With Amelia in her sister's hands, Gold waited in Regina's part of the vault for the woman herself to wake up from under Maleficent's temporary sleeping spell in handcuffs that cut off her use of magic for when she did wake up. Sat up against the back wall next to her mirror the former Queen's eye's finally opened to find herself in her vault dazed and confused for an minute for finally seeing the Dark One stood in front of her as her mind caught up to what was happening around her.
Lurching forwards she tried to use her magic against her old teacher only to find her wrists bound together by a pair of silver handcuffed that were attached together by a chain. She was powerless.
"Your hands are tied, I'm afraid" Gold tells her "No more magic for you today" he adds making her glare up at him.
"So now I'm your prisoner" she asks her old tutor.
"You. Amelia and the Author" he listed "Well, actually, he had the good sense to join the team, whereas you and my niece... You both backed the wrong one".
"Where is she?" the Queen demanded to know from the man in front of her.
"She's safe, for now that is" he tells her "The Duchess has taken temporary custody of her sister's well-being" as if on cue she and Gold heard a feminine laugh echo through the stone structure that made even the former Evil Queen's skin crawl. She had no idea what the blonde was capable of. If she anything like the redhead, then whatever that was, was only the beginning of a very long day.
"What about everything you said to Amelia? You wanted her to find happiness".
"Well, that's true. And she took it finding you again. Just not at my expense. You see, the affection I have for her and you, well... There are limits".
"What happened to you?".
"I lost everything. Just as you will if you don't do as I say" he tells her taking out something from his pocket "I found this in your pocket. Telephone number registered to a Robin of Locksley".
"Give that back" she sharply demands out of the man jumping from her place to get the number back.
"My, my what have you been keeping from my niece" he taunted her as she stood completely powerless against him. "I'm guessing you have this number because Amelia's been worried about poor Robin Hood out there in the cold, harsh world. And so, she should be".
"What do you know that I don't?" Regina asks him "What happened to Robin?".
Waving his hand across her wrists the cuff disappears as he places the yellow note that Emma had written Robin's number on along with his phone in her hand "Ask him yourself. Call".
Doing what he said the former Queen dialed the number in to the cellphone before someone answered on the other end of the call.
New York City
Nine Weeks Ago
Following Amelia's instructions, Robin and his family easily found themselves in the busy streets of New York city, to start a new life outside of the magic bubble that was slowly killing his wife from the Snow Queen's curse.
Had to forget about the passionate kiss that parted ways for the thief and the master assassin as he focused on raising his son in the Land of No Magic. Constant noise surrounded the small family as the road music blared out from cars as people used their car horns to show their annoyance of being stuck in the traffic for so long. Amelia was not kidding about the tall buildings that surrounded them,
The noise was all too much for the small boy that promised his Aunt to be brave in this new world they had found themselves in "It's loud!" Roland complained to his Papa as Robin tried to make sense of there new surroundings to find the home the assassin had sorted out for them.
This place certainly wasn't Monteriggioni. The only noise that could be heard in the protect city was from either the merchants or coming from inside the tavern he and the Merry Men frequented whenever they stayed.
"We'll get used to it" he tells his young son, taking out the map the redhead had provided with quick notes scribbled throughout telling him where not to go once they got off the bus, from her own brief experience being in the city.
"What are we looking for?" his wife asked him as they started to walk on the busy sidewalk.
"Our new home" he tells her "Amelia gave me the keys to her cousins's apartment, before we left. He was Mr. Gold's son".
"Baelfire?" Marian questions him "He came from the Enchanted Forest just like us, and he lived here for many years. That means we can, too" she says with optimism in her voice.
"Yes" he confirms giving her a brief smile.
"Mama, I'm tired" Roland speak up again from the ground gaining his mother's attention.
"I'll carry him. You lead the way" she tells him, placing her handbag on the ground she crouches down to pick up the toddler only for someone to snatch the purse up with the money Amelia had provided for them in it
"Mama!" the young boy exclaimed seeing the man take the purse.
"Stop! Hey!" the couple exclaim as the thief pushes over a nearby cyclist to steal his bike and ride away from the thief as he tries to run after him. With running out of the option to go after the man he thief saw a horse drawn carried that had been pulled to the side of the road. Unaware that the commotion had gained the attention of a local you blonde sat on a motorcycle that recognized the thief from her brief encounter with him, years ago. A smirk grew on her face as she closed the visor of her black helmet over her eyes.
Seeing Robin take the horse the young blonde revved the engine of her bike for chasing after the thief on horseback chasing after the man that had stolen his wife's purse. The blonde followed the chase using the clear middle to her advantage.
Reaching a small park the young woman watched the thief jump from the back of the horse to tackle to local thief onto the grass as she slowed down to a complete stop.
Straddling the man's chest Robin had to restrain himself from hurting the man further as people gathered to seeing the strange occurrence on the street's of New York City.
"A thief that steals from those in need has no honor" he sternly tells the thief on the ground with his finger pointed in his face.
"What are you talking about, man?" the local thief exclaimed from under him before Robin angrily shoved him back down before getting off him. For the first time since leaving Storybrooke and the redheaded assassin the man never felt more out of place than he did then.
Monteriggoni
Many Years Ago
Time seemed to move slowly for the redhead as the years came and went since her return to the Enchanted Forest. As it stood only two of her former brothers had met their end at her hand. Iago and Tybalt. She had Monteriggioni with the influence and money it came with in the palm in her hands as it grew into the city it once was with the nurture and investment she and Poala gave it with Lance and Le Beau keeping it safe with the intel they gathered on the road for anyone looking to take the city out of her hands and yet it wasn't enough.
Ophelia hadn't been seen or heard in the entire forest, Richard was a arms length away hiding away in another King's castle while Claudius was still jumping realm to realm always one step ahead of her, and Angelo the one that took her son from her arms and killed John was hiding like the hermit he was.
Their framed portraits tormented her as she stood in the attic turned bedroom and study. The still paintings surrounded her. Taunting her every waking day. She took pleasure each time she returned to paint a red cross through their faces each time she killed them it was annoying she could do that to two of them.
But her vengeance had a price. Even her dearest friend had to pay the ultimate price because of it. That's why Amelia had invited Robin, his young son Roland and his Merry Men to Monteriggioni. Ever since Marian's death guilt the archer did his best to be strong for Roland, but she knew better.
Today marked a year and a half since her death. The death of their spouses had brought the pair closer than ever and Amelia loved to spend time with Roland and Robin didn't seem to mind that she had a motherly affection for his son.
The day was like no other as Robin settled the toddler down for the night before finding the assassin where she would usually be found late at night whenever her mind was distracted with the thoughts in her head.
Climbing the ladder up to the small room that sat atop the villa, he found her staring at the portraits nailed to the beams around the room again. The ones of her old family she was slowly killing one-by-one.
"Amelia?" he gently called out to the redhead who had welcomed them in her home so readily after his wife's death.
"Has Roland settled, okay?" the redhead replied making her break the trance she was in to make her way to the desk where numerous stack of paper lie there waiting for her attention.
"He did, he loves it here" the thief tell her, knowing his son enjoyed having the freedom of the villa (under someone's watchful of course) and it allowed him to interact with children his age and older that were free to wonder into the gardens of the villa.
"Good to know" she replies, the thief hearing the small smile that played on her lips, whenever they spoke of him. He couldn't help notice how the woman would brush a piece of hair behind her ear whenever she was trying to concentrate on something "I think Paola's secretly enjoying having a little one around again" she mused to the man reading the letter in her hand that had arrived earlier that day over again.
"Really?" he question her "I'll have to remember that the next time Little John breaks something else" a laugh escaped the woman's mouth as she forgot about the piece of paper for the moment and turned back to face the thief.
Robin couldn't help but marvel in the woman's smile, it lit up the room whenever she did. It was a rarity these day's as she dove into her plans for vengeance. He still had his reservations about her vengeance, it seemed like he would see her after some time apart her eyes lost some of the light he saw the first time he had met her as the darkness that nettled in her heart only grew with each day she continued.
He hated it. Hated the reasons she was doing this to herself, and he hated who she was doing this with. Burt he feared she hated the ones that had hurt her even more.
"I don't even think Roland can help if Little John does that too often" she playfully warned him with with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. The playful tone didn't match the rest of her as she looked tired and dejected from whatever she had read in the letter.
"Another dead end?" he asked her, knowing the answer already.
"Angelo keep's slipping through the net" the smile turned into tears as the frustration got the better of her once again.
Ah. The man that had found her and John. The one that had killed John and taken Thomas out of her arms. He was the one she wanted out of all of them. But no matter how close he got, he would get away.
Seeing her distress the thief closed the distance between the gently taking the usually strong woman into his arms as she welcomed the warm embrace.
Robin quickly closed the distance between them and gently took the woman in his arms as she welcomed the friendly embrace that seemed to know what to know what to do to comfort her.
The others were allowing her to move on, but his preposterous prophecy about her is what drove him to hire pirates to board the Godspeed. Angelo had questions to answer, but the thief was afraid and what lengths his friend would go to, to get them.
Parting from the embrace Robin watched as Amelia hastily wiped the tears' that had leaked from her eye's.
"You must think me foolish for continuing this path" she sniffed to her friend. At least he knew through the darkness that was growing around her heart, the part that was still human was still coming to the surface. Even if he could call it a good thing.
The thief gently wiped way what was left of the frustrated tears with the pad of this thumb from her pale cheek, it lingered on her soft skin before resting his forehead against her's knowing it would give her the comfort she needed at that moment.
"Never foolish" he tells her "I wouldn't be here If I didn't think you had a chance and finding some sort of redemption for John and your boy".
"But?" a curious brow quirked up on her face, knowing her friend was keeping something to himself.
"I fear for your heart. I've heard what the Black Widow does for the Queen, I can't help but worry what it's doing to you".
She had heard this before from the thief and she didn't want to hear it again as she took her head off his and walked away from him to the bed a she gripped the end of the bed with her hands.
"You don't need to worry about me Robin" she tells him knowing he was trying yet again to stop what she needed to do, to find some sort of peace.
"I can't help but to Amelia. You can't ignore the light that's still in you" he argued "And neither can I".
The redhead turned to face the man "Then what do you expect me to do, sit by and let them get away from murdering my husband for taking my son away".
"Yes!" he suddenly exclaimed as his frustration got the better of him at the moment If it saves from your heart becoming like her!" he exclaimed in frustration. The thief immediately regretted the last word that left his mouth as her face grimaced in anger.
He held no love for the Evil Queen. often blaming for the darkness that had seeped in his friends heart. The more time she spent with the Queen the dimmer the light that still lived in her emerald eye's dimmed each time he saw her. It was breaking his heart.
"Get out" she ordered him with a dark look that would scare away the bravest man.
"No" he refused closing the distance between them "I'm not leaving until you admit that this damn plan of yours is a waste of time, it's done nothing but twist your heart".
"Then why are you still here?" she asked him "Why do you still here telling me to stop".
"Because I love you!" he blurted out taking her by surprise "I've loved you since the minute I met you. Why can't you see that the woman I met those years ago is still in there" his words met shocked silence from the assassin she simply stared at as he carried on "That amazing woman I wished I had met first instead of my best friend" he admitted to her.
The thief stood in front of her panting like he had just ran all the way around the city. Twice. As he tried to force his heart in his chest to slow down. Forcing his foot forward the stunned assassin allowed the thief to take her hand to place it on his chest as she felt just how quick his heart was beating as he let his head drop onto her's, gripping onto her hand that was trapped between their chest like it was the only thing keeping him from drifting away from her.
"I love you" he repeats his earlier words to her, hearing the emotion being the admission.
"You don't mean that" she almost whispered looking up at him.
"I do" he gulps "I'll love Marian with all my heart, and I don't regret ever loving her, but you were the one that captured my heart first".
Without hesitation Robin closed the distance between them capturing her lips in a long-awaited kiss that took her breath away as he cupped the back of her head to lock her into place as she kissed him back, quickly getting lost in passionate embrace that would be repeated over again during that night, taking their relationship to another level neither of them knew existed.
Storybrooke
Present
This was the best way to hurt her sister. Making her re-live her worst memories would be much more painful than the pain she could inflict with a sharp blade or words.
Hovering the delicate piece of decoration in her hand, the woman tied up and trapped within her own vault, struggled to keep her eye's open as she remained in her weakened state after her 'donation' to the cause.
Watching her sister's memory play out through the dream catcher the Dark One enchanted for her made her want to throw up as she saw her sister in the passionate embrace with the thief she had seen in New York week's earlier. Her affection for the man was pathetic. How she had let herself fall so far from the person she was back home. Letting her emotions get the better of her. This wasn't what the Brotherhood taught them.
"Even with your Queen you still think of him sister" the Duchess teased down to the redhead "Is this love?".
"I will kill you" Amelia growled at the blonde in front of. looking up at the person she barely recognized as her sister anymore "Slowly".
Anastasia couldn't help but let out the a chuckle of amusement to her sister's empty threat as her sister fell back into her chair out of exhaustion.
"I do not see that happening anytime soon Amelia as long as I have this" the blonde paused making sure her sister got a good look at the dream catcher in her possession "I can take you a deep dive into your warmest memories of your thief, I know you've missed him, more than your true love it seems".
"Fuck you" the redhead spat at the blonde as she looked up venomously at her.
The blonde's laugh echoed through the vault at "Now, now keep that temper in check. We're only getting started sweetheart" not giving her sister a chance to breath the blonde assassin hovered the dream catcher over her sister's head once again continuing the memory they had left off on.
Monteriggioni
Many Years Ago
She didn't know how long she had been sleeping until she saw the mid-morning sun came streaming through the windows that overlooked the city. Opening her eyes she was greeted withe a clear blue sky greeted her with scattered clouds as birds flew freely in the air as she woke up from the previous night.
As her brain woke up her body started to ache in all the right places after a night with a man. But it hadn't been just any man, she had come across. It was Robin.
They had moved through all thresholds and boundaries of friendship as every second passed their passion filled night, not a drunken mistake they could brush over the next day after how much time they had spent together over the years since she found him and Marian in Sherwood Forest. That line was a blur from how far they had overstepped it. she wasn't even sure she was ready for that.
Not when she had so much to do still.
Turning onto her back she felt the thread count of the sheets around her on her exposed skin as she looked up at the ceiling. She remembered every touch of skin, every kiss, every contour of his body as they pushed their bodies through its limits with every movement that showed how much he loved her. She still felt his soft but passionate lips on her skin as they came down from her peak before falling asleep in each other's arms.
"Shit" she cursed to herself as the hatch door to the attic was gently opened before she saw the familiar mop of brown hair climbing up into the room holding a steaming mug in his hand.
By the look on his face when he saw, he hadn't expected her to be awake as he turned to face the bed they had spent the night on.
"Morning" he greeted her with a loving smile.
"Morning" she repeated to the thief, glancing toward the mid-morning sky "Even if it isn't" she tried to jest to break the slight tension in the air, which seemed to work as a smile appeared on his mouth as he seemed to relax.
"It is" he informs her "Just. I thought I would let you rest" he adds slowly walking up to her side of the bed as she shifts herself to sit up against the wooden hardboard trying her best to keep a sheet against her chest bringing up her knees up to give him more room to sit on the edge of the bed.
"Uh, I uh wanted to bring up breakfast so we…uh could talk but Paola insisted I bring this to you instead" he said offering her the mug, she could smell what it was straight away.It's milky appearance and bitter smell confirmed what it was straight away.
Paola knew. Fantastic. Just what she needed.
"Thank you" she says taking the drink from him.
He watched as she gently blew on the liquid despite knowing she had to drink it as hot as she could take it.
"Uh what is it exactly?" Robin asks her as his curiosity got the better of him "I was ordered not to drink it, not that I was, it smells awfully bitter for my liking".
"It's okay once you get used to it" Amelia tells him taking the first sip "And she is right. You can't have this".
"Why not?" he asks, his brow's furrowing in confusion at the woman's explanation which only made the redhead adore him even more that she already did.
"It's to make sure there aren't any…little consequences after last night" she told the man gently as he seemed to realize what she was talking about. Something he hadn't thought about. As she closely watched him as he suddenly realized what she was trying to tell him.
"And uh this..prevents it?".
"All the girls at the bordello drink it. Children aren't the best way to advertise or run brothel let alone raise one in".
"And yet you were" he argued knowing her past.
"That was different" she retorted "I don't think Paola misses little ones enough for me to have one. Even if they were ours".
"Right" he states as he thought of the best way to bring up what he really wanted to talk about and there was no time better than the present "Last night-".
"Can we have this conversation later" she quickly stops him "The tea always makes me nauseous, and I'm not exactly dressed for it".
His eyes trailed down to her naked shoulders that were only partly covered by her long red hair, the only thing between him and seeing her completely bare again was the bed cover that she was clutching to her chest.
"Right, you're right" he says jumping to his feet "I'll find you later" he says turning his back to her he rushes to the hatch, climbing down the hole.
"Later" she whispered as she forced down the tea.
Finally dressed for the day with no Robin in sight, the redhead ventured down to the study where she found Paola sat with her head down and feather quill in her hand in full concentration with the think leather bound book that held the city's accounts.
Thumping the empty mug on the desk the older woman didn't even flinch much to the assassin's annoyance.
"Any nausea after the tea?" Paola asked her.
"None" Amelia answered, rolling her eye's at the woman.
"Good, then we won't have anything to worry about" she finally looked up to the woman she saw as her own daughter, stood there with her arms across her chest.
"How did you know?" Amelia asked her the burning question that had been on her mind ever since Robin had given her the tea.
"I came to hatch last night to give you a letter and heard you both" she told the younger woman bluntly making that redhead blink as she pushed down the feeling of embarrassment that was creeping up her neck "I must say, you were both enjoying yourselves".
She was never someone to keep something to herself. She had heard it all after all.
"What happened last night cannot happen again Amelia" the older woman sternly tell her. Scolding her like a mother would a child, knowing it was the right thing despite the child's protest.
"You don't' think I don't know that?" she scoffs in reply, pinching the bridge of her nose as she tried to think clearly at what to do as Paola's voice continued to ring in her ears.
"This life, your life is not the life he will survive in. If the Templar's or your Queen found out he or his son existed-".
"I know" she interrupts blinking the tear from her eye "I know" she repeated knowing what would happen if anyone found out about them.
"You care for him" Paola stated out load seeing how the redhead acted, but she was only answered with a dismissive scoff. She didn't want to go back down that road, she couldn't, not even with Robin.
"I'll take care of it" was all the caretaker got from the redhead as she stood in front of her.
"Bene" Paola sighed out before sliding over the letter she had tried to deliver to the assassin last night "The letter from last night. From the Evil Queen" she states as the redhead see's the purple wax seal that she knew all too well. The letter only mean one thing. She wanted her back at the palace.
"Grazie" the younger woman mutter's under her breath before snatching the letter from the desk she marched out of the room with it in her hand. She knew Amelia would make the right decision in the end. Even if it hurt for a little while.
She was needed back at the Evil Queen's side. Which meant Robin would have to leave with his son and Merry Men. She had no idea how long she would be away. Weeks? Months? The Queen's endless cycle of revenge never seemed to end as Snow White always seemed to get away from them. And now she had allies to fight along side her. Which meant she had to stay away from the city she was born and raised in even longer.
Finding the thief in the gardens behind the villa where an archery range had been set up, he and Merry Men took turns kicking a small leather ball towards the toddler the 3-year-old picked it up and threw it back to them.
As the other's happily entertained the boy, Robin himself was stood in front of a target with his bow and arrow, notched and ready to fire. The redhead watched as a look of concentration grew on the man's face as he started down the arrow to his target attached to the chest of a man made out of straw.
Letting the arrow go, the tip missed the center hitting one of the outer rings instead. It seemed he was just as distracted as she was.
"I never seen you miss a target" her voice made him turn to see her for the first time since that morning,back in the casual blue ensemble she always seemed to were whenever she was in the city. She was not longer the Black Widow here. Just Amelia. Something people rarely saw from the woman.
"Milady" he states with a straight face.
"Do you have a minute for that talk" she said glancing towards his Merry Men "Alone?".
"Always".
"I hate to kick you out so soon after you've all arrived" she tells the thief as they slowly walked the stone paths around the villa, the pair kept their hand to themselves as the tension of the previous night weighted down heavy on their shoulders.
"I understand, your work comes first" he says with disappointed lacing his voice. She was choosing her vengeance and her partnership with the Queen even after he told her the previous night "I'll tell the Merry Men to pack what they need, and we'll be on our way by nightfall" he tells her.
"It won't be long" she tells him, not sure if she was trying to reassure herself or the man of how long it could be until they would next see each other "A month or two tops, she know's I don't like leaving this place for too long, by then the days will be shorter and you're more than welcome to return for Winter".
"Yes, but where will you be?" Robin inquires with her.
"Doing what I have to do. What I agreed to do to get this place back?" she says. She knew if she turned her back on either the Queen or the Dark One they would take it out on the city. They wouldn't be able to step within it's walls but this place wouldn't be able to survive a full on siege or blockade. Hundreds would die because she decided that one man was worth hundreds.
"And last night? Did it really mean nothing?".
"Robin-" she started only for Robin to stop her.
"Don't deny you didn't feel anything last night" he plead with her. He knew she felt the same way otherwise she would've sent him away.
"Last night, should not have happened and you know that. It's too dangerous for anything to happen between us, if anyone found out about you, or Roland-".
"I can defend myself and my son from whatever comes our way to harm us, what I don't understand is why you're throwing away a chance to be happy. Amelia, I love you".
Those three words felt like she'd been slapped I the face once again as she tried to find any excuse to tell him to run as far away as possible.
"Tell me how it would look like" she suddenly asks him making his brows furrow in confusion.
"What?".
"Tell me what kind of life we would be able to lead constantly looking our shoulders for someone looking for us? Because I have lived that life before Robin. I lived that life for three years on the Godspeed" she says with a tears glistened in her eyes.
"Your're not the first person I gave up everything for to be with" she reminded him "We would have to jump realm's every few years just to be safe, and it's not just the Queen and Dark One to think about. It would be my old family and anyone that thought they would be able to get to me through you and Roland. Because I love you both that much I would do anything to get you back".
He stood her dumbfounded for a minute or two before the redhead continued.
"You really think I haven't thought about it? Thought about going somewhere far away from the contracts and vengeance to start somewhere fresh? I have, but no matter what life I imagine for us, it will always end the same with with you or I or both of us dead".
"You love me?" the thief asked her.
A scoffed laugh left the assassins lips at his simple response "Out of all of that, is that all you heard?" she queried with him before he took her face into his hands crashing his lips against hers in a kiss that she instantly melted into the embrace as he held onto her like she was the air he breathed.
Pulling out of the kiss the pair rested their foreheads together as they panted for the air that they had both been desperate to find.
"I will take whatever life we can find with you milady. As long as we're together that is all that matters. I'm yours. Always".
Month's Later
Every minute she was waiting, was a minute closer to heading back to Monteriggioni to find anything else to do other than to wait for Rumpelstiltskin to finally make his appearance after sending her a message to meet with her on a hill that overlooked Monteriggioni, near to where her mother was buried with a simple headstone that had nothing written upon it but the words 'Requiescat in pace' engraved on it.
No-one knew but her and Romeo knew she was buried there with a single white feather the redhead herself buried under the disturbed dirt.
It had been three months since she and Robin shared their affection for the other. Since then she had hurried through each contract the Dark One had given her, and worked twice as hard to shorten the time she spent at the palace with the Evil Queen. Each time she would return to Monteriggioni to find Robin already there waiting for her.
He knew she had to carry on with her promises to the Evil Queen and the Dark One, but in return she had toned down her search for her former family as unopened letter piled up on her desk full of intel she didn't need to know or care. She had even taken down the portraits that tormented her, turning her their images around so she would have to see them every second.
"Where are you?" the assassin growled out-loud until she felt a magical signature appear behind her. Turning around she finally saw that Rumple had arrived...sat on her mother's headstone.
"Do you mind?" she asked the man with a challenging raised brow at the Dark One "I've been waiting here for nearly an hour".
"My, my dearie. Someone's a little sour this morning" he said followed with a number of giggles jumping off the headstone "Maybe you've caught the same thing the Queen has. she's been a little...tense, of late, perhaps Snow White's antic's are finally driving her mad".
"What do you want?" she deadpanned him, not in the mood to play his games that day.
"Does there have to be a reason for you to meet me next to your dead mother's grave?".
"With you? Always" she deadpanned back to him.
"I wanted to give you a gift for all your hard work of late. The last few one's I've thrown your way have been challenging".
A gift?.
In all the years she had worked for him, he had never given her someone that hadn't been a reward for a contract or something that would help her take down a target.
"What's the gift?" she asks the man out of her own curiosity.
Twirling his hand in the air a ball of red smoke appeared on top of the headstone as a crystal-ball materialized from it a second later.
"Go on. Take it. You can thank me later dearie" at that the Dark One disappeared in red smoke and giggles leaving the master assassin with her crystal ball on her mother's grave stone.
Slowly approaching the 'gift' she took the glass ball into her hands. Cradling it between her gloved hands. She jumped slightly as it seemed to react to her touch as a purple cloud grew within the ball only for a second or later to dissolve into something that spell the end for her and her hope of a happy ending with her thief.
Taking the dream catcher away from her sisters head she saw the heartbreak etched on her sister's face as she re-lived the moment she found out what Robin had done to try and help her. But it only pushed her futher into the abyss of the Widow and the darkness that came with it.
"Okay" she finally relented "That's enough" she heard heard her sister's voice choke out from the the tears that fell from her eyes "You've made your point".
"And what point is that sister?" she questions her older sister putting the dream catcher to one side for the moment "Why am I only going through memories that involved your thief, why not..Snow White for example".
"Snow?" she questioned the Duchess.
"Yes!" the blonde cried out with a wide smile on her face "Let's talk about the Princess Snow White or Mary-Margaret Blanchard as she goes as in this world. Her father. King Leopold-dead, Mother, Queen Eva, also dead. No siblings, but she did have an official godfather. Our father. Romeo Montague. Now how did she discover how he died?".
"I told her after I came back, after I started working for the Queen".
"Right, and you never wondered how Mentor Claudius found out about you and Romeo?".
"I do" the redhead tells her "Regina-".
"Wrong!" the blonde yells out into the room, not letting her sister answer the question her voice once again echoed through the room, making the master assassin flinch in her chair for the first time since she had woken up.
"Aren't you the least bit curious who sent that letter that banished our father from his home" she asks her sister "I'm surprised the Queen hasn't told you having seen how close you are. I mean that is the reason you both tried to infiltrate us right? To find out what we we were up to so you can run back to your little Princess and her Prince and tell them what we are up to?"
The blonde paused looking at her, tilting her head to the side with interest, she closely watched her sister "You don't know? Do you?".
"Know what?" the redhead impatiently spat at her sister.
"Why you and the Queen were sent to infiltrate us?".
Amelia stayed silent at her sister's correct hypothesis. She still had no idea what Snow had told her former-step mother to make them go undercover.
"Oh sister" the blonde purred out taking her sister's silence as her answer. The blonde crouched down in front of her sister grasping her sister's chin and jaw in her hand as she made her look into her eye "I think it's time for you to know what Snow White has been hiding from you for all these years".
He let Angelo go. The one person out of all of her former family was literally within her grasp and the one person she though who would make sure she got the answers she was so desperately looking to answer let him go again. The one person she trusted the most out of everyone.
Left blindsided by the images that replayed themselves n the crystal ball, she had sent every mercenary and thief at her disposal to seek Angelo down before he got too far. But that was two day's ago now. Two days and no word from anyone. Not even Lance.
The sky above Monteriggioni matched her mood as dark stormy clouds covered the peaceful city. Poala had been the unfortunate soul to endure her anger towards the betrayal as the caretaker tried to calm the frenzied assassin only for the older woman to be quickly be put back into her place at her caretaker, not her mother.
The way Paola recoiled in fright made the assassin's angry frenzy come to abrupt stop when she saw what she had done to the one woman who had taken care of her throughout the years, she even wore the scars on her arms to prove her loyalty to her.
And now the man himself was on his way back to the city.
The redheaded assassin remained in the room at the very top of the villa as she saw Robin arrive with the rest of the Merry Men and his young son. Paola met the band of outlaw's as they walked up the stairs to the front of the villa much to his confusion.
"What's happened?" the thief asked the caretaker as he approached the villa alone "Where's Amelia?".
"Amelia send her apologies, but she's been called away by her Queen, I'm afraid you'll have to leave" Paola tells the man, urging him to turn around and leave the city before the broken-hearted woman decided to take matter's into her own hands.
"What do you mean?" he asked as his brows furrowed further. This wasn't like her. She would send a message telling him that herself, not waited until they had reached the city before turning them away.
"You and your men need to turn around and leave" she urged him again. Even if Amelia did love him, he was not safe until her anger towards him had simmered.
"Why?".
"Lady Amelia was informed by the Dark One of who you encountered the other night at a tavern. She's knows you let Angelo go".
His stomach dropped at that. She wasn't supposed to know. He was only trying to help. Once he realized who the man was, he knew Amelia wouldn't give up the chance of getting her vengeance over him.
"You must let me speak to her" he tells the older woman he knew who loved Amelia as her own daughter
"I told you she isn't here. You need to leave Robin Hood. You will only make this worse than it already is".
As if he could feel her eye's on him he suddenly looked up to see the woman staring back down at him from the room where he had confessed his true feelings to her a few months ago.
"AMELIA!" he yelled up to her as he brushed passed the caretaker to run into the villa to find the woman he loved and explain why he let the only man who knew her son's whereabouts go.
The assassin was quick to rush to the hatch, jumping down to make her way through the dark corridor back into the main part of the villa, a sharp turn to the left took her to the balcony that overlooked the study, vaulting herself over the balcony, to land on the white marble flooring before storming into the front from her blood boiled at the sight of him.
"How dare you came back here after what you did!" she bellowed at him as she stormed into the study where the model of the city sat, her anger steered feet towards the man until she was close enough to lash out at the man who had hurt her so much, as an flurry of open handed slaps on his chest.
"Amelia please!" he tried to calm her down taking a hold of her arm in his hands.
"He know's where Thomas is! He knows where my son is!" she says wrenching her arms out of his hands "After everything he's done, how could you let him go?".
"This is why I let him go!" he suddenly tell her making her freeze "Don't you see what this is doing to you? What this pah of vengeance is doing to your heart?" he questioned her "You're right, I did let him go" he tells her which only makes her heart break even more than it was already was, even if that was possible at this point.
"Killing him won't bring John back. It won't bring your son back, it will only destroy the person I fell in love with, the person I know you wish to remain under the darkness that's already in your heart.
"I gave you a chance to turn your back on me years ago" she reminds him.
"Yes, but that was before-".
"Before what exactly?".
"Before I saw what it was doing to you. Before I wanted to start a life with you, before I knew I loved you".
"Get out" she says taking a step away from him, ready to leave him "We're done".
"Amelia-" he steps forward to reach out for her only for the assassin to quickly quickly grab the front of his shirt using her strength to grad him to the mahogany table pushing his back down onto the surface as a red haze came over her vision, she held him down with one hand as the other was poised up in the air with a hidden blade unsheathed from her bracer ready to sink it into his heart the same way he did to her when he let her only lead to her son go into the wind once again.
For the first time since meeting her again this was no longer Amelia Smith in front of him. It was the Black Widow as he tried to find any morsel of the woman he loved in the eye's that looked devoted of any light in them that bore into his as he hand gripped his neck, keeping him in place for the killing blow. But there was none. The woman he knew had been swallowed up in the darkness. And it had all been his fault.
"AMELIA STOP!" Paola's voice rang through her voice as her ears as she looked behind her to see the older woman stood there with Roland hiding behind her long dress.
"Let him go. Now!" she firmly tell the younger woman. The hidden blade quickly slid back into place as she fought with the voice that told her to hurt him like he hurt her, only for the voice that screamed at her to let him go finally won over the grip she had on his neck.
"Leave" she firmly tells him "You're no longer welcome here. If I ever see you again. I will kill you" she didn't even flinch at the words that left her mouth before walking out of the room leaving the man to slump onto the floor defeated and heartbroken for the friend he had lost in the darkness.
Storybrooke
Week's Ago
The week's seemed to fly by since she said goodbye to her thief at the town line as she stood with her phone in her hand staring at Robin's number and a picture of him that was attached it.
He loved her. And she loved him. But she decided long ago she couldn't be with him, but it didn't ease the ache in her chest whenever she found herself taking herself to a secluded place to think of the next voicemail she was going to leave him.
This time it just happened to be in the study in her soulmate's home. With Tom and Henry with the Charming's for the night, they finally had the place to themselves to have dinner and spend a quiet evening together. Having no villain around to spoil their time the assassin and queen enjoyed curling up on the sofa in the living room with a book in each of their hands, with the redhead making herself comfortably resting her head on the dark brunette's lap after a busy day trying to figure out how to free the fairies from the hat, finding clues in Henry's storybook about the Author and trying her best to keep her bar afloat for the sake of the thieves and mercenaries that come through in the latest curse.
The only thing she looked forward to after a hard day was taking Regina's invitation for dinner with her and Henry either in Granny's or in her home. Everything else was just a little to overwhelming as she couldn't look at the bar at Granny's without thinking he should be there waiting for her with a drink waiting for her.
Every-time her phone rang she jumped to answer it thinking it was him finally calling or texting back but she always left disappointed when she saw it was one of the Charming's once again asking to add something to her never ending list of things to do and try and fit into the own busy schedule.
And then that thing that kept cropping up in the most inconvenient times. The thing she was desperate trying to find a time to visit Dr. Whale during office hours without anyone knowing where she was.
"Melia" Regina's voice floating into her ears finally making the thoughts in her head come to a comfortable halt as she felt her partner snake her arms around her stomach as she feeling the Queen's warmth through the tank-top she kept at the mansion for her to wear whenever the boys were at the loft.
Feeling her soulmate up against her back she let her eyes close as she melted into the embrace as she hugged the former Queen back with her arms, lacing their fingers together on her stomach feeling her soulmates soft lips on her bare shoulder, right on the white scars that reached the top of her shoulder before perching her head next to hers.
"Where were you?" Regina asks her, seeing how distracted her partner had seemed before bring her back down to earth.
"Sherwood Forest" the redhead answered. The former Queen knew what that meant as she heard the redhead let out a frustrated sigh knowing she shouldn't have mentioned him "I'm sorry, this is supposed to be a romantic evening wasn't it?".
"It was, but I don't think that matter's. He's your friend. You miss him. We've had another long day, you look like you're about to fall asleep where your standing".
"Only because Snow had me running around for the school's next volunteer day" she tell her partner "Do you think if you offered her an apple the next time she mentions a volunteer day she'll ease up on the favors".
"Hmm, maybe" Regina hummed into the redhead's neck "Come to bed" she purr's into the assassin's ear making the redhead turned her head to meet her partner's lustful brown eye's she loved so much "I can think of a few ways you can make the evening up to me".
"A full nights sleep you mean" she teased her Queen before leaving an enticing slow kiss on her lips pulling away before she could kiss her back, knowing it would drive her crazy "With absolutely no distractions. Just sleep?" she added hovering her lips over her soulmates.
"Not quite what I had in mind, dear" she whispered against her lips.
"Fine" the assassin caved "Only because you forced me. I'll find you upstairs. I just need to send a goodnight message to Tom before he turns in for the night".
Nodding the Queen snakes her arms back making sure her finger lingered a little too long on her back "See you up there".
Once alone she had to make the final decision she had been debating to herself for the last few days, she needed let her best friend move on. Something she had been desperate for him to do ever since his wife got cursed. She needed to as well. She couldn't keep leaving messages. She wanted to move on with the happiness she found without the Authors help, the one she took for herself with her Uncle's advise. And the only way she could do that was letting him go.
Holding down his contact on her screen the option came up to delete it. Touching the option a message came up asking her if she was sure she wanted to delete his number. She didn't want to but she made herself choose 'Yes'.
In less than a second his number had been erased from her phone leaving behind the picture of the boys, her and Regina in the background of her phone with smiles on everyone's faces. This was the present she needed to concentrate on.
Placing her phone down on a coffee table she switched off the only light she had put on when she came in before sauntering out of the room to find her Queen unaware that her silent phone was alerting her to a call from an unknown caller.
Eventually caller hung up only for a message to come up alerting her to a new voicemail.
Week's Later
She didn't want to believe what her sister was telling her. She couldn't. It hurt too much for it to be true. And yet the tear's fell from her eye's anyway.
It was Snow all along. After years of wondering how it all went wrong for her and Romeo. It had all come down to a jealous Princess who didn't like the sound of her godfather loving anyone else that wasn't her.
She was the reason why Romeo had to spend decades on Neverland. Why she had to run. Why she had leave everything she had ever known behind. And it didn't stop just there.
She and Charming were guilty of something thing that even Romeo would've never forgiven her for. They had taken away a child chance to live, to choose. And for what? For Emma to be good?.
"Niente è vero" her sister states to her as she sauntered around her chair "Tutto è permesso. These are the words that our father taught us. The words the Brotherhood taught us. I have a question for you. What is the truth?".
"We place faith in ourselves" the redhead monotony answers her, the same way she would answer Claudius whenever he tutored them in the way of the Creed "We see the world the way it really is and hope that one day all everyone might see the same".
"What is the world then?".
"An illusion. One which we can either submit to, or transcend".
Anastasia had her sister under her spell. She could see it in the way her eye's became vacant of the woman behind them as her anger took over her mind. This is what Rumple needed. He needed the Widow to come out and play, and she knew just how to do that.
The memories of her thief's betrayal were just the start to make her feel the pain that sent her back to the Evil Queen and continue her journey into darkness without the man to pull her back out it's darkest depths.
Isolated from her so called 'family' and with her metal guards taken down she would be able to pull the Black Widow out of the depths she had been put under. She had only been simmering on the surface up until now, the only glimpse she had gotten of the Widow in her prime was when she held August up the fireplace.
"What is to transcend?" the blonde went on kneeling down in front of her sister, resting her arms on her sister's lap
"To recognize nothing is true and everything is permitted. Law's arise not from divinity, but reason. Our creed, doesn't command us to be free-it commands us to be wise".
"And what is your wisdom telling you Widow?".
The Black Widow's head snapped up for her dulled green eyes to meet hers having heard her name.
"Kill Snow White".
While Anastasia continued to suede for the real Black Widow to join their side. Gold waited as his former found out who was really with Robin Hood in New York.
"Robin?" Regina states once she heard the call being picked up.
"No, it's not Robin" Marian replied through the phone.
"Marian?".
"Not exactly" Marian chuckled down the phone before using the pendent on her necklace to change herself back into her true form "Hello, sis" Zelena greets her younger sister through the phone.
Hearing her older half-sister's voice through the phone made the former Queen's knees give out from under her from the shock, catching herself on the trunk she had woken up on not even ten minutes ago "No... No, it can't be" she shuddered.
"Oh, but it is" the witch replied as the former Queen could almost here the smile on her face.
"Zelena" the former Queen stated in shock "But how? I saw you die".
"You thought you saw me die" Zelena correct her as she paces the apartment that the assassin had given Robin the keys to.
"Where's Robin?" Regina demanded to the Wicked Witch "This is his phone. What have you done with him?".
"You can tell your little love that I haven't done anything except love and honor him in sickness and in health, to have and to hold, and all that other wifely nonsense".
"I-I don't understand".
"Well, you don't have to. All you need to know is that while Amelia's precious Robin thinks it's his wide-eyed wife cooking dinner for him every night, it's actually me" Zelena tells her sister as the timer on the cooker goes off "Oh, I've got to run, sis. He'll be home soon, and I've got a meatloaf in the oven".
"No... No" the former Queen weakly voiced her protests.
"Oh, you sound like you need a moment" she tells her sister "Take it. I'm sure we'll see each other again very soon. Send Amelia my love. Ta-ta" at that the Wicked Witch hangs up leaving the former Queen to question the Dark One's involvement.
"You knew".
"And that's why you will do everything I ask" Gold tells her "Because one phone call from me and your girlfriends beloved dies at the hands of your sister".
"She murdered your son!" she yelled at him.
"Well, Zelena and I have come to...An understanding. And now you and I have an understanding as well. Regina, you are vital to my plan to turn the savior towards darkness and to turn my niece into something not even you could stop her".
"You made me a monster. But I won't let you do the same to Emma. And whatever your plan is for Amelia, she won't fall for it".
"So you've made your choice, have you?" he asks taking the phone out of her hand "You're choosing the savior over Robin Hood? Over Amelia? Is that your final answer?".
Regina had no idea what to expect when Gold led her down her own vault to Amelia's end of the underground vault, but she wasn't expecting to see her soulmate tied to a wooden chair with glossy unfocused eye's with her 'sister' standing over her head with a dream-catcher in her hand.
"What the hell are you doing to her!" Regina exclaimed in anger as she took a step towards her partner and her adopted sister. She knew what the Duchess was doing, it was dangerous magic, with one wrong move she could wipe Amelia's entire mind.
At the sound of the Queen's angry voice the blonde flexed her wrist so that a golden hidden blade slipped out of her gauntlet, aimed straight at the base of her sister's neck. Her partner didn't even flinch as she continued to stare into space in front of her.
"One more step and she's gone" the blonde assassin warned the Queen making the latter stop her movements.
"That's enough for one day Duchess" the Dark One speaks up as he makes his way into the room seeing that the Duchess's plan to real the Widow back onto the surface had worked as he recognized the look on his nieces face. Regina hadn't even noticed the way the woman she knew as Amelia Montague was now stuffed back
"Find a chair for the Her Majesty will you. I think its time all three of us had a chat".
Reluctantly the blonde assassin let her blade slip back into place before moving over to the other side of the room to drag over the second wooden chair, placing it in front of her sister.
"Please, take a seat" Gold invited his old students the seat to the former Queen, who follows his request. The redhead couldn't even look her in the eye.
"What did you do to her?" Regina growled towards the blonde Assassin keeping a close eye on the younger woman.
"Oh, nothing really" Gold breathed as she paced around the pair "Maleficent told me that she, and Cruella found her in the middle of the street, knocked out cold by magic. A lover's tiff, perhaps?".
"Melia" the former Queen tried to get her partner's attention only for it to go ignored.
"Now Anastasia here, has taken upon herself to tell her sister what Snow White has been keeping from her ever since the Princess learnt of her Godfather's supposed demise and what she and her husband did to Maleficent's child".
"No" the former Queen shuddered knowing this wasn't how she wanted the redhead to find out about how her letter ended up in Claudius's hands "Amelia. I'm so sorry, I-".
"I would hold on with that drawn out apology, your majesty" Gold tells her interrupted the pair's conversation. The older man steps forwards between the pair, taking out his phone yet again as he goes to bang the final nail in the coffin for the redheaded assassin "I have a very special message to give my niece, one I don't think she'll ever forget".
Pressing play on the pre-recorded message the man brought the device closer to the assassin ear as the whole room listened to the voice the assassin never wanted to hear again.
"Hello Amelia" Zelena's voice echoed in the small room as Amelia's eye finally met her partner's as her nose flared up as she could imagine the wide grin that grew on the Wicked Witches lips as she sad the next two words "Miss me?".
AN:
Hello there!
Hope everyone is having a happy and healthy 2023 so far (or trying; that's okay too)
Very Robin and Amelia focused chapter.
I know everyone was guessing/ hoping Zelena was hiding as John in the reviews, but I felt that would wouldn't fit in well with what I have planned in the next season, so I kept it as Marian. I thought it would have the bigger impact with Amelia (especially the way she opened up to 'Marian' in Hero's and Villains) and on future seasons' as we get to them.
Anyway I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter.
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