The Shadow's compass (Killian Jones)

Storybrooke

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          Isabelle had three main problems.

One, Regina knew she was there and that she remembered.
Two, she had run into the Dark One the first day she got to Storybrooke and he took an interest in her.
Three, she had looked her Charming in the eyes but it was a stranger staring back.

 She was fucked, really, really fucked. Her and Emma had been there for a few weeks and there still was no progress. Her friend just didn't want to believe, which was another problem to be added to the list. Sure, Isabelle could understand why from Emma's perspective it all sounded crazy and made up. But she really needed the savior to start doing some saving or she was gonna lose her mind.

         'Fuck.' She swore, resting her head in her hands.

The future of half of the population of the Enchanted Forest was in the hands of a thief and a 10 year old kid. There was one thing going her way though. Regina, thinking of her as the street rat she was, considered that paying her would be enough to keep Isabelle quite. Isabelle...not Talya, she hasn't been Talya for a while.
       The stupidly brave thief who people thought was part of the woods as she knew them better than anyone. The smart strategic witch who was the first one to jump into danger. Long raven locks and calculated dark eyes. They called her Shadow for she seemed to be singing the same song as the darkness itself.
      Isabelle who was weak, fragile. Who was freaked out by stupid things like walking next to cars. Who was scared to look into Emma's eyes because she knew she would see her father. Who lived in pain every day, not knowing if her chosen family was still alive. Isabelle who had been broken by loneliness and grief. And yet, as broken as she was, she had kept her and Emma alive.        Talya was a fighter while Isabelle was a survivor. Which one was she now? Now, that Talya's life was sort of back, but Isabelle's life was still present.

     'Stand by your side.' She whispered to herself as she took out a necklace from her jacket's pocket and placed it around her neck.

 She hadn't worn it in years. She adjusted to the familiar and yet long forgotten weight around her neck as her mind worked on some sort of plan.
      Maybe Isabelle Black kept her alive, but she needed Talya Hood to save them all.

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               'Mr Gold!'  She called out, entering the shop.

The man appeared behind the corner. He didn't understand the pull he felt towards the woman. It was like he knew her, like his very soul knew her.

             'Good afternoon.' He greeted.

Isabelle, no, Talya raised her chin with a determined look. She was about to potentially destroy her life, but she had no choice. She needed his help.

           'Hello, Rumpelstiltskin.'

 His eyes widened, the only sign he had heard her. So Regina hadn't told him she knew.

          'Who are you to me?' He suddenly questioned.

Talya met his burning gaze with a matching one. She reached out and grabbed his hand, that's when he felt it. He didn't know how it was possible, but he felt it in his blood, in his very bones. It was a calling matching his own. His magic, his life force was running throw her veins the same way it ran through his. And there was also something else, not just the Dark One's magic, but a part of Rumple too. In his moment of vulnerability in that alley he gave her a part of his own soul. His creation, his miracle child.

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   Mostly, Talya kept a distance between herself and the people of Storybrooke. It was too painful. Just seeing them passing on the street or at Granny's was enough to make her heart ache. She had exchanged a few words with Red...sorry...Ruby, but that had been it. She had spotted Snow and Charming together in the woods once. Her heart had dropped as she stopped breathing. Since then she avoided the two like the plague.

              'Emma wants to leave.' Talya said as she searched through a higher shelf in Mr Gold's shop.

     Once he found out what she was, the thief expected to end up in a cell or dead. Surprisingly, Rumple's reaction had been quite the opposite. He seemed to consider her his second chance at being a parent. Talya wasn't sure how she felt about that yet.

             'She won't.' He answered casually.

Talya jumped off the box she had climbed on in order to reach the higher shelves. Her boots hit the ground with no noise, the advantages of being a trained thief.

            'What makes you say that?'

 Rumple turned to look at her, his eyes seemed to be staring directly into her soul. It made her want to crawl up in a ball and hide herself from him.

            'Because she is the savior, of course.' He answered with a sigh like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

 Talya groaned.

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            'Em, what's wrong?!'

 As soon as she picked up the phone, Talya realized something was wrong. She was one her way back to the apartment Gold had rented for her and Emma.

            'You have to get to the hospital...i-it's Henry!' Her friend's desperate voice answered.

 Swearing loudly, Talya turned around and sprinted toward the hospital. She was crossing the street when it hit her. It felt like something had just disappeared. It was like burden on the small town's shoulders had finally been lifted. The curse was broken.

            'Tal!?'

The thief felt tears clouding her vision as her heart thundered in her chest. She looked up and met Charming, not David Nolan's gentle blue eyes. She ran without sense or direction, without being aware of her surroundings. She just ran until firm arms were wrapped around her middle, welcoming her back home.

          'You c-came back for me.' Charming whispered, his voice breaking.

The two broke apart. Talya cupped his face in her hands, whipping away the his tears with her thumbs.

          'I will always stand by you, remember?' She smiled, smiled like she hadn't in years.

          'Charming? Talya?' a familiar voice said in disbelief.

          'Snow.'

Charming kissed his wife as Talya let out a laugh full of joy.