. She repressed the urge to vomit when she felt a sharp pain between her legs with each step, a reminder of the worst of her punishments.
Liam saw her walking up behind the only living soul amongst them. "Reyna."
"Liam?" Reyna asked in surprise, seeing her older brother. Liam was slightly unsure of how to act. She didn't look as old as she should, but she had certainly grown up.
"So, the rumors are true. After all these year, my little sister is finally here."
Peter stepped back emotionlessly, his face completely blank. He gestured for Liam to come inside. Liam looked at him hesitantly, looking between the boy and his little sister suspiciously.
"It seems we have a lot to discuss," Liam said, walking inside.
Reyna chuckled uncomfortably. "Well this is awkward."
Reyna scrubbed at the floors of the ship beside Liam, Killian sitting back on his knees, clearly unmotivated. She was small for a three year old, but she had already grown up to fast. Liam still tried to shield her from the horrors of life, but it was too late. Drunken crew members laughed as they walked by, some purposely making a mess on a part they just cleaned.
Reyna flinched when one of them lent down closer to her, the smell of rum thick on his breath, whispering something that was too slurred for her to understand and his hand caressed her thigh. The man laughed and got up, walking away before Liam had the chance to throttle him.
"Those fish guts smell particularly foul this evening," Killian muttered.
Liam sighed, annoyed by his brother. He should be old enough to take care of himself, but Liam had to watch his moves closely while caring for Reyna. Reyna was fairly independent, but on a ship with pirate pedophiles, Liam never let her out of sight. He loved her, and he didn't want anything to happen to her, despite Killian's opinion. He shook his head, knowing he had to be patient with his brother. He loved Killian as much as he loved Reyna.
"Come on, Killian. The harder we work, the sooner we're finished," and the less Reyna has to do, he added mentally.
"Wish I had your work ethic," Killian grumbled. "Seems I inherited Father's," he said dejectedly, taking a swig of rum from his flask.
"Don't joke about that bastard," Liam hissed, trying to say it quiet enough for Reyna not to hear, though he knew his efforts were in vain. "He may have sold up into servitude, but tomorrow…we'll be free men," Liam told him, pulling a crumpled piece of paper form his breast pocket and handing it to his little brother.
Killian snorted as he looked it over. "Are you serious? You want to join the King's Navy?"
"There's a signing bonus of 10 silver. On top of what we've already saved, that will buy our freedom off this bloody cargo ship."
Killian threw the paper at his brother and picked up his sponge. "I know that is your dream, mate, but I'm hardly naval material." He went back to swabbing the deck.
"If you served an honorable king, it would change you. You could be a fine captain someday. I know it," Liam said firmly.
Killian chuckled. "Captain Jones, eh? It does have a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"
The captain, who had been listening, laughed. "You? A captain? That'll be the day." He kicked over the bucket of fish guts. "You missed a spot, Captain."
Killian growled, getting to his feet and raising a fist, stepping through the guts.
Liam stood up, catching Killian and holding him back. "Killian! Don't!"
"Come on!" the captain, Silver, yelled. "Let 'im try. Must be exhausting, protecting little brother from himself."
Liam pushed Killian back. "That won't be your concern much longer."
"Because you're both going to be admirals in the Navy, right? Fine by me. Long as I get paid. The sober Jones and go and collect his money. The drunk one stays as collateral," Silver said.
Liam kept an arm against. "Easy, brother. I'll be back by sunrise. And then a proud life in the King's Navy, hmm?"
When Liam was satisfied that Killian would attack Silver, he dropped his arms and crouched to pick Reyna up, wincing when he realized how light she was. He would start giving her what scraps he got to eat.
"That one stays, too," Silver growled. Liam looked up.
"No! She is coming with me."
"You forget, I still own you. No money for her release, no leaving my boat. You get, and if you come back with my money, you can take her."
"That is why Killian is staying behind!"
"She stays or you don't go," Silver barked. Liam hesitated. If he stayed, he could protect Reyna for the night. If he left, he could ensure she was protected for the rest of her life, which might be her only chance at a happy life. He sighed, crouching down. He put her on her feet, putting his hands on her shoulders.
"Remember what I told you? About what shouldn't be allowed to happen?" Reyna nodded. "Good. I want you to stay with Killian. Don't leave his side, and don't listen to what the crew says, okay? I'll be back by sunrise."
Reyna nodded again. Liam stood up and looked at Killian. "Take care of her."
Killian angrily waved him off, nodding absentmindedly.
Reyna sat at the kitchen table, glancing between Liam in front of her and Peter beside her. No one said anything, and Reyna squirmed uncomfortably.
"What about you, Liam?" Reyna finally said. "Why are you down here?" Peter tensed, and Liam glared at him, and Reyna realized what it sounded like she was asking. "No! No, I mean... Why are you still down here?
Liam turned back to her, his expression smoothing out. "I wish I knew. I spent countless years trying to figure out a reason."
Reyna cleared her throat uncomfortably before she got an idea. "Maybe you could go get Emma and Hook, Peter," Reyna suggested. Peter shrugged and disappeared, his eyes still glued to the table.
Twenty minutes later, during which Reyna gave the short version of all that has happened, the Jones siblings were all reunited, and they were all sitting around the kitchen table. "There is no reason," Hook said, frustrated. "Hades has the game rigged so no one can leave. My brother's proof of that," Hook said to Emma. "Never did a bad thing in his life. He even died nobly, stopping a treacherous king from poisoning the realm."
Reyna's eyes flashed as she stared at Killian. Did he honestly believe that? Peter was tensely tapping his fingers on her thigh, his knee bouncing up and down impatiently. Reyna put a hand on top of his, curling her fingers around it.
"Stop it," Liam joked, smiling at Killian happily, "You're making me blush."
"Hades has us three trapped down here, and that cannot stand. The only why everyone will be free is if we defeat Hades once and for all. Liam, you've been down here a long time. Surely you must know something that can help us."
"And Peter," Reyna added, "He's trapped down here too."
Liam looked at his sister skeptically before looking at his brother. "I know this is a very dangerous game you're playing. There are those who've tried to overthrow Hades. They all mention a…a book, which had the power to defeat him. I tried to find it, but I'm not even sure what to look for."
"It sounds like a Storybook," Emma said.
"Storybook?" Liam said in disbelief. "I wager it would take more than stories."
"No, no, no. She's on to something," Hook said. "In our world, there's a book like this."
"Everything up there had a version down here. There had to be one in the Underworld," Emma reasoned.
"If there is a story about Hades in the book, we can learn his weakness and exploit it," Hook finished.
"Alright. If you believe this, Killian, I'm with you to the end, This fiend trapped us and tortured Reyna. The day you push your sailors to far…"
"Is the day the mutiny begins," Killian completed the thought.
The search for the Storybook was unsuccessful so far. Pan knew that it wasn't in the loft, but he didn't really have many other options, so he was digging through the Underworld version of Reyna's room, coming up inconclusive.
There was a knock on the open door, and Pan looked up, surprised to see Liam standing there, his face hard. Pan raised an eyebrow in question, letting his face remain emotionless.
" Pan…Can we talk?" Liam asked slowly.
Pan shrugged. "Is this about you dying on my island or about Reyna?" he asked simply.
"Reyna. You aren't good enough for her."
"Excuse me?" Pan said, looking at Liam in disdain.
"I know the type of person you are-"
"You don't know anything about me," Pan argued, "Except what you assume you know from the five minutes we spoke. In which you acted like an arrogant bloke."
Liam continued like he hadn't been interrupted. "Reyna blames herself for ending up here, but she told me what happened. Sounds to me like it wasn't her fault. It's yours."
"I'd have to agree, but you Jones siblings are stubborn. She doesn't listen to what I have to say on the matter," Pan said tightly.
"Reyna has been surrounded by darkness all her life. She doesn't need you dragging her down further."
"Have you even heard what her own older brother has done to her?" Pan snapped. "It was your fault she lived a dark life. You can't blame me for that. And you don't know Reyna well if you think I did something to her."
"She committed atrocities to save you. You did the selfish thing and chose revenge over her. She now has the chance to be a hero and move on, and you're taking that from her."
"That's not fair. You know nothing about being a Dark One. I'm doing everything I can to save her. To give her a life."
"Is that really what she needs… or is that what you need?"
"It seems even in death you are still self-righteous," Pan hissed, glaring at him coldly.
"When it comes to my family, yes. If she defeats Hades today, she will forgive herself, and she'll have another chance to move on. When that happens, stop thinking about your own desires and leave her alone. You couldn't possibly love her like she deserves."
They were glaring at one another when Reyna came up stairs, Emma telling her that she was worried about them being alone up there. "What's going on here?" Reyna asked when she saw Peter's sour expression and Liam's heated glare. She glanced between them, unsure of who to yell at.
Peter's face softened as he looked at her. "Nothing, love. Everything is fine," he lied. Before she could call him on it, he stepped passed her, grabbing her hand. "Let's keep looking."
Mary-Margaret left with David after Henry gave a suggestion of retrieving the key to the Sorcerer's mansion, just as Peter led Reyna bak into the living area, Liam trailing behind them.
"In the meanwhile, we should all go about our usual business. Hades has eyes everywhere. We can't have him learning what we're up to," he warned them.
"A fine plan," Hook said happily, blinded by his excitement at seeing his brother again. "I can't wait to see the look on his face when he learns a valuable lesson… One should never mess with the Brothers Jones."
"Captain Silver!" Liam shouted as he jogged down the dock, waving three pieces of parchment excitedly. "I'm pleased to tell you the Siblings Jones will be leaving your employment!"
Silver chuckled as he came into sight, "One of you, at least."
"What? What's happened? What have you done to them?"
Silver pointed over to where Killian was passed out on the deck, an empty rum bottle next to him. "All I did was offer 'im a drink. The rest 'e managed all by 'imself. 'e's not much of a gambler."
Liam ran over to him. "Killian! What have you done with your money? You gambled it all?"
"I'm sorry, brother."
"You bastard!" Liam shouted at the captain. "Where's Reyna? Where is she?"
"I'm not responsible for 'is weakness. 'e gambled her to my men. If you want my advice, cut anchor. Leave the dead weight behind. If you wish, you can take what's left of the girl, if there is anything left," his words were followed by a loud scream.
Killian sighed as he shook his pounding head. "Just do it. Liam, go. I can never be the brother you deserve."
"We're to set sail, Jones. It's either the Navy or more grain runs with your favorite captain," Silver said.
Liam looked down at the papers in his hand before looking where the screams were coming from. "Grain runs it shall be," he sighed tiredly, walking to the side, tearing the paper, and releasing them into the ocean below.
"No!" Killian yelled.
Liam shook his head. "Come hell or high water, I won't leave my brother or sister."
Emma sat across from Pan staring at him. His fists were clenched in front of him, and he kept looking at the door.
"Would you stop that? When Reyna or David walks through it, I promise I'll tell you.:
"I shouldn't be sitting here doing nothing," he snapped. "I may be able to just break into the mansion if you would let me try. I shouldn't have left Reyna.
"Would you relax? People are starting to stare. Liam said we need to act casual."
Pan rolled his eyes. "They aren't staring because of my behavior. They are staring because Peter Pan is amongst them. I put half of them here."
Emma stared at him, thinking he was joking. He flashed an over enthusiastic smile at her, showing all his teeth. Emma looked around in surprise.
"Speaking of the eldest Jones, what do you think of him, Savior?" Pan asked offhandedly, trying to sound nonchalant. "You don't think he's a little judgmental and self-righteous, do you?"
"Liam? He seemed fine to me, gave me his blessing with Killian," Emma said with a chuckle.
Pan slumped dejectedly at this.
"He doesn't like you, does he?"
Pan sighed. "Can't say I blame him," he muttered tiredly. "He doesn't think I'm good enough for Reyna, that I can't love her."
Emma rolled her eyes. "To be honest, Reyna's too good for you," Pan glared at her, and she held her hands up in surrender, "If you would let me finish, she's too good for you, but you're different around her. I can see how much you love her. You're here to save her, that's what matters."
"Reyna…Her emotions for him are something I don't understand. She is angry and blames him for his death, for what Hook became, but she loved him more than anything else before we met."
"What's going on?" Emma asked, narrowing her eyes.
Pan ran a hand through his hair. "Liam thinks I need to let Reyna move on."
"Who cares what Liam thinks? What does Reyna think?"
"She wants me to be happy, but she feels she deserves to be down here."
"That's because she hasn't forgiven herself."
"There is nothing to forgive!" Pan all but yelled.
"But she doesn't see it that way. Pan, you pleaded with her to let you die in Camelot. She knows that she is asking a lot of you to do the same, but she knows that she hurt you when she made you a Dark One, and she knows that you don't want to be a father. Because she loves you, she hates that you are angry, and then you deny that you are."
As much as I hate to admit it, we are very similar, Pan. I would do the same for Killian, and no matter how much you hate to hear it, Reyna and Killian are very similar, the only difference is Killian would actually consider Liam's suggestion. It is like he think he walks on water when Liam is around."
I like to think that I know a lot about people. You need to talk to Reyna, help her forgive herself."
Pan didn't answer as the door opened. "Swan. Mary-Margaret found the key," Hook said, coming over to their table. He looked between the two confusedly, leading them to the Sorcerer's mansion.
"I guess old White Beard was telling the truth," Regina muttered. "The mansion is here."
"Do we have the key?" Liam asked.
"Aye," Hook said, "but there's a protection spell on the door. It could be dangerous to open it."
Pan squeezed Reyna's hand, and she looked at him in confusion, wanting to know why he was acting so weird.
"I suppose I should do the honors," Liam sighed. "I've been dead the longest. I have the least to lose."
"You always were the noble one, weren't you?" Hook said, smiling at his brother. He was about to hand over the key when Reyna snatched it.
"I want to do it," she said, daring anyone with her eyes to defy her. Liam stared at her, about to protest before Hook placed a hand on his shoulder and shook his head.
Reyna stepped forward, closing her eyes as she turned the key. She breathed in relief when it clicked and opened, letting her step in without problem. She held out a hand to Peter, who took it immediately, walking in beside her.
The boat rocked violently back and forth. Many of the crewman shouted, staring at the hurricane that was forming in front of them. Everyone was in a panic. Liam used a spyglass, balancing Reyna on his hip, to stare at the oncoming storm whilst Captain Silver stood at the bow, looking bored. Killian ran over to Liam.
"I'm sorry, brother! I dragged you into this voyage," Killian yelled over the raging waves.
"We have other demons to confront!" Liam yelled back. "Look!" He handed the glass to Killian, who looked at the storm, paling.
Liam turned to Silver. "Are you aware this ship is pointed dead into the center of a storm?"
"Back to the rigging," Silver barked. "Leave the navigation to the officers, Jones."
"Your officers are doing a piss-poor job!" Killian yelled. "We're thirty degrees off course, heading straight for the eye of a hurricane!"
"We're aware, carry on."
"Are you mad?" Liam asked incredulously. "What kind of captain sails into a hurricane?"
"The kind that earns his namesake! The king offered a mighty reward for what's inside the storm.
Liam gasped. "You're going after that cursed sapphire…'The Eye of the Storm'!"
Silver smirked. "So you've heard of it."
"Every sailor's heard of it," Killian told him. "Countless men have sailed into that storm for that bloody stone, but none have survived!"
"If you don't like how I run my ship, you should have left when you had the chance. Now, move along before I string you up for mutiny."
"I have always abhorred the idea of mutiny," Liam said. He met Killian's eyes before drawing a sword. "But if that's what it takes to save these men, then so be it!"Killian drew his sword
"Shall we do this the easy way, or the bloody way?" Killian asked.
Silver surrenderd.
"The ship is our, men!" Liam yelled. The crew cheered. Liam gestured to the captain and the few that chose to stand with him. "Tie these bastards up. I'll go find the captain's charts and plot a course out of this bloody typhoon."
"Thank you, Liam. There is no one I would rather follow into a storm."
Liam nodded, waving over one of the men he knew he could trust to watch Reyna, heading below deck.
Reyna barely made it into the house before she tripped, but Peter caught her, and he held back a cob web for her to walk under.
"I love what they've done with the place," Reyna muttered, sneezing as she breathed in dust. Peter produced a handkerchief, handing it to her. She thanked him.
"We should split up," Liam said. "We'll cover more ground faster that way.
"Uh…Yeah," Emma said, looking at him oddly. "Henry, um. You stay here."
"But this was my idea! I don't want to be doing nothing," Henry said. Reyna looked at him appraisingly, knowing he wasn't here for the storybook.
"You'll be lookout," Emma said as a poor excuse.
"Lookout?" Henry whined.
"Don't argue with your mother," Regina scolded.
"But-"
"Or with your mother," Regina said.
Henry slumped in defeat. Regina went in one direction and Liam in the opposite. Emma and Hook went in separate directions as well. Reyna stared at Henry, holding Peter's hand.
"I'll help you find the pen if you want," she said. "Or I can cover for you while you find it if you'd rather."
Henry looked at her in surprise. He shouldn't really be though. "Are you sure you can't read minds?" Henry joked, making her smile.
"Go, kid. I can manage the lookout. Peter, you want to go search for the book?"
They gathered around the Underbook of Underbrooke. Emma and Regina had flipped through it, and found nothing. Reyna slowly turned each page, skimming them carefully.
"There's no mention of Hades' story anywhere," Hook said in defeat.
"Why am I not surprised?" Regina muttered.
"Hold on," Reyna said, brushing a finger over where the book had been torn. They were torn close to the spine, but it was what Reyna had been looking for. No one saw the way her eyes flickered to Liam and back. "There are some pages missing."
Emma leaned closer. "You're right."
"Back during the first curse, I tore my story out of Henry's book so he wouldn't know I was the Evil Queen," Regina said.
"We don't stand much of chance if Hades has done the same," Hook sighed.
Pan glared at Liam, a blatant accusation in his eyes. "What do you think, Jones? You found the book. Was there any evidence it had been tampered with?"
"No. And until I find any, I'll choose to hope. Those pages could've fallen out and still be in this house, and I, for one, won't give up without finding them," Liam defended himself. He left without more words, needing to destroy the pages he'd taken before his siblings got suspicious. Regina followed suit.
"I see what you mean about self-righteous," Emma muttered, glancing at Pan. She followed Regina's lead.
Hook was going to follow his girlfriend when he saw that Reyna didn't move. "What's wrong? Aren't you coming?"
Reyna hummed but didn't move, still reading. Hook raised an eyebrow and looked to Pan.
"Go on, Captain."
"Not until you tell me what's wrong, demon."
Pan rolled his eyes. He hesitantly glanced at Reyna, unsure of how she would take it.
"It's your brother. I don't trust him."
Reyna looked up when he said this. Her face was blank, which worried him.
"I think he's hiding something," Pan said, shrugging.
"That's preposterous. Liam wouldn't lie. How dare you!" Hook shouted.
"Innocent until proven guilty," Reyna said, looking at Peter encouragingly. "We don't know everything about him, Killian. I have a feeling he knows what his unfinished business is."
"No! Don't let him get into your head," Hook said, pointing and glaring at Peter. "He's the reason Liam in down here in the first place. I know more about our brother than you do! I'm going to help him find those bloody pages and prove you wrong, demon."
Reyna wandered down to the captain's quarters. The man that was supposed to be looking after her was busy bossing everyone around with Killian, and the others were either working or guarding Silver.
She jumped at the sound of thunder.
She stopped when she heard voices, pausing outside the cracked door, leaning over to see inside. Across from her was Liam, leaning over a desk in the dim lighting. A few candles were lit. Her brother was glaring at the man who had his back to her, sandy brown hair was all she could make out, a proper suit fashioning him.
"Is it still dark in here?" the man asked, "Here, let's try this." His hair was suddenly blue flames. Reyna covered her mouth to keep from gasping, surprised and excited.
Liam jumped back. "You! You're a demon!" Reyna shook her head, even though she remained mute and no one noticed her. He wasn't a demon she knew, but what he was she wasn't sure.
"Technically, I'm a god, but a lot of people make that mistake. I'm Hades, Lord of the Underworld."
"What do you want?" Liam asked, narrowing his eyes.
"I want the precious cargo aboard this ship. The beautiful, shiny souls you're trying to save." Liam raised a sword, pointing it at Hades. "Don't bother with that," the god said lazily, "I'm immortal. Lucky for you, I can't hurt you either. At least not up here, not in the Overworld. My power has its limit here, which is why I came to offer you a deal. You agree to let this ship sink, and I promise to use my magic to ensure you and your brother and sister survive. And, to sweeten the deal, I'll throw in this." Hades waved a hand, making the Eye of the Storm appear.
Liam gasped. "That's the Eye of the Storm."
"You deliver this to your king, and he'll give you everything you've ever wanted, including the Navy job that you want. You dreams can come true. If you just shake my hand."
Reyna watched as Liam stared, sorting through the moral dilemma in his head. Slowly he took Hades outstretched hand, shaking it firmly.
"You have a deal," Liam murmured gravely.
Hades smiled. "Wonderful. This is yours. Until we meet again, Captain," Hades chuckled. He turned around, and his eyes met Reyna's. Reyna's widened, but Hades just winked and disappeared in a cloud of blue flames.
Getting to her feet, she ran back to the deck, tripping at the boats turmoil, and instantly she was soaked but the water as they got closer and closer to the hurricane. Her only security was if Hades came through on his end of Liam's deal.
Liam stared at the water at the bottom of the well in Merlin's backyard. He pulled the pages out of his pocket, flipping through them with a pained expression. He heard grass crunching and hurriedly tossed them into the well, turning to see Pan walking towards him.
"Find anything out here?" he asked sarcastically.
"Pan. I'm afraid I could only stay cooped up for so long. What brings you here?"
Pan ignored the question. "Hook worships the ground you walk on, and Reyna has many times corrected me for the way I've spoken about you. Neither seem to believe you could do anything wrong,"
He opened his hand, revealing two rings. "This one, Reyna usually wears, whether it is on her hand or her charm necklace, and the other, Hook gave to Emma telling her that it belonged to a man much better than he. She then gave it to Reyna in Camelot to remind her that people loved her. But I am really having trouble seeing…why you would lie to them, her especially."
Liam gulped.
"What's going on here?" Emma asked, pulling Hook with her. Reyna was following after them.
"Liam, Peter?" she asked, stopping next to Peter and looking between them with her arms crossed.
"He thinks I've lied to you."
"You're still on about this?" Hook asked angrily.
"I think he might be right," Emma said slowly, making Hook turn on her. "I get a vibe about him that sets my superpower off."
"I know you're are lying. Ask him to show his hands. He's been hiding them since he threw something into the well."
"If it would help to clear things up, I'd be happy to."
"That won't be necessary," Reyna and Hook said at the same time. Emma and Pan wore the same look of disbelief.
Emma looked at him angrily storming inside.
"You agree with him?" Peter asked Reyna in a heartbroken voice.
"My fate may not be in Storybrooke-"
"It could be, or we can return to Neverland! You can come home. We can get past whatever we need to. No matter what the others are saying, you have to listen to me. I can't leave you down here." Peter took a shaky breath, thinking she had made her decision. He wiped the back of his hand over his nose and eyes, going to walk back inside.
"Peter!" she called.
"Let him go, Reyna. It's for the best," Liam said, though he was internally cheering.
Reyna spun on him. "If any of the men in my life had the decency of asking me what I think and actually let me finish. I was going to say that it won't be necessary because I trust Peter. I know you've been lying to me. Unlike you and Killian, Peter has always looked out for me, put me first! He is far from perfect, but you have no right to treat him like that. You don't know him, and frankly, you don't know me. You can't decide what is best for me. You can hate him, but you had your death coming to you, and you brought it on yourself!" she ranted angrily.
"Reyna!" Hook scolded. He couldn't believe that his hero would do this to him.
"Reyna, please calm down," Liam said, raising his hands towards her.
Killian gasped, seeing the ink stains on Liam's fingers. "Your hand. You were hiding something!"
"It's nothing," Liam said, his eyes widening when he realized his mistake.
"It's the ink from the pages! Of course it is nothing," Reyna snapped sarcastically.
"Emma was right! Why would you lie to me?" Killian asked, reeling from the information.
"It isn't the book he's lied about," Reyna said, dropping her gaze.
"The only Jones girl is right," Silver said, seemingly coming out of nowhere. He was surrounded with his crew from the boat the siblings had grown up on. "He's got much bigger secrets than what's in some book. Like the truth about what he did to us."
"What truth is he talking about, Liam? Reyna?" he asked, seeing the looking in her eyes that she knew. "What does it have to do with those missing pages?"
"Your brother isn't the hero he pretends to be, Jones. I found that out when I stopped by his tavern for my usual drink. He had a rather unexpected guest. Hades. He traded our souls for the Eye of the Storm. Hades threatened to reveal the truth if your brother didn't destroy the pages from that book."
"Liam…please tell me there's another explanation for this."
"There isn't, Killian, I saw Hades that night. I heard the deal," Reyna said. Liam looked at her horrified and guilty.
"I'm sorry Killian! I didn't have another choice! I had to do what I could in order to save us," Liam said, pleading with his to understand.
"If there is one thing I've learned since joining the light is that there is always another way. You lied to me."
"And now all three of you are going to pay! Men!"
The crew rushed forward, crowding the three siblings and forcing them into blind folds. One of them hit Hook in the jaw when he tried to struggle. Liam got a fist to the gut, and one of the men ran a hand down Reyna's chest and hips. She elbowed him, making him double over. Just as quick, another man pinned her arms to her side. "You've certainly grown up nicely, girly," he purred in her ear before dragging her after the others. She gagged.
"No!" she heard Hook grunt, still fight against the men who were having trouble keeping him bound.
"You can remove them now," Silver said, his voice echoing.
Reyna's blind fold was removed and she was staring over the ledge in the cavern that led to the bottomless fire pit of agony, the only place worse than hell. The man that was holding her shoved her closer to the edge to stand next to her brothers.
"It sure is going to be a pity to watch you fall," the crew member said, his hands lingering on her hips. "You'd make a nice fu-"
Reyna spun, grabbed his wrist, flipping him over. He landed on his knees, barely balance on the edge. "No! No! No!" he yelled, trying to get back up. Reyna bent his arm painfully in the wrong direction, making him cry out loudly.
"It sure is going to be a pity to watch you fall," she mimicked, kneeing him in the jaw, which sent him over the edge. He fell, screaming loudly.
Hook stared at his sister proudly, while Liam looked stunned, as did all the other crew members who had retreated to safety a few feet away. All of them cowered behind Silver.
"It's time to walk the plank," Silver said.
Liam looked at him, keeping his head high. "I'll walk it gladly if you spare Killian and Reyna. They have nothing to do with this. I made the deal."
"They should've gone down with the ship, like the rest of us. And now they finally will," Silver said.
Liam looked at his siblings through sad baby blue eyes. "I'm sorry, Killian, Reyna. I wanted to be a perfect example to the two of you…I wanted to inspire you."
Reyna sighed, staring at him. Her nostrils flared. "Stupidity runs in the family," she muttered, giving him a small smile. He smiled back. Both looked at Killian.
"All you did was raise the bar so high, the only thing I could do was fail," Killian said. "You were the perfect example, though knowing you had imperfections makes you all the better now."
"No more talking!" Silver snapped. "Time to face justice, Jones." The crew members laughed excitedly.
"Did someone decide to have a party and forget to invite me?"
They all spun to face Hades. "L-lord…Lord Hades," Silver stuttered out, stupefied.
With wave, Hades threw Silver over the edge. "No!" he screamed as he landed in the fire.
Hades chuckled. "Now for the Jones'. One kept up his end of our bargain and gets to live, one is to be punished, but will find it worse to watch his sister die and spend eternity serving me, and the other escaped my dungeon without my permission, and for that, she has to pay. At last, we will see the end of Reyna Jones and Peter Pan. This time," he said, looking at Liam, "you won't be able to protect them."
"No!" Liam said, stepping in front of Reyna. "I won't let you hurt Reyna, no matter the deals we made."
"Fine, have it your way." With another wave, Liam fell backward, crashing into Reyna and making them both fall. Reyna screamed, catching his leg, and Killian, shouting "No!" caught Liam's hand before he could fall too far. He leaned as far as he could over the edge, his face red as he tried to hold up both his siblings. Losing one of them would be hard enough, but he couldn't stand to lose them both. Reyna clutched Liam's leg with her hands as tightly as she could manage.
"Liam! Please, hang on. Reyna, don't let go of him."
"Wasn't planning on it!" Reyna snapped, closing her eyes tightly as she struggled to not look down at the abyss she was dangling precariously over.
"I'm sorry, brother. Can you forgive me for what I've done?" Liam asked, grasping his brother's hand with both of his.
"Yes, of course. You're my brother."
"And you, Reyna?"
"Now is not the time!" she shouted. "But…yes! That isn't important, you have to forgive yourself, Liam. And if you can be quick about it, it is getting hot down here and fast. I…I can't hold on for much longer."
"I can't, not after what I've done. The only way to make amends is for me to pay the price."
"No. No! Liam," Hook argued.
Liam looked at him. "Take care of her," he said, knowing that Killian wouldn't wave the responsibility off this time. Hook nodded. Liam released one of his hands.
"Take my hand, Reyna," Liam stated, his voice strained. He reached as far as he could.
Reyna looked at Liam through her tears. Wrapping one of her arms around his knee, she quickly threw a shaky hand up, Liam grasping her hand.
"Come on," Liam said, pulling her up. She winced as she climbed, grunting in pain. Liam put his arm around her waist to help lift her up, and Hook finished pulling her to sit behind him with a grunt. She leaned over the edge, grasping Liam's other hand.
He nodded to her, his eyes sad before letting go of their hands. "Liam!" Reyna shouted, even though she knew what was going to happen. Hook pulled her into his arms, Reyna buried her face in his chest, unable to watch as Liam hit the fire.
She pulled away in surprise when the room was enveloped in blinding light. On the other side of the stone bridge, an ocean appeared in the light with a ship in the background.
Hades exhaled sharply, "No."
"Yes!" Reyna said at the same time, wiping away her tears.
"What's happening?" Hook asked.
Hades turned to glare at where they sat. "You will pay for this," he vowed, leaving in blue flames.
"Liam!" Reyna said, scrambling out of Hook's arms and onto her feet.
Hook looked up in surprise to see Liam standing in a row boat, being lifted out of the chasm by water, looking unharmed.
"Liam. You're safe," Hook said, slowly standing up.
"Yes," Liam chuckled. "It appears I am. I suppose this is the sacrifice I should have made long ago. I can finally depart," he said. The boat docked.
"Then go, all of you. Now that you know the truth, you have no unfinished business here. Get on board men," Hook said, waving the crewman forward, only throwing an arm out to the last of them. "Not you," Hook said. "No one gets away with groping my sister."
The man gulped, but he didn't last much longer when Hook shoved him off the narrow bridge.
"What about you, sister?"
"I still have business to attend to. I can't leave Peter alone here."
Liam sighed. "Perhaps I was wrong. He wants what is best for you and can provide for you better than anyone else ever could."
Reyna wiped her eyes. "I'll tell him. I know, though he won't say it out loud, that you're death is the only one that he feels bad about. Other than mine…"
Liam nodded. "And Killian. Don't worry about reaching that bar anymore. You've become a true hero in a way I never could. I expect you to protect Reyna, this time around. And keep an eye on that boy of hers."
Killian put an arm around Reyna's shoulder. "Aye."
"Goodbye," Liam said. Reyna pulled him into a hug, and the two men clasped hands.
"Goodbye, brother," Reyna and Killian said in unison, waving as the lifeboat took Liam and his new crew into the light.
Reyna choked, coughing up water as she held onto Liam's neck, trying to keep her head above water. Killian was swimming next to Liam.
Slowly they made it to the shore, and Liam crawled onto the dry land, heaving and panting. Reyna slid off his back, coughing up blood. Liam caught her before she could fall over.
"Ahoy there!" A man yelled, followed by some naval sailors. "By the king's name, what happened to you three. You men look like sailors.
"Aye. We're survivors of the tempest… that plagues these waters," Killian panted.
"Let me guess," the man said arrogantly. "You were in search of the Eye of the Storm? If you asked me, you got what you deserved, though it was irresponsible to bring a child.
"You may be right, but the gem is no legend," Liam said, feeling in his pockets and showing the naval captain the stone.
"You found it," the man said shocked.
"But how?" Killian asked.
"In the bedlam, my brother and sister were knocked unconscious. I managed to swim us to a few wooden planks. Providence did the rest."
"My ship will bring you to the king," the captain said, "Who has offered a great reward for this stone."
"We do not seek wealth, only honor," Liam said humbly, "Perhaps His Majesty might grant us a naval commission and a home for us."
"Why wait for the king? I would be honored to offer you both commissions on my ship. She's the flagship of the Royal Navy. The king will give you a quarters at the castle with the other men of my crew."
Killian followed the man's eyes to look at the ship. Smiling brightly, he said, "She's very pretty. What's her name?"
"The Jewel of the Realm," the captain said proudly. "Follow me!"
"Thank you, Liam… for being the hero I always wanted to be. I won't squander this second chance you've given me," Killian said.
Liam laughed, balancing Reyna on his hip with one arm and throwing the other onto Killian's shoulders, leading his little brother to follow the navy sailors down the beach.
Pan paced the entrance hall of the Sorcerer's mansion, worried where Reyna had disappeared to. Emma, trying to keep her mind off of where Hook may be, was searching for Henry.
The door opened, and Reyna walked in followed by Hook.
"Reyna!" he shouted, turning to face her. He pounced, pulling her into his arms and looking her over. "Where have you been? You disappeared, and I couldn't sense you."
Reyna pushed his hands off. "You wouldn't have been worried if you would have listened to me earlier."
"What?" he inquired incredulously.
"I believed you. I trusted you, and you thought I wanted to move on with Liam. No matter the guilt weighing me down, I wouldn't give you up for anything."
"He did it?" Peter floundered.
"Yes. He destroyed those pages because of a deal he made with Hades years ago…A deal that nearly killed us," she added offhandedly.
"Where is he? And what do you mean almost killed you?"
Reyna quickly retold him what happened, omitting some of the details, Hook leaving them alone to find Emma.
"Did he move on, too?" Peter asked slowly.
"He did…" she said. She finally sighed, throwing her arms around him. "I'm glad you're here, Peter. Maybe I do deserve to be saved."
Peter smiled at the crown of her head, putting his arms around her waist. "Does that mean you plan on coming home with me?"
"You're an idiot," she laughed. "You're stuck with me. Forever."
She stood on her toes to kiss him passionately.
Peter sat on the floor against Reyna's legs, letting her use the top of his head to prop the storybook up. She was going through it again.
"There's nothing in the entire book about Hades?" Mary-Margaret asked from where she was sitting.
"Liam ripped any page out," Reyna muttered, not looking up.
Hook looked apologetic. "On behalf of our brother, I apologize."
"Maybe there's something else in there that can help. Our storybook had had all kinds of secrets in it."
"Well Henry's kind of the expert on Storybooks, where is he?" David asked.
"He's upstairs going full emo teenager," Emma said.
"Felix is at Granny's," Reyna muttered, and Peter and Emma chuckled.
Regina ignored her comment. "He doesn't want to talk to anyone right now."
Reyna suddenly closed the book, getting to her feet. Peter looked up at her, and she handed him the book. "He just doesn't want to speak to his mother's. If I can get Felix to spill his guts, I can get Henry to."
She quickly walked up the stairs, feeling everyone's eyes on her. She knocked on his bedroom door.
"Go away, Mom," Henry grumbled.
Reyna took that as an okay. "Would I be Regina or Emma?" she asked jokingly.
Henry looked up at her in surprise before lying back against his pillows again.
"What are you up to, kid?"
"Just thinking." He mumbled.
She walked over, lying down next to him. "Mind if I think with you?" Henry shrugged, and Reyna rolled her eyes.
"What are we supposed to be thinking about?" she asked.
Henry repressed a smile. "I don't want to talk about it."
Reyna sighed. "Fine, I can do enough talking for the both of us. I had a stressful day. I didn't even realize how I felt until I almost died."
"Almost died?" Henry asked, looking at her interestedly.
Reyna nodded. "I had been repressing a lot of resentment towards Liam, and Peter and I were very out of sync."
"Please don't make this a lesson," Henry groaned, pulling a pillow over his face.
"Too bad. I'm a mother now, which means I need to make everything into a lesson," she said, chuckling sadly. She wasn't making a very good mother right now. "I didn't even know that I still blamed my brother for the way I grew up until he tried to intervene with Peter and I. Henry, I would have given anything to have a family like yours. And in any good relationship, you have to have understanding and communication. So, you can come talk to someone who cares about you, or you can stay up here and work on your impression of Felix, or Peter when he is pouting."
She stood up when he didn't move, walking to the door. She started to open the door, ready to exit the room, moving a deliberately slow pace.
"Wait!" Henry said, tossing the pillow and sitting up.
Reyna froze, smirked, before turning to face Henry, looking curious.
Henry stood up and began to dig through his dress. "I need to show you something."
Reyna laid her head against Peter's shoulder, her eyes drooping as Henry told his family about the Author's pen.
"I finally understand what the Apprentice meant. I'm going to write the stories as they are, and I'll start with Hades. I'm going to use the pen the correct way…To recreate his story."
"Hades went to a lot of trouble to keep us from learning his story," Mary-Margaret observed.
"Which means we're onto something," Regina said.
"The question is, what is Hades hiding?"
Reyna yawned, her eyes closed. "His affair," she whispered, curling closer to Peter.
"His what?" Emma asked in surprise, but Reyna was already asleep.
