Hook… I Will Always Find You

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Meanwhile…

It wasn't very long after the furies' attack on the heroes that Regina awakened feeling groggy and lightheaded, thanks to James' strike across the back of her head. Once she regained her bearings the best she knew she was going to until she was more conscious, the Queen lifted her hand to her head to help ease her headache a little while she slowly sat up from the wooden floor which she found herself lying on, then finally realized where she had been dragged off to upon looking around the room… to the Underworld's version of Zelena's farmhouse outside of town.

To make matters worse, Regina also found the Blind Witch sitting at the kitchen table a few feet away from her, as she raised her head and turned towards the sound of her former rival stirring, then she uttered smugly, "Hello, Regina. Hades will be pleased that you're awake. In truth, I'm surprised you awoke so soon."

The God entered the room as the blind woman said this, then replied, "So am I. The Evil Queen was always resilient. However, it's a real shame you've lost quite a bit of your stamina since losing your better half."

"On the contrary… I've never been stronger, and now I'm not alone," Regina answered coldly as she rose to her feet and stepped further away from the two villains, then Hades motioned for her to take a seat in the chair across the table from the witch. "I think I'd rather just stand. Thanks. Why am I here? And what did you invite child muncher here for?"

"Relax, Regina," the Blind Witch stated when she turned away from her and then reached out to take one of the gingerbread cookies from the plate in front of her to eat it. "I was only here to watch over you while you were out cold, as Hades was dealing with… Well, that's for him to explain."

The Queen glared at the other woman as she questioned, "Where are the dog hater and evil Charming? I expected they'd be here."

The deity chortled as he sat at the table next to the witch, then responded, "Cruella turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. You might be happy to know that the fairy down here with you heroes managed to take her prisoner like I've taken you. The Prince on the other hand, he's right outside along with Pan. But we'll talk about their roles later. Right now, I need to talk with you."

"Whatever it is you're after, you can forget it," she retorted curtly, then attempted to summon a fireball into the palm of her hand to try to get free despite how foolish it was to do so against a God, who simply caught the flame in his own hand like it was a baseball and snuffed it out. "It was worth a shot. Just what the hell do you want from me?"

"Tell me… do you happen to have the wand that the almighty sorcerer's apprentice gave you during your little journey to Camelot?" Hades asked as he reached out to take one of the cookies to eat as well.

Regina kept her eyes firmly on the villain before her while she stared at him with confusion as she replied, "I doubt it would do you any good. I don't. And even if I did, it's not like I could use it to open us a portal back to Storybrooke from the Underworld. Believe me, if I could, I would have once we saved Hook from you. Even I know coming here isn't like traveling to any other realm through a portal, by magic bean, or otherwise."

The God nodded and then answered, "Yes, well… luckily like everything else, I have a replica of his wand too. And thanks to the Apprentice himself… it's got a little extra kick than it had before the old man died and entered my realm. With both your magic and mine together, we can open up a portal that will allow me to collect someone from the living world. Your sister."

"Zelena?" she suddenly questioned him in surprise, then her eyes darkened. "What the hell do you want with her? She has nothing to do with any of this."

"Actually, that's not really true," Hades smugly responded, then he rose from the table and walked around until he was standing a few feet away from her. "Zelena and I once had a beautiful romance, or at least the start of one. That is until I couldn't stay in your realm any longer and was forced to return here to mine. But with your help, I can finally bring her down here and we can start over."

The Queen continued to stare at him while she uttered, "My sister? You had some morbid romance I don't need to hear any more about with… my sister?"

The deity let out a sigh in frustration and then he replied, "What can I say? Love's complicated and comes when it's least expected."

"The thought that either of you are capable of having a relationship no matter what kind it might have been is what's least expected," Regina uttered again, then she once more became serious as she asked her next question. "If I were to say yes, what exactly is your plan with her?"

"That will be completely up to her if she agrees to remain down here with me," he answered casually, though Regina got the sense he was lying through his teeth about practically everything that came out of his mouth.

Regina shook her head, then responded, "That's not true in the slightest. You needed Emma's heart for something, which is why you offered her that fake deal to help Hook in order to lure her down here. Only she's refused you every time and managed to save him despite your efforts to keep him. Now you want Zelena's heart… don't you?"

He smiled at her and then replied, "Not in the sense you're thinking of. Enough talking. I am going to give you one chance to help me."

"And if I refuse?" she retorted curtly, while Hades motioned for her to follow him towards the door, then walked outside.

"Then your boyfriend and your friends here, whom my winged pets also managed to capture during that battle you started, will all suffer the consequences for your refusal," the God cruelly answered her once Regina stepped out behind him along with the Blind Witch, as he revealed Robin, August, Leroy, and Smee… who were each bound by thick ropes to posts sticking up out of the ground before them, while James and Pan stood by with flame lit torches in their hands, waiting for Hades' orders. "Their lives depend on you, Your Majesty. Will you help me bring Zelena down here? Or do I have Peter Pan and Prince Charming's evil twin end their lives ahead of schedule?"

In Storybrooke…

Zelena sat upon her cot within her prison cell as she was eating the lunch which Granny had prepared for her as she's done for all the rest of the ward's prisoners as well, then had it delivered to the witch by some of the fairies who worked at the hospital under Dr. Whale. After the wicked woman finished, she stood and banged on the door for Nurse Ratched to come and collect the plates and silverware, then asked her for a glass of water for her baby.

When the nurse just stood in front of the door and glared at Zelena through the peep hole without moving or saying a word, the witch then spoke again herself crossly saying, "I've finished. You know it's your job to adhere to the prisoners' needs…? Do you ever actually talk?"

The woman finally responded callously, "I only talk to people like you when it's necessary. Put your dishes and the trash through the window in the door. Then, I'll go get you your water. For the sake of your baby."

"You're a peach," Zelena stated mockingly, then passed the things through. "I don't suppose you could bring me a new book to read to help pass the time of my life sentence in here… could you?"

"Nope," Ratched retorted, then started walking down the hall with the items in her hands until the ground mysteriously began to shake, as she suddenly heard the Wicked Witch cry out to her for help.

Inside her cell, Zelena felt the ground tremble as well until a portal began to open up within the floor before her, wider and wider while she struggled to back away against the wall above her bed to avoid falling in. Unfortunately, her efforts to save herself failed as the pull from the portal at last sucked Zelena in, and the nurse heard her screaming until the portal finally closed behind her.