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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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:
Here are the main face claims I have chosen for the Gods/original characters. See previous chapters for more face claims with the Gods:
Gal Gadot as Persephone
Robert Downey Jr. as Hades
Ernie Hudson as Poseidon
Vincent Irizarry as Deimos
Maggie Smith as Hecate
Ben Affleck as Prince Eli
Thanks for awesome the reviews. Again, please consider leaving feedback. It is very much appreciated and reviews have dropped a bit lately. I love writing this story, but a lot of hard work in my free time goes into getting weekly chapters up, so reviews are really gratifying. :)
Here are individual responses:
Saberius Prime: Yeah it was pretty intense and the intensity is going to keep up for a while. I think Elsa and Anna will eventually come into play, but it's definitely going to be a while. I do tentatively plan to work them in, though possibly differently than the show did.
Grace5231973: I will not miss Zeus either, nor the reporter, but you're right, his death might cause more problems. Glad you're enjoying. :)
Naomi Blue: Lol, yep I killed George Clooney! And it was fun too! Yes, in all seriousness, Zeus was really no better than Cronus. Glad you like that they made Persephone their leader. Yep, the trouble with that reporter is not going to end with his death, unfortunately.
Theinferno1536: I disagree, I think Persephone is the perfect choice to lead. She's a mother with a family to fight for and she won't be corrupted by power. Just because someone is older doesn't mean they are the best choice. Besides, with the Gods, age is pretty irrelevant. They are all thousands of years old. If Emma wanted to, she could probably charge him with involuntary manslaughter. She could pursue it if the district attorney wanted to press those charges. So while it's kind of up to Emma, it's ultimately up to Mitchell Herman in the end...for now. I won't say more than that, because there might be more legal twists ahead.
Baratta Jennifer: Glad you're enjoying!
Number Ten: Nah, I don't think anyone is really going to miss Zeus. Yes, Eli came clean and it was an accident, so he has that going for him. I'm not trying to make him a villain per say, but I am showing how his anger has him regressing where as Hades experienced trauma(however short-lived) that made him rethink his entire life. It's an interesting twist on both characters and really interesting to write, considering where these characters started in the beginning of this story. Don't worry, Hecate will have some more witty lines in the future. She had some earlier before she was killed, but now she is a bit subdued without her memories. That was intentional and she's not quite herself right now. That will change eventually. :)
MondlerGellarBing: I love me some flirty Snowing too. :)
Beth1980: I know, Eli kind of turned his brain off when he went to confront that reporter and it went really badly for him. I do feel bad for him and honestly, I'm actually not trying to make him a villain per say. I'm more showing that his time in the river changed him so deeply that his anger and trauma has him regressing, whereas Hades short lived trauma inflicted by Eli has him rethinking his life and growing as a person. Lol, I do like James being here with witty one-liners. Snow and David do often forget they are not alone, but that's one of the many reasons to love them. Yep, Cronus got what he wanted and though I doubt anyone will miss Zeus, we know that Cronus is really no better. He's just playing his cards closer to the vest. I'm glad you like that Persephone became their leader. I think she's perfect to lead. Yeah, August did not find good things on that laptop. Sigh...more trouble. I always tell myself I'm not going to dig myself into these holes when I'm writing, but then my fingers type the words and stuff happens. :)
Izzypirelli: Yeah, Eli comes off very douchey here. His anger has made him regress and very irrational. It will be a chore for him to overcome this. Yeah, the reporter wasn't scared of Hades so doubt he'll be scared of some former prince that can't even turn a computer on, lol. I loved that little flirty Snowing exchange too. And yes, James might be a little jealous. I love that Snowing often forgets or doesn't care if they're alone or not to be flirty. I know, lame lie there, Eli. Snow wants to believe him, but isn't sure. Yes, Eli really doesn't know his daughter very well and that's part of the problem with them connecting. Which won't happen if he doesn't stop being a douche. Yes, unfortunately Hecate is a victim of Cronus' manipulation without even realizing it. Zeus is an idiot...and yep, I killed him off! I know it was drastic, but I planned to do it from the beginning. But yeah, it happened earlier than I thought it would originally. Yeah, I'm Snow. Even if she wasn't pregnant, a gruesome crime scene would have me losing it too. Yep, he knows the basics of police work, but not so much about the forensics side, which forced him to come clean. Eli and Persephone have more words in this chapter about what it means to actually protect their daughter. Cause Eli is sucking at it, but then Snow has a real protector in her husband, whose always there to defend her. Yep, August has found something and it's not good. I wish I could say they solve at least one problem in this chapter...but I can't. I created more. Yikes. :)
Dreaming Out Loud
Chapter 85: Game Changer
Hecate entered the Throne room of Cronus and bowed to him respectfully.
"Rise my friend...tell me what has happened," he requested.
"You were right, My Lord...about Zeus. He was a tyrant and I did what had to be done," she responded. Cronus managed to keep his expression neutral.
"Then it is done?" he questioned. She nodded.
"Yes...Zeus is dead," she confirmed.
"I'm sorry you had to do that, but it does not surprise me," he said with sympathy.
"He threatened to turn the entire town to ash and I stopped him," she replied.
"I am sorry you had to take such drastic actions, but Zeus was no leader. He was very unworthy of his Throne," Cronus reasoned.
"With him gone, I suspect Demeter and Athena will advocate for Persephone to rule," she replied.
"Yes...and what of Hades?" Cronus asked curiously.
"To be honest, I threatened to do the same to him as I did Zeus, but Persephone pleaded for his life. I was...surprised to say the least," she replied. Cronus looked extremely intrigued by that.
"That is curious. Did she give a reason for this?" he questioned.
"She simply claimed that he had changed and saved her family more than once. I am as baffled by it as you, My Lord," she replied.
"Very interesting indeed. And what else did Demeter tell you in your visit?" he inquired.
"She said that her granddaughter, Snow White, had shunned King Leopold completely. Demeter seemed quite angry with him, as she was the one that entrusted him and Queen Eva with the Princess' care as a child. She was also weary of both Hades and Prince Eli, for they both seem to be in love with Persephone. She worries about her daughter," Hecate reported.
"As she should I suspect," he commented.
"And there is another thing…" she mentioned.
"Please," he requested.
"Circe is free now and she has rallied her followers. They believe the Princess to be carrying a child of evil. She says these followers have been quite brainwashed," she reported.
"And you believe these people to be dangerous?" he asked.
"Under Circe's influence...yes, there is no telling what they might do," she replied.
"Then we must take some sort of action. This is serious. Zeus was a common enemy, but we must determine how much of a threat Circe is," he said.
"Of...of course, My Lord," she agreed.
"Demeter has told you that she is your daughter, hasn't she?" he questioned.
"Yes...she did. She told me Circe is the one that killed me," she replied.
"And I told you it was Zeus," he stated, as he sighed.
"Zeus is the reason your daughter has become what she has," he revealed.
"Demeter said that he took away her magic and then banished her to a land with none," Hecate recalled. He nodded.
"He did...he feared her and thus cast her out. Now she has become a danger to all of us, thanks to him. But she was correct in the fact that she was the one to kill you. I blame Zeus for it indirectly though," he stated.
"I wasn't trying to hide if from you...but rather protect you from such a horrible truth," he continued. She nodded.
"I believe you, My Lord. I'm not sure I understand where we go from here. If my daughter cannot be reasoned with...then what will be her fate?" Hecate asked.
"I'd rather not broach that subject until we have to. There will be resistance from the others too, but your daughter may prove to be our common enemy. I hope she can be spared, but if her followers prove to be a threat, then we may have to take drastic measures in dealing with them," he answered. She nodded.
"I understand...where do we go from here?" Hecate asked.
"Persephone and her family share a common enemy with us. It is time we show them that we really are not on opposite sides. That we all want peace and prosperity for this town...and I believe I know of a gesture that can communicate our good will," he stated. Hecate looked intrigued, as he explained more.
Circe smirked, as she trekked through the woods with Calypso, Greg, Jessica, and Kevin following her.
"I'm confused...why are we traipsing through these damn woods again?" Greg questioned.
"You have no idea the vindication that I feel in knowing that Zeus is dead. Good thing secrets don't keep in this town or I still might not know," Circe answered.
"I just wish we had been there to see it, though it's hard to believe that it was Hecate that rid us of him," Calypso commented.
"Oh, it wasn't her...it was the Olympian crystal that allowed her to kill an immortal. And it's in the hands of Cronus, who is just as bad as Zeus, if not worse," Circe stated.
"That's what I don't get. How do we combat something like that? It's bad enough those so-called heroes have magic, but if this guy is as bad as you say he is...then what chance do we have?" Kevin reasoned.
"We don't...which is why we must find the well. It's the source that gives this town magic," Circe said, as she looked at her hands with a look of utter betrayal.
"Despite being in a town lousy with magic...not one spark," she growled.
"Even dead...Zeus' curse on me still remains. I thought that with his death...that maybe magic could be possible for me again. But it's not, which means if we're going to truly get the upper hand here, then we have to take that away," Circe replied.
"Then you do plan to destroy magic?" Greg asked.
"That's not really possible," she said, as they arrived at the well.
"This?" Jessica asked skeptically.
"Yes, this is the infamous well. It's the last connection to the Enchanted Forest. It returns that which has been lost, which is why when Rumpelstiltskin dropped magic in a bottle into this well...magic was returned to this town," she explained.
"Then destroying the well can destroy magic," Greg stated.
"In theory...one would think that. But the magic in a bottle that the Dark One used cannot be destroyed, because he managed to bottle the rarest magic of all," Circe stated, as she looked at them. But none of them had the answer.
"True love," she answered for them. Kevin scoffed and Jessica rolled her eyes.
"Not this again," he complained.
"You can't mean that insipid Princess and her pretty boy Prince," she added.
"You underestimate their true love and that is very big mistake," she warned.
"It's difficult to comprehend, even by me, for unless you've experienced a love like that, it's hard to understand. But you have to remember that this is a love that was powerful enough to shatter a sleeping curse. Contrary to what fairy tales tell you, this is not commonplace. True love is not quite as rare there as it is here in this world, but we're talking about a true love that is on a tier above the others," she explained.
"Rumpelstiltskin could have chose another supposed true love to bottle, but he couldn't take any chances. He was staking everything on his ability to be able to bring magic to a land without any," she continued.
"So he sought the strongest true love in existence," Calypso reasoned. Circe nodded.
"And a true love like that cannot be destroyed. But we already knew that...which is why we built that," Circe said, indicating the machine that Greg and Kevin were hauling for them. It was the same piece of machinery that they had been using to absorb the magic when they activated the trigger. But it was a smaller, modified version and was in the shape of a cube.
"The containment cube is ready," Kevin stated.
"Good...then once we do this, they will not rest until they find their stolen magic. You two will take care of making sure it's taken somewhere they will not find it," Circe said, looking at the couple.
"You want us to leave Storybrooke?" Jessica asked. Circe nodded.
"But...the Charmings, we've only begun to make them pay," Kevin replied.
"The Charmings are no longer your main objective. I am back in control and you will follow my orders once again," Circe snapped.
"She's right. The Olympian crystal can still absorb the magic from our containment. If we're going to nullify Cronus and his power, then the magic has to be taken far away from the crystal," Calypso added.
"Yes...and once I get the crystal away from Cronus, then I will be all powerful and finally be able to wield magic again," Circe stated.
"In the meantime, with no magic in Storybrooke, it will level the playing field and there will be no way for them to get rid of us with the ease of magic. The balance of power will shift and they won't have magic to hide behind any longer," she added, as the device was turned on and it began to suck the magic from its source, which would steal every spark in town...
"What did you find?" Emma asked, as they gathered around the table in the diner where August was working.
"Well...I found all his files and hacked into his online storage account," August reported.
"That's great...right?" Emma asked. He nodded.
"It is, because I was able to delete everything he had...except I don't think it's going to matter," he replied.
"Why?" Neal asked.
"Because I went through his e-mails and he's been communicating with someone else about all of this," August replied.
"Who?" Emma asked.
"Someone by the name of Landon Griffin. He sent this e-mail to him yesterday," August replied.
"In the event that you do not hear from me within seventy-two hours of this e-mail, then assume the worst that something has happened to me and that a criminal act likely led to my demise. I'm counting on you to pursue justice for me and expose the truth in this event," Emma read out loud.
"So...the story is no longer a threat, but you're saying it might not matter?" Snow asked.
"It doesn't look like he sent his story of any of his notes to this person. But yes...if they don't hear from him in three days, we could have a whole new set of issues on our hands," August replied.
"Okay...so pretend to be this guy and tell this other guy that everything is fine," Emma suggested.
"I thought of that, but so did our reporter friend. He set up an encryption key that has to be entered to send an e-mail to this Landon Griffin. I'll keep working to crack it, but we're talking literally millions of numerical combinations," August warned.
"Damn..." Emma hissed.
"So this person could come here and there's no telling who they'll bring with them," Neal stated.
"Exactly," August agreed.
"So from one problem to potentially a bigger problem," Emma said, with a sigh.
"Then we have three days to administer our memory potion to Circe's blind sheep and to find a way to get a barrier up," Hades reasoned.
"Yes...or we could have more reporters or worse...the FBI. If this Landon Griffin person reports Mr. Jefferies missing and gives this evidence as a reason, the case will automatically be turned over the feds," August warned.
"So this reporter actually might be a bigger threat dead than he was alive," David surmised. August nodded regretfully.
"Possibly…" he replied. David slid his arms around Snow's waist, as he stood behind her and she leaned back into his embrace, taking instant comfort in his arms.
"Mom...is there anyway to figure out why a barrier won't work and make one?" Snow asked. Persephone looked at her and reached for her daughter's hands.
"If there's a way...we're going to find it, I promise," she said.
"Between all the magic users here, there has to be something we can find to seal Storybrooke off from the outside…" Hades said.
"Well...I'm all ears then, because what we've tried has failed," Gold said bitterly.
"Yes...you and Regina both tried similar spells that were used during the curse," Hades stated.
"Other than stating the obvious...what's your point?" Rumple asked.
"Maybe it's light magic that we need to use," Hades surmised, as he looked at Emma and her parents.
"You want me to make a shield? I barely have a handle on my magic," Emma said.
"Yes...you still have much training to do, but that's not actually it at all. Whatever Circe has done will likely prevent even your light magic from working, but your parents are a different story," Hades said.
"Us?" Snow asked in surprise. He nodded.
"But we don't have magic," David reminded.
"No...but you make magic. There's a difference. It was a true love's potion made from them that brought magic here in the first place, was it not?" Hades questioned. Rumple nodded.
"I bottled it from their hairs," he confirmed.
"You think another true love potion could create a barrier?" Persephone asked. He shrugged.
"Honestly...I don't know, but it did bring magic to a land with none. It would be something to start with," Hades replied.
"We should get started then," Persephone agreed, as she magicked a vile and looked at her daughter and son-in-law. They both offered a hair and dropped theminto the bottle. Eli watched in amazement, as the hairs entwined and the bottle glowed with a pinkish magic.
"Incredible…" he uttered.
"We should go," Persephone said.
"You're leaving with him again?" Eli asked. Hades rolled his eyes.
"We don't have time for this. We are, after all, on a clock now since you went and royally screwed us!" he snapped.
"Oh, so you're going to blame this all on me?" Eli asked, as they got in each other's faces.
"You caused this. You're the reason we might only have three days until Gods knows who drives into town. I don't think you get how dangerous this land can be," Hades retorted.
"Oh and I suppose you do?" Eli questioned.
"I ran the Underworld for centuries and of all the realms, some of the absolute worst and most evil souls to ever exist came from the Land Without Magic. Murderers, rapists, hardened criminals...there's no telling who will come over that town line now," Hades growled.
"Storybrooke has its bad eggs, but they don't compare to the evil out there that we don't know," he added.
"Well, you have magic, as you keep boasting. I'm sure you'll slide right in to save the day, just like you did at the hospital," Eli countered.
"Better than trying to muscle our problems away, especially when it blows up in your face," Hades countered back, earning him a punch in the jaw.
"Stop!" Persephone cried. Eli looked up and saw the horror on her face and his daughter's face.
"I'm...I'm sorry," he apologized to them.
"Let's go," Persephone said, as she tried to use magic to disappear, but found that nothing happened.
"What's going on?" she wondered. Hades held his hand out, but there was not even a spark of blue magic.
"It's gone…" he uttered, as he looked at Emma, but there was no luck for her either and Gold failed to summon a fireball and by the look on his face, he looked utterly lost.
"How is magic just gone all the sudden?" Neal wondered.
"Circe's machine…" Persephone realized.
"The well…" Rumple realized.
"But our potion is still glowing," Snow pointed out.
"Because it's not quite the same. It's true love in a bottle. It can't be destroyed...but it can be stolen or contained," Persephone explained.
"She did it…" Hades uttered.
"Which means no barrier," David realized.
"This changes everything," Snow added, as Neal caught his father, who tried to walk and in a town without magic, his limp had returned. David spied Circe stroll into the diner with a smug smirk on her face.
"What have you done?" Persephone questioned. She smirked.
"I leveled the playing field. You should thank me, because Cronus is figuring out right about now that his little crystal is worthless. Now we'll see who wins this war," she said, as she took a seat at a table.
"What does it take to get service around here?" she questioned.
"So that's it...you can't use magic, even with Zeus gone, so you throw a temper tantrum and take it away from everyone else," Hades said.
"Are you really one to lecture me on temper tantrums? I'm not the one whose hair lights on fire when he gets his panties in a twist," she retorted.
"That dead reporter is really going to cause the Sheriff's department a headache if the Feds show up to investigate. Who knows what other...skeletons they'll unearth in this town if they start digging," she added smugly.
"Let's go," David said, as he led Snow out by the hand and the rest of them followed.
"What do we do now?" Belle asked.
"We go home for now and regroup in the morning. We're now a normal town again, which means we have to figure out how we're going to show that to anyone that shows up," Persephone stated.
"Wait...do you mean like hide evidence and cover up the craziness that is this town? Because we just had a bomb blow up our hospital," Emma replied. She nodded.
"And before we could fix that with magic," Hades added.
"If we could find the containment machine they used to steal the magic, then in theory, we'd be able to restore it and fix everything, right?" Snow asked.
"Yes, but finding that in less than three days won't be easy. It's our best bet though," Persephone replied.
"She's right...we have the memory potions. If we can find the magic they stole, it will restore those and we'll take care of our outsider problem," Hades said.
"And Circe?" Belle asked.
"Actually, with their being no magic now...we may actually be able to use that to our advantage for the time being," Hades replied.
"How?" David asked with a furrowed brow.
"Because the Olympian crystal is useless without magic too now, but it won't be when it returns," he stated.
"And whoever possesses the crystal at that time will control the entire game," Rumple realized.
"I suggest we all get some rest. We're on the clock and we have a lot to do if we're going to prevent this town from being exposed to the entire world," Hades said. They agreed and parted ways for the night.
"Persephone...can we please talk?" Eli questioned. She pursed her lips and looked at her daughter.
"I'm fine...we'll see you at home," she confirmed. With that, Persephone nodded and walked with him. Hades watched her go and decided to make his way home, as did the others.
Eli and Persephone walked along the quiet streets in silence and she found herself wondering how much longer it would be quiet. Would it soon be crawling with more outsiders? Would their small police force that consisted of her son-in-law, granddaughter and a few dwarves soon be overwhelmed by an increase in crime. Storybrooke was small and rural. Dealing with magic and monsters was one thing. But protecting her family from the evil of man was another. Monsters were easily dealt with. They didn't hide in plain sight and were a clear threat. But that lines were not so clear when dealing with outsiders. They could not be judged up front and only by their actions after the fact. And she did not like leaving her family's fate to chance.
"You're quiet," he mentioned.
"You wanted to talk...so talk," she responded and he sighed.
"You're angry with me," he stated.
"Glad to know you got my signals. I was beginning to think that you were really thick," she snapped.
"So Hades swoops in and saves the day. You thank him. I try to do the same and I'm raked over the proverbial coals," he said.
"I asked you to protect our daughter and it was more important to you to run off to play hero!" she snapped.
"I was trying to protect her by getting rid of that man! I didn't mean for him to die!" he argued.
"Well he did...and you didn't protect her. You may have just put her and David in more danger," she hissed.
"So that's it...I'm condemned over one mistake?" he questioned.
"I'm not condemning you...and our daughter hasn't either. She told you that she believed you and she's the most forgiving person you will ever meet. She hasn't shunned you," Persephone reminded.
"Yet she looks at Hades with grateful eyes for saving David earlier and me with a mask of uncertainty," he replied. She sighed.
"You can't keep making this about Hades," she admonished.
"But it is about him! It's always him! Look me in the eyes and tell me that you don't have feelings for him!" he demanded, but she turned around and started walking away.
"I'm not doing this," she refuted.
"You can't do it! When you thought he might be hurt or dead, you were devastated and I can't help but think if I were to die again, you wouldn't be nearly as sad!" he shouted.
"I told you that I'm not doing this with you!" she shouted back.
"I need time to sort out my feelings and this is not helping me!" she added.
"What is there to sort out? Are you in love with my murderer or not? Because you're certainly not in love with me...the father of your child!" he said.
"We barely knew each other! It's been six decades since we were together and it was for a handful of months! I know that you hoped that we'd just fall into being this happy little family when you came back, but it doesn't work that way," she replied. He nodded.
"I will give you the time you need then," he said quietly.
"That's all I ask and with everything going on...I don't even know if I can commit myself to anyone right now. Because now that I have my daughter...my full attention has to be on her and keeping her safe," she replied. He nodded.
"As it should be...as mine should be. I...I was trying to, you have to know that. I love our daughter...I have since the moment I knew about her. She's...she's an incredible woman, but there was never any doubt that she would be. Because I knew she'd be like you," he confessed sincerely.
"I know...I need help with my anger," he continued.
"Are you willing to accept help? Are you willing to talk to someone about it?" she questioned.
"If you think it would help and that it would make our daughter more comfortable around me...then yes," he agreed. She nodded.
"Dr. Hopper...he is a doctor of the mind, so to speak. He helps people with emotional problems. I know Snow trusts him implicitly and I can take you to see him," she said. He nodded.
"I'd like that," he agreed.
"Then I'll see you tomorrow. Come by for breakfast and then we'll go," she said. He smiled and nodded, as she kissed his cheek and then made her way toward the loft. He watched her go and then heard footsteps behind him.
"I see you're not having much better luck than me," Leopold said.
"I have nothing to say to you...nothing nice anyway," Eli replied, as he walked off toward the Inn. Leopold followed since he was staying there too.
"They are painting you as the villain, just as they have me," he stated. Eli clenched his teeth and grabbed the former King by the collar of his shirt, before slamming him up against a pole.
"I am nothing like you…" he growled.
"Snow wants nothing to do with you and you had better not step foot near her or you will regret it," Eli spat, as he went up to his room for the night, leaving the former King with his threat lingering in the air.
"Well...I have to say, I never thought I'd get to see the day when the great King Leopold became a pariah...though I did kill you before all your dirty little secrets could air," Regina said, as she stood there at the front desk of the Inn.
"Regina…" he uttered a bit fearfully. She smirked.
"I do enjoy you being the one to fear me now...but don't worry, even if there was magic right now, I wouldn't kill you again. Public opinion is doing that for me, but that tends to happen when people find out that you're a creepy old lecher," she replied. He swallowed thickly.
"One child Queen here...another there...but Snow was the real prize, wasn't she? I guess being a Demi-Goddess made her the cream of the crop to you. This isn't a contest any would envy her for though," Regina replied.
"It's too bad my mother is gone...you two deserve each other," she added, before making her way out. He watched her go and then quietly went up to his room alone. The looks people had been giving him all day had been bad enough, but he suspected there would be more encounters like he had just had with Eli and Regina and he feared that there would be no life for him here.
Snow sighed, as they got home to the loft and she collapsed onto the bed to decompress.
"It feels like forever since this morning," she mentioned. He kissed her head and nodded.
"I know...it was another really long day," he agreed, as Emma poured some cereal for herself and Henry.
"I'm sorry honey...we didn't even get to have a proper family dinner," Snow mentioned.
"It's fine Mom…" she assured.
"I know...I just miss our family dinners," she said, as she got out a saucepan.
"But how about some hot cocoa?" she asked. Emma and Henry smiled.
"You know we'd never turn down cocoa," she agreed, as suddenly the living room window shattered and a brick came hurtling into their home.
"What the hell?" David shouted, as he ran to the window to see a couple figures scurrying away. He started toward the door, but Emma beat him there.
"No...stay with them," she said and he looked back to see his frightened wife, holding their even more frightened grandson. He closed the distance and put his arms around them to comfort them. He saw Emma coming back and used a dish towel to pick the brick up so it could be dusted for prints.
"Dad...you need to come out here," she said.
"They got away?" he asked.
"Yeah...long gone, but they left a calling card," she replied, as he looked at their door. The word "Evil" was spray painted on the door in red letters.
"Oh Gods…" Snow uttered, as she saw it and he pulled her into his arms. He kissed her hair, as Persephone came up the stairs and saw what had happened. She hurried into the apartment and saw the broken window and it became even more clear with dreadful clarity. Her family was not safe and she had no magic to protect them with.