────── ★★★ ──────

────── ★★★ ──────

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟐𝟏
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐂𝐇'𝐒 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐎𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

────── ★★★ ──────

When Everly woke up the following morning, she found Cassie and Jasper sound asleep on the former's bedroom floor. Despite wanting to question the Tremaine boy about everything that had happened to him, the Purest Heart chose to let them sleep. The apartment was quiet as she walked into the kitchen and grabbed herself a bagel. After checking on her sleeping twins and saying a quick "goodbye" to Felix, the Thorne woman left her apartment and headed to her car.

Music quietly filled every inch of the Jeep as Everly drove towards the police station. After getting numerous texts from Rumplestiltskin throughout the night, the Purest Heart couldn't sleep. Her mind raced with different thoughts and reasons as to why someone was targeting witches. What did they have to gain by taking out magic users in a place where magic didn't exist?

Everly was also trying to figure out how one would define a "witch." Was it just someone who practiced magic? Or was there something else to it? After all, she was a magic user and had practiced it throughout her life, but she never thought of herself as a witch. And were they just targeting bad witches? Or were the good witches on their radar as well? All the unanswered questions made Everly fear for her safety, as well as Cassie's.

It wasn't long before Everly found herself pulling up to the police station. After parking her car and letting out a long sigh, the Thorne woman got out and headed inside. She walked into the building with a false smile and a bagel in hand. The Purest Heart greeted her peers as she walked through the halls toward where Rumplestiltskin said to meet. Along the way, she passed Alice, who seemed upset about something, before Everly found herself at her final destination.

"What's wrong with Tilly?" Everly asked as she sat down in the chair across from Hook and next to Sam.

"I'm not sure. It's just...Tilly being Tilly," the pirate captain told the two blondes in front of him before their attention fell on Rumplestiltskin, who had just walked into the room, "so what's the word on our blind baker?"

"Enjoying the finest medical care in Hyperion Heights," the Dark One announced as he sat down on the edge of Hook's desk, "I posted a patrol outside her room. My suspicion is, this killer goes for easy prey, so I've just made things a little bit more difficult. With a bit of luck, it'll help flush them out."

"So everyone in that cult is in danger, but we don't have a bloody clue who they are," Hook said without even attempting to hide the annoyance in his voice.

The four of them just sat there for what felt like an eternity before an idea popped into Everly's head. The Thorne girl instantly sat up in her chair, making the men turn their attention toward her right as she began speaking. "We might not know who they are but Elosie Gardener does."

"I mean, you're not wrong," Sam responded before leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest, "too bad she disappeared off the face of the planet."

"She may have decided to vanish in the wake of Victoria's death. But that doesn't mean to say we won't find her. We will," Rumplestiltskin declared while looking between the three people sitting in the room with him, "she's the key that's gonna open all the locks."

"Then, by all means, let's open them," a new voice said, causing all of them to turn their attention toward the source of the sound to find Mother Gothel standing in the doorway, "I think it's time we all had a little talk."

No one hesitated to get to their feet before walking out of Hook's office and down the hall. Silence surrounded them as they led Gothel through the building until they reached one of the interrogation rooms. As soon as they made it to their destination, Hook guided the redheaded woman to the single chair on one side of the table. It wasn't long after that when he and Rumplestiltskin sat across from her with Everly and Sam leaning against the wall behind them.

They waited for a moment to let Gothel speak, only for the woman to remain silent. What felt like an eternity passed before Hook had enough of the silence and decided to break it. "You have a chance to save some lives here, all right? All we need is a list of members of the cult, and then we can get to them before the killer does."

"We're not a cult. We're a group of women with shared ideals," the redheaded responded without even attempting to hide the hint of irritation in her voice, "why do people like you always have to put a label on that? Like 'cult', or 'coven', or I don't know...'witches'?"

"Is that label so far stray?" Rumplestiltskin questioned, making Everly bite her lips in an attempt to hide the smile threatening to form on her face, "where were you the night of Victoria Belfrey's death?"

"I'm sorry. Am I a suspect now?" Gothel questioned as she glanced between the detectives and officers in the room with her, "and since when was this about me, Detective Weaver? I came here to help you find a killer."

"Of course you did. I, uh, apologize for my partner," Hook responded while Everly and Sam continued to watch the scene play out in front of them with skepticism in their eyes.

"I don't want an apology. I want him gone. All three of them," the redheaded woman announced, causing the two blondes to exchange a look while Rumplestiltskin let out a chuckle. When Everly turned her attention back to Gothel, she found the witch staring at Hook with a small smile on her face. "You and I always have such nice conversations, Detective Rogers. So, if I can't talk to you alone, I don't talk at all."

Silence filled every inch of the room while everyone kept their eyes glued to Gothel. It wasn't long after that when Hook and Rumplestiltskin walked out of the room with Sam quick to follow. Everly stayed back, studying the witch for a moment longer. Chills ran up and down her spine when the redheaded woman sent her a sinister smirk. That alone made the Purest Heart follow her allies as fast as she could.

When she walked into Hook's office, she found Sam back in his chair and Rumplestiltskin sitting on the desk. But unlike before, Hook had his back to her as he stared at the screen showing them the interrogation room. No one said a word as Everly walked across the office to sit back down next to the blonde man. What felt like an eternity of silence passed when it was finally broken.

"You do not wanna go in there yourself," the Dark One announced, drawing Hook's attention away from the screen before he continued speaking, "that woman's life's work is manipulation."

"Yeah, she manipulates lonely lost girls. And I'm none of those things," the pirate captain, unknowingly unlocking an almost forgotten memory inside Everly's head. Just the thought of Neverland made the Thorne woman's body stiffen, an action that only Rumplestiltskin noticed. It wasn't long after that when their attention was drawn back to Hook. "I'll be fine. It's not like she's actually a witch."

"Yeah, well, whatever she is, I assure you, she's not gonna give up her answers easily," the Dark One responded while trying his best to keep all of his emotions hidden.

"Why? Because she won't talk to you?" Sam retaliated, slightly irritated by the fact that Rumplestiltskin was fighting so much.

"I hate to say it, but I have to agree with Weaver on this one," Everly announced, receiving shocked looks from Sam and Hook and making her wish they knew the truth about Gothel. "It's obvious she's hiding something. It would be safer if one of us was in there with you."

The raven-haired man didn't say a word as he grabbed his notepad off of his desk and got to his feet. He just stood in front of his three partners for a long moment before letting out a long sigh. "I spent years looking for her. Yeah, she turned out different than I expected, but I know her. She likes to be in control. So I'll let her think she's in control. Then I'll rope her in, break open the case."

As soon as Hook finished speaking, he began making his way out of the office. He only took two steps before Rumplestiltskin called out to him, making the pirate captain stop in his tracks. "I'm trying to help you here. I wanna solve this case just as badly as you do. So go in there, get your answers, but whatever happens, do not let that woman inside your head."

The Jones man just stared at the Dark One for a moment before sending him a small nod in response. Everly did her best to hide her emotions as she watched Hook walk out of the room and towards the lion's den.

────── ★★★ ──────

What felt like an eternity passed of Everly watching the screen in front of her with Rumplestilskin and Sam at her sides. An uncertain feeling settled in the pit of the Thorne woman's stomach as she watched Hook have an inaudible conversation with Gothel. There was something about the whole situation that didn't make sense, but Everly couldn't put her finger on it. After a while, the Purest Heart managed to convince herself that it was just her fear for the pirate captain.

It wasn't long after that when Hook finally got to his feet and walked out of the interrogation room. No one said a word as they waited for him to rejoin them. But instead of coming back into his office, the Jones man walked straight past them and toward the exit of the station. Everly instantly exchanged an uncertain look with Sam and Rumplestiltskin before they raced after Hook.

"Where are you going?" the Dark One questioned after the three of them managed to catch up with the raven-haired man.

"To give Eloise what she wants," Hook responded without pausing to look back at his allies.

"Well, how is that gonna help? She asked for your favorite painting?" Rumplestiltskin scoffed while Everly and Sam continued to follow the two men, "the woman's out of her mind. Worse, dangerous."

"And very perceptive," the Jones man announced as they reached his car before Hook stopped and turned to face them, "how does she even know that I can paint?"

"Great question. Maybe we should stop and think about that for a second," Everly said, drawing everyone's attention toward her before she continued speaking, "don't you think it's a little strange that she knows about that?"

"I have to agree with both of them on this one," Sam added, earning a slightly annoyed look from the pirate captain, "come on. It is pretty strange that she knows you paint. I didn't even know that."

"Strange, yes. But that's not gonna stop me," Hook responded after opening his car door while keeping his eyes glued to his allies, "if she knows something, I'm willing to play along. I thought you wanted to find the killer. If she has the answers, then a painting is a small price to pay."

"If you think that, you don't understand the price," Rumplestiltskin scoffed before turning around and walking back towards the station.

"Well, whatever the prince is, believe me, I'm willing to pay it," the Jones man called after the Dark One before getting into his car.

After listening to the engine start, Everly found herself turning to face Sam. A hint of hope settled within her when she found him still staring at Hook with an uncertain look in his eyes.

"Go with him," the Thorne woman said, drawing the blonde man's attention to her, "I don't care if he fights you on it. He shouldn't be going on this wild goose chase alone."

Sam just stared at her for a long moment before walking around the car and getting into the passenger seat. Everly watched Hook send the blonde man an irritated look that led to what seemed to be a heated argument. A few short minutes passed before the pirate captain gave in, causing a smirk to appear on Sam's face. The Thorne woman stayed on the sidewalk as she watched them drive off, silently hoping they'd be okay without her.

As soon as the car was out of sight, Everly let out a long sigh and headed back towards the station. Her mind raced with a million thoughts as she searched for Rumplestiltskin. She needed more answers to what was going on in Hyperion Heights and not just the kind that comes from files. But when the Thorne woman finally found him back in Hook's office, he wasn't alone.

"Is everything alright, Tilly?" Everly asked after walking into the office while keeping her eyes glued to the distraught Alice.

"Oh, hey there, Jo. I'm...I'm glad to see your face," the blonde girl responded with an obviously forced smile on her face, "I came by earlier but, um, uh, Rogers, he didn't want to play the game with me. I tried to warn him. I did." Alice hesitated as she looked back at the screen that showed Gothel in the interrogation room. It wasn't long after that when her forced smile fell and she pointed at the screen. "But there's bad things in the air."

"Tilly, Tilly, calm down," the Thorne woman told her in a calm voice, drawing the girl's attention back to her, "everything's fine."

"No, everything's not fine!" Alice exclaimed before pointing at the screen once again, "you brought a monster in here! And I can see her for what she really is!"

"You know what?" Rumplestiltskin said as he got to his feet and moved to stand beside Everly and in front of Alice, "you're right. She is a monster. I believe you."

"Oh, you do?" the blonde girl responded, not entirely convinced by the words coming out of the Dark One's mouth.

"Well, I know you better than most," he continued, causing Alice to let out a small sigh before a smile appeared on her face, "you see things others don't. And that's what makes you special."

Everly couldn't help the shock she felt as she watched Rumplestiltskin speak so kindly to the girl in front of him. However, their moment was soon interrupted by Hook, who walked right between them and towards his desk. Rumplestiltskin sent him a slightly irritated look while Alice stared at him with shock in her eyes. The Thorne woman couldn't help but glance over at Sam, wanting some answers about what happened on his little adventure with Hook. But all she received in response was a small shrug from the Jones man.

The Purest Heart's attention was soon drawn back to the situation at hand by a small gasp. When she looked back over at the trio standing around the desk, Everly found Alice staring down at the painting with disbelief in her eyes.

"Uh, what's...what's that?" the blonde girl asked while pointing at the canvas.

"It's a painting of mine," Hook responded without looking over at Alice as he took off his jacket and placed it on his chair, "I thought I told you to go home."

"No. No. No. You can't show this to the monster," Alice declared before picking up the painting and looking over at the pirate captain, "she'll use it, and then she'll try and hurt you and I don't want you to be hurt!"

"Get out of my way, or I'll have to have you escorted out," Hook responded, making Everly internally cringe knowing that the raven-haired man would regret saying those words one day.

After Hook snatched the painting out of Alice's grasp, the latter turned towards the other three officers with tears in her eyes. It wasn't long before her attention landed solely on the Dark One. "You told me you believe me."

"I do. And I promise nothing bad's gonna happen, but right now," Rumplestiltskin hesitated as he stared at the blonde girl for a long moment before letting out a sigh, "you have to go home."

Alice kept her eyes glued to the Dark One before they traveled up to the two blondes standing behind him. Neither Sam nor Everly said a word, even though the latter wanted to scream that Alice was right. The silence alone made a sad expression form on the blonde girl's face before her gaze fell back on Hook. "You all want me to leave?"

"I'm sorry but this is more important," the pirate captain declared with a serious look on his face, making Everly internally cringe once again. After staring at the girl in front of him for a moment longer, Hook took the painting and walked out of the room.

────── ★★★ ──────

────── ★★★ ──────