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.

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.

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:

Baratta Jennifer: Thanks! So glad you like it!

Saberius Prime: Yep, a ball. No one probably saw that one coming. And yep, Hades probably should have saw her reaction coming. Unfortunately she got the drop on him. Yes, they have a way to locate the magic. Yeah, Eli is realizing that, while he probably has lost Persephone, there is this new love he is discovering. The love for a child, which he is finding is powerful and overwhelming. Hopefully it keeps him on the right track. :)

Grace5231973: Yep, darn Zelena...she ruins everything. Hopefully, they'll find him and he'll get to tell her the truth. Rumple's plan is a good one and I'm glad Eli is getting help too.

Naomi Blue: I'm happy with Eli's epiphany too. Yeah, I would be worried about Hades too. Zelena is at her worst right now. It's always a great idea when Whale gets put in his place. Glad you're enjoying! :)

Theinferno1536: Yes, the Zelena arc is coming up. As for how it will occur in concurrence with other events, all I can say is that a lot of things are going to be happening seemingly at once. It's kind of hard to explain, so I'll let the story do it. :)

Number Ten: Yes, the ball will be interesting. Yes, Emma will have some touching moments with both her parents. I love the idea of a chocolate fountain too, lol. I know, Henry's happy to have his family all together. As for Whale, it's always a good day when he gets put in his place, especially by Snow. Yep, they have a lead on the magic. Yeah, Zelena will never be my favorite. She's going to create all kinds of chaos. I'm glad Eli is getting help too. :)

Reconzilla117: Yep, the invitation was a message. Very unexpected indeed. Thanks! Glad you're enjoying it!

Beth1980: Kevin and Jessica are horrible and you're soon going to hate them more if that's possible. I'm really glad you liked James' inner monologue and that's he's getting a second chance. He never really had one to begin with. I agree, George probably killed his wife off. Wouldn't surprise me. Lol, Hades is a smooth talker. As for Damon, remember, Hades killed him so he went to the Underworld a while back. Then he came back with Cronus, who has basically forbid him from going after Snow. That was a few chapters back. But that doesn't mean they shouldn't worry about him or that he will actually listen. We shall see. Eli does seem to be getting better.

I'm glad you're excited for the ball! I can promise that Emma will have special moments with both her parents. I know, the Hades and Persephone banter was fun. Regina does seem to want to do better so we'll see if it sticks. Nope, George is alone and it's his own fault. Yep, she locked Hades up. She's just going to make a mess of things. I love the Snowing talk too of a house and more babies. It's okay, reviews picked up a little from the last couple of weeks, so that's something. I know it's hard. Life is really busy sometimes. Glad you love the story so much. :)

Dreaming Out Loud

Chapter 88: When It Rains

Snow shuddered and looked over her shoulder, as David drove them to the town line.

"Do you think whoever was watching us could be following?" she asked him. He reached over with his free hand and clutched hers in response. Obviously she knew no one was following them in a vehicle, but she wasn't sure that meant much. Despite there being no magic, Circe had proven that she didn't need it to accomplish miraculous things and she knew she had given her followers the means to go head to head with them.

"I'm not sure...but I'll keep us safe," he promised, as he looked in the rear view mirror. It was clear, but like her, he wasn't going to put much stock in that.

They arrived at the town line and parked, before getting out to meet Rumple and Belle, who were standing by his car.

"You think you know how to track it?" David asked, as they approached the other couple hand in hand.

"We think so...with this," Rumple said, as he held the potion up.

"The true love potion we made?" Snow asked, as she tilted her head to the side thoughtfully.

"Yes...as you know, it's still glowing despite there being no magic here. If I wanted to, I could drop this in the well and return magic. But that wouldn't solve the problem of there still being a concentration of magic in Circe's hands," Rumple stated.

"So...you think that this can lead us to the magic?" David asked. He nodded.

"If we tether it to a talisman," he replied.

"A talisman?" Snow asked.

"Yes...one that is representative of your true love. One that survived even a curse," he replied. Their eyes widened.

"My ring," she replied. He nodded curtly, as she took it from her finger reluctantly. She never took it off and hadn't since the day Charming had put it on her finger after awakening her from the sleeping curse.

"Don't worry...you'll get it right back," he assured, as he poured a drop of the potion onto the ring and it glowed in response. He handed it back to her and she put it on.

"Okay...so if the Swans took it out of Storybrooke, then they're probably in Boston or New York. We should probably pack a bag in case," David suggested.

"Except that we think they might be close by," Belle responded. He looked at her curiously.

"Really?" he asked. She nodded.

"Jefferson watched them drive over the town line until he couldn't see them anymore. And they were heading in the wrong direction if they were going out of state. He said they went northeast, up the coastline," Belle explained. Snow and David exchanged a glance.

"Then they could be closer than we think," he realized.

"But why? Surely Circe would want that cube far from here," Snow reasoned. Belle nodded.

"I thought about that too and if she ordered them to take it to the city...then they disobeyed," she replied.

"That's risky," David said.

"Which means there may be something they are willing to risk Circe's wrath for," Rumple replied. David's brow furrowed.

"What could that be?" he asked.

"Revenge, dearie...men have gone to extraordinary lengths for it before. This situation could be no different," Gold answered.

"So...they want revenge on David and me so badly that they were willing to risk defying Circe?" Snow asked.

"We think so and we think they're not far away," Belle responded.

"Then let's go," David said, as he and Snow climbed into the backseat of Gold's car, while he and Belle got into the front seat. And with nothing hindering their crossing of the town line, Rumple began to drive them, while Snow and David watched her ring steadily grow brighter, as they headed up the coastline.

After dropping Henry off at Regina's, Neal headed over to the station and surprisingly walked in on what appeared to be an interrogation. It seemed Emma had been busy that afternoon.

"You will get nothing from us...demon," one particularly scraggly man hissed from inside the cell. Neal had seen a lot of people in his day and if he had to guess, this one had definitely abused drugs in the past. His rotting teeth alone were a dead give away, but he supposed that made some sense. He would have been an easy target for Circe to recruit into her cult. An addict looking for direction and absolution for his life. She managed to find desperate people that society had tossed away like trash and convince them that their place was following her cause. She had given them a home and he knew better than anyone how much that meant to a lost person.

Of course there had to have been a bit more to it than that too. A fair amount of brainwashing techniques had probably been utilized to convince her followers of the fantastical nature of her cause. Even stupid people scoffed at the idea of magic being real, let alone fairy tale characters.

"Oh now it's demon. I was a witch a few moments ago. Which is it? Demon or witch? They both exist...but both very different," Emma taunted. Neal watched her in fascination and if he was honest, he really liked seeing this side of her. She was extremely protective of those she loved and was fearless when it came to going head to head with anyone that threatened them.

"You're the spawn of the Underworld that your demon mother dumped in this world to spread her evil," the woman hissed. She had a bit of a wild, glazed look in her eyes and Neal knew this type too. She likely had once been a free thinking, independent woman. But something had happened to her, whether it had been the loss of love or severe abuse, this woman had lost all faith in humanity. And Neal surmised that that was where Circe came into play. Similar to the Swans, she had probably stepped into this woman's life and offered her a reason for the bad things that had happened in her life. She had offered up an otherworldly explanation for the terrible things that likely had happened to her at one point or another. And desperate to have somewhere to place the blame, she bought in. After all, life made more sense when you could place blame on some kind of evil and fighting against such evil could be very fulfilling for some people. And Circe had gladly provided that fantasy for this woman and probably many others that followed her.

"How did she do it?" Emma questioned, as James and Robert watched on too.

"I mean...are you really this stupid and gullible? Or did she just use drugs and those machines to fry your brains like bacon?" she questioned.

"My money is definitely on the brain frying," James quipped.

"Drugs are less messy though," Robert added.

"Make fun of us all you like...we know our cause is just. And we will eject evil from this world!" the woman insisted.

"My mother is the sweetest, kindest woman you'll ever meet," Emma argued.

"Your mother was born in hell!" the woman shouted.

"The Underworld...there's a difference, genius," Emma spat in return.

"Hardly much distinction between the two. Now release us...we haven't done anything wrong," the man responded.

"Someone threw a brick through my parents window and vandalized their door," Emma replied.

"You don't know that it was us...and you can't prove it," the woman refuted.

"You're probably right, but you want to hurt my parents, which means you better get comfortable in your cell," Emma replied, as she turned away and took a deep breath. It was taking everything she had not to scream at these zombie-like fools. She knew she should actually pity them, but her anger overruled any sympathy.

"Hey…" he said finally. She smiled gently.

"Hey…" she answered.

"So...you still up for dinner?" he asked.

"Definitely. Despite being fed a load of bull by these two, I'm starved," she replied. He chuckled.

"Well, we can't have that," he said, as she turned back toward her Uncle and grandfather. Yeah...that was still weird.

"You two can handle things here?" she asked. They nodded.

"Go...have fun," Robert replied. She put her red leather jacket on and left with Neal. A relaxing dinner was just what she needed.

Persephone waited on the patio at Granny with a bit of impatience. Hades was late and that wasn't like him at all. He may have always tried to make some grand, flashy entrance, but he was punctual. And he if was going to be late, he would have texted her. However, her phone had been silent and any calls had gone straight to his voice mail.

"Where are you?" she muttered, as she saw Eli pass by on his way to the Inn.

"Persephone?" he asked, noticing her troubled face.

"Oh Eli...how was your session with Dr. Hopper?" she asked.

"It was...cathartic. I admitted some things to myself that I think I've been burying for a very long time," he replied, as she motioned him to sit.

"But you are obviously troubled by something too. What is it? Is it Snow?" he asked, a note of alarm in his voice at the last part. She looked at him with intrigue and for the first time, she saw the same terror in his eyes that she knew she had on occasion when Snow had been in danger.

"No...Snow is fine. She's with David. It's Hades...he's late and not answering his phone," Persephone replied. Eli scoffed.

"What? And you're worried?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered.

"Persephone...this is Hades we're talking about. He can take care of himself," he argued.

"And normally I'd agree with you, but there is no magic right now and Cronus went after Zeus...we know how that ended," she replied.

"You think he may have went after Hades?" Eli asked.

"I don't know," she replied, as she got up.

"But I need to go over to his house and see if I can find any clues as to where he got off to," she replied.

"I'll help you look," he offered. She looked at him strangely.

"Okay...you may have made some progress after one session, but I know you still don't give a damn about Hades," she replied.

"You're right...I still hate his guts. But I'm trying to be the man that our daughter can be proud to call her father and that man would help you," he said.

"Wow...you really did have a good talk with Archie. Care to describe this epiphany you've had?" she asked.

"Well...I think most of the credit has to go to our daughter. Dr. Hopper just helped me realize some things about myself that I did not want to face," he replied.

"You mentioned that before. If you don't want to tell me...I understand," she said.

"No...I need to," he said, as he took a deep breath.

"When we were together...I know we were going to run off together and raise Snow," he began to say. She smiled thinly.

"Such a romantic notion, albeit unrealistic," she replied.

"Then you know that I would have had to return to rule my Kingdom," he said.

"I think I realized it over the years," she replied.

"I loved you...but my Kingdom would have never allowed a union between us. My own daughter would have been a servant at best in her own Kingdom. Archie surmised that this was causing me a fair amount of shame and he was right," he admitted.

"I would have been a terrible father to her and I think Hades even regrets killing me, because of it. I think he regrets not stepping up and raising Snow with you," he said. She nodded.

"I know. Running a Kingdom would have put incredible pressures on you and you would have had to produce a legitimate heir to your Throne. But I know that you would have never abused Snow," she assured.

"Be that as it may, she would have been a pariah and everyone else would have been very unkind to her. I think that's partly why Hades make me so angry. He ruined my life, but he just did it before I did it myself," he admitted.

"She would have been looked at by my Kingdom in the same way these simple minded outsiders view her. And I would have been able to do little to change it," he added.

"That's probably true...but things are different here. You don't have the obligations would have had in the Enchanted Forest," she reminded.

"That's what Dr. Hopper told me. He said that Storybrooke is a fresh start and that here...I can just be Snow's father and a grandfather to her children. And there is nothing I want more...even if that means we're not together," he admitted. She looked down, as they walked.

"Then you know," she said.

"That you're in love with Hades?" he asked. She opened her mouth to protest, but then closed it.

"I have feelings for him. In love...I think that's a little strong to say just yet," she responded. He chuckled.

"You always were a bad liar," he teased. She looked at him in mock outrage, but then sighed.

"And here I wondered where our daughter got her ability to read people so well," she said. His eyes widened and he looked at her.

"What?" she asked.

"That's the first time I've ever heard you compare Snow and me," he replied.

"She's the best of both of us," she said simply. He smiled.

"She is," he agreed, as they arrived at Hades house. She opened the door and they walked in.

"Hades?" she called, but it was eerily quiet.

"He's not here…" she said.

"Then we'll keep looking," he suggested.

"You can't stand Hades...you don't have to help," she admonished.

"You're right...I can't stand him and he can't stand me. That will probably never change, but he does love you and seems to have had a complete change a heart regarding our daughter," he reminded. Persephone smiled at that.

"Snow has a way about her," she said fondly.

"She definitely does," he agreed, as her phone rang.

"Speaking of...hey sweetheart," she answered her phone.

"Mom...I think we're close to finding where they took the magic," Snow said. Her brow furrowed.

"Where are you?" she asked.

"We're about ten miles outside Storybrooke. Gold found a way to track the magic," Snow replied.

"You left Storybrooke without me?" Persephone questioned.

"Mom...we're fine and it was spur of the moment. We'll be fine," Snow assured.

"Not if it's the Swans you're following. Honey...they could have guns or more of those weapons," she admonished.

"Belle has a theory that there's they defied Circe by staying close by. She thinks they might still be back in Storybrooke, waiting for an opportunity to get their revenge. If that's the case, we'll find where they stashed the cube and be back in no time," Snow reasoned. Persephone sighed.

"Be careful...all of you and call me the moment you're on your way back," she requested.

"We will," Snow agreed, as they hung up. She sighed.

"Snow left town?" he asked in concern.

"With David, Gold, and Belle. They think they know where the magic is, but I have a really bad feeling," she said, as she went outside and he followed her to the garage.

"What are you doing?" he asked, as she opened the garage, revealing a car that Hades had poofed for himself when he had arrived. She rolled her eyes at the flashy sports car.

"Finding Hades will have to wait. I'm going to find our daughter and son-in-law," she replied.

"Then I'm coming with you," he said. She didn't argue and they got in the car.

Gold drove them up the coastline and Snow's ring continued to get brighter.

"Was your Mom mad?" David asked. She winced.

"Not really mad, but not happy. Maybe we should have waited for her," she lamented, as he squeezed her hand.

"I'm sure it will be fine. We'll find where they hid the cube and be back in no time," he assured.

"If they are there, we'll have to wait until they leave," Gold reminded.

"Hopefully my theory is right though and they returned to Storybrooke," Belle added, as the ring was almost blindingly bright now.

"We have to be close," David said, as they passed by a dirt road that was an offshoot of the main highway and he noticed that the ring dimmed slightly.

"Wait...go back…" David said, as Gold stopped and then put the car in reverse.

"I think it's down this road," he instructed, as the other man turned them down the dirt road and sure enough the ring was glowing intensely again.

"Look...a cabin!" Snow said, as they drove onto a property. It looked to be well kept and was probably a rental home. And there was no sign of any cars around.

"I don't think there is anyone here," David said, as Gold parked the car.

"Let me make sure and clear it first," the prince suggested. Snow was reluctant to let him go alone, but pecked him on the lips.

"Be careful," she pleaded. He nodded with a smile, as he got out and pulled his firearm from his holster. Slowly, he approached the house and peered in the windows. There appeared to be no one inside and the door was locked. He made his way around the back of the property and again found nothing, before heading back to the car.

"I don't think anyone is here, but we'll need to pick the lock," he said, as they got out of the car and approached the house. Snow pulled her pick out of her pocket and inserted into the lock. They easily got in within just a few minutes and filed into the cabin.

Unfortunately, as they entered, there was a sudden beeping that came from a device mounted on the mantle over the fireplace.

"What is that?" David asked. But the answer would come in the form of a sudden, high pitched squealing of super sonic proportions. The four of them cried out in pain, as it pierced their ears and they all fell unconscious to the floor. And standing in the doorway, looking on with smug smirks, were Jessica and Kevin Swan.

Emma and Neal entered the restaurant that evening. It was a very lively place and it smelled wonderful.

"Wow...Storybrooke definitely needed a place like this," she commented.

"Yeah...who knew this town would get a nightlife," he joked, as they waited to be seated and were well aware of the eyes on them. It was really hard, okay, damn near impossible for either of them to keep a low profile in their town. She was Sheriff, so that didn't help. But moreover, she was the Savior and daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. Anywhere else in the world, such a thing would sound absurd. But here, it meant instant fame and respect from most. Her parents had their critics, of course, but generally at one time or another had a positive effect on the townspeople. Which didn't surprise Emma a bit. Her mother was beloved by her Kingdom, even before she became a hero and the discovery of her true identity hadn't really changed that. If anything, it made people in awe of her even more, for she was not just a Princess, but technically a demi-Goddess. Then there was her father, once a peasant himself, was very easily relatable to the average person. The nobility may have had issues with his less than royal lineage, but the average person saw themselves in him. They related to him and knew that he truly fought for people like them. And then there was her parent's love. It inspired hope in people like nothing could and Emma knew why. It had inspired hope in her many times and given her strength. That's why these outsiders frustrated her so much. She couldn't believe anyone could see her parents as evil. It simply boggled her mind. She knew it was Circe's intent to cause this kind of discord, but she wasn't sure why she had encouraged the Swans hatred of her parents. They had never done anything to Circe and nor had Persephone. But then she had probably seen the desperation the Swans and used it to her advantage. They were just many in a long line of pawns to Circe. But Emma was determined to stop her and her followers.

But she wasn't the only one famous. Neal had garnered a lot of curiosity too since he had come to town. When people had learned he was the Dark One's son, there had been a bit of fear of him. Then they learned of his connection to her and Henry, which made some of that fear dissipate. After all, if the Savior had a child with this man, then he couldn't be as bad as his father. And Neal's willingness to fight alongside them and protect Storybrooke quickly made it clear that he was on the side of good.

"Well, it seems we have a couple of celebrities in our midst," a woman said. She was a beautiful African American woman, dressed in a modern lime green dress. And a very handsome African American man sided up to her.

"Sheriff Swan...what a pleasant surprise. Welcome to the The Bayou Beat," he added.

"I'm Tiana and this is Naveen," she introduced, as they all shook hands.

"I think we have the perfect table for you. This way," Naveen said. They smiled and followed the couple, enjoying the live, upbeat music.

Persephone drove along the highway coastline and couldn't shake her growing trepidation. Not just for her daughter and son-in-law, but that something was also seriously wrong concerning Hades.

"You know, they had these motorized carriages in the Underworld, but I never was able to get used to riding in one," Eli mentioned. She smirked.

"I know...this world definitely has unique advantages compared to Misthaven," she agreed nervously.

"We're going to find her, Persephone," he assured.

"I can't lose her again, Eli," she replied, as she choked on her words and he reached over to take her free hand.

"You won't...I just found her too and I'm not giving her up again," he promised.

"If someone has hurt our daughter...then they will pay," he added. She didn't disagree there. She passed by a dirt road and felt her senses tingle slightly, before she slammed on the brakes.

"What is it?" he asked in alarm.

"I...I don't know. I feel something though," she replied, as she looked at the dirt road and noticed the tire tracks.

"I think I'm sensing the magic...it must be close," she said, as she put the car in reverse and then started down the dirt road. He looked at her and then forward toward the road. He didn't know what they were going to find when they got to wherever Snow had gotten off to, but he was ready to fight for his daughter if that's what it came down to.

His ears had a terrible ringing in them, as he slowly came around. He opened bleary blue eyes and tried to focus his vision. The ringing slowly started to dissipate and he heard another sound, which even through the ringing, he recognized as Snow.

"Please…" her voice pleaded, as that brought him around more and he focused on her ahead of him. He face was alight with fear and tears fell down her cheeks. That sobered him even more and then heard another sob. Looking beside, he saw Belle and Rumple tied up together, with her quietly crying against him. He looked ahead again and found that it was the Swans that had them. And he found his hands were also tied behind his back.

"Snow…" he uttered, as he finally saw his wife being tied up, as Kevin approached him with a gun. David spied his own gun in the hands of Jessica and his sword discarded on the floor.

"Take them outside and get rid of them," Jessica said.

"No please…" Snow pleaded, as Jessica forced her into a chair and Kevin force the three of them to their feet.

"I hope you don't expect me to bury the bodies by myself," he told her. She scoffed.

"We're on a cliff. Walk them out to it, shoot them, and push the bodies off the cliff," she replied.

"Oh Gods…" Belle sobbed, as he forced them through the door.

"No...no Charming!" Snow cried, but her cries were suddenly muffled by a gag that Jessica forced between her teeth.

"That's enough from you for now, Princess," she chided, as she looked at the beauty's tear stained face with a smug smirk.

"Don't worry honey...you'll join him in death once you birth this brat," Jessica said, as she caressed Snow's face, which made the Princess wince away from her in disgust.

"I'll let your baby be the last thing you see before I put a bullet in you and let you join your husband," she promised sadistically. Snow sobbed and she screamed through the gag in anguish, as she heard a gunshot ring out from outside…