. . . . . ╰──╮✰ ✰ ✰ ╭──╯ . . . . .

‎‧₊˚✧ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ-ᴛᴡᴏ✧˚₊‧

‎‧₊˚✧ᴀ ʟᴀɴᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ✧˚₊‧

______

"First There Was Trust

Then There Was Betrayal

You Cannot Have One Without The Other

You Cannot Be Betrayed By Someone You Do Not Trust."

______

Henry was rushed into the ICU with Emma and Angie following. Emma was desperately trying to speak to her son. "Henry, can you hear me? Come on Henry, wake up, please! Come on Henry. Come on, you can do it!" A nurse attempted to pull her back, but Emma pulled herself out of her reach. "No, I am not going anywhere. Henry!"

"You don't want to start with either of us right now," Angie told the nurse.

Dr. Whale removed a flashlight from his pocket and started to examine Henry. "There's no pupil response. What happened, did he fall? Hit his head?"

Emma removed the apple turnover from her pocket. "He ate this. I think it's poisoned."

Dr. Whale continued his examination. "His airway's clear. Did he vomit? Any convulsions or disorientation?"

Emma was completely done with him already. "He took a bite of this and then he just collapsed! So run the tests for arsenic or bleach or Drano or whatever could have done this to him!"

"The boy is showing no symptoms that would suggest neurotoxins. So whatever's going on, this is not the culprit!" Dr. Whale told her forcefully, grabbing the turnover.

Angie folded her arms and snapped at Dr. Whale. "Well what else could it be?!"

"I don't know. That's what I'm trying to find out."

"He's gonna be okay though, right?" Angie questioned.

Dr. Whale sighed. "Right now we just need to stabilize him, 'cause he's slipping away. Is there anything else that either of you can remember, any little detail?"

Emma dumped Henry's backpack on an empty bed. "I already told you everything we saw. Do something!"

Dr. Whale grabbed Emma by the shoulders as Angie started to look through Henry's things. "Look, I understand you're frustrated Miss Swan. I do, but I need something to treat. Right now there is no explanation. It's like..."

"Magic," Emma and Angie said in unison just as Angie pulled the book out of the bag. Emma strided over to Angie and gently took the book in her hands. Just a few seconds later, Regina stormed into the hospital.

"Where's my son!?"

Angie turned to look at the woman who was responsible for all of this. And all she felt was rage. "You did this." She grabbed Regina by the collar and shoved her into a supply closet. Regina fell to the ground as Angie joined her in the closet. Angie lifted Regina off the ground and shoved her against the lockers.

Regina coughed. "What the hell are you doing!? Stop this, my son–"

Emma cut her off, storming into the closet. "Is sick because of you! That apple turnover you gave me—he ate it!"

Regina was shocked. "What? It was meant for you!"

Angie groaned. "Of course it was. I knew it would come to something like this. You just never give up!"

Emma took over the yelling. "It's true isn't it?"

"What are you talking about?" Regina retorted

"It's true isn't it!? All of it."

Regina lowered her head with shame. "Yes."

Angie gripped Regina tighter. "I told you that if you pulled something like this, I'd make your life miserable. I warned you! Did you listen? No!"

Emma turned to Angie. "You knew?!"

"Of course I knew! Do you think I'd be screaming like a lunatic if I didn't?! Lilith, pleased to meet you!"

Emma didn't have time to process that, so she looked back at Regina. "I was leaving town, why couldn't you just leave things alone?"

"Because as long as you're alive, Henry will never be mine," Regina hollered.

"He will never be anyone's unless you fix this. You wake him up!"

"I can't!"

Angie released Regina and softly asked. "Don't you have magic?"

Regina shook her head, tears in her eyes. "That was the last of it. You?"

Angie looked down at the bangle that was clasped around her wrist, which hadn't worked since she put it on. "None."

Regina sighed in exasperation. She looked at Emma. "It was supposed to put you to sleep!"

"What's it gonna do to him?" Emma questioned.

"I don't know! Ask her!" Regina said. "It's her curse in the first place!"

Emma looked at Angie with loathing in her eyes. "You did this?!"

Angie sighed. "Yes, it's my curse. But I didn't use it against Henry! That was Regina. I don't know what it'll do to him. There's barely any magic in this world. The magic that is here is unpredictable."

"So... so he could..." Emma stuttered out.

"Yes," Angie told her.

Emma took a deep breath to calm herself down. "So what do we do?"

"We need help," Regina told her. "There's one other person in town who knows about this. Knows about magic."

"Mr. Gold," Emma realized.

"Actually, he goes by Rumplestiltskin," Angie revealed.

–

David had been pacing the woods for over an hour. He still had no idea how to get out or how to find Snow White. The Evil Queen had done something to her. If David could find her, maybe he could save her.

"Lost, are we?"

David looked up at Rumplestiltskin, who was standing across the way from him. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm just here to help."

"Well, no need. I'll be fine."

Lilith appeared behind him. "I don't think you realize the gravity of the situation. There is no way out of the Infinite Forest. Well..except our way."

"I want nothing from either of you," David said.

"Not even this?" Lilith questioned, holding up a golden ring with a green stone.

David was shook. "My mother's ring...it was just...How did you get it!?"

Rumplestiltskin smiled. "The same way we get everything we want: magic! The same magic that allows me to do this." Lilith tossed him the ring. Rumplestiltskin spun it between his fingers and the ring started to glow. "This ring is now enchanted. The closer you get to Snow White, the brighter it will glow. Interested?"

"Give it to me."

Rumplestiltskin pulled his hand back. "Ah! It's not something for nothing, dearie! Time to make a deal."

"No! No more deals!" David attempted to attack Rumplestiltskin, who easily dodged him. Rumplestiltskin appeared behind him, with a sword. Lilith sighed and pulled out a book to read while the boys dueled it out.

Finally, David rolled onto his back on the ground, and Rumplestiltskin stood over him with his sword at his neck.

"Looking for this? So brave...so gallant. So pointless. Bravery won't get you out of this forest, dearie. Magic will. Trust me. This is a deal you want to make, because we both want the same thing."

"What's that?" David coughed.

"Why, you and your true love to be together, of course." He snapped his fingers towards Lilith, who produced a vial of purple potion. "The most powerful magic of all...True love." David moved closer to the vial. "Ah! Careful. This is all we have left of it."

"What do you know of true love?" David questioned.

"Well, not as much as you, perhaps, but not so little as you might think."

David couldn't help but laugh. "You? You love someone?" He looked to Lilith to see if she was in on the joke, but she had a straight face. "What happened?"

"She died," Rumplestiltskin told him. "That's the thing about true love, dearie. It can slip through your fingers. It's the most powerful magic in the world, the only magic powerful enough to break any curse. It must be protected at all costs."

"I don't understand. What exactly is it you want me to do?"

Lilith placed the potion inside of a golden egg. "We want you to put it somewhere where it will be safe."

"And where is that?" David asked.

Rumplestiltskin smirked as Lilith tossed him the egg. "Why, inside the belly of a beast, of course!"

"Why hide it?"

"Let's just say...I'm saving it for a rainy day."

–

"Do my eyes deceive me, or is that the look of a believer?" Mr. Gold questioned as Angie, Emma, and Regina stormed into the pawn shop.

Emma slammed her hands on the counter. "We need your help."

"Indeed, you do. It seems quite the tragic ailment has befallen our young friend." He looked to Regina. "I told you magic comes with a price."

"We both did," Angie reminded Regina. "On several occasions."

"Henry shouldn't have to pay it," Regina told them.

Angie sighed, folding her arms. "He shouldn't, but here we are."

"Can you help us?" Emma asked Mr. Gold.

"Of course. True love, Miss Swan—the only magic strong enough to transcend realms and break any curse. Luckily for you, I happen to have bottled some. With Angie's help."

"You did?" Regina asked.

"Yes," Angie said. "Won't work as well as true love's kiss. That works every time. But it'll work well enough."

Mr. Gold turned to Emma. "It's made from strands of your parents' hair. It's the most powerful potion in all the realm. So powerful that, when I created the Dark Curse, I placed a single drop on the parchment. Just a little safety valve."

"You're the one that created the curse that stuck us here?" Angie questioned. Her question was left unanswered as Emma came to a realization.

"That's why I'm the savior, that's why I can break the curse."

"Now you're getting it," Mr. Gold said with a grin.

"I don't care about breaking the curse. All I care about is saving Henry."

"Which is why it's your lucky day." He looked to Angie to explain

"We didn't use all the potion. We saved some. For a rainy day." Angie explained to Emma and Regina.

Emma crossed her arms, "Well, it's storming like a bitch. Where is it?"

"Where it is isn't the problem," Mr. Gold informed her, ignoring her previous comment. "Getting it is what should worry you."

"Enough riddles," Regina told them. "What do we do?"

"You do nothing. It has to be Miss Swan." Mr. Gold told her.

Regina was incredulous. "He's my son. It should be me."

"All due respect, but it's her son. And it has to be her. She's the product of the magic. She must be the one to find it."

"Where is this magic?" Emma questioned Angie and Mr. Gold.

Mr. Gold turned to Regina. "Tell me, your Majesty, is our friend still in the basement?"

Regina groaned. "Oh, you twisted little imp. You hid it with her?"

Angie breathed out a breath she'd been holding. "It's not with her. It's in her."

"Who is 'her'?" Emma questioned.

"Someone you should be prepared for," was all that Mr. Gold told her. "Where you're going, you're gonna need this." He opened a case that was sitting on the counter, as if waiting for them. Inside was a sword with a golden hilt.

"What is that?" Emma wondered.

"Your father's sword."

–

"August!" Angie called, tapping on her friend's door. "I know you're in there! Open up please."

"I can't," August's voice weakly called from inside. "Key's under the mat."

Angie retrieved the key from under the mat and placed it in the lock. She opened the door and gasped. August was laying on his bed, almost his entire body covered in wood. His time was almost up.

Angie rushed over to the bed and sat down next to him. "August..I.."

"It's okay, Ange," August told her. "It's gonna be okay."

Angie shook her head. "No. It's not. There's gotta be something I can do. I can fix this. I can-"

August cut her off with a shake of his head. "It's too late for me. You've gotta do this on your own now."

"I don't know if I can," Angie said with a light sob. "Emma believes, but Henry's in trouble and I don't know how we can break the curse."

August looked up at her as the wood began to creep over his face. "You can save Henry. You can help Emma. You can save us a-" August was cut off by wood covering his face entirely. Angie buried her head in her hands as she let out some tears over the loss of her friend.

–

Regina led Angie and Emma to the abandoned clock tower. "What is this place?" Emma questioned as Regina used one of her skeleton keys to open the door.

"Would you like a tour, or shall we just get to it?" Regina lightly snapped.

"Lead the way," Angie told her as they entered the tower. Regina headed towards the back wall and fiddled it for a few seconds. Regina lifted the wall, revealing an elevator.

"Impressive," Angie admitted.

Regina nodded briefly before turning to Emma. "Get in."

"After you," Emma retorted.

"It's a two-man job, the elevator's hand-operated. I have to stay up here and lower you down."

"And I'm just supposed to trust you?"

"Don't worry," Angie told Emma. "I'll keep an eye on her."

Emma was about to step into the elevator, but paused. "This battle I'm supposed to fight—who is it? What is down there?"

"An old friend," Regina told her.

Angie made a face. "That's sugarcoating it."

Emma sighed. "Then why don't you go talk to them?"

"Because her punishment here was different than everyone else's," Regina admitted. "I trapped her...in a different form. She doesn't wanna hear from me. Probably not Angie either, as she helped make her what she is. You have to trust me on that."

Emma let out her second sigh of the afternoon. "Okay, I will go down there. But let's be clear about something...'your Majesty'. The only reason you're not dead is because I need your help to save Henry. If he dies... so do you."

Angie nodded. "I'll help her kill you. It would bring me much joy."

"Well then let's get on with it." Regina said, placing her hands on the controls, lowering Emma into the depths. There was silence for a few minutes before the roar of a dragon could be heard.

Regina groaned. "Remind me why you put the potion in her."

"Because we thought no one would be stupid enough to try and get it out of her."

There was another roar and a brief wave of heat came up from the elevator as Angie and Regina were both hit on the back of their heads, turning the world black.

–

Emma had retrieved the egg. She was about halfway back up the elevator when it suddenly stopped. "Regina! What the hell was that?! Regina!"

"Miss Swan? You've got it?" Mr. Gold called from the top.

"Mr. Gold?" Emma questioned. "What are you doing here?"

"I've come to check on you. I'm glad I did. Regina abandoned you and sabotaged the elevator. She took Angie with her."

Emma was shocked. "What? I'm coming up!"

"No, there's no time for this. You can't possibly scale the wall and carry that."

Emma started to climb up the elevator. "Yeah? Well I can try."

"No you can't, just toss it up. Your boy's gonna be fine. I promise. We're running out of time, toss it up."

Emma relented. "Okay. You hold on to it, I'll be right up." She tossed the egg up to Mr. Gold, who took it and walked off. "Mr. Gold? Gold!"

Emma climbed the rest of the way up the elevator to find Angie and Regina tied together on the floor. "Regina? Angie?" She ran over and yanked the gags out of their mouths.

"He tricked you!" Regina told her. "How could you give him that?"

"Where is he?" Emma asked as she untied the two women.

"Gone," Angie told her. "The little bastard manipulated all of this."

"Come on, he can't be that far!" Emma told them. Suddenly, all three of their phones started ringing. They removed them from their pockets and checked the caller ID. "It's the hospital."

–

The three made it to the hospital in record time. However, it seemed as if record time wasn't enough. Dr. Whale and Mother Superior, one of the nuns, came out of the room.

"We did everything we could," Dr. Whale told them.

"I'm sorry," Mother Superior told them. "You're too late."

The three entered the room to find a nurse taking a machine off of Henry, as well as a breathing mask.

Dr. Whale and Mother Superior followed Regina, Emma, and Angie in as they looked at Henry.

"No!" Regina cried out. She turned to sob against the closest person, who turned out to be Angie. Angie was too sad to push her away, shedding tears of her own. She patted Regina on the back.

"Oh, Henry," Angie whispered. "Why did you do that?"

Emma approached the front of the bed and bent down next to Henry's head, tears running down her face. "I love you, Henry," she whispered as she kissed his forehead. Suddenly, a blast of multiple colors radiated out. Angie felt a rush head through her body, different from the one she felt down her spine. Regina looked up from Angie's embrace and wiped her tears.

Henry breathed in a gasp, shooting up. Angie couldn't help but let out a small laugh as Henry turned to Emma. "I love you, too. You saved me."

"You did it," Regina managed to say.

Angie simply shook her head and smiled. "True love's kiss. Works every time."

However, waking Henry up didn't seem to be the only thing that Emma's kiss did. Everyone around the group was affected by the blast, and looked around, confused. The same happened to people not in the hospital room. Mary Margaret. David. Archie. Ruby.

"Henry, what's going on?" Emma wondered.

Angie realized what had happened at the same time Regina did. Regina was shocked. "No."

Henry smiled. "The curse...I think you broke it!"

"True love's kiss," Angie repeated.

Regina began to back up. "No. No!"

Mother Superior, also known as the Blue Fairy, turned to Regina. "If I were you, your Majesty, I'd find a place to hide."

Regina approached Henry's bed. "Henry...no matter what you think, no matter what anyone tells you, I do love you." Then, she turned to leave. Mother Superior turned to Angie next.

"You."

"Me," Angie said. "I'm not proud of who I was. I'm sorry for everything."

Mother Superior looked Angie up and down. "Your words are truthful. I forgive you."

Angie couldn't help it. She pulled Mother Superior into a hug. August had been right. Turns out she didn't need his motorbike after all.

After letting go of Mother Superior, Angie plopped down next to Henry and pulled him into a hug. "I love you, kiddo. Never scare us like that again."

Henry giggled. "I love you too, Angie. I can't promise anything though."

Angie lightly shoved him as Emma leaned into the hug.

–

All across town, the people of Storybrooke began to remember. David walked away from his car and down the road. He glanced across the street and spotted Mary Margaret. He broke out into a smile. "Snow!" he called out.

Mary Margaret looked over at him. "Charming."

The two ran across the street to each other. David cupped Mary Margaret's face in his hands as Mary Margaret spoke. "You found me."

"Did you ever doubt I would?" David asked as he pulled her into a kiss.

–

On the other side of town, a few minutes before Emma had kissed Henry awake, Mr. Gold examined his true love potion. The bell to his shop jingled, causing him to turn around and stick the potion into his pocket.

"Excuse me, are you Mr. Gold?" A woman asked.

"Yes I am, but I'm afraid the shop's closed–" He cut himself off as he turned to see the woman. It was Belle.

Belle began to speak again. "I was uh, I was told to-to find and tell you that Regina locked me up. Does that mean anything to you?"

Mr. Gold reached out to touch her. "You're real. You're alive. She did this to you?"

"I was told you'd protect me," Belle relayed to Mr. Gold

Mr. Gold pulled Belle into an embrace, sobbing slightly. "Oh yes. Yes, I'll protect you."

"Um, I'm sorry, do I-do I know you?"

"No. But you will."

A few minutes later, Mr. Gold led Belle into the forest as the curse began to break. "Wait," Belle told him after a second.

"No, no," Mr. Gold said as he started to walk ahead of Belle. "We've very close."

"Rumplestiltskin, wait."

This caused Mr. Gold to stop. He turned around and looked at Belle as she caught up to him. "I-I remember. I-I love you." Mr. Gold smiled and pulled Belle into a hug.

"Yes, yes. And I love you, too. But hey, there'll be time for that. There'll be time for everything. But first, there's something I must do." He led her a little farther into the forest, where they came upon a wishing well.

"What is this?" Belle wondered.

"This is a very special place, Belle. The waters that run below are said to have the power to return that which one has lost." Mr. Gold poured the remainder of the true love potion into the well, causing purple smoke to pour out of the well.

–

Back in the hospital, Angie turned to Henry. "Henry, if the curse is broken...how come we're still here."

"I don't know," Henry admitted. A nurse suddenly dropped a tray. Emma headed over to see if she was alright. She looked out the window.

"Uh, guys. You probably want to see this."

Angie helped Henry out of bed as they approached the window. Purple smoke was engulfing the town. And heading towards the hospital.

"What is that?" Emma questioned.

"Something bad," Henry told her.

Angie looked across the street at the clock tower, which turned to 8:15 as it was engulfed. As the cloud came close, Angie felt a brief amount of pressure on her wrist. She glanced down at her bangle, which had tightened itself. The symbols carved into the bangle began to glow, first red, then pink, then violet, then blue. She watched as each symbol began to dim, one after another. Only one thing could cause this phenomenon. Something that had returned to Storybrooke with the purple cloud. Magic.

Angie was uncertain of so many things. One thing was certain, however. Even though the curse was broken, their adventures in Storybrooke wouldn't be over any time soon.

𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔈𝔫𝔡...𝔉𝔬𝔯 𝔑𝔬𝔴