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Chapter 15
Once Lee and Neal walked out into daylight again, they realized they would have to walk to the subway and quickly set off to put as much distance as possible between them and the tunnel. As they walked through a small park, for the first time, Neal noticed that Lee was almost as shaken up as he was. He led her to a bench and gently placed his hand on her arm.
"Are you OK?" He noticed that her body was shaking.
"Yeah," She ran her hand through her long hair, "I'll be fine. How about you?"
"I am OK. Listen," With elbows on his knees, Neal put his head in his hands and looked down at the ground, "I can't repay you for what you did back there. I am sorry that had to happen."
"Ok, ah…contrary to popular belief that was not the first time I killed someone, all right. I was a fighter-for-hire in the old world. I can handle this."
"So, your first time in this world then, first time with a gun?"
"Not the first time shooting someone, just the first time they ended up dead. Look, don't worry about me all right, and, by the way, you can repay me, you know. Come back to Storybrooke with us and give your father a chance."
"Lee, I admit when I walked out of that bar I thought about running but only for a minute. Then, I realized that Emma made a deal with him and if I didn't go back, she couldn't meet her end of the bargain. I don't know why you are together or if you knew each other in the old world but I've seen what he does to people who break deals with him. The best advice I can give you is to get as far away from him as you can the first chance you get."
"You really think it's that simple don't you? By the way, do you know what the people you were involved with did?"
"After they did it, yes. I told them I wanted out and this was the result."
"Well, I happen to know someone who knows a little about magic and he told me that when magic like your father's takes over a person it doesn't kill their body or their soul. It doesn't have the power to kill a soul and besides that the magic needs the host to survive. So the father you knew all those years ago is still in there. Not always in control, maybe not even in control most of the time, but still there. The fact that he retained as much of his humanity as he has is a tribute to how strong and hard he fought that curse every day for centuries. Neal, what he was fighting so hard for, was you. So, yes, if you want to pay me back for saving your life, I am asking you to come to Storybrooke, especially since you have to get out of town anyway, and give him a chance."
"Let's get back and then will see, OK."
An hour later they walked into Neal's apartment to find Gold yelling angrily at Emma who stood by the window holding a dream-catcher in her hands.
"Where were you?" were the first words Gold and Emma threw at them as they entered.
"I had a disagreement with some people and Lee and a friend of hers helped me deal with it. Now, I want to know why you are yelling at Emma?"
The next hour of non-stop revelations about Neal and Emma's past, Henry being Neal's son, and Neal finally agreeing to talk to his father, did not seem real to Lee. She sat on the couch, a little away from everyone, and although she heard the words, making sense of them would come later. The sound of Emma's cell phone finally brought her out of her haze.
"Gold, you need to hear this", she heard Emma saying, "Snow and Charming are on the phone. Cora is looking for your dagger. You better tell them where it is so they can get to it before Cora does."
"Oh, yes," no one could mistake the sarcasm in Gold's voice, "I should tell them where the dagger is located because Cora could never overpower Snow and Charming, could she?"
"Gold, now is not the time," Emma tried again.
"Never mind the dagger. It's safe and even I don't know where it is right now. Cora can look all she wants, she won't find it."
"You gave it to Renik before we left didn't you?" were the first words anyone heard Lee speak in a long time.
"Yes," Gold noticed the quick, satisfied nod of her head and knew that Lee had not escaped the blind faith that all Farini people seemed to have in that wizard.
"Look, we need to get an early start and head back tomorrow," Emma put the cell phone back in her pocket.
"I am going back with you," Gold turned to Neal in surprise, "to be with Henry." Neal added quickly.
"Why don't you call and get a plane ticket on our flight back. Then, you can call the hotel we are staying at and see if there are any rooms available? You could stay there tonight and get an early start with us in the morning." Lee's mind seemed to be clearing.
"That's a good idea," both Emma and Gold were surprised to hear Neal agree but when he came back into the room after making the phone calls he looked disappointed.
"I was able to get the plane ticket but the hotel didn't have any vacancies."
"That's OK. You can stay in my room. I don't really need it." Was Lee's solution to the problem and even Emma had the sense to bundle Henry out the door in front of her without making a single comment.
When they got to the hotel room that evening, Lee and Rumplestiltskin ordered room service, showered while they waited for the food to be delivered, and then fell into bed exhausted from the day's emotional rollercoaster. He held her in his arms and felt the slight tremble in her body, but was simply too exhausted to ask and assumed the past few hours affected her as much as they did him. Only once, when they woke up during the night, did they seek comfort in one another and once again fell asleep wrapped up together almost immediately. In the morning they woke up in each other's arms and for a moment the thought of never waking up with Lee by his side again made Rumplestiltskin's breath catch in his throat. He knew then that he would never stop fighting for her but the knowledge that it may not be enough squeezed a cold hand around his heart.
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The minute their car drove up to Granny's to drop off Lee and rent a room for Neal, Renik met them on the front porch. Rumplestiltskin introduced the two men.
"Bae this is Renik, he runs the vet clinic in town and he is also a wizard", Renik and Neal shook hands.
"There are a few things we need to talk about" Renik eyes glanced from Rumplestiltskin to Lee.
"I'll go get settled in my room," Neal announced and Emma was about to go with him.
"You might want to stay for a minute too, Ms. Swan." When Bae and Henry walked off to the Inn, Renik threw a glance at Rumplestiltskin.
"Spit it out Renik, what's going on," Rumplestiltskin glared at the other wizard.
"We've had a busy few days in this town, I am afraid. I hid the box with your dagger in Regina's vault."
"What?" Rumplestiltskin looked ready to strangle the man in front of him.
"I thought it was the last place Cora and Regina would look." Renik shrugged his shoulders helplessly.
"Are you saying that Cora has the dagger?" Emma ran her hands through her hair.
"No, Ms. Swan, I am saying Cora is dead." Emma only stared at the wizard.
"When she found the box with the dagger inside, Cora tried to open it. She must have thought my magic was weaker in this world and she could break through my spell if she directed enough of her own magic into mine. It was…
"…suicide" Rumplestiltskin finished the wizard's thought.
"Yes, I am afraid so," Renik nodded and sat down on the bench standing near the front door of the Inn.
"Ok, that's one less problem we have to worry about, is there anything else?" Rumplestiltskin now seemed anxious to leave.
"I am afraid so. Regina gave Belle false memories."
"I asked you to protect her. How could you let that happen?" Rumplestiltskin's voice now seemed defeated. He looked like a man whose emotions had taken one too many onslaughts.
"Yes, and I truly apologize. My spell was designed to protect from physical harm. Regina did not hurt or touch Belle in any way. She simply gave her a matchbook from the Rabbit Hole to hold and directed the magic into that object."
"What about the potion to restore memory that you and Blue were working on," Lee sat down on the bench next to Renik.
"We are very close but it will take a few more days to finish. We just have not had time to work on it as much as we hoped." As Renik turned to look at Lee, a concerned look filled his eyes.
"I have to go and help Belle before she hurts herself," Rumplestiltskin turned to Lee. "I am sorry, Lee. If you were in my place, you know you would do the same." He seemed to be pleading with her to understand.
"Of course, you do. Go, make sure she is OK," and once again Rumplestiltskin was glad that a Farini royal had not been born who could refuse a cry for help.
As Rumplestiltskin drove off, Renik turned and placed his hands on Lee's shoulders.
"Did something happen in New York, Lee? You look white as a ghost."
"I shot and killed a man to save Neal's life," Farini royals did not keep secrets from their wizard.
Renik just looked at the woman next to him for few moments trying to wrap his mind around her words and come up with words of his own.
"I know it's difficult, Lee, but you need to understand that what happened in New York is irrelevant to what you have to do here and now," he gently messaged her hands in his own, " speaking of which, I have some wonderful news for you, my dear. Let me transport you to my house and Marina will fill you in, get you something to eat, and have you rest for a while after your trip." At this point Lee was simply too tired and emotionally wrung out to argue.
As soon as she disappeared from the porch, her place was taken by the Blue Fairy, who materialized in a cloud of blue smoke.
"What is going on Renik?" Blue's tone was accusatory as she looked at the wizard, "what's all this about your spell not working to protect Belle. We all know your spells don't work only when you don't want them to work. Now, you are asking me not to tell anyone that our memory potion is ready."
"My dear Blue, please, do not worry so much," Renik placated the fairy, "in a few days we will have both Belle and Mr. Clark drink our potion and restore their memories."
"Why in a few days?" Blue asked the obvious question.
"Because a few days will give me another chance to secure what's mine once and for all," and the look in the eyes of the man who spoke to her now made even the thought of arguing fly out of Blue's mind.