Elijah Mill's usually enjoyed his weekends. It was the only part of the week he was able to spend with his nephew while his sister attended her Saturday 'Council Meeting'. And since Emma Swan had came into town, his time off seemed more precious than ever before.
But while Henry was grounded after his involvement in David Nolan's rescue, the ten-year-old was confined to the house while his services were requested elsewhere in town.
In a fresh suit and tie the youngest Mill's sibling made his way down the stairs ready to set out for his day to find his sister applying lipstick in the hallway mirror while his nephew sat at the dining table with a comic book in his hands.
"I know you think otherwise, but I don't enjoy these Saturday city council meetings" Regina tells her son, as she spots her baby brother making his way down the stairs behind her.
"The dress and heels says otherwise sister" she heard her brother mutter under his breath as she caught him rolling his eye's in the reflection of the mirror, to give her brother a pointed glare into the reflection not amused by his words.
"Sometimes, they're just unavoidable" she continues ignoring her brother's words as she finds Henry in the dining room "Now, you know the rules".
"Yes on home homework, no on TV, and stay inside" Henry listed off to his mother as his Uncle stood in the doorway fixing the cuffs of his dress shirt under his suit jacket.
"Good boy" Regina beamed at her son as she approached the boy placing her a manicured finger nail under his chin "Under no circumstance do you leave this house".
"You mean, don't see my mom" he tells her.
"She's not your mother. She's just a woman passing through. Now, do as I say, or there will be consequences. I'll be back at five sharp" at that the Mayor turned and left leaving her brother and son inside the house as Elijah saw the look in his young nephew's eye's as the latter waited for his Uncle to leave for the day, knowing he would be back a little after his adopted mother.
"What ever it is you're planning, young man" he he starts with a serious tone in his voice "I'd be quick about it" giving the boy a playful wink of his eye earning a wide smile from his nephew before the man turned and followed his sister out of the house.
Seeing her brother leave the house and walk to the driveway, Regina paused to watch him walk to his car that sat next to hers.
"Where are you going?" she thought he's be in the house all day. It's what he usually did.
"I've been asked to assist Miss Blanchard in a project for school" he tells his older sister as reached his car.
"On a Saturday?" she questioned the man.
"Yes. The children are very excited" he says with a small smile, opening the driver's door to his car "Make sure you don't give the Sheriff my regards. I'd hate to ruin your council meeting" was all he says to her before climbing in and backing out of the driveway to make his way across town.
Helping Emma Swan move into the spare bedroom of Mary-Margaret's cozy loft apartment was not really what he had planned for his Saturday, but he couldn't seem say no to the pixie haired teacher when she asked the previous afternoon.
Doing most of the heavy lifting for the pair or roommates, he brought the few boxes up the stairs to the landing while the blonde and Mary Margaret took them into the apartment. However, despite how little boxes there were, he was glad to see the last box that Emma had sent from Boston to make the permanent move to Storybrooke permanently.
With the last box in his arms the Mill's man easily climbed up the stairs and turning left into the open door, he found the pixie haired teacher preparing breakfast for her and her new roommate, the man did a quick scan of the apartment to try and find the blonde bails bond person.
"I'm happy to report that this is the last" he told the teacher with a smile as he closed the door behind him, the pixie haired teacher's eye caught his as a smile that always seemed to brighten his day whenever he saw it, whether they were in the Enchanted Forest or Storybrooke.
"Elijah!" the teacher beamed across the apartment as the blonde watched her new roommate get all giddy in front of the man that stood in her apartment with his dress shirt rolled up to his elbows and his strong forearms on show "Thank you so much for your help".
"Happy to" he tells the woman honestly "I only ask to know where this goes?" he inquires with the dark-haired woman in the kitchen.
"Oh, over there" she pointed to the corner that Emma had taken over as the man turned to see Emma sat her knee's surrounded by boxes. Settling the box down near the woman, his eye's caught the loose fitting dress shirt that she was wearing. A blue light blue button down that made his throat go dry. For it wasn't just asny dress shirt It was one of his that went missing from his collection a long while ago, before he bought a replacement for his closet.
"Something wrong?" she asks the man seemingly lost in thought as he stares at her.
"Nothing, forgive me" he made himself snap out of his thoughts as stood up straight think a little more clearly "It's just an interesting choice of attire for you".
"I'll take that as a compliment" she tells the man as Mary-Margaret walks over with plates of food in her hands, handing one to Emma before walking back to the kitchen to find the glass of juice she had poured out for their helper.
"Please do" he quietly replies with a hint of smirk on his lips as his teacher returned handing him the glass that he gratefully takes to take a gulp to quench his thirst.
"Are you sure I can't make you something to eat?" Mary-Margaret asks the man who had had hardly worked out a sweat going up and down the stairs for them.
"There's no need, the orange juice is thank you enough" he reassures his friend.
"I'm so glad my stuff is here" the blonde voiced to the pair as she started unpacking.
"So, that's all your stuff?" Mary-Margaret questions her new roommate expecting her to have more boxes.
"What do you mean?" Emma replies looking up at her new roommate.
"Is the rest in storage?".
"No, this is all of it. I'm not sentimental" she shrugs at the teacher.
"Nothing wrong with that Miss Swan" Elijah voices to the blonde "I wasn't for a long time before Henry came along, now I've seem to have kept everything he ever touched the first five years of his life" he trailed off with a absentminded smile as Emma stared up at him.
Seeing his mistake the principle looked at the blonde with regret filling his face as he realized what he just said to the woman that give up his nephew for adoption at birth. The history he had watching Henry grow-up as his guardian was deep rooted in comparison to the blonde who was just getting to know him. He didn't mean anything by it, not in the malicious and venomous way his sister did.
"My apologies Miss Swan" he quickly tells her, nervously straightening his tie on his chest "Please forgive me. I wasn't thinking".
"I know. It's fine" she quickly tells the man, focusing back on her task.
"Thank you" he breathed in relief.
"Well, it must make things easier when you have to move" Mary-Margaret broke the awkward silence between the pair taking her breakfast to the dining table as Elijah glances down at his watch seeing the time.
"On that note, I should leave you to get settled in" he tells the pair placing his half-drunk glass on the table to find his suit jacket hung on the back, draping it over his forearm to make his way over to the door.
"Oh, you're leaving?" Mary Margaret breathed out in almost disappointment, moving to see the man out only for the Principle to stop her.
"I have a few errands to make before my sister returns home. I'll see myself out. Have a good day Mary-Margaret" he tells the dark-haired woman as he opened the door to leave.
"You too Elijah" she says as the man replied with a sharp nod and smile in acknowledgement before he pauses in the open door to look back at the blonde woman among the boxes on the wooden floor.
"Oh, and Miss Swan" he started with a playfulness about his voice gaining her attention "In case our lovely Mayor hasn't already said it; Welcome to Storybrooke".
"Funny" she deadpanned, threatening to throw something at the man only for the man to quickly duck behind the door to leave. Looking over to the pixie haired teacher as she chewed on a piece of breakfast like a a love-sick girl, practicably drooling over the man that left their apartment, she couldn't help but chuckle to herself at the way she melted for him.
"Oh please" the blonde drawled out to her new roommate snapping her out of her thoughts.
"What?" Mary-Margaret blinks at her roommate in confusion.
"Are you seriously crushing on the she-devils, little brother?".
"What?! I am not" she quickly defends herself only for Emma to look at her in
"beside's..he's my boss" she reminds the blonde "My job is not something I can afford to risk losing".
"Still doesn't stop people" she voices to the woman. She still didn't know the man well enough to know he played the field. He was a handsome man, and he knew it. From what she observed every single woman in the small town seemed fawn over him. But, she didn't have time for that, she knew exactly what would happen if she ever let herself fall for another guy that seemed nice.
"What about you?" Mary Margaret started having heard their small conversation from the kitchen.
"What about me?".
"Just saying.. he liked your shirt" Mary Margaret pointed out to her blind friend with an innocent shrug and smile as a knock is heard front door making the blonde scoff at her.
"Shut up and answer the door" she grumbled as the pixie haired teacher opened the door to the local pawnbroker and landlord on the other-side of her door.
"Miss Blanchard. Is Miss Swan here?".
Glad to be sat outside of Granny's after quite the eventful day for Storybrooke's newest resident as she helped the young laundry maid, Ashley, bringing her daughter into the world. Elijah couldn't help but be concerned for the blonde that now had a verbal agreement with Mr. Gold for favor he may need in the future. His cursed self seemed to be just as deal-driven as his real-self Rumpelstiltskin.
He needed to speak of his concerns about the man to his sister soon. There was something there he couldn't put his finger on, and he hated that feeling more than anything.
Nursing a glass of scotch as he enjoyed the chill and calmness of the night he looked up at the pitch black sky thinking he would see a blanket of stars above him only to be left disappointed as the light pollution of the modern world ruined the beauty of the world they lived in. He took it for-granted back home, more interested in what he saw on the ground and his own reflection to care whatever else was there.
"Hey Elijah" Ruby greeted the Principle seeing the man sat by himself outside her grandmother's diner with a glass of amber liquid in his hand.
"Miss Lucas" he greets the young woman who makes herself comfortable in a seat opposite him "Just the woman I need to speak to. I have a question that only you can answer".
"Oh yeah?" she asks with interest.
"One of my shirts has seemed to end up in Miss Swan's possession. Care to explain how that has happened?" he inquires with the woman, taking a sip of drink as his eyes never left hers.
"No idea" she shrugs at him in ignorance.
"Really? Or you just saying that it just miraculously ended up in your grandmother's Inn's laundry room, for anyone to walk in and take".
"Must have" she tells him with a wolfish smile that told him everything he needed to know "If you want it back I'm sure Emma would give it to you".
"I don't" he quickly tells her, he liked it on her more that he cared to admit. Maybe his sister's intuition the other night was correct "I replaced it as soon as I noticed it missing" he quickly covered his tracks.
"Then what's the problem?".
"Miss Lucas, our..arrangement only works if my sister is know's nothing about it. Tell me, how it would've looked if my sister ever ventured into that room to find something that belonged to me in it".
"Would she even care?" she challenged him.
"Trust me, should would" he deadpanned as he saw a spark of mischief in her eye's as she stood from her seat, quickly checking they were truly alone before rounding the table to bend over so that her face hovered his. Her red lips inches away from his as he firmly kept his gaze on her eye's.
"Would she care if I kissed you right now?".
"I would" he mumbled out before closing the remaining distance between them to kiss her only for the ground underneath them to violently shake making them jump apart as the young woman lost her footing on her heels. Seeing this Elijah quickly jumped from his seat dropping his glass on the table to wrap a strong arm her slim waist to keep her from falling just as the shaking came to a calm stop.
Ruby remained in his arms as the diner's patrons rushed out of the restaurant in slight panic as Elijah quickly let the young woman out of his arms. Sensing the panic in the air, the Principle stopped them from rushing into the main road to cause further chaos as he stood in the archway to address Storybrooke's residents to the sudden seismic event.
"Everyone!" he bellowed out gaining their attention "Please remain calm! I'm sure our emergency services have this under control" his theory was proven right as a fire engine sped past the diner as Ruby found him.
"What was that?" the waitress asked him.
"No idea".
Following the way the fire-engine and other emergency services went in his car, the Principle as well as half the town found out that the local mines had collapsed on themselves, with no explanation of how or why.
Stood near the edge of the mine with Ruby and Marco, the Principle saw the Sheriff's car quickly make it's way to the site with its sirens blaring, surprised to see Emma Swan climbing out of the front seat with the Sheriff himself as his sister's voice rang through his ears.
"Everyone! Step back, please!" the Mayor advised her citizens as she made her presence known to the whole town. As she stormed her way over to the Sheriff who was standing next to his new deputy.
"Sheriff, set up a police perimeter" the Mayor ordered her Sheriff "Marco, why don't you help with the fire department? Miss Swan, this is now official town business. You're free to go" she tells the blonde not seeing why she was doing stood next to Sheriff Graham.
"Well, actually, I work for the town now" the blonde informs the Mayor taking her and Elijah by surprise as he glances down to the badge on her belt. It was true.
"She's my new deputy" the Sheriff confirmed to the Mayor and her brother, only for the dark brunette to glance over to her brother to see if he knew anything about the latest development, seeing how often he would be in her company because of Henry.
"Don't look at me sister." he tells her "This is news to me".
"They say the Mayor's always last to know" Regina voiced to the pair.
"It's in my budget" Graham meekly added.
"Indeed" she hums before looking towards the blonde deputy "Deputy, why don't you make yourself useful and help with crowd control?" she order's her new city employee before turning to address the gathered crowd of townsfolk as Elijah joins them.
"People of Storybrooke, don't be alarmed" she starts to reassured the crowd in a strong confident voice "We've always known this area was honeycombed with old mining tunnels. But fear not. I'm going to undertake a project to make this area safe – to rehabilitate it into city use. We will bulldoze it, collapse it, pave it."
"Pave it?" A small voice questioned emerging from the crowd taking his mother and Uncle by surprise "What if there's something down there?".
"Henry. What are you doing here?" his mother asked him as Elijah quickly joined his family seeing his young nephew present with Dr. Hopper nearby. He must've brought him here.
"What's down there?" he asks them.
"Nothing. Now step back" she tells him "In fact, everyone! Please, please step back. Thank you".
As the crowd cleared, Regina picked up a piece of glass that didn't go unnoticed by her brother as he quickly turned his back to the crowd hiding the piece in his sister's hand from views with his broad shoulder as back as he silently held out his hand to her as his brown eye's met hers.
"I don't think having an extra arm of the law would do this town any harm sister" he told her "Like the dear Sheriff said. It's in his budget". Taking the hint, the elder sibling placed the item into his waiting hand as he quickly pocketed the item in his coat, only or it to be seen by their son and nephew. It would be safe with him.
"No, brother. It can't" she said going along with the conversation.
"What was that?" he asks them as his confronts his mother and uncle to whatever they were hiding.
"Henry, enough" Regina snapped at her son moving to take the young boy further away from the crater, "Listen. This is a safety issue. Wait in the car with your Uncle" she says pushing him towards her car with his Uncle quickly escorting him the rest of the way with a hand on his back as the principle heard his sister continue instructing her law enforcers "Deputy Swan, Sheriff – cord off the area".
Making sure his nephew was safely inside his sister's car, the youngest Mill's sibling found Storybrooke newest officer of the law as she cordoned the crater off with yellow police tape. Stepping away from the car the man fell into step with the deputy in red leather jacket as she followed the Mayor's orders.
"Congratulations Deputy Swan. I hope your're aware that you now have a fresh target on your back".
"I'm aware" she answers the man with a sarcastic smile "Thanks".
"Although, I do seem to recall a uniform that goes with the badge on your belt".
"There is, but you don't have to dress a woman as a man to give her authority" she tells the man that lived in a suit, at this point she thinks he wears a suit to sleep in.
"I can't help, but take that a tiny bit personally Deputy".
"Says the man in the three-thousand dollar suit" she points out to him in a teasing manner.
"Nine-thousand actually" he quickly correct her without blinking making the blonde look at him in disbelief "I'm glad to see that you've put some roots down. It isn't always a bad thing".
"Elijah!" they heard Regina call for her brother, making the man heavily sigh as agitation set into his features.
"Excuse me" he says to the blonde "Congratulations again Deputy Swan".
Leaving the blonde deputy unaware that his nephew had made an escape from his mother's car to confer with his co-conspirators in Operation Cobra Archie and Emma, the educator made his way over to the Mayor of Storybrooke with her arms folded over her chest and a scowl on her face.
"Yes Madam Mayor" he greeted his older sister.
"Where's my son?" at the odd question the man furrowed his brow and turned around to see her car empty of nephew to see him speaking to Dr. Hopper and his birth mother.
Before he could say anything his sister was already there ready to take her son away from the pair he had found.
"Henry, I told you to wait in the car with you Uncle" she tells him again directing him towards her younger brother, who this time takes a hold of his shoulder to escort him back to his mother's car.
Shutting the door behind his nephew, the man made sure to stay by the car as he watched his sister have a heated one-sided conversation with before storming back to her car ready to take her son home.
"What was that?" her brother asks his sister.
"Nothing" she tells him with a fake smile "Just making things clear with Dr. Hopper. We'll see you at home" with that the woman climbed into her car and drove away leaving the Principle to make his own way home that night.
Walking through Storybrooke General a little after noon the next day the youngest Mill's sibling made his way towards David Nolan's room on his sister's 'suggestion' that he should build a friendship with the amnesic former Prince as a means to keep an eye on his progress of remembering his cursed life.
The sterile hospital smell made his nostrils burn as he walked past nurses and porters as he easily found the visitor's book to see Mary-Margaret's signature inked on the page.
Turning to see himself into the room, he saw Kathryn already there showing he husband a box of photos as the amnesic man noticed noticed a familiar man in a suit and tie in the doorway with a book in his hand.
"Uh, hi" David greeted him not sure who he was still making Kathryn stand and turn to see the Mayor's brother stood there with a friendly smile on his face.
"My apologies Mrs. Nolan" he greets the blonde woman "I was aware you were here. I can return back later" he offered the woman not wanting to intrude with her time with the man in the blue bathrobe.
"No please Principle Mills. Please come in" she tells the man as he steps inside the room.
"David this is Elijah Mill's" Kathryn introduced the man to her husband "He was one of the people to help find you" she say as he nods along to his wife's explanation.
"Uh..Mills?" David questioned the man recognizing the name.
"You may remember my sister, Mayor Mills and my nephew Henry. I'm Elijah" he says to the man hold out his hand to shake to which the man in the suit slightly hesitating before taking in in a firm shake in greeting.
"Elijah" David repeated without any of the malice or hate that usual accompanied his voice whenever he said his name back home "Nice to meet you. Again".
"Likewise" Elijah replied with a small smile, before the pair parted.
"I was going to get some coffee" Kathryn Nolan tells the Principle "Would you like any?".
"No thank you" he politely declines the woman's offer "I won't be staying long if that's okay".
"Of course" she says with a nod before leaving the men alone.
"I was just stopping by to see how you were Mr. Nolan".
"Okay I guess" the blue eyed man answered with a nervous smile "Still a little fuzzy, but Kathryn is trying her best" he tells the man honestly as Elijah nods along taking a seat on the edge of the bed.
"The love of a good woman is always a good thing to have. One just has to be willing to see it when it's right in front of him" he tells the man. before coming to the true reason for his visit.
"I also wanted to give you this" Elijah changes the subject handing David the book in his hand which he gratefully took "I've always found that reading edifies the mind, its why I always encouraged my nephew to read as much as he could. Perhaps it will benefit you in the long-term".
"Uh, thank you" the man tells him seeing the title of the worn hardback book in his hand "The Picture of Dorian Gray".
"A classic" the man in the suit chimes in with a slight smirk on his lips "It's about a man who wishes to remain forever young. When his wish is granted, he finds himself torn between virtue and vice, not realizing that his choice will come at a price" he summarized.
"Sounds complicated" the man comments with a breathy chuckle not sure he would be able to fully appreciate the novel, in his current state of mind.
"Not in the slightest actually" he tells the man before he stood to his feet as David quickly followed his actions "I should be going. I don't want to intrude any further than I have. My sister and I are glad with the progress of your recovery so far Mr. Nolan".
"Please call me David" the man tells him to which the dark brown haired man simply nodded as Kathryn returns with a cup of coffee in her hands happy to see her husband making a new friend.
"Ah, Mrs. Nolan, I was just taking my leave. Don't be afraid to give me a call if you or your husband need anything".
"Thank you Mr. Mills" the blonde woman tell the man.
"Please call me Elijah" he insisted to the pair with a smile on his lips "Mr. Mill's was my father's name, we're all friends here after all".
After his visit to the hospital, Elijah made his way to his sister's office to find her sat at her desk with pen in hand, glancing up to see her younger brother let himself into her office.
"How was the visit?" Regina went straight to the point of the brief meeting.
"Like a walk in the forest, sister" he sighed out making himself comfortable on the long sofa in he sofa draping his long arm across he back of the piece of the furniture.
"You're not funny baby brother" she muses to the man.
"No. I just find the hilarity that comes when I have to clean up your messes. Big sister" he replies finding a piece of fuzz on the shoulder of his coat, picking it off with his finger and thumb to flick it onto the floor.
"What about her, has she been there?" she ask's making him roll his eye's at his sister's question. She was talking about Mary-Margaret. Again. It's like she was obsessed or something.
"Why do I get a feeling that you already know?" he muses to his older sister at her desk "Might I remind you that I have a job and career to eventually get back to, one I feel I must tell you again, I do enjoy. Otherwise the town's newest Deputy might becomes more suspicious than she already is"
"Speaking of which. Where's Henry?" Elijah asks her.
"I thought you were picking him up".
"Deputy Swan left me a message saying she was dropping him off here an hour ago".
"Let's find out" she say's snatching up her phone to call the blonde deputy.
"You with him?" his sister quickly cut whatever the blonde was saying getting to the point of the phone call Not him-Henry. Is he with you? Well he's not here or with Elijah" she tells the blonde over the phone as she looks at her brother in fear as a bad feeling washed through his body before she hung up the phone.
"Where?" her brother simply asked her.
"The mines".
Without another thought the Mill's siblings headed for the door to find their son and nephew.
By the time Regina and Elijah had reached the mines, the situation had further escalated as the blonde informed them that Dr. Hopper had walked into the unstable mine, following after Henry before it collapsed further, blocking the only entrance for anyone to try and get to them.
With his coat and suit jacket and tie discarded Elijah Mill's joined the line of contractors working to clear the rubble rock by rock as Sheriff Graham and Deputy Swan stood by watching the Mills man ignore the other's warning about his own safety.
From the edge of the crater Ruby sat in the rocks as she watched the Mill's man working up a sweat on his brow the muscles moved under his dress shirt as Pongo barked on the end of the leash the waitress was holding as the young woman's leering didn't go unnoticed by Regina as she spoke to contractors only a few feet away from her.
"Archie's smart" Marco voiced to the law enforcers "He will keep the boy safe until we get to them" he adds only for the ground in the crater to start shaking violently as more of the mine collapsed further inside.
"Watch out!".
"Stop! Stop! You're making it worse!" she yelled to the men at the entrance as they scrambled to safety including Elijah who quickly stepped away from the rocks that crumbled from the side of the crater either side of the blocked entrance as the shaking subsided.
"I am trying to save him!" Emma angrily retorted at the Mayor as the latter ran into the crater to stop the mine from getting any worse "You know why he went down there in the first place, don't you? Because you made him feel like he had something to prove".
"And why does he think he has anything to prove? Who's encouraging him?" Regina accused her.
"Do not put this on me" Emma warned her.
"Oh, please! Lecture me until his oxygen runs out!" Henry's mother cried out turning her back on her as her emotions got the better of her.
Hearing his sister cry out, the youngest Mill's sibling stood silently with his hands on his hips as he stared at the blocked entrance trying to think of a way to save his nephew. But there as nothing. The more they touched it, the worst it was going to be. He had failed.
That's what he was; a failure. A failure as a son. As a brother and as a man. Now an Uncle, who sole purpose was to protect his family no matter what.
Expecting Regina's brother to intervene in their growing argument the blonde looked to find the man stood in the middle of the crater with his hands on his hips dead silent as his sister raged behind him. It unnerved her as he simply stood still in defeat in the middle of the crater with his pristine white shirt covered in dust. He looked like he was about to completely break.
"We have to stop this" Emma tells the other woman taking the sting of the argument out "Arguing won't accomplish anything".
"No, it won't" Regina agreed with the blonde as she glanced over to her dejected brother.
"What do you want me to do?" Emma asks the woman.
"Help us" Regina speaks for herself and her brother "We need to find some way to punch through the ground. We need something big".
"Like what?".
"Explosives" Marco suggests to the women.
With the plan in mind to punch a hole into the blocking debris with explosives. Elijah joined his sister behind a flat be truck with the contractors that had set out the
"Okay. We're all clear" Deputy Swan reports to the Mayor as she joins everyone else as they hid behind vehicles securely placing Pongo, Archie's Dalmatian into the fire engine
Feeling his sister's hand slip into his, the Mill's sibling's ducked as the Mayoress gave the order "Blow it".
With a push of a button a loud boom resounds the site of the crater as dust and and loose rocks were thrown into the air unaware that the explosion had only made things worse for the pair trapped inside the mines. As the dust starts to settle Emma leaves the safety of the cordon to run into the dust and smoke to check the results of their plan.
"Emma!" Elijah called after the blonde letting of of his sister's hand to run after the woman. Ducking under the police tape the principle ran through the dust and smoke quickly disappearing from view.
Walking back through the dust that still clouded the area the Mill's sibling followed the Deputy.
"Did it work?" she asks the pair in anticipation to know if their plan had worked only to see her brother's hard face.
"It didn't open" she answers her.
"Then what did it do?" the Sheriff asks out loud.
"What was that?" Regina snapped at the contractor's that set up the explosions "What the hell was that? You said you could do this!" she continued to berate the men in reflective vests around her.
"Madam Mayor!" Emma tried to call out to the woman, not seeing the way Elijah shoved the Sheriff away to stand next to his sister as he saw the man reach out to touch her in comfort.
"They could have killed my son!" she snaps at the blonde before.
"I know, but this isn't helping" Emma tells the woman before Regina throwing herself into her brother's shoulder was he took a hold of the back her head as he tried his best to comfort the mother.
"If we knew exactly where they were, we could drill down to them" Marco suggested to the siblings trying his best to help as Pongo barked from the open window of the parked fire engine "Maybe… Maybe rig something to bring them back up" the carpenter when on as Elijah saw Emma left the group to run towards the red vehicle and open the door to let Pongo loose.
"But drill where?" Graham asks the older gentleman as Pongo jumped out of the red truck
"Come on buddy!" Emma encouraged the dog as it caught the scent of his owner coming from a patch of dirt whining and scratching as the Mayoress left her brother's comforting shoulder to see what was going on.
"It's Archie's dog. He's found something. Look!" the deputy got the other's attention This is where they must be. What is it?".
Stepping forward the Mill's brother crouched down to push the dirt and dead leaves aside to reveal a sheet of meta. With minimal help from Graham and Marco, the principle moved the sheet of metal out of the way to reveal a metal grate in the ground as Emma held the Dalmatian back from his collar.
"What is that?" Emma asks out-loud.
"It's an air shaft" the sheriff tells them.
Working together with Sheriff Graham and Elijah using their collective strength to prop the edge of the grate up with some crowbars as Marco hooked the grate to a crane attached to truck the residents lifted the heavy grate off air shaft and move it aside to open it.
With the air shaft now open Elijah stood with his sister and Deputy Swan as they decided what was the best path forward, which was lowering someone down the shaft to reach his nephew and his therapist trapped inside.
"You need to lower someone straight down, or the line will collapse the side of the shaft" Marco instructed the others as he prepared the hook that would hold the harness.
"I've got a harness" Graham told them joining them with the piece of equipment in his hands.
"Lower me down" the Mayor quickly volunteers only for the blonde deputy to quickly stop her.
"Oh, no way. I'm going" Emma argued.
"He's my son" Regina retorted.
"He's my son, too" Emma reminds the dark brunette "You've been sitting behind a desk for ten years. I can do this" the blonde tell her
"You will be doing no such thing Deputy Swan" Elijah suddenly said making his sister whirl around to see her brother.
"Elijah-".
"Because I'll be the one going down there" he told the pair not giving either of them the choice anymore.
"You are both his mother's" he tells his sister and the blonde Deputy as he unfastened his watch form his wrist "If something should happen to Dr. Hopper or I. Then I die knowing I did everything to ensure my nephew's future happiness with the two most important people in his life".
"And your's?" Emma asked him.
"I'm not afraid to die Miss Swan" he tells her with a straight face as he started to roll his sleeves back down his arm to unbutton his dress shirt "I will bring Henry back to you both" he promises the pair in front of him "Even if I have to make a deal with the Devil himself".
Taking a step towards her brother his other sister looks at him with un-shed tears as she stared at the man that resembled their father.
"Just bring him back to me" his sister tells him.
"You have my word" he tells her and Emma before stepping away with the Sheriff to put the harness on.
Slowly by surely, Elijah Mill's was lowered into the dark narrow air shaft in his suit trousers, shoes and white undershirt, his eyes quickly adjusting to the darkness as he only had the flashlight attache to his harness to guide him
"I think it's a rescue" he heard Dr. Hopper say below him as his feet.
"Henry. Dr. Hopper" the principle called out to the pair as he got closer to the elevator his nephew and the psychiatrist were stuck in.
"'Lijah!"Henry called out to his Uncle.
"Are you both okay?" the man asked as he was inched closer to the top of the elevator, inch by inch wishing he could go just a little faster.
"Yeah, we're… We're okay" Archie told the man as their rescue took hold do his talkie to to speak to the people above him.
"I found them , just a little more" he instructed to the others as his feet met the top of the elevator "Stop" he firmly told them as he felt the line stop. Attaching the line to the elevator the principle lifted the grate of the elevator for Archie to instantly life his nephew up to him as he gratefully took the ten-year old as he wrapped his arms around his body to keep him in place as the boy turned in his arms to look down to his friend still in the elevator.
"You got him? Is he safe?" he asks the boy's Uncle as the elevator started to rattle and shake under Elijah's feet.
"Archie?" Elijah called out to the man below him.
Archie: It's going to fall!" Archie called out to him, as the brown haired Mill's sibling felt powerless to help him. He had Henry. That was his mission, but he couldn't help but feel guilty for the fate he was being dealt with.
"I'm so sorry" he breathed down to man below him.
"It's okay!" the psychiatrist yelled up to him knowing Henry was the priority of the rescue.
"Archie!" Elijah and Henry yelled out in unison as the elevator fell down the entire shaft to see no sign of the psychiatrist until they see the man hanging from a hook from the principles harness with his 'lucky' umbrella.
He'd never been so happy to see the light of day before now as the three of them were inched towards the surface. They were met by applause and cheers as they saw the first signs of Elijah Mill's with his nephew's arms wrapped firmly around his neck as they broke the surface and Archie was helped out of the shaft with the help of Marco and a second rope to hoist him up and over the lip of the shaft.
The Mill's brother barely made it out of the shaft before his older sister dragged Henry off him and away from Emma who tried to greet him as well while the man was sat on the edge as he was disconnected from the hook and harness by the Sheriff.
"Well done brother" the Sheriff congratulated the Mill's man as he felt himself freed from the line.
"Do yourself a favor Sheriff" the principle huffed the Sheriff he was helped to his feet "Never call me that again" he sternly tells the man.
"Right" he nodded at the man in slight fear to quickly move away as Emma approached the man gave his word to her to recuse her son.
"Thank you" was all she could tell the man in front of her.
"You're Welcome Miss Swan" he tells her with a gentle smile to his lips knowing he had managed to do something good in this new world. That is made her happy.
From where she stood with Henry, the Mayor looked back to see her brother stood with Emma Swan with an easy smile on his face as he looked at the blonde woman that had come into town to take her son.
"Deputy, you can clear the crowd away" Regina interrupted the new deputy moment with her brother reminding her she still had a job to do making the smile on the blonde face falter hearing the Mayor's order.
"Congratulations on the new job again Deputy Swan" the Principle told the woman before leaving the woman to go see his nephew in the daylight as he saw Dr. Hopper standing up to his sister.
Crickets echoed around the site of the collapsed mine for the first time in twenty-eight years as the days's celebrations filtered into the early evening, as Elijah Mill's was inundated with congratulatory drinks and thanks as the 'Hero' of the day.
As the crowd chatted among themselves the younger Mill's managed to break away from offers of drinks and words or thanks to find his sister stood over the grate that covered the air shaft the Mill's man had been down earlier.
With his dress shirt and coat back on his shoulders the man found the piece of glass that he too from his sister the previous day that once was a piece of the coffin Snow White was laid in when under his sister's sleeping curse.
"I'd hate to part with it after so long" he muses to his sister out loud as he looked at the piece in his hand that reminded him of home "But then again. I was never sentimental about the past for obvious reasons" he said handing the piece back to his sister, to give her the honor of dropping it down the air shaft to be forever lost to those on the surface.
AN:
Bigger Chapter today. Bit of The Price of Gold at the beginning, then onto the full episode. They'll probably be more chapter like this for Season One. If you're familiar with my other main story. I like to do an episode per episode if it can be helped.
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