AN: See chapter 1 for story notes and summaries.

Ships: Snowing, Rumbelle, Swan Believer, eventual Swanfire, and a delightful Golden Mad Charming BroT3. :)

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Also, feel free to follow me on Tumblr lilacmoon83. In an effort to grow my Snowing fanfiction blog on Tumblr and get more visibility for my writing, I invite anyone following my stories here on to follow me on Tumblr.

For one face claim reveal, I will tell that I chose Gal Gadot as the face claim for Persephone...cause she's perfect as Persephone!

Please consider leaving a review if you're reading. It is very much appreciated!

Thanks for awesome the reviews. Here are individual responses:

Naomi Blue: Yep, Jefferson is back. He'll likely keep popping in and out of the story. As for Greg and Tamara, yeah no one like them. I'll be looking forward to their demise too.

Sara K M: Yeah, I agree. It's annoying that Tamara assumes that Emma was the bad influence. But I thought it was the typical attitude that most take toward an ex to their significant other. Of course, we know she has some ulterior motives here too, which doesn't help. Oh yeah, I agree. That's why I can never blame it all on Neal. Sure, he was older, but they weren't good for each other in a lot of ways back then. I think they have a lot of potential for a more mature relationship too. And I can't wait for Snow to be Captain of that ship, lol. Yeah, poor Neal, he probably will get blamed. Tamara is so sneaky. Yeah, Whale essentially did surgery with alcohol in his system. Not a great doctor in my opinion. As you can tell, he's a favorite foil of mine. The Her was suspicious. I thought so in canon too and didn't blame the others for not thinking much about it. They are relatively sheltered from the outside world. But Emma...I was like really Emma? That doesn't strike you as weird. I kept it mostly canon that regard here simply because Emma is pretty distracted with Neal already in town. But yeah, there might be a slight dig on her by Neal in the future if she happens to mention, because I can see him pointing it out to her with a "seriously Em?". Yeah, I hate that they sort of forgot about Snowing's connection. That makes sense that Snow might have felt something was off, but didn't want to believe it. :)

Saberius Prime: Yeah, poor Snow. She really can't catch a break in this story. Yep, this week is going to be quite a ride!

Baratta Jennifer: Yep, Hermes is an idiot for sure.

Theinferno1536: Yes, Rumple has less reason to go all Dark One here, at least not against the Charmings. With Hades coming, he may have to resort to his dark powers, which might cause a bit of conflict between him and Belle. But it's Hades, so she'll likely understand. Yep, Emma's probably going to be pissed about Tamara. Snow's kidnapping and Hades coming to Storybrooke has the potential to change everything. We shall see.

Number Ten: Yep, leave it Whale to be irresponsible. I do love the idea of Jefferson being a watcher to protect the town. He's a very interesting character to explore. We didn't get to see him evolve for obvious reasons, but here it's fun to see what might have been. TP stands for True Pairing. For example, Snowing is my OTP(one true pairing). So BroTP is the "bromance" version of that.

Izzypirelli: Yes, Leroy rarely has anything good to say, lol. A stranger is very bad and potentially even worse with Hades possibly in the mix. Yeah, I feel bad for Neal. Tamara is horrible, especially since we never really figured out what her deal is. Still not sure anything could make her sympathetic though. Yep, Emma would still totally kick his butt in front of everyone, lol. I know, I enjoy the friendships. The family in fighting annoys me, but they do it, because that's drama and the only thing TV writers know how to do. I love including those little intimate things, especially about Snowing, even in tense situations or battles. Ah, I'm glad you asked about Robert. I am keeping it canon in this, which means Hook killed him and David will find out much sooner. And he'll actually be allowed to react and be angry about it here. Lol, I know, he already can't stand Whale, so him being drunk does not help. I had to do the muzzle part and then David pouting, because Snow won't let him be bad. Yep, Snow's right about drawing the wrong people into Storybrooke. Can you imagine federal agents in Storybrooke? Yep! I had to keep the connection between them, because I hate that they just forgot about it. Ha, yeah the elevator was freaky. I get a little freaked out about them too now. Yep, Charming is off to find her! :)

Grace5231973: Okay...I'm glad you like what I've done with the characters here, but why did you feel the need to list everything you hate about them in canon to me? Of all people? I'm like the biggest Snowing fan on the planet. I don't really want to hear you list all that stuff and act like your faves didn't do problematic stuff. Don't bring up the Lily thing to me. It's was horribly OC for Snowing and just terrible writing. Oh and Rumple admitted TWICE in canon that he wanted to be in that prison. He had the ability to get out of it, so nice try. It's fine if you don't like them in canon, but that stuff doesn't belong in a review. I hope you can continue to enjoy the story and I hope you continue to review. I just ask that your review actually be about stuff pertaining to this story.

As for Hades/Persephone...well, we've only seen the bad side of him. Could there be good in him? Perhaps. But remember, the actual myth is called "The Rape of Persephone" and that is bothersome to me that their relationship started that way. I don't really think it's sad the way I'm portraying them. Hades is a dick in the show and Persephone is a strong woman that gave up everything to protect her daughter. To me, that's a great story needing to be told. I'm still glad you're looking forward to the next chapter though. Just keep the Snowing negativity away from me please. It is your right to express that in your own space, but not here. Thank you.

Beth1980: I know, Neal should really be seeing these red flags. I like that Persephone is under the same roof as them. Yeah, Leroy has a big mouth and rarely has anything good to say. I liked the scene with Jefferson too and how he's changed and actually cares about other people now. Lol, I couldn't resist with the muzzle scene and then Snow gently chiding Charming. I hate that they forgot about Snowing's connection and ability to feel when each other is in danger, so of course I had to keep it. Yeah, Regina is really setting herself up for a fall. Glad you're still enjoying!

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 59: Bad Blood

Persephone smiled, as she checked on her sleeping grandson and then went back downstairs. She kept checking her phone, waiting for an update of what was going on and was thankful when it rang. The caller ID showed that it was David and she answered.

"David…" she answered.

"Snow's missing…" were the first words out of his mouth and she frowned.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"We were handling this situation and Snow went down to the cafeteria to get us coffee. And then I got this terrible feeling...I can't find her anywhere," he replied frantically. Panic crept up inside her as well.

"All right, as soon as I get someone to come watch Henry, I'll be right there," Persephone said, as she hung up the phone. She didn't have Neal's number and decided Henry would be fine for just a few minutes, so she poofed herself to the Inn and knocked on his door frantically. She heard stumbling around, as he answered it.

"What the hell…" he growled and then he saw it was her. His eyes widened and the rest of his cursing died on his lips.

"I'm sorry to wake you, but Snow is missing. I need you to come back to the loft with me to watch Henry," she stated. He nodded and quickly put his clothes on.

"What do you mean missing?" Neal asked tiredly, as they appeared in Snow's loft.

"David and Emma were dealing with the situation at the hospital. Snow went to get them coffee and now she's missing," Persephone responded, as she grabbed one of Snow's scarves and then poofed a large case onto the table.

"What is that?" Neal asked curiously.

"My store of potions and concoctions," she replied.

"I should have known…" Neal said.

"I know you're not a fan of magic and that's understandable. But a locator potion may be the only way to find my daughter quickly," she replied.

"You do know it's probably why Snow went missing too, right?" he questioned. She stopped for a moment and then looked at him.

"Sorry...that was out of line," he apologized.

"No...you're right. In many ways, my presence in Snow's life might only increase the danger to her. But I assure you that without me, she would also be in danger as well," Persephone said, as she got the potion.

"Thank you for watching Henry," she said. He nodded.

"Of course...I just hope you find her. Emma and David are probably going crazy," he mentioned. She nodded and disappeared in a puff of lavender smoke. They weren't the only ones.

Snow screamed, as they appeared in a dark cavern and she instantly recognized her surroundings. They were beneath the library. Regina used a fireball to give them light, as Snow kneed Hermes between his legs. Even a God was not impervious to this attack and she tore away from him, as she began to run through the cavern. But she suddenly felt her ankles become tied together, thanks to magic and tripped, falling to the ground.

"Regina please...you don't want to do this," Snow cried, as her wrists were then magically bound too. Snow looked at them fearfully, as Hermes dragged her back to the mouth of the cavern.

"Get it over with already," Regina said. Snow's breathing came in ragged gasps and she cried out, as he brandished a knife. He smirked.

"You really think I'm going to kill you, don't you Princess?" he hissed, as he let the cold blade touch the sensitive skin on her neck. She swallowed thickly.

"You aren't?" she squeaked, as she looked to Regina.

"No...there's someone else that wants that honor, as much as both of us would like to," Hermes responded.

"And if I did kill you...I wouldn't be choosing a knife to do it," Regina added, as a fireball appeared in her palm.

"Then what do you want with me?" she questioned, but then she cried out, as he used the blade to slice her palm. She whimpered and struggled, as he let her blood drip into a small vial.

"What are you doing?" Snow questioned.

"Your blood...it will allow Hades passage into this realm," Hermes revealed. Her eyes widened.

"Hades…" she uttered and then looked at her step-mother.

"Why would you help bring Hades here? How could you? Think of Henry," Snow admonished.

"I am thinking of my son, unlike you," Regina hissed.

"Because of your mother, one way or another, Hades is going to find a way here. Her presence here in this town will doom everyone, so I'm doing what I have to in order to protect Henry," she reasoned.

"You really think Hades will see you as some kind of ally if you help him?" Snow questioned. She smirked.

"Oh, I'm under no delusions about how dangerous your step-father is," she mentioned, enjoying twisting that particular knife.

"But yes...in desperate times like these, alliances must be made and let's keep in mind again that none of this would be necessary without your mother's presence here," Regina reminded.

"Fine...you have my blood. Now let me go," Snow demanded. Regina smirked and gently caressed her cheek.

"Oh no...no you don't get off that easily, dear. My mother is dead, because of you," Regina reminded.

"Your mother was evil…" Snow spat and then choked, as Regina wrapped a hand around her neck.

"No...you're the evil one. You told her about Daniel...you're the reason he's dead. You're the reason Persephone killed my mother!" Regina shouted, as tears gathered in her eyes.

"I never meant to hurt you...she preyed on me. I was just a little girl...I'm sorry," Snow pleaded.

"I don't care...you need to pay and now you will with what's coming," Regina said.

"And once Hades has swept away all my enemies for me...then Henry will be mine again. And he'll love me again, because I'll be all he has," Regina said tearfully. Snow shook her head.

"It doesn't have to be this way. If you do the right thing, it will show Henry that you really are trying to change. I know the woman you used to be...the one that saved my life. I know she's still in there. We can be a family again," Snow pleaded.

"Oh, your naivete isn't at all endearing anymore, dear. In fact, it's pathetic. We've had this conversation before and nothing has changed. My biggest regret is still that I wasn't able to kill you. But soon that will be rectified. Perhaps not by my hand...but justice will be done," Regina said, as she waved her hand and the dusty lid of her casket was lifted. Snow's eyes widened, as Hermes grabbed her arm and started to force her into the casket.

"No...please don't do this," Snow begged, as he made her lay down in it and she screamed, as he sealed the dusty coffin lid. Snow sobbed almost uncontrollably and pounded on the coffin lid. It was like being buried alive and like something out of a nightmare.

"There...back where she belongs. In her glass coffin, only she's awake this time to experience the horror," Hermes said deviously.

"Unfortunately, it probably won't take her Prince long to find her. It never does," Regina replied bitterly.

"Well...then let's make him work for it a bit," Hermes suggested, as his staff, the Caduceus, appeared in his hand. He jammed the staff into the ground before the coffin and it glowed, as it sent his summons to the intended creatures. Regina jumped, as she heard a screeching sound.

"What was that?" she questioned.

"I have summoned the Furies to help guard her. He'll find her, but he'll have to go through them first," Hermes said, as three frightening creatures emerged seemingly from beneath the ground and Regina took a step back. The dark, wraith-like billowy figures had snakes for hair and blood dripped from their eyes. In addition, they had bat like wings and their screeches were bone-chilling.

"She is my prisoner...guard her well," Hermes ordered, as he gestured to Snow in the coffin.

"Let's go...My Lord has been waiting long enough to enact his vengeance," Hermes said and as they disappeared, Regina heard Snow's scream and tried to ignore the spark of regret inside her blackened heart.

Jefferson convened back in the lobby with the others and he instantly felt badly for his friends, for David and Emma both looked panicked.

"Any luck?" Emma asked. He shook his head.

"I don't think she's here," he mentioned regrettably, as Persephone appeared.

"Neal is watching Henry and I have one of Snow's scarves," Persephone said, as Gold offered a locator potion. She took it from him.

"I brought one too, but thank you," she said, accepting his gift and poured it over the scarf. It floated before them, just as Whale came into the lobby.

"He made it," Whale announced, as they all acted like they didn't hear him.

"Hello...the stranger is alive, thanks to my gifted hands. Isn't that what you wanted?" he asked irritably.

"Uh yeah...there's just more going on now. Thanks," Emma offered.

"Is he awake?" she asked.

"Yes...you can talk to him if you need to," Whale replied, as he left.

"Emma…" David started to say.

"Dad...you can't be seriously asking me to stay behind on this one," she said.

"I don't want to, but we also need to make sure our guest knows that he should be on his way so to speak as soon as possible. And it only makes sense for the Sheriff or Deputy to talk to him. I can text you our location when you're done," he said. She nodded, knowing he was right, and she hugged him tightly.

"I'll find her...I promise," he said. She nodded and walked back toward the patient's recovery room.

"Rumple and I will go to the loft and make sure everything is okay with Henry. He'll be upset when Neal tells him, I'm sure," Belle offered. David nodded gratefully.

"Especially if Regina is behind this," Gold added bitterly.

"Let's keep that little detail under wraps until we know for sure," David requested and Gold agreed with a curt nod. With that, David and Persephone exited the hospital, as they followed the scarf.

"You up for one more?" Jefferson asked, as he tagged along.

"We are if you are," David answered, as the Hatter joined them.

Tamara packed her things and spared a glance at her prisoner, who she had handcuffed to the bed in the room.

"You know, I've been tied to a few beds before, but this is definitely not in a good way," Hook commented.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but we'll be moving along now. It's time to go to Storybrooke," she replied.

"Yes...and what are your plans when you get there? You must realize that there is magic there. Your pistol may not get you as far there as it does out in this world," he warned. She smirked.

"Oh, but I'm Neal's fiance. They'll have no reason to suspect me of any malfeasance...until it's much too late," Tamara replied.

"And what do you plan to do with me, lass? I have no stakes in your plot, whatever that may be," Hook reminded. She smirked.

"Are you sure?" she questioned, as she put her bag by the door.

"You see...my goal and the goal of my associate is to destroy magic," she stated. He looked bewildered by that.

"Destroy magic?" he questioned. She nodded.

"And how pray tell do you plan to do that? I've been around magic in my considerably long life and I've never encountered such a way to do so. That is why I wanted to come to this land, for the absence of magic is the only way to skin my crocodile," he responded.

"I may not know exactly how to destroy magic completely yet, but my superiors do. I also have ways of nullifying magical attacks. They don't seem to hold up well to my world's technology," she mentioned, as she held a black device in her hand and pressed the trigger, showing him the electric charge in her high powered taser.

"And what will your fiance think when he finds out the real reason you're coming to town?" Hook questioned.

"Neal is a good man...but will be unfortunately collateral damage," Tamara replied. He frowned and she laughed.

"You don't think I actually love him, do you?" she questioned.

"You're engaged...I assumed. Silly me, I suppose," he replied bitterly.

"Don't worry...I'm not going to kill him, as long as he doesn't get in my way. You should be happy though. An alliance with me can get you exactly what you want," she said, as she looked at him.

"Your Crocodile," she tempted.

"I've hunted this beast for longer than you've been alive...longer than your great grandparents were alive. The Dark One can only be killed in a place with magic with one object," Hook warned.

"Yes...the dagger," she replied. He looked surprised that she knew that.

"I told you that my superiors know everything about that little town and its inhabitants," she reminded.

"Yes...you keep mentioning your superiors, but you offer no names," he leered.

"We just call them the Home Office and their goal is the same of ours. That is to remove magic from this world. It's unnatural...it's a disease," she spat.

"Dark magic is...I agree. But there is light magic. I have seen light magic do good in my time as well, albeit much less often," he challenged. She smirked.

"All magic is evil...even the supposed true love kind. There is always a price, even for true love, and it is always paid in blood," she said. He smirked.

"I sense there is a story behind that," he mentioned.

"No story...I just hate magic," she countered. He smirked.

"Right…" he snorted derisively.

"Cheer up Captain...stick with me and I can guarantee that you can skin that Croc," she tempted.

"You propose an interesting proposition, lass. But I've been around long enough to know that you'll want something from me if you manage the task of incapacitating the Dark One. Captain Hook is no fool," he hissed. She smirked.

"You're right...how are you at creating distractions and being a general nuisance?" she asked. He smirked.

"Oh...I would say I excel quite nicely at it. Who do you want distracted?" he questioned.

"Emma Swan and her family, of course. Distractions will be needed if we're going to be able to do what we want," she responded. He smirked.

"Aye...I can provide some distractions, indeed. But I warn you, love...I am not a person you want to double cross," he warned.

"Neither am I, Captain...but I assure you that an alliance between us will give us both what we want," she assured.

"Then I believe we have an accord," Hook agreed.

Emma took a deep breath and entered with Greg Mendell's personal effects.

"The nurse was just in here," he commented.

"Not nurse...Sheriff Swan," she said with a slight edge in her voice.

"Oh…" he uttered.

"Here's your personal effects back. How are you feeling, Mr. Mendell?" she asked.

"Pretty good, considering. They told me it was touch and go there for a while," he replied. She nodded.

"Uh...did I hit someone in the accident? Is that why you're here?" he asked nervously.

"No...you were the only injured party," she replied and he sighed in relief.

"However...your tox screen came back and you had alcohol in your system. Not enough to be legally drunk, but you were definitely driving under the influence. Want to tell me about that?" she asked. He looked down shamefully.

"Yeah...so I'm kind of on a trip. My girlfriend and I are taking a break. We had another fight on the phone and I had a drink or two with dinner. I knew it was a mistake, but I figured I'd be okay driving up to Portland. I was wrong," he replied. Emma gazed at him with scrutiny. She wanted to believe him...she really wanted to believe him. But he was not passing her inner lie detector. Part of her was so distracted with everything else going on that she might have missed it, but her desire to protect her son and her parents overruled her worry about everything else. This guy was definitely not being completely truthful. The problem was that she didn't know exactly what he was lying about.

"Am I under arrest?" he asked bluntly. She gave him a steely stare.

"I'd be well within my right to charge you with a DUI..but I'm going to let you off with a warning," she replied. He sighed in relief.

"Thank you," he said gratefully.

"Drinking and driving isn't a good idea, but this is your lucky day. Rest up, Mr. Mendell and you can be on your way to Portland," she replied sternly, as she turned and left the room. Once she was gone, Greg smirked deviously.

"Yeah...you're not getting rid of me that easily. Not until this town is burning…" he hissed beneath his breath.

The scarf floated just before the doors to the library and it should have come as no surprise to them. As they went inside, the scarf slowly floated toward the elevator and then hovered there.

"That's a bit predictable, isn't it?" Jefferson questioned.

"Unless there's a fight waiting for us down there," David replied. Persephone nodded.

"We need someone to operate the elevator," she said to the Hatter. Jefferson nodded. Clearly, if there was a fight down there, he would only be in the way. But he could do this and it would help.

"Whatever you need," he agreed, as they boarded the elevator. Jefferson operated the hand crank and slowly lowered them into the cavern. Persephone watched him clench his fist and put her hand on his arm.

"She's down here and we'll save her," she assured her.

"I know...but whoever took her had her for a while," he said, as he clenched his teeth.

"If they've hurt her…" he growled.

"Then they will pay, but Snow will be okay, we will see to that," Persephone responded, as the elevator docked at the bottom and they opened the door.

As they entered the dark cavern, they heard a scream and David took off in a sprint.

"Snow!" he called frantically, as he rushed headlong into the blackness.

"David wait!" Persephone cried, as she heard an inhuman screeching echo through the cavern. She ran to catch up with him and raised her hands, creating a couple of standing torches, filling the cavern with some light. She saw her son-in-law swipe his sword at the three creatures that circled about menacingly.

"Furies…" she uttered.

"What?" he questioned.

"Furies...minions of my husband's from the Underworld," Persephone clarified, as it was then that she saw the large Caduceus staff planted in the ground and her blood ran cold.

"That staff...I know who did this…" she uttered, as magic erupted from her fingertips and she battled the furies with him. He glanced at her, as he swiped at the creature.

"Who?" he asked.

"That staff belongs to none other than Hermes...he's behind this," she replied, as they battled the furies.

"Why would Hermes want to hurt Snow?" he asked, as he ducked to evade the sharp claws of the fury.

"To hurt me...but it's much worse than that, I fear," she lamented.

"We'll deal with it, whatever it is. First, we have to kill these things and since I'm guessing they're not actually alive, my sword is probably not going to cut it," he said.

"No...only fire can kill them," she said. With that, Charming grabbed one of the torches she had created and began to duel with the angry one that seemed intent on trying to sink its fangs into him. It screeched angrily at him and swiped it's claws, catching his shirt and tearing it open. He hissed, as he noticed the lacerations on his skin and the blood drawn. He growled and thrust the flame part of the torch into the creature's eyes. It screamed and the echo shuddered through the entire cave. He kept pressing it into the creature, until the fire began to eat away at the essence of the fury, until it burned up completely.

Persephone dodged the angry clawing and her magic morphed from lavender energy into fire. It wasn't often that she strayed from her organic type magic to elemental power, but she would do anything for her little Snow without hesitation. She engulfed the second fury with twin fireballs and it wailed in agony as it was destroyed. David batted the last one away from the coffin where his terrified wife was trapped. Persephone hit it with a fireball to draw it away, as David used his sword to pry the sealed glass lid off.

"Charming…" Snow sobbed, as he cut her bonds and then lifted her into his arms. She buried her face in his chest, as he kissed her hair and rubbed a soothing hand on her back. She looked up just in time to see Hermes' staff glow behind them and she cried out, as the snakes on it came alive. They grew gigantic and towered above them. David put her on her feet, but continued to hold her close, as they stared up at the new problem before them. Persephone destroyed the last fury and fired a magical attack at one of the snakes. It hissed angrily and turned its head to her, before snapping its powerful jaws at her. She dodged and saw that her attack had no effect.

"It's impervious to magic...damn Hermes," she cursed, as she willed a sword into her hand and a bow and quiver appeared for Snow.

"Guess we'll have to do this the old fashioned way," David said, as he poised his sword and charged at one of the snakes, while Snow fired an arrow at the other. It screeched angrily at her, as the arrow struck it in the neck. Persephone grabbed her arm and they dodged the snake's snapping jaws. Meanwhile, David had climbed up onto one of the rocky outcroppings and prepared to slay one of them. But he knew it had to be just right.

"Distract it!" he called. Persephone created a fireball and it hissed angrily, as it focused on her, while David jumped and landed on the snake's giant head. He roared and snapped its jaws, but had no time to do anything, as David drove his sword into its brain, dropping it dead to the ground instantly. It was a bloody mess that made all their stomachs churn in disgust. The other one hissed angrily and slithered toward David, but Snow was not having it.

"Get away from my husband!" she called, as she fired an arrow into its neck. It turned its attention to her again, which was exactly what she wanted and she fired an arrow directly into its eye. It made a terrible shrieking noise, which died promptly, as Persephone swiped her sword through its neck, decapitating it in another sickening mess. They all breathed in relief and he rushed to Snow, scooping her into his arms.

"Charming…" she cried, as their lips met in a series of continual, passionate kisses.

"Oh Snow…" he breathed, as he held her close and continued kissing her for a few moments. Persephone smiled gently at them, as she stood quietly by.

"Did he hurt you?" David asked, as he cupped her face in his hands. She shook her head.

"No...but they took blood," Snow said, as she looked at her mother and showed them her hand.

"They? Then Regina is involved in this?" he growled. Snow nodded sadly.

"She's just angry…" Snow said, as she noticed her mother looked very pale.

"Why would he take Snow's blood?" David asked, as he looked to her. Snow looked at her tearfully.

"He's using my blood to bring Hades here," she told him. His brow furrowed.

"I don't understand...how would your blood bring Hades here?" David asked.

"Because the only way for Hades to come to this realm is if you summon Charon to bring him. And the only way to do that is with the blood of someone who has both been to the land of the living and the world of the dead," Persephone replied.

"But that would be your blood…" he said, as he trailed off and thought about it for a moment.

"And Snow's because she was born there," he finished with a sigh. Snow looked at them tearfully.

"Hades is coming…" she said fearfully. Persephone closed the distance between them and took their hands.

"He may be, but I will never let him hurt this family," she insisted, trying to push down her panic.

"I need to get to the lake," she said, as she started toward the elevator.

"We're coming with you," Snow said, as they followed.

"Absolutely not…" Persephone protested.

"That was a statement, not a request. I'm not letting you face him alone," Snow said. Persephone squeezed her hands and knew there was no use in arguing. Sooner or later, they would come face to face with Hades, no matter what she did. It was better if she was there with them when they did.

"Jefferson…bring us up!" David called, as they boarded the elevator and slowly ascended to the surface. As they arrived on the main level, Emma came bursting into the library and took a relieved breath, as she saw that her mother was okay.

"Mom…" she called, as she hurried over and David prodded his wife into their daughter's arms.

"I'm fine sweetie," Snow promised.

"Who the hell put you down there?" Emma asked.

"It was Hermes...and Regina," Snow replied.

"So Regina did do this," Emma growled.

"She's angry and she's grieving. Cora's death just made her want revenge. I don't think she's thinking straight," Snow reasoned.

"Snow...I love you, but Regina helped abduct you and then let Hermes release hell furies to guard you. Not to mention the giant snakes," David admonished and Snow looked sad and shuddered, remembering how frightened she had been.

"He has a point. I know you still care about her, but she doesn't deserve it," Jefferson reminded.

"I know…" she said.

"That seems like a pretty elaborate way to kill someone. Why the theatrics?" Emma asked.

"Because Hermes' goal was to get a sample of Snow's blood. Hades is coming," Persephone stated gravely.

"Do you know where?" Emma asked.

"He will come aboard Charon's boat. The lake if I had to guess," Persephone replied.

"Then I guess we're going to the lake," Emma said, as the five of them hurried out.

"Dad?" Henry said sleepily that morning, as he came down the stairs.

"Hey buddy," he called.

"What are you doing here so early?" Henry asked curiously.

"Your grandmother had a bit of an emergency and asked me to come over to stay with you," Neal replied.

"What kind of an emergency?" Neal asked, as there was a knock at the loft door. Neal opened it and let his father and Belle in.

"Hey...any news?" he asked. Belle nodded.

"David just texted me. They found her...but there is bigger problems," Belle responded, as she looked at Rumple.

"Papa?" he asked.

"It's Hades...he's coming here," Rumple answered.

"Hades...the Hades? Like Persephone's husband that she escaped?" he asked. Rumple nodded.

"Yes...Snow White's kidnapping was solely for the purpose of obtaining her blood. Hermes has betrayed Zeus and sided with the God of the Underworld," Rumple stated.

"I don't understand...how does Snow's blood bring Hades here?" Neal asked.

"The blood of one that has both been to the land of the living and the world of the dead can allow Hades passage to this realm. Only Snow and Persephone fit that description. I need to join the others at the lake," Rumple replied. Neal nodded and grabbed his coat.

"Can you stay with him? I need to go too," he replied.

"Bae…" Rumple started to protest.

"I can stay," she agreed.

"Let's go," Neal said, not allowing Rumple to argue with him and the Dark One acquiesced. With a final glance at Belle, he followed his son down the stairs.