(takes place around the time of the fifth and sixth season)

Once a night for weeks, Regina found herself following the ethereal girl. Although the theme of the dream never changed, the setting always did. Sometimes Regina found herself running through a tropical rain forest, and at others she was darting through caverns of ice. The only consistency was that it was always night. As the dreams continued, they also became more vivid. Regina was able to remember little details like the child was barefoot and her stuffed dog had pointy ears.

Regina told no one of her nightly visions, leaving her family and friends to wonder and guess at what was bothering her. Regina found herself obsessing over the girl and why she plagued her dreams. Regina didn't think it was because was in mourning, but she wasn't willing to rule anything out.

Eventually Emma was fed up with Regina for keeping her in the dark. Emma called for a meeting to be held at Granny's and invited Henry and Regina. "Regina as your family when something is bothering you; you need to talk to us…" Emma began.

Regina stopped listening after that, as she was too concerned with her dreams. Regina missed the anxious glance her adopted son sent her.

Suddenly, haunting laughter washed over her. Regina, her panic growing, whirled around in her seat to find the child standing not five feet from her. "How are you here?" Regina demanded, "I thought you were a figment of my imagination that tormented my dreams." Regina's voice trembled and she hated it for that. However, she was far too unnerved to consciously stop it.

The girl beamed up a t Regina, and she saw even in broad daylight, the child's eye was still a luminous gold. "Reality is but an illusion. Are you sure you're not in the land of slumber?" At Regina's confused expression the child gave a throaty chuckle. It chilled Regina to her very core, and she gave an involuntary shiver. The girl's smile only grew.

The child's attention was drawn away from Regina and to the others sitting around the table. "They worry for you, you know," the girl said never once taking her eye off them. "They worry for your safety and…" she snickered slightly, a mischievous glint coming to her eye, "your sanity."

The child approached Henry and stared up at him. Henry, however, paid no attention to the girl who was standing within inches of him. In fact, both of them ignored the child, and instead watched Regina with carefully with expressions ranging from startled to distressed.

"They can't see you, can they?" Regina asked slowly.

"Nor hear me," she replied, "You are the only one I have appeared to."

"Lucky me," Regina muttered to herself.

"Your son is kind-hearted and brave. You've raised him well. I think I'll visit him next," the girl continued.

Regina stood up so fast that her chair clattered to the floor. "Stay away from my son!"

The child visibly flinched, and her mask of happiness was broken if only for a moment. Henry, too, looked utterly stunned. "I'm not evil, you know," the girl said quietly, not meeting Regina's eyes.

"I don't know that, actually," Regina replied, "however, I do know that you are incredibly dangerous."

The child's grin returned in an instant. "Smart lassie," she murmured with a slight accent that Regina thought might be Scottish.

A hand clamped down on Regina's shoulder and she felt like screaming. Only the small part of her mind telling her how undignified that would be stopped her. Regina turned to find Emma's hand on her shoulder and a look of concern on her features. "Who are you speaking to?" Emma asked cautiously.

"The girl who has been commandeering my dreams. She's right-," Regina broke off abruptly. The child had vanished without making a sound. There was nothing to show that she had ever been there at all.