#cs dracula au

[snowbellewells]

CSSNS24 Fic: "For All Life and For All Time" (A CS Dracula AU in 3 Parts)

Author's Notes: Okay, so this is posted late, on a day that was luckily unclaimed. I struggled with doing justice to the work that probably began my love of all things Victorian Gothic, and re-reading it again for plotting and inspiration certainly didn't make the prospect any less daunting. While I love the original Bram Stoker novel's epistolary format, it was not something I wanted to carry on for an entire fic. Nor is this fully true to the original's narrative. I do hope that those who have read the novel and enjoyed it may find nods to the original to make them smile. I didn't want to make Killian the Dracula character - he is neither at all attractive nor redeemable in the original work - so he became my Van Helsing. Emma is the kick-butt awesome Mina Harker, quite a standout female character for that time, but I did away with the Jonathan Harker character altogether.

This starts in the middle of the action, then has a fair bit of reflection to bring readers up to speed. The next installment should have more action and pick up where this one leaves off.

A MILLION thank yous to @myfearless-love for all the editing work she did - my writing is quite a mess when I first translate it from my handwritten pages to a doc! She made it so much better, and I am incredibly grateful!!

A Victorian, Dracula-inspired AU in Three Parts

Please Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Summary: Having lost her dearest friend and with her own life on the line, Emma Swan joins a noble band to face an ancient evil. Three of them stand by her in honor of the one they loved and lost. The other might be the first man she could love. He might love her as well - even more than life itself. Time will tell... if they both survive the fight against their immortal enemy.

**Also available on AO3, if you prefer

Part One

by: @snowbellewells

Emma craned her neck to peer out the small window of the carriage into the impenetrable darkness encroaching on all sides as the conveyance careened around sharp curves and stark cliff faces, making her stomach pitch and her heart leap into her throat. More than once, her mouth opened to call the driver, beg him to slow down, but each time a sudden jolt or swerve had her clenching her teeth and swallowing the words as she gripped the seat tightly. Pitching wildly from one side of the bench to the other, Emma was nearly toppled to the floor repeatedly as they sped on.

The torches beside the carriage doors flickered wildly behind the glass sconces but barely made pinpricks of light in the surrounding night; deep blackness which had swallowed them since leaving the small gypsy outpost where they had supped just an hour past. Emma realized belatedly that she was only becoming more overwrought by attempting to stare blindly into the void while they hurtled forward, and instead forced herself to lean her head against the seat back and close her eyes, resolutely taking deep, calming breaths.

Scant moments passed in such a manner before Emma felt her racing heartbeat slow. It was a different sort of thrill which then ran along her spine - distinct from the chill which had settled on her skin with the horrifying loss of Aurora’s sweet friendship and from the eerie foreboding which had accompanied her since setting out in this last effort to ensnare the perpetrator of her younger friend’s downfall. This determined trek higher and higher into the isolated Carpathian heights seemed to weigh on her more with every mile they gained.

Yet, despite the tightening pit in her stomach and the anxious flutter of her pulse, Emma would not fail to accomplish her part in Killian’s plan. The Professor had turned Emma Swan’s already teetering world upon its axis. He was beyond description - no words could capture what his mere presence, his voice, a glance in her direction could do to her - a power no man had ever held before, because she would not allow it. And yet every hair on her body stood on end when he was near; her awareness utterly captured by the mysterious scholar. He had introduced himself merely as Killian Jones when they met at Aurora’s sick bed, but as they had nursed her together, even when their every desperate attempt proved futile, it had become clear his vast intellect, his determination and resolve, placed him well beyond the scope of any man she had met before - or likely would again.

By the time he had spoken the truth of the fiend who had siphoned Aurora’s life before their eyes, she could not doubt him, even in the face of the utterly impossible - a vampire.

This ancient evil, Count Dracula, had ruled his isolated corner of the world for ages, but in coming to England and extending his reach, he was a threat to all mankind. Aurora had been only a prelude to what he intended. A monster of myth and legend had destroyed her innocent friend, and without pausing for rest, he had stalked and marked Emma as his next victim, only she had the advantage of awareness and warning enough to resist.

Though the threat was deadly, and knowing what she faced - stakes and dark graveyards and the betrayal of her very humanity from what she gathered of Aurora’s end that no one would speak of in full - Emma did not wish to be shielded and to wait hidden in safety while others risked their lives for her sake. She would have her hand in it, even if that meant to some extent playing the helpless damsel as bait in the trap.

To Killian, it was personal as well. He had still been a medical student long ago, traveling to study folk remedies in Romania when he met a darkly beautiful Countess, lonely and sad, all too eager to join him on his travels. She had set his world aflame - first in joy, and then in ruin, for she had not been as free as he had believed. He had fallen for her, and then seen her drained of life by her husband - the creature of night who had proven nightmares lived and walked the earth. Killian had only survived that first encounter because the Count wished him to suffer. For years, Killian had studied and prepared. He had made himself into an expert much different than he had once aimed, and he had intended for his suffering to end only when his life, or the Count’s, did as well.

There was a fine line to walk, however, between justice and bitter revenge. When he had seen the desire for reprisal in Emma after Aurora’s death, when she learned of the indignity to which the young beauty had been subjected and the lengths to which the men who cared for her had gone to assure her peaceful rest, she had sworn she would see this Count Dracula pay for his cruelty somehow. That was when Killian had told her all. “Do not fall into that trap, Swan,” he had spoken softly, though the import of his words was unmistakable. “That way lies ruin - only wasted years and endless torment.”

His blue eyes bored into her very soul as he strove to make her see. “When I lost my love, my Milah, I sore revenge upon her foul husband, the vampire who murdered her without remorse. I was nearly consumed, and when I finally came back to myself, I realized that seeking only retribution would make a monster of me as well. That was when I took on the name Van Helsing, obtained my licenses and degrees with it in fact, in the hope of evading his detection while I waited and watched and the years crept by. I must pursue the course for the sake of all, but not for my own ends, my own anger and hate.”

He would not release her eyes, his focus searing as he continued, “You too must find a way to separate yourself, to retain your purity of heart despite the terrible mission you undertake. Do what you must to save all, but do so without letting it twist your soul with similar darkness.”

And so, in their desperate alliance, they all had their roles to play - Aurora’s bowed but unbroken suitors, and she, Aurora’s dearest friend. The three gentlemen had rallied around Emma, swearing to protect her in her friend’s name. And Killian, their worthy advisor and leader, had not yet steered them wrong. She wanted justice and what retribution could be found for the torment Aurora had suffered. None of them would falter. They had taken solemn vows. Now all that remained was to see the mission through.

Emma could only wonder how had her life been altered so drastically in a few short weeks. Such thoughts replayed through her mind in what was at first a rose-tinged procession as she recalled how bright and full of promise she had been when first arriving on the coast of Whitby for a holiday with her childhood playmate. It had been some time since she and Aurora had seen each other, and those first days on the shore were spent in a haze of sunshine and laughter. They caught up with one another’s lives as they shared tea and biscuits on the wide veranda of the Spindleton’s gorgeous summer cottage. They giggled under the covers long into the nights, whispering of Aurora’s debut season, the many eager suitors who had vied to court her, and her blushing fondness for her chosen fiancé Sir Philip Thornswood, Lord Briarling. They also chuckled over Emma’s adventures - how she disguised herself in men’s pants to move freely while researching her stories, and the various pseudonyms she used when submitting her pieces for publication, subverting the male-dominated publishing world. 

It had been an idyllic change from the crowded, dingy part of London where Emma could afford to live and work. Aurora’s family belonged to the upper echelon of society, well-known and old-moneyed, and Emma had been mostly alone in the world for as long as she could remember. She was discovered on the front stoop of the Widow Lucas’ boarding house as an infant, wrapped in a snow white baby blanket with her name stitched in purple as the only clue to her identity. Fortunately, the Widow Lucas was a formidable woman, well-versed in making her way in the world against harrowing odds. She had already raised a granddaughter who was now off traveling the continent, so she took in the little blonde foundling and raised Emma as her own, teaching her all she knew. Though the tough older woman - “Granny” to all who knew her, especially Emma - had been gone for some years now, Emma remained eternally grateful that it was her doorstep her unknown parents had chosen that cold dawn so long ago.

Granny had even managed to scrounge and save enough, and was willing to spare Emma’s assistance twice a week, for riding lessons - where Emma had met Aurora Spindleton. Though poor Aurora had been an absolute lost cause at equestrian pursuits, Emma had excelled with enthusiasm, and everyone involved was relieved when she took the slightly younger future debutante under her wing during their lessons.

Emma loved the freedom riding gave her, and Granny was glad to know her charge would have the ability to get help quickly and effectively if ever needed - and defend herself too, if her skill in archery and marksmanship was any indication. In truth, Granny had been secretly delighted. She had lived long enough to know just how dangerous the world could be, and she wanted to see her girl as prepared as possible without completely tarnishing her outlook.

Though Aurora’s family was of a higher social standing, they had always been welcoming and kind to Emma whenever she visited their townhouse in Mayfair. She sensed that they were glad their only child had found a practical friend who could provide a steadying influence on Aurora’s naive, head-in-the-clouds sweetness. Since gossip photographers insisted on capturing and reporting the doings of the peerage, her parents were certainly relieved that Emma’s tips and encouragement had kept Aurora from being caught falling off her mount or in some other embarrassing faux pas. Aurora, for her part, was so endearing and open that Emma couldn’t resist being charmed. She might have been cosseted and sheltered, but she was hardly the sort of snob Emma had expected to encounter when mingling with the upper crust during her lessons. Instead, Emma was pleasantly surprised to make her first close friend - a friendship that lasted for years, with Emma always missing the Spindletons when they left for the shore in summer, counting down the days until her confidante would return.

This year, however, she had received a request, along with a train ticket, to join them at Whitby. It had been wonderful - strolling, swimming, and lovely summer hours blending together joyously - until all had gone horribly wrong. If only the happy, haze of sunshine-warm days had not gone dark and tinged with blood.

Aurora had already been betrothed to Philip by the time Emma had arrived. Still, it had been lovely to meet each of the worthy men who had sought her hand. With not an ounce of malice in her slender body, they had each sworn their friendship and fealty, even after the troth had been gently rejected. Even without Aurora there to blush and smile sweetly while introducing them, Emma could easily see why her friend might have been drawn to each in his own way, despite the obvious differences between them. All the men who had sought Aurora’s hand in marriage were honorable and true, respectable and worthy beyond reproach. Their faithfulness to Aurora tested beyond natural bounds and withstood the onslaught, and Emma felt the protection of their bravery as they had rallied around her when she faced a similar fate. If only any one of them had understood what had preyed on Aurora before it had been too late!

Philip Thornswood, Aurora’s betrothed, was the most like her young friend in Emma’s eyes. Upon first meeting the landed peer, she felt the warmth in his large, chocolate eyes, his gentle strength and charm, and she knew they would have melted Aurora’s heart irrevocably. There was a sad sweetness to his expression, as if Emma herself returned a bit of his lost love to him with her presence. He had bent over her hand to gallantly kiss its back, and she had blinked away tears for the happiness that Aurora would never enjoy, knowing the two would have been well-matched beyond her friend’s wildest dreams. All she could do was press his hand in return, and give him a wordless smile she only hoped might express her bittersweet feelings.

Graham Morris, from the wild, rolling hills of Ireland - a cowboy of sorts, as they would call it in the Americas - was a man of few words and swift action, easily winning and debonair, but  also a bit rumpled and informal. He was clearly happier out of doors, more comfortable in the woods and riding horses than in a crowd of people, and yet his easy good humor and almost bashful regard could easily have swayed her young friend. He was an excellent shot, ever on the alert, and a godsend to have in their desperate endeavor.

The third suitor, Dr. Jefferson Seward, was a celebrated and innovative physician who had fought to restore Aurora’s health with every fiber of his energy. If the foe he had battled had been a mortal man rather than an immortal being, Emma had no doubt they would have prevailed. Though he was slightly older, he was thoughtful and doting; Aurora would have naturally been fond of him. The affection between them had been undaunted by her choice of another - so much so that when Jefferson had found himself losing the fight for her life, he had urgently sent for his friend, the renown Professor Van Helsing, expert on the supernatural forces, to do what he could not.

And that was how she had come to be in this rattling horse-drawn carriage, racing up a treacherous mountain path. The devious monster who had taken everything from Aurora - and who now threatened to drain Emma’s own life as well - awaited her in the deserted outpost at the end of this long night’s journey. Her hands clenched and unclenched in her lap. Every few minutes, her fingers reflexively gripped her reticule, its strap looped around her wrist, drawing comfort from the small Derringer hidden within its folds. She also took strength from the knife secured in a special holster at the top of her stockings, pressing against her thigh. Her cheeks flushed at the memory of Professor Van Helsing - Killian - explaining its purpose as he presented her with the clever sheath. He had been deathly serious about her safety, but there also had been a heated flicker of clear attraction when she shyly gestured to ascertain where it should be worn, a moment that had ignited a warmth deep inside her.

The gentle feathering of gray in his hair near his temples and sideburns reminded her of the vast experience and knowledge he had gathered in his life - the very things they were all counting on to help them survive. The deeper lines around his startlingly bright blue eyes and at the corners of his firm lips reminded her that he had once smiled much more than he allowed himself to now. It made Emma wish to see him do so again. Everything about the man radiated power and purpose, commanding her respect from the moment they met, just as Aurora’s terrifying affliction had reached its peak. 

They had not won the victory any of them had prayed for, least of all Lord Briarling. Emma had hardly been able to bear looking at the strong young man bowed by grief as she had boarded the carriage for her mission. Philip Thornswood had given her a hand up onto the step, and was the last to speak to her before Killian Van Helsing’s own farewell. The gloom in his demeanor made her very glad she was not leaving the young gentleman alone, but in the company of true comrades. Even so, she trusted that Philip would not allow himself to falter in their cause. That steady hand, such a gentle support for her own as she ascended into the carriage, might have trembled in the doing, but had not hesitated to drive a stake into the breast of one he loved most in all the world for the sake of her eternal soul.

Breaking from her reflection on the journey’s beginning, Emma remembered herself suddenly as an eerie calm seeming to settle over her surroundings. She was instantly on alert when the carriage began to slow. A shiver of trepidation ran up her spine, returning her harshly to the present and the task before her. Outside there was a foreboding, unnatural quiet, only the crunch of the carriage wheels and the sound of the horses’ hooves on the rough ground broke the eerie silence. They rolled to a stop, and Emma leaned from the window, intent on calling up question the driver.

To her utter confusion and horror, when she glimpsed the seat where the driver had perched, she found no one there. He was gone, and she was stranded alone in the dark. Uncertain of what to do, but knowing she could not stay on the desolate mountain pass in the cold, Emma exited the carriage and alighted on the ground. As her feet touched the rough stone and dirt beneath, some unnerving signal was sounded. The silence was broken by the howling of wolves - loud, spine-tingling, and coming from every side, all around them.

There was no way to outrun them, and as the echo and answer of their baying circled nearer, Emma knew there was no way through their number at any rate, even without being able to see. The horses stamped and tossed their heads nervously, panic driving them as instinct warned them predators lingered just beyond the faint circles of light from the carriage lamps. She would not leave them to be devoured; nor would she lie down and wait to be torn apart herself. She was nearly there!

Desperate and trembling, but steeling her resolve, Emma moved to the front of the carriage, intending to climb up onto the driver’s box, take the reins, and break through the pack, to drive them to the castle herself. It might have been her imagination, her terror breathing life into her senses, but it felt as though the creatures drew closer still. She could almost hear the heavy pants and growls between their mournful howls and feel their hot, slavering breath on the back of her neck. A nervous glance over her shoulder showed only moving flashes of grey fur and horrifying red eyes shining out of the shadows. She had gripped the metal railing to pull herself up when all seemed to fall away, the night going perfectly still.

A dark figure glided with unnatural grace through the mass of half-seen forms. The pack almost seemed to bow their shaggy, sharp-toothed heads before it, if Emma could at all reconcile that impression in her mind. One would almost believe they had been summoned.

The slim, dark, and sinister figure appeared before her, having reached her almost before Emma could mark his movement. Wearing a fine black cloak trimmed in thick fur and reaching almost to the ground, Emma saw little else but the flash of deep garnet in its lining and the glimmer of an evil, yet irresistible, smile. A pale hand reached out of the folds of the garment, outstretched to take hers in strangely formal greeting.

“I believe you are seeking me,” a sibilant voice nearly crooned.

Emma fought back a shudder at the sight of dagger-sharp nails at the end of long fingers somehow reminiscent of spider legs, pulling her into the web. She wanted to deny his claim, but all resistance failed her. What else could she do but allow the cold, dry hand to encase her own, and pull her forward through the wolves and dark and gathering mist? This was the nightmare she had come to find…

Tagging a few who might enjoy: @cssns @kmomof4 @searchingwardrobes @jennjenn615 @laschatzi

@whimsicallyenchantedrose @jrob64 @apiratewhopines @spartanguard @therooksshiningknight

@stahlop @myfearless-love @xsajx @bluewildcatfanatic @kday426 @lfh1226-linda

@tiganasummertree @optomisticgirl @jonesfandomfanatic @motherkatereloyshipper @drowned-dreamer

@anmylica @booksteaandtoomuchtv @xarandomdreamx @resident-of-storybrooke @everything-person

@undercaffinatednightmare @caught-in-the-filter @winterbaby89 @hollyethecurious @darkcolinodonorgasm

@donteattheappleshook @elizabeethan @the-darkdragonfly @teamhook @revanmeetra87

@goforlaunchcee @laianely @belovedcreation @gingerchangeling @gingerpolyglot

@grimmswan @ultraluckycatnd

[snowbellewells]

@grimmswan I’m sorry to be so late I starting this story, but what an opening chapter!! I really like the idea of more creatures of literature and legend who could have shown up in season six being worked in here (and Dracula was definitely high on my list!) I love that you even wove in Van Helsing and the Harkers briefly.

And that scene at the end? Creepy for sure - definitely had me hurrying right on to chapter two!

Dracula in Storybrooke part one

For the 2023 Captain Swan Supernatural Summer Event

The newest threat to Storybrooke has arrived. Vampires! And one of the biggest baddest vampires of legend has his sights set on the savior, Emma Swan

Set in season six. Sort of a mix between missing storyline and AU

Instead of the heroes traveling to a different land, the people of a different land had traveled to Storybrooke. 

The Land of Untold Stories had already brought forth quite a few interesting characters.

And it seemed there were also some horrifying ones.

A clue to there being another big bad in town was discovered just after sunrise.

Some dock workers discovered one of their own lying lifeless on the ground.

The only visible wounds were two puncture marks on his neck.

“The markings kind of remind me of the vampire bites I've seen in movies.” Emma groaned. "Please tell me we aren’t dealing with vampires now.”

“Sorry honey.” David didn’t like what the situation indicated. But with two puncture marks on the neck and the body drained of blood, the implication was clear.

The only questions now were, just who, and how many, were they dealing with.

To make sure, they talked to Dr. Whale, who was Frankenstien in his other life. If anyone knew about these types of things, it had to be him.

Just then David’s phone rang.

“Charming, somethings wrong. The body of the night custodian was just found outside the school. There’s no sign of injury except for two small wounds on his neck.”

A call from Killian added to the situation.

“Smee just informed me that two men who often fished at night have just been found lifeless on their boat, which has crashed on the rocks.”

A meeting was called to figure out, and how to handle, what they were dealing with. Dr. Whale and the head of the fairies, Blue, were asked to attend.

It was thought best for school to be canceled for the day.

 Henry insisted on joining the meeting. Snow insisted that he stay by her side the whole way to the sheriff’s station.

“Well, Storybrooke had been flooded with people from various realms. It stands to reason that beings of myth, legend, and lore are here as well.”

“So are you saying we’re dealing with an actual vampire?”

“Hopefully, it’s just one. But with multiple victims, I fear there may be more.”

"All of the victims have been found early in the morning. Which means whoever is attacking them, prefers to do so at night."

"Maybe they can only attack at night."

“Night is a pretty common time for one person to harm another.” Emma sighed. It didn’t matter if they were dealing with a magical world, or a non magical one; every realm had people hurting other people.

“Darkness and shadows. A lot of crime is easily committed with the help of darkness and shadows.” Killian nodded.

“It's why a dense forest was an ideal place for being a bandit.” Snow added, remembering her own past deeds.

It left very little clue to who the culprit could be.

“The problem is, besides people being killed, all of the victims have been from different lands. None of them seem to have anything in common.”

“Which means we may be looking for someone who simply enjoys the act of killing.”

“Who either is, or thinks they are, a vampire.”

"So are we saying that vampires could really be in Storybrooke?" David asked, incredulous at the idea.

"Looks like it." Mary Margaret shook her head, agreeing with her husband at the insanity. "But if vampires only exist in Whale’s' world; how did they end up here?"

"Obviously through the Land of Untold Stories." Whale said, matter of factly.

“What can you tell us about the vampires from your world?”

“I only know what my former professor told me.” Whale explained. “Dr. Van Helsing claimed to have dealt with beings who he referred to as vampires. These beings were humans that were turned by those who had also been turned.”

“Van Helsing?! Seriously?!” Emma knew she should probably be used to fictional characters actually being real; she was the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming after all. Still, the idea that Van Helsing from the Bram Stoker story was real was difficult to believe.

And with that thought came another.

“Did he mention Dracula?”

“Yes, he did. Something about sealing the ancient vampire in a tomb in the depths of a church. He and a man named Jonathan Harker. It was the only way of saving Harker’s wife.”

"I take it this Dracula being is some sort of monster in one of this world's stories?" Killian asked.

"Something like that."

"Can we blame Whale for all of this? And send him back to his world?" David was secretly hoping a vampire would get Whale.

"You have to stop trying to get rid of Whale."

"Did Whale ever flirt with you?" Killian asked Emma. 

"No. But that might only be because he had already been hitting on Mary Margaret. And she and I became roommates pretty soon after I came here. Then again, it might be because I also started working for the sheriff station pretty soon after moving here. And I started carrying a gun."

"Maybe we should turn the bullets to silver." Snow suggested, trying to get the conversation away from the fact she had gone out with Whale.

"I thought silver was used against werewolves?" David asked.

"I've heard lore where it burns vampires."

"Let me see what I can do. I should have a few chests full from my pirating days."

"Thank you, Killian." Emma looked at him with affection and pride. " We might have to pass them around Storybrooke. So people can defend themselves."

The first person to be given trinkets of silver to wear was Henry.

“Wind these silver chains around your wrists. If a vampire comes after you, press the silver to their skin.” Killian advised as he fastened the chains to the boy.

“It would be better if we told people not to leave their homes at night.” Leroy said.

“That’s not always possible. Some people have animals. And kids don’t always listen to warnings.”

“Adults don’t always listen to warnings.” Emma sighed.

"Are we driving stakes through their hearts, or are you guys going to try to redeem them?" Whale asked. "I know you hero types are always wanting to do the right thing. Or you think everyone can be saved from themselves. But I think you have your work cut out for you this time."

"The only way to stop them without killing them is to turn them back into humans. But we would need to find a spell to do that." Snow said, the worry of the whole situation clear on her face.

"The prince in me wants to try to return them to human. But the bigger part of me that's Emma’s father wants to end them completely, before they hurt my little girl." The determination in David’s stance made Whale take a step away. A flashback of getting punched in the face flitting through his mind.

“The one thing we have going for us is that it appears these vampires don’t like direct sunlight.” Henry pointed out.

Emma didn’t say it out loud, but she was relieved they weren’t dealing with the sparkles in the sun variety. She probably would have left Storybrooke if she had seen some Rob Pattinson looking guy show up.

“Van Helsing said direct sunlight was harmful, it literally burns a vampire’s skin. But if it’s a cloudy day, where the sun is blocked most of the time, we could still be attacked.” Whale warned.

Emma gave a heavy sigh. “Whale, write down everything Van Helsing told you about vampires. We need to know which rules apply, and which don’t. We need to hold a town meeting and warn everyone about the latest threat.

“There might be a bigger threat at hand, love.” Killian advised. “If these creatures just needed blood, they could have broken into the hospital. They’re obviously strong enough. Or they could have asked for help. It’s been made clear that help is available to everyone. My instincts tell me there is a lot more going on.”

“My instincts tell me the same thing.” Emma agreed.

“I hate to suggest this. But do you think we could get Gold to help with our vampire problem?”

“He can not help us.” Blue warned. “His power comes from darkness. These beings we deal with exist in the darkness. The dark one’s magic will have no effect on the creatures.”

“The magic in each world manifests differently. In the world of the enchanted forest, it’s healthy, thriving, and can be controlled with a little focus and practice. In the world of Wonderland, it’s chaotic and not always easy to predict or control. In the land of horror, it’s weak and rare. it only manifests in certain areas, and in certain beings. And often takes a specific time, element, and energy to tap into. The rules are different.”

“But there are rules. If we can figure out what they are, we can deal with this new crisis.”

By the end of the day, everyone in town had been warned of the new threat and been advised on how to protect themselves.

Needing to take her mind off of the potential of horror movie monsters in Storybrooke, Emma decided to focus on her sexy boyfriend.

She practically threw herself at Killian, who easily caught her and wrapped her tightly in his arms. Their lips fastened firmly together, barely parting as they made their way up the stairs and into their bedroom.

From just outside their fence, a figure cloaked in shadow stared at the lovers. Eyes filled with envy gazed at the beauty who was giving her body so willingly. Sharp ears picked up her breathy moan of “Killian”.

The dark figure moved up into a tree, peering into the window, staring at the two lovers wrapped so much in one another, neither felt his menacing glare.

He watched with increasing envy as the golden haired beauty pressed herself to the raven haired man and whispered that she wanted him.

The dark entity plotted that soon he would be the one to receive the attention of the one called The Savior.

By sunrise, the figure was gone.

[thatbennybee]

So if Halloween was a thing in ROF and CS au. What would the poppies and their branch dress up as?

ROF Poppy would definitely wear a silly mascot costume like she does in canon

Like a big piece of candy or a pumpkin or something. CS Poppy would be like, a witch or a vampire.

Either Branch would like to dress up as something spooky like a werewolf, Dracula, zombie. Personal headcanon that he really likes Halloween and would love being able to get away with purposely scaring trolls once a year with overly elaborate contraptions and inventions

I think he'd get a little too into it but CS Poppy would definitely encourage it more than ROF Poppy would.

[honest-moth-of-silver-grove]

Current Castlevania Masterlist (As of 01.21.24)

Key:

HC = Headcanons (most asks)

OS = One Shots, Ficlets, Drabbles (stand-alone pieces longer than bullets)

CS = Longform & Chapter Stories

CYOA = Choose Your Own Adventure (parts where Reader, s/o, makes different actions to appeal to different, separate characters)

Matchups = Character Matchups for Different Fandoms (readers get paired with a character based on their personality)

Hot! = Adult/NSFW Content

🧛‍♀️ Castlevania 🧛‍♀️

Longer Form (One-Shots) & Chapter Stories:

OS: Modern!Reader jumps into the flames to save Lisa

OS: Modern!Reader jumps into the flames to save Lisa (Part Two) & meets Dracula after rescuing her

OS: Modern! Reader jumps into the flames to save Lisa (Part Three) & goes back to the castle with Lisa and Dracula where she meets Adrian

OS: Yandere!Alucard x Reader

OS: Yandere!Alucard x Reader Part Two

OS: Yandere!Alucard x Reader Part Three

OS: Reader dies in Castlevania Trio’s arms after declaring their love for them

HC & OS: Sypha pegs Trevor- Hot!

OS: Third person in addition to Sumi and Taka finds Alucard tied up with the bodies of Sumi and Taka around him and they have to comfort Alucard

OS: Cho’s daughter comes to avenge her mother, but falls for a lonely Alucard

OS: Cho’s daughter comes to avenge her mother, but is captured by an obsessive Yandere!Alucard

OS: A empathetic herbalist reader comes to find Alucard post-S3, and their relationship is like Beauty and the Beast

OS: Kitsune!Reader leaves offerings for Alucard Post-S3

OS: Trio saves Werewolf!Reader from cruel vampire owner (Part 1)

OS: The Trio Saves a Werewolf!Reader (Part 2)

CS: Sacrificial Family: A child is sacrificed to Dracula by their cultist parents. Completely aghast by this abhorrent behavior displayed by who should be your caretakers, the vampire, and his wife decide to adopt them. But welcoming a new addition to the family when yours is composed of a human doctor, vampire lord, and dhampir child isn’t as easy as it seems. Chapter One - Chapter Two - Chapter Three

Choose Your Own Adventure:

HC & OS & CYOA: Witch Trio Ask Series (3 Parts)

HC & OS: Realizing they independently fell in love with the same s/o (1 of 3)

OS & HC & CYOA: Realizing they independently fell in love with the same s/o (2 of 3)

OS & HC & CYOA: The trio member of your choosing brings you back to the group (3 of 3)

Quizzes:

What Castlevania (Netflix) Character Are You Most Compatible With?

Trio:

HC: The worst partner for the trio to have

HC: Reacting to someone from the future

HC: Significant other with chronic pain

HC: How They Spend Valentine’s Day

HC: Falling in love w/ the same person & trying to woo them separately

HC & OS & CYOA: Witch Trio Ask Series (3 Parts)

HC & OS: Realizing they independently fell in love with the same s/o (1 of 3)

OS & HC & CYOA: Realizing they independently fell in love with the same s/o (2 of 3)

OS & HC & CYOA: The trio member of your choosing brings you back to the group (3 of 3)

HC & OS: Time Travel Lady Ask Series

HC: A lady from the future pranks them & they become obsessed (1 of 4)

HC: A lady from the future pranks them & they become obsessed & catch her (2 of 4)

OS: Alucard reflects on the status of his darling and the wedding portrait she pranked him with long ago (3 of 4)

HC & OS: The lady from the future gets revenge on the trio (4 of 4)

HC: Trio competes for the same girl/their flirting styles

OS: Reader dies in Castlevania Trio’s arms after declaring their love for them

HC: Trio falling for 4th adopted group member but they’re oblivious to the trio’s flirting

HC: How the Trio spends the Winter Holidays with their loved one

HC: How The Castlevania Characters Watch the Superbowl

OS: The Trio Saves a Werewolf!Reader

OS: The Trio Saves a Werewolf!Reader Part 2

HC: Soldier, Poet, King with the Castlevania Trio

HC: Castlevania Pairings & Their Preferred Positions - Hot!

HC: Modern!AU Castlevania Headcanons

Alucard

HC: Yandere! Alucard

OS: Yandere!Alucard x Reader

OS: Yandere!Alucard x Reader Part Two

OS: Yandere!Alucard x Reader Part Three

HC: Yandere!Alucard finds girl in coma in the woods & takes her home (½)

HC: Yandere!Alucard when coma girl wakes up (2/2)

OS: Third person in addition to Sumi and Taka finds Alucard tied up with the bodies of Sumi and Taka around him and they have to comfort Alucard

HC: A mother of a dhampir runs to Alucard’s castle for help & he falls in love with them & protects them from her evil vampire ex

HC: Alucard has a long-lost mute!sister who’s lost her memory

OS: Cho’s daughter comes to avenge her mother, but falls for a lonely Alucard

OS: Cho’s daughter comes to avenge her mother, but is captured by an obsessive Yandere!Alucard

OS: An empathetic herbalist reader comes to find Alucard post-S3, and their relationship is like Beauty and the Beast

OS: Kitsune!Reader leaves offerings for Alucard Post-S3

HC: Alucard Getting a Villager’s Attention (Pre-S1)

HC: Alucard Meeting Trevor’s Older Sister

HC: Confiding in Trevor & Alucard that you like Sypha

HC: Helping their Significant Other Through a Panic Attack

Trevor

HC & OS: Sypha pegs Trevor- Hot!

OS: Trevor and a Poor Vision!Reader outside of Gresit

HC: Confiding in Trevor & Alucard that you like Sypha

HC: Helping their Significant Other Through a Panic Attack

Sypha

HC & OS: Sypha pegs Trevor- Hot!

HC: Sypha Reacting to a Vampire!Child That’s Scared of Her

Lisa:

OS: Modern!Reader jumps into the flames to save Lisa

OS: Modern!Reader jumps into the flames to save Lisa (Part Two) & meets Dracula after rescuing her

OS: Modern! Reader jumps into the flames to save Lisa (Part Three) & goes back to the castle with Lisa and Dracula where she meets Adrian

HC: How The Castlevania Characters Watch the Superbowl

HC: Castlevania Pairings & Their Preferred Positions - Hot!

HC: Modern!AU Castlevania Headcanons

Dracula:

HC: How The Castlevania Characters Watch the Superbowl

HC: Castlevania Pairings and Their Preferred Positions - Hot!

HC: Modern!AU Castlevania Headcanons

Hector:

HC: How The Castlevania Characters Watch the Superbowl

HC: Helping their Significant Other Through a Panic Attack

HC: Castlevania Pairings & Their Preferred Positions - Hot!

HC: Modern!AU Castlevania Headcanons

HC: Isaac & Hector’s Partnership Post S4

Isaac:

HC: How The Castlevania Characters Watch the Superbowl

HC: Helping their Significant Other Through a Panic Attack

HC: Castlevania Pairings & Their Preferred Positions - Hot!

HC: Modern!AU Castlevania Headcanons

HC: Isaac & Hector’s Partnership Post S4

Godbrand:

HC: How The Castlevania Characters Watch the Superbowl

Greta:

HC: Castlevania Pairings & Their Preferred Positions - Hot!

Lenore:

HC: Castlevania Pairings & Their Preferred Positions - Hot!

Zamfir:

HC: Castlevania Pairings & Their Preferred Positions - Hot!

Striga:

HC: Castlevania Pairings & Their Preferred Positions - Hot!

Morana:

HC: Castlevania Pairings & Their Preferred Positions - Hot!

[forget-me-not-s]

Soliciting for Dracula

@kymbersmith-90 posted part 1 of this amazing mini story. So it's time I shared this mini collage I did inspired by her mesmerizing words. If you want a fun story with a vampire twist perfect for Halloween, check her page to know more of this story, you won't regret it!

[odnagnisul]

100 livres à avoir lu dans sa vie (entre autres):

1984, George Orwell ✅

A la croisée des mondes, Philip Pullman

Agnès Grey, Agnès Bronte ✅

Alice au Pays des merveilles, Lewis Carroll ✅

Angélique marquise des anges, Anne Golon

Anna Karenine, Léon Tolstoï

A Rebours, Joris-Karl Huysmans

Au bonheur des dames, Émile Zola

Avec vue sur l'Arno, E.M Forster

Autant en emporte le vent, Margaret Mitchell

Barry Lyndon, William Makepeace Thackeray

Belle du Seigneur, Albert Cohen

Blonde, Joyce Carol Oates

Bonjour tristesse, Françoise Sagan ✅

Cent ans de solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Charlie et la chocolaterie, Roald Dahl ✅

Chéri, Colette

Crime et Châtiment, Féodor Dostoïevski

De grandes espérances, Charles Dickens

Des fleurs pour Algernon, Daniel Keyes

Des souris et des hommes, John Steinbeck ✅

Dix petits nègres, Agatha Christie ✅

Docteur Jekyll et Mister Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson ✅

Don Quichotte, Miguel Cervantés

Dracula, Bram Stocker ✅

Du côté de chez Swann, Marcel Proust

Dune, Frank Herbert ✅

Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury ✅

Fondation, Isaac Asimov

Frankenstein, Mary Shelley ✅

Gatsby le magnifique, Francis Scott Fitzgerald ✅

Harry Potter à l'école des sorciers, J.K Rowling

Home, Toni Morrison

Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte

Kafka sur le rivage, Haruki Murakami

L'adieu aux armes, Ernest Hemingway ✅

L'affaire Jane Eyre, Jasper Fforde

L'appel de la forêt, Jack London ✅

L'attrape-cœur, J. D. Salinger ✅

L'écume des jours, Boris Vian

L'étranger, Albert Camus ✅

L'insoutenable légèreté de l'être, Milan Kundera

La condition humaine, André Malraux

La dame aux camélias, Alexandre Dumas Fils

La dame en blanc, Wilkie Collins

La gloire de mon père, Marcel Pagnol

La ligne verte, Stephen King ✅

La nuit des temps, René Barjavel

La Princesse de Clèves, Mme de La Fayette ✅

La Route, Cormac McCarthy ✅

Le chien des Baskerville, Arthur Conan Doyle

Le cœur cousu, Carole Martinez

Le comte de Monte-Cristo, Alexandre Dumas : tome 1 et 2

Le dernier jour d'un condamné, Victor Hugo ✅

Le fantôme de l'opéra, Gaston Leroux

Le lièvre de Vaatanen, Arto Paasilinna

Le maître et Marguerite, Mikhaïl Boulgakov

Le meilleur des mondes, Aldous Huxley

Le nom de la rose, Umberto Eco

Le parfum, Patrick Süskind

Le portrait de Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde ✅

Le Petit Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupery ✅

Le père Goriot, Honoré de Balzac ✅

Le prophète, Khalil Gibran ✅

Le rapport de Brodeck, Philippe Claudel

Le rouge et le noir, Stendhal ✅

Le Seigneur des anneaux, J.R Tolkien ✅

Le temps de l'innocence, Edith Wharton

Le vieux qui lisait des romans d'amour, Luis Sepulveda ✅

Les Chroniques de Narnia, CS Lewis

Les Hauts de Hurle-Vent, Emily Brontë

Les liaisons dangereuses, Choderlos de Laclos ✅

Les Malaussène, Daniel Pennac ✅

Les mémoires d'une jeune fille rangée, Simone de

Beauvoir

Les mystères d'Udolfo, Ann Radcliff

Les piliers de la Terre, Ken Follett : tome 1

Les quatre filles du Docteur March, Louisa May

Alcott

Les racines du ciel, Romain Gary

Lettre d'une inconnue, Stefan Zweig ✅

Madame Bovary, Gustave Flaubert ✅

Millenium, Larson Stieg ✅

Miss Charity, Marie-Aude Murail

Mrs Dalloway, Virginia Woolf

Ne tirez pas sur l'oiseau moqueur, Harper Lee ✅

Nord et Sud, Elisabeth Gaskell

Orgueil et Préjugés, Jane Austen

Pastorale américaine, Philip Roth

Peter Pan, James Matthew Barrie

Pilgrim, Timothy Findley

Rebecca, Daphne Du Maurier

Robinson Crusoé, Daniel Defoe ✅

Rouge Brésil, Jean Christophe Ruffin

Sa majesté des mouches, William Goldwin ✅

Tess d'Uberville, Thomas Hardy

Tous les matins du monde, Pascal Quignard

Un roi sans divertissement, Jean Giono

Une prière pour Owen, John Irving

Une Vie, Guy de Maupassant

Vent d'est, vent d'ouest, Pearl Buck

Voyage au bout de la nuit, Louis-Ferdinand Céline ✅

Total : 37/100

[cssns]

We’re here!!! *SOBBING UNCONTROLLABLY* It’s time for the CSSNS20 Roundup!!!!

It has been quite a ride y’all... 

I just want to take a moment here at the beginning of the post to thank everyone who has ever been a part of this event from 2018 to now. Y’all are the ones who made this event what it is and I cannot be more grateful to have had the privilege of manning the helm for the past three years. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart!!! There’s been too many participants over the years to name everyone, but I have to give a shoutout to my personal support team and the mods from all three years. Each one of them has contributed in innumerable ways and this event never would have happened without each of them and their contribution. @hollyethecurious​ @winterbaby89​ @katie-dub​, @thisonesatellite​ and @profdanglaisstuff​. Thank you so much ladies!!! I never could have done this without you all!!!

Now that the event is over, I want to let everyone know that I will be inviting other supernatural fic to the collection over on ao3. When I first started reading fan fiction, I stumbled across the Black Swan and Red Hooks Collection, a collection for smutty fics, that continues to grow today. I want to do the same thing with the Supernatural Summer Collection. As more supernatural fics are written, I will invite them to the collection.

We are now at the close, and it’s time to round up all the wonderful fics and art that we’ve been blessed with in this year’s event. At the end of the post, I’ll highlight all the fic from previous years that have also updated this summer.  Active MC’s will continue updating until they are finished. And without further ado, HERE WE GOOOOOOO!!!!

Under the cut, unless Tumblr ate it.

On June 1st, @itsfabianadocarmo dropped a vampire aesthetic inspired by the Countess from American Horror Story: Hotel. SOOO incredible! It gave me chills! You can find it here.

On June 3rd, I ( @kmomof4​ ) dropped Of Darkness, Vampires, and Soulmates. I figured that since this was our last year, I should write for it for once. Breathtaking art by @spartanguard. Banner Prologue Ch1 Ch2 Ch3 Ch4 Ch5 Ch6 Ch7 Ch8

On June 6th, @demisexualemmaswan dropped By the Moon’s Rise, featuring CS as werewolves. Oh my WORD! The pack politics going on…It is off to a fantastic start and I can’t wait for more!                                                   Gorgeous art by @courtorderedcake. Killian Emma David

On June 9th, @snowbellewells dropped A Cottage By the Sea. An Enchanted Forest Lieutenant Duckling AU. The last chapter left me CHEERING and I can’t wait to see where she takes this!                                                                  Lovely art by @searchingwardrobes. 

On June 11th, @katie-dub dropped Awakening, her fic inspired by the TV show Being Human. I am not familiar with the show, but this fic, oh my WORD!!! I had no words, and so I reblogged with gifs. Can’t wait for more!!!

On June 14th, @lassluna dropped her fic, Swan’s Hourglass, a Legend of Zelda AU. I absolutely LOVE her use of the side characters and Emma is absolutely bad ass!!! Can’t wait for more!!                                                                  Beautiful Artwork by @eastwesthomeisbest.

On June 17th, @hollyethecurious​ dropped her Vampire Diary’s inspired The Craving In Between. Fun, intriguing, and SPICY!!!                                          Perfect Artwork by @allons-y-to-hogwarts-713​.

On June 20, @allons-y-to-hogwarts-713​ dropped her original Angel!Emma/Demon!Killian aesthetic. Absolutely PERFECT!!!

On June 23, @allons-y-to-hogwarts-713​ dropped another aesthetic that I was inspired to write a fic for! The Moon… Tells the Sea is the tale of were-mermaid Emma and her mate. aesthetic on Tumblr

On June 25, @eastwesthomeisbest​ dropped original Vampire!Killian artwork His Sweet Kiss. BREATHTAKING and sooooo chilling!!!

On June 27th, @kymbersmith-90​ dropped her Soliciting for Dracula: Outtake. So GREAT to be taken back to that universe first presented during CS Halloweek last year! Original fic on Ao3 Tumblr link with art

On June 29th, @imlaxdris71​ dropped her Shadowhunters AU, The Price of Blood. I am not at all familiar with Shadowhunters, but this fic is so AWESOME already and I can’t wait for more!!!                                                                          I was thrilled to provide artwork for this incredible fic!

On July 2, @ohmightydevviepuu​ and @thisonesatellite​ posted The Sword and the Heart, their retelling of all of s5. Let me tell you, THIS is what we should have gotten on the show!!! I can’t WAIT for the next chapter!!!                         Awe-inspiring artwork by @thisonesatellite​ and @profdanglaisstuff​.

On July 5, @snowbellewells​ posted For Once, Don’t Let Go, her CS ghost story. Spooky and soooo SWEET all at once!!!                                                            Chill-inducing, perfect artwork by @hollyethecurious​.

On July 7, @stahlop​ posted Making a Memory, her fic inspired by The Parent Trap. This fic is absolutely AWESOME, y’all!!! Lisa has sucked me in to this blending of one of my all time favorite live action Disney movies and Once canon and I CANNOT WAIT for more of it!!!                                                     Lovely and perfect artwork by @gingerchangeling​.

On July 9, @allons-y-to-hogwarts-713​ posted her original vampire aesthetic. Mm mm mm mm mmmmmmm!!!

On July 13, @shardminds​ posted her Witcher AU, Silver for Monsters. I have been BESIDE myself waiting for this fic, even though I’m not familiar with the show and the first chapter did not disappoint!!! Can’t wait for more!!!          Swoon-worthy artwork by @artistic-writer​.

On July 15, @eastwesthomeisbest​ posted original Fairy artwork, Within You, inspired by Carnival Row. Absolutely BREATHTAKING!!! Then on July 26, she posted Fear Me Or Love Me… It’s All the Same, and reduced me to a screaming flailing mess!

On July 18, @lovelivingmydreams​ posted Labors of Love, her Greek gods AU. This fic is fantastic and I am LOVING every bit of it!! I’ve been told to strap myself in, so I have and am eagerly waiting for the next chapter!!!            Beautiful artwork by @mariakov81​ Banner Ch1 Ch2 Ch3 Ch4 Ch5 

On July 21, @jarienn972​ posted La Sirena, her Siren Emma fic. A BEAUTIFUL mystery and I can’t wait to see where she goes with this!!!                      Gorgeous artwork by @courtorderedcake​.

On July 23, @shireness-says​ posted A Fate Woven in Thread and Ink, her fic inspired by The Night Circus. This fic is pure magic. Absolutely STUNNING in its beauty and I am BESIDE myself waiting for the next chapter!!!               Incredible artwork by @eirabach​. 

On July 29, @winterbythesea​ posted The Truth In a Masquerade featuring dueling CS at a vampire masquerade! WELL WORTH all the teasing we endured on the discord!

On Aug. 1, @profdanglaisstuff​ posted The Eternal and Unseen, an epic tale of fae, werewolf, and vampire coming together to defeat a common enemy. This fic is absolutely INCREDIBLE and I can’t wait for the next chapter!!!        Beautiful artwork 1 2 3 by @carpedzem​.

@xhookswenchx​ posted her werewolf MC, Waning Moon, on Aug. 2. I am soooo in LOVE with this beautiful fic and can’t wait for more of it!!!            Beautiful and precious artwork Banner 1 2 3 4 5 by @mariakov81​.

@whimsicallyenchantedrose​ posted her MC, More Than All the Jewels in the Realm on Aug. 4. Kinda a ghost/soulmate MC. You’ll see what I mean… Absolutely FANTASTIC already!!!                                                               Beautifully haunting artwork by @searchingwardrobes​.

@thejollyroger-writer​​ posted the first chapter of THE WASTELAND on Aug. 6, where the hero group goes on a magical journey to save Killian. This world she has built is INCREDIBLE and I am loving this fic soooo much!!!                    Incredible artwork 1 2 3 4 5 by @spartanguard​.

On Aug. 8, @imlaxdris71​ posted her werewolf MC, The Beast of Aurum. My heart hurts so much for Killian ALREADY!!!! I can’t wait for more!!!               Artwork by me, @kmomof4​.

On Aug. 10, @eastwesthomeisbest​ dropped original Demon Killian artwork, I’m Your Darkest Dream. Gave me CHILLS!!!

Aug. 13, @ohmightydevviepuu​ posted  From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea as part of her writersmonth2020 project. A 3a divergence that is absolutely HEART WRENCHING and BEAUTIFUL!!!                                                     Beautiful artwork by @mariakov81​ 

On Aug. 14, @spartanguard​ posted her fix it fic for West Side Story, Even Death Won’t Part Us Now, featuring CS as vampires. I am absolutely BESIDE MYSELF over this fic, y'all!!! I love it sooooo MUCH!!! Breathtaking and perfect artwork 1 2 3 by @thesschesthair​.

Aug. 18, @hollyethecurious​ posted her Sleepy Hollow AU, Some Legends are Best Kept as Legends. This fic is MAGNIFICENT and I can’t wait for more!!! Artwork by herself.

Aug. 20, @darkcolinodonorgasm​ posted her Siren Emma MC, A Song of Sin and Desire. This is gonna be an INCREDIBLE fic, y'all!!! I love it already!!! Gorgeous artwork by @artistic-writer​.

On Aug. 22, @allons-y-to-hogwarts-713 posted fantastic original artwork for a fic by @teamhook​ that she posted in September, The Wolf and the Savior. The setup of this fic has me on the edge of my seat and I can’t WAIT to see what’s next!!! 

Aug. 24, @courtorderedcake​ posted her demon MC, Majestically To Far Beyond. This fic really is fun and I am LOVING it, y’all!!! Can't wait for more!!!                             Artwork by me, @kmomof4​.

Aug. 26, @cocohook38​ posted her Dark Swan/Werewolf Killian MC, I’ll Be Waiting For You By the Blood Moon. This is a FANTASTIC take on the Dark Swan and I can’t wait for more of it!!!                                                              Breathtaking artwork by @eastwesthomeisbest​.

And finally, rounding out our event on Aug. 30, @seriouslyhooked​ posted Lost Souls and Reveries: The Sequel, a continuation of her CSSNS18 fic, Lost Souls and Reveries. This first chapter was soooo precious and lovely and I can’t wait to see where she goes with this!!! Exquisite artwork by @clockadile​.

Over the course of the summer, we had several fics from previous years update, in some cases, several times! 

Until the Stars Are All Alight by @whimsicallyenchantedrose​ updated several times. Beautiful artwork by @clockadile​. This is her LOTR/CS crossover and I love it sooooo much!!!!

@kymbersmith-90​ updated both of her fics from CSSNS18, Slayer and Divine Intervention. Perfect artwork complements of @hollyethecurious​ (x) (x). Both of these fics are sooooo GREAT, even to someone who hasn’t watched either show that they were inspired by!!!

@courtorderedcake​ updated Hallow, her epic fic of Fae princess Emma and Dark One Killian. We have now journeyed to Sultana Jasmine’s court and we are closing in on the end of their journey!!! Latest Tumblr chapter link with art

@darkcolinodonorgasm​ updated One Day, her LadyHawke inspired AU that she kills me with every single chapter!!! We are now on ch5 of 7.  Tumblr ch link Beautiful Artwork by @sherlockianwhovian​

@eirabach​ rewrote her CSSNS18 submission Glow for the CS Rewritathon this spring and summer. It can be found in its entirety in the CSSNS20 collection on ao3 here. I loved it when she originally wrote it, and I loved it even more this time!!!

Well, that’s it, y’all!!!! Who would have thought when I came up with this idea almost three years ago now that we would have such participation and enthusiasm across this fabulous fandom? We have been blessed with EPIC, INCREDIBLE, GORGEOUS, BREATHTAKING, FUN, LOVELY, MAGNIFICENT fics and art these last three years!!! As I said at the top of this post, the collection on ao3 will continue to be active as well as this blog as more supernatural fics are written and shared. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for coming along on this ride with me. Y’all have all made it soooo worthwhile!!! All the love, everyone!!!

[thesschesthair]

When the Saviour met the Slayer

 CS AU Week 2k17 - DAY 2: Crossover AU

A portal opens in Storybrooke, spitting out a small blonde with a mission and a destiny. Emma befriends the lost warrior and together they work on getting her back to her town in California, bonding over magic, prophesies, saving the world and ancient boyfriends.  

“Freeze! Drop your weapon!”

“Take it easy, i’m not a threat.”

“You came through that portal?”

“Yeah... and I need to get back-”

“Who are you?”

“Who are you?!”

“The sheriff of this town, Emma. Now you gonna tell me who you are?”

“I’m Buffy... and I really really ned to get back through one of those.. things- hey, you wouldn’t think I was crazy if I asked if you knew a witch, would you?”

“Only if you think i’m crazy for answering yes.”

“So you’re all like... from books and stuff?”

“Sort of. Well not me- okay me too- it’s complicated.”

“I’ll say. But i’m a slayer, chosen to fight vampires and monsters. No judgey here.”

“Hey, I’m a saviour. Supposedly born to break curses or whatever. Bring back happy endings. Guess we both got dealt a crappy deal, huh?”

“So no vampires... but Cinderella and snow White and stuff? They’re actually walking around out there? gotta say, I didn’t see any fancy ballgowns.”

“Snow White is... actually my mom. If you can believe it.”

“Get out! Seriously??”

“Yuh huh.”

“Oh! I did meet Dracula once.”

“Oooh- holy crap! Sorry! You said to come over and I- i’m gonna not interrupt you guys... my bad. Baaad Buffy-”

“It’s fine. We were just... making pancakes.”

“Sure...”

“Oh! This is Killian, or Captain Hook.. you know.”

“Huh. Hi. Buffy. Gotta say I wasn’t expecting you to be so... yeah. Hi there.”

“Morning, love.”

“Aaaand there’s an accent too.”

“Well i’ll leave you two ladies to it.”

“....”

“....”

“He got a brother?”

“Not one that’s alive... or in this realm- i’m not exactly sure.”

“Darn it.”

“I thought you had some hot hundred year old brooding vampire anyhow?”

“Yeah but i’d happily trade for a hot hundred year old brooding pirate if they come like that.”

“Please don’t feed his ego.”

[snowbellewells]

CSSNS24 fic" For All Life and For All Time" {the final chapter, fic complete!}

Yes, it has taken me longer than I hoped, but I have finally finished my three-part Dracula-themed Victorian CS AU for the @cssns!!! I'm really pleased with how it's come together, and I'm excited to share this last part with you. As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts. (And I hope the mostly happy ending will allow you to forgive the bit of pain we'll have to endure in getting there...

Summary: Having lost her dearest friend and with her own life on the line, Emma Swan joins a noble band to face an ancient evil. Three of them stand by her in honor of the one they loved and lost. The other might be the first man she could love. He might love her as well - even more than life itself. Time will tell... if they both survive the fight against their immortal enemy.

Also available from the start here on Tumblr or on AO3

(See just a couple more author's notes at chapter's end)

Part Three

by: @snowbellewells

Unable to help himself, a roar of outrage and horror tore from Killian’s chest, ringing across the wide, high-ceilinged space at the sight of the monster draining Emma’s life flow from her veins. Forgetting their plan, forgetting the compatriots around him, seeing only another woman he loved ravaged and dead and himself unable to save her, violent red rage coursed through his body as he charged forward.

Either the prick of the vampire’s fangs into her neck, the pain that immediately followed, or the wild howl of a man unmoored and the sound of oncoming feet, seemed to snap Emma into awareness. A startled cry escaped her lips, eyelids fluttering rapidly as she struggled to regain her bearings before they snapped open in shocked realization of her position in Dracula’s clutches and what was happening to her and around her. She recoiled with a visible shudder, and what strength she had saw her struggling once again to free herself. 

Somewhere in the haze that nearly consumed him, Killian drew some morsel of comfort from the sight. Though her slim build and weakened state made her attempts akin to those of a songbird beating its wings against the firm, steel bars of a gilded cage against von Stiltskin’s implacable, inhuman strength, she didn’t stop for even a moment. Emma was still herself, not lost to them yet.

Killian mastered himself somewhat as he drew near to the vampire and his struggling victim. He must find his clarity, follow through on the plan they had laid out if they were to give Emma her best chance, and to survive themselves. Thankfully, his brothers-in-arms had only recently weathered the horrifying loss he feared, the image of Aurora’s pale and terrifying beauty as the vampiress the Count had made her, and the lengths to which they had gone to restore her humanity, if only in death, must still haunt them now, but it had served them well. The other three had fanned out over the space, insuring that whichever way the monster turned he must needs face one of them in an attempt to fly.

To see the feral gleam in the creature’s eye though, Killian did not believe retreat would be his action this time. As much as on her blood, Dracula was feeding on Emma’s wretched noises and her futile attempts to escape, writhing and bucking in his grasp to no avail. A malevolent glee seemed to seep from every pore under the dead, white skin, causing the vampire to glisten with it, an oozing sheen of evil that seemed almost a protective layer cloaking their foe.

It was now or never; Emma could not afford their hesitation, the element of surprise had been lost even before their arrival, and they were all in place now, as prepared as ever they could be. Raising his voice with a commanding authority he hardly felt, Killian drew from his cloak for the vampire to see, the dagger he had sought halfway across the continent, brandishing it as he would a shining shield. “Von Stiltskin,” he bellowed, staring down the nightmare who had stalked his dreams for years, “let her go!”

At first glimpse of the dagger in his adversary’s grip, the vampire fell back with a hiss, momentarily struck enough to ease his grip on Emma slightly and to remove his fangs from her neck as his displeasure was made known. The unsettling, glowing eyes were murderous, unhinged, but also showed fear in spite of the creature’s anger. Killian moved forward again that much more confident the weapon must indeed wield the powers purported. Why else would the Count hesitate to attack him now, as he drew within striking distance? Particularly with the speed he knew Dracula to possess. He had set himself as the bait for that very reason; to draw focus while the others attacked from all sides. It took almost more restraint than he possessed not to dart forward and pull Emma from the suddenly lax grip the vampire held upon her, to get between them and shield her with his own body from further harm. In truth, the way she slumped as the hold grew less nearly made his panic soar beyond his control, until she managed to catch his eye, raising her head just a moment, but the flicker in the snapping jade orbs told him she was ready the moment she had an opportunity, not quite as limp or defeated as she meant to appear.

The relief that flooded him was almost certainly premature, a distraction he could not afford, and yet it also suffused his being with new strength and will. Only a few steps more, and he would be close enough to land a damaging blow. From the corners of his vision, Killian could see that Jefferson, Graham, and Philip were all in position, each man poised and alert, ready to do just as they had planned. Wordlessly, Killian gave the signal, and even as he pushed forward, the dagger raised to drive through Dracula’s heart if he were to have the chance, the others moved in with him, matching him stride for stride.

If not for their stalwart presence, he might have lost himself, Killian realized, shaking the reddened haze of anger from his vision. But as they tightened their circle, his aim sharpened, and their monstrous foe’s attention was split between the oncoming assailants, just as they had hoped.

Even as Killian readied his arm, steeling himself to sink the dagger home, he saw the rapid movement to his left of Graham Morris driven forward by fighting instinct and chivalric nature past any further hesitation, despite their previous agreement that Killian must strike first with the fated blade. Graham’s slice went deep, and with a roar of pain the monster dropped its clawed grip on Emma completely. She fell to the floor in a heap, and that taloned grasp swiped outward, catching Morris in the gut and dragging across his torso viciously. Graham stumbled back with a gasp, clutching his middle where red already leaked through his fingers.

Killian could not falter; for just one moment, Dracula was stunned, injured - vulnerable - and so he drove the dagger into the monster’s chest, right where its heart would be, if that organ could still exist in one such as he, and followed through with all his might. 

The vampire howled and snapped its terrible jaws, resembling even the guise of humanity less and less with every second. Mere breaths after the deathblow struck home, the vampire sunk to its knees. Yet, even with strength waning, lashed out and gripped Killian about the neck, too firmly to be shaken off and inexorably squeezing, closing off the air from his lungs. It was as though the fiend knew he had finally been bested, but would not sink into the fires below without taking his conqueror with him.

Killian Jones had long since readied himself for such an eventuality. In the long, solitary years he had spent tracking Dracula von Stiltskin’s whereabouts and seeking out any possible weaknesses which might bring about his defeat, he had accepted that his quest’s end would almost surely mean his own as well. And he had been at peace with that. There had been little but bitterness and pain for him in the world at any rate. But now, he found he could not let go just yet; he had reason to stay on this Earth, to live again, beyond Dracula’s downfall, thanks to the band of brothers who surrounded him, and especially the woman who was now rising from where she had fallen.

Scrabbling frantically at the hands which closed off his windpipe, desperate to see this battle finished once and for all, and that Emma was alright, he fought to free himself of the iron hold and the darkening edges encroaching on his sight.

Though it could not have been more than moments, time seemed to have stretched and lengthened oddly, so that Killian had almost forgotten Seward and Thornswood, until both made their own strikes at the monster almost simultaneously. Thornswood came from the right, hacking the creature’s arm with such force it was nearly detached at the shoulder, finally loosening the death grip on Killian and allowing him the air to stay conscious. Seward had attacked from behind, wisely intending to sever the vampire’s neck and remove the head, the only sure way to finish him off. The creature’s fall to its knees had thrown his aim off, however, and his blade was now sunk so deep in the fiend’s back that he struggled to pull it out to try again.

Pulling in great, gasping breaths, Killian searched for the dagger to remove the head himself. No matter how badly they had wounded Dracula, he would regenerate if they did not make certain he was ash. Yet all he could find was the intricate jeweled hilt. It would seem to have disintegrated within the beast upon finding its mark.

Before he could think what to do, Killian saw Emma rise, wavering unsteadily on her feet, but with the hair-raising war cry of a Valkyrie. She had pulled the knife he had sent with her from its sheath at her thigh and she struck the monster’s neck swiftly and certainly - as well as he could have done it himself - before falling to the floor again with a wail and turning her head into his chest.

Though Killian was honored and truly touched to have Emma turn to him for strength in that moment, he pulled back slightly, lifting her chin and urging her to turn so she could also see what was happening before his very eyes. He felt he knew and understood Emma Swan almost as well as he knew himself, and he was unwaveringly sure that - just as he did - she would need to witness what was unfolding, for her own future peace of mind.

And what a sight it was at that - one he had nearly despaired of ever witnessing. With a last bellow that seemed to shake the rafters and the floor beneath their feet, the immortal monster met his end. An otherworldly wind whirled around the vampire as it was buffeted and torn, with bits of him being stripped away piece by piece. Chinks of light began to show through his form to the the far wall, and then it was as though he began to crystallize and dissolve, blown away like sand on the wind.

The howl of the dying creature as it was pulled apart, combined with the pressure and whipping of the blinding wind nearly stole their breath. It was all Killian could do to stand his ground and cling to Emma with all his might to steady her as well. When the small whirlwind finally eased, seeming to vanish back from wherever it had come, all of their company stood still as stone for several long moments. They were silent; frozen in shock and hardly daring to believe that Dracula von Stiltskin was now the mere pile of ash at their feet; the dust barely settled, but the long reign of terror at last at its end.

A wheezing gasp, low and ragged, from off to their left was what finally broke them from their frozen state. “I-Is he f-finished?” the voice asked desperately.

Where Emma had been leaning on him heavily, her reserves of strength and adrenaline nearly drained away, she suddenly jerked forward, her eyes meeting his in alarm, seeming to ask, ‘How could we have forgotten?’

They hurried toward the pained voice, now clearly accompanied by labored breathing, once the tumult had died down. Philip Thornswood had beated them there, already dropping to his knees beside their fallen comrade with a tense exclamation of “Morris!” that made his dismay all too clear. He reached beneath the other man’s shoulders, elevating his head and torso slightly and looking with worried brow to Jefferson for direction.

The doctor had also knelt beside the brave adventurer, pulling back the remnants of ruined shirt and vest to examine Graham Morris’ wound. But his grim expression only told them what they had already feared. There was so much blood - beneath him, around him, still leaking from the open wound - gaping appallingly no matter how much they wished to see otherwise.

Graham’s large, expressive brown eyes had gone a bit glassy, but they still flicked from one to another of his friends earnestly. “Tell me, please… whatever it is. Is the monster gone?”

There was nothing to be done for him, not that could be accomplished in a dank, drafty castle with no surgical equipment and so much blood loss. Clearly even the cowboy already knew it, and so none forced Seward to put the bleak reality into words. Instead, he reached out and took Morris’ hand in his, clasping tightly as Thornswood did the same at his shoulder. “Dracula’s reign of terror is over. We did it, my Friend. Rest easy on that.”

A rattling breath escaped the Irishman’s lungs at those words, as his eyes fluttered closed for a moment in deeply felt relief. They almost wondered if he was already fading when they flickered open once more and he asked, “A-and Emma? Miss Swan? Is she…?”

With a pained cry, Emma stumbled to his other side and dropped next to him on the cold cement floor, anxious to ease his mind and offer him her thanks if that were all that she could do. Reaching out a trembling hand, she smoothed a sweaty curl from his clammy forehead, squeezing his fingers - heedless of how they were tacky with dried blood - tightly in her own and then pressing their joined hands to her chest with emotion.

“I’m here,” she murmured, “We all are.” She didn’t know what else to do, but she didn’t want this brave man who had fought against evil and helped to save her life to feel alone for even one second in this horrible passing.

Morris managed a faint press of Emma’s fingers in return, almost smiling tremulously as he added with a ragged gasp, “M-Miss Swan? It is g-good to see you, milady.  Are you truly alright?”

Tears still rimmed Emma’s green eyes, glittering in the strange half-light like jewels on her lashes as she nodded fervently. “Yes, I am. Please do not fret on that anymore. I will be fine. Thanks in no small part to you, Mr. Morris.” Her voice trembled with emotion at feeling the strength in his hand that she clasped in her own lessening with each moment that passed. The roving hero’s journey was inescapably nearing its end, and though he had fought well and seen their battle won, he would not have the chance to savor the victory they had wrought, nor to enjoy the newfound peace he had helped to secure.

“Thank the Lord and all His saints for that,” he exhaled, the words barely more than a whisper of breath. When his eyes fell closed that time, his lashes did not flutter open again; the struggling rise and fall of his chest went still, and Graham Morris breathed his last.

Strong, formidable men all, his allies were, and still in that frigid, ruined throne room Emma’s tears were not the only ones shed over the body of the impetuous wanderer who had given his last to the cause. Somehow the hours had hurried on; the sun was rising once more over the eastern peaks, and they had to leave the forbidding outpost of their vanquished foe. Though it was hard to believe they would leave that castle to tread on the same earth after the waking nightmare they had just survived, there was little else to be done but to press onward as best they could.

Emma Swan raised her eyes, her gaze seeking the only imaginable solace to be found - the answering blue stare of Killian Joens, mourning too, but still resolute and offering the hope of comfort to which she could cling. She focused on him and drew from his strength as the new day’s sun bathed the tragic scene in yet more red and gold with its returning glow. For the moment she must beyond the loss to the future - one they would have with certainty, now that the vampire was no more.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Two Years Later…

A cool, gentle breeze drifts in through the open window as Killian Jones, once the driven and coolly implacable vampire hunter Van Helsing, stands looking out over the fields and grounds of the country estate he now shares with the two lights of his life: Emma, his beautiful bride of more than a year, the savior of his heart and soul, and their new son, who gurgles happily in his arms. Looking down at the baby’s playful noisemaking, Killian grins, utterly enchanted by the gummy smile the little lad gives him, kicking his chubby feet energetically and latching onto his papa’s finger with an impressively tight grip of his small fist. For a babe just days old, Killian feels he must be especially brilliant to already show such personality and expression, though he knows he is more than biased and does not care one bit.

Emma is still recovering from the delivery in their suite just down the hall, so he happily took the wee one for a bit of a walk about the place after his last feeding, and now finds himself standing in the nursery enjoying both the peaceful meadows outside the window view and the tiny miracle in his arms, still rather stunned that he ever managed to find such contentment after so much struggle and pain.

Just then he hears lightly shuffling footsteps behind him, mere moments before his wife’s slender arms wrap around him from behind. He smiles warmly, feeling the same satisfaction she seems to as she burrows her face between his shoulderblades and hums delightedly while breathing him in.

Making sure their son is cradled securely against his body and within the crook of his arm, Killian brings his other hand down to cover Emma’s own and squeeze gently, gladly returning the affectionate touch, even as he chides lightly, “You, my darling, are meant to be resting, not up and roaming about the manor.”

Her soft laughter seems to brighten the very air with its light notes of joy, carefree and open as both of them are only now learning to allow their emotions to be - on the surface and able to be shared. Laying her cool, soft hand to rest over his heart, even as she returns the loving press of his fingers around her own, she cannot help the playfully tart response that escapes her lips. “You know better than to coddle me like some china doll, Mr. Jones.”

He can practically see the challenging quirk to her brow, the way she tilts her head in expectation when when she baits him, just waiting for his reply, and the knowing curve upwards at one corner of her mouth, even though he cannot actually look her in the face with her cuddled against his back.

Taking the hand he holds and using it to pull her in a wide circle, Killian brings his wife around to face him and gather her close again. His arms are wrapped around his whole world in their small family, and their little one is cradled between them as he gazes down into Emma’s eyes. “Forgive me, Mrs. Jones, but I believe it is my duty and right to care for the well-being of my lady wife.”

Shaking her head at his overly formal repartee, she huffs out an affectionate breath of exasperated acquiescence. 

Their back and forth is interrupted when their son begins to fuss, nosing doggedly at the front of Emma’s gown and letting her know without question that he is again ready for his meal. “He’s your child, that much is certain,” Emma adds tartly, a sardonic tone to her voice as she eyes her husband. “Insatiable.”

But even as she takes the child more fully into her own arms, moves aside her robe, and brings him closer to her breast, she lets one hand trail along Killian’s flank and playfully squeeze his rear in a moment’s tease, before moving away to carry their little boy to the rocking chair by the bassinet and settling in to feed him properly.

Killian’s body cannot help but jerk slightly in surprised response to her amorous caress, several parts of his anatomy coming to life. It is true that he always wants her, but he is not about to risk Emma’s health or comfort before her body is fully healed and restored from the birth of their son. “It would seem your roving hands prove I’m not the only insatiable one,” he murmurs lowly, a feral grin lighting his features as he follows her across the room and bends to take her lips with his own. The kiss is deep and leaves them both breathless. If all he can have at the moment, he will certainly make his kisses count.

She hums in agreement; relaxed, at ease, and happy as the little one settles again and she brushes tender fingers over the soft tufts of dark hair atop the boy’s hair. Quincey Morris Jones blinks eyes as blue as his father’s up at them sleepily once he has begun to get his fill. They had decided almost immediately to pass the surname of the lost member of their band of brothers on to their first child; it seemed the only tribute fitting enough to truly honor his sacrifice, and a worthy namesake to give their boy who would surely grow up to be as honorable and true as the man of whom they would tell him proudly.

As Killian takes the newborn, who is once more dozing, from his mother’s arms and lowers him carefully into his crib, he looks back at his wife. Her eyes practically glow with love for him, and a small, secret smile plays upon her perfect mouth. Beckoning Killian to her, Emma accepts his hand to rise, and lets him guide her back to their bedroom, where he curls around her protectively, staying dutifully at her side to insure her rest. Watching over her as she drifts back to sleep, and he hovers on the brink of it himself, Killian thinks of the day when he will tell young Quincey tales that prove just how marvelous a woman his mother is. So beautiful, daring, and brilliant that men would dare to risk all for her sake.

THE END~

Author's Note: I truly cannot believe that I've completed this story - and my work for the last @cssns but I won't be too sad as I still have ones from past years to finish, and I can always come back to read the many other amazing entries to the event's collection. @cssns was such a wonderful thing to be part of, and I will always be grateful to have been a small part of it!

As to this story's last chapter, I hope you will fondly remember a similar final line to the novel by Bram Stoker. When it struck me that I could use a similar closely line for this story, I was so excited!!! (Still, I thought I should give credit where credit was due, even if I have put it in my own words and context.)

And secondly, please PLEASE forgive me for Graham Morris! You truly can't be hurting much more than I hurt myself in trying to write it. (That's part of what has taken so long to complete this final chapter.) I knew when I made him the likeness of the American cowboy Quincey Morris (my adored fave character in the original novel) that this part of the story would come, I still wasn't prepared for how hard it was to actually follow through and do it.

I hope you've enjoyed this one - I've really loved working in this universe!!

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[snowbellewells]

@grimmswan Ooh, and the plot thickens…! I did not see that particular association between the Count and his former acquaintance coming at all. That may well prove either very dangerous or very lucky as time goes on.

I really got a kick out of Killian was pleased to see Drake was lacking in chest hair, even if his look was otherwise very like our favorite pirate🤣 My heart goes out to him though, that though he trusts Emma, he stills feels she could do better. Luckily she knows it’s her True Love by her side, and she’s determined to prove it to him as well, whatever they’re facing…

Dracula in Storybrooke part 2

For Captain Swan Supernatural Summer 23

Once Upon a Time missing storyline/AU

Killian noticed a man staring at Emma.

He had on leather pants, leather boots, and his shirt was opened clear down to near his naval. Revealing a well toned chest.

“But greatly lacking in chest hair.” Killian thought smugly.

The man who introduced himself as Drake, gazed at Emma with fascination.

“My, my, you are by far the most beautiful creature I have ever seen. The very sun is dim in comparison to your golden hair.”

Killian rolled his eyes. Just who did this git think he was. It irritated him more to see that Emma was actually smiling at the fool.

Neither man knew it, but Emma’s smile was due to her seeing that the two men, who seemed to be trying to one up each other, were very much alike.

“I really must have a type.” She thought to herself.

Both men had dark hair, deep blue eyes, and accents.

Drake wore a shirt with most of the buttons undone, reminding Emma of Killian’s wardrobe before he started wearing modern clothes.

She sometimes wished Killian would go back to wearing those clothes, at least on some days. She had always loved how sexy and dangerous he looked.

Yet Killian was staring daggers at the man, as if he considered him a rival.

Killian didn’t like the pure hunger he saw in Drake’s eyes as he stared at Emma. It was too possessive.

“It’s strange how in this world, a woman can cover her whole body, and still her lovely form is revealed.” Drake’s eyes moved over Emma. “I look forward to discovering what other wonders this place has in store.”

“He’s a smooth one.” Granny commented. “My mother always said, “Beware of a silver tongue. It tends to lay next to the sharpest tooth.”

“He was awfully flirty with Emma.” Snow remarked in puzzlement. “She was pressed against Killian nearly the entire time. Obviously her heart belongs to him. But that didn’t stop Drake from showing his interest.”

“I think we need to keep a close eye on that guy.” Charming said with a scowl. Father’s instinct warned that Drake would bring nothing but trouble in his daughter’s life.

Just as the Sun had slipped under the horizon, one figure walked up to another in the shadows of the alleyway near Granny’s Diner.

"I would stay away from Emma Swan, if I were you. Captain Jones won't allow anyone to take her away from him."

"Captain Jones is a mortal. An ordinary simple man. What is he compared to one such as myself?"

 “Captain Killian Jones is far from being a simple man. The pirate captain has faced God's, demons, and monsters and survived. You may be powerful, but you are far from the worst thing Captain Hook has faced.

There is also Emma Swan. She is not going to be easily seduced away from the man she went to the underworld for. Especially not by a man spouting fancy words and performing magic tricks that she could beat. One would wonder what it is you think you can offer her? From what I heard, your grand castle is in ruin."

“There are other castles. From what I understand, there are two castles long since abandoned in another land. The former residents now live in this world. In this town. If I understand correctly, Emma Swan would inherit both, should something happen to those former owners.”

“Even you can not believe that you could charm a lady into accepting you after killing her entire family.”

“The blood lust made my other brides accept the same. I do not think Emma Swan will be any different.”

“I think you will find that Emma Swan will be very different. But you have a tendency to be far too confident in your own prowess to see reason. I still want to caution you. I feel I owe you something, since you once offered me immortality. Would have given it to me, if you hadn’t been outwitted.

 That bloodlust only works if you're in power. Mina was willing to forgive you in regard to her dearest friend Lucy when you blinded her with your seduction. But once Jonathan Harker and Dr. Van Helsing sealed you in that tomb, she reverted back to her old self. And she hated you for what you did.”

“I was careless. I didn’t anticipate Harker’s strength of spirit. Or his devotion to Mina. I shall use more patience. And will pay closer attention to the players. I underestimated my opponents before. I will not again.”

The Count from Transylvania smiled. “Despite your insistent loyalty to the man who stands between me and the woman who holds my salvation, it is good to see you again, Renfield.”

“It’s good to see you again, Vlad. But it’s Smee, now. Renfield got the reputation of a lunatic. No one would take him seriously. I had to change my name and do business in another port, to escape the shadow of your story.”

“Perhaps the ending to this story will be more to each of our likeings”

Smee didn’t say it, but he was certain this story’s end would be the same as the previous one.

"Emma, I think Count Drake is dangerous." Killian spoke in earnest, hoping to get her to understand that she should stay away from the man.

"I know he is. I think he's a vampire." She said it so matter of factly, it made Killian’s jaw drop.

"Oh, come on. Count Drake. Count Dracula. It was pretty obvious. Plus, he stayed away from the windows? Out of direct sunlight?"

Killian wanted to kick himself. His jealousy had blinded him to the real threat.

Emma wrapped her arms around Killian's neck. "You really need to stop being jealous of every guy who looks like he might be my type. I have my perfect man, the man I love, right here. I would never do anything to mess that up."

"I do trust you, love. It's me I don't trust. I can never be rid of the thought that I don’t deserve you. That you could have someone better."

Emma opened her mouth to argue with him, 

"I know what you're going to say, love. But knowing that you love me and think I'm a hero is far different than actually believing it myself."

Emma knew what Killian was saying. But she still wished she could find some way of convincing him how important he was to her.

He always knew what to say to help her understand how special she was to him. She wished she had his gift with words, so she could return the favor.

An idea on how to remind him that he was one of the most important people in her life came to her.

She might have been bad with words. But she was really good with her actions.

Drake snarled in frustration. He wanted to burst in through the window and tear the lovers apart. He vowed that he would find a way to kill Killian Jones, and take Emma Swan for himself.

Killian’s instincts warned him that the woman he loved was in danger. He couldn’t shake the feeling that all of these attacks were only a precursor to a much bigger problem.

He wanted to find out more about the beings that were called vampires. He believed that knowing your enemy was the best way in the path to defeating him.

And while he did not think that Whale was lying to the group, Killian was certain that the doctor did not actually know as much as he thought he did.

So Killian went to the one person who had traveled the many realms and has encountered various beings of power.

William Smee.

Killian suspected his former first mate knew more about what was going on than he had admitted.

Smee was not without his resources, he knew how to protect himself from the monsters that constantly invaded Storybrooke.

@cssns

[adipz]

100 livres à avoir lu dans sa vie

1984, George Orwell

A la croisée des mondes, Philip Pullman

Agnès Grey, Agnès Brontë

Alice au Pays des merveilles, Lewis Carroll : lu

Angélique marquise des anges, Anne Golon

Anna Karenine, Léon Tolstoï : lu

A Rebours, Joris-Karl Huysmans

Au bonheur des dames, Émile Zola : lu

Avec vue sur l’Arno, E.M Forster

Autant en emporte le vent, Margaret Mitchell : lu

Barry Lyndon, William Makepeace Thackeray

Belle du Seigneur, Albert Cohen : lu

Blonde, Joyce Carol Oates

Bonjour tristesse, Françoise Sagan : livre audio

Cent ans de solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Charlie et la chocolaterie, Roald Dahl : lu

Chéri, Colette

Crime et Châtiment, Féodor Dostoïevski

De grandes espérances, Charles Dickens

Des fleurs pour Algernon, Daniel Keyes

Des souris et des hommes, John Steinbeck

Dix petits nègres, Agatha Christie : lu

Docteur Jekyll et Mister Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson

Don Quichotte, Miguel Cervantès

Dracula, Bram Stocker

Du côté de chez Swann, Marcel Proust : pal

Dune, Frank Herbert

Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury

Fondation, Isaac Asimov

Frankenstein, Mary Shelley

Gatsby le magnifique, Francis Scott Fitzgerald

Harry Potter à l’école des sorciers, J.K Rowling : lu 

Home, Toni Morrison

Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë

Kafka sur le rivage, Haruki Murakami

L’adieu aux armes, Ernest Hemingway

L’affaire Jane Eyre, Jasper Fforde

L’appel de la forêt, Jack London

L’attrape-cœur, J. D. Salinger : lu 

L’écume des jours, Boris Vian : pal

L’étranger, Albert Camus : lu 

L’insoutenable légèreté de l’être, Milan Kundera : lu

La condition humaine, André Malraux

La dame aux camélias, Alexandre Dumas Fils

La dame en blanc, Wilkie Collins

La gloire de mon père, Marcel Pagnol : lu

La ligne verte, Stephen King

La nuit des temps, René Barjavel

La Princesse de Clèves, Mme de La Fayette

La Route, Cormac McCarthy

Le chien des Baskerville, Arthur Conan Doyle : lu 

Le cœur cousu, Carole Martinez

Le comte de Monte-Cristo, Alexandre Dumas :  tome 1 et 2 lus

Le dernier jour d’un condamné, Victor Hugo : lu 

Le fantôme de l’opéra, Gaston Leroux

Le lièvre de Vaatanen, Arto Paasilinna : lu

Le maître et Marguerite, Mikhaïl Boulgakov

Le meilleur des mondes, Aldous Huxley

Le nom de la rose, Umberto Eco

Le parfum, Patrick Süskind

Le portrait de Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde : lu

Le Petit Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupery : lu 

Le père Goriot, Honoré de Balzac : lu

Le prophète, Khalil Gibran

Le rapport de Brodeck, Philippe Claudel

Le rouge et le noir, Stendhal : lu

Le Seigneur des anneaux, J.R Tolkien

Le temps de l’innocence, Edith Wharton

Le vieux qui lisait des romans d’amour, Luis Sepulveda :lu

Les Chroniques de Narnia, CS Lewis : lu

Les Hauts de Hurle-Vent, Emily Brontë : lu

Les liaisons dangereuses, Choderlos de Laclos : lu

Les Malaussène, Daniel Pennac

Les mémoires d’une jeune fille rangée, Simone de Beauvoir

Les mystères d’Udolfo, Ann Radcliff

Les piliers de la Terre, Ken Follett : tome 1 lu

Les quatre filles du Docteur March, Louisa May Alcott : lu

Les racines du ciel, Romain Gary

Lettre d’une inconnue, Stefan Zweig : lu

Madame Bovary, Gustave Flaubert : lu

Millenium, Larson Stieg : lu

Miss Charity, Marie-Aude Murail

Mrs Dalloway, Virginia Woolf : pal

Ne tirez pas sur l’oiseau moqueur, Harper Lee : lu

Nord et Sud, Elisabeth Gaskell

Orgueil et Préjugés, Jane Austen : lu

Pastorale américaine, Philip Roth

Peter Pan, James Matthew Barrie

Pilgrim, Timothy Findley

Rebecca, Daphne Du Maurier

Robinson Crusoé, Daniel Defoe

Rouge Brésil, Jean Christophe Ruffin

Sa majesté des mouches, William Goldwin :lu

Tess d’Uberville, Thomas Hardy

Tous les matins du monde, Pascal Quignard

Un roi sans divertissement, Jean Giono

Une prière pour Owen, John Irving

Une Vie, Guy de Maupassant : pal

Vent d’est, vent d’ouest, Pearl Buck

Voyage au bout de la nuit, Louis-Ferdinand Céline : lu

Total : 35/100

[snowbellewells]

CSSNS24 fic: "For All Life and For All Time" {Part Two}

I certainly did not intend to keep everyone waiting so long for Part Two, but I won't ramble on with a lot of excuses, I'll just let you get right into the story. The action here picks up just after Part One left off, and with finding out what the rest of their brave band is doing in Emma's absence. I hope you'll still enjoy despite the delay - and, as always, I'd love to hear what you think!

A Victorian, Dracula-inspired AU in Three Parts written for the @cssns24 event

Summary: Having lost her dearest friend and with her own life on the line, Emma Swan joins a noble band to face an ancient evil. Three of them stand by her in honor of the one they loved and lost. The other might be the first man she could love. He might love her as well - even more than life itself. Time will tell... if they both survive the fight against their immortal enemy.

Also available on AO3, if that's your preference...

Part Two

Killian Jones could not help but worry incessantly, pacing the floor of Lord Briarling’s study without ceasing, mind assailed by all which could go wrong. He had no doubt of Miss Swan’s bravery, her determination, or her intentions - she was a wholly incomparable woman - unlike any he had ever encountered, even his Milah long ago. The problem was, he knew better than most just how powerful, how debilitating the will and control of the being they faced… that they had sent Emma to face alone.

Already, he had asked much of her in the short time he had known her. The trust Emma Swan had bestowed up on him in return was nothing short of astounding. She was smart, discerning, careful not to be falsely taken in - and yet she had not doubted or questioned him, even when his orders and conclusions must have seemed egregious to her ears. That he had been forced to lead the men who had loved her dearest friend to stake and behead the poor sweet Aurora Spindleton’s corpse on the claim that the girl had been turned into a vampire must have seemed an intolerable insult; yet she had steeled herself and accepted the dire need, not holding their actions against any of them.

Not only that, but Emma had stood forth boldly, seeking what she could do to end this creature’s reign before more were turned, their lives destroyed as her friend’s had been. Her voice might have trembled, but she stood straight and tall, her chin jutting forward in stubborn resolve. Though Killian knew she must have been afraid, her pale, perfect face looking to him for guidance had seemed like a candle’s flame breaking through surrounding darkness - more beautiful than anything he had ever seen.

It was a risk, certainly, this plan they had concocted in the hopes of ensnaring their quarry. He certainly did not relish the idea of sending Emma alone into perilous surroundings. The thought of her in the Count’s thrall without himself or at least one of their compatriots at her side was enough to bring bile rushing up his throat and a cold pit of fear to settle in his gut. The demon was unpredictable, nearly invincible, and suffered no compunction or fits of conscience to reign his actions. And yet, despite the way his limbs nearly burned for action, how he had wanted to follow behind her carriage to see to her safety, Killian knew their best possibility of luring Count Dracula von Stiltskin into their net and putting him off his guard enough to attack with success was to send her to him in the guise of a besotted innocent. Emma was beguiling enough, and the Count’s thirst, even the Count’s intention, was already turned toward her. He had to trust that she could hold her own, and that she could respond with false interest while still remaining on her guard.

Yet, it was the not-knowing which made his wait so trying. There was no way to ascertain what Emma might have already been faced with - or was already enduring - now that she was out of their reach and beyond communication with him. That morning before the sun had even fully broken across the chill sky, Killian had ridden out on his sturdy Andalusian to follow the path Emma’s carriage had taken the previous night. By the time he had reached the empty and abandoned conveyance and found no sign of either Emma or her driver, he had already known it was a futile journey, yet it was all he could think of to do. It only made his nightmarish reel of possible scenarios Emma might be suffering cycle through his mind more quickly. The poor horses were still hitched, and to Killian’s surprise, still in the area, despite having no tie or guidance, but they were pawing the ground, eyes wild with fear, and he had been able to bring them back to Lord Briarling’s chateau and see them properly tended. Where he had located the carriage though was in the forbidding shadow of the dark, austere castle towering over the area. Even the poor beasts had sensed the “wrongness” in the air - the presence of something wild and unnatural. 

They had all tracked the monster back from his prowl across English soil to the outskirts of his own country. As fate would have it, the Briarling estate owned a hunting outpost just before one crossed over the Romanian border - long unused but perfectly suited to their needs. From there, Emma had ventured on alone, and the rest of waited unwillingly until they could follow.

Finally, Killian stood and strode from the room to find his compatriots in this almost unreal, but necessary, mission. It was now well into the new day, the sun full and warming overhead and rendering the next several hours much safer from their lurking foe. He heard the others moving in the hall and throughout other rooms on the floor below. They have much to do, and the sooner they are off to complete their part of the overall plan, the sooner he can be off to face Dracula head-on at last, after so many years and so much turmoil and waiting. Even more importantly, the sooner they can ride after Emma, hopefully finding her still well and whole, and bring her back to safety again.

He found them all - Sir Philip Thornswood, Graham Morris, and his old friend and colleague Jefferson Seward in the sun porch, partaking in coffee or tea and a late breakfast, but quietly and with an undercurrent of tension, waiting and knowing that their next move was nigh, yet not sure what that move might be. As Killian appeared in the doorway, all three heads turned toward him abruptly, eyes alert, and in Morris’ case, even half-rising from his chair, coiled to spring into action.

“Van Helsing,” Jefferson greeted simply, standing to bring him a cup of coffee and place a strong hand on his shoulder in support. The greeting jarred him in itself, as he had spent much more time recently in Emma’s company - first tending to Aurora, then listening to Emma’s fond memories and intense grief and anger, and then outlining their plan of attack for her - what she must do and how to keep herself as safe as possible. However, in her presence, he had let down his guard and allowed himself to be simply “Killian”, far more than he had done in a very long time. 

“When do we set out?” Jeff pressed, his mouth pursed in tense readiness as his eyes busily attempted to read Killian’s face. 

He took the cup from the physician and drew a long pull of the hot liquid, wincing slightly at its heat and bitterness, even as he savored its familiarity. Pausing only a moment, he then nodded sharply, as if to acknowledge all of them deferring to his direction.

“The task before us is a weighty one,” Killian began solemnly, meeting their eyes and quickly confirming each man’s commitment. “It will not be easily accomplished, but must be done - whatever the cost - if we are to stand any chance against this devil we face.”

Each man, Seward, Morris, and Thornswood in turn, nodded their assent, understanding on their faces and merely awaiting his instruction to take action. In every one of their bearing, he saw the intent and the loss that drove them; they would do what they must and would not shrink from fear or challenge.

“We are aware that the Count must have other lairs, a maze of strongholds in which to hide from the light, as he has made his way far from his citadel in the mountains - with a purpose he has not evinced in an age. Each and every one of these must be destroyed. He must be forced into the open where we stand a chance to fight him.”

“Right you are, Mate,” Graham spoke up with brisk determination, but a slightly puzzled expression marring his brow. “I’ve no question with that.  If sunshine and open space be his only weakness, then we must do away with all his shadows. But how may we know where he has chosen to hide? And, once found, how may we be certain to dismantle each lair?”

Killian’s gaze flicked over to Jefferson’s, as if gauging from his friend who knew Morris better whether or not he should bare all. At the Doctor’s subtle nod, Killian launched into his past history with the Count - how he had watched and studied the monster, waiting and biding his time until he had finally gathered enough knowledge to strike while Dracula von Stiltskin would be most vulnerable to harm. It had to make a mark, for when fighting such a one as this, he might not get a second chance.

When he had finished his condensed tale of explanation, he paused, eying Lord Briarling, Philip Thornswood, in particular with acute regret. “That I was too late to help our dear Miss Spindleton is a heavy burden I must bear,” he finally intoned, forcing the words past clenched teeth and a tight throat. “But I can only pray you will still trust the information I have and the hope that we can save ourselves and countless others, along with our brave and true Miss Swan, who was so dear to Aurora. When Jefferson’s urgent summons reached me, I was in truth already on my way to these parts. All my tracking, spying, and observation had finally bought me an opening that led me straight to this very countryside, even as you called upon me to assist.”

“No wonder you arrived so quickly,” Jefferson exclaimed, clearly taken aback by this revelation that was new to him as well.

He might have said more, but Morris had already broken in urgently. “What had you discovered then? How can it help us?”

Killian noticed that Sir Philip was silent nearest the window, clearly listening to their exchange, but not moving or speaking, a pained look of focus etched upon his features. He could not tell what the other man was thinking, or if beneath his grief the bitterness was taking poisonous root. Whether he laid blame at Killian’s feet or no, he could not judge Van Helsing more harshly than Killian already judged himself. All the time and the sweat and blood, the effort of years, and he had still been too late to thwart the vampire’s draining another innocent of life. 

Drawing in a deep breath, Killian plowed on, not having any recourse but to see the story through to the present. Whether any of them deemed his plans reliable or possible to carry out, he needed to be on his way. He would do all he knew to weaken von Stiltskin, to bring on even an ounce of human weakness he might inflict, before facing the demon once more. He would not - no, he could not survive it - if he were forced to see Emma suffer the same fate as his Milah, and Aurora, had before her.

“There was a ship,” Killian explained, holding out a staying hand as Graham began to pace - needing the movement and action so much that Killian feared the cowboy might race to the docks that very moment before he could even explain what they sought. “It made slow, hidden voyage all the way from (Varna?) near where his castle stands overlooking (Transylvania?) to our English shores undetected. Even with contacts and spies scattered throughout the distance between, I did not hear of its existence until it stopped briefly at some small port for supplies. The uneasy fear its very presence impressed upon the harbormaster there made it memorable enough for him to note when he was next questioned of any strange happenings in his jurisdiction. The description of a dark and eerily silent ship, barely in dock an hour, and odder still, with hardly enough crew to properly man its decks, was enough to convince me Von Stiltskin was on the move with some nefarious purpose in mind - especially joined as it was with reports that he himself had not been sighted on his own lands in some weeks, even at night when he usually hunts.”

His three man audience was captivated now, motionless with eyes fixed upon him as Killian continued his ghastly tail. “However, as concerning as this news was, no one had any way to be certain where he was bound. I was at that point in Italy, seeking a holy relic - a jewel hilted dagger from the Crusades - which my studies had led me to believe might equip one to mortally wound the vampire. I needed to have it in hand before returning to English shores.”

Jefferson opened his mouth at this, no doubt to ask if the mission had been successful, but his friend’s lips snapped together again wordlessly when Killian pulled the weapon from the hidden pocket inside his heavy, dark cloak. Holding it out upon his palm for their perusal, he watched as each member of their band registered its clear import silently, seeming to straighten their shoulders and steel themselves further. This dagger signified their way forward.

“No others know this blade is in my possession,” Killian intoned seriously. “And it must remain that way. One of the very few things which can strike fear into the Count’s blackened heart is the existence of this item which can control his power and do him mortal harm. Though legends and rumors disagree upon how it was ever wrested from his possession, it almost certainly torments him not to have it - the one thing keeping him from true invincibility. I found it safeguarded by a long-forgotten hidden order of monks and managed to successfully convince them I was the correct avenger with whom to entrust the relic. Unfortunately - “

He bowed his head toward Sir Philip Thornswood once more, a heavy moment of quiet remembrance covering the room before he wet his lips and carried on at Philip’s small acknowledgement. “Unfortunately, I was too late. I was still a week’s journey from the English coast when I received Dr. Seward’s summons, along with a notification of the same dark, silent ship docking in Whitby, only to horrify all those at the harbor with the discovery that all aboard it were dead - and this only after a large, black wolf had leapt from its deck snarling and slavering and cutting a path through the area and up into the surrounding wooded hills, leaving behind it an echoing howl that set all who heard its hair on end and chilled them to the bone. They found the poor captain a mere corpse lashed to the mast, note clutched in his hand detailing how something in the dark was picking them off one by one. He was the last one alive and dared not sleep, but knew at some point his body must do so; the note was his attempt to explain what might be found remaining on board.

“The Count!” Sir Philip spat with the force of an invective. “Murdered his own crew as it transported him? For what purpose?”

“He had reached his destination,” Killian answered simply, not at all nonchalant about the slaughter, but needing to be clear how very little a life - any life - truly was to worth to Dracula. “They had served their purpose, and he could not have any witnesses who might cause complications to his plans or raise an alarm (too soon?) If one could sully and drain the beauty and sweetness of an innocent such as your betrothed, my Lord, please be assured, no atrocity is beyond him.”

The sharp, almost spasmodic dip of Philip’s chin showed his frank agreement, having learned all too well the appalling truth of Killian’s words. “Right you are, Van Helsing,” he rasped with a voice that sounded almost rusted with disuse from the last few days’ wordless grief and brooding thought. “So tell us what we must do.”

“Indeed,” Morris chimed in readily, stepping forward once more. “You have the dagger, how will you wield it, and how shall the rest of us work to insure you succeed? We must be off and doing it.”

Killian inclined his head to each of his compatriots, acknowledging their eagerness and desire to be of use. “We will not have to wait much longer,” he assured them. “There is only one last part to my tale, and then we will be on the move, following the tracks he has recklessly left for us - too overconfident in his long invulnerability.”

Here he nodded to Jefferson to take over the narrative, the doctor having gone with him to see almost as soon as Killian had reached Whitby - nigh on a week ago. Emma Swan had requested a mere hour or two alone with her dear friend, promising she knew how to do the few things left to them which would bring Aurora any comfort, and that she would send for them if there were an emergency. The young lady had been wasting away at that point, nothing to be done for her but attempt to ease her discomfort and bide the time. He had seen no harm to leaving Aurora in Emma’s capable hands, nor did he begrudge them any last feminine secrets or promises of the heart in the sweet Miss Spindleton’s final hours. He had needed to see for himself what had been found on the ship in any case, and he did wish for Jefferson’s accompaniment and the added benefit of his insight. 

“On that ship,” Jefferson began, picking up the story’s thread adroitly and pulling it taut again with speed. He held the other two men’s attention as rapt as Killian had done - perhaps more so even, due to their greater connection and shared history, “very little had been found at all, until Van Helsing and I ventured below, into the depths of the hold.”

Killian gratefully turned away as the Doctor raced through the rest of the information needed. He was thankful to have focus off of his person for a moment as he clenched and unclenched his fists and forced himself to draw in and release several deep, cleansing breaths. Every bit as impatient as Graham Morris to be riding into the fray, he only barely kept his impatience from showing through herculean effort. Staring out the window as he swallowed a long pull of rum from the flask discreetly hidden at his hip - he didn’t give a bloody damn how early in the day it was, though others might - Killian stared out the window and forced himself to remember that Emma knew what she was doing, of how often he had marveled at her strength, rather than letting his mind fly to all the ways she could have already been overpowered, tormented, broken beyond - 

With a harsh jerk of muscles that he feared could hardly be missed by the astute men around him, Killian spun away from the view out the window of the morning dew on the nearby fields and caught the last of Jefferson’s explanation.

“So, to the best of our knowledge and deduction, this metal casket full of raw earth must have been the one our Dracula traveled in - his shield by day, as it were. He has, no doubt, others scattered throughout the countryside at intervals so that he may move around as needed, stalking his chosen victims and adding to his cursed ranks while maintaining safe places to retreat from the light of the sun. We must split up, find these strongholds, and destroy the caskets within, leaving him no place to left to rest concealed.”

“Aye,” Killian resumed, signaling Jefferson seamlessly, and the doctor turned to get the maps he had brought, marked with the targets for them to hand to Thornswood and Morris. “We dare not travel and enter these possible lairs completely alone, but if we break into pairs and reconvene this evening when the task is completed, then we can make our way toward Castle Dracula itself as a reunited band. The fiend himself will have no choice but to flee back from whence he came when he sees that there is no other place for him to hide. We can only hope and pray that our brave Miss Swan has remained safe from his influence in body and mind, has been able to use her quick wit and feminine wiles as planned to infiltrate and put him at his ease. He will wish to prolong and savor his enjoyment of such a rare delicacy…” His abhorrence for the way the creature would view this woman as a mere object, as a possession to be enjoyed and then tossed aside, was clear in his pained expression and the way he nearly spat the words, even as he strove to be realistic about what she and the rest of them faced. “His last casket will no doubt be in his castle. If Emma can find and destroy it while he is unaware, and we arrive before his return to find it so… we will be ready for him. He will have to face us - once and for all - desperate and with no other hole in which to hide, weakened enough that we just might stand a chance against his evil power.”

As one, the other three were on their feet standing before him; all reached in, hands clasped between them in solemn promise. They would chase this demon to his end, or die in the attempt. If he had more than a moment to dwell in such thoughts, he would have been almost overcome with a surge of conflicting emotions. For years now, Killian had been a man apart - had forced himself to be so, out of duty and penance, and for the safety of any who might have joined him. The sense of brotherhood and belonging which flooded him before their tight huddle was broken seemed more than he could have hoped to find again in this life.

If only they might succeed in their wild hope of a quest… and he could reach Emma Swan to find her still well and whole… he might at last cease to be only his mission and a vindicating shadow of a man, and find himself once more a man of flesh and blood - with a life of warm reality - for her sake.

They had much to do before they could ride after her. It was time they began.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Emma held her breath while she crept through darkness thick and gray, heavy as hanging vines or a thick curtain, as she made her way determinedly through the bowels of Count Dracula von Stiltskin’s castle. Guided only by the small flare of a single candle in hand, a mere pinprick in the black veil surrounding her, for she dared no more, Emma slunk as soundlessly as possible down one long, deserted hall and corridor after another, moving lower floor by floor, her breath shallow with dread that kept her lungs from drawing in a full breath.

She had to be near the lowest level of the massive structure; it felt as though she had been alone in the dark for hours, for so long that it seemed she might never reach the end, even as she scolded herself it had to be fear and paranoia working on her nerves and overriding her good sense. When Killian had instructed her where to seek out the Count’s lair, he had reasoned that the further below the surface and into the Earth should could get, the more likely to find Dracula’s true resting place. His nest would be removed from all else, far from any risk of light or accidental exposure and discovery, and difficult to reach. The monster had not survived so long without caution and numerous safeguards - no matter the preternatural strength he wielded. 

Even at that, however, Emma still doubted her chances at finding his coffin bed - even if on the surface far above her all was still and von Stiltskin was far from home. It could not be so straightforward as all that. She feared all that could go wrong with her heart in her throat, even as she forced herself forward, one foot in front of another. 

Killian had also advised, and she had agreed with him - as daunting a challenge as it would be - that her best hope was to feign intrigue, curiosity, and an impulse she could not fight, once she encountered Dracula upon his own land. To implore him to expose her to the wonders, freedoms, and power at which her dear friend had only vaguely hinted. Their chance at convincing him she was stronger, that she would survive where Aurora had not, and that she, Emma, could be useful to him, was her prayer of survival and the way in for the rest of them following after - if she could keep up the charade that long.

It had turned her stomach to pretend interest, perhaps even wide-eyed attraction, when Dracula had met her waylaid coach in the darkness the night before - seeming to separate from the shadows so subtly that he must have been part of them. Every fiber of her being had teetered on rebellion at batting her lashes like some ninny and simpering coquettishly to wheedle a welcome into the vampire’s abode - so much so that she had fisted her hands into the fabric of her skirts to keep her fingers from balling up and smashing violently into the creature’s cold-eyed face.

But gain entrance she had, and the ancient being had played a dutiful host, a rich and generous nobleman offering food and shelter to a weary, lost traveler. He had smiled as he asked Emma of herself and what brought her to the area, but the whole time an undercurrent of knowing malice ran between them. He was already aware of her, had allowed her admittance because he wanted her there. Von Stiltskin watched her ever movement avidly - a spider waiting for the hapless, innocent fly to tumble into his web and be ensnared. Just as Emma knew what he was, the Count had been aware of her too, and had already decided she would add nicely to his macabre collection. It was eerie, unsettling knowledge that only served to put her further on edge, though the Count had not shown himself since bidding her adieu near midnight, telling her he was rarely available - “a busy man” - in daylight hours, but to make herself at home.

She had done just that, though certainly not for the sake of simply enjoying fine hospitality. Thankfully, her thoughts were saved from continuing on the same whirling cycle of wondering if the vampire knew exactly what her intentions were, where he might be, and if he watched her from the shadows, even at that very moment. Before her stood a heavy wooden door, solidly barring the passage she had begun to fear unending.

Having come too far at this point to give up, Emma struggled to pull the door open with one hand, not willing to put down the candle and risk its going out - the utter darkness she would be plunged into if that occurred struck sickening fear to her very core. Careful not to wrench too quickly and make more noise than absolutely necessary, the heavy barrier finally began to move as she continued to tug steadily with all her might.

The vault of sorts which greeted Emma beyond the door seemed exactly the sort of hidden nest she had sought. Though she felt her cheeks heat at how pleased and playfully self-satisfied he would be at hearing it, Emma allowed herself a mere moment to savor the image of Killian’s face when she was able to tell him how well he had guided her; it was almost exactly as he had attempted to describe. It might not be proper, but the effect even his image had on her pulse and shivering frame was a comfort there in the nightmare depths.

She moved forward with pure determination and force of will, though her knees trembled beneath her. Feeling for the satchel which hung at her waist, Emma tried to draw strength from the vial of holy water and the communion wafers she knew were stowed within. All was ready. She was ready. She needed only to find and open the coffin which must be von Stiltskin’s, put the emblems within the dirt it contained, and it could no longer house the vampire - his last refuge would be ruined for him.

As the light of her candle illuminated the small space, it was hard to miss the large, ancient-looking casket nearly central in the room on a sort of plinth.

‘Not a bit dramatic,’ Emma grumbled to herself in nervous comment. ‘Not at all.’  Still, she shook herself from the uncertain pause and hurried forward, not about to linger if she needn’t do so.

Having waited until the dusk of evening and for dinner once again to be concluded and for the Count to excuse himself from her presence for the night, Emma had only undertaken this venture when as sure as possible that he must be gone - out hunting or gathering his minions. That hardly made it easier to stand beside the coffin though - feeling more fragile and small than she’d ever had cause to in her life.

Finally, she forced out a tense breath and shoved the lid from the casket, not allowing herself to hesitate a moment longer. Every second she lingered was another second in which she could be discovered.

As the heavy lid fell away, clanging to the stone floor, Emma couldn’t help the gasp that escaped her, horror in every pore of her being. Dracula was there, lying still as Death in the coffin before her. Shock held her rigid in indecision for terrifying moments as her mind tried to process what to do, the other possible plan if given the miraculous opportunity.

Hands shaking, she fumbled for the hidden blade at her thigh, bypassing the elements and hoping to move right to staking the creature before it woke to find its stronghold breached. She raised her hand to strike, aiming to pierce the monster’s heart and paralyze him against any attack until she could manage to sever the head.

But before she could let the blow fall, those inhuman eyes flicked open, a garish sneer on his face as the reptilian eyes froze her in place helplessly. “Oh Miss Swan,” Dracula chided silkily, as one might scold a wayward soul who knew they’d earned their punishment. “You must know better than that. You see, I’ve been expecting you.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

The hoofbeats of their horses pounded on the hard ground as the four riders raced desperately along the treacherous pass as quickly as they dared in the rapidly failing light. Night was falling fast, and though they had managed to ruin the numerous hideaways Dracula had planted along his route from ancient castle to the English soil he meant to claim, it still seemed an empty victory until they reached the end of this frantic ride. Only seeing Dracula himself reduced to ash and vanquished forever with absolute certainty would allow any member of the band rest or peace. That the first prong of their attack had been managed, allowed a flicker of hope but little more, as they careened around sharp corners of rocky cliff face and whipped past the grasping fingers of bare branches and thorned hedges; little green lived here, in what seemed a dark waste of gray stone and deathly stillness. Was it merely their horrified fancy, or had the entire region come to resemble its horrid master?

Killian could not bring himself to pull back on his mount’s reins, even as rocks skittered from the edges of the narrow, uneven path as it wound higher, and crashed down the steep incline with disturbing regularity - sharply reminding that their own fall would be no less swift if one step went wrong. Still, the tremor running through his hand clenched tightly on the braided leather leads was not fear for his own safety, or even that of the companions at his side, but the sense that their arrival had already taken far too long for the woman awaiting them. 

The sturdy Andalusian’s dark flanks were flecked with sweat as they at last crested the final winding rise and plunged into a dense copse of gnarled trees. As they left the shadows of the twisted grove minutes later, the grouping thick but not wide, they emerged upon a wide open expanse in the shadow of tall walls surrounding a wide gate on yet another sharp rise. Startlingly close to the Count’s forbidding stronghold at last, nearly on the proverbial doorstep before realizing it.

Killian did pull up then, his horse’s tossed head and the shivering of its coat making even the animal’s unease clear. The courtyard and grounds seemed quiet and deserted before them, but he looked to the other three men for any hesitation, a last warning to be alert and on their guard needless on the tip of his tongue that he swallowed back with effort.

Seeing no hint of hesitation in them either, Killian wheeled around to press onward. His horse had just begun to move again when a sharp jolt nearly wrenched him from his saddle. Searing pain clutched his insides, squeezing his gut until he couldn’t help doubling over his mount’s withers. Blinding light overtook his vision for a moment, and when it receded, he knew. Something had happened to Emma - or was happening even that moment as he struggled to regain his breath. He knew no science, history, or legend of such visceral physical connection, but the knowledge was certain in his blood all the same. They were somehow connected, and he was experiencing her turmoil and fear in his own veins.

Having managed to retain his seat, if only just, Killian charged forward, teeth grit in determination against the quivering in his limbs from the easing onslaught and the pounding of his traitorous heart. Seward, Morris, and Thornswood at his back had never been more welcome than in that moment, his heart gone cold within his chest no matter how hard he tried to steel himself for what awaited.

As they reached the towering doors in the surrounding wall, the entrance into the fortress itself, Killian swung from his horse’s back, pleased to find himself stumbling only slightly upon impact with the ground, his strength returning with every breath. A sharp swat to its flank sent the majestic creature off to safety, Killian musing idly that at least perhaps the Andalusian would survive the night. He was prepared to pry open the door with his bare hands until his fingers bled or beat at the sturdy wood with sticks and stones until he chipped the barrier away, so heedless was his need to get inside and reach Emma Swan before it was too late. Oh aye, he still desired the end of his long-sought foe, and would see it accomplished if it took another unfathomable stretch of years, but there was no hiding the truth from himself any longer. It was more important that Emma Swan lived - that her shining light not be extinguished by the vampire as had so many been before her. She was paramount - and beyond her, little else truly mattered, not in his deepest heart of hearts.

However, though they had all raised their hands or put shoulders to the gates to push, to see if the sturdy boundary could be moved, before they could, the portal shifted and with heavy groan began to move inward of its own volition. That, or it was rolled back dramatically by some powerful unseen force.

It didn’t bod well. Killian looked sideways to Jefferson, brow arched in suspicious query as if to confirm his suspicion. Their quarry knew they had arrived and was granting them entrance. His friend did not hold his gaze long; a stiff nod of agreement, and then his eyes fell with a terrible resignation and turning of his head to hide the expression. If the beast awaiting them wished their approach, what would surely greet them could only be horrendous.

None of that mattered though. Striding forward, the four men entered Dracula’s castle, needing only to step fully into the large entry hall before the thick doors were swung shut behind them with a bang, sealing them within. They could see by the flickering light of candles and torches throughout the wide, high-ceilinged space, but the fading evening’s natural light was held outside by the lack of windows in the stone walls and the heavy draperies concealing what apertures did exist, shielding the vampire from the rays that would burn him irreparably.

Eyes adjusted, all came up short, frozen at the nightmare tableau across the room, glowing a sickening amber and red in the flickering flames that illuminated it for their human sight. Not in the least slowed or phased by discovery, the creature continued what he had been about before their entrance. Held before him as a shield, stood Emma Swan, the vampire’s arms seemingly holding her upright as she slumped frighteningly limp within such firm grasp. Her blonde tresses streamed down her back like a flood of molten gold, but bile clogged Killian’s throat at the sight of the white-pale clawed hand that held it aside to bare her neck. From what he could see of her face, Swan’s eyes were open but unfocused in some sort of trance - though her hands did appear to be raised to push back futilely against von Stiltskin’s chest in hopes of holding him off.

The only thing granting him any sort of relief was the subtle rise and fall of her breast barely visible across the space separating them. She was still breathing, still trying to fight.

And then, as though he had merely been waiting for an audience to his depravity, Dracula sent one evil, calculating look at those who had hoped to defeat him, and bent to sink his fangs into Emma’s flesh.

Tagging a few who might enjoy: @cssns @kmomof4 @searchingwardrobes @jennjenn615 @laschatzi

@whimsicallyenchantedrose @jrob64 @apiratewhopines @spartanguard @therooksshiningknight

@stahlop @myfearless-love @xsajx @bluewildcatfanatic @kday426 @lfh1226-linda

@tiganasummertree @optomisticgirl @jonesfandomfanatic @motherkatereloyshipper @drowned-dreamer

@anmylica @booksteaandtoomuchtv @xarandomdreamx @resident-of-storybrooke @everything-person

@undercaffinatednightmare @caught-in-the-filter @winterbaby89 @hollyethecurious @darkcolinodonorgasm

@donteattheappleshook @elizabeethan @the-darkdragonfly @teamhook @revanmeetra87

@goforlaunchcee @laianely @belovedcreation @gingerchangeling @gingerpolyglot

@grimmswan @ultraluckycatnd

[snowbellewells]

1-6, 22, 42&43, and finally 50 for the Fanfic Authors Game. Thank you, ma’am!!

Oh Krystal @kmomof4 this took me a minute, but I'm so glad you sent asks - I haven't done any ask games for a while, and I always find them fun. Thanks for your interest (and I'll be sending some back your way! ;p)

1- What was your first fic and could you stand to reread it today?

My first fic was probably a PaceyxJoey revamp/divergence of the Dawson's Creek Season 1 finale. I had only recently even discovered that fanfiction existed, and everyone else I knew was convinced that I was crazy for thinking Pacey and Joey had the romantic chemistry rather than Dawson and Joey. Anyway, the fic was largely a way for me to vent my frustration and play out my vision of things. I'm not even sure there is still an existing copy of it today there, whether I would want to read it or not!

2 - What's your most recent fic and how far do you think you've come?

My most recent fic is my second entry for the @cssns24 event "For All Life and For All Time" (a Dracula AU). I'd really like to think that I've come a fair way in dramatic and atmospheric writing, as well as just writing a cute little love story for smiles. Though there is nothing wrong with fluff, I've been labeled as sweet for quite some time, so trying to add a bit more edge or danger and darkness to my works is a continual growing process, and one that I hope shows in this newest one as I go along.

3 - In your opinion, what's your best fic?

Goodness, I feel like that is a really hard question, K! I don't tend to feel like I really have a "best of" the way some of my favorite writers do. (For some reason it feels presumptuous when speaking of my own work) I do have ones I am more attached to or was more emotionally invested in writing, but I don't know if that makes them the "best" or not. I guess I might say "Tasting Forever" if pressed. It had such an incredible response when I first posted it - so far beyond what I had expected, and I am pretty proud of it when I look back at it.

4 - In your opinion and without looking at any numbers, what's your most popular fic?

Without looking to make sure, I would say probably "Tasting Forever" (see above) is one of the most popular, if not the most. It was at one time, at any rate. Before that one was written/posted, it was probably the two part "Under the Weather" which I wrote around the season three timeframe in the show, and was basically an excuse to have Emma take care of a sick Killian and hurry up and admit her feelings as well. The only other contender would be my first true CS/OuaT MC "I'd Know You Anywhere" which had Emma as a witness to a murder and Killian and Ruby as FBI agent partners assigned to protect her and Henry.

5 - Is there any fic that makes you super happy to reread and remember you wrote that?

I realize that this fic is incredibly niche and not many will ever read it, because it is not strictly CS (though they are supporting characters) and it's not even about a popular side pairing, but my BellexLiam short MC "Looking for a Heart (that's not Walking Away)" is one that I still read and smile about. I had a lot of fun imagining how I should characterize both Belle and Liam more fully and with the storyline itself. I am still really pleased with how it turned out and it's close to my heart, and the ending makes me grin happily whenever I reread it. I love it even more since @hollyethecurious created cover art for it as well.

I also feel that way about "A Year in the Court of Misthaven" (especially the first chapter with the Yule Ball) It just makes me grin imagining it. :)

6 - Is there any fic that makes you super embarrassed to reread and remember you wrote that?

Weirdly, since it's one of my more popular fics with other people, I have some embarrassment over "I'd Know You Anywhere". There are parts of it that I like and feel as though they turned out quite well, but there are also parts that seem rushed to me in hindsight, or plot holes, anomalies, and deadends that don't make sense. Maybe I'm being overly self-critical, but I feel like I could do a better job of it now than I did then.

22- Has there ever been anyone who's made you freak out because they read your work and followed/favorited/reviewed?

Oh yes, for sure! I won't try to list too many specific names, because I feel like I'd be bound to leave someone out, and I wouldn't want anyone to feel like their kind words and love weren't appreciated. Every single reblog, like, or comment is such a boost and huge compliment to me!! I will say though, that whenever someone 2who I regularly read and whose writing I admire takes the time to read something of mine, I am incredibly gratified and flattered.

And I doubt anyone who has received them would deny that your (yes, you, K!) real-time flails as you read are some of the best mood lifters and ego boosters in the world!!

42- How many views has your most popular fic gotten?

I'm going to guess this means on AO3? Are "Hits" the same thing as "Views"? Since that seems the most likely, that's what I'm going with here - Hits on AO3, in which case the one with the most is "A Cottage by the Sea" with 1,767 hits.

43 - Your least popular?

That would be my Ruby-centric OuaT one shot "Always Running" with just 46 hits (or views?)

50 - Has writing fanfic had a significant impact on your life? Would you say it's entirely positive?

Other than the amount of stress I put on myself when I can't update as quickly as I like or fear people may not like my newest post or addition, yes, I would say fanfic has been almost an entirely positive experience.

It's had a huge impact on me: it's kept me writing even as I've become an adult and had to get a "real job" to pay the bills. It's kept alive a show I adored, even though it's been off the air for someone six or seven years. Most of all, it has brought me some of the best friends in fellow fic writers that I have ever had! That last one in itself is one of the most incredible blessings I could imagine!!

[cssns]

CSSNS First Wave Preview Post!!

We are almost there, y'all!!! 

Our first offering drops on Monday, but to tide you over until then, here’s a preview post for the month of June!!! Be sure to give all our authors and artists all the love they deserve!!!

On June 1st, @itsfabianadocarmo will be dropping a vampire aesthetic inspired by the Countess from American Horror Story: Hotel.

On June 3rd, I (@kmomof4) will be dropping the prologue to Of Darkness, Vampires, and Soulmates. Ch1 will drop on Sunday, June 7, then every Wednesday until finished. Art by @spartanguard.

On June 6th, @demisexualemmaswan will be dropping the first chapter of her fic, By the Light of the Moon, featuring CS as werewolves. Art by @courtorderedcake.

On June 9th, @snowbellewells will be dropping the prologue of her fic, A Cottage By the Sea. An Enchanted Forest Lieutenant Duckling AU. Art by @searchingwardrobes.

On June 11th, @katie-dub will be dropping her fic inspired by the TV show Being Human.

On June 14th, @lassluna will be dropping her fic, Swan’s Hourglass, a Legend of Zelda AU. Artwork by @eastwesthomeisbest.

On June 17th, @hollyethecurious​ will be dropping her Vampire Diary’s inspired two shot, The Craving In Between. Artwork by @allons-y-to-hogwarts-713​.

On June 27th, @kymbersmith-90​ will be dropping her Soliciting for Dracula: Outtake.

On June 29th, @imlaxdris71​ will be dropping her Shadowhunters AU, The Price of Blood, which I am very excited to be doing art for.

We also have two original artworks dropping next month by @allons-y-to-hogwarts-713, one an angel/demon aesthetic and the second a were-mermaid aesthetic that I was inspired to write a fic for! The Moon... Tells the Sea will drop in late June.

There you have it everyone! Oh, MAN!!! We have a lot to look forward to next month!!! I am soooo excited for all these fics!!! Be sure to give all our authors and artists lots of love and flails for their hard work!!! Sneak peeks or summaries of the fics will be shared the day before they drop.

LETS GET THE PARTY STARTED, Y’ALL!!!

I’ll see you all again at the end of the month with a roundup post for June, with links to all the fic and art dropped, and a preview post for July. Until then y'all!!!

[cssns]

We are back y'all! With the June roundup post!!!

Oh man!!! Did we have a FANTASTIC month!!! In fic we got vampires, werewolves, a demon ship, a mystery from the sea as well as original art and updates from past years!!! In this post, we will feature all of it including artwork with links on ao3 and Tumblr. So without further ado, herrrrrrrrre we goooooo!!!

Under the cut, unless Tumblr ate it.

On June 1st, @itsfabianadocarmo dropped a vampire aesthetic inspired by the Countess from American Horror Story: Hotel. Sooo incredible! It gave me chills! You can find it here.

On June 3rd, I ( @kmomof4​ ) dropped Of Darkness, Vampires, and Soulmates. We are now six chapters in with updates every Wednesday. Ao3 link Prologue Ch1 Ch2 Ch3 Ch4 Ch5

Art by @spartanguard. Banner Prologue Ch1 Ch2 Ch3 Ch4 Ch5

On June 6th, @demisexualemmaswan dropped the first chapter of By the Moon’s Rise, featuring CS as werewolves. Oh my word! The pack politics going on...It is off to a fantastic start and I can’t wait for more! Ao3 link Tumblr

Art by @courtorderedcake. Killian

On June 9th, @snowbellewells dropped A Cottage By the Sea. An Enchanted Forest Lieutenant Duckling AU. The last chapter left me on the edge of my seat and I can’t wait to see where she takes this! Ao3 link Prologue Ch1

Art by @searchingwardrobes. (X)

On June 11th, @katie-dub dropped Awakening, her fic inspired by the TV show Being Human. I am not familiar with the show, but this fic, oh my WORD!!! I had no words, and so I reblogged with gifs. Can’t wait for more!!! Ao3 link Tumblr

On June 14th, @lassluna dropped her fic, Swan’s Hourglass, a Legend of Zelda AU. I absolutely LOVE her use of the side characters and Emma is absolutely bad ass!!! Can’t wait for more!! Ao3 link Ch1 Ch2 Ch3

Artwork by @eastwesthomeisbest.

On June 17th, @hollyethecurious​ dropped her Vampire Diary’s inspired The Craving In Between. Fun, intriguing, and spicy!!! Ao3 Tumblr

Artwork by @allons-y-to-hogwarts-713​.

On June 20, @allons-y-to-hogwarts-713​ dropped her original Angel!Emma/Demon!Killian aesthetic. Absolutely perfect!!! (x)

On June 23, @allons-y-to-hogwarts-713​ dropped another aesthetic that I was inspired to write a fic for! The Moon... Tells the Sea is the tale of were-mermaid Emma and her mate. Ao3 fic on Tumblr aesthetic on Tumblr

On June 25, @eastwesthomeisbest​ dropped original Vampire!Killian artwork His Sweet Kiss. Breathtaking and sooooo chilling!!! (X)

On June 27th, @kymbersmith-90​ dropped her Soliciting for Dracula: Outtake. So great to be taken back to that universe first presented during CS Halloweek last year! Ao3 Tumblr

On June 29th, @imlaxdris71​ dropped her Shadowhunters AU, The Price of Blood. I am not at all familiar with Shadowhunters, but this fic is so awesome already and I can’t wait for more!!! Ao3 Tumblr 

I was thrilled to provide artwork for this incredible fic!

We also had 3 fics from previous years events update last month!!!

@darkcolinodonorgasm​ updated One Day, her LadyHawke inspired AU that she kills me with every single chapter!!! We are now on ch5 of 7. Ao3 link Tumblr

Artwork by @sherlockianwhovian​

@courtorderedcake​ updated Hallow, her epic tale of love, loss, and restoration with Emma and Dark One Killian on a journey through realms. We are now on ch18. Ao3 link Tumblr

And we’ve had two updates from @whimsicallyenchantedrose​ for her fic Until the Stars Are All Alight, her CS/LOTR crossover fic. We are now on ch10. Ao3 Ch9 Ch10

Artwork by @clockadile​

Well, that’s it everyone! Wow! What incredible fic and art we were blessed with last month!!! Please make sure and give all our authors and artists lots of love!!! I’ll be back at the end of the month with a preview of what’s coming up in August as well as a roundup for July! Until then y'all!!!

[snowbellewells]

@grimmswan I have enjoyed this fic so much from the start all the way until now, and I love that Killian's ancestry has come to play a part in them being able to fight back against Drake. You've come up with such a creative way to use a genuinely iconic literary figure that the show missed out on in canon. LOVE IT!!!

Dracula in Storybrooke part 7

@cssns

For Captain Swan Supernatural Summer

Once Upon A Time - Emma Swan and Killian Jones

 While the monster inside of him demanded that he destroy Dracula, the man worried about being seen as a monster in the eyes of the woman he loved.

“Emma.” Killian spoke softly as he pulled her to him. “We never really talked about it. And I know you and your parents always want to redeem the villain. How do you feel about killing Dracula?”

“That it is necessary.” Emma sighed. “Normally there would be a chance of setting things right and redeeming the villain. But in this case, it’s not possible. The only way to save everyone is to take Dracula’s power from him. And taking his power is sure to destroy him. We don’t have a choice. Especially if we’re going to turn you human again.”

Killian was relieved to hear that he and his true love were on the same page.

Snow and Charming were of the same mind, as usual. They wanted to protect their daughter. Dracula was a threat to her safety and happiness. Therefore, he needed to be ended, for good.

“We need to corner him somewhere, so the pirate can do his monster thing and end the guy.” Leroy suggested.

“We’d have to lure him somewhere to make cornering him possible.” Whale said. “Maybe we should use Emma as bait?”

“You’re not using her as bait!” Charming, Snow, and Killian all shouted angrily at the same time.

Fearing for his safety, Whale backed up several feet and said, “I’m only suggesting it because she is who Dracula wants. If you know of a better bait, let’s hear it.”

“He’s right.” Emma said. “It’s me Dracula wants. If he thinks I’m alone and vulnerable somewhere, he’ll follow me.”

Killian kept shaking his head. Emma cupped his jaw, running her thumb over his stubble. “You know this is the best way. And I trust that whatever creature has suddenly awakened inside you will get to Dracula before he gets to me.”

“I’ll tear Dracula’s non beating heart from his body.” Killian vowed. “The closer he gets to you, the more agonizing I’ll make his demise.”

At that moment, Smee walked into the diner with a triumphant grin on his face. “I found it! I knew I had it among my things somewhere, and I finally found it.”

“Found what?” Killian asked. 

“Van Helsing's journal.”

“I had Van Helsing's journal.” Whale said with a frown, “I misplaced it years ago. But my former professor gave it to me when he retired.”

“You didn't misplace it. I stole it from you.” Smee replied matter of factly.

“When did you do that?”

 When our memories returned. I saw it in your office. I thought it would be of use to me.” Hook’s former first mate answered as though he was not going to get in trouble for just admitting theft.

But considering all of the other shady things he had been up to in the past, and all of the trouble he had gotten into (Like being turned into a rat) it stood to reason that punishment from the sheriff was not high on his list of concerns.

“You can decide if you want to press charges later.” Charming told Whale “Right now, we need to find out if Van Helsing ever figured out how to end Dracula, for good.”

“Well, as it happened, I can’t actually read it. It's in German.” Smee explained. He then handed it to his former captain.

“Just how many languages did they teach you in the Royal Navy?” Emma asked teasingly with a big smile on her face.

“When you travel the realms, it's Important to be able to communicate with those who can give you supplies.”

Killian flipped through the pages until he spotted the words vampire and Dracula. He then translated outloud to the group.

“I have discovered ancient scrolls hidden in the depths of an old church. They spoke of a prince's transformation from man to monster. To conquer his enemies, he consumed the blood of a creature from another realm. It gave him great strength and great speed. Made him immortal. It made him able to do many wondrous things. But that power came with a price. He had to take the life force from others. And he became a monster. 

I have learned of beings that were known as Dracula’s enemies. He seemed to have feared them when he feared nothing else. They were called the hunters. Strong, powerful beings. But driven to extinction on Dracula’s orders. He sent his minions out in hoards in order to eradicate the beings he feared would end him. The only hope of salvation from the monster, is if the blood of a hunter is awakened in a descendent.”

“So you've become a hunter?” David asked Killian. 

“It would certainly seem so.” Killian nodded. 

“Then we have the advantage we need.” Snow said.

“We already had one advantage. What with your daughter being a source of vampire repellent.” Leroy reminded his queen.

“Does it say how the hunter can destroy Dracula?” Emma asked, eager to see this big bad gone for good.

“Apparently, only a hunter has the strength and speed to rip off Dracula’s head and tear out his heart.”

“Well that's pretty graphic.” Whale commented. “It makes sense that the pirate would have enough brutality in him to kill a real monster.”

No one deemed it important to react in any way to Whale's comment. 

“The best place to corner Dracula would be in a cave or stone fortress.” Snow advised. “That would also give Killian the best advantage. Dracula can't run from him if there is nowhere for him to go.”

Coming up with a plan, the group gathered and infused as many crystals as they could find. Even if they were separated in the battle, those without special abilities would still have the protection of light.

Snow tied light infused crystals to her arrow. David used the crystals on his sword.

Emma’s magic and Killian’s new powers meant they did not need additional weapons for this battle.

Both Whale and Smee were completely useless as warriors, so they stayed behind. Much to their relief.

The hunter blood that awakened within Killian gave him the ability to know exactly where the vampires were hiding.

The Tunnels.

The dwarves and the fairies had the simple task of placing glowing sun crystals at every opening of the cave system. That way no vampire would be able to get through.

The rest of the heroes followed Killian to where his instincts were telling him Dracula had hid his coffin.

Emma knew that Drake would remain hidden as long as she was close to her parents and Killian. She also knew that they would not approve of her plan if she told them, so as slowly and quietly as she could, she moved away from them and down a shadowed corridor.

Credit where credit was due, Whale was right when he said she was perfect Dracula bait.

“Emma” The familiar voice came from the shadows. “You are very far away from that pirate. Tell me, what did you think when I turned him into one of my kind?”

“I didn’t really think anything. But Killian has a way of scrambling my brain whenever he kisses me.” Emma didn’t want to mention Killian being turned into a hunter, in case Dracula didn’t know.

As if reading her thoughts, he said with a growl. “And now he is a greater monster,” Realizing he was losing control of himself, and failing in his seduction, he calmed his voice and said, “But he still lacks my special skills.”

“Trust me, Killian has his own special skills. I know that from personal experience.”

Her tactic to draw him out of the shadows by antagonizing him worked.

He came flying toward her, hissing, “I will make you forget all about him, and his skills you like so much!”

“I doubt that! Vlad!” Killian shouted.

Dracula stopped his approach to Emma. And gave a long loud hiss at Killian, “Hunter! You will die like the rest of your ancestors!”

Killian’s eyes began to glow a hypnotic blue. His nails elongated to razor sharp talons.

Dracula’s eyes grew large and wide with fear at seeing the emergence of his age-old enemy in his rival. But he composed himself, refusing to allow his enemy to witness his weakness.

Dracula may have been afraid, but Emma, though she only said the words in her mind, found Killian’s transformation to be a huge turn on.

The two monsters lunged at each other. Snarls and growls echoed through the chamber as the two wrestled for dominance.

In order to help, Emma focused on her love for Killian. She used it to fuel her power, making the light within her emerge, surround her, and grow to encompass the entire area.

Dracula screamed in agony. The light both blinded him and burned his skin.

Inserting his hook deep into Dracula’s neck, Killian held the vampire in place as his clawed hand dug deep into his chest and ripped out the beast’s heart.

Once Emma’s bright light hit the black organ, it burned and crumbled into dust.

Killian’s hook slashed deeper into Drake's neck, severing his head from the rest of his body.

As Dracula’s body suffered the same fate as his heart, Emma saw Killian’s claws regress back into his usual well manicured nails. His beautiful eyes dimmed back to their usual mischievous sparkle. And his usual smirk returned, minus the long fangs.

Answering Emma’s unasked question, Killian nodded. “I’m my devilish self again, love.”

Emma sighed with relief. “Hopefully everyone else he turned is human again, too.”

“You know that they are. Don’t try to distract me from asking you why you put yourself in danger like that.”

“You know it was the only way to get Dracula to come out of hiding.” Emma moved to Killian, giving him her best flirty smile. “Besides, I knew you would come to my rescue.”

“Are you using your feminine wiles to stop me from being upset with you?”

“Of course. And I know it’s working.”

“Naughty minx. I’ve always said you have a little pirate in you.”

“I have a pirate in me pretty frequently these days.”

They pulled each other close and sealed their lips in a joyful and passionate kiss.