《Artemis || OUAT》50. The Apprentice

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Astrid stepped down the stairs and started to move over to where Peter, Elsa, and Snow was at near the table just as Peter dropped three books on the surface while Snow held baby Neal in her arms.

Snow told Elsa, "Census records from the first and second curses. If Anna was ever in Storybrooke, we'll find some trace of her here."

Elsa pointed out, "Your curses are very... thorough."

Peter glanced over at where David was as the said man was getting more books, the boy remarking, "That's an understatement."

"That's just A through E," Snow pointed out just as David placed down several other books onto the table while adding, "Here are the rest of them."

Astrid stepped on her love's other side and spoke up in slight amusement, "Who the fuck-?"

Peter glanced at the girl and cut her off, linking her hand in his, "Language."

Astrid nodded and corrected herself, "Whom the fuck-" Peter shook his head with a sigh while she continued, "-took the time to write down all of this information?"

Before anyone could answer, Emma stepped over to them in a pretty, pink dress and fixed up, her starting, "Okay. I want honest opinions. What do you think?"

"Wow." Snow replied with a grin.

"What your mother said." David also replied.

"Is that just the corset? Where's the rest of it?" Elsa inquired with a smile.

"This is the rest of it," Emma began while looking down at what she was wearing again.

Snow set their baby down in his crib and cooed, "Someone's big sister is going on a very big date tonight!"

"Let's not oversell-" Emma started sheepishly but was blinded by a flash as Snow took a picture of her. "Wow, I really need to get my own place."

"Cut your mother some slack. It's not like we got to send you girls to a ball," David smiled.

"You sure you guys don't want help? Maybe I can get Hook to stay in for the night," Emma tried on bailing on the date idea.

"My sister put her wedding on hold because of me," Elsa pointed out, "I don't want anyone else to stop living their lives on my account."

"Oh, she won't. My twin is going on her date," Astrid remarked while wrapping an arm around her sister's shoulders lightly.

Elsa furrowed her eyebrows and voiced her thoughts aloud curiously, "So, who's the older twin anyway? Emma?"

"We're twins. It doesn't matter." Emma shrugged with a smile.

"Emma was born first," Snow commented, "And then Astrid-"

"But, technically, I'm older because I'm nearly three hundred years old," Astrid remarked while cutting her mother slightly off.

"What? How's that possible?" Her parents and sister voiced their confusion aloud in unison.

Astrid stepped back over to Peter and shared a knowing look with him as Peter spoke up, "Because the time zones are different in both Berk and Neverland, which were the two realms Astrid grew up in."

"Exactly." Astrid nodded and added, "If I never went to those places and went where my sister was or stayed in the Enchanted Forest, I would be the same physical age as Emma here."

"Okay," Emma nodded. Someone knocked at the door then as Emma let out again, "Okay." Snow also spoke up in a sing-song voice, "Here we go."

Emma opened the door with Hook admiring her and complimented, "You look stunning, Swan."

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"You... look..." Emma started as Hook smiled and replied, "I know." Emma chuckled some with a sigh.

"Now that I'm settling into this world, I finally thought it was time to dress the part," Hook added while stepping into the home more.

The former pirate held up a rose in his new-old hand that used to be a hook as Emma took the rose while saying, "Wow. You really went all out."

Peter's and Astrid's eyebrows shot up simultaneously slightly at the hand as Snow started, "Uh, Emma..."

"Is that-?" Emma also began towards the man.

"Mine? Yeah. The Dark One kindly restored what he once took from me." Hook explained, "It seems he has indeed changed his ways."

"So, what do I call you now- "Captain Hand"?" Emma remarked.

"Killian will do," Hook replied with Emma nodded and saying, "Okay, Killian. We should get out of here before David decides to give you his overprotective-dad speech."

Hook pointed over at David and commented, "Well, you can spare yourself the trouble, mate. I assure you, your daughter couldn't be in better hands."

"That's exactly what worries me, especially now that you have two of them," David replied.

"I can take care of myself," Emma assured quickly.

"You still have that dagger I gave you?" Astrid spoke up curiously, her arms folded across her chest like their father who also inquired after her question, "You sure you don't want me to drive?"

"Goodbye," Emma replied while starting to push the pirate out the door with her.

Hook stopped and moved over to his daughter and hugged her, asking, "You really alright with me dating her?"

"Go. You two deserve to be happy. And you're good together. But, seriously, if you hurt my sister-" Astrid answered lightly while punching his arm hard.

Hook chuckled, kissed the top of the girl's head, and exited out of the apartment with Emma.

David closed the door behind them and looked over at Peter, Snow, Elsa, and Astrid, asking, "I wasn't too hard on him, right?"

Astrid snorted, answering, "I think I was more hard on him than you were-- and he's also my dad."

"You should have seen me when Kristoff started dating Anna," Elsa spoke up, "It's the only time in my entire life that I've ever made someone sweat."

David chuckled just as Peter stepped over to the kitchen and made him a cup of coffee. Snow spoke up, "Speaking of which, let's see if we can figure out what happened to your sister."

Astrid smirked and nudged her father with her elbow as he looked down at her, her saying, "If I run and leap at Peter, he will almost certainly catch me in his arms."

David laughed softly and shook his head as Astrid ran towards the kitchen where her love was, exclaiming, "Incoming!"

"No, I'm holding coffee!" Peter started but dropped his cup of coffee on the floor and catches his fiancé in his arms.

"...Why are you like this?" Peter laughed after kissing her before he set his love back down on the floor on her feet.

"Aww, come on! You know you love me," Astrid also laughed, her arms now wrapped around his waist as she looked up at him innocently.

Peter smirked, joking, "Now, where did you get that idea?" Astrid gave him a fake pouty, sad look and sniffled. "Love, come on. Don't cry, I was just kidding. I do love you- more than anything."

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Astrid giggled, "I know, you doofus. I love you, too." Peter rolled his eyes and kissed her on the lips.

Astrid pulled back and smirked, saying, "You know what? I'm jealous of you."

"What? Why?" Peter inquired, lifting an eyebrow at her curiously.

"Your fiancé is way hotter than mine," Astrid remarked as her smirk grew even bigger with her walking away from him and over to her parents and Elsa.

"Wait, but we're engage-- Come back here, you little-!" Peter stammered out and also followed after his love, stepping beside her.

Astrid grinned up at the green eyed boy who then wrapped an arm around the small of her back, pulling her close to him.

***

"You're staring again," Snow commented to her teenage daughter who looked at her in confusion and cluelessly asked, "What?"

David, Snow, and Astrid was standing in the kitchen while Peter sat at the table reading through the census books with Elsa-- but Peter was trying so hard not to fall asleep from boredom.

"A, you're practically drooling," David remarked in amusement.

Astrid wiped her mouth but didn't find any drool as she commented, "No, I'm not. Shut up, you're crazy."

"Yeah, you're right," Snow chuckled and nodded with a little smirk, "What on Earth would you ever see in your true love known as Peter Pan?"

"What!? Peter is amazing! Funny, handsome, smart-" Astrid started in defense of her betrothed but stopped when she noticed her parents' amused looks.

Astrid frowned, saying, "I can't believe I actually fell for that." Her parents laughed with a shake of their heads.

Astrid moved away from them and stepped over to the table, immediately sitting in her love's lap as he wrapped an arm around her. "Hey, Peter?"

"Yeah?" He replied after she leaned her back against his chest and laid her head on his shoulder.

"Can I kiss you?" Astrid chuckled. Peter smirked and held back his laughter as he remarked, "I don't know, can you?"

Astrid pursed her lips out and then smirked, standing back up, saying, "Nope!" She waltzed away from him.

"Babe, no," Peter sighed and then stood up and followed her up the stairs and entered their bedroom to find her on her phone with Hook. "Babe? Love?"

Astrid held up a hand and continued talking on the phone, "-Hey, I'm sure you're date is going well. Just-"

"Charming?"

"Just don't worry about what happened-"

"Love of my life? Honey?"

Astrid hid an amused smile and continued talking on the phone with her adopted father, "She loves you, and you love her. There's no doubt about that-"

"Astrid!" Peter tried again as the girl replied first on the phone and then to her fiancé with a smirk, "Dad, hold on, please. Yes, Huckleberry?"

Peter also smirked, saying, "I love you. Now, can I have that kiss?"

Astrid kept her smirk and simply remarked, "I don't know, can you?"

"Come here." Peter rolled his eyes and pulled her into his arms, kissing her on the lips as she kissed him back.

They both hear on the other side of Astrid's phone, Hook sighing, "Yeah, I'm still here."

Astrid actually laughed and spoke on the phone now, "Why? You're on a date. Go be the good man I know you are, Dad. I'll talk to you soon. Love you."

"Love you, too. And Pan, no funny business-" Hook started.

"You do know that we're engaged?" Peter replied.

"So? That's still my daughter," Hook sighed before adding, "You hurt her, I hurt you."

"Yes, you and David and Robin, too," Peter remarked and directed the last part to his love, "A, you've got a lot of dads."

Astrid grinned, saying,"Yup. I'm very lucky." Hook chimed in and added before hanging up, "Alright, I'm hanging up now. Bye."

Astrid hung up and placed the phone on top of the dresser and kissed her betrothed again with him returning the kiss but with even more fervor.

"How about we get out of the house and go grab something to eat, also?" Peter started, interlocking their hands with his after he kissed her forehead.

"Sounds like a wonderful plan to me," Astrid replied, "Let's go, Romeo."

***

Astrid stepped down the stairs in the loft, wearing a pretty, skater dress with a sparkly gold leather jacket and her black converse sneakers; Her wavy, blonde hair fixed pretty.

Peter was wearing jeans, converse sneakers, and a flannel button-up shirt; He marveled at his fiancé, letting out with a smile, "Love, you're beautiful- like always."

"I know," Astrid grinned and took his hand in hers, kissing his cheek.

Snow quickly grabbed her camera again and spoke up, "Smile!"

Astrid rolled her eyes but smiled as did Peter; Peter wrapped an arm around the small of her back and looked down at her with a loving look just as Snow took the picture.

David folded his arms across his chest, pointing out, "Man, I really need to start doing my job better."

"Don't worry. He won't hurt me. And if he does, I can protect myself." Astrid smirked in confidence.

"Right, the whole raised by a pirate and Vikings and an infamous archer-" David nodded.

"And being one of the daughters of Snow White and Prince Charming-- and being formerly known as Mortefera and the Ender and now as the Creator," Astrid added in amusement.

"Her reputation upholds her," Peter remarked, "Besides, I'll always keep her safe."

David and Snow smiled just as the young couple left out of the apartment, their hands still interlocked with one another's.

***

After they ate, Peter and Astrid began walking down the sidewalk back to the Blanchard apartment. "I love you, A, more than anything-- and what we have is the most realist feeling I've ever had with anyone and I don't want to ruin that." Peter started.

"I love you, too," Astrid assured, "Always and forever." She moved one hand over his heart and kissed him on the lips.

"Forever and always, love," Peter murmured and kissed her back with more fervor than before, "You're mine."

"I'm yours," Astrid smiled as the two began walking again, still holding hands.

Peter stopped in his tracks, letting out a sharp gasp as an immense pain overwhelmed him. Astrid felt his pain and slightly held him up, asking, "What's wrong?"

"I-- I don't know..." Peter admitted breathlessly.

His chest where his heart began to glow orange as a wave of dark magic pushed the two of them away from the other painfully.

A weird symbol appeared on Astrid's left hand as she clenched that hand after looking down at the symbol and then looked over at her love and let out in concern, "Peter? Are you okay?"

Peter grunted and sat up off of the ground, also letting out, "I've been cursed..."

"What curse?" Astrid wondered aloud.

"It... I don't know exactly what, but it's a very rare, dark curse," Peter muttered while standing back up and brushed himself off.

"How bad is it?" Astrid inquired in concern and sadness, her eyebrows furrowed as they remained a few feet from each other.

"It means I can't be around you," Peter sighed, his heart literally feeling like thousands of knives stabbing him in his heart, "And True Love's Kiss won't work."

"We will find a way to be together-" Astrid started, "We always do."

"I have a feeling it won't be this time, Astrid." Peter mumbled and walked away from her.

"Peter-" Astrid started as her blue eyes watered slightly before she turned around and headed to the Blanchard home.

After about five minutes, she stopped at the front door and inhaled sharply before entering inside, closing the door behind her; She leaned against the door and closed her eyes.

"Astrid, what happened? Where's Peter?" Snow began in concern, wrapping an arm around her teenager daughter's shoulders while leading her over to the counter.

"He's, um... Peter's cursed- and True Love's kiss bloody won't work..." Astrid sadly admitted, "We can't even be around each other without it physically hurting him now."

David furrowed his eyebrows and spoke up, "So, Peter left... He thinks he has to do things alone. He doesn't even realize the strength you two have together. Do you still believe in him?"

"Of course! I wish he did." Astrid replied without hesitation.

"Then help him realize that," David commented, "True love isn't easy, but it must be fought for. Because once you find it, it can never be replaced."

*Peter's POV*

Peter didn't know where he was walking to but noticed Gold entering inside of his car, fixing to leave his shop.

As soon as Gold sat down in the driver's seat and closed his door, Hook approached the car and quickly got in and sat in the front passenger's seat.

Probably his bloody hand giving him trouble, Peter thought in slight amusement with a small shrug, But knowing my brother, he gave the captain a warning about that who didn't want to listen.

Peter appeared in the backseat of the car just as Hook stated, "Remove the damn thing before it makes me do something you'll regret."

Peter spoke up with a small smirk, "Was that a threat? Did you just threaten my brother?"

The two men quickly looked behind them at the boy with Gold smirking a little bit and Hook nodding and answering, "Aye, mate. Take it back, or Belle learns that the dagger she has is as fake as your new disposition."

"Now, how do you know it's fake?" Peter remarked, leaning his arms against both of the seats.

"He wouldn't have given me the hand if it weren't," Hook pointed out.

"After you extracted that price, I switched the real dagger back," Gold spoke up.

Hook swallowed in slight nervousness, saying, "No, you're lying."

"Am I?" Gold challenged, "Seems you've lost that leverage you once had. So if you want to part ways with that hand and get this back, there's only one way I'll help."

Hook bowed his head, muttering, "Damn. What do you want?"

"All in due time," Gold answered.

"And you think I'm daft enough to agree to that without knowing the terms?" Hook remarked, "I'll find another way to rid myself of this damned hand. Pan can do it."

"I'm afraid that's easier said than done," Peter spoke up, "His magic put that hand on, and only his magic can take it off."

Hook quickly acted and shoved the hook in Gold's chest as the Dark One grunted; The pirate sat back in his seat with slightly wide eyes.

Gold chuckled, "You'd think you'd have learned the first time you buried that hook in me-- it never sticks." He waved his hand and made the hook disappear and healed the wound.

Hook shook his head in worry, saying, "That wasn't me."

"You're losing control, dearie." Gold remarked, "Next time, you might do something to someone who can't be so easily fixed. Like your daughter or the Savior."

Peter's jaw flexed at the mention of his love, his heart aching to be with her, as Hook sighed and gave in, "You have a deal. I'll do whatever it takes."

Gold chuckled, "Oh, I do love it when they say that. Meet me at the docks tomorrow morning, Captain. We have work to do."

"Pan, can't you just talk to him in taking this hand off for me? For Astrid?" Hook began towards the green eyed immortal boy.

Peter's eyes darkened somewhat as he admitted, "I can't even be around my fiancé anymore."

"What? Why?" Both Hook and Gold questioned Peter who sighed and answered, "Because someone cursed me. It prevents me from being close to her physically without it hurting. I mean, it hurts still without being around her but it triples when I'm with her..."

"Who did that?" Hook inquired.

"Probably someone who knows the two of them are stronger together. Their magic combined is very powerful," Gold pointed out.

"Yeah," Peter let out.

"Sorry, big brother," Gold replied.

"When I find out who cursed me to hurt not only me but Astrid, they're dead," Peter remarked.

***

Astrid was fixing to go to Gold's, sensing her true love around there but stopped in her tracks to find a pale blonde haired woman in a long white gown standing a few feet from her, watching Astrid with curious eyes.

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