It's the middle of the night, but hey...what's a girl gonna do when she's deliriously tired and can't sleep? It feels strange to be wrapping up this story after so long. Combined with the prequel, I've been working on it for almost a year. If there's anything you want to see that was mentioned earlier in the story, now's the time to bring it up. I think we have another two chapters. Maybe three if I decide to do an epilogue. You can now expect chapters of EPIC proportions! Just kidding - but they won't be short. Enjoy!


Brenna was sitting on a park bench watching her two young daughters play on the play structure and trying to wrap her head around the events of the afternoon. She'd told Brian she needed a little bit of space so that she could work things out on her own.

Sophie pulled her out of her thoughts when she ran up to her. "Mommy, mommy! Guess what?"

"What is it, sweetheart?" Brenna sat up a little straighter, trying not to appear too drained in front of her youngest daughter.

"The Lost Boys are here! The ones from Peter Pan. Tootles and Curly and Slightly, all of them, and they said they're new here, too! They came from Neverland on Captain Hook's ship and Tootles is the same age as me and he wants to be my friend, mommy! He says he has a mommy now, too, and he likes this world and he wants to stay here forever and ever."

"Wow, that's neat, Sophie," Brenna smiled at her daughter. It was half-hearted, and she hoped her daughter didn't notice. It was hard enough trying to adjust to this situation without her daughter babbling excitedly about all of the new people she was meeting. Fairytale people; people that belonged in storybooks and Disney movies, certainly not as walking, talking, real people.

Happy to have had her excitement acknowledged, Sophie bounced back over to the boy Brenna thought must be Tootles and had to smile at how adorable he was and how cute the two young children were smiling and talking with one another.

Tootles attention was soon diverted, however, as he glanced over Sophie's shoulder and cried, "Mommy!"

Brenna watched as a brunette woman approached with a smile and Tootles launched himself into her arms, laughing happily and wrapping his legs and arms around her as she swung him into her arms. He smiled and buried his head into her neck. "I missed you!"

"I missed you too, darling," the woman said. She gave him a quick kiss to the side of his head before setting him down.

"Where's Annie?"

Brenna watched curiously as the woman's expression saddened. "She had to leave for a little while. Daniel and I will explain everything when we get home. What about Henry?"

"He and Peter went away for a little while. They're coming back soon. Is everything okay, mommy?"

"It's fine, don't worry." The woman caressed his cheek lovingly. "Why don't you keep playing with the other boys? We should leave when Henry comes back."

The rest of the Lost Boys approached, looking at Tootles. "Do you have to go?" the tallest one asked.

"Mommy says I can stay until Henry gets back."

Brenna smiled as all of the children cheered. They all ran off, but the sight of Sophie approaching the newcomer caught her eye. Sophie smiled up at the woman brightly. "Hi!"

Bending down to eye level, the woman smiled back. "Well, hello again. Sophie, right?"

Sophie nodded up and down enthusiastically, her smile widening even further. "You remembered!"

Brenna didn't have to wonder much longer who this woman was or how her daughter knew her, as Sophie grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the bench. "Mommy! It's pretty stranger lady!"

The woman looked down at Sophie with an amused expression and a raised eyebrow. She extended her hand politely. "Regina. You must be Brian's wife."

"Brenna," she nodded, taking her hand. "It's nice to finally meet you. Sophie has gone on and on about you." The little girl giggled and looked down shyly. "Hey, Soph, why don't you go join the boys? You want to have a little more time to play with them before Tootles has to leave, right?"

Sophie nodded and ran off, but not before waving at Regina.

"You really made an impression on her," Brenna said. She moved slightly to her left on the bench, making more room. "Join me?"

"Thank you." Regina sat next to her, looking out at where Sophie had joined the boys in a friendly game of tag. "I'm not sure how I did anything to garner any special attention. I only saw her for a moment when we met."

"It doesn't matter," Brenna told her. "Sophie is a very special little girl. She's always been very sensitive about other people. She probably sensed something about you being a mother. Anyway, she hasn't stopped talking about you since the day you came to our house."

Regina looked down at her lap, studying her hands uncomfortably. Hands that had brought so much pain to so many people; ripping out hearts, drawing magic, commanding armies. What was it about her that had drawn children to her ever since the curse had broken, when they should have been running in fear? Was it possible that they had seen something in her that she herself hadn't yet discovered? The desire to change, perhaps, or the fact that she'd never wanted to become what she had in the first place? The sound of laughter brought her eyes back up to see Tootles and Sophie hiding behind another bench not too far off. They both looked over at the same time and smiled, waving, before running off again after being discovered.

"I can almost pretend that this is normal," Brenna said. Her attention had been drawn by the children as well.

Regina looked at her curiously. "What do you mean?"

"All of this; them. Seeing my girls play tag with these other children, I can almost forget that they're characters from books I read to my children every night, or that an hour ago, I found out my husband wasn't who he said he was. You should know; you're the one who came to tell him about his father, weren't you? To ask for his help?"

"I was," Regina acknowledged slowly. "And I'm sorry that I had to do that to your family."

"No," Brenna told her. "Don't be. Brian needed to fix things with his father. Our whole marriage, he's been happy, but I could always tell that there was something missing, you know? I always assumed it had something to do with his childhood or his parents, but I never imagined it would be something like this. I guess I just wasn't ready. How can anyone ever be ready for something like this?"

"I don't know," Regina said quietly. "I suppose you just have to decide what's important to you."

Brenna shook her head. "That doesn't change the fact that something seemingly impossible has happened to turn my life upside down. Why would that make any difference?"

"Because you still have so much. You have a husband and two children who obviously love you, and you still have your life with them. I won't pretend to know what it's like to find out that something you believed to be true your whole life ends up being something different, but I do know what it's like to find yourself in an entirely different life; one you never planned on living, and maybe even one you never wanted. And I know how hard it is to go through something like that alone. But you're not alone. You have your family, and if you let them, I'm sure they can help you adapt. It's scary, but it doesn't have to stay that way."

"But how do I deal with the fact that my husband's lied to me – the entire time he's known me?" She sighed and wiped away a tear of frustration, smiling wryly. "I'm sorry. We just met and I'm unloading all of this on you."

"It's alright, I don't mind. I feel just as responsible for all of this. You know, he probably didn't tell you because he was afraid you wouldn't have believed him."

Brenna was silent, thinking about the truth of the statement. She knew she wouldn't have believed him if he'd told her.

"Besides, I wouldn't be too angry with him. He had a difficult childhood; his father is not the most...stable a person can be. I imagine that much of his not telling you actually stems from him wanting to forget that that part of his life even existed."

Brenna looked up at Regina. "That's exactly what he said."

"You see. He loves you, and nothing he did was to hurt you. He thought you'd never find out, and in all likelihood, you wouldn't have if I hadn't come to him for help. Our world isn't as much of a fairytale as the people of this world believe it to be." Her tone darkened, as did her expression, and Brenna didn't fail to notice. "There are those who'd rather forget that life existed; a chance at a fresh start in another world is an appealing notion. It would be so much easier to pretend that none of it ever happened."

"Like you?"

Regina turned to her, a question in her eyes.

"It seems like you're among those who'd rather have a fresh start." Brenna noted.

Letting out a darkly amused laugh, Regina nodded, looking ahead of her. "Dear, you have no idea."

Brenna watched as Regina stared out into nothingness, deep in thought, and obviously far away. She wondered who Regina had been in the other world; what fairytale character identity belonged to her. Just as she was wondering how to go about asking, Sophie approached slowly, Tootles not far behind.

Instead of the unbridled excitement the girl had exhibited earlier, she appeared curiously cautious now. She stopped a good few steps away from Regina, just out of arms reach. "Is it true?" she asked quietly. "Are you really the…"she looked around, as if afraid that anyone might be listening, and whispered, "…the Evil Queen?"

Regina's focus snapped back to the present and she looked down at the young child sadly. "I am."

Sophie took a step sideways, closer to her mother, a look of fear coming over her face.

"It's okay," Tootles told her, stepping forward. "I told you – she used to be the Evil Queen. She isn't anymore. Now she's my mommy."

Regina smiled – a small smile, but a warm one – and Tootles crossed the rest of the way to her, climbing onto the bench where she pulled him into her lap. He settled back into her and looked down at Sophie. "You don't have to be afraid of mommy – she's not evil. She's like she used to be when she came to Neverland. She takes care of me and she loves me and she doesn't hurt anyone."

Sophie still remained cautious, but she moved in more closely so she could lean against her mother's legs as she continued to look at Regina.

Brenna couldn't believe it as she looked at Regina. It was no wonder the woman had said she wanted a fresh start in this world – she had been the one to cast the curse that brought the fairytales into the world in the first place. At least, that's how Brian had explained it to her. She looked down at her daughter, running a hand through her hair comfortingly. Snow White had always been Sophie's favorite story, and for her to find out that the woman she'd been so enamored with was the villain she'd always feared must be frightening. She didn't say anything, however. She hadn't known Regina for more than a few minutes, but it was enough to tell that she had nothing to fear from the woman. Whoever she'd been, whatever she'd done in the past, it wasn't who she was anymore. In fact, Brenna found she rather liked the woman. Seeing the cute little boy wrapped lovingly in her arms, looking completely at ease, only confirmed her belief that this woman would never do anything to hurt her daughter.

"Do you hate Snow White?" Sophie finally asked.

Regina smiled at her and shook her head. "No. She and I had many misunderstandings, but all of our problems are in the past. She's my family and I love her."

"You do?" Sophie smiled shyly, face brightening again, and Regina nodded. "Are you her mommy, too?"

Regina chuckled. "Well, Snow's a little old for a mommy, but I will always make sure that she is safe and help her when she needs it." She looked up when she saw Neal making his way over to them with his hand on Henry's shoulder. "Here comes your brother," she said to Tootles. "Why don't you go say goodbye to the boys for now?"

"Okay," the boy nodded, sliding off of her lap. "Bye, Sophie," he said, waving before running off.

"Bye, Tootles."

Brenna stood. "Well, I suppose I should be getting back to my husband." She called for Claire to join them. "It was nice to meet you, Regina. Thank you for the advice. And for the insight," she added sincerely. "I hope I'll see you again?" She tilted her head in question.

Regina nodded, surprised by Brenna's pleasantness despite having just learned the truth about her. "I hope so, too." She was caught off guard when Sophie moved quickly up onto the bench and wrapped her arms around her neck in a loose hug.

"I'm glad you're good now," the little girl whispered into her ear. Just as quickly, she pulled back and stepped down, taking her mother's hand as Claire stepped up next to them.

Regina smiled. "So am I."

Sophie beamed and Brenna looked down between her two children. "Come on, girls. Let's go see your father." She took Claire's hand as well, and smiled at Neal and Henry as they passed.

It wasn't hard for Regina to guess that Neal had decided to tell Henry the truth. Her son looked conflicted, and when Regina stood to greet them, he practically launched himself at her, wrapping his arms firmly around her waist as he buried his head into her chest.

She raised her arms to place them around him, rubbing his back and she kissed the top of his head. "It'll be okay," she told him. She looked at Neal who gave her a small nod.

"I'll see you soon, Henry," he said, turning to leave.

Henry pulled back for a second to look at his newly discovered father. "Neal?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we hang out again soon?"

Neal smiled brightly. "Of course, buddy. That sounds great."

As Neal went to join the Lost Boys, Henry returned to his mother's arms. "Emma lied to me," he said simply.

"She wanted to protect you, Henry."

"That's what everyone says when they lie."

"But it's true."

"I like Neal. We had a lot of fun today. Why would Emma need to protect me from him?"

"That's something you should ask her, Henry, but I promise you that she had reasons that she felt were good. I didn't like the idea of him telling you the truth, either, but you deserved to know."

"Yeah, but I thought Emma was different," Henry whispered, wrapping his arms around her more tightly.

"She's still a good person and a good mother. That hasn't changed. Promise me you won't be too angry with her when you see her again?"

Henry looked up at her and she lifted a hand to brush across his cheek gently. He finally nodded.

"Good. Let's get Tootles and go home, okay? There's something else I need to talk to you about."

Nodding, he let go with one hand, stepping so that he could walk next to her, but still be tucked into her side. She held him tightly, cherishing the moment. Annie was off in another world, facing danger and trying to save the world, she and Daniel would be leaving soon to ask the council for help, and Cora was still a lingering threat to everything she held dear, but right now she had her boys, and that was something she wasn't going to take for granted.


"You sure you're up to this, love?" Hook asked, stepping up beside Annie to look out over the dark water.

"I don't have a choice," she said quietly, but firmly.

"Oh, there's always a choice."

"Not this time." Her gaze finally moved from the water to rest on him. "The harmony of the universe is at stake, but more importantly, so are the lives of the people I love. There is only one option."

He nodded silently; that was a logic he couldn't fault. "So what will you do when we get there?"

"I don't know, exactly."

"Forgive me if I'm overstepping my authority, but this seems like something you might want to have a plan for."

"I didn't have a plan for getting us out the first time, and that seemed to work out alright, didn't it?"

"Mmm, but if I recall, you also collapsed from exhaustion; wouldn't want that to happen in the middle of a fight."

Annie let the silence stretch out between them. Somewhere in between the two halves of Neverland, the temperature had dropped significantly. She'd forgotten how cold this world had been. She hadn't had much time to think about it then; she'd been with Regina and Daniel. But now she could feel the cold all around her and inside her, adding to the sense of dread that the colorless world already possessed in spades. She shivered and saw her breath as she exhaled.

"Do you want to know the truth?" she finally asked him.

"Only if you want to tell me."

"I'm scared." She looked back out over the water, far off into the distance where she could just make out the sight of the tall cliff that marked their destination. "I don't have a plan because I don't even know where to start. I only just found out that I have powers and I have no clue how to use them. I don't know how I did it last time; I just felt what I needed to do. But now…I don't feel anything but fear. What if I can't do this? What if I fail?" She shook her head. "You're probably right in questioning me. I'm not cut out for this."

"That's not what I said. And I was asking to be polite, nothing more." Turning his head to look at her, he said, "I've no doubt that you can do this. If Regina believes in you – and I happen to know that she does – that's all the assurance I need. You're a smart lass, I can tell that much, and I've seen what you can do. When the time comes, you'll know what needs to be done. Just trust yourself. That'll get you further than you'd think."

Hook was surprised when he felt a shaking hand slip into his own. Annie hadn't looked away from the cliff, but her hand was now resting in his.

"When we get there, don't leave without me, okay?"

"Wouldn't dream of it, love."


Don't forget - this is one of your last chances to let me know what you want to see happen, and also to tell me what you think. I'm going to miss dreaming up ideas for this fic! (And by dreaming up, I mean tapping my fingertips together saying, 'excellent.' Because that's what I do.) Can't wait to hear from you.