A little while later, Alena stealthily made her way to the back of Belfry Towers. The very last thing she needed was for Ivy or Victoria to see her.
The blonde knew that stairs would be far less conspicuous than the elevator – the main reason being that hardly anyone ever took the stairs.
And so, Alena opened the door that led to the stairwell and began making her way down to the electrical room.
Alena made sure to tip-toe all the way down the stairs – the last time she had done so was when she was playing Santa last year.
Soon enough, she arrived at the door. She took a deep breath before she opened it and walked inside.
Hearing the footsteps, the woman called out, "Didn't expect you back so soon. Forget something?"
When Alena appeared in front in her, the woman furrowed her brows for a moment. An unreadable expression formed on her face as she asked, "And who might you be?"
The blonde took another breath before she answered, "Someone who'd like to know who you are."
The woman tilted her head as she perceived, "I'm much more interested in you, my dear. It seems that you already know your way down here, and you aren't at all surprised by my presence."
Alena refrained from rolling her eyes as she thought, "I need answers, not bloody riddles."
Still, the blonde figured she might as well play along if she was going to get anywhere. She took a breath as she covered, "I accidentally got lost yesterday and followed your friend up here. I just thought I'd try to see what was going on."
"You'll have to do better than that if you expect to glean any information," the woman responded, a certain amount of condescension in her tone.
Alena narrowed her eyes at the woman before taking another breath to control her temper. She then crossed her arms and stated, "And if I already have all the information I need? If I'm only in need of confirmation?"
The woman regarded Alena for a few moments before she spoke, "Then I'd venture to say that you're rather clever – which is more than I can say for some people."
She then tilted her head and asked, "And what makes you think I'll confirm this information you claim to have?"
"Because I already know enough to know that it's true," Alena stated with crossed arms, silently congratulating herself on her ability to keep her voice even.
"If you were truly as confident as you seem, you wouldn't be here," the woman threw back, a satisfied smile on her face.
Alena's patience was starting to wear thin, but she pressed on: "Maybe I'm just testing what you actually know," placing her hands on her hips.
The woman rolled her eyes before she pointed out, "Oh, please. We both know that you couldn't possibly be that well-informed."
The blonde balled up both of her fists and angrily huffed, making the dim lights flicker. She noticed and quickly calmed herself.
It wasn't quite quick enough for the woman not to notice the change in the lighting, however brief – and however dark – it might have been.
Nevertheless, the woman acted as though she saw nothing. She then told Alena, "Still, I believe you do know something. I wonder what it might be?"
Alena closed her eyes and let out a breath in response. She then stated, "Enough of these riddles – or whatever it is you're doing. I know about the curse, and I know that Ivy, or rather Drizella,is awake."
"Well, well, well. Look who finally came out to play," the woman careened, yet another satisfied look on her face.
Alena furrowed her brows in confusion, but she soon pushed it away. She then asked, "Is Drizella the one who cast the curse?"
The woman only looked at the blonde for a few moments. She then answered with a question, "What does it matter to you?"
"Because she needs to be stopped," Alena seethed, determination etched in her one.
"And let me guess, you're the one to stop her," the woman surmised, with yet another look that Alena couldn't read.
The blonde didn't respond, so the woman continued, "I seriously doubt you know who you're dealing with when it comes to Drizella."
"She doesn't know who she's dealing with," Alena fired back. She then turned around and began marching off.
She momentarily stopped when she heard the woman call out, "You know if you go through with this, that boy, Henry, will pay the price. I believe Drizella is reminding Roni – or should I say Regina – of that fact right about now."
If anything, this information only stirred Alena on. She would not let Drizella – and whoever was helping her – get away with this.
The lights began flickering once more as Alena continued marching toward the door while the woman looked on with a smug smile.
Alena didn't even feel herself moving as she made the walk between Belfry Towers and Roni's. Anger didn't even adequately describe the emotion she was feeling.
She felt the magic coursing through her, and it took everything she had to keep it under control – unless she wanted to burst the bulbs in the street lights.
Just as Alena was continuing toward Roni's, Drizella was currently reminding Regina just how much was at stake.
As she had made herself comfortable behind the bar with a half-full glass tumbler in her hand, Drizella stated, "I woke you up because I need your help. I am on the verge of showing my mother what true suffering is. I can't have anyone breaking the curse now."
"You mean…" Regina began before the full gravity of the situation hit her, as Drizella looked on expectantly.
"Henry and Jaci...Cinderella," Regina shakily finished as she buried her face in her hands. She looked up when Drizella began speaking once more.
With a smugness written across her features and embedded in her tone, Drizella pointed out, "We both know you will do whatever it takes to stop True Love's Kiss from happening. That shouldn't be too hard for the Evil Queen, right? After all, breaking hearts is kind of what you're best at."
She then set her glass on the counter before she began sauntering away.
Just then, the door to the bar burst open, and Alena charged in. Despite her best efforts, the lights in the bar all began to flicker.
"Alena…" Regina began with concern in her voice, but that didn't stop the her from shooting a blood-curdling glare toward Drizella.
The blonde then seethed, "You."
"Well, look who's feeling better – you must be getting a drink to celebrate. I'm sure Mother will be thrilled to know your health has improved," Drizella stated with fake sincerity.
"Cut the act, Drizella. I know all about your bloody curse," Alena stated, balling her fists up by her side.
Drizella was unfazed as she spoke, "So you do know. I always knew there was something that I didn't trust about you."
Alena threw back, "The feeling is very much mutual. That much was clear from pretty much day one."
"You know, I actually agree with you for once," Drizella began as she pushed her hair behind her shoulders. She then looked at her nails and continued, "And to think that we were actually friends once."
A confused expression enveloped Alena's features as she asked, "Friends? What are you even talking about?"
The brunette motioned to Alena's wrist and spoke, "The bracelet. I recognized it when I stopped you from snooping through my phone."'
Refuting never crossed Alena's mind as she focused on the bracelet: "Why would you recognize it?"
Drizella rolled her eyes before she deadpanned, "Do I really have to spell it out for you?"
Alena furrowed her brows as her eyes flitted down to the bracelet. It was made from a blue ribbon and a rainbow of beads.
When Alena was a child, she had been playing around with her magic, and she accidentally opened and fell through a portal to the New Enchanted Forest. She soon became lost, and she had no idea how she was going to get home.
Thankfully, she met a girl around her age in the woods, and the two of them became the best of friends. They were eventually able to find a way for Alena to get home, exchanging the bracelets before she left.
Alena's eyes then widened as the realization hit her, and she then heard Drizella: "And there it is. I wondered if you'd come around."
"You gave me this bracelet. We promised to always be friends - even if we didn't see each other," Alena spoke, a note of both fondness and nostalgia in her tone.
That same fondness briefly passed over Drizella's features before she looked back at her nails and nonchalantly replied, "It's amazing how naive children can be."
Alena shook her head before she argued, "The girl that I knew wouldn't do this – she wouldn't hurt me. She wouldn't curse my family and separate the people I love."
"Like it's my job to keep up with your family tree?" Drizella scoffed. She then pointed out, "Your family isn't my target anyway – they're only a means to an end."
The hope that had been bubbling up in Alena's heart was quickly dashed by that statement. She then told her, "They will not become collateral damage in your twisted scheme. I will find a way to stop you."
With a chuckle, Drizella responded, "Oh, please. Like you actually stand a chance."
"I won't stop until all of this is over," Alena stated with determination in her tone.
"Good luck with that. I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you," the brunette drily commented.
She then pushed her way past Alena and began walking away. Alena then challenged, "You don't know who you're dealing with."
Drizella stopped and turned back around. With narrowed eyes, she threatened, "Whatever you try to do to me, I will surely do to you. Even if – by some miracle – you manage to succeed, your brother will pay the price. Is that really what you want?"
In response, Alena balled up her fists once more. She then argued, "If there is a damn loophole in this thing, you better believe I'll find it."
Drizella then began tapping her fingers against her chin as she regarded the other woman. She then told her, "You have always been – much to my annoyance – rather resilient. Which is really just a nice way of saying that you're incredibly stubborn."
Alena then interrupted, "Do you have a point or not?"
"Indeed I do," Drizella began with a satisfied smile. She then continued, "We were close friends at one time – surely we can find a way to work together. You can help me keep this curse from being broken, and you can help me take down my mother."
"Your mother is my boss," Alena began, but she was quickly shut down by Drizella: "You mean, the woman you thought was behind this curse."
When Alena had no reply, the brunette smugly continued, "I'm sure your time will be much better served working with me instead of against me. You're destined to fail if you refuse."
"And why in the bloody hell do you think for a moment that I would help you? You're the reason why the people I love are bloody cursed!" Alena yelled, making the lights flicker once more.
"It's simple, really. You help me, and I'll give you something in return," Drizella began. She then smiled and continued, "I can wake up beanstalk boy for you, and you two can be a family with those twins of yours."
"It's a trap, Alena. Don't listen to her," Regina piped up from the bar.
Drizella turned around and fixed an annoyed look on the bartender. She then told her, "Now, you have something to say? Don't you have glasses to clean or something?"
Their words didn't even register with Alena. All she kept thinking about was the look on Jack's face when he realized they had found each other. And when he realized that they had two beautiful daughters.
The thought was enough to make a tear roll down her face. It was enough to make her seriously consider Drizella's offer.
And yet, there was another part of her that thought about her brother, sister-in-law, and niece. How could she even consider being reunited with her true love when the same couldn't happen for them?
And what about the rest of her friends who were trapped in this curse? Could she really just leave them to whatever the hell Drizella had planned?
Alena then squared her shoulders and told the brunette, "I'll only be reunited with Jack if I'm reunited with all of my family and friends."
Drizella narrowed her eyes for a few moments. She then spoke, "Fine. Suit yourself. Don't say I didn't warn you."
She then continued waltzing toward the door when she called out over her shoulder, "Say hi to your brother for me. Oh wait – he doesn't know who you are."
Two of the ceiling lights then busted, causing Drizella to jump out of the way of the falling debris.
"You better watch…" the brunette then warningly began, only to be interrupted by Alena throwing her against the wall.
The force caused all of the bottles behind the bar to rattle as Regina looked on in astonishment.
Alena's hands were still shaking from both anger and the use of magic when she stalked over to Drizella, who was struggling to get off the floor.
Alena bent down to look Drizella directly in the eye as she warned, "You may have cast this curse, and you may have made it unbreakable, but you have no idea what I am capable of."
Drizella only glared for a long moment before she stated, "This isn't over." She didn't give Alena a chance to reply before she finished getting up and stalked out the door.
Alena then rose to her feet before she sat down at a table. She took a deep breath to try to calm down, burying her face in her hands.
She looked up when she heard Regina's voice: "You look like you could use this." The brunette then placed a glass of ice water on the table.
Alena nodded before she picked up the glass. She took several long sips before she placed the glass back on the table.
She then ran her fingers through her hair and spoke, "I'm, uh, sorry about your lights. I'll pay to have them fixed."
Regina waved off her words as she told her, "Don't worry about it. It was worth it to see Drizella fly into that wall," before sitting down as well.
Alena couldn't help but laugh at that. She then ran her hand over her face and spoke, "I can't believe I let my temper get the better of me. That's what I was trying not to do."
"Well, knowing you like I do, I knew it was only a matter of time. You may be better at controlling your temper than your father is, but you're still a force to be reckoned with when you're angry," Regina stated before getting up to fix herself a drink.
Despite the truth in Regina's words, Alena found herself laughing. When she had sobered, she took another drink of water.
Regina then sat back down and commented, "I needed something just a little bit stronger," before taking a sip of her whiskey on the rocks.
She then spoke, "Before we get to you throwing Drizella, let's talk about how the hell you're even here. Was this job with Belfry the real deal?"
Alena nodded before she elaborated, "We never met back in the New Enchanted Forest – she doesn't know who I am. She genuinely wanted to hire someone with my experience and education to work for her."
Regina hummed in response before she tapped her fingers against her chin. She then surmised, "Yet she hid the garden project from you."
"She wants me – and all of her employees – to trust her implicitly. She thinks we shouldn't question what she does, and we'll just go along with what she says. Which isn't too much to ask if a boss truly has everyone's best interests at heart," Alena matter-of-factly pointed out.
She then sighed and added, "No doubt she'll give me some believable explanation for forcing Riley to sell her store."
"Who?" Regina asked, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"Oh! Riley – who's Mulan's cursed counterpart – owns a record and CD store. I went by there with Henry because he wanted to get a boom box to ask out…" Alena began to explain but trailed off, a look that crossed between fury and heartache taking over her features.
Regina then perceived, "Based on the look on your face, I take it that you know that something bad will happen to Henry if this curse is broken."
"Yeah, I do," Alena lamented as she clasped her hands together. She then took a breath and continued, "Things were bad enough when I thought that Belfry – well, Lady Tremaine – was the one behind the curse."
A puzzled look enveloped Regina's face as she repeated, "You thought that Belfry was the one behind the curse?"
Alena gave the brunette a puzzled look in return as she replied, "Uhh, yeah? Isn't that what everyone thought?"
Regina shook her head before she elaborated, "Drizella may have wanted her mother to believe that she's the one who cast the curse once we got here, but we all knew the truth before she cast it. You're the one who's meant to break the curse – how can you not know who's behind it?" crossing her arms over her chest.
"I didn't even know I was the one who was supposed to break this curse until Lucy told me when I ran into her after my interview with Belfry," Alena explained.
"What?" Regina exclaimed before running her fingers through her hair and burying her face in her hands.
Alena was taken aback by the brunette's reaction before she asked, "Regina, what is the matter?"
The brunette sighed before she looked up and answered, "The night after we all found out about Drizella's plans, Tiger Lily summoned you using your necklace to tell you that you were one destined to break this curse. A glow came from it and lit up a path leading you to her. You were the only one who was supposed to be able to see it, but Jack could see it too because you two share true love. That's how you two found out."
Confusion took over Alena's features as she took in Regina's words. A few minutes later, she refuted, "What are you even talking about? I was never summoned by Tiger Lily, and that's not how Jack and I found out that we share true love."
Regina closed her eyes in exasperation. She then asked, "And just how did you find out?"
"In a dream. It was a lucid dream of sorts where we were both aware that we were dreaming. We went back on our first adventure – everything happened the same way minus the arguing. When we shared that first kiss, it was a true love's kiss, and we woke up," Alena explained, with every inclination that what she was saying was true.
"Someone did a hell of a number on her," Regina muttered before she took a breath and spoke, "Alright, Alena, just so we're clear, you didn't find out until today, I'm presuming, that Drizella is the one behind the curse. And then you and Jack never woke up in the middle of night by Tiger Lily's summons."
Alena had become slightly exasperated as she answered, "None of what you've told me ever happened. It's impossible."
Regina sighed before she told the young woman, "If anyone else were awake, they would back up what I'm telling you. How else would I even know all of this unless I was there and unless you told me?"
As much as Alena wanted to argue, she couldn't find a reason to refute Regina's logic. She then ran her fingers through her hair before she asked, "Then what is happening to me?"
Regina took a few minutes to consider what she should say. She then spoke, "Something has happened to your memories – it's like you're semi-cursed."
"I shouldn't be cursed at all! Jack made sure of that!" Alena snapped. She then took a breath and said, "I'm sorry, Regina. But I don't understand how any of this happened."
"Someone clearly wanted you in the dark for whatever reason," Regina surmised.
Alena sighed before she laid her head down on her arms. As she raised back up, she said, "I swear that Emma and Lily are the only reasons that I haven't been driven completely crazy."
"And on that note," Regina began with a smile, "I can't believe you're a mother."
Alena smiled as well as she spoke, "They really are some of best things that ever happened to me." She then took a breath and admitted, "Even though the thought of raising them alone terrified me in more ways than one."
Regina nodded before she sympathized, "I understand why being a single mother is so hard for you. I even brought Henry back to the adoption agency because I didn't think I could take care of him."
She then took a breath and spoke, "But I know it's harder for you because you're separated from Jack."
"Especially since the girls have his eyes – and his laugh," Alena lamented before her mind wandered to her earlier interactions with Nick.
She was pulled from her thoughts when Regina asked, "Have you seen him?"
Alena nodded before she told her, "I ran into him – literally – yesterday, and we saw each other again today. I've managed to make an idiot of myself both times."
"Let me guess, you called him by the wrong name?" Regina perceived with a knowing look.
The blonde couldn't help but chuckle at her own failings before she told her, "Among other things. But he was a good sport about it."
She then took a deep breath and stated, "If anything, seeing him cursed gives me more of a reason to break this bloody thing."
Regina nodded before she said, "I'd say that you do stand a chance against Drizella since you threw her against the wall."
Alena hummed in response. She then observed, "I feel like there's a question in there somewhere."
"I know you're not part of this curse, but you're still in the Land Without Magic. How is your magic still that powerful?" Regina told her.
The blonde only shrugged before she said, "I've never had a problem with my magic working outside of Storybrooke. Granted, I don't use it a whole lot, but it always works fine when I do –
Mom just thought it had something to do with me being a product of true love."
Regina furrowed her brows and tapped her fingers against her chin as she thought over the situation at hand. She then spoke, "I think that Emma was probably on to something, but I also think there's more to it."
Alena tilted her head as she questioned, "What do you mean?"
"I think there's some untapped potential in you that we didn't see when I was training you back in Storybrooke," Regina explained. She then took a breath and continued, "And I think that if you really want to find a way to take Drizella down, you'll need all the magic you can muster."
Alena looked thoughtful for a few minutes before she surmised, "So, what you're saying is that you want to train me again?"
The brunette nodded before she elaborated, "I may not have magic myself at this point, but I see no reason why I can't help you."
With a smile, Alena told her, "I would greatly appreciate any help you have to offer. The more prepared I am to take down Drizella, the better."
Regina smiled as well before she held up her glass to the young women. She then spoke, "Here's to breaking this damn curse once and for all."
Alena nodded before she clinked her glass with Regina's. As they both took a sip, they knew this would be anything but easy. But, with any luck, they'd get their family back.
A/N: Hey, y'all! I hope you all enjoyed the latest installment of The Clash and are looking forward to what's next :) Just thought I'd let y'all know that up next, I'll be writing a couple one-shots for Together One-Shots. Until next time :)