A/N: Hey Team!
So this is the part where I grovel and plead with you all not to hate me because I haven't updated. I ended up being a costumedesigner/partyplanner/photographer - plus had some post HSC plans to get out of the way.
But here is the next chapter! #threedayslate #haven'treadoverit #feellikeineedabeta #dontactuallyknowwhattheydo #newbie #hashtag
I'm tired. I'll let you read.
P.S. If you have time, check out my new profile pic. I went to the costume party as the TARDIS. =]
Enjoy xx
P.P.S. Thank you for the reviews! I love you guys!
Convenience in Hell
Present Day
"But what does Pan want with Henry, Indigo," Snow was saying. "What could he possibly be to him?"
"Think about it Snow," Indigo answered, leaning back with a blanket curled up around her. "Who is Henry's family? Look at all of you."
"I suppose," Snow continued hesitantly, "Rumplestiltskin being his grandfather might have helped too."
"The Dark One is his grandfather?" Indigo opened her mouth in shock. She hadn't caught that when she'd read the boy. The ancestral lines were confusing even her and she'd been alive when every person around her was born.
"Who around here doesn't have magic?" Indigo asked with a frown. Snow pointed at herself, David and Hook across the circle.
Indigo nodded, cogs turning in her head. "Your daughter…she wasn't frozen like the rest of you?"
"She escaped before the curse hit," Snow said, looking from Indigo to Emma with a hint of sadness in her eyes. "I have her now I guess. Oh, I'm so sorry Indigo," Snow said apologetically as she remembered her friend's past. She'd once showed her through a magic mirror, the image of the young girl with the glowing eyes.
"Don't be," Indigo said, a small sad smile creeping onto her face. "I met her."
"You did?" Snow asked in shock and excitement. "When? How?"
"She grew up," Indigo answered, looking at Snow knowingly. "When I met her again…she wasn't the same. She wasn't; she wasn't mine."
Snow looked at her curiously. How could a mother say that? But Indigo was staring up at the sky wistfully, wishing against the very fabric of nature itself that she could have raised her daughter. That she would not be so consumed by a hatred of magic; that she could have known that her mother loved her.
The Enchanted Forest – 99 years ago.
"How could you ever tell me this was easy Cora?!" Indigo cried out as another contraction hit her.
"Don't shoot the messenger!" she replied, her face worried and flustered. "I've never had a child."
"Don't have a child," Indigo moaned, the contraction subsiding. She knew it wouldn't be long before another hit her.
"The midwife?" Cora inquired. "It would have to be soon."
"Fine," Indigo grunted, watching the young woman leave quickly, returning with an old woman who looked far beyond working age. They were muttering quickly in a language other than English that she quickly attuned to.
"I speak Old Farthian," she murmured, shifting into a more comfortable position as another round of pain attacked her abdomen. Once more she found herself desperate to use magic to heal her pain – but in doing so her entire body would heal itself; in doing so she would kill her child.
And so she persevered on through the night. Hours upon hours of screams and calming words. Just the Farthian midwife, the miller's daughter and Indigo; a sorcerer without magic.
But as daybreak arrived, Indigo held within her arms a bloodied body, coated in a small blanket, writhing and wailing with the newness of life. She was beautiful. And in that moment, Indigo didn't care that she had so much pain behind her and so many years ahead of her. Instead she looked at the face of her little girl, and smiled.
"What are you going to call her?" Cora asked, sitting by Indigo's bedside.
"I should name her for her father's mother," Indigo mused quietly, having given it a lot of thought over the past few months. Her own mother's name held no meaning for her, but Killian's had stood by him; Milah had told her that. Finally, she revealed to the baby's closed eyelids with a soft kiss, "Wendy."
Present Day
Indigo was pacing across the campsite as thoughts whirled around her head. What was their plan of attack? How did they kill Pan? How was Henry supposed to escape the lost boys? Was it still possible that Felix was on her side?
"Please stop pacing," a voice cut through her thoughts, "You're making me naus-"
Regina was cut short by Indigo's hand wave that blocked her voice from speaking. Regina kept moving her mouth, but no sound came out. Indigo turned to face the Evil Queen with a dangerous glint in her eye.
"Don't make the mistake of thinking we're friends Regina. We want the same thing; this is convenience. When we get off this island it is war between you and I. And you know I'm going to win."
As she turned to walk away, Regina tried to speak once more, the words catching on Indigo's spell.
"Ariel's payback," she replied over her shoulder before swiping away the charm as Regina regained her voice, the thought of the mermaid bringing about newfound ideas within her mind as Emma and Snow returned, still elated by the victory in seeing Henry.
The Enchanted Forest – 99 years ago…
Indigo clutched her crying baby to her chest, the mounting wails muffled in her blankets as she looked around furtively, clouds overhead threatening rain. Since giving birth her magic had been askew, he was out of practice – and out of money, food and shelter.
As she trekked the long roads through the woods, the occasional carriage passed her by – her raggedy clothes and downcast face taking no place in their hearts. Indigo walked on as her baby cried herself into soft hiccups murmuring, "Mumma" in her small voice. Indigo hushed her gently, rocking her to sleep despite her hunger as they came to a fork in the road. Putting her in the sling around her back, Indigo turned left, continuing with the vainest of hopes towards a looming castle in the distance. It was smaller than many she'd seen in her vast lifetime, but it was the home of the only person she feared could help her.
There had been rumours surrounding the new princess. Rumours that she had power, first to turn straw into gold, but then other – more miraculous – happenings had begun…the kind that only appeared when people sought out magic.
It was a flavour in the air that signified it. The Dark One used it and now, Indigo shuddered in fearful regret when she thought of the sorcerer, Cora.
How far she had sunk; how malicious she had become. From the poor girl who stood by her as she gave birth; to the woman who now sat upon the throne.
And as she knocked upon the doors of the castle, she was turned away with a few loose coins that could have bought her nothing more than an apple at the markets a mile away. Until she grasped hold of the guard's sleeve desperately. "Cora," she murmured, looking up at the man pleadingly. "Please, I must speak with-"
The man made to push her out of the doorway but Indigo couldn't allow that to happen and using all the strength she could muster, she pulled her dagger from her boot and swung it into his leg. It wasn't deep, but it would hurt, and it allowed her to slip past him to where she was caught by other guards and rather than being thrown from the palace, was taken to the dungeons.
Soon after, she was taken to see the princess.
Forced onto her knees before a glistening throne, Indigo stared down at the floor, not too sure if she wanted to look up at the woman who said, "Indigo Garcia."
"Your majesty," Indigo replied, not looking up.
"You've been on the streets my dear."
"You haven't."
"No." Indigo heard the cold smile in her voice as Cora looked around from her place upon the throne. "I have taken a few steps up in the world. I didn't want my child to live like me," Cora continued, looking down at the pitiful girl and saying disdainfully, "And certainly not like you."
Indigo looked up then. Cora was showing already. Soon, her daughter would be loose upon the world. And if she was anything like her mother…then the world would suffer dearly. For the woman who stood before her was no longer the meek girl whose friendship came free – this was a heartless queen.
"What happened to you Cora?" Indigo asked softly, her voice having lost its punch over the years.
"I learnt the cruelty of the world Indigo," she replied, standing up and walking to the girl who knelt before her throne, Indigo's pride and hope disappearing at a quick pace.
"You think the world has been any less cruel to me?" Indigo asked, looking upwards to the woman with creased and frustrated eyes. She held no warmth within her eyes. No sympathy, no love, not even the barest glimpse of what she could have once called friendship. And in that moment Indigo knew, Cora would turn her away.
It was at that moment that Wendy stirred in Indigo's arms. Cora's eyes shot downwards as though she'd only just realised the girl was there.
"That child," Cora said with tight examining eyes, "She's going to have a great deal of importance in the future."
Indigo clutched Wendy closer to her chest, her small face burrowing into the crook of her neck. She'd lost the destiny charts to the Dark One long before they could say anything about Wendy. But it was something she feared beyond all else – that her daughter would be burdened with anything of this world; magic and curses…
Cora eyes Wendy possessively, a greedy glint in her eye as Indigo clutched her tightly. "What would you say if I were to offer you a way out of your…predicament."
"The price?" she replied quickly.
"Nothing now. Perhaps, in the future when your daughter, and mine, are less…dependent, I may need your help with some manipulations of a darker sort. I believe you have quite strong magic from what I heard from the Dark One."
Indigo gulped. Cora didn't know that her magic now dwindled, but if it was future payment she asked, maybe she wouldn't have to. Maybe, in time, her magic would return…
"Very well," Indigo said, looking down at Wendy's small face sadly, "I agree."
If there was one thing she had learnt from Killian Jones, it was that sometimes dealing with the devil was a necessity to get what you wanted. And sometimes, it was the only thing that would keep the ones you loved alive.
Present Day
"Oh God Jones," Indigo groaned as she walked into the same area of the jungle as him. "Must you insist on being in my back pocket all the time?"
"I thought you rather enjoyed it," Hook commented, immediately making her regret her choice of words.
"Please don't start with that again Hook," Indigo retaliated. "We had sex a lot. In the past."
"I believe they have a more colloquial word for it in the land without magic," Hook smirked.
"Well I don't swear," Indigo answered with an annoyed sigh.
"I recall various expletives coming from that mouth of yours Indigo Garcia."
Indigo turned to face him suddenly. "Please don't talk about us. It doesn't bring back great memories."
"Really?" Hook enquired. "I recall various kinds of fun to be had by both parties."
"Yeah," Indigo said pointedly. "You recall. So please, stop talking to me like we're still on good terms."
"Aren't we?" Hook continued, taking a step forward as she stepped back. "The way I see it, we were both free agents. Besides we were on fine terms before I left Neverland."
Indigo scoffed, "I talked to you for all of five minutes before you fled a world. How can you call those good terms?"
Hook shrugged, "I've had worse."
"Just," Indigo turned away from him quickly, "Go away Hook. You're bugging me."
"I'm bugging you-"
Indigo cut him off sharply with a quick magical barrier, tired of his snarky retorts and reminiscing of their past exploits. Held up by a blue force field, his arms and legs were immovable, and no matter how hard he struggled he couldn't move. Indigo blew him a kiss as she backed out of the clearing and into the darkness with a smirk upon her face.
"She's really something isn't she?"
Pan appeared, watching the space that Indigo left behind her as Killian Jones hung suspended in mid-air. Feigning obliviousness of his state, Pan acted surprised and removed the spell Indigo had cast to hold him in the air.
"Three greetings in one day Pan," Hook began as he fell neatly into a crouched position before dusting himself off. "You should know that I am in fact going to tell them about Neal – wait…" Hook frowned, realising what he'd just said. "What would you know of her?"
"What would you know of her Hook?" he returned, taking a few steps forward. "Don't you want to uncover how exactly she's survived so long on this island?"
"You obviously fancy her Pan," he said stonily.
Pan shrugged, "Not particularly. Although, I do love the fact that she left you hanging here because you're on bad terms."
"We aren't on bad terms."
"What?" Pan asked in mock disbelief. "Were you not present for the entire conversation that just occurred? You're a little stupider than I remember Killian. And older."
"If people don't stop commenting on my face I'm going to murder someone."
"Your girl just walked that way," Pan said, arm indicating the path as a dark smile graced his face. "Be my guest."
"She isn't my girl."
"I know that," Pan scoffed. "Everyone on this island knows that. You've got your saviour. But the sorcerer," his eyes darkened as he smirked, "she's mine."
There was more to his look than mere possession and Hook knew it. He was playing him at a game; a strength of wills. Did Hook want the truth? Or did he want to fight Pan and kill him.
"What did you do to her Pan?" Hook asked finally. "Did you let her roam the island, let it turn her into this harsh-"
"Oh no," Pan returned smiling, "Nothing of the sort. I'm offended you would think so lowly of me Killian. I was incredibly hospitable, and so was she. If you want you can ask her. I'm sure she wouldn't mind sharing a few more details. After all, you've been so intimate."
"In the past," he added as an afterthought watching horror grace Killian's face.
"I'll leave you to it then Killian," Pan said, walking past the stunned man with a clap on his shoulder. "My best to the trapped Prince."
And just like that, he disappeared, leaving Killian staring at the space in front of him where Indigo stood, fireball in hand, having just missed her chance at harming Peter Pan. Now, she would have to deal with the aftermath – the one-handed pirate who was staring at her with the fire of hatred in his eyes.
"You've been with Pan all this time?" he asked dangerously. He stepped forward and she instinctively stepped back. "Weren't you the one being all judgemental when I worked with him? Although, from what I gather, you weren't exactly working."
"Careful now Hook," Indigo warned using her brave façade as a cover up to the shock of seeing Pan once more. She quickly disappeared and reappeared on the other side of Jones on the path which led to the camp. "One might think that was jealousy in your voice."
He closed the distance before she could turn and walk away, grabbing hold of her arm tightly. Rather than shaking him off as she should of, she turned her arm into heat and let him jump back with a blistering hand.
"What the bloody hell was that for?" he cried, staring at the skin on his hand that was glowing red.
"What I do with my life isn't any of your business," Indigo yelled in response. "We had a thing once. You're quite plainly over it. Don't think I didn't see you making out with Emma an hour ago."
Killian looked from his hand to her eyes in shock. There was no judgement in them, only the face of a person who knew him all too well. Indigo seemed to have calmed down by that stage, sighing before passing her hand over his and healing it murmuring, "Sorry."
"I slept with Tinkerbell."
"I heard," she answered as she pressed her blue thumbs into his palm, watching him wince. His revelation was meant to clear his head – to let Indigo back in – but instead it just felt like they were slipping back. "I didn't exactly spend 98 years in a hole. I had to work for someone."
As she pressed down harder into his skin again, he grunted in pain saying, "Were you jealous?"
"No," Indigo replied quickly and not entirely honestly. "Remember that whole jealousy talk we had about Milah?"
"Yes," Hook gave a reminiscent smile, "I think I was more jealous of your friendship with her."
"You were," Indigo agreed as she stopped healing his hand. "But I do question Tink. You loved Milah with all your heart. Tink was just convenience."
"And what were you love?"
"I was…" Indigo trailed off, and Hook seemed pleased with the fact that he'd stumped her until he realised he'd just insulted her and his face fell. But for Indigo, all she could think was that that was what Pan thought of her too. Convenient. There she was, the convenient person. That was a horrible description to have – but it was true. Neither of them would ever go out of their way for her. But at least Hook wasn't out to kill her.
"We didn't leave it on good terms Hook," she said as she realised that, beginning once more to look upon him as a friend, "How could it still be so easy to be with you?"
"I was a fool," Hook replied with a shrug. "But that's my fault not yours. You were right about the whole revenge thing."
"Well that's a first," Indigo laughed. "Truth is, I didn't leave because of that." And there she was, on the verge of letting the truth slip from her lips…
But she couldn't.
Instead, she sighed, "You never loved me Killian. And that pains me – but I understand how destiny works. First Milah, now Emma. You take the lost ones."
"You were just as lost as they were Indie," he replied.
"I guess," she answered with a shrug. "But I wasn't someone that you wanted to spend the rest of your life with. I was convenient; I was there. And it's taken me three hundred years to realise that. Milah drove you mad; and Emma…I can see it in you once more. She does the same."
"You did once too," Killian reminded her, it was like he was trying to convince her that he did love her. And as he thought back to it, maybe he did. Maybe once he felt the beginnings of love.
"Then I left you," Indigo said suddenly, looking up into his eyes. "I left you just like your father did. And you grew bitter. Even if you cared about me once…I betrayed you, and in turn you couldn't love me." She gave a soft laugh. "When you said that our madness was the beginning of a love story, all I could think was that we were going to end up a tragedy. Look at us now."
"I wouldn't say we're tragedies Garcia," Hook returned with a frown. If only he knew, she thought as Snow and Charming arrived in the clearing on their way back to the camp. They smiled at them talking before walking back to the camp. As Killian made to follow, Indigo said suddenly –
"You know, I like her."
Killian glanced up at her in confusion.
"The Swan girl, Emma," Indigo continued with a nod. "I approve."
"You approve of my love life?" Killian repeated momentarily distracted. It seemed to be her duty as a friend to constantly be that person. There; convenient – and exactly who you needed at all the right times.
"Ah, so you do love her?"
"I never said that," he said much too quickly with a small smirk as they trailed after Snow and David. Indigo took one last glance at the clearing, having sworn she heard the sound of scampering footsteps amongst the trees. For a moment, wistfulness crossed her face.
Then it was gone; and Indigo followed the heroes back to their makeshift home. It wasn't much, but it was better than what she could have hoped for on Pan's Island.
The place Killian Jones so fondly called Hell.