Emma slowly stirred from her sleep. She could feel Killian's steady breath brush across her neck behind her. Killian's arms was wrapped around her waist and her back was cuddled into his chest. She smiled, content, feeling like she could get used to this. From the bed, she looked outside of the window and could see that it was still very dark outside; it must have still been very early in the morning.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, causing Emma to turn towards it with a startled expression. She slowly rose from the bed and brushed the hair from her face. Killian stirred as she rose and sat up.

"Swan?" He silently called out to her.

Emma moved towards the door and opened it.

"Hello, Emma." Morgan stood at the entrance of the room.

"What are you doing here?" Emma stood her ground, defensive.

"I'm simply here to help you, Emma." Morgan smiled sincerely at the woman.

"Get the hell away from me. Last time was just a warning shot, but next time you try to start with me, you might not be so lucky." Emma said, as Killian moved behind her to reassuringly place a hand on her shoulder.

Morgan laughed, "Oh, Emma. There it is again. That darkness you try so desperately to push away, yet it is so clear that your heart is seeped in it. If your heart even gives into it for a moment, your entire being is swallowed by the darkness and no fraction of yourself remains. It can even make you do terrible things, things you'd never expect yourself to do, things that can hurt the people you love."

Emma's fists tightened, her face becoming stern.

"Even 'heroes' have the potential to do terrible things. Soon, Emma, the darkness within you will boil over and there will be no stopping it when it does. Let me help show you the way." Morgan cast out her hand. Emma leaned forward, clutching her head and let out a painful groan.

"Swan?" Killian tried to get a hold of her.

Emma didn't have any control of her actions. Her pupils turned black and she felt herself beckoned to Morgan's every command.

"Kill him." Morgan smiled, turning to Hook.

Hook turned to Emma, grasping her shoulders. "Emma, please. It's me! Don't listen to her. You can stop this."

"It's too late, Hook. The darkness has already started to consume her heart. There will be no saving her now." She turned to the woman. "Do it."

Emma plunged her hand into Hook's chest and pulled out his heart. She slowly began squeezing the glowing heart, causing Hook to cry out in pain. The heart crumbled into ash, Hook falling to the ground, lifeless.

Emma suddenly shot up from the bed, looking around her almost in a panic. Her breathing was fast and rugged, her heart beating tremendously. After a moment, she saw that Killian was asleep next to her and it was still fairly dark outside.

Killian stirred from his sleep when Emma snapped up. "Love?" He quietly whispered out to her, his hand reaching out to hers. "Is everything alright?"

Emma stumbled, "Yeah...just...a nightmare." She slowly settled back down into the bed, wrapping her arms around Killian and resting her head on his chest.

"It was just a silly dream, sweetheart, it's not real. Everything's alright, just try to get some sleep, okay?"

Emma nodded and cuddled closer into him. She could sense that he had fallen back asleep soon after.

She, however, had spent the rest of the night awake, her fear building within her.

Chapter Seven - A Fractured Family

Merlin entered into Gold's shop.

Gold looked up from his place at the counter. "Ah, and so we meet again, old friend. How can I help you this time?"

Merlin smiled, taking a step towards the counter. "I actually came to thank you. Arthur told me that you had helped him fight off Morgan. I thought that was quite unexpected of you, but I'm grateful."

Gold smiled, "Well, given our past, it may seem unlikely to you, but the Dark One has a heart, too. I knew how lost and alone the boy must have felt without you."

Merlin nodded.

Gold paused for a moment and stared at Merlin, curiously. "You haven't told them yet, have you?"

"No." Merlin replied, honestly.

"Well, why not?" Gold questioned.

"Because if I did, they would never look at me the same way again. How do you think Arthur would feel knowing that what he's believed his whole life were all lies?"

Gold shook his head, "I can imagine he'd be quite surprised, though I believe his heart would be able to handle it somehow. You've been running for a long time, Merlin, but you can't run forever. You know that."

Merlin remained silent. "I did what I had to to protect the boy. Nothing more."

Gold nodded, "That might be the case, Merlin, but we both know, history has a way of revealing itself. You have to tell Arthur the truth about his father and what you did. It is the only thing that will set both you and the boy free."

The old wizard stared at the man before him, fully knowing that he was right.

The man had stumbled into his home, holding a bottle of liquorand breathing heavily.

Ruth stood up from her table inside of the small house and approached her husband. "Uther, when will this end? Your constant drinking is damaging this family and our good name."

"My name has already been damaged enough, what more could a little harm do?" Uther replied back to her, half drunk.

Ruth rolled her eyes. "What more could it do? We have a son to raise, someone who should look at you as a role model, not just the tavern drunk." She pointed over to David, who was now a young child, no more than seven years old. "How will he ever grow up to be a good father when his own disappears at all times and wanders about the village drunk!" The woman's voice rose, unintentionally. She never liked fighting with her husband in front of her son. She turned to her child, sweetly. "David, why don't you go fetch me some flowers from the garden?" The boy left the small house, almost relieved that he didn't have to see his parents fighting again.

Ruth turned back to her husband, "Uther, this has got to stop. Our family depends on it. David is such an impressionable boy these days and in a village like ours, he needs someone to look up to."

"I just don't think I'm that person." Uther replied, lowering his head. "After the Ogre Wars struck Camelot all those years ago, I just haven't felt the same. David would be better off without his runaway coward of a father..." He stumbled over his words.

"Uther! That's just not true."

"It is. I want to change for the boy, for his sake." He told Ruth. "Tomorrow, when I set off to gather our farming supplies, I will swear off my dependency on drinking. I will beat this. I'll return a better man for David, someone he can look up to. I have to be better for him."

Ruth smiled, "You really mean it?"

"Yes, when I return in two weeks time, I want to do what is best for my son and I want to give him a life that he deserves - a happy one."

Ruth leaned in and lightly kissed Uther's cheek.

Gold looked up from the counter when the bell at the front of the show rang and he saw Belle enter.

"Belle?" He said, walking out from behind the counter. "What are you doing here?"

"Rumple, I...I've been doing a lot of thinking about us recently and I wanted to apologize."

He stepped closer to her. "Why would you ever need to apologize after everything that I've done?"

"Because I keep telling you to try and be a better man and, yes, I still want that, but I never fell in love with a man that was absolutely perfect. I do admit that I was so upset and disappointed with you, but I wasn't really even giving you a chance after you returned to Storybrooke. I...do want you to become a better man, but I don't want you to change who you are, either. I don't know what to do."

Gold turned around, "Well, ever since this new fairy has moved into town, I've not made any deals, nor have I performed any tricks and any magic that I have used at all has been to protect others."

"I know, Rumple, and I'm so proud of you." Belle sighed, "A part of just has a hard time trusting that it will remain that way forever."

Gold nodded, "I suppose you'll have to learn how to trust me again, just as I will have to learn to put power aside and be a better man."

Belle sighed and nodded, turning towards the door. She turned back to him. "Are you doing anything tonight?"

He looked up at her, perplexed and shook his head. "No, I don't believe so."

"Would you like to go on a date, then?" Belle smiled and shrugged. "I know, that sounds so strange, especially since I don't think we've ever actually been on one before."

"I would love to, Belle." Gold smiled, surprised, but completely excited to actually be spending a night with her. "And where would you like our date to be?"

Belle smiled and placed a finger on her chin. "Mmm, not Granny's. As much as I love the diner, it's not exactly the most romantic place to have a dinner."

"Romantic?" Gold looked at her, surprised.

She looked down, sheepishly. "Well, I thought we could at least take small steps towards getting back to a good place with each other. I think a nice date could serve us well. Help us spend some time just...alone with each other, no talking about magical powers or fake daggers, just us being with each other."

Gold smiled, "That sounds nice."

Belle let out a small laugh and headed towards the door, "Right, so you can stop by Granny's around eight tonight and by then, hopefully I would have found a place where we can spend our evening."

He smiled, "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

She looked back at him and smiled, "Me too, Rumple."

After she had left, he stood at the counter for a moment longer, with a smile on his face. He moved over towards the door and put a sign in front of it. He closed the shop early and decided to start preparing for his date.

Arthur was at one of the booths in Granny's diner, along with Merlin, Mary Margaret and David. While David was looking over the menu and Mary Margaret was swaddling the baby, Arthur was doing his best to introduce Merlin to the new realm.

"So, I haven't been in Storybrooke long, but these hamburger things that they have, they taste pretty good. They're sort of like a less flavorful chimera." Arthur said, opening his menu.

Merlin laughed, "My boy, you forget, I have been in Storybrooke for some time before I awoke you from your stone-like state."

David looked up from the menu, "Speaking of which, how did you manage quite a feat? I can't imagine this fairy made it too easy for you."

"Believe me, she didn't. With my heart in her hands, I had to act carefully, but I managed to break free for some time and keep her entrapped with my magic wand. It was only after Arthur was set free that she got hold of both my wand and my heart."

Arthur smiled, "But we got them back, so whatever she's planning has been put on hold. We know that Emma and I are strong purveyors of light magic. You too, Snow. I think that is the key to defeating her. Now, we just have to actually get an opportunity to do so."

David smiled and turned to his wife, "Yes, but until then, we do have our lives to carry out. You have a class to get to."

Mary Margaret quickly moved out of the booth, handing the baby to her husband. "Oh, I had nearly forgotten! Don't wait up for me, I have to head over to City Hall after school to start making planning arrangements for the ball. Don't worry, we'll find a way to stop this fairy. If she interrupts this ball, believe me, I'll make sure that all hell is paid on her behalf."

As Mary Margaret moved towards the door, Hook entered into the diner and moved past her. They quickly greeted each other, before Hook made his way over to the booth.

"Mate, do you think we have a chat for a moment?" He directed towards Arthur.

Arthur looked around and then back at him. "Yeah. Sure, what's up?"

The pirate raised his eyebrow and looked at David. "I meant without any additional company. No hard feelings, mates."

David crossed his arms and sighed, wondering only what the pirate could possibly be talking about. Still, Arthur rose up from his seat and the two of them went over to the far side of the counter.

Arthur turned to him, but he didn't say anything. "Hook? I believe you wanted to talk?"

Hook sighed, "It's about Emma. I'm worried about her. She came to me last night. Whatever this fairy is doing to her, whatever games she's playing, it's messing with Emma's mind. I...I'm scared for her."

The king looked down and sighed, "Hook, honestly, I'm scared for her, too. When I saw the confrontation between her and Morgan the other day, the person I saw, it wasn't Emma. Her powers of light are far more powerful than whatever darkness Morgan wields, but maybe she just doesn't believe that. I think, the best thing to do right now is to comfort Emma, make her feel safe and undestructable."

Hook smirked, "Believe me, Swan's proven to me that she's undestructable. I just want to let her know that I'm here for her, regardless of how light or dark her heart is." He replied sheepishly, looking down.

Arthur smiled, "Wow. It sounds like you really love her and that's more powerful than anything."

"I do love her." Hook replied, sincerely. "I've never said as much to her, but I think, hopefully, she knows."

Arthur laughed and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Hook, you've never told her? I think that might be the solution to make her feel a bit better, don't you?"

Hook sighed, "Look, mate, I might be extremely attractive and bloody fantastic, but she just makes me feel these emotions that it's hard to keep inside - love, happiness, especially the way she kisses, it-"

"Okay, whoa, Hook. I get it. It's clear why you didn't want to talk with David now."

The pirate looked at the king. "I...just love her more than anything. I feel like...even if I try to tell her, my words won't be enough to really express everything I'm feeling."

"Hook, don't overthink it. Just be honest about your feelings for her. Let them do the talking. I get that you might be nervous, it's completely understandable, but the things you're struggling to say might be just what she needs to hear. Often, the things that are the hardest to say are the ones that need to be heard."

Hook nodded and smirked, "You're right. I suppose I'd end up having to tell her eventually; maybe it's best when she needs to hear it the most." He sighed, feeling nervous. "I might need to get a few drinks beforehand to calm down."

From the booth, David tried to make out what Arthur and Hook were talking about, but it seemed useless. He continued to rock the baby.

"You're quite good with him, you know." Merlin said.

"What?" David turned back to him, taken out of his momentary trance.

"The child. You make a good father, David." Merlin smiled at the man sitting across from the booth.

David smiled back at him. "Well, I'm still learning. I've never really had the chance of being a father before this. Emma was gone before we barely had a chance to hold her and, well, we spent decades apart. With Emma, we didn't have a choice, but now, I want to make sure that I am there for my son. Growing up without a father is just...heart-breaking."

Merlin looked down. "Yeah..."

"Growing up, I only really had my mother and the farm we lived on. My father was a drunk and left the two of us behind often. I remember him saying that he would try to be a better man for me...but he never did. He died before he even had the chance. Thinking back now, growing up without a father, someone there to guide me, was far more difficult than I remember it being. I don't know how Emma, Arthur, any of us got through it."

Merlin took a deep sigh and started, "David, there's something that y-"

David's phone then went off. He reached into his pocket and picked it up. "Hello?"

'Dad? It's Emma. You need to come down to the Storybrooke Convent. I think our good fairy friend just got hold of her next victim.'

David looked up from the phone and alerted Hook and Arthur from the counter across the room. "That was Emma. She says Morgan is acting up again at the convent. The other fairies might be in danger. Come on, let's head out."

Two weeks had passed quick enough for Uther, who had traveled through the nearby villages to pick up farming supplies on his way back home. He had stopped for a short bit at one of the nearby taverns. Truth be told, the journey was a strenuous one and a part of him dreaded having to return home, back to a life where he and undoubtedly, his family, was unhappy. The more he had thought about it, the more depressed he had come. He had a wife that once loved him, but it seemed that fire was slowly burning out and a son that deserved the best, but he knew that he could not offer him that. He truly did believe that letting go of his son would give him his best chance. He would not have a drunken, fool of a father to look up to.

The more he thought about his deteriorating family life, the more it drove his urge for a drink. As the night sky had fallen, he became more tired with every step he took. Before he had left the village, he had stopped at the local tavern and, as much as he had tried to fight the urge, sat down for a few drinks, staying til the early morning.

He stumbled out of the bar and back out towards the caravan, where he had kept his supplies. He lifted the wooden pools of the caravan up with each of his hands and slowly began to trek out of the village and towards the mountains that led to the other nearby towns. King George's castle could be seen in the far distance of the woods. As he stumbled across the mountain path, his drunkeness and the night sky proved to get the better of him.

Not only was hid mind not in a good place, but he was not thinking straight to begin with. He stumbled and tripped over his own feet, as the mountain path had become narrower. Soon, the man's intoxication got the better of him, when he found himself falling off of the side of the mountain and into the ravine below, his caravan crashing down above him. As he fell, a tree at the base of the ravine broke his fall, as the man crashed to the ground, his cart and all of his supplies scattering about around him. He laid there, lifeless, unable to move.

The next morning, the local village constable had spotted the poor man and his fallen caravan from the mountain path and purported that the man must have died from falling into the ravine. They soon recognized the man as Uther, who had traveled through their village days before to gather supplies. The men decided to travel back to Uther's farm to infrom his son and his wife of his passing.

The sun had risen directly above the ravine, when Uther's eyes snapped open. He couldn't move at all and his back was in seething pain. He couldn't feel his legs or his arms. They were all still attached to him, but it felt incredibly numb. From what he could see of his body, it was covered in scratches and blood. He tried to move, but was met with a painful grunt. He supposed he would just lay there and wait until death had claimed him.

Suddenly, a woman came into his vision and rushed to his side, placing a chalice of water at his mouth, making sure the man drank something. His face was covered in sweat and blood.

"Here, drink. You must be thirsty." The woman tried wiping the blood away from his face, but it didn't work much. She felt his skin, as if it was as hot as fire. She called to the men who were traveling with her, signaling them to help the man onto their caravan of village goods. Two men came by and lifted the man up. At this point, Uther had completely blacked out and had fallen unconscious. The men placed his body onto their caravan and started making their way off.

They continued down the road for sometime, as Uther was drifting in and out of consiousness. He slowly cracked open his eyes and saw that the sun was setting and the night sky was starting to overtake the sky. Truth be told, he didn't know anything about the people he was with, but he didn't really care. They didn't seem to want to do him any harm. They suddenly stopped in the middle of a large open field and started to set up camp for the evening. Within moments, tents had been pitched and a fire had been started. The men took hold of Uther's body and placed him on a sack of flour they had with them.

Uther tried to lift himself up, but it was still no use. Several bones in his body were broken.

"Careful. Don't move. Lie back down." The woman said, approaching him, and placing her dark green shaul over the man's body. "You must have taken a nasty fall. I was worried you weren't going to make it out alive."

"I still d-don't think I am." Uther could barely choke out. "W-who are you?"

"My name is Igraine. I'm from a kingdom called Camelot." She told him.

"Camelot?" He questioned, almost out of concern.

"Yes. It is a grand kingdom, with many villages and people that call it home. Not long ago, our kingdom was struck by dangerous ogre attacks, but it has since returned to peace and is growing in prosperity with each day. Have you ever heard of it?"

"No. I'm afraid not." He lied, deciding it would be best to keep his past experience in the Ogre Wars and the forging of Excalibur with Rumplestiltskin to himself.

"And what about you?" The woman asked, smiling at him. "What's your name?"

"Uther." He replied simply. "I'm a farmer from the village. I was in town gathering supplies, when I must have taken a pretty bad fall."

"Oh! Right. Here, let me." Igraine knelt closer down to him and cast out her hand. Then, a purple haze seemed to cover Uther's body. A relaxing, soothing sensation spread throughout his body, before the haze faded away. "There. Good as new."

Uther slowly sat up, his eyes wide with astonishment. He could finally move. His cuts had been completely healed. It was like nothing had even happened at all. "That...was incredible. I've never seen magic like that before, not that I've had many experiences with it."

Igraine let out a small giggle. "I was born with these powers, to heal people, to spread light, some legends say that it's called light magic, but to me it's just ordinary. Here. Watch." She knelt down towards the grass and placed her hand towards it, as twinkling sparkles appeared from it. A flower patch began to blossom from within the grass fields. "I have many talents and the more I've studied them, the more I realize what I can do."

"That's amazing." Uther said, astonished. It was then, seeing her there, he couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked. She had beautiful, green eyes and curly brunette hair that cascaded down her back. For a moment, he couldn't take his eyes off of her.

"Well, then Uther, now that you're healed, I suppose you'll be leaving us in the morning? You must have a family to go back to." She said, thoughtfully.

Uther paused for a moment, his facial expression falling. "No. I have no family to return to. I...was actually...just leaving my farm for good."

"Oh, well, you're welcome to stay with us longer if you'd like to. We're making our way back to Camelot. We should arrive there by midday tomorrow."

Uther pointed at the other two men sitting across from the fire. "And who are they?"

Igraine smiled, "That's Merlin. He's my father and a nobleman in the king's court. And that next to him is Percival, lead knight, son of Camelot's King Pellinore. Everything is a mission to the two of them, even if it is just retrieving goods from a nearby village."

Uther turned back to her, confused. "And you would really let me stay with you? Why?"

Igraine sighed and fiddled with her fingers. "Because I've already used my light magic on you and that is not something I do often, especially for complete strangers. I don't know. I guess...I'm just a caring person. I want to make sure you're okay." She adjusted the shaul over him, making sure he was comfortable. "All I'm saying is to think about it." She winked at him before joining her father.

Uther rested back down, lying on his back, as he tried to scrub the dirt from his face. Could he really pursue a new life for himself, somewhere where nobody knew where he was and he had no obligations. The thought was enticing. He did have a wife and a son back at the farm, but his heart kept telling him, that they were better off without him. He couldn't tell where this dark throughts were coming from, but he couldn't stop himself from believing that they were true. His wife and his son would not have to deal with the trouble of having him around and by this time, they already thought that he was dead. His mind regretted thinking it, but maybe it was time to leave his past behind him.

'Maybe starting off someplace new could be a good thing for everyone?'

David, Hook, Arthur and Merlin had met up with Emma outside of the Storybrooke Convent and they approached the stone statue of Mother Superior on the outside of the building.

David sighed, "Well, I guess we know why we were called then."

Emma came up to them with Tinker Belle following behind her. "Tink thinks that Morgan must have broken into the place last night."

Tink nodded, "Her wand is missing. She must have stolen it after she turned Blue to stone. The fairies and I have turned the place upside down trying to find it, but it's gone."

"Then, I think we know why she paid you a visit." Hook said. "That fairy is powerful enough on her own, but she needs her wand for something."

Merlin knelt down next to the stone statue of Mother Superior. "Arthur, you were entrapped in stone for quite awhile in Storybrooke, but it was my light magic that was able to release you. Perhaps it can be done again?"

He rolled up the sleeves of his robe and straightened out his long white beard, before he made his wand materialize. With a flick of his wand, a spark of light shot out and engulfed Mother Superior. When the shimmer faded, Mother Superior was still encased in stone.

Merlin sighed, "I don't understand. It worked before."

"That's because Morgan's magic wasn't as strong then." Arthur confirmed. "She wanted me to be released in Storybrooke. She wanted to get her hands on Excalibur. She needs it, just like she needs your wand, too."

Hook sighed, "And at the rate she's going, I won't be surprised if she gets them."

Emma looked at the others, "Then, we stop her before she gets the chance."

Belle stared at herself in the mirror of Granny's Inn, flattening out the creases in her red dress that she had decided to wear for her date later that evening. She turned around to Ruby, who was sitting on her bed.

"So, how do I look?" Belle said, giving a little spin.

"You look wonderful, Belle." Ruby smiled. "You're really trying to pull out all the stops, aren't you?"

"What do you mean?" Belle looked back to Ruby.

"Well, the dress, the hair, the shoes. I don't think you need to make much of a good impression on Gold. You're already married."

Belle smiled and took a seat on the bed next to her. "I know. I just want to make sure that everything goes perfectly though. Dates weren't things that Rumple and I really ever experienced, unless you classify dates as doing chores and taking care of a pawn shop."

"Nope. Those absolutely were not dates." Ruby laughed.

"Which is why I want to make sure an actual date that we go on goes perfectly." She pressed a hand against her stomach. "I can't help but feel a little nervous. He's my husband, of course I feel comfortable around him, but that doesn't stop me from feeling nervous, too. Does that sound strange?"

Ruby smiled, "Hmm. Not at all. It's a good kind of nervousness right?"

Belle smiled, "Yes."

"Well, I think that's a good sign - after all the years of being together, you can still give each other butterflies. I'm sure he feels the same way, too."

Belle took a deep sigh and looked at her friend.

"Belle, relax. You've already married Gold. I think you would have gotten most of your nerves out of the way by this point."

"I know, I know. It's just...this is the first tim we've really been together since we've started confronting our problems. It's like...this is the first night we're a couple again after everything that's happened."

Ruby tilted her head, "Well, despite everything the two of you have been through, you still love him?"

She smiled, "Of course I do."

"Well, then I think that should make your night a little easier." Ruby smiled. "Come on, you should finished getting ready."

As Ruby got up from the bed, Belle turned towards the mirror, flattening out the creases in her dress once more before staring at herself confidently with a smile on her face.

Emma lead the others back towards Main Street, heading towards Gold's shop.

"Emma? Where exactly are you going?" Arthur called out to Emma, who was leading them down the street. "Merlin already tried his magic. It didn't work. We're going to have to find another way to restore them."

"And that probably means destroying the fairy." Hook concluded.

Emma turned back to them, "Look, I'm going to Gold. I'm sure he has some magic solution to turn Mother Superior back. He always does."

"I wouldn't put much hope into it, Emma." David said, "If Merlin's powerful light magic couldn't do anything to effect her powers, you really think Gold's could?"

"I don't know!" Emma turned around and snapped. "What I do know is that this fairy is dangerous and we need to destroy her before she destroys us!" She turned away from them, leaving the others silenced.

Hook approached her. "Are you okay, love?"

Emma sighed, continuing to walk down the path. "No, I'm not. I'm the savior, but, I haven't been doing much saving recently, especially against this dark fairy."

"That's ridiculous, Emma. You're helping Arthur, you helped save Merlin. I think you're doing a pretty good job."

"Yeah and where will it get us?" Emma shook her head. "We still have a dark fairy lurking around the corner, people are being turned to stone and I'm in the middle of it, not able to do anything. I have these 'light magic' powers, but even they can't stop Morgan for good." She continued walking down the street, Hook following her. David, Arthur and Merlin followed a bit behind them.

Emma made it to the front of Gold's shop and saw that the store had been locked and closed for the day. She let out a grunt and replied sarcastically, "Well, that's just great." She kicked the wall at the side of the door.

Hook took hold of her hand. "Emma, love, please calm down."

Emma turned to him, doing her best to keep her anger on a leash.

"We will stop her and everything will be back to normal. I promise."

Emma sighed deeply and looked up at his eyes. "You seem pretty confident about that."

"I'm confident about you. I know what you can do. You don't stay down for long."

A small smile grew on Emma's lips. "Sometimes, I don't know what I'd do without you, Killian." She brought him in for a quick embrace.

David looked at the two of them, "Ookay, what the hell is happening?"

Arthur smacked his shoulder, "Leave them alone. Hook has good intentions." He whispered to David. "If you even move or say anything, I will tackle you to the ground. Emma will be fine."

David's mouth shut from the light-hearted threat.

While Emma was hugging, Hook looked over towards Arthur, who shot him an encouraging look, specifically thinking back to the conversation that they had earlier. He pulled back slightly so that he could see Emma's face.

He smiled down at her and took a deep breath, "Emma, I l-"

"THAT FAIRY HAS LOST HER MIND!" Leroy said, running down the street towards the group.

The small group looked around them, seeing the dwarf running up to them, out of breath, a look of disdain on his face.

"Leroy? What happened?" David questioned.

"It was that evil fairy! We were coming home from working in the mines, when she showed up and turned them all to stone! I managed to get away, but my six brothers weren't." Leroy said in one big huff.

"Well then, it seems like our fairy friend is picking off the people one by one in this town to turn them into stone." Hook said.

"She's just doing it to show how powerful she is." Arthur said. "It's a game she's playing."

"Come on, Leroy. Show us the way." Emma said, moving away from Hook and following the man.

Hook stared off at them, disappointed, but continued following after them a moment later.

Uther and Igraine, along with their traveling companions, had made it back to Camelot, where Igraine had welcomed Uther to stay in their home with them. As her father retried to bed early that evening, Igraine went to Uther who had made himself comfrotable by the fire that they had in the den of their home.

"Do you want to try to learn?" Igraine started, "Light magic?"

"You can teach people?" Uther sat up from his comfortable position.

"Well, I haven't taught anyone yet, only myself really. The more I became used to this magic, the more I grew to understand it. I've heard it's much more difficult for someone to learn magic than it is for someone who is already born with it, but we can still try." She held out her hand. "Here, hold out your palm."

He did so and closed his eyes, concentrating.

"I beleive that magic comes from emotion. You have to think about hope and belief to make your powers push through. Don't think, just become." With that, a small ray of light appeared from within Igraine's hand. "See? It's not too difficult."

Uther tried harder, but nothing happened. "No, it's not happening. I don't think I'm capable of using light magic."

"Well, maybe not quite yet, but maybe, someday you will be." Igraine placed her hand in his and smiled.

Three months had soon passed and Uther had established quite a content life for himself in Camelot and had grown considerable closer to Igraine. Inside, he had felt tremendously guilty for leaving his wife and his child, but he continuously told himself that it would be better for them, despite the fact that, he himself, was trying to become a better man. He was working on finding work in the village and established a small hovel for himself on the outskirts of the marketplace. On the other hand, Igraine's father had taken a turn for the worse and was deathly ill.

He was able to create a new life for himself there in Camelot, along with a woman that he grew to enjoy being with, dare he even say, love. From the way that she had treated him and cared for him, he could tell that she had felt the same, too. He was taken out of his thoughts when Igraine entered into his home.

"Dear?" Uther went over to greet her and sensed the concern growing in her eyes.

"Uther, there's something I have to tell you, but I don't know how you'll react to it. I'm scared." She said, in a hushed, whispered voice.

"Igraine, you know that you can tell me anything." Uther assured her.

She took a few deep breaths and then a few moments later, she responded. "We're pregnant."

"What?" Uther said, surprised.

"I know, this is a big surprise for the both of us and we didn't expect it to happen, but-"

"Dear, this is amazing!" He went over to her and embraced her. "We're expecting a child!"

Igrained looked up from the embrace, smiling, "So, you're happy about this? About us having a baby?"

"I'm beyond happy. I'm ecstatic. We're having a child." He repeated again, as if his words solidified the idea more.

Igraine smiled and took hold of his hands, "I suppose that means that you'll be staying in Camelot for good then, doesn't it?"

Uther laughed, "Well, I do find my new home quite comfortable. I suppose we'll have to expand our quarters once the child arrives."

She sighed, "I just wish father could be around a little bit longer to see the baby. He always said that I would make a wonderful mother, one day. It's a shame he'll never know."

Uther embraced her tightly. "Igraine, Merlin is right. You will be a wonderful mother and I will do everything I can to make sure that I am the best possible man for you and for my child. No matter what, we will always be there for each other.

Igrained smiled and leaned up to him. "I love you."

"I love you, too." He smiled back at her, before kissing her.

As excited as they had been about their pregnancy, the days that followed were filled with sadness, as Merlin had succumbed to his illness and passed away.

There was a knock on Belle's door at the inn. She got up from the bed and made her way over to the door, opening it to find Gold standing there in a dark grey suit, wearing a black tie.

Gold raised his eyebrows and smiled at her. "You look absolutely stunning."

"You're not so bad yourself." Belle smiled back to him, grabbing her coat and throwing it on, making her way out of the room, being led out of the inn by Gold.

"So, where shall we be enjoying our evening?" Gold turned to her.

Belle smiled and led him down the street, "Well, there is a lovely Italian restaurant called Tony's that I found. It's just off of Main Street. I think it would be perfect for tonight."

The two of them soon made their way over to the restaurant. Inside, they were led over to their table, where a candle was lit on the table. The lights were dimmed throughout the restaurant, the main lighting coming from the candlelight and the dimly-lit chandelier that hung from the center of the main dining room. The two of them were sat at a table at the far end of the dining hall, in a secluded alcove by a stone fireplace.

Belle looked up and smiled at him, "I'm happy that we're finally doing this."

"Me too, Belle." He reached up about to grab her hand, but stopped himself, not wanting to over-step his boundaries.

She saw the reaction and gingerly decided to place her hand on top of his, reassuringly, as if saying that it was okay to try to be romantic towards her. "I've missed you, Rumple. I really have. I know the love between us has never been easy, but that doesn't mean I ever stopped caring about you."

"I've always cared about you, Belle." Gold said to her.

"Not always." Belle smiled and laughed. "Not when I first moved into your castle and you had me cleaning the place. I didn't see much care there, did I?"

"Well, I must say, you grew on me quite a bit." Gold smiled.

"I could say the same about you." Belle smiled sincerely back.

Gold paused for a moment, looking at her. "Belle, why did you stay? With me? I once let you go, I once gave you your freedom, but you came back to my castle. Why?"

"After all this time, you still have to ask yourself that, Rumple?" Belle tilted her head. "Because I loved you. That's why I came back. Yes, when we first met, I saw a man that let his temper and his power control him, but I soon realized that there was something about you that I had never noticed before. You had a heart and there was a lot of love inside of it, for both me and your son. When I walked into your castle for the first time, it was an adventure to be taken. Living in a castle, protecting my kingdom, even having the chance to fall in love, even if it meant that finding true love was never going to be an easy path."

"And you decided to fall in love with a beast?" Rumple smiled.

"Rumple, you're not a beast. You're not a monster. You're a conflicted man. You've lost love many times, you've lost your son, you have your entire being controlled by the power of a dagger, that's a lot for any person to go through. I can understand that, after everything you've been through, gaining and keeping your power might seem like the most important thing."

Gold looked down at her hands, "It's not, Belle. I sought power because I wanted to keep my loved ones safe, but I did also want to keep harnessing power for my own, selfish needs, to be perfectly honest. But after losing you many times already, I learned that I would much rather lose my power than ever lose you again. It just took me awhile to understand that. Power comes at a great cost and if that cost is you, Belle, to hell with whatever power I get if it means losing you."

"Rumple, we have not spent our life losing each other, we've spent it finding each other all over again. Maybe the love between us, whatever form it might take, it might not be easy and it might be a challenge for the both of us, but it is an adventure just waiting to be discovered. It's what I always wanted."

"And after everything that we've been through, the challenges and the struggles that we've faced, it's all still worth it?"

"More than anything. It might not be the life or the love I thought I would have, but it has been so much more that what I thought it would be."

"She just came out of nowhere and turned them all to stone in an instant." Leroy continued talking to Emma, leading them down the nighttime street, followed by the others.

Arthur turned back to Hook, walking in step with the pirate, "So, you and Emma seemed pretty close earlier. Did you finally tell her what you wanted to."

Hook shook his head, "Not yet, mate."

"Why not?"

"Well, excuse me for being interrupted by a boisterous dwarf. I don't think it was quite the appropriate time to dabble into romance."

Arthur sighed, but nodded his head in agreement. "I suppose you're right, but don't wait too long, mate. Emma might be the patient sort, but I've learned that love is about honesty and being genuine. Don't take anything for granted, especially time together."

Arthur walked a litle faster, leaving Hook with his thoughts as he rejoined Emma and Leroy. They spotted the six stone dwarfs at the corner of the street. Mary Margaret had already gathered in front of the dwarfs, holding the baby in her arms.

Mary Margaret turned back to them with tears in her eyes, "It was her, wasn't it? She did this."

"I'm afraid so, Mary Margaret." Emma said, "If we don't stop this fairy within a week, half of Storybrooke will be turned to stone."

"Well, we have to do something about this." Mary Margaret said. "We can't let her win."

"Sure you can." Morgan appeared behind them. "And you will. You won't have much of a choice, actually."

"You. You did all of this!" Mary Margaret stormed towards Morgan.

"Mary Margaret, don't!" Emma grabber her mother's arm.

"That's right, dear. Listen to your daughter. You don't want to end up like your six little friends there, now do you?"

"Morgan, stand down." Arthur demanded. "You can't win against all of us united together."

"He's right." David added, "We've taken down villains before and we'll do it again."

Morgan laughed like a child. "Oh, how sweet. I see the happy, little family has reunited at last, isn't it so, Merlin?"

Merlin stood his ground, glaring at the evil fairy. He felt his breath hitch, knowing that his entire life was going to come unraveling.

She smiled. "Oh. You haven't told them yet, have you? Who you are, what you've done and who you still pretend to be." She stepped closer towards the wizard, encircling around him. "It's quite a shame, Merlin. I didn't expect you to be the one to keep secrets, especially from your dear, sweet family."

Emma took out her gun and pointed it towards Morgan, "What the hell is she talking about?"

"Morgan, don't." He turned to her.

"You know, the things that are the hardest to say are the things that need to be heard, Merlin. You know this, and yet, here you are...still just as selfish, just as cowardish as you were all those years ago. You had the chance to be honest with yourself and your family, but you gave it up...just like your wife and son to pursue a 'better' life for you. Sounds more like craven self-interest to me."

"Please..." Merlin whispered.

Morgan laughed and replied darkly, "And yet, they call me the villain in this story and you claim to be a hero. It was a mistake to use the Sorcerer's hat to entrap me, Merlin. The Sorcerer may have taught you much, but it isn't helping now, is it? Perhaps if I was kept in that hat, your secrets would remain just that. Though, I do have Emma to thank for releasing me from the hat. She was truly responsible after all."

"I didn't know releasing the other fairies would release something like you, too." She replied coldly.

"Oh, don't worry, Emma. Storybrooke isn't to blame you for its' downfall, it's all on Merlin's shoulders. You can't hide your past forever, Merlin."

"Merlin, what is she talking about?" Arthur looked to the old wizard, concerned.

"Morgan, please, don't do this." Merlin replied, saddened.

"You know what I want." Morgan smiled. "Give me your wand back and your secrets will remain with you."

Merlin stood his ground, opening his mouth a few times, but the words never came. He couldn't give Morgan his wand, that was just another step closer to ensuring her victory. He lowered his head. "I can't."

Morgan sneered then, "Arthur, meet your father."

Arthur turned to Merlin with his eyes wide with surprise. Everyone else looked just as shocked as he did. "What?"

"You too, David." Morgan finished.

David stared at his father, surprised. He never even realized that this was the same man that left him and his mother when he was seven.

"There you have it, Merlin. Look at this little family now, though, it doesn't appear to be quite so happy anymore, does it? Look at your sons, the prince and the king, you should be so proud of them and here you are...still the coward, runaway farmer, throwing away your life, your family, to start off with a new one."

Arthur looked over to his newfound older brother, unable to say anything.

"Damn you, Morgan." Merlin whispered. "You waited for this moment. You wanted this to happen."

"I simply told them what they needed to hear, since you were far too scared to do it. It's not my fault it's a secret that would tear your family apart. Maybe you would have a happy ending if you had been honest with David and Arthur from the start, but alas, your end looks quite grim now, doesn't it?" With that, Morgan vanished.

The group was left behind to recuperate from the secret that had just been revealed to them.

Eight months later.

Igraine let out a cry as she gripped the sheets of the bed tightly until her knuckles turned white. Her entire body was dripping with sweat, as the midwife coached her through the birthing process.

"Igraine, you are doing wonderful. One last push now." The midwife said.

Uther was standing next to the bed, tightly holding onto Igraine's hand. The woman held on for dear life as she let out one final strong push, followed by several strong heavy sighs.

"It's a boy!" Uther cheered. Moments later, the midwife instantly began cleaning off the newborn. Uther placed several kisses along Igraine's temple, as the two of them smiled.

"What shall we call him, dear?" Uther turned to her.

Igraine closed her eyes and smily confidently. "Arthur, for he will be both noble and courageous."

Uther went over to the midwife and took his son in his arms. He took his wife's shaul and securely wrapped it around the newborn. "Arthur..."

Igraine tried to get up, only to have her head spin. She leaned back down unable to get up. She slowly felt her heart beat begin to slow down. The baby soon loud out a loud cry, the first noise the child would ever create. Igraine's breath was slow, almost a challenge just to keep breathing.

"Ut-ther, please." Igraine gasped out. He turned back to her, seeing her slowly sink back into the bed, clutching her stomach.

"Igraine?" He ran over to her side, wiping the hair away from her face. "Igraine!" The midwife rushed alongside them and began to pat the woman's sweat away from her forehead.

"I...I can't...breathe..." Igraine's breath was slowing even worse now.

"Please, please, no! Don't leave me." Uther took hold of her hand, the baby crying. "You said that we would always be there for each other!"

Igraine's body began to grow tired, as she rested back. Her eyes slowly shut. "I love you, both of you."

Uther cried over her body, "Please, don't go. I love you."

He felt her hand become still within his, motionless.

He cried looking over the dead body of his son's mother. He had loved her more than anything and now she was gone. He turned to look back down at Arthur, tears in his eyes. "I love you, Arthur." He gently placed a kiss on the newborn's head, as his crying subsided.

Suddenly, a ray of light shot out from within the kiss, as Uther pulled back. It was light magic, just as Igraine said he would one day learn. He looked down at his newborn son and smiled.

Arthur was born of true love.

The group turned to Merlin, looks of surprise on their face.

Emma turned to Merlin. "It's true. You're David and Arthur's father. They're brothers. You're my grandfather?" Mary Margaret went to stand next to her daughter. "It's true, isn't it?"

Merlin sighed, reluctantly, "Yes. It's true."

"You're Uther." David said, slowly walking to the man. "You left me and mom when I was only seven."

Merlin approached the man slowly, "Yes, son. I'm so sorry."

David punched Merlin across the face, sending the man to the ground.

"David!" Mary Margaret called after her husband.

"David!" "Stop, mate!" Arthur and Hook went over to David trying to restrain him. David struggled against them.

"It was because of you I had to grow up without a father! I had to listen to mother cry herself to sleep for too many nights! All because you wanted to start a new life for yourself in Camelot? You would abandon your son for that? I thought you were trying to be a better man! We thought you were dead."

Merlin slowly rose up, wiping the blood from his mouth. "David, I'm sorry. I let my own self-interest get in the way of my family. I thought it would be easier to start somewhere new then to fix what I already had?"

"So, you got a new family for yourself instead?" David sneered. "If only mother was alive to see the truth. You never even thought once to check up on your son or your first wife? That's despicable. That's not something a good father does to his family."

"David, please." Merlin begged. "I wanted to tell you, I did. I'm so sorry."

"I'd rather you be dead than be a man who would give up on his family." David replied coldly, before turning away from them. Mary Margaret and Emma followed behind him, slowly turning away from Arthur and Merlin. Hook and Leroy followed shortly behind them.

There was a long moment of silence afterwards, before Arthur finally turned to Merlin.

"You've been lying to me my whole life, Merlin." Arthur turned to the wizard, saddened.

Merlin moved closer to Arthur, extending his arms out. "Arthur, please, my boy, I-"

"Don't touch me." Arthur backed away from him. "Why? Why would you lie to me? Never tell me that I had a family? A brother?"

Merlin paused and opened his mouth, as if to gather his thoughts. "I...wanted to leave my past behind me. Never let my old name effect my life or yours, so I sought a new one."

"Don't say you did that for me. You did that for you. So you could start off somewhere completely new, where you didn't have to be Uther or a farmer or a coward or have any responsibilities. If you had just been honest with me, I would have accepted it, Merlin! I wanted a family! I wanted a brother and a father! You kept all of that from me and just told me lie after lie. I thought you were someone I could trust. How could I now, my own father? You're selfish, Merlin. You're selfish and a coward."

"Arthur, I know what I did was wrong. Please." Merlin took the man's hands and begged him for his forgiveness.

Arthur pulled back away from him. "No. David's right. You've done more harm than good to your family, both of them. I don't want to see you again." He walked away from the old wizard, who now had tears forming out of his eyes. He took a deep breath and turned back to the man, his newfound father. "All I wanted was a family that loved me, but...not this. This isn't family."

He turned around and walked away from the man, leaving Merlin alone with tears in his eyes.

Merlin watched from their hovel as younger Arthur played with a group of friends out in the distant marketplace.

"My, my, my, it's good to see you old friend?" Rumplestiltskin appeared behind him, sitting on the bed in his house.

"Rumplestiltskin." Merlin said, surprised to see him here.

"Yes, dearie. Eh, you look a bit different since I last saw you. A bit older, a bit unshaven." Rumple said lightly tugging on the man's beard. "I can see that light magic you've learned to possess has done no good keeping your appearance together." He giggled.

"I can see your dark magic has done the same to you." Merlin countered.

"Ah, touche." Rumple smiled.

Merlin looked at the man sternly, "What are you doing here? I thought I'd seen the last of you after you tricked me."

Rumple rose up from his seat. "Ah, still bitter about that, I see. You should be proud you took part in forging the greatest blade to ever exist."

"If you are here to gloat, you might as well leave because I am in no mood." Merlin said, taking out his wand.

"Now, now, who said anything about gloating? I'm here to offer you a deal, one you won't want to miss if you want to keep Arthur down the straight and narrow path."

"A deal?' Merlin mumbled. "I don't make deals with you anymore, not after last time."

"Ah, but you will this time. You see, this deal will ensure your son's safety."

Merlin's eyes widened, "Arthur is in danger?"

"Not yet, but one day he will be."

Merlin turned to him, "What do you know?"

Rumple smiled and let out a giggle, "I'll tell you what I know...if...you tell me where the Sorcerer keeps their hat." He encircled around the man. "I know you've been studying with them. They have great magic."

"What could you possibly want the hat for?"

"My motives, my business, it should be no concern of yours." Rumple awaited a few more moments. "Tick tock, dearie, your son's life could be at stake."

"The Sorcerer keeps his hat guarded by his apprentice. The apprentice resides in a small house at the base of the dark mountains in the northern region of the Enchanted Forest, but Rumplestiltskin, I pray you be cautious, the hat is more powerful than you know. It's secrets are yet to be uncovered by any Dark One. It's powers are a mystery."

"We shall see about that." Rumple let out a laugh. "Now, my turn. Your son, the one you happened not to walk away from..." Rumplestiltskin led Merlin out of the house and pointed towards the younger man, "...will one day be ruler of this entire kingdom and will be the very owner of Excalibur, as a vision tells me."

Merlin turned to him, "Arthur...will be king?"

"Indeed, dearie. When the time is right, the kingdom will need a king and they will find Excalibur and just as we had planned, only a heart that is pure and good, void of any darkness, will be able to pull the blade from the stone. Your son will do great things."

"How will that protect him?" Merlin said, turning to Arthur.

"Because the ruler of the blade must use Excalibur to defeat a great evil along with the assistance of someone that I would like to refer to as 'the savior'. Together,they will accomplish great things."

"The savior?" Merlin questioned.

"Yes, the one who shall restore the world's happy endings. Both she and your son will possess a heart that is pure and good and that, dearie, is more powerful than any magic either one of us could possess."

Merlin turned to look at Arthur, who was coming back from the village.

"I must be on my way now, other deals to make, dearie. Make sure you take good care of your son this time, trying to be the best man you could ever hope to be for him."

Before Rumple left, he turned back to Merlin. "It was nice to see you again...Uther."

Gold walked Belle back up to the front door of her room at Granny's inn. At the door, she smiled and turned back to him.

"I had a wonderful time with you tonight, Rumple."

"As did I." Gold brought out his hand. "One last touch." He made a rose magically appear within his palm, before extending out towards Belle.

She giggled lightly, carefully taking the rose from him. "Thank you." She delicately traced her hands along the petals of the rose. "I hope we can go on our next date soon."

"Me, too." Gold smiled, clearling his throat. "Goodnight, Belle."

She opened the door to her room, "Goodnight, Rumple." She watched as the man turned away from her and began making his way back down the hall. A slight twinge of sadness then hit her heart, as she watched him walk away.

"Rumple!" She shouted out after him. Her lips and actions moving before she could even comprehend them.

Gold turned around, just as Belle extended her arms around him and pulled him in to kiss him. Their kiss continued as she wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. After a short while, they both pulled back, breathless.

Arthur was sitting at the counter of 'The Rabbit Hole' bar and club. In front of him were about half a dozen empty shot glasses that used to contain liquor or rum or anything that would numb what he was feeling at the moment. The bartender came up to him and handed him another drink.

"Well, it seems like you and I have another thing in common." Hook said, taking a seat next to Arthur. "We both like our drinks."

"Hey, Hook." Arthur said, while taking a gulp from his drink. "I typically don't drink, but after today,...yeah, I need it. I see us becoming best friends, you and I." Arthur slurred, patting Hook on the head.

"You haven't returned back home, have you? You haven't spoke to David or Merlin at all?"

"Nope." Arthur said, tracing the rim on the outside of the glass with his finger. "I will eventually...but, I need some time to myself. I was living with these people the whole time, not knowing that they were my secret father, who had me with his wife after leaving his first wife and son behind, who would one day marry Snow White and have my niece, who you are in love with."

Hook shook his head and raised his eyebrow. "Yep. It's weird when you put it like that."

A moment passed between the two of them, before they looked at each other and let out a loud laugh.

"It's hysterical is what it is." Arthur concluded.

Hook nodded, "You'll come to realize, in Storybrooke, nearly everyone is related somehow."

"Just...if I had known what I do now years ago, it would have just saved David and I all the trouble in the first place. I wouldn't have searched so long to find a family, when there really was one hidden away right in front of my eyes."

"Well, mate. You wanted your family so much, what are you doing here drinking in a bar?" Hook said, taking a sip from his drink.

"Like I said, I still need some time. Besides, I could ask the same about you. Aren't you suppose to be swooping Emma off of her feet?" Arthur smiled at the pirate.

" A little extra courage never hurt." Hook patted Arthur on the shoulder. "Besides. after today, I wanted to make sure that you were okay."

"Wow. That's nice of you." Arthur said.

"Well, we are friends now, aren't we?" Hook replied.

"Yeah, we're friends." Arthur smiled at the pirate. "Now, go, Emma's waiting."

"Okay." Hook said, taking one last drink from his glass. "I can do this."

"Hook, just remember, be genuine about your feelings. Let her know how much you love her and don't take anything for granted. I've been through it all before and...I wish I could go back to the time when I told someone that I loved them for the first time. It was...magical. It was scary. It was relieving. It was difficult to say...but it needed to be heard. Love for me didn't work out the way I thought it would, but...it didn't make me stop believing in it, either. Even if things don't go the way you expect them to, it's at least another step closer to finding your happy ending."

Hook smiled back at him, "Thanks, mate." He walked out of the bar, leaving Arthur at the counter.

Hook walked down the street and started making his way towards Main Street. He took out his phone and dialed a number. "Emma, it's Killian. If you could, come meet me at the clocktower in ten minutes. I have to talk to you." He hung up the phone, feeling confident.

After taking another gulp from his drink, Arthur decided that it really would be best if he went home, back to his family. It felt so strange to actually think of him having an actual family now.

He rose from his seat and left the bar, seeing that Hook had already made his way down the streets. He continued down the street, before a shadow passed over him.

"All alone are you, Arthur?" Morgan replied, stepping towards him.

"Morgan, stay back." Arthur put his hand out in front of him.

"Oh, don't be alarmed, Arthur. We're a lot alike you and I. We both have a great deal of darkness within our hearts, waiting to be awakened. Even a heart that is pure and good can be shrouded in darkness, blinding one to the feelings of love, happiness, content. In the darkness, all that matters is power. With your heart shrouded in darkness, you won't be able to use Excalibur."

"I will never let myself fall to your darkness."

"Well, you won't have to. Your heart is too pure to completely fall to the darkness." Morgan smiled. "But thankfully, my dark fairy dust will shroud your heart, your mind and make you believe that you're heart is completely taken by the darkness." She brought out her palm and blew into it, sending the dust racing towards Arthur's heart., as he froze, unable to move. The dust dissolved into his chest, as Arthur's eyes darkened, a dark smile stretching across his face.

"David, don't you think you are acting a bit out of control?" Mary Margaret whispered to David, trying not to alert Merlin who was in the room right next door to them.

"After what he did to my mother and I, the lies that he's kept, I don't think so!" David countered, before noticing Emma walking towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Mary Margaret called out.

"Out real quick. Hook called. He needs something. I'll be back in a bit." Emma said, before exiting out of the apartment.

She made it to her car and drove quickly through the town to make it to the clocktower. She parked her buggy outside and noticed that Hook hadn't made it just yet. She waited outside of the building for a few minutes before she noticed a figure approaching her through the dark of the night.

"Hook, there you are. I was waiting." She said.

Morgan appeared out of the night. "I've been waiting for you, too, Emma, so that you could finally join Arthur as a puppet of darkness."

Emma's eyes widened.

"That heart of light you possess will soon be extinguished."

Morgan brought out her palm, sending the dust directly towards Emma's heart. The darkness seemed to enguld Emma's brain and heart before dissolving, darkening Emma's eyes.

Morgan ran a hand along Emma's blonde hair. "There, my pet. Much better now. A suitable companion to the darkness. Now, Excalibur will be mine."

With that, Morgan disappeared, leaving Emma there, motionless, devoid of any feelings.

Moments later, Hook arrived at the corner by the clocktower and approached the woman.

"Emma, sorry. I'm late." Hook started, taking a deep breath. "Look, I've been trying to tell you this all day and...I just need to get it out. If I hold it in a moment longer, it feels like I'll burst."

He smiled down sincerely at her.

"Emma, I love you."

Emma stared back at him, coldly.

Chapter Eight - Dancing in the Dark

Morgan's powers over the darkness have corrupted Emma and Arthur, turning them into slaves to the darkness, leaving their family to scramble for a way to save them and reconcile their past, but when faced against the black fairy, that is easier said that done. In the Camelot of the past, Morgan forms an unlikely alliance in an attempt to assassinate Arthur and her fued with Merlin reaches a boiling point.

Just four chapters left!