ᴘᴇʀꜱᴇᴘʜᴏɴᴇ | once upon a time [ EDITING ]

- ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴏᴍʙꜱᴛᴏɴᴇꜱ.

— ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴏᴍʙꜱᴛᴏɴᴇꜱ.

"You're saying my father is keeping Hook prisoner down here?"

Presley was standing in the middle of the Underworld version of the Charming home. They were all called back to the loft by Emma for an update on their mission to find Hook.

She was keeping her arms crossed before her chest casually. Wendy had her arm linked with hers as her brown eyes roam the room and the people in it.

Emma nods her head solemnly. "I fear he is, kid. He confirmed it himself."

The teen chews down on her lower lip. Her jaw was cocked to the side and she slowly nods. "So I'm the daughter of a villain. Of course I am.."

Wendy gently squeezes her arm, which catches her attention. She put a loving hand on her jaw as their eyes meet. "Maybe there is an explanation to it all. One where your father is not doing this for bad reasons."

"Well, it sure seemed like it when he sent this hellbeast after us for trying to find him," Regina complains. Emma nods along. "I have to agree with Regina here. Hades has Hook captive down here and there is no excuse for it." The others seemed to agree as well.

But Wendy had not given up yet. She knew from experience how well someone could hide their evil tendencies, but she also knew not to judge something right from the start. "Well, maybe he does have an excuse! This is his world. Maybe Killian broke the rules, which caused him to be locked up. I love Killian as much as anyone else here, but we all know his record is not squeaky clean."

She loses her grip on Presley's arm and grabs both of her hands. The goddess turns around and raises a questioning brow at her. Wendy's eyes were lit up with hope. "Pres, we need to talk to your father. Maybe, if we speak to him and explain everything, he will set Killian free."

"That is the worst idea I've heard so far," Rumplestiltskin remarks. Presley didn't like the insulting undertone that the Dark One used. Besides, she also didn't like him because of his father and what he did to all of them, Wendy especially. "Nobody asked what you thought, reptile."

"I am just pointing out the obvious, dearie. If we let you walk off to join your daddy dearest, we lose all leverage that we hold over Hades. Leverage that might be useful in retrieving the pirate if my next plan fails." Emma asks why he was suddenly taking a front row seat in helping them when yesterday he was just hanging around in his shop. Rumple tells her that, without his help, they will be stuck there for a long time and expresses his wish to get back to his wife.

Presley was still standing in the middle of the room. Her facial expressions was cloudy, like a thunderstorm that was waiting to unleash. "I will not just sit around here and wait!" She marches towards Rumple and jabs his chest with her finger. "All of those years I spent as a homeless girl on the street I wished I knew who my parents were. At least know why they let me live my life that way without doing anything. Now I finally have the chance to get answers and you are not taking that from me."

Her heated gaze drills deep into the cold and calculated eyes of the Dark One. He just chuckles, sounding like he scoffed at her. "Do that. Let's see who your father truly is, shall we?"

He raises an eyebrow at her. It was obvious that Rumplestiltskin was taunting her and Presley didn't like it. The Dark One was irking her more and more every day and she found herself close to the edge of where she wouldn't mind throwing an 'accidental' fireball at his face.

While Presley was still holding herself back Rumplestiltskin explained his plan to free Hook to Emma and tells her he knows just the right soul to help them out.

She wanted to come along, but Emma took her aside and explained to her why she could not. "It is dangerous there and we have no clue what Hades has waiting for us, Lee. It is best if you stay behind with the others." Before the teen could object Emma reached out to hug her.

"Please, you've been through enough already lately."

That plea caused Presley to take a step back and agree with Emma. It was obvious to everyone that she didn't like it, but Wendy was there by her side to put her mind off things.

Snow White and Regina later left the loft for their own mission. In the meantime Presley was bored. She was lounging on the couch next to her girlfriend in peaceful silence. While Wendy was reading a book, the young goddess was using her magic to entertain herself.

It felt like hours later when Emma and Rumple returned to the Underworld version of Emma's home, this time accompanied by someone. It was Hook. He was battered up, looking like he just went to hell and back. Wendy and Presley arrived just when the others did from their own adventures.

"My god, you look awful," Presley says. Hook scoffs at her. "Well, thank you for the remark, lass, but I could have done without it." Wendy leaps off the couch and comes closer. Hook wraps one arm around her shoulders while the Darling girl embraces his waist. "I'm so glad you're back," she whispers.

"It's good to be back as well, darling," he tells her, showing her a lopsided grin. He let go of Wendy and the plan for the heart-split of Emma was explained to him. Regina tries to rip the blonde's heart out, but was unable to. They all wonder what went wrong, but Hook might have an idea. He asks them to follow him to the graveyard where three fresh tombstones were standing side by side.

The captain explains what Hades asked of him and that, since he didn't pick three names, he did the honour of doing it themselves. It were Regina, Snow White and Emma who were now forced to stay.

"Well, I got the pirate out in a day, but you lot managed to find a whole new way to fail." Rumplestiltskin remarks. He tells them he will be in his shop and walks away.

Presley grumbles below her breath. "What a dick." Wendy nods her head along to her words and sighs. "Well, it looks like we will be down here longer than expected." She turns her head to her girlfriend and they look each other in the eyes.

"Presley.. after everything that happened.. with Hades.. do you still want to go look for him," she asks cautiously. Presley sighs and lowers her head. Her gaze falls on the tombstones. She gnaws on her lower lip.

"To be honest.. I don't know."