AN: See chapter 1 for story notes and summaries.
Ships: Snowing, Rumbelle, Swan Believer, eventual
Swanfire, and a delightful Golden Mad Charming BroT3. :)
Thanks for the reviews. Here are individual responses:
Saberius Prime: I know, I left off in a bit of a cliffhanger. Glad you enjoyed it!
Barratta Jennifer: Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
Ragsweas: Yeah, there was a lot going on the last chapter and this one is more of the same. As for Snow in the flashback, you have to keep in mind how frightening Deimos/Damon is. Fear can be paralyzing. Glad you enjoyed the rest of it though.
tammy henson: glad you like it
AshGreg: Yeah, that was a bit of a cliffhanger! Glad you're enjoying it so much!
Guest: Yeah, the flashback was a bit terrifying and meant to parallel the present day events. As for Damon, he doesn't die yet, but I think you'll find what happens to him still satisfying.
Emma: Aw thanks! That's so nice of you to say. Someday, I'd love to write professionally. That would be a dream come true. Glad you like the story so much!
Guest 2: Persephone was with a mortal prince that was brother to Queen Eva. It's in the flashbacks of the early chapters. Biologically, Snow is actually Eva's niece, even though the memory of this prince was expunged from the entire Kingdom by Morpheus. That too is in a flashback. I suggest a little re-reading. :)
beth1980: Yeah, Damon doing that with Snow's blood was pretty disturbing, but then I meant for it to be. Sometimes I wonder about my brain. :)
Glad you liked the debate and interaction between Emma and Leroy. Damon is just a monster. He doesn't have his memories. That's clarified in this chapter. Yep, Bingo, that book belonged to Rumple and no she didn't have permission to take it. Glad you love protective Snowing too. I love it too. Thanks as always for your great reviews!
Sara K M: Yeah, I guess I didn't really mean pretending. More like she vented to Kathryn about those true feelings, but of course spun the story to Kathryn about how horrible Emma and Mary are. Kathryn doesn't really know any differently. Yeah, the Deimos scene was scary. I've had that one written for a while and was waiting for the right chapter to reveal why he became obsessed with Snow and this was the right chapter. Glad I got the Snowing protectiveness in character too. Yeah, I like to try to include Red and the dwarves. A lot of that got lost in later seasons. Glad you're enjoying it so much! :)
Dreaming Out Loud
Chapter 18: Madness
Mary and David shivered, as they huddled by the fire.
"I'm going to find a first aid kit," she said, as she rushed off to find one. Fortunately, there was one in the bathroom cabinet and she quickly returned.
"I'm fine," David insisted. She gave him a look and gingerly touched his chest, as he hissed in pain.
"Yeah...you're fine. You probably have cracked ribs at the very least," she fretted. He took her hands.
"I know, but I will be okay. Nothing is taking me away from you," he promised. She swallowed thickly and tried to push back the tears.
"Come here," he requested, as she did and allowed herself to be folded into his arms. She sniffed and they shivered together.
"We need to get out of these wet clothes," she mentioned.
"Baby, if you want me to take my clothes off, all you have to do is ask," he teased, making her giggle.
"Nice try, Mister. But I know you're making jokes, because you're in a lot of pain," she chided.
"As long as you're okay, I'm fine," he assured, as she gingerly undid the buttons on his shirt and saw that there was already purple bruises forming on his abdomen.
"Oh God…" she fretted.
"I'm fine...I'm sure it's worse than it looks," he tried to soothe.
"We should tape your ribs. Fortunately the first aid kit was complete and had what she needed. He hissed a little, as she taped him up and then she gently swabbed the cuts on his face with alcohol, before applying a butterfly bandage to the gash on his forehead.
"It will have to do until we get to the hospital," she fretted.
"I'm fine...thanks to you," he told her. She leaned in and kissed him, as a tear slipped down her cheek.
"Hey...it's going to be okay," he promised. She sniffed.
"I'm sorry...I just can't lose you. I'm happy for the first time I can remember and now I could lose you," she cried.
"You are not going to lose me…" he replied vehemently, as he kissed her fiercely. She jumped in fright, as there was suddenly a loud bang on the door.
"Oh Gods...he found us!" she cried. David grabbed the fireplace poker and got to his feet.
"David...you can't fight him! You're hurt...he might kill you!" she exclaimed, as she held onto his arm for dear life.
"I will fight for you with every breath in my body...but I promise, I'm going to fight like hell for him to be the one to go down," he promised, as he gripped the poker and the banging on the door continued.
Emma traipsed through the muddy woods, trailing closely behind Pongo, even as the rain still punished the earth. The Dalmatian barked, as they came to a clearing and Emma flashed her light on the spot where he was standing. There was a torn piece of cloth, stained in red and her heart dropped into her stomach.
"Oh my God...is that blood?" Ruby cried, as she caught up to Emma.
"Yes...but we don't know who's it is yet...and I think we just caught a break," Emma said, as she noticed there was a trail of blood. Pongo took off and the search party ran after him.
On the fourth bang, the broken door splintered open and Damon stood in the doorway. He was a frightening sight, soaked to the bone and limping, with blood oozing from his torn pant leg. But it was his eyes that were perhaps the scariest thing they had ever seen. David had seen them like this before, knifing through them like daggers stained with blood. He may have been cursed not to remember his true self, but Deimos, the God of Terror, was definitely bleeding through in that moment.
For Mary, she didn't remember a time seeing him like this before and this man terrified her to her core in a way she was sure nothing ever would. She didn't have to wonder about the things he wanted to do. She was extremely clear on everything he had planned for them. She feared for them both; for the horror that awaited her at his hands, but she feared for her beloved more. This monster had every intention of murdering the man she loved and she was beside herself with so many emotions that it nearly made her faint. But she kept her feet rooted to the ground and her grip on David, for she feared him disappearing if she let go even just a little.
Her heart hammered in her chest, as the malicious man limped inside and her head hurt in a way that couldn't just be a headache. It was more like someone was screaming at her inside her subconscious to do something, to protect her love; to fight for him. How she was supposed to do that against this animal of a man, she did not know, but she found her eyes searching for anything that could be a weapon.
David gripped the poker and raised it before them.
"Do yourself a favor and step aside and maybe you'll live to see another day," Damon threatened.
"Like hell I will. If you think I'll let you hurt Mary, then you have another thing coming," David threatened back.
"Mary...unless you'd like to have his blood on your hands, then you should save yourself that pain and come with me," Damon said.
"She's not going anywhere with you," David growled. He smirked and made a show of his considerable strength by breaking a wooden chair over his knee so he could use one of the legs as a weapon. Mary yelped when he did, never imagining someone could have such strength. It was almost inhuman. As David circled the monster before them, Mary noticed a sculpture on the mantel. It was a wooden likeness of a spinning wheel and she picked it up, ready to spring in at the right moment to use it.
David swiped the poker at the other man, but he dodged and made his own strike, narrowly missing David's head. The monster of a man brought the wooden stake down on him again and David blocked in a high arc with his weapon. But Damon kneed him in the stomach and hit him on the back of the neck. Mary cried out, as he went down and their tormentor hovered over him with a devious smile.
"You should turn away, Mary. This is going to get messy," he hissed, but felt excruciating pain, as she hit him in the head with a blunt object. He held his head and fell to his knees. How it didn't drop him completely, Mary didn't know.
"That was a very big mistake, Mary," he growled, but they didn't waste any time and she helped David up, as they started toward the door. But Damon reached out and grabbed her leg, tripping her. David shoved him away and tried to go to her, but Damon hammered his fist into David's gut, tossing him away again. Mary watched the monster fearfully, as he lit the chair leg on fire and then tossed it onto the rug nearby, quickly igniting it.
"What are you doing?!" Mary cried.
"Making sure lover boy can't escape this time," he growled, as he grabbed her arm. She dug her heels and tried to stall him.
"That's it...you've left him no choice. I didn't want to do this, Mary, but you will be taught your place," he screamed at her, before angrily backhanding her. She fell to the floor in a painful daze and David saw red like he never had before.
Somehow, despite the pain, he jumped to his feet and tackled the monster that dared raise a hand to the woman he loved. He pummeled his fists into the other man, ignoring his bloodied knuckles that screamed in pain. He pushed off him and saw the fire had spread dangerously now. Damon grabbed at him and David kicked him back, but he never expected him to fall into the fire. He screamed in agony and rolled on the floor, quickly squelching the flames.
But the damage was done to the side of his right face and neck, one arm, side of his torso, and right leg. David was only sorry he didn't burn completely. He swept Mary into his arms, stumbling out of the cabin, as it was almost now completely engulfed. Unfortunately, Damon followed, now determined to kill him.
"You're going to pay...I was going to make it quick, but now I'm going to torture you until you beg me to kill you and I'm going to make that little bitch watch!" he screamed psychotically, as he trudged toward them, as Mary started to stir.
"David…" she murmured, as he knelt down in the mud and held her close. He knew he had to keep going, despite the pain and his weakened state. Mary gasped at the horrifying sight that was Damon and buried her face in David's shirt.
"Time to suffer, pretty boy," he hissed, until he heard the cocking of a gun.
"Give me a reason, asshole, because I'd love to blow your brains out," Emma growled, as she held her gun on him. Damon clenched his teeth and put his hands up reluctantly.
"You're under arrest. You have the right to remain silent," she said, as she holstered her weapon and cuffed him.
"He set me on fire...you should arrest him!" Damon growled.
"Oh yeah? And I suppose your fists just accidentally landed on David," she growled back.
"You set the fire, you bastard. After you chased us through the woods. You hit Mary too...you're lucky you're still breathing," David shouted.
"He's right. That alone makes me wish you had given me that reason to shoot you," Emma added.
"David...Mary...we've got an ambulance waiting. It's a bit of a trek. Do you think you can make it?" Archie asked.
"We'll be okay," David replied, as they were both helped along by Ruby, Leroy, and Archie.
"We found Wilby and put him in Emma's car," Archie said.
"Thank you," David said gratefully.
When they got closer, the paramedics met them halfway. A handcuffed Damon was put into one, while David and Mary were put in the other and rushed to the hospital.
Oz
Present Day
The moment Emma Swan's yellow bug rolled into Storybrooke and the clock ticked from eight fifteen to eight sixteen. Time, for the first time in twenty-eight years, finally resumed in all the realms.
The only realms that had not been frozen by the curse were the Underworld, Mount Olympus, and the Land Without Magic, outside of Storybrooke. It had been quite dull indeed, for Hades. He had once enjoyed an influx of new souls daily. Most were sent to his realm by Regina or King George. Cora, Blackbeard, and the vengeful Captain Hook also kept him in business. And even his beloved Zelena had her moments, giving him contributions from Oz.
But during the curse, the only souls passing into his realm had been from the Land Without Magic. But many of those people didn't have much unfinished business, so he never held onto those souls for long. There were some of course that become permanent residents in his plane, but nothing like he had enjoyed before the curse.
But now, time was moving again and he would soon be back in business, especially since he knew Cora and Captain Hook were on the move, eagerly searching for a way to the Land Without Magic. Cora sought her daughter Regina and Hook wanted revenge on Rumpelstiltskin. Their quests were of no consequence to him though. He had his own agenda, like making his treacherous wife pay for her continued betrayal.
Fortunately, he had devised a plot to see that she and that precious little mortal family of hers did indeed pay dearly. And that was the reason for his visit to Oz on this day.
"What are you doing here?" Zelena demanded to know, as she found him in her Throne Room.
"I'm here to make all your dreams come true," Hades replied, gesturing grandly with his arms. Zelena snorted derisively.
"Thousands of years under your belt and that's your best line?" she shot back. But he took it in stride.
"Oh, how I've missed your wit, my dear," he commented.
"Be that as it may, you're not here, because of my...wit," she surmised.
"How right you are. I am here, however, because the time when we can both have our revenge has finally come," he stated. That intrigued her and he now had her undivided attention.
"I'm listening," she said, nonchalantly.
"In a moment of pure treachery, my wife has managed to find a way to flee to the Land Without Magic, specifically your sister's little spot of revenge, aptly named Storybrooke. She seeks her daughter and to help her granddaughter foil all your sister's hard work by breaking the curse," he explained.
"How did she get to a place with no magic?" Zelena inquired.
"Oh her sanctimonious mother found a loophole and got her transportation there without a portal," Hades responded.
"That's unfortunate for you, but what does it have to do with me?" she asked.
"Think about it. We could go to Storybrooke together and make all our enemies pay. Think of the chaos we could create together," he tempted.
"And how do you propose we get there without a portal? Not to mention, how do we get our revenge in a place with no magic?" Zelena questioned. He smirked.
"There is no magic there now...but that won't hold true forever. I know for a fact that Rumpelstiltskin bottled true love from those two idiots and is just waiting for the moment the curse breaks to bring magic to Storybrooke. Once he does, crossing to that realm will be possible again," he reminded.
"Even if that's true, how exactly do we get there? Portals are hard to come by," she recalled.
"Yes, but you have something that requires no portal and simply three clicks of your heels," he replied. She snorted.
"We both know I don't have the bloody things. That little retch Dorothy stole them from me," Zelena growled. But Hades chuckled, unnerving her further.
"Oh my dear, you underestimate my resourcefulness," he goaded.
"Which I suppose is understandable. I don't get out much beyond the Underworld anymore. But just when I think I've lost my touch, I manage to prove I'm still as devious as the day Zeus cast me from Olympus," he said and she gasped, as the ruby slippers appeared in his hand and she snatched them.
"How...did you get them?" Zelena inquired. He shrugged.
"I killed Dorothy," he stated and she gaped at him, before he collapsed into chortles.
"I'm kidding. As fun as that would have been, we both know I can't kill in this mortal plane. What I did is far sweeter and more satisfying anyway," he replied.
"How?" she demanded.
"Dorothy gave them to me," Hades announced. Zelena snorted.
"Now I know you're lying. That little brat would never do that," she scoffed.
"Oh, but with the right persuasion, she did just that," he said deviously. Zelena looked very intrigued.
"What did you do?" she asked. He smirked.
"Well, you see Dorothy's Auntie Em passed on not long before the curse and she has some unfinished business," he said.
"So she ended up in your realm," Zelena replied.
"You catch on quick. Anyway, dear sweet Auntie Em runs a cute little diner down in the Underworld," he explained.
"Because dead people need to eat?" Zelena quipped. He chuckled.
"Funny. But when I told Dorothy that if she didn't give me the slippers, I'd have Pain and Panic toss poor little Auntie Em into the River of Lost Souls. The little retch, as you put it, couldn't get them off her feet fast enough," he boasted.
"Pain and Panic?" she asked, with a raised eyebrow.
"My henchmen," she clarified.
"Of course they are," she deadpanned, but was then thoughtful.
"I have to say..I'm impressed," she admitted.
"I thought you might be. So what do you say?" Hades asked.
"I'd say that once the curse breaks...Storybrooke will get wicked," she leered. He grinned with a feral gleam
"They'll be begging to be cursed again," he agreed, as they cackled maniacally together.
Storybrooke
Emma practically paced a hole in the floor, as she waited in the waiting room for word on her parent's conditions. Whale told her she couldn't go into the exam room with them, because she wasn't "family". Like hell she wasn't. But seeing her parent's friends, even Leroy also waiting with her was a true testament to how far they had come in just a short time. Just weeks ago, none of these people would have been caught near Mary Margaret Blanchard and didn't even know David Nolan. And now...they all waited with bated breath to hear about their friends. It was working, little by little. The curse was unraveling. Maybe not as quickly as she'd like, but it was happening.
To her surprise, though it probably shouldn't have been, Henry came running around the corner.
"Kid...what are you doing here?" she asked.
"My Mom is still at Town Hall, but Archie told everyone else that you found David and Miss Blanchard, so I sneaked away to come here," Henry replied. She sighed.
"Kid...I know you mean well, but you can't sneak off like that," she chided.
"She doesn't care. She's too busy yelling at Sidney, cause she's pretty sure he lost," he replied, with a grin. She smirked.
"We don't know that yet," she reminded, as she looked at the exam room door, practically willing it to open.
"They're be fine, you know," Stephanie said, as she walked toward her. The blonde sighed.
"I hope so. If I had been just a couple minutes later...I don't think that would be the case," Emma feared.
"You can't do that to yourself, Emma. They are okay and that's because of you," she replied. Emma nodded.
"I need to check and see if there's any news on Damon's condition too," she said, as he pulled her phone out. Before she could dial though, she saw Dr. Whale come out.
"How are they?" she exclaimed.
"Mary's fine...other than a few cuts and the bruise on her face. I've released her," he stated.
"And David?" she asked.
"Probably lucky, considering it could have been a lot worse. Three cracked ribs, cuts, bruises, and a minor concussion. I'm keeping him overnight for observation, but if everything checks out in the morning, I can release him," Whale reported. Emma let out a sigh of relief.
"Can we see them?" she asked. Whale sighed.
"Yes, but you need to talk to your room mate, Emma. She's insisting to stay all night in his room...but she's not family, so it's against hospital policy," he replied.
"Sorry Doc, but you might as well make that two cots, because Mary and I are both staying," she retorted.
"Miss Swan…" he started to say.
"Look, I know you mean well. Mary, David, and I are family, regardless of what anyone says," she replied hotly.
"I'd listen to her doctor. You're looking at Storybrooke's new Sheriff," Jefferson interjected, as he waltzed in with a smug smirk.
"What? The votes have been counted already?" she asked in disbelief.
"They're not done...but it's a landslide so far and they don't have many left to go. Congratulations, Sheriff Swan," he said, as she allowed herself a smile.
"Thanks…" she said, as she took Henry with her into the room.
"Does anyone listen to me?" Whale called, but received no answer.
"Doctor...can you tell me Damon Tromera's condition?" Stephanie asked.
"Are you a friend?" he asked.
"Most certainly not. I just want to know when he's well enough to be locked up in a tiny cell," she retorted and he gave her a wary look.
"The nurses are treating him and he is handcuffed to the bed. I'm heading there now, but if you're not next of kin, I can't share that information with you," he responded shortly, as he walked away. She crossed her arms over her chest and then heard an unwelcome voice behind her.
"Since we're alone...you and I can finally have a talk," Regina snapped. She smirked.
"What can I do for you, Madam Mayor?" Stephanie asked coolly.
"You can tell me who the hell you really are and how the hell you got into my town," Regina growled.
"My name is Stephanie Kore. I'm sure you've had a chance by now to call Boston to check my credentials," she replied. Regina glowered at her.
"I did...and everything is in perfect order. A degree in education and a doctorate in Botany. But I don't buy it. And that still doesn't explain how you got here," Regina retorted. Stephanie smirked.
"I'm not sure what you're talking about, Madam Mayor," she replied, playing dumb. Regina's nostrils flared in anger.
"I will find out who you are and what you're doing here," the Mayor snapped.
"You'll find out only what I want you to know. You're so used to giving orders and having no one pushing back. But those days are over, Madam Mayor," Stephanie snapped back. Regina smirked dangerously.
"You have no idea who you're dealing with, Ms. Kore," she hissed. But Stephanie smirked.
"And neither do you, Mayor Mills, I assure you," she shot back. Regina frowned, uneasiness flickering behind her eyes briefly, before she stalked toward the hospital room.
"Henry Daniel Mills...we are leaving now," she called into the room. The boy reluctantly slipped out of the room and left with her, as she took his arm. She watched them go and then walked down the hallway, before peering into Damon's room. His burns were packed off with gauze and he was unconscious, probably from the sheer amount of morphine he was one. But for her, this wasn't enough pain for him. She wanted so badly to end him right here. Without his immortality here, she could easily do it. She may not have had an actually doctorate in Botany, but she was Persephone and knew how to easily poison him a thousand different ways with plants. But she wouldn't. She may have been Queen of the Underworld, but she had never taken life in all her years. But if this man came near her daughter again, she would find a way to send him back to her estranged husband...permanently.