Of Queens, Thieves, and Pipers
It appeared that the shimmering dome over the Queen's castle was a protective spell put in place to keep everyone else out…really it had only served to irritate the Evil Queen even more than she already was. They were walking back from it, wanting to get a little future away from it, because whoever had taken the castle, they might have seen them coming and they needed a place to regroup and come up with a plan. Robin Hood had offered his camp as a base of operations for the moment, offered the services of is Merry Men as well.
Piper and Charming were speaking quietly to the side of a path, when they saw Snow heading for Regina after speaking to Ruby and moved to join them. They both knew that Snow was very optimistic and full of hope and, while Charming was the same, he was also understanding of the fact that for someone like Regina, all that hope at the moment might not be what she needed.
"You ready to make camp soon, Regina?" Snow was asking, but Regina was quiet, "You're thinking about Henry, aren't you?"
"As you are thinking of Emma," Piper spoke up, making the two women look over, "A mother always thinks of her child."
"I was also thinking," Regina cleared her throat, turning and starting to walk along, the others with her, "There are tunnels that run under the castle. They may run beneath the spell."
Piper looked over at Regina for that little part of information. It wasn't well known, she'd almost forgotten about it till Regina had mentioned it. It wasn't on the plans or blueprints of the castle. Leopold and the past kings had always been clever in thinking of that. Keep something strategic that could be used to evacuate or sneak in away from the enemy and only keep it in the mind of few so that the castle would be safe. She and Snow had stumbled across them while exploring the palace once, she hadn't known that Regina had been aware of them.
"Which means we can sneak an army inside," Charming realized.
"No," Regina shook her head, "An army would be detected."
"Then how do the tunnels help us?" Snow frowned.
"Because an army is not always needed to accomplish something," Piper remarked easily, thinking about…quite a few things that she and Rumpelstiltskin had done that would have likely taken an army to see through.
Snow shifted back and forth at the small, dark smile that had grown on her cousin's face, already able to guess where her mind had gone but biting her tongue not to speak of the Dark One so soon after coming to their deal.
"The tunnels can get me inside," Regina actually agreed with Piper on that, "If I can get inside, then I can lower the shield. Then you can send in your army."
They all looked over suddenly, spinning around as a shriek that Regina and Piper had heard in the forest sounded above them. They looked up to see a Flying Monkey in the air, raging at them as it flew for them. Charming grabbed his sword as Snow readied an arrow on her bow, Piper pulling out her pipe from her boot in preparation.
"Incoming!" Baelfire shouted as the monkey dove at him, shoving him to the side and flying straight at them…
Straight at a little boy with curly black hair that was a little ahead of the group, Robin Hood's son, Roland.
"Papa!" Roland cried.
Regina was already running for the boy before Robin's cry for his son could even be heard as he shoved his way through the crowd to get to his boy.
Piper lifted her pipe to her lips and blew a note that made the pipe glow with energy, flicking her pipe towards the creature and striking it in the chest just as Regina got the boy out of the way. It flew into the air, screeching and twisting as it was hit…before it fell to the ground and didn't move.
Regina, Piper, Snow, and David hurried over to the beast, Regina glancing back when she heard Roland crying as his father picked him up and cradled him to his chest. She bit her lip and looked at the monkey again, waving her hand over it and turning it into a small, stuffed version of itself. Snow seemed a bit shocked at the move, but kept quiet as Regina picked it up and moved over to where Roland was.
"See," the Queen held up the animal to Roland, wiggling it a bit as she offered it to him, "Not so scary. Now you have a new toy," she smiled as the boy took it, looking at it a moment before hugging it to him, his tears subsiding.
"Thank you," Robin breathed, looking at Regina.
Piper looked at Snow who seemed slightly confused, "I did much the same with August," she told her cousin quietly, "We went to a zoo once, he was frightened of the lions, till I gave him a small stuffed lion to protect him instead."
Snow nodded, a sad expression on her face despite smiling at Regina, she'd missed that chance, the chance to soothe her daughter's fears, to give her a stuffed animal or a dolly or something that she could keep with her forever.
~8~
They had waited till they reached Robin's camp before gathering together to discuss the attack, wanting to be out of plain sight, wanting to be sheltered more before they stopped to really talk about what happened. They had known that they needed everyone to feel safer first before they could make any progress or any sort of plan.
"What the hell was that thing?" Charming shook his head.
"A Flying Monkey," Piper stated, "It was like the one that attacked Regina and I in the woods."
"A Flying Monkey?" Leroy scoffed.
"Yes, that's exactly what it is," Regina gave him a flat look.
"Ok," Neal frowned, looking more at Piper than the others, "You're acting like that's normal," he pointed out.
And it was then that the group realized that she had essentially identified the creature, had said it so finitely that it left no question that it wasn't just a monkey with wings, but that was what they were actually called. It sounded like she'd seen them before, or at least knew of them.
"Rummy spoke of a land where they were…common," Piper offered, "Oz."
"Oz?" Snow gaped, "That's a real place?"
"And Snow White is a real person," Piper reminded her, "Neverland is real…"
"Ok, ok," Charming cut in, "It's real, we get it."
"And if our simian friend is any indication, then I think we know exactly who's taken up residence in our castle," Regina realized, "The Wicked Witch."
"We talking East or West?" Grumpy frowned.
"Does it matter?" Snow breathed, "Neither one sounds good."
"Well one you drop a house on. The other one you toss a bucket of water at."
Piper shook her head and turned to Snow, "I still have NO idea how he ended up on your Council, Snow. If it were that easy, would the witches, either of them, still be alive? Dorothy would have dealt with the Wicked Witch and killed her if it were what was needed to stop her."
"So, Regina," Charming looked at Regina, "What exactly are we up against besides green skin and a pointy hat? What did you do to her?"
"This time?" Regina scoffed, "Nothing. Never met her."
"It is true," Piper offered, making everyone look at her for how she could possibly know that, "Rummy has met her once, a long time ago. She was his pupil around the same time Regina was."
"Rumple had another student?" Regina frowned, sounding almost offended to learn that.
"Would it not be wise to have a backup?" Piper reasoned.
"The Dark One was training the Wicked Witch to cast the curse?" Snow guessed.
Piper nodded, "She, clearly, did not have the potential he sought and he cast her off. They never met," she reaffirmed to Charming, "It would have caused unnecessary rivalry for them to come in contact with each other. It is always more beneficial if one party thinks they are the only important one involved."
"This isn't a personal vendetta?" Charming muttered, "Shocking," he sighed, "Ok then, Oz aside, we stick to the original plan. Arm up, then attack," he looked at Regina, "Assuming you can get the shield down."
Regina nodded, "You don't need to worry about me."
"I'm coming with you!" Snow shouted as Regina turned to walk away.
"No, this is a one woman job," Regina turned to face her.
"What? Against the Wicked Witch? She has flying monkeys! Who knows what else!"
"I don't care if the Lollipop Guild is protecting her. I can lower that shield on my own."
Snow pursed her lips at that, "You lower the shield," she agreed, "But let Rose handle the monkeys."
"What?" both Piper and Regina turned to her for that one.
"You're…you're the Pied Piper," Snow smiled at her cousin sadly, realizing it was likely the first time she'd actually said that to her cousin without it being a question or in disbelief, "Your skills were always with controlling animals. If…if the Wicked Witch has an army of monkeys, YOU would be the best bet of subduing them. Go with her," she half-asked, half-ordered, "We need to make sure the shield comes down," she added, glancing at Regina, "She doesn't have to lower the shield for you, she can just…make sure you get there if the monkeys appear."
Regina seemed about to argue with that, but Piper offered, "It…is reasonable," she looked at Regina, "I will only interfere should the monkeys appear. And," she gestured at her black cloak, "I will not be noticeable much nor speak if you do not wish it. I, unlike my cousin," she gave Snow a small nudge, telling her she was saying it in jest, "Can remain quiet."
Snow just smiled and shook her head.
"Fine," Regina huffed, "Let's go then."
"We'll be waiting for you on the other side," Snow told Piper, giving her a hug as the two women turned to leave, both shrouded in black.
~8~
Regina glanced over at Piper as they walked through the woods, night having already fallen as they made their way towards the tunnel entrances, "You're actually quiet," Regina muttered, wincing when she realized that, in speaking first where Piper really HAD been silent, completely silent on the walk over, she was signaling that it was ok to talk now.
Piper smirked as she realized that, "I enjoy listening to the sounds around me."
"It's a forest," Regina deadpanned, "There's crickets."
"And animals," Piper corrected, "Birds, rustlings, crunching, Robin Hood, streams…"
"Robin Hood?" Regina stopped and turned to face her, her eyes narrowed.
"He has been following us from camp."
"And you didn't bother to, I don't know, knock him out?"
"It would have been making noise," she smirked at Regina, irritating her, "And you requested no sound."
"And now he's followed us!"
"You," Piper cut in, "I believe he was following YOU."
"Right," she scoffed, "Why would he do that?"
"Why not ask him yourself?" she wondered.
Regina just turned with a flourish and continued to walk on, almost as if she were hoping that, by doing so, by ignoring Robin following them, that he would STOP following them. Piper knew that wouldn't work though but kept along, silent once more.
"Might I ask a question?" Piper spoke up a few minutes later.
"You just did," Regina pointed out.
"Well then I shall make an observation and you may tell me if I am correct in my assumption."
"Very well," Regina rolled her eyes.
"You found the tunnels when you were trying to escape Uncle Leopold."
Regina nearly tripped at that, but quickly straightened herself as she turned to glare at Piper for it, neither woman moving or saying a word, "What makes you think that?" Regina finally hissed.
Or, Piper supposed, she was trying NOT to hiss. She could see it, the mask that Regina always wore on her face cracking at the mention of the late-king. It was upsetting Regina to think of the man, she could see that clearly, but she was trying her hardest not to let it be so obvious.
"You were unhappy as his wife," she stated simply.
"I'd think the fact that I had him killed would be testament to that," Regina sneered.
"You tried to leave him a few times before then," Piper continued, ignoring her, "Tried to run away, escape life at the palace. But never managed it for one reason or another."
"How…"
"Those tunnels are difficult to find on accident," Piper reasoned, "Two little girls spent an entire day with the purpose of finding hidden paths and stumbled across it. Without that intent we would never have discovered them. For you to know where they are, it means you were seeking them out. You wanted a way out."
Regina was silent for a very long time, "The guards caught me just outside the walls."
Piper nodded at that, not having asked her for that but accepting what Regina offered, "Snow…she was very oblivious when she was happy. She expected that, because SHE was, that everyone else must be. And that was not always the case."
Regina scoffed at that, rolling her eyes as she turned to walk on, "Tell me about it."
"I saw how unhappy you were," she offered the woman, walking beside her, "I know you did not love uncle, nor did he love you, and I know that you were not happy living that life," she sighed, "I did try, you know, to stop Snow telling Cora about Daniel," she paused when Regina flinched at that, "But Snow has never been good at keeping secrets. A fairy, or what she believed was a fairy, once told her not to mention a rather magical candle, but hours later she was spilling that secret to her mother as well."
"Why are you telling me this?" Regina glanced at her, "Do you think we'll have some sort of alliance now? That we'll be friends? After how your family ruined my life?"
"Not at all," Piper shook her head, unperturbed by what Regina said, "I merely think…after how you murdered my parents, burned my kingdom to the ground, and massacred my people," she shot Regina a look back for that, Regina looked away but she supposed it was enough of a response that Regina realized she had committed harms against her as well, "We are evolved enough to at least call a truce."
"A truce?"
Piper nodded, "Had I not killed Cora, she would have become the Dark One, she would have cast you aside, and you KNOW that," she stated firmly, reminding Regina of how easily her mother had in fact manipulated her, "Henry would die, or hate you, and you would have been the villain to him again. But…had you not done what you did to me, I would not have started on the path to becoming what I am now, and I would not have found Rummy. Life…is hard, and we as humans cause harm, and the only way to stop that, to break that tradition is to learn from the harm we experience. So," she looked at Regina, "Truce?"
Regina sighed, but nodded, "Fine."
Piper smirked at that, she was sure that Regina was just saying that because she didn't think she'd actually be expected to hold true to it in the future, but she had just made a deal with the Piper, and she always upheld her end of a bargain…and made sure others did as well.
"Snow does not need to know of this," Piper offered, "You have your own demons to settle with her and she with you, but, for now, WE are at least at a neutrality."
Regina was silent after that, slowing as they reached a large boulder sitting rather oddly in the middle of the woods. She reached out a hand and waved it across the rock, levitating it into the air and off to the side, revealing a set of stairs that led down into the dark. She moved with the boulder, about to set it down when she finally SAW Robin Hood approaching them.
"No," she let the boulder fall down.
"No what?" the man asked.
"You're not."
"Not coming along? I do believe I am. SHE has," he nodded at Piper.
"I was coerced," Piper stated, even though she and Regina both knew that wasn't the case at all, that she'd come because Snow had asked her to. But Regina, at least, appreciated that she was attempting to make it look like she wasn't wanted there so Robin would realize he wasn't wanted there either.
"Still, I can help."
"I didn't ask for help," Regina glowered.
"Well, that doesn't mean you won't need it," Robin smiled easily, "And it appears Snow White believes you WILL need help if she requested the Pied Piper join you," he looked at Piper, forcing himself to remind himself that the woman had helped keep his son safe from Pan's shadow. He hadn't been very pleased to see her again, not after having been hunted by the Dark One because of her, after being tricked by her, and everything else. But seeing that Flying Monkey diving for his son, seeing not only Regina save him by pulling him away but Piper blast it away, it reminded him of the Neverland debacle, reminded him of how Baelfire had nearly used Roland as bait had it not been for Piper stopping him, "That flying monkey back there wasn't after my son," he added now that his train of thought was on that, "It was coming after you."
"What makes you think that?" Regina crossed her arms.
"The woods are my home. I've seen many a hunter stalk its prey, that beast was coming for you. Roland just happened to be standing in between."
"And the monkey in the forest DID try to lift YOU off," Piper added, if just to irritate Regina a bit.
"Your point?" Regina huffed.
"That's the second time you've been attacked," Robin pointed out, "The Wicked Witch wants you dead."
Piper nodded that to herself, the way Rumpelstiltskin had described it, the Witch, Zelena her name had been, had literally gone GREEN with envy over Regina being picked over her. She wouldn't be surprised if the Witch had a bone to pick with Regina even if the woman hadn't even come across her.
"And what?" Regina huffed, "You think you can stop her if she tries to hurt me?"
"Maybe. Maybe not. But I have to try. You see, despite the fact that neither of us likes it, I owe you a debt," he focused more on Regina, knowing that SHE was the real recipient of his thanks. Piper had caused for him to be hunted by the Dark One, but then she'd also helped protect his son, they were even. The Queen had been the one to pull Roland out of the way of the attack, Piper had only attacked to stop the monkey.
"Why is that?" Regina shook her head.
"Even though that winged beast wasn't after Roland, he still could have hurt my son. You saved him."
Regina eyed the man a moment, "Who knew a thief had honor?"
"Who knew an evil queen had a soft spot for children?" he countered with a smile.
Regina let out a sigh, "Don't get in my way," she warned the man, as close as she would come to accepting his help.
"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it," Robin gestured for her to go ahead.
"The same goes for you," Regina pointed at Piper.
"Have I gotten in your way yet?" Piper countered.
Regina was silent, which Piper took as the woman not wanting to admit it.
~8~
Piper walked behind Regina and Robin as they made their way through the tunnels, Robin holding a torch while Regina led the way, her pipe clutched tightly in her hand incase any of the Flying Monkeys happened to be in the tunnels, a slim chance but still a possibility.
"So, where are we headed?" Robin asked.
"There's a fire in the courtyard that powers the spell," Regina told him, "As long as it burns the shield will stay up."
"We simply need to put it out?"
"REGINA needs to put it out," Piper remarked, reminding the two that she was still there. She could be very silent and her cloak helped to keep her unnoticed, and it appeared, a few times now, that the two had actually forgotten she was behind them, "And we need to stay out of her way apparently."
Regina stopped short, holding her arm out to stop them walking on, gesturing to a dirt patch ahead of them with small rectangles of stone set in them like a grid, "Step in between the stones," she warned.
"Oh, nice little surprise," Robin murmured.
"To keep people like you out."
"People like me?"
"Thieves."
"Oh, yes. True. But we aren't quite so bad, you know."
"Not if you're telling yourself you're stealing from the rich to give to the poor. I may have done bad things in my life but at least I own it."
"I own my mistakes, too."
"As do I," Piper added, smirking a bit when Robin actually jumped at the sound of her voice, "But you should not lie to the two people helping you Regina."
Robin glanced back at her, "Lie?"
"Those bricks," Piper nodded back towards the trap they'd managed to get past, "They were there long before she took over the castle. Sometimes," she looked to Regina, "They can be just as much a trap to keep people IN, can they not Regina?"
Regina was silent at that, though Robin could see that there was a half-glower, half-despair in her expression at the mention of being trapped IN somewhere.
"I hope you didn't let me come with you just to walk me into one of these traps," he cleared his throat, trying to jest, to lighten the mood, though it was a rather somber attempt, "Roland has already lost his mother. I would hate him to lose his father, too."
"If you were so concerned for your child you would have stayed back at the camp," Piper remarked, "One only does something like this when they have lost their child and have nothing to keep them going."
Her eyes were on Regina as she said it. She knew the feeling well, when she'd lost August to the Fairy Magic, she'd felt…crushed and, she was sure, if she hadn't been a siren, if she hadn't had her cousin and Gold with her, that she would have been reckless and dangerous to herself. For a mother to lose their child like that, it was devastating. And despite their differences, she knew Regina, she knew what the woman was like. She'd been told by Gold about the well, when they'd been returning from the Enchanted Forest, Regina had absorbed a dangerous amount of magic into her…because Henry wanted his mother back, wanted EMMA back.
Regina had nearly killed herself then, and again when Tamara nearly set off a bomb, because she thought that her son didn't want her.
And now, to be separated from him like this?
She could guess why Regina had wanted to go alone, and it had nothing to do with thinking smaller numbers were more beneficial.
"So, Roland's mother," Regina cleared her throat then, changing the topic, "What happened to her?"
"After our boy was born I inadvertently put her in harm's way during the job," Robin sighed, "It's my fault. Like I said, I own my mistakes."
Regina slowed in her step as they reached a door at the end of the tunnel, what seemed to lead to a crypt or a tomb, it was clearly visible through the very open door.
"That's impossible," Regina breathed.
"What is?" Piper frowned, her grip on her pipe tightening as she saw Regina's expression grow more angry and worried.
"That door. It's open."
"And the point of an open door that has you all knotted up is?"
"I sealed it with blood magic," she looked at Piper, guessing she would have a better idea of just how serious the situation had just become than Robin would, "I'm the only one who can open it."
"You or someone of your family," Piper corrected, "Someone that shares your blood."
"But there IS no one left," Regina insisted.
Piper blinked at that, realizing that…Regina had absolutely no idea who the Wicked Witch actually WAS. Rumpelstiltskin had told her everything, from who Zelena was, where she came from, how she came to be, even her family. She knew that Regina had never MET Zelena, but she had thought…she didn't know why, she realized now…that Regina had at least known OF her. If not as the Wicked Witch then as her…
"It appears the Wicked Witch is a formidable foe then," Robin cut into her thoughts as they slowly entered the crypt, "What exactly was this place? Must have been important for you to seal it by blood."
"A crypt. Isn't that obvious?"
"Yes, what I meant was, who was it built for?"
"My mother," she glanced at Robin, Piper looking around the room a moment, listening, "Like you, I've lost people I care about. More than I'd like to admit."
"Including a child?"
"What do you know about that?" Regina hissed at Robin.
"I saw the way you grabbed Roland back there. Clearly you have the touch of a mother."
Regina looked away, "I do," she admitted quietly.
Robin glanced at Piper, "You both do."
"We both had sons," Piper tried to shrug, but the turn of conversation to children was starting to bother her as well.
"Had?"
"They're not dead if that's what you think," Regina muttered, "Neither of them are."
"They are just…lost to us," Piper offered, "Both of them."
"Forever."
Piper tried not to scoff at that, resetting the words or not, there was always some way to travel between worlds, and she was sure, if Regina could focus on that possibility instead, she'd find a way to return to Storybrooke and get Henry to remember her again. She was just lost in her grief at the moment. At least there was a chance that Henry could still remember her. August, her Pinocchio, was truly lost to her forever. Fairy Magic had saved him, and only Fairy Magic would be able to restore his memories…and given her own history with Blue, given how that head of the Fairies felt about her and Rumpelstiltskin, she doubted the woman would allow it to happen. Even the most rebellious of fairies wouldn't risk Blue's wrath in helping restore her son's memories to her.
And even then…she didn't want them to. It killed her to think that, to realize that, but…SHE had been the reason he'd turned to wood, because of how she'd raised him, the wrong way, he'd been corrupted and been in so much pain. No…Gepetto could give him his best chance and that chance could only happen if he had no idea who she was.
"If the Wicked Witch is powerful enough to break blood magic perhaps we should reconsider this plan," Robin ended the topic.
"I don't care how powerful this witch is," Regina shook her head, "I have to go through with this plan."
Piper frowned as she watched the Queen disappear through a door, Robin following her, she was starting to get the feeling that the plan they were there for wasn't the same one that REGINA had come for, not entirely.
~8~
"Make yourselves useful," Regina called as she led Piper and Robin into her bedchambers, "Keep watch," she gestured at the door and the balcony, the two splitting up, Robin taking the doors while Piper took the open area, knowing that the monkeys would be more likely to attack from that area than the hall.
"What is that?" Robin asked as he watched Regina move over to her dressing table and move around some ingredients and potion bottles, starting to mix them together.
"Nothing that concerns you," Regina muttered.
Robin quickly pulled an arrow out of his quiver and readied his bow aimed at her, "I won't ask you again. What is that?"
Regina turned to him, glaring, "How dare you threatening me in my own castle?!" she held up her hand, using her magic to choke him even as he held the arrow at her.
"Even if you choke the life out of me this arrow will still leave my bow and trust me I never miss," Robin managed to strain out, "Now, what manner of dark potion are you making!?"
"Regina release him," Piper called, not even seeming concerned that she was trying to kill someone in front of her, "If you had planned to kill him you would have done so already and faster. This is just a waste of your magic."
Regina lowered her hand, releasing him and turning back to the ingredients, "Fine."
Piper frowned but made her way over to her as well, "What ARE you making?"
"Don't you know?" she muttered as Robin rubbed his neck, "Didn't your precious Rummy teach you potions?"
"Yes," Piper nodded, "I am hoping I am wrong though."
"It's a Sleeping Curse," Regina admitted.
"The kind you used on Snow White?" Robin frowned.
"That spell came from Maleficent," she shook her head, "I finally learned how to make one of my own."
"This spell…this is why you wanted to come to the castle."
"It does make sense," Piper remarked, nonchalant, "The ingredients alone would be difficult to find…"
"Especially when you have Snow White breathing down your neck every second of the day," she snarked under her breath.
"That was your plan?" Robin asked, hopeful, "To use it on the witch?"
"Robin what would you do with yourself if Roland was ever lost to you?" Piper looked at the man.
His eyes widened in understanding just as Regina dipped a hairpin into the potion, "I can't let you do this…" he tried to walk towards her, to grab her arm and stop her, realizing exactly what he'd do but not wanting to see her do it, not when there was hope to see her son again, there HAD to be hope. If the boy was still alive there had to be hope.
But Regina turned and waved her hand at him, freezing his feet to the floor, "It's a good thing you don't have a say in the matter," she turned to look at Piper, "Neither do you."
Piper held up her hands, "What you do or do not do with your life is little concern to me."
"Even with our truce?"
"Why else would you actually agree to it?" Piper countered, all too aware that it HAD been odd that the Evil Queen had agreed to it so easily.
"I know how you feel, Regina," Robin tried, straining against the magic, seeing, or believing, that Piper would be little help here, that she almost seemed to not care what Regina did and that…that was just wrong.
"I doubt that," Regina scoffed, turning back to him.
"When I lost my wife I thought there was no reason to go on. But then I found one. My son."
"That's where you and I are different," Regina sneered, "I've already lost Henry. I've already lost the only thing I care about."
"But WE are not so different," Piper pulled her attention back, "I have lost my love, as you have, I lost my son, as you have, I will NEVER get him back…and I do know how you feel Regina."
"Are you trying to stop me too?" Regina rounded on her.
Piper stepped back and gestured her on, "I merely thought you were actually stronger than this."
"How dare…"
"I know a resilient heart when I see one Regina," Piper shrugged, she really could, her own was resilient in a different way, hardened against betrayal, kept going even when it wanted to give up, "I fear I assumed you were just as resilient, after everything you endured, that you would be able to push on, that you were better than this…" she gestured at the hairpin, "But I can see I am wrong, so, by all means, go ahead."
"Regina no!" Robin cried, not seeing Regina studying Piper critically with her back to him, not seeing that Piper's words were actually seeming to get through to her, "Whatever happened with your son, it doesn't mean you won't find a new reason to go on. We'll all get a second chance, Regina. You'll just have to open your eyes to see it."
"It's too bad mine will be closed," Regina muttered.
"So, that's it?" he scoffed, "You just wanna give up?"
"This isn't an end," she turned to him, "It's an eternal middle. This curse can be broken by the only true love in my life and the only reason I'd even want to wake. My son."
"Regina, listen to me. This is a mistake!"
Regina just ignored him, turning to Piper, seeing that the woman was actually going to listen to her, not try to convince her, just…listen, "I'll keep my word," she told Piper, "I'll lower the protection spell so that Snow and Charming can be victorious. But then, then I go to sleep."
"You could use it," Piper shrugged, "I am not quite sure I see the 'fairest in the land' at the moment. When the Queen returns, be sure to let me know."
And with that, she gestured to the door, not making a move to stop Regina as she turned and stormed out.
"How could you do that?" Robin shouted at her the moment Regina was out of the room, "She's going to kill herself!"
"Hardly," Piper scoffed, "You have only just met her," she reminded the man, "And I have the added benefit of having known her nearly all my life and the perspective from someone that has watched over her all of hers. I know how she thinks and how she shall react. She shall not take her life, she shall not use that curse. You cannot use hope with someone that has lost hope, you cannot believe that hope will be the salvation of someone who has had hope torn away from them time after time."
"Then what do you use?" he breathed, feeling hope bloom in him that she might be right, that Regina wouldn't harm herself like that.
"Revenge," Piper said simply.
And Regina was and always had been a very big believer in revenge.
~8~
When Regina entered her bed chambers again a short while later, after the protective spell had been taken down, Piper was not at all surprised.
Robin, however was more than relieved to see the Queen, even more so when she released him from the spell anchoring him to the floor, "You didn't go through with it."
"You were right," Regina smiled, "Both of you," she looked between them, "The sleeping curse wasn't the answer. The Queen is back," she nodded at Piper, "I just needed to find something to live for and wake her up."
"And you found it?" Robin grinned, "What?"
"The one thing I haven't had in a very long time," Regina told him, "Someone to destroy."
Piper would have laughed at the expression on Robin's face at those words, but she knew what this meant, she could guess what had happened, especially when she'd seen the Wicked Witch fly off on her broom when she'd been keeping watch in the balcony. She had kept silent before, because despite being in a truce, she doubted that Regina would have believed her if she told her about who Zelena really was.
But now...it seemed Regina had finally discovered that the Wicked Witch...was her sister.
A/N: My fault this time that the chapter is late :( I slept through my alarm to post my DW story and ended up late for some things. When I finally got to post the DW story I wanted to give a couple hours between that and this :) But at least it's not my internet :)
Lol, I wanted Piper to sort of be like the awkward third-wheel, but just not quite awkward :) I know Piper probably went about trying to convince Regina not to use the sleeping curse in the WORST way and I sort of like that, she really isn't that adept at doing some things and it comes out wrong and uncaring at times, she's not...good with things like that even worse because she hasn't really seen Regina as part of her family or worth being invested in for so long that it's sort of odd for her to even want to try and help Regina. I think she's starting to feel for the woman how she did when she was a teenager and seeing how miserable Regina was and it's awkward in that sense that so much time has passed and there's a lot more issues between them now :)
Some notes on reviews...
I can say the Hook/OC will know OF Robin, but won't have actually met him till everyone else in the show does :)
Because Zelena has his dagger and it's become a sort of totem for Piper, she can use it to hide them, to hide Gold's song from Piper and keep Gold from using the songs to call Piper, sort of like how she was able to enchant the Monkeys so that Piper couldn't hear the songs of the people they used to be :( But I can say Piper does know who Zelena is, with the whole year erased, her first look at the Flying Monkey was when John turned into it and she didn't know the Wicked Witch was really there till Regina said green smoke, but she does know about Zelena :)
Piper will sort of ship Outlaw Queen in the sense that she'll have a very strong idea that they're meant to be/soulmates and belong together and it's not up to her to interfere. Unlike how she feels she can interfere with Captain Swan lol :)