A/N: I'm going to add this back after some quick and dirty edits. This is an old story, written before I was really in the fandom. So the quality of the writing is a bit off, and of course it's unbetaed. But the story is good, and when I continue it the writing should improve. :) Thanks for giving it a shot, my lovely readers. :)
In the middle of the night, Regina startles awake, her heart pounding, still feeling the threat of imminent death.
She glances at the clock on the wall. 3:08 AM.
She has to get back to sleep, if only for a few hours. But adrenaline is still pumping through her veins, and she couldn't get the image of Emma – dark, angry, evil Emma – out of her mind. An Emma that punished her for the crimes for which she deserved to suffer while Henry looked at her the way he once did, with disgust and pure loathing. God, it was awful. But it was only a dream.
She distracts herself from reliving the dream by looking at Robin, sleeping soundly next to her. She runs her fingers absently down his chest, watching him adjust and respond to her touch though he didn't quite wake up. He just sighs and smiles, and god, he is a good looking man, and though she never uses such words out loud, he truly looks adorable when he sleeps.
But seconds later his eyes open, staring at her as she smiles over him, tried to put the fears of the nightmare away as her fingers caressing his chest and shoulders.
"What is wrong, love?" Robin is perceptive, or perhaps he just knows Regina too well, but he can tell there was something making her uncomfortable, on edge.
"Nothing," she starts, but she sees his brows furrow and reminds herself that he is safe. "I just had a nightmare."
Robin draws her in close, wrapping an arm around her and positioning her so her head was laying on his chest. "What type of nightmare?"
"Emma…my past…Henry..." she cackles bitterly, not wanting to explain. "A little bit of everything."
Robin squeezed her tighter. "What do you think brought that on?" He asks softly, not knowing his place, or what would help.
"I don't know…" she pauses, "right now I feel so guilty for the past and I feel like if I don't talk about it will continue to weigh on me, and I won't be strong enough to help Emma. I want to talk to you about it, but…this is dark."
"You can tell me anything." He's looking at her earnestly, and doesn't he know what her past entails? How can he be so certain?
"You may want to leave. And if you do, I need to let you leave now. I feel like I have everything under control, my light and dark tendencies…but I don't know what opening up all these old wounds will do. I need to keep the protection spell up so if I go dark and get dangerous I can't hurt anyone." She knows that Robin won't leave her. That stupid, loyal, loving man.
"I am not leaving you, certainly not to something this important."
"Alright. But I warned you." Regina she says slowly, an eyebrow raised pointedly.
That night, just there, she confesses some of the worst crimes that had plagued her thoughts. Robin listens to her reveal everything, somethings he already knew, but many he did not. Still, all of it was hard to say to his beautiful face, to keep waiting for the look of disgust to cross his face, for him to say enough and leave her.
He never does.
But then she gets to the Huntsman, Graham, and how she had used him, how she had ultimately killed him, it becomes too much – she's too disgusted in herself it seems, and suddenly her body revolts, vomit creeping up her throat until she's unable to suppress it any longer. She runs to the tiny powder room in the vault as she wretches loudly and ugly, hoping to god Robin can't see her like this, because god…
But then two strong hands are on her back, drawing intricate patterns on shoulder blades in a way that soothes her. When she's done purging herself of any trace of food left in her body, she flushes the toilet and stands up. He follows suit, putting a hand on her cheek.
"You're not that person anymore. Everything you have done has been because you were hurt, you felt wronged. It was like a switch you couldn't control. And now you can. Look at how you are controlling this. You aren't that person anymore."
Regina shutters. "I know it's the soulmate thing, and I trust you love me, but I still don't know how to thank you for looking past me…especially considering…Marian. And that, that I took that from Roland…I will never forgive myself, I swear that to you."
Robin looks confused, pausing for a moment to collect his thoughts, "Surely you know that execution never happened?"
But she doesn't know that, she was sure she killed Marian. "What do you mean?"
Robin laughs "Regina if everyone who withheld information on Snow White was actually executed this town would be about half the size. The guards would let them go, usually for a small price. You never seemed to notice or mind."
She studies his face carefully, looking for any possible hint of a lie in his face. There is none. It's true, then. She never killed Marian. She would have, but didn't. It's still a weight off her shoulders, because knowing she killed Marian, and made the boy she loves an orphan, that was just…a lot to bear.
Regina smiles gratefully back at him. "I've never been so glad to hear my guards were so corrupt."
"Marian died in a bar. We were celebrating at the bar The Devil's Brew. No place for an actual lady and certainly not a place for a new mother, there was a brothel upstairs, but we were happy and wanted ale and who would have thought it would get dangerous? A brawl started. Stools were thrown, bottles smashed…I tried to get Marian and Roland out. A man in front of Marian ducked while another threw a punch. It hit Marian. She fell, hit her neck on something, a railing, I think. It broke her neck, instantly killed her. Like that. After all my valiant efforts to save her, her death was simply that. My fault."
Regina's face screws into deep concentration. "Marian's been in mortal danger before that, during childbirth? The time you used magic to heal her."
Robin nods. "I rescued her from a series of prisons, dungeons, stole medicine when she almost died from terrible illnesses. She was always in need of rescuing, and my life was made up of times I rescued Marian. When she came back, that intense need to care for her, to make sure she was ok, it returned. It could be the reason I was so…wrapped up with my damn honor."
"None of it was your fault." Regina insists. "You gave her years of life she'd never have had without you. I've often wondered if some people are just fated to die young and others not. I've observed it. Even charted it at one point. At the time, I thought it might be the reason I couldn't kill Snow White. She had not been fated to 'die young'." Regina rolls her eyes at her past self, before looking seriously at Robin. She held out a hand.
"We should have had this talk a long time ago. Even when you're the one in crisis you still find a way to ease my pain." he acknowledges.
There is a pause where they just look at each other. Where Regina just lets herself revel in this, in having someone in her corner, who understands her and accepts her for who she is. Someone she can share everything with. Even things she cares not to admit.
"Emma is in pain, and it's my fault, and I want to hurt everyone who has caused it to happen. Including myself." Regina admits. "She always pushed, she wanted me to let her in, but I never fully trusted her. And now, there's so much to make up for, and I don't know how to fix it." She was shaking now, tears were pricking behind her eyes, but it's okay, she can get through this. "I never let her know I even tolerated her, let alone, that I feel this connection, that I felt, like…."
"You love her." Robin cuts in confidently.
Regina's first instinct is to roll her eyes and laugh, but then she thought for a moment, trying to work through if that could be possible.
"I do." she agrees. "She's my family, she's the only one in town who is close to understanding me. And she is the only one who loves Henry like I do. It's tearing me up inside, knowing what's going to happen to her. She can fight the darkness for awhile. She's so strong, she has a child she loves, that is a very powerful force. But it will win. And if she changes and I can't fix it…."
A part of Regina hated the way she was sounding. Weak. Childish. Scared. But at the same time, saying everything out loud took a great weight off her shoulders. She didn't have to put a brave face on with him. One look into his eyes reminded of her of that.
Robin 's voice is steady and confident. "I have complete faith in you. You will figure this out. Regina, you always do. There's no one more resourceful. There's no one I'd trust more in a crisis, certainly no one more capable."
Slowly, Regina felt all the oppressively heavy emotions of fear and guilt lightening, just a bit. They would never disappear – they shouldn't! She deserved to live with some of this. But she felt lighter than she had in years, freer, like Robin had helped her escape some sort of prison.
And now she feels like she can finally sleep. She settles against him, snuggling in, and whispering "I'm glad you're here."
Robin kissed her forehead and nodded in agreement. She was leaning up against him, emotionally and physically exhausted, she had only slept a few hours before the nightmares woke her up.
"Now then, time for bed." Robin smiles. Regina looked a bit upset. "Mi'lady?"
"You can't leave. We're stuck until I can take the protection spell down" She breaths. "I trapped you with me."
Robin scoffs. "I'm not leaving you, love." He caresses her cheek and her left arm as he watched her fall deep asleep. "I'm not leaving you ever again."
Regina falls asleep in his arms, a deep sleep that she did not break from until the morning, feeling his mouth on her ear, his hands in her hair. Everything is easier with Robin. Even sleep.
"Good morning."
Regina stretches out and wraps her arms around him.
"I love you." She's not ever the first to say those words, not to anyone but her son. But they come out freely then.
He echoes her words immediately, between kisses he planted on her neck and shoulders. His arms tracing over her curves, pausing to trace circles around her nipples, and she knew where this was going.
"What time is it?" Regina asks, unsure if they have time to finish what he is clearly starting.
"Half past nine."
"Robin…" she shoves at him to attempt to move him off her and tried to wiggle out of his embrace. They had to go. He had to know that.
He looks up from her neck and shoulders, where he had been planting a line of kisses and stared at her, his eyes dark with desire.
"Regina, please. I need you."
And she can't turn him down. Especially not when his begging sparks such desire in her. Especially when his hands and mouth are working every place he knows she loves. But she needs a shower, she needs to get out of this grungy vault for the first time in 48 hours.
"You're insatiable." She laughs.
"Only with you."
She looks at Robin, soaking in the way he looks at her. So warm so sweet. Her heart swells with emotion. Emotion she can channel to conjure the light magic to break the protection spell trapping them in the vault..
She poofs them back into her bedroom, and she gets up, walking into the bathroom. When the water runs enough to get nice and hot she calls to Robin and asks if he's joining her or not.
And of course he is.
He takes the opportunity to wash her, to touch every inch of her, to run his fingers through her hair as he shampoos her, just another way to worship her, prolonging the want, the pent up lust in both of them, and then takes her, hard and fast against the shower walls, nipping and biting and sucking at whatever piece of her he can get his mouth on, his hands firmly against her ass.
As they turn off the shower water she feels clean, new, fresh, for the first time in a long time. All the dirt and emotional baggage is gone.
"Breakfast?" He asks as he ran a towel over her body, drying her carefully. "I can't imagine the last time you ate. You must be starving."
She nods. "You check on Roland. Bring him to Granny's. I'll invite Henry and Emma. I have to face the town eventually." she said with a sigh "But now…now I can handle it."
Without another word she was changing into clothes, caught up in a focused determination.
Robin frowned looking around the room before conceding "My clothes are back in the vault."
Regina laughed, told him to hold on, and grabbed some clothes out of a drawer in the hall. "Here."
Robin stares at the clothes, confused until she adds. "They were…in the vault from the last time, remember I had to get you new clothes? They were filthy. I cleaned them for you."
Robin Ahhs and thanks her and threw on his clothes.
He hugged her tightly, coaxing her into a kiss that went a little further than it should. When Regina started kissing his neck, he pulled back. "No more of that," he said playfully, "or I'm never going to let you leave this room." Regina laughed, and with that they parted ways with plans to meet for breakfast soon.
.::.
Regina walks into Granny's, the first of her party to arrive. Because, of course. She was the only one who kept her appointments. She sat in her booth with a paper in hand until she heard Roland squealing behind her "REGINA!" throwing his hands in the air for no reason.
"Roland!" Regina answers, and, mimicking him, she threw her hands in the air too. It was so unlike her, so childish and playful, it earned more than a few stares. But Regina didn't care, because she had made Roland smile and laugh. Regina picked him up, hugging him, and swept him onto her lap. Roland looked down at her paper.
"What are you reading?" He asks, "Can you read to me?"
Regina crinkles her nose. "It's grown-up boring stuff. What I think you'd rather do…" Regina uses magic to conjure some crayons and paper "is make me one of your special pieces of art. Don't you think?"
"I'll make you a castle!"
Robin watches the two interact with a pleasant smile on his face. She is rough and hard-headed, his Regina, yet she had this caring, mothering instinct that made her so complex and irresistible. Regina looked up and saw Robin staring at her, adoring her.
Regina pats the spot next to her. "Come sit," she motions to Robin with a smile, before adding a soft, "I missed you."
It had only been a few hours, and it felt ridiculous to miss him, but she had. She felt like a giddy newlywed, and as insufferable as Old Regina would find her, New Regina couldn't find it in her heart to care.
Robin sat down and they ordered. Ruby raised her eyes as she took Regina's order. Regina had ordered a full breakfast for the first time since the curse had broken. Ordinarily she would order a coffee, maybe a grapefruit or some oatmeal, but now it was eggs and toast and bacon.
After they order the door opens and Emma walked in. Regina turned to see her enter, and was instantly hit by how much darker she had gotten since the last time they talked. But she wouldn't mention it because that could only make things worse.
"Henry, Emma, did you have a good night?" She tries to keep her voice breezy, but wonders if her son can sense her worry. But then she sees Hook walking behind them, and she rolls her eyes. He was not family to her, and had certainly not been invited to breakfast.
"Well good morning to you too, your majesty." Hook winks, smiling broadly.
Emma sits down across from Regina, observing how she was handling Roland.
"Well look who put her heart back inside her." Emma grabs Regina's hand with a smile. Then her face wrinkled in disgust.
"Ugh, among other things, god you two!" Regina's eyes go wide in embarrassment. Apparently Emma's naturally strong sense of intuition had combined with the power from her darkness, and she could apparently see something. Maybe just her emotions, or flashes of her thoughts…but it's still disturbing.
"Emma" Regina shot Emma a warning shot, tilting her head over at Roland and then glancing at Henry. "Not here."
"Well then you stop….ogling him." Emma demands.
"We don't ogle….how was your night, Swan?"
"It was pretty crappy, I kept having nightmares that someone was going to either use the dagger to kill me or use the dagger to get me to kill Henry, did I have a chance to thank you for all those wonderful thoughts you've given me? Just at least tell me who has the dagger so I know it's someone I trust."
Regina had been prepared for such manipulation, and nothing Emma was saying was surprising her. Emma reminded Regina of herself, when she was turning dark. Watching Emma go through the transformation was difficult, especially since Regina couldn't stop it. It was like watching herself fall into darkness all over again.
"I can't tell you, Emma, I'm sorry. But you can read me, you know when I'm lying. So I'm telling you right now. The dagger is in good hands. I am trusting that person with your life, and I am trusting you with Henry's life. I would not do that if I wasn't sure."
Emmas eyes dance across Regina the entire time she speaks, analyzing her words, reading her carefully. "You're telling the truth." she says, decidedly. "But you're also keeping something from me. What is it?"
Regina held back the key piece – being around Henry was pretty much Emma's only shot to avoid being completely overtaken by the Dark One. But telling her that might upset her too much. Like Regina, Emma did not want to put Henry in charge of saving his mom. She would not allow it.
"I suppose I'm holding back the location of the dagger." she says, winking at Emma.
Emma groans. "Why are you so obsessed with controlling me?"
"Emma, I'm not."
"You are, and let's face it, you're not doing this because you're worried for my soul, or my happiness. Because god knows you've been trying to kill me for years. You don't want me to go dark because then I'll have light and dark magic, just like you. Except I'll be more powerful. And that terrifies you."
Emma stares at Regina for a reaction, but all Regina did was chatter something to Roland to keep him occupied in his coloring. She is in control. Her anger and frustration is kept at bay, which surprises even Regina herself.
"Mom, no one's hurting you, you have to know this is the Dark One…" Henry interjects.
"Kid, there's a lot of stuff I know now. I'm seeing clearer than ever. Your mom over here doesn't like competition."
Hook and Robin glance at each other, neither sure whether to involve themselves in the brewing fight.
"No, I like competition." Regina says, looking her in the eyes playfully.
Truthfully, Emma was not yet competition – at least not against Regina and everyone else in town that would fight against the Dark One. But soon, she would be. Soon, she would be more powerful than anyone she had seen. She would blow Rumple out of the water. And when she became the Dark One, it was only a matter of time before she destroyed her enemies. "Rumple was competition. You are not. I'd welcome a battle with you, but I'm trying not to use dark magic these days. It drains a lot out of you, and it always comes with a price. Remember that."
"Yeah if I use it I might live for centuries and be great and powerful before dying, like Rumple, how sad." Emma rolls her eyes.
Henry suddenly realized what Emma had been thinking. "Wait, you WANT to be the dark one?"
Emma sighs. "That's not exactly what I mean, I'm saying IF I stay the Dark One, it wouldn't mean anything serious-"
"Rumple could never truly love Belle. His true love was power. What if you loved power more than me? Do you want that?"
Henry looks legitimately concerned at Emma. Emma processed what he said, realizing he was right. "No, of course I don't." Her features relax, smooth as if a wave of calm washes over her. "Thanks, kid."
Regina reaches across the table to squeeze her hand. "I will fix this," Regina whispers. "I will not let this happen to you."
Emma whispers a tentative "thank you", but her facial expression seemed solemn, almost angry. She was plotting something.
"So are we going to Camelot?" Henry asks. He had somehow ordered a milkshake with his breakfast, easily unnoticed with the morning tension.
"We aren't going anywhere" Regina corrects "I will go. Alone."
"Absolutely not!" cries Robin at the same time Henry and Emma said "No you're not!" in unison.
Regina lets out a sharp breath of air. "Emma, I need you with our son."
"Bullshit, get one of his hundreds of parents to watch him. Pretty much everyone in Storybrooke lays some sort of claim to him."
"No, it has to be you. If he's not with me he needs someone to protect him while I'm away."
"You're afraid something will hurt him while you're gone?"
Regina shrugs. "Rumple could wake up. Zelena could escape. Maleficent is still here. Hell, Lily's still around. You really want to leave our son with the Charmings and their infant son? What are they going to do, sing the dragons a lullaby? Charm Lily with their tales of true love? Come on, Emma, I know your mom is resourceful and cunning, and David is strong and courageous, but against these forces why take the risk?"
Emma laughs dryly. "Okay point taken. So Henry and I will go to Camelot too."
Regina throws her head into the palm of her hand. Emma can be so frustrating. "No, Emma…It's going to be too dangerous for him."
Henry had had enough of being treated like a child, and let out an exasperated sigh, a sound much older than a 13 year old would normally make. "Why do people keep forgetting I saved this whole town? Stop treating me like this. I can go!"
Regina shot Henry a look that said "play along". He understood her immediately. She wanted him to watch over Emma. Emma couldn't be trusted to go.
"Fine." Henry concedes, still, somewhat upset he would miss out on the new adventure.
Regina quickly finishes her thoughts. "We're looking for literally the most powerful sorcerer who has ever existed. I'm alright with risking my own life, but I'm not alright risking yours." She squeezed Emma's arm again. "Certainly not Henry's."
Emma was shocked at the honesty of the words. She expected to see a trace of a lie, and the fact there was absolutely nothing but truth shocked her.
"What happened to you? Why are you acting all…nice to me?" Emma asksbluntly, confusion laced in her words.
Regina laughs. "Who knew that all you had to do was sacrifice yourself for me to make me be nice?"
'You're still not going to Camelot alone." Robin interjects. Regina looks at him. He had some genuine concern in his face.
"We'll figure the details out later." Regina says, Belle catching her eye out of her peripheral vision.
"Did you find something?" she called to Belle, who had rushed in with a small package.
Belle handed her a small vial, inside were tiny pebbles, slightly larger than grains of sand. "Not sure what this is, but Rumple had it labelled Camelot. It apparently has some type of magic.
"These are from the stone that held Excalibur." Regina said, analyzing the small pebbles.
"Someone went to the trouble of digging around where the sword was pulled from the stone to find parts the sword has touched. It's powerful magic."
"Thank you, once again. How's Rumple?"
"No change." Belle frowns
Hook put his hand on Belle's shoulder. "I'm sorry. The crocodile was no friend of mine but I hate to see you hurt."
"I know what he was, but it wasn't in his heart. It was the Dark One." Her eyes have focused on Emma, maybe unintentionally, but the implication is clear.
Emma groans. "Maybe it's not. Maybe he was just evil the whole time. Do any of us know for sure?"
Belle responds sympathetically. "I'm sorry, Emma, I-I forgot. I'm so sorry you're going through this. She turned to Regina. "Is she…is she alright?"
"She's fine." Regina sounds...protective. A bit snippy. "Thanks for your concern, but Emma can handle this. She's the same person she was a few days ago. You can tell everyone in town so they can stop treating her like she's something to be afraid of."
Regina's tone seems to confuse Emma. Afterall, she was passionately defending her – the person she tried to run out of town, the person she tried to kill.
Belle nodded, tears in her eyes. Rumple had been the Dark One, and he had no one but her to defend him, no one to believe there was good in him. Emma had the entire community. No wonder he had become so dark.
"I…I gotta go. Good luck Regina."
As soon as she leaves, Emma reacts. "If you think I'm nothing to be afraid of why in the hell are we even removing this from me? Can't I keep the Dark One and figure out how to manage it, control it? Like I figured out how to manage my magic last time?"
Regina shrugs. "It's a possibility. But I don't know anything about it. I can't teach you to control it. Rumple might be able to if he ever wakes up from the coma he's in."
"I am not going to trust Rumple. He's going to be after the dagger to get the darkness back. Even having him in Storybrooke is dangerous. When he's awake, we need a plan to get rid of him permanently."
Emma is already thinking more like a villain than a hero. Hook, Henry and Robin disagreed with her plan, and told her so. He deserved a chance. He was weak, he was not going to be able to hurt her. It wasn't right to slaughter him.
"Regina, you haven't weighed in." Emma says pointedly, wanting to hear what Regina thought about disposing of Rumple.
"I'm not sure I entirely disagree. I'd probably consider killing him as soon as he woke up. But Emma…" Regina shoots her a warm look, "Do you want to be like me?"
Emma focuses on the coffee mug in front of her, adjusting her grip on it nervously. There's nothing like a well-timed reminder to set her in place.
Regina sighed. "Well, that's settled."
She shifts in her seat.
"Robin, I need to get up." Robin grabs Roland from Regina's arms. Regina touches Roland's forehead lightly and Robin notices a brief flicker. Regina had put a spell on him earlier, Robin is sure about it. Roland had been quietly coloring for the entire conversation, pausing only to eat the pancakes he had ordered. Now the serious conversation was over and Regina had undid the spell. Regina is always protecting him.
"Where are you going, Regina?"
"Yeah where are you going?" Roland chips, suddenly animated again.
"To see Isaac. He's seen the most of Merlin. Thank you for the very lovely castle, Roland. I will have to frame it." Roland beams as Regina carefully puts his artwork into her purse.
"Isaac is still here?" Emma cries incredulously.
"Mary Margaret and David caught him before he left town. Didn't they tell you?" Regina stares at her skeptically, adding "He's in jail right now."
"We're just going to let him sit in jail after he almost killed Henry? After he almost killed us all? Regina you can't be ok with that." Emma looks perplexed, dark, angry. And it was completely understandable to Regina.
"I'm not," Regina responds with a shrug. "But this is what heroes do, and I have learned to stop fighting their ways. Besides, he's useful alive in this case."
"He's never going to give you any information…" Emma points out skeptically.
"I can be very persuasive, Emma." Regina smiles. "Sorry to leave breakfast early, but I want to catch Isaac early. Bye Roland!"
Roland gives Regina a hug before climbing back into his dad's arms. "I'll talk to you soon." Regina said to Robin. She turns to leave, but he grabs her hand and holds her back.
"Hold on a minute." Robin's voice is playful and light, his eyes shining.
Regina frowns at him, puzzled.
"I love you." Robin gently swings the hand he's holding of hers, that adorable, sheepish look on his face. Emma and Hook exchanged shocked glances. Even Henry looked surprised.
Regina feels her heart skip a beat, though she was all too aware of her surroundings. She feels embarrassed, on display, yet unable to not return the words when he was looking at her like that.
She put a hand on Robin's shoulder and kisses him. "I love you too", she murmors. She feels herself blushing and quickly changed the topic "Henry, can you come here for a minute?"
Henry gets up from his seat and walked over to his mother. She drew him into a big hug.
"I'll be sure to say goodbye before I head off." She says, kissing his forehead. "I love you, and I'm proud of you." She reaches into her pocket and palms an object in her hand, sliding it into her son's stealthily "You can talk to me through this, it will translate through realms. If something happens, you tell me immediately. If something happens with Emma, you go to the Charmings and call me. If the Charmings aren't there, it's Granny's or Hook's. Do you understand?"
"I got it mom." Henry says hugging her. "I can handle Emma."
Regina glanced back at Emma, pleasantly surprised to see Hook entertaining her. "Speaking of Emma….Henry, if anyone hurts you in any way, a bully at school, a teacher gives you a bad test grade, hell, you get too much cinnamon in your hot chocolate – you can't tell Emma, ok? Protecting you is the easiest way for her to use dark magic. I know. I've been there."
"Henry looked up at his mom and whispered "She's not ok, mom. She's trying but she's not…"
"I know. Just keep reminding her of who you want her to be – who she was. No one can stop her from turning, but you can delay it for awhile. You are a brilliant, resourceful child. And I know you can do this. You are my son."
"Don't worry mom, I got it."
And with that Regina made her way out of the diner.
.::.
Regina stares triumphant at Isaac from the other side of the metal bars.
"Your majesty," Isaac bows sarcastically. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"You just tried to kill my son. If I were you I'd be a little less cavalier." She snarls.
Isaac laughs. "I know all my characters, Regina, and you aren't too complicated of a character. You aren't going to hurt me."
"Don't count on it."
Regina holds out her hand and Isaac extended in the air, being choked by the magic Regina was wielding. Though his face turned red, and his eyes watered, he had this smug look on his face that Regina could not place. Eventually, she set him down. Isaac gasped on the floor immediately.
"Like…I…said," he chokes between gasps, "you….can't….really…hurt…me…too scared."
"Scared?" Regina laughs. "You're going to have to explain."
After catching his breath, Isaac explains. "You are afraid of losing your loved ones. You go dark, you lose Robin. And Henry. And Emma." There is a twinkle in his eye now. He must think he has won, but then, he doesn't know about Emma's recent transformation, does he?
"Where is Merlin?" Regina asks bluntly.
Isaac guffaws. "You're asking me of all people? Last time I saw the guy he imprisoned me in a book. And I didn't even really see him. I just saw some smoke…a swirl…you're never going to find him. And no way am I going to help."
"I am afraid I'm going to have to insist on your help."
Isaac stares directly into Regina's eyes, enunciating his words sharply, aiming to torment her. "I'm. Not. Scared. Of. You. You can't force me to do anything. Now I suppose the Dark One is after Merlin and you want to find him first? Well good luck, Dark One. You people ruined me. I am not giving you an ounce of help. "
"I thought you might say that." Regina responds coolly. "And you're right. I want to crush your little throat and slice off each of your fingers and toes one by one. And as much as I think it's justified, I can't risk darkness overpowering my heart anymore. But, if you don't tell me, I'll be forced to tell Emma you wouldn't cooperate."
Isaac lets out a loud, amused shout of laughter, provoking her further. "Emma? You're threatening me with Emma? My god, Regina, you are such a disappointment. I expected so much more out of the former Evil Queen."
"You did torture Emma in your book. She lived through quite a horrid fate, thanks to you." Isaac smiles and nods, as if he was proud with his accomplishment. "And after what you did to Henry….he's her son too."
"Yes, yes, she will give me quite a lecture."
"That's just the thing, Isaac. The Dark One isn't big on lectures."
Isaac screws his face into a puzzled frown. "Okay, what does Rumple have to do with this?"
"Nothing," Regina smiles coyly, unable to contain the excitement she had in revealing this. "Rumple isn't the dark one anymore. Emma is."
Isaac's eyes widen.
"That's right. Emma is the Dark One, and you just tortured her and tried to kill her child. Oh, and I forgot, I just told her you were here, in jail. Without my protection, she'll come for you. My guess is, not soon after I leave, soo….."
"Talk to Maleficent." Isaac shouts desperately. His demeanor changed from cocky to terrified in seconds flat.
"She knows Merlin from long ago. Things were rocky between them, both Merlin and Maleficent are shape-shifters and go into dragon form. I think she was….jealous of all his powers." Isaac's face fell. He used to be so important to the entire realm of the enchanted forest, but now, he was barely relevant. "I…I just don't know much about Merlin. I had an opportunity to explore him more when I traveled to Camelot. I can show you the room where he appeared. I should have explored him more. At the time, he was just like a strict teacher constantly reminding me of what I was doing that was wrong."
Regina had paper and a pen out for him. "I'd like you to draw a map of where Merlin appeared to you. Whatever castle, whatever home, whatever inn, name it, and tell me how to get there."
"I can do you better. I can take you there." Isaac pleads, unable to keep the fear out of his voice.
'Absolutely not, do you think I'm an idiot?"
"I have no power, no ability, I'm not a threat to you. Plus I know Camelot well, you'll be easier with me. And if you leave me here….Emma is going to kill me."
Regina winks. "Well, I can only hope. Sleep tight, Isaac."
And with that, Regina sashays out of the office. Of course, Isaac was in no real danger, she had seen to that – a short little spell on the dagger that would prevent Emma from acting on any attempt to kill Isaac on Zelena. It killed her to do any favor for someone who had hurt so many of her loved ones, but this is what Henry would have wanted her to do.
.::.
It's a pretty little cottage on the edge of town. It's small, disarming, and homey. Regina couldn't remember who had owned it before Maleficent reappeared in Storybrooke, but she had claimed it as her own, and no one had protested. Maleficent prefers the quiet, the places removed from the wandering eyes and ears of nosy townspeople, and it fit her perfectly. Regina liked the look of the place, imagining the inside was probably more ornate, as was Maleficent's style.
There was no response to her first knock, which made Regina chuckle. Why even bother doing this dance? Maleficent knew Regina never gave up.
"Maleficent, we both know you're right on the other side of this door and you're going to talk to me eventually, so why not just talk to me now?"
The door opens, then, and Regina is surprised to see Lily on the other side of it. "What do you want Regina?" she asks, a discerning glance
"I need to talk to your mother. It's important."
"Is it about Emma? Poor Emma's heart is dark and the world goes to save her, but the Charmings make me dark and no one cares…."
Regina stares Lily in the eye. "If you want to blame someone for your dark heart you blame Mary Margaret and David. Emma is blameless. She was an infant. Now…where's your mother?"
Regina's defense of Emma appeared to shock Lily. As angry and as jealous as she was of Emma, Regina can't help but believe Lily knows she is right. The punishment should not be against Emma.
"Regina!" Maleficent enters the room as if prepared for a fight. "Stop yelling at my daughter and get out."
"We need to find Merlin."
Maleficent raises her eyebrows. "We?"
"You need to help me."
"And why would I?"
"This isn't Emma's fault. And this will never be over until we can get rid of the Dark One once and for all. The only way is with Merlin. And apparently you know him quite well? He can assume dragon form as well?"
Lily is suddenly interested in the conversation. Her father was also a dragon.
"Camelot used to be subject to dragon attacks, both actual dragon attacks, and wizards who could become dragons." Maleficent recalls with a smile. "And it's true, Merlin was one of those. But he was much more. Extremely powerful. But…. " her demeanor shifts to a regrettable frown, "we had a falling out and I have no desire to help you bring him here, ever again. So please leave Regina."
"I'll help" Lily offers at once. "I'll go to Camelot with you. I can transform into a dragon too. Maybe I can talk to them, get to know them. I want to know more people like me."
Maleficent nearly growls in response. "Lily, you're not going out there. There's nothing for you. Besides you'd only be used to do the bidding of a bunch of heroes that will stab you in the back the moment you have time to breathe."
Lily keeps her eyes focused on Regina during her mother's words. "So, you ok with me going?"
"Absolutely" Regina smirks, her eyes never leaving Maleficent's, here eyebrows raised in a dare. This was perfect.
"Lily, if you're going to insist I'm not letting you go alone." Maleficent groans.
"No one is stopping you from coming with me, mom." She looks at Regina intently. "Right?"
Regina pauses to work out the logistics of travelling with one of her greatest enemies. An enemy who did not have a common goal in mind.
"I need her full commitment to finding Merlin. Otherwise bringing your mother along will just….complicate the trip. But you're welcome to come without her."
Maleficent scoffs. "You wouldn't last long in Camelot without me."
"Will Merlin know who my father is?" Lily tilts her head, her eyes wide and hopeful.
Maleficent furrows her brow, squints her eyes, as if trying to work out the answer to a complicated equation. "He knows a lot. But I'm not sure he'll know that."
Regina speaks up. "When Merlin found out that Isaac changed your daughter's fate, he set on a path to try to reverse it. He's looking out for her. If he can take the darkness out of Emma…"
Maleficent nods, all the sudden realizing that this was a good idea, as it benefited her as well. "He can take the darkness out of Lily. I can help you find him, but I doubt he'll want to help you if he knows I'm involved."
"What did you do to him?" Regina asks half curious, half amused.
"I imprisoned him for about a hundred years." Maleficent utters with a bored wave of her hand.
"Oh, is that all?" Regina laughs. "We'll leave tomorrow. Meet me at Gold's at 2 PM."
The next stop would be the hardest. Before Regina left she had to make sure Zelena was safe. Safe from getting herself hurt, and safe from hurting others.
