A/n The A/N is there is no A/n! Lol
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Complicating, circulating
New life, new life
Operating, generating
New life, new life
Depeche Mode-New Life
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Tinkerbell hesitated as she walked up to the door of the cabin in the morning light. She wasn't quite sure what she was going to do if the talk between Rumple and Regina didn't help. She shuddered at the thought of returning magic to a very angry Regina. Screwing up her courage she knocked lightly on the door.
"Come in!" Yelled Robin through the closed door.
Tink's heart skipped a beat. He didn't sound angry, he actually sounded quite happy. She threw open the door and crossed the threshold, eyes wide. Across the room was Regina, her hair in a loose braid, a pair of leather breeches on, and loose fitting cotton white shirt, stuffing things in a pack.
"Morning, Tinkerbell." Regina said cheerfully.
"Morning, Regina." Tink replied smiling so big Robin thought her face might crack. He turned away and gave a little chuckle into his hand.
"So, um you got things resolved?" Tink asked. She was having a hard time pulling her eyes from Regina, feeling like she had stepped back in time, seeing the young Queen she had taken to the pub to show her who her true love was.
"You might say that." Regina said casting a smirk towards Robin.
"So," Robin said finishing loading his pack. "If you will give Regina back her magic we can be off to the dark castle and see what we can do to help."
Tink's eyes narrowed. "I'm sorry Robin, but I really don't feel comfortable giving her her magic back right now. I need to know that this is real for her and that she is not just acting to get her magic back."
Robin's eyes went from Tink to Regina looking very wounded.
"Robin, that's not what this is. I promise. And I can prove it to you." Regina said setting her pack down and turning towards Tinkerbell. "You know what to do."
Tink's eyes widen and she stepped back. "I know what to do but I have never done it before. I am not sure that I can."
Regina waved dismissively with her hand stepping towards Tink. "There is really nothing to it. Just reach in, grab it and pull it out. Piece of cake."
"And then you want your magic back?" Tink asked, eyeing her.
"I want it back before we have to deal with whoever and whatever we are going to be dealing with, but I want you to do this so Robin knows exactly how I feel. Now that you have been kind enough to cast doubt. You really have no choice. Now do it!" Regina glowered at Tink.
Tink jumped, then quickly plunged her hand into Regina's chest. Regina let out a gasp and winced as Tink fumbled around in her chest trying to get a good grip on Regina's heart.
"What the hell are you doing?" Robin asked rushing to Regina's side.
"Let her...continue." Regina gasped out.
Finally Tink got a good grip on it and yanked it none to gently from Regina's chest. Tink sent Regina an apologetic look, then turn her attention to Regina's heart.
"I don't believe it!" Exclaimed Tink. There in her hand sat Regina's heart with a small, lace like webbing of black on it but the majority of her heart was red. "That's just amazing!"
Regina bowed her head with a smile and closed her eyes. "Ok, you can put it back now." Regina said.
"Oh yes, of course." Tinkerbell replied. With a deep breath she plunged her hand back into Regina's chest and replaced her heart.
"And I think there is something else I can put back now too." Tinkerbell said removing a light gray stone from her pocket. Regina looked at the stone, then took a couple steps back. "Remarkable" Tinkerbell said.
"What is that?" Regina asked eying the store warily.
"That's the stone with your magic in it. Apparently your magic has changed along with your heart. It's amazing."
Regina continued to look at the store with hesitation. "Are you sure that's it? Someone didn't take the one with my magic and slip you that one?"
Tinkerbell gave Regina a look. "I have guarded the stone well. No one has gotten near it. This is your magic."
Regina gave her head a little shake while swallowing. "Ok then, give it to me."
Tinkerbell nodded then plunged the stone into Regina's chest. Regina closed her eyes and she could feel magic coursing through her body. Tinkerbell slowly withdrew her hand which was now holding a clear stone.
"How do you feel?" Robin asked her anxiously.
Regina opened her eyes and looked at Robin. "Good, different but good."
"What do you mean different?" He asked.
"The magic feels different. Not bad or dark but I assume not light either. It's rather strange, but I still feel in complete control of it."
"We should go." Tinkerbell urged.
"I have to get word to my merry men to meet us at the dark castle. If there is something creeping around making people disappear, then I want my son with me." Robin said. Regina slightly tensed at the mention of his son.
"You two get to the castle. I will find your son and men and get them there safely." With that Tink gave a wave and disappeared.
"I'm going to load the packs on the the horse and we can get going. " Robin said to Regina grabbing both the packs.
Regina placed her hand on Robin's forearm. "No need" She said with a grin, then with a wave of her hand they were suddenly standing in the courtyard of the dark castle.
"I thought it best to bring us here than instead of inside the castle. Believe it or not, I'm just not that popular and there are those that might need a heads up that I am here before I go in. Oh and your horse is in the stable, tucked safely away in a stall with food and water."
"You are one amazing woman, Regina." Robin said grinning at her. "Will you be alright out here by yourself?"
"Of course. I am still the Queen, after all."
Robin leaved over and gave her a quick peck on the check before heading in to the castle. Regina sat down on a stone bench to wait. She knew that she would not get a welcome reception but she did hope they would at least let her help.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft voice. "Is this seat taken?"
Regina turned to meet the soft blue eyes of Belle. "It's your castle." Regina said with a shrug.
"I'll take that as as no." Belle said rolling her eyes and sitting down.
"I, um I want to thank you." Belle said quietly.
"You want to what? For what?" Regina said turning to look at Belle like she was crazy.
"For not hurting Alea when you gave her the message in the garden."
Regina's eyes softened. "She's a beautiful child and I'm not a complete monster."
Belle shot her a look. "Well, not all the time." Regina mumbled. "Um." Regina started, then went quiet.
"What is it, Regina?" Belle asked her head tilted in asking.
"Is it hard raising a child?" She refused to meet Belle's eyes.
"Well," Belle said, leaning back slightly on the bench. "It can be hard at times, but there is nothing in all the realms that I would prefer to do. Having my daughter was the best thing that ever happened to me. The love of a child is the most powerful thing anywhere."
"But I thought true love was the most powerful thing anywhere?" Regina questioned, casting a doubtful glance at Belle.
Belle smiled. "The love of a child is the truest love there is."
As the two women fell into a silence, Snow stepped out into the courtyard. She stopped and gasped staring at Regina who looked more like the girl who was in love with a stable boy and less like the Evil Queen.
Belle rose upon seeing Snow. "Well, I better get back in and see how things are going." As she passed Snow she reached out and gave her hand a little squeeze.
"Can we talk?" Snow asked Regina.
Regina nodded, then indicated the empty seat next to her on the bench. Snow crossed over and slowly sat down her eyes never leaving Regina.
"You look so different." Snow said softly.
Regina's hand came up to her hair. "I just felt like wearing it down. I suppose it was some silly attempt at trying to recapture my youth. My hopes that people here would be more willing to accept me if I looked different. But I guess that doesn't really change my past." With that she drew her hand up, about to change everything with a flick of her wrist but Snow stopped her.
"No, Regina. You look lovely. You remind me of that kind girl from so long ago. The one who rode a horse at break neck speed to save me." Snow fell into a silence, lost in her thoughts of the past.
"You know, Regina," she said finally. "I know I've said it before but I have no problem saying it again. I am so very sorry I told Cora about your plans with Daniel. She made me think that she would let you go, that she wanted you to be happy. I was only a child and could never fathom that a mother could do something like that to her child. I had no idea the kind of evil that was out there. I never meant for anything to happen to Daniel. No matter what you think, I do shoulder my own guilt in his death. I remember him well. He was so sweet and kind." Snow abruptly fell silent as tears filled her eyes.
Regina looked out in the distance. "I know. I think I have always known, but blaming my mother would get me no where. She was far too powerful for me to extract any revenge on. You were easy to place the blame on, slip a target on your back and keep trying to hit it. It was so much easier for me to blame you, than to admit what a terrible person my mother was and still is. Or that she loves no one but herself."
"Do you think we could be friends?" Snow asked softly.
"Eventually." Regina said with a sigh. "You have to give me some time. I have spent years hating you and wanting revenge on you. I am still me and it will take me some time to adjust."
Snow nodded and both the women fell into a silence lost in thoughts of the past and what could have been.
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Belle stood outside the door to the main hall and listened to the debate that raged on inside.
"There is no way she changed. I don't care what her heart looks like. She has probably teamed up Maleficent and who knows who else and is plotting to take us all down at once!" Grumpy yelled.
"You can't fake your heart into changing, Grumpy" Nova said softly. "It's just not possible."
"And honestly" Added Tinkerbell "Until we figure out who we are up against we are going to need all the help we can get."
"Well, I refuse to be a part of any final decision until Snow comes back from talking to her. I want to hear what Snow thinks. Out of all of us, she has known her the longest." Charming said.
"I think that everyone deserves a second chance." Robin said from his seat at the long table.
"We have given her a second, third, fourth and more chances. It has gotten us no where." Charming replied.
Belle turned from the hall and made her way up the steps to the tower. She needed her husband's input on this. She was very conflicted. She wanted to believe that Regina had changed, but she was afraid to. What if Grumpy was right?
She tapped gently on the door of the tower. Rumple grunted out something that sounded a great deal like 'come in', so Belle pushed open the door. He sat at his table, another large leather bound book gripped between his fingers. He turned and looked wearily at Belle. She crossed the room without a word and wrapped herself in his arms.
"Hello, love" she said softly.
"Hello." he breathed against her hair.
"Everyone is down in the main hall debating whether we should trust Regina to help us or not." Belle said leaning into Rumple's embrace.
"Did you talk to her?" he asked.
"I did." Belle said nodding.
"And?" Rumple asked whispering his lips over Belle's neck right below her ear.
Belle tried to suppress a shudder at the contact. "Well, I...I'm not sure what I think. I find it hard to believe that she changed that fast, that easy."
Rumple drew back in surprise. Then he grinned at her. "It wasn't hard for you to believe that about me."
"Well, that was you." Belle said with a little grin.
"I was no less evil than Regina, on the contrary I would be willing to say that I was more so. I thought you believed that everyone deserved a second chance."
Belle thought for a moment, then nodded. "You are right and I do. Even Regina. But if we are going to help her get a second chance, then we better got down to the main hall and help argue in her favor. Not everyone feels that she deserves a second chance."
Rumple glance at the large book on the table and then let out a sigh. "Alright, my love. Lead the way."
He and Belle headed down to the main hall.
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