This is the only Enchanted Forest-chapter I added based on this episode and for the next one I don't think I added any at all, so enjoy the flashback, people!

11 Months Prior

Dark Palace, Enchanted Forest

If anyone had told them that instead of enjoying their time at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando they would be recruited to a resistance army set to destroy the Wicked Witch of the West, well, no one in the group would have believed this person. After spending some days trying to get used to meeting real life fairytale characters wherever they went, Chris had decided that he was most likely dreaming. Probably because it seemed the easiest thing to do, as the second explanation involved them all actually being transported from one world to another, something that could only happen in stories such as the ones Rachel had written and posted on the page for the rest of them to read. No, he was most definitely dreaming. He could not be living in a large castle built out of black stones and be wished a good morning by Snow White every time he went to eat his breakfast.

Since this was a dream, however, he decided that he should make the most of it and took Robin Hood up on his offer to teach him how to do archery. Certainly being taught how to fire arrows at a target properly by Robin Hood could not happen anywhere but in his head?

"Chris!"

He blinked and looked up, realizing he had released an arrow without aiming it properly due to being lost in thought and thus sending it straight into the ground. Robin Hood walked over to him with his usual frown plastered on his forehead.

"What were you thinking about?" the outlaw asked. "One shot like that when we're under attack and you will most likely be dead."

"It won't happen again", Chris assured him. Next to him Jade snorted.

"Dream-theory again?" she asked as she drew back the string of her bow.

"You're a Gryffindor, Jade; you're meant for these sort of things", Chris answered and took out another arrow from his quiver. Jade's arrow sizzled off and hit the target, although it was not dead centred.

"Well, you might be a Hufflepuff, Chris, but that doesn't mean you don't enjoy this", she pointed out. "Think Cedric Diggory!"

Chris muttered something inaudible at her before firing his own arrow. It sizzled by the target and stuck to a tree behind it.

"I'm done for the day", he announced and walked over to their trainer. Robin Hood accepted the bow and quiver, before giving him a worried look.

"Are you sure you're alright, Chris?" he asked.

"Fine", he responded, before walking back up the grand staircase to the upper courtyard. In the sunlight the palace did not look too dark, except for its spiky appearance, but rather nice to live in. Since it had once belonged to Snow White's father he supposed it had not always been known as the Dark Palace; that had been after Regina became the Evil Queen. Now he was not sure what to call her, which seemed to apply to everyone else as well. From what he had heard she had had to give up her son in order to save everyone else and bring them back here, which could explain her sour mood and isolation, though he was surprised he had been able to come up with such a plot, since this had to be a dream.

Entering the castle once more he bumped into Rachel, Filipi, Indira and Wolfgang, off to a sword-and-knife-wielding session.

"Got bored with Robin's teachings?" Wolfgang asked.

"No, I'm just tired", Chris responded.

"So you won't come with us, then?" Rachel asked. He shook his head.

"No, but thanks for asking. I'll see you all later, alright?"

They parted ways and he continued his walk, not sure where he would end up or where he was aiming. Eventually it was the sound of someone grunting in a room to his right that made him stop and take a look.

Inside the room was a man clad in brown clothes, his brown leather jacket discarded on a nearby chair while he moved through the room, taking a stance against imaginary enemies with a cutlass. Chris frowned; he had not seen anyone else wield such a weapon here. Those that had swords had regular once, not cutlasses.

"Hi", he said when the man paused, knocking on the door. The man spun around, raising the cutlass slightly but then lowering it again.

"Hi", he said, frowning. "What are you doing here?"

"Wandering about", Chris answered. "I heard you and, well, I became curious. How come you wield a cutlass?"

The man blinked at him before he smiled slightly.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Chris."

"I'm Neal, but people around here sometimes call me Baelfire."

Chris stepped inside the room. It seemed to be a originally meant for councils, but all tables, benches and chairs had been pushed to the side. Neal walked over to one of these benches and picked up a piece of cloth, wiping his face with it.

"So, you didn't answer my question", Chris said when he put it down again. "How come you wield a cutlass while everyone else has regular swords?"

"Because I didn't get mine here", Neal responded, studying his weapon. A shadow of sadness passed over his face.

"Then where did you get it?"

"You're one of those we picked up on the way here, aren't you?" Neal asked in return.

"Yeah, so?"

"Well, you don't seem to know my story", Neal responded. "Everyone else does."

Chris frowned and Neal slowly sat down on the bench.

"They know me because of who my father is, or was", he explained. "The Dark One."

"I've heard that name", Chris admitted and sat down as well. "He was some sort of dark wizard, wasn't he?"

"Yeah, sort of", Neal said and looked down at the cutlass. "To be honest, he was a good man once, before he sought a way to protect me from being drafted to join the army. That's how he became the Dark One; he killed the previous one carrying this title and the powers were then transferred to him. After that he always picked power over love."

He paused, turning his weapon in his hands.

"I tried to make him come with me to a world without magic, but in the end he refused and I went alone through a portal", he explained.

"Where did you go?"

"London", Neal responded, "and after that; Neverland."

"Wait, Neverland is a real place too?" Chris asked, eyes widening. "Did you meet Peter Pan?"

"I did, but he was not like people think he is", Neal said, sounding grim. "Pan was cruel and did nothing but play games with people, no matter what was at stake, but it wasn't him I met first."

He flicked the cutlass again and Chris looked at it, considering his statement.

"Pirates have cutlasses, don't they?" he asked after a while. "You got this one from Captain Hook, didn't you?"

"Yeah", Neal agreed. "Killian Jones is his real name, though, and he took me onboard his ship. He taught me a lot of things; to sail, to travel using the stars... he was a good man and still is. In a way he was a better father to me than my own, for a while."

He rose and swung the cutlass with great precision, telling Chris that in a battle Neal would make a formidable opponent.

"So Hook's the hero and Pan's the villain?" he asked. Neal smiled slightly in amusement.

"I wouldn't say that, but Killian has certainly proved that he has a good heart, a much better one than Pan had."

"How come you talk about Pan in past tense?" Chris asked. Neal stopped, his back towards him.

"Because he's dead", he answered after a while.

"Dead? How?"

"My father killed him, and himself, in order to save everyone here", Neal responded, flicking the cutlass again. "In the end my father proved himself a hero."

Realizing that the man in front of him had recently watched his father, who appeared to have been quite a bad person, sacrifice himself for the sake of others made Chris uncomfortable. He was not sure what to say; a simple "sorry" did not seem to be enough.

"And now I'm stuck here while the woman I love and my son are back in the other world, having completely forgotten about who I am", Neal continued, swinging the cutlass around to mark certain words. During one such swing it stuck to a table, causing the man to stop and inhale deeply.

"I'm sorry, I did not mean to say all of that", he muttered.

"Well, I guess you needed it", Chris responded and rose, "and I'm happy to listen. You're the most interesting person I've met here so far."

Neal's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Thanks, I guess?" he said. Chris grinned and held out his hand for him to shake.

"Whenever you need to talk about these things, just tell me, alright?" he said. "And I guess my advice to you regarding your son; maybe you can get back to him. If we got here when people said all gateways were closed, then you might be able to find a way to get back."

Neal looked thoughtful.

"Yeah, maybe."

"Could you teach me how to use that?" Chris then asked. "It's the first weapon I've seen anyone use that I actually feel like I might be good at."

Neal considered it for a while, before nodding, his lips curving up in a slight smile.

"Sure. Here."

For the next thirty minutes Neal taught him how to use the cutlass; how to balance it, swing it, strike and parry, and to Chris' delight it was indeed a weapon he felt very comfortable using. Despite his fondness for bows and arrows due to his family history the weight of the cutlass in his hand felt much more like him.

"Good job", Neal said, patting him on the shoulder when they walked out, "and thanks again, Chris."

"No problem", Chris said with a grin, "and I meant what I said; if you ever need to talk, or in a while maybe need a fencing partner, tell me. Alright?"

"Yeah", Neal agreed with a smile.

"Also", Chris said, "I should probably thank you as well."

"What, for teaching you how to use a cutlass?" Neal asked in amusement.

"No", Chris responded, "but for showing me that maybe this isn't a dream after all. My mind could never have conjured up the kind of story you told me, so maybe I'd do best to believe it's all real."

"Well, belief is a very strong thing", Neal agreed, before waving goodbye and walking off.

The next day Neal left with Belle without leaving a message to anyone about where they were going.

It was the middle of the night when the inhabitants of the castle woke up due to someone banging on the door.

"Let me in!" a female voice cried as they hurried to the door from various rooms and corridors. "Let me in!"

"Belle?" Snow White said in surprise, allowing Charming to open the door. The brunette stumbled inside, out of breath, her hair in a mess and her clothes torn.

"What happened?" Snow White asked. "Where's Neal?"

Chris watched as the woman shook her head, fighting back her tears. He felt as if something cold had gripped his heart.

"He's... gone", Belle eventually managed to respond. "Rumplestiltskin... he..."

"Wait, are you talking about the Rumplestiltskin?" Miranda asked. Of course she knew about him; she and the other Ravenclaws had probably used the castle's library to learn everything there was to know about this place.

"He's back", Belle said, swallowing hard again. "Neal resurrected him, but... but..."

"Oh Belle, I'm so sorry", Snow White said, embracing the other girl. Chris felt his grip around the banister tightening before he swiftly turned and marched back up to his room.

"Chris!"

It was Catriona. He stopped to let the other girl catch up.

"Did you know Neal?" she asked. "Are you alright?"

"He was the first person that I felt a connection to here", Chris answered, his voice sharp. "The first person that made me think this wasn't a dream. How do you think I feel?"

Catriona stared at him in surprise and he took the chance to march into his room and slam the door behind him. Something then rattled down from the top of the wardrobe; Neal's cutlass. Surprised he picked it up and found a note attached to it. Take care of this, it read, along with Neal's name. The sight of the weapon and the man's name in written form made his knees buckle and he fell down on the floor, crying himself to sleep on the cold stone.

And here's to the tears you knew you'd cry.