Goodbye Means Forgetting Chapter 35: Tiny, an once upon a time fanfic

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and any unrecognizable characters and dialogue.

To answer a question posed by a few reviewers: Yes, Lily can have children. However, as she has been stuck in a teenage body for the last sixty or so years, and she was also pretty much an unemotional, killing machine for Rumple to throw at people for a portion of that time, she's never considered actually doing it. (Plus, Peter is on the 'a child can't have a child kick', so it wasn't happening when she was on Neverland and you can't get pregnant on an island where nothing changes). She also didn't think she could handle the responsibility of raising a child - Henry is the one exception - because of how she grew up.

Chapter playlist: 'Odin Confesses' from 'Thor: OST'

Storybrooke

The message was simple: Come to the Convent before you leave town. While she wasn't sure how any of the nuns - if it was even from them - had learned of her imminent departure, Lillian didn't question it. Dead on her feet from the sleepless night, she summoned enough energy to whisk her to the convent, though her head felt like it was full of sand and her eyes burned. Dizzied by the rush in a way she hadn't been since mastering the spell, she stumbled toward the doors to the small chapel like a drunk. It took a moment for her to realize who awaited her, but when she did, her mind cleared and her fists tightened.

"Mother Superior," she greeted coldly, unable to summon up a more polite greeting. For her part, the head nun accepted the barely restrained dislike with a graceful dip of her head. Lillian held out the note. "Can I take it that this is your doing?"

"Yes." Mother Superior confirmed. Though she had had little interaction with Lillian, during the long years of the Curse and after, she remembered all too well the hatred of Lilith. "But, it was not on my behalf that I sent it."

"Then- "

"I asked her to, my lady."

"This," she breathed harshly through her nose, feeling the headache form between her eyes. "Is why you dragged me out of my bed at dawn?" Only one person alive called her 'my lady', so she didn't have to turn to know who was behind her. "Why are you here, Jacquimo?"

The bald man stood behind his niece, hands uselessly clenched into fists at his side. Ruby had informed him of the teen's return, and had kindly invited him to the welcome home party thrown just days before. However, he knew his presence would not be welcomed by the one person he longed to see. The sight of her, skin so pale it looked translucent in the light of the stained-glass and hair tied into a messy bun on the top of her head, worsened the pain within his chest.

"You've been ill," he dodged her question, unable to explain himself how he'd ended up in Storybrooke. No one else from Corona had arrived, he'd made sure of it in the days after the Curse had ended. Why that was, he couldn't say. Perhaps Regina knew more of our past than she let on. "I heard about the commotion at the border last night, are you all right?"

"Still breathing." She retorted icily. "I'll ask again, and I better get an answer." Her eyes flitted to Mother Superior then, warning clear in her eyes. The head nun sniffed gracefully and slipped past her to flank Jacquimo's side. "Because if you're here to exchange pleasantries, I don't have the time."

"I simply wanted to know how you've fared the last twenty-eight years."

Her eyes narrowed in annoyance. "I was Mr. Gold's - who is the richest man in the town - adopted daughter, how the hell do you think I 'fared'?"

Jacquimo visibly winced, though managed to stay upright when Mother Superior gently touched his shoulder. Squaring his shoulders, he met his niece's quietly furious gaze head on.

"I wished to make amends, niece, for what I did, and for what I didn't do."

"Lillian, you should listen- " Mother Superior all but choked on the words when the teen threw a fireball between them, singeing the nun's hair and nearly burning the man's scalp. "Lillian!" Her voice snapped like a whip through the sudden, silent tension. "That was highly unnecessary, not to mention inappropriate!"

"I'm not going to get lectured by the fairy who let my mother die!" Lillian retorted, red eyes glowing in the faint sunlight. "You can claim to be good and infallible all you want, but I know the truth." Her voice hardened. "And so do you."

"Lillian, what happened with your mother was a tragedy, and no one knows how much I blame myself- "

"Is that what you call it? Blaming yourself?" Lillian repeated, emotion threatening to choke her. Looking down, she bit back the cry of pain that threatened to ravage through her, unhinging the frail control she had over herself after the emotional roller coaster of the night before. "For letting the Black Fairy create her bastard, by letting that thing kidnap my mother?"

"Lily, no one could have predicted what would have happened!" Jacquimo said, concern quickly overcoming the faint stirrings of fear he'd felt at how dangerous his niece looked. She was trembling, and he caught her swaying on the spot more than once. "And when it happened, it was too late."

"He's right, Lillian." Mother Superior added, looking so torn over her guilt and sadness that Lillian tasted bile in her throat. "By the time I learned of what the Black Fairy and her son had done, they had hidden themselves."

The teen's voice lowered an octave as she hissed, "You never looked," she snapped, hate once more rising within her, threatening to drown her in it. "The fairies asked and asked, but you never let them look. You thought my mother was dead, so you refused to even entertain the thought."

Jacquimo felt the blood drain from his face, eyes flitting between his heartbroken niece and the stricken Mother Superior beside him. "Is this true?" He asked, suddenly afraid of the answer. "Is this true?!" He repeated loudly when minutes passed without a reply.

Mother Superior flinched as if struck, lashes glittering with tears as she lowered her gaze. At once, the memories came flooding back, each and every one tearing at the carefully composed facade she wore day in and day out. Closing her eyes against the burn, she inhaled deeply before she raised her head. Lillian stared back, unblinking and livid.

"Yes," the older woman whispered, unable to tear her eyes away from Lillian's. "I thought Katerina dead, and did not discover I was wrong until one of my fairies heard about your predicament, Jacquimo."

Lillian's smile was all teeth and malice. "Green."

"H-how… " Mother Superior blinked, taken aback by the sound of her former student's title. "How do you know- "

"That isn't important," Lillian dismissed flatly, rage suddenly cooling. Her eyes cut to Jacquimo, who was red-faced and shaky. "What I want to know, is how you got here. I banished you to Corona, and it was left untouched when the Curse ravaged the land." I made sure of it.

"I do not know," he replied, voice quivering faintly. He had yet to take his eyes off Mother Superior, who in turn refused to look away from Lillian. "But I am here, and you cannot simply ignore me as you did before. No matter what that foul creature has told you- "

"That 'foul creature', saved my life." That she was defending Rumple, given how angry she was with him at the moment, was not lost on her. "I would have died if he hadn't found me."

"He turned you into a monster," he snapped, unable to sit there quietly as she defended the Dark One. "He made you kill - I do not know what his hold on you is, but it must be broken- "

Her hand moved, but not to cast a spell as they feared. Instead, her glowing hand dug into her chest with a sickening squish. Raising her eyes, face clear of the pain both knew she had just caused herself, she held up the beating, glowing organ. The large portion of it was blackened, but there were faint pulses of red the color of Lillian's eyes.

"I'm going to tell you a story, uncle," she began, holding the heart in her cupped hands. He blanched in fear, and Mother Superior struggled not to do the same beside him. "Once upon a time, there was a happy little girl… " She spoke to the heart, unwilling to face them head on for the first time. She was tired, so tired, of everything and everyone.

"And then she had to turn herself into a monster."

Emma answered the door, bleary-eyed but wore her coat and scarf. Gold waited in the doorway patiently, hands folded on top of his can patiently. "Ready to go, Miss Swan?"

"Almost." She tossed over her shoulder as Henry came into the room, suitcase in hand with his coat slung over one arm.

"Do you think we'll be cold where we're going, or warm?" He asked innocently as a thunderous expression began to form on Gold's face.

"I think layers are always a good idea."

"I thought the terms of our agreement were quite clear." Like them, he was running on little sleep, and as such had little patience, and couldn't stop the dangerous edge that seeped into his voice. "You owe me a favor - you alone."

Emma tossed him a baleful look as she stood, tossing a bag across her shoulder. "I'm not leaving Henry here with Cora lurking about," she stated emphatically, refusing to be budged. "So either we both go, or we both stay."

The corner of his lip curled upward. "Then, we'll have to purchase another plane ticket, won't we?" He muttered, half to himself.

Mary Margaret came around the kitchen island, helping Henry as he struggled into his coat. As he buttoned it up, Emma turned fully to face Gold, eyes widening. "Wait, we're flying?"

"Don't worry, I'm covering expenses." Gold assured her, gaze briefly alighting on Henry as he chatted quietly with his grandmother. "Even the new ones." He looked around, once more ascertaining that Lillian was no in the apartment. "Where is Lillian?"

"She went to the convent," David replied before Emma could offer up a guess, descending the stairs. Pausing to hand Emma her suitcase, the blond man met Gold's displeased one. "She'll be back."

"Oh, well I suppose further delays can be tolerated."

"You're a real gentleman, aren't you?" David deadpanned, brow creased in the beginnings of irritation. Moving until he was directly in front of the pawnbroker, her lowered his voice. "Alright, Gold, you're going out there with my family. Just know, if anything happens to them… "

Gold cut across him with a sneer. "Then you'll what? Cross the town line?" He demanded incredulously. "And David Nolan will hunt me down in his animal rescue van?"

Instead of responding with threats, David merely stared at the older man. "I'll be devastated," he answered honestly. There was a faint whoosh behind him, and he twisted his head to see Lillian on the landing, suitcase in hand, coat folded over her arm. "This isn't a threat, it's a request." He corrected, backing up to wait at the foot of the stairs for her. As she slipped passed him, he briefly touched her shoulder, and she leaned into the touch. "Take care of them."

Gold eyed him quietly, forcibly restraining the prickle of hurt that rose at the sight of Lillian going to David Nolan for comfort, as it was obvious something wasn't right with her. "I promise no harm will come to your family," he said, without a trace of irony in his words. "After all, we have a deal."

They all piled into the car, Lillian seated in the back with Henry, head resting back against the headrest. Her eyes still burned, though she refused to contemplate if it was from the lack of sleep or the emotional turmoil she'd just been forced to go through. Beside her, Henry all but cuddled into her, just as tired as she was from the previously sleepless night.

Emma turned to look at them, unable to stop the smile that tugged the corners of her lips upward at the sight. Henry was half-sprawled on Lillian, whose head rested on top of his. As she turned back to the front, his eyes cracked open as they drove down the deserted street out of town.

"So… where are we going?" Henry asked, voicing the question that three-fourths of the car wanted to know.

"Logan International Airport."

Emma raised a brow. "I think he meant after that."

"Let's just take things one step at a time, shall we?" Gold muttered, hands tightening on the wheel as they came closer to the border.

"You really think that shawl's going to work?" The blonde asked, looking back at where Lillian sat, no longer slumped in the backseat, fingering the silver acorn charm. "And that necklace?"

"Well, if it doesn't, and we revert to our cursed selves, we're all going to have some problems." Unsure if he was attempting to be funny, Emma merely peered at him until he added, "It'll work."

All collectively held their breath when the 'leaving Storybrooke' sign loomed in the distance. As they drove passed it, a ripple of magic went through Gold and Lillian, and both visibly shuddered.

Emma watched him closely, Henry doing the same to Lillian, scarcely daring to breath. "So?"

"My name is Rumpelstiltskin," Gold answered smoothly, never taking his eyes from the road. He did glance in the rear view mirror for a moment to ascertain whether or not Lillian had retained her memories as well. Clear blue eyes blinked back at him. Returning his attention back to the road, he added, "And we're gonna find my son."

It was only after they'd been driving for the better part of an hour that Lillian, jerked out of a light doze. Frantically, she searched her pockets for her phone, dialed the number and held it to her ear with bated breath. The voicemail greeted her, tinny and loud and she almost threw her phone out the window.

Henry stirred at her side and blinked up sleepily. "What is it?"

"Your mother," she whispered back, shutting her still sore eyes in defeat. "I forgot to call Regina."

Mary Margaret had placed the last dish away from their early morning breakfast when David returned from the upstairs. She watched, mildly amused, when she saw that he wore two holsters instead of the one.

"You like the holster, huh?"

He colored sheepishly with a small grin. "I miss carrying a sword."

"Well, it looks good on you." She returned cheekily.

"Come on," he urged her playfully. "Leroy has the dwarves on Cora watch," he updated her, striding to the coat hooks and grabbing hold of hers. "They've got eyes everywhere, but they could use our help."

"Really?" She asked doubtfully as he helped her shrug on her coat. Both were aware of how efficient the dwarves could be when their lives were on the line. "How hard can it be to find a powerful sorceress in a small town?"

Her rhetorical question was answered when they opened the door, revealing the subject of said inquiry. Regina stood, lips parted in surprise and hand poised to knock, and the three stared at each other for several seconds.

"Apparently," David muttered as Regina warily looked from him to his wife. "Not very hard."

"Regina." Mary Margaret said, eyeing the older woman. "You're back."

Regina lowered her hand and help them out imploringly. "I know you think I'm responsible for poor Dr. Hopper's death- "

"He's… alive." David choked out, more guilty than he could say.

"What? I… I know Lillian told me she thought I was innocent but- "

"You were framed," Mary Margaret adding, seeing that her step-mother was struggling.

"Who would do that?"

"Your mother. She's here."

"But… but that's… that's… not possible." Regina muttered, half to herself.

"When we found a way back, so did she." Regina exhaled loudly at the explanation, clearly in disbelief. "We were wrong… and we're so sorry." Mary Margaret added, forcing herself to maintain eye contact. "Lillian… we should have believed her."

Regina forced herself to nod. "I know," she accepted the apology with a nod. "But, if Cora's here, then we're all in danger. Please, you have to let me see my son, I can protect him."

"He's not here." Mary Margaret said quickly.

Regina's eyes narrowed in the beginnings of anger. "What?"

David took a slight step forward, ready to move if the woman tried to set his wife on fire. "Mr. Gold asked Emma to help him find his son," he told her in what he hoped was a calming tone. "They left town about an hour ago with Henry. Lillian went too."

"And no one told me?"

"We didn't know where you were," Mary Margaret said in response. Biting her lip, she added, "And, to be honest, Regina, I don't think Emma has to run anything by you."

Despite the fact that she was obviously angry about not being consulted, Regina forced herself to relax. Pinning the two with a dangerous expression, she pursed her lips. "No, I suppose she doesn't." She admitted softly before turning on her heel and stalking off.

Releasing a sigh of relief once Regina had cleared the stairs with her head thrown back, Mary Margaret turned to her husband, who was watching the woman leave, regret clear in his eyes. "That went well."

He raised a brow at her upbeat tone but merely said, "With her, it doesn't get much better." She shrugged, conceding his point. "Come on, let's go find Cora."

"Where?" She asked as he handed her first her coat, then her quiver and bow.

"No idea," he admitted, a displeased expression beginning to form. "But, I know who to ask."

Satisfied that they were ready, the two left the apartment and went to meet the Dwarves. Once they had Leroy with them, they headed to the hospital where, to the great relief of what seemed like the entire staff, they picked up Hook and took him with them. Though he had an obvious limp, Whale had cleared him, casually mentioning that Lillian had stopped in late the night before to heal the worst of the man's injuries.

As they headed toward the docks, David caught himself stealing glances at the pirate, wondering why Lillian would help him. "Any idea why Lillian has such a soft spot for our captain?" He asked in an undertone, unprepared for a guarded look to cross his wife's usually expressive features. "What is it?"

"Lillian has… a past with him." Was all she'd say before she looked away. "It has to do with the thirty years she was missing."

"But- "

"You know," Hook drawled, pretending to study his nails. "You could ask me yourself, if you want to know, mate."

David glowered at the pirate but said nothing, unwilling to give the obviously amused man any more satisfaction. Turning back to his wife, he continued to ask her questions in hushed tones, though was no closer to figuring out why Lillian was close to the swashbuckler by the time they'd made it to the docks. He was, however, heartbeats away from beating the smug man's pretty face in.

"You didn't even ask me about my recovery." Hook groused, pretending to be hurt by their lack of concern.

Steeling herself, Mary Margaret turned to him. "How are you feeling, Hook?"

"Come closer and feel for yourself," he leered at her, only for David's fist to connect with his still sore chest.

"You want to lose the other hand?" He demanded, holding the front of the pirate's leather coat in his fist. "Where's the ship?" When Hook made to spout off what was most likely a lie, David added, "Come on, Archie told us. It's shielded somehow, isn't it, mate?"

"Aye… that it is." Hook said finally, all traces of teasing gone. "Follow me," he took a step forward, pausing to turn back to the trio behind him. "I don't know what you expect to find. Cora won't be there."

"Well, maybe she left something behind that will tell us where she went." David's hand clamped tightly on his elbow before rising. "Let's go." He snapped, shoving at the pirate's back.

Hook stumbled forward a few steps, a grimace on his bruised features. As they began to walk farther down the docks, Leroy warned, "no funny business. I'm watching you, pirate."

Yes, Dwarf," Hook wheezed in what might have been a laugh. "That should deter me from any maleficence."

"Oh, don't worry, Leroy." Mary Margaret commented blithely from her husbands side as they paused. "He'll help us."

Hook raised a brow. "What makes you so sure?"

"Because you're a pirate." She said simply. "You know which way the wind blows, and, right now, it is gusting towards us."

The corner of his lip curled up in frank amusement. "Oh, I see where your daughter got her gumption," he praised, making sure to lasciviously eye her up while he was at it. It worked; she rolled her eyes and turned her head away while David's glare went up a few notches. "Follow me." Grunting with the effort, Hook turned and brushed past Leroy. He walked several steps back the way they came before his ascended a set of invisible stairs and disappeared.

Wide eyed, Leroy darted a glance back at David and Mary Margaret, who were both equally surprised. Without a word, Leroy followed the pirate's path, slipping past the barrier onto the deck of the ship with the others in tow. As David cleared the barrier, Leroy eyed the ship with awe.

"You sailed this ship from our land," he mused thoughtfully. Brow furrowed, he turned to Hook, who was half-bent over. "Can you sail it back?"

"My ship?" Hook breathed past the pain, wishing once more that Lily had healed the more superficial wounds. "She's a marvel. Made from enchanted wood." He began to ascend the stairs to the stern, grabbing hold of the rigging to aid him as Leroy and Mary Margaret dogged his every step. "We weathered many a storm together, seen many strange, glittering shores." But, to travel between lands, she must go through a portal."

"Yeah," David came up the other set of stairs, frowning at Hook from between wood and cloth. The last thing he wanted was to listen to the man preen about his ship. "What do you know about Cora's plans?"

Well, Cora's not the most communicative of lasses." He admitted, eyes squinted against another spasm of pain. "I will tell you this – whatever malice she has in mind, her weapon of choice is in here." He swept a beringed finger over to the tarp-covered square that sat between him and David.

Meeting Leroy's eye, the blond nodded once and both men reach for the tarp. As they pulled it back, revealing metal bars and an unconscious man inside the cage, Mary Margaret felt panic begin to creep up on her.

"Who's that?"

Enchanted Forest

Rumpelstiltskin watched in silence as Lilith practiced, golden eyes alight with interest. He had no idea how she'd done it, but the young girl had managed to dispose of her humanity, leaving her free of any pesky morals or emotions; he hadn't even seen her smile since her ninth birthday. Now, fast approaching her twelfth year, she had advanced farther in her magical studies than he had ever imagined. Though there was a concentration of light magic within her, buried down so deeply he could barely feel it, dark magic fit her like a second skin.

She was warding off a magically charmed sword, specifically spelled to increasingly get better and better the longer the fight went on. As she ducked and spun, with more grace than men twice her age, the sword flashed after her. It wasn't long until she forsook her blade and relied on her magic. The sword was melted within heartbeats, and he watched with giddy excitement as her blue eyes flashed red for the briefest of heartbeats.

He'd seen those flashes more often than not lately, something that filled him with more pleasure than he could say. Dark Magic caused a fundamental change in a person the longer they used it, especially his particular strain of dark magic. Though he'd taught Cora, and would teach her daughter when the time came, neither of them would be as exposed to the Dark One as young Lilith had been.

"Excellent," he praised when she'd turned, soaked with sweat and breathing hard. "Your swordsmanship is improving, my dear apprentice."

"Thank you," she panted, eyes once more a shade of clear blue. They were unsettling, he'd noticed, such a pretty, vibrant colour that he'd never seen before. Though she resembled her in all ways, Lilith's eyes were of a brighter hue than her mother's, her hair curlier and darker, more like her father's.

"Now, I have a present for you."

Her expression remained blank. "My birthday isn't for another two months."

Excitement bubbled within him, and when he grinned, it was feral; all yellowed teeth and wild eyes. "Oh, but I believe you'll just love this surprise." He had her attention, that was plain to see. At least for me, it is. Her stance shifted, more subdued and less antagonistic, while her shoulders relaxed ever so slightly.

"What is it?"

"Your brother."

Her eyes widened, and the blood lust that filled them - something he'd nurtured and delighted in on more than once occasion - filled him with no small amount of pride.

Storybrooke

Leroy eyed the slumbering giant, unable to picture him as an actual giant. He looked average, other than his odd layered robes, with curly hair and a beard. From his position kneeling beside the cage, Leroy glanced up toward David. "So, Cora used magic to make him travel-sized," he observed, attempting to wrap his head around the fact.

"Whatever she intends to do with him, it's important." Hook said, leaning weakly on the cage itself as one hand pressed to his still healing ribs.

"Oh, I think you know exactly what she intends." David accused, closing in on the other man. "You're holding out."

"Well, either have your lovely wife torture it out of me," he began, to Mary Margaret's obvious annoyance. "Which I promise will be fun for both- "

David lashed out, grabbing hold of Hook's throat and pinning him against the pole behind them, a dark expression on his face. "Why don't you and I have some fun?"

"I don't know what she's planning." Hook snarled past the fingers locked around his throat. Reaching into his coat with his good hand, he produced a silver key and held it out to Mary Margaret. "Why don't you wake the bloody giant and ask him yourself?"

Setting her bow off to the side and plucking the key from his fingers without a word, Mary Margaret knelt beside the cage. Inwardly puzzling over what use Cora could have with a shrunken giant, she unlocked the cage, placing the padlock on the top, and carefully opened the door. The man inside didn't stir until she reached out to gently touched his shoulder and gave him a shake.

"Hey… " he jerked awake with a start, an she waited until he'd turned his eyes toward her, expression understandably terrified, given the circumstances. "It's alright. You're safe now."

David came to her side as the giant began to crawl out of the cage, neither noticing when Hook carefully backed a good distance away from them, beginning to descend the stairs back to the main deck.

"What's your name?" Mary Margaret asked, hand on the man's broad back as he stood on trembling legs, cramped from his time in the cage.

"Anton," he answered, expression dazed as he looked around the ship rapidly. "Where's that witch?"

"She's gone." May Margaret promised him, using her gentlest voice.

Anton looked down at himself, eyes widening as the fog finally began to clear from his mind. "What did she do?" He asked, a quaver in his voice. "She made me small."

"Come on," David urged from behind him, gently tugging on his shoulder to lead him down the stairs. As Anton turned toward the blond, the giant's eyes widened at the sight, though David turned to the stairs too quickly to catch the emotions that flickered across Anton's face. "Let's get you out of here."

"You."

Confused by the angry inflection in the giant's voice, David turned back around as Hook vaulted off the ship and onto the dock. "Me?" He asked, brow creased as Anton's face rapidly colored with rage.

"You!" Swinging his fist upward, Anton caught David beneath the chin, sending the surprised man over the railing and onto the deck.

"David!"

"Hey! Hey, over here, you big- " Leroy tried, attempting to hold back the aggravated giant, and was thrown down the stairs for his trouble.

Darting past the downed man with a swiftness that belayed his size, Anton lunged at David, who rapidly drew his gun and raised himself to his knees, only for the giant to kick the weapon out of his hand. Before he could do any real damage to the still bewildered blond, an arrow was shot past Anton's head.

"Step away from my husband." Mary Margaret ordered, another arrow already nocked and pointed at Anton's head.

"You may have me outnumbered, but this isn't over. " Anton said after a quick look around, seeming to just realize how many people were around him. Eyes blazing with anger, he fixed David with a hateful expression. "You think I forgot what you did? I didn't. You'll pay for your evil. I promise!" He vowed, backing toward the edge of the ship. "You'll pay!"

Turning on his heel, the giant sprinted off the ship, leaving two of the three occupants to stare at David, who returned their confused expression with a wide-eyed, nonplussed one of his own.

Well aware that she was currently a walking stereotype, Ruby marched through the hospital, basket of items in hand. Having reached a comfortable camaraderie with Gold's bookish girlfriend, Ruby was adamant that she not lose another to magic, and had packed several items from Belle's room at Granny's to hopefully jog her friend's memory.

Entering the common room, she flashed a smile at the on duty nurse before she approached Belle, who was watching the television with an unhappy expression. "Hey," she greeted softly, though Belle still jumped like a scared rabbit once she realized that she'd been addressed. "You don't remember me, do you?" she asked, smiling sadly at the thought.

Belle nodded, shifting uneasily at the saddened expression the other woman wore. "Sorry, no, I… I don't."

Biting her lip, Ruby set the basket down on the coffee table and took the empty chair beside Belle. "I'm Ruby," she told Belle, using the remote to turn off the television while she was at it. "You used to come into my Granny's diner a lot. Before." She waited for a flicker of recognition, for anything really, but all Belle did was suck on her lower lip, clearly still uneasy. "I thought you could use some comforts from home," Ruby reached into the basket, pulling out a much-loved and worn paperback novel. "You were always telling me about Jules Verne, so I brought you my favorite – The Mysterious Island."

She held out the book, a small smile on her lips. Cautiously, Belle reached out and took it, staring down at the cover with a small, half-smile. "Thank you," she whispered, touching the book with the tips of her fingers. "Were… were we really friends?" Belle asked suddenly, eyes raising to meet Ruby's.

"Yeah, we were."

Ruby: Yeah, we were.

"Then tell me the truth," Belle shifted in her seat, turning so she faced Ruby, whose expression had become wary. "Before I was brought here, I was hurt. I was bleeding, and then this man came. And he… he healed me." She told the woman - who claimed they'd been friends - hoping that, this time, someone would believe her. "Then, I saw him hold a ball of fire in his hands. How… how is that possible?!"

Ruby lowered her voice, attempting to soothe Belle before the other woman could work herself into hysterics. "The nurse said that the tranquilizers can give you wicked nightmares," she tried to soothe, only to watch Belle's eyes grow wider.

"No, I know what I saw," Belle snapped, springing to her feet. "And I don't need any more tranquilizers or- "

"Belle… " Ruby whispered, the name halting the oncoming tirade for only a few precious seconds.

Jerking away from Ruby's outstretched hand, Belle's breath increased, voice quickly becoming hysterical. "Don't call me that," she snapped. "Why does everyone keep calling me that?"

A nurse, alerted by the increased volume of Belle's voice, entered the common area and rapidly closed the distance, taking Belle's arm in a gentle, yet firm grip as the woman struggled weakly.

"I don't… I'm telling you, I don't… " Belle uttered, lips curled back to reveal her teeth as the nurse settled her in the chair.

"Take it easy," the nurse soothed as another patient wandered in, eyeing the scene with wide eyes. "Take it easy." Producing the sedative kept on hand for such occasions, the nurse injected it into Belle's arm as Ruby watched, stomach twisting.

"Has she been like this the whole time?" The werewolf asked, unable to keep a tremor from her words as she saw the state her friend had been reduced to.

"More or less," the nurse revealed with a sigh as she pulled the syringe from Belle's arm. "We've had to keep her heavily sedated." Turning her attention back to Belle after she'd capped the needle, she gentle encouraged the barely lucid woman to stand. "Okay, let's get you back to bed."

"No… " Belle whispered, head lolling back against her shoulder.

"Here we go," the nurse said lightly as a loopy smile began to form on Belle's face. "There."

As they exited the room, Ruby following them at a distance, unwilling to upset Belle again, her nose twitched. Eyes falling on the previously unseen man still in a hospital gown and robe, with an IV still attached, Ruby forced a smile on for Greg Mendell's benefit.

"Everything okay in here?" He asked, head craned around to watch as Belle was led back to her room.

"Everything's fine, Mr. Mendell," Ruby forced cheerfully, her wide smile causing her cheeks to ache. "She's alright. How are you?"

Greg returned her brilliant beaming expression with a small one of his own. "Much improved."

"Well, then, rest up." Ruby said with as much optimism as she could manage while Belle, clearly kept in an almost constant drugged haze, was taken back to her room. "The sooner you're better, the sooner you can be out of our quiet little town." With one last grin in his direction, Ruby collected her basket and the discarded book and began to follow in the direction the nurse had taken, intent on leaving the gifts with Belle in hopes of jogging her memory.

Greg watched her go, a suspicious expression on his bruised and battered face.

After collecting Leroy, and making sure he was able to walk, the trio had headed to Granny's to regroup. Seated beside her husband on the inside of the booth, with Leroy watching intently on the other side, Mary Margaret gently broached Anton's odd behavior.

"David… did that giant just say he'll make you pay?" She asked incredulously, able to read his confused expression for what it was. "For what?"

"I have no idea," David said, staring down at his clenched hands. "I've never seen that guy before."

Leroy grunted, "Well, he sure knows you."

David, however, began to shake his head. "No, it's not about me." He whispered, turning to look at his wife. "He just thinks it is."

Enchanted Forest

The timber frames of the manor house were rotted, the windows cracked in several places, and the grounds overgrown, clearly left to grow wild without the loving touch of a gardener. It little resembled the warm, loving home she dimly remembered from her childhood, at worse than the cold, unwelcoming house it had become after her parents' deaths. Darren has made a ruin of our house, and a mockery of the duchy of Eastwyck. She'd heard the rumors from the court at Corona, at how the young Duke had banished all servants and hold himself within his chambers. Not even the Queen was able to rouse her grandson, though the word was that she had tried little, if at all.

Rumple, from what he'd been able to glean, promised that her brother was almost constantly in a drunken stupor, having gambled away more than he had, which explained the barren halls and lack of any decoration. Her brother had invited looters and murderers into their home, defiling all that was once good and loving about it. And now he will pay the price.

Rumple had dressed her himself, choosing a thin cotton shift that hung from her slim frame. She'd grown without noticing, straight and thin as a willow, but with a promising hint of curves. Rumple, as usual, was oblivious to the changes in her body, and simply trilled that he wanted a physical reminder of her last step into the darkness.

The rushes held a sour stench as she walked through them, crumbling softly beneath her bare feet. Clouds of dust rose with each step, and when she turned toward the tower stairs, the landing was strewn with empty wine and ale bottles. Outside, there was a thunderous boom that echoed loudly, seeming to shake the foundations of the manor.

Above her, without even trying, she could feel the anger and grief, the hatred and evil that had always lurked within her brother. Step light, she began to ascend the stone stairs, uncaring as a chill seeped into her skin.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are."

Storybrooke

"Your brother." She'd never met James, David's brother and the man he'd pretended to be for a few short months, but she'd heard plenty about him. King George had once attempted to betroth his son to her, though her father would not hear of it. Leopold had wanted a true love match for his daughter, refusing any and all betrothals that had been offered as Snow had grown older. "That's who he thinks you are."

"It's the only thing that makes sense," David admitted, looking grim at the thought. Like Mary Margaret, he'd never met his brother, had only heard of what a deceitful, wicked man he was, from friend and foe alike. Rapidly coming to a decision, he stood and offered his hand, tugging his wife out of the booth hwen she took it. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" She asked, shouldering her bow as Leroy stumbled to his feet.

David's expression was grim. "To find out just what kind of trouble my brother got himself into." He announced dryly, turning to address the obviously still dazed dwarf. "Leroy, get your head looked at and gather the dwarves. We need to keep an eye out for this giant."

Enchanted Forest

Darren was curled in the far corner of the tower room, hair matted to his skull with blood and sweat and the Gods knew what else. Lilith narrowed her eyes at the sight, standing still in the doorway of the chamber. Magic crackled in the air about her, reacting to the storm of emotions that had begun to build within her. Despite the fact that the magic in their blood only revealed itself in the females of their line, Darren had always been sensitive to other forms of magic, especially when they were as powerful as what Lilith possessed.

Stirring fitfully, his eyes opened and were fixed upon her the moment a flash of lightning lit up the room. He leapt from the straw bed, blood-shot eyes disoriented and glazed, his step unsteady. There was a flicker of recognition in the dusky hue, darker than that of the shade she and Katerina shared. He looked like their father, she mused, keen eyesight taking in his thin, almost emaciated features.

He had the same hair color, several shades lighter than their mother's, with their father's chin and eye shape, with the same broad, stocky build he'd had. She remembered, dimly, being thrown into the air as a child, barely out of nursery smocks, by her great bear of a papa. Lightning flashed again, illuminating the hollows and crevices in her brother's body, and her lip curled upward in disgust.

"You are poor reflection of father," she called assuredly, expression blank. "And to think, they used to say you were the very image of him."

"L-lily?" The drunken haze had begun to clear, and she waited as realization turned first to shock, then to rage. "But you're dead."

"Am I?" She raised a hand, gravely examining it before she raised her eyes, a mocking smirk curling its way up her cheek. "I hadn't noticed, but thank you for informing me of my deceased status, brother."

More alert now, Darren studied her, and she felt the anger rise within him when he met her eyes. "You little bitch," he swore with a hiss. "I should have killed you- " he made to draw the dagger at his hip, but she called it to her with a flick of her dainty fingers.

"Yes," she told him calmly as the dagger materialized in her palm in a swirl of black smoke. "You should have."

Lightning flashed once more, and he jerked back at the savage expression that contorted her dainty, almost elfin features. Stepping back, vainly attempting to hide his fear, though it spiked when she giggled, sounding much like she had at six years old before he'd sold her.

"Now," she calmed herself, years of repressed emotion coming to the forefront. She ran a finger along the dagger, uncaring as it sliced the tip, leaving a ribbon of crimson blood along the blade. Her eyes flashed red in the dim light as she pointed the bloodied weapon at her brother. "Let's play."

Boston

Lillian took her boarding pass without a word, ignoring the polite smile the man behind the counter flashed her. Gold followed her, turning his head to watch her as she passed, slipping her hand into young Henry's. A ring glinted on the middle finger of her left hand, dull silver gleaming beneath the fluorescent lighting. He accepted the boarding pass with a nod of thanks, nonplussed by the reappearance of that certain ring. It had sat in the jewelry display in the shop for decades, an she hadn't touched it even when their memories were returned.

"Have you ever been outside of Storybrooke before, Mr. Gold?" Henry asked as they waited in the security line, attempting to draw the recalcitrant man into conversation.

"No."

Henry peered up at the man, lips pursing at his blank expression. "Are you nervous?"

This time, Gold allowed some of his annoyance to creep into his voice. "No."

"Are you worried about meeting your son?"

Finally exasperated with the boy, Gold turned to face him, expression decidedly irritated. "No, Henry, I'm fine."

"Why don't we discuss this later," Lillian murmured, seeing how many people were beginning to stare at them curiously.

Emma, shooting Lillian a thankful look, quickly added, "she's right, we're next."

Lillian watched Henry and Emma begin to take off their shoes, placing them in the plastic trays available, and quickly followed suit. She slipped the ring off when told, though they were blind to the chain that hung around her neck. Shrugging off her coat and scarf, Lillian headed to the metal detector, not worried that the necklace would set it off. Though the ring was made of silver, the necklace was something different entirely.

"It must be really hard not to use magic - being like everyone else," Henry observed, though Lillian quickly urged him onward before he could draw Gold's ire onto himself.

Watching them all but run away with thinly-veiled amusement, Emma turned to Gold. "You've got to put your shoes in," she told him before one of the TSA agents could snap at him for holding up the line.

"How terribly uncivilized," he muttered, looking highly put out by the very thought. Carefully removing his shoes, no easy task with his limp, he placed them in the tray and made to move forward.

"Uh, scarf and the cane go in the basket," an agent told him with a frown, as if he should know that already.

"What?" Gold asked, dumfounded. Emma paused, listening intently as Henry followed Lillian through the metal detector.

"Scarf and cane go in the basket," the agent repeated.

"I can't." Gold muttered numbly, fingers digging into the soft fabric of Bae's shawl.

Emma hurried to his side, speaking to him in an undertone. "You have to."

Behind the, farther back in the line, an irritated voice spoke up. "It ain't rocket science, buddy." The man snapped. "You ever been on a plane before?"

"Have you ever been impaled upon a cane before?" Gold questioned dangerously, his words drawing the attention of what seemed every TSA agent and security guard in the terminal.

Emma grabbed hold of Gold's arm, sending the employees a reassuring smile while she was at it. "My… father's a little nervous," she told them with a shrug. "We're headed to a family reunion. Sorry." The agents, though still plainly wary, smiled in a knowing manner.

"Father?" Gold repeated incredulously in her ear as she tightened her grip on his arm.

"Just put your shawl in the bin," she snapped crossly. "I'll help you get through."

"If I let this go, I could forget who I am." He snarled in return, white-knuckles digging into said shawl.

Emma squeezed his arm reassuringly. "I'm not going to let that happen."

Eyeing her, Gold nodded shakily. "Okay."

Waiting until Emma had slipped through the metal detector without trouble, Gold carefully removed his shawl and set it in the tray with his cane. The moment it left his touch, the world became distorted and hazy. Stumbling, he managed to make his way through the metal detector, swaying lightly in an almost trance-like state. The moment he cleared the metal detector, Emma jumped toward the tray, yanked out his shawl, and threw it around his neck.

His head cleared immediately, Emma's concerned face coming into focus before him. Giving her a slight nod, he followed her to gather their things from the trays. Henry, shoes already back on and coat slung across his arm, came up to them with Lillian at his heels.

"Guys, there's a Cinnabons here!"

Storybrooke

Thankfully, the presence of the giant had managed to keep them off his trail for the time being. Satisfied that he hadn't been followed, by either of Swan's parents or any of the Dwarves, he headed into the alley near the docks. Kneeling, he placed the card Cora had given him on the ground. A prickle of awareness ran down his spine, but when he turned, it was not Cora who awaited him.

"Hello, Hook," Regina greeted with a wide, red-lipped smile.

"Regina." He returned warily.

"Expecting my mother?" She asked, that disarming smile twisting into a scowl as she stalked toward him. "The one you were supposed to kill?"

"Oh, that." He muttered, forcing a charming smile on his face. "Well, I didn't want to deprive you of a happy reunion."

"Well, it's your lucky day," she took up a smile again, and he shifted uncomfortably at her mood swings. "She and I have made amends."

"And you're here to thank me? How sweet."

"She wants to know if they've found the ship."

Hook nodded, as if expecting such a question. "Well, you can tell her, she can ask me herself."

"She decided it wouldn't be prudent for her to be out and about." She said patiently, as if talking to a rather difficult child.

"Well, then it is my lucky day." He muttered, a roguish grin working its way across his lips. "And you can tell her they found the ship."

"Well, did you get her things off it?" She demanded.

"I've been tied up in bed – not in the good way."

She narrowed her eyes dangerously. "She needs her things."

"Oh, I'll bet she does," he said snidely, though she ignored it for the moment. "Well, there's good news, then," he said, hoping that it would truly be taken as good news. "A giant got loose from the hold."

Regina arched a finely plucked brow. "You lost a giant?"

Hook shrugged lightly. "Well, a shrunken giant."

"How is that good news?" She demanded of him, wondering if it would be better to simply crush his heart and be done with it.

"Because, when he got free, he took one look at the Prince, and became extremely murderous."

"Hmn," she tapped her lips thoughtfully, a smile slowly beginning to unfold on her lips. "A giant in town who wants to kill the Prince. This is just the distraction we need."

He matched her smile with his own. "That it is, dear."

Elsewhere, Anton ran down the unfamiliar streets, terrified and lost. A large contraption sped by him, then another and another. He ducked around them, barely able to kept his footing as they made a honking noise at him.

Enchanted Forest

Rumpelstiltskin waited in the courtyard, a faint smile on his face as he sensed the magic growing in the decrepit manor house, dark and dangerous. Giggling to himself, he settled in to wait, uncaring of the rain and thunder that heralded the approach of a terrible storm. He would suffer through as many storms as it took for Lilith to do what she needed.

Though she had been his student for less than half a decade, she had taken to magic so well that he predicted it would not be long before she'd learned everything he had to teach her. He could not teach her precognition, as that had not been a gift he'd learned, nor could he teach her the specific abilities that he'd earned when becoming the Dark One.

However, she'd surprised even herself by awakening latent abilities that even he did not possess. While she had yet to tap into the magic that all woman in her family had, something that would have to be carefully nurtured given her proclivity towards dark magic, he was confident that it wouldn't be long before that too awoke. After all, it was in her blood.

Speaking of blood… Curious eyes raised to stare at the window, where if he squinted just right, he could see the shadows of two figures. It had been easy to track Lilith's brother down, as he hadn't hidden himself very well, thinking that his little sister was dead, and the manor had already been picked clean by debt-collectors and looters by the time he'd returned to his childhood home.

He wondered how Lilith would kill Darren, as there had been a blood lust to her that he hadn't had the pleasure of witnessing in years. While he'd said nothing when she'd refused her humanity, locking the part of herself away that could feel, the part that could hold her back, he'd always wondered how it would affect her desire for revenge.

And, judging by the sudden, hair-raising scream he heard in the distance, her desire for revenge had not yet been quenched.

Boston

Lillian fidgeted with her phone, twisting the silver ring round and round her finger. Regina hadn't answered her calls; each and every one went straight to voicemail. Scowling, she pocketed the device, raising her eyes to see Gold pacing like a caged lion. Though she couldn't fault him, as she was a jumbled mess of nerves herself, Lillian wrinkled her nose in his direction before she turned back to Henry. He looked around in wonder, clearly over the moon that he'd been allowed to come along.

"Hey," she whispered to Henry, who perked up. "Wanna go get some more food from Cinnabons?"

Eyes widening, he nodded rapidly. Rising to her feet, Lillian slipped her hand into his before she glanced over at Emma. The blonde was watching Gold pace, lips pursed and eyes narrowed. Before she could say something that would most likely set the man off, Lillian interrupted her.

"Henry and I are going to get some food." She arched a brow. "Want any?"

Emma, despite Lillian's warning stare, swiveled her head around to Gold. "Do you want something to eat?"

"No."

Disgruntled by his sharp reply, Emma craned her head around. Lillian merely shook her head before she herded Henry away, unwilling to let him be exposed to Gold's less than charming persona. The moment they were out of earshot, the blonde turned her attention back to Gold.

"Is something wrong?"

He stopped mid-stride and whirled on his heel with a snarl. "Stop asking me that!" He snapped, causing Emma to flinch back in surprise. Without sparing her another glance, he turned and limped away fast as he could. "I'll be right back."

Entering the closest restroom, he stormed inside and locked himself in the nearest stall. It was roomy enough that he could resume pacing, though even that wasn't helping his rising anxiety. A sudden fit of rage overtook him, and he dropped his cane, curled his fingers into fists and violently punched one of the dispensers on the wall.

It took less than half a dozen punches before his knuckles split and agony shot up up arm. Leaning against the wall, panting, he glanced down to take in the damage. Thoughtlessly waving his hand across the wounds, something cold settled within him when nothing happened. He tired once more, with the same results, and the door creaked open, Henry's voice invading his already jumbled thoughts.

"Mr. Gold? Mr. Gold?" The young boy called, looking around the restroom and settling on the closed stall. He could see the shop owner's neatly shined shoes. "We're boarding soon," he announced in the silent room. "Are you coming?"

Gold waited, releasing a breath when the door shut, signaling that Henry had left to return to his mother and Lillian. Sighing to himself, Gold quickly exited the stall, wrapping his bloodied and bruised hand as quickly as he could. Satisfied that it would hold until he could find a more permanent solution, Gold exited the bathroom and came to a sudden halt.

Lillian rested on the opposite wall, one booted foot resting against it. "We need to talk," she told him without preamble, forcing herself to remain detached. The bloodied make-shift bandage he'd created caught her eye, though she refused to focus on it.

"Henry told me- "

"It can wait another minute." She said over him, fingers digging into the wool of her coat. "I won't even need that long."

"Alright," he agreed with a nod, setting his cane before him and resting both hands on it. "Let's hear it."

"I was with Bae for over thirty years. I know better than anyone the way he felt about his father." She shut her eyes and inhaled deeply, as if gathering strength for what she was about to say. "You might miss him, but, right now, I don't give a damn about what you want. If Bae decides he doesn't want to see us, if he tells us to get the hell away from him, that is what we're going to do." A haunted look entered her eyes, causing alarm bells to ring in his mind. "I don't give a damn what you do to me afterward, but if Bae doesn't want to see you, if he wants you and me and all of us gone, I'm going to honor his wishes. It's the least I owe him."

With that, she turned on her heel and stalked off, leaving him to stare after her.

Enchanted Forest

The blow snapped his head to the side, and the rest of him followed suit. Sprawled on the ground, coated in blood and glass and bile, Darren felt as his head was forcibly twisted around. Lily stood in a bloodstained shift, pale blue eyes blank and lifeless, hands twisting around the dagger she'd been using to slice him to ribbons. Blood dripped down from her cheeks, lips twisted into a cruel grimace, and when she stepped toward him, she didn't even flinch when the glass was crushed beneath her bare feet.

Lily watched, dark amusement bubbling deep within her at the terror in Darren's eyes. He was at her mercy - just as she had once been at his. She could still feel the pain of a broken arm when he kicked her down the stairs when she was five, just weeks after their father's death. The split in her lip when he'd backhanded her the first time, the day of their mother's funeral.

Torn from her musings as he tried to crawl away, she flitted forward, heel stomping on the delicate bones of his fingers. There was a sickening crack before he howled in agony, and she nimbly dodged the reflexive swipe of his fist. Though he'd attempted to fight back at first, to no avail, the last few hours had been filled with the occasional plea for her to stop, and now she watched as tears began to trickle from his eyes, creating rivulets in the layers of blood and sweat and dirt on his skin.

"Lily… please!" He begged, curling inward to cradle his broken hand against his chest.

She watched dispassionately, and even the small part of her buried deeply within couldn't even feel pity for him. "That's right, Darren," she whispered, leaning so closely he felt her breath on his skin. "Beg." With a sweep of her hand, he was flung to the side and slammed into the wall.

He slid down, curling into his side immediately in an attempt to stave off the pain. She felt it, a dim echo, and the smallest of amused smiles twisted up her face. Stalking forward, Lily titled her head when, though he looked toward her, he wouldn't look at her.

"Oh, did I frighten you?" She cooed gently as she knelt by his side. She'd broken more of his ribs, she noted distantly, observing the way his good hand curled protectively around his side. "Or is it that I look like her?" In a flash, she fisted a hand in his lank, matted hair and forced his gaze to meet her own. His eyes, dazed and unfocused, slowly met her own. "Isn't that what you always said? That you hated me because I looked so much like mother?"

"You killed her," he spat feebly, though could do nothing more when she closed her other hand into a fist and drove it into his abdomen. Blood trickled from his lips and he hacked up a fair amount of it, staining the marble with the viscous liquid.

Her head tilted like a cat, and a chilling smile formed on her lips. "Hmm, well, I know one thing." She straightened and planted a foot on his chest, pressing down with the slightest of pressure against his ribs. His scream of pain almost drowned out her next words. "I'm going to kill you."

Storybrooke

Ducking out of the way, Mary Margaret and David watched the car fly passed them before they returned their attention back to the fully-sized giant rampaging around the town. As he taunted the fleeing townsfolk, they took up the chase again, following in his wake.

As their fellow citizens ran away from him, David called out to them. "Head to the town hall! Bring anyone you find on the way!" He looked around for the black-haired dwarf to no avail. "Somebody get Leroy!" He added, hoping one of Leroy's brothers were in the crowd.

"Guess we found our giant," Mary Margaret breathed as the last of the scrambling people made it by them, sprinting for the direction of the town hall. She watched the giant, hands tight on her bow. "I just didn't think he would be so… "

David picked up where she left off. "Giant?" He supplied archly.

She nodded. "My mistake."

"Ever stop one before?"

"Nope."

"Well… here's to new firsts," he muttered, ducking out from behind the wall they'd taken shelter behind to catch Anton's attention before he destroyed the entire town. "Wait!" Anton swung around, his every step causing the ground to quake. "You don't have to do this!"

"Yeah, I do." The giant boomed back with a fierce snarl. "You destroyed my life. Now you're gonna know what that feels like."

"The man who hurt you? That wasn't me." David shouted as Anton came closer to them, though the giant made no move to attack. "That was my twin brother James. We were separated at birth. He was raised by a… a ruthless King."

Anton's eyes widened. "You're not James?"

"No!"

Anton came even closer. "Then where is he?"

"He paid the ultimate price for his arrogance. He's dead!" David announced, without a hint of regret or pain. Though part of him wondered what it would have been like to know his brother, he knew that nothing good would have come from it. "There is nothing more you can do to him."

Mary Margaret, feeling she was being far too passive, spoke up with a wide smile. "We're on your side, Anton! We're good!" She cried. "We're here because of you. You know our daughter Emma," his eyes widened at her words. "You gave her the magic compass."

"Emma?" Anton repeated, remembering the kind young woman who'd spared his life when she didn't have to. "Let me talk to her," he demanded, and their expressions fell at his words. "She says you're okay, then I'll stop."

"She's kind of out of town," Mary Margaret said, with far less enthusiasm as Leroy ran toward them.

"Really?" Anton asked doubtfully, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"But when she gets back, I know she'll really want to talk to you."

"How convenient," he straightened, and all three took a step back as anger once more clouded his features. "Everyone I'm looking for isn't around! All you humans do is lie, and cheat, and kill, and I'm sick of it!"

With that, he took several steps forward, prompting the trio to turn around and run. Lips curled back into a snarl, Anton began to follow them, his strides lengthening until he was charging them.

Enchanted Forest

She brought the tip of the dagger to his throat, gently drawing it across the unmarked skin hard enough that a thin line of red welled up in its wake. Too weak from blood loss to fight back, Darren lay there limply as she withdrew the dagger and tossed it aside. Eyes cracking open, he weakly tried to hit her, and though she took a step back from the laughable hit, Lilith raised her own hand.

"It's not so much fun now, is it?" She queried, flinging him across the room with a flick of her fingers. "Not when I can fight back."

He rolled onto his stomach, back arched as he coughed up blood from his filling lungs. "Lily- "

"You're about to drown in your own blood," she told him conversationally, striding across the room to stand beside him. Even now, he refused to look at her. "Though, I suppose I could save you… but I still have one more thing to do."

Forcing him to rise up, she waited until he rested on his bruised knees before moving to stand before him. Eyes half-swollen shut and crusted with drying blood, he blearily stared back. She'd sliced him on both temples, never hitting hard enough to kill him. Standing before him, seeing him at her mercy the way she had once been at his, a sense of elation filled her and she began to giggle.

"Oh, I've waited ages for this day."

Without another word, though his mouth opened - to plead with her, no doubt - she lashed out. Her hand slipped into his chest, fingers gripping his heart an squeezing hard as she pulled the organ out. It beat weakly in her hand, though he couldn't die so long as she held it, and she t'sked lightly when she saw how blackened it was.

"Lily," he eyes flew to his and she raised a brow, allowing him this last request. "Please… I'm your brother."

She paused long enough for relief to fill his eyes, for him to believe she had faltered. The moment the light filled his eyes, she took great pleasure in destroying it.

"And I was your sister." She snarled, closing her fingers around the heart and crushing it. Darren released a choked sound before his body began to tilt to the side, falling at her feet.

Storybrooke

"So let me get this straight – you got a twin brother?" Leroy demanded as they sprinted down the streets of Storybrooke, the giant fast on their heels. He'd heard the tail end of their attempts to reason with Anton, and was more than a little put out that he'd never been privy to the information that Charming had only been a prince because his twin had died.

"Yeah," David answered tersely, too intent on running to actually pay attention to the conversation.

"His name is James?"

"Right."

Leroy blinked in confusion. "Well, your name is James." He pointed out.

"No, actually, it's not."

"It's Charming, then?"

"No," Mary Margaret said from David's other side. "That's the nickname I gave him."

"Hey, hold on," Leroy huffed as they turned another corner. "What the hell is your name?"

"David."

"Your curse name?"

"My real name!"

"What, you're David, James, and Charming?" Leroy asked as the giant continued to thunder after them. "Is David like a middle name?"

"No! It's my name-name."

Leroy threw his hands up. "You know what? I'm going to call you whatever I damn well please! Is that okay?!"

David had to chuckle. "Sure, Leroy."

"So what's the plan?" The Dwarf asked, all business once more.

David didn't even look his way. "Lead the giant away from here, so he can't hurt anyone."

Though she saw sense in his plan, Mary Margaret's pace suddenly began to slow. "Wait," she breathed in realization. "If we keep heading in this direction, we're going to hit the town line."

"Okay, new plan." David swiftly turned directions, leading them toward the docks. As they approached them, he skidded to a stop and turned to face the approaching Giant.

Mary Margaret neatly skidded to a stop and raced to his side. "What are you doing?"

"Giving him what he wants," he muttered to her before raising his voice. "Anton! How about we make a deal?"

Anton paused, sneering down at them. "I don't make deals with humans."

"Just hear me out," he begged, continuing before the giant had the chance to agree or disagree. "I'll surrender myself to you, if you spare the lives of everyone in Storybrooke."

His wife grabbed hold of his arm. "David, you can't do this."

"If I don't, the whole town will suffer." He reminded her in a hushed tone, meeting her wide, frightened eyes with a somber expression. "I can't allow that. Well, what do you say?" He asked, turning back to the thoughtful giant.

It took less than a minute for Anton to begin nodding his head. "Deal." He agreed before lunging toward David, who braced himself for the impact. As Anton prepared to stomp on the blond man, Mary Margaret sprang, yanking her husband out of harm's way at the last second, sending Anton straight through the ground.

Stuck in the ground for a moment, Anton disappeared in a swirl of blue smoke. When it cleared, all that they could see was the large, gaping hole the giant had made. Shaken by the tremor Anton had caused, Mary Margaret held onto David tightly as all three looked around.

"Where did he go?" She demanded, unable to see any hint of the giant.

David took a cautious step toward the hole. "I'm not sure," he moved closer, Mary Margaret and Leroy at his heels.

They peered into the hole, all three sets of eyes landing on where Anton had ended up. Hanging onto an underground pipe several feet down in the hole was Anton.

Enchanted Forest

Lilith stared down at Darren as he slumped to the side, eyes wide and vacant and staring. Slowly, she uncurled her trembling fist, allowing the ash to slide from her palm to gather on the blood-soaked flood. His clothing in tatters, with every visible inch of skin covered in deep lacerations that still bled freely, she looked upward with a small, happy smile.

It was over.

Inhaling deeply, she looked back down at the body, taking in the sight. For her, the man she'd killed wasn't her brother - she wasn't sure he ever had been. A brother doesn't treat his sister the way I was treated. It was times like this that she felt faint stirrings of resentment towards her parents. They'd allowed Darren to act the way he had, and her father had killed himself without any concern for how she'd be treated after his death.

Heart light for the first time in years, Lilith turned on her heel and crossed the room, feet sticky from the already thickening blood. She paused in the doorway, running her fingers over the door frame in contemplation. Part of her longed to burn the manor down, to bury the last part of her past for good, but something stopped her. Shrugging it off, she took the steps carefully, intent on getting back to her teacher so they could return home.

As she reached the entry way, she paused long enough to glance toward a single mirror that had escaped the looters. There was a last flash of lightning, and when it illuminated the room, she could see her reflection.

Blood red eyes stared back at her.

Storybrooke

David took one look at the rope Leroy handed him and blanched. "That better hold," he muttered, tying one end around his waist.

"It'll hold." Leory assured him brusquely

At the end of the truck, as she tied the other end of the rope, Granny said archly, "I got this." She sounded so offended that not even Leroy wanted to poke at her.

As David peered down at the hole, readying himself to climb down, Mary Margaret cupped his face in her hands. Kissing him briefly, but long enough that his blood heated, she pulled back to stroke his cheekbones with a faint smile.

"Most people would let that giant die after what he's done."

He gripped one of her wrists, stroking along the top of her hand. "You wouldn't." He pointed out with a cheeky smile that made her chuckle breathlessly.

Turning from his wife, David tightened the rope around his waist before he crawled down the lip of the hole. As he shimmied down the hole, he called down to the giant that held onto life by a thread several feet down.

"Alright, Anton! I'm coming down!" He didn't received an answer, and was slightly glad for it as his hands slipped on the piping and rock. Once he'd gone down far enough to be almost eye level with the other man, he held out one hand. "Take my hand."

Anton didn't even look at him. "No!"

David startled, regretting the action immediately as the rope precariously swayed with his movement. "No?" He clarified incredulously.

"I don't want to go back up there." Anton shouted with a scowl that just as quickly was replaced with a frown. "I should just let go!"

"You'll die."

"Maybe death hurts less than life."

"If you really wanted to die, you would have let go already." David reminded him as fiercely as he dared. When the giant merely sent him another unreadable look, but made no move to let go, David held out his hand once more. "Now take my hand!"

Shutting his eyes tightly, Anton exhaled shakily before he threw out one of his shaking arms and clasped hands with David. With a grunt, David hauled the giant toward him, yelling up at the others to pull them up. It took longer than anyone would have liked, especially the two in the crater.

"Come on!" Leroy encouraged as he and his brothers tugged hard on the rope.

"Almost!" Mary Margaret, the closest to the edge of the hole, peered down even as she pulled with everything she had. "A little more!"

The moment her husband cleared the hole and helped Anton up out of it as well, Mary Margaret was on him. Flinging her arms around his neck and pressing rapid kisses all over his flushed face, Mary Margaret barely heard Anton address David beside them.

"You saved my life," the giant looked more than a bit bewildered.

David smiled as his wife managed to reign in her impulse to fuss like a mother hen. "That's what we do." He said as he tucked Mary Margaret's arm in the crook of his.

"Thank you."

Despite not being the one Anton had addressed, Leroy said, "You're welcome."

"We're not all the same, Anton." David muttered gently, drawing back the distraught man's attention. His expression softened at the pain that lurked in Anton's expressive eyes, no longer hidden by rage. "I don't know what my brother did to you, but… that's not us."

Anton stared hard at him, brow furrowed and mouth a thin, pinched line, for several heartbeats, during which David refused to break eye contact. Finally, as if he'd seen something in the depths of David's eyes, Anton blinked and slumped. "You have no idea."

Enchanted Forest

Just as he'd promised, Rumple awaited her in the courtyard. He was examining a decrepit statue, carved in the shape of a frolicking water-horse. Time and the elements had been at it, and it more resembled a shapeless blob than the once immaculate art piece she remembered from her childhood. He turned at the soft patter of her feet, a wide smile blooming across his scaled features.

"Ah, there you are, dearie," he greeted lowly, keeping a tight lid on his excitement at the sight of her. "I trust you were…" his eyes swept across her, from the blood that was splattered across her front, to the new odd color of her eyes. "Successful?"

Mutely, she nodded. The blood was sticky and hot against her chilled skin, and she didn't need to look to know that the shift she wore was ruined. A pity, she ran her eyes down the once snow-white fabric idly. It was a new one, too. When her eyes rose, Rumple was staring at her with a grave expression. "Yes?"

"How do you feel?" He asked, flitting across the ground to stand before her. She didn't resist when he reached out with his second and third fingers to gently tilt her chin upwards. There was a trickle of blood that began just below her left eye, a gory mimic of a tear. He wiped it away, a faint crease in his brow.

"It's not mine," she murmured before he could summon his magic to heal her. "None of it is."

His eyes glittered with curiosity. "Did you bleed him dry?" He questioned, only half-serious. He didn't expect an answer, but the one she offered caused a smile to once more spread across his thin lips. Blood-stained and pale, she looked like a wraith, almost ethereal in the cold moonlight.

Lilith smiled at him, the first time in years; it was a feral one, all glimmering white teeth and wild red eyes.

Storybrooke

"This is Granny's," Leroy explained as they led Anton, eyes wide with wonder, into the diner. "She makes a mean lasagna and runs an inn, so I'm sure we can set you up with a room till you find a place."

"Thanks, but I think I'll set up camp in the woods." Anton muttered, refusing to meet anyone's eye.

"The woods?"

"Yeah, I'm better off alone." Anton said, old insecurities and memories creeping back up on him. "I'm not too good at fitting in."

Instead of being offended or telling him he was wrong, Leroy merely smiled widely. "You're in the right place. Storybrooke's got all kinds – dwarves, fairies, werewolves, sorceresses you name it." He turned to Ruby, who had entered with their group and called out, "Ruby, beers all around!"

"We all miss our land, Anton." Mary Margaret told the giant as they led him to a cozy booth. Her smile, while friendly, was also sad. "But this is our home now."

"You never think about going back?"

Without looking, she reached beside her and took David's hand, squeezing it tightly. "Of course we do," she admitted frankly. "It's just not possible."

"We have no way to get there." David added.

Anton pursed his lips thoughtfully. "How's the farmland here?"

"Pretty good." David answered once he'd recovered from the odd turn the conversation had taken. "Why?"

Reaching beneath his tunic, revealing a chain that ended in a small vial, holding a pale green stalk. "The stem is from a beanstalk," he explained at their puzzled expressions. "If I plant it, it should be able to grow some magic beans. And then, you just may have a way."

With almost everyone piled into David's truck and Leroy's van, they drove out to one of the fields past the woods, near the town line. As they gathered around the field, Anton knelt beside the soil and dug his fingers into the dirt, rubbing it between them.

"Well, what's the verdict?" David called from beside Mary Margaret, who vibrated silently at his side with excitement.

"Soil's got a nice loamy feel," Anton announced as he straightened and turned around to face them. "Lots of minerals. The beans should grow well here." His expression changed suddenly, from excited to alert. "Only one problem."

"What's that?" Mary Margaret asked, head tilted curiously.

"Cora." He explained, not surprised when each of them stiffened. "This is why she brought me. She wanted me to grow beans." His lips twisted into a grimace. "So whatever she plans to do with them… can't be good."

"Then we won't let her get to them." Mary Margaret said simply.

Leroy nodded in agreement. "No one touches our crop."

"Your crop?" Anton repeated, taken aback by the protective tone. "I thought you guys were miners?"

The bearded dwarf shrugged. "Work is work, it's what we do." The dwarves were a simple race, it was true. "So what do you say? You up for some help?"

Anton nodded, clearly overwhelmed by how quickly they'd decided to welcome him. "Okay."

Leroy held out a hand. "Happy!" His brother approached, two pick axes in hand, and handed off the unmarked one to his burly brother. "Here," Leroy held it out to Anton, who stared at it blankly. "To help break up the earth."

The giant took it, letting his fingers over the carved lettering as it appeared. "'Tiny'." He read out, suddenly choked by the emotion the simple word dredged up. "My brothers used to call me that."

"Axe never lies."

"Wait a second," the acting sheriff protested from Mary Margaret's side. "I did my time in the mines," he reminded the chortling dwarves. "How come I didn't get one of those?"

Leroy snorted at the mock-hurt tone David adopted. "'Cause you ain't a dwarf," he told the blond man with a wicked smirk. Turning to Anton, who gripped the axe tightly in his hands, he smiled in welcome and flung an arm about his shoulder. "Welcome aboard, brother."

Without another word, the eight of them went to work, hacking away at the fertile ground. Mary Margaret couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped her when, of all things, each and every one of them began to whistle.

Belle looked up from her book with a startled jerk when her door opened. The last few times she'd had visitors, she'd ended up being sedated, much to her displeasure. A man, with a large healing scrape on his face, paused at the fearful expression she wore.

"Hey, it's okay," he held up his hands when her blue eyes went impossibly wide. Waiting for her to weakly nod, he slowly entered the room, trying to show her he meant her no harm.

"Who, uh… who are you?" She asked carefully, marking the page in her book and shutting it with a snap.

"My name's Greg, okay? I… I'm a patient here, just like you." He explained, seeing a thoughtful expression enter her eye. "I… I'm really sorry to bother you, but… I'm the one that was driving the car in… in the accident."

Her eyes, if possible, grew ever wider. "Oh," she breathed, looking him over, eyes flicking to the scrapes he still bore. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he ran a hand over the still healing wound. "Yeah, they, um… they patched me up pretty good." He told her with a wry smile. "Look, I… I overheard you talking. About how you saw a guy with a ball of fire."

"And you think I'm crazy, too." Belle finished for him, eyes beginning to grow wide as her voice rose shrilly. "Well, I did see it. I- "

"Hey, I know that you're not crazy." Greg said, hands raised once more to ward off her growing ire.

That gave her pause, and she looked up at him in astonishment. "You do?" She asked in disbelief. He nodded and, slowly, took the chair that rested beside her bed.

"'Cause I saw it, too."

Two coffees in hand, David exited the diner, handing off one to Mary Margaret. She smiled, accepting the hot beverage before she gave it a tentative sip, unwilling to scald her tongue. Meeting her husband's eye as she lowered the cup, deeming it too hot for consumption just yet, she smiled before they fell into step, walking towards the apartment.

"Here's to not getting squashed by a giant." He cheered, clinking his cup against hers.

"I'll drink to that."

He hesitated, and she let him, knowing that whatever bothered him, he'd tell her when he was ready. "Sometimes," he began softly. "I wonder how things would've turned out if I had been the one raised by King George instead of my brother." At her puzzled expression, he elaborated, "You know, would I have been… corrupt like him?"

"Never."

David blinked at her automatic response. "Same blood ran through our veins."

"Mm," she acknowledged with a him. "But your hearts are different. You may not believe it, but trust me – I know you, Charming." With a loving smile that he matched, Mary Margaret slipped her arm through his. "I had a lot of fun today."

"Fun?"

"Uh-huh."

David rose a brow at the almost childlike delight she exhibited. "Almost getting killed is fun?"

"Yeah," she accepted the stare he sent her with a blithe shrug. "I missed our adventures." She confided rapidly, as if afraid he'd disagree.

"Me, too," he admitted in return with a breathless chuckle. "It was kind of fun. You know, we could do this all the time." He reminded her, broaching the sensitive topic that neither had touched in days. "When the beans grow, we could go back. Everyone could go home."

"I don't know."

He stopped her with a gentle pull on her elbow, waiting until she'd faced him. "What don't you know?"

"Home is where our family is, and that's here." She chewed her lip worriedly. "I don't know if Emma would come with us, and I am not going to be separated from her again."

"You're worried about her."

"Aren't you?"

"Of course," he said without pause. "And I'm worried about Henry and Lillian." Mary Margaret said nothing, but her lips twitched at the mention of the young sorceress. Lilith and Charming had forged a bond during the long years as they fought against George and Regina, one Snow White couldn't even begin to comprehend, though she'd known better than to feel threatened by it. As Mary Margaret, she had a better grasp of the closeness her husband and one of her best friends had. "But… Emma… Emma can take care of herself, and I'm sure wherever she and Henry and Lillian are, they're safe."

Boston

Seated between Emma and Lillian, who had claimed the window seat and dragged him beside her, Henry offered his 'sister' a cinnamon bun. She took the sticky treat with a blank smile, ignoring the looks of concern it drew from mother and son. The teen had been silent, more than was the norm, and she hadn't even spared Gold's bandaged hand a look when he'd returned from the bathroom moments before they boarded.

Emma, sensing Lillian, who was quietly munching on the pastry, wouldn't react well to Henry's curiosity, drew his attention to herself instead. "You good, kid?"

"You kidding?" Henry beamed up at her. "A trip with you and Lillian, first plane ride, and we're going on a quest like in the book." He rattled off rapidly, smiling so widely Emma could see all his teeth. "The only thing that could make this day better? Is more frosting."

Emma cracked a smile despite the tension, though was put out to see that Lillian hadn't even reacted to Henry's quip. Turning her attention to their other silent travel partner, her eyes were immediately drawn to the makeshift bandage on Gold's hand.

"It's going to be alright," she told the quietly simmering man. "We're going to find your son."

Gold continued to stare ahead, though he finally acknowledged her words with a faint, "I know," just as the takeoff announcement began.

"Welcome, folks, to Ajira Airlines regional flight fifty-three, with non-stop service to New York City. Our flight time tonight is forty-two minutes. Please sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride."

Stomach twisted so tightly he felt he would burst, Gold settled back in his seat stiffly. Lillian hadn't looked at him since whispering her threat, signifying that the closeness they'd enjoyed for years was all but gone. He refused to let it break him, even though they both knew that she was most likely correct in her assumption of how Bae would react when they found him.

He didn't react as the plane engines started, staring ahead blankly, deaf to the people around him.

Thoughts? Comments? Questions?

Also, the next chapter - the one with the long awaited reunion of Bae, Gold and Lillian, will be up soon.