────── ★★★ ──────

────── ★★★ ──────

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟐𝟕
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐄'𝐒 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐃

────── ★★★ ──────

Everly's hands faintly glowed as she walked behind Henry, Ella, and Hook with Felix right beside her. Sam, Katherine, and Austin took up the rear as they quietly walked into the dark cave in front of them. No one really knew what their end goal was, all they knew was that Henry wanted to go on an adventure. It didn't take long after that for the Mills man to round up the perfect group to join him.

Night had fallen when they finally reached the cave that Henry was telling them about. Everyone just stared at the large entrance in silence before a large smile appeared on the Mills man's face. "This is it, just ahead. The cave of the Golden Dragon."

"By the size of those claw marks, I'd say he's well-fed on heroes," Hook announced as his eyes scanned over the walls after they entered the cave.

The group suddenly stopped to look over the markings that the pirate captain was talking about. It wasn't long after that when Everly's attention fell back on Henry. "Are you sure you wanna do this?"

"You kidding?" the Mills man responded with the smile still plastered onto his face before he looked back at the path in front of them, "I've wanted to do this since I was ten years old. You ready?"

"One last thing for good luck," Ella announced before placing a gentle kiss on Henry's lips.

"I don't need luck," Henry retaliated as the smile on his face grew while looking in the direction they were about to go, "slaying dragons is what my family does best. Now come on. We're so close, I can hear it breathing."

Everly couldn't help but exchange an uncertain look with Felix, Sam, Katherine, and Austin before they followed their allies further into the cave. All that could be heard other than their light footsteps was the sound of the dragon's snores. They grew louder and louder as they got closer to the center of the cave. The thought of facing a dragon sent a sudden wave of fear through Everly's body, making her hands glow even brighter. It wasn't much longer after that when they finally reached their destination.

Confusion replaced the fear within Everly when all they were greeted by was piles of gold and other treasures. After her eyes scanned over her surroundings once again, her attention finally landed on a man sound asleep with his back against a large chest.

Everyone just stared down at the man, not sure of what to make of the scene in front of them. That lasted for a moment longer before Henry poked the man with the tip of his sword and broke the silence surrounding them. "Hey! Hey, who are you?"

"Woah! Watch where you poke that!" the man exclaimed after coming around from his deep sleep, "I'm trying to take a bit of a nap."

"Here? Are you mad?" Sam questioned while continuing to look around the cave as if the dragon would appear at any second, "where's the dragon?"

The stranger couldn't help but laugh at the blonde man's question, causing confusion to flow through Everly's veins as the light from her hands began to fade. The man let out a few more chuckles before finally gathering his emotions and getting to his feet. "Are you serious? You think I'd be here if there was a dragon? The dragon migrated weeks ago. Left his treasures behind. Gold, silver...wine. I didn't even know dragons liked wine. Want some?"

"That's not yours," Katherine announced without even bothering to hide the annoyance in her voice, drawing the man's attention to her, "it belongs to the villages that dragon plundered. So you're leaving right now."

After letting out a long sigh, the man made his way toward the exit of the cave. As soon as he was out of sight, everyone began exploring the cave to see how much they would need to take back to the villages. That left Everly alone with her nephew. Neither of them said a word for a moment as they looked around at all the treasure that surrounded them. But when the Thorne woman saw the sadness in Henry's eyes, she knew she'd have to break the silence. "What's with the long face, Hen? Isn't it a good thing the dragon's gone?"

"Not for me," Henry responded, earning a confused look from his aunt before he held up his sword, "Mom and Grandpa both slayed a dragon with this sword."

Everly just watched her nephew as he stared at the sword before returning it to his belt. A small smile appeared on her face as she continued to study the look on Henry's face. "I can assure you, they'll be other dragons."

"It's not just about the dragon, Ev," the Mills man admitted, causing the perplexed look to return to Everly's face before Henry let out a sigh, "I'm in love with Cinderella. What do I have to offer her? My grandparents are Snow White and Prince Charming and I'm still just...I'm just Henry."

"You've never been 'just Henry," Everly declared, thinking back to all the adventures that the two of them had been on, "don't forget, you're the author and have the heart of the Truest Believer."

"I know, Ev, it's just...I came here to find my story, and I refuse to believe that I'm just a character in someone else's," Henry responded before reaching over and grabbing a ring from the closet pile of treasure, "I can't help thinking about the magic ring that Grandpa and Grandma used to find each other, and I don't need that, but if I'm gonna propose to Ella, I need to have a ring with a great story behind it. My story."

The two of them stared at each other for a moment before Henry threw the ring back into the pile of treasure. While he continued to look around the cave with sadness in his eyes, Everly's attention fell on the raven-haired man digging through a treasure chest. It wasn't long after that when an idea popped into her head and her gaze returned to her nephew.

"Is that really what you came here for? A ring to propose to Ella with?" Everly questioned, earning a small nod in response from Henry before a smile appeared on the former's face, "Hen, if you wanna quest after a ring, you need to talk to an expert."

When all Henry did was stare at his aunt with confusion in her eyes, Everly laughed before grabbing her nephew's shoulders and forcing him to turn around to face Hook. "If you want a ring with a fantastic tale, you need to ask a pirate."

────── ★★★ ──────

Everly and Felix had a very long conversation after he found out about her poisoned heart. The Thorne man had to reassure his wife several times that he wasn't mad, he honestly didn't know how he felt. If anything, he was a bit frustrated that Everly didn't think she could tell him. But despite that, they both agreed it would be best not to tell their children. Neither of them wanted to worry them any more than they already were. But thanks to Cassie's magic and Felix's overactive mind, that didn't last long.

It wasn't even a full twenty-four hours later when Felix's dream revealed everything to Cassie. Luckily for her parents, their eldest daughter decided to keep the information to herself. She didn't even let Everly and Felix know she knew. But she did happen to text Regina and Zelena about it, who revealed to her that they were working on a cure. So after her parents left for work and Jasper went for a walk to clear his mind, Cassie made up the excuse that she was going to meet up with some friends. None of her siblings were suspicious as they watched her walk out the door. Unknown to all of them, the Throne girl was walking in the direction of Roni's.

After she arrived at her destination, Cassie managed to slip past all of the customers and Remi. She kept her head low as she walked down the back hall before entering the backroom. That was where she found Zelena and Lucy standing near a pot filled to the brim with a strange-looking liquid.

"Cassie!" the Mills girl exclaimed as she rushed over and pulled her cousin in for a tight hug. It wasn't long after that when Lucy grabbed Cassie's hand and forced her to walk closer to Zelena until they were standing a few feet away. "We're working on the potion right now! I never thought it would smell this good."

"Well, sorry to burst your adorable bubble, but it's not a magic potion, not yet," the redheaded woman explained while continuing to stir the ingredients in the pot, "until Regina finds the last ingredient, it's more like glorified vegetable stock."

"What if Regina can't find that last ingredient?" Cassie questioned while thoughts of her mother began bouncing around in her head.

"Then Henry and Everly stay poisoned and we never break the Curse," Zelena casually responded before she noticed the fear in Lucy and Cassie's eyes, "sorry. That was a bit blunt. It's been a while since I was around kids."

"Yeah, you're really bad at it," Lucy responded while her cousin nodded along in agreement.

"I'm trying my best," the former Wicked Witch told them with a small smile on her face.

"I know, it's just I want to break this curse now. I hate keeping secrets from my mom. It sucks," the Mills girl explained before she sat down on the nearest crate and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'm with you on that one, Lu," Cassie said, earning confused looks from Zelena and Lucy before the blonde girl let out a sigh and continued speaking, "my parents don't know I'm here. None of my family does...and I'd like to keep it that way."

"I get it," Zelena told them after placing the spoon down on the table next to her and turning to face the two girls, "you know, I begged Robin to fly back home because I changed, but...as soon as she got here, I realized I couldn't tell her about any of it. I mean, she'd lock me up in the loony bin. So, I lied to her. And you're right. It sucks."

The Throne girl couldn't help but stare at the redheaded woman with a new emotion in her eyes. "I didn't realize how badly you wanted to break this curse, too."

────── ★★★ ──────

Everly and Sam walked behind Hook and Henry down a path in a seaside town. Despite not wanting to wear one in the first place, the Thorne woman adjusted her clock to cover her face and body. It wasn't long after that when they arrived at a very rundown-looking pub. Hook sent them all somewhat of a forced grin as he pulled his own hood over his head and pushed the door open. Henry, Everly, and Sam quickly followed him inside to find dozens of men sitting at tables with drinks in their hands.

"So this is where I'm supposed to find my adventure?" Henry asked after closing the door behind him, "I don't think bar fights really count."

"I assure you, our adventure's close at hand. Soon we'll be sailing after the greatest treasure on the seven seas," Hook told them before leading them to an empty table where they all sat down together.

"Which is what?" Everly asked while she and the men sitting on both sides of her stared at the pirate captain with confusion in their eyes.

"Davy Jones' Locker," Hook announced, causing Everly and Sam to exchange a concerned look before the raven-haired man continued speaking, "it's an ancient treasure chest buried beneath the waves. Every pirate seeks it, but only Captain Hook has the map. Found it a few years ago, thought maybe I could trade it for a cure for my poisoned heart. It's brought me no luck. Perhaps it'll bring you some."

Henry just stared at the parchment that Hook was holding out to him, unsure of what to make of what was happening. Another moment passed before a smile appeared on the Mills man's face as he took the map and stuck it in his pocket. "Thank you. Okay. So, when do we set sail? Where's the Jolly Roger?"

"Ah, that's why we're here," the Jones man told them right as a familiar face walked into the pub, making Every and Sam's blood run cold, "I left Mr. Smee in charge of the Jolly Roger but...Blackbeard proved more than his match in battle and I'm afraid my ship is in his hands."

As soon as Hook finished speaking, all of their attention returned to Blackbeard, who was now standing on top of a table in the center of the pub. "Pirate scum. The Jolly Roger needs able-bodied men. But keep in mind...if you're a mean drunkard with nothing to offer but a temper and a thieving heart...then you're exactly what I'm looking for!"

Cheers immediately erupted from the men surrounding the pirate in red, causing a large grin to appear on his face. As soon as the crowd settled down, Blackbeard opened his mouth to continue speaking. "First men onboard have a chance to live and die at my hand. Let's move it!"

"So your plan is to join Blackbeard's crew?" Everly questioned after turning her attention back to Hook, who was staring back at her with a hint of irritation in his eyes, "do you really think that will work?"

"Uh, no, he'd recognize me, and no offense, I don't think he'd pick any of you," the pirate captain responded, making both Everly and Sam roll their eyes. Hook chose to ignore their actions and continued speaking. "We're gonna sneak aboard and take my Roger back."

────── ★★★ ──────

After receiving a call from Rumplestiltskin about their case, Everly rushed to the police station to see what he found. However, instead of telling her anything, the Dark One led her to the evidence room, where only he had access. Confusion flowed through the Thorne woman's veins as she stepped into the room. Her eyes scanned over all the objects in the room before they landed on a set of marionettes. Chills ran throughout her entire body as she turned around to face the powerful man behind her. What she didn't expect was to find him holding a copy of Henry's book.

"Care to tell me what's going on?" Everly questioned, only for Rumplestiltskin to let out a long sigh before handing her the book. The confusion within the Purest Heart did nothing but grow after she opened the book to the marked page. Her eyes scanned over all the red words scribbled in the margins before they looked at the underlined words. It wasn't long after that when Everly's attention returned to the Dark One. "What is this?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I found it in the parking structure where Drizella was attacked. I think it belongs to our killer," Rumplestiltskin explained while watching Everly look back down at the book in her hands, "we're gonna need Henry's help."

"Well, that's obvious," the blonde woman responded before she closed the book and handed it back to the man in front of her, "the better question is, why am I here? How can I help?"

"Isn't it obvious?" the Dark One mocked, causing Everly to roll her eyes in response before the former continued speaking, "Henry trusts you. It'll be a lot easier to get him to help with you here."

────── ★★★ ──────

Everly didn't know how long it had been since she, Sam, Henry, and Hook hid in the barrels that were to be loaded onto the Jolly Rogers. All she knew was that they had been in there long enough for her feet and legs to go numb. She doubted that she'd be able to move even when it was time for them to leave their hiding places. But she would soon find out.

It wasn't much longer when Everly heard rustling from somewhere around her. Before she even had a chance to think about what it might be, the lid of her barrel was removed, revealing Sam smiling down at her. The Jones man didn't hesitate to reach into the barrel and help his sister to her feet. Once she was stable, Sam wrapped his arms around Everly's waist and lifted her out of the barrel before carefully placing her on the deck. It only took a moment for the Thorne woman to gain her sea legs before she sent her brother a grateful smile. Not even a second after that passed when their attention was drawn back to the situation at hand by the sound of Henry's voice.

"Yeah, I definitely smell like pork," the Mills man groaned after brushing off the meat from his clothes before he looked over at Hook, "let's never do that again."

"I can agree with you on that one," Sam said while stretching out his legs in an attempt to get rid of the soreness, "hopefully they won't smell us coming."

As soon as the blonde man finished speaking, he, Henry, and Hook unsheathed their swords at the same moment Everly's hands began to glow. The four of them then turned around and made their way down the steps that led to the middle of the ship. Their attention soon fell on a man checking over the sails to ensure they were secure. Henry didn't hesitate to take the lead as they snuck up behind the man before he placed his sword against the pirate's back. The man's entire body stiffened as Henry spoke two simple words. "Turn around."

After a moment of hesitation, the man slowly turned around to reveal a face Everly didn't expect to see. "Captain!"

"Quiet, Mr. Smee," Hook whispered before looking around to make sure they didn't draw attention to themselves.

"I'm sorry I let Blackbeard take the Roger," Smee told his former captain before his eyes landed on Everly, "I thought she was dead. Are you insane? Why are you with her?"

"I'll explain later," the pirate captain declared, drawing his first mate's attention back to him, "how many men are still loyal to me?"

Smee glanced back over at Everly for a moment before letting out a long sigh and opening his mouth to respond. "There's me, um, Hudson the cook, uh, and one-eyed Jack. Maybe."

"Well, that's not very reassuring," Everly muttered under her breath as she turned to look at the raven-haired man, "I thought you said your crew loved you."

Hook couldn't help but send his confused and concerned allies a forced smile. "Well, what I meant was that they will love me after they learn that I've the map to Davy Jones' Locker."

"But you don't have the map, Captain," a new voice said, causing everyone to turn around to find Blackbeard and his crew standing behind them. It wasn't long after that when they were surrounded with all swords pointing directly at them. A sinister smirk formed on the pirate in red's face as he stepped forward and took the parchment out of Hook's hand. "I do. Poor Captain Hook. Brought low by a man he despises. First, I took his ship, and then his map, and, uh, pretty soon...I'll take his life."

The Jones man couldn't help but scoff as he looked up at Blackbeard with a forced smile on his face. "Big words. It's a shame you don't make good on them."

"One more word and your foul-smelling friend here dies!" the pirate in red exclaimed after putting his sword against Henry's neck.

"Oh, you don't wanna do that," Sam said without thinking, drawing all attention to him before he forced himself to continue speaking, "you can't go around killing royalty, and this is Prince Henry of Storybrooke."

"Oh, very well," Blackbeard responded before taking his sword away from Henry's neck. After placing it back on his belt, the pirate's attention landed on Everly. He just stared at her for a moment as a wave of confusion washed over him. "I thought I killed you years ago."

The Purest Heart couldn't help but look over at her allies, only to find them already staring back at her with mixed emotions on their faces. It wasn't long after that when Everly's eyes moved back to meet Blackbeard's before she did her best to copy Rumplestiltskin's sinister smirk. "I'm hard to kill."

The pirate in red hesitated for a moment before slowly nodding and turning his attention back to his crew. "In that case, set a course for Davy Jones' Locker. And once we know the map is real, well offer the sharks a grand meal."

────── ★★★ ──────

Everly's leg bounced as she sat in one of the chairs surrounding the table in the center of the room. It had been about an hour since Rumplestiltskin left to get Henry and the Thorne woman hated every second of being in the evidence room. It was dark and creepy and, on top of that, Everly had the constant feeling that she was being watched. She didn't know whether it was due to the atmosphere of the room or because of the marionettes on the shelf behind her. Either way, the Purest Heart wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

It wasn't long after that when she heard footsteps approaching the room. A relieved sigh passed over Everly's lips as she got to her feet and turned to face the door. Not even a second after that passed when she heard the unlocking of the door before it was pushed open to reveal Rumplestiltskin and Henry.

The Mills man quickly closed the door behind him before looking around the room. It didn't take long for his eyes to find the marionettes sitting on the shelf. "Well, this place is appropriately creepy."

"At least you didn't have to wait in here for an hour," Everly responded before glaring at Rumplestiltskin, who simply rolled his eyes in response.

Henry couldn't help but smile at the Thorne girl for a moment before he shook his head as if he just remembered why they were both there. After letting out a long sigh, the Mills man approached the table and sat down in the chair closet to Everly. "Let's just make this quick, okay? I'm trying to catch a plane."

"And we're trying to catch a killer. I believe that takes precedence," the Dark One retaliated while Everly stared at Henry with a hint of confusion in her eyes.

"This is life or death. I get it. Okay. It's just, this is really bad timing," the Mills man explained, completely unaware of how the woman next to him was tightly hanging onto every word coming out of his mouth, "I got an interview in New York tomorrow."

"New York?" Everly repeated, drawing both men's attention to her as if they just remembered she was in the room with them, "that's a long way from here. Pretty big change."

"A company there really liked H-Town and wants to interview me for a job with them. But forget that. I'm here to talk about the case," Henry explained before he placed his hands on either side of the book in front of him, "now tell me what I do with this."

Everly and Rumplestiltskin exchanged a quick look, one you would miss if you weren't paying attention. Unfortunately for them, Henry was. But before the Mills man could make a comment, the Dark One walked across the room until he was standing on the other side of Henry and began speaking. "You need to find out what the killer saw in your stories because clearly, they think they saw something real and true. Look deep inside them and tell me where the truth lies."

"It's just a book," Henry admitted, obviously tired of the situation he was in.

"Every story has some truth behind it. You just need to know where to look," Everly said without thinking, causing the Mills man to look up at her with shock in his eyes. It wasn't long after that when Henry slowly nodded in response before opening the book and reading over the red words written inside.

────── ★★★ ──────

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