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Dreaming Out Loud

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Chapter 54: Tiny

Tiny wandered the woods, knowing nothing of where he was now. The witch and the pirate had captured him and brought him aboard a vessel. Somehow, they had made the last bean useable again and they had gone through a portal.

The next thing he knew, the pirate was awakening him and forcing him off the ship to wander this strange place. He had taken to the woods out of fear and curiously had found a mushroom in his pocket. He hated the humans that had done this to him...he hated them all. Perhaps if he used it...he could make them all pay or make them send him home. But he refrained for now and attempted to find food to satiate his hunger. Then he would decide what to do about the humans, for he would never trust them again. They had destroyed his life and he would destroy them for it…

~*~

Snow put her arms around her husband from behind that morning, as he stood at the griddle, making them pancakes. He had become quite the cook once he learned how modern appliances worked and how much easier cooking actually was in this realm. Charming’s mother had taught him much about cooking and he actually enjoyed cooking for his family immensely.

“I smell cinnamon…” she mentioned.

“That’s because I put it in your pancakes,” he replied, as he kissed her nose and then fed her a bite.

“Mmm...best pancakes ever,” she complimented, as she chewed and then kissed him tenderly.

“I’m a little surprised you’re not at the station already though,” she mentioned. He shrugged.

“Leroy and Happy are running morning patrol for me and things are quiet. So I thought I’d make breakfast for my beautiful wife, the Mayor, before she leaves for the day,” he mentioned.

“Remind me to thank them...because there is nothing I need more than quiet mornings at home with my husband,” she purred, as they kissed again.

“I love you…” he told her, as their lips parted. She smiled.

“And I love you,” she replied, as they heard a knock at the door, just as Persephone was coming down the stairs.

“Oh Johanna...please come in,” Snow said, as the woman did so with a kind smile.

“I hope you don’t mind...I’ve been baking again and I have more bread than I’ll ever eat. I thought you and David might enjoy some,” she said.

“Thank you...would you like to join us for breakfast?” Snow asked.

“Oh no, thank you dear, but I can’t stay. I just wanted to see how you were doing though. I was so happy when the town made the right choice for you to lead us as Mayor,” she replied, as her eyes met Persephone’s. Snow looked down shyly.

“I just hope I can live up to the faith they’ve put in me,” the raven haired beauty mentioned.

“You will sweetheart…” Persephone interjected. David watched the scene with trepidation, for the way Johanna and Persephone were circling his wife was like watching two mama bears quarreling over whose cub she was.

“Yes...the Goddess is right about that. You will be a wonderful Mayor. I’m so proud of you, my little Snow,” Johanna said, as she cupped the young woman’s face.

“She is not your Snow,” Persephone snapped.

“Mother…” Snow chided.

“Oh, it’s all right, dear...I expected this. It’s only natural for her to be jealous of the bond we have. Jealous of the fact that I was the one to raise you,” Johanna responded, as the two women glared at each other.

“Johanna…” Snow scolded lightly. But there was no taming the fierce hatred between these two women.

“Why are you really here, Johanna?” Persephone questioned.

“I don’t know what you are implying, Goddess. I am simply here to check on my Snow,” Johanna replied innocently.

“After all this time? Why now? Why should I believe that you’re not here spying on us for Cora?” she questioned.

“I guess that you don’t, but I assure you I only want the best for Snow,” Johanna feigned innocently.

“Please...stop this. I love you both...please don’t fight,” Snow pleaded.

“Sweetheart...she’s working for Cora. We can’t trust her,” Persephone admonished.

“Johanna would never hurt me...I believe that,” Snow refuted. Johanna smiled and hugged her, knowing how much that would get under Persephone’s skin.

“You are absolutely right, Snow. But I can see it’s best that I go for now,” she said.

“No...you don’t have to,” Snow replied. The older woman smiled.

“It’s all right, dear...perhaps we can catch up at the diner over lunch,” she suggested, as she left. Snow huffed and crossed her arms, looking at her mother sternly.

“Snow…” she started to say, but the other raven haired woman put her hands up.

“I don’t want to hear it!” the Princess snapped.

“I want Johanna in my life and you’re going to have to find a way to deal with that,” Snow snapped, as she started gathering her things to get ready to leave, just as David’s phone rang.

“What is it Leroy?” he answered and then listened to the dwarf.

“Okay...keep an eye on him and I’ll be right there,” he said, as he hung up.

“What’s going on?” Snow asked.

“Leroy and Happy said they found a man wandering in the woods. He doesn’t seem to know how he got here or where he is. I’m going to check it out,” he replied.

“I’ll come with you,” Snow said, as he helped her put her coat on.

“Snow please...talk to me,” Persephone pleaded, but her daughter stubbornly shook her head.

“Not now...I will not be fought over. You are going to have to accept Johanna as part of my life,” she replied, as she walked out. David sighed and gave her a sympathetic gaze.

“Just give her a little time...she’ll be fine,” he assured. Persephone nodded, as he followed his wife out. But she knew better about Johanna. She knew the woman was working for Cora and trying to get close to her daughter for a reason. That reason was probably to drive a wedge between her and Snow and yet Persephone had played right into it. She had allowed Cora to do exactly that and she grabbed her coat, before hurrying out. It was time to see exactly what Johanna was up to.

~*~

Emma groaned, as she was disoriented by her surroundings for a moment. Then it all returned to her like being hit by a ton of bricks. Neal. Neal was Baelfire. Her son’s other grandfather was Gold of all people. She put her hands over her face and groaned. The kid was taking it a lot better than she was. He had been hyped up to sleep on Neal’s pull out sofa, stating that it would be just like camping out and didn’t seem fazed by what Neal’s presence in his life might mean now. She peered out of the bedroom and saw her son sitting at the table with Neal, juice in hand, as he asked a million and one questions, all of which Neal tried to answer.

“Morning,” he called, as he spotted her.

“Hi Mom!” Henry called.

“Morning kid,” she greeted, as she sat down beside him.

“Please tell me you have coffee,” she grumbled. He chuckled and poured her a cup.

“Thanks,” she offered, as she started nursing the hot liquid.

“Henry was just telling me all about Storybrooke. Seems like an interesting place,” he mentioned.

“Yeah, I’m not sure interesting quite does it justice,” Emma retorted.

“Yeah...so your parents are Snow White and Prince Charming. You know that makes you a Princess, right?” he teased. She glared at him.

“Your Dad is Rumpelstiltskin...so what does that make you?” she teased back. He chuckled.

“Touche…” he replied.

“Speaking of your Dad...I told him that I would try to talk you into having breakfast with him and Belle this morning,” she said. He sighed.

“Emma…” he started to protest.

“Will you just give it a chance? I mean, we gotta eat and feed the kid. One breakfast is all I’m asking. I’d say you owe me that,” she replied.

“Fuck…” he cursed.

“Will you watch the f bombs in front of the kid?” she asked. He winced.

“Sorry…” he apologized. Henry’s eyes darted between them, as they interacted. Adults were weird.

“So...are we going to eat?” he asked. Emma looked up at Neal, waiting for his answer. He sighed.

“Yeah...go get dressed and we’ll go meet them for breakfast,” he agreed. She smirked. Leave it to Henry...he usually got his way. Emma smirked and texted Belle.

~*~

David parked the truck on the edge of the woods and they got out, before joining hands and finding the dwarves.

“He’s over here,” Leroy called, as they walked toward the tree where they could see a large boned man with curly hair sitting.

“Did he tell you his name?” Snow asked.

“He says it’s Tiny, which seems like an oxymoron,” Happy replied, indicating his size.

“Shut it Happy,” Leroy growled.

“Did he say where he came from?” David asked.

“That’s where it gets good,” Walter yawned.

“Yeah...he says he came here on a ship,” Leroy replied. Snow and David exchanged a glance, as they approached. Tiny looked non-threatening, until the moment he saw David and his demeanor changed in an instant.

“You…” he growled, as he lunged and slammed his fist into Charming’s face, delivering an uppercut to his chin. The force of it knocked him head over heels, but before he could advance on the prone Prince, Snow leveled an arrow at him.

“Step away from my husband,” she hissed.

“He ruined my life!” Tiny growled. David looked confused, as Leroy and Happy helped him up.

“I’ve never even seen you before,” the blonde Prince protested.

“Lies...humans lie. That’s all they do!” he cried, as they watched him eat a mushroom and then grew until he was towering above them and the town.

“Okay...now Tiny is really an oxymoron!” Happy cried.

“Shut it Happy,” Leroy, Snow, and David said simultaneously, as the now giant lifted his foot and tried to stomp on them. David grabbed Snow around the waist and tackled her to the ground, as he rolled them away.

“What’d you do to him?!” Leroy cried, as Snow and David started running for their lives hand in hand, with Leroy, Happy, and Walter following.

“I’ve never seen him before!” David shouted back.

“Well, he sure knows your face, chisel chin!” Happy commented, as they dodged behind the cannery and watched the giant keep heading toward town proper.

“That’s it…” David realized, as he looked at her.

“What?” she asked.

“He knows my face…” he replied. Realization flashed in her eyes.

“He thinks you’re James!” she said, with a gasp.

“So your twin did something to him?” Happy questioned.

“It’s possible...he wasn’t a good guy,” David replied.

“Great...now we got a rampaging giant in town, cause your brother was a dick,” Leroy griped.

“Come on...we need to try and reason with him and keep him from attacking town,” David said, as they started running again, this time following the giant.

~*~

Emma sighed, as the five of them sat at a table at a restaurant. Henry happily chattered nearly a mile a minute, as he ate his pancakes, and managed to get syrup on his face and shirt. Other than the kid, it was the most awkward breakfast Emma had ever experienced. Neal refused to talk to Gold, leaving Belle and Henry trying to keep conversation flowing. And it wasn’t really working, for Neal’s insistence on only smiling at Henry, while glaring at his father just made things uncomfortable.

“And then Gramps totally let me play spy when we sneaked into August’s room at Granny’s,” Henry chattered.

“You and your gramps broke into August’s room? Doesn’t really sound like something a Prince would condone,” Neal commented.

“Well...gramps said we shouldn’t do things like that, but that this time it was okay since it was for Operation Cobra,” Henry replied.

“Operation Cobra?” Neal asked.

“That’s what we called our mission to break the curse,” the boy answered.

“Ah...got it. Cool code name,” he complimented.

“Thanks...and Mr. Gold helped us with Operation Cobra too!” Henry offered.

“Yeah...he stood to gain a lot from the curse breaking,” Neal said, a tad bitterly. Henry shrugged.

“But so did my other gramps, cause he knew that Grams would remember him and Emma then. One time Gramps used true love’s kiss to make Grams remember him, but it didn’t really work in Storybrooke,” Henry chattered, as he turned to Emma.

“Is that why Gramps was kissing Grams so much when she was Mary Margaret?” he asked, making Emma choke on her coffee. Damn...this kid sometimes. Neal laughed. Naturally...the asshole would laugh.

“Uh...not really Henry. True love’s kiss didn’t work without magic...sometimes grown ups kiss, because they like kissing,” she begrudgingly explained, as she watched Belle try not to laugh. Henry nodded.

“I guess that makes sense, cause grams and gramps kiss A LOT,” he emphasized, as Neal laughed again, seemingly content to soak up everything about the boy.

“Is it too early to order vodka?” she murmured.

“Probably,” Belle offered sympathetically, as the waitress brought the check. Neal was quick to pay it, not allowing Gold to even offer, and then quickly got up.

“Bae…” Gold started to say.

“Nope,” he refuted, as he walked out with Henry beside him. Emma sighed.

“Give him time...I know it’s hard, but he’s coming back to Storybrooke with us and that is huge,” Emma offered. Belle put her hand on Rumple’s.

“She’s right...he needs time. Let him see the man you are now once we return home,” she suggested.

“But I am the same man that let him go almost three hundred years ago,” Gold insisted.

“You’re not...you’ve changed. You’re better now...you may still have those same tendencies, but you are also still the kind man he once knew,” she insisted.

“Let him see that...we’ve told him that you have friends now and a girlfriend,” she said nudging him playfully.

“But let him see it...let him see the family you have now. When he sees that others are not rejecting you and that you have actual relationships with the people around you...it will make a difference,” she added.

“She’s right…” Emma offered. He didn’t look convinced, but nodded, as they followed Neal and Henry out of the restaurant.

The car ride back to Neal’s apartment was quiet and once they arrived, they went inside to the lobby.

“I just need to grab a bag and we can head out,” Neal said, as he pushed the button on the elevator when a man suddenly burst through the door. Neal looked at him in disbelief.

“Hook?” he questioned. The pirate looked at him oddly, as he did not recognize him, and then ignored him. He lunged toward Gold and Belle screamed, as he stabbed him in the chest with his Hook. Henry gasped, as Emma pulled him away and into Neal’s arms, who shielded his face.

“What the hell…” she cried, as she saw the wound in Gold’s chest now. The pirate raised his Hook again, preparing to spear powerless Dark One again, but Emma picked up a nearby pipe and beamed in the head, dropping him like a rock. Belle cradled Gold and started crying, as she examined the angry wound. There was a substance amidst the blood, as Emma peered at it.

“What is that?” she questioned.

“Poison,” Neal answered.

“We have to get him back to Storybrooke like now...magic is his only chance,” he added.

“He’ll never survive a car ride,” Belle fretted.

“No...but there is faster ways,” Neal deduced.

“He’ll never get on a plane like this either,” Emma said.

“Not that...the guy you just beamed with that pipe is none other than Captain Hook. And where there is Hook...there’s the Jolly Roger. It’s the fastest ship in all the realms,” Neal replied.

“Hold on...you want to take a pirate boat back to Storybrooke?” Emma asked in surprise.

“It’s a ship and it’s his only shot!” Neal replied in vehemence.

“Yeah...but I can’t sail a freaking pirate ship!” she protested.

“No...but I can. Don’t ask...I’ll explain later. We just need to get to New York Harbor...and I think I know someone that can help,” he replied, as he took out his phone.

~*~

Snow and David peered around the corner of the cannery building where Anton was trashing everything in sight.

“I have to stop him, before someone gets hurt,” David said, as he stepped out into the open. Snow let out a strangled gasp and reached after him. But she couldn't stop him from walking out and offering himself as a sacrifice for their town, so she ran after him. Reluctantly, the three dwarves followed.

"Anton...please these people are innocent! I'm the one you want!" David called.

"Charming…" Snow fretted, as she held his arm.

"I'll be fine," he assured, as walked toward the giant. Snow followed him, arrow ready, but stayed several feet back with Leroy, Happy, and Walter.

"You ruined my life!" Anton yelled.

"Anton...my name is David! James was my twin brother! He was raised by a ruthless King!" David pleaded.

"You expect me to believe that?!" he spat in return.

“Yes...because it’s the truth! My husband is a good man! I don’t know what James did to you, but my Charming would never intentionally hurt someone!” she pleaded for him.

“LIES!” he shouted, as he picked up a car and threw it at them.

Snow yelped, as Charming tackled her out of the path and they rolled to the ground. Anton raised his large foot in an attempt to smash them beneath it and David rolled them away. As Anton's foot hit the concrete, he smashed through it and sunk beneath the ground to his waist. In a puff of smoke, the magic making him giant sized wore off and he was nowhere to be seen. Leroy and Happy helped them up, as they rushed over to the hole in the street, cautiously peering in, only to see the now human sized giant hanging precariously on a broken pipe above a deadly precipice.

"Get some rope and the rest of the dwarves. I'll get my truck," David said, as Snow looked sad for the giant. He looked lost and hopeless, a feeling she had once known. Perhaps showing him this kindness would help start to heal whatever wounds he had.

David returned quickly and the dwarves secured the rope on the hitch of the truck, as he tied the rope around his waist. Snow rushed up to him once he finished securing the rope and cupped his face in her gloved hands, kissing him passionately.

"Most people would let that giant die," she said, admiration in her voice.

"You wouldn't," he replied, his admiration equal to hers. She stood back and watched him lower himself into the hole with bated breath. The last time she had watched him lower himself into a dangerous precipice, it had been with Emma to save Henry from the mines, before her memories had been restored. But this time was no easier.

"Anton...grab my hand!" he called.

"No...it's better if I just let go," he cried.

"If you let go, you'll die," David said.

"Maybe that's easier," he answered.

"If you really believed that, then you would have already let go. Now grab my hand!" David pleaded. Taking a leap of faith, he did. The dwarves and pulled them up, helping Anton up first. They kept pulling and Leroy grabbed David’s arm, helping him out of the hole, and into Snow’s waiting arms. She hugged him tightly in relief, before pulling back and showering his cheeks and lips with kisses, to which he chuckled and happily kissed her back.

"I don't know what my brother did to you, Anton, but that's not us," David promised.

"You have no idea," he replied solemnly.

~*~

Johanna walked into the library and saw Cora waiting for her, along with her daughter.

“Well?” Cora asked.

“You were right...I went to Snow’s apartment and put on quite the show. Persephone was livid with the attention I was showering her daughter with,” Johanna reported. Cora gave Regina a pleased smirked.

“Snow was quite miffed with her mother’s behavior and chose not to believe her about me,” she added.

“Excellent...as usual, that foolish girl’s insistence on seeing the best in everyone will cost her,” Cora stated.

“What do you plan to do, Mother? Without the dagger, we can’t exactly just do away with them. Killing them can’t be done with our hands,” Regina reminded.

“And we won’t need to. Call Snow and tell her you need to see her and the Prince. That you have information about me that they need to know,” Cora said.

“What...are you going to do to them?” Johanna asked. Cora smirked.

“I’m going to use them to force Emma Swan to take the dagger from Gold and turn it over to me in exchange for her parents,” Cora replied. Johanna looked uncertain, but dialed Snow on her phone as asked.

~*~

“Snow! David!” Persephone cried, as she burst into the diner, naturally having heard about their predicament. Her plan to follow Johanna had been abandoned the moment she heard of the danger to her daughter and son-in-law.

“We’re fine,” Snow offered. David hissed, as she treated the cut on his temple with an antiseptic wipe.

“Snow...it’s fine. It’s just a little cut,” he protested. She just gave him a look and kept cleaning it. Persephone sighed.

“Is that the giant?” she asked. They nodded.

“A case of mistaken identity. I’m not sure what my brother did...but it was enough that Tiny wanted to kill him,” David replied.

“And he saw you and thought you were James,” she deduced, as she looked at her daughter, who was giving her the cold shoulder.

“Snow…” she started to say, but was interrupted when her phone rang.

“Hello?” Snow called and then listened. Her brow furrowed.

“Okay...we’ll be right there,” Snow replied.

“Who was that?” he asked.

“Johanna...she said she has to tell us something about Cora,” she replied.

“Snow...that’s a trap,” Persephone insisted.

“She wouldn’t do that! She raised me after my...Eva died,” Snow insisted.

“Snow please...listen to me on this. Don’t go,” she pleaded. But her stubborn daughter shook her head.

“I’m going...you can come with us if you want, but I’m going,” Snow replied, as she walked out of the diner. David sighed.

“David...I’m telling you this is a trap,” she pleaded.

“Then you better be nearby, because there is no stopping her when she’s like this,” he replied, as they hurried after her.

~*~

Emma and Neal met the van as it pulled up and watched a woman get out.

“Thanks...I really appreciate this,” Neal told her. She smiled and kissed his cheek.

“Anything for you, babe,” she replied and Emma looked at them incredulously, suddenly caught totally off guard.

“You must be Emma,” the woman said, as they shook hands.

“Uh...yeah…” she confirmed.

“I’m Tamara...Neal’s fiance,” she announced and the blonde’s eyes widened.

“Fiance?” she asked in surprise and Neal suddenly looked very uncomfortable.

“Um yeah...so we need to go,” he said urgently. The woman nodded.

“Of course...I’ll see you when you back,” she said, as she walked away.

“Fiance?!” Emma cried, once she was out of earshot.

“What?” he asked, raising his arms in defense.

“You didn’t think it was important to mention that you’re engaged?” she asked hotly.

“Does it matter?” he asked.

“Yes! We have a kid! This isn’t something you just drop on him! Not to mention that our families are a little...unconventional! Does she know?” Emma cried. He scoffed.

“Of course she doesn’t know, Emma!” he retorted. She resisted the urge to strangle him and threw her hands up.

“We don’t have time for this,” he hissed.

“Yeah...let’s go. I’ll call my parents once we’re on our way,” Emma replied.

“Hey...are they really going to help him?” he asked curiously. She looked back at him and smiled slightly.

“Yes...they really will,” she confirmed, as they hurried back inside to get his father loaded into the van. They didn’t have much time...