Daughter of Darkness || Once Upon a Time

Chapter Three | The One That Got Away

"Will that work here in the Underworld?" Regina asked. "My magic wasn't working."

Gold nodded. "This shop is full of Underworld magic. It was where I stayed when I died before Hades found me. Your magic isn't working here because you're still alive. Magic of the living will only work in the Overworld, and magic of the dead only works in the Underworld."

"Unless you get it taken away," Cora muttered.

"Indeed," Gold agreed. "So do you have something of his or not?"

Regina shook her head. "I don't think I do."

"Come on, dearie, you've got to have something of his with you. Perhaps your heart would work?"

"Well sorry I don't carry around his stuff like you carry around Belle's purse for her--"

"Mom! Grandpa!" Henry interrupted. "I have something we can use."

Both Gold and Regina looked at Henry who pulled a pocket knife out of his pocket. "I wasn't supposed to let anyone know I had because Robin know no one would approve, but he said it'd be safest if I had some way to defend myself in the Underworld."

"He gave you a knife?!" Regina exclaimed. "I am going to have to talk to him about giving people weapons."

Gold ignored Regina and took the pocket knife from Henry. he poured a few drops of the potion onto it and it began to glow. It floated out of Gold's hand and towards the door.

"Back out to the streets," Cora muttered. "What a great plan that was."

❃
|The Enchanted Forest|
❃

Roland was wrapped in a blanket and shivering when his dad returned. Little John had been looking after him while Robin was away.

"Papa!" Roland exclaimed when he saw him. He shrugged the blanket off and rushed over to Robin. "You're back!"

Robin laughed. "Indeed I am. How are you feeling?"

"Cold," Roland answered.

Robin nodded. "I figured as much. Well I wasn't able to steal the necklace, but I did manage to escape the Evil Queen and I got some medicine." Robin showed his son a vial of dark green liquid that looked like crushed up leaved mixed with water.

Roland smiled. "Will it make me warm again, Papa?"

Robin nodded. "Yes it will." He opened it and held it up to Roland's mouth. "Can you drink it?"

Roland swallowed the liquid even though it tasted terrible. After it was gone, he curled up into Robin's lap and dozed off to sleep. Little John carried Roland's blanket over and laid it on top of him.

"How did you manage to get the medicine if you didn't steal the necklace?"

"I found it in the Queen's castle. I pocketed it and no one realized I had the medicine. All they cared about was the necklace."

❃
|Storybrooke|
❃

After Belle had enlisted Merida to find the merry men, she made her way back to Gold's shop. She trusted Merida could do her job without Belle's help, and Belle had been feeling a bit nauseous ever since she had woken up this morning. She found the book she had been in the middle of reading before they left for Camelot where she had left it behind the desk in Gold's shop. Her bookmark was still in its place.

She opened the book and sat down behind the desk before beginning to read. It was doubtful anyone would want anything from Gold's shop, as it was exactly the same before and after the six weeks they were in Camelot when no one had been there to keep the shop safe.

However, twenty minutes later, the bell on the door dinged and Belle looked up to see who it was.

"I take it you sent Merida for us?"

Will Scarlet. Belle hadn't even thought about him while in Camelot. Then again, she was more worried about Rumple the whole time.

"Yeah...why?"

"She really knows her stuff. Thanks. We were getting kind of lost without a leader, and Robin's probably not coming back anytime soon now that he's got Regina and her friends."

Belle nodded, "My thoughts exactly."

Will could have left then, but he hadn't spoken to Belle since she had broken up with him. There hadn't been any time because they had been swept up into Isaac's universe and then Belle had left for Camelot. But Will needed some sort of closure. He didn't necessarily want her back, but he did want to be sure that she was happy.

"So how have you been doing?"

"Fine. I mean, Rumple left for the Underworld and now he's gone, possibly to never return. But other than that, I'm fine."

Will walked over and sat down next to Belle. "He'll come back for you, Belle. He always has."

Belle smiled a little bit. "You really think so?"

"Oh, I know he's coming back. They'll all be back soon enough. Everyone comes back sooner or later. Robin came back after Regin had lost hope. Gold will come back for you too, even if you have to go to the Underworld and drag him back yourself."

"Thank you."

Will nodded. "Any time." Will stood up and left Belle to her book and her thoughts. He could only hope Belle would continue to believe Gold was coming back because honestly, Will wasn't so sure.