Hey guys! Sorry for the extra long delay. I'm down to finals in school so I was busy with that, but I'm finally updating today! Enjoy!

Chapter 12

"Regina truly is my half sister, but I was the first born. Our mother left me for dead and I was adopted by a simple man who had two daughters and one son. The eldest daughter had green skin...and she was your mother.'

'But no one really liked her...after all she was different and well...green, but we all shared something in common with every girl at the university...we all loved the same man.'

'At first, he dated Glinda...the backstabbing goody two shoes. They were both popular and 'meant' for each other...then your mother left the university because she became 'Wicked.' No one like her. She didn't belong there anyway."

Zelena brought her face closer to the bars, "she didn't belong anywhere."

I wanted to punch her lights out so badly.

"So, she left, and Fiyero stayed. I grew...attached to him and we became friends even though Glinda took him from me. I was there when he needed someone to talk to.'

'Then, your mother came back. She was a full witch, learned everything on her own...and Fiyero loved her."

I watched Zelena, who seemed to be caught in the memory. Even Rumple stopped his spinning to hear the story.

"He loved her from the moment he saw her," she said bitterly, "that quiet, green faced witch... He saved her and forgot all about me... the one who was more beautiful, and was always there for him!"

She looked back at me and I grew afraid. There was so much hatred in her eyes.

"After that, I worked on my magic. Fiyero and Elphaba left, the government was changed, and everyone had thought that they were dead...but were we wrong...they were living peacefully in secret. So, I became a powerful witch, under Rumplestiltskin's watchful gaze, I became better. I still loved Fiyero, but also hated him and his wife. They had to pay."

She smiled a terrible smile as she got up from the chair, "I sought them out. I became green and sent a storm to them. Fiyero sent Elphaba... and their newborn baby away, knowing that he could not escape. After they left I went to Fiyero and gave him another chance."

Zelena shook her head and watched me. "But he said he would never be with me... not after how I had treated her. He said we were friends, but that was all we would ever be...so I killed him."

I was shaking, but she wasn't finished.

"And it felt so good, Tamina. Your mother wasn't hard to find, and she put up a good fight in the end...but, of course, it was not enough to destroy me."

"You...monster!" I screamed, trying to reach her from the bars.

Zelena chuckled and got up, "So ends the tragic tale of Tamina Lucas's parents... and my tale on how we're distantly related. I guess you can call me auntie Zelena...even though I wish I had hunted you down, but that fool Elphaba placed a protection spell on you and handed you over to that fool, Glinda."

She crossed her arms and watched me intently, "do you now see why I'm fighting you, Tamina? You're the object of it all."

"No," I said angrily, "It's not my fault and you know it. You can't force someone to fall in love with you. It just...happens."

Zelena was silent and she glanced at Rumple for the longest time. I then realized that it was him who she was in love with now. I looked at the monkey who met my eyes. There was still pain inside of them and I wondered what he knew.

"Zelena," I said, studying her, "I'm sorry."

She turned to me, her expression dead.

"I'm sorry about your mother. I'm sorry that my father did that to you. I'm sorry that you hate me... and I'm sorry that this is what you've become...thinking that killing and torturing others is the only solution."

She smiled then, a sugary smile and went up to the bars, inches away from me.

"So you think apologizing will save you from my wrath?" She chuckled then glared at me, but her voice was different... soft and almost full of longing. "You were supposed to be mine, Tamina... the daughter that Fiyero and I were supposed to have... but I see your mother clearly. Her hair, her eyes... her voice...you are the splitting image of her."

She drew away and smiled, "So... I'm sorry that I have to eliminate you."

"I feel sorry for you," I said, "I felt sorry for you."

She scoffed and began to walk away, "Enjoy your time alone. I know what went on down there... I hope you don't mind being away from your precious 'husband'."

I heard something fall and turned to see that Rumple had dropped an object. Zelena disappeared up the stairs, and the monkey followed.

I sank to the ground. So that's how my parents died. Zelena had killed them and she was an aunt by adoption.

This was getting ridiculous how everyone was related in this town.

I looked over to Rumple, who was picking up the object that had fallen. It was a small pocket watch, and he cradled it as if it was the most delicate thing in the world.

"Rumple?" I asked gently, crawling over to where he knelt.

He flinched when he saw me and held the object at bay.

"It's okay," I said softly. What the hell was I doing? He had tried to hurt me so many times in the past, and I hated him for what he did to Peter. Yet, here we were, both prisoners to that crazy witch.

He opened his palm and I saw that there was a message on the inside of the watch's cover.

To Papa, from Baelfire

I looked back to Rumple then lowered my gaze, "I'm sorry about Neal."

He looked up, as if noticing me for the first time, "Mina?'

I nodded.

Rumple seemed to forget the hatred and conflict between us. For once, it was actually peaceful. "He was just there... then he was gone..."

I sat there. He couldn't harm me...well, he probably could choke me to death, but I didn't think he had it in him.

"Is it true?" he asked then, his tone almost disgusted, "you're married to my brother?"

"In a way," I nodded slowly.

"What do you see in him?"

"The same thing Belle sees in you," I said softly, not wanting to anger him or start a fight. If I had to be patient, it was now.

Rumple was quiet as he stared at the watch then.

"Can we be even?" I asked then.

He looked up at me, "what?"

"Can we be even," I said again, "we both have something in common... we both lost someone by Zelena. For you, it's Neal, and for me... I lost a mother and a father."

He watched me, his expression dead, but I continued, "Neal was very, very lucky."

"And why's that?"

"Because he had you. Even for a while, he had you and he knew you loved him," I said, my eyes tearing up, "But I never knew that. I thought my parents had abandoned me for so long, but the truth was that they loved me and tried to protect me from Zelena... but she killed them anyway."

Rumple blinked and I wiped my face on my sleeve.

"So what I'm asking is that could we please be at peace? We both want a happy ending. For you, it's with Belle, and for me, it's with Peter... I love him and I promise you that once we're free, and Zelena's defeated, Peter and I will return to Neverland and we will leave you alone, and never bother you again."

Rumple seemed to think it over.

"Please," I begged.

He studied me for a while, weighing what I had just said.

The, he nodded.

"Do you promise?" I asked, hope filling inside me. "You won't hurt him?"

"Yes...he said, his voice hard, "I promise that I won't harm my brother."

Suddenly, a surge of power surrounded him. It was done in a flash and he looked back at me, his tone somewhat annoyed. "There."

"What just happened?"

"I made a promise, so now I am bound to keep it," he said, but looked mad, "but just so you know, I'm doing this for you dearie, because I believed what you said. If my brother does something reckless, then I will have to act again."

"He won't do anything, Rumple... he's different now. And if you don't believe me, I'll keep him away from you."

He still wasn't amused, but he nodded.

For once, I felt a bit relieved. Now all I had to do was worry about Zelena.