So things were…official now, she supposed. She had no idea what that was supposed to mean but that night as they'd walked along the beach and talked Will had confessed an idea he'd had, one that had apparently been dogging him for a while now. "Lately I've been thinking…abou' the whole movin' on thing. And I was thinking…I like you. And I know tha' sounds pathetic and childish but...I do. You're…smar', and…funny…you keep up with me which is more than I can say abou' everyone else in this town. So…I was thinkin' maybe…the two of us…maybe we could try 'movin' on' together."
That speech had stunned her then and she'd felt a blush rise up her neck and into her cheeks. "I thought that's what we were doing."
"Is i'?" he questioned.
"Isn't it?" she spat back.
"I dunno. No' like I've done i' with alotta girls. I' jus' seems tha' wha' ever this is…with the pair of us…wha' ever i' is only exists behind closed doors and…I'd like i' no' to."
Not to exist behind closed doors. She knew what he was talking about. They'd shared kisses. They'd held hands. They'd gone to dinner and done everything that normal people did when they dated but…they always did it in private, alone. Even then walking on the beach she'd been suddenly aware of the two feet that she'd placed between the two of them, silly considering she'd kissed him only minutes ago in the shop.
Moving on. Offically moving on. In front of everyone. In front of Granny and David and Mary Margaret. And Henry. She'd felt flushed, nervous, maybe even a little scared. She liked Will. Truly she did. She liked their relationship and the fact that is was "behind closed doors", but if was out in the open…
It would be a good thing. If she began a relationship, if the entire town could see her with someone else, someone besides the Dark One…maybe they'd all stop looking at her like she was broken or diseased. They'd see then, they'd see that she was moving on, that they didn't have to worry about her or talk behind her back. She was fine. She was moving on with her life. And in celebration of that small fact she'd stood on tip toe, kissed Will Scarlet openly on the cheek, and took his hand as they finished the rest of their walk.
It was done. And now, this morning, and every morning since then, fresh faced and wide eyed…she honestly didn't know why those actions were haunting her this much. She should have been able to focus, she needed to focus, on a stunning new turn of events that had taken place, oddly enough, from what she could figure out, that very night!
Maleficent.
Honestly, she should have thought of her long before Emma and Hook came into her shop the next morning to ask her for her help! When they'd given her the startling news...she didn't know what to feel, it was all too confusing.
Maleficent was dead.
Or at least she had been. And maybe she still was?
According to Emma, the reason that Rumple had never wanted her to use the elevator to go below her library was because Maleficent had been trapped there ever since the curse. But not as the woman that she remembered her as. "Maleficents back?! What do you mean back?! Was she ever really gone?!"
"Yeah...I slayed her a couple of years ago but the spell Regina put over her means that she didn't die, she was just...I don't really know how to describe it. I wasn't really there," she muttered glancing back at Hook.
"I've seen strange things in my time...she tops the list," Killian added.
Dead but not dead. Stranger than what Killian had ever seen in their world...on the high seas...that should have been a shocker all on it's own and yet it wasn't that particular phrase that seemed to jump out at her from their conversation. "Wait...you...you 'slayed' her?"
"Yeah," Emma nodded. "She was trapped in dragon form. Isn't that what you do in your world? 'Slay' dragons? Rescue the damsel? All that?"
Dragon. Maleficent was a dragon. Or she could change into a dragon. A shapeshifter? But not a shapeshifter like Ruby...
"Any way," Emma went on in her silence, "doesn't matter now because she's back and we need your help." In the form of a dragon. Emma told her that she'd killed Maleficent long ago, back before everyone had their memories back and that should have been the end of it. But it wasn't. Nothing was ever that simple in this town. Whatever she had been or was it didn't matter now because that was no longer all that she was. Now she was something...more. Something new. And that was why they were here.
"She's back."
"Back?" she'd questioned. "Back like…from the dead. Hasn't she always been-"
"No," Emma interrupted, "back like no longer a rotting shell, up and walking around Storybrooke with Cruella and Ursula, who have conveniently gone missing from Granny's," she added off handedly. She felt speechless. Helpless to stare at the girl as she processes through impossible fact after impossible fact. Dead but not dead. Dragon. Alive but not alive. With Ursula and Cruella. Missing! How had all of this gone so badly in one night?!
"How-"
"That's why I need you. I need to know about her, everything you can find, what she is, where her magic comes from, anything you've got, but most important of all I need you to find me anything you can on a spell that might resurrect the dead or the half dead. Anything. If there is a way to reverse the spell or beat it…I need to know it."
Days ago she'd been too stunned to argue or ask questions when she was told. Instead she'd nodded, picked up her books, and gone back to doing what it was she did best. Research. Will still stopped by, Rapunzel still worked at the library, but she'd spent days pouring over these books and though she'd found references to Maleficent, she couldn't seem to find the spell Emma asked her to look for or anything remotely like it. In fact, what she'd found was nothing but writers saying it was impossible! So far she'd found nothing and it made coming into the back of the shop that morning and seeing the books stacked up on her table an almost painful sight but...when had "nothing" or "impossible" ever stopped her or prevented her from getting her answers. It was early. For all she knew any moment now she'd pull open the right book and find the-
The bell on the door surprised her this early in the morning and she put down the book she was reading to wander outside and figure out who was there, but not without a freezing potion in her hand. She wasn't stupid. It was too early for Will, Rapunzel was over at the library, which meant-
"Henry…" she sighed seeing the boy there at her door and pocketing the small vile. It was the weekend. How had she forgotten he'd be by? How had he grown so much over the last week?! Lately it seemed like every time she saw him he'd grown another foot taller. And that wasn't the only thing that was growing. "You brought donuts!" she observed, smiling at his growing appetite. He was a teenager in every way. He could eat a horse and yet he was still tall and gangly as ever. Odd and awkward as he was she wished his father could see it. She knew he'd wanted to.
"Yeah," Henry breathed with a smile looking at the bag in his hand. "I forgot to grab breakfast before I left the house. Got you one too."
"Henry, you shouldn't have," she scolded. She paid him because she didn't want him to work for free, but she also knew what she paid him and the last thing that he needed was to spend his hard earned money on her.
"Oh, I didn't…my mom did."
Oh, well...that certainly changed things. "That was nice of her, thank her for me the next time you see her..." she mumbled stepping forward and examining the bag as she felt her stomach turn over. Now that she thought of it, when was the last time she'd eaten?
"I will, but...she's been acting strange the last couple of days."
That caught her attention. Acting strange. Was that ever a good thing for either of his mothers? And now that she thought of it, which mother had bought this meal, which one were they speaking of?
"Which mother are you talking about?" she asked gently as he set his backpack down on the counter.
"Regina," he nodded. "I'm going to have to start calling them 'Mom One' and 'Mom Two', aren't I?"
She let out a snort at his joke though realized he was right. It would certainly make things a lot easier for almost everyone around him. But what else was he right about?
"Acting strange how?" she pressed further.
"I don't know she's just…different I guess. Not like when Robin left, I think she's finally beginning to move on a little, she's just…different." She believed him. If there was anything she'd learned about Henry it was that he was observant and though he could be quiet, he felt everything. If Emma's super power was sensing lies, then his would be sensing emotions. If something had changed with Regina then she believed that he'd sensed it.
"What does your mother think? Your other mother I mean."
"I…haven't told her about it yet," he admitted. "She's just been really busy with Cruella and Ursula in town and Grandma and Grandpa seem really distracted lately. You heard about Maleficent right?" She nodded. She'd heard. And she'd done everything possible since that day to figure out how it had happened! She had a feeling she knew who was responsible for that woman living and breathing again. She just wished that she could figure out how they'd done it so that they could undo it!
"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about," she assured Henry. "Emma will figure it out."
"That's what everyone tells me when they don't think I need to know something."
Clever boy. "Well…what about the book? Have you found anything yet?"
The story book. She'd heard all about it the last time that he was in because that seemed to be all that he did nowadays. She didn't mind. After all no one could keep this place clean the way that she could and she enjoyed having his company far more than his labor when she could get it. Besides, the extra time was paying off. A mystery that once seemed impossible was starting to seem possible with every new detail. It was only proof of just how brilliant he was!
When Blue had come out of the hat he and Regina had talked to her about the author. They'd been under the impression that the Author and the Sorcerer were the same person and believed she might know who it was. She didn't, but she'd provided one vital clue: they weren't the same person. She didn't know who either of them were but she knew that they were two different individuals with two different jobs. But sadly no one had seen the Author for a long time, he had somehow disappeared. That wasn't the end though she had provided one last piece of information. It wasn't set in stone, but there were rumors that the author had left clues to his disappearance in his book. Ever since that moment Henry had been busy searching the pages, looking for those clues. But she knew him. He needed another hint.
"Yeah actually!" he replied happily. Mom went to see Marco the other day, because we talked to Pinnochio to see if he remembered anything and things kinda got out of hand. When she apologized Marco gave her the things that belonged to August. Inside there was a piece of paper, one that had been taken out of the book. I'm pretty sure it means something I just need to figure out what!"
She opened her mouth to tell him he'd figure it out but her phone started ringing. It was Will, calling to check in. He did that a lot now that he knew about her history with the witches in town and she supposed that the rumors about Maleficent didn't help that either. "I'll be right back," she muttered, picking up his bag of food and quickly trotting into the back room to grab her phone. She'd been right, it was Will. And this would take no time at all, she really only needed a minute or two to assure Will she was fine and had survived another night. He wanted to tell her that he'd be by later tonight. He wanted to come in now but there was something among the merry men that he needed to help John take care of, afterwards he'd be by to look in on her. But of course, according to him, it wasn't nearly as important as her and if she needed him, no matter what, she should call and he'd be by.
"No, it's alright. It's the weekend so Henry's here," she reminded him as she found a couple of plates and put the pastries out for them.
He didn't argue with her reasoning and she liked that. Rumple would never have been alright with her logic that she was safe if Henry was there, in his mind only his protection would suffice. For Will Henry was enough and though she knew that he was still secretly worried, at least he trusted her judgement. She appreciated that...and hoped it didn't get her into trouble.
They parted with a promise to meet that night, probably after dinner unfortunately. But that was alright, Emma had given her a puzzle enough to keep her occupied and Henry…well he was already occupied, scanning a page of his book with a magnifying glass, looking so much like her husband it was almost scary. But she couldn't let him turn into Rumple. He would have forgotten to eat or sleep in his determination, that was one trait she wouldn't let grandfather and grandson share. So she brought his doughnut to him, trying to let him know she was off the phone and they could go back to their conversation when she realized the page that Henry was examining.
"Hey," she whispered looking it over. It was nothing but a simple wooden door, but the page itself wasn't like the others. It had clearly been taped back into the book. Obviously it had been removed at one time and the tape looked fresh which could only lead her to one conclusion. "Is uh…is that the page that August took out of the storybook?" she asked.
At the sound of her voice Henry nodded, then put the glass away and shifted to make room for her next to him to get a better look. So it was the page. But…she knew that Henry was just as smart as she was. Just because August had pulled it out of the book didn't mean anything. There could be any number of reasons why he'd done it. Which left really only one more question. Was it the page?
"Did you find anything?" she pressed, not that there was really much to find. It was a door; nothing more and nothing less.
"I think…this door…somehow has something to do with the Author," he confirmed. "I just have to figure out where it is."
Well…whether or not it was the page that they needed it appeared that Henry believed it was. And if he believed it then she knew that sooner or later he was bound to discover the location of that door. He was like his grandfather in that way. When he was determined she knew that nothing would stop him. And sometimes she wasn't always sure that was going to be a good thing, but in this particular case…it was probably a good trait to have.
"You will," she assured him, hoping that one day he'd see just how similar he was to Neal, wishing that Neal could be there to see it and share it with him for himself. He couldn't be. And thanks to her, neither could his grandfather. But she'd had no choice in that matter. She'd kept her promise Neal, a promise for the greater good. Henry was safe. And now all that was left was to make sure he stayed that way. And make sure that he stayed well fed while he was researching, a flaw that she would have thought might have come from her too if she didn't know better.
"Here!" she smiled, shoving the doughnut into his hands. He took it with a small smile of gratitude and she gave him a small pat on the shoulder. Her mission accomplished, Henry well fed and properly occupied, she returned to the back room to finish her own task.
Okay, so there is a lot going on in this chapter but I wanted to point out that this is another place I added time into. Did you catch the "she's acting weird over the last few days" comment, "days" being the important word here. It was the only other place I could add time in order to allow us to get to the "nine week" period because after this things happen day by day. I did check the scene, Regina is wearing different clothes from when she met Mary Margaret to when she goes to the diner to meet Mal and the others. She's also a mother, so it makes sense to me that before she goes undercover she would want to get her affairs in order, make sure Henry is taken care of "just in case". Someone did point out in the last time jump that they thought it was possible to be six weeks from when Rumple arrives in NYC and then nine weeks when he gets into Storybrooke. It's a good thought and one I would have been happy to go with because I think placing as much time between A and B makes things more sensible, but it's debunked. Not only have A&E repeatedly said that 4B picks up six weeks later, Hook also stated it in 4x12. When he's talking about the fairies he says that it's been six weeks and they still have nothing. Good thoughts, though. I'd have preferred that version!
Thank you, thank you, thank you Grace5231973, TracyJean, Ladybugsmomma, Deweymay, Rumbellefan, Fox24, Teirae, Skitzoeinhoven, Raizen Yusuke, and my unnamed Guest for your continued reviews and support in this venture. Scarlet Beauty stuff aside I'm glad that ya'll like what I'm doing with this fiction. I'm sorry it's not more but there wasn't much more I could do. Belle doesn't really have a huge role in 4B. Peace and Happy Reading!