Disclaimer: Property of A&E and ABC. Not Mine.
Hades delays his trip into town until after dinner. The knights tend to mill about in the main hall during the evening, either socializing or watching DVDs of some fantasy show with more plot holes than Swiss cheese. It's the perfect time to sneak away. Once he's alone in his room, he suits himself up in a pair of jeans and a faded black Led Zeppelin T-shirt. Caden and the other squires are enthralled with modern-day clothing, so it wasn't difficult for Hades to convince the teen to bring him a few things from the local Salvation Army. What the boy returned with wasn't quite what Hades had in mind, but it'll work for snooping around Storybrooke.
He uses the rear stairwell and makes his escape out the side door of the mansion. So far, so good. He follows the main roads, leisurely wandering his way towards the center of town. Nothing to see here, folks. Just your average guy, out for a stroll on a Tuesday evening. The clock atop the library is showing 8:15 p.m. when he finally turns onto Main Street.
Granny's is still open; the shifting shadows within the diner's golden glow indicating there are still a few people out and about. Hopefully they'll mind their own business. Hades walks past the diner and crosses the street. Sparing a quick glance, and finding no curious onlookers, he tests the primary door of the library with a slight tug. Locked. He retrieves his newfound treasure from his pocket, and slides the key into the deadbolt. It's a perfect fit, and with a muted click the lock tumbles open.
Hades pulls on the door again, but it seems the knob itself also locks. Frowning, he tries the key, yet it doesn't seem to fit. He flips it and tries again, and just as he feels the mechanism turn, there is a sharp feminine voice behind him.
"Little late for reading, isn't it?"
Hades whips around, and comes face to face with Emma Swan. At her side is… no, it can't be.
"Hook."
"Aye, mate." The pirate waves his namesake. "Can't say I've had the pleasure though?"
It's an introduction. He's supposed to introduce himself. But he can't – he's dumbfounded by the living, breathing and clearly non-decaying Killian Jones standing three feet in front of him.
The pair share a quick glance, and Hades knows they're thinking the worst of him. He's got to shake it off, but how the hell is the pirate alive? There was no ambrosia. He should be rotting happily in the Underworld where Hades left him. Where he belonged.
"Is there somewhere you're staying?" Emma asks in that overly kind heroic tone they all share. "Maybe we can help you find your way home."
Oh no. Now they think he's mental. Maybe he is. Maybe this has all been some bizarre death-induced nightmare, because there is no way Hook can be alive.
Hades' composure is threadbare, but a sliver of self-preservation and dignity remain. He needs to explain himself, but the words are slow in coming. "I have a key. I just wanted to see if it worked." He pulls it from the door and shows it to them, trying his best to look humble and innocent. The expression on Emma's face is telling - she isn't buying it. He will deal with that later. Right now, he has to know.
"Forgive me," Hades says to the pirate, "but I thought you were dead? I…uh… overheard it. In the diner." He makes a dramatic display of pointing it out.
Hook grins and slings his arm over the Savior, startling her as he pulls her close. "You must not have heard the whole story, mate. You're right though. I was dead. But…"
A new voice interrupts, "What's going on?"
Hades tears his eyes away from Captain Hook's non-corpse to see Regina and the boy Henry striding towards them. Dammit! He'll have to find out later how dear Killian managed to return his sorry carcass to the realm of the living. The former Evil Queen is eyeing him warily. "Is there a problem?"
Henry is off to her side, oblivious to the mounting tension in the air. "Hi," he says with a small wave. "I'm Henry. You're one of those new people, right?" The boy's hazel eyes peer intently. "Um… you okay?"
"Kid," Emma reprimands while shrugging herself out of Hook's grasp. "Manners."
The mother-son parenting moment is enough of a distraction for Hades to get a grip. He buries the hatred boiling within him and puts on the best face he can muster. He can do this. These are just heroes - stupid mortals.
"No, the error is mine. Please forgive me. I am a bit out of my element, and I've neglected common courtesies as well. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Sir Zacharais, but everyone calls me Rhye. My appearance may not reflect it at the moment, but I am one of the Knights Templar." He shifts into the formal, knightly posture he's practiced so much of late, and holds out his hand to the teen. "And yes, I am from the other realm. It's nice to meet you, Henry."
The teen grips his hand in return with surprising strength. "Nice to meet you, Rhye."
Hades then turns his attention to Regina and Emma, making a play at gallantry with a small bow. "Ladies, the pleasure is indubitably mine. Please excuse my rudeness for not acknowledging you properly. Sir Rhye, at your service."
Regina stares blankly at him, but Emma, wiser, crinkles her eyes in amusement. "I see," she says, her voice confirming it. "I'm Emma, and this is Regina."
"Truly delighted to meet you both." Hades straightens himself, and although it damn near kills him, he offers his hand to the pirate. "Apologies to you as well. The adventures of Captain Hook were well known in my land, and your story was a favorite of mine when I was but a boy. When I heard of your death, and now see you alive… well, I'm extremely honored to meet you."
Hook pauses, taken aback by the flattery. Hades stifles his grin, thrilled that he actually might pull this whole snafu out of the toilet. His smile slips free when the pirate grasps his hand. "Thanks," Killian murmurs.
Hades shakes it, firmly. "No, thank you." He releases it and addresses them all, dangling the key for each to see.
"I found this key in the home where I'm staying. I believe you know it as the Sorcerer's mansion? You'll again have to forgive my boldness, but I just discovered it a few of hours ago, and as I'm quite the bookworm, I couldn't wait to try it out. It's labeled 'Library'." He gestures towards the faded double doors. "This is the only library in town, correct?"
Regina and Emma are entirely too intelligent for their own good, as both are studying him and his key carefully. The pirate seems to care less; he's probably written him off as a scholarly type and not much of a threat. Henry, however, looks pleased.
"Moms," he says, "maybe this is a good thing. Maybe it's fate."
Regina looks at the teen like he's nuts. "What's fate?"
"Him," Henry points. "He can run the library."
"Whoa, wait a second, kid. Who said anything about re-opening the library?"
Henry looks at the Savior with such eagerness that even Hades is drawn in. "Belle isn't going to be back for a while, right? And even when she is, she's going to have a baby. She would want the library to be open, don't you think?"
The pirate places a hand on Emma's shoulder. "Tough to argue with him on that, luv."
Henry continues, "And he's a knight. What is more honorable than a knight?" The boy turns back to him and those young eyes bore right into his soul. "You're a good knight, right? You want a job?"
"Um…"
"You know," Regina says, "this might work. Miss Swan, a moment please."
"Excuse us," the blonde says in a rush. She and Regina and Hook huddle together a few feet away, and start an earnest conversation in muffled whispers.
"Don't worry," Henry tells him. "They'll come around. They just take a little longer. They like to talk things through. A lot."
Hades studies the boy. "Did it ever occur to you I might not want to be a librarian? I just wanted access to the library."
Henry stares back at him. "I thought you might like the extra money. You uh… kind of look like a bum." He squints. "You don't talk like one, though."
What a snotty brat. "I do not look like a bum."
"Sorry, but yeah, you do. A little bit." He points to Hades' hair. "Hair cut might help." Then he points to the T-shirt. "That's a stoner shirt. You really shouldn't wear that."
What's he talking about? Led Zeppelin was awesome. "Look kid, we came over with what we carried on our backs. Cut me some slack."
"Well, wouldn't a job help with that?" Henry's tone is laced with both arrogance and innocence. Ugh. Teenagers.
"Henry!" Regina's tone mirrors the display of horror on her face. "Dear lord, I don't know what has gotten into you lately." She and the other heroes have returned from their secret conversation, and appear ready to convey their decision. "I'm sorry, Mr. Rhye. Henry – apologize to him."
"Mom…"
"Henry…" Emma warns.
"Yeah, okay - sorry. I was trying to help him. He's new here. So, are you going to give him the job or what?"
Both Regina and Emma look like they want to murder their little charge, but are too polite to do it in front of mixed company. Hades grins at them both. "Ladies, I didn't mean to be a bother. Here, take the key. You can send word to the mansion when the library is open again."
Emma pushes his hand back, her touch oddly gentle. "No, you can keep it. Henry is right, despite his rudeness." She shoots her son a nasty gaze. "Which we will discuss later, okay?" She smiles back at Hades. "We are trying to get things back to some semblance of normal, and opening the library might help with that. If you'd like the job, it's yours."
Hades can't believe his ears. "Of course."
Regina straightens herself. Hades watches her slip right into that mayoral role of hers. "I can gather up the paperwork. Meet me in the diner tomorrow at noon, and I'll get you added to the town's system as a temporary employee. Please understand, we can't guarantee anything long-term. We already have a librarian."
Hades nods. "I heard the boy mention a woman, Belle? She is your librarian – but she's away and also due to have a child?"
"Yes," Regina nods, "this is her library. I suspect you'll find it in order. She was very effective at what she did."
"Well," Emma murmurs, "you might have some cleaning up to do." She turns to Regina, her words stilted, hesitant. "We kind of made a bit of mess the last time we were in there. You know... that day."
Regina's face drains to ghostly white. "Oh."
Emma's color fades as well. "Yeah."
"I missed something, didn't I?" Hook looks between the two women, obviously baffled.
But Hades knows. 'That day' was the day he died. The image of Zelena dangling the pages from her hand in outrage flashes across his mind. Those pages came from Emma, and Emma got them here, from that damned storybook that must be somewhere in this library.
He shakes his head, hard. He can't think about any of that right now. They're offering him free access to Storybrooke's library, and the blasted storybook, and they're even going to pay him. This might be his only ticket to freedom from a life with the knights. At a minimum, he can do his research without Caden or Godric hovering over his every move.
"I can clean it up," he says with contrived eagerness. "I'd be honored to take the job."
This snaps Regina and Emma out of their sorrow-fest. "Good," Regina says, sliding back into formality mode. "I'll see you tomorrow at noon." She holds out her hand, and Hades shakes it. Her touch too, is softer than he expected.
"It was nice meeting you, Mr. Rhye," she says.
"Please, Lady Regina," Hades purrs to her, "Just Rhye will do. Thank you for the opportunity." He's tempted to do the gentleman thing and kiss her hand, but he doesn't want to overdo it. Instead he drops his head in a mock bow and smiles up at her. However, she just blinks at him. Odd.
Emma doesn't miss his attempts, though. "A knight, huh. Well, it was nice to meet you, Sir Rhye. Thanks for being so understanding." She tilts her head slightly towards Henry.
"'Twas nothing," he says, falling back into formal knight mode. "Thank you as well, Lady Emma, for trusting me."
Emma's voice turns clipped. "You're welcome." Hades turns to Hook, but he makes a mental note that the Savior isn't entirely keen on him yet. He doesn't quite know if he cares or not – he'll just file that away for later.
"Captain Hook, it truly was an honor to meet you." Hades holds out his left hand respectfully, and the pirate notices the gesture.
"Nice to meet you too."
Hades plasters a goofy grin on his face, picturing in his mind what he thinks grateful people look like. "I really appreciate this. Thank you all. I'll see you tomorrow, Lady Regina."
He winks at her, and she still looks right through him. Something is definitely off with the dear Evil Queen.
Henry waves good-bye as the heroes toddle down the street together. Hades doesn't know why, but he waves back. Well, whaddaya know. He has a job.
ooooooooooooooooooo
Hades rises late, after suffering through a fitful night's sleep. He avoids the other knights and takes his breakfast alone – a cold, sad affair of a plain bagel and lukewarm coffee. He's told no one of his new employment offer, and he doesn't plan on doing so until it's final. He also wants to shock Regina with the whole Knights Templar costume, so after eating he spends some time wiping down the breastplate and even polishing the scabbard for his sword. He isn't even sure why he wants to tweak her – he just does.
After his shower, he fusses with his hair in the mirror. Maybe Henry is right. Maybe he does need to have it cut. After a couple of paychecks, he'll go find the resident barber. Hopefully he isn't out of a Victorian penny dreadful, but you never know with this town.
He has one of the servants, who was ambitious enough to commandeer a car and actually learn how to drive it, take him into town. He discovers on the way that the older sedan belongs to none other than Rumplestiltskin. His companions are certainly are making good use of the Dark One's things while he is away. The mansion, the car. Hades wouldn't be surprised if the servants, perhaps in collaboration with Hyde, found a way into Rumple's treasure trove of gold. That's the only viable explanation for the never-ending supply of food and other household items that keep appearing.
Hades never asked where his now-beloved Nike's came from. They were just there one morning, along with the requisite running apparel. Each knight got a set, and that stuff doesn't grow on trees. Even the squires' raid for modern clothes – they didn't steal them, they paid for them. The thought reminds him of Henry's jibe about his attire last night. It still chafes. If he could clothe himself appropriately, he would – but that would raise entirely too many questions. For now he has to follow through on his persona of Rhye the Knight. Maybe after a few months he can afford to live on his own and define his own style. But why even bother? He doesn't cook, clean - anything. Everything is done for him. Hell, he even has a chauffeur now. It's eerily similar to his lifestyle in the Underworld. He didn't lift a finger there, and if he chose, he wouldn't have to lift a finger here. Yet somehow the thought is disquieting rather than appealing.
Distressed by the turmoil in his mind, Hades exits the Cadillac awkwardly, his sword banging against the door with a clang. Lovely. Here he is trying to be impressive, and he can't even get out of a car properly.
Fortunately, Regina isn't around. He finds her inside Granny's at one of the booths, and once he's near, he makes a grand gesture of genuflection towards her.
"Sir Zacharias, milady. It is my honor."
She looks down at him from her paperwork with barely a smile, and that's not what Hades was going for. It's as if she doesn't even see him in all his glittering knightly glory. He stands and gestures towards the empty seat.
"Might I join you?"
"Oh! Yes, please. I have your paperwork right here."
Hades makes a show of removing his scabbard and placing it on the table before settling himself into the booth. It's a little tight, but he can manage.
She barely glances at the sword before turning her attention to him, pushing a set of papers in front of him.
"You can read those if you'd like. They're just standard employment forms."
Hades scans through the legalese while Regina explains the nuances of the job.
"Normal operating hours are nine to six during the weekdays and ten to four on Saturday. You'll have Sundays off. The days might be a little slow at first, but our hope is that people will start using the library as they did before once they learn it is open again."
Her voice rises a little, whether in happiness or anxiety, Hades isn't sure. "We have some ideas for events – and a few might be hosted there. We'll let you know in advance what's needed. There's also some financial bookkeeping that's out of date. Are you any good with accounting?"
Of course he is, but he plays his part. "You mean numbers... mathematics?"
"Yes, well... sort of. I wouldn't expect you to know how to work a computer. It took me a while to figure it out. I'll have someone show you and if you get the hang of it, great. If not, maybe Snow or I can help you with the bookkeeping."
Hades actually isn't up to speed with computers. Electronics don't work well in the Underworld. "I'd like to learn about your machines – if you know someone that can teach me?" He smiles his favorite flattering smile – the one that has melted many a cold woman's heart, and… nothing. What in the world is wrong with her? She's not happy, she's not angry, she's not embarrassed, she's not anything. It's like the emotional part of her has been shut off.
How disappointing. He really wanted to toy with her a bit. Oh well. He dismisses his game and gets back to reading and signing paperwork. The whole process takes another fifteen minutes and once he's done, he offers his hand to Regina.
"Thank you again for the opportunity."
She takes it. "You're welcome. If you have any questions, you can reach me at my off… " Her face falls, turning ghostly pale again. Even her skin feels cold and dead against his palm. But Regina shakes it off – he actually watches her take a deep breath and push down whatever it was that bubbled up to the surface.
"I'll stop by tomorrow with a number where you can contact me. You can start tomorrow, correct?"
"Certainly." He squeezes her fingers, gently. "I bid you good day, Lady Regina." He's studying her now, genuinely curious. Those dark eyes are vacant. This is not the woman who snarled her way through his Underworld. This is not the woman from that day either – the one who pathetically pleaded with Zelena to spare her life.
A new sensation rumbles deep in his gut, foreign and unexpected. It isn't pleasant either. If he didn't know better, he'd say it was guilt. But that's insanity. Gods don't do guilt. It's not possible.
Regina calls out to him. "Oh! Wait! I almost forgot. Emma, well she and Henry, wanted you to have these."
Hades turns, and Regina is tugging at something wedged under the dinette table of the empty booth behind her. It's a white canvas laundry bag, obviously stuffed full.
"What is it?"
"Clothes," Regina chuckles softly. "There was quite a discussion between my son and Emma last night regarding you. This was the outcome."
"I… " He doesn't know what to say. Part of him is affronted at taking on the Savior's charity and hand-me-downs from heaven-knows-where. The other part of him is thrilled he doesn't need to walk around in mail and armor all day.
She pushes the heavy bag into his chest. "Just take it." There's a spark in her eyes, the first he's seen since he met her. "Pay it forward someday." She pats him lightly on the shoulder and then walks calmly out of the diner, leaving Hades literally holding the bag.
He can't remember the last time anyone gave him something. Has anyone ever given him anything? He truly doesn't know. This brings on another wave of that weird guilt he's trying to suppress. The heroes are being kind to him. They gave him a job, and now they gave him clothing. What has he done for them? Nothing good, that's for sure.
He walks back to the mansion, clutching his laundry bag close to his chest, lost in thought. Logic says they don't know it's him. They think he's Sir Rhye - a Knight Templar and all-around good guy. They don't know he's really the God of Death in mortal form. He can use this to his advantage. It's an opportunity, and he's never been one to shy away from an opportunity.
Yet the feelings of wrongness, of guilt and pity and others he can't even describe – they don't fade, even after he returns to his new home. They, along with a host of unwelcome memories, linger in Hades' mind long into the night.