"I saw her, David. I saw Daniella." Snow insisted, sitting next to her husband in a booth at Granny's diner. "That can't be. She was lost to us long before the curse hit. King George said she was killedMary Margaret. You know that." He couldn't believe what his wife was saying. She nodded at his words looking down into her cup of tea. "I know, I know…but I know I saw her." David could see the distress in his wife's eyes as the old wound was torn back open. "It's been so long. What makes you think it was her?" He wrapped his arm around her shoulders in an attempt to comfort her. "She looked just as I imagined. She was so…beautiful."
The small town was too busy rejoicing at Emma and Snow's return, to notice the large ship on the horizon. It had one and only one destination. Killian surveyed his surroundings through his telescope. Taking in the small town that resembled nothing that he had ever seen. "There it is." He announced. "Storybrooke." Cora clapped her hands together standing beside the pirate and the thief, excitement radiating off her.
"Shouldn't take us more than a few hours to reach the docks." Anthanasia nodded before moving back to the helm. Killian stood with her navigating the ship. while she leaned against the hard, wood looking out over the shimmering water. A sense of calm washing over her. Absent-mindedly she traced her fingers over the pendant of the necklace she wore. "What's that, love?" Killian asked, watching her. She turned to face him, "My father gave this to me one year to the day after he found me." She explained showing him the small lion carved from wood. "He said I had the heart of a lion, and the bite to match." She chuckled at the memory, bringing a soft smile to her lips.
"Do you think you will find your other family in this land as well?" She thought for a long moment. "I was just a toddler when my father found me. Too young to remember what had happened or to know why my parents abandoned me in the Enchanted Forest. Left me to die." She frowned deeply. "Searching for the people who abandoned me is the reason I was separated from my father and brother in the first place. If I had been with them instead of miles away searching, when the curse hit, I would be with them right now."
Killian listened quietly. "I can't, no I won't let that happen again." She tucked the necklace back into her top and turned back to watch Storybrooke grow closer. With each wave, each inch of water they covered, brought her closer and closer to her family and his revenge. They were so close they could practically taste the sweetness of victory.
Finally, they reached the docks and Killian set the anchor. A pirate ship stood out along the small fishing boats along the bay, rocking and groaning with the gentle waves. Once he and Anthanasia made sure the ship was secured to his liking, they stepped off the ship onto dry land. While in their time together Anthanasia had adapted to the ship and found her sea legs with little difficulty, she preferred land. It didn't rock and sway beneath her feet.
"Well, My dear Cora, this is where we shall part ways. Thank you for everything. It's time to skin my crocodile." Killian announced as he and Anthanasia turned to set off on their new adventure. They came to an abrupt stop when Cora magically appeared in front of them, blocking their way. "You might want to rethink this." She sing-songed.
"We had a deal. Get out of the way." Anthanasia growled, hand already reaching for her sword. "Believe it or not, I'm doing you a favor." Cora chided. "By preventing my vengeance?" Killian's voice rising in anger. "Ask yourself how I am doing that." They paused confused, brows knitting together. It took them an embarrassingly long time for either one of them to realize what she was talking about. "By using dark magic."
That shouldn't have been possible. Storybrooke was supposed to be a land without magic. Killian's plan hinged on that fact. "Exactly. Magic is here. And that makes things a bit more complicated. If you go off half-cocked after an empowered Rumplestilskin, do you know what will happen?"
Killian glowered at her but knew she was right. They had thought they were going to a land where there was no magic making killing the crocodile easy enough but now that they knew there was indeed magic they had to come up with a different plan. "So, you do. Good."
They were interrupted by a man approaching them in odd clothing that none of them had seen before. "Hey. Do you folks need anything? Tackle shop don't open until morning, but, if you want to go out and try to snare some of New England's finest pescatarian creatures, I'd be happy to open early for ya!" The man greeted with a broad smile on his face. "No thank you. We are fine." Killian answered, trying to politely get rid of the man.
"It's a fine vessel you got there. Where'd you get it?" The man asked, looking at the Jolly Roger with open admiration. Before Killian could dive in boasting about his ship like they all knew he wanted too, Cora waved her hand. "What vessel?" she asked innocently. "W…why that one right…" The ship was gone. Not even a clue that it had once been there.
"Hey, that's a neat trick! You some sort of magician back in our land?" Anthanasia smiled, he was an odd man but was certainly entertaining and far kinder than what they were accustomed to. Cora waved her hand again and the man vanished. In his place lay a flopping silver fish on the dock. "Cora!" Anthanasia growled rushing toward it. "You can't just turn innocent people into fish." She scooped it up gingerly and carried it over to the water where she released it.
Cora scoffed at the small woman. "What did you do to my ship?" Killian asked equally as angry. "I hid it from prying eyes. For what we all want to do, we need the element of surprise." Cora explained as if she were talking to children. "Now, are you ready to listen to me?" she asked, twirling her parasol. She hadn't even needed it. When they had dropped anchor it was late, the moon rising high in the sky. "Go on. Your majesty, what now?" Anthanasia goaded and stood back up wiping her hands on her pants. "Let's go have a little look at this Storybrooke, shall we?
They slipped through the darkened streets keeping to the shadows. "Why are we helping her? We fulfilled our end of the bargain, we should be looking for your crocodile and my family." Anthanasia hissed walking close behind the pirate in front of her, nearly stepping on his heels. "If only it were that simple, my dear." Cora answered having heard her despite her attempt to conceal her words. "And why isn't it?" Anthanasia adjusted her scarf. Cora stopped and turned to face her.
"Do you honestly believe Snow White and Emma would let you waltz around their quaint little town looking for your family? They did betray you after all. They left you back in the other world thinking you had no other way to get here, knowing you were only looking for your family. Snow White shot you with an arrow and you believe they would leave you to your search, or even help you?" Anthansia looked down at her feet feeling like a scolded child. In all honesty she hadn't given it much thought. "No." she mumbled. "Good girl. The only chance any of us have in getting what we want is by going to my daughter."
Gaining access to a rooftop across from the diner where most of the town's people were celebrating the safe return of their Savior and Princess had been easy enough. Killian watched through his telescope as Emma and the Evil Queen, Regina, could hear the argument clearly from their position across the darkened and empty street. "He said you came to see him. That you're trying not to use magic, that you're trying to be a better person. You understand I was hesitant to invite you. I asked him and he thought it was a good idea." Emma was saying, looking at Regina distrustfully. "Thank you. It was. I should be going." Regina answered curtly, shoving her hands in her pockets. Anthanasia could feel the pain and anger Regina felt, but most of all she could feel her sadness; it was so deep and profound it threatened to overwhelm her.
Anthanasia closed her eyes and took a deep breath through her nose, steadying herself. "Well, is she broken?" Killian asked, looking at her expectantly. "Not yet." She whispered sadly, knowing Cora wanted her daughter even more damaged than she already was. She hated what she was doing. Once again someone had discovered her gift and used it for their personal gain.
Killian could see the sadness in her turquoise eyes and frowned. "Right then, if you wont be needing us…" he tugged On Anthanasia's arm pulling her away from Cora. They needed some time away from the Queen if they were to keep their wits about them. The minute his hand touched her blissful silence washed over her. "For now." Cora commented and the two left quickly. "I'm going to look for my family. I'll be back before sunrise." Before he could argue Anthanasia darted off into the shadows leaving him standing in the middle of the street, alone.
Anthansia kept her promise and had returned to the ship by sunrise. When she arrived she found Killian pacing irately from one side of the ship to the other cursing under his breath. "What's wrong?" She asked stopping his pacing. "Ask Cora." He growled. Suddenly she felt it, a familiar fuzzy feeling at the back of her mind. Panic, determination and fear. Her eyes widened. In a flash she was running down the stairs disappearing beneath the deck. Killian could hear the sounds of the doors beneath him slamming open as she searched each room, following the feelings she felt.
She came to the last room and paused listening. She didn't hear anything but she knew someone was in there. Slowly she opened the door letting it swing open and she gasped. There in front of her sat a timid man with his hands and feet bound, a piece of white fabric preventing him from speaking. His skin was pale, his reddish blonde hair thinning and his wide blue were wide with fear, no doubt thinking she was there to kill him.
She moved cautiously into the room so as not to startle him but he scrambled back whimpering. He could barely make out the shape of her figure without his glasses. She noticed him squinting and looked around the room and spotted a pair of round thick black rimmed glasses.
"Here." She knelt down beside him and placed the glasses on his round face. He jumped slightly and then blinked a few times letting his eyes focus. He felt panic rise in his chest when he saw a hooded person kneeling beside him looking like death itself.
Anthanasia rolled her eyes and reached up, removing the hood concealing her features. "I'm not going to hurt you." She told him removing the gag from his mouth. "Who are you?" he asked breathlessly. "People call me Anthanasia. Who are you?" she leaned back onto her heels. "Uh, here I am known as Dr. Hopper, but, in the Enchanted Forest I'm…Jiminy Cricket." He answered timidly.
"What the bloody hell does Cora want with a conscience?" she murmured to herself. "You…look so familiar." She glanced up at him. "Do I know you?" he asked and she shook her head. "I'm new to your land. Perhaps you can help me, I'm looking for my family. A man with a lion tattoo on his wrist and a small boy. Have you seen them?"
The hope she'd felt dwindled as he tried to remember and came up empty handed. "I'm sorry…I don't." Anthanasia sighed pushing her disappointment aside. "Tell me, what happened?" She listened to his words as he told her how Cora disguised herself as Regina and kidnapped him, leaving behind a body that looked identical to his.
"So she could fake your death and frame Regina." She concluded. "But, you'll let me go!" she stood stepping away from him. "I can't…not yet anyways." Her voice turned emotionless. "But…" she pulled her hood back up. "Do as you're told, don't make a fuss and I promise I will get you out of here, alive." She could hear footsteps above them. She turned to leave, "Wait!" she glanced over her shoulder. "Thank you." She nodded once and left the room, closing the door firmly behind her.
"Cora!" Anthansia roared when she spotted the Queen of Hearts on deck. Cora turned to smile at the woman. "Anthanasia, my dear…" Anthanasia's small body barreled into her slamming her against a crate, her hand around her throat. "We did not agree to this. Hostages, are you insane?" she growled, baring her teeth like a rabid animal.
"It's only long enough to bring Regina running into my arms." Cora explained as if it were just another day and for it probably was. "He is a person! Not something you can use against your daughter!" she tightened her grip and pulled the dagger out of her boot. "Love, let's not do anything rash." Killian tried to end the argument before she could use the dagger.
"She won't kill me, Captain." Cora said confidently. "What makes you think that?" Anthanasia asked, putting the blade to her throat. "I'm the only one who knows where your family is and who your birth parents are."
Her hand wavered, letting her guard down for just a moment. Suddenly, she was tossed through the air. She slammed into the edge of the ship's railing with a loud thud, falling to the ground groaning.
"Now are you going to play by my rules or do you need a time out?" Cora asked calmly as if she hadn't just had a dagger pressed to her throat. Growling Anthanasia climbed to her feet. When she didn't answer, the Queen grinned triumphantly. "Good girl." Anthanasia glared at her, "Why him?" she finally asked, ignoring the pain and wetness seeping down her arm from her already injured shoulder. The wound she had sloppily dressed before their departure had reopened.
"Mr. Hopper is privy to Storybrooke's deepest secrets, including Rumplestilskin's. Someone who can help us determine his weakness here." That did nothing to quell her anger. "If that's him, then who did you kill?" her brows rose in question. "How do I know? It's my first day in town." Cora answered innocently, shrugging. Anthansia rolled her eyes. "You disguised the body to look like him. If death wasn't punishment enough… marvelous work!" Killian spoke smiling.
It was moments like that when Anthanasia was reminded he was a cold hearted pirate, seeking revenge. "Thank you. Now you'll have all the knowledge you'll need. It may take some work, but this cricket will chirp." Cora smiled smugly. "Aye that he will."
Anthanasia sat near the helm attempting to tend to her own wound as she listened to the pirate interrogate the cricket below. "Wait, no! Please! Don't! Wait! Please, please!" Mr. Hopper wailed. "Shh…as your patient, the Dark One must've told you all manner of secrets. Where is his dagger?" Killian was trying to coax the answer out of the cricket, he had been at it for well over an hour and the cricket had yet to give him the information he needed.
"I don't know anything about a dagger." Killian sighed, his anger growing. "No, you don't?" he could tell the man was telling the truth. "It's his weakness. Now tell me, does he have others?" He switched tactics deciding he would take what he could get.
Mr. Hopper remained silent. "Very well. I've always wanted to dissect cricket." Anthanasia closed her eyes as he dug his hook into the Dr.'s forehead. "No! Wait. Wait! Please!" Mr. Hopper begged. "Ah…that's more like it. Now, tell me, Cricket, what is his weakness?"
Killian made his way above deck. He was surprised to see Anthanasia was still awake. She was sitting on the deck with her scarf off and tunic pulled down one shoulder, attempting to stitch the wound on her shoulder where Snow White had shot her with an arrow. She struggled and grumbled as she dropped the needle for what felt like the millionth time.
Killian sat down in front of her. She didn't even bother to look up at him as she picked up the needle and tried again only to fumble and drop it once more. "Let me." He said reaching for it. "I got it." She snapped, slapping his hand away. Killian waited patiently as she failed again. "Fine." She huffed, handing him the needle and thread. He took them from her and set to work.
She flinched as the needle broke her skin but didn't make a sound. He worked in silence for a few moments sensing she was upset with him. "I can feel it." She said quietly looking at her hands. "As you should, love. It is a needle after all." He glanced up at her briefly. "No, I mean, I can feel what they feel." His hand stilled and he looked up into her bright turquoise eyes. They were haunted by the ghosts of her gift.
"Every joy, every sadness, every pain." She emphasized the last word. Realization colored his face. She had felt what he had done to the cricket. He had completely forgotten, too caught up in his vengeance, that she would feel what he felt. "Love…" she shook her head. "You know for a while I let myself believe that there was more hidden underneath the flirtations, leather and hook. For a while I honestly forgot."
He tied off the last stitch and used his hook to cut the thread. "Forgot what?" He pulled her tunic back into place. She grabbed her scarf and stood. "That you are a heartless pirate who only cares about his thirst for vengeance." She turned on her heel and headed down below deck to check on the cricket, leaving Killian to his own thoughts.
He hated how much he cared about what she thought of him. He was Captain Hook, one of the most feared pirates that sailed the seas. He didn't give a damn what people thought of him. All he had cared about for so long was getting his vengeance for his lost love, Milah, and he didn't care about what he had to do to get it. He prided himself on being the worst of the worst.
Until he met Anthanasia. There was something about her that made him feel guilty for hurting others, hurting her. Made him want to change, to be different, to be better. And he hated it. Hated how much he cared about her. A rogue thief searching for her family that happened to stumble across a drunken pirate willing to take her where she needed to go.
The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon when she emerged onto the deck. She wrapped her scarf around herself in hopes of keeping out the morning chill. She had always been an early riser, no matter the amount of sleep she got. Her father used to tease her, saying' the sun could not rise without her. That if one day she slept in the sun would wait for her to wake before it dared to rise into the sky without her.
"Morning, love." She looked up, meeting Killian's gaze. "Morning, Captain." She greeted curtly with a nod. He frowned deeply. "May I have a word?" She pulled her hood up and walked over to him with a shrug. "What is it? Have a new hostage to torcher?" she asked bitterly, glaring up at him. "Or is Cora going to be doing it today?" she continued.
"I'm trying to do something I do not do often…apologize." Her next insult vanished from her mind. "Oh." He nodded, "You are right. I shouldn't have done what I did to the cricket. He isn't the target of my vengeance." Killian said. "I promise to keep my… less attractive attributes to myself."
Anthanasia stared up at him for a long moment. "Well, it's not perfect…but seeing as you never apologize, it's probably as good as it's going to get." She admitted cracking a smile. "Ah, there it is! The most precious treasure of them all!" she furrowed her brows confused. "Your smile, love." he pointed out the obvious. She felt her face heat and knew her cheeks were a violent shade of red based on the grin Killian wore. She quickly turned to walk away, hiding her face from him.
"If I can't use my violence to get my revenge, perhaps a certain thief would be willing to join me in a treasure hunt?" he called after her. Anthanasia turned back grinning, "What am I to steal?"
Anthanasia waited patiently on the rooftop of some sort of shop that contained trinkets and treasures from all over the worlds. She was eager to see what was inside, her fingers practically itching at the thought of golds and valuable items that would fetch a pretty penny. Killian had told her that the shop was where the crocodile kept the very item that would destroy him. All she had to do was sneak in and steal it. Simple enough.
She was waiting for the crocodile to leave so she could slip in undetected. She heard the bells above the door jingle and then the door closed. She leaned over the edge to see an old man with his cane hurrying down the street. She waited until he was out of sight before she leapt from the roof, landing on the pavement silently. She glanced around to make sure no one was watching before she set to work. "All about the tumblers."
She searched the entire shop but hadn't found what she was looking for. She looked around the ransacked room thanks to her less than patient skills, frustrated. It had to be there somewhere. Killian had said it would be under lock and key, yet she hadn't seen anything of the sort.
She paused looking up at a cluster of small glass unicorns hanging from some wires. They were meant to be hung above a crib. Hesitantly she reached out and touched one gently feeling as if she had seen them somewhere once before. It was impossible.
She shook her head clearing her thoughts and sighed, turning to face the counter. She stopped cocking her head to the side. There on the wall hung a painting of a ship. It looked newer than the rest of the paintings. She gently pulled on the edges of the frame and it gave way swinging to the side to reveal a safe in the wall. As she reached for it she heard a voice, someone was coming and from the sound of it a man and a woman.
Killian paced impatiently on the rooftop across the street from Mr. Gold's pawn shop, watching through his telescope. Rumplestilskin and his woman were heading down the street right for the shop. Anthanasia should have been back by watched horrified as they entered the shop. She had to still be in there. Yelling floated from the store followed by the sound of crashing and shattering glass. "Dammit, love." He growled, dropping his telescope and pivoting to run to her aide.
"Looking for me?" he felt relief sweep over him as the sound of her voice reached his ears. "After all this time, why do you still doubt me?" Anthanasia teased sauntering over to him. "A mistake I will never make again." He assured her with a grin. "Did you get it, love?" Anthanasia reached into her scarf and pulled out an old tattered looking shall, handing it to him. "What is it?' she questioned not seeing how a ratty old piece of fabric could destroy the crocodile. "It's the end of the crocodile's hope. Now he's trapped here."
The two made their way back to the ship, Killian had a little more pep in his step than he's had in a long time. "I am going to sweep the forest, see if my family is there and… acquire some provisions." She announced as they reached the docks. "I'll be back." She promised darting off into the shadows once more. She was always doing that. Disappearing before he could get a word in edgewise. Shaking his head he returned to the ship.
Anthanasia had searched the forest for hours but found no trace of her father and brother. She was beginning to believe they weren't in Storybrooke at all and Cora was indeed the only person who knew where they were. It had been so long since she had seen them. She had spent every waking moment trying to find them since they had been separated.
They had been separated when the curse hit. She had been with Killian, searching for her birth parents. They must have been outside the curses' reach. When she had woken from the deep sleep Cora had forced them into, they had been gone. Their camp vanished leaving behind no tracks for her to even follow.
She walked soberly back to the ship covered in mud, tired and feeling as if all hope had been lost. As she neared the cloaked ship she was hit by a wall of rage, anger, fear and had nearly dropped her to her knees. She could hear yelling and screaming. She stopped listening. With the ship being cloaked she couldn't see anything so she had no idea what she would be walking in on.
"Ah, you look different in this world, crocodile. Like the coward I met so long ago, limp and all." Killian said seeing Rumplestilskin for the first time in many, many years. "And yet, you still can't kill me." Rumple taunted the pirate. "Let's have it, Dark One. What magic are you going to hide behind today?" Killian bellowed. "Oh, no. Not magic!" Anthanasia heard scuffling and what she assumed was a fight break out. She dropped the goods she had stolen and drew her sword. She was going in blind but she didn't really have any other choice.
She ran up the steps and pushed off leaping through the cloak not knowing who or what she would come face to face with. She landed on the deck gracefully and saw the man from the shop beating Killian furiously with his cane. So much for the crocodile needing it for his limp. A woman with brown hair stood by screaming at him to stop which clearly hadn't been working.
Anthanasia moved quickly acting on instinct, swinging her sword in a large arch. It crashed against the cane effectively stopping the beating. The crocodile lifted his gaze to the woman who had stopped him. "I wouldn't get involved, dearie, you might get yourself killed." He sneered his warning. "Or, I could kill you." She spun swinging the blade again intending to strike him in the back but as the blade cut through the air toward him, he held out his hand.
Once again she found herself sailing through the air across the ship. She slammed into a wall, her head cracking against the wood making her vision blur momentarily. She really needed to stop charging people she knew she didn't stand a chance against. Sooner or later it would get her killed.
She hoped for the latter. Once her vision returned she tried to rush forward again but found she couldn't move. He was using magic to hold her in place. Okay scratch that, she needed to stop charging people who had magic, it left her at an unfair disadvantage.
"Rumple! Hey, let's go. Let's go. Let's go!" The other woman pleaded. "No, not yet Belle." He hit Killian again with his cane, whose face was bloody and starting to bruise and swell. Belle held out the shawl she had managed to get back from the pirate. The one Anthanasia had stolen. "This, this is what you came for! This is what's going to get you back to your son!" Anthanasia struggled against the magic holding her. "Ah, you're wasting your breath, love. He can't resist. He has to prove that he's not a coward!" Killian spitting blood onto the deck looked up at Rumple darkly.
"You may want to turn away, Belle. This isn't going to be pretty." Rumple warned of striking the pirate again. "Stop!" Anthanasia yelled, writhing against the magic. Suddenly, her throat felt tight, like someone had their hand wrapped around it, tightening their grip, choking her. She gasped frantically for air. He was using his magic to strangle her, to kill her.
Killian saw Anthanasia's eyes widen and begin gasping for air, struggling to breathe the vein in her forehead throbbing with her pulse. "Do it! Do it, kill me!" he yelled in hopes of getting the crocodile to focus on killing him and let her go. He turned to Belle. "He has to show you how powerful he is."
"No Rumple. This…is what he wants. To destroy every bit of good in you!" Belle argued not willing to let him kill the pirate and woman. "Rip my heart out. Kill me like you did Milah, and then I'll finally be returned to her." It broke Anthanasia's heart to hear him welcoming death to see the hope in his eyes. Hope that he would kill him and end his suffering.
"He has to die, Belle." Rumple yelled dropping his cane and lunged for Killian's throat. "No! No, he doesn't. There's still good in you. I see it. I've always seen it. Please, please show me I'm not wrong!"
Anthanasia's vision had gone black and she could barely make out what they were saying, their voices sounding so very far away like she was stuck under water. She was fighting desperately to stay awake but it was a battle she was losing and quickly.
"You take your little ship, and sail until you fall off the edge of the world. I never want to see you again." Rumple growled and suddenly air rushed back into her lungs. She gasped and fell to the ground coughing erratically. Slowly her vision began to return, the blackness fading so it only rimmed the edge of her vision in time to see the crocodile and the girl hurrying away.
Anthanasia scrambled across the deck to killian who lay barely conscious in a small pool of his own blood and his face still actively bleeding. "Killian!" She gently lifted his head into her lap so she could get a better look at the damage done to his usually handsome face. It was bloody and swollen with bruises starting to form in various places. If he thought he was now he would be a thousand times worse tomorrow.
"Don't worry, love. It's just a scratch. I'll be handsome again in no time." He groaned trying to put her worried mind at ease. "You stupid selfish pirate." She growled relieved. "Hey, no need for name calling. I was just bloody beaten half to death." She shook her head and put her arms under his shoulders pushing him into a sitting position ignoring his groans of protest. "And you're lucky I don't have a go at you myself."
Killian sat in front of her as she dabbed at his face with a damp cloth. "Did you really want him to kill you?" she asked quietly, avoiding his gaze. He was silent for a long moment considering hsi answer carefully. "Aye."
"Why?" she kept her eyes trained on the gash on his forehead. "I have lived a long time, love. A long time without the one thing all men need, even the crocodile needs…love." He said. "Without my Milah, without her love I am nothing but a heartless pirate." She frowned as he used her earlier words against her.
"That's not true." She said feeling guilty for ever saying such a thing to him. "You are a good man. People only see the villain Captain Hook, but I…I see the man, the hero, Killian Jones. It may be brief when the hero makes his presence known but he's in there." Killian looked up at her but she avoided his gaze. She finished cleaning up his face, only having to stitch one of the cuts closed. The rest would heal with time.
"So, now how do we get the crocodile?" she asked changing the subject gathering up the used supplies to return them below deck. Killian reached into his pocket. "He is going where there is no magic, where he is powerless." Killian explained. "Once he leaves, I can kill him with this." He pulled out the gun he had taken from Belle. It looked like a musket but much more compact and shinier.
"Not even he can survive a bullet." Anthanasia tossed the dirty rag aside and stood grabbing her scarf, sword, and bow and arrows. She turned and started to walk towards the dock. "Where are you going?" Killian called after her, confused. She turned back to him, "We have a crocodile to hunt don't we?" Killian stood stiffly grinning like a fool, "Right you are, love."
"This is the town line?" Anthanasia asked, looking over at the red line painted on the road leading back to Storybrooke. They were hidden well out of view in the tree line, waiting for the crocodile to make his appearance. "Aye." He answered keeping his eyes peeled for Rumplestilskin.
"So, let me get this straight. If anyone who was cursed steps over that line they forget who they are?" he nodded. "But how will the crocodile cross it without losing his memory?" she asked, still not understanding. "He enchanted the shawl you stole. So his memories remain intact." He explained patiently. "That's why you had me steal it. He wouldn't leave without it. Trapping him here." She realized. "Aye, now that he has it, he will leave to search for his son." It made sense, in some weirdly magical way, but it made sense nonetheless.
"And there is no magic on that side?" she asked, trying to make sure they had covered every detail and nothing could go wrong. "Aye, making Rumplestilskin nothing more than a coward."
They fell silent as a black contraption Cora had called a car, sped towards the line stopping a few hundred feet away. As it pulled to a stop they could see Rumple and Belle talking inside of it before they climbed out. Rumple poured some sort of potion over the shawl he clutched in his hand. The shawl glowed for a second and then returned to normal. "Okay…" Belle murmured as she put the shawl around his neck, hands lingering in a loving gesture.
"Here we go." Rumple said, taking a deep breath and stepped over the line. A surge of magic pulsed through his body. He turned to face her. On baited breath they waited to see if he had in fact retained his memory. "Belle…" she edged closer to the line and grabbed his hand without crossing it fully. "It…it worked." She breathed relieved. "Yes it did. It did." He sounded just as relieved. It was a bold risk to cross the line without knowing for certain it would work, but Anthanasia knew what it was like to want to find your family. If she had been in his shoes she would have done the same.
"Now you can find your son." Belle smiled watery up at him. "Oh, Belle, I so wish you were coming with me." She continued to smile through her tears. "As do I, but…It doesn't matter." She assured him. "And why not?" he asked, cocking his head to the side. "Because you'll find him. And, when you do, I will be here waiting for you when you get back."
Anthtnasia was hit by a wave of sadness. It was bitter sweet. It wasn't a goodbye but the sadness still ripped through them like it was. Anthanasia was so consumed by the emotions she hadn't even noticed Killian was no longer beside her, that was until a shot rang out. She went from feeling sad to feeling shock and then pain. It had been so strong she actually doubled over grabbing her stomach letting out a cry as she felt what Belle felt.
Belle felt the pain blossom through her abdomen and she fell forward. Rumple tried to catch her but wasn't fast enough as she fell over the town line, magic surging through her. "I wouldn't count on it." Killian yelled, drawing attention to himself. "Belle? Belle!" Rumpled yelled, holding her to his chest. "W…who's Belle?" she cried in confusion and pain painting her voice. "Oh, no, no, no, no,no…" Rumple began to panic.
"Oh, fear not. She'll live. She'll just have no idea who you are." Killian assured him with a sinister grin. Rumple looked up at him with a murderous glare. "What you have done cannot be undone!" he yelled at the pirate. "Well, now you finally know how it feels! Well, go ahead, Crocodile. Do your worst." Killian taunted him. "Oh, I plan too!" Rumple growled.
Anthanasia gasped seeing the two bright lights behind Rumple as he conjured a fireball in his hand. "No!" she screamed hurtling herself out of the trees toward Killian as fast as her legs would carry her. Rumple looked up just in time to see the car speeding towards them. He grabbed Belle and rolled out of the way as it sped past.
Killian on the other hand had been oblivious until the bright lights blinded him. Anthanasia slammed into him a moment too late. Excruciating pain filled both the thief and pirate as the car struck were flung through the air at an impossible speed.
Killian landed on the ground a few yards away, his head hitting the pavement with a resounding crack. The last thing he saw was Anthanasia laying on the ground farther away, her body contorted in an unnatural position, not moving, before everything went pitch black.