Regina frowned as she entered her house the next morning. She tried to rub the crick that she had gotten from sleeping under her apple tree, but it wouldn't relax.
It was barely after dawn and yet she could hear something coming from the piano in the den. She almost never used the room anymore. When Henry had been younger, it was where she'd let him scatter his toys from one end of the room to the other during the day. Then he'd gone from Tonka trucks, to comics and the book that Snow had given him, and the room had sat mostly unused.
She hoped that Roland wasn't banging on it again. It had not been an easy conversation to have with the little boy. It hadn't helped that Robin had arrived home in the middle of her explaining to Roland that he first had to wash his hands before he could play the piano, and that banging was for drums, not piano keys. And yet Robin hadn't backed Regina's directions up right then, which meant that there'd had to be another conversation about respecting how Regina wanted others to treat her property when Roland had banged on the keys the next day too.
As she stood in the doorway she saw that it wasn't Roland playing, though he was there. He was in Henry's arms as they both watched Neal play a familiar tune on the piano with a light and expert touch. It was the Allegro movement of Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 2. Regina stood perfectly still and listened as he played the most well-known movement. She knew why Henry was listening. It had been one of his favorites when she had showed him Fantasia 2000. Regina could tell that Neal loved playing. The notes flowed from his fingers, each of the crescendos and diminuendos in the music adding another layer to the story he was creating with his fingers, until he got to the climax. A smile came to his face as he let the piece come to its crashing conclusion.
The room went silent for a second, then Roland clapped and Henry smiled. "Huh, so that's what I'd sound like if I'd kept taking lessons?"
Neal laughed, "You wish."
"Lost Penny, Lost Penny, please?"
Neal frowned, looking from Roland to Henry, "I don't understand."
Henry rolled his eyes, but translated for Roland, "Ah, before— well, awhile ago when everything wasn't falling apart Mom— my Mom— played a CD that had Rage Over a Lost Penny on it. It's now Roland's favorite song ever."
"Ah—" Neal tilted his head for a moment, "I might be a little rusty, I don't think I've played it since I was a little kid, but let me try." He launched into the frenetically-paced song with Roland clapping along to the beat and cheering as if they were at a football game.
A voice came from behind Regina, "Who the hell is he?"
Regina didn't take her eyes off of Neal, Henry and Roland, "He's Little Neal, but..."
"…not so little anymore. When did that happen?"
"Last night."
Zelena chuckled, "All while I was sleeping?"
Regina nodded, "Time travel. I'll make breakfast in a moment. I just…"
Zelena cut her sister off, "…want this bit of peace before something else hits the fan. I'll make breakfast."
That made Regina turn her head and look at Zelena, "Really?"
Zelena smirked, "I will take much pleasure in letting Snow wonder if I've poisoned it all." Regina shook her head and went back to watching Neal play. "What, you aren't even going to extract a promise from me that I won't poison her food."
Regina shook her head, "Not today. Oh… and…"
"The Dark One's on your sofa? Yeah. I got that. Is she going to burn the place down?"
"No." Regina paused, "Maybe?"
Zelena's smirk turned to a frown, "You don't sound sure."
"I'm not sure about anything right at the moment."
oOOOOo
"Well, it's not a cave or the basement of a library, just a regular old apartment building."
"Mm— I didn't have much choice where I spent the curse."
Mal and Lily got out of Lily's car and stared at the rundown apartment building. "Do you think he'll help us?"
Maleficent rolled her shoulders, "I'll make sure of it."
oOOOOo
As soon as Roland smelled the cooking eggs in the kitchen, he lost interest in Neal playing the piano, and wiggled until Henry put him down. He zoomed by Regina, nearly making her fall. He came to a screeching halt and turned, "Sorry Ma…" He trailed off with a frown, "Sorry Gina…" And he was off again.
Regina hid a smile and turned to her son, "What's he doing here?"
Henry shrugged, "Little John dropped him off this morning. Did you and Robin…" He paused, "…break up?"
"Yes."
Henry looked past Regina for a moment, then back at his Mom, "I'm going to sit with Mom. She looked so… tired and… last night."
As Henry went by Regina got in half a hug, then let him go. "Maybe stop by the kitchen and bring her some coffee."
Henry gave a nod as he left.
Neal doodled on the piano a bit, and stopped when Regina sat down next to him on the bench. "Oh, you heard all that?"
"How long have you been playing?"
Neal shrugged, "Since I can remember, four or so? You claim that I begged you for three straight weeks. Until finally you caved and I started lessons with Ms. Vasseur. Same as you'd done for Henry. Only, I loved it."
"When did you learn that Concerto?"
Neal looked away from Regina, "When I was fifteen." Neal stood and walked over to the window that looked over the side yard. "Sorry— you're just so like her." He stood still for a second, then turned back, leaning against the window sill. "I learned it for her birthday, as a surprise since I couldn't think of any thing to give you… her."
Regina stood. She took a step towards Neal, then stopped. "How did you find out her birth date, young man?"
Neal shook his head, "You sound like her too. Ah, it took about as long to find her— your— birthday as it did to learn the piece. And since I didn't give up my source to her, I'm not going to do it to you either. Then I had to get together the other instrumentalists. It was easier than I thought it would be since, apparently when the curse hit, all the characters of Peter and the Wolf turned into humans, and they can play the instruments that represented them in the piece. We actually kept everyone together after the performance too. We were the Storybrooke Symphony."
"At fifteen. That's impressive."
Neal shrugged, "You— She and Dad always wanted us to give back to the community."
Is that what you do? Conduct or play in the Symphony?"
"Yes, but it's not what I do, do-. I'm the school music teacher and the church Organist. Esmeralda founded it, non-denominational and open to everybody from Catholics to Wiccans to Atheists." He smiled a bit, "Some of the stuff I get to play is wild."
Regina studied Neal for a moment, "You should be telling Snow and David this."
Neal looked out the window, "She's not—"
Regina interrupted Neal, "She is your mother and even though you were missing for less than a day, I think to her it felt like weeks. And then you come back and she's lost the childhood of yet another child." Regina paused, "She's mostly a good person, Neal. You need to give her a chance."
Neal looked down for a moment, "Yes Mam— Ma'am."
"Mom…"
The yell came from the living room. Regina and Neal got to the doorway at the same time. Regina put a hand on his shoulder, "Go to the kitchen, check on your Mom and Dad. I'll go see why Henry yelled."
Neal paused, then nodded and went towards the kitchen while Regina entered the living room. Her nose wrinkled at the smell, but she managed to school her features before Henry looked up, "Mom…"
"Go get some breakfast, I'll clean up."
Henry shook his head, "No, it's okay, I made Mom laugh, and then… I can—"
Regina put her arm across his shoulders, "It's okay, Henry. Go, make sure that Snow and Zelena aren't killing each other."
Henry stared at Regina, then at Emma. "Okay. But it's my fault, and she couldn't help it."
Regina pointed towards the kitchen, "Breakfast, young man."
Henry left the living room and Emma opened her eyes, "I ruined your carpet."
Regina held her hands out and one of the super non-electric vacuums that seemed to be on every home shopping channel appeared in it. She started cleaning the mess. "You aren't the first one to throw up on this rug, and you probably won't be the last."
"Henry?" Emma studied Regina while the Mayor cleaned. "You didn't give me that memory."
Regina continued cleaning, "More than once. He didn't have the hardiest of immune systems when he was a toddler."
Regina looked up when Emma went silent. Even the blonde's breathing slowed. Regina just barely stopped herself from jumping backwards when Emma lunged at her. Instead Regina stood still as Emma sank back into the couch. She met the eyes that had gone entirely black, "Dark One. You're not welcome."
A bitter laugh came from the Dark One, "You're out of your depth, little sorceress. You think that you can defeat me because you have love for my vessel?" The Dark One laughed again, "I have had Millennia and defeated more powerful wizards and magicians than you."
Regina straightened to her full height and took a half a step back, "If you can get up again, you can leave."
The Dark One shuddered, but it didn't seem like Emma's body was responding to its commands. Regina tilted her head to one side, "You're assuming that I'm alone in fighting you. You don't know Emma very well. I do. She'll fight you until her last breath and beyond."
The Dark One stared at its dagger that rested against Regina's hip. When Regina was awake, it was always there, and when she slept or showered it was in a very, very magically protected box.
"Arhhhhh…."
Regina barely got her arms and a spell thrown up in time. The fireball hit the magical shield and was redirected all over the room. One part lit the drapes on fire, another, the wall next to the fireplace. A third destroyed two vases, the water in them putting it out. Regina didn't know where the other two landed, but she could tell that they'd lit something on fire too.
Roland was the first one into the room. He screamed, which got everyone else's attention. Henry was the next one into the living room. He yelled, "Fire!" and dashed back into the kitchen, pulling Roland with him.
He was back in the blink of an eye, a pot of water in his hands. He didn't hesitate, heaving all of the water over Regina and also managing to hit Emma too.
Regina sputtered as David, Snow, and even Zelena used more water in Regina's wide variety of pots. While Neal used the kitchen's fire extinguisher to put out the rest of the fires. "Henry, what?"
"Your hair Mom, the ends… you were on fire, and I…"
"Oh." He put a hand on her shoulder and she pulled him into a hug. After a moment, she let go and he knelt down next to the couch. He put a hand on Emma's arm. "Mom— Mom?"
Emma didn't respond. He looked over at Regina, who leaned down and put two fingers to the blonde's neck. She let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding when the heartbeat she felt was strong and regular.
"I think that she just passed out. Both the Dark One trying to fully take control of her body and the power the Dark One used to throw that fireball at me, it drained her. She's okay, Henry." Regina put a hand on his back, making comforting circles, "She's okay."
Henry swallowed and stood, "Are we— she's never going to…" He cleared his throat again, "I need to—"
Regina also stood and kept her arm over his shoulders, "Would you like me to come with you?"
Henry shook his head, "No. I'll go myself this time."
Regina kissed the side of his head and gave him a squeeze before she let go. "Cell phone?"
"Check."
"Keys?"
"Check."
Mother and son, in the middle of all the chaos, shared a little smile. "Be careful."
Henry nodded seriously, "I will."
Zelena and Neal had gone back into the kitchen, but Snow voiced the question on her mind, "Where is he going?"
Regina glanced at the window and followed Henry's progress until he disappeared onto the sidewalk before answering. "To visit his father's grave."
"Oh—"
Emma shifted on the couch and everyone's eyes went to her. She didn't wake up. Snow spoke again. "Regina, she can't be here."
Regina blew out a breath, "And where should she be? We— Henry's her family. And without Rumpel in town, Mal mostly likely in some other state searching for Merlin, and Zelena not allowed to use magic—"
A voice came from the kitchen, "I could."
Regina raised her voice and responded, "You will not." She paused, "I'm the only one in town who has the smallest chance of winning if Emma loses her battle with The Dark One again."
Snow and David looked at one another and then to their daughter. "Okay. For now. Are you going to have breakfast with us?"
Regina nodded, "Yes, I'll be right in." Snow and David joined everyone else in the kitchen and she could hear them talking to Neal. Regina stared down at Emma. "I'm so sorry, Emma. It should have been me. You should have let the darkness take me. You…" Regina put a hand over her eyes and cleared her throat a few times. After a moment she straightened and turned on her heel, practically marching into the kitchen. "Okay. So, who wants pancakes that aren't burned?"
In the living room Emma opened her eyes with a frown. They were clear again, and as she looked around the partially destroyed room a sigh escaped her lips.
oOOOOo
"Ready for this?"
Lily glanced over at Maleficent. The younger woman was silent for a moment, then her eyes widened a bit, "As well as being the key to saving Emma, you think that Merlin's my father, don't you?"
"No— yes— it's the only logical conclusion."
Lily crossed her arms over her chest, "No, it's not— and it makes no sense. I found a picture of him, he's black."
"So? We don't live in the real world, but on of dragon's and Evil Queens who cast enormous curses, and saviors who never seem to actually do the saving."
"So you're saying genetics don't exist, that I'm not— that I— okay, so yeah at this point I have no idea what I am, but even if you discount his race, and your race, and everything like that. I look nothing like him in my face or ears or whatever either. Merlin's not my father."
"Well, it could be different because we were both in Dragon form?"
Lily winced, "That was way too much information. Forget I asked."
Maleficent put a hand on Lily's shoulder and squeezed, "No— we're going to find your father— or how you were conceived. I know that maybe my word doesn't mean a lot to you, but I give you my word. But first…"
Lily sighed, "But first…" She knocked on the door. There was no response. She tried again, and again, and a fourth time. After that knock a child poked only her head out of the apartment next door, "He's not there."
Maleficent turned, "When will he be back child?"
The kid narrowed her eyes at the child comment, then shrugged, "Never."
Maleficent frowned, "Never as in…"
The kid nodded, "Yep. Gone, finito, bye-bye birdie. He was sorta cool too. Good at magic, always gave me a quarter out of my ear even though I've known how to do that trick by myself since forever ago." She shrugged again. "Anyway, sorry." She pulled her head back into the apartment and closed the door.
Lily frowned, "I don't get it, so we'll just keep looking for him, right?""
Maleficent shook her head, "No. The child… the girl… What she meant was…"
Understanding dawned on Lily's face, "Oh. Merlin's dead."
oOOOOo
Henry walked into the house. He'd been gone for all of the morning and some of the afternoon. He closed the door behind him and walked by the living room, then turned back. "Mom?"
Emma was sitting instead of lying on the couch, "Yep. All me, myself, and I for the moment. Sorry about before. Both the puking on you and the destruction."
Henry frowned and stuck his head into the kitchen, "Where's everybody?"
Emma rolled her eyes, "In the backyard, planning on how to hold me, or kill me, or something."
Henry shook his head, "Mom would never let that happen."
Emma nodded, "You're probably right. She wants you to have both your Moms."
Henry cut Emma off, "No Mom, she'd do it for you."
Emma smiled sadly, "I highly doubt that kid."
Henry put his arms on his hips and Emma was surprised by just how much he looked like Regina when he did it. "She really loves you Mom. I know. I can tell."
"Whatever you say Henry."
"You're not going to sleep down here tonight. It's not good for you. You're going to sleep the guest room where Grandpa and Grandma are now."
Emma chuckled, "Unless you can convince Neal to leave, I don't think that you'll be able to pry them out of the room or house without a lot of C4."
Henry took a hold of one of Emma's arm, "C'mon. Let's go into the kitchen and tell them. Then listen to Neal's story too. And have lunch, I'm hungry."
oOOOOo
Lily and Maleficent stood in Merlin's former apartment. They'd gone for an early lunch to talk over what to do next, and then come back and broken into Merlin's apartment.
"Definitely smells like he died in here." She put a hand over her nose. "What are we looking for?"
Maleficent shrugged, "I have no idea. Anything that could help."
Lily sighed, "We're not going back to Storybrooke soon are we?"
Maleficent rolled up her sleeves, "Not if we want to salvage something out of this trip."
