Chapter Eighteen | Devil's Due
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|The Enchanted Forest, Long Ago|
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A child's shout pierced the night and his parents came running through the brush, both calling his name; "Bae!"
The child whimpered and threw himself into his mother's arms. She smoothed his hair down, "Shh, shh, it's okay."
"Milah," the child's father whispered, "I don't think it is." Slowly, Milah's gaze drifted to where a blue-bellied snake was baring its fangs. Milah instantly found a stick and took its head off as Bae stumbled over into his father's arms.
"We need a cure," Milah stood up and lifted the snake's body as well. "The Healer is the only one who can provide one."
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|Storybrooke, Present Day|
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"You see, I've recently been in contact with a healer who informed me of a contract that you thought was made invalid by death. However, contracts are not made invalid by death and now the Healer wants Evelyn. Being the lord of the Underworld, I was sent to retrieve her."
"Rumple!" Belle backed away from her husband. "What did you do?!"
Gold looked down after glancing at Neal. "I was desperate, I'm sorry, but--"
"Wait," a scroll appeared in Hades' hand, "perhaps Mrs. Dark One would like to read the contract herself?"
Belle snatched the contract from Hades and handed Evelyn to Regina, not sure she wanted to trust Gold. Belle unrolled the contract and began to read.
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|The Enchanted Forest|
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The cost for a cure was 100 gold coins and between both of Bae's parents, they had three. Three measly coins that Milah had just sold to buy a dagger so Rumple could kill the Healer and steal the cure.
Milah should have known not to trust her husband with such a task.
Rumple was going to do it, honestly, but then he realized that he couldn't let Baelfire grow up with a murderer for a father. And so a deal was struck. The first deal in Rumple's very long future of dealmaking. He would give the Healer his second born child when the Healer required him or her, no matter what condition the child was in. In return, Rumple would receive the cure for Bae's snake bite.
Milah was furious, Baelfire was confused, and Rumple was filled with regret. And so when he met Cora, he killed the Healer in hopes that the deal would be made invalid. Either way, Cora dumped him.
But Rumple was very wrong about two things;
1. Death made the deal invalid
2. His fling with Cora did not result in any children
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|Storybrooke|
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"It says you signed away your second child," Belle read aloud. She almost corrected Hades by saying Gold's second child was not Evelyn, but she refrained. Most of the people in the restaurant would be outraged if Belle sold out Regina.
Regina's eyes widened and she turned to look at Gold, "WHAT?!"
"Uh..." Gold backed up, "Bae was dying! If I hadn't made the deal, you wouldn't have Henry!"
"Let me get this straight, you traded off your second child so your firstborn could live?" Robin asked.
"I didn't have a second child, and I didn't think I ever would!" Gold argued. "I killed the Healer so I wouldn't have to fulfill my end of the deal after I met Cora, just in case, and I thought I was in the clear after that."
"So hand over the baby," Hades held out his hands for Evelyn, who was still in Regina's arms. Once glance at Regina was all it took for everyone to know what was going to happen next.
"No. She's not who this healer person is looking for anyways, I am." Regina glanced down at Evelyn. "I won't let you hurt her. And - as weird as these words sound coming out of my mouth - she's my sister. And I don't appreciate people threatening my family."
"Then you come with me," Hades shrugged, "I don't care. The Healer will be satisfied either way."
Regina handed Evelyn back to Belle and turned to face Hades. "Okay."
"Wait!" Emma stood between Regina and Hades. "You can't take her right now, because if you take her, you're taking more than just Gold's second child. You're also taking his second grandchild, and that was not part of the deal."
"Ah, but the contract," Hades summoned the contract away from Belle and held it up so Emma could see, "says that the Healer gets Rumplestiltskin's second child whenever he wants, no matter the condition of that child. I'm afraid your double soul won't get you anywhere this time. Oh wait-- It's only a soul and a half now, isn't it?"
"What?" Emma turned to face Regina.
"Doesn't matter. Hades can take me to the Healer. Because I'm sure his alternatives would be taking Evelyn, Meg, Robin, or Neal instead, and I am not letting that happen."
"Glad we got that all sorted out," Hades grabbed Regina's arm.
"You told me you wouldn't hurt her," Robin tried using another of Hades' deals against him. "You told me that if I went with you, you wouldn't hurt Regina, Meg, Henry, or Roland. I went with you for over a month, and you never specified how long."
Hades loosened his grip on Regina's arm, but didn't let go. "My job is only to transport her to the Healer. I would do nothing to harm your soulmate."
Regina rolled her eyes at that.
"So are there any other deals you want to bring up or can we leave now?" Hades looked around Granny's.
Robin's view went straight to Gold, "There has to be some other deal you've made. I'm not losing both Regina and our child."
"Robin," Regina stepped towards her husband and placed a hand on his cheek, "it's not his fault. Please don't be mad at him once I'm gone."
"Regina--" Robin forced his tears back.
Regina wrestled her way from Hades' grasp and hugged Robin. "It's okay. You'll think of something, but unless you want to lose Meg, I have to go." She pulled him into a kiss.
"Aw, how sweet," Hades' voice was dripping with sarcasm. "Tell you what, I'll make you an offer. You can send any of Rumplestiltskin's kids back to the Underworld with me, or you can return Megaera. You have thirty minutes to decide."
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