My eyes kept shifting between the window, secretly begging for freedom from my life, and the blanketed form curled in on itself in the small bed. Despair was slowly creeping in as thoughts of what had transpired slid unwanted into my mind. Oh Snow, you're not evil, how could you be evil you did it with good reason. She was going to die regardless whether that had been by your hand, mine or someone else's entirely. This, however, wouldn't have comforted her a bit. I glanced up from studying Snow to find David warily standing with a plate of food near me. Forcing a small smile that more closely resembled a grimace I got up from the chair next her bed and moved out of the way for him. I swallowed the sigh that threatened to leave my lips when he inched around my space and immediately relaxed as he reached Snow, a safer distance from me now. Reluctantly I headed back into the kitchen where Henry and Emma sat. Henry still didn't know what Snow did and most certainly didn't know what I was. I leaned against the staircase not quite sure how Emma would react to me sitting near her. She, strangely enough, wasn't surprised or disturbed when David brought up what I was earlier. As much as I was comforted by this I was also aware of her ignorance when it came to these kinds of things. David came in a minute later, letting out a defeated sigh as he went.
"Anything?" Emma's voice was hopeful.
"She won't eat a bite." He pronounced tiredly.
I looked back at Snow her head was no longer covered by the sheets but her eyes were closed, as if to block out the world or maybe keep her desolation in. It doesn't work. I wanted to tell her.
"What's wrong with her?" Henry asked clearly concerned.
I shot Emma a glance. We should probably tell him he'll find out eventually.
"Nothing she's just a little… sick." The lie she uttered was choppy.
For one who can easily detect lies you sure are terrible at saying them. David looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated. Henry quickly caught on.
"You guys are lying to me, aren't you?" He accused.
"No one's lying." Emma defended.
"You are just like you did about my dad."
I had slowly been given bits and pieces of that story, which only made the annoying vibes I was getting off Emma and Neal all the more apparent.
"Henry." She reached out to him and he jerked away from her touch. David looked up from what he was doing.
"He's right no more lying." She concluded.
David shook his head in protest. "Emma-"
"He deserves to know. Here's the thing, Henry, Cora's death, Mary Margaret was partially responsible for it and that's why she's so upset." Emma explained.
"No, n-no, she couldn't." He tried to deny what he was hearing.
I heard someone knock on the door and stood to attention in case it was Regina. Only one dagger was with me, still tucked in my boot so as to not bother Henry or give the kid any ideas about carrying knives. Now that pretty much everyone knew I could revert to my other form if necessary. David walked around the counter to answer it.
"She was trying to protect us." Emma tried to comfort Henry.
"But she's Snow White, she wouldn't hurt anybody."
Not everything's black and white, kid. Henry turned to look at me for reassurance but I couldn't give him any.
"Get out." I heard David say as soon as he opened the door to reveal Rumpel.
Bloody hell, right now? I was still pissed at him for helping convince Snow to use that stupid candle.
"I think you're going to want to hear what I have to say, for her sake." He gestured towards Snow who moved slightly to note who was at the door and then fell back into her trance-like state.
I strode over to the door standing next to David who thankfully, was too distracted to flinch this time at my closeness.
"What are you talking about?" Emma's voice moved behind us.
"Regina, she's planning strike back against your mother." No surprise there.
"What she going to do to her?" Henry asked.
"Oh she didn't say."
A small growl of frustration escaped my lips.
"No, you don't to just come in here and drop a bomb like that. You're going to figure this out and you're going to help us." David demanded.
I was fairly impressed by him standing up to someone who could easily knock him back with a flick of the wrist.
"And why should I?" Rumpel challenged.
I clenched my fist really wanting to hit him for that.
"Because aside from us being family now, Mary Margaret saved your life and you owe her a debt and you always pay your debts don't you."
Rumpel looked over at Snow again who was now leaning up to see what he would say.
"You're going to help us stop Regina." He finished.
Rumpel looked between me and David. He didn't reply immediately.
"Rumpelstiltskin." I warned, my voice coming out in a low snarl.
He faced me before replying, effectively ignoring David. "Alright."
…
Rumpel and David came back from their searching later in the day. I didn't really pay attention to what they were saying, too caught up in my thoughts on how to help Snow, until I heard "Chimera and Viper's Eye." My head shot in the direction of Rumpel and Emma talking.
"Shit, the curse of the empty hearted." I muttered angrily.
Emma glanced back at me. "What the hell does that do?"
"In theory it has the power to make someone love you." Rumpel supplied.
"Doesn't that break magic laws? You can't bring someone back to life, you can't force someone to love you?"
"This particular spell can make someone think that they love you and if you're as desperate for love, as Regina appears to be you might just believe it."
"Maybe we can have her use it on herself pretend she loves everyone, stop being such a bitch to the world." I grumbled drily.
"She going to use it on me isn't she?" Henry made his presence known to everyone else as he hurried down the stairs.
I had known he was listening for some time now, not many can sneak up on me, but I had felt like he should at least know what was going on between his adoptive mother and his family. I had however, forgotten not to curse in front of him and that last comment was probably a little too harsh.
David sighed and walked over to him. "Hey buddy why don't you go back upstairs, let us handle this?"
"No!" He protested and shoved his way around David and ran to Emma. "Emma, you said you were going to be honest with me, now why is Regina using this curse?"
"Because it's the only way she can get everything she wants, that she can get you." Rumpel explained.
"But if all she wants is me?" Henry was confused.
"Your mother is a complicated woman, she wants your love of course but she also wants her vengeance on Mary Margaret."
"How does the curse give her both?" David asked.
Because Chimera and Viper's Eye aren't the only ingredients needed in that curse. I remembered.
"Because the last ingredient she needs for the curse is the heart of the person she hates the most." Rumpel announced.
"You have to stop her!" Emma pleaded.
Rumpel scoffed. "No, I don't have to do anything. On the contrary I believe warning you fulfills my debt."
"What?!" I shot up from my chair as anger rolled through me.
"Not even close, this is my wife's life we're talking about!"
"Not to mention your grandson's!"
"Yeah well all wars have their costs." Rumpel's voice dripping with nonchalance.
"Nice." Emma deadpanned.
"Well this is a blood feud dearie, one that goes back a very long time, and the only way you can end a blood feud is by the spilling of more blood. That is the only way I know of how to eliminate your Regina problem."
"By what, killing her?" David asked.
"Is there no other option?"
"I'm afraid not." Rumpel said.
"Stop! Listen to yourselves you're talking about killing my mom. You used to be heroes what happened to you?" Henry cried and ran out the door.
Emma quickly followed grabbing her coat in the process. "No matter how this plays out we need to keep him as far away from it as possible."
David nodded.
"She's right. Cora was dangerous because she didn't have a heart. Regina's even more dangerous because she does." Rumpel declared.
"So glad I'm not capable of this crap." I muttered quietly to myself.
Apparently not quietly enough because Rumpel turned to face me. "Really, dearie, then why are you here? You wouldn't be protecting Mary Margaret if you didn't love her."
David looked between us and then at Snow. "I'm going to go find Emma and Henry." He grabbed his coat and left.
"You wouldn't have risked them finding out in order to protect me if you didn't care." He added as the door shut.
I tried to figure out if Snow was actually sleeping, I couldn't really tell. "So what you're saying is…"
"You're not as evil as you think."
"Rumpel I've managed to slowly turn one of the fairest darker."
"She made that decision on her own. If she received pressure from anywhere it was me."
"Prove it."
"I can't, you have to trust me."
"Yeah I'll work on that." I marched away up the stairs, leaving him down there with Snow.
…
I heard the door lock slide and slid to the top of the staircase. Regina strode in like she owned the place. Spotting Snow she menacingly removed her right glove before walking forward again clearly intent on taking her heart. I swung over the side railing and landed behind her. Rumpel was abruptly in front of her.
"Nice try dearie, did you really thin it was going to be that easy?" He taunted her.
She shook her head and leaned to the side to face Snow. "He can't be your guard dog for forever." She threatened.
"No but I can." She whirled around to face me. "Perks of being immortal."
"Why don't we test that?"
"You sure you want to? Your mother tried on a few occasions, never really worked out well for her." I quipped.
She smirked and looked back at Snow and then me again. "Right, the natural-born, around someone going dark that should help the process." She slid around me and out the door.
…
"It seemed that Henry convinced Regina to destroy the curse, which means my services are no longer required." Rumpel announced as he hung up his phone.
I didn't look at him, my gaze still lingering on the town outside the window and the world beyond it.
"How do you do it?" Snow's voice rang out for the first time in a day.
Rumpel stopped and my attention was drawn to her. "Do what?" He asked.
"Live with yourself knowing all the bad things you've done?" Her voice was full of desperation.
"You tell yourself you did the right thing and if you say it often enough, one day you might actually believe it."
I looked back at Snow as she turned her attention back to staring out the window appearing as wistful as I must have.
I placed a comforting hand on the bed next to her. "I'll be right back." Before getting out of the chair and following Rumpel out of the apartment.
He didn't stop once the door closed and he headed down the stairs.
"You're not really going to make me come after you?"
"I'm assuming you have a comment for my words of wisdom to your dear Snow?" He answered still descending the stairs.
I waited until we reached the bottom to speak. "She did do the right thing."
"By killing Cora out of spite for her own mother? Maybe you are as confused about good and evil as you appear to be."
"Cora was going to try to kill everyone she already killed me twice and she was about to kill you. The way I see it she did the right thing in saving the rest of the people in Storybrooke."
"Wait a minute she killed you twice?"
Shit, shouldn't have bloody said that. "To an extent, yes. That'd how I ended up here in the first place. The second time was in the library when she, Regina and Hook were searching for your dagger and I tried to stop her."
"Hook." I watched in horror as he pieced it all together. "Is that how you got to New York?"
"Yes."
"He kidnapped you? And you didn't do anything about? I know that you're capable of killing him without your daggers. You still had magic even after you crossed the line. Why didn't you?"
"Because I'm not vengeance driven like the both of you." I snarled.
He saw something in my expression. "He's the one?"
I swallowed. "What do you mean?"
"You know exactly what I mean Ella, he's the one who knows all about you, you-you love him!" He looked utterly appalled.
"Rumpel you're being absurd! He's my bloody Captain!" I froze when I realized what I had just said.
"I thought that those clothes looked more like pirate garb. I was willing to drop it though, but you were a part of his crew!"
"Yes, alright, I was his Quartermaster! I 'died' defending him and the crew. I didn't know he was your nemesis or you his! Oh, no that bloody bomb was dropped on me the night I found him in the hospital! Then I woke up in New York the other day and find that he's run off and tried to kill you and when I found him I didn't know if you were alive or dead and I was going to kill him but I don't think I could have. I managed to hurt him thought, no need to worry, but guess what, he realized who I was before I knocked him out. He knows Rumpel! He thinks I've betrayed him! You think I've betrayed you! I am sick and tired of this bloody bullshit!" My voice had reached its shrieking point.
Rumpel was at a loss for words. I formed in front of him, he was the second one who wasn't petrified of that form, and apparated back into the apartment. Leaning against the door I took deep breaths to calm my anger and stop the hot tears rolling down my cheeks before changing back into my normal state. Once my breathing returned to normal I pushed off the door and walked around the staircase to find the bed empty.
"Snow?" I called.
No answer. Bloody fucking hell. I formed back again and transported myself to outside of Regina's house, in time to see Snow bawling on her porch. I ran to her.
"Snow, are you bloody insane? We need to get you out of here!"
"R-regina w-won't kill me." She blubbered.
"What? I asked completely taken aback.
"My heart's… grown darker… she-" She sobbed and writhed out of my grasp stumbling down the sidewalk before half-running back in the direction of the apartment.
I stood stunned on the porch. What did that bitch do to her? Turning around slowly to face the door as a death glare set in on my expression. Forming before my magic knocked the door open. I strode into the foyer.
"Regina!" I yelled my voice malevolent.
She came around the corner of the dining room. I shoved her against the wall.
"What. Did. You. Do. To her." I hissed dangerously.
Fear mixed with her anger but she did a good job of keeping it out of her voice. "I did nothing. Her heart has darkened, that is all her doing."
It's true. I let go of my hold on her and she stumbled slightly, the only indication I got that I had supposedly lifted her from the ground in my rage. Slowly the black veins disappeared, nothing but flawless flesh revealed as they went away.
"I know there's something we can do, there has to be." I pleaded.
"Well, I don't know a way to stop it but I know how you could suspend it for however brief a time." She gave me a forced smirk that appeared as more of a grimace and it hit me.
The same reason he has become darker, the same influence. Her smirk became both more genuine and wicked as realization flashed across my face.
"I-I…" I loathed the stutter in my voice, a clear sign of weakness, and quickly slipped my cool, indifferent mask back on. "I need to leave her, don't I?"
"Well you are a natural-born, are you not? Provoking evil in others is in your nature. Don't be too hard on yourself. I think it's a rather delicious gift." She was mocking me.
My hands were shaking, spreading the vibes up my arms, as silent rage started to break through my walls. I wasn't sure if I was angrier at Regina, Cora, Rumpel for provoking Snow or myself. I exhaled through my clenched teeth as steadying breaths failed me and it came out as a hiss. Turning, I left not paying attention to what was in front of me, keeping my eyes glued to the ground as I exited through the front door. Unblinking until my vision began to blur and the tears once again began to seep down my face as I rounded the corner. Stay away, that's the best I can do for her right now. Stay close enough to protect her, stay far enough to slow the blackening.
Author's Note: I apologize for the lack of our dear Captain in this chapter but fear not he'll be in some flashbacks next chapter ;-) Thank you for reading!