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*One Month Later*

Astrid stood on Hook's other side as did Emma and Regina as the four watched the fairies wheel in a young fairy who had been drastically aged to an elderly woman.

Blue sighed and walked over to them as Emma began, "So?"

"It was the Dark One with the Evil Queen." Blue replied, "They're together."

"I used magic like that when I was the Dark One to speed up Zelena's pregnancy," Emma said.

They suddenly heard Belle speak up from the doorway, "This is about me! Rumple's going to do the same thing so that he can use the Shears of Destiny to cut our son's ties to his fate. And then, when that happens, he can take him from me, he can corrupt him or even worse..."

"If that truly is his plan," Astrid put out there, her arms folded across her chest lightly, "Then why would he announce it to us?"

Belle scoffed, "Because he wants me to know what he's doing. He's trying to scare me so that I'll go back to him, which I won't do, I can't do. There has to be a way to stop him."

***

"So, in my dream, my son said that the answer to stopping Rumple was right in front of me. Didn't say where." Belle explained.

Emma looked at the book that the French woman had, "And this is the book you were reading?"

"Yeah," Belle murmured.

Both Hook and Astrid noticed something about the text on the pages while Emma remarked, "Yeah, I don't think a spell for the removal of hair is going to help us."

"It's not the spell that's gonna do it, Em, it's the book itself-" Astrid began.

Hook nodded and finished for her, "Or rather, the ink it's written in. AJ and I'd be a poor excuse for a pirate, if we didn't recognize squid ink when we saw it."

Belle realized, "Squid ink. It-It can stun Rumple."

Astrid nodded, her hands over the hilts of her swords, "Aye, and while he's held, we can take the shears from him."

"Okay, I can use my magic to extract the squid ink," Emma spoke up, "The question is, how do we dose him?"

"I can do it," Belle replied, "He's doing all of this because he thinks it'll force me back to him, and if that's what he wants, then that's what I'm gonna make him think I'm doing."

"Sorry, Belle, but no. It just gives my brother-in law an opportunity to use his magic to speed up your pregnancy." Astrid spoke back up.

"She's right, love. Your dream got us this far." Hook agreed with his daughter, "You just have to leave the rest to us."

***

Hook and Astrid entered inside of Gold's shop while Emma snuck through the back, "Oh, look who it is. The Savior's lap dog and my dear sister."

Astrid smirked as Gold continued towards Hook, "Come to pick out a new collar, have we?"

"Actually, we've come to try and stop you from ruining another one of your sons' lives," Hook remarked as he stepped closer to the man, "Just like you did with Bae."

Gold scoffed and placed down the book he was reading, "Oh, is that a fact?"

Simultaneously, both Astrid and Hook sarcastically grinned at the man in front of them.

"What made you think it was a good idea to provoke the Dark One?" Gold added and began choking them both magically.

Emma stepped over to them from behind as Gold glanced at her but was unable to do anything because she threw the squid ink on him, freezing him in place.

"It's called a distraction. Killian, Astrid..." Emma spoke up first to Gold and then to her love and twin in concern.

Astrid nodded, "We're alright. Let's get searching."

Hook began to search Gold's pockets but found nothing on him as the said Dark One muttered, "I'll remember this, pirate."

"He's not carrying the dagger or the shears." Hook revealed to them.

"Okay. I'll look in here. You two search in the back." Astrid replied.

Emma and Hook both nodded and walked into the back of the shop, leaving Astrid alone with a frozen Gold.

"Well, since it's just you and me now, I recently have something of importance to tell you, Astrid," Gold spoke up, hesitant on telling her this delicate matter.

Astrid lifted an eyebrow his way and stepped back over to him, "What're you talking about?"

"My big brother. It seems he's a lot like me after all." Gold sighed.

"What're you bloody talking about right now?" Astrid murmured with narrowed eyes.

Gold admitted, "He's alive, Astrid... He's been alive this entire time, these last three months."

Astrid shook her head slowly and took a step back, letting out, "You're lying. The Olympian Crystal, it... It wipes the person completely out of existence. He can't be... even if he is, then why wouldn't he come home?"

Gold inhaled deeply before further explaining, "Zeus sent Peter back here in thanks of helping end Hades... He felt like he couldn't come back for whatever reason."

"Then where the bloody devil is he!?" Astrid demanded, tears threatening to come, "Peter wouldn't just... He wouldn't just abandon Zep or- or me..."

Gold did feel bad for his sister-in law and actually felt that she deserved everything good.

She didn't deserve the pain.

The said Dark One sighed, "I'm sorry. That's all I know. He stopped by here one day, and I haven't seen him since. My brother's a lot like me-- He's not as good as you think, like Belle sees good in me."

Astrid scoffed, "He's here in Storybrooke. That's just-- That's just bloody fantastic. He couldn't at least put me out of my misery and let me know or something?"

Gold now moved as the squid ink wore off of him, "I am sorry."

Astrid looked over at him just as Gold blasted her backwards, making her crash into a glass cabinet behind her and landing on the floor.

He then walked out of the store just as Hook and Emma raced into the front of the shop and quickly ran over to Astrid.

Hook knelt on one side of his daughter in concern and helped sit her up, "You okay, AJ?"

Astrid shook her head, "No. Not at all." She stood up and shoved out of their grasp, angry yet hurt, "I am gonna bloody kill him if he's not dead."

Hook shared a puzzled look with Emma who started, "Who? Gold? What happened?"

"No," Astrid glared at nothing in particular, "My husband. Apparently, he's been alive this whole bloody time."

"Uh... isn't that good, Astro-?" Emma slowly began.

Astrid grabbed the front of her twin's shirt and pulled her close, "Don't patronize me, sister."

She let go and moved her hand through her wavy blonde hair before adding, "It's good that he's alive, but I'm pissed and hurt that he didn't want to bloody find me. He left us... and he better have a damn good reason when I find him."

Emma nodded in understanding at what her sister was feeling since she basically dealt with something like that with Neal/Baelfire before.

"Come on," Emma told them, "We've gotta go check on Belle."

Astrid sighed and composed herself for the time being and followed them out of the shop.

***

The three of them stood inside of Granny's diner next to Belle who sighed, "I know I should be relieved..."

"Well, no one's gonna blame you for still worrying," Emma pointed out, "Gold did the right thing today. That doesn't mean he'll do the same tomorrow."

"Emma's right." Hook agreed, "And we have to make sure that he can't use that magic on you, and we will."

Granny stepped over to them from behind the counter and set a teacup in front of Belle, "Here you go. One cup of chamomile. It soothes the soul."

"Thanks Granny," Emma replied as Hook also said, "Aye, love. Drink up. Helps calm the nerves. Excuse us, love."

He stepped a few feet with Emma away from Astrid and Belle, talking to her about what happened in Gold's shop.

Astrid turned her attention on Belle, "Don't worry. I won't let anyone harm you or your baby. Okay?"

Belle smiled and then took a sip of her tea before she gasped, "I don't feel too good right now..."

She dropped her mug on the floor as it shattered in pieces, making both Emma and Hook glance over at them as Emma asked, "Belle? What is it? Are you okay?"

Astrid knelt beside the spilled tea and waved her palm over it as it glowed some, "The tea."

Belle's pregnant belly started growing big as she let out in shock, "No. No. This can't... This can't be happening! Please, no!"

The three of them watched her belly in shock and knew it was time for her baby to be delivered.

***

Gold and Peter Pan walked in front of the edge of the convent's yard as Gold muttered, "I should've known the Savior and Creator would bring my wife here. Wherever there's injustice in the world, there's always a fairy."

Peter nodded as the two began to walk towards the house but was stopped by a strong white magical barrier around the whole large house.

"Fairy magic-- along with my wife's," Peter pointed out just as Gold took out his dagger and stabbed at the barrier.

***

Astrid and Hook waited inside of the hallway outside of Belle's room while Emma helped Belle among a few fairies.

The said French woman was screaming out and in pain as she endured childbirth.

Astrid felt someone trying to break the protection spell outside and stopped pacing.

"AJ?" Hook began as he noticed her look, a concerned fatherly hand on her arm, "What is it, lass?"

Astrid looked over at him, "Gold... and Peter..." She continued to feel their magic nearby, "They're here."

"Will yours and Blue's protection spell hold long enough?" Hook warily questioned.

Astrid nodded, and said, "I believe so. My magic's powerful-- But just to be on the safe side, I'll put up a shield around this specific area and her room and keep them busy."

Before she could leave, Hook grabbed her arm with his hook as he told her, "Be careful."

Astrid fondly smiled at that and glanced behind her at him, "Promise."

She ran out of the hallway while placing another protection spell around the room and even the hall.

Astrid rounded the corner and stepped onto the porch, immediately seeing both Gold and her husband a few feet away as they tried to break the barrier.

The immortal eighteen year old scoffed and folded her arms across her chest as she watched them.

"Well, well, look what the crocodile dragged in," She remarked which made both of them look over at her.

Peter went to step forward but stopped as he remembered the protection spell in front of them, "Astrid, love-"

"Don't. You've been here this entire time and could've at least talked to me, but you didn't." Astrid cut him off, "You've had your time. You two won't get this baby."

The two men shared a look just as Gold finally broke the shield around them and smirked, "Distract her, brother."

Astrid quickly moved her hands forward as a wave of pure magic shot out and around the house, another shield now up.

"You may be the Dark One, but I'm Artemis and also the Creator." Astrid also smirked.

She walked over to the edge of the yard just at the end of the shield in front of them as they now watched her.

"But go ahead. Keep trying to beat me. Your efforts are adorable." Astrid cheekily added.

Gold looked over at his big brother and murmured, "She's your wife. Deal with her."

Peter smirked while lifting an eyebrow at him, "I know her well enough to know to not get in her way."

The twenty year old boy glanced at his love, adding, "But this isn't just Belle's son, love, it's Rumple's. You wouldn't keep me from seeing our son, so how is this any different?"

Astrid glared at him, "Oh, funny how you mention Zephyr now since he still thinks his father is dead. If you didn't want to tell me, you could've let him bloody know."

Peter glanced down at that before looking back up at her, and muttered, "I didn't have a choice. I still don't."

Astrid narrowed her eyes at him and questioned, "What do you mean?"

Peter glanced over at Gold who nodded at him to tell her the truth.

Peter sighed, "I made a deal when I came back to life. Someone had found me and said things were about to happen..." He looked back at his wife, "I made a deal with them to keep you and our son safe and out of harm's way."

Astrid moved her hands over the hilts of her swords at her hips, "At the cost of you having to stay away from us and out of contact."

"Yeah." He let out.

Astrid narrowed her eyes again at her husband and inquired, "Is that all? Because I know there's more than what you're bloody telling me right now."

Peter held up his hand at the shield and broke the barrier around them, "Brother, go."

Gold smirked and disappeared inside of the fairies' home.

Astrid widened her eyes in realization and scoffed, "Stop channeling my power. I'm mad at you."

Peter nodded, stepping closer to her, "I know. But you do still love me, because if you didn't, I wouldn't be able to share your power."

She folded her arms across her chest, "Of course I do. I always will. But right now, I'm just hurt and angry at you."

Peter sadly smiled a little and stopped an inch from her, "Why?"

"For dying, sacrificing yourself for me... For coming back to life and not bloody finding me and letting me know..." Astrid began, her voice cracking full of emotion and eyes watery, "For making that dumb deal when you know what I'm capable of and how much stronger you and I are together! Did you forget that? Do you not bloody believe in us anymore!?"

Peter watched her break as she turned around, her back now facing him.

He started to reach for her shoulder but stopped when she moved her hands over her hips.

Astrid sighed and slowly turned back around to face him again, "Usually, when I'm hurt or angry at someone, I'd hit or kick them or some other kind of violent act as a means of communication, but not this time... I believe in us. Why don't you?"

Peter was about to say something until his love turned back around and began walking away, "A-Astrid!"

A single tear fell down Astrid's face as she continued to walk away from the guy she loves with all her heart.

She will always love Peter Pan.

But she was hurting, and she needed space, yet she also needed her husband as well.

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