Regina, Robin, Emma and Zelena had now left Zelena's small home and were now stood by the edge of the forest in Oz. Zelena took one last look around her before she turned to Regina. She had to admit she would be glad to get out of Oz for a while.
"Okay get me out of here." Zelena said making Regina laugh a little.
Regina leaned over and took Zelena's hand in hers. She then took Robin's hand. Robin took Emma's and lastly Emma leaned over and took Zelena's. Regina then looked down at the sparkling red shoes. "Okay now the old woman said click your heels three times and say…"
"There's no place like home." Robin said to remind Regina who had forgotten.
Regina nodded. "Thank you."
"This portal better not be like the one we used to travel here. If it is I think I might actually be sick this time." Emma said.
"Well if you are going to be sick dear try to aim away from everyone else." Regina added in with a slight smirk to which Emma rolled her eyes. "Okay…" Regina said and then cleared her throat. She then lifted up onto her tip toes slightly, closed her eyes and clicked her heels together three times while each time she said "There's no place like home…" And she thought of the Enchanted Forest.
As she finished for the third time the wind began to whip around them, whirling faster and faster and they could feel themselves being lifted from the ground. They began to spin and they held onto each other's hands tightly as they flew through the portal moving faster and faster and within no time at all they all fell to the ground with a thud and the wind disappeared and as Regina looked down she noted that the sparkling red shoes had done and been replaced with the black ones she had set out with.
Regina pushed herself up from the ground and looked around her to see Zelena now stood up and brushing the dirt from her dress. Robin pushing himself up from the ground and Emma stood up, but crouched over and holding her stomach. Regina noticed Zelena frowning at Emma. "Emma doesn't handle portals very well." Regina explained with a slight smirk which Zelena returned.
"No I do not! That once again was horrible. I really do think I am going to be sick!" Emma replied.
"Well there are some bushes over there." Regina said as she began to walk around and figure out where in the Enchanted Forest they had landed.
"I think we have landed back where we started." Robin said reading Regina's mind.
Regina nodded her head. "Yes I think you are right, which means we don't have too long before we are back in the village we are staying in."
"No not too long." Robin agreed. He then looked up at the skies. It was starting to get dark and he wasn't sure if they really should be trying to travel home during the night. Although they had only just gotten back to the Enchanted Forest Robin figured there would still be the same dangers of travelling through the forests in the night and he wasn't sure if he wanted to risk Regina's life (as well as Zelena and Emma's of course) just to get home a little quicker. "Although I am not sure if we should push on…it's getting darker, night is upon us and I am pretty sure the same dangers of the forest before are around. I think we should perhaps find somewhere to camp for the night and push on in the morning."
"Ugh! I hate camping." Emma groaned.
Regina rolled her eyes a little. "Yes well…perhaps we don't need to camp out…"
"What do you mean Regina?" Robin asked.
"Well I could just do this…" Regina said flicking her wrist and transporting them all to the village.
"Sure…yea you could just do that." Robin said nodding his head.
"Okay can we please stop with the whole travelling my magic thing now. With that and portals I am done!" Emma said dramatically.
"Yes Miss Swan we are done with travelling my magic." Regina said rolling her eyes once more. She then looked over at Zelena. "You can come stay with us in our cottage. It's by the end of the village. There isn't much room but it's nice enough…I guess…"
"I'm used to living with not much room." Zelena replied.
Regina nodded her head. "You know I always wanted a sister. I used to have this imaginary friend when I was younger and I used to pretend she was my sister and we would tell each other everything. Thinking back it was perhaps a little weird…"
"I used to do the same thing." Zelena smiled.
"You did?" Regina asked returning Zelena's smile and Zelena nodded her head. "Good to know I was not the only one then."
Zelena laughed slightly. "I lived quite a lonely childhood. It was only my mother and father and I and then after a time my father and I. I didn't have many friends growing up."
"Well believe it or not I had quite a lonely childhood myself." Regina sighed.
"Really?" Zelena asked arching an eyebrow. "Living in a palace with all those maids and everything and you were lonely."
"Sometimes you can be surrounded by people yet feel as lonely as ever. I never had anyone to play with…well that was when I was allowed to go out and play. From a young age mother never really let me go and play. I had to attend lessons. Lessons on being a proper lady, on being a princess, how to conduct myself, how to speak properly, dance lessons. You name it I learnt it. There was never any children around to play with or anything." Regina explained. "Look I don't expect you to feel sorry for me or anything…I would understand if you hated me. I am rather surprised that you are actually helping me."
"Why would you think that I would hate you?" Zelena asked and Regina just looked at her. "What because our mother gave me up but kept you when she had you? Not exactly your fault is it? Anyway by the sounds of it you didn't really have that good a time with her. I think we were both screwed over in some way."
Regina laughed a little. "I think we were."
"But maybe…we could…I don't know be the sister we always wanted to have…" Zelena said a little nervous of the answer. She wasn't sure if, when all this was over, Regina would still want her to be around or if she would expect her to just go off back to Oz. She really hoped that she didn't want the latter. If she were never to step foot on that land again she would not be disappointed.
"You know I think I would like that." Regina smiled at Zelena and Zelena returned the smile.
Once they finally reached the cottage Emma hurried in, so happy to be back. Robin stepped in afterwards with Regina and Zelena following.
"PAPA! GINA!" A little voice was heard and little feet ran over to Robin and Regina and immediately tried to wrap small arms around both of their legs.
"Hey there my boy." Robin chuckled as he leaned down and lifted Roland up. Roland wrapped his arms around Robin and then pulled away and held his arms out to Regina, wriggling in Robin's arms. "Alright, easy my boy." Robin said as he handed Roland over to Regina.
"Gina I'm so glad your back." Roland said as he wrapped his arms around her.
"I'm glad to be back to Roland." Regina replied hugging the little boy back. She then leaned down and placed him back on the floor.
Henry after hugging Emma walked over to Regina and wrapped his arms around her, taking her a little by surprise. "Hey mom." He said squeezing her a little tighter.
Regina smiled and held onto Henry tightly. He then pulled away and looked up at her giving her a big smile. Regina was then pulled out of her thoughts as she heard Mary-Margaret. "So how did it go? Did you find anything?" She asked.
Regina nodded her head. "Yes we did actually." She said as she walked further into the cottage, revealing Zelena. She motioned for Zelena to come further in and Robin closed the door.
Henry, Mary-Margaret, David and Roland all looked over at the new woman in front of them who gave a shy smile and wave her hand a little. "Hi." She said in a quiet voice.
"This is Zelena." Regina said introducing her to them all. "Zelena is my older sister." She said causing Mary-Margaret, David and Henry to gasp but Roland just smiled. Regina then turned to Zelena. "Zelena this is Mary-Margaret, her husband David and this is Henry my son and Roland who is Robin's son." Regina explained.
Zelena nodded. "It is very nice to meet you all."
"It's nice to meet you too." David said he then turned to look at Regina. "Okay Regina you need to fill us in."
So they all sat down in the chairs in front of the fire while Henry kept Roland amused and Regina explained everything from going to see the old witch, to what she had told her about her having an older sister, the portal and making sure to point out Emma really couldn't handle portals. She told them how the travelled through Oz using the necklace to find Zelena (Which she now wore around her neck just like Zelena wore the other one) and how Zelena would be the one to help defeat Cora.
"So how are you both going to defeat Cora?" Mary-Margaret asked once Regina had finished.
"That's what we don't know. The old witch never said how we could defeat our mother. Just that Zelena and I together could." Regina replied.
"So you have no plan for what we are going to do next?" David asked.
"Well no…not at the moment." Regina sighed.
"But if we put our heads together I am sure we can all come up with a plan." Robin added in placing a hand on Regina's shoulder and giving it a comforting squeeze. Regina turned slightly too look at him, giving him a small smile which he returned.
Regina sighed a little as she thought about how they were going to get to Cora and Ellie. All she wanted was her daughter back with her, all she wanted was to just hug her and tell her she would never let her go. All she wanted was to just get her out of the grips of her mother and now she was one step closer to that with Zelena by her side.
So we are getting closer and closer to seeing Ellie again and Cora getting her comeuppance. Hope you all enjoyed :-)