One one or another, karma always comes back to bite you in the ass. It's just common knowledge. Maybe that's how Teresa Holmes ended up where she was right now; her hands lazily flattened over her abdomen in an attempt to stop the heavy spill of blood oozing out from her abdomen, eyelids blinking in slow-motion as she watched a bird soar against the wind above her head, appearing like a black smudge against the radiant sun to her blurred-over vision. Her lips were dry against the harsh rays of light, breathes only becoming more shallow with time as her heart rate kept slowing. She was dying and had no one to blame but herself.

So long ago, she had made stupid decisions and now they've finally caught up to her. If she could, Teresa would take it all back; every stupid mistake that led her to this moment ─ but she knew there was no point. According to Merlin, everything that's happened to her in her past lead her straight to where she was meant to be; with her soulmate. This had always been her inevitable end, no matter how painful it was proving to be.

When the cool metal had cut through her flesh and she fell back against the wooden surface, Teresa knew that it was entirely possible that Merlin had foreseen this moment and chose not to warn her of this day, and yet, she was okay with that. Okay with Merlin having known this was the day her heart would stop beating and never telling her, even when one should be angry for having such knowledge being withheld from them. There was no such anger; only peace. Serenity. The platinum-blonde welcomed the shadow of darkness quickly creeping up on her. She was ready to die, for only then could she reunite with her mother.

"I'm ready," she whispered, voice becoming lost in the breeze that brushed platinum locks into her face.

And then, as a shallow breath fell from her lips, the cerulean-blue eyes of Teresa Holmes fluttered shut.

　
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FOUR HOURS EARLIER
　

Teresa Holmes woke up with a pounding headache the following morning. But it's not like she wasn't expecting it. After the day she had, after the blows she took, she was amazed that a headache was all that greeted her when she opened her eyes. She had stared into the mirror after getting up and found her nose not swollen, but slightly bruised. There was a cut along her cheekbone that was red and already turning a nasty shade of purple and blue. Her arm wasn't so bad and better than what she was expecting considering the size of the cut Edmond managed to make on her skin. Nevertheless, there was hardly any pain to her body, which she supposed was a good thing.

After dressing for the day and sharing breakfast with Snow, David and Neal, Teresa made her way toward Granny's Diner, where she planned to have some cocoa with Henry. She was hoping that today could be the day where she finally spoke with Hyde and ask him all the questions she had about her father, but after yesterday's events, she knew Henry wasn't going to let her out of his sight. So as much as she hated it, she had to postpone her interrogation.

The streets of Storybrooke were filled with its usual morning crowd; people walking to their jobs or on their morning jogs, some walking their dogs. She could make out Violet and Christopher walking Lady and Tramp side-by-side while laughing together. The sight of them brought a smile to her face. She went to wave at them until she caught sight of a familiar face just ahead of her on the sidewalk beyond Granny's Diner.

This man stood fall, hands clutched at his sides and shoulders squared. Dark curls flowed to his shoulders and were pulled out of his face by a strap of leather, dark brown eyes almost appearing black from this distance. His clothes were light, yet smudged with dirt and in desperate need of a good wash all the same. Something about him seemed to register a sense of familiarity in her memory, yet she couldn't quite place it. She knew this man... but how? Where had she seen him before?

"Teresa!"

She blinked, tearing her gaze away from the man and turning to face a concerned Henry Mills.

"Are you okay? I was waving at you, but you were in this weird trance." He looked over his shoulder at where she had been staring at. "What were you looking at?"

"Nothing," she lied, smiling toward him. So many secrets. Why can't I just tell him? "I was just reminiscing over a memory. What were you waving at me for?"

"We made plans to get cocoa while we read the storybook together, remember?"

"Right. Yes, of course." Teresa hooked her arm through his and motioned forward with her hand. "Shall we?"

Henry led the way toward and Granny's Diner, all the while Teresa searched the area for that man. Suddenly, he was gone. It was as if he vanished into thin air. As she entered the diner in front of Henry ─ who opened the door for her with a sweet smile, one which she returned ─ she couldn't help but wonder if the man she saw was even truly there or if her mind was playing tricks on her. Had she gained a concussion as well as cuts and bruises yesterday?

It's just my headache, she convinced herself as she slid into a booth while Henry walked up to the counter to order their cocoa. But still, there was a part of her that itched to know the truth.

Who was that man and how did I know him?

"Alright, the cocoas are on the way," Henry sighed as he slid into the booth across from her. He opened up his backpack and began pulling out a variety of storybooks, piling them onto the table. "So, where do you want to start? I brought all the storybooks I could find on the Land of Untold Stories ─ and mind you there are a lot of them ─ so we'll be here a while."

Teresa reached for the top one. "I guess I'll start with this one," she muttered, placing the book in front of her and opening the pages to the first story. It was Jekyll's story, one which she already knew from her first encounter with the man, yet she found herself reading each word, anyway. I mean, it couldn't hurt, right?

Henry did the same, taking a book and opening it up, beginning his own search just as the bell above the door chimed and footsteps made their way over toward them. It was Killian and David, both appearing refreshed from their showers and breakfast and ready to help the teenagers in researching everyone's story. Killian slid into the booth beside Teresa and David next to Henry.

"Morning," David greeted, receiving echoes of the same greeting back. "I see you both started early."

"Not really," Henry replied, "we've only just arrived."

"And there are plenty of storybooks to go around so..." Teresa lifted a book from the pile and handed it off to Killian, who opened it up and began reading the pages. David did the same from beside Henry.

"Here you are ─ four cocoas all around," Granny grinned as she set four cups on the table in front of them. The elderly woman didn't even have a chance to set Henry's cup on the table before the boy was already swiping it from her hand and taking way too eager of a sip. She chuckled, placing her hands on her hips with a teasing smile. "You know, Henry, one day you're going to have consumed every last drop of cocoa in this town and then what will you drink?"

Henry's cheeks flushed as Granny walked away from their table. Meanwhile, the remaining three chuckled at the remark. It was true. Out of everyone in Storybrooke, Henry Mills drank the most hot cocoa. Even during the summer, the teenage boy found comfort in the warm beverage.

David patted his grandson's back before returning to his book.

"I don't drink it that much," Henry grumbled, causing all their heads to turn and face him.

Teresa was the first one to crack a smile. "Okay," she chuckled, casting her eyes down toward her pages.

"Mate, this beverage is practically in your bloodstream," Killian smirked. He brought the cup to his lips and took a sip, licking away the remained of whip cream that clung to his upper lip. "It's like your own personal pirate's scotch."

"Blame my mom. It's supposedly all she drank as a kid. Her one foster mom, Ingr ─ " Henry cut himself off at the mention of Teresa's mother. He bit his lip and cast his girlfriend an apologetic look. He didn't like to bring up her mother unless she did, knowing Ingrid was a sensitive subject for her.

A slight smile curved onto Teresa's face. "It's okay," she assured him. "You can say her name."

"Right," Henry nodded. "Anyway, it was her that got my mom hooked on cocoa, so you can't blame me for the addiction."

The subject of Henry's cocoa addiction ended after a few minutes as they refocused on the task at hand and began reading each of their books, absorbing every word while sipping on their cocoas. Despite there being four sets of eyes, they knew this process would take all day, so they settled in and prepared themselves for the coming headache sure to form from all the reading ahead of them.

　
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Three hours into their research, Teresa's head was still throbbing. She couldn't look down anymore without a sharp pain shooting throughout her skull. She knew her eyes were becoming tired, even if it had only been a little over three hours since they started. Usually, she'd had more energy in her, but something just felt... off. Whatever it was, wasn't allowing her to focus. And all the noise throughout the diner didn't seem to help any, so she excused herself from the booth, informing Henry, Killian and David that she needed some fresh air and would be back in a moment.

Teresa stepped outside and walked down the steps with a sigh. It was quiet out here. The only sound being the distant chatter, the occasional car passing by and Granny's wind chimes. She rubbed at her temples while leaning up against the picket fence surrounding the diner. She suppressed a groan as she continued rubbing at her throbbing temples with her eyes closed.

Henry was right... maybe I did need to see Dr. Whale last night.

After a moment, Teresa opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. There was some people still out and about, but it seemed most of them were working now. She could spot Calista, Kit, and Soren on a walk and waved to them. They waved back, grinning towards her whilst taking in the new land around them. She could hear Calista's awes as they passed the pet store, admiring all the shelter puppies in the window. The platinum-blonde chuckled to herself as she watched Kit and Soren gently pry Calista away from the pet story window and walk away ─ and then her eyes widened.

There he was again.

The man she saw earlier ─ the one she sensed having met before ─ was just standing there in the middle of the sidewalk, staring directly toward her. He didn't even seem to care that Calista, Kit and Soren walked by him without a care in the world, which brought Teresa back to her earlier thoughts.

Was he even real? Is my mind playing tricks on me now?

They stared at each other for the longest time and from even this distance; she felt uneasy beneath his stare. He titled his head to the side before disappearing around the corner of a building.

Follow me, he was saying.

Though her heart yelled at her not to go and how this could be a dangerous trap, her she rushed across the street after him anyway. A car almost hit her; she muttered a quick apology while dashing around the front of their vehicle as the driver yelled at her and honked his horn.

When she reached the corner, she came to an abrupt stop and peered down the sidewalk. Sure enough, there he was. Only he wasn't staring at her. Instead, he was walking away from her. She quickly began following him, staying a safe distance away in case this was a trap.

Teresa wasn't sure how long she was following him, nor had she been paying attention to their surroundings, but she found herself at Storybrooke docks once more, where he disappeared around the corner of the boathouse. As she has for the past ─ however long she's been following him for, she followed in his footsteps and maneuvered around the corner of the boathouse. Her brows furrowed and she frowned.

He was gone.

"What the ─ "

Teresa turned around in every direction, but she couldn't find him. Like this morning, he had up and vanished. She shook her head and conjured and ice dagger in her palm. "Alright, look... whoever you are ─ this isn't funny. What do you want from me?" She turned around again, only to gasp aloud.

Suddenly, he was standing right in front of her, his face expressionless compared to her alarmed one.

"Who are you?" Teresa inquired, her knuckles turning white as she gripped her ice dagger tight.

"My name is Inman," he introduced. "And you are the famous Teresa Holmes."

Teresa set her jaw, narrowing her eyes at him in suspicion. "How do you know who I am?"

The man ─ Inman ─ smirked at her. "You had acquired yourself quite the reputation in my village. Everyone knew your name," he whispered in her ear as he walked around her.

Teresa stiffened.

He stopped and held out a singular arrow in front of her. "This is yours, is it not?" Inman asked, walking around her and twisting the arrow in his fingertips.

Teresa's brows furrowed, the grip she had on her ice dagger loosening. She would recognize one of her arrows anywhere. But this wasn't just her arrow... it was one Robin had gifted her with. "How did you get that?"

"I got it from my daughter's corpse. Surely you'd remember such a thing as you were the one who placed it there in the first place," he snapped.

Teresa flinched at his harsh words, swallowing hard as he glared at her.

"You killed my only daughter... my only child... my sweet, sweet Lavender." Inman's eyes filled with tears. "All because you wanted to keep Snow White's identity a secret in my village, fearing that my daughter would inform the Evil Queen's knights of where you were both hiding."

She couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. Teresa froze in her place as she processed his words. She can remember now. That girl. Lavender. She had been Teresa's first kill; one she hadn't wanted to make but was given no choice in the matter. As Inman said... the Evil Queen's knights had been lurking in his village. If she had left Lavender alive after she saw Snow White with her very eyes, all would have been doomed. The Evil Queen would have found them, and Snow White would have been killed.

Teresa closed her eyes, willing the sound of Lavender's screams out of her head. She could see her lithe body hitting the ground and hear the echo of her cries bouncing off the trees. It was like torture, but knew it could never come close compared to the pain she caused that poor girl and her family. She opened her eyes, a tear slipping down her cheek as she met Inman's sorrowful stare.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"I did not sought you out for an apology," Inman snapped while stepping closing. Teresa didn't move. "No, I wanted to look you in the eye... when I did this."

Suddenly, there was a feeling of cool metal penetrating the flesh of her abdomen. Teresa gasped, fingertips uncurling around her ice dagger, which shattered at their feet. Her cerulean-blue eyes lowered, and she found her arrow ─ the one that took his daughter's life ─ piercing the flesh of her abdomen. He had not gone for any major organs, instead having aimed for a slow and painful death.

"I thought it best you should be taken from this world in the same way you took my little girl from me," he whispered, voice wavering.

Teresa looked up, and it was then she realized that she wasn't the only one crying. He was too. Inman's expression was that of pain, sorrow, anger ─ he had completed his vengeance no matter the cost of his humanity.

"Goodbye, Teresa Holmes," he whispered, "and forever may you rot in the darkest pits of Hell from which your cruel heart was born. No more will you walk in this world and take innocent lives." With a sharp pull that emitted a cry from her mouth, Inman removed the arrow from her stomach and dropped it at his feet. Blood coated his fingertips, yet he did not care. Finally, after so many years, his Lavender may rest in peace.

As he walked away, Teresa collapsed. Her back connected with the docks and her head throbbed in pain from the blunt force. Tears slipped down her cheeks and whimpers fell from her mouth as she tried to apply pressure to her wound but could feel the blood ─ her blood; warm and heavy against her flesh ─ seeping the through the cracks of her fingers.

This was it, she thought. This is how I'm going to die.

And she had no one else to blame for this but herself.

While vengeance may be a life consuming poison that eats away at your insides until there's nothing left but vengeance itself, she could not blame Inman for wanting it. If she had been in his shoes and watched her daughter die at the hands of an archer whom killed for selfish reasons, she would have spent the rest of her life hunting that archer down too.

"I don't deserve to live," she whispered, voice cracking. Not when there are other people like Inman out there, grieving their loved ones because of me. I deserve this.

Teresa had no excuse for her past actions. Not one. She did everything she had to do to survive, even when there were times the kill was no necessary. Like Lavender. She had made so many stupid and selfish mistakes in her life and now it seemed they've finally caught up to her. If she could take it all back ─ bring them all back ─ she would. But she couldn't. And because of that, their blood would forever remain on her hands.

Or at least for the next few minutes.

She knew that she was going to die and that there was nothing she could do. There was nothing that she wanted to do. As Inman had said: no more will you walk in this world and take innocent lives. She agreed. It was time that she stopped taking lives and instead allowed herself to become one of the deceased.

You'd think one would be angry at the person who killed them, but Teresa did not feel such emotion; only peace. Serenity. She welcomed the shadow of darkness quickly creeping up on her. She was ready to die, for only then could she reunite with her mother in the afterlife. Well... if she didn't get sent to the Underworld, that is. Her mother had peacefully passed on, but would she?

Guess I'll find out.

"I'm ready," she whispered, voice becoming lost in the breeze that brushed platinum locks into her face.

And then, as a shallow breath fell from her lips, the cerulean-blue eyes of Teresa Holmes fluttered shut.

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a/n: AHHHHHHHHHHHH I TOLD YOU GUYS YOU WOULD HATE ME 😬 anywho........ any predictions?? Also, get ready because there is some serious crap is going down in this act. It's literally so action packed each chapter is going to be so freaking enjoyable