i'll help you stitch up your wounds.

Killian left Cora after he rold her everything he observed, purposely excluding seeing Charlotte and her son. He didn't want to risk either of them getting hurt of something bad happened and Cora decided to punish him by hurting Charlotte or the boy. He would never forgive himself if that happened to her. He still felt guilty about leaving her in Wonderland even if she had been safer in the long run.

---

Felicity bit down on her lip. She was contemplating telling him about what had happened to her. How she had found out who her father was, how she had confronted him in the Enchanted Forest but in Storybrooke Rumple had no memory of it. Or how she learned thanks to Cora, the woman who helped her find her father helped the brunette discover she was extrremely infertile. So much had happened since the brunette sent Charming to Snow so she knew he could have his happy ending.

"Emma is beautiful," she mumbled. "She's the perfect mix of you both."

Charlotte and Morgan reached the house soon after that. They went inside and Morgan got started on his schoolwork while Charlotte started on dinner. It was a rather normal occurrence for them, though, when they weren't in the mood to eat at home, or Charlotte just wasn't up for it, they ate at Granny's. It was just too convenient not to.

---

Charming assumed that a lot must have happened since he'd last seen Felicity. It obviously had to be a lot or something big in order for her to change as much as she had. He didn't understand or know any of what it could possibly be though, and that was really the big problem here. "Thank you..." He said quietly. "I don't understand what my family has to do with any of this though...what happened to you, Felicity? You're different."

Once Hook was sure Cora was asleep he left his ship in search of Charlotte. He had so many questions to ask her as well as many things to say that been left unsaid. One of the biggest questions going through Killian's mind was about Charlotte's son. Who was the boy's father? Had she moved on from him while he was gone and was the man still in the boys life? Killian pulled his flask of rum from his pocket, taking a decent size swig to temporarily silence all his questions running though his mind.

---

"People change every day David," Felicity replied. "You and I are proof of that. You went from shepherd to a prince and me well let's just say magic came at a steep price for me."

The brunette noticed people walking around in the streets nearby, waving her hand in front of David and transported them to the cabin. If they were going to talk she wanted to do it where she felt safest. Felicity sat down in a chair and waited until Charming did the same.

"Regina's mother taught me all the magic I know," she began. "She's even the one who helped me find out who my father was. Unfortunately the spell she used had an unexpected side effect that even the great Dark One couldn't undo."

Charlotte busied herself around the kitchen while Morgan worked on his homework. She was glad that he wasn't one of those kids who protested and refused to work on school work without being forced to do so. While there were times when he got into trouble, and those were the times that he reminded her most of his father, on most occasions he was actually a really good kid.

---

Charming frowned, shaking his head. "Not like this. You're a completely different person, Felicity." He felt like he was talking to a stranger, and he didn't like that feeling at all. Not when he used to know her so well, or he thought that he had anyway.

The frown on his face deepened slightly at her later words. "Cora? You were working with Cora?" He was shocked. Why would she go to Cora of all people for help? She was nothing but trouble. He couldn't believe that she'd gone to her. "An unexpected side effect...? What are you talking about, Felicity"

Killian walked around town, flask in hand, drinking from it occasionally as he stayed to the shadows. His mind was on Charlotte the entire time. He worried about her. He wondered if she resented him for what he had done. Would she understand him leaving her in Wonderland? A small chuckle escaped the pirate's lips as he quickly shook his last thought away as silly and impossible. Of course she would forgive him. Even if neither had openly admitted it they had been in love. It was after all why he had done what he had. If he hadn't he would have kept her with him through everything.

---

Felicity gripped the fabric of the chair handle as she listened to Charming question her. Should she tell him before she knew she was Rumplestilskin's daughter she thought she was Cora's daughter. After all she had never known her mother, she had been dropped off at an orphanage when she was only a few hours old. Felicity was shocked her mother even told her brother that she existed.

"That month I was gone I went searching for answers I found a lead that lead me to Cora," she replied. "I thought Cora was my mother at first. She thought she was too."

The brunette looked up at David, tears forming in her eyes. "I always wanted to be a better mother than my own was," she mumbled. "I'm sterile David."

@ pietro maximoff.

"Alright, mac and cheese and hot dogs, as requested." Charlotte said, setting two plates down onto the coffee table once everything was ready. Morgan had finished his homework a few minutes earlier, and his attention was now on whatever cartoon he was watching on TV. This was what the mother and son did when they didn't eat dinner at Granny's. Charlotte whipped up something for them while Morgan did some homework and then they both settled in on the couch and watched some TV.

"Did you want to watch a movie or something? I think The Avengers is back on Netflix." She said with a smile, knowing how much her son loved superhero movies and shows as well as comics.

---

Charming just couldn't wrap his head around how much Felicity had changed. It made no sense to him at all. He knew that a decent amount of time had passed since they last saw each other, and it was clear that a lot had happened, but she was almost like a stranger to him, and he found that to be completely bizarre.

"You thought she was your mother?" He repeated slowly. Even if it had been true, he probably wouldn't have believed it. Felicity was nothing like Cora, or so he'd thought. He couldn't be so sure anymore. "So she cast a spell, what happened?"

He could tell right away that this was a touchy subject and it broke his heart to see the tears welling up in her eyes. What she told him shocked him, and he almost didn't know what to say. "I'm so sorry, Felicity...you're sure that this is something that can't be undone?" He couldn't help thinking back to when he and Snow had been so sure that they'd never be able to have a child. Maybe there was something that she'd missed, something that could reverse the effects.

Killian began drinking more and more of the rum in his flask. He continued drinking even after his flask emptied, stealing rum from Will Scarlett when he found him. The pirate stumbled around Storybrooke, unaware that he was walking towards Charlotte's home. He stumbled towards the front door of the house before he lost his footing and ended up hitting the door head first before he finally passed out.

---

Felicity looked up at David, glaring at him as tears fell down her face. "I tried everything," she replied. "The only cure I could have used your wife ended up using." She looked away from David and wiped her eyes free of her tears.

"Villians don't get happy endings David," she replied. "That's why I am one."

Charlotte was cleaning things up in the kitchen. Morgan had fallen asleep about halfway through the movie, which was what usually ended up happening, so she'd draped a blanket over him and was currently trying to quietly do the dishes as not to wake him. She was nearly finished when she heard a bang. Eyebrows furrowing, she glanced over to the front door. It sounded like something had hit into it or was trying to get inside.

Making her way over to her the couch, she shook her sleeping son gently. "Mom?" He mumbled groggily. "Sweetheart, I need you to go to your room. There's someone at the front door, and I don't know who it is." She was relieved that he didn't protest, though that was probably because he was half asleep. She watched Morgan head down the hall to his bedroom before walking to the front door to assess the situation. First, looking through the peephole, she wasn't able to make out much. That was strange. Hesitantly, she opened the door, her eyes widening at what she saw, or rather who she saw.

---

Charming was kind of taken aback by the look she was sending him. If looks could kill... He wasn't so concerned about that though. He still hated seeing her upset and now she was crying more. "I'm sorry, Felicity..." He breathed. He didn't know what else to say to her. Of course, he should know that Snow had lucked out and gotten the last of what could have cured such infertility.

"You're only a villain because you let yourself believe that you are. The Felicity that I knew, she wasn't one. Life is what you make of it." He said.

Killian groaned out in pain as he slept, holding his head with his hand before he began to snore lightly. The pirate hadn't been as drunk as he was at that very moment since he had first started drinking rum. Killian would definitely be a shame of himself in the morning if he lived through a hangover and probably the verbal lashing Charlotte probably would have planned for him.

---

"Thats easy for you to say," Felicity snapped. "You went from a shepherd to prince, you found your true love and your child is the savior." The brunette's grip on her chair tightened as she felt tears fall down her face again. "I watched the man I love marry someone else, have a child and live happily ever after while I suffered pain and torment." She wiped her eyes dry, sniffling as she looked up at him. "Life made me a villian because playing fair and trying to be a hero ended up causing me misery."

Charlotte was in shock. What the hell was he doing here in Storybrooke? And what the hell was he doing passed out, and clearly drunk out of his mind, on her porch? This was everything out of her worst nightmare. She liked her life here. She liked that it was just she and Morgan. She wanted nothing to do with Killian Jones, but there he was. Passed out on her front porch. Suddenly, anger surged through her. What gave him the right? Who the hell did he think he was, showing up here like this, and after all this time too? Without a word, she stormed back into the house, slamming the door shut behind her. She prayed to whatever celestial being was up there that he would be gone in the morning.

---

Charming frowned. He hadn't meant anything by his words. He had only hoped to make her see that she wasn't a villain. Not in his eyes anyway. He knew that she had every reason and right to be the way that she was now, but he hoped that he could bring back the girl that he'd known. Her words caught him off guard, and he was kind of at a loss of words. "Felicity...I didn't know..." He said quietly. "Playing fair and trying to be a hero? What did you do? What are you talking about?"

Killian slept through the night on Charlotte's porch, groaning out as his hangover began causing his head to throb. He leaned against the door he had been sleeping against, shielding his eyes from the sun as he tried to keep the contents of his stomach where they were. The pirate silently vowed to never drink that much rum ever again, rubbing his temples as he heard a young boy talking to someone in the house he was leaning against.

---

Felicity stood up, moving to stand in front of Charming. She caressed his face with her hand before she moved her hand right above his heart. "I killed so many villains David," she replied. "I ended up becoming one in the process." The brunette leaned forward and pressed a quick peck to David's lips before she pulled his heart out of his chest. "Forget you ever saw me," she spoke to his heart. "I don't exist anymore." She shoved his heart back into his chest and left the room so she could cry alone.

Charlotte didn't sleep very well that night. How could she? She knew that Killian was back in town, and she wasn't sure if he'd woken up in the middle of the night and left or not, though she was hoping that that was the case. It still didn't make her feel much better though. She would know that he was still in town, and that was too close for comfort for her.

The following morning, she woke up before Morgan to shower and get ready for work. Once she had finished, she went about her usually morning routine for bit before going to wake Morgan. "Is that man still outside?" He asked her. His question caught Charlotte off guard. She didn't know that he knew, she hadn't told him last night, she'd simply lied and gave him a rather stupid excuse. She should have known better. "What man?" She asked, deciding to play dumb. "The one who was on our porch last night. I went to peak outside when you fell asleep." She frowned. Always looking for trouble, he was. "I thought you went to bed." She crossed her arms. "I did, but I knew something was bothering you...you seemed upset last night. Do you know him?" Charlotte's lips were set in a tight line. "You should finish getting ready for school. You're going to be late."

---

Charming didn't understand. He was shocked. He hadn't know about Felicity's feelings for him. She'd never said anything to him or made them known. Until now. He was honestly at a loss for words. He wasn't really able to get a word in edge wise. She was pressing her lips against his for a couple of seconds before pulling his heart right out of his chest.

And then it was like none of it had ever happened. He didn't know what he was doing in this cabin. Confused, he walked outside. He was supposed to be eating dinner with his family at Granny's.

Killian listened to the boy and Charlotte talk. He was very perceptive for the young age the lad was. A small grin formed on the pirate's face as he thought of the look Charlotte would make when she got frustrated. He had missed her so much. Now he had a chance to get her back and explain what he had done. Killan needed to make ammends with Charlotte. She needed to know he had done what he had out of love.

---

Felicity allowed a sob to escape her lips when David left the cabin. She knew he was better off forgetting her. She was bad news and he was better off with his wife. At least with her he didn't almost get killed by Bo Peep.

Charlotte mentally cursed her son's perceptiveness. It proved to be rather frustrating with the current situation at hand, and she was sure that her frustration was fairly obvious to her son. She cast a look in her son's direction, one that meant that the conversation was over, and watched as Morgan walked down the hall to finish getting ready for school. Once she was sure that he had done so, and that he would hopefully be out of earshot, she walked to the door and wrenched it open. "What the hell are you doing here?" Oh, she wasn't just pissed off, she was absolutely livid.

---

David was confused. He had no idea what he was doing here. He really didn't know where here was considering he had never been to this cabin before. At least, he didn't think that he had. Frowning slightly, he walked outside and started back towards Granny's. He didn't know how long he had been gone or why he had left the diner in the first place, but he had, and he was sure that his family was worried about him. That was why he needed to get back to them right away.

[Sorry, I thought I replied to this! ]

"Charlotte love I need to explain myself and then I swear I'll leave if you still wish," Killian spoke. The pirate for the first time in years and it was because of her. She had given him butterflies when they met, the first time they made love and now again as he tried to atone for leaving her in what he thought was safety for the brunette.

"Charlotte I understand leaving you was wrong," he started. "I was trying to protect you. The Crocodile could never reach you in Wonderland and I would never forgive myself if he had gotten to you as well."

---

Felicity watched David leave from the cabin window, tears slowly falling down her face as the empty space where her heart should be grow even bigger if that was even possible. She watched the man she loved walk back toward Granny's, towards his happy ending and family before she finally tore herself away from the window and out deeper into the forest to let her anger out on some innocent and unsuspecting trees.

[You're fine. I figured that's what happened. I do that on occasion myself.]

Charlotte let out a bitter laugh. "You need to explain yourself? What makes you think that I want an explanation after all this time?" If he really wished to explain himself, he wouldn't have waited as long as he had. She wanted absolutely nothing to do with him, and she had until he showed up here. She doubted that he came all the way to Storybrooke just to explain himself to her. That wasn't the Killian Jones that she knew, and she highly doubted that he was a changed man.

"It always comes down to the Crocodile with you, doesn't it? You're not even here because of me. You're still seeking vengeance." She shook her head slightly. She wasn't surprised at all. She knew that he hadn't changed. "I don't want your explanation, Hook." She was one of very few people who called him Killian, but she refused to now. He was a pirate. He was Captain Hook. That's all he was to her now.

---

Felicity had successfully managed to make David forget that she was there. It was like he hadn't even seen her. Walking back into Granny's, he made his way back over to the table where his family was seated and sat down next to Snow. "Where'd you run off to?" She asked. "You've been gone for nearly an hour." This served to confuse David even more. He'd been gone for an hour? What had he been doing for the last hour? "I...don't know..."

Killian felt a pain in his chest when Charlotte called him Hook. She had stopped calling him that ages ago when they stopped being strangers and now they seemed to be so again. "Charlotte I swear on Mila's watery grave I was going to go back for you," he stated. "The red queen she's the mother of the Evil Queen. She discovered my ship and she gave me no choice but to help her."

The pirate hoped the brunette believed his words because they were all true. Cora was a woman with power who if you had none you had no choice but to listen to unless you wanted your heart missing from your chest. "I left out there with that thief so you could be safe from everyone even me if she got a hold of my heart." Killian wanted to prove with more than just words how much he cared and loved Charlotte but years as a pirate made words and emotions of the gentler nature harder to access.

---

Felicity walked through the forest deeper into it when she saw someone she didn't expect to see. Cora, the woman who taught her magic and treated her like a daughter was in Storybrooke. The brunette opened her mouth, unable to form words as she found herself hugging Cora. As she began relaxing in her surrogate mother's arms she felt a pain in her chest. She looked between them, realizing Cora was planning on stealing her heart to control her.

The brunette let out a scoff and pulled away from Cora. "You taught me everything I know, remember," she mocked. Felicity ran to put some distance between her and Cora before she used her magic to appear inside Granny's dinner. She quickly walked over to the Charming's table, fear and panic evident on her face. "Snow you need to get Rumple and Regina now," she ordered. "Cora is here."

"And I'm just supposed to believe you?" Charlotte asked, shaking her head slightly. She'd thought she knew him, but when he left her there in Wonderland she began to question everything that she thought that she knew. "I'm just supposed to trust you after what you did? After you made me question everything that I thought that I knew." He'd fooled her once, and she wasn't going to let him fool her again. She wasn't going to let him back into her heart. Not when he betrayed her like that.

She opened her mouth to say something else when Morgan came over. God, with them both standing there the resemblance was almost uncanny. She'd noticed it when he was born, but now, now it was just even more obvious. It made this whole thing all the more painful for her. She still didn't want anything to do with Killian, but it also pained her to lie to Morgan like that "Mom, what's going on? Who is this?" Charlotte frowned. "Nothing's going on. He was just leaving. Go make sure you have everything ready for school, sweetheart. I'll be there in a second."

---

David was confused. He really didn't know where he'd been for the last hour. He'd ended up in that cabin somehow, and he couldn't even remember walking there. He didn't know who it belonged to either which made the situation at hand all the more strange. Before anyone could dwell on it, a familiar brunette approached their table. David was shocked. He hadn't seen Felicity in ages, not since before the curse hit. She didn't seem at all phased, though she did seem panicked and afraid. He and his family soon discovered the cause of said fear and panic. "Cora's here? In Storybrooke?" Snow asked, obviously shocked.

Killian eyed the boy as Charlotte spoke to him and felt his heart fall into his stomach. Was the boy his? Is that why Charlotte was so angry with him? His light eyes looked into hers and he tried to see if he could find the answer in her eyes before he even asked his question. "Charlotte who is the boy's father?" The pirate had a feeling even out of the boy's hearing range she would probably lie to him.

---

Felicity rolled her eyes. "I didn't stutter," she snapped. "Now get Rumplestilskin's and Regina because she's probably going to go after them next." The brunette glanced at Emma and then back at Snow. "I suggest the Savior starts practicing protection spells because you'll all need them."

The brunette walked away from their table without another word and out of Granny'so she could head back to the cabin. If Cora found her heart all she would need to do is get her father's blood and then Felicity would be under the woman's control.

"That's a rather personal question, don't you think?" Charlotte asked, crossing her arms. "If you must know, you don't know him. I'm going to ask you once to leave. If you don't, I won't hesitate to call Sheriff Swan here to see to it that you do." Even if she didn't have Morgan, she would have been angry with him. He had left her in Wonderland, he had betrayed here. She didn't think that she knew him anymore, and that was why she told him that he didn't know Morgan's father. Because the man she'd though she'd known wasn't the same man that he actually was.

---

David was silent, staring at Felicity for a few seconds. He could see that she was concerned about Cora being in Storybrooke, and he was too, but she was acting like she hardly knew him. Like they hadn't known each other and were complete strangers. It was strange to say the least. He also didn't know why he'd never seen her in town before. He'd honestly assumed the worst until today. Now he knew that she was here, and part of him wondered where she'd been this whole time.