I need you tonight
I need you right now
I know deep within my heart
It doesn't matter if it's wrong or right
I really need you tonight

("I Need You Tonight," Backstreet Boys)

Chapter 21: Return to the Dreamscape

I laid Emma down in her crib, covering her with the blanket Granny had made for her back in the Enchanted Forest. Pressing a kiss to my fingers, I touched her forehead. "Good night, princess. Sweet dreams."

After checking on Rachel, who slept soundly in her crib, I grabbed the storybook and headed back to my room. Robin looked up from where he already lay in bed, smiling at me. "She asleep?"

"Finally," I said, putting down the book so I could grab my pajamas. "I'm going to change in the bathroom so I can get everything done at once. I'll be out in a little bit."

"Take your time," he told me, going back to the crossword in the newspaper. He had discovered them recently and was absolutely obsessed with completing them. I thought it was great for him.

I changed into my pajamas, brushed my teeth and washed my face. Once all that was done, I left the bathroom and placed my clothes in the hamper to be washed. I climbed into bed, pulling the storybook with me.

"Going to do some light reading before bed?" he asked me, setting down his crossword puzzle.

"I'm going to do some research," I said, flipping through the pages. "I want to read Zelena's backstory."

He moved closer to me, wrapping his arm around me. "Care if I read over your shoulder?"

"We can read it together," I told him, moving the book so half of it was on his lap as well. "Just try not to skip ahead."

"I won't. You can turn the pages," he told me, kissing the top of my head.

I leaned into his embrace as I found a picture I was looking for, one that showed a young woman who looked just like my mother when she married my father. "This is the start of Cora's story, a young woman working to help support a drunken father and the mill he can barely keep running."

"Cora?" Robin asked and I could hear the frown in his voice. "Why are we starting with her? I thought you wanted to read Zelena's backstory?"

"I do. And we are. Her story starts with Cora after all. And if we want the whole picture, we need to start with Cora having her," I explained, looking up at him.

He pressed his lips together but nodded his head. "You're right. Go ahead."

Together, we read about how Cora had been tricked by an unscrupulous man who rejected her when she showed up pregnant, hoping to lead the glamorous life he had promised her in order to bed her. Distraught, she had been comforted by then-Prince Leopold, who fell for Cora. However, the young gardener who had rejected her started to blackmail her. Cora tried to pay him off but she was caught by Leopold, who had been informed by Princess Eva. Unable to trust Cora, Leopold had dismissed her and she fled from his palace back to her tiny town, disgraced.

"I do not feel anything for her," Robin said, "but that cad ought to be strung up."

I nodded, feeling a bit bad for Cora. "She didn't deserve to be deceived and abused like that. It's surprising to think that the Eva in the storybook is Snow's beloved mother, the one she said taught her about being kind and selfless."

"Queen Eva's kindness was well-known throughout Mist Haven and the Enchanted Forest," Robin replied, "but I guess even she needed to mature into that person."

"She is supposed to be a teenager here," I mused, looking over the dark-haired young woman in the painting. I then frowned. "And Leopold is already a bit too old for her, if you ask me."

He shrugged. "An age gap like that was not uncommon amongst the royals and even nobles but most couples were more like Snow and Charming, close in age."

"It still seems weird, but I guess they were happy," I said, turning the page. "Let's read on."

A local midwife took care of Cora and was present when she gave birth to her child, a girl. Cora knew she would be unable to better her life as a single mother with an illegitimate child. She swaddled her daughter and placed her in a basket, leaving her in the middle of the woods so Cora could go live her best life. The baby girl was left exposed to the elements and the creatures of the woods, no doubt a death sentence had a magical tornado not come through and picked up the basket. It transported the girl to Oz, where she was adopted by a woodsman and his wife. They named her "Zelena."

"She just left her?" I shouted at the book. "A helpless baby and she just left her in the woods? What kind of a monster is she?"

Tossing the book aside, I scrambled out of our bed as Robin tried to reach out for me. He frowned. "Where are you going?"

"The nursery," I replied, yanking open our bedroom door. "I'll be right back. Don't go on without me, please."

I didn't wait to hear his response as I stormed down the hallway. Entering the nursery, I stopped and checked on Emma. She was sound asleep in her crib, her blanket bunched around her legs and her little hand closed on Princess Bear. Emma looked peaceful and her pink lips were curved up in a soft smile.

Reaching down, I stroked her cheek. Her parents had to send her away but to give her her best chance to have a life, not because of their own selfish desires. They also had trusted that I would find her and raise her for them. While it had taken some time, I had managed to do just that. Cora hadn't done any of that for Zelena.

I pressed a kiss to my fingers and placed them on her cheek, letting her sleep on as I moved over to Rachel's crib. My daughter slept soundly on her stomach, her little body covered by her pink blanket and her hand right by her face. She looked like an angel.

Leaning against her crib, I remembered when she was born. I saw her tiny form on my chest, her skin pink and her blue eyes looking up at me. She had been so defenseless and had to rely on me for everything. As I had held her, I vowed to make sure she always had everything she needed and would always be safe. I couldn't imagine being able to leave her alone in a basket in the middle of the woods and just walk away, damning her to an inevitable death. It made me sick to even think about it.

I reached in and picked her up, holding her close. Right now, I needed her with me as I reassured myself that she was okay. I kissed her forehead and carried her back into our bedroom. Along the way, I doublechecked on Roland, who was sound asleep with Bandit resting next to his bed. My children were all safe and sound.

Robin didn't seem surprised when I came back with Rachel. He just held the blankets up so I could climb under them with her my arms. I kept her cuddled against my chest and she slept on, unaware she was no longer in her crib.

"Are you ready to continue?" he asked softly, wrapping his arm around me once I was settled in bed again.

"I guess so," I replied with a scowl. "Let's see how much worst this can get and how much more I can loathe Cora."

We read as Zelena was raised by the woodsman and his wife, who sadly died while Zelena was still a child. It was clear that she adored her adopted daughter, even with all the signs that she had magic. Her husband, though, did not have the same feelings and was convinced that Zelena was evil. After his wife died, he became an alcoholic who emotionally abused his daughter and made her self-conscious about her magic.

"She got left by a selfish mother and ended up stuck with an asshole of a father," I said, scowling still. "No wonder she's the way she is."

He looked at me, raising an eyebrow as a smile toyed on his lips. "Is that sympathy I hear?"

"Yes," I said, not hiding the truth. "Feeling sympathetic toward her doesn't mean I don't want to stop her. I just understand her a bit better. Don't you?"

"I do," he replied, voice softening. "But we've all had suffering in our lives. We've all had awful parents. You and I certainly didn't go down the same path she did."

"We had a good influence in our life longer than she did," I pointed out, thinking of my father and his mother. "And you did go a bit dark there for awhile by your own admission. Right?"

He frowned and I could tell he wasn't sure where I was going with it. I held up my hand as I kept my grip on Rachel. "I don't want to try to excuse her behavior. She made her choices as did you. You chose to turn away from the dark path. She didn't."

Robin was silent before nodding. "I easily could've chosen to continue down that path. I understand how seductive it is."

"Which helps us understand her better," I pointed out.

"And helps us figure out her weakness," he said, rubbing his chin. He turned back to the book. "Continue."

Shifting Rachel in my arms, I flipped the page as we watched Zelena grow up into a young woman who wanted to escape her dreary existence and to find people who would accept her for who she was. She journeyed to the Emerald City and met the wizard, who told her about her real mother. He gifted her a pair of silver shoes that allowed her to travel between realms so she could meet Cora.

"Oh, sure, let's go surprise the mother who left you for dead," I muttered, turning the page. "That's going to go so well."

To no one's surprise, Zelena was rejected again by Cora when she showed up at the manor house Cora called home. Dejected, she refused to go home and started to wander around Mist Haven. When she used her magic to stop a would-be thief, she drew the attention of the Dark One.

I groaned. "I knew he had to enter the story at one point but I'm still not happy he's in it. He seems to be the last person Zelena needs."

"He's the last person anyone needs in their story," Robin replied, scowling. "I hated having to go to him but I had no choice."

"You did it to save Marian and Roland," I said, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze.

He nodded, looking down at Rachel. "I would've done it again in a heartbeat to save you and her too."

"I know," I said, releasing his hand to close the book. "I think we've had enough of Zelena's story for tonight. We can continue later."

"Do you want me to take her back to the nursery?" he asked, holding out his arms for Rachel.

I glanced down at her before shaking my head. "I want to snuggle her a bit longer. Is it okay if she spends the night here?"

"You know I'm always okay with our children sleeping in the bed with us," he pointed out, teasing me slightly. "You were the one who didn't want to co-sleep."

"I know," I replied, lying Rachel down on the bed between us. She rubbed her face with her little hand but slept on. I smiled at her. "But I've always made exceptions."

He nodded. "True. So as long as you're really okay, then I'm okay with it."

I leaned over and kissed him. "I'm really okay with it. Good night, Robin."

"Good night, Regina." He slid down until he was lying next to Rachel, taking one of her hands in his. Robin kissed it before closing his eyes.

After kissing Rachel's forehead, I turned off our lamp and laid down in bed. I buried my nose in my daughter's curls, taking in the fresh scent of her baby shampoo. With her little body next to mine, I quickly succumbed to sleep and some pleasant dreams.

I left Rachel and Emma in the daycare room at the center, waving goodbye to them even though they were already distracted by all the toys surrounding them. Heading toward my office, Harold waved at me from his own. "You okay? It's been awhile," he said, coming to his door.

"I've had some crazy adventures the past couple weeks," I said. "I fought and befriended a dragon."

He raised an eyebrow. "A dragon? Like a real one?"

"Yes. A real one. Though she was really a sorceress who could transform into a dragon," I told him.

"Like that villain from Sleeping Beauty?"

I pointed at him. "That's exactly who it is."

His eyes widened. "You're kidding."

"Nope," I replied, grinning widely at him. "I am now friends with Maleficent."

"Friends?"

I laughed at his shocked face. "She's pretty cool. And she has her own little girl, Lily. Mother and daughter are adorable together."

He shook his head. "I can't see that. I really can't. How do you deal with this?"

"I lived it for months," I reminded him. Shrugging, I continued: "I got used to it."

"You really ought to write your story down. It would be a bestseller," he told me, which made me laugh as I thought of Daniel. He had just sent me the completed first draft of his novel, a fictional version of my trip to the Enchanted Forest. I hadn't had a chance to read all of it yet, but the first few chapters were very good so far.

I grinned. "I'm letting my ex-husband do it. He's a far better storyteller than I am and actually has a publishing deal."

Harold's mouth fell open. "Your ex-husband is a published writer?"

"Yeah," I replied. "Daniel Aherns?"

"Wait, he's your ex-husband? I loved his book!" he said, even more surprised. His brow furrowed. "The book is dedicated to you, isn't it?"

I nodded. "It is."

"Wow, I never put that together," he mused, shaking his head.

"You wouldn't. I stopped going by my married name long before I got up here to Maine. You never knew me as Regina Mills-Aherns. Just Regina Mills and then Regina Locksley," I pointed out.

He nodded before frowning. "You hyphenated your name with your first marriage but not your second?"

"Technically, I hyphenated with Robin too. I don't want the Mills name to die," I told him. "But I also really love being Lady Locksley."

"You make it sound like Robin has a title back in the Enchanted Forest," he replied.

"He does," I replied before reconsidering. "Well, he's supposed to. It's a complicated situation."

Harold shook his head. "We should have dinner soon. I'd love to hear your stories. They must be so interesting."

"And there are still more to come," I said, finally heading to my office.

He followed me. "Oh, yeah. We are definitely having dinner soon. Maybe you can bring the dragon."

"Maybe. I am trying to get her and her daughter out of Storybrooke," I said, looking at the ingredients I had gathered and stored in my office. I would be able to brew the potion soon.

"Is she in danger there?" he asked.

"Everyone in Storybrooke is," I replied honestly. "As long as Zelena is around, that is."

Harold nodded. "Well, if you need any help, just give me a shout. I'm just down the hall."

"I'll keep that in mind," I replied, looking everything over. "It might be nice to have someone help me."

He grew excited, bouncing up and down. "I would love to learn how to brew a potion. They look like fun."

"They can be. Did you like chemistry in school?" I asked him.

"Not really," he replied. "I liked mixing them but not learning about all the different properties. Did you?"

"I was a chemist before I fell into the Enchanted Forest," I reminded him.

He nodded. "Right. So you must love this."

I sat down, shrugging. "I guess I do."

"Was it weird to go from being a scientist to being, well, a witch?" he asked me, curious.

"It was," I admitted. "Now, though, I'm more comfortable with magic than I am with science."

"You think you would ever go back to science?"

I paused, unsure of my answer. Science and magic didn't seem to mix but that didn't mean I couldn't practice both. Right now, though, I had no interest in returning to science. I was focused on stopping Zelena, which was going to require my magic. "Maybe one day," I said. "I'll have to see."

He nodded. "You have a lot on your plate right now. I should probably leave you to your research."

"Thanks," I said, watching as he stood. "But don't be a stranger. I like talking with you."

"I won't," Harold promised before he left my office.

I sighed, leaning back as I stared at the ingredients on my desk. The potion needed to be my priority, for Mal's and Lily's sakes. I had no doubt they would be safer here with us rather than in Storybrooke. Who knew what Zelena would do to them?

Opening the Book of Spells, I quickly located the potion I needed. It was time to get to work.

Emma walked over our bed, laughing as she bounced a bit on our mattress. Robin watched her with a smile on his face, ready to catch her should she fall. She seemed steady enough, having the time of her short life.

I turned off the light in the bathroom and approached the bed. "I think someone needs to go lie down in her crib."

"No, Mama!" she said, pushing my hands away as I tried to reach for her. "No. Emma stay."

I held onto her hands, trying to keep my voice firm but kind. "You'll be more comfortable in your crib."

Emma wants to stay with Mama and Papa. Emma wants to cuddle! She pulled her hands from mine in order to reach for me with a pleading look.

My resolve crumbled and I sighed, pushing back the blankets. "Okay. We can cuddle."

As I climbed into bed, Emma flopped down on it and crawled between me and Robin. He looked over at me, whispering: "Pushover."

"Look who's calling the kettle black," I told him as Emma curled next to me, her little head on my pillow. Our noses touched as I rubbed her back.

Emma like cuddling with Mama, she told me.

I kissed her nose. "I like cuddling with you too."

Robin rolled closer to us, placing his hand on Emma's back too. "What about me? Can I cuddle with you too?"

"Papa," she said, rolling over onto her back. She reached out a tiny hand and patted his cheek.

He took the hand and kissed it before kissing her nose. "That's my girl."

We curled around her as Emma's eyes began to close. Mine did as well and I buried my nose in her soft curls, breathing in her baby scent as I drifted off to sleep. Zelena's story could always wait for tomorrow.

I walked through the palace again, still in its destroyed state. Every fiber of my being was on edge as I knew what this meant. Zelena wanted to talk and she had hijacked my dreams again. I was getting tired of this.

"Just come out," I called into the ruins. "I know it's you. No need to draw it out."

Zelena appeared before me, dressed in one of her elaborate black gowns. She crossed her arms. "I hate that we keep coming here."

I shrugged. "I have no control of where we show up. I figured it was your subconscious or something."

"My what?" Zelena scowled at her before shaking her head. "Never mind. We need to talk. About your mother."

"I was actually hoping to talk about your mother," I replied, finding a chair and sitting down.

Zelena's scowl relaxed into a frown as she pulled up a chair as well. "Mine? Why?"

"I've been reading your story," I told her.

She frowned. "Where? Because I don't think anything in this world has my real story. Most think I can melt! Can you believe that?"

"I did," I replied, "when I thought you were just a character in a movie my dad and I watched every year. And then I got to know you. I really still wish water could melt you."

"I wish it would melt you," she snapped back. "Then I would be free of you and could do whatever I want."

I raised my eyebrows. "Funny, I feel the same way about you."

She scowled again. "So anyway, what story about me have you been reading?"

At that moment, I believed I had made an error as I realized I didn't want her knowing about the storybook. It was an ace in the hole to keep and I knew she would try to get it if she knew about it. So I replied: "I guess a biography or something of yours made it to the library. I figured it was from the Enchanted Forest."

"Really?" She narrowed her eyes. "I don't recall ever authorizing a biography."

"Maybe your husband did and you killed him before he could present it to you," I suggested, feeling a bit foolish that I was creating an elaborate backstory for a book that didn't exist to hide the one that did.

My life was truly bizarre.

Thankfully, she seemed to buy that as she nodded. "It seems like something he would do. So what did this story say?"

"Well, it talked about how your mother abandoned you in the woods as a baby, essentially leaving you to die," I said, the anger and sadness returning to me. "As a mother, I can't imagine doing that."

She held her head high but I could see her lip quiver a bit. There was a hitch in her voice as she said: "She did what she had to do to survive."

"She left you to die."

Zelena shrugged. "I survived. All's well that ends well, right?"

I raised my eyebrow at her. "Do you really believe that? Or is that something you tell yourself to make you feel better?"

"What do you mean by that?" she asked defensively.

"Your mother left you to die," I repeated, "and technically rejected you twice. Yet you are absolutely devoted to her."

Zelena frowned. "And you don't show the proper amount of gratitude to your mother after all she's done for you."

I bristled at that. She knew nothing about my relationship with my mother and had no right to comment on it. "I owe my mother nothing."

"She disagrees," Zelena said, "and I agree with her."

"You know nothing about my mother and me."

She smirked, crossing her arms. "I can say the same about you when it comes to my mother and me."

I sighed. "Fair enough. I just don't understand why you want to bring her back, though."

"Because she's the only family I have. And I know you don't believe it, but she did love me," she replied.

"I'll take your word for it," I said, though my mind was spinning as I came to a few realizations about her. She just wanted a family and believed Cora had been her last chance at one, as imperfect as she had been. That was why she was determined to bring her mother back at any cost.

It just wouldn't be at the cost of my mother.

"You know I still want my mother back," I told her.

Zelena crossed her arms. "You have a funny way of showing it. You're doing nothing to get her back."

"No. I'm not doing what you want me to do to get her back. There's a difference."

"True. You're doing it the hard way rather than the easy one," she argued. "All you have to do is get me some of the dragon baby's blood…"

I shook my head. "Absolutely not."

She stomped her foot before whining: "Why not? It won't be a lot. The brat will probably be okay."

"I'm not going to take any chance with her," I replied, "and I'm not hurting her for any reason, no matter how quick it would be."

"So how else do you propose to get your mother back, hmm?" she asked me, looking very smug about it.

I did my best to keep my face neutral. "Like I would tell you."

She pressed her lips together, nodding. "Good point. Perhaps I'll just poke around in your mind to find out."

I was convinced by this time that she couldn't actually read my mind or look around it. All she could do was trap me someplace where our subconscious selves could exist on the same plane. Yet I didn't want to tell her that. What was the harm in letting her think she could scare me with that threat?

It didn't mean I couldn't have some fun with her though.

"Are you sure you want do that?" I asked her. "I am a married woman who enjoys a very active sex life with her husband, even with three young children…"

Trailing off, I let her mind paint its own picture. She closed her eyes, holding her hands as she looked absolutely disgusted. "I do not need to see that. So your mind is safe…for now."

I figured it would be safe for a long time but I pretended to be grateful for that. "Oh, thank you."

She then smirked, stepping closer. "Doesn't mean I can't find another way to get that information."

"How are you going to do…" I trailed off as I heard a sound that made my blood run cold.

"Mama."

I slowly turned around, my heart beating rapidly as I saw Emma toddling toward me. Tears ran down her cheeks and she reached out for me. "Mama!"

"Maybe the princess would like to spend some time with her step-grandmother," Zelena said, moving past me.

"No," I said, trying to stop her. However, my feet felt glued to the ground and I couldn't protect Emma.

Zelena reached out for her just as I remembered it was my mind. She had no power over me in here and I could do whatever I wanted. Closing my eyes, I concentrated until I felt a breeze blow past me.

"Mama!" I opened my eyes to find Emma at my feet. Scooping her up, I held her close. Make Bad Lady go away.

Don't worry, Princess. I will, I promised her as I glared at Zelena.

Zelena crossed her arms, looking put out that she was denied her chance at getting to Emma. "Well, Mama, what are you going to do now?"

"Just leave us alone, Zelena," I told her, growing tired. "It's late and we all need our rest. We can't do that in here."

She smirked. "Make me."

I wasn't sure how to sever the connection and kick her out of my mind. Hugging Emma closer to me, I knew of only one way to get Zelena to leave us alone. I silently pleaded with her. Help Mama, Emma. Please.

Make Bad Lady go away again? she asked me.

Yes, please.

She raised her hand and a bright white light glowed from it. I closed my eyes and held onto her tightly as it felt like I was falling backwards. As everything grew muted, I could just make out Zelena cursing me in the distance.

"REGINA!"

I sat up with a gasp, sweat pouring down my face and my nightshirt clinging to my body. Breathing heavily, my eyes adjusted to the light in the room before focusing on my husband. Robin knelt on the bed, rocking a distraught Emma as she clung to him, and watched me with concern in his eyes.

Relief filled his eyes and he sighed. "Thank the gods. I was so worried."

"What was wrong?" I asked, wondering what it looked like when Zelena was using our mind connection.

"You were rigid in bed and I couldn't rouse you or Emma. She then woke up crying but you still didn't respond," he said, his voice quivering. "I feared you were sick or…"

His voice trailed off but I could fill in the blanks. I reached out and pressed my hand to his cheek. "I'm sorry I scared you."

"Was it Zelena?" he asked, his eyes darkening as Emma sniffled in his arms. "Was she in your mind again?"

I swallowed as I nodded. "She wanted to chat about my mother and how uncooperative I'm being."

He pressed his lips together, looking down at Emma. She had stopped crying but still cuddled against him, her little fist clutching on to his t-shirt. Robin met my eyes again. "Was Emma there?"

My stomach churned and for a moment, I considered lying. However, I knew it wasn't a good example for Emma, whose expanding vocabulary meant she could reveal my deception. So I took a deep breath and nodded. "She was."

Robin closed his eyes before dropping a kiss to Emma's curls. "I'm so sorry, princess," he whispered.

"Zelena didn't hurt her," I assured him. "I was able to get to Emma before she could even try to do anything."

"She shouldn't have been there in the first place!" he said harshly. Anger flashed in his eyes and I shrank back a bit.

His shoulders sagged and he sighed. "Sorry, Regina. I shouldn't have yelled at you. I just…I just feel so helpless."

Swallowing, I nodded. "I know."

Robin glanced down at Emma, who was still awake. He climbed off the bed. "I'm going to go downstairs with her. You should try to get some sleep."

"You can stay here," I said, patting his side of the bed. I didn't want him to go too far away from me as I needed his comforting presence too. "We can all snuggle together."

He shook his head. "I think it's best if we go for a little walk. You need to rest."

Though disappointment filled me, I swallowed it down. "Don't stay away too long, please. Okay?"

"I won't," he promised, his tone and expression softening. He probably realized that I needed him too.

At least, I hoped he did.

He carried Emma from our bedroom and I sighed, laying back down. Pulling the covers over my body, I closed my eyes and hoped I could get some sleep. I doubted it though as I hugged my husband's pillow, praying he would come back soon.

I dozed on and off but nothing I would consider restful. Every so often, I would raise my head and pray the door opened. When it didn't, I would lie back down and sigh, trying to fall back asleep again. It felt like an endless cycle.

After what felt like an eternity, the door opened again. I sat up, watching as Robin tried to close the door as quietly as possible behind him. Drawing my knees to my chest, I said: "I'm awake."

He paused before turning from the door, frowning. "You didn't go to sleep?"

"I tried," I told him. "It was hard without you here."

Robin sighed, running his fingers through his hair as he sagged against the door. "I'm sorry. You tried to tell me…"

I shrugged. "You had a lot on your mind."

"Still…" He stopped and sighed before climbing into bed. "Never mind. I'm here now."

Once he was under the covers, he wrapped his arm around me and I curled against him. He kissed the top of my head. "Did she hurt you?"

"No," I replied. "I don't think she can physically do anything to me. Or she hasn't figured out how yet."

"That's not very reassuring," he told me. I could hear his frown.

I sighed. "I know."

He kissed my forehead again. "Why don't we try to get some sleep? We can talk in the morning."

"That sounds like a good idea," I replied. We slid under the covers until we were lying and I rested my head on his chest. He turned out the light as I whispered: "Good night, Robin."

"Good night, Regina," he answered, holding me close. "Pleasant dreams."

As I felt myself drift off, I hoped I had just that.

A/N: Zelena certainly is annoying Regina and scaring poor Emma. And Robin is not liking that. There's definitely going to be fallout in the next chapter!

I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter!

Thanks for reading!

-Mac