Hey guys, I know it has been forever since I last updated but this chapter was really bugging me. I kept going back to it and rewriting it then going back and rewriting it again. Finally, I have a chapter that I am proud of and I hope you feel the same.
FYI: It is my birthday today so I guess happy birthday to me and as a party favor for you all, here's a new chapter!
Disclaimer: I do not own once upon, any of its characters or dialogue. But if I did, then Neal would show up on my doorstep and…well…let your imagination fly!
Also, just so this story works out completely disregard episode 2x07 of OUAT. Otherwise the story doesn't work.
Enjoy!
Granny had been agonizing over how Milah could have gone back in time. It would have to have been by magic and it wasn't out of the realm of possibilities so she had no reason to discard the idea.
From memory she could only think of a few people/beings that could possibly perform a spell that could send people back in time. Regina, The Dark One and the Blue Fairy. Regina would have only been a child herself so it couldn't have been her so that only left The Dark One and the Blue Fairy. She highly doubted that it was The Dark One because he would have been aware of what Milah and consequently his own son was and unless the deal had been that she marry him and give him a child, which she highly doubted, then the only lead she had left was the Blue Fairy.
It wasn't a sound theory, it could be possible that it was in fact the work of The Dark One or another powerful individual, but it was all she had to go on.
The Blue Fairy had been around for centuries, even longer than Rumplestiltskin, and if it wasn't her that had sent Milah back in time then maybe she would know who did.
Her mind made up she set off for the only church in town.
While she walked her mind continued to turmoil over Neal and Henry. She had no doubts that Emma would rescue Henry in time but she wasn't so sure that the same could be said for Neal. She had watched as Regina had taken control of Neal and could only speculate what she planned to do with him.
Since she didn't own a cell phone and was in such a hurry to get to the church she didn't have enough time to stop by the diner and use the phone there to get an update from Red on what was going on or to tell her what she was going to do.
The chaos Neal's abrupt exit had caused was still in the process of getting cleaned up and she couldn't help but feel more concern for Neal than the people who had witnessed the incident. Even before the real identity of his mother had been uncovered she had felt an instant connection to the young man the moment had first spoken to him and she knew that Red felt the connection as well.
Finally reaching the church she took two steps at a time she was soon entering the candle lit church, the heavy glass paned door shutting behind her. The further she walked into the church, she realized that she seemed to be the only soul there.
Accessing her diluted wolf senses she listened to the sounds that filtered through the air. There was a heartbeat close by, not distressed and listening closer to the other noises she could hear her whispering a prayer.
Following the beating heart and the continued whispering she found Mother Superior, also known as The Blue Fairy, lighting a candle and drawing the cross in the air as she said her goodnight prayer.
"Mother Superior. Blue. I need to speak with you about a very important matter" ending her prayer she turned to face Granny and approached her.
"How may I be of assistance to you?" she sat down at a pillar and waited for Granny to sit down beside her.
Granny and the Blue Fairy couldn't be described as "friends" more like "allies". They had fought and worked together before but they had never discussed anything besides protecting the kingdom from Regina.
If the Blue Fairy had done something to send Milah back in time she had better have an incredibly good reason and another one for never telling Granny what she had done.
"In all the centuries that you have been alive did you ever receive a call for help from my daughter Milah?" the name had an effect on the woman and she looked down at her lap, her hands playing with the rosary around her neck.
Her silence was all the confirmation Granny needed.
"What did she wish for?" in her own mind Granny went back to the last night she had seen her daughter.
~Break~
~Fairy tale land that was~
Widow Lucas raised the knife and clopped the chicken's head off then set to work on plucking the carcass for dinner.
Her eyes continuously roamed to the darkening sky and the approaching moon making her aging body feel on edge. It wasn't just the coming moon that had her distressed it was also because her only child, Milah, had yet to return from collecting mushrooms for the stew. Mushrooms grew in the forest that surrounded their home and would only take a short amount of time to pick a full basket's worth and return. She had sent Milah out when the sun was still high but now the sun had nearly set and still had not returned.
Chopping the chicken up into chunks she deposited the chunks into the pot over the burning fire then picked up a spoon and stirred the meat around before turning and slicing the carrots, potatoes and onions.
Her eyes strayed to the window once more and she saw that the sun was nearly gone. The moon would be up soon. She fingered her enchanted ring, the one her departed husband had made for her by the same wizard who had made Milah's necklace.
Approaching laughter and voices caused her ears to perk up at the familiar voice of her daughter who seemed to be talking to someone. Without putting the knife down she strode to the door and swung it open to show her Milah laughing with a strange man that had a wolfish grin on his dirt caked face.
"Milah, get in this house now!" she ordered, her eyes staying on the nameless man beside her.
Smelling the air she was not at all surprised to find that he reeked of wolves and alcohol and this served to infuriate her further. Looking to her daughter she noted the stench of alcohol on her as well and from the leering look she was giving the man, more than just drinking had been going on.
The man whispered something in her ear and Granny didn't have to listen in to know that it was something lewd from the raucous laughter and blush that came from Milah.
Growling she marched from the house and grabbed her by the arm and tried to lead her back to the house but the young woman fought her hold off and returned to the man's side.
"You can't control me! I'm not a little girl anymore and I don't need to put with your rules!" she spat, and in an act of rage forcibly threw the mushroom filled basket at her. The basket just missed hitting her head.
The creaking of wood alerted them to a new audience followed by the unsure voice of a little girl.
"Mama?" the voice of her child was enough to bring her out of her drunken haze and she looked over her mother's shoulder at her young daughter, Red.
"Your right, you're not a little girl anymore, you're a grown woman and a mother. Now stop this nonsense and come inside" Granny stated, knowing that the presence of Red was the light that needed to be shone to get through to her.
Pulling away from the man she tried to fix herself up by patting the dirt off her dress and face along with picking the twigs out of her hair. Once she was presentable enough she moved past her mother and went to her young daughter.
"Red, honey, go back inside and set the table for dinner. Granny and I will be inside soon" listening to her soothing voice Red nodded and went back inside the small, cozy home to do as her mama said.
Turning back around she ignored Granny's almost smug look and made eye contact with her companion and shook her head she waved him off. Getting the message he tilted his head in farewell then with one cold look at Granny ran off.
Granny looked up at the sky at the glowing full moon. It was time to go inside and lock themselves in for the night.
Marching inside she hauled Milah in as well and shut the door behind them and quickly put the double lock in place.
Red was seated at the table playing with her doll and was oblivious to the tension between her Granny and mama.
"I told you to collect the mushrooms and come straight back! You went to the brothel again, didn't you?" she accused, past being tired with her daughter's blatant defiance.
Milah threw her hands up in annoyance, "yes I did! At least there I can get away from the self-loathing that consumes this house!" she exclaimed, turning her back on Granny and stalking into her and Red's room.
Not willing to let her have the last word Granny followed and the argument continued.
"Everything I do, I do to protect this family! Giving in could mean the end to our humanity and I refuse to let you, Red or myself go down that road. If your father could see you now I dare to think he would die once more" she was doing her best to lower her voice, not wanting Red to overhear them further.
It was a low blow and they both knew it but that didn't prevent Milah from her next stance.
"You may be willing to spend the rest of your days as a tamed, worthless human but I won't, I can't. I was born a wolf mother. I have tried to be like you, for Red's sake but I can't do it anymore. Every full moon the spirit of the woods calls to me and for every night that I have to turn away another piece of my soul dies" she confessed, all anger having left her voice to be replaced with sorrow.
Granny had always known that her daughter was an essence of the forest and it was only a matter of time before nature beckoned her to enter its embrace and shed her human façade.
She had prayed that this day would never come.
"You would abandon your daughter for you own selfish needs?" she didn't even attempt to hide the disappointment in her voice.
Tears threatened to fall from her hazel eyes.
"She's better off without me. Maybe she'll be able to handle the life of a human" Granny could hear the heart ache in her words but she was still angry with the choice she was about to make.
The mother in her though was not yet willing to give up on her child just yet.
"Please Milah, don't be so rash. Take a few days to think about this and then if you still believe that this is what you must do then I won't stop you" Granny bartered, hoping that she would listen to her suggestion.
Milah was silent as she thought over her mother's words, after a few minutes she spoke.
"All right mother, I'll do as you wish. But if I do decide to leave, you have to promise that you'll let me leave and won't go looking for me" she accepted, adding her own addition to the deal.
Knowing that it was the only way this argument was going to end peacefully Granny agreed.
With the verbal war ending in a truce Milah and Granny went back into the main room and finished the last few preparations for dinner.
A few days did not go by, nor a complete night. The following morning Milah was gone and all that she left behind was a note for Granny with this message:
"I'm sorry. I can no longer live this lie. Please take care of Red and make sure that she knows I do love her but never tell her the truth of where I have gone.
All my love,
Milah"
~Present Time~
Looking back up at her Mother Superior spoke.
"Your daughter did summon me. She was very distressed and hurt. She told me that the pack she had been with had killed and raided an entire village. Their horrified screams haunted her dreams and consciousness. I remember how terrified she was…"
~Fairy Tale Land That Was~
Milah curled herself up in the shelter that she had made from branches, mud and leaves. Rain fell from the heavens and soaked the earth.
She had been running for miles, the bottoms of her feet were bloody and caked in mud and her clothes were soaked from the rainfall. Her face and arms were scratched and bruised from branches and leaves whipping her as she moved to put as much distance between her and angry pack that was chasing her.
Her heart was still hammering and each breath a struggle.
What was she going to do now?
She couldn't go back to her mother, no matter how terrifying and hard her situation was she could never return there. She didn't belong there anymore.
Looking up at the weeping clouds she closed her eyes and opened her heart.
"Blue Fairy, I'm in desperate need of your help. With all the goodness in my heart I beg for your audience" sending the message out she opened her eyes and waited in hopeful silence for the Blue Fairy to answer her call.
A violent shiver wracked her body and she rubbed her arms and legs to warm her body up.
She was startled when a fire suddenly crackled to life and she looked up to see the small shimmering form of the Blue Fairy.
"Blue Fairy, you heard me" she had never been so happy to see another being.
"Yes. You have been through so much and seen so many terrors. You wish to go to a place where the horrors you've witnessed have not yet been committed" she spoke in her soothing yet all-knowing voice.
Milah scooted closer to the fire and warmed her hands and chilled feet.
"Is it possible?" she knew that there were other worlds out there but she didn't want to travel to them and have to learn new, potentially strange ways.
The Blue Fairy knew of a way but it did not come without consequences.
"There is a way but it comes at a price. I can send you back in time, to a place where the horrors you've seen have not been committed but you can never return to your own time and in addition to that, all memories of this life, excluding your wolf, will be erased. Are you willing to pay this price?" she cautioned, understanding if the price was too high.
She would forget everything? Her friends and family, all gone?
Her mother and Red came to mind, the thought that she would forget them seemed absurd, how could she ever forget two of the most important people in her life? The woman who gave birth to her and her own child. She would miss them both terribly but as she constantly told herself, she could never go back to them, not after having left them so abruptly and without a goodbye.
This could be looked at as a blessing. No longer would she be tortured with the memories of her mother and the daughter she left behind. She could be free.
Coming to a decision she gave her answer, "yes, I accept the consequences. Take me away from this place."
Nodding, Blue motioned for Milah to stand and waited until she was standing to give her a vial filled with a glowing turquoise liquid.
"Take this potion and empty it into the lake that is beyond that hill. Wait until the water has turned purple then submerge yourself in the water. The water will then transport yourself to a time that once was. Good luck, and goodbye."
Milah watched as the fairy flew away, a trail of sparkling blue magic trailing behind her.
~Present Time~
"…From my knowledge I know that she arrived there safely and built a life for herself. I am sorry that I never told you" she concluded, aware the damage of not knowing what happened to a child and she felt sick at the pain she knew she had helped prolong.
Granny didn't know how to react to this.
The Blue Fairy had sent her daughter back in time, her mind supplied that she was only telling her this now because she had confronted her with it, otherwise Granny probably would have never known.
Though she knew the answer already she had to hear it from the only person who could confirm her beliefs.
"Did she and Rumpelstiltskin have a son?" Granny uttered, needing to hear the words from the fairy herself.
Mother Superior sighed and met her gaze.
"Yes, and I'm sure you are already aware that the man who has come to town, Neal Cassiday, is Milah's son, your grandson" she watched as Granny absorbed the confession and was worried when she stood and looked down at her in silence.
The Blue Fairy was filled with anxiety at the silent, tense stare down. Granny was known for being kind of a hot head and was very protective of her friends and family.
"I don't blame you for the choice my daughter made. As much as it pains me to say this, I lost Milah long before she made that deal with you. I can take comfort in the thought that she at least found some happiness, even if it was with that man. Thank you for telling me Blue. Have a goodnight" she turned then walked out of the church.
It did occur to her that she should have asked how she had died but then thought better of it. That was something that she would prefer not to know.
Having gained the knowledge she now possessed Granny was fully hit with the undeniable proof that Neal was her grandson and Red's brother.
With this in mind Granny rushed to the diner to make a call to Red.
~Break~
Red's phone went off and she dug the ringing device out from her pocket. Seeing it was the diner she quickly answered.
"Granny?" she answered, not able to think of anyone else who would be calling her at this time.
Emma looked at her in the rearview mirror then returned her attention to the road.
"Where are you?" Granny asked, wondering if they had found Henry yet.
"We're in Emma's car headed for the town line. Gold took Henry to make a trade for Neal and his heart, we're trying to get there before either leaves" she caught Granny up.
Granny glared at the air.
She could understand Gold's need to save his son, if she had been in his place she would have had a hard time doing the right thing as well but some part of him had to know that Neal would never want his son to be given over to that woman.
Granny didn't have to ask to know that the decision Emma had made was to refuse the trade and this had brought Gold over the edge and he had acted out of desperation.
And in a way Regina had as well, and was only doing what she thought was necessary to get Henry back.
She was seeing this all from a parent' s point of view and to a degree found that she may do some questionable acts as well in order to keep her loved ones safe.
She could have chosen a better time to tell Ruby that Blue had confirmed their suspicions but if this was the last time that she ever saw Neal alive it should at least be with the knowledge that they were brother and sister.
"I spoke to Mother Superior and she validated our beliefs: Neal's mother was your mother. He's your brother Red" she was met with silence and was sure that Red was in shock from the news.
Red was at a loss for words. She had been aware that this was a possibility but to finally have the confirmation that Neal truly was her brother was still overwhelming and now she had to deal with possibly losing him before she truly got to know him.
Her wolf whined and pawed at her mind, sharing her sympathies at the potential loss of a pack mate. There was still the underlying need to establish an alpha but her wolf was subdued in mourning.
"Thank you for telling me Granny. I'll tell you the outcome later" she said, then hung up before Granny could try and console her.
Snow noticed the ashen look on Red's face and voiced her concern.
"Red, what's wrong? What did Granny want?" she inquired.
It had to have been something earth shattering to have gotten this reaction from Red.
Red looked over at Emma then back at Snow.
She knew that now was definitely not an appropriate time to reveal that Neal was her brother because then they would know that not only was Henry most likely going to lose his father but that Granny and Red were losing a grandson and a brother.
The choice had been difficult enough to make before and she knew that if she told them the truth they would question their decision.
A not so random but long time coming thought then struck her: Henry was her nephew. She should have put this together sooner but with everything going on she hadn't even considered her new position in Henry's life.
How was he going to feel about this? Losing a father but gaining an aunt? It wasn't a very good trade off but she would do her best to help him.
Mentally shaking her head she stopped herself from going any further. No, we don't what will happen yet. We could still save both of them, all we have to do is keep thinking positively and hopefully the fates will lay out a future that showed them all alive and well in the end.
"Red?"
Coming out of her thoughts she looked back at Snow.
"She told me that she wishes us the best of luck and to get Henry back" it was a lie and Snow knew it but they had finally arrived at the town line.
Stopping the car they all piled out and ran towards Regina and Gold with their hostages Henry and Neal.
They had made it in time, they weren't too late.
"Gold step away from Regina and give us Henry back!" Emma ordered as they approached the four.
Regina glared, "that's the last thing he's going to do Ms. Swann like me he's willing to do absolutely anything to save his son and he knows that if he doesn't hand Henry over I will kill Neal" to prove her point she applied pressure to Neal's heart and while his body was wracked in malady not a sound escaped him. Regina had ordered him to stay still and not make a sound.
"Enough!" Gold yelled, the sight of his son silently suffering breaking his usual non-caring persona.
She let up on the heart and the pain that laced Neal's body halted.
"You forget one thing deary, I also have your son. All it would take is a simple crack of his neck and he'll be no more or I can always reach into his chest and crush his heart" he threatened, his hand tracing Henry's fragile neck.
At hearing this both Regina and the group behind Gold became enraged.
"You so much as harm a hair on his head I will kill you where you stand!" for once both Emma and Regina were on the same page.
Henry started his struggling up again and Gold tightened his hold, the older man actually deceptively strong even without magic.
With the glare still dominating her otherwise beautiful face Regina conceded.
"You've have made your point Rumple. I threatened your son, you've threatened mine. Now how about we finish this deal?" a dark grin took over Gold's face.
"I thought you'd never ask" seeing that the deal was about to go down Emma raised her gun and fired off two shots up into the night sky.
Gold sighed dramatically.
"Always with the dramatics. You know Ms. Swan if you think about it with this deal at least you will have the knowledge that your son is alive" he stated.
Not wanting to delay any longer he returned his attention to Regina.
"I'm not going to stand around and let this happen" her eyes filled with fire Emma stalked to the four but before she could get another word out Regina raised her free hand and Emma's body froze, her mind still active but her body glued in place.
Seeing that her daughter had failed and furious at what Regina had done Snow nocked an arrow and with a nod at David he raised his sword. Red catching on to their plan prepared as well.
Her eyes locked on her target Snow fired off an arrow but before it could make contact Regina caught it with her magical reflexes before it could puncture her chest.
David attempted to rush the Queen but she cast a spell that enchanted a tree and its branches extended out, wrapped around him and pulled him into its embrace.
He jerked and tried to squeeze his way out but the branches only tightened their hold. He was trapped.
With her attention occupied Rumple attempted to use magic to get Neal's heart away from her but Regina caught on to what he was doing and applied more pressure to the heart until it was in danger of turning to dust.
"Nice try Rumple but not good enough" she gloated.
Seeing the waves of pain that were passing through Neal's eyes Ruby could no longer hold herself back.
Snow meanwhile was continuing to fight, this time taking out the dagger that she kept in her quiver and charged the Queen but she was swatted away like an annoying fly.
Seething with rage Rumple was about to extract some pain of his on young Henry but a rumbling growl behind him gave him pause.
Regina and Gold both turned and found that Red had removed her enchanted cloak and was in the short process of transitioning into a wolf.
Her human skin melted off her body and the form of the wolf rose from the ashes and expanded across the blank canvass. In a matter of seconds a beautiful black wolf took the place of Red and growled warningly at the humans around it.
The presence of the wolf inspired Regina so before the wolf could pounce she ordered Neal to turn into his wolf.
Taking the necklace off the change overtook him in the same matter that it had taken Red.
Gold could only watch as his son transformed into a black and gray wolf.
For the first time he found himself at a loss for words.
There was no more denying it. Bae was a werewolf which meant that he could no longer deny that Milah had been one as well.
Returning his own threatening growl Neal's wolf lunged itself at Red's wolf and the two met in a gnashing of teeth and sharpened claws, both breaking skin of the other and eliciting howls of pain and fury.
Neal and Ruby tumbled around on the road, switching from Red being on top, scratching and biting at Neal and vice versa.
Their human minds had been shut off and their wolf minds had complete reign.
While the two wolves fought Gold took this time to make his move. Tossing Henry to the side Gold attacked Regina and tackled her to the road with surprise, both valiantly trying to prevent themselves from going over the line.
The heart had fallen from Regina's hold and fell to the ground, its harsh landing having an effect on Neal's wolf and causing it to lose its hold on Red's wolf, giving her wolf the advantage to bite down on his arm.
Howling in surprise and pain Neal's wolf struck Ruby's wolf across the face, its claws raking across the other wolf's skin and leaving behind three bloody lines, almost identical to the ones Neal had received earlier.
Regina head butted Gold and when that sent him off her she continued her assault and sent three waves of crackling magic at him that wrapped around his body and electrocuted him.
The tentacles held him in the air as Regina picked herself up and grabbed Neal's heart off the road and sneered up at him.
"Looks like I win Rumple, and now I'm going to make you watch as I kill your son" just as she was about to crush Neal's heart she was unprepared for the attack that happened, and especially by whom.
Henry had been trying to free Emma from the spell but was having no luck.
He was still in shock over seeing Neal, his dad, turn into a wolf and attack Ruby.
His book of fairytales never showed him that he was a werewolf like Ruby and while he was hurt and a little angry that Neal never told him being the eleven year old that he was he was curious and a little excited to know if he would turn into a wolf someday as well.
Momentarily giving up on freeing Emma he turned back to the fight happening between Regina and Gold.
Henry was beyond saddened by his mother's actions. She had promised him that she would try to be a better person but yet she had continued her evil ways and had only gotten worse.
Henry knew that there was good in Regina, he had seen it as she raised him and he would always love her but she was hurting the people he loved and he couldn't stand by and let her do this.
It was time for him to be the hero.
Seeing his chance when her back was turned to him he picked up David's fallen sword. The weapon was heavier than it looked but he managed to square his shoulders and lift the sword off the ground and bumped her in the back with the point.
She felt the pressure and turned. She was about to attack but stopped herself when she saw it was Henry.
Regina looked down at her eleven year old son, the sword he held was almost as tall as him. The weapon Shook in his hands from both the weight and nervousness and while his body trembled his eyes held determination.
Even though he had a weapon pointed at her she couldn't help but feel a little pride.
Henry was standing up to her.
"Henry put the sword down, you might hurt yourself" she cautioned, the situation not putting away her motherly instincts.
He shook his head. "No, not until you give Neal his heart back and leave my family alone" he ordered, his voice firm.
"I can't do that Henry, Neal's heart is my only leverage, without it, I have no way to get you back" her voice was not as sure as it had once been now that she was facing down her own son.
Henry's expression changed to that of pity and sadness. "You don't need leverage mom. All I want is for you to stop depending on magic so much and to not try and buy my love. I just want my mom back, not the Evil Queen" his words were worse than daggers to the heart.
Neal's earlier words did in fact come back to haunt her: "The only person keeping him from you, is yourself."
Looking around at the destruction she had helped cause and the heartbroken look on Henry's face, for once she actually found herself feeling like the Evil Queen.
This wasn't supposed to happen. She was supposed to get her happy ending, not be guilted into seeing the light.
With sorrow crippling her dark heart she looked back down at Henry and with a shaking hand held the heart out for him to take.
Still a little unsure about her motives but wanting to trust her he slowly lowered the sword and dropped it to the ground then took the offered heart.
"Thank you" unable to hold himself back he walked up to her and wrapped her arms around her middle.
In shock that he would still be willing to give her this affection she hugged him back just as fiercely.
"I'm sorry" she spoke, tears falling from her eyes.
A loud howl followed by whimpers of pain gained their attention and both turned in time to see Neal bite down into Red's shoulder then carelessly toss her to the side.
Both wolves were covered in bites and scratches, blood glistening on their furs and the road.
Terrified for the safety of her son she brought him back into her arms and transported them back to her home.
She knew that there were other options but the moment she laid eyes on the sharp, bloody canines of the ravenous wolf her gut reaction was to get Henry as far away from danger as possible.
~Break~
While Emma was held captive by the spell all she was able to do was watch from the corner of her eye as Neal and Ruby fought.
Watching Neal turn into a wolf had been both awe inspiring and terrifying. Even with the knowledge that he was a dangerous, out of control beast, she found herself, oddly enough, even more attracted to him. She was turning into a real cliché; Neal was the dangerous bad boy and she was the girl next door, kind of anyway.
It was when Neal was preparing to go in for the kill that she tripled her efforts of trying to escape.
Everyone kept telling her that she supposedly had this powerful magic inside of her, the only problem was that no one had taught her how to access that magic.
Remembering that anger was usually a good motivator she thought of Regina and all the crap that she had put her through. While the memories did piss her off she was still unable to move.
Okay, maybe she wasn't grasping onto the right memory.
She moved on to Gold. There were plenty of memories to elicit feelings from but it wasn't until memories of Neal crept into her thoughts that a new wave of emotions and memories swept over her.
The memory of their first meeting, they're first kiss.
And all their "adventures" spun together like a spinning wheel of hope and young love.
She could feel the spell begin to crack and just as she started to focus on other similar memories the spell popped and she was free.
While her mind was still mainly focused on Neal her thoughts would still go to Henry so in order to calm a part of her frantic mind she looked around for him but when she didn't see him or Regina her panic state increased in fear that Regina had taken her son again. Just as she was opening her mouth to call out for him in hope that he was just out of sight the pain filled whimpering of Ruby's wolf and dominating growls of Neal's wolf snatched her attention back to the fight going on.
With determination she moved towards the wolves.
"Hey!" her loud, commanding voice caught Neal's attention and turned his head to face her, his teeth bared as he sent her a threatening growl.
"Neal, I know you're in there somewhere. Regina and the wolf can't have complete control over you" she didn't want to have to hurt him but it was starting to look like she might not have a choice.
When he continued to approach her she raised her gun and aimed the barrel at him.
Please God, don't make her shoot.
Red's wolf saw that Neal's wolf was about to lunge for Emma's throat so she pulled herself up and pounced on his back, digging her claws into his back.
Neal howled and snarled, snapping his teeth at Ruby and trying to flip her wolf off his wolf's back.
When Ruby could no longer hold on she was whipped off and collided with the unforgiving gravel.
His attention was on Ruby again and he stalked towards her, his eyes on the pulse in her neck.
Before she could get out of the way Neal jumped on top of her.
She did her best to fight him off but the blood loss was getting to her and her movements were becoming sluggish.
When it seemed like her time was coming to an end she closed her eyes and braced herself for death, but instead of feeling his teeth tear a chunk out of her neck she heard a shot ring out.
Opening her eyes she watched as a pool of blood collected on his chest where the bullet had struck.
That wasn't enough to take him down though.
After getting over the shock he attempted to go for her throat once more but two more shots were fired, each connecting with his stomach and side.
Whirling around Neal was met with the image of Emma, tears trickling down from her eyes and smoking gun aimed at him.
Her finger quaked over the trigger.
"Neal, please, don't make me do this" her voice cracked with tears and she took a step back.
Blood continued to gush from the collection of wounds he received but yet he continued to stay upright.
Her nightmare of having to take another shot was starting to become a terrifying possibility when he kept getting closer and closer.
"Neal…" she whimpered.
Her prayers were answered in the cruelest way.
The blood loss was finally having an effect on him when his movements became sluggish and he swayed side to side until his vision blurred and he collapsed.
Emma was still trembling but she lowered her gun and slowly approached the wounded werewolf.
His eyes were struggling to stay open and his breathing was slowing down.
Collapsing to her knees she dropped the gun and ran a soothing hand across his blood drenched fur, her stomach rolling at the blood that dampened her hand.
Oh God, Neal.
Oh, God…..
A/N: What did you guys think? I know, another cliff hanger but trust me when I say that part two is even better and worth the wait. Please review guys, think of it as a birthday present to me!
