Okay, who else was excited that Leonardo diCaprio finally won an oscar? Cuz I was definitely freaking out, lol. That and we have less than a week until the premiere of season 5B of our beloved ONCE!
Okay, so I know this wasn't as quick of an update as I had hoped, I kept making adjustments and second-guessing myself, but then I was just like this is my idea/story and to just go with what I had planned. So, this chapter is a talk mainly between Zelena and Regina. And keep in mind that Zelena never took advantage of Robin (I mean she obviously tried a couple times, but then she gave up) And she isn't pregnant with his child or any child for that matter. With that being said, Zelena basically takes an almost complete 360 and is better than the craziness on the show.
Without further ado...
Chapter 7 (Sixteen Weeks)
Heart-to-heart
"Alright, boys, why don't you go get cleaned up for dinner," Robin instructs once the family of four and Zelena have walked inside the mansion and the front door has been shut. "Would you like me to get started on the meal while you and Zelena talk, love?"
"That would be great," Regina smiles then motions for her sister to follow her into her office.
The two sisters walk into the office and sit down on opposite couches, facing each other, each waiting for the other to start first. They sit there like that for about five minutes before anyone speaks.
"So, a baby huh? I thought you couldn't have children of your own? You drank that potion," Zelena finally says, curiously.
"Yes, I thought so as well, but- Hang on. How did you know about the potion? I never told you about that. I hadn't told anyone about that until just recently?" Regina questions, growing more and more confused and angry by the second.
"Now, before you get all riled up, I know about it because I saw you do it," Zelena starts, and then at Regina's confused and angry expression, she continues to explain. "When I was in Oz, there was a floor that was almost like a looking glass, where I could see between worlds. The wizard first showed it to me to tell me about my real family when I went looking for answers. He showed me you, and told me you were my younger sister. He told me about Cora, and how she gave me up because I couldn't give her what she wanted. But you could, and did. I used that looking glass to keep an eye on you throughout your life, but whenever I looked in it, you were either terrorizing villages, at your apple tree, talking to your father, or practicing magic with the Dark One. Then, one day, I saw a different side of you. I heard the whole discussion between you and Mother about the man with the lion tattoo, which is how I knew I could destroy your happiness if I came through the time portal as Marian. Anyways, that's beside the point right now.
"I saw you with the Sheriff and the whole discussion about how Mother wanted you to have a child, which I thought was really weird and kind of sick, but regardless, I saw you mix up that potion. The majority of me wanted you to take that potion, but another part, a very small part mind you, wanted me to stop you and tell you how foolish you were being. It was the first time that I actually felt like an older sister. So, anyways I clearly didn't stop you, but I did help you while you were in Camelot."
"What do you mean you helped me in Camelot?" Regina questions, growing tired by the games her sister keeps playing.
"I came back here just after you all left to try and find you to talk to you. When I heard that all you heroes had gone to Camelot, I managed to find a couple magic beans, and I jumped in a portal. While I was there, I kept hidden, but when I heard you and Robin talking one night, albeit from the same room, not the two separate ones that were provided to you, I knew I had to do something. I was tired of being the Wicked Witch. What you said to me that day in the Sheriff's station, stuck with me. I did want to try and start over, but I just didn't know how. And I kept falling back into old habits," Zelena explains.
"What did Robin and I talk about?" Regina questions.
"It was mostly lovey-dovey stuff. About how you couldn't believe that after everything you guys went through, you still managed to stay together. About how you couldn't wait to tell the boys about the proposal. And then Robin brought up the topic of more children, to which silence fell over the two of you. I couldn't see anything, seeing as how I was on the other side of the door, to which I'm glad I stayed there because, my guess is you two were both naked. Just saying, it seemed that way," Zelena defends.
"What did I say?"
"You reminded him of what you told him: that you couldn't have children of your own. He then preceded to say that maybe True Love can break any curse, and you started to argue when he said that maybe the love between two Soulmates is stronger. Which it is, but not that strong mind you. Anyways, he said that maybe you two could adopt, since you had done it before with Henry. At that point I was like there has to be a way for them to have children of their own. Yes, this may seem weird and creepy and you may be finding this all hard to believe, but I did want to redeem myself, at least in my sister's eyes," Zelena says, looking up from her feet to look Regina in the eyes.
"You're right, I am finding this hard to believe and a little weird, but I do want a sister," Regina admits.
Zelena smiles at that. "As do I. There is something you should know as well, and something I would like your help on, if that's alright?" Zelena asks hesitantly.
"What is it?" Regina asks skeptically.
"While I was on my rise to power in Oz, I had a child. At the time, I felt that a child would just be a nuisance and I really didn't want one, so I gave it up. I would like your help in locating my child. I would like to get to know her."
Regina is shocked to say the least to discover that her sister has a child, a daughter if she heard correctly.
"I have a niece?" Regina is dumbfounded as she looks at her sister for reassurance that she heard correctly.
"Yes, and I would like to find her," Zelena answers, nodding her head and looking at Regina awaiting her answer.
"Of course I'll help, but I would like to bring in reinforcements since it will take time for me to trust you. You understand, right?" Regina replies excitedly, though still cautious around her sister.
"That's understandable, and expected. I assume you will want your husband to be among the reinforcements?" Zelena questions, though already knowing the answer.
"How do you-? Oh, right you probably saw the wedding," Regina replies.
"Of course I will be going with her, wherever she goes. Not only is she my wife, but she is also carrying my child, and I don't trust you, Zelena," Robin declares, stepping into the room, startling the two sisters slightly.
At the sound of Robin's voice, Regina feels a light kick come from her stomach and she quickly puts a hand over the spot where she felt it as she gasps slightly.
"Regina, love, are you alright? Is the baby okay?" Robin asks worriedly as he stands from his seat next to Regina and kneels down in front of her.
"I'm fine, she's fine. She just kicked when she heard your voice and it surprised me that's all," Regina soothed, cupping his check with her other hand.
"You're sure everything's alright?" Robin asks worriedly, still looking between Regina's face and her belly, where he saw little bumps forming and disappearing here and there.
"Everything is fine, Robin," Regina reassures, putting both of her hands on either side of his face to get him to focus on her and what she was saying to him.
Feeling reassured, Robin sat back down next to Regina on the couch, though a little closer this time. He places a hand over Regina's, the one that was still resting on her belly, and gives a light squeeze as he smiles at her before getting up to go check on dinner in the kitchen.
"He is rather protective of you isn't he?" Zelena observes after Robin has left the room.
"It's only because his first wife, Marian, well you know who she is, she had a difficult pregnancy and he almost lost both her and Roland," Regina explains, looking her sister in the eye disapprovingly.
"Ah. And he doesn't want that happening to you," Zelena says, finally understanding a bit.
"Exactly," Regina says then shifts uncomfortably on the couch. "Honey, I know you like to dance but can you keep the kicks to a minimum? You're making mommy's back hurt." Regina scolds the baby while rubbing circles over the swell of her belly.
"She's moving?" Zelena inquires, watching her sister grow more and more uncomfortable on the couch.
"A lot. Usually Robin can calm her down, but he's most likely busy at the moment with dinner," Regina says while continuing to shift on the couch.
"May I?" Zelena asks, nodding towards Regina's belly. At Regina's hesitance, Zelena is quick to reassure her. "I'm not talking about using magic. I would like to feel me niece kick if that's alright with you?" Regina doesn't say anything so Zelena takes that as a yes.
Regina sits a tad more comfortably on the couch while Zelena comes and kneels on the ground beside her. Slowly and hesitantly, Zelena moves her hand closer to Regina's belly. Carefully, Zelena places her hand on the unusually small swell of Regina's stomach.
"Hey there, little one. You really ought to calm down a bit. You're making your mother rather uncomfortable, though you probably don't have a whole lot of room in there either," Zelena coos, hoping to calm the unborn infant, while also expressing her concerns.
"She probably doesn't, but Dr. Thompson mentioned that it might be a side effect of the potion I took and whatever methods I used to lift them," Regina explains, relaxing into the couch cushions as her daughter calms down and stops moving so much.
"She must have been antsy about me being near. I have magic she isn't used to feeling, so she was probably just worked up about it," Zelena explains, still with her hand on Regina's belly. At Regina's expectant look towards her Zelena asks, "What?!"
"What methods were used in breaking the potions effects on me?" Regina questions, looking at her sister with the same expectant look on her face.
"How far along are you?" Zelena questions, not answering Regina's question, causing her to get upset.
"What's it matter?" Regina asks, upset that her sister wasn't giving her straight answers.
"It matters because I'm pretty sure you are further along than what would be correct for when I gave you the water from Lake Nostos," Zelena explains in a rush, hoping to keep her sister from roasting her alive.
"When did you give me this water?" Regina returns, now being the one not giving direct answers.
"During the reception of your wedding. I figured, it being your wedding night and all, you two could conceive then, considering you wouldn't be being careful because you still believed you couldn't have children," Zelena explains.
"Now look whose being tricky and deceitful?" Regina retorts, rolling her eyes at her sister in the process.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. How far along are you?" Zelena asks again.
"Sixteen weeks. When did Robin and I get married?" Regina questions, hoping to find out her wedding anniversary.
"About fourteen weeks ago," Zelena replies, completely confused. If Regina was in fact sixteen weeks along, that meant that the night of conception was the ball the royals of Camelot put on in their honor. The night Robin nearly died at the hands of Percival.
"Wait? I got pregnant before you gave me the water?" Regina questions, looking just as confused as her sister.
"It appears so," Zelena says thoughtfully. "Apparently the connection between the two of you was stronger than I had originally thought. Or it's just because of what happened to Robin that night." Zelena murmurs most of this to herself, trying to get her thoughts organized. She hadn't initially realized she said that last part out loud though.
"What happened to Robin on what night?" Regina questions, worry and panic lacing her tone.
"Gah, this would be so much easier if Emma hadn't taken your memories away. I wouldn't have to explain all of that. You know what? Let's go see if Emma can return your memories to you?" Zelena says determinedly.
"Yeah, good luck with that. She is cryptic in her answers and won't even talk to me at the moment, so I highly doubt she would help me let alone you and me," Regina explains tiredly.
"Well she is just going to have to deal with it, because I feel like you deserve some answers. You and Robin," Zelena argues, standing up and offering her hand to Regina to assist her getting up as well.
Regina takes Zelena's hand, but as Zelena starts walking towards the door, Regina pulls back on it.
"What are you doing? C'mon. Perhaps I can talk some sense into her," Zelena practically whines.
"If Robin and I are to get our memories back, then everyone else should as well, and I have a feeling that is something Emma doesn't want," Regina stops, crossing her arms across her chest in defiance.
"Wow, you really have adopted the hero complex haven't you?" Zelena observes, rolling her eyes at her sister's stubbornness.
"I worked really hard to get where I'm at with the people of Storybrooke. I don't plan on reverting back to my old ways anytime soon. I have more than just myself to think about now. I have Henry, Robin, Roland, and now this baby. So call what I have a hero complex all you want, because I would rather have that than be called 'Evil' in front of those I care about," Regina snaps, causing Zelena to look at her rather impressed and also rather enviously. She quickly pushes that last thought out of her head because the last thing she wants right now is to turn green again.
"Well I'm glad to see you still have your stubbornness and attitude, even if it is being used for the forces of good now. But, seriously Regina, let's just get a select few memories back. It'll be easier for everyone involved and I'm sure Emma would be okay with you seeing your wedding. Hmm?" Zelena knew that last bit was low, but she knew it would get Regina to agree to go and at least talk to Emma.
And it did. "Fine, but after dinner and after I talk to Robin about this." And with that, Regina walks past Zelena and presumably into the kitchen to help Robin with dinner.
Zelena stands there in the office for a couple minutes longer before releasing an exasperated sigh and following her sister out to the kitchen as well.
"Hello, milady. How was the rest of the conversation with your sister?" Robin questions when Regina puts her arms around his waist from behind and rests her cheek against his back.
"It went surprisingly well, actually. Although the topic of me getting pregnant and how came up," Regina mumbles into Robin's back.
"What do you mean?" Robin asks, slightly confused while also slightly horrified at the idea that the two sisters talked about his and his wife's sex life without his knowledge.
"She wondered how far along I was because, as the doctor already mentioned, I'm a bit smaller than normal, but our little girl is still a healthy size," Regina starts and continues at Robin's hum of understanding and acknowledgment. "I told her I was sixteen weeks and she informed me that she planned on giving me water from Lake Nostos during our wedding reception, but that was only fourteen weeks ago."
Robin turns around then with a very confused look on his face, so Regina precedes to tell him what Zelena had told her, and everything else that he missed while he was in the kitchen.
"Zelena was going to help us because she wanted to get in your good graces?" Robin wonders after Regina is done telling him about the conversation.
"That was the idea," Zelena says, causing the couple to jump and quickly turn and look at her. "Sorry. Didn't mean to cause you any alarm." Zelena then grabs an apple and goes and sits down in the living room where she then turns on the TV and starts flipping through the channels.
"She is a sneaky one, isn't she?" Robin notes causing Regina to chuckle and nod her head in agreement.
"Mama?" The two adults jump then and turn to see Roland and Henry standing in the doorway of the kitchen.
"Yes, sweetheart?" Regina asks.
"Is the scary lady going to be staying here?" Roland asks innocently with a hint of fear and worry in his voice.
"It's just, Zelena did a lot of horrible things to, well, everyone and we were just wondering what the plan was?" Henry adds, walking into the kitchen and sitting on one of the barstools.
Regina could almost kick herself for being so ready to forgive her sister for her past deeds. She really did want to have a relationship with her sister that didn't involve the two of them hell bent on destroying the other. She had nearly forgot that Zelena was responsible for Henry's father's death.
"We are working things out right now," Regina replies honestly. "But if you boys don't feel safe having her here, she doesn't have to stay."
"She can stay, but if you or Dad aren't home with her, than we don't want to be here," Henry says honestly.
Regina doesn't have to think twice about her answer for this. She wasn't even planning on leaving Zelena alone in her house with either one of the boys. "Of course, Henry. I wasn't going to let that happen. I don't want that to happen. I still don't trust my sister all that much, so there is no way she would be able to be left alone with either one of you boys."
"And I wouldn't ask you of that," Zelena interrupts out of nowhere, making everyone jump a little in surprise. "Trust me, that is."
"How long have you been listening?" Regina asks, slightly annoyed with her sister's ability to sneak up on her so easily.
"I've heard every word spoken since the boys showed up in the kitchen," Zelena answers simply, shrugging her shoulders non-nonchalantly.
"Ah. Well, I suppose I should get started on dinner, and Henry why don't you work on your homework," Regina directs.
"What about me, Mama?" Roland asks, looking at Regina with his big, chocolate brown eyes.
"Well, I suppose you could go play on the Xbox with your dad in the living room?" Regina suggests, looking from Roland to Robin.
"You're kicking me out, milady?" Robin asks, placing his hand on his chest in mock hurt.
"Considering you have yet to get a handle on anything here in the kitchen, yes, you are getting kicked out," Regina replies back while walking over to Robin and placing a chaste kiss on his lips before turning back to the fridge to collect everything for dinner.
"As Her Majesty wishes," Robin bows slightly then follows after his son after he hears a whiny 'Papaaaa' coming from the living room.
"Um, Regina?" Zelena asks tentatively.
"Hmm?" Regina hums, still going about getting everything together for dinner.
"Would you mind terribly if I looked through some of your books in your study? I saw a few that might help me to locate my daughter."
That stops Regina in her tracks. On one hand, she really wants to trust her sister and believe that she genuinely wants to change and find her daughter. On the other hand, she doesn't trust her sister and feels like she never can. Zelena has done so many terrible things in her past that it makes it quite difficult for people to start to actually trust her at all. Regina would know. She's been in that situation. And it is because she knows what that's like, that she doesn't regret or hesitate on her next words.
"Why don't you go to my vault after you grab those books in my study? There might be even more books there than there are here that may help you."
"Really? I mean, you don't mind me going to your vault?" Zelena asks, completely dumbfounded. Not entirely sure if she heard her sister correctly.
"Yes. I know what you are going through, and I also know that it will take me and everyone else some time to trust you. It is because of my knowledge on that matter that I trust, or at least want to believe, you when you say you want to find your daughter," Regina replies honestly.
Zelena nods her head in understanding. "Thank you, Regina. For giving me this opportunity, when some may say that I clearly don't deserve it," Zelena replies sincerely.
"I'm giving you this opportunity because I was given the same one when the curse broke and I wanted my son back. I had to earn him back and earn everyone's trust. Though, I'm pretty sure Snow was easier to gain that trust in because she knew who I was before I married her father. So, for you, Zelena, I will be your Snow White of sorts. I will be ready to believe in you and trust you, but you have to believe and trust in yourself, first," Regina finishes by nodding her head and then turning back to preparing dinner. "Dinner should be ready in about an hour, so be back by then."
"Again, thank you, Regina. It means a lot to me that you would believe in me."
And with that, Zelena turns to leave, but Regina stops her just before she leaves the kitchen. "If I were you, I'd teleport to the vault so you don't run into anybody from the town on the way there. Only the people in this house and Snow and Tink know you are in town, and it'd be best to keep it that way. At least for now."
Regina then takes the cuff off of her sister's wrist. Zelena rubs her wrist and feels an instant thrumming of magic run through her veins at the sudden return of it.
"Rumpelstiltskin and Belle know I'm here as well, because of the Camelot thing, but that's it. I wouldn't want anyone else knowing either. I really need to take things slowly and at my own pace, so that I can gain everyone's trust. Thank you again, Regina."
Then Zelena disappears in a cloud of green smoke.
So, since there is only a week until the premiere and I have a tone of homework for school to get done before I go on spring break in two weeks, I'm not gonna get this story done by then. I want to take my time with the chapters and make sure nothing is rushed. That being said, I laid everything out and I know where I'm finally going with this and how many total chapters, including the Holiday chapters, this will be, which is 22, including the Epilogue. The Thanksgiving Chapter will be up sometime tomorrow morning (for me here on the western side of the United States). Sorry for the crazy long Author's Notes btw.
Fav/Follow/Review ... Reviews make me update faster ;)
Thanks for Reading :)
