AN:Well, this is it, folks. While there will be an epilogue, this chapter will be the official end of this story. I hope it meets everyone's satisfaction.
Also, if anyone is interested in what Killian/Hook's injuries looked like, I posted a general idea of it on my Photobucket account. The link should be on my profile page.
Emma made her way down the hospital corridor, internally trying to prepare herself for what she was planning to do, going over possible things to say in her mind. As she neared Hook's hospital room, she heard Henry's voice. Pausing for a moment, she listened as Henry talked about everything that had happened since the rescue of Roland.
"And that's when Glinda, one of the witches of Oz, managed to contact us with a crystal ball Dad had gotten from his father's castle when he was in the Enchanted Forest," Henry said. "She told us that Zelena could only be defeated by Mom's Light Magic. But Grace, Roland and I had to stay behind with Belle and Dad."
"Well, I wouldn't be too downhearted about being made to stay behind, lad," Hook's voice replied. "You already performed your part quite admirably, so you earned a respite. And besides, it is nice to have someone fill me on in what I missed. I'd say you were the clearly the best man for the job."
Emma stood frozen outside of the door, stunned to hear Hook's voice. While she had planned on coming here to see him, she hadn't expected him to be awake and alert. Perhaps she had been secretly hoping that he'd still be asleep when she arrived, allowing her a bit more time to settle her nerves. She knew she was probably being ridiculous, especially since she had already proven she could defeat Zelena. After that, how hard could this be? But that didn't change the fact that she was feeling nervous. Almost as if she had to recite an entire speech in front of a large crowd.
"You're back." Emma nearly started upon hearing Neal speaking behind her, but she managed not to jump and simply turned towards him.
"Yeah, I am," she replied.
"So…I take it that means it's all over?"
"Yes, Zelena is in custody. She's not going to be able to change the past."
"Well, that's good to hear," Neal commented with a nod. "I suppose…this means there's no need for me to take Henry out of town for a bit."
"Oh," Emma said. She had nearly forgotten about that. "No, I guess it isn't necessary, anymore."
"Right," Neal agreed with a brief nod. For a few seconds, an awkward silence fell, until Neal pressed on. "But…I would still like to take Henry with me for a bit when I go back to New York, so…."
"Wait," Emma exclaimed cutting him off. "You're planning on leaving? Neal, do you have any idea how much that's going to crush Henry?"
"Hey, just hear me out, okay?" Neal stated. "I'm only going back temporarily. Just to settle things up with the landlord and pack up the stuff that I left back there."
"What?" Emma gaped.
"I have thought about what you said," Neal admitted. "About thinking about Henry first. And as much as I may want to keep him away from all of…this? Curses, and witches, and evil shadows? I know that this town is filled with people he cares about, and that those people care about him, too. And, since most of them can't leave town; if we take him to live somewhere else, he'd probably be miserable. Because he wouldn't be able to see anyone unless we came back to visit them. So…I was talking to Belle about things this morning, right before everything went down. Trying to figure out what would be the best way for me to take over ownership of my dad's old store."
"You mean…you're planning on taking over the pawn shop?" Emma asked.
"No, not exactly," Neal explained. "You know, practically everything that was in that shop was the stuff he took from other people through underhanded deals or manipulation. And everyone in town knows that. Besides, apart from a few necklaces and other odds and ends, everything has been claimed by their rightful owners already. So, I was thinking of repurposing the place."
"Into what?"
"Well, I know I never mentioned it, but…back when I was a boy, I really enjoyed drawing. And, before my dad became the Dark One and everyone became too afraid to even go near me, I was told I was pretty good."
"Oh, right," Emma said with a nod. "We saw your cave drawings back in Neverland."
"Yeah, I guess you would have seen that. Anyway, I was thinking…maybe I could, I don't know, try selling them in Storybrooke. And maybe if it works out, other people in town could offer the stuff they made, too."
"You're talking about turning Gold's shop into an art dealer?"
"Yeah, I guess I am," Neal confirmed.
"That's…wow," Emma stated. "That's a great idea."
"You think so?" Neal asked, visibly thrilled Emma was on board with the idea.
"Of course," Emma insisted. "Henry will be thrilled that you're planning on sticking around permanently."
"Yeah, it'll be nice for the two of us to be there for Henry." Instantly, Emma's smile faded significantly.
"Neal," she began, taking a deep breath of preparation. "If you're thinking that, by you staying in Storybrooke, it means we're going to pick up where we left off or something, then….please stop. I think it's great that you want to be there for Henry, and I do want you to continue to be a part of his life. But, when it comes to you and me? I really don't think that's going to happen. I will always care about you, of course. You gave me Henry, and we had some good times together. But I'm not the same person I was back then. And I don't want to try and rekindle what we had eleven years ago."
"Yeah," Neal said, clearly deflating a bit. "I guess I knew you'd feel like that. Even Hook pointed out that you might not take me back."
"Hook said that?" Emma asked, her curiously piqued. "When?"
"When we first got back from Neverland. When he told me that he was going to back off a bit. To give me a fair shot."
"He said that?"
"Yeah, said it was for Henry. He said it was because he wanted to give Henry the chance to see his parents back together."
For a long moment, Emma couldn't speak. Hook had really been willing to step aside out of concern for Henry? Her thoughts were interrupted when Henry suddenly appeared in the hall.
"Mom, you're back!" he cried in excitement, immediately throwing his arms around her.
"Yeah, I am," Emma replied with a nod, returning the hug. "Listen, Henry. Could you go with your dad for a bit? I'll tell you all about what happened with Zelena later. Right now, I have to talk to Hook about something."
"Okay. Can we get something to eat, Dad? I'm hungry."
"Sure thing," Neal agreed, ushering Henry off. Even after they'd rounded the corner, Emma had to take a few deep breaths before entering Hook's room. However, she nearly staggered backwards when she caught sight of Hook, who was sitting up in the hospital bed, his eyes focused directly on her. One of the nurses had apparently removed the bandages, fully exposing the deep lacerations that covered the left side of his face. Hook, noticing her expression, gave her a cavalier smile.
"That bad, love?" he asked, giving her a wink. "I assure you, I've had far worse than this. And, at least we've skipped the handcuffs, this time." In spite of herself, Emma felt the corners of her mouth tilt upward at his attempt at levity. But she was unable to formulate a reply. The sight of the extent of his injuries had wiped everything she'd planned on saying from her mind.
"I trust the witch was defeated?" Hook prompted. For a brief moment, Emma filled him in on what happened in the barn.
"And….that's pretty much how it happened," Emma concluded.
"So, Robin's wife is gone," Hook mused.
"I wonder if things between him and Regina will ever be mended," Emma added, feeling sympathy for Regina.
"Who can say? Finding out that someone you'd started to trust was actually directly responsible for the death of someone you loved? That can't be an easy thing to come to terms with. All the same, we have to focus on the most important thing and remember Zelena was stopped. You're a bloody hero, Swan."
"So are you," Emma pointed out. "I want to thank you… Killian." Her words were cut off by the sudden intake of breath as Hook's eyes snapped towards her face, wide with a mixture of disbelief and hopefulness. "If you hadn't been there, Henry might have…."
"I hope you weren't too hard on the lad," Hook said. "He was only trying to help."
"I know," Emma agreed. "And, thanks to you, he got away unharmed."
For a moment or two, a calm silence fell between them. Only then did Emma remember what she'd come here to say.
"Speaking of the monkeys," she said. "When Zelena was defeated, they all changed back into humans. And… I have to tell you….I spoke with Starkey." Slowly, Emma watched a dawning look of realization forming on his face.
"So….he told you what happened that night," he concluded.
"Yeah, he did. And… I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't give you the chance to explain. You tried to tell me what happened, and I didn't let you. I refused to hear you out."
"There's no need to be sorry, Swan," Killian insisted. "I know why you didn't let me explain. I've always understood. Why do you think I didn't try and explain myself to your father? I'm well aware of what my reputation was back in the Enchanted Forest. If I tried to say that it hadn't been me that you heard that night, and that it had been someone else in the room, I knew even then that it would have just sounded like a made-up excuse. Especially since you heard what you believed to be proof of my transgression with your own ears. And when Starkey disappeared, and later turned into a flying monkey; without him, I had no way of proving my story. So don't blame yourself for thinking the worst of me. I know why you did."
"That doesn't mean it was right," Emma insisted. "Especially after everything you've done since Neverland. I should have given you the chance to explain. For that, I'm sorry."
"I still don't think you have a reason to be sorry," Killian replied. "But if it alleviates the weight on your mind, then I happily accept your apology." Emma smiled in response to those words. Until she remembered something else she'd learned.
"Neal mentioned something a few moments ago," Emma announced. "He told me about a conversation the two of you had after we returned from Neverland. Did you really tell Neal you were going to back off?" Immediately, a sheepish expression appeared on his face.
"I bear responsibility for Bae growing up without his mother," Killian stated. "When Milah came and asked me to take her with me, I didn't hesitate to comply with her wishes. I should have made more of an effort at advocating for her boy. I didn't want to repeat the same mistake with Henry. He deserved the chance to see his parents reconcile, if it was possible."
"You were really willing to step aside for Henry's sake?"
"Aye."
"And….what exactly would you have done then?" Emma challenged. "If I had tried to give Neal another chance, what would you have done?"
"I would have waited," Killian replied in a matter-of-fact tone.
"For how long?" Emma asked, her eyes wide in surprise.
"Forever. You're a woman worth waiting for, Emma."
For what felt like an eternity, Emma could only stare in amazement, unable to find the words. Just when Killian was about to try and come up with a joke, fearing he'd pushed a little too far, he saw her start to move her face closer to his. Realizing what was going on, he froze in place, unable to actually believe he wasn't just dreaming this. Even his breath was frozen in his throat. It was only when he finally felt Emma's lips brush against his that he was able to realize that this was really happening, and he responded in kind, pouring all the love he felt for her into the kiss. But when Emma's hand came up to rest on his cheek, Killian was unable to hold back the low gasp of pain.
"Oh!" Emma exclaimed, jerking back in alarm, suddenly remembering his injuries. "I'm sorry!"
"It's quite all right," Killian reassured, smiling up at her gently. "I'd say it was well worth the pain." Emma shook her head, but then her expression shifted as she began to consider something.
"There's… something I want to try," she said. "But…I'm not sure if it'll work. For all I know, you might end up with three heads, or…."
"It's okay, Swan," Killian cut in without hesitation. "Go ahead and give it a try."
"You don't even know what I'm going to do," Emma pointed out.
"It doesn't matter. I trust you, Emma."
Emma gulped, still feeling unsure. But she closed her eyes and concentrated, raising her hand to Killian's face. After a moment, she experienced a feeling of warmth within her hand, along with a slight tingling sensation, as if her hand was starting to fall asleep. Moments later, the strange feeling subsided. Opening her eyes, Emma saw the wounds on Killian's face had all vanished, without a single trace of a scar. Furrowing his brows, Killian reached up to feel his now-healed face. When he felt his injuries were gone, a large smile formed on his face.
"You really are bloody brilliant, Emma Swan," he said. With that, he propped himself up on his elbow, moving back in for another heartfelt kiss.
David stepped out of Granny's with his to-go cup of coffee, planning to drink it while on patrol. Before he made it to the squad car that was parked nearby, he noticed a slight movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head, he saw Regina standing nearby, looking into Granny's through the window, seemingly trying to spot someone. In a matter of seconds, he realized who it was.
"He's not here," David said, speaking gently. "I heard from Anton that he stopped by the bean field early this morning, to see if there were any beans ready. So he and Roland could go back." Upon hearing this, Regina's shoulders slumped in defeat.
"So he left Storybrooke, after all."
"Well, he might come back," David pointed out. "Neal said he offered Robin his magic bean, but Robin said he wanted to bring along a second bean, just in case."
"Do you think he will, though?" Regina muttered. "After…what he found out?"
"I….I don't know," David admitted. "The fact is, you did cause the death of his wife, and left their son without a mother. That's not something that you can easily fix. It might not even be possible to fix things. You know, when you put Snow under the sleeping curse, I could sense something had happened to her. It felt as if half of my very soul had been ripped away. Even now, I think that, if I hadn't been able to revive her, I don't think I'd have found it in me to forgive you. However, I'm not Robin. So, the only person who could say for sure if Robin would forgive you is Robin himself."
"And what am I supposed to do in the meantime?" Regina asked, grief filling her expression.
"The only thing you can do," David suggested. "Wait, and hope. And above all, give him the time he needs to come to terms with it. And, if he decides he can't forgive you in the end, then you'll have to accept that. Because somethings can't be mended." Regina lightly bit her lip in response. It was clear she wasn't happy with that answer, but couldn't think of something to say in her defense.
"But for now," David continued, switching gears, "perhaps you should try and focus on another matter."
"Like what, exactly?"
"Well, there is still the matter of Zelena. We're keeping her in a cell down at the sheriff's station for the time being, but we're making plans to turn the psychiatric ward beneath the hospital into a long-term prison wing."
"I want to just….incinerate her," Regina admitted. "After what she's done…."
"Isn't incinerating people exactly what caused the rift between you and Robin?" David pointed out. Regina glared in response, but then let out a breath, conceding defeat.
"Then what do you suggest I do?" she asked.
"Well," David said, speaking slowly, choosing his words carefully. "I'm not sure you ever knew this, but… I used to have a twin brother. We were separated when we were only babies. I didn't find out he even existed until after he'd died. But I since learned he was arrogant, cruel, deceptive, and a murderous, treacherous thief."
"Is there a point to this?" Regina prompted.
"Despite everything he'd done," David stated, "he was still my brother. Even now, I wish I'd gotten the chance to actually meet him. But I'll never get that chance, because he's dead. But you, Regina? You still have that chance. You can still get to know your sister. You have an opportunity that I'll never have. And, while I know I can't tell you how to live your life, I can say that, if I were in your position, I wouldn't waste this chance."
Regina didn't respond right away, but when she finally looked up to face David, she saw he had already climbed into the nearby squad car and drove off, leaving her with her thoughts.
Even though she didn't look away from the wall of her prison cell, Zelena somehow knew who had entered into the station.
"Why, Regina?" she asked as Regina took a seat on the couch positioned in front of the cell. "Why not just kill me and put me out of my misery?"
"Because I know why you did what you did," Regina replied. "We're much alike. Our mother ruined you, too. I know what it's like to not have the life you wanted... the life you feel you deserve."
"Oh, boo-hoo." Zelena scoffed. "You got to be Queen. I saw it all. You had everything."
"So, you missed the part where Mother killed the man I loved? I never wanted that life. That was the life our mother picked for me. I wasn't allowed to have a say. But now, I do. Now, I can chose to build a new life. With my son, and everyone else in this town. And you can, too. If you really feel you deserved what I've got, here's your chance. You can have a second chance, the way I had one."
"What if I don't want it?"
"Well, that would be a mistake, dear. Take it. Use it. Evil isn't born. It's made. And so is good. If I were you, I'd consider creating a new destiny."
Before leaving the sheriff station, Regina paused by the door and turned back to glance at Zelena, who was still clearly sulking.
"Zelena? As someone very recently pointed out to me, in spite of everything, you and I are still sisters. Perhaps this is our chance to start over. Start from scratch. Just…think it over." Zelena, however, showed no indication that she was even listening, refusing to even look over at Regina, even after the sound of her departing footsteps faded away.
Mary Margret exited the hospital, immediately noticing Emma waiting by her yellow bug.
"Thanks again for stopping by to pick me up on such short notice," Mary Margret said when she stepped over to greet Emma.
"Of course," Emma agreed. "How's the baby?"
"Oh, just fine. According to the ultrasound, it looks like he or she didn't suffer any noticeable effects from being without a soul for that brief amount of time."
"Sounds like a tough kid," Emma commented. "Should we call David and tell him the news?"
"Yeah, I'm sure he'd like to hear that," Mary Margret agreed. "It would be a nice bit of good news to get him through the paperwork at the station."
"Wait, paperwork?" Emma cut in. "What paperwork? The text he sent me said he was out looking at cribs and strollers."
"Oh," Mary Margret said, her eyes widening upon realizing she was caught.
"Okay, what's going on?" Emma asked, frowning in suspicion. Is Dad at the station or not?"
"Well, I guess there's no point in pretending, anymore," Mary Margret relented. "The truth is, I didn't call you down here because your father was busy. It was because I was hoping we could have lunch together. Just the two of us. I can't remember the last time we've done that."
Emma gave a wry smile. The truth was, she knew exactly when the last time they'd had gone out to lunch had been. It had been before the curse had been broken, when they were celebrating the fact that Kathryn had been found alive and well and the murder case against Mary Margret had been subsequently thrown out. But Emma chose not to mention this.
"Yeah, that does sound nice," Emma announced, hoping that this wasn't going to be Mary Margret's attempt to ask her if she was sure she made the right decision in regards to Neal and Ho... well, Killian.
Emma wasn't quite sure how, but somehow, the entire town seemed to have learned overnight that Sherriff Swan and the notorious Captain Hook had begun some sort of relationship. Just today, from the time she'd dropped Henry off at the bus stop to driving out to the hospital to pick up Mary Margret after her checkup, she'd already had twelve people asking her about it. Quite a few people seemed to think it was only a temporary thing and that it would end as soon as they'd satisfied their lust. She supposed that it had been a good thing Killian had agreed to just take things slow for a while. Just until the gossip had died down a bit. In fact, he seemed to understand exactly why Emma had wanted to keep it on the down low for a bit. Even so, she'd still found a take-out mug of still-warm hot cocoa with cinnamon from Granny's waiting for her on the hood of her bug this morning. She couldn't deny the small gesture had brought a smile to her face.
"Oh, and there's another thing," Mary Margret continued, unaware of the direction Emma's thoughts had taken. "I have something for you." With this said, she reached into her oversized purse and pulled out a lumpy parcel that had been wrapped in floral wrapping paper. "Here, open it," Mary Margret urged, handing Emma the parcel. Emma took the present in slight confusion, but opened it without a word. As she tore off the wrapping paper, something slipped out and Emma reached out quickly to catch it before it fell to the ground. Upon grabbing it, she realized it was a hot pink cotton T-shirt. Noticing that there was something written on the front of the shirt, she held it up for closer inspection. The moment she could make out the words, which were written in large blue letters arranged around the image of a rainbow, her eyes widened in surprise.
World's Coolest Big Sister
"Your father and I haven't forgotten, you know," Mary Margret reminded. "We remember what you told Zelena that day in the barn. We wanted you to know that wasn't what we were doing now. Just because we're having this baby, it doesn't mean we're trying to replace you. It doesn't mean we think you're not good enough. "
"Mom, I…." Emma was cut off when Mary Margret pulled her into a tight hug.
"I promised you in Neverland that I was going to do everything in my power to prevent you from feeling like an orphan again," she said. "I plan on keeping that promise. So please, promise me that if there's ever a moment when you start to feel like we are replacing you, or that we don't think you're good enough for us, just let us know, and we'll do our best to fix it. As a family. Okay?"
"Okay," Emma replied, returning the hug.
Jefferson made his way through the Storybrooke market, filling his basket with the things he needed for tonight's dinner. It had been a few weeks since Zelena had been defeated, and despite a few lingering nightmares, he was actually starting to feel normal for the first time in a long time. While he knew that he probably should attribute some of that progress to the weekly sessions with Archie, which Belle and Grace had both encouraged him to start having, he actually felt that he wouldn't have gotten quite this far if it hadn't been for their constant presence and comfort.
Since David had driven him home that afternoon, Belle had become a frequent visitor at his home. This was especially true on the days that Grace was staying with her other parents. Sometimes, Hook would accompany her, usually just to shoot the breeze, and even David and Emma would occasionally stop by to check up on him. But Belle's presence had become so commonplace, it just felt natural somehow. So when he discovered Belle's chipped teacup had suddenly started taking up residence in his china cabinet, he was amazed to discover he wasn't even surprised by it. Instead, he'd ended up reminding Belle that they'd never gotten the chance to have the dinner they'd planned on having, due to Zelena's interference. Even now as he gathered up the ingredients for that dinner, Jefferson could clearly picture Belle's smile as she announced she'd been waiting for him to reschedule.
As he reached out to select a tray of mushrooms, Jefferson suddenly sensed someone's eyes on him. Looking up, he saw a man standing across from him.
"So, I suppose you're the man Belle has been spending so much time with," he commented.
"You're…. Belle's father," Jefferson realized.
"And I hear that you're having my daughter over for dinner, tonight," Moe replied.
"Well, I… yes, that's right," Jefferson confirmed, realizing he was suddenly feeling nervous.
"Good of you to admit it," Moe stated. "Now that that's out of the way…. I won't deny I haven't always done right by my daughter. I've made my mistakes. I admit that. But Belle's well-being has always been my first priority."
"Mr. French, I know what you're trying to say," Jefferson announced. "I have a daughter, too. But you should know, whatever this might be between Belle and me? It's still fairly new. With that said…I care for her a great deal. So I'm going to do my best to not mess it up. And, if this does end up going somewhere, I have no intention of making the same mistake I made with Priscilla. I won't ever forget that, apart from Grace, she'd be the most important person in my life."
For a tense moment, Moe simply eyed Jefferson, as if sizing him up. But then, a reluctant smile appeared on his face.
"You know, I suppose there is something good to be said about your daughter falling in love with the Dark One," Moe said. "Anyone after that would be a significant improvement."
"I think that's a complement," Jefferson mused.
"For the record, I meant it as one," Moe admitted. Seconds later, Moe reached out a hand, in a clear invitation of a cordial handshake, which Jefferson accepted.
"So," Moe continued as they went back to picking out their groceries. "Do you plan on going with her?"
"Going with her?" Jefferson repeated. "I don't know what you mean."
"She didn't tell you?" Moe asked in surprise.
"Tell me what?"
"About the expedition into the Enchanted Forest," Moe explained. "Belle was talking about going back there. She didn't mention it to you?"
"Well…. Like I said, it's still in the early stages," Jefferson pointed out with a shrug.
"Yes, you did say that," Moe agreed. However, Jefferson still felt slightly uneasy after hearing about Belle's plans.
Regina hesitantly made her way through the woods, feeling her trepidation increasing with each step. Even now, she had no idea what she was going to say. She didn't even know if he'd even let her speak. But when she overheard the dwarfs talking about seeing Robin making his way into the forest at the edge of town with a group of men, she had to see for herself.
Before long, she'd made it to a clearing within the woods. Sure enough, Robin was there, along with a fair number of people who clearly were members of the Merry Men. They were all hard at work pitching up tents within the clearing. After a few moments, she saw Roland stepping into view, carrying a small bundle of sticks in his arms. A small smile of fondness appeared on Regina's face as she watched Robin crouch down to talk to Roland. She was so focused on watching them interact that she didn't notice Roland had spotted her until she saw him pointing over at her, with Robin turning to look. Letting out a surprised gasp, Regina slightly stepped back, unable to overlook the guarded expression that had appeared on Robin's face when he saw her. For a long moment, they simply stood where they were, staring at each other. Finally, Regina bowed her head, taking a few steadying breaths to calm herself. Only then did she find the courage to move into the clearing, making her way towards them.
"Hello," she greeted once she was close enough. "I… I realize I'm probably the last person you wanted to see. But, when I heard the rumors that you were back, I just had to see if they were true."
"I almost didn't come back," Robin admitted after a lengthy pause. "But a large group of ogres had taken up residence not too far from Sherwood. We decided it was no longer safe to remain where we were. I was able to convince my men that, all things considered, Storybrooke was probably far safer. At least, there are no ogres here. Besides, Roland missed Henry and Grace. And Granny's breakfasts."
"Of course," Regina agreed with a quick nod. "They'll be glad to see him, again."
For a brief moment, the pair stood in an awkward silence, unable to meet each other's eyes. Then, Regina was able to summon up the courage to say what she'd come here to say.
"Robin, I need you to know…. I'm sorry. I'm truly, deeply sorry. If I could take it back somehow, I would. Without hesitation." Robin didn't show any indication that he'd heard her and continued to stare off in the other direction. Feeling disheartened but unsurprised, Regina sadly turned to leave.
"Regina?" Upon hearing him call her name, Regina froze, her eyes wide in reluctantly hopeful surprise. "We were…about to prepare breakfast. Perhaps…you could say."
"Are you sure?"
"In spite of everything, I haven't forgotten that you did everything you could to help get Roland back from Zelena," Robin said. "I am grateful for that, at least. So, you may stay and have breakfast with us, if you want."
"I'd like that," Regina replied with a quick but grateful smile.
"Jefferson, are you okay?" Belle's question snapped Jefferson out of his thoughts and he glanced up from the plate he was washing to see she was looking back at him in concern.
"Yes, I'm fine," Jefferson said without a thought.
"Are you sure?" Belle pressed on. "Because you were rather quiet all evening. Even for you."
Jefferson averted his eyes in slight embarrassment. He'd been hoping to act natural during dinner, but he'd apparently hadn't succeeded. Realizing the jig was up, he decided to just go right for the throat.
"I… I ran into you father, today," he announced.
"He didn't give you a hard time, did he?" Belle asked.
"No, nothing like that," Jefferson stated. "But…he did mention something about you possibly going back to the Enchanted Forest." Upon hearing this, Belle let out an irritated huff, shaking her head.
"I can't believe he told you that," she sighed. "I only said it was something I'd thought about." After a pause, Belle met Jefferson's eyes and started to explain. "I was having lunch with Leroy yesterday. He and I crossed paths once in the Enchanted Forest, a few years before the Dark Curse was cast, and we became friends for a brief amount of time. But this had been the first chance we'd gotten to actually catch up with each other. Anyway, we….. You remember how we'd cleared out most of the objects in Gold's shop and returned them to their rightful owners, of course. But, when I was talking to Leroy, I remembered that there were more objects that Rumpelstiltskin had gathered. Things that never made it to the pawn shop. Back in the Enchanted Forest, he had a vault, hidden within his castle. In a room with no doors. He said he stored the most dangerous and unstable magic down there. And I guess I just started thinking. With Rumpelstiltskin gone, how can we be sure that someone won't unknowingly stumble across that vault and come into contact with something he'd stored there?"
"So you're suggesting….?" Jefferson prompted.
"Maybe it would be wise to send some people back to the Enchanted Forest in order to properly dispose of or seal off whatever's in that vault, to make sure no one could get their hands on it," Belle stated. "Leroy said he'd mention it to the fairies and see if any of them would be willing to help organize an expedition. And hopefully convince some of them to join it. After all, since the expedition would be dealing with powerful magic, it seems prudent to have good magic wielders around."
"Leroy thinks he can persuade some of the fairies to do this?"
"Well, he apparently has a close friend among the fairies," Belle stated.
"This is what your father was talking about, then?"
"I'm really sorry you had to hear about it from him," Belle apologized. "The truth is, I was going to mention something to you sooner, but I decided it didn't really matter, because I decided against going."
"You're not going? How come? I mean, you probably knew more about Rumpelstiltskin than anyone else in town. So you're sure to be a great help in helping with the expedition."
"I probably could be of use," Belle allowed. "But…the thing is, I'd actually hoped that… you would go with us."
"Me?" Jefferson blinked in surprise.
"I'm not the only one who spent time with him, remember?" Belle reminded. "You told me yourself that you and Rumpelstiltskin used to have a partnership. So, I thought you'd be able to help offer some insider knowledge on the contents of the vault. But I was hesitant to ask you because I was worried that it would interfere with your sessions with Archie. They do seem to be working, after all. Grace mentioned you weren't crying out in your sleep anymore. I didn't want to make you think you had to put yourself in a situation that might set you back. And if you weren't going, then I really didn't have much interest in going, either, so…."
"Belle, I can't" Jefferson interrupted, suddenly looking extremely upset and scared. "It's not that I don't appreciate your concern, but… while it shouldn't stop you from going, I can't just up and go back to the Enchanted Forest like that. And no, it's nothing to do with my sessions."
"Then what's wrong?" Belle asked. Jefferson was unable to reply, but a look of knowing soon passed over Belle's face. "It's because of Grace, isn't it? You're worried about leaving Storybrooke because you haven't forgotten what happened when you went to Wonderland on Regina's orders."
"The last time I went away, I promised Grace I'd be back in time for our tea party," Jefferson whispered. "But I kept her waiting for over 28 years. After that, I swore I would not leave her ever again, no matter what the incentive might be."
"Papa, you know this isn't the same," Grace suddenly announced, stepping into view and surprising both Jefferson and Belle with her sudden appearance.
"Grace, I thought you were doing your homework upstairs," Jefferson exclaimed.
"I was, but I finished it already," Grace said. "But Papa, this isn't the same as last time. When you left home back then, it was because Regina made you think you had to prove something. It's because you thought we needed more than what we had to be happy. But this time, you have the chance to help a lot of people by keeping them safe. And you'd be helping make the Enchanted Forest much safer if we all ever had to go back for good. If there's something inside Rumpelstiltskin's old vault that could fall into the wrong hands, we should do something about it. Before someone like Cora or Pan can find it."
"But…you're not afraid that I won't make it back?" Jefferson asked.
"No, because this time, you'd be with Belle, and a group of other people that we all trust," Grace pointed out. "They wouldn't trick you and leave you stranded without a way to come back. Please, Papa. Just say you'll think about going. Especially if it'll end up helping people."
Jefferson was quiet for a long time, considering what Grace was talking about. As he thought, he continued to glance between Belle and Grace.
"All right," he finally stated. "I'm not promising anything. But…tomorrow, I'll bring it up with Archie during our session. See if he thinks an extended trip into the Enchanted Forest would be a good idea. And…if he thinks it'll do me some good…then I'll try to consider it."
"Of course," Belle agreed to that, stepping forward to copy Grace's example and pull him into a supportive hug.