Once Upon a Time

Dagian had watched Killian fight several times in her two month stay on his ship. She'd been one of the ones that he liked to practice with and she'd seen him get bored with her and move onto men more skilled when he wanted an actual challenge.

And seeing how the pirate moved and how he fought when he was just sparring, Dagian was terrified that Filib had no chance. Filib had fought plenty of battles and duels but he was a man of honor. The pirate just chose to hide behind that word and pretend it meant something.

She wanted to beg for her savior's life, she'd agree to stay on the ship if Filib was spared but the time for begging was done. The pirate had felt like he'd been challenged and civilized negations were nonexistent on the sea.

Well, it wasn't completely on the water where the rules stated the strongest survived.

The men circled each other, sizing the other up. The pirates called out taunts but the two men that were actually fighting said nothing.

She could end this right now, she could jump off the edge of the ship and into the water below…but she knew realistically that she'd never make it. They'd stop her and Filib would be distracted and he'd be killed.

The pirate gave a furtive glance to her and then focused back on Filib…did he honestly think that she'd do that? Provide that distraction so that he could strike and end this?

No, she had better stay still. Besides, if Killian did win and she'd tried to escape then he'd make good on his threat to lock her up for a month.

A week was torture enough.

Filib moved first, testing Killian's reflexes. Killian blocked the moves easily enough and moved with some of his own. They were intentionally slow, it was only the first moves of the duel and Killian was already mocking him.

Filib kept his eyes on the pirate the entire time and Dagian knew from the wary look in his eyes that he'd heard about Killian's apparent reputation and he wasn't about to underestimate him.

Killian seemed to realize it too after circling each other a bit more because he finally got bored of the game and charged, landing several blows that Filib just barely managed to avoid and block. Filib barely got any hits in of his own. He was a soldier, he moved like a soldier and so Killian knew his strengths and weaknesses as he'd handled plenty of Filib's kind before.

And Killian was also used to the rocking of the boat, which allowed him another advantage. Several times when the damaged ship shifted, Filib would stumble and Killian would attempt to drive his sword into the man's side just for him to block it.

And then Killian cheated. Well…there were no real rules in a sea duel. IT was always just whoever was stronger, no matter the means. He lured Filib in when he tried to stab him in the stomach. Filib blocked it of course and they there face to face with their blades crossed staring each other down.

Killian slammed his boot into Filib's knee. Dagian didn't hear a crack to signify something broken, but the man went down anyway.

Dagian knew it was inevitable but she'd been hoping that she was wrong. She felt the air escape her lungs as she knew what would happen now. Killian would humiliate Filib in his final moments to make a point.

Killian looked at her, "You might want to turn away, Dagian. This isn't going to be pretty."

"NO!" she broke out of James's grip and rushed towards them. The last pirate…a deckhand grabbed her to keep her from barreling into the captain, "No don't! I'll stay! I won't try to escape if you spare him! Please let him go."

"A duel is a duel is a duel, love," Killian shrugged without taking his eyes off Filib, "Killing him ends it, he would've killed me and you would've gleefully watched and so the same must be done for him."

Filib looked at her, "Dagian, don't agree to anything. You need to keep trying to get home. Your husband is looking for you. The only reason he's not here is because I told him that I'd bring you to him instead.

Dagian felt a tear run down her face as she realized that this could be his last words and it was telling her that her husband was not a coward. Dagian knew he wasn't and accepted that she was but it was still so good to hear that he was willing to risk his life to get her back as well. She looked at Killian and wasn't sure if she meant the next words, but she decided to try, "You know that I wouldn't just watch you die. I understand mercy, remember? I'm a soldier's daughter."

"And I'm a pirate," He reminded her and moved to give the killing blow, "Mercy is weakness."

"You showed it to me!"

"Only because I was paid to, love. If I was at full strength and things were different, I assure you that you would've fallen for me just like so many others-."

He tried to use his talking to distract both of them and kill Filib but Filib slammed the blade away with a hidden dagger, jumped to his feet, slashed Killian's cheek, slammed the blunt part of his knife against the wounded part of Killian's back and then held the blade to his throat.

"Well," Killian said after everyone recovered from the shock of the turnaround, "That was…quite unexpected. Not very honorable either."

"My father was a confidence man," Filib snarled, "He taught me a few things."

"Oh, so it seems the noble knight isn't so noble after all," Killian leaned into the blade tauntingly, "Go ahead; I'm ready for the sword."

He was testing Dagian, he was seeing if she would stand by her words to spare him. She wanted to refuse. The time for deals was done the moment that he tried to land the killing blow on Filib just to prove a point. Killian was a pirate, he would hurt others for a payout and she could stop it right now if she wished.

But the only reason Killian didn't believe in mercy is because no one ever taught it to him. His father certainly hadn't.

And she liked to think that maybe with this gesture, she could start to redeem herself for the things she'd done.

She drew a breath, "Filib, stop."

He stopped and looked at her. Killian even seemed taken aback as well but he quickly recovered to nonverbally taunt Filib with his eyes.

"It's over," she told him reassuringly, "It's over. Let him go."

Filib drew back a little bit. He stared at her and put a hand against the side of her face and then through what hair she had left. Dagian averted her gaze and started to head towards the second ship that was alongside theirs.

"Dagian!" Killian screamed behind them, "The Dark One won't let you do this! He'll kill you! And he'll kill your boyfriend if you step off this ship! You're risking your life if you step off this boat. You're committing suicide and murder because you know the consequences of what you're about to do and you're doing it anyway and several people are going to suffer because of it and you're calling it a mercy that you spare us?"

"Ignore him," Dagian whispered to Filib and grabbed his hand, "Just let me be on land."

"I'll find you!" Killian promised, "I'll find you and bring you back!"

Filib reached for his sheathed sword again, but Dagian put her hand on his wrist. She turned to Killian without being slightly afraid for the first time in a long time, "How will you do that? You'll be dead."

She couldn't say why she wasn't afraid of Killian's warning's anymore. The Dark One could very much kill her if he wanted to, but why hadn't he yet? Was she being saved for something? Why else would he want her to stay alive?

Filib grabbed a rope that one of the soldiers from the other ship tossed at him, "Put your arms around me."

She did so and stared into his eyes. He had come all this way to save her life. Oh gods, she wished that she could give him what he wanted. But she couldn't love him that way, not when she already had a husband and son that she left behind.

The husband and son that she was returning to.

The tears came unexpectedly and she buried her face in his shoulder. She whispered as many gratitudes as she could to both to him and the gods as he swung over to the other ship with her in tow.

Dagian was aware that she was shaking when they landed and he helped her down. Dagian finally pulled away and looked into his eyes.

Killian still cursed her name from the other boat.

"You're safe now," Filib told her and picked up a blanket, "He won't…he won't put his hands on you anymore."

It was over.

Dagian waited for relief to come but nothing felt different…she didn't know what to expect. Maybe it was because it hadn't sunk in yet…she needed time to adjust. Maybe the relief would come when she reached land.

Something else didn't happen either; Killian had made it clear that the moment she was out of his reach, the Dark One would be there to snap their necks.

Nothing happened. Killian was wrong or he lied to keep control over her. She could go home.

She burst into tears and wrapped her arms around Filib. No words could ever describe how grateful she would always be to him. Everything he did to take care of her…to save her and what he'd done to make sure Rumpelstiltskin wasn't put in a situation in which he could never hope to win-.

A horrified scream sounded behind her. Dagian and Filib turned to see that several of the men were turning blue and collapsing. One man's head twisted savagely to the right and he fell.

She'd spoken too soon.

Filib drew his sword and moved in front of her. As if a blade could do anything for evil incarnate…

Filib was lifted off his feet and he flew against the wall and was held in place.

Dagian turned to search for her enemy and jumped when he was just inches from her face in a second, "Hello Dagian."

"Dark One," she hissed and tried not to show how hard she was shaking.

"You should've listened to the pirate."

Dagian swallowed, "I might've if you had hired someone other than a backstabbing untrustworthy pirate to brutally kidnap me and keep me away from my family."

"A pity for you then."

"Why are you doing this?" Dagian demanded.

"To get your husband where I want him to be, you can't be there offering him the possibility of having more children to replace the one that he'll one day be so desperate to protect. Your presence and the children you'll have might reduce the chances of him taking up my mantle. He could still be the next Dark One of course but it'll take a lot work than any of you are frankly worth."

"Then why don't you just kill me?" Dagian demanded.

"Tempting but it'd be a…tragedy not to allow your husband to take care of you and your sins himself when he gets my power. Oh, he's going to be quite heartbroken when neither you nor your boyfriend doesn't return like Filib promised."

"You won't stop me," she hissed, "I'll find a way to be with him."

"Oh Dagian," the Dark One said with exasperation, "You won't even remember wanting to go back to him."

He placed his hand on the side of her face and Dagian screamed as her body was immediately on fire and she couldn't control her limbs. Her head was about to burst and she was certain that her nose was gushing blood.

Over her screams she could hear Filib screaming and begging for her to be spared but through the pain she found that she couldn't find where he was.

She forced her eyes open and stared across the ships and met eyes with the pirate who only gave her a terrified look.

A look that knew they were doomed.

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Present Day.

Jefferson did not stalk his girlfriend. (Girlfriend, what an odd thing to say at this point in his life). Watching the Sheriff constantly when she arrived was different than if he watched Dagian. He wasn't dating EMMA. Dagian might take exception to the fact that he was watching all her comings and goings so he respected her privacy even though watching her was tempting sometimes.

But he did take notice when she walked to the Pawn Shop. He had spent time with Rumpelstiltskin over in the Enchanted Forest and he had known about Belle and his love for her. And he'd watched Rumpelstiltskin toy with that redheaded Dawn for 28 years knowing full well that he was awake and she wasn't. It was just one of the many sins that the man had committed. Another one of them was roping in Jefferson to help him create a monster knowing full well of what Regina would be capable of. In a lot of ways, Rumpelstiltskin was as much to blame in him being separated from Grace as Regina was. At least in Jefferson's mind. He supposed that he was to blame as well but he had left that world years ago to support his daughter. He had changed only to have it all ripped away.

Regina ran around town claiming that she was trying to change but thus far he hadn't seen any proof of that other than she just wasn't doing as much evil.

That's why he was nervous when he saw Regina, Charming, Henry and Rumpelstiltskin all conversing in the shop. Unlikely alliance indeed. He'd watched it off and on all day and then Dagian had gone in….and while everyone else left, with Lily in tow, Jefferson had watched for any sign of Dagian leaving.

She hadn't and he was worried.

Grace was waiting for him to come to town anyway, so he drove down and stopped at the Pawn Shop before he went to the school

He tried the door, it was locked. He pounded on it and tried the cell phone but Dagian didn't answer.

Something was wrong.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something. HE looked closer and saw that it was the toe of a boot sticking out from behind the display case.

"Dagian," He whispered. He stepped back and kicked the door open. She didn't move at the noise and he bent over frantically. His heart was pounding in his chest. She was breathing, so that was always a good sign, "Dagian, wake up."

She stirred when he gathered her in his arms and opened her eyes. She pushed him away at first and looked up at confusion, "What are you-?!"

Her eyes grew as she remembered what happened and instead of pushing him away, she clung to him and struggled to get up, "Rumpelstiltskin, he- He took the baby!"

Jefferson helped her up, "What happened?"

Dagian looked around frantically, "He took Lily! He's going to destroy the portal; he's going to kill Emma and Snow."

Jefferson couldn't understand what she was talking about, "Dagian, calm down. I saw him take Lily to the diner, that's where she is. What's this about the portal?"

"I have to stop him!" Dagian whispered, "I Have to find Belle and I have to stop him! He won't listen to me, he'll listen to her"

Jefferson watched per panic and he reached for her, "Just tell me what happened."

Dagian pulled out of his grip and shook her head, "There's no time! I have to get Lily-"

"I'll handle Lily," Jefferson told her, "You go find Belle and do whatever you need to."

Dagian studied him for a second, nodded her thanks, turned and raced to her car. Jefferson ran to his own, prepared to defend his girlfriend if he needed to.

No, he better get that baby out of the diner in case Rumpelstiltskin decided to use her. Widow Lucas would allow him to take her. Dagian had allowed it to happen before.

Get the baby to safety and then go help Dagian.

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Dawn held her husband's hand as he guided her through the forest and to the well that stood by itself on the edge of a plateau. It was chilly today so Dawn took that as an excuse to draw close to him and she looked up at him, "What's this?"

"This is a special well, Dawn. The waters that run below are said to revive what once was lost."

Dawn looked incredulously at him, "You don't honestly believe that, do you?"

He smiled wryly, "I've seen stranger things."

Dawn rested her cheek on his shoulder affectionately, "Please tell me that you don't expect me to drink out of that thing. I think I'd just settle for us being childless and adopting Ashley's girl instead of whatever water came from that."

"No," he shook his head, "I don't expect you to drink from this, but I do ask that you remember where it is. It could be very important one day."

"Any indication as to why would be nice," she muttered.

"Oh darling," he kissed her, "what would I be without my secrets?"

Dagian raced over the fallen branches and uneven ground hidden by leaves thanks to the autumn that was settling in.

She had to stop them, she hadn't been able to find Belle, the girl wasn't at the library and wasn't at the apartment and Dagian did NOT have time to go looking for her.

And besides that, she wasn't sure how she could explain her ex-husband putting a spell on her the second that she didn't want to do what he told her to do.

Belle would need to know that one. She needed to know what she was getting into. Dagian didn't want to break them up but Belle didn't deserve to be kept in the dark over what Rumpelstiltskin did. The last thing Belle needed was for Rumpelstiltskin to do the same thing to her if she didn't listen to what he thought was right.

She neared the well, she knew the way but the gathering storm clouds also guided her to where she needed to be. The wind picked up as she drew closer and ripped at her clothes.

She wished her car could support driving in the woods but the last time she tried, she got a flat from a sharp rock and the tires got caught in the dirt.

The air nearly cracked with electricity as she got closer and the humidity grew more crushing. Her foot hit a hole covered by leaves in the ground and she stumbled. Her ankle twisted but she limped on it. She was fine. She would be fine. She had to talk to him….

And then there was an ear piercing noise and the sky lit up with a green hue. Dagian instinctively hid behind a tree. She never had much luck with magic; it's why she avoided it now at all costs.

Then the light was gone and the electricity and humidity began to drift away…the sky lightened.

It was done.

Oh no…no, no…he'd taken their one hope of finding Baelfire and he crushed it.

She sank to her knees as she realized that this would be how it always would be. He would give her hope and she'd give him trust and they'd rip it away again and reopen old wounds while creating new ones. She would never see her son now. It was all for nothing…

Rumpelstiltskin came down the small clearing a minute or so later. He saw her kneeling there and when she gave him a seething angry glare he averted his gaze.

"I did what I did for our daughter," he told her and continued on his way, "Don't ever dare hate me for that."

As if that was the reason.

She heard excited talking and she looked up.

Snow ran past with Red.

Dagian blinked and made sure that she was seeing right…how could that be? Didn't he succeed? Dagian knew that he would rip down anyone that stood in his way for this. So then how did he fail?

Red saw her and ran forward, "You're hurt."

Dagian didn't take her eyes off Snow, "Cora and Hook-."

"Won't be crossing over," Snow told her confidently.

Dagian allowed that to sink in. She'd tried not to think about it but the pirate finding his way over her always seemed to be at the back of her mind.

And if Snow was here then it meant that Emma was and her chance to find Bae was still intact.

Red tried to help her up and she gently pulled away, "I'm fine, thank you. Take her to her husband."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm fine, go ahead."

Red excitedly grabbed Snow's hand and pulled her down the path that would lead her out of the forest.

Rumpelstiltskin had failed. Emma was alive. Emma would find their son.

At what price though?

Dagian bit her lip and limped out of the forest.

It wasn't over yet. And Dagian couldn't shake the feeling that it was only getting started.

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Jefferson had terrified an unsuspecting Archie when he'd stormed into the man's office and put a confused Lily in his arms with the instructions to only allow Dagian access to her. He had offered no instructions that exceeded that because there was no time.

After whatever Rumpelstiltskin had done to Dagian on the floor, he really didn't want her to go against him by herself.

She was limping out of the woods by the time he was finally able to track her down and when he saw that she was covered in dirt and scrapes, he was out of the car, "Are you alright?"

"Lily?"

"She's safe."

"I should've done it myself," she whispered.

"Then it would've left me to find your husband and I highly doubt he'd listen to me."

"Emma and Snow are alive," she said, "He failed."

Jefferson smiled gently, "So there you have it, you can find your boy."

"Yes," she said, "There's still the problem about getting out of town thought."

Jefferson said the next bit without thinking, "And who you'll have to leave town with."

Dagian winced at that and looked like she was on the verge of crying. He understood that, she had spoken of trying to work on a friendship with Rumpelstiltskin for Lily's sake. That was probably gone now that he had done…whatever it was that he had done to get her from interfering.

Jefferson stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. Dagian returned the gesture and held onto her as tightly as he could