(TRIGGER WARNING/ SPOILERS: This will start with a bar shooting scene and subsequent gunshot inflicted wounded scene so if you continue to read please be aware of that. This will be the set up for triggering the return of memories from the haze of the last 'sleeping' curse.)
Red Against Blue
The first thing to comes into her head is that the bar was closed meaning that only herself, her Mom, Roni, and Tilly were hanging around counting stock and getting the place ready for the following day.
She and Tilly sitting at the bar talking about everything and nothing while they made a game out of who could whip up the most glasses. Her Mom and Roni behind the bar giggling at their playfulness while taking stock of what they needed to order and counting the last of the receipts from the night before.
The second thing she thought about was how even when the first shots rang out, she'd acted on impulse. If only she'd been fast enough considering who else was doing the same thing.
Margot grunts in surprise at Tilly's hard fireman's lifting throw tossing her over to the covering safety behind the bar making Margot hit the ground with a groan of pain signaling that her arm would most likely be bruised come morning. Somehow, she managed to land beside and not on top of her Mom and Aunt who'd ducked down when the first round of firing started.
Her ears ringing from the sound of the shots making it harder to make out anything the other two are saying to her as she struggles to her feet amid the broken bottles and spilled liquor seeing the shooter running passed the front window with Rogers and Weaver both hot on his heels.
From what Margot can tell as she rounds the bar on shaking legs is the detectives had been on their way over for a lunch break and had witnessed the whole thing.
It's not until she notices Tilly that she hears it. A scream to end all screams. A scream as if someone just had their soul ripped out of them right before their eyes but can't tell if it's her own, her aunts, or her mother's but someones.
Why shouldn't she scream. After all, she was going to lose the love of her life the same way she lost her father.
A selfless act to protect the woman they loved.
In this world, a bullet to the stomach can be just as damning as being struck with a soul-destroying God killing crystal.
A flickering of images like an old projection movie player flickers behind her eyes as she makes this connection the longer her unfocused eyes zero in on the growing stain on the front of her girlfriend's shirt.
Red. There was red on her shirt. There shouldn't be red on her shirt only blue on her shirt.
A glint of sunlight reflecting off some kind of mirror and a flash of something red in the greenery beyond the half circle of Nook, Henry, Ella, her mother and Regina while the pirate makes faces at baby Lucy.
A Spy. There was a spy lurking just outside her camp
A voice she barely remembers as her father's humming a song to her to get her to sleep nestled in the safety of his arms.
The look of wonder on her Tower Girl's face when she discovered the 'magic' of a smartphone.
Her aunt and her Mother using Emma's dream catchers to show her memories of not only who her father was but how he had nobly died when she was thirteen.
The trolls smiling face as it turns to stone under Alice's touch
The feel of Alice's lips on her own one last time as she clings onto her Tower Girl for all she's worth before the curse rips them apart
Tilly reaches out toward the trembling bartender her hands stained that wet shade of red continuing to grow across her stomach as her legs give out.
No, she can't fall. She can't leave her like her father left her.
Robin catches her cradling Alice against her chest while her love's breathing becomes much shallower.
Somewhere close Regina was on the phone calling for an ambulance. Her mother races into the back for the med kit.
"Stay with me baby." Robin begs not knowing if Alice has been woken like she had the longer she holds her trying both to keep the wet red stain inside her girlfriend's body where it belonged while keeping her true love awake long enough so the paramedics can help her better when they arrived.
"Come on Tils stay with me…please" her voice cracks. She was losing too much blood. As a trained hunter Robin knows this. A hit this precise was intended not to injure but to kill.
Her mother back at her side pressing bandages and whatever else she could find against Alice's stomach to hold off the bleeding. She like Robin talking to her trying to keep her awake.
Alice's blood-stained hand against her cheek making her look up into those blue eyes she loved so dearly. Trust her love to have that lopsided smile of her while bleeding out on her Aunt Regina's barroom floor. "Hey, you."
They can hear the sirens of the ambulance "Just hang on a little longer baby, please. Just hand on." Robin begs tilting her head enough to both lean into the hand at her cheek and to press her lips against it at the same time.
Regina is waiting by the door tears in her eyes at not only what was happening in the here and now but for the reminder of how she herself had lost her own true love.
The sirens are louder now screeching down the road toward them. God, she was losing too much blood.
Alice's hand tapping against Robin's cheek wanting her to look at her again. Robin leans in this time not wanting her mother to hear whatever it was her Alice wanted to tell her.
"I love you….Nobin."
Her voice is so low so shallow.
"I love you too Tow…" she starts to say fresh tears sliding down her cheeks as she pulls Alice's hand up to her lips.
"We'll take it from here." One of the paramedics. 'Toby' his name badge says as he and his partner move in pushing Robin away from the love of her life.
She falls against her mother her vision burry behind Margot's glasses, but her eyes never leave Alice. Zelena's arms close around her shaking shoulders when it became too much to watch Alice grow paler by the second.
"Pulse still strong we need to move. Come on get her up." Toby instructs counting off quickly so he and his partner lift Alice onto the gurney.
Regina holding the door open as they wheeled her out with Robin and Zelena close behind them the mother still supporting her daughter on every shaking step.
"That's her fiancée." Regina says speaking for the first time since making the phone call when 'the partner' tries to keep Robin from climbing into the back van after him while Toby goes toward the driver's door once Alice had been moved.
"We'll be right behind you monkey." Zelena promises as the doors here closed and the sirens turned on again as the van takes off down the road toward the closest hospital.