Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

"I still think it's weird that you have sessions with Archie now," Henry stated loudly as he slid into his seat at the kitchen table. His backpack spilled onto the surface as he came to a stop, and Emma thought it was lucky his notebooks didn’t fall knock his plate of waffles to the floor. He took care to remove the storybook from the backpack before coming to the table, and that he set up on the table.

"Why? You did," Emma replied as she finished pouring herself a cup of coffee. There was nothing better in the morning than a steaming cup of coffee. The scent of the beans permeated through the room. That was what made a morning.

"Yeah, because Mom wanted me to think I was crazy."

"She didn't want you to think you were crazy," Emma insisted. But the truth was still not all that great.

"Still weird." Henry shrugged and took a bite of his waffle with his hands. There was a perfectly good fork placed on a napkin right there, and he completely ignored it. The syrup was also ignored despite being placed right in front of him. Emma knew what he was going to say even before she asked, but she felt the question bubbling up anyway.

"You sure you don't want syrup with that, kid?"

"If I had syrup, I couldn't eat it with my hands." He spoke with his mouth full. It wasn’t very good manners, but Emma could only smile. She took a sip of her coffee and sat down at the table as Henry flipped to the story Archie mentioned.

"I know I've read this book back to back. There's no way I missed something."

"I've read it too, Mom. A lot. I mean a lot. But I forget details too." Henry swallowed the mouthful of food he had in his mouth as he looked over towards the stairs. "Is Hook not coming down?"

"He's already out."

"Seriously? Where?"

"Mom needed him for something." She scooted closer to Henry so they could both read the book at the same time.

"He's gonna have to start getting up later."

"Oh yeah? Why?"

"Because we are not morning people."

"Yeah, I've seen your science grade." Emma smirked as she ran her finger along the lines of text on the page, her brow raising as she waited for Henry’s indignant cry. He kept insisting that no one should be subjected to science first thing in the morning; it wasn’t setting students up for success.

"Hey!"

Her smirk only grew at his predictable response. Instead of ribbing him further, she just tapped the book. "C'mon kid, let's look at that story."

Henry rolled his eyes and flipped the pages. "My science grade isn't that bad."

"It's not that good either."

"Yeah well, I'm an author. I write stuff." He stopped at the beginning of the story in question, and they both shifted into silence as they read. Henry read like lightning apparently, because he was flipping the page before she was even halfway through it. And he found what they were looking for long before Emma did as well. "Mom, it was Grandpa."

"David?"

"No, Gold. He said you would break the curse."

"He did?"

Henry pointed to the beginning of the passage so Emma could read it. And as she did, her brows creased together.

"He just... knew?"

"He can see the future, Mom."

Emma knocked back the remainder of her coffee, ignoring the burn of it going down her throat. "Go grab your shoes, kid." She stood from the table and whirled around to place her mug in the sink.

"We're going to the shop?"

"Yeah."

--------

"I know I gave you guys a lot of information today. Just look over the packets, and if you have any questions, come back with them tomorrow. We will get through this! Enjoy the rest of your day!" Snow moved away from the podium with a smile as the people in the chairs before her began to shuffle to leave. She exhaled sharply and gathered the paperwork on the table beside her. There were stacks and stacks of brightly colored papers that she tidied and slipped back into her bag after adjusting the paper clips on them.

"All done then?" Killian asked as he moved from the wall where he had been leaning for the duration of Snow's meeting. People continued to get up from their chairs and leave, not a one paying them any mind. It was eerily quiet apart from the scraping of chairs against the tiled floor.

"Yep!"

"Excellent." He shifted his weight from one foot to the other as Snow finished gathering the bundles of papers into her bag. She seemed completely happy to continue doing that, and Killian wondered if he should help. It looked as though she had it all under control, and she was almost done, but Killian felt so out of place. He needed something to do. Still, he figured he would only be in her way if he tried to help.

It was only a moment longer before she was finished and lifting her back up onto her shoulder.

“Erm,” he started, unconsciously raising his hand to the side of his head and scratching behind his ear.

"Hm?"

"I... am not certain why you wished for me to accompany you."

"For the meeting."

"The meeting for the teachers?"

"Yeah!"

Killian was still confused. The auditorium was still emptying, and Snow moved slowly towards the exit to do the same. Killian followed behind her, eyebrow quirked in confusion and curiosity. When he arrived, Snow had only told him good morning before she ushered him into the room and instructed him to stand at the wall behind her. And then her meeting began. There had been exactly no context clues for him to use to figure out why he had been told to come at all.

"I am afraid I still don't follow."

"Well, it's information you'll need too. If you accept my offer."

Offer? What? Snow took a sharp turn away from the stream of teachers leaving the building. He thought her steps seemed a little hurried, but he wondered if that was to avoid any questions the other teachers may have for her. He kept pace with her, following behind at her heels.

"Offer to teach?"

"Mhm."

Why was Snow being so bloody vague? If she wanted him to assist her in class, all she had to do was ask. Why all this cloak and dagger, dragging him to the school at the crack of dawn for a meeting he wasn't aware he needed to pay mind to? She moved quickly down the hall, perhaps knowing he was going to lose patience with the vague answers any moment now. Killian hurried his steps to keep up with her. She turned once more into another room, this one with double doors. It appeared to be a stadium of sorts, high ceilings that seemed to be as tall as the crow’s nest aboard the Jolly, polished floors with scuff marks scattered here and there. Stacked seating was pushed off to the sides, perfect for viewing… something.

"This is the gym," Snow explained as she lowered her bag from her shoulder to the floor.

"Alright."

"This is where the kids take PE. And... we're kind of in need of a teacher."

Ah. He understood now. "And you wish for me to be that teacher."

"Yeah!"

Killian looked around the room, still rather confused about the whole thing. He didn’t understand the strangely colored lines that extended across the wide room, nor the pillars that hung from the ceiling with nets attached to them. It certainly didn’t look like any classroom he’d been in. "What is PE exactly?"

"Physical education."

Killian instantly sputtered. A blush began to creep across his cheeks, and he stared at Snow gob smacked. She seemed completely unaffected. It was comical really, the pirate the one sputtering and embarrassed while Snow bloody White stood there completely unabashedly - wait… There had to be some sort of misunderstanding. "Pardon, milady. Did I hear that correctly? Physical education?"

"Yeah, that's right." And still, Snow didn’t seem bothered in the slightest.

"As in... the talk I briefly had with Henry the other night whilst discussing Violet...?"

Now Snow looked rightfully embarrassed. Her eyebrows shot right up into her hairline, and her cheeks instantly turned pink. Her hands flew to her face as if she was trying to hold in her gasp. "Oh! Oh god no! That's a whole other class. No, this is like... sports and sword fighting."

"Sports?"

"And sword fighting." She lowered her hands and folded them in front of herself neatly. As quickly as her embarrassment came, she recovered just as quickly.

"Aye..."

Snow took two steps to walk right up to Killian, a smile bright across her face. Killian wasn't used to Snow smiling at him at all. It was a little unsettling. He felt himself instantly tense up. Was he about to get slapped? No, Snow wouldn’t do that. But she’d never stood so closely to him before either. Well, no, that wasn’t entirely true. The last time had been to untie him at the beanstalk if he remembered correctly. Still, it was never for anything good.

He understood what she was doing when her smile softened just a hair. Getting him off guard had been her plan. She was softening him up, and damn her, it was going to work.

"You teach Henry to sword fight. You would be perfect for it."

"I'm an ex-pirate,” he insisted, trying his best to hold his own despite her kind look and proximity. She looked so sincere and hopeful. Killian wondered if she was actually trying to manipulate him into agreeing, or if he was so bloody jaded that he thought people would only look at him like that for nefarious purposes. Probably both.

"Exactly!"

"I doubt parents would feel comfortable knowing someone such as me was teaching their children to wield a weapon. Regina barely tolerates knowing I teach Henry as is."

"You would be teaching them the technique, that's all."

"It would not be taken as such."

Snow sighed and took a step back. Killian felt the tension leave his shoulders, as she left his personal bubble. "But your checkered past is why you would be perfect. Sword fighting is a skill. A sword is a tool, it's all in how you use it. Yes, it can be used to harm. But it can be used to help as well. You used to use it to hurt. But now you do it to help. Right?"

"More attempts than anything."

Snow raised her eyebrow at him in a disapproving manner. Killian wondered if she was mentally scolding him for the self depreciation of his statement, or if she didn’t appreciate the push back as pathetic as it was.

"It's like magic. It's all in how you use it. Regina is a wonderful teacher, especially because she was consumed by dark magic. She knows the difference."

"Regina is also the mayor. And I don't see you asking her to be a teacher here."

"She's already busy."

"Ahhh…” Killian smirked, thinking he had finally realized the point of all of this. Was she concerned he would grow bored with a simple life and cause trouble? “So this is meant to keep me busy, is it?"

Snow rubbed her forehead and let out an exasperated sigh. "I pictured this going so much better in my head.” She squared her shoulders and determinedly set her jaw. “No. What I meant was, Regina's mayor. She isn't available to teach. But you are, if you were interested. And I think you'd be great at it. You're amazing with Henry."

The compliment brought a flush to Killian's cheeks and he looked down. Heartfelt, sincere compliments always left Killian flustered and unsure. There wasn’t much about him worth praising, he thought. Snow allowed the following silence to extend for just a few moments before she stepped up to him again.

"Just give it a shot. One week."

"I..." Killian looked up from the ground with an unsure breath. Snow looked so hopeful, Killian wasn't sure why he felt uncertain at all. The earnest look in her eyes… she won. Whether she had been trying to or not, she had. Killian exhaled slowly. "If it pleases you, Snow. I will make the attempt."

"It does! But I think it will 'please' you too."

"I warn you, though. I know nothing of these sports you've mentioned."

"They don't either. I'm sure they'll be more interested in the sword fighting."

---

Janitorial work was actually surprisingly difficult. Brennan had always been the sort to do his own labor. The staff he had at the tavern never carried any of the bags of flour, never moved the tables and chairs. He had mostly bar wenches, (waitresses, as he had been corrected when he said the term at Granny's) working for him anyway, and he would be loathe to let any of those girls move anything about.

And yet, he found the repetitive motion of mopping the main floors of the church rather exhausting. Despite having been quite literally frozen in time whilst he had been living in the Land of Untold Stories, it seemed he had gotten rather soft around the middle. That was a tad bit embarrassing. He had seen people in the early morning going for a run for no other reason than exercise by the looks of it, and he wondered if perhaps that would be a thing he should be doing as well.

Despite having a mission to accomplish while he was working at the church, he found himself being far too focused on actually doing the job he had been hired by the fairies to do to look for that bloody wand. 

Not including today, he had five days left.

Brennan didn't want to leave that to chance, certainly didn't want Hyde to question his ability to accomplish the task. He may have made a deal with the man, but he didn't trust for one second that Hyde would actually keep it. While Brennan had shown a moment of bravery before, he had shown Hyde a bit of his hand. If his son were threatened, he would do anything to protect him. If either of his sons were threatened. 

He needed a break from mopping. Nova had shown him how to use the vacuum, and apparently that was the tool used to clean carpeted areas, such as in the various offices. The machine was loud and hurt Brennan's ears, so he had hoped to avoid that for as long as possible. However, he had already wiped down the windows and polished the furniture. If he wanted a break from mopping, using the infernal device was really the only task he had left. He retrieved the thing from the closet and wheeled it into the first office he saw.  

Brennan unraveled the cord, just as Nova had instructed, and then plugged the end of it into the wall at the... oh hell, what had she called it? Outlet? Outlet. He expected the machine to roar to life, but he was surprised to find that he was not being deafened at all. On the contrary, absolutely nothing happened. The room was still blissfully silent. 

Oh right, there was some sort of button wasn't there?

He kneeled down to examine the length of the device - and it was quite long wasn't it? There were words embossed on the side of it that, after squinting to even attempt to read it, appeared to be some sort of warning. Why make a warning so difficult to see? Well, nevertheless, it certainly wasn't the button he was looking for. He had hoped that somewhere in that paragraph would have been instructions, or at least some sort of a hint, but alas he found himself more just as confused as before.

There was something else written on it, a bit smaller and more difficult to see. Brennan knelt down even farther to try and get a better look at it. When his knee came into contact with the bottom of the vacuum, he hit something and the damned thing decided to turn on right then and there. Brennan jumped away from it, startled by the sound. What had he hit?! It took him about thirty-seconds to realize there was a nice big red switch at the bottom of the damned thing. Well... now he knew where the button was he guessed.

Embarrassed, but glad no one had been around to witness his blunder, he set to work cleaning the carpet as Nova had shown him.

He found he got used to the volume of the machine rather quickly, and his thoughts began to drift off. It was much like sweeping, not really requiring much thought process. He considered the places he had cleaned within the church, wondering where that wand could be stored. Not that many places seemed to be holding anything of significance, and it occurred to him that perhaps the Fairies had a more discreet place for such relics. 

He looked about the room he was in, thinking perhaps there were secret doors or something of the like. He would have to search the whole place top to bottom for it just to get that idea out of his head. Brennan was already considering how long it would take him to search for such a thing when he saw it. In the corner, fairly out of the way, was a black metal box with some sort of dial on the front of it. There appeared to be hinges on the thing, and if anything was a secret door, that was it. 

The door to the office was still wide open. All day he had been here cleaning the church, and he had yet to really see any of the Fairies. He imagined they were off doing... whatever Fairy Nuns did in this town. Having been alone the entire day, Brennan figured he would continue to be alone at least long enough for him to examine the chamber he had just happened upon. Not wanting to have to fool around with the vacuum again, he opted to just leave the damned thing on. 

He approached the black box carefully, unsure if it really was what he suspected it was, and if he was right he didn't want to accidentally trip any sort of trap or security device for it. Surprisingly, he found none. He was right up on the box and not a thing had been disturbed. Was he perhaps wrong after all? Well, if he was, another second to fully confirm it wasn't going to matter. He raised his hand towards the strange dial in the middle of the door, letting his fingers graze the metal of it gingerly.

The whole thing shimmered. Ah, so there was a security device in place - a barrier. If this box was protected by a magical barrier, then surely he had been correct! Excellent! Of course, there was no telling if the wand was actually inside the box or not. But if he was going to hide a magical wand somewhere, he would certainly put it behind a secret door and protect that door with magic if possible. 

Satisfied that he at least had a lead, Brennan returned to the vacuum and his cleaning duties.  

---

"So when we get back, I'll give you all that paperwork."

"Aye..."

"You're not regretting saying yes, are you? It's just some paperwork. I can even help you with it!"

Killian scratched at his ear as they walked and talked. Paperwork really wasn’t something he was concerned about. The Navy had been full of it, although it was all handwritten reports and not fill in the black mechanically printed sheets. No, he was more concerned about Snow’s plan and whether or not it would actually have the result she had been hoping for. He doubted it. More likely he would be rushed out of the school with torches and pitchforks at his back. "No, simply lost in thought. I think I can navigate the paperwork well enough."

"Sure, yeah! But if you need any help-"

"I know where you live."

Snow laughed. "Well a phone call will work too, but yeah."

The sky had been bright and sunny when he had left home earlier that morning to walk to the school. Now, however, clouds were rolling in and turning the blue hue into a gray. Emma had mumbled something about a storm coming in the evening when he had been dressing for the day, and it was clear she was right. How she had been able to predict that, he still didn’t quite understand.

They were walking to Ashley's house where Snow had left Neal while she was working with the teachers. David was off being the sheriff, so they really had no other choice. 

"When the school opens up again, will you be leaving the little lad here as well?" Killian inquired, opening the gate for Snow.

"Well, yeah... probably."

Killian tilted his head at that thought as Snow walked through the gate. A part of him wondered why she didn’t ask him to take care of the baby while she was away instead of insisting he attempt to be a teacher at the school, but then he realized that while she may trust him to be able to teach teenagers to use a sword, a baby was a different story. Right, of course.

"Ashley's great with him," Snow continued. "Really, he can get so cranky. But he's always calm when I pick him up. He likes her."

"He's an infant."

"Babies have feelings!"

"Aye, hunger and exhaustion."

Snow chuckled as she led the way up the stairs to the quaint house. She didn't even bother to knock as she turned the handle and entered the home. Killian raised a brow at that, but he figured when you're Snow White, you're welcome in everyone's home. Or perhaps she and Ashley had come to some sort of understanding. He climbed the steps to the house and followed quietly behind Snow, pulling the door to behind him.

Ashley stuck her head out from behind a wall, the room she was in appearing to be the kitchen from what he could tell standing in the doorway. Snow walked right on in with a smile and a friendly greeting.

"Everything go well today?" Ashley asked from her place at the table. 

"Oh yeah, I think everything's starting to come together. We are going to be so ready for this school year."

"Good! Neal's been on his best behavior all day." 

Killian stepped into the kitchen behind Snow. Ashley was sitting at the table, Neal in a bassinet at her side, and her daughter sitting in a booster eating lunch. There was another seat apparently previously occupied where a plate sat with half of a sandwich left. Whomever had been there previously was nowhere to be found, however. 

"Is Liam here again today?" Snow asked, gesturing towards the plate Killian had just noticed.

"Yeah, he just ran to the bathroom. And I mean ran," Ashley stated with a bit of a laugh.

"Liam is one of the kids that will be in my class," Snow told Killian as she turned towards him. Ashley's been watching him while his father works."

"Liam," Killian repeated. Naturally, the name always held a special reverence to him. For the brother he lost, for the brother he orphaned. He no longer felt the sting he used to when hearing the name, though. He knew his older brother had moved on and was in a better place. He got the closure he needed. And while he still orphaned his younger brother, Killian was slowly learning that perhaps he could forgive himself. One day.

"Yeah," Snow said softly. She seemed to know where his thoughts were going. She may not have known much about his younger brother, but she certainly knew about his elder, had met him. It was something of a comfort to have people understand where his mind lead him in moments such as these. "He's a sweet kid."

"Energetic kid," Ashley clarified. But the statement held no ire. The boy had apparently warmed Ashley's heart with his energy, if her tone told him anything. Snow bent down to Neal and cooed nonsensical words at the baby. It was something Killian had never fully understood, that was until he found himself doing much the same when left even remotely alone with the boy. Babies bring out the strangest things in people, he had determined. 

He heard a door open and close behind him, and suddenly a boy was rushing past him towards the table.

"Did you wash your hands?" Ashley asked as the boy retook his place at the table. Killian agreed with Ashley, he was certainly energetic.

"Yes, Miss Ashley!" the boy announced. He was either starving or in a hurry if the way he was attacking the rest of his sandwich was any indication. 

"Wow, where's the fire?" said Snow with a smirk. "Got somewhere to be, Liam?"

"The sooner I finish eating, the sooner I can play," the boy explained with his mouth positively full of sandwich. Killian felt his own lips curling up at the corners. Something was familiar about the lad as well. Something Killian couldn't quite put a finger on.

"Ah, I see. Well that explains that. Liam, this is Killian." Snow stood up straight and motioned towards Killian for the introduction.

"Hello," was all he got from Liam. He was finished with his sandwich, or at least finished shoving it in his face. His cheeks were puffed with the food, and Killian was briefly concerned if the boy would even be able to chew that properly. Liam took his plate over to the sink and set it down in the basin. Once that was done, the boy was out of the room in the blink of an eye.

"Bloody hell, what sort of game is he playing?" Killian asked. He swore he could see dust flowing up into the air from how quickly the boy had rushed out of the room.

"The Wii," both Ashley and Snow answered simultaneously. 

"Wee?" 

Their laughter only confused Killian all the more.

---

Emma pulled the bug up along the curb and put it in park. She was a woman on a mission, and she entered the shop like she wouldn't take no for an answer. Henry walked behind her, clutching the strap of his backpack over one shoulder. He was less intimidating a presence, but his expression was no less determined. They needed answers.

"Of course," Gold said in lieu of an actual greeting. He stood behind the counter, polishing what appeared to be a war horn. "Your father yesterday, you today. And what do you need help with, Miss Swan?"

That gave Emma pause, stopping mid-step in the middle of the shop.

"David was here?"

"That is what I said, is it not?"

"What was he here for?"

Gold set the war horn down on the glass counter top with the polishing cloth draped over it and folded his hands behind him. "Is that what you've come to ask, Miss Swan?"

Emma shook her head. Whatever it was David needed from the imp, Emma could find out later. She had come here for a reason, and she needed answers. Everything else could wait.

"No." She walked up to the counter; Henry trailed behind her. Paying no heed to the sign that said 'Please do not lean on glass', she pressed her hands right against it. "You knew I would be the one to break the curse."

"Regina's?"

"Yeah."

"That I did. Was this not common knowledge?" Emma raised a brow at his quip. A lot happened since Emma came to Storybrooke, it was hard to keep track of it all. Instead of getting off track, like Gold likely wanted her to, Emma chose to ignore the comment.

"How?"

"I'm afraid you'll need to be more specific, dearie."

Emma was losing her patience. Her brow twitched in irritation, and she could feel her upper lip lifting into an almost snarl. He knew exactly what she was asking. "How did you know?"

A smile that Emma really didn't like spread across Gold's face. "Have you hit your head, Savior? Missing some memories?"

Seriously? He was being such a pain in the ass, Emma just knew he had some information that he didn’t want to give up. And it was information she needed. "Just answer the question."

"I can see into the future."

"And you... what, saw me break the curse?"

Gold dropped the smile on his face, taking on a more bored expression. "More or less."

Emma didn't like his vague answer. She glared at him as she leaned across the glass just a little more. "What does that mean?"

"Seeing the future isn't an exact science."

Emma scoffed at the mention of science. Of course it wasn't, it was magic. Science and logic were left behind back at the townline. "Just be straight with me, Gold," she practically spat.

"It comes in flashes. Images to interpret."

Henry shifted behind Emma, probably moving around just for something to do. Emma could hear him, but she didn't turn to see what he was doing. Her focus was entirely on Gold, and when one dealt with the Dark One, that's how it should be. She didn't trust him, never had. Especially not after he took all the darkness of the dark ones back into himself. He was untrustworthy before. That could only be doubled now. 

"So if you just saw me break the curse, then who the hell decided I would do it?"

"Excellent question. But that, I'm afraid, is going to cost you." 

Of course it would. Once the Dark One, always the Dark One. Having been one for six weeks, Emma knew the score. Things had to come with a price, someone had to pay it. Emma wasn't ready to owe the Dark One anything right now, though. She hadn't gotten the answers she wanted, but it was a start. 

Emma finally decided to look over her shoulder to see what her son had been up to. He was looking around at the wands in the glass case against the wall, his face screwed up in thought. Emma knew that look: he had an idea. 

"Not ready to pay," Emma stated as she turned back to Gold. "I'll come back when I am."

"I'm sure you will." 

She straightened herself, leaning away from the glass that had been supporting her weight. Her hands left fingerprints on the case, and perhaps it was petty but Emma found a small amount of satisfaction in that. 

"C'mon kid, we're done," she called to Henry as she walked to the door. She didn't look to see if he was following her, his heavy footsteps behind her were telling enough. She didn't speak again until she was out of the shop, and they were both sitting in the bug again. 

"You wanna tell me what you're thinking?" Emma asked as she dug her keys out of her pocket.

"The curse wasn't Grandpa's right?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I mean... the curse wasn't Mom's. But the curse also wasn't Grandpa's. The book says he stole it out of a chamber. You remember the Chernabog?"

"Am I supposed to?" Emma stuck the keys in the ignition and turned. The bug sputtered to life, a bit more slowly than Emma would have liked. She was going to have to get the car a tune up soon, damn. Would magic work to get the old girl back in shape? It wasn’t something she had tried before, and she highly doubted there would be a grimoire in Regina’s vault about magical car mechanics.

"That weird bat thing that came out of the sorcerer's hat when we freed the Fairies."

"Oh, right. Yeah, what about it?" She pulled the car out onto the street.

"Grandpa had to get around it to get the curse. He stole it from a chamber."

"Ok, so the curse wasn't his either."

"Yeah." 

Which meant they had come to the wrong place. Emma was glad she didn’t strike a deal with Gold. He still had information he thought she would want, but at least it likely wasn’t exactly what she was looking for. "Kid, if you knew that why didn't you say something before we got here?"

"Because I hadn't thought about it until I was looking at the shop. The wands. They reminded me of the Apprentice, and then Merlin's hat, and then -"

"Yeah, ok I get it. So we're back to square one. Great." Emma let out a rough sigh of frustration. 

"Not really," Henry insisted. He dug around in his backpack, but Emma wasn't sure why. She kept glancing over at him, but she needed to keep her eyes on the road. It was drizzling out, but the dark clouds in the distance suggested that a storm could very well be on its way. It could be a matter of minutes, or hours, but Emma had been caught off guard, but a sudden storm more often than she could count.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying something."

He kept digging for a minute, and his vague answer was leaving Emma feeling a little uneasy. Finally they got to a red light, and she could look over at him. He had the author's pen in hand and had opened to a blank page in the book.

"Kid, what are you doing?" she repeated, this time a bit concerned. It was great that he was the Author, but the powers that came with the job were still such a mystery... She didn't trust it.
His hand flowed across the page, words springing to life in its path. 

'Emma and Henry learned who created the curse.' it read.

"Henry!" Emma scolded. The light turned green, but Emma ignored it. She reached for Henry's wrist to get him to stop writing, but he yanked his hand away from her. "Kid, don't use your powers like that! You can't change anything, remember what happened with Isaac?"

"It doesn't matter," Henry yelled - actually yelled. Emma was about to snap back, both because of his attitude and because it most certainly mattered, but she could see the words on the page fading just as quickly as they had appeared. "It didn't work. I don't get what the point of these powers are if they're so useless!" Henry tossed the pen back into his bag and snapped the book shut.

"It's fine," Emma insisted. She could forgive the outburst. While she didn't appreciate it, she knew what it was like to feel helpless. That was why he was lashing out. 

"It's not."

"It is. We'll figure it out. We just need to ask the right questions. To the right people, this time."

She turned her attention back to the road, putting her foot on the accelerator just as the light turned yellow. Luckily there was no one behind her. Or maybe there had been and they just went around. She may be the Sheriff, but she hadn't exactly been handing out traffic tickets lately. Henry didn't seem to want to talk anymore, and while Emma wasn't happy with that, she also knew he was enough like her that she shouldn't push. At least, not right away. She doubted she would be able to take the silent treatment all day, but she could give him a few minutes.
They pulled into their driveway, the ominous storm clouds still very much in the distance. At least she wouldn't have to run in the rain, that was a plus.

"The fairies," Henry said suddenly as Emma was unbuckling her seatbelt.

"What about them, kid?"

"They might be the right people to ask."

---

"He totally didn't understand what I was saying at all, though. Which I expected. But I mean he really didn't understand. I said Physical Education, and he thought I meant like the talk he had with Henry about Violet! It was - well it was something. Anyway, after I explained, he agreed. I think it will be really good for him and - David?"

David was completely zoned out, staring at his plate of spaghetti and twirling the same bit absently that he had been when she had started her story. Snow frowned at him, surely he would want to know that she had convinced Killian to help out at the school? Even if he wasn't actually all that interested in the goings on of the school itself, he would want to know where a member of their family would be in case of... well, anything.

"David," she said again. 

Finally with a start, he looked up. "Huh, what?"

"You weren't listening,” said Snow with a frown.

David shook his head, smiling an innocent smile. "No, I was."

Snow raised an eyebrow at his claim.

"I was! You asked Hook to be the PE teacher."

She was actually a little impressed that he'd caught any of what she’d said. He hadn't eaten a bite of his dinner whereas she was almost done, and he had barely said a word all night to boot.

"Ok, so you caught part of what I said. But you're definitely miles away; what's going on?"

"Nothing." He looked back down at his plate and began twirling his noodles with his fork.

"David," she scolded gently. "We don't lie to each other."

"Work," he tried again.

"Your father," she corrected.

David groaned and set down his fork, sitting back in his seat. "If you knew then why ask?"

"Because I want you to talk to me."

"There's nothing to talk about." David finally decided to eat his dinner, emphasizing what he'd said by taking a nice big bite of his pasta. He pointedly avoided looking at Snow, staring at his plate with a focus that was clearly forced.

"If it's on your mind, then there is." Snow set her fork down on her napkin, then folded her hands neatly in her lap. He had her full attention, just as she would want from him if the situations were reversed.

"There isn’t," he responded with his mouth full. This whole thing was clearly bothering him, what with the tension visible in his shoulders. And he was a Prince, talking with his mouth full! Snow would have laughed at his insistence if the topic wasn't one of a heavier nature.

"Why?"

He swallowed. "Because I know what you're going to say. Don't listen to the Evil Queen, leave the past in the past."

"Right."

"So, good talk."

"David..." She sighed, sounding very tired. Sometimes Snow wondered where her daughter got her stubborn streak, but then she remembered who she was married to.

He shoved his plate away from him, his appetite gone if it had ever been there in the first place. Snow suspected it wasn't. 

"She has information we don't! That alone has to be worth looking into it."

"But she wants you to figure it out. That can't be good."

"She wants me to go to her for it. What if I can find out some other way? Then it evens the playing field, and she's lost whatever advantage she thinks she has."

"Or…” Snow started tentatively. “ She just wants to see what you'll do once you know."

"It's gotta be better than not knowing."

"...But what if it isn't?"

He stood then, the agitation he was feeling too great to remain sitting. Snow wondered if she should have just let him sit in silence, but it was only a quick thought passing through her mind. No, talking about it was better. Working through it together would always be better than dealing with something alone. That was what made them so strong.

"I gotta know, Snow," he said finally, rubbing a hand down his face. His posture told Snow everything she needed to know. His hand at his hip, facing half-way away from her, shoulders tense, jaw set. This was hard for him to admit. He was trying to fight it, trying to let it go.

"And what will you do once you do?" Revenge was a path to destruction. Snow knew that, David knew that. He didn't need reminding that the Evil Queen only existed at all because of a desire for revenge, and Hook was still dealing with the guilt from his own quest for it. Revenge was an end, and it wasn't one that Snow wanted to see her husband reach for.

"I... I don't know."

"That's what scares me, David.”

"I know." 

They remained silent for some time, David standing in the middle of the loft lost in his thoughts and Snow watching him with gentle concern in her eyes, her hands still folded neatly in her lap. The moment seemed to drag on forever. Neither had anything left to say, the fear of what David could do with the knowledge out in the open, and both of them understanding the risks of sating his curiosity.

"I owe it to him," David finally said. "He died when I was so young, and I spent my entire life thinking he gave up. I just... I owe it to him to know what happened. I owe it to me, too."

And that was that. With the risks so cleanly placed out before them, if David still insisted that he needed to know, then he needed to know. There was nothing else to say but, "Okay."

David stared at Snow in surprise for a long few seconds. "Okay?"

"Yeah, okay. I think it's a bad idea, obviously. But if it's eating at you like this... it's better that we do it together. We don't involve the Evil Queen. We don't go to her for anything, not even an idea or a clue."

"Right, of course." David sighed, relieved. But it was a relief that Snow didn't feel. Her instincts told her this was a horrible idea, that nothing good would come from it. But if David couldn't be swayed... she would rather help him than keep trying to convince him not to. If it was a path he was determined to go down, she would go down it with him. They would see it through as a unit, like they always did.

He sat back down then. Dinner apparently seemed a lot more appetizing with Snow's support, reluctantly given or not. That was something, at least. Snow, for her part, still kept her hands in her lap. Dinner was no longer appetizing for her, so perhaps it was good that she’d gotten her fill before they got into a conversation about the past.

"So, Hook agreed?" David asked, looping back around to their earlier topic. It was an olive branch, and a thank you.

"Yeah, but he's nervous about it."

"He'll be fine."

"I think so too."

David paused with his fork halfway to his mouth. "Wait, he talked to Henry? About Violet?"

"Apparently."

"As in the talk?"

"I'm assuming."

He slammed his fork back down onto his plate. "I was going to have that talk with him! Man to man!" 

Snow rolled her eyes. 

---

Waiting was getting frustrating. Hyde had been the idiot to say his contact had seven days to figure out where that damned wand was and steal it, and she understood his reasoning for including the other man. But she didn't trust him. She didn't trust anyone she hadn't met. 
Being discreet was going to help them immensely, and the Evil Queen was anything but. They had no idea where the Fairies had the wand, and snooping around would only put the heroes on alert. Anything that gave them an idea of what they were up to would threaten their plan, and they couldn't have that. So yes, the middle man was certainly necessary. But Hyde hadn't set up a meeting with them yet. Knowing what she did of the man, she doubted if he ever would. He liked to be in control, liked having the upper hand. They may be allies, but they were still wary of each other. So long as he had control of getting the wand, the Evil Queen needed him. 

Waiting was still getting frustrating. 

She needed something to do. She was holed up at the clock tower for the moment, how none of the heroes had found her yet was beyond her. Were they truly that stupid? Or were they not interested in even finding her? It was almost insulting. Did they not consider her a threat? It made her blood boil. She was the Evil Queen, the rightful ruler of Misthaven, the Queen that killed anyone who got in her way. She enacted the Dark Curse, one of the most powerful sorceresses to ever exist, and it was as if they didn't even care. 

Well, that would be their mistake. Once she had the wand and she could rid herself of Regina, she would take them all out. One by one, she would destroy the Charmings and take what was rightfully hers. The town, her son, all of it.

She rapped her fingertips against the glass of the clock tower as she stared down at the street below. It had started to rain, which would make the clock tower rather unbearable to stay in. It would either get humid or cold and damp, and neither were a desirable place for the Evil Queen to remain. Just as well, she needed a distraction from all of this waiting. 

With a flick of her wrist, she was engulfed in purple smoke. One second she was at the top of the clock tower, and the next she stood in the living room of a rather familiar farm house. A crack of thunder rolled through the sky as the smoke subsided. Perfect. She always loved a dramatic entrance. 

"What does he want me to do? Apologize? I didn't actually kill him, you know," came Zelena's voice echoing off of the walls of her house. The place was in desperate need of a make over, the acoustics were terrible. 

The Evil Queen waited in the living room, a bit curious to see who was paying her sister a visit. The only person who ever visited Zelena was her, so it was strange and a bit irritating that someone else happened to be there. And yet, interesting. 

"He doesn't want you to do anything, but I think tricking Neal into killing himself still counts as you killing him," came a second voice that made the Evil Queen almost snarl. It was her, Regina. They were clearly in the kitchen, and from the sounds of it sitting at the table. They better not be enjoying Appletinis...

"Oh, so what? You just wanted to come here and remind me of something else that's apparently my fault?"

"No, I just wanted to explain."

"Well thanks, sis. Just the pick me up I needed. So wonderful to know how thoroughly my nephew despises me."

The Evil Queen canted her head as she leaned towards the doorway to hear a little better. They were discussing Henry?

"Whether you killed him or not, you had a hand in Neal's death. It's not something he's going to just forget."

"Just like I had a hand in Robin's death?"

"You were a bit more active in Neal's."

Zelena scoffed. "Neal's death is my fault. Robin's death is my fault. Who else has died in this town? May as well blame me!"

"I didn't come here to blame you!"

"Just a happy side-effect?"

Regina let out a frustrated groan, how very unbecoming of a queen. "Look. Whether you agree with it or not, that's the score. Henry would rather avoid you at the moment. If he decides to change that, well... that's up to him."

"Thanks for the support."

"He is my son. I will support his decision. He is allowed to be upset about his father's death."

"And I'm your sister."

"Which is why I decided to tell you."

As much as it pained the Evil Queen to hear that her son was upset, and about such a low-life as Rumpelstiltskin's son, she was glad to know that apparently Zelena would continue to be left on the outskirts of their otherwise happy family. Allies were good, and lonely ones were easily obtained and kept.
 
A flash of lightning lit up the sky, followed several seconds after by a clap of thunder. "The storm is getting closer,” said Regina. “I better get home."

"Right, well tootles. Thanks for stopping by." Zelena's sarcastic tone made the Evil Queen smile. An idea had popped into her head, and her sister's anger would likely get her to agree to it a lot faster than otherwise. As much as she felt inconvenienced by Regina's presence when she had arrived, she had to admit that the setup was rather helpful.

"I'm sorry," Regina said, sounding sincere in her apology. She could hear a chair moving against the rickety floors of the farm house, its screech almost as spine-chilling as nails on a chalk board. "I just thought you deserved to know. I'll stop by tomorrow."

"Don't bother, I don't need to hear about how a tree falling in this storm was also apparently my fault."

Regina sighed. "Good night, Zelena."

She heard Regina's puff of magic, signalling her exit. It made her realize that it was good luck that she had appeared during the crack of thunder. Not only was it good for a dramatic entrance, but it masked the sound of her arrival. 

Zelena was moving about the kitchen, the floorboards creaking with her every step. Well, now that they were alone…

The Evil Queen stepped into the kitchen with a smile plastered on her face. "Well well, that was quite the conversation."

Zelena almost dropped the plate she'd had in her hand as she looked up at the Evil Queen. Her eyes were wide with shock, at least momentarily. Once she realized who it was standing in the doorway, her face fell into a flat expression. She looked none too pleased to see the better version of her sister. "Oh great. How long have you been there?"

"Long enough."

"Oh, I'm sure." 

There was a plate of some cheeses at the center of the table, and two empty wine glasses. Well, at least they weren't Appletinis, but the Queen still felt a pang of jealousy that the two were eating together like old friends.

"You look like you need something stronger than wine, sis," she stated as she sauntered into the room. A snap of her fingers replaced the wine glasses with a bottle of whiskey and two shot glasses. "How about a night cap?"

"No thanks, just had one with your better half," Zelena snarked. She moved over to the sink to place the plate in the basin. The Evil Queen watched with confusion at the scene.

"You're not planning on actually washing that, are you? Just poof it away."

"Don't really need your suggestions." Zelena reached for the dish soap at the corner of the sink and lathered up a sponge.

"Apparently you do. And might I suggest redecorating? This hovel is depressing."

"What do you want, sis?"

The Evil Queen smiled gleefully as she took a seat and magically poured two shots. Zelena may have declined it initially, but she knew that her sister would take the shot at least by the end of their little talk. At the sound of magic being cast, Zelena turned away from the sink and left the sponge drop into the basin.

"I just wanted to see how my sister was doing, is that so bad?"

"That all? Oh yes, I most certainly believe you." Sarcasm, always with the sarcasm. Zelena wiped the soap from her hands on a dish towel and returned to her seat slowly, her lips pursed together as she got comfortable. "Will this be quick? Robyn's been asleep for a few hours, which means she's due to get hungry soon."

"So eager to get rid of me?"

"Eager to be alone."

The Evil Queen traced her finger along the edge of her shot glass as she smiled sympathetically at Zelena. "Hard to be the outcast, huh?"

"I don't need to hear that from you," came Zelena's quick reply. 

"We're so much alike, you and I. Only we understand each other. Regina's turned Henry against me too. It's heartbreaking. My son says he hates me. Your nephew says the same about you. You know, Regina may say it's his decision, but it's not. It's hers."

"I'm fairly certain it's his, actually."

"Well, once I get him away from her, you'll see I'm right."

Zelena narrowed her eyes, adjusting herself in her seat as she considered the Evil Queen's words. Good, she was thinking about it. "Planning on kidnapping Henry, are you?"

"It's not kidnapping if he's my son."

"I'm believe it is."

"Semantics. What it is, what it isn't, it won't matter once he's away from her. He'll come around, and one day he'll thank me for it."

Zelena scoffed; she seemed rather unconvinced. "Thank you for taking him from his mother?"

"I'm his mother." 

Zelena didn't respond verbally to that. She merely raised an eyebrow as she reached for her shot, just as the Evil Queen knew she would. When they both had their shots in hand, they tipped the glasses back and drank. The burn of the whiskey slid down the Evil Queen's throat. Drinks were always better with a little bite to them.

Zelena lowered her shot glass to the table first and stood. "Well, good luck with that. You'll be on your way now?"

That was a bit of a surprise. They’d only had the one shot, and the conversation was just beginning. Surely Zelena would want to hear the full extent of her plan. "On my way? What, don't you want to help me?"

"Not really." Zelena was gathering the plate of cheeses, and the shot glasses. They had been magicked into existence, and yet she felt the need to clean them? What was going on here?

"I get Henry back, and he realizes he doesn't hate me. He realizes he doesn't hate you. I get my son, you get your nephew."

"I'm not interested in being a pawn tonight."

The Evil Queen scoffed. Of all the nerve! A pawn? "It's mutually beneficial!"

"It's a nail in a coffin, and it won't work anyway." By now Zelena had stacked the plates and the glasses as she carefully lifted them into her arms.

"Have you ever seen me fail?"

Zelena laughed, actually laughed. How dare she!

"I believe failing is what caused all of this in the first place. But right, of course, you'll win. You wouldn't have to brainwash him into loving you, no. It will all go smoothly. So smoothly, in fact, that you can do it without me."

The Evil Queen stood up abruptly, magicking away the bottle of whiskey. If Zelena was going to be like that then she wouldn't get to enjoy the rest of her reserve. Besides, with all the horribly domestic cleaning she was doing, it was clear Zelena didn’t want anymore anyway.

"You'll regret throwing my offer in my face," the Queen told her darkly. "I'll have my son. And I'll have this town. And then you'll be wishing you had helped me."

"We'll see, I guess."

"Yes. We will. And if you make so much as a peep about this, I'll -"

"I won't tell them. Not that they'd listen to me anyway." 

Zelena moved slowly over to the sink with the dishes in hand. Gently, she set them in the basin as well and turned the faucet. Was she really, honestly, going to wash those dishes by hand? It made no sense to the Evil Queen, but it wasn't important enough to waste air questioning it. She had another question to ask. "If you're not on my side, why keep it quiet?"

"I'm nothing but a nuisance to them, nothing but a pawn to you. The way I see it, I'm on no one's side. Best to just stay out of it."

"They won't see it like that."

"Regina will find a reason to blame me anyway." 

The Evil Queen remained for a few minutes longer, watching Zelena's back as she lathered the sponge up again and set to washing the plates. She could just use magic and be done with it, why bother using her hands to - oh. She understood then; it was something to do. A way to distract herself to calm down. Zelena was upset, but not enough to lash out or be angry. The Evil Queen had thought that emotion would have worked to her advantage, but it seemed that Zelena's mood wasn't quite what she had thought it was when she first came in. She wasn't mad, she was depressed. 

"I don't see you as a pawn," she stated. The Evil Queen didn't wait for Zelena's reaction before poofing herself out of the farm house.

---

Receiving the note was almost a little too convenient, Brennan thought. Had he not discovered anything today, he might have been annoyed at the demand to to meet out in the woods. He didn't like the idea of leaving his son alone in their house while he slept at all, but the greatest danger to Liam was Hyde. And Hyde was who he was going to meet. Rain was pouring down all around him; a late night storm had settled in over the town and it didn't appear to be letting up anytime soon. Lightning flash above him, followed soon after by a roll of thunder. The trees swayed dangerously above him with the force of the winds. Hopefully this meeting would be quick. Liam wasn't fond of storms, and it would upset the boy to wake in the night to find his father missing when he was in need of comfort. 

He could see Hyde standing at the well, illuminated by yet another strike of lightning through the sky. The rain should have deafened Brennan's approach, but Hyde turned towards him anyway as if he had heard him.

"Shame about the weather," came Hyde's greeting. "Terribly sorry to ask you to come out in it, but it's necessary."

"Of course," Brennan replied. And he actually meant it. He stepped up to the well to join Hyde.

"Well, shall we keep this brief then? Any luck on locating that item?"

"Perhaps." Brennan leaned against the stone of the well as he looked down into its abyss. It looked like it led nowhere, falling infinitely into the ground. 

"Perhaps? Very specific, Brennan. Care to elaborate?"

"I found a box of some sort with a protection spell around it. If I were to hide something powerful, it would be there." 

Hyde hummed in approval. "No way of knowing what's inside?"

"Only way is to open it, I'm afraid. And I find myself fresh out of magical powers to dispel the charm."

"I can take care of that."

It was the answer Brennan had been expecting, and why despite the foul weather the meeting was actually needed. He wasn't sure how Hyde planned to deal with the magical barrier, but Brennan knew he would come up with something. 

"I'll drop by with the solution in the morning."

"Then I'll have whatever is inside by evening."

"Evening?"

"I still need to steal it, don't I?"

Hyde seemed to mull that over, and for a brief moment Brennan wondered if Hyde would demand it sooner. His seven days weren't up yet, though. And he would be damned if he was caught robbing the fairies. His son was fitting into life in Storybrooke better than he had expected, and he found he enjoyed the quaint town too. The people here were kind and hardy. He was betraying the very people who had been generous enough to help him, and he didn't want to be caught red-handed doing so. It would make life in the town quite a bit more difficult. 

"Evening, then," Hyde finally agreed. "Go home to your boy. I hear children tend to get upset in foul weather." 

Brennan wasn't sure if that was meant to be a thinly veiled threat or not. Either way, he had been permitted to leave, and that was exactly what he would do.

"Tomorrow then, Mr. Hyde."