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 and vital.

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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

Special note:

I am also now on Ko-Fi. So feel free to follow me there too and any support anyone can spare will be greatly appreciated. Just look up Lilacmoon83 there too.

Here are the face claims I have chosen for the Gods:

Gal Gadot as Persephone, of course.

Robert Downey Jr as Hades

Natalie Portman as Artemis

Michelle Pfeiffer as Demeter

George Clooney as Zeus

Diane Lane as Hera

Idris Elba as Hephaestus

Amber Heard as Aphrodite

Stephen Amell as Ares

Cillian Murphy as Hermes

Rami Malek as Apollo

Ernie Hudson as Poseidon

Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Phobos

Vincent Irizarry as Deimos

Aisha Tyler as Athena

Sean Bean as Cronus

Maggie Smith as Hecate

Ben Affleck as Prince Eli

Thanks for awesome the reviews. Here are individual responses:

Baratta Jennifer: Cronus is up to all kinds of manipulations. As for Hades, he's starting to realize how much he loves Persephone and is trying to protect her and her family. Whether he'll go about it the right way, that remains to be seen. Yeah, Emma really told Leopold off and Snow gets her turn in this chapter. Yeah, James is right on.

Naomi Blue: Yep, Emma has pegged both Leopold and Eli. Snow gets her chance to tell Leopold off in this chapter. I like Robert and James too and we may get a chance to see James tell George off.

Saberius Prime: Thanks. Yeah, I like the meteorologist too. I needed something to lighten the mood a bit, because this chapter gets heavy again. Glad you enjoyed it. :)

Grace5231973: Glad you liked Emma telling Leopold off, because Snow gets to do it in this chapter. I never used to be in the Leopold is evil category either, but after the season 3 stuff, I realized what a creep he was. And then if you look at those scenes in season 1, the way he treated Snow could almost be seen as grooming. I break it all down in this chapter. I know, Zelena being reasonable. Who knew? I think you'll like this chapter. A large part of it is inner monologue with Persephone that will set up the next arc and involve major redemption for Hades. I won't say more than that though. :)

Number Ten: Lol, I enjoyed the meteorologist thing too. I needed some comic relief, especially since there's some heavy stuff coming in this chapter. Yep, Cronus is up to no good. I liked the Henry/Neal moment too. Neal has some good moments in this chapter too.

Theinferno1536: Yep, Kevin and Jessica will eventually get what they deserve. As for Cronus, he is acting like Hades did. The difference is though that Cronus has always been bad. Hades hasn't and Persephone has a bit of an inner monologue in this chapter where she thinks about that. There will probably be a Hook and Robert confrontation coming. And possibly a James and George one eventually.

Izzypirelli: Yes, this reporter is bad news. Time will tell if they decide if they go all out magic on these people and get rid of them or try to downplay everything. It's going to be interesting for sure. Glad you liked the Rumple and Belle scene. They do make a good team. Rumple is still working on a solution for the town line. Memory erasing potions would be a good idea right about now. I know, I wish I could magically make my house bigger or fix things about it. Yes, Snow is the wearer of so many hats! I love exploring all these things about her. Oh yeah, we know Snow started that binder when Neal came back into the picture. I thought that description of Eli was spot on. He's definitely wound very tightly and isn't getting what he thought he would. Yeah, Cronus is sneaky and manipulating Hecate. His endgame will definitely be interesting. He is definitely using Zeus' shortcomings to his advantage here. Yep, Snowing – taking vow renewal to a new level. Yeah, Leopold is a jerk and we'll see more of that. Snow really gets to tell him off in this chapter though. Yeah, it was George's doing and any that knew James definitely probably knew that something was up, because David is so different. Yep, Snow got rid of her father's court and replaced them with Red, Granny, the dwarves, etc. Yep, Regina might have done Snow a favor. This chapter illustrates that. I love the peanut gallery comments too. James is going to do that a lot I think. The alternate timeline is intriguing. I have a plan that will let us see that without undoing everything we have now, but that's all I can say. Yes, they failed us Snowing fans. Aww...that's so nice and humbling that you think I'm the "Snowing" savior. What a wonderful compliment. :)

beth1980: Yeah, I'm glad I could give you a laugh with the weather guy. We needed to lighten the mood a bit, especially since this chapter is back to being heavy on the emotions. Yep, the wedding binder and we're in agreement that Snow started that thing when she thought Neal would be the groom. Fortunately here, he probably will be eventually. Yep, Cronus is creepy and probably won't get any better. Yeah, I think it's one of the rare things that the entire fandom agrees on. Red is definitely Emma's Godmother. Yeah, Regina did do her a favor and you'll think that even more after this chapter. Glad you liked Robert and James' interactions. I think they definitely deserve second chances. :)

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 81: Uncomfortable Truths

As they told their story, Persephone, quietly observed Eli and Leopold. The former seemed to hang on every word Snow and David were saying. She supposed his interest was positive. He wanted to know their daughter and though she was leery of his judgement at the moment, she could understand wanting to get to know Snow and her husband. She remembered when she first came to Storybrooke and had to resist the urge to take her baby girl in her arms and never let her go. But it had been a bit easier for her since she had been able to become Snow's friend first. It eased the shock a bit later when her daughter discovered the truth of her identity. So while she was wary of his anger, she knew he deserved a fair shot with them both. It was the only way for her to figure out her feelings too, which were frustrating to a maddening level.

On one hand, she and Eli had a very torrid romance long ago, but it had been so short. They had only spent stolen moments together during a six month period. Granted, their union had given her the most precious thing she had ever been blessed with. Her little Snow. She knew Eli wanted them to just be one big happy family now that he was back, but she couldn't ignore that she wasn't even the same person that she was when they were together. And neither was he, for that matter. She had to start from scratch with him, but she realized that meant she needed to spend time with him again if she was going to figure out her confusing feelings.

And if that wasn't bad enough, there was Hades. And her feelings for him were perhaps even more maddening, if that was possible.

Long ago, when he had abducted her from her mother, he had actually been gentle with her. He hadn't immediately taken her either. He was too entranced by her to let her return to her mother, yet he didn't like her being unhappy either. He did his best to woo her and romance her. In some respects, it had worked. Their intimacy had been consensual at first and even after she berated him for tricking her into eating the pomegranate seeds, he had not been unkind to her. With Hades, she had the advantage of having spent centuries with him. She knew him very well. There had been a lot of bad times after she had an affair with Eli. Even before that, Hades had grown bitter and haggard. Running the Underworld was not an easy job and it could be depressing. It strained their marriage and then she sought comfort in someone else.

Before anger and bitterness had swelled in him, she had helped him rule the Underworld justly. But their marriage became strained when he became cruel to some of the Underworld's subjects and started giving unfair judgements to innocents. They had fought endlessly about it and the changes in him put miles between them. He started no longer caring about her happiness. He was unhappy with his situation and had taken it out on her. Those had been dark times and then she met Eli. She felt love and affection again, much like she had in the beginning with Hades, even if she hadn't been in love with him. But he had hurt her deeply and so she thought nothing of hurting him back by being with Eli. She had known what fire she was playing with and her feelings for Eli resembled love. But their time had been so short and over the years, as she looked back, she didn't know if she truly had been in love with Eli or in love with the idea of it and the freedom of it. Her pregnancy had changed all of that and suddenly, there was this tiny life that became the most important thing to her.

Before he was killed, Eli was all for running off together to raise their child and she had to admit, at the time, it was a very romantic notion. Over time, after his death, she wondered if he really would have gone through with it. Would he have abdicated his Throne for her and Snow? Would he have tried to get his court to accept her, because she was a Goddess? And thus their daughter? She knew it wouldn't have been an easy sell. By the time Snow was conceived, people didn't respect the Gods as they once had. Mortals were learning magic and saw that the Gods were as flawed as mortals were. Snow's existence would have been a scandal in his Kingdom and the royal court would have been unkind to her little one. She didn't know how Eli would have handled any of it either. She had hopes that he would stand and defend their child, but the pressures of running a Kingdom could have very well put a strain on their relationship, not to mention his relationship with Snow.

Watching her daughter grow from afar and then witnessing her actually fall in love had been an eye-opening experience for her. Seeing the love her daughter shared with David made her incredibly happy, but also made her realize how many cracks there were in her relationship with Eli. She barely knew him, while Snow and David could practically read each other's minds, for they knew each other that well. Seeing that example before her had made her realize that, while she didn't know Eli well at all, she did know Hades, possibly better than he knew himself. They were dysfunctional at best, but there had been times when they laughed, loved, and could have easily fallen in love if the pressures and stress of ruling the Underworld had not gotten to him. It made her think about what could have been if he had been able to see past his anger then like he had now. Would he have spared Eli? And if he had, would he have let her go? Or accepted her child if Eli had not? He certainly seemed to accept Snow now and even seemed fond of her, which was mind boggling to her, considering all he had tried to do to her before. But then again, he had done all that before even meeting her and her little Snowdrop had a way about her. She wondered maybe if Snow might have that kind of effect on Eli. She certainly hoped so. If there was any reason to let go of anger and a grudge, it was one's own child. She could help but wonder what might have been.

That was the past though and there was no going back. They had a lot to talk about and she had to figure out her feelings for Hades.

When she had first come to Storybrooke, she could have never imagined any of her good feelings for him ever being rekindled. But they had, much to her chagrin. Add to that, she could feel them growing. He was as flawed as one man could be, but she knew he loved her. She would have had to be blind not to see it. She also knew that Eli claimed to love her too. But she couldn't help but wonder if his affection for her was much the same as hers. Was he in love with her or the idea of her? She had to resist the urge to yank her hair out, for it was all so frustrating. She may have been a centuries old Goddess, but she had no more a handle on her love life than most mortals did. In fact, in matters of love and the heart, she wasn't afraid to admit that her daughter had mastered love and the heart with her husband in a way that most mortals or immortals alike just didn't. She wasn't sure if she should burden Snow with this though. She had her own feelings about Eli and Persephone didn't want to make that more difficult for her than it already was.

And then there was Leopold. She was certain Emma was spot on about him and it made her livid to think that he might have such inappropriate feelings for her daughter. And she did not like it when he had the nerve to call her out for marrying David. Snow had been exactly right to dismiss his whole stuffy court when she took back her Throne. At least the King seemed quite leery of her and seemed to realize that her protection of Snow naturally extended to David and Emma as well. It was just strange to think that she felt the need to protect the three of them when it came to Leopold and even Eli a bit, but not Hades at all. She knew her husband had demons and she knew he was still hiding how deeply a toll the torture that Eli had inflicted had truly taken on him. But he had not come looking for revenge and his anger had nearly disappeared. Those moments he spent in his own river had transformed him in a way that Persephone didn't think was possible. She might even think his regret might not be sincere if she didn't know him so well. It was all truly making her head spin and she wasn't sure what to do about her feelings. She was glad that everyone seemed preoccupied with the story being told to notice her perplexed demeanor.

"We knew all along that Ruby didn't really kill Billy, but finding the proof helped us convince her that she wasn't the monster. It was George all along and he didn't even really try to hide it. He just wanted power, as usual," David explained, as they finished telling his father and brother about George's downfall. James snorted.

"And you just locked him up? That's it?" he asked. David sighed.

"Killing him would only sink to his level...and I don't want to be that. He's never going to hurt anyone else as long as he's locked away," the other prince reasoned.

"I get that...but technically, you'd have justification for execution since he came after both of you. You're royalty. It's what would have happened in our land," James reminded. David knew he shouldn't have been surprised that his brother was well versed in the laws and matters of state. He was raised to be and had the expensive education to prove it. David had learned most of what he knew on the fly and from Snow. As he was fond of telling her and others, he usually left the talking to her and handled the fighting.

"We may...but the laws in this land are very different and I have always believed in mercy, even for people like George," Snow interjected.

"He would never show you any mercy. You just told me that he cursed you to be barren," James argued and then looked at his brother.

"And he was going to execute you for refusing to marry Midas' daughter. You should want him to pay," he insisted. Snow and David exchanged a glance. It made sense that James was still struggling with the idea of showing anyone, let alone their enemies, mercy or kindness. He was raised by George to be ruthless and cunning. It was going to take time for him to see otherwise and a demonstration of what it meant to rule justly.

"I know that's what you were taught, but we believe differently. I know the laws of our land advocate for capital punishment, but I can't do that, especially if I know that person wasn't always evil," Snow argued. And now James knew she wasn't talking about George.

"But George never was good. He's always been exactly what he is," he argued.

"Which is why he's spending the rest of his life in a tiny cell. He gets to think about the fact that we offered him a tiny bit of mercy that he would have denied us," David reasoned. James looked like he wanted to protest more, but Robert held his hand up.

"I think it's safe to say that you both have given him better than he deserves and that's why you're the leaders that you are. I think we both could learn from you," he said, giving his angry son a look. James rolled his eyes and finally relented.

"Fine...but if he gets out, all bets are off," he said.

"Deal," David agreed, as Snow noticed the pensive look on her mother's face.

"Hey...are you okay?" Snow asked. The Goddess forced a smile.

"I'm fine," she fibbed and Snow cocked her head to the side.

"I don't think you are...why would you be?" Snow asked. Persephone sighed, as her daughter pulled her into the kitchen.

"The man that fathered me has just come back from the dead and you're realizing that you are both completely different people now. I can't imagine what that's like, because when it comes to love...well, I've been blessed more than most," Snow said, as she glanced at her husband across the room.

"I just didn't want to burden you with this," Persephone confessed.

"You don't have to protect me from this...and you shouldn't feel like you have to be with Eli just because he fathered me," Snow whispered.

"I know...I feel like he deserves a shot though. I need to get to know him all over again...but…" Persephone said, but trailed off, as she bit her lip. She wasn't even sure she wanted to say the words aloud.

"You have feelings for Hades," Snow said for her and Persephone looked up at her daughter. She should have known that Snow would see it.

"You must think I'm crazy," she said. Snow smiled.

"Not at all...he's definitely a changed man. He's different from how you said he was and you can't deny your heart what it wants," the raven haired beauty reminded.

"Having feelings for him makes no sense. I told myself I could never forgive him for everything he did," the other raven haired beauty confessed. Snow smiled gently.

"Loves doesn't really makes sense and whatever you decide...I'll support you, just like you support me," she promised. Persephone smiled and hugged her.

"Thank you, my sweet girl, though it's not hard to support you and David. He's a wonderful man and I'm afraid my taste in men isn't as good as yours," she fretted. Snow smiled.

"He is...but Hades is trying to be better. As for Eli...well, I don't really know him, I guess. But there must have been something there between you or I probably wouldn't be here," Snow said.

"There was...passion and excitement," Persephone admitted. Snow smiled.

"I'm well acquainted with both," Snow confirmed. Persephone smiled back, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"But I look back and realize that I barely knew him, snowdrop. I realized that most of all when I watched you fall in love with David. I'm not sure what we had would have been lasting at all," Persephone confessed.

"You mean because of his Kingdom?" Snow asked. She nodded.

"Your Aunt Eva came from a very judgemental Kingdom, not unlike Leopold's, but perhaps even worse. The pressures of ruling can strain and ruin relationships. It happened to me and Hades when the stresses of the Underworld became too much for him," she replied. Snow looked sad at that.

"I'm sorry...I can't imagine what that was like. I guess love has always been enough for me and Charming," she mentioned. Persephone smiled.

"And you don't have to feel badly about that. I am so glad that you have been so blessed in love. To know that you are so happy is all I ever wanted for you," she said.

"And I want that for you too, Mom. You deserve love and happiness too and it's time that you find it," Snow insisted.

"Then I guess I better start by getting to know Eli again," she realized.

"And Hades?" Snow asked curiously.

"I already know him, extremely well, in fact. But I need to spend time with him again too and hope my heart can figure out what it wants," Persephone replied. Snow smiled, almost giddily.

"You need to date them both," she gushed. Persephone blanched and then shook her head.

"Whoa...let's not get ahead of ourselves, snowdrop," she protested.

"How do you expect to figure out what you want if you don't spend time with them? And the best way to do that is to to date them," Snow reasoned.

"I don't think dinner and a movie would be a thing for us," Persephone protested.

"It's not for me and David either. My favorite dates with Charming are the ones where we have a romantic picnic in the woods or walks along the beach with hot cocoa," she replied. Persephone sighed.

"I suppose a walk with Eli would be a start," she reasoned.

"Good...and then we can all meet at the diner for dinner, including Hades," Snow suggested.

"Snow...that's playing with fire," she chided.

"Not if you want them both there. If they care about you, then they'll want you to be happy," Snow replied, as she left her mother to think about that and Persephone took a deep breath, before approaching Eli.

"I think it would be good for us to talk. I thought maybe we could take a walk?" she requested. Eli smiled.

"I would love that," he agreed. She nodded and they bid goodbye, as they left the loft.

"I'm going to run patrol and take them with me," David told her, indicating his father and brother, before putting his arms around her.

"But I was thinking I'd bring you lunch at your office, just the two of us," he whispered. She smiled and kissed him tenderly.

"I'd really like that," she agreed, as he kissed her again.

"Are you sure you don't want us to walk you to your office?" he asked. She smiled and nodded.

"I'll be fine, I promise," she assured, as he accepted that and left with Robert and James in tow.

"Since Dad is running patrol, I think I'm going to get to the station. You okay with the kid today?" she asked, as Neal and Henry had gone back to playing video games.

"We're good," Neal confirmed. She sighed.

"Please don't sit there in front of that thing and rot all day," she pleaded. Neal chuckled.

"Easy...we're going to finish this game and then I promise I'll take him to the park for fresh air," he promised.

"Better...see you tonight," she said, as she kissed Henry on the head and Neal watched her go.

"Uh Dad...you just died," Henry chimed in, referring to the game.

"Crap...guess you win again, kid," he said, as he saw Snow getting ready to leave as well.

"Can I walk you to your office?" Leopold requested. Snow looked a bit uncomfortable at that.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," she responded. Neal watched Leopold's reaction and realized that Emma was dead on about this guy.

"Hey kid...why don't you go take your shower quick and get dressed," he suggested, as Henry was still in his pajamas. It was a weekday, but was a teacher in service day.

"Please Snow...I want to make this right. I was wrong to question your choices," he stated.

"You disrespected the man I love and expressed your disapproval quite clearly. It was a bit more than just questioning my choices," she retorted.

"You're right and that was wrong. I hate that I now make you uncomfortable. Is there anything I can do to repair our relationship?" he asked.

"I...I don't know. You're...you're not the man that I thought you were," she replied.

"We all make mistakes. You seem to have forgiven Regina for hers and even Hades you are not cold at all to. Why I am different?" he questioned. Snow took a sharp breath.

"First of all, I am trying to forgive Regina. We have a long way to go, but she is one of the mother's to my grandson, which means I know she has the capacity to love. And love heals, which gives me hope for her," she began.

"And secondly, Hades saved David and me more than once. Maybe he did it for my mother, but he has obviously made great strides in becoming a better man. I don't think anyone can deny that now," she continued.

"But the first thing you did was berate me for marrying a man I love more than anything, because he wasn't raised as a noble, even though he is absolutely the best example of what a man should be that I have ever met," she expressed and then took another deep breath.

"And if that wasn't bad enough, I've had to face the harsh reality that you might have had designs on me that were so wrong that it's making me sick to my stomach just thinking about it. So tell me the truth...is my daughter wrong about what she said?" Snow questioned.

"I...I only ever wanted to protect you against a very harsh world that existed outside my palace walls. You were everything to me," he confessed.

"Your wife should have been everything to you too and you shouldn't have put me above Eva or Regina," she scolded.

"David would never stand in a room full of people and ignore me in favor of our daughter. I didn't know anything else to know how wrong that was at the time, but I do now," she continued.

"David adores our daughter, but as our child; not a stand in for me. I'm his wife and he makes me feel like the most important person to him in every room. But you found out that I wasn't really related to you by blood," she said, as tears came to her eyes.

"I still loved you as my daughter!" he insisted.

"But you wanted more from me than a daughter. Please tell me I'm wrong," she begged. He was dead silent.

"It's not like that. I told you that I only wanted you to be protected and to want for nothing. Very bad things could have happened to you if your true origins had been revealed. But if you were...under my protection, then nothing more would ever be said about it," Leopold reasoned.

"But no one would have ever known. David told me that Rumple made sure Cora would never reveal that if she wanted Regina to be Queen. You were the only other person that could have said anything," Snow said, as her eyes widened and she realized what that meant.

"You were going to let it come out…" she uttered.

"It wasn't like that. I felt that you deserved to know of your true origin," he reasoned.

"And ensure I'd never be able to leave your palace, at least not safely," Snow said.

"It is not as villainous as you are making it sound. I have only ever wanted to love and protect you. I would never hurt you," he insisted.

"But you already have and you can't even see it. I think that's what's scarier than anything," she responded.

"You know, Regina embraced that she was the Evil Queen. Hades embraced that he was a very bad man for a long time. But you...you actually believe that you're good," she uttered in disbelief.

"You actually believe that you would have been the best for me. That nothing better was out there for me," she realized.

"I am...was a King. You would have been safe and loved. You wouldn't have had to run for your life and fight tooth and nail to survive! You would have wanted for nothing," he argued. A tear slipped down her cheek.

"Except true love…" she interjected.

"I would have longed and yearned for my soul mate, because Charming and I are meant to be in a way you just can't understand," she said fiercely.

"You would have given me everything material I wanted, like any of that mattered, taken from me what I would never give to you, and deprive me of the best thing that has ever happened to me! All so you can feed this sickness that's inside of you! This sickness that you can't even realize. I've known monsters in my life, but they all admit what they are," she said, as she swallowed thickly.

"Except you...your the most dangerous one, because you are a monster that thinks you're good; that you would have been my hero," she continued, as she felt like retching.

"But there is only one hero in my life, in our old world, this new world...any world! And that is my Charming," she added with vehemence.

"Snow…" he started to protest.

"I never want to see you again," she snapped.

"Snow…" he tried again, but this time Neal got between them.

"You heard her," he stated firmly.

"Excuse me, but this is none of your business," Leopold retorted.

"Actually, it is. She's the grandmother to my son and the mother of the woman…" Neal said, as he stopped himself for a moment, but then realized what he was about to say was absolutely true.

"Of the woman I love. And if David or Persephone were here right now, you'd probably be leaving in pieces. But I'll give you the chance right now to walk out of here on your own," he stated. Leopold didn't look happy, but left without further protest. He sighed.

"Are you okay?" he asked. She nodded.

"Thank you...I didn't expect it to go like that. I was hoping everyone was wrong about him," she replied.

"I'm sorry…" he offered. She nodded, as Henry came down.

"Why don't you let the kid and I walk you to your office?" Neal offered. Snow smiled.

"I'd like that," she agreed, as they left the loft for the day and soon arrived at her office. Henry gave her a hug at the door and she kissed his hair.

"Have fun at the park, sweetie," she said.

"I will...see you tonight at the diner?" he asked. She nodded.

"I can't wait," she replied, as she looked up at Neal.

"Thanks again...and I know how you feel about Emma," she said, as he looked down shyly.

"Yeah…" he said uncertainly.

"And I know how leery and standoffish she can be, especially when it comes to her feelings. But don't give up on my daughter. I know she feels the same. It's just going to take her a bit longer to come to terms with it," Snow offered. He nodded.

"I know...and I'd wait forever for her if I had to," he assured. She smiled at that and went inside. She still wasn't okay after the horrid truths about her adopted father came to light. She was still reeling and she couldn't wait until David came to see her during lunch. But Neal's little confession had made her day brighter and reminded her that hope and love, real love, were everything. That dainty little Princess that Leopold had designed and groomed for himself didn't exist anymore. She had escaped that mold and became so much more. She was still a Princess, though an embattled one, and a bandit. She was a woman that found her true love, soul mate, and hero all rolled into one man that she had dubbed Charming, for he so embodied that notion. And now she would move on from this, for despite all the uncertainty around them, she knew her future with David and their growing family was bright. Even if they had to fight to make sure there was a future, she would do so with new vigor. Many had tried to make her their victim and in some ways, they had succeeded. But she would be their victim no longer. The time of Princess Snow had passed and ready to take her place was Mayor and Queen Snow...