Chapter 2: Questions

The giddy feeling of Henry's birthday party still lingered in the house, but it was beginning to be drowned by the impending confusion and anxiety that was written over everybody's face. As Regina watched David place the girl upon her couch, and Mary Margaret scuttle to find her a blanket to keep her warm. The girl was beginning to come around, her eyelids fluttering as a disturbed expression remained plastered onto her face.

"I'm sure we could wake her using magic-" Regina began, but was cut off by Emma's skeptical look. For a moment the former queen was thrown off, because not only did she see doubt; she saw something else. Regret.

She made a mental note to talk about it with her later, but for now, her attention was focused on the girl on her couch, who was now fully awake. She heard the front door lock, and turned her head for a moment to see her son enter. Regina gave him a nod, and cleared some space for him to stand.

"Perhaps we shouldn't crowd around her like that," Mary Margaret said softly. "It might come off a little… threatening." Regina used every effort she could to not roll her eyes. Even though she had come to tolerate Snow, there were still moments that the other woman got on her nerves.

Apparently, however, Emma too seemed to agree. "She's right." She put her hands on her hips, and stepped back. "If we want any answers from her, we're going to have to be delicate." Her facial expression remained serious as her eyes went from the girl, who was sitting on the sofa with wide eyes, to the rest of the people in the room.

"Alright love, let's go then." Killian whirled around on his heel and began walking towards the kitchen.

"Go?" Regina cocked her head, watching as Emma followed the captain silently.

"If we want a 'delicate conversation,' as Emma here puts it, it's best we leave it to these three, isn't it?" Hook raised an eyebrow, and his tone indicated the same arrogance that surrounded him everywhere he went. It's a wonder Emma puts up with him, Regina marveled, as she too walked into her kitchen. Henry followed her, and took a seat on the table.

"Isn't this exciting?" He asked, his eyes sparkling. Emma took a seat across from him, a wary expression on her face.

"Well, exciting is one way to put it." Her voice sounded strained.

"Henry, why don't you and Hook here work on making some hot chocolate for our guest?" Regina asked. Her son looked up at her, confused, before shrugging his shoulders and walking over to the stove area. Killian, on the other hand, hung around.

"Is there something super secret you two are going to talk about that we can't possibly hear?" He teased, making both the women look up at him with annoyed expressions. Upon seeing their faces, he threw his hands up in mock surrender and chuckled, "Okay, okay, I get it. I'll work on the drinks."

"So, what is it?" Emma asked, her elbows on the table. "Do you recognize the girl?" She paused for a second, before adding, "Or know how to get rid of her?"

Regina sighed, her eyes darting past Emma's and focusing on the painting behind her. "Is that what this is all about?" She tried not to sound exasperated as she asked the question.

"What what is about?" Emma sounded as though she was trying to come off as confused.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. All of this- suspicion. This weariness. And for what? She's just a girl, for goodness sake, and you're the savior. You have nothing to fear." When she looked into Emma's eyes, she didn't see all the regret gone, as she had expected to. Instead, she saw it multiply.

"Maybe not with her." Emma's jaw squared, as she sighed and stared down at her hands. "But you saw the state she was in. Something tells me she didn't do that to herself, and whatever- whoever- did that to her… They're still out there." Regina remained quiet, allowing her to continue. "And I can't help but feel a bit sorry. You know, our life here before she came was perfect. I mean sure, there were obstacles, but those were small things you would expect in this land. It seemed like everybody was getting along. There were no dangerous monsters to slay, or- or evil hags to take down. You know, for once, I felt like we were finally settling in, and that I was finally safe to live out my life like a normal human being." By now, Emma was standing up, her hands flourishing to describe her frustration.

Regina, on the other hand, sat cross-legged, the embodiment of calm and poise. "Are you finally finished with your little drama show, Swan?" She sounded as sarcastic as she looked sincere. Emma sighed, her posture relaxing.

"Yeah." She took another deep breath before adding, "I suppose we were never normal to begin with. I'm going to go see how Henry and Hook are coming along." Regina got up too, and, as the two walked towards the stove, she said softly,

"You're the savior, Emma. That was no accident." Emma simply nodded, wondering how Mary Margaret, David, and Robin were getting along with their interrogation. As far as she was concerned, the faster this girl exited their lives, the faster they would go back to living the way they used to.

Enchanted Kingdom; Past

"Faster, Daddy, faster!" The little girl cried, as her father spun her around on her shoulders. "Higher!" Her small arms reached for the clouds that dotted the baby blue sky above them.

"Your highness!" A voice caused both father and daughter to snap out of their laughter. As he slid her off his shoulders, her father turned to look at the page who had come up to them.

"What is it, Gerald?" He asked, his hand on his daughter's shoulder.

Gerald cleared his throat, before saying quietly, "You may want to come see this yourself, Prince Joseph." His eyes darted nervously to the little girl by his side. "And perhaps it would be better if the young princess were to stay here."

Prince Joseph looked confused, but knelt down on one knee and said, quietly, "My darling, I must go attend to some matters. You stay right here, alright? I'll be back before you know it."

The girl smiled, and watched her father walk away. Prince Joseph looked back and saw his daughter waving, and he couldn't help but notice how much like her mother she was beginning to look; bright blue eyes, blonde curls, and all.

Storybrooke, Maine; Present Day

"I- I'm sorry, I don't know how to help you." The girl shook her head. She was still trembling nervously. Mary Margaret gently took one of her cold hands in two of her own warm ones, and said softly,

"You don't have to. We're trying to help you. Please, anything about yourself: your name, where you're from, how old you are… anything." Her voice was calming, and for a second the girl stopped shaking altogether.

Then she resumed, but she did purse her lips and begin to say something quietly.

"Please speak up." Robin, who was sitting along with David on the sofa opposite, stretched his legs, eyes on her.

"Alright…" Her voice sounded louder as she continued, "You can call me A- Lucy is fine. I- I think I'm around sixteen years old." She paused for a second, before explaining: "It's been a while, and it's hard to tell."

The three nodded as if they understood, when in reality they hadn't the slightest what she was talking about. She continued, seeming to have gained some sense of security. "I'm from… a lot of places. I was in Belgium at a private boarding school before-" Suddenly she couldn't speak any more. Her lips refused to move, and her shoulders tensed up. It was almost as if somebody had put an invisible gag on her.

"Before?" David stood up and walked over to Mary Margaret and Clara, placing his hands on his wife's shoulders reassuringly.

She merely shook her head. "I cannot say," She managed to whisper.

David exchanged a look with his wife, and her expression was one he managed to read. As he was, Mary Margaret was wondering if magic was at play here. And worse: that if it was, who could have conjured it.

The girl paled again, and her eyes began to lose their focus. "Stay with us," Mary Margaret pleaded, gently squeezing her wrists. She looked at Mary Margaret for a second before her eyes closed, and she fell back on the couch.

All three of them tried to suppress their disappointment. "Just give her time," Snow tried to sound optimistic, but even she couldn't hide the fact that they had gotten nowhere with this girl.

"I'll go tell the others she's out again." Robin nodded, and headed towards the kitchen. He came upon Henry giving Hook a lesson on how to make the best hot chocolate, and Hook trying to eat an entire spoonful of cinnamon without gagging.

"Robin!" He cried, his face lighting up as the other man walked in. In front of him was the spoon, a heapful of cinnamon present. "Look at this! It's called the cinnamon challenge, or something!"

Robin's facial expression was unamused. "I tried to warn him-" Henry began, but he cut him off with a hand gesture.

"Killian, put the cinnamon down." He then turned to Emma and Regina, who were conversing at the kitchen island table. "I've come to tell you that our first questioning session wasn't exactly a success."

"She won't talk?" Emma asked, immediately standing up.

"Not- not exactly." Robin began, but was cut off by David, who ran into the room with a sense of urgency.

"What is it?" Henry asked, putting down the mugs in his hand. David glanced quickly at Regina before saying, very quietly,

"It's her. She spoke."

"She's awake?" Robin sounded genuinely confused as he passed David, making his way into the living room. The prince merely shook his head.

They got to the couch, and could see that she was still unconscious. Her body was entirely still, except for her mouth. She appeared to be talking. "She… she's coming back." The girl spoke as if she was in a trance.

"Who?" Regina asked, noting the fact that whoever it was could probably use magic, after what she had done to this girl. When she didn't reply, the queen raised her voice and asked again. "Who?!"

"Cora." Was the almost-silent reply. "Your mother missed you, Regina.

A/N: Thank you for reading! If you could write a quick review, that would be absolutely fabulous. Chapter 3 should be up soon!