A/N: I just want to start this chapter, since it contains quite a revelation about Regina in the realm of this story, by saying to please keep in mind as you go on that this is a fanfiction/canon-divergence that explores what Regina would be like if she'd had a daughter she loved to raise in the Forest while she was Queen. I've alluded to something only Regina and Lyssa know that the heroes don't, and this chapter will show part of what that is. So please, before jumping to 'that's NOT what happened in the show!' do keep in mind the fanfiction, the canon-divergence, and the twist of Lyssa's presence affecting Regina. This story will NOT be 100 percent true to the show. Enjoy :)

~8~

Defamation of Character

Prince Charming had never felt pain the way he had only moments ago, when it felt as though his heart was being ripped out and torn apart. He knew, instinctively, that something had happened to Snow White. There was no other explanation, she was his heart, he felt it in his soul, and that pain, it felt like his heart was dying. Snow was in danger, he was certain the Evil Queen had done something to her and he needed to find her. Not even the bars of the cell he was being kept in would stop him.

He knew he had little time to spare, beating a rock against the lock of the cell was sure to draw the attention of the guards. But, then again, maybe the Evil Queen was sadistic enough to wait and watch him toiling away in a hopeless situation and he might get closer to escaping. Whatever came next, he would not cease his attempts to escape, not till he truly was free and racing to find Snow White.

"I will find you, Snow," he promised both himself and her as he fell to the ground, his back to the bars, panting, "I will always find you."

He didn't even look up when two guards approached the cell until one shoved him back so the other could unlock the cell.

"It'll be hard to do that without your head," the first guard sneered, glaring down at where he'd stumbled and fallen, "Get up, the Queen is looking forward to your execution."

Both men immediately apprehended Charming, hauling him to his feet to ensure he wouldn't escape. They had not anticipated the goodly prince would try trickery on them though, and halfway down another hall, he stumbled to the ground.

"Get up!" the second guard ordered, "On your feet."

But Charming used the distraction and feint to launch his attack, using what skills and advantage he could find against them until he stood alone, the victor. He didn't take even a moment to celebrate his victory, instead turning and running down the hall, sure that the sounds of the scuffle had drawn more unwanted attention to him. He jerked back as he neared a corner, a guard ahead of him, a drawn bow stretched in his hand, arrow aimed right for him.

He quickly turned back the way he'd come, trying to retreat, but another guard came up behind him, cutting off the path.

The fourth guard smirked, "Shoot him," he ordered the bowman.

The third guard fired the arrow…right past Charming and into the heart of the last guard.

Charming spun around to the third guard, startled and on edge, hesitant to trust any help coming to him from one of the Evil Queen's infamous black knights, "Who the hell are you?"

The guard lowered his bow for but a moment, long enough to pull his helmet off and reveal himself as the Huntsman, "A friend."

Charming shook his head, "I don't know you."

"But I know Snow White."

That was the magic word for Charming rushed to his side, his guard down, the hesitation and wariness forgotten, "Is she ok?"

The Huntsman shook his head, "The Queen was traveling to meet her," he reached out to pull Charming's hands towards him, quickly freeing him from the shackles the guards had forced on him, "Her fate is in a precarious place. We must hurry. Follow me," he turned, not doubting Charming would be close behind as he led him through the twists and turns of the castle, "I can get you out. I'll try and stall the Queen. The rest is up to you," he paused as they reached a door, a small pack and a sword resting by it. He leaned down and picked them up, handing them to the prince, "Your weapon, and some provisions. Good luck."

Charming frowned, "You're not coming with me?"

The Huntsman shook his head, grim, "I cannot. I gave up my heart so that the Queen would spare Snow's. Don't let my sacrifice be in vain. Find her."

Charming nodded firmly, moving to the door and peering out, making sure the path was clear before dashing away.

The Huntsman stood there a moment longer, still on edge, listening for any other guards that might have followed, it would not be good if he was discovered here…

He spun around, hearing a noise behind him, his bow and arrow already notched and ready to fire at the threat behind him…if by 'threat' he meant red-haired girl in a blue dress who squeaked and quickly held up her hands in surrender.

Before he could make a move, utter a word, the girl had already spoken, "You released the prince?"

The Huntsman swallowed hard, slowly lowering his bow, not about to fire at the girl for that would incur a rage far worse than anything one would imagine the Evil Queen would feel at the escape of the Prince, "Aye," he answered.

The girl looked at him a long while, he held her gaze, before a grin began to spread across her face, mirrored in his own when she let out a delighted laugh and ran towards him, half launching herself into his arms as he hugged her, now laughing himself in relief.

"The plan worked!" he cheered quietly in her ear, not daring to be much louder than a whisper, never knowing who was listening or watching, they always had to be careful of what was said and how it was said, "Lyssa, it worked," he set Lyssa down, his heart racing, "I can't believe it."

"How could you ever doubt?" Lyssa gave him a look that would have been more chastising if not for the beaming expression on her face.

"I should have learned not to after all these years," he could admit that.

For as many allies as Snow White had gathered, for as many minds as had come together to help the girl, none were so clever as to anticipate even a fraction of the plans he had seen come to fruition at the hands of the Queen and the ginger girl before him. Though it made sense, none would be looking for the tell-tale signs of such plans, nor would they believe they weren't a trap.

"It worked," Lyssa repeated, breathing a long sigh of relief, tears in her eyes that the Huntsman knew came from so much more than a successful plan, but from the end of suffering for another, "Mother will be so pleased!"

The Huntsman cracked a wry smile at that, "Not in public."

If anyone had told him four years ago that the Evil Queen would be pleased Snow White's Prince Charming escaped her clutches, in private at least, he would have though them drunk off their arse.

If anyone had told him the Queen herself would have helped concoct the plan to free Prince Charming, he would have laughed himself into the madhouse.

Yet here he stood, and both were true.

Regina had planned this 'great escape.' Oh not the part about the guards. HE was to sneak down and release Charming under the guise of helping Snow White. He hadn't anticipated the other guards moving without a direct order from the Queen. An announcement HAD been made that Charming's execution would follow the defeat of Snow White, but there had been no specific order as to when. Clearly the men thought this last meeting between Queen and Princess would end in the Queen's victory and had moved ahead of plan. He had been lucky to get to Charming before the man completely slipped out of the castle.

The provisions he'd given the man were for the next part of the plan, without them it would be that much more difficult for Charming.

"True," Lyssa sighed, her joy seeming to dampen slightly at his words, a familiar sorrow and empathy flashing across her face.

She hurt so profoundly for her mother, for the Queen, when things she knew would please her and relieve her were forced to be hidden. That the Queen's first reaction had to be with anger and hatred because, often, the joyous news was delivered where other eyes were watching.

The Huntsman reached out to put a hand on her shoulder, wanting to comfort the girl.

And if anyone had told him he'd come to be the sworn sword of the Evil Queen's secret adopted daughter and that he would actually WANT to protect the now-seventeen year old girl, he'd have run himself through with his own sword, so very sure he would never do anything that could help the Evil Queen after she had ripped his heart out of his chest.

He could not imagine the reaction of others if he ever told them that he truly understood why the Queen had taken and kept his heart locked away, even now, and that he did not wish it back.

He had been wrong about so many things, but now, with the Queen's return and Snow White's defeat, it might be time for those 'many things' to be revealed to the people. He knew it was Lyssa's greatest hope, that one day people would come to see her mother as she did, the TRUE Regina kept hidden, the Regina he had been lucky enough to come to know.

He looked back over his shoulder, hearing trumpets sounding the return of the Queen, "You should go," he warned the girl, "Prepare the room for her return."

Lyssa nodded, cheered somewhat by the reminder of the small surprise she had wanted to give her mother as soon as she returned victorious, and hurried off.

The Huntsman took a deep breath, gripping his bow tightly, before he turned to go greet the Queen.

They had one hell of a performance to put on for her knights...

~8~

The Black Knights did not dare get too close as they watched their Queen pacing, in a rage, after being told of the Prince's escape. The woman had walked in, triumphant, which had quickly faded upon sight of her Black Knights awaiting her, their posture and positioning, ready and awaiting orders, had set her off. The only reason they would be awaiting orders was if they expected her to bark them out as soon as she set foot in her dark palace. Which meant something happened that they needed her explicit instruction for.

Being told that Prince Charming had escaped her knights had sent her pacing and snarling and screeching at them, spewing threats and promising to rip hearts out of the guards who were responsible.

Three of the guards they had found in the direct path they now knew the Prince had taken were already dead.

That news appeared to do little to assuage her anger, for not only the Prince managed to best two of her knights without a weapon and kill them, but then he somehow managed to get his hands on a bow and arrow to kill the third. NOW he was gone AND had a weapon to defend himself!

She turned on her heel, hearing approaching footsteps that were not running but still at a brisk pace, and rounded on the Huntsman as he arrived.

"Where is he?" she demanded, the other guards knowing of his prowess would assume he had tried to track the Prince on his path, if he returned, he MUST know something, "The prisoner!"

"Escaped," the Huntsman said, bracing himself internally for the blast of magic the Queen sent at him, hurling him into the wall. He was thankful not only for his armor, but for the extra padding Lyssa had sewn into the back of his shirt for just this point in the performance.

The Queen stalked towards him, the snarl on her face enough to have the closest of her knights stepping back, not wanting to be on the receiving end of it, "A palace full of guards, and you let him escape?!"

The Huntsman gave her a firm look that was just short of a glare, for that would be far too disrespectful, "I did my best."

And with that the guards realized he had not been able to track the Prince after he'd gotten out of the castle. They would NOT want to be him right now with the Queen's victory now soured and her rage boiling.

"You failed!" the Queen snapped, "And do you know what happens to people who fail me, Huntsman?" she seethed.

His hand came to his chest, as though in reminder of what she could do to him, and he straightened, "I'll find him," he swore, "You needn't worry. Leave him to me."

The Queen merely shook her head and turned to a nearby mirror, waving her hand across it and instantly spotting Charming running along a beach. The Knights, she was sure, would think this a testament to how powerful her magic was, that she could find her enemies so easily.

None of them needed to know it was the small totem the Huntsman had hidden among the supplies intended for the Prince that allowed her to find him so quickly.

Her sneering visage soon turned into a smirk, "That won't be necessary," she spoke, though to the Huntsman or to the rest of her knights it was unclear, "He's mine," she snapped her fingers and, in a swirl of purple smoke, Charming disappeared and reappeared in the middle of the Infinite Forest.

He would likely never find his way out of there, so few did,might have even died if he didn't enter with the proper provisions...

She paused a moment to observe his confusion, how he moved to run off, and waved her hand to restore the mirror to its original reflection, before she spun to face the knights.

"Seize him," she commanded, and two knights instantly stepped forward to grab the Huntsman, "You know what happens to those who fail me," she repeated, moving closer to him and letting her gaze wander over his face. She smirked, leaning in to run a finger down the side of his face, "Though you HAVE pleased me in other ways," she sighed, before growing firm, "You know where to take him," she ordered the guards, as she had the handful of other times the man had needed to be disciplined and she'd ordered him brought to her bedchamber.

If she saw the jealous looks the other guards sent at the Huntsman, she made no reaction, merely following behind the men dragging the Huntsman along.

~8~

Truly, with the number of times it had happened over the last few years, Lyssa felt she should have been used to the Huntsman being throw into her mother's bedchamber enough where she didn't jump out of her skin each time it happened. It was just…she and her mother were often together when they would come to this room, or if her mother entered it was with less force (unless she was acting out her anger at something going wrong and slamming the doors for the guards that walked to the end of the hall to her chambers). SHE always tried to enter in a gentler manner, opening the door softly, shutting it just so, the guard always assumed it was her way to not anger the Queen as she went about her servant duties. The Huntsman would knock and wait for the door to unlock itself before he would enter.

Really the only time it was thrown open by the guards was when her mother was 'in a foul mood' and 'about to 'punish' the Huntsman.' But her mother was always close enough behind so as to unlock the door magically just before the guards reached it. There was a charm on the door to keep anyone but herself, her mother, or the Huntsman seeing what laid past the door.

Which was just as well, she doubted the guards would believe the bright and lightly decorated room belonged to someone labeled the 'Evil Queen.'

No one but the three of them were allowed in this room, no one by the three of them COULD step foot into the room. It was heavily warded with every spell, talisman, and enchantment her mother had been able to find so as to keep the Dark One from eavesdropping or spying or appearing there. This was the one place in all of the Enchanted Forest the Dark One could not breach, even with all his magic, her mother had made sure of it for the secrets held within were far too dangerous to let the imp discover them.

Speaking of secrets though, Lyssa had only just barely been able to catch the apple turnover she'd been moving onto a plate from how she'd tossed it into the air at the Huntsman's sudden arrival, having to toss it from hand to hand a bit before she got hold of it and could set it down. It was quite hot still.

She spun around, a hand to her heart, just as the Huntsman caught his balance and was able to straighten up once more. Her mother was soon to follow, glaring at the guards that waited outside, likely hoping to be invited in for 'discipline' of their own, before she slammed the door shut in their faces.

The moment the door was shut, the spell to block all noise from escaping in place, her mother crumbled in a swirl of purple smoke until her mother, not the Evil Queen, was left. Regina was on the floor, sitting back against the door, her face buried in her hands, hair loose from where it had been tightly held back, her equally tight and dark gown vanishing into a pale yellow one. Lyssa was at her side the moment she saw the woman's shoulders shaking in silent tears.

"Mama," the girl murmured, plopping down to hug her mother from the side, glancing up as the Huntsman came to kneel before them, an arm resting on his knee, concerned, "It's alright…"

"It's over," Regina breathed, taking a deep breath to try and stall the tears, pulling her hands away and grabbing Lyssa's tightly, resting her head back against the door, "It's finally over."

"Snow White has been dealt with then?" the Huntsman asked, his tone carefully controlled.

He had not wanted the young girl to die, had realized it after he himself had been tasked with giving the 'Evil Queen' her heart. He did not want her dead, even now, had fully planned to sabotage any plan Regina had that would lead to such a fate. Until he'd discovered the woman didn't want Snow White dead either, nor did she want Prince Charming executed, or any of the woman's allies killed. She just wanted Snow White to be parted from everything she loved most in the world, as terrible as even that sounded.

Even at the Queen's highest point of hatred, she hadn't wanted to kill Charming. She had felt that loss of love, of true love, and she would not wish it on her worst enemy. She could not kill Charming or Snow as a result. Something about 'death being too easy' hadn't really helped settle him, but what the Queen wanted was not as horrific or final as death.

She wanted Snow White to suffer, every day of her life, knowing she would never BE with her True Love again. The exact same way SHE had to live her life since her love, Daniel, had been taken from her. He had been to her most secret crypts, he had seen the preservation spell she had cast over her fallen love, hoping one day he could be restored to her. So long as Daniel lived, so would Snow White, for Daniel wasn't dead but he WAS taken from her.

Fair is fair.

Living the life he had, he knew there must always be a balance, a give and take. He took life from animals, to give himself sustenance, to survive. Snow White had taken from the Queen and given nothing, life would have something taken from Snow White of equal importance.

This was never about murder, Snow White was never meant to be killed.

And now she would sleep eternal, through biting a poisoned apple.

Finally, after years of all this endless warfare against Snow White, Regina could be at peace. It was over, she had seen her quest through, her true love had been avenged.

In the darkest parts of his mind, a small part of him felt this punishment the Queen settled on wasn't enough. He could not begin to imagine the hell Regina had endured as Queen to King Leopold, he knew what husbands expected of their wives, kings especially, and there was no love or consent between them. He didn't need to be told what happened, repeatedly, to the Queen, for he had been privy to catch enough vague references to work it out. On top of that, she had been forced to play mother to the child she saw as being one part of what stole her true love from her. He knew, even now, he had not seen everything from the last three years she had endured, being the Evil Queen, hunting Snow White, having to live up to that ridiculous reputation, all the horrors and travesties so many claimed the Queen was responsible for, how hated she was. He saw more than most, but not everything. Only Lyssa could claim that for she so rarely left the Queen's side and he was more often called upon when they were to be apart.

To truly be a fair exchange, Snow White would need her love killed before her eyes, to be forced into a marriage with a man she could not deny, expected to care for one even partly responsible for her loss, and then universally hated by all the realm.

The Queen was inflicting none of that.

"It worked," Regina nodded, answering his question, bringing his thoughts back to the present, "It's finally...over."

No more planning and plotting, no more launching attacks, no more shady alliances with others of sinister repute, no more vendetta.

The Huntsman could only smile lightly as he watched Lyssa hugging her mother tightly. It wasn't just Regina who suffered, Lyssa had been at her side from the start, the two denied the chance to show their bond of mother and daughter to the world for so many years. And the worst part was this could have been over so long ago, but Regina and Lyssa often had their hands tied, for Lyssa was right there, helping her mother with her plans. If anything went wrong, it was a risk for Lyssa as well, it was a guilt she would need to bear alongside her mother.

For what most others saw as an attack or a trap was a plot within a plot within a plot.

So many plans with so many levels and so intricately crafted that no one would realize the truth depth of them, no one would look past the surface to see all the other moving parts. It HAD to be that way, the Dark One was always watching, he'd heard the Queen and Lyssa whisper about it when they didn't think he could hear. If the imp realized there was more going on to each attack, that the death tolls were lower than any thought, that the destruction done to so many villages was minimal at best…things could become very, very bad. He didn't know how or why they felt that, only that they had to be careful that no one realized how controlled an attack was or how many glamours were being used to make things look worse than they were. It took considerable planning and preparation, given this room was the only area safe from the Dark One's notice, they could not afford to make mistakes on a whim decision and so everything had to be planned out as detailed as possible and prepared with the upmost caution.

There had been a village, he heard Regina speak of once, where it had looked to Snow White as though everything was burned down and there were piles of bodies scattered around, as though the Evil Queen had struck at those who aided Snow White in retaliation or warning.

No one but the three of them knew that the village still stood, invisible. That the people had been moved, saved, before anything happened. That they lived, even now, in safety. That everything Snow White thought she saw was in fact an image made by magic, smells conjured, objects like logs and rocks altered to look like solid things the woman touched. But none of it was REAL.

It just had to LOOK real.

"You avenged Danny," Lyssa whispered to her mother, "Thank you, mama."

Regina sniffled, holding back her tears at the realization that she finally, finally had. She took a breath, opening her eyes and reached out a hand to the Huntsman, who took it in both of his, "Thank you."

"I live to serve, my Queen," he offered with a small laugh as he managed to make her roll her eyes at him. It was something he had said in bitterness and resentment to her, when everything was so new and startling, but it had grown genuine over time. He didn't need her to keep his heart to keep him loyal, he chose to follow her, to follow the woman he saw in this room, the only place she could be herself.

He knew she kept his heart for Lyssa's sake. It had been taken to ensure he would never turn against her or use Lyssa against her, that he would always protect the girl. And while he would even if his heart was back in his chest, the woman before him had lost so much she would NOT risk the life of her daughter, not on anything. Keeping his heart was a comfort to her, and he would not deny her that after all he'd seen her endure.

As Regina looked at him in thanks, her gaze drifted past to something behind him, "What's this?"

Lyssa looked over as the Huntsman turned to glance over his shoulder, and smiled, "I wanted to surprise you," she said, getting up and reaching out a hand to help her mother up, smiling more as she reached up to wipe her mother's tears away, taking her hand to lead her over, "I made your favorites!"

Regina laughed as she saw the apple turnovers sitting on a plate, just waiting to be eaten. She looked at her daughter with jestingly narrowed eyes.

She didn't even need to voice her question when Lyssa answered, "I knew you would win this time."

Apple turnovers took a bit of time to make, Lyssa would have needed to start the moment she left in order for them to be ready now.

"We best not waste them, then," Regina said softly, and so their tiny celebration began.

~8~

Come nightfall, Regina stood at the railing of her balcony, looking out at the stars, Lyssa dead to the world and curled up on her mother's bed behind the woman. She truly had gotten up at an ungodly hour to make the turnovers so they'd be ready just as the Queen returned. The Huntsman had just finished tidying up slightly from the small mess they'd made of the food, and stepped over to her. He glanced down at her hands on the railing, and placed his own along the beam, his left hand dangerously close to her right. Had anyone been watching, the 'Evil Queen' would have slapped them and threatened to set them on fire before turning them into a toad.

But this was just them, she could be content to just be a woman looking at the stars, not the Evil Queen with the reputation to uphold.

"I wanted to hate you," he spoke, knowing it was not the best way to begin what he wished to say to her but not knowing how else to start, "You ripped my heart out and had me dragged here, let me think it was to be your pet or your plaything or…" he shook his head, letting out a long sigh, "I did not expect a little ginger girl to already be in your rooms, startled half to death at my sudden appearance."

Regina chuckled lightly at that, relieved she COULD chuckle about it now. It had not been a pleasant way to begin, she was under no illusions about it. What she had done was horrible, violating, and cruel…but with the Black Knights around, being out of this room, she had no other way to GET him there with little question than to act as she had.

She considered herself very lucky he had come to forgive her for it.

"And then you ask me, BEG me, to protect that little girl," he looked over at her, "The so-called Evil Queen just wanted someone to keep her daughter safe when she couldn't. I didn't know what to make of you, of her, after that. Especially when you kept my heart because you were so afraid I would turn on you and hurt her. You didn't care about yourself, you cared about her. About the danger she'd be in if anyone found out who she is to you. That was when I started to see someone other than the Evil Queen."

"Huntsman…" Regina began.

"You know my name," he reminded her gently, "You CAN use it, Regina."

She looked away, looking down, and shook her head. To be THAT familiar with him…she wasn't sure she could. The only man she had felt that close to was Daniel.

He nodded slowly, seeming to understand, "I see you as Regina," he continued on, turning slightly to place his hand on top of hers, "As Lyssa's mother. A strong woman. Beautiful, warm, intelligent, but also incredibly sad and lonely."

"I have Lyssa," Regina argued, turning towards him more, "And you."

"And you always shall," he swore, "Regina I…"

"Please, don't," she begged, her voice a whisper, tears in her eyes for she knew, if he said the words she feared he would, she would only end up breaking his heart. She was touched, she truly was, but she knew in her heart she did not feel the same. She was not ready to, nor was it safe to do so.

"I care for you," he amended, sensing something in her voice, an unreadiness, perhaps an unwillingness, "I just want you to know this. For you are free now, to be who you are, to cast off the shade of the Evil Queen and…"

Regina pulled her hand away from him, not in a cruel manner, more in a slipping away as she stepped back, crossing her arms over her chest as she shook her head, "I'm not free. I'm really not."

He frowned, the tears in her eyes telling him this was not as simple as he had made it, "I don't understand. Snow White has been defeated…"

"And the Dark One still lives," Regina finished though that was not what he was about to say. She turned, looking back at the stars, "He…he has plans for me."

He frowned, "What sort of plans?"

Regina could only shrug, "I don't know. Do you really think that imp would reveal anything to anyone?" she lifted a hand to rub her forehead, "But he DOES want something from me, or he wants me to do something. I'm not stupid," she said, turning to him, not quite sounding as though he had accused her of being so, but defensive all the same, "I spent so much of my life under my mother's thumb, I know when people are trying to manipulate me," she swallowed hard and glanced back into the room, at Lyssa, "But he knows Lyssa has magical potential," she said quietly, as though just speaking it aloud would broadcast that fact to everyone in the Enchanted Forest and beyond, "He's made it very clear that if I refuse to do as he bids, he'll go after Lyssa," she looked back at the Huntsman, "Don't you see? I will never be free. If I slip, if I give any hint, no matter how small, that I am NOT as dark and evil as everyone thinks I am, he will use my daughter instead," her throat nearly closed at the mere thought of it, the tears now falling from her eyes choking her, "I would rather lose my own soul than let him darken Lyssa's heart," she closed her eyes at the promise, squeezing them tight before opening them, "I must carry on the ruse…until I can be sure she's safe."

The Huntsman was silent at the revelation she had just given him, taking in all he had learned, "Is there nowhere you can send her?" he asked, "Out of his clutches? Nowhere we could go to be safe from him?"

She shook her head, "If there was, I would do anything if it meant he wouldn't be a threat to her," she glanced over at Lyssa once more.

There…there WAS one place.

When the genie had been infatuated with her, he had offered her a wish once she was free of the king, she had used it. Not for herself, but for Lyssa. Even then she had had her suspicions of the Dark One and had wanted her daughter safe. Lyssa COULD escape, using that wish, but her daughter loved her as much and as fiercely as she did her and refused to leave her side. It was not fair, the girl had argued, for her mother to go to such lengths to protect HER and yet not allow her to protect her mother in return.

And, if she was being honest, she could not bear the thought of losing her daughter either, not after Daniel. She truly did not know what she would be if Lyssa hadn't been there, how far into the darkness would she truly have fallen? What would become of her if Lyssa left? If she had no one to care for and protect, no one to remind her WHY she was doing this, allowing the Dark One to poison her heart? What would she be without her daughter?

She didn't want to find out.

The Huntsman nodded, as though making a decision, "Then we will keep her safe," he promised, "Until the Dark One can be dealt with."

Regina couldn't help the small smile at the vow he'd made, knowing he would stand by their side even if it meant going up against the Dark One.

Snow White was one thing, Rumpelstiltskin another.

But she agreed with him, no matter what Lyssa WOULD be safe, she would do anything to ensure it.

A/N: Bunch of notes to follow:

To stem off any 'she raped him!' or 'this promotes rape culture' or anything like that given what the show implies happened between Regina and the Huntsman, I in no way condone rape or rape culture, I am not excusing anything Regina has done in the show. As seen by this chapter, this fanfiction that explores how different Regina would be if she had a child to look out for in the Forest that she actually loved, Regina did NOT rape Graham in this story. In this story, she only used his heart and kept it as a means to keep Lyssa safe. In this story, because the Huntsman had the chance to see the REAL Regina, he HAS developed feelings for her. They all have to keep up the act outside her rooms, because anywhere else but there Rumple is watching and she NEEDS to keep up the act of being evil to protect Lyssa. The Huntsman KNOWS it is an act and as he also is tasked with protecting Lyssa, he goes along with it when other eyes are watching.

Now, for Regina:

A MAJOR theme for Lyssa and Regina is that they know the truth and they know something the heroes don't. This chapter is the tip of the iceberg in terms of what that is. A majority of things we would see on the show, that Regina says or does, that everyone considers evil, we'll take a deeper look to and see the 'other side' to the story.

Regina has a daughter, one who has seen terrible things done due to magic. She will never, ever let herself become that type of evil as a result, her entire drive is to protect Lyssa. This little girl who adores her, looks up to her, loves her, and looks to her as a role model and protector. Having even ONE person have faith in you can change your entire life, Lyssa is that for Regina in this story.

Rumple, in this story, has threatened Lyssa's life (we'll see more about it in a future chapter) and made it clear to Regina that if she doesn't agree to learn what he wants, he will teach Lyssa instead. Regina will do anything to keep Lyssa pure and safe, so she goes along with Rumple's teachings/threats. That does NOT mean she agrees with them or wants to do the things he tries to manipulate her into doing. So, instead, she does her best to come up with ways to save those she can, while still appearing this evil woman so Rumple will leave Lyssa alone. Parts of her persona will bleed into her personality, how she's so warm to Lyssa and Henry but cool to the heroes for instance, how in front of others her reactions and suggestions are more villainous. She has spent a good portion of her life acting evil to protect Lyssa, it won't turn off instantly.

Lyssa has seen Regina's entire past, she knows the things Regina has done to try and protect her and others, the heroes don't. And, worse yet, the heroes would never believe either of them if they tried to tell them.

It's bittersweet in a way. Regina kept up the evil act for so many years to protect her daughter and it's that very act, believed to be true, that drives her son away :(

It's also quite sad because even Regina knows that, without Lyssa there, she's truly afraid of what she would become. We saw in the show exactly what she is without a daughter there. That's why this is canon divergent, Lyssa IS there and things ARE different because of it.

Lyssa, in this story, feels she can defend Regina above Gold, because there is a difference she sees between the things they've both done. From her POV, Rumple doesn't care who he hurts or whose life he destroys trying to get what he wants. He has killed, tortured, intimidated, manipulated, threatened, many others many times. He had no qualms with destroying Regina's life and manipulating her into darkening her heart or becoming Evil or even goading her into a few awful acts. Whereas Regina, in Lyssa's POV, DOES care about the other lives and she's doing everything she can to minimize the damage even if no one else knows.

In the reality of this story, Lyssa is not excusing Regina's actions, she is not blindly taking her mother's side, she does not need to realize how 'evil' her mother is or have sense talked into her. She has literally been there through ALL of it and witnessed it all firsthand, and this is what she's witnessed, this is what she knows that the heroes don't. And this is why she's more inclined to take a villain's side or at least wait a minute for them to explain their logic/mindset/reasons for doing something before judging them. Everyone in the Enchanted Forest 'saw' something and condemned Regina when it wasn't what happened at all. Lyssa is not about to do that to the best of her abilities and understanding. Gold will be a tough spot for her because of all the manipulations and threats she saw from him directed at her mother through her life.

Storybrooke: Can you remember things from 28 years ago with crystal clarity? It's a question I wonder about, because I would imagine, for Regina ending up in Storybrooke, without Lyssa, and with everyone including her son believing she was a monster would have some sort of effect. For 28 years she's had to live without her daughter, imagine how much you begin to question yourself, your motives, your memories in that time? To have everyone ready to kill you and call you the Evil Queen and no one there that actually KNEW the truth behind it? Did she imagine it? Was Lyssa even real? Had she gone mad? Was she truly this evil person?

Remember, Henry had NO idea who Lyssa was so all Regina's efforts to keep her daughter hidden and safe did pay off, not even the book knew about her. So...did she make her up? Was Lyssa real? Or was she not in the book because Lyssa never existed?

Regina DID give anything to keep Lyssa safe with the Curse, in a way. For as much as Rumple wanted the world without magic to find Bae, Regina knew it was a place Lyssa would be safe from him if he had no magic.

Graham: in this story, the Huntsman did develop feelings that carried over into Storybrooke. I would imagine, after years of loneliness, and grieving her daughter, Regina began to feel a need for physical comfort she didn't need in the Forest. And so, eventually, she and Graham did begin a physical relationship in Storybrooke, not because of his heart, but what carried over with the Curse.

In this story, he does come to be loyal to and support Regina against Snow White, because the more he sees the woman she really is, the more he comes to believe that Snow does deserve some sort of punishment. Regina will not bring herself to kill Charming, even knowing he is Snow's true love, because she lost her love to death. She had enough opportunities to kill Snow over the years so it was never about death, I feel. Graham, in this story, has come to see Regina's POV on the events and as he learns more about her and Lyssa and the Dark One's threat, he becomes more supportive of them.

Graham's memories: the way I understood the curse was that Emma would break the ENTIRE Curse, not just a person here or there remembering. I highly doubt all that needed to be done was Emma going around and kissing people and I doubt she had true love with Graham as she is a notoriously hard person to let anything into her heart. She couldn't even admit she loved her own son till the end of the season so I can't see her being in love with Graham so soon. In this story, with that interpretation, the curse on Graham did not break completely.

IF Graham did begin to remember his other life...I imagine the curse would still be in effect, trying to push his cursed memories to the front. Imagine the chaos going on in his mind with two sets of memories warring against one another? I feel the others could remember their past lives and new lives without going completely insane was only because it happened AFTER the Curse broke and not during it.

Imagine Graham remembering but only parts of his life as the curse was not fully broken. Now imagine his confusion and the strain on his mind when what he does remember conflicts with everything Henry is saying about the Evil Queen/Regina and everything Emma believes about her. Imagine remembering when the mind can't or shouldn't, it is traumatic and disorienting and could have driven him mad. We'll see more about this in the next couple chapters as, I'd think, there would be some sort of knowledge of what happens if someone remembers before the curse is broken before the spell was cast, we'll see what it was.

One way to look at why Graham's memories came back is...Emma could be seen as a threat to Regina, to the curse, and maybe that was what triggered his memories to start coming back. He was on Regina's side, in the story, and maybe part of him saw Emma opposing her and was trying to break through to protect Regina and it just went very wrong :(

Snow White: In this story, Regina had 3 main enemies she wanted revenge against. Cora, Rumple, Snow. Cora she wasn't powerful enough to do anything to except banish, and later when she was stronger she did something. Gold was and always would be too powerful to stop unless he was vulnerable, like in a world without magic. Snow...in this story, part of Regina IS aware Snow was a child when it all happened, too young to understand whereas Cora and Rumple were adults. But another part of her argues that Lyssa was even younger and kept the secret.

In this story, Cora and Rumple controlled her entire life, Cora from infancy till she banished her, Gold from Cora's banishment to the Curse. They did more damage and harm to her and so she wants a harder punishment. Snow made a mistake, but it impacted Regina's life and caused suffering but it wasn't Snow actively working to continue this pain and suffering. Here, in this story, Regina more wants Snow to understand that pain of not being able to be with your true love because Snow suffered no consequences of what her secret-slip did to Regina. She didn't want this war, she didn't want the title of Evil, she didn't want to be hated, she just wanted Snow to know what it felt like, to genuinely understand the hurt Regina feels everyday.

Snow can apologize till she's blue in the face, but until she has experienced the loss Regina has, she will never understand what she's apologizing for or how much it hurts, she can never empathize or regret enough. And even then, she will still not have lived through all Regina has.

She just wanted Snow to understand that, and if the Dark One wasn't watching her, using her, and (trying to) manipulate her, it would NOT have escalated as it did. But it has now and she has to go along with it, keep the 'evil' going or she risks her daughter's life. Even now that she thinks it's over, it's never going to be. She can never be free so long as the Dark One has power to hurt Lyssa :(

But we all know it's not over anyway, Charming finds Snow and wakes her where Regina was hoping Charming would be stuck in the forest and live his life out there.

Final notes: I understand the Regina we see in this story may be odd and appear OOC at times, but again, this explores how she'd be different if she had a daughter around to change her life.

I'll admit, I am a bit disappointed to put this chapter in this story. Initially I had this grand plan to build up these references and drop these hints until around Season 5 and then we'd see how the past the Heroes believe in wasn't all it appeared to be. But it would be a long while away and I couldn't keep saying 'there's more going on than we see, trust me' in regards to defending Regina and how, in this story, she isn't this evil monster worse than the Dark One or anyone else we see in the show. I wanted to at least touch on it here and build up more instances like this going on. The heroes can still have that shock later on I suppose.

In the show Regina did a lot of evil things. Most of it we'll see alternate plans on in these chapters, but there ARE going to be times where Regina is trapped and HAS no other choice but to do things that are truly evil because there's either no time to come up with an alternative or a plan, or a plan has gone awry, and we will see how much she suffers for taking such action. We will see what Lyssa sees in terms of how Regina copes with it and handles it, her reactions to these acts, especially when her daughter is aware of them.

So, to finish, please do keep in mind this is a fanfiction, a retelling, a canon divergence, things are going to be different, we are going to see a side to Regina the heroes don't. IN THIS STORY, this is not identical to the show, there will be different interpretations and thoughts and reasons behind things that come up.

I hope you'll give a sort of secretly-good-Regina a chance ;)

Also, sorry this was a bit late! My dad is the type of person where, when he's doing a project it's 'everyone drop anything you're doing and help me NOW' so pretty much all my time the last few days was shot so editing was difficult :/

Some notes on reviews...

Have to start by saying I'm so glad there's an interest in the AU :) I was a little worried that the 180 to Hook's normal personality would be a bit 'that's WAY too much' so I'm happy there's an excitement for it :) I'll admit, I get more and more tempted to do it every day :)

Different interpretations of characters is something I really like exploring in stories where I do multiples of the same show/movie :) Like...with Thor, I have one story where Loki is the misunderstood hero and another where he's just a batshit crazy villain lol. With Doctor Who, we get some OCs who forgive him for what he did in his past, others who assisted him, others who were angry and unforgiving. I like being able to look at different perspectives :) Piper is very pro-Gold with some sympathy for Regina, Lyssa is very pro-Regina with not much sympathy to Gold, it's really great to be able to explore different OCs and their interpretations of things :)

I can say that I have a very specific way for a number of characters to really find out how it was for Lyssa to be Regina's daughter in the Forest. She'll talk about it a little with people, nice memories to think on, but I don't want to give away too much of what actually makes people realize she was a great mother to Lyssa ;)

I think one thing that stands out to me with Gold is that, without his powers (or the hope of getting his powers back) he does sort of a 180 in personality, back to the cowardly persona, which always makes me feel like he did the evil he did because he had the power to do it and no one could stop him, sort of like power corrupts. It's always interesting to work him out in stories :) Piper is very pro-Gold, Lyssa's very anti-Gold, I like playing with the different ways to interpret his actions, similar to Hook and Regina's in Piper's story vs. Lyssa's too :) We'll have to wait and see if Lyssa will face any hypocrisy for Gold and Hook-Regina, a lot of what Regina did in her past, in this story at least, is very much not what the heroes make it out to be so she may be justified in her standing by Regina ;) Neal will have a perspective to add to Hook as Lyssa will have a perspective to add to Milah, from a child's POV. But she will learn more as the story goes ;)

I'm glad you like Lyssa! :) Piper is someone I'm very much looking forward to getting back to, she's just so villainous it's fun to write her, especially things I have planned for the next story }:) We definitely got a taste of how different Regina's history is with Lyssa there in this chapter, she has this little girl who looks at her like she hung the stars and is this amazing woman who loves her, she would not want to lose that by becoming worse than Cora, someone who traumatized Lyssa at a young age. So she does what she can to be a hero, protecting her daughter, saving other people, while also keeping the Dark One from destroying anyone else's life like he is her, all without the heroes knowing :( I'm not a big Milah fan either, Lyssa's outlook is based largely on her own mother's disinterest in her and she sort of just expects birth parents to not want their children. I mean, her mother didn't want her, Cora was never happy with Regina, Milah abandoned Bae, Emma gave up her son, Snow White (a HERO) gave up her daughter...VERY different situations for all of them, I know, Lyssa's only really seen adoptive mothers actually love their children, in a way, but the more she learns about how Milah was before leaving her family, the more she learns about biological parents actually loving their children, the more she will rethink Milah. I'll admit, it was hard to stick with OUAT after season 2 for me. It felt like a show that flowed from one half season into the next up till 2.5, then it was Wicked witches and something new ever 11 episodes and just too much :/ They introduced new villains and characters in like the very last episode of a half-season where as, near the end of season 2 we sort of got a build up to going to Neverland, and then poof! Wicked Witch, poof! Snow Queens, poof! Queens of Darkness, and more :/ I can say I have one twist planned for a future story with Lyssa that will, hopefully, make it less of a change and more of a flow, but it's a tentative outline so far so we'll have to wait and see if it pans out ;)

I'm so happy you liked Neal and Lyssa's talk :) I always felt like they'd interact at some point, with Henry being Regina's son at the very least, but then I would think about Hook's connection to them, and then the Dark One's connection to Regina and Lyssa by association and it grew :) I have a lot planned for Neal and Lyssa as the stories go on :) Oh Greg's dad and the Huntsman, we'll find out very soon ;)