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CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
THE STRESSED AUTHOR
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"RIVETING TALE," Hook said as he stared at the page before him. Henry had written a page about Snow and David, and had no memory of doing it whatsoever. "Snow likes oatmeal. Is my morning breakfast in there, too? Henry, I thought you were gonna use your author powers to get us to defeat Hades."

"I don't even remember writing this. I just woke up and had it done," Henry said.

"Okay. It's really..." Emma glanced at the page before turning to her son. "...well-written."

Teresa rolled her eyes.

"Yes, and the illustrations are lovely," Regina said.

"Maybe if you focus harder..."

"Oh. So you're all authors now? Everyone's a writer. Everyone's got an idea," Henry snapped in annoyance. "I'm doing my best. Maybe if you just laid off for a little bit..." Henry grabbed his papers and retreated back up toward the stairs.

"Henry, where are you going?" Regina asked.

"Upstairs."

As soon as Henry was upstairs, Emma let out a sigh. "Well...we officially have a teenager on our hands."

"Or maybe you guys need to give him some time?" Teresa said, giving both his mothers a small glare. "He's never been the author and had to write things before."

That being said, Teresa moved past Alice and Regina, heading for the stairs. Behind her, she could hear Emma let out another sigh, most likely complaining about now there be two teenagers.

When Teresa reached the top of the stairs she turned the corner and gave Henry a questioning look. "Mind if I join you?"

Henry glanced up from his hands and gave her a nod. She sent him a warm smile as she crossed the room and threw herself down into the bed. She crossed her arms behind her head as the room grew silent, with Henry trying to write more.

It wasn't uncomfortable silence though, it was almost like silence that both of them needed in that moment. Her presence even seemed to help a bit, as Henry picked up the pen, the urge to write getting stronger once more

➳

The silence had given Teresa a chance to think...about Elsa and Anna, if the more peppy of the two sisters was having a baby yet; about her father and where he was in the world; about Snow and David being obviously saddened with not being with Baby Neal that needed them now as an infant than ever; about her possible future with Henry Mills...if he was even able to re-write Hades story and get their names off the tombstone. She believed that he could, but she had her doubts as well, that were only really there because of her fear of the Underworld.

Teresa had left Henry moments after hearing the door open yet again. This time, much to her surprise, it was Belle. She was with Regina and Robin, and in Robin's arms was a little pink bundle that could only be his daughter. Hades had brought the infant to the Underworld for a spell, which will need pure innocence that could be come from a baby. After Zelena knew she couldn't protect her daughter because of her apparent history with Hades, she handed her over to Regina, who she was now trusting with the safety of her newborn.

"She has your eyes," Regina gasped, gently stroking the baby's cheek.

"So, does she have a name yet, or is she still Baby Hood?" Teresa asked from where she stood near Snow.

"No. Not yet," Robin replied, as Alice peeked over his shoulder to get a look at the baby. She didn't see very many of them in Hell. "I can't. Hades can do things with names."

"Like put them on tombstones to keep people from leaving here..."

"I don't even think it's wise to keep her in this apartment. I mean, what if Zelena changes her mind?"

"I don't think she will, this is her baby," Teresa stated the obvious. "All she wants is for her child be to safe, like every other mother."

"She does, but that doesn't mean what she knows can't come back to bite us," Regina said. "Robin's taking her to the forest."

"Honestly, it's the only place I've ever felt really at home."

Teresa hummed in agreement. "I'm with you on that one."

Suddenly, Henry hurriedly ran down the steps, carrying more papers of the Storybook in his hands. "It happened! It happened again!" He placed the papers on the table with a sigh. "Take a look."

"Snow, look at this," David breathed, holding up an illustration of a baby in a very familair bassinet. Teresa leaned down to get a closer look, and a smile pulled onto her lips when she recognized the baby.

"It's Neal."

"Why did you write this, Henry?" Teresa asked, curious as to why Neal was being written now when he was safe in Storybrooke.

Henry gave a half shurg. "It's like before. I didn't, or I just don't remember. It just...wrote itself. Like it does."

Emma gingerly took the page from her mother and began reading from it. "The infant son of Snow White and Prince Charming looked up at the tiny glass unicorns as they stirred by the wind. But on this night, he didn't hear the chime of the crystal. Instead, he heard the voices of his mother, Snow White, and his father, Prince Charming. They sang a lullaby until he fell asleep as soundly as if he were in their arms."

Teresa smiled as she placed a hand on Snow's shoulder, which Snow gripped with teary eyes. She knew Snow and David were about whether or not their visit to the telephone booth to try and contact their son in some way would even work, and thanks to Henry's writing they now knew.

"He heard us." Snow breathed a sigh of relief, her eyes stinging with unshed tears. "He heard us."

"Thanks, Henry," David said. Henry gave his grandfather a smile.

"I don't know about anyone else, but I am really ready to get back home to my family my whole family. No more waiting. We can save ourselves. We're going to take down Hades, and we're going to do it now."

➳

They spent hours upon hours in the Underworld version of the library, finding a way in many of the books to destroy Hades once and for all. They knew it wasn't going to be easy, but they were willing to try anything.

After much searching, Alice and Regina had discovered a spell. Now, the sky was dark, giving the impression of it being night, and the deceased blonde and her true love were on step ladders, using pieces of chalk to write symbols for a spell on the elevators door so they would open. Emma and Hook were on top of the building, keeping a look out for Hades or anyone else. If they spotted someone, they would give a signal, and when they were ready with the spell, they would give the pair on the roof a signal.

After a few moments, David gave the signal after being told by Regina get to the savior down here for the spell, and not twenty seconds later did Emma come bursting in through the front door of the library with Hook hot on her heels.

As soon as Emma spotted her mother, she wrapped in her a tight embrace. "Mom..."

"Oh!" Snow was surprised by the sudden hug. Concern swirled in her blue eyes as she hugged her daughter back. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. It's just good to see you."

"When you're done hugging it out, Emma, we can use a little help here," Regina said, both her and Alice then stepping down from their step ladders.

Hook cocked and eyebrow at their work. "So this is what you've been working on all night. This is our new plan to defeat Hades and go home...a bunch of squiggly lines?"

Alice threw him a look. "Hades put one hell of a protection spell on his elevator, and these squiggly lines are the only way to crack it open."

"Then hopefully that elevator will take us straight to him," Snow said.

"Maybe with surprise on our side, we can get a shot at him."

"That's a lot of maybe's and hopefully's," Hook said in a concerned tone.

"It's all we have right now," Emma said, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. She then stepped forward in between Alice and Regina. "Okay...let's do this."

The trio of women thrust their hands forward, their magic exploding from their palms and hitting the elevator doors. The symbols glowed, and when the elevator doors open, frowns pull onto their faces. They were met with a solid wall.

"Well, that's three points Hades, zero for us," Teresa grumbled.

"Oh, we'll think of something else. We always do. What if...?" Emma's eyes widen with a brand new idea, and turns to face them. "What if I could burn our names off the gravestones that Hades made for us, the ones holding us here?"

"Alice and I looked for a spell like that. It doesn't exist."

"Actually, it does. It kind of came to me in a dream."

David raised an eyebrow. "In a dream?"

"I know it sounds crazy, but I can remember every detail. It would be a long shot, but..."

"Well, as for maybe's and hopefully's, I've learned never to question yours," Hook said, giving his love a tiny smile. "I'm coming with you."

"Snow and I will take Henry and Teresa back to the apartment."

Snow glanced at her husband before stepping towards her daughter. "No, actually, I'm gonna go with Emma."

Emma's eyes widened tremendously, making them wonder just what she dreamed about. "No, no, that's not a good idea."

"I promised to take down Hades and get back to our son, remember? If this is how we do it, I'm in."

"Emma, I wouldn't argue with your mother," David smirked. "Trust me."

"Get going, and I'll...I'll meet you at the cemetery. First, I should talk to my sister. Apparently, she has some history with Hades."

"I'll join you," Alice told her, giving her love a small smile.

"You think she'll talk to you?" Emma asked.

"I don't know. But if he does have a weakness, she might be the only person who knows what it is."

A/N: Not the greatest of chapters, but that could be that this episode was mainly focused more on Emma, Hook and Snow...and Regina, Robin and Zelena.

Guys.....less than seven chapters left 😭😭 I'm both sad for this book to end and excited for the next book to begin so I can start writing season 7.

Also, when do you guys want to read Alice and Regina's love story?