Edited:21 /04/2023
She was used to resting in the most uncomfortable places to sleep when she need it on a long mission away from home. So it came as nothing new to the resident assassin as she rested her head and back on the door of Snow and David's closet door as the Prince and the former Queen took the only seats near to the bed available with only a pillow to rest her head on as the three adults waited for Henry to wake up to give them any news of the netherworld.
During his trips to the netherworld, Henry had met a woman down there with him, that where with Emma and Snow in the Enchanted Forest, but struggled to communicate due to the fiery inferno that burned around them, but with the necklace Gold had given the boy, he could safely go into the burning room.
"They're… They're alive. They're alive!" Henry's exclaimed in hurried pants as he woke up the adults sleeping around him making them rouse from their slumber.
The redhead's snapped open at the young boys announcement as she found herself not in the same spot she swore she fell asleep in. Instead of her back resting against the closet door, the assassin found herself on her side on the wooden floor with nothing but a pillow under her head and a blanket haphazardly thrown over her body, she knew she didn't go to sleep with her head practically under the woman's feet. Shuffling herself out of the way to allow Regina to reach her son from the chair she had curled herself up in.
"Who? Who's alive?" David asked his grandson as he got up form the chair he was sleeping on to sit on the foot of the bed.
"My mom and Snow" he informed his grandfather, as Amelia blew out a breath of relief that they were still both alive.
"I told you, kid. I told you!" David excitedly told his grandson with a wide smile on his face.
"Was… Was it that woman you saw?" Regina asked her son from the edge of her seat "Did she tell you this?".
"Her name's Aurora" Henry tells them "She said they have a way home, but there's someone in their way – someone they need us to help them stop. Someone only Mr. Gold knows how to defeat" he tells the adults in the room, shaking his head as worry etched his face.
"Who?" Amelia hesitantly asks the boy.
Looking towards his adopted Henry answered the redhead's question as the feeling of cold steel on the back of her neck made her shiver at the boys answer "Your mother".
Cora.
As the latest threat was making her presence in the Enchanted Forest known to her daughter in Storybrooke. The town continued as always ignorant to the looming threat that was The Queen of Heart's as they stopped to find something to eat and drink at Granny's in the middle of their day. But this wasn't a normal lunchtime at Granny's Diner. The residents of Storybrooke were keeping a weary eye on one of the red leather booths to the side of the diner where the Dark One was sat with his true love, Belle.
Ignoring the looks he received form the other's, the villain sat opposite his former caretaker enjoying his date with the woman he loved, enjoying each other's company after so long apart without anyone meddling into his business. Not long after they ordered their food, the owner of the diner herself brought over their burger and fries to the table.
"They smell delicious, Granny" Belle compliments the owner as the former places the plates full of food in front of them.
"They are delicious" the grandmother says to the young brunette "Didn't take any dark magic, either" she adds leaning on the table to address the Dark One "Oh, and, uh, I charge extra for the pickles" she informs him.
"Mmhmm" Gold hummed along as Granny leaves them to their meal "I have a complicated relationship with her… As I do with most people".
"Well, it, uh… It did take me a little time to get to know you" she reminds the sorcerer "They will" she tells him as the door to the diner is open and closed by the ringing of the bell above it.
Moving the conversation along he picks up the red bottle that sat on every table in the restaurant that held ketchup sauce showing it to his love "You know, you should try it with ketchup. Condiments are this world's most powerful magic".
"Oh, I agree" A voice interrupts the pair making them look up to see Amelia stood at their table "Ketchup is great with almost everything. But I wouldn't put it on Granny's lasagna, she'll scratch your eyes right out if you try and put any sauce on it" she warns her friend seeing the space next to the young brunette "May I?".
"Uh sure" shuffling down the booth Amelia sits down next to her to face the Dark One.
"Miss Montague" he grits her name through his teeth "May I inquire on your interruption on my date with Belle?".
"You may" she says dragging Gold's plate of food towards her "But trust me, it's going to get even more interrupted then it already it is. I'm the least of your worries old man" she says plopping a fry into her mouth, she had to stifle the groan at the taste of the delicious fried food. Her cursed self practically lived on the greasy food that Granny cooked.
"I came here to warn you" she says in between bites seeing that her friend next to her hadn't touched her food yet "Eat up Belle, you're missing out" she adds being going back for more of the man's food.
"About what exactly?" he says just as the bell on the door ring out announcing Regina's arrival.
"About that" Amelia says just as the former Queen makes her appearance in the diner, walking straight to the table the assassin was now sat at with Gold and Belle.
"Gold. We need to talk" Regina announces her arrival. The villain's arrival disturbing the while diner seeing both the Evil Queen and her Black Widow trying their best to speak to the Dark One.
"Do we?" Gold says not looking at the woman, not interest in what she had to say ever since finding out what she had done to his true love during the curse.
Not liking the combination of the Queen and her Assassin with the Dark One, Granny sees the incoming altercation between villains and intervenes "Folks, I think I may need to close early. Uh, everybody out" she instructs everyone, taking charge of the situation.
"No. It's okay" Regina tells the diner and the owner "We're civil".
"Yeah, for now" Gold scoffs as eyeing the redhead who continues to eat his meal "Belle, you remember the woman who locked you up for twenty-eight years?" he reintroduces his true love with her captor before looking at Amelia "May I introduce you to her lovely Black Widow, the lovely Miss Montague here".
"Sorry old man, she already knows" the assassin informs the older man.
"Uh, I should probably just-" Belle awkwardly tried to try and escape the scene the situation only for Amelia to be her only obstacle to leaving.
"No, no. Please, stay where you are" he tells her "Whatever she has to say, won't be a secret from you. Whatever she wants, she won't get".
"I'm actually coming about the one thing that might unite us" Regina tells him.
"And what on earth can that be?".
"Cora" she simply tells the man "She's coming from our land. We need your help to stop her".
"But she was dead" he calmly asks the Queen "You told me you saw the body".
"Apparently, you taught her well" Amelia was the one to speak up from across the table "She's not, and she's on her way here".
"I don't think I need to remind you, how most unpleasant that would be for both of us" Regina reminded the old man.
"For you" he argues looking at his old student as the former Widow watched on "I can handle Cora".
"That's not how she tells the story" the former Queen retorts.
"I won in the end" he insisted.
"Maybe you did" Amelia spoke up from across the table as she forgot about the food in front of her to lean on the table "This time, you have someone you care about. This time, you have a weakness".
"I'm… I'm sorry. Who… Who is this woman?" Belle looked toward all three of them for an answer.
"Someone you'll never meet" the Dark One insisted to his love.
"Hopefully" the redhead quips from next to his love.
"So, you say she's coming" Gold looks up to his former student once again "Where is she now?".
"With them" Regina tells him.
Moving Henry from the loft to the back of the pawn shop they waited for Regina to return insisting on bringing his blanket from home. Sat on the makeshift bed with Henry she waited with David and Gold as the eleven-year-old clutched the pendent that helped him control the burning room close to his heart, like he was scared he was going to lose it.
The air in the back of the shop became tense as the minutes seemed to drag by until the former Queen returned, as the redhead saw the apprehension behind the brave face the young boy put on. His shoulders were carrying a weight of expectation she had felt before at his age.
"You're clutching that thing pretty hard there, it's okay" she tried to sooth the back of his hand with her thumb.
"I'm not scared" he tells the assassin.
"You know its, okay to be a little scared sometimes, right?".
"I know" he tells her "Do..you still get scared?" he asked the fearless assassin in front of him.
"Sometimes" she tells him honestly "But I've got something that reminds me that I'm going to be okay. My own kind of magic if you will" she says reaching up to her neck, he watches as she unclasps a leather cord from her neck that held a metal pendent. Holding up the necklace to the young boy he sees the small pendent that had worn over time, but he can still see the shape of it.
"Do you know what this is?" he shakes his head "It's Thor's hammer" she tells him.
"Like the superhero?" he asks her, making her lightly chuckle at his comment.
"A little bit. But this one I've believed in all my life, he protects the gods, and now he will protect you" she explains tying the leather cord to his wrist the pendent lying face up "Like he's done with me all these years".
"Thanks" he tells her with a hint of a smile.
"Your welcome" she says as she hears someone entering the shop, it didn't take long for the queen's heels to make their way to the back of the shop as the redhead stood from the bed as she entered the back with the blanket in her arms.
The pair brief made eye contact before the green eyed woman made herself scarce to let the mother have a moment with her son, taking a place at the spinning wheel.
"I brought your blanket…from your bedroom back home" she said placing the blue and white blanket on him seeing the pendent on his wrist making her take a double look at it before she looks to the assassin who gives her a tight-lipped smile. She knew its significance to the woman, she never took it off for anyone.
"So, Cora..she's pretty powerful?" Henry addressed the adults in the room as the former Queen took her coat off.
"Yes" Gold answered "But, uh, not as powerful as I am" he boasts to the young boy.
"Debatable" Regina muttered loudly for Gold to hear.
"Actually, no its not" he argued back making the assassin roll her eye's at the pair.
"Once you two are finished comparing magical shoe sizes" Amelia suddenly speaks up scolding the pair with their small 'fight' "Might we move forward with the conversation" she adds as David moves to take the place the redhead once sat.
"You sure you're okay to do this, kid?" David asks his grandson.
"I was born to do this" Henry tells his grandfather "I'm done reading about heroes. I want to be one".
"Well, sometimes being one is knowing when not to run into the fire" David tells him.
"I'll be okay" Henry continues to insist albeit the adults concerns.
"Look, whatever he faces in there, will be far less dangerous than what he'll face if we fail" Gold voices to the Prince.
"I can do this" Henry affirmed his decision to his grandfather, at that the man leaves his grandson, standing up from the bed to face the sorcerer.
"Get on with it. Fast" David instructs the older man before moving further into the back of the room as Gold takes a seat in the chair next to Henry's head.
"Alright, Henry. Just relax. And soon, you're going to drift off" Gold tells the young boy.
"What do I tell them?" Henry asks the Dark One.
"Just listen to my bedtime story, and all will be clear" closing his eyes the man places a gently hand on his forehead before beginning his story "Once upon a time, Snow White and Prince Charming needed to stun a very powerful magician, long enough to lock him up in a dark dungeon".
"That was you" Henry speaks up opening his eye's to interrupt his story. They used Cinderella to trap you with a magic quill" Mr. Gold moved his hand across Henry's face, causing him to fall asleep, continuing the motions as he spoke.
"Yes, indeed a quill. And yet, it wasn't the quill itself, but the ink that captured the Dark One – harvested from the rarest species of squid, from the bottom of a bottomless ocean. Impossible to find, unless, you're a mermaid… Or me. I happen to have a private supply. In my jail cell… That is where they will find it".
The adults didn't have to wait too long for Henry to wake up when he suddenly gasped awake with no warning that he was waking up, making the adults jump forward in concern as David re-took his place on the bed as the redhead took a place behind the Dark One, gripping the back of his chair, to stop herself from going any further.
"Henry. Are you alright?" his the boys grandfather jumped to the boys rescue.
"Did you see her? Did you tell her?" Gold quickly asked him needing to know whether the message got through or not.
"No. I… I didn't get the chance" he tells the adults "Something… Something happened. She… She got sucked out of there" he winces in pain holding his left wrist, the same wrist Amelia had tied her pendant on.
"Henry?" his mother speaks up as she goes straight to the source of his pain, quickly pulling the leather cord off and discarding it without a second thought, the metal pendent making a small thud on the wooden floor, as if it was the thing causing him discomfort.
"Some… Something's wrong" he complains as the brunette pulled down the sleeve to his shirt to reveal a burn that made even the steel stomached assassin in the room sick to her stomach.
"Henry…".
"Here. Let me take care of this" Gold says as he magically heals the horrific burn on Henry's arm from the foot of the bed as his mother comforting him like the doting other she was sat in the chair the Dark One had occupied during Henry's trip to the netherworld, while the Amelia stood next to Henry's grandfather with a comforting hand on his shoulder before the older man looked up to the assassin.
"Miss Montague, go into that cabinet behind me and you'll find something that will help Mr. Mill's further" he instructs her.
Leaving the sheriff she follows the older man's instructions and opened the dark wood cabinet and found a small vial of clear liquid she knew straight away. It was her healing tonic the Brotherhood had perfected over the centuries. Designed to heal the numerous cuts and bruises Assassins occur during their missions. The same one she gave Regina once. The same she gave David before she sent him and baby Emma to the wardrobe.
Taking the vial and uncorking it she crossed the room before kneeling between Gold and Regina to speak to the brave young boy that laid in the bed.
"Here" she said softly offering the bottle to the eleven-year-old "Drink this. It'll make you feel better"
Looking towards his mother and grandfather for reassurance the pair gave the boy a knowing smile already knowing what she was trying to give him, it would take care of anything they couldn't see. Taking the glass bottle from the assassin, the boy took a gulp of the medicine as he felts its full affects as it touched his tongue, as the color returned to his face, from the tired and pain filled one. It had done something to help him.
"Thank you" he sighed out in relief as the pain ebbed away, giving the empty vial back to the assassin, who gave him a reassuring wink of her eye, making him smile at the woman that had cared about him.
"What caused this?" Regina sent the question towards the older man as the redhead stood back up taking up residence behind Regina as both women listened to his explanation.
"When you venture deeper into the Netherworld instead of away, there are risks. Someone woke Aurora before her soul was ready to return. The violence of that act tore her away and injured Henry. We're lucky it wasn't worse. He's going to need some time to recover before he can be sent back".
"Out of the question" "No way old man" both Regina and Amelia protested before David did the same.
"Not a chance in hell" David reiterated the women's verbal protests "We'd be monsters to even consider risking his life again" the Sheriff stand up from his chair making his point.
"Careful with your tone, Charming" Gold says standing up to meet the man "I understand your concern for the boy, but I know Cora. Without our help, Snow and Emma will soon be dead. And then… A true monster will be on her way to Storybrooke" he sent the warning towards the former Queen
"Aurora is gone" Regina pointed out to the man as she stood up from her chair to join the discussion "Why do we need to send Henry back to that fiery inferno with no one there to receive our message?".
The room went to silence as David turned with a frustrated sigh and hands on his hips as Amelia thought deeply before realizing that Henry and Aurora weren't their only chess pieces in play. There was someone else no one had thought of until now that had woken up from a sleeping curse, albeit not in the same realm as them, but it was their only shot.
"Because someone will be there" Amelia suddenly speaks up making the others looks to her, the assassin making eye contact with the Prince.
"Who?" the former Queen challenges the redhead as David's eye seemed to light up as understands where she was going.
"Snow" David states catching onto the redheads wavelength.
"Well, that's an awfully big assumption" Regina scoffed at the pairs idea.
"No. No, it's not" he argues to the other skeptics in the room "She was there once before. She can go back. She can find a way. She will – I know it. And I'll be waiting" he offers.
"You're going to this Netherworld?".
"I faced you" he tells the villains in the room "How bad could it be?" he adds as the redheads brows scrunches up in offence.
"Offence taken, Charming" the hurt redhead quips at him.
"It's not as simple as that" Gold speaks up interrupting the offended assassin "You can't get there. You haven't been under a sleeping curse" he points out to the hopeful Prince.
"Well, then put me under one" he quickly volunteers himself.
"If we do that, there's a chance you might never waken up" Gold argues. Snow wasn't here to give him true love's kiss.
"Sure I will. When I see her, she'll kiss me, and I'll be fine. Now, put me under" he demands the sorcerer as his anger gets the better of him "I've spent far too much time looking for my wife. It is time to bring her home".
As Regina prepared the curse in the back of the shop, the redhead had decided to get as much fresh air as she could still inside the musty pawn shop as she found herself viewing the glass unicorn mobile she had only seen once before 28 years earlier.
She had to admit it was sweet. It reminded her of the makeshift not so elegant one John had made when Thomas had been born. Instead of unicorns her husband had put anything that he could get his hands on a ship full of men to hang down above the crib which included shells and a few bent coins.
Thomas had loved it neither less he would stare at the shapes above him for ages, keeping him entertained until he fell asleep.
"Hey" David's voice disturbed her memories as he entered the main shop floor holding up her discarded necklace in his hand "I found this on the floor. Henry said it was yours" he says as she gratefully takes the pendent from the man.
"Thank you" she said running the pad of her thumb across the metal pendent of Thor's hammer. The metal had worn over the years but the image remained, it was a gift from Romeo, to remind her she always had protection if she ever found herself parted from him.
It comforted her the most in those first cold nights running away from the Brotherhood, before she ever found her late husband and his ship. When she was terrified, stopping even for a few seconds to think where she needed to head next.
"I didn't know you followed the old gods" he started up the conversation as he joined her in front of the mobile. He knew a few people back home who worshiped the gods like Odin and Thor before he became a Prince. They would speak of a goddess named Freyr that they would pray to for a good harvest that year, they all wore pendents like the one Amelia had given Henry.
"In a different life maybe, the old gods have seemed to have forgotten about me over the years, not that I blame them. I would've done the same".
"Is that why you gave it to him? So they would look after him?".
"I gave it to him because despite the brave face he put on, he was scared. If he believed Thor was protecting him and his heroics, then he could do anything. Fat lot of good it did it" she said discarding the necklace onto the glass cabinet behind her.
"Knowing him, he still believes it. But he believes in you more" the prince tells her "You should believe in yourself a bit more, what you've done for this town has meant a lot for everyone and for myself. Snow's always been the one to take the lead, without her I've felt lost, with you helping me like the way you have, I don't' think I would've gotten this town back to the way it was without it".
A suspicious brow rose of the redheads face as she looked up to the man in front of her "What's this hope speech about, your highness?".
A light chuckle left his mouth as a smile grew on his face as the redheads suspicious "I was hoping for another favor".
"Another one? How many is it now?" she teased the man in front of her.
"Enough to last a lifetime, I'm sure" he tells her "But this isn't for me, its for Henry".
"Go on" she prompts him making her stand a little straighter than before folding her arms across her chest ready to listen to whatever he had to say.
"I want to ask you to look after him while I'm asleep, if Snow kiss doesn't wake me up, I need someone I can trust to look after him until she and Emma can come back".
"Regina can do that. She's his mother" she argues.
"I know, but he looks up to you. And I wouldn't be giving this just to anyone" he says as he holds up his Sheriff's badge to her "I trust you not to let this town fall apart. I know you care about Snow, that's why you helped her back home and not handed her over when we both know you could have. That's why I'm giving you this because I can see you're already starting to change the moment you let me, and Emma get to the wardrobe".
"I didn't do that for you" she stated feeling her eye's starting to sting as she tried to fight off the wave of emotion at the memory.
"Then why did you do it?" he asks her in not knowing that Regina had joined them at the doorway to the back room having overheard the tail end of their conversation.
The curse was ready, all they needed was the man himself, leaving Henry and Gold in the back she left to retrieve him only to overhear what David wanted the redhead to do for him, while he was asleep. Curious to where this conversation was going, she never understood why the redhead turned her back on her at the last minute
"I don't know" Amelia tells him "Just another thing I need to figure out I suppose" she answeres him.
A throat being cleared interrupted the pair as they both looked to the doorway to see Regina stood there "It's ready" she tells them, looking between the assassin and the Prince.
"We'll be right there" Amelia spoke for them both taking the badge from his hand as Regina nodded before walking into the back room, allowing for the redhead to slip it back onto his holster making him sigh in disappointment looking into her reddening eye's "I'll look after Henry, but I won't take that until I must. Maybe you should have a little bit more faith in yourself shepherd" a quick smirk appeared on her lips before heading into the back leaving him to ponder their conversation.
Re-joining the other's in the back, Amelia noticed the spinning wheel straight away something that always stood out in the Dark One's castle whenever she visited the old man after a contract, he had sent her on. Stood with Regina with Henry between then, Gold explained the process to the prince arms across her chest as she listened to the explanation keeping a cautious eye on the finished sleeping curse that Regina held in her hand with the other on her son's shoulder.
"What do you mean, the old-fashioned way?" David asked for the older man to clarify.
Instead of proceeding he looked towards the assassin in the room "Would you care to explain Miss Montague, since the Brotherhood have had some first-hand experience with the curse like this?".
"Lia?" David asked the woman in confusion of why she would know more about the sleeping curse despite her background of having never used magic herself.
Letting out a sigh the assassin looked to the older man in annoyance before addressing the former Prince.
"You're about to join a quite distinguished club, you highness" she began to address him "I'm almost jealous. Almost" she added before continuing.
"Before innovations like the apple, back when the sleeping curse first came to be, a more direct method was required. Through blood. By pricking a finger on the needle of a spinning wheel, or a simple cut from a potion laced dagger one falls under the spell" she explained "The Brotherhood experimented using curses that require the same method to 'take care' of our more high-profile targets" the pauses looking down at the young boy "The ones we couldn't take care of the usual way, without some major consequences on our Order. They would be alive, but unable to do anything" she finishes as Gold holds out the need to the former Queen.
"Your Majesty, you did his wife. I'm sure you'd like the honors".
Stepping forward and ignoring the comment she takes the needle from the older man dipping the end of it into the curse before carefully placing it back onto the wheel.
"It's all yours" Regina tells the prince before returning to her son.
"Good luck" Henry steps forward wrapping his arms around his grandfather's waist.
"It's going to be alright" David tells his grandson taking his hand and bringing him forward so that he sat on the edge of the bed.
"How do you know?" the young boy asked him.
"Well… How did you know Emma would save you after you ate the turnover?".
"I… I believed in her".
"The way Snow and I believed she'd come back to break the curse. That's the kind of faith that runs in our family" Henry nodded taking the pendant from around his neck and gives it to David.
"This helps control the flames in the room. It'll keep you safe".
"I will guard it with my life" he tells the young boy his eye's glancing back to the redhead who watched the moment before looking back at his grandson "Listen, Amelia is going to look out for you while I'm asleep, she'll keep you safe until I wake up again".
Hearing this Regina's eyes glanced over to the redhead, remembering the conversation she interrupted earlier as Henry retook his place between his mother and the redhead feeling the former assassin's hand on the top of his head as Gold spun the wheel, the prince reaching out with his finger ready to put himself under the curse only for him to quickly retract it.
"When I awake, I'll be in that fiery room?" he asks the Dark One.
"Not exactly. That room is where those who've already awoken from the curse return. You, however, are being put under for the first time" he answers.
"Then how will I know where to go? How the hell am I supposed to find a room with no door?".
"And that, dearie, is the conundrum we're all depending on you solving. Now, I say this with the utmost sincerity. Good luck" he tells the Prince before spinning the wheel. This David reaches out with his finger, pricking it against the needle to draw blood, before quickly succumbing to the sleeping curse, slumping onto the bed, dead to the world.
The minutes dragged after they moved the sleeping Prince onto his back as they waited for something that told them that true loves kiss between him and his wife had worked in the netherworld.
But after five minutes of nothing from the man. Even the skeptical assassin wanted to believe that something would happen.
"Come on… Come back" the eleven-year-old encouraged his grandpa before looking back at the remaining adults for an answer "Should he be in there so long?".
"I'm sure it's fine" Regina tried to reassure her son "I imagine they're just catching up" but Amelia glanced over to see Gold shaking his head at the woman making her heart sink for Henry.
Now they had no hope of knowing if the message had gotten to Emma and Snow. Now they could only hope The Queen of Hearts wasn't on her way to Storybrooke.
AN:
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