Premise: Season 2 AU. Regina and Emma are unable to stop the trigger and it explodes, destroying Storybrooke. However, instead of perishing, most of the citizens of Storybrooke are scattered, ending up with new lives and memories in New York. Except Rumpelstiltskin, who is discovered by the NSA.
After three years in a government facility, the NSA makes a deal with him to help them combat the residual consequences of the trigger's explosion. The others are recruited and awakened. The deal is they form a taskforce and help fight the magical entities that have been unleashed on the world and keep their freedom as a reward.
Thanks for the reviews. Please consider leaving reviews. It seems engagement has really dropped, so if you're reading and you like what you're reading, please review. Feedback is very much appreciated. Here are responses to individual reviews:
Ghostwriter: Yeah, they probably don't understand what they're dealing with. Greg and Tamara will be big trouble, as usual. Yeah, it's going to take a while for Regina and Snow to warm to each other. Glad you're enjoying it!
Sammii16: You're welcome.
Grace5231973: I know, I hate Greg and Tamara too. Hopefully, they'll get a satisfying demise in the end. Yep, they're going to need to watch their backs for sure. As for Neal, this chapter begins to answer that question. Glad you're enjoying!
Guest: Aw, thanks, I'm glad you like my Snowing stories. I'm trying to keep them alive. Hope you Continue to enjoy!
Sexystarwarslover: Yep, he definitely banked on the wrong two lackeys. Yeah, there's a few fluffy moments coming. Yep, Charming and Killian are friends. Yep, they'll find a way to freedom. Yeah, Regina is a little bitter. Yeah, Casey hates the internet, lol. He needs a nerd. Henry may be friends with some nerds. Yeah, Tamara and Greg are going to make their lives harder for sure. Yep, it will be interesting. Glad you're enjoying it!
The Grey Jedi2020: Thanks, glad you're liking it. Yeah, I know it's strange seeing Hook and Charming as friends, but I like doing different things. Except with Snowing, because they are always the truest loves. Sorry, I don't really get the Central Park reference. Yep, the kids are very skilled with tech. Yeah, no matter what the government will always try to weaponize things. Yeah, Greg is nuts. Not a mole really. But Agent Becker is probably further read in than Casey is. I don't have a face claim yet for Aza, so not sure on the accent yet. But Aza is just short for Azazel, the Fallen Angel. That's what he's decided to call himself. Glad you're enjoying!
Operation Castle
Chapter 5: Walls
Snow gently rested her head against his chest and he pressed a kiss to her head, as they lay in bed together that evening.
"Penny for your thoughts?" he asked, noticing her pensiveness. Just moments earlier, they had been once again lost in each other. Lovemaking for them, cursed or not, was always nothing less than soul searing and filled with the unbridled and insatiable passion they always had for each other.
"I was just thinking that…for a curse, this one was pretty amazing," she mentioned. He pressed another kiss to her head, as she looked up at him.
"I know what you mean. Maybe I was wrong all those years ago," he mentioned back. Her brow furrowed.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Well…there was a time back in our land that Regina made that offer to let us walk away into a quiet life. You wanted to, but I knew what an incredible Queen you would be to your people. Maybe I was wrong to push us to continue the fight," he replied. She shook her head.
"No…you were right and Regina would have never really left us alone. She had nothing but her revenge at that point. Once she knew we were off living a happy life somewhere on a farm or in another Kingdom, she would have eventually come after us. And maybe even caught us off guard," she reasoned.
"Yeah…I guess so. The life we've had for the last three years is the one I've always wanted to give you and I'm going to fight to make sure we hold onto everything we have and everything we just got back," he promised. She kissed him tenderly at that and he pressed her close. Gently, he caressed her face and cupped her cheek in his hand. She leaned into his touch and pressed her forehead against his.
"I love you…so much," he said, as he pressed a kiss to her forehead and then to her lips.
"I love you too…I'm just grateful there was no need to find each other this time," she mused.
"Never again…no more separations, Snow," he promised, hoping he could keep that promise, as they fell asleep in each other's arms.
The apartment was quiet and Henry had gone to bed, leaving Emma to her own devices. She poured herself another small amount of scotch and took another drink. Usually, she didn't get out the hard stuff these days, but after today, she needed it.
When she woke up this morning, she was a single mother with an almost teenaged son and a good job as a bail bondsperson that supported them well. It was a good life, not much success in the dating realm, but she had made peace with it. Henry was more than enough and they had a good life. She was still an orphan and Henry's father had left her too, but most of those wounds had healed with the joys of raising her son.
But now…the memories were all back. She had parents, who had been forced to give her up and had not willingly abandoned her. She had actually given her son up and he was adopted by the Evil Queen. The man that had fathered her child had actually left her, not because he didn't love her, but because Pinocchio had told he had to so she could break the curse.
"I hope your curse life sucks, August," she muttered, as she took another drink. She didn't really mean that. Last she checked, August got a second chance and was a little boy again, so he was probably somewhere with Marco, oblivious to any of this. They had never really been able to process and deal with Geppetto and the Blue Fairy's lies about the wardrobe. Some friends her parents supposedly had.
"Now…her normal life was over and she was back to saving again. This time though, it wasn't just Storybrooke. It was a city full of millions of people and possibly even the whole world. She had never asked for any of this and now she knew her parents never really had either. She had seen that. They just wanted to be together and have a family. They had that now with a baby…a baby that could have been her if they hadn't had an Evil Queen bent on destroying everything.
Then there was Hook and Regina. The thought of her father and Hook being partners, let alone friends, was mind boggling on its own. But the fact that he was her baby brother's Godfather was almost laughable. She had seen the changes in him though. While Regina was inclined to immediately revert to her old self, Hook had seemed to retain his cursed persona. Killian Rogers. Detective, friend, and almost family to the Nolans.
Then there was Regina. She was alone and childless, much like she had once cursed her mother to be. If she didn't know any better, she might have thought the trigger had sought to punish her. She wondered if Regina had ever really understood how magic worked. She wielded it with a vengeance at times; she had seen it. But she remembered Gold chiding her on more than one occasion that she was often messing with magic she didn't understand. The whole thing was mind blowing and she would have to remember to ask Gold how he had ended up captured, rather than escaping into new lives like the rest of them. Did the trigger have consequences for him too? She contemplated that, as she took a final sip and knew she had better stop there. She wanted more though, because now she remembered what really happened to Neal.
She flashed back to that moment where he sacrificed himself by letting go and falling through a portal so that Henry wouldn't be without both of them. She shook her thoughts of that and put her glass in the sink. Her son now had those memories too and with all the excitement, they hadn't sat down yet to talk about that. She would have to remedy that in the morning.
For now, she made her way to her bedroom, deep in her thoughts. She had finally accepted her parents when she thought they were all going to die, but now that they hadn't, her instincts were to keep pushing them away or at least keep them at arm's length. After all, they were biologically related and while she loved them, they were the same age. They had a baby to raise now and impart wisdom to. Emma was grown and hardened by the world. What wisdom or insight could they even offer? They couldn't relate to her experiences and that's why she had always rejected or objected to any advice from them. They meant well…but they didn't grow up in this world.
Nevermind that she actually had ever asked them about how they grew up. She assumed she knew what she needed to know from the book, but she knew she was being unfair in that respect. Maybe part of her didn't want to know. It was easier to see them as these characters in a book. It allowed her to keep them at arms length without the guilt. But if she learned about their lives and not what was just on paper, it humanized them and that came with a whole new set of problems for Emma Swan.
That meant dealing with her feelings and letting people besides Henry inside her walls and that was terrifying.
"Damn fairy tales…" she muttered, as she noticed all her case files piled on her desk. She guessed there was no need for these anymore, since she had been forced from her job into this new one. She sighed and put her glass in the sink, before finally going to bed for the night.
The General looked at the latest body once they had it in autopsy.
"Another elderly victim…" he said.
"Easy targets…they're picking off the elderly first," Agent Becker said.
"Are we sure this one was from there?" she asked.
"We're certain…the glowing heart is part of it, but the reason we were able to tag them all in the database is because that glowing heart translates to a DNA marker that we don't have," he explained.
"And you learned this from subject zero, I assume?" she asked. He nodded.
"Yes…from Mr. Gold. It wasn't easy, but most everyone has a job, goes to the doctor and the ones that don't inevitably apply for government assistance or pop up in soup kitchens," he continued.
"Why hasn't Agent Casey been read in on any of this?" she inquired.
"Casey is a military man at heart…he will follow orders and he belongs in the field. You're the politician and better suited for the bureaucracy required for this job," he said. She nodded.
"But we are going to tell them that their kind is being hunted?" she asked.
"For now, we introduce them into the investigation. If someone is hunting them, we'll know soon enough, because this won't be the last body," he replied.
"Who else besides someone on the inside could even know about them?" she asked.
"That's what we must find out," he answered.
"General…what happens if they fix things and these paranormal anomalies cease? Do you really plan to let them go back to their lives?" she asked.
"That's above your paygrade, Agent Becker," he answered, as he walked out.
The next morning felt odd to say the least. Apparently, she was going to work like normal, while David would be reporting to Castle for new assignments as a Detective that now worked for the NSA instead of the NYPD. She would only be called in if another magical entity popped up. David said they were being treated like government assets, which further added to their suspicion and theory that they would never really be free again to live their lives as they wanted. It went without saying that they all missed Storybrooke now.
"Okay sweetie…" she cooed, as she cleaned his face after his breakfast and he fussed a bit.
"Let's get you dressed to go see Ashley," she said, as she paused for a moment.
"You okay?" David asked, as he filled his travel mug with coffee. She nodded.
"I just realized that Ashley is Ella…and she might never remember," she said. He sighed.
"I know…I hate it too. But at least we know she and Thomas are together," he said. She nodded and he pressed a gentle kiss to her lips, before she headed for the stairs, just as Killian peered in.
"Good morning," Snow said. He smiled.
"Morning…" he said, as Bobby waved at him.
"Morning little mate," he said, as she went upstairs to get him dressed, as he looked around awkwardly.
"Something wrong?" David asked, as he topped off his partner's coffee.
"No…I guess it's just that I wasn't sure if you and Margaret…Snow would still want me around now. I know we weren't exactly on good terms back in Storybrooke," he said.
"No…but we also can't erase the last three years and for three years, you were my partner and practically part of the family. You were there when Bobby was born, you
babysit him at least once a week, and have dinner here at least three times a week," David replied.
"Snow and I talked…and unless you plan to revert and go all Hook on us again, we don't want anything to change. Bobby loves you…and you've grown on us too, I guess," he
added. Killian allowed himself a small smile.
"No reverting mate…revenge is a fool's errand. I…I like this life," he admitted.
"Trust me, we do too and we can still have it. It's even better now, because we get to add Emma and Henry to the mix," David said.
"They're never letting us go," Killian reminded him.
"I know…all the more reason for you and I to work together and figure out an exit out of this for all of us," David said.
"Which probably means working with the bloody crocodile," Killian replied with disdain.
"I know you two have had issues, but we're all working toward the same goal," David admonished.
"Aye…" he agreed, as Snow returned with the baby. David followed her out to the car and kissed her goodbye. They waved at her, before he got into Killian's car and he drove
them to Roni's.
"Do you miss it?" David asked, gesturing toward his wooden hand.
"The hook?" he asked. Killian shrugged.
"Perhaps a bit…but it's hardly practical for this world, nor the tiny mate," he replied, referring to David's son. David smiled at that and they soon arrived at Roni's bar.
It was morning, but unsurprisingly, the bar had a few regulars there drowning their sorrows. Agent Casey was behind the bar, washing glassware, while Agent Becker was
sitting in one of the booths.
"I really hope we're not expected to be barkeeps now. We may not be super government agents, but we're good detectives," Killian mentioned.
"He's right…I was a Sheriff before all this. Emma too. She has a lot of experience," he said, as she came in as well.
"Think you're up for real police work?" Casey questioned.
"We've been doing real police work for the last three years. Our backgrounds on paper may be curse stuff, but we can give you a list of real criminals we've locked up," David
said shortly.
"There's no need for you or Rogers to prove yourselves, Detective Nolan. The NSA wouldn't have hired you from your other jobs if we didn't recognize your value. Casey just
likes to haze newcomers," Alivia replied. Casey smirked.
"She's right…I appreciate your abilities. Most in the Academy these days make an old school marine like me want to be sick," he said.
"We have a murder to investigate," Agent Becker said, as she led the three of them down into Castle, each of them using the eye scanner to gain access.
Casey picked up the remote for the big screen and showed them the body.
"She's one of yours," he said. Emma looked at him.
"What do you mean?" Emma asked.
"He means from the Enchanted Forest," David replied.
"Do you know her?" Alivia asked.
"I know of her. I recognize her from one villages back in our land. She was a seamstress. Snow and I actually bought some…some toys from the vendor next to her shop
once," he mentioned.
"Toys?" Emma asked, wondering why, until he looked at her.
"It was for your nursery," he replied, as she remembered visiting that nursery. It had been like something that was stuck in time. A nursery filled with toys and baby furniture;
a place where a baby would have slept, grown, and played. A nursery never used.
"That's a hell of a memory you have. You remember all the peasants from your Kingdom?" Alivia asked. He bristled a bit.
"Not all of them…but I know many faces and I happened to be one of those lowly peasants once," David replied shortly.
"My brother was raised as a Prince…I only replaced him and then married a Princess. But I grew up dirt poor, while James had a silver spoon in his mouth. I had a loving mother though, so I still got the better deal," he explained, making Emma thoughtful for a moment. There was that stuff about the past she wanted to ignore. She could hear the pain, darkness, and a touch of bitterness in his voice. He had his mother at least…but it didn't sound like much else. How could they be from two worlds, yet so similar? The more humanized she saw them…the harder it was going to be to keep them at arm's length.
"Any idea on the motive?" Killian asked.
"No…that's where it gets even weirder," Casey said.
"I'd say so…there's a hole in her chest," David replied.
"That's because someone ripped her heart out," Alivia said, stunning them all…
He opened his eyes that morning, just after sunrise, to another day, just as he had for three years. He sat up and got up out of bed, before going through his morning routine. Not a day had passed where he hadn't missed the conveniences of on demand hot water and modern plumbing, but he had gotten used to life in the Enchanted Forest again.
For three years, he had been a guest in Phillip's Kingdom. Somehow, he had survived the fall through the portal and found himself in the land from which he once hailed. Then…nothing. He had been searching for a way to find a portal for three years and he still wondered if Emma was looking for him too. He doubted it though. She probably thought he didn't survive. He knew Tiny had been trying to grow beans, but there was no guarantee he had been able to grow more after they were sabotaged.
He had been everywhere, often traveling east with Mulan or to Nottingham with Robin Hood, but no one had answers. It was like there was another curse or something and an impenetrable barrier was up between all the realms again. He only hoped that wasn't the case and that Emma and Henry were okay. He had fallen through the portal, leaving them to face Greg and Tamara, who had been hell bent on destroying Storybrooke. But he had not been able to bring himself to think about that possibility. He had to believe they were okay to keep going.
After breakfast, he headed out into the woods again. There were rumors that there was a witch in Dunbroch that might be able to help, but Mulan had warned expressly against it, for she was known to be untrustworthy. He was getting desperate though and decided to head to one of the markets for more information and necessary supplies for such a journey.
"Neal!" Roland called. He smiled at the boy, who was just a couple years younger than Henry.
"Hi Roland…are you here with your Papa?" he asked.
"He is indeed…we were hoping to run into you today," Robin said, as they shook hands.
"Why is that?" he asked.
"There's a rumor of suspicious activity near Lake Nostros," Robin informed him.
"Lake Nostros…that's where Emma and Snow went through the portal. It was dried up then, but I thought it was a lake again, thanks to Cora," Neal said.
"It is…or was. It's dried up again and some of the locals say it's like quicksand now," Robin replied. Neal's brow furrowed.
"Quicksand?" he asked.
"Yes…apparently the local children of the villages near there have taken to tossing objects into it for fun," Robin replied.
"Let me guess…you don't think it's quicksand?" Neal asked. He shrugged.
"I'm definitely skeptical that a vat of quicksand just pops up in what used to be a lake…a lake known for magic and portals," Robin replied.
"Yes…it's water from that lake that cured Henry's grandmother of an infertility curse put on her by King George. It broke a curse on Princess Abigail's true love too," Neal said, as he thought for a moment.
"But…if it's a portal, why is it staying open?" he wondered.
"I don't know, but I thought you might like to investigate and Roland and I would be happy to accompany you," Robin said. Neal smiled and nodded.
"I would and thanks," he said, as they started off to the mystical Lake Nostros and hopefully the answers he had been seeking for three years…