AN: See chapter 1 for story notes and summaries.
Ships: Snowing, Rumbelle, Swan Believer, Swanfire, Daddy Charming, Mama Snow, HadesxPersephone, Mama Persephone, and a delightful Golden Mad Charming BroT3. :)
Please consider leaving a review. Feedback is much appreciated and vital. Reviews have dropped a lot and any feedback you can give is much appreciated. Unless you're a troll.
I have also made the decision that this story will be going to bi-weekly updates as well. I want to try and finish up other verses and I really want to start working on something original in 2020. My original work will have a lot of Once vibes though and Snowing vibes, with a lot of my original concepts in this story and Finding You Always being incorporated. I am only in the outlining stages of this though and will provide more information as I have it.
There may be updates on opposite Wednesdays in other verses, but no concrete schedule. I'm going to leave it pretty open. In January, there is also going to be a Snowing week that I will be participating in as well, so expect some pretty great Snowing stuff during that week too. :)
Also, feel free to follow me on Tumblr lilacmoon83.
Special note:
Here are the main face claims that we're dealing with right now. For other minor Gods/Goddesses/characters, see previous chapters:
Gal Gadot as Persephone
Robert Downey Jr. as Hades
Ben Affleck as Prince Eli
Here are individual responses:
Saberius Prime: Yep, lots of interesting things happening. Actually, as you can see, I took last week off, because I needed the time to get ready for Christmas. Christmas Eve is really busy at my house and then Christmas is fairly quiet so I had the time to get this chapter done today. Hope you have a Merry Christmas and enjoy this chapter. :)
Grace5231973: I know, Hyde has to be all inconvenient and live to create chaos later, lol. I love that Ruby saved Henry too. Yep, they're getting ready to take on the FBI and it should be good. :)
Jennifer Baratta: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.
Dreaming Out Loud
Chapter 126: Lovers in a Dangerous Time
After finding a suitable shelter that was equipped to actually help and rehabilitate the prisoners they had rescued, they proceeded to find a nice hotel to stay the night. The next day, they would set out to find this mysterious Order of the Jackal that posed a serious threat to them and their entire world. But for the moment, they all needed rest and a good night's sleep following the harrowing events of the day.
"It's remarkable that you've seemed to call forth the power of the flame without serious training," Van Helsing mentioned, while they waited in the lobby as Persephone was getting them several rooms.
"Guess I just had the right motivation," David said, as he looked fondly to his wife and daughter.
"So...are you going to help with our training when we get back to Storybrooke?" Emma asked curiously.
"With the physical part of it, I'll definitely be involved, but there's really only one equipped to truly help you master the Promethean flame," Van Helsing answered.
"Is it you, Papa Hades?" Snow asked.
"I'm afraid not, snowdrop. That's where it might get a little complicated," Hades replied.
"What do you mean?" David asked curiously.
"He means that the one most equipped to teach you is stuck in a tree, on the palace grounds in Camelot, no less," Persephone replied.
"In a tree?" Emma asked. She nodded.
"Merlin...he can't wield the flame like you, but he studied all of Prometheus' texts. He is equipped with the knowledge to train you. We just have to free him and as you can imagine, that is the last thing that Arthur wants us to do," Hades replied.
"Yes...trespassing on the palace grounds could be construed as an act of war and he is just desperate enough to make an issue of it," Persephone agreed.
"Oh please tell me we're not letting that whiny, entitled brat stop us from freeing Merlin?" Van Helsing asked.
"We are, but since you're a vigilante...you can cause chaos for us and distract him," Persephone replied. He smirked.
"Sounds fun," he agreed.
"Yeah...the only thing that sounds fun to me right now is sleep," Emma said, as they arrived on their floor for the night and found their rooms. Snow hugged her daughter tightly and the blonde smiled.
"I'm fine, Mom...and I'll be in this room right across from yours and Dad's," she promised. Snow nodded and brushed a hand through Emma's blonde hair.
"I know...we just almost lost you tonight, baby," she stressed.
"I know...but I'm okay, thanks to Dad," Emma said fondly. Snow agreed and wrapped her arms around her husband.
"Okay...we'll see you in the morning, honey. Sleep well," she said.
"Trust me...I'm going to be asleep the minute my head hits the pillow," Emma replied.
"Goodnight Princess," David said, as he and Snow parted from her and went into their own room.
Once inside, Snow backed her husband against the door and kissed him passionately.
"I need you…" she said desperately, as their lips parted briefly, before crashing together again. She thrilled, as their lips parted briefly again and he reversed their positions, pressing her against the door. He kissed her deeply and her breathing came in ragged, impassioned gasps, as he breathed fire on her throat. Her eyes rolled back in her head and her head lolled, as he grazed his teeth along her sensitive skin and trailed hot kisses along her collarbone.
"Charming...please…" she cried, as his hands cupped her breasts and she pawed at his shirt.
"Tell me Snow...tell me what you want," he growled. She whimpered, as she struggled to undo the buttons on his shirt thanks to his lips on hers again.
"You…" she breathed, as he released her lips only long enough to hear that, before he resumed kissing her. She kissed him back hard and only released his lips so she could stare into his eyes.
"I need you inside me…" she said, her eyes glowing with emerald lust and she held her arms up. He lifted her sweater and the camisole beneath it off with one swift motion and then backed her against the door again. She cried out, as he kissed at the tops of her breasts, while she managed to undo his belt and unzip his pants. She finally got through the buttons and peeled his shirt off, while he gripped her torso to keep her in place, while he kissed her all over. She yelped, as he turned her around to face the door and her nails scratched at the wood, as he kissed down the back of her neck, driving her mad.
"Charming…" she whimpered and then moaned, as he unbuttoned her jeans and slid his hands into her underwear. She bit her bottom lip to keep a scream at bay, as his hands stroked ever so intimately. Her knees went weak, but he held her up and finally swept her into his arms, walking purposefully toward the bed. He deposited her on the bed and swiftly rid her of her jeans the rest of the way. She pulled him down, as he slid into bed with her, hovering atop her. She pulled him as close as possible, wrapping her petite body around him.
"Charming please…" she pleaded, as she splayed her legs around him.
"I love you so much…" he said, as he kissed her and the passion burned brightly between them, as they made love well into the night…
Red arrived at Snow and David's castle and hurried inside. Henry hopped off and put her cloak on her, allowing her to become human again.
"Are you okay, kid?" she asked. He nodded.
"Yeah, but my dad and great grandpa Eli aren't. These FBI agents took them to the station and said that they can arrest my dad for stuff he did in his past," Henry said, practically hyperventilating.
"Okay...calm down, sweetie. We're not going to let that happen," she said, as she took his hand and they hurried to find Regina.
"Henry?" she called, as he barreled toward her and she was almost bowled over.
"Henry...what's wrong?" she asked, as she saw the tears coming down his face.
"There's FBI agents in Storybrooke. They arrested Eli and Neal...they're at the station now. Two of them were chasing Henry through the woods, but I intercepted before they could catch him," Red explained.
"Then it's happened...they're here," James said. Henry sniffed.
"They want to talk Greg...which means they're here to arrest mom," he cried, as James knelt down and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Listen kid...I'm not letting them take her from us, okay?" he said. Henry sniffed and nodded.
"James…" she started to say and he drew his sword.
"They're not taking you," he said fiercely.
"Where are you going?" she asked, as she ushered Henry off toward Red and grabbed her husband's arm.
"If Greg Mendel and his friend can't talk...then they can't tell them anything," he hissed quietly.
"James...you can't do that. You're not that man anymore," she replied.
"I am if I lose you...and I won't," he argued.
"We are two broken people that healed when we found each other and I'm not losing you!" he said.
"My brother isn't the only one that will do anything to save the woman he loves," he added fiercely.
"We'll figure this out. I'm not letting you go either, but we have to do this the right way or we're exactly the people that most think we still are," she reasoned and he deflated a little.
"Fine...but if they try to take you, all bets are off," he warned. She smirked and kissed him.
"Oh trust me...I've changed, but I'm not leaving my family, even if it means fighting my way through a few FBI agents," she assured, as she showed him the fire in her palm and he smirked dangerously.
"I do love when you do that," he agreed and she smirked back at him.
"What about my Dad?" Henry asked. Red looked at them.
"Neal still has warrants on him in a Portland and Phoenix. They can still arrest him for all that stuff he did years ago," she said.
"I assure you, they won't be arresting my son," Rumple interjected, as he and Belle walked in.
"They already have and they're here for me," Regina warned.
"Well then...we should go to the station and make them release him and give a very good demonstration on why they should leave and never look back," Rumple said.
"I agree with him," James said.
"This could get messy, but I don't see any other way than the direct approach working," Regina agreed reluctantly, as she hugged her son.
"Stay here with Red," she told him.
"But I wanna come!" Henry protested.
"Henry...the only way I can focus on getting us all out of this is if I know you're safe," she said sternly and he deflated.
"Fine," he said, as they prepared to leave.
"You know, Snow and David should have been back with her parents by now," Regina said.
"Yes well, it's them so I'm sure it nothing went smoothly, especially in Transylvania. And the Land of Untold Stories is no picnic either," Rumple replied, as her phone chimed and she checked it.
"Who is it?" James asked.
"It's Snow...they're in New York," she replied.
"They're going to confront the Dragon and his operation soon," she reported.
"Then they have their mission and we have ours," Rumple said, as they headed for Storybrooke.
"So...this is New York," Snow said, as they walked through the streets, which were overcrowded with others going about their morning routines.
"It's pretty impressive...but I think I prefer home," David replied. Emma smiled at them.
"Yeah, me too...home comes with a lot of things that this place doesn't have," she agreed.
"All the more reason to get this done and go home," Hades agreed.
"I do need to bring you two back here on a family trip if things ever calm down at home again. The squirts too," Emma said. They smiled at her.
"That would be nice," Snow said and then nudged her husband.
"And romantic," she mused and he smiled back at her. Emma sighed.
"Please don't start making out," she pleaded, but her pleas went unanswered, as her parents kissed.
"Is this a regular thing for them?" Van Helsing asked.
"Yeah, you better get used to if you're going to be around them," Emma replied.
"Well, the city can be romantic," Persephone said, as she joined hands with her husband and he smiled.
"True, but with them, it doesn't matter where they are. I've seen them take time to suck face during battle," Emma commented.
"We're not that bad," David protested. Snow winced.
"We kind of are, baby," Snow agreed and he kissed her again.
"Okay...she can't be around when you two are training. She'll just distract you," Van Helsing commented. Snow smiled coyly and slipped her arms around her husband.
"Believe it or not, we can control ourselves around each other," Snow insisted.
"Really? When does that start?" Emma asked.
"Very funny," David retorted, as he nudged her playfully.
"It's here…" Hades said, as they arrived at the dusty looking warehouse.
"Why is it that shady stuff always goes down in some abandoned warehouse?" Emma asked rhetorically.
"Well, if you need an answer, it's because the cops are too busy to bother with the rundown eyesores in the city, there's nothing worth stealing down here, and not even the homeless want to sleep in a crap hole like this," Van Helsing quipped.
"So...how are we playing this?" David asked, as they heard the cocking of a gun.
"You're not," a female voice said in a British accent, as he felt the barrel against the back of his head. Snow gasped and looked at the woman. She was a homely looking woman, with wide set eyes, pointed features and a rather large head. Normally, she was never one to judge on appearance, but this woman made her feel cold all over, as her calculating brown eyes were sinister and she had a feeling this woman was as ugly on the inside as she was outside.
"Who are you and where is the Dragon?" Hades demanded to know.
"I'm the one with the power here, Lord Hades and unless you'd like me to kill your son-in-law, you'll all slowly walk into the warehouse now," she ordered. They put their hands up in surrender and were marched in.
And despite the dusty outside, the inside was modern and a filled with computers, technology, and a lot of other interesting items that Hades recognized from the histories of several realms, including theirs and this one.
"What is this?" Persephone asked in surprise.
"How are you hiding all this?" Hades questioned suspiciously. She smirked.
"Why...magick of course," she answered smugly.
"There is no magic in this land...hasn't been for centuries," he refuted and she cackled.
"Are you sure?" she goaded, as she looked them over with her large eyes.
"Who are you?" Snow repeated her step-father's question and then gasped, as the woman pulled out a dagger and lifted Snow's chin with the tip, looking into her emerald eyes.
"Fairest of them all…" she uttered, as she looked her over.
"Get that knife away from my wife," David growled. She only smirked at him and pulled it away slowly.
"Easy Prince Charming...she has nothing to fear from me," the woman said, but he didn't believe that for a second.
"Answer our question," Persephone demanded, but she seemingly ignored the Queen and focused her attention on Hades.
"It's so nice to finally meet you, my Lord. I am a fan of your...earlier work. You know, before you were a pathetic family man and made your enemies pay," she said.
"But to answer you question...I am Elizabeth Crowley, or Liz as I go by. I come from a long line of authors and magicians alike," she said.
"You were an author?" Emma asked in disbelief.
"Oh no...not officially. Crowley's would never be allowed to touch the author's pen, but that doesn't mean we haven't had our influence on stories," she replied.
"What kind of influence?" David asked. She smirked.
"Oh you know, just the kind where Cinderella's step-sister's cut off their toes to fit their feet into the glass slipper," she replied.
"Or the one where the mermaid actually dies while pining for her stupid prince," she added.
"Oh and I especially love the one where sleeping beauty becomes pregnant while she's asleep," she laughed.
"Now that one is just all kinds of messed up!" she said, laughing like it was the funniest thing ever. The look in her eyes was pure sadism and it made Snow's stomach twist.
"No happy ending there...which is a welcome thing, considering what the book has become under this Grimm," she said, as she glared at Snow and David.
"I can't get through your story without wanting to vomit," she hissed at them.
"And all because this Grimm won't hear me. This Grimm can block out the serpent's voice. We spoke to the authors of the past and whispered in their ears without them even knowing it," she announced.
"We twisted their stories and gave them unhappy endings...until this Grimm and her noble father. They don't hear me," she said.
"You speak to them?" Emma asked.
"Yes...with magick," Liz replied.
"Don't listen to her. The magic she is speaking of has a k on the end. It's not like the magic we know. It's simple parlor tricks, a bit of numerology, and some pretty sickening rituals," Hades said.
"Rituals?" David asked.
"Blood sacrifice...children are usually best," Liz answered and Snow covered her mouth, crying out in horror. She cackled.
"You should see the look on your pretty face…" she laughed. David glared at the ugly woman and pulled his wife close, holding her against his chest.
"You have little ones, don't you Princess?" she asked in a goading manner.
"You'll never get near our grandchildren," Hades hissed.
"Oh, it's such a pity that you've gone so soft and warm. You know, my father was a great admirer of your father, Saturn...or Cronus as he's also known," she said.
"Well, then your father was probably a giant douche too," Hades quipped and that seemed to anger her.
"You should not speak such disrespect for the great Saturn," she said. He rolled his eyes.
"Cronus worshipers are literally the worst and most pathetic beings in existence," he said. She growled and raised her dagger, intending to thrust it into him, but he caught her arm and shoved her away. David used her distraction, as he and Emma drew their guns. They had left their swords and Snow's bow behind, for they very well couldn't walk around New York with them. Snow pulled up her pant leg and unsheathed a dagger that she had concealed there though.
"Easy...there is no need for battle," the Dragon said, as he approached.
"I beg to differ. You've endangered all the realms with what you've done. No good can come from this world finding out about magic and the United Realms," Hades argued.
"On the contrary...it is time to usher in a new age and that is exactly what we are doing. You should rejoice that you will be at the forefront," Liz stated.
"And you should go to hell," Emma retorted. But she smiled.
"Oh I'm looking forward to it," she snapped back.
"Except we're going to shut down your entire operation," David threatened.
"Awfully confident there, handsome," Liz goaded, as she noticed his forearms seemed to be glowing and so we're Emma's as the blonde glared at her with the same glowering disdain that her father had.
"Impossible…" she uttered and Van Helsing smirked.
"So you what this is," he said, enjoying the woman's shock.
"No...the great Prometheus has never chosen anyone to bestow his power to, certainly no mortal," she spat.
"Yes...if I remember correctly, your father conducted his evil rituals and practiced his sorcery in pursuit of Promethean enlightenment, but never achieved it. Not that he ever had a chance. I know Prometheus personally and he'd never condone the things he did," Van Helsing said. She looked at him curiously.
"You knew him," she deduced.
"Well, he was a monster and I am a monster hunter," he said.
"A monster in human flesh, but a monster nonetheless," he added.
"You killed him…" she realized. He smirked.
"Such is my mandate and if you're a monster in the making, then you'll meet a similar fate," he warned. She smirked.
"We shall see," she threatened, as they were surrounded by several armed men.
"Thanks to my family's fortune, I can hire the best mercenaries in the business and buy their loyalty," she boasted.
"Take our guests to the vessel I have acquired. We're going to help them home...to Storybrooke, Maine," she said. One of them leveled his rifle at David and he knew now was not the time to make any moves. He held Snow around the waist and took Emma's hand, as they were forcibly led to the docks nearby with Snow's parents and Van Helsing.
"Put them in the brig," she ordered, as they were led below to the barracks and locked away, but not before Persephone and Hades were fitted with magic suppressing cuffs. Their weapons were confiscated and they saw the woman look to the Dragon.
"The Promethean fire is a complication we did not foresee," she said.
"You're right...we will need to employ other means to keep these two in line," the dragon said and she smirked, as Liz grabbed Snow's arm and pulled her out of the room, before it was locked, separating her from her family. David cried out and pounded his fists on the door.
"SNOW!" he cried.
"Charming!" she called, as she was fitted with a pair of zip ties around her wrists.
"Take her above deck. She'll be my honored guest," Liz ordered, as her head operative dragged the raven haired beauty away.
"Charming!" she called.
"SNOW!" he shouted, as he pounded on the door.
"Give her back!" he growled desperately.
"You would be wise to remain docile, Prince Charming. Your daughter too. One wrong move from either of you once we're in Storybrooke waters and one of my men will make sure a very bleak fate befalls your lovely Snow White before you can stop it," she warned, before walking away.
"So...Neal Cassidy, is it?" Agent Isaac said, as she leafed through his file.
"That's what your file says," he retorted.
"Wanted in at least two states for grand larceny and in a few others for petty theft. The grand larceny alone makes this a federal case if we want it to. You're looking at least twenty-fives years in Federal prison and that's if you get a generous Judge," she threatened.
"You have to actually get me out of Storybrooke first and trust me, that won't be easy," he said.
"Yes...let's talk about that then. Neal Cassidy is most assuredly an alias, so why don't you tell me your real name? What fairy tale character are you?" she questioned with disdain. Neal smirked.
"Peter Pan, of course," he answered sarcastically.
"Cute," she said.
"It's not as far off as you'd think," he muttered, but she ignored that.
"Fine...if you won't tell us what we want to know, then we'll get it from somewhere else," she said, as her agents led Greg and Landon in from the prison.
"Mr. Mendell and Mr. Griffin, I presume?" she questioned.
"It's about time you got here...I practically spoon fed you the murder case of the century," Greg spat bitterly.
"I'd watch your attitude, Mr. Mendell. If I wanted to, I'm sure I could find plenty of things to charge you and Mr. Griffin with. But I'm interested in the bigger fish that I think you can provide," she said.
"Her name is Regina Mills...or as she's also know, the Evil Queen and she killed my father," he said.
"And where can I find Her Majesty the Queen?" Agent Isaac asked.
"Right here," a voice said, as Regina stood in the doorway.
"So...you killed Kurt Flynn?" Agent Isaac asked.
"Whether or not I did is irrelevant," Regina replied.
"Irrelevant? Now my father is irrelevant?!" Greg shouted at her.
"For what it's worth...I am sorry. I know you'll never accept my apology, but I was in a very bad place then. I have changed. Love changed me and it's not too late for you either. If I can rebuild my life from ruin...then you can too," Regina told him. But he sneered at that.
"You're right...I'll never accept your apology," he spat.
"Arrest her!" he demanded.
"You don't to do that. It's imperative that you and your agents leave this town and forget you ever found it. Exposing our world to yours will have ramifications for generations that none of us can even begin to fathom," Regina warned.
"That sounds like a lot of nonsense and maybe a threat," Agent Isaac replied.
"It is...but not from me," Regina said, as the locks on the cells snapped open, releasing Neal and Eli.
"How the hell..." Agent Quinn uttered, as a man and a woman walked in behind Regina.
"Heed the Queen's warning if you value your lives," Rumple stated evenly.
"So you are threatening us," Agent Isaac stated.
"There is a great many conflicts and battles on the horizon. You and your agents are so vastly out of your element that it's laughable and we cannot promise you will not be caught in the crossfire," he warned.
"I have evidence of a murder. We're not leaving without the culprit," Agent Isaac said, as she moved to cuff Regina, but a sword cut her off in mid-step, as another man stood in her way now.
"You're not taking my wife anywhere," James refuted.
"I am and I'll arrest you too for obstruction," Agent Isaac hissed.
"I'm afraid not. You've been warned...get in the way and we cannot promise your survival," Rumple warned, as he waved his hand, and all of them disappeared, leaving the agents behind with Greg Mendell and Landon Griffin.
"Great...how the hell do we arrest people that can do that?" Agent O'Bryan questioned.
"I'm not sure yet...but we're not giving up," she assured, ignoring the possibility that she could be forfeiting their lives by staying...