✖️✖️✖️✖️

Astrid, Peter, Emma, Hook, David, and Henry walked up the stairs to the Blanchard apartment and entered inside to find Snow holding her baby son, Neal, "I know, I agree. We need our family back soon."

"Soon enough?" David spoke up as he was the first one to enter and moved over to his wife who let out, "David!" The two then kissed.

Everyone else entered inside as well while David glanced down at his son, "Hey, big guy. Boy, I missed you."

"Hey, Mom," Both Emma and Astrid spoke up simultaneously.

"Emma, Astrid! Did everyone else-?" Snow began as she hugged Henry and even Peter and then tightly hugged her daughters.

"Regina and Robin. They're here, too," David informed her.

"My brother came back with Belle, at least we think he did." Peter also informed her.

"And we weren't the only ones to make it through the portal," Hook added, "Hades and Zelena. They made it back, too. They have Robin's baby."

Snow widened her eyes at that but shook her head and hugged Astrid again, "Oh, I'm so relieved that you were able to make it with them, A."

"Well, I promised that I'd find a way to come back, so I couldn't let you guys down," Astrid cheekily said.

Astrid then looked around and asked, "Now, where's Zep?"

"Upstairs," Snow nodded up the stairs.

Peter held his wife's hand and the two moved up the stairs and into their bedroom down the hall, finding their five year old sitting at the desk looking at a picture of his parents.

"Hey, kiddo," Astrid grinned as Zephyr looked up and smiled, immediately running over to his mother and hugging her.

Astrid now held her son in her arms, one hand on the back of his head, as Zephyr murmured, "I knew you would come back, Mommy."

"Always, Zep," Astrid lightly said, kissing the top of his head before setting him back on the floor.

Peter then hugged his son also, "Oh, we've missed you, Kid."

Zephyr kept his smile and wrapped his arms around his father's neck, hugging him, "I missed you also... Is Hades-?"

"It's a long story, but all that matters is you're safe, Zep," Astrid assured the small boy who slowly nodded.

***

They looked up at the Town Hall to see a green shield all around it as Regina sighed, "My sister cast a protection spell on the building."

"We can't just stand around here and do nothing," Robin commented.

"I wasn't planning on doing nothing," Regina pointed out, "As a matter of fact, I know exactly what to do. There's a secret tunnel that goes right under the Town Hall. We don't know how to defeat Hades, but maybe we can get your daughter back. And talk some sense into Zelena. If you're with me."

"Of course I am," Robin assured her.

Astrid has a sinking feeling that hers and her son's visions were about to happen as she spoke up, "I'm going, too. Em, you and the others can be researching on how to end a god."

Emma nodded in agreement as did David, Merida, and Hook before they left them to meet at the library.

Astrid smiled over at Regina and Robin, "Looks like it's the three of us going to though a secret tunnel again."

Robin smiled at that and nodded as the three of them moved towards the Town Hall.

***

Astrid stepped down the ladder after Robin and Regina had as they now walked down the tunnel.

"Look... I'm sorry I trusted Zelena with your daughter." Regina began.

"Glad to finally hear it," The infamous thief remarked.

Regina sighed, "Just, for once, I was trying to be optimistic and give her a second chance, like you and Astrid gave me."

"You deserved it. She doesn't." Robin sighed as Regina commented, "All she wants is what I have. I made her think love was possible..."

"This sounds like you're not actually apologizing to him and more defending our sister, again," Astrid spoke up as the three stopped briefly.

"I was gonna say the same thing, A," Robin nodded in agreement with his adopted daughter.

"Robin, Astrid, no..." Regina started.

"No, forgive me if I don't care to listen. I have a daughter to save." Robin told her and walked ahead of them.

Astrid sighed, "I'm sorry. He's just worried, Reg. We all are." She walked ahead of her and caught up to her father figure. "She really did mean the best for the baby. Don't take this out on her, Dad."

Robin nodded, "You're right, like always, Kid." He glanced back at her and sighed, "You know, I'm glad that you saved everyone and all that, but it's time someone told you, to take care of you, A."

"But I'm fine?" Astrid started in slight confusion.

"No," Robin shook his head, adding, "And furthermore, if you don't take care of you, think of all the people who need you in the future who won't have you."

Astrid glanced down before looking back up at the archer, "I was always taught to put others first."

"Yes, I know..." Robin replied and placed a fatherly hand over her shoulder as the two stopped once again, "But if you don't take care of you, there won't be a you to take care of others. Understand?"

Astrid nodded in understanding as the three continued to walk down the tunnel.

***

Peter glanced over at their bed to find his five year old napping, seemingly having a nightmare at that, too.

He moved over to the boy and gently woke up the kid. "Zep, kid, wake up. Hey, It's okay, it's okay."

Zephyr woke up crying and instantly buried himself in his father's arms as he let out, "Mom- Mommy..."

Peter used his magic to look inside his son's mind to see his nightmare.

Hades suddenly appeared to finish Regina off with the Olympian Crystal, but Robin takes the blow for her.

Yet, suddenly, Astrid had pushed in front of Robin and Regina and was hit with the crystal instead of them.

After being hit, Astrid shared one last look with Regina and her adopted father before collapsing and dying.

Astrid's spirit abruptly separated from her body to reach out longingly at them while Robin tearfully watched his daughter fade out of existence.

Peter's jaw flexed as he kissed the top of Zephyr's head and assured quietly, "It's okay. Everything will be okay. And just know, I will always love you. I won't let anything happen to you or your mother, Zep."

Peter picked the five year old up into his arms and disappeared in a cloud of smoke and appeared in the library where the others were.

***

Astrid walked on Regina's other side as Regina walked in between her and Robin.

"Welcome to the Town Hall," Regina spoke up, gesturing to the door in front of them.

"Secret passage, indeed," Robin commented, "Thank you, Regina."

"You're welcome," Regina nodded, "And I know you can't accept this right now, but I do feel horrible for what I did. I'm sorry Zelena has your daughter, and I'm really trying to make up for it."

"You're right. We do owe Zelena another chance." Robin admitted.

"Oh, don't just say that to appease me..." Regina began.

Robin shook his head, "No, I'm not. If being with you has taught me anything, it's that... we all have the capability to change. And the future is not written by our past. Regina, you are my future."

The two of them kissed each other while Astrid looked away, "Yup, still right here." She smiled, though.

Robin and Regina both glanced over at her and softly chuckled as Regina started, "Okay, thief. Tell me what the plan is."

Robin sighed, "Well, I always follow one rule. Don't go into a job without a good plan to get out. But with my daughter on the line, I have broken my own rule. I-- I have no plan. So, if you two wanna turn back..."

Astrid shared a knowing look with Regina who replied, "We're with you."

"Always." Astrid also assured.

Robin grinned, "Good. Well, then let's go save my other daughter." He kissed Regina once more as the three walked through the door in front of them.

***

Astrid stood on one side of the door next to Robin as Regina stood opposite of them as they listened in on Hades talking to Zelena once he had finished merging the crystal back together.

"Zelena, they will hunt us wherever we go," Hades murmured, "The only way to be safe is to be strong." He held up the Olympian crystal.

"I really hate him," Regina whispered over at both Robin and Astrid as a Robin glanced in the room discreetly and also let out, "I can see my daughter."

"But we need a distraction." Astrid added quietly.

Just as she said that, the lights in the room began to flicker as Zelena gasped, "My protection spell. Someone's trying to break in."

Zelena peeked through the curtains to look out the window as Hades replied, "What did I tell you? They're coming for us."

"It's Emma Swan," The Wicked Witch pointed out and moved over to slide on her jacket while telling her newborn daughter, "Mummy will be right back, as soon as I make sure you're safe."

"I'll check who else is creeping in," Hades added, grabbing the crystal, "One thing I know about these people, they never work alone. Be careful."

"You too." Zelena nodded as Regina quickly moved on Astrid's other side while Zelena disappeared in a cloud of green smoke.

Hades walked out of the office and passed the three of them as Robin exhaled, "Who needs a plan when you've got blind luck on your side?"

Robin moved over to the table and picked up the baby, "Hello. Your father's here, and everything's going to be all right."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Hades suddenly spoke up from behind them as they turned and looked at him holding the large crystal at them.

Robin placed the baby back in her basket and told him, "Stay away from my daughter."

"Believe me. She's not the one who's in danger." Hades replied as he aimed the crystal at Regina and Astrid.

"Hades, stop," Regina began, "This isn't worth it. If you kill me and Astrid, you will lose Zelena forever."

"Shh. Only if she knows about it, and this isn't going to kill you." Hades smirked, "It's going to end you-"

"No Underworld, no moving on." Astrid spoke up, having seen this particular vision already. "One minute we exist, and the next we don't."

Hades kept his smirk, glancing over at her, "I see you had a vision of this, Creator. That's what you get for trying to turn Zelena against me."

Robin outstretched his hand forward to gesture they mean no harm, and said, "This was my idea to break in here. Just use that on me. You let them go."

"Oh. Sorry." Hades remarked, "Ladies first."

"No!" Robin moved in front of both Regina and Astrid who then moved in front of her and her father figure protectively.

Yet, suddenly, Peter had appeared in front of the three of them magically and was hit with the crystal's power instead of his wife.

After being hit, Peter turned around and gave one last look at Astrid and smiled a little before collapsing and dying.

Peter's spirit then abruptly separated from his body to reach out longingly at his love while Astrid tearfully watched him fade out of existence.

A single tear fell down Astrid's face as she started to reach out to his spirit until it completely faded away, "N-No..."

Astrid glanced around before dropping to her knees and now cradled her husband's body in her arms, tears in her eyes.

"Don't worry. You won't be apart long." Hades remarked.

Astrid suddenly glowed a golden color as she glared at the God of Death and magically sling him backwards against the wall behind him and pinned him there.

"Your magic shouldn't work on me, unless..." Hades started in realization, "Did- Did you eat the Ambrosia, the food of the gods?"

Astrid didn't say anything but continued to glare at him.

"You're a god now, Astrid. They chose you as worthy and made you one after eating that..." Hades continued, "And you had to have restored that special tree back to life."

"I don't care," Astrid remarked, another tear falling onto her cheek, "I don't care about power. I cared about Peter and my family, and you killed him."

Zelena suddenly walked inside of the office and stopped in her tracks, noticing Peter's dead body and her sisters, Robin, and Hades.

"Regina? Astrid? What happened?" She asked them.

Astrid moved back over to her husband's body and collapsed on her knees again, once again holding him in her arms.

"Hades did this," Regina answered for Astrid while Robin placed a comforting fatherly hand on his adopted daughter's shoulder.

"He said he was going to kill you, Zelena. I had to protect you." Hades commented.

"That's a bloody lie!" Astrid exclaimed, glaring once more at Hades.

"Is it?" Zelena began, "Because I just found Emma, and these." She showed them storybook pages of her and Hades. "You wanted to kill him!"

"We were trying to protect you, Zelena," Regina spoke up, glancing down at Astrid who kissed her husband's forehead and then rested her chin on his head.

"He's been lying to you since the minute his heart started beating," Robin added.

"Is it true what they said?" Zelena let out towards her love, "Did you trap them in the Underworld?"

"I did it for you, so we wouldn't have to hurt anybody," Hades answered her, still pointing his crystal at Regina, Robin, and Astrid, "But now they're here, and the only way to be safe is to use this power to create a new kingdom, our kingdom."

Zelena tossed the pages onto a nearby table, "Can't we just be happy together? I mean, why do we need a kingdom?"

"This is about getting back at the families who never believed in us." Hades started, "Remember what I told you."

Regina shared a look with Astrid as she stood back up slowly.

"There's no better revenge-" Hades began as Zelena finished, "Than having it all."

Astrid charged at the god and knocked him over, making him drop the crystal, as Zelena picked it up.

"It's okay," Hades assured the redhead, glancing over at his love and nodded at Astrid, "Use it, end her."

"Zelena, Astrid and I do believe in you. We defended you when no one else did." Regina spoke up, now stepping beside Astrid as did Robin. "I wanted so badly for you to find love. "But sometimes love blinds us. Hades tried to kill us already."

"No, she's lying," Hades argued.

"Peter died to protect me. That's what true love is. Sacrifice." Astrid added, tears still in her eyes, "It's giving up everything for the person you love. But Hades won't give up a single bloody thing for you."

"Like he said, he wants it all," Robin spoke up.

"Listen to them. They don't think you deserve to be happy." Hades replied, "Look at this office. Look at this town. This all belonged to her when you had nothing. Remember?"

"Of course I do!" Zelena said.

"All you have to do is kill them, and you can have everything you ever wanted," Hades added as Zelena raised the crystal in the air, "Do it. If you won't, I will."

"All I ever wanted was love," Zelena murmured, glancing over at the said god, "You told me that was enough for you, but now I realize," The crystal started to glow blue again, "Nothing ever will be!"

Robin instantly covered Astrid and Regina protectively just as Zelena stabbed Hades in the chest as he began to glow blue, "Zelena!"

And soon, Hades was finished and diminished to a pile of dust.

Astrid quickly moved back over to her husband and fell to her knees, pulling Peter into her arms again, now sobbing.

Robin knelt beside her as she looked up at him and then buried herself in his tight embrace while Regina and Zelena hugged.

***

"Hello, Astrid," A male voice spoke up from behind the said girl who quickly spun around and faced him, "How are you?"

"Who are you?" Astrid suspiciously questioned.

"I came to offer my thanks. Because of you and your husband's sacrifice, those above have finally destroyed the misguided God of Death." He replied, "My brother, Hades."

"Zeus?" Astrid let out in surprise.

"Indeed." Zeus nodded, "And I'm also here to talk to you about what Hades told you. We did choose you. You are a god, Astrid. You're still the Creator, but you're more known as Artemis, protector of the people."

Astrid widened her eyes somewhat, "I-I don't understand. Why me?"

"Because of your heart. You're loyal, and you always try to help everyone. You saved them countless times." Zeus told her, "And you haven't asked for anything in return. You're pure, yet a force to be reckoned with."

"I will try to do my best," Astrid smiled at that.

"I know you will," Zeus also smiled, "Now, be on your way. Continue to do good out there."

***

Astrid was standing in front of her husband's coffin as did everyone else, all holding umbrellas to block the rain from soaking them.

She held an arm around her five year old's shoulders as the two of them watched people place arrows on top of the coffin.

They stepped up to the coffin last and placed their arrows on top also while Astrid barely held it together but did so for her son.

She stepped over in between Hook and Robin now while keeping a comforting hand on Zephyr's shoulder as he remained in front of her.

Everyone began to disperse while Snow stepped over to Astrid's side after David led Henry and Hook led Zephyr away.

"I hope we never again have a day like today." Snow spoke up.

"Me, too, Mom," Astrid admitted as Snow looked at her and replied, "I know what you're thinking, and this is not your fault."

"I just wanna say goodbye alone, if that's okay," Astrid began as Snow nodded and hugged her daughter before saying, "See you at Granny's."

Snow walked away from the grave, leaving Astrid alone now.

"I miss you so much, Huckleberry," Astrid softly said, a tear falling onto her face, "After everything... all the bloody deaths we've had, this time feels like you're really gone now... And it hurts like hell."

She kissed two fingers before placing them on top of the coffin, another tear falling, "I love you forever and always, Peter Pan..."

Astrid removed something from the inside of her jacket and now held his pan flute in her hand and placed it on top of the coffin with the arrows.

"Always and forever." She let out while another tear fell onto her face as she turned and rejoined her family.

✖️✖️✖️✖️