Traps Within Traps

Emma was doing her best to keep herself occupied until the right moment. It had taken a number of days to plan out, her, Piper, and Henry wanting to be sure no one would suspect anything, but also wanting to pick the right time to begin to push the heroes into really trying to 'free her' from the Darkness. She had argued that if they gave them something to worry about, it might push the heroes to think they HAD to do something NOW even if they didn't have Merlin free yet, that to attempt something without the sorcerer might be what she needed to trick them into failing. They could then reasonably blame that they should have waited, but by then it would be too late. The sooner they got that done, the quicker she could become the Dark One. Now she was going to steal back the Dagger for Piper. Once it was in her safe keeping, she felt more comfortable and confident advancing their plan. She was pretty sure they only needed a few more days to consolidate their plan for once she was the Dark One and then it would be time to really trick the heroes. Henry, the clever boy, with his skill with the written word and knowledge of magic, was already working on a false page to sneak into Merlin's tower so Regina would think they found a way to save her without needing to focus on Merlin.

None of that could happen till she had the Dagger back, she couldn't risk Regina being able to stop her.

Oh, she was sure Piper could do this part herself, easily, but she didn't want this to be on her Aunt if she got caught trying to obtain the Dagger. The others would probably point a finger at Piper if they ever discovered it was taken and this way she could keep that off her Aunt's shoulders. Henry had confirmed where it was and they'd all agreed the first chance they had to get the Dagger they would take. It was all set for tonight.

Piper would stay awake, play a light lullaby when the evening began to fall, ensuring that those who slept would slept deeply, not likely to wake if they heard Emma moving about the halls. And then she'd wait an hour, to be sure the spell had taken affect, before she would get the Dagger.

It was almost the end of that hour, and with each minute that passed she grew more agitated and nervous, more to get it over with and be sure the Dagger was with someone she actually trusted than anything. Every second that Regina had the Dagger, even if she wasn't actively using it, made her skin crawl, the anxiety she felt that, at any moment, she could be summoned or forced to do something against her will set her on edge. She understood, more and more, why Gold trusted Piper with the Dagger, he would never have to worry about that and she hoped, once Piper had it, she might feel calm and relief and security again. She just had to be patient.

She'd taken to whittling dreamcatchers at night, to pass the time as she couldn't sleep now. Her latest attempt was a very poorly crafted one, but her mind hadn't exactly been on the making of it, but more observing the candle burning in the corner to tell her when the hour was up.

The second the candle had burned low enough, she was up from her seat and out the door, hurrying down the hall while still trying to be quiet about it. She moved carefully to Regina's rooms. She was sure she could have magicked herself there, but she didn't know what sort of protections Regina might have put up for just such a thing and she needed to be cautious, she'd only have one shot at this. The second anyone realized someone was after the Dagger, it would either be moved or put into stronger protections.

She paused outside the door to the room, closing her eyes and trying to sense if there were any magics that would keep her out, any magic that would alert Regina to her being there, but she felt nothing. She let out a breath of relief and pushed the door open, stilling in the doorway as she looked around, trying to find the Dagger. Henry had said it was in a box...but which one? And where even was Regina? The bed was made and there was no one in it. Maybe she was with Robin or in Merlin's Tower, which would just mean she could be more thorough as she looked.

"Do you hear it?" the apparition of Rumpelstiltskin spoke from the middle of the room, "A sweet sound. A strange sound…" he looked over to a box resting on a dresser along the back wall, "So that's where it's coming from..." Emma moved over to it, lifting the lid and spotting the Dagger resting inside on a cushion, "Your Dagger. Since Regina left it in her room, I say, uh, finder's keepers."

Emma shook her head, "She wouldn't have just left it," she reasoned, Regina wasn't that foolish or sure of Emma's control or their possible enemies in Camelot. She slowly held her hand over the Dagger, but not touching it, closing her eyes and focusing the magic inside her.

"Ah," the apparition spoke, and she could almost see him nodding, her magic revealing what she'd thought, "So she put a spell on it. That's nothing for you. Shatter it."

Emma nodded to herself, her fingers stretched wide, before she pushed her hand down towards the Dagger, grinning when she felt the magic beneath her hand give way and her hand rest on the Dagger's hilt. She held it up, letting out a breath of relief to have it back in her possession. She looked to the side, holding up her other hand and concentrating, smirking when another Dagger took shape in that hand, identical to the Dark One's Dagger. She placed the fake down on the cushion and held her hand above it, a black glow surrounding her hand before it seeped into the metal weapon, infusing it with as much truly dark magic as she could conjure within herself without succumbing to it completely. It wasn't a curse or enchantment or for any other purpose than to make this dagger give off the same feel as the true one. She moved her hand up a moment later, rotating it in a circular motion, as though she were trying to make a small cyclone and snapped her finger.

The protection spell that had been on the Dagger, she had only shattered it, not diffused it. So she just had to reconstruct it, fuse the pieces back together, that way Regina wouldn't be able to sense the different magic on the blade, the different trace of someone else's energy on the spell, only her own.

She stood and moved to the door, looking at the real Dagger in her hand and focusing, causing it to disappear in a swirl of black smoke, sending it to Piper, knowing the woman would still be awake and waiting for the sign that all had been accomplished.

She brushed her hands together, job well done, and headed for the hall…only to freeze when she heard the familiar cadence of someone stepping around a corner and walking down the hall. Hook. And, judging by the falter in his steps, he'd seen her.

Shit.

The apparition quickly appeared in front of her, "Aim for me, and make it good," he told her.

Emma didn't hesitate, conjuring whatever energy she could to her hand and throwing it at the apparition, shouting, "Leave me alone!" for good measure, only for him to disappear as it passed through him, nearly hitting Hook who had rushed over to her when he heard her shouting.

"Hook!" she gasped, not needing to fake concern as she hurried to his side to see if she'd hurt him, frantically checking him over.

"Calm down," Hook gripped her arms.

"He was here," she mumbled, "Rumpelstiltskin, he's...he was right there..."

"There's no one here. It's just us. You and me…" he pulled her to him in a tight hug.

Emma closed her eyes, her mind racing as she debated what to say, knowing that they HAD planned to concern the others, that the Darkness might be trying to get it in its grasp, but this hadn't been how they'd planned for it to go. But...it might have to be, it could still work, two roads that led to the same place, "He's inside my head. I can't get him out. He's here. He's always here."

~8~

For once the heroes were silent as the Pied Piper played a soft tune, sitting at the side of Emma's bed as she laid down on it in her room at Camelot. Hook had sounded the alarm shortly after finding Emma in the hall, gathering her parents and Regina to help him. The lullaby was meant to keep those already asleep slumbering, to keep others who were awake more subdued, keep people from noticing other subtle sounds. It would not help a restless pirate who was too wound up to rest, nor would it keep those sleeping when someone was pounding on the door and shouting their names, especially not after Piper had stopped playing when the Dagger appeared before her. Henry had been awake, reading, listening to his iPod and had heard the shouting, he'd hurried out of his room to see Hook gathering the others. HE had been the one to run for Piper, knowing the others couldn't refuse her being there if HE wanted her there.

It had been good that he had, they had reached Emma just a few moments before Hook had returned with Regina and Snow, unable to find Charming. Emma had been able to tell them Hook had caught her just after she'd gotten the Dagger, and she'd had to 'freak out' on him to cover her tracks. So they had adapted to her plan, Henry at her side, hugging his mom as she appeared to be hyperventilating and on the verge of tears when the others entered the room. Snow White had immediately tried to comfort her daughter while Regina tugged Henry away, eyeing Emma warily. Henry had turned to Piper and asked her to calm Emma down, because his mom was upset and scared and clearly Snow White wasn't helping.

The others had NOT been for that plan, three of them having experienced the more negative qualities of her music, but Henry had insisted, telling them to 'just look at her!' and pointing to Emma who was openly crying now, curled up in a ball on her side.

Piper would have said she was taking it a bit far with her theatrics, that she ought be cautious or the others would see through the ruse for she had never displayed that much emotion before. But it had only served to make her parents more concerned, Hook more smothering, and Regina more alarmed. And so she had approached the bed and sat down on the edge of it, pulling her pipe from her boot and began to play the lullaby she often used for August when he had a nightmare. She didn't put as much magic into it as she could have or normally would have, Emma didn't truly need it, but she put just enough where Emma would sense it, as would Regina if she picked up on it, and know to start 'relaxing' and 'calming.'

Now Emma was lying down, her hand clasped in Henry's as he sat on the other end of the bed, nearer the pillow. She was calm, but still looked out of sorts and deeply worried…as she should if she was meant to convince the others she was fighting the Darkness but trying to concern them that it might be getting a hold of her.

"What happened to her?" Snow White turned to Hook, speaking more calmly now that Emma had stilled, Piper even stopped playing and stood, moving to the back wall. Not to give Snow room to take her place at Emma's side, but to keep the other heroes and not-so-villains in view.

"I have no idea," Hook sighed, "She hasn't said a word."

"It's getting worse, isn't it?" Charming frowned, entering the room, having rushed there when he had gone to his own and not seen Snow there.

"David, where have you been?" Snow turned to him, reaching out for his hand, "I was looking all over the castle for you."

"With Arthur," he answered, "It turns out he might have a way to help Emma."

"We can't…"

"If we give him the Dagger..."

Piper quirked an eyebrow at that, catching Henry's frowning glance, his back to his family so only she and Emma could see his expression.

"David, listen to me. We can't trust Arthur."

"What are you talking about? Who told you that?"

"Lancelot."

"Did Cora not gloat of her killing him?" Piper remarked, not really caring whether the man was alive or not so long as it was not Cora in disguise all over again.

"That's what he wanted Cora to think," Snow spoke, glancing at Piper but focusing back on Charming, "But he outwitted her."

"Hey," Regina cut in with a hiss, her gaze flickering from them to Emma and back, "Not in front of the patient, given the state that she's in, anything could set her off. She needs rest...somewhere quiet and away from prying eyes."

"My room is quite removed," Piper offered. It appeared having almost no one trust you or want you near them had its perks.

"Actually," Henry spoke up, already able to see his grandfather about to shoot down the suggestion with a scoff, "I know the perfect place."

"Perhaps me and the boy should take her there," Hook suggested, shooting Piper a glare that morphed into a smirk when Snow and Charming began nodding, "Come on, love," he moved to help Emma stand, "Let's sail away."

"We'll be ok, Aunt P," Henry assured her as they led Emma out of the room.

Piper looked over at the three still in the room, all of them shifting as though they wouldn't speak freely. She rolled her eyes and turned to leave, not caring very much what they would have to say to each other. Given how Snow had interrupted her charming prince, she could guess they would argue more about the trustworthiness of Arthur.

She did, however, before she was sure Regina had cast a privacy spell, hear the woman remark, "Whatever's happening to her, I think she was here for the Dagger, so I should probably move it somewhere safer."

She smirked, good, that meant Regina hadn't noticed the swap.

~8~

Piper smiled as she stood before the entrance to the Dark One's vault, a hand lightly resting on her stomach as she waited for it to open and allow her passage within. Emma was with the pirate, Henry with his (girl)friend, the heroes occupied, and Regina rushing about to try and find a new hiding place for 'the dagger.' This was likely one of the few times where she was able to do what she wished without others noticing her or watching her, where the plans Emma had mapped out could be put on hold for, reasonably, nothing could be done with them all separate as they were. What they had needed to happen had happened, the Dagger was hers and the heroes were alarmed enough to kick up their desperation to help Emma. That had been the next step of the plan. They had only meet to discuss their plans for when Emma was the Dark One and then slip the false spell into Merlin's books for Regina to find. She felt she had at least a few hours time before that would happen to make this trip.

She desperately wanted a moment alone, just to…breathe. The weight of the true Dagger in her boot was a welcome one, reassuring, she never felt herself without it and her pipe in her boots. But she could hardly take it out and just hold it without someone seeing, so the vault was her only option to truly be safe.

And, really, she'd had enough experience being run out of places to know she should always have an escape route. She would wander the halls of Camelot, usually with Henry beside her, as he spoke of little else but a girl named Violet, and then flushing and changing the subject when she would make him aware of his rambling. She did so quite obviously, so that the eyes she didn't doubt were watching her would see her just walking, none of them noticing that she was examining halls and routes and guard presence. She had mapped out the fastest way to escape the castle from her rooms, Henry's, and Emma's. She had A route in mind should Neal be in danger and her need to escape with the boy, though she doubted Snow or Granny would let the boy out or their sights.

And, perhaps, a bit of her examinations were just the odd feeling she got from the castle itself. She could feel a magic there, and sometimes, out of the corner of her eye, it felt as though she could see some change to the castle that wasn't there when she looked at it fully. She could not break from the feeling that there was something altered about the fortress, but, having never been there before, she could not put her finger on what it was. It felt odd being there, almost like the hairs on her neck were always standing, like there was something wrong behind every turn. It took a great deal out of her to act as though she weren't noticing these things, unsure if those of Camelot would see her, to act as though nothing was out of the ordinary. Which was another reason she'd needed to go to the Vault, she felt safe there.

She'd mapped out a path from Camelot to the vault as well, wanting to be sure she could find her way there without being as turned around and out of the way as she and Emma had been getting to Camelot. She was relieved to know she'd gotten the way right the first go, even more so when the vault opened to the sequence of code she'd put in.

Stepping into the vault she had seen a number of times before was like finally being able to breathe again. The items around were organized in a pattern of the most recent, the ones found by the current Dark One in the forefront, with past items by past Dark Ones further back. Being able to see those that her Rummy had found, a portion of which she had helped him obtain or that he had shown her himself, it was like being near him again. It was nothing like his shop in Storybrooke, where the touches of Gold were everywhere, nor his home in either land. But it was enough, it was familiar and it was his.

She moved to sit on a nearby barrel that she knew contained a rather vicious goblin, put in a stasis of sorts, and just…breathed.

It was hard, so very difficult, to be separated from her mate this way. It had been worse before when so many were sure he was dead and kept trying to convince her he was. She could breathe, knowing he was alive, knowing August was guarding him as Henry had told her. But she still ached to be with him, to feel his presence, to hear his heart beating. She moved a hand to her chest, hovering over her heart, she missed the familiarity of his heart in her chest, that connection to him. Before her hand moved back to her stomach and lightly rubbed it. She…she really didn't know what would happen next, with the child.

Sirens were not human, they did not follow human biology, their gestation periods were less than that of a normal human, about 4 moons. She could recall her father telling her stories of how terrified he had been when she had been born for he was so sure that she was too early. She had not been born at the 4 moon mark, but closer to 6, as she was not full siren, or so her parents had reasoned when she was late, by her mother's standards, and early by her father's. She did not know what her child would follow, being less Siren than she was but also being part Dark One, she didn't know how that dark magic would affect the child either.

She could admit she was nervous and the longer she was away from her mate the more she grew. Emma would soon gain all the knowledge of the Dark One and, perhaps, she would be better prepared to assist if anything happened or if the baby came too soon or too late, but…there was a comfort in the Dark One being Rumpelstiltskin and being the father and being able to help. She wanted to be back with him so badly, and they were working towards that.

In a way, even though she had less of a connection to him, she at least had more support now than she had last time they were separated, which she appreciated, and maybe that was also helping. Instead of a group ready and willing to live out the rest of their days in the Forest, they were working to help Emma and then return to Storybrooke or, she supposed, find a way to bring the rest of Storybrooke to them. She would be reunited with her Rummy, one way or another, and he would be made whole again with Emma's help.

Still, being in this vault, surrounded by his objects, with the remnant feel of his magic about, the unique trace of him found within the Dark One's magic, was a comfort to her and the child, she felt. She leaned over and plucked the Dagger from her boot, running her finger over 'Emma Swan' etched into it, still vividly able to imagine Rumpelstiltskin there instead. Even though it wasn't the same name, just having the Dagger in hand again was a comfort.

She was a Siren and they protected their family, this was the only way she could ensure Emma would be completely safe.

She could already imagine if something happened in Camelot, if there was an attack and Emma needed to protect herself, Regina using the Dagger to stop her and not bothering to question WHY Emma was using the magic. While she thrived on controlling the minds of others, she did not like others having control over her family. Call her a hypocrite, she reveled in it, she did not care what others thought of her for her double standards. It was only heroes that put such emphasis on it and refused to admit they were the same. Now though, now Emma would be forever free to do as she wished. She knew in her heart she would never need to use the Dagger to stop Emma or keep her from falling into the dark so completely that it could not be returned to her mate. Emma was wise and she trusted her, she would listen to her advice and Emma did not want the darkness the same way, so she was in no danger of that. She knew, though, it was a sign of trust from Emma too, not only to let her hold the Dagger and not use it, but to be able to use it to help return the darkness to Rumpelstiltskin when the time came.

She took a breath, sliding the Dagger back into her boot and moved to stand, knowing her presence, or lack thereof, in Camelot would undoubtedly be noticed if she lingered longer…only to hear the vault's entrance opening from the other side.

She bit back a curse that wanted to slide out and moved to the nearest corner to hide behind. Oh she wasn't frightened, she could kill anyone who came through those doors, but she had Emma and Henry in mind. If she killed someone now, she wouldn't be able to help them with Emma's plan and that was the only thing that stilled her hand going to her boot in preparation to attack.

…that and she wanted to know who dared enter there and stop them taking anything if they tried it.

She honestly wasn't sure whether she should be surprised or exasperated when she heard the song of Snow White and another growing nearer, confirmed when she heard Snow White's voice, "This place…" she was saying, "I've been here before. I had a vision. I thought I understood what it meant, but maybe I was wrong. Maybe it was always about Emma becoming the Dark One."

Piper tilted her head, listening to that. She knew the vision Snow spoke of, and it would be very like her to jump to the obvious conclusion of 'Emma's going to be evil' than consider alternatives.

"What did you see?" a second voice asked, Lancelot's, if Cora gave an accurate portrayal.

"Emma crushed my heart," Snow answered, and Piper rolled her eyes at how easily she revealed thigs. Truly, how had it been any surprise at all to anyone that Snow had revealed the stable boy to Cora? "We have no time to waste. We have to make sure that Arthur can't get this dagger."

Piper did let out a breath of relief at that, they had come to hide something, not steal more objects they didn't know how to use.

"This altar is the place to secure it," Lancelot spoke, "But it's shielded by a nasty protection spell."

"Well, if it's meant to keep the dagger safe, then maybe a person holding it can be allowed past?"

Piper had to pause and consider how different it was, to hear Snow say that, and NOT feel the need to rush out there and stop her. Snow held a false dagger, there was only a false one out there, the protection spell would react just the same regardless of who 'held the dagger' and would very much hurt those who grew close to it. Snow could be in danger, be injured and harmed, and yet...she felt no desire to stop it.

She felt hollow.

She felt it was deserved.

She just did not care what happened to the woman.

She tilted her head, it was…different, than Regina. When Regina had murdered her parents, unknowing that she had seen it all, she had felt rage, burning rage, for years and years. She had wanted revenge, wanted her to suffer, wanted her to feel that pain. It had nothing to do with it being the only way to soften her heart against the woman.

With Snow…perhaps it had been how close they had always been, that the rage and the revenge, that burning desire, was not there, not to such an extreme. She wanted Snow to suffer, yes, but at the same time she didn't feel that driving need to seek out that hurt, to cause that revenge. Perhaps it was also that her parents were gone and not coming back, with Regina, but with Snow she DID get her love back, they had come home, they were together, their child had endured, and so it was more that sting of the betrayal, the fact that Snow COULD do that to her and had. Or maybe it was the knowledge that Snow would suffer, that a plan was in place and already in motion to torture the woman that she didn't feel that strong of an urge any longer.

She couldn't say, only that she cared nothing for Snow save that she suffer consequences for her actions.

It was odd to go from so fiercely protective to caring so little.

"Wait," Lancelot's voice cut through her thoughts, "It should be me."

"You've done enough."

"You need to let me do this, Snow," Lancelot urged, but clearly Snow was hesitating giving him 'the dagger,' "What is it? Don't you trust me?"

"Apparently not," a third voice spoke that had Piper rolling her eyes to hear, Arthur. She had heard his song approaching and wondered when he'd speak, how he would reveal himself to them, what he would do. It was a wasted opportunity. If it had been her, she would have used their distraction to attack, to stab Lancelot through the heart with a sword and cut down Snow's advantage of numbers.

But it was irritating beyond just Arthur's sheer stupidity. Truly, HOW many people were going to enter this sacred space without invitation?

"And that's a decision she's gonna regret," Arthur continued.

"Arthur!" Lancelot gasped.

"I wouldn't," Arthur warned, and she heard the sound of metal moving, like a sword being lifted, "Excalibur's blade is broken. This one works just fine."

"You followed us!" Snow accused.

Piper shook her head. No, Snow White, he just went for a stroll in the forest and somehow ended up in the Dark One's vault, of course he followed them! How had they not noticed? Arthur was likely as inept at tracking as he was at everything else she'd seen him do.

"So I was right."

"Pity your husband didn't listen when you tried to warn him," Arthur taunted.

"Where is he?" Snow demanded.

"Searching for you in the wrong place. Which means if you ever want to see him again, you're gonna hand over that Dagger. Give me the Dagger, or I will put this sword through my oldest friend, like I should have done years ago."

Lancelot took the decision from her, biting out, "No."

"First you try and steal my wife, and now you want to deny me the Dagger after all I've done for you!"

"Please don't hurt him!" Snow pleaded, and Piper could almost picture Arthur making a move towards the knight before Snow called out, "Here."

Snow was planning something, Piper was sure of it, the moment Snow offered the Dagger to the man. As far as Snow knew it was real and she'd just given someone control of her daughter? So it couldn't be real or they had some sort of plan to get it back. Snow had cursed another child to protect her daughter, she wasn't as pure and good as she wanted everyone to think, she would not just hand over the Dagger even to save Lancelot. The knight had survived Cora, therefore he could fight Arthur and win as well, but Snow was too quick to react.

Something was going on.

Well, look at Snow being devious for once, of course only when no others were around to see it.

"I have waited a lifetime for this," Arthur breathed, "Now I control your daughter. I can command her to reunite the sword and free Merlin. Excalibur's blade will be the last thing he sees before I use it to run him through. Then I will use the blade to snuff out the Darkness once and for all. I can become what no one thought I could...the greatest king in all the realms!"

Piper let out a low breath, shaking her head and trying to think if she or Rummy had ever been so stupid as this, to reveal their entire plan to someone else because they thought they were 'winning.' She did not think they had, always too aware of how the heroes seemed to survive and win, why give them more of an advantage by spelling out the entire plan? Even with fellow villains they never revealed their full plan. Perhaps that was why their plans often worked.

But...if she was being honest...Arthur's plan DID give her an idea...

"Dark One!" Arthur called out, "I command you to appear!"

It was of absolutely no surprise to Piper that it didn't work, and only the suspicion that Snow knew this particular Dagger was fake (when Regina herself appeared to not realize with the other) told her that the one Snow held was likely yet another replica.

"I said," Arthur repeated, "I command you!"

"She's not coming," Snow taunted.

"Why? What have you done to the Dagger?"

"The dagger's not real."

"How?" Arthur demanded, though it confirmed Piper's suspicions.

"You knew he would follow us," Lancelot realized.

"She wasn't the only one," Charming's voice joined the group, growing stronger the nearer he came as did his song.

Piper rolled her eyes, if one more person showed up she was going to slaughter the lot of them, consequences be damned.

"Well, I was wondering when you were gonna show up," Snow teased.

"I had to keep my distance so Arthur wouldn't see me trailing him," Charming defended.

"You betrayed me," Arthur accused, "You broke the sacred trust of the Round Table!"

"You tried to trick me with a catchy title and a comfy chair."

"David, you deserved a seat at my table. Every choice I've made is for the good of Camelot! I'm trying to destroy the Darkness!"

"The Darkness is in my daughter, so every choice I make is for the good of my family."

"So this was all a show?" Lancelot cut in, "Are you even really fighting?"

"Oh, the fight was real," Snow assured, "Oh, very real. But we quickly realized that fighting wasn't going to solve any problems, so we put aside our differences and thought of Emma's wellbeing first."

"You're coming with us, your majesty," Charming spoke and there was the clatter of a sword falling to the ground.

Piper peeked around the corner to see Charming tying up Arthur's hands behind his back with a rope, before shoving the man forward, Lancelot grabbing his sword as he and Snow followed him out. She waited a minute or two after the vault doors closed before leaving herself.

~8~

It was only the threat Arthur posed to Emma that kept Piper from returning to Camelot and instead following Snow and the others as they dragged Arthur to Granny's diner. While the trio took up the front space, handcuffing Arthur to a chair, Piper snuck round the back, pausing just behind the swinging door to the kitchens to listen should Arthur reveal more of his plans. The more she knew, the more she could help Emma, and, perhaps, the more it would help her own growing plan for the inevitable Dark Swan form in her mind.

"Finally a blade that can stand up to Granny's meatloaf," Charming was joking and Piper could see through the small window of the swinging door when she dared a peek that they were looking at Excalibur, the top part of it broken off, the sword very curved of blade, much like the Dark One's Dagger.

"So, now what do we do with it?" Snow asked.

"Well, Arthur wanted to reunite it with the Dagger and use it for evil. But that doesn't mean that it couldn't also be used for good."

Piper had the growing notion that Charming's 'for good' would be exactly the same as Arthur's only without killing Merlin first and without the Darkness being IN Emma when it was destroyed.

Snow either didn't seem to think that, or agreed completely with it, "Like helping Emma."

"We can talk more about it as soon as we get back to Camelot and put someone worthy in charge."

"I spent a lifetime putting my faith in a false king," Lancelot spoke, "Camelot's true leader...is its queen, Guinevere."

"Is it me, or is he unusually quiet?" Snow asked of Arthur, who had been silent since they left the vault.

"Because he knows something," Charming realized, when the sounds of horses whinnying outside reached them.

Piper tensed, looking behind her at the back door she'd come through, hearing the songs of two knights approaching. If she used her music now, she would not only reveal herself but her magic, which she had hoped to keep hidden until it was desperately needed, for Emma and Henry's sake. She was not a coward, she was not afraid of these pitiful knights, but her niece and nephew were counting on her to be an asset to them, and she couldn't do that if her abilities were discovered or if those of Camelot came to see her as a dangerous threat too soon. Which meant her only other option was to find somewhere to hide or some way to excuse why she was there. She looked around quickly, before reaching out and grabbed the handle of the refrigerator, still humming quietly with generator power, opening it. She cursed seeing boxes stuffed in there, no space to hide in…when her eye caught something else on a shelf. She huffed, this was going to be utterly ridiculous but if it worked…

She reached out and grabbed the paper wrapped parcel, opening it and biting into the sandwich within with a grimace. She hated bologna, but it did the trick, it made it look as though she were sneaking a snack, as though she were a mere harmless woman, when the two knights burst through the door and paused at the sight of her. Clearly they meant to surround the trio inside from all sides and weren't expecting her.

One knight stepped forward, his sword held up and nodded his head towards the front for her to march forward, through the swinging doors and to the front…where Guinevere was now standing beside Arthur, freed, with other knights on his side, two grabbing Lancelot.

"…not real!" Lancelot was shouting, "He must have used the Sands of Avalon on you. Guinevere, we can break this spell."

Piper kept her gaze neutral at the mention of that particular magical item, something the Dark One had once possessed but traded, now understanding why the castle felt so odd to her. The Sands of Avalon were a magical sand that gave the user the ability to make broken things appear whole again. If she was getting that feeling from the castle, from the people who resided there...Arthur had clearly used it on his entire kingdom. Her mind, her magic, recognized there was some sort of manipulation going on, but it wasn't just mind magic so she couldn't see through it completely.

"Not interested," the queen said, stepping forward and taking Excalibur back from Charming, looking down her nose at Lancelot, "Take this traitor to the dungeon where he belongs," she ordered, the knights dragging him out as she turned to kiss Arthur.

"Sire," one of the knights spoke, "We found this one lurking in the back."

Snow and Charming turned sharply, startled to see her.

"Eating," Piper corrected, holding up the sandwich, "Apologies, but the food in Camelot is not to my taste," she told Arthur bluntly.

"Prison food shall be worse," the queen glared at her, as though to insult the food of Camelot was a high crime.

"The second you lock us up, our friends will know something's wrong," Charming warned the king, "And your secret's out."

"Now, now, my dear," Arthur patted the queen's arm, "They may still be able to help us."

"Never," Snow threatened.

He smirked, "Oh, actually, I'm quite optimistic. Guinevere," he turned to the queen, "Fix this, my love."

The queen nodded and stepped forward, something in her hand that, with a gentle blow of breath, had drifted up like dust on the wind and settled over the three of them…

~8~

Piper rubbed her head as she entered her chambers, pausing when she saw Emma and Henry already there, both of them having been speaking of their day. Henry had been gushing about learning more about horses and how to ride them from his (girl)friend Violet while Emma had been smiling and twirling a pink flower in her hands, talking about the date she'd had with Hook.

"While I am glad you enjoyed your date with the pirate," Piper began, and Emma rolled her eyes because she sounded more deadpan than pleased, "I have spent the day trapped in a vault while drama played out before me and then 'enchanted' with magic sand."

"Come again?" Emma shook her head, "Enchanted by magic sand?"

"Hardly," Piper scoffed, "Siren" she gestured at herself. When the Sands of Avalon were used on her just before, it was specifically made to make her think one way about Arthur, to affect only her mind, not a fortress like the castle. It was easier for her mind to cast it off than to see through a spell put on a building, "Mind magic does not often work on me. I still loathe Arthur and would sooner throw him from a tower than trust him. Snow and Charming, however, now believe he is the most trustworthy individual in the Forest."

"What happened?" Henry frowned.

"It is a long story," Piper told them, and her head was throbbing.

Her mind was protected from mind magic, yes, but that didn't mean it felt pleasant to have her natural defenses rise up against it. It left her with a splitting headache more often than not. She'd had one for a week straight when she'd first appeared in the modern world after the first Dark Curse. But, Henry and Emma both deserved to know that they should be on guard around Arthur and the Charmings, and the potential plan she had in mind.

"But, I do believe I may have solved what the Dark Swan can do to the heroes."

"What?" Emma asked.

Piper merely smirked and began to recount what she had heard, what Arthur had done, and what they could dish out to the heroes..

A/N: Quick question, has anyone with a tumblr been getting an anon saying 'quit hacking into my wifi and quit copying off my work' in their inbox? :/ I got an anon who asked that last night and I'm sort of like '...what?' :/ Because, for 1, why would I need to hack anyone's wifi?, 2, I have no idea who they are or what works they're talking about because they went on anon, and 3, after being plagiarized 30 plus times, I'm the last person who would copy off someone else's work :/ The fact that they are anon and didn't specify what work makes me think it's not legit, and another person said they'd gotten the same message even though they have no fanfiction posted. Just thought I'd check in if anyone had seen something like that. It's very upsetting to me to have someone both make demands of me and also accuse me of hacking AND plagiarism in one go :'( I never, EVER post anything on my tumblr that includes an accused plagiarizer's username until I'm 100 percent sure what the situation is because I never want to mistakenly accuse anyone of anything. So it just hurts to see someone accuse me of it and not even be able to defend myself because they didn't give a name or story or anything for me to compare it with :/

I'm very confused by it all :/

That's actually one of the reasons I was (and still am) so hesitant to post my work on other sites, because of the plagiarism. And what if they copied my work and posted it there, and then when I put my work up THEY accuse ME of plagiarizing THEM because what they copied was up first? :/ -sigh- I was having such a good day too and then that happened :(

On a lighter note, as for the chapter...

I wanted to have a moment for Piper where she gets to just take a breath lol. She's sort of been in non-stop help-Emma mode and having to be strong when being like the only villain surrounded by heroes (not counting Zelena because she seems to be kept in the background a lot) and knowing Camelot isn't a fan of her mate and won't be of her because she's Rumpelstiltskin's mate, and having to come up with plans, and just a lot. I feel like she needed just a moment to process, and a moment to feel closer to Gold by being in 'his' vault :) But then, of course the heroes have to tread all over it :/

I hope you sort of lol-ed when Piper got caught. She's trying to be very careful to not reveal the advantage of her powers to the people of Camelot in a noticeable way, for now. If they discover who she is and what she can do, they may try to come up with ways to silence her or defend against her magic and she's always thinking of her family, of needing to be there for Emma and Henry and Neal, and how she needs to be MUCH more careful due to the baby. So she's not afraid or cowering when she gets cornered, she's just sort of trying to find an alternative to using her magic in this one case, because Arthur IS up to something and if she makes him too suspicious she may not be able to get close enough to work out what it is. She sort of 'went along' with the ruse of being affected by the sand so she could get away from him and warn Emma and Henry.

But now she has a plan in mind for what the Dark Swan can do...we'll just have to wait and see if Emma and Henry agree with it or if there are any changes that need to be made ;)

And wow! You guys! 100 reviews! And we were only 7 chapters in! That is so awesome, thank you all so much! I'm so glad you're enjoying the story so far! :')

On a slightly more 'irritated' note, in terms of the actual episode, for those who saw it since the scenes that bothered me weren't included in this chapter, I have to say I wasn't a big fan of Lancelot or Snow in this episode. (talk of infidelity to come if that's not something you want to read then that's it for my A/N) I'm very much against infidelity, if you're not happy in a marriage or want someone else, to me, it's better to end the marriage than do that behind your spouse's back. It killed me to even skim the surface of infidelity in my Heart of Time Saga, which was why I showed the toll it took on Angel, the very dark intentions of River, and the way the Doctor came to feel about River as a result of how it hurt Angel.

To me, in the episode, Snow sounded like she was almost on Lancelot's side in his relationship with the queen. Like, 'it matters if you still love her,' because 'you should fight for her' and so on. This isn't like the first curse, she's not in a fake marriage (as far as Snow knows) and it came across to me like she was actually suggesting Lancelot steal someone's wife from them. As far as Snow knows, from what she has seen, Arthur and Gwen have a loving relationship and are in a committed relationship, but just because Lancelot is her friend and HE loves Gwen too, she basically encourages him to continue to 'fight for' Gwen and that just didn't sit right with me :/

Don't get me wrong, I know that there are terrible marriages out there and that, as we come to learn, Gwen's marriage to Arthur that we see here is the result of an enchantment, but she never actually left him, she never actually divorced him, she's still married even if it's only because the enchantment is making it so. Lancelot is going for someone's wife and it doesn't matter if he loves her or she him, she's married to someone else and until they are divorced or one of them dies, she is married even if it's by absolutely atrocious and very morally wrong means.

Robin and Marian, she died, that vow was over even if Emma interfered, though we know now it wasn't Marian who returned.

The enchantment part of it does make the 'still being married' part complicated, I know. But it was just the way that Lancelot assumed things in the diner. From his POV, Gwen shows up to save Arthur and says she loves him and Lancelot denies it? They don't know it's a spell, he assumes (rightly so but still assumes) it's an enchantment, but...Lancelot has been missing for, what, 5 years? In that time it is completely possible that Arthur changed his ways and repaired his relationship with Gwen and won her love back. I know he didn't, not really, but the fact that it is POSSIBLE and Lancelot is assuming Gwen is lying, it rubbed me the wrong way. Like don't assume just because you still love Gwen that she HAS to still love you 5 years later, when she married someone else and they could have worked things out :/

Do I think Arthur is an absolute jerk and scum for doing what he did to Gwen? Yes. Do I think he's as bad as Zelena and what she did to Robin? Yes. Does my heart break for Gwen? Yes. Do I think Lancelot and Gwen's affair is wrong? Yes. And do I dislike Snow for encouraging Lancelot to continue to pursue a married woman? Yes.

Idk, infidelity gets to me every time. One of my greatest fears is to be betrayed by someone I love. I would rather someone divorce me because they want someone else than do that to me behind my back. Because at least I know they still respect me enough or care about me enough to not want to hurt me more than falling out of love would have. As Amy March says in the most recent Little Women movie, I would be respected if I couldn't be loved.

Some notes on reviews...

I will keep my fingers crossed that you can get the vaccine as soon as it becomes available to you! :( So far, in my state, healthcare workers and emergency personnel have been getting their vaccines. So my mother, thankfully, has gotten both doses (being a nurse in a hospital) and my dad recently got his first (being a firefighter and emergency responder). My sister and brother MIGHT be in line to get it too, one is a fireman and the other is the same 'emergency responder' but more the desk end of it so we're not sure about her. My brother is being a little jerk and refusing to get a vaccine unless his job makes it mandatory. I have a job in a transportation company, but, like my sister, a desk job so idk when I can get it either, but as soon as I can I will. I've pretty much been a hermit for over a year now, only going into my office when I have to, driving there to avoid public transportation, and to grocery stores and that's it :/ Mostly out of fear that I could get it and give it to my parents so once they're both fully vaccinated I think I'll be able to breathe a little easier. I really hope you will be able to get one soon!

I can say that in the AU for this story we'll see MUCH more Bae in the underworld ;) As for this one, he's sort of gotten his 'business' settled, seeing his father happy, seeing he did love him all that time (both through his actions/words and Piper vouching for him), got to say goodbye to his love, and know his son, and be a hero :( But the AU...well }:)

That sounds like an epic version of the Underworld :) I can't say how the AU for this story would play out, because Bae will feature very much in the UW arc for that story, I can't say how he or Emma end up there just yet but some shock and sacrifice would certainly be in order ;) I can say for this story, there may be a plan involved and some shocking revelations for the heroes about who ends up in the Underworld and why ;)

In this story, so far there's no SwanFire :( The AU of this, and Lyssa's story though...very much so ;) We'll have to wait and see how the Underworld arc goes ;)

I'm glad you enjoyed Piper, I wanted that to be a theme with her compared to Belle the change vs. acceptance aspect of their relationships with Gold :) And Henry, he's definitely learning a bit of forethought from the villains in his family. I mean Gold thought out the plan for the Dark Curse and was patient for over 300 years to get to his son, and we saw in Storybrooke how he could sort of guess what plans would get what reaction and have what result for the people he chose to help, I feel like Henry would pick up on that and learn to be a little more patient than jump right to the 'you're a villain!' part of it by now :) I hope your family and friends are safe and doing well, I really do, times have certainly been dark recently so I hope you are safe and healthy as well :)