I've discovered a new ship and I love it and the show ruined it within a few episodes. So this is an attempt at fixing it, while still focusing on the actual story line. It was going to be a oneshot but it just kept going so its become a multi chapter.

I actually love the Queens of Darkness seriously. So Sea Devil is primary, with a fair bit of Outlaw Queen and Captain Swan, basically the canon ships.

Disclaimer: nothing is mine.

I hope you enjoy!

The Things We Do

When Ursula steps onto the beach, her first thought is that there is something wrong.

The sky is dark, soot and charcoal and hard iron grey, heavy and threatening and still, like a warning, the calm before everything breaks. It is too quiet, and it takes Ursula a moment to realise that it is because there is no wind. The clouds are still and unmoving, and the sea a gentle ripple at her back, because there is no wind, not even the slightest breeze, and the air is tense and heavy and suffocating, and it is all wrong.

Ursula takes a deep breath, and she can taste the magic in the air, dark and deadly, and a jolt of fear hits her heart, what has happened in her absence.

She walks away from the sea, the salt clinging to her locks, the sand sticking to her toes, and tries to push away the thought that she won't be returning to it.

A silence hangs over the town, the stillness like a physical force that pushes at her, pushes her back, warns her away. There isn't a soul to be seen. She stands in a shadow cast by a closed and shuttered shop, hands deep in her pockets, and she can nearly taste the fear in the air. She's returned to her mortal clothes, her tentacles well hidden, but they're agitated, reflecting the unease she can feel coursing through her. She curls her toes in her boots, feeling the grains of sand still sticking to her skin, her fingers curling into fists. She hadn't expected this. She'd thought that she'd come back and find Cruella and apologise and get them out before all hell broke loose. It seems that somehow, she miscalculated. Something has already happened. She just has to hope that it hasn't happened yet.

For a moment, Ursula is at a loss. She doesn't know where the danger is coming from, or who, so she doesn't know where to turn. She closes her eyes for a moment, calculating her options. When she stretches out her magic, searching for anything familiar, its hesitantly, carefully, she doesn't know whats happened here and she's wary of being detected. The air is thick with the Dark One's magic, suffocating and purple and wrong, and there is another here, just as strong, something coiling and dark and… green?

Ursula shakes herself and moves on, searches deeper, further, every muscle tense, on edge for the slightest sign that she has been discovered. And then her magic slams into a wall, a protective burning shield of red and white and apples, and she stops. She lets her magic go, and leans back against the side of the building with a heavy sigh. There is no sign of Cruella's magic, its hidden too deep beneath the suffocating dark magic that has this entire town silent and falsely calm, but its there, there is a hint of it.

She shakes her head and her tentacles curl tightly. There is really only one place she can go.

Ursula keeps her hands above her head, tries to show that she means no harm, because she knows that she is being watched, can feel it heavy and prickling on her skin. She pauses at the steps to the mansion, eyes flickering between the windows, looking for movement. There. There is a man at one of the windows, a man with a crossbow, trained steadily on her, his face is unfamiliar to her, but its strong and determined. Snow White, precious, heroic, murderous Snow White, stands at another window, an arrow trained on her, and rage spikes in her stomach, her tentacles snap and uncurl, she hates that woman, hates her in a way that she once hated Hook, because no woman should be able to stand and believe herself pure and right and just, when she destroyed a baby's fate, determined it from the beginning, and she had no right, no right.

She has to force herself to calm down, forces herself to think of the reason why she is there, of the woman she is trying to save, and the danger in this situation.

The door swings open suddenly, and Regina stands on the threshold, a frown furrowing her brow, real concern alight in her eyes, and it surprises Ursula for a moment, stuns her into silence, because sometimes she forgets that this woman has truly changed. 'What are you doing here, Ursula?'

The woman sounds exhausted, and it alarms Ursula, the lack of ice, the usual sharpness gone from her voice, the barb sea witch, bitch, squid, missing from the greeting. Again, alarm rears its head, and she is surprised by how calm she sounds when she answers. 'I… I came back to warn you all. Something bad is going to happen'.

Regina raises her eyebrows, surprise briefly colouring her expression, before its replaced with something that makes the fear in Ursula's heart swell. Sympathy. 'I'm afraid that you've wasted a trip. Something bad has already happened'.

Ursula forces the fear down as Regina beckons her into the house, and she immediately feels the protective shield fall over her, warm and comforting, an embrace of fur and a whiff of gin, and for a wild moment she imagines that Cruella is there, before remembering the nature of protection charms.

Regina shuts the door and locks it, turns to her with that a same tired expression, and runs a hand through her hair. 'Tell me, what did you want to warn us of?'

Ursula's aware that the strange man has joined them, he moves to stand behind Regina, but his cross bow is no where to be seen, and there is no hostility in his gaze. It strikes her that this man is at ease because Regina is, that he trusts her judgement, and she's not sure why that makes her throat tighten. There is something familiar in the silent communication that seems to pass between them, and she knows it, because she had it, before she threw caution to the winds, and abandoned what she had for a life she'd left behind.

She wants to demand that they tell her whats happened first, but something stops her, fear of the inevitable perhaps, but it stops her nonetheless. 'I'm sure you're familiar with Oracles, Regina. There is one in my father's realm. Her connection to the sea, to the deep roots in the earth, and the currents that flow there, is one that traverses all physical boundaries. Her magic is so powerful that sometimes she glimpses the futures of different realms, especially if connections between certain people are strong'. She stops herself there, wary of revealing too much, too much of something she doesn't quite understand herself. 'She had a vision of your futures. Of this place, and the people trapped here. I came back, because I wanted to help you stop it. I wanted to… protect a friend'.

Regina exchanges a glance with the man, biting her lip slightly. 'Ursula…'

The sea witch holds up a hand, her expression taunt. 'I know something has happened. I'm not a fool. I sensed it the moment I stepped onto the beach. I believe however, that what the Oracle saw hasn't actually happened yet. It was too…devastating. What I felt was tension, not grief. Not loss'.

For the first time, Regina looks afraid, and the man places a hand on her shoulder, his jaw tense again, worry churning in his eyes. He has blue eyes, and for a moment the sight of them makes Ursula flinch. Regina's voice is harsher when she speaks again, edged with fear and worry, and Ursula knows that something has happened, something upsetting, and the thought that there could be something worse on the horizon terrifies this woman. 'What exactly did the Oracle see?'

Ursula takes a deep breath and shakes her head, her hair bouncing around her face. 'Regina, I want to help. But I need to know something first'.

Regina and the man exchange another glance, and the pity has returned in Regina's eyes. The former Evil Queen sighs, and again Ursula is struck by how exhausted she looks. 'Ursula, Cruella is alive'.

The but in that sentence is as loud as if Regina had shouted it, and Ursula's tentacles unfurl, snapping into the air and quivering, threatening and angry, and the man jerks backwards, his expression alarmed, but Regina holds her ground, hands extended, understanding the fury and fear in Ursula's eyes, because she knows it all too well. 'We've done nothing too her, I promise you that. But…we're not exactly on her side'.

Ursula can't understand why Regina is being so cryptic. 'Are you telling me that the reason for the fear in this wretched town and all of your uneasiness is because of her?' She can't say it, can't say the woman's name, and it is so telling and she hates it, but she can't bring herself to say it.

Regina shakes her head. 'I'm afraid its far more complicated than that. If you want the full story, it'll take a while. But… we have something of a new - or old - adversary, who recognised the potential in Cruella's gift of persuasion, and fed it. She's become a tool, Ursula. A tool who isn't even aware of what she's doing. A tool who can essentially turn even the strongest of us into other tools'.

'She's a danger to us all'. Ursula's mouth twists in a snarl at the familiar voice, and she turns to see Snow and David descend the stairs, their expressions wary and angry and they do not look at all pleased to see her. She does not care, not one bit, she hates these two and their inability to understand that nothing is black and white, nothing, nothing is as simple as good and evil, and she thinks that it makes them worse in a way, worse than her, worse than Cruella, because they took a baby and cursed it before it had any chance, and the thought makes her sick to her stomach.

'Still keeping that precious secret of yours, Snow?' Ursula rarely addresses David if she can help it, because she recognises that Snow makes the majority of the decisions here. 'Afraid that I'll tell everyone about it?'

David steps towards her, his blade out, and Ursula nearly laughs, her tentacles waving around her lazily. 'You're not welcome here, sea witch'.

Snow puts a hand on his arm, 'David', her voice is quite, a warning, and Ursula understands that Snow is wise enough to realise that she has valuable information, and that they want to get it before they deal with her, and she has a good mind to curse them both.

Regina steps in front of her, and its the most startling thing she's seen all day. 'Will you two calm down? God, and you think I have trouble putting my past behind me. Ursula came back to help us. There is no need to threaten her - rather fruitlessly I might add'.

Snow does not look convinced. 'How do we know that she isn't here as an inside job? Working with them again?'

Regina sounds exasperated, and Ursula is at a loss to understand how she's earned this woman's trust. 'I take it neither of you remember that Ursula got her happy ending? Got what she'd been searching for, without anyone coming to any harm? What would be the point of coming back?'

Neither says anything, but they look far from happy. There is an uncomfortable silence, and Ursula chooses to stare at the man who watches Regina with love and care and trust. It makes something ache in her chest, the slight tilt of his head, the crinkles at the corners of his eyes, even though he looks worried, he looks at her, and there is love in his eyes.

It makes the hole in her heart burn.

She rubs a hand over her face and snaps, 'can we just get to the point, please? What exactly happened here?'

'Ursula?' She turns her head to see Hook standing in a doorway, the Saviour by his side. They've clearly been standing there for a while, because neither look surprised to see her. He smiles at her slightly, and there is something like compassion in his eyes. 'You might want to sit down for this. It's a long tale'.

She shrugs, fights the urge to throw her hands in the air. 'As long as you actually tell me, and stop with this whole circling around the point thing'.

They move into the living room, and the atmosphere is thick and tense and she could not care less. She sits in an armchair, her back stiff and straight, and crosses her legs. Regina sits on a couch beside the stranger, turning to face her, and Snow and David fall into another, and Ursula thinks that the pair of them look like sulky teenagers.

She lets the silence continue for a moment, enjoying watching Snow and David shift uncomfortably. Then she sighs. 'Regina, tell me what happened'. She will not beg for information, she's not a villain but she has her pride, and they are not friends.

Regina runs a hand through her hair, and leans against the man sitting beside her. Its slight, a small movement, but Ursula has seen it, experienced it, before, and she knows what it means. 'The first thing you should know is that Mal found her child. Or her child found her. But they've been reunited'.

Something warm blooms in Ursula's heart, and she can feel the smile gracing her face before she can stop it, and she's not entirely sure if she cares. Regina smiles back, and Ursula remembers that they were friends, her and Mal, before everything truly went to shit. But then the smile slips from the other woman's face and she sighs heavily. 'The problem was, Rumple wasn't exactly pleased that all his allies had found their happy endings before their usefulness to him had run its course. I think we all', and here she casts a meaningful glance at Snow and David, where they sit next to the Saviour and Hook, their expressions dark, 'can recognise that Rumple was the one we needed to be worried about. You three were just looking for your happy endings. He's trying to rewrite the nature of things, because he's trying to avoid the truth that he's ruined his own. Once Mal had reunited with her daughter, it was just him and Cruella. And Rumple didn't feel secure with just the two of them, and his goal to corrupt Emma as yet unrealised'.

She takes a deep breath, and the man beside her rubs a hand over her back, slow and steady and comforting. Regina seems to take some strength from it. 'He located a powerful witch who he believed would listen to him, and become the ally he needed. The Wicked Witch of the West… my lovely older sister'.

Ursula blinks rapidly, suddenly understanding why she felt that the foreign magic here was green. There are a million questions running through her mind, but she has the terrible feeling that they are running out of time, so she ignores them for now. 'Go on'.

Regina nods her head and runs a hand through her hair again. 'I don't know how Rumple convinced her to join their side, but the next thing we knew, we had a lot more to worry about than we were ready for'.

There is a pause, an impatient silence, as if Regina is waiting for her to ask the question burning on her tongue. She does. 'What does this have to do with Cruella?' The name sticks in her throat, it sounds raw and painful as it falls from her lips, and she hates it, hates the weakness, hates the way Hook frowns at her, as if he suspects the truth.

Regina takes another deep breath. 'We don't know what happened exactly, between the three of them. But several days ago, not long after Zelena had been in town, Cruella contacted me. She said that she had some information, and that they - Rumple and Zelena - were going to go too far. She wanted to help us'.

There is a scoff, a disbelieving sound from opposite them, and then Ursula turns, she is not the only one glaring at Snow. Snow holds up her hands, chastised by Emma's hard gaze, and Regina continues, her voice tense. 'We arranged a meeting. But when Emma and I went to meet her… she attacked us. Rumple has done something to her powers, heightened them, if you will. She can control more than just animals now. She very nearly managed to turn us against each other, but luckily, Robin and Hook arrived in time to help us fight it off'. Robin must be the man with a hand on Regina's back, must be, there is no mistaking the tenderness in Regina's voice when she says his name.

Ursula is frowning, her mind racing to process all the information. 'So Rumple increased her powers, and you believe she was trying to set you up? To turn you to their cause?'

Regina shakes her head, ignoring the looks Snow and David throw each other, but it is Emma who speaks, her voice low and tired and fierce. 'No. We believe that somehow Rumple and Zelena found out about Cruella's plans, and tried to turn that meeting to their advantage. Cruella… she wasn't in control of what she was doing. Her eyes were full of dark magic'.

'She's become a puppet, Ursula. And puppets inevitably get hurt. Thats the reason why the town is so deserted. On top of the danger of Rumple and my dear sister, we're at risk of being turned against each other. And unfortunately, we have no idea what to do next'. Regina sounds desperate suddenly, and Ursula understands the reason for her exhaustion, can picture the woman staying up into ungodly hours, trying and trying and trying to find a way to save them all.

'Can you snap her out of it?' She's picturing Cruella trapped in her own mind, screaming and screaming because the thought of having her power taken away, power over her actions and her body, used to make Cruella physically sick, it reminded her of a place she'd left behind, and Ursula has to force herself to swallow past the lump in her throat.

Regina shrugs. 'We haven't tried. We haven't been able to find her since she first tried to attack us. But… I believe its possible. I do. Its nearly always possible to break mind control spells. Cruella herself nearly broke out of it when we faced her. She was fighting it, the entire time, which is why Hook and Robin were able to help us break her control so easily. We think we haven't seen her because they've been trying to… solidify their control. If they could turn all of us against each other, if they could get Emma on their side, we'd be done for'.

Hook's arm tightens around the blonde and silence falls over the room. Ursula remains sitting straight, but her tentacles uncurl from beneath her clothes, and drape themselves over her armchair, waving lazily above the floor. She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes, because there is a prickling behind her eyelids, threatening tears, and guilt stirs in the pit of her stomach. She left Cruella - her friend before anything else - without so much as a goodbye, without even a second glance, wrapped up in her ideas of happy endings to the point where she didn't even hear the voice screaming at the back of her mind go back go back go back what are you doing what are you doing. And it wasn't until she'd crossed through the portal with her father's arm around her shoulders, wasn't until she was back home that she realised that the hole in her heart wasn't filled, but gaping, and she'd dreamed of a black and white haired woman, of furs and warm blue eyes and she woke up laughing despite the tears on her face, because she was a fool, such a fool.

And now, now Cruella's had her own power turned against her, she's being controlled against her own will and Ursula knows what that will do to her, if she's aware of it, knows the fear the woman has of loosing control, of her past, Cruella's gone and its her fault because she just left, left when she should've taken her with her, and she has the urge to smash something. One of her tentacles unfolds with a snap, and she feels everyone jump, but she doesn't open her eyes.

'Ursula…we need you to tell us what the Oracle saw. Cruella wouldn't have come to me if it wasn't something incredibly serious, you know that'.

She does know that. Cruella has never been one to forgive betrayal. It makes Ursula's blood run cold to think of what Cruella must have found out. Ursula knows a moment in time from the result of Rumple and Zelena's plans. She doesn't necessarily know the final outcome. She takes a shuddering breath, and when she opens her eyes they are hard. 'I'll make you a deal. You promise me that you won't kill Cruella, that you'll help her, and I'll tell you what I saw, and aid you in this…war you're waging'.

Snow's expression turns stony, and David folds his arms over his chest. 'I thought you said that you wanted to help us - that you came back to warn us'.

Ursula shrugs. 'I did. But I don't want to see my friend killed because she got caught between you and your naive battles for the greater good. I want her alive. I don't particularly care if you see me as a villain for trying to ensure her safety'.

She meets Regina's eyes when she says the word villain, bitter and ashes on her mouth, and she's surprised to see that the woman is smiling. An honest, understanding smile, and she nods. 'I promise you that I'll do whatever I can to help break their hold on Cruella. If it comes down to it, I'll knock her out rather than kill her, okay?'

Ursula has a vivid image of Cruella's head cracking against pavement, her hair mattered with blood and dirt, and shivers. Emma speaks up from across her, her expression ernest. 'Look, we want to avoid as much blood shed as possible, unless absolutely necessary. I'm with Regina. And if you help us, we'll have a better chance'.

She smiles, a smirk pulling at the corner of her mouth. 'So the Saviour wants to save everyone. How very noble'. Her expression softens slightly, and she inclines her head slightly. 'I appreciate it. You certainly have a more… open attitude towards villains than your parents'.

'Watch yourself sea witch', David snarls, but Emma shoots him a look that Ursula cannot read, and he looks down, chastised, guilt furrowing his brow.

Silence falls once more, and its far from comfortable, but Ursula doesn't care, she has no problem making these people uncomfortable, no problem making Snow and her husband squirm.

'Before you all get excited, I don't have the outcome of what is going to happen. I only know a moment. You must understand that predicting the future is not simple. There are a thousand possibilities and a thousand outcomes to this plot'. Talking about the future with people who don't understand it is always difficult. Sometimes meddling with the future can be just as dangerous. You can sometimes inevitably cause what you're trying to prevent.

'The Oracle saw a moment. A moment she believes will come to pass, no matter what else happens'. She stops suddenly and scrubs a hand over her face, frustrated. 'Theres going to be a fight. A battle between the forces of good and evil', her voice drips with sarcasm, and Regina's mouth twitches in response. 'It does't end well. At the end of it all, you', she points at Emma, but her eyes remain on Regina, 'are corrupted, and you willingly lend your power to Rumple. It didn't make sense when the Oracle told me, but I'm guessing Cruella has a hand in it'.

'Well, thats easily solved. We just keep Emma away from your friend'. Snow's voice is bright, too bright, and Ursula thinks she has a headache coming on.

'There is more. The outcome, if you will. If things take the course the Oracle saw, Rumple will use his combined powers with Emma and this woman, Zelena, and he'll effectively become the author of the book'. Any amusement is gone from her voice, its stone and cold and it hides the fear the thought sends through her. 'Rumple will be able to write whatever outcome he wants, whenever he wants, and none of you will be able to stop him'.

Snow's face falls so quickly it is almost comical. But its Regina who looks the most stricken. The blood drains from her face alarmingly, and she reaches over to grab Robin's hand.

Suddenly its almost too much, being in this room surrounded by people who love each other, David has taken snow in his arms, Emma has turned her face against Hook's shoulder, and Robin is gripping Regina's hand until their knuckles are white, and they're all united and all together and it would have disgusted her once, would've made her skin crawl, but she's here because she left someone she loved behind, and she might never have the chance to love them again.

She gets up, without saying a word, and leaves, and Regina watches her go with a slight frown between her brows, and Ursula can feel her eyes on her back, and thinks that perhaps that woman understands more than she would like.

Ursula knows its stupid, stupid to be out when Rumple and the Wicked Witch are here, but she needs to clear her head, needs to feel the sea on her skin, the sand between her toes, she needs a taste of something comforting. She needs to get the thought of Cruella trapped and helpless out of her head.

She makes it out of Regina's mansion, keeps to the darkness, walks with her hands in her pockets and her shoulders tense, just encase she needs to get away quickly.

She makes it to the end of the street before she senses she's being watched. She turns immediately, her tentacles unfurling around her, but she then she freezes.

Cruella is standing behind her, surprising close, draped in her usual fur coat, and Ursula cannot see her face. Ursula knows immediately, instinctively, that it is no coincidence that she's appeared now, on her arrival. She has very little time to process that thought, to wonder where its come from, before Cruella moves.

Ursula backs up, hands and tentacles outstretched, as Cruella stalks towards her, a snarl twisting her red lips, and when the light falls over her Ursula gasps, horror and shock, because Cruella's normally blue eyes are purple, dark, dark purple, swirling with dark magic, and there are little purple veins around her eyes, tracing patterns to her eyebrows and down to her cheek bones and it looks painful, unnatural, and wrong. She's radiating magic, her own warm, silver magic, but its tinged, corrupted with purple and green and its suffocating, radiating from her skin like heat, and Ursula's back hits the wall and Cruella's mouth is opening and there is smoke around her lips. Ursula's tentacles lash out, curling around the woman's arms, holding her back, pushing her away, her hands shoot out to push against Cruella's shoulders, and her thumb brushes against the bare skin of her collarbone, and the woman freezes.

Ursula blinks, startled by the sudden lack of movement. Cruella stares without seeing, her neck strained and her jaw tense, and Ursula lifts her hand to touch her cheek, searching for a response, 'Cruella?'

Cruella jerks back, a pained sound leaving her throat, but she doesn't get far, because Ursula's tentacles are still wrapped around her, but she clutches at her head, and makes a noise that sounds somewhere between a groan and a whimper, her hands are so tense that her knuckles are white. Ursula lets her go, a hand still on her shoulder. 'Cruella?' The woman bows her head, clutching at her hair, her back bowed and her shoulders are trembling and Ursula wants to touch her, to help, but she's worried about tipping it the wrong way, worried that she'd be a distraction, so she stands there helplessly and watches the pain twisting the other woman's expression, and feels something in her heart break.

Cruella stretches out a trembling hand suddenly, waves at her, her voice strained and low, 'you need to go, darling'.

Ursula wants to take her hand, wants to wrap her tentacles around the woman and help her and hold her, but all she does is shake her head. She doesn't know what to say i want to help let me help how can i help I'm so sorry i didn't come back sooner I'm so so sorry this has happened but all she does bend slightly, tries to catch the other woman's eyes, reaches out a hand to touch her but Cruella recoils, and her eyes are blue again, that sharp beautiful blue but the purple veins are still there under her skin, and it looks like they're pulsing, this close, and with each pulse Cruella's hand tightens in her hair, she shakes more, and she's fighting it but she won't be able to for long. 'I can't…' I can't leave you I can't I'm so sorry.

Cruella reaches for the wall, leans against it, her breathing shaky and her eyes pained and she forces a smile that looks like a grimace. 'I can't hold it back for long, darling. As much as I hate to admit it, that green bitch is rather powerful'. She grits her teeth and winces and looks at her and her eyes are pleading, 'Darling, go. Please'.

In all the time that Ursula has known her, Cruella has only pleaded with her three times.

She places a hand on the woman's shoulder, her fingers tight and strong and she stares at Cruella with her jaw set and through a haze of purple Cruella can see the fury in her eyes, the determination, the raging churning sea, and it is reassuring. 'I will fix this, I promise'.

And then she runs.

So what do you think? I hope you liked it. Constructive criticism is welcome, as well as suggestions, because I haven't nearly finished writing it, but please, no flames.

I hope its in character. I don't think that this is too out of character for Ursula, because honestly, I don't really feel like she was much of a villain. The show actually never really showed us any of her villainous deeds.

Anyway, I hope it wasn't terrible! Please leave a review!