Author's Notes: I do not own Once Upon A Time which is a show on ABC where OH MY GOD SOMETHING GOOD HAPPENED TO THEM. Thanks for all your reads and reviews, I really appreciate them. Again, sorry it's been a while, I've had a lot going on. Please let me know what you think and happy reading!


"Here," said Rumplestiltskin.

Belle didn't have much time to look at the cottage itself. Rumplestiltskin was inside so quickly, using magic to shove Charming to one side and the Apprentice to the other. Belle rushed in.

"Beatrice!"

Snow White was holding her and the princess had been crying. Beatrice's pale, limp body splayed in her arms.

She was dead.

Her baby was dead.

"I'm sorry, we didn't realize-"

"Put her down," Belle growled.

Snow White did as she was told, laying the infant back in the basket. Belle knelt down, feeling only cold skin as she held her daughter's hand.

"Rumple, give me the dagger..."

He frowned at her.

Belle's eyes shot up at her former friend.

"I need a knife," she snarled.


Belle awoke screaming, her fists landing in her pillow and she found, in her husband.

"Belle, stop!"

Belle finally realized that she was awake, the nightmare had never happened.

"Sweetheart, you were screaming..."

She struggled to even her breath. Gold's grip on her finally relaxed as she began to, she sank into his embrace.

"I had a terrible dream. David and Mary Margaret took Beatrice and she..." Belle swallowed. "She died, Rumple."

A sob escaped her before she realized it.

"That never happened..." Rumple reassured, rocking her. "Beatrice is fine. I just spoke to Joseph."

"Have they found Lily?"

"Their first stop was unfruitful. They were able to track down her current employer. That's where they're headed next."

Belle nodded, biting her lip. Somehow the reassurances felt hollow.

"We can call them back," said Gold. "We don't need her. I can handle Maleficent."

"Beatrice can't go back on her deal."

"She wouldn't be. I would."

"No, we have to let her do this." She rested her head in surrender on his shoulder. "It was so real."

"It's alright now," he promised.

She grimaced. "I think I forgot how vivid my dreams were when I was pregnant with Beatrice. This just took me off guard..."

"I have no doubt you'll get the hang of it again," Gold smiled.


Meanwhile, In Another World...

On a park bench in Manhattan, a ridiculously petite brunette with bright blue eyes stared at her phone, watching her idol.

"She's really something, isn't she?"

She startled. The man next to her on the bench waved his hand.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

She shook her head. "I should have been paying attention. My dad says I need to pay more attention."

"Well, your father's a wise man." He motioned back at the phone. "You were very caught up in that video. You must be a big fan."

She smiled. "Taylor Swift brought her onstage at Madison Square Garden. It was a pretty big deal."

"Oh, so you're a fan of the Dark Princess?"

"She's a hero..." the girl said wistfully.

Isaac snorted. "You don't have to tell me. She saved my life."

The girl's eyes lit up. "Really?"

He nodded. "In the Battle of New York, when Loki's armies attacked, my apartment building was hit, her freezing powers saved everyone inside."

"Really?"

"When I think about how close I came to death..." He sighed. "I just wish there was some way I could thank her."

The girl considered this.

"What are you doing tomorrow afternoon?"

"Excuse me."

"If you come to SHIELD headquarters around three, I think she might be available." She shrugged. "Assuming aliens or sentient robots don't attack. Just tell security my name."

Isaac frowned. "And why would that work?"

She smiled again. "It's Rory Gold. I'm the Dark Princess' sister." She glanced back at the screen. "I'm late. I have to go. I'll see you there."

Isaac smiled to himself and opened the storybook to write.

Rory left, confident in the good deed she had done.

But at what price?


Rumplestiltskin looked at the young woman with her dark hair and her pissed off expression sitting on the other side of the glass.

"Lilith Page," said Coulson. "Do you know her?"

He looked up. "Why? Ought I?"

"She turned into a dragon over Central Park."

Rumplestiltskin shrugged. "Do you expect me to explain all of the things that happen in this mad world of yours? You have a man who turns into a green giant when he gets angry. People shooting spiderwebs from their hands?"

"Yes, but you're our resident expert on magic and fairy tales and anything where a person turns into a dragon."

He sighed. "Fine, I did know a sorcreress with that ability back in the Enchanted Forest, but this is certainly not her."

"A sorceress?"

"She was called Maleficent."

Coulson nodded. "Of course she was. Who else would it be?"

"You asked, dearie. So, unless she's a daughter I never met or perhaps she came through that portal you were so concerned about."

The agent frowned. "That was classified."

"Did she?"

He relented. "No. We ran all the background checks, Lilith Page seems to come from a perfectly ordinary family. She just turns into a dragon which is new..." Rumplestiltskin arched an eyebrow. "For this realm anyway."


Here

"Some other me is homeless, some other me is queen, some other me has seen things that no other me has seen..."

The quartet rode in silence, partially occupied by the last snack and Starbucks stop, partially deterred from talking by the playing of Idina Menzel's entire discography.

"Are we done with the showtunes yet?," asked Emma from the backseat.

"No," said Beatrice.

"You could let someone else pick the music."

"And you could have just not come..."

Emma leaned forward. "Come on. Seriously. Play something else."

"Fine," said Beatrice. "You insult my queen, Idina Menzel, but I will play something else."

Joseph raised an eyebrow as Beatrice shuffled on her iPhone. Emma sat back convinced she had gained a victory.

"I stay out too late!"

Taylor Swift's voice blasted through the car.

John looked at Emma. "You just had to, didn't you?"

"Got nothing in my brain! That's what people say, mm mmm, that's what people say..."

"Please don't start on Taylor Swift, John," said Joseph.

Beatrice looked at Joseph. "Do you have a problem?"

"No, I'm fully supportive of any music you select," said Joseph. "Just remind me which part I have in Rent when we play that again."

Beatrice cracked a smile.

"So, are we going to talk about the obvious yet?," asked John.

"What obvious?," asked Joseph.

"Lily." He shook his head. "Do you lot just expect to walk up to her and say 'Hello, we're from the Enchanted Forest. Your mother is a bloody dragon and your father's Merlin, would you mind terribly getting in the car with us and driving to Maine?"

"I'll talk to her," said Emma.

"Oh, right, you're the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. Of course she'll believe you."

"Everyone believes Emma..." Beatrice muttered.

"What?," Emma asked confused.

"Oh, nothing. I mean, you just invited yourself along..." She continued. "Haters gonna hate, hate, hate, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake..."


There

"Did I or did I not save everyone in the building?"

Coulson sighed. "That's not the point of the inquiry."

Beatrice turned to her cohort. "Peggy."

Captain Britannia, otherwise known as Peggy Carter, glanced up from her paper.

"Oh, no, this is all yours."

"Did I or did I not save everyone at the UN?"

Peggy let out a sigh. "Must we?"

"You froze the building," said Coulson.

"That's what insurance is for. Besides, I thought the inquiry was about Inhumans and I'm not Inhuman."

"Oh, so you want me to just tell them, no, she's not a mutant or an Inhuman, she's from a magical land where her father is Rumplestiltskin."

Beatrice considered this. "Would it get me out of the inquiry?"

"Beatrice-"

"I'm just saying. Are they gonna haul Doctor Strange in there? Scarlet Witch?"

Peggy glanced up. "I thought she was a mutant."

Beatrice paused. "Is she?"

"I thought she was Magneto's daughter."

"What? When was that?"

Natasha entered.

"Oh, good, Natasha," said Beatrice, "Scarlet Witch. Is she a mutant or what?"

"She's a mutant who was altered to use magic."

"Well, that's just cheating," said Beatrice.

"I thought we were talking about the portal," said Natasha. "The one from another reality?"

"Good point, Romanoff." Coulson brought up the display. "The portal let out here."

"Any other readings off it?," asked Peggy.

"No one saw it, no eyewitness accounts. Security cameras in the area found this."

They watched some grainy footage go by.

"A shadow," said Beatrice. "That's helpful."

"Well, whoever it is came here for a reason," said Natasha. "They're bound to show up sooner or later."

"I don't suppose it has to do with our dragon friend," said Peggy. "Is she still keeping to her story about the slasher in the park?"

"Very much so," said Coulson.

There was a knock on the glass outside the conference room. Beatrice looked up to see Rory.

"You have a visitor," said Coulson.

She looked back at him. "Really we don't have better security in this place?"

"You're her big sister," said Natasha. "She looks up to you."

Beatrice barely heard her. Natasha and Peggy had given this same speech a thousand times before if they had given it once. She opened the door and stuck her head out.

"Is that a new coat?," Rory asked, eyes sparkling.

Beatrice looked down. She had asked for another iteration of her costume, a blue leather duster coat and wide belt over a pants, top and boots from other shades of blue. Though she wondered why they had to sit around in their costumes, wouldn't some yoga pants work?

"Yeah, it's a new coat. I asked for pockets and they were making a new action figure anyway, so..."

"I like it."

"We're kind of doing a thing?"

"I met this man, he just wants to thank you."

"Rory, I don't need thanks-"

"Please?"

"Why are you talking to random men on the street?"

"Please? I'll make you cookies."

"What kind of cookies?," asked Natasha.

Beatrice shot her a look.

Natasha shrugged. "What? We'll be hungry anyway."

Beatrice turned back to Rory and rolled her eyes. "Fine. I've got work to do."

"Okay, he's coming at four."


Here

They finally arrived at the diner where they had traced Lily to.

"I could go in," Joseph suggested.

"Huh?," asked Beatrice.

"Walk in, grab her, toss her in the boot," he said.

Beatrice frowned. "That's kidnapping."

"Well, it's to correct the last kidnapping she underwent so really it's just setting things to right."

"I don't think that's what Maleficent had in mind."

Beatrice's phone rang. She looked down and then over at Emma and John as they approached the restaurant.

She looked back at Joseph. "It's my mom."

He nodded. "I'll keep them from going in without you."

He walked towards the others and Beatrice answered the phone.

"Hi, Mom."

"Hey," said Belle. She took a breath. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I talked to Dad like two hours ago. He said you were taking a nap or something. Since when do you take naps?"

"We can talk about that when you get home."

"What do you mean we can talk about that when I get home? What's wrong?"

"Beatrice, sweetheart, everything's fine. I just meant we can talk when you get home..."

"Would Dad say everything is fine?"

"Yes."

She frowned. "Get him on the phone to say it."

"I just wanted to check on you. Really, I've been worried since you left after what you said? About not being a hero?"

Beatrice grumbled.

"Beatrice?," Belle prodded.

"I know what you're going to say and it doesn't matter. I've heard you say it before. It's not going to change anything. Nobody is ever going to think I am a hero. I have to go."

Beatrice hung up and walked towards Joseph.

"How's your mother?"

"She's fine." She paused. "Why? Is there a reason you think she's not fine?"

"No, I think she's fine." He paused. "You upset her."

"Are we going in or what?," asked Emma.


There

Beatrice headed down to SHIELD's library. There she found her mother making a friend of the man whom she presumed wanted to thank her. Belle and Rory were just like that, they could make a friend of anyone while Beatrice and her father most definitely could not or perhaps they didn't wish to. Belle spotted her and waved her in, standing to hug her.

"There you are," said Belle. "We've been waiting for you."

Beatrice shrugged. "I'm here."

"Wow. The Dark Princess herself."

Beatrice looked at the man.

"Beatrice, this is Mr. Heller," said Belle. "He was just telling us the story of how you saved him during the Battle of New York."

"Yes, well, it's not a big deal. Really. You didn't have to come down here."

"And you certainly needn't track down Rory to do so..."

Beatrice frowned. "Sherlock? What are you doing here?"

She looked up at one of the balconies overlooking the main floor of the library. "What are you doing here?"

"I like to work here."

"He was banned from his floor..." Belle added quietly.

Sherlock spoke up. "There was a misunderstanding."

Belle looked up at him. "You shot the wall."

"I was bored." His eyes turned back to the man. "Where was it said you lived?"

"Above 41st street." Isaac turned to Beatrice. "That's where you stopped the building from collapsing after Loki's armies attacked."

"Where exactly above 41st street?"

Beatrice eyed Sherlock curiously. What was he up to?

"The Grayson Arms."

"Now, that is interesting..."

"I don't see how."

"No, you must see that the Grayson Arms was knocked down ten years ago."

Sherlock's voice seemed to travel and now he finally appeared behind Isaac, hissing in his ear.

"Sp, who are you really and why did you try so hard to find Rory?"

Cornered, Isaac reached for a book and smacked it against Sherlock's cheek. Belle went for the panic button as he ran out of the room, sounding the alarm throughout the building.

"Are you okay?," Beatrice asked Sherlock.

"I'll be fine," he said, face bleeding.

Beatrice shot a glare at Rory and ran out of the room.


Here

The four quietly entered the restaurant and sat themselves in a booth. As they took out the menus, Beatrice couldn't help but overhear the conversation happening at the neighboring table.

The young woman there scoffed.

"Don't you have anything not dripping in fat?"

Beatrice turned sharply. They were about the same age, but this girl and her boyfriend looked as if they had just dropped down from a Ralph Lauren ad.

"That's her by the way," said Joseph.

"What?"

"Lily," he said.

"This place is so gross," said the girl.

"Taylor, the Mercedes will be fixed in an hour and we'll be on the way to Martha's Vineyard."

"You're not even looking at her," Emma accused.

Beatrice snapped her head back. "What? Should we all stare at her at the same time? Is that your plan?"

"You still don't know how you're getting her to come with us," John said to Emma.

Emma nodded her acknowledgment. "I'm going to talk to her."

"Why don't we just-"

John looked at Joseph. "The next words from your mouth had better not be 'put a gun to her head.'"

"What gun?," asked Emma. "You have a gun?"

Joseph shook his head. "It's America. Everyone has guns."

"Why would you bring a gun?," Emma said.

He shrugged. "Because Mr. Gold said 'Here, take this gun' and I thought it was a good idea."

Taylor spoke again. "I'm going to the bathroom. Order me a Fiji water."

"Excuse me," said Beatrice getting up to follow her.

John frowned. "I thought we were working out a way to get Lily to come with us."

"Joseph's plan sounds good," she said following the other young woman.


Taylor came out of the bathroom stall confused to see Beatrice.

"Were you just standing there?"

Beatrice was more confused.

"You have the same tennis bracelet. How can you have the same tennis bracelet?"

Taylor sneered. "Do I know you?"

"Your name is Taylor Billingsley, right?"

"Who are you?"

"You went to Leman for elementary school, right? Then Huston, then New Amsterdam Prep."

"How did you know that?"

"And that was the tennis bracelet you got for your fourteenth birthday and you waved in everyone's face for a week."

"Okay, I'm leaving..."

Beatrice followed Taylor out as the girl quickened her pace back to the dining room.

"How can you be real? You're not real."

Taylor looked at her boyfriend. "Spence, we have to get away from this psycho."

"But I just-"

"Now, Spence."

Beatrice stood staring at them as they left, her three traveling companions returning the favor.

"Is there a problem?," asked Lily trying to stop the couple as they scrambled. She turned to Beatrice. "Well?"

Beatrice turned back. "Yeah, hi, I'm your niece."

"I don't have a-"

"Yeah, you do, Belle from Beauty and the Beast." She motioned at the other three. "That's Sherlock Holmes, John Watson and you must remember Emma. Also, you're holding all her darkness."

The others stared.

"So, road trip?," asked Beatrice.


There

The alarms were blaring. The announcement came over the public address system that there was a hostile and Isaac ran looking for a way out.

He couldn't find one.

"Stop right where you are!," Coulson shouted.

Isaac ignored Coulson's advice, running away from a hail of gunfire. He found a corner where he could reach take out his quill and the blank parchment.

"Making a diary entry?"

Isaac looked up to see Captain Britannia, Peggy Carter herself standing over him.

"Damn it."

Peggy nodded. "Indeed."

A swift kick to the face has Isaac passed out on the floor as Coulson and company rushed towards them.

Rumplestiltskin took the quill in his hand.

"You look like you know what it is," Coulson remarked.

Rumplestiltskin turned it over. "I have an idea. Before his end, Merlin told me that all worlds are ruled by an omnipotent Author. The events in our lives are the products of his whims."

"That's good to know. Why did Merlin tell you this?," asked Coulson.

"Because there's only one person who can defeat the Author."

"Beatrice," Coulson finished. Rumplestiltskin nodded.

"That would explain why he was so eager to get close to her."

"I don't like strange men approaching my daughters."

"Romanoff will handle it."

The men watched as Natasha entered the interrogation room. Isaac looked up at her.

"Are you gonna be as rough on me as the other one?"

"That depends on what you're going to say to me."

He looked her up and down. "The Black Widow."

"Is that supposed to impress me? You know my name? Do you know how many t-shirts I'm on?"

Isaac scoffed. "You're a compelling character but not exactly a role model."

Natasha glared down, standing over him.

"Well, come on. Emotionally twisted, orphaned, raised to be an assassin..." He paused. "Oh, that's what has you bothered, isn't it? I used Rory."

"Tricking little girls tends not to impress me."

"Well, it was a means to an end. Her sister. She is the problem..." Isaac sighed. "I have followed her from one world to the other. Even tried to get rid of her boyfriend and somehow..."

"What worlds?," asked Natasha. "Do you mean the Enchanted Forest?"

"I mean lots of them."

"And why would you go chasing one girl through all those worlds?"

"You'll see. You'll all see."


Sherlock sat in the clinic holding a cold compress to his cheek. Beatrice entered and walked over.

"I have ice powers," said Beatrice.

Sherlock frowned. "I noticed."

"I can move things sometimes, I change the weather. I have got a fireball thing that I don't use often..."

"Your point being?"

"You don't need to leap to my defense. You don't see Pepper Potts jumping to take a bullet for Stark."

"I'm Pepper Potts in this scenario?"

"In that you're the one without any superpowers."

The door slid open and Rory walked in. Beatrice rolled her eyes.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry," she said, looking at Sherlock.

He shook his head. "It's quite alright. It wasn't your fault."

"On another note, it totally was," said Beatrice.

"I said I was sorry-"

"Is there anybody else you want to invite over? Maybe you could give the new head of Hydra a call. Your birthday's coming up."

Rory grit her teeth. "I am not stupid."

"Then don't act stupid. Mom could have been hurt."

"I didn't mean to!"

"You never mean to do anything," Beatrice shot back.

Rory's eyes filled with tears as she turned to run out.

"She didn't mean it," said Sherlock. "Do you think you may have been a bit hard on her?"

"It's better she learns now before someone actually dies," Beatrice said, stalking off.


Here

"Great plan," muttered Emma as they walked back to the car.

"I still haven't heard yours," Beatrice snapped.

"Well, it wasn't that," said Emma.

"And yet you still haven't presented it," said Joseph.

John rolled his eyes. "Is it some sort of Enchanted Forest requirement that you all be colossal arses?"

Beatrice shrugged. "Probably."

He ignored her. "How are we going to find her?"

"I'll go talk to her boss, see if he knows where Lily lives," said Emma.

"Right and I'll look at this wallet I took from her," said Joseph, holding up the shiny purple patent object. He opened it. "Oh, look, a driving license. Could this have- why, yes-"

"You stole her wallet?," asked Emma. "That's-"

"Oh my God, Emma, just because you have no darkness in you doesn't mean we want to hear you lecture us all day," said Beatrice.

Emma looked taken aback. "Excuse me."

"You heard me. Nobody wants a Charming lecture on doing the right thing especially from someone who doesn't have to think about what the right thing is. I mean, just because your parents lost the moral high ground doesn't mean you have to keep lecturing us to stay there."

"You're one to talk about parents."

Beatrice shook her head. "Wait, who was it whose parents kidnapped a baby, threw their kid's darkness into her and sent her to another realm? Not my mom, well, maybe my dad, but let's see, babies, buying and selling, buying and selling, but nope, no one thrown in a portal. That's so weird how that happens..." She opened the car. "Give me the address, I'll put it in my phone."


There

"It's a quill," said Peggy, unimpressed by the object.

"It's the Author's quill made of enchanted wood."

Peggy looked at Rumplestiltskin. "It's a quill."

"Your skepticism aside, Miss Carter, it's an instrument of great power."

"Do you think he's the Author who was after me?," asked Beatrice.

Rumplestiltskin looked at the screen with the feed of Natasha's interrogation. "He seems to have the tools, but I can't imagine your grandfather being intimidated by him."

"You would think people would welcome free will," said Peggy. "Just imagine how dangerous this would be in the wrong hands. Think of Hydra. After all, they don't believe humanity can be trusted with its freedom. Wouldn't they love to possess this?"

"Oh, good, now Hydra's after me," said Beatrice. "Again."

Rumplestiltskin smiled at his daughter's assessment.

"Not to worry, we won't let them get a hand on you..." said Peggy. "Not to mention I do believe Mr. Holmes would rush to your defense."

"What?," asked Rumplestiltskin.

"I tolf him not to," said Beatrice.

Peggy put the quill down. Beatrice stepped back towards her father. He looked out the door to make certain they were alone.

"You're cross at your sister."

"Dad-"

"Your mother doesn't like it. Rory thought she was helping someone."

Beatrice was in disbelief. "Picks a guy up off the street, brings him to SHIELD headquarters and you're mad at me? You wouldn't even let me go to the Avenger Christmas party, but sure, Rory, you arrange tea with the mysterious author guy who wants me dead."

Rumplestiltskin took a breath. "She didn't mean it."

Beatrice rolled her eyes. She picked the quill up off the counter and began toying with it.

"Whether she meant it or not- ow!"

He looked up. "What?"

"This thing's pointy, now I've got ink on my hand-"

Rumplestiltskin watched in horror as she began to swoon. He leapt up, ignoring his bad ankle to catch her as her eyes fluttered shut, her weight sending them to the floor.

"Beatrice, sweetheart?," he begged. "Beatrice, speak to me."


Here

They arrived at the apartment which looked just as bad as the last one. Emma knocked on the door.

"Lily?"

"Maybe she's not home," John suggested.

"Allow me," said Joseph, edging past the two of them.

"Allow you to-"

Joseph took out a lock picking kit.

John sighed in disbelief. "You're picking the lock."

"Do please announce it for the entire hall."

"I could have done that," said Emma.

"Oh, you sure you can handle that? Wouldn't want you to get off your high horse."

Emma turned to Beatrice. "What the hell is your problem? You haven't been this much of a pain in the ass since you torched my car."

"You torched her car?," asked John.

"I had a reason."

"Done," Joseph announced.

The door popped open and the feuding quartet stepped inside the apartment.

The walls were covered with clippings and photos about fairy tales, rather about them. Snow White, Prince Charming, Beauty and the Beast, they were all there. There were scattered clippings about Emma and the time Beatrice had flown off in a tornado in Boston. There were even maps pointing to the possible location of Storybrooke.

"Okay, that's different..." said Emma.

"I thought she didn't know who she was," said John.

Joseph nodded. "Yes, I believe that's what we would call a lie." He stepped closer, examining the shrine. "And this would be a kill list."

Beatrice motioned at a printout. "Does she need a list? She's kind of got Belle's eyes scratched out here."

Joseph turned around. "So I think it's time we revisit the notion of your father just killing Maleficent."

"What? We can't do that," said Beatrice.

"No, that's why I was suggesting him."

"It wouldn't be right," said Emma.

Joseph looked to her nonchalantly. "I never said it would be."

"So, you know everything."

They turned to see Lily pointing a gun at them.

Joseph motioned at her for Emma's benefit. "This is what I meant earlier."

"Lily, we can work this out,' said Emma.

"You took my life from me."

"It wasn't exactly fun," said Emma. "There was the orphan thing. You saw some of that."

"Shut up and you," she turned towards Beatrice. "It was supposed to be you."

Beatrice frowned. "You're turning out to be a terrible surprise aunt. And I say that as someone who's had a lot of disappointing relatives."

"I am certain that we can all come to some kind of agreement," said Joseph.

Lily turned to look at him and he took the moment to grab the gun. They struggled with Emma joining in to knock Lily across the face, making her nose gush blood as she stumbled back. Joseph took the gun.

"For God's sake..." John grumbled as he approached Lily. "I'm a doctor, see if you can manage to not attack me. Beatrice, would you find a towel or something?"

Beatrice's eyes darted around the apartment. Mess was an understatement. "Um, yeah, right..."

She began to forage as Lily threw some choice curses at Emma.

"I'm sorry, but you need to come back to Storybrooke," said Emma.

"Preferably tied up," said Joseph.

"Tilt your head back," John ordered Lily.

Emma looked up at Joseph. "Why do you still have the gun out?"

"The question is why not?"

Beatrice returned with a towel. "Okay, this one is kind of clean..."

"It'll do," said John, taking it from her.

"That's a lot of blood," said Beatrice.

"Yeah, it's my nose!," Lily spat.

"You've got that blood smell and everything..." Beatrice mumbled.

At which time she swooned, Emma just barely catching her. Joseph put the gun away and rushed to her side.

"Beatrice?"

"Beatrice, wake up," said John. "Beatrice."

"Where the hell did that come from?," asked Emma.

"Vasovagal response. About fifteen percent of the population just faints at the sight of blood."

Emma narrowed her eyes. "That's crap."

"Well, here we are!," John snapped back.

"You don't understand. In the Enchanted Forest we fought dozens of these zombie people-" John raised his brow. "It was complicated. The point is there was plenty of blood and she didn't do this."

"She'll come round any moment," said John.

She didn't. John smacked her cheek.

"Okay, we need an ambulance," he said.

Somewhere Idina Menzel began singing "Some Other Me."

"What's that?," asked Lily.

"Beatrice's phone," said Joseph. He delicately fished it from her coat pocket. "It's Belle."

"Okay, that's weird," said Emma.

Joseph answered. "Hello, Belle."

"Where's Beatrice?"

"She's-"

Belle didn't even wait. "What's happened to her?"

"She's fainted, we can't seem to wake her up."

There was a scramble on the other end and Joseph looked back at Beatrice as he heard Belle talking to Gold. A few seconds later he had Gold to answer to.

"What precisely happened?"

"I don't know. She was fine, now she won't wake up-"

"Did she eat something? Touch something?"

"I don't know."

"What do you know?!," Gold snapped.

"I'm bringing her home," said Joseph, hanging up the phone.

"We're two hours from Storybrooke," said Emma.

"She needs a hospital," said John.

"She was fine a minute ago. I'm assuming there's something more at work here than your pedantic vasovagal response and I'm supposing it has something to do with you," he snapped up at Lily. He pulled the gun back out. "Also, you're getting in the car."

"What? You psycho, you can't make me!"

"She promised to bring you back, at no point were bullet holes mentioned so yes, I can."

"Bloody hell, Joseph..." muttered John.

"Emma, take Lily to the car, John, you hold the gun, I'll carry her."

"How are you going to carry her?," asked John.

"I can carry her," he said handing over the gun.

"Joseph, I've done this in training and-"

Joseph didn't listen, he lifted Beatrice up in one swoop that he instantly regretted.

"Oh, God..." Joseph muttered.

"Yeah, people are heavier than they look. I was trying to warn you..." He looked at Emma. "You grab her legs, I'll grab this end."

Emma did as John directed and Joseph breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, that's better..."


There

Within seconds, the SHIELD medical team was there. Belle and Rory narrowly made it in the same time as Coulson, Peggy and Natasha. Belle swooped down.

"Baby," Belle said softly. She looked at her husband. "What happened?"

"The ink," he said, his mind racing.

The medic looked up at Coulson. "Her vitals are all reading normal."

"Because this malady is magical in nature," said Rumplestiltskin, looking up. "The ink. It has to have been."

"A dozen techs handled that quill and nothing happened to any of them."

"I spent centuries learning every type of magic known to every realm. I am telling you this is magic. I know what I'm looking at."

"Get her to the clinic, put that quill under quarantine. I have to notify Director Fury."

Coulson walked to Natasha and Peggy.

"An Avenger is in mortal danger. It's the Rogers Protocol. I need answers and now."

"When the techs ran the tests, there was no sign of anything toxic in the ink," said Peggy.

"You're going with Gold's magic theory?," asked Coulson.

"That's what you've got him on staff for, isn't it?," asked Natasha.

Coulson looked back as the medics lifted Beatrice onto a stretcher.

"Whatever it is, it's nothing we have ever seen..." said Coulson.

"Some other me is homeless, some other me is queen, some other me has seen things no other me has seen..."

Rory looked up guiltily. "I'm sorry, it was her phone. I pressed a button."

Coulson nodded. "It's alright."

"Why don't we get you a cup of tea?," Peggy suggested. "Wouldn't that be nice?"

Peggy led Rory out. Natasha turned back to Coulson.

"Carter and I were talking. Heller, the portal, the dragon girl, now this. They're all happening too close together."

"You think they're related?"

"There's something we're missing."


Here

"Slow the hell down!," Emma demanded of Joseph.

"Well, excuse me, I'm attempting to cut down a two hour drive time in a Volkswagen Golf."

"You're doing ninety in a fifty-five!"

"So what?! You're a sheriff, sort of!"

John spoke up from the backseat. Beatrice was buckled in the middle and he was doing his best to prop her up. "If we get in a crash, Beatrice's sleeping curse or whatever will have a head wound on top of it!"

"And I'll be pissed!," Lily added.

"Do shut up, Lily." Joseph gripped the steering wheel tighter. "What exactly happened?"

"What?," asked Emma.

"Lily pointed the gun, I took her hand, you hit her in the nose, John went to her side, Beatrice got a towel and then she fainted."

"Okay, yeah, it was weird," Emma said gripping tightly onto the door handle.

"It wasn't just weird!," Joseph snapped. "Weird is not an explanation! We're missing something."