Welcome to a Nightmare

Chapter 45: On the Other Side

"Police are still on the lookout for the murderer known as Jane Doe, a woman who we have been told is extremely mentally ill and recently killed an innocent orderly in the local hospital before escaping into the city. Every citizen is advised to be on high alert and if possible, stay indoors"

Fiona smirks to herself, sitting happily in her office, musing over the fact that she's done what was required to get control of the situation again. Whoever helped bust Belle out of the hospital would now be unable to go anywhere without being recognized and have her version of a police force come after them. Once Belle and the helpers were captured, she could kill them and her son's wife. She never really knew why she even kept the beauty alive this long... perhaps it was some form of devotion and kindness towards her dear Rumple, but enough is enough. The curse would become permanent once Emma Swan finally gave up all belief and left what was once Storybrooke forever. However, the blonde was stubborn, and the stupidity framed as her love for Henry was what was preventing her plan from finally being completed. She had to find some way to convince the Saviour that Henry would be okay if she left, and then she would have control... and darkness will have truly won. No one would ever get their happy ending and her life would be perfect.

Only if she's able to catch Belle and whoever else was with her. Based on several cell phone videos and photos, the two people with the escapee were male and female. The boy greatly resembled Henry, but Fiona had her chauffeur check and Henry was present in his class at the moment the photos and videos were taken, so it was likely someone else, but the girl was an enigma. She looked a little older than Henry, not by much; probably just leaving her teen years. The pictures taken were not completely clear, but she had brown hair and indistinguishable eyes. It could have just been a random person that happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, but by the way she reacted, she obviously knew of the danger she was in, was close to the Henry look-alike and managed to help Belle escape. An innocent person would have come clean immediately to get the heat off herself.

There was also something that bothered Fiona about how they escaped. According to witnesses, a nearby motorcycle suddenly backfired and created a cloud of gray smoke, providing the trio with the perfect cover to suddenly escape. And so far, no one had seen how they managed to get out of there, it was if they had literally vanished in a puff of smoke.

This detail, in particular, made the Black Fairy suspect that one of those two people had magic, likely the same magic that she'd found in the hospital basement. The problem is, she could still not pinpoint exactly where this magic had come from. She pulls the bottled sample she'd taken from the crime scene and waves her hand over it. The residue jumps to life and forms a cloud of purple within its glass prison and the colour changed continuously from dark purple to lilac. It seemed to fluctuate between dark and light magic. Like before, she still thought that it could have been Regina Mills' magic; after all she wasn't truly light or dark and that she'd somehow been able to regain her power and her memory. However, as long as the curse was in effect and the former Evil Queen had no idea of who she truly was or what she was capable of, the magic would remain dormant and suppressed. This was done to prevent a magical uprising against her. The same rules applied to her son, the Saviour, and anyone else in this town like Maleficent who still had it, so the margin for magic had dwindled to no one in her own eyes. The only one who had true access to the power was the Black Fairy herself, and her magic was as dark as her own soul. This strange specimen baffled her completely.

Fiona considers the possibility of someone from the Enchanted Forest had perhaps come to the Land Without Magic at another time and had just recently gained access to Stygian, but if that were true, then how did he or she know who Belle was and that she had to be hidden.

Her mind then comes to the name Amelia Wyatt, recalled from the rescue of Prince Phillip. Fiona had been so busy arranging for the prince and his precious Aurora to lose their baby to the parents that she'd forgotten to actually question the witness.

She puts her head in her hands, trying to recall all the details that she'd created once the curse was cast to ensure no one would ever be happy. Phillip was not adrift in a boat, she knew that much. Perhaps she should have kept a record of every specific thing she'd done to make the masses miserable.

She prays that it will come to her, but in the meantime, she needs to find a way to up the ante of the search for Belle and find those additional nuisances... and wipe them out.

However, in the impulsive move to expose the beauty's escape, she'd neglected to remember the consequences that this citywide search would cause... the massive backlash from her son and grandson.

...

Robert Gold was in his penthouse room, drinking another glass of scotch or whiskey or whatever it was, he'd lost track at this point. After an extremely boring business meeting, he'd left the office and come home to reflect. He was still very upset about his fight with Gideon; the two had not spoken since the other day and deep down... it was hurting the older man immensely. With Belle gone, his son was all he had, and he knew that he'd been the worst father imaginable, especially after she left. For as long as Robert had known Belle, he always put work first in order to provide for them, but it obviously wasn't enough and was probably the reason she'd disappeared in the first place. Things just got worse after she was gone, the businessman was unable to connect with his son and while they still talked and occasionally had lunch, they had not said 'I love you' in a very long time.

Sadly, the unaware Dark One did not know that the relationship with his son was meant to be very different and that he had another child out in the city, who would be more than willing to say those words to him.

Just as he's finishing off the enriching glass, ice clinking against the fine Crystal, Gideon bursts into the room.

"Gideon?" Robert says in confusion.

"Father you have to see this... One of my friends just texted me to turn on the news."

He goes over to the TV, picks up the remote and turns on the closest news channel. Gold usually kept it on the business network to check his stocks, but when Gideon changes the channel, nothing else mattered any longer.

The crystal glass goes shattering to the floor as Mr. Gold's mouth hangs open in absolute shock. He stands up with his cane and gets closer to ensure that what he is seeing is real. He nearly trips and falls as he is unable to tear his eyes from the screen.

Gideon's dark brown eyes are as wide as saucers and his mouth is agape in absolute horror, and tears are slowly beginning to form in his eyes. Gold's expression mirrors his son's, but there is a feeling of growing rage within himself. His mind fills with questions as Gideon turns up the volume to hear the news report.

"The suspect is considered armed, dangerous, and extremely mentally unstable. She is only known as Jane Doe and escaped from the local Stygian hospital after murdering an orderly. There are also two additional persons of interest. It is unknown if they are hostages or accomplices in the murder..."

It was hard to deny the image that is continually being flashed on the screen; the brown hair with a reddish shine and bright blue eyes, but they are not filled with kindness or happiness, but fear and confusion.

Only one word can escape Gold's mouth as he gazes upon this image.

"Belle..."