Sacrifices

It was an odd day, to Rose Red at least. Things were always so busy at the castle with servants rushing about and court to be held, meetings with the council or taking the complaints of the peasants. If it wasn't a visiting noble, it was a crisis in town, if it wasn't a shortage of something, it was a concern about one. The weather also hadn't helped much, it had been growing warmer as the days dragged out into summer, the sun out longer, the heat unbearable at times. It made everyone a bit more tetchy though Rose had noticed her mother seemed to suffer the worst of it. She had seen that happen every year, her mother could walk barefoot in the snow without a coat and not even shiver, but the heat affected her the worst.

She had asked once, the time or two where it got so bad her mother ended up in bed with a cool compress on her forehead for days on end, what was wrong. Being so young, her mind instantly jumped to the worst conclusions, that her mother was dying, that she was ill, that she would never recover and be bound to the bed for the rest of her life. She would fret and refuse to leave her mother's side, sitting on the bed with her, not fearful that it was something she could catch as the nursemaids would not be so close to her mother if they, too, could catch it. She'd sit there and read to her mother or hold her hand or tell her stories, anything she could think of to make her feel better and get better soon. The only time she would leave her side without a fuss or kicking (or biting) the people trying to pry her away for her lessons was when her father would return to sit with her, so she would know her mother wasn't alone.

Her father had taken her aside once to explain what happened and why it seemed to happen only in the summer when the heat was the worst. Her mother was a Siren, she knew this, and, even though she didn't have her magic any longer, it didn't change WHAT she was. Sirens were thought to be cold creatures, cold and distant and harsh and dangerous, like the sea. Her father said part of it was true. The way Sirens were, their bodies had to be a certain way, built a certain way, to withstand living in the sea. The waters were usually very cold to touch, even colder the deeper down someone went, where the Sirens would live. Her mother would, therefore, be more comfortable in colder temperatures, like the winter and fall, than she would in the summer. She was used to the cold, made to endure it and find it normal, so the heat of summer was not something she was prepared for and it was something her body struggled to handle.

She had worried that, when she was older, she would endure the same, she never wanted to worry her family over her and…seeing her mother like that, so weak and vulnerable made something twist inside her. She never wanted to be that open to an attack. Her father had smiled at her in understanding, not chastising her for lack of trust in those around her, but knowing it was the instinct of a Siren. They were often on guard and they did not like appearing weak, which was why their hearts were so hard. He told her that her mother felt the same and that having her or him by her side allowed her to rest easier, for she trusted THEM more than the nursemaids.

Her father had also assured her that neither he nor her mother thought she would endure the same summertime fatigue. They had watched her closely in the summer months, when she had been young, too young to remember it, and she displayed no signs of the same fate other than that she had cried a bit more when she was too warm. But as she grew, she handled it better than her mother did. Perhaps she was a tiny bit more tired when it was too hot, not during the day but just that she fell asleep easier and slept a little longer, but other than that there was nothing. Her father had joked that her mother gave her many gifts, in being what she was, but this was something she had gotten from HIM, that human half of her that protected her from the weakness her mother experienced each year.

Her mother had succumbed to that same ritual illness again this year, but something different happened, which was why it was an odd day to her.

There were no meetings or court to be held, there were no visitors nor complaints taken by the peasants, there was nothing to do and she wasn't used to that. There was always something to do, especially for her parents, but not today.

Instead her father had walked with her mother, weak though she was but starting to recover from her bout for she was able to get out of bed today, to her rooms and told her they would be departing in an hour for a short journey.

She'd immediately thought they were going on a quest to get her mother medicine, to find a magic potion or some charm that would keep her mother healthy and strong and leapt at the chance to help. She'd hurried around her room, frantic to get ready for travelling and danger, had been nearly vibrating in the carriage as they went on…

Only to find that they were not on a quest at all.

They were at the beach, of all places, a small little beach just a short distance from the castle.

Well, that was a let down.

She wasn't fully sure why they were there at first, not till her father set down a large blanket for them to sit on, with a wicker basket full of food that she realized it was a picnic at the beach. She couldn't remember the last time they'd had a picnic anywhere just the three of them. Oh they would have lots when Snow was visiting, but it was usually only one of her parents with them, or just her and her cousin. When Leopold and Eva would visit, too, they would do a picnic as well, with all of them. But her parents were so busy she didn't know if they'd even ever done something like this just the two of them.

It was a nice thought and maybe that was why? Yes, she decided, that was the reason for it, because it was nice and they were together, spending time with each other and that would cheer up anyone! It HAD to make her mother feel better, to get out of the stuffy castle and to the beach where, she could admit, it was a little cooler with the breeze coming off the ocean. The sand was soft like a mattress and the air was crisp and clear, as though the heavy quality of it in the castle was gone. This was her father's way of trying to help her mother recover!

With that in mind, she'd set about doing just that, helping him set up the food, making sure her mother was comfortable, arranging the pillows around her so she could lie on her side, keeping her goblet full of nice fresh water. She wanted to help!

It appeared her parents knew exactly what she was doing for they smiled at her enthusiasm and chuckled when she tried to cut the sandwich especially made for her mother in half and didn't quite manage it. Her father took it from her to help, cutting one half of the sandwich in half again to hand her a piece as she rather liked her mother's sandwiches too.

Ethan chuckled as he watched his daughter munch away on it. Ilayda's sandwiches, her special ones, always contained small sprinkles of seaweed and tuna, Rose never asked what was in it, but he could tell his daughter had the same taste for it as her mother even if it hadn't been a main part of her diet all her life the way it was for his wife. She had adapted well to 'land-walker food' as she'd called it, but she did miss the food of the sea at times, and he did his best to supply her with an endless supply of it. After a bout of the heat that she'd endured, he thought this would be a good time to provide her some of her favorites. It always wore on his heart to see her ill or suffering and not being able to help her through it.

He'd once considered going to the Dark One for a cure, the second time it happened, once he realized it was likely to be a recurring event, for anything that would make the summers more bearable to her, but she refused. They had fought about it quite terribly as he hadn't expressed himself in the best way. She had no qualms with seeking out the Dark One, unlike others who thought him just an evil soul, it was more that it had come across to her as though he wanted to physically change her to make her more human. Because this reaction was normal when Sirens grew too warm and she was not yet used to the summer on land. He'd had to wait till she calmed some to explain that it was only seeing her in pain that made him wish for something to comfort her, not to change her or make her human, just to ease her discomfort. He had agreed not to seek out the Dark One and that meant he was left to endure this with her nearly each year. Though he took precautions, tried to delay it or avoid it when he could. He would stock up on ice whenever possible, give her chilled foods and drink to help her keep her temperature down. He had even created a device that would wave one of the fans at them as they slept all night so they wouldn't need an attendant in their bedchambers to do it. He avoided holding her too much during the day, knowing his own warmth would make hers worse, though it killed him to be so distant. He altered some of the rooms in the castle, those lowest to be the ground, into sitting rooms and a secondary music room for her and Rose so she might escape the heat even a bit while they had lessons. It only helped two times in his memory, there were only two years where she hadn't succumbed to this awful illness. But he endeavored to keep trying and each year he had something new in mind.

This was not one of them, this was something they did every year on a particular day, it was just the first they were bringing Rose on.

She had been too young before, for them to trust her to keep out of the water and away from the foam. Children were often so distracted and intrigued they might listen for a moment and then forget the next. They were sure, now, that she would obey their request to stay on the blanket and away from the waves.

It was a risk, to be sure, to take her so near the sea, but Ilayda often lamented their daughter wasn't part of this little ritual, especially given she was the ultimate result of what that day brought so many years ago.

"We have never been to the beach before, papa," Rose looked at him, speaking with her mouth full of the last bite of the sandwich.

"Chew and swallow, Rose," Ethan chuckled lightly, "It's improper for a princess to speak with her mouth full."

Rose nodded and did just that, carefully chewing and swallowing the rest, before opening her mouth to show him the food was gone.

"We've never been to the beach before," she repeated.

"No," Ethan agreed, his smile growing a bit sad as he watched his wife reach out to their daughter and run her hand through the girl's blonde hair, so like her own.

It had been a difficult decision, between the two of them, whether they should ever allow Rose near the sea. They had come to realize though, that if they forbid it, one day she would become too curious and venture there and they didn't want to think about what could happen to her. No, they WOULD bring her one day, when she was old enough to understand the beauty and the danger of it, her connection to it and how it was unique to her. They had decided today was that day.

"It's pretty," she offered her mother, knowing that she came from the sea and wanting her mother to know she liked the look if it. It was also very rude of a princess to comment negatively about someone's home.

"It is," Ilayda remarked, looking out at the blue expanse, "It is very beautiful."

Ethan reached out to take her hand, lifting it to press a kiss to her knuckles at the wistful look on her face. He had no fear that she regretted their union, the life they had built, the choice she'd made. They talked about it many a time, when he felt he had failed her, when he felt he hadn't given her the life she deserved. It was a human emotion, on his end, to think that she would regret all she'd given up. It had been startling, the first time they spoke of it, her reaction.

Her family had betrayed her when they plotted to kill the one her song blended with, her mate, HIM. And, therefore, they were no family of hers. Her heart had hardened against them and she truly did not care what happened to them or about that life any longer. It had been shocking, truly, to hear how blasé she had been, how emotionless, there was not an ounce of regret in her voice, no hint that she was saying it only to make him feel better. She genuinely did not care for the family that had been there all her life, after what they'd done. She cared for him, for their family, the one they were building, and that was all. She could never have been happy in that life without him.

She did not regret her choice, and she did not miss her home in the sense that she missed the family that came with it. She, perhaps, thought more on swimming, the majesty of what lay under the waves, the creatures, but that was all. Perhaps she was wistful of the magic she once had at her command, the song she could use to convey her will, but she had passed that on to her daughter and she found solace in teaching Rose how to tap into it and utilize it, to control it. Truly she had been equally as confused by why he felt guilt as he did in how she could so quickly, instantly, and wholly cut ties with her own blood.

"Is that why we're here?" she asked, looking between her parents, "Are we going to visit the ocean?"

"No."

Ethan pressed another kiss to his wife's hand at her firm and short reply, the near fear he'd almost heard in her voice at the thought of Rose going into the sea. It was on the tip of being fear, for Rose was right there and not at the sea and they would not be going nearer than they were, "We can't, Rose," he added to soothe the pout she'd sported.

"Why?" Rose asked.

"Your mother cannot," he began, "And if she cannot, then we cannot."

"Because of her magic?" Rose furrowed her brow, trying to work out why she couldn't go see the sea.

"In part," Ilayda sighed, "The sea was my home, but I left it. It will not welcome me back. Nor will it welcome you, Rose, being my child."

"Could my magic let you go back?"

"Even if it could, I would not wish it," Ilayda told her, "Thank you for the offer, sweet girl."

"You don't want to go home?" Rose tilted her head at her mother.

"I am home, daughter," Ilayda smiled at her, "You and your father, you are my home."

Her brow just furrowed more, her parents weren't making much sense, "The sea was your home, but now you have a different home? And it's people?"

"Yes."

"How?" she looked between them. She and Snow would often lament having to 'go home' when their visits were done and, as far as she knew, they both meant back to their castles not their parents. How did a person become a home? You couldn't live in them. Buildings you could live in.

"Love."

"Huh?"

Ethan chuckled at how adorably confused his daughter seemed, perhaps the concept of home as a person was too large for such a young girl, but the conversation had already started and his daughter was always curious about things she didn't understand yet, "Our heart's home," he offered.

It didn't make it better, Rose just touched her chest, "In here," she answered, as though he'd asked a question.

It only served to make him chuckle a bit more, "I meant that you and I are your mother's home because we are where her heart lives."

"Papa, are you feeling alright?" she frowned at him now in concern, "That doesn't make sense."

"In time it shall," he remarked, willing to let the question leave off there, but Ilayda, who had been observing her daughter while they spoke, continued.

"Come here, Rose," she held out a hand to her daughter, tugging her closer as she shifted to sit up entirely, Rose sitting in the cross of her legs, her arms around her daughter as she held her close, "I love you, so very much."

"I love you too, mama," Rose replied instantly.

"I am glad," Ilayda murmured, taking a breath and explaining what she knew, "Perhaps it is different for Sirens, how our hearts work, but…the sea is vast, it is very large, and you can drift for miles and miles. You could end up very far away from the place you live or find a new place to live. But living somewhere does not mean it is your home now," she looked at her daughter, "If you were to go live with the giants in the sky, would you be happy?"

"No," Rose said simply.

"Why?"

"I would miss you and papa."

"Why?"

"Because I love you."

"You see," she smiled at her daughter, "You would miss your father and I more than your room or your bed or the castle, would you not?"

Rose thought about that, how her mother had phrased it, and nodded, "I didn't even think about my bed. I thought about you and papa."

"What if you went to live with Snow instead?"

"Um…" she paused, considering it, "I wouldn't be as sad," she said, "I would still miss you, but I love Snow too."

Ilayda hummed, "Love," she told her daughter, "Love is what makes a place a home, the people who share it with you. Not the things in it."

"Oh," Rose nodded, "So Papa became your home when you left the sea?"

"Yes."

"But what about your family, mama?" she looked at her mother, "Don't you miss them? Weren't they your heart?"

"They were, a very long time ago," Ilayda agreed, "But they were going to hurt your father, they were going to hurt my heart," she caught Ethan's gaze over Rose's head, smiling at the soft look on his face, the wonder it always held whenever he looked upon her as she recounted that event, like he could not believe she was real and there with him, like she was a treasure he would cherish for all time, "And because of that," she looked back at her daughter, "I had no room in my heart for them any longer. Only your father, and now you."

"So one day someone else might be in my heart?" Rose asked, "Someone more than you or papa or Snow?"

Ilayda chuckled at the pout growing on Rose's face at the mere thought that anyone else could ever enter her heart but them, that her heart would have to make room for more people.

"Perhaps," Ethan answered instead, "One day, you may find someone else that you love enough to allow into your heart."

"I get to choose?" she blinked, startled. Even so young it was clear to her that her parents were speaking more of a partner for her one day, a person to love and marry and be together with. A boy probably even though they were icky, though girls could be mean too.

It was just…every story she heard tell about love and princes and princesses falling in love, it always seemed fast and instant. Like they would look at her and that would be it. Snow seemed to think it would happen that way, that she'd take one look and just KNOW. She didn't really like that idea, she didn't want to just instantly love someone, because what if they were a bad person? Or mean? Or they didn't like her? What if they made fun of her or picked on her like the other children did in the village when no one was watching?

"Yes, my sweet girl," Ilayda nodded, "Our hearts," she moved her hand to rest on Rose's little chest, "Ours are unique. It is not easy to enter our hearts."

"You and papa are there," Rose countered, "Snow too. And Aunt Eva and Uncle Leopold. That's 5 people already!"

"We have always been there," Ethan remarked, knowing this from Ilayda, "Family will always be there. If Leopold and Eva had another child, you another cousin, Snow a brother or sister, wouldn't you love them?"

"Of course I would love them!" Rose exclaimed, sounding almost outraged at the mere thought that she wouldn't love her cousin, even if that cousin was someone other than Snow.

"Family is important to a Siren," Ilayda agreed, "But other forms of love are harder to build up. Whoever loves you will need to gain your trust and love first. You can choose to ignore them or cast them off, or to let them into your heart, Rose. It will be up to you."

"What if…" she trailed off.

"What if what?" Ethan sat up more, seeing her hesitating.

"What if no one wants to try?" she looked at them. She doubted any of the village children would ever be so keen to ask for her hand or court her when she was older.

"Someone will," Ilayda promised.

"How do you know?"

Ethan took over now, reaching out to Rose to pick her up and move her into his lap this time, "Do you see just down there?" he pointed to a small area of the beach where it was more pebble than anything, waiting till she nodded, "That is the exact spot where I met your mother."

Rose's eyes widened and she twisted to look up at him so fast he nearly jerked back to avoid having her forehead smack him in the chin, "Truly!?"

He chuckled, humming as he nodded, "She rose out of the water and she spoke to me and…" he sighed, smiling at Ilayda, "She taunted me. Tempted me. Tantalized me."

"How?"

"I had something he wanted," Ilayda spoke, "I would not give it to him."

"She dangled it in front of me and pulled it away each time I came close to obtaining it," Ethan laughed, both of them censoring themselves very much for their daughter. She didn't need to know the thing being dangled was the promise of death.

"Mama that was mean," Rose chastised her mother, to the woman's amusement.

"She made me curious," Ethan continued, "And I kept coming back. I kept talking to her, learning about her, listening to her. I liked being around her."

"I wanted nothing to do with him," Ilayda told her, "At first. But he was persistent. He fought for me in ways I had not expected of a land-walker. Eventually, I grew to love him in return."

There was far more to it, and they would tell her everything one day, but for now it was enough.

"You will always have a choice, Rose," Ethan promised her, "Your mother and I will never force you to wed anyone you do not wish. You will not be a mere pawn in a game, you will be Queen one day. Only you can know your heart and know who is worthy to reside in it."

Rose was quiet for a long time, taking in all that they had said and promised, before she looked at her mother, "Do you regret it, mama?" she asked, a question her father had already the answer to but she did not.

"No," Ilayda said simply and firmly, "I gave up the sea, yes. But I gained so much more."

"That is love, Rose," Ethan smiled down at her, "Love is being willing to give everything to another, to stand by them through anything. Love means every sacrifice is worth it."

"I may not ever be able to return to the sea, but I care not. For I can always return home," Ilayda reached out to take Ethan's hand once more.

"Home with us," Rose said, sounding more like a statement than a question, but her mother nodded anyway, "Even when you don't feel well?"

"I would live like this always if it meant I could live with you and your father," Ilayda promised her, reaching out to put a lock of Rose's hair behind her ear, "Love is enduring, Rose. We can bear anything, stand against anything, if it means love endures."

Rose looked between her parents as they grew lost in thought, gazing at each other. It was clear to her, even being so young how much her parents loved one another.

Her mother had given up so much for her father, her home in the sea, her family, her magic, perhaps even her immorality for she had heard whispers that Sirens lived as long as the sea did unless they were dealt a mortal blow. It seemed unfair, that all she gained in return was a man, at the time. But when that man was her father, well, she could understand that. Her father was the most wonderful man ever and anyone who had his love was a lucky person. She knew she was very lucky to be his daughter.

The more she looked at it though, love wasn't all sacrifice and hardship. Her mother, as she said, lost the sea but gained her husband and a daughter. It was about sharing that hardship, sharing that sacrifice.

Her father had lost things too, she could guess. She never had much contact with her grandparents, her father wouldn't allow it. So he didn't see his parents much. His people questioned him for his choice of wife. He defended her, sometimes making himself look worse to his people. And…he gained her mother's love.

Her mother made it sound like love from a Siren was very difficult to win, their hearts didn't work like other people's did. For her father to win her mother's heart? He truly gained a very rare treasure. He gained a wife, a queen, someone to give him a child, her. And in loving her mother…she saw that he gave her mother something no one else had or likely would. Acceptance.

He didn't look at her mother like she was some vile creature, like she was a thing, like she was dangerous. He looked at her with love and acceptance and understanding. And because he loved her mother, he loved HER too, with the same acceptance of the things that made her odd to others.

Looking at her parents, the way they were together, that devotion and acceptance of all the things that made them different and the same, stronger and weaker, better or worse, it was about doing it together. Neither one would ever have to sacrifice much for the thing they gained from it was too great to mention. And any challenge they faced from that point on would be a challenge faced as one, a burden shared.

Sitting there with her parents, at the ocean, it reminded her that not everything was lost even if it seemed that way. Her mother couldn't go back to the sea, neither could she ever try to go to the sea, but the sea wasn't lost to her. It was there, she could see it and breathe it in and visit it and enjoy the sounds of it, and share that with her family.

Love was about sacrificing for the betterment of the person you cared about. Her mother sacrificed her home for a family with her father, her father sacrificed a family for a home in her mother.

Even though she grimaced when her parents leaned in to kiss each other above her head, a part of her hoped that, one day, she might find a love like that, a person who fought for her, and worked to gain her trust, who understood her and all her quirks that came from being part-Siren. She wanted someone who looked at her like her father did her mother and not like how the children in the village looked at her. Like she was a wonder and a treasure, not a nightmare to be feared.

Maybe, if she was very good, she might have a love like that.

A/N: I felt like Ilayda and Ethan wouldn't just talk about Rose's potential love behind her back all the time, there would be times where Ilayda especially would have to teach her daughter about how her heart works and why it works differently than other people's. I couldn't see them waiting very long to begin doing that, not with the distaste others had for her, to help her understand herself. I also wanted to show how Rose came to view love and what it means, what she hears about it compared to what she sees between her parents and knows of their story so far. She's very young here, so her parents take care HOW the phrase things and how much they share with her.

I also wanted a little bit of a family moment for Rose :) I thought this would shed some light also on how ingrained it was to Piper as a child, family above all else, and what love is. Acceptance, sacrifice, support, sharing. To learn what her mother gave up to be with her father, how far both went for each other, I like to think that's where she found the drive to do anything for her cousin and later her family. She's always been willing to sacrifice parts of herself for those she loves, willing to 'make the hard choices' so Snow wouldn't have to. Maybe, on some level, she thought that the more she sacrificed, the greater the love meant, or the greater the 'prize' she would receive in the end for her sacrifice, like how her parents did. I wanted to take a peek into how certain people have to fight to win Piper's heart, while others are just THERE in her heart.

It's sort of interesting to me, looking at that particular dynamic and comparing what happened to Ilayda with what Snow did to Piper. Like, Snow has always been there in Piper's heart, always, with no effort at all, nothing she really did to earn that place in Piper's heart. So for her to be sort of 'kicked out' of Piper's heart, it's a novel experience for Snow because she's never had to fight for that right or work to have that level of trust Piper's always given her. She's a little out of her depth with that, but so is Piper in a way. Her mother, when she was betrayed, completely cut out her entire family and chose her mate above them. Piper can't quite do that, because she has Emma and Henry and Neal who have done nothing to harm her, but THEY have that additional connection to Snow so there's that added pressure to find a way to reforge that relationship for THEM but also a difficulty to take proper revenge because she can't hurt her too much due to Emma and Henry and it's a vicious cycle :(

Piper has no knowledge of anyone betraying a Siren and being able to earn back that level of love and trust again, because she really only had her mother to look to :( She genuinely doesn't know if it will be possible at all, she's only willing to try for Emma and Henry. And, I think, on some level, she knows that no matter what Snow or Charming do, for as angry as Emma and Henry might get about it...the two of them will eventually be able to forgive Snow and Charming, because they're human and their hearts work differently than hers. She could cut Snow out entirely and not feel a thing, not even Snow breaking down in tears and apologizing and utterly agonized over what she did would move her in the slightest, where it would move Emma and Henry.

It'll be interesting, going forward, how Snow and Piper will handle this attempt at reconciliation, at trying to heal. Neither knows what they're doing nor how far things have to go for that bond to begin to repair. We'll have to see how it goes }:)

Some notes on reviews...

We'll have to wait and see when the baby comes }:) Piper does have Siren in her, so it could come early, but she is also half human so there's a chance it could take the full 9 months and she's not quite there yet... }:)

I was SO annoyed with Snow and David at that point too :/ In the show I was sort of like 'when has she done anything to give you the impression she'd do something out of vengeance?' and in the story it became a bit more like 'I can kind of see where they might think that' between Emma intentionally becoming the Dark One and how close she is to Piper and Gold that maybe they think the 'dark' rubbed off on her a bit...but still they could have handled it better :/ Piper is going to have something to say about Roland at one point, but since he's not her child and he's surrounded by the Merry Men, short of kidnapping him she can't do much without a mob coming after her :( She will express her belief that, at the very least, since Regina was so close to Robin that she should have been allowed to raise him, as she raised Henry, whether the heroes listen or not is another thing :(

That is a lovely name :) It makes me think of the Enchantress from Agents of SHIELD too :) I can say I have a name/character in mind if it's a boy or a girl ;) The boy might be a bit obvious as I've talked about it a bit here and on tumblr, but if it's a girl I can say I have a name that is sort of a tiny play on words that also make her something in the realm of fairytales/myths/legends ;)

Oh Emma will definitely hit a point in the AU of throwing the fact she sees Piper as her 'real mom' in Snow's face }:) The crystal might have a bit of a twist to it, it'll still play a role in the final 2 chapters, but for a different reason yup ;)

I think Piper would kill to have actually SEEN his reaction to being called Emma's Uncle too :) I sort of picture him digging through some books, absently listening, then hearing that and dropping everything, just freezing and blinking like 'I heard wrong. She didn't say that. I must be mistaken...' and then hearing Piper and just not knowing how to compute what happened and then pretending like he never heard anything because he can't deal with all of THAT right now :) Being Henry's grandpa is one thing, being the Savior's 'uncle' is quite another ;) We'll definitely have quite a few Emma-Gold moments to come ;) David will have...quite a bitter pill to swallow about MANY things as the series wraps up ;)

Oh Maleficent would totally be Team Piper :) I could see her hearing what happened, looking at Regina, and then going over to Piper and linking arms and going 'She's my new best friend now' :) I can say in the AU, since it's shaping up to sort of be a non-humans vs. humans theme, Maleficent might have a little more of a role than in the show once she comes around ;) In Lyssa's story as well she'd be around a tiny bit more since, I can say, she does know about Lyssa and (even though Regina never flat out says who Lyssa is to her, Maleficent is smart and she can work things out) she sort of adores Lyssa too :) The AU would really be the place where the 'spawn' part of Snow White's argument to using Lily would be crushed thoroughly }:)

I'm so glad you enjoyed the series so far! :D Season 6 will be sort of bittersweet. On the one hand, Piper is going to understand better than anyone doing ANYTHING to keep your family safe, going to any extreme for it. But on the other hand, actions that hurt her family also make her less inclined to give others a chance. There's the mother's love that led to what happened with the Black Fairy, but also the fact that Gold ended up with Pan as a father and what his life became after it all that makes him less likely to forgive. Sort of like how Piper brought up that Bae would probably forgive Gold over Milah because he stayed, Gold didn't even have one parent who stayed. But he'll also consider how she clearly wanted to but was forced away and what he knows of how Blue can manipulate people. It'll be tense and complex, with a lot of fraying emotions thrown in ;) Oh Blue, she really has no idea what's coming for her }:)