It has been a few days since the incident with my adoptive father, and I think Rumple has given me enough space. I miss him, and I think he misses me too. So, I've decided to make a plan to go to Granny's with him, just the two of us.

It is about noon time when I walk into Granny's and I see Rumple sitting alone in the booth. I sit across from him. He smiles at me. "I'm so glad you reached out to me," he said. "I've missed you," he continued.

I smiled back at him. "I've missed you too," I said.

"So, Liana, how have you been? You've been doing alright I hope? After everything with-"

"I'm alright... and I will be alright," I said. "Thanks to you. How about you? You got any further with breaking the curse?" I asked.

He shook his head. "No."

I frowned. "I'm sorry," I said. I then grabbed a hold of his hands that were resting on the table. "Maybe I can help somehow?"

"If you'd like? I thought you said you weren't trying to use magic?"

"Yes, but if it means helping you find Baelfire, then yes," I said. "I will use it." He smiled again and then he squeezed my hand.

Ruby then came over to take our orders, and then we were left alone again, this time gazing into each other's eyes. Before we knew it, Granny came over with our food. "They smell delicious, Granny," I said, smiling up at her.

"They are delicious," she smiled down at me. She then looked over at Rumple who dared not look her in the eye. "Didn't take any dark magic, either."

Granny then placed her hands on the table and stared Rumple down. "Oh, and I charge extra for the pickles," said Granny.

"Mmmhmmm," mumbled Rumple.

I cleared my throat and Granny walked away. "As you know," started Rumple. "I have a complicated relationship with her. As I do with most people."

I then said, "Well, it did take me a little time to get to know you. They will. They should," I said.

"You know," said Rumple, taking a hold of the ketchup bottle. "You should try it with ketchup. Condiments of this world's most powerful magic."

I then glared at the door, as it gingled. Regina entered. Great.

"Gold," she stated, walking over to us. I sighed. Can't we ever be left alone? "We need to talk."

"Do we?" Rumple asked, clearly not wanting to deal with her either.

"Folks," said Granny. "I think I may need to close early, everybody out."

"No, it's okay," said Regina. "We're civil."

"Yeah, for now," Rumple added.

"I-I should probably just-" I started.

"No," he said. "No, darling. Please stay where you are. Whatever she has to say won't be a secret from you. Whatever she wants, she won't get."

"I'm actually coming about the one thing that might unite us," said Regina.

"And what on earth can that be?" asked Rumple.

She leans in closer to him. "Cora." I furrowed my eyebrows. "She's coming from our land. I need your help to stop her."

"But she was dead," said Rumple. "You told me you saw the body."

"Well, apparently you taught her well," Regina whispered. Taught? Was this Cora, one of Rumple's past students? "She's not. And she's on her way. And I don't think I need to remind you how most unpleasant that would be for both of us."

"For you," said Rumple, looking at Regina. "I can handle Cora."

"That's not how she tells the story," said Regina.

"I won in the end," said Rumple.

"Maybe," said Regina. "But there's a big difference this time. This time..." she looks at me. "You have someone you care about. Someone that you love. This time you have a weakness."

"I'm sorry but who is this woman?" I asked, finally interrupting their conversation.

"Someone you'll never meet," Rumple replied, looking me in the eyes.

"I can take care of myself," I said.

"I know you can," Rumple replied. "So, you say she's coming. Where is she now?"

"With them," she replied. "Them" must be one thing. This woman was with Snow and Emma.

Regina then walked out. Rumple looked at me and took a hold of my hand. "I'm sorry about that love," he said.

"It's alright," I said. "Just tell me... who is this woman? Please be honest with me, Rumple."

Rumple sighed. "It's..." he sighed again and I squeezed his hand letting him know that he could open up. "Before we knew each other, there was someone else."

I raised my eyebrows. "So what... sort of like an ex-girlfriend?"

"Yes, but it's a little bit more complicated than that. She is Regina's mother."

My eyes widened. "Oh."

"She... like all the others... told me that she loved me... but the truth was she never did. She took out her heart and put it in a box."

I frowned. "I'm sorry, Rumple."

"And it was more than that too... She was my student, my apprentice. I taught her everything that she knows about magic all because of a deal."

I gulped. "Like you and me..."

"Oh, sweetheart... nothing like you and me. She um... She and I then became enemies. She is in the other land," he started to whisper. "With Emma and Snow. She is trying to find a way back here, for who knows what reason. And I'm just afraid... I'm afraid that once she sees you, she'll hurt you."

"Rumple," I sighed. "Nothing is going to happen to me. I promise. We keep each other safe."

Rumple then gently grabbed my hand and kissed it. "How on earth did I get so lucky with you?" he asked.

I chuckled. "I don't know. Maybe it's fate?"

Rumple smiled and then said, "Let's eat. I think our food is probably cold by now."

I let go of his hand and took a bite of my burger. It was delicious.

+++

After lunch, Rumple and I went back to the shop. There was Henry, David and Regina. Henry was laying in bed with blankets on top of him. He was going to go into that cursed world, under the sleeping curse. I wish it could be me instead of Henry. I feel like I've been doing nothing to help.

"So Cora, she's pretty powerful?" Henry asked.

"Yes," said Rumple. "But not as powerful as I am."

Regina scoffed as she took off her coat. "Debatable."

"Actually no, it's not," said Rumple. I rolled my eyes.

David sighed and sat down on the bed, looking down at Henry. "You sure you're okay to do this, kid?" asked David.

"I was born to do this," replied Henry. "I'm done reading about heroes. I wanna be one."

"Well, sometimes being one is knowing when to not run into the fire."

"I'll be okay," said Henry.

"Look," started Rumple. "Whatever he faces in there will be far less dangerous than what he will face when we fail."

"I can do this," said Henry.

David sighed and then nodded his head. He got off the bed and looked Rumple in the eyes. "Get on with it. Fast."

"All right, Henry," said Rumple. Rumple sat by him on the stool. "Just relax. And soon you're going to drift off."

"What do I tell them?" asked Henry.

"Just listen to my bedtime story and all will be clear," said Rumple.

Henry closed his eyes as soon as Rumple placed his hand on his forehead. "Once upon a time," Rumple started. "Snow White and Prince Charming needed to stun a very powerful magician long enough to lock him up in a dark dungeon," he said.

Henry then opened his eyes to look at Rumple. "That was you. They used Cinderella to trap you and Liana with a magical quill." Soon with a wave of Rumple's hand, Henry's eyes closed slowly.

"Yes, indeed," said Rumple. "A quill. And yet, it wasn't the quill itself. But the ink that captured the dark one and his beautiful princess." I blushed at the last part. "Harvested from the rarest species of squid, from the bottom of a bottomless ocean, impossible to find unless you're a mermaid. Or me. I happen to have a private supply." Rumple then moves his hand over Henry's face again. "In my jail cell, that is where they will find it."

After a few minutes of Henry being still, he gasped, awake, now out of breath. "Henry! You all right?" asked David rushing over to him.

"Did you see it? Did you see her? Did you tell them?" Rumple asked.

"No, I didn't get the chance. Something. Something happened." Henry was wincing in pain. "She... she got sucked out of there." Henry groaned.

I then gasped when I saw his arm that was burned. "Henry?" Regina questioned.

"And some... something's wrong."

"Here, let me take care of this," said Rumple. Rumple then healed Henry's burned arm with his magic.

"What caused this?" Regina asked.

"When you venture deeper into the nether world instead of away, there are risks. Someone woke Aurora before her soul was ready to return. The violence of that act tore her away and injured Henry. We're lucky it wasn't worse. He's gonna need some time to recover before he can get sent back."

David scoffs.

"Out of the question," said Regina.

"Not a chance in hell," David said at the same time. David then stood up. "We'd be monsters to even consider risking his life again."

"Careful with your tone, Charming," said Rumple standing up. "I understand your concern for the boy but I know Cora. Without our help, Snow and Emma will soon be dead. And then the a true monster will be on her way to Storybrooke."

"Aurora is gone," said Regina, standing up. "Why do we need to send Henry back into that fiery inferno with no one there to receive his message?"

David sighed and then turned around. "Because someone will be there."

"Who?" Regina asked.

"Snow," said David.

"That's an awfully big assumption," said Regina.

"No, no it's not," said David. "She was there once before. She can go back. She can find a way, I know she will. I know it. And I'll be waiting."

"You're going to this netherworld?" Regina asked, her arms crossed.

"Well, I've faced you, how bad could it be?" asked David.

"It's not as simple as that," said Rumple. "You can't get there. You haven't been under a sleeping curse."

"Well, then put me under one," said David.

"If we do that, there's a chance you might never wake up."

"Sure I will," said David smiling. "When I see her she'll kiss me. And I'll be fine. Now put me under. I have spent far too much time looking for my wife. It is time to bring her home."

+++

As Regina was making the sleeping curse, I made my way over to Rumple and grabbed a hold of his hand again. Even if I didn't know David well, I was still worried for him. It wasn't fair. It should be me. "What do you mean the old fashioned way?" David asked.

"You're about to join a quite distinguished club, Mr. Nolan," said Rumple as he came back over with the needle. "Before such innovations as the apple, back when the sleeping curse first came to be, a more direct method was required. Through blood. By pricking one's finger on the needle of a spinning wheel, one falls under the spell. Your majesty, you did his wife, I'm sure you'd like to do the honors?" asked Rumple.

Regina came over and grabbed the needle from Rumple. She then put the needle into the potion and then placed the needle on the spinning wheel. "It's all yours," she said, looking at David.
Before David could prick his finger, Henry approached him. "Good luck," he smiled. I smiled in awe as he hugged David. Rumple sat at the wheel.
David hugged him back. "It's gonna be alright."

"How do you know?" he asked.

"Well, how did you know that Emma would save you after you ate the turnover?" David sat down on the bed.

"I believed in her," Henry replied.

"The way Snow and I believed she'd come back to break the curse. That's the kind of faith that runs in our family."

Henry then took off his necklace and put it around David.
"This helps control the flames in the room. It'll keep you safe."

David smiled. "I will guard it with my life."

+++

Rumple then started to spin the wheel as David was about to touch the needle, he asked, "When I awake, I'll be in that fiery room?" he asked. Rumple stopped spinning.

"Not exactly," said Rumple. "That room is where those who have already awoken from the curse return. You, however, are being put under for the first time."

David scoffs. "Then how will I know where to go? How in the hell am I supposed to find a room with no door?"

"And that, dearie, is the conundrum we're all depending on you solving. Now, I say this with the utmost sincerity, good luck." David scoffs again and Rumple spins the wheel. I watch as David pokes himself with the needle and I see his blood pouring out of his finger. He inhaled deeply and then collapsed.

"Come on, come back," said Henry, looking over at his grandfather who lay on the bed, asleep. I stood next to Rumple as we all watched. "Should he be in there so long?" Henry turns to face Regina.

"I'm sure it's fine," said Regina. I could tell she was lying. Her eyes were watering. "I imagine they're just catching up."

Henry then looked back at David and as soon as he did, Rumple gave Regina a look and shook his head. David Nolan wasn't coming back.