He got up to eat dinner for the sole purpose of no longer thinking about Belle. He needed to check back in on Hook and the Swan if only because there was no point in using the memory potion if they weren't successful. Of course, as far as he was concerned, there was no such thing as "not successful". With everything at stake, they had to be successful. They had to fix this. They had to make sure the future was as it was supposed to be. And-
He could have screamed. Because the second he stood up and summoned his image of the future, the image of Belle rolling over in his bed invaded and for one brief second wondered if it wouldn't be worth it to let them fail, to live here with her all the rest of their days. And that kind of thinking was precisely why he needed to make a memory potion and find a way to remember to send Belle elsewhere.
Nothing was worth not getting his son back. Not even her.
He moved back to his crystal ball and his books, then grabbed his plate and began shoveling dinner into his mouth as he used his magic to see what he needed to see.
There were fireworks over King Midas new castle. The party was tonight so that was expected. Innocently acquiring that invitation for the engagement ball felt like a lifetime ago by now. But there was dear Snow, approaching the castle, cloak thrown over her as if it would protect her from being seen. More than likely, it was her deftness that would save her. She was getting ready to go up and over the wall to locate the ring. But where was his Savior?
He rolled his eyes and set his plate down angrily as the scene changed.
They were in the forest! Sitting on some log so far away they had to use a pirate's telescope to see the castle. They were chatting amicably, about what he couldn't possibly fathom! Idiots! Amateurs! While everything else was ready to play out before them they were just content to sit at a distance and trust people?! Have...what...faith?! Savior she may one day be, but cunning...she obviously never would fit that bill!
Amateurs! Bloody fucking amateurs! Both of them! Didn't they know? When toying with intricate lines of a person's life, it was better to leave nothing to chance?! This was too important not to watch it closely! And it was simple! So simple! The girl had magic. He could feel it, unique and strong, and boiling to be free just below her skin! Why she wasn't using it was beyond him! This was a simple thing. A change of clothes would make them both servants and practically forgettable if they ran into either David or Snow. Another simple transportation spell would get them inside!
Did he have to hold their hands?!
"I don't like leaving things to chance."
"You know, I feel the same way!" he commented, alerting the pair to his sudden presence. When he appeared before them, they were sitting right where they'd been in his crystal ball. Her comment would suggest that she had wanted to get a closer look, and yet here they were, not making a single move. He had things to do! Delicate matters to plan and plot, decisions to make, and now, he had to orchestrate what they said they would do. Apparently, the answer to his question was "yes"; he did have to do everything. But he could do better than simple.
"Which is why I never do." He used his magic to summon into his hand a piece of paper, a very important piece of paper. It was the invitation to the Engagement Ball he'd intercepted just that morning. "See? An invitation to the ball."
"So, you'll be inside to watch out for her?!" the Swan inquired eagerly.
"No. No. I'll be far too busy sorting out how to get you home."
"Well, who's the invitation for?"
"Well, isn't it obvious?" No. No, it wasn't. Not if the looks they exchanged meant anything. They really were amateurs. "The two of you."
"So, when we're done inside, you can open our portal?"
He smiled in an attempt to hide a wince. He hated to use The Black Fairy's magic, but what was the point of having her wand if he let himself be frightened of it. He would conquer his own past by sending them back to the future. "There's a powerful wand which, uh…I came to possess," he stated, purposefully skipping over how and insinuating far more than the true story ever would. "Anyway, legend says, it can recreate any magic that's ever been wielded. Now, with a little work, I can use it to recreate whatever portal brought you here," he admitted.
Hook took the invitation from his hands.
"Please do it quickly. We'll be in and out before you know it. I want to get the hell out of here," the Swan muttered with tired desperation. How ironic, the knowledge she'd given him, that kind of desperation was exactly like what he felt she'd stolen from him.
"Uh, confidence. I like it," he smiled. She smiled back at him before the pair turned to go. "Wait!" he cried, calling them back one more time with looks of confusion. They were about to take a royal invitation and go into a royal ball…dressed like peasants. Heaven help him; he really did have to do everything! "Not like that," he commented, before picturing something far different in his head, clothing that would get them passed guards and under the noses of rich spoiled snobs, while also protecting who she would be. It was her smile. When she'd smiled at him, he'd recalled another vision he'd once had of the girl, and he knew, without a doubt, she truly was the Swan. He didn't want her mother getting a glimpse of her and putting it together someday as well, lest this happen all over again. They may have been amateurs, but he certainly wasn't. In a matter of seconds, red smoke enveloped them both; a spell for new clothes, one that sent their old garments away, and a glamour to keep them from being recognized. He should have done this to begin with, rather than trusting the pair of them. Admittedly, by placing it on her himself, it would take away her ability to do magic, but then she didn't appear to be using it anyway. "The Savior can't come this far and not play princess for a day."
He was pleased, but the Swan stood there awkwardly with her arms out, looking terrified of what had happened. Odd. She was the Savior, supposed to have magic, and, in fact, he could feel her unique magic coursing through her. Why did she act like she'd never welded it in her life?
"But, I'm not supposed to stick out. What if someone remembers me in the future?"
"Because what you had before was such an intricate disguise?" he asked sarcastically. "Now, speaking of which I've returned those stole rags. Luckily, before they were missed. I mean, it's a miracle the timeline hasn't imploded already. Amateurs. Allow me." From his tower, he summoned a mirror to show them both what he'd already done. "A glamour spell. This is how you shall appear to one and all. Now, run along and do everything you can to make sure Snow White gets that ring. Once they're back on track, everything else will be, too. Return to my castle once you've finished. And I'll send you home properly."
Short, sweet, not a whole lot needs to be said about it.
Thank you so much for your reviews Alarda, Spunkymouse, and Grace5231973. I really appreciated that and I was so happy to hear that you enjoyed the chapter even if it was a little bit slower. It was a fun one to write out especially with his knowledge of Belle and the fact that he's starting to acknowledge there might be something there! Peace and Happy Reading!