Devil's Due
"This could have been avoided if you had just let me lull the beast the first time," Piper remarked, sitting on the couch of the Underworld apartment, her feet up on the coffee table, Gold beside her, watching the others trying to straighten up the damage the Cerberus had caused.
He could have offered to fix up the apartment himself with magic, but he had three very good reasons not to. First, it easily COULD have been avoided had they just let Piper use her skills. Second, they hadn't asked and why should he expend the energy if they didn't wish it? And third...it was amusing to him to watch them toil on.
"Found more arrows," Regina called, handing them to Robin and Snow and pointedly ignoring Piper's comment.
"You do not want to see what that hell dog did upstairs," Robin warned them all, coming down the stairs from the upper floor.
Emma looked around at them, "So, we think we're ready?" she waited till they nodded, before going over what they had so far, "We know Hades will have Hook in some sort of isolation. Meg told us there's an entrance nearby..."
"I think there's something you're forgetting, Miss Swan," Gold spoke up, "With the beast gone, Hades will know we're coming and coming through the tunnels the beast was guarding. He'll have put up barriers to keep the living out of all the places he doesn't want us going. We walk into his domain, we'll all be puffs of dust," his hand clutched Piper's tightly.
Of all the people there, he was most concerned for her and their child. Henry second, Emma third, but Piper was first in his mind. It was one thing to let her face a Cerberus, when he knew her magic would work against it, when he knew he'd be there to protect her from it should anything go wrong. It was another thing to enter a trap and not know what the trap was or how it worked.
"Damn it," Emma huffed, realizing how much sense that made, "We need a new plan."
"Correct."
Piper glanced at him, "I know that smirk," she remarked, seeing one growing on his face, "You already have a plan, do you not?"
Gold chuckled lifting her hand to kiss the back of it, "Always, Pip."
"Great, what is it?" Emma cut in.
Gold stood, helping Piper to her feet, pleased to see Emma's spell to hide her stomach was holding, "The five of you occupy yourselves as you will. Perhaps cleaning?" he gestured around the room to the heroes and Henry, before looking at Emma, "You, me, and Pip will go in, with the assistance of a helpful dead person. I can extend their aura, if you will, so that three living souls can get through Hades' barrier."
He would not trust Piper's safety to this miserable lot, he would never leave her alone with them either. Even with Henry there to vouch for her, he would not trust the others, trust Snow White, with her life ever. She would always be safest at his side where his magic could protect her.
"How do we get a helpful dead person to loan their aura so we can confront the god of the Underworld himself?" Emma asked.
"Well, there are quite a few souls that would be quite…helpful," Piper offered, a smirk of her own on her face, "With the right persuasion."
Emma rolled her eyes at her aunt, the method of her threats to others rolling off her by now, "Do we have time for that?" she challenged, not discounting the use of it or her ability, only bringing up a very real reason it might not be the best course of action to go.
Unlike other heroes, she felt, who would just react with 'that's terrible!' about torture as a means of persuasion, for that was just how her Aunt operated, but instead just using a logical reason to change course and prevent the torture.
Gold chuckled, moving his hand to Piper's back as she nearly pouted, "I've got someone in mind. Someone I've known a long time. And, quite likely, the only one here who would be as eager to assist you rescuing the pirate."
"Who?" Emma frowned.
Piper eyed him a moment, before working out who that might be and laughing, "Oh, this I cannot wait for."
Gold merely smirked and headed for the door, the two blondes following after him, though he did catch a glimpse of Snow White reaching out to stop her Charming prince from speaking just before the door shut.
Hmm, perhaps Snow White was beginning to realize her distrustful mistakes.
~8~
There was a pang in Piper's heart as they approached a crossing of the road, seeing a woman helping a handful of children get to the other side of the street, to know there were children stuck in this Limbo. To know most of them were the Evil Queen's doing, but some of them…some of them were likely her fault as well. She shook herself, unable to afford thinking too long on it. In such a place, any display of guilt or weakness would be preyed up, she was sure. And with this woman who had finally seen them approach and did not look happy, she would never allow herself to appear anything other than strong and sure.
"Morning, dearie," Gold waved at her mockingly, a dark smirk on his lips, oh he was going to enjoy this very much, "Don't worry, I'm not dead. Just visiting."
The woman glared at him, "How'd you find me?"
"You are standing in the middle of the road," Piper answered for him, before giving him a look, "I am truly surprised that is the level of her intelligence, shame on you Rummy."
He chuckled even more when the woman sent her a glare, "And who the hell are you?" she demanded.
Piper smirked, turning back to her, "Hmm. My name and title you would not be familiar with, for you passed long before I was born," she hummed, "HIS true love," she offered instead, nodding at Gold.
The woman gaped at her, "You're joking."
"Oh, quite serious," Gold told her, his arm around Piper, "Turns out I never truly loved you either, dearie," he spat her final words to him back at her, taking enjoyment at how she flinched and stepped back, "I know that now, now that I know what it feels like. I must say, looking back, if not for Bae, I would claim you as one of the worst mistakes of my life."
"At least you learned from them," Piper mused, reaching out to fix a fold in his jacket lapel, patting it where his heart was, "You leaned very well."
He grinned, "Upgraded," he agreed, before glancing at the woman again, "You know, I must say, I do love the irony of your job. You, watching children, keeping them safe, keeping them close."
"Ah, yes," Piper nodded, "Considering you abandoned your son and left him alone without a mother…poor Bae.'
"You're Milah!?" Emma gaped, having given them a moment to speak to the woman alone but unable to help hearing their conversation. She wasn't sure if this was the person who was going to help them or someone who would point them to that person…but hearing she was Baelfire's mother, it had to be Milah. And while a part of her knew that Piper and Gold baiting her like this wouldn't make her agreeable…another part knew she deserved it for what she'd done to Neal and, if she loved Hook as much as Hook seemed to think to spend 300 seeking revenge for their love, she'd help no matter what they said.
"I am," Milah cleared her throat, glancing from Emma's shocked face to the woman who her husband now claimed as his true love to the man himself, "What do you want?" she asked, for as much as he was enjoying prodding her and taunting her, she knew he'd never actually seek her out unless he wanted something.
"I have an opportunity for you," Gold spoke, "A romantic adventure to save the man you once loved."
"You?" she eyed him.
"I believe, in your own words, you already declared 'I never loved you,'" Piper cut in, "Good thing you said that or he would not be mine now. And, if anyone is going to save him, it will be ME."
Milah stepped back at the utter threat in her last few words, swallowing hard.
"As I would you, Pip," Gold returned, so easily that Milah had to look away.
There was a time he couldn't bring himself to kill a cheat to save his son, and yet the way he talked to, the way he looked at, that blonde woman, Pip, he called her, she knew he would this time, he'd go to the ends of the earth and do absolutely anything to keep her safe, she could hear it in his voice. He'd never done that for her.
"So long as she knows that you are mine," Piper narrowed her eyes at Milah, all too aware of his history with her, the many ways she had abandoned and abused him through their marriage. She wanted this woman to know, without a doubt, that if anything harmed her mate she would defend him.
"Easy, Pip," Gold chuckled, moving his nose to her temple, though he could not hide his grin, "We need her in one piece, remember?"
"Do we?" Piper murmured, "I thought we merely needed a hand."
Gold had to bite back a smirk at that, knowing Milah would think she meant 'a hand' as in help, whereas Piper literally meant cutting her hand off to touch whatever needed to be touched to get them through Hades' barriers. He took a breath, trying as hard as he could, which wasn't very hard at all, to hide his delight at her vicious streak with Milah, and turned to the woman, "I'm talking about Killian Jones."
"Killian..." Milah gasped, her eyes wide, "Is here?"
"He's receiving some, uh, special attention from Hades. I need to retrieve him."
"I'm supposed to watch the kids…"
"Your duty has never stopped you from abandoning children before," Piper remarked, "Why begin now?"
Gold chuckled, quite enjoying how uncomfortable Milah was growing with Piper pitted against her, "It's quite simple, really. Can you stand helping me if it lets you save him?"
"Please," Emma spoke, "He's here because of me."
"You?" Milah frowned at her, "What did you do to him?"
"He sacrificed himself for me," Emma elaborated, before Piper could step forward and terrify the woman for the accusation, "To save me."
Milah looked at her for a long while, piecing it together, why the man she knew would make such a sacrifice for anyone, "You…and Killian?"
Love, she knew, it could only be love.
"Also her and Neal," Gold remarked, "Baelfire," he added when Milah looked confused, "Our boy had a torrid affair, which resulted in a scandalous teenage pregnancy. In prison."
Milah looked near ready to faint, "So, you've been with my former lover...and my son? Is that right?"
"Yes, yes," Piper rolled her eyes, "Your former lover who was also like a father to your son who is father to her son," she nearly snorted when Emma winced at the realization that Hook technically could have been Baelfire's step-father in some way, she'd been with the son and the 'father' and that was clearly a disturbing thought. She took pity on Emma though, her family tree was messed up enough than to add in Hook being her first love's step-father to it all, so she added, "And I have been with your former husband," to Milah, an effort to keep her harping on about the pirate and Emma's connection to him any longer, "Is that relevant?"
"I'm sure we're gonna laugh ourselves sick about all this one day," Gold looked between them, "I suggest you follow me before this gets even more awkward."
Piper snorted, "I cannot imagine this becoming more awkward," she told him, "Unless Emma were to marry the pirate and give Henry a step-father who is also his step-grandfather as well."
Gold had to laugh at the way Emma turned a bit green at that. Granted her family tree was as 'messed up' as it could possibly be. But at least Regina was Henry's adoptive-mother and step-great grandmother and not quite so close as Hook would be, to have been something of a father to the boy's father for a time.
"Just..." Emma huffed, shaking her head, "Let's never speak of this again, ok?"
Really, if her family tree grew any more twisted and borderline incestuous she was going to scream.
~8~
"The way in is here?" Emma asked with a frown as they came to the Underworld version of the house she had taken over during the last curse, "So, what, the gates of hell are in my house?"
"As was the stone of Excalibur," Gold nodded, "The pirate has a knack for targeting real estate with hidden value," he pushed open the front door and they cautiously entered to find the home abandoned.
"Basement door?" Emma guessed.
"Likely," Piper nodded, moving over to it. Gold waved his hand to unlock the door, but a small force of magic pushed her back when she reached for the handle.
"It's a barrier, alright," Emma realized, glancing at Milah, "So what is she going to do?"
"Joining hands will be fine," Gold said simply.
Emma reached out to take Milah's hand, doubting either Gold or Piper would want to, and took Piper's after, Piper taking Gold's. They approached the door again, Milah reaching out to the handle, and sighing in relief when the door opened to reveal a tunnel into hell beyond.
"It worked," Emma breathed once they stepped past it.
"Indeed," Gold tensed, not letting go of Piper's hand even as the others dropped their holds, "One step closer to Hell."
~8~
They walked a little further down the tunnels and down a set of stairs, Gold looking around, sensing the magic in the air before he nodded to himself, "The spell's gone. We'll be able to pass through on our own now. Thank you, Milah," he added to the woman, as entertaining as it had been to watch her try to go toe-to-toe with Piper, he would really rather the woman be as far away from him as possible, "You can run back to protecting the dead children."
"Hang on," Emma turned to the woman, "Milah...thank you so much. And...there's something you should know. Your son, Neal, Baelfire...when I was on my way down here on the River, I had sort of a vision of him. I think he talked to me."
"What did he say?" Milah breathed.
"He said that he moved on," she explained, glancing from Milah to Gold, an apologetic look in her eye, she just hadn't known how to tell him or Henry that Neal had moved on and was likely beyond their ability to take him back now that he wasn't in Limbo, they'd been so hopeful and she just...hadn't know when the right time was or how to say it, "And that he was happy. Whatever he had to resolve...he did it."
Milah smiled at that, "Thank you. Thank you so much."
Emma nodded, clearing her throat and looking around as she turned to the others, "I hear water this way."
"That would be the River of Lost Souls," Milah offered, "We can take it to where Hades will have Killian."
"I do not recall you being needed past this point," Piper remarked. While she would love to claw the woman's eyes out, among other things, she could sense Gold's unease with the woman being so near, and she would always put his comfort above her desire for some sort of vengeance against anyone.
Gold scoffed, "If you think you can get the pirate back, I doubt he's gonna swap the blonde for the dead woman."
Milah shot him a glare, "You might be the Dark One, but sometimes you're still an idiot, Rump…"
Before the woman could finish, she found herself slammed against one of the stone walls, Piper's arm crossed across her neck, the other covering her mouth to keep her from making a noise, "You listen to me, Milah," she spoke quietly, though Emma and Gold could hear her in the silence of the tunnels, they could hear the threat and the edge to her words, "I have heard enough of you and your abuses towards MY mate. When he was a man, when he was your husband, when he was Dark One," she tilted her head, making sure Milah was looking her in the eye, "You fail to realize he is NOT YOUR husband any longer, he is MINE, MY mate, and I will defend him until my dying breath. TEMPT me and we will see what happens to a soul when it is killed in limbo. And do not think for a moment I will not find time to torture you first," she leaned in closer, her hand pressing harder against her mouth with the action, "The next time you open your mouth, it will be related to this quest, and nothing more...or else I will have no qualms tarnishing the blade of the Dark One by cutting out your tongue with it. Insult my mate again and I will kill you. Understood?" she eased her hold on Milah's mouth just enough that the woman could move her head to frantically nod, "Good."
She shoved the woman more to the wall as she pushed herself back from her, turning to walk over to Gold as he stood smirking, pleased, and very entertained, leaning towards him as he leaned down to press a kiss to his lips, "MY mate," she murmured to him.
He chuckled, nodding, "Always."
Emma glanced at the two before they continued to walk on, looking over at Milah as the woman, still with wide, fearful eyes, rubbed at her throat, "I'm not going to apologize for her," Emma told her. Not only was it not her place to control her aunt, and therefore not on her to issue apologies Piper herself wouldn't feel but...
She didn't know much about Gold's time married to Milah, though she had gleamed enough from comments he, Hook, Neal, and Piper had made about the woman to understand Piper felt she had every right to threaten the woman into being quiet. Neal was very sure about his mother abandoning him, Hook, while he spoke of her unhappy marriage, didn't fail to mention it had been more Milah being unhappy with Gold than anything he had actually done to her, and Piper…well, given what she'd just done, she could assume Milah spouting abuses and insults to Gold was not out of the norm for the woman. She had likely insulted the man and bullied him in ways, the man submitting to her wishes and doing what he could to appease her and it wasn't enough.
If Piper thought Milah deserved that threat, then she deserved it. Sirens were very protective of their mates and families and clearly she knew things about Milah and her relationship with Gold, her treatment of the man, that had set her on edge and pit her against the woman.
"You sure you still want to do this?" she asked, when Milah straightened.
Milah hesitated, but nodded, "I have my reasons. Let me come with you."
Emma sighed, "Ok."
~8~
The river, it seemed, came with a boat waiting to take any wandering souls across, which was how Emma, Piper, Gold, and Milah found themselves drifting down the river, the waters glowing green with the faint images of men and women drifting below, truly lost souls.
"I hope this boat you found doesn't spring a leak," Emma muttered, shifting away from the edge of the boat, ill at ease with the sight of those spirits.
"This boat is the best thing we could have hoped to find," Gold remarked, "After we pick up the pirate, it will take us all the way home."
Emma slowly stood as the boat came to a rest against a dock, "This is it," she breathed, "He's down there. I feel it," she hopped out of the boat.
"We shouldn't leave the boat," Gold spoke, "It's too valuable."
Milah scoffed, but turned to Emma, "If he's not moving, I'm not either. If he tries to steal this thing, I'll give a shout."
Piper rolled her eyes at the woman, moving to stand and follow Emma, "I shall go with you, Emma," she offered.
"No," Emma shook her head, seeing how Gold tensed, either at the thought of Piper going without him or being left alone with Milah, "I'm more than capable of getting Killian on my own, you should stay," she eyed the two still in the boat, "Make sure they don't kill each other."
Piper raised an eyebrow at that.
"And no killing her either," Emma added with a sigh, she shouldn't have to tell a grown woman not to kill someone, but such was life, "I'll be quick. The less people with me, the less Hades will notice."
"Don't use your magic if you can help it," Gold warned when Piper hesitantly moved to sit down, for if Emma didn't want her to go, if she thought herself capable and safer without her there, and she did give a valid reason to not draw more attention, she would allow it, "Hades would notice anything this close to his home base."
Emma nodded, taking a breath and turning to run down a tunnel in search of Hook.
"Come here, Pip," Gold murmured after a few minutes of Piper sitting rigidly beside him, her gaze trained on the archway Emma had gone through as though she could see through the stone and if her niece needed help. He moved his arm around her, gently tugging her to lean more against him in comfort. She would have gone with Emma, he was sure, but Emma's point brought up another thought. Hades would be more likely to come for the most people gathered together, THEY would draw the man's attention more than Emma so remaining there would make them more a target and give her more time.
Piper let out a breath, shifting closer to him, her head on his shoulder though she kept her gaze on the docks and the paths beyond.
"So…" Milah spoke, "You've moved on."
"I did," Gold nodded, "To bigger and better things."
Piper smirked at the frown on Milah's face, "I am the better thing."
"Only took 2 minutes with her to know she was better than you could ever be for me," Gold mused, pressing a kiss to the top of Piper's hair.
Milah didn't dispute that, seeing how the woman acted and spoke, knowing he was the Dark One, she could see how they fit, their blackened souls were the same, "And Emma, she'll be able to save Killian?"
Gold eyed her a moment, "If your unfinished business is love for the pirate, then it's definitely off the table."
"Sorry," Piper added, though she did not sound sorry at all, more pleased that it would mean Milah would not be able to move on.
"My unfinished business was never Killian," Milah stated.
"Then why..." Gold began.
"It's Baelfire. Our son. I should have been there for him. Not...punished him because I'd...grown to hate his father. I was selfish. I thought if I could...change that, do something generous...maybe I could finish what I need to."
"You are still selfish," Piper remarked, "You are only helping so you might move on. It is not selfless. If it is for your own betterment, then it is selfish. Death has not changed you. Even now, I would assume, you wish to move on to see your son, still what YOU want."
"I want to apologize," Milah defended, "To be able to say 'Son, I'm...I'm sorry for...everything.'"
"Too little, too late," Piper shook her head.
"Did he forgive you?" Milah turned instead to Gold.
"He did," Gold stated.
"Then he can forgive me too."
Piper scoffed, "He forgave his father, the man who stayed, the man who raised him, who loved him and cared for him and gave his very soul to keep him safe before spending 300 years trying to find his way back to his child. You think he will be so kind to you? The woman who did not want him? Who left him and did not look back?"
Milah fell silent and Gold felt himself smirk. He felt his boy might forgive Milah, but Piper brought up good points. Of the two of them, HE had been the one to make sacrifices for his son all his life, Milah had fled. HE had been the one to stay, to clothe him, shelter him, feed him, care for him. Not Milah. HE had done more for his son in the course of his life than Milah ever had.
Oh he almost wished he could watch that confrontation.
~8~
Piper frowned from where she now stood on the dock, Gold beside her, Milah still in the boat, looking where Emma had run, "They should be back by now," she murmured to Gold, concerned.
"They all look so lost," Milah remarked and they looked back to see her leaning over the side of the boat to observe the souls.
"Well it is a River of LOST souls," Piper muttered under her breath.
Gold tensed when he spotted a flash of magic out of the corner of his eye and Milah opening her mouth to shout at something over his shoulder when she froze where she was, Hades appearing before them in a flash of blue flames.
"I'm not here to fight," Hades told them, waving off a fireball Gold sent at him, smirking as he added, "I'm here to talk about a deal."
"What deal?" Gold glared, stepping in front of Piper slightly.
Hades chuckled, "Let's chat, the three of us," and waved his hand, transporting the two of them and himself to his chambers in the Underworld, like an office but very dark. The two refused the wine the man offered as they sat at the chairs before the man's desk, not needing o ask how he knew about them. Emma had already told them he had confronted them when Hercules failed the second time.
Hades easily shrugged at their refusal, moving to sit at his desk, "You know, I'm a fan of yours I mean, there are Dark Ones, and then there is you. And you," he eyed Piper up and down, "The things you've done?" he let out a whistle, "I've never had so many souls arrive in pieces since the Ogre wars. You do keep things fresh," he eyed them, "You're both quite the worthy rivals to my hot throne."
"So is this how you treat rivals?" Gold scoffed. He knew why Hades had taken Piper, there was no better way to get HIM to listen than to hold a sword over her head.
"Did I say 'rivals?' I meant 'suppliers.' You've sent so many lovely dead people my way. I mean, Regina does ok," he shrugged, "And your little girlfriend sure gets creative," he winked at Piper, enjoying the glare Gold sent him even as the woman remained unamused, "But YOU," he eyed Gold, "You've been at it longer, and the Queen's gotten, you know, ugh lately," he chuckled, "So what I really need is you back up there doing your thing, and your friends...I want them down here, not doing their thing, because frankly, they piss me off."
"I am not opposed to the idea of the Shepherd remaining," Piper remarked, "Or the thief or Regina."
She likely wouldn't allow it, because the irritating shepherd was her cousin's love and her nephew's grandfather, and the other two were his adoptive mother and as-good-as-step-father, for Henry she wouldn't allow it. But that didn't mean she wasn't opposed to the IDEA of them remaining.
"Guess I should have seen that one coming," Hades nodded, knowing her history, her biology, and her tie to the boy, the blonde, and Snow White for why she left them out of it, "But here's the thing. I need you to sink that boat you found because it's everyone's way out of here. And before you say anything, I'll just wave my manicured hand, and boom, you'll be back up top, the two of you. Hell, I'll even throw in the kid. You in?"
"You can destroy that boat yourself, I have no doubt," Gold countered.
He shrugged, "I could do it myself, yes, but I want you to do it. So, are you a man I can do business with, or do I simply have to kill all of you?"
Gold tensed at the threat, knowing the man would start with Piper just to spite him, "You realize my ex-wife saw you just now. She'll tell everyone."
Hades smirked, "I'm sure that's a puzzle you can solve. Now, just how eager are you to get home? Think about it," he said, waving his hand to send them back to the dock.
Piper scoffed under her breath, "He is no Rumpelstiltskin."
"No, he is not," Gold agreed, knowing exactly what she meant.
Did Hades truly think they would fall for that?
The man made an offer but did not shake on it, therefore he had not made a deal. He wanted to trick them into destroying the boat so he could hold that escape over them and not have to uphold his end of the bargain, because he'd never actually struck it. And the loopholes! The man's offer was riddled with loopholes so much so that it took all Piper had not to cringe at how inept the man was at deal making, which one would think the god of the Underworld would have in spades given how many people likely tried to bargain for their lives and their souls. Either he was losing his touch with them or the ones who came to him were just so desperate they didn't notice the glaring loopholes.
And really, did the man honestly think that they were not aware that there were OTHER ways in and out of the underworld? There were myths and legends riddled with back entrances and paths and manners to get in and out if one only knew how to look.
A boat would not be their only way out of there.
And it had not escaped Piper's notice that he had 'thrown in the kid' but not Emma, as though she would abandon her niece down there. As though Gold would agree to anything that would harm her through harming her family.
"What do you think, Pip?" Gold asked as they stood on the dock, looking at the frozen Milah, knowing Hades was waiting for an answer.
"We had no way out before," she said after a moment of thought, "The boat is but one."
"My thoughts exactly," he agreed, before turning and looking around, "Hear that Hades?! We decline!"
Just as he finished, he turned and waved his hand at Milah, unfreezing her. She quickly jumped out of the boat, looking around, frowning deeply, "What the hell?!" she demanded, "Hades was just here!"
No sooner had she said that than the boat behind her burst into blue flames. It was as they thought it would happen. Hades, if they didn't destroy the ship, would do so himself. He truly was no Rumpelstiltskin, or he would have waited till they were IN the boat on the way back to do so and truly doom their souls.
"What's going on?" Milah gasped at the sight, spinning to face them again, "Rumple?"
"Hades wished to make a deal," Piper stepped forward, her eyes narrowed at the accusation in Milah's voice, "The boat for passage home."
"And he took it," Miah cut in, nearly spitting the words, glaring venomously at Gold, "I should have known you would go back on this quest, Rumple. You always took the coward's way out! You're pathetic! You're…"
With a near feral grunt, Piper grit her teeth and kicked a foot out, catching Milah in the chest and sending her stumbling back off the dock, into the River of Lost Souls. Piper remained tense, her hands curled into fists, panting and glaring at the waters, until Gold stepped to her side, a hand resting on the small of her back. She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself. It appeared, carrying his child had made her even more protective of her mate and less in control of her instincts. She had promised the woman a long run of torture first for her next round of insults...and here she was, going for the quickest manner to be rid of her.
She took one more breath, "My apologies, Rummy," she murmured, taking his other hand in her own, "I ought to have let you have the pleasure."
He merely chuckled, resting his forehead to her temple so his lips were near her ear, "I killed her once, it was only fair you had a go, too."
Piper hummed in reply, before pulling away slightly when she heard approaching songs behind them, looking over her shoulder to see Emma and Hook, who looked worse for the wear, his clothes torn and burned, his face scarred and singed, his one eye swollen shut, running onto the docks.
"What the hell happened?" Emma gaped, looking around at the missing boat and missing soul.
"I warned her," Piper said, turning slightly to look over her shoulder at Emma, "I warned her, Emma. It is not my fault if she did not listen nor take the threat seriously."
Emma let out a breath, "Aunt P..." she wanted to chastise the woman but…having been the Dark Swan, she had a taste of what that threat was like. Looking at it now, her aunt HAD warned Milah, had threatened her, if she kept spitting insults at Gold. She had made it very clear she would go through with it, that she was a villain and not a hero and so would uphold the threat, and, clearly, Milah hadn't listened, "What did she do?"
"She was shouting accusations that Rummy would side with Hades over me," Piper stated.
It wasn't exactly what happened, but it was near enough, it was how SHE had taken Milah's words. That the woman wasn't just accusing Gold of making a deal with their 'enemy,' but that he would make a deal that would directly harm her family, that he would choose himself over her. That was how it had come across, that Milah didn't believe he truly loved her, that he would actually protect and work with her, that he wasn't just using her.
Perhaps it was the child, perhaps it was the emotions she heard expectant mothers endured, she had not had many mood swings, Sirens being more cool and detached, more fluid, than humans were. But this...that way of thinking, she knew was not normal for herself, given how Milah was insulting Gold and not her. And, maybe, she had overreacted, but she had warned the woman, and insults had been given.
She would not have it.
"Why would she think that?"
"Because Hades tried to make a deal," Gold informed them, "He offered me, Pip, and Henry passage back to the land of the living, if I destroyed the boat to keep the rest of you here."
"You refused," Emma stated, Hook looking at her sharply at the confirmation in her voice, no hint of a question to it. And it had nothing to do with the last dying remnants of BLUE flames she could see on the sinking boat, she'd only glimpsed it before focusing on Gold and Piper.
"I did," Gold nodded, "We had no way back before, yet we came."
"There are many other ways in and out of hell than he would want us to know," Piper smirked, "We need merely find one that does not require the boat."
"Hades burned it himself," Gold added.
"I get it," Emma nodded, not needing them to defend themselves. She and Piper had been through too much for her to doubt her aunt's words. If she said that Gold didn't make the deal, then he didn't make the deal, "And Milah didn't."
"Milah?" Hook looked over when Emma winced, "Milah was here?"
"She helped us get to you," Emma told him.
Hook looked over at Piper, "And you killed her?"
"I warned her not to insult my mate," Piper straightened, daring him to find fault with her, "A threat made by a villain, you know we follow through. She did not listen. It is on her own head."
Hook swallowed, and they could see he wanted to argue, wanted to rage at her for doing such a thing, but he snapped his mouth shut. These people had come to help him, had assisted Emma with rescuing him. He knew there was little love between Rumpelstiltskin and Milah, and he wouldn't doubt there was nothing but hatred for the woman from Piper. But even he couldn't deny that she was right, if a villain made a threat, it was not an idle one. Milah had known and made her choice. He was not happy with it, but he would not risk speaking the wrong thing and ending up with them abandoning him. Despite the fact that there was little love between himself and Piper either, less so between him and Gold, they had still helped Emma, they had risked declining a deal with Hades to remain loyal to her.
"Aye," was all he said, though his voice was low and sorrowful and strained.
"How are we gonna get back?" Emma asked, even as she reached out to put a hand on Hook's arm in comfort.
"I can get us there," Gold said, "We couldn't use magic to get here, for fear Hades would notice, but he already has. There's no reason we can't use it to return to the others."
"Do it," Emma nodded and Gold waved his hand, transporting the four of them away in a swirl of smoke, depositing them back in the Underworld apartment. She quickly grabbed Hook's arm as he nearly staggered from the sudden shift, moving to help him sit on the couch just as the door to the room opened and the others rushed in.
"Killian!" Mary Margaret gasped, hurrying to help her daughter.
"You did it!" Henry cheered, moving to hug Piper first since Emma had her hands full, doing the same for the other blonde once Hook was sitting, "Good job, Mom."
"Oh, look at you," Mary Margaret fretted.
"I'll be alright," Hook tried to reassure them, though he winced as he tried to smile.
"How did you do it?" David looked at them.
"Rummy," Piper answered.
Emma nodded, "Gold got us in. He got us help. He poofed us back here. He even had a boat to get us all back home. But it's gone."
"What happened?" Mary Margaret asked, though this time Piper noticed her concern wasn't just on Emma but herself as well, nor was there suspicion in her voice about how the boat was gone. Which was a step up from automatically assuming a 'villain' had a hand in it.
"Hades destroyed it," Gold stated.
"And the fish killed a dear friend," Hook muttered.
"What?" Regina blinked.
Piper shrugged, "In fairness, I did warn her I would do it if she continued to insult Rummy. She continued."
"I hear you're the Dark One again," Hook spoke up, his good eye on Gold, feeling more confident to air his grievances now that he was out of that pit and back with the heroes, "Everything I did to save my friends all went to give you back your power. I should kill you."
"Killian," Emma sighed, "I told you, it wasn't a trick. It was planned. We promised Aunt P and Gold that we'd return the Darkness to him."
"And, need I remind," Gold eyed the pirate, "If someone hadn't tried to resurrect all the former Dark Ones, we would have managed it without needing to kill anyone."
Hook looked away at that.
"Perhaps, instead of killing anyone, a thank you would be in order," Piper added, crossing her arms, "Seeing as how we helped Emma free you."
"Aye," Hook nodded, looking over at her and Gold, "Thank you," he turned his attention more to Gold before adding, "We're even for now."
"Ok," Regina cut in, reviewing the important things that they'd said, "We don't have a way out, but we didn't have one before anyway. My magic's working now. So let's do this heart split. That way, when we find an exit, we can get through it."
Hook frowned, looking up, "Heart split?" he turned to Emma, unsure what they meant.
"It's a good plan," she reassured him, "It'll work. Trust me," she moved up in front of Regina, preparing herself.
"You'll have to pull your own heart out, dearie," Gold reminded her, his hand moving to Piper's shoulder, squeezing it in reassurance, ready to add his own magic to prevent this happening, for something so significant could not be undone and neither of them thought Emma was thinking clearly right now in her guilt, "The protections of Siren Blood."
"Right," Emma nodded, shifting slightly to reach into her own chest and pull her heart out...only to flinch when a burst of magic caused her to pull away, like she'd been shocked.
"What was that?" Robin frowned.
"Interesting…" Gold murmured, releasing his hold on Piper's shoulder, the tone of his voice telling her HE had no done this. Piper stepped over, reaching out to put a hand on Emma's shoulder, resting her other hand on the woman's chest over her heart as though sensing something none of them could.
"That is not Siren magic," Piper confirmed, stepping back.
"Then what the hell was it?" Regina demanded.
"Why didn't it work?" Emma looked around, worried.
Gold sighed, "I have a theory."
~8~
As much as Gold hoped he was wrong, he was sadly proven right as they gathered at the cemetery of the 'Underbrooke,' staring at the three newest tombstones that had appeared.
Emma Swan
Snow White
Regina Mills
Piper was almost insulted that she hadn't made it onto one of them, because, to her, it was Hades laying out the biggest threats or the ones most likely to keep the others down there. Robin wouldn't leave without Regina, David without Snow, or Hook or Henry without Emma, Piper and Gold either without Emma and Henry at the least. If he had wanted to control the Dark One, her name should have been there...which set her ill at ease, for it made her feel that the man thought he had another way to do so that wouldn't involve infuriating Gold to have her life threatened.
But what did he have that would be leverage to Gold without angering him with a threat to her life?
"Hades told me to pick three names and chisel them onto the headstones," Hook remarked as they looked grimly at the stones, "He said whoever I picked would remain in the Underworld. I refused."
"And when one refuses the lord of the Underworld, he does it himself," Piper mused, thinking of the boat.
"What does this mean?" Emma frowned.
Regina sighed, "It means we're stuck here, and now we can't use your heart to save Hook."
Piper did her level best to keep the smirk off her face at that, she would be lying if she said she wasn't pleased Emma couldn't rip her heart in half to save the pirate. While their songs were...well matched, they did not mesh as well as Snow and David's or Regina and Robin's did, which made her feel even more sure that Hook was not right for Emma. Better for her to save her heart now than have it reside half in Hook and unable to be repaired, should their relationship fail.
"Well, I got the pirate out in a day," Gold countered, "Give me time, I can get us out, too."
David frowned and eyed him oddly, "YOU? You're gonna help us?"
Gold looked at him, unimpressed, "It may have escaped your notice, or perhaps you just never wished to believe it true," he glanced at Mary Margaret for that last part before turning back to David, "But I love Piper, and I would see her happy always. Her family, and those important to her family, being stuck in the Underworld would not make for a happy Siren, would it?" he looked at them, "It is, quite likely, why your little pitiful kingdom and all your subjects would have been safe from a Dark One freed of his Dagger. If you had given it a chance," he glowered at them, feeling that familiar anger rise in him, "We'll be in the shop," he told them, taking Piper's hand and turning to go.
He only looked over when Henry jogged over, going with them.
A/N: I hope the confrontation with Milah flowed lol :) There were a few ways I outlined it to go, from her taunting Milah the whole time to half being held back by Emma, but this one felt the most natural. Piper hates her, very much, but they DO need her help so she tries to hold off her rage and desire to attack this woman who hurt her mate and abandoned 'her son,' she gets barbs in when she can, makes it clear her claim to Gold, rubs it in her face that he's moved on. But things do escalate, her anger can't be fully contained when Milah makes digs at Gold. And it just keeps growing tenser and tenser until she just snaps and ends her. She DID warn the woman to stop insulting Gold, she probably should have listened }:)
As for Hades...I know there was an additional scene at the end of this episode, Gold confronting Hades about how he took the deal and burned the boat and Hades sort of saying 'I never actually shook on the deal so it's not real' and one upping Gold. Then Hades reveals he knows Belle is pregnant and brings forth the soul of a man Rumple 'sold' his second child to (never having planned to have a second child with Milah) and signs over the deal to Hades so he can claim Gold's second child, which would be Piper's.
But here, he has a different set of priorities and loyalties. He has a person he doesn't have to hide his darkness from, who enables him, so why would he turn his back on Piper after all this time? He wouldn't. And there's also the fact that Piper has been at his side, the two of them making deals and bargains, for years and years by now, so they're both much more familiar with loopholes and the importance of words. Being with Piper, I think, would make Gold more aware of their affect, because with her musical ability, she could sing people into feeling one way or another, manipulate them with her words, so he's very astute at hearing when someone's trying to con him like Hades is. Beyond that, accepting the deal would mean leaving Emma behind, and Piper would probably kill him first before ever allowing Emma to remain there, and he wouldn't have that. Emma, in her own way, has become part of his family too.
So he never took the deal with Hades, and if he didn't take the deal then that final scene wouldn't happen.
Hades only learned, in the show, about Belle being pregnant when Gold tried to use a spell to find his child (Bae) and it showed him Belle instead and Hades worked it out, then used the deal to ensure Gold continued to do his bidding. Here, Gold already knows Piper is pregnant and that Bae went to a better place so he's not looking for Baelfire, he's not revealing Piper's pregnant. Hades may be able to tell, since he might sense an extra soul in his kingdom than he's seeing, and he may take that contract for the second born to use as leverage over Gold...but even if he does, he wouldn't risk Gold finding out about it too soon and working against him, so Gold wouldn't know about it till it's revealed and he has no time/way to try and break it. But we'll have to see if Hades does go that path.
Piper IS suspicious he has something else to hang over Gold's head };) But with what Piper is, it may be enough for even Hades to hold off, since she would stop at nothing to kill him if he tried to take her child from her. She and Gold would team up and find a way to kill him first and he would rather avoid that.
In the show it didn't really achieve anything anyway when you think about it, Hades threatening to take the child because, as I'm sure everyone can guess by the whole good vs evil thing, he's defeated and so no one is there to claim the contract or take the child so what's the point in it existing the end? We'll have to wait and see what comes about ;)
Some notes on reviews...
Very true, Snow has a long way to go and I think her blaming Mary Margaret is sort of her trying to take that first step, like blame her and then as she goes she can slowly reevaluate how much was her and how much was Mary Margaret shining through, eventually trying to reach the point where she can admit it was her choices and decisions :( I think she doesn't want to admit how far from a hero she grew to be and Snow White represents the hero to her, as she begins to reflect on Emma's lesson and how things aren't as black and white, she'll start to see it's less about heroes or villains and just people and their choices and being held accountable for them, good or bad :( Lol, I feel like Piper would start with Emma and Henry and maybe one day if Snow wanted to know she'd share it :) I went back and forth with Milah and that confrontation. I've had probably six different ways it went before this one felt right :) One where Piper was more psychological warfare, another where she was flat out being held back by Gold and Emma for half of it, and a few others, so I hope this was a good balance of her wanting to taunt and flaunt in front of Milah, but also threaten, and finally get to kill her like she's probably been dreaming about since she learned who she was :) Oh the Snow Piper showdown will hopefully be very epic ;) I can say someone's parents are in the Underworld, but I won't say who just yet ;) I'm glad the massacre scene came across like that, it's devastating but also, in its own way, a display of true love and a warning of how far villains will go to protect what is important to them :) I can't say if we'll see those souls just yet, but I do agree it would be eye-opening for many of them ;) ;)
David is complicated :/ At the time the banishment happened, he thought one way, but then events started to happen that sort of made him feel Snow was right to do what she did. Gold brought the Queens of Darkness, he made the Author change the story, his darkness infected Emma, and so on :/ He sort of has convinced himself Snow was justified because Gold did prove himself a threat to their town, even if the threat only happened because of Snow's actions :( I feel like he's spent so long being a team with Snow and being her partner that, given time, he can convince himself she made the right choice :/ I do have a moment planned though where he thinks back on that and current events and takes a step back to go 'we were wrong' but I won't say when it happens ;)
Lol, I can't say if it'll be a Jareth as their child just yet, if we don't I could see it happening in the AU of this story or even as a one-shot sort of 'epilogue' to the fairytales where they have a second child, we'll have to see how it goes ;) I can say we'll see someone's parents, but I won't say how or who ;) They haven't swapped hearts just yet, mainly because Gold's heart hadn't been protected yet while he was under the preservation spell, and it would have been better to wait till he was the Dark One again, in case there were any ill effects from the heart swap while he was human ;) It'll happen again though :)
Looking back at Snow as a child, I feel bad for Piper, because to her that's how Snow has always been and all she's ever heard was that her cousin loved her. She'd never had someone fully human and not in love with a full-blooded Siren love her so she just thought that's how love was, that Snow's love was normal and that Snow just wanted to help her learn how to be human since her mother was helping her learn how to be a Siren :( She never experienced anything else besides her father, so she just thought that's normal love from Snow and didn't question how she would make remarks about her human half :( Sort of like when children grow up in one environment and don't realize it's not normal until they are somewhere else and experience other, healthier, environments :( I'm not saying Snow was abusive, I think she genuinely loved Piper, she just saw her cousin trying to be human and thought that was what she truly wanted to be, more human than Siren, instead of talking to her throughout the years in case anything changed :( She loved her, she just didn't do a very good job of showing that or adapting as the years went on :( Leopold and Eva I think tried to be as open as they could :( They didn't fully understand, but there were some things they could focus on instead. Like for Eva, how Ilayda would always care for Snow and protect her with her life, which she could appreciate. And for Leopold, how Ilayda made his brother happy, which is all he wanted for his brother. They weren't fully comfortable, but they did their best to try and be welcoming and open, and they never faulted Piper being what she was, born as she was, because it wasn't her choice. They were concerned for her magic and the consequences it could have for her and the kingdom, but I think they did love her as family. I think, as she got older though, if she became more like the Pied Piper, they would very much be uncomfortable and guarded around Piper, because they'd see less of that human little girl and more of the Siren in her :( I think Mary Margaret could very well have been the sort of person Snow would have become if both parents lived long enough to raise her into adulthood :( In a way, it almost makes it a good thing Emma was raised away from them, especially Charming if he knew about Piper as he raised Emma, she'd probably be terrified of the woman if Charming's attitude was a guide for her :(