AN: See chapter 1 for story notes and summaries.
Ships: Snowing, Rumbelle, Swan Believer, eventual Swanfire, and a delightful Golden Mad Charming BroT3. :)
Please consider leaving a review. Feedback is much appreciated.
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!
I was asked to give a rough estimate of exactly what month/year it is, like I do with Finding You Always. So since it's estimated that the curse was broken in late February 2012 and it's been a few weeks since, it is now early April 2012
Thanks for awesome the reviews. Here are individual responses:
Theinferno1536: Is the Dragon Helios? Hmm...I can't answer that. He may turn out to be or I may go with a Once-type twist. We shall see.
Baratta Jennifer: Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Grace5231973: Yep, Rumple was kind of just done with it all and Henry too. Glad you enjoyed it too. I thought it was a funny thing to do. Yeah, the Dragon is worrisome, especially since we don't know who he really is yet. Yeah, Blue is shady af. I definitely agree with that. Me too actually, I like fall. I don't like winter when I have to drive in it, but yeah I don't mind it, because I'm a very indoorsy person. What did happen to Hades in the Underworld? That is definitely a burning question...that I can't tell you yet, lol. :)
Sara K M: Yes, I thought the overall theme of family and forgiveness should come through when it came to Marco. Yeah, poor August. He made a lot of mistakes, but he was set up to fail. That being said, I hated how he got de-aged and never really dealt with his problems. So yes, we will see him again. Yeah, the Snow shipping CS in season 2 doesn't make sense, because there is canon evidence that Snow was clearly on the Swanfire ship. It's very OOC and most CS don't care about Snow unless she's singing CS praises. It was objective for Snow and Rumple to realize that, but they both know the signs. They were denying their feelings for David and Belle for a while, so they see it. David and Belle never really denied their feelings, so they seem a bit more removed from the idea of interfering. Yes, Rumple was a bit brazen there, but when he's fed up, we know his patience goes out the window. In a way, I think he was testing Tamara too. Storybrooke is nuts most of the time so I think he was seeing how she would react when she could no longer deny the existence of magic. And of course, Tamara is a really good actress, so she had the appropriate freak out moment. And yes, he probably senses that desperate soul beneath her skin too. ;)
Saberius Prime: Yeah, Tamara is a really good actress. Oh Hades...he's a wild card for sure. While I may be taking a bit of a more creative direction with Greg and Tamara, I can promise that she'll eventually meet a grim demise. Glad you enjoyed it!
Naomi Blue: Yes, I've definitely built a bit of mystery with Hades so it will be interesting to see how that unfolds. Oh yes, August is in another pickle. :)
Number Ten: August and Tamara's back story is revealed in 2.17. Yes, Hades is definitely up to something and there are missing pieces that will eventually explain his behavior. Yep, there was a hint at Snow's condition in the last chapter, so things are going to get even more interesting.
Austenphile: Me too, I loved putting Mary humming the Snowing theme in there. Yes, that scene with Damon was very intense. Glad to know it was well done though. Yeah, pretty close to home, because he gets away with everything. It doesn't get much more real than that. Yeah, she knows David well here. She knew he would make a beeline for the station. Fortunately, her cooler head convinced him not to do that. Glad you liked the Emma/David/Henry scenes too! I really like exploring Mad Charming in this. It's a very unique friendship. Yes, Regina needs smacked at this point and it gets worse, I'm afraid. Glad you're enjoying so far. :)
Beth1980: You're welcome. Yeah, I liked throwing Nova back in there, even if it was only for a minute. I agree, which is why I blame Blue for most of the problems in Once. I really needed David there for the wardrobe confrontation too. Yes, there will be quite a story line involving the Dragon's daughter. Ha, yep, Captain Henry is aboard the Swanfire ship and Snow and Rumple just joined him. Which means David is there too since he'll do whatever Snow wants, lol. Yeah, I thought that moment was needed. Just a blatant confirmation that magic was real. Unfortunately, Tamara is a really good actress. Glad you're enjoying. :)
izzypirelli: Yeah, I can't hate on August too much, because really Marco and Blue are the ones that should have shouldered the blame for the path they put him on. But canon chose to just sweep it under the rug. Not here. Marco doesn't get a redo he doesn't deserve. And August is probably in another pickle, but time will tell what becomes of that. Glad you liked that Snow was able to forgive, because she had Charming and Emma. Marco is lucky and he better remember it. Yep, Hades is sending all kinds of mixed signals. Does it have to do with Elijah? Hmm...perhaps. Haha, yep, there was a hint in the last chapter. Snow is lightheaded and hungry...hmm we know what that means. Yep, Snow and Rumple are on the Swanfire ship. David won't meddle, but will probably have to watch Snow and Rumple do so in exasperation, lol. Cause we know he won't actually tell Snow no. Yeah, I'd say Persephone gets a pass. Tamara is a really good actress, that's for sure, but you're right. We know exactly what she's going to do now. Glad you're enjoying. :)
Dreaming Out Loud
Chapter 164: Flaws
After leaving the Inn and threatening Owen, or Greg Mendell, as he was now calling himself, Regina sat despondently in her car, across from the diner. She knew it would only cause her pain and sure enough, it did, as she watched him come out of the diner with his family, beaming from ear to ear. She still couldn't believe it. Rumpelstiltskin's son and Snow White's daughter were the birth parents of her precious Henry. Fate certainly did have a sadistic sense of humor. She longed for the days before the curse was broken, before David Nolan was awake and Mary Margaret was a lonely, miserable wallflower, and before Emma Swan. Before all that, there had been a time where she and Henry were very happy; a time when she was all he ever needed. But those times were gone and she had been brainstorming on ways to get them back. However, Jefferson had been right about what he told her just a few months ago. The changes that Emma had brought couldn't just be undone. There was no putting back this open can of worms now, no matter how much she wished it.
Earlier that day, she had gone through her mother's things and found a written curse tucked away in one of her gowns. She knew her mother had meant for her to find this particular curse. It was the curse of the empty-hearted. In theory, it had the power to make someone think they loved you. She had instantly thought about using it on Henry, but the price was that she needed the heart of the person she hated most. It was brilliant, theoretically and exactly the thing her mother would leave her. If enacted, this curse would give her Henry and get her vengeance on Snow. But it was an impossible feat. Getting Snow's blood had been difficult enough and that had been with Hermes' help. Her heart...that was a different story entirely. While Persephone could not protect Snow twenty-four hours a day, she was on extra high alert with Hades in town. Which meant that it was likely that she had placed all kinds of protection spells on and around her daughter and family, ones they might not even been aware of. And with protection spells naturally came the one that prevented a heart rip. Regina's magic was powerful, but knew it was really no match for Persephone's.
"Thank you Mother...but unfortunately, it isn't meant to be," she muttered sadly, as she watched the dwarves drive up in David's truck. They got out and tossed the keys to the Prince, before heading into the diner with the former giant. That was odd, indeed, and she wondered what it was all about.
Curiously, she got out of her car once they left and using her magic, she enchanted the road to show her the tire tracks. With that, Regina followed them out into the outskirts of town and found that they ended in an empty field. She got out of the car and found a barrier spell was in place and not one that was strong enough to be Persephone's. In fact, if she had to guess, it was probably a fairy spell. She waved her hand and revealed what the field was hiding. She was shocked to see a full crop of beans...magic beans. She pursed her lips and confiscated a pod that had two beans in it. Perhaps getting revenge on Snow wasn't possible, but maybe getting Henry back could be with these beans...
Henry bounded into the loft, as they arrived home that evening. Neal was with them, as Emma had agreed to allow him to come tuck Henry in.
"Thanks for letting me come...I know this all still pretty weird," he mentioned. She shrugged.
"You're Henry's dad and he loves you. I only want him to be happy," she replied.
"Hey Gramps...if we're not going back to the Enchanted Forest, then why is Tiny and the dwarves growing the beans?" Henry asked curiously.
"Well...Tiny offered to grow them for us and while we may have decided that Storybrooke is our home now, we also decided that as leaders, it's only right that we offer others a way to leave if they want to," David explained.
"Yeah...and since leaving Storybrooke for others requires spells that aren't easy to replicate, we decided that we could offer this choice instead," Snow added.
"Do you think that if there is enough beans someday that we can visit the Enchanted Forest and then come home?" he asked, looking at his parents. Emma and Neal exchanged a glance.
"Uh...I don't know. But I guess it's something we could definitely talk about," Emma said with uncertainty.
"Yeah...but for now, I think we should get you ready for bed," Neal interjected. Henry nodded.
"Wanna see my comic book collection?" Henry asked excitedly. Neal smiled.
"Sure kid...let's go up and see. You know, I have a pretty good stack myself back in New York. We'll have to compare someday," he mentioned.
"That would be awesome. Mom...do you think we could all go to New York? Grams and Gramps too? Henry asked. Emma smiled.
"Ah well...if things keep calm around here, maybe that trip can happen soon," she agreed tentatively. Neal ruffled his hair.
"Let's go look at those comic books," Neal said.
"For a little while and then brush your teeth and get ready for bed," Emma called, as he bounded upstairs to the loft with Neal following. Emma sighed and Snow went to the kitchen.
"How about some cocoa?" she asked. Emma smiled and nodded, as she sat at the island.
"That sounds great, Mom," she agreed. The loft door opened and Persephone walked through. She shed her coat and hung it up, before joining them in the kitchen.
"Cocoa?" Snow asked. She smiled.
"If you spike it with vodka," she replied. Snow frowned and put the milk down.
"So it was a bad day? I figured considering it's about thirty degrees in April," Snow mentioned. Persephone smiled thinly.
"I'm sorry about that...I've never been very good at controlling my emotions when it comes to Hades...or you for that matter," she responded.
"You confronted him, didn't you?" Emma asked. She nodded.
"I had to...I had to make sure that he's not here to undo the trappings I placed Deimos in," she replied.
"And is he?" David asked.
"He says he isn't...he says he has no intention of releasing him," she answered.
"But you don't believe him," Snow guessed.
"I'm not sure what to believe anymore. Hermes is obviously just as confused by his behavior and even I have to admit that he's...different," Persephone replied.
"Different how?" David asked curiously.
"In many ways. For instance, my constant disdain and defiance of him is usually met with anger. But now he just seems amused by me," Persephone replied.
"That is kind of strange," Emma mentioned.
"And it gets stranger...I think something happened in the Underworld," Persephone said.
"Like what?" David asked. She shrugged.
"I don't know, that's the thing. He says that something happened and that he's protecting me...us by not telling me. Which sounds like his usual load of crap...but I don't know…" Persephone said, as she tried to put it into words.
"I've known him a very long time...I've been married to him for centuries and it's like...he's a different person. I just don't know what to think," she lamented.
"Is there any way you might be able to find out what happened there without asking him?" Emma questioned.
"Short of going there...I'm not sure. I should probably speak to my mother though," she replied.
"Do you think she might come here?" Snow asked curiously. Persephone smiled.
"I know she wants and now that Hades is here, I wouldn't be surprised if she finds a way here. She was the second person that held you, you know," Persephone said, as she took her cup and went up to the loft. Snow smiled, as she watched her go and David pressed a kiss to her hair. Snow served their cocoa and Emma sipped at hers, just as Neal came down the stairs.
"He brushed his teeth and he's all tucked in. Thanks again for letting me do that," he said, as they eyes met. She smiled.
"Henry's pretty stoked about having you in his life...and I promise that we'll work out some sort of custody thing. It's just complicated...with Regina and everything," Emma replied. But he held up his hands.
"Emma...no pressure. He's in good hands with you and your parents," he assured. She nodded.
"You know we need to talk about this though. I mean...the kid would love nothing more than for you to move here to Storybrooke," she mentioned. He nodded.
"I know...and it's something Tamara and I have to talk about. She's...not going to want to move here," he replied.
"And neither do you," Emma realized.
"I honestly don't know. When I first came here, that would have been a hard no. But now...I mean Henry is here and suddenly there is a lot less to leave behind in New York than I remember, save for Tamara, of course," he replied. She nodded.
"I get it…" she said. He sighed.
"Whatever happens...I promise that Henry's not going to get hurt," he said. She smiled thinly.
"That's what matters," she agreed, as she saw him out.
"That was tense," David muttered, as he slid his arms around Snow from behind.
"Yes…" she said sadly.
"You okay?" he asked.
"I just...what if Neal does go back to New York? I'm not sure I like the idea of Henry not being here in town sometimes," she replied.
"Me either...but I'm not sure his grandparents get a say, my darling," he said. She sighed and put their cups in the sink.
Meanwhile, Emma saw Neal out and realized that he had dropped a card on the steps.
"Hey...you dropped this…" she said, as she trailed off and looked at the card.
"Oh...that's nothing," he insisted, as he snatched it away.
"Nothing? Because it looks like something," Emma replied, with a note of anger.
"Emma…" he started to explain.
"Calyn Barlos...Family Attorney at law? That's nothing?" she questioned.
"She's a friend of Tamara's and she gave me the card, but I never had any intention of making that call," he assured. She crossed her arms over her chest.
"Emma...I wouldn't do that to our son! I know how much he loves his family and Storybrooke," he insisted.
"I hope for your sake that's true. People can't find out about this town, Neal. Tamara knows that, right? She knows what could happen if people knew about this place," she argued.
"Of course she knows...this was before I told her everything. She's not going to do anything to put Storybrooke in danger," he insisted. Emma sighed.
"I really hope you're right," she replied. He sighed and tore up the card to hopefully satisfy her.
"I don't need it, so it's gone," he assured, as he went down the stairs and Emma went back inside. She saw her parents in the kitchen and her mother giggled at something her father was whispering in her ear.
"Honey...are you okay?" Snow asked. Emma put on a smile for them.
"Yeah...I'm fine. I think I'll go tuck the kid in and go to bed myself," she replied, as she hurried upstairs. They frowned.
"I don't think she's okay at all," Snow fretted.
"Definitely not...but you know Em. She'll come to us when she's ready. I think this is one of those times that it will be best not to push," he admonished. She sighed. She knew she did that a lot, but it was only because she wanted to solve all her daughter's problems. But she knew that she couldn't and that his approach was right in this instance. Whatever was between Neal and Emma had to be hashed out between them. They could be there to comfort her and give her advice, but only when she came to them. So she would reluctantly take her husband's lead on this one.
"You're right...I do push too much," she agreed. He kissed her cheek.
"She knows it's because you love her so much. And I promise that she'll come to us. She always does," he assured, as he took her hand and led her to their bed. He sat down and pulled her down into his lap.
"I think bed is a very good idea for us too right now," he purred. She smiled and kissed him.
"I agree...but I hope not just to sleep?" she asked coyly. He smirked and pulled the curtains around their bed.
"Oh no...never just to sleep, my love," he agreed, as their lips met again.
As their lips parted, Snow bit her bottom lip and started unbuttoning his shirt. He shed it and let it fall to the floor, before kissing her again. She mewled, as his lips trailed down her slender neck and she gasped, as he cupped her breasts. Her hands went to his belt and she undid it, as their lips parted and he grabbed the hem of her shirt, before pulling it over her head. Her skirt was next and he hooked his arm around her waist, as he slid them up the bed, allowing her head to fall to the pillow. They smiled at each other and the tossed the covers up and over them, as they gave way to their unbridled passion...
The dream started out quite pleasant. The scene was in his shop with Henry blowing out birthday candles. He, Belle, Snow, and Charming looked on and clapped like the proud grandparents that they were. Emma and Neal clapped as well, with Neal putting his hands on his boy's shoulders and Emma doting on him, before going to cut the cake.
"And now, my boy, for your birthday present. Pick one object from the shop. Anything you like," Gold offered. Henry walked around looking for something and then stopped, as he pointed at the wands.
"That," Henry stated, as he picked up a wand and waved it around.
"Alright, careful buddy. Wands are powerful," Neal warned. Henry turned to Mr. Gold.
"So...how does it work?" he asked.
"Here...let me show you," Rumple replied, as Henry handed the wand to him. Mr. Gold waved it through the air for a moment and then suddenly turned Henry into a ceramic statue with a flick of his wrist. The others present in the shop cried out in terror.
"Gold...why would you do that?!" David demanded to know.
"The Prophecy. The seer said the boy would be my undoing. So I have no choice...I must be his," Rumple answered, as he took his cane and shattered the statue.
Rumpelstiltskin jolted awake and sat up in bed, as he breathed heavily, with the dream still weighing heavily on him. Truthfully, he hadn't thought about that prophecy in a very long time. But now that he had his son back, he recalled the seer's foreboding warning; that a boy would be his undoing. Fate certainly was a tricky bitch, for in all his foresight, he had never imagined that the boy he had vowed to destroy so long ago would be his own grandson. If the prophecy was to be believed, then his own mortality could be tied to Henry's existence. But if he were to do the unthinkable, then Belle would shun him. She'd never forgive such an atrocity, nor would the others, obviously. And while that had never stopped him before, it made him pause now. He rather liked the life they had now. He had love now. He still had power. He had family and friends once again. But at the same time, if he died, then he would lose that. However, if he killed Henry, his own flesh and blood, then he would lose everyone in his life, not to mention, quite possibly what was left of his darkened soul. Yes...fate was quite the sadist. But perhaps this was one prophecy that he could thwart. After all, the visions of the future weren't always exactly clear.
In a way, he had become a much different version of himself; much like the man he had once been before power. Did he dare hope that the supposed unmaking of him could be more metaphorical than literal? Did he dare entertain that notion? Family and friends had certainly made him softer. He actually did things for them without making deals now. There was no quid pro quo anymore really. He offered help and in turn they had helped him; in fact far more than he had ever thought non-magical persons could.
Regardless of these musings though, Rumple knew that killing his own flesh and blood would cost him everything he now held dear in his life. At the same time, the possibility of his own demise still frightened him deeply as well. He decided that there likely would be no more sleeping tonight and he quietly left the bed so as not to disturb Belle. He proceeded down to the basement. Perhaps things would become more clear after spinning for a while.
"He did what?!" Greg exclaimed, as they walked along the darkened streets of Storybrooke.
"I'm surprised too...it was so blatant, which proves that they can't hide it. This town is lousy with magic," Tamara confirmed.
"He actually, like teleported you back to New York?" Greg asked in disbelief. She nodded.
"In a puff of smoke, I was suddenly at the top of the Empire State Building and in another puff of smoke, I was back in the diner. But that's not all I found out," she replied, as she pulled out a piece of paper.
"Neal made this for me to try and help me come to terms with this place," she said, as she handed him the piece of paper.
"He actually handed you their identities?" he asked with a snort.
"I know...he's making this too easy. But he trusts me," she replied.
"Snow White and Prince Charming?" he asked. She nodded.
"Emma Swan's parents. He's her deputy and her pixie haired mother is the new Mayor," she answered. He snorted again.
"And it gets better," she added.
"Does it? Did you send this to the Home Office?" he asked. She nodded.
"Already done...they're going to bursting at the seams to mobilize with all this information," she replied.
"What else did you find?" he asked.
"Well...this thirty degree weather isn't just an unfortunate cold snap from the remainder of winter. It's Persephone doing this. I overheard Snow White say her mother wasn't in a good mood today and that's why it's cold. Apparently her emotions can affect the weather; more evidence that magic is evil," Tamara informed.
"Wait...Snow White's mother is Persephone? As in Queen of the Underworld?" Greg asked. She nodded.
"Apparently so…" she responded.
"That wasn't in the Disney version," he joked.
"Wait...does that mean her father is Hades?" he asked. Tamara shrugged.
"I don't know...but Hades himself is here. It's the reason Persephone's mood is quite sour or so I heard," she replied.
"I knew this town was an abomination...but even more so than we thought," he mentioned.
"Don't worry...with this information, I'm certain the Home Office will soon be ready to make a move," she replied.
"Does Neal suspect anything?" Greg questioned.
"Not a thing," she confirmed.
"You're sure?" he questioned again.
"Don't worry about Neal...I'll handle him. Any luck finding your dad?" she asked. He shook his head.
"No...but I know he's here. I'm sure of it," Greg responded.
"We will find him," she assured.
"I know. But one thing at a time. Were you able to get the package here?" he asked. She nodded.
"I did...and we have a deal, but he went and complicated things," she replied.
"What do you mean?" Greg asked.
"I told him to be a nuisance, but he went a step further and got himself arrested. When the time comes, if we expect him to work for us, we'll have to break him out. That won't be easy with Emma Swan and her father running the Sheriff's station," Tamara replied. He smirked.
"Perhaps we'll have to create some distractions for them since our one handed friend isn't available," he responded. She smirked and kissed him.
"Good thinking…" she agreed.
"So now what?" he asked. She shrugged.
"We wait to hear from the Home Office. In the meantime, we can continue to search this town for your father," she replied, as he kissed her again and they headed back to the Inn.
Jefferson pulled back from looking through his telescope and was startled by what he had seen. He had been unknowingly keeping an eye on their visitor that had crashed into town. He didn't trust Greg Mendell and didn't like that he hadn't made his way out of town yet. And apparently his mistrust was warranted, in more ways than one. He needed to talk to Gold and David first thing in the morning. Because not only did their stranger, Greg Mendell, know this Tamara, but she was cheating on Neal with him. And he had been in this town long enough to know that it was likely there was even more to it than that. Even if there wasn't though, Neal still deserved to know that his fiance was obviously lying to him, probably about a great many things…
Morning dawned in Storybrooke, bringing about a new day. The April weather prevailed and the temperature was decidedly more tolerable that day, having risen twenty-five degrees already. Henry took that opportunity to fill Snow's bird feeders for her in the small garden, just outside the apartment building. He had an appreciation for the flora and fauna like she did, which should have been no surprise, given his roots and connection to Persephone.
"Good morning, Henry," Regina greeted.
"Um...what are you doing here?" the boy asked.
"I've missed you and I wanted to show you something," Regina replied, as she took something out of her pocket.
"Your family has been keeping this from you, darling. They've been growing magic beans in secret," she said. Henry shrugged.
"It's not really a secret. Gramps just said that we shouldn't tell people in case the beans don't grow. And anyway, I kind of guessed, because Tiny is here and he's a giant," Henry responded.
"So...they did tell you," she muttered.
"Yeah, but it's not a big deal. Mom Emma says that Storybrooke is our home now. And Grams and Gramps agreed with her. I think they just want to give other people a choice," Henry responded.
"Henry...I'm not sure you can trust that. With Hades here, your family may want to take you away. They may try to take you away and leave me behind," Regina said.
"No! That's not true! I asked them and they told me it was for others if they want to leave. Mom Emma said we might take a family trip to New York, but then we'd come home, here to Storybrooke," he refuted.
"But Henry...what about your home with me? What if we went somewhere together where they didn't see me as the Evil Queen? Think about it...I know how much you'd like to go back to the Enchanted Forest. We could do that together and start over," she said.
"Without the rest of my family?" he asked.
"I know it would be hard at first, but they will never see me as anything but the Evil Queen. I can't start over and be the hero that you want me to be with them," she replied. He shook his head.
"That's not true...Grams knows there is good in you, just like me. But you just keep hating her and trying to hurt her," he said in exasperation.
"Henry…she's the one that made me the Evil Queen," Regina insisted.
"No! You made yourself that, because you hurt people! But it's not too late! I know that if you really try to be good that they'll forgive you," he pleaded. Regina looked hurt.
"We don't need them, Henry. It can be good with just the two of us, just like before," she insisted.
"Why do you keep saying that? Are you planning something? Are you going to hurt everyone?" he asked. Another look of hurt passed over her features and she waved her hand over him to freeze him momentarily. With a quick spell, she extracted those memories from the last few minutes and erased them, before unfreezing him.
"Mom? What are you doing here?" Henry asked. She shrugged and smiled.
"I just came to say hello...I've missed you. Why don't you show me that bird feeder," she requested. Henry looked encouraged by her interest and then proceeded to show her.