Disclaimer in Chapter One
Hope you all are having a wonderful holiday! Again, thank you for checking out my story - this is definitely my favorite to write. Enjoy!
What the hell was she thinking? Just like that, she had accepted some make believe tale; storybook characters were real, running rampant on Earth, and if that wasn't enough, someone was going around killing them.
The craziest thing of all was that her super power, her keen sense of knowing when others lied, hadn't been set off during her conversation with these strangers. Was she nuts, high, or completely and utterly insane?
Her parents, she reminded herself, information on the people who left her on the side of the road with nothing but an embroidered blanket. She was doing this for her inner, orphaned, child.
Lazily scanning the scroll before her, a symbol nearing the end of the page filled her gaze. The letters T & B had been eloquently sketched into the frayed paper. Where had she seen- her paychecks. Each and every check she had been receiving for the past year contained this mark. So what the man said was true, they had been watching her. The sight filled her uneasy stomach with determination.
Hope. The word passed through her mind as Emma watched a feather appear from thin air. It glided slowly before slipping through her fingers. She was all too familiar with hope. Whether fairy tale or Earth born, hope can fade, and when set too high, can come crashing down. It can bring the toughest of men to their knees and beg for mercy. And yet, there is always a chance, one slight sliver of a chance that hope can bring and fulfill all desires that one possesses.
This was Emma's chance. This was her sliver of hope, and there was no way in hell she'd walk away from her one chance at happiness.
"Have you forgotten how to spell your name, dearie?" Rumple snapped, eye brow slightly twitching as the ink dripped from the quill. They had been waiting for a few moments, watching Emma Swan's eyes bore into the skin of the scroll before her, and quite frankly, his patience was wearing thin.
"Not a chance," Emma answered as she scraped the tip of the feather against the dotted line.
Green eyes watched as the ink immediately seeped in and flashed dark purple. A spark ran through her body as soon as the tip left the thin paper. It's a surge of energy, a pulse, which starts at her toes and races up to the edge of her skull. A buzz, crackle, and tingling sensation as if a part of her body had just been reawakened.
"Belle," Rumple commanded as he stood and began to make his way toward the door. "Please inform Ms. Swan of her assignment and let Henry handle the rest."
The brunette hastily nodded and hopped off the woodened desk. "Right," she began as the slap of the door followed. "You'll be escorted to gather your weapon. Then you'll head out with Henry in order to find Regina. Welcome to Tales and Bails."
Emma nodded slightly as she pulled herself from her chair. Without a word she headed toward the only exit and grasped the silver handle tightly. Here goes nothing, the thought whispered through her mind before she threw the door open and began strutting against the white tiles.
A pair of sneakers squeaking against the floor follows, along with a voice that called, "Hey! Wait for me!"
The blonde threw her head over her shoulder and gazed at the young boy.
"Didn't you hear her? You're supposed to be my responsibility until we get home."
Emma bit her lip and held back an eye roll. Didn't Rumplestiltskin say she was one of the best? Yet, here she was, a child being her escort from checkpoint to checkpoint like she was some lost puppy. It was the icing on the farfetched fairy tale cake. "Alright, then lead the way kid."
"And it's not kid!" The boy before her jogged up a few steps and stopped right in her path. "My name's Henry, Henry Mills."
Immediately her hands sought the comfort of her jacket pockets. The blonde lolled her head toward the brunette as she spoke, "Alright Henry, where are we headed then?"
A bright smile pierced his lips as he informed her, "We have to go meet Red and Granny to get your weapon."
"Red, huh? Now who would that be?"
"Little Red Riding Hood! But she's not the same as she is in the story, now she's an awesome werewolf," Henry answered as if it were common knowledge. He turned on his heels before racing down the long white terminal.
Her brows immediately furrowed at the sight. Only when the boy turned and waved in her direction do her legs pick up their pace. Her heels snapped against the white title, drawing the attention of some of the passersby that began to fill in single file lines.
Those waiting were dressed in a variety of, what only Emma could describe as, exotic clothing. There were suits of armor, capes and fur skins, leather and of course the occasional bundle of rags. Some of the strangers even contained weapons such as swords or bows and arrows.
The few who were courageous enough stared at the blonde as she stalked passed. She met their gaze, never backing down until a scream filled her ears. Green eyes immediately flashed to a line filled with mostly men dressed stripes and leather. A laugh was suppressed into her cheek when her mind immediately identified just who these fairy tale characters were. Fucking pirates, she thought as she passed a stranger with an eye patch and parrot perched on their shoulder.
"Fucking finally!"
"Sir did you fill out forum Eleven, Twenty Seven, Section C?" A woman behind the glass asked the man before her. He was dressed in some sort of black leather, somewhat bedazzled, trench coat. Before he could answer her fingers begin typing away at the computer keyboard. "Killian Jones, correct?"
His head snaps to the paper in his hand, his voice tired, "Yes, love. I believe I have the correct paper work". He slipped the sheet of white under the slit on the counter.
Without so much of a second glance she pushed the paper back toward him and snapped her head to the screen. "It's Kathryn to you and that's forum Eleven, Twenty Two, Section B. You're going to have to go back to the time traveler's line."
"I've already been in that line!" The man exclaimed as his fist met the counter. With a huff Killian sucked in a breath and stood tall before delivering his version of a charming smile. "I'm sure there is something I can do for you, love. Now how about you just slip me right on through?"
"Sir," the blonde haired woman growled, "Do not test my patience."
His hand shot out to stop the paper from coming back to his side. "I've been here all day. I go in one line and they send me to another line, what am I to do?"
"You're going to have to get into the appointment line then. I cannot help you, Mr. Jones, if you do not have the correct paperwork."
"Now listen here," he sneered, raising his sleeve at the glass. The tip of a shining metal hook poked through its opening. "Do not test my patience, woman."
A small smile lit up the Kathryn's face. "You know what? Let me get my manager on the line. I'm sure he'll pass you right on through." The man known as Killian Jones shot her a smile back and nodded eagerly at her offer.
"Emma!"
Immediately the blonde whipped her head back in front of her just as her body connected into another. "Ah, shit, sorry," She quickly apologized backing a few steps up. "Oh you've got to be kidding me."
A fist connected to her shoulder within a few seconds along with a light laugh, "Swan, funny seeing you here."
"Yeah, I could say the same for you Ruby." The blonde smirked before giving her friend a shot back. "Ya know, when you told me that you'd be out of town for the next couple of weeks, I didn't imagine that you'd be hanging out in some underground bunker."
The woman before her was dressed in crimson red blouse and an open black cardigan. A playful smirk rested on her lips as she glanced back at the blonde. She gave a short shrug before responding, "When you're a hunter you get calls from all around the globe."
"You're a hunter too?"
"Wait, what happened to your hand?"
"Don't worry about it. What's your excuse?"
Suddenly a bloody scream echoed in the terminal. The pirate dressed in the black leather coat was crushed between the grasp of two ogres, struggling as they yanked on his limbs. In a matter of moments the human was picked up and carried away from the terminal. A few passerbys cheered as the line proceeded to move forward, happy to be rid of the annoyance.
"Don't worry, that doesn't happen here often. Only a few special assholes get manhandled by Rumple's grunts," Ruby piped up regaining Emma's attention. "Just flew in last night from California. I see you're already dressed for work. Oh and by the way, how'd your date go?"
Before Emma could answer her friend snapped her head in the direction the blonde had once been heading. "Henry's calling."
"You can hear him over the sound of that idiot's show?" the newly acquired hunter shouted over the cheers that continued to echo through the terminal.
Ruby flicked her head to the side, signaling the bounty hunter to follow as they made their way through the rest of the white area.
The two proceeded to make their way, weaving in and out of lines, until they reached a small segregated section. Multiple small shops covered the side of the terminal. Various signs signaled the sales of food, drinks, and modern clothing. One in particular got the blonde's attention, Granny's Artillery. The small shop was set up like that of a roadside restaurant, much like the ones that contained a few stools to sit on and eat.
"Ah, Red!" Henry, whom had been sitting on a barstool, happily shouted before running and enveloping his arms around the tall women's waist.
"Hey there bucko," the brunette said softly, ruffling her fingers through his hair.
Red? But Henry said that Red was Little Red Riding Hood, and Ruby didn't seem like the type to be transforming into a wolf.
"When I said there are plenty of fish in the sea I didn't mean my granddaughter, she's taken for." For the second time that night a familiar voice filled the blonde's ears. A gray bun shook from behind a magazine that had been propped up on the white tiled counter.
"Virginia?"
The magazine was folded in half to expose the smiling older woman. "That's Granny here. Welcome to the force."
Henry scrambled over to his stool and reclaimed his seat. "We're here to get weapons before we head out to meet my mom. Rumple said they're true partners," he informed the two women.
Both women floundered, their lips opening and closing as their heads shot to each other and then at Emma.
"T-true partners?" Ruby repeated before letting out a howl of laughter. "Maybe Gold is getting too old to pick out the partners."
"Either that or his vision is getting old. So much for foresight," Granny chuckled.
"What? We're just partners. She can't be that bad, right? I mean what's the worst she can do? Kill me?" Emma said, gesturing her hands as she talked to make light of the situation.
Granny nodded her head and shot her forefinger up to signal for them to hold on for a second. She then disappeared into the back of the small shop and rummaged through the rows upon rows of weapons.
"Hey," Ruby cleared her throat before she continued, this time whispering, "So you never told me how your date went."
"Are you serious? How about you fucking tell me what you're doing here Little Red," the blonde shot back.
Henry spun in his chair, a glare quickly forming on not only his face but the other two women as well.
"Don't speak like that around the Henry, Swan. If Regina catches you talking like that she'll burn you alive," Granny warned from the back before picking up a rifle and examining it.
Both Ruby and Henry nodded in agreement.
Emma's hands shot up in defense. "Alright, that's my mistake. I don't have much experience with kids, ya know."
Ruby smirked before giving her shoulder another shot. "So you want some details, huh? Alright then, yes, I am famously known as Little Red Riding Hood but I like the name Ruby so much better. It has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"
"And you never thought to tell me that in the past year that I've known you?" The blonde growled angrily.
"It's not like I wanted to deceive you. Do you remember the first night we met?"
The bounty hunter squinted in thought. "A Halloween party right? You seemed pretty lost and you were dressed up as your counterpart, red hood and all."
A wolfish laugh sounded at her side. "My mother went missing in my world and the only family I had left was Granny. She rushed some paperwork and was able to get me over here. When Rumple found out who I am, he gave me a spot as a hunter."
It was then, for the first time in her entire year of knowing the girl, Emma noticed the tips of fangs that appeared when Ruby smiled. How the hell had she not noticed this before?
"You're going to want change out of those if you want to make it in this business," Granny teased nodding at the blonde's heels as she placed a pair of pistols, a black cell phone, lock pick set, gun holsters, and boots on the counter.
The blonde sighed happily before popping off her heels, snatching the black boots, and began slipping them on.
"So?" Ruby howled tapping her fingertips along Emma's shoulder.
With a groan the hunter eventually gave in. "Alright, so she was really ho-"
"No! I mean what happened. Did you catch her?"
"Her who?" Emma asked lacing up her first boot.
Granny stood, cheek resting in her palm as she watched the conversation. "That phone is T&B property, do not lose it. And yes Ruby, Swan caught Jackie B if that's what you're asking."
After shoving her second foot into the remaining boot a light went off in the blonde's head. "Wait…you knew?"
"Ha! Did you hear that Henry? You and Kathryn better pay up!" Ruby shouted, fists pumping up and down as she leaned back on her stool.
"I can honestly say the same thing happened to me. My son, along with my best friend, thought it would be a nice change of pace from work."
No way, no fucking way. But why the hell would they go through all the trouble of having them meet on an online dating site? Hell, Emma wasn't even coached. She had found and approached the Evil Queen on her own. She hadn't even told Ruby about her, had she?
"Oh my god...that was your mom? You set me up with the Evil Queen? Why the fu-….Why the hell would you do that!?" Emma snarled throwing her hands out at Ruby. "What if she had tried to kill me?!"
Henry sighed loudly as he tapped his fingertips along the counter, breaking the tension building between the two. "She's trying to change. Please, you'll be working with her soon, give her a chance."
"Fairy tales aren't always what we expect them to be," Granny said softly nodding encouragingly at the boy. "Hell, there's a woman that works here by the name of Snow, some people call her Mother Goose, who keeps track of all the nursery rhymes. You should hear her swear up and down that happy endings aren't always what we expect them to be."
Emma rolled her eyes, grabbing the cell phone and lock pick set off the counter before lacing up the last boot.
"Look, I made your profile because you were lonely. We both know that's the truth. And yeah, when the opportunity came along, it was just a friendly competition. When you contacted her I may have suggested to Kathryn where you guys should meet and that's all," Ruby explained as she folded her arms across her chest.
Suddenly, as if Henry just now grasped what they were talking about, spun on his stool and stared wide eyed at the blonde. His nose wrinkled with confusion and mock disgust as he asked, "Wait you went on a date with my mom? That's why Ruby came home early?"
The hunter coughed and looked away, attempting to downplay the light blush that was beginning to cover her cheeks. "Does she uh, does she know it wasn't a date?"
"Emma, that's all you, I have no idea. Regina is the top hunter we have and we kind of sort of had an idea where Jackie was staying. So, I bet on my best buddy when those two didn't believe in your bounty hunting ability," Ruby informed. "Oh come on, you know you can't stay mad at me for long."
The blonde smirked before taking a shot at Ruby's shoulder as she spoke, "Yeah, you're lucky we're friends."
Ruby beamed back, eyebrows bouncing with delight. "You're just curious what I won from the bet."
"Maybe a little.."
"Fifty bucks and Henry threw in a candy bar."
"Better be Snickers," Emma said as she gave the quiet boy a small playful shake of the shoulder.
A laugh popped through Henry's throat, "I have a Take Five in my room. When we get there I'll give it to you."
Ruby opened her mouth, but before she could object, the blonde laughed, "Hey! No chocolate for dogs right? That chocolate's all mine."
"Are we all done here? I believe that Henry would probably like to get home before sunrise,"
Granny interjected as she rolled her eyes.
Both of the hunters flashed the older woman a smile before nodding in unison.
"Your weapon is an exact replica of your bounty hunting grade pistol."
"I'll be duel wielding? This business must be pretty serious," Emma deduced as she slipped off her suit jacket to put the shoulder holster on.
The gray haired woman smirked, two fangs of her own poking through her smile.
"No way.."
Henry chuckled softly as he followed the blonde's exact movements.
"He can handle a gun? He's what probably six years old?" The hunter whipped her head to both women, eyes widened in both curiosity and fear.
The brunette boy gripped the gun on the counter and quickly pointed it directly at Emma's head. "I'm eight."
"Wh-what the fuck!?" The newly acquired hunter squealed, falling completely off of her stool, arms up to defend her face.
The two wolf women chuckled wholeheartedly as the boy pulled the trigger, water squirting out from its muzzle.
"It's an elemental pistol, no need to worry, Swan. Just be lucky he didn't have it on actual fire," Granny told her with a smile.
Emma's face completely fell, jaw slightly ajar as the water hit her right on the chin and dribbled down her neck. After a few moments, along with the shake of her head, she seemed to snap out of it and nearly tackled the boy as her knuckles ran across his head. "You're so dead!"
After another hour of chatting with the wolf women Henry began yawning, and even attempted to put his head down on the counter to rest. It was then that he suggested that they get home before his mother got worried.
"I know that face," Granny laughed before she continued, "Good luck trying to get his feet moving. You'd be better off carrying the child."
Emma eventually agreed and scooped up the boy into her arms, slightly slinging his body over her shoulder.
"You're my responsibility until we get to my mom," Henry piped up quietly as both of his arms dangled over the hunter's back.
"Right, the Evil Queen. I gotta say kid, she sounds like a bundle of joy. Are you comfortable like th-," the words died in the blonde's throat as he curled his body, his face pressing into her neck with his arms draped around her neck.
A small blush covered Emma's cheeks as she slightly swayed the boy to keep him awake. "Hey, kid? Henry?"
"Go to the end of the hall and take a left to the elevator. Just tell it where you want to go and you'll be there before you know it," Ruby ordered as she hoped off her stool and handed the hunter a piece of paper containing Henry's address.
"Wait….you can take elevators here? Why the f-," Emma immediately cut herself off before pressing her free hand to Henry's exposed ear and pushed him further against her collar. "Why the fuck wasn't I sent down here in an elevator? I thought I was trapped in a fucking sex dungeon!"
"My..idea," came the muffled response from the boy.
A soft laugh poured from Ruby's lips as she gently patted her friend's back, "Good luck!"
The blonde groaned quietly. Why did she have the feeling that she'd need it? After receiving an encouraging pat to her back and the whispers of goodbyes she headed off down the section.
Just as Little Red Riding Hood described two metallic doors stood at the end of the left hand side of the shops. With a push of a button the elevator was called and dinged softly as the doors opened.
"Please announce your destination," a voice similar to the phone booth from earlier announced.
"108 Mifflin Street in Storybrooke, Maine," Emma answered as the doors shut.
The ride was probably the longest one she'd ever experienced in an elevator; they were traveling to a different state after all.
A small groan sounded on the side of her neck before Henry nuzzled his cheek into the exposed skin there. "Mom, are we almost there?"
Emma faltered for a second, mind imagining how many times the Evil Queen had probably done the same thing. She couldn't be that evil right? I mean she had a kid, and he was as well mannered as you could possibly get for an eight year old.
"Now arriving at Storybrooke, Maine," the mechanical voice called out as the top of the elevator opened. The platform beneath her feet rose slowly.
The blonde squinted slightly from the lone light that shined above her head. As the platform came to a stop her head whipped around. Again for the second time that night she was enclosed in the glass of a phone booth.
She was nervous, and that was putting it gently. Her stomachs rolled as she gently pried open the door and took her first step into the pitch black night.
"107….108..Woah," the blonde read to herself quietly as her eyes examined the houses across street.
They lived in a mansion? Seriously? Of course they did. If his mother was the top hunter for Tales and Bails she probably was receiving checks larger than Emma's. But still, enough to maintain a mansion? The thought immediately made Emma's mind wander to what job the kid's dad had.
Wait a second - the father. How could she have only thought of this now? Ok, granted she had been through a lot that night and now she could finally process information in peace. But had Regina known who she was? Her profile on the dating site had listed her as single but people can lie all the time, and as an Evil Queen it would basically be her natural talent. Is that why she accepted the date was to see how well of a hunter Emma was? She had to know before she was face to face with the woman she ran from just hours ago.
"Henry…Henry wake up," the hunter whispered, shaking the boy awake.
He yawned quietly as slowly popped his eyes open and leapt from the blonde's grasp, "When did we get here?"
"Your dad, where's your dad? Let me guess, he's the Evil King?"
"My dad?"
"Yeah, your dad, what if your mom isn't home?" Emma asked attempting to cover up her reasoning for asking. The house seemed to dark for her liking. Sure, it was late at night but if the Queen was at all the motherly type, she'd at least have a light on as she waited for her son to get home.
Henry crinkled his brows and stretched. "I don't have a dad."
"You don't have a dad?" Emma repeated scratching the back of her head. Her next question popped out before she could even stop herself, "What'd the Evil Queen do? Kill him?"
With a huff the brunette haired boy took the few quick steps to cross the street and moved in front of the newly acquired hunter. Both his brows and nose were scrunched as he glared at his temporary partner. "There is no Evil King unless you count Midas and that's Kathryn's Dad. I was adopted and remember don't call her that, she's trying to change."
Adopted. Henry was adopted. Emma had her own history with that word, far too much history for her lifetime. With a shake of her head the hunter attempted to dismiss her thoughts. Her night had gone from crazy to insane. If she even thought about that part of her life right now she'd be on the brink of a mind racing induced comma.
But the Evil Queen, the most evil of all the villains ever told, adopted a boy. She gave him a second chance, his best chance at a better life. Maybe she was trying to change. With a shaky breath she swallowed down her nerves as Henry walked up the cobblestone path to the white front door.
The boy proceeded to lifted up the welcome mat and flush red when he noticed the key that had been there earlier was now gone.
"I must've left it in my room," Henry sighed as he scratched the back of his head. Stepping back he examined the contrast of the dark windows against the white house. It seemed as if his mother never made it back home.
With a playful roll of her eyes, Emma reached into her pants pocket and pulled out a small metallic box. She hastily flung her tie over her shoulder, as to not let it drag on the ground while she tinkered. "Ready to watch a master at work?"
A small sound of excitement escaped the boy as he watched the blonde kneel down and slip a pick out from the set.
"Hopefully she doesn't have a spell on your house," the hunter cackled as she jimmied the pick into the lock and began twisting it slightly.
Henry sighed heavily. He could already tell that his mother and Emma were like oil and water. That meant a lot of fighting, just like she had with her last partner, Robin Hood. He hoped that Rumple was right. Partners are just that – partners, but true partners, now they were for a lifetime.
A smirk appeared on the blonde's lips as the front door popped open, "Looks like the Evil Queen's door is no match for me."
"I'll warn you one last time, Emma. You really shouldn't call her that."
She bent at the waist ever so slightly and extended her forefinger to his forehead. "Look mama's boy, I don't care if your mom is the most wicked of them all, she's my true partner now and I get to call her what I want."
Within mere seconds of the blonde's finger touching the brunette, her body was swept up into the air, invisible vines crushing and constricting her before she was thrown three yards away from the boy.
"Henry!?" A woman yelled racing out from the door. She immediately bent down and scooped the large boy into her arms, placing a kiss to his forehead. "Are you alright? I just magicked myself home after Ruby told me you headed this way. I thought I lost you."
The boy smiled sheepishly and gently hugged his mother with all of his undivided strength.
"Get inside," she whispered quietly, flicking her twist to turn the porch light on, as she placed the boy behind her. Her vision now set sights on the bundle of black groaning on their stone pathway.
The eight year old whipped his head wildly as he gripped his mother's satin pant leg. "Mom you don't understand."
With a flick of her wrist the brunette haired woman summoned the vines once more, their grasp immediately clenching the body as it shot the human into the air. She twisted her forefinger slowly, rotating the suit wearing person to face the Mills. "And you, who the hell do you think you are?"
Emma shook the blonde curls out of her face and did her best to hide grunt sounding from the back of her throat. "Hey….Evil Regal...Long time no see…By the way...You look great….In red satin."
A soft gasp exited Regina's mouth.
"Mom, meet your true partner," Henry said quietly, gripping her wrist in the air.
The brunette haired woman dropped her hand to her side and stiffened, effectively letting the blonde fall to the stones once more, this time her tail bone connecting to the ground. Ignoring the howls of pain from the hunter, Regina ran a hand through her razor treated hair. "Emma Swan."