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CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
RUBY SLIPPERS
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TERESA, HENRY AND DAVID'S HEADS SNAPPED OVER TO THE DOOR AS IT BURST OPEN. Before they could even greet them, their eyes widened as Snow and Hook were supporting an unconscious Ruby in between them.

"Oh my God, Ruby?!" Teresa gasped, jumping from the table and toward the bed as David assisted Hook in placing her down on the mattress. "Is she okay? Why is she down here?"

"She's not..."

Hook shook his head. "No, she's still breathing."

"Well, how long do you think she'll be out?" Emma asked.

"I don't know. We hit her with some strong stuff," Alice replied.

"Where has she been since she left Storybrooke?" David asked.

"I don't know. She went to find her pack," Snow said with a shrug.

"Unless they're dead, I'd say she's sniffing in the wrong place. Any explanation for what she's doing here?"

Emma reached forward, snatching a piece of blue and white checkered fabric from Ruby's belt. "Just this."

After a few moments, Ruby awoke with a gasp and sat up as fast as she could. Snow was quick to throw her arms around her friend.

Ruby recognized the scent instantly and hugged her raven haired friend back. "Snow, I-I can't believe you're here."

As they parted, Snow grinned. "You too."

"Ruby," Teresa voiced from near Henry. "Are you dead?"

Ruby furrowed her eyebrows. "No of course not. When did you get back to Storybrooke? I thought you were in Arendelle with Anna and Elsa?"

Teresa was relieved to hear that Ruby wasn't dead, but now it left the question as to why she was even in the Underworld. "I was, but I came back after a month."

"Ruby," Emma began. "This isn't exactly Storybrooke."

Ruby was even more confused now, as she stared at the blonde savior. "What do you mean?"

"This is the Underworld," Alice piped in, causing Ruby's eyes to widen at the familiar voice.

"Alice? B-But you're dead..." Alice nodded, a frown forming on her lips at the mention of her status. "The Underworld? I don't understand. I used a tracking spell so the cyclone would bring me to Zelena."

"Ruby, she's down here, too."

"Wait, love, you came down here looking for Zelena?" Hook asked.

Regina sighed. "Why am I not surprised? What did my sister do now?"

"It's my friend, Dorothy. Zelena wanted her magic slippers so that she could get back to her baby."

"Ruby, what did Zelena do to your friend?" Snow asked.

"That's why I'm here. I don't know. Dorothy went to face her and just disappeared. Mulan and I looked everywhere, but we couldn't find her." Ruby sighed in worry. "Snow, this is all my fault. None of this would have happened if I hadn't show up in Oz. It's just one more life that I have destroyed because of what I am."

Teresa frowned as she stared at Ruby. Ever since she met the wolf, she's always been self conscious of her species, but Teresa didn't understand why. She thought being able to turn into a beautiful wolf would be amazing...as long as it wasn't hunting season.

"That is not true, and you know it," Snow said sincerely. "Ruby, we'll find out what happened to Dorothy. I promise."

"There's only one way we're gonna do that. It's time to talk to Zelena," Emma said.

"I'm coming," Regina said, earning a nod fromEmma. As they all turned and began heading for the door, she sighed. "I actually thought we were getting somewhere with her."

➳

"Careful, lad," Hook warned, as he, Henry and David walked at a fast pace across the road and toward the phone booth. The two of them were assisting David in contacting Baby Neal, seeing as they hadn't spoken to the tiny infant in days. "Hades has eyes and ears everywhere. We can't trust anyone here."

"Is the line always this long?" Henry asked, his eyes searching for the end, but it seemed to even stretch around the corner of the building. He wondered how long it went.

"It's not a line," David uttered. "Something's wrong Hey! What do you think you're doing?"

Cruella smirked. "What does it look like, darling? I'm fulfilling my mayoral responsibilities by supervising some municipal improvements. Get on with it, Claude. Rip it out."

"No, no, no, no!" David exclaimed, putting his hand on Claude's shoulder. "This is the only chance these people have to contact their loved ones."

"Oh, you mean it's your only opportunity to reach out and haunt your infant son. Looks like Chisel Chin, Jr. will just have to go to bed without what I can imagine are terribly dull bedtime stories. Cruella, why are you doing this?"

"Is this because I won't write you back to life?" Henry asked, causing her stare to turn from his grandfather and to him.

The fur lover shook her head. "No, Henry darling. I'm not the one that ordered all the phones to be ripped out down here."

"Hades."

"Well, with all you heroes running around, the place he feels has a little too much hope bubbling up in his realm."

"Well, you can tell him it's gonna take a lot more than ripping out phones to discourage us."

"I will. But in the meantime, if you wanted to strike a deal, I could look the other way while you made one last call." Cruella stepped closer and closer to David with each step. "I'm assuming I'd have the author and his pen to write me back to life."

David removed her hand from his jacket with a sneer. "We're not making deals with you."

"Have it your way," she sighed. "Do it, Claude. Ta-ta, darlings."

Claude ripped the phone out of the wall of the phone booth before following after the black and white haired woman.

➳

Teresa walked beside Ruby and Emma as they strolled down the path toward Zelena's Underwold house. She seemed to be leaving by the looks of it, as the red haired witch was clapping a pair of silver heels together, which were shimmering with purple magic.

Regina waved her hand, causing her feet to freeze in place so she couldn't clip the heels together again, which drew Zelena's attention toward them. "You're not going anywhere, sis."

Zelena sighed. "How do you expect me to become mother material if you won't leave me be?"

"Well, we were planning on it until someone you screwed over literally dropped out of the sky."

"What did you do to Dorothy?" Ruby asked.

"Zelena, tell us what you did to Dorothy," Regina said. "Fight your instincts and help us. It's the only way you'll ever see your little girl again. Trust me."

"No. I'm afraid I can't fix this. Even I can't help Dorothy now. "

"Why not?" Alice asked.

Zelena pulled a mirror from her pocket before waving her hand over the glass. It shimmered before showing them an image of a brunette haired girl, no older than Ruby herself, laying with her eyes closed on a podium of some sort. Her hands were laid over her stomach as she laid completely still.

Ruby's eyes widened in horror and her heart dropped to the ground. "You killed her?"

"Not quite. I took a page out of your book, Regina," Zelena said as she tucked the mirror away.

"Sleeping curse."

"You need to wake her up," Ruby demanded.

"That's what I'm trying to tell you...I can't. Dorothy may have the love of the people of Oz, but there's only one thing that could help her now. True love's kiss. No family, unmarried, unloved, all alone. There's no one that can give Dorothy what she needs. I'm afraid sometimes...I'm just too clever."

➳

"We have to do something," Ruby stressed as she paced the wooden porch floor. Inside Zelena's house, Regina was striking a deal with her wicked sister. "Dorothy is all alone back there. She doesn't have anyone."

"Not for long," Regina said, emerging from the house. "These can at least get you back to Oz."

Alice stared at the slipper in surprise. "How did you get her to hand those over to you?"

"You're not going to believe me, but all I did was ask."

"What good are slippers if there is no one back in Oz that can give Dorothy true love's kiss?" Ruby asked with a frown.

Teresa bit her lip. "Are you sure there isn't anyone?"

"Her family was awful to her. And the only person that she has ever loved was her deceased Aunt Em."

Smiles pulled onto their faces at the mention of Dorthoy's aunt being dead. "She may still be here," Emma said with wide eyes. "All we have to do is find her."

All eyes were now on Alice. "Any idea where we can find a woman by the name of Em?"

Alice thought for a moment before shaking her head. "Sorry, no."

➳

Thunder rumbled above them as they searched the cemetery for Aunt Em's tombstone. Being back in the cemetary only reminded Teresa that she wasn't leaving anytime soon. The teenager was pulling her damp hair back into a pony tail as the rain continued to fall from above, which was causing it to frizz and get on her nerves.

Soon, with Alice's help, they found her grave. "That's her," Ruby said as they stared at Emily Brown's gravemarker. "That's Auntie Em."

"It's not cracked or tipped. She's still down here," Regina stated.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's find her."

"It's not that simple, Ruby," Alice frowned. "If she's dead, she can't just leave the Underworld to give Dorothy true love's kiss."

"Maybe she doesn't have to." By the tone of her voice, Teresa knew Snow had an idea brewing. "The other day, the Blind Witch bottled David's breath."

"What?"

"Why would she do that?"

"Yeah, well, she roasted children in her previous life. Do we even want the answer to that?"

"True," Teresa nodded.

"The point is maybe we can do the same thing with the kiss from Aunt Em. Ruby could use the slippers to deliver it Dorothy in Oz."

"Snow!"

They all turned as Henry, David and Hook ran over. "We've been looking everywhere for you."

His tone sounded urgent, causing Snow to grow concerned. "What is it? Did you talk to Neal?"

David shook his head. "Hades ripped out the phone. He's cut us off from Storybrooke."

"What? Why?"

"Snow, Neal's fine."

"Wait, no, we don't know that." Snow was now panicking. "I mean, maybe Hades did this for a reason. Maybe he's gonna make a move on Storybrooke now that we're trapped down here. This is exactly what he wants for us all to lose hope. Well, it's hard not to when our child's life might be in danger."

"Mom, I think it's time," Emma said.

"For what?"

"For you to go home both of you," Emma said.

"We haven't completed our mission. We haven't defeated Hades."

"You've done more for me than you know and so many down here."

"And I meant what I said...we came because we wanted to."

"Because I needed you," Emma corrected her mother. "Now your other kid needs you more. And Storybrooke might, too."

Snow frowned, conflicted between her baby son and her daughter that was currently trapped in Hell. "Well, what about Hades?"

"We don't even know how to begin to fight him yet," David said

"Well, we'll just have to find a way to wage our war without the Charmings," Hook said.

"But this is the Underworld. We can't just walk out."

"You can with the slippers," Alice piped in.

"Alice is right," Emm said. "Go to Oz with Ruby. Once you help Dorothy, you can click your way back to Storybrooke. Mom, Dad, you've done enough. Go take care of the rest of our family. I'm gonna be okay."

David sighed, shifting on his feet. "I can't leave, Emma."

"Yes, you can."

"No, Emma, I literally can't."

They all stared at David in confusion. "David...why?"

➳

"You scratched my name out..." Teresa breathed, her eyes full of guilt as she stared at the tombstone that now held David's poorly engraved name on it.

Teresa rounded on him, too shocked to be angry. "Why would you do that? You have a family."

"They are the exact reason why I did it," David said.

"David..."

David turned to his wife, placing his hands on her shoulders as she stared at him in sadness. "She is your best friend Snow, and our grandsons true love, I couldn't let both her and our daughter be stuck down here. You and Teresa need to go with Ruby, and go back to Neal, I'll stay here with Emma and help defeat Hades once and for all."

"You're an idiot, David," Teresa muttered. "As much as I appreciate what you did, that is what you are. I have nobody in Storybrooke but friends...a-and Henry. You have an entire family, one that is now broken because of this!" She waved her hand toward the tombstone, heaving a heavy sigh.

"I'm sorry if that is how you feel, but I, like I said, I couldn't let you be stuck here. My family needs you."

"How did you do it anyway?" Emma asked.

"Simple, love," Hook said. "Hades overlooked one thing during my escape...he enchanted my hand to carve these markers in the first place. I can't erase the names, but I can change them."

Teresa stared the pirate in shock. "So you were in on this too?"

"Don't worry, lass, I'll keep your lad under a watchful eye while you're gone," Hook said, throwing her a playful smirk.

➳

The bell above the door of the Underworld version of Granny's Diner chimed as they — Teresa, Alice, Regina, Emma, Snow and Ruby — entered.

"Sorry, no dogs allowed," the Blind Witch said.

"No one talks to me like that in my diner."

She smirked at Ruby. "It's not yours, dear, not yet."

"There's a tombstone in the cemetery...Emily Brown. Why don't you make this easy and tell us where to find her?" Emma said.

"What do I get out of it?"

Teresa smirked. "The wolf keeps her cloak on. Unless you want to start putting your customers on the menu..."

"Fine. I know her."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I hate that Auntie Em."

"Why's that?" Snow asked.

"She's the competition."

"Oh my God..." Alice sighed, her face lighting up in realization. "Auntie's."

Alice was out of the diner as fast as lightening, leaving them standing in confusion. They glanced at each other before following after the deceased blonde, who was naming her way toward another diner around the corner.

"Alice, wait up!"

When they reached her side, Regina cocked an eyebrow. "So...you do know her?"

"I should have realised it before, but I rarely go in. She works here," Alice said, stopping in front of the diner called Auntie's.

"Well the name certainly fits," Teresa smirked. "Why is it people name their diners after themselves?"

From beside the teenage girl, Emma shook her head in amusement.

"Come on," Ruby grinned, practically running up to the door.

As soon she pulled open the door, the gray haired woman working the counter greeted them with a polite smile. "Welcome to Auntie's. The potpies are my own family recipe, but we do a good roasted chicken, too. Rotisserie...any way you want." She turned and began pouring some soup. "But the soup, well, the soup is to die for. Unless you're already dead. Then it's, uh...well, you know what I mean."

"We're trying to help Dorothy," Emma said.

The elderly womans eyes widened. "You know my Dorothy?"

"Yes."

"She's not down here, is she?"

"No, she's alive, but she needs your help," Ruby said.

"She needs true love's kiss. All you need to do is blow a kiss into the bottle." Emma handed the gray haired woman a tiny vile. "Maybe helping Dorothy is your unfinished business. Maybe that's why you're down here."

Suddenly, the bottle was dropped from her shaking body and shattered to the floor, chasing their eyes to widen.

"What's happening?"

"Emma, what did you do?"

"Can somebody help her?"

"Emma," Snow said.

"I didn't do anything," Emma said, stepping back as Aunt Em's body suddenly formed into what appeared to be water.

"No! No! Somebody do something!" Ruby was now breathing heavily as she stared at Dorothy's only chance to keep living officially die.

"What the hell was that?" Teresa asked wide-eyed.

"I don't think the soup agreed with her."

They turned on their heels and were met with Hades himself. "You did this."

He smirked, humming a laugh. "Guilty. A little water from the River of Souls gives the soup a little something...special."

"Why would you hurt her? She was just a sweet old lady," Ruby said.

"Isn't it obvious? Because you're trying to help her."

Regina reached over and gripped Alice's wrist in fear of her being Hades next target. "And Dorothy, who happens to be Zelena's sworn enemy. Did she put you up to this?"

"Trust me, she has no idea I'm here. This is about so much more than just your sister. Let's call it a teachable moment."

"You wouldn't be here unless you were scared we might actually win this fight."

A chuckle escaped past his lips as he stared at Emma. "Yes. Is that so, Savior? Because I don't think Dorothy's dear old aunt would agree with you."

Teresa glared at the man as he dropped a towel on the puddle of liquid that was once Aunt Em. He proceeded to then use his foot to clean it up.

"Citizens of the Underworld!" Hades said, as he squeezed the towel, pouring Aunt Em's liquid form into a Mason jar. "From now on, this is what happens to anyone who deals with these so-called heroes. So, who's next in line for their help? It's hard to be a savior when no one wants you to save them."

Hades then smirked toward Alice, drawing more fear for Regina. "Ah, Alice, I hear you've been working with them. And, if I recall, you used to be lovers." He grinned and with a wave of his hand, Alice was gone, disappearing in blue flames.

"No!" Regina cried, her eyes wide and heart racing.

"What did you do to her?" Snow asked.

He chuckled. "Oh I didn't banish her with the rest of the lost souls, if that is what you're thinking. Until you stop trying to save everyone in my realm, Alice is going to pay the price."

➳

"Put these one," Regina instructed as she handed the slippers over to Ruby. They were going to Oz, even without having Aunt Em's true love kiss. It turns out, they didn't need it anyways,  as Ruby confessed to Snow that she was hopelessly in love with Dorothy Gale, but thought because Dorothy didn't return the feelings that her kids wouldn't wake her.

"Think of where you want to go," Regina said. "Then click your heels three times. Snow, Teresa, you should take her hands and hold tight."

Teresa's eyes then found Henry's. Suddenly, her feet were moving toward him, and she threw her arms around him in a tight hug. "Please come back," she whispered for only him to hear.

Henry smiled, but he didn't speak. He would feel guilty if he were to promise one thing and not fulfill that promise. Nearby, Snow and David were also wrapped in a tight embrace.

Teresa kissed his cheek before pulling back and glancing at everyone else. "Maybe don't do anything stupid and get stuck down here forever, okay?" Her eyes then lingered on Regina. "I'm sorry about Alice."

"Mom, I'm not very good at goodbyes," Emma said, stepping toward her mother.

"I know, it runs in the family." Snow gave her daughter a bright smile before embracing her.

When the mother and daughter parted, Regina asked a question regarding Roland. "Snow, while you're up there, will look in on Roland for Robin Hood? I know he'd want me to ask you that."

"Of course. Tell him not to worry," Snow said. Snow then turned toward David and after sharing another passionate kiss with the love of her life, she walked over and took Ruby's hand, a read slipping down her cheek. Teresa gripped Ruby's other hand.

"Ready?" Snow asked, her voice strained slightly as she kept in her tears. Ruby eagerly nodded. "Let's go find Dorothy."

Teresa kept her eyes on Henry's as Ruby clicked her heels three times. After a moment, they disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

The smoke disappeared, and Teresa glanced around at her new surroundings with curiosity. It was a peaceful and beautiful realm for what she could tell. She arched a brow. "How can someone be wicked here, it's breathtaking."

"Come on, she's this way." Ruby took off in a sudden run down the yellow brick road, and as Teresa and Snow ran after the rather eager brunette wolf, Snow began to chuckle.

Teresa glanced at her. "Why are you laughing?"

"It's just...I seen the movie, and I honestly never believed I would be on the yellow brick road."

"There's a movie about Oz?" Teresa asked.

"I'm surprised Henry hasn't told you about it; Zelena is his aunt."

It didn't take them long to reach the square of then so called Emerald City. Upon arriving, the munchkins moved out of their way, allowing them to move ahead of them.

Another brunette girl — who Teresa learned was named Mulan — stared at them in surprise. "Ruby! Snow."

"You found her." Ruby have Mulan a grateful smile.

"I've been waiting for you to get back. She's under..."

"A sleeping curse, I know," Ruby finished, confusing Mulan. "Thank you for taking care of her."

"I've had some experience with sort of thing," Mulan confessed.

With a shakey breath, Ruby stepped forward and peered down at her love. Teresa and Snow glanced at each other when they noticed her hesitance.

"Ruby, you can do this," Teresa said,  encouragingly. "Go."

"Okay." Ruby sighed, inhaling deeply, before leaning down and placing the sweetest of kisses on the lips of one Dorothy Gale.

A burst of magic spread throughout the entire Emerald City, blowing back their hair in the soft wind. Dorothy then awake with a gasp, and her eyes met Ruby's.

"Wolfie?"

Ruby grinned. "Kansas." Dorothy's dog then began to park as she sat up with a groan. "You left without saying anything."

"I was afraid," Dorothy confessed. "I couldn't lose you to Zelena."

Ruby let out a breath. "Well, yeah, but I almost lost you."

Dorothy smiled softly. "You didn't. You came back for me."

"I always will."

Teresa and Snow were grinning as they watched their best friend pull Dorothy in for another loving kiss. They couldn't be more happy for Ruby, as love and happiness is all she has ever wanted in her entire life.

Now Ruby has her much-deserved happy ending.

And her name is Dorothy Gale.

➳

Henry was sitting on the bed in the Underworld apartment, in the upstairs loft. On his face was a relieved smile, in his hands and spread before him on the blanket were the newest Storybook pages written by him.

They were of Teresa, his grandmother and Ruby in Oz, and in the illustrated picture was Ruby and Dorothy passionately sharing true loves kiss, and in the background, were a grinning Teresa and Snow White. The others were of only Teresa and Snow, his grandmother smiling as she held Baby Neal, with Teresa standing right next to her, a smile also on her face.

After gathering up all the pages, Henry rushed down the steps, where he immediately went to his grandfather at the kitchen counter. "Grandpa. I thought you'd like to see the latest. Grandma and Teri made it back to Storybrooke."

Henry smiled as he stared at the illustration of his wife and son, and Teresa. "Thanks, kid. Now let's go figure out how to join them."

"What is it?" Emma asked, as her father and Henry rushed over to the table that she sat at with Hook and Regina.

"Snow and Teresa...they made it."

A/N: I was so happy for Ruby in this episode!! Honestly, because I just LOVE Ruby and "The Wizard of Oz" was, like, my childhood. Plus, her and Dorothy are just the cutest damn thing ever. She TOTALLY deserved that happy ending ♥️

Also, poor Alice 😭😭 Any guesses on her fate?