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────── ★★★ ──────

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟓
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐀𝐃𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

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As soon as Everly and Killian get back to the motel, they got word that Mary Margaret went into labor a few moments ago. This caused Everly, Killian, Sam, and Katherine to grab their things and rush out of the motel to the hospital. Once they entered the building, they rushed through the halls toward the room that the nurse directed them to. They passed by numerous patients and doctors until they turned the corner to find Emma and Regina working together to create a protection spell around Mary Margaret's room.

"Swan," Killian called out to the Savior after Regina walked away from her. Emma instantly turned in the direction her name was called before an emotionless look appeared on her face, "we heard the little royal was on his way."

"I don't think it's a good idea for you to be here right now," Emma told the pirate captain before her eyes landed on Everly, Sam, and Katherine, "you guys can stay. We need all the help we can get."

Everly sent the woman a nod in response then she walked past her sister and into the hospital room. David and Mary Margaret instantly turned towards her after hearing her enter before the princess let out a loud scream.

"I'm sorry," the Jones girl told them as she walked closer to the bed her mother was lying in, "I shouldn't have said what I said at the docks."

"No, we're sorry," David responded, causing Everly's eyes to snap towards his before he continued speaking, "it's not Hook's fault he didn't know where he got the message from."

The Purest Heart just stared at the Nolan man for a long moment before a small smile appeared on both of their faces. Just as she was about to continue their conversation, Everly spotted Emma walking away from Killian and further down the hall out of the corner of her. David sent his daughter a somewhat apologetic smile before walking out of the room after the Savior.

"Punz," Mary Margaret called out to the girl while reaching out her hand for her to take. After the teen was standing by her side with their fingers interlocked, the princess opened her mouth to speak once again. "We understand Hook raised you. We need to be more considerate of-"

The brunette woman interrupted herself with a scream then she crushed Everly's hand with hers. The Jones girl winced as the grip around her fingers continued to tighten before the pressure slowly vanished and Mary Margaret became more relaxed.

"Sorry."

"It's okay," Everly responded while pulling her hand away from her mother before she turned to see just David walking back into the room, "where are they going?"

"To find Zelena," the charming prince responded, causing all the color to fade from the blonde girl's face before she started towards the door.

Just as she was about to walk past the Nolan man, David gently grabbed her wrist and pulled her back in front of him. Everly let out an annoyed sigh as she looked up to meet his eyes. "Killian asked me to make sure you stayed here. He doesn't want you getting hurt...plus we need your help protecting the baby."

The Jones girl stared up at David for what felt like an eternity before letting out a sigh in defeat. Her actions caused the charming prince to send her a smile before he went to stand beside Mary Margaret. Everly just watched them for a moment longer then she turned and left the room to prepare for the fight of her life.

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"Incoming!" Leroy's shouts continued to fill the halls of the hospital as he ran toward where everyone was stationed. Everly and Katherine shared an uncertain look as the dwarf got closer to where they stood before they went to stand in a line with Robin and his Merry Men with their bows loaded.

"Steady, men," Robin called out to his followers before he glanced over at two of the people standing in line with him, "and girls."

The group of archers instantly aimed their arrows at the door and waited for the Witch's while Sam stood by the door of Mary Margaret's room ready to fight if necessary. What felt like an eternity of them just standing in the hospital's lobby passed before there was movement outside. A shakey breath passed over Everly's lips as she tightened her grip around her bow. It wasn't long after that when the Wicked Witch of the West appeared in the doorway of the hospital.

"Aim true! For Little John!" Robin shouted, but before any of them could even think of releasing an arrow, they were knocked unconscious with the wave of Zelena's hand.

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Everly stood in the middle of a small clearing to participate in one of Pan's games to test their strength. The leader of the Lost Boys was making her fight one of the biggest Lost Boys that ever stepped foot on Neverland. Jacob.

The Lost Girl already received a black eye, bloody nose, and a swollen lip from him while he stood across from her without even a mark. Just as Everly was about to open her mouth to surrender and end their fight, Jacob threw another punch that sent her to the forest floor and had her going in and out of consciousness.

"Wake up. Come on, Everly, wake up," she heard Felix call out to her while the world around her seemed to slowly fade away, "you need to wake up and prove to Pan you can do this. Wake up, Everly. Wake up!"

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Everly's eyes flashed open as her head pounded as much as it did after her fight with Jacob. She stared up at the ceiling for a moment longer before forcing herself to sit up and take in her surroundings, only to find everyone around her unconscious. Just as she was about to get up to make sure Katherine and the Merry Men were alright, Mary Margaret's screams and quiet baby cries cut through the silence.

The Purest Heart instantly jumped to her feet and sprinted towards her mother's room while passing an unconscious Belle along the way. When she finally reached her destination, Everly found Regina and Sam on the ground and Rumplestiltskin standing by the door.

"You're too late," was all the Dark One said before disappearing in a cloud of green smoke.

Everly just stared at the spot Rumplestiltskin once stood before her senses finally returned to her. The Purest Heart prepared herself for a fight before rushing into the hospital room, only to find David in shock and Mary Margaret in tears.

"She took your brother."

The Jones girl just stood in silence for a long moment as she took in her father's words. Her mouth hung open to say words that would comfort her parents but nothing came out. It wasn't until David grabbed his sword and walked past Everly that she was finally pulled out of her thoughts.

"Where are you going?" the Purest Heart questioned the man after catching up to him down the hall.

"I'm getting my son back."

"You're gonna get yourself killed!" Everly exclaimed as she grabbed the charming prince's arm and forced him to face him, "David, think about this."

"What's there to think about?" the charming man retaliated while he carefully studied every inch of the girl's face, "I know you're planning on doing the same exact thing as I am. I saw the look on your face that Killian always talks about."

Everly hesitated for a moment as she stared into the Nolan man's determined eyes before finally finding the courage within herself to speak. "Your son needs his father."

"He needs his sister, too."

"He has Emma," the Jones girl stated while placing herself between David and the exit of the hospital, "you're right, I was planning on going after her. But you need to stay here."

"No, Rapunzel!"

"You're Rapunzel?"

The father and daughter instantly turned in the direction of the new voice to find Regina and Henry walking toward them. Everly sent him a small nod in response to his question while a serious look formed on the Evil Queen.

"What's going on here?" Emma questioned after she and Hook appeared from down the hall.

"What happened? Did you find Zelena?" David asked the Savior with a hint of hope in his voice, only for it to fade when he saw the defeated look on her face.

"I did, but I couldn't stop her."

"She took your brother."

"Because I failed?"

"We're all still here, so you haven't failed just yet," Killian stated in an attempt to cut through the tension in the room.

"Hook's right, come on," David said, causing Everly to look up at him with a hint of shock in her eyes before she looked over at her sister with pleading eyes.

"No, wait," Emma called out to him and drew everyone's attention back to her before she let out a long sigh, "Zelena took my magic."

"How did that happen?" Regina questioned in a tone that made Everly want to jump while everyone looked to Emma for an explanation.

"Doesn't matter how. It just happened. So we need to find another way to stop her."

"There is no other way."

"That's not true," Henry spoke up, making everyone look over at him to find the Mills boy staring up at the Evil Queen with hope in his eyes, "you can do it."

"Sweetheart, I don't think I can survive round three with my sister."

"Glinda was pretty specific. 'Only the purveyor of the strongest light magic can defeat her,'" David explained before his eyes landed on Everly, "and you're still trying to figure out how to use yours."

"Zelena only beat you because you used dark magic against her," Henry continued while keeping his eyes glued to the Mills woman.

While they continued to talk about what they should do next, Everly turned and walked towards Sam and Katherine down the hall. The duo just watched as the Purest Heart approached them before the Jones boy let out a loud groan as he ran his hands down the side of his face.

"What?" Everly questioned her brother after stopping a few feet in front of the pair.

"I don't like that look on your face."

"What look?"

"That one," Sam stated with an unamused expression while pointing straight at Everly's face, "the one you have on right now."

"Why don't you like it?" Katherine asked as she watched the Jones siblings in complete and utter confusion.

"It means she has a plan," the shining knight explained to the girl while keeping his eyes glued to the Purest Heart, "and they're usually life-threatening and stupid."

"Not all my plans are life-threatening and stupid."

"What's your plan then?" the Scott girl questioned in an optimistic tone that Sam knew his sister would soon shatter.

"We just need to find out where they took my brother. We don't engage in a battle. We just need to get enough information to tell Emma and the rest of them."

"See...life-threatening," Sam said before replaying Everly's words in his head and letting out a long sigh, "and somewhat stupid."

"Alright, are you in?" the Jones girl asked as she looked back and forth between her two best friends.

"I'm in," the redhead replied before the two girls looked over at Sam, who still wore his unamused look.

"Fine. But if this goes wrong, I will be saying 'I told you so.'"

Everly and Katherine exchanged a quick smile before the three of them went to grab their gear. After they were ready, the trio somehow managed to slip past the group in the hallway and almost made it out the door when the Jones girl felt someone grab her wrist. A shakey breath passed over her lips as she prepared herself for a lecture from Killian or David. However, when she turned around, Everly came face to face with Robin instead.

"Where do you three think you're going?" the leader of the Merry Men asked the teens, only to be greeted by silence before he let out a long sigh, "you're going after that witch, aren't you?"

"I choose to not answer that question," the Jones girl responded while the brunette man continued to blankly stare at her, "why do you care so much anyway? It's not like we're asking you to come along with us?"

"Believe it or not, I actually like you and don't want to see you get killed."

Before Everly could respond, the Hood man literally dragged back to the group with Sam and Katherine following behind them. It wasn't until Robin forced the Purest Heart to stand between Killian and David did they stop talking and turned their attention towards the three teens and the Merry Man.

"They were going to go after the Witch," Robin told them while ignoring the annoyed look Everly was sending him.

"What?!" David and Killian exclaimed before their eyes left the man and landed on the girl between them.

"We weren't going to fight her or even get near her," the Jones girl explained while taking a small step back so that her father figures were no longer surrounding her, "we were just going to find out where she was."

"Why go alone?" David questioned while crossing his arms over his chest at the same moment Killian asked, "why not wait for us?"

"Because you're taking too long! We need to go! Now!"

"Then let's go," Regina said, drawing all attention to the woman to find her watching their exchange with a small smirk on her face.

"All of us?" Sam asked in an unconvinced tone while Katherine studied the Evil Queen with a blank look in her eyes.

"All of us."

────── ★★★ ──────

"It isn't over yet!" David exclaimed as soon as they entered an old barn after searching the entire town for almost an hour.

"And who's gonna stop me?" Zelena questioned as the group of heroes entered the old warehouse with their swords drawn and bows loaded before her eyes landed on the Swan woman, "certainly not the Savior."

Everly had to force her shock at seeing four different colors of fire swirling in a circle in the middle of the building. A rare wave of rage washed over the Jones girl as she watched a blueish flame emit from her brother before she looked up at David. "Go. Get him. We got your back."

Robin, David, Sam, and Katherine raced in one direction as Everly, Emma, and Killian went the other way while Regina stood in the middle to face Zelena. After they made it farther into the building, the sisters and the pirate found themselves standing right in front of the Dark One. The four of them had a long staredown at the same moment Zelena threw Robin and David into a haystack before Rumplestiltskin finally decided to break the silence.

"Get the dagger, then the Dark One will be on your side."

"Easier said than done," Emma stated while keeping her eyes glued to the powerful man in front of her.

"Do as I say, or I will destroy all three of you. I have no choice."

As soon as he finished speaking, Rumplestiltskin used his magic to throw the trio into the haystacks behind them. A small groan escapes Everly as she forced herself to her feet before a familiar sound she grew to hate met her ears.

When she looked towards the source of the sound, the Jones girl saw a flying monkey flying straight towards their allies on the other side of the circle. David instantly pushed Robin out of the way while Sam placed himself between Katherine and the creature. Right as David was about to attack the beast, all four of them were thrown into the wall behind them by Rumpelstiltskin.

"Only light magic can harm me and you're as dark as they come," Zelena told Regina after the former used her magic to choke her sister and lift her into the air, "it was your destiny to be this way. And it will also be your undoing."

"Don't tell me what I can be!"

"I tried to be good once, but it wasn't in the cards. This is who I am, and it's who you are!"

"You're wrong, sis," Regina stated before a bright white light emitted from her hands.

"What are you doing?" Zelena questioned while the rage on her face vanished and was replaced with shock.

"Changing," the Evil Queen declared then she shot her light magic towards the Witch, knocking her to the ground and sending the dagger flying from her hand.

"How?" Zelena wondered as her sister walked towards her and took the amulet off of her neck.

"I make my own destiny."

Everly watched with a small smile on her face as Zelena's magic vanished followed by the multicolored flames. David instantly headed towards the baby, only for him to stop in his tracks when the flying monkey started to attack again. An annoyed expression formed on his face as he took a few swings and stopped right before he hit the creature.

"Little John, you're back!"

While Robin reunited with his Merry Man, Everly and Emma sprinted around the circle and towards their father. The pair stopped a few feet away from David as they watched him pick up his son. All three of them just took the moment in before the Savior broke the silence. "David, the baby. Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he can handle anything," David responded then looked up to meet his daughters' eyes, "just like his big sisters."

After sharing a smile, the heroes turned and started to head out of the barn to reunite Mary Margaret with her son. Just as they were almost out of the rundown barn, the sound of Regina's voice made them stop in their tracks and turn their attention back to the two sisters and the Dark One.

"You failed," the Evil Queen told the Witch before letting out a small chuckle, "you aren't going anywhere."

"I beg to differ," Rumplestiltskin stated then he shot his hand out towards Zelena and used his magic to drag her towards him despite her struggles, "I'm going to make you pay for everything you've done to me."

"What are you waiting for?" Zelena questioned as she stared up at the powerful man, "just do it!"

"With pleasure."

"No!" Regina shouted after picking the dagger up off the dirt floor and holding it out towards him, making Rumplestiltskin's hand freeze in midair, "enough. This ends now."

"After everything this witch has done," Rumpelstiltskin stated while pointing an accusing finger toward the redheaded woman near his feet, "you're gonna protect her?"

"Good magic stopped her. And good magic doesn't exact vengeance."

"She killed my son!"

"How many lives have we taken trying to get what we want?"

"You can't be serious."

"I am," Regina stated while staring at the shocked expression of the Dark One ignoring everyone's shocked expressions, "heroes don't kill."

"So, now, you're a hero?" Zelena questioned in a mocking tone that Regina responded to with a simple smile.

"Today I am."

────── ★★★ ──────

When they finally got back to the hospital, they instantly went to the room Mary Margaret was in. The princess' face lit up the moment her eyes landed on her baby before she reached out to take him from David. Everly's attention stayed glued to the smiling faces of her biological parents until it was drawn to Emma when she wrapped her arm around the Jones girl's shoulders and pulled her in for a hug.

"Now I have two younger siblings."

"No, I have two younger siblings."

The two of them let out a laugh, knowing they'd never settle their argument, and went back to watching their parents gently hug their baby brother. It wasn't long before they heard someone approaching and turned to see Killian walking toward them.

"Never thought I'd see one of those."

"It's called a baby."

"No, Swan. A smile."

"We won," Emma stated as the smile on her face grew.

"With all the chaos, I never got a chance to say thank you," Killian continued while he stared at the Savior with a look on his face that made Everly want to flee the building.

"You really think I'd let you drown?"

"Given our history, can you blame me for being uncertain?" the pirate captain questioned, making the Swan woman let out a small laugh before the man gestured towards her hands, "has your powers returned now that Zelena's been defeated?"

"No," she responded; however, despite her negative answer, her smile didn't even falter, making the Jones girl stare at her sister with a hint of uncertainty in her eyes before Emma continued speaking, "it's okay. I won't need it in New York."

Everly and Killian just stared at Emma with shock in their eyes before the woman looked past them and down the hall. When the Purest Heart finally followed her sister's gaze, she spotted Henry with his back towards them at one of the vending machines.

"Hey, kid," Emma called out to the oblivious boy, making him turn towards his mother before a smile appeared on his face, "wanna meet your new uncle."

Henry instantly ran past them and into the room while Emma glanced at Everly and Killian one more time before following after him. The two pirates stood in the doorway and watched them surround the new baby. That lasted for what felt like an eternity and none of them gestured for the Jones girl to join them. It was at that moment that all of Everly's feelings about being part of the Charming family came crashing down on her. She finally saw that no matter how many times she was reminded of where she really came from, she would never truly feel like part of their family.

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