Disclaimer: Property of A&E and ABC. Not Mine.

Hades leans back in the new leather office chair and props his feet up on the circulation desk with a contented sigh. The mid-morning sun shines through the library's new front windows, now adorned with pale grey vertical blinds. Beams of light cast thick diagonal contrasts on the matching slate tile flooring. The air is still tinged with hints of paint and new construction, but the delightful aroma of parchment and ink that is unique to all libraries still remains.

He can't quite say he's happy, but Hades is certainly enjoying his new status quo. The loft apartment the heroes offered him is small but surprisingly comfortable. More importantly, he now has the luxury of privacy. It is sheer joy to finally inhabit a space that is solely his own. Gone is the constant vigilance over what he might say or do that could betray his cover. Godric's watchful eye, Caden's boundless energy, and the boorish attitudes of the other bawdy knights - it is all in the past and Hades can't say he'll miss it. His newfound solitude is well worth the few hours he spends each day tending to his own needs.

Still, the quiet nights and peaceful mornings are nothing compared to what he discovered he missed most. Freedom. He is truly a free man – no longer bound to the Underworld nor the Knights Templar. He can come and go as he pleases. If he wished, he could leave Storybrooke forever and seek his fortune elsewhere. He wouldn't – that would be ludicrous – but the fact that he has a choice, rather than an obligation, is enough to make his mortal-bound heart soar.

He peeks again at the longsword resting in its scabbard under the desk. Hopefully he won't have to use it any time soon. His swordsmanship is not as up to snuff as perhaps dear Sheriff Charming assumes, and that weapon is not for the faint of heart.

When the heroes happily brought him up to his new home on the day he left the hospital, the first item that caught Hades' eye was the ornate wooden box resting on the two-person dinette in the far corner. The second was the color scheme – a contrasting kaleidoscope of muted blues and grays. He had assumed the pirate was more of a wooden/brass aficionado; the lack of browns and golds was surprising. Maybe they were honoring his knight status – armor was silver after all.

He fought his curiosity over the box with decorum, politely letting Snow and Emma show him around the tiny bathroom with the shower stall, and the closet with the stacked washer and dryer. He bit his tongue while they explained how to use the coffee maker and microwave, and tasted blood when Snow opened the modest refrigerator and freezer doors and catalogued each and every food item within.

Once they finally left, he bee lined for the box, only to be thwarted once again. The handwritten note read: 'Don't open yet. Be by later to explain.' It was signed in script with the single letter 'D'.

It had to be a sword. Nothing else fit the profile and aligned with Charming's words at the hospital. Hades chafed at the idea of waiting around, and flopped onto his new queen bed, complete with a checkerboard patterned down-filled duvet. He doesn't remember much after that, because he slept like the dead for the next twelve hours.

The next morning, after marveling at how thorough the heroes were in equipping the apartment with everything he needed – including shaving cream, razors, and other such toiletries - he was sipping at his coffee, with cream, and munching a blueberry muffin when there was a knock on the door at the bottom of his stairs.

"I figured you needed some rest," Charming had said, "especially after the three hour tour from my family."

"Of a studio apartment. With two rooms."

"Exactly."

Hades did the appropriate host thing and offered the man some coffee, but he declined. Instead, David walked directly to the dinette and gestured for Hades to follow.

"Don't tell my wife, or Emma, but I stole this out of Gold's shop. It was mine anyway – at least it was supposed to be mine. We're all from the Enchanted Forest."

"Yes, Henry told me."

"Thought he might have."

Charming then pushed the box to Hades. "You have to open it. But first - you'll need this." He had held up a key, but where the teeth should be, there was only a jagged, narrow blade of bronze. "Once you take that sword out of the box, it binds itself to you. It's an enchantment, a link to you and you alone. It will feel like a rapier in your hand, and dead weight in any other. The blade was forged in dragon fire and coated in basilisk blood. It will leave a wound that is long to heal. But…"

"Let me guess. It needs my blood."

Charming had grinned wryly. "You got it."

"Of course. Well, hand it over."

It hurt like hell when he sliced the serrated edge across his palm, but the magic worked. The key had glowed reddish-gold before growing a patchwork of tiny plates and spines. With a nod from David, Hades had stuck it in the keyhole oddly placed on the top center of the box, surrounded by the teeth of a dragon. That hole shrunk and morphed to fit the key and the entire box rippled in flames before the lid sprang open and the sword and scabbard inside was revealed.

"The key should stay that way until either you die or you willfully renounce the sword to another. Or... you get caught up in a curse that dumps you in a world with no magic for twenty-eight years."

It was a significant gift, and Hades had been moved by it. "I'm not sure how to thank you, Sheriff."

"David. Please." Charming had held out his hand, and he had shaken it firmly. "You saved my grandson's life. And we both know that Hyde will be back for him. Next time he comes around, you'll be prepared."

"What about you?"

Charming had patted his holster. "I've got my own version of that sword right here. Itching to try it out too. I almost got the chance that night at the library. But if all goes well, I'll never have to use it. You know?" He gestured towards the dinette. "Just keep that with you from now on, okay?" He then wished Rhye 'happy book-herding' and tromped down the stairs, leaving Hades staring at his new and quite deadly fashion accessory.

Thinking back on it, Hades wishes dear David had given him the gun. Guns are a lot easier to control than a sword with a poison blade. Hades is still a tad worried he'll nick himself accidentally and bleed to death.

Dismissing the fact that there is a lethal weapon at his feet, he wiggles the mouse on the computer to wake it up. The small clock in the bottom right of the screen shows 10:15 a.m. Henry should be here soon; according to his paperwork there are sessions at 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. today. Hades hopes the Savior drops her son off early today, because it's obvious he and the boy need to have a man-to-brat chat.

Henry isn't speaking to him – unless Merriam-Webster's definition of speaking has been expanded to include non-committal grunts and overly dramatic sighs. Hades is sure this new attitude is related to what he silently calls 'The Hyde Encounter'. Really, the kid shouldn't be embarrassed, or ashamed, or whatever fit of pique he's got rolling around in his head. Hyde might not be an actual demon, but he isn't that far from it. They were both lucky to get out of there alive.

A newly installed bell chimes as the library door opens.

"Good morning, Rhye," Emma says as she and Henry stride in, one brow raising slightly as Hades hastily drops his propped feet to the floor.

"Good morn', Lady Emma."

She likes it when he calls her that. All the ladies do. He keeps it up because it's fun. Watching the twinkle in their eyes, the slight upturn of their smiles – it's a reminder of how far he's come in his overall plan. His original idea to leverage Henry still remains, but Hades now has the added bonus of the friendship and loyalty of all the other ridiculous heroes. The possibilities are endless. Doors once closed are now open to him in ways he couldn't imagine. Why he could even...

"Are there are lot of people today?" Emma asks as she adjusts the badge on her belt, interrupting his train of thought.

"Only three, milady." Hades turns to the teen. "Good morning, Henry."

He shrugs, attention focused on the smart phone in his palm.

Emma casts a sympathetic glance before placing a hand on her son's shoulder. "Rhye will bring you over to Granny's once you're done. You're going to stay with your mom at her place tonight, okay?"

Another shrug. Emma frowns, and Hades feels for her. That bratty attitude has been the status quo for days. He mouths to her silently, "I will speak with him."

She mouths back with a lopsided grin, "Good luck with that." Delivery duties over, she heads towards the door. "Call if you need anything, either of you. I should be in town most of the day." She glances over her shoulder one last time, hovering in the doorway. "Bye, kid."

He doesn't look up from his phone, but he does mutter, "Bye, Mom."

Happily surprised green eyes meet Hades' own raised brows. That's the first time Henry's acknowledged her departure this week.

"Good day to you, Sir Rhye," she says in mock formality.

"Good day to you, Lady Emma," he replies with a nod. Yup, she just eats this nonsense right up.

Hades checks the computer again. If he's lucky, he can slap some sense into his moody companion before their first appointment arrives. Henry has shuffled his way over to his corner across from the elevator. Said steampunk device is now hidden from view by layers of engineered plywood. Apparently the capacitor and other components Hades obliterated during his fight with Hyde are in short supply. It'll be weeks before they arrive and the elevator can be repaired.

The corner near the front window has been designated as Henry's office, of a sort. There's a square table wrapped in a white skirt, which Henry uses as his desk. Two standard office chairs sit before it, and the boy has a twin to Hades' executive leather chair. He is slowly spinning in it now, eyes glued to that idiotic phone of his.

Hades walks towards him. "Hey kid. We need to talk."

As expected, the teen's gaze doesn't lift. "Can't right now," he mumbles.

Hades takes a deep breath and reminds himself that murdering his ally is not a viable option. However, the teenage angst has got to stop. He plants himself in front of the boy's chair and stops the spinning with one arm.

"I'm pretty sure you can."

Dark green eyes peer up at him, flickering with cocky arrogance. The shaggy head tilts towards the huge pile of books in the corner, all books that fell when Hades shoved them down on Hyde. "Don't you have work to do?"

Oh hell no, you little shit.

Hades plucks the phone from the kid's hands. "Hey!" Henry shouts, rising from his chair to reach for it. "Give that back!"

Hades tosses it clear across the room, where it lands with a soft thump against the black leather of his chair behind the circulation desk. Heh! Two points. He blocks the boy's path and glares down at him.

"Sit down."

Henry glances across the room with a sneer on his face. "What do you think you are doing? You could have broken it!"

"I'm going to do a lot more than break a stupid piece of mortal tech if you don't Sit The Hell Down!"

The teen plops back into his chair, arms immediately crossed.

"Your family may be able to tolerate your bullshit, but you've far exceeded my quota." Hades leans against the table and sighs, heavily. "Look, I get that it's embarrassing. I get that it's awkward. Sometimes shit happens." A somber thought crosses his mind. "Is someone giving you a hard time about it?"

The boy fidgets with the cuff of his shirt. "Sort of."

Hades scowls. "Who? Kid, they shouldn't. Hyde is a monster. No one can stand up to him."

His words are soft. "You did."

"And I got my ass beat because of it! Now if some snot-nosed punk out there thinks he can take…"

"Why?" Henry interrupts.

"Why what?"

There's a plethora of emotion in his tone. "Why'd you do it?"

Hades blinks. "I had to. Hyde was … wait a second." Insight hits Hades like a freight train. "Do you honestly think you could have handled Hyde on your own?"

More fidgeting. "Maybe."

He's delusional. The kid has a death wish.

"I think he wanted me to write something. When I did, I could have written him out of the story."

Now there's a chilling thought.

"Hold up. The Author can't kill someone."

"That's… not entirely true," Henry says. Hades doesn't like this at all. Henry is a good kid - he would never hurt anyone.

"Let's put it another way. You can't kill someone."

"But it is okay for you to kill Hyde?"

Oh boy. Hades should have seen this coming. With a large sigh, he stands and wheels one of the other chairs around to face Henry. He plops into it, pausing for a moment despite the teen's eyes boring holes into his skull. He folds his hands into his lap and debates how to even start this conversation. An individual's moral and ethical boundaries are not exactly the world's easiest topics to explain.

"So. First, let me answer your question. Yes, I would have killed Hyde if I could."

Henry nods and opens his mouth to speak, but Hades raises a hand to stop him.

"Let me continue. For now, just listen, okay? You, whether you like it or not, are not an adult. However, when you do become an adult, you'll realize that life is a lot about what you choose to do, but it's also a lot about what you choose to believe. Your choice of what is right and what is wrong is entirely up to you. For me, killing Hyde was acceptable. At the time, I thought it was the right thing to do."

"See?" Henry cries. "How is it okay for you and not for me?"

Hades almost spews out the hero trope that killing is wrong. But, really – it is more than that and if Henry truly is destined for greatness, he should know the truth.

"Honestly kid? It might be okay for you. That's up to you to decide. But taking another life isn't as easy as it looks. You have to live with yourself afterwards. Try to put yourself in the other guy's shoes."

Henry makes a face of disgust. "Hyde's shoes?"

"Yes. Actually let's use Hyde. He's very motivated, and Godric and I think that's because he knows he can't control his own fate. If something were to happen to Dr. Jekyll, Hyde would be affected."

"Like, if Jekyll is hurt, so is Hyde?"

"More like, if Jekyll dies, Hyde ceases to exist. They are one man after all, and Jekyll carries the soul. Hyde is merely a shell."

Henry ponders that for a second. "That's why he wants me – to write that he won't die if Jekyll does."

"Something along those lines, yes. But, don't miss the point. Put yourself in his shoes. Why is he doing this?"

"So he won't die."

"And...?"

The light dawns in Henry's eyes. "He doesn't want to die."

Pride fills Hades. "Right. Now that you understand his motivation, let's talk about what he's willing to do achieve his goals. First, he has no problems in violating personal boundaries because he kidnapped you."

"He pushed Violet too. That's how he got me – he came out from behind this big truck, shoved her aside, and yanked me through this… door. The next thing I knew, we were in the library and he was demanding that I show him the book." Henry lifts his head. "I refused. That's when you showed up."

Well, that explains how they got in the library. Must have been another one of those pill-portals Hyde has.

"Okay, so we have kidnapping and harming children. Both are… not so great ways to achieve what he wants. What else?"

"He was going to kill you."

"Also not so great. Was there anything else he could have done?"

"Well, no. You had your sword at his throat."

Hades peers intently at the boy. "You sure he had no other options?"

Henry's brows furrow in thought. "He could have put me down. Hey, wait a minute. He could have done a lot of things differently. He could have asked us for help."

"And what about me? Could I have done things differently?"

"Yes – you could have too. But… you didn't."

Hades leans back in the chair, his mind heavy with the weight of the memory. "No. I did what I thought was the right thing to do at the time."

"Killing him."

"Threatening him. You'd be surprised how far intimidation tactics can go."

Henry studies him. "But you would have killed him. If you had to."

"If I chose to. No one has to kill. It's always a choice."

"My mom used to kill. Not sure if you knew that."

Hades nods. Regina was quite the whirlwind of destruction during her prime. Not quite as original as her sister, but still, incredibly noteworthy.

"She… she's like Jekyll now. Split."

Hades jerks upright. "She's what?"

"She drank the same potion that Jekyll and Hyde did. Her alter ego, the evil one, came out. They told me that she crushed the heart of the Evil Queen, and that the evil is gone for good. But… given what you said earlier about Hyde, is that really true?"

Hades heart grows cold. There are two of those monsters out there, not just one. What the hell was Regina thinking? This explains everything – her behavior, why she can't use the wand, the weird mood swings. Dear Gods – why didn't anyone stop her?

He realizes the boy is waiting for an answer. "Henry, I don't know. But I don't think so."

Henry sighs. "Well, I thought as much. Well, we'll see how long it takes for the Evil Queen to break into Storybrooke. The town line's enchanted you know."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, so… people can't leave. You'll turn into a tree, unless you have the proper spell to cross the line safely. No one knows why, and my mom is still researching it. People from the outside can't get in either. They can't see the town, so they just drive by."

This little bit of geography would have been useful to know weeks ago. It's a good thing Hades didn't decide to go for a joyride down to Boston.

The bell over the library door jingles. Two gypsy women walk in, one young and the other much older. "We are here to see the Author?" the younger asks in a melodious voice.

"Let's continue this later, kid," he murmurs quietly as he rises and pushes the chair back around the table. "Greetings ladies. Please, have a seat. This is Henry, the Author, and he will be assisting you today."

The two make their way over, their jewelry jangling with each step they take. The younger is clad in a rather revealing outfit of scarves and silks, and the poor teen is trying very hard to ignore the ample amount of cleavage sitting a mere two feet in front of him.

Hades smiles down at him from behind the older woman's chair. The boy's eyes meet his and Hades gives him a sly wink. The teen swallows and wheels his chair closer to the table.

"So," Henry says after a deep breath. "Tell me your story."

oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Later that day they resume their talk, with Henry asking questions and Hades answering them as honestly as he can. Their discussions continue the next day, and the day after, and each day following. The topics change, but the overall concept is the same. Hades has become the teacher, and Henry is his very apt and intelligent pupil.

It's a symbiotic relationship – Hades has never felt more alive in his life. He feels useful, worthwhile. Henry, on the other hand, is reveling in finally having someone guide him. The gaggle of heroes are beside themselves over it, because at long last - their moody teen has come out of his funk.

They'd be less pleased if they knew that in addition to offloading centuries of life experiences onto the boy, Hades has reluctantly agreed to train him in the art of combat.

"I'll teach you defensive moves only," he tells the teen firmly as he carefully unloads pieces of his armor from his trunk onto the plush carpet.

"Okay."

"And physics. The fundamentals. The biomechanics of weapons."

Henry is bouncing up and down on his toes with excitement. "Okay."

Hades eventually uncovers the two medieval training swords Godric gave him months and months ago. They are dull, and the tips rounded, but they can still do some damage if handled poorly. It is a risk that will help him and Henry remain vigilant when they practice. That type of awareness is needed in battle, and it can only be learned when it actually exists.

"Don't tell your family we're using these, but training with wooden weapons won't cut it." He chuckles softly as he passes a sword to Henry. The boy grabs it and immediately the point drops to the floor due to its weight.

"And... that's why."

Henry lifts it again with both hands. "It's heavy."

"It won't be after you're used to it. Now take it downstairs and I'll be there in a few minutes to show you how it's done."

The boy's footfalls bang loudly down the half staircase as Hades goes to retrieve his gift from Prince Charming from its wooden case under his bed. He's been practicing with it, and although he's not exactly comfortable dangling it from his hip twenty-four hours a day, he's confident enough in his ability impress the hell out of Henry with it. Just as long as the lad keeps his distance.