Zelena scowled at the empty glass in front of her.
Damn Regina and all her self-righteous pep talks.
Not to mention the thinly veiled threat of never seeing her daughter again. Zelena was still quite irked about that one.
Then came the knock on the door, soft and tentative.
She pushed her seat away from the table and walked to the door, ready to wreak havoc on whoever stood outside.
To her surprise, it was the bookworm.
"Belle," she said coldly. "To what do I owe the honor? Here to tear my crying baby from my arms again?"
"I need your help," Belle blurted out. Zelena rolled her eyes and made to shut the door. "Please," Belle begged. "I'm asking you as a mother."
That made Zelena pause. The bookworm, pregnant? Meaning that Belle and Rumplestiltskin had...
Ugh. That was going to give her nightmares.
Desperate to take her mind off the horrendous images that now plagued her brain, she ushered Belle inside.
Evidently distressed, the bookworm poured everything out. Learning how Rumplestiltskin had once again become the Dark One on her arrival, how a long time ago Rumple had made a deal to give up his second born child.
How Hades had managed to get ahold of the contract, and now dangled the prospect of Belle losing her baby over both of their heads.
Zelena was still trying to understand that part. Unless he truly was trying to achieve the time travel spell...
In which case all his advances towards her would be utterly pointless.
Unless he needed her to trust him so she could help.
But then there was no point to creating an entire Underworld based on Storybrooke if it didn't mean anything.
Then again, if the spell succeeded, it wouldn't matter anyhow.
You're going to kill yourself obsessing over this, Zelena, she thought to herself. You need to focus, get your daughter, and leave.
Waiting until Belle had finished speaking, she asked, "And what makes you think Hades would listen to me?"
"I know he's in love with you," the bookworm replied.
Damn Regina.
Zelena laughed bitterly. "It seems my sister's got a bigger mouth than I thought." She looked at Belle. "Sorry, but Hades would never rip up one of his precious contracts, even if I asked.
"Please, Zelena, you know what it's like to lose a child."
Zelena's eyes narrowed at the irony of the statement. Oh, if the bookworm hadn't been pregnant and she wasn't trying to stay off the heroes' bad side, she would have let all hell loose on Belle.
"Why come to me, when you've got the Dark One on your side?" she asked.
"I can't really trust him right now," Belle answered.
"So you finally see the beast behind the man," Zelena said smugly. "Maybe you can understand why I'm not rushing to Hades with open arms."
Belle blinked. "Well, I don't think it's because of me and Rumple, I think it's because you're scared."
"Of the Lord of Death?" Zelena scoffed, half sarcastic. She laughed. "Please. I just know the truth. I'm never going to get my happy ending. Not with Hades, not with my daughter, not with anyone."
"Well, how do you know that if you've never even tried?" Belle inquired.
"Oh, I have tried! Look where I am now!" Zelena raised the now-filled glass in a mock toast. "Drinking with the bookworm," she mused, taking a long drink from the glass.
Belle instantly began gagging, and quickly rose from her seat. Zelena rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, if I disgust you that much, you can just leave!" she snapped.
"Oh no, uh, it's not that, it's just-" Belle reached for the pitcher of water by the sink, pouring herself a cup. "It's just morning sickness. I'm sure you remember what that's like."
"Actually, I don't," Zelena said thoughtfully. "Not since the Dark Swan made sure my pregnancy lasted all of ten minutes."
A horrified look came over Belle's face. "Wait, if-if Hades- if he decides he wants my child now, he could speed up my pregnancy too." Her words ended in a whisper.
"Well, I'd love to tell you he isn't capable of such a thing, but I can assure you he is,," Zelena said, watching the woman in front of her.
"And I-I thought I had time on my side " Belle choked, her voice cracking. "Guess I don't."
Zelena wrestled with her emotions. She wanted to see Rumplestiltskin get his, but not at the expense of someone who, in her eyes, was mostly innocent.
Of course, the only solution she could think of was terribly risky.
"That's not necessarily true," she said reluctantly. Belle stared expectantly at her.
"There may be a way," Zelena continued uneasily, with a feeling that she was most likely going to regret her decision.
After Belle had left with her brand new, handheld sleeping curse, Zelena pondered.
The bookworm had been right. Hades could have tried to take her baby at any time.
Hell, with everything that had happened, he probably could've collected all the ingredients he needed for the time travel spell.
So why hadn't he?
Maybe he didn't really want the baby, or to complete the spell, just leverage over the Dark One.
It was a power play, and a dangerous one at that.
You didn't toy with Rumplestiltskin and come away unscathed, or at least to her knowledge.
Perhaps it was merely part of his plan to stop the heroes. Divide and conquer.
If Rumplestiltskin was on Emma and Regina's side, well, it wouldn't end well for anyone on the opposing side.
Maybe he really was just trying to help her.
Or maybe he just wanted Storybrooke.
But that was stupid. The Underworld was bigger than Storybrooke.
Hades could have designed it anyway he wanted, and he'd modeled it after Storybrooke for her.
If Hades really wanted to take over a realm for himself, he wouldn't go after Storybrooke.
It seemed like he was trying to help.
The least she could do was give him a chance.
Just a chance.