A/N: This is my first FanFiction and I'm really nervous about it… also English isn't my first language so I apologize if there are any mistakes. The story takes place right after the ending of S2 but it develops in a different way. Tamara and Greg didn't take Henry to Neverland, but to another land. I will take some hint from the third season anyway. Soon it will be a crossover.

The Untold Story

Chapter One: The Fox

Storybrooke present day.

"You are the Dark One. Do something!" Charming was holding Emma by her shoulders, stopping her from jumping in the water after she had saw her son being sucked in a portal with his kidnappers: Greg and Tamara.

Mr. Gold had just arrived with Belle at his side, unaware of what had just happened.

"Gold, help us." Emma's voice was the one of a mother frightened by the idea of not being able to see his son again, but Gold's answer did nothing but let her even hopeless.

"So that's it? He's gone forever?" Regina crossed her arms at her chest, looking at the horizon like in the search for an answer from the see, an answer that never came.

It was Snow White's voice that diverted her from her thoughts. "We won't achieve anything standing here doing nothing. We have to find out where them have brought him, then we can find a way to go and get him back." Even if Regina hated it, she was right. She looked back at the improbable team she had found herself to be a part of, it seemed like the only way she had to take her son back was to cooperate with the idiots.

"I can provide for that." With these words Gold turned his back and raised his hand in a silent signal to follow him and, a little hesitant, one by one they left the pier.

Gold brought them to his shop, where he reached for a little white globe that he immediately put on the counter. Under their curious and impatient eyes, he stung his right index's fingertip and let a single drop of blood to fall on the white surface.

His blood seemed to be absorbed and it started to form strange shapes that covered the entire globe.

"Where did they brought Henry?" Regina broke the silence, impatient to know where her son was.

"Wonderland." Answered Gold, and an imperceptible smile grew on his face, because in their misfortune the had been lucky.

"What are you smiling for? You know how to reach this place?" Charming walked away from his daughter to reach the other man's side, keeping his eyes on the globe that was returning to its normal appearance.

"I don't, but maybe here in Storybrooke there's someone who can." His enigmatic tone was upsetting Emma, who shook her head irritated.

"No. Jefferson's hat is gone. We can't use it."

"He isn't talking about Jefferson's hat." Surprisingly it wasn't Gold talking but Regina that had distanced herself from the group and crossed her arms to her chest, turning her back to the rest of them. "She won't help us."

She wanted to save her son at any cost, but she doubted this was the right way.

Snow looked at her daughter and her husband, then turned to Regina. "It doesn't matter if she will help us or not, we can stole this item from her."

Regina raised her eyebrow, turning back to them. She knew that it was impossible to steal from a thief, even with her magic. Probably the item was protected by some kind of spell and before being able to break it, Henry could have been killed.

"No. I've already tried to put my hands on it." Said Gold with a bitter tone and an enigmatic smile on his face, then he turned around the counter, where the others were standing. "I tried to take it for my collection, but with or without magic, I couldn't. If we want it, we have to ask for it." With these words he left the shop, followed by Belle who stopped him. "But… if you can't steal it and, whoever this person is, won't give it to you, how will you get it?" She asked when the rest of the group reached them.

"Enough with those games, Gold. Tell us what we have to do." Charming pointed his finger at him, his voice revealing his irritation.

Gold turned to Belle and Snow. "Come with me, maybe there's someone who can help us." Then he turned to the Queen, Emma and Charming. "Go to The Rabbit Hole and wait for us. She'll probably be there."

With Snow driving Charming's jeep, they shortly reached the place Gold guided them to. She parked the car in front of a big, beautiful house, and she noticed with surprise that she already knew that place.

She got out of the car and moved a couple of steps ahead, admiring the house while Gold and Bell reached her out of the vehicle. The young girl broke the silence, and her stare and voice betrayed her confusion. "Who's house is that?"

"Jefferson's." Answered Snow, looking herself with confusion at Gold. "But Emma was right. His hat is useless."

Gold smiled to her, walking toward the stairs, thinking how it would be problematic considering his leg. "We don't need Jefferson for his hat, dearie. He is our pass."

Emma, Regina and Charming were walking down the stairs of the most popular bar in the town. It was half empty at the moment, unusual for the place. But it was understandable. Up to one hour before Storybrooke was struck by earthquakes and other disasters, that suddenly stopped, leaving everything back to normality. Many were there to drink a toast to the avoided end of the world.

Nobody knew that Tamara and Greg hadn't left alone, that Storybrooke was safe but a child had been kidnapped. Probably three-quarters of the clients, maybe more, wouldn't have cared anyway.

That thought was bothering Regina who, with her hands in the pockets of her coat and her head bent ahead, was now walking through the bar followed by father and daughter, sitting at one of the most isolated and hidden tables.

"Tell me again why are we here wasting our time." The blonde's voice was a little too altered for her taste, so she merely answered with a glare while the woman sat in front of her, next to her father.

Regina's eyes wandered around the room, searching for someone and when she found who she was looking for, her eyes widened a little. She remained with an empty look in her eyes for a moment, Gold was right. It wasn't a big surprise after all, the person she was looking at was the owner of the bar.

"We are here to wait for Gold." She said at last, looking away. "And because the person we need is four tables behind you." She added with a sharp voice, moving her hair away from her face and looking at the stairs, she never wished so hard to see Snow White's face again in her whole life.

The icy stare that the man was giving them was terrifying. Jefferson had opened the door and finding himself facing the unusual trio, he almost slammed it in their faces. Gold had expected it and cleverly insert the tip of his stick between the door and the jamb. "It's a favor that I'm asking, Jefferson. I will owe you one..." He tried, but it didn't work, and now the man was once again in front of them, piercing Belle with his eyes.

Moving only his head, his gray eyes shifted from Belle to Gold, while his jaw tightened. "I helped you once before, didn't I? I don't see why I should do it again." He continued with the same tone, clearly referring to the time he released the girl from Regina's imprisonment.

Gold lowered his head, hiding a smile and licking his lower lip with the tip of his tongue. He knew this would be difficult, this is why he'd brought with him two person as charitable as Belle and Snow.

It was the latter who talked, moving forward and looking at Jefferson pleadingly. "Please. We're talking about my grandson. He's been kidnapped and we have no idea of what they will do to him if we don't do something now."

Faith wanted that in that moment the young Grace appeared behind the man, curious about all the noise they were making. "Dad, what's going on?" She asked but Jefferson reassured her with a gesture before turning back to look at the three, still standing at the door.

Snow continued persistently. "What would you do if it was your daughter in Henry's place?" At these words Jefferson's look wavered and Gold understood that they were on the right track to reach their purpose. But he couldn't be the one insisting. He wouldn't be credible.

"Do you have an idea of what are you asking me to do? Going back there..."

Snow nodded, understanding, without stopping staring at him with a compassionate look. She truly understood all doubts that afflicted the man in front of her and she knew it wouldn't be easy, but she couldn't let Henry to be hurt and this was the only way they had to help him. "I know, I'm sorry but there is no other way. We need your help Jefferson. You know Wonderland better than anyone else, we can't go there without a guide."

She didn't know what was Gold's plan, but she had to try, she had to convince Jefferson to join them in order to protect her family.

Belle exchanged a quick glance with Gold, then she turned back to Jefferson with an unsteady voice. "I- I'll have to stay here. Grace could stay with me, she'll be fine, I promise. "

Jefferson closed his eyes for a moment, breathing heavily. There was no way to escape, if he'd said no one more time Gold would have probably cast some kind of spell on him to make him change his mind and force him to join them. He could consider himself lucky enough to have endured so much. It was true, he would have done anything to save his daughter. He brought his gaze back on Belle who was watching him worriedly. "Okay." He said finally, and Snow smiled happily. "But how do we get there? My hat is unusable. "

Gold motioned for him to come out and Jefferson and the girl left the house. She was worried and looked uncertainly to his father while they made their way to the jeep.

"That's another issue but we will solve it quickly. She will listen to you." said the Dark One with his usual smile.

Jefferson stopped immediately before entering the car, he thought he'd heard wrong but from the look on Gold's face, he realized that he didn't. It wasn't possible, if they already had her, then why did they need his help in Wonderland? Resigned, he helped his daughter to get into the car and as they were leaving, he began to explain what had happened.

"The blonde one or the brunette?" Asked Charming as he turned unceremoniously to look in the direction where Regina's gaze were fixed. Four tables away, as she had said, two women were sitting. One had wavy, long, dark hair while the other one had short blond hair that reached her shoulders. They seemed intent on chatting quietly with their drinks in their hands.

This reminded Emma that it was the third time that they sent the waiter back, soon he would started to be suspicious and they would be asked to leave the bar. Regina was becoming impatient, she barely tolerate the company of the Savior and Prince Charming, but she stayed because it was for Henry that she was doing it. "The brunette." Replied absently as she looked at them. Her eyes stopped on the woman who was now bringing the glass to her lips smiling and nodding to what the other had just said.

"So..." Emma started, following the gaze of the other two and finding the subject of the conversation. "When Gold said 'Wonderland' did he actually meant that Wonderland? I mean… Alice in Wonderland?" She concluded, turning back to Regina and so did Charming, but the other woman hadn't looked away or either answered, because her mind was lost in memories buried many years before.

Enchanted Forest many years ago.

The smell of the stable filled her nostrils as she carefully brushed the dark mantle of her horse, Rocinante.

Regina got off the stool that helped her get to the horse's back and turned with an outstretched hand. "Lily, can you hand me the saddle?"

The other girl stood up from the ground, sweeping off the dust and the mud from her clothes with her hands. She grabbed the saddle and gave it to Regina, before she fixed her long and dark hair to one side of her shoulders. "How's the trot?"

"Better than the gallop..." admitted a young Regina, adjusting the saddle on the horse's back and began to fasten the several belts.

Lily smiled amused going to one of the other horses in the barn and, taking a brush, she slowly started to take care of its mantle. "So at least you're able to keep riding."

The girl used to work at the stables, at the presence of any other member of the royal family she would never behaved like that, or talked in a so colloquial way, but only three days were enough for her to understand that Regina was different and now they were friends.

"Has your father recovered?" Those words took Lily by surprise, she looked up from the horse she was brushing, then she shook her head.

"No, the doctor said it was a bad fall and that he doubts that my father will be able to get up before at least three months." She wiped the sweat from her forehead, the job at the stables was the only thing that allowed her and her family to eat, as well as some trade at the market of the village, but after a bad fall from his horse, her father was no longer able to do his job. "But tomorrow my brother Daniel will take his place at the stables and my mother will go to the market."

"I'm sorry, I hope he gets better soon ..." with those words Regina finished fixing the strings and she climbed into the saddle. Lily left the horse that she was combing to get to the other girl, then she took the reins and began to lead the horse out of the barn.

Getting out in the sunlight was a breath of fresh air, as Lily walked to a crawl, the horse followed her quietly. Regina's voice distracted her from her thoughts, making her return to earth. "Are you still sure you want to leave?"

Lily knew that that sentence thrown out, with distraction, was actually a targeted question and meant to take her by surprise. She was clever and did not fall into the trap, she'd spoken with Regina of that desire.

She wanted to go away, leave the Enchanted Forest and find a new place in the world.

Life there was not bad, she was fine and surrounded by people who loved her, yet she felt like a stranger; it was like if that place did not belong to her, like there was something else waiting for her and she wanted to deepen that feeling.

Regina, however, seemed far too interested in that issue from the beginning and she was not so sure that she want to share a thought so personal with someone else, so she just raised her head toward the other girl and smiled. "I don't know… maybe."

Few days later, Lily's mother received a strange request at the market. A pony, a single pony to be delivered in a land not too far from there. Well, not exactly a common pony; it was one of the rarest breed: a cross between a pony and a unicorn.

That pony was the rarest specimen that belonged to her family , but they were terribly short of money and so she had accepted the trade.

Her husband wasn't able to make the journey, and her eldest son didn't wanted to leave the job at the stable, so the only one available to make the delivery was her youngest daughter.

Lily was preparing her horse to leave when another girl reached her to help her fixing the saddle. She was skinny, she had blonde hair long to the shoulders and green eyes. "Are you sure you want to go? I heard bad rumors about the castle..."

Lily pulled a string and then gave a pat on the horse's back to make him move while she took the reins in her hands. "Yes, I know... I heard that a witch lives there. Maybe this time I can finally leave." She said; then she winked to the other girl and raised on the horse's back, pointing with her head at the young black pony that was waiting quietly at the other side of the stable.

The blonde went and got it, she made it move to Lily, giving her the reins and then she moved aside. "Seriously? You want to trust a witch?"

Lily smiled and made sure that the saddle was solid on the horse's back. "I don't need to trust her. I just need my cunning skills." She reached out and spurred the horse ahead. "See you when I'm back Kitty. Keep an eye on my brother, I think he's far too interested in princess Cora's daughter." With a wink to the other girl and a shot to the reins, Lily left for her journey to the castle of the infamous witch.

After several hours of riding, the girl stopped at the entrance of an incredible manor. It was a stone castle, built on a lake. It was amazing, imposing and wonderful. She would have liked living in a palace like this, she told herself. But why a witch living in such a castle would have need a pony?

She didn't have the time to wonder that the castle's doors opened without her having said or done anything. Not afraid at all, maybe just a little curious, the girl dismounted and tied her pony's reins to a tree.

The doors closed behind her the same way they had opened before and she advanced slowly, holding the reins in her hand.

The castle was dark and cold. It was so different from princess' Cora's castle, there were no guards or servants or guests. It was so silent, maybe that was why the witch wanted the pony, she was lonely. Perfect, she thought, she could have use it at her favor.

"You are in perfect time." A voice forced her to stop and she turned finding herself facing to nothing. She turned around, hoping to find out where the voice came from, but there was no way to understand it. Resigned, she turned again toward the corridor she was walking through, followed by the pony.

"I didn't want to make a powerful woman as you waiting." She answered, her senses in alert. The corridor was long and lightened by a beautiful window overlooking the lake. She reached a salon, huge but a bit bare. The roof was very height, the walls dark and covered by muffled torches; one of the wall was covered by weapons. A big carpet covered the floor, a table was located at the center of the room with two big armchairs in front of it, behind which there was a fireplace, muffled itself.

"Leave the pet and take your gold. It's on the table, near the candlestick." Lily looked instinctively at the table, coming closer with the pony. It was true, there was a bag full of gold waiting invitingly on the mahogany's surface. But Lily didn't reach for it, she lifted her head and spoke with a clear voice. "I was actually hoping to be able to see the woman whom my mother decided to sell this precious animal to. It's an incredible rare breed, we've been waiting for years for the right buyer. Can you satisfy my curiosity?"

Lily waited, her ears were strained to pick up the smallest noise, then a voice surprised her from behind and she was forced to turn around.

"Well? Are you satisfied?" The unexpected closeness with the woman forced her to take a step back and this time she contained no wonder.

Just a step away from her the witch rose in all her splendor, wearing a fine suit of various shades of purple, the same color of the magnificent crown that was resting on her head. Her face was framed by blond curls and now her piercing blue eyes were stabbing the girl like two blades.

It was not the time to look frightened, she had to regain control. "Absolutely. Such a beautiful woman should not live alone in a big palace like this. "

The witch didn't flinch, she just reach out her hand to the girl. "The reins. Get your gold and leave. "

Lily hesitated for a moment, but then she granted her request and handed her the reins of the pony, but did not take the payment. "They say that you are a witch. Is that true?" Of course she was a witch, she thought.

On the witch's lips appeared an indecipherable smile as she scanned the girl in front of her. "And why would you like to know such a thing?"

It was time; she crossed her arms over her chest and breathed slowly, choosing the right words to use. Without lowering her gaze from the witch she tried to sound more confident than she actually was. "Because actually you look more like a fairy to me."

At those words there was a small change in the woman's look, that statement had taken her by surprise, and despite that moment lasted just a second, it didn't escape Lily's watchful eyes, so she continued on her way. "And because I'd love to learn the art of magic. You seem powerful to me, you can keep your gold, I don't care about it. Take me as an apprentice instead, as a payment for the pony. I'm smart and I learn quickly, then I definitely keep more company than a pony, even if it's rare. "

The witch stayed silent for a while, studying the girl in front of her with curious eyes "What's your name, girl?" she asked at last, using the same tone she used before.

"Lily." She replied immediately, following her with her eyes. "Your name, instead?"

"Maleficent."

Lily had to control herself to keep a straight face, it certainly wasn't an inviting name. No need to struggle to understand the reason why the witch was alone. "A beautiful name, my lady. You answered my second question but not the first, though. "

Maybe she was pushing it a bit too far with the confidence, but she didn't see resistance from the witch, so why not just keep going? She needed magic, she wanted to leave the Enchanted Forest, probably she would've needed much more than magic.

"You're smart, aren't you, girl?" Even if she had learned her name, the witch still didn't use it, it wasn't a good sign, it meant that she still kept a certain distance.

Despite that, she didn't give up and she just nodded before adding. "Yes. It is a quality that characterizes me since I was a child. They call me 'the Fox'. "

A laugh came from Maleficent's lips and an hidden smile grow on Lily's, it was almost done. She didn't have to say more, she just had to wait.

"I like clever people. Okay, I'll take you as an apprentice but be careful not to use your cunning against me or you'd prefer not having ever met me."

She alternated her job at the stable with the apprenticeship at the castle, on the first day she justified herself by saying to her mother that she'd been assaulted during the return trip, and that the money had been stolen and she also justified her constant trips with a second job.

She actually brought money at home, all thanks to the witch who had taught her a spell to grow gold coins from the trees. She didn't always succeeded and the results were poor, surely less than the witch could do, but she could anyway help her family with it.

Lily hadn't told either Regina or Kitty about the witch, because she wanted to keep that secret form them, maybe one day she'd made her friends aware of the enormous change that her life had taken, but that was not the right time.

Weeks had passed since that first meeting and Lily had learned few things about Maleficent, the witch had taught her to control her energy. Tricks of prestige, nothing more.

Light a fire, creating a fireball, move objects with the power her mind. It wasn't what Lily wanted at first, but she had to admit that it was incredibly interesting. The witch spoke to her, telling her stories of wizards and spells, hungry for companionship and the girl absorbed everything like a sponge.

Then the day she waited so much finally arrived; during one of her tall tales, the witch mentioned the existence of an item. An item able to bring someone to another world, an incredible world, wonderful.

"Does it really exist?" She asked, while she was sitting on the armchair in the precious living room of the witch.

Maleficent, sitting on the other chair gave her a look of approval. Lily had seemed, since the very first day that they had met, so curious. Maleficent appreciated her cleverness but she definitely preferred her thirst for knowledge.

The witch nodded, leaning toward the table and pouring tea into two large porcelain cups. Then she pulled up and with one hand she began to stroke the nose of the pony lazily; motioned for her to take the cup.

Lily reached out to take it, but Maleficent lifted her fingers and Lily felt her in a choke hold. "Not like that." Warned the witch and the Lily's chocolate eyes expressed themselves in a silent expression of pain before Maleficent let her go.

Her teaching methods weren't the friendliest, but by a person with that name Lily couldn't expect anything different. She breathed floor and opened the palm of her hand, pointing it toward the cup which rose from the table and began to fluctuate dangerously towards her, spilling hot tea on the wooden surface. It arrived in her hands shortly after, while the witch took her cup and began to sip.

"This item. You said that it exist, but what is it? Where is it?" Lily repeated, bringing the cup to her lips and looking hopefully at Maleficent, after her performance of magic she knew she deserved a reward, which was not long in coming.

"A looking glass. An enchanted mirror that can make you travel only between two worlds, and it is in my possession. "

At those words, uttered with pride and vanity, Lily couldn't help but react with an amazed sigh, she put her cup down and leaned forward toward the witch, giving her a look of admiration and hope. It didn't seem real, she'd waited and her patience had been rewarded. "Can I see it?"

Storybrooke present day.

Gold entered the bar called "The Rabbit Hole" followed by Snow, Belle, Jefferson and Grace; he looked around and noticed the two women sitting at a table and quite far from them, the table with the two Charmings and Regina.

They approached their group but instead of letting them sit down, Regina stood up, silently asking Emma and his father to do the same.

Jefferson came to Regina, speaking softly and eyeing the table with the two women. "If you want my help just to get her to give you what you want, then why don't you take her with you, without involving me?"

His tone was dismissive and annoyed, he still hoped he could avoid that madness, because he perfectly knew that what had to come wouldn't been easy.

Regina shook her head weakly, pointing the two women with a nod of the head. "We're going to need everybody's help. We need you as a guide, Jefferson and we need her as an insurance."

"Okay, enough. What the hell is going on? Who are those people?" Emma's voice turned out to be not so low as Regina's and Jefferson's; the Queen, in fact, brought her eyes to heaven, turning only her head toward her, then going back to the two women.

Gold was the one who gave the Savior her answer, pointing first at the brunette, then at the blonde. "They are called by different names. Here in Storybrooke their names are Lily Foxx and Kitty Hare. In the Enchanted Forest, they're also known by their nicknames: The Fox and The Cat."

Emma Swan threw a startled look at Gold, but he ignored her, because now that they were all there, there was no time to lose. They approached the two women at the table, then the brunette turned to them with an amused look and a smile.

"You know, we were just betting on when you'd decided to come." No one answered the provocation, in the front line there were Regina and Jefferson, their eyes left no double interpretations, something big had happened.

Lily thought that after everything that had happened that day, such as earthquakes and giant plants that sprout from the ground, nothing more would have been able to surprise her, and instead there she was, sitting at a table staring into the eyes of someone who she thought wouldn't have ever spoke to her again.

Regina moved her eyes from Lily's to Jefferson's in a silent request to start talking and so he did as he sighed. "Lily, I have to ask you a favor. It's about a boy, he's been kidnapped and you're the only one that can help us to bring him back... we need your looking glass."

A/N2: Hello, this is Lily! I know I share the name with my precious baby, but it's not just because I love the name, you'll see that her name is not a random choice! Okay, so… this was the first chapter, I really hope that there weren't a lot of mistakes, it's been pretty hard for me and my girlfriend to translate the whole story so please, please, please, let me know what do you think! There are more characters that I'd like to write about and I have at least two more aliases for Lily and one more for Kitty. As I said, the names I chose aren't random. It's quite easy for Kitty but it's really more difficult for Lily.

I hope to see you soon!

x Lily