A/N: Pay no attention to the other stuff being posted if you're only here for my new stuff. (And no worries if you are. 95% of my new stuff is vastly better than some of my oldish stuff...) I'm trying to get all my fanfic up on here, and I only have uh... well, perctage wise not too much more, but numbers a few more.
Anyway, here's another part of my current story though. And thank you for all who are still reading. I thought it was going to be much, much shorter than it's turning out to be, but, as you'll see with this part, I am getting to the important parts now... (Which is good since I already have a lot of the ending written.)
Maleficent's laugh was nearly a cackle as she announced herself in Regina's grand room. "You killed your father... the only one who loved you and you killed him. Brilliant Regina, quite brilliant."
"I'm working Maleficent. Leave."
She didn't, but came closer. "But, it's my curse."
"Was."
Maleficent bristled and grabbed Regina by the shoulder. "You're on your second try. Can your soul take that? What did you forget? This time you will need to get it right, because you will not get a third chance. Prince James, Snow White, they will kill you."
Regina yanked her arm away, "She won't."
"You don't-"
Regina threw her hand out and Maleficent went flying backwards, "You have nothing I need any longer, or want. Leave now or I will-"
"What... I am your only friend, and you abuse me. You- you are the evilest of evils Regina. You will never have anyone, because you only use people. Your soul is black." Maleficent paused, "I can help you still. Help you change the spell..." Regina looked up from the book she was reading, just a bit surprised that Maleficent had figured out what she was doing, "...my price is that you include me. Let me remember also."
"No. I don't need anyone's help, especially that of a- witch of your caliber. Leave."
Maleficent shook her head and closed her purple robes around her, "I will do as you say, but, this is not the end. Not at all." And she stormed from the room, her dress and robe twisting and swirling in her wake.
Regina glanced up from the book and over at her father's heart. "It will be for you... you get to start anew."
"Mom- MOM- Emmmmaaa..."
Regina jerked awake as Emma came into the living room, "Wha- where?" She put her hand to her head. "I don't- don't feel well," she paused, "don't feel right."
"Call 9-1-1." Henry blurted out.
But Regina shook her head, "N-no, I'll be okay. I just need,... I think your sauce is burning Em."
Emma jogged back into the kitchen and Henry squished onto the couch next to Regina, "Can you stay awake Mom? That was wicked scary."
Regina held her arm open and Henry crawled in, "We used to do this when you were little, do you remember that?"
Henry made a face, "I was afraid of the dark, dumb huh?"
"You overcame it."
Emma called out from the kitchen, "Dinner's ready guys."
"Two days in a row now huh?"
Henry shrugged and Regina realized that indeed he did do it nearly the same way she did. "It's okay, but yours is mostly better, 'cept for the meatloaf, I don't like meatloaf, or shrimp, or that sauce that burns my tongue. But other than that..."
"...mmhmm, other than that."
Henry went into the kitchen. Regina pushed herself off the couch and winced. She definitely didn't feel right, but the smell of dinner was pretty good too, so she stuffed the pain and icky-ness into the back of her mind and followed her son into the kitchen.
Leroy stumbled past Phelan, catching himself on her knee and nearly dragging her from the stool. "Woolf. Shouldn't you be out burnin' something down."
The two men with him winced. Phelan recognized them as Lino and Walter. Lino was about the same height as Leroy and Walter, but his entire head was bald, and he often wore a floppy hat to keep his head warm. "Sorry Woolf." That was Lino.
Phelan waved them off, "A lot of people think that I did it. I didn't. You drunk Leroy?"
Leroy poked a finger in Phelan's chest, then chuckled, "Who knew that you had boobs. I always thought you were really a man, just tryin' to..." He went for the double squeeze, but Phelan was faster. "I think it's time for you to get home Leroy."
"I will. Sorry 'bout... Woolf. He..." Walter shook his head and put an arm around Leroy and they started out of the bar.
Phelan looked towards Lino, "What's eating him?"
"He's Grumpy because no one thinks that he did it."
Phelan narrowed her eyes at Lino, "Are you serious?" Lino shrugged and Phelan frowned, "You seem down too. No witty repartee or anything. And you're never down. Sometimes you're so happy that people think you're on drugs my man."
Lino took off his floppy hat and rubbed at the top of his head. "I fee. Something's coming. Can't you feel it too Woolf?" He paused, "I need to make sure Leroy's okay."
"Yeah, see ya Lino."
Phelan paused a moment then put down money and left the bar. She walked home and let herself in. She shed her jacket and had unzipped her pants when arms encircled her waist from the back. "Getting started without me?"
Phelan smiled, "Goin' for a run. I need to- test a theory-"
"Theory, that's what you're calling cabin fever now?"
Pehlan turned in Ruby's arms, "I want to see if I can... I can feel what's wrong with the town. Leroy's grumpier than usual, not to mention he's letting people help him. Lino isn't his zany self, and I saw Walter just now..."
Ruby glanced over at the clock and back to Phelan, surprised, "Awake?"
"Yep. So- a little run."
Ruby kissed the hollow of Phelan's throat, "I'll be here. Unless I get swept off my feet by a Vamp."
"Oh?"
Ruby studied Phelan with a smirk, "Well, maybe I would choose the Werewolf. You're not tipsy are you? You know tipsy running is just as dangerous as drunk running Woolf."
Phelan pulled her shirt off over her head as she chuckled. "I nearly forgot. That's the weirdest thing that's been going on- Regina in love."
Ruby's face went serious, "Be careful, wolf or not, be careful."
"Always Rubes."
"He's asleep?"
Emma collapsed on the sofa, "By some miracle, yes." Emma laid her hand on Regina's knee, "You look like crap."
"I think someone did something to me." Emma started to get up, but Regina stopped her. "The hospital can't help me, but just... at the back of my medicine cabinet there's what looks like a spice bottle. It has an herb in it. It'll stop what she... it'll help." Regina coughed and let her eyes close and her head sag back against the couch.
Emma tangled herself from Regina and made her way to the bathroom. It took a moment, but she found the herb. She opened it on her way back to the living room and took a whiff. She winced, "Whoa-" she handed it to Regina. "Tell me you're not going to-"
Regina took out two leaves and chewed them, then put the top back on. She started to push herself up, her face already getting its color back, but Emma put a restraining hand on her shoulder and squeezed behind her on the couch so they were both lengthwise on it. "Take a breath. Nothing's on fire, Henry's fine, you're gonna be fine, right?"
"Yes."
"It was magic, what was happening?"
"Mmhmmm- Maleficient."
Emma blew out a breath, "Do you have any proof?"
"No, and, no, I don't think she's remembered her previous life, but magic is powerful, and it's here too. No doubt she's found hers." She glanced back at Emma, "I didn't think it would be. I thought that was why they always got there happy endings in the other world and I didn't. They had magic I didn't. SO, my curse, I thought it would make me the only one who had magic in this world."
"How's that working out for you then?"
Regina mumbled, "Cheeky bitch."
And Emma laughed, "Dark witch. So, what did she do to you?"
Regina pushed herself up and sat in the corner of the couch, "Did you know that Gold was once in love?"
"You're changing the subject."
"I know. She didn't succeed, so, what she did is immaterial."
Emma blew out a breath. "Fine, whatever. I'm going to bed."
Emma had just set foot out of the living room when Regina stood and spoke, "Em, wait." Emma turned and took one step back into the room. "I'm sorry." She shook her head, "I am not, my- witch-y-ness, this isn't a role for me. I'm not playing the role of me. What you see is what you get. The world has never been fair to me and so I've never seen the need to play fair when it comes to anyone else either. It's not a habit I can break easily. Telling people things, sharing things, thoughts, letting people in."
"I'm not people Regina."
"I know."
Emma crossed her arms over her chest, "That's why it didn't work when we kissed. Why we're all still here. You rigged this dark curse, changed it before you cast it the second time. Because the world had never played fair, you decided not to."
Regina nodded, "Yes. It took... yes, I did. No true love's kiss can break this spell. I-"
Emma covered her mouth as a half a laugh came out, "Sorry."
Regina nodded again, "Yes, I never thought that I'd have someone to kiss and break the spell with, that someone would love me. I mean the change in the spell to prevent those like Ashley and Sean, or David and Mary Margaret, or any of the other disgustingly romantic couples from sending us back."
Emma closed the distance between them, "We'll find our own un-remembering kiss?"
Regina frowned, "Excuse me?"
"Never mind. C'mon, let's go to bed."
"This is a bad idea Mistress-"
Mrs. Marylin Malifin swivelled her desk chair away from the man in front of her desk and towards the window. She stared out into the dark. She watched as the light in the living room of the Mayor's house went out and a moment later the one in the master bedroom went on.
She slowly swivelled back and folded her hands on the desk, "No ambulance, no coroner's van. Nothing." She slapped her hand on the desk, "They act as if nothing is wrong. After all I've done. No- someone has to die. Someone will die this time Gulliver."
Gulliver inclined his head, "Yes Mistress..."
