Disclaimer: Nothing you recognize belongs to me.

A/N: Wow, thank you so much for the fantastic response to the first chapter! I am so glad that so many people thought this story was worth continuing. A special thank you to those of you who submitted reviews. While I love knowing that people are reading this story because they follow or favorite it, I especially appreciate my reviewers because I love knowing what people think of my story. So to all of you reading along, please consider submitting a review!

Many thanks also to my favorite beta Melissa for all her helpful plot advice and skillz.

It became a yearly tradition.

Every year, without fail, the lights would appear. They floated up from the valley, first two, and then a hundred more. Regina watched them from the other side of the castle, first with a baby Emma in her arms, and then with a toddler by her side. The lights always came on the same day.

She always feared that the lanterns would be accompanied by an ambush, but none ever came. It seemed that no matter how difficult she made life for Snow White and her prince, they would never resort to violence unless attacked first. There were no attempts to retake the castle, no veiled threats. Regina still kept a hundred men at her disposal, although they had nothing to do but guard the impenetrable castle walls. Except for the lights, Regina never heard from Snow and Charming.

The lights would have been a mere nuisance, except for one problem. Emma was older now, and for the first time, she was aware of the lights. They'd appeared last night, and Emma had been mesmerized by them. Regina had done her best to brush off her questions, but she could tell Emma's curiosity was piqued. She knew she would need to find a more permanent solution.

The creak of the floorboard suddenly caught her attention, interrupting her thoughts.

"Emma?"

Four-year-old Emma froze in her tracks, a guilty expression on her face. "Hi, Mommy," she said sheepishly.

"What are you doing?" Regina asked as she stood up from her chair and walked over to the little girl. Regina still couldn't get over how very small and vulnerable she was, especially now as she stared up at Regina with wide eyes.

"I – I just wanted to…" Emma mumbled, looking down at her feet.

"Speak up," Regina reminded her.

Emma met her eyes. "I just wanted to see the lights."

Regina stared at her. Part of her wanted to shake the little girl, to force her to be obedient, to deter her from ever asking questions. From ever learning the truth.

But the other part of her, the part that actually enjoyed being a mother, compelled her to smile. "You mean the stars," she said. "Come on. Let's go see them."

Emma looked overjoyed as Regina took her hand and led her outside. Thankfully, the night sky was clear and several constellations were visible. "See?" Regina said, pointing up. "There are the lights."

"No," Emma said at once, shaking her head. "Those aren't the lights, Mommy!" She giggled as though she found Regina silly. "I want to see the big lights. The floating lights. Like last night."

Regina inhaled sharply. She led Emma back inside to buy herself some time to come up with a suitable answer. She sat back down on the chair and pulled Emma into her lap.

"What's wrong, Mommy?" Emma asked, chewing on her lip. "What's wrong with the lights?"

"Emma," Regina began. "The lights we saw last night are very special. They only appear once a year."

Emma's face fell. "Why?"

"I don't know why," Regina lied. "But I know that's how it is. You'll see them again next year."

A tiny smile crossed Emma's face. "Really?"

"Really," Regina said.

"Promise?"

Regina smiled. "I promise."

Emma sighed and rested her head on Regina's shoulder, closing her eyes. Regina rubbed Emma's back, marveling again at how fragile she was.

"I love you, Emma," Regina murmured.

"I love you more."

"And I love you most."

"Rumpelstiltskin!"

He gave a theatrical jump and opened his eyes, peering up at Regina through the bars of his cage. He stood up and brushed the dirt from his clothes. "Your Majesty," he said, his lips curling into a smile. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"There is a problem."

His smile widened. "A problem?"

"Yes, a problem," Regina said impatiently. "The girl. She's becoming a problem."

"What girl?"

Regina gave a soft, angry growl. "You know what girl."

"Perhaps," he said. "But I like to be reminded in any case. Just to make sure we're on the same page."

"Emma."

He cocked his head. "Who's Emma?"

"You know who Emma is!" Regina snapped. "It's her daughter."

"'Her' daughter?" he repeated. "You mean Snow White's daughter? But she's dead, isn't she? Died years ago."

"Do not play games with me, Rumpelstiltskin," Regina hissed. "I know you know who I'm talking about. I didn't do anything to your memories."

"Didn't you?" Rumpelstiltskin taunted her, a wicked grin crossing his face. "Can't be so sure about that, dearie. True love's a magic you never quite understood."

He loved riling her up, seeing her fill with rage. It brought excitement to his days of monotony, wasting away in the terrible dungeon cell. His magic had only been paralyzed before, but now it was completely gone. Regina's latest curse had seen to that. He took little solace in the fact that she didn't have magic either, because as long as she had Emma, she had access to magic.

"She noticed I was missing," Regina said. "She was awake when I came back this morning."

"Four-year-olds are quite inquisitive, aren't they?" Rumpelstiltskin chuckled. "I hardly see the problem, dearie. You know what to do. Just control her."

"I can't control her," Regina said. "I don't have any magic."

"She's magic," Rumpelstiltskin pointed out. "Use her magic to subdue her. Isn't that what you're doing to her family?"

Regina huffed. "I thought you didn't remember anything."

He shrugged. "I lied. You should try it sometime. Four-year-olds, you know. They'll believe anything."

"She didn't believe me when I told her I was there the entire night."

Rumpelstiltskin raised his eyebrows. "I don't remember you needing this much help from me before, dearie. You used to be better than this. Have you grown soft on me?"

"Never," Regina said.

"Then just subdue her," he suggested. "Take her heart and lock it away in that vault of yours. Then you can control her. Make her do whatever you want."

"No." Regina shook her head. "I can't do that."

Rumpelstiltskin smiled. "You have grown soft."

"You know why I can't take her heart, you idiot," Regina snapped, anger resurging. "Because even if I had her heart, I couldn't make her love me. And she needs to love me for this curse to work."

"And she loves you now?"

"The curse is obviously still intact."

"Then find a way to make her love you more."

Regina's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I expect you'll figure that out soon, dearie." Rumpelstiltskin made to turn away, but then stopped, meeting Regina's eyes once again. "Just remember: every child wants a hero."

"Mommy?"

Regina smiled as she tousled Emma's curls. "Yes, my dear?"

"Are you sure there won't be floating lights tonight?"

Regina sighed and sat down on Emma's bed. "We've talked about this, Emma. Those lights are special. They only come once a year."

"I know," Emma said. "But I just thought maybe this year they'd come more than once."

"No, Emma," Regina said. "They're like birthdays; they just come once a year, every year."

Emma looked crestfallen as she laid back against her pillows. "Okay," she said quietly. "But if you see them, will you wake me up?"

"Of course," Regina replied as she kissed Emma's forehead. She turned out the light and was about to stand when Emma's voice stopped her.

"Mommy?"

"Emma?"

"Are you going out again tonight?"

Regina turned the light back on. Emma was looking at her hopefully, although Regina wasn't sure what answer she was wanting to hear.

"I don't know," Regina answered finally. "I haven't decided."

"But why do you have to go out at night?" Emma wanted to know. "Why can't you go during the day?"

"Because you'd miss me if I left during the day," Regina replied.

"But I miss you at night, too," Emma whispered.

Every child wants a hero.

Rumpelstiltskin's words echoed in her head as she stared at Emma's face. She was so young, so impressionable. Regina could tell her anything and it would stick.

"Come here," Regina said, patting her lap. Emma crawled out of bed and onto Regina's lap.

"I wanted to keep this from you as long as possible," Regina began, running her hand through Emma's hair. "There are so many bad people out there. People who would do anything to hurt you."

"Like who?"

"Like the Evil Queen," Regina said. "She's the one who controls the castle. She rules very harshly and she makes everyone's lives very difficult. She's the reason we live here, in the cottage, as far away from the village as possible. The world is a very dangerous place because she's ruling it."

"Why is she evil?" Emma asked. "Why can't she be good?"

"I don't know, Emma," Regina said. "Some people are just born evil."

"Does she kill people?" Emma asked, her lower lip trembling.

Regina hesitated. "Sometimes."

She saw tears leaking from the corners of Emma's eyes. "I don't want you to leave, Mommy," Emma whispered. She clung to Regina harder, burying her face in her neck. "Don't leave, please don't leave! I don't want her to kill you!"

Emma's tears momentarily stunned Regina. She was used to Emma crying; she had cried as a baby, and as a toddler when she got hurt. But she had never seen Emma cry over her before. The little girl was more attached to her than she'd thought. This attachment gave her power.

"Emma, Emma," Regina said soothingly. "Don't cry, Emma. She's not going to kill me."

Emma looked up with tearstained cheeks. "She won't?"

"No," Regina assured her, as she brushed tears from Emma's face. "She has to be very careful about what she does because she knows that she's unloved. A lot of people are against her," Regina clarified in response to Emma's confused expression. "They want to take the castle away from her and make her pay for her crimes."

"Do you?" Emma asked.

"Do I what?"

"Do you want to take the castle away from her?"

Regina smiled. "Yes. And that's where I go at night. To help the people trying to get rid of the Evil Queen."

Emma's eyes widened. "Really?"

Regina nodded. "Yes. Because as long as she's in power, you will never be safe. But I won't go tonight," Regina promised, hugging Emma close to her. "They can work without me for one night."

"You're very brave," Emma whispered. "I hope someday I can be brave like you."

"You will be." Regina shifted so that Emma was lying on the bed again, and then covered her with the quilt. "Someday."

Regina turned out the light and was halfway to the door when Emma's voice stopped her yet again. "Mommy?"

"Emma?"

"What was her name?" Emma wanted to know. "The Evil Queen. What was she called before that?"

Regina didn't hesitate before replying, "Snow White."

Snow watched as the sun dipped below the hills, casting long shadows over the valley. She pulled another arrow out of her quiver, hoping to make one last kill before nightfall, but she couldn't see any movement in the trees. She thought about venturing deeper into the forest, but then decided against it. They had enough food for the evening, and at any rate, she didn't want to be late.

Snow gathered the game she had killed and threw it over her shoulder. The past years she'd spent in the forest were not, on the whole, that different from the years she'd spent in the forest after her father's death. She found that her hunting skills came back naturally. And at least this time, she wasn't alone. The camp Charming had begun to build right after the siege was flourishing; nearly everyone who had survived Regina's takeover of the castle now lived there.

At the same time, Snow's heart was much heavier than it had been all those years ago. Because now she knew what it was like to lose a child, and she was reminded of that loss every day. Her attempts to have another child had been unsuccessful, and after the third miscarriage, Snow had given up for good. She wondered if the magical properties from the water of Lake Nostos had somehow worn off, and she'd again become infertile, or if she was just extremely unlucky. As much as she wanted a child, sometimes she was secretly glad she couldn't have another one. She was worried it would feel too much like replacing Emma.

"There you are," Charming said as Snow reached their tent and deposited the three hares she had caught at his feet. "I was starting to get worried."

Snow smiled and kissed him. "No need to worry," she said lightly. "Red come back yet?"

"Yes," Charming replied as he put the hares over the fire. "She's lighting the lanterns now."

What had started as a simple tradition had grown into a full-blown ritual. The entire camp would gather and eat by the light of the lanterns before sending the lights into the sky. Snow had also noticed that the number of lanterns grew larger each year as more and more people joined them. Judging by the number of people in the camp now, it seemed that everyone in the entire valley who opposed Regina had turned up to launch a lantern.

There was never any response from Regina, not that she expected one. Snow knew there were more direct courses of action, but none of them seemed worth taking. Yet, anyway. She hadn't given up hope of retaking her castle one day, and knew Charming hadn't either.

Snow eyed the glowing lanterns around the camp. On this day, she was surrounded by light, but her heart was still heavy. Her world was still dark. She caught Charming's eye and she knew he was thinking the same thing.

Emma would have been nine today.

The question came again one night, late, after Regina had tucked her into bed.

"Mother?"

She'd grown up in the blink of an eye. Somehow the toddler had become a teenager, and Mommy had become Mother. It didn't feel like twelve years, but every now and then, she'd look at Emma and remember that it had been.

"Yes?"

"Will you take me to see the floating lights this year?"

Regina stared at her. "The what?" she asked, playing for time.

"The floating lights," Emma repeated, sitting up and pointing out the window. "The special lights that come once a year."

"Oh." Regina frowned. "How do you know when they're coming?"

"I've been keeping track!" Emma said proudly. She pulled out a pad of paper from under her pillow and showed it to Regina. The page was covered in tally marks. "It's been three hundred and sixty-four days since we last saw the lights."

Regina's eyes widened. "How did you learn to count so high?"

"I'm twelve, Mother. I'm not a baby anymore. I know how to count," Emma said indignantly.

"Right," Regina said. "Of course you do."

"So…?" Emma looked at her expectantly.

Regina hesitated at the hopeful expression on Emma's face. She knew that her answer would crush her, but she also knew it couldn't be helped. She smoothed the covers on Emma's bed. "Emma, you know why you can't go outside."

"Because it's dangerous," Emma supplied.

"Yes," Regina said. "Because it's dangerous. There are people out there who want to do bad things to little girls like you."

"But I'm not a little girl anymore," Emma pointed out. "I'm twelve years old! I can take care of myself."

"I know," Regina said. "But I'm doing this to keep you safe. I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you."

Emma huffed in annoyance. "You worry too much."

"I worry too much?" Regina repeated. "Emma, you cannot underestimate the Evil Queen. She doesn't care how old you are. Just last week, she massacred an entire village."

Emma's face paled. "She what?"

"She killed an entire village," Regina said. "Over two hundred people. Including children." It wasn't a complete lie, seeing as the village had only been fifty people.

"Okay," Emma said quietly, looking down at her hands. "You're right, I'm sorry."

Regina sighed. "I'm sorry, too. I'm trying to make the world safer for you. Someday you will be able to leave. Good will win."

"But until then, I stay here?"

"Yes," Regina said. She paused, and then added, "I'm sorry that I can't take you to see the floating lights. But we can watch the floating lights together from the window. Like we did last year."

"Like we do every year," Emma mumbled, a hint of bitterness in her voice. Regina chose to ignore it as she reached over to turn off the light.

"Mother?"

"Emma?"

"Will you take me next year? When I'm older?"

Regina turned off the light so that Emma couldn't see the frown that crossed her face. "We'll see," she said finally. She walked to the door and then stopped. "I love you," she reminded her.

"I love you more."

"And I love you most."

"We have a problem."

Rumpelstiltskin merely blinked. "If there is a problem, you are the only one with a problem, dearie. There stopped being a we over a decade ago, when you decided to keep me here in this cell."

Regina smirked. "Bitter, are we?"

He didn't respond, but considered her aggravated expression. He could guess what the problem was. "You know I never raised a child past the age of twelve," Rumpelstiltskin said softly. "So I don't have much advice in that area."

"She wants to leave," Regina said. "She wants to see the world."

He shrugged. "So let her."

"No!" Regina exclaimed. "She can't leave – if she gets out, if she learns the truth-"

"So control the circumstances, dearie."

Regina gaped at him. "What?"

"As I said before, every child wants a hero."

The dead leaves and branches jabbed into his stomach as he laid down at the top of the hill. From his position, he could just make out the road below. He hadn't been told any details about this mission, just that it was on orders from the queen. And young as he was, a fresh recruit at twenty-one, he knew enough to know that no one disobeyed orders from the queen.

"Hey," the soldier next to him hissed. "What's your name?"

"Just call me the Huntsman."

"Huntsman, eh?" the soldier said. "I guess you can call me the Butcher." He laughed. "Listen, Huntsman. Can you explain something to me?"

"What?" he whispered back, carefully watching the road. He didn't want to miss the targets.

"They told us we're aiming to injure, not kill. And there'll be two of them. We're supposed to go for the smaller one."

"They're coming!" someone else shouted.

"Any idea what that means?"

"Arrows at the ready!"

There was no time to reply. He quietly drew an arrow from his quiver as his comrade did the same. Two figures had appeared on the road, both cloaked and on foot. The taller one raised the lantern and he saw her face. Suddenly the orders made more sense. He nearly dropped his bow in surprise.

"Fire!"

The arrows came out of nowhere, just as she'd hoped they would.

"Duck!" Regina shouted, throwing her lantern aside and shoving Emma to the ground. She could feel Emma's entire body trembling as she covered it with her own. She heard the swoosh of arrows as they rained down from above and landed in the dirt road. So far none of them had hit her. She trusted her men to do this right.

Emma's screams pierced the night as one of the arrows hit its mark in her thigh. Regina quickly covered her mouth.

"I'm right here, I'll protect you," she whispered. "Just stay quiet. Play dead. They'll leave if they think they've got us."

She felt Emma's lips moving beneath her hand as she shook with silent cries. After another minute, the thundering of footsteps could be heard as the men ran off. Regina slowly exhaled and rolled off of Emma. She retrieved the lantern and raised it to see that Emma's leg was covered in blood.

"It's all right, it's all right, darling," she soothed as Emma started to cry. "This will hurt now, but I have to take it out." Regina didn't wait for a response, but pulled the arrow out of Emma's leg. Thankfully, it hadn't gone in very deep. She quickly removed her cloak and tied it around the wound, and then scooped Emma into her arms.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Emma sobbed as Regina carried her back to the cottage.

"You have nothing to be sorry about," Regina said firmly. "You did nothing wrong. It's the Evil Queen's men. They do this to people, they attack people. They hurt people."

"I wish we'd never left," Emma cried.

Regina smiled to herself in the darkness.

As the years went by, Regina began spending more time away from Emma. Her days were spent in the castle listening to reports from her guards about what village was planning to revolt when. Emma became more independent as Regina left her alone, but she never left the cottage. The ambush from five years ago still served as a reminder of the dangers of the outside world. Since the attack, Regina had ordered guards to stand outside the cottage doors at all times. While she told Emma they were for her own protection, Regina also knew the guards would keep her in, should she ever grow overly curious of the outside world. Every day, Regina came back with the reports about the latest violence, in case the scar left on Emma's leg from the arrow wasn't enough of a reminder.

The resistance movement only continued to grow. What started with one village of fifty people became dozens of villages, hundreds of people strong. While her troops always managed to subdue them, the battles were becoming quite costly. As far as Regina could tell, Snow and Charming's camp in the valley was not involved in any of the fighting, but it was clear that the villages that were revolting wanted Snow White to be their queen. She needed to find a way to quash these rebellions once and for all.

And she knew exactly how to do it.

"Your Highness?"

Regina looked up and smiled at the man standing in her doorway. "Huntsman," she greeted him. "Come in, please."

"I was told you had a mission for me," he said as he entered.

"I do," Regina said, her smile deepening as she gestured for him to sit down. He remained standing, which surprised and intrigued her. Huntsmen were apparently not like her troops, who fell over themselves in an effort to appease her.

"I need something done about this rebellion," she began.

He raised his eyebrows. "I hardly think I'll be more effective than your vast armies."

"Oh, I think you will be," Regina said. "You've heard of Snow White?"

The huntsman nodded. "I have."

"I need something from her." Regina pulled out a dagger and handed it to him.

He eyed the knife uncertainly. "I don't need a weapon to negotiate."

Regina chuckled. "This time you might."

"What do you want from her?" he asked, still staring at the knife.

Regina tilted his chin so he met her eyes. She could feel his nervous breath on her face as she hissed, "Her heart."

A/N: A quick note on time – it is passing. However, I know that Graham on the show is around the same age as the Charmings. In this story, he's about twenty years younger than them, which would put him closer in age to Emma (otherwise there would be like a thirty year age difference). Hope that's not too confusing for people!