────── ★★★ ──────

────── ★★★ ──────

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟐𝟗
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐖𝐎𝐋𝐅

────── ★★★ ──────

The following morning, Everly grabbed the chocolate box from Cassie's room and went to Roni's with Felix and Roland, leaving Fletcher and Dawn in the care of Jasper. They made sure all of the windows in the apartment were sealed shut before ensuring that the door was locked. Despite wanting to leave Roland with them to keep them safe, Everly and Felix both knew the Hood boy wouldn't sit still with Cassie missing. Which was both a blessing and a curse at that moment considering there was a killer on the loose in Hyperion Heights.

No one said a word as they drove to their destination in Everly's Jeep. Not even the radio was turned on, which was very unusual. All of their thoughts were focused on Cassie and her safety. The Throne woman was even concerned about Henry after getting his phone call. She was scared and confused and that was not a good combination with everything going on.

When they finally arrived at Roni's, Everly quickly turned off her car before she, Felix, and Roland sprinted inside. They instantly spotted Regina and Zelena at the counter having an inaudible conversation, which quickly ended when they spotted the family of three. Confusion formed on their faces as they watched Everly, Felix, and Roland approach. However, the confusion in their eyes soon faded when they saw the chocolate box in the Purest Heart's hand.

"So, you got one, too?" the former Wicked Witch questioned while holding her own heart-shaped box in the air.

"Not exactly," Everly responded as she placed the box on the table in front of them, revealing Cassidy Thorne neatly written on a sticky note.

Regina just stared at the name with shock in her eyes before looking up at the family of three. "Why would the killer go after Cassie? She has nothing to do with this cult and I would barely consider her a witch."

"That's what we're trying to figure out," Felix said while trying his best to keep all of his emotions at bay, "the last time any of us saw her was yesterday morning. Did she come by here at all?"

"Actually, yes," Zelena announced, drawing everyone's attention to her before she continued speaking, "she was helping Lucy and I work on a potion to cure yours and Henry's hearts. But she left in the late afternoon. Said something about not wanting to leave Jasper alone for long."

A confused look instantly appeared on Roland's face as he looked over at Everly. "What's wrong with your heart?"

"That's not important right now. What is important is figuring out where Cassie went after she left here. And that's not all," the Thorne woman declared while trying and failing to hide the panic in her voice. After letting out a long sigh, Everly turned her attention to Regina, who was staring back at her with uncertainty in her eyes. "I got a phone call from Henry last night. I think he's in trouble, too."

────── ★★★ ──────

Cassie didn't get a minute of sleep last night, terrified if she did that she wouldn't wake up. Instead, she and Henry tried to figure out a way to get free of their bindings while Jack was out doing who knows what. But their attempts were futile and only left them with more burns. The Mills man continued to mutter apologies to the girl next to him and promised to get her out of their current situation. If it was anyone else, Cassie wouldn't have believed them. But this was Henry Mills. The Thorne girl knew that he of all people would come up with a plan. She just hoped he came up with one before it was too late.

Throughout the night, the fear the Thorne girl felt only grew as she remembered the stories her mother told her about her current case. Jack was after witches and Cassie was one, in a sense. Even though she couldn't do much with it, she had magic and it was awake in this world for reasons no one could explain. The Thorne girl silently hoped she was able to control it so Jack didn't know, but why else would he have taken her?

Cassie's attention was soon pulled back to the situation at hand by a small dinging sound. When she looked up at Jack, she found him smiling at the phone in his hand. More specifically, Henry's phone.

"Winkey face...nice," the brunette man said before letting out a laugh. It wasn't long after that when Jack placed the phone on the table and picked up a pocket knife instead. "You know, even in the Curse, Ella still digs you."

"Please, do not hurt her. Or Abi. Or me. We can figure this all out," Henry told his former friend as he and Cassie watched the latter mess around with the object in his hand, "I'm...I'm sorry I got your story wrong...Hansel?"

"It wasn't wrong. It just wasn't mine. You wrote a different Hansel. My...my story's darker," Jack responded while keeping his emotionless gaze glued to Henry. It wasn't long after that when his attention moved to the girl sitting next to him before a small smile appeared on his face. "And I'm not gonna hurt you, Cassie. You're actually here to help me."

"Why on Earth would I help you?" the Thorne girl questioned, not bothering to hide the hatred in her voice.

Jack instantly let out another laugh in response before opening his mouth to speak. "I haven't slept in weeks because of the nightmares. I'm hoping you could help me with that. If not, well, I'm sure you know all about my reputation in this town."

Cassie's blood instantly ran cold while Jack continued to stare down at her with a smirk on his face. She was relying on surviving this by keeping her magical abilities to herself, now she didn't know what to do. Beside them, Henry watched their interaction with confusion in his eyes. He didn't understand their conversation in the slightest but knew it wasn't good by the terror in the Thorne girl's eyes. The Mills man barely knew the girl sitting next to him, and yet something inside him made him feel that it was his job to protect her. He wasn't going to fail.

"The stories might not be the same, but you still had a sister, didn't you? And she died," Henry said, drawing Jack's attention away from Cassie before he continued speaking, "I get it. You needed something to help you cope. When I wrote that book, I was dealing with the trauma of losing my own family. That pain...it's real."

"Oh, it's very real. All of it is."

"Right. Right, so let me help you," the Mills man continued while watching Jack go back over to the case where he got his pocket knife.

"And you will," the brunette man declared with a sinister smile on his face before switching out his pocket knife for a much bigger knife, making Cassie's blood run even colder, "because the person who hurt me the most...well, you're particularly familiar with her brand of wicked. And you're gonna help me make her pay for what she did."

────── ★★★ ──────

While Felix and Roland went with Regina to look into Henry's disappearance, Everly went with Zelena to the police station to find Rumplestiltskin. But before they could even leave Roni's, Robin came in and immediately noticed the concerned look in her mother's eyes. Both Everly and Zelena tried to convince the young girl not to worry, but they hopelessly failed. Which was why the Hood girl was with them as they walked into the police station.

Everly led the way into the police station as her eyes scanned the room for the Dark One. It didn't take long for her to spot Rumplestilstkin in his office, looking through files without a care in the word. However, before the Thorne woman even had a chance to take a step toward the detective, Hook and Sam appeared in front of her with concerned looks on their faces.

"Where did you get those?" the pirate captain questioned as his eyes jumped between the heart-shaped box in Everly's hand and the one in Zelena's possession.

"I found it in Abi's room and now she's missing," Everly responded while trying her best not to get emotional at her workplace.

Just as Sam was about to speak, Zelena stepped forward and beat him to it. "We need to talk to Weaver."

"Whatever you're gonna tell him, you can tell us. We're his partners," Sam declared while gesturing between himself and Hook, "I hate to tell you this, but that box makes you a target in our case."

"Wait. So it's true? My mom wasn't just overreacting? There really is a serial killer after her?" Robin questioned, drawing everyone's attention to her for the first time as she continued to stare at the Jones men.

"I'm afraid it's a very real possibility," Hook responded with a hint of sadness in his voice after his eyes left the box in Everly's hands to look over at Zelena, "I'll need you to answer some questions. Why don't we go to the cafeteria? I can get you a cup of tea and maybe we can talk there."

While the pirate captain continued to speak, Everly's attention moved back to Rumplestiltskin. She knew that if anyone could find her daughter in this town, it was him. And she wasn't going to waste time answering questions from two men who couldn't remember who they really were. So instead, the Thorne woman forced a smile onto her face and cradled the box of chocolates close to her chest. "Can I meet you there? I just need a second to get my head on straight."

Hook and Sam simply nodded in response before Everly exchanged a look with Zelena. They both knew that this was the best way to get answers, so the redheaded woman went with the Jones men and her daughter without so much as an argument. As soon as they were gone, the Purest Heart turned around and walked into the Dark One's office.

"Jo. To what do I owe this pleasure?" Rumplestiltskin greeted after Everly entered the room and closed the door behind her.

"Turns out Kelly West is next on the Candy Killer's list," the Thorne woman announced while keeping her box of chocolates close to her side.

The powerful man simply laughed in response as he leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest. "Looks like she's finally getting what she deserves."

A wave of irritation washed over Everly as she tossed the heart-shaped box onto his desk. She just stood there and watched as all the amusement left the Dark One's eyes after reading the name written on the box. The Purest Heart let the silence surround them for another moment before she decided it was time to break it. "You and I both know that my daughter doesn't deserve any of this. Now are you gonna help Zelena and me find her and stop this madman? Or do I need to remind you that you need to walk a good path to reunite with Belle?"

Rumplestiltskin instantly tensed before looking up to meet Everly's determined gaze. The two of them just stared at each other until the Dark One finally opened his mouth to speak. "Alright. Let's find Cassie and stop Hansel before he kills again."

────── ★★★ ──────

Cassie found herself leaning her head against the pillar with her eyes closed. To Henry, she looked as though she was trying to get a moment of rest. That made a lot of sense to the Mills man considering they were up most of the night due to their fear and Jack explaining what happened in the Enchanted Forest to Henry. But in reality, she was searching for someone dreaming nearby who she could try to contact to help them. An hour passed of her trying to find a dreamer, but she came up empty-handed.

The Thorne girl was planning on continuing her search when she heard footsteps approaching. Her eyes instantly snapped open as she looked over toward the source of the sound to find Jack walking across the room until she squatted down between Henry and Cassie.

"I thought you might be thirsty," the brunette man said as he held up a bottle of water with a straw in front of Henry's face. When the Mills man didn't make a move to take a drink, Jack turned around and held it out to Cassie. "What about you?"

"Yeah, no thanks. I'll take my chances with dehydration," the Thorne girl responded, earning an eye roll from the man in front of her.

After letting out a long sigh, Jack got up and placed the water bottle on the table. He then turned around and sat down in the chair across from Henry and Cassie. Silence surrounded them for what felt like an eternity before Jack decided to break it. "You know, Henry, this reminds me of your 19th birthday. We went to the Crimson Crow, and I bought you your first drink, and your second, and your third. Oh, man, I wish you could remember. You had so many adventures!"

"You mean when you were pretending to be Jack?" Henry asked, making the smile on the brunette man's face vanish, "because of what happened to you and your sister when you were a kid."

"I was tired of being Hansel. You know, carrying his scars. So I...picked a new name," Jack explained with a shaky voice as if he was about to cry at any moment. Cassie had to force herself to suppress an eye roll, knowing that would only make things worse. It wasn't long after that when their captor opened his mouth to continue speaking. "Jack was simple. Jack had no past. And then when we slayed all those giants and you decided I was Jack the Giant Killer. And suddenly I...I was a hero. You gave me my second chance, Henry."

"What changed?" the Mills man whispered just loud enough for Jack and Cassie to hear.

His question caused the brunette man to let out a long sigh before he continued his explanation. "Your family's arrival...complicated things for me. I know you think your mom and your aunts are good witches, but all witches are bad." Jack hesitated for a moment before his attention fell back on Cassie. "Even the young ones."

Henry glanced over at the Thorne girl, who was staring at Jack with no emotion in her eyes. The confusion within him continued to grow as he looked back at his former friend. "I get it. If witches destroyed my life, I'd want to get revenge too."

Cassie watched as a hint of hope appeared in Jack's eyes as he stared at the Mills man. It wasn't long after that when he pushed himself off his chair to sit on the floor in front of Henry. "So, you believe me? You think all this is real?"

"I want to. But you have to help me fill in the blanks," Henry told the man in front of him, whose smile instantly fell as he continued to stare at the Mills man, "the witch, did she burn you? Help me out. Who...who is she?"

"What, you haven't figured it out yet?" Jack questioned, earning a blank look from Henry before he looked over at Cassie, "have you?"

The Thorne girl just blinked at the man in front of her a few times, knowing that she had to keep up her act in order to survive. So after letting a long sigh pass over her lips, Cassie opened her mouth to respond. "I figured out that you're crazy."

"Very funny," the brunette man scoffed before turning his attention back to Henry, "it's your aunt, Zelena."

"Right. The Wicked Witch," Henry responded while trying his best to keep the false look of urgency on his face, "I have an idea. Untie Abi and me, okay...and I'll write down your story, the right way this time. And maybe since I'm the Author, I can fix things."

Jack just stared at his former friend for a moment before a sad smile appeared on his face. It wasn't long after that when he let out a long sigh and got to his feet. "Henry, I know your tactics. You...you don't use the Author Power unless you absolutely have to. And...and you don't offer to use it unless you're trying to fool a villain. But...I'm not a villain. I wanna rid the world of evil just like you. Just...I need you to remember that. I think I know how."

Before Henry or Cassie had another chance to speak, Jack grabbed his keys and walked out of the room. After hearing the locking of the door, the Thorne girl found herself looking over at Henry, who was already staring back at her with a defeated look in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Abi. I should've known he would've seen through everything."

"It's fine, Henry. My parents will find us," Cassie reassured her cousin as a small smile formed on her face, "they always do."

The Thorne girl sent Henry one last smile before leaning her head back against the pillar and closing her eyes once again. It only took a moment for her to call upon her magic and she knew if she opened her eyes, they would be glowing pink. She felt the warmth flowing through her veins as she continued her search for a dreamer. To her surprise, Cassie found one almost right away. It didn't take much energy to break through the barrier to enter the dream, only to be shocked by what she found.

Surrounding her on three sides was a cage that stretched all the way to the ceiling. The fourth side seemed to be a wall of darkness waiting for light to cut through it. Eerie noises that she couldn't place cut through the air, making chills run up and down her spine. A knot formed in Cassie's stomach when she realized she wasn't in a dream, she was in someone's nightmare. And by the looks of it, it was a lot worse than normal.

The Thorne girl tried her best to avoid jumping into someone's nightmare. They were always unpredictable and hard for her to control. The last time she tried, she almost lost a finger to a crocodile. But this was different. Cassie needed to gather her courage and find someone to help her and Henry. But the bravery she found soon faded away when she heard a low growl coming from the dark side of the room. Cassie instantly turned around to find a large wolf slowly walking toward her. Its yellow eyes glared at her while its teeth were bared for all to see.

The Thorne girl slowly backed away from the wolf as it kept walking closer to her. That continued until Cassie found herself running into the fence behind her, leaving her with nowhere to go. She kept her eyes glued to the wolf for a moment longer as fear continued to curse through her veins. That was until a wave of realization washed all of her fears away.

"Lucas?" The wolf stopped in its tracks as soon as the name left Cassie's mouth. Its yellow eyes bore into her own as if it were trying to figure out whether to trust her or not. Against her better judgment, the Thorne girl cautiously walked toward the wolf with a hand out in front of her. To Cassie's surprise, the creature met her halfway and let her hand run through its fur. A small smile appeared on the blonde girl's face as she squatted down to be at eye level with the wolf. "You don't need to hide anymore."

Not even a second after that passed when the wolf began to transform back into its true self, revealing the boy Cassie had longed for since she woke up. A single tear streamed down her cheek as she pulled Lucas in for a tight hug, wanting nothing more than to stay like that forever. But then Cassie remembered the situation she was currently facing in the real world. So instead of staying in the Nova boy's arms, she ended their embrace to look him in the eyes.

"I need you to do something for me when you wake up," Cassie told her boyfriend, earning a confused look from him in response.

"I'm dreaming?"

"Yes, but that's not important right now," the Thorne girl declared as she took the Nova boy's hands into her own, "you're probably still gonna be cursed when you wake up, but I need you to go find my mom, alright? Tell her that Jack kidnapped Henry and me. Do you understand?"

Lucas hesitated before slowly nodding. However, he quickly became still once again while keeping his eyes locked on Cassie. "But if I'm still cursed, how will I remember this?"

"Because, curse or no curse, every part of me trusts you."

The two teens just stared at each other for a long moment before Cassie leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on Lucas' lips.

Cassie's eyes soon flashed open, bringing her back to reality. To her dismay, she was still sitting on the floor of Jack's apartment with her hands and feet tied together. Henry was sound asleep next to her, completely unaware of the emotional turmoil the Thorne girl was going through. Cassie tried her best to keep her emotions hidden, only to fail as a single tear escaped her eye and streamed down her cheek.

────── ★★★ ──────

────── ★★★ ──────