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────── ★★★ ──────

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟐𝟖
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐗𝐇𝐀𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇

────── ★★★ ──────

Not even an hour passed before Everly saw the irritation forming in Henry's eyes. He had been going through the book and reading over everything that was written in it, and just like the Thorne woman, nothing made sense to him. Everly could see how much her nephew wanted to help them, but he didn't know what to do, which was what caused his annoyance. Because of that, it didn't surprise her when he slammed the book closed and looked up to meet her and Rumplestiltskin's gazes.

"I can't do this," Henry announced while the two detectives continued to stare at him with mixed emotions in their eyes, "do either of you know why I wrote this book in the first place? Because I thought that these stories would give people hope. And now some psychopath is using it as a reason to kill people?"

"Not if you stop them," was all the Dark One said in response, making the Mills man's irritation grow.

"Stop putting that on me, okay?! I don't...I don't have any answers! I don't have the secret codes to these stories because it turns out I don't even understand them!" Henry snapped, making a wave of guilt wash over Everly as she carefully studied her nephew.

It wasn't long after that when the Mills man got to his feet, grabbed his things, and started walking towards the door. His actions caused Everly to get to her feet and call out his name, forcing Henry to stop in his tracks. "What're you doing, Henry?"

The brunette man hesitated before slowly turning around to meet his aunt's gaze. "I'm getting on a plane. You're right, New York is a long way from home and you know what, that's probably a good thing. Because nothing here really worked out so great."

The two of them just stared at each other until Henry began to turn towards the door once again, only to stop in his tracks when Everly began to speak. "And yet we both know you're not really walking out that door. At least, not if you're anything like the Henry Mills in that book."

Shock instantly filled the Mills man's eyes as he turned back around so he was fully facing the Thorne woman. "I thought you said your daughter read the book."

"I did, too. It was really good, Henry. So good that I wouldn't dismiss those stories just yet," Everly told him while Rumplestiltskin watched their exchange with a small smile on his face, "even though you can't admit it, I think you're a lot like the Henry Mills in your book. And just so you know, he was my favorite character."

"Of course he was, everyone loves a little kid full of hope and belief."

"I didn't like him because he was a kid or even for his hope and belief, even though that is important," the Thorne woman retaliated while Henry continued to stare at her with an unreadable emotion on his face, "I liked him because he didn't give up when it felt like the entire world was against him. And I can tell you're not giving up just yet."

Henry couldn't help but laugh at Everly's words, causing a wave of confusion to wash over her. It wasn't long after that when the Mills man opened his mouth to speak. "You're right. I am a lot like the Henry in the book. I wrote myself into it to connect with the stories."

A small smile appeared on the Purest Heart's face when she saw realization form in Henry's eyes, snuffing out all his previous emotions. It wasn't long after that when he sat back down in the chair and placed his hand on top of the book in front of him. "I think that the killer's doing the same thing. They think they're a character in the book."

"Now we're getting somewhere," the Dark One muttered under his breath as he leaned on the table with a large grin on his face, "so, all you have to figure out is which character are we looking for."

────── ★★★ ──────

Irritation flowed through Everly's veins as the ropes on her wrists dug into her skin. She was forced to sit between Henry and Sam, who both smelled as though they needed to take twenty showers. On the other side of them sat both Hook and Smee, who looked equally as annoyed as the rest of them. The crew took turns mocking them as they sailed towards Davy Jones' Locker. The Thorne woman had hoped that this realm didn't have access to the cuffs that cut off a person's magic. To her disappointment, it did, which was why she had no means of freeing them.

Everly's attention was soon drawn to the sky, where the crew used a pulley to lower a giant chest onto the ship. Their laughter cut through the air as they placed the chest onto the deck right in front of their prisoners. The smell of seaweed mixed with the odor emitting from the men next to her, causing Everly to scrunch her nose in disgust. It wasn't long after that when a smirking Blackbeard appeared in front of them.

"Well, Prince Henry, you'll be amazed as I am to find your washed-up old pirate actually led us to Davy Jones' Locker," the pirate in red mocked before letting out a loud laugh and tapping the tip of his sword against Henry's cheek, "oh, and to a watery grave for all five of you. Now, let's have a look at what we've stolen from Davy Jones."

As soon as he finished speaking, Blackbeard raised his sword into the air before slamming it against the lock on the chest. A clattering sound cut through the silence after the lock hit the deck, but no one paid much attention to it. Instead, their sights were set on the treasure chest as one of Blackbeard's pirates opened it. Everly's eyes widened when she saw all the gold and jewels that sat in the chest. She never thought that their adventure would lead to this, especially the part about being tied up.

Everyone's attention was soon drawn back to Blackbeard when he let out a chuckle and picked something out of the treasure chest. No one set a word as the smile on his face grew after holding the ring high in the sky. "There it is. The star sapphire of Davy Jones. The ring with which he took his pirate bride. And now a worthy addition to the legend of Blackbeard. Scourge of the Sea... the Elegant Duke...the Crowned Prince of Plunder."

"Something's not right," Everly muttered under her breath just loud enough for Sam to hear, grateful that Henry was too distracted by Hook to hear.

"Yeah. I remember Blackbeard being a lot more menacing in our world," Sam responded while keeping his eyes glued to the pirate in question.

The Thorne woman paused for a moment as she listened to the pirate in red continue to list off titles that he had given himself. "And a lot less talkative."

Not even a second after their conversation passed when Everly noticed Hook was free. A large grin appeared on his face as he turned to release Henry from his bindings. As soon as he finished his task, the Jones man reached into his boot and pulled out a dagger. It wasn't long before he handed the object to the Mills man. "You want an adventure, lad? Now's your chance. Go and get yourself that ring."

Henry didn't hesitate to leap forward and slam the chest closed, crushing a pirate's fingers in the process. He then moved to take on two more pirates while Blackbeard continued to shout orders at his men. While the Mills man battled the entire pirate crew, Hook defeated his own opponent before moving to untie Smee. But what really threw Everly and Sam off was when the raven-haired man didn't even attempt to untie them. He simply turned and found a new pirate to fight with. The siblings instantly shared a confused look, unsure of what to make of the situation they were in. When they turned their attention back to the fight, they found Henry holding his dagger against Blackbeard's neck.

"Enough!" the pirate in red shouted, making everyone end their battles and turn toward Blackbeard.

"Now give," Henry ordered as he held his hand out toward the pirate while keeping his dagger pointed at Blackbeard's chest.

"Next time we meet, you won't be getting such a fine gift as this for your bride," the pirate in red responded before handing the star sapphire ring over to the Mills man.

Henry just stared at the man in confusion for a moment before glancing over at Everly and Sam, who were watching their exchange with curiosity in their eyes. After the brunette man turned his attention back to Blackbeard, Henry opened his mouth to speak. "How do you know about a bride?"

Laughter instantly cut through the air as Henry looked around at the pirate with wide eyes and an open mouth. It wasn't long after that when the Mills man touched his dagger with the tips of his fingers, only to find that it was dull. Realization soon washed over Henry as he looked between Hook and Blackbeard. "This was a set up? Is any of this real?!"

"The treasure is," Blackbeard announced while gesturing over to the large chest on the ship's deck. While he and Henry continued their staring contest, two other pirates moved to remove the bindings from Everly and Sam. Even though they wanted to have a long conversation with Hook, their attention was drawn back to Blackbeard when he began talking again. "Let's just split it three ways and go home. A deal's a deal, Hook."

After watching the pirate in red walk over to the treasure chest, Henry turned around to face Hook, Everly, and Sam. It didn't take long for the Thorne woman to see the anger forming in her nephew's eyes, something she didn't see all too often. But before she had a chance to try and defuse the situation, Henry beat her to speak while holding the ring up in the air. "Meaningless. The Captain Hook I knew never would've made a fool of me."

Hook just stared at Henry for a long moment before letting out a sigh and taking the ring. "I know, lad. It seems like the other Captain Hook was always helping you, and I thought if I helped you with this then...maybe I...I don't know."

"Hook, I'm sorry. But I came to find my real story. Fake adventure doesn't help!" Henry responded right as a loud booming sound cut through the air, drawing Everly and Sam's attention to something in the distance.

"Looks like your adventure is about to get a lot more real, Hen," Everly announced, making Hook and Henry's conversation end as they turned to look at what she and Sam were staring at. Lightning flashed across the sky as more clouds began to appear. Another clap of thunder cut through the air before the Thorne woman found the courage within her to speak. "I've never seen a storm form this quickly before."

"No captain alive could steer us out of this," Blackbeard declared after stepping forward to stand on Hook's other side.

"I'll take up that challenge and you can stop pretending to be captain. Man your stations!" Hook shouted, causing the pirates to rush towards the ropes that lined the sides of the ships. It wasn't long after that when the Jones man turned around to face Everly, Sam, and Henry. "Do you three know how to sail?"

"Yeah. The other you taught us," Henry responded before Everly or Sam had a chance to speak.

Hook hesitated for a moment as he stared at the Mills man with an unreadable look in his eyes. "Alright, then. Sam, Henry, grab a rope. Everly, you're with me. We've gotta get out of here."

While Sam and Henry went to join the rest of the crew, Everly followed Hook up the steps. She just watched for a moment as he took the wheel, taking her back to when she was a kid with Killian on their Jolly Roger. It took another loud boom from the sky to snap the Thorne woman out of her daze before she went to help Hook keep the ship steady. Neither of them said a word as they stared at the storm clouds in front of them, both knowing it would take a miracle for them to get out of it alive.

────── ★★★ ──────

Everly didn't know how much time had passed since Henry sat back down in his chair, determined to find which book character the killer believed they were. The Thorne woman never left his side despite knowing she should talk to Rumplestiltskin about their case. She felt as though it was more important to provide moral support for their nephew than to discuss who they thought the next victim would be. Especially since all Everly could think about was Cassie since they discovered who the killer was targeting. Even though she and Felix only told those close to them about their daughter's abilities, the Purest Heart wasn't willing to take a chance.

The Thorne woman was soon pulled out of her daze by a soft beeping sound followed by the unlocking of a door. When she looked towards the only way in or out of the room, Everly found Hook and Sam walking through the door. The detectives sent her a small smile before they went over to have a hushed conversation with Rumplestilskin. Even though Everly wanted to stay by Henry's side, she stood up to go see what her partners were talking about, only for her to stop in her tracks when her nephew called out to them.

"Hey, hey, I think I got something. Look," the Mills man announced, making Everly sit back down in her seat while Sam, Hook, and Rumplestiltskin walked over to join them. Once everyone was close enough to see the book's pages, Henry continued speaking. "Okay, in most of the chapters, it seems like they're studying the book. But in this one chapter, they corrected it. This is my version of the Hansel and Gretel story. But, look what the killer wrote on it. 'No happily ever after.' 'Remember Gretel.' 'Ovens make the deepest burns.'"

"That's not disturbing at all," Sam muttered under his breath while his eyes continued to scan over the words scribbled into the book. It wasn't long after that when he pointed at something on one of the pages. "They also underlined 'twins.'"

"Wait, so the killer thinks that he's living in the Hansel and Gretel story?" Hook questioned after looking away from the book to meet his partners' gazes.

Henry instantly sent the Jones man a smile and a nod before he continued explaining his findings. "And in their version, Gretel died. So in our killer's mind...he's Hansel. Avenging his sister's death. Also, he's obsessed with scars. So, maybe there was a fire or something in real life."

"Nice work. Braxton and I can take a look at people with existing records. Find the ones with sisters, especially twins, and cross-reference scars. We'll get started," Hook declared while Sam nodded along with him before the former's attention fell back on Henry, "when we find our killer, you're gonna have one great story to tell."

A giant grin instantly appeared on Henry's face before Hook and Sam made their way out of the room to begin their research. As soon as the door shut behind them, Rumplestiltskin sent Everly a knowing look, making her think back to the conversation she had with her nephew earlier that day. The Thorne girl waited for the Dark One to go back to his desk before her attention fell on Henry. "So I guess it's time for you to catch your flight."

Henry blankly stared at his aunt for a moment before Everly saw a wave of realization wash over him. "Oh, yeah, yeah, right, uh...yeah, I guess I better get going."

"You don't seem very confident," the Thorne woman told him, only for her nephew to clear his throat and get to his feet.

"No, I am. It's a great opportunity," the Mills man responded while Everly copied his actions and stood up from her chair.

"If I'm being honest, it sounds like you're trying to convince yourself about your choice."

"Why do you care so much? I barely even know you," Henry responded, causing a wave of hurt to wash over Everly that she had to force herself to hide.

"I just don't want you to make the wrong choice, Hen," the Thorne woman said without thinking, making her eyes widen when she realized her mistake. She let Henry stare at her in confusion for a moment before she cleared her throat and walked toward the door, only stopping for a moment to call out three words over her shoulder. "Enjoy New York."

Before Henry had a chance to respond, Everly walked out the door. A million emotions flowed through her veins as she walked down the hall, knowing she had to mask them all in order to avoid questions from the cursed citizens of Hyperion Heights.

────── ★★★ ──────

The storm continued to grow as the Jolly Roger was thrown around like a toy. The pirates' shouts could barely be heard over the raging wind. Everly kept her hands tightly wrapped around the wheel in an attempt to help Hook keep them out of harm's way. It wasn't long before Sam and Henry joined them, knowing they would need all the help they could get. To their dismay, they couldn't clear the storm no matter how hard they tried. And on top of it all, they were being followed by a very large whirlpool.

"The whirlpool!" Hook shouted loud enough for his allies to hear over the unnatural storm surrounding them, "every time I think I've steered us clear-"

"It's following us!" Blackbeard interrupted, drawing all attention to him before he continued speaking, "the old girl can't hold out much longer. Do something!"

Hook hesitated for a moment as he stared at the pirate in red before his gaze turned to the blonde woman next to him. "Do you think you could use your magic to get us out of this?"

"I don't know," Everly responded after almost getting knocked over by a big gust of wind, "I've never teleported anything as big as the Jolly Roger or in these conditions."

"Then I think this is the end," the Jones man announced while keeping his eyes glued to the water in front of them, "I can't tell you enough how sorry I am to have brought all of you to this."

"You just tried to give me what I thought I wanted. I've been so stupid. And it's not your fault Everly and Sam missed being pirates," Henry responded, earning glares from the siblings that he chose to ignore. It wasn't long after that when the Thorne woman noticed the look of realization appearing on her nephew's face. "Give me that ring!"

Hook hesitated for a moment before he pulled the star sapphire out of his pocket and handed it to Henry. The Mills man just stared at it until he decided it was time to explain the thoughts going through his head. "A whirlpool that follows you isn't normal. It's magic. And I've gotta feeling that a certain pirate king wants his ring back. Everly, come with me. Hook, take us toward that whirlpool."

"Wait, wait, wait, toward the whirlpool? You'll kill us all!" Blackbeard exclaimed while pointing at the very thing they were trying to avoid.

"You better not be taking a right just to impress Ella," Sam muttered under his breath just loud enough for them to hear.

"I'm not," Henry stated just as another large wave knocked into the side of the ship, making them grip the wheel even tighter so they wouldn't steer off course, "because it's suddenly become very clear to me that the only thing that she would want is for me to get home alive. Take us toward the whirlpool."

When Everly saw the hint of hesitation in the pirate captain's eyes, she placed her hand on his shoulder, drawing his attention to her. "I trust any Killian Jones to safely pilot any ship in any realm."

As soon as the Thorne woman finished speaking, she and Henry went to the front of the boat, leaving Sam and Hook to deal with Blackbeard. Everly just stared at the whirlpool that seemed to be getting bigger with every second, sending a wave of fear through her. That was until her attention was pulled back to her nephew when he began speaking. "I'm gonna throw it as far as I can. I need you to use your magic to make sure it lands in the whirlpool."

"Okay," Everly responded while using her magic to make the star sapphire brightly glow, "throw it, Hen."

A small smile appeared on Henry's face before he did just that. The two of them watched the faint ball of light soar through the air until it was just above the water. It was then that Everly used her magic to push it forward, making it fall into the center of the whirlpool. As soon as the star sapphire was out of sight, the whirlpool vanished followed by the raging storm. The silence surrounding them was soon broken by the pirates' cheers. Everly instantly pulled Henry in for a tight hug before the two of them went to join their allies.

As they walked along the deck of the Jolly Roger, they were congratulated by the members of its crew. It wasn't long after that when they finally rejoined Sam and Hook at the wheel of the ship.

"That actually worked!" Hook exclaimed, not even trying to hide the huge smile on his face, "that's the story your family's gonna be telling about Henry Mills."

"I told you. I don't want that anymore," Henry responded with an equally large grin, "I don't need a great story. I just want a great life. The best life I can make with the people I love. And I have to hope that's gonna be enough, even for Cinderella."

────── ★★★ ──────

It was later that night and Everly found herself sitting on the couch between Dawn and Fletcher. The three of them were watching a movie while trying to ignore Roland's snoring. It had been a long night for all of them. While Everly was down at the station, Roland decided to pick up another job at Blaze to keep an eye on Austin and Lucas. The twins did the same thing by volunteering at the animal shelter to be closer to Katherine and Will. Lucky for them, Cassie was close to Marci so they always knew what was going on with her. They were all exhausted and were waiting for Felix, Jasper, and Cassie to get home before they had dinner.

After watching the credits roll across the screen, they heard the front door unlocking. Roland soon opened his eyes and they all looked over at the door to see Felix and Jasper walking in with smiles on their faces. However, to Everly's confusion, her eldest daughter was nowhere to be found.

"Where's Cassie?" the Thorne woman questioned, causing the smile on Felix's face to drop.

It wasn't long after that when his gaze landed on Roland, who was still half asleep in the armchair. "She told me she was gonna be with you."

"I haven't seen her. I was working all day," the Hood boy responded before he turned his attention towards Fletcher and Dawn, "was she with either of you?"

"No," the twins responded in unison, slightly scared and worried for their sister.

Before their conversation could continue, Everly's phone rang. She was about to ignore it when she saw that it was Henry calling. After letting out a long sigh, the Purest Heart picked up the phone and brought it to her ear.

"Hey, Henry. Can I call you back? I'm in the-" Everly cut herself off when she heard a distant voice that didn't belong to her nephew.

"I don't think we're gonna make it to the airport tonight," a man said before there was nothing but silence coming through the phone. That lasted until Everly heard what sounded like a fight before the unfamiliar voice spoke again. "Okay, okay. There you go."

And then the Purest Heart was greeted by the sound of the phone call ending. The Thorne girl ignored the worried looks from her family as her brain tried to process what was happening. It wasn't long after that when she jumped to her feet and raced toward her daughter's room. As soon as she threw the door open, Everly spotted something on Cassie's desk that made her blood run cold.

It was a heart-shaped box of chocolates.

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A door slamming filled Cassie's ears and brought her around from her forced slumber. Her mind was clouded as she forced her eyes open, revealing a place she had never seen before. It wasn't long before she noticed that her arms and legs were bound together. Panic coursed through the Thorne girl's veins as she pulled against the rope, only to achieve nothing but a rope burn. That lasted for a few more minutes before she finally gave up. Tears began forming in Cassie's eyes as the panic within her continued to grow. Another moment passed before she felt a presence next to her, causing her to look to her right to find an unconscious Henry tied to the pillar next to her.

It was at that moment that Cassie remembered everything. She was walking home from helping Zelena and Lucy create a cure for her mother and Henry when a car pulled up next to her. She was surprised to see Jack, someone she knew before the Curse but was never really close to. They barely even encountered each other in Hyperion Heights. All she knew was that he went by Nick and he was Lucy's dad in this world, but she learned that from her mother. Him even trying to talk to her was the reason Cassie knew something was off. He rolled down the window and offered her a ride home, which of course she refused. The Thorne girl barely made it three more steps when Jack got out of the car and approached her. But her attempts to get away from him were futile and the last thing she remembered was something sharp poking the back of her neck.

Cassie jumped when a phone began to ring followed by the sound of approaching footsteps. The Thorne girl was on high alert as she kept her eyes glued to the only entrance to the room that she could see. It wasn't long after that when Jack appeared, immediately making eye contact with Cassie. The brunette man simply smiled at the girl right as Henry began to come around from his own forced slumber. Cassie kept her gaze glued to Jack while he declined the call, completely unaware of the panicked look she was receiving from Henry. The last thing the Mills man was expecting was to see a child in the same situation as him.

"Nick! Nick!" Henry called out, only to be ignored by the man standing in front of him. The Mills man hesitated for a moment before muttering a single word just loud enough for them to hear. "Hansel?"

Jack immediately turned to look at Henry before a smirk appeared on his face. "Really is a pretty sound. I haven't heard my real name in a very long time. Chocolate?"

The Mills man couldn't help but stare at the man in front of him, not bothering to hide the confusion in his eyes. Henry then glanced over at Cassie, who was still staring at Jack with an unreadable look in her eyes. It wasn't long after that when the brunette man gathered enough courage to turn his attention back to his former friend. "What...what're you gonna do to us?"

"Undetermined," Jack announced before walking across the room to place a heart-shaped box of chocolates on the table in front of Cassie.

"Well, hey, it's not too late to turn yourself in. Just, uh, we'll just tell them you're Hansel," Henry responded with a hint of desperation in his voice and fear in his eyes. Jack just stared at his former friend with amusement in his eyes, something Cassie only seemed to catch. It wasn't long after that when the Mills man continued speaking. "They'll think you're crazy, but that could be a good thing...for you."

"Yeah," Jack muttered under his breath before letting silence surround them. What felt like an eternity passed when he took a few steps forward to squat down in front of Henry and Cassie. "There's just one problem. In that scenario, I don't get to keep killing. I'm not done killing." 

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