The newly christened Regina followed this dark stranger out of the grand house and what a beautiful house it was. She couldn't believe she'd been living here all her life and she'd been ignorant to all it's beauty. She was also angry that she had been buried in the dirt underneath it all. Like garbage.

Crowley chuckled. It was a gravely sound. Harsh.

"Don't worry my dear, he will suffer. I may have dissolved our contract but he still has a seat with his name on it in hell." Crowley walked in front of her with confidence in his step. His energy still rolled off him in dark waves. She was wary but curious. He didn't look at her like others did. He had this 'I know something you don't know' type of glint in his eyes. A hint of something in his smile that compelled her to trust him.

Who was this man?

Why had he taken an interest in her?

She wasn't dull. She Knew he wanted something from her. .. And what was all this about deals and contracts.

So many questions.

She could only hope that they would be answered.

In front of the house was a shiny black car. She couldn't see the driver. Crowley opened it and gestured for her to get in. For a moment. She contemplated running but something told her she would not get far. Plus, she was curious.

She got in the car and the moment she brushed her hand against the expensive leather, she knew, her life was about to change. Her only wish was that it be for the better.

ಠ_ಠ

She had rode on a plane and loved it.

Crowley had just left her to her own devices at the airport, saying he had his own means of getting around. He'd then winked and disappeared. If she'd thought it was strange to leave a ten year old he'd just met, alone in a public place. She didn't dwell on it.

It was a test. Now that she thought about it. A test to see if she would run. She hadn't, only because he had given her money to spend. She was still a child no matter her upbringing and the airport was the most exotic place she had ever been. So many people. So many smells, sounds and tastes. She had bought chocolate. Something she'd always wanted and now she never wanted to be without it.

It wasn't as overwhelming as one would think it would be to someone like her. She reveled in the chaos around her. Soaked it up like a child that craved attention. The best part? She was invisible.

The people around her rarely ever spared her a glance and if they did it was only ever one of slight concern or curiosity. Gone we're the looks of disgust and fear. She wasn't a monster here among the crowd. She was just another little girl in awe at her first time in an airport.

Riding on the plane was a different matter. She did enjoy it… Somewhat. She learned something about herself at least. She was deathly afraid of heights. He nails had clung to the seat like a cat threatened with a bath. It was unpleasant but the view made it all the better… when she rustled up the courage to look out the window that is.

Now that it was all over and done with she was back in what seemed to be the same car. With the same Mysterious, shadowed driver. They had been driving for a while. Through beautiful mountains and rolling hills of green. The air was clean and sweet and Regina saw no shame in sticking her head out of the window to catch a taste. She had no idea were she was. No matter how much she pestered the driver but wherever this place was, it was magical. She could feel it on the wind. It sang all around her and within her. It hummed throughout her entire being.

Regina loved to read. It was her passion and the only thing her world never denied her. She felt as if she could escape through her books. Battle monsters instead of being one. Travel the world instead of being locked up in that basement.

Live.

Her favorite genre had been fantasy. She especially loved the idea of magic. Oh how she wished it was real. She thought about when Crowley had pulled her towards him in Mr. Baker's office. What had that been? Her life will forever be one full of questions.

Her thoughts ground to a halt at the sound of gravel under the tires. After a while, the gravel soon turned into cobblestone and Regina gasped. It was like the sights before her were pushing all the air from her lungs and filling her with something new and warm. This place made her previous residence look like a shack.

It was a beautiful white stone castle. Crawling vines climbed the walls, covering the stone with multiple colored flowers. It sat on the shore of a beautiful crystal clear lake and it was surrounded by towering pine trees. In front of the structure was a beautiful meadow full of wildflowers. There was even a small brooke that ran through it with a cute little cobbled bridge to cross it.

She was so busy marveling at the sight before her that she didn't even notice Crowley opening her door for her.

"Welcome." She jumped. "To castle MacLeod, Scotland."

"Wow." She wished she could manage something more intelligent but at the moment she was limited to only single syllables.

"Come." Crowley held out his hand and Regina took it. "We have much to discuss."

ಠ_ಠ

They were sipping tea in a cozy little parlor. It was styled in warm tones of green and brown. Regina decided that her favorite color was to be green. To her, it represented life and her new beginning.

"How much do you know." It was Crowley who asked such a question. How was she supposed to answer that? Did he mean in general or about a particular subject? She knew that she didn't know anything at all. Answers have been denied her her whole life. If anything she had a lot more to ask him. Surely, this Crowley had some answers.

"I know that I don't know much." She decided to reply. Crowley grinned a wolfish smile.

"Excellent answer." He set his cup down and sat back in his chair. "I suppose you have a lot of questions then." The look in his eyes made her feel as if he was reading her soul as easily as one might read the newspaper.

Regina thought about all that she wished to know. At the forefront of her mind was the question she'd had her entire life. Why did everyone hate her, but now, in this moment, presented with the opportunity to finally know. she didn't think she wanted too anymore. What if the answer only proved that everyone's hate hadn't been as unfounded as she'd thought? What if she just didn't want to know the answer? So she went with her most recent question.

"Why did you come to 'collect' me, as they said?" She stressed the word collect, like she was an old bet that needed to be settled. Crowley circled the edge of his teacup with his index finger before he answered.

"You are useful." She knew it.

"So what? Am I to be some pawn in a chess game?" She stood up in anger and her tea cup fell from her lap and on to the floor. The sound resonated around the room and her ears rang long after it shattered. Her face flushed at his unimpressed look. Her skin crawled. Oh, she was dead.

But he only shook his head and chuckled. "You misunderstand kitten." He snapped his fingers and her mess disappeared. "You are the most important piece." He looked her right in the eye. Brown to yellow.

"You are the queen."

If he had not just made something disappear with the snap of his fingers, she would have been shocked at what he had just told her. Unfortunately, she was still reeling at what she had just seen.

"How did you do that." Her voice was breathy and barely there but Crowley caught it.

"Magic, my dear."

He eyes shot up from where she had been staring at the spot the tea cup had been and back to Crowley. "Impossible." She uttered. Even if her eyes betrayed the bittersweet hope she held in her heart.

"If you think that's impossible, what if I told you, you are capable of that and much more?" She couldn't even speak. She was in shock and yet her soul soured in happiness. If whatever he wanted was the cost she had to pay in order to learn magic, then she would sign whatever he put in front of her. She said as much.

"What do I have to do." It was obvious, He knew what she meant.

"Oh, nothing much… I just want you to prevent the end of the world." Her jaw fell open but he only waved his hand in dismissal. "But we have plenty of time before we have to worry about that. For now, Just grow strong and perhaps complete a few minor tasks for me. For example," he continued as if he'd not just asked something ridiculously impossible on so many levels.

"There was a mad man that thought himself capable of immortality. He played with black magics so vile, they mutilated his very soul. He was supposedly defeated ten years ago but I know better. I can still feel his evil on this plain, not to mention there is no word of him ever arriving in hell and believe you me. If he died, I would know. He has his own special place in the land of the damned. I would like him dead if it's not to much trouble." He said casually. Like he was ordering coffee at McDonald's and not asking a ten year old to kill someone or saying he knew the comings and goings of hell for that matter.

"There is yet another task I have for you. A little side quest if you will. The boy who is said to have defeated him is around your age and I want you to get close to him. That should not be too difficult a task, as I have arranged for you to attend school with him. Word among the supernatural is that he is important. For whatever reason, death himself has even taken an interest." He paused. "And above all else, grow strong, collect allies and do everything in your power to gain power."

This was… A lot to take in but she listened, she filed it away in her mind for further inspection later. She had another question. Simple but important.

"Where do I start?" She didn't know if she was eager or nervous to hear the answer.

She jumped when Crowley clapped his hands and stood up. "I believe the morning will do just fine. We have a few months to fill your pretty little head with wizarding nonsense before you're good to go." He walked to the doorway and gestured for her to follow.

"In the meantime why don't you go see the room I have prepared for you." He brought Regina to a Staircase that led up to one of the towers the castle held. He made a grand gesture towards a small door at the top of the stairs. It was an old door. Made of sturdy dark wood, with bronze metal swirl like designs on the surface. When she opened it, she wondered if in this new life, She would always be surrounded by such beautiful things.

It was a circular room, with a painted landscape of rocky mountains on every wall. The domed ceiling was a masterpiece of the night sky, where the stars really seemed to shine. The colors were dark blue, cream and bronze. There was a bed, a floor length mirror, a nightstand and a desk. Also, there was a comfy looking chair she couldn't wait to curl up and read in. Across from the door was a circular window that displayed the forest outside. If anything she had seen truly held magic. It was this room. 1*

She then realised that she had not anything to put away. Or even sleep in. Although, if the dress she was wearing was comfortable enough for a plane ride. It was comfortable enough to dream in. As she settled herself under the cream gold blankets, she wondered what great adventure she had seemed to just fall into today.

She turned to give Crowley a thank you but he was gone.

ಠ_ಠ

The best alarm clock in the world was not made by man. No, it was the sun and the birds working in union to remind the world when it was time to start the day.

Regina wished she could tell them to shove off.

She never wanted to leave her bed. For once her mind was at peace all throughout the night. Not a whisper of the nightmares that plagued her as long as she could remember. She wanted nothing more than her bed to swallow her but alas, She had shit to do. She rose from her bed like a zombie from the grave. As the fog cleared from her mind, she took in the sight of her room bathed in the glow of morning instead of that of the night.

The first thing she noticed was one of two new additions to her bedroom. On her nightstand to her right was a plate of ginger biscuits decorated with white icing and a glass of milk. She took one and ate it. The other was a dress, laid out upon her chair.

It was, dare she say it, more lovely than the one she currently wore. It was most beautiful in its unusualness. She had never seen one like it. It was made of dark silver velvet, with a light silver belt. Metal, silver charms hung from it. A moon and two stars. It was floor length and as she put it on. She ran her hands over the soft velvet. The sleeves were almost as long as the dress itself and made of a chiffon like material. She imagined it would billow beautifully when she walked. As she admired herself in the mirror, she heard a soft pop next to her.

"Does mistress like her dress." If Regina hadn't mentally prepared herself for further surprises, she would have jumped.

Occupying the space that was, up until very recently, empty. Was a small, grey creature that stood about as tall as her knees. It had big ears that matched its big brown eyes. Such a strange little thing.

Regina thought it was adorable.

She crouched down to meet their eyes. Her dress pooling around her feet. "I do. To whom do I owe the pleasure?" She decided that if she was to dress like a princess, she was going to speak like one to the best of her ability.

The creature's cheeks turned a darker grey. The redhead took that to mean they were blushing. "I be Tipsy mistress." They did a cute little curtsy, using what looked to be a pillowcase as one would a dress. "I am miss Regina's personal house elf."

A house elf huh. Looks like she had yet another question for Crowley. "How wonderful." She said with genuine glee.

"Master wishes you to join him for breakfast miss." The apparent house elf grasped her hand and led her to an elegant dining room. It was filled with sunlight from the massive bay window. Crowley sat at the head of the table.

He acknowledged her with a nod and flicked his finger, causeing a chair to be pulled out next to him. After she sat down. He laced his finger together and gave her an evaluating look.

"Unfortunately, I will be unavailable most of the time. I cannot be away from my... job for very long without suspicion. In regards to your education. I take it you know how to read." Regina grinned and nodded.

"Excellent. There is an extensive library here in the castle and after breakfast Tipsy will lead you to it. I have also taken the liberty to hire you a sort of governess. She will be arriving later this afternoon." He took a breath. "Now there is only a matter of your backstory. Your name is Regina MacLeod and you are the daughter of Diana Baker and Fergus MacLeod." He said that last name with distaste but the woman's name was almost said with fondness. Regina vaguely wondered if that was her real mother's name and if Crowley might have known her.

" You will never call me Crowley in front of others only… Father or sir." He paused. " Is that clear."

"Yes sir." she replied. She wasn't comfortable calling him father but she had enough respect for him to address him as sir. That's a lot more than she could say about anybody else.

"If anybody asked where the MacLeod's have been all this time. You only have to reply with America. Your accent says that much." Regina wondered why anyone would want to know but before she could ask she noticed that he had touched none of his food and yet another question came to mind. One that she'd had for a while now.

"What are you sir." He was about as human as she was. She could feel it. She'd always known that she was a little bit more than everyone else. She could sense that he was something else entirely.

Crowley grinned devilishly. "I was wondering when you would ask." He then took a knife from the table.

And slit his own throat.

0o0o0

A/N: Thanks for reading. Leave a like and subscribe and hit that notification bell. Wait? This isn't youtube. Whoops. Well it would be swell if you did the fanfiction equivalent. I enjoy reviews. They're delicious. Also, as you can probable tell, I need a beta. If you are a beta and are interested in being mine. I would really appreciate it. Also, I wanted to ask if anyone would be interested in Crowley's perspective.

1: Her bedroom is inspired by the moon princesses room in the movie the secrets of moonacre. If you want to see it, just look up. The bedroom from moonacre and you should be able to find it.

This is my second time posting this chapter because, for some reason, some of the words were just missing the first time.