AN: The holidays were not as restful as I hoped, but here we are again!
Thank you to all the people who have followed and favorited my story in the meantime, as well as massive thanks to the fans that have stuck around! Big hugs to you all! You've kept me going on this story and encouraged me to make it the best I can.
I am estimating the span of time that passes when Emma interrupts the time stream and the curse was cast. I was looking around for an official timeline, but no such luck. If anyone knows of one, I'd love to see it! So I went with around two years. Time for Snow and David to officially get together, and then to settle and have Emma. It ties in close with what they say about Arendelle and the events there.
I did not read "Shadow of the Queen," so I'm not sure how the relationship plays out with the Huntsman and Regina in that book. I'm handling it in my own way.
As always, I do not own OUAT and its characters, that's all Disney. This is all for fun and for the fans.
Chapter 10
Enchanted Forest, The Evil Queen's Castle, Eleven Months after Emma and Marian's Escape (Post Second Wave)
The Huntsman of the Evil Queen walked a fine line. He, quite literally, lived to serve her, but hated the fact from the depths of his soul.
He had learned, in his time under her command, the limitations of the spell she had over him. Humbert had to obey her strictest word, but when she did not give him a directive, he found he could move freely and follow his own instincts.
As he approached her as she sat in her garden, a book open on her lap, he schooled his expression into a sort of blankness. Offer no more than you must. Give her nothing unless she asks for it.
"My Huntsman." Her smile had bite, sharp yet somehow alluring. "What news have you?"
"Your Majesty." He bowed until she gestured for him to rise. It was a small gesture that she appreciated, and which cost him nothing. "I followed the rumors of the escaped convicts, but did not find the women you seek."
She snarled, clenching a fist as she stood. "How can they be evading all of the guards and you, the cleverest tracker in the lands?"
"I am not certain, Your Majesty."
"Then what is your best guess?" She turned toward him, skirts whirling with the motion, highlighting her curvaceous figure, the red sunset giving her a glow like fire.
Curse the woman. "I suspect the songsters only make up stories for entertainment. I think your fugitives have traveled to a realm far outside your reach. The minstrels and people talk, but there are no trails that prove the stories."
"The only way they could be out of my reach is if they left this world all together." Her dark eyes flashed.
"But you did say that one of the women was a foreign princess. She would have the means to travel."
"Do you think I exhaust my resources on them?"
Humbert nodded. "I do, Your Majesty." Let them be free. Like the Princess Snow.
Regina paced, almost prowled. It amazed him how easily the elegant woman could remind him of a beast: caged when she was frustrated, but sated when pleased. He had seen her, stretched out against the sheets with a satisfied look after he had been summoned to join her in her chamber.
Now she was eager for something upon which to vent her aggravations.
"Any other news?"
"Nottingham's lord, Sir Guy of Gisborne, wishes to see you."
The Queen twitched her nose if she had caught the scent of a reeking pile of refuse. "He does? What could that obsessive egomaniac want?"
"He requests assistance in capturing a bandit known as Robin Hood."
Relief. That was the only way he could describe the expression that crossed her face for an instant. The Evil Queen was happy, for some reason, about the news.
"So Sir Guy begs for aid? If he can't catch a simple bandit, that's hardly my problem."
"He believes that the bandit now has magical aid."
"Does he?" Regina laughed, a sound that tickled down his spine like a teasing fingernail, especially now that the garden had grown darker with the sinking of the sun.
Humbert quelled the urge to shiver. "I take it you will offer nothing to him?" Why is she happy that this bandit roams free? It makes no sense.
"I doubt a simple forest bandit has managed to recruit a sorceress or wizard worth anything. The man is deluded." The queen turned toward him, waving a hand in dismissal, the amused smile still playing about her lips. She formed a ball of flame and lobbed it lightly into a nearby brazier. Fire blossomed from the lit coals, light bathing the small area.
"...You have no tasks for me?" He blurted out the question, wishing he had remained silent the moment the words took flight.
"I may have something for you very soon. For now, you may leave." She sat on her cushioned chair, but there was a distracted air to her, and the book did not seem to hold her complete attention.
He bowed and started out of the garden, his thoughts racing despite his measured step. She did not want to lie with me? He was honestly not certain if he was relieved or disappointed. But it was strange...
Very unlike her.
Storybrooke, Pawn Shop, Present Day, Two Hours after the Battle on the Streets (Post Second Wave)
Emma Swan felt that the tension building in the pawn shop, as they sat together and drank their tea, would have required a chain saw to cut. She cast a worried eye toward Neal, but he remained sleeping in the crib that Belle had found for him.
There was some trouble brewing between the newlyweds. Emma had discreetly examined the ring on Belle's finger that she had spotted the night before-had it only been the night before?-and she was certain it was a wedding band.
Gold kept casting worried glances at Belle; that is, when he wasn't regarding Tinkerbelle and Hook with some form of disdain. It was all in the eyes and a faint curl to his lip.
Belle, on the other hand, had the unfocused gaze of someone lost in deep thought-thoughts that cut into her as deeply as a blade could. Worry wrinkled her brow and her body was angled slightly away, arms around herself in a hug: a telltale sign of anxiety. Her attention only returned to the small party on occasion. Even then, she snuck glances toward the shop as if it might have the answers to the questions plaguing her.
Only Henry seemed at ease with everyone. In return, everyone in the strange company was comfortable with them. He kept the conversation light, talking about his time in New York and what it was like to return to Storybrooke once he had his memories back.
He's the prince Regina calls him. He's also a smart kid, good with people, brave, and caring. A son any mother could be proud of. And I am proud of him.
...But I didn't really raise him.
But in her mind, she had. Memories flooded through her as she stared down at her tea cup. Taking Henry home from the hospital. His first stumbling steps, hands flailing as he strove desperately to keep his balance as she cheered him on. Dropping him off for his first day at school and feeling the love seize her heart, like a burst of thunder, as he turned to wave goodbye to her, his face a mixture of worry and excitement.
Regina had given her the gift of motherhood-a present for which she would be eternally grateful. It might have just been a side effect of her true goal: a childhood for Henry in which he never felt abandoned. He would be cared for and well, if Regina herself could not be there. Perhaps it was also an apology to Emma herself.
The new memories served as a balm for a wound that Emma's decision to give her son up had caused in them both. No, Emma didn't have the words to thank Regina for that gift.
However, despite knowing that it had been magic that had generated those memories, not actual events, Emma couldn't help feeling a spark of resentment that she once again had to share her son with Regina. Especially while hearing Henry regale them with tales of New York and their time together there. I want to be her friend, but at the same time...
She wanted to selfishly hold those memories up as the only real ones. But she couldn't. It would have been possible-oh so easy-if Regina remained that vengeful woman.
But the Evil Queen who had plotted for so long against the Savior had gone. And how do I thank her for my time with Henry? I bring back her love's first wife.
"So are you two married now?" Henry looked between Gold and Belle.
Tinkerbelle squealed with excitement. "Married?"
"Henry!" Emma blinked at her son, brought back to the present from her guilty thoughts.
His question was met with a faint blush by Belle, while Gold's expression softened from its usual scheming smirk. The Dark One reached out for Belle's hand, and his smile shone with relief when she took it.
To Emma's eye, Belle's own hand trembled a bit.
"Sorry! But I noticed the ring."
"Really? When? Why didn't you say anything?" Tink leaned in to appraise the ring. "Wow. Congratulations!" She beamed at Belle, though Emma noticed that the expression dimmed when the fairy woman turned her gaze toward the pawn shop owner.
At her side, Hook goggled at the couple. Emma could practically hear his voice in her head: the Crocodile got married?
"We haven't been hiding it. It's just that it happened right before, well, this problem with time travel and the side effects..." Belle looked at Gold, a worried frown on her face.
"I am fine, Belle. I may be a bit out of sorts during the waves, but no lasting harm."
"You were saying such strange things..."
Gold's brow furrowed, and he tightened his grip on Belle's hand, though carefully. "What sort of things?"
"Riddles, phrased as rhymes. It reminded me of when you shared your mind with Neal..." Belle's voice softened as she said his name. "...Back when Zelena had you in that cage."
Emma frowned. "Do you remember them?"
Belle nodded. "I only remember one of them."
...She's lying? There's something she's not telling us. Emma examined the brunette, trying to decipher the cause of her anxiety.
Belle closed her eyes and recited, "Sun and moon, moon and sun. All the past is now undone."
"That's not going to happen."
The entire group turned to look at the youngest member.
"Henry..." Emma trailed off. What am I supposed to say?
Henry had placed both hands on the table, his face serious. "We'll find a way to fix this. It'll be okay. We're heroes. And heroes get their happy ending."
Hook grinned. "Well said, mate."
Belle smiled, wiping away a tear with her free hand.
Tinkerbelle grinned and held up her cup in a salute.
"So should I call you Grandmother?" Henry grinned at the petite brunette.
"I don't think I'm ready for that!" Belle laughed, the sound shaky but real. "But you can call me Belle, without the Miss."
"Well, congratulations to you both." Henry beamed. "We need to celebrate after we take care of the problem."
"Thank you, my boy." Mr. Gold's expression warmed again as he looked at Henry.
Henry hopped up and walked around the table to give them a hug.
It was almost humorous to watch her son hug the man that most of the town feared as much as-if not more than-the Evil Queen. It was an awkward gesture on Gold's part, but she could see the shaky joy at being accepted by Henry in his slightly stunned look.
The kid really has become the heart of this town. I don't just share him with Regina... I share him with everyone here. Emma stood, moving to the crib to check on her baby brother. Once again, she was pulled from her thoughts, this time by the ringing of the bell at the shop's door.
"Is anyone here?" Mary Margaret's voice called out.
Emma felt a grip over her heart-one that she hadn't fully been aware of-finally let go. "We're in the back!"
David and Mary Margaret stepped into the room, followed by Regina.
"Mom! Dad!" Emma rushed to her parents, followed by Henry. "How's your head?"
Mary Margaret smiled. "I'm fine. Just a bit of a bump. How's Neal?" She hugged Emma.
"Better than all of us. Still napping." Emma hugged her back. Over her shoulder, she could see Henry hug Regina tightly.
Regina smiled and hugged him back, glancing around the room. "What did we miss?"
"Grandfather and Belle are married!"
"That's wonderful!" Mary Margaret echoed Tinkerbelle's earlier sentiments.
David slung his arm over his daughter's shoulder. "When did this happen?"
Emma returned the gesture, half-hugging him.
"Last night, before all the...ah...excitement." Belle's gaze skirted over to Emma, before she looked back at her Rumple.
"Congratulations." It seemed to Emma that Regina's words had a hint more warmth than her usual tone with Gold, and the smile she gave Belle was genuine.
"We'll have to celebrate." Mary Margaret stroked Neal's cheek, and then scooped him up as he started to fuss.
"That's what I said!" Henry nodded.
"I need to feed Neal, then perhaps we can discuss plans?"
"Yes. We've been waiting for you." Emma stepped away from her father, crossing her arms. "Mr. Gold has a story to tell."
Belle insisted on freshening the pot of tea, and making more hot cocoa for Henry while they waited for Mary Margaret to return from feeding Neal. Gold had followed his wife.
Emma felt her curiosity brewing again. She tapped her nails against the table. What was Belle not telling us...?
"Love, you're going to wear grooves into the table." Hook touched her hand with his good one.
Emma squeezed it, much like Gold had done with Belle.
"So what is this story?" Regina had taken a spot between Henry and Tinkerbelle, the two having made room for her in the current lull.
David had taken a spot next to Tink, leaving a space next to him for his wife.
"About who was in a containment vessel." One problem at a time, Swan. It could have been something personal.
"Ah." Regina nodded.
That's right. Belle found it when she was with Regina.
"Containment vessel? What vessel? Was it someone dangerous?" Mary Margaret walked back into the room and immediately tucked Neal back into the crib.
"Gold says so. Dangerous, but not evil."
"Indeed, dearie. Allow me to tell you all the tale of Queen Elsa of Arendelle." Gold walked back into the room, carrying the containment vessel while Belle carried a tray of sandwiches.
Everyone began to help themselves to the food.
"Arendelle?" Henry pursed his lips, glancing at his backpack.
"It's a land across the sea from our land." Regina gestured to the bulk of the group. "Our land is often called the Enchanted Forest, but its true name is Mist Haven."
"Who's telling the story, dearie?" Gold narrowed his eyes at the brunette.
Regina rolled her eyes.
"And so, once upon a time... there was a young woman who had been born with a rare talent: the power to conjure ice. Few can handle the chill it brings without succumbing to the freezing of one's own heart." Gold gestured and sparkling lights drifted up from the vessel, resolving into the image of a beautiful woman, pale-haired with eyes that held untold sorrow. "Yes, she had potent magic, but very little control."
Henry rested his cheek on his hand, eyes transfixed on his grandfather.
Emma found herself doing the same, leaning in to hear every word, her sympathy aroused by the sight. She looks so lost. And lonely.
The pawn shop owner's voice had taken on a richer tone, almost hypnotic in its cadence. "When I found her, she had fled her kingdom and had created her own refuge on top of a high mountain. I decided to pay a call upon the queen."
"Why?" David frowned.
"Because anyone who runs away to a remote mountain, away from everything they've known is either very determined... or very desperate."
"Either way, you thought there was a bargain to be had." David bristled, a scowl marring his pleasant features.
"Of course." Gold narrowed his eyes. "Do you wish to hear the tale or not?"
"Dad..." Emma nodded at him.
Mary Margaret touched David's arm.
David settled, but his eyes were stony as he stared at the Dark One.
"She told me she had no need for my assistance, so I departed after giving her the means to contact me, should she wish."
Belle listened in silence, her own expression subdued.
"It wasn't long before I heard her summons. Another day, in fact. When I arrived, using the charm I had given her as a means to locate her, I found her clinging to her sister's frozen form, a shattered sword on the ice."
Tinkerbelle gasped.
"...what did you do?" Henry's voice sounded younger than it had in a long time.
Emma reached over to take his hand, but he had already turned toward Regina, who slid an arm over his shoulders.
"Her ability to control her power, you see, was compromised by her emotional state. Her grief was only succeeding in making the winter worse."
Everyone in the room sat spellbound.
"We struck a deal. I had a little trinket-the containment vessel that our two travelers brought back-from long ago in my vault, and these are the terms to which she agreed. She would willingly go into that vessel, separated from everyone she could hurt, if I would undo the effects of her power and return summer to their land. So in she went. As containment vessels go, it was not an awful prison. A little like a genie's lamp, truth be told."
"How did you stop the winter?" Regina spoke with a flat tone, a current of suspicion laced into every word.
"That's the beauty of it, dearie. Once she went into the containment vessel, the effects of her winter subsided."
"And the sister?" Henry prompted, "Did you free her?"
"Her sister had already broken the spell herself. True love, as well you know..." Gold's voice gentled. "It is not always of a romantic nature, it can be the love from family as well. A mother's love for her son. A son's love for his father." Gold dropped his eyes to his gloved hands. "And the love between two sisters."
Tinkerbelle's voice was as quiet as Emma had ever heard it. "But she had been frozen."
"Yes, but her last act before her body was turned to ice was to fend off a blow from her sister's attacker. Sacrifice. The noblest deed that a hero can do."
"And you took credit." Killian snorted.
"I fulfilled my end of the bargain, pirate. If I hadn't banished her into the vessel, she would have continued generating ice and snow, more than likely killing everyone around her."
"You would have kept her trapped!" Emma pounded the table.
Neal, awakened by the sound, started to cry.
Mary Margaret hurried to her son and picked him up to soothe him.
Emma looked apologetically at her mother, but the sentiment vanished as soon as she turned her gaze back to Gold.
"Now, now, dearie. That vessel was supposed to give her time to test her powers, to learn what they could do in a safe environment. Do you think I had any interest in keeping someone so useful locked away forever?"
Belle tilted her head. "How long ago was this?"
Gold considered. "When I first visited Elsa, it was around two years before the first Dark Curse was successfully cast. And you two visited my vault a month afterwards."
"So for her, it has only been a month in that vessel."
"Yes. Not nearly enough time to overcome her fear to gain control of her abilities."
"And now she's in a world that's completely unfamiliar." Mary Margaret's voice was full of concern. She swayed as she held Neal, humming softly to him.
"Which, unfortunately, means her powers are out of control and she's brought that same winter to an unprepared Storybrooke." Regina crossed her arms, a thoughtful frown on her face. "The original curse didn't allow for the changing of seasons. Time had been suspended here."
"We have to help her!" Henry looked around the table. "It's not her fault that she's doing this. She's scared."
Regina looked at Henry with a mixed expression, adoration blended with the slightest hint of exasperation. "Henry... we may not even be able to get close enough to try."
"There's got to be something." Henry turned toward Gold and Belle.
Emma saw Regina's shoulders droop.
"I can look into it, along with my research into time travel." Belle reached across the table to touch Henry's hand. "There may be something else we can try."
"I have an idea." Regina now held her hands in her lap. "I was going to suggest it for our time problem."
"And what's that, dearie?"
"Zelena's pendant. I think it's still locked away in my crypt, unless it crumbled with her. I thought since this wave issue sprang from a spell Zelena cast, that perhaps Ms. Swan could wear the pendant to absorb the power behind the wave." She looked at Mary Margaret. "You said that Glinda told you that the pendant helped Zelena control her abilities. With it, this Elsa could probably get her magic under control and end this storm."
"Do you think it would work?" Emma blinked.
"No, Ms. Swan, I always suggest things that I think are idiotic."
Definitely still mad at me. Then again, this is how she usually speaks to me.
"It could work. I'd have to study the pendant more thoroughly to be certain." Gold nodded, gripping his cane as he stood up. He paced, reminding Emma of a shark in the aquarium she had visited with Henry only six months ago.
"So we have two things we need to address." David raised a finger. "One, researching how we can end these time waves, and two." He added another finger. "Finding Queen Elsa and calming her down."
"Three." Mary Margaret sat down again with Neal in her lap. "We need to have a town meeting and make sure everyone's okay with the weather being out of control, as well as assure them that we're working on the time issue."
"This evening at six at the town hall? We could always tell Leroy about it and that would take care of it." Regina's lips quirked up in a sly grin.
"Emma and I can take of the searching, and check on the residents." David nodded. "We'll let them know about the meeting."
"I have an idea about the waves." Henry reached into his backpack and pulled out a book.
"What's that, Henry?" David turned toward his grandson.
Henry opened to a bookmarked page.
"Is that your science book from school?" Emma leaned forward to read over his shoulder.
"Yeah. I was thinking about these waves. Magic is like energy, right?"
"In some senses, yes." Regina nodded. "What did you have in mind?"
"Would something like a lightning rod work?" Henry pushed his book toward Regina, pointing at a diagram. "We toured the Empire State Building one day for school and the tour guide pointed them out. It draws away the electrical power away harmlessly. Could we give the spell something else to focus on?"
"That could work. May I?" Belle held out her hands for the book.
Henry passed it over to her, keeping it open to the page.
Belle studied the diagram, tracing the line depicting the lightning rod. "Maybe not a rod, but if we create magical duplicates to absorb the effects, it might work."
"Very clever, my boy." Gold grinned at his grandson.
"So you're talking about... something like a voodoo doll? Only instead of causing pain, it takes it away?"
"A common magical talisman for transference, Miss Swan." The Dark One smiled, though the gesture reminded Emma more of a dog baring its teeth.
"We'd need something to represent each person." Belle looked up from the book. "Something that represents your mind, Rumple. David's courage and Regina's heart. Something for Neal as well. Whatever we concoct, we need to tie it to Emma so that when the wave hits, it will take the surge from Emma and direct it to the replacement."
"We recovered my broken sword at the barn when we stopped Zelena. Would that work for me?" David rubbed his chin.
"Since it was the original spell component, that should be perfect. I will do some spinning and generate a version of my mind. I have since dispelled the last one." The Dark One grimaced. "At least this time it won't be in a cage."
"What about Neal?" Mary Margaret rubbed her son's back, pressing her cheek against his head in a loving gesture.
"Hair, I think." Belle's voice took on a reassuring tone.
"It won't be enough, my dear." Gold shook his head. "The first time the spell hits, the energy could be enough to burn through it."
"So what can we use?" Mary Margaret's brow creased in worry.
I am so sorry, Mom. I never meant to do this. I never wanted this to happen. Emma considered saying the words out loud, but found them stuck in her throat.
"Blood." Regina's voice was soft. "Blood is one of the most potent components that a spell can use. It wouldn't have to be that much blood. Only a small vial."
Mary Margaret looked stricken, and David quickly enfolded both of them in his arms to shield them as much as he could. "But, blood magic..?"
"At its essence, blood magic is merely a way to tie the spell to a stronger, more personal effect. Yes, it can be devastating, but I've used blood magic as a protective spell to lock my office."
"From what I've found in my studies, intention is what makes it dark." Belle offered. "And how it is taken."
Regina rested her elbows on the table, placing her chin on her hands. "I wouldn't advocate this, but it's a better option than risking a weaker tie."
Mary Margaret exchanged a glance with David.
"This really is the best option for him?"
"I promise you, David, I wouldn't suggest it otherwise."
Mary Margaret nodded, and David did so only a half beat later.
Everything's changing. Dad... sounds like he trusts Regina. At least more than before.
"What about you, Regina?"
"I have some ideas for something that can serve as my heart."
"It will need to be flame-resistant." Gold's voice had a tinge of sarcasm.
"One more thing..." Belle looked up from the textbook. "I think we will need a catalyst of sorts. Something that can bind them together and transform the magic into something benign so the waves no longer cause any harm. At the very least, perhaps the talisman can siphon most of the energy away so that the situation is more tolerable." Belle stood and started scanning the bookshelves.
"If we can do that, draw the energy away, could we also store it, like a battery?" Henry perked up, looking between the magic users.
"I can create a vessel like that, but I don't believe I have anything in my stores that would suffice as the transforming ingredient for magic of this nature." Gold looked around the shop. "My more potent wares are still in my castle back in the Enchanted Forest. Zelena had nothing of the like as it didn't interest her."
"So my idea won't work?" Henry bit his lip.
"Why would we want to save the energy?" Mary Margaret frowned.
"It could be useful, especially if we need to undo harm from the curse." Gold smiled. "Waste not, want not."
Regina pushed back a lock of dark hair. "I have something that could work."
"What's that, Regina?" Belle walked back to the table, carrying a few leather-bound volumes. She was already opening the first book of the stack before she had fully retaken her seat.
"Sky blossoms, opened under a full moon."
"Sky blossoms?" Gold's eyes gleamed like his name.
"How did you come across such a rare item?" Belle gaped at the sorceress.
"I found a patch growing wild in Sherwood Forest."
"Sherwood?" Mary Margaret's eyes lit up. "So is that how you-"
"It doesn't matter how I came about them." Regina busied herself by tugging on her gloves, a slight pink tinge to her cheeks.
Wait, Sherwood? How she what? What happened? Emma looked over at Hook, who looked just as puzzled.
Henry ducked his head to hide a smile.
So Henry knows what happened. I hate these waves-they're harming my family and who knows what is happening to the past. So far, nothing bad, but what about the next one?
"So Rumple and I stay here. I'll continue my research, and he can get working on the containment vessel and spell component." Belle smiled adoringly at her husband.
"I will head to my crypt to get the pendant, the blossoms, and my component of the spell." Regina tugged back on her gloves.
"There's something else you all should know." Emma was almost surprised by her own voice, as she looked over at Belle.
The librarian looked puzzled at the scrutiny.
"What's that, Ms. Swan?" Regina stood, her brown eyes narrowed.
"Belle, tell them what Gold said during the wave."
"All right..." Belle cleared her throat. "Sun and moon, moon and sun. All the past is now undone."
"Cheery." Regina frowned and turned toward her former teacher. "It sounds like one of your mad riddles."
"I have no memory of this. It's probably complete gibberish." Gold scoffed in derision.
"Anything else, Belle?" David's brow creased.
"As I told the others earlier, that's the only one I remember." Belle shook her head, and then returned to Henry's book.
She's not lying. But then what was that before? That feeling that she was hiding something? I know what I felt. "If he said something like that once, he might say something like it during the next wave."
"And you think it's important?" Regina raised an eyebrow.
"Absolutely." Emma met the gaze of the former queen.
Perhaps Regina's anger wasn't as strong as Emma thought it was, because Regina mulled over Emma's words without a sarcastic comment.
"It is possible. The Dark One loves his riddles and tricks, and that part of his mind might still be in tact during the wave." Regina studied her rival and teacher.
"So you think there's something to his babbling?" Hook frowned and turned toward Emma. "Love, I've been known to go on a mad lark, but I think this is reaching."
"No, they're right." Mary Margaret spoke now, her voice thoughtful. "Rumplestiltskin is infamous for it. If his mind is adapting to the new situation, he could be responsive."
Gold nodded after a long moment. "It's possible." He touched Belle's shoulder.
"When do we think the next wave will hit?" Tinkerbelle looked over at the clock.
"The first one was around eight last night." David pulled on his hat.
"The latest one was at nine this morning." Henry checked his watch. "Thirteen hours between them."
"So we have another eleven hours if it stays on that schedule." Tinkerbelle reasoned.
"Is that likely?" Hook turned toward Belle, buckling up his long coat.
Belle shook her head slightly. "I'm not certain. It's very possible the time between waves will shorten. Waves in a pond are affected by a variety of factors. These could be the same way. This last one also seemed to last longer."
David placed his hand on Emma's shoulder. "No matter what, we still need to check on the town to make sure that no one's trapped because of this weather, and look for Elsa."
"If you find her, leave her be and let the rest know." Gold warned. "You'll be of no help if you're turned into an ice sculpture."
"Why don't you recruit the Merry Men to help in the search? It will give them something to do and they're not the panicky sort." Regina's voice was light. "But Roland will need to be brought somewhere safe."
"I'll take care of the tyke." Tinkerbelle smiled. "He's a little cutie. And I'll warn the nuns. They might open the convent for those whose homes aren't protected against this cold."
"We can do the same for town hall, if need be." Regina added.
"We'll need all the help we can get." David nodded.
"Happy to help with the searching then, mate." Hook grinned.
David looked between Emma and Hook, raising an eyebrow at his daughter.
Emma felt her own blush heat her cheeks, and she gulped the last of her tea to suppress it.
Mary Margaret tucked Neal back into the crib. "Belle, could Neal stay here while I return to the apartment and gather some things? I'll get the sword as well." She clasped David's hand, placing a soft kiss on his cheek.
Belle smiled. "I'll be happy to keep an eye on him."
"I'll return after I've dropped off our belongings." Mary Margaret smiled.
"What should I do?" Henry put his backpack on. "Do you want me to come and help you, Mom?" He looked at Regina.
She smiled. "Why don't you help Mary Margaret gather what they need and take her back to the manor? They'll be staying there until the apartment can be fixed."
"Really?" Henry looked between Regina and Mary Margaret in delight.
David nodded in confirmation. "We worked it out while we were at the hospital."
Emma pulled on her jacket, casting a surprised look at Regina. "All of us? Including me?"
"There's room and it simplifies things. I don't think Granny wants her apartments exploding."
"What about your house?"
"I can teleport you away." Regina smiled sharply.
Time to take control. "...Could you teach me how?" Emma kept her gaze level on her son's mother.
Regina's eyes widened a fraction, and she took a moment before responding. "I can try. You didn't seem to think too much of my teaching methods before. Are you certain you want me to teach you?"
The alternative is Gold teaching me, or never learning. And causing more problems. "Yes."
"Then I'll call you after I've completed my errand. You might as well wear the pendant and see if it would work for you."
"Not so fast, dearie, I'll want to see that trinket in case we end up duplicating it for Elsa. And princess..." Gold turned toward Mary Margaret. "Perhaps you should bring me back some of the debris of your apartment, so I can examine the magic that caused it. Since we're building our own spell, we need to know everything we can."
Mary Margaret wound her scarf about her neck, tucking the ends into her coat. "Alright, is there something I should get in particular?"
"Items nearest to where Miss Swan was at the time."
"As for the pendant, wouldn't it be better to see it in action?" Emma checked her gun.
"An interesting point. Very well."
"Why don't you use our car?" Belle walked over to a small bowl near the door and handed the keys to David.
"You can use my car to get back here, Snow, if need be. Henry knows where I keep the spare keys." Regina hugged her son, then stepped back.
"Be careful out there." David's warning was somber.
"I'm just visiting my vault. You're the ones looking for an out of control ice sorceress. So I better see you all at six, unfrozen, with some answers."
Regina vanished into pale smoke.
The brusque command made Emma feel better. She's not lying. She wants to see us.
Regina felt the chill of the snowy air seep through her coat as she appeared next to the entrance to her crypt. She shivered, and quickly opened the door. The temperature within the mausoleum was not much warmer, but the shelter from the wind was a welcome respite even though she had only been outside for a few seconds.
Regina made her way down the stairs, into the hidden recesses of the building. Not so hidden anymore. The thought didn't bother her...much. A few things that once angered her no longer did, or at least did not inspire the intense rage that had created the mythos that was the Evil Queen.
As she had told her sister, Regina was changing.
Even in the bitter cold of this unnatural winter, there was a spark of warmth in her heart that part of her had never expected to feel after Daniel's death.
The strongest heart she knew of, Snow had told her. The ability to feel things deeply. For a long time, Regina had not been certain it was a blessing. The pain had been driven her to do many acts. Some that I truly regret, but what's done is done.
She entered her vault, opening the niche she had stored the pendant in. It lay against the velvet cushion, the white gem gleaming in the faint light. White? So does this mean Zelena's magic has been freed?
Another mystery to solve. Another problem to deal with. Regina took a cleansing breath. So we solve it. We. I never thought it would be commonplace for me to think of myself as a we.
She caught sight of her reflection in a mirror that she had hung when she could use Sidney's talents. She paused, examining the image before her. This was who she was. Regina Mills. Daughter of Cora. Pupil of the Dark One. The reformed Evil Queen. Mayor of Storybrooke. She had waged war against those who had caused the loss of her first love. She had taught her subjects across the Enchanted Forest to fear her. Thirty years ago, she had enacted a curse that had cast all those she had known-and hated-into a strange world with no magic, with.
Less than a year ago, she had returned to the forest without the one she had loved the most, her son, to save him and the townspeople from another Dark Curse. This time she traveled with allies, albeit uneasy ones, not true enemies.
Two nights ago, she had become Robin Hood's lover. The thought brought color to her cheeks and a smile to her lips.
Regina had never expected to see the thief again, not after she had left him in Sherwood under the full moon. His eyes then had been filled with a strange sort of sympathy, a useless thing as far as Regina was concerned. It had been something else that had etched the memory into her mind and heart.
She had been in a fine rage on that long ago night, clasping the bespelled box filled with her prize flowers. She had stalked right up to that infuriating man and let him see all that she was.
He hadn't been afraid. Stunned, astonished perhaps, but not afraid. And that had scared her far more than the tattoo emblazoned on his arm.
In the year back in the Enchanted Forest, she had seen many facets to Robin Hood. Gallant. Dedicated. Righteous. Honorable. Thoughtful.
But with a wicked sense of humor and so cocky at times that she wanted to drown him in the nearest lake. He did not cede to another's wishes if he did not believe he was in the wrong. He also had an annoying habit of sticking his nose into other people's personal business.
They had often glared at each other over the table during council meetings because their stances were so at odds with each other. Well, I glared. It did not matter if he felt he still owed her-Robin did what he thought was right.
But sometimes, sometimes he was on her side, arguing against David and Snow if he thought their idea was nonsense.
And sometimes, when they would pass each other in the castle, their eyes would meet. Then she would be taken back to that moment in Sherwood when he had looked into her soul and not turned away.
She would stalk briskly past him, saying nothing. She wanted to, at times. To ask how Roland fared and if the toy monkey she had given him helped. To hear his thoughts about some crazy notion of Snow's outside one of the many impromptu council meetings. To hear him laugh over something she had said, rather than over some private joke shared by the Merry Men. But she refused.
The distance kept her heart safe from the terrifying feeling of affection, not after losing Henry.
Henry. With that, Regina found the first part of her makeshift heart. Once, when Henry was young, she had taken him to the docks to see a fishing boat come in. The fishy odor had her rearranging her schedule for the next day so that she would be able to drop off her coat for cleaning. But Henry had loved it. He had explored wherever she had let him, whooping with every new find.
He had returned with a shell, which he pressed into her palm as a gift. It had a tiny barnacle clinging to its side, but the outside had a band of dark purple that reminded her of her magic. It was perfect, barnacle and all.
Regina had kept it in her bedroom for many years. When they had returned from Neverland with the evil Pan daring to use Henry's body, she had brought it down to her vault. It was her test, as well as a reminder.
Now it would serve as part of her heart.
As Regina took the shell from its place, she spotted the box that held the sky blossoms. As if by magic, she could see the dimpled smile of another who held her heart. Quite literally a few times.
Her memories took her back to when the second curse had been cast. Once they were in Storybrooke, she found her then unremembered resolve to avoid the thief weakening. She had received the full brunt of his charm at Zelena's farmhouse-his kiss had made her forget herself for the moment-and then his offer to help her hide her heart. Every time she had turned around, he had seemed to be there, whether by accident or his own wishes.
Fate had obviously not forgotten who the pixie dust had led her to.
It was insane to start a romance when they were all in danger. But after hearing Mary Margaret's words, about holding onto happiness found, it hadn't seemed crazy at all...
Storybrooke, The Woods, Night after the Séance to Summon Cora (Post Second Wave)
We've come full circle. Ever since Robin had found her in Sherwood Forest that night to demand answers, Regina had expected some confrontation between them to happen in the woods.
She walked among the trees, heading toward the location she remembered as being the Merry Men's camp. The darkness did not frighten her, but the shadows made every familiar landmark a strange thing. She was about to generate a fireball when she spotted a glow ahead.
Robin did not notice her approach at first, mired in black thoughts she suspected. He sat alone, stirring the fire he had built away from the camp.
He even broods attractively. She stepped into the circle of light, staring at the man who was the greatest thief she had ever known. He had not stolen her heart-I gave that to him freely-but he had stolen her fear of love. Snatched it away, bit by bit, until only the ghost of it lingered.
"Milady!" Robin rose quickly, taking a deep breath. "My deepest apologies. It was on my watch that something so valuable was taken."
Valuable. He thinks...
"But I promise you, Regina, I will get you your heart back."He was an open book to her in that moment. A flawed man who was better for those same flaws. Human. Real.
And within her grasp.
Regina reached out, fingers closing over the lapels of his jacket and drew him near, kissing him like she had wanted to do for the last few nights. But the memory of the young queen she had been had waited decades for this, and it was she who took the lead, filled with a wild hope. Did you know this about us, Robin? That something was between us?
Robin stared at her in shock. Confusion shone from his eyes as he studied her face. Whatever he found satisfied him, however, because he tilted his head to claim his own kiss in return, guiding her to a position that felt good... felt right.
Regina released her grip on his jacket in favor of wrapping her arms about his torso.
Assured that his attentions were welcome, he deepened the kiss as his fingers stoked her neck.
Warm, his touch felt warm on this cool night, and she gave herself permission to succumb to the sensation. Even without her heart, she felt the magic of this moment.
It was a long time before they parted, both breathing raggedly and leaning against each other for support.
"Well." Robin twined her hair around his fingers. "That was the loveliest acceptance of a promise I've had in a very long time, milady."
"You looked a bit like a kicked puppy, and I just couldn't bring myself to yell at you."
He nuzzled Regina's neck. "I apologize for depriving you of a good rant."
"I prefer this option."
Robin cupped her chin to look into her eyes. "As do I, Regina. I had thought I had lost any chance when you fled the farmhouse that day."
"I just needed a bit of time." She laid her hand on his wrist, rubbing her thumb against his skin.
"We still haven't finished that drink."
"Tomorrow." Regina brushed a light kiss on his lips.
He responded with a soft, sweet kiss that grew to something far bolder.
She let him, wanting it, wanting anything he was willing to share. He was an excellent kisser, this thief, and she followed his lead. They met and parted a few times until she found herself shivering, his lips against the small portion of her collarbone not covered by her blouse, the pleasant scrape of his beard across her skin.
Robin sighed, then gave her a kiss upon her forehead. He sat down again on the log, offering the space next to him.
Regina joined him, finding a perfect place on his shoulder to cushion her head. She closed her eyes, enjoying the distinct woodsy scent that clung to him.
He wrapped his arm about her waist and rested his other hand upon her knee. "I am not complaining in the least, but what brought this on?"
Regina placed her own hand on top of it, settling into his embrace. "I realized this is one battle I don't want to fight anymore."
"Can you explain your meaning?" Robin kept his voice hushed, his breath stirring the strands of hair at her temple. He rubbed his thumb against her knee.
Regina squeezed his hand. "I find you attractive, and I am tired of pretending I don't. I am tired of being unhappy, when I can take pleasure in another's company."
He kissed her temple. "I must say that I've found you intriguing since that night in Sherwood. You haunted me at times, milady."
"Indulge me about something."
"Happily. What is it?"
"Shouldn't you be more careful before agreeing to something?" Regina smiled, tilting her head so that he could see the gleam in her eye.
"I do still owe you."
"Fair point."
"So ask away, milady. What do you crave?"
"How had you managed to get captured when I met you?"
"I was teaching one of the lads how to pick-pocket. It was just poor luck that he caught the attention of some of Sir Guy's men when he helped a lass pick up her wares. In the fight that ensued, the choice was between saving myself or Much. I knew Sir Guy would leave Much alone if he could secure my capture."
"He asked for my aid in capturing you, once."
"Did he now?" Robin chuckled. "What was your response?"
"I believe I said something along the lines that it wasn't my problem that he couldn't catch a simple bandit."
"Your pardon, Regina, but I am an extraordinary bandit."
Regina laughed, turning into his embrace. "He suspected that you had received magical aid to escape him that one day."
"Does this mean I owe you my life yet again?"
"You said it. I was going to let that one slide. You best not try to renege on repaying me."
"I always settle my debts." Robin grinned, dimples flashing.
She squeezed his hand. "What do you think happened in that year we all seem to have forgotten?"
"In general, or do you mean between the two of us?"
"I mean between the two of us." Regina stared at the fire.
"Does it matter?"
"What if I was horrible to you?"
"It's in the past." He laid his cheek against her hair, pulling her closer. "What matters is who we are now, and how we feel about each other now. You have changed, Regina, and, as I told you, you are a queen worth following."
She felt the press of his lips against her hair, and pulled away.
Robin blinked at her. "Regina?"
She grabbed him and kissed him, infusing all the passion that she could into the gesture without her heart, but turned it tender.
Robin cradled her close, kissing her back, fingers running along her spine.
Regina held the kiss for as long as she could, willing to drown in the sensation because the risk was worth it. Love was worth it.
This time, when they finally broke the kiss, they were breathless. Robin held her tight, not wanting to separate any further.
Regina swore she could hear his heartbeat, and she crept a hand under his jacket to rest it against his chest. She smiled at the faint tremor.
"...how does it feel?"
"You have a strong heart."
Robin covered her hand with his. "Thank you." He half-smiled, though the expression did not fully dim the worry to his eyes. "But I more wished to know what it is like for you, now."
"I can still feel, just not as deeply. It's strange, difficult to explain."
He nodded. "So don't try. Use my heart. It's strong enough for both of us." He stroked her hand.
Regina felt the echo of her own heart pound and smiled at him. "It's late. I should return to the manor."
"May I walk you back?"
She shook her head. "I'll be fine."
"Are you sure? I may be a thief, but I try to be a gentleman."
"Not too much of one, I hope." She winked, standing and stretching.
Robin remained seated on the log, his eyes raking over her form, before he once again grinned at her. "Once I get you your heart back, Regina, I promise you that I will be the right amount of gentleman."
She shivered and vanished, but the image of his smile stayed with her the entire night.
Storybrooke, Regina's Mausoleum, Present Day, Three Hours after the Battle on the Streets (Post Second Wave)
Regina smiled, fingering the note from Robin. I wish I had something else to add, but this is another piece of my heart. There's only one more thing to find. Something to hold them safe.
She stared around the vault, with all its reminders of her dark past and the road she had travelled. It was time to find the light.
I may be Cora's daughter, but I'm also Henry's daughter. She began to search the mausoleum, looking for the final part of her new heart.
Storybrooke, The School, Present Day, Nearly Three Hours after the Battle on the Streets (Post Second Wave)
Robin watched his son with Marian, the boy gesturing as he spoke. It warmed his heart to see his son having the chance to spend time with his mother.
She can be a part of his life now, at least. That's important. Even if my heart has moved on.
Marian knelt next to Roland, hands clasped, smiling at the boy as he pretended to draw a bow.
Robin turned his attention back to his arrows, splitting them into piles for repairs. He had time to refletch arrows, as well as sharpen the points. He could test bowstrings, anything to keep his hands and mind preoccupied.
I hated to hurt her, but better like this than to deceive her. Robin could still see the ghost of pain in her eyes, and he remembered another pair of eyes...
Enchanted Forest, A Short Time after the Breaking of the First Dark Curse (Post Second Wave)
"Robin!"
The outlaw leader slid the completed arrow into his quiver. "What is it, Much?"
"There is a large group making their way through the forest."
"Refugees?" Robin slipped off the wall he had been perched upon. It was not the same as one of the many branches in Sherwood, but the height gave him a sense of familiarity.
"I don't think so. They're not dressed like refugees. And I don't think refugees would be heading for the old castle."
"Then let us see what these visitors want." He adjusted the quiver about his back, and picked up his bow.
"Robin... one of them looks like the Evil Queen."
He froze. "...You don't say. Prepare the men. I believe it's time we leave this place."
Much quickened his stride, rushing off to pass on the word.
Robin's own thoughts were faster. I never expected to see her again. They had left, gone to some strange land from the rumors. Why would they be back now?
The preparations had been made within an hour, his men well used to the necessity of packing light and swiftly. The Merry Men now trailed the group Much had spotted. The area they were now in was a dangerous place, and the strange flying creatures seemed to have made the area their favored hunting ground. Caution was the watch word, and the men watched the sky as much as they watched the forest.
Robin himself barely saw the trees around him, his instincts keeping him from tripping over any stray root or branch. We will catch up to them soon. And then what? What do I say to her? He shook his head to clear it, and spotted the exact source of his confusion holding an intense conversation with a young woman with black hair.
He gestured to his men for silence, and started toward them.
In that moment, one of the winged monkeys dived toward the two women. The two women fell to the earth, avoiding the beast's talons.
The creature spun in the air, banking to swoop down at them again. The Queen flexed her hand, and Robin suspected that she was attempting to cast magic. She might not be in time.
He couldn't risk it. He drew his bow and quickly fired a few arrows to harry the monkey away.
The women looked around.
The Princess Snow's face bloomed with a welcoming smile. "Thank you!"
But in the Queen... he saw a hint of nervousness at his arrival. And pain. As raw and fresh as it had been those many years ago. How does she stand it?
Regina appeared to have read his thoughts, for she quickly composed herself, her face taking on a more relaxed expression. The hurt was hidden, buried as if it had never been there.
But Robin knew the truth.
Snow White, who had been the focus of the Queen's ire, now turned toward her step-mother with a curious gaze.
Much has changed. Her enemy is now by her side as a comrade instead. Robin offered a gloved hand to Regina, smiling. "Your Majesty? I believe this makes us almost even."
She let him help her to her feet. "The key word in that statement is almost, outlaw." Regina smirked.
Robin half-laughed. "It was worth a try." Yes, she has changed. He still held her hand clasped in his.
Regina seemed perfectly willing to let him do so.
The prince came racing forward. "Snow! Are you all right?" He helped his wife stand. "Regina?" The man looked at the queen as an afterthought.
Prince-what was his name? Ah, yes-David's question stirred Regina from her trance, and she slipped her hand free.
Robin watched as she glided away, her movements elegant. I knew there was far more to her. Nearby, his men stood in shock, except for Friar Tuck's knowing stare. He turned toward Snow and David. It was time for the Merry Men to become part of a larger band.
There will be other times to speak with the Queen.
Storybrooke, The School, Present Day, Three Hours after the Battle on the Streets (Post Second Wave)
"Robin? We have visitors." Friar Tuck approached, guiding a group of four.
Robin wiped his hand on a cloth to remove the oil from his fingertips. At his feet laid a few repaired arrows. A good bit of progress. He raised his eyes to see Emma Swan, David Nolan, the pirate Hook, and Tinkerbelle, the woman Regina had introduced him to at Granny's shop.
"Hood." Emma stopped before him, looking around at the gathered band.
"Yes, Sheriff?" Robin nodded his head in greeting.
"Willing to lend a hand again?"
"You can't imagine how strange that is for me to hear that from a sheriff."
Emma's smile took on an uncertain air. "We need your help to search the town."
Robin looked at the group of men around him, gauging their readiness. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Tinkerbelle eying Marian like a fighter sized up their opponent. "You have it. What are we looking for?"
"We want to make sure that everyone's alright with the weather for one, but then we have to find the person who's causing it. Regina suggested that you would help."
"However we can."
AN: Can I just say that one thing that irritated me is that we never saw that first conversation after Robin and Regina's kiss? The next thing we saw between them was them kissing outside Emma's apartment. I hijacked that discussion for part of this. They'll have something else to talk about outside of the apartment after Henry interrupts them.
Before you worry, there WILL be more revealed about what happened in the missing year. A few chapters ahead will focus strictly on the forgotten year, and there are two VERY important elements to the storyline that happen in the year that was lost.
And Robin definitely gets his chance to talk to Regina about a few things that have been bothering him.
Coming next is the tale Mr. Gold told from Elsa's point of view, a discussion between Henry and Mary Margaret, and rivals sizing up the competition...
Thanks for reading! If you have a moment, drop me a line. I also am happy to write in requests if I can do them justice.
See you next time!