━━━━━━━━

Great, Another Curse

━━━━━━━━

I know this chapter might be unrealistic, but please, I don't want to hear it

━━━━━━━━

BEING BACK IN STORYBROOKE was like a breath of fresh air, except Melody just wasn't in the mood. Her eyes weren't bloodshot anymore but she was still angry and tried to stay clear of her family. True, she was mad at them, but she was also afraid of losing control of her magic since she was so angry.

"Henry" exited the ship first and paused as he looked at everything around him. He then walked off, followed by his mom, his grandparents, and his sister who hung in the back. Granny immediately engulfed Henry in a hug and so did Leroy. And once the teen stepped off the deck, Granny went over to her and embraced her.

Melody smiled slightly and hugged back, not knowing Henry was watching her, to see what her reactions were to being back in the fairytale town. The brunette then caught sight of a familiar wolf and she couldn't help but smile as she ran over and hugged Ruby.

"Melody!" Ruby exclaimed, hugging the girl.

The teen hugged her back and smiled. "It's good to see you, Ruby."

Emma went over to Henry who was still watching Melody confusedly. She noticed but didn't acknowledge it.

"How does it feel to finally be home?" Emma asked "Henry".

"Better than I ever imagined," Henry lied smoothly.

Emma didn't seem to notice and the two watched as the teen pulled away from Ruby and looked around.

"You alright Mel?" Emma asked, getting her attention.

Melody looked at her and scoffed. "Is that even really a question?"

Emma sighed as the girl walked away. Henry walked her leave with a small smile, happy that Melody wasn't upset with him. Melody walked over to Felix as he descended from the ship. She huffed and flicked a piece of hair out of her eyes. Approaching him, the second in command looked at her with a small smile.

"Hey. How you feeling?" he asked.

Melody sighed, not going to blow up on him like she did with Emma. "Not great."

He looked around before pulling her over, making sure no one was listening. The girl raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Look," he started. "About Pan... he's alright."

She gave him an unimpressed look. "How is he ok? He's stuck inside a box."

"He's not."

Glancing behind her, she made sure no one was listening before turning back to Felix. "What do you mean he's not in the box?"

"I mean, he escaped before he got caught."

He looked at Henry who was still by Emma, watching them. Melody followed his look and realized he was talking about Henry, which meant...

"He switched?" she whispered to Felix.

Felix smirked and nodded. "I'm surprised you figured it out that fast. Thought I was going to have to tell you."

Melody was at lost for words but looked back at the second in command. "I read about in one of the spell books."

He nodded. "Well now that you know, just keep it hush. Pan said he had a plan. And you might want to go back to the others before they come and drag you away."

She smiled at him. "Thank you for telling me." Then she turned and walked back to the others. Walking back to Emma, she just caught the last bit of the conversation.

"I have to admit, there was a minute there I didn't believe we were all going to make it out of that place," Emma said.

Melody glared slightly at Emma's comment.

"Well, we did," David replied.

Mary Margaret noticed Regina, eyes downcast, standing all by herself.

"And we owe a lot of it to her. Regina helped save us all," Mary Margaret called out.

The townspeople murmured in astonishment and Regina looked equally surprised at Mary Margaret's open praise. Melody smiled at her mom, knowing she deserved it.

---

"Henry" approached Felix and the two watched as the StoryBrooke group conversed about the Shadow that was in the sails of the Jolly Roger.

"You told her," Henry observed.

"She deserved to know. She would've fallen apart more than she already has."

"I'm glad that you care about her, Felix."

Felix didn't say anything for a moment as they both watched the group. "What do you have in mind, Peter? What if someone decides to open that box; let the real boy out?"

"That's not the problem, trust me."

"What's the next step?"

"You need to be punished." Felix looked confused. Pan had just complimented him and now he's acting as if he did something wrong? "Hey, Mom, Dad. What about Felix? He's still free."

"What are you doing?" Felix whispered.

"They need to trust me," Henry whispered back.

The group walked over and Melody glared at Henry, though she knew it was Pan.

"Henry's right. We can't just let Felix walk away free," Regina said.

"Don't worry, we got plenty of cell space for this guy," David told her. He cuffed Felix and then led him away. Emma rubbed Henry's shoulders and smiled.

"You're safe now, Henry."

Melody rolled her eyes and they noticed.

---

She had avoided all of them after Gold had put Pandora's box in the floor of Pawn Shop. Melody knew she had to keep her act up to keep them thinking that she was mad at them. There was no way she could let them know that Pan was still out there. And yes, it in a way made her feel like she was betraying them, but Pan was the only blood family she had left.

But - just to her luck - when she arrived at Granny's where there was a celebration going on, Emma immediately saw her. Melody saw it coming and rolled her eyes to keep the act up, though she did appreciate the blonde's concern.

"Melody wait!" Emma exclaimed.

She gently grabbed Melody's arm and Melody pulled her grip from her's and walked off to another table to sit alone. Emma looked sad by her reaction but didn't go after her.

Pulling out the familiar thing that she hadn't touched in what seemed like years, Melody flipped to a new page in her sketchbook. Inspiration struck and her hand glided over the page. A figure sat in front of her and she didn't need to look at to know who it was.

"If you're here to give me 'Melody, I thought you were going to trust me' talk, I don't need one," she pointed out without looking up.

"I'm not. I just came to talk to you. You looked like you need someone to talk to."

Melody stopped sketching and looked up. "Or you've come to ask whose side I'm on." Then she went back to sketching.

Henry tried not to smile at her snappy comment.

"I didn't actually. But I'm just curious as to why you gave me a second chance."

"And I'm curious as to why you didn't tell me that Gold isn't actually my brother, that I'm cursed, and that the person I thought was my brother is destined to kill me."

Henry opened his mouth to say something but he didn't know what to say. "I'm sorry. I was going to tell you after I... you know. I just didn't want you to hate me."

She looked up at him and set her pencil down. "Why would I hate you? It wasn't your fault and it wasn't Fiona's. You could've told me."

"I know." They were silent and Melody avoided his eyes. "You would've liked her. She loved you so much. I remember when she figured out she was pregnant with you. We were so happy. And I'm sorry you never got to meet her."

Melody smiled sadly. "Yeah. I know she would've been a good mom."

Henry nodded, smiling sadly as well. "She would've."

Their conversation was interrupted when Emma walked over to them.

"Sorry, guys. It's time for something you didn't have in Neverland-bedtime." Henry smiled and Melody put on her fake scowl, getting up as the two walked to the door. "Oh, let's say goodnight to Regina."

"Goodnight?" Regina questioned, looking at the clock. "I didn't realize it was getting so late." She sighed and touched Henry's and Melody's face fondly. The teen was debating if to flinch away or not to keep her act going but didn't. "It's going to be hard to let you two out of my sight."

"Maybe you don't have to. Maybe we could stay with you tonight," Henry offered with a smile.

Regina smiled surprised. "Oh. Of course."

"Yeah, uh, just call me tomorrow and let me know what time you want to pick you up," Emma said, also surprised.

"Come on, guys. Let's go home."

Melody grabbed her sketchbook and followed them as they exited the diner. When they went to cross the road, Regina grabbed both of their hands, which earned a disgusted look from Henry and a smirk from Melody once she saw.

That's what you get Pan.

---

The room didn't change and the sight made her smile. It had been so long since she had been in her bedroom. The sheets had been cleaned and everything else had as well. Melody breathed in and there was a scent of cinnamon and vanilla in the air, which made her smile. Nothing had changed.

Melody had gotten dressed in a long sleeve grey shirt and long black pants just when Regina walked in.

"Melody honey, go tell Henry goodnight."

The teen nodded and then left the room, hearing the sigh Regina gave. When she walked in, she knocked and Henry turned to her and put the comic book back. Melody leaned on the doorway and rolled her eyes.

"Hey, mom said to tell you goodnight," she said. She gestured her head to outside the door, indicating that Regina might be listening. "I miss not having a bedtime."

Henry laughed and went and sat on the bed.

"Melody. Reg-mom's vault. Did she bring that over with her?" he asked, glad he had caught his mistake.

Melody checked out in the hallway before walking over to him, sitting next to him. But the girl still was going to be careful. "Yeah, but you know that."

"With all her magic?" he questioned.

"Why are you asking all these questions?"

Henry glared at her slightly but keep talking like Henry would, just in case Regina was listening. "Because I might need that stuff to protect myself from Pan."

Melody rolled her eyes. "Well, he can't you now can he. He's in a box."

"But-"

"Go to bed Henry. Goodnight."

She gave him a look and then left. Henry frowned and got up, went to the window, pulled aside the curtains, opened the window, and stuck his head out.

"Don't worry Melody. We will be a family," he said. "It's time."

At the town harbor, the Shadow is released from the sail by Henry. It flies off through the empty streets of Storybrooke and Henry smirked.

---

The night passed and Melody woke up the next morning and got ready. She walked down the stairs and instantly smelled breakfast. The teen laughed to herself when she remembered the mornings where Regina would make her and Henry breakfast on the weekends. The two said people were in the kitchen and Henry was sitting at the table when she entered.

Regina looked at her and smiled, flipping the egg in the pan. "Morning, sweetheart. Breakfast should be ready soon."

Melody managed a smile and went over to the fridge, getting out milk. She got out a glass and poured the milk in.

"So what're we going to do now? Evil has been banished and everyone is happy." The teen turned to her mom and flashed a smiled sarcastically. "At least according to you guys."

Regina shook her head, glad her daughter was back to being her normal happy, sassy self. "I don't know. But I think things will be better."

The brunette forced down a laugh, knowing that Pan sitting in the same room, and Regina not knowing, definitely meant that things wouldn't be normal for a while. "Yeah..."

Henry gave her a look and Melody raised an eyebrow, smirking behind her glass of milk.

"And since things are going to be normal, that means that you two get to go back to school!" Regina announced.

Melody choked on her milk and coughed repeatedly while Henry's eyes widened in horror.

"What?!"

---

The blonde let out a sigh as she typed away on her phone. Her expression was distracted and confused. David came up to her and sat down next to her.

"Isn't Granny's that way?" he pointed, indicating that Emma should be meeting Neal at Granny's.

"Did Neal send you?" she asked, putting her phone down.

"No, he has no idea I am here, but when I saw him sitting at that table alone, I wanted to make sure you were okay. Are you?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she told him, then resumed typing.

He sighed. "Emma."

"It's not Neal, it's Henry. He doesn't seem like himself. He barely recognized his storybook last night."

"He went through a lot in Neverland."

"I know and so did Melody. She found out that she's cursed and that Gold isn't even her brother. And Henry asked to spend the night at Regina's and then Melody followed."

"Well, Regina did help us save him and she did raise him and Melody until you came into their life."

"I know she did," Emma sighed.

"Look, he probably wants to stay with you tonight and Melody might follow. I probably wouldn't worry about it. We're all recovering."

"I know. I just can't shake the feeling something bad is still going to happen and I need to do everything I can to stop it."

"Emma, you can't think like that."

"But bad things do keep happening."

"So do good things. But if you think like that, you'll miss out. There's more to life than living for the next fight. You know, you gotta look for the moments," David told her.

"Moments?"

"Yes, life is made up of moments. Good ones, bad ones, but they're all worth living."

"Well, I seem to be a magnet for the bad ones."

"Well, all the more reason to look for the good moments in between the bad ones."

"And you think having lunch with Neal is a good moment?"

"I don't know. Does he eat with his mouth open?" David asked with a small smile.

Emma smiled and sighed again. "I'm not sure I'm ready."

"Well, you can start by finding out. Come on, I'll give you a lift to Granny's."

They both stand up and they linked arms as they walked.

"Sure you don't have other reasons for pushing me toward Neal?" Emma asked him.

"Like what?" David asked innocently.

"I don't know, like, keeping me away from Hook?"

"You think I'm interested in Hook? Emma, I'm a married man."

Then they both laughed.

---

Melody hummed as she sketched. It was like she was her old self again. She had started sketching again and things felt like they were falling into place. But of course, Pan was in Henry's body, which couldn't last long because someone was bound to notice.

Regina ran into the room, startling her. "Melody get your coat. Something's happened."

The teen didn't get to reply before Regina ran back out of the room and up to Henry's room. Sighing, she closed her sketchbook and grabbed her coat just has Regina and Henry came down the stairs.

The ex-queen was talking frantically on the phone and Melody looked at Henry with a raised eyebrow, knowing he was behind this.

Regina quickly pushed them to the door and the three got in the car. Melody had never seen her mom in such a hurry, which meant whatever happened was serious.

The teen scrolled through her playlist and Henry leaned over to see what she was doing. Glaring, she pushed him away. Henry looked surprised but leaned back over.

"Quit it," Melody snapped, pushing him away again.

Henry still looked surprised but then he gave her a look. "I'm not doing anything wrong."

The girl slowly turned to him and glared. "Yeah, you are." The look she gave him told "Henry" that she knew he had done something.

Finally, they reached their destination and Melody's nose scrunched up in confusion. They were in front of the convent. Regina got out and came and let them out, grabbing their hands and leading them to where the rest of the group was.

"What the hell happened?" Regina demanded.

Melody saw the Blue Fairy and her eyes widened as David pulled a blanket over her.

"The Shadow. It killed her," he told them, standing up.

"Pan's shadow? I trapped it on the sail," Regina said.

"Yeah, well, it got free," Emma replied.

"Pretty sure, removing someone's shadow doesn't kill them," Melody spoke up. Everyone turned to her as she continued. "If we trap the Shadow, she should come back."

Henry looked angry that she told them that but no one noticed. Neal nodded in agreement. "Let's go back to the ship and get the candle. If it strikes again, we can capture it."

"Pan's behind this, I know it," Emma spoke up.

"He's trapped in a box under the floor of Gold's shop," Regina pointed out.

"Who else would be doing this?"

"So, Pan can still hurt me," Henry spoke up.

Melody made a low noise of irritation, but no one noticed but him. He was really digging this Henry act into the dirt, wasn't he?

"We don't know that," Regina said softly to him.

"We have to assume he's still a threat," Mary Margaret added, hands in her pockets.

"And that he's after Henry," Emma continued.

"Then what am I doing here?" Henry asked.

"He's right. He's not safe out in the open," David agreed.

Henry turned to Regina with a fake look of fear. "You'll protect me, right?"

"Yes, of course," Regina replied, then embraced him.

Melody tried not to scoff. Emma noticed Henry's odd behavior but didn't say anything about it.

"Go. We'll take care of the Shadow," Emma told them.

Henry and Regina began to leave when Emma stopped Regina. The two of them talked and Melody looked over at Henry.

The possessed boy gave her a stern look and the teen rolled her eyes. Regina turned away from Emma and led Henry away.

---

Apparently, the lot of them were in a rush, which didn't make sense to Melody. The teen's legs burnt as she tried to keep up with everyone else as they ran to Gold's shop. She was slightly nervous to see her brother considering it would be the first time she would see him since he told her the truth.

Gold and Belle exited the shop just as they arrived. He saw their look and shook his head.

"No, I'm afraid we're closed. Whatever crisis you're dealing with, I'm done for the day."

"Rumple," Belle scolded.

Melody smiled slightly at her, seeing as it had been a while since she last saw the older brunette.

"Pandora's Box. Give it to me," Emma demanded.

"Why would I do that?" Gold asked.

"We need to open it."

"And let Pan escape? What are you-crazy?"

"Somehow he's controlling the Shadow from inside the box. Henry's life is in danger," Mary Margaret revealed.

"And you think letting Pan out will change that?"

"Yes. Because we can stop it finally and forever," Emma said.

"All due respect, Miss Swan, we barely succeeded in apprehending him the first time. If I've learned one thing, it's not to tempt fate," Gold replied.

"I am not looking to apprehend him. Wouldn't you rather be sure he's gone?"

The teen was about to interfere but then shut her mouth, finding it was best not to defend Pan. She didn't want her family to not trust her.

"Well, what do you have in mind?" Gold asked.

---

So there she was, sitting in David's truck as the group drove to the town line. Melody knew that Emma's plan meant bad news for Pan who was still in Henry's body. Emma was going to let Pan... well, Henry out of Pandora's box, to question him as to how he's controlling the shadow.

Everyone exited the vehicles and Gold got out the box. "There's no magic beyond the town line. If we release Pan outside Storybrooke, he'll be powerless to fight back."

With the box in hand, Gold attempted to cross the border but Emma blocked his path.

"Uh-uh. I'm doing this," she told him.

"I can cross the line and retain my memory," he pointed out, indicating to the shawl on his neck.

"It's not about that. There's no magic over there. All due respect, the real world is my expertise."

She took out her gun and stepped over the line. Melody felt bad that she was the only one among them that knew that Henry was in the box, not Pan. But though what Pan was doing wasn't good, he was her blood. He was her father.

"You're gonna deal with Pan on my terms," Emma objected.

"He is my father," Gold argued.

"Our father," Melody corrected.

Gold gave her a look.

"It's my hunch. If I fail, you're more than welcome to pick up the pieces," Emma offered.

"Emma, be careful," Mary Margaret worried.

Melody sighed and watched as Gold unsealed the box and placed it over the town line. The box opened and "Pan" was released. Emma aimed her gun at him and Pan stood up, looking around confused.

"Mom?" "Pan" said when he saw Emma, standing with a gun pointed at him.

"What?" Emma questioned.

"What are you waiting for? Shoot him," Gold demanded.

"Don't. Please. I'm Henry. Pan... he switched our bodies," Pan revealed.

"You expect me to believe that?" Emma asked.

"Don't listen to him. This is one of his tricks," Gold told her.

"No, it's not. He did it right before Mr. Gold captured me in the box, I swear," Pan tried to convince, he took a step and Emma took a step back.

"Ah, don't come any closer."

"Shoot him!" Gold yelled.

"Maybe he's telling the truth. Maybe that's why I can't shake this feeling something is off about Henry."

"Maybe that's what he wants you to believe. If he steps over this line, we're all dead."

"All right, if you are really Henry, prove it. Tell me something only Henry would know."

"I-I got trapped in the mines. I tried blowing up the well. I like hot cocoa with cinnamon," Pan tried.

"This proves nothing," Gold said with clenched teeth.

"He's right, Emma. Henry could've told Pan all this in Neverland," Mary Margaret spoke up.

"Pan might know facts, but life is made up more than that-there are moments. He can't possibly know all of them. The first time you and I connected-you remember that? Not met, but connected," Emma asked.

Pan smiled. "Yeah."

"Where was it?"

"My castle. Right after you came to Storybrooke."

"And what did you tell me?"

"That I knew why you gave me up."

"Why?"

"Because you wanted to give me my best chance."

Emma lowered her gun and tucked it away. Melody rubbed her arm and she felt her heart start beating in worry.

The mother and son embraced and they went to cross the town line.

Emma turned to Gold. "Promise you're not going to incinerate us when we step over the line."

Gold nodded his head, realizing that they had been tricked. Emma picked up Pandora's box and stepped over the line. Melody bit her lip and watched as her family hugged Henry.

"I'm sorry I doubted you, Henry. And I'm sorry I put you in this box in the first place," Gold apologized.

"It's okay. I would have done the same thing," he admitted.

He looked at Melody and hugged her. Melody gasped in surprise and hugged back, smiling slightly.

"Ok, don't get me wrong. I love you, but you're in my dad's body and I just kept thinking your him so..." she trailed off.

He laughed. "Sorry."

"Come on," Emma said to him and then she led him to the car.

"If he's all the way out here, where's Pan?" David asked Mary Margaret.

Melody pretended not to hear and just turned away. What was Pan going to do?

---

Once the group had remembered where Regina had taken Pan, they all rushed in a hurry to get there. But night had fallen over the town and they all feared that they were going to be too late. Melody worried that Pan had done something to her mother. What if he killed her?

"Regina's still not answering," Emma told them, hanging up her phone.

"When we find Pan, remember he's still in my body. So if you have to throw fire or something, at least avoid the face," Pan pleaded, to Gold.

"I'll do my best," Gold told him.

They approached the vault where Hook, Neal, and Tink were waiting. Melody sighed and rubbed her arm from worry. Neal and Henry embraced and David looked at Tink.

"Did you find the Shadow?" he asked.

"Not yet," Tinker Bell replied.

"Well, we'll be ready for him when we do," Hook told them, then held up the coconut halves.

"I think it's Pan we should be concerned about now. Why are we still up here?" Gold asked.

Melody continued to look around and her eyes wandered to the forest where she made out "Henry's" face. She stopped rubbing her arm and looked away, closing her eyes tightly, hoping it was just her imagination.

"It's locked up tight," Neal told them, referring to the vault.

"Really?" Gold asked, then he tried out magic on the vault, which doesn't work.

"Told you."

"Fair enough. This is going to take some time."

He then began working to break open the vault with magic. Emma walked off to the side, deep in thought. Her parents followed and Melody stood by herself. Pan was waiting for her, she knew that. And whatever he was planning, it wasn't good.

Gold finally got the vault door open and he gestured inside.

"Shall we?"

Everyone followed him and Melody was the last to follow. And this was perfect because just as she was about to enter, Pan grabbed her and pulled her to the side. The teen glared at him and pulled away.

"What the heck?" she whispered, trying to sound too loud.

He gave her a look. "What the heck are you doing? You're supposed to be helping?"

"Helping?" she repeated. Melody looked to the side and saw Felix standing nearby. "You had the Shadow take the Blue Fairy's shadow. She was the one person who could've helped me figure out this curse!"

"Well with my plan, you won't have to worry about the curse, because my plan will make sure you're safe from Gold."

"Oh yeah? And how's that?" she questioned, glaring. "By what? Killing him yourself? And then what? All of my worries fly away like pixie dust?"

"No. I'm going to cast a curse that will make sure that Gold doesn't even remember who you are. No one will remember who they are."

Melody took a step back. "The Dark Curse? You're going to cast the curse that I just got out of?"

"I'll make sure you remember don't worry, I found a way around it."

"May I remind you that you need to sacrifice the heart of the thing you love most? And whose that?"

"You."

Melody threw her hands and up scoffed. "Oh, so you're going to sacrifice me?"

Pan looked upset that she wasn't letting him explain. "No. I found a way around that too." He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "All I have to do is get a piece of your hair and then put it in a potion, which then I'll pour over another heart and put it into the curse. And it'll think that it's your heart."

"Right. Sure. Like that's going to work."

"It is," he insisted. His patience was wearing thin and he just wished Melody would listen. "It will, I promise. I thought we were in this together."

"That was before I learned the truth. That was before I found out that you kept the truth from me. I'm cursed!" Tears fell from her eyes and she wiped them. "I'm cursed and this curse won't stop Gold from killing me."

Felix looked confused. "What is she talking about?"

The two turned to look at him and Melody shook her head in disbelief. "Wow! You didn't even tell him."

Pan turned to her, looking sad. "I didn't want to tell anyone. People would've found out and then Gold would've, then he would've killed you. I couldn't risk that."

Melody sighed and calmed herself down before she lost control, possibly hurting them. "They'll all forget me. And what about my mom, Hook, Emma, and the others?"

"I won't kill them. They just won't remember who they are."

She didn't say anything and then took a deep breath. "Ok. Fine. I'll trust you."

---

The three walked to the outskirt of the town and then they stopped. Pan unrolled the scroll with the curse on it and Felix looked at it.

"So are either of you going to tell me what you were talking about?" he asked.

Melody looked at him. "It's up to the idiot standing between us."

Pan turned to her and gave her a look. "Thanks, Melody. I appreciate the compliment."

She smiled sarcastically. The three of them turned to look at the town and Melody sighed. "Well, if another curse is about to be cast, might as well just say it now." The two looked at her as she continued. "Pan likes you, Felix. And he returns your feelings."

They both gaped in shock and turned to look at one another. Melody looked at them and smirked. "You're welcome."

---

I apologize if this chapter was a bit all over the place!

Remember To Vote On This Chapter

Comment Your Thoughts

And Follow Me For Updates!