Ello everyone! Sorry for the longish wait! School and other stuff has gotten in the way but things are looking pretty good now. So here's a longish chapter! As always enjoy and leave a review!

I don't own OUAT. I'm just messing around with the characters.

The group settled in Jefferson's living room as they tried to figure out the best possible solution for the new problem that they now had to handle. Though it seemed that David didn't see what the big problem was. He was the only one fortunate enough not to have a run in with the Queen of Hearts.

"Perhaps she just wants to talk?" He offered as he looked to Regina.

Regina scoffed as she looked towards the blond seated beside his wife. "Talk? If my mother wanted to talk she wouldn't be hiding in the shadows and ripping out hearts in disguise. She is up to something and she needs me to do it. I just need to figure out what the thing is." Though Regina had an idea of what her mother wanted, a small part of her hoping that it was just as simple as David suggested. That maybe, just maybe, her mother wanted to talk. But no. She knew her mother. She wanted something.

Jefferson moved from where he was standing so that he was settled beside Regina on the opposite couch. His arm moving about her waist, ignoring the way she tensed before she relaxed in his hold. "What did she want with the two of you back in our lovely homeland?" He asked as he looked over to Emma and Snow.

"She just said she wanted to come here. She wanted to see Regina. She wanted to help her." Emma said as her face scrunched up. "How would she even know you needed help? Help with what for that matter?"

Regina scoffed as she replied. " . My mother is the The Queen of Hearts she ruled Wonderland with an iron fist yet still seemed to know whatever I was up too back in the Enchanted Forest. I doubt me being in another realm stopped her from checking in on me somehow. As for what she wants to help me with I'm unsure.." She frowned as she shook her head slowly. "And I doubt it's about me. It's never about me." Her voice soft as she clutched at herself tightly. "Mother always wants power and control. Always. And if she knows there is a land that no one has control over she is going to try and take it. It's why she wanted me as a queen. It's most likely why I made myself forget about Grace and Auri."

David interrupted her. "I don't understand."

"Of course you don't,shepard." Regina replied with a shake of her head. "If my mother knew about those girls she would have done anything it took to get them into the castle. That is if they were useful to her. If not she would have had them sent away or killed." Her voice cracked at killed and she breathed a soft sigh of relief as she felt Jefferson's arm tighten around her. "She would have gotten The King, Snow and then myself out of the way just to ensure the girls would become queens. Then...Then she would have had control of the kingdom and my daughters.."

"Wow. What a bitch." Emma breathed out with wide eyes. "I've been in crappy homes when I was in the system but I never had to deal with a parent like that." Hearing just what Regina's mom would have done to gain power made her look at Regina in a different light.

Regina offered Emma a tense smile before she started to frown. "If she knows about them now or that there is even a possibility they have powers. Which is rather strong since I'm a witch and I got that from mother and the girl's most likely got it from me. Their father is a portal jumper. They are bound to be powerful. If mother gets to the power.." She paused as she looked towards Jefferson. "There is no way she can about them right? I know you spent time in Wonderland. Are you..did it ever.." Panic was clear in her tone.

Jefferson was quick to assure her. "No never. She knew I had daughter's but I doubt she's actually seen them or cared enough to investigate. She was far too busy chopping off heads and taking hearts." His hand moving up to the scarf that hid the scar that he had gotten during his time in Wonderland.

"Oh Jefferson.." Regina's voice soft as she moved a hand to the scarf on his neck. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you were there. I would have..I'm so sorry."

Jefferson shook his head as he grasped her hand and gave it a gentle kiss. "It's alright, little queen. After the mission to save your father we parted ways. You didn't know." His voice soft as he pressed a gentle kiss to her knuckles.

Emma didn't want to interrupt. She was learning so much about Regina and Jefferson as well but they had things to talk about. Important things. So she cleared her throat. "Uhm guys? Sorry but we really need to.."

Regina tore her eyes away from Jefferson. "Right. Back to trying to figure this out. If mother doesn't know about the girls or about powers they may or may not have then she is after something else. My guess would be Gold's dagger."

Snow gasped softly as she looked towards her former step-mother. "His dagger? But wouldn't she became the Dark One? Would she actually do something like that?"

Regina's top lip curled as she replied. "We are talking about the women that ripped out my first love's heart because she wanted me to marry your father. So yes. I do believe that she would have no issue with killing Gold and taking on the title as the Dark One. As I said it's always been about power for her."

Snow lowered her head at the mention of that moment years ago and she slowly nods her head. "Well." She paused as she gathered her strength. "We need to figure out how to stop her from getting that dagger.

~upstairs~

"And this is my bedroom." Grace said with a soft smile on her face as she showed her little sister and Henry around the room. It was quite large with a big comfy bed and plenty of toys and bookcases too. She knew that her father was making up for lost time with all the gifts he gave her and she wanted to tell him it was okay. That she understood. But she never knew how to explain that to him.

"It's so pretty." Aurelia said with a smile as she rushed forward and went towards the toy box and grabbed a doll and hugged it to her chest. She twirled around the room, completely unaware of the tension between the older kids, as she asked. "Is mama gonna move here or is we gonna live in her house, Gracie?"

Grace shrugged her shoulder as she sat down on the flower and crossed her legs. "I don't know. Papa and her have a lot to talk about, Auri."

"I don't care as long as we can all be together!" The little girl exclaimed as she twirled around and around until she bumped into the bed with a giggle. "If we lives with mama we can play in the playroom. There are lots of books and legos in the playroom."

A scowl came to Henry's face as he replied. "Those are my books and my legos. I didn't say you could play with them."

"You aren't there. Hows am I pose to ask you!?" Auri exclaimed as she clutched her sister's doll to her chest. "My mama said I could play with them."

Henry's jaw clenched for a few seconds before he said. "I don't care what MY mom said. Since they are my things and I don't want you playing with them."

"Hey! Don't talk like that to my little sister. " Grace said with a frown as she looked to the boy. Her brother? He was since her mother adopted him but did she actually view Henry as her brother? He was just...he was difficult. "If she was given permission then she can play with them. From what I hear at school you aren't even playing with the toys anymore because you're too busy with your awesome mom and your super special grandparents."

"I'd rather be with them then have to stay with the Evil Queen!" Henry exclaimed as he jumped to his feet. He watched as the two girls jumped up to their feet as well and he barely had time to move out of the way before the doll was being hurtled right at his chest.

"Don't you calls her that!" Auri yelled after she threw the doll at him. "Yous mean and I'm telling my mama!" With that she rushed out the door and ran down the stairs.

Grace glanced from Henry to the door before she was running after her little sister. "Auri! Come back."

Henry rubbed his chest where the doll had hit him before he rubbed angrily at his tears. He then took off after the girls.

Aurelia made it down the stairs and all the way to the living room before the tears started to fall. "Mama!"

Regina heard the sound of little feet, closely followed by bigger feet, and she was the first one standing. Her first thought was that her mother had found them. But that didn't seem to be the case. Aurelia came running into the living room and was tossing her arms around her legs and she was closely followed by a flushed Henry and Grace. "What is going on?" She asked with wide eyes as she picked up her youngest.

"Henwry is being mean!"

"I'm being mean!? She threw a doll at my chest!"

"That's cause you called mama the Evil Queen. She's isn't evil you naughty boy!" Auri exclaimed as she waved her finger at him as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Henry flushed at the looks he got from the adults before he mumbled. "I was just angry.."

"Henry." Emma said with a frown as she ran her fingers through her blonde locks. Like Jefferson and Regina, she too was standing.

"I just don't want her playing with my stuff! It's mine and I don't want her touching it! I mean what else is she doing when I'm not there? Sleeping in my room? Playing with my comics!?" Henry exclaimed.

"Why do you care!? You don't even live there anymore! You said at school that you're glad you aren't living with the Evil Queen anymore." Grace exclaimed as she whirled around to face him.

"Because she's my mom and I don't want to share her with either of you!" Henry screamed. His chest was heaving and he realized what he said as soon as the room went silent.

"Oh Henry.." Regina breathed out.

Henry looked towards his mother with wide tear filled eyes before he was turning and running out of the living room and out of the house.

Regina was already passing Auri to Jefferson and shaking her head at the Charmings as they all moved in the direction Henry ran off to. "I need to talk to my son." With that she walked out of the living room and out of the house.

Jefferson stood there with one daughter on his hip and the other tucked into his side. He looked to his guest and offered them a small smile. "So uhm...dinner?"