"See, bad idea!" Artemis half-shouted. "Bad idea, bad idea, everything about this equal's bad idea. How all three of you are…in cahoots with each other is, disgusting!" Artemis said, pacing up and down on Gold's dark wooden floors. "First you send in Henry, like he's some freaking-"
"Artemis," David started. Rumple shaking his head. "Let her finish, she'll feel better." he mumbled, resting his hand against his cane.
"Now you're gonna go drink a sleeping potion, that may I add may kill you, with a like 10% success rate because, gee I really wanna make-out with my wife now-"
"Artemis-!" David scowled.
"But no, this is a great idea, right up there with cursing an entire town, because I'm sad and jealous-"
"Okay, that's not-" Regina started. Rumple waving her off. "Let her finish."
"I really feel like I'm the only one whose sufficiently concerned enough so," Artemis said, throwing her hands up, looking at the adults. "Yeah, what's the convincing line to try to get me on board, hmm?"
"I don't have one." David said gently. "All I know, is that Snow needs me. I need to help her, in any way I can."
Artemis licked her lips, glancing between the three of them, she could feel Henry's eyes piercing the back of her head. "Okay, I can respect that," Artemis said, the three nodding, David smiling. "But I'm not going to help you go on a suicide mission." Artemis finished, David's smile falling.
"Artemis," Rumple started. "Nope," Artemis said, catching Regina sigh behind David. "I'm not, no." Artemis said, turning on her heel, walking out the door.
"Artemis," David called. She didn't reply.
Storm cloud were rolling, Artemis kept walking. Rain staring, the light drizzle, turning into downpour. Artemis kept walking.
Sun crept out, clouds revealed a brighten sky. Artemis kept walking. The sun drifting, kissing the ocean in an explosion of colours. Artemis kept walking. Darkness poked at the sky. Artemis kept walking.
Pushing open the door, Rumple looked up at her. He shook his head. She nodded, walking out the door, and back into the dark.
"My, my, what plagues you my dear Artie?" Peter said, sliding next to her. "What plagues me? Seriously? What are we in the 1800's?" she snapped, folding her arms, gazing out onto the open seas, refusing to meet his eyes.
Peter said nothing, folding his own arms. "He has to learn."
"Yeah, well you don't teach. You punish." Artemis replied shortly.
"Tiny has to learn to fend for himself, and pull his own weight, just like everybody else." Peter said firmly. Artemis shook her head. "But he's not like everybody else. He's just a little kid."
"Never knew you were the mothering type Artie." Peter sang, leaning against her shoulder. Artemis scoffing, pushing him off. "I like that. Any sort of care from a female has to be mothering or romantic to make sense in your addled brain right?"
"I'm worried about him, because these boys devote their lives to you, blindly and you exploit that openly. I can see that, you can see that, but they don't." Artemis said, pacing up and down in front of him. "It's why I'm here, I can tell you when to shut up, you probably won't, but I can say that freely. They never will. Hell, even Felix gets scared of you. Control of everything and everyone."
Artemis sighed, taking a breath, surprised he was silent and seeming to actually be listening to her. "You want Tiny to learn? You can't just throw him in the deep end without teaching him how to swim. That will just get him killed. I'm all for independence, but that's learned by teaching him, not by punishing him."
"Sometimes I forget you're a princess." Peter said, making Artemis pause. "Thank you for reminding me."
It was condescending nor jeering or cruel. It was….oddly gentle.
"Come on, we should get that." Peter said, gesturing to the sky, Artemis following his gaze, at the pirate ship that just reached the rough Neverland waters, a steady stream or smoke drifting up.
"Yeah." Artemis said, grabbing her bow and sheath of the sand, securing it onto her. "With any luck, Killian would have gotten some sharper knives, my arrows are dulling."
Artemis felt the surge of energy from her brooding spot. (Yes, she labelled it, she went there enough to deal with her issues or at least be able to swift though them) she almost smiled. Maybe she'd been spending too much time with Rumple, maybe she actually paid some attention when Peter talked about magical shifts and auras.
"Emma."
Sneaking into Gold's was easy, not to mention normal. She didn't need to…but-Artemis paused, leaning against the wall that led to the main shop, not really listening, but drinking in the energy that surged off them both.
"Artemis, are you planning on loitering by the door or do you wish to join us?" Rumple said, making Artemis roll her eyes. "I hate you." she said, slipping inside, meeting Emma's eyes, giving her an awkward nod. Emma gave her a surprisingly warm smile.
"I created the curse, dearie, but I didn't make you." Rumple said, fixating his eyes on Emma, ignoring her. "I merely took advantage of what you are – the product of true love. That's why you're powerful. And everything you've done, you've done yourself."
"So you don't know." Emma asked. "Know what?" Gold replied, Artemis glancing between the two of them.
"Cora…" Emma started, Artemis's eyes lighting in recognition from Rumple storytime. "Tried to rip my heart out, but she couldn't. She was blasted back by something inside me. By…By-"
"Magic." Artemis said, glancing at Gold. "I felt a shift in the auras."
Rumple nodded. "By magic. Whatever that was, I didn't do that. You did."
Emma nodded, giving Rumple a nod, before glancing at Artemis. The girl got the message, giving Rumple a pat on the shoulder; following Emma and Henry (who had been standing quietly at he back of the store) outside back to Snow and David's.
"So," Artemis started, the silence between the three of the itching on the side of her brain. "Hi."
Emma smiled. "Hi, kid."
"I'm your aunt." Artemis blurted out, making Henry chuckle. "Yeah," Emma said, making a face. "Let's not do that."
"Oh thank god."
"Hey! Guess what? Taco shells were on sale." Henry called, when they walked in, Artemis and Emma walking in with the packets from the store. Artemis turning around, locking the door behind her. "Apparently, tacos? Not a big item in the Enchanted-" Emma paused, Artemis turning around, dearly wishing she hadn't.
"What are you guys still doing in bed? It's the middle of the afternoon." Henry asked. Artemis leaning over to Emma, mumbling under her breath. "This is one of the rare times, I wish an arrow just impaled me, right here." she said tapping her forehead. "I could have gone for eternity without seeing this." she said. Emma snorting quietly.
"The trip back was tiring, and I needed to rest." Snow said, pulling the covers closer to around her. "And I needed to…Help her rest." David added.
"Oh, really? How's that 'rest' working out for you?" Artemis said, making David shrink deeper into the covers.
"Uh, let's… Let's go make the tacos." Emma said quickly to Henry. "We have to make a lot, because there's going to be a ton of people at Granny's welcome back party tonight. Artemis-" she said.
"Thank you." Artemis said instantly, grabbing the bags, guiding Henry to the kitchen. "Onward, fair adventurer! There be treasure near!" she said, half dragging him, Henry laughing behind her.
Maybe this wasn't so bad.
Back to her family, back to Gold, Snow and David. To Emma and Henry. Henry, the person who got her stuck there in the first place. The person who she saved years, decades before she even met him. Somehow that made the gaping hole in her chest, since waking up, dull. Maybe this was worth it. Maybe….this was her new second chance.
Well, third, but she's not getting technically.
"So, let's make some tacos!" Emma said, clapping her hands together, grabbing the stuff out of the packets. "Yess!" Henry cheered, grabbing some things out of the fridge.
"You okay?" Emma said, giving her a light poke in the arm. Artemis blinked, watching Henry set down the things. "Yeah, I'm fine."
For the first time, in a long time, she meant it.
Granny's was packed with people, when they entered, everyone in the restaurant bursting into cheers, Ruby rushing toward Snow, enveloping her in a hug. "I wasn't worried a bit." Ruby said, making Artemis giggled. "I can tell." Snow teased, giving Artemis a wink.
"Tacos." Emma said victoriously, presenting them to Granny as if they were gold. "I cannot tell you the relief of cooking something that I didn't have to kill first."
"Don't I know it. Meat loaf back home? What a bitch." Granny replied, making Artemis chuckle, standing next to Emma. "You'd really hate where I used to live."
"I just wanted to, uh, thank you all for joining us tonight." David said, the chatter dulling, everybody turning their attention towards him. "Mary Margaret and I – we have a saying…That we will always find each other. And, while I believe that with all my heart, I'd like you all to raise your glasses and join me when I say…Here's to not having to look for a while. To Mary Margaret and Emma!"
"To Mary Margaret and Emma!" everyone chorused, clinking glasses and mugs of various drinks together, just as the door opened, Regina walking in with a casserole dish. "Sorry I'm late." she said awkwardly.
Leroy grabbing a knife, flipping it around, barring it in her direction.
"Somebody tell me there's popcorn." Artemis mumbled to Ruby, the woman passing her a bowl, which Artemis gladly took.
"What is she doing here?" Leroy snapped, looking just about ready to take Regina's arm off. "I invited her." Emma said loudly. Leroy lowering the knife in surprise.
"Oh, the plot thickens." Artemis gasped, Granny giving her a light smack on the back of her head.
"Ow!"
The noise of Granny's had dulled as the evening went on, but the joy of everyone around her made her smile and laugh, the usual tense knot in her chest, disappearing as she leaned against the counter, receiving a few hugs and pats, but she needed to do something, before she could really breath properly, or at least try to.
"Hey," Artemis said, gently touching David's shoulder. "Can we talk for a sec?" she said, David nodding, taking her to the side. "What's up?"
"I'm sorry." Artemis said, David blinking. "For what?"
"Everything. I know, I've been terrible sister lately, well, I think I've always been one, but I should have faith in you back at Gold's. I should have been there for you and I wasn't. And…there's no excuse for it, but…"
"Artemis," David started.
"I'd hate if my last words to you were 'no'" Artemis said, determined to get to the end of this. She didn't think she was good at heart to heart's, but she'd be damn sure to finish this one. "Because I'd be...I'd feel awful, and sad and, lost, if I lost you…because, I love you, a lot even though I don't say it." Artemis said, taking a breath. "Right, you can talk now."
"I love you too," David said, giving her a hug, nearly crushing her bones. "Idiot." he added, making Artemis chuckle. "And I know, things between us, we-"
"Are not the best siblings?"
"Pretty much. But I should and I will do better, everything from when we met to the war to this," David said gesturing around them. "We haven't really gotten to be siblings, it's time I change that."
"Agreed. You should." Artemis said, grinning, David rolling his eyes at her. "Okay, enough, lovey dovey," Artemis said, taking a step back, straightening her jacket. "You're going to ruin my reputation of being a stone cold badass."
"What reputation?"
Artemis smirked. "So the prince can bit back, wow. I did not expect that."
"Where do you think you got it from?" David replied. Artemis snorted. "Touché."
Artemis in many ways resembled her Greek Goddess counterpart in many instances. They both were exceptional archers, both had lived in the forest for some time, had brothers and in her humble opinion seemed to be the only ones with common sense.
Which is why, when she showed up at the Sheriff's office, after inspecting the now, dead Archie Hopper AKA Jiminy Cricket at the murder scene. Regina sitting in the interrogation room, Snow watching behind the glass as Emma and David seemed to be questioning her.
"What'd I miss?" she asked, entering the station, joining Snow, Emma and David behind the glass. "She says she didn't do it." Emma said. Snow biting her lower lips. "So what do we do with her now?"
"Lock her up." David said instantly. "I don't think that's a good idea." Artemis said, Emma nodding in agreement. "We can't lock her up, because she didn't do it."
"You really believe her?" David asked, sceptically. "I watched her when we told her Archie was dead. She didn't know." Emma replied. "Alright, then who could have? We need another viable suspect, right?" Artemis mused.
"Wait, Missy, we can't just dismiss Regina." Snow said, turning to Emma. "Emma, I know that you want to believe that Regina can change for Henry, but-"
"I know what I saw. Look at her in there." Emma said gesturing to Regina. "The old Regina would've reduced this building to ashes-"
"Can't argue with that." Artemis added.
"See?" Emma said, glancing back at the Regina though the window. "That's a woman who wants to change. She just wants everyone else to see it. I know that look. I know her. I believe her."
"With all due respect, you don't know her like we do." David said insistently. "I do, it doesn't mean I'm just going to throw her instantly in a cell. And I don't like Regina. Like, at all." Artemis said, looking at her though the glass.
"Maybe that's the problem. I know in your kingdom, she was the Evil Queen." Emma explained. "But here, she's Regina. And I'm still the Sheriff, and I say she's innocent until proven guilty."
"Hear, hear." Artemis said standing next to Emma.
Snow sighed nodding. "So… Uh, what do you suggest we do?"
"Let her go."
"Emma, sh-"
"We let her go, and then we find the truth." Emma said firmly.
Rummaging around a dead guys office, never felt good, but since it was technically for a good cause. Artemis shoved the oddly guilty feeling down, and contiuned her assault of Archie's second desk. Snow flipping through Archie's papers on the other one, David going through his filing cabinet and Emma reading though some of the files.
However, there was something bothering her; not the files or the papers, not the dog figures or his creative homemade dog biscuits.
"Huh. Regina's file – it's empty." David said, holding it out to them. "So she did it. She killed the kindest soul in this town." Snow whispered, leaning back in her chair, Artemis gently placing a hand on her shoulder.
"A man who only cared about helping."
"I promise we'll find whoever really did this." Emma said, returning to her papers.
"Isn't it time you admit we already have? Regina had a fight with Archie, Ruby saw her outside last night, and now, her file is empty. That's…That's a lot of evidence." David said, walking up to Snow, stoking her arm lovingly.
"Maybe that's the point." Emma said, looking up t them, wide-eyed.
"What do you mean?" Artemis asked, closing the drawer, unable to shake her off vibes. There was a strange magical aura around this place.
"Well, I don't know how it is in fairy tale land, but in the real world, it's usually hard to find evidence. But this has been way too easy. Unless, someone wants us to find evidence." Emma explained.
"What? So you think she was framed?" Snow theorised. "Well, it wouldn't be the first time that happened in this town." Emma said, making Artemis snort. "She's got a point. And there's motive? It is motive, right?" Artemis asked Emma, the woman nodding encouragingly.
"Who would want to frame her?" David said, Snow sitting down on the couch armrest. "Who?" Artemis replied, folding her arm's giving David a 'you serious?' look.
"She's right, that's a long list, present company included." Snow said, her eyes glistening with withheld tears, Artemis didn't blame her, she and Archie had been close. "Yeah." Emma mused. "But there's only one name on that list that would resort to killing to get what they want."
"He's not that bad." Artemis said instantly, the three glancing at her. "But there's no harm in taking a look," Artemis continued. "You guys go ahead though, I'll um…." Artemis said, wishing her brain could detect a good enough excuse. "Do a bit more, detecting over here, while you go accuse the guy who kept me alive, for like a millions years."
Emma smiled tightly, patting her arm. "Good luck detecting, kid."
"Make sure you're done before supper," Snow said, giving her hands a squeeze, David opting for the same option as his daughter, patting her arm, before closing the door behind him.
Artemis jumping onto the coffee table, crossing her legs, going into a meditation pose. The magical aura wasn't right. She could tell.
If there was one lesson she knew, was every magical being had a different magical aura. Most of the time, it was near undetectable, but after her near death experience on Neverland, being submerged in the healing waters of the Neverland Spring.
She had the unique ability of sensitivity towards them. This wasn't Regina's, nor Rumple, not even the building of Emma either. This was…different. 'Strange.'
Artemis remained in that position, before finally latching onto it, getting up, she followed the aura's traces: Down Archie's steps, though the back down, to the docks, to a magically hidden ship, which she reached out…
The magic fading to her, allowing her to see a familiar looking ship. "Killian." Artemis whispered, getting on, walking on the deck, the familiar smell of sea salt and gunpowder, gin and sweat.
It was disgusting, but…it was home.
At least, close to it.
"Well, well, well." Came a voice form behind her, she turned blindly, something being blown into her face. "Look what we have here."
Darkness swallowing her instantly.
"Wait, where's Artemis?" Henry asked, glancing around his family, Emma pausing, seeming to realise the second youngest wasn't present, and turning to Snow and David. Snow glancing at her husband.
"She's probably out…"
Killian tightened the binds around her arms, her blurred vision only able to see his stubble, but the glinting hook hand was enough to know who it was.
"You know how she is, she disappears sometimes."
"You don't think we should look for her?" Emma said in surprise.
The light was weak, but she wasn't alone, Artemis seeing familiar red hair. Her brain shooting her with adrenaline. "Arfii!" she cried, the cloth that bit into her mouth, muffling her words.
She made a movement towards him, when a woman walked in, in what she used to consider 'normal clothes' not here: Storybrooke clothes.
"Now, now, child." the woman, said, the light shining on her face. Artemis's eyes widening.
"She always comes home-"
The woman removing the cloth from her face. "Coral, I presume." Artemis said, glancing at Killian from the corner of her eye.
"Eventually."
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