NINETY-FOUR

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By the time Juliet had opened her eyes, Zelena had already left with the baby. Everyone else was congregating to figure out with a plan to get him back. As much as her head hurt, she couldn't dwell on it until they were sure Zelena's plan would stop. 

The plan was to go to the farmhouse and have Regina use light magic to stop Zelena. So that is precisely where they went. 

When they got there, Zelena was standing in the middle of a whirlpool of magic. She was talking to Gold. 

"Don't worry dearie." She assured him. "Once this is all over, you won't remember a thing." 

"It isn't over yet." David interrupted. Zelena turned around to face the crowd, a smug look on her face.

"And who's gonna stop me? Certainly not the Savior." David looked at his son, lying in a wicker basket along the edge of the whirlpool. 

"Go. Get him. We've got your back." Emma whispered to him, aiming her gun at Zelena. 

"And I've got your heart." Robin said to Regina. Juliet sighed, readying herself to use her magic, which hopefully, she wouldn't need. They began to circle the witch.

"Zelena, stop now." Regina warned. "We're not going to let you succeed." Zelena chuckled, then looked back at Gold. 

"Rid me of those pests." She commanded, waving the dagger. With a flick of her wrist, she sent David and Robin flying back into bales of hay. Hook held out his sword as Gold turned to him. 

"Please, no more water." He pleaded. Juliet was confused as to what he meant by that, but she brushed it aside. Gold sighed.

"Get the dagger, then the Dark One will be on your side." He waved his hand and the gun flew out of Emma's hands. 

"That's easier said than done." She remarked. 

"Do as I say, or I will destroy you both." Gold advised. "I have no choice." He sent them flying back. Zelena kept her attention on Regina.

"Come for another beating, sis?" She taunted. Regina sighed.

"No. I came for some jewelry. She went to go grab Zelena's pendant, but was thrown back. Zelena noticed David and Robin advancing, so she called on one of her monkeys.

"Beautiful one, will you?" A screech was heard from above, and one of the monkeys came flying down. David pushed Robin out of the way before the monkey scratched David. Juliet shot a fireball at the monkey, and it singed when it hit its shoulder. 

"Remember, these creatures are our friends." Robin reminded the two. David nodded.

"Don't worry. I'll use a gentle touch." He swung his sword.

"Unfortunately, that's not an option for me." Gold chimed in, knocking them down, including Juliet. As the redhead hit the wall, she heard a cracking noise somewhere in her legs. Zelena smiled, lifting her hand up. Regina started to hover in the air, choking. 

"Only light magic can harm me. And you're as dark as they come. It was your destiny to be this way." Regina struggled. 

"Don't try to tell me what I can be." Zelena chuckled. 

"I tried to be good once, but it wasn't in the cards. This is who I am, and it's who you are!" With the throbbing pain in her head and her body weakened from the fight, Juliet realized that they didn't have much time left in the fight before Zelena won. 

She couldn't just sit down and let her mother completely erase her. She had to do something. Mustering all her strength, Juliet shakily rose to her feet and uttered two words that would make her mother's attention on Regina waver.

"Mom, please." Zelena turned her eyes to her daughter, shocked that Juliet had actually called her "mom". Tears were forming in Juliet's eyes and she was in immense pain, but she had to keep going. She had to make Zelena listen. 

"If you succeed, if you go back in time, you won't just be erasing Regina, but you'll be erasing me." Zelena shook her head and Juliet continued. "If Cora raised you, do you think you would have met my dad? You wouldn't have, because you met him in Oz while you were planning your revenge." Zelena glanced back at Regina, and Juliet got more desperate. The tears started to stream down her face. 

"I know you think I'm ashamed of you and I know you don't want me, but I don't care. I never cared about the fact that we lived in Oz instead of the Enchanted Forest, or that your mother gave you up. But I was never ashamed of you. All I wanted, all I ever wanted, was my mom. And I know that deep down, she's still in there so please. I'm begging you, don't do this. Please, mom. Please." Zelena faltered, sadness evident on her face. 

With Zelena distracted, Regina got time to gather her strength to take Zelena down. Robin had thrown Regina her heart, which Regina had time to put back in herself. 

"You're wrong, sis." She got Zelena's attention and extended her arms at her side. A white light was glowing from her hands. Regina looked down at her hands like she was shocked that it worked. 

"What are you doing?" Zelena asked. Regina looked back up at her sister, a smile on her face. 

"Changing." She let out a blast of white light that knocked Zelena back. In the commotion, Zelena dropped the dagger. 

"How?" Zelena was dumbfounded as Regina picked up the dagger. 

"I make my own destiny." She ripped the pendant from Zelena's neck, and a cloud of green left Zelena. The whirlpool dissolved into nothing and the baby was left unharmed. A monkey came flying down at David, but just as he was about to swing his sword, the monkey turned back into a person. 

"Little John, you're back." Robin exclaimed, and they reunited as David picked up his son. Juliet looked up at her mother, who was still on the ground. 

"David, the baby. Is he okay?" Emma asked. David smiled.

"Yeah. He can handle anything. Just like his big sister." They went to go leave the barn, leaving the two sisters and Juliet the only ones in the barn. 

"You failed." Regina remarked. "You're not going anywhere." 

"I beg to differ." Gold argued. He closed his fist and Zelena went sliding over to him. "I'm going to make you pay for everything you've done to me." Zelena breathed heavily.

"What are you waiting for? Just do it." Gold chuckled.

"With pleasure." Luckily for Zelena, Regina grabbed the dagger. 

"No!" She yelled, stopping him. "Enough. This ends now." She walked over to Gold. 

"After everything this witch has done, you're gonna protect her?" Regina sighed.

"Good magic stopped her. And good magic doesn't exact vengeance."

"She killed my son!" Gold yelled. Juliet clenched her fists. 

"And you killed the love of my life, but I haven't been trying to kill you." Zelena looked up at her daughter, confused. Gold narrowed his eyes at her for bringing that up. 

"How many lives have we taken trying to get what we want?" Regina asked. Gold scoffed.

"You can't be serious." Regina nodded.

"I am. Heroes don't kill." Zelena shook her head.

"So now you're a hero." Regina smiled.

"Today I am." 

juliet  •peter pan•Where stories live. Discover now