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CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
THE PRICE, PT. 2
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"THIS IS SO STUPID," Teresa grumbled as she walked with Snow and Emma down the hallway and toward the ball room, where they could hear people talking and soft music being played. Her, Snow and Emma had each been given a white dress to wear; Teresa's had long flowing sleeves and the bottom of her dress hit the floor.

She didn't like it. Snow had to practically shove her into the dress. Snow had even put her hair into a very beautiful braid, that resembled her cousin Elsa's at some angles.

On the way down, Teresa had tried to leave, but Snow had gripped her arm, and now kept it locked with hers. This would be her first ball with Teresa, and she was damn well going to make sure Teresa didn't try and run off.

"Man up," Snow said with an eyeroll. "It's just a dress, Teresa."

"Says the princess."

"You know, technically, you're a princess as well. If your mother didn't send you off, you would have grown up in dresses."

"No I wouldn't have."

Snow chuckled. "How can you be so sure?"

"Well, for starters, my mother abandoned me. That was always meant to happen, no matter what, because I was apparently destined to meet you, Snow."

"True."

Soon, the trio came around the corner, where they were suddenly at the top of the staircase.

"Presenting Lady Teresa, Lady Emma and Lady Mary Margaret!" The trio walked down the steps as an applause filled the room.

A foreman walked up, where Teresa was then forced to place her hand on his so he could lead her down the steps. She glanced around the room for a moment before she turned to the bottom of the staircase, where there were three dark haired males waiting for them. David for Snow, Hook for Emma, and, of course, Henry for Teresa. Teresa knew that Hook had to of made him stand there and wait for her arrival.

A blush spread across her cheeks as soon as she reached Henry, who cleared his throat and gave her a nervous smile. "H-Hi."

"Hi," Teresa echoed, just as nervous. God, why did the Apprentice have to open his mouth? Our friendship had been just fine and not at all awkward until he announced that we are soulmates!

"Y-You look nice."

"Thanks." She cleared her throat, then took in his appearance. Henry was clad in white and a soft blue color; she much preferred Henry's navy blue jacket and red scarf, but she supposed he looked alright in her lands clothing. "You don't look so bad yourself, Mills."

"Presenting the Savior!" the footman shouted.

Thank god, Teresa thought, as she turned around to watch as Regina walk down the stairs. Robin stepped forward to meet her as the applause in the room grew even louder.

➳

Hook stood with a smile on his face as he watched Emma. She was in the crowd of dancers, being spinned around and laughing with her mother. Beside him, stood David, who was also watching the mother and daughter dance.

Hook looked away for just a moment, only to catch sight of Henry. Henry was standing not far away from where he and David were, and he staring at Teresa, who was standing alone, looking dreadfully bored. A smirk pulled onto his lips, and he nudged David in ribs.

David turned his eyes away from his wife and daughter, and when he spotted Henry staring at Teresa, he grinned. "Uh-oh, I believe the love is kicking in."

"Aye, and I believe the young lad needs help making a move. I'll deal with the archer, you got the boy?"

David nodded, a smirk working its way onto his face.

Teresa was bored. She swore she has never been more bored in her entire life. A ball celebration, in her eyes, seemed pointless. All you did was spend the longest time putting up nice decorations that you would only use for a day, and make tons of food. And all you did was dance. Dancing wasn't all it was made to be.

As she was sipping some punch, Hook was suddenly at her side, a smile on his face.

"What?" she asked.

"Care to dance?"

Teresa raised a brow. "Shouldn't you be asking Emma?"

"She's occupied."

"Then why me?"

"You're all alone, I'm all alone. We don't want to look like two sticks in the mud, now do we?" Before Teresa could protest, he had grabbed her wrist and was pulling her onto the dance floor.

"I don't know how to dance," she hissed, as they came to a stop on the dance floor.

"It's not that hard," Hook said, lifting his hand in the air.

She lifted hers, placing her palm against his. "Says you, I've never danced before."

Hook rolled his eyes as he began to instruct Teresa on how to dance. Eventually, the pair were dancing, with Teresa's posture stiff as a board.

"Relax, love," Hook laughed. "You're too stiff."

Teresa gave him a pointed look. "Don't push it, you're lucky I'm even letting this happen."

A wide smirk then pulled onto Hook's face, and before Teresa could question it, he had given her a gentle shove. Teresa stumbled and would have fallen if it would have not been for Henry Mills catching her.

"You alright?" Henry asked, his eyes boring into hers.

"Fine," Teresa muttered, her voice barely audibly as she stared into his warm brown eyes.

She then turned to look at Hook, who suddenly was no longer on the dance floor. "That bastard..."

"What?" Henry asked.

"Nothing."

Henry cleared his throat and began fumbling with his hands in a nervous manner. "Do you, um...do you want to dance?"

Teresa felt her heart race at his question. "I don't know how to dance."

"Well, lucky for you, my grandpa's been teaching me a thing or two," Henry said. He grabbed her hand and pulled her back onto the dance floor, where he then placed his hand in the air, allowing her to place her palm against him.

Teresa knew her face had to be red by now, as she danced back and forth with her apparent soulmate.

"So," Teresa cleared her throat. "Do you really think we'll be able to help your mom?"

"I have to believe that we can. She can't be pulled into the darkness; she's the savior. She's supposed to be good."

"You believe in a lot of things, don't you?"

"I have the heart of the truest believer, it's kind of my thing to believe in things."

"REGINA!"

The sound of Robin Hood's frantic and fear-filled voice caused Teresa and Henry to break apart. Robin had tackled Percival, one of King Arthur's Knights, and the pair began to wrestle for control of the sword that Percival appeared to had wanted to use on Regina.

Teresa and Henry began making their way over, as Emma stepped forward and raised her hand to use her magic to stop Percival. She was unable to do so, as Hook grabbed her hand. "No, Swan! You can't use dark magic."

Suddenly, David was at their side and stabbed Percival with his sword, but not before Percival stabbed Robin. Teresa's eyes widened as Robin Hood gasped in pain, blood now seeping from his inflicted wound.

"Robin!" Regina shrieked in horror as she fell to her knees beside him.

➳

They were able to gather Robin Hood and bring him to a room, where David and Hook had placed him on a wood table. Regina was at his side, gripping his hand as tight as she could, her other hand was occupied with trying to stop the bleeding. Teresa stood nearby, her hand gripping Henry's wrist in worry. She liked Robin, he had always been nice to her when she was a child, and Roland was a great kid that didn't deserve to lose his father right now. Not at such a young age.

"Can you heal him?" Snow asked. 

Regina placed both her hands over Robin's would, and after a moment her hands began to glow a purple color. As the moments passed, nothing happened; Robin was still gasping for breath and whimpering in pain.

"Why didn't it work?" David asked.

Regina sighed and glanced at the sword in Snow's hand. "This sword was enchanted to kill me. My magic can't heal him." Regina turned to Emma. "But maybe yours can."

"No." Hook stepped forward and sternly shook his head. "No, we can't let her use dark magic."

"Regina, this was the whole point of your pretending to be the Savior."

"The whole point was not for Robin to die. And I'm not asking you. I'm asking...I'm asking her."

"What about Teri? She has magic," Snow said, drawing the attention to the blonde teenager.

"Unforutanly, healing people was the only thing Elsa hadn't taught me. We didn't exactly want to injury ourselves to see if I could heal someone. If I could, I would. I-I'm sorry."

"You see, her magic's useless." Regina turned back to Emma with pleading eyes, which caused the blonde to sigh. "I don't know what will happen if I use my powers again."

"I can use that dagger to make you do this, but I'm not. I'm asking you. I've lost love before, and I won't again. Please. Save him."

Much to Hook's dismay, Emma let out a sigh and slowly nodded her head. "Alright...I'll try."

Emma stepped forward and stretched her hand out over Robin's gushing would. Before she could even try to do anything, her eyes widened in shock as she stared at the empty chair in the room near Teresa and Henry. "What are you doing here?"

"Emma, who are you talking to?" Hook asked in worry.

"No one." But that was an obvious lie, as Emma even walked around the table, Robin now completely gone from her mind, as she made her way toward the empty chair.

"This is too much for her."

"I'm fine. I can do this," Emma said to Hook, but then her next words were toward whomever she was seeing in the chair. "I won't take one to save somebody. Fine. I'll pay it. It'll be different. I'm the Savior."

Henry's heart was clenching, as he watched his mother speak to someone that wasn't even in the room.

"Emma, who are you talking to?" Teresa asked, worry laced within her words.

"Mom?"

"It's okay. I can do this." Emma walked up to the table and extended her hand. A glow of yellow magic hit Robin as she ran her hand from his head to his torso. Robin then awake with a gasp.

Regina grinned in relief and launched herself forward to hug him. "Robin!"

"Regina," Robin breathed, hugging her tight. Teresa smiled in relief, glad he was okay, and that she wouldn't have to see Roland's heartbroken face and pained tears.

Emma suddenly turned around and slammed her lips onto Hook's, rather passionately. Hook was caught off guard, but kissed back.

After a moment, he pulled away, placing his hands on her arms in concern. "Emma, you alright?"

"I'm fine." Emma sounded breathless, and her face looked tired. "I feel a little woozy. I think I'll lie down for a bit." Emma then left the room, leaving them to watch her in concern.

➳

PRESENT DAY
STORYBROOKE

It was dark by the time they found the flying black creature that had abducted Robin Hood. It was at the peak, near the lake, where a boat that a hooded figure was making its way toward land, fog rolling around it. The creature was near the unconscious Robin, who laid spread out on the grass.

"There it is! Over there!"

"What is it?" David muttered as they ran.

Teresa stepped forward and flung her hands forward, but her ice magic wasn't able to hit or even get close to the creature as it had sent them flying backwards with it's own magic. Instead, Teresa's magic hit a tree. The limbs froze until crumbling to the ground with a shattering noise that sounded like glass.

Teresa groaned as she landed next to Snow and Leroy on the ground. Then Regina suddenly ran past them. "No! Stop! If you want a life, take mine!"

The creature shrieked and turned its purple beams of magic on Regina, who gasped.

"Regina, what are you doing?!"

"What I should have done in Camelot!"

Snow ran forward. "You don't have to do this alone. I'm with you." She took Regina's hand and the purple magic shocked her as well.

"Me, too!"

"I've got you, sister!"

Teresa pushed forward and grabbed ahold of Leroy's hand. The magic that was traveling from Regina shocked her, like a thought fingers pinching your skin. It hurt, which caused Teresa to let out a gasp of pain. King Arthur soon joined, taking David's hand.

They were all gasping, until suddenly, the purple magic that was causing them pain was pulled away and deflected back onto the creature that which it came from. The creature shrieked and flew away, the hooded figure on the lake retreating back as well.

They all fell to their knees in exhaustion, the pain slowly seeping away.

Regina instantly at Robin's side, and she lifted his head into her lap. "Oh, my god. Are you okay? Are you okay?"

"It appears you found a few believers."

"How did you know that would work?" Regina asked in shock, after sharing a quick kiss with the man she loves.

"Lucky guess," Regina replied.

"Regina, we weren't gonna let you go."

"Standing up to that monster proved one thing..." Leroy said. "If anyone's gonna save this town, it's you."

➳

Teresa emerged from her room at Granny's Bed and Breakfast, and began heading down the hall toward the diner area, where everyone was celebrating the defeat of the creature that had tried to take Robin to the underworld.

She was about to head into the diner, when she noticed a girl, no older than her, standing and staring at the jukebox in confusion. The girl was clearly from Camelot, given her purple dress and confused expression.

Teresa cautiously stepped forward. "Hi."

"What is this? Is it magic?"

Teresa chuckled. "I was confused as well. Apparently, it's called a jukebox."

"Oh..."

"Here." Teresa dug into her pocket for a quarter, and when she found one, she placed it into the machine. "After you put some money in, it will play music for you." She then selected one of the songs that Henry first showed her at the jukebox.

As the music played, Teresa glanced at the girls face to see her reaction. She found her smiling. "Good, right?"

"Very," the girl said, nodding. She then extending her hand toward Teresa with a grin. "I'm Violet."

"Teresa."

A/N: Okay I LOVED writing this chapter, especially those Camelot bits!

Hook, God I'm loving him! He is totally the captain of the #ArchBeliever ship. Him and David teaming up there, priceless!!! And #ArchBeliver...ugh! So damn heart warming!! They're adorable.

Also, that was Teresa's dress attached to this chapter, but I'm sure you already figured that out.