this story begins with the current season - emma is distracted with killian and their impending marriage, henry is growing up and needing his mother less, snow and charming are reunited, and regina is alone. the black fairy pays a visit to storybrooke to defeat emma and break free of the dark realm she's been stuck in...regina is torn between remaining loyal to emma and giving the black fairy a second chance, for she has met the dark fairy before...this story will draw from canon with mostly everything except it will be fairyqueen endgame. she and regina have too many parallels to not explore this, plus i can give regina a happy ending with a smoking hot, loyal partner who understands her. hope you like it xxx


Regina's Mercedes

"Best night ever!" Snow whooped as she stuck both of her arms out of Regina's passenger side car window. Regina's eyes widened at her former step-daughter, keeping one hand on the wheel and reaching out with her right hand to grab a fistful of Snow's white shirt to keep her inside of the moving car. She had been the most sober one after their night out to cheer Emma up, already dropping her off and reassuring her she'd get her mother home in one piece.

"It won't be if you face plant on pavement, get back in here," Regina huffed and pulled Snow back down to sit on her bottom, shaking her head briefly. "How many times do I have to save your life?"

Snow snorted then, letting her head fall back on the passenger seat before it snapped upright again, looking at Regina with a terrified stare, "I can't go home like this! David is there asleep and all I want to do is talked to him and kiss him and-," She stopped at Regina's sharp glare, "Being near him is the hardest part. I can't stand to see him like that."

"We'll find some way to break the curse soon," She nodded with a sigh, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter at the guilt of her evil half putting a wedge in Snow's relationship.

"I know," She whined dramatically, reaching down to press buttons on the radio until the mayor had to slap her hand away, "There's just so many things I want to talk to him about. Things that only he would understand. But all we can do is sleep. Do you know what it's like to miss entire days? To not know when you'll wake up and be dead to the world for hours?!"

"That may not be such a terrible thing for you to sleep through this hangover," Regina joked to ease the tension, trying to evade her conscious eating away at her. David and Snow were so sickeningly in love that she knew it truly hurt them to be kept apart. She wasn't sure she'd ever experienced a healthy relationship such as that one, which made her feel even worse for destroying one. "I'll help you into your apartment and onto the couch."

"Nooo Regina, I don't want to go back there yet. I'm not sleepy!" Snow shook her head adamantly, "I know! Henry is at Emma's tonight. Let's go back to your house and party!"

"Party? At my house?" Regina raised an eyebrow at her passenger, seeing the way her head swayed. Snow would undoubtedly be passed out within a few minutes of getting her anywhere, so it wouldn't hurt to grant her wish and take her back home with her. "All right, you can crash at my house," She sighed and shook her head when Snow began obnoxiously dancing.

"Ayooooo!" Snow whooped and raised her hands again, "To the mansion!" She yelled, pointing her hand theatrically in front of her.

A few minutes passed of Regina having to listen to Snow sing off-key to various hits of the '80s before pulling into her parking spot at her home. She glanced at the woman who was mumbling lyrics at a lower volume now, even after she shut off the car and the radio no longer played. Stifling a half smirk at how pathetic her ex step-daughter was at holding her drinks, she unfastened her seat-belt and got out of her own seat, rounding the car to open the lightweight's door.

"Come on, up and at 'em," Regina roused Snow with a hand on her shoulder, seeing her come back to the present with a quick nod and muttering of something she couldn't quite understand, "I can't let you sleep in the car as much as I'd rather go to bed myself and leave you out here," She chuckled to herself as she helped Snow out of the seat and steadied her along the path.

"Emma's just stubborn, you know," Snow slurred out of the blue, glancing up at Regina as they walked up the path to the front door. Regina frowned curiously at the shorter woman when she propped her against the house so she could unlock her front door, "She'll come around."

"I'm not sure I'm following you," She shook her head and continued to open her clutch and retrieve her house key, knowing the cocktails were probably talking at this point.

"I saw the way you watched her tonight," The drunk woman's head tilted to the side and a knowing, soft smile appeared on her face when Regina lifted her head to look back at her, "And I know it bothered you when she was stand offish towards you."

"She's upset, I was just trying to help her get her mind off things," Regina's eyes widened towards her ex step-daughter's insinuation that her concern for Emma was anything beyond being a good friend, "Come on, let's get you in bed," She sighed, pushing the door open after unlocking it.

"You understand what she's going through, I get it," Snow nodded as she stumbled into Regina's foyer, chattering as she followed the mayor who had visibly stiffened in her movements with the subject at hand. "And I know you want to be there for her. But while you've gotten better at talking about your feelings, she's just not there yet."

"I know this," Regina rolled her eyes, trotting down her hall to get a blanket and pillow from the linen closet, "Do you mind? I'm trying to make your bed," She huffed when she turned around and almost ran into the swaying drunk who followed her like a puppy and would not relent on the point she was trying to make. "What are you getting at, exactly?"

Snow gave her that knowing look as Regina held a blanket and pillow in her arms, facing in her, "I just...wanted to say I appreciate the way you look after my daughter. Even though she's too upset to be grateful to you, doesn't mean I'm not."

"I'm just being a good friend," Regina glanced towards the bedding in her arms, intentionally averting her gaze when her voice wavered vulnerably without her permission.

"I know it's complicated between the two of you, but don't give up just yet," Snow replied, voice dripping in optimism that made a bitterness ripple through Regina.

"I'm lost at your insinuation," She continued to deny, avoiding Snow's gaze as she pushed past her and carried the bedding into the living room. She didn't see Snow following but she could hear her unsteady steps and and occasional bump into the wall or furniture.

"You looked really beautiful tonight, Regina," Her insufferable ex-step daughter said behind her, making her face flush with embarrassment as she unfolded the sheet and kept her back to her, busy with covering the sofa. Deep down Regina had known why tonight had been so special to her. It was her first chance in years that she'd been emotionally ready to approach Emma without the One Handed Wonder around. She'd even gone to the trouble of buying a new outfit and trying a different hairstyle in hopes the sheriff might notice, but unfortunately only her mother had.

When the humiliation had somewhat faded from tingeing Regina's cheeks, she turned around and straightened up, "I know I did," She gave a shrug as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Snow only rolled her eyes with a half smile before opening her arms, coming towards her with what looked like could've been a sloppy hug. She stepped to the side quickly to dodge it, watching Snow fall face first on the couch instead.

"Love you, too," Snow muttered with her face into the pillow, eyes closed from drunken exhaustion.

Regina sighed, going over to grab the trash can in the corner and setting it beside of the couch on the floor. She grabbed the blanket she had laid at the foot of the couch for her, fluffing it out before laying it over Snow as she'd done many times before, many years ago. "Goodnight, Princess."


108 Mifflin Street

Regina paced the foyer of her mansion, heels clicking across hard wood floors like the seconds that crept by as her anxiety peaked. She'd been overwhelmed before, but recently trouble had been gravitating towards her faster than she could react. For years she'd prided herself for being quick on her feet, ready for any threat that came her way. Normally, she'd already thought of anything that could go wrong and already formulated battle plans to combat it. But right now, her world was spinning. Things had changed quickly in Storybrooke and there wasn't time for feelings or ladies nights out like a few weeks ago.

Henry. Her son and the most important reason for her survival was being threatened by hallucinations beyond her control. The memory of his eyes turning white as he scribbled violently, prompted by forces she could not fight, made her stomach churn with fear. The Author had been no help and only made her worry increase for her only child. She knew he was struggling with it himself, knowing the end of his storybook was near and that his biological mother was about to embark on her final battle.

Regina felt the burden her son carried over the responsibility of finding out what that meant. It was in his hands to create how everyone's stories ended and it was clearly something he did not take lightly. Her son was much like her in that aspect, adopting her sense of duty to take everything upon his own shoulders. The difference was Regina deserved to have everything fall on her. When people were in danger here, it was usually an indirect result of the original mess she had created. Henry was a teenager; his only worry should be having enough cash for new comic books. He didn't deserve this pressure.

So far she'd managed to figure out a way to break Snow and Charming's curse and Hook had been returned to his beloved Emma. It was bittersweet to watch the couples around her be united. Of course, she didn't want it any other way, but it was still a painful reminder of just how alone she was. Not to mention that during the process of being distracted with breaking Snow and David's curse, she'd allowed yet another dangerous threat to her loved ones invade their town.

Why did Emma's final battle have to be with her of all people? Regina's stomach churned at the potential outcomes of Emma and the Black Fairy's showdown. Emma was the Savior and procured the most powerful light magic, but she knew what the Dark Fairy was capable of, as well. Both women were deadly in their own right. Light magic was powerful, but dark magic did not play fairly.

What was her own role in this, though? Regina felt a strong sense of loyalty to Emma. She was her son's biological mother, one of her few close friends, and someone she loved deeply, despite the distance Killian's presence put between them. It was only natural that she side with Emma and help her find a way to destroy the Black Fairy. To destroy darkness once and for all.

Still, the small part of her that hesitated in declaring the Black Fairy a mortal enemy gnawed away at her. She hated feeling conflicted more than anything. Not knowing where to direct her hate and rage made her anxious. Having a common enemy to protect her family against gave her a healthy channel for the darkness inside of her, but in the past it had typically been easier. In the beginning her rage and pain had blinded her into choosing Snow as an enemy, but in the recent years it was anyone that threatened the family she'd worked so hard to all her own. But now? Now it was more complicated than that.

How could she, in good conscious, blindly side with a woman she loved but never deserved, against another woman she understood and...once cared for. Regina saw herself in the Black Fairy. She felt her humming rage and the heartbreak emanating from her. She could see the sadness and loneliness in her eyes that had haunted her own reflection until she adopted Henry. She knew why the Black Fairy had lost her way and evolved into the evil monster she was. Evil wasn't born, after all. It was made; and if everyone deserved a second chance, then how could she turn her back on someone she knew so desperately needed one?


Enchanted Forest

The Missing Year

"We're pregnant," Snow beamed at the head of the table where she sat with her idiot husband who shared the same chuffed grin from ear to ear. The dwarves whooped loudly, the Merry Men clinking their glasses and the entire dining hall beginning to chatter their congratulations. Regina's stomach soured at the news and she was sure the smile she forced had a bitter tint to it. How could they be so shamelessly happy? They lost their daughter and grandson. Regina lost her baby boy. Forever.

The room was lost in celebration at the news, giving her a chance to quietly stand from her chair and excuse herself without a word. She kept her eyes glued to the floor as to avoid the gaze of anyone who may have saw her leaving the great hall, making her way down the corridor that led to her dark and empty bed chamber. Her irritation only skyrocketed when she found herself being followed by the incessant thief who was not as soft-footed as he prided himself to be. He'd refused to leave her alone since he heroically thwarted her plan to put herself under the sleeping curse and it was beginning to grate on her last nerve.

"Are you all right, M'Lady?" Robin's thick accent caused her to sigh and grit her teeth as she walked a bit faster. Was he so daft that he could not take a hint?

"Leave me alone, thief." Regina bit back without even a glance in his direction. The way he watched her was infuriating after she'd had a brief moment of vulnerability in his presence and told him of her plans to use the leftover sleeping curse on herself. He hovered around her now whenever he got the chance, pity practically dripping from his eyeballs like she was some piece of broken china that he wanted to put back together.

"I'm worried about you, Regina. You barely join us for meals and when you do you only pick at your food. You stay in your room and away from everyone. I know you're missing your son, but this isn't a healthy way to deal with it."

Regina spun on her heels with a snarl of white teeth at the mention of her son, "Do not tell me how to mourn for my son."

"That wasn't my intent-" Robin stopped walking at her sudden stop and sputtered, clearly surprised by her sudden venom.

"Then what is your intent?" She hissed now, "Need I remind you that I am your Queen and to be addressed and treated as such. I should put your head on a pike for thinking you could even approach me in this manner!"

She was seething now, her body literally vibrating with pent up rage. Just looking at him made her feel violent. She hated the pity that laced his tone and expression, much like the stares she received from the rest of the castle. Half of them were pitifully sympathetic, the other half sneering and gleeful at her misery. The people walked on eggshells around her, waiting for her to snap and revert to her evil ways. Some of the castle's inhabitants had practically already raised their pitchforks to condemn the backslide they felt would inevitably come for her.

"If you wish to be left alone then who am I to stop you?" Robin frowned in a disappointed manner, as if she were a child that didn't learn the lesson he was trying to teach. Uppity fool. What did he know about losing a child? Everytime she had to witness him playing with his adorable dark haired son it practically felt like a knife in the chest.

"There's nothing I would like more," She smiled dangerously, eyes glittering with anger before she waved her hands and disappeared in a purple cloud.


Regina glowered at the dark, poisoned heart in her palm as she sat deep in the forest with her back against a large willow. This area was much too dark and deep within the woods for any of the castle dwellers to roam to, providing a perfect solace for her to escape their prying eyes during the day. The lack of sunshine and damp earth suited her depression and provided a strange comfort of sorts. Like she could finally breathe.

Her pitiful heart had grown darker from the grief of losing Henry, leaving it a deep shade of burgundy. It was cold and so small it could pass as a child's heart if it wasn't so blackened. Her son had been the one person in her life she loved more than anything; the reason her heart hadn't gone completely dark and overridden by her malevolent tendencies. His memory still remained in her heart, keeping a soft red light glowing from deep within it, but she feared it would be gone soon.

What did she have to keep her on the right path, now? Her mind constantly cycled through these kinds of thoughts, the conclusion always the same. She could take out her wrath on this miserable realm again, but what would it provide besides a temporary release? Not only was there a lack of real purpose to going evil again, her son's gaze clouded her mind anytime she considered it. She'd worked so hard for Henry to look at her with admiration instead of disappointment. To revert on her pledge to be a better person for him now felt like a dishonor of his memory.

It was this dead end that made her want to put herself under the sleeping curse when they'd returned to the Enchanted Forest. Every day was a constant battle to ignore the darkness that bubbled within her and remain sane despite the grief that ate away at her soul. There was a hole inside of her from the loss of her baby boy that was a million times deeper than the one Daniel's death had left. The devastation was unlike anything she'd previously experienced...and look how she'd reacted before.

Being so uncertain of her next move scared her. What if her depression devoured her so entirely that she went mad like she had over her stable-boy? She loved with every fiber of her being and when it was taken from her it physically hurt. The pain was overwhelming and clouded her judgement. It made her want to rage over her loss and her weakness at the same time. She was a tornado of emotions and it made her no longer trust herself.

It would have been safer for everyone if she'd put herself under the sleeping curse. They'd have all been better off without her morose energy pulsating throughout the halls of the castle she hated. The realm and the people in it would have remained unscathed by her mourning. She would've been able to remain true to her vow to Henry. Most of all, she'd be unaware of the pain that was currently ripping her apart.

Not to mention the recent revelation that she had a sister who was out to get her. She was clueless as to why Zelena had such a vendetta against her. If the jealous bitch only knew the hell she escaped by Cora giving her up. Regina would've gladly let Zelena take her place as Queen if she could have.

She rolled her eyes at the thought of the Wicked Witch and wondered what approach she'd take. It was pitifully ironic that Zelena's entire envy driven agenda was to destroy Regina's happiness and take everything away from her. Poor girl wasn't even going to get her revenge, for fate had already stripped her of everything she held dear. She supposed it was another thing for Greenie to get...well, green over.

Even though she had nothing to lose, she felt the burden of keeping an eye out for her half sibling. There were plenty of other people in this castle that had much to lose and Regina would be damned if she'd let them be caught in the crossfires. She would have no more bloodshed on her hands. She would not destroy anymore families or be the cause of anyone losing their happy ending. That life was behind her now and if her sister wanted a target then she could bring it on and leave the rest of them out of it.

Regina sighed and resumed scraping the ground beside her with a broken stick, digging a small hole near the base of the tree she sat against as she held her heart with her free hand. Snow White had stopped her from burying her heart before and she'd been stuck with it for weeks now. At least the one positive thing about that bubbly fool being impregnated was that she'd be distracted for a while. Maybe she won't even notice if her heart is out here instead of inside of her chest. She rolled her eyes and blocked out the niggling feeling that Snow would know as soon as she saw Regina again, for she knew her too well at this point.

A child's giggle startled Regina from her task and she dropped her stick suddenly, lifting her head to scan the forest scene for which direction the sound came from. Again a familiar giggle sounded and her brows furrowed in alarm. She knew that giggle, it had been making her heartsick for weeks now every time she heard it up and down the corridor outside of her room. Her eyes focused then on brown curls that bounced with each step he took, reaching in the air in front of him as if he were trying to catch something.

She kept still, holding her heart securely in her left hand as she watched from her seat against the tree, going unnoticed for now. The humming of fast wings carried on the breeze and the glittery black orb left a trail of sparkling dust in it's path as it dipped down almost within reach before flitting up above Roland just as quickly. Regina recognized the small creature, not much bigger than a butterfly, leading the boy deeper into the forest. It looked just like Tinkerbell did when she'd flown into her room so many years ago, except the aura given off was much darker in both color and vibe.

Regina started to make her move to intervene when the orb shined brightly, changing into human form in a delightful display of black shimmer. Her lips parted slightly when she took in the fairy's appearance, noting long legs covered in tight black leather, a corseted top of black and an ornate head band that came down in a vee on her forehead. The fairy's eyes were dark, set under defined eyebrows and above high cheekbones. Her hair was long, laying over her shoulders, and her smile bright and full of mischief as she looked down at the surprised little boy.

"See, wasn't that a fun game?" The fairy purred and Roland giggled and nodded quickly. Their conversation brought Regina from her thoughts and back to the present, a foreboding feeling creeping up inside of her when she saw the hungry eyes of the other woman. Regina recognized that expression, she'd worn it many times before as the Evil Queen. It was a look of sheer delight caused by the knowledge that you had your prey right where you wanted them, ready for the capture.

She pushed her heart back into her chest with a quiet gasp, knowing it was the safest place for it should a physical altercation arise. With a flick of her wrist she transported herself to the small clearing in the forest, positioning herself directly behind Roland. The seedy woman looked back at her, eyes glittering with a bit of rage at the sudden intrusion she clearly wasn't expecting. Regina put her hand on Roland's shoulder quickly, seeing his eyes grow wide when he tilted his head back to see her looming over him.

"Roland you shouldn't be in this part of the forest without an adult. I'm sending you back to your father," Regina gave the boy a polite smile before squeezing his shoulder gently and engulfing him in a cloud of purple smoke that took him back to the Merry Men.

"What do you think you're doing?" The woman hissed at her now, stepping forward to bridge the distance between them. Her face was written with rage, lips in a snarl and hands clenched by her sides, black magic glowing from them.

"Protecting my people," Regina growled back at her, taking her own step forward to show dominance and prove she was not intimidated. It would take much more than some twisted fairy to scare her. "What did you want with that boy?"

"Ahhh, so you're the Evil Queen everyone raves about back home," Her eyes squinted slightly as they scanned Regina's form, "As striking as they say, I must admit." The mischief was back in her dark eyes though they still glistened dangerously, as if she weren't sure whether she wanted to fuck or throttle her.

"Back home? Where is that?" She eyed her in the same manner, noting the fairy stood a few inches taller than she and more slender in form.

"The Dark Realm. You're a hero there," A seductive grin spread over the fairy's lips, "All of the mass murders, the burning of villages, the crushed hearts...Your body of work is truly incredible for such a short amount of time. Do you know how many King's have only managed half of the destruction during reigns triple the time of yours? I always said, if you wanted something done, find a woman..." Her brow perked then, stirring something inside of Regina.

She maintained a cold stare at the woman despite the dark, magnetic pull she felt. It always happened around other dark beings, the temptation to devour their energy and succumb to the evil inside of her. Granted, the pull had never ripped through her so violently before with anyone else, but this woman was truly malevolent. A striking fairy from the dark realm...luring a young boy into the forest...

"You're the Dark Fairy," The words came out of Regina's mouth with a little more of a revelation-like tone than she wanted to project. It was pertinent when facing a potential threat to maintain the appearance that she already know who they are and what they wanted. One had to act as if they were a step ahead of their opponent at all times. It was a key battle strategy she'd observed during her reign, formulated to make the enemy begin to doubt themselves. There went her strategy straight to hell.