Thanks for the great response to this fic! Enjoy this latest chapter and please leave a review.
Here are individual responses to reviews:
Ghostwriter: Yeah, Regina is not ready to give up the path of revenge. Hopefully, she'll see the light soon. Glad you're enjoying it.
Naomi Blue: I'm glad Maleficent intervened too. Hopefully, she can get through to Regina. Glad you're enjoying. :)
cschallert: Glad you're enjoying this AU. It probably will not be much longer than a couple more chapters after this one. Hope you continue to enjoy. :)
Grace5231973: I agree, I really enjoyed Snow standing up to Regina and telling her off and Mal dropping some truths on her. Glad you're enjoying! :)
Jennifer Baratta: Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
Number Ten: Yep, Emma and Lily have met and already have a budding friendship. I like the twist with Maleficent too. Yep, motherhood definitely changes you. I imagine the potion Regina ingested sterilized her from having kids, regardless if there is magic or not though.
sexystarwarslover: Yeah, despite Regina's interruption, Emma finally has her family. I still believe he tricked them too and wasn't honest with them. Glad you like the changes. Yeah, I don't believe Emma would have gone evil. I think that was a vision to trick Snowing. Regina is the reason for it all and Cora pushed her down that path, not Snow. Yeah, she said Emma was going to be a brat. She's being a bitch. Yeah, I don't blame Cruella for finding angry Charming sexy. I think we all do. Yep, Regina ruined everything again, including Emma's birthday this time. Yeah, Snow is pregnant! Yep, they'll always be a family. :)
AnonSnowing: Thanks, glad you liked my fix for 4B. Much better, I agree. Yeah, they saved Maleficent and Lily, but didn't get through themselves. True heroes. Yeah, I think if Snowing had made it, they would have stuck with Mal and Lily. Yeah, Regina has no room to be smug or criticize Snow. Yeah, no child is a monster. Yep, protective, angry Charming is going to protect his family. Yeah, Snowing are done with Regina. They just want their family now. Yeah, it's satisfying that she was so dissatisfied with her dumb curse. Sad for everyone else though. Definitely, Regina is her own worst enemy. I love those Snowing kisses too, especially sticking it to Cruella. I like them being allies too. Yeah, Regina ruined Emma's birthday, but hopefully they'll make up for it. I love Snow's shade toward her too. Motherhood suits Snow, definitely. I love that David made grilled cheese for them too. Yay, Snow is pregnant and David is so happy! Glad you enjoyed it! :)
Swan
Chapter 7: An Unexpected Path
"You want me to what?" Regina questioned in disbelief, as she looked at Maleficent.
"Would it really be so bad?" Maleficent asked.
"Yes!" Regina hissed.
"Why?" Mal asked.
"Because I'd rather not have the entire town coming after me with pitchforks, that's why!" Regina cried.
"What if we made another kind of deal?" Mal asked.
"What do you have in mind?" she asked.
"We come home with you and they agree to stay out of your way. They raise their kids, everyone gets to be happy, and they agree to leave town before Emma turns twenty-eight and can break the curse," Maleficent reasoned.
"They'll never agree to that," Regina refuted.
"Oh, I think they will for their daughter. She's the most important thing to them now and if they can see to it that their people are happy in this new land, despite no memories, they can be persuaded to compromise," Mal said.
"Sounds like the best deal you're going to get. It's the only way that it ends well for you without a town of pissed off people coming after you with the pitchforks to use your words," Ursula reasoned.
"So…I get to keep my curse intact, but I have to watch my greatest enemy be happy, with her doting husband and perfect children?" Regina asked bitterly.
"You could have had all that," Mal reminded her.
"No, I couldn't! Because of her!" she growled.
"No...you lost Daniel, because of Cora. We both know your mother manipulated Snow...she was just a little girl. We're a lot alike. I myself was hating a little girl for no other reason that I really hated her mother," Mal said, as she quietly opened the kitchen door so they could observe silently.
"Look...this is the first birthday this little girl has truly celebrated," Mal said, as she watched the joy and awe on Emma's face, as her mother presented her with a cake and lit candles, while they sang to her.
"So what? I'm supposed to feel bad?" Regina grumbled.
"I'm not expecting that from you yet...but did she really deserve the punishment she received for something her mother did to you?" Mal said. Regina side-eyed her skeptically.
"Maybe not...but her mother is the reason that I have nothing!" Regina hissed, as Mal let the door swing closed.
"You know that's not really true and now you have a choice to make. Do you return to Storybrooke alone and prepare to fight Emma when she comes to Storybrooke with her parents eighteen years from now?" Mal asked, pausing for a moment.
"Or do you agree to let us come back with you and call a truce?" Mal questioned, as Regina stared into the fire and knew she had a choice to make.
"Here we go," Snow said, as she set the cake down in front of her daughter and they sang happy birthday to her.
"Wow…" Emma said, as she looked at the cake.
"Go on Princess...make a wish and blow out the candles," David said, as she looked up at them and did so. They clapped for her and both knelt down to hug her between them.
"I'm so sorry sweetheart...we had gifts for you, but I'm afraid we had to leave them behind," Snow fretted.
"It's okay Mom...I already got my wish," Emma replied.
"You did?" Snow asked.
"Yeah...you and Daddy came for me. You always wanted me...I know that now," Emma replied. Snow nearly burst into tears at that, as they hugged her between them.
"We love you so much, baby," Snow gushed, as she kissed her hair. David did too and cuddled her.
"Mommy's right...we love you so much, Princess," David assured.
"Daddy...what if the Queen tries to separate us again?" Emma asked.
"We're not going to let her this time, Princess. One advantage we have now is that the Queen doesn't have any magic to hurt us with this time. Even if it means we have to go on the run, we're going to be together," he promised.
"Maybe you don't have to run anymore," a voice said, as they looked up to see Regina in the doorway.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Snow questioned suspiciously.
"It means...that maybe we can find a way to come to some sort of truce," Regina replied.
"A truce? You think we're going to fall for that?" David asked.
"Hear me out," she requested, as he stood up and crossed his arms over his chest. Snow usually affectionately referred to it as his battle stance, but today, she mirrored him and crossed her own arms over her chest, but was silent.
"We're listening," she said, as their curiosity peaked.
"I have decided that it could be possible for us to co-exist in Storybrooke...with a few provisions," Regina replied.
"Provisions...this should be good," David muttered, but Snow put her hand on his arm and he was silent.
"I am willing to let you both come back to Storybrooke and raise your kids," she said.
"You can have your apartment back...and your job. And I'm sure David can easily find something as well," she continued.
"You'd do that?" Snow asked.
"What's the catch?" David questioned. Regina rolled her eyes.
"It's my town and I don't want the curse broken. I'll leave your family be and let you be deliriously happy, but when your daughter is grown, you have to leave. You have to leave before her twenty-eighth birthday," she said.
"But then...the curse would never be broken," Snow replied.
"But your people are safe and I can make certain adjustments to give a bit more happiness to certain...miserable ones. But the purpose of the curse was always to punish the two of you. The others that have been separated from people can be reunited with their loved ones," Regina said.
"How do we know that when we get back that you won't renege on this offer? How can we trust you? How do we know that you don't have a way to put us back under the curse?" David questioned.
"Because I won't let her," Maleficent interjected, as she came into the kitchen.
"You won't?" Snow asked.
"No...because Lily and I will be coming home with you. It's where we belong, after all," Maleficent replied.
"What do you think?" Snow asked quietly, as they shared a long gaze and clearly had an entire conversation with that one look.
"It's tempting...I don't trust her though. But if someone has our backs…" he said, trailing off, as he glanced at Maleficent.
"You gave up your chance and ten years with Emma so I could escape with Lily. I will see that you are allowed the life with her that you deserve," Mal assured, as Regina rolled her eyes. They shared another glance and then looked back at Regina.
"Okay...except the loft is much too small to raise a family in," Snow said.
"There are...other properties available. Pick one and it's yours. In fact, there's several on the opposite side of town from me. The less I run into you the better," Regina replied.
"Then...we accept your offer," Snow said.
"Then we should get going, because if the Police catch up to any of us, then none of us will get a happy ending," Regina replied.
"Well, none of us can get on a plane with all the security, so we need to drive back and if they have flagged any of your vehicles, which they probably have by now, then we need to find some other way back," Ursula interjected.
"Oh, I can help with that, dahling," Cruella chimed in.
"Why would we ever trust you?" David asked.
"Because I'm a very rich woman now...with a husband that's gone all the time, leaving mummy to do whatever she pleases with his money," Cruella replied.
"He's not much to look at like the feast for the eyes you are, chisel chin, but I get all the diamonds and furs I want out of it," she added. He rolled his eyes.
"Fine, whatever...do you have a vehicle that can get us back to Maine?" he asked.
"No...but with one phone call, I can get one," she replied, as she picked up the phone off the cradle and made a call.
"In the meantime, we should probably pack up what we can and be ready," Maleficent replied.
"I can help you," Snow said, as she went to help.
"Uh David?" August called, as the prince turned to him.
"Yeah?" he asked.
"When we get back to Storybrooke...do I have to go live with Geppetto?" he asked.
"That's...that's up to you," David replied.
"What if I don't want to? What if I want to stay with you and Snow?" he asked. David put a hand on the boy's shoulder.
"Then you'll stay with us...you're our son," David replied and was a little surprised when the teen hugged him fiercely. David hugged him back and then opened his arm for Emma, who ran into his embrace.
A few hours later, in the middle of the night, a fully registered suburban pulled up and a man got out.
"Thank you dahling...here's your money. Call yourself a cab," she said, as she shooed him away. David loaded the bags they had into the vehicle, while Snow woke August up. Maleficent carried Lily to the car, while David picked Emma up.
"Daddy?" she asked.
"Shh...go back to sleep princess," he soothed, as he put her in the car next to August and Lily in the very back. Maleficent, Regina and Ursula took the middle row of seats, while Snow and David got in front and they hit the road in the wee hours of the morning.
With taking turns driving and as few breaks as possible, it was only about two days later that they arrived home in Storybrooke. They got settled with rooms at the Inn, while Regina went home. To their surprise though, she took Maleficent and Lily home with her, which gave a little hope to Snow that her step-mother might fully heal one day.
Granny was excited to see her return and even more excited when she revealed that David was her husband. They quickly discovered that no one remembered David since he had been in a coma, so it was easy to let her think that they had met when she left Storybrooke.
They also discovered that introducing Emma as their daughter was easy as well. Since time didn't really move in Storybrooke, it was easy to convince Granny that she had been gone long enough for that to be possible and that they had adopted August, since that was actually the truth.
After rest and some much needed sleep, they quickly picked from the properties that Regina offered. They decided on a beautiful two story house on the edge of town, with a large barn and a farm.
David was going to stay home and tend to the farm they were building and Snow would return to teaching, as if she never left. He was also going to be staying home with the baby when it came as well, which made Snow very happy that they wouldn't have to rely on daycare.
Despite their friends not having their real memories though, they found that they didn't mind much. The town seemed to take to the Swan family very well and their friendships were easily reformed; albeit in a different way. Everyone remembered Mary Margaret and easily bought that she had been gone for years, only to return with a family.
Snow formed a friendship with Ruby and became a better influence on her and the changes in her soon became noticeable. She became a little more Red and a little less Ruby day by day. Snow and David were also there to mediate between her and Granny, which was helping to slowly tame their tumultuous relationship.
In addition, David became good friends with Graham and even helped him out as a deputy from time to time at the station. It was perfect for him since it was only a couple days a week and since time didn't really move, Storybrooke's crime was minimal.
They also managed to help Leroy stop drinking and get him into a program through Archie, which immediately improved his life.
But mostly, they relished their new life raising Emma at home, where they belonged, with people they loved. Storybrooke also came with more economic security and they were no longer struggling financially. Which was very good, since it was eight months later since their arrival in Storybrooke that Snow gave birth to their baby boy. They named him Riley.
The Swan family were frequent attendees to Granny's diner on the weekends, but one thing they had managed to avoid in the last year was most interaction with Mr. Gold, at least when they had the kids with them. But on this particular morning, they happened to run into him on the street corner.
"Well...it's not often that I see you with the whole family, Deputy Swan," Mr. Gold said, as he happened to be passing them on the corner.
"No…I guess not, but you know my wife," David replied. He had determined through observation that Rumpelstiltskin was back under the curse and none the wiser to their return to town.
"Of course, the fair Mary Margaret. And who is this little one?" he asked, referring to the baby in the stroller.
"This is Riley," Snow said.
"And these two young ones?" he asked.
"I'm August," August answered him.
"Emma…" Emma said shyly, while holding David's hand tightly. Mr. Gold paused for a moment and then smiled.
"Emma...what a lovely name. Enjoy your breakfast," he said, as he continued on back to his shop.
"You think he's still under the curse?" Snow whispered to her husband.
"I think so...but I'll keep an eye on him. The deputy job lets me keep a good watch on the town," he replied, as they arrived at the diner.
Gold hurried inside his shop and contemplated his next move. They were back and seemingly living a normal life with their children, completely awake. For now, it seemed as though the curse was still intact, but it puzzled him greatly as to why Regina had allowed them to return to town. Or why she was letting them live a happy life together, completely awake. At the same time, the Charmings or Swans as they were going by seemed to tolerate letting the Queen continue to rule without resistance. It was very curious and he decided that he would let it play out. He would observe from the shadows, but the moment things veered off track and interfered with the eventual breaking of the curse, he would intervene and make sure there was a course correction, no matter what he had to do. The curse would break when Emma Swan turned twenty-eight. He would see to it...