X Marks the Spot

Chapter Seventeen

The Evil Queen returned to the farmhouse when she finally walked away from the pawnshop and found her older sister cleaning up after the other villains left, then upon hearing her enter, without turning around the Wicked Witch spoke up coldly as she asked, "So… did you manage to steal back my book from Gold? It certainly took you long enough. You missed out on dinner and our little conspiring party."

Regina's doppelganger waved her hand to make the book she had picked up at Gold's and managed to steal before he had snared her into his trap and replied, "Would you find it in your heart to forgive me if I told you that I've succeeded? I certainly hope that you, this evil Stepmother of Cinderella's, and that Count with one eye and an eyepatch plotted against these heroes well. I'm a little sorry I missed it."

"You tried to kill me because you wanted the Dark One at your side on the day when these heroes are finally defeated over your own sister," Zelena answered angrily as she slammed the plate she was holding down into the table, shattering it into pieces. "Just because he's more powerful than I am. So no, sis. You're going to have to work a lot harder if you want to regain my trust again. A lot harder. The only reason why I haven't kicked you out is because Robin seems to like having you around. And she needs at least one of her aunts."

"That isn't really the only reason why you haven't kicked me out," the dark haired woman responded, then took a seat at the dining room table again while Zelena used her magic to clean up the glass and repair the plate. "You don't want to do that because despite you being wicked, you still want your sister in your life almost as much as you want to be the best mother you can be for that sweet little girl of yours. Regina is your first choice for a sister of course, but seeing as I'm the evil part of her and the most like you, you happily accept me in your life instead. Because I actually pay attention to you."

The older woman scoffed as she raised her head to look over at her sister sitting before her and retorted, "Hardly. You only put up with me because right now you need me. You proved that when you betrayed me for Gold. Hand over my book."

The Queen did as she asked and Zelena immediately took the thick, leather bound green book within her hands, then she stated, "I haven't even opened it at all, in case you're worried I might have stolen one of your spells. Although I won't deny I wasn't tempted."

"This grimoire was given to me a long time ago, but I never found out by who," Zelena replied while she stared down at and stroked the cover making it clear that it was very valuable to her. "I found it one morning on the ground outside of my house, wrapped in brown paper. I always liked to think that perhaps it was our mother who gave it to me somehow. That is until I learned that she cared more about my sister than she cared about me. But now that I've actually met her… I might have been right. She did love me more than I thought. I'll just never know for sure."

"So how did Gold get it then?" the Evil Queen asked. "I would have thought you'd have kept it better protected it if it means so much to you."

The red haired witch glared at her sister as she answered, "Because Rumpelstiltskin stole it from me, back when he thought he killed me. All of my spells I ever cast were undone then after Regina defeated me, including the protection spell I cast on my book. It's about time I finally got it back. Perhaps now I can use it to pay the Dark One back for trying to have me killed. You're very lucky that you're my sister. Try to kill me again and we're through, blood or not."

The younger woman nodded and then responded, "You have my word, Sis. And don't worry. You will come to trust me again. I promise."

A few hours later into the evening…

After the Evil Queen left, Rumple continued to clean his shop until he finally restored everything to their original states, as all of the treasures and magical artifacts were once again on display or safely hidden away so that the heroes would never find what possessions he valued most.

Gold tried not to think anything of what his latest enemy had spoken to him about when she had come to interrupt his work again. But upon mentioning Black Beard and her curiosity as to whether or not the other pirate knew of the consequences of the deal made between them, he had to admit that his own curiosity had been peeked. He had just ignored her inquiry before as he went back to cleaning and it finally got her to leave without another word. Now he wanted to know.

He summoned his dagger into his hand and used it to open a magical window in front of him so that he could look in on Black Beard, expecting to find him still sitting within his cell at the Sheriff's station. However, he watched as David, Grumpy, the red haired mermaid, and Dr. Whale rush the pirate on a gurney into the hospital's emergency room and could see that he had become ill.

"You really should have waited until I warned you of the consequences before you agreed to my deal, pirate," the Dark One said to himself smugly as though he was speaking to Black Beard.

"It was you," Belle all of a sudden uttered in disbelief upon walking in on her husband from the back room as he spoke those words out loud and observed his dirty work through the window he forged.

Rumple spun around after he heard her voice and stared at the woman he still loved with surprise, then started to walk towards her until she immediately backed away from him while she raised her hands as if to protect herself from him as she continued, "No. Just stay back. I came here to you in hope that you could help me find out what's happening to Killian because he's my friend. And instead I discover that you're the one helping Black Beard get his revenge on him. I should have known it was you."

He took a few more steps towards her while he worryingly replied, "Belle. If you will just allow me to explain…"

"No!" she shouted angrily before he could finish pleading with her to listen. "There is nothing you can say to me that would ever help me to understand why it is you've hurt him this time. Do you have any idea how much Killian has done for me since I was awakened from the sleeping curse? Does it even matter to you at all? Killian saved my life when Jekyll tried to kill me because you trapped me onboard the Jolly Roger. He's given me a place to stay because you've ruined the love you and I shared, again and he's given me hope when there's been little to be found."

"You have no idea what it did to me to lose our son," Gold answered pleadingly as she shook her head in frustration. "I couldn't hurt you, but Hook and Emma both helped you to send him away. Then Black Beard appeared as he made his intentions to hurt the Savior's pirate known and my hate for him blinded me. Hook provoked me and…"

Belle responded, "I don't care what excuses you come up with. There is never an excuse for what you've done to him or Emma, over and over. I'm leaving so I can let Emma and the others know the truth. If you still have any good left in you at all, if you love me at all, I'm begging you to stop whatever you're doing to him and heal…"

All of a sudden, the Dark One swiftly cast a freeze spell on his wife before she could leave to tell the rest of the heroes of his involvement and began to pull out all memory of their conversation and of the moment she had walked in on, then Rumple looked into her eyes as he noticed a tear slip out while he whispered, "Forgive me, Belle. You won't remember this moment. But it still pains me to have to resort to this. They may eventually figure out I'm behind Hook's death when it happens, but I can't allow them to just yet. Not when there's still a chance they can stop it."