We are getting close to the end now, thanks for sticking with my story this far and I hope that you are enjoying reading it as much as I am enjoying writing it. The time is drawing near for a final twist.

I had hoped to get this chapter finished quicker than I have but other aspects of life have taken over of late, namely home schooling in this latest lock down, so I apologise for the delay, I didn't intend to leave you on that cliff hanger for quite so long.

Guess Who

"If this is Ollie" Regina whispered unable to tear her eyes away from the little blonde boy smiling out of the picture at her as she voiced her fear aloud, "then who is the boy that is sitting in my lounge?"

"I really don't know Regina" Emma's replied with an apologetic hint to her tone, "try to think back has he said or done anything out of the ordinary that could offer us a clue?" she asked

"Don't you think I would have reported any strange behaviour by now" the brunette retorted a little more abruptly than she had intended, but even as the words left her lips images of his twisted face, glowing hands, the drawers she had found open the past few days and finding him in her office rifling through her paperwork flashed at the forefront of her memory,

"okay I'm sorr…."

"He's been searching for something" Regina continued, cutting the blonde short,

"huh?" Emma replied taken aback by the brunette's sudden change in direction.

"I'm almost certain of it" Regina said as she thought back, "I found him in my office looking through my drawers, he said he was looking for paper, he told me that he wanted to draw, I didn't think anything of it, the night before he rifled through at least one drawer in the lounge, I just thought that he was looking for paper then too, and I think he may have rifled through some drawers in my bedroom too" she continued "I had to shut my make up drawer the other morning, I didn't think anything of that at the time either, I mean there's only make up in there, but I never leave it open like that, and he had stayed in the room with me the night before because he had, had a nightmare, and" she said as further realization dawned on her, "I only bought him home with me because he asked me not to leave him, when I found him, I thought It was just because he was frightened and trusted me but now I'm not so sure" then taking a deep breath Regina confided her nightmare to Emma "I thought it was a nightmare, but who knows now" she shuddered, "but if what I experience was real then I know one thing for sure and that is that he is not the innocent little boy that he has been pretending to be, there's something seriously dark in him and he can use magic"

"Don't worry, we'll get to the bottom of this" Emma assured her "Don't let on that you know that anything is amiss, bring him over to Golds, I'm already here, we will get ready for your arrival, once he's here and secure we can start asking questions and try to figure out what the hell is up with this kid and why he's been lying all of this time"

"okay, see you soon" the brunette affirmed placing the handset back in its cradle

"What's going on" Brianne implored, the second that Regina had hung up, the Mayor hurriedly filled in the blanks and together they headed towards the lounge,

"Uhh we may have a problem" the blonde said stopping in the doorway a few steps ahead of the brunette

"What is it" Regina asked an edge of panic in her tone as she drew level with Brianne and looked into the empty room

"He's gone" the blonde replied simply

"we have to find him now" the brunette snapped into action, assigning each of them rooms to search and the two began to search the house, Regina researching Brianne's assigned rooms for good measure once she was finished with her own, but the boy was nowhere to be found.

Grabbing her phone Regina urgently called the saviours, number "he's gone, we came down to get him and he's disappeared, we've searched the whole house he's nowhere" she spoke rapidly the second that the blonde had answered the phone,

"crap" Emma replied "listen this isn't your fault" she assured the Brunette she could tell from Regina's tone that the older woman was beating herself up over this, "nobody saw this coming, but we'll figure this out and find him together, now get over to Golds as quick as you can, we'll regroup, see if Gold can help us and go from there" she finished, succeeding in coaxing a small smile from her friend before she hung up.

"Do you trust me" Regina asked, smile still lingering on her lips as she turned to face Brianne and slipped her phone back into her pocket

"What sort of question is that?" the blonde replied "of course I trust you"

"Then take my hand" the brunette held her hand out "I can get us there faster than the car, but you may feel a little weird as its your first time"

"My first time what?" Brianne asked accepting Regina's offered hand without hesitation

"Teleporting" the brunette replied as the purple smoke that had engulfed them just seconds earlier dissipated to reveal the interior of Golds shop

"whoah" the blonde exclaimed swaying in disorientation,

"Here" Regina said gently guiding her towards a nearby chair "sit until you find your bearings"

Brianne sat down grateful to take the weight off of her wobbly legs, her head spun a little and she felt a little nauseous but otherwise she seemed okay, she was all in one piece at least.

"You're here" Emma exclaimed entering the shop from the back room having been attracted by the chatter

"yes, just give us second and we'll be through" Regina replied

"Is she okay" Emma asked casting a concerned look at Brianne

"she will be, she just needs a minute, first time teleporting" Regina offered by way of explanation

"Gotcha" Emma replied an understanding look in her eye, she remember all too well what it was like when she first started teleporting "Let me get you some water" she added addressing Brianne before hurrying into the back re-emerging moments later with a bottle of spring water in hand, cracking the top off she handed it to the grateful blonde, "not too fast though" Emma warned as Brianne took eager sips, a few minutes later she was looking much better, her head no longer spun and the nausea had all but subsided so with Regina's support she tried standing again and happily found that her legs no longer shook under her, they still felt a little weird but she could manage on them.

Following Emma's lead with Regina still supporting Brianne the three women made their way into the back room of the store where Rumpelstiltskin and Zelena awaited them, on a sofa behind them, much to Brianne's joy sat Belle who was bouncing a very happy baby Robyn on her knee, Regina helped the eager blonde over to the sofa and made sure she was comfortable before turning back towards the other three people in the room.

"Where's Killian" the brunette asked noting the pirate's absence

"he's out looking for 'Ollie' or whoever that kid is" Emma replied, "I'm not holding out much hope of him finding him if I'm honest, but at least he's ruling out the places where the kid is not and believe me it's much better him being out there than pacing around in here"

"The quickest way to find him dearie" Gold cut in "Is to figure what it is that you have, and he wants"

"do you realise how many things I actually own Gold" Regina enquired suppressing the urge to roll her eyes at him "He could want any one of hundred things or more, how am I supposed to narrow it down"

Gold shrugged "No idea dearie that's for you to figure out" he smiled smugly

"Great, your just as helpful as ever, thanks for nothing Gold" she snapped losing her patience

"Now, now dearie I can't give you all the answers, where would be the fun in that" he laughed,

"did you at least find out anything that can help us find Blue" Regina demanded,

"ahh that little puzzle" Gold replied looking like he was enjoying himself way too much "yes I did in fact, I suspect that when you find your boy the fairy won't be far way"

"Cryptic as ever then" Regina glowered at Gold, "okay" she continued as she puzzled it out "I'm as certain as I can be that he's searching for something, what I don't know is whether he's found it or not, I know that up until now he's only had access to my house, maybe what he wants is somewhere else, I don't keep much outside of town business paper work in the office, but he doesn't know that so that might be a place to look next, then there's the vault but he doesn't know about that….."

"ummm sis, I think he does" Zelena interrupted looking a little sheepish "Remember at the diner, I was talking about having to make a potion" her eyes flicked briefly in Golds direction "and I may have mentioned the vault and exactly where it is, I'm so sorry" she concluded a little flustered "I didn't know"

"It's not your fault Zelena" Regina reassured before turning to the saviour "Emma you should go to the town hall and check he's not there, and I'll go to my vault, come straight back here if you don't find him and I'll do the same, if one of us doesn't return the other can bring help, and please don't worry" she continued turning back to her sister "Even if he is at my vault It's not like he can get into it, it's sealed with my magic"

She cast one quick at Brianne smiling as baby Robyn squeezed her finger, the sight warming her heart then disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke reappearing in the graveyard a short distance from her family mausoleum.

xoxxxoxoxo

A tall headstone served as a shield hiding her from the view of anyone that might be loitering around said mausoleum, but she needn't have worried as she peeked around the edge of the stone she could see that there was no one in sight however much to her alarm the door stood slightly ajar, there were only four people that could enter that crypt alone, Zelena, Emma, Henry and herself Henry wasn't with us in the shop she reasoned He must be have come to the vault for something Even so she was a little hesitant as she crept forward, removing her heels and carrying them as she approached the door and squeezed herself inside trying not to move anything as she went so as not to give herself away.

Inside the stone coffin had been pushed to one side revealing the secret entrance to her vault, Regina wondered if Emma was back at Golds shop yet as she soundlessly descended the steps, bare feet on cold stone, she paused to peek into the first chamber, it was empty and nothing seemed out of place, so she continued through to the second, it was the same story in here only now she could hear voices echoing from the next room.

Creeping steadily forward Regina peeked into the third room her eyes widened in shock by what she was witnessing, 'Ollie' was waving a tiny glass battle at Blue who was pressed against the far wall in fear "open it" he demanded of the fairy "or maybe you'd like to get back into your bottle,

"No, please" the horrified fairy squeaked "I couldn't open It even if I wanted too, I'm not permitted to"

"wrong answer fairy" the boy snarled removing the lid from the tiny bottle Blue let out a blood curdling scream as she was sucked into its confines the boy stoppered the bottle giving it little shake before discarding it on top of a nearby table, and turning to slam his hands onto the glass that covered tie top of Zelena's plinth, the amulet inside began to glow and shake on its in cushion in response, "How do I get you out, damn it" he shouted

"you really don't want to open that" Regina said stepping out of the shadows and into the room, she tried to edge inconspicuously towards the bottle that contained Blue,

"oh but I really, really do" the boy turned on her, stopping her in her tracks his face twisted in ugly rage "and now you're here you can help do it"

"I can't do that" the brunette tried to reason "if that thing gets out it would destroy the whole town and kill everybody in it"

"ehh maybe it would and maybe it wouldn't, I don't care either way" he laughed a greedy look in his eyes as he looked back at the glowing stone

"but you'd die too" Regina told him as she continued to edge towards Blue, now that she was closer she could see that the tiny fairy fluttering around inside of the bottle, there must have been some powerful magic inside because it had hadn't just shrunk poor Blue as the brunette had first suspected it had forced her into her fairy form

"No, I don't think so" the boy chuckled tracing the glass that covered the stone with his finger "I think I'll be just fine"

"who are you" Regina whispered pausing next to the table "what do you want with that thing?"

"you mean you still haven't figured it out yet?" the boy laughed harshly "and I thought that you were supposed to be clever"

"maybe if you tell me and tell me what you need, I can help you" the brunette continued as she slipped the tiny bottle into her pocket and moved away from the table,

"What I need" the replied "is what's whirling around inside that stone and you can keep the fairy, she's useless to me now anyway"

"Now then" he continued when Regina didn't reply "show me how to open this"

"I can't" Regina replied "and you already know why"

"perhaps you need a little incentive" he smiled cruelly as he waved his hand, a cloud of purple smoke swirled beside him clearing to reveal Henry

"How?" she gasped eyes wide with horror as she stepped towards son having immediately recognised her own magic

" ah ah ah" the boy waved a finger at Regina as he stepped between her and Henry who appeared to be frozen in place behind him

"how" she asked again

"the same as I got into here" he cackled coldly "I borrowed some magic from you" he smiled callously as he watch the realisation cross her face

"that wasn't a nightmare" Regina breathed sickened as she remembered his glowing hands and twisted face in her room in the night "you were really there stealing my magic, but how, why?"

"you almost busted me that night, but you were so easy to manipulate Re gina" he continued dragging out her name as he spoke, "I have to say, I'm a little disappointed, I expected more from The Evil Queen, I didn't realise you'd be such a soft touch and well so stupid, you've been like putty in my hands" he laughed "you've all been chasing your tails trying to figure out the cause of the block so that you could get me home to mummy dearest and none of you saw the answer was right under your nose, of course that pesky fairy realised as soon as she touched me, she almost gave the game away the second I got here, but I soon dealt with her so believe me when I tell you that I have the means to deal with your boy too, now open the damn case!"

"I've already told you that I can't do that, there's only one person that can, and she isn't here" Regina told him

"ahh so I suckered up to the wrong sister" he smiled coldly "not to worry the others are just arriving"

Even as he spoke Zelena strolled into the room, Emma and Gold hot on her heels, bet where she walked straight into the room Emma and Gold appeared to slam into a solid clear wall

"you two aren't invited" the boy cackled loudly as Emma rubbed her sore head "we wouldn't want any interference from the dark one or the saviour now would we?" he turned to face the Zelena "now I've waited long enough remove the lid witch"

"so this is what you've been searching for is it?" Zelena asked approaching the now frantically shaking stone "and what could a little boy like you possibly want with my amulet?"

"ENOUGH STALLING!" the boy shouted "OPEN IT! Unless you want to kiss good-bye to your nephew and your daughter forever" he snarled as the baby appeared frozen in Henrys arms

"Fine" Zelena replied fear in her eyes as she waved her hand over the case removing the lid with her magic and lifted the chain from its cushion, it was more frantic now pulling away from her like an excited puppy "I don't understand why you even want it, even if you knew the how to unlock it it's no good to you, it will only cause destruction if its let loose, the only person it would be useful to is its original….."

"owner" the boy finished eye glowing with greed as he glanced down at a tiny piece paper in his hand and whispered something to quiet for them to hear,

"oww" Zelena shouted dropping the chain as it suddenly became way to hot, eyes widening in horror as she watched the boy transform before her.

"Taka" Regina whispered bile rising as she looked at now grown man that now stood in front her, and remembered how he'd slept in her bed with her,

"in the flesh" he drawled

"But how? You aren't supposed to have magic anymore"

"I made a deal with a witch, she gave me that disgusting form, created the block for the portal, got me where I needed to enter it when I first opened and gave me what I needed to siphon some power from the witch that held my magic, you" he pointed a long slender finger at Regina "I just stepped through your portal from the other side and you just assumed I was one of that daft woman's brats left behind "he laughed "of course your sisters involvement complicated things a little , but we've overcome that now," he smiled eyes glowing eerily in the light cast from the stone as he watched it now hovering just above their heads

"and what did you promise this witch back in return" Regina asked sickened to her stomach

"nothing that you need to concern yourself about" he laughed excitement brightening his features as vein of light began to creep towards him from the stone,

"Zelena, do something" shut it down" Regina pleaded

"I wish I could sis but I can't" the red head replied renewed horror in her eyes "now it's open it won't lock again until its empty, we should get out here before he gets his powers back" Zelena urged moving towards Henry and baby Robyn,

"I can't just leave" Regina replied but you should go, take them to safety and take Blue with you too"

"what?" Zelena asked as a tiny cloud of purple escaping from her pocket indicated that her sister had just teleported something there,

"she's in the bottle" Regina explained as her sister tapped at her pocket, "let her out when you reach safety"

Zelena nodded in response and seconds later a huge green cloud of smoke cleared to reveal an empty space where Zelena, Henry and Robyn and just been,

Taka as entranced as he now was by the vein of light that was edging ever closer to him hadn't even noticed the exchange he didn't care anyway all he cared about was what was about to happen, the vein was inches from him now, he raised his finger to meet it, then just as it was about to make contact it was gone, blinking he looked around to see what had happened, shock and fury distorting his features as he saw the vein of light entering Regina's chest.

At the last second the brunette had jumped in between Taka and the vein of light, so that instead of connecting to him it had been forced to form a connection with her, but even as stood there she could feel it fighting to get away from her, it wanted to get to Taka where it truly belonged and she knew that she couldn't hold it back from him much longer, she needed to put some distance between herself and him if she hoped to keep him from getting his power back.

Taka let out a snarl and launched himself at her just as she made her decision, she heard a resounding "NO" echoing from behind her as Taka fell through thin air, meeting the cold ground instead of her, simultaneously Emma and Gold fell through the doorway as the invisible wall came down just as she and the amulet disappeared into a cloud scarlet and purple smoke….

So did anybody see that little twist coming? Just one more chapter and the epilogue to go now

Please forgive me if I'm repeating myself I have been publishing this story on two sites, I know I've said this on one of pages but I don't think I've mentioned it on the other so for those that don't already know Taka is the name that was given to Scar when he was born according to backstory that was written and published about his and Mufasa's childhood, I felt that Taka fitted better than Scar as his name when In this story because he is human.