《Artemis || OUAT》22. And Straight on 'Till Morning

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Astrid hopped off the back of the truck as her parents and Emma exited the vehicle also, the four of them seeing Gold watching Henry swing.

"Gold. What are you doing here?" David started first as they moved over to the man curiously.

"Well, my son made it clear I'm to stay away from him, so... I'm spending some time with my grandson instead." Gold answered.

"Emma, it's okay. Why don't you go talk to Henry?" Snow commented to her older daughter, "We'll handle this."

"Mr. Gold, we have some news we need to share with you." Snow reluctantly began, "And it's not good."

Gold replied, "Not interested."

"You have to hear us out." Astrid said, "It's about Bae." She could still feel everyone's emotions and she was a little bit tired.

"Yeah... What about him?" Gold asked the teenager.

"Tamara shot him." David answered which made Gold stop in his tracks and face them, hurt and sadness now in his eyes. Gold murmured in shock, "What? He's dead?"

Astrid could even feel Gold's pain and winced some as Gold glanced over at her and said, "You tell me what happened."

"They used a bean to open a portal. Baelfire was hurt so badly, he fell through." Astrid started hesitantly as Gold stepped back with a shaky gasp, "He's gone."

"Bae wasn't supposed to die." Gold muttered sadly with a shake of his head. He glanced back at Astrid and snapped, "Stop feeling my emotions."

"I would if I could." Astrid remarked in annoyance, "Believe me, I don't want everyone's pain and hurt. I didn't ask for it."

David laid a hand on the teen's arm and began towards Gold, "Greg and Tamara-- They took something from Regina- A magical trigger. A fail-safe in the curse that can destroy Storybrooke."

"If they activate it, it's a self-destruct." Snow added, "Everyone not born in this world will die."

"I know this is hard, but we need your help. I know what you're feeling, Gold-" Astrid began as Gold cut her off, "No."

"They killed your son in cold blood and you don't wanna stop them?" David replied.

"They didn't kill my son. I did. I brought magic to this world to find Bae and now he's dead." Gold said, "Magic always has a price, and this-- this is it. But I'm prepared to pay it."

"But... We'll die. You'll die." Snow stammered out.

"No, I've made my peace with that." Gold murmured as David and Snow shared a concerned look.

Astrid ran after the man and stopped him. "No, no, I'm not bloody okay with that. Look, I know you're hurting, Gold, but you have to keep fighting. You don't get to give up- We don't get to give up. Giving up is a bloody coward's way out. Don't be a coward. Please... We need you."

Gold glared at her and said, "Don't call me a coward."

"Come on. We've all lost family, me especially. Don't- Don't just quit on us now." Astrid tried again, "After all, you still owe me a bloody favor."

Gold sadly sighed and shook his head. "I'm not helping you. Sorry, Dearie. Now leave me." He continued to walk away from them as Astrid sighed.

***

The Charming family entered their apartment as Henry noticed Regina as she said in relief, "Oh! Henry!" He ran up to her and hugged her while saying, "Mom!"

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The whole building then shook and rumbled, shattering a plate as the rumbling subsided. Emma turned to Regina and asked, "Regina, was that...?"

"Yes, the diamond was activated." Regina confirmed.

"So we're all gonna die?" Henry asked in fear as he held his aunt's hand tightly.

Regina assured her son, "You were born here, so you'll live."

Henry glanced up at Astrid and then everyone else. "But... I'll be alone."

"I'm so sorry, Henry-" Regina started as Emma spoke up, "It's not gonna happen. I'm not gonna let it. You did this, now make it stop."

"I can't. There's no way." Regina commented as Astrid spoke up, rubbing the sides of her head in her hands, "There's always a way."

"Well, figure it out, this is your fault!" Emma snapped at Regina as Henry cut in, "Stop! I already lost my dad. I don't wanna lose anyone else. We have to work together."

"From the mouths of babes. I'd say the lad has a point." Hook spoke up as he stopped in the open doorway and looked at all of them.

David punched the pirate with his right fist and said, "That's for the last time we met." Astrid winced and rubbed her own upper lip, feeling the pirate's new pain.

"Bloody hell." Hook and Astrid both replied as David withdrew his gun. Snow lifted an eyebrow curiously towards the teenager beside her.

Astrid rolled her eyes and stepped in between the two men, first glancing at Hook and then settling her look on her father. "Dad." David raised his hands halfway in surrender and slightly stepped back. Astrid faced the pirate again and smiled, "What brings you by?"

"Regina just told us that you were working with Greg and Tamara to get your revenge." Emma spoke up before Hook could answer her sister.

"Well, that was before they told me that I had to die to get it." Hook replied.

"We don't have time for this. We have a real problem." Emma sighed as Hook spoke up again, "Which is why I'm here, 'cause staring death in the face has made me realize if there's one thing I want more than my revenge, it's my daughter's and my lives. So should we start this thing now and then resume bickering?"

"There is no stopping it." Regina spoke up, "And the best thing I can do is slow it down, but that will only delay the inevitable."

"It'll give us the time we need." Astrid then spoke up in realization as Snow inquired, "Time for what?"

Astrid smirked, saying, "To steal back the beans. Use them to get everyone back into the Enchanted Forest before Storybrooke is gone."

"How? We don't even know where Greg and Tamara are." Emma replied.

"Hook does." Astrid remarked, propping her arm against the pirate's and leaned against him casually. "Right?"

"Right as always, AJ. I can help." Hook confirmed as David pulled the teenager away from Hook and beside himself.

"Help yourself. You'll have them and leave us all behind." Emma said to the pirate, "Why should we trust you?"

"I wouldn't leave Astrid-" Hook started as Astrid nodded with a light shrug.

"No, we won't have to. I'll go with him. If he tries anything, I'll shoot him in the face." David spoke up.

Hook glanced at the teenager who was by his side again as Astrid added, "Yeah, I'm going with you, too. No one dies today." Hook hid a smirk but David slightly glared at the pirate, not liking his daughter siding with the one-handed man.

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"I'll take Regina to slow down the diamond to give you guys time." Emma spoke up, "Mary Margaret, take Henry, gather everyone. Make sure they're ready to go as soon as we have those beans."

Regina stopped her son and held his arms in her hands, bending down slightly to meet his height. "Henry, before you go... I'm sorry for what's happened. I... tried to be the person that you wanted me to be, and I failed. But I won't let you be alone. You just know that I love you."

"I love you, too." Henry assured and hugged her before walking out of the apartment with Snow.

Emma and Regina then exited as it left Hook, David, and Astrid. "The things we do for our children." Hook commented.

"Okay, first of all, Astrid's not your daughter. She's my daughter." David replied.

Astrid stopped Hook from saying something and looked at David and defended the pirate, "Yes, he is, and so are you. Hook may have made mistakes, but so have you. He's not perfect, but he has been there for me for what seems like a lifetime."

Hook smiled a little and looked down at the floor and back at the two. "So, with that said, let's go save the town-- again." Astrid smirked and skipped out of the apartment as the two men followed after her.

***

David stopped his truck as the brakes squealed abruptly. "Over there." Astrid pointed out as Hook added, "Let's go." The three of them exited the vehicle just as a loud boom and rumbling sounded. Hook held a protective arm out in front of the teenager slightly behind him. Hook commented, "Time's running out."

"Oh, is that what that means?" Astrid remarked as she ran after him followed by David.

They entered inside of the building and moved through the dim hallway just as Astrid slid an arrow out of her quiver and into her bowstring, readying herself. "So, tell me, Hook, all this time, it's been about revenge for you? Why is it suddenly so important to you that you survive?"

Astrid and Hook glanced behind them at David and looked back in front of them after sharing a look. David continued, "I know what I'm fighting for-- my family, which is also what Astrid's fighting for. What are you fighting for?"

"My daughter and myself. That's plenty of motivation, I can assure you." Hook commented and walked ahead even more as Astrid heard David sigh some. There was a clanking sound as Hook stopped and lifted a hand in front of the teenager behind him protectively and said in a lowered voice, "Quiet."

Astrid moved quickly ahead of the two men and hid behind a pipe and then stepped out in front of Greg Mendell. "The beans. Give them to me." She stated, pulling the string and arrow back and aiming it at him.

Greg placed his bags on the floor and withdrew a small capsule out of his pocket and asked her, "You mean these?"

Tamara was fixing to shoot her pistol from behind them just as Astrid fired an arrow at her as it landed in her shoulder.

Hook tackled Greg to the ground, knocking the beans out of his hand as well as the gun, while David ran after an injured Tamara.

Astrid stayed behind and saw Hook and Greg wrestling for the beans as she lifted an eyebrow and readied another arrow in her bow, letting it go as it embedded in Greg's shoulder.

Greg grabbed all but one of the beans and ran after Tamara and David as Astrid helped Hook stand back up after he picked up the one magic bean.

The two of them started jogging to where David was with Tamara and Greg as Hook lightly asked the teenager beside him, "Is it bad for me to want to just use this bean for you and I? Travel the seas on the Jolly Roger like old times-- before Neverland ever happened..."

"I sometimes think that, too. Life would be simpler." Astrid shrugged, "But I couldn't leave my family behind, especially now."

"What do you mean?" Hook asked.

"I now feel the emotions, physically and mentally, of everyone that I've bonded with..." Astrid began to explain, "I had to take this potion that sped up strengthening my power to save Regina for my mom and dad."

"Like when you heal someone and feel that pain always?" Hook inquired in concern as Astrid nodded. He sighed, not liking them taking advantage of her power like that. "That's why you stepped in back at your house when David punched me... You felt it." Astrid nodded again and ran even faster.

Greg tackled David and ran over to Tamara, dragging her away from them as the two of them left.

Hook stopped David from chasing after them as David looked at him and exclaimed, "What are you doing? They've got the beans!"

"Not all of them. I snagged one." Hook replied.

"Where are the rest?" David panted.

"Who cares? All we need is one." Astrid spoke up while Hook pocketed the bean.

He stopped David from chasing after them again and said, "Hey! Live to fight another day, mate."

"I'm not your mate." David replied and walked away after retrieving the bean from the pirate who rolled his eyes.

Astrid and Hook ran after David and three of them drove to Granny's diner. They exited the vehicle again and ran into the diner. "We have the beans!" David exclaimed to the people inside.

"All right!" Some of the people cheered as Emma walked up to them and asked, "You did it?"

"Yeah." David assured.

"You okay?" Emma asked him in concern about the cut on his forearm. David glanced at it and shrugged while answering her, "Oh, it's.... grazed. It's fine."

"No, it's not." Astrid muttered and stepped beside her father, healing the deep cut and stepped back while shaking her head slightly. Hook lightly touched her arm in concern as she shook her head slightly at him with a small smile and Hook sighed somewhat.

"Okay, let's get going. Henry?" Emma said as the said boy stepped over to her and asked, "W-Where's my mom?"

Astrid leaned forward in pain as Hook caught her with one arm. "Regina." Astrid whispered.

"Regina can hold off the self-destruct device long enough for us to escape, but..." Emma began to explain to her son as he asked, "But what?"

No one paid attention to a hurting teenager, except for Hook who still held her upright in concern and worry.

"She won't survive." Emma reluctantly finished as Henry shook his head and replied, "No. No."

Emma continued, "Henry, I'm sorry. I promised her I'd get you to safety."

"But we can't do this. She's family." Henry commented desperately, "We don't leave family behind."

"I know, but this is what she wants. We have a way out. We have to take it." Emma said.

Astrid grunted as she leaned on her father figure while Henry stated, "We saved her from being killed by the Wraith. How is this any different?"

Snow realized then, "The Wraith."

Emma looked at her in confusion and asked, "What?"

"We sent it through a portal. Why can't we do the same thing with the self-destruct?" Snow commented.

"Because we don't know if it's going to work." Emma replied as Snow said, "It could." David also added, "Yeah."

"It's too risky. No one will go along with it." Emma said just as Archie spoke up, "Yes, we will. Because it's the right thing to do. Look, Snow White and the Prince have always led us before, and we've always won. So... who's willing to let them lead us again?"

A man spoke up and said, "You can count on us." As the whole town agreed also. Snow replied, "Thank you, Archie. Oh, this is what we should do."

"And will do." David added as Snow finished, "I know we haven't had a lot of chances to be parents, but give us this one. Let us do the right thing. It's not too late."

"I just don't want him to be alone." Emma replied, "I don't want him to grow up the way I did."

Then a loud, shaky boom rumbled throughout the town, making everyone stumble back. Astrid groaned, feeling it more than everyone else, and was still being held up by Hook.

"This plan could fail." Emma added, "If we use that bean now, we can get away for sure. We will survive."

"But it's wrong. Emma, I killed her mother." Snow replied.

"You did that to Cora because you had to." Emma said as Snow replied, "I did it because it was easy. It was a mistake. There were other paths- harder paths, and I wished I had taken them. So, please, Emma, honey... Let's take the hard path. Because if we don't, we will be building a future on Regina's blood."

"Astrid?" Emma asked as the said girl straightened up, acting like she wasn't in pain. "What do you think?"

"Whatever you bloody want." Astrid sighed, glancing over at Hook beside her and back at her parents.

"Okay." Emma said as David tossed her the pouch that had the bean inside but Hook caught it and stepped back over to his favorite teenager who had a hand over her waist.

He spoke up, "You're all mad. I can live with myself. This self-destruct is effecting Astrid more than it us and she's in pain. We're leaving."

"Give it back." Emma said to him as Hook replied, "If she wants to die for us, I say let her."

"You and I- We understand each other. Look out for yourself, and you'll never get hurt, right?" Emma said.

Astrid staggered forwards to them and spoke up, "H-Hook, just give it to them. They need to save Henry's mother- ah. And quick."

Hook's face softened at his adopted daughter being in pain and then he handed the pouch to Astrid who smiled in thanks and handed it to Emma.

Astrid stepped into Hook's open arms and let him hug her, her eyes halfway closed and a small smile on her face.

"Come on, Astrid, let's go." Emma said as the said teenager shrugged and replied, "You guys go ahead. I'll make sure this guy doesn't get into any other bloody trouble."

She didn't tell them that she was experiencing a lot of pain at the moment to where it hurt to even move. Hook told them and they ignored it, so Astrid just shrugged it off.

"Be careful, Kiddo." David said while kissing the top of his teenager's temple as Astrid smiled a little and replied, "You too. Go save her." He nodded and followed his wife, grandson, and Emma out of the diner.

Astrid faced Hook with slightly narrowed eyes and inquired, "You didn't give them the bean, did you? You gave them just that bag."

"Kid, you know me so well." Hook grinned as Astrid grunted some and replied to him, "We should go and give it to them-"

The diner shook again as Astrid stumbled and leaned over with a groan, her face now drained of her color. "AJ?"

"There- There's so much hurt and pain and-and fear and all of these different emotions..." Astrid muttered, holding herself up yet still feeling like she was going to collapse, "And I lost my brother, which is Henry's dad apparently, yesterday...

"Who's his dad?" Hook asked curiously, his hand on her arm in concern.

"Baelfire, but now, he goes by Neal-- or did..." Astrid answered as Hook looked a little sad and she noticed it- and felt it. "I know he was like a son to you. I'm sorry."

"At least, I still have you, kid." Hook commented as the teenager smiled a little and nodded in agreement. She began to collapse as Hook caught her. "AJ? Hey, you okay?"

"Mm..." Astrid groaned, between half consciousness and unconsciousness. Hook lifted her up in his arms and carried her away.

He just needed to get her away from a place that was going to self-destruct and away from a place where she was feeling so much hurt. He needed her safe and he knew what he was going to do.

*Down in the mines*

Emma, Snow, David, and Henry ran down to the mines to where Regina was at near the hovering, glowing diamond that was sucking all of the magic out of the town.

"What are you doing here!?" Regina questioned once she saw them approach her.

"You were willing to die to save us. That makes you a hero. And now we're gonna be heroes." Henry answered her.

Regina shook her head as David began to explain their plan, "We're gonna open a portal and throw this thing into a void."

"No. You don't know that it'll work." Regina shot the idea down.

Snow spoke up with a small shake of her head, "We have to try."

Emma nodded in agreement and showed them the bag as David, Snow, and Henry stepped to the side and said, "Everybody, step aside."

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