Once Upon a Time Fanfiction

The Decision between Two Worlds

Chapter One: Gerda's Doppelganger

Into StoryBrooke

Regina looked down at the sidewalk, her hands balled up into fists, which swung at her sides. Back and forth, back and forth. She didn't know what to say, what to do. Her niece was in danger, and she didn't know if she could protect her. Could things possibly get any worse?

"We have to talk to Zelena." Mary Margaret stated, making Regina look up. Well, that certainly could make things worse.

"Are you out of your mind?" Regina asked, aghast. "Zelena could be no possible help to this situation! She abandoned Gerda as a baby, what could she help us with?"

Mary Margaret stepped back, and sighed. "I don't honestly know, but no matter what the circumstances, Zelena is still Gerda's mother. And since Michael isn't around, who could we possibly turn to?"

Regina looked to the sky, as if expecting an answer. A large white star was seen in the dark sky, and suddenly an idea came to her.

"We'll ask someone who has been where Michael is." Regina turned back to Mary Margaret, and smiled.

"We need to talk to the Good Witch of the North."

Glinda wasn't a bad person, and Regina knew that. But she was still uncomfortable that Glinda was willing to kidnap Gerda and take her to Oz without bothering to tell anyone. Still, Regina would have felt really bad putting the witch behind bars, because she was, in fact, just trying to help. So she stayed with the Blue Fairy to help at the orphanage. She was better off there than in the Sheriff's office.

Regina wrapped her coat more tightly around her chest, feeling the chilly autumn air hit her. It was mid- September, so the weather matched the month. It also matched her mood, cold and hollow. As the wind blew through Regina's dark hair, she sighed. She felt emptier inside now then she ever had. Gerda was in danger, Robin was going to be having a baby with her evil sister, and Emma…

Regina sighed again. She never admitted this to anyone, but she was always glad she could rely on Emma. She was the Saviour, and Emma always could help Regina solve any difficulty that came into StoryBrooke. But now she was the Dark One, leaving Regina on her own to fend off any evil that came into her town.

Wiping something away from her eye that wasn't a tear, Regina walked up the hard stone steps that lead into the orphanage, letting herself in. Children of all ages were running around the entrance way, playing tag, or hide and seek. They giggled and yelled, acting like regular children. Regina wondered how they were all so happy, not having any family to truly call their own.

Having asked one of the older children where Glinda was, Regina headed into one of the main eating rooms, seeing Glinda reading with some of the infants that lived in the orphanage. She felt her heart tighten at the sight of the small babies who didn't have a mom or dad of their own. She looked at the two little babies who sat on Glinda's lap. The boy was paying very close attention to the book Glinda was reading to them, his brown hair slightly hiding his dark brown eyes. Regina thought he looked just like Henry when he was a baby. He even acted like Henry did, who was always so observant of everything around him. And the little girl on Glinda's other knee…

"Gerda." Regina admitted. The little one did look a lot like her niece. She had straight red hair that shone a little when the light touched her small head, and her blue eyes reminded Regina of the ocean that surrounded her castle when she was queen.

"Alright children, time for lunch." Glinda announced. She put the book on a nearby table and had the little boy who was sitting on her lap stand up on his own. He took off full tilt, falling as he went past Regina. She knelt down to help him up, but he was already up and out the door. Just like Henry, who always preferred to be independent.

"Madam Mayor, what a surprise." Regina turned around back to Glinda, who had the baby girl hiked up on her hip. The little girl gave Regina a shy smile, then buried her face into Glinda's shoulder.

"Hello Glinda. I came here to ask you a few questions. About Michael. You see, we need to –" Regina had started to explain about Emma, when the baby girl started crying.

"Oh, let me go get your bottle. Regina, can you hold her for a minute?" Before Regina could say no, Glinda practically pushed the little girl into her arms, and ran off to get her bottle.

Regina held the child awkwardly at first, not sure what to do. She looked down at the little girl, who had stopped crying and curiously looked at Regina. Feeling more comfortable, Regina held the girl at her side, allowing the little girl to play and nibble on her dark hair. Sitting on a nearby chair, Regina bounced the girl slightly on her knee, smiling and laughing along with the baby. The little girl looked at Regina in such a way, Regina paused and stopped giggling. She merely stared into the baby's eyes, smiling.

"She does look a lot like Gerda, doesn't she?" Regina craned her neck, seeing Glinda come forward. Glinda pulled up another chair and passed the baby her bottle. The little girl took the bottle and began sucking down the milk.

"This little girl is named Eliza." Glinda introduced, watching with a shy smile as Regina burped Eliza. "Now, what did you want to ask me Regina?"

"Hmm? Oh yes, my question." Regina was so focused on baby Eliza she had forgotten about Gerda.

"Glinda, I'm afraid something bad might happen to Gerda if we do not get her to her father." Regina retold the story of how Emma came into her office and threatened Gerda, and how she would have Gerda firmly on her side or she would destroy her.

"Why does she want my niece? What has Gerda done to her?" Regina questioned, positioning Eliza on her knee a little more comfortably. Eliza was starting to nod off, leaning against Regina. Regina sighed, bringing Eliza in close. She just loved this little girl.

Glinda grabbed Regina's hand, and sighed. "Regina, Emma is now the Dark One. She is filled with evil and dark power. She wants to possess what she doesn't have. And she doesn't have light magic, which Gerda has."

"So, she wants Gerda's light magic? Why? I thought she was now evil." Regina questioned.

"Yes, she is, but sometimes, in order to get what she wants, she may need light magic, to do certain spells or…" Glinda stopped, her expression scared.

"Glinda. What's wrong?" Regina demanded, trying to snap Glinda out of her expression. But nothing worked. Regina put Eliza down, starting to shake the witch. "Snap out of it!" Regina demanded, but nothing worked.

"Blue! Blue something's wrong with Glinda!"

Henry waited on the wooden pier, looking at the Jolly Roger. He sighed, wishing he could escape onto the boat and travel onto the sea, just like his father did with Captain Hook in Neverland. Thinking of his father made Henry's throat tighten. He just wanted him back.

Wiping away a tear that had trickled down his face, Henry could hear footsteps coming close to where he stood placid on the pier. Looking behind him, he smiled. His grandfather, David Nolan, was coming towards him, his sheriff's badge attached to his belt, right above where his sword hung in its sheath. He carried two hot cocoas, with cinnamon Henry assumed.

"Morning Henry. How is everything with your mother?" David asked, handing Henry his hot cocoa and ruffling his hair. Henry grinned, painfully reminding David of Emma. He cleared his throat and took the silent moment to look out onto the sea.

"Mom's okay. She seems really worried though. She headed out early this morning, though I don't know where she went. How's Grandma?" Henry took a sip of his cocoa, which was still scalding hot. He could feel his throat burn as he took a long sip, not caring about the tears that welled in his eyes.

"She's not the greatest. Hearing about Emma being back in town as the Dark One made her worried." David admitted, sitting down on a nearby bench. Henry joined him.

"So it's true, isn't it? My mom's really back?" Henry questioned. It had been weeks since he had seen his mother, although if what his grandmother said was true, he wasn't sure he was ready to see his mom quite yet. Could he handle his mother being the Dark One?

"Yes, but she isn't her old self I'm afraid." David stated. He could imagine his daughter, who was once so light and beautiful, become evil and sinister, with a heart as dark as coal. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the thought.

Henry looked at the ground, clenching his fist that wasn't holding his cocoa. "We have to do something. We cannot just sit by and let her grow in the darkness."

David smiled at his grandson, who was so brave and bold, willing to take whatever risks necessary in order to save his family. He was a Charming through and through. But not just a Charming. He was also just like Neal, who would do anything to save Emma if he were still alive.

"Henry, we will do everything we can for Emma." David stated firmly, but that wasn't enough for Henry. He knew he could do something, and he also knew that Regina and Mary Margaret were hiding something from him. Something that had to do with Gerda.

"Does my mom want anything with Gerda?" Henry asked, looking at his grandfather. David shrugged, sighing. "Not sure. What could Emma need Gerda for?" David looked out to the other boats on the pier, waving at some of the dwarves who were fishing.

Henry looked back at the ground, then off in to the distance, past the Jolly Roger. What could Emma want with his cousin?