Sorry 'bout hardly posting anything this past week; I had a week of seminars at uni before going out to do my practical teaching course and it became pretty stressful because the lit-list wasn't showing on the course's webpage so no one knew what books we should have and then when we arrived for the introduction seminar we find out that "yes, there is a book that you shall read and you have an exam on that on Friday" - and of course none of the bookshops in town had that book so people had to order it from the web, which meant that my book didn't show up until Thursday. So yeah; stressful!

Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter! I'm currently writing the ones based on Snow Drifts and so far I'm very pleased with what is going on there ;)

Zelena was locked up in a cell at the Sheriff's station. The others then hurried back to the hospital, or wherever they were going, leaving Regina alone with her wicked sister. She sat down on a chair in front of the cell and crossed her legs, studying the ginger-haired woman curled up on the bunk bed behind the bars. In her right hand she held the broche with the green emerald; a container of Zelena's powers. That was why she was always wearing it; without it she was powerless. Toby had somehow gained that knowledge while the group had prepared the so called Patronus Charm back at the hospital. How he had done it was a question for later.

"Why, Regina?" Zelena asked, her eyes narrowed. "Why not just kill me and put me out of my misery?"

Regina almost scoffed at the attempt to make her take Zelena's life; she had learned the hard way that taking a life would not solve anything. Apparently her big sister had never done that piece of homework.

"Because I know why you did what you did", Regina instead responded. "We're much alike. Our mother ruined you, too."

Zelena rolled her eyes in annoyance, but did not try to stop her.

"I know what it's like to not have the life you wanted", Regina explained, "the life you feel you deserve."

"Oh, boohoo", Zelena snorted. "You had to be queen. You know nothing. I saw it all; you had everything!"

"Did I?" Regina asked and tossed her hair back. "So you missed the part where I lost the love of my life at our mother's hands?"

"Mother did all that for you to achieve greatness."

Regina stared at her, before groaning inwardly and shaking her head.

"Not long ago I was a lot like you. I wanted to kill someone who'd wronged me, and I failed. Had I killed Snow White, I wouldn't be in this world. I wouldn't be with these people and I wouldn't have my son, Henry."

At the thought of the life she now lived, Regina felt herself smile. Zelena simply glared at her.

"So no, Zelena", Regina finished off, "I won't kill you. Instead I'm going to give you what I got; I'm going to give you a second chance."

"What if I don't want it?" Zelena bitterly asked.

"Oh, that would be a mistake, dear. Take it, use it."

She leaned slightly forward, but Zelena turned away, refusing to meet her gaze.

"Evil isn't born, it's made", Regina explained, "and so is good."

She uncrossed her legs and rose, closing a few buttons of her black coat while walking over to the cell.

"If I were you", she said when she stopped right in front of the cell, "I'd consider creating a new destiny. Because if you don't..."

Regina leaned forward against the crossbar, going at about waist level along the bars, and stuck her nose into the cell. She narrowed her eyes slightly, taking on her best Evil Queen face, and spoke in a threatening, low voice.

"If you don't", she continued, "I'll be right there to take your heart and crush it."

Zelena glared stubbornly back, before her eyes caught on the object Regina held in her hand. The Mayor had just not been able to hold back the urge to see how her sister would react when seeing her precious gemstone so close to her, just out of reach. She flipped it teasingly in her hand.

"Now, if you excuse me, I should put this somewhere safe."

She put the object back into her pocket while turning and walking out into the street. Her feet found their way easily to the tomb dedicated to her father and down the hidden stairs to her crypt, filled with magical artefacts. With a triumphant smile she placed the gem inside one of her mother's heart boxes, originally meant for storing exactly that; hearts. Thanks to a spell placed on the boxes only the one who had placed an item in them could remove it. Satisfied she closed the box and placed it back in its place, before exiting the crypt again. On her way back through the graveyard she could not help but laugh silently; they had won. She had finally won!

Indira studied the man walking next to her towards the old pawn shop. He looked different now that he had his free will back – and his mind. He was not the babbling riddlemaker from the Enchanted Forest, nor was he quite the broken man she had met in the forest here. He was still broken, of course; he had lost his son quite recently after all, but there was a new vigour in his steps. This was the walk of a free man returning home.

He stopped outside the door of the shop and hesitated.

"I never thought I'd return here", he said to himself.

"Do you want me to leave you alone for a bit?" Indira asked. The man shook his head.

"No. No, this place is yours just as much as it is mine."

Indira frowned as he unlocked the door and stepped inside, standing still just across the threshold for a few moments before walking in behind the counter. He dragged his hand along the glass, then touched the objects on display as if they were nothing but fleeting images that would disappear just as quickly again.

"Gold, what do you mean by that?" Indira asked. He looked up, a hand still resting on the counter, almost holding on to it in fear.

"You don't remember?" he asked, sounding almost disappointed.

"Remember what?"

Gold hesitated, then continued his walk around the shop.

"A long time ago", he said, "before I was the Dark One, you and I met. You helped me, and Bae."

"How is that possible?" Indira asked with a frown. Gold shook his head.

"I don't know. You were about the same age as you are now; you even had the same haircut."

"But... me meeting you in the past would require time travel", Indira protested. "Zelena's portal failed; none of us have travelled back in time."

"I know", Gold said with a nod, "but if it did not happen, if it isn't going to happen, how can I then remember it this clearly?"

Indira shivered and turned away to study the vast collection of objects in the shop.

"Why would this place be mine as much as it is yours?" she asked.

"Because I always meant for you to have a part of what I owned", Gold replied, "as thanks for what you did for me and Bae."

Indira frowned at him, making him smile.

"When you came to the small village that me and Bae lived in, you had nothing but the clothes on your back. Because of your skin colour others were afraid of letting you inside their houses; people talked of you as a spawn of the Dark One that terrorized the land at the time. I never feared you. Back then I only saw your kindness and the way you took care of Bae when he hurt himself. I gave you a place to stay with us, but then the soldiers came and took you away."

"What soldiers?" Indira asked. Gold shook his head.

"Doesn't matter; they're dead. The point is that when they took you, I vowed that I would find you and bring you back from safety, away from the war. I wanted to give you a home with us. I still do."

He walked around the counter and took her hands in his.

"Indira", he said, "will you help me and Belle run this place?"

"The pawn shop?" Indira asked. "Seriously?"

"Yes", Gold said. "Please, think about it at least."

Indira slowly nodded.

"I will."

Gold smiled slightly, then released her hands and walked back around the counter, this time studying the objects around the walls. He stopped in front of a mirror, which allowed him to see Indira walk out through the door of the shop. He sighed and dropped his gaze; she did not know him as he knew her. There was a risk that she might not come back.

Then, the door opened again. He looked up and froze when he saw the petite brunette that now entered the shop. Belle. His Belle. He spun around to see her more clearly, seeing her smile through tears of relief at seeing him. He felt like crying himself. Hurriedly he then walked out from behind the counter, opened his arms and embraced her. She smelled of her usual perfume; roses and caramel.

"I knew you'd be back", she said against his shoulder. Gold let out a puff of air as a replacement for an amused laugh.

"Your unwavering faith constantly astounds me."

He could feel her smile against his shoulder and slowly, reluctantly, released her so that they could stand face to face again.

"Even after everything I did?" he questioned.

"It wasn't you", Belle said with a slight smile. "It was Zelena."

Gold shook his head in reply, thinking back at his attempted seduction of the Witch. Belle did not know of it, of course, but it still made him feel bad.

"It wasn't always Zelena", he said. Belle studied him for a while, before she shook her head, indicating that she did not care what he meant by that.

"I will never comprehend why you continue to stand by my side", Gold said and squeezed her hands. Belle freed one of her hands and touched his cheek.

"I love you", she assured him, like she had done so many times before. "Always have."

She then turned towards the bag she had placed on the glass counter to her right, reached over and pulled out a very familiar object from it. The Dark One's Dagger. Gold frowned in surprise.

"How did you get that?" he asked as she held it in both her hands in front of him.

"Regina gave it to me", she replied, "to make amends, and also because she knew I wouldn't abuse its power."

Slowly she pushed it towards him, inviting him to take it from her.

"I want you to have it."

Gold stared down at the object, his fingers itching to take it, but he also feared what would happen if he did. Perhaps he needed Belle to control him, to keep the Dark One out of control.

"Why?" he asked and looked up at her again. Belle smiled.

"Because I believe in you. It's yours; you're a free man. Just promise me one thing; promise me you won't go after Zelena. You know you're better than that."

Gold felt his mouth tightening at the thought of Zelena. How he wanted to kill her, to extract his revenge. She deserved it.

He looked down at the Dagger, then sighed.

"Oh, Belle", he said and accepted it, turning the familiar object in his hands, "what you're giving me is more than I could ever give you, but I will try."

He gave her a small smile, which she returned, before holding out the Dagger between them again.

"This", he said, "this is trust. It means you trust me with all your heart."

"I do", Belle agreed. Gold smiled.

"Then I shall trust you with mine", he said and held out the Dagger to her again. "Take it. I am now and for all the future yours."

Belle looked down at the Dagger, then back at him.

"What", she begun, "what are you saying?"

Gold drew a deep breath before he clarified what he meant by his promise. In the last minute he decided not to drop to one knee; he had done that once and that marriage had ended in a painful break-up.

"Will you marry me?"

Belle's face split up in a wide, happy smile and she nodded vigorously.

"Yes. Yes!"

She accepted the Dagger from him, placed it on the counter next to them and then pushed herself up to kiss him.

In the embrace that followed, Gold finally allowed his tears to fall down onto her shoulder.

At the hospital, Catriona opened the door to Mary Margaret's room. The resting woman slowly turned her head around, most likely expecting bad news, then sat up with a gasp as she saw the group in the door. Catriona stepped aside to reveal David, cradling the sleeping baby boy in his arms. Behind them stood Emma and Rachel with wide smiles on their faces. David slowly stepped inside the room and, gently, placed the baby in Mary Margaret's arms. She was crying tears of joy at finally holding her son again and knowing that he was now safe.

"Never thought I'd see one of those", Hook said from behind Emma and Rachel.

"It's called a baby", Emma replied as she turned around towards him. Rachel and Catriona shared a look, before they walked inside the room to join Mary Margaret and David. Hook smiled in amusement.

"No, Swan", he said, his blue eyes momentarily focusing on her lips, "a smile."

Emma could not help but smile even wider at that.

"We won", she remarked. Hook nodded, then paused and seemed to consider what to say next.

"With all the chaos, I never got a chance to say thank you", he eventually settled for. Emma cocked her head to the side and studied him with a small frown.

"You really think I'd let you drown?"

"Given our history, can you blame me for being uncertain?" Hook replied, a smile forming on his lips. Emma returned it and shook her head; she certainly could not. She had left him behind for possible death or imprisonment a couple of times before.

"Has your power returned now that Zelena's been defeated?" Hook then inquired.

"No", Emma replied after a slight hesitation. Hook cast down his gaze.

"I'm sorry, love."

Emma shrugged and smiled again.

"That's okay", she said. "I won't need it in New York."

She then looked past him at Henry, who stood by the slush machine in the adjoining corridor.

"Hey kid!" she called. "Want to come meet your new uncle?"

Henry's face split up in a wide smile and he hurried past her into the room. Emma followed, joining her family by the bed and admiring the small new addition in Mary Margaret's arms. If she had turned around she might have noticed the heartbroken look in Hook's eyes as he looked after her, but she never did. The pirate then slowly tore his gaze away and left.

That night, happy endings seemed to have returned to the inhabitants of Storybrooke once again. Their enemy had been defeated, there was a newborn Prince, and the Beauty and the Beast would soon get married.

But if they had looked out through their windows near midnight, they might have seen the green tendril of magic rising from the old tomb in the graveyard and finding its way down the road, through the forest and up to the now abandoned farm on the hill. There it sensed the traces left by the ingredients of a powerful spell and swirled towards the centre of the pattern in the barn. Then, like a match, the centre of the pattern burst into flames of a golden colour, swirling round and round, faster and faster, wider and wider, creating an impossible portal in its centre.

The last act of the Wicked Witch.