《Artemis || OUAT》94. Wish You Were Here
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Astrid sat on top of the coffee table, her legs folded Indian-style as she sharpened her battle axe.
She was upset and was trying to clear her head.
Her husband was truly back, and yet, not with her and her five year old son.
And Astrid really didn't know how she should tell Zephyr-- if she even should.
She didn't want him to hurt even more.
David moved away from the kitchen and over to the living room to find Astrid continuing to sharpen her axe, "Astrid."
Astrid shook her head, not bothering to look up at him, "I don't want to talk yet."
He sighed and sat across from her on the couch before placing his hands over hers holding her battle axe, "Let it out, A. It's not good to hold it all in."
Astrid sighed and glanced up at him as he noticed the brokenness in her blue eyes along with tears.
"After everything Peter and I have been through..." Astrid murmured, "He still doesn't see that we're stronger together. He doesn't believe in himself or- or us."
David also sighed, "Do you still believe in him after everything?"
Astrid furrowed her eyebrows at that question and gave him a look, "Of course I do."
David repeated himself from a while back, "Then help him realize the strength you two have and have always had."
She wiped her face and set her axe down next to her, saying, "It's different this time. I can't."
"A, I know you're hurting and angry and other emotions." David pointed out, "You sharpen your battle axe there when you're emotional or stressed... But you can't for too long for one simple reason: Zephyr. He needs you, especially now."
Astrid moved a strand of hair behind her ear as she deeply inhaled, and said, "I know that. He doesn't know right now. I just don't want him to hurt anymore."
David sadly smiled, "You should tell Zep that his father's alive. You seen how Henry felt when Emma lied about his father's death-- and you've seen how lies tend to tear us apart."
Astrid slowly nodded, "I know. And I am gonna tell him. That's why I was clearing my head."
Regina, Snow, Emma, and Hook suddenly entered inside of the apartment and moved over to them.
"Astro, your husband is up to something-" Emma spoke up first, making her sister stand up as she watched her suspiciously.
"He's gathering these ingredients to make a portal," Regina added on the explanation.
"There's two obvious reasons on why he's making a portal." Astrid replied, folding her arms across her chest, "He's either leaving or he's bringing someone here. And he's not leaving, I know that."
Hook shared a look with his love before looking over at his adopted daughter, "So, the question is, who is he bringing to Storybrooke?"
Astrid sighed, dropping her arms to her sides, "I guess it's bloody time for me to go talk to Peter." She scoffed sarcastically, "Yay, talking about feelings. That's always fun. Let's go."
***
Hook, David, Emma, and Astrid walked down Main Street when they suddenly heard a woman let out, "Help me!"
The four of them ran inside of Granny's to find Princess Jasmine tied up to a chair. "Jasmine!"
Peter stepped out from the kitchen and smirked, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."
Emma glared at him and swung her sword and was fixing to attack until he used his magic to choke Jasmine.
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"Careful, Savior. I can snap her neck before you get a step closer."
Jasmine was gasping from lack of oxygen.
Emma lowered her sword and stepped back as Peter stopped, allowing the Agrabah princess breathe again, "That's better."
"Peter, why are you doing this?" Astrid spoke up.
Peter looked over at his love as his gaze softened for just a second before he pulled out a genie lamp.
He rubbed it once as Aladdin suddenly appeared on Jasmine's other side.
"What the devil?" Hook muttered.
Peter smirked at the pirate, "You did always say I was a bloody demon, Captain. This is my genie now."
"I'm sorry," Aladdin let out towards the four of them.
"I believe I have three wishes," Peter continued as the said genie replied, "Go ahead, wish. They always come with a price."
"That they do." Peter agreed, adding, "Which is why I'm not going to wish something for me. I'm gonna give my sister-in law something she's always wanted. Something you confided about... to Aladdin."
Emma widened her eyes, "You heard us?"
Astrid scoffed, "Of course he did. He was always there in the shadows... What is this about, Peter? If you're in trouble, let us help you find another way-"
Peter sighed, "It's too late, love. Your sister wished she weren't the Savior." He glanced at Aladdin, "Genie of Agrabah, I wish... that Emma Swan's wish, to have never been the Savior... to be granted."
Emma lunged forward, "No!" But before she could reach Peter, she disappeared by Aladdin.
"EMMA!" Both Astrid and David let out.
"What happened? Where did she go!?" Hook also demanded.
Peter appeared behind his wife who quickly faced him, "Astrid will bring her back."
"Aye, I will," Astrid simply said, "But what's the point of this little game of yours?"
"Now you're getting it, love," Peter commented, kissing her forehead before stepping back and vanishing.
"Wha-I- What in the bloody hell?" Astrid murmured at a loss of words.
***
"Where did she go?" Henry questioned first.
"We have no idea, Henry." Hook admitted as Regina also replied, "But we're trying to figure that out, right? Because I didn't stay behind for you to screw things up!"
Astrid stopped their arguing, "Relax. I'm getting her back. I can create portals, too, remember?"
"AJ, no offense, but that's exactly what your husband wants you to do." Hook pointed out, "It could be a trap."
Astrid shook her head, "Oh, it's not. No, I know him. He wants me to leave here so that he bring whoever here also..."
David moved his hands over his hips, "You got a plan already?"
"Regina, mind going in my place to this unknown realm and retrieving Emma?" Astrid said, "I've got Peter to handle."
Regina nodded, "Of course."
"Be careful, Mom," Henry told her as the two hugged briefly.
The said immortal eighteen year old's hands began glowing as she suddenly made another door appear in the diner as it opened to reveal a white portal.
"It's locked onto my sister's location, so now you'll appear in whatever realm she's in," Astrid explained, "Good luck. And both of you come back."
"Promise," Regina assured her and stepped into the portal as Astrid then closed it and made it disappear.
***
"I can't do this. I can't just sit by and wait. Peter is out there, he's got more wishes." David started as he paced around the table.
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Hook glanced over at him, "Don't worry, mate. Regina will be back with Emma soon enough."
"And then what?" David questioned, "What's to stop him from making another wish that sends them someplace even worse? When Snow gets back with Zephyr, how am I supposed to tell my wife our daughter is missing?"
The prince sighed, "I'm gonna get that lamp."
"Mate!" Hook stood up from his seat and grabbed his arm to stop him, "We have to trust Astrid's plan. Her plans usually most of the time works. Trust our daughter."
David lowered his head before glancing back up at him and nodding in agreement, "You're right."
They suddenly heard Astrid speak up from the doorway, amused, "Well, that's a first. You two agreeing and actually sharing custody of me."
Both Hook and David quickly moved over to her as Hook asked in concern, "AJ. What happened?"
Astrid deeply inhaled before sighing and showed them the genie lamp, "I got it. Here you go, Jasmine."
Jasmine smiled and gratefully took the lamp from her, "Thank you."
She rubbed the lamp once lightly as a puff of gold smoke flew out of it and appeared Aladdin next to her.
The two of them hugged each other in relief.
"I trust that you will be wise with this lamp and it's power." Astrid spoke towards the princess, "I wish you two the best of luck, uh, no pun intended."
Jasmine smiled at her, "Thank you again. And I understand the risks, but Aladdin and I... We have to try. We have to find Agrabah."
"You sure that's a good idea?" Henry spoke up as he stepped over to them.
"Whatever the price, I owe it to my people." Jasmine replied, "And I'm willing to make the sacrifice."
Aladdin stepped forward and took her hand in his, "We both are."
"We'll miss you." Henry nodded.
"Don't, we'll be back." Aladdin smiled and pulled something out of his pocket, "Until then, give this to your mom for me. From one Savior to another."
Henry took the royal scarab from him and looked at it.
Astrid stepped forward and spoke back up, "And if you ever need help, just call out to me. I'll be there."
Aladdin grinned, "Thank you for everything, Astrid."
The said immortal eighteen year old nodded at him with a light smile.
Jasmine then breathed in and glanced at the genie next to her, "Do you trust me?"
"Always, Princess," Aladdin assured.
Jasmine softly smiled, "Then... I wish for you to take us to Agrabah."
Aladdin then made him and Jasmine vanish in thin air while everyone else shared a look between one another.
Astrid sighed and sat down on the arm of the couch, "Dads... what exactly do I tell Zep when he gets here from his Grandpa Robin's camp?"
David stepped over to her, placing a fatherly hand on her shoulder, "You tell him the truth."
Astrid lowered her head and closed her eyes sadly, letting out, "That his father has been alive for the past three months and is up to nothing good? Zep not only looks up to me, but he looked to his father. Peter was his hero."
Henry sat down on the edge of the coffee table across from his aunt and said, "Astrid, he'll be sad about it, but he does need to know. Trust me, you don't him finding out from someone else or by Peter, especially when you knew."
Astrid glanced at her nephew and smiled sadly, "I know, buddy. You're right."
Snow walked inside of the home with Zephyr following close behind her.
Astrid stood back up and took a deep breath and moved over to her son, bending down to his height, "Hey, Kid, I need to tell you something."
The said five year old looked up at her and nodded in understanding just as their family left out of the room.
Astrid led him over to the couch and sat down, "Zep, baby... These three months, your dad has been alive. I didn't know that until yesterday."
"Wh-What?" Zephyr's brown eyes watered at that and slowly shook his head, "Why hasn't he came home then, Mommy?"
Astrid gave him a sympathetic sad look and carefully began, "He said he had made this deal in order to keep you and I safe from whatever is to come... But then he sent your Aunt Emma to another realm-- who'll be back in no time."
"But... But why would Papa do that?" Zephyr slowly began.
"I don't know, Kid," Astrid admitted, keeping a comforting arm around the child, "Maybe your father thinks if he does whatever his plan is, we'll be safe and protected. He does love you, Zephyr. Never doubt that, okay?"
Zephyr nodded and moved into his mother's arms as he wrapped his small arms around her neck.
Astrid kissed him on the cheek as he murmured, "Okay..." She hugged him a bit tighter, "Everything will be okay, won't it, Mama?"
Astrid smiled before assuring, "It always is, kiddo."
From a distance, a shadow with bright eyes watched the two of them and flew away to the back of Granny's diner and to Peter Pan.
Peter had heard everything his wife told his son and still couldn't believe she would continue to see good in him.
He waited for the last people to leave out of the diner before he then created a portal with the right ingredients.
"Soon, hopefully this will all be over," He let out with a sigh.
Once the portal was open, a hooded figure suddenly appeared in front of him.
"Welcome, my dear nephew," Peter remarked with a smirk, "Told you I'd get you here."
Outside of the diner, Leroy had exited out of the diner along with two other dwarves when a bright light had shone inside of the restaurant while it shook some.
"Portal! We've been portalled!" Leroy then exclaimed in fear as he and the other two ran from the diner to warn people.
But before they could completely get away, the said hooded figure and Peter Pan stepped out of the diner and walked down the street with purpose.
***.
"Big trouble, team! Big trouble!" Leroy announced as he entered inside of the Blanchard apartment and moved over to David, Snow, Hook, Henry, and Astrid.
"What is it?" David and Astrid simultaneously questioned the said dwarf.
"A guy in a hood just appeared through a portal by your husband," Leroy explained directed at Astrid.
"From Emma's vision." Snow realized aloud as David added, "Did you see him? Did you see who was under that hood?"
***
Gold and Belle looked away from each other and to the door of his shop as a hood figure and Peter abruptly entered inside.
They warily watched the hooded man who then revealed himself by taking his hood off, "Hello, Mother. Hello, Father."
***
Emma and Regina stood on the beach as the former Evil Queen dropped the magic bean on the ground, now creating a green portal.
Just as the two of them held hands, they heard an arrow coming at them as they quickly dropped to the ground and saw two arrows embedded in the log next to them.
"What the-"
"Not another step, ladies." Wish Astrid suddenly spoke up as she pointed her bow and arrow at them.
She had on her black mask covering the bottom half of her face.
Emma widened her eyes at this version of her sister who seemed more merciless yet less hopeful, "No. Can't be."
"This is a robbery." Wish Astrid remarked, "Let's go! Off with the jewelry!"
Both Regina and Emma noticed that the portal had quickly closed, leaving them stuck in the realm now, as they glanced back at the archer in front of them.
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